Treatment of subclinical hypothyroidism does not affect bone mass as determined by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry, peripheral quantitative computed tomography and quantitative bone ultrasound in Spanish women.

INTRODUCTION: The results of studies examining the influence of subclinical hypothyroidism (SCH) and levothyroxine (L-T4) replacement therapy on bone have generated considerable interest but also controversy. The present research aims to evaluate the effects of L-T4 treatment on different skeletal sites in women. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A group of 45 premenopausal (mean age: 43.62 ±6.65 years) and 180 postmenopausal (mean age: 59.51 ±7.90 years) women with SCH who were undergoing L-T4 replacement therapy for at least 6 months were compared to 58 pre- and 180 postmenopausal women with SCH (untreated) matched for age. The mean doses of L-T4 were 90.88 ±42.59 µg/day in the premenopausal women and 86.35 ±34.11 µg/day in the postmenopausal women. Bone measurements were obtained using quantitative bone ultrasound (QUS) for the phalanx, dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) for the lumbar spine and hip, and peripheral quantitative computed tomography (pQCT) for the non-dominant distal forearm. RESULTS: No differences were observed between patients and untreated controls in these bone measurements except in the bone mineral density (BMD) of the spine (p = 0.0214) in postmenopausal women, which was greater in treated women than in untreated controls. CONCLUSIONS: Our results indicate that adequate metabolic control through replacement treatment with L-T4 in pre- and postmenopausal women does not affect bone mass

Sensitivity of mangrove range limits to climate variability

Aim: Correlative distribution models have been used to identify potential climatic controls of mangrove range limits, but there is still uncertainty about the relative importance of these factors across different regions. To provide insights into the strength of climatic control of different mangrove range limits, we tested whether temporal variability in mangrove abundance increases near range limits and whether this variability is correlated with climatic factors thought to control large scale mangrove distributions. Location: North and South America. Time period: 1984–2011. Major taxa studied: Avicennia germinans, Avicennia schuaeriana, Rhizophora mangle, Laguncularia racemosa. Methods: We characterized temporal variability in the enhanced vegetation index (EVI) at mangrove range limits using Landsat satellite imagery collected between 1984–2011. We characterized greening trends at each range limit, examined variability in EVI along latitudinal gradients near each range limit, and assessed correlations between changes in EVI and temperature and precipitation. Results: Spatial variability in mean EVI was generally correlated with temperature and precipitation, but the relationships were region specific. Greening trends were most pronounced at range limits in eastern North America. In these regions variability in EVI increased toward the range limit and was sensitive to climatic factors. In contrast, EVI at range limits on the Pacific coast of North America and both coasts of South America was relatively stable and less sensitive to climatic variability. Main conclusions: Our results suggest that range limits in eastern North America are strongly controlled by climate factors. Mangrove expansion in response to future warming is expected to be rapid in regions that are highly sensitive to climate variability (e.g. eastern North America), but the response in other range limits (e.g. South America) is likely to be more complex and modulated by additional factors such as dispersal limitation, habitat constraints, and/or changing climatic means rather than just extremes

Chemical composition and antibacterial activity of essential oil Peperomia acuminata from Venezuelan Andes

El género Peperomia (Piperaceae), es bien conocido por sus especies ornamentales y usos etnomedicinales. En el presente trabajo se describe la caracterización química y la actividad antibacteriana del aceite esencial de Peperomia acuminata Ruiz & Pav. proveniente del Estado Mérida Venezuela. El aceite esencial se obtuvo por hidrodestilación de las hojas y la separación de los componentes se realizó por Cromatografía de gases-Espectrometría de Masas (CG/EM). Se logró la elucidación de ocho compuestos (96,7%), siendo el 2E-dodecenal el componente mayoritario (65%) seguido de dodecanal (14,8%) y tetradecanal (9,2%). Esta investigación muestra el potencial del aceite esencial de P. acuminata frente a bacterias Gram positivas (Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 25923 y Enterococcus faecalis 29212), con un valor de Concentración inhibitoria mínima de 1μL/mL. Este es el primer reporte sobre la composición química del aceite esencial de esta especie, por lo tanto una contribución importante al estudio del género Peperomia.The genus Peperomia (Piperaceae) is well known for its ornamental species and ethnomedicinal uses. This paper aims to chemically characterize the essential oil of Peperomia acuminata Ruiz & Pav. from Mérida State, Venezuela, and determine its microbiological activity. The essential oil is obtained by hydrodistillation of the leaves and the separation of the components was performed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC/MS). Eight compounds (96.7%) were elucidated in the oil. The 2E dodecenal was found to be the major component (65%) followed by dodecanal (14.8%) and tetradecanal (9.2%). The essential oil showed high specificity against Gram positive bacteria Staphylococcus aureus ATCC (25923) and Enterococcus faecalis (29212) with a Minimum Inhibitory Concentration of 1 µL/mL. This is the first report about chemical composition of the essential oil from this specie therefore an important contribution to the study of the genus Peperomia

Experiencia inicial del uso de SelectMDx® en el diagnóstico de cáncer de próstata en un entorno de práctica clínica habitual «real-world evidence».

Introducción El uso de biomarcadores en la detección del cáncer de próstata (CP) puede disminuir el sobrediagnóstico y sobretratamiento de CP no significativos. Analizamos la utilidad y aplicabilidad del marcador SelectMDx® en un entorno de práctica clínica habitual. Material y métodos Estudio retrospectivo de 48 pacientes evaluados mediante el test SelectMDx® entre julio de 2017 y abril de 2019. Los pacientes se estratificaron en dos grupos según el riesgo estimado por el test de CP clínicamente significativo (CP-CS): 2%. Los resultados se expresaron en función de los antecedentes de biopsia prostática (BP) y resonancia magnética multiparamétrica (RMmp). Resultados En pacientes con BP negativa y RMmp normal/dudosa el riesgo fue 2% presentaron un CP-CS. De los 14 pacientes sin BP ni RMmp previas, 9 presentaron un riesgo 2%. En el resto de subgrupos el número de pacientes es pequeño como para poder extraer conclusiones. En todos los casos con tacto rectal patológico el test demostraba un riesgo de padecer CP > 2%. Conclusión SelectMDx® es un test prometedor para detectar pacientes con un riesgo muy bajo de CP-CS, especialmente en pacientes con sospecha de CP con o sin BP negativas, en los que la RMmp muestre un resultado normal/dudoso. La presencia de un tacto rectal patológico puede condicionar el resultado del test.pre-print203 K

LivestockPlus: The sustainable intensification of forage-based agricultural systems to improve livelihoods and ecosystem services in the tropics

As global demand for livestock products (such as meat, milk, and eggs) is expected to double by 2050, necessary increases to future production must be reconciled with negative environmental impacts that livestock cause. This paper describes the LivestockPlus concept and demonstrates how the sowing of improved forages can lead to the sustainable intensification of mixed crop–forage–livestock–tree systems in the tropics by producing multiple social, economic, and environmental benefits. Sustainable intensification not only improves the productivity of tropical forage-based systems but also reduces the ecological footprint of livestock production and generates a diversity of ecosystem services (ES), such as improved soil quality and reduced erosion, sedimentation, and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Integrating improved grass and legume forages into mixed production systems (crop–livestock, tree–livestock, crop–tree–livestock) can restore degraded lands and enhance system resilience to drought and waterlogging associated with climate change. When properly managed tropical forages accumulate large amounts of carbon in soil, fix atmospheric nitrogen (legumes), inhibit nitrification in soil and reduce nitrous oxide emissions (grasses), and reduce GHG emissions per unit livestock product. The LivestockPlus concept is defined as the sustainable intensification of forage-based systems, which is based on three interrelated intensification processes: genetic intensification – the development and use of superior grass and legume cultivars for increased livestock productivity; ecological intensification – the development and application of improved farm and natural resource management practices; and socio-economic intensification – the improvement of local and national institutions and policies, which enable refinements of technologies and support their enduring use. Increases in livestock productivity will require coordinated efforts to develop supportive government, non-government organization, and private sector policies that foster investments and fair market compensation for both the products and ES provided. Effective research-for-development efforts that promote agricultural and environmental benefits of forage-based systems can contribute towards implemention of LivestockPlus across a variety of geographic, political, and socio-economic contexts

Un examen actualizado de la percepción de las barreras para la implementación de la farmacogenómica y la utilidad de los pares fármaco/gen en América Latina y el Caribe

La farmacogenómica (PGx) se considera un campo emergente en los países en desarrollo. La investigación sobre PGx en la región de América Latina y el Caribe (ALC) sigue siendo escasa, con información limitada en algunas poblaciones. Por lo tanto, las extrapolaciones son complicadas, especialmente en poblaciones mixtas. En este trabajo, revisamos y analizamos el conocimiento farmacogenómico entre la comunidad científica y clínica de ALC y examinamos las barreras para la aplicación clínica. Realizamos una búsqueda de publicaciones y ensayos clínicos en este campo en todo el mundo y evaluamos la contribución de ALC. A continuación, realizamos una encuesta regional estructurada que evaluó una lista de 14 barreras potenciales para la aplicación clínica de biomarcadores en función de su importancia. Además, se analizó una lista emparejada de 54 genes/fármacos para determinar una asociación entre los biomarcadores y la respuesta a la medicina genómica. Esta encuesta se comparó con una encuesta anterior realizada en 2014 para evaluar el progreso en la región. Los resultados de la búsqueda indicaron que los países de América Latina y el Caribe han contribuido con el 3,44% del total de publicaciones y el 2,45% de los ensayos clínicos relacionados con PGx en todo el mundo hasta el momento. Un total de 106 profesionales de 17 países respondieron a la encuesta. Se identificaron seis grandes grupos de obstáculos. A pesar de los continuos esfuerzos de la región en la última década, la principal barrera para la implementación de PGx en ALC sigue siendo la misma, la "necesidad de directrices, procesos y protocolos para la aplicación clínica de la farmacogenética/farmacogenómica". Las cuestiones de coste-eficacia se consideran factores críticos en la región. Los puntos relacionados con la reticencia de los clínicos son actualmente menos relevantes. Según los resultados de la encuesta, los pares gen/fármaco mejor clasificados (96%-99%) y percibidos como importantes fueron CYP2D6/tamoxifeno, CYP3A5/tacrolimus, CYP2D6/opioides, DPYD/fluoropirimidinas, TMPT/tiopurinas, CYP2D6/antidepresivos tricíclicos, CYP2C19/antidepresivos tricíclicos, NUDT15/tiopurinas, CYP2B6/efavirenz y CYP2C19/clopidogrel. En conclusión, aunque la contribución global de los países de ALC sigue siendo baja en el campo del PGx, se ha observado una mejora relevante en la región. La percepción de la utilidad de las pruebas PGx en la comunidad biomédica ha cambiado drásticamente, aumentando la concienciación entre los médicos, lo que sugiere un futuro prometedor en las aplicaciones clínicas de PGx en ALC.Pharmacogenomics (PGx) is considered an emergent field in developing countries. Research on PGx in the Latin American and the Caribbean (LAC) region remains scarce, with limited information in some populations. Thus, extrapolations are complicated, especially in mixed populations. In this paper, we reviewed and analyzed pharmacogenomic knowledge among the LAC scientific and clinical community and examined barriers to clinical application. We performed a search for publications and clinical trials in the field worldwide and evaluated the contribution of LAC. Next, we conducted a regional structured survey that evaluated a list of 14 potential barriers to the clinical implementation of biomarkers based on their importance. In addition, a paired list of 54 genes/drugs was analyzed to determine an association between biomarkers and response to genomic medicine. This survey was compared to a previous survey performed in 2014 to assess progress in the region. The search results indicated that Latin American and Caribbean countries have contributed 3.44% of the total publications and 2.45% of the PGx-related clinical trials worldwide thus far. A total of 106 professionals from 17 countries answered the survey. Six major groups of barriers were identified. Despite the region’s continuous efforts in the last decade, the primary barrier to PGx implementation in LAC remains the same, the “need for guidelines, processes, and protocols for the clinical application of pharmacogenetics/pharmacogenomics”. Cost-effectiveness issues are considered critical factors in the region. Items related to the reluctance of clinicians are currently less relevant. Based on the survey results, the highest ranked (96%–99%) gene/drug pairs perceived as important were CYP2D6/tamoxifen, CYP3A5/tacrolimus, CYP2D6/opioids, DPYD/fluoropyrimidines, TMPT/thiopurines, CYP2D6/tricyclic antidepressants, CYP2C19/tricyclic antidepressants, NUDT15/thiopurines, CYP2B6/efavirenz, and CYP2C19/clopidogrel. In conclusion, although the global contribution of LAC countries remains low in the PGx field, a relevant improvement has been observed in the region. The perception of the usefulness of PGx tests in biomedical community has drastically changed, raising awareness among physicians, which suggests a promising future in the clinical applications of PGx in LAC

Database of spatial distribution of non indigenous species in Spanish marine waters

Research in marine Spanish waters are focused on several actions to achieve an effectively management on protected areas, with the active participation of the stakeholders and research as basic tools for decision-making. Among these actions, there is one about the knowledge and control on NIS. One of its objectives is the creation of NIS factsheets, which are going to be added to the National Marine Biodiversity Geographical System (GIS) providing complementary information about taxonomic classification, common names, taxonomic synonyms, species illustrations, identification morphological characters, habitat in the native and introduced regions, biological and ecological traits, GenBank DNA sequences, world distribution, first record and evolution in the introduced areas, likely pathways of introduction, effects in the habitats and interaction with native species, and potential management measures to apply. The database will also provide data for (1) the European online platforms, (2) the environmental assessment for the Descriptor 2 (D2-NIS) of the EU Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD), as well as (3) supporting decisions made by stakeholders. It is the result of extensive collaboration among scientist, manager’s and citizen science in the Spanish North-Atlantic, South-Atlantic, Gibraltar Strait-Alboran, Levantine-Balearic and Canary Islands marine divisions, providing an updated overview of the spatial distribution of relevant extended and invasive NIS of recent and established NIS introduced by maritime transport and aquaculture pathways, as well as on cryptogenic or native species in expansion due to the climatic water warming trend

Overexpression of Human and Fly Frataxins in Drosophila Provokes Deleterious Effects at Biochemical, Physiological and Developmental Levels

10 pages, 5 figures. 21779322[PubMed] PMCID: PMC3136927BACKGROUND: Friedreich's ataxia (FA), the most frequent form of inherited ataxias in the Caucasian population, is caused by a reduced expression of frataxin, a highly conserved protein. Model organisms have contributed greatly in the efforts to decipher the function of frataxin; however, the precise function of this protein remains elusive. Overexpression studies are a useful approach to investigate the mechanistic actions of frataxin; however, the existing literature reports contradictory results. To further investigate the effect of frataxin overexpression, we analyzed the consequences of overexpressing human (FXN) and fly (FH) frataxins in Drosophila. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: We obtained transgenic flies that overexpressed human or fly frataxins in a general pattern and in different tissues using the UAS-GAL4 system. For both frataxins, we observed deleterious effects at the biochemical, histological and behavioral levels. Oxidative stress is a relevant factor in the frataxin overexpression phenotypes. Systemic frataxin overexpression reduces Drosophila viability and impairs the normal embryonic development of muscle and the peripheral nervous system. A reduction in the level of aconitase activity and a decrease in the level of NDUF3 were also observed in the transgenic flies that overexpressed frataxin. Frataxin overexpression in the nervous system reduces life span, impairs locomotor ability and causes brain degeneration. Frataxin aggregation and a misfolding of this protein have been shown not to be the mechanism that is responsible for the phenotypes that have been observed. Nevertheless, the expression of human frataxin rescues the aconitase activity in the fh knockdown mutant. CONCLUSION/SIGNIFICANCE: Our results provide in vivo evidence of a functional equivalence for human and fly frataxins and indicate that the control of frataxin expression is important for treatments that aim to increase frataxin levels.This work was supported by grants from Fondo Investigaciones Sanitarias (ISCIII06- PI0677) and La Fundació la Marató TV3 (exp 101932) of Spain. JVL is supported by the European Friedreich's Ataxia Consortium for Translational Studies. SS is a recipient of a fellowship from Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación of Spain.Peer reviewe

Seeking organisational excellence by using the information coming from the EFQM excellence model as starting point: application to a real case

This paper describes how to use the information coming from applying the EFQM excellence model to analyse the perception that the members of an organisation have of it regarding their business vision. Such an analysis is made on the basis of the EFQM excellence model criteria and by applying statistical data analysis techniques. With this study, besides detecting both the strong and weak areas of actuation on which an organisation should focus and act, it is also possible to detect the relationships between the personal characteristics of members of the organisation and their business vision. The main goal is that organisations are able to reach excellence by jointly using an assessment method (the EFQM excellence model) and posterior statistical data analysis techniques (uni-variant and multi-variant). These techniques enable one to complement and enlarge the potential of the EFQM excellence model. Finally, the procedure is illustrated by presenting the main results of applying it to a real case of the Permanent Training Centre of the Polytechnic University of Valencia in Spain. © 2011 Taylor & Francis.Alfaro Saiz, JJ.; Carot Sierra, JM.; Rodríguez Rodríguez, R.; Jabaloyes Vivas, JM. (2011). Seeking organisational excellence by using the information coming from the EFQM excellence model as starting point: application to a real case. Total Quality Management and Business Excellence. 22(8):853-868. doi:10.1080/14783363.2011.597595S853868228Carlos Bou‐Llusar, J., Escrig‐Tena, A. B., Roca‐Puig, V., & Beltrán‐Martín, I. (2005). To what extent do enablers explain results in the EFQM excellence model? International Journal of Quality & Reliability Management, 22(4), 337-353. doi:10.1108/02656710510591192Calvo‐Mora, A., Leal, A., & Roldán, J. L. (2006). Using enablers of the EFQM model to manage institutions of higher education. Quality Assurance in Education, 14(2), 99-122. doi:10.1108/09684880610662006Dale, B. G., Zairi, M., Van der Wiele, A., & Williams, A. R. T. (2000). Quality is dead in Europe – long live excellence ‐ true or false? Measuring Business Excellence, 4(3), 4-10. doi:10.1108/13683040010377737Eskildsen, J. K., Kristensen, K., & Jørn Juhl, H. (2001). The criterion weights of the EFQM excellence model. International Journal of Quality & Reliability Management, 18(8), 783-795. doi:10.1108/eum0000000006033Farrar, M. (2000). Structuring success: A case study in the use of the EFQM Excellence Model in school improvement. Total Quality Management, 11(4-6), 691-696. doi:10.1080/09544120050008084Hides, M. T., Davies, J., & Jackson, S. (2004). Implementation of EFQM excellence model self‐assessment in the UK higher education sector – lessons learned from other sectors. The TQM Magazine, 16(3), 194-201. doi:10.1108/09544780410532936Li, M., & Yang, J. B. (2003). A decision model for self‐assessment of business process based on the EFQM excellence model. International Journal of Quality & Reliability Management, 20(2), 164-188. doi:10.1108/02656710310456608Martín‐Castilla, J. I., & Rodríguez‐Ruiz, Ó. (2008). EFQM model: knowledge governance and competitive advantage. Journal of Intellectual Capital, 9(1), 133-156. doi:10.1108/14691930810845858McAdam, R., & Welsh, W. (2000). A critical review of the business excellence quality model applied to further education colleges. Quality Assurance in Education, 8(3), 120-130. doi:10.1108/09684880010372716Ruiz-Carrillo, J. I. C., & Fernández-Ortiz, R. (2005). Theoretical foundation of the EFQM model: the resource-based view. Total Quality Management & Business Excellence, 16(1), 31-55. doi:10.1080/1478336042000309857Rusjan, B. (2005). Usefulness of the EFQM excellence model: Theoretical explanation of some conceptual and methodological issues. Total Quality Management & Business Excellence, 16(3), 363-380. doi:10.1080/14783360500053972José Tarí, J. (2006). An EFQM model self‐assessment exercise at a Spanish university. Journal of Educational Administration, 44(2), 170-188. doi:10.1108/09578230610652051Wongrassamee, S., Simmons, J. E. L., & Gardiner, P. D. (2003). Performance measurement tools: the Balanced Scorecard and the EFQM Excellence Model. Measuring Business Excellence, 7(1), 14-29. doi:10.1108/13683040310466690Yang, J. B., Dale, B. G., & Siow, C. H. R. (2001). Self-assessment of excellence: An application of the evidential reasoning approach. International Journal of Production Research, 39(16), 3789-3812. doi:10.1080/0020754011006907

A922 Sequential measurement of 1 hour creatinine clearance (1-CRCL) in critically ill patients at risk of acute kidney injury (AKI)

Meeting abstrac