Evaluación de un tutorial multimedia de introducción a la metodología OMT en el desarrollo de software orientado a objetos

El objetivo de este trabajo es la Evaluación de un tutorial multimedia, aplicado al aprendizaje de la metodología Object Modeling Techniques, como complemento docente en los estudios de Ingeniería del Software. El estudio consta de varias etapas: diseño y construcción de un prototipo del tutorial multimedia (conceptos fundamentales, un ejemplo práctico de OMT y un test de conocimientos interno); aplicación del prototipo en el inicio y el final del periodo de prácticas de la asignatura, pasando un cuestionario para la evaluación subjetiva en ambos casos; y un análisis estadístico de los resultados obtenidos en las dos encuestas. La evaluación del tutorial, tanto en general, como en cada uno de sus aspectos concretos, ha sido satisfactoria, si bien se observan diferencias entre los resultados del primer cuestionario y los del segundo. Además, se ha visto que las expectativas iniciales que los alumnos tenían de la tecnología multimedia en general y de su aplicación a la enseñanza, han descendido con sus experiencias a lo largo del curso académico. Paralelamente desciende también la puntuación que dan al tutorial antes y después del curso, si bien, este descenso es mucho más pequeño que la disminución de las expectativas en multimedia

Association of Mediterranean diet with peripheral artery disease: the PREDIMED randomized trial

Association of Mediterranean Diet With Peripheral Artery Disease: The PREDIMED Randomized Trial The role of nutrition in preventing peripheral artery disease (PAD) remains elusive. 1 Mediterranean diets reduce the risk of myocardial infarction and stroke. 2,3. They also may reduce the risk of PAD, but this hypothesis has never been tested in a randomized trial. We assessed the association of Mediterranean diets with the occurrence of symptomatic PAD in an exploratory, nonprespecified analysis of a randomized trial..

Circulating Adiponectin and Its Association with Metabolic Traits and Type 2 Diabetes: Gene-Diet Interactions Focusing on Selected Gene Variants and at the Genome-Wide Level in High-Cardiovascular Risk Mediterranean Subjects

Adiponectin is gaining renewed interest since, in addition to its possible protective role against insulin resistance and arteriosclerosis, recent studies suggest other additional favorable effects. However, the influence of gene-diet interactions on plasma adiponectin levels is still little understood. We analyzed the association between plasma adiponectin levels and various metabolic traits in a high-cardiovascular risk Mediterranean population, as well as the genetic effect of four candidate single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the adiponectin gene (ADIPOQ) and their interactions with the Mediterranean dietary pattern. Additionally, we explored, at the genome-wide level, the SNPs most associated with plasma adiponectin levels, as well as gene-diet interactions with the Mediterranean diet. In the 954 participants studied (aged 55-80 years), plasma adiponectin levels were strongly associated with plasma HDL-C concentrations (p = 6.6 × 10-36) and inversely related to triglycerides (p = 4.7 × 10-18), fasting glucose (p = 3.5 × 10-16) and type 2 diabetes (p = 1.4 × 10-7). Of the four pre-selected ADIPOQ candidate SNPs, the one most associated with plasma adiponectin was the -11391G > A (rs17300539) promoter SNP (p = 7.2 × 10-5, in the multivariable adjusted model). No significant interactions with the Mediterranean diet pattern were observed for these SNPs. Additionally, in the exploratory genome-wide association study (GWAS), we found new SNPs associated with adiponectin concentrations at the suggestive genome-wide level (p < 1 × 10-5) for the whole population, including the lead SNP rs9738548 (intergenic) and rs11647294 in the VAT1L (Vesicle Amine Transport 1 Like) gene. We also found other promising SNPs on exploring different strata such as men, women, diabetics and non-diabetics (p = 3.5 × 10-8 for rs2850066). Similarly, we explored gene-Mediterranean diet interactions at the GWAS level and identified several SNPs with gene-diet interactions at p < 1 × 10-5. A remarkable gene-diet interaction was revealed for the rs2917570 SNP in the OPCML (Opioid Binding Protein/Cell Adhesion Molecule Like) gene, previously reported to be associated with adiponectin levels in some populations. Our results suggest that, in this high-cardiovascular risk Mediterranean population, and even though adiponectin is favorably associated with metabolic traits and lower type 2 diabetes, the gene variants more associated with adiponectin may be population-specific, and some suggestive gene-Mediterranean diet interactions were detected

Baseline adherence to the Mediterranean diet and major cardiovascular events: Prevención con Dieta Mediterránea trial

Lifestyle modification, particularly dietary changes, is the cornerstone of population-based strategies for cardiovascular disease (CVD) prevention.1 Recently the Prevención con Dieta Mediterránea (PREDIMED) study,2 a 5-year randomized primary prevention trial (isrctn.org Identifier: ISRCTN35739639), showed a 30% reduction in incident CVD with Mediterranean diet (MeDiet) intervention in comparison with a control diet. At quarterly visits throughout the study, a validated 14-item MeDiet screening tool (Table 1) was used to assess conformity with this dietary pattern.3 Close monitoring of adherence to dietary instructions for CVD prevention is difficult in the clinical setting. Short dietary assessment tools, such as the PREDIMED screener, are desirable to identify individuals in need of dietary counseling. Given that there is little information on the association of diet scores with disease outcomes in longitudinal studies, we investigated whether the baseline 14-point MeDiet score was related to incident CVD in the PREDIMED cohor

Benefits of the Mediterranean Diet: Insights From the PREDIMED Study

The PREDIMED (PREvención con DIeta MEDiterránea) multicenter, randomized, primary prevention trial assessed the long-term effects of the Mediterranean diet (MeDiet) on clinical events of cardiovascular disease (CVD). We randomized 7447 men and women at high CVD risk into three diets: MeDiet supplemented with extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO), MeDiet supplemented with nuts, and control diet (advice on a low-fat diet). No energy restriction and no special intervention on physical activity were applied. We observed 288 CVD events (a composite of myocardial infarction, stroke or CVD death) during a median time of 4.8 years; hazard ratios were 0.70 (95% CI, 0.53-0.91) for the MeDiet + EVOO and 0.70 (CI, 0.53-0.94) for the MeDiet + nuts compared to the control group. Respective hazard ratios for incident diabetes (273 cases) among 3541 non-diabetic participants were 0.60 (0.43-0.85) and 0.82 (0.61-1.10) for MeDiet + EVOO and MeDiet + nuts, respectively versus control. Significant improvements in classical and emerging CVD risk factors also supported a favorable effect of both MeDiets on blood pressure, insulin sensitivity, lipid profiles, lipoprotein particles, inflammation, oxidative stress, and carotid atherosclerosis. In nutrigenomic studies beneficial effects of the intervention with MedDiets showed interactions with several genetic variants (TCF7L2, APOA2, MLXIPL, LPL, FTO, M4CR, COX-2, GCKR and SERPINE1) with respect to intermediate and final phenotypes. Thus, the PREDIMED trial provided strong evidence that a vegetable-based MeDiet rich in unsaturated fat and polyphenols can be a sustainable and ideal model for CVD prevention

MicroRNAs and drinking: association between the Pre-miR-27a rs895819 polymorphism and alcohol consumption in a Mediterranean population

Recently, microRNAs (miRNA) have been proposed as regulators in the different processes involved in alcohol intake, and differences have been found in the miRNA expression profile in alcoholics. However, no study has focused on analyzing polymorphisms in genes encoding miRNAs and daily alcohol consumption at the population level. Our aim was to investigate the association between a functional polymorphism in the pre-miR-27a (rs895819 A>G) gene and alcohol consumption in an elderly population. We undertook a cross-sectional study of PREvención con DIeta MEDiterránea (PREDIMED)-Valencia participants (n = 1007, including men and women aged 67 ± 7 years) and measured their alcohol consumption (total and alcoholic beverages) through a validated questionnaire. We found a strong association between the pre-miR-27a polymorphism and total alcohol intake, this being higher in GG subjects (5.2 ± 0.4 in AA, 5.9 ± 0.5 in AG and 9.1 ± 1.8 g/day in GG; padjusted = 0.019). We also found a statistically-significant association of the pre-miR-27a polymorphism with the risk of having a high alcohol intake (>2 drinks/day in men and >1 in women): 5.9% in AA versus 17.5% in GG; padjusted < 0.001. In the sensitivity analysis, this association was homogeneous for sex, obesity and Mediterranean diet adherence. In conclusion, we report for the first time a significant association between a miRNA polymorphism (rs895819) and daily alcohol consumption

Reduced circulating sTWEAK levels are associated with metabolic syndrome in elderly individuals at high cardiovascular risk

BACKGROUND: The circulating soluble TNF-like weak inducer of apoptosis (sTWEAK) is a cytokine that modulates inflammatory and atherogenic reactions related to cardiometabolic risk. We investigated the association between sTWEAK levels and metabolic syndrome (MetS) and its components in older subjects at high cardiovascular risk. METHODS: Cross-sectional analysis of 452 non-diabetic individuals (men and women aged 55-80 years) at high cardiovascular risk. MetS was defined by AHA/NHLBI and IDF criteria. Logistic regression analyses were used to estimate odds ratios (ORs) for MetS and its components by tertiles of serum sTWEAK concentrations measured by ELISA. RESULTS: sTWEAK concentrations were lower in subjects with MetS than in those without. In gender- and age-adjusted analyses, subjects in the lowest sTWEAK tertile had higher ORs for overall MetS [1.71 (95% CI, 1.07-2.72)] and its components abdominal obesity [2.01 (1.15-3.52)], hyperglycemia [1.94 (1.20-3.11)], and hypertriglyceridemia [1.73 (1.05-2.82)] than those in the upper tertile. These associations persisted after controlling for family history of diabetes and premature coronary heart disease, lifestyle, kidney function and other MetS components. sTWEAK concentrations decreased as the number of MetS components increased. Individuals in the lowest vs the upper sTWEAK tertile had an increased risk of disclosing greater number of MetS features. Adjusted ORs for individuals with 2 vs ≤1, 3 vs ≤1, and ≥4 vs ≤ 1 MetS components were 2.60 (1.09-6.22), 2.83 (1.16-6.87) and 6.39 (2.42-16.85), respectively. CONCLUSION: In older subjects at high cardiovascular risk, reduced sTWEAK levels are associated with MetS: abdominal obesity, hypertriglyceridemia and hyperglycemia are the main contributors to this association

Phenolic and microbial-targeted metabolomics to discovering and evaluating wine intake biomarkers in human urine and plasma

The discovery of biomarkers of intake in nutritional epidemiological studies is essential in establishing an association between dietary intake (considering their bioavailability) and diet-related risk factors for diseases. The aim is to study urine and plasma phenolic and microbial profile by targeted metabolomics approach in a wine intervention clinical trial for discovering and evaluating food intake biomarkers. High-risk male volunteers (n = 36) were included in a randomized, crossover intervention clinical trial. After a washout period, subjects received red wine or gin, or dealcoholized red wine over four weeks. Fasting plasma and 24-h urine were collected at baseline and after each intervention period. A targeted metabolomic analysis of 70 host and microbial phenolic metabolites was performed using ultra performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometer (UPLC-MS/MS). Metabolites were subjected to stepwise logistic regression to establish prediction models and received operation curves were performed to evaluate biomarkers. Prediction models based mainly on gallic acid metabolites, obtained sensitivity, specificity and area under the curve (AUC) for the training and validation sets of between 91 and 98% for urine and between 74 and 91% for plasma. Resveratrol, ethylgallate and gallic acid metabolite groups in urine samples also resulted in being good predictors of wine intake (AUC>87%). However, lower values for metabolites were obtained in plasma samples. The highest correlations between fasting plasma and urine were obtained for the prediction model score (r = 0.6, P<0.001), followed by gallic acid metabolites (r = 0.5-0.6, P<0.001). This study provides new insights into the discovery of food biomarkers in different biological samples

Longitudinal association of telomere length and obesity indices in an intervention study with a Mediterranean diet: the PREDIMED-NAVARRA trial

Background: Telomeres are nucleoprotein structures that protect the ends of eukaryote chromosomes. Shorter telomere length (TL) is associated with some age-related human disorders, but its relationship with obesity or adiposity parameters remains unclear. Objective: The aim of this study was to assess the relationship between TL and changes in adiposity indices after a 5-year nutritional intervention. Design and subjects: TL was measured by quantitative real-time PCR in 521 subjects (55-80 years, 55% women). Participants were randomly selected from the PREDIMED-NAVARRA centre after they completed a 5-year intervention programme. Anthropometric parameters were directly measured by trained personnel at baseline and on a yearly basis thereafter. TL at baseline and changes in TL after a 5-year intervention were assessed. Results: Higher baseline TL significantly predicted a greater decrease in body weight (B=−1.09 kg, 95% confidence interval (CI): −2.01 to −0.16), body mass index (BMI) (B=−0.47 kg m−2, 95% CI: −0.83 to −0.11), waist circumference (B=−1.15 cm, 95% CI: −2.28 to −0.01) and waist to height ratio (B=−0.008, 95% CI: −0.010 to −0.001) in multiple-adjusted models. In addition, changes in TL during the 5-year intervention were inversely associated with changes in the four anthropometric variables. The reduction in adiposity indices during the intervention, associated with increasing TL, was even higher among subjects with the longest telomeres at baseline. Logistic regression analysis showed that the risk of remaining obese after 5 years was lower in those participants who initially had the longest telomeres and increased their TL after intervention (odds ratio=0.27, 95% CI: 0.03-2.03). Conclusions: Our research suggests that TL is inversely associated with changes in obesity parameters. The assessment of TL can provide further insights for biological pathways leading to adiposity. We show for the first time an improvement of obesity indices when an increase in TL is observed after a 5-year Mediterranean diet intervention

An NMR-based metabolomics approach reveals a combined-biomarkers model in a wine interventional trial with validation in free-living individuals of the PREDIMED study

The development of robust biomarkers of consumption would improve the classification of participants with regard to their dietary exposure. In addition, validation of them in free-living individuals remains an important challenge. The aim of this study is to assess wine intake biomarkers using an NMR metabolomic approach to measure the utility of these biomarkers in a wine interventional study (WIS, n = 56) and also to evaluate them in a free-living individuals (PREDIMED study, n = 91). Nine metabolites showed a significantly higher presence in urinary excretion in WIS after wine intake: five food metabolome metabolites (tartrate, ethyl glucuronide [EtG], 2,3-butanediol, mannitol, and ethanol); one related to the endogenous response to wine exposure (3-methyl-2-oxovalerate) and three unidentified compounds. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve for each single metabolite were evaluated and exhibited areas under the curves (AUC) between 67.4 and 86.3 % when they were evaluated individually. Then, a logistic regression model was fitted to generate a combined-biomarkers model using these metabolites. The model generated which included tartrate-EtG, showed an AUC of 90.7 % in WIS. Similarly, the AUC in the PREDIMED study was 92.4 %. Results showed that a model combining tartrate-EtG is more useful for evaluating exposure to wine than single biomarkers, both in interventional studies and epidemiological data. To our knowledge, this is the first time that a combined-biomarker model using an NMR platform in wine biomarkers' research has been generated and reproduced in a free-living population