Determinación reciente de la colesterolemia en población adulta sana de Pamplona

RESUMEN: Objetivo: Los objetivos del estudio fueron estimar la proporción de la población adulta sana de Pamplona que había determinado recientemente su colesterolemia e identificar los factores asociados a esta determinación. Métodos: Estudio transversal con entrevista personal a 1066 habitantes de Pamplona seleccionados por muestreo de rutas aleatorias. Se estratificó la ciudad en tres áreas urbanas según el nivel socioeconómico (alto, medio, bajo). La participación fue de un 91,8%. Utilizando como variable dependiente la determinación del colesterol total en los últimos 5 años, y como variables independientes la edad, el sexo, el nivel socioeconómico y el hábito tabáquico, se calcularon las odds ratios (OR) univariantes y se ajustó un modelo de regresión logística. Resultados: El 71,2% de la muestra estudiada (IC 95%: 68,3-74,O) se había determinado el colesterol en los últimos cinco años. Los no fumadores conocían más su colesterolemia que los fumadores con una OR ajustada de 1,38 (IC 95%: 1 ,O-1,9); los hombres lo conocían más que las mujeres (OR ajustada de 1,5; IC 95% 1,l-2,O). El conocimiento era menos frecuente en el grupo de edad 30 años. La determinación de la colesterolemia se daba más en los individuos de nivel socioeconómico medio y alto (OR ajustadas 3,2; IC 95% 2,2-4,7 y 1,6; IC 95% 1,l-2,3), respectivamente. Conclusiones: La determinación reciente del colesterol era más frecuente en individuos de mayor edad y en varones. La determinación de la colesterolemia era menos frecuente en algunos grupos con peor perfil de riesgo coronario (menor nivel socioeconómico y fumadores). Estos resultados sugieren la necesidad de intervenciones para mejorar el conocimientoy control de la colesterolemia en adultos sanos

Influence of crude protein content, ingredient complexity, feed form, and duration of feeding of the phase I diets on productive performance and nutrient digestibility of Iberian pigs.

The influence of CP content and ingredient complexity, feed form, and duration of feeding of the Phase I diets on growth performance and total tract apparent digestibility -TTAD- of energy and nutrients was studied in Iberian pigs weaned at 28 d of age. There were 12 dietary treatments with 2 type of feeds -high-quality, HQ; and low-quality, LQ-, 2 feed forms -pellets vs. mash-, and 3 durations -7, 14, and 21 d- of supply of the Phase I diets

PSR J1119-6127 and the X-ray Emission from High Magnetic Field Radio Pulsars

The existence of radio pulsars having inferred magnetic elds in the magnetar regime suggests that possible transition objects could be found in the radio pulsar population. The discovery of such an object would contribute greatly to our understanding of neutron star physics. Here we report on unusual X-ray emission detected from the radio pulsar PSR J1119-6127 using XMM-Newton. The pulsar has a characteristic age of 1,700 yrs and inferred surface dipole magnetic eld strength of 4.1x10^13 G. In the 0.5-2.0 keV range, the emission shows a single, narrow pulse with an unusually high pulsed fraction of ~70%. No pulsations are detected in the 2.0-10.0 keV range, where we derive an upper limit at the 99% level for the pulsed fraction of 28%. The pulsed emission is well described by a thermal blackbody model with a high temperature of 2.4x10^6 K. While no unambiguous signature of magnetar-like emission has been found in high-magnetic-eld radio pulsars, the X-ray characteristics of PSR J1119-6127 require alternate models from those of conventional thermal emission from neutron stars. In addition, PSR J1119-6127 is now the radio pulsar with the smallest characteristic age from which thermal X-ray emission has been detected

SOBRINA Spanish study-analysing the frequency, cost and adverse events associated with overuse in primary care: protocol for a retrospective cohort study

Introduction Several institutions and quality national agencies have fostered the creation of recommendations on what not to do to reduce overuse in clinical practice. In primary care, their impact has hardly been studied. The frequency of adverse events (AEs) associated with doing what must not be done has not been analysed, either. The aim of this study is to measure the frequency of overuse and AEs associated with doing what must not be done (commission errors) in primary care and their cost. Methods and analysis A coordinated, multicentric, national project. A retrospective cohort study using computerised databases of primary care medical records from national agencies and regional health services will be conducted to analyse the frequency of the overuse due to ignore the do-not-do recommendations, and immediately afterwards, depending on their frequency, a representative random sample of medical records will be reviewed with algorithms (triggers) that determine the frequency of AEs associated with these recommendations. Cost will determine by summation of the direct costs due to the consultation, pharmacy, laboratory and imaging activities according to the cases. Ethics and dissemination The study protocol has been approved by the Ethics Committee of Primary Care Research of the Valencian Community. We aim to disseminate the findings through international peerreviewed journals and on the website (http://www. nohacer. es/). Outcomes will be used to incorporate algorithms into the electronic history to assist in making clinical decisions

Damage evaluation during installation of geosynthetics used in asphalt pavements

Geosynthetics are commonly used as anti-reflective cracking systems in asphalt pavements. The rehabilitation design methods use the characteristics of as-received geosynthetics as inputs. However, these materials undergo physical damage during their installation due to mechanical and thermal loads which currently are not taken into account in the design processes. These loads can produce a reduction in geosynthetic strength and therefore, it is necessary to know the secant modulus after installation in order to improve the pavement design incorporating these materials. The secant modulus of a material indicates its initial stiffness. This paper describes an experimental study of damage due to installation of five different geosynthetics using three different procedures: (i) mechanical damage induced in the laboratory considering the action of aggregates, (ii) in situ mechanical and thermal damage due to actual installation in a test section, and (iii) a new mechanical and thermal damage experimental test developed with the aim of reproducing the real installation conditions. The main results of the study indicate that the obtained secant modulus of the tested geosynthetics reduced after applying the three damage procedures, and the loss of properties differed depending on the type and constitutive material and on the applied damage procedure.This investigation was supported by the research Project ‘Rehabilitation of roads and highways (REHABCAR)’ file number IPT-370000–2010–029, led by DRAGADOS (ACS Group), in collaboration with GEOCISA and ASFALTOS AUGUSTA among others. The project has been funded by the Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (MINECO) within the National Plan for Scientific Research, Development and Innovation 2008–2011 (INNPACTO 2010) and the European Union under ERDF Funds (European Regional Development Fund)

Predicting Tropical Dry Forest Successional Attributes from Space: Is the Key Hidden in Image Texture?

Biodiversity conservation and ecosystem-service provision will increasingly depend on the existence of secondary vegetation. Our success in achieving these goals will be determined by our ability to accurately estimate the structure and diversity of such communities at broad geographic scales. We examined whether the texture (the spatial variation of the image elements) of very high-resolution satellite imagery can be used for this purpose. In 14 fallows of different ages and one mature forest stand in a seasonally dry tropical forest landscape, we estimated basal area, canopy cover, stem density, species richness, Shannon index, Simpson index, and canopy height. The first six attributes were also estimated for a subset comprising the tallest plants. We calculated 40 texture variables based on the red and the near infrared bands, and EVI and NDVI, and selected the best-fit linear models describing each vegetation attribute based on them. Basal area (R-2 = 0.93), vegetation height and cover (0.89), species richness (0.87), and stand age (0.85) were the best-described attributes by two-variable models. Cross validation showed that these models had a high predictive power, and most estimated vegetation attributes were highly accurate. The success of this simple method (a single image was used and the models were linear and included very few variables) rests on the principle that image texture reflects the internal heterogeneity of successional vegetation at the proper scale. The vegetation attributes best predicted by texture are relevant in the face of two of the gravest threats to biosphere integrity: climate change and biodiversity loss. By providing reliable basal area and fallow-age estimates, image-texture analysis allows for the assessment of carbon sequestration and diversity loss rates. New and exciting research avenues open by simplifying the analysis of the extent and complexity of successional vegetation through the spatial variation of its spectral information

Smoking and incidence of glaucoma The SUN Cohort

Smoking is a serious global public health concern that has been related to many chronic diseases. However, the effect of smoking on eye disorders has been less studied. The aim of this cohort study was to assess the association between current tobacco smokers and the risk of developing glaucoma and furthermore to evaluate the relationship between passive or former smokers and glaucoma. In this prospective and dynamic cohort, 16,797 participants initially who were found not to have glaucoma were followed up for a median of 8.5 years. Validated data on lifestyle, including tobacco consumption, were assessed at baseline. Information about new diagnosis of glaucoma was collected by follow-up questionnaires every 2 years. The outcome was the incidence of self-reported glaucoma during the follow-up. A subsample was used to validate the glaucoma diagnosis. During the 8.5 years of follow-up, 184 new glaucoma cases were identified. Current smokers had a significantly higher risk of glaucoma compared to participants who had never smoked after controlling for potential confounders (Hazard ratio [HR] 1.88 [95% coefficient interval (CI): 1.26–2.81]; P=0.002). A nonsignificant increased risk was found among former smokers (HR 1.27 [95% CI: 0.88–1.82]; P=0.198). When we assessed the exposure as per the number of cigarette pack-years, a dose–response relationship between pack-years and the risk of glaucoma was found (HR for the 5th quintile versus the 1st quintile: 1.70 [95% IC: 1.10–2.64], P for trend, 0.009). However, no relationship was found between passive smokers and glaucoma. (HR 0.67 [95% CI: 0.37–1.21]; P=0.189). Our results suggest a direct association between current smokers and the incidence of glaucoma. In particular, this association was related to the number of pack-years, which was not found in the case of former smokers nor in the case of passive smokers. Abbreviations: IOP = intraocular pressure, POAG = primary open angle glaucoma, SUN = Seguimiento Universidad de Navarra

Living at a geographically higher elevation is associates with lower risk oof metabolic syndrome: prospective analysis of the SUN Cohort

Living in a geographically higher altitude affects oxygen availability. The possible connection between environmental factors and the development of metabolic syndrome (MetS) feature is not fully understood, being the available epidemiological evidence still very limited. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the longitudinal association between altitude and incidence of MetS and each of its components in a prospective Spanish cohort, The Seguimiento Universidad de Navarra (SUN) project. Our study included 6860 highly educated subjects (university graduates) free from any MetS criteria at baseline. The altitude of residence was imputed with the postal code of each individual subject residence according to the data of the Spanish National Cartographic Institute and participants were categorized into tertiles. MetS was defined according to the harmonized definition. Cox proportional hazards models were used to assess the association between the altitude of residence and the risk of MetS during follow-up. After a median follow-up period of 10 years, 462 incident cases of MetS were identified. When adjusting for potential confounders, subjects in the highest category of altitude (>456m) exhibited a significantly lower risk of developing MetS compared to those in the lowes ttertile (<122m) of altitude of residence [Model2:Hazardratio=0.75(95%Confidenceinterval:0.58–0.97);pfortrend=0.029]. Living at geographically higher altitude was associated with alower risk of developing MetS in the SUN project. Our findings suggest that geographical elevation may be an important factor linked to metabolic diseases

A decline in inflammation is associated with less depressive symptoms after a dietary intervention in metabolic syndrome patients: a longitudinal study

BACKGROUND: Metabolic syndrome (MetS) and depression have become two prevalent diseases worldwide, whose interaction needs further investigation. Dietary treatment for weight loss in patients with MetS may improve depressive manifestations, however, the precise interactive pathways remain uncertain. Therefore, the aim of this study was to examine the effects of a hypocaloric diet designed to reduce MetS features on self-perceived depression and the possible underlying factors. METHODS: Sixty subjects (Age:50 +/- 1 y; BMI:36.1 +/- 0.6 kg/m2) with MetS were selected from the RESMENA study (control and intervention) after they completed the 6-months hypocaloric treatment and rated for depressive symptoms using the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI). Anthropometric and biochemical measurements including leptin, C-reactive protein (CRP) and insulin levels were evaluated. RESULTS: Depressive symptoms decreased during the weight loss intervention, with no differences between both dietary groups (control group -4.2 +/- 0.8 vs RESMENA group -3.2 +/- 0.6, P = 0.490). The number of criteria of the MetS was higher among subjects with more somatic-related depressive symptoms at baseline (B = 1.032, P-trend = 0.017). After six months of dietary treatment, body weight decreased in all subjects (-8.7%; confidence interval (95%CI) = 7.0-9.7) and also self-perceived depression (-37.9%; 95%CI = 2.7-4.9), as well as circulating leptin (-20.1%; 95%CI = 1.8-6.8), CRP (-42.8%; 95%CI = 0.6-3.0) and insulin (-37.7%; 95%CI = 4.1-7.2) concentrations. The decrease in BDI was significantly associated with declines in body fat mass (B = 0.34, 95%CI = 0.11-0.56) and also with the decrease in leptin (B = 0.16, 95%CI = 0.04-0.28) and CRP (B = 0.24, 95%CI = 0.01-0.46) concentrations. CONCLUSIONS: The decrease in depressive manifestations after a weight loss intervention was related with adiposity, CRP and leptin in subjects with MetS

Mitochondrial angiotensin receptors in dopaminergic neurons. Role in cell protection and aging-related vulnerability to neurodegeneration

The renin-angiotensin system (RAS) was initially considered as a circulating humoral system controlling blood pressure, being kidney the key control organ. In addition to the \u27classical\u27 humoral RAS, a second level in RAS, local or tissular RAS, has been identified in a variety of tissues, in which local RAS play a key role in degenerative and aging-related diseases. The local brain RAS plays a major role in brain function and neurodegeneration. It is normally assumed that the effects are mediated by the cell-surface-specific G-protein-coupled angiotensin type 1 and 2 receptors (AT1 and AT2). A combination of in vivo (rats, wild-type mice and knockout mice) and in vitro (primary mesencephalic cultures, dopaminergic neuron cell line cultures) experimental approaches (confocal microscopy, electron microscopy, laser capture microdissection, transfection of fluorescent-tagged receptors, treatments with fluorescent angiotensin, western blot, polymerase chain reaction, HPLC, mitochondrial respirometry and other functional assays) were used in the present study. We report the discovery of AT1 and AT2 receptors in brain mitochondria, particularly mitochondria of dopaminergic neurons. Activation of AT1 receptors in mitochondria regulates superoxide production, via Nox4, and increases respiration. Mitochondrial AT2 receptors are much more abundant and increase after treatment of cells with oxidative stress inducers, and produce, via nitric oxide, a decrease in mitochondrial respiration. Mitochondria from the nigral region of aged rats displayed altered expression of AT1 and AT2 receptors. AT2-mediated regulation of mitochondrial respiration represents an unrecognized primary line of defence against oxidative stress, which may be particularly important in neurons with increased levels of oxidative stress such as dopaminergic neurons. Altered expression of AT1 and AT2 receptors with aging may induce mitochondrial dysfunction, the main risk factor for neurodegeneratio