En las sociedades desarrolladas existe una aceleración secular del crecimiento. Entre los años 2000 y 2004 hemos valorado el crecimiento en una población caucásica española procedente de Andalucía, ...Barcelona, Bilbao y Zaragoza y hemos comparado los resultados con estudios españoles realizados antes de 1988 en poblaciones caucásicas de Bilbao (BIB 88) y Cataluña (CAT 87).
Estudio transversal que valora el peso, la longitud y el índice de masa corporal (IMC) en 32.064 sujetos (16.607 varones y 15.457 mujeres) desde el nacimiento a la talla adulta: a) 5.796 son recién nacidos a término (2.974 varones y 2.822 mujeres) hijos de madres sanas, de gestaciones únicas; b) 23.701 son niños y adolescentes (12.358 varones y 11.343 mujeres) de 0,25 a 18 años de edad ambos inclusive, y c) 2.567 son adultos jóvenes (1.275 varones y 1.292 mujeres) de 18,1 a 24 años de edad. Todos estaban sanos, eran de raza caucásica y sus padres, de origen español. La distribución percentilada, el valor z-score y el diseño de las gráficas se ha realizado según el método LMS.
Se expresan los valores de la media, desviación estándar, coeficiente de Skewness y percentiles desde el nacimiento la edad adulta, en intervalos de 0,25-0,50 años. Existe un dimorfismo sexual y un incremento en los valores de peso y talla de todos los percentiles respecto a los estudios BIB 88 y CAT 87. Los valores de los percentiles 3, 50 y 97 de la talla adulta son superiores en 1,8, 1,4 y 3,3 cm respecto a BIB 88, y en 2,5, 3,3 y 3,8 cm respecto a CAT 87 en los varones, y 3,5, 2,5 y 4,2 cm respecto a BIB 88 y 3,5, 3,1 y 3,9 cm respecto a CAT 87 en las mujeres. Los correspondientes valores de peso son 5,4, 6,2 y 11,7 kg superiors a los de BIB 88 y 6,7, 6,3 y 10,1 kg superiores a los de CAT 87 en los varones y 1,7, 2,2 y 8,3 kg superiores a los de BIB 88, y 1,8, 2,4 y 3,6 kg superiores CAT 87 en las mujeres. Los respectivos incrementos en el IMC son 2,0, 1,4 y 3,9 respecto a BIB 88 y −0,1, −0,2 y 5,3 respecto a CAT 87 en los varones y 0,9, 0,4 y 3,7 respecto a BIB 88 y −1,8, −0,1 y 4,0 respecto a CAT 87, en las mujeres. Los valores del IMC de 25 y 30 “en la edad adulta” corresponden a los percentiles 80 y 97 en los varones y 85 y 97 en las mujeres.
En ambos sexos los valores de la talla media adulta son similares a los observados en otros estudios longitudinales y transversales españoles recientes y a los observados en estudios europeos y americanos, aunque inferiores a los de la población alemana, sueca y holandesa.
Con relación a estudios españoles previos, existe una aceleración secular de peso y talla, con un incremento desproporcionado en los valores del IMC correspondientes al percentil 75 o superiores, y de forma marcada en los del percentil 97. Este estudio muestra la necesidad de actualizar periódicamente los datos de referencia utilizados en la valoración del crecimiento durante la infancia y adolescencia.
In developed countries a secular trend in growth has been reported. Our aim was to evaluate weight, height and body mass index (BMI) values in a Spanish population coming from Andalusia, Barcelona, Bilbao and Zaragoza, and to compare these values with those obtained before 1988 (BIB 88 and CAT 87 studies).
Cross-sectional evaluation of height, weight and BMI in 32,064 subjects (16,607 males and 15,457 females) from birth to adulthood between the years 2000 and 2004. Three subpopulations were evaluated: a) 5,796 (2,974 males, 2,822 females) newborns at term from normal gestations; b) 23,701 (12,358 males; 11,343 females) children and adolescents 0.25-18 years old, and c) 2,567 (1,275 males, 1,292 females) young adults 18.1-24 years of age. All were healthy caucasians, and their parents from Spanish origin. The LSM method was used.
Mean, standard deviation, Skewness index and percentiles values with a 0.25-0.5 year-period intervals from birth to adulthood are reported. As regards the data obtained previously in Spanish populations, an increase of 1.8 cm, 1.4 cm and 3.3 cm were observed in adult height for percetiles 3, 50 and 97 in males respect to BIB 88 and 2.5 cm, 3.3 cm and 3.8 respect to CAT 87. In females these values were 3.5 cm, 2.5 cm and 4.2 cm respect to BIB 88 and 3.5 cm, 3.1 cm and 3.9 cm respect to CAT 87. The corresponding values for weight, in males, were increased in 5.4 kg, 6.2 kg and 11.7 kg respect to BIB 88 and 6.7 kg, 6.3 kg and 10.1 kg respect to CAT 87; in females these increased were 1.7 kg, 2,2 kg and 8.3 kg respect to BIB 88 and 1.8 kg, 2.4 kg and 3.6 kg respect to CAT 87. The corresponding increased for BMI values, in males, were 2.0, 1.4 and 3.9 respect to BIB 88 and −0.1, −0.2 and 5.3 respect to CAT 87; in females these values were 0.9, 0.4 and 3.7 respect to BIB 88 and −1.8, −0.1 and 4 respect to CAT 87. In young adults, 25 and 30 BMI values correspond to percentiles 80 and 97 in males, and 85 and 97 in females.
Mean values of adult height were similar to those observed in other longitudinal and cross-sectional Spanish, European, and American studies, but lower than those reported for German, Swedish and Netherlands populations.
A secular trend of growth was observed in our population with a non-proportional increased of weight to height ratio (BMI) values, particularly for those corresponding to the 97 percentile. The need of periodical updates of growth data used in the evaluation of children and adolescents is required.
In this work, we analyze limestone calcination kinetics at environmental conditions involving a CO2 partial pressure P close to the equilibrium pressure P eq by means of in situ X-ray diffraction ...(XRD) and thermogravimetric (TG) analyses. In contrast with previous empirical observations carried out mostly at conditions far from equilibrium (P/P eq ≪ 1), our results show that the decarbonation rate decreases as the temperature in increased while P/P eq is kept constant, which is explained from a reaction mechanism including desorption of CO2 and the exothermic structural transformation from metastable CaO* nanocrystals to the stable CaO form. The crystal structure and sintering of nascent CaO during calcination has been investigated from in situ XRD analysis, physisorption analysis, and scanning electron microscopy (SEM), which shows that the ratio of the size of polycrystalline CaO grains to crystallite size increases linearly with the CO2 partial pressure in the calcination atmosphere. For high CO2 partial pressures, the size of CaO grains reaches a maximum value of around 1 μm, which leads to a residual surface area of about 1 m2/g, whereas in the limit P → 0 grain size and crystallite size (of the order of 10 nm) would coincide. Accordingly, sintering in the presence of CO2 would be triggered by the agglomeration of CaO crystals enhanced by CO2 adsorption, which increases the surface energy. The carbonation reactivity of CaO resulting from calcination scales proportionally to its surface area and is not determined by a growth of the CaO exposed surface along a preferred crystallographic direction wherein carbonation would be unfavorable as suggested in recent works.
It is commonly accepted that melatonin (N-acetyl-5-methoxytryptamine), the most relevant pineal secretory product, has oncostatic properties in a wide variety of tumors and, especially, in those ...identified as being hormonedependent. The objective of the present article is to offer a global and integrative view of the mechanisms involved in the oncostatic actions of this indoleamine. Due to the wide spectrum of melatonin's actions, the mechanisms that may be involved in its ability to counteract tumor growth are varied. These include: a) antioxidant effects; b) regulation of the estrogen receptor expression and transactivation; c) modulation of the enzymes involved in the local synthesis of estrogens; d) modulation of cell cycle and induction of apoptosis; e) inhibition of telomerase activity; f) inhibition of metastasis; g) prevention of circadian disruption; h) antiangiogenesis; i) epigenetic effects; j) stimulation of cell differentiation; and k) activation of the immune system. The data supporting each of these oncostatic actions of melatonin are summarized in this review. Moreover, the list of actions described may not be exhaustive in terms of how melatonin modulates tumor growth.
Currently, Coronavirus disease (COVID-19), one of the most infectious diseases in the 21st century, is diagnosed using RT-PCR testing, CT scans and/or Chest X-Ray (CXR) images. CT (Computed ...Tomography) scanners and RT-PCR testing are not available in most medical centers and hence in many cases CXR images become the most time/cost effective tool for assisting clinicians in making decisions. Deep learning neural networks have a great potential for building COVID-19 triage systems and detecting COVID-19 patients, especially patients with low severity. Unfortunately, current databases do not allow building such systems as they are highly heterogeneous and biased towards severe cases. This article is threefold: (i) we demystify the high sensitivities achieved by most recent COVID-19 classification models, (ii) under a close collaboration with Hospital Universitario Clínico San Cecilio, Granada, Spain, we built COVIDGR-1.0, a homogeneous and balanced database that includes all levelsof severity, from normal with Positive RT-PCR, Mild, Moderate to Severe. COVIDGR-1.0 contains 426 positive and 426 negative PA (PosteroAnterior) CXR views and (iii) we propose COVID Smart Data based Network (COVID-SDNet) methodology for improving the generalization capacity of COVID-classification models. Our approach reaches good and stable results with an accuracy of 97.72% ± 0.95%, 86.90% ± 3.20%, 61.80% ± 5.49% in severe, moderate and mild COVID-19 severity levels. Our approach could help in the early detection of COVID-19. COVIDGR-1.0 along with the severity level labels are available to the scientific community through this link https://dasci.es/es/transferencia/ open-data/covidgr/.
In light of the rising prevalence of Alzheimer’s disease (AD), new strategies to prevent, halt, and reverse this condition are needed urgently. Perturbations of brain network activity are observed in ...AD patients and in conditions that increase the risk of developing AD, suggesting that aberrant network activity might contribute to AD-related cognitive decline. Human amyloid precursor protein (hAPP) transgenic mice simulate key aspects of AD, including pathologically elevated levels of amyloid-β peptides in brain, aberrant neural network activity, remodeling of hippocampal circuits, synaptic deficits, and behavioral abnormalities. Whether these alterations are linked in a causal chain remains unknown. To explore whether hAPP/amyloid-β–induced aberrant network activity contributes to synaptic and cognitive deficits, we treated hAPP mice with different antiepileptic drugs. Among the drugs tested, only levetiracetam (LEV) effectively reduced abnormal spike activity detected by electroencephalography. Chronic treatment with LEV also reversed hippocampal remodeling, behavioral abnormalities, synaptic dysfunction, and deficits in learning and memory in hAPP mice. Our findings support the hypothesis that aberrant network activity contributes causally to synaptic and cognitive deficits in hAPP mice. LEV might also help ameliorate related abnormalities in people who have or are at risk for AD.
Summary
This review examined evidence of the association between maternal pre‐pregnancy overweight/obesity status and child neurodevelopmental outcomes. PubMed and PsycINFO databases were ...systematically searched for empirical studies published before April 2017 using keywords related to prenatal obesity and children's neurodevelopment. Of 1483 identified papers, 41 were included in the systematic review, and 32 articles representing 36 cohorts were included in the meta‐analysis. Findings indicated that compared with children of normal weight mothers, children whose mothers were overweight or obese prior to pregnancy were at increased risk for compromised neurodevelopmental outcomes (overweight: OR = 1.17, 95% CI 1.11, 1.24, I2 = 65.51; obese: OR = 1.51; 95% CI 1.35, 1.69, I2 = 79.63). Pre‐pregnancy obesity increased the risk of attention deficit–hyperactivity disorder (OR = 1.62; 95% CI 1.23, 2.14, I2 = 70.15), autism spectrum disorder (OR = 1.36; 95% CI 1.08, 1.70, I2 = 60.52), developmental delay (OR = 1.58; 95% CI 1.39, 1.79, I2 = 75.77) and emotional/behavioural problems (OR = 1.42; 95% CI 1.26, 1.59, I2 = 87.74). Given the current obesity prevalence among young adults and women of childbearing age, this association between maternal obesity during pregnancy and atypical child neurodevelopment represents a potentially high public health burden.
Abstract
Objective
Develop a consensus for the nomenclature and definition of adrenal histopathologic features in unilateral primary aldosteronism (PA).
Context
Unilateral PA is the most common ...surgically treated form of hypertension. Morphologic examination combined with CYP11B2 (aldosterone synthase) immunostaining reveals diverse histopathologic features of lesions in the resected adrenals.
Patients and Methods
Surgically removed adrenals (n = 37) from 90 patients operated from 2015 to 2018 in Munich, Germany, were selected to represent the broad histologic spectrum of unilateral PA. Five pathologists (Group 1 from Germany, Italy, and Japan) evaluated the histopathology of hematoxylin-eosin (HE) and CYP11B2 immunostained sections, and a consensus was established to define the identifiable features. The consensus was subsequently used by 6 additional pathologists (Group 2 from Australia, Brazil, Canada, Japan, United Kingdom, United States) for the assessment of all adrenals with disagreement for histopathologic diagnoses among group 1 pathologists.
Results
Consensus was achieved to define histopathologic features associated with PA. Use of CYP11B2 immunostaining resulted in a change of the original HE morphology-driven diagnosis in 5 (14%) of 37 cases. Using the consensus criteria, group 2 pathologists agreed for the evaluation of 11 of the 12 cases of disagreement among group 1 pathologists.
Conclusion
The HISTALDO (histopathology of primary aldosteronism) consensus is useful to standardize nomenclature and achieve consistency among pathologists for the histopathologic diagnosis of unilateral PA. CYP11B2 immunohistochemistry should be incorporated into the routine clinical diagnostic workup to localize the likely source of aldosterone production.
Abstract Objective We sought to evaluate the psychometric properties of two widely used screening scales: the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) and Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) ...among pregnant Peruvian women. Methods This cross-sectional study included 1517 women receiving prenatal care from February 2012 to March 2013. A structured interview was used to collect data using PHQ-9 and EPDS. We examined reliability, construct and concurrent validity between two scales using internal consistency indices, factor structures, correlations, and Cohen׳s kappa. Results Both scales had good internal consistency (Cronbach׳s alpha>0.8). Correlation between PHQ-9 and EPDS scores was fair (rho=0.52). Based on exploratory factor analysis (EFA), both scales yielded a two-factor structure. EFA including all items from PHQ-9 and EPDS yielded four factors, namely, “somatization”, “depression and suicidal ideation”, “anxiety and depression”, and “anhedonia”. The agreement between the two scales was generally fair at different cutoff scores with the highest Cohen׳s kappa being 0.46. Conclusions Both the PHQ-9 and EPDS are reliable and valid scales for antepartum depression assessment. The PHQ-9 captures somatic symptoms, while EPDS detects depressive symptoms comorbid with anxiety during early pregnancy. Our findings suggest simultaneous administration of both scales may improve identification of antepartum depressive disorders in clinical settings.
To detect volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in indoor air in small enterprises in La Plata city and surrounding areas, sampling was conducted using passive diffusion monitors (3M-3500) and analysis ...of the samples were performed byCG-FID. Analytic methodology was optimized for 23 VOCs (n-alkanes, cycloalkanes, aromatic and chlorinated compounds, ketones and terpenes compounds) by determining the recovery factor and detection limit for each analyte. Different recovery values were obtained by desorbing with a mixture of dichloromethane: methanol (50:50), with a standard deviation lower than 5%. Enterprise analyzed included chemical analysis laboratories, sewing workrooms, electromechanical repair and car painting centers, take away food shops, and a photocopy center. The highest levels of VOCs were found to be in electromechanical repair and car painting centers (hexane, BTEX, CHCl3, CCl4) followed by chemical analysis laboratories and sewing workrooms. Cancer and noncancer risks were assessed using conventional approaches (HQ and LCR, US EPA) using the benzene, trichloroethylene, chloroform for cancer risk, and toluene, xylene and n-hexane, for noncancer risks as markers. The results showed different LCR for benzene and trichloroethylene between the different indoor environments analyzed (electromechanical repair and car painting center≫others) and chloroform (laboratory>others), but comparing with the results obtained by other research, are in similar order of magnitude for equivalents activities. Similar finding were founded for HQ. Comparing these results with the worker protection legislation the electromechanical repair and car painting center and chemical analysis laboratories are close to the limits advised by OSHA and ACGIH. These facts show the importance of the use of abatement technologies for the complete reduction of VOCs levels, to mitigate their impact in the worker’s health and their venting to the atmosphere.
► Indoor air of small enterprises was sampled whit 3M-3500 monitors. ► Desorption was developed for 23 VOCs representatives of SMEs. ► Cancer and noncancer risks were assessed using conventional approaches (US EPA).
Primary aldosteronism is the most common form of secondary hypertension with a prevalence of 5–10% in hypertensive patients. Aldosterone-producing adenoma (APA) is a subtype of primary aldosteronism, ...and somatic mutations in KCNJ5, ATP1A1, ATP2B3, CACNA1D, CLCN2, or CTNNB1 were identified and recognized to drive aldosterone production and/or contribute to tumorigenesis in APA. Mutations of KCNJ5, ATP1A1, ATP2B3, CACNA1D, and CLCN2 are known to activate calcium signaling, and its activation potentiate CYP11B2 (aldosterone synthesis) transcription in adrenal cells. Transcriptome analyses combined with bioinformatics using APA samples were conductive for each gene mutation mediated pivotal pathway, gene ontology, and clustering. Several important intracellular molecules in increase aldosterone production were detected by transcriptome analysis, and additional functional analyses demonstrated intracellular molecular mechanisms of aldosterone production which focused on calcium signal, CYP11B2 transcription and translation. Furthermore, DNA methylation analysis revealed that promoter region of CYP11B2 was entirely hypomethylated, but that of other steroidogenic enzymes were not in APA. Integration of transcriptome and DNA methylome analysis clarified some DNA methylation associated gene expression, and the transcripts have a role for aldosterone production. In this article, we reviewed the intracellular molecular mechanisms of aldosterone production in APA, and discussed future challenges for basic studies leading to clinical practice.
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