Abstract Purpose The main study goal is to assess the relationship between adherence to the mediterranean diet (MD) and the presence of diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN) in patients with type 2 ...diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Methods Observational pilot study of 174 patients diagnosed with T2DM. Sociodemographic and anthropometric variables, physical activity, smoking habits, blood biochemical parameters and comorbidities were recorded. The presence of alterations in sensitivity to pressure, pain, thermal and vibration was explored. Good MD adherence was a score ≥ 9 the 14-point MD adherence questionnaire (MEDAS-14). Results The study population consisted of 174 patients (61.5% men and 38.5% women), with a mean age of 69.56 ± 8.86 years; 19% of these patients adhered to the MD. The score obtained in the MEDAS-14 was higher in patients who did not present alterations in sensitivity to pressure ( p = 0.047) or vibration ( p = 0.021). The patients without diabetic peripheral neuropathy were more likely to comply with the MD and had a higher score on the MEDAS-14 ( p = 0.047). However, multivariate analysis showed that only altered sensitivity to pressure was associated with adherence to the MD (altered sensitivity OR = 2.9; 95%CI 1.02–8.22; p = 0.045). Conclusions Although the patients with DPN had lower scores on the MEDAS questionnaire and therefore poorer adherence to the mediterranean diet, the only parameter significantly associated with the MD was that of sensitivity to pressure (monofilament test).
Abstract
KKS200004 (NGC 1052-DF2) has become a controversial and well-studied galaxy after the claims suggesting a lack of dark matter and the presence of an anomalously bright globular cluster (GC) ...system around it. A precise determination of its overall star formation history (SFH) and a better characterization of its GC or planetary nebulae (PNe) systems are crucial aspects to (i) understand its real nature, in particular placing it within the family of ultra diffuse galaxies and (ii) shed light on its possible formation, evolution, and survival in the absence of dark matter. With this purpose we expand on the knowledge of KKS200004 from the analysis of OSIRIS@GTC spectroscopic data. On the one hand, we claim the possible detection of two new PNe and confirm membership of 5 GCs. On the other hand, we find that the stars shaping KKS200004 are intermediate-age to old (90 per cent of its stellar mass older than 5 Gyr, average age of 8.7 ± 0.7 Gyr) and metal-poor (M/H ∼ −1.18 ± 0.05), in general agreement with previous results. We do not find any clear hints of significant changes in its stellar content with radius. In addition, the possibility of KKS200004 being a tidal dwarf galaxy with no dark matter is highly disfavoured.
Summary Objectives Breast cancer remains a public health problem worldwide. Early detection through mammography practice has been shown to be effective in improving survival among women. ...Nevertheless, it is necessary to have high participation in mammography screening to achieve that goal. The aim of this study is to estimate the adherence to recommended preventive practices for breast cancer (mammography) in Spain and to identify predictors of uptake according to sociodemographic variables, health related variables and lifestyles. Study design This is a descriptive cross-sectional study based on data from the European Health Interview Survey for Spain. Breast cancer screening included self-reported mammography in the last two years. The age target range was 40–69 years ( n = 5771). The following independent variables were analysed: sociodemographic (marital status, educational level, monthly income, and nationality), visit to a general practitioner, chronic conditions and lifestyles. Predictors of mammography adherence were explored using multivariate logistic regression. Results The screening coverage in the target population was 67.7% (95% CI: 66.2–69.1). Mammography uptake was positively associated with being married, higher educational and income levels, Spanish nationality, having visited a general practitioner in the previous four weeks and suffering from musculoskeletal disease. Otherwise, the youngest age group studied (40–49 years) and obesity was associated with lower adherence to mammography. Conclusions Compliance with mammography practice in Spain is acceptable to achieve the goal of reducing mortality from breast cancer among women. However significant inequalities in uptake of breast screening in Spain were found. Future campaigns must aim to improve participation especially among women with disadvantaged socio-economic situations and immigrants.
A new enrichment nanosorbent based on mesoporous silica functionalized with 1,5-bis(2-pyridyl) methylene thiocarbohydrazide was synthesized and characterized. From the study of its adsorption ...capacity toward metal ions, it was observed that Hg
2+
is one of the elements with higher adsorption capacity on the nanosorbent, 173.1 μmol g
−1
at pH 5. Thus, a flow injection solid phase extraction and cold vapor generation method for its determination and speciation based on the use of this new chelating nanosorbent was optimized. The method developed has been shown to be useful for the automatic pre-concentration and sequential determination of mercury and methylmercury in environmental and biological samples. The system was based on chelating retention of the analytes on a mini-column filled with the new nanosorbent and their sequential elution by using two different eluents, 0.2% HCl for CH
3
Hg
+
and 0.1% thiourea in 0.5% HCl for Hg
2+
. The determination was performed using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. Under the optimum conditions and 120 s preconcentration time, the enrichment factors were 4.7 and 11.0, the detection limits (3
σ
) were 0.002 and 0.004 μg L
−1
, the determination limits (10
σ
) were 0.011 and 0.024 μg L
−1
, and the precisions (calculated for 10 replicate determinations at a 2 μg L
−1
standard of both species) were 2.8 and 2.6% (RSD); for CH
3
Hg
+
and Hg
2+
, respectively. Linear calibration graphs were obtained for both species from the determination limits to at least 70 μg L
−1
. For the quality control of the analytical performance and the validation of the newly developed method, the analyses of two certified samples, LGC 6016 estuarine water and SRM 2976 mussel tissue, were performed. The results showed good agreement with the certified values. Also the method was successfully applied to the speciation of mercury in sea-water samples collected in the Málaga Bay.
The FI-CV-ICP-MS system using a PMTH-mesoporous sorbent is demonstrated to be promising for the routine determination of mercury species in sea-water samples.
Abstract
We use data from the IAC Stripe82 Legacy Project to study the surface photometry of 22 nearby, face-on to moderately inclined spiral galaxies. The reprocessed and combined Stripe 82 g ΄, r ΄ ...and i ΄ images allow us to probe the galaxy down to 29–30 r ΄-magnitudes arcsec−2 and thus reach into the very faint outskirts of the galaxies. Truncations are found in three galaxies. An additional 15 galaxies are found to have an apparent extended stellar halo. Simulations show that the scattering of light from the inner galaxy by the point spread function (PSF) can produce faint structures resembling haloes, but this effect is insufficient to fully explain the observed haloes. The presence of these haloes and of truncations is mutually exclusive, and we argue that the presence of a stellar halo and/or light scattered by the PSF can hide truncations. Furthermore, we find that the onset of the stellar halo and the truncations scales tightly with galaxy size. Interestingly, the fraction of light does not correlate with dynamic mass. Nineteen galaxies are found to have breaks in their profiles, the radius of which also correlates with galaxy size.
Dengue virus (DENV) is a flavivirus responsible for the most common and burdensome arthropod-borne viral disease of humans1. DENV evolution has been extensively studied on broad geographic and time ...scales, using sequences from a single gene2,3. It is believed that DENV evolution in humans is dominated primarily by purifying selection due to the constraint of maintaining fitness in both humans and mosquitoes4,5. Few studies have explored DENV evolutionary dynamics using whole genome sequences, nor have they explored changes in viral diversity that occur during intra-epidemic periods. We used deep sequencing of the viral coding region to characterize DENV-1 evolution in a Colombian population sampled during two high-prevalence dengue seasons in which serotype dominance shifted. Our data demonstrate patterns of strain extinction and replacement within DENV-1 as its prevalence waned and DENV-3 became established. A comparison of whole-genome versus single-gene-based phylogenetic analyses highlights an important difference in evolutionary patterns. We report a trend of higher nonsynonymous to synonymous diversity ratios among non-structural (NS) genes, and statistically significantly higher values among these ratios in the NS1 gene after DENV-1 strain replacement. These results suggest that positive selection could be driving DENV evolution within individual communities. Signals of positive selection coming from distinct samples may be drowned out when combining multiple regions with differing patterns of endemic transmission as commonly done by large-scale geo-temporal assessments. Here, we frame our findings within a small, local transmission history which aids significance. Moreover, these data suggest that the NS1 gene, rather than the E gene, may be a target of positive selection, although not mutually exclusive, and potentially useful sentinel of adaptive changes at the population level.
Celotno besedilo
Dostopno za:
DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
The use of already-approved drugs to treat new or alternative diseases has proved to be beneficial in medicine, because it reduces both drug development costs and timelines. Most drugs can be used to ...treat different illnesses, due their mechanisms of action are not restricted to one molecular target, organ or illness. Diverging from its original intent offers an opportunity to repurpose previously approved drugs to treat other ailments. This is the case of sildenafil (Viagra), a phosphodiesterase-5 (PDE5) inhibitor, which was originally designed to treat systemic hypertension and angina but is currently commercialized as erectile dysfunction treatment. Sildenafil, tadalafil, and vardenafil are PDE5 inhibitors and potent vasodilators, that extend the physiological effects of nitric oxide and cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP) signaling. Although most of the biological implications of these signaling regulations remain unknown, they offer a large therapeutic potential for several diseases. In addition, some PDE5 inhibitors' molecular effects seem to play a key role in different illnesses such as kidney disease, diabetes mellitus, and cancer. In this review, we discuss the molecular effects of PDE5 inhibitors and their therapeutic repurposing in different types of cancer.
PDF
