Background and purpose
Specific respiratory tract infections, including COVID‐19, may cause smell and/or taste disorders (STDs) with increased frequency. The aim was to determine whether new‐onset ...STDs are more frequent amongst COVID‐19 patients than influenza patients.
Method
This was a case–control study including hospitalized patients of two tertiary care centres. Consecutive patients positive for COVID‐19 polymerase chain reaction (cases) and patients positive for influenza polymerase chain reaction (historical control sample) were assessed during specific periods, employing a self‐reported STD questionnaire.
Results
Seventy‐nine cases and 40 controls were included. No significant differences were found in basal features between the two groups. New‐onset STDs were significantly more frequent amongst cases (31, 39.2%) than in the control group (5, 12.5 %) adjusted odds ratio 21.4 (2.77–165.4, P = 0.003). COVID‐19 patients with new‐onset STDs were significantly younger than COVID‐19 patients without STDs (52.6 ± 17.2 vs. 67.4 ± 15.1, P < 0.001). Amongst COVID‐19 patients who presented STDs, 22 (70.9%) recalled an acute onset and it was an initial manifestation in 11 (35.5%). Twenty‐five (80.6%) presented smell disorders (mostly anosmia, 14, 45.2%) and 28 (90.3%) taste disorders (mostly ageusia, 14, 45.2%). Only four (12.9 %) reported concomitant nasal obstruction. The mean duration of STD was 7.5 ± 3.2 days and 12 patients (40%) manifested complete recovery after 7.4 ± 2.3 days of onset.
Conclusion
New‐onset STDs were significantly more frequent amongst COVID‐19 patients than influenza patients; they usually had an acute onset and were commonly an initial manifestation. The use of STD assessment in anamnesis as a hint for COVID‐19 and to support individuals’ self‐isolation in the current epidemic context is suggested.
Hyaluronic acid (HA) and gelatin (Gel) are major components of the extracellular matrix of different tissues, and thus are largely appealing for the construction of hybrid hydrogels to combine the ...favorable characteristics of each biopolymer, such as the gel adhesiveness of Gel and the better mechanical strength of HA, respectively. However, despite previous studies conducted so far, the relationship between composition and scaffold structure and physico-chemical properties has not been completely and systematically established. In this work, pure and hybrid hydrogels of methacroyl-modified HA (HAMA) and Gel (GelMA) were prepared by UV photopolymerization and an extensive characterization was done to elucidate such correlations. Methacrylation degrees of ca. 40% and 11% for GelMA and HAMA, respectively, were obtained, which allows to improve the hydrogels’ mechanical properties. Hybrid GelMA/HAMA hydrogels were stiffer, with elastic modulus up to ca. 30 kPa, and porous (up to 91%) compared with pure GelMA ones at similar GelMA concentrations thanks to the interaction between HAMA and GelMA chains in the polymeric matrix. The progressive presence of HAMA gave rise to scaffolds with more disorganized, stiffer, and less porous structures owing to the net increase of mass in the hydrogel compositions. HAMA also made hybrid hydrogels more swellable and resistant to collagenase biodegradation. Hence, the suitable choice of polymeric composition allows to regulate the hydrogels´ physical properties to look for the most optimal characteristics required for the intended tissue engineering application.
Flow cytometry has become a highly valuable method to monitor minimal residual disease (MRD) and evaluate the depth of complete response (CR) in bone marrow (BM) of multiple myeloma (MM) after ...therapy. However, current flow-MRD has lower sensitivity than molecular methods and lacks standardization. Here we report on a novel next generation flow (NGF) approach for highly sensitive and standardized MRD detection in MM. An optimized 2-tube 8-color antibody panel was constructed in five cycles of design-evaluation-redesign. In addition, a bulk-lysis procedure was established for acquisition of ⩾10
cells/sample, and novel software tools were constructed for automatic plasma cell gating. Multicenter evaluation of 110 follow-up BM from MM patients in very good partial response (VGPR) or CR showed a higher sensitivity for NGF-MRD vs conventional 8-color flow-MRD -MRD-positive rate of 47 vs 34% (P=0.003)-. Thus, 25% of patients classified as MRD-negative by conventional 8-color flow were MRD-positive by NGF, translating into a significantly longer progression-free survival for MRD-negative vs MRD-positive CR patients by NGF (75% progression-free survival not reached vs 7 months; P=0.02). This study establishes EuroFlow-based NGF as a highly sensitive, fully standardized approach for MRD detection in MM which overcomes the major limitations of conventional flow-MRD methods and is ready for implementation in routine diagnostics.
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.
The aim of this study was to assess the relationship between TL and changes in adiposity indices after a 5-year nutritional intervention.
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.
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).
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.
We have studied by PCR and DNA sequencing the presence of the qnrA, qnrB, qnrS, aac(6')-Ib-cr, qepA, intI1, and ISCR1 genes in 200 clinical isolates of Enterobacter cloacae (n = 153) and E. aerogenes ...(n = 47) consecutively collected between January 2004 and October 2005 in two hospitals located in Santander (northern Spain) and Seville (southern Spain). Mutations in the quinolone resistance-determining region of gyrA and parC also were investigated in organisms containing plasmid-mediated quinolone resistance genes. The isolates had different resistant phenotypes, including AmpC hyperproduction, extended-spectrum β-lactamase production, resistance or decreased susceptibility to quinolones, and/or resistance to aminoglycosides. Among the 116 E. cloacae isolates from Santander, qnrS1, qnrB5, qnrB2, and aac(6')-Ib-cr were detected in 22 (19%), 1 (0.9%), 1 (0.9%), and 3 (2.6%) isolates, respectively. Twenty-one, 17, and 2 qnrS1-positive isolates also contained blaLAP₋₁, intI1, and ISCR1, respectively. A qnrB7-like gene was detected in one E. aerogenes isolate from Santander. No plasmid-mediated quinolone resistance gene was detected in the isolates from Seville. The qnrS1-containing isolates corresponded to four pulsed-field gel electrophoresis patterns and showed various levels of resistance to quinolones. Six isolates were susceptible to nalidixic acid and presented reduced susceptibility to ciprofloxacin. The qnrS1 gene was contained in a conjugative plasmid of ca. 110 kb, and when the plasmid was transferred to recipient strains that did not have a specific mechanism of quinolone resistance, the ciprofloxacin MICs ranged from 0.047 to 0.125 μg/ml.
Telomeres are biomarkers of biological aging. Shorter telomeres have been associated with increased adiposity in adults. However, this relationship remains unclear in children and adolescents.
To ...evaluate the association between telomere length (TL) and adiposity markers in overweight/obese adolescents after an intensive program. We hypothesize that greater TL at baseline would predict a better response to a weight loss treatment.
The EVASYON is a multidisciplinary treatment program for adolescents with overweight and obesity that is aimed at applying the intervention to all possibly involved areas of the individual, such as dietary habits, physical activity and cognitive and psychological profiles. Seventy-four participants (36 males, 38 females, 12-16 yr) were enrolled in the intervention program: 2 months of an energy-restricted diet and a follow-up period (6 months).
TL was measured by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction at baseline and after 2 months; meanwhile, anthropometric variables were also assessed after 6 months of follow-up.
TL lengthened in participants during the intensive period (+1.9±1.0, p<0.001) being greater in overweight/obese adolescents with the shortest telomeres at baseline (r = -0.962, p<0.001). Multivariable linear regression analysis showed that higher baseline TL significantly predicted a higher decrease in body weight (B = -1.53, p = 0.005; B = -2.25, p = 0.047) and in standard deviation score for body mass index (BMI-SDS) (B = -0.22, p = 0.010; B = -0.47, p = 0.005) after the intensive and extensive period treatment respectively, in boys.
Our study shows that a weight loss intervention is accompanied by a significant increase in TL in overweight/obese adolescents. Moreover, we suggest that initial longer TL could be a potential predictor for a better weight loss response.
Limited data exists on the interrelationships between physical activity (PA), sedentary behaviors and sleep concerning cardiometabolic risk factors in aged adults at high cardiovascular disease risk. ...Our aim was to examine independent and joint associations between time spent in leisure-time PA, sedentary behaviors and sleep on the prevalence of obesity, type 2 diabetes (T2D) and components of the metabolic syndrome (MetS) in Mediterranean individuals at high cardiovascular risk. Cross-sectional analyses were performed on baseline data from 5776 Spanish adults (aged 55-75y in men; 60-75y in women) with overweight/obesity and MetS, from October 2013 to October 2016, in the PREDIMED-PLUS trial. Employing multivariable-adjusted Cox regression with robust variance and constant time (given the cross-sectional design), higher prevalence of obesity, T2D and abdominal obesity as component of the MetS were associated with greater time in TV-viewing (Relative Risk, RR: 1.02, 95%CI: 1.01, 1.03; RR:1.04, 95%CI: 1.02, 1.06 and RR: 1.01 95%CI: 1.00, 1.02; respectively, all P < .01). Conversely, greater time in moderate-vigorous PA (MVPA) was associated with lower prevalence of obesity, T2D, abdominal obesity and low HDL-cholesterol (RR: 0.95, 95%CI: 0.93, 0.97; RR: 0.94, 95%CI: 0.89, 0.99; RR: 0.97, 95%CI: 0.96, 0.98; and RR: 0.95, 95%CI: 0.91, 0.99, respectively, all P < .05). For these outcomes, theoretically substituting 1-h/day of MVPA for 1-h/day TV-viewing was also significantly associated with lower prevalence (RR 0.91 to 0.97, all P < .05). Similar lower RR in these outcomes was observed when substituting 1-h/day of MVPA for 1-h/day of sleeping. Longer time watching TV and not meeting MVPA recommendations were jointly associated with higher RR of the prevalence of obesity and T2D. We concluded that, in senior individuals at high cardiovascular risk, greater time spent on MVPA and fewer on sedentary behaviors was inversely associated with prevalence of obesity, T2D, and some of the components of MetS.
The Mar Menor (SE Spain), the largest hypersaline coastal lagoon of the Mediterranean basin, suffers a severe eutrophication crisis due to the nutrients that receives from the Campo de Cartagena ...watershed, mainly nitrate from intensive agriculture. This paper updates the state of the art in relation with nutrient discharges to the Mar Menor, and summarizes results from different tested Nature-Based Solution (NBS). Specifically, we show i) results from a pilot plant with woodchip bioreactors for nitrate-enriched brine denitrification, and ii) the first results obtained in a pilot plant with bioreactors and constructed wetlands for treatment of agricultural drainage water and leachates, as well as other effluents. Nutrient discharges to the lagoon are highly variable and occur via drainage network, drains, stormwater pipes, direct groundwater discharges from the Quaternary aquifer, and others. For instance, between January 2017 and January 2018 measured daily superficial discharge (floods excluded) ofN-NO3− amounted from 119 kg d−1 to 1084 kg d−1. Estimations subsurface discharges ranged 815 to 3836 kg N-NO3− d−1 in 2018–2020. Field studies in coastal wetlands (e.g. inflow ≈20–30 mg N-NO3− L−1, removal ≈80–90%) and results from pilot plants with bioreactors (e.g. inflow ≈30–40 mg N-NO3− L−1, removal ≈90–95%) and constructed wetlands (e.g. inflow ≈30–40 mg N-NO3− L−1, removal ≈60–70%), showed the good performance of these systems for nutrient retention. Four strategies are considered for reducing nutrient inputs into the Mar Menor, which include a combination of nature-based solutions and best management practices. (i) Reducing the leaching of nitrate to the aquifer and export of nutrients and sediments following heavy rains by improving fertilization, and irrigation routines, and soil conservation measures in the agricultural fields. (ii) Development of effective and scalable tools for denitrification of nitrate-rich brine produced by on-farm desalination plants. (iii) Capture and treatment of polluted water discharged to the Mar Menor via hydrologic networks, subsurface flow, drainage ditches, and others. (iv) Preservation and restoration of coastal wetlands.
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•Mar Menor receives nutrients, mainly from agricultural discharges.•Coastal wetlands acts as buffers protecting the Mar Menor from nutrient inputs.•Bioreactors and CWs are recommended BMP for treatment of nutrient enriched discharges.•In the Campo de Cartagena BMP should be addressed on a watershed scale.•BMP should address fertilization and irrigation protocols and soil conservation.
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