Este es un libro centrado en el estudio y la reflexión de las interacciones existentes entre el ser humano y las divinidades, donde la promesa del don se hace presente mediante las manifestaciones ...físicas de los objetos votivos, entendidos como aquellos que se realizan para ganar el favor de fuerzas superiores. El adjetivo votivo califica a todo lo que es resultado de un voto, ofrenda o dedicación, especialmente de carácter religioso (no limitado al contexto cristiano).
Objective
To analyze the association of the severity of the menopausal symptoms with musculoskeletal pain in Portuguese postmenopausal women.
Methods
A cross‐sectional, observational study was ...conducted on 167 women (63.85 ± 9.36 years). The Menopause Rating Scale was used to evaluate the menopausal symptoms severity, while the Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire was employed to assess the localization of the musculoskeletal pain, and multi‐located pain was determined if two or more body regions were affected. Depression (Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale), age, body mass index (BMI) and physical activity level were considered as potential confounders.
Results
A greater severity of the somato‐vegetative menopausal symptoms was related to the prevention from usual activities because of pain in the neck, shoulders, elbows, wrists/hands and knees (R2 of Nagelkerke = 0.064, 0.043, 0.074, 0.045 and 0.045, respectively). Associations were also observed between greater age and pain in the knees, ankles and feet (R2 of Nagelkerke = 0.036 and 0.034, respectively), and being physically inactive with upper back pain (R2 of Nagelkerke = 0.060). Higher depressive symptoms were linked to pain in the hip/thighs and knees (R2 of Nagelkerke = 0.067 and 0.085, respectively), as well as being physically inactive was related ton in the neck (R2 of Nagelkerke = 0.053). Only a greater BMI was related to multi‐located pain in the last 7 days (R2 of Nagelkerke = 0.041).
Conclusions
The findings of our study showed that, taking into account possible confounders, greater severity of the menopausal symptoms at a somatic‐vegetative level was associated with more anatomical regions with musculoskeletal pain.
Transbronchial lung biopsy (TBLB) is required for evaluation in selected patients with interstitial lung disease (ILD). The diagnostic yield of histopathologic assessment is variable and is ...influenced by factors such as the size of samples and the presence of crush artefacts left by conventional biopsy forceps. We compared the diagnostic yield and safety of TBLB with cryoprobe sampling versus conventional forceps sampling.
This randomized clinical trial analysed data for 77 patients undergoing TBLB for evaluation of ILD; patients were assigned to either a conventional-forceps group or a cryoprobe group. Two pathologists assessed the tissue samples and agreed on histopathologic diagnoses. We also compared the duration of procedures, complications and sample-quality variables.
The most frequent diagnosis observed in the cryoprobe group was non-specific interstitial pneumonia. Histopathologic diagnoses were identified in more cases in the cryoprobe group (74.4%) than in the conventional-forceps group (34.1%) (P < 0.001), and the diagnostic yield was higher in the cryoprobe group (51.3% vs 29.1% in the conventional forceps group; P = 0.038). A larger mean area of tissue was harvested by cryoprobe (14.7 ± 11 mm(2) ) than by conventional forceps (3.3 ± 4.1 mm(2)) (P < 0.001). More grade 2 bleeding (not statistically significant) occurred in the cryoprobe group (56.4%) than in the conventional-forceps group (34.2%). No differences in other complications were observed.
TBLB by cryoprobe is safe and potentially useful in the diagnosis of ILD. Larger multisite randomized trials are required to confirm the potential benefits of this procedure. Clinical trial registration at ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT01064609.
Expressing anthropometric parameters (height, weight, BMI) as z-score is a key principle in the clinical assessment of children and adolescents. The Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) ...growth charts and the CDC-LMS method for z-score calculation are widely used to assess growth and nutritional status, though they can be imprecise in some percentiles.
To improve the accuracy of z-score calculation by revising the statistical method using the original data used to develop current z-score calculators.
A Gaussian Process Regressions (GPR) was designed and internally validated. Z-scores for weight-for-age (WFA), height-for-age (HFA) and BMI-for-age (BMIFA) were compared with WHO and CDC-LMS methods in 1) standard z-score cut-off points, 2) simulated population of 3000 children and 3) real observations 212 children aged 2 to 18 yo.
GPR yielded more accurate calculation of z-scores for standard cut-off points (p<<0.001) with respect to CDC-LMS and WHO approaches. WFA, HFA and BMIFA z-score calculations based on the 3 different methods using simulated and real patients, showed a large variation irrespective of gender and age. Z-scores around 0 +/- 1 showed larger variation than the values above and below +/- 2.
The revised z-score calculation method was more accurate than CDC-LMS and WHO methods for standard cut-off points. On simulated and real data, GPR based calculation provides more accurate z-score determinations, and thus, a better classification of patients below and above cut-off points. Statisticians and clinicians should consider the potential benefits of updating their calculation method for an accurate z-score determination.
Excessive accumulation of body fat triggers insulin resistance and features of the metabolic syndrome. Recently, evidence has accumulated that obesity, type 2 diabetes, and metabolic syndrome are ...associated with reduced levels of serum prolactin (PRL) in humans and rodents, raising the question of whether low PRL levels contribute to metabolic dysfunction. Here, we have addressed this question by investigating the role of PRL in insulin sensitivity and adipose tissue fitness in obese rodents and humans. In diet-induced obese rats, treatment with PRL delivered via osmotic mini-pumps, improved insulin sensitivity, prevented adipocyte hypertrophy, and reduced inflammatory cytokine expression in visceral fat. PRL also induced increased expression of Pparg and Xbp1s in visceral adipose tissue and elevated circulating adiponectin levels. Conversely, PRL receptor null mice challenged with a high fat diet developed greater insulin resistance, glucose intolerance, and increased adipocyte hypertrophy compared to wild-type mice. In humans, serum PRL values correlated positively with systemic adiponectin levels and were reduced in insulin-resistant patients. Furthermore, PRL circulating levels and PRL produced by adipose tissue correlated directly with the expression of PPARG, ADIPOQ, and GLUT4 in human visceral and subcutaneous adipose tissue. Thus, PRL, acting through its cognate receptors, promotes healthy adipose tissue function and systemic insulin sensitivity. Increasing the levels of PRL in the circulation may have therapeutic potential against obesity-induced metabolic diseases.
The use of Saccharomyces cerevisiae to produce sweet wine is difficult because yeast is affected by a hyperosmotic stress due to the high sugar concentrations in the fermenting must. One possible ...alternative could be the coimmobilization of the osmotolerant yeast strains S. cerevisiae X4 and X5 on Penicillium chrysogenum strain H3 (GRAS) for the partial fermentation of raisin musts. This immobilized has been, namely, as yeast biocapsules. Traditional sweet wine (that is, without fermentation of the must) and must partially fermented by free yeast cells were also used for comparison. Partially fermented sweet wines showed higher concentration of the volatile compounds than traditionally produced wines. The wines obtained by immobilized yeast cells reached minor concentrations of major alcohols than wines by free cells. The consumption of specific nitrogen compounds was dependent on yeast strain and the cellular immobilization. A principal component analysis shows that the compounds related to the response to osmotic stress (glycerol, acetaldehyde, acetoin, and butanediol) clearly differentiate the wines obtained with free yeasts but not the wines obtained with immobilized yeasts.
Practical Application
Free or immobilized cells from S. cerevisiae X4 and X5 osmotolerant strains might be appropriate to produce sweet wines from dried grapes giving rise to a new type of wine that can facilitate the diversification of the current supply of sweet wines.
In this study, a complete physical–chemical analysis was performed for Fetească neagră wine, aged with oak staves. Red wine samples were taken from grape varieties grown in Northeast Romania and ...produced during 2013 vintage. At the end of the fermentation process, four oak mini staves (1 cm width × 10 cm length × 1 cm thickness) from heavy toasted French oak were added to 5 L of red wine. Samples were aged using two time periods, respectively at 1.5 and 3 months, in a room at 14–16 °C. Results showed that the initial content of total phenolic decreased during ageing, from 931.1 mg catechin/L at 1.5 months to 775.4 mg catechin/L at 3 months. In contrast, the initial content of total antioxidant activity increased after the same period of ageing to 13.3 mM Trolox as compared to the aged wines for 1.5 months, at 12.8 mM Trolox. The corregram representing the relationship between the total phenols, total antioxidant activity (TAA) and their fractions and CieLab parameters was performed. Thirty-seven minor volatile compounds were quantified by stir bars sorptive extraction and gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (SBSE-GC-MS). An increase in odor activity value (OAV) with ageing time was observed, especially for fruity, fatty and woody series. The oak staves used in ageing processes can contribute positively to the aromatic profile of wines and could be considered a good choice for producing short-aged wines.
Many modern alcoholic beverages are subjected to ageing processes during which compounds extracted from wood contribute decisively to the overall beverage character. Wines represent a perfect example ...of beverage in which ageing is a crucial technological manufacturing step. During winemaking, producers accelerate chemical changes in wine composition by traditional and alternative methods, such as the use of oak wood barrels and/or oak wood chips. Our research aimed to investigate the overall volatile composition and sensory quality of red wines aged for two timeframes, namely, 1.5 and 3 months, and with two technological variants, i.e., American and French oak wood chips. Red grapes from the Fetească neagră (
) variety were harvested from a vineyard in the North-East region of Romania. Stir bar sorptive extraction and gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (SBSE-GC-MS) was used to extract minor aromas present in wine samples. The results showed clear differences between wines treated with American and French oak chips. Furthermore, ageing for 3 months increased the concentration of
-whiskey lactone and guaiacol in American oak-treated wine samples. For wines aged with French oak chips, we observed higher concentrations of furfural, 5-methylfurfural, 4-vinylguaiacol, and
-whiskey lactone. The increased presence of chemical compounds in wine aged with French oak chips generated prominent smoky, licorice, and toasty aromas, whereas in wines aged with American oak chips, notes of vanilla, toasty, and cacao aromas were noticed. Moreover, red wines aged with American and French oak chips were discriminated by chemometric analysis, which confirmed the evolution of aroma compounds.
PDF
