Impact of mediterranean diet promotion on environmental sustainability: a longitudinal analysis

OBJECTIVE

This article aims to estimate the differences in environmental impact (greenhouse gas [GHG] emissions, land use, energy used, acidification and potential eutrophication) after one year of promoting a Mediterranean diet (MD).

METHODS

Baseline and 1-year follow-up data from 5800 participants in the PREDIMED-Plus study were used. Each participant's food intake was estimated using validated semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaires, and the adherence to MD using the Dietary Score. The influence of diet on environmental impact was assessed through the EAT-Lancet Commission tables. The influence of diet on environmental impact was assessed through the EAT-Lancet Commission tables. The association between MD adherence and its environmental impact was calculated using adjusted multivariate linear regression models.

RESULTS

After one year of intervention, the kcal/day consumed was significantly reduced (-125,1 kcal/day), adherence to a MD pattern was improved (+0,9) and the environmental impact due to the diet was significantly reduced (GHG: -361 g/CO2-eq; Acidification:-11,5 g SO2-eq; Eutrophication:-4,7 g PO4-eq; Energy use:-842,7 kJ; and Land use:-2,2 m2). Higher adherence to MD (high vs. low) was significantly associated with lower environmental impact both at baseline and one year follow-up. Meat products had the greatest environmental impact in all the factors analysed, both at baseline and at one-year follow-up, in spite of the reduction observed in their consumption.

CONCLUSIONS

A program promoting a MD, after one year of intervention, significantly reduced the environmental impact in all the factors analysed. Meat products had the greatest environmental impact in all the dimensions analysed.

Association between type 2 diabetes and depressive symptoms after a 1-year follow-up in an older adult Mediterranean population

OBJECTIVES

To examine the cross-sectional association between baseline depressive symptoms and the presence of type 2 diabetes (T2D), and its association with glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) and other metabolic variables, and the prospective association of depressive symptoms and HbA1c after 1 year of follow-up.

METHODS

n = 6224 Mediterranean older adults with overweight/obesity and metabolic syndrome (48% females, mean age 64.9 ± 4.9 years) were evaluated in the framework of the PREDIMED-Plus study cohort. Depressive symptoms were assessed using the Beck Depression Inventory-II and HbA1c was used to measure metabolic control.

RESULTS

The presence of T2D increased the likelihood of higher levels of depressive symptoms (χ2 = 15.84, p = 0.001). Polynomial contrast revealed a positive linear relationship (χ2 = 13.49, p = 0.001), the higher the depressive symptoms levels, the higher the prevalence of T2D. Longitudinal analyses showed that the higher baseline depressive symptoms levels, the higher the likelihood of being within the HbA1c ≥ 7% at 1-year level (Wald-χ2 = 24.06, df = 3, p < .001, for the full adjusted model). Additionally, depressive levels at baseline and duration of T2D predicted higher HbA1c and body mass index, and lower physical activity and adherence to Mediterranean Diet at 1 year of follow-up.

CONCLUSIONS

This study supports an association between T2D and the severity of depressive symptoms, suggesting a worse metabolic control from mild severity levels in the short-medium term, influenced by lifestyle habits related to diabetes care. Screening for depressive symptoms and a multidisciplinary integrative therapeutic approach should be ensured in patients with T2D.

Comparison of Seven Healthy Lifestyle Scores Cardiometabolic Health: Age, Sex, and Lifestyle Interactions in the NutrIMDEA Web-Based Study

BACKGROUND

Global health status concerns both the assessment of wellbeing as well as the associated individualized determinants including quality of life and lifestyle factors. This study aimed to evaluate seven cardiometabolic health related scores and the influence, as well as interactions of lifestyle, heart-related and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) factors in order to inform the future implementation of precision public health (PPH).

METHODS

Data collected from 17,333 participants who were enrolled of the NutrIMDEA study. The data collection period was between May 2020 and November 2020 through an online survey. The baseline questionnaire collected information on socio-demographic data, cardiometabolic history, anthropometric variables and lifestyle aspects. Also, physical and mental component scores of SF12 Health Survey (PCS12/MCS12) were assessed as HRQoL features, which were applied to estimated seven scores (LS7, HLS, 20-years DRS %, FBS, CLI, WAI derived, LWB-I).

RESULTS

Most indices (except FBS, CLI, 20-years DRS % and WAI derived) showed that cardiometabolic outcomes and HRQoL measures were dependent on interactions by age and sex. The largest ponderal effect was found in PA total and Mediterranean Diet Score (MEDAS-14) interaction using LS7 as reference. However, using LWB-I as standard, the greatest effect was found in the quality-of-life feature MCS12. Noteworthy, LS7 showed good discrimination against PCS12, while LWB-I demonstrated excellent discrimination to MCS12.

CONCLUSIONS

A major finding was the interplay between MEDAS-14 and PA on the LS7 scale as well as major effects of lifestyle factors and MCS12/PCS12 among scores, which need to be accounted with precision when implementing cardiometabolic screenings with PPH purposes.

Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG administration partially prevents diet-induced insulin resistance in rats: a comparison with its heat-inactivated parabiotic

Insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes are obesity-related health alterations, featuring an ever-increasing prevalence. Besides inadequate feeding patterns, gut microbiota alterations stand out as potential contributors to these metabolic disturbances. The aim of this study was to investigate whether the administration of a probiotic (Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG) effectively prevents diet-induced insulin resistance in rats and to compare these potential effects with those exerted by its heat-inactivated parabiotic. For this purpose, 34 male Wistar rats were fed a standard or a high-fat high-fructose diet, alone or supplemented with viable or heat-inactivated Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG. The body and white adipose tissue weight increases, induced by the obesogenic diet, were prevented by probiotic and parabiotic administration. The trend towards higher basal glucose levels and significantly higher serum insulin concentration observed in the non-treated animals fed with the obesogenic diet were effectively reverted by both treatments. Similar results were also found for serum adiponectin and leptin, whose levels were brought back by the probiotic and parabiotic administration to values similar to those of the control animals. Noteworthily, parabiotic administration significantly reduced skeletal muscle triglyceride content and activated CPT-1b compared to the non-treated animals. Finally, both treatments enhanced Akt and AS160 phosphorylation in the skeletal muscle compared to the non-treated animals; however, only parabiotic administration increased GLUT-4 protein expression in this tissue. These results suggest that heat-inactivated Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG seem to be more effective than its probiotic of origin in preventing high-fat high-fructose diet-induced insulin resistance in rats.

Erratum: Ratchet universality in the bidirectional escape from a symmetric potential well [Phys. Rev. E 103, 022203 (2021)]

This corrects the article DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevE.103.022203.

The risk of incident depression when assessed with the Lifestyle and Well-Being Index

OBJECTIVES

Novel findings indicate links between unhealthy lifestyles and depression based on active inflammatory processes. Thus, identifying participants with poor habits could reveal differences in trends of incident depression. This study aimed to examine the association between an objective lifestyle assessment, as measured by the Lifestyle and Well-Being Index (LWB-I), and incident depression in healthy participants of a Spanish cohort.

STUDY DESIGN

This was a longitudinal analysis of a subsample of 10,063 participants from the Seguimiento Universidad de Navarra cohort study.

METHODS

Group comparisons and Cox proportional hazard models were conducted using the LWB-I, which categorizes the sample into groups with healthy and unhealthy lifestyles and well-being. The main outcome was incident depression as well as secondary outcomes.

RESULTS

Those classified to the transition category of LWB-I were associated with a hazard ratio of 0.67 (95% confidence interval: 0.52-0.87), and those in the excellent category showed a hazard ratio of 0.44 (95% confidence interval: 0.33-0.58), which in both groups reflects a significantly lower risk of incident depression compared with the group including those classified in the poor LWB-I level. Moreover, the available sensitivity analyses concerning time of depression diagnosis or antidepressant treatment further supported the role of nutrition and physical activity on incident depression. Interestingly, throughout the follow-up, incident depression was inversely related to healthier daily habits as measured by the LWB-I.

CONCLUSIONS

A global assessment of lifestyles such as the LWB-I provides valuable insight into the complex relationship between lifestyle factors and their link to depression risk.

Portion-control tableware differentially impacts eating behaviour in women with and without overweight

Portion control tableware has been described as a potentially effective approach for weight management, however the mechanisms by which these tools work remain unknown. We explored the processes by which a portion control (calibrated) plate with visual stimuli for starch, protein and vegetable amounts modulates food intake, satiety and meal eating behaviour. Sixty-five women (34 with overweight/obesity) participated in a counterbalanced cross-over trial in the laboratory, where they self-served and ate a hot meal including rice, meatballs and vegetables, once with a calibrated plate and once with a conventional (control) plate. A sub-sample of 31 women provided blood samples to measure the cephalic phase response to the meal. Effects of plate type were tested through linear mixed-effect models. Meal portion sizes (mean ± SD) were smaller for the calibrated compared with the control plate (served: 296 ± 69 vs 317 ± 78 g; consumed: 287 ± 71 vs 309 ± 79 g respectively), especially consumed rice (69 ± 24 vs 88 ± 30 g) (p < 0.05 for all comparisons). The calibrated plate significantly reduced bite size (3.4 ± 1.0 vs 3.7 ± 1.0 g; p < 0.01) in all women and eating rate (32.9 ± 9.5 vs 33.7 ± 9.2 g/min; p < 0.05), in lean women. Despite this, some women compensated for the reduced intake over the 8 h following the meal. Pancreatic polypeptide and ghrelin levels increased post-prandially with the calibrated plate but changes were not robust. Plate type had no influence on insulin, glucose levels, or memory for portion size. Meal size was reduced by a portion-control plate with visual stimuli for appropriate amounts of starch, protein and vegetables, potentially because of the reduced self-served portion size and the resulting reduced bite size. Sustained effects may require the continued use of the plate for long-term impact.

Intensive Weight-Loss Lifestyle Intervention Using Mediterranean Diet and COVID-19 Risk in Older Adults: Secondary Analysis of PREDIMED-Plus Trial

OBJECTIVES

We tested the effects of a weight-loss intervention encouraging energy-reduced MedDiet and physical activity (PA) in comparison to ad libitum MedDiet on COVID-19 incidence in older adults.

DESIGN

Secondary analysis of PREDIMED-Plus, a prospective, ongoing, multicentre randomized controlled trial.

SETTING

Community-dwelling, free-living participants in PREDIMED-Plus trial.

PARTICIPANTS

6,874 Spanish older adults (55-75 years, 49% women) with overweight/obesity and metabolic syndrome.

INTERVENTION

Participants were randomised to Intervention (IG) or Control (CG) Group. IG received intensive behavioural intervention for weight loss with an energy-reduced MedDiet intervention and PA promotion. CG was encouraged to consume ad libitum MedDiet without PA recommendations.

MEASUREMENTS

COVID-19 was ascertained by an independent Event Committee until December 31, 2021. COX regression models compared the effect of PREDIMED-Plus interventions on COVID-19 risk.

RESULTS

Overall, 653 COVID-19 incident cases were documented (IG:317; CG:336) over a median (IQR) follow-up of 5.8 (1.3) years (inclusive of 4.0 (1.2) years before community transmission of COVID-19) in both groups. A significantly lowered risk of COVID-19 incidence was not evident in IG, compared to CG (fully-adjusted HR (95% CI): 0.96 (0.81,1.12)).

CONCLUSIONS

There was no evidence to show that an intensive weight-loss intervention encouraging energy-reduced MedDiet and PA significantly lowered COVID-19 risk in older adults with overweight/obesity and metabolic syndrome in comparison to ad libitum MedDiet. Recommendations to improve adherence to MedDiet provided with or without lifestyle modification suggestions for weight loss may have similar effects in protecting against COVID-19 risk in older adults with high cardiovascular risks.

Development and validation of a new methodological platform to measure behavioral, cognitive, and physiological responses to food interventions in real time

To fully understand the causes and mechanisms involved in overeating and obesity, measures of both cognitive and physiological determinants of eating behavior need to be integrated. Effectively synchronizing behavioral measures such as meal micro-structure (e.g., eating speed), cognitive processing of sensory stimuli, and metabolic parameters, can be complex. However, this step is central to understanding the impact of food interventions on body weight. In this paper, we provide an overview of the existing gaps in eating behavior research and describe the development and validation of a new methodological platform to address some of these issues. As part of a controlled trial, 76 men and women self-served and consumed food from a buffet, using a portion-control plate with visual stimuli for appropriate amounts of main food groups, or a conventional plate, on two different days, in a random order. In both sessions participants completed behavioral and cognitive tests using a novel methodological platform that measured gaze movement (as a proxy for visual attention), eating rate and bite size, memory for portion sizes, subjective appetite and portion-size perceptions. In a sub-sample of women, hormonal secretion in response to the meal was also measured. The novel platform showed a significant improvement in meal micro-structure measures from published data (13 vs. 33% failure rate) and high comparability between an automated gaze mapping protocol vs. manual coding for eye-tracking studies involving an eating test (ICC between methods 0.85; 90% CI 0.74, 0.92). This trial was registered at Clinical Trials.gov with Identifier NCT03610776.

Mortality prediction of the nutrient profile of the Chilean front-of-pack warning labels: Results from the Seguimiento Universidad de Navarra prospective cohort study

Background and aims

Front-of-Pack (FoP) nutrition labelling has been established as a policy, empowering consumers to choose healthy food options for preventing diet-related non-communicable diseases. This study aimed to evaluate the association between the nutrient profile underlying the Chilean warning label score and all-cause mortality and to conduct a calibration with the Nutri-Score in a large cohort of Spanish university graduates.

Materials and methods

This prospective cohort study analysed 20,666 participants (8,068 men and 12,598 women) with a mean (standard deviation) age of 38 years (±12.4) from the SUN cohort. Dietary food intake was assessed by a validated semi-quantitative food-frequency questionnaire at baseline and after 10 years of follow-up. The warning label score was calculated by considering the threshold of nutrients (sugar, saturated fat, and sodium) and energy density per 100 g/ml of product, as established by Chilean Legislation. Participants were classified according to quartiles of consumption of daily label score: Q1 (≤5.0), Q2 (>5.0–7.1), Q3 (>7.1–9.8), and Q4 (>9.8). Time-dependent, multivariable-adjusted Cox models were applied. To compare the performance of the warning label score and Nutri-Score to predict mortality, we used the Akaike information criterion (AIC) and Bayesian information criterion (BIC) methods.

Results

During a median of 12.2 years of follow-up, 467 deaths were identified. A higher score in the warning label values (lower nutritional quality) was associated with an increased risk of all-cause mortality [HR (95% CI) Q4 vs. Q1: 1.51 (1.07–2.13); p-trend = 0.010] and cancer mortality [HR (95% CI) Q4 vs. Q1: 1.91 (1.18–3.10); p-trend = 0.006]. However, no statistically significant association was found for cardiovascular mortality. Furthermore, the warning label score and Nutri-Score exhibited comparable AIC and BIC values, showing similar power of prediction for mortality.

Conclusion

A diet with a higher warning label score (>9.8 per day) was a good predictor of all cases and cancer mortality in a large Spanish cohort of university graduates. Also, the warning label score was capable to predict mortality as well as the Nutri-Score. Our findings support the validity of the warning label score as a FoP nutrition labelling policy since it can highlight less healthy food products.

Experience with the use of siltuximab in patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection

OBJECTIVE

The study aims to describe characteristics and clinical outcome of patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection that received siltuximab according to a protocol that aimed to early block the activity of IL-6 to avoid the progression of the inflammatory flare.

METHODS

Retrospective review of the first 31 patients with SARS-CoV-2 treated with siltuximab, in Hospital Clinic of Barcelona or Hospital Universitario Salamanca, from March to April 2020 with positive polymerase-chain reaction (PCR) from a nasopharyngeal swab.

RESULTS

The cohort included 31 cases that received siltuximab with a median (IQR) age of 62 (56-71) and 71% were males. The most frequent comorbidity was hypertension (48%). The median dose of siltuximab was 800 mg ranging between 785 and 900 mg. 7 patients received siltuximab as a salvage therapy after one dose of tocilizumab. At the end of the study, a total of 26 (83.9) patients had been discharged alive and the mortality rate was 16.1% but only 1 out of 24 that received siltuximab as a first line option (4%).

CONCLUSIONS

Siltuximab is a well-tolerated alternative to tocilizumab when administered as a first line option in patients with COVID-19 pneumonia within the first 10 days from symptoms onset and high C-reactive protein.

Early Stepdown From Echinocandin to Fluconazole Treatment in Candidemia: A Post Hoc Analysis of Three Cohort Studies

Background

There are no clear criteria for antifungal de-escalation after initial empirical treatments. We hypothesized that early de-escalation (ED) (within 5 days) to fluconazole is safe in fluconazole-susceptible candidemia with controlled source of infection.

Methods

This is a multicenter post hoc study that included consecutive patients from 3 prospective candidemia cohorts (2007–2016). The impact of ED and factors associated with mortality were assessed.

Results

Of 1023 candidemia episodes, 235 met inclusion criteria. Of these, 54 (23%) were classified as the ED group and 181 (77%) were classified as the non-ED group. ED was more common in catheter-related candidemia (51.9% vs 31.5%; P = .006) and episodes caused by Candida parapsilosis, yet it was less frequent in patients in the intensive care unit (24.1% vs 39.2%; P = .043), infections caused by Nakaseomyces glabrata (0% vs 9.9%; P = .016), and candidemia from an unknown source (24.1% vs 47%; P = .003). In the ED and non-ED groups, 30-day mortality was 11.1% and 29.8% (P = .006), respectively. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (odds ratio [OR], 3.97; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.48–10.61), Pitt score > 2 (OR, 4.39; 95% CI, 1.94–9.20), unknown source of candidemia (OR, 2.59; 95% CI, 1.14–5.86), candidemia caused by Candida albicans (OR, 3.92; 95% CI, 1.48–10.61), and prior surgery (OR, 0.29; 95% CI, 0.08–0.97) were independent predictors of mortality. Similar results were found when a propensity score for receiving ED was incorporated into the model. ED had no significant impact on mortality (OR, 0.50; 95% CI, 0.16–1.53).

Conclusions

Early de-escalation is a safe strategy in patients with candidemia caused by fluconazole-susceptible strains with controlled source of bloodstream infection and hemodynamic stability. These results are important to apply antifungal stewardship strategies.

[Early detection and prevalence of risk of eating disorders in Primary Care in Guadalajara city]

OBJECTIVES

To know the percentage of adolescent patients at risk of developing an eating disorder (ED); to identify the prevalence of risk for Anorexia Nervosa, Bulimia Nervosa and Unspecified Eating Disorders (NERD) according to age, sex, health centers, nationality and family data; determine the percentage of young people with subclinical forms and study the feasibility of using tools for the early detection of this pathology in Primary Care.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

Observational, cross-sectional and multicentre study developed in the five health centers of the city of Guadalajara. Sample of 291 adolescents (124 males and 167 females) obtained through stratified, multi-stage and proportional random sampling according to age, sex and health centers. Sociodemographic, anthropometric and family variables were studied and the EAT-26, SCOFF and EDE-Q6.0 tests were applied in the first round and the EDE-12 interview in the second round.

RESULTS

The global prevalence of risk of eating disorders was 17.5% (95% CI: 13.7%-19.4%). The variables, having siblings, being single-parent and having obesity were statistically significant. Among the various types of EDs, the NERD were statistically significant with respect to Anorexia and Bulimia. The subscale concern for the silhouette was statistically significant with respect to the others. The SCOFF questionnaire showed a sensitivity of 91.6% and a specificity of 91.0% and the EDE-Q, 99.3% and 91.7% respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

High percentage of adolescents at risk of developing an eating disorder. The unspecified type of eating disorders and the concern for the silhouette subscale predominate. The SCOFF test proves to be a good screening instrument in Primary Care.

Tocilizumab reduces the risk of ICU admission and mortality in patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection

Objectives

In some patients the immune response triggered by SARS-CoV-2 is unbalanced, presenting an acute respiratory distress syndrome which in many cases requires intensive care unit (ICU) admission. The limitation of ICU beds has been one of the major burdens in the management around the world; therefore, clinical strategies to avoid ICU admission are needed. We aimed to describe the influence of tocilizumab on the need of transfer to ICU or death in non-critically ill patients.

Material and methods

A retrospective study of 171 patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection that did not qualify as requiring transfer to ICU during the first 24h after admission to a conventional ward, were included. The criteria to receive tocilizumab was radiological impairment, oxygen demand or an increasing of inflammatory parameters, however, the ultimate decision was left to the attending physician judgement. The primary outcome was the need of ICU admission or death whichever came first.

Results

A total of 77 patients received tocilizumab and 94 did not. The tocilizumab group had less ICU admissions (10.3% vs. 27.6%, P=0.005) and need of invasive ventilation (0 vs 13.8%, P=0.001). In the multivariable analysis, tocilizumab remained as a protective variable (OR: 0.03, CI 95%: 0.007-0.1, P=0.0001) of ICU admission or death.

Conclusions

Tocilizumab in early stages of the inflammatory flare could reduce an important number of ICU admissions and mechanical ventilation. The mortality rate of 10.3% among patients receiving tocilizumab appears to be lower than other reports. This is a non-randomized study and the results should be interpreted with caution.

Real-life use of remdesivir in hospitalized patients with COVID-19

Objective

Controversial results on remdesivir efficacy have been reported. We aimed to report our real-life experience with the use of remdesivir from its availability in Spain.

Methods

We performed a descriptive study of all patients admitted for ≥48 hours with confirmed COVID-19 who received remdesivir between the 1st of July and the 30th of September 2020.

Results

A total of 123 patients out of 242 admitted with COVID-19 at our hospital (50.8%) received remdesivir. Median age was 58 years, 61% were males and 56.9 % received at least one anti-inflammatory treatment. No adverse events requiring remdesivir discontinuation were reported. The need of intensive care unit admission, mechanical ventilation and 30-days mortality were 19.5%, 7.3% and 4.1%, respectively.

Conclusion

In our real-life experience, the use of remdesivir in hospitalized patients with COVID-19 was associated with a low mortality rate and good safety profile.

Ratchet universality in the bidirectional escape from a symmetric potential well

The present work discusses symmetry-breaking-induced bidirectional escape from a symmetric metastable potential well by the application of zero-average periodic forces in the presence of dissipation. We characterized the interplay between heteroclinic instabilities leading to chaotic escape and breaking of a generalized parity symmetry leading to directed ratchet escape to an attractor either at ∞ or at -∞. Optimal enhancement of directed ratchet escape is found to occur when the wave form of the zero-average periodic force acting on the damped driven oscillator matches as closely as possible to a universal wave form, as predicted by the theory of ratchet universality. Specifically, the optimal approximation to the universal force triggers the almost complete destruction of the nonescaping basin for driving amplitudes which are systematically lower than those corresponding to a symmetric periodic force having the same period. We expect that this work could be potentially useful in the control of elementary dynamic processes characterized by multidirectional escape from a potential well, such as forced chaotic scattering and laser-induced dissociation of molecular systems, among others.

An evidence-based bundle improves the quality of care and outcomes of patients with candidaemia

Background

Candidaemia is a leading cause of bloodstream infections in hospitalized patients all over the world. It remains associated with high mortality.

Objectives

To assess the impact of implementing an evidence-based package of measures (bundle) on the quality of care and outcomes of candidaemia.

Methods

A systematic review of the literature was performed to identify measures related to better outcomes in candidaemia. Eight quality-of-care indicators (QCIs) were identified and a set of written recommendations (early treatment, echinocandins in septic shock, source control, follow-up blood culture, ophthalmoscopy, echocardiography, de-escalation, length of treatment) was prospectively implemented. The study was performed in 11 tertiary hospitals in Spain. A quasi-experimental design before and during bundle implementation (September 2016 to February 2018) was used. For the pre-intervention period, data from the prospective national surveillance were used (May 2010 to April 2011).

Results

A total of 385 and 263 episodes were included in the pre-intervention and intervention groups, respectively. Adherence to all QCIs improved in the intervention group. The intervention group had a decrease in early (OR 0.46; 95% CI 0.23–0.89; P = 0.022) and overall (OR 0.61; 95% CI 0.4–0.94; P = 0.023) mortality after controlling for potential confounders.

Conclusions

Implementing a structured, evidence-based intervention bundle significantly improved patient care and early and overall mortality in patients with candidaemia. Institutions should embrace this objective strategy and use the bundle as a means to measure high-quality medical care of patients.

TomoEED: fast edge-enhancing denoising of tomographic volumes

Summary

TomoEED is an optimized software tool for fast feature-preserving noise filtering of large 3D tomographic volumes on CPUs and GPUs. The tool is based on the anisotropic nonlinear diffusion method. It has been developed with special emphasis in the reduction of the computational demands by using different strategies, from the algorithmic to the high performance computing perspectives. TomoEED manages to filter large volumes in a matter of minutes in standard computers.

Availability and implementation

TomoEED has been developed in C. It is available for Linux platforms at http://www.cnb.csic.es/%7ejjfernandez/tomoeed.

Supplementary information

Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.

Fatty acids, epigenetic mechanisms and chronic diseases: a systematic review

Background

Chronic illnesses like obesity, type 2 diabetes (T2D) and cardiovascular diseases, are worldwide major causes of morbidity and mortality. These pathological conditions involve interactions between environmental, genetic, and epigenetic factors. Recent advances in nutriepigenomics are contributing to clarify the role of some nutritional factors, including dietary fatty acids in gene expression regulation. This systematic review assesses currently available information concerning the role of the different fatty acids on epigenetic mechanisms that affect the development of chronic diseases or induce protective effects on metabolic alterations.

Methods

A targeted search was conducted in the PubMed/Medline databases using the keywords “fatty acids and epigenetic”. The data were analyzed according to the PRISMA-P guidelines.

Results

Consumption fatty acids like n-3 PUFA: EPA and DHA, and MUFA: oleic and palmitoleic acid was associated with an improvement of metabolic alterations. On the other hand, fatty acids that have been associated with the presence or development of obesity, T2D, pro-inflammatory profile, atherosclerosis and IR were n-6 PUFA, saturated fatty acids (stearic and palmitic), and trans fatty acids (elaidic), have been also linked with epigenetic changes.

Conclusions

Fatty acids can regulate gene expression by modifying epigenetic mechanisms and consequently result in positive or negative impacts on metabolic outcomes.

Maresin 1 Regulates Hepatic FGF21 in Diet-Induced Obese Mice and in Cultured Hepatocytes

SCOPE

To study the effects of Maresin 1 (MaR1), a docosahexaenoic-acid-derived lipid mediator, on fibroblast growth factor 21 (FGF21) production and to characterize the tissue-specific regulation of Fgf21 and its signaling pathway in liver, skeletal muscle, and white adipose tissue (WAT).

METHODS AND RESULTS

Diet-induced obese (DIO) mice are treated with MaR1 (50 µg kg^-1 , 10 days, oral gavage) and serum FGF21 levels and liver, muscle and WAT Fgf21, β-Klotho, Fgfr1, Egr1, and cFos mRNA expression are evaluated. Additionally, MaR1 effects are tested in mouse primary hepatocytes, HepG2 human hepatocytes, C2C12 myotubes, and 3T3-L1 adipocytes. In DIO mice, MaR1 decreases circulating FGF21 levels and HFD-induced hepatic Fgf21 mRNA expression. MaR1 increases hepatic β-Klotho, Egr1, and cFos in DIO mice. In WAT, MaR1 counteracts the HFD-induced downregulation of Fgf21, Fgfr1, and β-Klotho. In muscle, MaR1 does not modify Fgf21 but promoted Fgfr1 expression. In mouse primary hepatocytes, MaR1 decreases Fgf21 expression and downregulated Pparα mRNA levels. In HepG2 cells, MaR1 reverses the increased production of FGF21 and the downregulation of FGFR1, Β-KLOTHO, EGR1, and cFOS induced by palmitate. Preincubation with a PPARα antagonist prevents MaR1 effects on FGF21 secretion.

CONCLUSION

The ability of MaR1 to modulate FGF21 can contribute to its beneficial metabolic effects.

Predictors of multidrug-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa in neutropenic patients with bloodstream infection

OBJECTIVES

To assess risk factors for multidrug-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa (MDR-PA) infection in neutropenic patients.

METHODS

Single-centre retrospective analysis of consecutive bloodstream infection (BSI) episodes (2004-2017, Barcelona). Two multivariate regression models were used at BSI diagnosis and P. aeruginosa detection. Significant predictors were used to establish rules for stratifying patients according to MDR-PA BSI risk.

RESULTS

Of 661 Gram-negative BSI episodes, 190 (28.7%) were caused by P. aeruginosa (70 MDR-PA). Independent factors associated with MDR-PA among Gram-negative organisms were haematological malignancy (OR 3.30; 95% CI 1.15-9.50), pulmonary source of infection (OR 7.85; 95% CI 3.32-18.56), nosocomial-acquired BSI (OR 3.52; 95% CI 1.74-7.09), previous antipseudomonal cephalosporin (OR 13.66; 95% CI 6.64-28.10) and piperacillin/tazobactam (OR 2.42; 95% CI 1.04-5.63), and BSI occurring during ceftriaxone (OR 4.27; 95% CI 1.15-15.83). Once P. aeruginosa was identified as the BSI aetiological pathogen, nosocomial acquisition (OR 7.13; 95% CI 2.87-17.67), haematological malignancy (OR 3.44; 95% CI 1.07-10.98), previous antipseudomonal cephalosporin (OR 3.82; 95% CI 1.42-10.22) and quinolones (OR 3.97; 95% CI 1.37-11.48), corticosteroids (OR 2.92; 95% CI 1.15-7.40), and BSI occurring during quinolone (OR 4.88; 95% CI 1.58-15.05) and β-lactam other than ertapenem (OR 4.51; 95% CI 1.45-14.04) were independently associated with MDR-PA. Per regression coefficients, 1 point was assigned to each parameter, except for nosocomial-acquired BSI (3 points). In the second analysis, a score >3 points identified 60 (86.3%) out of 70 individuals with MDR-PA BSI and discarded 100 (84.2%) out of 120 with non-MDR-PA BSI.

CONCLUSIONS

A simple score based on demographic and clinical factors allows stratification of individuals with bacteraemia according to their risk of MDR-PA BSI, and may help facilitate the use of rapid MDR-detection tools and improve early antibiotic appropriateness.

Performance of differential time to positivity as a routine diagnostic test for catheter-related bloodstream infections: a single-centre experience

OBJECTIVE

To assess the performance of differential time to positivity (DTP) for the diagnosis of catheter-related bloodstream infections (CRBSI).

METHODS

From all episodes of bloodstream infections (BSI) diagnosed during a 15-year period (2003-17) those in which a paired set of blood cultures drawn from a catheter and a peripheral vein were positive for the same microorganism and had a clinically and/or microbiologically defined source were selected. To assess diagnostic discrimination ability and accuracy of DTP for CRBSI, area under the receiver operating characteristic curves (AUC) and performance characteristics of a DTP ≥2 h were computed.

RESULTS

A total of 512 BSI were included, of which 302 (59%) were CRBSI. Discrimination ability of DTP was low for Staphylococcus aureus (AUC 0.656 ± 0.06), coagulase-negative staphylococci (AUC 0.618 ± 0.081), enterococci (AUC 0.554 ± 0.117) and non-AmpC-producing Enterobacteriaceae (AUC 0.653 ± 0.053); moderate for Pseudomonas aeruginosa (AUC 0.841 ± 0.073), and high for AmpC-producing Enterobacteriaceae (AUC 0.944 ± 0.039). For the entire sample, DTP had a low-to-moderate discrimination ability (AUC 0.698 ± 0.024). A DTP ≥2 h has a low sensitivity for coagulase-negative staphylococci (60%) and very low for S. aureus (34%), enterococci (40%) and non-AmpC-producing Enterobacteriaceae (42%). A DTP cut-off of 1 h improved sensitivity (90%) for AmpC-producing Enterobacteriaceae.

CONCLUSIONS

Differential time to positivity performs well for diagnosing CRBSI only when AmpC-producing Enterobacteriaceae and P. aeruginosa are involved. Performance is low for common Gram-positive organisms and non-AmpC-producing enteric bacilli; a negative test should not be used to rule out CRBSI due to these microorganisms. A DTP ≥1 h may improve accuracy for AmpC-producing Enterobacteriaceae, particularly Enterobacter spp.

Impact of dietary lipoic acid supplementation on liver mitochondrial bioenergetics and oxidative status on normally fed Wistar rats

The aim of this study was to examine the effects of α-lipoic acid (α-LA) on liver mitochondrial bioenergetics and oxidative status for 8 weeks in normal-healthy animals. A pair-fed group was included to differentiate between α-LA direct effects and those changes due to reduced food intake. α-LA decreased body weight gain, liver weight and insulin levels with no differences compared to its pair-fed group. α-LA significantly reduced energy efficiency, the activity of the electron transport chain complexes and induced a lower efficiency of oxidative phosphorylation with reduced ATP production. α-LA supplementation directly decreased plasma triglycerides (TGs), free fatty acids and ketone bodies levels. A significant reduction in hepatic TG content was also observed. A significant up-regulation of Cpt1a, Acadl and Sirt3, all β-oxidation genes, along with a significant deacetylation of the forkhead transcription factor 3a (FOXO3A) was found in α-LA-treated animals. Thus, α-LA along with a standard chow diet has direct actions on lipid metabolism and liver by modulating mitochondrial function in normal-weight rats. These results should be taken into account when α-LA is administered or recommended to a healthy population.

Fermented dairy products, diet quality, and cardio-metabolic profile of a Mediterranean cohort at high cardiovascular risk

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

Fermented dairy products have been associated with a better diet quality and cardio-metabolic profile. However, in Mediterranean populations, these associations have not been well characterized. The aim of this study was to assess the diet quality and the associations between the consumption of total fermented dairy products and their subtypes and the prevalence of Metabolic Syndrome (MetS) components in a Mediterranean population at high cardiovascular risk.

METHODS AND RESULTS

Baseline cross-sectional analyses were conducted on 6,572 men and women (mean age: 65 years) with overweight or obesity and MetS recruited into the PREDIMED-Plus cohort. A 143-item Food Frequency Questionnaire (FFQ) was used, and anthropometrical, biochemical, and blood pressure measurements were recorded. Multivariate-adjusted Cox regressions were fitted to analyze the association between quartiles of consumption of fermented dairy products and their subtypes and MetS components to estimate the relative risk (RR) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs). Participants who were high consumers of fermented dairy products reported a higher consumption of fruit, vegetables, fish, nuts, and whole bread and a lower consumption of white bread, alcohol, and cookies. Participants in the higher quartile showed a lower prevalence of the low HDL-cholesterol component of the MetS (RR=0.88; 95% CI: 0.78-0.98) than those in the lowest quartile of cheese consumption. Cheese consumption was inversely associated with the prevalence of hypertriglyceridemia. Total fermented dairy products, yogurt, and its types were not associated with any of the MetS components.

CONCLUSIONS

Compared to nonconsumers, participants consuming fermented dairy products reported a better diet quality and, particularly, cheese consumers presented a lower prevalence of hypertriglyceridemia and low HDL-cholesterol plasma levels, which are MetS components.

Effect of hypoxia on caveolae-related protein expression and insulin signaling in adipocytes

Obesity is characterized by hypertrophy and hyperplasia of adipose tissue, which have been related to the development of hypoxia and insulin resistance. On the other hand, caveolin-1 (Cav-1), one of the main proteins of caveolae, promotes insulin receptor (IR) phosphorylation and the subsequent activation of insulin signaling. In this work we investigated the effect of hypoxia on Cav-1 regulation and the status of insulin signaling in 3T3-L1 adipocytes. Our results showed that hypoxia inhibited adipogenesis and insulin signaling in adipocytes. Furthermore, 48 h of hypoxia reduced insulin-induced glucose uptake while increased basal glucose uptake. This result was consistent with the upregulation of glucose transporter GLUT1 and the downregulation of GLUT4, which also showed defective translocation to plasma membrane when adipocytes were stimulated with insulin. In addition, the expression of caveolae-related proteins was reduced by hypoxia and chromatin immunoprecipitation assay demonstrated that Cav-1 transcription was directly regulated by HIF-1. These results strengthen the role of caveolae in insulin signaling and help to explain adipocyte response to hypoxia.

[Precision dietary guidelines and ingredients for chronic diseases in pre-senior and senior populations]

The aging of the population underlines an important challenge for the health system not only from sanitary and economic reasons but also by quality perspectives concerning preventive care, where precision nutrition (PN) and the prescription or advice on healthy habits becomes relevant. PN focuses on provide nutrition adapted to each individual, understanding that the prevention or treatment of chronic disorders (obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, etc.) must be addressed in a comprehensive way, considering not only relevant personal and clinical information, but also healthy aging and phenotypical and genotypical features. This guide was prepared due to the need to develop precision nutritional models that allow individualized nutritional treatment for each subject and physiopathological particularities with emphasis on the elderly. Therefore, the requirements of the Spanish pre-senior and senior populations, dietary recommendations and precision foods are reviewed in this document: have at least three daily meals, reduce total calories, choose a varied and balanced diet with fresh foods and high nutritional density, add vegetables, legumes and fish, consume dairy products and fiber, prefer white meat instead of red, avoid fried foods, sausages and processed foods, moderate the consumption of salt, coffee and alcohol, and get hydrated.

Current time-to-positivity of blood cultures in febrile neutropenia: a tool to be used in stewardship de-escalation strategies

OBJECTIVES

We aimed to describe the current time-to-positivity (TTP) of blood cultures in individuals with onco-haematological diseases with febrile neutropenia. We assessed the probability of having a multidrug-resistant Gram-negative bacilli (MDR-GNB) bloodstream infection (BSI) 24 h after cultures were taken, to use this information for antibiotic de-escalation strategies.

METHODS

BSI episodes were prospectively collected (2003-2017). When a patient experienced more than one BSI, only one episode was randomly chosen. Time elapsed from the beginning of incubation to a positive reading was observed; TTP was recorded when the first bottle had a positive result.

RESULTS

Of the 850 patient-unique episodes, 323 (38%) occurred in acute leukaemia, 185 (21.8%) in non-Hodgkin's lymphoma and 144 (16.9%) in solid neoplasms. Coagulase-negative staphylococci (225; 26.5%), Escherichia coli (207; 26.1%), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (136; 16%), Enterococcus spp. (81; 9.5%) and Klebsiella pneumoniae (67; 7.9%), were the most frequent microorganisms isolated. MDR-GNB were documented in 126 (14.8%) episodes. Median TTP was 12 h (interquartile range 9-16.5 h). Within the first 24 h, 92.1% of blood cultures were positive (783/850). No MDR-GNB was positive over 24 h. Of the 67 (7.9%) episodes with a TTP ≥24 h, 25 (37.3%) occurred in patients who were already receiving active antibiotics against the isolated pathogen. Most common isolations with TTP ≥24 h were coagulase-negative staphylococci, candidaemia and a group of anaerobic GNB.

CONCLUSIONS

Currently, the vast majority of BSI in individuals with onco-haematological diseases with febrile neutropenia have a TTP <24 h, including all episodes caused by MDR-GNB. Our results support reassessing empiric antibiotic treatment in neutropenic patients at 24 h, to apply antibiotic stewardship de-escalation strategies.

The influence of obesity and weight gain on quality of life according to the SF-36 for individuals of the dynamic follow-up cohort of the University of Navarra

BACKGROUND

The health-related quality of life is an important element for the comprehensive assessment of overweight and obesity.

OBJECTIVE

To assess the impact of obesity and weight gain on the health-related quality of life of the dynamic cohort of the Follow-up Program of the University of Navarra.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

The analysis included 10,033 participants of the prospective dynamic cohort of the Follow-up Project of the University of Navarra, with a response rate of approximately 90%. The quality of life was measured with the Short Form 36 Health Survey (SF-36) (0, worst quality of life; 100, best quality of life). The statistical analysis was performed with generalized lineal models (mean of each SF-36 domain and 95% CI). A difference of 3 points was considered clinically relevant.

RESULTS

The SF-36 analysis showed that physical function, general health and the physical component summary were inferior in individuals with excess weight and obesity at the start of the study, compared with individuals with normal weight. The study population with unchanged excess weight or obesity after 2 years of follow-up presented lower scores on the SF-36 domains corresponding to physical function, body pain, physical component summary and general health than individuals who maintained the normal weight category according to BMI (kg/m²).

CONCLUSIONS

Obesity appears to be associated with a negative impact on health-related quality of life, affecting the physical area more significantly than the psychosocial.

Regulatory roles of miR-155 and let-7b on the expression of inflammation-related genes in THP-1 cells: effects of fatty acids

The main aim of this investigation was to study the regulatory roles of let-7b and miR-155-3p on the expression of inflammation-associated genes in monocytes, macrophages, and lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-activated macrophages (AcM). A second goal was to analyze the potential modulatory roles of different fatty acids, including oleic, palmitic, eicosapentaenoic (EPA), and docosahexaenoic (DHA), on the expression of these miRNAs in the three cell types. This hypothesis was tested in human acute monocytic leukemia cells (THP-1), which were differentiated into macrophages with 2-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA) and further activated with LPS for 24 h. Monocytes, macrophages, and AcM were transfected with a negative control, or mimics for miR-155-3p and miR-let-7b-5p. The expression of both miRNAs and some proinflammatory genes was analyzed by qRT-PCR. Interestingly, let-7b mimic reduced the expression of IL6 and TNF in monocytes, and SERPINE1 expression in LPS-activated macrophages. However, IL6, TNF, and SERPINE1 were upregulated in macrophages by let-7b mimic. IL6 expression was higher in the three types of cells after transfecting with miR-155-3p mimic. Similarly, expression of SERPINE1 was increased by miR-155-3p mimic in monocytes and macrophages. However, TLR4 was downregulated by miR-155-3p in monocytes and macrophages. Regarding the effects of the different fatty acids, oleic acid increased the expression of let-7b in macrophages and AcM and also increased the expression of miR-155 in monocytes when compared with DHA but not when compared with non-treated cells. Overall, these results suggest anti- and proinflammatory roles of let-7b and miR-155-3p in THP-1 cells, respectively, although these outcomes are strongly dependent on the cell type. Noteworthy, oleic acid might exert beneficial anti-inflammatory effects in immune cells (i.e., non-activated and LPS-activated macrophages) by upregulating the expression of let-7b.

Serum and gene expression levels of CT-1, IL-6, and TNF-α after a lifestyle intervention in obese children

BACKGROUND

Inflammation related molecules such as tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin 6 (IL-6), and cardiotrophin-1 (CT-1) are highly expressed in obese individuals and could partly explain some comorbidities associated to obesity. In obese children, lifestyle interventions are able to lower inflammation and reduce cardiovascular risk factors associated with obesity. The aim of the present work was to study changes in inflammation-related molecules serum and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) transcript levels after a 10-week lifestyle intervention in obese children and asses their potential association with glucose metabolism.

METHODS

Twenty-three obese children (mean age 11.5 years; 48% males) underwent a 10-week lifestyle not controlled intervention trial. Anthropometric and biochemical measurements were analyzed. Transcript analysis for CT-1, IL-6, and TNF-α in PBMC were performed by RT-PCR. Serum cytokine levels were also measured at baseline and after 10-weeks.

RESULTS

Participants achieved a significant reduction in body adiposity (0.34 decrease in body mass index-standard deviation), total cholesterol, and glucose levels after 10-weeks. A Significant decrease in serum TNF-α and C reactive protein (CRP) were observed. CT-1 transcript levels were significantly reduced (P = .005) after lifestyle intervention, and these changes were significantly correlated with changes in serum CT-1 levels (r = 0.451; P = .031). In multiple regression analysis baseline CT-1 transcript levels were positively associated with final insulin (R² = 0.506; P = .035) and HOMA-IR values (R² = 0.473; P = .034).

CONCLUSIONS

We reported that serum CRP, TNF-α, as well as PBMC CT-1 transcript levels were reduced after lifestyle intervention in obese children. More studies are needed to clarify the role of inflammation-related molecules in glucose metabolism.

[Alimentary and lifestyle changes as a strategy in the prevention of metabolic syndrome and diabetes mellitus type 2: milestones and perspectives]

A high caloric intake in today's nutrition and a sedentary lifestyle are the main causes of the notable increase in obesity in our society. In turn, this results in an increase in associated pathologies, such as metabolic syndrome and diabetes type 2. In the present work we review most recent studies and programs, which are significant due to their sample size and geographical diversity. It clearly shows that changes in alimentation and lifestyles are an effective instrument for combatting or delaying the onset of these diseases. In this sense, prevention is also key to avoiding serious consequences related to diabetes and metabolic syndrome, which can affect the life of the population.

Clinical experience with ceftolozane/tazobactam in patients with serious infections due to resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa

OBJECTIVES

The incidence of infections caused by multidrug-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa (MDR-Pa) has become a concern of increasing relevance nowadays. Ceftolozane/tazobactam (C/T) is a novel fifth-generation cephalosporin/β-lactamase inhibitor combination with activity against MDR-Pa.

METHODS

The clinical records of all patients diagnosed from May 2016 to May 2017 with an infection due to a MDR-Pa treated with C/T were retrospectively reviewed.

RESULTS

A total of 23 patients with 24 episodes of infection due to MDR-Pa were included. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of C/T against MDR-Pa ranged from 0.75-8μg/mL. In 14 cases (58%) the use of C/T was off-label, including 8 respiratory tract infections (RTIs) and 6 skin and soft-tissue infections, whilst in 10 cases the use was for approved indications, including 7 urinary tract infections and 3 intra-abdominal infections. C/T was the first-line therapy in only three cases with a mean±standard deviation treatment duration of 9.3±4 days, and it was associated with another active drug (aminoglycoside or colistin) in 16 cases. The global clinical cure rate was 88% (21/24 episodes), and the 6-week mortality rate was 22% (5/23 patients) being higher in RTIs (37%). In these infections, three patients received 2/1g every 8h (q8h) and were cured without mortality, whilst three (60%) of five patients receiving 1/0.5g q8h died.

CONCLUSION

C/T had good clinical responses in different types of infection, including both FDA-accepted and off-label indications. The results support the use of higher doses in RTIs.

Effectiveness of combination therapy versus monotherapy with a third-generation cephalosporin in bacteraemic pneumococcal pneumonia: A propensity score analysis

OBJECTIVE

Combining a macrolide or a fluoroquinolone to beta-lactam regimens in the treatment of patients with moderate to severe community-acquired pneumonia is recommended by the international guidelines. However, the information in patients with bacteraemic pneumococcal pneumonia is limited.

METHODS

A propensity score technique was used to analyze prospectively collected data from all patients with bacteraemic pneumococcal pneumonia admitted from 2000 to 2015 in our institution, who had received empirical treatment with third-generation cephalosporin in monotherapy or plus macrolide or fluoroquinolone.

RESULTS

We included 69 patients in the monotherapy group and 314 in the combination group. After adjustment by PS for receiving monotherapy, 30-day mortality (OR 2.89; 95% CI 1.07-7.84) was significantly higher in monotherapy group. A higher 30-day mortality was observed in monotherapy group in both 1:1 and 1:2 matched samples although it was statistically significant only in 1:2 sample (OR: 3.50 (95% CI 1.03-11.96), P = 0.046).

CONCLUSIONS

Our study suggests that in bacteraemic pneumococcal pneumonia, empirical therapy with a third-generation cephalosporin plus a macrolide or a fluoroquinolone is associated with a lower mortality rate than beta-lactams in monotherapy. These results support the recommendation of combination therapy in patients requiring admission with moderate to severe disease.

Involvement of autophagy in the beneficial effects of resveratrol in hepatic steatosis treatment. A comparison with energy restriction

Involvement of autophagy in the liver delipidating effects of resveratrol and energy restriction.

Emergence of chaos in starlike networks of dissipative nonlinear oscillators by localized parametric excitations

We study the effectiveness of locally controlling the impulse transmitted by parametric periodic excitations at inducing and suppressing chaos in starlike networks of driven damped pendula, leading to asynchronous chaotic states and equilibria, respectively. We found that the inducing (suppressor) effect of increasing (decreasing) the impulse transmitted by the parametric excitations acting on particular nodes depends strongly on their number and degree of connectivity as well as the coupling strength. Additionally, we provide a theoretical analysis explaining the basic physical mechanisms of the emergence and suppression of chaos as well as the main features of the chaos-control scenario. Our findings constitute proof of the impulse-induced control of chaos in a simple model of complex networks, thus opening the way to its application to real-world networks.

Comparative effects of energy restriction and resveratrol intake on glycemic control improvement

Resveratrol (RSV) has been proposed as an energy restriction mimetic. This study aimed to compare the effects of RSV and energy restriction on insulin resistance induced by an obesogenic diet. Any additive effect of both treatments was also analyzed. Rats were fed a high-fat high-sucrose diet for 6 weeks. They were then distributed in four experimental groups which were either fed a standard control diet (C), or treated with RSV (30 mg/kg/d), or submitted to energy restriction (R, 15%), or treated with RSV and submitted to energy restriction (RR). A glucose tolerance test was performed, and serum glucose, insulin, fructosamine, adiponectin, and leptin concentrations determined. Muscle triacylglycerol content and protein expression of insulin receptor (IRβ), protein kinase B (Akt), Akt substrate of 160 kDa (AS160) and glucose transporter 4 (GLUT-4) were measured. In RSV rats, fructosamine concentrations were reduced, HOMA-IR remained unchanged, but glucose tolerance was improved, without changes in phosphorylation of IRβ, Akt, and AS160 or in GLUT-4 protein expression. Rats under energy restriction showed an improvement in all the markers related to glycemic control, as well as increased phosphorylation of AS160 and protein expression of GLUT-4. In rats from RR group the results were similar to R group, with the exception of IRβ and Akt phosphorylation, which were increased. In conclusion, mild energy restriction is more efficient than intake of RSV within a standard balanced diet, and acts by means of a different mechanism from that of RSV. No additive effects between RSV and energy restriction were observed. © 2017 BioFactors, 43(3):371-378, 2017.

[Methodological aspects of integrated care pathways]

An Integrated Healthcare Pathway (PAI) is a tool which has as its aim to increase the effectiveness of clinical performance through greater coordination and to ensure continuity of care. PAI places the patient as the central focus of the organisation of health services. It is defined as the set of activities carried out by the health care providers in order to increase the level of health and satisfaction of the population receiving services. The development of a PAI requires the analysis of the flow of activities, the inter-relationships between professionals and care teams, and patient expectations. The methodology for the development of a PAI is presented and discussed in this article, as well as the success factors for its definition and its effective implementation. It also explains, as an example, the recent PAI for Hypoglycaemia in patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus developed by a multidisciplinary team and supported by several scientific societies.

Time-to-positivity, type of culture media and oxidase test performed on positive blood culture vials to predict Pseudomonas aeruginosa in patients with Gram-negative bacilli bacteraemia

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study was to determine the usefulness of oxidase test and time-to-positivity (TTP) in aerobic and anaerobic blood culture vials to detect the presence of Pseudomonas aeruginosa in patients with Gram-negative bacilli (GNB) bacteraemia.

METHODS

TTP was recorded for each aerobic and anaerobic blood culture vial of monomicrobial bacteraemia due to GNB. Oxidase test was performed in a pellet of the centrifuged content of the positive blood culture. An algorithm was developed in order to perform the oxidase test efficiently taking into account TTP and type of vial.

RESULTS

A total of 341 episodes of GNB bacteraemia were analysed. Sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value and negative predictive value of the oxidase test performed on positive vials with GNB to predict P. aeruginosa were 95%, 99%, 91%, and 99%, respectively. When growth was first or exclusively detected in anaerobic vials, P. aeruginosa was never identified hence the performance of the oxidase test could be avoided. When growth was only or first detected in aerobic vials, a TTP≥8h predicted P. aeruginosa in 37% or cases (63 of 169), therefore oxidase test is highly recommended.

CONCLUSIONS

Oxidase test performed onto positive blood culture vials previously selected by TTP and type of vials is an easy and inexpensive way to predict P. aeruginosa. In most cases, this can lead to optimization of treatment in less than 24 hours.

Effects of grain level on lamb performance, ruminal metabolism and leptin mRNA expression in perirenal adipose tissue

The effects of four different grain composition diets of finishing lambs on lamb performance, dry matter (DM) digestibility, rumen fermentation and leptin mRNA expression were evaluated. Thirty-two Pelibuey lambs (25.35 ± 4.73 kg bodyweight) were used in a completely randomised experiment in which lambs were fed diets that contained 30%, 45%, 60% or 75% grain (DM basis). The results indicated that increasing the grain level improved the average daily weight gain, hot carcass weight, DM digestibility and feed conversion linearly (P < 0.01); however, feed intake was not affected. Ruminal pH decreased linearly as the grain content was increased (P < 0.01). Ruminal propionate concentration increased and acetate concentration declined with increased grain content (P < 0.01). Leptin mRNA expression in perirenal adipose tissue increased linearly (P < 0.05) as grain content increased. Based on these results, we conclude that increasing grain level in the diets of finishing feedlot lambs improved weight gain and feed efficiency; however, because weight gain and feed efficiency were similar at the higher grain levels, our data suggest including 60% grain in lamb finishing rations.

Risk of incident ischemic stroke according to the metabolic health and obesity states in the Vascular-Metabolic CUN cohort

Background

Whether obesity is a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease in the absence of metabolic comorbidities remains under debate. Indeed, some obese individuals may be at low risk of metabolic-related complications, while normal-weight individuals may not be “healthy.”

Aims

To assess the incidence of ischemic stroke according to the metabolic health and obesity states of 5171 participants from the Vascular-Metabolic CUN cohort.

Methods

A Cox proportional-hazard analysis was conducted to estimate the hazard ratio and their 95% confidence interval of stroke according to the metabolic health and obesity states based on TyG index and Adult Treatment Panel-III criteria, during 9.1 years of follow-up.

Results

After 50,056.2 person-years of follow-up, 162 subjects developed an ischemic stroke (incidence rate 3.23 per 1000 person-years). Metabolically healthy obese subjects did not show greater risk of stroke, while metabolically unhealthy participants, obese and non-obese, had an increased risk of stroke, compared with healthy non-obese. The hazard ratios for the multivariable adjusted model were 1.55 (95% CI: 1.36–1.77) and 1.86 (95% CI: 1.57–2.21), respectively.

Conclusions

Metabolically unhealthy individuals exhibited a greater risk of ischemic stroke than metabolically healthy obese individuals.

[Approach to directed therapy after knowledge of the isolate: carbapenemase-producing Enterobacteriaceae, multidrug-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa and carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii]

Directed treatment of infections due to multidrug-resistant Gram-negative bacilli is a difficult task, since it requires the use of a limited number of antibiotics that are often more toxic and possibly less efficacious than β-lactams and fluoroquinolones. Furthermore, there are very few controlled trials informing on the relative efficacy of different therapeutic strategies. As a general rule, it is recommended to use at least two active drugs or a combination with proven synergistic activity in vitro, because several observational studies have associated this practice with better outcomes and as a measure to potentially curb the emergence of further resistance. It is already available a new cephalosporin active against most strains of Pseudomonas aeruginosa resistant to ceftazidime due to derepression of ampC and in the near future an effective inhibitor of class A, class C and OXA-48 will be available which combined with ceftazidime is expected to mean a significant addition to the armamentarium against Gram-negative bacilli with these resistance determinants.

Note. Visual and Instrumental Color Evaluation in Red Wines

The color of 15 red wines from several wineries within the renowned wine-producing region Rioja (Northern Spain) was measured by spectrophotometric and spectroradiometric techniques and was visually assessed in a pair-comparison experiment by a panel of 10 experienced observers having normal color vision. Correlation between instrumental color measurements made by spectrophotometric and spectroradiometric techniques was very low, as expected from major differences in the experimental conditions employed (different illumination, path lengths and glass effects). Spectroradiometric measurements at the center of the wine sampler and at positions displaced 1 cm in the horizontal and vertical directions were quite different, mainly because of an increase of the lightness L*, the average color differences between them being high (3.5 and 2.6 CIELAB units, respectively). A 50% acceptance percentage resulted for a color difference of 2.8 CIELAB units, using a reference anchor-pair of wine samples with 4.0 CIELAB units. Thus, a value around 3.0 CIELAB units should be considered a preliminary estimate of the acceptable tolerance by the human eye for red wines poured in standard wine samplers.

Eicosapentaenoic acid promotes mitochondrial biogenesis and beige-like features in subcutaneous adipocytes from overweight subjects

Eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), a n-3 long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acid, has been reported to have beneficial effects in obesity-associated metabolic disorders. The objective of the present study was to determine the effects of EPA on the regulation of genes involved in lipid metabolism, and the ability of EPA to induce mitochondrial biogenesis and beiging in subcutaneous adipocytes from overweight subjects. Fully differentiated human subcutaneous adipocytes from overweight females (BMI: 28.1-29.8kg/m²) were treated with EPA (100-200 μM) for 24 h. Changes in mRNA expression levels of genes involved in lipogenesis, fatty acid oxidation and mitochondrial biogenesis were determined by qRT-PCR. Mitochondrial content was evaluated using MitoTracker® Green stain. The effects on peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma, co-activator 1 alpha (PGC-1α) and AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) were also characterized. EPA down-regulated lipogenic genes expression while up-regulated genes involved in fatty acid oxidation. Moreover, EPA-treated adipocytes showed increased mitochondrial content, accompanied by an up-regulation of nuclear respiratory factor-1, mitochondrial transcription factor A and cytochrome c oxidase IV mRNA expression. EPA also promoted the activation of master regulators of mitochondrial biogenesis such as sirtuin 1, PGC1-α and AMPK. In parallel, EPA induced the expression of genes that typify beige adipocytes such as fat determination factor PR domain containing 16, uncoupling protein 1 and cell death-inducing DFFA-like effector A, T-Box protein 1 and CD137. Our results suggest that EPA induces a remodeling of adipocyte metabolism preventing fat storage and promoting fatty acid oxidation, mitochondrial biogenesis and beige-like markers in human subcutaneous adipocytes from overweight subjects.

Cardiotrophin-1 decreases intestinal sugar uptake in mice and in Caco-2 cells

AIM

Cardiotrophin-1 (CT-1) is a member of the IL-6 family of cytokines with a key role in glucose and lipid metabolism. In the current investigation, we examined the in vivo and in vitro effects of CT-1 treatment on intestinal sugar absorption in different experimental models.

METHODS

rCT-1 effects on α-Methyl-D-glucoside uptake were assessed in everted intestinal rings from wild-type and CT-1(-/-) mice and in Caco-2 cells. rCT-1 actions on SGLT-1 expression in brush border membrane vesicles and the identification of the potential signalling pathways involved were determined by Western blot.

RESULTS

In vivo administration (0.2 mg kg(-1) ) of rCT-1 caused a significant decrease on α-Methyl-D-glucoside uptake in everted intestinal rings from wild-type and CT-1(-/-) mice after short-term and long-term treatments. Similarly, in vitro treatment (1-50 ng mL(-1) ) with rCT-1 reduced α-Methyl-D-glucoside uptake in everted intestinal rings. In Caco-2 cells, rCT-1 treatment (20 ng mL(-1) , 1 and 24 h) lowered apical uptake of α-Methyl-D-glucoside in parallel with a decrease on SGLT-1 protein expression. rCT-1 promoted the phosphorylation of STAT-3 after 5 and 15 min treatment, but inhibited the activation by phosphorylation of AMPK after 30 and 60 min. Interestingly, pre-treatment with the JAK/STAT inhibitor (AG490) and with the AMPK activator (AICAR) reversed the inhibitory effects of rCT-1 on α-Methyl-D-glucoside uptake. AICAR also prevented the inhibition of SGLT-1 observed in rCT-1-treated cells.

CONCLUSIONS

CT-1 inhibits intestinal sugar absorption by the reduction of SGLT-1 levels through the AMPK pathway, which could also contribute to explain the hypoglycaemic and anti-obesity properties of CT-1.

Yogurt consumption and abdominal obesity reversion in the PREDIMED study

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

Evidence on the association yogurt consumption and obesity is not conclusive. The aim of this study was to prospectively evaluate the association between yogurt consumption, reversion of abdominal obesity status and waist circumference change in elderly.

METHODS AND RESULTS

4545 individuals at high cardiovascular risk were prospectively followed. Total, whole-fat and low-fat yogurt consumption were assessed using food frequency questionnaires. Generalized estimating equations were used to analyze the association between yogurt consumption and waist circumference change (measured at baseline and yearly during the follow-up). Logistic regression models were used to evaluate the odds ratios (ORs) and 95% CIs of the reversion rate of abdominal obesity for each quintile of yogurt consumption compared with the lowest quintile. After multivariable adjustment, the average yearly waist circumference change in the quintiles of whole-fat yogurt consumption was: Q1: 0.00, Q2: 0.00 (-0.23 to 0.23), Q3: -0.15 (-0.42 to 0.13), Q4: 0.10 (-0.21 to 0.42), and Q5: -0.23 (-0.46 to -0.00) cm; p for trend = 0.05. The ORs for the reversion of abdominal obesity for whole-fat yogurt consumption were Q1: 1.00, Q2: 1.40 (1.04-1.90), Q3: 1.33 (0.94-1.89), Q4: 1.21 (0.83-1.77), and Q5: 1.43 (1.06-1.93); p for trend = 0.26.

CONCLUSION

Total yogurt consumption was not significantly associated with reversion of abdominal obesity status and a lower waist circumference. However, consumption of whole-fat yogurt was associated with changes in waist circumference and higher probability for reversion of abdominal obesity. Therefore, it seems that whole-fat yogurt has more beneficial effects in management of abdominal obesity in elderly population at high cardiovascular risk.