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Impact of relapse in BDNF receptors expression in patients with a first episode of schizophrenia
No full textBackground and Hypothesis
Relapsing after a first episode of schizophrenia (FES) is a main predictor of clinical and functional prognosis. Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) plays a critical role in neuronal development and plasticity, and its signaling may be altered by successive relapses.
Design
We assessed the impact of first relapse in the expression of the 2 isoforms of the BDNF tropomyosin-related kinase B (TrkB) receptor (active full-length TrkB-F and inactive truncated TrkB-T) in peripheral blood mononuclear cells from 53 FES patients in clinical remission followed up for 3 years.
Results
The group of participants that relapsed (n = 24) during the follow-up presented a significant decrease in the expression of the active TrkB-F receptor compared to baseline (M = 100 ± 28.13 vs. M = 83.42 ± 33.84, t = 2.5, P = .02), with no changes in the inactive TrkB-T receptor expression nor in BDNF plasma levels. This decrease also led to a significant decline in the F/T ratio (M = 1.13 ± 0.38 vs. 0.94 ± 0.36, t = 2.17, P = .041). No significant differences were found in the receptors’ expression nor in plasma levels in the group of cases that remained in remission (n = 29). These results were not associated with baseline differences between the groups in terms of the BDNF signaling pathway biomarkers, clinical or treatment variables.
Conclusions
These findings highlight the biological impact that a relapse produces over the systemic BDNF-TrkB signaling pathway, potentially undermining crucial neuronal functions. Identifying the actors involved can help design specific interventions for relapse prevention and improve the functional prognosis of people in the early stages of schizophrenia
Grape mistelles are much better than grape C18-extracts to study grape aromatic potential
Full text linkThe aromatic compositions of hydrolysates containing grape aroma precursors obtained by two different procedures were compared. The first procedure used simply diluted mistelle, while the second employed a reconstituted C18 extract of the original mistelle containing both aromatic precursors and polyphenols. Hydrolysis was carried out under strict anoxic conditions at 75 °C and pH 3.5 for varying times (0–190 h). Varietal aroma compounds were analysed by GC-SCD (volatile sulphur compounds, VSCs), GC-MS (minor volatile compounds) and HPLC-MS (polyfunctional mercaptans, PFM’s). Odorants were additionally controlled by GC-O. Aromas and aroma precursors lost during sample extraction were also investigated. Results revealed that polar precursors of relevant varietal aroma compounds, including DMS, limonene, dihydromyrcenol, geraniol, linalool, β-ionone, γ-nonalactone and vinylphenols are lost during C18 extraction, which demonstrates that traditional aroma precursor research has missed a significant fraction of precursors. On the other hand, hydrolysed mistelles accumulated high levels of H2S and DMS, low levels of MH due to the presence of sugars, and developed detectable levels of amino acid related odorants, such as phenylacetaldehyde and 2-acetylpyrazine. While this explains why mistelles are not the best choice for sensory evaluation, also demonstrates that they are much better for the chemical assessment of grape aromatic potential
Human-caused ignition pathways under climate change scenarios in Eastern Spain
Full text linkWildfires pose an increasing threat to society, requiring appropriate approaches to understand the components of risk to design effective mitigation strategies. Under this premise, we present a comprehensive methodology to assess the probability of ignition of human-caused wildfires, one of the key drivers of risk. Our approach combines historical ignition records of fires larger than 5 ha (849 ignitions during 1998–2016) in eastern Spain and geospatial information regarding ignition variables. The method leverages the Random Forest algorithm to train a spatially-explicit model of ignition probability, combining distance to wildland interfaces and roads, population density, fuel types, and daily estimates of dead fuel moisture content (DFMC). The model was applied to outline the spatial pattern of probability under current conditions (2015–2020) and future projections across four Shared Socioeconomic Pathways (SSP1-2.6, 2-4.5, 3-7.0, and 5–8.5). The model achieved satisfactory predictive performance (AUC = 0.76 ± 0.01). We observed a generalized increase in the probability of ignition in all scenarios linked to climate warming decreasing DFMC, except in SSP1-2.6. Furthermore, changes in population density fostered an increase in probability in rural and mountainous areas. Taken together, our findings make an important contribution to fire risk assessment and the development of adaptation strategies under different socioeconomic trends
Large-scale phenotypic and genomic analysis of Listeria monocytogenes reveals diversity in the sensitivity to quaternary ammonium compounds but not to peracetic acid
Full text linkListeria monocytogenes presents a significant concern for the food industry due to its ability to persist in the food processing environment. One of the factors contributing to its persistence is decreased sensitivity to disinfectants. Our objective was to assess the diversity of L. monocytogenes sensitivity to food industry disinfectants by testing the response of 1,671 L. monocytogenes isolates to quaternary ammonium compounds (QACs) and 414 isolates to peracetic acid (PAA) using broth microdilution and growth curve analysis assays, respectively, and to categorize the isolates into sensitive and tolerant. A high phenotype-genotype concordance (95%) regarding tolerance to QACs was obtained by screening the genomes for the presence of QAC tolerance-associated genes bcrABC, emrE, emrC, and qacH. Based on this high concordance, we assessed the QAC genes’ dissemination among publicly available L. monocytogenes genomes (n = 39,196). Overall, QAC genes were found in 23% and 28% of the L. monocytogenes collection in this study and in the global data set, respectively. bcrABC and qacH were the most prevalent genes, with bcrABC being the most detected QAC gene in the USA, while qacH dominated in Europe. No significant differences (P > 0.05) in the PAA tolerance were detected among isolates belonging to different lineages, serogroups, clonal complexes, or isolation sources, highlighting limited variation in the L. monocytogenes sensitivity to this disinfectant. The present work represents the largest testing of L. monocytogenes sensitivity to important food industry disinfectants at the phenotypic and genomic level, revealing diversity in the tolerance to QACs while all isolates showed similar sensitivity to PAA
Study of the optimal deposition conditions of Ag(O2) and Ag(N2) seed layers on ultrathin silver transparent conductive films
No full textIn this study, ultrathin Ag layers were analyzed for their use as conductive films, which were fabricated via magnetron sputtering on a glass substrate and protected with aluminum-doped zinc oxide (AZO). These layers were obtained using seed layers made of silver deposited by adding small amounts of oxygen or nitrogen prior to the deposition of the metallic silver layer. This study aimed to determine the optimal amount of gas needed to maximize the conductivity and transparency properties of the conductive films with varied silver thicknesses. The optimal characteristics of the studied samples were verified using spectrophotometric, sheet resistance measurements, and surface morphology techniques. It was concluded that a smaller amount of silver required a higher amount of gas to be introduced into the seed layer. Besides, to fabricate an optimal conductive film, it is necessary to deposit 5.9 or 5.2 nm of silver with a seed layer obtained with a O2 partial pressure of 1.7 × 10−4 mbar, or 5.2 or 4.7 nm of silver with a seed layer obtained using a N2 partial pressure of 4.2 × 10−4 mbar. These samples provide sheet resistance values between 13.0 Ω/sq and 17.6 Ω/sq and transmission between 86.2 % and 87.3 % at 550 nm
Advanced desalination performance using PVDF electrospun nanofiber membranes across multiple membrane distillation configuration
No full textThis study reports the fabrication of polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) electrospun nanofiber membranes (ENMs) and their application across a range of membrane distillation (MD) configurations. Cloisite® 20 A (OMT) clay nanoparticles have also been successfully incorporated within the membrane nanofiber. The fabricated membranes exhibited notable MD performance enhancement, substantially increasing permeate flux rates compared with the membranes without nanoparticles, surpassing commercial PVDF membranes by 48 % and pristine ENMs PVDF membranes by 38 %. Additionally, the ENMs demonstrated significant improvements across all analysed parameters compared to pristine phase inversion PVDF membranes and with the PVDF mixed matrix membranes containing similar clay loading. Characterisations suggest that the superior performance is attributed to the formation of thinner fibers and the homogeneous dispersion of clay nanoparticles, obtaining high porosity (~93 %), high liquid entry pressure (~3 bar), good mechanical stability (~55 MPa of Young's Modulus) and surface superhydrophobicity (contact angle of ~150°). Stability tests over 5-day days confirmed these membranes' robustness, consistently maintaining rejection values above 99.9 %. In a comparative analysis of membrane configurations, vacuum-assisted air gap membrane distillation (VA-AGMD) emerges as the standout performer. The removal of air in VA-AGMD significantly improved process performance relative to direct contact membrane distillation (DCMD) and air gap membrane distillation (AGMD)—yielding a 55 % and 198 % increase in permeate flux and a 35 % and 58 % decrease in specific thermal energy consumption, respectively. A numerical model was successfully developed to predict the permeate flux observed experimentally from the ENMs, accurately determining the mass and heat transfer mechanisms in all MD processes. Comparison of permeate flux and thermal efficiency under identical conditions highlighted the model's reliability in capturing process performance. The use of the electrospinning technique has been found to be a promising approach to creating robust and high-performance MD membranes by taking advantage of the unique properties of nanofibers and clay nanoparticle fillers
Association of HDL cholesterol with all-cause and cardiovascular mortality in primary hypercholesterolemia
No full textBackground and aims. Recent reports have shown that subjects with high high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDLc) levels are paradoxically at increased risk for all-cause and cardiovascular mortality. The aim was to study the association of HDLc concentration with mortality in subjects with high cholesterol.
Methods. We analyzed total mortality, cardiovascular mortality, and non-cardiovascular mortality in a cohort of 2992 subjects with primary hypercholesterolemia, who were followed for 10.2 years (range 1–25 years), with a total of 30,602 subject-years of follow-up.
Results. During follow-up, 168 subjects died, with 52 (13.7 %), 105 (4.80 %), and 11 (2.60 %) in the low, normal, and high HDLc groups, respectively (p < 0.001). The risk of death was 2.89 times higher (95 % confidence interval (CI), 1.50–5.57, p < 0.001) in subjects in the low HDLc group compared to those in the high HDLc group and 1.48 times higher (95 % CI 0.80–2.76, p = 0.214) in the normal HDLc group compared to the high HDLc group. However, HDLc concentration and HDLc groups based on HDLc concentration were not independently associated with mortality in Cox regression analysis. Cardiovascular and non-cardiovascular mortalities showed similar results.
Conclusions. All types of mortality were lower in subjects with primary hypercholesterolemia and with high HDLc in univariate analysis. Elevated HDLc was not associated with total, cardiovascular, and non-cardiovascular mortality when adjusted for major cardiovascular risk factors
Isolation and characterization of Salmonella Typhimurium SL1344 variants with increased resistance to different stressing agents and food processing technologies
No full textIn this study, resistant variants of Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium SL1344 to different stressors were selected. In addition, a genetic and phenotypic study was performed to explore the mechanisms underlying the acquisition of resistance. We isolated 4 variants with increased stable resistance to acid, osmotic stress, high hydrostatic pressure (HHP) and Ultraviolet-C light (UV-C) after repeated rounds of exposure to these agents and outgrowth of survivors. A PEF-resistant variant (SL1344-RS), previously isolated by Sagarzazu et al. (2013), was also included in the analysis. The results indicated that the isolated variants showed resistance to at least one other agent. This increased resistance, in general terms, had a fitness cost in growth, and exerted a variable impact on virulence (mainly in cell adhesion capacity), increased antibiotic resistance but did not influence in biofilm formation capacity. Whole Genome Sequencing (WGS) analysis allowed us to identify the genetic changes responsible for these phenotypic differences, and revealed that in 3 out of the 5 variants (including SL1344-RS) a mutation was found in hnr gene, an anti-sigma factor that promotes RpoS proteolysis. Hence the expression of several rpoS-regulated genes was quantified and found higher in these variants. This increase in RpoS activity would explain the lower growth rates observed in these 3 variants, as it would lead to increased transcription of genes involved in growth arrest and resistance to various types of stress. However, further analysis of a set of 22 additional Salmonella strains obtained from different culture collections indicated that a direct relationship between RpoS activity and stress resistance might not exist within Salmonella
Cross-Sectional Study of Attendance at a Primary Care Consultation in a Social Security Health System
Full text linkHealth systems have suffered changes trying to adapt to the evolution of societies; with European models being the most prestigious given that they have a global vision in the provision of their health services to users. But these models are not exempt from a percentage of the population misusing the services, becoming hyper-frequent users and thereby increasing health spending. Our study seeks to establish a correlation between hyper-frequent use and health expenditure. Methodology: Retrospective, observational, descriptive study developed in the population served in 2,023 in a quota of an urban health center in Zaragoza, Spain. Results: There is high percentage of hyper frequency both in primary care (PC) (22.59%) and in emergency care (HC) (49.71%) not related to age or associated chronic pathological decompensations. In addition, for the same clinical act the demand for tests, referrals, etc. is high, as is a percentage of patients who do not attend their appointment, increasing the waiting lists. Conclusions: Overcrowding is a problem for all health systems, both from an economic and healthcare point of view, suturing agendas and thereby reducing efficiency and effectiveness in the provision of health services. Structural changes are needed, starting with health education from the first door of entry to services to stop these practices
Analysis of key generic competencies for the employability of Social Work students in Spain: A mixed methods approach
Full text linkIntroduction: The study aims to identify key generic competencies in Social Work professional development to enhance employability. Material and Methods: A mixed methodology was used: quantitative (cross-sectional) and qualitative (exploratory). An online survey was developed that noted hard and soft skills. A total of 473 responses were collected from professionals and social organizations, teachers, and students. In addition, two focus groups consisting of 17 University professors were conducted, based on the development of employability at the University level. Results: Findings reveal crucial hard skills such as critical thinking, work skills based on ethical commitment, and knowledge of cultural processes. As for soft skills, the most notable were conflict and problem resolution, inter-multidisciplinary work capacity, and organization and planning capacity. However, it is considered that there is no adequate preparation for some of these competencies. Discussion: This work sheds light on the need to create knowledge transfer processes from different spaces. It is necessary to extend learning to practical experiences through the use of case studies during training programs. It is also necessary to create a greater number of training spaces in work environments, such as increasing the number of practice hours that facilitate the acquisition of Social Work competencies in a broad manner.
Introducción: El estudio tiene como objetivo identificar las competencias genéricas clave en el desarrollo profesional del Trabajo Social para mejorar la empleabilidad. Material y métodos: Se utilizó una metodología mixta: cuantitativa (transversal) y cualitativa (exploratoria). Se desarrolló una encuesta en línea que abarcó distintas competencias genéricas o blandas. Se recopilaron un total de 473 respuestas de profesionales y organizaciones sociales, docentes y estudiantes. Además, se realizaron dos grupos focales compuestos por 17 profesores universitarios, centrados en el desarrollo de la empleabilidad a nivel universitario. Resultados: Los hallazgos revelan competencias genéricas cruciales, tales como el pensamiento crítico, el compromiso ético y el conocimiento de los procesos culturales. También se destacan otras habilidades blandas como la resolución de conflictos y problemas, la capacidad de trabajo interdisciplinario y la capacidad de organización y planificación. Sin embargo, se considera que no hay una preparación adecuada para algunas de estas competencias. Discusión: Este trabajo resalta la necesidad de crear procesos de transferencia de conocimiento desde diferentes espacios. Es necesario extender el aprendizaje a experiencias prácticas mediante el uso de estudios de caso durante los programas de formación. También es necesario crear un mayor número de espacios de formación en entornos laborales, como aumentar el número de horas de práctica que faciliten la adquisición de competencias en Trabajo Social de manera integral