In Vivo Amelioration of Age-Associated Hallmarks by Partial Reprogramming.

Aging is the major risk factor for many human diseases. In vitro studies have demonstrated that cellular reprogramming to pluripotency reverses cellular age, but alteration of the aging process through reprogramming has not been directly demonstrated in vivo. Here, we report that partial reprogramming by short-term cyclic expression of Oct4, Sox2, Klf4, and c-Myc (OSKM) ameliorates cellular and physiological hallmarks of aging and prolongs lifespan in a mouse model of premature aging. Similarly, expression of OSKM in vivo improves recovery from metabolic disease and muscle injury in older wild-type mice. The amelioration of age-associated phenotypes by epigenetic remodeling during cellular reprogramming highlights the role of epigenetic dysregulation as a driver of mammalian aging. Establishing in vivo platforms to modulate age-associated epigenetic marks may provide further insights into the biology of aging.

Surface Electromyography Study Using a Low-Cost System: Are There Neck Muscles Differences When the Passenger Is Warned during an Emergency Braking Inside an Autonomous Vehicle?

Deaths and serious injuries caused by traffic accidents is a concerning public health problem. However, the problem can be mitigated by the Autonomous Emergency Braking (AEB) system, which can avoid the impact. The market penetration of AEB is exponentially growing, and non-impact situations are expected to become more frequent. Thus, new injury patterns must be analysed, and the neck is particularly sensitive to sudden acceleration changes. Abrupt braking would be enough to be a potential risk for cervical spine injury. There is controversy about whether or not there are differences in cervical behaviour depending on whether passengers are relaxed or contract their muscles before the imminent accident. In the present manuscript, 18 volunteers were subjected to two different levels of awareness during an emergency braking test. Cervical muscles (sternocleidomastoid and trapezius) were analysed by the sEMG signal captured by means of a low-cost system. The differences observed in the muscle response according to gender and age were notable when passengers are warned. Gender differences were more significant in the post-braking phase. When passengers were relaxed, subjects older than 35 registered higher sEMG values. Meanwhile, when passengers contract their muscles, subjects who were younger than or equal to 35 years old experienced an increment in the values of the sEMG signals.

Effect of Cryostructuring Treatment on Some Properties of Xanthan and Karaya Cryogels for Food Applications.

Cryogels are novel materials because the manufacturing process known as cryostructuring allows biopolymers to change their properties as a result of repeated controlled freeze-thaw cycles. Hydrogels of xanthan and karaya gums were evaluated after undergoing up to four controlled freeze-thaw cycles in indirect contact with liquid nitrogen (up to -150 °C) to form cryogels. Changes in structural, molecular, rheological, and thermal properties were evaluated and compared to those of their respective hydrogels. Samples were also analyzed by Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy with Attenuated Total Reflection (FTIR-ATR), Rotational Rheology (RR), Modulated Differential Scanning Calorimetry (MDSC) and zeta potential (ζ). In general, significant differences (p < 0.05) between the numbers of freeze-thaw cycles were found. Karaya cryogels were not stable to repeated cycles of cryostructuring such as the three-cycle xanthan cryogel, which has the best structural order (95.55%), molecular interactions, and thermal stability, which allows the generation of a novel material with improved thermal and structural properties that can be used as an alternative in food preservation.

New Procedure for the Kinematic and Power Analysis of Cyclists in Indoor Training.

In this research, the performance and movements of amateur and professional cyclists were analyzed. For this, reflective markers have been used on different parts of the body of the participants in conjunction with sports cameras and a mobile power meter. The trajectories of the markers have been obtained with the software Kinovea and subsequently analyzed using error ellipses. It is demonstrated that the error ellipses help determine movement patterns in the knees, back, and hip. The covariance of the error ellipses can be indicative of the alignment and symmetry of the frontal movement of the knees. In addition, it allows verifying the alignment of the spine and the symmetry of the hip. Finally, it is shown that it is necessary to consider the uncertainty of the power devices since it considerably affects the evaluation of the cyclists' performance. Devices with high uncertainty will demand a greater effort from the cyclist to meet the power required in the endurance test developed. The statistical magnitudes considered help to analyze power and evaluate the cyclists' performance.

Is the Use of a Low-Cost sEMG Sensor Valid to Measure Muscle Fatigue?

Injuries caused by the overstraining of muscles could be prevented by means of a system which detects muscle fatigue. Most of the equipment used to detect this is usually expensive. The question then arises whether it is possible to use a low-cost surface electromyography (sEMG) system that is able to reliably detect muscle fatigue. With this main goal, the contribution of this work is the design of a low-cost sEMG system that allows assessing when fatigue appears in a muscle. To that aim, low-cost sEMG sensors, an Arduino board and a PC were used and afterwards their validity was checked by means of an experiment with 28 volunteers. This experiment collected information from volunteers, such as their level of physical activity, and invited them to perform an isometric contraction while an sEMG signal of their quadriceps was recorded by the low-cost equipment. After a wavelet filtering of the signal, root mean square (RMS), mean absolute value (MAV) and mean frequency (MNF) were chosen as representative features to evaluate fatigue. Results show how the behaviour of these parameters across time is shown in the literature coincides with past studies (RMS and MAV increase while MNF decreases when fatigue appears). Thus, this work proves the feasibility of a low-cost system to reliably detect muscle fatigue. This system could be implemented in several fields, such as sport, ergonomics, rehabilitation or human-computer interactions.

Liver exhibits thermal variations according to the stage of fibrosis progression: A novel use of modulated-differential scanning calorimetry for research in hepatology.

AIM: Liver fibrosis results in a disproportion of the hepatic composition and architecture, characterized by a progressive accumulation of fibrillar proteins at the liver parenchyma. Modulated-differential scanning calorimetry (mDSC) is an experimental methodology able to determine the specific thermal signature from any biological substance, based on the variation in heat flow and heat capacity. As these physicochemical properties are directly influenced by compositional and structural changes, we decided to study the thermal behavior of the liver during fibrosis using mDSC. METHODS: Liver fibrosis was induced in rats by bile duct ligation or carbon tetrachloride administration. Degree of liver fibrosis was determined by histological examination using the Masson-trichrome stain, accompanied by hepatic expression of α-smooth muscle actin. The thermal analysis was performed in a modulated-differential scanning calorimeter using 20 mg of fresh liver mass. RESULTS: The liver showed a characteristic thermal signature in control animals, which progressively differed among mild (F1), moderate (F2) and advanced (F3-F4) liver fibrosis. For heat flow, the hepatic thermal signature from F3-F4 rats exhibited significant differences when compared with F1, F2 and controls. In terms of heat capacity, liver specimens provided a specific thermal signature for each stage of disease, characterized by a transition temperature onset at 95°C for controls, whereas in F1, F2 and F3-F4 animals this temperature significantly decreased to 93°C, 84°C and 75°C, respectively. CONCLUSION: Because the liver shows a differential thermal signature according to the degree of fibrosis, mDSC could be a novel tool in the study of liver fibrosis progression.

Comparative study of conventional frying and air frying on the quality of potatoes (Solanum tuberosum L.).

The human being has historically consumed fried foods for centuries; however, conventional frying has a disadvantage, immersion in vegetable and/or animal oils, which leads to the search for different options. This is why air frying is a good alternative, which still has a wide field of study. In this work, frozen French fries of a brand marketed in Mexico that were subjected to frying in canola oil and air frying were compared. They were evaluated through the change in the removed moisture content, water activity, color profile, hardness, fracturability, and surface damage by SEM, thermal analysis by MDSC, and chemical by FTIR-ATR spectroscopy. Air-fried French fries were found to contain about 48% less moisture, fewer perceptible color changes, and less surface damage translated into better crunchiness compared with conventionally fried. It was also found that the changes at the chemical level are smaller, mainly attributed to the absence of canola oil and that the thermal transitions are more stable in terms of temperatures and enthalpies, which makes it possible to emphasize that air frying is a good alternative for developing new fried products that allow expanding the variety of these in the market without sacrificing some quality attributes.

COVID-19 and tourism sector stock price in Spain: medium-term relationship through dynamic regression models.

The global pandemic, coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), has significantly affected tourism, especially in Spain, as it was among the first countries to be affected by the pandemic and is among the world's biggest tourist destinations. Stock market values are responding to the evolution of the pandemic, especially in the case of tourist companies. Therefore, being able to quantify this relationship allows us to predict the effect of the pandemic on shares in the tourism sector, thereby improving the response to the crisis by policymakers and investors. Accordingly, a dynamic regression model was developed to predict the behavior of shares in the Spanish tourism sector according to the evolution of the COVID-19 pandemic in the medium term. It has been confirmed that both the number of deaths and cases are good predictors of abnormal stock prices in the tourism sector.

Development of a novel cryostructured composite coating of xanthan-bovine collagen-oregano essential oil spraying applied for the preservation of commercial biscuits marketed in Mexico.

Cryostructured gels, better known as cryogels, are a very important emerging class of biomaterials that have diverse applications in food preservation. This work shows a novel alternative to prepare a cryostructured composite coating made from a blend of xanthan, bovine collagen, and oregano essential oil. The composite coating was suitably applied onto the surface of preservative-free biscuits which were stored for 15 days at 25 ± 2°C and 52% ± 1% relative humidity. The evaluation focused mainly on the changes in the physicochemical, textural, and microbiological characteristics of the biscuits. It was found that the coated samples significantly (p < 0.05) decreased moisture absorption, water activity, and fungal growth. However, the composite coating minimally impacted the quality of biscuits in terms of color, texture profile, and surface microstructure. Overall, the cryostructured composite coating constitutes an advance in technological strategies aimed at the preservation of baked products. This will allow, in the future, the development of novel coatings on bakery products to generate new trends in the conservation of their properties and extension of shelf life. This could be achieved through the implementation of new technologies in the food industry, with the aim of making them more environmentally friendly and contributing to the generation of less plastic waste. PRACTICAL APPLICATION: The study and application of cryogels, as innovative systems in the food industry, allow to expand and diversify the materials that can function as coatings to maintain some quality characteristics, in this case in bakery products, so it is important to analyze their effects and consider them to improve conservation processes.

Study of the Emergency Braking Test with an Autonomous Bus and the sEMG Neck Response by Means of a Low-Cost System.

Nowadays, due to the advances and the increasing implementation of the autonomous braking systems in vehicles, the non-collision accident is expected to become more common than a crash when a sudden stop happens. The most common injury in this kind of accident is whiplash or cervical injury since the neck has high sensitivity to sharp deceleration. To date, biomechanical research has usually been developed inside laboratories and does not entirely represent real conditions (e.g., restraint systems or surroundings of the experiment). With the aim of knowing the possible neck effects and consequences of an automatic emergency braking inside an autonomous bus, a surface electromyography (sEMG) system built by low-cost elements and developed by us, in tandem with other devices, such as accelerometers or cameras, were used. Moreover, thanks to the collaboration of 18 participants, it was possible to study the non-collision effects in two different scenarios (braking test in which the passenger is seated and looking ahead while talking with somebody in front of him (BT1) and, a second braking test where the passenger used a smartphone (BT2) and nobody is seated in front of him talking to him). The aim was to assess the sEMG neck response in the most common situations when somebody uses some kind of transport in order to conclude which environments are riskier regarding a possible cervical injury.

[Acute hepatitis due to hepatitis C virus infection in the adult population]. / Hepatitis aguda por el virus de la hepatitis C en la población adulta.

INTRODUCTION: Knowledge of acute hepatitis C infection (AHC) is important to design effective prevention and treatment strategies. The aim of this study was to determine the clinical and epidemiological features and outcomes of patients diagnosed with AHC. METHODS: A retrospective clinical-epidemiological study was carried out in adult patients diagnosed with AHC between 2000 and 2008 in our hospital. RESULTS: Sixteen patients were diagnosed. The most probable source of transmission was intravenous drug abuse in four patients, a percutaneous injury in three healthcare workers, a medical procedure in three patients and sexual contact in two patients. The source of infection was unknown in four patients. Diagnosis was based on acute clinical symptoms in eight patients, follow-up of healthcare injury in three patients and was fortuitous in five patients. Nine patients showed severe symptoms, while seven patients were asymptomatic or had mild symptoms. The four patients who received treatment were cured. Of the 12 patients that did not receive treatment, the disease became chronic in 58.3%. Progression to chronic disease was more frequent in patients without jaundice than in those with jaundice (85.7% vs 16.7%). CONCLUSIONS: Because medical procedures are still a risk factor for hepatitis C infection, active surveillance is required as well as compliance with prevention measures against parenteral transmission. The percentage of patients with jaundice who progress to chronic disease is low and consequently the start of treatment in these patients could be delayed according to their clinical course.

Effect of Starter Culture and Low Concentrations of Sodium Nitrite on Fatty Acids, Color, and Escherichia coli Behavior during Salami Processing.

The reduction of NaNO2 and safety in meat products have been a concern to the meat industry for the last years. This research evaluated the changes in total fatty acids (TFAs) and myoglobin forms by adding starter culture (Lactobacillus sakei/Staphylococcus carnosus) and 50 ppm of NaNO2 during salami processing. In the postripening stage, the starter culture influenced the concentration of the palmitic, oleic, vaccenic, and γ-linolenic TFAs, whereas the metmyoglobin concentration was lower (which could be related to the antioxidant effect of the starter culture). In this stage, an increase in enthalpy, specific heat, and onset temperature was found when adding starter culture and NaNO2, which is directly related to polyunsaturated TFA. However, when adding just the starter culture without 50 ppm NaNO2, the E. coli population was reduced in 4 log CFU/g. This study proposes the analysis of changes in meat product processing like salami in a holistic form, where the application of starter culture with low nitrite concentrations could be in the meat industry an upward trend for reducing this additive.

Thermal, Structural, and Rheological Characterization of Waxy Starch as a Cryogel for Its Application in Food Processing.

Starch is the major component of cereal, pulses, and root crops. Starch consists of two kinds of glucose polymers, amylose and amylopectin. Waxy starch-with 99⁻100% amylopectin-has distinctive properties, which define its functionality in many food applications. In this research, a novel material was prepared through the cryogelification of waxy starch (WS) using four cycles of freezing and thawing in indirect contact with liquid nitrogen at -150 °C. Polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) was used as a reference. The cryogels were characterized using several validation methodologies: modulated differential scanning calorimetry (MDSC), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), rheology, and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy with diffuse reflectance (DR). Based on the number of freeze⁻thaw cycles, significant changes were found (P < 0.05) showing important structural modifications as well as reorganization of the polymeric matrix. Two cryogelification cycles of the WS were enough to obtain the best structural and functional characteristics, similar to those of PVA, which has already been tested as a cryogel. From these results, it is concluded that WS has potential as a cryogel for application in food processing.

[Treatment of chronic hepatitis C virus infection. A study of best predictors for response]. / Tratamiento de la infección crónica por elvirus de la hepatitis C. Factores predictoresde respuesta.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was evaluate the rate of sustained viral response (SVR) and the influence of different factors on the SVR in patients with chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection treated with pegylated interferon alfa 2a and ribavirin. METHODS: We retrospectively analysed 272 naïve patients with chronic hepatitis C who had been treated for 24 weeks or 48 weeks and had been followed for an additional 6 months thereafter. RESULTS: Out of 272 patients, 243 completed the entire treatment. The overall SVR rate in intent-to-treat analysis was 66.5% and in treated patients was 74.5%. In an univariate analysis, the SVR was associated with age <40 years (84.4%),pre-treatment viral load <500.000 IU/ml (86.9%), non-1 genotype HCV (86.4%), non cirrhosis or pre-cirrhosis (76.5%), rapid virologic response (RVR) (91.4%) and early virologic response (EVR) (83.8%). In the multivariate logistic regression analysis, the presence of an infection caused by a non-1 genotype and to achieve ERV were independent predictors of SVR. The RVR and histological stage of liver disease were not included in the multivariate analysis because these data were not available in most of the patients. The PPV and NVP of RVR were 91.5% and 48.7% respectively, of EVR were 83.8% and 95.8% respectively and of complete EVR were 91.3% and 78.7%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The SVR was higher than in other studies. The genotype and EVR were independent factors to predict the effect of antiviral therapy. The EVR had a high NPV and the complete EVR a high PPV.

[Hepatitis B virus genotypes in chronic carriers on the island of Gran Canaria. Clinical and epidemiological characteristics]. / Genotipos del virus de la hepatitis B en portadores crónicos en la isla de Gran Canaria. Características clinicoepidemiológicas.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the prevalence of hepatitis B virus (HBV) genotypes in Spanish hepatitis B carriers, and to study the differences in epidemiological characteristics, e antigen (HBeAg) seroconversion, serum DNA viral levels (VL) and liver function alterations. METHODS: This study included 108 patients. Genotyping was carried out in 84 with the INNO-LiPA HBV genotyping assay (Innogenetics). RESULTS: There were 41 women and 67 men, with a mean age of 44.1 years. The source of transmission was family contact in 26 patients (24.1%); transfusions in 10 (9.3%); sexual promiscuity in 9 (8.3%), intravenous drug use in 3 (2.8%), health care accident in 2 (1.8%); and unknown causes in 58 (53.7%). Forty patients had chronic hepatitis and 68 (63%) were healthy carriers. The time of evolution of the infection was known in only in 45 patients, and was over 10 years in 42 of them. One hundred patients (92.6%) were HbeAg-negative and 90 (83.3%) had detectable viral DNA. Genotype A was present in 46 (54.8%), D in 20 (23.8%), F in 2 (2,4%), C in 1 (1.2%), A-G coinfection in 7 (8.3%), A-D in 4 (4.8%), D-G in 2 (2,4%), A-C in 1 (1.2%), and A-D-G in 1 (1.2%). There were no significant differences between genotypes. A trend towards an association was found between VL

Heterotopía de la sustancia gris: diagnóstico por resonancia magnética / Heteropatic gray matter: magnetic resonance imaging

Las anomalías de migración neuronal son malformaciones cerebrales comunes. Estas anomalías son reconocidas habitualmente en pacientes con convulsiones o retardo madurativo. Nosostros analizamos los hallazgos en 12 pacientes con Heterotopías de la sustancia gris (HSG) diagnosticados con RM, sus tipos y los diagnósticos diferenciales

Lesiones no palpables de la mama: la técnica radioquirúrgica / Non palpable breast lesions: radiographyc and surgical technic

Se analizan una serie de 206 casos explorados con mamografía y técnica radioquirúrgica (TRQ) de la mama, en pacientes con lesiones no palpables de la glándula. Se identificaron 47 carcinomas (22,8%), todos de tipo ductal, lobulillar o mixto. El 40 por ciento resultaron tumores no infiltrantes. En todos los casos se efectuó linfadenectomía homolateral, no identificándose metástasis ganglionares. La anatomía patológica indicó que 42/45 lesiones medían 10 mm o menos. El 90 por ciento mostró curación clínica, en cinco pacientes (10%) se observaron matástasis a distancia, felleciendo tres. Otras cinco pacientes desarrollaron un cáncer contralateral metacrónico en un lapso mayor de un año. Se describen en detalle: a)la técnica empleada (TRQ); b)los aspectos clínicos y c) los hallazgos mamográficos y anatomopatológicos. Se ofrecen conclusiones destacando el papel de la mamografía, la TRQ así como los aspectos clinicopatológicos del cáncer de mama