Liposomes as selenium nanocarriers for foliar application to wheat plants: A biofortification strategy.

In the present work, liposomes have been used as nanocarriers in the biofortification of wheat plants with selenium (Se) through foliar application. Liposomal formulations were prepared using 1,2-dipalmitoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (DPPC) and Phospholipon®90H (P90H) (average size <100 nm), loaded with different concentrations of inorganic Se (selenite and selenate) and applied twice to the plants in the stage of vegetative growth. Liposomes enhanced Se uptake by wheat plants compared to direct application. The highest Se enrichment was achieved using the phospholipid DPPC and a concentration of 1000 µmol·L-1 of Se without affecting the biomass, chlorophylls, carotenoids, and the concentration of mineral nutrients of the plants. The chemical speciation of Se in the plants was further investigated by X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS). The results from XAS spectra revealed that most of the inorganic Se was transformed to organic Se and that the use of liposomes influenced the proportion of C-Se-C over C-Se-Se-C species.

Phytochemical Profile, Bioactive Properties, and Se Speciation of Se-Biofortified Red Radish (Raphanus sativus), Green Pea (Pisum sativum), and Alfalfa (Medicago sativa) Microgreens.

The impact of selenium (Se) enrichment on bioactive compounds and sugars and Se speciation was assessed on different microgreens (green pea, red radish, and alfalfa). Sodium selenite and sodium selenate at a total concentration of 20 µM (1:1) lead to a noticeable Se biofortification (40-90 mg Se kg-1 DW). In green pea and alfalfa, Se did not negatively impact phenolics and antioxidant capacity, while in red radish, a significant decrease was found. Regarding photosynthetic parameters, Se notably increased the level of chlorophylls and carotenoids in green pea, decreased chlorophyll levels in alfalfa, and had no effect on red radish. Se treatment significantly increased sugar levels in green pea and alfalfa but not in red radish. Red radish had the highest Se amino acid content (59%), followed by alfalfa (34%) and green pea (28%). These findings suggest that Se-biofortified microgreens have the potential as functional foods to improve Se intake in humans.

Selenium biofortification of microgreens: Influence on phytochemicals, pigments and nutrients.

Kale (Brassica oleracea L. var. sabellica L.), kohlrabi (Brassica oleracea L. var. gongylodes L.) and wheat (Triticum aestivum L. cv. Bancal) microgreens were cultivated in presence of selenium 20 µmol L-1 as sodium selenite and sodium selenate mixture. The influence of this biofortification process was evaluated in terms of biomass production, total Se, macro- and micronutrients concentration, polyphenols, antioxidant activity, chlorophylls and carotenoids levels and total soluble proteins content. The results obtained have shown a significant concentration of total Se in the biofortified microgreens of kale (133 µg Se·g-1 DW) and kohlrabi (127 µg Se·g-1 DW) higher than that obtained for wheat (28 µg Se·g-1 DW). The Se uptake in all the species did not produce oxidative damage to the plants reflected in the bioactive compounds, antioxidant capacity or pigments concentration. These Se-enriched microgreens may contribute to the recommended intake of this nutrient in human diet as to overcome Se-deficiency.

Longitudinal assessment of the eating pattern of people with dementia and its association with problems for feeding and malnutrition: a prospective follow-up study protocol.

INTRODUCTION: Dementia conditions the patient's nutrition from the beginning and vice versa. Generating difficulties for feeding (FEDIF) will influence its evolution. There are currently few nutritional longitudinal studies in people with dementia. Most focus on problems already established. The Edinburgh Feeding Evaluation in Dementia (EdFED) Scale identifies FEDIF of patients with dementia by studying their behaviours while eating or being fed. It also indicates areas of potential clinical interventions. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: Prospective multicentre observational study carried out in nursing homes, Alzheimer's day care centres and primary healthcare centres. The study population will be dyads composed by the patient (diagnosed of dementia, over 65 years of age and who have feeding difficulties) and their family caregiver. Sociodemographic variables and nutritional status (body mass index, Mini Nutritional Assessment, blood test and calf and arm circumference) will be assessed. The Spanish version of the EdFED Scale will be completed and the presence of nursing diagnoses related to feeding behaviours will be collected. Follow-up will take place for 18 months. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: All data will be carried out respecting European legislation 2016/679 in data protection, and the Spanish 'Organic Law 3/2018 of December 2005'. The clinical data will be kept segregated and encrypted. The informed consent has been obtained. The research has been authorised by the Costa del Sol Health Care District on 27 February 2020 and the Ethics Committee on 2 March 2021. It has obtained funding from the Junta de Andalucía on 15 February 2021. Findings of the study will be presented at provincial, national and international conferences and published in peer-reviewed journals.

Efficient controlled release of cannabinoids loaded in γ-CD-MOFs and DPPC liposomes as novel delivery systems in oral health.

Olivetol (OLV), as a cannabidiol (CBD) analog, was incorporated in γ-cyclodextrin metal-organic frameworks (γ-CD-MOFs) and 1,2-dipalmitoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (DPPC) liposomes as potential analgesic drug delivery systems (DDS) for dental hypersensitivity (DH) treatment. These DDS have been scarcely employed in oral health, being the first time in case of MOFs loaded with cannabinoids. In vitro experiments using bovine teeth were performed to verify if the drug is able to reach the dentin, where it can flow to the pulp tissues and exert its analgesic effect; enamel and dentin regions were analyzed by synchrotron radiation-based FTIR microspectroscopy. Principal component analysis (PCA) was used to process the spectroscopic data as a powerful chemometric tool, and it revealed a similar behavior in both regions. The studied DDS have been characterized by different techniques, and is was demonstrated that DDS is an efficient way to carry the drug through dental tissues without compromising their structure.

The tapetal tissue is essential for the maintenance of redox homeostasis during microgametogenesis in tomato.

The tapetum is a specialized layer of cells within the anther, adjacent to the sporogenous tissue. During its short life, it provides nutrients, molecules and materials to the pollen mother cells and microsporocytes, being essential during callose degradation and pollen wall formation. The interaction between the tapetum and sporogenous cells in Solanum lycopersicum (tomato) plants, despite its importance for breeding purposes, is poorly understood. To investigate this process, gene editing was used to generate loss-of-function mutants that showed the complete and specific absence of tapetal cells. These plants were obtained targeting the previously uncharacterized Solyc03g097530 (SlTPD1) gene, essential for tapetum specification in tomato plants. In the absence of tapetum, sporogenous cells developed and callose deposition was observed. However, sporocytes failed to undergo the process of meiosis and finally degenerated, leading to male sterility. Transcriptomic analysis conducted in mutant anthers lacking tapetum revealed the downregulation of a set of genes related to redox homeostasis. Indeed, mutant anthers showed a reduction in the accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) at early stages and altered activity of ROS-scavenging enzymes. The results obtained highlight the importance of the tapetal tissue in maintaining redox homeostasis during male gametogenesis in tomato plants.

The elimination of trachoma as a public health problem in Mexico: From national health priority to national success story.

INTRODUCTION: Mexico was the first country in the Americas and the third in the world to eliminate trachoma as a public health problem, as validated by the WHO in 2017. OBJECTIVE: To describe the critical elements that favored the elimination of trachoma as a public health problem in Mexico and the public health impact of this success. METHODOLOGY: A revision and compilation of data and information contained in the dossier presented by the country to PAHO/WHO to obtain the validation of trachoma elimination as a public health problem was conducted by a group of delegates from the national and local trachoma prevention and control program. Data from the national and local surveillance systems and reports of actions conducted after achieving the elimination goal were also included. Critical elements that favored the achievement of the elimination goal from 1896 to 2019 were extracted. RESULTS: Mexico reached the elimination of trachoma in 2016 obtaining the validation in 2017. 264 communities were no longer endemic and 151,744 people were no longer at risk of visual impairment or possible blindness due to trachoma. The key to the success of this elimination process was primarily the local leadership of health authorities with sustained funding for brigades, increased access to potable water and sanitation, and key alliances with indigenous authorities, health authorities, and government institutions that contributed to the achievement of the goal. The SAFE strategy started implementation in Mexico in 2004 as a comprehensive package of interventions. SAFE stands for surgery, antibiotics, facial cleanliness, and improvement of the environmental conditions. These actions impacted drastically on the number of new cases trachmatous trichiasis (TT) and trachomatous inflammation-follicular (TF), which decreased from 1,794 in 2004 to zero in 2016. CONCLUSIONS: The elimination of trachoma as a public health problem in Mexico is a true success story that may serve as a model example for the elimination of other neglected infectious diseases in the Americas.

A roadmap for the functional annotation of protein families: a community perspective.

Over the last 25 years, biology has entered the genomic era and is becoming a science of 'big data'. Most interpretations of genomic analyses rely on accurate functional annotations of the proteins encoded by more than 500 000 genomes sequenced to date. By different estimates, only half the predicted sequenced proteins carry an accurate functional annotation, and this percentage varies drastically between different organismal lineages. Such a large gap in knowledge hampers all aspects of biological enterprise and, thereby, is standing in the way of genomic biology reaching its full potential. A brainstorming meeting to address this issue funded by the National Science Foundation was held during 3-4 February 2022. Bringing together data scientists, biocurators, computational biologists and experimentalists within the same venue allowed for a comprehensive assessment of the current state of functional annotations of protein families. Further, major issues that were obstructing the field were identified and discussed, which ultimately allowed for the proposal of solutions on how to move forward.

SLPred: a multi-view subcellular localization prediction tool for multi-location human proteins.

SUMMARY: Accurate prediction of the subcellular locations (SLs) of proteins is a critical topic in protein science. In this study, we present SLPred, an ensemble-based multi-view and multi-label protein subcellular localization prediction tool. For a query protein sequence, SLPred provides predictions for nine main SLs using independent machine-learning models trained for each location. We used UniProtKB/Swiss-Prot human protein entries and their curated SL annotations as our source data. We connected all disjoint terms in the UniProt SL hierarchy based on the corresponding term relationships in the cellular component category of Gene Ontology and constructed a training dataset that is both reliable and large scale using the re-organized hierarchy. We tested SLPred on multiple benchmarking datasets including our-in house sets and compared its performance against six state-of-the-art methods. Results indicated that SLPred outperforms other tools in the majority of cases. AVAILABILITY AND IMPLEMENTATION: SLPred is available both as an open-access and user-friendly web-server (https://slpred.kansil.org) and a stand-alone tool (https://github.com/kansil/SLPred). All datasets used in this study are also available at https://slpred.kansil.org. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.

Method for Independent Estimation of the False Localization Rate for Phosphoproteomics.

Phosphoproteomic methods are commonly employed to identify and quantify phosphorylation sites on proteins. In recent years, various tools have been developed, incorporating scores or statistics related to whether a given phosphosite has been correctly identified or to estimate the global false localization rate (FLR) within a given data set for all sites reported. These scores have generally been calibrated using synthetic datasets, and their statistical reliability on real datasets is largely unknown, potentially leading to studies reporting incorrectly localized phosphosites, due to inadequate statistical control. In this work, we develop the concept of scoring modifications on a decoy amino acid, that is, one that cannot be modified, to allow for independent estimation of global FLR. We test a variety of amino acids, on both synthetic and real data sets, demonstrating that the selection can make a substantial difference to the estimated global FLR. We conclude that while several different amino acids might be appropriate, the most reliable FLR results were achieved using alanine and leucine as decoys. We propose the use of a decoy amino acid to control false reporting in the literature and in public databases that re-distribute the data. Data are available via ProteomeXchange with identifier PXD028840.

Making EHRs Trustable: A Quality Analysis of EHR-Derived Datasets for COVID-19 Research.

One approach to verifying the quality of research data obtained from EHRs is auditing how complete and correct the data are in comparison with those collected by manual and controlled methods. This study analyzed data quality of an EHR-derived dataset for COVID-19 research, obtained during the pandemic at Hospital Universitario 12 de Octubre. Data were extracted from EHRs and a manually collected research database, and then transformed into the ISARIC-WHO COVID-19 CRF model. Subsequently, a data analysis was performed, comparing both sources through this convergence model. More concepts and records were obtained from EHRs, and PPV (95% CI) was above 85% in most sections. In future studies, a more detailed analysis of data quality will be carried out.

Nutritional counseling for cow's milk protein allergy in infants from birth to 2 y of ages: Scoping review.

OBJECTIVES: Cow's milk protein allergy (CMPA) is a clinical condition that requires appropriate nutritional counseling during breastfeeding and the introduction of complementary feeding. Using evidence-based dietetic advice is critical for correct growth and development during childhood. The aim of this study was to review the most recent literature on nutritional counseling aimed at infants between 0 and 2 y of age diagnosed with CMPA. METHODS: Six databases were searched and updated on August 22, 2020. Retrieved articles were screened in duplicate and independently by all the authors, and these were selected according to the following inclusion criteria: clinical trials, reviews, meta-analyses, and clinical practice guidelines published since 2013 on any dietetic intervention aimed at infant populations between 0 and 2 y of age with CMPA. Critical appraisal through the AGREE instrument and CASP tools enabled the risk of bias assessment. RESULTS: We obtained 2874 results, of which 40 were included for reviewing. The retrieved information enabled us to answer all the research questions, including aspects of the nutritional counseling aimed at mothers who breastfeed infants with CMPA, as well as infants during breastfeeding and the introduction of complementary feeding. We also reviewed the specific nutritional requirements of infants with CMPA to assess nutritional supplementation and the evidence available on the use of probiotics, prebiotics, and symbiotics. CONCLUSIONS: This scoping review collected, in a structured and comprehensive way, the most recent available information regarding nutritional counseling in CMPA for a successful dietetic intervention of the casuistry that may arise during early infancy.

Combination of Two Synchrotron Radiation-Based Techniques and Chemometrics to Study an Enhanced Natural Remineralization of Enamel.

The limitations to assess dental enamel remineralization have been overcome by a methodology resulting from the appropriate combination of synchrotron radiation-based techniques on both, infrared microspectroscopy and micro X-ray diffraction, with the help of specific data mining. Since amelogenin plays a key role in modulating the mineralization of tooth enamel, we propose a controlled ion release for fluorapatite structural ions (Ca2+, PO43-, and F-, also including Zn2+) by using weak acid and weak base ion-exchange resins in the presence of amelogenin to remineralize the surface of etched teeth. This combination provides the necessary ions for enamel remineralization and a guide for crystal growth due to the protein. Remineralized tooth samples were analyzed by applying the indicated methodology. The synchrotron data were treated using principal component analysis and multivariate curve resolution to analyze the mineral layer formed in the presence and absence of amelogenin. The remineralizing treatment created a fluorapatite layer free of carbonate impurities and with a similar orientation to that of the natural enamel thanks to amelogenin contribution.

Tooth whitening effects on dental enamel, oxidation or reduction? Comparison of physicochemical alterations in bovine enamel using Synchrotron-based Micro-FTIR.

OBJECTIVES: To compare the side effects of typical whitening treatments (by means of oxidation) compared to the new treatment developed by the authors through reduction. The aim is to provide information about the chemical interactions of the encapsulated reductant agent (metabisulfite, MBS) with the enamel structure compared with carbamide peroxide (CP) and to study their penetration in the hydroxyapatite (HAP) and the changes produced in the mineral and its hardness. METHODS: Chemical imaging is performed by synchrotron-based micro Fourier transformed infrared spectroscopy (SR-µFTIR). Continuous Stiffness Measurements (CSM) were used to determine the depth reached by the treatments in order to delimitate the area of study. RESULTS: The SR-µFTIR studies showed that MBS treatments softened the first 10 µm of enamel, as happens in the initial stages of tooth decay. Principal component analysis (PCA) showed that the main differences between treatments were found in the intensity of the ν3 PO43- peak related to tooth demineralization. CP and MBS promoted different changes in the HAP mineral, observed as opposite shifts of the peak: CP shortened the P-O bond while MBS seemed to elongate it. Moreover, MBS promoted the loss of carbonates while CP did not, which is probably related to the solution's pH. When comparing MBS and MBS Liposomes, it was observed how liposomes favoured the diffusion of MBS to inner layers, since the effects of MBS were observed in deeper enamel. Thus, the encapsulated MBS whitening effect is highly improved in terms of time when compared to MBS alone or CP. SIGNIFICANCE: The obtained results indicated that using oxidizing (CP) or reducing (MBS) treatments, promote different HAP mineral changes, and that liposomes favour the diffusion of MBS into the enamel. It is the first time that synchrotron light is used to map the bovine incisor's enamel chemically, and to determine the effect of a whitening treatment in terms of chemical HAP modifications, and the extent in deep of these effects.

Effectiveness of a group educational intervention - prolact - in primary care to promote exclusive breastfeeding: a cluster randomized clinical trial.

BACKGROUND: The rates of exclusive breastfeeding at 6 months in Spain are far from recommended by the World Health Organization, which is 50% by 2025. Evidence of the effectiveness of group interventions in late postpartum is limited. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of the PROLACT group educational intervention for increasing the proportion of mother-child dyads with exclusive breastfeeding at 6 months compared to the usual practice in primary care. METHOD: Multicentre cluster randomized clinical trial. A total of 434 mother-child dyads who breastfed exclusively in the first 4 weeks of the children's life and agreed to participate were included. The main outcome was exclusive breastfeeding at 6 months. Secondary variables were type of breastfeeding, reasons for abandonment, degree of adherence and satisfaction with the intervention. To study the effectiveness, the difference in the proportions of dyads with exclusive breastfeeding at 6 months was calculated, and the relative risk (RR) and number needed to treat (NNT) were calculated with their 95% CIs. To study the factors associated with the maintenance of exclusive breastfeeding at 6 months, a multilevel logistic regression model was fitted. All analyses were performed to intention to treat. RESULTS: The percentage of dyads with exclusive breastfeeding at 6 months was 22.4% in the intervention group and 8.8% in the control group. PROLACT intervention obtained an RR =2.53 (95% CI: 1.54-4.15) and an NNT = 7 (95%CI: 5-14). The factors associated with exclusive breastfeeding at 6 months were the PROLACT intervention, OR = 3.51 (95%CI: 1.55-7.93); age > 39 years, OR = 2.79 (95%CI: 1.02-7.6); previous breastfeeding experience, OR = 2.61 (95%CI: 1.29-5.29); income between 500 and 833.33 €, OR = 3.52 (95%CI 1.47-8.47).); planning to start work before the infant was 6 months old, OR = 0.35 (0.19-0.63) . CONCLUSIONS: The PROLACT intervention in primary care is more effective than the usual practice for maintaining exclusive breastfeeding at 6 months, and can therefore be considered evidence-based practice for implementation in standard practice. TRIAL REGISTRATION: The trial was registered with ClinicalTrials.gov under code number NCT01869920 (03/06/2013).

The power of weak ion-exchange resins assisted by amelogenin for natural remineralization of dental enamel: an in vitro study.

This study aims to develop an innovative dental product to remineralize dental enamel by a proper combination of ion-exchange resins as controlled release of mineral ions that form dental enamel, in the presence of amelogenin to guide the appropriate crystal growth. The novel product proposed consists of a combination of ion-exchange resins (weak acid and weak base) individually loaded with the remineralizing ions: Ca2+, PO43- and F-, also including Zn2+ in a minor amount as antibacterial, together with the protein amelogenin. Such cocktail provides onsite controlled release of the ions necessary for enamel remineralization due to the weak character of the resins and at the same time, a guiding tool for related crystal growth by the indicated protein. Amelogenin protein is involved in the structural development of natural enamel and takes a key role in controlling the crystal growth morphology and alignment at the enamel surface. Bovine teeth were treated by applying the resins and protein together with artificial saliva. Treated teeth were evaluated with nanoindentation, scanning electron microscopy and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. The innovative material induces the dental remineralization creating a fluorapatite layer with a hardness equivalent to sound enamel, with the appropriate alignment of corresponding nanocrystals, being the fluorapatite more acid resistant than the original mineral. Our results suggest that the new product shows potential for promoting long-term remineralization leading to the inhibition of caries and protection of dental structures.

The IntAct database: efficient access to fine-grained molecular interaction data.

The IntAct molecular interaction database (https://www.ebi.ac.uk/intact) is a curated resource of molecular interactions, derived from the scientific literature and from direct data depositions. As of August 2021, IntAct provides more than one million binary interactions, curated by twelve global partners of the International Molecular Exchange consortium, for which the IntAct database provides a shared curation and dissemination platform. The IMEx curation policy has always emphasised a fine-grained data and curation model, aiming to capture the relevant experimental detail essential for the interpretation of the provided molecular interaction data. Here, we present recent curation focus and progress, as well as a completely redeveloped website which presents IntAct data in a much more user-friendly and detailed way.

Successful breastfeeding among women with intention to breastfeed: From physiology to socio-cultural factors.

BACKGROUND: Even if women have intention to breastfeed, they do not always achieve a successful breastfeeding. AIM: This study aims to analyse factors affecting breastfeeding prevalence among mothers that intended to breastfeed. METHODS: This is a prospective observational study involving 401 pregnant women that intended to breastfeed (asked at the 20th week). Breastfeeding prevalence was evaluated in reference to health-related, socio-cultural factors and healthcare professionals' interventions at 1 month, 6 months and 12 months after birth. Data were analysed using descriptive statistical methods, bivariate logistic regression and multivariate logistic regression modelling. RESULTS: Independent factors negatively affecting breastfeeding prevalence related to mothers' and newborns' health parameters and birth characteristics included smoking during pregnancy, anaemia and use of analgesia during labour. Regarding sociocultural parameters, being an immigrant, higher education level, intention to breastfeed before pregnancy, comfort with public breastfeeding and bedsharing were positively linked to breastfeeding, while teat or pacifier use in the first week was negatively linked. Regarding healthcare professionals' practices, mother and father/partner antenatal education course attendance and exclusive breastfeeding at the hospital were positively associated with breastfeeding. CONCLUSION: Breastfeeding is a very complex phenomenon affected by multiple and diverse variables. Physiological factors only affect the short term (1st month), while middle and long term BF affecting variables are mainly identical and include mostly socio-cultural factors and also BF related practices, especially in the first days after birth. These data should help to develop more effective breastfeeding promotion strategies.

Liver transplant with controlled donors after circulatory death with normothermic regional perfusion and brain dead donors: A multicenter cohort study of transfusion, one-year graft survival and mortality.

BACKGROUND: Controlled donation after circulatory death (cDCD) has expanded the donor pool for liver transplantation (LT). However, transfusion requirements and perioperative outcomes should be elucidated. The aim of this multicenter study was to assess red blood cell (RBC) transfusions, one-year graft and patient survival after LT after cDCD with normothermic regional perfusion (NRP) compared with donors after brain death (DBD). METHODS: 591 LT carried out in ten centers during 2019 were reviewed. Thromboelastometry was used to manage coagulation and blood product transfusion in all centers. Normothermic regional perfusion was the standard technique for organ recovery. RESULTS: 447 patients received DBD and 144 cDCD with NRP. Baseline MCF Extem was lower in the cDCD group There were no differences in the percentage of patients (63% vs. 61% p = 0.69), nor in the number of RBC units transfused (4.7 (0.2) vs 5.5 (0.4) in DBD vs cDCD, p = 0.11. Twenty-six patients (6%) died during admission for LT in the DBD group compared with 3 patients (2%) in the cDCD group (p = 0.15). To overcome the bias due to a worse coagulation profile in cDCD recipients, matched samples were compared. No differences in baseline laboratory data, or in intraoperative use of RBC or one-year outcome data were observed between DBD and cDCD recipients. CONCLUSIONS: cDCD with NRP is not associated with increased RBC transfusion. No differences in graft and patient survival between cDCD and DBD were found. Donors after controlled circulatory death with NRP can increasingly be utilized with safety, improving the imbalance between organ donors and the ever-growing demand.