Manejo del Síndrome de Hiperestimulación Ovárica / Management of Ovarian Hyperstimulation Syndrome

INTRODUCCIÓN: El síndrome de hiperestimulación ovárica es una respuesta exagerada del ovario a los tratamientos hormonales para estimular la formación de óvulos. OBJETIVO: Describir el caso clínico de una mujer con síndrome de hiperestimulación ovárica; revisar el abordaje, manejo, tratamiento y cómo prevenirlo. CASO CLÍNICO: Paciente femenina de 37 años, multigesta, en tratamiento con metformina por Síndrome de ovario poliquístico , que presenta infertilidad secundaria a factor tubárico, que desarrolló un cuadro moderado de síndrome de hiperestimulación ovárica como consecuencia de la aplicación de las técnicas de fertilización in vitro (Folitropina alfa humana recombinante (GONAL-F®) y Cetrolerelix (CETROTIDE®); al cuarto día del procedimiento de aspiración folicular presenta dolor pélvico intenso, disuria, deposiciones diarreicas, ecografía abdominal y vaginal evidencia líquido libre en cavidad alrededor de 1000cc, además de ovarios tanto derecho e izquierdo con volumen de 102 mL y 189 mL respectivamente. Paciente es ingresada para realizar tratamiento hidratación parenteral, Enoxaparina 40mg subcutánea, Cabergolina 0.5mg vía oral, alta a las 72 horas. DISCUSIÓN: Las claves para la prevención del síndrome de hiperestimulación ovárica son la experiencia con la terapia de inducción de la ovulación y el reconocimiento de los factores de riesgo para el síndrome de hiperestimulación ovárica. Los regímenes de inducción de la ovulación deberían ser altamente individualizados, monitorizados cuidadosamente y usando dosis y duración mínimas del tratamiento con gonadotropinas para conseguir la meta terapéutica. CONCLUSIONES: El síndrome de hiperestimulación ovárica constituye la complicación más temida durante el uso de inductores de la ovulación; el conocimiento de factores de riesgo, puede prevenir o evitar que llegue a ser de un caso severo, lo cual puede causar mayor morbilidad o hasta mortalidad. La vitrificación se convierte en la técnica que permite prevenir el síndrome de hiperestimulación ovárica, junto con esta técnica hay 2 alternativas: la inducción con análogo de la hormona liberadora de gonadotropina o el uso de agonistas dopaminérgicos.

INTRODUCTION: Ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome is an exaggerated response of the ovary to hormonal treatments to stimulate egg formation. OBJECTIVE: To describe the clinical case of a woman with ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome; to review the approach, management, treatment and how to prevent it. CLINICAL CASE: 37-year-old female patient, multigestation, under treatment with metformin for polycystic ovary syndrome, presenting infertility secondary to tubal factor, who developed a moderate picture of ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome as a consequence of the application of in vitro fertilization techniques (recombinant human follitropin alfa (GONAL-F®) and Cetrolerelix (CETROTIDE®); On the fourth day of the follicular aspiration procedure she presents intense pelvic pain, dysuria, diarrheic stools, abdominal and vaginal ultrasound shows free fluid in the cavity of about 1000cc, in addition to right and left ovaries with a volume of 102 mL and 189 mL respectively. Patient was admitted for parenteral hydration treatment, Enoxaparin 40mg subcutaneous, Cabergoline 0.5mg orally, discharged after 72 hours. DISCUSSION: The keys to prevention of ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome are experience with ovulation induction therapy and recognition of risk factors for ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome. Ovulation induction regimens should be highly individualized, carefully monitored, and using minimal doses and duration of gonadotropin therapy to achieve the therapeutic goal. CONCLUSIONS: Ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome constitutes the most feared complication during the use of ovulation inducers; knowledge of risk factors, may prevent or avoid it from becoming a severe case, which may cause increased morbidity or even mortality. Vitrification becomes the technique that allows preventing ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome, along with this technique there are 2 alternatives: induction with gonadotropin-releasing hormone analog or the use of dopaminergic agonists.

Complex post-traumatic stress disorder (CPTSD) of ICD-11 in youths with childhood maltreatment: Associations with age of exposure and clinical outcomes.

BACKGROUND: Exposure to childhood maltreatment (CM) increases the risk of psychiatric morbidity in youths. The new Complex Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (CPTSD) diagnosis captures the heterogeneity and complexity of clinical outcomes observed in youths exposed to CM. This study explores CPTSD symptomatology and its association with clinical outcomes, considering the impact of CM subtypes and age of exposure. METHODS: Exposure to CM and clinical outcomes were evaluated in 187 youths aged 7-17 (116 with psychiatric disorder; 71 healthy controls) following the Tools for Assessing the Severity of Situations in which Children are Vulnerable (TASSCV) structured interview criteria. CPTSD symptomatology was explored by confirmatory factor analysis, considering four subdomains: post-traumatic stress symptoms, emotion dysregulation, negative self-concept and interpersonal problems. RESULTS: Youths exposed to CM (with or without psychiatric disorders) showed greater internalizing, externalizing and other symptomatology, worse premorbid adjustment and poorer overall functioning. Youth with psychiatric disorder and exposed to CM reported more CPTSD symptomatology, psychiatric comorbidity and polypharmacy and earlier onset of cannabis use. Different subtypes of CM and the developmental stage of exposure differentially impact CPTSD subdomains. LIMITATIONS: Small percentage of resilient youths was studied. It was not possible to explore specific interactions between diagnostic categories and CM. Direct inference cannot be assumed. CONCLUSIONS: Gathering information on type and age of exposure to CM is clinically useful to understand the complexity of psychiatric symptoms observed in youths. Inclusion of the CPTSD diagnosis should increase the implementation of early specific interventions, improving youths' functioning and reducing the severity of clinical outcomes.

Mercury and Organic Pollutants Removal from Aqueous Solutions by Heterogeneous Photocatalysis with ZnO-Based Materials.

The removal of four Contaminants of Emerging Concern, namely bisphenol A, sulfamethoxazole, diclofenac and benzotriazole; two odorous compounds, geosmin and 2-methylisoborneol, frequently detected in recirculating aquaculture systems; and Hg(II) was investigated using ZnO-based materials doped or co-doped with Ce and Cu under simulated solar radiation. Photocatalysts were synthetized via a hydrothermal route and their efficiency was assessed by changing some operational parameters in different water matrices of increasing complexity. The mixture of contaminants was successfully degraded in just 1 h, while the complete mineralization was achieved in a few hours; experiments performed in an actual aquaculture water confirmed the efficiency and broad versatility of the synthesized materials.

Caffeine, D-glucuronolactone and Taurine Content in Energy Drinks: Exposure and Risk Assessment.

The consumption of energy drinks (EDs) is increasing globally while the evidence and concern about the potential health risks are also growing. Caffeine (generally 32 mg/100 mL) together with a wide variety of other active components such as taurine (usually 4000 mg/L) and D-glucuronolactone (generally 2400 mg/L) are the main ingredients of EDs. This study aims to assess the exposures to caffeine, taurine and D-glucuronolactone from EDs in various consumption scenarios and consumer profiles and to characterize the risks by evaluating caffeine and taurine intakes with their reference values and by calculating the margin of safety (MOS) for D-glucuronolactone. While the exposure assessment results showed that caffeine intakes from EDs ranged from 80 to 160 mg (1.14-4 mg/kg b.w.) for the considered scenarios, the risk characterization estimated some risks that could be managed with consumption recommendations such as limiting EDs in 40, 60 and 80 kg b.w. consumers to 175, 262.5 and 350 mL, respectively, to prevent sleep disturbances and to 375, 562.5 and 750 mL to prevent general caffeine adverse health risks, respectively. Dietary exposure to D-glucuronolactone from EDs ranged from 600 to 1200 mg (7.5-30 mg/kg b.w.). As D-glucuronolactone MOS ≥ 100 is only observed when EDs consumption is limited to 250 mL, for individuals weighing above 60 kg, some risks were observed in some of the studied scenarios. A taurine exposure from EDs varied from 1000 to 2000 mg (12.5-50 mg/kg b.w.) and consumptions over 500 mL were estimated to generate intakes above the reference value. In conclusion, the management of these risks requires a European legal framework for EDs with maximum limits for the active components, volume size limitations and labeling improvements along with the development of education and awareness programs and risk communication actions in collaboration with the industry and society.

Overcoming Paradoxical Kinase Priming by a Novel MNK1 Inhibitor.

Targeting the kinases MNK1 and MNK2 has emerged as a valuable strategy in oncology. However, most of the advanced inhibitors are acting in an adenosine triphosphate (ATP)-competitive mode, precluding the evaluation of different binding modes in preclinical settings. Using rational design, we identified and validated the 4,6-diaryl-pyrazolo[3,4-b]pyridin-3-amine scaffold as the core for MNK inhibitors. Signaling pathway analysis confirmed a direct effect of the hit compound EB1 on MNKs, and in line with the reported function of these kinases, EB1 only affects the growth of tumor but not normal cells. Molecular modeling revealed the binding of EB1 to the inactive conformation of MNK1 and the interaction with the specific DFD motif. This novel mode of action appears to be superior to the ATP-competitive inhibitors, which render the protein in a pseudo-active state. Overcoming this paradoxical activation of MNKs by EB1 represents therefore a promising starting point for the development of a novel generation of MNK inhibitors.

UV-Cured Chitosan and Gelatin Hydrogels for the Removal of As(V) and Pb(II) from Water.

In this study, new photocurable biobased hydrogels deriving from chitosan and gelatin are designed and tested as sorbents for As(V) and Pb(II) removal from water. Those renewable materials were modified by a simple methacrylation reaction in order to make them light processable. The success of the reaction was evaluated by both 1H-NMR and FTIR spectroscopy. The reactivity of those formulations was subsequently investigated by a real-time photorheology test. The obtained hydrogels showed high swelling capability reaching up to 1200% in the case of methacrylated gelatin (GelMA). Subsequently, the Z-potential of the methacrylated chitosan (MCH) and GelMA was measured to correlate their electrostatic surface characteristics with their adsorption properties for As(V) and Pb(II). The pH of the solutions proved to have a huge influence on the As(V) and Pb(II) adsorption capacity of the obtained hydrogels. Furthermore, the effect of As(V) and Pb(II) initial concentration and contact time on the adsorption capability of MCH and GelMA were investigated and discussed. The MCH and GelMA hydrogels demonstrated to be promising sorbents for the removal of heavy metals from polluted waters.

Real world effectiveness of standard of care triple therapy versus two-drug combinations for treatment of people living with HIV.

BACKGROUND: Since 1996, the standard of care (SOC) therapy for HIV treatment has consisted of a backbone of two nucleoside analogue reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NRTI) paired with a third agent. Use of two-drug combinations (2DC) has been considered for selected patients to avoid toxicities associated with the use of NRTIs. This study aimed to compare the real-world outcomes of integrase strand transfer inhibitor (INSTI)-containing triple therapy (TT) to dolutegravir- (DTG) and/or boosted protease inhibitor (bPI)-based 2DC in a large Spanish cohort of HIV patients. METHODS: A retrospective analysis was performed using data from the VACH cohort, a prospective multicentre Spanish cohort of adult HIV patients. All treatment experienced patients initiating a TT of an INSTI combined with two NRTIs or a 2DC-containing DTG and/or a bPI between 01/01/2012 and 01/06/2017 were included. The unit of analysis was patient-regimens. The overall sample analysis was complemented with two sub-analyses. The first sub-analysis focused on patients treated with a backbone plus DTG compared to those treated with DTG+ one other antiretroviral. The second sub-analysis focused on patients with HIV RNA<50 copies/mL at baseline, irrespective of the regimen used. The following endpoints were assessed: time to discontinuation for any reason, time to switch due to virologic failure, and time to switch due to toxicity (reasons for discontinuation according to clinician report in the database). Time-to-event analyses were conducted using Kaplan-Meier survival curves and Cox regression models. RESULTS: Overall 7,481 patients were included in the analysis, contributing to 9,243 patient-regimens. Patient characteristics at baseline differed among groups, with the 2DC group being significantly older and having a higher proportion of women, a longer time on ART and a higher number of previous virologic failures. Median (95% Confidence Interval [C.I.]) time to switch was 2.5 years (2.3, 2.7) in 2DC group versus 2.9 years (2.7, 3.0) in TT. Adjusted hazard ratios (95% C.I.) for discontinuation due to any reason, virologic failure and toxicity in the 2DC vs TT group were 1.29 (1.15; 1.44), 2.06 (1.54; 2.77) and 1.18 (0.94; 1.48), respectively. Results were consistent in the two sub-analyses. CONCLUSION: In this analysis, time to discontinuation and probability of remaining free of virologic failure were significantly higher in patients on INSTI-based TT compared to DTG- and/or bPI-containing 2DC, with no differences in toxicity.

Functional Meat Products as Oxidative Stress Modulators: A Review.

High meat consumption has been associated with increased oxidative stress mainly due to the generation of oxidized compounds in the body, such as malondialdehyde, 4-hydroxy-nonenal, oxysterols, or protein carbonyls, which can induce oxidative damage. Meat products are excellent matrices for introducing different bioactive compounds, to obtain functional meat products aimed at minimizing the pro-oxidant effects associated with high meat consumption. Therefore, this review aims to summarize the concept and preparation of healthy and functional meat, which could benefit antioxidant status. Likewise, the key strategies regarding meat production and storage as well as ingredients used (e.g., minerals, polyphenols, fatty acids, walnuts) for developing these functional meats are detailed. Although most effort has been made to reduce the oxidation status of meat, newly emerging approaches also aim to improve the oxidation status of consumers of meat products. Thus, we will delve into the relation between functional meats and their health effects on consumers. In this review, animal trials and intervention studies are discussed, ascertaining the extent of functional meat products' properties (e.g., neutralizing reactive oxygen species formation and increasing the antioxidant response). The effects of functional meat products in the frame of diet-gene interactions are analyzed to 1) discover target subjects that would benefit from their consumption, and 2) understand the molecular mechanisms that ensure precision in the prevention and treatment of diseases, where high oxidative stress takes place. Long-term intervention-controlled studies, testing different types and amounts of functional meat, are also necessary to ascertain their positive impact on degenerative diseases.

COVID-19 y África: sobreviviendo entre la espada y la pared / COVID-19 and Africa: Surviving between a rock and a hard place

Con más de 575.000 muertes y cerca de 13,3 millones de casos a nivel global, la pandemia por COVID-19ha causado un terrible impacto en apenas medio año de evolución desde que por primera vez fuesen detectados casos en China. Conscientes de las dificultades planteadas en entornos con sistemas de salud robustos, donde la mortalidad ha sido significativa, y la transmisión difícilmente controlable, había una lógica preocupación por ver cómo el virus podría afectar a los países africanos, donde sus frágiles sistemas de salud auguraban un impacto aún mayor. Este «tsunami» anunciado, de potenciales consecuencias devastadoras, parece, sin embargo, no haber llegado todavía, y los países africanos, donde ya se ha evidenciado una creciente transmisión, no están viendo el impacto en la salud de sus habitantes que muchos habían predicho. En este artículo repasamos la situación actual de la pandemia en el continente africano, intentando entender los determinantes de su lenta progresión

With over 575,000 deaths and about 13.3 million cases globally, the COVID-19 pandemic has had a terrible impact globally during the 6 months since cases were first detected in China. Conscious of the many challenges presented in settings with abundance of resources and with robust health systems, where mortality has been significant and transmission difficult to control, there was a logical concern to see how the virus could impact African countries, and their fragile and weak health systems. Such an anticipated "tsunami", with potentially devastating consequences, seems however to not have yet arrived, and African countries, albeit witnessing an increasing degree of autochthonous transmission, seem to this day relatively unaffected by the pandemic. In this article we review the current situation of the pandemic in the African continent, trying to understand the determinants of its slow progress

COVID-19 and Africa: Surviving between a rock and a hard place.

With over 575,000 deaths and about 13.3 million cases globally, the COVID-19 pandemic has had a terrible impact globally during the 6 months since cases were first detected in China. Conscious of the many challenges presented in settings with abundance of resources and with robust health systems, where mortality has been significant and transmission difficult to control, there was a logical concern to see how the virus could impact African countries, and their fragile and weak health systems. Such an anticipated "tsunami", with potentially devastating consequences, seems however to not have yet arrived, and African countries, albeit witnessing an increasing degree of autochthonous transmission, seem to this day relatively unaffected by the pandemic. In this article we review the current situation of the pandemic in the African continent, trying to understand the determinants of its slow progress.

Con más de 575.000 muertes y cerca de 13.3 millones de casos a nivel global, la pandemia por COVID-19 ha causado un terrible impacto en apenas medio año de evolución desde que por primera vez fuesen detectados casos en China. Conscientes de las dificultades planteadas en entornos con sistemas de salud robustos, donde la mortalidad ha sido significativa, y la transmisión difícilmente controlable, había una lógica preocupación por ver cómo el virus podría afectar a los países africanos, donde sus frágiles sistemas de salud auguraban un impacto aún mayor. Este "tsunami" anunciado, de potenciales consecuencias devastadoras, parece sin embargo no haber llegado todavía, y los países africanos, donde ya se ha evidenciado una creciente transmisión, no están viendo el impacto en la salud de sus habitantes que muchos habían predicho. En este artículo repasamos la situación actual de la pandemia en el continente Africano, intentando entender los determinantes de su lenta progresión.

Cx43 and Associated Cell Signaling Pathways Regulate Tunneling Nanotubes in Breast Cancer Cells.

Connexin 43 (Cx43) forms gap junctions that mediate the direct intercellular diffusion of ions and small molecules between adjacent cells. Cx43 displays both pro- and anti-tumorigenic properties, but the mechanisms underlying these characteristics are not fully understood. Tunneling nanotubes (TNTs) are long and thin membrane projections that connect cells, facilitating the exchange of not only small molecules, but also larger proteins, organelles, bacteria, and viruses. Typically, TNTs exhibit increased formation under conditions of cellular stress and are more prominent in cancer cells, where they are generally thought to be pro-metastatic and to provide growth and survival advantages. Cx43 has been described in TNTs, where it is thought to regulate small molecule diffusion through gap junctions. Here, we developed a high-fidelity CRISPR/Cas9 system to knockout (KO) Cx43. We found that the loss of Cx43 expression was associated with significantly reduced TNT length and number in breast cancer cell lines. Notably, secreted factors present in conditioned medium stimulated TNTs more potently when derived from Cx43-expressing cells than from KO cells. Moreover, TNT formation was significantly induced by the inhibition of several key cancer signaling pathways that both regulate Cx43 and are regulated by Cx43, including RhoA kinase (ROCK), protein kinase A (PKA), focal adhesion kinase (FAK), and p38. Intriguingly, the drug-induced stimulation of TNTs was more potent in Cx43 KO cells than in wild-type (WT) cells. In conclusion, this work describes a novel non-canonical role for Cx43 in regulating TNTs, identifies key cancer signaling pathways that regulate TNTs in this setting, and provides mechanistic insight into a pro-tumorigenic role of Cx43 in cancer.

[COVID-19 and Africa: Surviving between a rock and a hard place]. / COVID-19 y África: sobreviviendo entre la espada y la pared.

With over 575,000 deaths and about 13.3 million cases globally, the COVID-19 pandemic has had a terrible impact globally during the 6 months since cases were first detected in China. Conscious of the many challenges presented in settings with abundance of resources and with robust health systems, where mortality has been significant and transmission difficult to control, there was a logical concern to see how the virus could impact African countries, and their fragile and weak health systems. Such an anticipated "tsunami", with potentially devastating consequences, seems however to not have yet arrived, and African countries, albeit witnessing an increasing degree of autochthonous transmission, seem to this day relatively unaffected by the pandemic. In this article we review the current situation of the pandemic in the African continent, trying to understand the determinants of its slow progress.

Stabilized Electrode/Electrolyte Interphase by a Saturated Ionic Liquid Electrolyte for High-Voltage NMC532/Si-Graphite Cells.

Nonaqueous electrolyte has become one of the technical barriers in enabling Li-ion battery comprising of a high voltage cathode and high capacity anode. In this work, we demonstrate a saturated piperidinum bis(fluorosulfonyl)imide ionic liquid (IL) with a LiFSI salt not only supports the redox reaction on the cathode at high voltages, but also shows exceptional kinetic stability on the lithiated anode as evidenced by its improved cycling performance in a NMC532/Si-graphite full cells cycled between 4.6 and 3.0 V. On the basis of the spectroscopic/microscopic analysis and molecular dynamics (MD) simulations, the superior performance of the cells is attributed to the formation of solid-electrolyte-interphase on both electrode as well as unique solvation structure where a deadlocked coordination network is established at the saturated state, which prevents transition metal dissolution into the electrolyte via a solvation process.

¿Cómo responder a nuestras preguntas de investigación de forma específica y no morir en el intento? Parte X: ¿Dónde y cómo busco información científica fiable y de calidad? / How to answer our research questions specifically and not die trying? Part X: where and how do i look for reliable and quality scientific information?

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Cuando el silicio transmuta en oro / When silicon transmutes in gold

Este trabajo describe las virtudes de una investigación centrada en el silicio, uno de los ingredientes más importantes pero menos conocidos de la cerveza, y su acción protectora a nivel neurodegenerativo. Entre los varios factores que contribuyen a la inducción y desarrollo de la enfermedad de Alzheimer, se encuentra el aluminio el cual tiende a concentrarse en el cerebro e inducir, entre otros mecanismos, alteraciones prooxidantes e inflamatorias. El silicio al bloquear esos efectos negativos, se convierte en un ingrediente estrella, que en términos alquimistas sugiere que puede transmutar en oro

This article describes the virtues of a research focused on silicon, one of the most important but least known ingredients in beer, and its protective action at the neurodegenerative level. Among the various factors contributing to the Alzheimer's disease induction and development, aluminum, by concentrating in brain induces, among other mechanisms, pro-oxidant and inflammatory disorders. Silicon, by blocking these negative effects, becomes a star ingredient, which in alchemist terms suggests that has the property to transmute into gold

Evaluation of blood mercury and serum selenium levels in the pregnant population of the Community of Madrid, Spain.

BACKGROUND: The main exposure route to methylmercury (MeHg) is from eating fish and shellfish containing this compound. Since 2004, women of childbearing age in Spain have been urged not to eat some species (eg, tuna, shark, and swordfish), instead choosing low-MeHg seafood as part of a healthy diet. OBJECTIVE: To describe maternal total blood mercury (THg) and serum selenium (Se) in a cohort of pregnant women living in Spain as it relates to fish intake during the three trimesters and to assess whether or not Spanish women of childbearing age follow the recommendations listed in fish advisories and choose fish species with lower mercury levels. METHODS: We studied 141 female volunteers of childbearing age (16-45 years), interviewing all participants about their overall eating habits and seafood intake. Hg and Se levels were tested using cold-vapor atomic absorption spectrometry (CVAAS) and electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry (ETAAS), respectively. RESULTS: Average THg levels in pregnant women were 2.89 µg/L (standard deviation [SD], 2.75 µg/L, geometric mean [GM], 2.19 µg/L), and THg GM was positively associated with fish intake. Mean Se levels in pregnant women were 73.06 µg/L (SD, 13.38 µg/L), and Se levels were found to increase with tuna intake. In 16 (12%) pregnant women, THg was higher than the level recommended by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) (6.4 µg/L). A positive association was also found between THg and serum Se. CONCLUSION: Women of childbearing age in Spain had higher THg levels than women in other Western studies. Our study observed that 12% of women had THg levels above the safety limit set by the EPA (6.4 µg/L), and 31% had levels above the relevant benchmark level of 3.5 µg/L suggested by various researchers.

The Nutritional Components of Beer and Its Relationship with Neurodegeneration and Alzheimer's Disease.

The prevalence of degenerative diseases has risen in western countries. Growing evidence suggests that demenia and other cognition affectations are associated with ambient factors including specific nutrients, food ingredients or specific dietary patterns. Mediterranean diet adherence has been associated with various health benefits and decreased risk of many diseases, including neurodegenerative disorders. Beer, as part of this protective diet, contains compounds such as silicon and hops that could play a major role in preventing brain disorders. In this review, different topics regarding Mediterranean diet, beer and the consumption of their main compounds and their relation to neurological health have been addressed. Taking into account published results from our group and other studies, the hypothesis linking aluminum intoxication with dementia and/or Alzheimer's disease and the potential role of regular beer has also been considered. Beer, in spite of its alcohol content, may have some health benefits; nonetheless, its consumption is not adequate for all subjects. Thus, this review analyzed some promising results of non-alcoholic beer on several mechanisms engaged in neurodegeneration such as inflammation, oxidation, and cholinesterase activity, and their contribution to the behavioral modifications induced by aluminum intoxication. The review ends by giving conclusions and suggesting future topics of research related to moderate beer consumption and/or the consumption of its major compounds as a potential instrument for protecting against neurodegenerative disease progression and the need to develop nutrigenetic and nutrigenomic studies in aged people and animal models.

Photocatalytic abatement of emerging pollutants in pure water and wastewater effluent by TiO2 and Ce-ZnO: degradation kinetics and assessment of transformation products.

Here, the performances of two different catalysts, Ce-ZnO and TiO2 synthetized in our laboratories, were compared with the commercial TiO2-P25 for degradation of a mixture of seven emerging pollutants under UV irradiation. The investigation included monitoring pollutants abatement in Milli-Q water and in wastewater effluent and identifying their transformation products by HPLC-HRMS. Structural characterization of intermediates supported by data available from literature allowed elucidation of the transformation pathways occurring in the presence of all investigated catalysts in the wastewater effluent. Preliminary results showed a good removal efficacy for almost all examined contaminants, even in real water matrix (i.e. wastewater effluent). The type of matrix and catalyst affects the number and/or the abundance of transformation products, which suggests differences in their transformation routes.

Ischemic Complications After High-Grade Glioma Resection Could Interfere With Residual Tumor Detection With 18F-Fluorocholine PET/CT.

Ischemic complications after resection of high-grade glioma are frequent and may constitute potential cause of false-positive results in postsurgical evaluation using F-fluorocholine PET/CT. On the other hand, hypoxia caused by ischemia promotes invasive glioma growth. We present 3 cases of patients with different grades of ischemic injury after resection of high-grade glioma. The combined interpretation of diffusion-weighted imaging and apparent diffusion coefficient map on MRI, in this clinical setting, is mandatory to avoid PET/CT misinterpretations.

Lipoprotein Profile in Aged Rats Fed Chia Oil- or Hydroxytyrosol-Enriched Pork in High Cholesterol/High Saturated Fat Diets.

Restructuring pork (RP) by adding new functional ingredients, like Chia oil (one of the richest natural source of α-linolenic acid) or hydroxytyrosol (HxT) (potent antioxidant), both with hypolipidemic activities, is one of the strategies that may help to reduce the potential negative effects of high meat products consumption. The aim of this study was to evaluate the Chia oil- or HxT-enriched-RP effect on the lipoprotein profile of aged rats fed high-fat, high-energy, and cholesterol-enriched diets. RP samples were prepared by mixing lean pork and lard with or without Chia oil (152.2 g/kg fresh matter) or HxT (3.6 g/kg fresh matter). Diets were prepared by mixing a semisynthetic diet with freeze-dried RP. Groups of 1-year male Wistar rats were fed the following experimental diets for 8 weeks: C, control-RP diet; HC, cholesterol-enriched-RP diet; and Chia oil-RP (CHIA) and HxT, Chia oil- or hydroxytyrosol-RP, cholesterol-enriched diet. Plasma lipid, lipoprotein profile, SREBP-1c protein, and low-density lipoproteins (LDL) receptor gene (Ldlr) expressions were evaluated. Compared to C diet, the HC diet increased plasma cholesterol, triglycerides, free fatty acids, total lipids, and SREBP-1c expression, but reduced Ldlr expression and significantly modified the lipoprotein profile, giving rise to the presence of high levels of atherogenic cholesterol-enriched very low-density lipoproteins (VLDL) particles. Compared to the HC diet, the HxT diet did not produce significant changes in feed intake but it reduced the body weight. Chia oil and HxT partially arrested the negative effects of the high-fat, high-energy, and cholesterol-enriched meat-based diets on lipemia and lipoproteinemia, mostly by reducing the amount of cholesterol content in VLDL (60% and 74% less in CHIA and HxT vs. HC, respectively) and the VLDL total mass (59% and 63% less in CHIA and HxT vs. HC, respectively). Free fatty acids (FFA) significantly correlated with adipose tissue weight and VLDL total mass (both p < 0.05), and plasma triglycerides, phospholipids, total lipids, and SREBP-1c (all p < 0.001), suggesting the important role of FFA in lipoprotein metabolism. Results support the recommendation to include these ingredients in pork products addressed to reduce the presence of increased atherogenic particles in aged people at CVD risk consuming large amounts of pork.