Study of the changes on the physicochemical properties of isolated lentil starch during germination.

In this work, the changes in the composition of the flours and in the morphological, structural, thermal, vibrational, rheological, and functional properties of the isolated lentil starch during the germination process were investigated. The fiber, fat, and ash content of the flours decreased and the protein content increased, while the apparent amylose content of the starch granules remained constant. Using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), the starch granules remained intact during germination, and no enzymatic activity of α- and ß-amylases was observed. X-ray diffraction shows that the starch has nanocrystals with hexagonal structure which predominate over the nanocrystals with orthorhombic structure and are classified as C-type starch. The most important result is that these nanocrystals do not play an important role during germination. As the germination time progresses, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) shows a decrease in the gelatinization temperature (Tp) of the starch, ranging from 70.34 ± 0.25 °C for the native lentil starch to values of 67.16 ± 0.37 °C for the starch on the fourth day of germination (ILS4), this transition being related to the solvation of the nanocrystals. On the other hand, the pasting profiles show no significant changes during germination, indicating that no significant changes in starch content occur during germination. Starch degradation is essential for the production of malt for fermented beverages. This fact makes sprouted lentils not a candidate for the short-term fermentation required in the beverage industry.

Increase in the frequency of scurvy in children with food selectivity: A case series. / Aumento de la frecuencia de escorbuto en niños con selectividad alimentaria: serie de casos.

Scurvy is a disease caused by vitamin C deficiency. Although rare, in recent years, the number of scurvy cases in children with eating disorders has increased. Its manifestations are varied because vitamin C is a cofactor in numerous processes, such as collagen synthesis. The typical skin manifestations include petechiae, bruising, and hyperkeratosis. Mucosal involvement manifests as gingivitis with hypertrophy, bleeding, and loss of teeth. The diagnosis is based on clinical findings and may be confirmed by measuring plasma vitamin C levels. The objective of this study was to describe a cohort of patients diagnosed with scurvy in recent years, its clinical manifestations, and findings in relation to their eating behavior and neurodevelopmental disorders.

El escorbuto es una enfermedad producida por déficit de vitamina C. Aunque es poco frecuente, en los últimos años observamos un incremento de casos en niños con trastornos de la conducta alimentaria. Sus manifestaciones son variadas, ya que esta vitamina actúa como cofactor en numerosos procesos, como la síntesis de colágeno. Las manifestaciones cutáneas características son las petequias, equimosis e hiperqueratosis. El compromiso mucoso se manifiesta como gingivitis con hipertrofia, hemorragias y pérdida de piezas dentarias. El diagnóstico es clínico y puede confirmarse mediante la determinación de la vitamina C plasmática. El objetivo de este trabajo es describir una cohorte de pacientes diagnosticados en los últimos años, manifestaciones clínicas y hallazgos en relación con su conducta alimentaria y trastornos del neurodesarrollo.

[Alusti test as a premonitory variable of adverse health events in a nursing home. Two-years follow-up]. / Test Alusti como variable premonitoria de procesos adversos de salud en una residencia de mayores. Seguimiento a 2 años.

INTRODUCTION: Functional capacity is a good indicator of health, quality of life, and a good predictor of morbimortality. It is a priority to functionally assess the geriatric population through objective, precise, and simple instruments. The Alusti Test in its two versions, complete (TA) and abbreviated (TAA), is a scale that meets these criteria. OBJECTIVE: To determine the usefulness of the Alusti Test as a predictor of adverse health events: falls, hospitalizations, cognitive deterioration, and mortality in the elderly institutionalized population, with a two-year follow-up. MATERIAL AND METHODS: This observational study's sample included 176 persons admitted to a nursing home for 32months, with a mean age of 85.5years. The TA was performed on 138 and the TAA on 38. RESULTS: The ratio of falls is much higher in residents with mild dependence than in those with total dependence (P<.001). Hospitalizations increase as the results of the Alusti Test are more favorable. The risk of hospitalization in dependent patients is 50% lower (P<.001) than in those with preserved mobility. Cognitive impairment is similar in all the populations with some mild-moderate level of functional dependence and decreases in the population with preserved mobility. Categorization as total and mild/severe dependence is related to a 3-4times higher mortality at six months follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: A higher mild-moderate level of dependence on the AT correlates with a lower risk of falls, a lower rate of hospitalization, and a higher risk of mortality at six months.

Quality control in clinical raster-scan optoacoustic mesoscopy.

Optoacoustic (photoacoustic) mesoscopy bridges the gap between optoacoustic microscopy and macroscopy and enables high-resolution visualization deeper than optical microscopy. Nevertheless, as images may be affected by motion and noise, it is critical to develop methodologies that offer standardization and quality control to ensure that high-quality datasets are reproducibly obtained from patient scans. Such development is particularly important for ensuring reliability in applying machine learning methods or for reliably measuring disease biomarkers. We propose herein a quality control scheme to assess the quality of data collected. A reference scan of a suture phantom is performed to characterize the system noise level before each raster-scan optoacoustic mesoscopy (RSOM) measurement. Using the recorded RSOM data, we develop a method that estimates the amount of motion in the raw data. These motion metrics are employed to classify the quality of raw data collected and derive a quality assessment index (QASIN) for each raw measurement. Using simulations, we propose a selection criterion of images with sufficient QASIN, leading to the compilation of RSOM datasets with consistent quality. Using 160 RSOM measurements from healthy volunteers, we show that RSOM images that were selected using QASIN were of higher quality and fidelity compared to non-selected images. We discuss how this quality control scheme can enable the standardization of RSOM images for clinical and biomedical applications.

Prediction models of COVID-19 fatality in nine Peruvian provinces: A secondary analysis of the national epidemiological surveillance system.

There are initiatives to promote the creation of predictive COVID-19 fatality models to assist decision-makers. The study aimed to develop prediction models for COVID-19 fatality using population data recorded in the national epidemiological surveillance system of Peru. A retrospective cohort study was conducted (March to September of 2020). The study population consisted of confirmed COVID-19 cases reported in the surveillance system of nine provinces of Lima, Peru. A random sample of 80% of the study population was selected, and four prediction models were constructed using four different strategies to select variables: 1) previously analyzed variables in machine learning models; 2) based on the LASSO method; 3) based on significance; and 4) based on a post-hoc approach with variables consistently included in the three previous strategies. The internal validation was performed with the remaining 20% of the population. Four prediction models were successfully created and validate using data from 22,098 cases. All models performed adequately and similarly; however, we selected models derived from strategy 1 (AUC 0.89, CI95% 0.87-0.91) and strategy 4 (AUC 0.88, CI95% 0.86-0.90). The performance of both models was robust in validation and sensitivity analyses. This study offers insights into estimating COVID-19 fatality within the Peruvian population. Our findings contribute to the advancement of prediction models for COVID-19 fatality and may aid in identifying individuals at increased risk, enabling targeted interventions to mitigate the disease. Future studies should confirm the performance and validate the usefulness of the models described here under real-world conditions and settings.

Machine learning analysis of human skin by optoacoustic mesoscopy for automated extraction of psoriasis and aging biomarkers.

Ultra-wideband raster-scan optoacoustic mesoscopy (RSOM) is a novel modality that has demonstrated unprecedented ability to visualize epidermal and dermal structures in-vivo. However, an automatic and quantitative analysis of three-dimensional RSOM datasets remains unexplored. In this work we present our framework: Deep Learning RSOM Analysis Pipeline (DeepRAP), to analyze and quantify morphological skin features recorded by RSOM and extract imaging biomarkers for disease characterization. DeepRAP uses a multi-network segmentation strategy based on convolutional neural networks with transfer learning. This strategy enabled the automatic recognition of skin layers and subsequent segmentation of dermal microvasculature with an accuracy equivalent to human assessment. DeepRAP was validated against manual segmentation on 25 psoriasis patients under treatment and our biomarker extraction was shown to characterize disease severity and progression well with a strong correlation to physician evaluation and histology. In a unique validation experiment, we applied DeepRAP in a time series sequence of occlusion-induced hyperemia from 10 healthy volunteers. We observe how the biomarkers decrease and recover during the occlusion and release process, demonstrating accurate performance and reproducibility of DeepRAP. Furthermore, we analyzed a cohort of 75 volunteers and defined a relationship between aging and microvascular features in-vivo. More precisely, this study revealed that fine microvascular features in the dermal layer have the strongest correlation to age. The ability of our newly developed framework to enable the rapid study of human skin morphology and microvasculature in-vivo promises to replace biopsy studies, increasing the translational potential of RSOM.

Sequencing by avidity enables high accuracy with low reagent consumption.

We present avidity sequencing, a sequencing chemistry that separately optimizes the processes of stepping along a DNA template and that of identifying each nucleotide within the template. Nucleotide identification uses multivalent nucleotide ligands on dye-labeled cores to form polymerase-polymer-nucleotide complexes bound to clonal copies of DNA targets. These polymer-nucleotide substrates, termed avidites, decrease the required concentration of reporting nucleotides from micromolar to nanomolar and yield negligible dissociation rates. Avidity sequencing achieves high accuracy, with 96.2% and 85.4% of base calls having an average of one error per 1,000 and 10,000 base pairs, respectively. We show that the average error rate of avidity sequencing remained stable following a long homopolymer.

Characterization of the bacterial fecal microbiota composition of pigs preceding the clinical signs of swine dysentery.

Swine dysentery (SD) is a worldwide production-limiting disease of growing-finishing pigs in commercial farms. The importance of the large intestinal microbiota in the swine dysentery pathogenesis has been established, but not well characterized. The objective of this study was to characterize the fecal bacterial microbiota of pigs immediately prior to developing clinical signs of swine dysentery. A total of 60 fecal samples were collected from 15 pigs with SD. Sampling times included a time point prior to SD (d0, n=15), 2 days before mucohaemorrhagic diarrhea was observed (d-2SD, n=15), 1 day before mucohaemorrhagic diarrhea was observed (d-1SD, n=15), and the day when pigs developed mucohemorragic diarrhea (MHD, n=15). Sequencing of cpn60 amplicons was used to profile the microbiome, and analyses were performed on QIIME2. Increased Chao1 index in d-1SD and MHD samples when compared to the d0 was the only change observed in alpha diversity. No differences between sampling times on beta diversity (Bray-Curtis dissimilarity) were found. Although a small sample size was investigated, differential abundance analysis revealed that Alistipes dispar and Parabacteroides gordonii were increased in MHD fecal samples when compared to d-2SD and d-1SD. It is suggested that these taxa may play a role in the pathogenesis of SD, which is known to require the presence of Brachyspira spp. and an anaerobe for severe disease development.

Opening a window to skin biomarkers for diabetes stage with optoacoustic mesoscopy.

Being the largest and most accessible organ of the human body, the skin could offer a window to diabetes-related complications on the microvasculature. However, skin microvasculature is typically assessed by histological analysis, which is not suited for applications to large populations or longitudinal studies. We introduce ultra-wideband raster-scan optoacoustic mesoscopy (RSOM) for precise, non-invasive assessment of diabetes-related changes in the dermal microvasculature and skin micro-anatomy, resolved with unprecedented sensitivity and detail without the need for contrast agents. Providing unique imaging contrast, we explored a possible role for RSOM as an investigational tool in diabetes healthcare and offer the first comprehensive study investigating the relationship between different diabetes complications and microvascular features in vivo. We applied RSOM to scan the pretibial area of 95 participants with diabetes mellitus and 48 age-matched volunteers without diabetes, grouped according to disease complications, and extracted six label-free optoacoustic biomarkers of human skin, including dermal microvasculature density and epidermal parameters, based on a novel image-processing pipeline. We then correlated these biomarkers to disease severity and found statistically significant effects on microvasculature parameters as a function of diabetes complications. We discuss how label-free RSOM biomarkers can lead to a quantitative assessment of the systemic effects of diabetes and its complications, complementing the qualitative assessment allowed by current clinical metrics, possibly leading to a precise scoring system that captures the gradual evolution of the disease.

Improving the consistency of experimental swine dysentery inoculation strategies.

Swine dysentery (SD) caused by pathogenic Brachyspira spp. is an economic challenge for the swine industry. In research settings, experimental reproduction of swine dysentery typically relies on intragastric inoculation which has shown variable success. This project aimed to improve the consistency of the experimental inoculation protocol used for swine dysentery in our laboratory. Over six experiments, we evaluated the influence of group housing in inoculated pigs using a frozen-thawed broth culture of strongly hemolytic B. hyodysenteriae strain D19 (Trial A), compared the relative virulence of B. hyodysenteriae strains D19 and G44 (Trial B), compared inoculum volumes (50 mL vs 100 mL) for G44 and B. hampsonii 30446 (Trial C), and performed three independent trials evaluating intragastric inoculation using different oral inoculation methods: oral feed balls (Trial D), and oral syringe bolus of 100 mL (Trial E) or 300 mL (Trial F). Intragastric inoculation with a fresh broth culture of B. hyodysenteriae strain G44 resulted in a shorter incubation period and a higher proportionate duration of mucohemorrhagic diarrhea (MMHD) compared to D19. Intragastric inoculation with either 50 or 100 mL of B. hampsonii 30446 or B. hyodysenteriae (G44) were statistically equivalent. Oral inoculation with 100 mL or 300 mL also yielded similar results to intragastric inoculation but was more expensive due to the additional work and supplies associated with syringe training. Our future research will use intragastric inoculation with 100 mL of a fresh broth culture containing B. hyodysenteriae strain G44 as it yields a high incidence of mucohaemorrhagic diarrhea with a reasonable cost.

Aeroallergen immunotherapy associated with reduced risk of severe COVID-19 in 1095 allergic patients.

Introduction: Allergen immunotherapy (AIT) brings along changes in the immune system, restoring dendritic cell function, reducing T2 inflammation and augmenting the regulatory cell activation. Coronavirus disease (COVID-19), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infections, interferes with the immune system causing immune suppression during the first phase and over-activation in more advanced disease. We decided to explore the interaction of both in a real-world observational trial. Methods: We registered COVID-19 outcomes in patients with allergic disorders in Latin America, treated with and without AIT. The registry was conducted during the first 1.3 years of the pandemic, with most of the data collected before COVID-19 vaccination was concluded in most countries. Data collection was anonymous via a web-based instrument. Ten countries participated. Results: 630/1095 (57.6%) of the included patients received AIT. Compared to patients without AIT, those treated with AIT had a reduced risk ratio (RR) for COVID-19 lower respiratory symptoms (RR 0.78, 95% CI: 0.6703-0.9024; p = 0.001662) and need for oxygen therapy (RR 0.65, 95% CI: 0.4217-0.9992; p = 0.048). In adherent patients on maintenance sublingual immunotherapy/subcutaneous immunotherapy (SLIT/SCIT) the RR reduction was larger [RR = 0.6136 (95% CI 0.4623-0.8143; p < 0.001) and RR: 0.3495 (95% CI 0.1822-0.6701; p < 0.005), respectively]. SLIT was slightly more effective (NS). We excluded age, comorbidities, level of health care attendance, and type of allergic disorder as confounders, although asthma was related to a higher frequency of severe disease. When analyzing patients with allergic asthma (n = 503) the RR reduction favoring AIT was more pronounced with 30% for lower respiratory symptoms or worse (RR 0.6914, 95% CI 0.5264 to 0.9081, p = 0.0087) and 51% for need of oxygen therapy or worse (RR 0.4868, 95% CI 0.2829-0.8376, p = 0.0082). Among severe allergic patients treated with biologics (n = 24) only 2/24 needed oxygen therapy. There were no critical cases among them. Conclusion: In our registry AIT was associated with reduced COVID-19 severity.

Intra and inter-individual variability in functional connectomes of patients with First Episode of Psychosis.

Patients with Schizophrenia may show different clinical presentations, not only regarding inter-individual comparisons but also in one specific subject over time. In fMRI studies, functional connectomes have been shown to carry valuable individual level information, which can be associated with cognitive and behavioral variables. Moreover, functional connectomes have been used to identify subjects within a group, as if they were fingerprints. For the particular case of Schizophrenia, it has been shown that there is reduced connectome stability as well as higher inter-individual variability. Here, we studied inter and intra-individual heterogeneity by exploring functional connectomes' variability and related it with clinical variables (PANSS Total scores and antipsychotic's doses). Our sample consisted of 30 patients with First Episode of Psychosis and 32 Healthy Controls, with a test-retest approach of two resting-state fMRI scanning sessions. In our patients' group, we found increased deviation from healthy functional connectomes and increased intragroup inter-subject variability, which was positively correlated to symptoms' levels in six subnetworks (visual, somatomotor, dorsal attention, ventral attention, frontoparietal and DMN). Moreover, changes in symptom severity were positively related to changes in deviation from healthy functional connectomes. Regarding intra-subject variability, we were unable to replicate previous findings of reduced connectome stability (i.e., increased intra-subject variability), but we found a trend suggesting that result. Our findings highlight the relevance of variability characterization in Schizophrenia, and they can be related to evidence of Schizophrenia patients having a noisy functional connectome.

Morphological Electrical and Hardness Characterization of Carbon Nanotube-Reinforced Thermoplastic Polyurethane (TPU) Nanocomposite Plates.

The impacts on the morphological, electrical and hardness properties of thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) plates using multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) as reinforcing fillers have been investigated, using MWCNT loadings between 1 and 7 wt%. Plates of the TPU/MWCNT nanocomposites were fabricated by compression molding from extruded pellets. An X-ray diffraction analysis showed that the incorporation of MWCNTs into the TPU polymer matrix increases the ordered range of the soft and hard segments. SEM images revealed that the fabrication route used here helped to obtain TPU/MWCNT nanocomposites with a uniform dispersion of the nanotubes inside the TPU matrix and promoted the creation of a conductive network that favors the electronic conduction of the composite. The potential of the impedance spectroscopy technique has been used to determine that the TPU/MWCNT plates exhibited two conduction mechanisms, percolation and tunneling conduction of electrons, and their conductivity values increase as the MWCNT loading increases. Finally, although the fabrication route induced a hardness reduction with respect to the pure TPU, the addition of MWCNT increased the Shore A hardness behavior of the TPU plates.

Infección del miocardio por Mycobacterium tuberculosis: una localización infrecuente de una infección antigua

La tuberculosis miocárdica es una localización infrecuente que, en general, se caracteriza por cuadros clínicos silentes. Su diagnóstico se basa en la alta sospecha clínica y hallazgos inespecíficos en las imágenes cardíacas, pero la histopatología continúa siendo el estándar de oro para establecer el diagnóstico. La terapia antituberculosa ha sido exitosa, presentando mejoría radiológica y clínica en la mayoría de los casos. Presentamos el caso de una infección miocárdica por Mycobacterium tuberculosis en un hombre de 34 años que consultó por un cuadro de disnea de varias semanas de evolución. Se pesquisó un derrame pleural derecho y pericárdico grave, sin signos de taponamiento cardíaco. La RPC para M. tuberculosis en líquido pleural resultó positiva. El estudio histológico de pericardio y miocardio evidenció una pericarditis crónica y una inflamación granulomatosa, no necrosante, con células gigantes multinucleadas en el tejido miocárdico. Se estableció el diagnóstico de tuberculosis pleural, pericárdica y miocárdica y se inició tratamiento antituberculoso, presentando una mejoría clínica significativa.

Myocardial tuberculosis is a rare location that is generally characterized by silent clinical pictures. Diagnosis is based on high clinical suspicion and some nonspecific findings on cardiac imaging, but histological findings remain the gold standard. Treatment with standard antitubercular drugs llave been successful, presenting radiological and clinical improvement in most cases. We report a case of myocardial infection by Mycobacterium tuberculosis in a 34-year-old man, who presented with several weeks of dyspnea and evidence of right pleural effusion and severe pericardial effusion, without signs of cardiac tamponade. PCR for M. tuberculosis was positive in pleural fluid. The histologic study of pericardium and myocardium showed myocardial fibers with non-necrotizing granulomatous inflammation with multinucleated giant cells. Due to all the above, a diagnosis of pleural and myocardial tuberculosis was made, and tuberculosis treatment was started with significant clinical improvement.

Effects of a multicomponent physical exercise programme on perceived health-related quality of life and on depressive symptoms in older adults living in long-term nursing homes.

Objectives: This study aimed to investigate the impact of a multicomponent exercise programme on perceived health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and depressive symptomatology in older people living in a long-term nursing home (LTNH). Methods: A quasi-experimental study was conducted. Forty-one older people were conveniently selected from the largest LTNH in the Basque Country. The participants were assigned to either an intervention group (n = 21) or a control group (n = 20). The intervention group participated in 50-min moderate intensity multicomponent physical exercise sessions (strength and balance, three sessions a week for 3 months). The control group participants continued their usual activities in the LTNH. Assessments were completed at baseline and reassessed after the 12-week intervention by the same nurse researchers who filled out the questionnaires: the 36-item Short Form Survey (SF-36) and the Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS). Results: Thirty-eight participants completed the study (19 participants in each group). In the SF-36 parameters, physical functioning increase in the intervention group tends with a mean increase of 11.06 units (a 17.2% increase over the pre). In the role-emotional, the increase in the intervention group is with a mean increase of 5.27 units (a 29.1% increase over the pre) (P < 0.05). In social functioning, the increase in the control group is significant with a mean increase of 13.16 units (a 15.4% increase over the pre) (P < 0.05). There are no significant changes in the rest of the parameters, there are no differences between groups in the evolutionary pattern either. Conclusions: As for the effects of the multicomponent exercise programme on HRQoL and depressive symptomatology, no statistically significant effects were obtained in the outcome data among older adults living in LTNHs. An increase in the sample size could confirm the trends obtained. The results may help inform the design of future studies.

Online Databases of Genome Editing in Cardiovascular and Metabolic Diseases.

Metabolic and cardiovascular diseases are world-concerning pathologies that affect an important percentage of the population. Nowadays, advances in the genetic background of these diseases allow new approaches to models and therapies, as well as different gene edition trials. Furthermore, technological improvements in gene editing go along with the development of new online and biocomputational tools that provide us alternative ways to explore pathologies. In this chapter, historical gene editing methods are discussed but focusing on CRISPR-Cas system in detail and also online resources available to perform these types of experiments. Here, the different strategies for gene editing and their online tools are gathered, putting the light on its application in the study and treatment of cardiovascular and metabolic diseases.

Factores asociados a la masa y la fuerza muscular en pacientes con cirrosis hepática: un estudio transversal / Factors associated with muscle mass and strength in patients with liver cirrhosis: A cross-sectional study

Resumen Introducción: la sarcopenia es una complicación frecuente de cirrosis y se ha relacionado con progresión de insuficiencia hepática y aumento de las complicaciones, incluida la mortalidad. El objetivo del presente estudió fue determinar los factores asociados a la masa y la fuerza muscular en pacientes cirróticos. Métodos: estudio de corte transversal, descriptivo y analítico. Se incluyó a todos los adultos que acudieron a valoración ambulatoria por hepatología con diagnóstico de cirrosis hepática. A todos se les realizó una valoración nutricional que incluyó mediciones antropométricas, bioimpedanciometría, fuerza de agarre y la escala de tamización Royal Free Hospital-Nutritional Prioritizing Tool (RFH-NPT). Se realizó un análisis de regresión lineal o logística, según correspondiera. Resultados: se incluyó a 40 pacientes. La frecuencia de malnutrición fue de 17,5% de acuerdo con la fuerza de agarre. Los principales determinantes de la masa muscular en el análisis lineal multivariable fueron la edad, el valor de proteína corporal total y el agua corporal total. La fuerza de agarre también fue un predictor significativo en la regresión lineal univariable. Las variables relacionadas con fuerza muscular disminuida fueron el puntaje Child-Pugh, la historia de ascitis y de encefalopatía hepática, el consumo de terapias de disminución de amonio, la puntuación en la escala RFH-NPT y la masa libre de grasa. Conclusiones: la masa muscular esquelética del paciente cirrótico se asoció con la edad, cambios en la composición corporal y la fuerza de agarre. Los determinantes de la fuerza muscular fueron el estadio de la enfermedad, el consumo de terapias de disminución de amonio y la puntuación en la escala RFH-NPT.

Abstract Introduction: Sarcopenia is a frequent complication of cirrhosis and has been related to the progression of liver failure and increased complications, including mortality. This study aimed to determine the factors associated with muscle mass and strength in cirrhotic patients. Materials and methods: Cross-sectional, descriptive, analytical study. All adults who attended outpatient hepatology assessment with a diagnosis of liver cirrhosis were included. They underwent a nutritional examination that included anthropometric measurements, bioimpedanciometry, grip strength, and the Royal Free Hospital-Nutritional Prioritizing Tool (RFH-NPT) screening scale. A linear or logistic regression analysis was performed as appropriate. Results: 40 patients were included. The frequency of malnutrition was 17.5%, according to grip strength. The main determinants of muscle mass in the multivariate linear analysis were age, total body protein value, and total body water. Grip strength was also a significant predictor in univariate linear regression. Variables related to decreased muscle strength were the Child-Pugh score, history of ascites and hepatic encephalopathy, consumption of ammonium-lowering therapies, RFH-NPT score, and fat-free mass. Conclusions: The skeletal muscle mass of the cirrhotic patient was associated with age, changes in body composition, and grip strength. The muscle strength determinants were the disease's stage, the consumption of ammonium-lowering therapies, and the score on the RFH-NPT scale.

Effect of fique fibers and its processing by-products on morphology, thermal and mechanical properties of epoxy based biocomposites.

This work examines the morphology, mechanical and thermal properties of biocomposites based on epoxy resin-EP and fique (Furcraea andina), a native crop of South America. The EP-fique biocomposites were prepared using fique powder-FP an industrial waste generated during fique processing, nonwoven fique fiber mats-NWF and unidirectional fique fiber mats-UF oriented at 0° and 90°. The addition of fique into EP matrix restricts EP macromolecule chains movement and enhance the thermal stability of EP. SEM images showed that fique form used (powder or fiber) and mat arrangement can generate changes in the biocomposites morphology. Mechanical characterization show that fique powder and fique fibers oriented at 90° acts as fillers for the epoxy matrix while the fique fibers oriented at 0° reinforce EP matrix increasing the tensile and flexural modulus up to 5700 and 1100% respectively and tensile and flexural strength up to 277% and 820% in comparison with neat EP. The obtained results can increase the interest in researching and developing products from fique Powders and other natural fibers processing byproducts thus reducing the abundance of waste in soil and landfills and environmental concerns and suggest that the EP-fique biocomposites are promising to be used in the automotive sector.

Experimental natural transmission (seeder pig) models for reproduction of swine dysentery.

Swine dysentery is causally associated with Brachyspira hampsonii and B. hyodysenteriae infection. Given the importance of transmission models in understanding re-emergent diseases and developing control strategies such as vaccines, the objective of this experiment was to evaluate two experimental natural transmission (seeder pig) models in grower pigs, each with 24 animals. Seeder pigs were intragastrically inoculated using broth cultures of either B. hampsonii strain 30446 (genomovar II) or B. hyodysenteriae strain G44. In trial 1, three seeder pigs were placed into two pens containing nine susceptible contact pigs creating a 1:3 seeder:contact ratio. This was sufficient to achieve natural B. hampsonii infection of 13/18 (72%) contact pigs, however, the incidence of mucoid or mucohemorrhagic diarrhea (MMHD) in contact pigs differed significantly between pens (4/9 versus 9/9; P = 0.03). In trial 2, eight seeder pigs inoculated intragastrically with B. hampsonii did not develop MMHD but when re-inoculated with B. hyodysenteriae 14 days later, all developed mucohemorrhagic diarrhea within 13 days of re-inoculation. Two seeder pigs were placed into each of 4 contact pens each containing 4 pigs. This 1:2 seeder:contact ratio resulted in natural infection of 14/16 (87%) contact pigs with incubation period ranging from 9-15 days. There were no significant differences among pens in incubation period, duration, clinical period or severity of diarrhea. These trials demonstrated that a 1:2 seeder:contact ratio with groups of six grower pigs per pen sustained natural transmission of B. hyodysenteriae G44 with greater consistency in the incidence of MMHD among pens compared to a B. hampsonii 30446 transmission model using 1:3 seeder:contact ratio in pens of 12. Understanding why B. hampsonii intragastric inoculation failed in one experiment warrants additional research.