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1.
Environ Res ; 252(Pt 1): 118712, 2024 Mar 26.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38548255

RESUMO

Lead ammunition stands out as one of the most pervasive pollutants affecting wildlife. Its impact on bird populations have spurred efforts for the phase-out of leaded gunshot in several countries, although with varying scopes and applications. Ongoing and future policy changes require data to assess the effectiveness of adopted measures, particularly in the current context of biodiversity loss. Here, we assessed the long-term changes in blood lead (Pb) levels of Egyptian vultures from the Canary Islands, Spain, which have been severely affected by Pb poisoning over the past two decades. During this period, the reduction in hunting pressure and changes in legislation regarding firearms usage for small game hunting likely contributed to a decrease in environmental Pb availability. As anticipated, our results show a reduction in Pb levels, especially after the ban on wild rabbit hunting with shotgun since 2010. This effect was stronger in the preadult fraction of the vulture population. However, we still observed elevated blood Pb levels above the background and clinical thresholds in 5.6% and 1.5% of individuals, respectively. Our results highlight the positive impact of reducing the availability of Pb from ammunition sources on individual health. Nonetheless, the continued use of Pb gunshot remains an important source of poisoning, even lethal, mainly affecting adult individuals. This poses a particular concern for long-lived birds, compounding by potential chronic effects associated with Pb bioaccumulation. Our findings align with recent studies indicating insufficient reductions in Pb levels among European birds of prey, attributed to limited policy changes and their uneven implementation. We anticipated further reductions in Pb levels among Egyptian vultures with expanded restrictions on hunting practices, including a blanket ban on Pb shot usage across all small game species.

2.
Eur Geriatr Med ; 12(3): 653-656, 2021 06.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-33469813

RESUMO

PURPOSE: We aimed to evaluate and compare the Short Form of the Mini Nutritional Assessment (MNA-SF) as a nutritional screening tool with the new Global Leadership Initiative on Malnutrition (GLIM) diagnostic criteria for malnutrition (the most current reference standard) among older patients with cancer. METHODS: Patients ≥ 70 years old, with a G8 screening tool ≤ 14, referred to an oncogeriatric clinic. MNA-SF and GLIM criteria were obtained. RESULTS: 40 patients were included (mean age 84.8 ± 5.5, 60% male). According to the GLIM diagnostic criteria, 57.5% were malnourished. The MNA-SF classified 80% as being malnourished or at risk of malnutrition. MNA-SF showed a high sensitivity (100%) and a low specificity (50%) to detect GLIM-defined malnutrition. The AUC of the ROC curve was 0.75. CONCLUSION: The MNA-SF scale is useful as a screening tool to detect malnutrition in older cancer outpatients.


Assuntos
Desnutrição , Neoplasias , Idoso , Idoso de 80 Anos ou mais , Detecção Precoce de Câncer , Feminino , Humanos , Masculino , Desnutrição/diagnóstico , Neoplasias/complicações , Avaliação Nutricional , Estado Nutricional
5.
Sci Rep ; 10(1): 8666, 2020 05 26.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-32457380

RESUMO

This multi-disciplinary work provides an updated assessment of possible future eruptive scenarios for the city of Rome. Seven new 40Ar/39Ar ages from selected products of the Monti Sabatini and Vulsini volcanic districts, along with a compilation of all the literature ages on the Colli Albani and Vico products, are used to reconstruct and compare the eruptive histories of the Monti Sabatini and Colli Albani over the last 900 ka, in order to define their present state of activity. Petrographic analyses of the dated units characterize the crystal cargo, and Advanced-InSAR analysis highlights active deformation in the MS. We also review the historical and instrumental seismicity affecting this region. Based on the chronology of the most recent phases and the time elapsed between the last eruptions, we conclude that the waning/extinguishment of eruptive activity shifted progressively from NW to SE, from northern Latium toward the Neapolitan area, crossing the city of Rome. Although Monti Sabatini is unaffected by the unrest indicators presently occurring at the Colli Albani, it should be regarded as a dormant volcanic district, as the time of 70 kyr elapsed since the last eruption is of the same order of the longest dormancies occurred in the past.

6.
Microb Ecol ; 76(2): 555-564, 2018 Aug.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-29332150

RESUMO

While direct detrimental effects of parasites on hosts are relatively well documented, other more subtle but potentially important effects of parasitism are yet unexplored. Biological activity of ectoparasites, apart from skin injuries and blood-feeding, often results in blood remains, or parasite faeces that accumulate and modify the host environment. In this way, ectoparasite activities and remains may increase nutrient availability that may favour colonization and growth of microorganisms including potential pathogens. Here, by the experimental addition of hematophagous flies (Carnus hemapterus, a common ectoparasite of birds) to nests of spotless starlings Sturnus unicolor during incubation, we explore this possible side effect of parasitism which has rarely, if ever, been investigated. Results show that faeces and blood remains from parasitic flies on spotless starling eggshells at the end of incubation were more abundant in experimental than in control nests. Moreover, eggshell bacterial loads of different groups of cultivable bacteria including potential pathogens, as well as species richness of bacteria in terms of Operational Taxonomic Units (OTUs), were also higher in experimental nests. Finally, we also found evidence of a link between eggshell bacterial loads and increased embryo mortality, which provides indirect support for a bacterial-mediated negative effect of ectoparasitism on host offspring. Trans-shell bacterial infection might be one of the main causes of embryo death and, consequently, this hitherto unnoticed indirect effect of ectoparasitism might be widespread in nature and could affect our understanding of ecology and evolution of host-parasite interactions.


Assuntos
Bactérias/crescimento & desenvolvimento , Aves/microbiologia , Interações Hospedeiro-Parasita/fisiologia , Óvulo/microbiologia , Experimentação Animal , Animais , Bactérias/classificação , Bactérias/patogenicidade , Carga Bacteriana , Biodiversidade , Evolução Biológica , Doenças das Aves/microbiologia , Doenças das Aves/mortalidade , Doenças das Aves/parasitologia , Aves/classificação , Contagem de Colônia Microbiana , Dípteros/microbiologia , Ecologia , Casca de Ovo/microbiologia , Microbiologia Ambiental , Fezes/microbiologia , Microbiota , Comportamento de Nidação , Especificidade da Espécie
7.
Exp Gerontol ; 107: 18-26, 2018 07 01.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-28709938

RESUMO

INTRODUCTION: Deteriorating brain glucose metabolism precedes the clinical onset of Alzheimer's disease (AD) and appears to contribute to its etiology. Ketone bodies, mainly ß-hydroxybutyrate and acetoacetate, are the primary alternative brain fuel to glucose. Some reports suggest that brain ketone metabolism is unchanged in AD but, to our knowledge, no such data are available for MCI. OBJECTIVE: To compare brain energy metabolism (glucose and acetoacetate) and some brain morphological characteristics in cognitively healthy older adult controls (CTL), mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and early AD. METHODS: 24 CTL, 20 MCI and 19AD of similar age and metabolic phenotype underwent a dual-tracer PET and MRI protocol. The uptake rate constants and cerebral metabolic rate of glucose (KGlu, CMRGlu) and acetoacetate (KAcAc, CMRAcAc) were evaluated with PET using [18F]-fluorodeoxyglucose ([18F]-FDG), a glucose analogue, and [11C]-acetoacetate ([11C]-AcAc), a ketone PET tracer. Regional brain volume and cortical thickness were evaluated by T1-weighted MRI. RESULTS: In AD compared to CTL, CMRGlu was ~11% lower in the frontal, parietal, temporal lobes and in the cingulate gyrus (p<0.05). KGlu was ~15% lower in these same regions and also in subcortical regions. In MCI compared to CTL, ~7% glucose hypometabolism was present in the cingulate gyrus. Neither regional nor whole brain CMRAcAc or KAcAc were significantly different between CTL and MCI or AD. Reduced gray matter volume and cortical thinning were widespread in AD compared to CTL, whereas, in MCI compared to CTL, volumes were reduced only in the temporal cortex and cortical thinning was most apparent in temporal and cingulate regions. DISCUSSION: This quantitative kinetic PET and MRI imaging protocol for brain glucose and acetoacetate metabolism confirms that the brain undergoes structural atrophy and lower brain energy metabolism in MCI and AD and demonstrates that the deterioration in brain energy metabolism is specific to glucose. These results suggest that a ketogenic intervention to increase energy availability for the brain is warranted in an attempt to delay further cognitive decline by compensating for the brain glucose deficit in MCI and AD.


Assuntos
Acetoacetatos/metabolismo , Doença de Alzheimer/metabolismo , Encéfalo/metabolismo , Disfunção Cognitiva/metabolismo , Glucose/metabolismo , Idoso , Idoso de 80 Anos ou mais , Doença de Alzheimer/diagnóstico por imagem , Encéfalo/diagnóstico por imagem , Estudos de Casos e Controles , Disfunção Cognitiva/diagnóstico por imagem , Estudos Transversais , Metabolismo Energético , Feminino , Fluordesoxiglucose F18 , Humanos , Modelos Lineares , Imageamento por Ressonância Magnética , Masculino , Tomografia por Emissão de Pósitrons
8.
Org Biomol Chem ; 16(4): 521-525, 2018 01 24.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-29210413

RESUMO

A collection of systematically substituted 3-cyclo-butylcarbamoyl hydantoins was synthesized by a regioselective multicomponent domino process followed by easy coupling reactions. Calculations, NMR studies and X-ray analysis show that these scaffolds are able to project their side chains similar to common secondary structures, such as the α-helix and ß-turn, with favourable enthalpic and entropic profiles.


Assuntos
Ciclobutanos/química , Hidantoínas/química , Peptidomiméticos/química , Ciclobutanos/síntese química , Hidantoínas/síntese química , Ligação de Hidrogênio , Modelos Químicos , Modelos Moleculares , Conformação Molecular , Peptidomiméticos/síntese química
9.
Radiología (Madr., Ed. impr.) ; 59(6): 511-515, nov.-dic. 2017. tab, ilus
Artigo em Espanhol | IBECS | ID: ibc-168587

RESUMO

Objetivo. Revisar las características radiopatológicas de carcinomas mamarios sintomáticos ocultos en mamografía digital (MD) y tomosíntesis (TS). Material y métodos. Análisis retrospectivo de 169 lesiones provenientes de pacientes sintomáticas con diagnóstico histológico de cáncer de mama y que fueron estudiadas con MD, TS, ecografía y resonancia magnética (RM). Se identificaron las lesiones ocultas (falsos negativos verdaderos) en MD y TS. Se analizaron datos clínicos, de densidad, los hallazgos con ecografía y RM, y la histopatología de las lesiones. Resultados. Se detectaron siete lesiones neoplásicas ocultas en MD y TS. El 57% (4/7) se presentó en mamas densas (tipo c y d), y las restantes en mamas de densidad b. Se identificaron seis de los carcinomas por ecografía y RM (masas BI-RADS 4); la lesión restante solo se visualizó en RM. En el 57% de las neoplasias, el tamaño medido con RM fue mayor de 3cm. Todas fueron carcinomas ductales infiltrantes, seis de ellos con alta proporción estromal. En cuanto a los subtipos moleculares, solo una fue triple negativo y las demás fueron de tipo luminal. Se analizaron los márgenes tumorales de dos carcinomas intervenidos sin quimioterapia previa, y ambos presentaban márgenes que desplazaban sin infiltrar el parénquima adyacente. Conclusión. Los carcinomas ocultos en MD y TS representaron el 4% de las lesiones detectadas en pacientes sintomáticas, fueron mayoritariamente masas, todas tuvieron diagnóstico de carcinoma ductal infiltrante (con predominio del inmunofenotipo luminal) y se detectaron en mamas de densidad tipo b, c y d (AU)


Objective. To review the radio-pathologic features of symptomatic breast cancers not detected at digital mammography (DM) and digital breast tomosynthesis (DBT). Material and methods. Retrospective analysis of 169 lesions from symptomatic patients with breast cancer that were studied with DM, DBT, ultrasound (US) and magnetic resonance (MR). We identified occult lesions (true false negatives) in DM and DBT. Clinical data, density, US and MR findings were analyzed as well as histopathological results. Results. We identified seven occult lesions in DM and DBT. 57% (4/7) of the lesions were identified in high-density breasts (type c and d), and the rest of them in breasts of density type b. Six carcinomas were identified at US and MR (BI-RADS 4 masses); the remaining lesion was only identified at MR. The tumor size was larger than 3cm at MRI in 57% of the lesions. All tumors were ductal infiltrating carcinomas, six of them with high stromal proportion. According to molecular classification, we found only one triple-negative breast cancer, the other lesions were luminal-type. We analyzed the tumor margins of two resected carcinomas that were not treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy, both lesions presented margins that displaced the adjacent parenchyma without infiltrating it. Conclusion. Occult breast carcinomas in DM and DBT accounted for 4% of lesions detected in patients with symptoms. They were mostly masses, all of them presented the diagnosis of infiltrating ductal carcinoma (with predominance of the luminal immunophenotype) and were detected in breasts of density type b, c and d (AU)


Assuntos
Humanos , Feminino , Adulto , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Neoplasias da Mama/patologia , Mamografia/métodos , Neoplasias Primárias Desconhecidas/diagnóstico por imagem , Neoplasias da Mama/classificação , Fatores de Risco , Estudos Retrospectivos , Intensificação de Imagem Radiográfica/métodos , Reações Falso-Negativas
10.
J Phys Condens Matter ; 29(48): 485701, 2017 12 06.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-29116941

RESUMO

The current study unveils the structural origin of the magnetic transition of the ε-Fe2O3 polymorph from an incommensurate magnetic order to a collinear ferrimagnetic state at low temperature. The high crystallinity of the samples and the absence of other iron oxide polymorphs have allowed us to carry out temperature-dependent x-ray absorption fine structure spectroscopy experiments out. The deformation of the structure is followed by the Debye-Waller factor for each selected Fe-O and Fe-Fe sub-shell. For nanoparticle sizes between 7 and 15 nm, the structural distortions between the Fete and Fe-D1oc sites are localized in a temperature range before the magnetic transition starts. On the contrary, the inherent interaction between the other sub-shells (named Fe-O1,2 and Fe-Fe1) provokes cooperative magneto-structural changes in the same temperature range. This means that the Fete with Fe-D1oc polyhedron interaction seems to be uncoupled with temperature dealing with these nanoparticle sizes wherein the structural distortions are likely moderate due to surface effects.

11.
Radiologia ; 59(6): 511-515, 2017.
Artigo em Inglês, Espanhol | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-28943165

RESUMO

OBJECTIVE: To review the radio-pathologic features of symptomatic breast cancers not detected at digital mammography (DM) and digital breast tomosynthesis (DBT). MATERIAL AND METHODS: Retrospective analysis of 169 lesions from symptomatic patients with breast cancer that were studied with DM, DBT, ultrasound (US) and magnetic resonance (MR). We identified occult lesions (true false negatives) in DM and DBT. Clinical data, density, US and MR findings were analyzed as well as histopathological results. RESULTS: We identified seven occult lesions in DM and DBT. 57% (4/7) of the lesions were identified in high-density breasts (type c and d), and the rest of them in breasts of density type b. Six carcinomas were identified at US and MR (BI-RADS 4 masses); the remaining lesion was only identified at MR. The tumor size was larger than 3cm at MRI in 57% of the lesions. All tumors were ductal infiltrating carcinomas, six of them with high stromal proportion. According to molecular classification, we found only one triple-negative breast cancer, the other lesions were luminal-type. We analyzed the tumor margins of two resected carcinomas that were not treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy, both lesions presented margins that displaced the adjacent parenchyma without infiltrating it. CONCLUSION: Occult breast carcinomas in DM and DBT accounted for 4% of lesions detected in patients with symptoms. They were mostly masses, all of them presented the diagnosis of infiltrating ductal carcinoma (with predominance of the luminal immunophenotype) and were detected in breasts of density type b, c and d.


Assuntos
Neoplasias da Mama/diagnóstico por imagem , Neoplasias da Mama/patologia , Mamografia , Adulto , Reações Falso-Negativas , Feminino , Humanos , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Estudos Retrospectivos
12.
J Vet Intern Med ; 30(6): 1780-1789, 2016 Nov.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-27667652

RESUMO

BACKGROUND: The contribution of fat loss versus muscle wasting to the loss of body weight seen in hyperthyroid cats is unknown. OBJECTIVES: To investigate body weight, body condition score (BCS), and muscle condition score (MCS) in hyperthyroid cats. ANIMALS: Four hundred sixty-two cats with untreated hyperthyroidism, 117 of which were reevaluated after treatment. METHODS: Prospective cross-sectional and before-after studies. Untreated hyperthyroid cats had body composition evaluated (body weight, BCS, and MCS). A subset of these cats were reevaluated 3-12 months after treatment when euthyroid. RESULTS: Pretreatment body weight (median, 4.36 kg; IQR, 3.5 to 5.2 kg) was lower than premorbid weight (5.45 kg; IQR, 4.6 to 6.4 kg, P < .0001) recorded 1-2 years before diagnosis. 154 (35.3%) cats were thin or emaciated; 357 (77.3%) had loss of muscle mass. Cats showed increases in body weight (median, 4.1 kg to 5.0 kg), BCS (median, 3/5 to 3.5/5), and MCS (2/3 to 3/3) after treatment (P < .001), but mild-to-moderate muscle wasting persisted in 45% of treated cats. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL IMPORTANCE: Most hyperthyroid cats lose body weight but maintain an ideal or overweight BCS, with only a third being underweight. As in human hyperthyroid patients, this weight loss is associated with muscle wasting, which affects >75% of hyperthyroid cats. Successful treatment leads to weight gain and increase of BCS in most cats, but almost half fail to regain normal muscle mass.


Assuntos
Peso Corporal , Doenças do Gato/patologia , Hipertireoidismo/veterinária , Atrofia Muscular/veterinária , Animais , Composição Corporal , Doenças do Gato/fisiopatologia , Doenças do Gato/radioterapia , Gatos , Estudos Controlados Antes e Depois , Estudos Transversais , Feminino , Hipertireoidismo/patologia , Hipertireoidismo/radioterapia , Radioisótopos do Iodo/uso terapêutico , Masculino , Atrofia Muscular/patologia , Atrofia Muscular/fisiopatologia , Estudos Prospectivos
13.
Biogerontology ; 17(1): 241-55, 2016 Feb.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-26364049

RESUMO

Our primary objective in this study was to quantify whole brain and regional cerebral metabolic rates of glucose (CMRg) in young and older adults in order to determine age-normalized reference CMRg values for healthy older adults with normal cognition for age. Our secondary objectives were to--(i) report a broader range of metabolic and endocrine parameters including body fat composition that could form the basis for the concept of a 'metabolic phenotype' in cognitively normal, older adults, and (ii) to assess whether medications commonly used to control blood lipids, blood pressure or thyroxine affect CMRg values in older adults. Cognition assessed by a battery of tests was normal for age and education in both groups. Compared to the young group (25 years old; n = 34), the older group (72 years old; n = 41) had ~14% lower CMRg (µmol/100 g/min) specifically in the frontal cortex, and 18% lower CMRg in the caudate. Lower grey matter volume and cortical thickness was widespread in the older group. These differences in CMRg, grey matter volume and cortical thickness were present in the absence of any known evidence for prodromal Alzheimer's disease (AD). Percent total body fat was positively correlated with CMRg in many brain regions but only in the older group. Before and after controlling for body fat, HOMA2-IR was significantly positively correlated to CMRg in several brain regions in the older group. These data show that compared to a healthy younger adult, the metabolic phenotype of a cognitively-normal 72 year old person includes similar plasma glucose, insulin, cholesterol, triglycerides and TSH, higher hemoglobin A1c and percent body fat, lower CMRg in the superior frontal cortex and caudate, but the same CMRg in the hippocampus and white matter. Age-normalization of cognitive test results is standard practice and we would suggest that regional CMRg in cognitively healthy older adults should also be age-normalized.


Assuntos
Envelhecimento/metabolismo , Encéfalo/metabolismo , Cognição/fisiologia , Metabolismo Energético/fisiologia , Glucose/metabolismo , Hormônios/sangue , Tecido Adiposo/fisiologia , Adulto , Idoso , Feminino , Humanos , Masculino , Taxa de Depuração Metabólica , Especificidade de Órgãos/fisiologia , Fenótipo , Valores de Referência , Reprodutibilidade dos Testes , Sensibilidade e Especificidade , Obtenção de Tecidos e Órgãos
14.
J Evol Biol ; 28(9): 1610-7, 2015 09.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-26109322

RESUMO

Although little is known on the impact of environment on telomere length dynamics, it has been suggested to be affected by stress, lifestyle and/or life-history strategies of animals. We here compared telomere dynamics in erythrocytes of hatchlings and fledglings of the brood parasite great spotted cuckoos (Clamator glandarius) and of magpies (Pica pica), their main host in Europe. In magpie chicks, telomere length decreased from hatching to fledging, whereas no significant change in telomere length of great spotted cuckoo chicks was found. Moreover, we found interspecific differences in the association between laying date and telomere shortening. Interspecific differences in telomere shortening were interpreted as a consequence of differences in lifestyle and life-history characteristics of magpies and great spotted cuckoos. In comparison with magpies, cuckoos experience reduced sibling competition and higher access to resources and, consequently, lower stressful environmental conditions during the nestling phase. These characteristics also explain the associations between telomere attrition and environmental conditions (i.e. laying date) for magpies and the absence of association for great spotted cuckoos. These results therefore fit expectations on telomere dynamics derived from interspecific differences in lifestyle and life history of brood parasites and their bird hosts.


Assuntos
Aves/fisiologia , Passeriformes/parasitologia , Encurtamento do Telômero , Animais , Interações Hospedeiro-Parasita/genética , Especificidade da Espécie , Homeostase do Telômero , Fatores de Tempo
15.
Rev. esp. geriatr. gerontol. (Ed. impr.) ; 50(2): 89-96, mar.-abr. 2015. tab
Artigo em Espanhol | IBECS | ID: ibc-134280

RESUMO

La utilización inapropiada de los medicamentos en los pacientes mayores tiene graves consecuencias en su salud —aumento del riesgo de sufrir reacciones adversas o síndromes geriátricos, mayor morbimortalidad— y en el sistema sanitario —aumento de costes, estancias hospitalarias excesivas. Para detectar y prevenir la utilización inadecuada de fármacos se está imponiendo progresivamente el uso de criterios explícitos, que pueden usarse dentro de la evaluación geriátrica exhaustiva o como parte de la actuación de diversos equipos multidisciplinares geriátricos. Los criterios STOPP-START, publicados por vez primera en 2008 (y en español en 2009), se están imponiendo como criterios de referencia en el ámbito europeo. Se presenta aquí la versión en español de la nueva edición (2014) de estos criterios, recientemente publicados en inglés. Además, se revisan en este artículo las publicaciones que han usado la versión inicial de los criterios STOPP-START en España desde su aparición, con la intención de fomentar su utilización e investigación en los distintos niveles asistenciales (AU)


Inappropriate use of drugs in older patients may have an adverse impact on several individual health outcomes, such as increasing the prevalence of adverse drug reactions, morbidity and mortality, and geriatric syndromes, as well as on health care systems, such as increased costs and longer hospital stays. Explicit criteria of drug appropriateness are increasingly used to detect and prevent inappropriate use of drugs, either within a comprehensive geriatric assessment or as tool used by different multidisciplinary geriatric teams. STOPP-START criteria, first published in 2008 (in Spanish in 2009), are being adopted as reference criteria throughout Europe. The Spanish version of the new 2014 edition (recently published in English) of the STOPP-START criteria is presented here. A review of all the papers published in Spain using the former version of these criteria is also presented, with the intention of promoting their use and for research in different health care levels (AU)


Assuntos
Humanos , Masculino , Feminino , Idoso , Idoso de 80 Anos ou mais , Prescrições de Medicamentos/estatística & dados numéricos , Prescrição Eletrônica/estatística & dados numéricos , Prescrição Inadequada/estatística & dados numéricos , Doença Crônica/tratamento farmacológico , Melhoria de Qualidade/tendências , Erros de Medicação/prevenção & controle , Quimioterapia Combinada , Fatores de Risco
16.
Biochim Biophys Acta ; 1850(4): 759-68, 2015 Apr.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-25597953

RESUMO

BACKGROUND: Experimental studies of antimicrobial peptides interacting with lipid membranes recently attracted growing interest due to their numerous biomedical applications. However, the influence of such peptides on the structural organisation of lipid membranes in connection with the actual cell response still remains an elusive issue. METHODS: X-ray diffraction was employed on detecting the sensitivity of the periodical spacing of dipalmitoyl-phosphatidyl-choline stacked as solid-supported bilayers to the presence of varying amounts of the peptide alamethicin in a wide range of peptide-to-lipid molar ratios. These results were then correlated with the effects of alamethicin on biological membranes in vitro as observed by optical microscopy and microculture tetrazolium assay on the tumour cells HeLa to provide a comprehensive and quantitative analysis of these effects, based on a dose-response relationship. RESULTS: The experiments allowed correlating the periodical spacing and the peptide-to-lipid molar ratio on alamethicin-dipalmitoyl-phosphatidyl-choline samples. Two different trends of periodical spacing vs. peptide-to-lipid molar ratio clearly appeared at low and high hydration levels, showing intriguing non-linear profiles. Unexpected correspondences were observed between the peptide-to-lipid molar ratio range where the changes in dipalmitoyl-phosphatidyl-choline structure occur and the alamethicin doses which alter the viability and the plasma membrane morphology of HeLa. CONCLUSIONS: Alamethicin might induce either mechanical or phase changes on dipalmitoyl-phosphatidyl-choline bilayers. Such easily accessible ordering information was well-calibrated to predict the alamethicin doses necessary to trigger cell death through plasma membrane alterations. GENERAL SIGNIFICANCE: This benchmark combined study may be valuable to predict bioeffects of several antimicrobial peptides of biomedical relevance.


Assuntos
1,2-Dipalmitoilfosfatidilcolina/química , Alameticina/farmacologia , Bicamadas Lipídicas/química , Sobrevivência Celular/efeitos dos fármacos , Células HeLa , Humanos , Difração de Raios X
17.
Rev Esp Geriatr Gerontol ; 50(2): 89-96, 2015.
Artigo em Espanhol | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-25466971

RESUMO

Inappropriate use of drugs in older patients may have an adverse impact on several individual health outcomes, such as increasing the prevalence of adverse drug reactions, morbidity and mortality, and geriatric syndromes, as well as on health care systems, such as increased costs and longer hospital stays. Explicit criteria of drug appropriateness are increasingly used to detect and prevent inappropriate use of drugs, either within a comprehensive geriatric assessment or as tool used by different multidisciplinary geriatric teams. STOPP-START criteria, first published in 2008 (in Spanish in 2009), are being adopted as reference criteria throughout Europe. The Spanish version of the new 2014 edition (recently published in English) of the STOPP-START criteria is presented here. A review of all the papers published in Spain using the former version of these criteria is also presented, with the intention of promoting their use and for research in different health care levels.


Assuntos
Prescrições de Medicamentos/normas , Lista de Medicamentos Potencialmente Inapropriados , Idoso , Humanos
18.
Neurogastroenterol Motil ; 26(11): 1551-6, 2014 Nov.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-25124837

RESUMO

BACKGROUND: Relaxation of the esophagogastric junction (EGJ) is now evaluated calculating 4-second integrated relaxation pressure (4-s IRP) by high resolution manometry (HREPT). Solid-state catheters have been used to define abnormal values. Our aim was to evaluate 4-s IRP in esophageal achalasia using HREPT with perfused catheters. METHODS: From June 2009 to June 2013, 936 HREPT studies have been performed in our unit. Of these, 194 patients having treated achalasia were excluded. Control group was constituted by 695 patients without achalasia, and 47 patients with untreated achalasia constituted the study group. HREPT was performed with water-perfused catheters. To establish the cut-off value for 4-s IRP that better discriminate patients with achalasia from all other patients, a receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis was performed. KEY RESULTS: Twenty three of 47 achalasia patients (49%) showed a 4-s IRP under 15 mmHg; and seven (15%) had a value under modified Chicago criteria. A cut-off value for 4-s IRP of 6.5 mmHg, calculated by ROC analysis, highly discriminates achalasia from the rest of the patients and especially from scleroderma patients (area under the curve: 0.997, 95% CI: 0.995-1.000; p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS & INFERENCES: Cut-off values for 4-s IRP defined using HREPT with solid-state catheters are not adequate for diagnosing esophageal achalasia with water-perfused systems. A lower value, i.e., 6.5 mmHg, is suggested for this equipment. The diagnostic criteria of esophageal achalasia should be modified for HREPT performed with water-perfused systems.


Assuntos
Acalasia Esofágica/diagnóstico , Junção Esofagogástrica/fisiopatologia , Manometria/métodos , Adolescente , Adulto , Idoso , Idoso de 80 Anos ou mais , Área Sob a Curva , Catéteres , Feminino , Humanos , Masculino , Manometria/instrumentação , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Relaxamento Muscular/fisiologia , Músculo Liso/fisiopatologia , Pressão , Curva ROC , Valores de Referência , Água , Adulto Jovem
19.
Anticancer Agents Med Chem ; 14(5): 651-6, 2014 Jun.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-23438845

RESUMO

Approximately 60% of cancer incidence and 70% of cancer mortality occurs in individuals older than 65 years. The optimal approach to cancer therapy in older adults is often unclear. Historically, advanced age has been an exclusion criterion in clinical cancer trials, and older adults have been consistently underrepresented. As a result, there is a lack of information about treatment efficacy and tolerability in this population. Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment (CGA) is one of the most useful tools for the oncologist to make decisions related to older patients diagnosed with cancer. This tool has proved to be very useful to detect many deficits, tolerance to chemotherapy and survival in such patients. In this review, we analyze the role of CGA in decision making in geriatric oncology.


Assuntos
Envelhecimento/fisiologia , Avaliação Geriátrica , Neoplasias/terapia , Idoso , Idoso de 80 Anos ou mais , Antineoplásicos/efeitos adversos , Feminino , Humanos , Masculino , Neoplasias/mortalidade , Neoplasias/fisiopatologia , Taxa de Sobrevida
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