Search Results (18)

Introduction: Idiopathic pulmonaryy fibrosis (IPF) is a progressive interstitial lung disease with a poor prognosis. While comorbidities like pulmonary hypertension and lung cancer have been studied extensively, less attention has been paid to the implications of malnutrition and sarcopenia in patients with IPF. This study aimed to assess the prevalence of malnutrition, sarcopenia, and the combined malnutrition-sarcopenia syndrome in patients with IPF using the latest diagnostic criteria from the Global Leadership Initiative on Malnutrition (GLIM) and the European Working Group on Sarcopenia in Older People 2 (EWGSOP2). Methods: A prospective, observational, multicenter study was conducted, focusing on patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). All participants provided informed consent, and the study followed ethical guidelines. Malnutrition was diagnosed based on the GLIM criteria, requiring one phenotypic and one etiological criterion, with muscle mass assessed via bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA). Sarcopenia was screened following the EWGSOP2 recommendations. The statistical analysis was performed using JAMOVI version 2.3.22, with significance set at p < 0.05. Results: The findings revealed that 77.65% of the participants were malnourished, and 20% had sarcopenia. The malnourished patients had significantly lower body weight, height, and muscle mass compared to the non-malnourished patients. Furthermore, the patients with malnutrition exhibited poorer health-related quality of life scores. This study also identified the malnutrition-sarcopenia syndrome in 8.23% of the participants. Conclusions: Malnutrition, based on the GLIM criteria was identified in three out of four patients with IPF, while sarcopenia according to the EWGSOP2 was present in one out of five. This study underscores the necessity for routine screening for malnutrition and sarcopenia in patients with IPF. Full article

β-carotene (β-C) is a hydrophobic compound, easily degradable by light and oxygen and with low solubility, limiting its applications. β-cyclodextrin (β-CD) can encapsulate β-C, protecting it from degradation and maintaining its bioactivity. Therefore, this research aimed to characterize and determine the antioxidant and erythroprotective activity of β-C/β-CD inclusion complexes. The co-precipitation technique was used to elaborate β-C/β-CD in a 40:60 ratio, obtaining a high yield (94.10%), an entrapment efficiency of 82.47%, and a loading efficiency of 11.92%. The moisture of β-C/β-CD was 2.93%. β-C release increased over the time of 216 h (80.8%, 92.8%, and 97.4% at 8 °C, 25 °C, and 37 °C, respectively). A UV–visible analysis confirmed the presence of β-carotene in the inclusion complex, indicating successful encapsulation without significant structural changes. According to the adsorption–desorption isotherms, the complexes showed a type II isotherm. The FT-IR and Raman spectroscopy confirmed the formation of the inclusion complex, which interacted by hydrogen bonds, hydrophobic interactions, or van der Waals forces. The DSC showed an endothermic peak at 118 °C in the β-C/β:CD. The TGA revealed reduced water loss in the β-carotene/β-cyclodextrin complex, indicating limited water binding due to encapsulation. The microscopic surface morphologies observed by the SEM of β-C/β-CD were irregular-shaped clumps in the surface with a particle average size of 8.09 µm. The X-ray diffraction showed a crystalline structure of the complex. The zeta potential determination indicated a negative charge (−23 and −32 mV). The ABTS, DPPH, and FRAP demonstrated the antioxidant activity of β-C/β:CD (34.09%, 21.73%, and 8.85. mM ET/g, respectively), similar to pure β-C (34.64%, 22.63%, and 9.12 μM ET/g, respectively). The complexes showed an erythroprotective effect inhibiting hemolysis (64.09%). Therefore, with these characteristics, β-CD is a good encapsulant for β-C, and this complex could be applied in the food and pharmaceutical industries. Full article

Urban Heat Islands are a major environmental and public health concern, causing temperature increase in urban areas. This study used satellite imagery and machine learning to analyze the spatial and temporal patterns of land surface temperature distribution in the Metropolitan Area of Merida (MAM), Mexico, from 2001 to 2021. The results show that land surface temperature has increased in the MAM over the study period, while the urban footprint has expanded. The study also found a high correlation ($r>$ 0.8) between changes in land surface temperature and land cover classes (urbanization/deforestation). If the current urbanization trend continues, the difference between the land surface temperature of the MAM and its surroundings is expected to reach 3.12 °C ± 1.11 °C by the year 2030. Hence, the findings of this study suggest that the Urban Heat Island effect is a growing problem in the MAM and highlight the importance of satellite imagery and machine learning for monitoring and developing mitigation strategies. Full article

Background: Superficial venous thrombosis (SVT) is a common clinical condition caused by inflammation and the presence of a thrombus inside a superficial vein. It has traditionally been considered a benign and banal disorder, although it can progress or can be associated with thromboembolic disease of deep territories in up to 20%, asymptomatic or symptomatic pulmonary embolism (PE), especially if it affects the main trunk of the internal saphenous vein. The impact of deep vein thrombosis on the quality of life and its sequelae have long been described in the literature; however, they have not been studied in superficial vein thrombosis. Objectives: We aimed to evaluate the risk factors, management, and complications of SVT and its impact on the quality of life of our patients. Methods: Observational, prospective, single-center study to evaluate the management of SVT. The ultrasound (US) was performed initially on symptomatic patients, during treatment with low-molecular-weight heparin (LMWH), at a follow-up, and at the end of 45 days of treatment. A quality-of-life questionnaire was administered to determine the risk factors, management, and complications of SVT at the moment of diagnosis and at the end of treatment. We included patients referred from the emergency department to a monographic consultation for thromboembolic disease, over 18 years of age with a diagnosis of acute SVT symptomatic, without contraindication to initiate anticoagulation. Results: In total, 63 patients were evaluated between October 2020 and April 2022. The mean age was 65.8 years (SD 13.5), of which 35 were women (55.6%), 39 presented cardiovascular risk factors (61.9%), 25 had a history of previous personal venous thromboembolism (VTE) (39.7%), and 10 had obesity (15.9%), 47 had chronic venous insufficiency or varicose veins (74.9%). During follow-up with ultrasound, 39.7% had partial revascularization, and at discharge, 63.5% had permeabilized the thrombosis against 19% who had residual thrombosis or progression of thrombosis. There was a positive correlation between mobility parameters and improvement in the performance of daily activities (rho = 0.35; p = 0.012) and with improvement in pain/discomfort (rho = 0.37; p = 0.007). An improvement in pain parameters was statistically significantly related to a global assessment health perception (rho = 0.48; p < 0.001). Anxiety and depression parameters were related to a global assessment health perception (rho = 0.462; p = 0.001) and to an overall improvement at 12 months (rho = 0.45; p = 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Superficial venous thrombosis (SVT) is a highly prevalent disease, which is traditionally considered banal and has good evolution, with heterogeneous management in clinical practice and limited information on patient selection for therapies, current treatment routes, and drug use, as well as outcomes. In recent years, the importance of this entity has become evident due to its frequency in clinical practice, its risk of complications, and the impact it has on the quality of life. This study’s results emphasize the importance of the diagnosis, treatment, and follow-up of superficial venous thrombosis. Full article

(1) Introduction: The aim was to describe the anesthetic and surgical technique of eversion carotid endarterectomy performed under intermediate-deep cervical block with sedation, and to analyze the intraoperative and postoperative results. (2) Material and Methods: Thirty cases of unilateral eversion carotid endarterectomy (n = 30), performed between 2019–2020 in a tertiary center under intermediate-deep ultrasound-guided cervical plexus block and sedation, were prospectively observed and analyzed. Hemodynamic (blood pressure, heart rate) and neurological (cerebral oximetry) variables were measured in four intraoperative phases: at the beginning of the operation, prior to carotid clamping, after unclamping and at the end of the operation. We assessed acute postoperative pain in a numerical rating scale at 6, 12 and 24 h, early and 30-day complications, and length of stay. (3) Results: Baseline mean arterial pressure values were 100.4 ± 18 mmHg, pre-clamping 95.8 ± 14 mmHg, post-clamping 94.9 ± 11 mmHg, and at the end of the operation 102.4 ± 16 mmHg. Cerebral oximetry values were 61.7 ± 7/62.7 ± 8, 68.5 ± 9.6/69.1 ± 11.7 and 68.1 ± 10/68.1 ± 10 for the left and right hemispheres at baseline, pre- and post-clamping, respectively. The pain assessment showed a score less than or equal to 3. The incidence of residual nerve block, early complications, and major complications in the first 30 days was 40%, 16.7% and 3.3%, respectively. (4) Conclusions: The combination of intermediate-deep cervical plexus block and low-dose sedation is an effective and safe alternative in awake eversion carotid endarterectomy. Full article

COVID-19 frontline healthcare workers (FHCW) are struggling to cope with challenges that threaten their wellbeing. We examine the frequency and predictors of the most frequent mental health problems (MHP) among FHCW during the first COVID-19 peak in Mexico, one of the most severely affected countries in terms of FHCW’s COVID-19 mortality. A cross-sectional survey was conducted between May 8 and August 18, 2020. A total of 47.5% of the sample (n = 2218) were FHCW. The most frequent MHP were insomnia, depression, posttraumatic stress symptoms, and health anxiety/somatization (whole sample: 45.7, 37.4, 33.9, and 21.3%; FHCW: 52.4, 43.4, 40.3 and 26.1, respectively). As compared to during the initial COVID-19 phase, depression and health anxiety/somatization symptoms as well as experiences of grieving due to COVID-19, personal COVID-19 status, and having relatives and close friends with COVID-19 were more frequent during the COVID-19 peak. Obesity, domestic violence, personal COVID-19 status, and grieving because of COVID-19 were included in regression models for main FHCW’s MHP during the COVID-19 peak. In conclusion, measures to decrease other country-level epidemics contributing to the likelihood of COVID-19 complications (obesity) and MHP (domestic violence) as well as FHCW´s probability of COVID-19 infection could safeguard not only their physical but also mental health. Full article

The wood anatomy of 132 species of the genera Abies, Cathaya, Cedrus, Keteleeria, Larix, Nothotsuga, Picea, Pinus, Pseudolarix, Pseudotsuga and Tsuga was studied to determine the elements that characterise the xylem of each genus and discuss possible groupings by wood anatomy for comparison with clades established by molecular phylogeny. The presence of resin canals and ray tracheids supports the family Pinaceae, although the absence of ray tracheids in Keteleeria and their occasional presence in Abies and Pseudolarix weakens it. Based on wood structure, Pinaceae clearly supports division into two groups, coinciding with molecular phylogeny: Pinoideae (Cathaya-Larix-Picea-Pinus-Pseudotsuga) and Abietoideae (Abies-Cedrus-Keteleeria-Nothotsuga-Pseudolarix-Tsuga). Although differences between genera are slight in Pinoideae, the Abietoideae group presents problems such as the presence of only axial resin canals in Keteleeria and Nothotsuga, absence of ray tracheids in Keteleeria and presence of traumatic radial resin canals in Cedrus. However, other features such as pitted horizontal walls and nodular end walls of ray parenchyma cells, indentures, scarce marginal axial parenchyma and presence of crystals in ray parenchyma strengthen the Abietoideae group. Full article

The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic is one of the most concerning health problems around the globe. We reported the emergence of SARS-CoV-2 variant B.1.1.519 in Mexico City. We reported the effective reproduction number (Rt) of B.1.1.519 and presented evidence of its geographical origin based on phylogenetic analysis. We also studied its evolution via haplotype analysis and identified the most recurrent haplotypes. Finally, we studied the clinical impact of B.1.1.519. The B.1.1.519 variant was predominant between November 2020 and May 2021, reaching 90% of all cases sequenced in February 2021. It is characterized by three amino acid changes in the spike protein: T478K, P681H, and T732A. Its Rt varies between 0.5 and 2.9. Its geographical origin remain to be investigated. Patients infected with variant B.1.1.519 showed a highly significant adjusted odds ratio (aOR) increase of 1.85 over non-B.1.1.519 patients for developing a severe/critical outcome (p = 0.000296, 1.33–2.6 95% CI) and a 2.35-fold increase for hospitalization (p = 0.005, 1.32–4.34 95% CI). The continuous monitoring of this and other variants will be required to control the ongoing pandemic as it evolves. Full article

This study aimed to investigate the use of Plasma Rich in Growth Factors (PRGF) associated with tissue ReGeneraTing Agent (RGTA) drops for the treatment of noninfectious corneal ulcers. RGTA treatment was applied (one drop every two days); however, if ulcer closure was not achieved, PRGF eye drops treatment was added (four times/day). The time taken to reach the ulcer closure, the Best Corrected Visual Acuity (BCVA), intraocular pressure (IOP), Visual Analog Scale (VAS, in terms of frequency and severity of symptoms), and Ocular Surface Disease Index (OSDI) were evaluated. Seventy-four patients (79 eyes) were included, and the mean age was 56.8 ± 17.3 years. The neurotrophic corneal ulcer was the most frequent disorder (n = 27, 34.2%), mainly for herpes virus (n = 15, 19.0%). The time of PRGF eye drops treatment associated with the RGTA matrix was 4.2 ± 2.2 (1.5–9.0) months, and the follow-up period was 44.9 ± 31.5 months. The ulcer closure was achieved in 76 eyes (96.2%). BCVA, VAS and OSDI improved from the baseline (p < 0.001), and IOP remained unchanged (p = 0.665). RGTA and PRGF in noninfectious ulcers were effective and could be a therapeutic alternative for this type of corneal disease. Full article

(1) Aims: To assess the incidence of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) in Spain, to describe the main epidemiological and clinical characteristics at diagnosis and the evolution of the disease, and to explore the use of drug treatments. (2) Methods: Prospective, population-based nationwide registry. Adult patients diagnosed with IBD—Crohn’s disease (CD), ulcerative colitis (UC) or IBD unclassified (IBD-U)—during 2017 in Spain were included and were followed-up for 1 year. (3) Results: We identified 3611 incident cases of IBD diagnosed during 2017 in 108 hospitals covering over 22 million inhabitants. The overall incidence (cases/100,000 person-years) was 16 for IBD, 7.5 for CD, 8 for UC, and 0.5 for IBD-U; 53% of patients were male and median age was 43 years (interquartile range = 31–56 years). During a median 12-month follow-up, 34% of patients were treated with systemic steroids, 25% with immunomodulators, 15% with biologics and 5.6% underwent surgery. The percentage of patients under these treatments was significantly higher in CD than UC and IBD-U. Use of systemic steroids and biologics was significantly higher in hospitals with high resources. In total, 28% of patients were hospitalized (35% CD and 22% UC patients, p < 0.01). (4) Conclusion: The incidence of IBD in Spain is rather high and similar to that reported in Northern Europe. IBD patients require substantial therapeutic resources, which are greater in CD and in hospitals with high resources, and much higher than previously reported. One third of patients are hospitalized in the first year after diagnosis and a relevant proportion undergo surgery. Full article

The aim of the current scoping review was to identify if the presence of irritable bowel syndrome was included as eligibility criteria of participants included in clinical trials investigating the effects of physical therapy in individuals with temporomandibular pain disorders (TMDs). A systematic electronic literature search in the Web of Science database was conducted. Scientifically relevant, randomized clinical trials (those cited in other studies at least 5 times, or clinical trials published in high-impact journals, i.e., first and second quartiles (Q1-Q2) of any category of the Journal Citation Report (JCR)) evaluating the effects of any physical therapy intervention in patients with TMDs were included. The Physiotherapy Evidence Database (PEDro) scale was used to evaluate the methodological quality of the selected trials. Authors affiliated to a clinical or non-clinical institution, total number of citations, objective, sex/gender, age, and eligibility criteria in each article were extracted and analyzed independently by two authors. From a total of 98 identified articles, 12 and 19 clinical trials were included according to the journal citation criterion or JCR criterion, respectively. After removing duplicates, a total of 23 trials were included. The PEDro score ranged from 4 to 8 (mean: 6.26, SD: 1.48). Based on the eligibility criteria of the trials systematically reviewed, none considered the presence of comorbid irritable bowel syndrome in patients with TMDs. The comorbidity between TMDs and irritable bowel syndrome is not considered within the eligibility criteria of participants in highly cited clinical trials, or published in a high-impact journal, investigating the effects of physical therapy in TMDs. Full article

Wood anatomy is a key discipline as a tool for monitoring the global timber trade, particularly for wood listed in protected species conventions such as Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Flora and Fauna (CITES). One of the main barriers to reducing illegal trafficking of protected species is ensuring that customs officials with appropriate training in wood anatomy are equipped with simple tools, at both the origin and destination of shipments, so they can raise an early warning about wood suspected of contravening international treaties and immediately send samples to a specialised laboratory. This work explains how lenses attached to a smartphone, capable of achieving up to 400× magnification using the phone digital zoom, can be used to distinguish features that are not visible with traditional 10× or 12× lenses, enhancing the capacity to view features not typically observable in the field. In softwoods, for example, this method permits determination of the type of axial parenchyma arrangement, whether there are helical thickenings in axial tracheids and whether axial tracheids have organic deposits or contain alternate polygonal pits, and in the rays, if the tracheids are smooth-walled or dentate and if the cross-field pits are window-like. In hardwoods, it allows verification of the presence of tyloses and deposits in vessels, the type of perforation plates and whether the intervascular pitting is scalariform; in the rays it is possible to differentiate the types of ray cells; and in the axial parenchyma, to determine the presence of oil cells. In addition, unlike macroscopic analysis with a conventional magnifying lens, this type of lens can be used with the appropriate mobile application for the biometry of important elements such as ray height and vessel diameter. Full article

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of plasma rich in growth factors (PRGFs) under blue light conditions in an in vivo model of retinal degeneration. Methods: Male Wistar rats were exposed to dark/blue light conditions for 9 days. On day 7, right eyes were injected with saline and left eyes with PRGF. Electroretinography (ERG) and intraocular pressure (IoP) measurements were performed before and after the experiment. After sacrifice, retinal samples were collected. Hematoxylin and eosin staining was performed to analyze the structure of retinal sections. Immunofluorescence for brain-specific homeobox/POU domain protein 3A (Brn3a), choline acetyltransferase (ChAT), rhodopsin, heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1), and glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) was performed to study the retinal conditions. Results: Retinal signaling measured by ERG was reduced by blue light and recovered with PRGF; however, IoP measurements did not show significant differences among treatments. Blue light reduced the expression for Brn3a, ChAT, and rhodopsin. Treatment with PRGF showed a recovery in their expressions. HO-1 and GFAP results showed that blue light increased their expression but the use of PRGF reduced the effect of light. Conclusions: Blue light causes retinal degeneration. PRGF mitigated the injury, restoring the functionality of these cells and maintaining the tissue integrity. Full article

Graves’ orbitopathy (GO) is the most common extrathyroidal manifestation of Graves’ disease (GD). Our aim was to assess the efficacy and safety of Tocilizumab (TCZ) in GO refractory to conventional therapy. This was an open-label multicenter study of glucocorticoid-resistant GO treated with TCZ. The main outcomes were the best-corrected visual acuity (BVCA), Clinical Activity Score (CAS) and intraocular pressure (IOP). These outcome variables were assessed at baseline, 1st, 3rd, 6th and 12th month after TCZ therapy onset. The severity of GO was assessed according to the European Group on Graves’ Orbitopathy (EUGOGO). We studied 48 (38 women and 10 men) patients (95 eyes); mean age ± standard deviation 51 ± 11.8 years. Before TCZ and besides oral glucocorticoids, they had received IV methylprednisolone (n = 43), or selenium (n = 11). GO disease was moderate (n =29) or severe (n = 19) and dysthyroid optic neuropathy (DON) (n = 7). TCZ was used in monotherapy (n = 45) or combined (n = 3) at a dose of 8 mg/kg IV every four weeks (n = 43) or 162 mg/s.c. every week (n = 5). TCZ yielded a significant improvement in all of the main outcomes at the 1st month that was maintained at one year. Comparing the baseline with data at 1 year all of the variables improved; BCVA (0.78 ± 0.25 vs. 0.9 ± 0.16; p = 0.0001), CAS (4.64 ± 1.5 vs. 1.05 ± 1.27; p = 0.0001) and intraocular pressure (IOP) (19.05 ± 4.1 vs. 16.73 ± 3.4 mmHg; p = 0.007). After a mean follow-up of 16.1 ± 2.1 months, low disease activity (CAS ≤ 3), was achieved in 88 eyes (92.6%) and TCZ was withdrawn in 29 cases due to low disease activity (n = 25) or inefficacy (n = 4). No serious adverse events were observed. In conclusion, TCZ is a useful and safe therapeutic option in refractory GO treatment. Full article