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Antioxidants (Basel, Switzerland) May 2024Parkinson's disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative disorder that affects people's health. Constipation is probably one of the most prominent gastrointestinal symptoms...
Parkinson's disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative disorder that affects people's health. Constipation is probably one of the most prominent gastrointestinal symptoms (non-motor symptoms) of PD with devastating consequences. The aim of this research work is to formulate a functional food product, supplemented with inulin, cocoa, and Moringa, which can be an adjuvant in the treatment of constipation. The product was prepared according to a muffin or "Chilean cake" recipe; this basic muffin was prepared with additions of inulin (MI), inulin + cacao (MIC), and inulin + Moringa (MIM). A physical-chemical analysis of the macronutrients and an antioxidant capacity assessment of the samples were conducted, as well as a sensory evaluation performed by a group of people suffering from Parkinson's disease. A statistically significant difference was observed in the soluble ( = 0.0023) and insoluble ( = 0.0015) fiber values between the control samples and all samples. Furthermore, inulin + cacao improved the antioxidant capacity and folate intake compared to the control. Inulin alone has been shown to have antioxidant capacity according to ABTS (262.5728 ± 34.74 μmol TE/g) and DPPH (9.092518 ± 10.43 μmol TE/g) assays. A sensory evaluation showed a preference for the product with inulin and for the product with inulin + cacao, with a 78% purchase intention being reported by the subjects who evaluated the products. The incorporation of inulin and cacao improved the nutritional value of the muffins; the dietary fiber, antioxidant capacity and folate content are some of the features that stood out. A bakery product enriched with inulin, cocoa and Moringa could serve as a nutritional strategy to enhance nutritional value, thus helping in the treatment of constipation.
PubMed: 38929120
DOI: 10.3390/antiox13060683 -
International Journal of Molecular... Jun 2024Krause's corpuscles are typical of cutaneous mucous epithelia, like the lip vermillion or the glans clitoridis, and are associated with rapidly adapting low-threshold...
Krause's corpuscles are typical of cutaneous mucous epithelia, like the lip vermillion or the glans clitoridis, and are associated with rapidly adapting low-threshold mechanoreceptors involved in gentle touch or vibration. PIEZO1 and PIEZO2 are transmembrane mechano-gated proteins that form a part of the cationic ion channels required for mechanosensitivity in mammalian cells. They are involved in somatosensitivity, especially in the different qualities of touch, but also in pain and proprioception. In the present study, immunohistochemistry and immunofluorescence were used to analyze the occurrence and cellular location of PIEZO1 and PIEZO2 in human clitoral Krause's corpuscles. Both PIEZO1 and PIEZO2 were detected in Krause's corpuscles in both the axon and the terminal glial cells. The presence of PIEZOs in the terminal glial cells of Kraus's corpuscles is reported here for the first time. Based on the distribution of PIEZO1 and PIEZO2, it may be assumed they could be involved in mechanical stimuli, sexual behavior, and sexual pleasure.
Topics: Humans; Ion Channels; Axons; Neuroglia; Female; Clitoris; Adult; Mechanoreceptors; Immunohistochemistry; Middle Aged
PubMed: 38928429
DOI: 10.3390/ijms25126722 -
BMC Nursing Jun 2024Advanced practice nursing has emerged as a result of the evolution of healthcare systems, the changing needs of the population and the academic development of nursing,...
BACKGROUND
Advanced practice nursing has emerged as a result of the evolution of healthcare systems, the changing needs of the population and the academic development of nursing, as well as sociodemographic and epidemiological changes. The aim of this study is to describe the professional experiences of Spanish advanced practice nurses in specific positions within the healthcare system in order to better understand the development and characteristics of this specialised nursing role.
METHODS
A descriptive qualitative study was conducted. Fourteen advanced practice nurses from healthcare centres participated. Semi-structured interviews were carried out. Braun and Clarke's method for reflexive thematic analysis was followed. The Atlas. Ti version 22 program was used for technological support. The COREQ checklist was used to optimise the reporting of this qualitative study.
RESULTS
From the analysis of the data collected, three themes and six subthemes were extracted: 1) Advanced practice nursing on the rise: (a) The driving forces in the development of advanced practice nursing, (b) Barriers to the development of advanced practice nursing; 2) Advanced practice nurses as a response to the population's needs: (a) The development of a new professional nursing role, (b) The patient at the centre of care in advanced practice nursing; 3) Training as the foundation for advanced practice nursing: (a) Expert nurses in a specific context, (b) Differences in the level of training depending on the context.
CONCLUSION
Advanced practice nurses have faced countless barriers and difficulties that have impeded them from demonstrating their importance and effectiveness within the healthcare system. A stable regulatory framework for the functions of advanced practice nurses is required to promote care, training and research in the field of advanced practice nursing. Health institutions need to promote the role of advanced practice nurses, facilitate the employment of new professionals, and establish new areas of practice.
TRIAL REGISTRATION
Not applicable.
PubMed: 38926730
DOI: 10.1186/s12912-024-02105-6 -
Anais Da Academia Brasileira de Ciencias 2024I. paraguariensis St. Hil. is a south American species of agronomic interest with studies supporting its medicinal properties. As the investigation of active ingredients...
I. paraguariensis St. Hil. is a south American species of agronomic interest with studies supporting its medicinal properties. As the investigation of active ingredients with antimicrobial effect from medicinal plants is a suitable approach to the current antibacterial resistance problem, the aim of the present study was to determine the antibacterial activity of yerba mate ethanolic extracts against carbapenemase-producing gram-negative bacteria (reference strains and clinical isolates). Extracts showed antibacterial activity against Klebsiella pneumoniae ATCC® BAA-2342™ (KPC producing), Providencia rettgeri (NDM producing), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (MBL producing) and P. aeruginosa (VIM producing) at the concentrations tested. The Minimal-Inhibitory-Concentration and Minimal-Bactericidal-Concentration values ranged between 1 and 32 mg.ml-1 for the reference strains, and between 0.125 and 1 mg.ml-1 for the clinical isolates. The MBC/MIC index characterized the extracts as bactericidal. The combinations of commercial antibiotics and extracts showed a synergistic action on the reference strains studied. The lethal concentration 50 obtained using the Artemia salina toxicity assay were higher than 1 mg.ml-1 for all the extracts, indicating a low toxicity. The in vitro activity and low toxicity suggest that ethanolic I. paraguariensis leaf extracts constitute an outstanding source for new antibacterial compounds, and further studies should be carried out to understand their mechanism of action.
Topics: Plant Extracts; Ilex paraguariensis; beta-Lactamases; Microbial Sensitivity Tests; Plant Leaves; Anti-Bacterial Agents; Gram-Negative Bacteria; Bacterial Proteins; Pseudomonas aeruginosa; Animals; Klebsiella pneumoniae
PubMed: 38922267
DOI: 10.1590/0001-3765202420221129 -
Sports (Basel, Switzerland) Jun 2024(1) Background: The popularity of motion-sensing computer-based games, like virtual reality (VR) exergames, is increasing among adolescents. However, their efficacy...
(1) Background: The popularity of motion-sensing computer-based games, like virtual reality (VR) exergames, is increasing among adolescents. However, their efficacy compared to conventional physical training methods remains unclear. This study investigated whether VR exergames produce effects on reaction time (RT) comparable to traditional tennis training in school-aged adolescents. (2) Methods: In total, 130 adolescents (mean age: 15.6 ± 2.0 years; 67 boys: 15.5 ± 2.2 years; 63 girls: 15.7 ± 1.8 years) were recruited in schools and assigned to one of three groups: VR exergame (G1, n = 39), tennis training (G2, n = 25), or control (G3, n = 66). Participants' RTs were evaluated before and after the interventions. G1 engaged in VR exergames for 8 min, G2 underwent traditional tennis training for 30 min, and G3 did not participate in any physical activity. (3) Results: Our results indicated that in G3, girls exhibited slower RTs compared to boys ( < 0.0). No differences were observed in RTs when comparing G1 and G2. (4) Conclusions: Sex appeared to influence RT, with girls showing slower RTs than boys in G3. The findings suggest that VR exergames and traditional tennis training have similar impacts on RT. This indicates the potential of VR exergames as an alternative to conventional physical training for improving RT in adolescents.
PubMed: 38921862
DOI: 10.3390/sports12060168 -
Scientific Reports Jun 2024Generalization of deep learning (DL) algorithms is critical for the secure implementation of computer-aided diagnosis systems in clinical practice. However, broad...
Generalization of deep learning (DL) algorithms is critical for the secure implementation of computer-aided diagnosis systems in clinical practice. However, broad generalization remains to be a challenge in machine learning. This research aims to identify and study potential factors that can affect the internal validation and generalization of DL networks, namely the institution where the images come from, the image processing applied by the X-ray device, and the type of response function of the X-ray device. For these purposes, a pre-trained convolutional neural network (CNN) (VGG16) was trained three times for classifying COVID-19 and control chest radiographs with the same hyperparameters, but using different combinations of data acquired in two institutions by three different X-ray device manufacturers. Regarding internal validation, the addition of images from an external institution to the training set did not modify the algorithm's internal performance, however, the inclusion of images acquired by a device from a different manufacturer decreased the performance up to 8% (p < 0.05). In contrast, generalization across institutions and X-ray devices with the same type of response function was achieved. Nonetheless, generalization was not observed across devices with different types of response function. This factor was the key impediment to achieving broad generalization in our research, followed by the device's image-processing and the inter-institutional differences, which both reduced generalization performance to 18.9% (p < 0.05), and 9.8% (p < 0.05), respectively. Finally, clustering analysis with features extracted by the CNN was performed, revealing a substantial dependence of feature values extracted by the pre-trained CNN on the X-ray device which acquired the images.
Topics: Deep Learning; Humans; COVID-19; Retrospective Studies; Neural Networks, Computer; SARS-CoV-2; Radiography, Thoracic; Algorithms; Image Processing, Computer-Assisted
PubMed: 38918499
DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-64941-5 -
BioRxiv : the Preprint Server For... Jun 2024is a Gram-negative bacterium found in a wide variety of water and land environments and organisms. It has been isolated as part of the gut microbiome of animals and...
is a Gram-negative bacterium found in a wide variety of water and land environments and organisms. It has been isolated as part of the gut microbiome of animals and insects, as well as from stool samples of patients with diarrhea. Specific strains encode gene homologs of virulence factors found in other pathogenic members of the same Enterobacterales order, such as serovar Typhimurium and Whether these genes are also pathogenic determinants in is not known. Here we have used 205/92, a clinical isolate, with and infection models to investigate -host interactions at the cellular level. Our particular focus was the role of two type III secretion systems (T3SS) belonging to the Inv-Mxi/Spa family. T3SS is widespread in spp. and encoded on the chromosome. T3SS is encoded on a large plasmid that is present in a subset of strains, which are primarily isolates from diarrheal patients. Using a combination of electron and fluorescence microscopy and gentamicin protection assays we show that 205/92 is internalized into eukaryotic cells, rapidly lyses its internalization vacuole and proliferates in the cytosol. This triggers caspase-4 dependent inflammasome responses in gut epithelial cells. The requirement for the T3SS in entry, vacuole lysis and cytosolic proliferation is host-cell type specific, playing a more prominent role in human intestinal epithelial cells as compared to macrophages. In a bovine ligated intestinal loop model, colonizes the intestinal mucosa, inducing mild epithelial damage with negligible fluid accumulation. No overt role for T3SS or T3SS was seen in the calf infection model. However, T3SS was required for the rapid killing of . We propose that the acquisition of two T3SS by horizontal gene transfer has allowed to diversify its host range, from a highly virulent pathogen of insects to an opportunistic gastrointestinal pathogen of animals.
PubMed: 38895369
DOI: 10.1101/2024.06.07.595826 -
Archives of Public Health = Archives... Jun 2024Lifestyle and habits, cardiovascular risk factors (CRF), bone and mental health, dietary habits, physical activity, among others are developed in childhood and...
BACKGROUND
Lifestyle and habits, cardiovascular risk factors (CRF), bone and mental health, dietary habits, physical activity, among others are developed in childhood and adolescence. Family environment has shown to play an important role in these outcomes. However, whether the parent-child relationship lifestyle habits and health parameters can be influenced by physical activity patterns still unclear. The objective of this study will be to monitor and investigate the associations between lifestyle habits between parents and their children longitudinally, as well as verify whether in more active parents, the possible associations with lifestyle habits are different from those of parents considered less active.
METHODS
The sample will consist of parents (father, mother, or both) and their children /adolescents. The participants will be recruited through public call by flyers spread across all the regions of the city and also through social media. The health parameters will include cardiovascular (cardiac autonomic modulation, blood pressure and resting heart rate), bone mineral density, anthropometric indices, handgrip strength, mental health (quality of life, anxiety and depression symptoms and stress), self-reported morbidities and musculoskeletal pain. Lifestyle habits will include physical activity levels, sedentary behavior, sleep parameters, eating patterns, smoking and alcohol consumption. Sociodemographic variables of age, sex, ethnicity and socioeconomic status will be considered as covariates. The follow-up visits of data collection will be scheduled after a period of 12 months from the baseline assessment during every twelve months.
DISCUSSION
The family environment has great potential to determine lifestyle habits in children and adolescents. Based on the results presented in the present study, we hope that health promotion actions can be better designed in the family environment.
PubMed: 38863036
DOI: 10.1186/s13690-024-01311-7 -
PLoS Pathogens Jun 2024Invertebrates lack the immune machinery underlying vertebrate-like acquired immunity. However, in many insects past infection by the same pathogen can 'prime' the immune...
Invertebrates lack the immune machinery underlying vertebrate-like acquired immunity. However, in many insects past infection by the same pathogen can 'prime' the immune response, resulting in improved survival upon reinfection. Here, we investigated the mechanistic basis and epidemiological consequences of innate immune priming in the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster when infected with the gram-negative bacterial pathogen Providencia rettgeri. We find that priming in response to P. rettgeri infection is a long-lasting and sexually dimorphic response. We further explore the epidemiological consequences of immune priming and find it has the potential to curtail pathogen transmission by reducing pathogen shedding and spread. The enhanced survival of individuals previously exposed to a non-lethal bacterial inoculum coincided with a transient decrease in bacterial loads, and we provide strong evidence that the effect of priming requires the IMD-responsive antimicrobial-peptide Diptericin-B in the fat body. Further, we show that while Diptericin B is the main effector of bacterial clearance, it is not sufficient for immune priming, which requires regulation of IMD by peptidoglycan recognition proteins. This work underscores the plasticity and complexity of invertebrate responses to infection, providing novel experimental evidence for the effects of innate immune priming on population-level epidemiological outcomes.
Topics: Animals; Immunity, Innate; Drosophila melanogaster; Providencia; Drosophila Proteins; Female; Male; Enterobacteriaceae Infections; Antimicrobial Peptides
PubMed: 38857285
DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1012308 -
Euro Surveillance : Bulletin Europeen... Jun 2024BackgroundThe war in Ukraine led to migration of Ukrainian people. Early 2022, several European national surveillance systems detected multidrug-resistant (MDR) bacteria...
BackgroundThe war in Ukraine led to migration of Ukrainian people. Early 2022, several European national surveillance systems detected multidrug-resistant (MDR) bacteria related to Ukrainian patients.AimTo investigate the genomic epidemiology of New Delhi metallo-β-lactamase (NDM)-producing from Ukrainian patients among European countries.MethodsWhole-genome sequencing of 66 isolates sampled in 2022-2023 in 10 European countries enabled whole-genome multilocus sequence typing (wgMLST), identification of resistance genes, replicons, and plasmid reconstructions. Five -carrying- isolates underwent antimicrobial susceptibility testing (AST). Transferability to of a -carrying plasmid from a patient strain was assessed. Epidemiological characteristics of patients with NDM-producing were gathered by questionnaire.ResultswgMLST of the 66 isolates revealed two genetic clusters unrelated to Ukraine and three linked to Ukrainian patients. Of these three, two comprised -carrying- and the third -carrying- The clusters (PstCluster-001, n = 22 isolates; PstCluster-002, n = 8 isolates) comprised strains from seven and four countries, respectively. The cluster (PstCluster-003) included 13 isolates from six countries. PstCluster-001 and PstCluster-002 isolates carried an MDR plasmid harbouring , , and , which was transferrable and, for some Ukrainian patients, shared by other Enterobacterales. AST revealed PstCluster-001 isolates to be extensively drug-resistant (XDR), but susceptible to cefiderocol and aztreonam-avibactam. Patients with data on age (n = 41) were 19-74 years old; of 49 with information on sex, 38 were male.ConclusionXDR were introduced into European countries, requiring increased awareness and precautions when treating patients from conflict-affected areas.
Topics: Humans; Ukraine; beta-Lactamases; Enterobacteriaceae Infections; Drug Resistance, Multiple, Bacterial; Providencia; Microbial Sensitivity Tests; Anti-Bacterial Agents; Europe; Plasmids; Whole Genome Sequencing; Multilocus Sequence Typing; Male; Adult; Female; Middle Aged; Aged; Young Adult
PubMed: 38847120
DOI: 10.2807/1560-7917.ES.2024.29.23.2300616