Effect of electric field on physicochemical properties and resistant starch formation in ohmic heating processed corn starch.

This research investigated the impact of ohmic heating (OH) on the physicochemical properties and resistant starch formation in native corn starch. Electric field strengths (EFS) of 50, 75, and 100 V/cm were applied to native starch, at a starch-water ratio of 1:1 w/v. The conductivity of the medium is a crucial factor in ohmic heating. In this study, the conductivity values at 120 °C were measured at 1.5 mS/m. The study revealed two distinct outcomes resulting from the application of different EFS. Firstly, a thermal effect induced gelatinization, resulting in a reduction in the enthalpy of corn starch, an increase in the water absorption index (WAI) and the water solubility index (WSI), and a decrease in peak viscosity. Secondly, a non-thermal effect of OH was observed, leading to the electrolysis of certain starch compounds and water. This electrolysis process generated radicals (-OH) that interacted with starch components, augmenting the percentage of resistant starch. This increase was associated with elevated levels of carbonyl and carboxyl groups at 75 and 100 V/cm.

Brain substrates explain differences in the adoption and degree of financial digitalization.

This study analyzes neural responses connected to trust and risk to explain financial digitalization decisions. It shows that brain responses distinctively inform differences in the adoption of digital financial channels that are not shown by any other sociodemographic or behavioral indicators. From a methodological standpoint, the study explores if usage patterns of digital financial channels and instruments are associated with psychological and biological indicators; it uses functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to investigate whether financial digitalization decisions are linked to the evoked brain response to the safety associated with video images of financial transactions through digitalized and non-digitalized channels; it conducts trust and risk neuro-experiments to identify their impact on financial digitalization decisions and it analyzes whether brain structure is linked to financial digitalization behavior. The findings suggest that high and low frequency users exhibit differences in brain function and also in volume and fractional anisotropy values. A higher frequency of use of financial digital financial services is associated with higher brain activation linked to insecurity (lower safety neural evoked responses during the video task and an altered white matter microstructure of the cingulum). Additionally, high frequency users of digital financial channels exhibit enhanced activation of brain areas linked to emotional processing during the trust game. These findings have important implications for the design of public policies to enhance financial inclusion through technology and the segmentation and service distribution strategies of private financial institutions.

Iron Metabolism in Obesity and Metabolic Syndrome.

Obesity is an excessive adipose tissue accumulation that may have detrimental effects on health. Particularly, childhood obesity has become one of the main public health problems in the 21st century, since its prevalence has widely increased in recent years. Childhood obesity is intimately related to the development of several comorbidities such as nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, dyslipidemia, type 2 diabetes mellitus, non-congenital cardiovascular disease, chronic inflammation and anemia, among others. Within this tangled interplay between these comorbidities and associated pathological conditions, obesity has been closely linked to important perturbations in iron metabolism. Iron is the second most abundant metal on Earth, but its bioavailability is hampered by its ability to form highly insoluble oxides, with iron deficiency being the most common nutritional disorder. Although every living organism requires iron, it may also cause toxic oxygen damage by generating oxygen free radicals through the Fenton reaction. Thus, iron homeostasis and metabolism must be tightly regulated in humans at every level (i.e., absorption, storage, transport, recycling). Dysregulation of any step involved in iron metabolism may lead to iron deficiencies and, eventually, to the anemic state related to obesity. In this review article, we summarize the existent evidence on the role of the most recently described components of iron metabolism and their alterations in obesity.

Cofilin-1 levels and intracellular localization are associated with melanoma prognosis in a cohort of patients.

Melanoma is an aggressive cancer with highly metastatic ability. We propose cofilin-1, a key protein in the regulation of actin dynamics and migration, as a prognostic marker. We determined cofilin-1 levels in a retrospective cohort of patients with melanomas and benign lesions of melanocytes (nevi) by immunohistochemistry. Higher cofilin-1 levels were found in malignant melanoma (MM) with Breslow Index (BI)>2 vs MM with BI<2, melanoma in situ (MIS) and nevi and also in MM with metastasis vs MM without detected metastasis. Kaplan-Meier survival curves were performed, clustering patients according to either the type of melanocytic lesions or cofilin-1 level. Survival curves demonstrated worse prognosis of patients with high vs low cofilin-1 levels. TCGA database analysis of melanoma also showed low survival in patients with upregulated cofilin-1 mRNA vs patients without alteration in CFL1 mRNA expression. As cofilin-1 has a dual function depending on its intracellular localization, we evaluated nuclear and cytoplasmic levels of cofilin-1 in melanoma and nevi samples by immunofluorescence. MM with high Breslow index and metastatic cells not only presented cytoplasmic cofilin-1, but also showed this protein at the nucleus. An increase in nuclear/cytoplasmic cofilin-1 mean fluorescence ratio was observed in MM with BI>2 vs MM with BI<2, MIS and nevi. In conclusion, an association of cofilin-1 levels with malignant features and an inverse correlation with survival were demonstrated. Moreover, this study suggests that not only the higher levels of cofilin-1, but also its nuclear localization can be proposed as marker of worse outcome of patients with melanoma.

Nonsurgical Treatment as Alternative to Surgical Treatment in Enchondromas of the Distal Phalanx. Analysis of a Series of 11 Cases.

PURPOSE: To describe the results of nonsurgical and surgical treatment of enchondromas of the distal phalanx of the hand. METHODS: Eleven enchondromas of the distal phalanx were retrospectively reviewed. Five patients underwent surgery (curettage and autogenous cancellous bone graft from the iliac crest) and 6 patients were treated nonsurgically. Clinical records and radiographs were reviewed for each patient. We recorded complications and cosmetic and functional results. Radiographic healing in surgical patients was scored according to the classification of Tordai and to the criteria of Wilhelm and Feldmeier. The average follow-up of the nonsurgical and surgical cases was 45 and 62 months, respectively. RESULTS: Eight patients were women. Average age at diagnosis was 40 years. Nine patients presented with a pathological fracture. The demographic characteristics of the surgical group and nonsurgical group were similar. Among the cases treated nonsurgically (6), 1 had 2 pathological fractures after diagnosis. At final follow-up, the average pain on a visual analog scale was 2.8. With the exception of 1 patient, the range of motion of the fingers was normal or minimally reduced. Among the surgical cases (5), there were no complications in the bone graft donor site, 2 patients developed infections in the operated finger, and no postoperative pathological fractures were found. At final follow-up, the average pain was 3.2. Joint mobility was normal in 3 patients. Postoperative radiological examination revealed complete bone healing in all patients (grade I in the Tordai classification). No local recurrence was seen. According to the criteria of Wilhelm and Feldmeier, there were 3 excellent, 1 good, and 1 satisfactory results in the surgical group, and 2 excellent, 3 good, and 1 satisfactory results in the nonsurgical group. CONCLUSIONS: Surgical and nonsurgical treatment in distal phalanx enchondromas appear to be associated with satisfactory results, although each has their own advantages and disadvantages. TYPE OF STUDY/LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Therapeutic IV.

Bursectomy, Curettage, and Chemotherapy in Tuberculous Trochanteric Bursitis.

We presented three patients with trochanteric tuberculosis and described the clinical and imaging findings of the infection. Histology revealed a necrotizing granulomatous bursitis and microbiology confirmed tuberculosis. All cases were successfully treated with bursectomy and curettage of the trochanteric lesion and antituberculous chemotherapy including isoniazid, pyrazinamide, rifampicin, and ethambutol.

Eficiencia de las unidades geriátricas de agudos: metaanálisis de estudios controlados / Efficiency of acute geriatric units: a meta-analysis of controlled studies

Objetivo. Tras objetivar la eficacia en la reducción de la incidencia de deterioro funcional y mayor probabilidad de volver al domicilio previo entre los pacientes ancianos hospitalizados por patología médica aguda atendidos en unidades geriátricas de agudos (UGA) frente a las unidades de cuidados convencionales nos proponemos evaluar la eficiencia de dicha atención. Material y métodos. Revisión sistemática y metaanálisis de estudios controlados (aleatorizados, no aleatorizados y casos-control) que compararon la atención en UGA con la atención en unidades convencionales de hospitalización en pacientes de 65 y más años con patología médica aguda. Se excluyeron estudios sobre bases de datos administrativas, los que evaluaban la atención sobre una sola patología y los que valoraban unidades con cuidados en fase aguda y subaguda. Se realizó una revisión bibliográfica de artículos publicados hasta el 31 de agosto de 2008 en Medline, Embase, Biblioteca Cochrane y listado de referencias de revisiones sistemáticas y artículos revisados. La selección de los estudios y extracción de datos sobre estancia y costes de atención hospitalaria se realizó por dos investigadores de forma independiente. Resultados. Se incluyeron 11 estudios, de los que 5 fueron aleatorizados, 4 no aleatorizados y 2 estudios caso-control disponiendo de datos de estancia para todos ellos y de costes hospitalarios en 7 (4 ensayos clínicos, 2 estudios no aleatorizados y 1 caso-control). El análisis global de todos los estudios mostró que, en comparación con los ancianos hospitalizados en unidades convencionales, los que lo hicieron en las UGA tuvieron una reducción estadísticamente significativa de la estancia hospitalaria (diferencia de medias de – 1,01 días; IC del 95%, –1,66 a –0,36) y de los costes hospitalarios de atención (diferencia de medias de –330 dólares; IC del 95%, –540 a –120). Conclusiones. La atención en UGA es más eficiente que la proporcionada en unidades convencionales ya que, además de conseguir una reducción de la incidencia de deterioro funcional al alta y aumentar la probabilidad de volver al domicilio previo, lo hacen con una reducción de la estancia media hospitalaria y los costes hospitalarios de la atención(AU)

Objective. After analysing the effectiveness in the reduction in the incidence of functional impairment and a higher probability of returning home between elderly patients hospitalised due to an acute medical illness cared for in acute geriatric units (AGU) compared to conventional care units, we propose to assess the efficiency of this care. Material and methods. A systematic review and meta-analysis was made of controlled studies (randomised, no randomised and case-control) that compared care in UGA with care in conventional hospital units of patients of 65years and over with an acute medical illness. Studies on administrative data bases, those that evaluated care of a single disease, and those that assessed units with care in the acute and sub-acute phase were excluded. A literature review was performed on articles published up to 31st of August 2008 in Medline, Embase, Cochrane Library, and references of systematic reviews and reviewed articles. The selection of the studies and the extraction of data on the hospital stay and care costs was made independently by two different researchers. Results. A total of 11 studies were included, of which 5 were randomised, 4 were non-randomised, and 2 case control, all of them providing data on hospital stay, with 7 of them providing data on hospital costs (4 clinical trials, 2 non-randomised and 1 case-control). The overall analysis of all the studies showed that those admitted to UGA had a statistically significant reduction in hospital length of stay compared to the elderly hospitalised in conventional units (mean difference –1.01days; 95% CI, –1.66 to –0.36) and hospital care costs (mean difference of –330 US dollars; 95% CI, –540 to –120). Conclusions. Care in AGU is more efficient than that provided in conventional units, since, as well as achieving a reduction in the incidence of functional impairment at discharge and increasing the probability of returning home, they reduce mean hospital stay and the hospital care costs(AU)

[Efficiency of acute geriatric units: a meta-analysis of controlled studies]. / Eficiencia de las unidades geriátricas de agudos: metaanálisis de estudios controlados.

OBJECTIVE: After analysing the effectiveness in the reduction in the incidence of functional impairment and a higher probability of returning home between elderly patients hospitalised due to an acute medical illness cared for in acute geriatric units (AGU) compared to conventional care units, we propose to assess the efficiency of this care. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A systematic review and meta-analysis was made of controlled studies (randomised, no randomised and case-control) that compared care in UGA with care in conventional hospital units of patients of 65 years and over with an acute medical illness. Studies on administrative data bases, those that evaluated care of a single disease, and those that assessed units with care in the acute and sub-acute phase were excluded. A literature review was performed on articles published up to 31st of August 2008 in Medline, Embase, Cochrane Library, and references of systematic reviews and reviewed articles. The selection of the studies and the extraction of data on the hospital stay and care costs was made independently by two different researchers. RESULTS: A total of 11 studies were included, of which 5 were randomised, 4 were non-randomised, and 2 case control, all of them providing data on hospital stay, with 7 of them providing data on hospital costs (4 clinical trials, 2 non-randomised and 1 case-control). The overall analysis of all the studies showed that those admitted to UGA had a statistically significant reduction in hospital length of stay compared to the elderly hospitalised in conventional units (mean difference -1.01 days; 95% CI, -1.66 to -0.36) and hospital care costs (mean difference of -330 US dollars; 95% CI, -540 to -120). CONCLUSIONS: Care in AGU is more efficient than that provided in conventional units, since, as well as achieving a reduction in the incidence of functional impairment at discharge and increasing the probability of returning home, they reduce mean hospital stay and the hospital care costs.

IL-15 preferentially enhances functional properties and antigen-specific responses of CD4+CD28(null) compared to CD4+CD28+ T cells.

One of the most prominent changes during T-cell aging in humans is the accumulation of CD28(null) T cells, mainly CD8+ and also CD4+ T cells. Enhancing the functional properties of these cells may be important as they provide an antigen-specific defense against chronic infections. Recent studies have shown that IL-15 does in fact play an appreciable role in CD4 memory T cells under physiological conditions. We found that treatment with IL-15 increased the frequency of elderly CD4+CD28(null) T cells by the preferential proliferation of these cells compared to CD4+CD28+ T cells. IL-15 induced an activated phenotype in CD4+CD28(null) T cells. Although the surface expression of IL-15R α-chain was not increased, the transcription factor STAT-5 was preferentially activated. IL-15 augmented the cytotoxic properties of CD4+CD28(null) T cells by increasing both the mRNA transcription and storage of granzyme B and perforin for the cytolytic effector functions. Moreover, pretreatment of CD4+CD28(null) T cells with IL-15 displayed a synergistic effect on the IFN-γ production in CMV-specific responses, which was not observed in CD4+CD28+ T cells. IL-15 could play a role enhancing the effector response of CD4+CD28(null) T cells against their specific chronic antigens.

NKG2D expression in CD4+ T lymphocytes as a marker of senescence in the aged immune system.

Human aging is characterized by changes in the immune system which have a profound impact on the T-cell compartment. These changes are more frequently found in CD8+ T cells, and there are not well-defined markers of differentiation in the CD4+ subset. Typical features of cell immunosenescence are characteristics of pathologies in which the aberrant expression of NKG2D in CD4+ T cells has been described. To evaluate a possible age-related expression of NKG2D in CD4+ T cells, we compared their percentage in peripheral blood from 100 elderly and 50 young adults. The median percentage of CD4+ NKG2D+ in elders was 5.3% (interquartile range (IR): 8.74%) versus 1.4% (IR: 1.7%) in young subjects (p < 0.3 × 10(-10)). CD28 expression distinguished two subsets of CD4+ NKG2D+ cells with distinct functional properties and differentiation status. CD28+ cells showed an immature phenotype associated with high frequencies of CD45RA and CD31. However, most of the NKG2D+ cells belonged to the CD28(null) compartment and shared their phenotypical properties. NKG2D+ cells represented a more advanced stage of maturation and exhibited greater response to CMV (5.3 ± 3.1% versus 3.4 ± 2%, p = 0.037), higher production of IFN-γ (40.56 ± 13.7% versus 24 ± 8.8%, p = 0.015), lower activation threshold and reduced TREC content. Moreover, the frequency of the CD4+ NKG2D+ subset was clearly related to the status of the T cells. Higher frequencies of the NKG2D+ subset were accompanied with a gradual decrease of NAIVE and central memory cells, but also with a higher level of more differentiated subsets of CD4+ T cells. In conclusion, CD4+ NKG2D+ represent a subset of highly differentiated T cells which characterizes the senescence of the immune system.

Lung carcinoma with rhabdoid component. A series of seven cases associated with uncommon types of non-small cell lung carcinomas and alveolar entrapment.

Rhabdoid tumor, included in the WHO classification among large cell carcinomas of the lung, is an uncommon type of lung carcinoma with poor prognosis. We report a series of 7 cases of lung carcinomas with rhabdoid component in 10% and 80% of the tumor. The associated tumor was adenocarcinoma in 3 cases--one of them with focal micropapillary pattern--large cell carcinoma in 2 cases, squamous cell carcinoma in 1 case and pleomorphic carcinoma in 1 case. Two adenocarcinomas showed a focal spindle cell component. Micropapillary and pleomorphic types had not been reported before as a component associated with rhabdoid carcinomas. All cases were positive for vimentin, and AE1/AE3 cytokeratin and 5 cases for cytokeratin 7. All cases were negative for muscle and endothelial markers and for chromogranin A. Synaptophysin was focally positive only in one case. Alveolar trapping inside the tumor was present in 3 cases--a phenomenon not well studied in lung carcinomas and also not reported in tumors with rhabdoid component. Five patients died because of the tumor within 2 to 31 months after diagnosis, one of myocardial infarction and only one is alive and disease free 123 months after the diagnosis. In summary, we describe 7 new cases of this uncommon lung tumor with aggressive clinical course, associated with infrequent histological types in nonrhabdoid component and with alveolar trapping, a nondescribed finding.

Treatability by cryotherapy in a screen-and-treat strategy.

OBJECTIVES: We estimated the percentage of women infected with human papillomavirus (HPV+) who cannot be immediately treated with cryotherapy. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In a 10,000-woman Costa Rican cohort, we analyzed the 559 HPV+ women aged 25 to 55 years and estimated the proportion for whom immediate cryotherapy was not indicated (i.e., invasive cancer, large precancerous lesions, or benign abnormalities that risk failure such as large ectopy, squamocolumnar junction not visualized, polyps, ulcers, or distorted or atrophied cervix). To determine whether cryotherapy at time of baseline HPV screening would effectively treat HPV+ women, 2 expert gynecologists independently judged entire clinical histories (5-7 years of cytology, histology, and HPV tests) and a full longitudinal series of digitized cervical images. RESULTS: Reviewers judged 144 (25.8%) of 559 HPV+ women as not treatable by immediate cryotherapy. Among 72 women with cervical intraepithelial neoplasia grade 3 who would benefit most from a screening program, 35 (48.6%) were not treatable. In particular, 29 women (40.3%) were determined not treatable for reasons most likely associated with cryotherapy's inadequacy (lesion was large, suspected cancerous or in the endocervical canal or fornix). CONCLUSIONS: "Screen-and-treat" programs in low-resource settings will soon use a rapid HPV test to screen older women once or twice in their lifetime, identifying women at higher risk for precancer. Our findings suggest that cryotherapy might not effectively treat many precancers, and other safe, low-technology treatment options could be required, in a scenario where all HPV+ women in this targeted group would receive cryotherapy at the same visit.

Effectiveness of acute geriatric units on functional decline, living at home, and case fatality among older patients admitted to hospital for acute medical disorders: meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the effectiveness of acute geriatric units compared with conventional care units in adults aged 65 or more admitted to hospital for acute medical disorders. DESIGN: Systematic review and meta-analysis. DATA SOURCES: Medline, Embase, and the Cochrane Library up to 31 August 2008, and references from published literature. Review methods Randomised trials, non-randomised trials, and case-control studies were included. Exclusions were studies based on administrative databases, those that assessed care for a single disorder, those that evaluated acute and subacute care units, and those in which patients were admitted to the acute geriatric unit after three or more days of being admitted to hospital. Two investigators independently selected the studies and extracted the data. RESULTS: 11 studies were included of which five were randomised trials, four non-randomised trials, and two case-control studies. The randomised trials showed that compared with older people admitted to conventional care units those admitted to acute geriatric units had a lower risk of functional decline at discharge (combined odds ratio 0.82, 95% confidence interval 0.68 to 0.99) and were more likely to live at home after discharge (1.30, 1.11 to 1.52), with no differences in case fatality (0.83, 0.60 to 1.14). The global analysis of all studies, including non-randomised trials, showed similar results. CONCLUSIONS: Care of people aged 65 or more with acute medical disorders in acute geriatric units produces a functional benefit compared with conventional hospital care, and increases the likelihood of living at home after discharge.