Non-targeted discovery of high-value bio-products in Nicotiana glauca L: a potential renewable plant feedstock.

The evaluation of plant-based feedstocks is an important aspect of biorefining. Nicotiana glauca is a solanaceous, non-food crop that produces large amounts of biomass and is well adapted to grow in suboptimal conditions. In the present article, compatible sequential solvent extractions were applied to N. glauca leaves to enable the generation of enriched extracts containing higher metabolite content comparing to direct leaf extracts. Typically, between 60 to 100 metabolite components were identified within the fractions. The occurrence of plant fatty acids, fatty acid alcohols, alkanes, sterols and terpenoids was detected by gas liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and metabolite identification was confirmed by comparison of physico-chemical properties displayed by available authentic standards. Collectively, co-products such waxes, oils, fermentable sugars, and terpenoids were all identified and quantified. The enriched fractions of N. glauca revealed a high level of readily extractable hydrocarbons, oils and high value co-products. In addition, the saccharification yield and cell wall composition analyses in the stems revealed the potential of the residue material as a promising lignocellulosic substrate for the production of fermentable sugars. In conclusion a multifractional cascade for valuable compounds/commodities has been development, that uses N. glauca biomass. These data have enabled the evaluation of N. glauca material as a potential feedstock for biorefining.

Caracterización clínica y epidemiológica de la enfermedad pulmonar obstructiva crónica / Clinical and epidemiological characterization of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

Objetivo: caracterizar clínica y epidemiológicamente a los pacientes con enfermedad pulmonar obstructiva crónica. Métodos: estudio descriptivo retrospectivo trasversal, que incluyó pacientes adultos con diagnóstico de enfermedad pulmonar obstructiva crónica en un hospital universitario de Medellín. Material y métodos: la fuente de información fue secundaria a través de historias clínicas, el análisis se realizó en el programa Jamovi, empleando un análisis univariado. Resultados y discusión: se incluyeron 552 pacientes, la edad mediana fue 76 años con predominio del sexo femenino (56.7%). Respecto a la exposición a sustancias tóxicas respiratorias importantes en el desarrollo de la enfermedad, 24.1% consumían cigarrillo y 23% exposición a biomasa. Al momento del ingreso hospitalario 17.9% fueron clasificados con disnea grado IV; 74.1% recibió beta-agonistas de corta acción y antimuscarínicos de corta acción 60%; 11.6% requirió ingreso a las unidades de cuidados intensivos o especiales y 7.8% fallecieron durante la hospitalización. Conclusiones: se evidencia subdiagnóstico espirométrico de la enfermedad que puede estar relacionado con las limitaciones económicas, tecnológicas y de recurso humano capacitado, lo cual afecta el adecuado diagnóstico y manejo de la enfermedad, así como impacta la calidad de vida de los pacientes.

Objective: clinical and epidemiological characterization of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Methods: a retrospective, cross-sectional, descriptive study, which included adult patients with a diagnosis of COPD in a university hospital in Medellín. Data sources were secondary, based on medical records. The Jamovi program was used to perform a univariate analysis. Results and discussion: 552 patients were included. Median age was 76 years with a female predominance (56.7%). Regarding exposure to major respiratory toxic substances implicated in the development of the disease, 24.1% were tobacco smokers and 23% were exposed to biomass smoke. At the time of hospital admission,17.9% were classified as having grade 4 dyspnea; 74.1% received short acting beta-agonists and 60% short-acting antimuscarinics,11.6% required intensive care unit or special care unit admission, and 7.8% died in hospital. Conclusions: under-diagnosis of COPD by spirometry may be related to economic, technological, and trained human resource limitations, which affect adequate diagnosis and management of the disease, as well as patient ́s quality of life.

Metabolic engineering of cucurbitacins in Cucurbita pepo hairy roots.

In this paper we show that metabolic engineering in Cucurbita pepo hairy roots can be used to both effectively increase and modify cucurbitacins. Cucurbitacins are highly-oxygenated triterpenoids originally described in the Cucurbitaceae family, but have since been found in 15 taxonomically distant plant families. Cucurbitacin B, D, E and I are the most widespread amongst the Cucurbitaceae and they have both important biological and pharmacological activities. In this study C. pepo hairy roots were used as a platform to boost production and alter the structures of the afore mentioned cucurbitacins by metabolic engineering to potentially provide new or more desirable bioactivities. We report that the ability to induce cucurbitacin biosynthesis by basic Helix-Loop-Helix transcription factors is partially conserved within the Cucurbitaceae and therefore can potentially be used as a biotechnological tool to increase cucurbitacins in several genera of this family. Additionally, overexpression of a novel acyltransferase from cucurbitacin producing Iberis amara generates a hitherto undescribed acetylation at the C3-hydroxyl group of the cucurbitadienol backbone. While overexpression of the cytochromes P450 CsCYP88L2 and McCYP88L7 from Cucumis sativus and Momordica charantia (respectively), results in accumulation of new spectral feature as revealed by High resolution liquid chromatography mass spectroscopy analysis; the m/z of the new peak supports it might be a cucurbitacin hydroxylated at the C19 position in C. pepo hairy roots. Finally, this paper is a case study of how hairy roots can be used to metabolically engineer and introduce novel modifications in metabolic pathways that have not been fully elucidated.

Tromboprofilaxis entrauma / Thromboprophylaxis in Trauma Santiago Castañeda Palacio1

Introducción: Las lesiones traumáticas son una de las principales causas de morbilidad y mortalidad en todo el mundo. Los pacientes que sufren traumatismos tienen riesgo de estados de hipercoagulación y aumentan el riesgo de sufrir enfermedad tromboembólica venosa. La tromboprofilaxis hace referencia a cualquier intervención usada para prevenir el desarrollo del tromboembolismo venoso como son la trombosis venosa profunda y el tromboembolismo pulmonar. Objetivo: Realizar una revisión sobre los principales mecanismos de tromboprofilaxis y sus principales esquemas en relación con el trauma ortopédico. Métodos: Se realizó una búsqueda de artículos de investigaciones originales en las bases de datos MEDLINE, EMBASE, Lilacs y Science Direct. Se seleccionaron palabras claves y términos del MeSH relacionados con anticoagulantes, tromboembolismo venoso, y embolismo pulmonar entre otros. La mayoría de bibliografía utilizada tuvo un rango de publicación no mayor a 5 años. Conclusiones: Los pacientes que sufren traumas tienen riesgo de sufrir estados de hipercoagulación y aumentan el riesgo de una enfermedad tromboembólica venosa. Con el fin de prevenirla se utilizan en la tromboprofilaxis distintos medicamentos, como heparinas de bajo peso molecular, y dispositivos de compresión(AU)

Introduction: Traumatic injuries are one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Up to six million people die due to this cause. Trauma patients are at risk for hypercoagulable states and are at increased risk for venous thromboembolic disease. Thromboprophylaxis refers to any intervention used to prevent the development of venous thromboembolism such as deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary thromboembolism. Objective: To carry out a practical review of the main mechanisms of thromboprophylaxis and its main schemes in relation to orthopedic trauma. Methods: A search for original research articles was conducted in MEDLINE, EMBASE, Lilacs, and Science Direct databases. The keywords and MeSH terms related to anticoagulants, venous thromboembolism, and pulmonary embolism were selected among others. Most of the bibliography used had a publication range of no more than 5 years. Conclusions: Patients who suffer trauma are at risk of hypercoagulable states and these increase the risk of venous thromboembolic disease. In order to prevent it, different drugs are used in thromboprophylaxis, such as low molecular weight heparins, among others, as well as other compression devices(AU)

Metabolic signatures of rhizobacteria-induced plant growth promotion.

Various root-colonizing bacterial species can promote plant growth and trigger systemic resistance against aboveground leaf pathogens and herbivore insects. To date, the underlying metabolic signatures of these rhizobacteria-induced plant phenotypes are poorly understood. To identify core metabolic pathways that are targeted by growth-promoting rhizobacteria, we used combinations of three plant species and three rhizobacterial species and interrogated plant shoot chemistry by untargeted metabolomics. A substantial part (50%-64%) of the metabolites detected in plant shoot tissue was differentially affected by the rhizobacteria. Among others, the phenylpropanoid pathway was targeted by the rhizobacteria in each of the three plant species. Differential regulation of the various branches of the phenylpropanoid pathways showed an association with either plant growth promotion or growth reduction. Overall, suppression of flavonoid biosynthesis was associated with growth promotion, while growth reduction showed elevated levels of flavonoids. Subsequent assays with 12 Arabidopsis flavonoid biosynthetic mutants revealed that the proanthocyanidin branch plays an essential role in rhizobacteria-mediated growth promotion. Our study also showed that a number of pharmaceutically and nutritionally relevant metabolites in the plant shoot were significantly increased by rhizobacterial treatment, providing new avenues to use rhizobacteria to tilt plant metabolism towards the biosynthesis of valuable natural plant products.

Inulin as a Fat-Reduction Ingredient in Pork and Chicken Meatballs: Its Effects on Physicochemical Characteristics and Consumer Perceptions.

Fat reduction in meat products represents a technological challenge, as it affects the physicochemical and sensory properties of foods. The objective of the present investigation was to develop reduced-fat pork and chicken meatballs. In the initial stage, a survey was performed on 387 individuals, in order to determine the consumer perception of the meaning of a healthy meatball and the likelihood that they would consume such a product. In the second stage, four pork and chicken meatball formulations were developed: control meatballs (AC), meatballs with inulin (AI), meatballs with fructo-oligosaccharides (AF), and meatballs with inulin and fructo-oligosaccharides (AM). In the third stage, physicochemical properties were evaluated (water activity, humidity, fat, protein, ash, weight loss, pH, color, and texture) and a sensorial profile was created with semi-trained panelists for the four meatball formulations. In the fourth stage, AI was selected as the meatball with sensorial and physicochemical characteristics most similar to AC. An analysis of nutritional characteristics and a home test (84 consumers) were performed. The present study established that the inclusion of inulin as a fat substitute in the preparation of pork and chicken meatballs, in the amount of 3.5 g of fiber/100 g of the mixture, imitates the technological properties characteristic of fat and showed acceptance by consumers.

Effects of Sulfur Assimilation in Pseudomonas fluorescens SS101 on Growth, Defense, and Metabolome of Different Brassicaceae.

Genome-wide analysis of plant-growth-promoting Pseudomonas fluorescens strain SS101 (PfSS101) followed by site-directed mutagenesis previously suggested that sulfur assimilation may play an important role in growth promotion and induced systemic resistance in Arabidopsis. Here, we investigated the effects of sulfur metabolism in PfSS101 on growth, defense, and shoot metabolomes of Arabidopsis and the Brassica crop, Broccoli. Root tips of seedlings of Arabidopsis and two Broccoli cultivars were treated with PfSS101 or with a mutant disrupted in the adenylsulfate reductase cysH, a key gene in cysteine and methionine biosynthesis. Phenotyping of plants treated with wild-type PfSS101 or its cysH mutant revealed that sulfur assimilation in PfSS101 was associated with enhanced growth of Arabidopsis but with a reduction in shoot biomass of two Broccoli cultivars. Untargeted metabolomics revealed that cysH-mediated sulfur assimilation in PfSS101 had significant effects on shoot chemistry of Arabidopsis, in particular on chain elongation of aliphatic glucosinolates (GLSs) and on indole metabolites, including camalexin and the growth hormone indole-3-acetic acid. In Broccoli, PfSS101 sulfur assimilation significantly upregulated the relative abundance of several shoot metabolites, in particular, indolic GLSs and phenylpropanoids. These metabolome changes in Broccoli plants coincided with PfSS101-mediated suppression of leaf infections by Xanthomonas campestris. Our study showed the metabolic interconnectedness of plants and their root-associated microbiota.

Impact of root-associated strains of three Paraburkholderia species on primary and secondary metabolism of Brassica oleracea.

Several root-colonizing bacterial species can simultaneously promote plant growth and induce systemic resistance. How these rhizobacteria modulate plant metabolism to accommodate the carbon and energy demand from these two competing processes is largely unknown. Here, we show that strains of three Paraburkholderia species, P. graminis PHS1 (Pbg), P. hospita mHSR1 (Pbh), and P. terricola mHS1 (Pbt), upon colonization of the roots of two Broccoli cultivars led to cultivar-dependent increases in biomass, changes in primary and secondary metabolism and induced resistance against the bacterial leaf pathogen Xanthomonas campestris. Strains that promoted growth led to greater accumulation of soluble sugars in the shoot and particularly fructose levels showed an increase of up to 280-fold relative to the non-treated control plants. Similarly, a number of secondary metabolites constituting chemical and structural defense, including flavonoids, hydroxycinnamates, stilbenoids, coumarins and lignins, showed greater accumulation while other resource-competing metabolite pathways were depleted. High soluble sugar generation, efficient sugar utilization, and suppression or remobilization of resource-competing metabolites potentially contributed to curb the tradeoff between the carbon and energy demanding processes induced by Paraburkholderia-Broccoli interaction. Collectively, our results provide a comprehensive and integrated view of the temporal changes in plant metabolome associated with rhizobacteria-mediated plant growth promotion and induced resistance.

Adherence to Antidepressant Therapies in Patients with Depressive Disorders Attending an Outpatient Clinic in a Public Mental Health Hospital, Antioquia, Colombia in 2017.

To evaluate the level of adherence to antidepressant therapies and associated factors in patients with depressive disorders. a cross-sectional analytical study was conducted in patients diagnosed with depressive disorders. The sample was for convenience, and a survey including sociodemographic, clinical, and therapeutic variables was designed. The Morisky-Green test, Beliefs about Medicines Questionnaire, and Simplified Medication Adherence Questionnaire were also used, all of which have been validated for assessing adherence in patients with depression. The qualitative variables were evaluated with absolute and relative frequencies, and a bivariate analysis was performed. This study included 54 patients with an average age of 49.5 ± 13.7 years, and 83.3% were women. All patients were diagnosed with major depression, and 9.25% also had an anxiety disorder. According to the Morisky-Green test, only 37% of patients were compliant with the drug therapy, although this was not statistically significant. Women were less compliant than men (33.3% versus 55.6%; p = 0.21). The beliefs that patients have regarding medication do not have a great impact on adherence to antidepressant therapy. However, it was evidenced that adherent patients had less doubts about the medication administered in comparison to non-adherent patients.

Sucrose and Starch Content Negatively Correlates with PSII Maximum Quantum Efficiency in Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) Exposed to Abnormal Light/Dark Cycles and Continuous Light.

Light is most important to plants as it fuels photosynthesis and provides clues about the environment. If provided in unnatural long photoperiods, however, it can be harmful and even lethal. Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum), for example, develops mottled chlorosis and necrosis when exposed to continuous light. Understanding the mechanism of these injuries is valuable, as important pathways regulating photosynthesis, such as circadian, retrograde and light signaling pathways are probably involved. Here, we use non-targeted metabolomics and transcriptomics analysis as well as hypothesis-driven experiments with continuous light-tolerant and -sensitive tomato lines to explore the long-standing proposed role of carbohydrate accumulation in this disorder. Analysis of metabolomics and transcriptomics data reveals a clear effect of continuous light on sugar metabolism and photosynthesis. A strong negative correlation between sucrose and starch content with the severity of continuous light-induced damage quantified as the maximum quantum efficiency of PSII (Fv/Fm) was found across several abnormal light/dark cycles, supporting the hypothesis that carbohydrates play an important role in the continuous light-induced injury. We postulate that the continuous light-induced injury in tomato is caused by down-regulation of photosynthesis, showing characteristics of both cytokinin-regulated senescence and light-modulated retrograde signaling. Molecular mechanisms linking carbohydrate accumulation with down-regulation of carbon-fixing enzymes are discussed.

Características clínicas y demográficas de los pacientes incidentes en diálisis crónica y su relación con el ingreso programado a diálisis / Clinical and demographic characteristics of incident patients on chronic dialysis and its relationship to the planned admission to dialysis

Resumen Objetivo: describir las características clínicas y demográficas de los pacientes incidentes en diálisis, y su relación con el inicio programado de diálisis en la Unidad Renal del Tolima en la ciudad de Ibagué. Contexto y tipo de estudio: estudio observacional de corte transversal. Población de referencia conformada por los pacientes de nefrología atendidos en 10 hospitales de la ciudad de Ibagué y por los pacientes que asisten a consulta externa de nefrología de la Unidad Renal del Tolima. Material y métodos: información recolectada por los investigadores mediante revisión de historias clínicas, variables sociodemográficas y clínicas que determinan las características del ingreso a diálisis. Resultados: se analizaron 74 pacientes con mediana de edad 65 años. En 82.4% la modalidad dialítica inicial fue hemodiálisis. El 93.5% de los pacientes incidentes a hemodiálisis inició en forma no programada. El 43.2% del total de incidentes a diálisis tuvo valoración previa por nefrología, y de éstos el 71.9% ingresó de forma no programada a diálisis. El 50% de los pacientes que vive fuera de Ibagué y el 43.7% de los que lo hace en zona rural seleccionan hemodiálisis como terapia definitiva. Se asocian en forma estadísticamente significativa al inicio programado de diálisis: cuidado previo por nefrología, régimen de salud contributivo, nefropatía diabética, condición ambulatoria al inicio de diálisis, y diálisis peritoneal como modalidad dialítica inicial. Conclusiones: los pacientes incidentes tuvieron una edad avanzada, y en su mayoría ingresaron estando hospitalizados y sin acceso dialítico definitivo inclusive dentro del grupo de pacientes con manejo previo por nefrología. (Acta Med Colomb 2013; 38: 138-142).

Abstract Objective: to describe the clinical and demographic characteristics of incident patients in dialysis, and its relation to the programmed start of dialysis in the Renal Unit of Tolima in Ibagué. Context and type of study: cross-sectional observational study. Reference population comprised nephrology patients treated at 10 hospitals in the city of Ibague and patients attending the outpatient nephrology Renal Unit of Tolima. Material and methods: information collected by researchers by reviewing medical records, demographic and clinical variables that determine the characteristics of admission to dialysis. Results: we analyzed 74 patients with a mean age of 65 years. In 82.4% the initial dialysis modality was hemodialysis. 93.5% of patients starting hemodialysis started in a nonprogrammed way. 43.2% of all incident patients to dialysis had prior nephrology assessment, and of these, 71.9% were admitted for dialysis in a nonprogrammed way. 50% of patients who live outside of Ibague and 43.7% of those in rural areas select hemodialysis as a definitive therapy. Factors associated in a statistically significant way to the programmed start of dialysis, are: prior nephrology care, contributory health scheme, diabetic nephropathy, ambulatory status at the start of dialysis, and peritoneal dialysis as initial dialysis modality. Conclusions: incident patients had an advanced age, and were mostly admitted being hospitalized without definitive dialysis access even within the group of patients with prior management by nephrology. (Acta Med Colomb 2013; 38: 138-142).

Genetic analysis of metabolome-phenotype interactions: from model to crop species.

The past decade has seen increased interest from the scientific community, and particularly plant biologists, in integrating metabolic approaches into research aimed at unraveling phenotypic diversity and its underlying genetic variation. Advances in plant metabolomics have enabled large-scale analyses that have identified qualitative and quantitative variation in the metabolic content of various species, and this variation has been linked to genetic factors through genetic-mapping approaches, providing a glimpse of the genetic architecture of the plant metabolome. Parallel analyses of morphological phenotypes and physiological performance characteristics have further enhanced our understanding of the complex molecular mechanisms regulating these quantitative traits. This review aims to illustrate the advantages of including assessments of phenotypic and metabolic diversity in investigations of the genetic basis of complex traits, and the value of this approach in studying agriculturally important crops. We highlight the ground-breaking work on model species and discuss recent achievements in important crop species.

Depurando la Terminologia Anatomica: Apertura y Foramen, Dos Similitudes y Redundancia Terminológica / Refining the Anatomical Terminology: Opening and Foramen, Two Similarities and Redundancy

El uso redundante de términos en el campo de la morfología, además de dificultar el aprendizaje de los estudiantes, va en contra de los preceptos establecidos por el Programa Federativo Internacional para la Terminología Anatómica (FIPAT) sobre el uso de una terminología anatómica unificada, mediante la cual se pretende evitar la redundancia terminológica. Se propone suprimir el término apertura piriforme y reemplazarlo por el término foramen piriforme, con el fin de evitar la ambigüedad y la utilización de distintos nombres que describen a una estructura de similares características.

The redundant use of terms in morphology field, as well as hindering the learning of students, goes against the precepts established long ago by the Federative International Programme for Anatomical Terminology (FIPAT) on the use of unified anatomical terminology, which is meant to avoid the redundancy terms. It is proposed to delete the term piriform aperture and replace it for the term piriform foramen in order to avoid ambiguity and the use of different names that describe similar structure features.

Untargeted metabolic quantitative trait loci analyses reveal a relationship between primary metabolism and potato tuber quality.

Recent advances in -omics technologies such as transcriptomics, metabolomics, and proteomics along with genotypic profiling have permitted dissection of the genetics of complex traits represented by molecular phenotypes in nonmodel species. To identify the genetic factors underlying variation in primary metabolism in potato (Solanum tuberosum), we have profiled primary metabolite content in a diploid potato mapping population, derived from crosses between S. tuberosum and wild relatives, using gas chromatography-time of flight-mass spectrometry. In total, 139 polar metabolites were detected, of which we identified metabolite quantitative trait loci for approximately 72% of the detected compounds. In order to obtain an insight into the relationships between metabolic traits and classical phenotypic traits, we also analyzed statistical associations between them. The combined analysis of genetic information through quantitative trait locus coincidence and the application of statistical learning methods provide information on putative indicators associated with the alterations in metabolic networks that affect complex phenotypic traits.