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1.
J Biotechnol ; 390: 28-38, 2024 Jul 10.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38768686

ABSTRACT

Nutrient signaling pathways play a pivotal role in regulating the balance among metabolism, growth and stress response depending on the available food supply. They are key factors for the biotechnological success of the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae during food-producing fermentations. One such pathway is Retrograde Response, which controls the alpha-ketoglutarate supply required for the synthesis of amino acids like glutamate and lysine. Repressor MKS1 is linked with the TORC1 complex and negatively regulates this pathway. Deleting MKS1 from a variety of industrial strains causes glycerol to increase during winemaking, brewing and baking. This increase is accompanied by a reduction in ethanol production during grape juice fermentation in four commercial wine strains. Interestingly, this does not lead volatile acidity to increase because acetic acid levels actually lower. Aeration during winemaking usually increases acetic acid levels, but this effect reduces in the MKS1 mutant. Despite the improvement in the metabolites of oenological interest, it comes at a cost given that the mutant shows slower fermentation kinetics when grown in grape juice, malt and laboratory media and using glucose, sucrose and maltose as carbon sources. The deletion of RTG2, an activator of Retrograde Response that acts as an antagonist of MKS1, also results in a defect in wine fermentation speed. These findings suggest that the deregulation of this pathway causes a fitness defect. Therefore, manipulating repressor MKS1 is a promising approach to modulate yeast metabolism and to produce low-ethanol drinks.


Subject(s)
Ethanol , Fermentation , Glycerol , Saccharomyces cerevisiae Proteins , Saccharomyces cerevisiae , Wine , Glycerol/metabolism , Saccharomyces cerevisiae/metabolism , Saccharomyces cerevisiae/genetics , Ethanol/metabolism , Wine/microbiology , Saccharomyces cerevisiae Proteins/genetics , Saccharomyces cerevisiae Proteins/metabolism , Up-Regulation , Repressor Proteins/genetics , Repressor Proteins/metabolism , Gene Expression Regulation, Fungal , Transaminases
2.
BMC Infect Dis ; 24(1): 222, 2024 Feb 20.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38374000

ABSTRACT

INTRODUCTION: The frequency of mother-to-child transmission (MTCT) of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) in Latin America has decreased considerably. However, new infections continue to be recorded, and the pediatric population remains one of the most vulnerable groups in this region. The main objective of the study was to describe the clinical, epidemiological and psychosocial characteristics of new diagnoses of HIV MTCT in 2018 in the PLANTAIDS network (Paediatric Network for Prevention, Early Detection and Treatment of HIV in Children) during the 3 years following diagnosis. METHODOLOGY: Retrospective, multicenter, descriptive study based on a 3-year follow-up of patients diagnosed with HIV infection due to MTCT in 2018 in 10 hospitals in 8 Latin American countries (Costa Rica, Ecuador, Mexico, Honduras, El Salvador, Panama, Guatemala and Venezuela). The hospitals belonged to the PLANTAIDS network, which is included in CYTED (Ibero-American Programme of Science and Technology for Development). RESULTS: The study population comprised 72 pediatric patients (38.9% male). The median age at diagnosis was 2.4 years (IQR: 0.8-5.4). There were 35 cases of opportunistic infections corresponding to 25 patients (34.7%), with tuberculosis being the most common. Adequate childhood vaccination coverage was achieved in 80.5%. There were 3 cases of acute SARS-CoV-2 infection, and these were asymptomatic or mildly symptomatic. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) classification, the most frequent clinical-immunological stage at all check-ups was C1. Three patients died from opportunistic infections and/or advanced HIV infection. CONCLUSIONS: It is important to diagnose HIV infection early in pediatrics, since early initiation of ART is associated with a decrease in mortality. Despite this, HIV infection has a poor prognosis in children, necessitating adequate follow-up to ensure adherence to health care and ART, although it can sometimes prove difficult in children.


Subject(s)
HIV Infections , Opportunistic Infections , Child , Humans , Male , Female , Infant , Child, Preschool , Latin America/epidemiology , HIV Infections/diagnosis , HIV Infections/epidemiology , HIV , Retrospective Studies , Infectious Disease Transmission, Vertical/prevention & control , Follow-Up Studies
3.
Disaster Med Public Health Prep ; 16(4): 1452-1458, 2022 08.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-34016210

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: Public health and emergency management agencies play a critical role in addressing the needs of vulnerable populations in preparation for and in response to emergencies. Identifying and leveraging community assets is a way to address such needs. This study focuses on the development of a process and tools to engage community leaders in sharing their knowledge about their community characteristics and assets useful for emergency planning. METHODS: We conducted interviews with community leaders across five study sites with the goal of understanding what type of local knowledge community leaders are able to share in regard to emergency preparedness. Based on the interview results we developed and tested a mobile application as a mobile friendly directory of community assets. RESULTS: We identified two main types of local knowledge about community assets for emergency preparedness: communication-based and trust-based local knowledge. We created an application to facilitate the sharing of such knowledge. Community leaders were able to share local knowledge across four areas: communication-based assets, trust-based assets, spatial-based assets and personal-preparedness assets. CONCLUSION: Community leaders' engagement in preparedness efforts is important to identify community assets that can be leveraged to address the needs of the most vulnerable segments of a community.


Subject(s)
Civil Defense , Disaster Planning , Humans , Disaster Planning/methods , Vulnerable Populations , Trust , Communication
4.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-32793580

ABSTRACT

The ability of the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae to adapt to the changing environment of industrial processes lies in the activation and coordination of many molecular pathways. The most relevant ones are nutrient signaling pathways because they control growth and stress response mechanisms as a result of nutrient availability or scarcity and, therefore, leave an ample margin to improve yeast biotechnological performance. A standardized grape juice fermentation assay allowed the analysis of mutants for different elements of many nutrient signaling pathways under different conditions (low/high nitrogen and different oxygenation levels) to allow genetic-environment interactions to be analyzed. The results indicate that the cAMP-dependent PKA pathway is the most relevant regardless of fermentation conditions, while mutations on TOR pathways display an effect that depends on nitrogen availability. The production of metabolites of interest, such as glycerol, acetic acid and pyruvate, is controlled in a coordinated manner by the contribution of several components of different pathways. Ras GTPase Ras2, a stimulator of cAMP production, is a key factor for achieving fermentation, and is also relevant for sensing nitrogen availability. Increasing cAMP concentrations by deleting an enzyme used for its degradation, phosphodiesterase Pde2, proved a good way to increase fermentation kinetics, and offered keys for biotechnological improvement. Surprisingly glucose repression protein kinase Snf1 and Nitrogen Catabolite Repression transcription factor Gln3 are relevant in fermentation, even in the absence of starvation. Gln3 proved essential for respiration in several genetic backgrounds, and its presence is required to achieve full glucose de-repression. Therefore, most pathways sense different types of nutrients and only their coordinated action can ensure successful wine fermentation.

5.
Microb Cell Fact ; 19(1): 124, 2020 Jun 06.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-32505207

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Saccharomyces cerevisiae wine strains can develop stuck or sluggish fermentations when nutrients are scarce or suboptimal. Nutrient sensing and signaling pathways, such as PKA, TORC1 and Snf1, work coordinately to adapt growth and metabolism to the amount and balance of the different nutrients in the medium. This has been exhaustively studied in laboratory strains of S. cerevisiae and laboratory media, but much less under industrial conditions. RESULTS: Inhibitors of such pathways, like rapamycin or 2-deoxyglucose, failed to discriminate between commercial wine yeast strains with different nutritional requirements, but evidenced genetic variability among industrial isolates, and between laboratory and commercial strains. Most signaling pathways involve events of protein phosphorylation that can be followed as markers of their activity. The main pathway to promote growth in the presence of nitrogen, the TORC1 pathway, measured by the phosphorylation of Rps6 and Par32, proved active at the very start of fermentation, mainly on day 1, and ceased soon afterward, even before cellular growth stopped. Transcription factor Gln3, which activates genes subject to nitrogen catabolite repression, was also active for the first hours, even when ammonium and amino acids were still present in media. Snf1 kinase was activated only when glucose was exhausted under laboratory conditions, but was active from early fermentation stages. The same results were generally obtained when nitrogen was limiting, which indicates a unique pathway activation pattern in winemaking. As PKA remained active throughout fermentation, it could be the central pathway that controls others, provided sugars are present. CONCLUSIONS: Wine fermentation is a distinct environmental situation from growth in laboratory media in molecular terms. The mechanisms involved in glucose and nitrogen repression respond differently under winemaking conditions.


Subject(s)
Culture Media/metabolism , Fermentation , Saccharomyces cerevisiae/metabolism , Wine/microbiology , Signal Transduction , Vitis/microbiology
6.
Diagnostics (Basel) ; 10(3)2020 Mar 18.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-32197472

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Primary dysmenorrhea (PD) is one of the most common gynecological disorders in women of reproductive age that may affect quality of life. It is believed that the underlying cause of PD may be the excessive production of prostaglandins (PGs), however, between 20%-25% of women with PD did not respond to pharmacological treatments, showing that nociceptive mechanisms underlying PD are still not understood. The purpose of this study was to measure and compare, through the use of ultrasound imaging, the thickness at rest of the abdominal wall, as well as the interrecti distance (IRD), in women with and without PD. METHODS: A cross-sectional study has been performed using ultrasound imaging (USI) to measure the resting thickness of the external oblique (EO), internal oblique (IO), transversus abdominis (TrAb), rectus abdominis (RA), as well as the IRD in a sample of 39 women, 19 with PD and 20 without PD (median ± IR age: 20 ± 4 and 22.5 ± 7 years, respectively). RESULTS: Findings of muscular thickness did not reveal statically significant differences (p < 0.05) in EO, IO, TrAb, RA, and the IRD between the PD group and control group. CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that the thickness of the abdominal wall is not associated with PD.

7.
Sci Rep ; 7(1): 12414, 2017 09 29.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-28963559

ABSTRACT

Glufosinate ammonium (GA) is a widely used herbicide that inhibits glutamine synthetase. This inhibition leads to internal amino acid starvation which, in turn, causes the activation of different nutrient sensing pathways. GA also inhibits the enzyme of the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae in such a way that, although it is not used as a fungicide, it may alter yeast performance in industrial processes like winemaking. We describe herein how GA indeed inhibits the yeast growth of a wine strain during the fermentation of grape juice. In turn, GA extends longevity in a variety of growth media. The biochemical analysis indicates that GA partially inhibits the nutrient sensing TORC1 pathway, which may explain these phenotypes. The GCN2 kinase mutant is hypersensitive to GA. Hence the control of translation and amino acid biosynthesis is required to also deal with the damaging effects of this pesticide. A global metabolomics analysis under winemaking conditions indicated that an increase in amino acid and in polyamines occurred. In conclusion, GA affects many different biochemical processes during winemaking, which provides us with some insights into both the effect of this herbicide on yeast physiology and into the relevance of the metabolic step for connecting nitrogen and carbon metabolism.


Subject(s)
Aminobutyrates/pharmacology , Fermentation/drug effects , Herbicides/pharmacology , Herbicides/toxicity , Saccharomyces cerevisiae Proteins/metabolism , Saccharomyces cerevisiae/drug effects , Transcription Factors/metabolism , Wine , Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases/metabolism , Saccharomyces cerevisiae/growth & development , Saccharomyces cerevisiae/metabolism
8.
FEMS Yeast Res ; 17(1)2017 01 01.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-27956494

ABSTRACT

Grape juice fermentation is a harsh environment with many stressful conditions, and Saccharomyces cerevisiae adapts its metabolism in response to those environmental challenges. Many nutrient-sensing pathways control this feature. The Tor/Sch9p pathway promotes growth and protein synthesis when nutrients are plenty, while the transcription factor Gcn4p is required for the activation of amino acid biosynthetic pathways. We previously showed that Sch9p impact on longevity depends on the nitrogen/carbon ratio. When nitrogen is limiting, SCH9 deletion shortens chronological life span, which is the case under winemaking conditions. Its deletion also increases glycerol during fermentation, so the impact of this pathway on metabolism under winemaking conditions was studied by transcriptomic and metabolomic approaches. SCH9 deletion causes the upregulation of many amino acid biosynthesis pathways. When Gcn4p was overexpressed during winemaking, increased glycerol production was also observed. Therefore, both pathways are related in terms of glycerol production. SCH9 deletion increased the amount of the limiting enzyme in glycerol biosynthesis, glycerol-3-P dehydrogenase Gpd1p at the protein level. The impact on the metabolome of SCH9 deletion and GCN4 overexpression differed, although both showed a downregulation of glycolysis. SCH9 deletion downregulated the amount of most proteinogenic amino acids and increased the amount of lipids, such as ergosterol.


Subject(s)
Basic-Leucine Zipper Transcription Factors/metabolism , Gene Expression Regulation, Fungal , Glycerol/metabolism , Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases/metabolism , Saccharomyces cerevisiae Proteins/metabolism , Saccharomyces cerevisiae/enzymology , Saccharomyces cerevisiae/metabolism , Wine/microbiology , Basic-Leucine Zipper Transcription Factors/genetics , Gene Deletion , Gene Expression , Gene Expression Profiling , Metabolomics , Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases/genetics , Saccharomyces cerevisiae/growth & development , Saccharomyces cerevisiae Proteins/genetics
9.
Gerokomos (Madr., Ed. impr.) ; 26(4): 150-156, dic. 2015. graf, tab
Article in Spanish | IBECS | ID: ibc-153544

ABSTRACT

Objetivo: comprobar la validez de las escalas Braden y EMINA y seleccionar puntos de corte cuantitativos para discriminar el riesgo de úlcera por presión (UPP) en pacientes domiciliarios. Método: estudio longitudinal o de seguimiento de una cohorte de 6 meses de duración, con cuatro valoraciones, una cada 2 meses. Ámbito de estudio: áreas de gestión sanitaria Este de Málaga-Axarquía y Serranía, de Málaga. Sujetos de estudio: pacientes en programa de inmovilizados sin UPP. Cuestionario confeccionado por los autores que incluye entre otros: datos demográficos, ingreso hospitalario, escalas de Braden y EMINA. Muestra: 353 pacientes, usando muestreo aleatorio simple. Resultado: las escalas originales mantienen consistencia interna con alpha superior a 0,7. Se han establecido nuevos puntos de corte, discriminando pacientes con riesgo de UPP o sin él, resultando una sensibilidad del 61-89% y una especificidad del 64-70%. Las escalas categorizadas tienen exactitud como método diagnóstico igual o superior al 65%. Las odds ratio (OR) son significativas e indican que existen diferencias en el riesgo de UPP en función de nuevos puntos de corte. La determinación de los puntos de corte resultaron: riesgo alto: sensibilidad ≤ 10%, especificidad ≥ 95%, puntuación en la escala de Braden ≤ 10, EMINA 12-15; riesgo moderado: sensibilidad entre el 10% y el 83%, especificidad entre el 64% y el 95%, Braden 11-15 y EMINA 7-11; riesgo bajo: sensibilidad entre el 83% y el 100%, especificidad entre el 0% y el 64%, Braden 16-22 y EMINA 1-6; riesgo nulo: sensibilidad 100%, especificidad 0%, Braden 23, EMINA 0


Aim: Verifying Braden and EMINA's validity and select quantitative cut-off points to differentiate Ulcer by Pressure threat in home-care patients. Method: group monitor progress and longitudinal examination of a cohort of patients during 6 months, evaluating three times, once every two months. Scope of application: Health Care Administration Este Málaga-Axarquía and Serranía, Málaga. Subject of study: Immobilized Programme patients without UPP. Resources: Authors’ questionnaire including among others: demographic data, hospital admission date, Braden and EMINA scales. Sample: 353 patients, simple random sampling. Result: The original scales support internal consistency with alpha superior to 0.7. Establishing new cut-off points discriminating patients with or without UPP threat, resulting sensitivity of 61%- 89% and specificity 64%-70%. The classified scales have a precisions as a diagnostic method equal or superior to 65%. OR are significant, indicating existing differences under threat of UPP according to new cut-off points. Cut-off points’ selected resulted in: High sensitivity threat ≤10% ≥ 95%, Braden’s scale average ≤ 10, EMINA 12-15. Moderate threat 10%,

Subject(s)
Humans , Pressure Ulcer/classification , Immobilization/adverse effects , Nursing Assessment/methods , Trauma Severity Indices , Home Care Services, Hospital-Based/statistics & numerical data , Risk Factors
10.
J Ultrasound Med ; 33(11): 2021-30, 2014 Nov.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-25336491

ABSTRACT

Sonography of the iliopsoas tendon plays an important role in the diagnosis and preoperative and postoperative management for the increasing number of patients under consideration for arthroscopically guided hip interventions such as iliopsoas tenotomy in a variety of conditions, including arthropathy, periarticular calcifications, and cam-type deformities of the femoral head. The ability to visualize the iliopsoas tendon pre-operatively can be helpful diagnostically in patients presenting with hip pain and can aid in planning surgery, while evaluating the tendon postoperatively is important in the assessment of causes of postoperative pain and other potential complications. We present a novel technique for visualizing the distal iliopsoas tendon complex in the longitudinal axis at its insertion on the lesser trochanter on sonography.


Subject(s)
Anatomic Landmarks/diagnostic imaging , Hip Joint/diagnostic imaging , Image Enhancement/methods , Patient Positioning/methods , Tendinopathy/diagnostic imaging , Tendons/diagnostic imaging , Ultrasonography/methods , Adult , Aged , Aged, 80 and over , Cadaver , Female , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Psoas Muscles/diagnostic imaging , Reproducibility of Results , Sensitivity and Specificity , Young Adult
11.
Gerokomos (Madr., Ed. impr.) ; 25(3): 124-130, sept. 2014. tab
Article in Spanish | IBECS | ID: ibc-131993

ABSTRACT

Objetivo: comprobar la fiabilidad de las escalas de Braden y EMINA (escalas de valoración del riesgo de úlceras por presión) en atención domiciliaria. Método: estudio observacional de tipo transversal. Ámbito de estudio: Área de Gestión Sanitaria Este de Málaga-Axarquía y Área de Gestión Sanitaria Serranía, ambas de Málaga. Sujetos de estudio: pacientes incluidos dentro del Programa de Inmovilizados sin úlceras por presión. Instrumentos: escalas de Braden y EMINA. Muestra: 30 pacientes, usando una técnica de muestreo aleatorio simple. Resultados: Escala de Braden: Alfa de Cronbach de 0,78 para ambos observadores. Coeficiente de correlación intraclase (CCI) para la puntuación total de la escala, 0,968. El índice kappa ponderado para cada uno de los 6 ítems de la escala oscila entre 0,685 que es el más bajo y corresponde a fricción y deslizamiento y 1,00 para el más alto, que corresponde a percepción sensorial. Escala EMINA: el Alfa de Cronbach oscila entre 0,69 y 0,73 entre observadores. Coeficiente de correlación intraclase para la puntuación total de la escala, 0,974. El índice kappa ponderado para cada uno de los 5 ítems de la escala oscila entre 0,750, el más bajo que corresponde a la actividad, y 1,00 para el más alto, que corresponde a nutrición. Conclusiones: la escala de Braden tiene mayor consistencia interna, aunque el grado de acuerdo cuando se utilizan las escalas de manera categórica es superior en la EMINA. Ambas escalas son instrumentos fiables para el uso en atención domiciliaria, aunque sería conveniente establecer nuevos puntos de corte, para definir o categorizar el riesgo en esta población


Objective: Assessing reliability of the Braden and EMINA scales (Rating Scales for the Risk of pressure sores) in-home care. Method: Cross-sectional study. Population of study from Málaga: area of Heath Management East Málaga-Axarquia and mountainous region. Subjects of study: Patients entered in the programme of immobilize persons without pressure sore. Questionnaires: Braden and EMINA. Sample: 30 patients selected by simple randomisation. Results: Braden Scale: Cronbach's coefficient alpha 0.78 for both ratters. The Intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) is 0.968. Kappa values for each of the 6 items vary from 0.685 for the friction and slipping item and 1 for the sensorial perception item. EMINA Scale: Cronbach's coefficent alpha 0.69 and 0.73 for each of the two raters, respectively. The Intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) is 0.974. Kappa values for each of the 6 items vary from 0.750 for the activity item and 1 for the nutrition item Conclusions: The internal consistency of Braden scales is higher than the consistency of the EMINA scale. However, when the individual item agreement between raters was higher for the EMINA than for the Braden. Both scales, as continuous, are reliable instruments to be used for in-home care, although it would be convenient to establish new cut-off points for the scales in order to categorise the risk of pressure sores for this type of population


Subject(s)
Humans , Male , Female , Aged , Aged, 80 and over , Geriatric Assessment/methods , Immobilization/statistics & numerical data , Risk Adjustment/methods , Pressure Ulcer/epidemiology , Home Care Services, Hospital-Based/statistics & numerical data
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