Seasonal mosquito (Diptera: Culicidae) dynamics and the influence of environmental variables in a land use gradient from Yucatan, Mexico.

Mosquito-borne diseases constitute a significant global impact on public and animal health. Climatic variables are recognized as major drivers in the mosquitoes' life history, principally rainfall and temperature, which directly influence mosquito abundance. Likewise, urbanization changes environmental conditions, and understanding how environmental variables and urbanization influence mosquito dynamics is crucial for the integrated management of mosquito-borne diseases, especially in the context of climate change. In this study, our aim was to observe the effect of temperature, rainfall, and the percentage of impervious surface on the abundance of mosquito species over a temporal scale of one complete year of fortnightly samplings, spanning from June 2021 to June 2022 in Yucatan, Mexico. We selected nine localities along an urbanization gradient (three natural, three rural, and three urban) from Mérida City to Reserva de la Biosfera Ría Celestún. Using BG-traps, mosquitoes were collected biweekly at each locality. Additionally, we estimated the percentage of impervious surface. Daily data of the maximum, mean and minimum temperatures, diurnal temperature range and rainfall were accumulated weekly. We calculated the accumulated quantities of temperatures and rainfall and lagged from one to four weeks before sampling for each locality. Generalized linear mixed models were then performed to study the influence of environmental variables and percentage of impervious surfaces on each of the 15 most abundant species. A total of 131,525 mosquitoes belonging to 11 genera and 49 species were sampled with BG-Sentinel traps baited with BG-lure and dry ice. The most frequently significative variable is the accumulated precipitation four weeks before the sampling. We observed a positive relationship between Cx. quinquefasciatus and Cx. thriambus with the diurnal temperature range. For Ae. aegypti, we observed a positive relationship with minimum temperature. Conversely, the percentage of impervious surface serves as a proxy of anthropogenic influence and helped us to distinguishing species exhibiting habitat preference for urban and rural environments, versus those preferring natural habitats. Our results characterize the species-specific effects of environmental variables (temperature, rainfall and impervious surface) on mosquito abundance.

A novel Chilean salmon fish backbone-based nanoHydroxyApatite functional biomaterial for potential use in bone tissue engineering.

Introduction: Given the ensuing increase in bone and periodontal diseases and defects, de novo bone repair and/or regeneration strategies are constantly undergoing-development alongside advances in orthopedic, oro-dental and cranio-maxillo-facial technologies and improvements in bio-/nano-materials. Indeed, there is a remarkably growing need for new oro-dental functional biomaterials that can help recreate soft and hard tissues and restore function and aesthetics of teeth/ dentition and surrounding tissues. In bone tissue engineering, HydroxyApatite minerals (HAp), the most stable CaP/Calcium Phosphate bioceramic and a widely-used material as a bone graft substitute, have been extensively studied for regenerative medicine and dentistry applications, including clinical use. Yet, limitations and challenges owing principally to its bio-mechanical strength, exist and therefore, research and innovation efforts continue to pursue enhancing its bio-effects, particularly at the nano-scale. Methods: Herein, we report on the physico-chemical properties of a novel nanoHydroxyApatite material obtained from the backbone of Salmon fish (patent-pending); an abundant and promising yet under-explored alternative HAp source. Briefly, our nanoS-HAp obtained via a modified and innovative alkaline hydrolysis-calcination process was characterized by X-ray diffraction, electron microscopy, spectroscopy, and a cell viability assay. Results and Discussion: When compared to control HAp (synthetic, human, bovine or porcine), our nanoS-HAp demonstrated attractive characteristics, a promising biomaterial candidate for use in bone tissue engineering, and beyond.

Safety and effectiveness of direct-acting antiviral drugs in the treatment of hepatitis C in patients with inflammatory bowel disease.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Hepatitis C virus (HCV) management in Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) is uncertain. The ECCO guidelines 2021 recommended HCV treatment but warn about the risk of IBD reactivation. We aimed to evaluate 1) the effectiveness and safety of direct-acting antivirals (DAAs) in IBD; 2) the interaction of DAAs with IBD drugs. METHODS: Multicentre study of IBD patients and HCV treated with DAAs. Variables related to liver diseases and IBD, as well as adverse events (AEs) and drug interactions, were recorded. McNemar's test was used to assess differences in the proportion of active IBD during the study period. RESULTS: We included 79 patients with IBD and HCV treated with DAAs from 25,998 IBD patients of the ENEIDA registry. Thirty-one (39.2 %) received immunomodulators/biologics. There were no significant differences in the percentage of active IBD at the beginning (n = 11, 13.9 %) or at the 12-week follow-up after DAAs (n = 15, 19 %) (p = 0.424). Sustained viral response occurred in 96.2 % (n = 76). A total of 8 (10.1 %) AEs occurred and these were unrelated to activity, type of IBD, liver fibrosis, immunosuppressants/biologics, and DAAs. CONCLUSIONS: We demonstrate a high efficacy and safety of DAAs in patients with IBD and HCV irrespective of activity and treatment of IBD.

Potential for automatic detection of calving in beef cows grazing on rangelands from Global Navigate Satellite System collar data.

Dystocia is one of the main causes of calf death around calving. In addition, peripartum deaths may occur due to other factors, such as weather or predators, especially in the case of grazing animals. Precision Livestock Farming (PLF) tools aimed at the automatic detection of calving may be useful for farmers, allowing cow assistance in case of dystocia or checking the condition of the cow-calf pair after calving. Such PLF systems are commercially available for dairy cows, but these tools are not suitable for rangelands, mainly due to power and connectivity constraints. Thus, since most commercial PLF tools for rangelands are based on Global Navigate Satellite System (GNSS) technology, the objective of this study was to design and evaluate several indicators built from data gathered with GNSS collars to characterise their potential for the detection of calving on rangelands. Location data from 57 cows, 42 of which calved during the study, were curated and analysed following a standardised procedure. Several indicators were calculated using two different strategies. The first approach consisted of having indicators that could be computed using the data of a single GNSS collar (cow indicators). The second strategy involved the use of data from several animals (herd indicators), which requires more animals to be monitored, but may allow the characterisation of social behaviour. Several indicators, such as the length of the daily trajectory or the sinuosity of cow path, showed significant differences between the pre- and postpartum periods, but no clear differences between calving day and previous days. Herd indicators, such as the distance to herd centroid or to the nearest peer were superior in terms of the detection of calving day, as cows showed isolation behaviour from 24 hours before calving. Relative indicators, i.e., the value of cow or herd indicators for the calving cow in relation to the average value of the same indicators for its herdmates, provided additional information on cow behaviour. For instance, according to the relative indicator for the change in daily trajectory, pregnant cows had a differential exploratory behaviour up to 14 days before calving. In conclusion, data from commercial GNSS collars proved to be useful for the computation of several indicators related to the occurrence of calving on rangelands. Some of those indicators showed changes from baseline values on the day before calving, which could serve to predict the onset of parturition.

Entomopathogenic Fungus-Related Priming Defense Mechanisms in Cucurbits Impact Spodoptera littoralis (Boisduval) Fitness.

Entomopathogenic fungi (EPF) exhibit direct and indirect mechanisms to increase plant resistance against biotic and abiotic stresses. Plant responses to these stresses are interconnected by common regulators such as ethylene (ET), which is involved in both iron (Fe) deficiency and induced systemic resistance responses. In this work, the roots of cucurbit seedlings were primed with Metarhizium brunneum (EAMa 01/58-Su strain), and relative expression levels of 18 genes related to ethylene (ET), jasmonic acid (JA), and salicylic acid (SA) synthesis, as well as pathogen-related (PR) protein genes, were studied by reverse transcription-quantitative PCR (qRT-PCR). Effects of priming on Spodoptera littoralis were studied by feeding larvae for 15 days with primed and control plants. Genes showed upregulation in studied species; however, the highest relative expression was observed in roots and shoots of plants with Fe deficiency, demonstrating the complexity and the overlapping degree of the regulatory network. EIN2 and EIN3 should be highlighted; both are key genes of the ET transduction pathway that enhanced their expression levels up to eight and four times, respectively, in shoots of primed cucumber. Also, JA and SA synthesis and PR genes showed significant upregulation during the observation period (e.g., the JA gene LOX1 increased 506 times). Survival and fitness of S. littoralis were affected with significant effects on mortality of larvae fed on primed plants versus controls, length of the larval stage, pupal weight, and the percentage of abnormal pupae. These results highlight the role of the EAMa 01/58-Su strain in the induction of resistance, which could be translated into direct benefits for plant development. IMPORTANCE Entomopathogenic fungi are multipurpose microorganisms with direct and indirect effects on insect pests. Also, EPF provide multiple benefits to plants by solubilizing minerals and facilitating nutrient acquisition. A very interesting and novel effect of these fungi is the enhancement of plant defense systems by inducing systematic and acquired resistance. However, little is known about this function. This study sheds light on the molecular mechanisms involved in cucurbits plants' defense activation after being primed by the EPF M. brunneum. Furthermore, the subsequent effects on the fitness of the lepidopteran pest S. littoralis are shown. In this regard, a significant upregulation was recorded for the genes that regulate JA, SA, and ET pathways. This increased expression of defense genes caused lethal and sublethal effects on S. littoralis. This could be considered an added value for the implementation of EPF in integrated pest management programs.

Prevalencia de Dientamoeba fragilisy otros protozoários intestinales en porcinos de una granja en la región Andina de Colombia / Prevalence of Dientamoeba fragilis and other intestinal protozoa from a swine farm at the Andean region of Colombia

RESUMEN Dientamoeba fragilis es un protozoário que parasita el intestino grueso del hombre y animales domésticos. Hasta el momento, aún no son claros aspectos de su ciclo de vida, como el rango de hospedadores, reservorios, mecanismo de infección, entre otros. Se postula que el cerdo es un hospedador natural para este protozoario y que, debido a su cercanía con el humano, podría facilitar una transmisión zoonótica. En Colombia no existen a la fecha estudios sobre la presencia de D. fragilis en hospedadores animales, incluidos los cerdos, y los datos sobre la prevalencia de otros protozoarios intestinales en estos animales son escasos. El objetivo fue determinar la frecuencia de protozoarios intestinales, incluyendo D. fragilis, en cerdos de una granja tecnificada de una zona rural de Medellín (región Andina de Colombia). Se recolectaron muestras de materia fecal de 70 cerdos en etapa de preceba, que fueron evaluadas mediante examen directo, tinción tricrómica y Ziehl-Neelsen modificado. Se realizaron análisis univariados con medidas de frecuencia relativa y tendencia central y análisis bivariados para la exploración de factores de riesgo. Se detectó la presencia de D. fragilis en un 13% de las muestras y de otros parásitos como Entamoeba spp. (66%), Blastocystis spp. (64%), Balantioides coli (36%), Cryptosporidium spp. (36%), Iodamoeba butschlii (17%), coccidias (4%) y Giardia spp. (1,4%). En este primer reporte de D. fragilis en cerdos en Colombia se observó la alta prevalencia de otros protozoarios patógenos, lo que corrobora el papel de los cerdos como importantes reservorios de infecciones humanas. Estudios sobre la presencia de este protozoario tanto en cerdos como en el personal encargado de su manejo contribuirían al conocimiento sobre su dinámica de transmisión.

ABSTRACT Dientamoeba fragilis is a protozoan that parasitizes the large intestine of humans and domestic animals. To date, some aspects regarding D. fragilis life cycle, including hosts, reservoirs, infection mechanism, among others, are not yet clear. Swine are considered natural hosts for this protozoan, therefore their close contact with humans promotes its zoonotic transmission. In Colombia there are no studies on the presence of D. fragilis in animal hosts, including pigs, and data about other intestinal protozoa are scarce. The objective was to determine the prevalence of intestinal protozoan, including D. fragilis, in pigs raised in a farm from a rural area of Medellin (Andean region of Colombia). Fecal samples from 70 pigs in prefattening stage were collected. Direct fecal smear examination, trichrome and modified Ziehl-Neelsen stain were used in the study. Univariate analysis (frequency distribution and central tendency measures) and bivariate analysis were used to explore risk factors. Dientamoeba fragilis was found in 13% of the evaluated fecal samples. Other parasites detected included: Entamoeba spp. (66%), Blastocystis spp. (64%), Balantioides coli (36%), Cryptosporidium spp. (36%), Iodamoeba butschlii (17%), coccidias (4%), and Giardia spp. (1,4%). This is the first report of D. fragilis in swine in Colombia, and the high prevalence of other pathogen protozoa was also observed, which corroborates the role of pigs as important reservoirs for human infections. Studies focused on the evaluation of both swine and swine-exposed farm workers should be done in order to know the dynamics of transmission of this parasite.

Cambios en la masa ósea en una población infantil con diabetes mellitus tipo 1. Estudio longitudinal / Changes in bone mass in a paediatric population with type 1 diabetes mellitus. Longitudinal study

Objetivo: Evaluar, a lo largo de un seguimiento de 79,2 meses, el comportamiento de la densidad mineral ósea (DMO) determinada mediante Densitometría Axial Computarizada (DXA), la densidad mineral ósea volumétrica (DMOvol) y su relación con los datos antropométricos, junto con los parámetros relativos al metabolismo óseo (calcio, fósforo, fosfatasa alcalina, parathormona (PTH) y vitamina D (25-OH-D3)) en una población infantil con Diabetes Mellitus Tipo 1 (DM1) sin complicaciones microvasculares y un grupo control de referencia de similares características.Material y métodos: Inicialmente, se realizó un estudio transversal en 40 niños diabéticos (edad media 9,4±2,8 años) y 108 controles (9,3±1,5 años) para valorar las posibles diferencias entre ambas poblaciones. 26 pacientes del grupo diabético inicial, fueron reevaluados tras 79,2 meses de seguimiento.Resultados: Se observó que, al inicio, la masa ósea fue similar en los diabéticos y controles. Después del seguimiento, la DMO de los niños diabéticos era muy inferior a la esperada en población infantil no diabética.El peso, la altura y el Índice de Masa Corporal (IMC) siguieron el mismo patrón que la DMO. Los valores de calcio, fósforo, fosfatasa alcalina, PTH y vitamina D, aunque en rango de normalidad, fueron más bajos que en los controles. La fosfatasa alcalina no se incrementó en el periodo puberal.Conclusiones: El presente estudio demuestra que los niños y adolescentes con un diagnóstico reciente de DM1 tienen una DMO normal. Sin embargo, con el paso del tiempo, y sobre todo durante la adolescencia, muestran una menor ganancia de masa ósea y alteraciones en los parámetros de recambio óseo. (AU)

New support roller profile design for railway wheel re-profiling process by under-floor lathes with a single cutting tool.

The wheel re-profiling is an important part of railway wheelset maintenance. Researchers and railway operators have been very concerned about how to minimize the loss of time during wheel re-profiling without decreasing safety. Avoiding wheelset disassembly means considerable time savings, while reducing wheel damage during operation. Underfloor wheel lathes are the most appropriate tool to achieve this double objective, and therefore the most used nowadays. Multi-cut tool lathes have the disadvantage of being extremely expensive. On the other hand, with single tool lathes, re-profiling is not smooth or safe enough when current convex profile support rollers are used. It is well known by the companies that during reprofiling the wheel suffers impacts/damaged. In this article, a methodology to optimize the profile of the support rollers used in underfloor single tool lathes for railway wheel re-profiling is proposed. This novel profile design will minimize damage and increase the safety of such lathes, since it proposes a greater smoothness in the process. Simulations of re-profiling process have been carried out by the finite element method showing that the designed roller profile reduces drastically the impact/damage during the operation. The impact generated between the re-profiling wheel and the rollers is avoided. Profile-optimized support rollers have been used in a real underfloor wheel lathe, showing good results.

Real-world use of mycophenolate mofetil in inflammatory bowel disease: Results from the ENEIDA registry.

BACKGROUND: Studies to evaluate the use of mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) are limited after the appearance of biological treatments. AIMS: Our primary objective was to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of MMF in IBD. METHODS: IBD patients who had received MMF were retrieved from the ENEIDA registry. Clinical activity as per the Harvey-Bradshaw Index (HBI), partial Mayo score (pMS), physician global assessment (PGA) and C-reactive protein (CRP) were reviewed at baseline, at 3 and 6 months, and at final follow-up. Adverse events and causes of treatment discontinuation were documented. RESULTS: A total of 83 patients were included (66 Crohn's disease, 17 ulcerative colitis), 90% of whom had previously received other immunosuppressants. In 61% of patients systemic steroids were used at initiation of MMF, and in 27.3% biological agents were co-administered with MMF. Overall clinical effectiveness was observed in 64.7% of the population. At the end of treatment, 45.6% and 19.1% of subjects showed remission and clinical response, respectively. MMF treatment was maintained for a median of 28.9 months (IQR: 20.4-37.5). CONCLUSION: Our study suggests, in the largest cohort to date, that MMF may be an effective alternative to thiopurines and methotrexate in IBD.

Demanda asistencial en un Servicio de Pediatría durante el estado de alarma secundario a la COVID-19 / Demand for care in a Pediatric Service during the state of alarm secondary to COVID-19

Antecedentes y objetivos. La COVID-19 es una enfermedad producida por el virus SARS-CoV-2. En España,entre el mes de marzo y junio de 2020 se declaró el primer Estado de Alarma con el fin de contener la pandemia.Nuestro objetivo es evaluar la demanda asistencial y lasenfermedades que acudieron a Urgencias Pediátricas y quefueron ingresadas durante el tiempo que duró el primer Estado de Alarma, comparando con los mismos meses delos años 2018 y 2019.Resultados. Existe una reducción del número de ingresosde 345 a 141, un incremento de la complejidad demostrada por una mayor duración de los ingresos hasta 7,3±12,4 días(6,2±8,6 días en 2018 y 4,8±6,9 en 2019). Las enfermedades infecciosas (principalmente las respiratorias) descendieron, permaneciendo estables los ingresos por neoplasias, patología psiquiátrica, apendicitis y enfermedades circulatorias. EnUrgencias Pediátricas, en los años 2018 y 2019 (de 1 marzoa 30 junio) se atendieron 9.075 y 8.525 pacientes, mientras que en el 2020 se atendieron 2.215, aumentando el porcentajede ingresos procedentes de urgencias del 3,6% y 3,4% al 6%en 2020. Las enfermedades que aumentaron de forma más importante fueron las lesiones traumáticas y las intoxicaciones. Tanto en los ingresos como en urgencias existe unincremento en la edad de los pacientes. Conclusiones. El Estado de Alarma influyó en la presión asistencial y en el tipo de enfermedades atendidas enel Servicio de Pediatría, con una disminución del número de Urgencias y de ingresos, un incremento de la edad y unamodificación del tipo de enfermedades atendidas.

Introduction and objectives. COVID-19 is a disease caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus. In Spain, between March and June 2020, the first State of Alarm was declared in order to contain the pandemic. Our objective is to evaluate the health care demand and the diseases that came to the Pediatric Emergency Department and were admitted during the time that the first State of Alarm lasted, comparing with the same months of the years 2018 and 2019.Results. There is a reduction in the number of admissions from 345 to 141, an increase in complexity demonstrated by a longer duration of admissions to 7.3±12.4 days (6.2 ± 8.6 days in 2018 and 4, 8±6.9 in 2019). Infectious diseases (mainly respiratory) decreased, with admissions for neoplasms, psychiatric pathology, appendicitis and circulatory diseases remaining stable. In Pediatric Emergencies, in the years 2018 and 2019 (from March 1 to June 30), 9,075 and 8,525 patients were attended, while in 2020, 2,215 were attended, increasing the percentage of admissions from the emergency room of 3.6% and 3.4% to 6% in 2020. The diseases that increased most significantly were traumatic injuries and poisonings. Both in admissions and in emergencies there is an increase in the age of the patients. Conclusions. The State of Alarm influenced the care pressure and the type of diseases treated in the Pediatric Service, with a decrease in the number of Emergencies and admissions, an increase in age and a modification of the type of diseases treated (AU)

Effect of iron oxide content and microstructural porosity on the performance of ceramic membranes as microbial fuel cell separators.

Ceramic materials based on naturally occurring clays are a low cost and environmentally friendly alternative to commercial polymer-based membranes in bioelectrochemical systems. In this work, ceramic membranes containing different amounts of iron oxide (1.06, 2.76 and 5.75 vol.%) and sintered at different temperatures (1100, 1200 and 1300 °C) have been elaborated and tested as separators in urine-fed microbial fuel cells (MFCs). The results reveal that the presence of iron oxide in the ceramic membrane composition increases the structural porosity and reduces the pore size for the three temperatures investigated. On the other hand, it was also observed that the iron content mitigates the negative effect of the high sintering temperature on the power performance of the MFCs. In the case of the ceramic membranes sintered at 1300 °C, power output improved ca. 10-fold when the iron oxide content in the membrane increased from 1.06 up to 5.75 vol.% (30.9 and 286.6 µW, respectively). Amongst the different combinations of iron phase content and sintering temperatures, the maximum power output was obtained by MFCs working with separators containing 5.75 vol. % of iron oxide and sintered at 1100 °C (1.045 mW). Finally, the system was stable for 65 days, which supports the long-term functionality of the different materials assessed.

Evaluation of artificial neural network algorithms for predicting the effect of the urine flow rate on the power performance of microbial fuel cells.

Microbial fuel cell (MFC) power performance strongly depends on the biofilm growth, which in turn is affected by the feed flow rate. In this work, an artificial neural network (ANN) approach has been used to simulate the effect of the flow rate on the power output by ceramic MFCs fed with neat human urine. To this aim, three different second-order algorithms were used to train our network and then compared in terms of prediction accuracy and convergence time: Quasi-Newton, Levenberg-Marquardt, and Conjugate Gradient. The results showed that the three training algorithms were able to accurately simulate power production. Amongst all of them, the Levenberg-Marquardt was the one that presented the highest accuracy (R = 95%) and the fastest convergence (7.8 s). These results show that ANNs are useful and reliable tools for predicting energy harvesting from ceramic-MFCs under changeable flow rate conditions, which will facilitate the practical deployment of this technology.

Improving the power performance of urine-fed microbial fuel cells using PEDOT-PSS modified anodes.

The need for improving the energy harvesting from Microbial Fuel Cells (MFCs) has boosted the design of new materials in order to increase the power performance of this technology and facilitate its practical application. According to this approach, in this work different poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene)-polystyrenesulfonate (PEDOT-PSS) modified electrodes have been synthesised and evaluated as anodes in urine-fed MFCs. The electrochemical synthesis of PEDOT-PSS was performed by potentiostatic step experiments from aqueous solution at a fixed potential of 1.80 V (vs. a reversible hydrogen electrode) for different times: 30, 60, 120 and 240 s. Compared with other methods, this technique allowed us not only to reduce the processing time of the electrodes but also better control of the chemical composition of the deposited polymer and therefore, obtain more efficient polymer films. All modified anodes outperformed the maximum power output by MFCs working with the bare carbon veil electrode but the maximum value was observed when MFCs were working with the PEDOT-PSS based anode obtained after 30 s of electropolymerisation (535.1 µW). This value was 24.3% higher than using the bare carbon veil electrode. Moreover, the functionality of the PEDOT-PSS anodes was reported over 90 days working in continuous mode.

Impact of immune-mediated diseases in inflammatory bowel disease and implications in therapeutic approach.

Inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) belong to the group of immune-mediated diseases (IMIDs). The effect of associated IMIDs in the prognosis in IBD is nowadays unknown. To describe IMIDs associated to IBD patients and evaluate differences linked to the presence or absence of IMIDs. A unicentric retrospective descriptive study was designed. A cohort of 1,448 patients were categorized according to the presence of IMIDs. Clinical characteristics were obtained from IBD database. Univariate and multivariate analysis were performed. 385 patients were diagnosed with associated IMIDs while 1,063 had no associated IMIDs. A prevalence of 26.6% IMIDs associated to IBD was observed. Asthma, skin psoriasis and rheumatoid diseases were most commonly found. Factors associated to the presence of IMIDs were women (OR 1.48; 95 CI 1.17-1.87) and Crohn's disease (OR 1.35; 95 CI 1.07-1.70). Patients with associated IMIDs required more immunomodulator (OR 1.61; 95 CI 1.27-2.43) and biological treatment (OR 1.81; 95 CI 1.47-2.43). More surgical risk was observed in multivariate analysis in those patients diagnosed with IMIDs prior to the onset of IBD (OR 3.71; 95% CI 2.1-6.56). We considered the presence of IMIDs a poor prognostic factor and suggest a closer monitoring of these patients.

Molecular signatures of atherosclerotic plaques: An up-dated panel of protein related markers.

Atherosclerosis remains the leading cause of ischemic syndromes such as myocardial infarction or brain stroke, mainly promoted by plaque rupture and subsequent arterial blockade. Identification of vulnerable or high-risk plaques constitutes a major challenge, being necessary to identify patients at risk of occlusive events in order to provide them with appropriate therapies. Clinical imaging tools have allowed the identification of certain structural indicators of prone-rupture plaques, including a necrotic lipidic core, intimal and adventitial inflammation, extracellular matrix dysregulation, and smooth muscle cell depletion and micro-calcification. Additionally, alternative approaches focused on identifying molecular biomarkers of atherosclerosis have also been applied. Among them, proteomics has provided numerous protein markers currently investigated in clinical practice. In this regard, it is quite uncertain that a single molecule can describe plaque rupture, due to the complexity of the process itself. Therefore, it should be more accurate to consider a set of markers to define plaques at risk. Herein, we propose a selection of 76 proteins, from classical inflammatory to recently related markers, all of them identified in at least two proteomic studies analyzing unstable atherosclerotic plaques. Such panel could be used as a prognostic signature of plaque instability.