Food insecurity and water management shocks in Saudi Arabia: Bayesian VAR analysis.

The existing conditions of domestic agricultural production and the resulting products will not be able to fruitfully address the increasing food demand due to the limited fertile land and water resources in Saudi Arabia. Moreover, the escalating threat of a hotter climate, the deterioration in precipitation, and harsh droughts in Saudi Arabia have reduced the predictability of water management efficiency and resulted in the exhaustion of water bodies and serious degradation of ecosystems that have directly affected agricultural systems and indirectly, food security. This study also aims to assess the impact of water efficiency on food insecurity in Saudi Arabia. The study applied the Bayesian Vector Autoregressive (BVAR) model for the reference period for the data extended from 2000-2020. Likewise, we used both impulse response functions (IRFs) and forecasting variance error decomposition (FVED) through 1000 Monte Carlo simulations according to the BVAR model to examine both the response of food insecurity to the shocks on water management efficiency used for various purposes and the decomposition of error variance in food insecurity. The results show that food insecurity was not observed throughout this study. The results of the BVAR analysis indicate that in the short run, the coefficients of water use efficiency are significant based on the Food Insecurity Multidimensional Index (FIMI). Also, the BVAR model provides a better forecast with an interdependence on water use efficiency for agricultural purposes and FIMI. Moreover, the results obtained from IRFs have shown a significant effect of water efficiency on FIMI. Water use efficiency for agriculture and industrial purposes reduces food insecurity while increasing water for services use increases food insecurity. Water use efficiency is the key factor affecting food insecurity in the short run. The results reveal that the water use efficiency shocks will decrease food insecurity. The shocks experienced by food insecurity can be predicted as self-shock over a span of ten years. Emphasis is given to the task of water management that may support food security in Saudi Arabia through implementing and enhancing the water use efficiency as an integral part of achieving the SDGs in Saudi Arabia.

Social support, coping strategies and sociodemographic factors in women with breast cancer

Introduction The aim of this study was to analyze the associations between perceived social support and sociodemographic variables on coping strategies. Methods A prospective, cross-sectional, multicenter study was conducted in 404 women with resected, non-metastatic breast cancer. Participants completed questionnaires: perceived social support (MSPSS), coping strategies (Mini-MAC), and psychological distress (BSI-18). Results Sociodemographic factors as age, education, and partnership status were associated with coping strategies. As for maladaptive strategies, hopelessness was more frequent in older people and lower educational level; fatalism in older and single people, and cognitive avoidance was associated with lower educational level. Suppor t from family, friends, and partners was associated with a greater fighting spirit. In contrast, high psychological distress (anxiety and depression) was associated with greater use of maladaptive strategies. Conclusion Young people, a high level of education, having a partner, low psychological distress, and seeking social support were associated with the use of adaptive cancer coping strategies (AU)

Social support, coping strategies and sociodemographic factors in women with breast cancer.

INTRODUCTION: The aim of this study was to analyze the associations between perceived social support and sociodemographic variables on coping strategies. METHODS: A prospective, cross-sectional, multicenter study was conducted in 404 women with resected, non-metastatic breast cancer. Participants completed questionnaires: perceived social support (MSPSS), coping strategies (Mini-MAC), and psychological distress (BSI-18). RESULTS: Sociodemographic factors as age, education, and partnership status were associated with coping strategies. As for maladaptive strategies, hopelessness was more frequent in older people and lower educational level; fatalism in older and single people, and cognitive avoidance was associated with lower educational level. Suppor t from family, friends, and partners was associated with a greater fighting spirit. In contrast, high psychological distress (anxiety and depression) was associated with greater use of maladaptive strategies. CONCLUSION: Young people, a high level of education, having a partner, low psychological distress, and seeking social support were associated with the use of adaptive cancer coping strategies.

Molecular subtypes in early colorectal cancer associated with clinical features and patient prognosis

Purpose: After surgical resection, an ample prognosis variability among stages is observed. Multiple prognostic factors are individually studied and some CRC classifiers have been proposed. Not one have been implemented into clinical practice. Methods/patients: We classified 105 patients with resected CRC (stage I-III) into five molecular subtypes using BRAFV600E and RAS (KRAS; NRAS) status, and the expression of DNA mismatch repair (MMR) proteins (MLH1 and MSH2). Clinicopathological features and DFS) of distincts groups were evaluated. Results and conclusions: RAS and BRAFV600E mutations were detected in 43.8 and 11.4% of patients, respectively. 19% of tumours had lack of expression of any MMR proteins reflecting a system deficiency (dMMR). Patients with any RAS mutation had lower DFS that patients with RAS wild type (wt) (40.23 vs 45.26 months; p value = 0.035). Of a total of five molecular subtypes, three were MMR proficient (pMMR): RAS mutated (39%), BRAFV600E mutated (6.7%) and RAS/BRAFV600E wt (35.2%); and two were dMMR: BRAFV600E mutated (4.8%) and BRAFV600E wt (14.3%). Left side tumours were more frequently observed in pMMR/RAS and BRAFV600E wt subtype, and right side tumours in dMMR subtypes. Among the three pMMR subtypes, a benefit survival was observed for patients without any mutation in BRAFv600E or RAS oncogenes (median of DFS = 45.5 vs 40.98 months in RAS mutated group; p = 0.084 and vs 34.13 in BRAFv600E mutated group; p = 0.031). Molecular classification using these biomarkers can be useful to identify groups with differences in prognosis

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Molecular subtypes in early colorectal cancer associated with clinical features and patient prognosis.

PURPOSE: After surgical resection, an ample prognosis variability among stages is observed. Multiple prognostic factors are individually studied and some CRC classifiers have been proposed. Not one have been implemented into clinical practice. METHODS/PATIENTS: We classified 105 patients with resected CRC (stage I-III) into five molecular subtypes using BRAFV600E and RAS (KRAS; NRAS) status, and the expression of DNA mismatch repair (MMR) proteins (MLH1 and MSH2). Clinicopathological features and DFS) of distincts groups were evaluated. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: RAS and BRAFV600E mutations were detected in 43.8 and 11.4% of patients, respectively. 19% of tumours had lack of expression of any MMR proteins reflecting a system deficiency (dMMR). Patients with any RAS mutation had lower DFS that patients with RAS wild type (wt) (40.23 vs 45.26 months; p value = 0.035). Of a total of five molecular subtypes, three were MMR proficient (pMMR): RAS mutated (39%), BRAFV600E mutated (6.7%) and RAS/BRAFV600E wt (35.2%); and two were dMMR: BRAFV600E mutated (4.8%) and BRAFV600E wt (14.3%). Left side tumours were more frequently observed in pMMR/RAS and BRAFV600E wt subtype, and right side tumours in dMMR subtypes. Among the three pMMR subtypes, a benefit survival was observed for patients without any mutation in BRAFv600E or RAS oncogenes (median of DFS = 45.5 vs 40.98 months in RAS mutated group; p = 0.084 and vs 34.13 in BRAFv600E mutated group; p = 0.031). Molecular classification using these biomarkers can be useful to identify groups with differences in prognosis.

Runoff initiation, soil detachment and connectivity are enhanced as a consequence of vineyards plantations.

Rainfall-induced soil erosion is a major threat, especially in agricultural soils. In the Mediterranean belt, vineyards are affected by high soil loss rates, leading to land degradation. Plantation of new vines is carried out after deep ploughing, use of heavy machinery, wheel traffic, and trampling. Those works result in soil physical properties changes and contribute to enhanced runoff rates and increased soil erosion rates. The objective of this paper is to assess the impact of the plantation of vineyards on soil hydrological and erosional response under low frequency - high magnitude rainfall events, the ones that under the Mediterranean climatic conditions trigger extreme soil erosion rates. We determined time to ponding, Tp; time to runoff, Tr; time to runoff outlet, Tro; runoff rate, and soil loss under simulated rainfall (55 mm h-1, 1 h) at plot scale (0.25 m2) to characterize the runoff initiation and sediment detachment. In recent vine plantations (<1 year since plantation; R) compared to old ones (>50 years; O). Slope gradient, rock fragment cover, soil surface roughness, bulk density, soil organic matter content, soil water content and plant cover were determined. Plantation of new vineyards largely impacted runoff rates and soil erosion risk at plot scale in the short term. Tp, Tr and Tro were much shorter in R plots. Tr-Tp and Tro-Tr periods were used as connectivity indexes of water flow, and decreased to 77.5 and 33.2% in R plots compared to O plots. Runoff coefficients increased significantly from O (42.94%) to R plots (71.92%) and soil losses were approximately one order of magnitude lower (1.8 and 12.6 Mg ha-1 h-1 for O and R plots respectively). Soil surface roughness and bulk density are two key factors that determine the increase in connectivity of flows and sediments in recently planted vineyards. Our results confirm that plantation of new vineyards strongly contributes to runoff initiation and sediment detachment, and those findings confirms that soil erosion control strategies should be applied immediately after or during the plantation of vines.

High pKDR immunohistochemical expression is an unfavourable prognostic biomarker in patients with advanced colorectal cancer treated with chemotherapy plus bevacizumab

Purpose: To analyse the prognostic role of the immunohistochemical expression of pKDR in patients with advanced colorectal cancer treated with oxaliplatin and fluoropyrimidines combination chemotherapy with or without bevacizumab. Methods: Retrospective multicentre study, carried out at four hospitals in the Valencian Community (Spain). Patients evolution was compared based on the immunohistochemical expression of pKDR, classified using 4 categories: 0 (undetectable), 1 (mild), 2 (moderate) and 3 (high intensity). Patients were divided into two groups for the analysis: group 1 with low expression (0-1) vs. group 2 with high expression (2-3). Results: Histological samples for the pKDR analysis were available for 84 of the 112 patients selected. Seven (8.3 %) had undetectable or mild expression of pKDR (Group 1) and 77 (91.7 %) showed moderate or high expression of pKDR (Group 2). Response rate in Group 1 was 100 %compared to 54.2 % in Group 2 (p = 0.019). Progression-free survival (PFS) (15 vs. 12 months, p = 0.4) and overall survival (OS) (28 vs. 22 months, p = 0.09) were numerically but not significantly higher in patients from Group 1 vs. Group 2. Patients from Group 2 who received bevacizumab presented a significantly higher PFS (13 vs. 11, p = 0.015) and a numerically higher OS (23 vs. 17 months, p = 0.27) than those treated exclusively with chemotherapy. Conclusions: Our results suggest that the absence or low expression of pKDR is associated with a better prognostic profile in patients with advanced colorectal cancer treated with chemotherapy and bevacizumab. Patients with a high pKDR expression benefit from the combination of chemotherapy with bevacizumab (AU)

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High pKDR immunohistochemical expression is an unfavourable prognostic biomarker in patients with advanced colorectal cancer treated with chemotherapy plus bevacizumab.

PURPOSE: To analyse the prognostic role of the immunohistochemical expression of pKDR in patients with advanced colorectal cancer treated with oxaliplatin and fluoropyrimidines combination chemotherapy with or without bevacizumab. METHODS: Retrospective multicentre study, carried out at four hospitals in the Valencian Community (Spain). Patients evolution was compared based on the immunohistochemical expression of pKDR, classified using 4 categories: 0 (undetectable), 1 (mild), 2 (moderate) and 3 (high intensity). Patients were divided into two groups for the analysis: group 1 with low expression (0-1) vs. group 2 with high expression (2-3). RESULTS: Histological samples for the pKDR analysis were available for 84 of the 112 patients selected. Seven (8.3 %) had undetectable or mild expression of pKDR (Group 1) and 77 (91.7 %) showed moderate or high expression of pKDR (Group 2). Response rate in Group 1 was 100 % compared to 54.2 % in Group 2 (p = 0.019). Progression-free survival (PFS) (15 vs. 12 months, p = 0.4) and overall survival (OS) (28 vs. 22 months, p = 0.09) were numerically but not significantly higher in patients from Group 1 vs. Group 2. Patients from Group 2 who received bevacizumab presented a significantly higher PFS (13 vs. 11, p = 0.015) and a numerically higher OS (23 vs. 17 months, p = 0.27) than those treated exclusively with chemotherapy. CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that the absence or low expression of pKDR is associated with a better prognostic profile in patients with advanced colorectal cancer treated with chemotherapy and bevacizumab. Patients with a high pKDR expression benefit from the combination of chemotherapy with bevacizumab.

Error in the sampling area of an optical disdrometer: consequences in computing rain variables.

The aim of this study is to improve the estimation of the characteristic uncertainties of optic disdrometers in an attempt to calculate the efficient sampling area according to the size of the drop and to study how this influences the computation of other parameters, taking into account that the real sampling area is always smaller than the nominal area. For large raindrops (a little over 6 mm), the effective sampling area may be half the area indicated by the manufacturer. The error committed in the sampling area is propagated to all the variables depending on this surface, such as the rain intensity and the reflectivity factor. Both variables tend to underestimate the real value if the sampling area is not corrected. For example, the rainfall intensity errors may be up to 50% for large drops, those slightly larger than 6 mm. The same occurs with reflectivity values, which may be up to twice the reflectivity calculated using the uncorrected constant sampling area. The Z-R relationships appear to have little dependence on the sampling area, because both variables depend on it the same way. These results were obtained by studying one particular rain event that occurred on April 16, 2006.

Age decreased steady-state concentrations of genistein in plasma, liver, and skeletal muscle in Sprague-Dawley rats.

Soy isoflavones are associated with low incidence of cardiovascular diseases (CVD) and hormone-dependent cancers, but no solid information is available on the relative deposition of isoflavones in the body as a function of age. One-year-old (adult) male Sprague-Dawley rats were fed control diet or one of three high-genistein isoflavone (HGI) diets at a dose of 62, 154, or 308 genistein mg/kg (ppm) diet for 5 weeks; 2-year-old (old) were fed a dose of 154 or 308 ppm. Steady-state genistein concentrations in plasma, liver, and gastrocnemius muscle of the adult rats after 12 h fast revealed a linear dose-dependent manner (P < or = 0.0001). However, there was no such relationship in the old rats. Nevertheless, old rats fed the 308 ppm genistein diet had significantly lower steady-state genistein concentrations in plasma and liver than the adult rats did (P < or = 0.05); but similar genistein concentration in muscle. The results of this study indicate that steady-state genistein concentrations in tissues of adult rats after 12 h fast exhibited a dose-dependent fashion and were diminished in specific tissues by age.

Isoflavones improve plasma homocysteine status and antioxidant defense system in healthy young men at rest but do not ameliorate oxidative stress induced by 80% VO2pk exercise.

AIMS: (1) Determination of whether isoflavones, as antioxidants and estrogen-like substances, reduce the atherosclerotic process. (2) Assessment of isoflavone anti-atherosclerotic effectiveness by means of measuring plasma markers of atherosclerosis: homocysteine (Hcy), antioxidant status, and lipid peroxidation. (3) Testing of isoflavone antioxidant effectiveness in the presence and absence of oxidative stress induced by exercise. METHODS: Thirty subjects paired by aerobic fitness level were randomly assigned to either a placebo or high-genistein isoflavone extract (HGI, 150 mg/day) treatment. Blood samples were collected before and within 5 min, after 30 min at 80% peak oxygen consumption (VO(2)pk) exercise, and before and after 4-week supplementation. RESULTS: Plasma genistein and daidzein were significantly increased by 4-week HGI supplementation before and after exercise (p < 0.05). HGI decreased pre-exercise (pre-ex) plasma malondialdehyde (MDA) (p < 0.05) and Hcy (p = 0.01), and increased pre-ex blood total glutathione (TGSH) (p = 0.01), but did not diminish the increase of MDA and the decrease of TGSH due to the exercise. Furthermore, HGI supplementation enhanced pre-ex total antioxidant capacity (p < 0.05), but did not influence plasma vitamin C and E and uric acid concentrations. CONCLUSION: Isoflavones reduce plasma Hcy and have antioxidant activity in healthy young men. However, the effect of isoflavones on antioxidant systems may not be potent enough to diminish an abrupt surge of oxidative stress due to acute exercise.

La caries radicular en el paciente mayor / Rooot caries is elderly patients

En este artículo, se pretende realizar una puesta al día de la problemática que supone la caries ele raíz en el paciente mayor El papel que juegan distintos microorganismos, tales con Estreptococo, Lactobacilos y levaduras queda suficientemente documentado. Las distintas formas de presentación de las caries radiculares (cavltadas y no cavitadas) así como la identificación del riesgo de sufrir caries que tiene un paciente (riesgo bajo, moderado o alto) condicionarán definitivamente el tratamiento. Queremos destacar la importancia que tienen los tratamientos conocidos como médico-preventivos tanto en lesiones incipientm como en la prevención en aquellos paciente considerados de riesgo, utilizando flúor a altas concentraciones y barnices de clorhexidina. Por último, er aquellos pacientes con caries cavltadas, recomendamos el uso cie antisépticos y obturaciones provisionales como punto de partida del tratamiento, con la finalidad de reducir. La retención de placa bacteriana y consecuente reservorio de bacterias, antes de pasar a a obturación definitiva (AU)

Preparation, antimicrobial evaluation, and mutagenicity of [2-hydroxyaryl]-[1-methyl-5-nitro-1H-2-imidazolyl]methanols , [5-tert-butyl-2-methylaminophenyl]-[1-methyl-5-nitro-1H-2-imidazo lyl]me thanol, and [2-hydroxyaryl]-[1-methyl-5-nitro-1H-2-imidazolyl] ketones.

Efficient preparations of the titled compounds are described, their antimicrobial activity and mutagenic properties being evaluated. Some of the studied compounds are nonmutagenic and present a MIC as low as some of the usual standards in the field.

Synthesis and assessment of formamidines as new histamine H2-receptor antagonists.

Four series of compounds whose substructure contains a formamidine functionalized as a novel group in the chemistry of histamine H2-receptors have been synthesized. Series design, synthesis and pharmacological data including inhibition of histamine-stimulated acid secretion, inhibition of acid secretion p.o. and pA2 are reported. N-[(E)-[[2-[[[2](Diaminomethylene)amino]-4-thiazolyl] methyl]thio]ethyl]amino]methylene]-4-bromo-benzenesulfonamide (ebrotidine, CAS 100981-43-9, FI-3542) was selected for further research.

Synthesis and antimycotic activity of (benzo[b]thienyl)methyl ethers of 1-(2,4-dichlorophenyl)-2-(1H-imidazol-1-yl)-ethanol and of (Z)-1-(2,4-dichlorophenyl)-2-(1H-imidazol-1-yl)ethanone oxime.

A new series of (benzo[b]thienyl)methyl ethers of 1-(2,4-dichlorophenyl)-2-(1H-imidazol-1-yl)ethanol and of (Z)-1-(2,4-dichlorophenyl)-2-(1H-imidazol-1-yl)ethanone oxime were synthesis and tested for antifungal activity. Series design, synthesis, preliminary antimycotic data and structure-activity relationships are reported. 7-Chloro-3-[1-(2,4-dichlorophenyl)-2-(1H-imidazol-1- yl)ethoxymethyl]benzo[b] (8i, Sertaconazole, FI-7045, CAS 99592-32-2) and its nitrate were selected for further research.