Assessment of Alimentación Normal con Ajuste de Insulina (ANAIS), a Spanish version of the DAFNE programme, in people with Type 1 diabetes: a randomized controlled parallel trial.

AIM: To evaluate the effects of Alimentación Normal con Ajuste de Insulina (ANAIS), a group-based, therapeutic education programme for Type 1 diabetes based on a flexible insulin regimen adjusted to the individual's food intake. METHODS: Participants with Type 1 diabetes and HbA1c levels of 53-86 mmol/mol (7-10%) were recruited from outpatient clinics at a tertiary care centre. They were randomized (using opaque, sealed envelopes, with a 2:1 treatment allocation ratio) to attend the training course immediately (immediate ANAIS; intervention group) or a year later (delayed ANAIS; control group). The main outcome was HbA1c level at 1 year. Secondary outcomes included lipid levels, weight, hypoglycaemic events, insulin dose, treatment satisfaction, self-perceived dietary freedom, quality of life and participant-defined goals. RESULTS: A total of 48 participants were assigned to the intervention group and 32 to the control group. Twelve months after completing the training, adjusted HbA1c was not significantly different in the intervention group [64 ± 1.3 vs 68 ± 1.6 mmol/mol (8.0 ±0.1% vs 8.4 ±0.1%); P=0.081]. Treatment satisfaction was significantly higher in the intervention group, but no differences were found in hypoglycaemic events, weight, insulin dose or changes in dietary freedom. At 1 year after the intervention, 72% of the participants (vs 33% in the control group; P=0.046) reported exceeding their expectations regarding achievement of their main personal goal. CONCLUSION: Promoting dietary freedom and empowering people with Type 1 diabetes through structured education programmes, such as ANAIS, improves treatment satisfaction and self-defined goals. No significant improvement in HbA1c level was achieved.

Effects of artificial light on flowering of foredune vegetation.

The impact of ecological light pollution involves alteration of periods of natural light, a fact that has proven effects on ecosystems. Few studies have focused on the impact of this pollution on wild plant species, and none on coastal dune plants. Many coastal dunes and their plants are adjacent to tourist areas, and these might be affected by light pollution. Such is the case of the Natural Reserve Dunas de Maspalomas (Gran Canaria), where some individuals of the plant species Traganum moquinii, located in the El Inglés beach foredune zone, are affected by light pollution. This study examines the effect of light pollution on the flowering process and, by extension, the reproductive cycle of these plants. Plants located closer to high artificial illumination sources receive ~2,120 h/yr of intense light more than plants located furthest from those artificial lighting sources. Parts of the plants of Traganum moquinii exposed directly to the artificial light show a significant decrease in the production of flowers, compared to the parts in plants in shade, and to the plants more distant from artificial lights. In consequence, plants exposed more directly to artificial light have a lower potential for seed reproduction. The spectrum of artificial light also affects the plants, and light between 600 and 700 nm primarily affects the reproductive cycle of the Traganum moquinii species. The implications for the ecological and geomorphological functioning of the dune system are discussed, because this species plays a decisive role in the formation of foredune zones and nebkhas in arid dune systems.

Breastfeeding during the first 6 months of life, adiposity rebound and overweight/obesity at 8 years of age.

BACKGROUND: The question of whether breastfeeding protects the child from obesity is a still debated issue; however, the relationship between early adiposity rebound and higher risk of obesity is well known. This study was aimed at evaluating whether breastfeeding (without formula supplement) during the first 6 months of life delays the time of adiposity rebound and consequently reduces the rates of obesity at the age of 8. METHODS: This retrospective cohort study included 1812 children born in Gran Canaria in 2004, with follow-up until they were 8 years of age. Anthropometrical data had been taken during routine visits to the doctor and were extracted from medical record databases. Only children with breastfeeding for the first 6 months of life (173 children) and children without breastfeeding (192 children) were included. Children with mixed feeding and children whose data were not available were excluded. RESULTS: No body mass index (BMI) differences were found between children with breastfeeding (17.7) or without breastfeeding (17.3) during the first 6 months of life. The percentages of children with normal weight, overweight and obesity were similar in both groups, as well as the age of adiposity rebound breastfeeding 3.61 years; formula 3.64 years). Early adiposity rebound was associated with increased BMI at the age of 8, both in male and female children. CONCLUSIONS: Breastfeeding during the first 6 months of life was not demonstrated to delay the age of the adiposity rebound, in our study.

Cross-sectional study on prevalence of Trypanosoma evansi infection in domestic ruminants in an endemic area of the Canary Islands (Spain).

Trypanosoma evansi is the most widely spread of the pathogenic African trypanosomes of animals. The disease (surra) was first diagnosed in the Canary Islands in a dromedary camel in 1997; thus, a control plan was implemented achieving the eventual eradication of T. evansi from most of the infected areas in the Archipelago. However, a little area remains still infected despite the use of the same control measures. To evaluate possible reservoirs in the area a representative sample of domestic ruminants was examined by serological, parasitological and molecular tests. Of a total of 1228 ruminants assessed, 61 (5%) were serologically positive (7 cattle, 21 goats, 33 sheep), but T. evansi could be demonstrated in none of them. According to FreeCalc assessment, cattle and goat populations would be free from disease; however, the results from sheep are not adequate to conclude that the population would be free from disease. As a conclusion, surveillance must be exercised on ruminant farms in the surroundings of the infected area in order to evaluate the possible extension of the disease and their potential role as reservoirs of T. evansi.