Differential analysis of the bacterial community in colostrum samples from women with gestational diabetes mellitus and obesity.

Gestational Diabetes Mellitus (GDM) and obesity affect the functioning of multiple maternal systems and influence colonization of the newborn gastrointestinal through the breastmilk microbiota (BMM). It is currently unclear how GDM and obesity affect the human BMM composition. Here, we applied 16S-rRNA high-throughput sequencing to human colostrum milk to characterize BMM taxonomic changes in a cohort of 43 individuals classified in six subgroups according to mothers patho-physiological conditions (healthy control (n = 18), GDM (n = 13), or obesity (n = 12)) and newborn gender. Using various diversity indicators, including Shannon/Faith phylogenetic index and UniFrac/robust Aitchison distances, we evidenced that BMM composition was influenced by the infant gender in the obesity subgroup. In addition, the GDM group presented higher microbial diversity compared to the control group. Staphylococcus, Corynebacterium 1, Anaerococcus and Prevotella were overrepresented in colostrum from women with either obesity or GDM, compared to control samples. Finally, Rhodobacteraceae was distinct for GDM and 5 families (Bdellovibrionaceae, Halomonadaceae, Shewanellaceae, Saccharimonadales and Vibrionaceae) were distinct for obesity subgroups with an absolute effect size greater than 1 and a q-value ≤ 0.05. This study represents the first effort to describe the impact of maternal GDM and obesity on BMM.

Effectiveness of a 95 SNP panel for the screening of breed label fraud in the Chinese meat market.

Breed assignment has proved to be useful to control meat trade and protect the value of special productions. Meat-related frauds have been detected in China; therefore, 95 SNPs selected from the ISAG core panel were evaluated to develop an automated and technologically updated tool to screen breed label fraud in the Chinese meat market. A total of 271 animals from four Chinese yellow cattle (CYC) populations, six Bos taurus breeds, two Bos indicus and one composite were used. The allocation test distinguished European, Japanese and Zebu breeds, and two Chinese genetic components. It correctly allocated Japanese Black, Zebu and British breeds in 100, 90 and 89% of samples, respectively. CYC evidenced the Zebu, Holstein and Limousin introgression. The test did not detect CYC components in any of the 25 samples from Argentinean butchers. The method could be useful to certify Angus, Hereford and Japanese Black meat, but a modification in the panel would be needed to differentiate other breeds.

Resultados de la campaña “ahora sí” / No disponible

Introducción: La Sociedad Española de Cardiología (SEC), Sociedad Española de Médicos de Atención Primaria, (SEMERGEN) y Sociedad Española de Neumología y Cirugía Torácica, (SEPAR) quisieron aprovechar la oportunidad que les brindaba la implantación de la nueva ley reguladora del consumo del tabaco en los lugares públicos, para promover una campaña en favor de la prevención y el control del tabaquismo. Objetivo: Los principales objetivos han sido: informar a toda la población general sobre los diferentes aspectos sanitarios relacionados con el tabaquismo, formar a los profesionales sanitarios en las disciplinas de prevención, diagnóstico y tratamiento del tabaquismo y crear o potenciar recursos sanitarios para ayudar a dejar de fumar. Metodología: La campaña ha sido dirigida por un comité constituido por expertos de las tres sociedades cientí cas y se ha llevado a cabo con la colaboración de los colegios o ciales de médicos y de los ayuntamientos. La campaña, que ha tenido una duración de 8 meses, se ha realizado en 13 ciudades de tamaño medio y repartidas por todo el territorio español: Alcobendas, Ávila, Cáceres, Calatayud, Córdoba, Cuenca, Girona, Irún, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Menorca, Ontinyent, Oviedo y Xátiva. La campaña consistió en la distribución de carteles informativos, ruedas de prensa, notas de prensa, realización de charlas para adultos, charlas para jóvenes, realización de cursos de formación en diagnóstico y tratamiento del tabaquismo para profesionales sanitarios y creación de consultas de tabaquismo o potenciaciónde las existentes. Resultados: Se han realizado 13 ruedas de prensa a las que acudieron 74 medios informativos. Se han repartidomas 7800 carteles. Se impartieron un total de 13 charlas dirigidas a la población general y 10 dirigidas a los jóvenes. Ello ha supuesto que se ha llegado de forma directa a un total de 500 personas adultas y a un total de 400 jóvenes. Se calcula que los mensajes de la campaña han llegado a más de 24.500.000 de ciudadanos en todo el territorio español. Se han realizado un total de 11 cursos que han servido para formar a 317 profesionales sanitarios. Se ha actuado en 14 consultas tratándose a un total de 466 fumadores. De estas 14 consultas, 5 eran consultas establecidas con anterioridad y 9 han sido consultas de nueva creación. Todas ellas continúan sus trabajos después de la nalización de la campaña. Conclusiones: La campaña “Ahora Si” ha servido para enviar mensajes sanitarios en favor del control del tabaquismo a mas de 24.500.000 de ciudadanos, ha facilitado la formación de 317 profesionales sanitarios y ha potenciado y creado nuevos recursos sanitarios asistenciales en tabaquismo (AU)

Introduction: Sociedad Española de Cardiología (SEC), Sociedad Española de Médicos de Atención Primaria, (SEMERGEN) and Sociedad Española de Neumología y Cirugía Torácica, (SEPAR) have wanted to take advantage from the implementation of the new Spanish anti-smoking Law in order to promote a campaign in favor of smoking control. Objective: The main objectives are as follows: to give information about smoking to the Spanish general population, to teach health professionals on smoking control and to create and develop smoking cessation resources. Methods: The campaign has been conducted by experts from the three scienti c societies and in collaboration with physicians colleages and representatives of the local administration. The campaign has lasted 8 months and has taken places in 13 medium size towns: Alcobendas, Ávila, Cáceres, Calatayud, Córdoba, Cuenca, Girona, Irún, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Menorca, Ontinyent, Oviedo y Xátiva. The campaign consisted of distribution of posters, media meetings, talks for adults and children, training courses for health professionals and development of smoking cessation resources. Results: 13 media meetings were undertaken. 7800 posters were distributed. 13 talks were spoken focusing general population and 10 focusing young people. The campaign impacted directely to 500 adults and 400 youngs. The campaign impacted indirectely in more tan 24.500.000 people. 11 training courses gave knowledge on smoking cessation to 317 health professionals. 14 of ces for smoking cessation has been created and all of them continue working after the campaign has nished Conclusions: “Ahora Si” campaign has served to send messages in favour of smoking control to more than 24.500.000 people all over the Spain, has increased knowledge on smoking cessation in 317 health professionals and has increased the number of Spanish smoking cessation resources

Effect of consanguinity on Argentinean Angus beef DNA traceability.

Since the 1990s several authors have envisaged the use of DNA to certify meat origin. Two major parameters must be assessed before a DNA based traceability protocol can be implemented in the food chain: (i) the information content of a DNA marker set in a specific livestock breed or group of breeds; (ii) the minimum number of DNA markers needed to obtain a statistically acceptable match probability. The objective of the present work was to establish the effect of different levels of inbreeding in the matching efficiency, and the minimum number of microsatellite markers needed, in a DNA based meat traceability program, starting from an 11-microsatellite marker panel. Samples were obtained from beef production farms in South America, where animals are typically bred under pasture-based extensive conditions. Three groups of animals with different consanguinity rates were sampled. Exclusion power (Q) was higher than 0.999998 and match probability lower than 3.01E-08, for the whole set of markers within each group. Both values were affected by consanguinity. To reach a two mismatch criteria exclusion power (Q(2)) of 99.99, six markers were needed in unrelated animals whereas seven markers were needed in related animals. To reach Q(2)=99.9999, 8 and 10 microsatellite markers, respectively, were needed. In general, one or two more microsatellite markers were needed to identify consanguineous animals. This study proved the DNA marker set used to be suitable for the identification of the meat from all slaughtered animals in Argentina, per week, month, and year.

Development of a new disease-specific quality-of-life questionnaire to adults living with haemophilia.

A haemophilia-specific health-related quality-of-life questionnaire (named 'Hemofilia-QoL') was developed to assess quality-of-life in adults with haemophilia, and was psychometrically tested. Seventy-three interviews with haemophilia patients and health care professionals were used to generate the items included in the questionnaire, and expert ratings on the items formulated were used to screen them for potential omission. This was followed by psychometric testing in a sample of 35 patients. Preliminary psychometric testing of the revised questionnaire version, which contains 10 domains (physical health, physical role, joint damage, pain, treatment satisfaction, emotional role, mental health, social support), showed acceptable reliability (alpha = 0.94 for the Hemofilia-QoL total score) and validity, and this will be examined in a subsequent study with a larger patient sample.

[Fibrin-fibrinogen degradation products in cerebrospinal fluid of patients with meningococcal infections (author's transl)]. / Productos de degradación de la fibrina-fibrinógeno en el líquido cefalorraquídeo de pacientes con enfermedad meningocócica.

Fibrin degradation products (FDP) D and E, total protein, cell count, and alpha-1-antitrypsin levels have been measured in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), and FDP-D and E, and alpha-1-antitrypsin analyzed in serum in 13 cases of meningococcal disease, six with meningococcal septicemia and seven with meningitis. Neisseria meningitidis serotype B was the responsible agent in all cases. The following conclusions are obtained: 1) The presence of FDP in the CSF has no prognostic value, and its detection only in plasma does not exclude a fatal outcome. 2) Statistical analysis of the data suggests that the presence of FDP in the CSF is not the result of passive transfer from plasma but it indicates a meningeal inflammatory reaction. 3) Alpha-1-antitrypsin levels are elevated in meningococcal infections both in plasma and in the CSF, and they significantly correlate with the intensity of the fibrinolytic activity.