Physiological effects of oral glucosamine on joint health: Current status and consensus on future research priorities

The aim of this paper was to provide an overview of the current knowledge and understanding of the potential beneficial physiological effects of glucosamine (GlcN) on joint health. The objective was to reach a consensus on four critical questions and to provide recommendations for future research priorities. To this end, nine scientists from Europe and the United States were selected according to their expertise in this particular field and were invited to participate in the Hohenheim conference held in August 2011. Each expert was asked to address a question that had previously been posed by the chairman of the conference. Based on a systematic review of the literature and the collection of recent data, the experts documented the effects of GlcN on cartilage ageing, metabolic/kinetic and maintenance of joint health as well as reduction of risk of OA development. After extensive debate and discussion the expert panel addressed each question and a general consensus statement was developed, agreeing on the current state-of-the-art and future areas for basic and clinical studies. This paper summarizes the available evidence for beneficial effects of GlcN on joint health and proposes new insight into the design of future clinical trials aimed at identifying beneficial physiological effect of GlcN on joint tissuesHenrotin is the founder of Artialis SA a spin-off of the University of Liège. His research has been supported by educational grant from Bioiberica, Nestle, Royal Canin, Expanscience, Danone and BioXtract. The other authors have no conflict of interest related to the subject of this paper. A. Mobasheri acknowledges the financial support of The Wellcome Trust, the National Centre for the Replacement, Refinement, and Reduction of Animals in Research (NC3Rs; grant number: Mobasheri. A. 28102007), the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC; grants BBSRC/S/M/2006/ 13141 and BB/G018030/1) and the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC). Y Henrotin, H Weinans and A. Mobasheri are members of the D-BOARD Consortium funded by European Commission Framework 7 Programme (EU FP7) and wish to acknowledge funding from the Commission in relation to project number 305815, (Novel Diagnostics and Biomarkers for Early Identification of Chronic Inflammatory Joint Diseases, HEALTH.2012.2.4.5-2)

Overview of the SMS design method applied to imaging optics

The Simultaneous Multiple Surfaces (SMS) was developed as a design method in Nonimaging Optics during the 90s. Later, the method was extended for designing Imaging Optics. We present an overview of the method applied to imaging optics in planar (2D) geometry and compare the results with more classical designs based on achieving aplanatism of different orders. These classical designs are also viewed as particular cases of SMS designs. Systems with up to 4 aspheric surfaces are shown. The SMS design strategy is shown to perform always better than the classical design (in terms of image quality). Moreover, the SMS method is a direct method, i.e., it is not based in multi-parametric optimization techniques. This gives the SMS method an additional interest since it can be used for exploring solutions where the multiparameter techniques can get lost because of the multiple local minim

HPV16 Seropositivity and Subsequent HPV16 Infection Risk in a Naturally Infected Population: Comparison of Serological Assays

Background: Several serological assays have been developed to detect antibodies elicited against infections with oncogenic human papillomavirus (HPV) type 16. The association between antibody levels measured by various assays and subsequent HPV infection risk may differ. We compared HPV16-specific antibody levels previously measured by a virus-like particle (VLP)-based direct enzyme-linked immunoassay (ELISA) with levels measured by additional assays and evaluated the protection against HPV16 infection conferred at different levels of the assays. Methodology/Principal Findings Replicate enrollment serum aliquots from 388 unvaccinated women in the control arm of the Costa Rica HPV vaccine trial were measured for HPV16 seropositivity using three serological assays: a VLP-based direct ELISA; a VLP-based competitive Luminex immunoassay (cLIA); and a secreted alkaline phosphatase protein neutralization assay (SEAP-NA). We assessed the association of assay seropositivity and risk of subsequent HPV16 infection over four years of follow-up by calculating sampling-adjusted odds ratios (OR) and HPV16 seropositivity based on standard cutoff from the cLIA was significantly associated with protection from subsequent HPV16 infection (OR = 0.48, CI = 0.27–0.86, compared with seronegatives). Compared with seronegatives, the highest seropositive tertile antibody levels from the direct ELISA (OR = 0.53, CI = 0.28–0.90) as well as the SEAP-NA (OR = 0.20, CI = 0.06, 0.64) were also significantly associated with protection from HPV16 infection. Conclusions/Significance: Enrollment HPV16 seropositivity by any of the three serological assays evaluated was associated with protection from subsequent infection, although cutoffs for immune protection were different. We defined the assays and seropositivity levels after natural infection that better measure and translate to protective immunity

Core losses analysis of the LCL filter inductor for SiC-based inverter

The ability of SiC devices to switch at high speed allows increasing significantly the power density in both converters and passive components, reducing their required size. To mitigate harmonic injection form inverters into the grid, in order to comply with power quality standards, an accurate filter design is required. Given its excellent performance, an LCL filter is the configuration most suitable in grid-connected power converters. Several parameters must be considered when designing an effective LCL filter, and the inverter-side inductor assumes a special importance because of its relevance to suppress high frequency harmonic content at the inverter side. One of the most relevant issues to be considered in the process of designing the LCL filter is the evaluation of core losses in the inverter-side inductor, which will determine the final temperature of the inductor. This paper analyses the core losses of the inverter-side inductor of an LCL filter. The proposed method is based on the computation of the current harmonics generated by the inverter and on Steinmetz’s empirical equation. As a result, core losses calculated taking into account several carrier and sideband harmonics show good agreement with the experimental values. When current harmonics are estimated by simulation, as it is done in the proposed design procedure, results are less accurate, but precise enough for a design procedure

Evidence that breast cancer risk at the 2q35 locus is mediated through IGFBP5 regulation.

GWAS have identified a breast cancer susceptibility locus on 2q35. Here we report the fine mapping of this locus using data from 101,943 subjects from 50 case-control studies. We genotype 276 SNPs using the 'iCOGS' genotyping array and impute genotypes for a further 1,284 using 1000 Genomes Project data. All but two, strongly correlated SNPs (rs4442975 G/T and rs6721996 G/A) are excluded as candidate causal variants at odds against >100:1. The best functional candidate, rs4442975, is associated with oestrogen receptor positive (ER+) disease with an odds ratio (OR) in Europeans of 0.85 (95% confidence interval=0.84-0.87; P=1.7 × 10(-43)) per t-allele. This SNP flanks a transcriptional enhancer that physically interacts with the promoter of IGFBP5 (encoding insulin-like growth factor-binding protein 5) and displays allele-specific gene expression, FOXA1 binding and chromatin looping. Evidence suggests that the g-allele confers increased breast cancer susceptibility through relative downregulation of IGFBP5, a gene with known roles in breast cell biology

Sex, rurality and socioeconomical status in Spanish centennial population (2017)

©2021. This manuscript version is made available under the CC-BY3.0 license http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/ This document is the Published, version of a Published Work that appeared in final form in Aging. To access the final edited and published work see https://doi.org/ 10.18632/aging.203563Copyright: © 2021 Fuentes et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY 3.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.World's population is exponentially aging as people reaching 100 years old has increased. The number of areas with the highest centennial population rates (Blue Zones), are significantly higher. Are there any determinant factors that favor this situation in Spain? The goal of this study was to determine the possible influence of sex, rurality and socioeconomic factors (Gross Domestic Product (GDP)) on the prevalence of the centennial population of the Spanish society. The Spanish register of inhabitants was published in 2017 by the National Statistics Institute. The analysis was carried out both by Autonomous Communities and by provinces in phases: a first descriptive analysis, followed by an inferential analysis, based on statistical tests (independent T- Student test, Pearson correlation and ANOVA). There were significant interactions between: i) sex and longevity (in favor of the female population); ii) female and rural housing and iii) female, GDP and urban areas. Feminization was proven in the longevity revolution, but, in general, GDP per Capita was not a significant survival factor on its own. This study was the first step of further analysis related to extreme longevity in Spain, which will include other dependent variables such as state of health and well-being as well as social factor

Mammography: an update of the EUSOBI recommendations on information for women

Abstract: This article summarises the information to be offered to women about mammography. After a delineation of the aim of early diagnosis of breast cancer, the difference between screening mammography and diagnostic mammography is explained. The need to bring images and reports from the previous mammogram (and from other recent breast imaging examinations) is highlighted. Mammography technique and procedure are described with particular attention to discomfort and pain experienced by a small number of women who undergo the test. Information is given on the recall during a screening programme and on the request for further work-up after a diagnostic mammography. The logic of the mammography report and of classification systems such as R1-R5 and BI-RADS is illustrated, and brief but clear information is given about the diagnostic performance of the test, with particular reference to interval cancers, i.e., those cancers that are missed at screening mammography. Moreover, the breast cancer risk due to radiation exposure from mammography is compared to the reduction in mortality obtained with the test, and the concept of overdiagnosis is presented with a reliable estimation of its extent. Information about new mammographic technologies (tomosynthesis and contrast-enhanced spectral mammography) is also given. Finally, frequently asked questions are answered. Key Points: \u2022 Direct digital mammography should be preferred to film-screen or phosphor plates. \u2022 Screening (in asymptomatic women) should be distinguished from diagnosis (in symptomatic women). \u2022 A breast symptom has to be considered even after a negative mammogram. \u2022 Digital breast tomosynthesis increases cancer detection and decreases the recall rate. \u2022 Contrast-enhanced spectral mammography can help in cancer detection and lesion characterisation

Androgen receptor polyQ alleles and COVID-19 severity in men: a replication study

Background: Ample evidence indicates a sex-related difference in severity of COVID19, with less favorable outcomes observed in men. Genetic factors have been proposed as candidates to explain this difference. The polyglutamine (polyQ) polymorphism in the androgen receptor gene has been recently described as a genetic biomarker of COVID-19 severity. Objective: To test the association between the androgen receptor polyQ polymorphism and COVID-19 severity in a large cohort of COVID-19 male patients. Materials and methods: This study included 1136 male patients infected with SARSCoV-2 as confirmed by positive PCR. Patients were retrospectively and prospectively enrolled from March to November 2020. Patients were classified according to their severity into three categories: oligosymptomatic, hospitalized and severe patients requiring ventilatory support. The number of CAG repeats (polyQ polymorphism) at the androgen receptor was obtained by PCR and patients were classified as either short (<23 repeats) or long (≥23 repeats) allele carriers. The association between polyQ alleles (short or long) and COVID-19 severity was assessed by Chi-squared (Chi2) and logistic regression analysis. Results: The mean number of polyQ CAG repeats was 22 (±3). Patients were classified as oligosymptomatic (15.5%), hospitalized (63.2%), and severe patients (21.3%) requiring substantial respiratory support. PolyQ alleles distribution did not show significant differences between severity classes in our cohort (Chi2 test p > 0.05). Similar results were observed after adjusting by known risk factors such as age, comorbidities, and ethnicity (multivariate logistic regression analysis)Instituto de Salud Carlos III (ISCIII), Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation (COVID-19 Research Call; COV20/00181) co-financed by European Development Regional Fund (FEDER, A way to achieve Europe); Estrella de Levante (E G-N); Colabora Mujer (E G-N); Instituto de Salud Carlos III (Centro de Investigación en Red de Enfermedades Raras, CIBERer); IIS-Fundación Jiménez Díaz-UAM Chair in Genomic Medicine; Instituto de Salud Carlos III (ISCIII), Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation (Miguel Servet Contract Number: CP17/00006 and Juan Rodes Contract Number: JR17/00020) co-financied by European Regional Development Fund (FEDER); CEGEN-PRB3-ISCIII is funded by ISCIII and ERDF, Grant Number: PT17/001

Performance of visual inspection of the cervix with acetic acid (VIA) for triage of HPV screen-positive women: results from the ESTAMPA study

Q1Q1Pacientes con Virus del Papiloma Humano (VPH)VIA is recommended for triage of HPV-positive women attending cervical screening. In the multicentric ESTAMPA study, VIA performance for detection of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia grade 3 or worse (CIN3+) among HPV-positive women was evaluated. Women aged 30-64 years were screened with HPV testing and cytology and referred to colposcopy if either test was positive. At colposcopy visit, study-trained midwives/nurses/GPs performed VIA ahead of colposcopy. VIA was considered positive if acetowhite lesions were observed in or close to the transformation zone. Ablative treatment eligibility was assessed for VIA positives. Performance indicators were estimated. Three thousand one hundred and forty-two HPV-positive women were included. Sensitivity for CIN3+ was 85.9% (95% CI 81.2-89.5) among women <50 years and, although not significant, slightly lower in women 50+ (78.0%, 95% CI 65.9-86.6). Overall specificity was 58.6% (95% CI 56.7-60.5) and was significantly higher among women 50+ (70.3%, 95% CI 66.8-73.5) compared to women <50 (54.3%, 95% CI 52.1-56.5). VIA positivity was lower among women 50+ (35.2%, 95% CI 31.9-38.6) compared to women <50 (53.2, 95% CI 51.1-55.2). Overall eligibility for ablative treatment was 74.5% and did not differ by age. VIA sensitivity, specificity, and positivity, and ablative treatment eligibility varied highly by provider (ranges: 25%-95.4%, 44.9%-94.4%, 8.2%-65.3%, 0%-98.7%, respectively). VIA sensitivity for cervical precancer detection among HPV-positive women performed by trained providers was high with an important reduction in referral rates. However, scaling-up HPV screening triaged by VIA will be challenging due to the high variability of VIA performance and providers' need for training and supervision.https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7187-9946Revista Internacional - IndexadaA1N