Publications by authors named "Bustamante A"

Background: Pomegranate peel extract (PPE) is rich in polyphenols, notably punicalagin and ellagic acid, but is sensitive to environmental degradation and has low bioavailability. Microencapsulation can enhance PPE stability and bioaccessibility, making it suitable for functional foods like jelly gummies (JG). JG containing microencapsulated PPE (MPPE) have not been studied.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Introduction: In the United States, sport is a common form of youth physical activity (PA) with demonstrated health benefits. However, limited longitudinal dataexists on the psychosocial determinants and consequences of youth sport participation. This study examined grade 6 (11-12-year-old) predictors of high school organized sport participation and effects of high school sport participation on age 26 behavior, mental health and wellbeing.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Metal chalcogenides have been extensively studied for thermoelectric applications. Among other metal chalcogenides, silver selenide (AgSe) is considered one of the most promising n-type semiconducting materials for thermoelectric applications due to its low band gap value, Seebeck coefficient, and superior power factor (PF) rendered at room temperature. However, one of the main drawbacks of using AgSe as a thermoelectric material on a large scale is the time-consuming physical methods to obtain them, and the need for high vacuum synthesis conditions as well as high-cost.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: While studies have observed mental health inequities across aggregated Asian and Latine populations, a critical gap exists in our understanding of inequities within and across Asian and Latine subpopulations.

Objective: We examined the prevalence of mental health symptoms and variations in mental health service use across Black and White populations and Asian and Latine subpopulations at a more granular level.

Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study using data from the 2016-2021 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD), previously known as non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), is a prevalent hepatic condition linked to metabolic alterations. It gradually causes liver damage and potentially progresses to cirrhosis. Despite its significance, research, especially in the pediatric population, is limited, leading to contradictory findings in diagnosis and treatment.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Introduction: Recent studies have documented the negative impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on low-income families, rural and underserved areas, and racial and ethnic minority populations. However, less is known about immigrants' healthcare access and utilization, including telehealth use. This study investigated disparities in healthcare access and utilization by immigration status among adults aged 18-64 years during the COVID-19 pandemic.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • Many people worldwide lack access to safe surgical care, and women can play a key role in solving the healthcare workforce shortage by being leaders in healthcare.
  • Operation Smile launched the Women in Medicine program to offer leadership and mentorship opportunities specifically for female healthcare workers.
  • A study of all-women surgical programs in four countries showed that a vast majority of participants saw improvements in their skills and felt motivated to pursue leadership and mentorship roles, highlighting the significance of women supporting each other in their careers.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Objective: We aim (1) to examine secular trends in height, weight, and waist circumference (WC) among Peruvian children and adolescents living in the city of Junín and (2) to compare their growth status with the World Health Organization (WHO) and US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reference data.

Methods: The sample included 2874 Peruvians (n = 1681 in the 2009 cohort and n = 1193 in the 2019 cohort) aged 6-16 years from the district of Junín (4107 m of altitude). Height, weight, and WC were measured using standardized protocols.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • - Oxytocin is known to influence behaviors related to social and monetary rewards, but its specific effects on neural responses to these incentives are not well understood.
  • - The study involved 28 healthy adults who received either oxytocin or a placebo before performing tasks related to social and monetary rewards while undergoing brain imaging.
  • - Results showed that oxytocin affected brain activation differently depending on the type of incentive: it increased activity in certain areas (VTA/SN) during social rewards and decreased activity in others (NAc), highlighting its complex role in reward processing and decision-making.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • The study investigates the genetic factors linked to severe COVID-19, specifically focusing on hospitalized cases in admixed Americans.
  • Researchers conducted the largest genome-wide association study (GWAS) for COVID-19 hospitalization in this population, identifying four significant genetic associations, including two novel loci found in Latin Americans.
  • The findings highlight the importance of including diverse populations in genomic research, aiming to improve understanding of genetic risks associated with COVID-19 across different ethnic groups.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Untreated primary carcinomas often lead to progression, invasion and metastasis, a process that involves the epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT). Several transcription factors (TFs) mediate the development of EMT, including SNAIL1/SNAIL2, TWIST1/TWIST2 and ZEB1/ZEB2, which are overexpressed in various carcinomas along with the under expression of the metastasis suppressor Raf Kinase Inhibitor Protein (RKIP). Overexpression of RKIP inhibits EMT and the above associated TFs.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Purpose: To (1) describe secular trends in gross motor coordination (GMC) scores by sex and age; (2) investigate GMC trends adjusted for concomitant secular trends in height, weight, and overall physical fitness; and (3) examine trends in children's frequencies within different GMC categories.

Method: The sample comprises 1562 Peruvian children (690 in 2009 and 872 in 2019), aged 6-11 years, from Junín (a high-altitude region). GMC was assessed with the KörperkoordinationsTest für Kinder.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • The study examines the effectiveness of heart fatty-acid binding protein (H-FABP) in differentiating transient ischemic attacks (TIA) from similar conditions using data from 175 patients.
  • Results showed higher H-FABP levels in TIA patients compared to mimic cases, with a significant p-value indicating a strong difference.
  • H-FABP demonstrated good diagnostic capabilities, with a sensitivity of 100% and specificity of 23.30%, suggesting its potential as a useful biomarker for TIA in clinical settings like emergency departments.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF

This topical review assesses the growing role of cardiac biomarkers beyond cardiovascular health and focuses on their importance in stroke and dementia. The first part describes blood-based cardiac biomarkers in patients with stroke and highlights applications in the setting of early diagnosis, poststroke complications, outcome prediction as well as secondary prevention. Among other applications, natriuretic peptides can be helpful in differentiating stroke subtypes.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • High-risk non-muscle invasive bladder cancer patients in Latin America have experienced BCG shortages, prompting studies on the effectiveness of reduced-dose (RD) versus full-dose (FD) BCG treatments.
  • A retrospective study on 200 patients revealed that those receiving FD BCG had significantly lower recurrence rates and progression to muscle-invasive bladder cancer compared to those on RD BCG.
  • Although RD treatment had fewer treatment discontinuations due to toxicity, it was linked to poorer oncological outcomes, suggesting that full-dose BCG is more effective for high-risk patients.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background And Objectives: Prolonged cardiac monitoring (PCM) increases atrial fibrillation (AF) detection after ischemic stroke, but access is limited, and it is burdensome for patients. Our objective was to assess whether midregional proatrial natriuretic peptide (MR-proANP) and N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) could classify people who are unlikely to have AF after ischemic stroke and allow better targeting of PCM.

Methods: We analyzed people from the Biomarker Signature of Stroke Aetiology (BIOSIGNAL) study with ischemic stroke, no known AF, and ≥3 days cardiac monitoring.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • PTSD genetics have been difficult to study compared to other psychiatric disorders, limiting our biological understanding of the condition.
  • A large-scale meta-analysis involving over 1.2 million individuals identified 95 genome-wide significant loci, with 80 being new discoveries related to PTSD.
  • Researchers identified 43 potential causal genes linked to neurotransmitter activity, developmental processes, synaptic function, and immune regulation, enhancing our knowledge of the neurobiological systems involved in PTSD.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Objectives: To examine the associations between food insecurity and health, access to care, affordability of care, financial burden of care, and financial hardships among US adults during the COVID-19 pandemic and examine whether the associations were less pronounced among adults with safety nets.

Study Design: We conducted a retrospective longitudinal cohort study using the 2020-2021 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey.

Methods: Linear probability models were used to assess the associations between food insecurity in one year and the outcomes of interest in the following year while adjusting for baseline characteristics.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Introduction: In addition to clinical factors, blood-based biomarkers can provide useful information on the risk of developing post-stroke epilepsy (PSE). Our aim was to identify serum biomarkers at stroke onset that could contribute to predicting patients at higher risk of PSE.

Patients And Methods: From a previous study in which 895 acute stroke patients were followed-up, 51 patients developed PSE.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: The latissimus dorsi free flap is a widely used reconstructive technique for complex lower leg defects in the pediatric population due to its reliability and anatomical features. However, the impact of this technique on the postoperative quality of life in children and adolescents, who require appropriate lower extremity function during their developmental period, remains to be analyzed.

Methods: Patients who underwent microsurgical lower leg reconstruction using the latissimus dorsi flap were analyzed retrospectively.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Objective: The modified Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (mCDC) criteria have been proposed for diagnosing and managing stroke-associated pneumonia (SAP). The objective was to investigate the impact of SAP on stroke outcome depending on whether or not it conforms to mCDC criteria. Our secondary objective was to identify the responsible factors for antibiotic initiation in stroke patients.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Vγ9Vδ2 T cells represent a promising cancer therapy platform because the implementation of allogenic, off-the-shelf product candidates is possible. However, intravenous administration of human Vγ9Vδ2 T cells manufactured under good manufacturing practice (GMP)-compliant, serum-free conditions are not tested easily in most mouse models, mainly because they lack the ability to migrate from the blood to tissues or tumors. We demonstrate that these T cells do not migrate from the circulation to the mouse bone marrow (BM), the site of many malignancies.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

This paper presents a taxonomic revision of the genus Tullgrenella Mello-Leito, 1941. Four new species are described: Tullgrenella aisenbergae Marta, sp. nov.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF