Nutritional Intake Differences in Combinations of Carbohydrate-Rich Foods in Pirapó, Republic of Paraguay.

A national strategy for obesity prevention has been promoted in Paraguay, reflecting the situation where half of adults and 23.4% of children (under 5 years old) are overweight. However, the detailed nutritional intake of the population has not yet been studied, especially in rural areas.

Developing a pan-European high-resolution groundwater recharge map - Combining satellite data and national survey data using machine learning.

Groundwater recharge quantification is essential for sustainable groundwater resources management, but typically limited to local and regional scale estimates. A high-resolution (1 km × 1 km) dataset consisting of long-term average actual evapotranspiration, effective precipitation, a groundwater recharge coefficient, and the resulting groundwater recharge map has been created for all of Europe using a variety of pan-European and seven national gridded datasets. As an initial step, the approach developed for continental scale mapping consists of a merged estimate of actual evapotranspiration originating from satellite data and the vegetation controlled Budyko approach to subsequently estimate effective precipitation.

A spatial randomness test based on the box-counting dimension.

Statistical modelling of a spatial point pattern often begins by testing the hypothesis of spatial randomness. Classical tests are based on quadrat counts and distance-based methods. Alternatively, we propose a new statistical test of spatial randomness based on the fractal dimension, calculated through the box-counting method providing an inferential perspective contrary to the more often descriptive use of this method.

Community-based entomological surveillance in three Chagas disease-endemic regions in sub-Andean Bolivia.

Background: Chagas disease is endemic throughout most of Bolivia, with prevalence rates of 25% observed in some geographic areas located mainly in the sub-Andean region.

Methods: Community-based entomological surveillance was carried out in the sub-Andean departments of Cochabamba (municipalities of Cochabamba, Punata and Sacaba), Tarija (municipality of Tarija) and Chuquisaca (municipality of Sucre). The surveillance parameters evaluated were: (i) the proportion of cards with the presence of triatomines; (ii) the distribution of positive cards by area; and (iii) the proportion of cards with the presence of infected triatomines.

Acute myocardial infarction with right bundle branch block at presentation: Prevalence and mortality.

Aims: Right Bundle Branch Block (RBBB) has been reported in 5-11% of the acute myocardial infarctions (AMI), and it could be the only electrocardiographic abnormality in this group of patients. We investigated the mortality in patients with AMI and the presence of RBBB.

Materials And Methods: A retrospective cohort study was conducted between January 2011 to December 2017 at a university hospital in Bogotá, Colombia.

Pb-derived sediment accumulation rates across the Wider Caribbean Region.

The Wider Caribbean Region is an important tourist destination where agricultural, industrial and shipping activities are also carried on. Coastal zones are heavily populated and receive a high human pressure; however, few monitoring programmes allow assessing long-term anthropogenic impact trends in these areas, which are especially useful for integrated management programs. Through the support of the International Atomic Energy Agency (project RLA/7/012), sediment core activities of Pb and Cs were used to evaluate changes in sedimentation rates in 11 relevant coastal areas of the region, where environmental information is scarce, but needed to support national environmental policies.

Snowmelt as a determinant factor in the hydrogeological behaviour of high mountain karst aquifers: The Garcés karst system, Central Pyrenees (Spain).

Time series of environmental tracers (groundwater stable isotope composition, electrical conductivity and temperature) and concentration breakthrough curves of artificial tracers (uranine, eosine, amino-G and naphtionate) have been analyzed to characterize fast preferential and slow matrix in-transit recharge flows in the Paleocene-Eocene limestone aquifer of the Ordesa and Monte Perdido National Park, an alpine karst system drained by a water table cave, a rare hydrological feature in high mountain karst systems with similar characteristics. Snowmelt favors the areal recharge of the system. This process is reflected in the large proportion of groundwater flowing through the connected porosity structure of the karst aquifer, which amounts the 75% of the total system water discharge.

Simple Prediction of Metabolic Equivalents of Daily Activities Using Heart Rate Monitor without Calibration of Individuals.

Background: Heart rate (HR) during physical activity is strongly affected by the level of physical fitness. Therefore, to assess the effects of fitness, we developed predictive equations to estimate the metabolic equivalent (MET) of daily activities, which includes low intensity activities, by % HR reserve (%HRR), resting HR, and multiple physical characteristics.

Methods: Forty volunteers between the ages of 21 and 55 performed 20 types of daily activities while recording HR and sampling expired gas to evaluate METs values.

Artificial Intelligence Applied to Flavonoid Data in Food Matrices.

Increasing interest in constituents and dietary supplements has created the need for more efficient use of this information in nutrition-related fields. The present work aims to obtain optimal models to predict the total antioxidant properties of food matrices, using available information on the amount and class of flavonoids present in vegetables. A new dataset using databases that collect the flavonoid content of selected foods has been created.

State of the Art Review and Report of New Tool for Drug Discovery.

Background: There are a great number of tools that can be used in QSAR/QSPR studies; they are implemented in several programs that are reviewed in this report. The usefulness of new tools can be proved through comparison, with previously published approaches. In order to perform the comparison, the most usual is the use of several benchmark datasets such as DRAGON and Sutherland's datasets.

Development and Validation of a Data-Based Food Frequency Questionnaire for Adults in Eastern Rural Area of Rwanda.

This study aimed to develop and evaluate the validity of a food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) for rural Rwandans. Since our FFQ was developed to assess malnutrition, it measured energy, protein, vitamin A, and iron intakes only. We collected 260 weighed food records (WFRs) from a total of 162 Rwandans.

Recognition of a multiple antigen peptide containing sequence from mimotope of the dengue type 3 virus NS4B protein by human antibodies.

Objective: To evaluate the recognition of NS4B mimotope, as multiple antigen peptide (MAP), by dengue antibodies presents in serum samples from patients with different serotype infections.

Methods: A MAP containing mimotope sequence was synthesized and used to evaluate the recognition of NS4B mimotope as MAP by a panel of 66 human sera from dengue cases by an indirect ELISA assay.

Results: The MAP differentiated between sera from dengue viruses infected patients and sera from healthy individuals and the best reactivity was shown by serum from dengue type 3 virus patients.

Endoscopic management of a gastric leak after laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy using the over-the-scope-clip (Ovesco®) system.

Laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy is currently used for the management of morbid obesity. Gastric fistula is the primary life-threatening complication, and its resolution continues to be a strong challenge for surgeons. Multiple treatment options are available, ranging from conservative therapy to endoscopic use of clips or stents, and even surgical reoperation involving total gastrectomy or conversion to a different bariatric technique.

The value of thyroperoxidase as a prognostic factor for differentiated thyroid cancer -- a long-term follow-up study.

Background: Thyroperoxidase (TPO) is a membrane-bound protein essential for the production of thyroid hormones; because of this, TPO expression may be impaired in selected thyroid diseases. The goal of this study is to analyze TPO immune expression in differentiated thyroid cancer, and to determine whether TPO has any prognostic value.

Methods: A total of 139 patients who required surgery due to a thyroid nodule with signs or symptoms suspicious for malignancy during their physical, ultrasound and/or cytology examination were consecutively selected for the study.

Monoclonal antibody against Saint Louis encephalitis prM viral protein.

Saint Louis encephalitis virus belongs to Flavivirus genus; Flaviviridae family jointly with other medically important flaviviruses including dengue virus and West Nile virus. The biological properties and functions of prM flavivirus protein are under investigation due to its importance in the generation of infectious virion and host interactions. Monoclonal antibodies have become powerful tools in this approach.

Projected impacts of climate change on farmers' extraction of groundwater from crystalline aquifers in South India.

Local groundwater levels in South India are falling alarmingly. In the semi-arid crystalline Deccan plateau area, agricultural production relies on groundwater resources. Downscaled Global Climate Model (GCM) data are used to force a spatially distributed agro-hydrological model in order to evaluate Climate Change (CC) effects on local groundwater extraction (GWE).

Effectiveness of different exercises and stretching physiotherapy on pain and movement in patellofemoral pain syndrome: a randomized controlled trial.

Objective: To compare the effectiveness of proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation combined with exercise, classic stretching physiotherapy intervention, and educational intervention at improving patient function and pain in patients with patellofemoral pain syndrome.

Design: Randomized, controlled, blind trial over four months.

Setting: Urban population, Spain.

Monoclonal antibody to dengue capsid protein: its application in dengue studies.

Dengue fever (DF) and dengue hemorrhagic fever/dengue shock syndrome (DHF/DSS) are considered the most important arthropod-borne viral diseases in terms of morbidity and mortality. The emergency and severity of dengue (Den) infections increase the necessity of an early, quick and effective dengue laboratory diagnostic. Viral isolation is considered a gold standard for diagnosis of dengue infection using monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) as a tool for determining serotype specificity.

Quantitative ELISA for mouse monoclonal antibody determination in culture supernatants and in human serum.

An ELISA has been set up for quantifying mouse monoclonal antibodies in culture supernatant. The assay includes rabbit anti-mouse IgG antibodies chromatographycally purified. This preparation was used as coating and as conjugated antibodies in the ELISA.