Publications by authors named "Lopez-Diaz J"

Heart failure worsens the prognosis of patients with infective endocarditis (IE) and is mainly caused by severe valvular regurgitation. The aim of our investigation is to describe the clinical, epidemiological, microbiological, and echocardiographic characteristics of patients with native left-sided infective endocarditis (NLSIE) with severe valvular regurgitation; to describe the prognosis according to the therapeutic approach; and to determine the prognostic factors of in-hospital mortality. : We prospectively recruited all episodes of possible or definite NLSIE diagnosed at three tertiary hospitals between 2005 and 2022.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: Patients with aortic stenosis may continue to have an increased risk of heart failure, arrhythmias, and death after successful transcatheter aortic valve implantation. Renin-angiotensin system inhibitors may be beneficial in this setting. We aimed to explore whether ramipril improves the outcomes of patients with aortic stenosis after transcatheter aortic valve implantation.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Infective endocarditis (IE) is a life-threating entity with three main complications: heart failure (HF), uncontrolled infection (UI) and embolic events (EEs). HF and UI are the main indications of cardiac surgery and have been studied thoroughly. On the other hand, much more uncertainty surrounds EEs, which have an abrupt and somewhat unpredictable behaviour.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Associations and families demand the need to raise awareness of the implications in the cognitive and behavioral development of children with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) that affect their learning and school participation. This study aims to generate a profile of executive and behavioral functioning in children and adolescents diagnosed with FASD. A probabilistic sampling by clusters (associations for individuals with FASD) is applied.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Avocado paste (AP) is an industrial byproduct and a potential source of bioactive compounds, so there is great interest in its valorization. The objective of the present study was to evaluate the effects of adding AP to corn chips regarding their nutritional profile and sensory acceptability. Three AP-supplemented corn chip samples were prepared (C-2%, C-6%, and C-10%), along with a control chip (C), whose total phenolics, flavonoids, antioxidant capacity, proximate composition, minerals, fatty acids, and sensory acceptability were evaluated.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • The study aimed to analyze how symptoms evolve in patients with symptomatic severe aortic stenosis (sSAS) after undergoing valve replacement and the factors that predict whether these symptoms persist.
  • Out of 451 patients studied, approximately 57% continued to experience symptoms after the procedure, mainly dyspnea and heart failure, highlighting the complexity of post-operative recovery.
  • Factors such as age, body mass index, and previous heart failures were linked to persistent symptoms, which in turn were associated with higher overall mortality rates over a follow-up period of about 56 months.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background And Aims: Submucosal injection agents are widely used solutions in gastric polyp resection techniques. Currently, many different solutions are used in clinical practice, but most are not authorised for this use or are not biopharmaceutical characterised. The objective of this multidisciplinary work is to test the efficacy of a novel thermosensitive hydrogel designed specifically for this indication.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Insulin resistance (IR) is the main feature of prediabetes (PD), which ultimately leads to diabetes. High-dose streptozotocin-treated rodents often show irreversible β-cell mass loss and function, leaving the premorbid diabetic state (PD/IR) unnoticed. This study aimed to re-evaluate the synergistic/independent effect of a sub-chronic consumption (1-5 weeks) of a high-fat diet (60% gross energy from fat, 3.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Population growth increases the challenge of meeting basic human needs, such as water, a limited resource. Consumption habits and water pollution have compromised natural resources to unsustainable levels. Sustainable effluent treatment practices, such as decentralized systems focused on energy, nutrients, and water recovery, have attracted the attention of the scientific community.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Objective: In patients with advanced heart failure, the intravascular optical coherence tomography (OCT) of subsegmental pulmonary artery measurements is correlated with right heart catheterization parameters. Our aim was to study the prognostic value of pulmonary OCT, right heart catheterization data, and the echocardiographic estimation of pulmonary pressure in patients studied for elective heart transplants.

Methods: This research is an observational, prospective, multicenter study involving 90 adults with a one-year follow-up.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Agave lechuguilla Torr., of the family Agavaceae, is distributed from southwestern United States to southern Mexico and is one of the most representative species of arid and semiarid regions. Its fiber is extracted for multiple purposes.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Given the characteristics of people with Autism Spectrum Disorder, it is evident the difficulties they show in the development of social skills. The scarce participation of people with Autism Spectrum Disorder in group sports can be taken as a reference. The aim of this study was to analyse the impact of football on the development of social skills in children with Autism Spectrum Disorder.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Aims: The aim of the LAICA study was to evaluate the long-term effectiveness and safety of intermittent levosimendan infusion in patients with advanced heart failure (AdHF).

Methods And Results: This was a multicentre, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial of intermittent levosimendan 0.1 μg/kg/min as a continuous 24-h intravenous infusion administered once monthly for 1 year in patients with AdHF.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Microbial fuel cells (MFCs) are electrochemical devices focused on bioenergy generation and organic matter removal carried out by microorganisms under anoxic environments. In these types of systems, the anodic oxidation reaction is catalyzed by anaerobic microorganisms, while the cathodic reduction reaction can be carried out biotically or abiotically. Membranes as separators in MFCs are the primary requirements for optimal electrochemical and microbiological performance.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Physiological changes in elderly individuals (EI) can contribute to nutritional deterioration and comorbidities that reduce their quality of life. Factors such as diet can modulate some of these effects. The aim was to evaluate the functionality of foods added with Sw.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Objectives: Exocrine pancreatic insufficiency is a frequent and clinically relevant complication of pancreatic cancer probably secondary to pancreatic duct obstruction. We aimed at evaluating the impact of endoscopic pancreatic drainage on pancreatic function in patients with unresectable pancreatic cancer.

Methods: A double-blind, prospective, randomized, single-center, interventional study was designed.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • Monocytes are key players in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and may be useful biomarkers for predicting disease flares, especially in patients undergoing anti-TNF therapy.
  • A study followed 95 IBD patients over a year, measuring monocyte levels every four months and tracking disease activity using specific scoring systems.
  • Results indicated that higher monocyte counts were associated with a greater likelihood of disease relapse, suggesting that regular monitoring of monocyte levels may aid in managing IBD, particularly for those with Crohn's disease.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF

We diagnosed 11 Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) cases among 71,904 COVID patients attended at 61 Spanish emergency departments (EDs) during the 2-month pandemic peak. The relative frequency of GBS among ED patients was higher in COVID (0.15‰) than non-COVID (0.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: Medical curricula have historically been designed in a top-down approach, usually excluding students. While Delphi panels have been used as a tool for medical education curricula design, none have been conducted in Ecuador. In addition, no such approach has ever included students both as panelists and researchers.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • Unwarranted use of antibiotics in acute pancreatitis is a widespread issue, and the reasoning behind it is not well understood, prompting a study to improve prescription practices.
  • The research involved systematic data collection, a global questionnaire, analysis of existing patient data, and the application of a grading system to develop evidence-based recommendations.
  • Findings showed a lack of consensus on when to start antibiotics, with significant variability in usage rates, and highlighted that procalcitonin is a more reliable marker for infection than traditional indicators like WBC and CRP, leading to recommendations for reducing unnecessary antibiotic treatment.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Low-fat diets, lipid-modifying nutraceuticals and a higher level of physical activity are often recommended to reduce dyslipidemia. A double-blind, randomized, crossover, controlled trial was designed to evaluate the independent and synergistic effects of () supplementation (4.5 g·day) with or without performing a physical exercise program (: aerobic exercise (3 days·week) + high-intensity interval training (2 days·week)) on blood lipids and BMI of 52 sedentary men with excess body weight.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

The western corn rootworm (WCR) Diabrotica virgifera virgifera causes substantial damage in corn. Genetically modified (GM) plants expressing some Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) insecticidal Cry proteins efficiently controlled this pest. However, changes in WCR susceptibility to these Bt traits have evolved and identification of insecticidal proteins with different modes of action against WCR is necessary.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Unlabelled: Excess weight and obesity are major risk factors for many chronic diseases, and weight-loss interventions often include systematic exercise and nutritional supplements. The purpose of this study was to determine the independent/synergistic effects of supplementation (six weeks, 4.5 g·day) and a systematic physical exercise program (six weeks, twice weekly) on the body composition and cardiorespiratory fitness of overweight and obese subjects.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF