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Dry eye is an increasingly common disease in modern society which affects a wide range of population and has a negative impact on their daily activities, such as working with computers or driving. It can be diagnosed through an automatic clinical test for tear film lipid layer classification based on color and texture analysis. Up to now, researchers have mainly focused on the improvement of the image analysis step. However, there is still large room for improvement on the machine learning side. This paper presents a methodology to optimize this problem by means of class binarization, feature selection, and classification. The methodology can be used as a baseline in other classification problems to provide several solutions and evaluate their performance using a set of representative metrics and decision-making methods. When several decision-making methods are used, they may offer disagreeing rankings that will be solved by conflict handling in which rankings are merged into a single one. The experimental results prove the effectiveness of the proposed methodology in this domain. Also, its general purpose allows to adapt it to other classification problems in different fields such as medicine and biology.

El café, el té, el chocolate y los refrescos de cola son las principales fuentes de cafeína, que es consumida en casi todas las edades y estratos socioeconómicos. La cafeína es un antagonista competitivo de los receptores adenosínicos del SNC. Sus principales efectos son psicoestimulantes, respiratorios, músculo-esqueléticos y cardiovasculares. Básicamente, se metaboliza por el CYP1A2 por lo que interacciona con numerosos fármacos. Las variaciones interindividuales en su metabolismo explican las diferencias de sus efectos. Su principal uso terapéutico es como broncodilatador en patología respiratoria. Además, se ha experimentado en otras patologías con resultados no concluyentes. El consumo agudo o crónico de cafeína puede dar lugar a una amplia variedad de efectos adversos, intoxicaciones e incluso la muerte. Finalmente, destacar que la cafeína puede considerarse una droga de abuso. Así, la cafeína posee propiedades reforzadoras positivas, produce tolerancia y al cesar su consumo aparece un síndrome de abstinencia específico. La cafeína puede dar lugar a diferentes trastornos por uso de sustancias. Entre ellas la dependencia, no reconocida en el DSM IV-R, el síndrome de abstinencia y la intoxicación. La cafeína puede considerarse un fármaco, un nutriente y una droga de abuso dependiendo de su uso.

Background The high energy content of alcohol makes its consumption a potential contributor to the obesity epidemic. Aim of the study To determine whether alcohol consumption is a risk factor for abdominal obesity, taking into account energy underreporting. Methods The subjects were Spanish men (n = 1491) and women (n = 1563) aged 25-74 years who were examined in 1999-2000, in a population-based cross-sectional survey in northeastern Spain (Girona). Dietary intake, including alcohol consumption, was assessed using a food frequency questionnaire. Anthropometric variables were measured. Results The mean consumption of alcohol was 18.1 ± 20.7 g/d in men and 5.3 ± 10.4 g/d in women. 19.3% of men and 2.3% of women reported alcohol consumption of more than 3 drinks per day. The consumption of alcohol was directly associated with total energy intake in men (P < 0.001) and women (P = 0.001). The proportion of energy underreporting significantly (P < 0.001) decreased with higher amounts of alcohol drinking in both genders. Multiple logistic regression analysis, controlled for energy underreporting, smoking, educational level, leisure-time physical activity, energy, and diet quality, revealed that consuming more than 3 drinks of alcohol (>30 g ethanol) was significantly associated with the risk of abdominal obesity (Odds ratio 1.80; 1.05, 3.09) and exceeding recommended energy consumption (Odds ratio 1.97; 1.32, 2.93) in men. A very small number (2.13%) of women in this population reported high levels of alcohol consumption. Conclusions Alcohol consumption in elevated amounts was associated with risk of abdominal obesity in men, independent of energy underreporting.

Coffee, tea, chocolate and caffeinated drinks are the main sources of caffeine, which is consumed in almost all ages and socioeconomic levels. Caffeine acts as a non-selective adenosine receptor antagonist in the central nervous system. Its main effects are as psychostimulant, acting in addition on the respiratory, muscular and cardiovascular systems. Basically, caffeine is metabolized by the hepatic cytochrome P-450 1A2 enzymes (CYP1A2). Several drugs can interact with its metabolism. The observed interindividual differences of its effects can be explained by variations in its metabolism. The main therapeutic use of caffeine is bronchodilator in respiratory diseases. Other possible uses are under investigation. Acute or chronic consumption of caffeine can induce several adverse effects, including intoxication that can be lethal. Finally, caffeine can be considered a drug of abuse. It has positive reinforcing actions, produces tolerance, and a withdrawal syndrome after stopping its consumption. Caffeine can cause different mental disorders such as dependence, which is not included in the DSM-IV-R, withdrawal syndrome and intoxication. Depending on its use, caffeine can be considered a nutrient, a drug or a drug of abuse.

This review is focused on the biogeochemistry of arsenic in freshwaters and, especially, on the key role that benthic microalgae and prokaryotic communities from biofilms play together in through speciation, distribution, and cycling. These microorganisms incorporate the dominant iAs (inorganic arsenic) form and may transform it to other arsenic forms through metabolic or detoxifying processes. These transformations have a big impact on the environmental behavior of arsenic because different chemical forms exhibit differences in mobility and toxicity. Moreover, exposure to toxicants may alter the physiology and structure of biofilms, leading to changes in ecosystem function and trophic relations. In this review we also explain how microorganisms (i.e., biofilms) can influence the effects of arsenic exposure on other key constituents of aquatic ecosystems such as fish. At the end, we present two real cases of fluvial systems with different origins of arsenic exposure (natural vs. anthropogenic) that have improved our comprehension of arsenic biogeochemistry and toxicity in freshwaters, the Pampean streams (Argentina) and the Anllóns River (Galicia, Spain). We finish with a briefly discussion of what we consider as future research needs on this topic. This work especially contributes to the general understanding of biofilms influencing arsenic biogeochemistry and highlights the strong impact of nutrient availability on arsenic toxicity for freshwater (micro) organisms.

The lithogenic arsenic in soils of the Anllóns River basin (Spain) was quantified, its chemical fractions were determined, and its leachability characteristics were compared under various experimental conditions. Fifty soil samples of C horizons, sampling an area of 50 km2 along the river course, were submitted to an exploratory analysis. Pseudo-total arsenic ranged between 2 and 489 mg kg−1. Arsenic leachability using the standard methods DIN 38414-S4 and TCLP was less than 0.25% of pseudo-total As. Then the effect of pH (3, 6, and 9), solid : liquid (S : L) ratio (1 : 10 and 1 : 50), phosphate (10 mM), and contact time (24 and 240 h) on arsenic mobilization was studied in nine soils with the highest As concentration. Arsenic mobilization increased at alkaline pH and lower S : L ratio; the most decisive factor was the addition of phosphate, increasing arsenic leachability up to 1,000 times, and this increased even 2.3 times when the contact time was extended from 24 hours to 240 hours. The results suggest that the mobilization of arsenic may be underestimated in short-term water leaching tests and that the environmental conditions favouring arsenic mobilization should be taken into account for a sound evaluation of the transfer risk of arsenic towards aquatic ecosystems.

The toxic effect of exposure to arsenic, As(V), at concentrations of 0 to 30 mg L−1, for 49 days, on epipsammic biofilms, was evaluated in a microcosm experiment. The growth and composition of biofilms developed on sediments containing As concentrations of 31 mg kg−1 and 85 mg kg−1 were compared, using photosynthetic parameters and Live/Dead stains as end points. A toxic effect of arsenic could not be demonstrated; however, biofilm growth was higher over the sediment with higher arsenic concentrations, suggesting the development of pollution-induced community induced tolerance (PICT). Nevertheless, PICT was not observed after exposure to high arsenic concentration in the laboratory, as there were no differences in algal growth between the previous 0 and 30 mg L−1 systems exposed to new 30 mg As L−1 dissolution over 29 days. The algal composition was affected by the added arsenic, and brown algae were the most tolerant compared to green algae and cyanophyceae, as their percentage increased from 25 and 33% in the control samples to 57 and 47% in the samples with the highest added As concentration. In turn, the biofilm development influenced arsenic redistribution and speciation. Arsenic concentration in water decreased with time during the incubation experiment, retained by the sediment particles and the biofilm. In the biofilm, extracellular As was significantly higher (up to 11 times) than intracellular arsenic. As(V) was the predominant species in water and in the biofilm, but products of biotic transformation, namely As(III), DMA(V) and MMA(V), were also found in the solution and in the biofilm in some systems, demonstrating reduction and methylation by the organisms. As a conclusion, a toxic effect was not detected for the concentrations evaluated. Biofilms naturally exposed in the river system to high As concentrations acquire pollution-induced tolerance; however, tolerance was not acquired by exposure to 30 mg L−1 for 29 days in the laboratory.

We retrospectively evaluated 2879 hospitalized COVID-19 patients from four hospitals to evaluate the ability of demographic data, medical history, and on-admission laboratory parameters to predict in-hospital mortality. Association of previously published risk factors (age, gender, arterial hypertension, diabetes mellitus, smoking habit, obesity, renal failure, cardiovascular/ pulmonary diseases, serum ferritin, lymphocyte count, APTT, PT, fibrinogen, D-dimer, and platelet count) with death was tested by a multivariate logistic regression, and a predictive model was created, with further validation in an independent sample. A total of 2070 hospitalized COVID-19 patients were finally included in the multivariable analysis. Age 61–70 years ( p <0.001; OR: 7.69; 95%CI: 2.93 to 20.14), age 71–80 years ( p <0.001; OR: 14.99; 95%CI: 5.88 to 38.22), age >80 years ( p <0.001; OR: 36.78; 95%CI: 14.42 to 93.85), male gender ( p <0.001; OR: 1.84; 95%CI: 1.31 to 2.58), D-dimer levels >2 ULN ( p = 0.003; OR: 1.79; 95%CI: 1.22 to 2.62), and prolonged PT ( p <0.001; OR: 2.18; 95%CI: 1.49 to 3.18) were independently associated with increased in-hospital mortality. A predictive model performed with these parameters showed an AUC of 0.81 in the development cohort (n = 1270) [sensitivity of 95.83%, specificity of 41.46%, negative predictive value of 98.01%, and positive predictive value of 24.85%]. These results were then validated in an independent data sample (n = 800). Our predictive model of in-hospital mortality of COVID-19 patients has been developed, calibrated and validated. The model (MRS-COVID) included age, male gender, and on-admission coagulopathy markers as positively correlated factors with fatal outcome.

Vaccine development has been a priority in the fight against leishmaniases, which are vector-borne diseases caused by Leishmania protozoa. Among the different immunization strategies employed to date is inoculation of plasmid DNA coding for parasite antigens, which has a demonstrated ability to induce humoral and cellular immune responses. In this sense, inoculation of plasmid DNA encoding Leishmania kinetoplasmid membrane protein-11 (KMP-11) was able to confer protection against visceral leishmaniasis. However, recently the use of antigen delivery systems such as poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) nanoparticles has also proven effective for eliciting protective immune responses. In the present work, we tested two immunization strategies with the goal of obtaining protection, in terms of lesion development and parasite load, against cutaneous leishmaniasis caused by L. braziliensis. One strategy involved immunization with plasmid DNA encoding L. infantum chagasi KMP-11. Alternatively, mice were primed with PLGA nanoparticles loaded with the recombinant plasmid DNA and boosted using PLGA nanoparticles loaded with recombinant KMP-11. Both immunization strategies elicited detectable cellular immune responses with the presence of both proinflammatory and anti-inflammatory cytokines; mice receiving the recombinant PLGA nanoparticle formulations also demonstrated anti-KMP-11 IgG1 and IgG2a. Mice were then challenged with L. braziliensis, in the presence of sand fly saliva. Lesion development was not inhibited following either immunization strategy. However, immunization with PLGA nanoparticles resulted in a more prominent reduction in parasite load at the infection site when compared with immunization using plasmid DNA alone. This effect was associated with a local increase in interferon-gamma and in tumor necrosis factor-alpha. Both immunization strategies also resulted in a lower parasite load in the draining lymph nodes, albeit not significantly. Our results encourage the pursuit of immunization strategies employing nanobased delivery systems for vaccine development against cutaneous leishmaniasis caused by L. braziliensis infection.

A study of surface sediments from the Anllóns riverbed (northwestern Spain) was conducted to assess the use of their magnetic properties as proxies of recent trace element contamination (i.e., As, Zn, Pb, Cr, Ni and Cu). Thermomagnetic curves, hysteresis parameters, specific magnetic susceptibility χ , frequency-dependent magnetic susceptibility κ FD %, magnetic remanence and saturation isothermal remanent magnetization ratios (i.e., S and SIRM/ χ ) reveal the presence of mostly fine-grained magnetite and maghemite in these samples. The Tomlinson Pollution Load Index (PLI), as well as the magnetic parameters χ , κ FD %, SIRM/ χ and S -ratios, vary more or less in agreement to each other when they are sequentially arranged throughout a 30-km-long transect that goes from the town of Carballo to the river mouth in Ponteceso. From that profile, it is possible to identify an anomaly of χ that lies between two small peaks of the PLI and seems to define a contaminated area probably linked to a diffuse low-impact source of pollution. There is also a conspicuous peak of the PLI that is likely associated to a nearby gold mine. The variations of the κ FD %’s along the transect are the ones that best reflect the changes in the PLI values, regardless of the level of contamination. This result suggests that adsorption is the main mechanism of trace elements removal by Fe oxides in these samples. Direct signal analyses, used to decompose the isothermal remanent magnetization curves, reveal the presence of four magnetic fractions, with varying relative concentrations all over the profile, namely single-domain magnetite, close to the superparamagnetic threshold (SD/SP) and/or maghemite ( log B 1 / 2 ca 1.2), single-domain magnetite ( log B 1 / 2 ca 2), hematite ( log B 1 / 2 ca 2.5) and goethite ( log B 1 / 2 ca 3.5). Integrating all the available information, it was sketched out a likely sequence of events that included magnetic minerals neoformation in parent soils, their subsequent chemical transformations and the contamination episodes that affected the region.