Inés Urrutia

Nitrate removal from water by Scenedesmus obliquus immobilized in polymeric foams

Abstract Scenedesmus obliquus cells were immobilized by adsorption in preformed polyurethane and polyvinyl foams as well as by entrapment using urethane prepolymer. Adsorption on polymeric foams appeared to be the most convenient immobilization method, mainly when cells were initially adsorbed in a nitrogen-free medium. Nitrogen starvation of cells appeared to enhance their adsorption to the polymeric foams. The net O 2 evolution activity and nitrate removal capacity of free-living and polyvinyl-adsorbed cells were similar, indicating that immobilization did not significantly affect the physiology of microalgae. The N removal capacity of polyvinyl-adsorbed cells was studied in batch and in a lab-scale continuous-flow bioreactor. Nitrogen starvation greatly increased the N uptake rate of immobilized cells. The effects of illumination (intensity and photoperiod), residence time, and CO 2 supply were investigated with respect to the N removal efficiency of the bioreactor. It was concluded that S. obliquus cells adsorbed in hydrophilic, commercially available polymeric foams are of potential value for biologic N depollution of drinking waters contaminated with nitrogenous fertilizers.

Olive oil has a beneficial effect on impaired glucose regulation and other cardiometabolic risk factors. Di@bet.es study.

Background:Despite the marked increase in cardiovascular risk factors in Spain in recent years, the prevalence and incidence of cardiovascular diseases have not risen as expected. Our objective is to examine the association between consumption of olive oil and the presence of cardiometabolic risk factors in the context of a large study representative of the Spanish population.Subjects and methods:A population-based, cross-sectional, cluster sampling study was conducted. The target population was the whole Spanish population. A total of 4572 individuals aged ⩾18 years in 100 clusters (health centers) were randomly selected with a probability proportional to population size. The main outcome measures were clinical and demographic structured survey, lifestyle survey, physical examination (weight, height, body mass index, waist, hip and blood pressure) and oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) (75 g).Results:Around 90% of the Spanish population use olive oil, at least for dressing, and slightly fewer for cooking or frying. The preference for olive oil is related to age, educational level, alcohol intake, body mass index and serum glucose, insulin and lipids. People who consume olive oil (vs sunflower oil) had a lower risk of obesity (odds ratio (OR)=0.62 (95% confidence interval (CI)=0.41–0.93, P=0.02)), impaired glucose regulation (OR=0.49 (95% CI=0.28–0.86, P=0.04)), hypertriglyceridemia (OR=0.53 (95% CI=0.33–0.84, P=0.03)) and low HDL cholesterol levels (OR=0.40 (95% CI=0.26–0.59, P=0.0001)).Conclusions:The results show that consumption of olive oil has a beneficial effect on different cardiovascular risk factors, particularly in the presence of obesity, impaired glucose tolerance or a sedentary lifestyle.

Mediterranean diet adherence in individuals with prediabetes and unknown diabetes: the Di@bet.es Study.

Background and Aims: Mediterranean diet (MedDiet) is causally related to diabetes and is a dietary pattern recommended to individuals with diabetes. We investigated MedDiet adherence in individuals with prediabetes and unknown (PREDM/UKDM) or known diabetes (KDM) compared to those with normal glucose metabolism (NORMAL). Methods: This was a national, population-based, cross-sectional, cluster-sampling study. MedDiet adherence was scored (MedScore, mean ± SD 24 ± 5) using a qualitative food frequency questionnaire. Logistic regression was used to examine the association between MedScore and PREDM/UKDM or KDM versus control subjects. Results: We evaluated 5,076 individuals. Mean age was 50 years, 57% were female, 826 (582/244) were PREDM/UKDM, 478 were KDM and 3,772 were NORMAL. Mean age increased across MedScore tertiles (46, 51 and 56 years, p < 0.0001). Higher age-adjusted adherence to MedDiet (5-unit increment in the MedScore) was associated with lower and nondifferent odds (OR, 95% CI) of prevalent PREDM/UKDM (0.88, 0.81-0.96, p = 0.001) and KDM (0.97, 0.87-1.07, p = 0.279), respectively, compared to individuals in the NORMAL group. Conclusions: In a representative sample of the whole Spanish population, MedDiet adherence is independently associated with PREDM/UKDM. Therapeutic intervention may be, in part, responsible for the lack of differences in adherence observed between the KDM and NORMAL groups. However, reverse causation bias cannot be ruled out in cross-sectional studies.

Prevalence, Diagnosis, Treatment, and Control of Hypertension in Spain. Results of the Di@bet.es Study.

INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES Di@bet.es is a national study designed to estimate the prevalence of diabetes mellitus and other cardiovascular risk factors in the Spanish adult population. The prevalence of hypertension and the degree to which it is recognized, treated, and controlled are described. METHODS The study included a sample of the Spanish population with 5048 adults aged ≥ 18 years. Patients were questioned and examined, with 3 blood pressure readings while seated and at rest to calculate the mean of the 3 readings. Hypertension was defined as systolic blood pressure ≥ 140 mmHg and/or diastolic blood pressure ≥ 90 mmHg and/or prescription for antihypertensive drug therapy. RESULTS Hypertension was found in 42.6% of the Spanish adult population aged ≥ 18 years and was more common among men (49.9%) than women (37.1%). The prevalence was higher among prediabetics (67.9%) and diabetics (79.4%). Undiagnosed hypertension was identified in 37.4% of patients and was more common in men (43.3%) than in women (31.5%). Among patients with known hypertension, 88.3% were receiving drug therapy. Well-controlled blood pressure was found in only 30% and was more common among women (24.9%) than men (16%). CONCLUSIONS The prevalence of hypertension in Spain is high, and a considerable percentage of hypertensive patients have still not been diagnosed. Hypertension is associated with diabetes and prediabetes, and although drug therapy is increasingly common, the degree of control has not improved and remains low. Population campaigns should be developed and promoted for hypertension prevention, detection, and treatment.

Prevalence of plasma lipid abnormalities and its association with glucose metabolism in Spain: The di@bet.es study

INTRODUCTION Dyslipidemia is a significant contributor to the elevated CVD risk observed in type 2 diabetes mellitus. We assessed the prevalence of dyslipidemia and its association with glucose metabolism status in a representative sample of the adult population in Spain and the percentage of subjects at guideline-recommended LDL-C goals. MATERIAL AND METHODS The di@bet.es study is a national, cross-sectional population-based survey of 5728 adults. RESULTS A total of 4776 subjects were studied. Dyslipidemia was diagnosed in 56.8% of subjects; only 13.2% of subjects were treated with lipid lowering drugs. Lipid abnormalities were found in 56.8% of Spanish adults: 23.3% with high LDL-C, 21.5% high TG, 35.8% high non-HDL-C, and 17.2% low HDL-C. Most normal subjects showed an LDL-C ≤ 3.36 mmol/l. Pre-diabetics presented similar proportion when considering a goal of 3.36 mmol/l, but only 35% of them reached an LDL-C goal ≤ 2.6 mmol/l. Finally, 45.3% of diabetics had an LDL-C ≤ 2.6 mmol/l, and only 11.3% achieved an LDL-C ≤ 1.8 mmol/l. CONCLUSIONS Our study demonstrates a high prevalence of dyslipidemia in the adult Spanish population, and a low use of lipid-lowering drugs. Moreover, the number of subjects achieving their corresponding LDL-C goal is small, particularly in subjects at high cardiovascular risk, such as diabetics.

Anti-Insulin Activity in Normal Newborn Cord-Blood Serum: Absence of IgG-Mediated Insulin Binding

Insulin autoantibodies (IAAs) are present in ∼60% of type I diabetes patients at onset and are used as predictors for the disease. Although the prevalence of IAAs in the general population has been reported to be <1%, preliminary data have pointed out a higher proportion of IAA positivity in newborn cord-blood serum, and some authors have suggested that they are immunoglobulin G antibodies, resulting from a hypothetical gestational insulitis. To characterize this insulin-binding activity, we analyzed cord-blood sera from 100 healthy newborns, as well as serum from 21 of their mothers at delivery, 179 new-onset type I diabetic patients, and 200 healthy control subjects. IAAs were present in 0.5% of the control subjects and 54% of newonset type I diabetic patients. On the other hand, 96% of the newborn cord-blood sera showed anti-insulin activity, while it was detected in only 14% of their mothers. No significant differences were observed between cord sera and the general population for isletcell or anti-GAD autoantibodies. Anti-insulin activity in cord serum was not bound by protein A or protein G, in contrast with type I diabetes–related IAA activity. We conclude that this insulin-binding activity, present in most newborn cord sera and specific to the child, is not IgG mediated. These data, together with the absence of other pancreatic autoimmunity markers in this population, suggest that it is an isolated phenomenon not related to type I diabetes or other pancreatic autoimmune processes and is due to the presence of a cross-reacting molecule in cord blood that has yet to be identified.

Ambient temperature and prevalence of obesity in the Spanish population: The Di@bet.es study

The aim of this study was to examine possible associations between ambient temperature and obesity in the Spanish population using an ecological focus.

Prevalence of diabetes mellitus and impaired glucose metabolism in the adult population of the Basque Country, Spain.

To assess the prevalence of diabetes mellitus and impaired glucose metabolism in the Basque Country and their relationship with cardiovascular risk factors.

An Activating Mutation in STAT3 Results in Neonatal Diabetes through Reduced Insulin Synthesis.

Neonatal diabetes mellitus (NDM) is a rare form of diabetes diagnosed within the first 6 months of life. Genetic studies have allowed the identification of several genes linked to the development of NDM; however, genetic causes for ∼20% of the cases remain to be clarified. Most cases of NDM involve isolated diabetes, but sometimes NDM appears in association with other pathological conditions, including autoimmune diseases. Recent reports have linked activating mutations in STAT3 with early-onset autoimmune disorders that include diabetes of autoimmune origin, but the functional impact of STAT3-activating mutations have not been characterized at the pancreatic β-cell level. By using whole-exome sequencing, we identified a novel missense mutation in the binding domain of the STAT3 protein in a patient with NDM. The functional analyses showed that the mutation results in an aberrant activation of STAT3, leading to deleterious downstream effects in pancreatic β-cells. The identified mutation leads to hyperinhibition of the transcription factor Isl-1 and, consequently, to a decrease in insulin expression. These findings represent the first functional indication of a direct link between an NDM-linked activating mutation in STAT3 and pancreatic β-cell dysfunction.

Factors determining high‐sensitivity C‐reactive protein values in the Spanish population. Di@bet.es study

Eur J Clin Invest 2012