Search

Estudios realizados en Santiago han determinado que la anemia al inicio del embarazo es un problema de salud pública. No se conoce la situación en el resto del país. El propósito de este estudio fue establecer la prevalencia de anemia en mujeres embarazadas de la provincia de Concepción y evaluar su asociación con su estado nutricional y el crecimiento fetal de sus recién nacidos. Cumplieron con los requisitos de ingreso 1782 mujeres que iniciaron el año 2004 control prenatal en los centros de atención primaria del sistema de salud público de Concepción. La anemia se determinó con los criterios de la OMS (Hb < 11g / dl) y del Center for Disease Control de los Estados Unidos de América (CDC) (Hb < percentilo 5 para cada semana de gestación). Se comparó la presencia o ausencia de anemia con las variables independientes antropométricas maternoinfantiles, la prematurez y el puntaje Apgar del recién nacido, además de la edad, paridad, morbilidad y hábito tabáquico de la madre. Se realizó un análisis multivariado con regresión logística del posible efecto de la anemia en el crecimiento fetal. La prevalencia de anemia fue de 10,9% y de 14,5% según los criterios OMS y CDC, respectivamente. El estado nutricional de la madre se asoció significativamente con la anemia. Sin embargo, la anemia según OMS y CDC al inicio del embarazo no se asoció con el crecimiento fetal en el análisis multivariado. La anemia materna y es algo superior a la del estudio más reciente de Santiago.Maternal anemia in Concepción province, Chile: association with maternal nutritional status and fetal growth. Previous studies in Santiago, Chile have established that anemia in the earliest stages of pregnancy is a public health issue. The situation in other parts of the country is unknown. The purpose of this study is to establish the prevalence of anemia in pregnant women in the province of Concepcion and evaluate its association with maternal nutricional status and fetal growth. The study included 1782 women with singleton pregnancies who began prenatal check-ups in 2004 at the public primary health care centers. Anemia was established using the following criteria: from WHO (Hb < 11g / dl) and from the USA Center for Disease Control (CDC) (Hb < percentile 5 for each gestational week). Anemia prevalence was compared in relation to independent study variables: maternal age, parity, morbidity and smoking habit, and mother and child anthropometry. A multivariable logistic regression model studied the possible effect of anemia on fetal growth. The prevalence of anemia was 10.9% and 14.5% using the WHO and CDC criteria, respectively. The mother’s nutritional status was significantly associated with anemia. However, anemia according to WHO and CDC criteria at the beginning of pregnancy was not significantly associated to fetal growth in the univariate and multivariate analyses. The prevalence of anemia in the province of Concepcion constitutes a public health problem that needs to be addressed and it is slightly higher to that recently observed in the county of Puente Alto, Santiago.

We present experimental and numerical investigations of water flow in a microsystem induced by microwave electric fields. Microwave dielectric heating induces gradients of temperature which produce spatial variations in mass density and dielectric permittivity that lead to buoyancy and dielectric forces in the liquid, respectively. The experimental system consists of a microchannel, filled with water, which is built on top of a coplanar waveguide operating in the fundamental transversal electromagnetic (TEM) mode at frequencies in the range 1-4 GHz. The flow originated by standing waves is studied. Maxima and minima of electric field amplitude lead to maxima and minima of fluid flow. This observation allows us to measure the TEM wavelength and good agreement is found with the theoretical results for the TEM mode inside the microchannel. We also present three dimensional finite-element calculations of the electric, temperature and fluid velocity fields in the microchannel. In a first approach, the calculations are performed using the equations in the limit of small temperature variations, which allows us to decouple the electrical, mechanical and thermal equations. These calculations show a good agreement with the velocity profiles. Subsequently, the effect of considering finite increments of temperature is taken into account and the new numerical results improve the quantitative comparison with experimental velocities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Estudios realizados en Santiago han determinado que la anemia al inicio del embarazo es un problema de salud pública. No se conoce la situación en el resto del país. El propósito de este estudio fue establecer la prevalencia de anemia en mujeres embarazadas de la provincia de Concepción y evaluar su asociación con su estado nutricional y el crecimiento fetal de sus recién nacidos. Cumplieron con los requisitos de ingreso 1782 mujeres que iniciaron el año 2004 control prenatal en los centros de atención primaria del sistema de salud público de Concepción. La anemia se determinó con los criterios de la OMS (Hb < 11g / dl) y del Center for Disease Control de los Estados Unidos de América (CDC) (Hb < percentilo 5 para cada semana de gestación). Se comparó la presencia o ausencia de anemia con las variables independientes antropométricas maternoinfantiles, la prematurez y el puntaje Apgar del recién nacido, además de la edad, paridad, morbilidad y hábito tabáquico de la madre. Se realizó un análisis multivariado con regresión logística del posible efecto de la anemia en el crecimiento fetal. La prevalencia de anemia fue de 10,9% y de 14,5% según los criterios OMS y CDC, respectivamente. El estado nutricional de la madre se asoció significativamente con la anemia. Sin embargo, la anemia según OMS y CDC al inicio del embarazo no se asoció con el crecimiento fetal en el análisis multivariado. La anemia materna y es algo superior a la del estudio más reciente de Santiago.

Three new collagen mimetic peptides containing the CLK motif as anchoring arms were tested for silver nanoparticle surface stabilization. Our experimental and molecular dynamics data indicate that peptide length has an important effect not only in the resulting nanosilver's colloidal stability, but also in the biological performance of the composite. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article will examine how Discourse Analysis can be taught and used. Specifically, it will first explore how to introduce the basic theoretical and epistemological principles of Discourse Analysis and how these dimensions must be taken into account when students start doing Discourse Analysis. Next, the article will illustrate the basic steps of Discourse Analysis through a research project. We focus our attention on the process of teaching and learning Discourse Analysis using a study of intimate gender violence among migrant women conducted between 2011 and 2014 in Catalonia, Spain1. The migrant women, professionals from psychosocial services and from the judiciary provided the study texts. While there are different approaches to Discourse Analysis, there are also common elements that function as a guide to its use. The results presented are framed within Ibáñez and Iñiguez’s (1997) sociodiscursive and critical psychology and show that it is necessary to follow a series of steps that orient Discourse Analysis ranging from topic identification on the informants’ narratives, to the variations, positions, and rhetoric of the statements, all assuming that language is functional and is constituted as social action. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To determine the selectivity of gillnets in the Chilean artisanal fishery for the Chilean hake Merluccius gayi gayi, an experimental net was used with three mesh sizes (5.2, 6.8 and 7.6 cm). A total of 2279 specimens of Chilean hake were caught (24-56 cm total length, TL), mainly via gilling and snagging. The catch proportion below the size of sexual maturity SSM50% (37 cm TL) for each mesh size tested was estimated. Models were fitted separately according to the sex to compensate for differences in size compositions, with the males fitted to a binormal model and females fitted to the normal location model. Analysing both sexes combined, the model with the lowest deviance was lognormal, with estimated modal lengths of 30.9, 40.2 and 43.9 cm TL for meshes of 5.2, 6.8 and 7.6 cm, respectively. The estimated selectivity factor ( SF) indicates that the modal size matches the SSM50% with a mesh size of 6.2 cm, while the length of retention of 50% ( l50) coincides with the SSM50% with a mesh size of 7.6 cm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The size selectivity of alternative codends for nylon shrimp and yellow squat lobster was studied off the Chilean coast using the covered codend technique. Various mesh sizes (47 and 63 mm mesh opening) and shapes (diamond and square) in the codends were used. For both species, substituting the DM47 codend with the DM63 codend significantly increased 50% retention length ( l50). The change of diamond (DM47) to square mesh (SM47) had a positive effect in size selectivity for nylon shrimp. For yellow squat lobster, no significant effect was observed when changing the diamond (DM63) to square mesh (SM63). Selectivity data were modeled by considering explanatory variables such as 'codend catch weight' and 'vessel'. Increases in the catch significantly reduced the l50 for both species whereas the vessel factor was not significant. Finally, using the length at first maturity as a reference value, the authors concluded that the DM47 codend failed to protect the immature portion of either stock, thus the DM63 codend is recommended. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Princeton Ocean Model -- POM (Blumberg and Mellor, 1987) has been implemented in the Northwestern Mediterranean nested (in one-way off-line mode) to a general circulation model of the Mediterranean Sea -- OGCM (Pinardi and Masetti, 2000; Demirov and Pinardi, 2002) in order to investigate if this model configuration is capable of reproducing the major features of the circulation as known from observations and to improve what has been made by previous numerical modeling works. According to the model results, the large-scale cyclonic circulation in the northern part of the Northwestern Mediterranean is, at least in the upper layers, less coherent in winter and spring than in summer and autumn. Furthermore, there is evidence that the mesoscale structure (eddies and meanders) is, during all year, a significant dynamic characteristic in this region of the Mediterranean Sea. Finally, concerning the circulation in the lower layers, the model results have confirmed that Levantine Intermediate Water (LIW) and Western Mediterranean Deep Water (WMDW) follow essentially a cyclonic path during all year. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Pathological bereavement refers to those symptoms related to bereavement, distinguishable from depression, and which predict significant functional deterioration. Objectives: Breravement, in the DSM-IV, is included as a "V Code" and does not recommend the diagnosis of depression, until two months after the loss; ICD-10 considers it an adaptive disorder and as a possible diagnosis. It is often difficult to distinguish between current and pathological bereavement. It was proposed as diagnostic criteria: presence of symptoms of intrusion, avoidance and dysfunctional adaptation, and/or somatic symptoms after one month of loss, and/or failure to form new relationships beyond 13 months later, considering the person's beliefs and socialcontext. Methods: Case report. Results: A case report. Conclusions: A continuum between usual and pathological bereavement is proposed, characterized by an intensification or extension of the norm. Various formal criteria are proposed such as the duration, intensity, presence of some differential symptoms and the criterion of deterioration in the functioning of the individual, not being without difficulties. Pathological bereavement has been shown to be a different stress-related disorder than others and that its symptoms are different from those of depression and anxiety-related grief. They have raised empirical criteria for diagnosing pathological bereavement in DSM 5 but there are still discrepancies that discourage this and propose to include it in other categories. All of this has led to the inclusion of Persistent Troubled Bereavement Disorder in the chapter "Affections to Continue Study". [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Children and adolescent are an special population. Althougth this type of medication is widely used in a aduls, there are few studies about the use of long acting injectable antipsychotics in this population. Objectives: Educational objetives: Have a view of the treatment of children and adolescents with long acting antipsychotics in serious mental illness. Purpose: To make a theoretical review about the treatment of children and adolescents with a long acting antipsychotics in serious mental illness. Methods: Case presentation and review of the literature. Results: 16 year old male patient who began in Mental Health at 12 years old because difficulties to socialize with peers. He had an IQ of 71. He had the diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder, and he started in a School for children with special needs. He always has been talking about death, accidents, murders, etc. He used to draw skulls, knifes, blood. Two years ago he started to say that a classmate insulted him. One day, with no provocation, he took a rake and assaulted him, causing a ulna fracture. In the inpatient Unit, he said that he insulted him, and he always used to did it. We began Aripiprazole in an ascending dose, then we switched to the long acting presentation. He is using this treatment during the last 20 months, and he is stable. Conclusions: The literature review suggest long acting antipsichotics in children and adolescents with serious mental illness may improve clinical outcomes and adherence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: PANS is a clinical diagnosis given to children with dramatic neuropsychiatric symptoms, almost overnight, including obsessive-compulsive disorder(OCD), tics, and/or eating disorder. Children can get irritable and anxious, and struggle with school work. The cause of PANS is unknown in most cases, but is believed to be triggered by infections, metabolic disorders and other inflammatory reactions. Objectives: Presentation a case with obsessive-compulsive disorder associated with recurrent urinary tract infections. Methods: Case presentation The case concerns a woman 62 years old, without history of mental health, who presents autolysis ideation, with 5 attempts of autolysis, in last a year and a half. As a concomitant fact therewere urinary tract infection of repetition, which was present in all episodes that the patient presented attempts of autolysis, with complete resolution of the picture after treatment of the infectious process. The patient was given a sublingual bacterian vaccine for urinary tract infections, and after a few months of administration, infections had disappeared, and episodes of autolysis hadn't occurred again. The patient now is in complete remission, although we maintenance treatment at low doses to avoid a relapse. Current treatment: Amisulpiride, mirtazapine, fluoxetine and lormetazepam. Results: Patient who had recurrent attempts of autolysis, needed a lot of hospital admissions, recovered when a sublingual bacterial vaccine was administered for recurrent urinary infections. Conclusions: -Diagnosis of OCD secondary to medical disease (recurrent urinary tract infections). -Always to rule out disease. -In this case, there may be recurrence of the clinic if the infection reappears. In this case we'll revaccination. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Background Anopheles albimanus is among the most important vectors of human malaria in Mesoamerica and the Caribbean Basin (M-C). Here, we use topographic data and 1950–2000 climate (near present), and future climate (2080) layers obtained from general circulation models (GCMs) to project the probability of the species’ presence, p(s), using the species distribution model MaxEnt. Results The projected near-present distribution parameterized with 314 presence points related well to the known geographic distribution in the study region. Different model experiments suggest that the range of An. albimanus based on near-present climate surfaces covered at least 1.27 million km2 in the M-C, although 2080 range was projected to decrease to 1.19 million km2. Modeled p(s) was generally highest in Mesoamerica where many of the original specimens were collected. MaxEnt projected near-present maximum elevation at 1,937 m whereas 2080 maximum elevation was projected at 2,118 m. 2080 climate scenarios generally showed increased p(s) in Mesoamerica, although results varied for northern South America and no major range expansion into the mid-latitudes was projected by 2080. Conclusions MaxEnt experiments with near present and future climate data suggest that An. albimanus is likely to invade high-altitude (>2,000 m) areas by 2080 and therefore place many more people at risk of malaria in the M-C region even though latitudinal range expansion may be limited.

Salmonid rickettsial septicemia (SRS), caused by Piscirickettsia salmonis , has been the most severe health concern for the Chilean salmon industry. The efforts to control P. salmonis infections have focused on using antibiotics and vaccines. However, infected salmonids exhibit limited responses to the treatments. Here, we developed a poly (D, L-lactide-glycolic acid) (PLGA)-nanosystem functionalized with Atlantic salmon IgM (PLGA-IgM) to specifically deliver florfenicol into infected cells. Polymeric nanoparticles (NPs) were prepared via the double emulsion solvent-evaporation method in the presence of florfenicol. Later, the PLGA-NPs were functionalized with Atlantic salmon IgM through carbodiimide chemistry. The nanosystem showed an average size of ~380-410 nm and a negative surface charge. Further, florfenicol encapsulation efficiency was close to 10%. We evaluated the internalization of the nanosystem and its impact on bacterial load in SHK-1 cells by using confocal microscopy and qPCR. The results suggest that stimulation with the nanosystem elicits a decrease in the bacterial load of P. salmonis when it infects Atlantic salmon macrophages. Overall, the IgM-functionalized PLGA-based nanosystem represents an alternative to the administration of antibiotics in salmon farming, complementing the delivery of antibiotics with the stimulation of the immune response of infected macrophages.

In samples of harmful algal blooms (HABs), seawater can contain a high abundance of microorganisms and elemental ions. Along with the hardness of the walls of key HAB dinoflagellates such as Prorocentrum triestinum , this makes RNA extraction very difficult. These components interfere with RNA isolation, causing its degradation, in addition to the complex seawater properties of HABs that could hinder RNA isolation for effective RNA sequencing and transcriptome profiling. In this study, an RNA isolation technique was established through the modification of the Trizol method by applying the Micropestle System on cell pellets of P. triestinum frozen at -20 °C, obtained from 400 mL of culture with a total of 10 7 cells/mL. The results of the modified Trizol protocol generated quality RNA samples for transcriptomics sequencing, as determined by their measurement in Analyzer Agilent 4150.

An 84-year-old woman with a Barthel Index of 40 and a history of rectal adenocarcinoma treated with total mesorectal excision and colostomy presented with a 24-hour history of abdominal pain, vomiting, and a defunctioning ileostomy. Examination revealed hemodynamic instability, a distended abdomen, and diffuse tenderness around the parastomal hernia. CT scan revealed significant gastric dilation extending through the parastomal hernia with obstructive changes at the gastroduodenal junction. Parastomal hernias are relatively common, with an incidence of 0-48.1%.

(1) Background: Could compounds such as monoterpenes and sesquiterpenes present in essential plant oils inhibit bacterial growth as an alternative to help mitigate bacterial resistance? The purpose of this study is evaluating the in vitro antibacterial effect of Lippia organoides EO (LEO) and Thymus vulgaris EO (TEO), individually and in combination with ampicillin, against extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL)-producing Escherichia coli strains; (2) Methods: Experimental in vitro design with post-test. The EOs were obtained by hydrodistillation and were analyzed by GC. ESBL-producing E. coli strains used were selected from urine cultures and the bla CTX-M and bla TEM resistance genes were identified by end point PCR. The disk diffusion method was used for the susceptibility tests. The MICs and MBCs were determined by microdilution test. Finally, the interaction effect was observed by checkerboard assay; (3) Results: A 39.9% decrease in the growth of the strain thymol in TEO and 70.4% in carvacrol in LEO was shown, observing inhibition halos of 32 mm for both EOs. MICs of 632 and 892 μg/mL for LEO and 738 and 940 μg/mL for TEO were determined. Finally, it was observed that, at low doses, there is a synergistic effect between TEO + LEO and EOs + ampicillin; (4) Conclusions: The findings demonstrate that TEO and LEO have an inhibitory effect on ESBL-producing E. coli , suggesting that they are candidates for further studies in the formulation of antibiotics to reduce bacterial resistance to traditional antibiotics.

The development of diverse types of biomaterials has significantly contributed to bringing new biomedical strategies to treat clinical conditions. Applications of these biomaterials can range from mechanical support and protection of injured tissues to joint replacement, tissue implants, and drug delivery systems. Among the strategies commonly used to prepare biomaterials, the use of electromagnetic radiation to initiate crosslinking stands out. The predominance of photo-induced polymerization methods relies on a fast, efficient, and straightforward process that can be easily adjusted to clinical needs. This strategy consists of irradiating the components that form the material with photons in the near ultraviolet-visible wavelength range ( i.e. , ∼310 to 750 nm) in the presence of a photoactive molecule. Upon photon absorption, photosensitive molecules can generate excited species that initiate photopolymerization through different reaction mechanisms. However, this process could promote undesired side reactions depending on the target zone or treatment type ( e.g. , oxidative stress and modification of biomolecules such as proteins and lipids). This review explores the basic concepts behind the photopolymerization process of ex situ and in situ biomaterials. Particular emphasis was put on the photosensitization initiated by the most employed photosensitizers and the photoreactions that they mediate in aqueous media. Finally, the undesired oxidation reactions at the bio-interface and potential solutions are presented.

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the second leading cause of cancer deaths globally. While ethnic differences in driver gene mutations have been documented, the South American population remains understudied at the genomic level, despite facing a rising burden of CRC. We analyzed tumors of 40 Chilean CRC patients (Chp) using next-generation sequencing and compared them to data from mainly Caucasian cohorts (TCGA and MSK-IMPACT). We identified 388 mutations in 96 out of 135 genes, with TP53 (45%), KRAS (30%), PIK3CA (22.5%), ATM (20%), and POLE (20%) being the most frequently mutated. TSC2 mutations were associated with right colon cancer (44.44% in RCRC vs. 6.45% in LCRC, p -value = 0.016), and overall frequency was higher compared to TCGA ( p -value = 1.847 × 10 -5 ) and MSK-IMPACT cohorts ( p -value = 3.062 × 10 -2 ). Limited sample size restricts definitive conclusions, but our data suggest potential differences in driver mutations for Chilean patients, being that the RTK-RAS oncogenic pathway is less affected and the PI3K pathway is more altered in Chp compared to TCGA (45% vs. 25.56%, respectively). The prevalence of actionable pathways and driver mutations can guide therapeutic choices, but can also impact treatment effectiveness. Thus, these findings warrant further investigation in larger Chilean cohorts to confirm these initial observations. Understanding population-specific driver mutations can guide the development of precision medicine programs for CRC patients.

Corneal diseases represent a significant global health challenge, often resulting in blindness, for which penetrating keratoplasty is the clinical gold standard. However, in cases involving compromised ocular surfaces or graft failure, osteo-odonto keratoprosthesis (OOKP) emerges as a vital yet costly and complex alternative. Thus, there is an urgent need to introduce soft biomaterials that mimic the corneal tissue, considering its translation's physicochemical, biological, and economic costs. This study introduces a cross-linked mixture of economically viable biomaterials, including gelatin, chitosan, and poly-D-lysine, that mimic corneal properties. The physicochemical evaluation of certain mixtures, specifically gelatin, chitosan, and poly-D-lysine cross-linked with 0.10% glutaraldehyde, demonstrates that properties such as swelling, optical transmittance, and thermal degradation are comparable to those of native corneas. Additionally, constructs fabricated with poly-D-lysine exhibit good cytocompatibility with fibroblasts at 72 h. These findings suggest that low-cost biopolymers, particularly those incorporating poly-D-lysine, mimic specific corneal characteristics and have the potential to foster fibroblast survival. While further studies are required to reach a final corneal-mimicking solution, this study contributes to positioning low-cost reagents as possible alternatives to develop biomaterials with physicochemical properties like those of the human cornea.

Background: Standard cancer treatments show a lack of selectivity that has led to the search for new strategies against cancer. The selective elimination of cancer cells modulating the redox environment, known as "selective oxycution", has emerged as a viable alternative. This research focuses on characterizing the unexplored Escallonia genus plant extracts and evaluating their potential effects on cancer's redox balance, cytotoxicity, and activation of death pathways., Methods: 36 plant extracts were obtained from 4 different species of the Escallonia genus (E. illinita C. Presl, E. rubra (Ruiz & Pav.) Pers., E. revoluta (Ruiz & Pav.) Pers., and E. pulverulenta (Ruiz & Pav.) Pers.), which were posteriorly analyzed by their phytoconstituents, antioxidant capacity, and GC-MS. Further, redox balance assays (antioxidant enzymes, oxidative damage, and transcription factors) and cytotoxic effects (SRB, ∆Ψmt, and caspases actives) of those plant extracts were analyzed on four cell lines (HEK-293T, MCF-7, HT-29, and PC-3)., Results: 36 plant extracts were obtained, and their phytoconstituents and antioxidant capacity were established. Further, only six extracts had EC 50 values < 10 µg*mL - 1 , indicating high toxicity against the tested cells. From those, two plant extracts were selective against different cancer cell lines: the hexane extract of E. pulverulenta´s stem was selective for HT-29, and the ethyl acetate extract of E. rubra´s stem was selective for PC-3. Both extracts showed unbalanced redox effects and promoted selective cell death., Conclusions: This is the first study proving "selective oxycution" induced by Chilean native plant extracts., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Fasciolosis is a parasitic disease considered as emerging and neglected by the WHO. Sheep are highly susceptible to this disease, and affected flocks experience decreased productivity due to increased mortality, and the reduced quality of their products, such as wool and meat. To effectively control this disease, reliable and early diagnosis is essential for making decisions regarding antiparasitic application and/or the removal of affected animals. Currently, the diagnosis of F. hepatica in sheep relies on the detection of parasite eggs in faeces, a method that becomes reliable from week 10 post-infection. Consequently, there is a need for earlier diagnostic tools based on immune response. However, obtaining antigens for antibody detection has proven to be difficult and expensive. The aim of this study was to evaluate members of the Kunitz protein family of F. hepatica expressed in the form of a fusion protein in the serological diagnosis of F. hepatica in sheep. The performance of three recombinant F. hepatica Kunitz-type inhibitors (FhKT1.1, FhKT1.3, and FhKT4) was compared with a synthetic Kunitz-type peptide (sFhKT) in sera from sheep experimentally infected with F. hepatica , using an ELISA. Of these, FhKT1.1 showed the most promising diagnostic indicators, exhibiting high precision and low cross-reactivity, and thus potential for standardized production. The results of our study demonstrated that the application of FhKT1.1 is a valuable tool for early-stage diagnosis of F. hepatica in sheep. Such an early diagnosis can aid in implementing timely interventions and effectively managing the disease in sheep populations., Competing Interests: No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s)., (© 2023 The Author(s). Published by Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.)

Carbon dots (CDs) have been quickly extended for nanomedicine uses because of their multiple applications, such as bioimaging, sensors, and drug delivery. However, the interest in increasing their photoluminescence properties is not always accompanied by cytocompatibility. Thus, a knowledge gap exists regarding their interactions with biological systems linked to the selected formulations and synthesis methods. In this work, we have developed carbon dots (CDs) based on poly (ethylene imine) (PEI) and chitosan (CS) by using microwave irradiation, hydrothermal synthesis, and a combination of both, and further characterized them by physicochemical and biological means. Our results indicate that synthesized CDs have sizes between 1 and 5 nm, a high presence of amine groups on the surface, and increased positive ζ potential values. Further, it is established that the choice and use of different synthesis procedures can contribute to a different answer to the CDs regarding their optical and biological properties. In this regard, PEI-only CDs showed the longest photoluminescent emission lifetime, non-hemolytic activity, and high toxicity against fibroblast. On the other hand, CS-only CDs have higher PL emission, non-cytotoxicity associated with fibroblast, and high hemolytic activity. Interestingly, their combination using the proposed methodologies allow a synergic effect in their CDs properties. Therefore, this work contributes to developing and characterizing CD formulations based on PEI and CS and better understanding the CD's properties and biological interaction., (© 2023. Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.)

Backgorund: Fruits and seed extracts of Annona montana have significant cytotoxic potential in several cancer cells. This study evaluates the effect of A. montana leaves hexane extract on several signaling cascades and gene expression in metastatic breast cancer cells upon insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) stimulation., Methods: MTT assay was performed to determine the proliferation of cancer cells. Propidium iodide staining and flow cytometry analysis of Annexin V binding was utilized to measure the progression of the cell cycle and the induction of apoptosis. Protein expression and phosphorylation were determined by western blotting analysis to examine the underlying cellular mechanism triggered upon treatment with A. montana leaves hexane extract., Results: A. montana leaves hexane (sub-fraction V) blocked the constitutive stimulation of the PI3K/mTOR signaling pathways. This inhibitory effect was associated with apoptosis induction as evidenced by the positivity with Annexin V and terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labeling (TUNNEL) staining, activation of caspase-3, and cleavage of PPAR. It also limited the expression of various downstream genes that regulate proliferation, survival, metastasis, and angiogenesis (i.e., cyclin D1, survivin, COX-2, and VEGF). It increased the expression of p53 and p21. Interestingly, we also observed that this extract blocked the activation of AKT and ERK without affecting the phosphorylation of the IGF-1 receptor and activation of Ras upon IGF-1 stimulation., Conclusion: Our study indicates that A. montana leaves (sub-fraction V) extract exhibits a selective anti-proliferative and proapoptotic effect on the metastatic MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells through the involvement of PI3K/AKT/mTOR/S6K1 pathways., Competing Interests: Conflicts of Interest: The authors declare no conflicts of interest to report regarding the present study.

Child exposure to maltreatment and neglect constitutes a significant public health problem throughout Latin American and Caribbean (LAC) countries. Although evidence-based parent training (PT) interventions constitute an empirically demonstrated alternative to prevent child maltreatment and neglect, multiple implementation barriers have prevented the large-scale dissemination of evidence-based PT interventions across LAC countries. This selective prevention study consisted of an exploratory quasi-experimental design implemented in Chile, aimed at examining the initial impact of a culturally adapted version of the evidence-based PT intervention known as GenerationPMTO©. The parenting intervention was adapted in a previous pilot study, according to a rigorous model of cultural adaptation. Based on self-reports completed by 281 caregivers, when compared to baseline measurements, significant improvements at intervention completion were observed in the majority of caregivers' parenting practices, as well as child internalizing and externalizing problematic behaviors. This study provides promising initial empirical evidence that efficacious PT interventions developed in the US can be transported to Latin American contexts, as long as they are thoroughly adapted to achieve high contextual and cultural relevance. The rates of child maltreatment across LAC countries constitute an urgent and permanent call for strongly promoting this line of prevention research., (© 2023 Family Process Institute.)

Introduction and Objective: The United States (US) currently faces a medical malpractice crisis, and a survey done in 2006 informed that 63% of urologists faced an average of 2.1 medical malpractice lawsuits. Surgery for benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) is performed by 95% of US urologists. Hence, we postulated that these procedures might be responsible for a substantial number of medical malpractice lawsuits. We examined claims related to BPH surgery in various US courts., Materials and Methods: Data were collected from Westlaw and LexisNexis databases using the keywords "benign prostatic hyperplasia," "enlarged prostate," "surgery," and "malpractice" to search for cases from the entire US from January 2000 to December 2021. We extracted details such as the type of procedure, the plaintiff and defendant, the nature of the allegation, the alleged complications, the verdict, and the compensation amount., Results: We found 30 cases in which the most common procedure was transurethral resection of the prostate (37%), with inadequate postoperative care as the most frequent reason for claims (33%). Urologists were the most frequently processed professionals (57%). The postsurgical outcomes that resulted in lawsuits were urinary incontinence (23%), erectile dysfunction (13%), and urinary retention (13%). Interestingly, 43% of the patients were inmates. Plaintiffs won only two (7%) cases: colon perforation after interstitial laser coagulation with Indigo laser and recto-urethral fistula after transurethral microwave therapy., Conclusion: Most lawsuits were related to postoperative incontinence and erectile dysfunction, with the verdict favoring the defendant in most cases. Inmates were the plaintiffs in a relatively high percentage of cases. Only two cases resulted in a plaintiff victory, wherein both cases presented unexpected and serious postsurgical complications., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist., (Copyright © 2023, Porto et al.)

The SARS-CoV-2 worldwide outbreak prompted the development of several tools to detect and treat the disease. Among the new detection proposals, the use of peptides mimetics has surged as an alternative to avoid the use of antibodies, of which there has been a shortage during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, the use of peptides in detection systems still presents some questions to be answered, mainly referring to their stability under different environmental conditions. In this work, we synthesized an ACE2 peptide mimic and evaluated its stability in different pH, salinity, polarity, and temperature conditions. Further, the same conditions were assessed when using the ability of the peptide mimic to detect the recombinant SARS-CoV-2 spike protein in a biotin-streptavidin-enzyme-linked assay. Finally, we also tested the capacity of the peptide to detect SARS-CoV-2 from patients' samples. The results indicate that the peptide is structurally sensitive to the medium conditions, with relevance to the pH, where basic pH favored its performance when used as a SARS-CoV-2 detector. Further, the proposed peptide mimic was able to detect SARS-CoV-2 comparably to RT-qPCR results. Therefore, the present study promotes knowledge advancement, particularly in terms of stability considerations, in the application of peptide mimics as a replacement for antibodies in detection systems.

Statement of Problem: The analysis of different parameters involved in the esthetic perception of the smile is important for the correct planning of cosmetic dental treatments., Purpose: The purpose of this study was to analyze the differences in the main parameters of smile esthetics among celebrities identified as having the best esthetic smiles and a young Southern European population., Material and Methods: The study consisted of a control group of 144 dental students from the University of Seville (69.4% women; 30.6% men) with a mean ±standard deviation age of 23.19 ±0.5 years and photographs of 58 celebrities identified as having the best esthetic smiles (74.1% women; 25.9% men) with a mean ±standard deviation age of 42.09 ±2.25 years. Photographs of the celebrities were obtained from the Internet, and standardized photographs were made of the control group. The variables measured were smile line, smile arc, incisal edges and lower lip relationship, smile width, dental midline deviation and tilting, buccal corridor widths, and angulation discrepancy between interpupillary line and commissural line and between interpupillary line and occlusal plane. The data obtained were processed in a statistical software program for a descriptive statistical analysis and for inferential analysis parametric statistical tests by applying the Wilcoxon, chi-square, Student t, and kappa index tests (α=.05)., Results: Statistically significant differences (P<.01) were found between the groups in terms of smile width, smile arc, midline deviation and tilting, and angulation discrepancy between the interpupillary line and the commissural line. Smile arc was the only variable found to be different (P<.01) in relation to sex., Conclusions: Characteristics of the most esthetic smiles were no deviation or tilting of the maxillary midline, showing a greater number of teeth in the smile, displaying incisal edges parallel to the lower lip (particularly in women), and displaying occlusal and commissural planes parallel to the interpupillary line., (Copyright © 2021 Editorial Council for the Journal of Prosthetic Dentistry. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)