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Background: Dental caries is one of the most prevalent dental illnesses in children. Untreated severe caries can damage teeth, requiring pulpotomy to save them. Objective: To evaluate the clinical success rate of treatments involving pulpotomies + IRM (Intermediate Restorative Material, composed of reinforced zinc oxide–eugenol polymers) + preformed metal crowns (PMCs) in primary teeth of children treated at a public university in Mexico. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional ambispective study was conducted on children aged 10 years or younger, treated at a public university in Mexico. A total of 1281 medical records from February 2018 to June 2023 were reviewed, yielding a sample of 199 children treated with pulpotomy + IRM + PMC. Information was collected via telephone interviews with parents/caregivers to inquire about any symptoms following the pulpotomy and metal crown treatments. Success was defined as the absence of pain, inflammation, or infection. Results: During the study period, the number of teeth treated with pulpotomy + IRM + PMC was 414, with follow-ups ranging from 6 to 69 months. Most participants were girls (54.3%), while 45.7% were boys. Out of the 167 pulpotomy + IRM + PMC treatments included in the study, the clinical success rate was 98.2%. Conclusions: The clinical success rate of primary teeth treated with pulpotomy + IRM + PMCs was high, close to 100%, based on evidence and symptom reports from parents/caregivers. It would be beneficial to implement its use in public health institutions in countries such as Mexico.

Abstract Over the past decade, numerous reports have indicated pervasively high rates of early childhood expulsion nationwide. In response, state and federal policymakers have enacted various measures to ban or reduce reliance on such exclusionary discipline. Prior evaluations of the implementation of one such legislative ban on expulsion enacted in Illinois in 2018 showed partial reductions but relied only on program administrator-reported data. Parents (N = 16) of children (43.75% children of color) expelled from Illinois early childhood programs before and in the years since the 2018 legislative ban were interviewed about their experiences. Parents in both groups reported similar incidents regarding how and why children are excluded, how programs communicated with parents about children’s behavioral concerns, and how programs assisted (or did not) with accessing resources and supports that may enable a child to be retained. Findings indicate that expulsions continue to happen despite the ban and families’ experiences were essentially unchanged and negative. Findings hold implications for the implementation of similar policy efforts across the country.

Introduction: Ovarian cancer is the third most common gynaecological cancer and has a very high mortality rate. The cornerstone of treatment is complete debulking surgery plus chemotherapy. Even with treatment, 80% of patients have a recurrence. Circulating tumour DNA (ctDNA) has been shown to be useful in the control and follow-up of some tumours. It could be an option to define complete cytoreduction and for the early diagnosis of recurrence. Objective: We aimed to demonstrate the usefulness of ctDNA and cell-free DNA (cfDNA) as a marker of complete cytoreduction and during follow-up in patients with advanced ovarian cancer. Material and Methods: We selected 22 women diagnosed with advanced high-grade serous ovarian cancer, of which only 4 had complete records. We detected cfDNA by polymerase chain reaction (PCR), presented as ng/mL, and detected ctDNA with droplet digital PCR (ddPCR). We calculated Pearson correlation coefficients to evaluate correlations among cfDNA, ctDNA, and cancer antigen 125 (CA125), a biomarker. Results: The results obtained in the evaluation of cfDNA and ctDNA and their correlation with tumour markers and the radiology of patients with complete follow-up show disease progression during the disease, stable disease, or signs of recurrence. cfDNA and ctDNA correlated significantly with CA125. Following cfDNA and ctDNA over time indicated a recurrence several months earlier than computed tomography and CA125 changes. Conclusion: An analysis of cfDNA and ctDNA offers a non-invasive clinical tool for monitoring the primary tumour to establish a complete cytoreduction and to diagnose recurrence early.

Indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) concentration is directly proportional to the amount of vermicompost (VC) added to sand substrates. The objectives of this work were to establish the effect of the amount of VC in sand substrates on the concentration of IAA and to determine its influence on tomato plants. Sand substrates with VC percentages (0, 20, 40, and 50%) were placed in pots; in each one, the concentration of IAA was determined at the beginning and the end (after supporting tomato plants), and its bacterial load was determined. In tomato plants, some vegetative and yield components were measured. The results show that by adding 1 kg of VC in a sand-based substrate, the concentration of exogenous IAA increases by 0.0470 and 0.0642 mg g−1 (at the beginning and the end, respectively). This increase was reflected in the development of the plants; for example, their roots demonstrated their maximum development (370.20 cm−3) when the amount of VC in the substrate was 3.95 kg. Therefore, the amount of VC used in the preparation of substrates influences the concentration of IAA in them, which is reflected in the development of tomato plants.

Introduction and Objectives: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the neoplasms with the highest mortality worldwide. The causes of the development of HCC have been related to hepatitis B virus and exposure to aflatoxin B1; however, chronic alcohol use, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, and hepatitis C virus infection are the most important risk factors for developing HCC. The establishment of animal models of HCC is crucial for both basic and translational studies of hepatocellular carcinoma and is a valuable tool to identify alterations during the progression of the disease. This study aimed to analyze the biochemical, histological, and gene expression alterations produced in a model of chemical hepatocarcinogenesis by the chronic administration of diethylnitrosamine (DEN) and 2-acetylaminofluorene (2-AAF) in Wistar rats. Materials and Methods: Twelve Wistar rats weighing 180 to 200 g were divided into control and damage groups: rats were treated with DEN (50 mg/kg/wk) i.p and an intragastric dose of 2-AAF (25 mg/kg/wk) for 18 weeks. Serum clinical biochemistry was performed on VITROS Chemistry System 350® equipment. Masson's trichrome and Hematoxylin-Eosin stains were performed on the liver tissue. Relative gene expression was performed by RT-qPCR in LightCycler®96. Results: The damage group had significant increases in total cholesterol, HDL-C, AST, ALT, ALKP, and GGT. Furthermore, histological analysis showed the loss of normal liver architecture with nuclear pleomorphism in the hepatocytes, atypical mitosis, and fibrous septa distributed between portal triads and collagen fibers through the hepatic sinusoids. The expression of TGFb1 was significantly increased (p

IntroductionHigh-grade serous ovarian cancer (HGSOC) is the second most frequent gynecological malignancy but the most lethal, partially due to the spread of the disease through the peritoneal cavity. Recent evidence has shown that, apart from their role in immune defense through phagocytosis and degranulation, neutrophils are able to participate in cancer progression through the release of neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) in a process called NETosis. NETs are composed of DNA, histones, calprotectin, myeloperoxidase (MPO) and elastase and the NETosis process has been proposed as a pre-requisite for the establishment of omental metastases in early stages of HGSOC. Nevertheless, its role in advanced stages remains to be elucidated. Therefore, our principal aim is to characterize a NETosis biomarker profile in biofluids from patients with advanced HGSOC and control women. MethodsSpecifically, five biomarkers of NETosis (cell-free DNA (cfDNA), nucleosomes, citrullinated histone 3 (citH3), calprotectin and MPO) were quantified in plasma and peritoneal fluid (PF) samples from patients (n=45) and control women (n=40).ResultsOur results showed that HGSOC patients presented a higher concentration of cfDNA, citH3 and calprotectin in plasma and of all five NETosis biomarkers in PF than control women. Moreover, these biomarkers showed a strong ability to differentiate the two clinical groups. Interestingly, neoadjuvant treatment (NT) seemed to reduce NETosis biomarkers mainly systemically (plasma) compared to the tumor environment (PF).DiscussionIn conclusion, NETosis biomarkers are present in the tumor environment of patients with advanced HGSOC, which might contribute to the progression of the disease. Besides, plasma cfDNA and calprotectin could represent minimally invasive surrogate biomarkers for HGSOC. Finally, NT modifies NETosis biomarkers levels mainly at the systemic level.

La enfermedad de Alzheimer (EA) se conforma de un grupo de trastornos de progresión de la memoria principalmente, pero con afecciones en otras funciones cognitivas que llevan a un declive funcional que resta autonomía de forma progresiva en las personas que la padecen. Desde el diagnóstico de Alzheimer en el adulto mayor, el cuidado se ve explícito, iniciando una serie de cambios en la familia, las cuales van desde el asumir un nuevo rol, hasta transiciones emocionales y económicas. El cuidador difícilmente es atendido, la mayoría de las estrategias de cuidado van orientadas en capacitar al cuidador para el cuidado. Existen varias técnicas no farmacológicas como la arteterapia, sin embargo, se orientan en el paciente que padece la enfermedad no en el cuidador. La arteterapia puede ser implementada por el personal de enfermería a fin de potenciar la comunicación y expresión de las emociones de las personas cuidadoras, por ello el objetivo es proponer una intervención de enfermería basada en arteterapia para cuidadores de adultos mayores con Alzheimer.

Tomato plant waste (TPW) is a significant agricultural byproduct that has been often underutilized. Recent studies have shown that its use to obtain methane in an anaerobic digestion (AD) process is viable. However, there is not much information available on studies to improve methane production from this substrate using statistical methods for optimization processes such as central composite design (CCD). For this investigation, CCD was adopted to analyze the effect of S/I ratio (substrate/inoculum ratio) (0.32–1.12), temperature (27–43 °C), and inoculum concentration (10.35–20.95 g VS/L) on methane generation and volatile solids (VS) removal in a batch AD system mono-digestion of TPW. The highest average value of methane yield was found to be 210.8 mL CH4/g VS (S/I ratio 0.48, 40 °C, and 18.80 g VS/L), and the highest average value of VS removal was found to be 36.9% (S/I ratio 1.12, 35 °C, and 15.65 g VS/L). We obtain a model with a better fit for the VS removal (R2 = 0.9587) than for the methane production (R2 = 0.9156). Temperature and S/I ratio were the factors most important for methane production and VS removal, respectively.

Objetivo: Comprender la experiencia vivida del adulto mayor en la nueva normalidad después del aislamiento por COVID-19. Método: Estudio cualitativo fenomenológico, se llevó a cabo de agosto 2021 a junio 2022 en Guanajuato, México; los criterios de selección fueron: adulto mayor de 60 años, que haya retomado sus actividades luego del aislamiento y que estuvieran vacunados contra COVID-19. Muestreo por bola de nieve con 9 participantes por criterio de saturación de información. Colecta de datos a través de entrevista fenomenológica, audio-grabada. Se realizó análisis fenomenológico con método de Van Manen, se respetaron los principios éticos de acuerdo con la Ley General de Salud en Materia de Investigación para la Salud, los participantes emitieron su consentimiento informado. Resultados principales: Emergieron los siguientes temas: Vivencia emocional al regreso; Influencia de COVID-19 y temor en el retorno a su vida cotidiana; Cambios rutinarios en la vida del adulto mayor adaptados a la nueva normalidad; Autocuidado cotidiano. Los adultos mayores destacaron la importancia del cuidado, pero también de adaptarse a las nuevas recomendaciones emitidas a partir de la presencialidad. Conclusiones generales: El retorno a la nueva normalidad posterior a la pandemia por COVID-19 en los adultos mayores estuvo marcado por diversas emociones, por un lado, la alegría y por otro el persistente temor al contagio, sin embargo, también se pudo evidenciar el cambio en la rutina y el autocuidado cotidiano.

Objetivo: comprender la experiencia vivida del cuidado de la salud mental en el adulto mayor durante el aislamiento por COVID-19. Método: estudio cualitativo fenomenológico, realizado en Guanajuato, México de mayo-diciembre 2021, personas mayores de 60 años, hombres y mujeres, recolección por bola de nieve con saturación de información (12 participantes), recolección de datos por entrevista fenomenológica telefónica, la cual fue audio grabada, método de análisis fenomenológico de Van Manen, respetando los criterios éticos del reglamento de la Ley General de Salud en Materia de Investigación para la Salud. Resultados principales: de los 12 participantes, 7 fueron mujeres y 5 hombres, con un rango de edad entre 60 y 79; surgiendo temas como: 1. Percepción de alteraciones emocionales, 2. Envejecimiento e importancia de la salud mental, 3. Temor al contagio y su cuidado, 4. Infodemia, 5. Actividades diarias para la salud mental. Conclusión general: el adulto mayor significa el cuidado de la salud mental con relación al envejecimiento y el ser adulto mayor en medio de una pandemia, esta salud mental fue cuidada a través del manejo de información y el ajuste de actividades diarias que fortalecen su bienestar emocional y cognitivo.

Introduction: Obesity is a prevalent multifactorial disease whose main complication is dyslipidemia. Serum lipid levels also depend on genetic factors including the Taq1B variant of the CETP gene, which is suggested to be influenced by environmental factors and adiposity. Therefore, this study aimed to determine the effect of the Taq1B CETP variant on serum lipid levels associated with anthropometrical variables. Methods: 165 women from Western Mexico were enrolled in this cross-sectional study. Weight and body fat were measured by bioimpedance and waist circumference with a measuring tape. Serum lipid levels were determined by dry chemistry. The Taq1B CETP variant was analyzed by allelic discrimination. Results: Women with abdominal obesity and B1B2/B2B2 genotype had significantly higher total cholesterol levels (195.17 (185.95-204.39) vs 183 mg/dL (169.83-196.16), p = 0.007) and LDL (118.84 (110.65-127.03) vs 113.84 mg/dL (102.37-125.31), p = 0.037) than carriers of B1B1 genotype. Likewise, subjects with excessive adiposity and B1B2/B2B2 genotype showed significantly higher total cholesterol levels (195.05 (186.04-204.06) vs 182.40 mg/dL (169.03-195.76), p = 0.003) than those with B1B1 genotype. Discussion/Conclusion: Women with abdominal obesity or excessive adiposity, who are also carriers of the B1B2/B2B2 genotype have higher serum lipid levels than women with the B1B1 genotype.

An anaerobic digestion process performed in two stages has the advantages of the production of hydrogen in addition to methane, and of further degradation of the substrate over the conventional process. The effectiveness of the implementation of this system for the treatment of lignocellulosic waste has been demonstrated. In 2020, more than 180 million tons of organic waste were generated worldwide from tomato crop production, posing a serious environmental risk. In the present investigation, methane production was compared in a two-stage system versus one-stage system from non-pretreated tomato plant residues. For this, different temperature (37 and 55 °C) and initial pH (5.5 and 6.5) conditions were evaluated during hydrogenesis and a constant temperature (37 °C, without pH adjustment) during methanogenesis. At the same time, a one-stage treatment (37 °C, without pH adjustment) was run for comparison purposes. The two-stage treatment in which the highest production of hydrogen, 12.4 mL/g VS, and methane, 252.3 mL/g VS, was observed occurred under the conditions of pH 6.5 and at 37 °C. However, this energy production was statistically similar (p < 0.5) to the one-stage treatment (365.4 mL CH4/g VS). Furthermore, there were also no significant differences in the removal of volatile solids between the different treatments.

Dinoflagellates possess plastids that are diverse in both pigmentation and evolutionary background. One of the plastid types found in dinoflagellates is pigmented with chlorophylls a and b (Chl a + b ) and originated from the endosymbionts belonging to a small group of green algae, Pedinophyceae. The Chl a + b -containing plastids have been found in three distantly related dinoflagellates Lepidodinium spp., strain MGD, and strain TGD, and were proposed to be derived from separate partnerships between a dinoflagellate (host) and a pedinophycean green alga (endosymbiont). Prior to this study, a plastid genome sequence was only available for L. chlorophorum , which was reported to bear the features that were not found in that of the pedinophycean green alga Pedinomonas minor , a putative close relative of the endosymbiont that gave rise to the current Chl a + b -containing plastid. In this study, we sequenced the plastid genomes of strains MGD and TGD to compare with those of L. chlorophorum as well as pedinophycean green algae. The mapping of the RNA-seq reads on the corresponding plastid genome identified RNA editing on plastid gene transcripts in the three dinoflagellates. Further, the comparative plastid genomics revealed that the plastid genomes of the three dinoflagellates achieved several features, which are not found in or much less obvious than the pedinophycean plastid genomes determined to date, in parallel., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2022 Matsuo, Morita, Nakayama, Yazaki, Sarai, Takahashi, Iwataki and Inagaki.)