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Se presenta una metodología que permite el establecimiento de un sistema de indicaciónbiológica para la contaminación orgánica de aguas corrientes sobre la base demacroinvertebrados acuáticos de la Sabana de Bogotá, Colombia - Norte de losAndes. Se asignan valores numéricos de indicación para 57 familias del macrobentosobtenidos con el objeto de cumplir los requerimientos básicos del sistema BMWP,establecido para la bioindicación de contaminación orgánica en Inglaterra y - conciertas modificaciones - en España. El principal objeto de este estudio es expresar elefecto de la contaminación orgánica como un factor ambiental específico más queafecta la distribución de las familias del macrobentos en la región de estudio. Paraeste propósito, el empleo de un promedio ponderado, el cual permite obtener valoresde indicación numérica aplicables y fácilmente reproducibles, resultó ser tan o máseficiente que las técnicas multivariadas de regresión. El estudio se llevó a cabo deacuerdo con el siguiente diseño: 1. Se tomaron muestras en 28 sitios localizados en8 corrientes de agua en alturas de 2550 a 3300 msnm. Se tomaron datos biológicos ydatos fisicoquímicos por un periodo de dos años incluyendo periodos de diferentesniveles de caudal. 2. El macrobentos fue muestreado en diferentes coriotopos(microhábitats). 3. Se ordenaron 18 variables fisicoquímicas mediante un análisis defactores. Nueve de ellas fueron determinadas como componentes del primer factorambiental indicativo de contaminación orgánica. 4. Se calcularon los valores (scores)de calidad fisicoquímica (Cfq) usando las nueve variables fisicoquímicas seleccionadasanteriormente. 5. Los valores de indicación (Tm) que deben corresponder a latolerancia mínima (Tm) a la contaminación orgánica fueron determinados para cadafamilia del macrobentos a través del quinto percentil de la curva de distribuciónnormal ajustada de las abundancias de las familias sobre las diez clases de Cfq. Labase conceptual del procedimiento es la definición y aplicación estrictamente numéricade los valores de indicación y de los índices derivados de ellos para asegurarque sean reproducibles. Las bases de datos están publicadas en el siguente web site‘http://www.encuentro.org/BMWP-Colombia’.

Objective: Evaluate the effects of i) dehulling of lupine seed on chemical composition and apparent metabolizable energy (AME) and ii) soybean meal substitution by dehulled lupine seed in broiler diets with enzymes on productive performance, size of digestive organs and welfare-related variables. Methods: Experiment 1, chemical composition and AME were determined in whole and dehulled lupine seed. Experiment 2, two hundred eighty-eight one-day-old male Ross 308 broilers were used. The experimental diets were maize-soybean meal (MS), MS with enzymes (MSE) and maize-dehulled lupine seed with enzymes (MLE). Diets were assigned to the experimental units under a completely randomized design (eight replicates per diet). The body weight (BW) gain, feed intake, feed conversion, digestive organ weights, gait score, latency to lie down and valgus/varus angulation were evaluated. Results: The dehulling process increased protein (25.0% to 31.1%), AME (5.9 to 8.8 MJ/kg) and amino acid contents. The BW gain of broilers fed the MLE diet was similar (p>0.05) to that of those fed the MS diet, but lower than that of those fed the MSE diet. Feed intake of broilers fed the MLE diet was higher (p<0.05) than that of those fed the MS diet and similar (p>0.05) to those fed the MSE diet. Feed conversion of broilers fed the MLE diet was 8.0% and 8.7% higher (p<0.05) than that of those fed the MS and MSE diets, respectively. Broilers fed the MLE diet had the highest (p<0.05) relative proventriculus and gizzard weights, but had poor welfare-related variables. Conclusion: It is possible to substitute soybean meal by dehulled lupine seed with enzymes in broiler diets, obtaining similar BW gains in broilers fed the MLE and MS diets; however, a higher feed intake is required. Additionally, the MLE diet reduced welfare-related variables. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Myofibroblasts are the major source of extracellular matrix components that accumulate during tissue fibrosis, and hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) are the major source of myofibroblasts in the liver. To date, robust systems to genetically manipulate these cells have not existed. We report that Pdgfrb-Cre inactivates genes in murine HSCs with high efficiency. We used this system to delete the αv integrin subunit because of the suggested role of multiple αv integrins as central mediators of fibrosis in multiple organs. Depletion of the αv integrin subunit in HSCs protected mice from CCl4-induced hepatic fibrosis, whereas global loss of αvβ3, αvβ5 or αvβ6 or conditional loss of αvβ8 on HSCs did not. Pdgfrb-Cre effectively targeted myofibroblasts in multiple organs, and depletion of αv integrins using this system was also protective in models of pulmonary and renal fibrosis. Critically, pharmacological blockade of αv integrins by a novel small molecule (CWHM 12) attenuated both liver and lung fibrosis, even when administered after fibrosis was established. These data identify a core pathway that regulates fibrosis, and suggest that pharmacological targeting of all αv integrins may have clinical utility in the treatment of patients with a broad range of fibrotic diseases.

An abstract of the article "Interaction of gypsum with As(V)-bearing aqueous solutions: Surface precipitation of guerinite, saifeldite, and Ca2NaH(AsO4)2·6H2O, a synthetic arsenate," by Manuel Prieto, Laura Torre, and Santiago García-Granda is presented.

One-month old breastfeeding infant, full-term birth, with normal anthropometric measurements at birth is referred to Pediatric Nephrology due to a nephrocalcinosis. The patient presents dysmorphic features and heart disease. A metabolic study is conducted on blood and urine yielding results within normal parameters, except for renal concentration test and acidification test. At 6 months of age, patient presents overgrowth, which along with other clinical signs arouse suspicion of Sotos Syndrome. Molecular genetic testing detects heterozygous deletion in 5q35 between bands q35.2 and q35.3, affecting genes NSD1, SLC34A1 and FGFR4, which is compatible with this syndrome and with nephrocalcinosis as a rare association.

Introduction and Objectives: To describe our experience and to identify risk factors for in-hospital mortality., Methods: Between October 1991 and June 2005, 42 children underwent the Norwood procedure. In the first 30 patients, pulmonary circulation was established using a modified Blalock-Taussig shunt (Group 1), while a right ventricle to pulmonary artery conduit was used in the remaining 12 (Group 2). Preoperative anatomic features and procedural factors were analyzed with respect to their impact on mortality. Postoperatively, data were collected on arterial blood pressure, arterial and venous oxygen saturation, arterial pH, venous pCO2, the PaO2/FiO2 ratio, tissue oxygen extraction, and dead space fraction. The association between each individual variable and mortality was investigated., Results: Thirty patients (71.4%) had both aortic and mitral atresia, eight (19%) had either aortic or mitral atresia, and four (9.5%) had no valvular atresia. There was no statistically significant difference in postoperative mortality between the groups 1 and 2 (12/22 [54.5%] vs 7/12 [58.3%]; P=.56). The only significant risk factor for in-hospital mortality was a longer cardiopulmonary bypass time (P=.01) and, for intraoperative mortality, primary rather than delayed sternal closure (P=.004). Venous pCO2, the mean dead space fraction, and tissue oxygen extraction all tended to be higher among infants who died, but the difference was not statistically significant., Conclusions: Use of a right ventricle to pulmonary artery conduit did not improve postoperative survival. Both a long cardiopulmonary bypass time and primary sternal closure were associated with increased mortality.