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This study analyzes trends in treatment admissions and summarizes HIV/AIDS risk factors along the US-Mexican border. Data are presented at the national level and at the state level for states along the border. Client data also are compared for treatment programs located in sister cities on the Texas-Mexico border. These data show that methamphetamine admissions are increasing nationally and methamphetamine use is a major problem in the western states on both sides of the border. Use of Ice (smoked methamphetamine) has increased significantly. Use of crack (smoked cocaine) is a growing problem on the border, and injection is the primary route for using black tar heroin in this area. Each of these drugs is a risk factor, either from drug-influenced risky sexual behaviors or from sharing injection equipment. In addition, the availability of drugs on the border and patterns of risky behaviors among migrants mean that drug users on the border are at risk of HIV/AIDS, and this risk is expected to increase with the spreading methamphetamine epidemic and smoking of crack cocaine. Comparable data on HIV/AIDS are needed for further studies of the relationship of drug use and HIV/AIDS on the border. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Most bipolar disorder (BD) patients initially present with depressive symptoms, resulting in a delayed diagnosis of BD and poor clinical outcomes. This study aims to identify features predictive of the conversion from Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) to BD by leveraging electronic health record (EHR) data from the Clínica San Juan de Dios Manizales in Colombia., Methods: We employed a multivariable Cox regression model to identify important predictors of conversion from MDD to BD., Results: Analyzing 15 years of EHR data from 13,607 patients diagnosed with MDD, a total of 1610 (11.8%) transitioned to BD. Predictive features of the conversion to BD included severity of the initial MDD episode, presence of psychosis and hospitalization at first episode, family history of BD, and female gender. Additionally, we observed associations with medication classes (positive associations with prescriptions of mood stabilizers, antipsychotics, and negative associations with antidepressants) and a positive association with suicidality, a feature derived from natural language processing (NLP) of clinical notes. Together, these risk factors predicted BD conversion within 5 years of the initial MDD diagnosis, with a recall of 72% and a precision of 38%., Conclusions: Our study confirms previously identified risk factors identified through registry-based studies (female gender and psychotic depression at the index MDD episode) and identifies novel ones (suicidality extracted from clinical notes). These results simultaneously demonstrate the validity of using EHR data for predicting BD conversion and underscore its potential for the identification of novel risk factors, thereby improving early diagnosis., (© 2024 The Author(s). Bipolar Disorders published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

This study evaluated the impact of replacing inorganic mineral sources of Cu, Zn, and Se with chelated organic minerals (OM) on performance, nutrient and mineral utilization rates, and intestinal morphometry in growing Japanese quails ( Coturnix japonica ). A total of 150 nine-day-old quails were randomly assigned to receive one of the following diets over 4 weeks: CTRL (100% inorganic minerals), OM33 (replacement of 33% inorganic minerals), OM67 (replacement of 67% inorganic minerals), and OM100 (100% organic minerals). Quails fed the OM67 diet exhibited higher ( P < 0.05) viability, daily weight gain, and live weight than the other groups, with no significant difference in feed intake or feed efficiency across treatments. The utilization rates of Cu and Fe were lower in the OM33 group. The CTRL group presented the lowest tibial weight ( P < 0.05). Growing quails fed the OM67 diet contained the highest intestinal villi in the duodenum, jejunum, and ileum. In conclusion, the partial replacement (up to 67%) of inorganic mineral with OM in the diet of growing quails can enhance their productive performance and intestinal histological traits., Competing Interests: Conflicts of Interest: The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest., (2025 Japan Poultry Science Association.)

Objective: To identify women's technological capabilities and describe their appropriation and use of technology in a community in a vulnerable area of Colombia., Method: Observational cross-sectional study conducted in the subregion of Urabá, Colombia. A survey was conducted in primary health care centers, in which 1478 women between 18 and 49 years of age responded to questions about their technological capabilities, their experience with the use of web-based information, and their appropriation of technology., Results: Access to and use of information and communication technologies (ICTs) varied according to age, educational level, and socioeconomic stratum, with observed differences in preferences and critical consumption of information., Conclusion: The women in this study faced multiple access barriers to appropriate use of ICTs for health promotion. The appropriation of these tools in Colombia, specifically in the Urabá subregion, is a complex challenge that requires a comprehensive and multidimensional approach., Competing Interests: Conflicto de intereses Ninguno declarado por los autores.

Pulse crops have become more important in food production and consumption systems for the transition towards sustainability. We present an agroecological dataset from 304 samples from 12 legume field trials in five locations across three countries in the Mediterranean. The field trials were established in the seasons 2021/22 and 2022/23 and tested different lentil or chickpea cultivars, inoculants, intercropping and weeding regimes. The dataset encompasses detailed information on wild flora diversity, grain yield, associated management practices, soil texture and weather during the growing period. Wild flora diversity was recorded by conducting a vegetation survey in 1 × 2 m sample plots. Grain yield was determined at the crop maturity stage, with full plots harvested in Spain, while samples were taken in Croatia and Tunisia. Environmental variables were via laboratory analysis or bottle testing of soil samples and analysis of local weather data. The comprehensiveness of the dataset, including all relevant agroecological information, enables other researchers to employ the dataset for various statistical analyses of agroecosystem processes, such as plant-environment interactions or biodiversity-yield trade-off analysis., (© 2024 The Authors.)

Background: Geographical variations in mood and psychotic disorders have been found in upper-income countries. We looked for geographic variation in these disorders in Colombia, a middle-income country. We analyzed electronic health records from the Clínica San Juan de Dios Manizales (CSJDM), which provides comprehensive mental healthcare for the one million inhabitants of Caldas., Methods: We constructed a friction surface map of Caldas and used it to calculate the travel-time to the CSJDM for 16,295 patients who had received an initial diagnosis of mood or psychotic disorder. Using a zero-inflated negative binomial regression model, we determined the relationship between travel-time and incidence, stratified by disease severity. We employed spatial scan statistics to look for patient clusters., Results: We show that travel-times (for driving) to the CSJDM are less than 1 h for ~50% of the population and more than 4 h for ~10%. We find a distance-decay relationship for outpatients, but not for inpatients: for every hour increase in travel-time, the number of expected outpatient cases decreases by 20% (RR = 0.80, 95% confidence interval [0.71, 0.89], p = 5.67E-05). We find nine clusters/hotspots of inpatients., Conclusions: Our results reveal inequities in access to healthcare: many individuals requiring only outpatient treatment may live too far from the CSJDM to access healthcare. Targeting of resources to comprehensively identify severely ill individuals living in the observed hotspots could further address treatment inequities and enable investigations to determine factors generating these hotspots., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Bipolar Disorder (BD) is a severe and chronic disorder characterized by recurrent episodes of depression, mania, and/or hypomania. Most BD patients initially present with depressive symptoms, resulting in a delayed diagnosis of BD and poor clinical outcomes. This study leverages electronic health record (EHR) data from the Clínica San Juan de Dios Manizales in Colombia to identify features predictive of the transition from Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) to BD. Analyzing EHR data from 13,607 patients diagnosed with MDD over 15 years, we identified 1,610 cases of conversion to BD. Using a multivariate Cox regression model, we identified severity of the initial MDD episode, the presence of psychosis and hospitalization at first episode, family history of mood or psychotic disorders, female gender to be predictive of the conversion to BD. Additionally, we observed associations with medication classes (prescriptions of mood stabilizers, antipsychotics, and antidepressants) and clinical features (delusions, suicide attempt, suicidal ideation, use of marijuana and alcohol use/abuse) derived from natural language processing (NLP) of clinical notes. Together, these risk factors predicted BD conversion within five years of the initial MDD diagnosis, with a recall of 72% and a precision of 38%. Our study confirms many previously identified risk factors identified through registry-based studies (such as female gender and psychotic depression at the index MDD episode), and identifies novel ones (specifically, suicidal ideation and suicide attempt extracted from clinical notes). These results simultaneously demonstrate the validity of using EHR data for predicting BD conversion as well as underscore its potential for the identification of novel risk factors and improving early diagnosis.

Background: Obesity is a multifactorial disorder characterized by increased body adiposity with a wide prevalence in our country, at any age, and linked to major adverse consequences, including the development of heart disease. Cardiac rehabilitation (CR) programs are interdisciplinary interventions aimed not only at restoring the lost functionality of patients who have suffered a cardiovascular outcome, but also at correcting those risk factors that led to it and that interfere with its adaptive results. Obesity contributes to perpetuating heart disease risk and is often resistant to conventional lifestyle modifications., Objective: Establish guidelines in the recognition of obesity with care guidelines for patients with heart disease within CR programs and their interdisciplinary approach., Method: Through an extensive bibliographical review and after an interdisciplinary discussion, this document was prepared to establish a position on the approach to obesity in the context of CR programs in patients with heart disease., Results and Conclusions: Our Society recognizes the interdisciplinary approach of our patients with obesity and heart disease in its primary and secondary prevention, urges precision in its diagnosis and assessment, recommends that its primary axis must be based in the first instance on lifestyle modifications (physical training, nutritional care and psycho-emotional intervention), while pharmacological therapy and bariatric surgery could be coadjuvants in optimizing the results in selected patients.

The mechanisms by which the genotype interacts with nutrition during development to contribute to the variation of complex behaviors and brain morphology of adults are not well understood. Here we use the Drosophila Genetic Reference Panel to identify genes and pathways underlying these interactions in sleep behavior and mushroom body morphology. We show that early-life nutritional restriction effects on sleep behavior and brain morphology depends on the genotype. We mapped genes associated with sleep sensitivity to early-life nutrition, which were enriched for protein-protein interactions responsible for translation, endocytosis regulation, ubiquitination, lipid metabolism, and neural development. By manipulating the expression of candidate genes in the mushroom bodies (MBs) and all neurons, we confirm that genes regulating neural development, translation and insulin signaling contribute to the variable response of sleep and brain morphology to early-life nutrition. We show that the interaction between differential expression of candidate genes with nutritional restriction in early life resides in the MBs or other neurons and that these effects are sex-specific. Natural variations in genes that control the systemic response to nutrition and brain development and function interact with early-life nutrition in different types of neurons to contribute to the variation of brain morphology and adult sleep behavior., (© The Author(s) 2023. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Sleep Research Society. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.)

Viruses represent the primary etiologic agents (70-80%) of acute diarrheal disease (ADD), and rotavirus (RV) is the most relevant one. Currently, four rotavirus vaccines are available. However, these vaccines do not protect against emerging viral strains or are not available in low-income countries. To date, there are no approved drugs available against rotavirus infection. In this study, we evaluated the in vitro anti-rotaviral activity and intestinal toxicity of a phytotherapeutic prototype obtained from Achyrocline bogotensis (Kunth) DC. (PPAb); medicinal plant that contains compounds that inhibit the rotavirus replication cycle. Virucidal and viral yield reduction effects exerted by the PPAb were evaluated by immunocytochemistry and flow cytometry. Furthermore, the toxic impact of the PPAb was evaluated in polarized human intestinal epithelial C2BBe1 cells in terms of cytotoxicity, loss of cytoplasmic membrane asymmetry, and DNA fragmentation by MTT and fluorometry. PPAb concentrations under 0.49 mg/mL exerted significant virucidal and viral yield reduction activities, and concentrations under 16 mg/mL neither reduced cell viability, produced DNA fragmentation, nor compromised the C2BBe1cell membrane stability after 24-h incubation. Based on these results, the evaluated phytotherapeutic prototype of Achyrocline bogotensis might be considered as a promising alternative to treat ADD caused by rotavirus.

Background: Drosophila melanogaster lipophorin receptors (LpRs), LpR1 and LpR2, are members of the LDLR family known to mediate lipid uptake in a range of organisms from Drosophila to humans. The vertebrate orthologs of LpRs, ApoER2 and VLDL-R, function as receptors of a glycoprotein involved in development of the central nervous system, Reelin, which is not present in flies. ApoER2 and VLDL-R are associated with the development and function of the hippocampus and cerebral cortex, important association areas in the mammalian brain, as well as with neurodevelopmental and neurodegenerative disorders linked to those regions. It is currently unknown whether LpRs play similar roles in the Drosophila brain., Results: We report that LpR-deficient flies exhibit impaired olfactory memory and sleep patterns, which seem to reflect anatomical defects found in a critical brain association area, the mushroom bodies (MB). Moreover, cultured MB neurons respond to mammalian Reelin by increasing the complexity of their neurite arborization. This effect depends on LpRs and Dab, the Drosophila ortholog of the Reelin signaling adaptor protein Dab1. In vitro, two of the long isoforms of LpRs allow the internalization of Reelin, suggesting that Drosophila LpRs interact with human Reelin to induce downstream cellular events., Conclusions: These findings demonstrate that LpRs contribute to MB development and function, supporting the existence of a LpR-dependent signaling in Drosophila, and advance our understanding of the molecular factors functioning in neural systems to generate complex behaviors in this model. Our results further emphasize the importance of Drosophila as a model to investigate the alterations in specific genes contributing to neural disorders., (© 2022. The Author(s).)

Cell segregation mechanisms play essential roles during the development of the central nervous system (CNS) to support its organization into distinct compartments. The Slit protein is a secreted signal, classically considered a paracrine repellent for axonal growth through Robo receptors. However, its function in the compartmentalization of CNS is less explored. In this work, we show that Slit and Robo3 are expressed in the same neuronal population of the Drosophila optic lobe, where they are required for the correct compartmentalization of optic lobe neuropils by the action of an autocrine/paracrine mechanism. We characterize the endocytic route followed by the Slit/Robo3 complex and detected genetic interactions with genes involved in endocytosis and actin dynamics. Thus, we report that the Slit-Robo3 pathway regulates the morphogenesis of the optic lobe through an atypical autocrine/paracrine mechanism in addition to its role in axon guidance, and in association with proteins of the endocytic pathway and small GTPases., 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 González-Ramírez, Rojo-Cortés, Candia, Garay-Montecinos, Guzmán-Palma, Campusano and Oliva.)

We study the kinetics of eosinophils during the development of the cellular infiltrate surrounding the nurse cell of Trichinella spiralis ( T. spiralis ) in experimentally infected mice. Male CD1 mice were experimentally infected with 50 viable muscle larvae of the MSUS/MEX/91/CM-91 T. spiralis strain. Tongues and diaphragms were obtained daily from days 13 to 39 post infection. Diaphragms were compressed and subjected to Giemsa stain. Tongues were histologically sectioned and stained with erythrosine B or hematoxylin and eosin. The cellular infiltrate and the nurse cell-larva complex were detected by optical microscopy since day 16 post infection. The size of the larva increased exponentially during the course of the infection. The kinetics of eosinophils showed a multimodal trend, with a bimodal predominance. The maximum peaks were reached on days 21 and 27 post infection. The results of this study demonstrate that eosinophils occur abundantly in two transcendent moments of the T. spiralis life cycle: first, when the stage 1 larva invades the myocyte and second when the nurse cell-larva complex has been fully developed. These results help one to understand the immunobiology of T. spiralis , highlighting the importance of eosinophils in the survival of the larva in skeletal muscle. Further studies are needed to characterize the cell populations that comprise the cellular infiltrate during the development of the mother cell.

Neurogenesis is achieved through a sequence of steps that include specification and differentiation of progenitors into mature neurons. Frequently, precursors migrate to distinct positions before terminal differentiation. The Slit-Robo pathway, formed by the secreted ligand Slit and its membrane bound receptor Robo, was first discovered as a regulator of axonal growth. However, today, it is accepted that this pathway can regulate different cellular processes even outside the nervous system. Since most of the studies performed in the nervous system have been focused on axonal and dendritic growth, it is less clear how versatile is this signaling pathway in the developing nervous system. Here we describe the participation of the Slit-Robo pathway in the development of motion sensitive neurons of the Drosophila visual system. We show that Slit and Robo receptors are expressed in different stages during the neurogenesis of motion sensitive neurons. Furthermore, we find that Slit and Robo regulate multiple aspects of their development including neuronal precursor migration, cell segregation between neural stem cells and daughter cells and formation of their connectivity pattern. Specifically, loss of function of slit or robo receptors in differentiated motion sensitive neurons impairs dendritic targeting, while knocking down robo receptors in migratory progenitors or neural stem cells leads to structural defects in the adult optic lobe neuropil, caused by migration and cell segregation defects during larval development. Thus, our work reveals the co-option of the Slit-Robo signaling pathway in distinct developmental stages of a neural lineage., 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 © 2021 Guzmán-Palma, Contreras, Mora, Smith, González-Ramírez, Campusano, Sierralta, Hassan and Oliva.)

The development of multicellular organisms involves three main events: differentiation, growth, and morphogenesis. These processes need to be coordinated for a correct developmental program to work. Mechanisms of cell segregation and the formation of boundaries during development play essential roles in this coordination, allowing the generation and maintenance of distinct regions in an organism. These mechanisms are also at work in the nervous system. The process of regionalization involves first the patterning of the developing organism through gradients and the expression of transcription factors in specific regions. Once different tissues have been induced, segregation mechanisms may operate to avoid cell mixing between different compartments. Three mechanisms have been proposed to achieve segregation: (1) differential affinity, which mainly involves the expression of distinct pools of adhesion molecules such as members of the cadherin superfamily; (2) contact inhibition, which is largely mediated by Eph-ephrin signaling; and (3) cortical tension, which involves the actomyosin cytoskeleton. In many instances, these mechanisms collaborate in cell segregation. In the last three decades, there have been several advances in our understanding of how cell segregation and boundaries participate in the development of the nervous system. Interestingly, as in other aspects of development, the molecular players are remarkably similar between vertebrates and invertebrates. Here we summarize the main concepts of cell segregation and boundary formation, focusing on the nervous system and highlighting the similarities between vertebrate and invertebrate model organisms.

The health benefits attributed to probiotics generate interest in the search of competent strains adapted to several ecological niches, especially those related to traditional beverages and foods of each country. Pineapple tepache, a traditional Mexican fermented beverage, was used for the isolation of lactic acid bacteria with probiotic potential, one of which withstood the in vitro tests. The isolated strain AB-05, which exhibited the tested probiotic functional properties, was designated as Lactobacillus pentosus ABHEAU-05. The sequence was registered in GenBank under access code MK587617. This study is the first report of a lactic acid bacterium with in vitro digestion resistance isolated from pineapple tepache. The survival of L. pentosus ABHEAU-05 in a symbiotic medium was proven using fermented milk enriched with inulin. The in vitro digestion-resistant probiotic activity of lactobacilli was measured through analysis of pH and proteolysis. Results showed that L. pentosus grew properly in fermented milk; therefore, this microorganism could be used in the manufacture of this kind of products. The concentration of L. pentosus reached up to 8.5logCFU/ml after 40h of fermentation. In addition, the production of peptides and the decrease in pH indicated the vigorous and active metabolic state of the lactic acid bacterium tested. The activity and the concentration of this microorganism were maintained during refrigeration. The results of this research conclude that L. plantarum ABHEAU-05 is an in vitro digestion-resistant microorganism that can be used as a starter culture for the production of functional foods of dairy origin., (Copyright © 2019 Asociación Argentina de Microbiología. Publicado por Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.)

While the function of proteins and genes has been widely studied during vertebrate development, relatively little work has addressed the role of carbohydrates. Hyaluronan (HA), also known as hyaluronic acid, is an abundant carbohydrate in embryonic tissues and is the main structural component of the extracellular matrix of epithelial and mesenchymal cells. HA is able to absorb large quantities of water and can signal by binding to cell-surface receptors. During organ development and regeneration, HA has been shown to regulate cell proliferation, cell shape, and migration. Here, we have investigated the function of HA during molar tooth development in mice, in which, similar to humans, new molars sequentially bud off from a pre-existing molar. Using an ex vivo approach, we found that inhibiting HA synthesis in culture leads to a significant increase in proliferation and subsequent size of the developing molar, while the formation of sequential molars was inhibited. By cell shape analysis, we observed that inhibition of HA synthesis caused an elongation and reorientation of the major cell axes, indicating that disruption to cellular orientation and shape may underlie the observed phenotype. Lineage tracing demonstrated the retention of cells in the developing first molar (M1) at the expense of the generation of a second molar (M2). Our results highlight a novel role for HA in controlling proliferation, cell orientation, and migration in the developing tooth, impacting cellular decisions regarding tooth size and number., (Copyright © 2020 Sánchez, González-Ramírez, Contreras, Ubilla, Li, Valencia, Wilson, Green, Tucker and Gaete.)

The complexity of the nervous system requires the coordination of multiple cellular processes during development. Among them, we find boundary formation, axon guidance, cell migration and cell segregation. Understanding how different cell populations such as glial cells, developing neurons and neural stem cells contribute to the formation of boundaries and morphogenesis in the nervous system is a critical question in neurobiology. Slit is an evolutionary conserved protein essential for the development of the nervous system. For signaling, Slit has to bind to its cognate receptor Robo, a single-pass transmembrane protein. Although the Slit/Robo signaling pathway is well known for its involvement in axon guidance, it has also been associated to boundary formation in the Drosophila visual system. In the optic lobe, Slit is expressed in glial cells, positioned at the boundaries between developing neuropils, and in neurons of the medulla ganglia. Although it has been assumed that glial cells provide Slit to the system, the contribution of the neuronal expression has not been tested. Here, we show that, contrary to what was previously thought, Slit protein provided by medulla neurons is also required for boundary formation and morphogenesis of the optic lobe. Furthermore, tissue specific rescue using modified versions of Slit demonstrates that this protein acts at long range and does not require processing by extracellular proteases. Our data shed new light on our understanding of the cellular mechanisms involved in Slit function in the fly visual system morphogenesis., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Chagas disease and leishmaniasis are tropical neglected diseases caused by kinetoplastids protozoan parasites of Trypanosoma and Leishmania genera, and a public health burden with high morbidity and mortality rates in developing countries. Among difficulties with their epidemiological control, a major problem is their limited and toxic treatments to attend the affected populations; therefore, new therapies are needed in order to find new active molecules. In this work, sixteen Laurencia oxasqualenoid metabolites, natural compounds 1-11 and semisynthetic derivatives 12-16, were tested against Leishmania amazonensis, Leishmania donovani and Trypanosoma cruzi. The results obtained point out that eight substances possess potent activities, with IC 50 values in the range of 5.40-46.45 µM. The antikinetoplastid action mode of the main metabolite dehydrothyrsiferol (1) was developed, also supported by AFM images. The semi-synthetic active compound 28-iodosaiyacenol B (15) showed an IC 50 5.40 µM against Leishmania amazonensis, turned to be non-toxic against the murine macrophage cell line J774A.1 (CC 50  > 100). These values are comparable with the reference compound miltefosine IC 50 6.48 ± 0.24 and CC 50 72.19 ± 3.06 μM, suggesting that this substance could be scaffold for development of new antikinetoplastid drugs., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

A convenient, instrumentally simple, and efficient methodology to transform 1,2-dihydropyridines into benzoic esters is described. The generated multisubstituted benzoic esters feature different topologies spanning from simple aromatic rings to fused benzocycloalkane systems. As an extension of this methodology, these benzoic esters are efficiently transformed into an array of fluorenone frameworks featuring interesting and novel topological patterns.

Objective: The objective of this study is to determine the main causes of maternal mortality in the period 2009 to 2013 in Mexicali, Baja California, Mexico., Material and Methods: Epidemiological, observational, descriptive, cross-sectional, and retrospective study was conducted with a universe of 30 cases of maternal death. The information was collected from death certificates and records of cases obtained from the Institute of State Public Service Health of University Xochicalco., Results: The average age of patients were 26.6 ± 5.6 years. Educational level and marital status was with junior school 15 (50%) and free union 12 (40%) respectively, 21 (70%) had no prenatal care. The mean gestational age was 28.8 ± 3.72 weeks, there was no difference in the place of residence, urban and rural, 15(50%). The main cause of death was hemorrhage 9(30%). The highest mortality was during the postpartum period 23 (77%). During the study period, the mortality rate was 36.8 x 100,000 live births., Conclusions: The increased frequency of maternal mortality was in young women, 70% had no prenatal care. Bleeding from ectopic pregnancy was the leading cause of death.

A position statement on the diagnosis and treatment of thyroid dysfunction in pregnancy has been agreed on behalf of The Sociedad Andaluza de Endocrinología y Nutrición (SAEN), based on a review of the literature to date and all good clinical practice guidelines. The document is set out in different sections as regards the diagnosis and treatment of, overt and subclinical hypo- and hyperthyroidism, isolated hypothyroxinaemia and postpartum thyroiditis. It also justifies the implementation of universal screening for thyroid dysfunction in pregnancy, and provides practitioners who care for these patients with tool for rational decision making., (Copyright © 2014 Sociedad Española de Médicos de Atención Primaria (SEMERGEN). Publicado por Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.)

GH/STAT5 signaling is desensitized in the liver in adult transgenic mice overexpressing GH; however, these animals present greater body size. To assess whether the STAT5 pathway is active during the growth period in the liver in these animals, and how signaling modulators participate in this process, growing transgenic mice and normal siblings were evaluated. STAT5 does not respond to an acute GH-stimulus, but displays higher basal phosphorylation in the livers of growing GH-overexpressing mice. GH receptor and the positive modulators glucocorticoid receptor and HNF1 display greater abundance in transgenic animals, supporting the activity of STAT5. The negative modulators cytokine-induced suppressor and PTP1B are increased in GH-overexpressing mice. The suppressors SOCS2 and SOCS3 exhibit higher mRNA levels in transgenic mice but lower protein content, indicating that they are being actively degraded. Therefore, STAT5 signaling is increased in the liver in GH-transgenic mice during the growth period, with a balance between positive and negative effectors resulting in accelerated but controlled growth., (© 2015 Society for Endocrinology.)

Background: The perceived pain on injection site caused by subcutaneous (SC) self-injection may negatively affect acceptance and adherence to treatment in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS). Pain on injection may be caused by inaccurate injection technique, inadequate needle length adjustment, or repeated use of the same injection body area. However, information is lacking concerning the optimal needle depth to minimize the injection pain., Objective: The purpose of this program was to characterize the perceived injection-site pain associated with the use of various injection depths of the autoinjector of glatiramer acetate (GA) based on SC tissue thickness (SCT) of the injection site., Methods: This was a pilot program performed by MS-specialized nurses in patients with MS new to GA. Patients were trained by MS nurses on the preparation and administration of SC injection and on an eight-site rotation (left and right arms, thighs, abdomen, and upper quadrant of the buttock). The needle length setting was selected based on SCT measures as follows: 4 or 6 mm for SCT < 25 mm, 6 or 8 mm for SCT between 25 and 50 mm, and 8 or 10 mm for SCT > 50 mm. Injection pain was rated using a visual analog scale (VAS) at 5- and 40-minute postinjection and during two 24-day treatment periods., Results: Thirty-eight patients with MS were evaluated. The mean SCT ranged from 15.5 mm in the upper outer quadrant of the buttocks to 29.2 mm in the thighs. The mean perceived pain on injection was below 3 for all the injection sites, at both time points (5 and 40 minutes) and during both 24-day evaluation periods. The mean VAS scores were significantly greater after 5 minutes of injection compared with that reported 40-minute postinjection during both 24-day treatment periods and for all the injection areas. Mean VAS measures at 5- and 40-minute postinjection significantly decreased during the second 24-day treatment period with respect to that reported during the first 24 SC injections for all injection sites., Conclusions: Our findings suggest that the adjustment of injection depth of SC GA autoinjector according to SCT of body injection areas is suitable to maintain a low degree of postinjection pain. Moreover, our results also may indicate that the use of needle lengths of 6 mm or shorter is appropriate with regard to injection pain for adult patients with MS with SCT < 50 mm.

Objective: This work sought to comprehend the meaning professors from the Faculty of Nursing at Universidad de Antioquia (Colombia) assign to teaching and learning processes., Methodology: This was an educational qualitative, evaluative investigation, with ethnographic focus, conducted from 2011 to 2013. The information collection techniques were: semi-structured interview, discussion groups, y el documentary analysis. A total of 70 professors from the undergraduate Nursing program at Universidad de Antioquia participated in the study., Results: Teaching for professors means complexity, transmission of information and knowledge, cooperation with students, interaction, and transformation of reality. This does not merely depend on the vocation or on the will to carry it out; on the contrary, professors must have professional, disciplinary, and pedagogical formation. Learning for the professors means that students understood, comprehended, and were able to put the theory into practice. Also, students must commit to their own learning., Conclusion: The conceptions professors have of teaching and learning processes guide the meaning they assign to said processes and stem from their own experience, culture, professional and disciplinary formation. Assigning new meaning to teaching in nursing opens the possibility of reorienting the teaching practice.

The bacterial diversity and structure of Poro cheese, an artisanal food, was analysed by high-throughput sequencing (454 pyrosequencing) in order to gain insight about changes in bacterial communities associated with the cheese-making process. Dairy samples consisting of milk, fermented whey, curd and ripened cheese (during 7 and 60 d) were collected from three manufacturers located in the state of Tabasco, México during dry (March-June) and rainy (August-November) seasons. Independently of producer and season, raw milk samples displayed the highest diversity in bacterial communities. In raw milk, genera found were Macrococcus, Staphylococcus, Enterococcus, Streptococcus, Lactobacillus and Enhydrobacter. Diversity in whey, curd and cheese was lower, principally containing Streptococcus and Lactobacillus; however, bacteria such as Staphylococcus, Acinetobacter, Chryseobacterium, Bacillus, Sediminibacter, Lactococcus and Enterococcus were occasionally present. After curdling step, the most dominant and abundant species were Streptococcus thermophilus and Lactobacillus delbrueckii., (Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Background: The sick neonate is susceptible to uncontrolled hyperglycemia by several factors. Our objective was to determine the mortality-predictive role of hyperglycemia in critically ill neonates., Methods: A cohort study was conducted in neonates admitted during the first hour of life in the intensive care unit. Prenatal and perinatal variables were recorded including ventilatory management, comorbidities, arterial blood gas, blood chemistry and blood count. Serum glucose greater than or equal to 126 mg/dL and greater than or equal to 180 mg/dL was considered consistent with hyperglycemia in neonates born at term and preterm infants, respectively. The children were followed until discharge from the unit. Measures of central tendency and dispersion for quantitative variables and frequencies for qualitative variables were obtained, as well as Kaplan-Meier curves. Association test using the chi-square test for exposed and non-exposed groups and Cox regression analysis was performed and risk calculation was made using the hazard ratio., Results: Out of 146 patients, 16 died (10.7 %). Most common causes were respiratory distress syndrome, perinatal asphyxia, meconium aspiration and sepsis. Association was found between hyperglycemia and chest compression, metabolic acidemia, hyperlactatemia, mechanical ventilatory support, intraventricular hemorrhage and death., Conclusions: Hyperglycemia was an independent risk factor for the prediction of death, with a likelihood of death of 56.8 % when it was present.

Background: Hordeum chilense, a native South American diploid wild barley, is one of the species of the genus Hordeum with a high potential for cereal breeding purposes, given its high crossability with other members of the Triticeae tribe. Hexaploid tritordeum (×Tritordeum Ascherson et Graebner, 2n=6×=42, AABBH(ch)H(ch)) is the fertile amphiploid obtained after chromosome doubling of hybrids between Hordeum chilense and durum wheat. Approaches used in the improvement of this crop have included crosses with hexaploid wheat to promote D/H(ch) chromosome substitutions. While this approach has been successful as was the case with triticale, it has also complicated the genetic composition of the breeding materials. Until now tritordeum lines were analyzed based on molecular cytogenetic techniques and screening with a small set of DNA markers. However, the recent development of DArT markers in H. chilense offers new possibilities to screen large number of accessions more efficiently., Results: Here, we have applied DArT markers to genotype composition in forty-six accessions of hexaploid tritordeum originating from different stages of tritordeum breeding program and to H. chilense-wheat chromosome addition lines to allow their physical mapping. Diversity analyses were conducted including dendrogram construction, principal component analysis and structure inference. Euploid and substituted tritordeums were clearly discriminated independently of the method used. However, dendrogram and Structure analyses allowed the clearest discrimination among substituted tritordeums. The physically mapped markers allowed identifying these groups as substituted tritordeums carrying the following disomic substitutions (DS): DS1D (1H(ch)), DS2D (2H(ch)), DS5D (5H(ch)), DS6D (6H(ch)) and the double substitution DS2D (2H(ch)), DS5D (5H(ch)). These results were validated using chromosome specific EST and SSR markers and GISH analysis., Conclusion: In conclusion, DArT markers have proved to be very useful to detect chromosome substitutions in the tritordeum breeding program and thus they are expected to be equally useful to detect translocations both in the tritordeum breeding program and in the transference of H. chilense genetic material in wheat breeding programs.

Unlabelled: This article introduces the socio-demographic characteristics of psychosexual development and sexual crimes in men deprived of liberty for such crimes who are doing time in a Manizales prison (Colombia) in 2011. It also describes the differences between abusers of individuals under 12 years of age or who are 12 years old, and abusers of individuals over that age., Methodology: This is a descriptive, retrospective study performed by simple random sampling. It consisted of semi-structured interviews in which socio-demographic characteristics, psychosexual development, characteristics of crime, and prevalence of mental disorders were analyzed in a sample of 80 inmates convicted of sexual offenses at the Medium-security Pentientiary center in the city of Manizales. Univariate and bivariate analysis were performed using the χ(2) test and the logistic regression analysis with variables showing statistical significance in the bivariate analysis., Results: It was found that convicted sex offenders belong to lower socioeconomic levels, have low educational levels, and did not receive any sexual education. Such findings become more relevant when the crimes in questions are committed against 12-year-olders or children under this age., Conclusions: The lack of sexual education, low educational levels and lower socioeconomic levels are associated factors in the case of sexual offenses. It is important for society (particularly health-care institutions) to find additional measures for the criminalization of such behaviors in order to achieve a better control of the problem., (Copyright © 2013 Asociación Colombiana de Psiquiatría. Publicado por Elsevier España. All rights reserved.)

Introduction: Dental pulp stem cells (DPSCs) are adult mesenchymal stem cells that have the ability to differentiate into osteoblasts, a fact that is very interesting in the context of tissue engineering. Our purpose was to isolate and characterize DPSCs and to compare the differentiation potential of 3 different osteogenic media., Patients and Methods: Human dental pulp extracted from healthy young adults was placed in flasks with a mesenchymal expansion medium. At passage 4 DPSCs were analyzed for cell-cycle stage, proliferation, viability, and immunophenotype. DPSCs were grown in 3 different osteogenic media for 40 days. Flasks were incubated at 37 °C in 5% CO2, and the medium was changed twice a week. At day 40, the mineralization of the matrix was determined with Alizarin Red S dye., Results: After osteogenic induction, DPSCs developed mineralization nodules (clusters), as revealed by Alizarin Red staining. This staining was stronger in the Osteodiff (Miltenyi) medium when compared to the other osteogenic media., Conclusions: This study demonstrates the ability of DPSC to differentiate into osteoblasts, especially in the presence of Osteodiff (Miltenyi). DPSCs are therefore a good candidate model for the study of hard-tissue mineralization.

Gasometry is the measurement of dissolved gases in the blood, by measuring pH, carbon dioxide pressure (pCO(2)), serum bicarbonate (HCO(3-)), and lactate and serum electrolytes: sodium, potassium and chlorine you can make a diagnosis, etiology and treatment in the critically ill patient. The aim is to provide five steps for the interpretation of blood gases by: 1. The definition of acidemia or acidosis, or alkalemia or alkalosis. 2. Defining the metabolic component or respiratory. 3. To determine the anion gap; levels above 15 ± 2 determine other likely causes of excess anions (methanol, uremia, diabetic ketoacidosis, paraldehyde, ionized, lactic acidosis, ethylene glycol and salicylates. 4. Compensation, using the Winter formula. 5. The delta gap, with the formula for determining intrinsic and metabolic alkalosis. When anion gap is normal, is calculated urinary anion gap; the value is negative if the loss is extrarenal, contrary to the positive result is renal etiology.

Diversity arrays technology (DArT) genomic libraries were developed from H. chilense accessions to support robust genotyping of this species and a novel crop comprising H. chilense genome (e.g., tritordeums). Over 11,000 DArT clones were obtained using two complexity reduction methods. A subset of 2,209 DArT markers was identified on the arrays containing these clones as polymorphic between parents and segregating in a population of 92 recombinant inbred lines (RIL) developed from the cross between H. chilense accessions H1 and H7. Using the segregation data a high-density map of 1,503 cM was constructed with average inter-bin density of 2.33 cM. A subset of DArT markers was also mapped physically using a set of wheat-H. chilense chromosome addition lines. It allowed the unambiguous assignment of linkage groups to chromosomes. Four segregation distortion regions (SDRs) were found on the chromosomes 2H(ch), 3H(ch) and 5H(ch) in agreement with previous findings in barley. The new map improves the genome coverage of previous H. chilense maps. H. chilense-derived DArT markers will enable further genetic studies in ongoing projects on hybrid wheat, seed carotenoid content improvement or tritordeum breeding program. Besides, the genetic map reported here will be very useful as the basis to develop comparative genomics studies with barley and model species.

Regeneration of tissues occurs naturally due to the existence of stem cells with the capacity to self-regenerate and differentiate; however, regenerative capacity decreases with age, and in many cases, regeneration is not sufficient to repair the damage produced by degenerative, ischaemic, inflammatory, or tumour-based diseases. In the last decade, advances have been made in the understanding of stem cells, the genes that control the alternative fates of quiescence and differentiation, and the niches that provide specific signals that modulate cell fate decisions. Embryonic stem-cell research is shedding light on the secrets of development. Adult stem cells (AS cells) are available from several sources. Bone marrow and connective tissue have been used in preliminary clinical trials for regenerative therapy. Recently, several types of AS cells have been isolated from teeth, including dental pulp stem cells, stem cells from human exfoliated deciduous teeth, periodontal ligament stem cells, dental follicle progenitor stem cells and stem cells from apical papilla. Preliminary data suggest that these cells have the capacity to differentiate into osteoblasts, adipocytes, chondrocytes and neural cells. If confirmed, these data would support the use of these cells, which are easily obtained from extracted teeth, in dental therapies, including in regenerative endodontics, providing a new therapeutic modality., (© 2011 International Endodontic Journal.)

A new CMS system designated as 'msH1' has been reported in bread wheat using the cytoplasm of H. chilense. While testing this system in different wheat backgrounds, a highly fertile line with chromosome number 42 plus an extra acrocentric chromosome was obtained. The extra chromosome did not pair with any wheat chromosome at meiosis, and progeny from this line which lack the acrocentric chromosome showed pollen abortion and male sterility. In order to establish the origin of this chromosome, FISH using H. chilense genomic DNA as probe was used and showed that it had originated from H. chilense chromosome(s). The novel chromosome did not possess sequences similar to wheat rDNA; however, the probe pSc119.2 from S. cereale containing the 120 bp family was found to occur at the end of its long arm. Data obtained from FISH and EST molecular markers confirm that the long arm of the acrocentric chromosome is indeed, the short arm of chromosome 1H(ch) from H. chilense. We suggest that the novel chromosome originated from a deletion of the distal part of the long arm of chromosome 1H(ch). Neither the 1H(ch)S short arm, nor the whole chromosome 1H(ch) restores pollen fertility of the alloplasmic wheat. Therefore, the restorer gene on the acrocentric chromosome must be located on the retained segment from the hypothetical 1H(ch)L, while some pollen fertility inhibitor could be present on the deleted 1H(ch)L distal segment. Disomic addition of the acrocentric chromosome was obtained and this line resulted fully stable and fertile.

Background: Orofacial clefts are common and have a great medical and social importance. The Latin American Study of Congenital Malformations (ECLAMC), has maintained an epidemiological surveillance of congenital malformations since 1969, allowing the evaluation of trends in the prevalence of malformations., Aim: To evaluate the evolution curve of prevalence rates of orofacial clefts from 1971 to 2008., Material and Methods: All cases of orofacial clefts, occurring in newborns from the maternity of a university hospital from January 2000 to December 2008, were recorded as part of the ECLAMC. Historical information about the rates of the malformation between 1971 and 1999, was obtained from previous manuscripts of the authors., Results: In the study period, 15,635 children were born and 46 had cleft lip-palate (3). This rate is significantly higher than those observed previously, that fluctuated between 1.5 and 1.7. The prevalence rates of cleft lip remained stable from 1971 to 1999 and suffered a brisk and significant rise in the period 2000-2008 When the period is analyzed year by year, the increase in rates is observed in the last two years. The rates of cleft palate suffered a slight non significant rise until 2000., Conclusions: The increased rates of cleft lip palate observed in the last two years of the observation period may be a random result and should be monitored in the future.

Background: In 3 to 8% of pregnancies there are preeclampsia, and it is considered an irreversible disease that affects several organs, and causes injuries in fetus and mother alike., Objective: To identify maternal risk factors related to low birth weight in preterm newborns born at Hospital de Ginecología-Pediatría con Medicina Familiar no. 31 from IMSS, at Mexicali, BC, Mexico., Patients and Method: Case-control study (1:2 ratio) made in 114 prematures (38 cases and 76 controls) who were evaluated for socioeconomic and biological maternal risk factors influencing low birth weight in preterm newborns. Odds ratio and confidence intervals of 95% were used to calculate epidemiologic correlation, and logistic regression to specific importance of risks., Results: Preeclampsia persists as a risk factor for low birth weight: OR 3.16 (95% CI 3.15-8.40, p = 0.00). In logistic regression meaningful variables were: preeclampsia 5.27 (95% CI 1.45-19.14, p = 0.01), and in premature newborn: thrombocytopenia 6.0 (95% CI 1.2-11.2, p = 0.00), and neonatal sepsis 4.31 (95% CI 1.73-10.70, p = 0.00)., Conclusions: Preeclampsia was the major risk factor related to low birth weight and was associated with thrombocytopenia in preterm newborn. Neonatal sepsis is secondary to low birth weight. We need to observe and obey prenatal care of pregnant women in our hospital to reduce negative impact of low birth weight in preterm newborns.

ArcA is a global regulator that switches on the expression of fermentation genes and represses the aerobic pathways when Escherichia coli enters low oxygen growth conditions. The metabolic profile of E. coli CT1062 (DeltaarcA)and CT1061 (arcA2) grown in microaerobiosis with glycerol as carbon source were determined and compared with E. coli K1060, the arcA+ parent strain. Both arcA mutants achieved higher biomass yields than the wild-type strain. The production of acetate, formate, lactate, pyruvate, succinate and ethanol were determined in the supernatants of cultures grown on glycerol under microaerobic conditions for 48 h. The yield of extracellular metabolites on glycerol showed lower acid and higher ethanol values for the mutants. The ethanol/acetate ratio was 0.87 for the parent strain, 2.01 for CT1062, and 12.51 for CT1061. Accordingly, the NADH/NAD+ ratios were 0.18, 0.63, and 0.97, respectively. The extracellular succinate yield followed a different pattern, with yield values of 0.164 for K1060, 0.442 for CT1062 and 0.214 for CT1061. The dissimilarities observed can be attributed to the different effects exerted by the deletion and point mutations in a global regulator., ((c) 2008 S. Karger AG, Basel)

Tritordeums (Tritordeum Ascherson et Graebner) are the amphiploids derived from the crosses between Hordeum chilense and durum or bread wheats. Primary tritordeums are obtained using H. chilense as female parent and therefore they exhibit H. chilense cytoplasm. The effect of wheat cytoplasm on agronomic performance of tritordeums was investigated. We developed four pairs of reciprocal F1 lines only differing in their cytoplasm, donated from wheat or H. chilense alternatively. The agronomic performance of reciprocal F1 lines contrasting for their cytoplasm was evaluated. The following traits were assessed: leave and tillers number one month after sowing, plant height, anthesis date, total number of ears, number of spikelets per spike, fertility of the main spike, length and wide of the flag leaf in the main stem and thousand kernel weight. Reciprocal F1 lines did not differ for any of the agronomic traits evaluated with the exception of anthesis date in the pair THC1726/HTC1727. Therefore, both wheat and H. chilense cytoplasms can be used in tritordeum breeding.

The uses of hexaploid tritordeum as a crop for human consumption require improvement of its bread-making quality. For this purpose chromosome 1D of bread wheat with the Glu-D1 allele encoding for high-molecular-weight glutenin subunits Dx5+Dy10 was introgressed into tritordeum. Different primary tritordeums were crossed with wheats carrying subunits Dx5+Dy10. The hybrids were backcrossed to tritordeum and seeds for the next backcross (or selfing) were selected for the presence of chromosome 1D using SDS-PAGE. Forty two chromosome plants carrying subunits Dx5+Dy10 were obtained after two backcrosses and selfing. Chromosome characterization of these plants using fluorescence in situ hybridisation (FISH) proved that either chromosome substitution 1H(ch)/1D or 1A/1D had been obtained. A homozygous plant with a translocation of the entire 1DL arm to 1H(ch)S was also obtained. The complete chromosome substitution lines have better agronomic characteristics than the lines with translocations.