Calidad microbiológica, satisfacción laboral y de clientes en una empresa fast food, Arequipa / Microbiological quality, job and customer satisfaction in a fast food company, Arequipa

"Fast food" es un fenómeno económico que crece con ritmo acelerado en el mercado peruano, estos deben contar con alimentos seguros de ingesta y personal satisfecho que dé cumplimiento a las normativas higiénicas. Como objetivo, se propuso determinar la calidad microbiológica y satisfacción laboral en una empresa fast food, Arequipa, 2022, cuya muestra fue de 384 trabajadores distribuidos en 11 franquicia. Para la recolección de datos se realizaron tres actividades, 1) la aplicación de un cuestionario de 21 ítems la percepción de los trabajadores sobre las buenas prácticas y el cuidado de los alimentos, 3) la valoración microbiológica de las materias primas que ingresan a la empresa y 3) la valoración de la percepción de los trabajadores de la calidad y la satisfacción laboral. El análisis de datos se hizo mediante estadística descriptiva a través del paquete estadístico SPSS con aplicación de Kolmogorov-Smirnov y Rho de Spearman para la correlacion entre la calidad y la satisfacción laboral. Como resultado, 81,51% en el aseo personal, 79,69% aseo diario, 78,91% prohibición de hábitos nocivos, 77,34% uso del uniforme y EPP y 50,78% limpieza de las manos, catalogándose como "muy buenas", el análisis microbiológico se encontró 35 UFC/ml de coliformes fecales y 31 UFC/ml de coliformes totales con 4 UFC/ml exarcebado en el agua. La satisfacción laboral fue "bueno" en la totalidad de las variables, las pruebas de normalidad fueron menor a <0,05, con un Rho de Spearman de 0,611, aceptándose la hipótesis alterna y rechazando la nula(AU)

"Fast food" is an economic phenomenon that is growing rapidly in the Peruvian market, these must have safe food to eat and satisfied staff that comply with hygienic regulations. As an objective, it was proposed to determine the microbiological quality and job satisfaction in a fast food company, Arequipa, 2022, whose sample was 384 workers distributed in 11 franchises. For the data collection, three activities were carried out, 1) the application of a 21-item questionnaire, the perception of workers about good practices and food care, 3) the microbiological evaluation of the raw materials that enter the company. and 3) the assessment of workers' perception of quality and job satisfaction. Data analysis was done using descriptive statistics through the SPSS statistical package with the application of Kolmogorov-Smirnov and Spearman's Rho for the correlation between quality and job satisfaction. As a result, 81.51% in personal hygiene, 79.69% daily hygiene, 78.91% prohibition of harmful habits, 77.34% use of uniform and PPE and 50.78% hand cleaning, being classified as " very good", the microbiological analysis found 35 CFU/ml of fecal coliforms and 31 CFU/ml of total coliforms with 4 CFU/ml exacerbated in the water. Job satisfaction was "good" in all the variables, the normality tests were less than <0.05, with a Spearman's Rho of 0.611, accepting the alternate hypothesis and rejecting the null(AU)

Amiloidosis asociada a hemodiálisis: revisión de sus aspectos etiopatogénicos / Hemodialysis-Associated Amyloidosis: Review of its ethiopathogenic aspects

Resumen La amiloidosis constituye una complicación importante en los pacientes con enfermedad renal crónica que son sometidos a hemodiálisis durante extensos períodos de tiempo. Al igual que en otras amiloidosis sistémicas, en la amiloidosis asociada a hemodiálisis intervienen diferentes sustancias, algunas de ellas de carácter fibrilar, como la βeta-2-microglobulina, la cual representa una de las proteínas de mayor relevancia dada su implicación etiopatogénica. A pesar de que las técnicas de hemodiálisis han sido mejoradas con el paso de los años, dicha entidad continúa siendo una complicación relativamente frecuente; tal es que se puede presentar hasta en el 80 % de los pacientes con hemodiálisis prolongadas. Por lo tanto, se hizo imprescindible realizar una revisión narrativa partiendo de la literatura científica disponible en las diferentes bases de datos, con el objetivo de contribuir a mejorar y actualizar el conocimiento del médico en dicho tópico; al abarcar desde los aspectos generales y su fisiopatología, hasta su presentación clínica, diagnóstico y tratamiento.

Abstract Amyloidosis is a major complication in patients with chronic kidney disease who undergo hemodialysis for long periods of time. As in other systemic amyloidosis, different substances are involved in amyloidosis associated with different substances, some of them fibrillar in nature, such as βeta-2-microglobulin, which represents one of the most relevant proteins given its etiopathogenic involvement. Despite the fact that hemodialysis techniques have been improved over the years, this entity continues to be a frequent complication; such is that it can occur in up to 80% of patients with prolonged hemodialysis. Therefore, it was essential to carry out a narrative review based on the scientific literature available in the different databases with the aim of contributing to improve and update the doctor's knowledge on this topic; ranging from the general aspects and its pathophysiology, to its clinical presentation, diagnosis, and treatment.

Detección de ooquistes de Cryptosporidium parvum (Apicomplexa: Cryptosporidiidae) en ejemplares de cholga Aulacomya ater, extraídas desde la costa de la Región del Bío Bío, Chile / Detection of Cryptosporidium parvum (Apicomplexan: Cryptosporidiidae) oocyst in Aulacomya ater specimen, extracted from to the coast Bio Bio Region, Chile

Resumen Introducción: El bivalvo Aulacomya ater (cholga), es uno de los moluscos de mayor consumo en la población chilena. Sin embargo, existe evidencia de contaminación fecal hídrica provocada por los cauces que llegan al mar, aumentando la probabilidad de contaminación por Cryptosporidium parvum, el que genera criptosporidiosis en el ser humano. Objetivo: Determinar la presencia de C. parvum en cholgas extraídas desde la Región del Bío Bío (Chile). Material y Métodos: Se seleccionaron 55 cholgas provenientes de un centro de cultivo y de un banco natural de extracción. Estas muestras, fueron procesadas en el laboratorio y se evaluó la presencia de elementos ácido-alcohol resistentes. Las muestras positivas, se analizaron por inmunofluorescencia directa, con anticuerpo específicos contra C. parvum. Resultados: 16,4% del total de las muestras tenían ooquistes de C. parvum. Conclusiones: Por primera vez se describe C. parvum en A. ater provenientes de las costas chilenas, siendo este molusco un posible vehículo de transmisión de criptosporidiosis a la población y a sus animales depredadores. Además, la presencia de C. parvum refleja la contaminación fecal hídrica en las costas evaluadas. Actualmente estamos monitoreando otras zonas de extracción de este molusco.

Abstract Background: The bivalve Aulacomya ater (cholga), is one of the most consumed mollusks by the population. However, there is evidence of fecal water contamination caused by causes that affect the sea, increasing the probability of contamination by the Cryptosporidium parvum, which generates cryptosporidiosis in people. Aim: To determine the presence of C. parvum in cholga extracted from the Bio Bio Region (Chile). Methods: Fifty-five cholgas were selected from a cultivation center and a natural extraction bank. These samples were processed in the laboratory and the presence of acid-alcohol resistant elements was evaluated. Positive samples were analyzed by direct immunofluorescence with anti-C. parvum antibody. Results: 16.4% of the total samples were affected by the oocysts of C.parvum. Conclusions: For the first time we described C. parvum in A. ater from the Chilean coast, being this mollusk a possible vehicle for transmission of cryptosporidiosis to the population and their predatory animals. Furthermore, the presence of C. parvum reflects fecal water contamination on the evaluated coasts. We are currently monitoring other extraction areas for this mollusk.

The Role of Class III PI3K/Beclin-1 Autophagy Pathway in Up-Regulation of ETA Receptor in Mesenteric Artery of Mice by mmLDL / 中国药学杂志

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of minimally modified low-density lipoprotein (mmLDL) on ETA receptor of mesenteric artery (endothelin type A receptors, ETA) in mice for the first time and whether autophagy is involved in this process. METHODS: Mice were injected mmLDL in the tail vein and intraperitoneally with Class III PI3K autophagy pathway inhibitor 6-amino-3-methylpurine (3-MA) to explore the role of autophagy in mmLDL treated mice. The changes of vasoconstriction curve of mesenteric artery induced by ET-1 (endothelin 1) in mice were observed by a sensitive myograph system. ETA receptor was detected by RT-PCR quantitative mRNA and Western blot. The protein levels of Class III PI3K, Beclin-1, LC3-Ⅱ/, p62 and p-NF-κB, NF-κB were detected by Western blot. RESULTS: The contractility curve of ET-1 induced by mmLDL was significantly enhanced, showing that the Emax value increased from the nomal saline (NS) group (184.87±7.46)% to (319.91±20.31)% (P < 0.001), the pEC50 increased from NS group (8.05±0.05) to (9.11±0.09) (P<0.01). mmLDL up-regulated Class III PI3K,beclin-1,LC3-Ⅱ/ and down-regulated p62 protein level, at the same time, it also caused the ETA receptor mRNA level, protein expression increased significantly, up-regulated the protein level of p-NF-κB; intraperitoneal injection of 3-MA inhibits these effects of mmLDL. CONCLUSION: mmLDL can activate autophagy and down-stream NF-κB pathway through Class III PI3K/Beclin-1 pathway to up-regulate ETA receptor.

Ventilator associated pneumonia: incidence and risk factors in a tertiary care hospital

Background: The objective of this study is to find the occurrence and contributing risk factor of ventilator associated pneumonia (VAP) in 2 months-5 years age group.Methods: This was a prospective, observational, hospital-based study carried out in a tertiary care setting hospital. All patients between 2 months-5 years age admitted in the ICU who had undergone MV were included in the study. Inclusion criteria includes patients who developed pneumonia after the 48 hours of mechanical ventilation and those patients were excluded who developed pneumonia within 48 hours of mechanical ventilation and having respiratory system findings /involvement prior to the MV. After recruiting patients baseline clinical characteristics (age, sex, diagnosis, duration of MV) were taken, monitored and diagnosed VAP using CDC guidelines until they were discharged or deceased. The parameters such as fever, oxygenation, leucocytosis, other risk factors. chest X-ray and ETA>105CFU/ML or microscopy (grain stain>l bacteria/>10 polymorphonuclear cells) were collected every 48 hours.Results: This study was done in 133 patients while 42 patients (31.58%) developed VAP during their ICU stay. Early onset VAP occurred in 34 (80.9%) while late onset VAP was observed in the remaining 8 (19.1%) patients. In ETA culture CFU>105 Klebsiella (38%) was the predominant isolate followed by Pseudomonas (23%), Acinetobacter (17%), Staphylococcus (13%) and Citrobacter (10%) are offending organism responsible for VAP in MV patient in present study. On analysis (univariate) reintubation, altered sensorium at intubation and use of antacid are found significantly associated risk factors with the development of VAP.' Multivariate analysis revealed that reintubation was an important risk factor for the development of the VAP.Conclusions: The various risk factors can be minimized for better outcome of patients undergoing mechanical ventilation. Risk factors such as reintubation, altered sensorium at intubation and use of antacid are associated with VAP and also the physician treating must have knowledge and awareness about prevention of these risk factor to improve the outcome of patients.

Aplicação de técnicas de redes neurais e modelagem atmosférica para elaboração de previsões de vazão na Bacia do Rio Grande (MG) / Application of neural networks techniques and atmospheric modeling to elaborate inflow forecasts in the Rio Grande Basin (MG), Brazil

RESUMO Neste estudo foi proposta a elaboração de um modelo de previsão de vazões no horizonte de dez dias para a Usina Hidrelétrica de Furnas, localizada na Bacia do Rio Grande, Minas Gerais, a partir da aplicação de redes neurais artificiais (RNA), informações de vazão natural e precipitação observada e prevista. O modelo foi desenvolvido utilizando o software Matlab(r) Neural Network Toolbox. Escolheu-se uma rede neural do tipo perceptron multicamadas (MLP), treinada com algoritmo supervisionado de retropropagação Levenberg-Marquardt. As previsões de precipitação foram obtidas a partir do modelo ETA/Centro de Previsão do Tempo e Estudos Climáticos (CPTEC), e utilizadas com e sem tratamento matemático. Foram realizados três experimentos, dividindo-se o histórico de dados em três períodos, sendo o primeiro para a calibração do modelo, o segundo para a validação e o terceiro para os testes. Em cada experimento foi variado o conjunto de dados de entrada, sendo utilizada, no primeiro experimento, somente a vazão passada para prever os dez dias de vazão futura. No segundo foi adicionada a precipitação observada e, no terceiro, a previsão de precipitação. Os resultados da modelagem chuva-vazão obtidos com a previsão de precipitaçãodo modelo ETA não apresentaram melhorias estatísticas em comparação com os experimentos que só utilizaram informações passadas. No entanto, quando se utilizou a previsão de precipitação corrigida matematicamente, observou-se uma melhora sensível tanto nos índices estatísticos quanto na representação da previsão simulada no hidrograma, ficando o desempenho da modelagem proposta neste estudo semelhante à encontrada em modelos conceituais do tipo chuva-vazão.

ABSTRACT The purpose of this study was to elaborate a ten-year runoff forecast model for the Furnas hydroelectric plant. The facility is located in the Rio Grande Basin in the state of Minas Gerais, Brazil. Artificial neural networks were used to determine natural flow as well as observed and predicted precipitation. The model was created using the Matlab(r) Neural Network Toolbox software, and the multi-layers perceptron (MLP) was trained with supervised learning algorithm Levenberg-Marquardt. Precipitation forecasts derived from ETA/Centro de Previsão do Tempo e Estudos Climáticos (CPTEC) model, and both raw and mathematical adjusted data were used. Historical data was separated in three different periods in order to calibrate, validate and test the model. The first share was used for calibration, the second portion was used for validation and the third one to test the model. In each experiment the input data was modified; thus, in the first experiment, to forecast the ten day runoff, only the past runoff data was considered. In the second experiment, observed precipitation was added; and in the third one, the forecast precipitation was added. The rainfall-runoff modeling results did not show any significant improvement in the statistics when ETA input data is compared with the experiments that only used past information as input. Nevertheless, when forecast precipitation was used with mathematical adjustment, a mild improvement was shown for the statistics index and for the forecast hydrogram simulation. As a result, the modeling performance proposed in this study is similar to that found in conceptual models of rainfall-runoff type.

Patógenos asociados a enfermedades transmitidas por alimentos en restaurantes escolares de Colombia / Pathogens associated with foodborne diseases in school restaurants in Colombia

RESUMEN El objetivo general del presente estudio fue determinar la presencia de Salmonella spp, Escherichia coli O157, Staphylococcus aureus y Listeria monocytogenes en alimentos preparados listos para el consumo como pollo, arroz y ensaladas en restaurantes escolares de 7 departamentos de Colombia. El estudio fue descriptivo y transversal. Se realizaron encuestas en donde se preguntaron temas relacionados con condiciones higiénico-sanitarias y listas de chequeo en el cual se evaluaron temas de infraestructura y uso de elementos protección personal durante la manipulación de alimentos. La selección de la muestra se llevó a cabo por medio de un diseño probabilístico bietápico, con un nivel de confianza del 95%, para la recolección de información se utilizó el programa de captura CSPro y para estimar asociaciones se usó paquetes estadístico Stata 12. Resultados: Se visitaron 7 departamentos, 72 municipios, 332 restaurantes y se recolectaron 497 muestras. El 61% de las muestras correspondió a arroz, ensalada 23% y pollo 16%. El microorganismo más frecuentemente encontrado fue Listeria monocytogenes 1,6%, Salmonella spp 0,6% y Staphylococcus aureus 0,4%. No hubo presencia de E. coli O157H7. Conclusiones: Se detectó la presencia de microorganismos patógenos en los restaurantes escolares.

ABSTRACT The overall objective of the present study was to determine the presence of Salmonella spp, Escherichia coli O157, Staphylococcus aureus and Listeria monocytogenes in prepared ready-to-eat foods such as chicken, rice and salads in school restaurants in 7 departments of Colombia. The study was descriptive and cross-sectional. Surveys included questions related to hygienic-sanitary conditions and checklists that evaluated infrastructure issues and the use of personal protection elements during food handling. The selection of the sample was carried out using a two-stage probabilistic design with a 95% confidence level. The CSPro capture program was used for information collection and Stata 12 statistical package was used to estimate associations. Results: Seven departments, 72 municipalities, and 332 restaurants were visited and 497 samples were collected. Sixty-one percent of the samples corresponded to rice, 23% salad and 16% chicken. The most frequently found microorganism was Listeria monocytogenes 1.6%, Salmonella spp 0.6% and Staphylococcus aureus 0.4%. There was no presence of E. coli O157H7. Conclusions: The presence of pathogenic microorganisms was detected in school restaurants.

Prediction of ETA oligopeptides antagonists from Glycine max based on in silico proteolysis / 中国中药杂志

Oligopeptides are one of the the key pharmaceutical effective constituents of traditional Chinese medicine(TCM). Systematic study on composition and efficacy of TCM oligopeptides is essential for the analysis of material basis and mechanism of TCM. In this study, the potential anti-hypertensive oligopeptides from Glycine max and their endothelin receptor A (ETA) antagonistic activity were discovered and predicted based on in silico technologies.Main protein sequences of G. max were collected and oligopeptides were obtained using in silico gastrointestinal tract proteolysis. Then, the pharmacophore of ETA antagonistic peptides was constructed and included one hydrophobic feature, one ionizable negative feature, one ring aromatic feature and five excluded volumes. Meanwhile, three-dimensional structure of ETA was developed by homology modeling methods for further docking studies. According to docking analysis and consensus score, the key amino acid of GLN165 was identified for ETA antagonistic activity. And 27 oligopeptides from G. max were predicted as the potential ETA antagonists by pharmacophore and docking studies.In silico proteolysis could be used to analyze the protein sequences from TCM. According to combination of in silico proteolysis and molecular simulation, the biological activities of oligopeptides could be predicted rapidly based on the known TCM protein sequence. It might provide the methodology basis for rapidly and efficiently implementing the mechanism analysis of TCM oligopeptides.

Meta-Analysis on the relationship between children,s high iodine goiter and excessive iodine / 重庆医学

Objective To comprehensively evaluate the relationship between children's high iodine goiter and excessive iodine . Methods A computerized literature search was carried out to collect articles published before 2014 in electronic databases CBM , WabFang ,VIP ,CNKI ,PubMed ,EMbase ,Ovid and Cochrane Library .The study type was randomized controlled trial or quasi‐ran‐domized control trial .Literature was analyzed by RevMan5 .0 software ,then calculated and combine RR and 95% CI .Publication bi‐as of Meta analysis was evaluated by Begg's test ,Egger's test and Macaskill's test .The result stability of Meta analysis was tested by sensibility analysis .Results A total of 10 controlled before and after studies were included in our meta‐analysis .The result showed that the iodine content of 150 -300 μg/L (RR:1 .54 ;95% CI:1 .14 -2 .07);301 -600 μg/L (RR:2 .33;95% CI:1 .43 -3 .82);601-900 μg/L (RR:2 .72 :95% CI:1 .01-7 .33) and greater than 900μg/L (RR:2 .41 ;95% CI:1 .38-4 .23) would result in chil‐dren goiter .Conclusion Iodine content greater than 150 μg/L would result in children goiter .

A Systematic Review of the Therapeutic Effects of Intact Canal Wall Mastoidectomy and Open Mastoidectomy for Cholesteatoma Otitis Media / 听力学及言语疾病杂志

Objective To carry out a meta-analysis on the published data to evaluate therapeutic effects of intact canal wall mastoidectomy and open mastoidectomy for cholesteatoma otitis media .Methods A comprehensive search was performed in VIP (1989-2015) ,WANFANG (1999-2015) ,CNKI (1994-2015) and CAJD databases to collect the randomized controlled trials (RCTs) on the intact canal wall mastoidectomy and open mastoidectomy treat cholesteatoma otitis media ,and to analyze the RCTs in meta -analysis method .Results 1 069 patients were analyzed in the 18 RCTs which met the inclusion criteria .Patients were followed up from 3 months to 7 years .The meta-analysis results suggested that ,compared with the open mastoidectomy group ,the patients had less operative time (test for overall effect :Z=15 .54 ,MD= -18 .36 ,95% CI(-24 .54 ,-12 .18) , P10 dB (test for overall effect:Z=2 .83 ,OR=2 .47 ,95% CI(1 .32 , 4 .61) ,P=0 .005) ,more patients with air-bone gaps <20 dB(Z=3 .05 ,OR=1 .60 ,95% CI(1 .18 ,2 .17) ,P=0 .002) ,but the recurrent rate is not different significantly (test for overall effect :Z= 1 .92 ,OR =1 .87 ,95% CI (0 .99 ,3 .53) ,P=0 .05) .Conclusion The illness is suitable to be treated by using the two surgical ways while the intact canal wall mastoidectomy treatment takes less operative time ,dry ear time and complications ,and improve hearing more significantly than the open mastoidectomy ,but the recurrent rate is not different significantly for trea‐ting cholesteatoma otitis media .

Emotional responses and attitudes to the peace talks with ETA / Respuestas emocionales y actitudes hacia las conversaciones de paz con ETA

In this study, two questions are analyzed: (1) what the emotions provoked by the Spanish government's declaration of its intention to negotiate a peace process with the terrorist group ETA are; (2) how these emotions relate to different attitudes to this negotiation. A questionnaire was applied to a sample of 263 university students. A confirmatory factor analysis was conducted to verify how emotions were organized and an ANOVA was subsequently conducted to analyze the relationship between emotions and attitudes to negotiation. With respect to the first question, the emotions which are linked to the negotiation process are classified in a three factor model (enthusiasm, anger and anxiety), and with respect to the second, it became clear that the emotion of anger is associated with subjects who are against negotiation. At the same time, enthusiasm and anxiety were associated with different attitudes to negotiation, support and rejection respectively; however, both these emotions were also found to be present among those who wanted the different political parties to reach an agreement and face the process of negotiation with a common policy.

En este estudio se analizan dos cuestiones: (1) cuáles son las emociones provocadas por la declaración del gobierno español ante su intención de negociar un proceso de paz con el grupo terrorista ETA; (2) cómo dichas emociones se relacionan con distintas actitudes hacia esa negociación. Se aplicó un cuestionario a una muestra de 263 estudiantes universitarios. Se realizó un análisis factorial confirmatorio con el fin de verificar cómo se organizaban las emociones y posteriormente se hizo un ANOVA para analizar la relación entre las emociones y las actitudes hacia la negociación. Con respecto a la primera cuestión, las emociones que se vinculan al proceso de negociación se clasifican dentro de un modelo con tres factores (entusiasmo, ira y ansiedad), y con respecto a la segunda, se observó que la emoción de ira está asociada a las personas que están en contra de la negociación. Al mismo tiempo, el entusiasmo y la ansiedad se asociaron con distintas actitudes respecto a la negociación, de apoyo y de rechazo, respectivamente; sin embargo, también se encontró que ambas emociones estaban presentes en las personas que querían que los distintos partidos políticos alcanzaran un acuerdo e hicieran frente al proceso de negociación con una política común.

Emotions, ideology and collective political action / Emociones, ideología y acción política colectiva

Después de superado el prejuicio que equiparaba emoción con irracionalidad, las teorías de la acción colectiva empiezan a incorporar las variables emocionales. Sin embargo, las emociones a las que aluden se limitan a las negativas y, fundamentalmente, a la ira. Esto obedece a que la acción colectiva se asocia exclusivamente con la protesta. Pero las acciones colectivas también pueden ser proactivas. Por este motivo, en esta investigación nos propusimos un doble objetivo: a) analizar la organización de diferentes emociones en relación a la decisión del Gobierno de España de negociar con ETA y b) conocer la incidencia de esas emociones y de la ideología, en la intención de participar en acciones de apoyo o protesta a dicha decisión. Los resultados muestran que las emociones se organizan en tres factores: ira, entusiasmo y ansiedad. La ira y el entusiasmo explican un porcentaje muy elevado de la varianza de la intención de movilizarse. La ideología, aunque en menor medida, también muestra un peso significativo.

Having overcome the prejudice that equated emotion with irrationality, collective action theories are beginning to incorporate emotional variables. Nonetheless, these are restricted to negative ones, fundamentally anger. This is due to the fact that collective action is associated exclusively with protest, when this does not necessarily have to be the case. The aims of the present work are twofold: a) to analyse the structure of emotions with regard to the Spanish Government's decision to negotiate with ETA; and b) to verify the impact of these emotions and of ideology on the intention to participate in demonstrations supporting or protesting against said decision. The results show that emotions can be organised into three factors: anger, enthusiasm and anxiety. Anger and enthusiasm account for a high percentage of variance in the attention to demonstrate. Ideology, although to a lesser extent, also has a significant influence.

Stress-up-regulated myocardial endothelin receptors are suppressed by chlo-robenzyltetrahydroberberine CPU86017 and its RS chiral isomer / 中国药科大学学报

Aim: To investigate the changes of endothelin( ET) receptors by isoproterenol in myocardial cells, and the invervention effects of CPU86017 and its RS isomer. Methods: Primary cultures of neonatal rat cardiomyo-cytes were prepared, and isoproterenol was added to each group for modeling, followed by drug interventions with propranolol, CPU86017 and RS chiral isomer respectively. Results: The expressions of ET_A and ET_B were increased by isoproterenol, in which the level of ET_B was higher than ET_A . This phenomenon was adjusted to different degrees by using propranolol, CPU86017 and RS chiral isomer in a dosage-relevant manner. The infervention effect of RS isomer was better than that of CPU86017 at the high dosage( 10 μmol/L). Conclusion: The cardiovascular effects of CPU86017 and RS chiral isomer could be correlative to the inhibition of the over-expressions of ET_A and ET_B.

Osteopontin Genetic Polymorphism and Serum Levels in Patients with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus / 대한류마티스학회지

OBJECTIVE: A recent study suggested that a single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) at position nt 9250 (C to T) in exon 7 of the osteopontin (OPN) gene is strongly associated with the susceptibility to systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). This study examined the possible association between a single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) at position nt 9250 (C to T) and SLE and measured the serum levels of OPN in Korean patients with SLE. METHODS: A total of 39 patients with SLE and 104 healthy controls were enrolled in this study. SNP located at position 9250 in the OPN gene were genotyped using the restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP). The serum levels of OPN in 39 patients with SLE and 20 healthy controls were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. RESULTS: The allele frequencies of C and T at this position in patients with SLE were 34.6 and 65.4, whereas those in the controls were 20.7 and 79.3 (p<0.05). The serum levels of OPN in 39 patients with SLE were significantly higher than that in 20 healthy controls (49.13+/-26.71 versus 28.49+/-18.39 ng/ml, p<0.05). The increase in OPN concentration was associated with the SLE disease activity index (SLEDAI) score in all SLE patients (r=0.337, p<0.05). CONCLUSION: The allele frequencies of Eta-1/osteopontin were significantly associated with SLE. Moreover, the increased serum level of OPN is associated with the SLE disease activity. However, further investigation in larger groups in Korea will be needed.

Eta-1/Osteopontin Genetic Polymorphism is Associated with Urolithiasis in Koreans / 대한비뇨기과학회지

PURPOSE: Osteopontin(OPN) is one of the major non-collagenous bone matrix proteins produced by osteoblasts and osteolclasts, and it is also involved in the pathogenesis of urolithiasis. Single nucleotide polymorphisms(SNPs), as a tool for searching for the genetic markers of disease, have a large role in investigating the genetic markers of complex human diseases. The aim of this study is to investigate the association with this SNP at position nucleotide 9250(C-->T) in the OPN gene and the susceptibility to urolithiasis. We also compared the allele frequency of Koreans with those of Americans and Japanese. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 161 urolithiasis patients and 104 healthy controls were studied. The SNPs located at position 9520 in the OPN gene were genotyped using restriction fragment length polymorphism(RFLP). The wild-type sequence contains a C while the polymorphism variant is a T(C-->T), which results in the appearance of an Alu I restriction site. RESULTS: The gene frequencies of C/C, C/T and T/T at position 9250 on the Eta-1/osteopontin gene in urolithiasis patients were 10.6%, 36.6% and 52.8%, respectively, compared with 6.7%, 27.9% and 65.8%, respectively, in the controls(p>0.05). The allele frequencies of C and T at this position in the urolithiasis patients were 28.9 and 72.1, respectively, whereas those in the controls were 20.7 and 79.3, respectively,(p<0.05). The allele frequencies found in the present study were compared with those coding SNPs described in the USA database; 60 and 39(USA) vs 20.7 and 79.3 (Korea), respectively(p<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Those findings suggest there is no association of with Eta-1/osteopontin genetic polymorphism, but the allele frequencies were significantly associated with urolithiasis patients. We also observed difference of allele frequencies in our controls and in the USA controls and these differences may be caused by a difference in the incidence of urolithiasis patients between the two countries.

Las enfermedades transmitidas por alimentos: un fenómeno frecuente de magnitud real desconocida / Foodborne disease: a common phenomenon in real unknown magnitude

Las enfermedades transmitidas por los alimentos (ETA) constituyen un problema mundial que en las últimas décadas ha aumentado debido a cambios poblacionales, sistemas de producción, hábitos de consumo y emergencia y reemergencia de patógenos. Se conocen alrededor de 250 enfermedades transmitidas por alimentos, sin embargo, no se tienen datos exactos de su incidencia a nivel mundial. En este artículo se presenta el análisis de los brotes de ETAS notificados de acuerdo al decreto n° 158. Con el nuevo sistema de vigilancia en Chile, que facilita el ingreso de datos y su análisis, se ha recogido numerosa y valiosa información que permite caracterizar los brotes de enfermedades transmitidas por alimentos en nuestro país y compararla en el tiempo y entre países. En Chile, de acuerdo al análisis de los brotes de ETAS notificados el año 2006, la mayoría ocurren en época de calor, afectan por igual a ambos sexos, la edad de mayor incidencia es entre los 15 y 44 años, se hospitaliza un 4 por ciento del total de enfermos y fallece un 0,1 por ciento. Los alimentos involucrados con mayor frecuencia corresponden a moluscos, platos preparados y pescados. El hogar es el lugar donde se producen la mayoría de los brotes transmitidos por los alimentos, y los principales agentes identificados corresponden a Vibrio parahaemolyticus, Salmonella spp, Shigella spp, Staphylococcus aureus y Escherichia coli enterotoxigénica. Las ETAS nos imponen serios desafíos en los que deberemos concentrar nuestros esfuerzos, para aumentar la capacidad de detectar, investigar y controlar las enfermedades transmitidas por los alimentos.

Análise cognitivista do terrorismo do ETA e da Al Qaeda / A cognitivist analysis of terror of ETA and Al Qaeda

Este artigo, através de um modelo cognitivista de Relações Internacionais, compara o estilo de ação e organização de dois grupos terroristas: ETA e Al Qaeda. É hipótese fundamental é que a forma de organização e o modus operandi destas organizações é essencialmente diferente. Concluímos que é plenamente possível traçar um perfil psicológico da ação de grupos terroristas o que se torna fundamental em um objetivo de combate a estas organizações assim como na imediata identificação dos responsáveis por ataques terroristas.

Through a cognitivist model of International Relations this article compares the style of action as well as the organization of two terrorist groups: ETA and Al Qaeda. The main hypothesis is that their organization and modus operandi are essentially distinct. We conclude that is viable to have a psychological profile of terrorist groups. The application of this method can be an important tool in the combat of terrorist organizations as well as in the process of identification of terrorist attacks.

Influence of Nitric Oxide Synthesis Inhibition on Endothelin-1 and Its Receptor Expression in Rat Kidney / 대한신장학회잡지

BACKGROUND: The present study was aimed to evaluate the influence of nitric oxide(NO) synthesis inhibition on endothelin(ET) expression in rat kidney. METHODS: Male Sprague-Dawley rats were treated with N(G)-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester(L-NAME, 100 mg/L drinking water) for 4 weeks to inhibit the endogenous synthesis of NO. The tissue expression of ET-1, ET(A) receptor, and ET(B) receptor mRNA in the kidney was determined by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction. RESULTS: Tissue levels of NO metabolites were significantly decreased in the plasma and the kidney, along with the increased blood pressure. The expression of ET-1 mRNA was increased in the cortex, but not in the medulla. The expression of ET(A) and ET(B) receptor mRNA was not significantly altered either in the cortex or in the medulla. The plasma level of ET-1 peptide was significantly increased, along with the increased blood pressure, when L-NAME(200 microgram/kg per min, iv) was administered in an acute preparation of animals. Accordingly, the expression of ET-1 mRNA was increased in the cortex, whereas that of ET(A) and ET(B) receptor mRNA was not altered. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that enhanced activity of ET system induced by NO synthesis inhibition may be associated with hypertension although direct association between two factors is not confirmed.

Expression of Eta-1 in Escherichia coli and Production of Monoclonal Antibody / 감염

BACKGROUND: Early T-lymphocyte activation-1 (Eta-1) is a secreted phosphoprotein which regulates a variety of cells involved in the immune and nonimmune systems. It is unique in the sense that it regulates various immune functions, as well as acting as an extracellular matrix protein. The Eta-1 gene has been mapped to the same genetic locus as the Rickettsia resistance gene (Ric), and Eta-1 expression is a part of an early T-dependent response to Orientia tsutsugamushi infection in susceptible hosts. In an initial effort to study Eta-1's mechanism of protection against Orientia tsutsugamushi infection, we attempted to produce Eta-1 in E. coli and to produce monoclonal antibodies against recombinant Eta-1. METHODS: Expression plasmids containing GST-Eta-1 were generated by cloning the polymerase chain reaction-amplified N-and C-terminal Eta-1 fragments into the cloning sites of pGEX-3X. The expressed protein was purified using a GST column and injected into BALB/c mice. Hybridoma clones reactive to Eta-1 were produced and analyzed with ELISA and Western blot. RESULTS: Expression plasmids containing GST-Eta-1 were generated by cloning the polymerase chain reaction-amplified N-and C-terminal Eta-1 fragments into the cloning sites of pGEX-3X. N-and C-terminal fragments of Eta-1 were generated as bacterially expressed GST fusion proteins. However, the expression of full-length Eta-1 was very poor. We immunized BALB/c mice with purified Eta-1 N-terminal fragments. Their spleen cells were used for cell fusion. We obtained two hybridoma cell lines secreting antibodies against Eta-1, but not against GST. Conclusions:We produced Eta-1 protein produced in E. coli. The expression of C-terminal Eta-1 fragments was poor, therefore it appeared that this part of Eta-1 was toxic to E. coli. We obtained monoclonal antibodies which were reactive in ELISA test and Western blot. These monoclonal antibodies could be useful in the analysis of the function of Eta-1 in the pathogenesis of tsutsugamushi disease as well as other diseases.