Toxic effects of Arianor Ebony hair dye on human cells

To evaluate the risks of hair dye exposure, we investigated cellular and molecular effects of Arianor Ebony dye, which is a mixture of azo and anthraquinone dyes, used in the composition of the black color. Cytotoxicity, genotoxicity, and gene expression of relevant molecules of apoptotic and oxidative stress mechanisms were investigated in HepG2 cells exposed to Arianor Ebony. Results showed that the dye did not induce cytotoxicity to exposed cells at a concentration up to 50 µg/mL compared to the negative control. However, genotoxic assays indicated that the dye was able to damage the genetic material at a concentration of 25 µg/mL, with induction factor values of exposed cells two- to five-fold higher than those recorded for the negative control. Moreover, the lowest observed effect concentration was 12.5 µg/mL. For gene expression, relevant changes were observed in cytochrome c and caspase 9, which decreased in cells incubated with the dye in a dose-dependent manner when compared with the negative control. In parallel, the expression of genes for antioxidant enzymes was increased in exposed cells, suggesting the presence of metabolic routes that protect cells against the toxic effect of the dye, avoiding exacerbated cellular death. Results suggested that the dye disrupted cellular homeostasis through mitochondrial dysfunction, which may be hazardous to human health. Thus, further investigations are necessary to deeply understand the mechanisms of action of the dye, considering its toxic potential found in our ex vivo assays.

Calidad de sueño en personas adultas mayores con diabetes mellitus tipo II / Sleep quality in older adults with type II diabetes mellitus

Introducción: el dormir mal podría ser la causa de diabetes mellitus tipo II y otras enfermedades crónicas no transmisibles. Objetivo: conocer la calidad de sueño de las personas con diabetes mellitus tipo II. Material y métodos: se realizó un estudio descriptivo, la muestra 44 adultos con diabetes mellitus. Se aplicó el cuestionario de Índice de Calidad de Sueño de Pittsburgh, 19 reactivos que contiene siete componentes con una escala de 0 a 3. La suma de estos da el índice. Resultados: se evaluó la calidad de sueño en 44 personas con diabetes mellitus tipo II, de abril a agosto 2021. El promedio de edad 67 años, 73 % del sexo femenino. El 39 % tiene una mala calidad de sueño, 27 % tarda en dormir entre 30 y 60 minutos, 18 % duerme <5 horas, 79.5 % no tiene una eficiencia de sueño normal, 48% reporto tener alteraciones del sueño una o dos veces a la semana, 11 % usa medicamentos para dormir menos de una vez a la semana y 11 % tiene una disfunción diurna. En cuanto al índice de calidad de sueño 85 % tiene un índice > 5. Conclusión: las personas diabéticas tienen una mala calidad de sueño lo cual puede afectar su metabolismo, en consecuencia es necesario realizar una intervención para mejorar su calidad de sueño.

Introduction: poor sleep could be the cause of type II diabetes mellitus and other chronic non-communicable diseases. Objective: to know the quality of sleep of people with type II diabetes mellitus. Material and methods: a descriptive study was carried out, the sample consisted of 44 adults with diabetes mellitus. The 19-item Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index questionnaire was applied, containing seven components with a scale from 0 to 3. The sum of these gives the index. Results: the quality of sleep was evaluated in 44 people with type II diabetes mellitus, from April to August 2021. The average age was 67 years old, 73% are female. 39% have a poor quality of sleep, 27% take between 30 to 60 minutes to sleep, 18% sleep <5 hours, 79.5% do not have a normal sleep efficiency, 48% reported having sleep disturbances one or twice a week, 11% use sleep medications less than once a week and 11% have a daytime dysfunction. Regarding the sleep quality index, 85% have an index> 5 Conclusion: diabetic people have a poor quality of sleep which can affect their metabolism, so it is necessary to carry out an intervention to improve their quality of sleep.

Lubricación in vitro en prótesis articulares / In Vitro Lubrication In Joint Prostheses

Entender el desgaste prematuro en reemplazos articulares debido a una lubricación deficiente, que puede resultar en valores de fricción altos, es un tema amplio e intrincado de abordar. Además, si el lubricante es el fluido sinovial, los mecanismos de lubricación que ocurren son aún más complejos de develar. En este artículo se revisa el estado de conocimiento actual de la lubricación sinovial, así como las características reológicas del fluido lubricante. Asimismo, se mencionan algunas técnicas experimentales y métodos numéricos con los que se ha estudiado el problema de la lubricación. En algunas simulaciones numéricas de la lubricación en reemplazos articulares no se considera el efecto del esfuerzo cortante del líquido sinovial ya que se asume que tiene un comportamiento newtoniano, sin embargo, otras investigaciones han demostrado que al asumir un comportamiento no newtoniano el proceso de lubricación se afecta significativamente. Con todo esto, incorporar todos los factores que pueden afectar la lubricación en reemplazos articulares, en simulaciones numéricas hasta la fecha es un reto. A través de diversas investigaciones se buscan nuevos materiales, diseños y técnicas de análisis que permitan incrementar la vida útil de los implantes para así reducir las cirugías de revisión(AU)

derstanding premature wear in joint replacements due to poor lubrication, which can result in high friction values, is a broad and intricate topic to address. In addition, if the lubricant is the synovial fluid, the lubrication mechanisms that occur are even more complex to unveil. This article reviews the current state of knowledge on synovial lubrication, as well as the rheological characteristics of the lubricating fluid. It is also made a mention of some experimental techniques and numerical methods with which the problem of lubrication has been studied. In some numerical simulations of lubrication in joint replacements the effect of the shear stress of the synovial fluid is not considered since it is assumed to have a Newtonian behavior; however, other research has shown that by assuming a non-Newtonian behavior the lubrication process is significantly affected. With all this, incorporating all the factors that can affect lubrication in joint replacements, in numerical simulations to date is a challenge. Through various investigations, new materials, designs and analysis techniques are sought to increase the useful life of implants in order to reduce revision surgeries(AU)

Multi-point fiber refractometer using Fresnel reflection and a coherent optical frequency-domain multiplexing technique.

We demonstrate a simple multi-point refractometer based on the coherent optical frequency-domain multiplexing technique. As local refractive index sensors, interferometers of different lengths formed between cleaved fiber tips and reference weak reflectors are employed. Referent reflectors were fabricated by splicing into lead SMF-28 fiber a very short section of hollow optical fiber using a standard fiber splicer and a cleaver with an optical microscope. Despite the very simple configuration and manufacturing of the sensor, the refractive index resolution of 6×10-4 was demonstrated during proof-of-concept experiments.

Electrically induced changes in amaranth seed enzymatic activity and their effect on bioactive compounds content after germination.

Electric treatment applied to seeds and sprouts can change their phytochemical composition. However, only a handful of studies have investigated the effects of treating seeds with electric current prior to their germination on the enzymatic antioxidant system of their sprouts. The aim of this study was to determine the changes in bioactive compounds and the enzymatic antioxidant activities in seeds and amaranth sprouts under direct electric current (DC) treatments. Amaranth seeds were treated with DC at 500 mA for different periods of time (0, 2, 5, 10 and 30 min) and let sprout (85% RH, 25 ± 2 °C) for 6 days. Significant changes were found in the antioxidant enzymatic activities and in the total content of flavonoids (15.44 ± 0.56 mg RE/gDW) and phenolic compounds (35.87 ± 0.17 mg GAE/gDW) in 6-day-old sprouts from DC-treated seeds in comparison to sprouts form non-treated seeds. The results suggested that DC treatment for short period (5 min) can induce quantitative changes to the enzymatic antioxidant system of amaranth sprouts, thus representing a relatively cost-effective method for enhancing health-improving properties of sprouts.

Overlapped fiber-optic Michelson interferometers for simultaneous refractive index measurement at two sensing points.

We present a fiber refractometer based on the implementation of overlapped Michelson interferometers; the refractometer allows simultaneous refractive index measurement at two sensing points for samples discrimination. The fiber refractometer uses the Fresnel reflection in each fiber tip of the overlapped interferometers to generate the interference signal. Experimental results, implementing the two sensing points, for discrimination between non-contaminated and contaminated distilled water are presented. Despite the simplicity of the presented system, resolution and repeatability of 3×10-4 and 5×10-4 are obtained in a dip and read experiment using both sensing points simultaneously for refractive index measurement.

Estrategias maternas de alimentación y actividad física para prevenir la Diabetes Mellitus Tipo II en Hijos Escolares / Maternal nutrition and physical activities strategies to prevent Type ll Diabetes Mellitus in school children

Introducción: La Diabetes Mellitus Tipo 2 constituye un problema de salud pública importante, es una de las enfermedades crónicas más frecuentes, causa disminución de la calidad de vida, es por ello que es necesario conocer las estrategias de alimentación y actividad física para su prevención desde etapas tempranas de la vida. Objetivo: Conocer las estrategias de alimentación y actividad física que realizan las madres para prevenir la Diabetes Mellitus Tipo 2 en hijos escolares. Materiales y métodos: Prueba piloto de un estudio descriptivo con un muestreo aleatorio simple en 30 madres con hijos escolares realizado en una escuela primaria ubicada en el municipio de Sabinas Hidalgo Nuevo León, México. Fue aplicado el instrumento "Escala de Estrategias Parentales de Alimentación y Actividad Física" de 26 ítems. Resultados: Se encontró que la media más alta fue de Reforzamiento con una de 64.00 (DE= 18.84) la cual está dirigida a elogiar a los hijos cuando realizan conductas saludables y más baja Monitoreo con 51.33 (DE= 20.80) que se define como el grado en el cual los padres supervisan las conductas saludables de sus hijos. Conclusión: Los niños al ejercer conductas saludables, las madres elogian y tienen un mayor control sobre ellos en favor de que realicen lo mayormente deseable en su actividad física y si estos, al contrario realizan conductas no saludables respecto a su alimentación se les limita, supervisa y sancionan tales conductas (AU)

Introduction: Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus is a major public health problem, it is one of the most frequent chronic diseases and causes a decrease in quality of life, and therefore, it is necessary to know the major strategies of nutrition and physical activity for prevention since the early stages of life. Objective: To know the strategies of nutrition and physical activity performed by mothers to prevent Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus in school children. Materials and methods Pilot test of a descriptive study with a simple random sampling in 30 mothers with school children carried out in an elementary school located in the community of Sabinas Hidalgo, Nuevo León, Mexico. The instrument "Scale of Parental Strategies for Nutrition and Physical Activity" of 26 items was applied. Results: It was found that the highest measure was of Reinforcement with a of 64.00 (SE =18.84) which is aimed to praising children when they perform healthy behaviors and a lower Supervision with 51.33 (SE =20.80) defined as the degree in which parents supervise their children's healthy behaviors. Conclusion: Children, when exercising healthy behaviors, mothers praise them and have a greater control over them in favor of doing the most desirable in their physical activity and if they, in contrast, perform unhealthy behaviors regarding to their nutrition will be limited, supervised and sanctioned such conducts (AU)

Implante laparoscópico de catéteres para diálisis peritoneal en régimen de CMA / No disponible

No disponible

Face morphology: Can it tell us something about body weight and fat?

This paper proposes a method for an automatic extraction of geometric features, related to weight parameters, from 3D facial data acquired with low-cost depth scanners. The novelty of the method relies both on the processing of the 3D facial data and on the definition of the geometric features which are conceptually simple, robust against noise and pose estimation errors, computationally efficient, invariant with respect to rotation, translation, and scale changes. Experimental results show that these measurements are highly correlated with weight, BMI, and neck circumference, and well correlated with waist and hip circumference, which are markers of central obesity. Therefore the proposed method strongly supports the development of interactive, non obtrusive systems able to provide a support for the detection of weight-related problems.

[Anorexia nervosa and hyperactivity in adolescence: psychiatric and internal medicine features]. / Anoressia nervosa e iperattività in adolescenza: correlati psichiatrici e internistici.

AIM: The aim of the present study was to verify the influence of hyperactivity on internistic and psychiatric parameters in early onset anorexia nervosa restricting type (ANR). METHODS: Seventy-three adolescent females (mean age 13.5 years, SD: 2.27) with a diagnosis of ANR (DSM-IV-TR) were consecutively enrolled in the Child and Adolescent Eating Disorders Unit of the IRCCS-Stella Maris and assessed by an extensive clinical protocol. All patients completed: psychiatric evaluation for description of the DCA and comorbidities; pediatric assessment including complete auxological data, blood pressure, heart rate and other electro/echo cardiographic and biohumoral parameters. The hyperactivity was estimated by the application of the "Structured Interview for Anorexic and Bulimic Disorder-Expert Form" (Item 40) in the context of clinical observation. Subjects were identified according to their level of hyperactive (ANR+H) and non-hyperactive (ANR-H) activity. RESULTS: In the ANR+H group heart rate, leptin, sodium, potassium and gamma plasma proteins significantly differ compared to the group ANR-H. Patients with hyperactivity also have a complete form of ANR in 94% of cases compared with 66.7% of non-hyperactive; significant differences were found also in thought and attention CBCL and YSR subscales, combined with major internalizing problems. CONCLUSION: This study provides preliminary data which can orient research towards the development of specific treatments for the hyperactivity, in order to improve the prognosis and thus avoid the chronicity of the disorder and the development of complications in adult life.

Flavivirus de dengue, virus del nilo occidental y encefalitis de san luis en donantes de bancos de sangre / Dengue, west nile virus and st. louis encephalitis flaviviruses in donors of blood banks

INTRODUCCIÓN Los virus del género Flavivirus, arbovirus transmitidos fundamentalmente por mosquitos, han mostrado un aumento de su actividad en Argentina en los últimos años. La mayoría de las personas que se infectan con estos virus no desarrollan sintomatología y pueden presentarse como donantes de sangre. En consecuencia, constituyen un riesgo para la seguridad transfusional. OBJETIVOS Evaluar la posibilidad de transmisión viral de los cuatro serotipos de virus del dengue (DENV), del Nilo Occidental (WNV) y de la Encefalitis de San Luis (SLEV) en bancos de sangre de Salta y Córdoba. MÉTODOS Se realizó un estudio prospectivo y anónimo no vinculante. Se investigó la presencia de genoma viral en muestras de suero de 3357 donantes de sangre (52% Salta, 48% Córdoba) empleando técnicas de nRT-PCR y qRT-PCR en el período comprendido entre septiembre de 2013 y mayo de 2014. Se trabajó con procedimientos estandarizados y paneles de referencia para evaluar el desempeño de las técnicas moleculares y su nivel de detección en cada centro interviniente. En las muestras positivas se realizó titulación y aislamiento viral, detección de anticuerpos IgM e IgG, secuenciación nucleotídica y filogenia para caracterización del genotipo. Se realizó control de calidad en el 10% de las muestras con resultados negativos. RESULTADOS Se detectó genoma de DENV-4, genotipo I, en un donante de Salvador Mazza, Salta. La incidencia de ARN de DENV fue de 0,056% (1 en 1775 donantes estudiados), cifra que se eleva a 0,11% si se consideran únicamente los donantes captados durante el transcurso del período con circulación autóctona en el inicio de 2014 en la provincia. No se detectó genoma de DENV, SLEV y WNV en las muestras estudiadas procedentes de la provincia de Córdoba. DISCUSIÓN Los resultados revelan evidencias locales del riesgo de transmisión por transfusiones sanguíneas e indican la necesidad de revisar las pautas de manejo de hemoderivados en regiones con circulación de Flavivirus, particularmente en períodos epidémicos.

A six month randomized school intervention and an 18-month follow-up intervention to prevent childhood obesity in Mexican elementary schools.

BACKGROUND: The objective of this study, focused on parents and children to reduce sedentary behavior, consumption of soft drinks and high-fat and salt containing snacks, and increase the consumption of fruits and vegetables, was to assess the effect of a six month intervention and an 18 month follow-up intervention on the body mass index, food consumption and physical activity of 2nd and 3rd grade elementary school children. METHODS: This was a randomized cluster controlled trial. School children were selected from 2nd and 3rd (n = 532) grade. MEASUREMENTS: BMI z-score for age and sex was calculated and classified according to the WHO (2006). Abdominal obesity was defined as WC > 90th of NHANES III. RESULTS: At six months of the study differences were observed in BMI, -0.82 (p = 0.0001). At 24 months, results such as an increase of z-score BMI and waist circumference, a decrease in abdominal obesity, eighth per cent remission and an incidence of 18% of overweight and obesity were observed. Additionally, an increase (p = 0.007) in vegetable intake and physical activity (p = 0.0001) was also reported, along with a decrease in sedentary activities and the consumption of snacks high in fat and salt. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study indicate that with a comprehensive intervention there is a positive response to lifestyle changes and a reduction of abdominal obesity.

Effect of maternal obesity on lactation: systematic review.

OBJECTIVE: The short duration or lack of breastfeeding has been associated with maternal obesity. The purpose of this study was to systematically review prospective studies that assessed the effect of maternal obesity on lactation. METHODS: A search of studies was conducted in Pubmed, these included prospective studies on maternal obesity and initiation, intention and duration of breastfeeding: 653 articles were found, only seven were prospective studies. After adding other studies found by hand, a total of nine studies were analyzed. RESULTS: Three out of four papers observed a higher risk for delay lactogenesis among obese mothers, odds ratio ranging from 1.02 to 1.10. The study assessing the initiation of lactation showed that non-obese mothers initiated lactation sooner, OR: 0.39 (95% CI: 0.25-0.62). The overall risk for cessation of breastfeeding showed that obese mothers had higher risks of early cessation, HR: 1.50 (CI 95% 1.11-2.04). In one study it was observed that obese mothers were not more likely to never breastfeed, OR = 1.56 (95% CI: 0.97-1.50). CONCLUSIONS: This review shows that in prospective studies, obese mothers are more likely to have delayed lactogenesis and reduced lactation. Therefore, weight control and breastfeeding promotion should be reinforced before and during pregnancy. In overweight and obese mothers, breastfeeding should be closely monitored after birth.

[The effect of weight loss on mortality: a systematic review from 2000 to 2009]. / Efecto de la pérdida de peso sobre la mortalidad: revisión sistemática de 2000 a 2009.

The beneficial effect of intentional weight loss on mortality is controversial. The purpose of this study was to conduct a systematic review and analyze the quality of prospective studies that assess weight loss on mortality. An electronic search at MEDLINE/PubMed, SciELO, and EBSCO data base, of studies with a follow-up of five or more years, published from January, 2000 to October, 2009, was conducted. Quality of the studies was assessed by Simonsen's criteria. Twenty studies were analyzed. At the beginning of the studies, the age of the subjects ranged from 20 to 101 years. Nine studies included those who intended to loose weight. The quality of the studies ranged from 8 to 17 points (out of 20). Weight loss increased the mortality rate in 15 studies and decreased it in 5. Seven of the studies assessing intention to loose weight showed that weight loss increased the mortality rate, whereas in two the mortality rate decreased. In three out of the four studies that assessed weight fluctuation, the mortality rate increased. These results underline the importance of preventing weight increase, as well as the need to avoid gaining or loosing weight more than 4%.

Genotype distribution of cervical human papillomavirus DNA in women with cervical lesions in Bioko, Equatorial Guinea.

BACKGROUND: The HVP vaccine is a useful tool for preventing cervical cancer. The purpose of this study is to determine the most frequent HPV genotypes in Equatorial Guinea in order to develop future vaccination strategies to apply in this country. METHODS: A campaign against cervical cancer was carried out in the area on a total of 1,680 women. 26 of the women, following cytological screening, were treated surgically with a loop electrosurgical excision procedure (LEEP). Cases were studied histologically and were genotyped from paraffin blocks by applying a commercial kit that recognized 35 HPV types. RESULTS: Cytological diagnoses included 17 HSIL, 1 LSIL, 5 ASC-H and 3 AGUS. Histological diagnosis resulted in 3 cases of microinvasive squamous cell carcinoma stage IA of FIGO, 9 CIN-3, 8 CIN-2, 2 CIN-1, 3 flat condylomas and mild dysplasia of the endocervical epithelium. Fifteen of twenty-five cases genotyped were positive for HPV (60%). HPV 16 and 33 were identified in four cases each, HPV 58 in two other cases, and HPV 18, 31, 52, and 82 in one case, with one HPV 16 and 58 coinfection. CONCLUSION: The frequency of HPV types in the African area varies in comparison to other regions, particularly in Europe and USA. Vaccination against the five most common HPV types (16, 33, 58, 18, and 31) should be considered in the geographic region of West Africa and specifically in Equatorial Guinea.

Osteoid osteoma of the spine: CT-guided monopolar radiofrequency ablation.

CT-guided percutaneous radiofrequency ablation and laser photocoagulation have become the methods of choice for the treatment of all osteoid osteomas except those in contact with neural structures. We report 10 patients with spinal osteoid osteoma adjacent to the neural elements treated with 12 sessions of CT-guided monopolar radiofrequency ablation. The size range of the lesion was 3-14 mm (mean, 7.5 mm) and the distance between the nidus and the adjacent spinal cord or nerve root was 2-12 mm (mean, 5 mm). No intact cortex between the tumor and the spinal cord or nerve roots constituted an exclusion criterion because of a higher risk of undesirable neurotoxic effects. Patients were under general anesthesia. After location of the lesion, a 11G-bone biopsy was introduced into the nidus. The radiofrequency electrode was inserted through the biopsy needle and heated at 90 degrees C for 4 min. Primary success was obtained in eight patients. At follow-up (mean, 19.5 months; range, 6-24 months), pain persisted in two patients after 2 months. Both of them were re-treated. All patients are currently pain-free and complications were not detected. In our opinion, radiofrequency ablation can also be considered the treatment of choice for spinal osteoid osteoma.

Soybean Rust Caused by Phakopsora pachyrhizi Detected in the State of Campeche on the Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico.

Soybean rust caused by Phakopsora pachyrhizi Syd. & P. Syd is a destructive foliar disease of soybean (Glycine max L), which was first confirmed in North America in Louisiana during 2004 (4). Soybean rust (SBR) has also been reported late in the growing season as far north as Illinois, Indiana, and Iowa. SBR was first confirmed in Mexico in 2005 in the state of San Luis Potosi on soybean (3) and subsequently reported in the states of Tamaulipas, Veracruz, and the southwestern coast of Chiapas. Symptoms of SBR were observed on leaves of multiple, nearly mature soybean plants near the city of Campeche (19.72796°N, 90.0771°W) on the Gulf Coast of the Yucatan Peninsula during November 2008. Angular and irregular chlorotic lesions on leaves contained necrotic spots and pale brown, erumpent, cone-like uredinia with a central opening. Ellipsoid to obovoid, echinulate, light tan urediniospores (10 to 13 × 16 to 18 µm) were observed microscopically. DNA was extracted from leaf tissue containing uredinia and from asymptomatic tissue with the DNeasy Plant Mini Kit (Qiagen, Valencia, CA). P. pachyrhizi was confirmed in the symptomatic leaves by a PCR assay with Ppm1/Ppa2 primers, but not from the asymptomatic leaves (1). Subsequently, the DNA extracted from symptomatic and asymptomatic leaf tissues was tested again in another laboratory by a specific quantitative PCR assay (1), and positive results for the presence of soybean rust were obtained only from the symptomatic tissue. As a final confirmatory step, amplified DNA from the PCR assay was sequenced, and the results matched P. pachyrhizi sequences in the GenBank database. To our knowledge, these observations confirm for the first time the presence of P. pachyrhizi in the state of Campeche of southern Mexico. Although it was confirmed on soybean during 2008, it is not known how long the pathogen has been present or which other hosts may be infected there. The presence of SBR on the Yucatan Peninsula is significant because of its potential effects on local plant hosts. In addition, the climate allows possible year-round survival of the pathogen and long-distance transport of urediniospores to the United States. Potential transport of SBR spores from this part of Mexico to the United States has been reported through the application of NOAA's HYSPLIT (Hybrid Single Particle Lagrangian Integrated Transport) model and atmospheric back-trajectory analysis (2). References: (1) R. D. Frederick et al. Phytopathology 92:217, 2002. (2) S. V. Krupa et al. Plant Dis. 90:1254, 2006. (3) A. C. Rodriguez et al. Plant Dis. 90:1260, 2006. (4) R. W. Schneider et al. Plant Dis. 89:774, 2005.

Physical activity and overweight/obesity in adult Mexican population: the Mexican National Health and Nutrition Survey 2006 / Actividad física y sobrepeso/obesidad en población adulta mexicana: encuesta Nacional de Salud y Nutrición 2006

OBJECTIVE: To determine the association between physical activity and overweight/obesity in Mexican adults. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Cross-sectional design. Adults 20 to 69 years of age were included in the Mexican National Health and Nutrition Survey 2006 (ENSANUT 2006). The dependent variable was overweight/obesity and the independent variable was recalled physical activity. Analysis was by logistic regression, adjusting for sex, age, residence area, region, socioeconomic status, indigenous ethnicity, smoking, schooling, work activity, alcohol consumption and sitting time. RESULTS: Data from 15 901 adults were analyzed. The prevalence of overweight/obesity had an inverse association with physical activity among men but not among women. CCONCLUSIONS: The practice of physical activity was negatively associated with the prevalence of overweight/obesity only in adult men. These results underscore the importance of promoting physical activity to prevent and control overweight/obesity.

OBJETIVO: Determinar la asociación entre la actividad física y el sobrepeso/obesidad en adultos mexicanos. MATERIAL Y MÉTODOS: Diseño transversal. Se incluyeron 15901 adultos de entre 20 a 69 años de edad, de la Encuesta Nacional de Salud y Nutrición 2006 (ENSANUT 2006). La variable dependiente fue sobrepeso/obesidad y la variable independiente fue la práctica de actividad física. Se usaron modelos de regresión logística ajustando por sexo, edad, área de residencia, región, nivel socioeconómico, indigenismo, tabaquismo, escolaridad, actividad laboral, consumo de alcohol y tiempo sentado. RESULTADOS: Se estudió a 15 901 adultos. La prevalencia de sobrepeso/obesidad tuvo una asociación inversa con la práctica de actividad física en hombres pero no en mujeres. CONCLUSIONES: La práctica de actividad física se asoció negativamente con la prevalencia del sobrepeso/obesidad únicamente en adultos hombres. Estos resultados subrayan la importancia de promover la actividad física para la prevención y control del sobrepeso/obesidad.

A new method for the aqueous functionalization of superparamagnetic Fe2O3 nanoparticles.

A new methodology for the synthesis of hydrophilic iron oxide nanoparticles has been developed. This new method is based on the direct chemical modification of the nanoparticles' surfactant molecules. Using this methodology both USPIO (ultrasmall super paramagnetic iron oxide) (hydrodynamic size smaller than 50 nm) and SPIO (super paramagnetic iron oxide) (hydrodynamic size bigger than 50 nm) were obtained. In addition, we also show that it is possible to further functionalize the hydrophilic nanoparticles via covalent chemistry in water. The magnetic properties of these nanoparticles were also studied, showing their potential as MRI contrast agents.

[Biotechnology and society in the new century]. / Biotecnología y sociedad en el nuevo siglo.

The developments and applications in human biotechnology make us face deep social dilemmas, social and ethical, that are associated to the possibility of altering our evolutionary and cultural development, thereby renouncing to the principle of Humanity. From a sociological perspective, this text reflects on this matters taking into account how its past and present has shaped a specific operational matrix that is projected towards the future. We shall offer all the public perceptions held on their possibilities in Spain and in the European nations as every advance in scientific and technological matters must take into account the opinion of the citizenry. Finally, there are some final reflections that rather than close the debate leave some questions unanswered. The future should be constructed through dialogue and consensus in a matter of such importance.