Historical, temporal, and geographic dynamism of the interaction between Agave and Leptonycteris nectar-feeding bats.

PREMISE: The interaction between ecological and evolutionary processes has been recognized as an important factor shaping the evolutionary history of species. Some authors have proposed different ecological and evolutionary hypotheses concerning the relationships between plants and their pollinators; a special case is the interaction and suspected coevolution among Agave spp. and their main pollinators, the Leptonycteris bats. Agave spp. have, in general, a pollination syndrome compatible with chiropterophily including floral shape and size, nocturnal nectar production, and nectar quality and sugar concentration. Our goal was to analyze the interaction Agave-Leptonycteris and its dynamics during three different climate scenarios. METHODS: We modeled the Agave-Leptonycteris interaction in its spatial and temporal components during the Pleistocene using Ecological Niche Models (ENMs) and three climate scenarios: Current, Last Glacial Maximum (LGM), and Last InterGlacial (LIG). Furthermore, we analyzed the geographic correlation between 96 Agave spp. and two of the Mexican Tequila bats, genus Leptonycteris. RESULTS: We found that Leptonycteris spp. interact with different Agave spp. over their migratory routes. We propose an interaction refuge in Metztitlán and Tehuacán-Cuicatlán areas, where Agave- Leptonycteris interaction has probably remained active. During the nonmigratory season, both bat species consume nectar of almost the same Agave spp., suggesting the possibility of a diffuse coevolution among Agave and Leptonycteris bats. CONCLUSIONS: We propose that in the areas related to migratory bat movements, each bat species interacts with different Agave spp., whereas in the areas occupied by nonmigrant individuals, both bat species consume nectar of almost the same Agave taxa.

Real-world data in patients with BRCA mutated breast cancer treated with poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase inhibitors.

Breast cancer is the most common type of cancer globally. Hereditary breast cancer accounts for 10% of new cases and 4%-5% of cases are associated to pathogenic variants in BRCA1 or BRCA2 genes. In recent years, poly-adenosine-diphosphate-ribose polymerase inhibitors (PARPi) olaparib and talazoparib have been approved for patients with BRCA-associated, HER2 -negative breast cancer. These drugs have shown positive results in the early and advanced setting with a favourable toxicity profile based on the OlympiAD, OlympiA and EMBRACA phase 3 trials. However, patients included in these randomised trials are highly selected, making toxicity and efficacy in patients encountered in routine clinical care a concern. Since the approval of olaparib and talazoparib for advanced human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-negative (HER2-negative) breast cancer, several phase IIIb-IV trials, expanded access cohorts, and retrospective cohorts have provided information on the efficacy and tolerability of these treatments in patient subgroups underrepresented in the registration trials, such as older adults, patients with poor performance status, and heavily pretreated patients. The aim of this review is to present a critical review of the information regarding the use of PARPi in real-world breast cancer patients.

Pancreatitis aguda por hipertrigliceridemia severa, caracterización en un hospital terciario / Acute pancreatitis due to severe hypertriglyceridemia, characterization in a tertiary hospital

La hipertrigliceridemia severa es una de las principales causas etiológicas de la pancreatitis aguda, donde la literatura internacional la posiciona como la tercera causa. Sus causas gatillantes, comorbilidades, severidad y evolución son importantes de conocer para evitar futuros episodios. En Chile, a nuestro entender, no tenemos literatura sobre esta asociación, por lo que presentamos datos de un hospital terciario, destacando 15 casos de pancreatitis aguda en 5 años de estudio, casi la mitad de ellos con antecedentes previos de hipertrigliceridemia, un porcentaje importante de los casos con cuadros graves y con complicaciones intrahospitalarias y que la diabetes mellitus tipo 2 fue la principal condición asociada a la hipertrigliceridemia severa.

Severe hypertriglyceridaemia is one of the main aetiological causes of acute pancreatitis, with international literature ranking it as the third leading cause. Its triggering causes, comorbidities, severity and evolution are important to know in order to avoid future episodes. In Chile, to our knowledge, we have no literature on this association, so we present data from a tertiary hospital, highlighting 15 cases of acute pancreatitis in 5 years of study, almost half of them with a previous history of hypertriglyceridaemia, a significant percentage of cases with severe symptoms and in-hospital complications, and that type 2 diabetes mellitus was the main condition associated with severe hypertriglyceridaemia.

Inflammation context in Alzheimer's disease, a relationship intricate to define.

Alzheimer's disease (AD), the most common form of dementia, is characterized by the accumulation of amyloid ß (Aß) and hyperphosphorylated tau protein aggregates. Importantly, Aß and tau species are able to activate astrocytes and microglia, which release several proinflammatory cytokines, such as tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α) and interleukin 1ß (IL-1ß), together with reactive oxygen (ROS) and nitrogen species (RNS), triggering neuroinflammation. However, this inflammatory response has a dual function: it can play a protective role by increasing Aß degradation and clearance, but it can also contribute to Aß and tau overproduction and induce neurodegeneration and synaptic loss. Due to the significant role of inflammation in the pathogenesis of AD, several inflammatory mediators have been proposed as AD markers, such as TNF-α, IL-1ß, Iba-1, GFAP, NF-κB, TLR2, and MHCII. Importantly, the use of anti-inflammatory drugs such as NSAIDs has emerged as a potential treatment against AD. Moreover, diseases related to systemic or local inflammation, including infections, cerebrovascular accidents, and obesity, have been proposed as risk factors for the development of AD. In the following review, we focus on key inflammatory processes associated with AD pathogenesis.

Conservation genomics of Agave tequilana Weber var. azul: low genetic differentiation and heterozygote excess in the tequila agave from Jalisco, Mexico.

Background: Genetic diversity is fundamental for the survival of species. In particular, in a climate change scenario, it is crucial that populations maintain genetic diversity so they can adapt to novel environmental conditions. Genetic diversity in wild agaves is usually high, with low genetic differentiation among populations, in part maintained by the agave pollinators such as the nectarivorous bats. In cultivated agaves, patterns of genetic diversity vary according to the intensity of use, management, and domestication stage. In Agave tequilana Weber var. azul (A. tequilana thereafter), the plant used for tequila production, clonal propagation has been strongly encouraged. These practices may lead to a reduction in genetic diversity. Methods: We studied the diversity patterns with genome-wide SNPs, using restriction site associated DNA sequencing in cultivated samples of A. tequilana from three sites of Jalisco, Mexico. For one locality, seeds were collected and germinated in a greenhouse. We compared the genomic diversity, levels of inbreeding, genetic differentiation, and connectivity among studied sites and between adults and juvenile plants. Results: Agave tequilana presented a genomic diversity of HT = 0.12. The observed heterozygosity was higher than the expected heterozygosity. Adults were more heterozygous than juveniles. This could be a consequence of heterosis or hybrid vigor. We found a shallow genetic structure (average paired FST = 0.0044). In the analysis of recent gene flow, we estimated an average migration rate among the different populations of m = 0.25. In particular, we found a population that was the primary source of gene flow and had greater genomic diversity (HE and HO ), so we propose that this population should continue to be monitored as a potential genetic reservoir. Discussion: Our results may be the consequence of more traditional management in the studied specific region of Jalisco. Also, the exchange of seeds or propagules by producers and the existence of gene flow due to occasional sexual reproduction may play an important role in maintaining diversity in A. tequilana. For populations to resist pests, to continue evolving and reduce their risk of extinction under a climate change scenario, it is necessary to maintain genetic diversity. Under this premise we encourage to continue acting in conservation programs for this species and its pollinators.

Traveler Mites: Population Genetic Structure of the Wing Mites Periglischrus paracaligus (Acari: Mesostigmata: Spinturnicidae).

Wing mites of the genus Periglischrus are ectoparasites exclusively associated with phyllostomid bats. These mites show high host specificity and have been studied to understand the evolutionary history of their bat hosts mainly by using a morphological variation. Through a phylogeographic approach, we analyzed the genetic diversity and population genetic structure of the ectoparasite Periglischrus paracaligus Herrin and Tipton which parasitizes Leptonycteris yerbabuenae Martínez and Villa (lesser long-nosed bat) in Mexico. By the implementation of a multilocus approach, we found that P. paracaligus populations were diverse for haplotype diversity, and had values ranging from 0.5 to 1. No genetic structuring in the P. paracaligus parasites was observed along with the distribution of the host, L. yerbabuenae, in Mexico, nor when populations or regions were compared, but our results revealed a process of historical demographic expansion in all the analyzed markers. We discuss possible scenarios that could explain the lack of population structure in the light of the data analyzed for the parasites and the biology of L. yerbabuenae, such as the interplay between parasite and host traits being responsible for the genetic make-up of parasite populations. We also inferred its phylogenetic position among wing mites parasitizing the two other species of Leptonycteris bats. Long-nosed bats' monophyly helps to explain the observed presence of distinctive clades in the wing mite's phylogeny in specific association with each long-nosed bat host species.

Age- and Sex-Associated Glucose Metabolism Decline in a Mouse Model of Alzheimer's Disease.

BACKGROUND: Alzheimer's disease (AD) is characterized by a high etiological and clinical heterogeneity, which has obscured the diagnostic and treatment efficacy, as well as limited the development of potential drugs. Sex differences are among the risk factors that contribute to the variability of disease manifestation. Unlike men, women are at greater risk of developing AD and suffer from higher cognitive deterioration, together with important changes in pathological features. Alterations in glucose metabolism are emerging as a key player in the pathogenesis of AD, which appear even decades before the presence of clinical symptoms. OBJECTIVE: We aimed to study whether AD-related sex differences influence glucose metabolism. METHODS: We used male and female APPswe/PS1dE9 (APP/PS1) transgenic mice of different ages to examine glucose metabolism effects on AD development. RESULTS: Our analysis suggests an age-dependent decline of metabolic responses, cognitive functions, and brain energy homeostasis, together with an increase of Aß levels in both males and females APP/PS1 mice. The administration of Andrographolide (Andro), an anti-inflammatory and anti-diabetic compound, was able to restore several metabolic disturbances, including the glycolytic and the pentose phosphate pathway fluxes, ATP levels, AMPKα activity, and Glut3 expression in 8-month-old mice, independent of the sex, while rescuing these abnormalities only in older females. Similarly, Andro also prevented Aß accumulation and cognitive decline in all but old males. CONCLUSION: Our study provides insight into the heterogeneity of the disease and supports the use of Andro as a potential drug to promote personalized medicine in AD.

Discordance in maternal and paternal genetic markers in lesser long-nosed bat Leptonycteris yerbabuenae, a migratory bat: recent expansion to the North and male phylopatry.

Leptonycteris yerbabuenae, the lesser long-nosed bat is an abundant migratory nectar-feeding bat found in most of Mexico, and in some areas of northern Central America and small sections of southwestern USA. We analyzed the distribution of the maternal and paternal lineages of this species with phylogeographic methods based on two mitochondrial markers, Cyt-b and D-loop, and a marker located in the Y chromosome, DBY. We obtained tissue samples from 220 individuals from 23 localities. Levels of genetic diversity (haplotype diversity, Hd ) were high (Cyt-b = 0.757; D-loop = 0.8082; DBY = 0.9137). No clear patterns of population genetic structure were found for mitochondrial markers, while male genetic differentiation suggested the presence of two lineages: one from Mexican Pacific coast states and another from central-southern Mexico; in accordance to strong male philopatry and higher female migration. We used genealogical reconstructions based on Bayesian tools to calculate divergence times, and to test coalescent models to explain changes in L. yerbabuenae historical demography. Our results show that recent demographic changes were consistent with global climatic changes (∼130,000 kyr ago for Cyt-b and ∼160,000 kyr for D-loop) and divergence times dated from molecular genealogies exhibited older divergence times, Cyt-b (4.03 mya), D-loop (10.26 mya) and DBY (12.23 mya). Accordingly, the female lineage underwent demographic expansion associated to Pleistocene climate change, whereas the male lineage remained constant.

Crecimiento in Vitro de Streptococcus Mutans y Lactobacillus acidophilus en medios que contengan edulcorantes artificiales / In-vitro growth of streptococcus mutans and lactobacillus acidophilus amid containig artificial sweeteners

Objetivo: observar el crecimiento in vitro de Streptococcus mutans y Lactobacillus acidophilus en una solución con edulcorantes xylitol, aspartame, sucralosa y sacarina sódica en concentraciones de 5% y compararlo con dos grupos control, uno sin edulcorante y otro con sacarosa. Material y método: se emplearon 30 tubos con Streptococcus mutans y 30 con Lactobacillus acidophilus, los cuales fueron divididos en seis grupos de cinco tubos cada uno: xylitol, aspartame, sacarina sódica y sucralosa (grupos de edulcorantes) y sacarosa y sin endulzante (grupo control). Las cepas de ambos microorganismos se cultivaron en agar y se mantuvieron en incubadora durante dos días. Las colonias se sometieron a pruebas de pureza; los edulcorantes fueron descontaminados y la solución empleada fue esterilizada. En 5ml de la solución se colocó cada edulcorante al 5% y 100ul de suspensión de uno de los microorganismos. Los tubos fueron colocados en la incubadora durante 48 horas. El crecimiento de las bacterias fue medido en un espectrofotómetro calibrado. Resultados: Streptococcus mutans y Lactobacillus acidophilus con presencia de xylitol presentaron mayores promedios de tramitancia, similares a los valores encontrados en 'sin edulcorantes' en el grupo control para ambos microorganismos. Los tubos fueron colocados en la incubadora durante 48 horas. El crecimiento de las bacterias fue medido en un espectrofotómetro calibrado. Resultados: Streptococcus mutans y Lactobacillus acidophilus con presencia de xylitol presentaron mayores promedios de tramitancia, similares a los valores encontrados en 'sin edulcorantes' en el grupo control para ambos microorganismos. Los valores de tramitancia más bajos fueron para el aspartame con ambas bacterias. Se encontró diferencia entre el grupo con edulcorante y el control y al interios de cada grupo para ambos microorganismo (p<0,05). Conclusiones: el Xylitol y la sacarina sódica reducen significativamente el crecimiento in vitro del Streptococcus mutans y Lactobacillus acidophilus, mientras que la sacarosa, la sucralosa y el aspartame lo estimulan.

Objective: To observe the in vitro growth of Lactobacillus acidophilus and Streptococcus mutans in a solution with xylitol sweetener, aspartame, sucralose and saccharin sodium in concentrations of 5% and compare it with two control groups, one unsweetened and another with sucrose. Materials and Method: We used 30 tubes with Lactobacillus acidophilus, which were divides into 5 groups of 6 tubes each group: xylitol, aspartame, sodium saccharin and sucralose (groups of sweeteners) and sucrose and without sweetener (group control). The strains of microorganisms were cultivated both in agar and were kept in an incubator for 2 days. The colonies were tested for purity; sweeteners were decontaminated and the solution was sterilized. Five per cent of each sweetener and 100ul suspension of one of the microorganisms were placed in 5ml of the solution. The tubes were placed in the incubator for 48 hours. The growth of bacteria was measured in a calibrated spectrophotometer. Results: Lactobacillus acidophilus and Streptococcus mutans with presence of Xylitol had higher transmittance average, similar to the values found in 'without sweeteners' in the control group for both microorganisms. The lowest transmittance values were for aspartame with both bacteria tively). Difference was found between the group with sweetener and control, and within each group for both microorganisms (p<0,05). Conclusions: Xylitol and saccharin sodium significantly reduce the in vitro growth of Streptococcus mutans and Lactobacillus acidophilus while sucrose, sucralose and aspartame stimulate it.

Efectos del nivel de ingreso y la desigualdad sobre la autopercepción en salud: análisis para el caso de Bogotá / Income and distribution effects on the autoperception in health: analysis for Bogota's case

Kawachi, et al. (2000), Lynch y Kaplan (2000) y Subramanian (2003), entre otros, analizan el efecto que tienen el nivel de ingreso y su distribución sobre la salud. Este artículo es una aplicación para Bogotá sobre las hipótesis desarrolladas por estos autores. La pregunta central es si existe relación entre el nivel de ingreso de los hogares, la distribución de éste y la percepción que las personas tienen acerca de su estado de salud.

Vascular endothelial cell apoptosis induced by anti-donor non-MHC antibodies: a possible injury pathway contributing to chronic allograft rejection.

BACKGROUND: Non-major histocompatibility complex (non-MHC) alloantibodies may play a pathogenic role in chronic rejection but remain poorly characterized. METHODS: The kinetics of alloantibody production and the mechanism by which non-MHC alloantibodies cause graft injury were investigated in a Lewis-to-Fischer 344 (LEW-to-F344) rat model of cardiac transplantation. RESULTS: Flow cytometry detected that all the F344 recipients of LEW allografts produced anti-donor immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibodies reactive with LEW lymphocytes and endothelial cells. A sub-group of recipients that rejected their grafts in 30 to 60 days exhibited markedly increased levels of anti-donor IgG antibodies (n = 6, mean fluorescence intensity [MFI]:23.85 +/- 2.7) than recipients with long-surviving allografts (n = 4, MFI:11.23 +/- 0.81; p = 0.00058). Passive transfer of anti-donor sera induced chronic rejection of LEW heart allografts in an immune non-responsiveness model of F344 rats induced by intrathymic inoculation of donor-specific lymphocytes. Immunoglobulin G antibodies purified from the anti-LEW sera exhibited complement-dependent cytotoxicity against LEW vascular endothelial cells in flow-cytometric cytotoxicity assay. The targeted endothelial cells displayed early (annexin V+) and late (TUNEL+) evidence for programmed cell death. Western blot analysis of poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) demonstrated that the 25-kD PARP-cleavage fragment was present at the lysates of the vascular endothelial cells treated with anti-donor IgG antibodies, indicating apoptosis-associated caspase activity in these cells. In situ teminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP-biotin nick end labeling (TUNEL) staining demonstrated that vascular endothelial cell apoptosis was consistently present in all LEW heart allografts with chronic rejection. CONCLUSIONS: Non-MHC alloantibodies are pathogenic and capable of causing chronic graft injury through an antibody-induced cell apoptosis mechanism. The results emphasize the importance of non-MHC antibodies as a common predisposing factor in the development of chronic rejection.

O laudo psicologico e a classe especial

O laudo psicologico, em referencia ao encaminhamento de portadores de deficiencias mentais leves a classes especiais, 'frequentemente, nao e mais do que um engodo'. O psicologo termina por legitimar discriminacao e segregacao de criancas, 'a pretexto de problemas ou dificuldades que apresentam na escola'. Esta questao e discutida em vista da realizacao de pesquisa pertinente a materia.

Resultados de anestesia en el sistema de cirugia simplificada, SICSIM / Results of anesthesia in the simplified surgery system, SICSIM

Este trabajo hace parte de la investigacion de nuevos modelos de atencion quirurgica y se realizo dentro del programa Sistema de Cirugia Simplificada (SICSIM). Se analizaron los resultados de 2834 anestesias, para un numero igual de operaciones distribuidas en 748 casos del nivel I (26%) y 2086 casos del nivel II (74%). En estos procedimientos se utilizo un nuevo modelo de atencion anestesico-quirurgica, con 2 anestesias en un mismo quirofano, y solo 1 anestesiologo ayudado por 2 auxiliares de enfermeria en el modelo tipo I. En el tipo II, en 25% de las anestesias, participaron 2 anestesiologos, uno para cada paciente. De todos los pacientes, 77% recibieron algun tipo de anestesia conductiva y 23% anestesia general. No hubo complicaciones graves, ni mortalidad alguna

Cirugia ambulatoria: colecistectomia y tiroidectomia / Ambulatory Surgery: cholecystectomy and thyroidectomy

En el Hospital Universitario del Valle, en Cali, se efectuaron 10 intervenciones quirurgicas de nivel III, a saber, 4 tiroidectomias subtotales y 6 colecistectomias, sin hospitalizar a los pacientes. El cuidado post-operatorio se llevo a cabo en la casa. No hubo complicaciones anestesicas ni quirurgicas que pongan en duda la factibilidad de realizar estos procedimientos si se cumplen unos requisitos minimos que se discuten con algun detalle

Diagnóstico y evaluación de la infraestructura operacional de la planta de San Antonio; mantenimiento

Trata sobre la identificación de los métodos de evaluación para el mantenimiento de la planta de tratamiento de agua de San Antonio en Cali, desarrollando un programa preventivo y reparando oportunamente los equipos e instrumentos. Concluye que falta capacitación para el personal de mantenimiento, que no hay recursos suficientes para el mantenimiento de la planta, aunque si se realizan inspecciones permanentes a los equipos según la metodología de la empresa