Physiologic expansion of human heart-derived cells enhances therapeutic repair of injured myocardium.

BACKGROUND: Serum-free xenogen-free defined media and continuous controlled physiological cell culture conditions have been developed for stem cell therapeutics, but the effect of these conditions on the relative potency of the cell product is unknown. As such, we conducted a head-to-head comparison of cell culture conditions on human heart explant-derived cells using established in vitro measures of cell potency and in vivo functional repair. METHODS: Heart explant-derived cells cultured from human atrial or ventricular biopsies within a serum-free xenogen-free media and a continuous physiological culture environment were compared to cells cultured under traditional (high serum) cell culture conditions in a standard clean room facility. RESULTS: Transitioning from traditional high serum cell culture conditions to serum-free xenogen-free conditions had no effect on cell culture yields but provided a smaller, more homogenous, cell product with only minor antigenic changes. Culture within continuous physiologic conditions markedly boosted cell proliferation while increasing the expression of stem cell-related antigens and ability of cells to stimulate angiogenesis. Intramyocardial injection of physiologic cultured cells into immunodeficient mice 1 week after coronary ligation translated into improved cardiac function and reduced scar burden which was attributable to increased production of pro-healing cytokines, extracellular vesicles, and microRNAs. CONCLUSIONS: Continuous physiological cell culture increased cell growth, paracrine output, and treatment outcomes to provide the greatest functional benefit after experimental myocardial infarction.

Application of standard DFT theory for nonbonded interactions in soft matter: prototype study of poly-para-phenylene.

We present a detailed analysis of the application of density functional theory (DFT) methods to the study of structural properties of molecular and supramolecular systems, using as a paradigmatic example three para-phenylene-based systems: isolated biphenyl, single chain poly-para-phenylene, and crystalline biphenyl. We use different functionals for the exchange correlation potential, the local density (LDA), and generalized gradient approximations (GGA), and also different basis sets expansions, localized, plane waves (PW), and mixed (localized plus PW), within the reciprocal space formulation for the hamiltonian. We find that regardless of the choice of basis functions, the GGA calculations yield larger interring distances and torsion angles than LDA. For the same XC approximation, the agreement between calculations with different basis functions lies within 1% (LDA) or 0.5% (GGA) for distances, and while PW and mixed basis calculations agree within 1 degrees for torsion angles, the localized basis results show larger angles by approximately 8 degrees and a nonmonotonic dependence on basis size, with differences within 6 degrees. The most prominent features, namely the torsion between rings for isolated molecule and infinite chain, and planarity for the molecule in crystalline environment, are well reproduced by all DFT calculations.

Mortalidad materna institucional en Caldas 1990-1994

La presente investigación analiza las muertes maternas institucionales que se presentaron en el Departamento de Caldas entre enero 1ª de 1990 y diciembre 31 de 1994. Se registraron durante dicho período un total de 62 muertes, con un porcentaje de muerte por causa directa del 82.26 por ciento y de causa indirecta del 17.74 por ciento. La tasa de mortalidad obtenida es del 7.27 x 10.000 nacidos vivos, superior a la reportada por países desarrollados. La edad promedio de las pacientes fue de 27,87 + o - 7.63 años, con un promedio de escolaridad de 5.26 + o - 7.63 años. Se demuestran además bajas frecuencias de control prenatal y altos porcentajes de inestabilidad marital. Los trastornos hipertensivos del embarazo son la primera causa de muerte materna directa, seguidos por infección y los transtornos hemorrágicos de la gestación