[Deep brain stimulation for Parkinson's disease: experience, benefits and limitations in a center in Latin America]. / Estimulación cerebral profunda para enfermedad de Parkinson: experiencia, beneficios y limitaciones en un centro en Latinoamérica.

Background: Parkinson's disease is poorly studied in Colombia. It is pharmacologically managed, but for refractory cases, surgery is a therapeutic option, positively impacting on quality of life. Objective: To determine the impact of deep brain stimulation as management in the control of progression in patients with Parkinson's disease attended our institution between the years 2014 to 2020. Method: Descriptive retrospective study, with patients collected between 2014 and 2020 undergoing deep brain stimulation surgery. The MDS-UPDRS (Movement Disorder Society-Sponsored Revision of the Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale) was applied in the pre- and postoperative period, and the results were compared. Results: 21 patients were included and the UPDRS was applied, finding a decrease in scores in the postoperative period. One patient had an operative site infection. Conclusions: There was an improvement in the MDS-UPDRS score, with a low rate of complications. The procedure time was prolonged from the preoperative evaluation. Deep brain stimulation is the management of choice for refractory Parkinson's disease. The patients in this series showed improvement in their symptoms. Unfortunately, there are limitations to perform this procedure in Colombia, such as the delay in the authorization of the procedure.

Antecedentes: La enfermedad de Parkinson está poco estudiada en Colombia. Es de manejo farmacológico, pero para casos refractarios la cirugía es una opción terapéutica que impacta positivamente en la calidad de vida. Objetivo: Determinar el impacto de la estimulación cerebral profunda como manejo en el control de la progresión en pacientes con enfermedad de Parkinson atendidos nuestra institución entre los años 2014 a 2020. Método: Estudio descriptivo de corte retrospectivo con pacientes recolectados entre los años 2014 y 2020 sometidos a cirugía de estimulación cerebral profunda. Se aplicó la MDS-UPDRS (Movement Disorder Society-Sponsored Revision of the Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale) en el pre- y el posoperatorio, y se compararon los resultados. Resultados: Se incluyeron 21 pacientes y se les aplicó la MDS-UPDRS, encontrando una disminución en las puntuaciones en el posoperatorio. Un paciente presentó infección del sitio operatorio. Conclusiones: Hubo mejoría en la puntuación de la MDS-UPDRS, con baja tasa de complicaciones. El tiempo de realización del procedimiento fue prolongado desde la valoración preoperatoria. La estimulación cerebral profunda es el manejo de elección para la enfermedad de Parkinson refractaria. Los pacientes de esta serie mostraron mejoría en sus síntomas. Desafortunadamente, existen limitaciones para la realización de este procedimiento en Colombia, como el retraso en la autorización del procedimiento.

Changing patterns of nest predation and predator communities along a tropical elevation gradient.

Tropical montane communities host the world's highest beta diversity of birds, a phenomenon usually attributed to community turnover caused by changes in biotic and abiotic factors along elevation gradients. Yet, empirical data on most biotic factors are lacking. Nest predation is thought to be especially important because it appears to be common and can change selective pressures underlying life history traits, which can alter competitive interactions. We monitored 2538 nests, 338 of which had known nest predators, to evaluate if nest predation changes along a tropical elevational gradient. We found that nest predation decreased with elevation, reflecting the loss of lowland predators that do not tolerate colder climates. We found different "super" nest predators at each elevation that accounted for a high percentage of events, suggesting that selection pressures exerted by nest predator communities may be less diffuse than has been hypothesized, at least for birds nesting in the understory.

Treatment Limitations for Pediatric Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Gliomas in a Middle-Income Country.

Objectives To evaluate the surgical management outcomes in pediatric patients with diffuse intrinsic pontine gliomas (DIPGs) who underwent intended biopsies and partial resections in a middle-income country, highlighting the barriers and challenges of these procedures for further investigation. Methods A retrospective review of a prospective acquired series of patients who underwent biopsy or resection for DIPG between January 2012 and June 2018 at our institution was performed. Results A total of 43 patients with posterior fossa tumors were identified. From these, seven pediatric DIPG cases were enrolled. Five were males. The median age was 5 years (range: 1-12 years). Only one patient (14.3%) had a ganglioglioma, while the others presented pilocytic and diffuse astrocytomas. Two (28.6%) patients had an intentional biopsy, and the other five (71.4%) had a partial resection. In the three (28.6%) patients who presented with associated hydrocephalus, the endoscopic third ventriculostomy was performed in the same surgical time. The median preoperative Lansky play-performance scale (LPPS) was 80 (range: 60-100), while the median postoperative LPPS was 23 (range: 7-52). Conclusion A decrease in overall survival was noted compared with data reported in other series. Multifactorial barriers were discussed including the social, geographic, and economic features that may influence on final outcomes.

Effects on cardiometabolic risk factors after reduction of artificially sweetened beverage consumption in overweight subjects. A randomised controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: The consumption of artificially sweetened beverages (ASBs) has been linked to metabolic alterations. The effect of reducing the regular consumption of these beverages on the metabolism is currently unknown. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effect of reducing consumption of ASBs on the metabolism in overweight young adults. DESIGN: A randomised, single-blind, controlled, 12-week, clinical trial was performed in overweight young adults who regularly consume ASBs. The 45 subjects who participated in the study were randomly divided into two groups: (1) control group (n=21) and (2) intervention group (no intake of ASBs, n=24). Body weight and composition, fasting plasma concentrations of glucose, triglycerides, insulin, cholesterol, low-density lipoproteins and high-density lipoproteins were measured at the beginning and end of the study. and the HOMA-IR was calculated. RESULTS: At the end of 12 weeks, the intervention group showed a significant decrease (as opposed to an increase in the control group) in the percentage of change in body weight (-1.22% vs 1.31%, p<0.004), body fat (-6.28% vs 6.15%, p<0.001) and insulin resistance index (-12.06 vs 38.21%, p<0.00002), as well as in levels of glucose (-4.26% vs 0.51%, p<0.05), triglycerides (-14.74% vs 19.90%, p<0.006), insulin (-8.02% vs 39.23%, p<0.00005), cholesterol (-8.71% vs 0.77%, p<0.01) and LDL (-9.46% vs 9.92%, p<0.004). CONCLUSION: A reduction in habitual consumption of ASBs in overweight young adults decreases biochemical measurements, body weight and composition, suggesting a participation in the metabolic processes.

Triarylamine Enriched Organostannoxane Drums: Synthesis, Optoelectrochemical Properties, Association Studies, and Gelation Behavior.

The straightforward synthesis of three organotin clusters endowed with six triarylamine-based moieties is reported herein. The optoelectronic properties of the molecules, as well as their ability to form gels, were investigated. The association ability of the compounds was studied as well by means of variable temperature nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and ultraviolet-visible (UV-vis) spectroscopy. The optimization of the geometry of the compounds has been performed and compared to the X-ray diffraction of the crystals. The results obtained through this comparison are useful for the explanation of their different gelation behaviors. In fact, organostannoxane drum 1 exhibits a strong ability to form organized supramolecular structures by means of a number of noncovalent short contacts that finally yield luminescent organogels in aromatic solvents.

Distance Matters: Biasing Mechanism, Transfer of Asymmetry, and Stereomutation in N-Annulated Perylene Bisimide Supramolecular Polymers.

The synthesis of two series of N-annulated perylene bisimides (PBIs), compounds 1 and 2, is reported, and their self-assembling features are thoroughly investigated by a complete set of spectroscopic measurements and theoretical calculations. The study corroborates the enormous influence that the distance between the PBI core and the peripheral groups exerts on the chiroptical properties and the supramolecular polymerization mechanism. Compounds 1, with the peripheral groups separated from the central PBI core by two methylenes and an ester group, form J-type supramolecular polymers in a cooperative manner but exhibit negligible chiroptical properties. The lack of clear helicity, due to the staircase arrangement of the self-assembling units in the aggregate, justifies these features. In contrast, attaching the peripheral groups directly to the N-annulated PBI core drastically changes the self-assembling properties of compounds 2, which form H-type aggregates following an isodesmic mechanism. These H-type aggregates show a strong aggregation-caused quenching (ACQ) effect that leads to nonemissive aggregates. Chiral (S)-2 and (R)-2 experience an efficient transfer of asymmetry to afford P- and M-type aggregates, respectively, although no amplification of asymmetry is achieved in majority rules or "sergeants-and-soldiers" experiments. A solvent-controlled stereomutation is observed for chiral (S)-2 and (R)-2, which form helical supramolecular polymers of different handedness depending on the solvent (methylcyclohexane or toluene). The stereomutation is accounted for by considering the two possible conformations of the terminal phenyl groups, eclipsed or staggered, which lead to linear or helical self-assemblies, respectively, with different relative stabilities depending on the solvent.

Effects on cardiometabolic risk factors after reduction of artificially sweetened beverage consumption in overweight subjects. A randomised controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: The consumption of artificially sweetened beverages (ASBs) has been linked to metabolic alterations. The effect of reducing the regular consumption of these beverages on the metabolism is currently unknown. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effect of reducing consumption of ASBs on the metabolism in overweight young adults. DESIGN: A randomised, single-blind, controlled, 12-week, clinical trial was performed in overweight young adults who regularly consume ASBs. The 45 subjects who participated in the study were randomly divided into two groups: (1) control group (n=21) and (2) intervention group (no intake of ASBs, n=24). Body weight and composition, fasting plasma concentrations of glucose, triglycerides, insulin, cholesterol, low-density lipoproteins and high-density lipoproteins were measured at the beginning and end of the study. and the HOMA-IR was calculated. RESULTS: At the end of 12 weeks, the intervention group showed a significant decrease (as opposed to an increase in the control group) in the percentage of change in body weight (-1.22% vs 1.31%, p<0.004), body fat (-6.28% vs 6.15%, p<0.001) and insulin resistance index (-12.06 vs 38.21%, p<0.00002), as well as in levels of glucose (-4.26% vs 0.51%, p<0.05), triglycerides (-14.74% vs 19.90%, p<0.006), insulin (-8.02% vs 39.23%, p<0.00005), cholesterol (-8.71% vs 0.77%, p<0.01) and LDL (-9.46% vs 9.92%, p<0.004). CONCLUSION: A reduction in habitual consumption of ASBs in overweight young adults decreases biochemical measurements, body weight and composition, suggesting a participation in the metabolic processes.

Unveiling the Role of Hydrogen Bonds in Luminescent N-Annulated Perylene Liquid Crystals.

We report the liquid-crystalline (LC) and luminescent properties of a series of N-annulated perylenes (1-4) in whose molecular structures amide and ester groups alternate. We found that the LC properties of these compounds not only depend on the number of hydrogen-bonding units, but also on the relative position of the amide linkers in the molecule. The absence of amide groups in compound 1 leads to no LC properties, whereas four amide groups induce the formation of a wide temperature range columnar hexagonal phase in compound 4. Remarkably, compound 3, with two amide groups in the inner part of the structure, stabilizes the columnar LC phases better than its structural isomer 2, with the amide groups in the outer part of the molecule. Similarly, we found that only compounds 1 and 2, which have no hydrogen bonding units in the inner part of the molecule, exhibit luminescence vapochromism upon exposure to organic solvent vapors.

Globular Aggregates Stemming from the Self-Assembly of an Amphiphilic N-Annulated Perylene Bisimide in Aqueous Media.

Herein, we describe the synthesis of highly emissive amphiphilic N-annulated PBI 1 decorated with oligo ethylene glycol (OEG) side chains. These polar side chains allow the straightforward solubility of 1 in solvents of different polarity such as water, iPrOH, dioxane, or chloroform. Compound 1 self-assembles in aqueous media by π-stacking of the aromatic units and van der Waals interactions, favored by the hydrophobic effect. The hypo- and hypsochromic effect observed in the UV-Vis spectra of 1 in water in comparison to chloroform is diagnostic of H-type aggregation. Solvent denaturation experiments allow deriving the free Gibbs energy for the self-assembly process in aqueous media and the factor m that is indicative of the influence exerted by a good solvent in the stability of the final aggregates. The ability of compound 1 to self-assemble in water yields globular aggregates that have been visualized by TEM imaging.

Consecutive Supramolecular Polymerization of a Rylene-Based Twistacene.

The synthesis and self-assembling features of twistacene 1 are reported. The supramolecular polymerization of 1 displays a consecutive pathway to afford slipped (AggI) and rotationally displaced (AggII) aggregates conditioned by the formation of intramolecularly H-bonded pseudocycles. In methylcyclohexane, both AggI and AggII are highly stable and the interconversion of the kinetically controlled AggI into the thermodynamically controlled AggII takes several weeks to occur. The utilization of toluene as solvent changes the energetic level for both aggregates and favors a faster conversion of AggI into AggII within a period of minutes. This conversion can be accelerated by the addition of seeds. Furthermore, concentration dependent kinetic studies demonstrate the consecutive character of the supramolecular polymerization of 1.

Candida spp. Determination and Th1/Th2 Mixed Cytokine Profile in Oral Samples From HIV+ Patients With Chronic Periodontitis.

Background: Chronic periodontitis (CP), caused by bacteria and fungi, appears in up to 66% of HIV-patients. The impact and association of HIV-treatment (HAART) and Candida itself has not been properly evaluated in the development and progression of CP. The immunopathogenesis is characterized by CD4+ T-cells activation and the balance between the T-helper 1 (Th1) and T-helper 2 (Th2) or a mixed cytokine profile. Currently, the associated causes of an immune response in HIV-patients with CP is controversial. Our aims were the determination of Candida spp. and cytokine profile in oral samples from HIV-positive patients with CP, considering the CD4+ T cells levels and HAART use. Methods: From 500 HIV-positive patients evaluated, 228 patients were enrolled. Patients were separated in groups: (A) n = 53 (≤200 CD4+ T-cells on HAART); (B) n = 57 (≤200 CD4+ T-cells without HAART); (C) n = 50 (>200 CD4+ T-cells without HAART); (D) n = 68 (>200 CD4+ T-cells on HAART). Candida spp. were isolated from the oral biofilm and crevicular fluid in CHROMagar and confirmed by endpoint PCR. Cytokine levels were measured by beads-based immunoassay in saliva by flow cytometry. Results: 147 patients (64.5%) were positive to Candida spp. and 204 strains were isolated; 138 (67.6%) were C. albicans and the remaining C. non-albicans species (C. glabrata>C. tropicalis>C. krusei>C. dubliniensis). In this study, CHROMagar showed good sensitivity (95%) but poor specificity (68%); since of the 152 samples identified as C. albicans, only 131 were confirmed by PCR; from the 10 samples identified as C. glabrata, only six were confirmed. Finally, of the 42 samples detected as C. tropicalis, only five were confirmed. When evaluating Candida spp. presence, group A and D had higher isolation, while group B had the highest species diversity. Whereas, group C had a significant reduction of Candida spp. Despite the presence of Candida and HAART, we found a Th1/Th2 hybrid profile in the saliva of patients with low CD4+ T-cell count (group A). Conclusion: Abundance and diversity of the Candida spp. detected in HIV-patients with CP could be related to HAART and low CD4+ T-cells levels. Also, the immunosuppression might promote a local Th1/Th2 hybrid cytokine profile.

Simple risk score for prediction of haemorrhagic complications after a percutaneous renal biopsy.

AIM: To derive a simple risk score to predict the individual risk of major complications for patients undergoing a percutaneous renal biopsy procedure of native kidneys. METHODS: The risk score was derived from a cohort of 1205 adult patients subjected to percutaneous renal biopsy and assigned to training and validation datasets. Factors associated with major complications were derived from univariate analysis and then modelled by stepwise multivariate logistic regression. Based on the odds ratio, independent predictors were assigned a weighted integer. The risk score is calculated from the sum of the integers. RESULTS: The overall incidence of major complications was 3.2%. Independent factors associated with MC were lower pre-biopsy haemoglobin, lower platelets, higher blood urea nitrogen, documented chronic kidney disease features in pre-biopsy ultrasound (US) and the presence of haematoma in the post-biopsy US. A score for pre-biopsy evaluation included the first four predictors and stratified patients in three categories with increasing risk at higher scores (low-risk 0.1%, moderate-risk 3.0% and high-risk 26.1%). The score demonstrated good discriminative power (AUC = 0.872). The addition of post-biopsy US findings increased the discriminative power (AUC = 0.938). A higher post-biopsy risk score was also associated with a higher incidence of MC (low-risk 0.2%, moderate-risk 2.7%, high-risk 16.9%). CONCLUSION: The risk of major complications after a percutaneous renal biopsy can be assessed by a simple risk score calculated from readily available information.

[Not Available]. / Body composition changes assessed by bioelectrical impedance and their associations with functional class deterioration in stable heart failure patients.

BACKGROUND: Heart failure (HF) patients develop important changes in body composition, but only a small number of studies have evaluated the associations between these changes and functional class deterioration in a prospective manner. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to evaluate whether changes in bioimpedance parameters were associated with NYHA functional class deterioration over six months. METHODS: A total of 275 chronic stable HF patients confirmed by echocardiography were recruited. Body composition measurements were obtained by whole body bioelectrical impedance with multiple frequency equipment (BodyStat QuadScan 4000). We evaluated functional class using the New York Heart Association (NYHA) classification at baseline and after six months. RESULTS: According to our results, 66 (24%) subjects exhibited functional class deterioration, while 209 improved or exhibited no change. A greater proportion of patients exhibited higher extracellular water (> 5%), and these patients developed hypervolemia, according to location on the resistance/reactance graph. A 5% decrease in resistance/height was associated with functional class deterioration with an OR of 1.42 (95% CI 1.01-2.0, p = 0.04). CONCLUSIONS: Body composition assessment through bioelectrical impedance exhibited a valuable performance as a marker of functional class deterioration in stable HF patients.

Body composition changes assessed by bioelectrical impedance and their associations with functional class deterioration in stable heart failure patients / Cambios en la composición corporal por impedancia bioeléctrica y su asociación con el deterioro de la capacidad funcional en pacientes con insuficiencia cardiaca crónica estable

Background: Heart failure (HF) patients develop important changes in body composition, but only a small number of studies have evaluated the associations between these changes and functional class deterioration in a prospective manner. Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate whether changes in bioimpedance parameters were associated with NYHA functional class deterioration over six months. Methods: A total of 275 chronic stable HF patients confirmed by echocardiography were recruited. Body composition measurements were obtained by whole body bioelectrical impedance with multiple frequency equipment (BodyStat QuadScan 4000). We evaluated functional class using the New York Heart Association (NYHA) classification at baseline and after six months. Results: According to our results, 66 (24%) subjects exhibited functional class deterioration, while 209 improved or exhibited no change. A greater proportion of patients exhibited higher extracellular water (> 5%), and these patients developed hypervolemia, according to location on the resistance/reactance graph. A 5% decrease in resistance/height was associated with functional class deterioration with an OR of 1.42 (95% CI 1.01-2.0, p = 0.04). Conclusions: Body composition assessment through bioelectrical impedance exhibited a valuable performance as a marker of functional class deterioration in stable HF patients (AU)

Introducción: los pacientes con insuficiencia cardiaca (IC) desarrollan cambios importantes en la composición corporal; sin embargo, pocos estudios han evaluado prospectivamente la asociación entre estos cambios y el empeoramiento de la clase funcional en pacientes con IC crónica estable. Objetivo: el objetivo de este estudio fue evaluar si los cambios en los parámetros de la bioimpedancia estaban relacionados con el deterioro de la clase funcional de la clasificación de la New York Heart Association (NYHA) después de 6 meses. Métodos: se incluyeron 275 sujetos con IC crónica estable confirmada por ecocardiograma. Se les realizaron mediciones de composición corporal por impedancia bioeléctrica de cuerpo completo con un equipo de múltiples frecuencias BodyStat QuadScan 4000 y se determinó la clase funcional por la clasificación de la New York Heart Association (NYHA) después de seis meses. Resultados: sesenta y seis (24%) sujetos mostraron deterioro de su clase funcional y 209 la mejoraron o no cambiaron. Se encontró mayor proporción de pacientes que cuya clase funcional se deterioró, en los que aumentó > 5% el agua extracelular y que desarrollaron hipervolemia de acuerdo a su localización en la gráfica resistencia/reactancia. La disminución de > 5% de la resistencia/talla se asoció de forma independiente con el deterioro de la clase funcional con un OR = 1.42 (IC 95% 1.01-2.0, p = 0.04). Conclusiones: la evaluación de la composición corporal a través de bioimpedancia eléctrica en pacientes con IC es un marcador de deterioro funcional (AU)

[Metabolism of N-acetyl-L-aspartate: its diagnostic and prognostic value]. / Metabolismo del N-acetil-L-aspartato: valor diagnostico y pronostico.

AIMS: To analyse the clinical involvement of the amino acid N-acetyl-L-aspartate (NAA) and the peptide N-acetyl-aspartyl-glutamate (NAAG) regarding their diagnostic and prognostic value by means of magnetic resonance spectroscopy. To conduct a review of the metabolism of NAA and NAAG, bearing in mind their chemical structure and physiology, in terms of the variations in their concentration and the correlation with the clinical features. DEVELOPMENT: The review is divided into two parts: in one it was found that the only site where NAA synthesis takes place is in the neuronal mitochondria, while the second part addresses magnetic resonance and, especially, spectroscopic techniques. An array of pathologies were analysed in search of criteria that allow diagnostic and prognostic guidelines. CONCLUSIONS: The study of the most abundant amino acid in the central nervous system (NAA) together with a product of its metabolism, NAAG, allows the diagnosis and follow-up of a variety of pathologies. At the same time, it makes it easier to obtain data about the density of the cell population and its vitality, thus also providing access to the functional status of the synapses.

TITLE: Metabolismo del N-acetil-L-aspartato: valor diagnostico y pronostico.Objetivos. Analizar la implicacion clinica del aminoacido N-acetil-L-aspartato (NAA) y el peptido N-acetil-aspartil-glutamato (NAAG) en relacion con su valoracion diagnostica y pronostica mediante espectroscopia de resonancia magnetica. Realizar una revision del metabolismo del NAA y del NAAG, considerando su estructura quimica y fisiologia, en relacion con las variaciones de su concentracion y en correlacion con la clinica. Desarrollo. La revision se divide en dos partes: en una se comprobo que el unico sitio de sintesis del NAA es la mitocondria neuronal, y del NAAG, el citoplasma neuronal; la segunda parte aborda las tecnicas de resonancia magnetica y, particularmente, la espectroscopia. Se analizan diversas patologias en busca de criterios que posibiliten obtener pautas diagnosticas y pronosticas. Conclusiones. El estudio del aminoacido mas abundante del sistema nervioso central (NAA) junto con un producto de su metabolismo, el NAAG, permite en patologias de diversos origenes su diagnostico y seguimiento y facilita la obtencion de datos de densidad de la poblacion celular y vitalidad de esta, de manera que se accede, ademas, al estado funcional de las sinapsis.

Metabolismo del N-acetil-L-aspartato: valor diagnóstico y pronóstico / Metabolism of N-acetyl-L-aspartate: its diagnostic and prognostic value

Objetivos. Analizar la implicación clínica del aminoácido N-acetil-L-aspartato (NAA) y el péptido N-acetil-aspartil-glutamato (NAAG) en relación con su valoración diagnóstica y pronóstica mediante espectroscopia de resonancia magnética. Realizar una revisión del metabolismo del NAA y del NAAG, considerando su estructura química y fisiología, en relación con las variaciones de su concentración y en correlación con la clínica. Desarrollo. La revisión se divide en dos partes: en una se comprobó que el único sitio de síntesis del NAA es la mitocondria neuronal, y del NAAG, el citoplasma neuronal; la segunda parte aborda las técnicas de resonancia magnética y, particularmente, la espectroscopia. Se analizan diversas patologías en busca de criterios que posibiliten obtener pautas diagnósticas y pronósticas. Conclusiones. El estudio del aminoácido más abundante del sistema nervioso central (NAA) junto con un producto de su metabolismo, el NAAG, permite en patologías de diversos orígenes su diagnóstico y seguimiento y facilita la obtención de datos de densidad de la población celular y vitalidad de ésta, de manera que se accede, además, al estado funcional de las sinapsis (AU)

Aims. To analyse the clinical involvement of the amino acid N-acetyl-L-aspartate (NAA) and the peptide N-acetyl-aspartylglutamate (NAAG) regarding their diagnostic and prognostic value by means of magnetic resonance spectroscopy. To conduct a review of the metabolism of NAA and NAAG, bearing in mind their chemical structure and physiology, in terms of the variations in their concentration and the correlation with the clinical features. Development. The review is divided into two parts: in one it was found that the only site where NAA synthesis takes place is in the neuronal mitochondria, while the second part addresses magnetic resonance and, especially, spectroscopic techniques. An array of pathologies were analysed in search of criteria that allow diagnostic and prognostic guidelines. Conclusions. The study of the most abundant amino acid in the central nervous system (NAA) together with a product of its metabolism, NAAG, allows the diagnosis and follow-up of a variety of pathologies. At the same time, it makes it easier to obtain data about the density of the cell population and its vitality, thus also providing access to the functional status of the synapses (AU)

Ultrasound assisted one-pot synthesis of benzo-fused indole-4, 9-dinones from 1,4-naphthoquinone and α-aminoacetals.

A one-pot synthesis of benzo[f]indole-4,9-diones from 1,4-naphthoquinone with α-aminoacetals has been developed. This method provides a straightforward synthesis of benzo[f]indole-4,9-diones via intramolecular nucleophilic attack of aminoquinones to aldehydes under mild reaction conditions. The detailed mechanism was also investigated.

Morphological and behavioral evidence of Batesian mimicry in nestlings of a lowland Amazonian bird.

Because predation is the main cause of avian nest failure, selection should favor strategies that reduce the probability of nest predation. We describe apparent Batesian mimicry in the morphology and behavior of a Laniocera hypopyrra nestling. On hatching, the nestling had a distinctive bright orange color and modified feathers all over its body, and 6 days after hatching, it started to move its head very slowly from side to side (in a "caterpillar" movement) when disturbed. These traits gave it a resemblance to a hairy, aposematic caterpillar. This species has a long nestling period for its size (20 days), perhaps due to slow provisioning rates (about one feeding per hour). We argue that the slow growth rate, combined with high nest predation, favors the evolution of antipredation mechanisms such as the unique morphological and behavioral characteristics of L. hypopyrra nestlings.

Reversal of hepatorenal syndrome in cirrhotic patients with terlipressin plus albumin. First experience in Mexico.

INTRODUCTION: Type 1 hepatorenal syndrome (HRS) is a functional renal failure that complicates end-stage cirrhosis. The vasopressin analogue terlipressin has been associated with improved renal function in patients with type 1 HRS. AIM: To evaluate the effectiveness of an infusion of terlipressin plus albumin in reversing type 1 HRS, its tolerability, and its adverse effects. METHODS: Thirteen consecutive patients with cirrhosis and type 1 HRS were included in the study. All patients received terlipressin plus albumin as treatment for HRS. The patients were divided in two groups. Group 1 contained eight patients in whom HRS was reversed with treatment, who were classified as responders. Group 2 contained five patients who were nonresponders. RESULTS: Sixty-one percent of the patients who received terlipressin plus albumin responded to therapy and underwent HRS reversal. In two patients, treatment with terlipressin was stopped because of adverse events. No relapse of HRS after terlipressin withdrawal was observed in this study. CONCLUSION: The rate of successful treatment with terlipressin plus albumin was 61%, similar to that in previously reported controlled trials. However, this is the first experience reported in Mexico. A cardiovascular evaluation is required before the start of treatment with terlipressin. This treatment appears to be an effective therapy for improving renal function in patients with type 1 HRS.

Morphologic detection and functional assessment of reconstituted normal alveolar macrophages in the lungs of SCID mice.

Alveolar macrophages (AMs) from immunocompetent animals were isolated from bronchoalveolar lavage and labeled with the fluorescent marker 1,1'-dioctadecyl-3,3,3',3'-tetramethylindocarbocyanine perchlorate (DiI). These AMs were administered intratracheally into mechanically ventilated SCID mice. From 1 to 28 days later, the recipient mice underwent bronchoalveolar lavage to isolate their AMs. To determine whether reconstituted AMs were still immunocompetent, the recovered AMs were assayed for their ability to phagocytose fluorescein-labeled zymosan-coated beads. After incubation with the beads, samples were assayed using a fluorescent-activated cell sorter to identify DiI-labeled reconstituted AMs, unlabeled resident AMs, and the proportion of these two groups undergoing phagocytosis. DiI-labeled AMs accounted for approximately 50% of all returned AMs. Additionally, the reconstituted AMs from normal BALB/c mice retained phagocytic activity compared with AMs from immunodeficient SCID mice. Reconstituted AMs demonstrated enhanced phagocytic activity compared with resident SCID AMs for up to 28 days following reconstitution. These results indicate that immunocompetent AMs can be successfully reconstituted into an immunodeficient host to partially restore alveolar host defense.