En el suroccidente colombiano, y en particular entre el norte del Cauca y el sur del Valle, incluyendo el municipio de Buenaventura, con Santiago de Cali como el principal epicentro urbano, se ...encuentra un amplío entramado de relaciones sociales y vínculos rurales-urbanos que se han consolidado en la región a través de una historia común y un desarrollo socioeconómico y cultural compartido, los cuales conforman un importante tejido territorial. Con un fuerte componente racial en su composición demográfica, este es uno de los territorios de mayor diversidad cultural del país, que se enriquece con expresiones de gran importancia, como las músicas negras andinas en interacción con la música indígena y campesina mestiza andina alrededor de los violines caucanos o violines negros, representativos de las comunidades afro caucanas y del sur del Valle. El presente texto hace visible el tejido territorial de la música nortecaucana, con sus agrupaciones de violines caucanos que se han fortalecido gracias al impulso del Festival de Música del Pacífico Petronio Álvarez, cuyo epicentro de realización cada año es Santiago de Cali.
Asthma is one of the most common chronic non-communicable diseases worldwide, characterized by variable airflow limitation secondary to airway narrowing, airway wall thickening, and increased mucus ...resulting from chronic inflammation and airway remodeling. Current epidemiological studies reported that hypovitaminosis D is frequent in patients with asthma and is associated with worsening the disease and that supplementation with vitamin D3 improves asthma symptoms. However, despite several advances in the field, the molecular mechanisms of asthma have yet to be comprehensively understood. MicroRNAs play an important role in controlling several biological processes and their deregulation is implicated in diverse diseases, including asthma. Evidence supports that the dysregulation of miR-21, miR-27b, miR-145, miR-146a, and miR-155 leads to disbalance of Th1/Th2 cells, inflammation, and airway remodeling, resulting in exacerbation of asthma. This review addresses how these molecular mechanisms explain the development of asthma and its exacerbation and how vitamin D3 may modulate these microRNAs to improve asthma symptoms.
Background and Objectives
The low availability and poor access to external beam radiotherapy (EBRT) in developing countries makes it hard for women with breast cancer to receive breast conservation. ...We studied the effect of providing intraoperative radiotherapy (IORT) on the travel time, distance, and costs of in the Mexico City Metropolitan Area (MCMA).
Methods
Sixty‐nine patients treated between January 2013 and September 2014 were analyzed. Travel distance and transit time was calculated using Google Maps. The time and distance patients living in the MCMA treated with IORT would have spent if they had received EBRT was calculated. Cost analysis for each modality was performed.
Results
71% (n = 49) lived in the MCMA. Sixteen (33%) received additional EBRT and 33 (66%) received IORT only. Mean driving distance and transit time of those 33 women was 132.6 km (SD 25.7) and 66 min (SD 32.9). Patients from the MCMA receiving IORT alone avoided 990 visits, 43 700 km and 65 400 min in transit. IORT led to a 12% reduction in costs per patient.
Conclusions
By reducing costs and time needed for patients to receive radiotherapy, IORT could potentially enhance access to breast conservation in resource‐limited developing countries.
1. Dryland vegetation is characterized by discrete plant patches that accumulate and capture soil resources under their canopies. These "fertile islands" are major drivers of dryland ecosystem ...structure and functioning, yet we lack an integrated understanding of the factors controlling their magnitude and variability at the global scale. 2. We conducted a standardized field survey across 236 drylands from five continents. At each site, we measured the composition, diversity and cover of perennial plants. Fertile island effects were estimated at each site by comparing composite soil samples obtained under the canopy of the dominant plants and in open areas devoid of perennial vegetation. For each sample, we measured 15 soil variables (functions) associated with carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus cycling and used the relative interaction index to quantify the magnitude of the fertile island effect for each function. In 80 sites, we also measured fungal and bacterial abundance (quantitative PCR) and diversity (Illumina MiSeq). 3. The most fertile islands, i.e. those where a higher number of functions were simultaneously enhanced, were found at lower elevation sites with greater soil pH values and sand content under semiarid climates, particularly at locations where the presence of tall woody species with a low-specific leaf area increased fungal abundance beneath plant canopies, the main direct biotic controller of the fertile island effect in the drylands studied. Positive effects of fungal abundance were particularly associated with greater nutrient contents and microbial activity (soil extracellular enzymes) under plant canopies. 4. Synthesis. Our results show that the formation of fertile islands in global drylands largely depends on: (1) local climatic, topographic and edaphic characteristics, (2) the structure and traits of local plant communities and (3) soil microbial communities. Our study also has broad implications for the management and restoration of dryland ecosystems worldwide, where woody plants are commonly used as nurse plants to enhance the establishment and survival of beneficiary species. Finally, our results suggest that forecasted increases in aridity may enhance the formation of fertile islands in drylands worldwide.
Contexto: la diabetes mellitus tipo 2 (DM2) es una enfermedad prevalente que puede comprometer cualquier órgano. La enfermedad renal diabética (ERD) es una de las complicaciones de la DM2.
Objetivo: ...conocer las características sociodemográficas, clínicas, de laboratorio clínico y biomarcadores interleucina (IL)-17 e IL-33 en plasma y orina de nuestra población con DM2 y ERD, y encontrar si hay diferencias al comparar con pacientes sin ERD y sin DM2.
Metodología: en este estudio de corte transversal los datos se obtuvieron de las historias clínicas. Se midieron las IL-17 e IL-33 en plasma y orina mediante kits comerciales de ensayo de inmunoabsorción ligado a enzimas.
Resultados: se incluyeron 62 pacientes con DM2, 23 pacientes con ERD, 39 pacientes sin ERD y 29 pacientes sin DM2. Aquellos con DM2 tienen mayores niveles en orina de IL-17 comparado con los que no tienen DM2 (p<0.001). Los pacientes sin ERD presentan mayores niveles de IL-33 en plasma comparado con los que padecen ERD (p=0.0046). En los pacientes con DM2 existe correlación positiva entre los niveles de IL-17 e IL-33 en orina. Los niveles de IL-33 en plasma presentaron un área bajo la curva de 0.74 para diferenciar entre pacientes con ERD y sin ERD.
Conclusiones: los niveles de IL-17 en orina son mayores en pacientes con DM2. Los niveles de IL-33 en plasma son mayores en pacientes sin ERD. El nivel de IL-33 en plasma podría ser útil para diferenciar casos de ERD.
BACKGROUND.Although return of function has been reported in patients undergoing proximal forearm transplantations (PFTs), reports of long-term function are limited. In this study, we evaluated the ...clinical progress and function 7 years postoperatively in a patient who underwent bilateral PFT.
CASE PRESENTATION.A 58-year-old man underwent bilateral PFT in May 2012. Transplantation involved all of the flexor and extensor muscles of the forearm. Neurorrhaphies of the median, ulnar, and radial nerves were epineural and 7 cm proximal to the elbow. Immunosuppressive maintenance medications during the first 3 years postoperatively were tacrolimus, mycophenolate, and steroids, and later, tacrolimus, sirolimus, and steroids. Forearm function was evaluated annually using the Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder, and Hand; Carroll; Hand Transplantation Score System; Short Form-36; and Kapandji scales. We also evaluated his grip and pinch force.
RESULTS.Postoperatively, the patient developed hypertriglyceridemia and systemic hypertension. He experienced 6 acute rejections, and none were resistant to steroids. Motor function findings in his right/left hand weregrip strength10/13 kg; key pinch3/3 kg; Kapandji score6/9 of 10; Carroll score66/80; Hand Transplantation Score System score90/94. His preoperative Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder, and Hand score was 50 versus 18, postoperatively; his Short Form-36 score was 90. This function improved in relation with the function reported in the second year.
CONCLUSIONS.Seven years following PFT, the patient gained limb strength with a functional elbow and wrist, although with diminished digital dexterity and sensation. Based on data presented by other programs and our own experience, PFT is indicated for select patients.
The biogeochemical cycles of carbon (C), nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) are interlinked by primary production, respiration and decomposition in terrestrial ecosystems. It has been suggested that the ...C, N and P cycles could become uncoupled under rapid climate change because of the different degrees of control exerted on the supply of these elements by biological and geochemical processes. Climatic controls on biogeochemical cycles are particularly relevant in arid, semi-arid and dry sub-humid ecosystems (drylands) because their biological activity is mainly driven by water availability. The increase in aridity predicted for the twenty-first century in many drylands worldwide may therefore threaten the balance between these cycles, differentially affecting the availability of essential nutrients. Here we evaluate how aridity affects the balance between C, N and P in soils collected from 224 dryland sites from all continents except Antarctica. We find a negative effect of aridity on the concentration of soil organic C and total N, but a positive effect on the concentration of inorganic P. Aridity is negatively related to plant cover, which may favour the dominance of physical processes such as rock weathering, a major source of P to ecosystems, over biological processes that provide more C and N, such as litter decomposition. Our findings suggest that any predicted increase in aridity with climate change will probably reduce the concentrations of N and C in global drylands, but increase that of P. These changes would uncouple the C, N and P cycles in drylands and could negatively affect the provision of key services provided by these ecosystems.
Celotno besedilo
Dostopno za:
DOBA, IJS, IZUM, KILJ, KISLJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
Objective
To investigate whether a simplified inflammation-based risk scoring system comprising three readily available biomarkers (albumin, C-reactive protein, and leukocytes) may predict major ...adverse outcomes in patients with COVID-19.
Methods
Upon admission to the emergency room, the inflammation-based risk scoring system was applied and patients were classified as having mild, moderate, or severe inflammation. In-hospital occurrence of thrombosis, need for mechanical ventilation, and death were recorded.
Results
One-hundred patients (55 ± 13 years; 71% men) were included and classified as having mild (29%), moderate (12%), or severe (59%) inflammation. The need for mechanical ventilation differed among patients in each group (16%, 50%, and 71%, respectively;
P
< 0.0001), yielding a 4.1-fold increased risk of requiring mechanical ventilation in patients with moderate inflammation and 5.4 for those with severe inflammation. On the contrary, there were no differences for the occurrence of thrombosis (10%, 8%, and 22%, respectively;
P
= 0.142) or death (21%, 42%, and 39%, respectively;
P
= 0.106). In the multivariate analysis, only severe inflammation (hazard ratio HR = 4.1), D-dimer > 574 ng/mL (HR = 3.0), and troponin I ≥ 6.7 ng/mL (HR = 2.4) at hospital admission were independent predictors of the need for mechanical ventilation.
Conclusion
The inflammation-based risk scoring system predicts the need for mechanical ventilation in patients with severe COVID-19.
To determine the time to reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) negativity after the first positive RT-PCR test, factors associated with longer time to RT-PCR negativity, proportion ...of children seroconverting after proven severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 infection, and factors associated with the lack of seroconversion.
The Epidemiological Study of Coronavirus in Children of the Spanish Society of Pediatrics is a multicenter study conducted in Spanish children to assess the characteristics of coronavirus disease 2019. In a subset of patients, 3 serial RT-PCR tests on nasopharyngeal swab specimens were performed after the first RT-PCR test, and immunoglobulin G serology for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 antibodies was performed in the acute and follow-up (<14 and ≥14 days after diagnosis) phase.
In total, 324 patients were included in the study. The median time to RT-PCR negativity was 17 days (IQR, 8-29 days), and 35% of patients remained positive more than 4 weeks after the first RT-PCR test. The probability of RT-PCR negativity did not differ across groups defined by sex, disease severity, immunosuppressive drugs, or clinical phenotype. Globally, 24% of children failed to seroconvert after infection. Seroconversion was associated with hospitalization, persistence of RT-PCR positivity, and days of fever.
Time to RT-PCR negativity was long, regardless of the severity of symptoms or other patient features. This finding should be considered when interpreting RT-PCR results in a child with symptoms, especially those with mild symptoms. Seroprevalence and postimmunization studies should consider that 11 in 4 infected children fail to seroconvert.
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