HIF-1α (hypoxia-inducible factor-1 alpha) mediates the responses of mammalian cells to hypoxia/ischemia by inducing the expression of adaptive gene products (e.g., vascular endothelial growth factor ...(VEGF) and erythropoietin (EPO)). Persistent pulmonary hypertension of the newborn (PPHN) and cyanotic congenital heart disease (CCHD) are common neonatal diseases considered as paradigms of hypoxemia. Since the expression HIF-1α, VEGF and EPO in newborns diagnosed with these diseases has yet to be studied, we set out to define the expression of these genes in peripheral blood from newborn infants diagnosed with PPHN and CCHD.
The mRNA transcripts encoding HIF-1α, VEGF and EPO were measured by RT-PCR in healthy newborn infants and infants diagnosed with PPHN and CCHD.
An important increase in HIF-1α expression was observed in both pathological conditions, accompanied by significant increases in VEGF and EPO expression when compared to healthy infants.
HIF-1α mRNA expression increases in newborn infants with PPHN or CCHD, as does the expression of its target genes VEGF and EPO.
The Service Quality in Hospital (SERVQHOS) assesses quality and satisfaction with hospital care received. This study aimed to determine the quality and satisfaction of parents in a tertiary-level ...pediatric public facility in Mexico.
We conducted a cross-sectional study in which 425 anonymous surveys were distributed during the discharge of children. The questionnaire evaluates the individual (subjective) and organizational (objective) quality of service: reliability, tangibles, assurance, responsiveness, and empathy, as well as satisfaction on a 5-point scale from 1 (much worse) to 5 (much better).
A total of 401 questionnaires were returned (94%). The mean quality score was 3.6 ± 0.7. The best-rated aspects were the medical equipment technology (3.6 + 0.8), the confidence that the staff transmits to patients (3.6 ± 0.8), and the friendliness of the staff when attending patients (3.6 ± 0.8). The worst-rated aspects were the condition of the rooms (3.4 ± 0.8), the waiting time to be attended by a physician (3.3 ± 0.8), and the timeliness of internal consultations (3.3 ± 0.8). The overall population rated as satisfied in 97% of cases.
A high rate of satisfaction was observed concerning both objective and subjective factors. However, the negative aspects of objective quality, such as reliability, should be addressed organizationally without implying economic investment in their resolution.
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•Prolactin treatment in vitro increased growth and motility of Toxocara canis larvae.•Cells of Toxocara canis larvae have prolactin receptors-like protein.•Prolactin receptors-like ...were localized in the intestine of the Toxocara canis larvae.•Toxocara canis has a DNA fragment like dog’s prolactin receptor gene.
The in vitro effect of prolactin (PRL) on the growth and motility of Toxocara canis larvae was assessed. Additionally, the expression and location of prolactin receptors (PRL-Rs) were determined in the larvae. Larvae of T. canis were incubated with different concentrations of PRL for different periods of time. The stimulated larvae accelerated their enlargement and increased their motility. The mean percentage of PRL-R+ cells in non-stimulated larvae, measured by flow cytometry was 7.3±0.3%. Compared with non-stimulated larvae, the mean fluorescence intensity (p<0.05) increased in larvae incubated with 40ng/mL of PRL for 10 days. A 465-bp length fragment was amplified from larvae gDNA by PCR. The sequence of this fragment showed 99% similarity with the gene fragment that codes for the PRL-R of the domestic dog. A high concentration of PRL-Rs was immune-located in the posterior region of the larval intestine; therefore, the intestinal cells in this region were most likely the targets for this hormone. Based on these results, PRL-Rs were identified in T. canis larvae, and the in vitro stimulation with PRL increased the number of these receptors, accelerated the growth and modified the activity of larvae. All of the above suggest that T. canis larvae are evolutionarily adapted to recognize the PRL of their definitive host and furthermore might explain the reactivation of tissue-arrested larvae during the gestation of bitches, which does not occur in gestating females of other species.
Abstract
Background
Axial carpal dislocations and fracture dislocations are 1.4 to 2.08% of all the fractures and dislocations of the wrist. These injuries are caused by high-energy blast or ...compression mechanisms. Only 11 cases of axial–radial–ulnar (ARU) fracture dislocations have been described in the literature.
Case Description
We describe a case with a traumatic transtrapezoid, peritrapezium, transhamate, peripisiform ARU in a patient with acute compartment syndrome, traumatic transverse flexor retinaculum (TFR) rupture, and radial nerve palsy.
Literature Review
The ARU fractures are injuries where the carpus is torn into three columns. ARU injuries have a high incidence of neurovascular, soft-tissue cover, and muscular-associated injuries. Depending on the injuries mentioned earlier, a bad functional prognosis can be expected. Nearly without exception, in ARU cases, a traumatic TFR rupture takes place. Garcia-Elias mentioned that the injury pattern is given by the speed, magnitude, and energy entry point.
Clinical Relevance
We describe a case of an ARU injury which has not been previously described. In an analysis of the 12 ARU cases previously reported, we observed that when two or more applied forces converge, an ARU injury pattern can occur. That suggests that in ARU injuries, one side of the injury occurs before the other. Due to the extensive carpal damage, in patients with ARU, a restricted range of motion is more likely to happen than residual instability. Thus, in all these cases, an early mobilization and intensive rehabilitation is highly necessary.
Mutation frequencies at some loci in mammalian somatic cells in vivo approach 10(-4). The majority of these events occur as a consequence of loss of heterozygosity (LOH) due to mitotic recombination. ...Such high levels of DNA damage in somatic cells, which can accumulate with age, will cause injury and, after a latency period, may lead to somatic disease and ultimately death. This high level of DNA damage is untenable for germ cells, and by extrapolation for embryonic stem (ES) cells, that must recreate the organism. ES cells cannot tolerate such a high frequency of damage since mutations will immediately impact the altered cell, and subsequently the entire organism. Most importantly, the mutations may be passed on to future generations. ES cells, therefore, must have robust mechanisms to protect the integrity of their genomes. We have examined two such mechanisms. Firstly, we have shown that mutation frequencies and frequencies of mitotic recombination in ES cells are about 100-fold lower than in adult somatic cells or in isogenic mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEFs). A second complementary protective mechanism eliminates those ES cells that have acquired a mutational burden, thereby maintaining a pristine population. Consistent with this hypothesis, ES cells lack a G1 checkpoint, and the two known signaling pathways that mediate the checkpoint are compromised. The checkpoint kinase, Chk2, which participates in both pathways is sequestered at centrosomes in ES cells and does not phosphorylate its substrates (i.e. p53 and Cdc25A) that must be modified to produce a G1 arrest. Ectopic expression of Chk2 does not rescue the p53-mediated pathway, but does restore the pathway mediated by Cdc25A. Wild type ES cells exposed to ionizing radiation do not accumulate in G1 but do so in S-phase and in G2. ES cells that ectopically express Chk2 undergo cell cycle arrest in G1 as well as G2, and appear to be protected from apoptosis.
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•Multiple evidences were used to delimit species of Mammillaria haageana complex.•We employ genotyping-by-sequencing to resolve relationships within Mammillaria haageana ...complex.•Incomplete lineage sorting have contributed to the reticulate evolution rather than introgression.•A new taxonomic treatment is proposed for the Mammillaria haageana complex.
Species complexes consist of very close phylogenetic relatives, where morphological similarities make it difficult to distinguish between them using traditional taxonomic methods. Here, we focused on the long-standing challenge of species delimitation in the Mammillaria haageana complex, a group that presents great morphological diversity that makes its taxonomy a puzzle. Our work integrates genomic, morphological, and ecological data to establish the taxonomic limits in the M. haageana complex, and we also studied the evolutionary relationships with the remainder of the M. ser. Supertextae species. Our genetic analyses, as well as morphological and ecological evidence, led us to propose that the M. haageana complex is made up of six distinct entities (M. acultzingensis, M. conspicua, M. haageana, M. lanigera, M. meissneri, and M. san-angelensis), mainly as a result of ecological speciation. A recent taxonomic proposal considered these taxa as a single species; therefore, we propose their recognition at the species level. Our results also show a high level of incomplete lineage sorting rather than reticulation, which is especially likely in recently diverged species such as those comprising M. ser. Supertextae. The species hypotheses proposed here may be useful in future extinction risk assessments and conservation strategies.
Evidence for the effectiveness of attachment-based interventions in improving youth’s socioemotional health increases each year, yet potential for scalability of existing programs is limited. ...Available programs may have lower acceptability within low-income immigrant communities. Co-designing and implementing interventions with trained community workers (
Promotors
) offers an appealing solution to multiple challenges, but community workers must have high investment in the program for this to be a workable solution. This study examines the experiences of promotors involved in the co-creation and delivery of an attachmentbased intervention program for low-income Latinx youth (ages 8 to 17) and their mothers. Promotors (
N
=8) completed surveys, reporting on the experiences of each therapy group in terms of group dynamic (
e.g
., promotors’ connectedness to each group, perceived program relevance). Following the completion of the intervention study, promotors participated in interviews in which they described their experiences in co-creating the intervention, delivering the intervention to the community, and their recommendations for improving the intervention. Overall, promotors perceived group dynamics as positive, though the mother groups were evaluated as significantly higher in quality (
e.g
., lower conflict) than the youth groups. Interviews revealed that promotors enjoyed the cocreation process and identified important areas for improvements for the intervention (incorporation of more visuals, creation of agelimited groups, reducing number of youth sessions) and evaluation (reduction in length, modification of language). Integrating input from promotors in the process of co-creating and implementing an intervention can benefit every member of the community from the program participants to the providers themselves.
The Locust simulation package is a new C++ software tool developed to simulate the measurement of time-varying electromagnetic fields using RF detection techniques. Modularity and flexibility allow ...for arbitrary input signals, while concurrently supporting tight integration with physics-based simulations as input. External signals driven by the Kassiopeia particle tracking package are discussed, demonstrating conditional feedback between Locust and Kassiopeia during software execution. An application of the simulation to the Project 8 experiment is described. Locust is publicly available at https://github.com/project8/locust_mc.
Pilosocereus
is one of the Cactaceae family’s most relevant genera in terms of the number of species and its wide geographical range in the Americas. Within
Pilosocereus
, five informal taxonomic ...groups have been recognized, one of which is
P. leucocephalus
group
s.s.
, whose phylogenetic relationships remain unresolved. Therefore, our objectives are to recognize the circumscriptions of the species in
P. leucocephalus
group
s.s.
and to corroborate the monophyly and phylogenetic relationships of this group through a set of morphological and molecular characters. This study is based on representative sampling along the broad distribution of this group in Mexico and Central America using multivariate and phylogenetic analyses. The morphological characters identified to contribute to species recognition and group formation are branch diameter, areole length, the areole length-width ratio, the distance between areoles, the length of the longest radial spine, and branch and spines colors. The chloroplast markers
rpl16
,
trnL-trnF
, and
petL-psbE
and the nuclear marker
AT1G18270
support the monophyly of the
P. leucocephalus
group
s.s.
, and two probable synapomorphies are suggested, including one transversion in
rpl16
and another in
petL-psbE
. Together, our results demonstrate that sampled species of
P. leucocephalus
group
s.s.
encompass six species distributed in Mexico and Central America:
P. alensis
and
P. purpusii
in the western region,
P. chrysacanthus
and
P. collinsii
in the central region, and
P. gaumeri
and
P. leucocephalus
in the eastern region. A taxonomic key to recognized species is provided.
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