Malignant transformation and progression in cancer is associated with the altered expression of multiple miRNAs, which are considered as post-transcriptional regulators of genes participating in ...various cellular processes. Although, it has been proposed that miR-23b-3p acts as a tumor suppressor in cervical cancer (CC), not all the pathways through which it alters the cellular processes have been described. The present study examines whether miR-23b-3p directly represses the c-Met expression and that consequently modifies the proliferation, migration and invasion of C33A and CaSki cells. c-Met has five microRNA response elements (MREs) for miR-23b-3p in the 3'-UTR region. The ectopic overexpression of miR-23b-3p significantly reduces c-Met expression in C33A and CaSki cells. The overexpression of miR-23b-3p reduces proliferation, migration and invasion of CaSki cells and the proliferation and invasion in C33A cells. In CaSki cells, the activation of Gab1 and Fak, downstream of c-Met, is reduced in response to the overexpression of miR-23b-3p. Together, the results in the present study indicate that miR-23b-3p is a tumor suppressor that modulates the progression of CC via post-transcriptional regulation of the c-Met oncogene.
(1) Background: Healthcare workers have been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Digital interventions have been carried out that have been effective with this population; however, few have been ...reported in Latin America. Our aim is to describe the components and methods to evaluate the feasibility and utility of an online multi-component psychological intervention for healthcare workers in Mexico during COVID-19. (2) Methods: This study is a randomized clinical trial with two arms: (1) self-applied intervention and (2) intervention delivered online by therapists. The participants are randomly assigned to one arm, receiving the same treatment contents in both groups. The "Personal COVID" intervention consists of an internet platform containing 9 nuclear and 3 complementary modules. The objectives of the intervention are: (1) to reduce anxiety, depressive symptoms, burnout, and compassion fatigue, and (2) to increase the quality of life, sleep quality, self-care, and their skills to give bad news. The protocol has been registered on ClinicalTrials.gov (identifier: NCT04890665). (3) Discussion: This protocol is designed according to the highest scientific standards following the SPIRIT guidelines. The "Personal COVID" intervention is expected to be of high efficacy in treating the emotional distress of healthcare workers and promoting their health during the COVID-19 pandemic.
We present a simple and cost-effective strategy for developing gelatin methacryloyl (GelMA) hydrogels supplemented with minimally processed tissue (MPT) to fabricate densely packed ...skeletal-muscle-like tissues. MPT powder was prepared from skeletal muscle by freeze-drying, grinding, and sieving. Cell-culture experiments showed that the incorporation of 0.5–2.0% (w/v) MPT into GelMA hydrogels enhances the proliferation of murine myoblasts (C2C12 cells) compared to proliferation in pristine GelMA hydrogels and GelMA supplemented with decellularized skeletal-muscle tissues (DCTs). MPT-supplemented constructs also preserved their three-dimensional (3D) integrity for 28 days. By contrast, analogous pristine GelMA constructs only maintained their structure for 14 days or less. C2C12 cells embedded in MPT-supplemented constructs exhibited a higher degree of cell alignment and reached a significantly higher density than cells loaded in pristine GelMA constructs. Our results suggest that the addition of MPT incorporates a rich source of biochemical and topological cues, such as growth factors, glycosaminoglycans (GAGs), and structurally preserved proteins (e.g., collagen). In addition, GelMA supplemented with MPT showed suitable rheological properties for use as bioinks for extrusion bioprinting. We envision that this simple and cost-effective strategy of hydrogel supplementation will evolve into an exciting spectrum of applications for tissue engineers, primarily in the biofabrication of relevant microtissues for in vitro models and cultured meat and ultimately for the biofabrication of transplant materials using autologous MPT.
Concern for the environment and the diminishing availability of resources is undoubtedly a relevant issue, both personally and organizationally. That is why knowing the factors that affect the ...occurrence of green behavior is relevant, particularly in SMEs, due to their importance in the economy of all countries, and specifically by the women who work in them, since their participation is gaining more and more preponderance in the Mexican labor force. It is because of the above that the objective of the research was to analyze the effect of environmental knowledge and perceived behavioral control on the employee green behavior of female employees of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in Ensenada, Baja California. The study is characterized by having a quantitative approach, a non-experimental, exploratory design and a transverse temporal dimension. 240 questionnaires were applied to female employees of SMEs in Ensenada, Baja California. The data collected was analyzed using structural equation modeling based on the partial least squares technique. The results empirically reflect the following: environmental knowledge has a positive and statistically significant effect on perceived behavioral control and employee green behavior. Also, it was found that the perceived behavioral control variable had a positive and statistically significant effect on the employee green behavior of female employees of SMEs in Ensenada, Baja California. Lastly, it was found that environmental knowledge predicts perceived behavioral control which in turn predicts employee green behavior. In this sense, such findings allow us to consider environmental knowledge and perceived behavioral control as predictive variables of employee green behavior.
Blastocystis
spp. is a unicellular organism that resides in digestive tract of various vertebrates, with a worldwide distribution and a variable prevalence. For many years,
Blastocystis
spp. was ...considered a cyst of a flagellate, a fungus, or a saprophyte yeast of the digestive tract; in 1996, it is placed in the group of stramenopiles (heterokonts). Since its new classification, many questions have arisen around this protist about its role as a pathogen or non-pathogen organism. Recent evidence indicates that
Blastocystis
spp. participates in the immune inflammatory response in the intestinal microbiome generating an anti-inflammatory response, showing a lower concentration of fecal inflammatory markers in infected human hosts. Here, we review recent findings on the regulatory function of
Blastocystis
spp. in the immune inflammatory response to comprehend the purpose of
Blastocystis
spp. in health and disease, defining if
Blastocystis
spp. is really a pathogen, a commensal or even a mutualist in the human gut microbiome.
Objetivo: validar y garantizar la fiabilidad de una escala diseñada para medir los diferentes tipos de residentes, empleando el enfoque de las representaciones sociales. Metodología: revisión ...exhaustiva de la literatura como base para diseñar el instrumento de medición de los tipos de residentes. Posteriormente, este instrumento fue sometido a validación por parte de expertos, utilizando el coeficiente de validez de contenido, la validez de Aiken y el análisis de contenido mediante el coeficiente de concordancia de W de Kendall. La validación del contenido del constructo se llevó a cabo a través de análisis factorial exploratorio y análisis de compuestos confirmatorio mediante PLS-SEM. Resultado: se presenta una escala coherente, clara, relevante y suficiente para evaluar los tipos de residentes, identificando cuatro tipos de residentes que pueden manifestarse, participar e involucrarse en una comunidad. Limitaciones: es importante destacar que esta investigación se vio limitada por la falta de una definición clara y precisa del constructo en la literatura, lo cual en algún momento podría haber dificultado su medición precisa y haber dado lugar a resultados inconsistentes. Conclusiones: la validación de un constructo no solo orienta el presente, sino que también abre camino hacia futuras investigaciones bien fundamentadas. Proporciona una base sólida para exploraciones posteriores, revelando áreas que demandan mayor atención y enriqueciendo la metodología y el análisis en futuros estudios.
Currently, because of global competition, companies within the manufacturing industry must implement new organizational and production techniques to compete and stay active. The use of continuous ...improvement tools has become an opportunity and an effective strategy to achieve this. However, there is evidence that many continuous improvement programs are not successfully implemented due to a lack of information related to human management during the implementation of these projects in the manufacturing industry. In this context, the objective of this research is to identify factors influencing the dynamics and effectiveness of work teams for the implementation and development of continuous improvement tools in the manufacturing industry. A literature review was conducted using the PRISMA method, considering scientific articles related to the main factors that affect the dynamics and effectiveness of work teams in relation to the implementation of continuous improvement tools. From the review and evaluation of the studies, 60 factors were identified that affect the effectiveness of work teams in relation to continuous improvement within the manufacturing industry. Subsequently, a Pareto analysis was conducted on the critical success factors based on the number of occurrences in the analyzed literature, identifying 32 critical success factors considered vital for the implementation of continuous improvement projects. It is concluded that the factors arise from two common elements, the involvement of senior management and the company’s own culture. Therefore, to ensure the effectiveness of work teams and their continuous improvement projects, management must focus attention on this cultural change mainly by providing the necessary resources for the development of the project, establishing an adequate and effective reward system, and, most importantly, directing efforts towards staff empowerment.
Este artículo aborda las interacciones directas y mediadas entre mujeres rurales a partir del interaccionismo y los estudios culturales, con la finalidad de caracterizarlas desde sus referentes ...identitarios. Para ello, se retoma el caso de San Bartolo Teontepec, en el sureste del estado de Puebla, México. Se concluye que la identidad de las mujeres, derivada de las interacciones, se constituye y es constituida: las define, pero también es susceptible de variabilidad.
The potential cause–effect relationship between uric acid plasma concentrations and HDL functionality remains elusive. Therefore, this study aimed to explore the effect of oxonic acid (OA)-induced ...hyperuricemia on the HDL size distribution, lipid content of HDL subclasses, and apo AI turnover, as well as HDL functionality in New Zealand white rabbits. Experimental animals received OA 750 mg/kg/day by oral gavage during 21 days. The HDL-apo AI fractional catabolic rate (FCR) was determined by exogenous labeling with
125
I, and HDL subclasses were determined by sequential ultracentrifugation and PAGE. Paraoxonase-1 activity (PON-1) and the effect of HDL on relaxation of aorta rings
in vitro
were determined as an indication of HDL functionality. Oxonic acid induced a sixfold increase of uricemia (0.84 ± 0.06
vs
. 5.24 ± 0.12 mg/dL,
P
< 0.001), and significant decreases of triglycerides and phospholipids of HDL subclasses, whereas HDL size distribution and HDL-cholesterol remained unchanged. In addition, HDL-apo AI FCR was significantly higher in hyperuricemic rabbits than in the control group (0.03697 ± 0.0038
vs
. 0.02605 ± 0.0017 h
−1
respectively,
P
< 0.05). Such structural and metabolic changes were associated with lower levels of PON-1 activities and deleterious effects of HDL particles on endothelium-mediated vasodilation. In conclusion, hyperuricemia is associated with structural and metabolic modifications of HDL that result in impaired functionality of these lipoproteins. Our data strongly suggest that uric acid
per se
exerts deleterious effects on HDL that contribute to increase the risk of atherosclerosis.
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