Efecto de la quercetina sobre la tasa de desarrollo y la viabilidad de embriones bovinos producidos in vitro

The development rates and the quality of the bovine embryos produced in vitro are lower than those produced in vivo, due to the oxidative stress to which they are subjected during their manipulation and the culture conditions. The aim of this study was to evaluate the production, cellularity and vitality of bovine blastocysts produced in vitro with different concentrations of quercetin. A total of 2108 oocytes were matured in vitro in medium 199 with 10% FBS, 5.0 μg/ml LH and 0.5 μg/ml FSH. Fertilization was carried out in TALP medium with 2x106 spermatozoa/ml. Potential zygotes were cultured at 38.7 °C with 5% CO2 in SOF culture medium supplemented with six concentrations of quercetin (1, 5, 10, 15, 20, 50 μM) and as controls were used the SOF medium without quercetin and supplemented with DMSO. The rates of cleavage (day 2) and blastocysts (day 7) were determined, as well as the cellularity and cell viability of the blastocysts. An analysis of variance was performed, and the means of the treatments were compared with the Tukey test. Treatments with 1 and 5 μM of quercetin were higher for the blastocyst rate (p<0.05). A reduction in the cleavage rate, the blastocyst rate and cell viability were observed for 20 and 50 μM, and a decrease in cellularity for 15 μM was found. Quercetin used at low concentrations during the in vitro culture of bovine embryos produces an increase in the rate of blastocysts, while the use of high concentrations of quercetin generates deleterious effects in bovine embryos.Las tasas de desarrollo y la calidad de los embriones bovinos producidos in vitro son menores que los producidos in vivo, debido al estrés oxidativo al que son sometidos durante su manipulación y las condiciones de cultivo. El objetivo de este estudio fue evaluar la producción, la celularidad y la vitalidad de los blastocistos bovinos producidos in vitro con diferentes concentraciones de quercetina. Un total de 2108 oocitos fueron madurados in vitro en medio 199 con 10% de SFB, 5.0 μg/ml de LH y 0.5 μg/ml de FSH. La fertilización se realizó en medio TALP con 2x106 espermatozoides/ml. Los posibles cigotos fueron cultivados a 38.7 °C con 5% de CO2 en medio de cultivo SOF suplementado con seis concentraciones de quercetina (1, 5, 10, 15, 20, 50 µM) y como controles se utilizaron el medio SOF sin quercetina y suplementado con DMSO. Se determinaron las tasas de clivaje (día 2) y blastocistos (día 7), así como la celularidad y la viabilidad celular de los blastocistos. Se realizó un análisis de varianza y las medias de los tratamientos se compararon con la prueba de Tukey. Los tratamientos con 1 y 5 µM de quercetina fueron superiores para la tasa de blastocistos (p<0.05). Se observó una reducción en la tasa de clivaje, la tasa de blastocistos y la viabilidad celular para 20 y 50 µM, y se encontró una disminución en la celularidad para 15 µM. La quercetina utilizada a bajas concentraciones durante el cultivo in vitro de embriones bovinos produce un incremento en la tasa de blastocistos, mientras que el uso altas concentraciones de quercetina genera efectos deletéreos en los embriones bovinos

Marcado por vitrificación de productos de gres con láser de nd:yag

El marcado por vitrificación con láser constituye una atractiva técnica para obtener patrones gráficos estéticos y duraderos sobre materiales arquitectónicos. Este trabajo presenta un estudio de las características morfológicas y dimensionales de líneas y áreas vítreas marcadas en cerámicos de gres utilizando un láser Nd:YAG (λ=1064 nm). El volumen de la fase vítrea formada depende de la densidad de energía con la que el haz láser incide sobre el gres. Sin embargo, su aspecto y dimensiones son determinados por cada combinación particular de potencia y velocidad del haz láser, como también del paso en el caso de áreas

Cost utility analysis of continuous infusion pump with integrated monitoring compared with multiple daily injection treatment for patients 15 years or older with type 1 diabetes mellitus in Colombia

Q1Q1360-361Objectives To estimate the incremental cost-utility ratio (ICUR) for the use of a continuous infusion pump with integrated monitoring (SAP) compared with the application of multiple daily injections (MDI) in adult (>15 year-old) patients with type 1 diabetes mellitus (DM1) in Colombia. Methods We designed an annual cycle Markov model, with transition probabilities obtained from a systematic review of the literature. Outcomes included in the search were ketoacidosis, severe hypoglycemia, microvascular complications (retinopathy, nephropathy, neuropathy), quality of life (expressed in quality-adjusted life years, QALYs, and obtained from Tufts database), as well as mortality. Other features of the model were: discount rate 3.5% for costs and QALYs, third party payer perspective (only direct medical costs), and a lifespan time horizon (up to 55 years). Threshold used was three times per capita gross domestic product (GDP), equivalent to € 17,547. Costs were estimated in 2014 Colombian pesos (1 euro = 2,660 COP), from base case scenarios (built by expert panels) and official tariff manuals. Univariate and probabilistic sensitivity analysis were performed. Results For the average patient, continuous infusion pump has a total expected cost of € 199,296, and generates 16.40 QALYs, while multiple daily injections would cost € 104737, and generate 14.48 QALYs (ICER € 49,302 per additional QALY gained). Sensitivity analysis shows that the only critical variable is the annual cost of continuous infusion pump treatment, which would have to be reduced by 40% to reach the cost-utility threshold. Conclusions Under the assumptions of the model, treatment with continuous infusion pumps would not be cost-effective for the average adult DM1 patient in Colombia. Further analysis would be required, addressed to certain selected subgroups of patients

Competencias genéricas Saber Pro 2013-3 en los programas de la Facultad : ¿Por qué tan diferentes?

RESUMEN: En el mes de noviembre del año 2013, 162.096 estudiantes habilitados de todos los programas profesionales del país presentaron las pruebas SABER-PRO, que de acuerdo al Ministerio de Educación Nacional (MEN) son un instrumento estandarizado para la evaluación externa de la calidad de la educación superior. De estos estudiantes, 577 pertenecen a la Facultad de Ingeniería-Universidad de Antioquia, y dos de ellos al programa de Ingeniería de Sistemas Virtual, los cuales no se tuvieron en cuenta en razón de su número para el análisis. De acuerdo con el Decreto 3963 de octubre de 2009, son objetivos de los exámenes SABER PRO: 1. Comprobar el desarrollo de competencias de los estudiantes próximos a culminar los programas académicos de pregrado que ofrecen las instituciones de educación superior. 2. Producir indicadores de valor agregado de la educación superior en relación con el nivel de competencias de quienes ingresan a ella, proporcionar información para la comparación entre programas, instituciones y metodologías, y para mostrar cambios en el tiempo. 3. Servir de fuente de información para la construcción de indicadores de evaluación de la calidad de los programas e instituciones de educación superior así como del servicio público educativo

Network centrality: an introduction

Centrality is a key property of complex networks that influences the behavior of dynamical processes, like synchronization and epidemic spreading, and can bring important information about the organization of complex systems, like our brain and society. There are many metrics to quantify the node centrality in networks. Here, we review the main centrality measures and discuss their main features and limitations. The influence of network centrality on epidemic spreading and synchronization is also pointed out in this chapter. Moreover, we present the application of centrality measures to understand the function of complex systems, including biological and cortical networks. Finally, we discuss some perspectives and challenges to generalize centrality measures for multilayer and temporal networks.Comment: Book Chapter in "From nonlinear dynamics to complex systems: A Mathematical modeling approach" by Springe

P. brasiliensis virulence is affected by SconC, the negative regulator of inorganic sulfur assimilation

Conidia/mycelium-to-yeast transition of Paracoccidioidesbrasiliensis is a critical step for the establishment of paracoccidioidomycosis, a systemic mycosis endemic in Latin America. Thus, knowledge of the factors that mediate this transition is of major importance for the design of intervention strategies. So far, the only known pre-requisites for the accomplishment of the morphological transition are the temperature shift to 37°C and the availability of organic sulfur compounds. In this study, we investigated the auxotrophic nature to organic sulfur of the yeast phase of Paracoccidioides, with special attention to P. brasiliensis species. For this, we addressed the role of SconCp, the negative regulator of the inorganic sulfur assimilation pathway, in the dimorphism and virulence of this pathogen. We show that down-regulation of SCONC allows initial steps of mycelium-to-yeast transition in the absence of organic sulfur compounds, contrarily to the wild-type fungus that cannot undergo mycelium-to-yeast transition under such conditions. However, SCONC down-regulated transformants were unable to sustain yeast growth using inorganic sulfur compounds only. Moreover, pulses with inorganic sulfur in SCONC down-regulated transformants triggered an increase of the inorganic sulfur metabolism, which culminated in a drastic reduction of the ATP and NADPH cellular levels and in higher oxidative stress. Importantly, the down-regulation of SCONC resulted in a decreased virulence of P. brasiliensis, as validated in an in vivo model of infection. Overall, our findings shed light on the inability of P. brasiliensis yeast to rely on inorganic sulfur compounds, correlating its metabolism with cellular energy and redox imbalances. Furthermore, the data herein presented reveal SconCp as a novel virulence determinant of P. brasiliensis.J.F.M. and J.G.R. were supported by a PhD grant from Fundacao para a Ciencia e Tecnologia (FCT). This work was supported by a grant from FCT (PTDC/BIA-MIC/108309/2008). M. Sturme. and M. Saraiva are Ciencia 2008 fellows. The authors would also like to thank FAPESP (Fundacao para Amparo a Pesquisa do Estado de Sao Paulo) and CNPq (Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Cientifico e Tecnologico) for financial support. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript

First Colombian Multicentric Newborn Screening for Congenital Toxoplasmosis

Congenital toxoplasmosis can result in permanent sequel as blindness or neurological damage in children and it seems to be more severe in South America than in other continents. There is a lack of information about this frequency in Colombia, where no control program is established, although it is a recognized cause of potentially preventable congenital blindness. We propose the first Colombian multicentric study to determine the frequency and impact of congenital toxoplasmosis. More than 15,000 newborns in seven cities were studied. Newborns were tested at birth by doing a cord blood test for toxoplasmosis. Additionally, children from mothers with history of toxoplasmosis acquired during pregnancy were recalled for a follow-up. The program identified fifteen children otherwise undiagnosed; three of these children died as consequence of congenital toxoplasmosis. The frequency of the congenital infection varied significantly between cities, being higher in Armenia and Florencia, intermediate in Bogota, Bucaramanga and Barranquilla and very low in western cities such as Cucuta and Riohacha. For the first time a significant correlation was found between mean rainfall at the city and the incidence of this congenital infection

University quality measurement model based on balanced scorecard

A Higher Education Institution (HEI) has the responsibility to track the processes through indicators that guarantee the measurement of the results in almost real time. This article presents the design of a management and quality model of the processes in a university, through the integration of a Balance Scorecard (BSC) and the implementation of an information system. For which it was required: a review of existing tracing and monitoring systems in the academic sector, definition of the requirements of the proposed technological, a diagnosis of the current measurement system of the HEI analyzed, identify measurement indicators and develop a technological tool. The designed model presents a precise and clear methodological guide that can be replicated in any HEI to monitor its processes

Natural History of MYH7-Related Dilated Cardiomyopathy

BACKGROUND: Variants in myosin heavy chain 7 (MYH7) are responsible for disease in 1% to 5% of patients with dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM); however, the clinical characteristics and natural history of MYH7-related DCM are poorly described. OBJECTIVE: We sought to determine the phenotype and prognosis of MYH7-related DCM. We also evaluated the influence of variant location on phenotypic expression. METHODS: We studied clinical data from 147 individuals with DCM-causing MYH7 variants (47.6% female; 35.6 ± 19.2 years) recruited from 29 international centers. RESULTS: At initial evaluation, 106 (72.1%) patients had DCM (left ventricular ejection fraction: 34.5% ± 11.7%). Median follow-up was 4.5 years (IQR: 1.7-8.0 years), and 23.7% of carriers who were initially phenotype-negative developed DCM. Phenotypic expression by 40 and 60 years was 46% and 88%, respectively, with 18 patients (16%) first diagnosed at <18 years of age. Thirty-six percent of patients with DCM met imaging criteria for LV noncompaction. During follow-up, 28% showed left ventricular reverse remodeling. Incidence of adverse cardiac events among patients with DCM at 5 years was 11.6%, with 5 (4.6%) deaths caused by end-stage heart failure (ESHF) and 5 patients (4.6%) requiring heart transplantation. The major ventricular arrhythmia rate was low (1.0% and 2.1% at 5 years in patients with DCM and in those with LVEF of ≤35%, respectively). ESHF and major ventricular arrhythmia were significantly lower compared with LMNA-related DCM and similar to DCM caused by TTN truncating variants. CONCLUSIONS: MYH7-related DCM is characterized by early age of onset, high phenotypic expression, low left ventricular reverse remodeling, and frequent progression to ESHF. Heart failure complications predominate over ventricular arrhythmias, which are rare