Increased basolateral amygdala metabolic activity during flavor familiarization: an experimental study

Background: Novel flavors elicit a cautious neophobic response which is attenuated as the flavor becomes familiar and safe. The attenuation of neophobia reveals the formation of a safe memory. Previous lesion studies in rats have reported that basolateral amygdala integrity is required for taste neophobia, but not neophobia to flavor, i.e., taste linked to an odorous component. Accordingly, immunohistochemical analyses show that novel tastes induced higher basolateral amygdala activity when compared to familiar ones. However, a different role of basolateral amygdala in flavor attenuation of neophobia is suggested by lesion studies using a vinegar solution. Studies assessing basolateral amygdala activity during flavor attenuation of neophobia are lacking. Thus, we quantified cytochrome oxidase as an index of basolateral amygdala activity along the first and second vinegar exposures in order to assess flavor neophobia and attenuation of neophobia. Methods: We exposed adult male Wistar rats either once or twice to a 3% cider vinegar solution or water, and compared the basolateral amygdala, piriform cortex and caudate putamen brain metabolic activity using cytochrome c-oxidase histochemistry. Results: We found increased flavor intake and cytochrome c-oxidase histochemistry activity during the second exposure in basolateral amygdala, but not in the piriform cortex and caudate/putamen. Conclusions: The main finding of the study is that BLA metabolic activity was higher in the group exposed to a familiar vinegar solution than in the groups exposed to either water or a novel vinegar solution.6 página

Evaluation of a Cryptococcal antigen Lateral Flow Assay in serum and cerebrospinal fluid for rapid diagnosis of cryptococcosis in Colombia

A Lateral Flow Assay to detect cryptococcal antigen (CrAg® LFA) in serum and cerebrospinal fluid for the rapid diagnosis of cryptococcosis was evaluated. A retrospective validation was performed. Sensitivity and specificity of the CrAg® LFA was 100%. High concordance (kappa index=1.0) between Cryptococcal Antigen Latex Agglutination System (CALAS®) and CrAg® LFA was observed. CrAg® LFA showed higher analytical sensitivity for detecting low concentrations of cryptococcal antigen

Circular dichroism and fluorescence spectroscopic properties of the major core protein of feline immunodeficiency virus and its tryptophan mutants: Assignment of the individual contribution of the aromatic side chains

The gene coding for the major capsid protein of feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) has been cloned into the expression vector pQE60, which allows protein purification by affinity chromatography on a nitrilotriacetic acid/Ni/agarose column. The gene was expressed in Escherichia coli and the resultant soluble protein (FIV-rp24) purified to electrophoretic homogeneity. The amino-acid composition of the recombinant protein is almost identical to that predicted from the DNA sequence. This protein has two tryptophan residues at positions 40 and 126 that have been replaced by phenylalanine by site-directed mutagenesis to obtain two single mutants and a double mutant. Circular dichroism and fluorescence spectroscopy were employed to study the structural features of FIV-rp24 protein and its tryptophan mutants. The analysis of the CD spectra indicated that α-helix is the major secondary structural element (48-52%) and that the overall three-dimensional structure is not modified by the mutations. The fluorescence emission spectra showed that both tryptophan residues occupy a highly hydrophobic environment. Moreover, the different tyrosine fluorescence intensities of wild-type and mutant proteins are indicative of the existence of resonance energy transfer processes to nearby tryptophan. The individual contributions of each tryptophan residue to the spectroscopic properties of the wild-type protein were obtained from the spectra of all these proteins. Thermal denaturation studies indicate that the two tryptophan residues do not contribute equally to the stabilization of the three-dimensional structure

Documentación e implementación de un sistema de seguridad industrial y salud ocupacional: una necesidad en las empresas colombianas

En este artículo se describen el procedimiento aplicado para documentar la Norma Técnica Colombiana OHSAS 18001 en una empresa dedicada a prestar servicios de empaque y manufactura en operaciones logísticas bajo techo, con el objetivo de ofrecer lineamientos a empresas, a personas interesadas en buscar información práctica acerca de la implementación de la norma, a estudiantes que requieran complementar con un punto de vista práctico dentro de sus asignaturas y a empresarios que deseen implementar la norma en sus propias empresas. En el artículo se analizan tres fases del desarrollo de aplicación para buscar la certificación: diagnostico, requisitos generales y documentación de la información

Comparación de métodos para la recuperación y determinación de la prevalencia de Streptococcus agalactiae en mujeres gestantes de Medellín

ResumenStreptococcus agalactiae es un coco Gram positivo que se encuentra frecuentemente asociado a infecciones en neonatos, mujeres embarazadas y adultos inmunocomprometidos.ObjetivoComparar la sensibilidad de los métodos para la recuperación y la determinación de la prevalencia de S. agalactiae en un grupo de mujeres gestantes de Medellín.Materiales y métodosSe llevó a cabo un estudio descriptivo de corte. La población estudiada fueron 362 mujeres gestantes que consultaron en el periodo comprendido entre febrero y octubre de 2008, a las que se les tomaron muestras con hisopo del introito vaginal y de la región anal. Las muestras secultivaron simultáneamente en agar Nueva Granada y caldo Todd Hewitt con suplemento de antibióticos, a partir del cual se hizo un subcultivo en agar sangre de carnero al 5%.ResultadosAl comparar el método de recuperación en agar Nueva Granada con el método de referencia en caldo Todd Hewitt, la sensibilidad del primero fue de 44% y el valor diagnóstico positivo de 58%; presentó una alta especificidad (98%) y un valor diagnóstico negativo de 99%. Se identificó S. agalactiae en 21 (5,8%) gestantes.ConclusiónEl cultivo en caldo Todd Hewitt es un método sensible para la recuperación de S. agalactiae. Por consiguiente, se recomienda continuar con esta metodología para la tamización de mujeres gestantes en nuestro medio. La prevalencia de 5,8% encontrada en este estudio concuerda con los reportes de la literatura mundial y, teniendo en cuenta que la tasa de transmisión vertical es, aproximadamente, de 50% (1), se demuestra la necesidad de implementar medidas de vigilancia epidemiológica en nuestro medio.Streptococcus agalactiae, is a Gram positive coccus that is frequently associated to infections in neonates, pregnant women, and immunocompromised adults.ObjectiveCompare method sensitivity for recovery from S. agalactiae and to determine its prevalence in a group of pregnant women of the city of Medellín.Materials and methodsCross-sectional descriptive study. The population was pregnant women of Medellín who consulted from February to October, 2008; 362 pregnant women were included; the samples were taken from vagina introitus and anal area. The samples were simultaneously cultured in New Granada Agar and Todd Hewitt Broth supplemented with antibiotics, which was the base for the performance of a subculture in Ram Blood Agar at 5%.ResultsWhen comparing the New Granada Agar method of recovery with the Todd Hewitt Broth gold test, the sensitivity of the first was 44% and the positive predictive value was 58%; it presented 98% specificity and a negative predictive value of 99%. S. agalactiae was found in 21 (5.8%) pregnant women.ConclusionsTodd Hewitt Broth is a sensitive method for the recovery from S. agalactiae; therefore, continuing with this methodology for the screening of pregnant women in our environment is recommended. The 5,8% prevalence found in this study is consistent with the reports in world-wide literature. Considering that the rate of vertical transmission is approximately 50%, the need to implement epidemiological surveillance measures in our environment is evident

Expression and structural properties of a chimeric protein based on the ectodomains of E1 and E2 hepatitis C virus envelope glycoproteins

Hepatitis C virus encodes two enveloped glycoproteins, E1 and E2, which are involved in viral attachment and entry into target cells. We have obtained in insect cells infected by recombinant baculovirus a chimeric secreted recombinant protein, E1341E2661, containing the ectodomains of E1 and E2. The described procedure allows the purification of approximately 2 mg of protein from 1 L of culture media. Sedimentation velocity experiments and SDS-PAGE in the absence of reducing agents indicate that the protein has a high tendency to self-associate, the dimer being the main species observed. All the oligomeric forms observed maintain a conformation which is recognized by the conformation-dependent monoclonal antibody H53 directed against the E2 ectodomain. The spectroscopic properties of E1341E2661 are those of a three-dimensionally structured protein. Moreover, the chimeric protein is able to bind to human antibodies present in HCV-positive human sera. Accordingly, this chimeric soluble polypeptide chain may be a valuable tool to study the structure-function relationship of HCV envelope proteins

Different approaches to analyze the impact of future climate change on the exploitation of wave energy

The increment of the share of renewable energies in the global mix implies that all renewable energies must be exploited. In this sense, it is necessary to make significant research and investment effort in the particular case of wave energy to reach the degree of maturity of other marine energies in the near future. Apart from the inherent factors that hinder the development of wave energy, such as the non-existence of a market-leading type of capturing device, uncertainties about the available future resource also hamper its growth. In this article, a review of the procedures followed in the literature to deal with the future wave energy resources and their subsequent exploitation is described. These procedures include the evaluation of the best future atmospheric models to drive wave models, the different downscaling techniques to evaluate the resource in large regions with high spatial resolution, and the analysis of the variability of the future energy resource and its future exploitability in a certain region taking into account different types of devices. Additionally, the current state of the art of previous studies dealing with future wave energy resources for different locations worldwide is described. Despite the difficulties involved in studying future wave energy resources, the high technological readiness level of the offshore wind industry, the creation of power generation farms with combined technologies, and the growth of marine aquaculture in the coming years could generate synergies that provide the definitive impulse to achieve the necessary technological development.Agencia Estatal de Investigación | Ref. PID2020‐113245RB‐I00Agencia Estatal de Investigación | Ref. TED2021-129479A-I00Xunta de Galicia | Ref. ED431C 2021/44Agencia Estatal de Investigación | Ref. IJC2020-043745-IAgencia Estatal de Investigación | Ref. PRE2021-097580European Cooperation in Science and TechnologyUniversidade de Vigo/CISU

Acontecimientos vitales y hospitalización psiquiátrica en pacientes maniacos.

Se investigó la incidencia de AV en los seis meses previos al ingreso psiquiátrico y de AV ocurridos durante la infancia en un grupo de 27 pacientes ingresados por un episodio maníaco en un Hospital Psiquiátrico y se comparó con 24 pacientes traumatológicos ingresados en un Hospital General por patología aguda. El grupo de pacientes maniacos presentó más del doble de AV independientes que el grupo control, sin que se encontrasen diferencias significativas en cuanto a la incidencia de AV precoces. Se estudió también el tipo de A V yla relación entre la presencia de éstos y el número de ingresos psiquiátrico