Insights into Online microRNA Bioinformatics Tools

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are members of the small non-coding RNA family regulating gene expression at the post-transcriptional level. MiRNAs have been found to have critical roles in various biological and pathological processes. Research in this field has significantly progressed, with increased recognition of the importance of miRNA regulation. As a result of the vast data and information available regarding miRNAs, numerous online tools have emerged to address various biological questions related to their function and influence across essential cellular processes. This review includes a brief introduction to available resources for an investigation covering aspects such as miRNA sequences, target prediction/validation, miRNAs associated with disease, pathway analysis and genetic variants within miRNAs

Adverse events of ERCP at San José Hospital of Bogotá (Colombia)

Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) has become the preferred treatment method for hepatobiliary and pancreatic disease. Despite technological progress this technique continues to account for the greatest morbidity and mortality caused by digestive endoscopic procedures. ERCP carries a risk of pancreatitis, perforation, hemorrhage, cholangitis and cardiopulmonary events occurring in upto 10% of patients in referral centers, implying a mortality of up to 1%, not including therapeutic failures or the need for re-intervention. A greater mortality rate has been demonstrated in prospective studies rather than in retrospective studies, but overall, the number of complications described in the literature is much lower than the number of complications that actually occur. A descriptive prospective study was conducted at San José Hospital from April 1, 2006 to April 30, 2007 in patients who underwent an ERCP and had a 1-month follow-up. A total of 381 patients were included; 9 (2.3%) were excluded, and of the remaining 372 there was an overall success in 79.6% of cases, 8.3% had a second intervention, 7.6% developed complications (pancreatitis, perforation, hemorrhage, cholangitis, pain, intolerance to sedatives, and cardiopulmonary events), and 4.3% were failed ERCP studies. The mortality rate of the ERCP procedure was 0.8%. ERCP-related complications were determined at a teaching center, and this suggests the need to implement centers of excellence in order to improve the efficacy of the procedure

Self-trapping of a binary Bose-Einstein condensate induced by interspecies interaction

The problem of self-trapping of a Bose-Einstein condensate (BEC) and a binary BEC in an optical lattice (OL) and double well (DW) is studied using the mean-field Gross-Pitaevskii equation. For both DW and OL, permanent self-trapping occurs in a window of the repulsive nonlinearity $g$ of the GP equation: $g_{c1}<g<g_{c2}$. In case of OL, the critical nonlinearities $g_{c1}$ and $g_{c2}$ correspond to a window of chemical potentials $\mu_{c1}<\mu<\mu_{c2}$ defining the band gap(s) of the periodic OL. The permanent self-trapped BEC in an OL usually represents a breathing oscillation of a stable stationary gap soliton. The permanent self-trapped BEC in a DW, on the other hand, is a dynamically stabilized state without any stationary counterpart. For a binary BEC with intraspecies nonlinearities outside this window of nonlinearity, a permanent self trapping can be induced by tuning the interspecies interaction such that the effective nonlinearities of the components fall in the above window

Coastal erosion monitoring in Colombia: overview and study cases on Caribbean and Pacific coasts

Tourism is one of the fastest growing activities in Colombia; the coast represents the favourite destination for both national and foreign visitors. However, coastal erosion is an actual problem, with high erosive rates in some areas. This chapter shows a general overview of the coastal erosion problem in Colombia and emphasizes the institutional framework used in monitoring. Four study cases are included to present a wide diagnosis of relevant erosive processes, both on Caribbean and Pacific coasts. Findings show erosive rates due to human interventions in all coastal departments on the Caribbean Sea; highest values were recorded in Cordoba (3.3 m/yr), Magdalena (5.3 m/yr) and La Guajira (3.2 m/yr). In addition, monitoring of barrier islands indicated that erosive processes on the Pacific coast are essentially due to natural phenomena, i.e. tsunami and El Niño events. In conclusion, long-term coastal erosion monitoring is urgently required in order to make adequate decisions and assess their effectiveness, with special concern to the correct location of coastal infrastructure and the management of coastal risks

Hearing Loss after Discontinuing Secondary Prophylaxis for Cryptococcal Meningitis: Relapse or Immune Reconstitution?

Relapse and immune reconstitution syndrome are difficult to distinguish in HIV-infected patients treated with antiretroviral therapy (ART). We report on a 26-year-old HIV-infected male (CDC C3) with hearing loss on the right side 2 months after discontinuing secondary prophylaxis for cryptococcal meningitis. CD4 cell counts had increased from 32/µl to stable counts > 200/µl for the preceding 6 months on ART but HIV replication was not fully suppressed (7,000 copies/ml). Magnetic resonance imaging identified lesions at the origin of the right cranial nerve VIII. Lumbar puncture revealed monocytic pleocytosis, slightly increased protein, but normal glucose and lactate levels, negative microbiological studies. Fluconazole was restarted and a new ART regimen was started in order to fully suppress HIV replication. Clinical and radiological signs were reversible during follow-up, and secondary prophylaxis was stopped after 6 months without adverse events. We review 26 published cases of cryptococcal infections with immune reconstitution syndrome and highlight the distinguishing feature

Nuevos registros de Vespidae (Hymenoptera: Vespoidea) para la región de la Orinoquía colombiana

We analyzed 72 specimens from the Arauca (71) and Casanare (1) departments in the Orinoco region of Colombia. The specimens belong to 10 genera and 18 species of vespid wasps. Four species are reported for the first time for the region and 14 are new records for the Arauca department. There is a likely new record of Stenodynerus cf. australis for the Neotropical region.Analizamos 72 especímenes colectados de los departamentos de Arauca (71) y Casanare (1) en la región de la Orinoquía. Estos pertenecen a 10 géneros y 18 especies de avispas. Cuatro especies son nuevos registros para la región y 14 son nuevas para el departamento de Arauca. Hay también un posible nuevo registro de Stenodyneus cf. australis para la región Neotropical

IRS Spectra of Solar-Type Stars: \break A Search for Asteroid Belt Analogs

We report the results of a spectroscopic search for debris disks surrounding 41 nearby solar type stars, including 8 planet-bearing stars, using the {\it Spitzer Space Telescope}. With accurate relative photometry using the Infrared Spectrometer (IRS) between 7-34 \micron we are able to look for excesses as small as $\sim$2% of photospheric levels with particular sensitivity to weak spectral features. For stars with no excess, the $3\sigma$ upper limit in a band at 30-34 $\mu$m corresponds to $\sim$ 75 times the brightness of our zodiacal dust cloud. Comparable limits at 8.5-13 $\mu$m correspond to $\sim$ 1,400 times the brightness of our zodiacal dust cloud. These limits correspond to material located within the $<$1 to $\sim$5 AU region that, in our solar system, originates from debris associated with the asteroid belt. We find excess emission longward of $\sim$25 $\mu$m from five stars of which four also show excess emission at 70 $\mu$m. This emitting dust must be located around 5-10 AU. One star has 70 micron emission but no IRS excess. In this case, the emitting region must begin outside 10 AU; this star has a known radial velocity planet. Only two stars of the five show emission shortward of 25 \micron where spectral features reveal the presence of a population of small, hot dust grains emitting in the 7-20 $\mu$m band. The data presented here strengthen the results of previous studies to show that excesses at 25 \micron and shorter are rare: only 1 star out of 40 stars older than 1 Gyr or $\sim 2.5$% shows an excess. Asteroid belts 10-30 times more massive than our own appear are rare among mature, solar-type stars