A Decade of Implantation of the Bachelor’s Degree in Electrical Engineering in the Western Amazon

This paper deals with the implementation of the Bachelor\u27s Degree in Electrical Engineering in Western Amazonia, as well as it presents an analysis of the academic performance of students in the Basic and Professional Core. The Federal University of Rondônia Foundation (UNIR), located in Porto Velho, Brazil, started the activities of the course in 2007 and continues to invest in the infrastructure and qualification of human resources in order to stimulate technological development in the region. Analyzing the performance data of the academics regarding the degree of difficulty established from the curricular offer, it is possible to infer some answers. In the course of the analysis, the databases emerged by taking note, such as students who only enroll and do not attend the course, among others. The disciplines diverged into two segments, Basic Core (NB) and Professional Core (NP). The data refers to the grades obtained by the students in all the disciplines studied and offered by the Academic Electrical Engineering Department (DAEE) in the period from 2007/1 to 2016/2. Along the analysis, two graphs demonstrated the evaluation. The analysis of the academic performance of students in the subjects during the NB and NP reinforces the result obtained in the Program for International Student Assessment (PISA), since Brazil has not obtained progress in science, reading, and mathematics averages. The results obtained indicate the necessity of effective measures in primary and secondary education since the deficit propagated to superior levels

TFAP2E Methylation and Expression Status Does Not Predict Response to 5-FU-based Chemotherapy in Colorectal Cancer

Purpose: A recent study reported that 5-fluorouracil (5-FU)- based chemotherapy is less effective in treating patients with advanced colorectal cancer demonstrating hypermethylation of the TFAP2E gene. The aim of our study was to confirm and validate these findings in large, uniformly treated, wellcharacterized patient cohorts. Experimental Design: Two cohorts of 783 patients with colorectal cancer: 532 from a population-based, multicenter cohort (EPICOLON I) and 251 patients from a clinic-based trial were used to study the effectiveness of TFAP2E methylation and expression as a predictor of response of colorectal cancer patients to 5-FU–based chemotherapy. DNA methylation status of the TFAP2E gene in patients with colorectal cancer was assessed by quantitative bisulfite pyrosequencing analysis. IHC analysis of the TFAP2E protein expression was also performed. Results: Correlation between TFAP2E methylation status and IHC staining was performed in 607 colorectal cancer samples. Among 357 hypermethylated tumors, only 141 (39.6%) exhibited loss of protein expression. Survival was not affected by TFAP2E hypermethylation in stage IV patients [HR, 1.21; 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.79–1.87; log-rank P¼ 0.6]. In stage II– III cases, disease-free survival was not influenced by TFAP2E hypermethylation status in 5-FU–treated (HR, 0.91; 95% CI, 0.52–1.59; log-rank P ¼ 0.9) as well as in nontreated patients (HR, 0.88; 95% CI, 0.5–1.54; log-rank P ¼ 0.7). Conclusions: TFAP2E hypermethylation does not correlate with loss of its protein expression. Our large, systematic, and comprehensive study indicates that TFAP2E methylation and expression may not play a major role in predicting response to 5- FU–based chemotherapy in patients with colorectal cancer

Detection of Neutralizing Antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 Post-Vaccination in Health Care Workers of a Large Tertiary Hospital in Spain by Using a Rapid Test LFIC and sVNT-ELISA

The presence of neutralizing antibodies (NAbs) against SARS-CoV-2 represent a surrogate marker of immunologic protection in populations at high risk of infection such as healthcare workers caring for hospitalized patients with COVID-19. As recommended by CDC and the European CDC, the use of rapid diagnostic tests during population-based evaluations offers an opportunity to identify individuals with serologic evidence of natural infection or who have undergone vaccination. We carried out a cross-sectional study to assess the presence of neutralizing antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 among medical providers at an intensive care unit of a large referral hospital in Alicante, Spain. In addition, we tested for the presence of neutralizing antibodies compared to serum of uninfected individuals from a Biobank. We were also interested in evaluating the use of a rapid lateral flow immunochromatography (LFIC) test against a surrogate ELISA viral neutralization test (sVNT). This rapid test demonstrated a specificity of 1.000 95% CI (0.91–1.00) and the sensitivity of 0.987 95% CI (0.93–1.00). The negative predictive value was 95%. After six months, this rapid test demonstrated that those immunized with two doses of BioNTech/Pfizer vaccine, maintained optimal levels of neutralizing antibodies. We concluded that all Health Care Workers develop NAbs and the use of this rapid immunochromatographic test represents a potential tool to be used in population-based studies to detect serological antibody responses to vaccination. Vaccination policies could benefit from this tool to assess additional doses of vaccine or boosters among high-risk populations.This work was supported by an advisory contract from the University of Alicante with reference WENZHOU-OJABIO1-21T and no one reports personal fees received from the biotech company

CLONACIÓN Y FILOGENIA MOLECULAR DE UN SEGMENTO DEL GEN CODANTE DE LA ACTINA DE MYRCIARIA DUBIA “CAMU-CAMU”: UN CANDIDATO PARA GEN DE REFERENCIA

Myrciaria dubia “camu-camu” es un frutal amazónico caracterizado por su amplia variación de vitamina C. Pero los estudios genético moleculares que puedan explicar esta variación son limitados. Por ello nuestro objetivo fue realizar la clonación y filogenia molecular de un segmento del gen codante de la actina de M. dubia. Las muestras fueron obtenidas de la colección de germoplasma del INIA. Luego, el ARN fue purificado y mediante RT-PCR con cebadores degenerados se amplificó un segmento del gen. En base a la secuencia obtenida se diseñaron cebadores específicos para PCR en tiempo real. Los resultados muestran que se ha aislado, clonado y secuenciado un segmento del gen codante de actina de M. dubia y detectado su expresión en hojas, pulpa y cáscara de M. dubia. Así, con el soporte de herramientas bioinformáticas y uso de técnicas de biología molecular hemos aislado, clonado y secuenciado un segmento del gen codante de la actina de M. dubia. Asimismo, los análisis realizados muestran que el gen se expresa y presenta niveles similares de expresión en hojas, pulpa y cáscara de M. dubia. Sin embargo, es necesario realizar más experimentos a fin de verificar su estabilidad de expresión

Transgene regulation in plants by alternative splicing of a suicide exon

Compared to transcriptional activation, other mechanisms of gene regulation have not been widely exploited for the control of transgenes. One barrier to the general use and application of alternative splicing is that splicing-regulated transgenes have not been shown to be reliably and simply designed. Here, we demonstrate that a cassette bearing a suicide exon can be inserted into a variety of open reading frames (ORFs), generating transgenes whose expression is activated by exon skipping in response to a specific protein inducer. The surprisingly minimal sequence requirements for the maintenance of splicing fidelity and regulation indicate that this splicing cassette can be used to regulate any ORF containing one of the amino acids Glu, Gln or Lys. Furthermore, a single copy of the splicing cassette was optimized by rational design to confer robust gene activation with no background expression in plants. Thus, conditional splicing has the potential to be generally useful for transgene regulation

COVID-19 vaccination at the University of Alicante (Spain): detection of neutralizing antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 by rapid serological test, a cross-sectional study

FUNDAMENTOS // Los anticuerpos neutralizantes frente al SARS-CoV-2 han resultado una herramienta eficaz para el análisis de la inmunidad generada frente a la COVID-19. Numerosos estudios de seroprevalencia realizados en diferentes colectivos han permitido trazar un mapa global sobre la cobertura vacunal mediante el uso de pruebas serológicas rápidas de inmunocromatografía de flujo lateral con fines clínicos y epidemiológicos. El objetivo de nuestro estudio fue determinar el grado de inmunidad frente al SARS-CoV-2 asociado a la presencia de anticuerpos neutralizantes en personal administrativo, docentes y estudiantes de la Universidad de Alicante, mediante un test serológico rápido, así como conocer su experiencia sobre la vacunación frente a la COVID-19. MÉTODOS // Se diseñó un estudio epidemiológico, transversal, basado en la prevalencia de anticuerpos frente a la proteína S (espícula o Spike) del SARS-CoV-2. Participaron un total de 888 personas. El estudio se llevó a cabo con un único test (6 de julio a 22 de julio de 2021). Mediante regresión logística se calcularon Odds Ratios ajustadas según sexo, edad, tipo de vacuna, número de dosis de vacuna recibidas, pauta completa de vacunación y haber padecido la COVID-19. RESULTADOS // Las vacunas recibidas mayoritariamente fueron Vaxzevria® y Comirnaty®, con un 73,3% entre ambas; el 67,2% presentó pauta completa. Los resultados del test rápido de anticuerpos neutralizantes OJABIO dieron un resultado positivo en el 61,4% de la muestra. La posibilidad de un resultado positivo en el test OJABIO estuvo fuertemente asociada a haber padecido la COVID-19, haber recibido dos dosis, estar vacunado con Spikevax® o Comirnaty® o pertenecer al grupo de dieciocho a veintinueve años. Un total de 712 sujetos respondieron a un cuestionario (80%) paralelo sobre los efectos adversos y las preferencias entre las distintas vacunas contra la COVID-19. CONCLUSIONES // El estado de vacunación frente a la COVID-19 en la comunidad universitaria a los seis meses de la puesta en marcha de las estrategias nacionales de inmunización refleja una baja cobertura asociada, a pesar de la excelente predisposición a vacunarse. Los test rápidos de anticuerpos neutralizantes (AcN) pueden ser de utilidad para orientar las estrategias de inmunización y para decidir el momento de administrar nuevas dosis de refuerzo.BACKGROUND // Neutralizing antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 have shown to be an effective tool for the analysis of the immunity generated against COVID-19. Numerous seroprevalence studies carried out in different groups have made it possible to draw a global map of vaccination coverage through the use of rapid lateral flow immunochromatography serological tests for clinical and epidemiological purposes. The objective of our study was to determine the degree of immunity against SARS-CoV-2 associated with the presence of neutralizing antibodies in administrative staff, teachers and students at the University of Alicante by means of a rapid serological test and to learn about their experience with vaccination against COVID-19. METHODS // A cross-sectional epidemiological study was designed, based on the prevalence of antibodies against the S protein (spike) of SARS-CoV-2. A total of 888 people participated. The study was carried out with a single test (July 6 to July 22, 2021). Using logistic regression, adjusted Odds Ratios were calculated according to sex, age, type of vaccine, number of vaccine doses received, complete vaccination schedule, and having had COVID-19. RESULTS // The vaccines received mostly were Vaxzevria® and Comirnaty®, with 73.3% between both, although 67.2% presented a complete regimen. The results of the OJABIO rapid neutralizing antibody test gave a positive result in 61.4% of the sample. There was a high association between the variables COVID-19 infection, two doses of vaccine, Spikevax® or Comirnaty® vaccine, and eighteen/twenty-nine years old group with a positive result on the OJABIO test. A total of 712 subjects answered the parallel survey (80%) on adverse effects and preferences between the different vaccines against COVID-19. CONCLUSIONS // The vaccination status against COVID-19 in the university community after six months of the start of national immunization strategies reflects low coverage despite the excellent willingness to get vaccinated. Neutralizing antibodies (NAb) rapid tests can be useful to guide immunization strategies and decide when to administer new booster doses

IGFBP3 methylation is a novel diagnostic and predictive biomarker in colorectal cancer

BACKGROUND AND AIM: Aberrant hypermethylation of cancer-related genes has emerged as a promising strategy for the development of diagnostic, prognostic and predictive biomarkers in human cancer, including colorectal cancer (CRC). The aim of this study was to perform a systematic and comprehensive analysis of a panel of CRC-specific genes as potential diagnostic, prognostic and predictive biomarkers in a large, population-based CRC cohort. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Methylation status of the SEPT9, TWIST1, IGFBP3, GAS7, ALX4 and miR137 genes was studied by quantitative bisulfite pyrosequencing in a population-based cohort of 425 CRC patients. RESULTS: Methylation levels of all genes analyzed were significantly higher in tumor tissues compared to normal mucosa (p<0.0001); however, cancer-associated hypermethylation was most frequently observed for miR137 (86.7%) and IGFBP3 (83%) in CRC patients. Methylation analysis using the combination of these two genes demonstrated greatest accuracy for the identification of colonic tumors (sensitivity 95.5%; specificity 90.5%). Low levels of IGFBP3 promoter methylation emerged as an independent risk factor for predicting poor disease free survival in stage II and III CRC patients (HR = 0.49, 95% CI: 0.28-0.85, p = 0.01). Our results also suggest that stage II & III CRC patients with high levels of IGFBP3 methylation do not benefit from adjuvant 5FU-based chemotherapy. CONCLUSION: By analyzing a large, population-based CRC cohort, we demonstrate the potential clinical significance of miR137 and IGFBP3 hypermethylation as promising diagnostic biomarkers in CRC. Our data also revealed that IGFBP3 hypermethylation may serve as an independent prognostic and predictive biomarker in stage II and III CRC patients

QRS pattern and improvement in right and left ventricular function after cardiac resynchronization therapy: a radionuclide study

Predicting response to cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) remains a challenge. We evaluated the role of baseline QRS pattern to predict response in terms of improvement in biventricular ejection fraction (EF)

TGFBR1 Intralocus Epistatic Interaction as a Risk Factor for Colorectal Cancer

In colorectal cancer (CRC), an inherited susceptibility risk affects about 35% of patients, whereas high-penetrance germline mutations account for <6% of cases. A considerable proportion of sporadic tumors could be explained by the coinheritance of multiple low-penetrance variants, some of which are common. We assessed the susceptibility to CRC conferred by genetic variants at the TGFBR1 locus. We analyzed 14 polymorphisms and the allele-specific expression (ASE) of TGFBR1 in 1025 individuals from the Spanish population. A case-control study was undertaken with 504 controls and 521 patients with sporadic CRC. Fourteen polymorphisms located at the TGFBR1 locus were genotyped with the iPLEX Gold (MassARRAY-Sequenom) technology. Descriptive analyses of the polymorphisms and haplotypes and association studies were performed with the SNPator workpackage. No relevant associations were detected between individual polymorphisms or haplotypes and the risk of CRC. The TGFBR1*9A/6A polymorphism was used for the ASE analysis. Heterozygous individuals were analyzed for ASE by fragment analysis using cDNA from normal tissue. The relative level of allelic expression was extrapolated from a standard curve. The cutoff value was calculated with Youden's index. ASE was found in 25.4% of patients and 16.4% of controls. Considering both bimodal and continuous types of distribution, no significant differences between the ASE values of patients and controls were identified. Interestingly, a combined analysis of the polymorphisms and ASE for the association with CRC occurrence revealed that ASE-positive individuals carrying one of the most common haplotypes (H2: 20.7%) showed remarkable susceptibility to CRC (RR: 5.25; 95% CI: 2.547–5.250; p<0.001) with a synergy factor of 3.7. In our study, 54.1% of sporadic CRC cases were attributable to the coinheritance of the H2 haplotype and TGFBR1 ASE. These results support the hypothesis that the allelic architecture of cancer genes, rather than individual polymorphisms, more accurately defines the CRC risk