89 research outputs found
Validación de un índice para determinar la necesidad y la prioridad del tratamiento ortodóncico
Introduction: to assess and to measure properly the malocclusion is fundamental in individual orthodontic diagnosis and epidemiological studies to establish priorities and standards of care and to know the prevalence and incidence of occlusal alterations in the population. Objective: to validate an index of malocclusions and orthodontic treatment prioritization to ensure the proper registration of dental occlusion and treatment need and priority. Method: a relational descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted from June 2012 to February 2014. By simple random sampling stratified sample of 371 children, among six and 18 years old, representative of the institutionalized population in all settled urban and rural schools; priority rates were applied of orthodontic treatment and dental aesthetic to develop a more rational index and with superior performance. Results: the obtained index was composed of ten variables of the indices in use with significant results which made greater contribution to the diagnosis and they demonstrated qualifying capacity, sensitivity, specificity, validity, predictive value and quality over previous. Conclusions: the developed index guaranteed better the registration of state of dental occlusion and it is more suitable for the identification and prioritization of need for orthodontic treatment.Introducción: valorar y medir adecuadamente la maloclusión es fundamental en el diagnóstico ortodóncico individual y en estudios epidemiológicos para poder establecer prioridades y pautas de atención y conocer la prevalencia y la incidencia de las alteraciones oclusales en la población. Objetivo: validar un índice de maloclusiones y de priorización de tratamiento ortodóntico que garantice el registro más adecuado de la oclusión dentaria y su necesidad y prioridad de tratamiento. Método: se realizó un estudio descriptivo relacional de corte transversal desde junio de 2012 a febrero de 2014. Mediante muestreo aleatorio simple estratificado se conformó una muestra de 371 niños, de entre seis y 18 años, representativa de la población institucionalizada en la totalidad de las escuelas urbanas y rurales; se les aplicaron los índices de prioridad de tratamiento ortodóncico y de estética dental para elaborar un índice más racional y con desempeño superior. Resultados: el índice obtenido quedó integrado por las diez variables de los índices en uso con resultados significativos que realizan mayor contribución al diagnóstico y demostró capacidad clasificatoria, sensibilidad, especificidad, validez, valor predictivo y calidad superiores a los anteriores. Conclusiones: el índice elaborado garantizó mejor el registro del estado de la oclusión dentaria y es más adecuado para la identificación y la priorización de la necesidad de tratamiento ortodóncico
A Comparison of Nutritional Habits, Physical Function and Psychological Constructs between Urban and Rural Costa Rican Older Adults
Purpose: To compare nutritional habits, physical function and psychological constructs between Costa Rican older adults from urban and rural zones.Methods: Male and female older adults aged ? 65 yr. from urban (n = 185) and rural (n = 109) Costa Rica were assessed on nutritional habits, physical function measures, and cognitive function by a face-to-face interview.Results: Rural older adults consumed more daily carbohydrates, protein, and energy at breakfast and lunch (p < 0.05 for all), and more carbohydrates (p ? 0.001), fat (p = 0.002), protein (p ? 0.001), and energy (p ? 0.001) at dinner than urban elderly. Aerobic power (p = 0.044) was higher in urban compared to rural elderly. A correlation was found between aerobic power and global fatigue (r = -0.20, p = 0.014) in urban elderly. Lifetime cognitive activity correlated to total energy (r = 0.37, p = 0.003), carbohydrate (r = 0.37, p = 0.002), and protein (r = 0.34, p = 0.005) consumption in rural elderly. Higher depression scores (p = 0.048), and lower lifetime cognitive activity were observed in urban compared to rural elderly (p = 0.004).Conclusion: The health profile is positive for either group depending on the variable analyzed, except for a higher aerobic power, which provides benefits to the entire cohort
Brucella ceti infection in dolphins from the Western Mediterranean sea
Background: Brucella ceti infections have been increasingly reported in cetaceans. Brucellosis in these animals is associated with meningoencephalitis, abortion, discospondylitis’, subcutaneous abscesses, endometritis and other pathological conditions B. ceti infections have been frequently described in dolphins from both, the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. In the Mediterranean Sea, only two reports have been made: one from the Italian Tyrrhenian Sea and the other from the Adriatic Sea.
Results: We describe the clinical and pathological features of three cases of B. ceti infections in three dolphins stranded in the Mediterranean Catalonian coast. One striped dolphin had neurobrucellosis, showing lethargy, incoordination and lateral swimming due to meningoencephalitis, A B. ceti infected bottlenose dolphin had discospondylitis, and another striped dolphin did not show clinical signs or lesions related to Brucella infection. A detailed characterization of the three B. ceti isolates was performed by bacteriological, molecular, protein and fatty acid analyses.
Conclusions: All the B. ceti strains originating from Mediterranean dolphins cluster together in a distinct phylogenetic clade, close to that formed by B. ceti isolates from dolphins inhabiting the Atlantic Ocean. Our study confirms the severity of pathological signs in stranded dolphins and the relevance of B. ceti as a pathogen in the Mediterranean Sea
Pair distribution function in a two-dimensional electron gas
We calculate the pair distribution function, , in a two-dimensional
electron gas and derive a simple analytical expression for its value at the
origin as a function of . Our approach is based on solving the
Schr\"{o}dinger equation for the two-electron wave function in an appropriate
effective potential, leading to results that are in good agreement with Quantum
Monte Carlo data and with the most recent numerical calculations of . [C.
Bulutay and B. Tanatar, Phys. Rev. B {\bf 65}, 195116 (2002)] We also show that
the spin-up spin-down correlation function at the origin, , is mainly independent of the degree of spin polarization of
the electronic system.Comment: 5 figures, pair distribution dependence with distance is calculate
Perspective on the Role of Academic Journals on Scientific Colonialism in Paleontology
Academic journals have developed policies that globally regulate the specific protocols that must be followed when using sensitive medical, biological, chemical, and genetic data in research. Yet, paleontological material seems to be excluded. We performed a submission policy search to test the extent of this legal gap in light of colonialism. Results show that, even though most journals adhere to broad ethical guidelines, they do not systematically provide information regarding fossil permits and specifications on their collection and storage, as well as other relevant data (N = 108, > 80% in Asia and North America, > 65% in Europe and Latin America). This problem impacts educational, economical, and scientific development, perpetuates illegal trafficking, and
boosts scientific colonialism. It is necessary to implement a mandatory policy for fossil handling, including ethical and legal management in the submission guidelines of journals, and to request that this information is included in materials and method sections
Association of Motivational Climate With Addictive Behaviors Depending on Type of Sport in University Students: Structural Equation Analysis
This research study aims at contrasting a structural model of the associations between the alcohol consumption, tobacco
dependence, and the problematic use of video games with motivational climate toward sport depending on the category of
sports practiced in a sample of Physical Education university students. The sample consisted of 775 university students from
the Autonomous Community of Andalusia (Spain), aged between 21 and 35 (22.22 ± 3.76) years. The instruments used
were the Perceived Motivational Climate in Sport Questionnaire (PMCSQ-2), the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test
(AUDIT), the Fagerström Test for Nicotine Dependence (FTND), and the Questionnaire of Experiences Related to Video
Games (QERV) questionnaires. A path model that fitted properly in the multigroup analysis for both categories of sports was
used, χ2 = 19.843; gl = 8; p = .011; comparative fit index (CFI) = 0.911; normed fit index (NFI) = 0.903; incremental fit
index (IFI) = 0.912; root mean square error approximation (RMSEA) = 0.085. An inverse association was shown between
task climate and tobacco consumption in individual sports, being weaker in collective sports. This association is not significant
for collective sports, but it is for individual sports for ego climate. However, a positive association was found between ego
climate and the use of video games in individual sports, not being significant in the case of collective sports. The importance
of promoting motivational climates oriented toward tasks that are based on the practice of collective sports is established,
because they could act as protective factors against the development of addictive behavior in university students.This
research study has been supported by the Education Innovation
Project PID 16-45, named “Implementation of digital resources in
the classroom for the development of psychosocial and motivational
factors in students of the degree in Primary Education with
the speciality in Physical Education,” funded by the University of
Granada. Education Innovation Project PIBD Advanced 470,
named “Program of teaching intervention in students of the degree
in primary education and early childhood education through the use
of new technologies for the improvement of the psychosocial factors
of the students,” funded by the University of Granada. Project
I+D+I “DISPERSA,” with code number TIN2015-67149-C3-R,
named “Design of Pervasive Games Based on Learning Experiences
Sensitive to Context” funded by the Ministry of Economy and
Competitiveness. Precompetitive Research Projects for Young
Researchers (PPJI_B-05); Self-plan Research of the University of
Granada
Brucella abortus Uses a Stealthy Strategy to Avoid Activation of the Innate Immune System during the Onset of Infection
To unravel the strategy by which Brucella abortus establishes chronic infections, we explored its early interaction with innate immunity.
Methodology/Principal Findings
Brucella did not induce proinflammatory responses as demonstrated by the absence of leukocyte recruitment, humoral or cellular blood changes in mice. Brucella hampered neutrophil (PMN) function and PMN depletion did not influence the course of infection. Brucella barely induced proinflammatory cytokines and consumed complement, and was strongly resistant to bactericidal peptides, PMN extracts and serum. Brucella LPS (BrLPS), NH-polysaccharides, cyclic glucans, outer membrane fragments or disrupted bacterial cells displayed low biological activity in mice and cells. The lack of proinflammatory responses was not due to conspicuous inhibitory mechanisms mediated by the invading Brucella or its products. When activated 24 h post-infection macrophages did not kill Brucella, indicating that the replication niche was not fusiogenic with lysosomes. Brucella intracellular replication did not interrupt the cell cycle or caused cytotoxicity in WT, TLR4 and TLR2 knockout cells. TNF-α-induction was TLR4- and TLR2-dependent for live but not for killed B. abortus. However, intracellular replication in TLR4, TLR2 and TLR4/2 knockout cells was not altered and the infection course and anti-Brucella immunity development upon BrLPS injection was unaffected in TLR4 mutant mice.
Conclusion/Significance
We propose that Brucella has developed a stealth strategy through PAMPs reduction, modification and hiding, ensuring by this manner low stimulatory activity and toxicity for cells. This strategy allows Brucella to reach its replication niche before activation of antimicrobial mechanisms by adaptive immunity. This model is consistent with clinical profiles observed in humans and natural hosts at the onset of infection and could be valid for those intracellular pathogens phylogenetically related to Brucella that also cause long lasting infections
GEICAM Guidelines for the Management of Patients with Breast Cancer During the COVID-19 Pandemic in Spain
Breast cancer (BC) is the most common cancer in women in
Spain. During the COVID-19 pandemic caused by the SARSCoV-2 virus, patients with BC still require timely treatment
and follow-up; however, hospitals are overwhelmed with
infected patients and, if exposed, patients with BC are at
higher risk for infection and serious complications if infected.
Thus, health care providers need to evaluate each BC treatment and in-hospital visit to minimize pandemic-associated
risks while maintaining adequate treatment efficacy. Here we
present a set of guidelines regarding available options for BC
patient management and treatment by BC subtype in the
context of the COVID-19 pandemic. Owing to the lack of evidence about COVID-19 infection, these recommendations
are mainly based on expert opinion, medical organizations’
and societies’ recommendations, and some published evidence. We consider this a useful tool to facilitate medical
decision making in this health crisis situation we are facing
The Lipopolysaccharide Core of Brucella abortus Acts as a Shield Against Innate Immunity Recognition
Innate immunity recognizes bacterial molecules bearing pathogen-associated molecular patterns to launch inflammatory responses leading to the activation of adaptive immunity. However, the lipopolysaccharide (LPS) of the gram-negative bacterium Brucella lacks a marked pathogen-associated molecular pattern, and it has been postulated that this delays the development of immunity, creating a gap that is critical for the bacterium to reach the intracellular replicative niche. We found that a B. abortus mutant in the wadC gene displayed a disrupted LPS core while keeping both the LPS O-polysaccharide and lipid A. In mice, the wadC mutant induced proinflammatory responses and was attenuated. In addition, it was sensitive to killing by non-immune serum and bactericidal peptides and did not multiply in dendritic cells being targeted to lysosomal compartments. In contrast to wild type B. abortus, the wadC mutant induced dendritic cell maturation and secretion of pro-inflammatory cytokines. All these properties were reproduced by the wadC mutant purified LPS in a TLR4-dependent manner. Moreover, the core-mutated LPS displayed an increased binding to MD-2, the TLR4 co-receptor leading to subsequent increase in intracellular signaling. Here we show that Brucella escapes recognition in early stages of infection by expressing a shield against recognition by innate immunity in its LPS core and identify a novel virulence mechanism in intracellular pathogenic gram-negative bacteria. These results also encourage for an improvement in the generation of novel bacterial vaccines
- …