Digital Marketing Science

Marketing involves implementing diverse strategies to promote products and services, strengthen market presence, and attain business success. It combines advertising expertise, sales proficiency, and efficient product delivery. While traditional channels like print, TV, and radio remain relevant, the internet has transformed marketing through digital approaches. Digital marketing utilizes websites, social media, search engines, and applications, enabling interactive communication and incorporating customer feedback. It revolutionizes how businesses engage with consumers in a two-way interaction

The situation of the Andean left: Bolivia, Ecuador and Perú

El artículo hace un compendio de la trayectoria política de Bolivia, Ecuador y Perú, en las dos últimas décadas y el cambio en la gravitación y en el contenido de las posiciones y discursos de las izquierdas. Destaca rasgos comunes como el paso de un repliegue\ud o casi desaparición, para ser reemplazadas por descontentos sociales fuertes pero fragmentados, y desde hace 3 o 4 años la llegada al Gobierno o la conversión en primera oposición de candidaturas apoyadas por coaliciones izquierdistas y nacionalistas con gran respaldo electoral. Al lado de la tendencia común de descontento por el contraste entre crecimiento económico con pobreza y desigualdad, se sintetizan los\ud aspectos distintos en cada país, destacando el reto similar de compatibilizar control del Gobierno bajo liderazgos caudillistas con tolerancia de la oposición, en contextos de polarización

Foliar Fungal Endophytes Associated with Native Hawaiian Plants and the Biogeography of their Interactions Across the Archipelago.

Ph.D. Thesis. University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa 2018

EXPLORING THE GLOBAL VIROME AND DECIPHERING THE ROLE OF PHAGES IN CYSTIC FIBROSIS

Viruses are the most abundant and diverse life form on Earth. In Chapter 1 of this dissertation, a global census of the number of viral particles showed that 6.03 x 1031 viral particles are distributed across almost every ecosystem. The global census results showed that most viruses are in soils and sediments, two unexplored biomes for viral diversity. Accurate and fast bioinformatics methods to explore viral and bacterial composition in metagenomic datasets are presented in Chapter 2 as “Fragment Recruitment Assembly Purification (FRAP). Phages are viruses that infect bacteria, their role in polymicrobial infections such as Cystic Fibrosis is explored. Cystic Fibrosis is a genetic disease in which the lung phenotype promoted mucus accumulation and microbial colonization. A multi-omics strategy to explore changes in the lung microbial community during acute pulmonary exacerbations is presented in Chapter 3 as the “Cystic Fibrosis Rapid Response: Translating Multi-omics data into Clinically Relevant Information”. In Chapter 4 eight acute exacerbations were studied and a trend of loss of diversity and viral lytic lifestyle was onserved. Two cystic fibrosis patients studied in Chapter 4 were colonized by antibiotic resistant bacteria from the genera Achromobacter. Both patients suffered fatal exacerbations. This motivated the isolation and characterization of lytic phages to be used as antimicrobials against bacterial infections. In Chapter 5 twelve Achromobacter phages are presented and their use as antimicrobials is proposed

Validez de la trombocitopenia, indice aspartatominotransferasa/recuento plaquetario y la escala de Child Pugh en la predicción de varices esofágicas en pacientes cirróticos

OBJETIVO: Determinar el área bajo curva de la trombocitopenia, el índice aspartatoaminotransferasa/ recuento plaquetario, y la escala de Child Pugh en la predicción de várices esofágicas en pacientes cirróticos. MATERIAL Y MÉTODOS: Se realizó un estudio de prueba diagnóstica en 113 pacientes diagnosticados con cirrosis hepática en el Hospital Victor Lazarte Echegaray durante el periodo enero – diciembre 2017. Se calculó la sensibilidad, especificidad, valores predictivos; así como los puntos de corte de dichas pruebas. Se aplicó el Área bajo la curva y el test de Chi cuadrado. RESULTADOS: De los 113 pacientes incluidos en el estudio, la frecuencia de varices esofágicas en pacientes cirróticos fue de 73 (65%) y aquellos que no presentaron varices fue de 40 (35%). El punto de corte de la Trombocitopenia como predictor de varices esofágicas en pacientes cirróticos fue < 150000; con una sensibilidad, especificidad, valor predictivo positivo y negativo de 69.86%, 32.5%, 65.38%, 37.14% respectivamente, también se evaluó como predictor la Escala de Child Pugh, teniendo como puntos de corte para los grados B y C ≥ 7 puntos; con una sensibilidad, especificidad, valor predictivo positivo y negativo de 46.58%, 80%, 80.95%, 45.07% respectivamente. Por último se halló el Índice aspartatoaminotransferasa / recuento plaquetario, con punto de corte ≥ 0.039%, con una sensibilidad, especificidad, valor predictivo positivo y negativo de 76.71%, 52.5%, 74.67%, 55.26% respectivamente. Al evaluar se concluyó que las tres pruebas diagnósticas son estadísticamente significativas (p<0.05) como predictores de varices esofágicas, no existiendo significancia estadística entre ellas al compararlas (p=0.73). CONCLUSIÓN: La Trombocitopenia, el índice Aspartatoaminotransferasa / recuento plaquetario y la Escala de Child Pugh poseen validez como predictores de varices esofágicas en pacientes cirróticos.OBJECTIVE: To determine the area under the curve of Thrombocytopenia, the aspartate aminotransferase index/platelet count, and the Child Pugh scale in predicting esophageal varices in cirrhotic patients. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A diagnostic test study was conducted in 113 patients diagnosed with hepatic cirrhosis at the Victor Lazarte Echegaray Hospital during the period January – December 2017. Sensitivity, specificity, predictive values were calculated; as well as the cutting points of such tests. The area was applied under the curve, the Chi -square test and the positive and negative likelihood ratio. RESULTS: Of the 113 patients included in the study, the frequency of esophageal varicose veins in cirrhotic patients was 73 (65%) and those who did not present varicose veins were 40 (35%). The cutoff point of thrombocytopenia as a predictor of esophageal varicose veins in cirrhotic patients was < 150000; With a sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive value of 69.86%, 32.5%, 65.38%, 37.14% respectively, the scale of Child Pugh was also evaluated as a predictor, having as cutting points for B and C ≥ 7; With a sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive value of 46.58%, 80%, 80.95%, 45.07%, respectively. Finally, the aspartate aminotransferase index/Platelet count was found, with a cut-off point ≥ 0039%, with a sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive value of 76.71%, 52.5%, 74.67%, 55.26% respectively. In evaluating the diagnostic tests it was concluded that each one presents statistical significance (p < 0.05), and that within them, the scale of Child Pugh is the most statistically significant (P = 0.003%) CONCLUSION: Thrombocytopenia, the aspartate aminotransferase index/platelet count and the Child Pugh scale have validity as predictors of esophageal varicose veins in cirrhotic patients.Tesi

Explicit measurement of multi-tracer arterial input function for PET imaging using blood sampling spectroscopy

BACKGROUND: Conventional PET imaging has usually been limited to a single tracer per scan. We propose a new technique for multi-tracer PET imaging that uses dynamic imaging and multi-tracer compartment modeling including an explicitly derived arterial input function (AIF) for each tracer using blood sampling spectroscopy. For that purpose, at least one of the co-injected tracers must be based on a non-pure positron emitter. METHODS: The proposed technique was validated in vivo by performing cardiac PET/CT studies on three healthy pigs injected with 18FDG (viability) and 68Ga-DOTA (myocardial blood flow and extracellular volume fraction) during the same acquisition. Blood samples were collected during the PET scan, and separated AIF for each tracer was obtained by spectroscopic analysis. A multi-tracer compartment model was applied to the myocardium in order to obtain the distribution of each tracer at the end of the PET scan. Relative activities of both tracers and tracer uptake were obtained and compared with the values obtained by ex vivo analysis of excised myocardial tissue segments. RESULTS: A high correlation was obtained between multi-tracer PET results, and those obtained from ex vivo analysis (18FDG relative activity: r = 0.95, p < 0.0001; SUV: r = 0.98, p < 0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: The proposed technique allows performing PET scans with two tracers during the same acquisition obtaining separate information for each tracer.This work was supported by grants from the Carlos III Institute of Health of Spain and Fondo Europeo de Desarrollo Regional (FEDER, “Una manera de hacer Europa”) (FIS-FEDER PI14-01427) and from the Comunidad de Madrid (2016-T1/TIC-1099). CV holds a fellowship from the Spanish Ministry of Education (FPU014/01794). The CNIC is supported by the Instituto de Salud Carlos III (ISCIII), the Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades (MCNU), and the Pro CNIC Foundation and is a Severo Ochoa Center of Excellence (SEV-2015-0505).S

Development of a blood sample detector for multi-tracer positron emission tomography using gamma spectroscopy

BACKGROUND: Multi-tracer positron emission tomography (PET) imaging can be accomplished by applying multi-tracer compartment modeling. Recently, a method has been proposed in which the arterial input functions (AIFs) of the multi-tracer PET scan are explicitly derived. For that purpose, a gamma spectroscopic analysis is performed on blood samples manually withdrawn from the patient when at least one of the co-injected tracers is based on a non-pure positron emitter. Alternatively, these blood samples required for the spectroscopic analysis may be obtained and analyzed on site by an automated detection device, thus minimizing analysis time and radiation exposure of the operating personnel. In this work, a new automated blood sample detector based on silicon photomultipliers (SiPMs) for single- and multi-tracer PET imaging is presented, characterized, and tested in vitro and in vivo. RESULTS: The detector presented in this work stores and analyzes on-the-fly single and coincidence detected events. A sensitivity of 22.6 cps/(kBq/mL) and 1.7 cps/(kBq/mL) was obtained for single and coincidence events respectively. An energy resolution of 35% full-width-half-maximum (FWHM) at 511 keV and a minimum detectable activity of 0.30 ± 0.08 kBq/mL in single mode were obtained. The in vivo AIFs obtained with the detector show an excellent Pearson's correlation (r = 0.996, p < 0.0001) with the ones obtained from well counter analysis of discrete blood samples. Moreover, in vitro experiments demonstrate the capability of the detector to apply the gamma spectroscopic analysis on a mixture of 68Ga and 18F and separate the individual signal emitted from each one. CONCLUSIONS: Characterization and in vivo evaluation under realistic experimental conditions showed that the detector proposed in this work offers excellent sensibility and stability. The device also showed to successfully separate individual signals emitted from a mixture of radioisotopes. Therefore, the blood sample detector presented in this study allows fully automatic AIFs measurements during single- and multi-tracer PET studies.This work was supported by grants from the Carlos III Institute of Health of Spain and Fondo Europeo de Desarrollo Regional (FEDER, “Una manera de hacer Europa”) (FIS-FEDER PI14-01427), and from the Comunidad de Madrid (2016-T1/TIC-1099). CV holds a fellowship from the Spanish Ministry of Education (FPU014/01794). The CNIC is supported by the Instituto de Salud Carlos III (ISCIII), the Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades (MCNU), and the Pro CNIC Foundation, and is a Severo Ochoa Center of Excellence (SEV-2015-0505)

Neurosensory disorders after removal of retained lower third molars

Introduction: Neurosensory disorders are linked to the removal of retained lower third molars; its misdiagnosis and poor treatment can lead to their long persistence.  Objective: To characterize neurosensory disorders associated with the removal of retained lower third molars from the clinical and therapeutic point of view.Material and Method: A quasi-experimental study was conducted in 136 patients with specific inclusion criteria who underwent surgical removal of retained lower third molars in the Dental Faculty of the University of Havana, between 2016-2017. The patients were operated on and examined 3 and 10 days after surgery to identify the presence of neurosensory disorders. Three types of diagnostic tests were used to define the level of neurological function.  VAS Scale was used to evaluate the sensitivity level in the patient, and the standardized interview was made to categorize the type of neurosensory disorders. Variables such as age, sex, kind of retention, modification of surgical techniques, and neurosensory findings were recorded.Results: 3,5% of patients had neurosensory disorders, 2,1% were female. Class III, position C, mesioangular was the most linked retention (2,1%). The inferior dental nerve was the most involved (2,1%), and paresthesia was the most frequent finding (60%).  The 60 % of disorders recovered their normal function after 180 days.Conclusions: The appearance of neurosensory disorders linked to the removal of lower third molars presented a low frequency in the population studied, predominating in the inferior dental nerve, in class III retentions, Position B, mesioangular position; and they are more linked to the surgical techniques of ostectomies and odontosections.  Dysesthesia is the most refractory to treatment.Keywords: retained lower third molars, surgical treatment, neurosensory disorders, paresthesia, inferior dental nerve, lingual nerve, oral surgery.</p