Open-charm mesons in nuclear matter at finite temperature beyond the zero-range approximation

The properties of open charm mesons, D, D, D{sub s}, and D{sub s} in nuclear matter at finite temperature are studied within a self-consistent coupled-channel approach. The interaction of the low-lying pseudoscalar mesons with the ground-state baryons in the charm sector is derived from a t-channel vector-exchange model. The in-medium scattering amplitudes are obtained by solving the Lippmann-Schwinger equation at finite temperature including Pauli blocking effects, baryon dressing, as well as D, D, D{sub s}, and D{sub s} self-energies taking their mutual influence into account. We find that the in-medium properties of the D meson are affected by the D{sub s}-meson self-energy through the intermediate D{sub s}Y loops coupled to DN states. Similarly, dressing the D meson in the DY loops has an influence over the properties of the D{sub s} meson

Flora y vegetación de la provincia de Huamanga (Ayacucho-Perú)

The flora and vegetation of the province of Huamanga (Peru) was studied, with the purpose of knowing the diversity of species, plant formations, as well as the endemicity and degree of threat of the registered species. Intensive botanical collec-tions were carried out in the vegetal formations and different altitudinal floors, through transects and in different directions, considering the city of Ayacucho as the starting point. 864 species belonging to 454 genera and 108 families were identified among trees, shrubs and herbs. 91 families, 371 genera and 705 species of the Class Magnoliopsida and 17 families with 83 genera and 159 species of the Class Liliopsida. The most represented families, Asteraceae 155 species, followed by Poaceae 98 and Papilionaceae with 44, respectively. The most dominant genera were Senecio with 23 species, Calceolaria 15, Bac-charis 14, Solanum 12, Plantago 9, Lupinus, Peperomia and Urtica 8 species each. 60% were herbaceous, followed by arboreal 13% and shrub 11% and the others in smaller percentage. The vegetal formations that exist in the zone of study are the Tunales, Algarrobales, Monte ribereño, Titankales, Quiñuales, Bofedales, Cesped de puna and mixed communities. The distribution of the species according to the altitudinal levels is 30% in the lower part, 28% in the middle part and 27% in the upper part. Only 2% is widely distributed in the three sectors, while in two sectors: Low - Medium 5% and Medium - High 8%. Forty-eight species were found to be threatened, comprising 42 genera and 33 families. Critically Endangered 9 species, Endangered 8, Vulnerable 17. In addition, 20 endemic species were recorded, the Family Asteraceae and Cactaceae with 6 species, followed by Berberidaceae 4, the others with 2 and 1 species respectively.Se estudió la flora y vegetación de la provincia de Huamanga (Perú), con la finalidad de conocer la diversidad de especies, formaciones vegetales, así como la endemicidad y grado de amenaza de las especies registradas. Se realizaron colectas botánicas intensivas en las formaciones vegetales y en diferentes pisos altitudinales, a través de transectos y en distintas direcciones, teniendo como punto de partida la ciudad de Ayacucho. Se determinaron 864 especies pertenecientes a 454 géneros y 108 familias entre árboles, arbustos y herbáceas. 91 familias, 371 géneros y 705 especies de la Clase Magnoliop-sida y 17 familias con 83 géneros y 159 especies de la Clase Liliopsida. Las familias mejor representadas, Asteraceae 155 especies, seguido de Poaceae 98 y Papilionaceae con 44. Los géneros más dominantes fueron Senecio con 23 especies, Calceolaria 15, Baccharis 14, Solanum 12, Plantago 9, Lupinus, Peperomia y Urtica 8 especies cada uno. El 60% fueron herbáceas, seguida de arbóreas 13% y arbustivas 11% y las demás en menor porcentaje. Las formaciones vegetales que existen en la zona de estudio son los Tunales, Algarrobales, Monte ribereño, Titankales, Quiñuales, Bofedales, Césped de puna y Comunidades mixtas. La distribución es 30% en la parte baja, 28% parte media y 27% en la parte alta. Solamente el 2% de presenta amplia distribución en los tres sectores, mientras en 2 sectores: Baja - Media 5% y Media - Alta 8%. 48 especies amenazadas comprendidas en 42 Géneros y 33 Familias. En Peligro Crítico 9 especies, En Peligro 8, Vulnerable 17. Además, se registró 20 especies endémicas, la Familia Asteraceae y Cactaceae con 6 especies, seguido de Berberidaceae 4, las demás con 2 y 1 especie respectivamente

Cardiovascular risk factors in adult women from San Salvador de Jujuy: Preliminary results

Introducción: Las enfermedades cardiovasculares constituyen la principal causa de muerte en el mundo, y afectan en mayor medida a las mujeres. Se analizó la distribución y frecuencia de factores de riesgo cardiovascular presentes en mujeres adultas de San Salvador de Jujuy.Población y métodos: Se realizaron mediciones antropométricas (peso, talla y perímetro de cintura), se determinó el estado nutricional por IMC y se obtuvo el porcentaje de grasa corporal por bioimpedancia tetrapolar, de 111 mujeres adultas voluntarias mayores de 18 años de Jujuy. Se realizó una encuesta sobre hábito de fumar, consumo de alcohol y actividad física. Se evaluó presencia de Riesgo Cardiovascular con el Índice Cintura-Talla. Se estimó la asociación entre los factores de riesgo y la presencia de riesgo cardiovascular con el test de Chi-Cuadrado y regresión logística tomando como variable dependiente al riesgo cardiovascular y como independientes el estado nutricional, tabaquismo, sedentarismo, porcentaje de grasa corporal, consumo de alcohol y edad.Resultados: El 33,3% de las mujeres presentó riesgo cardiovascular, de las cuales el 56,8% presentó exceso de peso, el 54% tenía porcentaje de grasa corporal elevado, 39,3% consumía alcohol, 21,6% eran sedentarias, 56,8% era exfumadora y un 13,5% fumaba al momento del estudio. Se encontró asociación significativa con porcentaje de grasa corporal (p=0,001), tabaquismo (p=0,034) y exceso de peso (p<0,0001). De los factores de riesgo mencionados, sólo el exceso de peso mostró una asociación directa significativa con el riesgo cardiovascular (OR=4,7; IC95% 1,04?21,3; p=0,04).Conclusión: Se concluye que existe una elevada prevalencia de factores de riesgo en la muestra de mujeres adultas de San Salvador de Jujuy bajo estudio, evidenciándose a su vez, que el factor de riesgo más asociado con el riesgo cardiovascular es el exceso de peso, confirmando resultados de otros estudios.Introduction: Cardiovascular diseases are the leading cause of death in the world, and they mostly affect to women. The distribution and frequency of cardiovascular risk factors present in adult women in San Salvador de Jujuy was analyzed. Population and methods: Anthropometric measurements (weight, height, and waist circumference) were taken, nutritional status was determined by BMI and the percentage of body fat was obtained by tetrapolar bioimpedance, of 111 volunteer adult women over 18 years of age from Jujuy. A survey on smoking, alcohol consumption, and physical activity was conducted. The presence of cardiovascular risk was evaluated with the Waist-Height Index. The association between the risk factor and the presence of cardiovascular risk with the Chi-Square test and logistic regression was estimated, taking the nutritional status, smoking, sedentary lifestyle, percentage of body fat, alcohol consumption and age as independent variables. Results: 33.3% of women had cardiovascular risk, of which 56.8% were overweight, 54% had high body fat, 39.3% consumed alcohol, 21.6% were sedentary, 56, 8% were ex-smokers and 13.5% smoked at the time of the study. Signi! cant association was found with the percentage of body fat (p = 0.001), smoking (p = 0.034) and excess weight (p <0.0001). Of the aforementioned risk factors, only excess weight showed a signi! cant direct association with cardiovascular risk (OR = 4.7; 95% CI 1.04–21.3; p = 0.04). Conclusion: It concludes that exist a high prevalence of RF was observed in a sample of adult women in San Salvador de Jujuy, evidencing, in turn, that the RF most associated with CVR is excess weight, con! rming results of other studies.Fil: Bustamante, María José. Universidad Nacional de Jujuy. Instituto de Biología de la Altura; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de Jujuy. Instituto de Ecorregiones Andinas. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Salta. Instituto de Ecorregiones Andinas; ArgentinaFil: Revollo, Gabriela Beatriz. Universidad Nacional de Jujuy. Instituto de Ecorregiones Andinas. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Salta. Instituto de Ecorregiones Andinas; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de Jujuy. Instituto de Biología de la Altura; ArgentinaFil: Alfaro Gómez, Emma Laura. Universidad Nacional de Jujuy. Instituto de Biología de la Altura; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de Jujuy. Instituto de Ecorregiones Andinas. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Salta. Instituto de Ecorregiones Andinas; ArgentinaFil: Carril, María Daniela. Universidad Católica de Santiago del Estero. Departamento Académico San Salvador (Sede en Jujuy); ArgentinaFil: Toconas, Ana Berta. Universidad Católica de Santiago del Estero. Departamento Académico San Salvador (Sede en Jujuy); ArgentinaFil: Román, Estela María. Universidad Católica de Santiago del Estero. Departamento Académico San Salvador (Sede en Jujuy); Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentin

Uso de material audiovisual como apoyo en las clases teóricas

La disponibilidad de nuevas herramientas multimedia favorece la generación de material docente auxiliar para la enseñanza de las diversas materias y puede suponer un aliciente añadido para el estudiante. Así, además de fomentar su interés por la materia, se puede potenciar su aprendizaje autónomo. Con el objetivo de evaluar las ventajas de la visualización de vídeos como apoyo a las explicaciones teóricas se planteó la siguiente experiencia: con alumnos de la asignatura "Farmacología", del Grado en Óptica y Optometría, se analizó y comparó la comprensión de la materia con y sin la visualización de vídeos como material de apoyo. El análisis mediante cuestionarios mostró que la visualización ayudó a fijar los conocimientos previamente adquiridos. El 79% de los estudiantes consideró que los vídeos les ayudaron a conseguir una mejor comprensión de la materia. El 95% de los alumnos consideró más útil escuchar primero la explicación del docente. El profesorado implicado manifiesta la dificultad de la selección de material óptimo debido su escasez, por lo que resulta conveniente la elaboración de material específico. Podemos concluir que el material audiovisual supone una buena herramienta complementaria para las clases teóricas, si bien debe integrarse de forma adecuada en el desarrollo de la clase

MIF/CXCR4 signaling axis contributes to survival, invasion, and drug resistance of metastatic neuroblastoma cells in the bone marrow microenvironment

Background: The bone marrow (BM) is the most common site of dissemination in patients with aggressive, metastatic neuroblastoma (NB). However, the molecular mechanisms underlying the aggressive behavior of NB cells in the BM niche are still greatly unknown. In the present study, we explored biological mechanisms that play a critical role in NB cell survival and progression in the BM and investigated potential therapeutic targets. Methods: Patient-derived bone marrow (BM) primary cultures were generated using fresh BM aspirates obtained from NB patients. NB cell lines were cultured in the presence of BM conditioned media containing cell-secreted factors, and under low oxygen levels (1% O2) to mimic specific features of the BM microenvironment of high-risk NB patients. The BM niche was explored using cytokine profiling assays, cell migration-invasion and viability assays, flow cytometry and analysis of RNA-sequencing data. Selective pharmacological inhibition of factors identified as potential mediators of NB progression within the BM niche was performed in vitro and in vivo. Results: We identified macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) as a key inflammatory cytokine involved in BM infiltration. Cytokine profiling and RNA-sequencing data analysis revealed NB cells as the main source of MIF in the BM, suggesting a potential role of MIF in tumor invasion. Exposure of NB cells to BM-conditions increased NB cell-surface expression of the MIF receptor CXCR4, which was associated with increased cell viability, enhanced migration-invasion, and activation of PI3K/AKT and MAPK/ERK signaling pathways. Moreover, subcutaneous co-injection of NB and BM cells enhanced tumor engraftment in mice. MIF inhibition with 4-IPP impaired in vitro NB aggressiveness, and improved drug response while delayed NB growth, improving survival of the NB xenograft model. Conclusions: Our findings suggest that BM infiltration by NB cells may be mediated, in part, by MIF-CXCR4 signaling. We demonstrate the antitumor efficacy of MIF targeting in vitro and in vivo that could represent a novel therapeutic target for patients with disseminated high-risk NB

Semillas en el tiempo : el latinoamericanismo filosófico contemporáneo

Los trabajos que conforman este Iibro giran en torno a un eje: los filósofos latinoamericanistas contemporáneos, desde 1950 en adelante. Todos ellos pensadores que han reflexionado desde adentro, desde el continente acerca de la identidad cultural y social de América Latina: ¿qué es América, qué es ser americano, cuál es su historia, cuáles son sus contribuciones, qué problemas se derivan de sus relaciones con el Occidente, qué problemas del pasado inciden en su presente, de qué modo debe asumir ese pasado, qué conflictos se desprenden de su estructura de clases? Éstas son algunas de las preguntas que vertebran el nuevo movimiento, que se cuestiona fuertemente la identidad latinoamericana. La relevancia especial de &quot;Semillas en el tiempo&quot; reside en que los autores de los estudios son destacados especialistas en la materia, tanto por sus conocimientos acerca de la Filosofía, como por su dedicación al estudio de la problemática latinoamericana

Sphingolipid desaturase DEGS1 is essential for mitochondria-associated membrane integrity

Sphingolipids function as membrane constituents and signaling molecules, with crucial roles in human diseases, from neurodevelopmental disorders to cancer, best exemplified in the inborn errors of sphingolipid metabolism in lysosomes. The dihydroceramide desaturase Delta 4-dihydroceramide desaturase 1 (DEGS1) acts in the last step of a sector of the sphingolipid pathway, de novo ceramide biosynthesis. Defects in DEGS1 cause the recently described hypomyelinating leukodystrophy-18 (HLD18) (OMIM #618404). Here, we reveal that DEGS1 is a mitochondria-associated endoplasmic reticulum membrane-resident (MAM-resident) enzyme, refining previous reports locating DEGS1 at the endoplasmic reticulum only. Using patient fibroblasts, multiomics, and enzymatic assays, we show that DEGS1 deficiency disrupts the main core functions of the MAM: (a) mitochondrial dynamics, with a hyperfused mitochondrial network associated with decreased activation of dynamin-related protein 1; (b) cholesterol metabolism, with impaired sterol O-acyltransferase activity and decreased cholesteryl esters; (c) phospholipid metabolism, with increased phosphatidic acid and phosphatidylserine and decreased phosphatidylethanolamine; and (d) biogenesis of lipid droplets, with increased size and numbers. Moreover, we detected increased mitochondrial superoxide species production in fibroblasts and mitochondrial respiration impairment in patient muscle biopsy tissues. Our findings shed light on the pathophysiology of HLD18 and broaden our understanding of the role of sphingolipid metabolism in MAM function

High Estradiol Differentially Affects the Expression of the Glucose Transporter Type 4 in Pelvic Floor Muscles of Rats

Purpose To characterize the relationship between serum estradiol levels and the expression of glucose transporter type 4 (Glut4) in the pubococcygeus and iliococcygeus muscles in female rats. Methods The muscles were excised from virgin rats during the metestrus and proestrus stages of the estrous cycle, and from sham and ovariectomized rats implanted with empty or estradiol benzoate–filled capsules. The expression of estrogen receptors (ERs) was inspected in the muscles at metestrus and proestrus. Relative Glut4 expression, glycogen content, and serum glucose levels were measured. Appropriate statistical tests were done to identify significant differences (P≤0.05). Results The pubococcygeus and iliococcygeus muscles expressed ERα and ERβ. Glut4 expression and glycogen content in the pubococcygeus muscle were higher at proestrus than at metestrus. No significant changes were observed in the iliococcygeus muscle. In ovariectomized rats, the administration of estradiol benzoate increased Glut4 expression and glycogen content in the pubococcygeus muscle alone. Conclusions High serum estradiol levels increased Glut4 expression and glycogen content in the pubococcygeus muscle, but not in the iliococcygeus muscle

Oligosacáridos en la leche humana

La leche humana (LH) contiene más de 130 oligosacáridos (OS) distintos, que constituyen el tercer componente de ésta. Su concentración total disminuye a medida que avanza el curso de la lactancia, de modo que al año contiene menos de la mitad que en las primeras semanas de vida. Los oligosacáridos más abundantes en la leche humana son libres (no conjugados) y neutros y contienen fucosa. Los oligosacáridos fucosilados pueden tener un enlace 2-fucosa o 3-fucosa, composición que varía según la procedencia de las madres y el curso de la lactancia. Son el tercer componente en importancia de la LH tras la lactosa y los lípidos

Comprehensive Constitutional Genetic and Epigenetic Characterization of Lynch-Like Individuals

The causal mechanism for cancer predisposition in Lynch-like syndrome (LLS) remains unknown. Our aim was to elucidate the constitutional basis of mismatch repair (MMR) deficiency in LLS patients throughout a comprehensive (epi)genetic analysis. One hundred and fifteen LLS patients harboring MMR-deficient tumors and no germline MMR mutations were included. Mutational analysis of 26 colorectal cancer (CRC)-associated genes was performed. Pathogenicity of MMR variants was assessed by splicing and multifactorial likelihood analyses. Genome-wide methylome analysis was performed by the Infinium Human Methylation 450K Bead Chip. The multigene panel analysis revealed the presence of two MMR gene truncating mutations not previously found. Of a total of 15 additional MMR variants identified, five -present in 6 unrelated individuals- were reclassified as pathogenic. In addition, 13 predicted deleterious variants in other CRC-predisposing genes were found in 12 probands. Methylome analysis detected one constitutionalMLH1epimutation, but no additional differentially methylated regions were identified in LLS compared to LS patients or cancer-free individuals. In conclusion, the use of an ad-hoc designed gene panel combined with pathogenicity assessment of variants allowed the identification of deleterious MMR mutations as well as new LLS candidate causal genes. Constitutional epimutations in non-LS-associated genes are not responsible for LLS