Diabetic retinopathy: could the alpha-1 antitrypsin be a therapeutic option?

Diabetic retinopathy is one of the most important causes of blindness. The underlying mechanisms of this disease include inflammatory changes and remodeling processes of the extracellular-matrix (ECM) leading to pericyte and vascular endothelial cell damage that affects the retinal circulation. In turn, this causes hypoxia leading to release of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) to induce the angiogenesis process. Alpha-1 antitrypsin (AAT) is the most important circulating inhibitor of serine proteases (SERPIN). Its targets include elastase, plasmin, thrombin, trypsin, chymotrypsin, proteinase 3 (PR-3) and plasminogen activator (PAI). AAT modulates the effect of protease-activated receptors (PARs) during inflammatory responses. Plasma levels of AAT can increase 4-fold during acute inflammation then is so-called acute phase protein (APPs). Individuals with low serum levels of AAT could develop disease in lung, liver and pancreas. AAT is involved in extracellular matrix remodeling and inflammation, particularly migration and chemotaxis of neutrophils. It can also suppress nitric oxide (NO) by nitric oxide sintase (NOS) inhibition. AAT binds their targets in an irreversible way resulting in product degradation. The aim of this review is to focus on the points of contact between multiple factors involved in diabetic retinopathy and AAT resembling pleiotropic effects that might be beneficial.Fil: Ortiz, Gustavo Alfredo. Universidad Austral. Facultad de Ciencias Biomédicas; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Salica, Juan Pablo. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Universidad Austral. Facultad de Ciencias Biomédicas; ArgentinaFil: Chuluyan, Hector Eduardo. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Medicina; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Gallo, Juan Eduardo Maria. Universidad Austral. Facultad de Ciencias Biomédicas; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentin

Brazilian Young Offenders: Profile and Risk Factors for Criminal Behavior

Abstract: This paper presents a study that belongs to a research program, driving at the development of adequate social repertoire, which could decrease offences by youth. Adolescents attended in community services and probation programs in a mid-size Brazilian city were characterized, under objective of assessing the major number of variables and its correlation to criminal behavior. Data were collected in a survey design and major results showed that: 87.8% were male, and age average was 15.9 years; about the offences, theft was the most common one (36.7%) followed by robbery (15.4%) and drug-dealing (9%). Most of themwere not attending school and 61.8% had only the elementary degree. The results suggest that not attending school was associated to increasing number of re-incidences, use of drugs and use of weapons

Nueva microempresa de ingeniería y cómo participar en el sector público

El objetivo principal de este escrito es abordar la problemática del mercado en el sector público colombiano para una MIPYME de ingeniería regulado por un marco jurídico cambiante. De la revisión de este mercado se desprende la propuesta de crear indicadores que orienten la toma de decisiones frente a este mercado. Para este propósito, se realizó una revisión de los pliegos de condiciones de varios procesos de contratación convocados por entidades oficiales a manera de muestreo de selección no probabilística tal como las empresas de ingeniería incursionan en el mercado público

Long Distance GNSS-Denied Visual Inertial Navigation for Autonomous Fixed Wing Unmanned Air Vehicles: SO(3) Manifold Filter based on Virtual Vision Sensor

This article proposes a visual inertial navigation algorithm intended to diminish the horizontal position drift experienced by autonomous fixed wing UAVs (Unmanned Air Vehicles) in the absence of GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) signals. In addition to accelerometers, gyroscopes, and magnetometers, the proposed navigation filter relies on the accurate incremental displacement outputs generated by a VO (Visual Odometry) system, denoted here as a Virtual Vision Sensor or VVS, which relies on images of the Earth surface taken by an onboard camera and is itself assisted by the filter inertial estimations. Although not a full replacement for a GNSS receiver since its position observations are relative instead of absolute, the proposed system enables major reductions in the GNSS-Denied attitude and position estimation errors. In order to minimize the accumulation of errors in the absence of absolute observations, the filter is implemented in the manifold of rigid body rotations or SO (3). Stochastic high fidelity simulations of two representative scenarios involving the loss of GNSS signals are employed to evaluate the results. The authors release the C++ implementation of both the visual inertial navigation filter and the high fidelity simulation as open-source software.Comment: 27 pages, 14 figures. arXiv admin note: substantial text overlap with arXiv:2205.1324

Tratamiento quirúrgico de aneurisma coronario gigante

Varón de 60 años ingresado con ángor reciente. El electrocardiograma reveló cambios isquémicos en el territorio de la arteria coronaria derecha (ACD). La coronariografía demostró visualización de la ACD proximal con desaparición del contraste en una cavidad (Fig. 1 A). Una tomografía computarizada mostró el segmento proximal de la ACD con continuidad en un saco oval, ubicado en la cara anterosuperior de la aurícula derecha (Fig. 2 A). No se visualizó la parte distal de la ACD. se realizó resección quirúrgica del aneurisma e interposición de un segmento de vena safena para reconstruir la ACD (Figs. 1 B y C).A 60-year-old male was admitted with recent onset chest pain. An electrocardiogram revealed ischemic changes on the right coronary artery (RCA) territory. Coronary angiogram showed visualization of proximal RCA with contrast disappearing into a cavity (Fig. 1 A). A computed tomography angiogram showed the proximal segment of the RCA, with continuity to an oval sac along the anteriorsuperior aspect of the right atrium (Fig. 2 A). There was no distal visualization of the RCA. Patient underwent surgical resection of the aneurysm and saphenous vein graft interposition to reconstruct the right coronary artery (Figs. 1 B and C)

Caso Termoplasticks

pre-print564 K

O uso da AIMS para detecção precoce de anormalidades em lactentes brasileiros em condições de vida desfavoráveis

The early years of life are of essential importance for child development and growth. The child’s development in a social vulnerability and unfavorable life condition can be injured, and that early detection of disorders is fundamental for healthy development. Purpose: To assessment the Alberta Infant Motor Scale as an assessment tool to identify early of disorders in infants until 18 months. Methods: This is an observational, cross-sectional study undertaken in “educational program for the growth and development promotion” at the health unit administered by reference hospital of Health Public System, in Paraisópolis community, São Paulo. The sample (n=71) was composed for infants less than 18 months of age, eutrophic, low biological risk at birth; singleton, full-term births, weight at birth between 2,000g e” and d” 4,500g and no associated congenital neurological, cardiac or orthopedic pathologies at the clinical exam. Results: This study presented the greatest prevalence of delay motor neuromotor when compared with the AIMS reference population. First, 8.5% of the breastfeeding infants are classified as being mdA and 7.0% are classified as dmS and secondly that, although the category mdT contains 84.5% of the children, the median of the z-score has shifted from the central point of the normal standardized distribution, only 33.7% of the children, i.e., 24 in 71, being equal to or above Z=0 (p<0.05). Conclusion: The use of AIMS was efficient, practice, low cost and quick applies. Plus a quick view of motor milestone presents by infant. Features that became possible take decision by health team.Os primeiros anos de vida são de importância essencial para o desenvolvimento infantil. O desenvolvimento neurosensoriomotor de crianças, vivendo em condição de pobreza, pode ser prejudicado, sendo a detecção precoce de anormalidades essencial para um desenvolvimento saudável. Objetivo. Avaliar o uso da AIMS como instrumento de avaliação para detecção precoce de anormalidades. Método. Trata-se de um estudo descritivo, do tipo transversal, realizado com lactentes brasileiros matriculados no “Programa educativo de promoção do crescimento e desenvolvimento”, do ambulatório de uma unidade de saúde gerenciada por um Hospital de referência do Sistema Público de Saúde, na Comunidade de Paraisópolis, São Paulo. A amostra (n = 71) foi composta por lactentes menores de 18 meses, eutróficos, de baixo risco biológico ao nascimento, nascidos de parto único, termo, peso ao nascer entre 2.000g e 4.500g, semassociação com patologias congênitas neurológicas, cardíacas ou ortopédicas no exame clinico. Resultados. Este estudo apresenta prevalência de atraso motor quando comparado com a população de referencia da AIMS. Primeiro, 8,5% dos lactentes foram classificados como mdA e 7% como dmS, além da categoria mdT conter 84,5% dos lactentes, a media do escore Z tem modificado o ponto central da distribuição padronizada, apenas 33,7% do grupo, isto e, 24 em 71, estão igual ou acima do Z = 0 (p < 0.05). Conclusão. A utilização da AIMS neste estudo foi eficiente na avaliação do desenvolvimento motor, prática, de baixo custo e rápida aplicação. Forneceu rápida visualização da posição do lactente. Característica que permite tomada de decisões oportunas pelos profissionais que integram as equipes de saúde

The Jazz Singer and Modern Times: the advent of talking pictures and Chaplin´s first talk

The advent of sound represented technical, aesthetical and ideological transformations and conflicts in the cinema. For many theorists and moviemakers of that period, the introduction of speech in the movies could threaten the formation of its specific artistic language, based on moving pictures and montage until then. The Jazz Singer (Alan Crosland, 1927) marked the beginning of the talking pictures as the industrial standard practice. One of its major opponents, Charlie Chaplin, would resist to the use of voice for another nine years, until the release of Modern Times (Charles Chaplin, 1936), in which the Tramp, his alter ego, speaks for the first time. This text compares the scenes where the voice reveals itself in both films, so to comprehend the symbolical representations of the conflict between the defense of speech as an enrichment to cinema and the opposition to its hegemony. O advento do cinema falado representou uma série de transformações e embates técnicos, estéticos e ideológicos. Para muitos teóricos e cineastas do período, a introdução da fala nos filmes poderia ameaçar a formação de uma linguagem artística específica do cinema, calcada até então no uso de imagens em movimento e da montagem. O sucesso de O Cantor de Jazz (Alan Crosland, 1927) demarcou o início do cinema falado como padrão da indústria. Um de seus maiores opositores, Charlie Chaplin, resistiria ao uso da voz por mais nove anos, até lançar Tempos Modernos (Charlie Chaplin, 1936), filme no qual pela primeira vez o Vagabundo, seu alter ego, fala. O presente texto procura comparar as cenas em que a voz se revela nos dois filmes, a fim de compreender as representações simbólicas de um embate entre a defesa da fala como enriquecimento para o cinema e a oposição à sua hegemonia