Exopolysaccharide ID1 Improves Post-Warming Outcomes after Vitrification of In Vitro-Produced Bovine Embryos

This study aimed to assess the cryoprotectant role of exopolysaccharide (EPS) ID1, produced by Antarctic Pseudomonas sp., in the vitrification of in vitro-produced (IVP) bovine embryos. IVP day 7 (D7) and day 8 (D8) expanded blastocysts derived from cow or calf oocytes were vitrified without supplementation (EPS0) or supplemented with 10 g/mL (EPS10) or 100 g/mL (EPS100) EPS ID1. The effect of EPS ID1 was assessed in post-warming re-expansion and hatching rates, differential cell count, apoptosis rate, and gene expression. EPS100 re-expansion rates were significantly higher than those observed for the EPS0 and EPS10 treatments, regardless of culture length or oocyte source. EPS100 hatching rate was similar to the one of the fresh blastocysts except for those D7 blastocysts derived from calf oocytes. No differences were observed among EPS ID1 treatments when the inner cell mass, trophectoderm, and total cell number were assessed. Although apoptosis rates were higher (p 0.05) in vitrified groups compared to fresh embryos, EPS100 blastocysts had a lower number (p 0.05) of apoptotic nuclei than the EPS0 or EPS10 groups. No differences in the expression of BCL2, AQP3, CX43, and SOD1 genes between treatments were observed. Vitrification without EPS ID1 supplementation produced blastocysts with significantly higher BAX gene expression, whereas treatment with 100 g/mL EPS ID1 returned BAX levels to those observed in non-vitrified blastocysts. Our results suggest that 100 g/mL EPS ID1 added to the vitrification media is beneficial for embryo cryopreservation because it results in higher re-expansion and hatching ability and it positively modulates apoptosis

Reabsorción radicular externa. Presentación de un caso clínico.

La resorción externa por presión (RREP) consiste en una pérdida de tejido dentinario y cementario de las raíces dentarias que se origina a nivel del ligamento periodontal, ocasionada por presiones prolongadas y mantenidas sobre la raíz. Presentamos un caso con su repercusión y tratamiento

A Shorter Equilibration Period Improves Post-Warming Outcomes after Vitrification and in Straw Dilution of In Vitro-Produced Bovine Embryos

This study was designed to the optimize vitrification and in-straw warming protocol of in vitro-produced bovine embryos by comparing two different equilibration periods, short equilibrium (SE: 3 min) and long equilibrium (LE: 12 min). Outcomes recorded in vitrified day seven (D7) and day eight (D8) expanded blastocysts were survival and hatching rates, cell counts, apoptosis rate, and gene expression. While survival rates at 3 and 24 h post-warming were reduced (p < 0.05) after vitrification, the hatching rates of D7 embryos vitrified after SE were similar to the rates recorded in fresh non-vitrified blastocysts. The hatching rates of vitrified D8 blastocysts were lower (p < 0.05) than of fresh controls regardless of treatment. Total cell count, and inner cell mass and trophectoderm cell counts were similar in hatched D7 blastocysts vitrified after SE and fresh blastocysts, while vitrified D8 blastocysts yielded lower values regardless of treatment. The apoptosis rate was significantly higher in both treatment groups compared to fresh controls, although rates were lower for SE than LE. No differences emerged in BAX, AQP3, CX43, and IFNτ gene expression between the treatments, whereas a significantly greater abundance of BCL2L1 and SOD1 transcripts was observed in blastocysts vitrified after SE. A shorter equilibration vitrification protocol was found to improve post-warming outcomes and time efficiency after in-straw warming/dilution

1D and 2D neutral particle patterning by dielectrophoretic forces on z-cut Fe:LiNbO3 crystals

1D and 2D patterning of uncharged micro- and nanoparticles via dielectrophoretic forces on photovoltaic z-cut Fe:LiNbO3 have been investigated for the first time. The technique has been successfully applied with dielectric micro-particles of CaCO3 (diameter d = 1-3 μm) and metal nanoparticles of Al (d = 70 nm). At difference with previous experiments in x- and y-cut, the obtained patterns locally reproduce the light distribution with high fidelity. A simple model is provided to analyse the trapping process. The results show the remarkably good capabilities of this geometry for high quality 2D light-induced dielectrophoretic patterning overcoming the important limitations presented by previous configurations

Lower ototoxicity and absence of hidden hearing loss point to gentamicin C1a and apramycin as promising antibiotics for clinical use

Trabajo presentado en el 42nd Annual MidWinter Meeting of the Association of Otorhinolaryngology, celebrado en Baltimore (Estados Unidos) del 9 al 13 de febrero de 2019.[Background]: Spread of antimicrobial resistance and shortage of novel antibiotics have led to an urgent need for new antibacterials (Maura et al. 2016, Curr Opin Microbiol 33: 41-46; Tacconelli et al. 2018, Lancet Infect Dis 18: 318-327). Although aminoglycoside antibiotics (AGs) exhibit potent antimicrobial activity, their use has been largely restricted due to serious sideeffects, mainly nephrotoxicity and ototoxicity (Forge and Schacht 2000, Audiol Neurootol 5: 3-22; Huth et al. 2011, Int J Otolaryngol 2011: 937861). It is therefore of great importance to identify AGs of strong antibacterial activity that lack their most harmful side effects.[Methods]: A large number of AGs were tested against a series of multidrug-resistant clinical isolates of the ESKAPE panel; of these, five AGs showing strong antibacterial activity were selected to evaluate their ototoxicity. A stepwise approach was followed, aiming at setting up a protocol that could be used in future high-throughput screenings. In vitro tests were initially conducted by assessing the viability of two established otic cell lines following AG treatment, and subsequently on murine cochlear organotypic cultures, by analysing hair cell survival. In vivo work was then carried out on a guinea pig model, following local round window application of the AGs.[Results]: Commercial gentamicin mixture (GM), the GM congener gentamicin C1a (GM C1a), apramycin (Apra), paromomycin (Paro) and neomycin (Neo) were selected for ototoxicity testing. In vitro analyses confirmed GM and Neo as the most toxic of the tested AGs, and Apra and Paro as those with the lowest toxicity; interestingly, GM C1a appeared to be less toxic than GM. Regarding the in vivo work, a dose-dependent effect of AGs on outer hair cell (OHC) survival and compound action potentials (CAPs) showed that GM C1a and Apra were the least toxic. Strikingly, although no changes were observed in CAP thresholds and OHC survival following treatment with low concentrations of Neo, GM and Paro, the number of inner hair cell (IHC) synaptic ribbons and the CAP amplitudes were reduced. This indication of hidden hearing loss was not observed with GM C1a or Apra at such concentrations.[Conclusion]: These findings have: (a) validated our screening approach, approach that will now be used for high-throughput testing of newly isolated AG congeners, (b) revealed the IHCs as the inner ear’;s most vulnerable element to AG treatment, and (c) identified GM C1a and Apra as promising bases for the development of clinically useful antibiotics

Neuronal tangential migration from Nkx2.1-positive hypothalamus

During the development of the central nervous system, the immature neurons suffer different migration processes. It is well known that Nkx2.1-positive ventricular layer give rise to critical tangential migrations into different regions of the developing forebrain. Our aim was to study this phenomenon in the hypothalamic region. With this purpose, we used a transgenic mouse line that expresses the tdTomato reporter driven by the promotor of Nkx2.1. Analysing the Nkx2.1-positive derivatives at E18.5, we found neural contributions to the prethalamic region, mainly in the zona incerta and in the mes-diencephalic tegmental region. We studied the developing hypothalamus along the embryonic period. From E10.5 we detected that the Nkx2.1 expression domain was narrower than the reporter distribution. Therefore, the Nkx2.1 expression fades in a great number of the early-born neurons from the Nkx2.1-positive territory. At the most caudal positive part, we detected a thin stream of positive neurons migrating caudally into the mes-diencephalic tegmental region using time-lapse experiments on open neural tube explants. Late in development, we found a second migratory stream into the prethalamic territory. All these tangentially migrated neurons developed a gabaergic phenotype. In summary, we have described the contribution of interneurons from the Nkx2.1-positive hypothalamic territory into two different rostrocaudal territories: the mes-diencephalic reticular formation through a caudal tangential migration and the prethalamic zona incerta complex through a dorsocaudal tangential migratio

Comparison of 2D versus M-mode echocardiography for assessing fetal myocardial wall thickness

OBJECTIVE: M-mode and 2D have been proposed for evaluating fetal myocardial thickness. However, studies comparing the performance of both modalities are lacking. We aimed to compare 2D versus M-mode reproducibility for assessing myocardial wall thicknesses. METHODS: A prospective study including 45 healthy fetuses from low-risk pregnancies evaluated between 18 and 41 weeks of gestation. Left and right ventricular free-wall and septal myocardial thicknesses were measured at end-diastole (ED) and end-systole (ES) in transverse 4-chamber view using 2D and M-mode. Intra- and interobserver reproducibility was evaluated by the concordance correlation coefficient (CCC). Both techniques were compared by t-test of the CCC. RESULTS: 2D and M-mode demonstrated excellent and similar intraobserver repeatability, with the best concordance in ES septal thickness (M-mode CCC 0.956 versus 2D-mode CCC 0.914). Interobserver reproducibility demonstrated also a high concordance, optimal in ES left ventricular free wall (M-mode 0.925 versus 2 D 0.855). Comparison of both techniques demonstrated a high concordance in all measurements, except for ED septal thickness with better reproducibility using M-mode (CCC 0.954 versus 0.847, p = .017). CONCLUSIONS: 2D and M-mode can be used in a reproducible manner for measuring fetal myocardial thickness, with a slightly better performance of M-mode for assessing ED septal wall thickness

Manejo quirúrgico de lesión quística.

La lesión periapical indica la propagación bacteriana en el sistema de conductos y la posible presencia de biofilm extraradicular

Sistema informático para la administración de expedientes, capacitaciones, beneficios y prestaciones del personal del Ministerio de Gobernación y Desarrollo Territorial de El Salvador

El presente trabajo de graduación describe el desarrollo de un sistema informático para la administración de los expedientes, capacitaciones, beneficios y prestaciones de los empleados del Ministerio de Gobernación y Desarrollo Territorial de El Salvador, el cual abarca desde la recopilación de requerimientos funcionales y no funcionales, el respectivo análisis utilizando el diagrama de Ishikawa, el enfoque de sistemas y el diseño de la solución utilizando diagramas UML y BPMN, además de tecnologías utilizadas para el desarrollo del sistema, codificación, análisis y diseño de la base de datos, arquitectura del sistema, diseño de interfaces, especificaciones de seguridad y prueba implementadas. Además se detalla el plan de implementación de esta solución dentro de la institución y se anexan las instrucciones de uso del sistema por medio de los manuales de usuario, manual técnico y de instalación y un glosario con las palabras técnicas utilizada