Agroforestry systems as alternative for conserving native plant species and improving agro-ecological knowledge

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Results of the Mitrofanoff procedure in urinary tract reconstruction in children

Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/90139/1/j.1464-410X.1997.33724.x.pd

Analysis of transmitted HIV-1 drug resistance using 454 ultra-deep-sequencing and the DeepChek(®)-HIV system.

Introduction Next-generation sequencing (NGS) is capable of detecting resistance-associated mutations (RAMs) present at frequencies of 1% or below. Several studies have found that baseline low-frequency RAMs are associated with failure to first-line HAART. One major limitation to the expansion of this technology in routine diagnostics is the complexity and laboriousness integral to bioinformatics analysis. DeepChek (ABL, TherapyEdge) is a CE-marked software that allows automated analysis and resistance interpretation of NGS data. Objective To evaluate the use of 454 ultra-deep-sequencing (Roche® 454, Life Sciences; 454-UDS) and DeepChek for routine baseline resistance testing in a clinical diagnostic laboratory. Methods 107 newly diagnosed HIV-1-infected patients (subtypes: A, n=9; B, n=52; C, n=21; D, n=2; F, n=3; G, n=1; CRF01, n=7; CRF02, n=7; CRF06, n=1; CRF07, n=1; CRF10, n=1 and unassigned complex, n=2) with a median plasma viral load of 88,727 copies/mL (range: 1380–2,143,543) were tested by 454-UDS and Sanger sequencing for the detection of protease and reverse transcriptase RAMs. In addition, integrase RAMs were investigated in 57 of them. Sequence analysis and resistance interpretation were performed using DeepChek applying 1% and 20% thresholds for variant detections; filters applied were comparison between Sanger and 454-UDS, and Stanford and IAS list for resistance interpretation. Results The time elapsed from generation of raw 454 data (between 2,000–5,000 sequences/sample) to elaboration of a resistance report was approximately 10 minutes per sample, equivalent to the time required for the same process using Sanger sequencing. Four patients (3.7%) showed baseline resistance by Sanger and 454-UDS at frequencies above 20%, which affected both NRTIs (n=2) and NNRTIs (n=2). In addition, 12 patients (11.2%) showed transmitted drug resistance (TDR) by 454-UDS at frequencies below 20% affecting NRTIs (n=9), NNRTIs (n=7) and PIs (n=2). Integrase resistance was not detected at baseline by 454-UDS or Sanger sequencing. Conclusions DeepChek allowed easy and rapid analysis and interpretation of NGS data, thus facilitating the incorporation of this technology in routine diagnostics. The use of NGS considerably increased the detection rates of TDR to NRTI, NNRTIs and PIs. No transmitted resistance to integrase inhibitors was found in our population by Sanger sequencing or UDS

Synthesizing attractors of Hindmarsh-Rose neuronal systems

In this paper a periodic parameter switching scheme is applied to the Hindmarsh-Rose neuronal system to synthesize certain attractors. Results show numerically, via computer graphic simulations, that the obtained synthesized attractor belongs to the class of all admissible attractors for the Hindmarsh-Rose neuronal system and matches the averaged attractor obtained with the control parameter replaced with the averaged switched parameter values. This feature allows us to imagine that living beings are able to maintain vital behavior while the control parameter switches so that their dynamical behavior is suitable for the given environment.Comment: published in Nonlinear Dynamic

Oral administration of zein-based nanoparticles reduces glycemia and improves glucose tolerance in rats

The aim was to evaluate the effect of zein-based nanoparticles on the glucose homeostasis, following oral administration to Wistar rats. For this purpose, bare nanoparticles (NP, with tropism for the upper intestinal regions) and poly(ethylene glycol)-coated nanoparticles (NP-PEG), with the capability to reach the ileum and cecum of animals, were evaluated. Both formulations were spherical in shape, displaying sizes around 200 nm and a negative surface zeta potential. The oral administration of a single dose of these nanoparticles to animals (50 mg/kg) induced a significant decrease of the glycemia, compared control rats and in animals treated with the free protein (p < 0.001). Moreover, these nanoparticles improved the glycemic control against an intraperitoneal glucose tolerance test; particularly NP-PEG. These findings would be due to an increased release of glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) by L-cells, which are more abundant in distal regions of the intestine. In fact, the GLP-1 blood levels of animals treated with nanoparticles were significantly higher than controls (about 40 % and 60 % for NP and NP-PEG groups, respectively). This higher capability of NP-PEG, with respect to NP, to increase the release of GLP-1 and control glycemia would be related to its ability to reach the distal areas of the small intestine

Epidermis foliar de trigo (Triticum aestivum L.) en relación al genotipo y al espaciamiento entre surcos

El objetivo de este trabajo fue estudiar el efecto del genotipo y del espaciamiento entre hileras sobre las características epidérmicas de la hoja bandera, en cultivares de trigo. Se sembraron cultivares comerciales, PROINTA Oasis (Oa) y Las Rosas INTA (Ri), y líneas experimentales (T7 y T24) a 2 distancias entre surcos (15 y 30 cm).  Las variables consideradas fueron frecuencia estomática (FE), índice estomático (IE), frecuencia de pares sílico-suberosos (FSS), frecuencia de aguijones (FA), ancho (AE) y largo (LE) de estomas. LE fue la única variable en la que se evidenció interacción significativa distancia-cultivar. Con respecto algenotipo, se encontraron diferencias sicnificativas entre cultivares en FE, FA y AE, mientras que no afectó IE ni FSS. En relación a FA, Ri presentó mayor respuesta promedio que Oa y que T24 . Para AE, mostró O a una media significativamente mayor que la de los restantes, mientras que para FE, T7 tuvo una media significativamente menor que la de los cultivares comerciales . Coincidiendo con otros autores, se puede considerar la FE como un criterio a tener en cuenta en la selección de nuevos cultivares

Geometrically Tailored Skyrmions at Zero Magnetic Field in Multilayered Nanostructures

Magnetic skyrmions are chiral spin structures recently observed at room temperature in multilayer films. Their topological stability will enable high scalability in confined geometries—a sought-after attribute for device applications. Despite numerous theoretical studies examining sub-100-nm Néel skyrmions in nanostructures, in practice their ambient stability and evolution with confinement and their magnetic parameters remain to be established. Here we present the zero-field stabilization of sub-100-nm room-temperature Néel-textured skyrmions confined in Ir/Fe(x)/Co(y)/Pt nanodots over a wide range of magnetic and geometric parameters. The zero-field skyrmion size, here as small as approximately 50 nm, can be tailored by a factor of 4 with variation of dot size and magnetic interactions. Crucially, skyrmions with differing thermodynamic stability exhibit an unexpected dichotomy in confinement phenomenologies. These results establish skyrmion phenomenology in multilayer nanostructures, and prompt the synergistic use of magnetic and geometric parameters to achieve desired properties in devices

Preparation and evaluation of PEG-coated zein nanoparticles for oral drug delivery purposes

The aim was to produce PEG-coated nanoparticles (NP-PEG), with mucus-permeating properties, for oral drug delivery purposes by using simple procedures and regulatory-approved compounds in order to facilitate a po- tential clinical development. For this purpose, zein nanoparticles were prepared by desolvation and, then, coated by incubation with PEG 35,000. The resulting nanocarriers displayed a mean size of about 200 nm and a negative zeta potential. The presence of PEG on the surface of nanoparticles was evidenced by electron microscopy and confirmed by FTIR analysis. Likely, the hydrophobic surface of zein nanoparticles (NP) was significantly reduce by their coating with PEG. This increase of the hydrophilicity of PEG-coated nanoparticles was associated with an important increase of their mobility in pig intestinal mucus. In laboratory animals, NP-PEG (fluorescently labelled with Lumogen® Red 305) displayed a different behavior when compared with bare nanoparticles. After oral administration, NP appeared to be trapped in the mucus mesh, whereas NP-PEG were capable of crossing the protective mucus layer and reach the epithelium. Finally, PEG-coated zein nanoparticles, prepared by a simple and reproducible method without employing reactive reagents, may be adequate carriers for promoting the oral bioavailability of biomacromolecules and other biologically active compounds with low permeability propertie

Clonidina en el tratamiento de la deshabituación tabáquica. Comparación con chicles de nicotina

The objective of our work was to carry out a prospective study on the effectiveness of clonidine and nicotine gum in the treatment of tobacco withdrawal. Sixty smokers were randomly distributed in two groups and were included in a tobacco withdrawal program. One group received oral clonidine treatment while the other group was given nicotine gum. Adjuvant therapy such as group therapy or psychotherapy was not performed. At the end of one year there were no significant differences between the two groups with regards to the number of subjects who have continued to stop smoking. There were also no significant differences between the two groups with regards to the symptoms of tobacco abstinence. When we studied the relation between treatment fulfillment and tobacco withdrawal we observed that the clonidine treated group had a significantly greater number of success compared to the nicotine group (p < 0.01)