Deaths due to oral cancer in Chile in the period 2002-2012

Indexación: Scopus; Scielo.Background: Oral cancer is the 15th most common cause of cancer death in the world. In Chile, 1% of all cancer deaths are related to oral and pharyngeal cancer. Aim: To determine mortality rates for oral cancer in Chile and its regions between 2002-2012. Material and Methods: Deaths and their causes between the years 2002-2012 were obtained from the Chilean National Statistics Institute. Crude and adjusted rates by age and sex were calculated for the country and its regions. The denominator was Chilean population on June 30, 2012 and the WHO standard population. Results: In the period studied, 1,611 individuals with a mean age of 67.6 years (63% men) died because of oral cancer. The most common location of the tumor was the tongue in 27% of cases and the parotid gland in 16%. The adjusted mortality rate in Chile was 0.85/100,000 inhabitants (1.13 and 0.58 in men and women, respectively). The regions with the highest rates were Antofagasta (1.51), Aysén (1.22) and Magallanes (1.17). Deaths among men occurred at younger ages than women. Conclusions: Mortality rates due to oral cancer in Chile are lower than abroad. The highest rates observed in some regions may be influenced by environmental factors such as arsenic contamination in Antofagasta and the lack of specialists and specialized care centers in Aysén and Magallanes. © 2018, Sociedad Medica de Santiago. All rights reserved.https://scielo.conicyt.cl/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0034-98872018000400487&lng=en&nrm=iso&tlng=e

TXNDC5, a newly discovered disulfide isomerase with a key role in cell physiology and pathology

Thioredoxin domain-containing 5 (TXNDC5) is a member of the protein disulfide isomerase family, acting as a chaperone of endoplasmic reticulum under not fully characterized conditions As a result, TXNDC5 interacts with many cell proteins, contributing to their proper folding and correct formation of disulfide bonds through its thioredoxin domains. Moreover, it can also work as an electron transfer reaction, recovering the functional isoform of other protein disulfide isomerases, replacing reduced glutathione in its role. Finally, it also acts as a cellular adapter, interacting with the N-terminal domain of adiponectin receptor. As can be inferred from all these functions, TXNDC5 plays an important role in cell physiology; therefore, dysregulation of its expression is associated with oxidative stress, cell ageing and a large range of pathologies such as arthritis, cancer, diabetes, neurodegenerative diseases, vitiligo and virus infections. Its implication in all these important diseases has made TXNDC5 a susceptible biomarker or even a potential pharmacological target

Bases for the digital transformation of the productive sector: an exploratory study of key competencies in Peru

The main objective of this research is to determine the basis of the key competencies necessary to achieve the digital transformation of public and private organizations in Peru. With this objective in mind, the conceptual framework involves the definition of a digital transformation in organizations and their impact on those organizations. Secondly, the article presented the results of the exploratory fieldwork conducted through in-depth interviews with ten executives from different productive sectors and analyzed them through content analysis. From this exploratory study, it concludes that all the experts interviewed agree on: i) the urgency of initiating a digital transformation process in small, medium, and large companies; ii) the need for training in digital transformation for company employees in all functional lines, giving priority to the commercial area; and iii) investment in the implementation process starting with cybersecurity and big data due to the impact on the operational and commercial results of the companies.El objetivo principal de esta investigaci?n es determinar las bases de las competencias clave necesarias para lograr la transformaci?n digital de las organizaciones p?blicas y privadas en el Per?. Con este objetivo en mente, el marco conceptual implica la definici?n de la transformaci?n digital en las organizaciones y su impacto en las mismas. En segundo lugar, el art?culo presenta los resultados del trabajo de campo exploratorio realizado a trav?s de entrevistas en profundidad a diez ejecutivos de diferentes sectores productivos y los analiza a trav?s del an?lisis de contenido. De este estudio exploratorio se concluye que todos los expertos entrevistados coinciden en: i) la urgencia de iniciar un proceso de transformaci?n digital en las peque?as, medianas y grandes empresas; ii) la necesidad de formaci?n en transformaci?n digital para los empleados de las empresas en todas las l?neas funcionales, priorizando el ?rea comercial; y iii) la inversi?n en el proceso de implantaci?n a partir de la ciberseguridad y el big data por el impacto en los resultados operativos y comerciales de las empresas

Estudio comparativo y evaluaci?n del rendimiento de dos tecnolog?as de extracci?n de aceites esenciales de naranja, mandarina y tangelo

Existe una gran preocupaci?n por el empleo y desarrollo de nuevos procesos de extracci?n, los cuales minimicen los costos energ?ticos asociados a la operaci?n de extracci?n de aceites esenciales. As? mismo, se debe tomar en cuenta aspectos que actualmente son de suma importancia para la industria nacional y mundial, tales como la minimizaci?n de riesgos ambientales, el empleo de solventes m?s eficaces y f?cilmente recuperables y el aumento de la demanda de materias primas para la elaboraci?n de productos para consumo humano de alta calidad y con valor agregado. Es en este sentido que se pone atenci?n a t?cnicas tales como la destilaci?n por arrastre con vapor de agua. Integrado a esto, est?n los requerimientos de la industria alimenticia, farmac?utica y cosm?tica, entre otras. La presente investigaci?n es un estudio comparativo que eval?a el rendimiento entre la metodolog?a de extracci?n por arrastre a vapor cl?sica y la metodolog?a Clevenger, las cuales son tecnolog?as amigables con el ambiente, para la obtenci?n de aceites esenciales de naranja, mandarina y tangelo. Teniendo como objetivo principal la determinaci?n los par?metros adecuados para la extracci?n de aceites esenciales, a partir de la c?scara de los c?tricos mencionados. Para el desarrollo de esta investigaci?n se realiz? la revisi?n de literatura, 108 pruebas a escala de laboratorio y entrevistas a expertos. Los par?metros vinculados al volumen de aceite, tiempo de obtenci?n del mismo y rendimiento en la extracci?n son: el tama?o y la preparaci?n previa de las muestras de los c?tricos analizados. Analizando el rendimiento, el m?todo Cl?venger es superior que la metodolog?a cl?sica, los resultados obtenidos en el caso de la naranja son 6.08% y 0.24%, para la mandarina 1.31% y 0.41% y para el tangelo 3.11% y 0.31% respectivamente, los cuales se detallan m?s adelante

Evaluation of methods for DNA extraction from Clostridium tyrobutyricum spores and its detection by qPCR

Clostridium tyrobutyricum is the major agent that causes the blowing defect in cheese due to the germination of its dormant spores during the ripening stage. As a result, many of the affected cheeses show cavities and cracks, which cause the product loss in most cases. Nowadays, there is not a fast method capable of detecting milk contaminated with C. tyrobutyricum spores. The aim of this study has been to develop a fast and reliable method based on real time PCR (qPCR) to detect C. tyrobutyricum spores in raw milk. One of the main limitations has been to find a good procedure for the spore disruption to extract the DNA due to its high resistance. For this reason, different disruption methods have been tested, including chemical agents, bead beating, enzymatic and microwave treatment. Furthermore, an enzymatic treatment with subtilisin was applied for milk clarification and recovery of spores. The comparison of the assayed methods has been made using sterile milk spiked with C. tyrobutyricum spores, obtained in solid or liquid medium. The results showed that microwave treatment followed by a standard DNA purification step was found to be the best disruption method. The Ct values obtained for spores were higher than those found for vegetative cells by qPCR, for the same quantity of DNA. This difference could be due to the action of the Small Acid Soluble Proteins (SASP) in the DNA packaging of spores. Moreover, spores obtained in agar plate were found more resistant to disruption than those obtained in liquid medium. Subtilisin and microwave treatments were found to be successful for DNA extraction from C. tyrobutyricum spores in milk and subsequent identification by qPCR. However, the differences observed between the amplification of DNA from spores obtained in different media and from vegetative cells have to be taken into account to optimize a method for C. tyrobutyricum detection

The lymph node transcriptome of unicentric and idiopathic multicentric Castleman disease

Castleman disease is a polyclonal lymphoproliferative disorder characterized by unicentric or multicentric lymphadenopathy with characteristic histomorphological features, in addition to variable inflammatory symptomatology. The molecular mechanisms and etiologies of unicentric Castleman disease (UCD) and idiopathic multicentric Castleman disease (iMCD) are poorly understood, and identification of targetable disease mediators remains an unmet clinical need. We performed whole exome sequencing on lymph node biopsies from patients with UCD and iMCD and compared the transcriptomic profiles to that of benign control lymph nodes. We identified significantly upregulated genes in UCD (n=443), iMCD (n=316) or both disease subtypes (n=51) and downregulated genes in UCD (n=321), iMCD (n=105) or both (n=10). The transcriptomes of UCD and iMCD showed enrichment and upregulation of elements of the complement cascade. By immunohistochemistry, C4d deposits indicative of complement activation were found to be present in UCD and iMCD, mostly within abnormally regressed germinal centers, but also in association with plasma cell clusters, endothelial cells and stroma cell proliferations. Other enriched gene sets included collagen organization, S1P3 pathway and VEGFR pathway in UCD; and humoral response, oxidative phosphorylation and proteosome in iMCD. Analysis of cytokine transcripts showed upregulation of CXCL13 but not IL6 in UCD and iMCD. Among angiogenic mediators, the VEGFR1 ligand placental growth factor (PGF) was upregulated in both disease subtypes. We hereby report for the first time the whole lymph node transcriptomes of UCD and iMCD, underscoring findings that could aid in the discovery of targetable disease mediators

Foodways in transition: food plants, diet and local perceptions of change in a Costa Rican Ngäbe community

Background Indigenous populations are undergoing rapid ethnobiological, nutritional and socioeconomic transitions while being increasingly integrated into modernizing societies. To better understand the dynamics of these transitions, this article aims to characterize the cultural domain of food plants and analyze its relation with current day diets, and the local perceptions of changes given amongst the Ngäbe people of Southern Conte-Burica, Costa Rica, as production of food plants by its residents is hypothesized to be drastically in recession with an decreased local production in the area and new conservation and development paradigms being implemented. Methods Extensive freelisting, interviews and workshops were used to collect the data from 72 participants on their knowledge of food plants, their current dietary practices and their perceptions of change in local foodways, while cultural domain analysis, descriptive statistical analyses and development of fundamental explanatory themes were employed to analyze the data. Results Results show a food plants domain composed of 140 species, of which 85 % grow in the area, with a medium level of cultural consensus, and some age-based variation. Although many plants still grow in the area, in many key species a decrease on local production–even abandonment–was found, with much reduced cultivation areas. Yet, the domain appears to be largely theoretical, with little evidence of use; and the diet today is predominantly dependent on foods bought from the store (more than 50 % of basic ingredients), many of which were not salient or not even recognized as ‘food plants’ in freelists exercises. While changes in the importance of food plants were largely deemed a result of changes in cultural preferences for store bought processed food stuffs and changing values associated with farming and being food self-sufficient, Ngäbe were also aware of how changing household livelihood activities, and the subsequent loss of knowledge and use of food plants, were in fact being driven by changes in social and political policies, despite increases in forest cover and biodiversity. Conclusions Ngäbe foodways are changing in different and somewhat disconnected ways: knowledge of food plants is varied, reflecting most relevant changes in dietary practices such as lower cultivation areas and greater dependence on food from stores by all families. We attribute dietary shifts to socioeconomic and political changes in recent decades, in particular to a reduction of local production of food, new economic structures and agents related to the State and globalization

Valor pronóstico de la ratio urea / creatinina en la insuficiencia cardiaca descompensada y su relación con el daño renal agudo

Introducción: El empeoramiento de la función renal es un índice de mal pronóstico en pacientes con insuficiencia cardiaca aguda (ICA). El cociente urea/creatinina (U/C) podría tener significación pronóstica en la ICA. Material y métodos: Estudio observacional, prospectivo, cuyo objetivo fue analizar el valor pronóstico del cociente U/C, determinado en las primeras 24-48 h del ingreso, en pacientes hospitalizados por ICA, así como su relación con el filtrado glomerular estimado (FGe) y el daño renal agudo (DRA). Resultados: Se incluyeron un total de 204 pacientes, con edad media de 79, 3 años. La mediana de FGe fue 55 ml/min/1, 73m2. En el análisis multivariante, un cociente U/C > 50 se asoció con una mayor probabilidad de DRA durante el ingreso (36, 5% vs. 21, 9%) y mortalidad por cualquier causa (odds ratio [OR] 2, 75) y por IC (OR 3, 50) durante el seguimiento. La elevación del cociente U/C fue pronóstica solo en los pacientes con FGe normales (mortalidad 4, 4% vs. 22%; p=0, 01). La combinación del cociente U/C con el FGe tuvo mayor capacidad predictiva de DRA que cada uno de ellos por separado (área bajo la curva 0, 718, intervalo de confianza al 95% 0, 643-0, 793; p<0, 001). Conclusiones: Un cociente U/C > 50 predice mortalidad a largo plazo en pacientes con FGe normal, y combinado con el FGe, mejora la identificación del riesgo de DRA, en pacientes ingresados por ICA. Dado lo simple de este biomarcador, sugerimos su uso sistemático en la clínica diaria. Background: Worsening renal function is associated with an adverse prognosis for patients with acute heart failure (AHF). Urea-creatinine ratio (U:C ratio) might be useful for measuring renal function and could help stratify patients with AHF. Material and methods: An observational and prospective study was conducted to analyse the prognostic value of the U:C ratio, measured during the first 24-28 hours of admission, for patients hospitalised for decompensated Heart failure, and its relationship with estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) and acute kidney injury (AKI). Results: The study included 204 patients, with a mean age of 79.3 years, and a median eGFR of 55 mL/min/1.73m2. In the multivariate analysis, an U:C ratio above the median (50) was related to the development of AKI (36.5% vs. 21.9%) and to increased mortality, both overall (OR 2.75) and by HF (OR 3.50) in long term. In combination with eGFR, the U:C ratio showed prognostic value in patients with normal eGFR (mortality of 4.4% for an U:C ratio = 50 vs. 22% for U:C ratio &gt; 50; p=0.01), as well as a better predictive capacity for AKI than each of them separately (AUC, 0.718; 95% CI 0.643-0.793; p&gt;.000). Conclusions: An U:C ratio &gt; 50 is a predictor of increased long-term mortality for patients hospitalised for decompensated HF and with normal eGFR. Given the simplicity of this biomarker, its use in clinical practice should be more systematic