Concentración de cortisol salival con un enfoque de género en las diferentes etapas del desarrollo humano

Salivary cortisol secretion (Corts) is an individual adaptation reflex to internal / external stressors, which involves several biological and social factors. The aim of this study was to perform a review on variations in Corts concentrations in relation to biological differences of sex and gender socialization in the different stages of human development. MEDLINE / PubMed and Google Scholar were used to search for scientific evidence. 20 original English-language articles published from 2010-2020 were selected, including clinical trials and observational studies. The relationship between Corts and gender was historically discussed considering evolutionary and biological aspects. However, it cannot be explained as a cause-effect view and depends on unique sociocultural factors, which in sensitive periods of human development alter the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis and condition coping with stress.La secreción del cortisol salival (Corts) es un reflejo de la adaptación de los individuos a los estresores internos/externos, con varios factores involucrados: biológicos y sociales. El objetivo de este estudio fue realizar una investigación documental sobre las variaciones de la concentración del Corts en relación con las diferencias biológicas de sexo y socialización de género, en las diferentes etapas del desarrollo humano. Para la búsqueda de la evidencia científica se utilizaron Medline/PubMed y Google Académico. Se seleccionaron 20 artículos originales, en idioma inglés, publicados en el periodo 2010-2020, incluidos ensayos clínicos y estudios observacionales. La relación entre Corts y género se discutió históricamente considerando los aspectos evolutivos y biológicos; sin embargo, no puede explicarse como una visión causa-efecto. Depende de factores socioculturales únicos que, en periodos sensibles del desarrollo humano, alteran el eje hipotalámico-pituitario-adrenal y condicionan el afrontamiento del estrés

Factores que influyen en la decisión de compra del consumidor de los Food Trucks

Gastronomy, from its origins to nowadays, has been renewed and reinvented through new forms of food transformation and presentation, as well as varied ways of getting closer to the consumer. The objective of this research is to determine the factors that influence a food truck´ s consumers´  buying decision making in the city of Tijuana, Baja California. In the literature review, the food trucks business model has great potential for investors and/or entrepreneurs, combining a variety of concepts and philosophies that help both economic and community growth, making the most of social networks for dissemination. Concerning methodology, 385 surveys were applied in four great influx gastronomic groups in the city. As a result, it was obtained that some of the factors that influence the election of a gastronomic collective is food flavor, quality and dish presentation; price is the factor that influences the decision the least. In addition, other outstanding aspects in a consumer´ s decision are easy access to the place and its central location. The food truck consumers´  age (in a large percentage) range from 21 to 26 years.La gastronomía, desde su origen hasta nuestros días, se ha ido renovando y reinventando a través de nuevas formas de transformación y presentación de los alimentos, así como de las variadas maneras de acercarse más al consumidor. El objetivo de la presente investigación es determinar los factores que influyen en la decisión de compra de los consumidores de food trucks, en la ciudad de Tijuana, Baja California. En la revisión de literatura, el modelo de negocio food trucks posee un gran potencial para los inversionistas y/o emprendedores ya combina una variedad de conceptos y filosofías que ayudan a un crecimiento tanto económico como de la comunidad, aprovechando al máximo las redes sociales para su difusión. En la parte metodológica, se aplicaron 385 encuestas en cuatro colectivos gastronómicos de mayor afluencia de la ciudad. En los resultados se obtuvo que algunos de los factores que influyen al elegir un colectivo gastronómico son el sabor, la calidad y la presentación de los platillos; el precio es el que menos influye en la decisión. Además, otros aspectos sobresalientes son el fácil acceso al lugar y su ubicación céntrica. Las edades de los consumidores, en mayor porcentaje, oscilan entre 21 y 26 años.     &nbsp

Soluble Receptor Isoform of IFN-Beta (sIFNAR2) in Multiple Sclerosis Patients and Their Association With the Clinical Response to IFN-Beta Treatment

Alternative splicing; Soluble receptors; IFNAR; Interferon beta; Multiple sclerosisEmpalmament alternatiu; Receptors solubles; IFNAR; Interferó beta; Esclerosi múltipleSplicing alternativo; Receptores solubles; IFNAR; Interferón beta; Esclerosis múltiplePurpose: Interferon beta receptor 2 subunit (IFNAR2) can be produced as a transmembrane protein, but also as a soluble form (sIFNAR2) generated by alternative splicing or proteolytic cleavage, which has both agonist and antagonist activities for IFN-β. However, its role regarding the clinical response to IFN-β for relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) is unknown. We aim to evaluate the in vitro short-term effects and after 6 and 12 months of IFN-β therapy on sIFNAR2 production and their association with the clinical response in MS patients. Methods: Ninety-four RRMS patients were included and evaluated at baseline, 6 and 12 months from treatment onset. A subset of 41 patients were classified as responders and non-responders to IFN-β therapy. sIFNAR2 serum levels were measured by ELISA. mRNA expression for IFNAR1, IFNAR2 splice variants, MxA and proteases were assessed by RT-PCR. The short-term effect was evaluated in PBMC from RRMS patients after IFN-β stimulation in vitro. Results: Protein and mRNA levels of sIFNAR2 increased after IFN-β treatment. According to the clinical response, only non-responders increased sIFNAR2 significantly at both protein and mRNA levels. sIFNAR2 gene expression correlated with the transmembrane isoform expression and was 2.3-fold higher. While MxA gene expression increased significantly after treatment, IFNAR1 and IFNAR2 only slightly increased. After short-term IFN-β in vitro induction of PBMC, 6/7 patients increased the sIFNAR2 expression. Conclusions: IFN-β administration induces the production of sIFNAR2 in RRMS and higher levels might be associated to the reduction of therapeutic response. Thus, levels of sIFNAR2 could be monitored to optimize an effective response to IFN-β therapy.This research was funded by grants from the Instituto de Salud Carlos III and co-funded by European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), Technological Development Project in health DTS/1800045 to BO-M. BO-M holds a contract from Red Andaluza de Investigacion Clínica y Traslacional en Neurología (Neuro-reca) (RIC-0111-2019). PA-G is supported by Promoción de Empleo Joven e Implantación de la Garantía Juvenil 2018 (PEJ2018-002719-A). JR-B is supported by grants from Red Temática de Investigación Cooperativa, Red Española de Esclerosis Multiple REEM (RD16/0015/0010). LL holds a Nicolás Monardes research contract (RC-002-2019) from the Andalusian Ministry of Health and Family. IB-M holds a pFIS contract (FI19/00139) from the Spanish Science and Innovation Ministry

Education for sustainable development: Guidance for UK higher education providers

This guidance has been prepared by representatives of the higher education community with expertise in education and sustainable development. It has been produced via collaboration between the Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education (QAA) and the Higher Education Academy (HEA). The guidance is intended to be of practical help to higher education providers working with students to foster their knowledge, understanding and skills in the area of sustainable development. The guidance recognises that there are many ways in which this may be achieved and is not prescriptive about delivery. Instead it offers an outcomes-based framework for use in curriculum design, and general guidance on approaches to teaching, learning and assessment. The guidance is intended to be relevant to educators in all disciplines wishing to embed or include learning about sustainable development within their curricula. This guidance is intended to complement Chapter B3 of the UK Quality Code for Higher Education (Quality Code) dedicated to learning and teaching, but it does not form an explicit part of it. The Quality Code sets out the expectations that all providers of UK higher education are required to meet and is used in QAA review processes. The guidance is intended to apply to all parts of the UK

PIK3CA mutation enrichment and quantitation from blood and tissue

PIK3CA is one of the two most frequently mutated genes in breast cancers, occurring in 30-40% of cases. Four frequent 'hotspot' PIK3CA mutations (E542K, E545K, H1047R and H1047L) account for 80-90% of all PIK3CA mutations in human malignancies and represent predictive biomarkers. Here we describe a PIK3CA mutation specific nuclease-based enrichment assay, which combined with a low-cost real-time qPCR detection method, enhances assay detection sensitivity from 5% for E542K and 10% for E545K to 0.6%, and from 5% for H1047R to 0.3%. Moreover, we present a novel flexible prediction method to calculate initial mutant allele frequency in tissue biopsy and blood samples with low mutant fraction. These advancements demonstrated a quick, accurate and simple detection and quantitation of PIK3CA mutations in two breast cancer cohorts (first cohort n = 22, second cohort n = 25). Hence this simple, versatile and informative workflow could be applicable for routine diagnostic testing where quantitative results are essential, e.g. disease monitoring subject to validation in a substantial future study

Inhibitory Receptor Expression on T Cells as a Marker of Disease Activity and Target to Regulate Effector Cellular Responses in Rheumatoid Arthritis

Objective: Inhibitory receptors are essential for the regulation of effector immune responses and may play critical roles in autoimmune diseases. We evaluated whether inhibitory receptor expression on T cells from patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) were correlated with immune activation, disease activity, and response to treatment, as well as whether inhibitory receptor–mediated pathways were functional. Methods: Using flow cytometry, we performed extensive phenotypic and functional evaluation of CD4+ and CD8+ T cells from the blood and synovial fluid (SF) of RA patients ex vivo and after culture. The relationship of each parameter with the Disease Activity Score in 28 joints using the erythrocyte sedimentation rate (DAS28-ESR) and response to treatment was examined. Results: In RA patients with low levels of T cell activation, inhibitory receptor expression showed an inverse relationship with the DAS28-ESR. The frequency of T cells expressing multiple inhibitory receptors was reduced in untreated RA patients but returned to normal levels in treated patients. RA patients who responded to treatment showed an augmented frequency of inhibitory receptor–expressing T cells that correlated with reduced inflammatory cytokine production in comparison to nonresponders. Higher frequencies of effector and memory T cells that expressed multiple inhibitory receptors were seen in SF than in peripheral blood. Notably, inhibitory pathways were operative in blood and synovial T cells from all RA patients, although cells from nonresponder patients were less sensitive to inhibition. Conclusion: Inhibitory receptor expression on T cells from RA patients is inversely correlated with effector T cell function and disease activity and may predict response to treatment. Furthermore, different inhibitory pathways are functional and cooperatively suppress synovial T cells, providing a rationale for new treatment strategies to regulate acute local inflammation.Fil: Onofrio, Luisina Inés. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Córdoba. Centro de Investigaciones en Bioquímica Clínica e Inmunología; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Medicina. Hospital Nacional de Clínicas; ArgentinaFil: Zacca, Estefanía. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Medicina. Hospital Nacional de Clínicas; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Córdoba. Centro de Investigaciones en Bioquímica Clínica e Inmunología; ArgentinaFil: Ferrero, Paola Virginia. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Medicina. Hospital Nacional de Clínicas; ArgentinaFil: Acosta, Cristina. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Medicina. Hospital Nacional de Clínicas; ArgentinaFil: Mussano, Eduardo. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Medicina. Hospital Nacional de Clínicas; ArgentinaFil: Onetti, Laura. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Medicina. Hospital Nacional de Clínicas; ArgentinaFil: Cadile, Isaac. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Medicina. Hospital Nacional de Clínicas; ArgentinaFil: Gazzoni, M. Victoria. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Medicina. Hospital Nacional de Clínicas; ArgentinaFil: Jurado, Raúl. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Medicina. Hospital Nacional de Clínicas; ArgentinaFil: Tosello Boari, Jimena. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Córdoba. Centro de Investigaciones en Bioquímica Clínica e Inmunología; ArgentinaFil: Ramello, María Cecilia. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Córdoba. Centro de Investigaciones en Bioquímica Clínica e Inmunología; ArgentinaFil: Montes, Carolina Lucia. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Córdoba. Centro de Investigaciones en Bioquímica Clínica e Inmunología; ArgentinaFil: Gruppi, Adriana. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Córdoba. Centro de Investigaciones en Bioquímica Clínica e Inmunología; ArgentinaFil: Acosta Rodriguez, Eva Virginia. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Córdoba. Centro de Investigaciones en Bioquímica Clínica e Inmunología; Argentin

Augmenting Hand and Arm Function for Persons with Hemiparesis

Background. Hand and arm dysfunction due to neural disorders significantly influences quality of life. Activity-based training has been found to improve function. These improvements could be augmented with transcutaneous spinal cord stimulation (tSCS) due to the modulatory effect it has on spinal and supraspinal networks. Objective. The primary aim is to determine if a 4-week training program will improve hand and arm function. The secondary aim is to determine if the addition of tSCS to a second 4-week training session will further improve function. Design. This is a pre-posttest, controlled trial for persons 10-75 years of age, \u3e6 months post stroke or with unilateral cerebral palsy.Methods. Participants will engage in two 4-week training periods, 3x/week for 2 hours/day. The 1st period will include unimanual and bimanual training alone. The 2nd period will be augmented with low frequency tSCS to the C5-T1 spinal region. Stimulation intensity will be based on individual muscle activation during 3 tasks: 1) grip dynamometry; 2) grip-lift; and 3) target pointing. Outcome measures taken before, midway, and after training are: Canadian Occupational Performance Measure (COPM), dexterity, daylong arm use, grip/pinch strength, sensibility, questionnaires, bilateral hand/arm surface electromyography, and Upper Extremity Fugl-Meyer (UEFM). Results: Nine participants have completed the 1st 4-week training period without tSCS. Individual data reveals improvements in the COPM, Grip strength, dexterity, and the UEFM. Findings for other measures after the 1st period are mixed or in process. Conclusion: Preliminary findings from this ongoing study reveal that participants made improvements in most measures. The next phase of the study will determine if the addition of tSCS to training further augments hand and arm function

LAS EMPRESAS DE DESECHOS TECNOLÓGICOS DE PANAMÁ

The present study is an exploratory research that has had a double objective. On the one hand, identify the profile of companies dedicated to the management of technological waste in the Republic of Panama and, on the other, evaluate the relationships that these companies have with public institutions and other organizations. Ten companies out of the thirteen detected were surveyed, of which nine were able to complete the study. For the exploratory analysis of the responses to the questionnaire, the Reticular Analysis of Coincidences (CNA) was used, which consists of a series of techniques used to detect which events are most frequent in a set of scenarios and with which other events they tend to occur simultaneously. The results show that, in relation to the profile of the companies, they are mainly constituted by Panamanian capital; They are managed with their own financing; They have few staff and, in general, little technical and/or university education; Regarding the results on relationships, it should be indicated that these companies have very few relationships between themselves and other entities; that there is low motivation for this, due to poor disclosure, lack of laws and regulations related to technological waste, and excessive bureaucracy in administrative processes. It is essential to establish strategies that raise awareness among the population, support and train institutions, organizations and companies dedicated to the management of E-waste through the establishment of laws that encourage the proper treatment of this type of waste.El presente estudio es una investigación exploratoria que ha tenido un doble objetivo. Por un lado, identificar el perfil que poseen las empresas dedicadas al manejo de desechos tecnológicos en la República de Panamá y, por otro, evaluar las relaciones que estas empresas poseen con instituciones públicas y otras organizaciones. Diez empresas de las trece detectadas fueron encuestadas, de las que pudieron completar el estudio nueve de ellas. Para el análisis exploratorio de las respuestas al cuestionario se utilizó el Análisis Reticular de Coincidencias (ARC), que consiste una serie de técnicas que se utilizan para detectar cuáles sucesos son más frecuentes en un conjunto de escenarios y con qué otros sucesos tienden a ocurrir conjuntamente. Los resultados muestran que, en relación con el perfil de las empresas, estas son constituidas principalmente por capital panameño; se manejan con financiamiento propio; cuentan con poco personal y, en general, con escasa instrucción técnica y/o universitaria; en cuanto los resultados sobre las relaciones, debe indicarse que estas empresas tienen muy pocas relaciones entre ellas y demás entidades; que existe una baja motivación para ello, debido a la escasa divulgación, falta de leyes y normas relacionadas con los desechos tecnológicos, y una excesiva burocracia en los procesos administrativos. Es imprescindible establecer estrategias que permitan concientizar a la población, apoyar y capacitar a las instituciones, organizaciones y empresas dedicadas a la gestión de los residuos de aparatos eléctricos y electrónicos (RAEE) mediante el establecimiento de leyes que incentiven el tratamiento adecuado de este tipo de desechos

Patients with rheumatoid arthritis in clinical remission and ultrasound-defined active synovitis exhibit higher disease activity and increased serum levels of angiogenic biomarkers.

INTRODUCTION: The aim of this study was to identify and characterize subclinical synovitis in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in clinical remission using power Doppler ultrasound (PDUS) and serum levels of biomarkers of inflammation and/or angiogenesis. METHODS: We selected patients with RA in clinical remission defined as a Disease activity score of 28 joints (DAS28)-erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) <2.6 for more than six months tested by two independent rheumatologists. Clinical, epidemiological, demographic and serological data were analyzed. PDUS of knees and hands was performed by a sonographer. Synovial hypertrophy (SH) and PDUS signal were scored (grades 0 to 3). SH ≥2 and a PDUS signal was classified as active synovitis. Serum levels of biomarkers of inflammation/angiogenesis were determined by Quantibody Human Array. RESULTS: This study included 55 patients, of whom 25 (45.4%) met criteria for ultrasound-defined active synovitis. Patients with active synovitis had higher DAS28-C reactive protein (P = 0.023), DAS28-ESR (P = 0.06), simplified disease activity score, SDAI (P = 0.064), and only 12% were taking oral glucocorticoids (≤5 mg/day) compared with 40% of patients without active synovitis (P = 0.044). Patients with synovitis also had significantly higher serum levels of the angiogenic biomarkers angiopoietin-2 (P = 0.038), vascular endothelial growth factor-D (P = 0.018), placental growth factor (P = 0.043), stromal cell-derived factor-1 (P = 0.035), matrix metallopeptidase-2 (P = 0.027) and basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) (P = 0.007), but not of pro-inflammatory cytokines. CONCLUSIONS: Nearly half of the patients with RA in clinical remission had ultrasound-defined active synovitis, higher disease activity and less frequent oral glucocorticoid consumption than patients without active synovitis. This clinical situation was associated with a specific biological profile characterized by an excess of angiogenic mediators rather than persistent proinflammatory cytokine responses

Acute thalamic connectivity precedes chronic post-concussive symptoms in mild traumatic brain injury

Chronic post-concussive symptoms are common after mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) and are difficult to predict or treat. Thalamic functional integrity is particularly vulnerable in mTBI and may be related to long-term outcomes but requires further investigation. We compared structural MRI and resting state functional MRI in 108 patients with a Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) of 13-15 and normal CT, and 76 controls. We examined whether acute changes in thalamic functional connectivity were early markers for persistent symptoms and explored neurochemical associations of our findings using PET data. Of the mTBI cohort, 47% showed incomplete recovery 6 months post-injury. Despite the absence of structural changes, we found acute thalamic hyperconnectivity in mTBI, with specific vulnerabilities of individual thalamic nuclei. Acute fMRI markers differentiated those with chronic post-concussive symptoms, with time- and outcome-dependent relationships in a sub-cohort followed longitudinally. Moreover, emotional and cognitive symptoms were associated with changes in thalamic functional connectivity to known serotonergic and noradrenergic targets, respectively. Our findings suggest that chronic symptoms can have a basis in early thalamic pathophysiology. This may aid identification of patients at risk of chronic post-concussive symptoms following mTBI, provide a basis for development of new therapies and facilitate precision medicine application of these therapies.</p