Congenital anomalies of the optic nerve

AbstractCongenital optic nerve head anomalies are a group of structural malformations of the optic nerve head and surrounding tissues, which may cause congenital visual impairment and blindness. Each entity in this group of optic nerve anomalies has individually become more prevalent as our ability to differentiate between them has improved due to better characterization of cases. Access to better medical technology (e.g., neuroimaging and genetic analysis advances in recent years) has helped to expand our knowledge of these abnormalities. However, visual impairment may not be the only problem in these patients, some of these entities will be related to ophthalmologic, neurologic and systemic features that will help the physician to identify and predict possible outcomes in these patients, which sometimes may be life-threatening. Herein we present helpful hints, associations and management (when plausible) for them

Mice carrying an epithelial deletion of the glucocorticoid receptor NR3C1 develop a higher tumor load in experimental colitis associated cancer

The glucocorticoid receptor NR3C1 is expressed in multiple cell types in the gut and elsewhere. Intestinal epithelial cells both produce and respond to glucocorticoids in different physiological and pathological contexts. In experimental colitis glucocorticoids have been shown to exert a dual role, dampening inflammation while producing a deterioration in animal status, including death. Mice with tamoxifen inducible, intestinal epithelial specific deletion of NR3C1 (NR3C1IEC mice) are protected against experimental colitis, suggesting glucocorticoid epithelial actions are deleterious. Since glucocorticoids modulate epithelial proliferation it follows that they may affect the development of colon cancer. In this study we set out to test this hypothesis using the dextran sulfate sodium - azoxymethane model of colitis-associated cancer. KO mice were found to exhibit a 2-fold higher tumor load but similar incidence and tumor size. Tumors had a higher trend to extend to the submucosal layer (36% vs. 0%) in NR3C1IEC mice, and overexpressed Lgr5, Egfr and Myc, consistent with increased proliferation and neoplastic transformation. Snai1 and Snai2 were upregulated specifically in tumors of NR3C1ΔIEC mice, suggesting enhanced epithelial to mesenchymal transition in the absence of the intestinal epithelial GC receptor. We conclude that endogenous GC epithelial signaling is involved in colitis associated cancer.This work was supported by funds from the Ministry of Economy and Competitivity, partly with Fondo Europeo de Desarrollo Regional (FEDER) funds [SAF2017-88457-R, AGL2017-85270-R, BFU2014-57736-P, AGL2014-58883-R] and by Junta de Andalucía [CTS235, CTS164]. MA and CJA were supported by the University of Granada (Contrato Puente Program - Plan Propio) and the Ministry of Education [Spain], respectively. CIBERehd is funded by Instituto de Salud Carlos III

Selective Oxidation of Glycerol via Acceptorless Dehydrogenation Driven by Ir(I)-NHC Catalysts

After pandemic, healthcare workers experienced a series of emotional and psychological disturbances that could impact their mental well-being. In this study, the feasibility of morphological characteristics of photoplethysmographic (PPG) waveform to quantify stress and depression level posed by COVID-19 in first-line healthcare workers is explored. Results show that higher stress and depression level are moderately correlated with large systolic amplitude and parameters that might indicate early wave reflection. These results suggest that an arterial stiffness, quantified with PPG morphological characteristics, could provide valuable information in assessing mental healt

Epithelial deletion of the glucocorticoid receptor protects the mouse intestine against experimental inflammation

Intestinal epithelium glucocorticoid receptor knockout mice (NR3C1 IEC) were treated with dextran sulfate sodium (DSS, 2.5%) to induce colitis. Inflammatory status was assessed by morphological and biochemical methods and corticoid production was measured in colonic explants. Key Results. After 7 days of DSS NR3C1 mice exhibited lower weight loss and tissue damage, reduced colonic expression of S100A9, attenuated phosphorylation of STAT3 and a better overall state compared with WT. Ki67 immunoreactivity was also shifted, indicating an effect on epithelial proliferation. A subgroup of mice were treated with budesonide and showed completely prevented budesonide induced weight loss. Epithelial deletion of the glucocorticoid receptor also protected mice in a protracted colitis protocol. Conversely knockout mice presented a worse status compared to the control group at 1 day post DSS, as shown by blood in feces and increased inflammatory parameters. In a separate experiment colonic corticosterone production was shown to be significantly increased in knockout mice at 7 days of colitis but not at earlier stages. Conclusions and Implications. The intestinal epithelial glucocorticoid receptor has deleterious effects in experimental colitis induced by dextran sodium sulfate, probably related to inhibition of epithelial proliferative responses leading to impaired wound healing and reduced endogenous corticosterone production.Ministry of Economy and Competitivity, partly with Fondo Europeo de Desarrollo Regional FEDER funds [BFU2014-57736-P, AGL2014-58883-R, SAF2017-88457-R, AGL2017-85270-R]Junta de Andalucía [CTS235, CTS164]Ministry of EducationCIBERehd is funded by Instituto de Salud Carlos II

Morphometric and oil content variation of allspice (Pimenta dioica (L.) Merr.) fruits in Mexico: Variação morfométrica e do teor de óleo de frutos de pimenta da Jamaica (Pimenta dioica (L.) Merr.) no México

This study was carried out with the objectives of quantifying the oil content and determining the morphometry of the fruits of allspice (Pimenta dioica (L.) Merr.) of 23 selected genotypes, to establish if the fruits meet the current quality standards and provide quantitative elements for the selection of outstanding genotypes in fruit size and oil content. From each selected genotype, 3 samples of 250 g of fresh pimento fruits were obtained, which were dried at 25 °C. Subsequently, 3 samples of 5 g of dried fruits were taken to measure the equatorial diameter and length of each fruit with a digital vernier and then determine the area, volume, roundness index (IR), and aspect ratio (RA). Ground and sifted dried fruits were used to determine gravimetrically the oil content in a Soxhlet Büchi E-816 SOX equipment using hexane as a solvent with three replicates per genotype. An analysis of variance was performed on the obtained data, followed by a comparison of means by Tukey's method (α = 0.05). A cluster analysis was also performed to group genotypes with similar characteristics. The results showed significant differences (p ≤ 0.05) between genotypes for each of the measured variables. The overall average values ​​of the fruits were 7.22 ± 0.69 mm for the equatorial diameter, 8.21 ± 0.74mm for the length, 47.14 ± 8.23 mm2 for the area, 233.22 ± 61.93 mm3 for the volume, 0.88 ± 0.05 for the roundness index, 1.14 ± 0.06 for the aspect ratio and 4.96 ± 0.15% for the oil content. The genotypes were grouped into six groups with similar fruit characteristics of dimensions, morphometry, and oil content. The obtained results indicate that all the genotypes meet the specifications of oil content and equatorial diameter indicated in the current quality standards; however, six genotypes stand out for their oil content greater than 5.4%

Explosive Strength Capacity in the Lower Limbs of Primary Education School Children According to Environment

The objective of this study was to compare the corporal composition and the explosive strength capacity of lower limbs in primary school students from two different schools in the locality of Martos (Jaén). One of these schools was located in a marginalized neighbourhood where families of low socioeconomic status lived and the other was near the town centre with families of medium to high socioeconomic status. The aim was to evaluate these variables at two different moments in time, i.e., at the beginning and at the end of the school year, to see if the obtained results remained the same. A total of 147 primary school students (6–12 years old) participated in the study, divided into 4 subgroups, according to sex and school. Body composition and explosive strength capacity of the lower limbs were evaluated using the vertical jump test. For independent samples, T tests were performed to obtain the existing differences through the SPSS v 19.0 programme. It was found that according to the first measurement at the beginning of the year, participants from a medium-high socioeconomic background obtained better results, while the second measurement showed that results equalized and even reversed. This could have been due to the level of performed physical activity

Fiabilidad de la velocidad de ejecución en tres modalidades del ejercicio de press de banca: influencia del nivel de experiencia

Premio Congreso SIBB 2019El objetivo del estudio fue comparar la fiabilidad de la velocidad media propulsiva (VMP) entre tres variantes del ejercicio de press de banca (PB). Quince hombres con experiencia y 15 sin experiencia con el ejercicio de PB realizaron en orden aleatorizado tres variantes del ejercicio de PB en diferentes sesiones (sólo-concéntrico, excéntrico-rápido y excéntrico-controlado). La VMP se registró ante tres cargas (≈ 30%1RM, 50%1RM y 75%1RM) con un transductor lineal de velocidad. La fiabilidad fue siempre alta (coeficiente de variación [CV] ≤ 5,76%, coeficiente de correlación intraclase [CCI] ≥ 0,74). La comparación de los CV reveló una mayor fiabilidad para las variantes sólo-concéntrico y excéntrico-rápido en comparación con la variante excéntrico-controlado (CV ratio > 1,15), no existiendo diferencias significativas en fiabilidad entre las variantes sólo-concéntrico y excéntrico-rápido (CV ratio < 1,15). No se observaron diferencias en fiabilidad entre los participantes con (CV ≤ 5,76%; CCI ≥ 0,83) y sin experiencia (CV ≤ 5,21%; CCI ≥ 0,74). Estos resultados apoyan el uso de las modalidades de PB sólo-concéntrico y excéntrico-rápido para evaluar la fuerza de los miembros superiores a través de la medición de la velocidad de ejecución en participantes con y sin  experiencia con el ejercicio de PB.Award-winningPremio Congreso SIBB 2019Peer Reviewe

A cryptic variation in a member of the Ovate Family Proteins is underlying the melon fruit shape QTL fsqs8.1

Melon cultivars have a wide range of fruit morphologies. Quantitative trait loci (QTL) have been identifed underlying such diversity. This research focuses on the fruit shape QTL fsqs8.1, previously detected in a cross between the accession PI 124112 (CALC, producing elongated fruit) and the cultivar ‘Piel de Sapo’ (PS, producing oval fruit). The CALC fsqs8.1 allele induced round fruit shape, being responsible for the transgressive segregation for this trait observed in that population. In fact, the introgression line CALC8-1, carrying the fsqs8.1 locus from CALC into the PS genetic background, produced perfect round fruit. Following a map-based cloning approach, we found that the gene underlying fsqs8.1 is a member of the Ovate Family Proteins (OFP), CmOFP13, likely a homologue of AtOFP1 and SlOFP20 from Arabidopsis thaliana and tomato, respectively. The induction of the round shape was due to the higher expression of the CALC allele at the early ovary development stage. The fsqs8.1 locus showed an important structural variation, being CmOFP13 surrounded by two deletions in the CALC genome. The deletions are present at very low frequency in melon germplasm. Deletions and single nucleotide polymorphisms in the fsqs8.1 locus could not be not associated with variation in fruit shape among diferent melon accessions, what indicates that other genetic factors should be involved to induce the CALC fsqs8.1 allele efects. Therefore, fsqs8.1 is an example of a cryptic variation that alters gene expression, likely due to structural variation, resulting in phenotypic changes in melon fruit morphology.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Epidemic Leptospirosis Associated with Pulmonary Hemorrhage—Nicaragua, 1995

In October 1995, epidemic “hemorrhagic fever,” without jaundice or renal manifestations, was reported in rural Nicaragua following heavy flooding; 2259 residents were evaluated for nonmalarial febrile illnesses (cumulative incidence, 6.1%) and 15 (0.7%) died with pulmonary hemorrhage. A case-control study found that case-patients were more likely than controls to have ever walked in creeks (matched odds ratio [MOR], 15.0; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.7–132.3), have household rodents (MOR, 10.4; 95% CI, 1.1–97.1), or own dogs with titers ≥ 400 to Leptospira species (MOR, 23.4; 95% CI, 3.6–`). Twenty-six of 51 case-patients had serologic or postmortem evidence of acute leptospirosis. Leptospira species were isolated from case-patients and potential animal reservoirs. This leptospirosis epidemic likely resulted from exposure to flood waters contaminated by urine from infected animals, particularly dogs. Leptospirosis should be included in the differential diagnosis for nonmalarial febrile illness, particularly during periods of flooding or when pulmonary hemorrhage occurs