Asociación de obesidad con la Enfermedad Renal Crónica de pacientes atendidos en la Clínica de la Costa. 2005-2014

Introduction: Obesity is a risk factor for the development and the progression of the Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD). In Latin America there are few studies where the stages of CKD and the degrees of obesity are related.Objective:The objective of the study is to evaluate the association of obesity with the chronic renal disease in patients seen in the extern consult of the department of Nephrology at the Clinic of the Coast in Barran-quilla, Colombia.Materials and Methods: A descriptive case series study was conducted. The sample consisted of 300 pa-tients collected in NefroRed©. Measurements of central tendency Y and X2were conducted to establish the association between degrees of obesity with CKD stages. Statistical analyseswere performed in R-CRAN. When the test was realized an association between degrees of obesity and the different stages of CKD was found [x2: 48.62; p-value <0.01].Conclusion: No statistical evidence of association was found between waist circumference and the stages of CKD [x2: 8.82; p-value ? 0.05]. There is an association between levels of obesity and the different stages of CKD. No relationship between waist circumference and the stages of CKD was found.Introducción: La obesidad es un factor de riesgo de desarrollo y progresión de enfermedad renal crónica (ERC). En Latinoamérica existen pocos estudios donde se relacionen los estadios de ERC y grados de obesidad.Objetivo: El objetivo de estudio es evaluar la asociación de obesidad con la enfermedad renal crónica de pacientes atendidos en la consulta externa del departamento de Nefrología en la Clínica de la Costa en Barranquilla, Colombia.Materiales y métodos: Se realizó un estudio observacional descriptivo tipo serie de casos. La muestra estuvo compuesta por 300 pacientes acopiados en NefroRed©. Se realizaron medidas de tendencia central y un ?² para establecer la asociación entre los grados de obesidad con los estadios de la ERC. Los análisis estadísticos se realizaron en R-CRAN. Al realizar la prueba, se encontró una asociación entre los grados de obesidad y los diferentes estadios de la ERC [?²: 48,62; p-valor < 0,01].Conclusión: No se encontró evidencia estadística de asociación entre el Perímetro Abdominal y los estadios de ERC [?²: 8,82; p-valor ? 0,05]. Existe asociación entre los grados de obesidad y los diferentes estadios de la ERC. No se encontró la relación entre perímetro abdominal y los estadios de ERC

Plasma cytokines as potential biomarkers of kidney damage in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus

Background: Systemic lupus erythematosus is a heterogeneous chronic inflammatory autoimmune disorder characterized by an exacerbated expression of cytokines and chemokines in different tissues and organs. Renal involvement is a significant contributor to the morbidity and mortality of systemic lupus erythematosus, and its diagnosis is based on renal biopsy, an invasive procedure with a high risk of complications. Therefore, the development of alternative, non-invasive diagnostic tests for kidney disease in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus is a priority. Aim: To evaluate the plasma levels of a panel of cytokines and chemokines using multiplex xMAP technology in a cohort of Colombian patients with active and inactive systemic lupus erythematosus, and to evaluate their potential as biomarkers of renal involvement. Results: Plasma from 40 systemic lupus erythematosus non-nephritis patients and 80 lupus nephritis patients with different levels of renal involvement were analyzed for 39 cytokines using Luminex xMAP technology. Lupus nephritis patients had significantly increased plasma eotaxin, TNF-a, interleukin-17-a, interleukin-10, and interleukin-15 as compared to the systemic lupus erythematosus non-nephritis group. Macrophage-derived chemokine, growth regulated oncogene alpha, and epidermal growth factor were significantly elevated in systemic lupus erythematosus non-nephritis patients when compared to lupus nephritis individuals. Plasma eotaxin levels allowed a discrimination between systemic lupus erythematosus non-nephritis and lupus nephritis patients, for which we performed a receiver operating characteristic curve to confirm. We observed a correlation of eotaxin levels with active nephritis (Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Disease Activity Index). Our data indicate that circulating cytokines and chemokines could be considered good predictors of renal involvement in individuals with systemic lupus erythematosus

Consecutive renal biopsy in a cohort of patients with lupus nephritis of the Colombian Caribbean

Background: Renal biopsy is the gold standard for the diagnosis and classification of lupus nephritis (LN). However, a consecutive biopsy can predict the clinical course and optimize the therapeutic strategies. Objectives: To compare the histopathological findings with clinical responses. Patients and Methods: Thirty patients with active LN were included. Renal biopsies were performed at the time of diagnosis and subsequently under clinical criteria according to consensus of Spanish Society of Nephrology. The response to treatment was defined as complete response, partial responder or non-responder. The histological change in second biopsy towards LN classes I, II or III/IV-C was defined as histological response (HR). Results: In initial renal biopsy, 28 (93%) patients showed proliferative LN; III-A or A/C (n; 7), IV-A or A/C (n: 19) and mixed; III+IV/V (n; 2). LN class V was presented in two cases. The clinical response was; complete response (10%), partial response (20%), and non-response (70%). HR was manifested in 37% and non-histologic response in 63% of patients. Around 33% of patients with complete response/partial response showed active lesions in the consecutive renal biopsy. Conclusions: In Colombian Caribbean, LN is aggressive and refractory to treatment. The consecutive renal biopsy allowed to demonstrate the persistence of the activity of the lesion in almost half of the patients, which may provide additional information to create better response criteria. The consecutive renal biopsy is a tool that allows improving the evaluation of the response to treatment in the LN

Durabilidad del Concreto en Ambiente Urbanos y Urnbano/Marinos de México y España

Trabajo presentado en el III Congreso Nacional ALCONPAT (Asociación Latinoamericana de Control de Calidad, Patología y Recuperación de la Construcción), celebrado en Caracas (Venezuela), en noviembre de 200

Noise-assisted energy transport in electrical oscillator networks with off-diagonal dynamical disorder

Noise is generally thought as detrimental for energy transport in coupled oscillator networks. However, it has been shown that for certain coherently evolving systems, the presence of noise can enhance, somehow unexpectedly, their transport efficiency; a phenomenon called environment-assisted quantum transport (ENAQT) or dephasing-assisted transport. Here, we report on the experimental observation of such effect in a network of coupled electrical oscillators. We demonstrate that by introducing stochastic fluctuations in one of the couplings of the network, a relative enhancement in the energy transport efficiency of 22.5 ± 3.6% can be observed.Peer ReviewedPostprint (published version

Resistance to autosomal dominant Alzheimer's disease in an APOE3 Christchurch homozygote: a case report.

We identified a PSEN1 (presenilin 1) mutation carrier from the world's largest autosomal dominant Alzheimer's disease kindred, who did not develop mild cognitive impairment until her seventies, three decades after the expected age of clinical onset. The individual had two copies of the APOE3 Christchurch (R136S) mutation, unusually high brain amyloid levels and limited tau and neurodegenerative measurements. Our findings have implications for the role of APOE in the pathogenesis, treatment and prevention of Alzheimer's disease

AGENTES ASOCIADOS Y SU PAPEL EN LA DECLINACIÓN Y MUERTE DE ENCINOS (QUERCUS, FAGACEAE) EN EL CENTRO-OESTE DE MÉXICO

This study was carried out to identify bioticand abiotic agents and to determine theirrole in oak decline and death in five statesof the Mexican Republic: Aguascalientes,Colima, Guanajuato, Jalisco and Nayarit.Two 0.1-ha permanent plots wereestablished at the most representativeforested areas with tree death, diebackand bleeding cankers in these statesand sampled during 2003, 2004 and 2005(10 plots in total). Field observations weremade, and foliage, branch, trunk and soilsamples were collected to identify theassociated agents in each plot. Isolates frombleeding cankers were made in situ. Themost commonly found biotic agents were:Phytophthora cinnamomi, Pythium sp.,Hypoxylon antropunctatum, Ganodermaspp., Armillaria sp., Apiognomoniaquercina, the dwarf mistletoe(Phoradendron villosum), bark borers,insect defoliators and livestock overgrazing.Among the abiotic stress factors commonlyfound were the effects due to lowtemperature-lack of water and fire. Basedon their incidence, P. cinnamomi, H.antropunctatum and low temperature-lackof water were considered the most importantcontributors to the decline and death of theoaks. P. cinnamomi was identified in four ofthe 10 plots, mainly in Colima and Jalisco;H. antropunctatum was detected in sixplots, particularly in Nayarit andAguascalientes. Stem cankers (cracks) dueto low temperature-lack of water wereobserved in four plots, damaging 52% of the trees in Aguascalientes and 24% inGuanajuato. It was concluded that P.cinnamomi is killing some oak species, H.antropunctatum is colonizing weakenedtrees, and low temperature-lack of water iscausing stress and in some cases death inoaks.Este estudio tuvo como objetivo identificary determinar el papel tanto de los factoresbióticos como de los abióticos asociados ala declinación y muerte del encino en cincoestados de la República mexicana: Aguascalientes, Colima, Guanajuato, Jalisco yNayarit. Para esto, se establecieron dossitios permanentes de 0.1 ha en cada una delas áreas más representativas (con arboladomuerto, con muerte regresiva y cancros conexudado) de los estados mencionados (10sitios en total), los cuales fueron muestreados durante 2003, 2004 y 2005. Sehicieron observaciones y colectas en campode follaje, ramas, tronco y suelo, paraidentificar a los diferentes agentes de dañoen cada sitio. Se realizaron aislamientosin situ de cancros con exudado en mediosespecíficos. Los agentes bióticos máscomunes fueron: Phytophthora cinnamomi,Pythium sp., Hypoxylon antropunctatum,Ganoderma sp., Armillaria sp.,Apiognomonia quercina, el muérdagoenano (Phoradendron villosum), barrenadores, defoliadores y sobrepastoreo. Entre los abióticos causantes de estrés ymuerte, destacaron los daños ocasionadospor las bajas temperaturas-falta de aguay fuego. Con base en su incidencia, P.cinnamomi, H. antropunctatum y las bajastemperaturas-falta de agua son considerados los factores de mayor importanciaen la declinación y muerte del encino. P.cinnamomi fue identificado en cuatro delos diez sitios, particularmente de Colimay Jalisco; H. antropunctatum fué detectadoen seis de diez, principalmente en losrodales de Nayarit y Aguascalientes. Loscancros de troncos (rajaduras), debido a lasbajas temperaturas-falta de agua, seobservaron en cuatro sitios, afectando al52% de los árboles en Aguascalientes y24% en Guanajuato. Se concluye que P.cinnamomi está ocasionando la muertede algunas especies de encino, H.antropunctatum está coloni-zando árbolesdebilitados y las bajas temperaturas-faltade agua están participando como agentescausantes de estrés y muerte en algunoscasos

Long-Baseline Neutrino Facility (LBNF) and Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment (DUNE) Conceptual Design Report Volume 2: The Physics Program for DUNE at LBNF

The Physics Program for the Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment (DUNE) at the Fermilab Long-Baseline Neutrino Facility (LBNF) is described

Current State of Conservation Knowledge on Threatened Amphibian Species in Peru

This study documents the current state of conservation knowledge on threatened amphibian species in Peru. Following the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) classification system, we considered species in the following categories: Critically Endangered, Endangered, Vulnerable, and Near Threatened. Even though only the first three categories are regarded as threatened by IUCN, we included the fourth category to make comparisons with the list of threatened species issued by the Peruvian government. We used the Global Amphibian Assessment\u27s database and the list issued in Peru for this comparison. We conducted separate field surveys in 17 regions of Peru to evaluate the presence/absence of threatened amphibian species and species that are potentially threatened. We also used the Declining Amphibian Database-DAPTF, to compare our results with previous assessments on population declines, and the World Wildlife Fund\u27s Wildfinder database, to determine in which Neotropical ecoregion each species occurs. We compiled data on 83 species, 44 of which are recognized as threatened by the IUCN and/or the Peruvian government. The remaining 39 species should be re-assessed as they face various threats. A re-evaluation of current estimates is needed as only 8% of all species recorded in Peru are recognized as threatened by the government, whereas the global estimate of threatened species is about 32%. In addition to using IUCN criteria, this re-assessment should follow national guidelines standardized in Peru and be in accordance with the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). Because the habitat of almost 40% of threatened species reported herein still remains unprotected, and data on chytridiomycosis and other threats are lacking for most taxa, it is crucial to develop strategies for habitat conservation and research on disease dynamics in natural populations