Model Theory of Groups and Monoids

We first show that arithmetic is bi-interpretable (with parameters) with the free monoid and with partially commutative monoids with trivial center. This bi-interpretability implies that these monoids have the QFA property and that finitely generated submonoids of these monoids are definable. Moreover, we show that any recursively enumerable language in a finite alphabet X with two or more generators is definable in the free monoid. We also show that for metabelian Baumslag-Solitar groups and for a family of metabelian restricted wreath products, the Diophantine Problem is decidable. That is, we provide an algorithm that decides whether or not a given system of equations in these groups has a solution

Riesgo cardiovascular y su relación con el trabajo por turnos en el personal de una Empresa de transporte interprovincial de pasajeros público - 2019

Objetivo: Determinar la relación entre el riesgo cardiovascular y el trabajo por turnos en el personal de una empresa interprovincial de transporte de pasajeros público, 2019. Materiales y Métodos: Estudio observacional, retrospectivo, transversal y de nivel correlacional. La población en estudio estuvo conformada por el total de trabajadores de una empresa de transporte interprovincial de pasajeros público. La muestra incluyó a 141 trabajadores seleccionados por muestreo aleatorio simple. Se utilizó la base de datos de las historias médicas de estos trabajadores. El riesgo cardiovascular se estimó utilizando las tablas de predicción de riesgo cardiovascular de la OMS/ISH. Se categorizó el turno de trabajo (trabajo fijo vs trabajo rotativo o trabajo por turnos). Se realizó un análisis bivariado en el software estadístico SPSS utilizando la prueba estadística Chi2 y F Exacta de Fisher, según corresponda. Resultados: La muestra incluyó en su mayor parte a trabajadores del sexo masculino (97.9%, n=138). El turno de trabajo predominante fue el trabajo rotativo (79.4%, n=112). La mayoría de los trabajadores presentó un riesgo cardiovascular bajo (94.3%, n=133). Los que mostraron un riesgo cardiovascular moderado desarrollaban un trabajo por turnos. El grupo de trabajo rotativo incluyó a la mayoría con diabetes y a la totalidad de fumadores actuales. Sin embargo, presentaron cifras menores de trabajadores con hipertensión arterial y colesterol alto. La relación entre el riesgo cardiovascular y trabajo por turnos no resultó significativa. Conclusiones: En esta empresa, el turno de trabajo predominante en los trabajadores de transporte fue el trabajo rotativo. La mayoría de trabajadores de la empresa de transporte interprovincial que trabajan por turnos presentaron un riesgo cardiovascular bajo. La asociación entre el trabajo por turnos y el riesgo cardiovascular no resultó significativa

Ethanol and Caffeine Effects on Social Interaction and Recognition in Mice: Involvement of Adenosine A2A and A1 Receptors

Ethanol and caffeine are frequently consumed in combination and have opposite effects on the adenosine system: ethanol metabolism leads to an increase in adenosine levels, while caffeine is a non-selective adenosine A1/A2A receptor antagonist. These receptors are highly expressed in striatum and olfactory tubercle, brain areas involved in exploration and social interaction in rodents. Ethanol modulates social interaction processes, but the role of adenosine in social behavior is still poorly understood. The present work was undertaken to study the impact of ethanol, caffeine and their combination on social behavior, and to explore the involvement of A1 and A2A receptors on those actions. Male CD1 mice were evaluated in a social interaction three-chamber paradigm, for preference of conspecific vs. object, and also for long-term recognition memory of familiar vs. novel conspecific. Ethanol showed a biphasic effect, with low doses (0.25 g/kg) increasing social contact and higher doses (1.0-1.5 g/kg) reducing social interaction. However, no dose changed social preference; mice always spent more time sniffing the conspecific than the object, independently of the ethanol dose. Ethanol, even at doses that did not change social exploration, produced amnestic effects on social recognition the following day. Caffeine reduced social contact (15.0-60.0 mg/kg), and even blocked social preference at higher doses (30.0-60.0 mg/kg). The A1 antagonist Cyclopentyltheophylline (CPT; 3-9 mg/kg) did not modify social contact or preference on its own, and the A2A antagonist MSX-3 (1.5-6 mg/kg) increased social interaction at all doses. Ethanol at intermediate doses (0.5-1.0 g/kg) was able to reverse the reduction in social exploration induced by caffeine (15.0-30.0 mg/kg). Although there was no interaction between ethanol and CPT or MSX-3 on social exploration in the first day, MSX-3 blocked the amnestic effects of ethanol observed on the following day. Thus, ethanol impairs the formation of social memories, and A2A adenosine antagonists can prevent the amnestic effects of ethanol, so that animals can recognize familiar conspecifics. On the other hand, ethanol can counteract the social withdrawal induced by caffeine, a non-selective adenosine A1/A2A receptor antagonist. These results show the complex set of interactions between ethanol and caffeine, some of which could be the result of the opposing effects they have in modulating the adenosine system

Implementación de Políticas de Ventas para mejorar la Liquidez de La Empresa MAKEI COTTONS E.I.R.L. Ubicada en San Juan de Lurigancho, Lima, Año 2015

El presente trabajo realiza el análisis y evaluación de implementación de políticas de ventas para mejorar la liquidez de la empresa. De esta manera, se hace énfasis en la necesidad de contar con una estrategia como medio para alcanzar los objetivos propuestos. Estas políticas fueron empleadas y comparadas para mostrar el desempeño de la empresa en sus ventas, el cual ha sido desarrollado mediante el análisis de variables, al diagnóstico para saber las causas y efectos así como el contexto en el que se desarrolla el hecho del estudio; de igual manera se ha trabajado el pronóstico para reflejar las afectaciones y beneficios.The present work carries out the analysis and evaluation of the implementation of sales policies to improve the liquidity of the company. It also emphasizes the need to have a strategy as a means to achieve the proposed objectives. These policies were used and compared to show the performance of the company in its sales, which has been developed through the analysis of variables, the diagnosis to know the causes and effects as well as the context in which the study takes place; the forecast has also been worked to reflect the effects and benefitsTrabajo de investigació

Implementación de Políticas de Ventas para mejorar la Liquidez de La Empresa MAKEI COTTONS E.I.R.L. Ubicada en San Juan de Lurigancho, Lima, Año 2015

El presente trabajo realiza el análisis y evaluación de implementación de políticas de ventas para mejorar la liquidez de la empresa. De esta manera, se hace énfasis en la necesidad de contar con una estrategia como medio para alcanzar los objetivos propuestos. Estas políticas fueron empleadas y comparadas para mostrar el desempeño de la empresa en sus ventas, el cual ha sido desarrollado mediante el análisis de variables, al diagnóstico para saber las causas y efectos así como el contexto en el que se desarrolla el hecho del estudio; de igual manera se ha trabajado el pronóstico para reflejar las afectaciones y beneficios.The present work carries out the analysis and evaluation of the implementation of sales policies to improve the liquidity of the company. It also emphasizes the need to have a strategy as a means to achieve the proposed objectives. These policies were used and compared to show the performance of the company in its sales, which has been developed through the analysis of variables, the diagnosis to know the causes and effects as well as the context in which the study takes place; the forecast has also been worked to reflect the effects and benefitsTrabajo de investigació

Papez circuit gray matter and episodic memory in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and behavioural variant frontotemporal dementia

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and behavioural variant frontotemporal dementia are two different diseases recognized to overlap at clinical, pathological and genetic characteristics. Both conditions are traditionally known for relative sparing of episodic memory. However, recent studies have disputed that with the report of patients presenting with marked episodic memory impairment. Besides that, structural and functional changes in temporal lobe regions responsible for episodic memory processing are often detected in neuroimaging studies of both conditions. In this study, we investigated the gray matter features associated with the Papez circuit in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, behavioural variant frontotemporal dementia and healthy controls to further explore similarities and differences between the two conditions. Our non-demented amyotrophic lateral sclerosis patients showed no episodic memory deficits measured by a short-term delayed recall test while no changes in gray matter of the Papez circuit were found. Compared with the amyotrophic lateral sclerosis group, the behavioural variant frontotemporal dementia group had lower performance on the short-term delayed recall test and marked atrophy in gray matter of the Papez circuit. Bilateral atrophy of entorhinal cortex and mammillary bodies distinguished behavioural variant frontotemporal dementia from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis patients as well as atrophy in left cingulate, left hippocampus and right parahippocampal gyrus. Taken together, our results suggest that sub-regions of the Papez circuit could be differently affected in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and behavioural variant frontotemporal dementia

Coexistence of perseveration and apathy in the TDP-43Q331K knock-in mouse model of ALS-FTD.

Funder: Motor Neurone Disease Association (MNDA); doi: https://doi.org/10.13039/501100000406Funder: the Lady Edith Wolfson Fellowship Fund, the van Geest FoundationPerseveration and apathy are two of the most common behavioural and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSDs) in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis-frontotemporal dementia (ALS-FTD). Availability of a validated and behaviourally characterised animal model is crucial for translational research into BPSD in the FTD context. We behaviourally evaluated the male TDP-43Q331K mouse, an ALS-FTD model with a human-equivalent mutation (TDP-43Q331K) knocked into the endogenous Tardbp gene. We utilised a panel of behavioural tasks delivered using the rodent touchscreen apparatus, including progressive ratio (PR), extinction and visual discrimination/reversal learning (VDR) assays to examine motivation, response inhibition and cognitive flexibility, respectively. Relative to WT littermates, TDP-43Q331K mice exhibited increased responding under a PR schedule. While elevated PR responding is typically an indication of increased motivation for reward, a trial-by-trial response rate analysis revealed that TDP-43Q331K mice exhibited decreased maximal response rate and slower response decay rate, suggestive of reduced motivation and a perseverative behavioural phenotype, respectively. In the extinction assay, TDP-43Q331K mice displayed increased omissions during the early phase of each session, consistent with a deficit in activational motivation. Finally, the VDR task revealed cognitive inflexibility, manifesting as stimulus-bound perseveration. Together, our data indicate that male TDP-43Q331K mice exhibit a perseverative phenotype with some evidence of apathy-like behaviour, similar to BPSDs observed in human ALS-FTD patients. The TDP-43Q331K knock-in mouse therefore has features that recommend it as a useful platform to facilitate translational research into behavioural symptoms in the context of ALS-FTD

Coexistence of perseveration and apathy in the TDP-43\u3csup\u3eQ331K\u3c/sup\u3e knock-in mouse model of ALS–FTD

© 2020, The Author(s). Perseveration and apathy are two of the most common behavioural and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSDs) in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis–frontotemporal dementia (ALS–FTD). Availability of a validated and behaviourally characterised animal model is crucial for translational research into BPSD in the FTD context. We behaviourally evaluated the male TDP-43Q331K mouse, an ALS–FTD model with a human-equivalent mutation (TDP-43Q331K) knocked into the endogenous Tardbp gene. We utilised a panel of behavioural tasks delivered using the rodent touchscreen apparatus, including progressive ratio (PR), extinction and visual discrimination/reversal learning (VDR) assays to examine motivation, response inhibition and cognitive flexibility, respectively. Relative to WT littermates, TDP-43Q331K mice exhibited increased responding under a PR schedule. While elevated PR responding is typically an indication of increased motivation for reward, a trial-by-trial response rate analysis revealed that TDP-43Q331K mice exhibited decreased maximal response rate and slower response decay rate, suggestive of reduced motivation and a perseverative behavioural phenotype, respectively. In the extinction assay, TDP-43Q331K mice displayed increased omissions during the early phase of each session, consistent with a deficit in activational motivation. Finally, the VDR task revealed cognitive inflexibility, manifesting as stimulus-bound perseveration. Together, our data indicate that male TDP-43Q331K mice exhibit a perseverative phenotype with some evidence of apathy-like behaviour, similar to BPSDs observed in human ALS–FTD patients. The TDP-43Q331K knock-in mouse therefore has features that recommend it as a useful platform to facilitate translational research into behavioural symptoms in the context of ALS–FTD

Coexistence of perseveration and apathy in the TDP-43^Q331K knock-in mouse model of ALS–FTD

Perseveration and apathy are two of the most common behavioural and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSDs) in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis–frontotemporal dementia (ALS–FTD). Availability of a validated and behaviourally characterised animal model is crucial for translational research into BPSD in the FTD context. We behaviourally evaluated the male TDP-43Q331K mouse, an ALS–FTD model with a human-equivalent mutation (TDP-43Q331K) knocked into the endogenous Tardbp gene. We utilised a panel of behavioural tasks delivered using the rodent touchscreen apparatus, including progressive ratio (PR), extinction and visual discrimination/reversal learning (VDR) assays to examine motivation, response inhibition and cognitive flexibility, respectively. Relative to WT littermates, TDP-43Q331K mice exhibited increased responding under a PR schedule. While elevated PR responding is typically an indication of increased motivation for reward, a trial-by-trial response rate analysis revealed that TDP-43Q331K mice exhibited decreased maximal response rate and slower response decay rate, suggestive of reduced motivation and a perseverative behavioural phenotype, respectively. In the extinction assay, TDP-43Q331K mice displayed increased omissions during the early phase of each session, consistent with a deficit in activational motivation. Finally, the VDR task revealed cognitive inflexibility, manifesting as stimulus-bound perseveration. Together, our data indicate that male TDP-43Q331K mice exhibit a perseverative phenotype with some evidence of apathy-like behaviour, similar to BPSDs observed in human ALS–FTD patients. The TDP-43Q331K knock-in mouse therefore has features that recommend it as a useful platform to facilitate translational research into behavioural symptoms in the context of ALS–FTD

Association of myostatin, a cytokine released by muscle, with inflammation in rheumatoid arthritis

Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social, Fondo de Investigacion en Salud, FIS/IMSS/PROT/MD16/1565Supplemental Digital Content is available in the text Myostatin is a cytokine produced and released by myocytes that might have an outstanding role not only in muscle wasting during cachexia but also in inflammation. Herein we explore the association between myostatin levels and inflammatory parameters in rheumatoid arthritis (RA). One hundred twenty-seven women without rheumatic diseases and 84 women with a diagnosis of RA were assessed in a cross-sectional study. Outcomes reflecting the activity of the arthritis including Disease Activity Score (DAS28-ESR) and impairment in functioning by the Health Assessment Questionnaire-Disability Index were assessed in RA. We obtained Skeletal muscle mass index (SMI), fat-free mass index (FFMI), and fat mass index using dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry. Serum myostatin was determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Myostatin levels were correlated with disease activity and parameters of muscle mass. The SMI was lower and concentration of myostatin was higher in RA patients than in controls (P = .008 and P < .001, respectively). Myostatin significantly positively correlated with C-reactive protein (rho = 0.48, P < .001), erythrocyte sedimentation rate (rho = 0.28, P = .009), and DAS28-ESR (rho = 0.22, P = .04), and negatively correlated with SMI (rho = −0.29, P = .008), (FFMI) (rho = −0.24, P = .027). In the multivariate logistic regression analysis, levels of myostatin remained associated with disease activity in RA (P = .027). In our study, myostatin was associated with disease activity in RA patients, suggesting a mechanistic link between myostatin, muscle wasting and inflammation in RA