Agricultural sector and competition in Colombia

In this chapter we provide a summary description of Colombian Competition Policy with an emphasis on the agricultural sector. Key developments and recent changes in institutional arrangements affecting competition policy, as it applies to the agricultural sector, are highlighted. Illustrative case studies are depicted to show the richness and complexity of policy developments and enforcement. Some general conclusions are drawn from this examination.Competition Policy, Agriculture, Colombia

Male Accessory Glands and Sperm Function

With the advent of the techniques of reproduction, the functions of this fluid on the sperm function became a topic of lesser interest to the embryologist, urologist and andrologist. The interaction of spermatozoa with seminal plasma often goes unnoticed, but it is very likely that many substances produced by male accessory glands have impact on the sperm physiology. Seminal fluid contains several components besides spermatozoa; many of them are produced by a specific tissue and can be useful markers of secretion of the glands. The information in the 5th Manual of World Health Organization is very limited with respect to the interpretation in several characteristics abnormally high in semen. Male accessory glands secrete several factors such as alpha-glucosidase, fructose, prostaglandins, bicarbonate and citric acid among others, which are crucial for sperm physiology. This chapter deals with the interpretation of markers of accessory glands and their relation to some pathologies such as varicocele, infections, obstructions of the seminiferous pathways and some hormonal alterations

Special-Education Law in Mexico and the United States

The challenges of meeting the requirements of students with special needs under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act and other laws are a particularly timely topic, as large numbers of native Spanish-speaking students move into the United States. Against that backdrop, this article reviews the laws for special education in Mexico and the United States. The focus on the laws in Mexico stems from the fact that many students cross the border daily to attend public schools in the United States, and because Mexico has many laws in place dealing with special education. We offer school district leaders a comparative overview of the laws in our two countries, so they can be better prepared to meet the needs of the students they serve

Thermodynamics of partitioning and solvation of ketoprofen in some organic solvent: buffer and liposome systems

A termodinâmica da partição de cetoprofeno (KTP) foi estudada em diferentes sistemas solvente/tampão, tais como ciclo-hexano (CH/W), octanol (ROH/W), miristato de isopropila (IPM/W), clorofórmio (CLF/W), assim como em lipossomas de dimiristoil-fosfatidilcolina (DMPC) e de dipalmitoil-fosfatidilcolina (DPPC). Em todos os casos, os coeficientes racionais da partição (K X O/w) foram maiores que a unidade, conseqüentemente as energias livres de transferência padrão foram negativas, o que indica afinidade elevada de KTP para meios orgânicos. Os valores K X O/w foram aproximadamente 85 vezes maiores no sistema ROH/W em relação ao sistema CH/W, indicando-se, assim, alta contribuição da ligação hidrogênio sobre a partição. No entanto, para os sistemas IPM/W e CLF/W os valores K X O/w foram somente três ou quatro vezes menores que aqueles observados em ROH/W. De outra parte, os valores K X O/w foram aproximadamente 75 ou 150 vezes maiores nos lipossomas, comparados ao sistema ROH/W, segundo o caso, o que indica grau elevado de imobilização de KTP nas bicamadas e/ou contribuição eletrostática sobre a partição. Em todos os casos, as entalpias e as entropias padrão de transferência de KTP desde a água até os meios orgânicos foram positivas indicando algum grau de participação da hidratação hidrofóbica nos processos de partição. Finalmente, usando dados previamente relatados para o processo de solvatação de KTP na água, foram calculadas as funções termodinâmicas associadas com os processos de solvatação de KTP em todas as fases orgânicas avaliadas.The ketoprofen (KTP) partitioning thermodynamics was studied in different solvent/buffer systems such as cyclohexane (CH/W), octanol (ROH/W), isopropyl myristate (IPM/W), chloroform (CLF/W); as well as in dimyristoyl phosphatidylcholine (DMPC) and dipalmitoyl phosphatidylcholine (DPPC) liposome systems. In all cases, the rational partition coefficients (K X O/w) were greater than unit; therefore standard transfer free energies were negative in sign indicating a high affinity of KTP for organic media. K X O/w values were approximately eightyfive-fold higher in the ROH/W system regarding the CH/W system, thus indicating a high degree of hydrogen bonding contribution to partitioning. While in the case of IPM/W and CLF/W systems, K X O/w values were approximately only three or four-fold lower than those observed in ROH/W. On the other hand, K X O/w values were approximately seventy-five or one hundred fifty-fold higher in the liposomes compared to ROH/W system indicating a high degree of bilayers immobilization and/or an electrostatic contribution to partitioning. In all cases, standard transfer enthalpies and entropies of KTP from water to organic media were positive in sign indicating some degree of participation of the hydrophobic hydration on the partitioning processes. Finally, by using the reported data for solvation of KTP in water, the associated thermodynamic functions for KTP solvation in all tested organic phases were also calculated

Towards a full understanding of the growth dynamics and optical response of self-assembled photonic colloidal crystal films

Recent advances in the comprehension of the growth dynamics of colloidal crystal films opens the door to rational design of experiments aiming at fabricating lattices in which the density of intrinsic defects is minimized. Since such imperfections have a dramatic effect on scattered light of wavelength smaller than the lattice constant, the evaluation of the experimental optical response at those energy ranges, based on the comparison to rigorous calculations, is identified as the most sensitive guide to accurately evaluate the progress towards the actual realization of defect-free colloidal crystals.Ministerio de Ciencia y Educación MAT200503028Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas 2005AR007

Theory of phase spectroscopy in bimodal atomic force microscopy

We develop a theoretical formalism to escribe bimodal atomic force microscopy (AFM) experiments. The theory relates observables such as amplitudes and phase shifts to physical properties of the tip-surface interaction. The theory is compatible with point-mass and continuous models of the cantilever-tip system. We explain the ability of the bimodal AFM to map compositional variations under the influence of very small conservative forces. This is achieved by representing the dependence of the phase shift or amplitude of one eigenmode with respect to the amplitude or phase shift of the other mode. The agreement obtained between the theory and the numerical simulations validates the theoretical formalism.This work was financially supported by the European Commission (FORCETOOL Contract No. NMP4-CT-2004-013684), Ministerio de Educación y Ciencia (Contract No. MAT2006-03833), and Comunidad de Madrid. We do thank stimulating discussions with N. F. Martinez and E. T. Herruzo.Peer reviewe

Calcipotriol/Betamethasone Dipropionate Aerosol Foam for Plaque Psoriasis: A Prospective, Observational, Non-Interventional, Single-Center Study of Patient Adherence and Satisfaction in Daily Use

This research was funded by Leo Pharma.Background: Psoriasis is a chronic inflammatory disease that has a negative impact on patients’ quality of life. Patients with mild–moderate psoriasis can be treated with topical medications, such as the combination drug calcipotriol/betamethasone dipropionate (Cal/BD). Objectives: This study investigated the adherence of psoriasis patients to therapy with Cal/BD aerosol foam, as well as their satisfaction with the treatment’s efficacy, safety, and effect on their quality of life. Methods: Patients with mild–moderate plaque psoriasis were eligible to participate in this open-label, non-placebo controlled, prospective single-center study. Adherence to treatment was assessed using the Morisky-Green scale 4 and 12 weeks after the start of treatment. Satisfaction with the treatment was assessed using the abbreviated Treatment Satisfaction Questionnaire for Medication (TSQM-9). The severity of psoriasis was assessed on the mIGA and PGA scales, and the impact on quality of life was assessed using the PDI and DLQI scales. Results: A total of 65 patients entered the study. Adherence to treatment was good, with 73.8% of patients showing high adherence at 12 weeks. Satisfaction was also good, with 46 patients (70.8%) being completely satisfied. Conclusions: Over a 4-week period, patients treated with Cal/BD aerosol foam had significant improvement in disease severity that was directly related to treatment adherence.LEO Pharm

Interplay between crystal-size and disorder effects in the high-energy optical response of photonic crystal slabs

Experimental reflectance spectra have been obtained for colloidal crystals whose widths ranged from one to several sphere monolayers, and their features in the higher order band energy range have been reproduced theoretically. In order to fit the measured data, optical extinction has been introduced in the theoretical model, which accounts for structure imperfections and disorder, the main sources of losses in an actual measurement. A complex spectrum in the high frequency region is observed even for one ordered monolayer, being this peak structure gradually modified as more layers are piled up. This allowed us to identify which peaks are reminiscent of the optical reflectance features of a single close-packed layer and which are the result of building up a three dimensional periodicity. A clear correlation between the amount of extinction introduced in the fitting and the slab width has been found, which demonstrates that wider real crystals produce less diffusely scattered light. At the same time, we find that the optical response of thinner crystals is more robust against the introduction of extinction than that of thicker ones, for which the effect is dramatic.Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas 2005AR0070Universidad de Buenos Aires ANPCYT-BID 802Agencia Nacional de Promoción Científica y Tecnológica OC-AR03-14099Ministerio de Ciencia y Educación MAT2005-0302

Physical origin of the high energy optical response of three-dimensional photonic crystals

The physical origin of the optical response observed in three-dimensional photonic crystals when the photon wavelength is equal or lower than the lattice parameter still remains unsatisfactorily explained and is the subject of an intense and interesting debate. Herein we demonstrate for the first time that all optical spectra features in this high energy region of photonic crystals arise from electromagnetic resonances within the ordered array, modified by the interplay between these resonances with the opening of diffraction channels, the presence of imperfections and finite size effects. AU these four phenomena are taken into account in our theoretical approach to the problem, which allows us to provide a full description of the observed optical response based on fundamental phenomena as well as to attain fair fittings of experimental results.Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas 2005AR0070Universidad de Buenos Aires ANPCYT-BID 802Agencia Nacional de Promoción Científica y Tecnológica OC-AR03-14099Ministerio de Ciencia y Educación MAT2005-0302

Sexual Dysfunction and Atopic Dermatitis: A Systematic Review

Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a chronic inflammatory disease of the skin whose main symptom is pruritus and may affect all age ranges. Regarding the prevalence, it has been estimated at around 10% of the world population. Many concomitant diseases have been associated with AD, but the causal relationship between AD and psychological impairment has not been clearly established. Scientific literature studying the probable association between male or female sexual dysfunction and dermatological pathology is limited, even more so in AD. This systematic review was conducted following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) reporting guidelines and the Cochrane Collaboration methodology for systematic reviews. All relevant articles in English were identified through a search from inception to 10 December 2020, including the following databases: Medline (via PubMed), Scopus,Web of Science Core Collection, and SciELO. The results of the search were compiled using the COVIDENCE software for systematic reviews. The methodological quality of the included studies was done using the “Quality Assessment Tool for Observational Cohort and Cross-Sectional Studies” and the “Quality Assessment of Case- Control Studies” developed by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health (NIH). Our search yielded potentially relevant studies. Five studies that evaluated the prevalence of sexual dysfunction in atopic dermatitis were retrieved after applying the selection criteria. The present systematic review achieved data from 8088 patients with atopic dermatitis from four articles. Sample sizes for atopic dermatitis patients ranged from 266 to 3997. We identified one cohort study with four years of follow-up, three studies with a cross-sectional design, and one casecontrol study. Three studies reported data disaggregated by the severity of atopic dermatitis. Two studies included healthy controls with a total sample size of 1,747,755 subjects. Two studies compared data with other dermatological conditions such as psoriasis. In conclusion, we can establish that unlike other psychological comorbidities such as anxiety and depression, sexual dysfunction is a field scarcely explored in the literature. This sexual dysfunction focuses on the male sex in large population studies and in clinical diagnoses without exploring it through specific and validated questionnaires in this regard. Further studies focused on both genders are needed. It is important to correlate this sexual dysfunction with the severity of the disease, previous treatments, and cardiovascular comorbidities