State estimation of a dehydration process by interval analysis

This article presents a general methodology of state estimation by interval analysis in a dynamic system modeled by difference equations. The methodology is applied to a pineapple osmotic dehydration process, in order to predict the behavior of the process within a range of allowed perturbation. The paper presents simulations and validations

The Role of Chemokines in Breast Cancer Pathology and Its Possible Use as Therapeutic Targets

Chemokines are small proteins that primarily regulate the traffic of leukocytes under homeostatic conditions and during specific immune responses. The chemokine-chemokine receptor system comprises almost 50 chemokines and approximately 20 chemokine receptors; thus, there is no unique ligand for each receptor and the binding of different chemokines to the same receptor might have disparate effects. Complicating the system further, these effects depend on the cellular milieu. In cancer, although chemokines are associated primarily with the generation of a protumoral microenvironment and organ-directed metastasis, they also mediate other phenomena related to disease progression, such as angiogenesis and even chemoresistance. Therefore, the chemokine system is becoming a target in cancer therapeutics. We review the emerging data and correlations between chemokines/chemokine receptors and breast cancer, their implications in cancer progression, and possible therapeutic strategies that exploit the chemokine system

Seroepidemiology of Toxoplasma gondii infection in psychiatric inpatients in a northern Mexican city

BACKGROUND: Patients with psychiatric disorders were found to show a high seroprevalence of Toxoplasma gondii infection. There is scarce information about the epidemiology of T. gondii infection in psychiatric patients in Mexico. Therefore, we sought to determine the prevalence of T. gondii infection and associated socio-demographic, clinical and behavioural characteristics in a population of psychiatric patients in Durango City, Mexico. Seroprevalence in patients was compared with that obtained in a control population. METHODS: One hundred and thirty seven inpatients of a public psychiatric hospital and 180 controls were examined for the presence of IgG and IgM antibodies against T. gondii by enzyme-linked immunoassay (Diagnostic Automation Inc., Calabasas, CA, USA). The control population consisted of blood donors of a public blood bank and elderly persons attending a senior center in the same city. Age in controls (42 years +/- 20.2) was comparable with that of the psychiatric patients (43.7 years +/-13.8) (p = 0.42). Socio-demographic, clinical and behavioral characteristics from the patients were also obtained. RESULTS: Anti-T. gondii IgG antibodies indicating latent infection with T. gondii was found in 25 (18.2%) of 137 psychiatric inpatients and 16 (8.9%) of 180 controls (p = 0.02). Ten (26.3%) of 38 schizophrenic patients had latent infection and this prevalence was also significantly higher than that observed in controls (p = 0.005). Prevalence of anti-T. gondii IgM antibodies was comparable among patients and controls (4.4% vs 2.2%, respectively, p = 0.22). Multivariate analysis showed that T. gondii infection in inpatients was positively associated with sexual promiscuity (adjusted OR = 15.8; 95% CI: 3.8–64.8), unwashed raw fruit consumption (adjusted OR = 5.19; 95% CI: 2.3–11.3), and a history of surgery (adjusted OR = 6.5; 95% CI: 2.6–16), and negatively associated with lamb meat consumption (adjusted OR = 0.26; 95% CI: 0.10–0.63). CONCLUSION: In the present study, psychiatric inpatients in Durango, Mexico, in general and schizophrenia inpatients in particular had a significantly higher prevalence of T. gondii infection than the control group. Results suggest that unwashed raw fruit consumption might be the most important route of T. gondii transmission in our psychiatric inpatients while lamb meat consumption the less important. Additional studies will have to elucidate the causative relation between infection with T. gondii and psychiatric disorders

Microarray comparative genomic hybridization detection of chromosomal imbalances in uterine cervix carcinoma

BACKGROUND: Chromosomal Comparative Genomic Hybridization (CGH) has been applied to all stages of cervical carcinoma progression, defining a specific pattern of chromosomal imbalances in this tumor. However, given its limited spatial resolution, chromosomal CGH has offered only general information regarding the possible genetic targets of DNA copy number changes. METHODS: In order to further define specific DNA copy number changes in cervical cancer, we analyzed 20 cervical samples (3 pre-malignant lesions, 10 invasive tumors, and 7 cell lines), using the GenoSensor microarray CGH system to define particular genetic targets that suffer copy number changes. RESULTS: The most common DNA gains detected by array CGH in the invasive samples were located at the RBP1-RBP2 (3q21-q22) genes, the sub-telomeric clone C84C11/T3 (5ptel), D5S23 (5p15.2) and the DAB2 gene (5p13) in 58.8% of the samples. The most common losses were found at the FHIT gene (3p14.2) in 47% of the samples, followed by deletions at D8S504 (8p23.3), CTDP1-SHGC- 145820 (18qtel), KIT (4q11-q12), D1S427-FAF1 (1p32.3), D9S325 (9qtel), EIF4E (eukaryotic translation initiation factor 4E, 4q24), RB1 (13q14), and DXS7132 (Xq12) present in 5/17 (29.4%) of the samples. CONCLUSION: Our results confirm the presence of a specific pattern of chromosomal imbalances in cervical carcinoma and define specific targets that are suffering DNA copy number changes in this neoplasm

Planck pre-launch status : The Planck mission

Peer reviewe

7th Drug hypersensitivity meeting: part two

No abstract availabl

Testing the Efficacy of a Multi-Component DNA-Prime/DNA-Boost Vaccine against Trypanosoma cruzi Infection in Dogs

Immunization of dogs with DNA-prime/DNA-boost vaccine (TcVac1) enhanced the Trypanosoma cruzi-specific type 1 antibody and CD8+ T cell responses that resulted in an early control of acute parasitemia and a moderate decline in pathological symptoms during chronic phase. Further improvement of vaccine-induced immunity would be required to achieve clinical and epidemiological benefits and prevent transmission of parasites from vaccinated/infected dogs to triatomines

Hydrogeochemical characterization and quantification of the groundwater mixture in a hydrogeological basin of the middle zone of San Luis Potosí

The hydrogeochemical characterization and water-rock interaction processes in the subbasins of Santa Catarina and Ocampo-Paraíso in the Zona Media of San Luis Potosí have allowed identifying the types of groundwater. The results of the chemical analysis and the regional geological study show the possible rock-water interaction mechanisms. These results indicate that the composition of the groundwater in each of these basins reflects the dissolution of the carbonate and magnesium minerals of the carbonate rocks of Cretaceous age (El Abra Formation), by rainwater, and of the groundwater through a granular medium with a strong influence of the material of volcanic origin. The Ca-HCO3, Ca-Mg-HCO3, water type are modified during the groundwater flow by incorporation of Na+ and SO42- ions. The San Nicolás (subbasin III) has covered by fluvial deposits in a climatic conditions of semiarid regions. The hydrogeochemical analysis of major ions, lithium and bromine allowed identifying that the extracted water from the region is a product of mixing process, involving three endmembers (ternary mixture). The first, Santa Catarina (C1), has the lowest concentrations of bromine and lithium and its recharge occur in the highest altitude land in the region, towards the Sierra de Álvarez. The second end member (C2), displays high values of bromine, low in lithium and originates towards the Ocampo Paraíso Valley. The third end member (C3), has low bromine concentrations, high in lithium, and comes from San Nicolás Tolentino area. The mixing percentages indicate that C1 contributes 50%, C2 gives 31% and C3 adds 19% water to the system. doi: https://doi.org/10.22201/igeof.00167169p.2019.58.4.205