Very Rare Complementation between Mitochondria Carrying Different Mitochondrial DNA Mutations Points to Intrinsic Genetic Autonomy of the Organelles in Cultured Human Cells

In the present work, a large scale investigation was done regarding the capacity of cultured human cell lines (carrying in homoplasmic form either the mitochondrial tRNALys A8344G mutation associated with the myoclonic epilepsy and ragged red fiber (MERRF) encephalomyopathy or a frameshift mutation, isolated in vitro, in the gene for the ND4 subunit of NADH dehydrogenase) to undergo transcomplementation of their recessive mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) mutations after cell fusion. The presence of appropriate nuclear drug resistance markers in the two cell lines allowed measurements of the frequency of cell fusion in glucose-containing medium, non-selective for respiratory capacity, whereas the frequency of transcomplementation of the two mtDNA mutations was determined by growing the same cell fusion mixture in galactose-containing medium, selective for respiratory competence. Transcomplementation of the two mutations was revealed by the re-establishment of normal mitochondrial protein synthesis and respiratory activity and by the relative rates synthesis of two isoforms of the ND3 subunit of NADH dehydrogenase. The results of several experiments showed a cell fusion frequency between 1.4 and 3.4% and an absolute transcomplementation frequency that varied between 1.2 × 10^-5 and 5.5 × 10^-4. Thus, only 0.3-1.6% of the fusion products exhibited transcomplementation of the two mutations. These rare transcomplementing clones were very sluggish in developing, grew very slowly thereafter, and showed a substantial rate of cell death (22-28%). The present results strongly support the conclusion that the capacity of mitochondria to fuse and mix their contents is not a general intrinsic property of these organelles in mammalian cells, although it may become activated in some developmental or physiological situations

Enhancing dendritic cell immunotherapy for melanoma using a simple mathematical model

ABSTRACT Background: The immunotherapy using dendritic cells (DCs) against different varieties of cancer is an approach that has been previously explored which induces a specific immune response. This work presents a mathematical model of DCs immunotherapy for melanoma in mice based on work by Experimental Immunotherapy Laboratory of the Medicine Faculty in the Universidad Autonoma de Mexico (UNAM). Method: The model is a five delay differential equation (DDEs) which represents a simplified view of the immunotherapy mechanisms. The mathematical model takes into account the interactions between tumor cells, dendritic cells, naive cytotoxic T lymphocytes cells (inactivated cytotoxic cells), effector cells (cytotoxic T activated cytotoxic cells) and transforming growth factor β cytokine (TGF − β). The model is validated comparing the computer simulation results with biological trial results of the immunotherapy developed by the research group of UNAM. Results: The results of the growth of tumor cells obtained by the control immunotherapy simulation show a similar amount of tumor cell population than the biological data of the control immunotherapy. Moreover, comparing the increase of tumor cells obtained from the immunotherapy simulation and the biological data of the immunotherapy applied by the UNAM researchers obtained errors of approximately 10 %. This allowed us to use the model as a framework to test hypothetical treatments. The numerical simulations suggest that by using more doses of DCs and changing the infusion time, the tumor growth decays compared with the current immunotherapy. In addition, a local sensitivity analysis is performed; the results show that the delay in time “τ ”, the maximal growth rate of tumor “r” and the maximal efficiency of tumor cytotoxic cells rate “aT” are the most sensitive model parameters. Conclusion: By using this mathematical model it is possible to simulate the growth of the tumor cells with or without immunotherapy using the infusion protocol of the UNAM researchers, to obtain a good approximation of the biological trials data. It is worth mentioning that by manipulating the different parameters of the model the effectiveness of the immunotherapy may increase. This last suggests that different protocols could be implemented by the Immunotherapy Laboratory of UNAM in order to improve their results

Reconstructing formation processes at the Canary Islands indigenous site of Belmaco Cave (La Palma, Spain) through a multiproxy geoarchaeological approach

The indigenous populations of La Palma (Canary Islands), who arrived on the island from Northwest Africa ca. 2000 years B.P., were predominantly pastoralists. Yet, many aspects of their subsistence economy such as the procurement, management, and use of wild plant resources remain largely unknown. To explore this, we studied the 600–1100-year-old archaeological site of Belmaco Cave, which comprises a stratified sedimentary deposit representative of a fumier. Here, we present a high-resolution, multiproxy geoarchaeological study combining soil micromorphology, lipid biomarker analysis, X-ray diffraction, μ-X-ray diffraction, μ-X-ray fluorescence, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and μ-Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, to characterize formation processes and explore plant sources. Recurrent goat/sheep habitation and maintenance activities are represented by interstratified layers of unburned dung, charcoal-rich sediment, and dung ash. Lipid biomarker data show a herd diet mainly composed of herbaceous plants, which is key to understanding the mobility of indigenous shepherds. Our results also revealed an unusual suite of authigenic minerals including hazenite, aragonite, and sylvite, possibly formed through diagenetic processes involving interaction between ash, dung, urine, volcanogenic components, and bacterial activity, coupled with arid and alkaline conditions. Our study shows the potential of a multiproxy approach to a fumier deposit in a volcanogenic sedimentary context.publishedVersio

Nivel de conocimientos y autocuidado de adultos con asma de la consulta de neumología. Monterrey-México.

El asma es una enfermedad crónica, su tratamiento es complejo y su adecuado manejo depende en gran parte del nivel conocimientos, destrezas y capacidad de autocuidado del paciente. Objetivos: evaluar la relación entre el nivel de conocimientos y las capacidades de autocuidado de pacientes con asma. Material y Métodos: estudio descriptivo transversal dentro de los meses de septiembre a noviembre en pacientes con diagnóstico de asma que acudieron a la consulta externa del servicio de Neumología en el Hospital General de Zona No. 33 de Monterrey Nuevo León. México. La muestra estuvo constituida por 174 pacientes. Se firmó consentimiento informado y se aplicaron el Cuestionario de conocimientos acerca de Asma y la Escala de Valoración de la Capacidad de Agencia de Autocuidado. Los datos se analizaron mediante estadística descriptiva, se utilizaron pruebas de correlación de Spearman considerando un nivel de significancia de .05. Resultados: los participantes tuvieron 40.2 años (DE=16,04) con escolaridad de 11.49 años (DE=3,72) en promedio. A medida que se incrementó la edad, disminuyeron el nivel de conocimientos y el de autocuidado (valores de r=-0,338 y -0,218 respectivamente, p<,05

Mejora en el conocimiento y la ansiedad de los cuidadores del paciente con traqueostomía después de asesoría personalizada

Se propuso evaluar el efecto de la asesoría personalizada en el nivel de conocimientos y el grado de ansiedad de los cuidadores de pacientes con traqueostomía. Estudio pre-experimental en 12 cuidadores, a los cuales se les impartió asesoría personalizada con cinco sesiones a disponibilidad del tiempo del cuidador. Se aplicó un cuestionario de conocimientos y la escala de ansiedad de Hamilton

PARÁMETROS BIOLÓGICOS DE APANTELES NR. ARISTOTELIAE (VIERECK) (HYMENOPTERA: BRACONIDAE), PARASITOIDE DEL ENROLLADOR DE LAS HOJAS, AMORBIA SP. (LEPIDOPTERA: TORTRICIDAE)

Apanteles nr. Aristoteliae (Viereck) (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) is an endoparasitoid of the leafroller Amorbia sp. (Lepdidoptera: Tortricidae) larvae. In this study, the life cycle, parasitism, sex ratio, and longevity of adults of this parasitoid were determined under laboratory conditions (22 ± 2 ºC, 60 ± 5% relative humidity, and a photoperiod of 16:8h [light:dark]). The life cycle of this parasitoid was 42.45 ± 0.76 days. The duration of development stages of egg-larva, pupa and adult was 14.04 ± 0.05, 9.22 ± 0.07, and 19.36 ± 0.74 days, respectively. Each A. nr. aristoteliae female parasitized 73.33 ± 7.55 Amorbia sp. larvae. The sex ratio of F1 generation was 95.1% males (n = 912). Longevity of adults was significantly different (U = 564, P = 0.01) between mated males (27 ± 2.55 days) and virgins (19.75 ± 0.70 days) but not (U = 182, P = 0.3) between mated females that were exposed to parasitization during all its life (26.4 ± 2.88 days), and virgins (23.13 ± 1.4 days). In order to obtain a better understanding about life parameters of A. nr. aristoteliae, future studies that include different rearing conditions (e.g., temperature and space) are needed.Apanteles nr. aristoteliae (Viereck) (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) es un endoparasitoide de larvas del enrollador de las hojas Amorbia sp. (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae). En este estudio se determinó, bajo condiciones de laboratorio (22 ± 2 ºC, 60 ± 5% de humedad relativa y un fotoperiodo de 16:8 h [luz: oscuridad]) el ciclo de vida, parasitismo, proporción sexual y longevidad de adultos de este parasitoide. La duración del ciclo de vida fue de 42.45 ± 0.76 días. El tiempo de desarrollo de los estados de huevolarva, pupa y adulto fue de 14.04 ± 0.05, 9.22 ± 0.07 y 19.36 ± 0.74 días, respectivamente. A lo largo de toda su vida, cada hembra de A. nr. aristoteliae parasitó 73.33 ± 7.55 larvas del enrollador de las hojas Amorbia sp. La proporción sexual de la generación F1 fue de 95.1% machos (n = 912). La longevidad de los adultos fue significativamente distinta (U = 564, P = 0.01) entre los machos apareados (27 ± 2.55 días) y vírgenes (19.75 ± 0.70 días), pero no (U = 182, P = 0.3) entre las hembras apareadas y que fueron sometidas a parasitación durante toda su vida (26.4 ± 2.88 días) y vírgenes (23.13 ± 1.4 días). Con el fin de obtener un mejor conocimiento de los parámetros de vida del parasitoide A. nr. aristoteliae, es necesario realizar futuros estudios que incluyan diferentes condiciones de cría (ej., temperatura y espacio)

Intervención educativa multidisciplinaria favorece el autocuidado en pacientes con Enfermedad Pulmonar Obstructiva Crónica

Los conocimientos sobre las enfermedades crónicas como la enfermedad pulmonar obstructiva crónica (EPOC) inciden directamente sobre el autocuidado de los pacientes y sus familias. Objetivo. Se propuso evaluar el alcance de una intervención educativa multidisciplinaria sobre el nivel de conocimientos y autocuidado de pacientes con EPOC. Material y métodos. Estudio cuasiexperimental prospectivo con grupo experimental y de control. El grupo experimental acudió a una intervención educativa multidisciplinaria de seis sesiones. El grupo de control sólo recibió trípticos informativos. Se firmó el consentimiento informado y se aplicaron un cuestionario de Conocimientos sobre EPOC y la Escala de Valoración de Agencia de Autocuidado. Los datos se analizaron con estadística descriptiva y pruebas de Wilcoxon con el software SPSS versión 21.0. Resultados. Ambos grupos estuvieron conformados por 44 participantes. Los participantes que acudieron a la intervención educativa mostraron mayor incremento del nivel de conocimientos que quienes sólo recibieron la información por escrit

Flora vascular y vegetación del Área de Protección de Recursos Naturales Quebrada de Santa Bárbara, Pueblo Nuevo, Durango, México

Antecedentes: El Área de Protección de Recursos Naturales Quebrada de Santa Bárbara (APRNQSB) destaca por su biodiversidad y la coexistencia de seis géneros de coníferas, pero carece de un inventario florístico actualizado y completo, por lo que el objetivo de este trabajo fue generarlo y caracterizar su vegetación. Preguntas: ¿Cuál es la riqueza, el riesgo de extinción y distribución de la flora vascular y qué tipos de vegetación forman en el APRNQSB? Especies estudiadas: Traqueofitas. Sitio y años de estudio: APRNQSB, Durango; julio 2018 a septiembre 2019. Métodos: Un listado preliminar conjuntó registros del herbario CIIDIR y colecciones virtuales. Se enriqueció mediante recolectas en 15 estaciones y cuatro senderos de referencia. Las especies se catalogaron por su riesgo de extinción y distribución. La riqueza florística se comparó contra 11 inventarios de otras zonas de México mediante un índice de diversidad taxonómica (IDT). La vegetación se caracterizó por composición florística y fisonomía. Resultados: La flora vascular incluyó 79 familias, 211 géneros, 352 especies y un IDT de 198 spp./km2. Se registraron seis especies bajo la NOM-059-SEMARNAT-2010, 63 taxa en la UICN, 34 especies endémicas a Durango y estados vecinos y 17 microendémicas. La vegetación se compone por bosque mixto de Pinus-Quercus, bosque de coníferas y vegetación acuática y subacuática. Conclusiones: Considerando trabajos previos, se logró un incremento del 76 % en el inventario de la flora vascular del APRNQSB. Los datos actualizados de la flora del APRNQSB son fundamentales para el desarrollo y establecimiento de estrategias de manejo y conservación

It's getting hot in here – Microcontextual study of a potential pit hearth at the Middle Paleolithic site of El Salt, Spain

By studying combustion structures, which conceal information about anthropogenic activity, we might learn about their makers. This is especially important for remote time periods like the Middle Paleolithic, whose archaeological record comprises numerous combustion structures. The majority of these are simple, flat, open hearths, although a small number of features situated in pit-like depressions have been recorded. Given that hearths built on a flat surface can result in pit-like color alteration of the underlying sediment, accurate identification of pit hearths is a crucial step prior to behavioral interpretation. Here we present a comprehensive study of a possible pit hearth from the Middle Paleolithic site of El Salt, Spain, using a microcontextual approach combining micromorphology, lipid biomarker analysis, archaeomagnetism and zooarchaeology. This pit hearth involves a true depression containing a thick plant ash deposit. It reached very high temperatures, possibly multiple burning events and long combustion times. Morphologically distinct combustion structures in a single archaeological context may indicate different functions and thus a diverse fire technology, pointing to Neanderthal behavioral variability.ERC Consolidator Grant project PALEOCHAR – 648871 https://erc.europa.eu/funding/consolidator-grants, I + D Project HAR2008-06117/HIST, HAR2015-68321-P (MINECO-FEDER/UE), and the Cultural Heritage Department of the Valencia Government and the Archaeological Museum Camil Visedo of Alcoy, under the direction of Professor Bertila Galván of Universidad de La Laguna, Junta de Castilla y León (project BU235P18), the European Fund for Economic and Regional Development (EFRD) and the project PID2019-105796 GB-I00 of the Agencia Estatal de Investigación (AEI/10.13039/501100011033

The evolution of the ventilatory ratio is a prognostic factor in mechanically ventilated COVID-19 ARDS patients

Background: Mortality due to COVID-19 is high, especially in patients requiring mechanical ventilation. The purpose of the study is to investigate associations between mortality and variables measured during the first three days of mechanical ventilation in patients with COVID-19 intubated at ICU admission. Methods: Multicenter, observational, cohort study includes consecutive patients with COVID-19 admitted to 44 Spanish ICUs between February 25 and July 31, 2020, who required intubation at ICU admission and mechanical ventilation for more than three days. We collected demographic and clinical data prior to admission; information about clinical evolution at days 1 and 3 of mechanical ventilation; and outcomes. Results: Of the 2,095 patients with COVID-19 admitted to the ICU, 1,118 (53.3%) were intubated at day 1 and remained under mechanical ventilation at day three. From days 1 to 3, PaO2/FiO2 increased from 115.6 [80.0-171.2] to 180.0 [135.4-227.9] mmHg and the ventilatory ratio from 1.73 [1.33-2.25] to 1.96 [1.61-2.40]. In-hospital mortality was 38.7%. A higher increase between ICU admission and day 3 in the ventilatory ratio (OR 1.04 [CI 1.01-1.07], p = 0.030) and creatinine levels (OR 1.05 [CI 1.01-1.09], p = 0.005) and a lower increase in platelet counts (OR 0.96 [CI 0.93-1.00], p = 0.037) were independently associated with a higher risk of death. No association between mortality and the PaO2/FiO2 variation was observed (OR 0.99 [CI 0.95 to 1.02], p = 0.47). Conclusions: Higher ventilatory ratio and its increase at day 3 is associated with mortality in patients with COVID-19 receiving mechanical ventilation at ICU admission. No association was found in the PaO2/FiO2 variation