Sphingomyelinase D from loxosceles laeta venom induces the expression of MMP7 in human keratinocytes: contribution to dermonecrosis

Envenomation by Loxosceles spider is characterized by the development of dermonecrosis. In previous studies, we have demonstrated that increased expression/secretion of matrix metalloproteinases 2 and 9, induced by Loxosceles intermedia venom Class 2 SMases D (the main toxin in the spider venom), contribute to the development of cutaneous loxoscelism. In the present study we show that the more potent venom containing the Class 1 SMase D from Loxosceles laeta, in addition to increasing the expression/secretion of MMP2 and MMP9, also stimulates the expression of MMP7 (Matrilysin-1), which was associated with keratinocyte cell death. Tetracycline, a matrix metalloproteinase inhibitor, prevented cell death and reduced MMPs expression. Considering that L. laeta venom is more potent at inducing dermonecrosis than L. intermedia venom, our results suggest that MMP7 may play an important role in the severity of dermonecrosis induced by L. laeta spider venom SMase D. In addition, the inhibition of MMPs by e.g. tetracyclines may be considered for the treatment of the cutaneous loxoscelism

Atracción de escolítidos a trampas cebadas con etanol y monoterpenos en montes de Pinus pinea

Se presentan resultados de ensayos de campo para la atracción de escolítidos mediante el empleo de trampas cebadas (tipo Crossvane) con compuestos de presumible actividad cairomonal. Se realizaron tres experimentos (diciembre-2010 a enero-2011, abril a mayo de 2011 y octubre a noviembre de 2011) en cuatro parcelas con actividad relevante de Tomicus destruens y similar estado selvícola (términos municipales de Cartaya y Aljaraque. Huelva). Los objetivos parciales fueron: comparar la evolución temporal de capturas, probar la eficacia de distintas dosis de etanol y su actividad sinérgica con a-pineno, y explorar la actividad de monoterpenos en solitario o combinados (a-pineno, limoneno y terpinoleno). Seis especies de Scolytinae fueron capturadas de forma mayoritaria: T. destruens, Orthotomicus erosus, Hylastes linearis, Crypturgus mediterraneus, Carphoborus pini e Hylurgus ligniperda. Las combinaciones que emitieron la mezcla de etanol y a-pineno en diversas dosis capturaron más T. destruens y O. erosus que las que emitieron etanol solamente, aunque las diferencias no fueron significativas. En primavera abundaron H. linearis y C. mediterraneus. La presencia de limoneno pareció reducir las capturas de T. destruens. El impacto de captura de varias especies depredadoras (Thanasimus formicarius, Rhizophagus spp. y Aulonium ruficorne) que se redujo notablemente en trampas provistas de rejilla y ranuras de escape

Enzyme replacement therapy with galsulfase in 34 children younger than five years of age with MPS VI

Background: Mucopolysaccharidosis type VI (MPS VI) is a progressive, chronic and multisystem lysosomal storage disease with a wide disease spectrum. Clinical and biochemical improvements have been reported for MPS VI patients on enzyme replacement therapy (ERT) with rhASB (recombinant human arylsulfatase B; galsulfase, Naglazyme (R), BioMarin Pharmaceutical Inc.), making early diagnosis and intervention imperative for optimal patient outcomes. Few studies have included children younger than five years of age. This report describes 34 MPS VI patients that started treatment with galsulfase before five years of age.Methods: Data from patients who initiated treatment at <5 years of age were collected from patients' medical records. Baseline and follow-up assessments of common symptoms that led to diagnosis and that were used to evaluate disease progression and treatment efficacy were evaluated.Results: A significant negative correlation was seen with treatment with ERT and urinary GAG levels. of those with baseline and follow-up growth data, 47% remained on their pre-treatment growth curve or moved to a higher percentile after treatment. of the 9 patients with baseline and follow-up sleep studies, 5 remained unaffected and 1 patient initially with mild sleep apnea showed improvement. Data regarding cardiac, ophthalmic, central nervous system, hearing, surgical interventions and development are also reported. No patient discontinued treatment due to an adverse event and all that were treatment-emergent resolved.Conclusions: the prescribed dosage of 1 mg/kg IV weekly with galsulfase ERT is shown to be safe and effective in slowing and/or improving certain aspects of the disease, although patients should be closely monitored for complications associated with the natural history of the disease, especially cardiac valve involvement and spinal cord compression. A long-term follow-up investigation of this group of children will provide further information on the benefits of early treatment as well as disease progression and treatment efficacy and safety in this young patient population. (C) 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.BioMarin Pharmaceutical Inc.ShireGenzymeBioMarinFiocruz MS, Inst Nacl Saude Mulher Crianca & Adolescente Fern, Ctr Genet Med, BR-22250020 Rio de Janeiro, RJ, BrazilUniv Fed Bahia, Serv Genet Med, Salvador, BA, BrazilHosp Albert Sabin, Fortaleza, Ceara, BrazilUniv Fed Mato Grosso do Sul, Fac Med, Campo Grande, MS USAUniv São Paulo, Inst Crianca, São Paulo, BrazilHosp Barao de Lucena, Recife, PE, BrazilUniv Fed Parana, Hosp Clin, BR-80060000 Curitiba, Parana, BrazilCtr Reabilitacao Infantil, Natal, RN, BrazilHosp Univ Maranhao, Sao Luis, MA, BrazilUniversidade Federal de São Paulo, Ctr Referencia Erros Inatos Metab, São Paulo, SP, BrazilHosp São Paulo, Enzyme Replacement Therapy Serv, Hosp & Maternidade Celso Pierro, São Paulo, BrazilUniv Fed Rio Grande do Norte, HOSPED, Hosp Pediat Prof Heriberto Ferreira Bezerra, Natal, RN, BrazilUniv Fortaleza, Fortaleza, Ceara, BrazilUniv Fed Rio Grande do Norte, BR-59072970 Natal, RN, BrazilUniv Fed Triangulo Mineiro, Uberaba, MG, BrazilHosp Clin Acre, Rio Branco, AC, BrazilUniv Fed Espirito Santo, HUCAM, Vitoria, ES, BrazilUniversidade Federal de São Paulo, Ctr Referencia Erros Inatos Metab, São Paulo, SP, BrazilHosp São Paulo, Enzyme Replacement Therapy Serv, Hosp & Maternidade Celso Pierro, São Paulo, BrazilWeb of Scienc

Sustentabilidad y territorio. Herramientas para la gestión sustentable del hábitat

Con más de 7,500 millones de habitantes en el mundo, construir hábitats sustentables es un reto complejo. La proliferación de grandes y desordenadas concentraciones urbanas genera un deterioro en la calidad de vida, desigualdad y pobreza, así como la transformación y pérdida irreparable de ecosistemas, por lo que se vuelve urgente el actuar para paliar y revertir este fenómeno. Este libro recoge una selección de trabajos de investigación que se presentaron en el Congreso Internacional sobre Sustentabilidad en los Hábitats, realizado en 2016. Son seis propuestas elaboradas por alumnos de posgrado, profesores y académicos de diversos países, en las que se abordan desde una perspectiva internacional y local, los retos a enfrentar en el camino hacia la sustentabilidad, en aspectos como el deterioro físico y social de los espacios de vida en la ciudad, la atracción y retención de capital humano, movilidad y reorganización urbana, contaminación, defensa del territorio, del patrimonio cultural y natural e inseguridad por eventos contingentes, entre otros. Ante un mundo (in)sustentable, los autores presentan alternativas para desarrollar lugares sustentables para la vida. Un libro que convoca a estudiantes, profesores e investigadores a una búsqueda colectiva para la construcción de un mundo mejor

The Fourteenth Data Release of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey: First Spectroscopic Data from the extended Baryon Oscillation Spectroscopic Survey and from the second phase of the Apache Point Observatory Galactic Evolution Experiment

The fourth generation of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS-IV) has been in operation since July 2014. This paper describes the second data release from this phase, and the fourteenth from SDSS overall (making this, Data Release Fourteen or DR14). This release makes public data taken by SDSS-IV in its first two years of operation (July 2014-2016). Like all previous SDSS releases, DR14 is cumulative, including the most recent reductions and calibrations of all data taken by SDSS since the first phase began operations in 2000. New in DR14 is the first public release of data from the extended Baryon Oscillation Spectroscopic Survey (eBOSS); the first data from the second phase of the Apache Point Observatory (APO) Galactic Evolution Experiment (APOGEE-2), including stellar parameter estimates from an innovative data driven machine learning algorithm known as "The Cannon"; and almost twice as many data cubes from the Mapping Nearby Galaxies at APO (MaNGA) survey as were in the previous release (N = 2812 in total). This paper describes the location and format of the publicly available data from SDSS-IV surveys. We provide references to the important technical papers describing how these data have been taken (both targeting and observation details) and processed for scientific use. The SDSS website (www.sdss.org) has been updated for this release, and provides links to data downloads, as well as tutorials and examples of data use. SDSS-IV is planning to continue to collect astronomical data until 2020, and will be followed by SDSS-V.Comment: SDSS-IV collaboration alphabetical author data release paper. DR14 happened on 31st July 2017. 19 pages, 5 figures. Accepted by ApJS on 28th Nov 2017 (this is the "post-print" and "post-proofs" version; minor corrections only from v1, and most of errors found in proofs corrected

Mucopolysaccharidosis I, II, and VI: Brief review and guidelines for treatment

Mucopolysaccharidoses (MPS) are rare genetic diseases caused by the deficiency of one of the lysosomal enzymes involved in the glycosaminoglycan (GAG) breakdown pathway. This metabolic block leads to the accumulation of GAG in various organs and tissues of the affected patients, resulting in a multisystemic clinical picture, sometimes including cognitive impairment. Until the beginning of the XXI century, treatment was mainly supportive. Bone marrow transplantation improved the natural course of the disease in some types of MPS, but the morbidity and mortality restricted its use to selected cases. The identification of the genes involved, the new molecular biology tools and the availability of animal models made it possible to develop specific enzyme replacement therapies (ERT) for these diseases. At present, a great number of Brazilian medical centers from all regions of the country have experience with ERT for MPS I, II, and VI, acquired not only through patient treatment but also in clinical trials. Taking the three types of MPS together, over 200 patients have been treated with ERT in our country. This document summarizes the experience of the professionals involved, along with the data available in the international literature, bringing together and harmonizing the information available on the management of these severe and progressive diseases, thus disclosing new prospects for Brazilian patients affected by these conditions

Why Are Outcomes Different for Registry Patients Enrolled Prospectively and Retrospectively? Insights from the Global Anticoagulant Registry in the FIELD-Atrial Fibrillation (GARFIELD-AF).

Background: Retrospective and prospective observational studies are designed to reflect real-world evidence on clinical practice, but can yield conflicting results. The GARFIELD-AF Registry includes both methods of enrolment and allows analysis of differences in patient characteristics and outcomes that may result. Methods and Results: Patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) and ≥1 risk factor for stroke at diagnosis of AF were recruited either retrospectively (n = 5069) or prospectively (n = 5501) from 19 countries and then followed prospectively. The retrospectively enrolled cohort comprised patients with established AF (for a least 6, and up to 24 months before enrolment), who were identified retrospectively (and baseline and partial follow-up data were collected from the emedical records) and then followed prospectively between 0-18 months (such that the total time of follow-up was 24 months; data collection Dec-2009 and Oct-2010). In the prospectively enrolled cohort, patients with newly diagnosed AF (≤6 weeks after diagnosis) were recruited between Mar-2010 and Oct-2011 and were followed for 24 months after enrolment. Differences between the cohorts were observed in clinical characteristics, including type of AF, stroke prevention strategies, and event rates. More patients in the retrospectively identified cohort received vitamin K antagonists (62.1% vs. 53.2%) and fewer received non-vitamin K oral anticoagulants (1.8% vs . 4.2%). All-cause mortality rates per 100 person-years during the prospective follow-up (starting the first study visit up to 1 year) were significantly lower in the retrospective than prospectively identified cohort (3.04 [95% CI 2.51 to 3.67] vs . 4.05 [95% CI 3.53 to 4.63]; p = 0.016). Conclusions: Interpretations of data from registries that aim to evaluate the characteristics and outcomes of patients with AF must take account of differences in registry design and the impact of recall bias and survivorship bias that is incurred with retrospective enrolment. Clinical Trial Registration: - URL: http://www.clinicaltrials.gov . Unique identifier for GARFIELD-AF (NCT01090362)

Sloan Digital Sky Survey IV: Mapping the Milky Way, Nearby Galaxies, and the Distant Universe

We describe the Sloan Digital Sky Survey IV (SDSS-IV), a project encompassing three major spectroscopic programs. The Apache Point Observatory Galactic Evolution Experiment 2 (APOGEE-2) is observing hundreds of thousands of Milky Way stars at high resolution and high signal-to-noise ratios in the near-infrared. The Mapping Nearby Galaxies at Apache Point Observatory (MaNGA) survey is obtaining spatially resolved spectroscopy for thousands of nearby galaxies (median $z\sim 0.03$). The extended Baryon Oscillation Spectroscopic Survey (eBOSS) is mapping the galaxy, quasar, and neutral gas distributions between $z\sim 0.6$ and 3.5 to constrain cosmology using baryon acoustic oscillations, redshift space distortions, and the shape of the power spectrum. Within eBOSS, we are conducting two major subprograms: the SPectroscopic IDentification of eROSITA Sources (SPIDERS), investigating X-ray AGNs and galaxies in X-ray clusters, and the Time Domain Spectroscopic Survey (TDSS), obtaining spectra of variable sources. All programs use the 2.5 m Sloan Foundation Telescope at the Apache Point Observatory; observations there began in Summer 2014. APOGEE-2 also operates a second near-infrared spectrograph at the 2.5 m du Pont Telescope at Las Campanas Observatory, with observations beginning in early 2017. Observations at both facilities are scheduled to continue through 2020. In keeping with previous SDSS policy, SDSS-IV provides regularly scheduled public data releases; the first one, Data Release 13, was made available in 2016 July

Risk profiles and one-year outcomes of patients with newly diagnosed atrial fibrillation in India: Insights from the GARFIELD-AF Registry.

BACKGROUND: The Global Anticoagulant Registry in the FIELD-Atrial Fibrillation (GARFIELD-AF) is an ongoing prospective noninterventional registry, which is providing important information on the baseline characteristics, treatment patterns, and 1-year outcomes in patients with newly diagnosed non-valvular atrial fibrillation (NVAF). This report describes data from Indian patients recruited in this registry. METHODS AND RESULTS: A total of 52,014 patients with newly diagnosed AF were enrolled globally; of these, 1388 patients were recruited from 26 sites within India (2012-2016). In India, the mean age was 65.8 years at diagnosis of NVAF. Hypertension was the most prevalent risk factor for AF, present in 68.5% of patients from India and in 76.3% of patients globally (P < 0.001). Diabetes and coronary artery disease (CAD) were prevalent in 36.2% and 28.1% of patients as compared with global prevalence of 22.2% and 21.6%, respectively (P < 0.001 for both). Antiplatelet therapy was the most common antithrombotic treatment in India. With increasing stroke risk, however, patients were more likely to receive oral anticoagulant therapy [mainly vitamin K antagonist (VKA)], but average international normalized ratio (INR) was lower among Indian patients [median INR value 1.6 (interquartile range {IQR}: 1.3-2.3) versus 2.3 (IQR 1.8-2.8) (P < 0.001)]. Compared with other countries, patients from India had markedly higher rates of all-cause mortality [7.68 per 100 person-years (95% confidence interval 6.32-9.35) vs 4.34 (4.16-4.53), P < 0.0001], while rates of stroke/systemic embolism and major bleeding were lower after 1 year of follow-up. CONCLUSION: Compared to previously published registries from India, the GARFIELD-AF registry describes clinical profiles and outcomes in Indian patients with AF of a different etiology. The registry data show that compared to the rest of the world, Indian AF patients are younger in age and have more diabetes and CAD. Patients with a higher stroke risk are more likely to receive anticoagulation therapy with VKA but are underdosed compared with the global average in the GARFIELD-AF. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION-URL: http://www.clinicaltrials.gov. Unique identifier: NCT01090362