Current model systems for the study of preeclampsia

Preeclampsia (PE) is a pregnancy complex disease, distinguished by high blood pressure and proteinuria, diagnosed after the 20th gestation week. Depending on the values of blood pressure, urine protein concentrations, symptomatology, and onset of disease there is a wide range of phenotypes, from mild forms developing predominantly at the end of pregnancy to severe forms developing in the early stage of pregnancy. In the worst cases severe forms of PE could lead to systemic endothelial dysfunction, eclampsia, and maternal and/or fetal death. Worldwide the fetal morbidity and mortality related to PE is calculated to be around 8% of the total pregnancies. PE still being an enigma regarding its etiology and pathophysiology, in general a deficient trophoblast invasion during placentation at first stage of pregnancy, in combination with maternal conditions are accepted as a cause of endothelial dysfunction, inflammatory alterations and appearance of symptoms. Depending on the PE multifactorial origin, several in vitro, in vivo,andin silico models have been used to evaluate the PE pathophysiology as well as to identify or test biomarkers predicting, diagnosing or prognosing the syndrome. This review focuses on the most common models used for the study of PE, including those related to placental development, abnormal trophoblast invasion, uteroplacental ischemia, angiogenesis, oxygen deregulation, and immune response to maternal–fetal interactions. The advances in mathematical and computational modeling of metabolic network behavior, gene prioritization, the protein–protein interaction network, the genetics of PE, and the PE prediction/classification are discussed. Finally, the potential of these models to enable understanding of PE pathogenesis and to evaluate new preventative and therapeutic approaches in the management of PE are also highlighted

Prevalence, associated factors and outcomes of pressure injuries in adult intensive care unit patients: the DecubICUs study

Funder: European Society of Intensive Care Medicine; doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.13039/501100013347Funder: Flemish Society for Critical Care NursesAbstract: Purpose: Intensive care unit (ICU) patients are particularly susceptible to developing pressure injuries. Epidemiologic data is however unavailable. We aimed to provide an international picture of the extent of pressure injuries and factors associated with ICU-acquired pressure injuries in adult ICU patients. Methods: International 1-day point-prevalence study; follow-up for outcome assessment until hospital discharge (maximum 12 weeks). Factors associated with ICU-acquired pressure injury and hospital mortality were assessed by generalised linear mixed-effects regression analysis. Results: Data from 13,254 patients in 1117 ICUs (90 countries) revealed 6747 pressure injuries; 3997 (59.2%) were ICU-acquired. Overall prevalence was 26.6% (95% confidence interval [CI] 25.9–27.3). ICU-acquired prevalence was 16.2% (95% CI 15.6–16.8). Sacrum (37%) and heels (19.5%) were most affected. Factors independently associated with ICU-acquired pressure injuries were older age, male sex, being underweight, emergency surgery, higher Simplified Acute Physiology Score II, Braden score 3 days, comorbidities (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, immunodeficiency), organ support (renal replacement, mechanical ventilation on ICU admission), and being in a low or lower-middle income-economy. Gradually increasing associations with mortality were identified for increasing severity of pressure injury: stage I (odds ratio [OR] 1.5; 95% CI 1.2–1.8), stage II (OR 1.6; 95% CI 1.4–1.9), and stage III or worse (OR 2.8; 95% CI 2.3–3.3). Conclusion: Pressure injuries are common in adult ICU patients. ICU-acquired pressure injuries are associated with mainly intrinsic factors and mortality. Optimal care standards, increased awareness, appropriate resource allocation, and further research into optimal prevention are pivotal to tackle this important patient safety threat

Prevalence, associated factors and outcomes of pressure injuries in adult intensive care unit patients: the DecubICUs study

Funder: European Society of Intensive Care Medicine; doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.13039/501100013347Funder: Flemish Society for Critical Care NursesAbstract: Purpose: Intensive care unit (ICU) patients are particularly susceptible to developing pressure injuries. Epidemiologic data is however unavailable. We aimed to provide an international picture of the extent of pressure injuries and factors associated with ICU-acquired pressure injuries in adult ICU patients. Methods: International 1-day point-prevalence study; follow-up for outcome assessment until hospital discharge (maximum 12 weeks). Factors associated with ICU-acquired pressure injury and hospital mortality were assessed by generalised linear mixed-effects regression analysis. Results: Data from 13,254 patients in 1117 ICUs (90 countries) revealed 6747 pressure injuries; 3997 (59.2%) were ICU-acquired. Overall prevalence was 26.6% (95% confidence interval [CI] 25.9–27.3). ICU-acquired prevalence was 16.2% (95% CI 15.6–16.8). Sacrum (37%) and heels (19.5%) were most affected. Factors independently associated with ICU-acquired pressure injuries were older age, male sex, being underweight, emergency surgery, higher Simplified Acute Physiology Score II, Braden score 3 days, comorbidities (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, immunodeficiency), organ support (renal replacement, mechanical ventilation on ICU admission), and being in a low or lower-middle income-economy. Gradually increasing associations with mortality were identified for increasing severity of pressure injury: stage I (odds ratio [OR] 1.5; 95% CI 1.2–1.8), stage II (OR 1.6; 95% CI 1.4–1.9), and stage III or worse (OR 2.8; 95% CI 2.3–3.3). Conclusion: Pressure injuries are common in adult ICU patients. ICU-acquired pressure injuries are associated with mainly intrinsic factors and mortality. Optimal care standards, increased awareness, appropriate resource allocation, and further research into optimal prevention are pivotal to tackle this important patient safety threat

Correction to: Prevalence, associated factors and outcomes of pressure injuries in adult intensive care unit patients: the DecubICUs study

The original version of this article unfortunately contained a mistake

Ecología y genética de la conservación del pato triguero anas platyrhynchos diazi en el Altiplano Zacatecano.

Tesis (Doctor en Ciencias con Acentuación en Manejo de Vida Silvestre y Desarrollo Sustentable) UANL, 2012.UANLhttp://www.uanl.mx

Preliminary human health risk assessment of arsenic and fluoride in tap water from Zacatecas, México

Zacatecas state is located in the central area of Mexico, where the underground water contains elevated quantities of natural arsenic and fluoride. In order to estimate health risk associated with human exposure to these pollutants, tap water samples from the southern-central region of the state were analyzed. Ninety percent of the samples exceeded the levels of arsenic established by the World Health Organization (WHO) of 0.01 mg/L and 43 % exceeded the limit established by the NOM-127-SSA11 of 0.025 mg/L. Forty-three percent of the samples had fluoride levels above the Mexican regulation limit of 1.5 mg/L (NOM-127- SSA1). We used WHO and EPA’s health risk assessment method, we estimated 80 % of the inhabitants of sites studied could be exposed to arsenic levels higher than those recommended by EPA and the WHO, 22 % could be exposed to fluoride levels higher than those recommended by EPA, and 16 % of the local population may be in risk of suffering dental fluorosis

The Cytocidal Spectrum of Bacillus thuringiensis Toxins: From Insects to Human Cancer Cells

Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) is a ubiquitous bacterium in soils, insect cadavers, phylloplane, water, and stored grain, that produces several proteins, each one toxic to different biological targets such as insects, nematodes, mites, protozoa, and mammalian cells. Most Bt toxins identify their particular target through the recognition of specific cell membrane receptors. Cry proteins are the best-known toxins from Bt and a great amount of research has been published. Cry are cytotoxic to insect larvae that affect important crops recognizing specific cell membrane receptors such as cadherin, aminopeptidase-N, and alkaline phosphatase. Furthermore, some Cry toxins such as Cry4A, Cry4B, and Cry11A act synergistically with Cyt toxins against dipteran larvae vectors of human disease. Research developed with Cry proteins revealed that these toxins also could kill human cancer cells through the interaction with specific receptors. Parasporins are a small group of patented toxins that may or may not have insecticidal activity. These proteins could kill a wide variety of mammalian cancer cells by recognizing specific membrane receptors, just like Cry toxins do. Surface layer proteins (SLP), unlike the other proteins produced by Bt, are also produced by most bacteria and archaebacteria. It was recently demonstrated that SLP produced by Bt could interact with membrane receptors of insect and human cancer cells to kill them. Cyt toxins have a structure that is mostly unrelated to Cry toxins; thereby, other mechanisms of action have been reported to them. These toxins affect mainly mosquitoes that are vectors of human diseases like Anopheles spp (malaria), Aedes spp (dengue, zika, and chikungunya), and Culex spp (Nile fever and Rift Valley fever), respectively. In addition to the Cry, Cyt, and parasporins toxins produced during spore formation as inclusion bodies, Bt strains also produce Vip (Vegetative insecticidal toxins) and Sip (Secreted insecticidal proteins) toxins with insecticidal activity during their vegetative growth phase

Presencia de Helmintos en el Patro Triguero (Anas platyrhynchos diazi) del altiplano zacatecano, México

Waterfowl, such as the Mexican duck (Anas platyrhynchos diazi), are carriers of parasites that can affect the populations of different species distributed in the Zacatecano plateau, México. The objectives of the present study were to identify the species of helminths of the Mexican duck population of the Zacatecano plateau, and to compare the composition of helminths according to the sex of the ducks. Twenty four Mexican ducks (14 males and 10 females) were randomly collected in the following bodies of water: La Zacatecana dam, El Maguey pond, Matanuzka pond and the UMA pond system Los Jales of the Zacatecano Plateau. Necropsy was made in each collected duck to obtain and identify their parasites and to determine the level of parasitosis. Eight parasites belonging to four classes were identified: Trematode (3), Nematode (2), Acanthocephala (2) and Cestode (1), and corresponding to eight families: Polymorphidae (1), Hymenolepididae (1), Psilostomidae (1), Paranfistomidae (1), Echinostomatidae (1), Trychostrongylidae (1), Trichuridae (1) and Echinorhynquidae (1). The parasite with highest prevalence was Zygocotyle lunata (66.67%), and the species with lowest prevalence were Echiostomum revolutum, Capillaria sp. and Polymorphus ondatrae (4.17 % for each one). The prevalence of helminths between the sexes of Anatidae was similar (p>0.05). However, the parasitic intensity per class of helminth between sexes indicated a significant difference (p£0.05) for trematodes, acanthocephala and cestodes. The results of the present study agree with those reported by various authors for different species of ducks.Las aves acuáticas, como el pato triguero (Anas platyrhynchos diazi), son portadoras de parásitos que pueden afectar a las poblaciones de diferentes especies distribuidas en el altiplano zacatecano, México. El presente estudio tuvo como objetivos identificar las especies de helmintos de la población de pato triguero del altiplano zacatecano, y comparar la composición de helmintos de acuerdo al sexo de los patos. Se recolectaron aleatoriamente 24 patos triguero (14 machos y 10 hembras) de en los cuerpos de agua: presa La Zacatecana, bordo El Maguey, bordo Matanuzka y sistema de bordos de la UMA Los Jales del altiplano zacatecano. En cada pato recolectado se realizó la necropsia para obtener e identificar sus parásitos y determinar el nivel de parasitosis. Ocho parásitos pertenecientes a cuatro clases fueron identificados: Trematoda (3), Nematoda (2), Acantocephala (2) y Cestoda (1), y correspondientes a ocho familias: Polymorphidae (1), Hymenolepididae (1), Psilostomidae (1), Paranfistomidae (1), Echinostomatidae (1), Trychostrongylidae (1), Trichuridae (1) y Echinorhynquidae (1). El parásito con mayor prevalencia fue Zygocotyle lunata (66.67 %), y las especies con menor prevalencia fueron Echinostomum revolutum, Capillaria sp. y Polymorphus ondatrae (4.17 % para cada una). La prevalencia de helmintos entre los sexos de anátidos fue similar (p>0.05); sin embargo, la intensidad parasitaria por clase de helminto entre sexos indicó una diferencia significativa (p£0.05) para trematodos, acantocéfalos y cestodos. Los resultados del presente trabajo concuerdan con los reportados por varios autores para diferentes especies de patos