Modeling bone healing by boundary element method

El proceso de curación de fracturas es iniciado y regulado principalmente por los factores de crecimiento y por el entorno mecánico en el callo. Este fenómeno ha sido analizado desde un punto de vista biomecánico. La mayoría de los modelos computacionales están basados en el método de los elementos finitos y muchos de ellos estudian los niveles de tensiones y deformaciones producidos en los diferentes tejidos como el principal estímulo mecánico que afecta la diferenciación celular y el patrón de osificación ósea. En este trabajo se incorporó esa hipótesis en un entorno basado en el método de los elementos de contorno (BEM) para problemas axialmente simétricos. La idea principal es proponer el método de elementos de contorno como una alternativa atractiva a los métodos de dominio comúnmente utilizados en esta clase de problemas: diferencias finitas y elementos finitos. Los resultados obtenidos fueron cotejados con los reportados por la literatura comprobando la versatilidad y efectividad del método numérico propuesto. Como una primera aproximación, se realizó un análisis elástico-lineal para modelar los efectos de estimulación e inhibición que ejerce el estado de deformación sobre el proceso de diferenciación tisular, siguiendo la metodología propuesta por Claes and Heigele. Luego, en un modelo bifásico poroelástico en régimen estacionario, se incorpora la presión de poro como variable adicional dentro de la hipótesis, lo que permitió complementar las conclusiones hechas por Claes and Heigele. De esta manera, existe una nueva correlación de valores que permitirán a los modelos actuales comparar la evolución de propiedades tales como el modulo de elasticidad (E) y relación de Poisson (À), en base al estado de deformación presente en el modelo en análisis poroelásticos.Peer Reviewe

First experiment: Fragmentation of ions relevant for space and therapy

Nuclear fragmentation processes are relevant in different fields of basic research and applied physics and are of particular interest for tumor therapy and for space radiation protection applications. The FIRST (Fragmentation of Ions Relevant for Space and Therapy) experiment at SIS accelerator of GSI laboratory in Darmstadt, has been designed for the measurement of different ions fragmentation cross sections at different energies between 100 and 1000 MeV/nucleon. The experiment is performed by an international collaboration made of institutions from Germany, France, Italy and Spain. The experimental apparatus is partly based on an already existing setup made of the ALADIN magnet, the MUSIC IV TPC, the LAND2 neutron detector and the TOFWALL scintillator TOF system, integrated with newly designed detectors in the interaction Region (IR) around the carbon removable target: a scintillator Start Counter, a Beam Monitor drift chamber, a silicon Vertex Detector and a Proton Tagger for detection of light fragments emitted at large angles (KENTROS). The scientific program of the FIRST experiment started on summer 2011 with the study of the 400 MeV/nucleon 12C beam fragmentation on thin (8mm) carbon target

Radia2: A New Tool for Radiotherapy Verification

Radiotherapy is nowadays a proven technique in cancer treatments. Within the evolution of radiotherapy treatments towards more complex techniques, the need of new dosimetric methods for treatment verifications has appeared. In order to reach an improved dosimetric method, a collaboration was started to transfer knowledge from nuclear reaction instrumentation to medical applications, involving several departments from the University of Seville, Centro Nacional de Aceleradores (CNA), the Hospital Universitario Virgen Macarena and the company Inabensa. The first prototype, patent pending [2], gave very promising results. Currently, a critical review is being carried out to create an improved system

Birth weight and blood lipid levels in Spanish adolescents: Influence of selected APOE, APOC3 and PPARgamma2 gene polymorphisms. The AVENA Study

Es reproducción del documento publicado en http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/1471-2350-9-98Background: There is increasing evidence indicating that genes involved in certain metabolic processes of cardiovascular diseases may be of particular influence in people with low body weight at birth. We examined whether the apolipoprotein (APO) E, APOC3 and the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-gamma-2 (PPAR gamma 2) polymorphisms influence the association between low birth weight and blood lipid levels in healthy adolescents aged 13-18.5 years. Methods: A cross-sectional study of 502 Spanish adolescents born at term was conducted. Total (TC) and high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDLc), triglycerides (TG), apolipoprotein (apo) A and B, and lipoprotein(a) [ Lp(a)] were measured. Low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDLc), TC-HDLc, TC/HDLc and apoB/apoA were calculated. Results: Low birth weight was associated with higher levels of TC, LDLc, apoB, Lp(a), TC-HDLc, TC/HDLc and apoB/apoA in males with the APOE epsilon 3 epsilon 4 genotype, whereas in females, it was associated with lower HDLc and higher TG levels. In males with the APOC3 S1/S2 genotype, low birth weight was associated with lower apoA and higher Lp(a), yet this association was not observed in females. There were no associations between low birth weight and blood lipids in any of the PPAR gamma 2 genotypes. Conclusion: The results indicate that low birth weight has a deleterious influence on lipid profile particularly in adolescents with the APOE epsilon 3/epsilon 4 genotype. These findings suggest that intrauterine environment interact with the genetic background affecting the lipid profile in later life.Instituto de Salud Carlos III (FIS PI021830), the Spanish Ministry of Health, FEDER-FSE funds FIS n 00/0015, CSD grants 05/UPB32/0, 109/UPB31/03 and 13/UPB20/04, Ministerio de Educación (AP-2004-2745; EX2007-1124

A Silent Corticotroph Pituitary Carcinoma: Lessons From an Exceptional Case Report

Nowadays, neither imaging nor pathology evaluation can accurately predict the aggressiveness or treatment resistance of pituitary tumors at diagnosis. However, histological examination can provide useful information that might alert clinicians about the nature of pituitary tumors. Here, we describe our experience with a silent corticothoph tumor with unusual pathology, aggressive local invasion and metastatic dissemination during follow-up. We present a 61-year-old man with third cranial nerve palsy at presentation due to invasive pituitary tumor. Subtotal surgical approach was performed with a diagnosis of silent corticotroph tumor but with unusual histological features (nuclear atypia, frequent multinucleation and mitotic figures, and Ki-67 labeling index up to 70%). After a rapid regrowth, a second surgical intervention achieved successful debulking. Temozolomide treatment followed by stereotactic fractionated radiotherapy associated with temozolomide successfully managed the primary tumor. However, sacral metastasis showed up 6 months after radiotherapy treatment. Due to aggressive distant behavior, a carboplatine-etoposide scheme was decided but the patient died of urinary sepsis 31 months after the first symptoms. Our case report shows how the presentation of a pituitary tumor with aggressive features should raise a suspicion of malignancy and the need of follow up by multidisciplinary team with experience in its management. Metastases may occur even if the primary tumor is well controlled.This work was supported by grants from the ISCIII-Subdirección General de Evaluación y Fomento de la Investigación co-funded with Fondos FEDER (PI16/00175 to AS-M and DC) and the Sistema Andaluz de Salud (A-0003-2016 and A-0006-2017 to AS-M, C-0015-2014 and RC-0006-2018 to DC)

A genetic variant in the LDLR promoter is responsible for part of the LDL-cholesterol variability in primary hypercholesterolemia

BACKGROUND: GWAS have consistently revealed that LDLR locus variability influences LDL-cholesterol in general population. Severe LDLR mutations are responsible for familial hypercholesterolemia (FH). However, most primary hypercholesterolemias are polygenic diseases. Although Cis-regulatory regions might be the cause of LDL-cholesterol variability; an extensive analysis of the LDLR distal promoter has not yet been performed. We hypothesized that genetic variants in this region are responsible for the LDLR association with LDL-cholesterol found in GWAS. METHODS: Four-hundred seventy-seven unrelated subjects with polygenic hypercholesterolemia (PH) and without causative FH-mutations and 525 normolipemic subjects were selected. A 3103 pb from LDLR (-625 to +2468) was sequenced in 125 subjects with PH. All subjects were genotyped for 4 SNPs (rs17242346, rs17242739, rs17248720 and rs17249120) predicted to be potentially involved in transcription regulation by in silico analysis. EMSA and luciferase assays were carried out for the rs17248720 variant. Multivariable linear regression analysis using LDL-cholesterol levels as the dependent variable were done in order to find out the variables that were independently associated with LDL-cholesterol. RESULTS: The sequencing of the 125 PH subjects did not show variants with minor allele frequency ≥ 10%. The T-allele from g.3131C > T (rs17248720) had frequencies of 9% (PH) and 16.4% (normolipemic), p < 0.00001. Studies of this variant with EMSA and luciferase assays showed a higher affinity for transcription factors and an increase of 2.5 times in LDLR transcriptional activity (T-allele vs C-allele). At multivariate analysis, this polymorphism with the lipoprotein(a) and age explained ≈ 10% of LDL-cholesterol variability. CONCLUSION: Our results suggest that the T-allele at the g.3131 T > C SNP is associated with LDL-cholesterol levels, and explains part of the LDL-cholesterol variability. As a plausible cause, the T-allele produces an increase in LDLR transcriptional activity and lower LDL-cholesterol levels

Enantiopure 4‐oxazolin‐2‐ones and 4‐methylene‐2‐oxazolidinones as chiral building blocks in a divergent asymmetric synthesis of heterocycles

En este trabajo se describe la reactividad de las oxazolidin-2-onas en un ambiente quiral obteniéndose resultados novedosos, los cuales se describen extensamente.Enantiopure 3‐((R)‐ and 3‐((S)‐1‐phenylethyl)‐4‐oxazoline‐2‐ones were evaluated as chiral building blocks for the divergent construction of heterocycles with stereogenic quaternary centers. The N‐(R)‐ or N‐(S)‐1‐phenylethyl group of these compounds proved to be an efficient chiral auxiliary for the asymmetric induction of the 4‐ and 5‐positions of the 4‐oxazolin‐2‐one ring through thermal and MW‐promoted nucleophilic conjugated addition to Michael acceptors and alkyl halides. The resulting adducts were transformed via a cascade process into fused six‐membered carbo‐ and heterocycles. The structure of the reaction products depended on the electrophiles and reaction conditions used. Alternative isomeric 4‐methylene‐2‐oxazolidinones served as chiral precursors for a versatile and divergent approach to highly substituted cyclic carbamates. DFT quantum calculations showed that the formation of bicyclic pyranyl compounds was generated by a diastereoselective concerted hetero‐Diels‐Alder cycloaddition.Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Secretaria de Investigación y Estudios Avanzados de la Universidad Autónoma del Estado de México, Universidad de Guanajuato y CONACYT

Mature Andean forests as globally important carbon sinks and future carbon refuges

It is largely unknown how South America’s Andean forests affect the global carbon cycle, and thus regulate climate change. Here, we measure aboveground carbon dynamics over the past two decades in 119 monitoring plots spanning a range of >3000 m elevation across the subtropical and tropical Andes. Our results show that Andean forests act as strong sinks for aboveground carbon (0.67 ± 0.08 Mg C ha−1 y−1) and have a high potential to serve as future carbon refuges. Aboveground carbon dynamics of Andean forests are driven by abiotic and biotic factors, such as climate and size-dependent mortality of trees. The increasing aboveground carbon stocks offset the estimated C emissions due to deforestation between 2003 and 2014, resulting in a net total uptake of 0.027 Pg C y−1. Reducing deforestation will increase Andean aboveground carbon stocks, facilitate upward species migrations, and allow for recovery of biomass losses due to climate change.Fil: Duque, Alvaro. Universidad Nacional de Colombia; ColombiaFil: Peña, Miguel A.. Universidad Nacional de Colombia; ColombiaFil: Cuesta, Francisco. Universidad de Las Américas; EcuadorFil: González Caro, Sebastián. Universidad Nacional de Colombia; ColombiaFil: Kennedy, Peter. University of Minnesota; Estados UnidosFil: Phillips, Oliver L.. University of Leeds; Reino UnidoFil: Calderón Loor, Marco. Universidad de Las Américas; EcuadorFil: Blundo, Cecilia Mabel. Universidad Nacional de Tucumán. Instituto de Ecología Regional. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Tucumán. Instituto de Ecología Regional; ArgentinaFil: Carilla, Julieta. Universidad Nacional de Tucumán. Instituto de Ecología Regional. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Tucumán. Instituto de Ecología Regional; ArgentinaFil: Cayola, Leslie. Missouri Botanical Garden; Estados UnidosFil: Farfán Ríos, William. Washington University in St. Louis; Estados UnidosFil: Fuentes, Alfredo. Missouri Botanical Garden; Estados UnidosFil: Grau, Hector Ricardo. Universidad Nacional de Tucumán. Instituto de Ecología Regional. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Tucumán. Instituto de Ecología Regional; ArgentinaFil: Homeier, Jürgen. Universität Göttingen; AlemaniaFil: Loza-Rivera, María I.. Missouri Botanical Garden; Estados UnidosFil: Malhi, Yadvinder. University of Oxford; Reino UnidoFil: Malizia, Agustina. Universidad Nacional de Tucumán. Instituto de Ecología Regional. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Tucumán. Instituto de Ecología Regional; ArgentinaFil: Malizia, Lucio Ricardo. Universidad Nacional de Jujuy; ArgentinaFil: Martínez Villa, Johanna A.. Université du Québec a Montreal; CanadáFil: Myers, Jonathan A.. Washington University in St. Louis; Estados UnidosFil: Osinaga Acosta, Oriana. Universidad Nacional de Tucumán. Instituto de Ecología Regional. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Tucumán. Instituto de Ecología Regional; ArgentinaFil: Peralvo, Manuel. No especifíca;Fil: Pinto, Esteban. No especifíca;Fil: Saatchi, Sassan. Jet Propulsion Laboratory; Estados UnidosFil: Silman, Miles. Center For Energy, Environment And Sustainability; Estados UnidosFil: Tello, J. Sebastián. Missouri Botanical Garden; Estados UnidosFil: Terán Valdez, Andrea. No especifíca;Fil: Feeley, Kenneth J.. University of Miami; Estados Unido

Mature Andean forests as globally important carbon sinks and future carbon refuges

It is largely unknown how South America’s Andean forests affect the global carbon cycle, and thus regulate climate change. Here, we measure aboveground carbon dynamics over the past two decades in 119 monitoring plots spanning a range of >3000 m elevation across the subtropical and tropical Andes. Our results show that Andean forests act as strong sinks for aboveground carbon (0.67 ± 0.08 Mg C ha−1 y−1) and have a high potential to serve as future carbon refuges. Aboveground carbon dynamics of Andean forests are driven by abiotic and biotic factors, such as climate and size-dependent mortality of trees. The increasing aboveground carbon stocks offset the estimated C emissions due to deforestation between 2003 and 2014, resulting in a net total uptake of 0.027 Pg C y−1. Reducing deforestation will increase Andean aboveground carbon stocks, facilitate upward species migrations, and allow for recovery of biomass losses due to climate change.Fil: Duque, Alvaro. Universidad Nacional de Colombia; ColombiaFil: Peña, Miguel A.. Universidad Nacional de Colombia; ColombiaFil: Cuesta, Francisco. Universidad de Las Américas; EcuadorFil: González Caro, Sebastián. Universidad Nacional de Colombia; ColombiaFil: Kennedy, Peter. University of Minnesota; Estados UnidosFil: Phillips, Oliver L.. University of Leeds; Reino UnidoFil: Calderón Loor, Marco. Universidad de Las Américas; EcuadorFil: Blundo, Cecilia Mabel. Universidad Nacional de Tucumán. Instituto de Ecología Regional. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Tucumán. Instituto de Ecología Regional; ArgentinaFil: Carilla, Julieta. Universidad Nacional de Tucumán. Instituto de Ecología Regional. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Tucumán. Instituto de Ecología Regional; ArgentinaFil: Cayola, Leslie. Missouri Botanical Garden; Estados UnidosFil: Farfán Ríos, William. Washington University in St. Louis; Estados UnidosFil: Fuentes, Alfredo. Missouri Botanical Garden; Estados UnidosFil: Grau, Hector Ricardo. Universidad Nacional de Tucumán. Instituto de Ecología Regional. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Tucumán. Instituto de Ecología Regional; ArgentinaFil: Homeier, Jürgen. Universität Göttingen; AlemaniaFil: Loza-Rivera, María I.. Missouri Botanical Garden; Estados UnidosFil: Malhi, Yadvinder. University of Oxford; Reino UnidoFil: Malizia, Agustina. Universidad Nacional de Tucumán. Instituto de Ecología Regional. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Tucumán. Instituto de Ecología Regional; ArgentinaFil: Malizia, Lucio Ricardo. Universidad Nacional de Jujuy; ArgentinaFil: Martínez Villa, Johanna A.. Université du Québec a Montreal; CanadáFil: Myers, Jonathan A.. Washington University in St. Louis; Estados UnidosFil: Osinaga Acosta, Oriana. Universidad Nacional de Tucumán. Instituto de Ecología Regional. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Tucumán. Instituto de Ecología Regional; ArgentinaFil: Peralvo, Manuel. No especifíca;Fil: Pinto, Esteban. No especifíca;Fil: Saatchi, Sassan. Jet Propulsion Laboratory; Estados UnidosFil: Silman, Miles. Center For Energy, Environment And Sustainability; Estados UnidosFil: Tello, J. Sebastián. Missouri Botanical Garden; Estados UnidosFil: Terán Valdez, Andrea. No especifíca;Fil: Feeley, Kenneth J.. University of Miami; Estados Unido

O papel da nutrição na saúde mental e nos transtornos psiquiátricos: uma perspectiva translacional

Mental as well as neurological disorders&nbsp;are among the leading causes of disability&nbsp;worldwide. In recent years, multiple epidemiological studies have investigated the&nbsp;relationship between dietary patterns and&nbsp;mental status, emphasizing the influence&nbsp;of genetic and environmental factors on&nbsp;the development of such disorders.Las enfermedades mentales y los trastornos neurológicos se encuentran entre&nbsp;las principales causas de discapacidad a nivel mundial. En los últimos años, múltiples&nbsp;estudios epidemiológicos han investigado&nbsp;la relación existente entre los patrones&nbsp;dietéticos y el estado mental, con énfasis&nbsp;en la influencia de factores genéticos y&nbsp;ambientales en el desarrollo de dichos&nbsp;trastornos.Doenças mentais e distúrbios neurológicos estão entre as principais causas&nbsp;de incapacidade em todo o mundo. Nos&nbsp;últimos anos, vários estudos epidemiológicos têm investigado a relação entre padrões alimentares e estado mental,&nbsp;enfatizando a influência de fatores genéticos e ambientais no desenvolvimento&nbsp;desses transtornos.&nbsp