Comparison of Executive Functions in School Children Aged 7 to 12 Years in a State of Malnutrition Due to Thinness, Risk of Thinness and a Control Group of an Educational Institution of the Locality of Ciudad Bolívar- Bogotá, D.C.

The aim of this research was to compare the neuropsychological performance of executive functions of school children in a state of malnutrition caused by thinness and risk of thinness and a control group of a District educational institution of the locality of Ciudad Bolívar in Bogotá, Colombia. The research used a descriptive cross-sectional comparative design, where children aged between 7 and 12 years were selected based on the diagnosis of malnutrition. The executive functions assessed were fluency, working memory, problem solving, inhibitory control and cognitive flexibility, through the Neuropsychological Battery for Children [ENI, for its Spanish acronym] and the original version of Stroop and Wisconsin tests. Results showed statistically significant differences in executive functioning between the children with thinness, thinness risk and the control group. The students with thinness showed a low performance in verbal fluency, visual fluency, working memory, cognitive flexibility and inhibitory control compared with students in a state of malnutrition due to thinness risk and those with normal weight (control group). In conclusion, a strong association was found between the effect of child malnutrition and poor performance in executive tasks where there is evidence that executive functioning is more affected in children with malnutrition due to thinness (severe malnutrition) than in children with malnutrition due to thinness risk and in those of the control group

Adherencia al tratamiento con agentes estimulantes de la eritropoyesis

Fundamento. Determinar la adherencia al tratamiento con agentes estimulantes de la eritropoyesis (AEE) en pacientes con anemia asociada a enfermedad renal crónica (ERC), y valorar su relación con la respuesta frente a estos AEE. Material y métodos. Estudio retrospectivo, observacional, de una cohorte de 198 pacientes con ERC que iniciaron tratamiento con epoetina-ß o darbepoetina-a, seguidos durante dos años. Se registraron variables basales, de efectividad (% de consecución de objetivos de hemoglobina (Hb), incremento porcentual de Hb) y adherencia (tasa de posesión de medicación). Se consideró no adherente al paciente cuya adherencia fue <90%. Resultados. La adherencia global fue 89, 6%, ligeramente superior en darbepoetina-a que en epoetina-ß; el 8, 6% de los pacientes fueron no adherentes. El 87% cumplió el objetivo de Hb. Los valores de respuesta a AEE no variaron en función del grado de adherencia al tratamiento. Conclusiones. La adherencia al tratamiento con AEE fue buena, sin diferencias según la respuesta. Background. To establish adherence to treatment with erythropoiesis stimulating agents (ESA) in patients with anemia associated to chronic kidney disease (CKD), and analyze its relationship to response to ESA. Methods. Retrospective study of a cohort of 198 patients with CKD who started treatment with epoetin-ß or darbepoetin-a, followed for two years. Basal charac-teristics, effectiveness (% of hemoglobin (Hb) target attainment, percentage increase of Hb) and adherence (medication possession rate) were registered. A non-adherent patient was one whose mean adherence was <90%. Results. Average global adhesion was 89.6%, slightly higher in treatment with darbepoetin-a than with epoetin-ß; 8.6% of patients were non-adherents. Hb target was accomplished in 87% cases. Level of response to ESA treatment was independent of the degree of adherence to treatment. Conclusions. Adherence to ESA treatment was good, without differences related to degree of response

Influence of dose and route of administration on the outcome of infection with the virulent Neospora caninum isolate Nc-Spain7 in pregnant sheep at mid-gestation

Experimental infections in pregnant sheep have been focused on studying the effect of the time of challenge on the outcome of N. caninum infection, whereas the impact of the dose and route of challenge has not been studied in depth. Therefore, clinical outcome, immune responses, parasite detection and burden, and lesion severity in placental tissues and foetal brains were investigated in 90-day-pregnant sheep inoculated intravenously with 105 (G1), 104 (G2), 103 (G3), or 102 (G4) tachyzoites or subcutaneously with 104 (G5) tachyzoites of the virulent Nc-Spain7 isolate and an uninfected group (G6). Comparing challenge doses, G1 was the only group that had 100% abortion. Likewise, IFN¿ levels in G1 increased earlier than those in other intravenously infected groups, and IgG levels on day 21 post-infection (pi) were higher in G1 than those in other intravenously infected groups. Concerning vertical transmission, G1 shows a higher parasite burden in the foetal brain than did G2 and G3. Comparing routes of administration, no differences in foetal survival rate or parasite load in the foetal brain were found. Although G2 had higher IFN¿ levels than G5 on day 10 pi, no differences were found in humoral immune responses. Because the outcome after intravenous infection with 105 tachyzoites was similar to that observed after intravenous infection with 106 tachyzoites used in a previous work (100% abortion and vertical transmission), we conclude that it may be reasonable to use 105 tachyzoites administered by the intravenous route in further experiments when assessing drugs or vaccine candidates

Gamma rays from dark matter annihilation in the Draco and observability at ARGO

The CACTUS experiment recently observed a gamma ray excess above 50 GeV from the direction of the Draco dwarf spheroidal galaxy. Considering that Draco is dark matter dominated the gamma rays may be generated through dark matter annihilation in the Draco halo. In the framework of the minimal supersymmetric extension of the standard model we explore the parameter space to account for the gamma ray signals at CACTUS. We find that the neutralino mass is constrained to be approximately in the range between 100 GeV ~ 400 GeV and a sharp central cuspy of the dark halo profile in Draco is necessary to explain the CACTUS results. We then discuss further constraints on the supersymmetric parameter space by observations at the ground based ARGO detector. It is found that the parameter space can be strongly constrained by ARGO if no excess from Draco is observed above 100 GeV.Comment: 15 pages, 4 figure

Double percolation effects and fractal behavior in magnetic/superconducting hybrids

Perpendicular magnetic anisotropy ferromagnetic/superconducting (FM/SC) bilayers with a labyrinth domain structure are used to study nucleation of superconductivity on a fractal network, tunable through magnetic history. As clusters of reversed domains appear in the FM layer, the SC film shows a percolative behavior that depends on two independent processes: the arrangement of initial reversed domains and the fractal geometry of expanding clusters. For a full labyrinth structure, the behavior of the upper critical field is typical of confined superconductivity on a fractal network

Evaluación de la indicación de los agentes estimulantes de la eritropoyesis en el tratamiento de la anemia asociada a enfermedad renal crónica

Objetivos. Describir las características de los pacientes con anemia asociada a enfermerdad renal crónica (ERC) que inician tratamiento con agentes estimulantes de la eritropoyesis (AEE) y evaluar su indicación. Métodos. Estudio descriptivo transversal. Se incluyeron pacientes =18 años que iniciaron tratamiento con epoetina ß o darbepoetina a entre el 1 de enero 2014 y el 31 de diciembre 2015. Se excluyeron pacientes en tratamiento renal sustitutivo (TRS) y portadores de trasplante renal (TxR) funcionante. Variables estudiadas: sociodemográficas, analíticas, comorbilidades, tratamientos famacológicos concomitantes y relacionadas con la terapia de estudio. Indicación correcta de los AEE: valores de Hb <10, 0 g/dL una vez corregida la ferropenia (ferritina<100 ng/mL e ISAT <25%). Fuente de datos: Farmatools®; sistema informatizado de historias clínicas. El estudio obtuvo dictamen favorable del Comité Ético de Investigación Clínica de Aragón (CEICA). Resultados. 269 pacientes (59, 9% varones, edad media: 74, 7±13, 2 años), ERC estadio 4 (60, 0%). El 64, 7% inició tratamiento con darbepoetina a (dosis mediana: 18, 7 (4, 7-120, 0) µg/semanal); el 35, 3% con epoetina ß (dosis mediana: 6.000, 0 (466, 7-24.000, 0) UI/semanal). Los pacientes tratados con darbepoetina a presentaban estadios de ERC más avanzados (p<0, 001). Aquellos que iniciaron terapia con epoetina ß más comorbilidad cardiovascular: insuficiencia cardiaca (IC) (p=0, 002) y cardiopatía isquémica (p=0, 028). El 65, 7% presentaba ferropenia y un 37, 5% tomaba suplementos con hierro. Hb media basal: 10, 2±1, 3 g/dL; el 75, 8% presentaba niveles medios de Hb<11, 0 g/dL y el 40, 8% valores de Hb<10, 0 g/dL. Conclusiones. El inicio del tratamiento se ajustó a los parámetros definidos por consensos internacionales. Objectives. Describe the characteristics of patients with anemia associated with chronic kidney disease (CKD) who start treatment with erythropoiesis-stimulating agents (ESAs) and evaluate their indication. Methods. Cross-sectional descriptive study. Patients >= 18 years of age who started treatment with epoetin beta or darbepoetin a between January 1, 2014 and December 31, 2015 were included. Patients on renal replacement therapy (TRS) and carriers of functioning kidney transplant (TxR) were excluded. Variables studied: sociodemographic, analytical, comorbidities, concomitant drug treatment and related to study therapy. Correct indication of EEE: Hb values <10.0 g / dL after correction of iron deficiency (ferritin <100 ng / mL and ISAT <25%). Data source: Farmatools (R); computerized medical record system. The study obtained a favorable opinion from the Ethical Committee for Clinical Research of Aragon (CEICA). Results. 269 patients (59.9% male, mean age: 74.7 +/- 13.2 years), stage 4 CKD (60.0%). 64.7% started treatment with darbepoetin a (median dose: 18.7 (4.7-120.0) mu g / weekly); 35.3% with epoetin beta (median dose: 6, 000.0 (466.7-24, 000.0) IU / weekly). Patients treated with darbepoetin a had more advanced stages of CKD (p <0.001). Those who started therapy with epoetin beta plus cardiovascular comorbidity: heart failure (HF) (p = 0.002) and ischemic heart disease (p = 0.028). 65.7% had iron deficiency and 37.5% took iron supplements. Basal mean Hb: 10.2 +/- 1.3 g / dL; 75.8% had mean Hb levels <11.0 g / dL and 40.8% Hb values <10.0 g / dL. Conclusions. The start of the treatment was adjusted to the parameters defined by international consensus

Synthesis of chitosan oligomers/propolis/silver-nanoparticles composite systems and study of their activity against Diplodia seriata

The synthesis and characterization of composites of oligomeric chitosan with propolis extract which allow the incorporation of a third component (silver nanoparticles) are reported, together with their application in aqueous or hydroalcoholic solutions with a view to the formation of adhesive substances or nanofilms for the protection of vineyards against harmful xylophagous fungi. The antimicrobial properties of the association of the two biological products or those resulting from the incorporation of silver nanoparticles (NPs) are studied and discussed. The efficacy of the chitosan oligomers/propolis/silver NPs ternary system is assessed in vitro for Diplodia fungi. A preliminary study on the convenience of replacing propolis with gentisic acid is also presented

Characterization of a radial turbocharger turbine in pulsating flow by means of CFD and its application to engine modeling

This paper presents a numerical study analyzing the effect of pulsating flow in a variable geometry radial inflow turbine. The turbine behavior is analyzed under isentropic pulses, which are similar to those created by a rotating disk in a turbocharger test rig. Three different pulse frequencies (50, 90 and 130 Hz) and two pulse amplitudes (100 and 180 kPa) were considered. Turbine flow was studied throughout the pressure pulsation cycles in a wide range of off-design operating conditions, from low pressure ratio flow detachment to high pressure ratio choked flow. An overall analysis of the phasing of instantaneous mass flow and pressure ratio was first performed and the results show the non-quasi-steady behavior of the turbine as a whole as described in the literature. However, the analysis of the flow in the different turbine components independently gives a different picture. As the turbine volute has greater length and volume than the other components, it is the main source of non-quasi-steadiness of the turbine. The stator nozzles cause fewer accumulation effects than the volute, but present a small degree of hysteretic behavior due to flow separation and reattachment cycle around the vanes. Finally, the flow in the moving rotor behaves as quasi-steady, as far as flow capacity is concerned, although the momentum transfer between exhaust gas and blades (and thus work production and thermal efficiency) is affected by a hysteretic cycle against pressure ratio, but not if blade speed ratio is considered instead. A simple model to simulate the turbine stator and rotor is proposed, based on the results obtained from the CFD computations.The authors are indebted to the Spanish Ministerio de Economia y Competitividad through Project TRA 2010-16205. The proof-reading of the paper was funded by the Universitat Politecnica de Valencia, Spain.Galindo, J.; Fajardo, P.; Navarro García, R.; García-Cuevas González, LM. (2013). Characterization of a radial turbocharger turbine in pulsating flow by means of CFD and its application to engine modeling. Applied Energy. 103:116-127. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apenergy.2012.09.013S11612710

RIP2 plays a role in cardiac Ca2+ mishandling prompted by chronic kidney disease

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A novel determination of the local dark matter density

We present a novel study on the problem of constructing mass models for the Milky Way, concentrating on features regarding the dark matter halo component. We have considered a variegated sample of dynamical observables for the Galaxy, including several results which have appeared recently, and studied a 7- or 8-dimensional parameter space - defining the Galaxy model - by implementing a Bayesian approach to the parameter estimation based on a Markov Chain Monte Carlo method. The main result of this analysis is a novel determination of the local dark matter halo density which, assuming spherical symmetry and either an Einasto or an NFW density profile is found to be around 0.39 GeV cm$^{-3}$ with a 1-$\sigma$ error bar of about 7%; more precisely we find a $\rho_{DM}(R_0) = 0.385 \pm 0.027 \rm GeV cm^{-3}$ for the Einasto profile and $\rho_{DM}(R_0) = 0.389 \pm 0.025 \rm GeV cm^{-3}$ for the NFW. This is in contrast to the standard assumption that $\rho_{DM}(R_0)$ is about 0.3 GeV cm$^{-3}$ with an uncertainty of a factor of 2 to 3. A very precise determination of the local halo density is very important for interpreting direct dark matter detection experiments. Indeed the results we produced, together with the recent accurate determination of the local circular velocity, should be very useful to considerably narrow astrophysical uncertainties on direct dark matter detection.Comment: 31 pages,11 figures; minor changes in the text; two figures adde