BREVE HISTORIA DEL ORIGEN DEL TABACO EN AMÉRICA Y SU DIFUSIÓN EN EUROPA

Rodrigo de Xeres y Luis de Torres, comisionados por Colón partieron de Guanahaní (San Salvador) para explorar tierra firme en 1492, internándose en la selva centroamericana. Pudieron mirar un espectáculo nunca antes contemplado, que los nativos de la isla sorbían fuego y arrojaban humo por la boca y la nariz, sin causarles malestar alguno aparentemente. Los indígenas llamaban a esta planta “Coviva”, “Cojiva” o “Cohiva”, y los indios de América Septentrional lo llamaban “Petum”. En el Perú lo llamaban “Sayri”. En Martinica “Macuba” y “Yetl” al norte del Brasil. Los aborígenes de las islas occidentales la llamaban “Yoli” y “Shayli” en varias comunidades del Norte de Ancash

Multiple novel prostate cancer susceptibility signals identified by fine-mapping of known risk loci among Europeans

Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have identified numerous common prostate cancer (PrCa) susceptibility loci. We have fine-mapped 64 GWAS regions known at the conclusion of the iCOGS study using large-scale genotyping and imputation in 25 723 PrCa cases and 26 274 controls of European ancestry. We detected evidence for multiple independent signals at 16 regions, 12 of which contained additional newly identified significant associations. A single signal comprising a spectrum of correlated variation was observed at 39 regions; 35 of which are now described by a novel more significantly associated lead SNP, while the originally reported variant remained as the lead SNP only in 4 regions. We also confirmed two association signals in Europeans that had been previously reported only in East-Asian GWAS. Based on statistical evidence and linkage disequilibrium (LD) structure, we have curated and narrowed down the list of the most likely candidate causal variants for each region. Functional annotation using data from ENCODE filtered for PrCa cell lines and eQTL analysis demonstrated significant enrichment for overlap with bio-features within this set. By incorporating the novel risk variants identified here alongside the refined data for existing association signals, we estimate that these loci now explain ∼38.9% of the familial relative risk of PrCa, an 8.9% improvement over the previously reported GWAS tag SNPs. This suggests that a significant fraction of the heritability of PrCa may have been hidden during the discovery phase of GWAS, in particular due to the presence of multiple independent signals within the same regio

Staging of Schizophrenia with the Use of PANSS: An International Multi-Center Study

Introduction: A specific clinically relevant staging model for schizophrenia has not yet been developed. The aim of the current study was to evaluate the factor structure of the PANSS and develop such a staging method.Methods: Twenty-nine centers from 25 countries contributed 2358 patients aged 37.21 ± 11.87 years with schizophrenia. Analysis of covariance, Exploratory Factor Analysis, Discriminant Function Analysis, and inspection of resultant plots were performed.Results: Exploratory Factor Analysis returned 5 factors explaining 59% of the variance (positive, negative, excitement/hostility, depression/anxiety, and neurocognition). The staging model included 4 main stages with substages that were predominantly characterized by a single domain of symptoms (stage 1: positive; stages 2a and 2b: excitement/hostility; stage 3a and 3b: depression/anxiety; stage 4a and 4b: neurocognition). There were no differences between sexes. The Discriminant Function Analysis developed an algorithm that correctly classified >85% of patients.Discussion: This study elaborates a 5-factor solution and a clinical staging method for patients with schizophrenia. It is the largest study to address these issues among patients who are more likely to remain affiliated with mental health services for prolonged periods of time.<br /

PARTE II: SITUACIÓN DE LAS UNIVERSIDADES ARGENTINAS Y LATINOAMERICANAS EN RELACIÓN AL MATERIAL CADAVÉRICO PARA LA ENSEÑANZA DE LA ANATOMÍA. Part II: Argentine and Latinamerican universities situation in relation to the cadaveric material for Anatomy teaching

Para esta segunda parte se realizó una amplia invitación. Publicamos los aportes de destacados autores cuya generosa contribución al Debate lo jerarquiza. Las preguntas enviadas por el Dr. Thambi Dorai fueron enviadas a los participantes del Debate inicial y sus respuestas incluidas en el presente artículo.   A wide spread invitation was distributed for this second part. We are publishing some generous contributions from relevant authors which hierarchized the Debate. Questions sent by Dr. Thambi Dorai were envied to all the participants in the initial Debate and their answers included in the current article

Microbial synthesis of poly(beta-hydroxyalkanoates) bearing phenyl groups from pseudomonas putida: chemical structure and characterization

6 pages, 3 tables, 3 figures.-- PMID: 11749221 [PubMed].New poly(beta-hydroxyalkanoates) having aromatics groups (so-called PHPhAs) from a microbial origin have been characterized. These polymers were produced and accumulated as reserve materials when a beta-oxidation mutant of Pseudomonas putida U, disrupted in the gene that encodes the 3-ketoacyl-CoA thiolase (fadA), was cultured in a chemically defined medium containing different aromatic fatty acids (6-phenylhexanoic acid, 7-phenylheptanoic acid, a mixture of them, or 8-phenyloctanoic acid) as carbon sources. The polymers were extracted from the bacteria, purified and characterized by using (13)C nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (NMR), gel permeation chromatography (GPC), and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). Structural studies revealed that when 6-phenylhexanoic acid was added to the cultures, an homopolymer (poly-3-hydroxy-6-phenylhexanoate) was accumulated. The feeding with 8-phenyloctanoic acid and 7-phenylheptanoic acid leads to the formation of copolymers of the corresponding units with the n - 2 carbons formed after deacetylation, copoly(3-hydroxy-8-phenyloctanoate-3-hydroxy-6-phenylhexanoate) and copoly(3-hydroxy-7-phenylheptanoate-3-hydroxy-5-phenylvalerate), respectively. The mixture of 6-phenylhexanoic acid and 7-phenylheptanoic acid gave rise to the corresponding terpolymer, copoly(3-hydroxy-7-phenylheptanoate-3-hydroxy-6-phenylhexanoate-3-hydroxy-5-phenylvalerate). Studies on the chemical structure of these three polyesters revealed that they were true copolymers but not a mixture of homopolymers and that the different monomeric units were randomly incorporated in the macromolecular chains. Thermal behavior and molecular weight distribution were also discussed. These compounds had a dual attractive interest in function of (i) their broad use as biodegradable polymers and (ii) their possible biomedical applications.We also would like to thank CICYT, Spain (MAT1999-1064). The work developed at the laboratory of J.M.L. was supported by the Comisión Interministerial de Ciencia y Tecnología, Madrid, Grant AMB97-0603-C02-01, Fondo Europeo de Desarrollo Regional2 Grant 1FD97-0245 and Junta de Castilla y León Grant LE 42/96. B.M. and E.R.O are recipients of fellowships from the Comisión Interministerial de Ciencia y Tecnología and Fondo Europeo de Desarrollo Regional, respectively.Peer reviewe

Genetically engineered Pseudomonas: a factory of new bioplastics with broad applications

New bioplastics containing aromatic or mixtures of aliphatic and aromatic monomers have been obtained using genetically engineered strains of Pseudomonas putida. The mutation (–) or deletion (Δ) of some of the genes involved in the β-oxidation pathway (fadA−, fadB−ΔfadA or Δfad BA mutants) elicits a strong intracellular accumulation of unusual homo- or co-polymers that dramatically alter the morphology of these bacteria, as more than 90% of the cytoplasm is occupied by these macromolecules. The introduction of a blockade in the β-oxidation pathway, or in other related catabolic routes, has allowed the synthesis of polymers other than those accumulated in the wild type (with regard to both monomer size and relative percentage), the accumulation of certain intermediates that are rapidly catabolized in the wild type and the accumulation in the culture broths of end catabolites that, as in the case of phenylacetic acid, phenylbutyric acid, trans-cinnamic acid or their derivatives, have important medical or pharmaceutical applications (antitumoral, analgesic, radiopotentiators, chemopreventive or antihelmintic). Furthermore, using one of these polyesters (poly 3-hydroxy-6-phenylhexanoate), we obtained polymeric microspheres that could be used as drug vehicles.Fil: Olivera, Elías R.. Universidad de León; EspañaFil: Carnicero, David. Universidad de León; EspañaFil: Jodra, Ruth. Universidad de León; EspañaFil: Miñambres, Baltasar. Universidad de León; EspañaFil: Garcia, Belén. Universidad de León; EspañaFil: Abraham, Gustavo Abel. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Mar del Plata. Instituto de Investigaciones en Ciencia y Tecnología de Materiales. Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata. Facultad de Ingeniería. Instituto de Investigaciones en Ciencia y Tecnología de Materiales; ArgentinaFil: Gallardo, Alberto. Instituto de Ciencia y Tecnología de Polímeros; EspañaFil: San Roman, Julio. Instituto de Ciencia y Tecnología de Polímeros; EspañaFil: García, José. Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas. Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas; EspañaFil: Naharro, Germán. Universidad de León; EspañaFil: Luengo, José M.. Universidad de León; Españ

Genetically engineered Pseudomonas: a factory of new bioplastics with broad applications

7 páginas, 4 figuras, 1 tabla.-- PMID: 11722541 [PubMed].New bioplastics containing aromatic or mixtures of aliphatic and aromatic monomers have been obtained using genetically engineered strains of Pseudomonas putida. The mutation (-) or deletion (Delta) of some of the genes involved in the beta-oxidation pathway (fadA(-), fadB(-) Delta fadA or Delta fad BA mutants) elicits a strong intracellular accumulation of unusual homo- or co-polymers that dramatically alter the morphology of these bacteria, as more than 90% of the cytoplasm is occupied by these macromolecules. The introduction of a blockade in the beta-oxidation pathway, or in other related catabolic routes, has allowed the synthesis of polymers other than those accumulated in the wild type (with regard to both monomer size and relative percentage), the accumulation of certain intermediates that are rapidly catabolized in the wild type and the accumulation in the culture broths of end catabolites that, as in the case of phenylacetic acid, phenylbutyric acid, trans-cinnamic acid or their derivatives, have important medical or pharmaceutical applications (antitumoral, analgesic, radiopotentiators, chemopreventive or antihelmintic). Furthermore, using one of these polyesters (poly 3-hydroxy-6-phenylhexanoate), we obtained polymeric microspheres that could be used as drug vehicles.This work was supported by grants 1FD97-0245 from the Fondo Europeo de Desarrollo Regional and BMC2000-0125-C04 from the Ministerio de Ciencia y Tecnología.Peer reviewe