Estrategias de cooperación inter-empresa para el desarrollo de mejores prácticas medioambientales en la industria de los astilleros colombianos

The present work aims to develop strategies that allow implementingenvironmental best practices in the Colombian shipyard industry, a sector that has been growing for the last decade and that is identified as a potential world-class industry in the country. Collaborative work was carried out with four of the biggest Colombian shipyards and an international firm to identify legal and operational issues regarding the industrial activity, to reach unified consensus to represent the whole sector. Finally, an environmentalbest practices document was elaborated to guideshipyard operationsin the country, with the potential to be constituted as an official guide of the Colombian Ministry for the Environment.El presente trabajo tiene como objetivo desarrollar estrategias que permitan incorporar buenas prácticasambientales en la industria astillera Colombiana, sector que ha mostrado un crecimiento significativo en la última década y que representa una apuesta productiva para el país. Se efectuó un trabajo colaborativo con cuatro de los astilleros más representativos en el país y una empresa internacional para identificar los aspectos legales y de operación de la actividad industrial que impactan el medio ambiente, de manera que se lograse unificar criterios que tuviesen una representatividad sectorial. Finalmente se consolidóun documento de buenas prácticas ambientales para orientar la operación de astilleros en el país, con el potencial de constituirse como una guía oficial del Ministerio de Ambiente, Vivienda y Desarrollo Territorial colombiano

Diseño de materiales gráficos para ayudar a salvar las barreras físicas y culturales que enfrentan las madres sonorenses al amamantar

El amamantamiento es esencial para alimentar al lactante; si embargo, diversos factores económicos y socioculturales influyen para coartarlo. Es importante identificarlos para desarrollar estrategias de promoción. El objetivo del trabajo fue diseñar y evaluar materiales de consejería, apropiados culturalmente y basados en las barreras que enfrentan madres sonorenses para iniciar y mantener el amamantamiento. Se dio seguimiento y apoyo a un grupo de madres (n = 91) durante cinco meses desde su egreso hospitalario, registrando los motivos por los que se abandona el amamantamiento total o parcialmente. Con esto, se diseñaron cinco materiales impresos para consejería y apoyo al amamantamiento y los modificamos en función de la evaluación en discusiones grupales. Los principales motivos que afectaron el amamantamiento fueron: a) la percepción de no llenar al niño o b) producir insuficiente cantidad de leche, además de c) problemas o dolor en los pechos o pezones. Las dos historietas cortas y los tres tarjetones diseñados, fueron bien aceptados por las madres participantes, considerándolos novedosos, prácticos, entendibles e importantes para la madre que amamanta. La entrega de los materiales podría complementar los programas utilizados por la Secretaría de Salud del Estado de Sonora, así como las iniciativas de diversas asociaciones no gubernamentales, para promover el amamantamiento

T cells loaded with magnetic nanoparticles are retained in peripheral lymph nodes by the application of a magnetic field

T lymphocytes are highly dynamic elements of the immune system with a tightly regulated migration. T cell-based transfer therapies are promising therapeutic approaches which in vivo efficacy is often limited by the small proportion of administered cells that reaches the region of interest. Manipulating T cell localisation to improve specific targeting will increase the effectiveness of these therapies. Nanotechnology has been successfully used for localized release of drugs and biomolecules. In particular, magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) loaded with biomolecules can be specifically targeted to a location by an external magnetic field (EMF). The present work studies whether MNP-loaded T cells could be targeted and retained in vitro and in vivo at a site of interest with an EMF.Results: T cells were unable to internalize the different MNPs used in this study, which remained in close association with the cell membrane. T cells loaded with an appropriate MNP concentration were attracted to an EMF and retained in an in vitro capillary flow-system. MNP-loaded T cells were also magnetically retained in the lymph nodes after adoptive transfer in in vivo models. This enhanced in vivo retention was in part due to the EMF application and to a reduced circulating cell speed within the organ. This combined use of MNPs and EMFs did not alter T cell viability or function.Conclusions: These studies reveal a promising approach to favour cell retention that could be implemented to improve cell- based therapy

Pro-oxidant status and matrix metalloproteinases in apical lesions and gingival crevicular fluid as potential biomarkers for asymptomatic apical periodontitis and endodontic treatment response

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Oxidative stress and matrix metalloproteinases -9 and -2 are involved in periodontal breakdown, whereas gingival crevicular fluid has been reported to reflect apical status. The aim of this study was to characterize oxidant balance and activity levels of MMP -2 and -9 in apical lesions and healthy periodontal ligament; and second, to determine whether potential changes in oxidant balance were reflected in gingival crevicular fluid from asymptomatic apical periodontitis (AAP)-affected teeth at baseline and after endodontic treatment.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Patients with clinical diagnosis of AAP and healthy volunteers having indication of tooth extraction were recruited. Apical lesions and healthy periodontal ligaments, respectively, were homogenized or processed to obtain histological tissue sections. Matrix metalloproteinase -9 and -2 levels and/or activity were analyzed by Immunowestern blot, zymography and consecutive densitometric analysis, and their tissue localization was confirmed by immunohistochemistry. A second group of patients with AAP and indication of endodontic treatment was recruited. Gingival crevicular fluid was extracted from AAP-affected teeth at baseline, after endodontic treatment and healthy contralateral teeth. Total oxidant and antioxidant status were determined in homogenized tissue and GCF samples. Statistical analysis was performed using STATA v10 software with unpaired t test, Mann-Whitney test and Spearman's correlation.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Activity of MMP-2 and MMP-9 along with oxidant status were higher in apical lesions (p < 0.05). Total oxidant status correlated positively with matrix metalloproteinase-2 and lesion size (p < 0.05). Gingival crevicular fluid showed significantly lower levels of total antioxidant status in diseased teeth at baseline compared to controls and endodontically-treated groups.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Apical lesions display an oxidant imbalance along with increased activity of matrix metalloproteinase-2 and -9 and might contribute to AAP progression. Oxidant imbalance can also be reflected in GCF from AAP-affected teeth and was restored to normal levels after conservative endodontic treatment. These mediators might be useful as potential biomarkers for chair-side complementary diagnostic of apical status in GCF.</p

Estructura factorial de la escala DREEM en estudiantes de medicina chilenos

Indexación: ScieloBackground: The entry to a University requires an adaptation process that not all students solve with the same kind of success. Even though students’ social adaptation and emotional skills are essential, the educational environmental that they perceive has a significant influence in their academic life. Aim: To describe the changes in the perception about academic environment that medical students experience during the first three years of undergraduate career. Material and Methods: The Dundee Ready Education Environment Measure (DREEM) scale was applied to 525 first to third year medical students and an exploratory factorial analysis was made. Results: Four factors were identified: Academic Perception: academic quality that students attribute to the process in which they take part, as well as to the assessment that they do of their learning outcomes (coefficient α = 0.85); Academic Experience: refers to positive emotions that students experience during the career such as confidence, pleasure and energy (coefficient α = 0.76); Atmosphere Perception, comfort and calm that students experiment during their academic activities (coefficient α = 0.79); Teachers Perception: the perception that students have of teachers about their interest and disposition towards students (coefficient α = 0.50). Conclusions: The assessment of academic environment quality is inversely associated with the lapse that the students have spent in their undergraduate careers. Key words: Education, Medical; Psychometrics; Students, medical; Undergraduate

Potential of the enological use of several Brazilian wood species on the phenolic composition and sensory quality of different wines

The use of wood species from Brazilian forests has not been the subject of studies on oenology. Thus, the main goal of this study was to carry out a comparative analysis of the impact of several different Brazilian wood species (Jequitibá, Jaqueira, Ipê, Amburana, and Grápia) on global phenolic parameters, chromatic characteristics, and sensory profile of one red and white wines during a short wood contact time. In addition, toasted European oak wood (Q. petraea) was also used. Regarding the specific impact of the use of the different wood species studied, red wines stored in contact during 15 and 30 storage days with Amburana, Grápia, and Ipê wood cubes showed the highest total phenolic content, while for white wines, the highest total phenolic values were detected for the wines stored in contact with Jequitibá, Jaquera, and Amburana wood cubes after 15 storage days. Regarding the sensorial quality, after 30 storage days, red wines stored in contact with Amburana and Jaquera woods obtained the highest global appreciation scores. For white wines, the highest global appreciation scores were obtained for the wines stored in contact with Ipê and Amburana wood cubes for 15 days

Lecanora sorediomarginata, a new epiphytic lichen species discovered along the Portuguese coast

Lecanora sorediomarginata Rodrigues, Terron & Elix sp. nov., described as new to science from Portugal, is characterized morphologically by a crustose whitish-grey to greenish thallus developing soralia from small, marginal warts and chemically by the presence of 3,5-dichloro-2'-O-methylnorstenosporic acid [major], 3,5-dichloro-2'-O-methylanziaic acid [minor], 3,5-dichloro-2'-O-methylnordivaricatic acid [minor], 5-chloro-2'-O-methylanziaic acid [trace], atranorin [minor], chloroatranorin [minor], and usnic acid [trace]. It is chemically similar to L. lividocinerea, to which it shows phylogenetic affinities based on ITS rDNA sequence analysis, and to L. sulphurella. Lecanora sorediomarginata is epiphytic on Pious pinaster and P. pinea, in pine forests on sand dunes along the Portuguese coast

CmeABC multidrug efflux pump contributes to antibiotic resistance and promotes 'Campylobacter jejuni' survival and multiplication in 'Acanthamoeba polyphaga'

Campylobacter jejuni is a foodborne pathogen recognized as the leading cause of human bacterial gastroenteritis. The wide use of antibiotics in medicine and in animal husbandry has led to an increased incidence of antibiotic resistance in Campylobacter In addition to a role in multidrug resistance, the Campylobacter CmeABC RND-type efflux pump, which is associated with multidrug resistance (MDR), may also be involved in virulence. As a vehicle of pathogenic microorganisms, the protozoan Acanthamoeba is a good model for the investigation of bacterial survival in the environment and molecular mechanisms of pathogenicity. The interaction between C. jejuni 81-176 and A. polyphaga was investigated in this study by using a modified gentamicin protection assay. In addition, a possible role for the CmeABC MDR pump in this interaction was explored. Here we report that this MDR pump is beneficial for the intracellular survival and multiplication of C. jejuni in A. polyphaga, but is dispensable for biofilm formation and motility.Importance The endosymbiotic relationship between amoebae and microbial pathogens may contribute to persistence and spreading of the latter in the environment, which has significant implications to human health. In this study we found that Campylobacter jejuni was able to survive and multiply inside Acanthamoeba. polyphaga Since these microorganisms can co-exist in the same environment (e.g. in poultry farms), the latter may increase the risk of infection with Campylobacter Our data suggests that, in addition to its role in antibiotic resistance, the CmeABC MDR efflux pump also plays a role in bacterial survival within amoebae. Furthermore, we demonstrated a synergistic effect of the CmeABC MDR efflux pump and TetO on bacterial resistance to tetracycline. Due to its role both in antibiotic resistance and virulence of C. jejuni, the CmeABC MDR efflux pump could be considered as a good target for the development of antibacterial drugs against this pathogen