Clinically-useful serum biomarkers for diagnosis and prognosis of sarcoidosis

Introduction: Sarcoidosis is a complex systemic disease with a silent, long-term evolution, and a heterogeneous clinical presentation. The diagnostic approach is complex with no single diagnostic test that may confirm the disease. Areas covered: A large list of serum biomarkers has been tested during the last 40 years. In this review, we analyse the potential usefulness in the diagnosis and prognosis of sarcoidosis of serum biomarkers classified according to their corresponding cellular source. Expert commentary: Diagnosis of sarcoidosis must always be approached as a multistep process based on a case-by-case integration of clinical, radiological, histological and serological data, none of which being pathognomonic. We found sIL-2R, CRP, SAA and chitotriosidase to be the best markers to confirm sarcoidosis (highest sensitivity), while ACE, gammaglobulins and lysozyme may be more useful for discarding sarcoidosis (highest specificity), taking into account that with the use of a higher cut-off we can increase specificity and with a lower cut-off we can increase sensitivity. Other biomarkers (TNF-a and CCL18) could help to identify patients with an enhanced risk of developing pulmonary fibrosis or progressive disease. The future scenario of the serological diagnostic approach of sarcoidosis will be the use of multi-assays including biomarkers from different cellular sources.Fil: Ramos Casals, Manuel. Sociedad Española de Medicina; España. Instituto Clínic de Medicina y Dermatología; EspañaFil: Retamozo, Maria Soledad. Instituto Clínic de Medicina y Dermatología; España. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Córdoba. Instituto de Investigaciones en Ciencias de la Salud. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Instituto de Investigaciones en Ciencias de la Salud; Argentina. Instituto Modelo de Cardiología Privado; ArgentinaFil: Siso Almirall, Antoni. Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas August Pi i Sunyer; EspañaFil: Pérez Alvarez, Roberto. Sociedad Española de Medicina; EspañaFil: Pallarés, Lucio. Sociedad Española de Medicina; España. Sarco GEAS SEMI Study Group; EspañaFil: Brito Zenón, Pilar. Sociedad Española de Medicina; España. Sarco GEAS SEMI Study Group; Españ

Impact of sound attenuation on ultrasound-driven yield improvements during olive oil extraction.

High frequency ultrasound can enhance olive oil extractability industrially. However, the ultrasound attenuation phenomena and their implications on extractability, are not well understood. This work aims at evaluating the ultrasound attenuation effects on the oil extraction efficiency, while providing deeper insights into the physics behind the ultrasound extraction in a heterogeneous medium. Olives were collected and processed both in Italy and Uruguay during their respective harvest seasons. Sound pressure distribution was characterized in a high frequency ultrasound reactor, carrying 3 kg of water or paste, by using an indirect contact hydrophone device at 0.4 MHz or 2 MHz. A through-transmission ultrasonic technique was applied to determine attenuation profiles and coefficients in paste at the central frequency of each transducer, with various paste to water ratios and reactor sizes. Other ultrasound improvements on extractability were evaluated including reduction of malaxation time (10, 30 min), sonication time (2.5, 5 min) and power level (174, 280 W) without water addition and in a reactor with a 14.5 cm transducer to wall distance. However, no sound pressure levels in paste were detectable beyond 9 cm from the transducer at both frequencies. Among the various effects evaluated, an emission frequency of 0.4 MHz better improved extractability compared to 2 MHz. The attenuation profiles corroborated these findings with attenuation coefficients of 3.9 and 5.3 dB/cm measured near the respective frequencies. Improvements in oil extractability due to increasing sonication time and power level were significant (p < 0.05) also when sonicating beyond 14.5 cm and without water addition. Oil extractability improvements were observed even when sound pressure was undetectable beyond 9 cm from the transducer, suggesting that the standing wave oil trapping effect is not the governing mechanism for separation in high attenuation media for large scale systems

The Effect of Adding Zeolite in the Feed of Chickens Cobb 500

[EN] The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of the addition of zeolite on the feeding of Cobb 500 chickens in the productive parameters. The work was carried out in an integral farm of Ecuador, adopting the standards of biosafety and animal welfare for the breeding of poultry; no vaccines or drugs were administered. 200 chickens (1-day old) were studied for 42 days and distributed in 5 treatments, each one with 4 replicates (10 chickens per replicate, randomly selected); the treatments were: T1(control), T2(zeolite 2%), T3(zeolite 3%), T4(zeolite 4%) and T5(zeolite 5%). All of the groups were fed with BALMAR, a commercial feed (Pre-initial: 22.56% CP, 3150 Kcal/kg ME; initial: 21% CP, 3200 Kcal/kg ME; grow-out: 19.5% CP, 3250 Kcal/Kg ME), T1 included a commercial toxin trapper, for all other groups zeolite was added as a substitute for the commercial toxin trap. The variables studied were: feed and water consumption, feed conversion ratio, live weight and mortality. The data were processed with the statistical program Stat graphics Centurion XV.I, by means of ANOVA analysis. The results of this experiment showed that there were no significant statistical differences in water consumption, food intake and feed conversion when comparing the treatments with the control, although, the final weight showed statistical difference (p<0.05). The highest mortality was recorded in T1 (12.5%). It is concluded that at higher zeolite increase, better effects, thus the live weight of T5 (1638.9±46.7) was statistically similar to the control (1734.3±49.3); water and feed consumption and feed conversion rate were not affected; possibly the reduction in mortality was due to the toxins trapping action of zeoliteSanchez-Quinche, AR.; Pindo Nagua, FM.; Vargas González, ON.; Alvarez Díaz, CA.; Aguilar Galvez, LF.; Pérez Baena, I. (2017). The Effect of Adding Zeolite in the Feed of Chickens Cobb 500. American Journal of Animal and Veterinary Sciences. 12(3):182-187. doi:10.3844/ajavsp.2017.182.187S18218712

Evaluación del impacto económico – financiero en la prospección de escenarios futuros. Una perspectiva sistémica a través de la información contable

El problema que nos planteamos es la inexistencia de un modelo de base contable que contemple en forma integral el impacto sobre la estructura patrimonial y los resultados ante los distintos cursos de acción propuestos y por las implicancias del contexto. El enfoque está basado en la postura de Richard Matesich, acerca del rol fundamental que tiene la contabilidad en la prospección de escenarios futuros. En la doctrina nacional, participamos de la corriente en la que se encuentran insertos autores como Mario Biondi, Juan Carlos Viegas y María Cristina Wirth. Esta última, sostiene que uno de los tres objetos fundamentales del estudio de la contabilidad es: “......el de modelizar la realidad, es decir construir una estructura teórica de pocas variables especialmente elegidas cuyas interrelaciones sirvan para proporcionar explicaciones y proyecciones. Esto requiere una interpretación de la realidad en base a ciertos supuestos que se establecen como premisas dadas. En síntesis, requiere una teoría.” Como hipótesis, consideramos que es posible a través de un modelo que interprete adecuadamente escenarios futuros, poder comprobar el impacto y la interrelación entre las distintas variables del sistema de información contable. Como objetivos del trabajo, nos proponemos básicamente: a. Describir los impactos que se producen en la estructura patrimonial, financiera y en los resultados como consecuencia de los cambios en las estrategias y políticas internas de la empresa como de las distorsiones en el sistema económico. b. Identificar mecanismos y proponer criterios para la elaboración de modelos que permitan visualizar los impactos en los escenarios futuros y las adecuaciones necesarias en la estructura que permitan soportar las modificaciones.Fil: Pérez, Jorge Orlando. Universidad Católica de Córdoba. Facultad de Ciencias Económicas y de Administración; ArgentinaFil: Alvarez Chiabo, Luis Ramón. Universidad Católica de Córdoba. Facultad de Ciencias Económicas y de Administración; Argentin

Evaluación del impacto económico – financiero en la prospección de escenarios futuros. Una perspectiva sistémica a través de la información contable

El problema que nos planteamos es la inexistencia de un modelo de base contable que contemple en forma integral el impacto sobre la estructura patrimonial y los resultados ante los distintos cursos de acción propuestos y por las implicancias del contexto. El enfoque está basado en la postura de Richard Matesich, acerca del rol fundamental que tiene la contabilidad en la prospección de escenarios futuros. En la doctrina nacional, participamos de la corriente en la que se encuentran insertos autores como Mario Biondi, Juan Carlos Viegas y María Cristina Wirth. Esta última, sostiene que uno de los tres objetos fundamentales del estudio de la contabilidad es: “......el de modelizar la realidad, es decir construir una estructura teórica de pocas variables especialmente elegidas cuyas interrelaciones sirvan para proporcionar explicaciones y proyecciones. Esto requiere una interpretación de la realidad en base a ciertos supuestos que se establecen como premisas dadas. En síntesis, requiere una teoría.” Como hipótesis, consideramos que es posible a través de un modelo que interprete adecuadamente escenarios futuros, poder comprobar el impacto y la interrelación entre las distintas variables del sistema de información contable. Como objetivos del trabajo, nos proponemos básicamente: a. Describir los impactos que se producen en la estructura patrimonial, financiera y en los resultados como consecuencia de los cambios en las estrategias y políticas internas de la empresa como de las distorsiones en el sistema económico. b. Identificar mecanismos y proponer criterios para la elaboración de modelos que permitan visualizar los impactos en los escenarios futuros y las adecuaciones necesarias en la estructura que permitan soportar las modificaciones.Fil: Pérez, Jorge Orlando. Universidad Católica de Córdoba. Facultad de Ciencias Económicas y de Administración; ArgentinaFil: Alvarez Chiabo, Luis Ramón. Universidad Católica de Córdoba. Facultad de Ciencias Económicas y de Administración; Argentin

Characterization of family health in a medical office, Holguin 2021

Introduction: community health is the collective expression of the health of individuals and groups in a defined community. In turn, it is determined by the interaction of personal characteristics, family, social, cultural and physical environment, as well as health services and the influence of social and political factors. Objective: to characterize family health in a medical office in Holguín. Method: a descriptive observational study was carried out in the period from October 2020 to January 2021, in the medical office No. 16 of the Policlínico “René Ávila Reyes” in Holguín. The sample consisted of 30 families, with 75 members. For its selection, an intentional sampling method was applied to a population of 345 families, with 1,323 members. Variables used in the statistical analysis were: age, gender, and risk factors. Results: there was a predominance of males, and the most frequent age group was that of 50 to 59 years. Risk factors related to lifestyle were the most frequent, with 30 patients (40%). Smoking prevailed, with a total of 12 patients. It was identified that 12% of the patients had arterial hypertension and 9.3% were diagnosed with acute respiratory infections. Conclusions: the main risk factors identified are those related to lifestyle, specifically smoking, while the most frequent chronic non-communicable disease is arterial hypertension, acute respiratory infections are the communicable diseases with the highest incidence