The A54T polymorphism in the FABP2 gene and its relationship with obesity

Introduction: Obesity is a complex, multifactorial, and mostly preventable disease affecting, along with overweight, more than a third of today’s world population. Variations in the nucleotide sequence of both metabolic and appetite control genes have been counted among these non-modifiable factors and are associated with BMI, lipidic profile, and abdominal circumference alterations. Methods: An analytical, non-experimental, and transversal research was done with the purpose to assess the presence of A54T polymorphism in the FABP gene in a sub-sample from the Maracaibo City Metabolic Syndrome Prevalence Study. Results: 154 individuals eight subjects were carriers of the A54Tpolymorphism, namely, a genotypic frequency of 5.19 %, with a sex distribution of 50 % for women (n=4) and 50 % (n=4) for men. In respect of alleles similarity degree, 75 % (n=6) were homozygous, and 25 % (n=2) were heterozygous. Obesity diagnosis throughout BMI was only present in 12.50 % (n=1) of the A54T carriers. Conversely, 25 % (n=2) of the carriers were overweighed; 50 % (n=4) were presented as normal-weight people; and only 12.50 % (n=1), in one underweighted person. Conclusion: As in many other studies, we do not find an association between Ala54Thr polymorphism and obesity. This result reinforces the fact of the multifactorial character of these diseases and a carrier state of this polymorphism is not necessarily to experience a higher obesity risk, at least, in our environment.La obesidad es una enfermedad compleja, multifactorial y en su mayor parte prevenible que afecta, a más de un tercio de la población mundial actual. Las variaciones en la secuencia de nucleótidos de los genes de control del metabolismo y del apetito se consideran hasta ahora como factores no modificables y se asocian con alteraciones del IMC, del perfil lipídico y de la circunferencia abdominal. Métodos: Se realizó una investigación analítica, no experimental y transversal con el propósito de evaluar la presencia del polimorfismo A54T en el gen FABP en una submuestra del Estudio de Prevalencia del Síndrome Metabólico de la Ciudad de Maracaibo. Resultados: De los 154 individuos de la submuestra ocho sujetos fueron portadores del polimorfismo A54T, es decir, una frecuencia genotípica de 5,19 %, con una distribución por sexo de 50 % para las mujeres (n=4) y 50 % (n=4) para los hombres. Con respecto al grado de similitud de los alelos, el 75 % (n=6) eran homocigotos y el 25 % (n=2) heterocigotos. El diagnóstico de obesidad a lo largo del IMC sólo estuvo presente en el 12,50 % (n=1) de los portadores de A54T. Por el contrario, el 25 % (n=2) de los portadores tenían sobrepeso; el 50 % (n=4) se presentaron como personas de peso normal; y sólo el 12,50 % (n=1) en la categoría de peso insuficiente. Conclusión: No se encontró una asociación entre el polimorfismo de Ala54Thr y la obesidad. Este resultado refuerza el carácter multifactorial de estas enfermedades y que un estado portador de este polimorfismo no es causa necesaria para padecer obesidad, al menos, en nuestro medio

Higher levels of glutamate in the associative-striatum of subjects with prodromal symptoms of schizophrenia and patients with first-episode psychosis

The glutamatergic and dopaminergic systems are thought to be involved in the pathophysiology of schizophrenia. Their interaction has been widely documented and may have a role in the neurobiological basis of the disease. The aim of this study was to compare, using proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H-MRS), glutamate levels in the precommissural dorsal-caudate (a dopamine-rich region) and the cerebellar cortex (negligible for dopamine) in the following: (1) 18 antipsychotic-naïve subjects with prodromal symptoms and considered to be at ultra high-risk for schizophrenia (UHR), (2) 18 antipsychotic-naïve first- episode psychosis patients (FEP), and (3) 40 age- and sex- matched healthy controls. All subjects underwent a 1H-MRS study using a 3Tesla scanner. Glutamate levels were quantified and corrected for the proportion of cerebrospinal fluid and percentage of gray matter in the voxel. The UHR and FEP groups showed higher levels of glutamate than controls, without differences between UHR and FEP. In the cerebellum, no differences were seen between the three groups. The higher glutamate level in the precommissural dorsal-caudate and not in the cerebellum of UHR and FEP suggests that a high glutamate level (a) precedes the onset of schizophrenia, and (b) is present in a dopamine-rich region previously implicated in the pathophysiology of schizophrenia.peer-reviewe

Memorias del Séptimo Foro de la Enseñanza de las Matemáticas

En el Séptimo Foro de Enseñanza de las Matemática Ibero 2017 se abordaron temas relacionados con el uso de la historia de las matemáticas en el aula, las transformaciones en las habilidades, destrezas y conocimientos en los alumnos universitarios en la primera década del 2000, el uso de plataformas digitales en la enseñanza de las matemáticas; se expuso sobre situaciones problema en la vida cotidiana relacionados con las matemáticas escolares y la modelación matemática, sobre la historia de la enseñanza de las matermáticas, entre otros temas.ITESO, A.C.Universidad Iberoamericana, Campus Santa F

Safety and effectiveness of CIMAvax-EGF administered in community polyclinics

In spite of the advances in immunotherapy and targeted therapies, lung cancer continues to be the leading cause of cancer-related death. The epidermal growth factor receptor is an established target for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), and its overactivation by the ligands can induce accelerated proliferation, angiogenesis, and metastasis as well as proinflammatory or immunosuppressive signals. CIMAvax-EGF is an epidermal growth factor (EGF)-depleting immunotherapy that is approved for the treatment of NSCLC patients in Cuba. The study was designed as a phase IV trial to characterize the safety and effectiveness of CIMAvax-EGF in advanced NSCLC patients treated in 119 community polyclinics and 24 hospitals. CIMAvax-EGF treatment consisted of four bi-weekly doses followed by monthly boosters. Overall, 741 NSCLC patients ineligible for further cancer-specific treatment were enrolled. CIMAvax-EGF was safe, and the most common adverse events consisted of mild-to-moderate injection site reactions, fever, chills, tremors, and headache. For patients completing the loading doses, the median survival was 9.9 months. For individuals achieving at least stable disease to the frontline and completing vaccination induction, the median survival was 12 months. Most of the functional activities and symptoms evaluated through the European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) QLQ-C30 questionnaire improved over time. In conclusion, this real-world trial demonstrated that CIMAvax-EGF was safe and effective in patients who were vaccinated in the maintenance scenario. A larger effect was seen in subjects with poor prognosis like those with squamous tumors and high EGF levels. Remarkably, this community-based intervention was very important because it demonstrated the feasibility of treating advanced lung cancer patients with active immunotherapy in primary care institutions. In addition to CIMAvax-EGF, patients received supportive care at the community clinic. Vaccine administration by the family doctors at the polyclinics reduced the patients’ burden on the medical oncology services that continued providing chemotherapy and other complex therapies. We conclude that community polyclinics constitute the optimal scenario for administering those cancer vaccines that are safe and require prolonged maintenance in patients with advanced cancer, despite the continuous deterioration of their general condition.Clinical trial registrationhttps://rpcec.sld.cu/trials/RPCEC00000205-En, identifier RPCEC00000205

Nurses' perceptions of aids and obstacles to the provision of optimal end of life care in ICU

Contains fulltext : 172380.pdf (publisher's version ) (Open Access

Los AVA como estrategia didáctica en la enseñanza del pensamiento lógico–matemático

Objetivos: Determinar el impacto de los Ambientes Virtualesde Aprendizaje (AVA) en el desarrollo del pensamiento lógico– matemático en estudiantes de grado quinto de primaria delmunicipio de Soacha.Materiales y métodos: El estudio se basó en una metodologíacuantitativa - descriptiva, bajo enfoque cuasi-experimental,con una muestra de 60 estudiantes de quinto grado conedades entre los 10 y 13 años, a quienes se les aplicarondos pruebas de carácter diagnóstico formativa en modalidadde pretest y postest, desplegando el trabajo con estrategiasvirtuales de aprendizaje basadas en aspectos lógicos, con elfin de evidenciar la resolución de problemas tomando comoreferencia los pensamientos métrico- numérico, aleatorio yvariacional para cada elemento. La comparación de los resultadosde las valoraciones inicial y final fueron analizados ydeterminados a través de la aplicación de las pruebas dadascomo resultado mediante el uso del software SPSSResultados: Los Ambientes Virtuales de Aprendizaje influyeronde manera significativa en el aprendizaje del área de lasmatemáticas, el análisis y la resolución de situaciones tipoproblema en la muestra seleccionada.Conclusiones: El uso de los Ambientes Virtuales de Aprendizaje(AVA) potenciaron el pensamiento crítico en la muestraestudiada, obteniendo una respuesta positiva al procesoya que los resultados académicos y la disminución de estudiantesen calidad de no aprobación, bajó en gran porcentajepara el grupo experimental; igualmente se pudo apreciar elinterés, creatividad y motivación por el trabajo en el aula

The A54T polymorphism in the FABP2 gene and its relationship with obesity

Obesity is a complex, multifactorial, and mostly preventable disease affecting, along with overweight, more than a third of today’s world population. Variations in the nucleotide sequence of both metabolic and appetite control genes have been counted among these non-modifiable factors and are associated with BMI, lipidic profile, and abdominal circumference alterations.La obesidad es una enfermedad compleja, multifactorial y en su mayor parte prevenible que afecta, a más de un tercio de la población mundial actual. Las variaciones en la secuencia de nucleótidos de los genes de control del metabolismo y del apetito se consideran hasta ahora como factores no modificables y se asocian con alteraciones del IMC, del perfil lipídico y de la circunferencia abdominal