Graft-induced Recovery of Inhibitory Avoidance Conditioning in Striatal Lesioned Rats is Related to Choline Acetyltransferase Activity

Four groups of male Wistar rats showing disrupted inhibitory avoidance conditioning due to striatal lesions received either striatal or ventral mesencephalic brain grafts. Two additional non-lesioned groups were used as controls. Half of the groups was retrained in an inhibitory avoidance task at fifteen days postgraft and the other half at sixty days postgraft. Those animals receiving striatal grafts significantly improved their ability to acquire the inhibitory avoidance task at fifteen and sixty days postgraft, as opposed to those receiving mesencephalic grafts, which did not show behavioral recovery. Choline acetyltransferase and glutamate decarboxylase activities, as well as dopamine content, were measured in the grafted tissue. Striatal grafts showed levels of choline acetyltransferase activity similar to the control group. Moreover, a positive correlation was found between the choline acetyltransferase activity and the behavioral recovery. In contrast, both glutamate decarboxylase activity and dopamine levels were significantly lower in striatal and in mesencephalic grafts, as compared to the controls. These results show that striatal but not mesencephalic grafts can promote the restoration of the ability to acquire an inhibitory avoidance task even at early stages (15 days) of the development of the grafts. The results also suggest that acetylcholine plays an important role in behavioral recovery

Dementia in Latin America : paving the way towards a regional action plan

Regional challenges faced by Latin American and Caribbean countries (LACs) to fight dementia, such as heterogeneity, diversity, political instabilities, and socioeconomic disparities, can be addressed more effectively grounded in a collaborative setting based on the open exchange of knowledge. In this work, the Latin American and Caribbean Consortium on Dementia (LAC-CD) proposes an agenda for integration to deliver a Knowledge to Action Framework (KtAF). First, we summarize evidence-based strategies (epidemiology, genetics, biomarkers, clinical trials, nonpharmacological interventions, networking and translational research) and align them to current global strategies to translate regional knowledge into actions with transformative power. Then, by characterizing genetic isolates, admixture in populations, environmental factors, and barriers to effective interventions and mapping these to the above challenges, we provide the basic mosaics of knowledge that will pave the way towards a KtAF. We describe strategies supporting the knowledge creation stage that underpins the translational impact of KtAF

Effects of pigment epithelium derived factor (PEDF) on malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumours (MPNSTs)

Neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1) is an inherited genetic disease affecting 1 in 3,500 individuals. A prominent feature of NF1 is the formation of benign tumours of the peripheral nerve sheath (neurofibromas). However, these can become malignant and form highly metastatic malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumours (MPNST), which are usually fatal despite aggressive surgery, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy. Recent studies have shown that pigment epithelium-derived factor (PEDF) can induce differentiation and inhibit angiogenesis in several kinds of tumours. The present study was designed to determine the in vitro and in vivo effects of PEDF on MPNST angiogenesis and tumour growth. PEDF inhibited proliferation and augmented apoptosis in S462 MPNST cells after 48 h of treatment in culture. In xenografts of S462 MPNST cells in athymic nude mice, PEDF suppressed MPNST tumour burden, due mainly to inhibition of angiogenesis. These results demonstrate for the first time inhibitory effects of PEDF on the growth of human MPNST via induction of anti-angiogenesis and apoptosis. Our results suggest that PEDF could be a novel approach for future therapeutic purposes against MPNST. © 2013 Springer Science+Business Media New York.N

Intentional search and reclassification of maternal deaths in Mexico: The effect on the distribution of causes.

Objective. To correct the misclassification and improve the quality of information on maternal mortality in Mexico. Materials and methods. Using clinical records and verbal autopsies, we studied all deaths certified as maternal deaths as well as a selection of deaths of women of childbearing age whose causes were considered as suspected of hiding a maternal death, all of which occurred during 2011 within Mexico. Results. The deliberate search of maternal deaths and reclassification allowed the rescue of just over 100 deaths that were not originally registered or coded as maternal and confirmed or corrected the causes of death recorded on death certificates as confirmed maternal deaths. This procedure also allowed the reclassification of 297 maternal deaths of women in the groundwork of the National Institute of Statistics and Geography. Conclusions. International Search and Reclassification of Maternal Deaths is a very useful procedure for improving the classification of cases that were not classified as maternal deaths and the effect was greater with the coding of indirect obstetric deaths

Meeting foreign people in Madrid. 'Encontrando extranjeros en Madrid'

Unidad didáctica del área de Lengua inglesa, que consiste en una salida escolar a dos puntos de Madrid: el aeropuerto y el museo del Prado. Una vez allí, los alumnos deben ir al encuentro de personas extranjeras y formularles una serie de preguntas en inglés. Las respuestas se registrarán en cinta de vídeo, de audio y por escrito. Los objetivos de la unidad son, entre otros, poner en contacto la clase de Inglés con sectores importantes de la ciudad, producir y comprender mensajes orales y escritos en esta lengua, y familiarizarse con el manejo de distintos medios audiovisuales. Se recogen, también, los objetivos y contenidos específicos, y el desarrollo de la unidad didáctica.MadridES

Mutual assistance and information exchange. Spain

This paper focuses on certain aspects concerning mutual assistance in tax recovery and information exchange. As a coauthor of the chapter, our contribution deals with these issues in the Spanish system by introducing our proposals on the topic.European Association of Tax Law Professor

Protein expression of pigment-epithelium-derived factor in rat cochlea

Pigment-epithelium-derived factor (PEDF) is a 50-kDa glycoprotein with well-recognised expression in various mammalian organs showing diverse (e.g. anti-angiogenic and neuroprotective) activities. However, at present, no information is available regarding the potential function of this cytokine in the inner ear. As a first approach to investigating whether PEDF is involved in cochlear function, we have explored its protein expression in the rat cochlea by immunocytochemistry. Our results show that PEDF expression in the cochlea is most prominent in the basilar membrane below the organ of Corti, in the lateral wall (especially in the stria vascularis), in ganglion neurons, and in the endothelia of blood vessels. Our findings on its distribution in the cochlea suggest that PEDF in the basilar membrane prevents blood vessel formation that would disturb cochlear micromechanics and would interfere with the mechano-electrical transduction in the organ of Corti. In cochlear ganglion neurons, PEDF might serve a neuroprotective function possibly protecting these neurons from excessive glutamate released by the inner hair cells. Our data constitute the first report on the morphological protein distribution of this multifunctional molecule in the rat cochlea and suggest its role in important functions of the internal ear

Anuario de Investigación Formativa en Contextos Globales 1

El Anuario, en su primer número, es un escenario de innovación por cuanto constituye una transformación de las Memorias del Programa Delfín; compilación que se elaboró desde el 2019 hasta el 2021 por la Universidad Católica de Colombia. Este cambio surge de la necesidad de ampliar la participación de estudiantes que desarrollan proyectos en otras estancias de investigación, incluidas aquellas que forman parte del Programa Ingenio. El Anuario compila el resumen de 14 proyectos que configuran los aportes de la juventud a los retos sociales, ambientales y económicos de la sociedad; y con ello se hace evidente el desarrollo de las habilidades de investigación e innovación de estudiantes de diferentes países. Los temas tratados fueron de relevancia social, política y económica. Entre estos se incluyen regulación emocional y bienestar psicológico, resolución de problemas, modelos parentales, identidad de la mujer indígena, redes sociales, democracia y empoderamiento de la sociedad civil, y calidad de vida en el trabajo. Otros proyectos abordaron política y crecimiento económico a través de temas como el empoderamiento de la sociedad civil, democracia, emprendimiento, política exterior, producción de café, entre otros. Los trabajos, a diferencia del ano anterior, no trataron con frecuencia la pandemia por COVID-19. Temas de innovación como diagonalización y análisis de frenado en accidentes de tránsito fueron también considerados como tópicos innovadores abordados en este grupo de proyectos. Con el Anuario de Investigación Formativa en Contextos Globales se espera brindar a los lectores una visión general acerca de los proyectos desarrollados por nuestra juventud investigadora y exaltar la loable labor de profesores y estudiantes en favor de la generación de nuevo conocimiento en la sociedad.Introducción. 1 ÁREA I: FÍSICA, MATEMÁTICAS Y CIENCIAS DE LA TIERRA. Tensor de inercia de una molécula de agua. Aplicación de la diagonalización a un proceso de Markov para el estudio de una distribución de camas de cuidado intensivo adulto usando la ecuación de diferencias. Análisis de frenado y accidentes de tránsito. Producción del café orgánico en Colombia. 2 ÁREA IV: HUMANIDADES Y CIENCIAS DE LA CONDUCTA. Análisis psicológico y práctico de la regulación de emociones en adolescentes. Redes sociales y comunicación en las relaciones de pareja. Modelos parentales y violencia en la crianza. Trastorno del espectro autista y su relación con el género: revisión narrativa. 3 ÁREA V: SOCIALES Y ECONÓMICAS. La identidad de la mujer indígena en Latinoamérica. Crisis de la democracia representativa actual y empoderamiento de la sociedad civil. Calidad de vida en el trabajo: caso de estudio de una mipyme en la ciudad de Emiliano Zapata, Tabasco, México. Análisis comparado del déficit gemelo, implicaciones del COVID-19, la invasión rusa sobre la incidencia entre México y Colombia (2017-2022). Una mirada desde la economía. Corea del Sur y la ASEAN: diplomacia multilateral y manejo de sus estrategias de política exterior como potencia media. 4 ÁREA VII: INGENIERÍA E INDUSTRIA. Cadenas de suministros para emprendedores en Latinoamérica. CONCLUSIONES