Enolase: A Key Player in the Metabolism and a Probable Virulence Factor of Trypanosomatid Parasites—Perspectives for Its Use as a Therapeutic Target

Glycolysis and glyconeogenesis play crucial roles in the ATP supply and synthesis of glycoconjugates, important for the viability and virulence, respectively, of the human-pathogenic stages of Trypanosoma brucei, Trypanosoma cruzi, and Leishmania spp. These pathways are, therefore, candidate targets for antiparasite drugs. The glycolytic/gluconeogenic enzyme enolase is generally highly conserved, with similar overall fold and identical catalytic residues in all organisms. Nonetheless, potentially important differences exist between the trypanosomatid and host enzymes, with three unique, reactive residues close to the active site of the former that might be exploited for the development of new drugs. In addition, enolase is found both in the secretome and in association with the surface of Leishmania spp. where it probably functions as plasminogen receptor, playing a role in the parasite's invasiveness and virulence, a function possibly also present in the other trypanosomatids. This location and possible function of enolase offer additional perspectives for both drug discovery and vaccination

Características coligadas al estilo de vida en pacientes adultos mayores en un Centro de Salud de los Andes en el Perú: Characteristics related to lifestyle in elderly patients in a Health Center of the Andes in Peru

Introduction: A correct lifestyle is vital in older adults to reduce their risk of diseases and loss of functionality. Objective: To determine the lifestyles of elderly patients in a Health Center in the Peruvian Andes. Method: Observational, descriptive study with elderly patients from a health center. We worked with a previously collected database. Descriptive statistics were used. The study was approved by the institutional ethics committee. Results: Of the 74 patients evaluated, the mean age was 75.4 years and 52% were females. The mean BMI was 24.8 kg / m2 and that of the abdominal circumference was 86.8 cm. 32.7% had a visual acuity of 70 in the right eye and 36.4% of 50 in the left eye. Glucose (mg / dL), hemoglobin (g / dL) and uric acid (mg / dL) had a median of 97, 15.4 and 7; respectively. Triglycerides and cholesterol had a mean of 182.2 mg / dL and 189.9 mg / dL; respectively. 5.4% of men had reactive PSA. 4% had diabetes, 21.6% hypertension, and 22.2% anemia; while 70.3% consumed alcohol, 6.8% smoked and 89.2% consumed soda. Conclusions: Some indicators of poor lifestyle were found, such as the consumption of alcohol and soft drinks, as well as indicators of conditions related to a poor lifestyle such as an average BMI close to being overweight, high triglycerides and cholesterol.Introducción: Un correcto estilo de vida es vital en los adultos mayores para reducir su riesgo de enfermedades y de perder funcionalidad. Objetivo: Determinar las características coligadas al estilo de vida en pacientes adultos mayores en un Centro de Salud de los andes peruanos. Método: Estudio observacional, descriptivo con pacientes adultos mayores de un centro de salud. Se trabajó con una base de datos previamente recolectada. Se usó estadística descriptiva. El estudio fue aprobado por el comité de ética institucional. Resultados: De los 74 pacientes evaluados, la media de edad fue de 75,4 años y el 52% fue de sexo femenino. La media del IMC fue de 24,8 Kg/m2 y la del perímetro abdominal de 86,8 cm. 32,7% tuvieron una agudeza visual de 70 en el ojo derecho y 36,4% de 50 en el ojo izquierdo. La glucosa (mg/dL), hemoglobina (g/dL) y el ácido úrico (mg/dL) tuvieron una mediana de 97, 15,4 y 7; respectivamente. Los triglicéridos y el colesterol tuvieron una media de 182,2 mg/dL y 189,9 mg/dL; respectivamente. Un 5,4% de hombres tuvieron PSA reactivo. 4% tuvieron diabetes, 21,6% hipertensión arterial y 22,2% anemia; mientras que 70,3% consumía alcohol, 6,8% tenía tabaquismo y 89,2% consumía bebidas gaseosas. Conclusiones: Se encontraron algunos indicadores de mal estilo de vida, como el consumo de alcohol y bebidas gaseosas, así como indicadores de condiciones relacionadas a un mal estilo de vida como una media del IMC cercano al sobrepeso, de triglicéridos y colesterol elevados

An elastic software architecture for extreme-scale big data analytics

This chapter describes a software architecture for processing big-data analytics considering the complete compute continuum, from the edge to the cloud. The new generation of smart systems requires processing a vast amount of diverse information from distributed data sources. The software architecture presented in this chapter addresses two main challenges. On the one hand, a new elasticity concept enables smart systems to satisfy the performance requirements of extreme-scale analytics workloads. By extending the elasticity concept (known at cloud side) across the compute continuum in a fog computing environment, combined with the usage of advanced heterogeneous hardware architectures at the edge side, the capabilities of the extreme-scale analytics can significantly increase, integrating both responsive data-in-motion and latent data-at-rest analytics into a single solution. On the other hand, the software architecture also focuses on the fulfilment of the non-functional properties inherited from smart systems, such as real-time, energy-efficiency, communication quality and security, that are of paramount importance for many application domains such as smart cities, smart mobility and smart manufacturing.The research leading to these results has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 Programme under the ELASTIC Project (www.elastic-project.eu), grant agreement No 825473.Peer ReviewedPostprint (published version

Comportamiento de anopheles (Kerteszia) ledidotus zavortink, 1973 y su discriminación como posible vector de malaria en el departamento del Tolima Colombia (1)

Entomological studies were made of a focus of P. vivax malaria in the municipalities of Cunday, Villarrica, Dolores, Prado and Purificación, Departament of Tolima, during april 1981 to may 1983. Of 2.209 anopheline mosquitoes collected from human bait all were of the subgenus Kerteszia, 99.5% of which were An. (K) lepidotus and the remainder An. (K). boliviensis. Therefore, it was concluded that An. lepidotusis the vector in this focus; this in the first report of this species being incriminated as a malaria vector in Colombia. Earlier observations in this focus had incriminated An. boliviensis due to taxonomic confusion which has been only clarified in the last 10 years. Highest An lepidotus densities occurred during January to June and peak An lepidotus density proceeded peak malaria cases by about 2 months. An. lepidotus was found to be highly exophagic (3. 7 times more human biting activity outdoors than indoors) and exophilic (92% of those feeding indoors left the house whiteout resting). Human biting is almost totally diurnal with peak biting activity between 15:00 and 18:00 hours. No evidence was found of irritability or physiological resistance to DDT. Implications of the above results in relation to malaria control measures are discussed and the present known distribution of An. lepidotus in Colombia is given.En un foco de transmisión de malaria en el Departamento del Tolima, que comprende 16 localidades de los municipios de Cunday, Villarrica, Dolores, Prado y Purificación; y donde se encuentran únicamente casos autóctonos de Plamodium se realizaron estudios entomológicos desde abril de 1981 hasta mayo de 1983. Se colectaron con cebo humano 2.209 mosquitos Anopheles, todos del subgénero Kerteszia, de los cuales el 99.5% (2.209) fue Anopheles epidotusZavortink, 1973 y los restantes 10 (0.5%) An. boliviensis Theobald, 1905. Se concluye, con evidencia epidemiológica, que An. lepidotuses el posible vector en este foco. Es el primer registro conocido en que esta especie se incrimina como posible vector de malaria en Colombia. Antiguas observaciones en este foco hablan incriminado como responsable de la transmisión de malaria a An. boliviensis, debido a confusiones taxonómicas, aclaradas en los últimos 10 años. Las más altas densidades de An. lepidotus ocurrieron de enero a junio y el pico de densidad precedió por cerca de 2 meses al pico de casos de malaria. Se encontró que An. lepidotus es altamente exófagica (3.7 veces mayor actividad de picadura fuera de las casas que dentro) y exófilica (92% de las hembras que picaron, salieron sin reposar en las superficies dentro de las casas). Su hábito de picadura es diurno, con un pico de actividad entre las 15:00 y 18:00 horas. No se encontró evidencia de irritabilidad o resistencia fisiológica al DDT. Se discute la implicación de dichos resultados en relación a medidas de control de malaria y se presenta la distribución conocida hasta ahora de An. lepidotus en Colombia

First report of Cricocephalus albus (Digenea: Pronocephalidae) from Peru, parasite of the green turtle (Chelonia mydas agassizii)

Se registra por primera vez para Perú a Cricocephalus albus (Digenea: Pronocephalidae) en la tortuga verde del Pacífico oriental (Chelonia mydas agassizii). Los parásitos fueron colectados durante la necropsia de una tortuga verde varada en el estuario de Virrilá localizado en la provincia de Sechura, Departamento de Piura, Perú. El presente trabajo realiza una breve descripción de C. albus, así como la discusión de sus hospederos y distribución geográfica.Cricocephalus albus (Digenea: Pronocephalidae) is registered for first time in Peru in the East Pacific green turtle (Chelonia mydas agassizii). The parasites were collected during a necropsy carried out in a stranded sea turtle in the Virrilá estuary, located in the Sechura province of Piura, Peru. The specimens were studied morphologically and identified as C. albus. The current work describes C. albus, as well as the discussion of its hosts and geographic distribution

Obesity and Stroke: Does the Paradox Apply for Stroke?

Historically, obesity has been identified as one of the most important risk factors for developing cardiovascular diseases including stroke; however, a theory called “The Obesity Paradox” has been recently considered. The paradoxical theory is that obese or overweight patients (according to body mass index score) can have better outcomes compared to leaner or malnourished patients. The paradox was initially discovered in patients with heart failure. The purpose of this manuscript was to investigate whether this paradox also applies to stroke patients, according to information available in the current literature

Factors affecting diabetic patient’s long-term quality of life after simultaneous pancreas-kidney transplantation: a single-center analysis

[Purpose]: Pancreas transplantation (PT) is one of the few ways to restore euglycemia within diabetic patients; however, the high morbidity caused by surgical complications and the need for immunosuppressive therapy has raised controversy about PT improving the health-related quality-of-life (HRQoL). The aim of this study is to assess the long-term (≥ 5 years after PT) HRQoL and to identify the factors affecting it.[Methods]: A single-center, cross-sectional study of 49 sequential PT was performed. All patients conducted a telephone interview to fulfill the modification of Medical Outcome Health Survey Short Form questionnaire (SF-36v2) and were compared to similar post-PT studies from the literature.[Results]: Patients with a history of replacement renal therapy (RRT) or neuropathy undergoing a PT were associated to a worse bodily pain (P = 0.03) and physical function (P = 0.04), respectively, whereas those with retinopathy showed an improved Role Emotional (P = 0.04). Multivariate analysis revealed the presence of RRT as the only independent prognostic factor for a worse bodily pain [relative risk = 3.9; 95% confidence interval (1.1–14.6)], (P = 0.04). Furthermore, nearly all PT recipients (91.8%) claimed an overall better health than prior to PT.[Conclusion]: Our study confirms that PT recipients’ HRQoL improves after PT, showing similar HRQoL scores across different populations and suggests that patients in predialysis could benefit from an improved HRQoL if transplanted on the early stages of the disease