Fornix volumetric increase during aging associates to microglia activation leading to defective cognitive performance

Background: Ageing displays a low-grade pro-inflammatory profile in blood and brain. It has been documented proinflammatory cytokines accumulation leading to neuroinflammation during aging. Aged brains integrate pro inflammatory cytokines accumulation, active microglia and volumetric changes which correlates with defective cognitive performance and neurodegeneration. Methods: Mice from 2-,12- and 20-months-old of age were submitted to different memory tests: Y-maze, Barnes maze, object location test and object location test. Afterwards, we performed structural MRI to evaluate macrostructural changes related to memory and learning regions. Following this, we also evaluated in peripheral blood and in brain tissue the presence of pro-inflammatory cytokines using the BioPlex platform. We also evaluated the presence of microglia and its morphology. Results: We found a progressive memory loss in an age-dependent manner among in the 12- and 20-months-old mice when compared with the 2-month-old mice. Regarding the MRI, it demonstrated that the fornix volume increased the most and, the left medial entorhinal cortex showed the most volume loss. Microglia number was augmented in fornix and decreased in medial entorhinal cortex which correlated with volume gain or loss, respectively. Microglia morphology was dystrophic and activated in fornix and in a “surveillance” phenotype in the medial entorhinal cortex. We found these phenotypes to be correlated to those volume changes we found in fornix and left medial entorhinal cortex. Conclusions: Here, we selectively identified an age-dependent proinflammatory profile and microglia activation favoring major volumetric brain changes in selective regions associated to cognitive decline in aged mice

Ultrasound findings in feline lower urinary tract disease (F.L.U.T.D)

Contextualización: la Enfermedad del Tracto Urinario Inferior Felino, conocida como FLUTD, es el conjunto de síntomas clínicos asociados a disturbios de la mucosa vesical y uretral del paciente felino, relacionados con la Cistitis Idiopática Felina (CIF), urolitiasis, Infección Bacteriana del Tracto Urinario (ITU), neoplasia de la pared vesical y los trastornos neurológicos. La ecografía abdominal es uno de los métodos diagnósticos más utilizados en patologías relacionadas con el tracto urinario, ya que permite observar con claridad la estructura renal, los uréteres, la vejiga y la uretra, que indicaría de una manera no invasiva si el paciente presenta alguna anormalidad en su tracto urinario. Vacío de conocimiento: dado que es una enfermedad causada por diferentes patologías que se caracterizan por presentar signos clínicos similares es necesario conocer, mediante el método diagnóstico más utilizado, la ecografía abdominal, los hallazgos más comunes para así detectar la causa principal y aplicar un tratamiento eficaz para nuestros pacientes felinos.  Propósito del estudio: identificar y caracterizar los hallazgos ecográficos más comunes en FLUTD de pacientes que ingresaron al servicio de diagnóstico ultrasonográfico en la clínica CUV de la ciudad de Ibagué, desde el 9 de mayo al 9 de septiembre del 2022.  Metodología: se obtuvieron las imágenes ecográficas de los felinos que ingresaron a la clínica con sintomatología de FLUTD para luego organizarlas de acuerdo con los hallazgos ecográficos más comunes, denotando las diferencias y similitudes estructurales entre pacientes. Las imágenes se obtuvieron mediante el equipo portátil Mindray DP-20, utilizando sonda lineal de hasta 10 Mhz y sonda microconvex de hasta 8.5 Mhz.  Resultados y conclusiones: el hallazgo ecográfico más evidenciado fue la presencia de sedimento no mineralizado en diez casos (35,7%); en segundo lugar, se encontraron otras variaciones anatómicas como sedimento no mineralizado con engrosamiento de la pared vesical, presencia de sedimento mixto y flóculos, solo sedimento mixto y sedimento mixto con engrosamiento de la pared vesical y flóculos, cada uno de estos con tres casos (10,7%). Los hallazgos menos comunes fueron: sedimento no mineralizado con aumento en el grosor de la pared vesical y la presencia de contenido libre, sedimento no mineralizado con hilos de fibrina, dilatación uretral y la presencia de sedimento mixto con aumento en el grosor de la pared vesical, cada uno con un caso (3,5%) del total de los veintiséis pacientes.Let\u27s contextualize. Feline lower urinary tract disease known as FLUTD, is the set of clinical symptoms associated with disorders of the bladder and urethral mucosa of the feline patient associated with feline idiopathic cystitis (FIC), urolithiasis, bacterial urinary tract infection (UTI), bladder wall neoplasia and neurological disorders. Abdominal ultrasound is one of the most used diagnostic methods in pathologies related to the urinary tract, which allows us to clearly observe the renal structure, ureters, bladder, and urethra, which would indicate in a non-invasive way if the patient presented some abnormality in your urinary tract.   Knowledge gap. Being a disease caused by different pathologies that are characterized by presenting similar clinical signs, it is necessary to know by means of the most used diagnostic method, which is abdominal ultrasound, the most common hallmarks to detect the main cause and thus an effective treatment for our feline patients.   Purpose from the studio. Identify and characterize the most common echographic hallmarks in FLUTD of patients who entered the ultrasound diagnostic service at the CUV clinic in the city of Ibagué, from May 9th to September 9th, 2022.   Methodology for obtaining ultrasound images of the felines that entered the clinic with symptoms of FLUTD to organize them accordingly to the most common echographic hallmarks, denoting the differences and structural similarities between patients. The images were obtained using the Mindray DP-20 portable equipment, using a linear probe up to 10 Mhz and a microconvex probe up to 8.5 Mhz.   Results and conclusions. The most evident echographic hallmark was the presence of non-mineralized sediment in 10 cases (35.7%); Secondly, there are other anatomical variations, (Non-mineralized sediment with thickening of the bladder wall; Presence of mixed sediment and floccules; Solo mixed sediment; And mixed sediment with thickening of the bladder wall and floccules), each of these with 3 cases (10.7%). The least common hallmarks are: Non-mineralized sediment with an increase in the thickness of the bladder wall and the presence of free content; Non-mineralized sediment with fibrin hila; Urethral dilation; There is the presence of mixed sediment with increase in the thickness of the bladder wall, each with 1 case (3.5%) of the total number of patient veins

Spatiotemporal Characteristics of the Largest HIV-1 CRF02_AG Outbreak in Spain: Evidence for Onward Transmissions

Background and Aim: The circulating recombinant form 02_AG (CRF02_AG) is the predominant clade among the human immunodeficiency virus type-1 (HIV-1) non-Bs with a prevalence of 5.97% (95% Confidence Interval-CI: 5.41–6.57%) across Spain. Our aim was to estimate the levels of regional clustering for CRF02_AG and the spatiotemporal characteristics of the largest CRF02_AG subepidemic in Spain.Methods: We studied 396 CRF02_AG sequences obtained from HIV-1 diagnosed patients during 2000–2014 from 10 autonomous communities of Spain. Phylogenetic analysis was performed on the 391 CRF02_AG sequences along with all globally sampled CRF02_AG sequences (N = 3,302) as references. Phylodynamic and phylogeographic analysis was performed to the largest CRF02_AG monophyletic cluster by a Bayesian method in BEAST v1.8.0 and by reconstructing ancestral states using the criterion of parsimony in Mesquite v3.4, respectively.Results: The HIV-1 CRF02_AG prevalence differed across Spanish autonomous communities we sampled from (p < 0.001). Phylogenetic analysis revealed that 52.7% of the CRF02_AG sequences formed 56 monophyletic clusters, with a range of 2–79 sequences. The CRF02_AG regional dispersal differed across Spain (p = 0.003), as suggested by monophyletic clustering. For the largest monophyletic cluster (subepidemic) (N = 79), 49.4% of the clustered sequences originated from Madrid, while most sequences (51.9%) had been obtained from men having sex with men (MSM). Molecular clock analysis suggested that the origin (tMRCA) of the CRF02_AG subepidemic was in 2002 (median estimate; 95% Highest Posterior Density-HPD interval: 1999–2004). Additionally, we found significant clustering within the CRF02_AG subepidemic according to the ethnic origin.Conclusion: CRF02_AG has been introduced as a result of multiple introductions in Spain, following regional dispersal in several cases. We showed that CRF02_AG transmissions were mostly due to regional dispersal in Spain. The hot-spot for the largest CRF02_AG regional subepidemic in Spain was in Madrid associated with MSM transmission risk group. The existence of subepidemics suggest that several spillovers occurred from Madrid to other areas. CRF02_AG sequences from Hispanics were clustered in a separate subclade suggesting no linkage between the local and Hispanic subepidemics

Factors from the theory of planned behavior and soda consumption patterns among university students

En México, el consumo de bebidas endulzadas o refrescos es uno de los más altos a nivel mundial, esto representa un factor de riesgo para el desarrollo de obesidad y enfermedades metabólicas. En este estudio empleamos la Teoría de la Conducta Planeada (TCP) para identificar factores cognitivos asociados a la frecuencia de consumo de refrescos en adultos jóvenes mexicanos. Estudiamos una muestra de 261 personas, 110 hombres y 151 mujeres, de 18 a 45 años de edad (M= 22.51; DE = 4.2). Los participantes completaron cuestionarios de frecuencia de consumo e instrumentos basados en la TCP. Se encontraron dos factores predictores independientes y significativos de la frecuencia de consumo, el principal fue la baja autoeficacia, seguido por la intención. Ambos factores explican el 27.3% de la varianza de la frecuencia de consumo. Estos resultados contribuyen a entender los factores cognitivos involucrados en el consumo de refrescos, y sugieren que la alta frecuencia de consumo es una conducta no racional, por lo que podrían estar implicados aspectos afectivos y motivacionales, lo que deberá ser dilucidado con más investigación que permita explorar nuevas alternativas para el desarrollo de programas de prevención y tratamiento del consumo de bebidas con riesgo para la salud humana.Fil: Campos-Ramírez, Cesar. Universidad Autonoma de Queretaro; MéxicoFil: Palacios, Jorge. Universidad Autonoma de Queretaro; MéxicoFil: Anaya-Loyola, Miriam Aracely. Universidad Autonoma de Queretaro; MéxicoFil: Ramirez Amaya, Victor. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Córdoba. Instituto de Investigación Médica Mercedes y Martín Ferreyra. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Instituto de Investigación Médica Mercedes y Martín Ferreyra; Argentin

Digital Pregnancy Test Powered by an Air-Breathing Paper-Based Microfluidic Fuel Cell Stack Using Human Urine as Fuel

The direct integration of paper-based microfluidic fuel cells (μFC’s) toward creating autonomous lateral flow assays has attracted attention. Here, we show that an air-breathing paper-based μFC could be used as a power supply in pregnancy tests by oxidizing the human urine used for the diagnosis. We present an air-breathing paper-based μFC connected to a pregnancy test, and for the first time, as far as we know, it is powered by human urine without needing any external electrolyte. It uses TiO2-Ni as anode and Pt/C as cathode; the performance shows a maximum value of voltage and current and power densities of ∼0.96 V, 1.00 mA cm−2, and 0.23 mW cm−2, respectively. Furthermore, we present a simple design of a paper-based μFC’s stack powered with urine that shows a maximum voltage and maximum current and power densities of ∼1.89 V, 2.77 mA cm−2 and 1.38 mW cm−2, respectively, which powers the display of a pregnancy test allowing to see the analysis results

Virtual didactics for learning the history of health and illness. Creation of an image bank and a virtual library on the history of health and care sciences. Part II

La creación de la página web «Biblioteca virtual de historia de las ciencias de la salud», en el espacio complutense https://www.ucm.es/historiadelasalud/ resultado del proyecto 253 de la edición de los Proyectos Innova del curso 2020-2021, nos ha permitido ofrecer a la comunidad académica y científica una herramienta virtual con la que poder consultar fuentes históricas sobre las ciencias de la salud, como forma de creación y comunicación del conocimiento científico. Consideramos necesaria la elaboración de didácticas en las que el conocimiento teórico del pasado se pueda emplear como argumentario en la resolución de conflictos actuales o procesos en los que se persigue la mejora en la salud de la población. Entre las didácticas empleadas, consideramos que el uso de las plataformas virtuales nos facilita una serie de herramientas de uso más generalizado entre los estudiantes, que además posibilita el acceso ágil e intuitivo a fuentes históricas de difícil identificación sin el conocimiento adecuado de la metodología propia de la historia. La elaboración de un espacio virtual en el que se organicen y clasifiquen las ricas y diversas fuentes artísticas, materiales y documentales relacionadas con la salud y la enfermedad a lo largo de la historia, no solo facilita al alumno su localización, sino también su análisis dentro del contexto cultural y social en el que se produjeron. De esta forma se produce un ejercicio de razonamiento lógico y reflexivo que provee a los alumnos de las herramientas necesarias para comprender de forma global incluso los problemas actuales relacionados con la salud y la enfermedad, así como sus diferentes interacciones con las esferas que influyen en ella, la biológica, la social, la cultural, la económica y la política.The creation of the website "Virtual library of the history of health sciences", in the Complutense space https://www.ucm.es/historiadelasalud/ as a result of project 253 of the 2020-2021 edition of the Innova Projects, has allowed us to offer the academic and scientific community a virtual tool with which to consult historical sources on health sciences, as a way of creating and communicating scientific knowledge. We consider it necessary to develop didactics in which theoretical knowledge of the past can be used as an argument in the resolution of current conflicts or processes in which the aim is to improve the health of the population. Among the didactics used, we consider that the use of virtual platforms provides us with a series of tools of more generalised use among students, which also enables agile and intuitive access to historical sources that are difficult to identify without adequate knowledge of the methodology of history. The creation of a virtual space in which the rich and diverse artistic, material and documentary sources related to health and illness throughout history are organised and classified not only makes it easier for students to locate them, but also to analyse them within the cultural and social context in which they were produced. In this way, a logical and reflective reasoning exercise is produced that provides students with the necessary tools to comprehensively understand even the current problems related to health and illness, as well as their different interactions with the spheres that influence them: biological, social, cultural, economic and political.Depto. de EnfermeríaFac. de Enfermería, Fisioterapia y PodologíaFALSEsubmitte

Perinatal exposure to organohalogen pollutants decreases vasopressin content and its mRNA expression in magnocellular neuroendocrine cells activated by osmotic stress in adult rats

Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) are environmental pollutants that produce neurotoxicity and neuroendocrine disruption. They affect the vasopressinergic system but their disruptive mechanisms are not well understood. Our group reported that rats perinatally exposed to Aroclor-1254 (A1254) and DE-71 (commercial mixtures of PCBs and PBDEs) decrease somatodendritic vasopressin (AVP) release while increasing plasma AVP responses to osmotic activation, potentially emptying AVP reserves required for body-water balance. The aim of this research was to evaluate the effects of perinatal exposure to A1254 or DE-71 (30mgkg/day) on AVP transcription and protein content in the paraventricular and supraoptic hypothalamic nuclei, of male and female rats, by in situ hybridization and immunohistochemistry. cFOS mRNA expression was evaluated in order to determine neuroendocrine cells activation due to osmotic stimulation. Animal groups were: vehicle (control); exposed to either A1254 or DE-71; both, control and exposed, subjected to osmotic challenge. The results confirmed a physiological increase in AVP-immunoreactivity (AVP-IR) and gene expression in response to osmotic challenge as reported elsewhere. In contrast, the exposed groups did not show this response to osmotic activation, they showed significant reduction in AVP-IR neurons, and AVP mRNA expression as compared to the hyperosmotic controls. cFOS mRNA expression increased in A1254 dehydrated groups, suggesting that the AVP-IR decrease was not due to a lack of the response to the osmotic activation. Therefore, A1254 may interfere with the activation of AVP mRNA transcript levels and protein, causing a central dysfunction of vasopressinergic system

How do women living with HIV experience menopause? Menopausal symptoms, anxiety and depression according to reproductive age in a multicenter cohort

CatedresBackground: To estimate the prevalence and severity of menopausal symptoms and anxiety/depression and to assess the differences according to menopausal status among women living with HIV aged 45-60 years from the cohort of Spanish HIV/AIDS Research Network (CoRIS). Methods: Women were interviewed by phone between September 2017 and December 2018 to determine whether they had experienced menopausal symptoms and anxiety/depression. The Menopause Rating Scale was used to evaluate the prevalence and severity of symptoms related to menopause in three subscales: somatic, psychologic and urogenital; and the 4-item Patient Health Questionnaire was used for anxiety/depression. Logistic regression models were used to estimate odds ratios (ORs) of association between menopausal status, and other potential risk factors, the presence and severity of somatic, psychological and urogenital symptoms and of anxiety/depression. Results: Of 251 women included, 137 (54.6%) were post-, 70 (27.9%) peri- and 44 (17.5%) pre-menopausal, respectively. Median age of onset menopause was 48 years (IQR 45-50). The proportions of pre-, peri- and post-menopausal women who had experienced any menopausal symptoms were 45.5%, 60.0% and 66.4%, respectively. Both peri- and post-menopause were associated with a higher likelihood of having somatic symptoms (aOR 3.01; 95% CI 1.38-6.55 and 2.63; 1.44-4.81, respectively), while post-menopause increased the likelihood of having psychological (2.16; 1.13-4.14) and urogenital symptoms (2.54; 1.42-4.85). By other hand, post-menopausal women had a statistically significant five-fold increase in the likelihood of presenting severe urogenital symptoms than pre-menopausal women (4.90; 1.74-13.84). No significant differences by menopausal status were found for anxiety/depression. Joint/muscle problems, exhaustion and sleeping disorders were the most commonly reported symptoms among all women. Differences in the prevalences of vaginal dryness (p = 0.002), joint/muscle complaints (p = 0.032), and sweating/flush (p = 0.032) were found among the three groups. Conclusions: Women living with HIV experienced a wide variety of menopausal symptoms, some of them initiated before women had any menstrual irregularity. We found a higher likelihood of somatic symptoms in peri- and post-menopausal women, while a higher likelihood of psychological and urogenital symptoms was found in post-menopausal women. Most somatic symptoms were of low or moderate severity, probably due to the good clinical and immunological situation of these women