Utility of curcumin for the treatment of diabetes mellitus: Evidence from preclinical and clinical studies

"Turmeric or Curcuma longa is a natural product, whose medicinal properties have been extensively studied and a wide variety of therapeutic effects on several diseases such as neurodegenerative, hepatic and renal damage, cancer, and diabetes have been mainly attributed to its curcuminoid content. In the last decades, diabetes mellitus has become an alarming worldwide health issue, because of the increasing number of people suffering from the disease, as well as the devastating consequences for them. In this paper, we review the current basic and clinical evidence about the potential of curcumin/curcuminoids for the treatment of diabetes mellitus, mainly by its hypoglycemic, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory properties. The activity of curcumin (or curcuminoids) as a hypoglycemic agent or just as an adjuvant to improve the metabolic profile and to ameliorate the associated complications of diabetes mellitus, such as diabetic nephropathy and cardiopathy is discussed. The interactions between curcumin and conventional antidiabetic drugs might be explored for the therapeutic management of diabetes mellitus.

Detección de lesiones premalignas de cervix en las mujeres sexualmente activas, entre las edades de 18 a 40 años, que consultan en la Unidad Comunitaria de Salud Familiar de San Julián, Sonsonate, en el período de marzo a mayo de 2018

En esta investigación, se evalua a las usuarias sexualmente activas entre las edades de 18 a 40 años, que consultan en la Unidad Comunitaria de Salud Familiar de San Julián, Sonsonate, en el período de marzo a mayo de 2018, con el objetivo de detectar las lesiones premalignas de cérvix en este grupo poblacional, además, se entrevistaron y se recabó información para identificar los factores de riesgo que predisponen a dichas lesiones y que se encuentran presentes en estas mujeres. Se realiza una investigación de tipo descriptiva, de corte transversal y con enfoque cualitativo, en la cual se les realiza la citología cervicouterina a las 277 usuarias que cumplen los criterios de inclusión, y la correspondiente entrevista a cada una de ellas para obtener la información ya descrita anteriormente

Tendencias del uso de plataformas de pago online ante las tradicionales en el consumidor millennials.

La presente investigación expone el avance cronológico que han sufrido los métodos de pago tradicionalmente utilizados por la sociedad, específicamente por el sector millennial, siendo esta el eje principal del estudio. Asimismo, se muestra el impacto que tienen los métodos de pago digitales como un modelo alterno de satisfacción de las necesidades de dicha generación. A lo largo de la investigación se encuentra en el primer capítulo una breve retrospectiva de la evolución de los medios de pago tradicionales y como los diferentes usuarios del comercio interactúan llevando a cabo actividades económicas dentro de la era digital. Cabe resaltar que actualmente el acceso a redes de telecomunicaciones ha potencializado exponencialmente las empresas que desean tener presencia online, definitivamente los consumidores ahora poseen más opciones para escoger la que mejor supla sus necesidades. La aparición de los primeros medios de intercambio a través del excedente de granos y animales, pasando a la utilización de papel moneda, lo cual ha permitido el desarrollo de nuevas actividades comerciales y económicas mediante redes de comunicaciones como el Internet, dinamizando enormemente la economía a nivel local e internacional facilitando el acceso a nuevos productos. De igual manera, se analiza la importancia de la estandarización en el diseño de plataformas seguras, de fácil utilización que promuevan todos los beneficios para poder realizar el intercambio de forma digital. Deben de cumplir con lineamientos y estándares garantizando la protección de la información a la cual terceros no tengan acceso. Existen diversas categorías en las cuales se ha agrupado los diversos tipos de consumidores dependiendo de muchos factores, según la época en la que nacen y los acontecimientos que han marcado su desarrollo dentro de la sociedad, así como por los comportamientos similares que comparten con otras personas. Todo esto, ha permitido la agrupación de los consumidores en aras de brindar productos y servicios que satisfagan sus necesidades. Finalmente, se concluye que los consumidores millennials son clave para la mejora e incremento constante del comercio electrónico, de igual manera las marcas deben de crear mejores estrategias para satisfacer las necesidades de sus clientes y estar donde ellos se encuentran es decir crear una relación duradera

Differentiation of calcified regions and iron deposits in the ageing brain on conventional structural MR images:Calcium and Iron on Conventional MRI

Purpose: In the human brain, minerals such as iron and calcium accumulate increasingly with age. They typically appear hypointense on T2*‐weighted MRI sequences. This study aims to explore the differentiation and association between calcified regions and noncalcified iron deposits on clinical brain MRI in elderly, otherwise healthy subjects. Materials and Methods: Mineral deposits were segmented on co‐registered T1‐ and T2*‐weighted sequences from 100 1.5 Tesla MRI datasets of community‐dwelling individuals in their 70s. To differentiate calcified regions from noncalcified iron deposits we developed a method based on their appearance on T1‐weighted images, which was validated with a purpose‐designed phantom. Joint T1‐ and T2*‐weighted intensity histograms were constructed to measure the similarity between the calcified and noncalcified iron deposits using a Euclidean distance based metric. Results: We found distinct distributions for calcified regions and noncalcified iron deposits in the cumulative joint T1‐ and T2*‐weighted intensity histograms across all subjects (correlations ranging from 0.02 to 0.86; mean = 0.26 ± 0.16; t = 16.93; P < 0.001) consistent with differences in iron and calcium signal in the phantom. The mean volumes of affected tissue per subject for calcified and noncalcified deposits were 236.74 ± 309.70 mm3 and 283.76 ± 581.51 mm3; respectively. There was a positive association between the mineral depositions (β = 0.32, P < 0.005), consistent with existing literature reports. Conclusion: Calcified mineral deposits and noncalcified iron deposits can be distinguished from each other by signal intensity changes on conventional 1.5T T1‐weighted MRI and are significantly associated in brains of elderly, otherwise healthy subjects

Properties and customization of sensor materials for biomedical applications.

Low-power chemo- and biosensing devices capable of monitoring clinically important parameters in real time represent a great challenge in the analytical field as the issue of sensor calibration pertaining to keeping the response within an accurate calibration domain is particularly significant (1–4). Diagnostics, personal health, and related costs will also benefit from the introduction of sensors technology (5–7). In addition, with the introduction of Registration, Evaluation, Authorization, and Restriction of Chemical Substances (REACH) regulation, unraveling the cause–effect relationships in epidemiology studies will be of outmost importance to help establish reliable environmental policies aimed at protecting the health of individuals and communities (8–10). For instance, the effect of low concentration of toxic elements is seldom investigated as physicians do not have means to access the data (11)

Modelling operational risk using a Bayesian approach to extreme value theory

Extreme-value theory is concerned with the tail behaviour of probability distributions. In recent years, it has found many applications in areas as diverse as hydrology, actuarial science, and finance, where complex phenomena must often be modelled from a small number of observations.Extreme-value theory can be used to assess the risk of rare events either through the block maxima or peaks-over-threshold method. The choice of threshold is both influential and delicate, as a balance between the bias and variance of the estimates is required. At present, this threshold is often chosen arbitrarily, either graphically or by setting it as some high quantile of the data.Bayesian inference is an alternative to deal with this problem by treating the threshold as a parameter in the model. In addition, a Bayesian approach allows for the incorporation of internal and external observations in combination with expert opinion, thereby providing a natural probabilistic framework to evaluate risk models.This thesis presents a Bayesian inference framework for extremes. We focus on a model proposed by Behrens et al. (2004), where an analysis of extremes is performed using a mixture model that combines a parametric form for the centre and a Generalized Pareto Distribution (GPD) for the tail of the distribution. Our approach accounts for all the information available in making inference about the unknown parameters from both distributions, the threshold included. A Bayesian analysis is then performed by using expert opinions to determine the parameters for prior distributions; posterior inference is carried out through Markov Chain Monte Carlo methods. We apply this methodology to operational risk data to analyze its performance.The contributions of this thesis can be outlined as follows:-Bayesian models have been barely explored in operational risk analysis. In Chapter 3, we show how these models can be adapted to operational risk analysis using fraud data collected by different banks between 2007 and 2010. By combining prior information to the data, we can estimate the minimum capital requirement and risk measures such as the Value-at-Risk (VaR) and the Expected Shortfall (ES) for each bank.-The use of expert opinion plays a fundamental role in operational risk modelling. However, most of time this issue is not addressed properly. In Chapter 4, we consider the context of the problem and show how to construct a prior distribution based on measures that experts are familiar with, including VaR and ES. The purpose is to facilitate prior elicitation and reproduce expert judgement faithfully.-In Section 4.3, we describe techniques for the combination of expert opinions. While this issue has been addressed in other fields, it is relatively recent in our context. We examine how different expert opinions may influence the posterior distribution and how to build a prior distribution in this case. Results are presented on simulated and real data.-In Chapter 5, we propose several new mixture models with Gamma and Generalized Pareto elements. Our models improve upon previous work by Behrens et al. (2004) since the loss distribution is either continuous at a fixed quantile or it has continuous first derivative at the blend point. We also consider the cases when the scaling is arbitrary and when the density is discontinuous.-Finally, we introduce two nonparametric models. The first one is based on the fact that the GPD model can be represented as a Gamma mixture of exponential distributions, while the second uses a Dirichlet process prior on the parameters of the GPD model.La théorie des valeurs extrêmes concerne l'étude du comportement caudal de lois de probabilité. Ces dernières années, elle a trouvé de nombreuses applications dans des domaines aussi variés que l'hydrologie, l'actuariat et la finance, où l'on doit parfois modéliser des phénomènes complexes à partir d'un petit nombre d'observations.La théorie des valeurs extrêmes permet d'évaluer le risque d'événements rares par la méthode des maxima bloc par bloc ou celle des excès au-delà d'un seuil. Le choix du seuil est à la fois influent et délicat, vu la nécessité de trouver un équilibre entre le biais et la précision des estimations. À l'heure actuelle, ce seuil est souvent choisi arbitrairement, soit à partir d'un graphique ou d'un quantile élevé des données.L'inférence bayésienne permet de contourner cette difficulté en traitant le seuil comme un paramètre du modèle. L'approche bayésienne permet en outre d'incorporer des observations internes et externes en lien avec l'opinion d'experts, fournissant ainsi un cadre probabiliste naturel pour l'évaluation des modèles de risque.Cette thèse décrit un cadre d'inférence bayésien pour les extrêmes. Ce cadre est inspiré des travaux de Behrens et coll. (2004), dans lesquels l'étude des extrêmes est réalisée au moyen d'un modèle de mélange alliant une forme paramétrique pour le cœur de la distribution et une loi de Pareto généralisée (LPG) pour sa queue. L'approche proposée exploite toute l'information disponible pour le choix des paramètres des deux lois, y compris le seuil. Une analyse bayésienne tenant compte d'avis d'experts sur les paramètres des lois a priori est ensuite effectué; l'inférence a posteriori s'appuie sur une chaîne de Markov Monte-Carlo. Nous appliquons cette approche à des données relatives aux risqué opérationnels afin d'analyser sa performance.Les principales contributions de cette thèse sont les suivantes :-On fait rarement appel aux modèles bayésiens pour l'analyse du risque opérationnel. Au chapitre 3, nous montrons comment adapter ces modèles à l'analyse du risqué opérationnel au moyen de statistiques de fraudes recueillies par des banques entre 2007 et 2010. L'intégration d'information a priori aux données nous permet d'estimer le capital minimal requis pour chaque banque, ainsi que diverses mesures de risque telles que la valeur à-risque (VaR) et le déficit prévu (DP).-Les avis d'experts jouent un rôle clef dans la modélisation du risque opérationnel. Toutefois, cette question est souvent traitée de façon incorrecte. Au chapitre 4, nous examinons le problème dans son contexte et montrons comment choisir une loi a priori à partir de mesures que les experts connaissent bien, dont la VaR et le DP. Le but est de faciliter le choix de la loi a priori et de mieux refléter l'avis des experts.-À la section 4.3, nous décrivons diverses techniques de synthèse d'opinions d'experts. Bien que ce problème ait déjà été abordé dans d'autres domaines, il est relativement nouveau dans notre contexte. Nous montrons comment élaborer une loi a priori à partir d'avis d'experts et mesurons leur influence sur la loi a posteriori. Des données réelles et simulées sont utilisées aux fins d'illustration.-Au chapitre 5, nous proposons plusieurs nouveaux modèles faisant intervenir des mélanges de lois gamma et de Pareto généralisées. Ces modèles étendent les travaux de Behrens et coll. (2004) dans la mesure où la loi des pertes peut être continue à un quantile donné ou avoir une première dérivée continue au point de jonction. Nous traitons aussi les cas o ù l'échelle est arbitraire et la densité est discontinue.-Enfin, nous présentons deux modèles non paramétriques. Le premier s'appuie sur le fait que le modèle LPG peut être représenté comme un mélange gamma de lois exponentielles; dans le second, l'information a priori sur les paramètres du modèle LPG est représentée par un processus de Dirichlet

Diagnostico y propuesta de solución para mejorar la productividad en la industria de madera y muebles de El Salvador

El presente documento tiene como finalidad contribuir a mostrar como incrementar la productividad del sector industrial maderero, haciendo uso de las técnicas de ingeniería industrial que se ajusten al tipo de proceso predominante en ella. para ello se ha dispuesto la información en diez capítulos presentándose en el primero un marco referencial en el cual se destaca la importancia de contribuir a mejorar la producción, así como también se presenta información general de la rama en mención. se realiza una clasificación de las empresas, de sus productos y de las materias primas básicas que en ella utiliza. En el segundo capítulo se presenta el desarrollo de la metodología seguida para recabar la información, finalizando con el proceso de diseño, quien guiara el proceso para solucionar el problema, determinando aquellas soluciones que sean óptimas. de la metodología antes mencionadas surgen las soluciones que se identifican como las técnicas de ingeniería industrial, incluyéndose así técnicas para la organización y estructuración de las empresas, técnicas de planeación, programación y control, diseño del producto, distribución en planta, técnicas que incluyen todo lo referente a la disposición de las máquinas, los puestos de trabajo, el flujo de los materiales en el proceso, mantenimiento, higiene y seguridad industrial

Performance of Waist-To-Height Ratio, Waist Circumference, and Body Mass Index in Discriminating Cardio-Metabolic Risk Factors in a Sample of School-Aged Mexican Children

The most common tools used to screen for abdominal obesity are waist circumference (WC) and waist-to-height ratio (WHtR); the latter may represent a more suitable tool for the general non-professional population. The objective of this study was to evaluate the association of WHtR, WC, and body mass index with lipidic and non-lipidic cardio-metabolic risk factors and the prediction capability of each adiposity indicator in a sample of school-aged Mexican children. Overall, 125 children aged 6 to 12 years were analyzed. Anthropometric, biochemical, and dietary parameters were assessed. Receiving operating characteristic (ROC) analysis and univariate and multivariate linear and logistic regression analyses were performed. All the three adiposity indicators showed significant areas under the ROC curve (AURC) greater than 0.68 for high low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-c), triglycerides, and atherogenic index of plasma, and low high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-c). A significant increased risk of having LDL-c ≥ 3.4 mmol/L was observed among children with WHtR ≥ 0.5 as compared to those with WHtR < 0.5 (odds ratio, OR: 2.82; 95% confidence interval, CI: 0.75⁻7.68; p = 0.003). Fasting plasma glucose was not associated with any of the adiposity parameters. WHtR performed similarly to WC and z-BMI in predicting lipidic cardio-metabolic risk factors; however, a WHtR ≥ 0.5 was superior in detecting an increased risk of elevated LDL-c

Genetic Determinants of Atherogenic Indexes

Atherogenesis and dyslipidemia increase the risk of cardiovascular disease, which is the leading cause of death in developed countries. While blood lipid levels have been studied as disease predictors, their accuracy in predicting cardiovascular risk is limited due to their high interindividual and interpopulation variability. The lipid ratios, atherogenic index of plasma (AIP = log TG/HDL-C) and the Castelli risk index 2 (CI2 = LDL-C/HDL-C), have been proposed as better predictors of cardiovascular risk, but the genetic variability associated with these ratios has not been investigated. This study aimed to identify genetic associations with these indexes. The study population (n = 426) included males (40%) and females (60%) aged 18–52 years (mean 39 years); the Infinium GSA array was used for genotyping. Regression models were developed using R and PLINK. AIP was associated with variation on APOC3, KCND3, CYBA, CCDC141/TTN, and ARRB1 (p-value −6). The three former were previously associated with blood lipids, while CI2 was associated with variants on DIPK2B, LIPC, and 10q21.3 rs11251177 (p-value 1.1 × 10−7). The latter was previously linked to coronary atherosclerosis and hypertension. KCND3 rs6703437 was associated with both indexes. This study is the first to characterize the potential link between genetic variation and atherogenic indexes, AIP, and CI2, highlighting the relationship between genetic variation and dyslipidemia predictors. These results also contribute to consolidating the genetics of blood lipid and lipid indexes