Reconstituted plant viral capsids can release genes to mammalian cells

AbstractThe nucleocapsids of many plant viruses are significantly more robust and protective of their RNA contents than those of enveloped animal viruses. In particular, the capsid protein (CP) of the plant virus Cowpea Chlorotic Mottle Virus (CCMV) is of special interest because it has been shown to spontaneously package, with high efficiency, a large range of lengths and sequences of single-stranded RNA molecules. In this work we demonstrate that hybrid virus-like particles, assembled in vitro from CCMV CP and a heterologous RNA derived from a mammalian virus (Sindbis), are capable of releasing their RNA in the cytoplasm of mammalian cells. This result establishes the first step in the use of plant viral capsids as vectors for gene delivery and expression in mammalian cells. Furthermore, the CCMV capsid protects the packaged RNA against nuclease degradation and serves as a robust external scaffold with many possibilities for further functionalization and cell targeting

Análisis, diseño y desarrollo de un sistema experto con tecnología web open source para la selección de personal de una organización a través de un test psicológico

El presente trabajo de graduación es el desarrollo de un sistema experto de acceso a través del web con tecnologías de código abierto, para la selección de personal calificado utilizando una evaluación psicológica. El sistema tiene como fuente de conocimiento la experiencia de un experto en el área de la psicología en recursos humanos. La meta es convertir a esta herramienta en un sistema que brinde el soporte necesario a las personas encargadas de la selección de personal en las empresas, tomando en cuenta una gran variedad de evaluaciones que miden varios aspectos; tales como, pruebas psicológicas, emocionales o intelectuales del o los candidatos, entre otros. El conocimiento experto se representa y trabaja a través de reglas de producción tipo “Si – Entonces”, las cuales son evaluadas en su valor de verdad y a través de estas evaluaciones se generan conclusiones, las cuales brindan resultados confiables y muy próximos a los que generan los expertos. Las pruebas que se implementan dentro de la herramienta capturan las respuestas que provee la persona a ser seleccionada, se evalúan sus respuestas y se genera un resultado, todos los valores generados de las distintas pruebas serán procesadas por el sistema experto para generar una recomendación de selección o no.This graduation work is to develop an expert system access through the web with open source technologies for the selection of qualified personnel using a psychological evaluation. The system is a source of knowledge the experience of an expert in the area of psychology in human resources. The goal is to make this tool on a system that provides the necessary support to those responsible for recruitment in companies, taking into account a variety of assessments that measure various aspects; such as psychological tests, emotional or intellectuals or candidates, among others. The expert knowledge is represented and works through production rules like "if - then" which are evaluated on their truth value and through these assessments conclusions are generated, which provide reliable results very close to those that generate experts. The tests that are implemented within the tool captures responses provided by the person to be selected, their responses are evaluated and a result is generated, all the generated values of the various tests will be processed by the expert system to generate a recommendation for selection or not

Descripción de la Pandemia por COVID-19 en las Parroquias Samborondón, Daule y Durán

In Ecuador, the highest number of daily infections due to SARS-CoV-2 occurred in Guayaquil between April 4th and May 3th. The objective of this study is to perform a descriptive analysis of the quantitative PCR tests in real-time in Samborondón, Daule, and Durán during the months of April to August in the UEESBiolab laboratory. The results according to gender indicated that men register a greater number of positive cases compared to the female gender. People with an age within the Economically Active Population (EAP) were the ones who attended the test the most and who were positive in 13.9%. Additionally, for positive results, it was found that there is no statistically significant difference between groups for variables gender, age, canton, and parish. Finally, an increase in positive patients is observed in rural areas during this first wave of infection, with the rural population of Samborondón with the highest number of infections.En Ecuador, el mayor número de contagios diarios  por SARS-CoV-2 ocurrió en Guayaquil entre el 4 de abril al 3 de mayo. Este estudio, tiene como objetivo realizar un análisis descriptivo de las pruebas PCR cuantitativa en tiempo real en las parroquias de Samborondón, Daule y Durán durante los meses de abril a agosto en el laboratorio UEESBiolab. Los resultados en función del género indicaron que, los hombres registran un mayor número de casos positivos en comparación al género femenino. Las personas con una edad dentro de la Población Económicamente Activa (PEA) fueron los que más acudieron a realizarse la prueba y que resultaron positivos en un 13,9 %.  Adicionalmente, para los resultados positivos se comprobó que no existe diferencia estadística significativa entre grupos para variables género, edad, cantón y parroquia. Finalmente, se observa un incremento de los pacientes positivos en zonas rurales durante esta primera ola de infección, siendo con mayor número de contagios la población rural de Samborondón

Acinetobacter baumannii: patógeno multirresistente emergente

Introduccion: Acinetobacter baumannii es un bacilo Gram negativo oportunista, clasiicado por la Sociedad Americana de Enfermedades Infecciosas como uno de los seis más importantes microorganismos multirresistentes alrededor del mundo. En Colombia, según informes del Ministerio de Salud y Protección Social, dentro de los microorganismos multirresistente aislados en unidades de cuidados intensivos del país en el año 2014, A. baumannii representó el 3,1%. Objetivo: revisar los aspectos relevantes en la epidemiología, hábitat natural, factores de riesgo y virulencia para la infección por A. baumannii, sus manifestaciones clínicas y diferentes mecanismos de resistencia frente a múltiples fármacos, las estrategias de manejo actual y en desarrollo para enfrentar este microorganismo y mecanismos encaminados a prevenir y controlar la aparicion del mismo. Metodologia de búsqueda: se realizó una búsqueda en las bases de datos LILACS, PubMed, SciELO, Imbiomed, Cochrane, Clinicalkey, Biblioteca Virtual en Salud, de 890 articulos se seleccionaron 254. Resultados: las especies de Acinetobacter pueden ser aisladas de objetos animados e inanimados. Crecen en casi todas las muestras de suelos y agua fresca. En el medio hospitalario, estos microorganismos han sido aislados de humidiicadores, equipos de ventilación, hojas de laringoscopio, cortinas, piel del personal de salud, colchones, cojines y otros equipos. Sus factores de virulencia no han sido dilucidados en totalidad, entre ellos se encuentran proteína de membrana externa OmpaA, lipopolisacáridos y polisacáridos capsulares, vesículas de membrana externa, fosfolipasa C y D y alteración de las proteínas de unión de penicilina. Las manifestaciones clínicas son variadas, principalmente en entorno asociado a cuidado de la salud. Sus mecanismo de resistencia son múltiples, los cuales se agrupan en tres categorías: enzimas inactivadoras de antimicrobianos, limitación del acceso a las dianas bacterianas y mutaciones que alteran las dianas o funciones celulares. Los carbapenémicos aún son considerados como agentes de elección para las infecciones graves por A. Baumannii, con opciones terapeuticas adicionales como sulbactam, tobramicina, amikacina, tigeciclina, minociclina, doxiciclina y colistina. Investigadores han reportado interrupción de la transmisión de A. baumannii posterior al reforzamiento de medidas para prevención y control de infecciones, tales como higiene de manos, uso de métodos de barrera (tapabocas, guantes, entre otros) y exhaustiva limpieza y desinfección del ambiente hospitalario. En otros casos la transmisión es más difícil de interrumpir, requiriendo aislamiento de pacientes, asignación de personal asistencial para vigilancia, cultivos de vigilancia activa y cierre de las unidades. Conclusiones: consideramos primordial el manejo de los pacientes de acuerdo a la localización de la infección y el patrón de resistencia presente en las cepas de la unidad en particular. Es importante la creación de protocolos institucionales con escalones terapéuticos, considerando el sitio de la infección, gravedad del paciente, sensibilidad de la cepa propia de cada institución y el uso previo de antibióticos. MÉD.UIS. 2016;29(2):113-35.Palabras clave: Acinetobacter Baumannii. Bacterias Gramnegativas. Epidemiologia. Factores de riesgo. Farmacorresistencia bacteriana.Virulencia

Impact of COVID-19 on cardiovascular testing in the United States versus the rest of the world

Objectives: This study sought to quantify and compare the decline in volumes of cardiovascular procedures between the United States and non-US institutions during the early phase of the coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted the care of many non-COVID-19 illnesses. Reductions in diagnostic cardiovascular testing around the world have led to concerns over the implications of reduced testing for cardiovascular disease (CVD) morbidity and mortality. Methods: Data were submitted to the INCAPS-COVID (International Atomic Energy Agency Non-Invasive Cardiology Protocols Study of COVID-19), a multinational registry comprising 909 institutions in 108 countries (including 155 facilities in 40 U.S. states), assessing the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on volumes of diagnostic cardiovascular procedures. Data were obtained for April 2020 and compared with volumes of baseline procedures from March 2019. We compared laboratory characteristics, practices, and procedure volumes between U.S. and non-U.S. facilities and between U.S. geographic regions and identified factors associated with volume reduction in the United States. Results: Reductions in the volumes of procedures in the United States were similar to those in non-U.S. facilities (68% vs. 63%, respectively; p = 0.237), although U.S. facilities reported greater reductions in invasive coronary angiography (69% vs. 53%, respectively; p < 0.001). Significantly more U.S. facilities reported increased use of telehealth and patient screening measures than non-U.S. facilities, such as temperature checks, symptom screenings, and COVID-19 testing. Reductions in volumes of procedures differed between U.S. regions, with larger declines observed in the Northeast (76%) and Midwest (74%) than in the South (62%) and West (44%). Prevalence of COVID-19, staff redeployments, outpatient centers, and urban centers were associated with greater reductions in volume in U.S. facilities in a multivariable analysis. Conclusions: We observed marked reductions in U.S. cardiovascular testing in the early phase of the pandemic and significant variability between U.S. regions. The association between reductions of volumes and COVID-19 prevalence in the United States highlighted the need for proactive efforts to maintain access to cardiovascular testing in areas most affected by outbreaks of COVID-19 infection

XVI International Congress of Control Electronics and Telecommunications: "Techno-scientific considerations for a post-pandemic world intensive in knowledge, innovation and sustainable local development"

Este título, sugestivo por los impactos durante la situación de la Covid 19 en el mundo, y que en Colombia lastimosamente han sido muy críticos, permiten asumir la obligada superación de tensiones sociales, políticas, y económicas; pero sobre todo científicas y tecnológicas. Inicialmente, esto supone la existencia de una capacidad de la sociedad colombiana por recuperar su estado inicial después de que haya cesado la perturbación a la que fue sometida por la catastrófica pandemia, y superar ese anterior estado de cosas ya que se encontraban -y aún se encuentran- muchos problemas locales mal resueltos, medianamente resueltos, y muchos sin resolver: es decir, habrá que rediseñar y fortalecer una probada resiliencia social existente - producto del prolongado conflicto social colombiano superado parcialmente por un proceso de paz exitoso - desde la tecnociencia local; como lo indicaba Markus Brunnermeier - economista alemán y catedrático de economía de la Universidad de Princeton- en su libro The Resilient Society…La cuestión no es preveerlo todo sino poder reaccionar…aprender a recuperarse rápido.This title, suggestive of the impacts during the Covid 19 situation in the world, and which have unfortunately been very critical in Colombia, allows us to assume the obligatory overcoming of social, political, and economic tensions; but above all scientific and technological. Initially, this supposes the existence of a capacity of Colombian society to recover its initial state after the disturbance to which it was subjected by the catastrophic pandemic has ceased, and to overcome that previous state of affairs since it was found -and still is find - many local problems poorly resolved, moderately resolved, and many unresolved: that is, an existing social resilience test will have to be redesigned and strengthened - product of the prolonged Colombian social conflict partially overcome by a successful peace process - from local technoscience; As Markus Brunnermeier - German economist and professor of economics at Princeton University - indicates in his book The Resilient Society...The question is not to foresee everything but to be able to react...learn to recover quickly.Bogot

Omecamtiv mecarbil in chronic heart failure with reduced ejection fraction, GALACTIC‐HF: baseline characteristics and comparison with contemporary clinical trials

Aims: The safety and efficacy of the novel selective cardiac myosin activator, omecamtiv mecarbil, in patients with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) is tested in the Global Approach to Lowering Adverse Cardiac outcomes Through Improving Contractility in Heart Failure (GALACTIC‐HF) trial. Here we describe the baseline characteristics of participants in GALACTIC‐HF and how these compare with other contemporary trials. Methods and Results: Adults with established HFrEF, New York Heart Association functional class (NYHA) ≥ II, EF ≤35%, elevated natriuretic peptides and either current hospitalization for HF or history of hospitalization/ emergency department visit for HF within a year were randomized to either placebo or omecamtiv mecarbil (pharmacokinetic‐guided dosing: 25, 37.5 or 50 mg bid). 8256 patients [male (79%), non‐white (22%), mean age 65 years] were enrolled with a mean EF 27%, ischemic etiology in 54%, NYHA II 53% and III/IV 47%, and median NT‐proBNP 1971 pg/mL. HF therapies at baseline were among the most effectively employed in contemporary HF trials. GALACTIC‐HF randomized patients representative of recent HF registries and trials with substantial numbers of patients also having characteristics understudied in previous trials including more from North America (n = 1386), enrolled as inpatients (n = 2084), systolic blood pressure &lt; 100 mmHg (n = 1127), estimated glomerular filtration rate &lt; 30 mL/min/1.73 m2 (n = 528), and treated with sacubitril‐valsartan at baseline (n = 1594). Conclusions: GALACTIC‐HF enrolled a well‐treated, high‐risk population from both inpatient and outpatient settings, which will provide a definitive evaluation of the efficacy and safety of this novel therapy, as well as informing its potential future implementation

Analysis, design and implementation of a web site for a club of virtual chess

The constant technological advance demands to us to in line improve certain activities that have been taken of a same way per years, like for example a Game of Chess. "Virtual Chess Club", has been developed with the objective anywhere in the world to allow the live connection between opposing professional and become fond of, dispersed chess players, conforming a Virtual Club, disputing started off in line, storing them in Data Base, that soon can be consulted, providing to the chess players of a powerful tool for its sport preparation. In the first part of this document the theoretical and technical analysis and foundations for the development of our Web site are specified, Virtual Chess Club. Later it is made Design and the presentation of the steps that were followed for the implementation