54 research outputs found
Persistence of hazard fecal bacteria for public health in a stream at the municipality of Aguazul Casanare
This study comes from a pollution case under an administrative point of view, but mainly this study targets to establish the spatial range which this pollutionreaches on the territory, serving to set further studies on where has to be measured its socioeconomical effects. The case´ scenario is a punctual discharge of wastewater from the municipal depurator facility on a natural stream. The pollution was traced by the amount of fecal coliforms in water samples at ten sampling points along the stream course. Was evaluated the water suspended bacteria (planktonic coliforms) and the attached bacteria to submerged surfaces (benthic coliforms), looking for a mathematical model to describe its behavior. There along the stream was observed a decreasing trend on planktonic coliforms by a dilution effect, but also was observed an increasing trend on benthic coliforms, indicating that these bacteria can be persistent in theaquatic ecosystem under this life form (biofilm). This pollution reaches near to7km downstream from the spill-pipe discharge, where along this course there are many users of this water, mainly for crops irrigation. Furthermore was observed livestock animals grazing on the stream. All this implicates an irregular situation according to environmental normative about waters, also can causes administrative problems to the municipality because this pollution can risk public health to downstream inhabitants and workers with diseases
Optimization of olive-fruit paste production using a methodological proposal based on a sensory and objective color analysis
Autorías, colaboración y patrones de citación de las revistas biomédicas editadas en España incluidas en el Journal Citation Reports (2003-2007)
APPLICATION OF NEEM TREE IN AGRICULTURE, INDUSTRY, MEDICINE, AND ENVIRONMENT: A REVIEW
Background: The Neem tree (Azadirachta indica A. Juss.) is native to the South Asian countries, but its cultivation has already spread to
countries in other continents, always with tropical climates. It is used in Traditional Medicine. The objective of this review was to consult
and discuss the application of the Neem tree in agriculture, industry, Medicine, and the environment.
Materials and Methods: Literature retrieval was performed on four databases: OVID; PUBMED; EBSCOhost, and EMBASE, and in
the ISI Web of Science. Key words for the search included Neem and Azadirachta indica.
Results: A series of studies have demonstrated that the Neem tree has been used medicinally since ancient times. The bark, leaves, fruit,
flowers, and roots have been employed, each with very favorable applications. The bark of the Neem tree is cool, bitter, astringent,
pungent, and refreshing. It is useful for oral diseases, cough, fever, neuromuscular pain, loss of appetite, fatigue, intestinal parasites,
wound healing, as a laxative, as an anti-hemorrhoidal, as an emetic, for skin diseases, to calm excessive thirst, eliminate toxins, as an
astringent, an expectorant, and it purifies the blood and prevents damage caused by free radicals to the body, neutralizing this damage. It
is also used to treat snake bites and insect bites. The flowers are utilized to regulate body heat. The oil is removed from the seed for
pharmaceuticals, paper, and food. Plants, vegetables, and herbs employed as food for humans, and currently in Traditional Medicine,
have been accepted as an essential contribution to drug discovery and in chemotherapy in cancer prevention and development. This
vegetable oil has physicochemical properties that allow its proposal as a potential raw material for the soap industry.
Conclusion: It was possible to know and discuss the variety of applications of the Neem tree, including the bark, leaves, fruit, flowers,
and roots, each with very favorable applications in agriculture, industry, Medicine, and especially its use in the care environment
PROTECTIVE EFFECT OF MEXICAN PROPOLIS ON MDBK CELLS EXPOSED TO AUJESZKY'S DISEASE VIRUS (PSEUDORABIES VIRUS).
In this work, antiviral effect of Mexican propolis was evaluated in vitro on MDBK (Madin Darby Bovine Kidney) cell cultures infected with pseudorabies virus (PRV). First was carried the cytotoxicity test of the ethanol extract of propolis (EEP) on this cell culture, subsequently, the infective dose of virus Shope strain was determined for the infection of cell cultures and finally the interaction between EPP and virus was done at cell culture level (two hours before, during and two hours later of infection). Also, cell culture samples with the same treatments were processed for transmission electron microscopy (TEM) to observe possible alterations of propolis on the virus. It was determined that using the treatment of 0.5 mg / ml of EEP two hours before being infected, the culture shows a reduction in the number of plaque forming units compared to the other treatments or with the culture infected, it is important to note that the difference found was statistically significant (
SCREENING FOR ANTIBACTERIAL AND ANTIPROTOZOAL ACTIVITIES OF CRUDE EXTRACTS DERIVED FROM MEXICAN MEDICINAL PLANTS
Background: Crataegus mexicana, Hyptis albida, Larrea tridentata, Ocimum baislicum, Prunus serotina, and Smilax spp. are used in Mexican traditional medicine to treat respiratory and gastrointestinal diseases such as flu, cough, diarrhea, dysentery, and other parasitic or microbial infections. Therefore this study was aimed at the pharmacological prospection of these plants against eleven bacterial species and three amitochondrial protist pathogens.
Material and methods: The fruits or aerial parts of C. mexicana, H. albida, L. tridentata, O. baislicum, P. serotina, and Smilax spp. were extracted with different solvents. The antibacterial properties of organic and aqueous extracts of these plants were determined by the microdilution method and the microplate alamar blue assay against Stenotrophomonas maltophilia, Escherichia coli, Acinetobacter baumannii, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Enterobacter cloacae, Staphylococcus aureus, methicillin-resistant S. aureus, Listeria monocytogenes, Enterococcus faecalis, and Mycobacterium tuberculosis, whereas anti-protozoal activities of extracts were evaluated by a vial micro-assay against strains of Entamoeba histolytica, Trichomonas vaginalis, and Giardia lamblia.
Results: H. albida, Smilax spp, and C. mexicana showed good activity against the Gram-positive strains, S. aureus, methicillin-resistant S. aureus, and E. faecalis. Four extracts (C. mexicana, H. albida, O. basilicum, and L. tridentata) showed good activity against E. histolytica, T. vaginalis, and G. lamblia.
Conclusion: The extracts of these six medicinal plants could be a source for new antibacterial and antiprotozoal drugs. For this reason they are currently under investigation to isolate and characterize their active compounds
Discriminating Between the Physical Processes that Drive Spheroid Size Evolution
Massive galaxies at high-z have smaller effective radii than those today, but
similar central densities. Their size growth therefore relates primarily to the
evolving abundance of low-density material. Various models have been proposed
to explain this evolution, which have different implications for galaxy, star,
and BH formation. We compile observations of spheroid properties as a function
of redshift and use them to test proposed models. Evolution in progenitor
gas-richness with redshift gives rise to initial formation of smaller spheroids
at high-z. These systems can then evolve in apparent or physical size via
several channels: (1) equal-density 'dry' mergers, (2) later major or minor
'dry' mergers with less-dense galaxies, (3) adiabatic expansion, (4) evolution
in stellar populations & mass-to-light-ratio gradients, (5) age-dependent bias
in stellar mass estimators, (6) observational fitting/selection effects. If any
one of these is tuned to explain observed size evolution, they make distinct
predictions for evolution in other galaxy properties. Only model (2) is
consistent with observations as a dominant effect. It is the only model which
allows for an increase in M_BH/M_bulge with redshift. Still, the amount of
merging needed is larger than that observed or predicted. We therefore compare
cosmologically motivated simulations, in which all these effects occur, & show
they are consistent with all the observational constraints. Effect (2), which
builds up an extended low-density envelope, does dominate the evolution, but
effects 1,3,4, & 6 each contribute ~20% to the size evolution (a net factor
~2). This naturally also predicts evolution in M_BH-sigma similar to that
observed.Comment: 19 pages, 7 figures. accepted to MNRAS (matches accepted version
Thalamic neuromodulation and its implications for executive networks
The thalamus is a key structure that controls the routing of information in the brain. Understanding modulation at the thalamic level is critical to understanding the flow of information to brain regions involved in cognitive functions, such as the neocortex, the hippocampus, and the basal ganglia. Modulators contribute the majority of synapses that thalamic cells receive, and the highest fraction of modulator synapses is found in thalamic nuclei interconnected with higher order cortical regions. In addition, disruption of modulators often translates into disabling disorders of executive behavior. However, modulation in thalamic nuclei such as the midline and intralaminar groups, which are interconnected with forebrain executive regions, has received little attention compared to sensory nuclei. Thalamic modulators are heterogeneous in regards to their origin, the neurotransmitter they use, and the effect on thalamic cells. Modulators also share some features, such as having small terminal boutons and activating metabotropic receptors on the cells they contact. I will review anatomical and physiological data on thalamic modulators with these goals: first, determine to what extent the evidence supports similar modulator functions across thalamic nuclei; and second, discuss the current evidence on modulation in the midline and intralaminar nuclei in relation to their role in executive function
The histology of ovarian cancer: worldwide distribution and implications for international survival comparisons (CONCORD-2)
Objective Ovarian cancers comprise several histologically distinct tumour groups with widely different prognosis. We aimed to describe the worldwide distribution of ovarian cancer histology and to understand what role this may play in international variation in survival. Methods The CONCORD programme is the largest population-based study of global trends in cancer survival. Data on 681,759 women diagnosed during 1995â\u80\u932009 with cancer of the ovary, fallopian tube, peritoneum and retroperitonum in 51 countries were included. We categorised ovarian tumours into six histological groups, and explored the worldwide distribution of histology. Results During 2005â\u80\u932009, type II epithelial tumours were the most common. The proportion was much higher in Oceania (73.1%), North America (73.0%) and Europe (72.6%) than in Central and South America (65.7%) and Asia (56.1%). By contrast, type I epithelial tumours were more common in Asia (32.5%), compared with only 19.4% in North America. From 1995 to 2009, the proportion of type II epithelial tumours increased from 68.6% to 71.1%, while the proportion of type I epithelial tumours fell from 23.8% to 21.2%. The proportions of germ cell tumours, sex cord-stromal tumours, other specific non-epithelial tumours and tumours of non-specific morphology all remained stable over time. Conclusions The distribution of ovarian cancer histology varies widely worldwide. Type I epithelial, germ cell and sex cord-stromal tumours are generally associated with higher survival than type II tumours, so the proportion of these tumours may influence survival estimates for all ovarian cancers combined. The distribution of histological groups should be considered when comparing survival between countries and regions
Global, regional, and national comparative risk assessment of 79 behavioural, environmental and occupational, and metabolic risks or clusters of risks, 1990-2015: A systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2015
Background: The Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study 2015 provides an up-to-date synthesis of the evidence for risk factor exposure and the attributable burden of disease. By providing national and subnational assessments spanning the past 25 years, this study can inform debates on the importance of addressing risks in context.
Methods: We used the comparative risk assessment framework developed for previous iterations of the Global Burden of Disease Study to estimate attributable deaths, disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs), and trends in exposure by age group, sex, year, and geography for 79 behavioural, environmental and occupational, and metabolic risks or clusters of risks from 1990 to 2015. This study included 388 risk-outcome pairs that met World Cancer Research Fund-defined criteria for convincing or probable evidence. We extracted relative risk and exposure estimates from randomised controlled trials, cohorts, pooled cohorts, household surveys, census data, satellite data, and other sources. We used statistical models to pool data, adjust for bias, and incorporate covariates. We developed a metric that allows comparisons of exposure across risk factors—the summary exposure value. Using the counterfactual scenario of theoretical minimum risk level, we estimated the portion of deaths and DALYs that could be attributed to a given risk. We decomposed trends in attributable burden into contributions from population growth, population age structure, risk exposure, and risk-deleted cause-specific DALY rates. We characterised risk exposure in relation to a Socio-demographic Index (SDI).
Findings: Between 1990 and 2015, global exposure to unsafe sanitation, household air pollution, childhood underweight, childhood stunting, and smoking each decreased by more than 25%. Global exposure for several occupational risks, high body-mass index (BMI), and drug use increased by more than 25% over the same period. All risks jointly evaluated in 2015 accounted for 57·8% (95% CI 56·6–58·8) of global deaths and 41·2% (39·8–42·8) of DALYs. In 2015, the ten largest contributors to global DALYs among Level 3 risks were high systolic blood pressure (211·8 million [192·7 million to 231·1 million] global DALYs), smoking (148·6 million [134·2 million to 163·1 million]), high fasting plasma glucose (143·1 million [125·1 million to 163·5 million]), high BMI (120·1 million [83·8 million to 158·4 million]), childhood undernutrition (113·3 million [103·9 million to 123·4 million]), ambient particulate matter (103·1 million [90·8 million to 115·1 million]), high total cholesterol (88·7 million [74·6 million to 105·7 million]), household air pollution (85·6 million [66·7 million to 106·1 million]), alcohol use (85·0 million [77·2 million to 93·0 million]), and diets high in sodium (83·0 million [49·3 million to 127·5 million]). From 1990 to 2015, attributable DALYs declined for micronutrient deficiencies, childhood undernutrition, unsafe sanitation and water, and household air pollution; reductions in risk-deleted DALY rates rather than reductions in exposure drove these declines. Rising exposure contributed to notable increases in attributable DALYs from high BMI, high fasting plasma glucose, occupational carcinogens, and drug use. Environmental risks and childhood undernutrition declined steadily with SDI; low physical activity, high BMI, and high fasting plasma glucose increased with SDI. In 119 countries, metabolic risks, such as high BMI and fasting plasma glucose, contributed the most attributable DALYs in 2015. Regionally, smoking still ranked among the leading five risk factors for attributable DALYs in 109 countries; childhood underweight and unsafe sex remained primary drivers of early death and disability in much of sub-Saharan Africa.
Interpretation: Declines in some key environmental risks have contributed to declines in critical infectious diseases. Some risks appear to be invariant to SDI. Increasing risks, including high BMI, high fasting plasma glucose, drug use, and some occupational exposures, contribute to rising burden from some conditions, but also provide opportunities for intervention. Some highly preventable risks, such as smoking, remain major causes of attributable DALYs, even as exposure is declining. Public policy makers need to pay attention to the risks that are increasingly major contributors to global burden.
Funding: Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
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