Ozone Dosage is the Key Factor of Its Effect in Biological Systems

The applications of ozone are not only restricted to environmental remediation or industrial areas. This gas has been applied in medicine to treat several diseases, where positive effects have been confirmed by many clinical studies. According to the European Medical Society of Ozone and the National Center of Scientific Investigation in Cuba, it has not been possible to validate ozone’s effectiveness by traditional analytical methods. Thus, this investigation proposed evaluating the effect that ozone has on biological substrates (murine models with induced carcinogenic tumors, inflammation, and wounds), studying the variations that ozone (dissolved in physiological solution or ozonated vegetable oils) provokes over the total unsaturation of lipids (TUL), and by using the so-called method double bond index (DB-index), make a correlation with the dynamic reactions obtained by several analytical methods according to each experimental stage considered in this study

Automatic detection of crohn disease in wireless capsule endoscopic images using a deep convolutional neural network

The diagnosis of Crohn’s disease (CD) in the small bowel is generally performed by observing a very large number of images captured by capsule endoscopy (CE). This diagnostic technique entails a heavy workload for the specialists in terms of time spent reviewing the images. This paper presents a convolutional neural network capable of classifying the CE images to identify those ones affected by lesions indicative of the disease. The architecture of the proposed network was custom designed to solve this image classification problem. This allowed different design decisions to be made with the aim of improving its performance in terms of accuracy and processing speed compared to other state-of-the-art deep-learning-based reference architectures. The experimentation was carried out on a set of 15,972 images extracted from 31 CE videos of patients affected by CD, 7,986 of which showed lesions associated with the disease. The training, validation/selection and evaluation of the network was performed on 70%, 10% and 20% of the total images, respectively. The ROC curve obtained on the test image set has an area greater than 0.997, with points in a 95-99% sensitivity range associated with specificities of 99-96%. These figures are higher than those achieved by EfficientNet-B5, VGG-16, Xception or ResNet networks which also require an average processing time per image significantly higher than the one needed in the proposed architecture. Therefore, the network outlined in this paper is proving to be sufficiently promising to be considered for integration into tools used by specialists in their diagnosis of CD. In the sample of images analysed, the network was able to detect 99% of the images with lesions, filtering out for specialist review 96% of those with no signs of disease.Funding for open access charge: Universidad de Huelva / CBUA This work was part of a project funded under the 2014-2020 Andalusia ERDF Operational Programme (Project Reference: UHU-1257810- PO FEDER 2014-2020

Membrane-Assisted Viral DNA Ejection

Genome packaging and delivery are fundamental steps in the replication cycle of all viruses. Icosahedral viruses with linear double-stranded DNA (dsDNA) usually package their genome into a preformed, rigid procapsid using the power generated by a virus-encoded packaging ATPase. The pressure and stored energy due to this confinement of DNA at a high density is assumed to drive the initial stages of genome ejection. Membrane-containing icosahedral viruses, such as bacteriophage PRD1, present an additional architectural complexity by enclosing their genome within an internal membrane vesicle. Upon adsorption to a host cell, the PRD1 membrane remodels into a proteo-lipidic tube that provides a conduit for passage of the ejected linear dsDNA through the cell envelope. Based on volume analyses of PRD1 membrane vesicles captured by cryo-electron tomography and modeling of the elastic properties of the vesicle, we propose that the internal membrane makes a crucial and active contribution during infection by maintaining the driving force for DNA ejection and countering the internal turgor pressure of the host. These novel functions extend the role of the PRD1 viral membrane beyond tube formation or the mere physical confinement of the genome. The presence and assistance of an internal membrane might constitute a biological advantage that extends also to other viruses that package their linear dsDNA to high density within an internal vesicle

Allosteric control of dynamin-related protein 1 through a disordered C-terminal Short Linear Motif

The mechanochemical GTPase dynamin-related protein 1 (Drp1) catalyzes mitochondrial and peroxisomal fission, but the regulatory mechanisms remain ambiguous. Here we find that a conserved, intrinsically disordered, six-residue Short Linear Motif at the extreme Drp1 C-terminus, named CT-SLiM, constitutes a critical allosteric site that controls Drp1 structure and function in vitro and in vivo. Extension of the CT-SLiM by non-native residues, or its interaction with the protein partner GIPC-1, constrains Drp1 subunit conformational dynamics, alters self-assembly properties, and limits cooperative GTP hydrolysis, surprisingly leading to the fission of model membranes in vitro. In vivo, the involvement of the native CT-SLiM is critical for productive mitochondrial and peroxisomal fission, as both deletion and non-native extension of the CT-SLiM severely impair their progression. Thus, contrary to prevailing models, Drp1-catalyzed membrane fission relies on allosteric communication mediated by the CT-SLiM, deceleration of GTPase activity, and coupled changes in subunit architecture and assembly-disassembly dynamics

Estudio De Efectividad Del Programa Social “65 Y Más”: El Caso Del Municipio De Coscomatepec, Veracruz

Según la Organización para la Cooperación y el Desarrollo Económicos (OCDE, 2015), aproximadamente dos tercios de los países de la OCDE, al menos una cuarta parte de la población tendrá más de 65 años para el 2050. En México, hay 10.8 millones de adultos mayores, que representan el 9.66 por ciento de la población total (INEGI, 2018). Sin embargo, este porcentaje podría triplicarse en los próximos 40 años, como el resto de los países de América Latina. El objetivo de la presente investigación consistió en estudiar el impacto de la efectividad del programa social “65 y más” (apoyo económico-gubernamental para adultos mayores) en los beneficiarios del municipio de Coscomatepec, Veracruz. Se desarrolló una metodología con un carácter brillante, esencial, ex post-facto e investigación sincrónica. Esta metodología se llevó a cabo a través de prácticas de intervención en campo con el diseño y la aplicación de un cuestionario a una muestra de cuarenta y cuatro personas. Este instrumento de recolección de datos no fue paramétrico: prueba de rango con signo de Wilcoxon. Se concluyó que el Programa Social “65 y más” en beneficiarios del Municipio de Coscomatepec, Ver., tuvo impactos positivos en los siguientes aspectos: a) Económico, b) Atención a los beneficiarios, y c) Tiempos de respuesta, e impactos negativos en los siguientes aspectos: a) Burocracia, b) Informativo, c) Orientación y d) Capacitación. According to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD, 2015), approximately two-thirds of the OECD countries, at least a quarter of the population, will be over 65 years by 2050. In Mexico, there are over 10.8 million senior citizens who represent 9.66 percent of the total population (INEGI, 2018). However, this percentage could triple in the next 40 years, like the rest of the countries in Latin America. This paper focuses on analyzing the impact and effectiveness of the social program “over 65 years”, which provides economic subsidies designed to meet the needs of the Mexican elderly population, on the beneficiaries of the county of Coscomatepec, Veracruz. Furthermore, an essential ex-post-facto law investigation and field synchronous research was implemented through practices, where a questionnaire was designed and applied to a sample of fortyfour people. This data collection instrument was not parametric: Wilcoxon signed rank test. The findings of this study showed on one hand that the social Program “over 65 years” had a positive impact on the beneficiaries of the county, Coscomatepec, in the following aspects: a) Economic, b) Attention to the beneficiaries, and c) Response times. On the other hand, it had a negative impact on: a) Bureaucracy, b) Informative, c) Orientation, and d) Training

Pulmonary vascular remodeling and prognosis in patients evaluated for heart transplantation: insights from the OCTOPUS-CHF study

[Abstract] Objective: In patients with advanced heart failure, the intravascular optical coherence tomography (OCT) of subsegmental pulmonary artery measurements is correlated with right heart catheterization parameters. Our aim was to study the prognostic value of pulmonary OCT, right heart catheterization data, and the echocardiographic estimation of pulmonary pressure in patients studied for elective heart transplants. Methods: This research is an observational, prospective, multicenter study involving 90 adults with a one-year follow-up. Results: A total of 10 patients (11.1%) died due to worsening heart failure before heart transplantation, 50 underwent a heart transplant (55.6%), and 9 died in the first year after the transplant. The patients with and without events (mortality or heart failure-induced hospitalization) had similar data regarding echocardiography, right heart catheterization, and pulmonary OCT (with a median estimated pulmonary artery systolic pressure of 42.0 mmHg, interquartile range (IQR) of 30.3-50.0 vs. 47.0 mmHg, IQR 34.6-59.5 and p = 0.79, median pulmonary vascular resistance of 2.2 Wood units, IQR 1.3-3.7 vs. 2.0 Wood units, IQR 1.4-3.2 and p = 0.99, and a median pulmonary artery wall thickness of 0.2 ± 0.5 mm vs. 0.2 ± 0.6 mm and p = 0.87). Conclusion: Pulmonary vascular remodeling (evaluated with echocardiography, right heart catheterization, and pulmonary OCT) was not associated with prognosis in a selected sample of adults evaluated for elective heart transplants. Pulmonary OCT is safe and feasible for the evaluation of these patients.Instituto de Salud Carlos III; PI18/00254European Regional Development Fund; CB16/11/0050

Pulmonary Vascular Remodeling and Prognosis in Patients Evaluated for Heart Transplantation: Insights from the OCTOPUS-CHF Study

Objective: In patients with advanced heart failure, the intravascular optical coherence tomography (OCT) of subsegmental pulmonary artery measurements is correlated with right heart catheterization parameters. Our aim was to study the prognostic value of pulmonary OCT, right heart catheterization data, and the echocardiographic estimation of pulmonary pressure in patients studied for elective heart transplants. Methods: This research is an observational, prospective, multicenter study involving 90 adults with a one-year follow-up. Results: A total of 10 patients (11.1%) died due to worsening heart failure before heart transplantation, 50 underwent a heart transplant (55.6%), and 9 died in the first year after the transplant. The patients with and without events (mortality or heart failure-induced hospitalization) had similar data regarding echocardiography, right heart catheterization, and pulmonary OCT (with a median estimated pulmonary artery systolic pressure of 42.0 mmHg, interquartile range (IQR) of 30.3-50.0 vs. 47.0 mmHg, IQR 34.6-59.5 and p = 0.79, median pulmonary vascular resistance of 2.2 Wood units, IQR 1.3-3.7 vs. 2.0 Wood units, IQR 1.4-3.2 and p = 0.99, and a median pulmonary artery wall thickness of 0.2 +/- 0.5 mm vs. 0.2 +/- 0.6 mm and p = 0.87). Conclusion: Pulmonary vascular remodeling (evaluated with echocardiography, right heart catheterization, and pulmonary OCT) was not associated with prognosis in a selected sample of adults evaluated for elective heart transplants. Pulmonary OCT is safe and feasible for the evaluation of these patients

Clonal chromosomal mosaicism and loss of chromosome Y in elderly men increase vulnerability for SARS-CoV-2

The pandemic caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2, COVID-19) had an estimated overall case fatality ratio of 1.38% (pre-vaccination), being 53% higher in males and increasing exponentially with age. Among 9578 individuals diagnosed with COVID-19 in the SCOURGE study, we found 133 cases (1.42%) with detectable clonal mosaicism for chromosome alterations (mCA) and 226 males (5.08%) with acquired loss of chromosome Y (LOY). Individuals with clonal mosaic events (mCA and/or LOY) showed a 54% increase in the risk of COVID-19 lethality. LOY is associated with transcriptomic biomarkers of immune dysfunction, pro-coagulation activity and cardiovascular risk. Interferon-induced genes involved in the initial immune response to SARS-CoV-2 are also down-regulated in LOY. Thus, mCA and LOY underlie at least part of the sex-biased severity and mortality of COVID-19 in aging patients. Given its potential therapeutic and prognostic relevance, evaluation of clonal mosaicism should be implemented as biomarker of COVID-19 severity in elderly people. Among 9578 individuals diagnosed with COVID-19 in the SCOURGE study, individuals with clonal mosaic events (clonal mosaicism for chromosome alterations and/or loss of chromosome Y) showed an increased risk of COVID-19 lethality

Pervasive gaps in Amazonian ecological research

Biodiversity loss is one of the main challenges of our time,1,2 and attempts to address it require a clear un derstanding of how ecological communities respond to environmental change across time and space.3,4 While the increasing availability of global databases on ecological communities has advanced our knowledge of biodiversity sensitivity to environmental changes,5–7 vast areas of the tropics remain understudied.8–11 In the American tropics, Amazonia stands out as the world’s most diverse rainforest and the primary source of Neotropical biodiversity,12 but it remains among the least known forests in America and is often underrepre sented in biodiversity databases.13–15 To worsen this situation, human-induced modifications16,17 may elim inate pieces of the Amazon’s biodiversity puzzle before we can use them to understand how ecological com munities are responding. To increase generalization and applicability of biodiversity knowledge,18,19 it is thus crucial to reduce biases in ecological research, particularly in regions projected to face the most pronounced environmental changes. We integrate ecological community metadata of 7,694 sampling sites for multiple or ganism groups in a machine learning model framework to map the research probability across the Brazilian Amazonia, while identifying the region’s vulnerability to environmental change. 15%–18% of the most ne glected areas in ecological research are expected to experience severe climate or land use changes by 2050. This means that unless we take immediate action, we will not be able to establish their current status, much less monitor how it is changing and what is being lostinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio