Metastatic Intraocular Tumor Due to Colorectal Adenocarcinoma: Case Report and Literature Review

Purpose: To describe the clinical and histopathological findings of a case of intraocular metastasis due to colorectal adenocarcinoma and to carry out a literature review. Case Report: A 64-year-old man with a history of tumor resection due to infiltrating colorectal adenocarcinoma three years previously sought ophthalmological care because of severe ocular pain without response to medical treatment and progressive vision loss in the left eye. On ultrasonographic examination, there was a heterogeneous intraocular choroidal tumor, which occupied approximately 40% of the vitreous cavity, as well as peritumoral serous retinal detachment. The patient underwent left eyeball enucleation. The histopathological diagnosis was metastatic tubular adenocarcinoma involving the retina and choroid that partially infiltrated the sclera and the proximal optic nerve. Conclusion: The present case highlights a rare pathological entity associated with variable therapeutic schemes and survival times and poor prognosis in patients with metastatic intraocular tumors due to colorectal adenocarcinoma

Providing Collaborative Support to Virtual and Remote Laboratories

Virtual and remote laboratories (VRLs) are e-learning resources that enhance the accessibility of experimental setups providing a distance teaching framework which meets the student's hands-on learning needs. In addition, online collaborative communication represents a practical and a constructivist method to transmit the knowledge and experience from the teacher to students, overcoming physical distance and isolation. This paper describes the extension of two open source tools: (1) the learning management system Moodle, and (2) the tool to create VRLs Easy Java Simulations (EJS). Our extension provides: (1) synchronous collaborative support to any VRL developed with EJS (i.e., any existing VRL written in EJS can be automatically converted into a collaborative lab with no cost), and (2) support to deploy synchronous collaborative VRLs into Moodle. Using our approach students and/or teachers can invite other users enrolled in a Moodle course to a real-time collaborative experimental session, sharing and/or supervising experiences at the same time they practice and explore experiments using VRLs.This work was supported by the Spanish Government under the CICYT Project DPI2007-61068 and the GITE grant of the Technology and Educational Innovation Vice-President Office of the University of Alicante

Comportamiento de cuarenta frutales tropicales no explotados comercialmente en Colombia.

"Colombia posee una amplia variedad de condiciones ecológicas apropiadas para el cultivo de frutales tropicales, nativos y exóticos. Muchos de ellos, a pesar de no ser explotados extensivamente, sobresalen por su consumo tradicional, por su alto valor alimenticio y como alternativa para ser cultivados en un futuro. En 1957, el Programa de Frutales del Instituto Colombiano Agropecuaro, plantó un huerto en el Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Palmira con 40 especies nativas y foráneas, no explotadas comercialmente, con el fin de observar su comportamiento bajo las condiciones del Valle del Cauca. En el presente trabajo se suministran datos sobre su crecimiento y producción y sobre su desarrollo a los 25 años de edad. También se determinó la distribución de los períodos de floraciópn y fructificación durante el año y su relación con las épocas de lluvia y seaquía. Se encontró que en los meses secos, enero a marzo y julio a septiembre, ocurren con mayor frecuencia las cosechas en los frutales evaluados. Entres las especies estudiadas, se presentan como promisorias para ser sembradas en el Valle del Cauca, las siguientes: guanábana, anona blanca, grosella, cereza de Ceylán, madroño, caimarón, carambola ""Icambola"", mamey, níspero, nispero-zapote, guayaba coronilla, jabóticaba, árbol del pan y acerola

Properties of Portland Cement Mortar with Substitutions of Natural and Expanded Perlite

The present research deals with the feasibility of using high-temperature pozzolans such as Natural Perlite (NP) and Expanded Perlite (EP), different dosagues of additions were made to mortars in order to perform their mechanical properties. Mortars were subjected to destructive tests in hardened state: compression, tension, flexion and adhesion strength; as well as non-destructive tests in hardened state: ultrasonic pulse velocity (UPV), electrical resistivity (ER), density (ρ) and total porosity (PT); in addition to attack by sodium sulfate at 90 days. The percentages of the substitutions were 5%, 10%, 15%, 20% and 30% by weight of Portland cement mass (PC) relative to a control mortar (cement-sand-water). With the partial replacement of the cement and according to the tests carried out, it can be observed that the problem of durability and CO2 emissions is significantly reduced and, consequently, an energy saving and a lower environmental impact are promoted

La interacción Humano Computador en el Currículo de las Instituciones de Educación superior de México

This article presents the actual state of the incorporation of HCI-related academic subjects to some Mexican universities’ academic programs. The research approach was exploratory and descriptive, also having a quantitative scope. The research considered the 5543 registered universities in all of Mexico in 2019. Results show that 1266 universities offer undergraduate and technical programs in the Information and Communications Technology field, from which 42.58% include 1548 courses related to HCI in their academic programs that are part of 1813 curricula. The courses were then classified into 10 categories proposed by the ACM/IEEE-CS “Joint Curriculum Task Force Computing Curricula”. Additionally, in relation to human capital, it was found that 95.40% of college graduates that studied in a university that includes HCI subjects, had to take them in order to get their degree while 4.30% had the possibility of taking them optionally. Finally, after reviewing 4 different job search platforms, 24827 offers were found that required skills and knowledge related to HCI. This certainly shows that Mexican universities know what is needed and have been developing professionals with skills based on industry needs, at least in the HCI field.    El artículo presenta el estado actual de la incorporación de asignaturas en el ámbito de la HCI (Interacción Humano-Computador) /IPO (Interacción Persona-Ordenador) en lo currículos de algunas universidades mexicanas. El enfoque de la investigación fue exploratorio y descriptivo además de tener un alcance cuantitativo. La investigación considero 5.543 universidades registradas para el 2019 en todo México. Los resultados reflejan que 1.266 universidades ofrecen programas académicos de Licenciatura Profesional y Tecnológica en el ámbito de las Tecnologías de la Información y la comunicación. De esas instituciones, el 42.58% incluyen en sus currículos 1.548 asignaturas relacionadas con la HCI/IPO que hacen parte de 1.813 planes de estudio. Esas asignaturas fueron clasificadas en 10 categorías propuestas por el ACM/IEEE-CS “Joint Curricullum Task Force Computing Curriculla. Adicionalmente, en relación con el capital Humano se encontró que el 95.40% de los graduados de programas académicos que incluyen asignaturas relacionadas con la HCI/IPO, de manera obligatoria tuvieron que aprobar dichas asignaturas y el 4.30% tuvieron la posibilidad de tomar asignaturas optativas relacionadas con dicha área de conocimiento. Finalmente, luego de la revisión de 4 plataformas de divulgación de vacantes se encontraron 24.827 ofertas relacionadas con empleos que en sus especificaciones señalan habilidades y conocimientos relacionados con la HCI/IPO. Esto sin lugar a duda evidencia que las universidades mexicanas han sabido leer el entorno y se han dedicado a graduar profesionales con habilidades coherentes con base en la demanda del sector productivo, por lo menos en el ámbito de la HCI/IPO.        &nbsp

Covalent Immobilization of Antibodies through Tetrazine-TCO Reaction to Improve Sensitivity of ELISA Technique

This research was funded by Compra Publica Precomercial, Reference 2012/000069, Ministerio de Economia y Competitividad, Espana. ONCOVER project: Volatile compound detection system for early cancer diagnosis.Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) is routinely used to detect biomolecules related to several diseases facilitating diagnosis and monitoring of these, as well as the possibility of decreasing their mortality rate. Several methods have been carried out to improve the ELISA sensitivity through antibodies immobilization on the microtiter plates. Here, we have developed a strategy of antibodies immobilization to improve the ELISA sensitivity increasing the antibody density surface through the tetrazine (Tz)-trans-cyclooctene (TCO) reaction. For this, we prepared surfaces with tetrazine groups while the captured antibody was conjugated with TCO. The tetrazine surfaces were prepared in two different ways: (1) from aminated plates and (2) from Tz-BSA-coated plates. The surfaces were evaluated using two sandwich ELISA models, one of them using the low-affinity antibody anti-c-myc as a capture antibody to detect the c-myc-GST-IL8h recombinant protein, and the other one to detect the carcinoembryonic human protein (CEA). The sensitivity increased in both surfaces treated with tetrazine in comparison with the standard unmodified surface. The c-myc-GST-IL8h detection was around 10-fold more sensible on both tetrazine surfaces, while CEA ELISA detection increased 12-fold on surfaces coated with Tz-BSA. In conclusion, we show that it is possible to improve the ELISA sensitivity using this immobilization system, where capture antibodies bond covalently to surfaces.Compra Publica Precomercial, Ministerio de Economia y Competitividad, Espana 2012/00006

Physiology and Pathology of Neuroimmunology: Role of Inflammation in Parkinson’s Disease

Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative disease that affects 1% of the population aged 65 and over and is the second most common neurodegenerative disease next to Alzheimer’s disease. Interneuronal proteinaceous inclusions called Lewy bodies (LB) and a selective degeneration of dopaminergic neurons of the substantia nigra pars compacta (SNPC) are the main features of PD pathology. The most common clinical manifestations are rigidity, tremor, bradykinesia, postural instability, sleep disorders, alterations in gait, smell, memory, and dementia. Genetic and environmental factors are involved in PD, and, recently, oxidative stress, proteasome-mediated protein degradation, and inflammation have acquired relevance as major mechanisms of neuronal dysfunction. Increased levels of reactive oxygen and nitrogen species in the brain contribute to greater vulnerability of proteins to nitro-oxidative modification and to greater degrees of aggregation. These protein aggregates contain a variety of proteins of which α-synuclein appears to be the main structural component. Interestingly, α-synuclein can be secreted by neuronal cells and may lead the initiation and the maintenance of inflammatory events through the activation of microglia, which contributes to dopaminergic neuron depletion. New evidence also suggests that PD may be the result of an autoimmune response in which the immune cells recognize the neurons as foreign elements and would act against them, causing their death

Association between ribs shape and pulmonary function in patients with Osteogenesis Imperfecta

The aim of the present study was to test the hypothesis that ribs shape changes in patients with OI are more relevant for respiratory function than thoracic spine shape. We used 3D geometric morphometrics to quantify rib cage morphology in OI patients and controls, and to investigate its relationship with forced vital capacity (FVC) and forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1), expressed as absolute value and as percentage of predicted value (% pred). Regression analyses on the full sample showed a significant relation between rib shape and FEV1, FVC and FVC % pred whereas thoracic spine shape was not related to any parameter. Subsequent regression analyses on OI patients confirmed significant relations between dynamic lung volumes and rib shape changes. Lower FVC and FEV1 values are identified in OI patients that present more horizontally aligned ribs, a greater antero-posterior depth due to extreme transverse curve at rib angles and a strong spine invagination, greater asymmetry, and a vertically short, thoracolumbar spine, which is relatively straight in at levels 1–8 and shows a marked kyphosis in the thoraco-lumbar transition. Our research seems to support that ribs shape is more relevant for ventilator mechanics in OI patients than the spine shapeThis project was funded by grants of the Fundacion Eresa (grant number: BF14_005), the Ministry of Economy, Industry and Competitiveness (grant number: CGL2015-63648-P), the Care4Brittlebones Foundation (grant number: OTR2016-15543INVES), and the University of Valencia (grant number: UV-INV_AE18-773873)

Interacciones temporales y espaciales de mesocarnívoros simpátricos en una Reserva de la Biosfera: ¿coexistencia o competencia?

Abstract: Temporal and spatial interactions of sympatric mesocarnivores at a Biosphere Reserve: coexistence or competition? Interspecific interactions among tropical mesocarnivorous species and other mammalian trophic guilds have been poorly studied, despite they have important implications in the survival, structure, demography, and distribution of these species. In this study we analyzed spatio-temporal interactions of three sympatric mesocarnivores that are located in the Northeastern limit of their geographic distribution in Mexico, with the objective of analyzing if these species coexist or compete in the axis of the temporal and spatial niche. With a sampling period from January 2015 to December 2016 and 26 camera-trapping stations (with in a set of two camera traps opposite to each other) and located along roads and animal trails, we determined the activity pattern and habitat use of L. wiedii (margay), L. pardalis (ocelote) y P. yagouaroundi (yaguarundi). All independent photographs of each species were grouped into three temporal categories (day, night and twilight) and six habitat categories; Oak Forest, Oak-Pine Forest, Cloud Forest, Pine-Oak Forest, Tropical Deciduous Forest and Medium Forest. Temporal and spatial overlap between species (i.e. interactions) was obtained with the Czekanowski index and the Pianka index, respectively. These indices are symmetrical and take values from zero to one, where the results close to zero indicate that there is no overlap between species and values close to one indicate overlap. We obtained a total of 379 independent photographs, of which 239 corresponded to margay, 118 to ocelot and 22 to yaguarundi. Margay and ocelot were nocturnal, with 75 % of their records in this category showing a high temporal overlap (0.85); whereas yaguarundi was fully diurnal, suggesting it may be able to coexist with the other two species (margay and ocelot). Moreover, the yaguarundi used habitat similar to ocelot and margay (with high spatial overlap of 0.81 and 0.72, respectively), while the spatial overlap between the margay and ocelot was intermediate (0.53), since they used in most cases different habitat types. Our results suggest that there is no interspecific competition among these tropical mesocarnivorous species, probably due to antagonistic interactions among them on the temporal and spatial axis. These strategies may positively favor populations of mesocarnivores, which are characterized by having a high territorial behavior. Rev. Biol. Trop. 66(3): 996-1008. Epub 2018 September 01. Key words: “El Cielo” Biosphere Reserve; Tamaulipas; Mexico; tropical felines; interespecific interaction

Immunology and Oxidative Stress in Multiple Sclerosis: Clinical and Basic Approach

Multiple sclerosis (MS) exhibits many of the hallmarks of an inflammatory autoimmune disorder including breakdown of the blood-brain barrier (BBB), the recruitment of lymphocytes, microglia, and macrophages to lesion sites, the presence of multiple lesions, generally being more pronounced in the brain stem and spinal cord, the predominantly perivascular location of lesions, the temporal maturation of lesions from inflammation through demyelination, to gliosis and partial remyelination, and the presence of immunoglobulin in the central nervous system and cerebrospinal fluid. Lymphocytes activated in the periphery infiltrate the central nervous system to trigger a local immune response that ultimately damages myelin and axons. Pro-inflammatory cytokines amplify the inflammatory cascade by compromising the BBB, recruiting immune cells from the periphery, and activating resident microglia. inflammation-associated oxidative burst in activated microglia and macrophages plays an important role in the demyelination and free radical-mediated tissue injury in the pathogenesis of MS. The inflammatory environment in demyelinating lesions leads to the generation of oxygen- and nitrogen-free radicals as well as proinflammatory cytokines which contribute to the development and progression of the disease. Inflammation can lead to oxidative stress and vice versa. Thus, oxidative stress and inflammation are involved in a self-perpetuating cycle