The Impact of Training on Women's Micro-Enterprise Development

Community/Rural/Urban Development,

Mathematical modeling of microbial growth in refrigerated horsemeat : it's importance in the quality of meat

Horsemeat is an important economic resource for our country, as Argentina is considered one of the leading world exporters of horsemeat. But there is little research about the quality of it. It was examined the effect of: (i) storage temperature (0, 4ºC) and (ii) gaseous permeability of the packaging film (polyethylene and EVA SARAN EVA for vacuum packaging) on the growth of bacteria (Total Aerobic Mesophilic Heterotrophic Bacteria, Enterobacteriaceae and Pseudomonas sp.) isolated from horse muscle. Microbial growth was modelled using Gompertz or the Linear Regression Models. The lowest final bacteria counts were obtained with the combination of 0ºC and vacuum packaging. At higher temperatures, 4ºC, there were no significant differences (p<0.05) among the final counts in relation to both films. The lowest values of µ (microbial growth rate) for the development of studied microorganisms were observed in samples stored in EVA SARAN EVA DOI:http://dx.doi.org/10.19137/cienvet2013-151

Closure of a large lumbosacral myelomeningocele post operative defect with a human cadaveric split-thickness skin graft: a case report

Spina bifida is the most common birth defect of the central nervous system that is compatible with life, and myelomeningocele represents its most frequent form. Congenital myelomeningocele (CMM) has a worldwide incidence of 0.5 to 0.8 per 1,000 live newborns. CMM is a complex condition resulting from incomplete closure of the neural tube, mainly in the lumbosacral region. The objective of the surgical repair of the CMM is the reconstruction of all the tissue layers of the defect, avoiding possible postoperative complications. The aim of this case review is to present a re-epithelialization closure in a patient with a large CMM defect in who primary hermetic closure was not possible because there was too much tension at the edges of the defect. Therefore, human cadaveric split-thickness skin grafts were placed over the dura mater and the aponeurotic layer, covering the entire defect and an adequate healing and completely closure of the defect were observed in eight weeks. The surgical management of large meningomyelocele defects represents a major challenge and no single protocol exists for its reconstruction. The repair of an MMC defect should be performed during the first 72 hours after birth. After neurosurgical closure of the neural tube and dura, the myelomeningocele defect requires good quality skin and subcutaneous tissue with minimal wound tension for stable coverage. Human cadaveric skin grafts are considered a useful technique for temporary wound coverage because they lead to a more natural healing environment, possess ideal properties, and provide a physiological barrier that reduces microbiological contamination, in addition, it acts as a bridge to adhere to and to seal wound beds

Características físico-químicas y microbiológicas de mieles de La Pampa

The honey is defined as the natural sweet substance produced by Apis mellifera bees from the nectar or secretions of plants; or excretions of sucking insects that lives on them.The bees collect, transform and combine with specific substances of their own in the honey comb.The objective of this work was to characterize the honey of the province of La Pampa, based on physico-chemical and microbiological features to search for indicators to ensure better quality for internal and external trade of this product.Thirty-eight samples of different honey-farm, dividing the province of La Pampa in 4 different zones (North, South, East andWest) were analyzed.The physicochemical determinations were pH; total acidity, free acidity and lactone; diastase and ashes. The microbiological analysis made was: determination of total aerobic bacteria count, determination of total coliforms, determination of Salmonella sp and Shigella and the determination of fungi and yeasts.According to the regulations of the CAA results were observed in all cases and regulation MERCOSUR thus also to international standards, concluding honeys in the province of La Pampa can be considered as a good Argentine quality product.La miel se define como la sustancia dulce natura producida por abejas Apis Melifera a partir del néctar de las plantas o de secreciones de partes vivas de éstas o de excreciones de insectos succionadores de plantas que quedan sobre partes vivas de las mismas y que las abejas recogen, transforman y combinan con sustancias especìficas propias y depositan, deshidratan, almacenana y dejan en el panal para que madure y añeje. El objetivo de este trabajo fue evaluar las mieles de la Provincia de La Pampa, en función de sus características físico quimicas y microbiológicas con el fin de buscar indicadores que aseguren una mejor calidad para el comercio interno y externo de este producto. Se analizaron 38 muestras provenientes de diversos establecimientos productores de miel, dividiendo a la Provincia de La Pampa en 4 zonas (Norte, Sur, Ete y Oeste). Se realizaron las determinaciones físico-químicas de pH; acidez total, libre y lactónica; diastasas y cenizas. Los análisis microbiológicos realizados fueron: determinación de recuento total de bacterias aeróbicas; determianción de coliforme totales ; determinación de Salmonella y Shigella sp. y la determinación de hongos y levaduras. En todos los casos se observaron resultados acordes a las normativas de CAA y Reglamento MERCOSUR, como también a normas internacionales, concluyéndose que las mieles de la Provincia de La Pampa pueden ser consideradas como un buen producto de calidad argentina

HDAC9 is implicated in atherosclerotic aortic calcification and affects vascular smooth muscle cell phenotype.

Aortic calcification is an important independent predictor of future cardiovascular events. We performed a genome-wide association meta-analysis to determine SNPs associated with the extent of abdominal aortic calcification (n = 9,417) or descending thoracic aortic calcification (n = 8,422). Two genetic loci, HDAC9 and RAP1GAP, were associated with abdominal aortic calcification at a genome-wide level (P < 5.0 × 10-8). No SNPs were associated with thoracic aortic calcification at the genome-wide threshold. Increased expression of HDAC9 in human aortic smooth muscle cells promoted calcification and reduced contractility, while inhibition of HDAC9 in human aortic smooth muscle cells inhibited calcification and enhanced cell contractility. In matrix Gla protein-deficient mice, a model of human vascular calcification, mice lacking HDAC9 had a 40% reduction in aortic calcification and improved survival. This translational genomic study identifies the first genetic risk locus associated with calcification of the abdominal aorta and describes a previously unknown role for HDAC9 in the development of vascular calcification

Placental DNA methylation signatures of maternal smoking during pregnancy and potential impacts on fetal growth

Maternal smoking during pregnancy (MSDP) contributes to poor birth outcomes, in part through disrupted placental functions, which may be reflected in the placental epigenome. Here we present a meta-analysis of the associations between MSDP and placental DNA methylation (DNAm) and between DNAm and birth outcomes within the Pregnancy And Childhood Epigenetics (PACE) consortium (N = 1700, 344 with MSDP). We identify 443 CpGs that are associated with MSDP, of which 142 associated with birth outcomes, 40 associated with gene expression, and 13 CpGs are associated with all three. Only two CpGs have consistent associations from a prior meta-analysis of cord blood DNAm, demonstrating substantial tissue-specific responses to MSDP. The placental MSDP-associated CpGs are enriched for environmental response genes, growth-factor signaling, and inflammation, which play important roles in placental function. We demonstrate links between placental DNAm, MSDP and poor birth outcomes, which may better inform the mechanisms through which MSDP impacts placental function and fetal growth

Rarity of monodominance in hyperdiverse Amazonian forests.

Tropical forests are known for their high diversity. Yet, forest patches do occur in the tropics where a single tree species is dominant. Such "monodominant" forests are known from all of the main tropical regions. For Amazonia, we sampled the occurrence of monodominance in a massive, basin-wide database of forest-inventory plots from the Amazon Tree Diversity Network (ATDN). Utilizing a simple defining metric of at least half of the trees ≥ 10 cm diameter belonging to one species, we found only a few occurrences of monodominance in Amazonia, and the phenomenon was not significantly linked to previously hypothesized life history traits such wood density, seed mass, ectomycorrhizal associations, or Rhizobium nodulation. In our analysis, coppicing (the formation of sprouts at the base of the tree or on roots) was the only trait significantly linked to monodominance. While at specific locales coppicing or ectomycorrhizal associations may confer a considerable advantage to a tree species and lead to its monodominance, very few species have these traits. Mining of the ATDN dataset suggests that monodominance is quite rare in Amazonia, and may be linked primarily to edaphic factors

Fast- or Slow-inactivated State Preference of Na+ Channel Inhibitors: A Simulation and Experimental Study

Sodium channels are one of the most intensively studied drug targets. Sodium channel inhibitors (e.g., local anesthetics, anticonvulsants, antiarrhythmics and analgesics) exert their effect by stabilizing an inactivated conformation of the channels. Besides the fast-inactivated conformation, sodium channels have several distinct slow-inactivated conformational states. Stabilization of a slow-inactivated state has been proposed to be advantageous for certain therapeutic applications. Special voltage protocols are used to evoke slow inactivation of sodium channels. It is assumed that efficacy of a drug in these protocols indicates slow-inactivated state preference. We tested this assumption in simulations using four prototypical drug inhibitory mechanisms (fast or slow-inactivated state preference, with either fast or slow binding kinetics) and a kinetic model for sodium channels. Unexpectedly, we found that efficacy in these protocols (e.g., a shift of the “steady-state slow inactivation curve”), was not a reliable indicator of slow-inactivated state preference. Slowly associating fast-inactivated state-preferring drugs were indistinguishable from slow-inactivated state-preferring drugs. On the other hand, fast- and slow-inactivated state-preferring drugs tended to preferentially affect onset and recovery, respectively. The robustness of these observations was verified: i) by performing a Monte Carlo study on the effects of randomly modifying model parameters, ii) by testing the same drugs in a fundamentally different model and iii) by an analysis of the effect of systematically changing drug-specific parameters. In patch clamp electrophysiology experiments we tested five sodium channel inhibitor drugs on native sodium channels of cultured hippocampal neurons. For lidocaine, phenytoin and carbamazepine our data indicate a preference for the fast-inactivated state, while the results for fluoxetine and desipramine are inconclusive. We suggest that conclusions based on voltage protocols that are used to detect slow-inactivated state preference are unreliable and should be re-evaluated

Chronic Methamphetamine Administration Causes Differential Regulation of Transcription Factors in the Rat Midbrain

Methamphetamine (METH) is an addictive and neurotoxic psychostimulant widely abused in the USA and throughout the world. When administered in large doses, METH can cause depletion of striatal dopamine terminals, with preservation of midbrain dopaminergic neurons. Because alterations in the expression of transcription factors that regulate the development of dopaminergic neurons might be involved in protecting these neurons after toxic insults, we tested the possibility that their expression might be affected by toxic doses of METH in the adult brain. Male Sprague-Dawley rats pretreated with saline or increasing doses of METH were challenged with toxic doses of the drug and euthanized two weeks later. Animals that received toxic METH challenges showed decreases in dopamine levels and reductions in tyrosine hydroxylase protein concentration in the striatum. METH pretreatment protected against loss of striatal dopamine and tyrosine hydroxylase. In contrast, METH challenges caused decreases in dopamine transporters in both saline- and METH-pretreated animals. Interestingly, METH challenges elicited increases in dopamine transporter mRNA levels in the midbrain in the presence but not in the absence of METH pretreatment. Moreover, toxic METH doses caused decreases in the expression of the dopamine developmental factors, Shh, Lmx1b, and Nurr1, but not in the levels of Otx2 and Pitx3, in saline-pretreated rats. METH pretreatment followed by METH challenges also decreased Nurr1 but increased Otx2 and Pitx3 expression in the midbrain. These findings suggest that, in adult animals, toxic doses of METH can differentially influence the expression of transcription factors involved in the developmental regulation of dopamine neurons. The combined increases in Otx2 and Pitx3 expression after METH preconditioning might represent, in part, some of the mechanisms that served to protect against METH-induced striatal dopamine depletion observed after METH preconditioning

Epidemiology of intra-abdominal infection and sepsis in critically ill patients: “AbSeS”, a multinational observational cohort study and ESICM Trials Group Project

Purpose: To describe the epidemiology of intra-abdominal infection in an international cohort of ICU patients according to a new system that classifies cases according to setting of infection acquisition (community-acquired, early onset hospital-acquired, and late-onset hospital-acquired), anatomical disruption (absent or present with localized or diffuse peritonitis), and severity of disease expression (infection, sepsis, and septic shock). Methods: We performed a multicenter (n = 309), observational, epidemiological study including adult ICU patients diagnosed with intra-abdominal infection. Risk factors for mortality were assessed by logistic regression analysis. Results: The cohort included 2621 patients. Setting of infection acquisition was community-acquired in 31.6%, early onset hospital-acquired in 25%, and late-onset hospital-acquired in 43.4% of patients. Overall prevalence of antimicrobial resistance was 26.3% and difficult-to-treat resistant Gram-negative bacteria 4.3%, with great variation according to geographic region. No difference in prevalence of antimicrobial resistance was observed according to setting of infection acquisition. Overall mortality was 29.1%. Independent risk factors for mortality included late-onset hospital-acquired infection, diffuse peritonitis, sepsis, septic shock, older age, malnutrition, liver failure, congestive heart failure, antimicrobial resistance (either methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, vancomycin-resistant enterococci, extended-spectrum beta-lactamase-producing Gram-negative bacteria, or carbapenem-resistant Gram-negative bacteria) and source control failure evidenced by either the need for surgical revision or persistent inflammation. Conclusion: This multinational, heterogeneous cohort of ICU patients with intra-abdominal infection revealed that setting of infection acquisition, anatomical disruption, and severity of disease expression are disease-specific phenotypic characteristics associated with outcome, irrespective of the type of infection. Antimicrobial resistance is equally common in community-acquired as in hospital-acquired infection