Relationship Between Legal Blindness and Depression

The higher prevalence rates of depression in visually-impaired individuals than the general population indicates that the condition per se increases the risk of depression. A person that is aware of the progressive loss of visual acuteness may have feelings of insecurity, anxiety, loss of independence and changes in social functioning, leading to depression. Several studies assessing the association between depressive symptoms and severity of vision loss have yielded inconsistent results. Some do not show any association, whereas others reported that depression severity is higher in those with substantial vision loss. The general aim of this manuscript was to determine the prevalence of depression in patients diagnosed with legal blindness in the Eye Care Service at the Hospital Córdoba between June 2016 and June 2017. The study sample consisted of 41 patients. The level of depression was assessed using the Zung scale and the degree of dependence in daily life activities was defined using the Barthel index. Data was anonymized for inclusion in a computer database and statistical confidentiality was protected. Data was analyzed using InfoStat statistical software. The results revealed a relation between legal blindness, degrees of dependency and depressive symptoms in patients of the Eye Care Service of the Hospital Córdoba. It is very important for health professionals to be trained to detect early signs and symptoms of depression and have the necessary tools for such an approach. Epub: October 1, 2019

Relationship Between Legal Blindness and Depression

The higher prevalence rates of depression in visually-impaired individuals than the general population indicates that the condition per se increases the risk of depression. A person that is aware of the progressive loss of visual acuteness may have feelings of insecurity, anxiety, loss of independence and changes in social functioning, leading to depression. Several studies assessing the association between depressive symptoms and severity of vision loss have yielded inconsistent results. Some do not show any association, whereas others reported that depression severity is higher in those with substantial vision loss. The general aim of this manuscript was to determine the prevalence of depression in patients diagnosed with legal blindness in the Eye Care Service at the Hospital Córdoba between June 2016 and June 2017. The study sample consisted of 41 patients. The level of depression was assessed using the Zung scale and the degree of dependence in daily life activities was defined using the Barthel index. Data was anonymized for inclusion in a computer database and statistical confidentiality was protected. Data was analyzed using InfoStat statistical software. The results revealed a relation between legal blindness, degrees of dependency and depressive symptoms in patients of the Eye Care Service of the Hospital Córdoba. It is very important for health professionals to be trained to detect early signs and symptoms of depression and have the necessary tools for such an approach. Epub: October 1, 2019

Effects of Gamma Irradiation on Curcumin

In this study, remnants concentrations of curcumin in Curcuma longa (organic turmeric powder) were determined after it was exposed to irradiation doses of 1, 2 and 3 kGy. Curcumin analysis was performed using the analyte-sensitive impulse differential polarography technique (LOD: 0.621 ppm and LOQ: 2.130 ppm). The results obtained showed a decreasing concentration of curcumin as a function of the irradiation dose. This reduction is low in terms of affecting the product’s quality with respect to its concentration

Inhibition of the Collapse of the Shaker K+ Conductance by Specific Scorpion Toxins

The Shaker B K+ conductance (GK) collapses when the channels are closed (deactivated) in Na+ solutions that lack K+ ions. Also, it is known that external TEA (TEAo) impedes the collapse of GK (Gómez-Lagunas, F. 1997. J. Physiol. 499:3–15; Gómez-Lagunas, F. 2001. J. Gen. Physiol. 118:639–648), and that channel block by TEAo and scorpion toxins are two mutually exclusive events (Goldstein, S.A.N., and C. Miller. 1993. Biophys. J. 65:1613–1619). Therefore, we tested the ability of scorpion toxins to inhibit the collapse of GK in 0 K+. We have found that these toxins are not uniform regarding the capacity to protect GK. Those toxins, whose binding to the channels is destabilized by external K+, are also effective inhibitors of the collapse of GK. In addition to K+, other externally added cations also destabilize toxin block, with an effectiveness that does not match the selectivity sequence of K+ channels. The inhibition of the drop of GK follows a saturation relationship with [toxin], which is fitted well by the Michaelis-Menten equation, with an apparent Kd bigger than that of block of the K+ current. However, another plausible model is also presented and compared with the Michaelis-Menten model. The observations suggest that those toxins that protect GK in 0 K+ do so by interacting either with the most external K+ binding site of the selectivity filter (suggesting that the K+ occupancy of only that site of the pore may be enough to preserve GK) or with sites capable of binding K+ located in the outer vestibule of the pore, above the selectivity filter

On the Binding of Congo Red to Amyloid Fibrils

Amyloids are characterized by their capacity to bind Congo red (CR), one of the most used amyloid‐specific dyes. The structural features of CR binding were unknown for years, mainly because of the lack of amyloid structures solved at high resolution. In the last few years, solid‐state NMR spectroscopy enabled the determination of the structural features of amyloids, such as the HET‐s prion forming domain (HET‐s PFD), which also has recently been used to determine the amyloid-CR interface at atomic resolution. Herein, we combine spectroscopic data with molecular docking, molecular dynamics, and excitonic quantum/molecular mechanics calculations to examine and rationalize CR binding to amyloids. In contrast to a previous assumption on the binding mode, our results suggest that CR binding to the HET‐s PFD involves a cooperative process entailing the formation of a complex with 1:1 stoichiometry. This provides a molecular basis to explain the bathochromic shift in the maximal absorbance wavelength when CR is bound to amyloids

Coronary angioplasty produces alterations in the HDL proteome of patients with coronary disease

Comunicaciones a congreso

CITOTOXICIDAD EN CÉLULAS HELA DE EXTRACTOS DE TRES ESPECIES DE PLANTAS MEDICINALES DE HIDALGO, MÉXICO

Ethanolic extracts of three medicinal plants,Juniperus deppeana, Solanum rostratumand Bidens odorata, which are used in folk medicine in Hidalgo, Mexico, for thetreatment of wounds, ulcers, tumors andcancer, were tested in a HeLa cell line toevaluate their cytotoxic activity. The highestcytotoxicity was found in the extract of J.deppeana (IC50 = 4.63 μg/ml); hence, thisextract was separated via chromatographyon a silica gel plate, from which the mainfraction (Rf = 0.28) showed strong cytotoxic activity (IC50 = 0.79 μg/ml). Whereasthe extract of S. rostratum also exhibitedcytotoxicity (IC50 = 127.5 μg/ml), that ofB. odorata was inactive.Se evaluó la citotoxicidad en cultivos decélulas HeLa de los extractos etanólicosde tres especies de plantas, Juniperus deppeana, Solanum rostratum y Bidens odorata, que se utilizan tradicionalmente en dosregiones del estado de Hidalgo, México,para el tratamiento de heridas, úlceras, tumores y cáncer de matriz. La citotoxicidadmás elevada la presentó el extracto de J.deppeana (CI50 = 4.63 μg/ml), el cual fueseparado por cromatografía en placa de gelde sílice y la fracción principal (Rf = 0.28 )mostró actividad citotóxica (CI50 = 0.79 μg/ml). Aunque menor, el extracto de S. rostratum también presentó citotoxicidad (CI50= 127.5 μg/ml). B. odorata fue inactiva

Experiència de flexibilitat metodològica en el procés d'ensenyament-aprenentatge. El cas de l'assignatura del grau de Farmàcia 'Biomembranes: estudis fisicoquímics'

Es descriu l'experiència realitzada en l'assignatura optativa Biomembranes: estudis fisicoquímics del Grau de Farmàcia de la UB. Aquest aspecte comporta formar un grup no molt nombrós d'estudiants i permet realitzar experiències metodològiques noves introduint aspectes de flexibilitat per a estudiants i professors. Es van establir els objectius competencials i es va dissenyar un programa flexible respecte a continguts, a activitats i dimensió espai-temps amb resultats satisfactoris

Diet inclusion of devil fish (Plecostomus spp.) silage and its impacts on ruminal fermentation and growth performance of growing lambs in hot regions of Mexico

The aim of this study was to evaluate the inclusion of devil fish (Plecostomus spp.—DF) silage in Criollo× Blackbelly lamb diets in hot region of Guerrero state of Mexico. Rumen fermentation including pH, volatile fatty acids (VFA) and ammonia-N (NH3-N) and productive variables including feed intake (FI), average daily gain (ADG), and feed conversion were determined. Twenty lambs with 18±1.2 kg body weight in a completely randomized design were fed a total mixed ration (TMR) of concentrate (based on soybean meal, whole oat hay, ground corn cob, vitamins-minerals supplement) with DF silage at 0 % (DF0), 9 % (DF9), 18 % (DF18), and 27 % (DF27) of the TMR for 75 days. The ruminal pH showed no difference (P>0.05) between treatments: ranging between 6.21 and 6.36. Propionic acid molar proportions showed an irregular pattern between experimental groups, which only differed (P0.05) among treatments. The daily FI was increased (P0.05) among them. The ADG showed only difference (cubic effect, P=0.02) between DF9 and DF18. The highest feed conversion was observed (cubic effect, P<0.01) with DF18, with a value of 4.7 kg of feed to gain 1 kg of body weight. It could be concluded that the inclusion of up to 18 % of DF silage in the TMR of growing lamb diets, in hot regions of Mexico, may improve productive performance a

Influence of live cells or cells extract of Saccharomyces cerevisiae on in vitro gas production of a total mixed ration

In vitro gas production An interaction effect was observed (P=0.009) between treatment type and treatment dose for the asymptotic GP without interaction effects (P>0.05) for the rate of GP and the initial delay before gas production begins. In general, incubation of yeast CE improved (P=0.0007) the asymptotic GP compared to control and yeast LC. In both of CE and LC, the low and the intermediate doses were morelive cells (LC) or cells extract (CE) on in vitro gas production (GP) kinetics and ruminal fermentation parameters of a total mixed ration (TMR) consisting of commercial concentrate and alfalfa hay [1:1 dry matter (DM)] as a substrate was studied. The TMR was incubated with CE at 1, 2 and 4 mg/g or LC at 0.3, 0.6 and 0.9 mg/g DM for 96 h. Rumen GP was recorded after 6, 12, 19, 24, 48, 72 and 96 h of incubation. Interaction effects were observed (P<0.01) between treatment type and yeast dose for the asymptotic GP and methane (CH4) production. Incubation of yeast CE improved (P<0.01) the asymptotic GP compared to control and LC with greater effects (P<0.01) for the low and the intermediate doses. Yeast CE treatment was more effective (P<0.01) in GP than both of LC and control treatments with greater effect (P<0.01) for the low and the intermediate doses. Treatment type and yeast dose affected (P<0.01) CH4 production, metabolisable energy (ME), and short chain fatty acids (SCFA) without affecting in vitro DM degradability (IVDMD). Higher values (P<0.01) of CH4, ME, SCFA and IVDMD were observed for the yeast CE treatment. It could be concluded that adding yeast S. cerevisiae (CE and LC extract) improved GP and ruminal fermentation parameters, where CE at 0.3 and 0.6 mg/g DM was more effective than the yeast LC