Search

The construction and destruction of mountain belts exert a first-order control in ecosystems by creating bridges and barriers for populations, modifying river-drainage networks and local and regional climate patterns. Several questions including How climate and tectonics control topographic growth and decay and what is the thermal and geological record of growth and decay? remain unclear and are subject of extensive research. Here we use geological data from the Antioquia Altiplano Province (AAP) in the Northern Andes to develop a 3D thermo-kinematic model that constrains past relief and exhumation rates. Results suggest that Late Cretaceous to Paleocene collision between the Caribbean Plateau and the continental margin caused high exhumation and formed a topography higher than present-day elevations. Between the late Paleocene and Oligocene, the reduction of tectonic activity caused thermal relaxation that drove regional bedrock cooling, while climatically-driven erosion significantly reduced relief, forming low-relief surfaces. During the Miocene, deformation and limited erosion resulted in a phase of Miocene topographic growth and low exhumation that preserved and deformed the previously formed low-relief surfaces. Our results demonstrate how mountain belts grow but also decay in response to the interactions and feedbacks between climate and tectonics. • Topographic growth and decay constrained by 3D thermo-kinematic modeling. • The collision of the Caribbean Plateau with NW South America around 72 Ma caused the development of a topography higher than present-day elevations. • Bedrock cooling caused by post-collisional thermal relaxation and relief reduction. • Humid and hot climate promoted efficient erosion that caused topographic decay and facilitated the development of low relief paleosurfaces. • Low-relief paleosufaces preserved in mountain belts can be indicative of low long-term erosion rates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cytokines play a fundamental role in anti-mycobaterial immune response. TNFα and IFNγ are associated with macrophage activation and increased anti mycobacterial capacities, while IL-10 has opposite effects. Recent evidence indicates that polymorphisms in different regions of the genes control cytokine production. It has been reported that mononuclear cells from patients with TB stimulated with mycobacterial antigens have decreased IFN gamma with augmented IL-10 production. The aim of this study was to determine the association of TNFα, IFNγ and IL-10 gene polymorphisms with TB and to correlate them with cytokine production by mononuclear cells in response to specific and non-specific stimuli in TB patients and healthy controls. Cytokine gene polymorphisms were detected by PCR-SSP in 33 patients with pulmonary TB and 35 healthy controls. Mononuclear cell cultures were stimulated for 24 and 72 hours with PPD, LPS and PHA. Cytokine levels in supernatants were measured by ELISA. No association between the different cytokine gene polymorphisms and TB has been observed. In vitro, PPD, LPS and PHA significantly increased the levels of the three cytokines in both groups studied; however, there were no differences between patients and controls. Although there were major individual variations in response to the various stimuli, only IL-10(-1082) polymorphism correlates with IL-10 concentration after PPD and LPS stimulation. These results suggest that the cytokine gene polymorphisms are not associated with susceptibility to TB; but it remains to determine whether they may be associated with different clinical forms of TB such as Miliary and Pleural TB. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this article is to showcase a research project (Quality Model for Software Development Pymes Located in the Aburrá Valley Metropolitan Area), and to present the resulting Quality Model, intended to support PYMES that develop software and are located in the Aburrá Valley Metropolitan Area. Many important models were analyzed for its development, such as MoProSoft, TST/PSP, Mosca, CMI, CMMI, from which the best practices were extracted. Additionally, important concepts were taken into account, such as Quality Models, Process Management, Development Processes, and Project Management. This quality model aims serve as a basis for small companies by supporting their software development teams, improving their performance and effectiveness in project elaboration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) is caused by biallelic mutations of SMN1 gene, with wide spectrum of phenotypes. One of the best-known disease modifiers is a paralogous SMN2 gene and its copy numbers. Other well-known genetic modifiers are the c.859G>C andc.835-44A>G variants in SMN2. SMA was classified in 4 clinical types (1-4) depending on the acquisition of motor milestones, but there is a significant overlap in their clinical characteristics and genetic background, especially in late-onset patients. Moreover, with the approval of disease-modifying therapies (DMT), new phenotypes are arising, which do not fit with the traditional classification. In this context, describing the natural history according to the number of SMN2 copies and other well-known genetic modifiers has become more and more important. In this study, patients with 3 or 4 SMN2 copies included in the national Spanish registry for SMA (CUIDAME) who signed informed consent were assessed. The age of acquisition and loss of four main motor milestones (head control, sitting without support, walking with and without support) and other important milestones (scoliosis surgery, first long bone fracture and ventilation initiation) was collected with well-known SMN2 genetic modifiers and sex. Data on natural history were collected retrospectively from questionnaires and medical records and prospectively on subsequent clinical visits until treatment initiation. Multivariable models will be used to assess the influence of genetic modifiers and sex in the acquisition and loss of motor milestones. As for April 2024 253 patients with 3 SMN2 copies and 71 patients with 4 SMN2 copies were identified in the CUIDAME registry. Data on their natural history and the influence of sex and genetic modifiers will be presented. The description of SMA natural history according to genetic modifiers and sex will be key to predict the prognosis of asymptomatic untreated carriers and to assess the long-term efficacy of DMT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) is a genetic, neurodegenerative disease characterized by progressive muscle weakness and atrophy leading to disability and paralysis. Nusinersen is an SMN2 -directed antisense oligonucleotides (ASO) working by blocking splicing once they are bound to pre-mRNA, which allows exon 7 to be preferentially included and therefore produce more full-length SMN protein. Nusinersen is available since 2016 in USA and 2018 in Spain. The CUIDAME project is an observational Spanish SMA population database where clinical data are collected through a digital platform. Here we present a descriptive analysis of the cohort treated with Nusinersen included in the platform until April 2024. 146 and 106 pediatric and adult patients respectively had been treated with Nusinersen at the time of recruitment, representing the 66.6% and 43.3% of the pediatric and adult population. Regarding SMA type and treatment outcomes: 60 SMA1 pediatric patients had been treated with CHOP-ATEND score change from 19.3 at the beginning of the treatment to 47.9 in last measure; 58 SMA2 pediatric patients had been treated with CHOP-ATEND score change from 44.1 to 51.2 and HFMSE score change from 20 to 26.9; 26 SMA3 pediatric patients had been treated with CHOP-ATEND score change from 61 to 61.8 and HFMSE score change from 45.1 to 51.7. 29 SMA2 adult patients had been treated with HFMSE score change from 5 to 4.6 and EK2 score change from 20.3 to 18.8; 75 SMA3 adult patients had been treated with HFMSE score change from 36.4 to 34.9, EK2 score change from 10 to 6.3 and 6MWT score change from 282.5 to 388.2 meters. Just two pre-symptomatic patients had been treated with Nusinersen. Considering nutritional status, 54% of treated pediatric SMA1 require nutritional support, 18% of treated pediatric SMA2 and no pediatric SMA3. No adult SMA patient treated with Nusinersen requires nutritional support. Focusing on respiratory situation, 83.9% of treated pediatric SMA1 require any type of ventilation being just 11.1% invasive, 34.5% of treated pediatric SMA2 require ventilation being just 7% invasive and no treated pediatric SMA3 requires ventilation. 56% of treated adult SMA2 and 6% of treated adult SMA3 require ventilation, all of them non-invasive. In conclusion, both the pediatric and adult population included in the CUIDAME registry treated with Nusinersen show an improvement either in motor or functional scales. Regarding nutritional or respiratory implications, a high percentage of SMA2 require support of some kind, being lower in SMA3 and in the adult population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The synthesis of the NaY zeolite framework has been performed from Colombian industrial coal by-products by alkaline fusion step prior to hydrothermal reaction. The as-synthesized zeotype was characterized by Fourier transformed infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-ray powder diffraction (XRPD) analysis. Results show that the NaY zeolite can be prepared under the following optimized experimental conditions: at 80°C for 12h from natural clinker and at 65°C for 96h from fly ash, although the conversion of fly ash was not very effective compared with that obtained using natural clinker. Ion exchange of metal ions in NaY zeolite is suggested to investigate its catalytic activities and its ion exchanged forms. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

La solubilidad en medio acuoso de un principio farmacéuticamente activo (IFA) es una propiedad que influye directamente en la biodisponibilidad del fármaco en el organismo. La fexofenadina es un antihistaminico de tercera generación, antagonista selectivo de los receptores de la histamina H1, que se comercializa en forma de la sal cloruro para su administración vía oral. En las bases de datos cristalográficas no existen reportes estructurales del cloruro de fexofenadina (FEXCl), por el contrario, la base libre (FEX) está descrita en su forma monohidratada y metanol-solvatada. En esta contribución se mostrará la determinación estructural por difracción de Rayos X de FEXCl (Figura 1) y FEX, además, el estudio comparativo de sus solubilidades mediante espectroscopia ultravioleta. FEXCL indexa en un sistema triclínico con grupo espacial P-1 y parámetros de celda a= 6.395(4) Å, b= 15.19(17) Å, c= 15.632(8) Å, α= 78.582(44) °, β= 80.460(57) °, γ= 87.453(51) °, V= 1467(2) Å3 y Z=2. Por otra parte FEX se registra en un sistema monoclínico con parámetros de celda a= 12.604(6) Å, b= 9.853(2) Å, c= 23.884(4) Å, α= 90°, β= 93.14(3)°, γ= 90°, V= 2961.92(2) Å3 y Z=4 en un grupo espacial P21/a. El estudio de solubilidad determinó que FEXCL es más soluble FEX a condiciones de 37 °C y pH 3. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Natural zeolites filling amygdales and veins in tertiary basaltic host rocks on the Isle of Skye (NW Scotland) have been studied in some detail by transmitted light microscopy, scanning electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction techniques. The zeolites and associated minerals so identified in order of their relative time of formation from early to late were nontronite, amorphous silica phases, carbonate phases, chabazite, phillipsite, wairakite, thomsonite, analcime, natrolite and stilbite-type minerals. Zeolite formation in die Skye basalts began with low Si/Al ratio Na zeolites and a gradual increase in Ca content and Si/Al ratio, ending up as Ca zeolites. They were probably formed as a consequence of late-stage hydrothermal activity, although, locally, contact metamorphism may control the process of zeolite formation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]