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Tuberculosis (TB) is an infectious, chronic, and progressive disease occurring globally. Human TB is caused mainly by Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M. tuberculosis), while the main causative agent of bovine TB is Mycobacterium bovis (M. bovis). The latter is one of the most important cattle pathogens and is considered the main cause of zoonotic TB worldwide. The mechanisms responsible for tissue damage (necrosis) during post-primary TB remain elusive. Recently, IL-17A was reported to be important for protection against M. tuberculosis infection, but it is also related to the production of an intense inflammatory response associated with necrosis. We used two M. bovis isolates with different levels of virulence and high IL-17A production to study this important cytokine's contrasting functions in a BALB/c mouse model of pulmonary TB. In the first part of the study, the gene expression kinetics and cellular sources of IL-17A were determined by real time PCR and immunohistochemistry respectively. Non-infected lungs showed low production of IL-17A, particularly by the bronchial epithelium, while lungs infected with the low-virulence 534 strain showed high IL-17A expression on Day 3 post-infection, followed by a decrease in expression in the early stage of the infection and another increase during late infection, on Day 60, when very low bacillary burdens were found. In contrast, infection with the highly virulent strain 04-303 induced a peak of IL-17A expression on Day 14 of infection, 1 week before extensive pulmonary necrosis was seen, being lymphocytes and macrophages the most important sources. In the second part of the study, the contribution of IL-17A to immune protection and pulmonary necrosis was evaluated by suppressing IL-17A via the administration of specific blocking antibodies. Infection with M. bovis strain 534 and treatment with IL-17A neutralizing antibodies did not affect mouse survival but produced a significant increase in bacillary load and a non-significant decrease in inflammatory infiltrate and granuloma area. In contrast, mice infected with the highly virulent 04-303 strain and treated with IL-17A blocking antibodies showed a significant decrease in survival, an increase in bacillary loads on Day 24 post-infection, and significantly more and earlier necrosis. Our results suggest that high expression of IL-17A is more related to protection than necrosis in a mouse model of pulmonary TB induced by M. bovis strains.

Background: due to physiological changes of aging, older adults have an increased risk of getting sick from COVID-19.Objective: to characterize of COVID-19 on the elderly in the municipality of Ciego de Ávila.Methods: a cross-sectional descriptive investigation was carried out that included all confirmed COVID-19 patients over 60 years of age in the municipality of Ciego de Ávila in the period between July 1 and December 31, 2021. The information was obtained based on the epidemiological surveys carried out on confirmed cases, as well as the report and statistical records of the Municipal Hygiene and Epidemiology Unit. The data obtained were summarized in tables and graphs. The ethical principles of the research were complied with.Results: 3215 patients were confirmed. Ages between 60 and 69 years (52.26%), females (53.28%). The months of July and August were the ones with the highest number of reports. The North area had the highest incidence (2327.5 per 100 thousand inhabitants) and mortality was higher in patients aged 80 and over (10.6 per 1000 inhabitants).Conclusions: COVID 19 in the Ciego de Avila municipality had a predominance in the elderly who remain more incorporated into social activities, with higher mortality in those over 80 years of age, being the group with the highest vulnerability to present complications. Useful information was provided for monitoring the indicators and in order to contribute to the reduction of mortality in this vulnerable group.

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Copyright of Revista Ciencia y Tecnología Agropecuaria is the property of Agrosavia and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Tuberculosis (TB) caused by the complex Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) is the main cause of death by a single bacterial agent. Last year, TB was the second leading infectious killer after SARS-CoV-2. Nevertheless, many biological and immunological aspects of TB are not completely elucidated, such as the complex process of immunoregulation mediated by regulatory T cells (Treg cells) and the enzymes indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase (IDO) and heme oxygenase 1 (HO-1). In this study, the contribution of these immunoregulatory factors was compared in mice infected with Mtb strains with different levels of virulence. First Balb/c mice were infected by intratracheal route, with a high dose of mild virulence reference strain H37Rv or with a highly virulent clinical isolate (strain 5186). In the lungs of infected mice, the kinetics of Treg cells during the infection were determined by cytofluorometry and the expression of IDO and HO-1 by RT-PCR and immunohistochemistry. Then, the contribution of immune-regulation mediated by Treg cells, IDO and HO-1, was evaluated by treating infected animals with specific cytotoxic monoclonal antibodies for Treg cells depletion anti-CD25 (PC61 clone) or by blocking IDO and HO-1 activity using specific inhibitors (1-methyl-D,L-tryptophan or zinc protoporphyrin-IX, respectively). Mice infected with the mild virulent strain showed a progressive increment of Treg cells, showing this highest number at the beginning of the late phase of the infection (28 days), the same trend was observed in the expression of both enzymes being macrophages the cells that showed the highest immunostaining. Animals infected with the highly virulent strain showed lower survival (34 days) and higher amounts of Treg cells, as well as higher expression of IDO and HO-1 one week before. In comparison with non-treated animals, mice infected with strain H37Rv with depletion of Treg cells or treated with the enzymes blockers during late infection showed a significant decrease of bacilli loads, higher expression of IFN-g and lower IL-4 but with a similar extension of inflammatory lung consolidation determined by automated morphometry. In contrast, the depletion of Treg cells in infected mice with the highly virulent strain 5186 produced diffuse alveolar damage that was similar to severe acute viral pneumonia, lesser survival and increase of bacillary loads, while blocking of both IDO and HO-1 produced high bacillary loads and extensive pneumonia with necrosis. Thus, it seems that Treg cells, IDO and HO-1 activities are detrimental during late pulmonary TB induced by mild virulence Mtb, probably because these factors decrease immune protection mediated by the Th1 response. In contrast, Treg cells, IDO and HO-1 are beneficial when the infection is produced by a highly virulent strain, by regulation of excessive inflammation that produced alveolar damage, pulmonary necrosis, acute respiratory insufficiency, and rapid death.

El objetivo es presentar un modelo de balanceo de cargas de trabajo, bajo el enfoque Business Process Management (BPM), a través de un estudio de caso en el proceso estocástico, multiobjetivo y complejo de análisis de créditos comerciales en un banco, que tiene problemas en la asignación de los recursos, puesto que algunos están recargados con relación a otros, y no se cumple la promesa de valor, en cuanto al tiempo de respuesta al cliente, ante una solicitud de crédito. La metodología aplicada incluye teoría de colas, con herramientas de control de producción y análisis de operaciones, tales como diagramas y caracterización de redes de Jackson, así como la simulación. También se encontró que los métodos heurísticos y de programación lineal no aplican para un proceso de esta complejidad, se realizaron análisis estadísticos a las diferentes variables de entrada con el programa computacional Minitab 21.2®; se usó el software de simulación de eventos discretos SIMIO® para modelar la situación actual, en pro de evidenciar las causas de la problemática; y, al buscar el máximo desempeño del indicador de uso de capacidad instalada, se observó deterioro en las otras métricas como el tiempo de ciclo y el WIP (Trabajo en Progreso, por sus siglas en inglés), por lo anterior, se buscó un escenario que no necesariamente fuera el óptimo, pero que en La metodología incluye aspectos investigados en teoría de colas, bajo el enfoque BPM, con herramientas de control de producción y análisis de operaciones tales como diagramas de red, caracterización de redes de Jackson, así como la simulación de procesos, la cual se definió como la forma idónea de representar el modelo actual y propuesto, ya que los métodos heurísticos y de programación lineal, no aplican para un proceso de esta complejidad. Se realizaron análisis de entrada y estadísticos de las diferentes variables del sistema, para lo cual se utilizó el programa computacional Minitab 21.2® y el software de simulación de eventos discretos SIMIO® para modelar la situación actual del sistema en pro de evidenciar las causas de la problemática, al buscar el máximo desempeño del indicador de uso de capacidad instalada se observó deterioro en las otras métricas como el tiempo de ciclo y el WIP, se buscó un escenario que no necesariamente fuera el óptimo pero que en balance para todos los indicadores tuviera un resultado aceptable con el desempeño esperado. El valor que aporta este estudio a las organizaciones es de alta relevancia para las entidades del sector de servicios financieros, pues se logran mejoras significativas en los indicadores clave de desempeño de un proceso complejo. balance para todos los indicadores tuviera un resultado aceptable con el desempeño esperado. Este estudio es relevante para el sector de servicios financieros, pues se logra mejoras significativas en los indicadores clave de desempeño de un proceso complejo.