Search

Better therapeutic options are needed for pain. Baclofen, buspirone, and morphine are characterized as having analgesic properties. However, little is known about potential interactions between analgesic effects of these drugs when combined. Furthermore, it is not known if the magnitude of these potential interactions will be similar for all drug effects. Thus, we tested the effects of these drugs alone and in combination for their capacity to produce thermal antinociception and to decrease food-maintained responding. Four male and four female Sprague-Dawley rats responded for food under a fixed-ratio 10 schedule; afterward they were immediately placed on a 52°C hot plate. Morphine, baclofen, and buspirone were examined alone and in 1:1 combinations, based upon ED(50) values. Morphine and baclofen effects were evaluated with the opioid antagonist naltrexone and the GABA(B) antagonist (3-Aminopropyl)(diethoxymethyl)phosphinic acid (CGP35348), respectively. Morphine, baclofen, and buspirone dose dependently decreased operant responding, with the calculated ED(50) values being 7.09, 3.42, and 0.57 mg/kg, respectively. The respective antinociception ED(50) values were 16.15, 8.75, and 2.20 mg/kg. Analysis of 1:1 combinations showed the effects of morphine plus baclofen to decrease schedule-controlled responding and to produce thermal antinociception were synergistic. Effects of morphine plus buspirone and baclofen plus buspirone to decrease schedule-controlled responding were additive. Effects of the two combinations to produce thermal antinociception were synergistic. Naltrexone and CGP35348 antagonized the effects of morphine and baclofen, respectively. Synergistic antinociceptive effects, in conjunction with additive effects on food-maintained responding, highlight the therapeutic utility of opioid and non-opioid drug combinations.

In many socially monogamous species, individuals form long-term pair bonds and males mate guard females. Such behavior is thought to help secure intra-pair fertilizations, the result of intra-pair copulations (IPCs), and ensure paternity. However, socially monogamous males are also often opportunistic and seek additional mating opportunities with other females, leaving their partner unguarded. The success associated with a male’s decision to seek more mates over guarding his partner might be impacted by the activity of other males, specifically the proportion of other males leaving their territories to seek extra-pair copulations (EPCs). The amount of EPC-seeking males can impact the likelihood of a given male encountering an unguarded paired female, but also of being cuckolded (losing IPCs). It remains unclear under which conditions it is optimal to stay and guard or seek EPCs. Using field data from socially monogamous prairie voles (Microtus ochrogaster) to generate parameters, we used optimal performance modeling (Monte Carlo simulations) to ask when is it most reproductively advantageous for a bonded male to seek EPCs, despite the risk of losing IPCs. We defined three types of males: exclusive mating bonded males (true residents), non-exclusive mating bonded residents (roving residents), and unpaired males (wanderers). We first modeled the success of an individual male living in a context that incorporated only true and roving residents. We next added wandering males to this model. Finally, we considered the effects of including wandering males and unpaired females in our model. For all contexts, we found that as EPC-seeking in the population increases, the potential reproductive benefit for seeking EPCs increasingly outpaces the rate of cuckolding. In other words, we observe a shift in optimal strategy from true residents to rovers among paired males. Our models also demonstrate that reproductive fitness is likely to remain constant, despite the shift toward obtaining success via EPCs over IPCs. Our results show the dynamic nature of reproductive decision-making, and demonstrate that alternative reproductive decisions yield subtle but important differences despite appearing as balanced strategies.

Resumen Informamos el caso de un hombre de 79 anos con hemorragia alveolar, glomerulonefritis necrosante y polineuropatia por poliangiitis microscopica, una enfermedad autoinmune, caracterizada por vasculitis sistemica, predominantemente de vasos de pequeno calibre. Se revisan los aspectos clinicos y terapeuticos de la enfermedad.

Introducción: El estudio de estilos de vida saludable en universitarios es parte de las estrategias institucionales para reducir la prevalencia de sobrepeso y obesidad. Por tal razón, el objetivo de esta investigación fue caracterizar en la población universitaria de la ciudad de Medellín, Colombia, el consumo y el conocimiento referente a la importancia del consumo adecuado de productos cárnicos.Material y Métodos: El tamaño de la muestra fue de 400 estudiantes, seleccionados aleatoriamente de acuerdo con los factores de ponderación: género, nivel socioeconómico y tipo de universidad, teniendo en cuenta un nivel de confiabilidad del 95% y un error máximo permisible del 5%.Resultados: Se encontró que el pollo es la carne preferida por los universitarios, seguido del pescado; la carne de cordero es la de menor preferencia; se encontró mayor consumo en el género masculino (p

One-step and incremental mixing procedures are currently used to produce dental ceramic pastes. In the ceramic industry, high quality is obtained using one-step mixing, but in dentistry, the best method has not been yet determined.The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effects of 2 mixing techniques on the biaxial flexural strength and microstructure of dental porcelain.Feldspathic porcelain discs (2 × 15 mm in diameter) were produced and divided according to the ceramic paste preparation method, powder-liquid incremental mixing group (n=50) or one-step mixing, as a control group (n=50). Specimens were tested for biaxial flexural strength and characterized using porosimetry, relative humidity, SEM/EDS, XRD, and FT-IR analyses. Statistical analysis was conducted using Weibull statistics. The Weibull modulus, characteristic strength and relative humidity were compared between groups, using Student's t-test and Mann-Whitney U test (α=.05).The powder-liquid incremental mixing group showed significantly higher values (SD) of Weibull modulus (6.74 (0.70), P.001) and characteristic strength (79.87 (2.01) MPa, P.001) when compared to the one-step mixing group (4.94 (0.94) and 75.95 (2.61) MPa). Significantly lower mean (SD) relative humidity values (P=.009) were found for powder-liquid incremental mixing group (20% (0.5%)) compared to one-step mixing group (22% (1%)). XRD spectra showed that the one-step mixing group produced higher amounts of the amorphous phase.Specimens produced by the incremental mixing technique showed higher biaxial flexural strength than one-step mixing.

La endoscopia digestiva superior (EDS) es un método diagnóstico muy utilizado actualmente en la medicina de pequeños animales. El procedimiento requiere anestésicos y la selección de los mismos es crucial. Este estudio comparó los efectos de tres inductores etomidato, ketamina y propofol, en su capacidad para facilitar o hacer más difícil el paso del endoscopio hasta el duodeno. También se determinó, con cuál de estos agentes inductores se utilizaba menos tiempo para realizar la técnica, y se estableció el protocolo que permite una recuperación más rápida. Se encontró que ninguno de los inductores utilizados dificultó significativamente el acceso al estómago ni el paso por el mismo. Con el etomidato se pasó por el estómago en un tiempo menor pero la diferencia no fue significativa, como tampoco hubo diferencia en el tiempo necesario para atravesar el píloro; sin embargo, desde el punto de vista clínico este paso si fue menos fácil con la ketamina. En cuanto a la recuperación anestésica el propofol permitió un tiempo de recuperación menor (p>0.05). Se concluye que los tres agentes tuvieron un comportamiento similar desde el punto de vista estadístico, pero clínicamente el etomidato fue mejor.Upper digestive endoscopy (EDS) is a currently used diagnostic method in small animal practice. The procedure requires anesthetics which selection is crucial. This study compared the effects of three of them: etomidate, ketamine and propofol, regarding capacity to facilitate the passage of the endoscope until (or down to) to the duodenum. It was also determined which of these inducers contribute the best to perform the technique in a shorter time, and which one of the protocols leads to a faster recovery. The results indicate that none of the inducers make significantly more difficult the access to the stomach, nor the passage through this organ, although with etomidato the time needed was shorter. There were no differences either in time or difficulty to go through the pylorus. Nevertheless, from the clinical point of view ketamine made this step more difficult. For recovery, propofol did present a significant shorter period (p>0.05). It is concluded that the three studied agents show a similar statistical profile, but from the clinical point of view etomidato behaves better.

Se presenta una paciente del Servicio de Obstetricia y Ginecología del Hospital Universitario San Vicente de Paúl de Medellín (HUSVP), que presentó preeclampsia asociada a manifestaciones hematológicas y hepáticas compatibles con el síndrome HELLP, recientemente descrito; tal síndrome consta de hemólisis, alteraciones de la función hepática y recuento plaquetario bajo. La paciente evolucionó satisfactoriamente; con base en su historia se hacen algunas consideraciones acerca del síndrome HELLP.