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Clean and accessible water for all has been defined by the United Nations as a major goal to promote sustainability in a planet with improved life quality. However, the growth of population and global industry processes are having a massive impact on the water quality. The presence of organic pollutants in water and wastewater, such as pharmaceuticals, organic dyes and by-products of industrial processes, is a major issue. Conventional wastewater treatments are still limited, and, consequently, it is crucial to design innovative cleaning technologies such as heterogeneous photocatalysis with nanomaterials. Here we review mechanisms and applications of carbon-based nanostructures for heterogeneous photocatalysis applied to water purification. In particular, we present recent developments in synthetic routes and surface modification of carbon nanostructures aiming at their use under visible light irradiation. As such, carbon-based nanostructures decorated with distinct phases have been investigated, such as semiconductor compounds and polyoxometalates. The photocatalytic efficiency of hybrid nanocomposite materials is attributed to improved light harvesting and reduced recombination of photo-generated charge carriers. Furthermore, the recovery of photocatalysts by using assisted magnetic separation is presented as a promising strategy of reusability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present work aimed to assess the sorption capacity of the common white bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) to remove Zn(II) from rainwater, rendering it suitable for use in buildings, and the efficiency of the process was evaluated for two initial Zn(II) concentrations, representing high (100 μg L-1) and very high (500 μg L−1) levels of Zn(II) in rainwater. The effects of the amount of beans (1, 5 and 10 beans per 50 mL), as well as the initial pH values of the zinc solution [acid (4), neutral (5.6) and basic (7) for atmospheric waters] were also assessed. The removal of Zn from water was affected by the change in pH values. When 5 and 10 beans were used, after 4 h and 2 h of contact time, respectively, the accumulated Zn(II) on the beans was released back into the solution, and this release occurred first for the highest tested pH value. The sorption rate of Zn(II) from the solution increased with the increasing amount of beans, but for 5 and 10 beans this only took place up to 4 h and 2 h, respectively. Furthermore, the removal percentages of Zn(II) increased with the increase of the initial concentrations of the metal in water. Kinetic studies revealed that a pseudo-first-order model provided the best fitting for the experimentally obtained values. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy coupled with attenuated total reflectance (FTIR-ATR) analyses of the bean shells and cores indicated that contact with a Zn(II) solution did not cause notable alterations to the chemical structures of these bean components. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) analyses suggested that the process of sorption occurred at the surface of the beans (shells). The results obtained in this study also suggest that the matrix of rainwater samples did not interfere with the removal of metal, and that the process of the removal of Zn(II) by the white beans can be applied to real samples. On the whole, results indicate that for the removal of Zn(II) from rainwater, 1 bean up to 6 h, or 5 and 10 beans up to 2 h can be used per 50 mL for the removal of up to 60% of Zn(II) present in water, thus constituting a viable solution for the effective reduction of this metal in rainwater. Image 1 • White beans may remove more than 60% of zinc from rainwater. • The sorption rate of zinc from water increased with the increase of sorbent mass. • By each 50 mL of rainwater can be used 1 bean up to 6 h, or 5 and 10 beans up to 2 h. • The removal of zinc from rainwater is the result of an adsorption process. • The rainwater matrix did not affect the removal of zinc by the white beans. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Neutrophils play an important role in the pathogenesis of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). It has recently been reported that in addition to T helper (Th) 17 cells, other cells, including neutrophils, produce IL-17A, an important inflammatory cytokine involved in the pathogenesis of RA. The purpose of this study was to examine the presence of interleukin 17A-producing neutrophils in patients with RA. Methods: We performed a cross-sectional study including 106 patients with RA and 56 healthy individuals. Whole peripheral blood cells were analyzed by flow cytometry to identify CD66b+ CD177+ IL-17A+ neutrophils and CD3+ CD4+ IL-17A+ T cells. Serum levels of IL-17A and IL-6 were measured by means of cytometry bead array (CBA). In purified neutrophils, mRNA levels of IL-17 and RORγ were measured by RT-PCR. In addition, purified neutrophils from patients and healthy controls were stimulated with the cytokines IL-6 and IL-23 to evaluate differences in their capacity to produce IL-17A. Results: Neutrophils from RA patients expressed IL-17 and RORγ mRNA. Consequently, these cells also expressed IL-17A. Serum IL-17A levels but not Th17 cell numbers were increased in RA patients. Neutrophils positive for cytoplasmic IL-17A were more abundant in patients with RA (mean 1.2 ± 3.18%) than in healthy individuals (mean 0.07 ± 0.1%) (p < 0.0001). Although increased IL-17A+ neutrophil numbers were present in RA patients regardless of disease activity (mean 6.5 ± 5.14%), they were more frequent in patients with a more recent diagnosis (mean time after disease onset 3.5 ± 4.24 years). IL-6 and IL-23 induced the expression of RORγ but failed to induce IL-17A expression by neutrophils from RA patients and healthy individuals after a 3 h stimulation. Conclusion: IL-17A-producing neutrophils are increased in some RA patients, which are not related to disease activity but have an increased frequency in patients with recent-onset disease. This finding suggests that IL-17A-producing neutrophils play an early role in the development of RA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study describes nanocomposites of graphene flakes (GF) combined with CuS, Fe 3 O 4 and CuS−Fe 3 O 4 nanoparticles prepared by wet chemical methods. The Fe 3 O 4 and/or CuS nanoparticles were directly anchored onto GF without requiring additional chemical treatment. The composition, structure and morphology of the nanocomposites, as well as of the pristine GF and metal oxide/sulfide nanoparticles were characterised by X − ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), Raman spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), powder X − ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) techniques. The results confirmed the successful attachment of CuS nanophases (size range: 23.7–50.1 nm) and/or Fe 3 O 4 nanoparticles (size range: 10.6–15.8 nm). The adsorption and photocatalytic properties of the GF−based nanocomposites were evaluated at room temperature using Rhodamine B (RhB) as a model contaminant. Theoretical models were fitted to the adsorption kinetic results using the pseudo-first-order, pseudo-second-order and Elovich equations, while the adsorption mechanism was determined using the intraparticle diffusion, Bangham and Boyd models. The RhB adsorption efficiency was 6.5% for GF@CuS−Fe 3 O 4 after 180 min contact time, whereas for the other materials was significantly higher: 97.6%, 60.9% and 31.9% for GF, GF@CuS and GF@Fe 3 O 4 , respectively. The adsorption capacity of GF and composites fitted the pseudo−second−order kinetic and Elovich models. The influence of the nanostructures composition on the corresponding photocatalytic activity in the degradation of RhB under a 150 W halogen lamp was also evaluated. The GF@CuS−Fe 3 O 4 nanocomposite totally eliminated the dissolved RhB after 60 min irradiation, whereas the GF@CuS, GF@Fe 3 O 4 and pristine Fe 3 O 4 removed 75.6%, 80.9% and 30.8%, respectively, after 180 min irradiation. It was found that the photocatalytic behaviour of the composites was best described by the first−order kinetic model. The rate constant of the photocatalytic RhB removal for GF@CuS−Fe 3 O 4 (k = 7.05 ×10−2 min−1) was 2.1, 5.1 and 15.0 times higher than those obtained for GF@CuS, GF@Fe 3 O 4 and pristine Fe 3 O 4 , respectively, after 60 min of visible light irradiation. [Display omitted] • Green and scalable method for the preparation of two- or three-component graphene flakes/CuS/Fe 3 O 4 composites. • RhB adsorption process (31.9–60.9%) is controlled and limited by chemisorption and reaches equilibrium after 30–60 min. • High to excellent dye degradation efficiency (78%−98% in 60 min) under mild reaction conditions. • The three-component composite presented 15 × faster performance than the two-component counterparts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Natural polysaccharides such as κ-carrageenan are an important class of biomaterials for drug delivery. The incorporation of magnetic nanoparticles in polysaccharide hydrogels is currently being explored as a strategy to confer to the hydrogels novel functionalities valuable for specific bio-applications. Within this context, κ-carrageenan magnetic hydrogel nanocomposites have been prepared and the effect of magnetic (Fe3O4) nanofillers in the swelling of the hydrogels and in the release kinetics and mechanism of a model drug (methylene blue) has been investigated. In vitro release studies demonstrated the applicability of the composites in sustained drug release. The mechanism controlling the release seems to be determined by the strength of the gel network and the extent of gel swelling, both being affected by the incorporation of nanofillers. Furthermore, it was demonstrated that the release rate and profile could be tailored using variable Fe3O4 nanoparticles load. Thus, this seems to be a promising strategy for the development of drug delivery systems with tailored released behavior. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Epilepsy is highly prevalent in developing countries like Honduras, with few studies evaluating this finding. This population-based study evaluated the impact of an 8-year public health and educational intervention program in reducing symptomatic epilepsies in rural Salamá, Honduras. We used the capture and recapture method including review of charts, previous databases, key informants from the community, and a second house-to-house survey for epilepsy. Epilepsy incidence and prevalence day after the interventions was May 5, 2005. Residents with active epilepsy with onset after May 1997 were offered neurologic evaluation, electroencephalography, and brain tomography. New data over 8 years were compared to preintervention data from the initial baseline 1997 study utilizing prevalence ratios and confidence intervals. Other calculations utilized chi square or Fisher's exact tests. Thirty-three of 36 patients with onset of active epilepsy after 1997 accepted evaluations to determine etiology. Symptomatic etiology was found in 58.3%. Neurocysticercosis (NCC) was again the most frequent cause (13.9%), followed by perinatal insults (11.1%). Epilepsy secondary to NCC was significantly reduced from 36.9% in 1997 (p = 0.02). The incidence (35.7/100,000) and prevalence (11.8/1,000) of active epilepsy were not significantly reduced when compared to the incidence (92.7/100,000) and prevalence (15.4/1,000) of active epilepsy in 1997. Our cohort appears to indicate that health and educational community interventions can reduce preventable epilepsy from NCC in a hyperendemic population in a low-resource, developing country. Plans are underway for the Honduran Government to institute this rural model countrywide. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Considering the increasing emergence of new contaminants, such as nanomaterials, mixing with legacy contaminants, including metal(loid)s, it becomes imperative to understand the toxic profile resulting from these interactions. This work aimed at assessing and comparing the individual and combined hepatotoxic and neurotoxic potential of titanium dioxide nanoparticles (TiO2NPs 0.75–75 mg/L), cerium oxide nanoparticles (CeO2NPs 0.075–10 μg/L), arsenic (As 0.01–2.5 mg/L), and mercury (Hg 0.5–100 mg/L) on human hepatoma (HepG2) and neuroblastoma (SH-SY5Y) cells. Viability was assessed through WST-1 (24 h) and clonogenic (7 days) assays and it was affected in a dose-, time- and cell-dependent manner. Higher concentrations caused greater toxicity, while prolonged exposure caused inhibition of cell proliferation, even at low concentrations, for both cell lines. Cell cycle progression, explored by flow cytometry 24 h post-exposure, revealed that TiO2NPs, As and Hg but not CeO2NPs, changed the profiles of SH-SY5Y and HepG2 cells in a dose-dependent manner, and that the cell cycle was, overall, more affected by exposure to mixtures. Exposure to binary mixtures revealed either potentiation or antagonistic effects depending on the composition, cell type and time of exposure. These findings prove that joint toxicity of contaminants cannot be disregarded and must be further explored. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose:Determination of epilepsy etiology in population-based studies is difficult because of the high cost of diagnostic tests. However, cost-effectiveness may be proven if preventive public-health strategies can be established from the test results. We report an epilepsy population-based study using clinical and laboratory techniques.Methods:A medical team administered an epilepsy survey to 88% of the residents by census in the rural county of Salamá, Honduras. Ninety of 100 participants identified with active epilepsy underwent a neurologic examination, video-electroencephalography (video-EEG), brain computed tomography (CT) scan, and serum enzyme-linked immunoelectrotransfer blot (EITB) for cysticercosis. Final diagnoses were based on the International League Against Epilepsy classifications for seizures and epilepsy syndromes. Combined epidemiologic, clinical, video-EEG, neuroimaging, and serum EITB assays were used for the diagnosis of epilepsy etiologies.Results:Among 6,473 residents surveyed, 151 persons with epilepsy (prevalence rate, 23.3/1,000) were identified, 100 of whom had active epilepsy (15.4/1,000) on the prevalence day. Incidence was determined to be 92.7/100,000. Partial seizures with or without secondary generalization were common (92.2%). Symptomatic epilepsy (62%) was primarily due to neurocysticercosis (37%), perinatal brain damage (8%), post-traumatic (3%), and poststroke (2%). Eight percent were idiopathic, and 30% were cryptogenic (unknown cause).Conclusions:Symptomatic epilepsies primarily explained the high prevalence and incidence of epilepsy in Salamá. Integration of video-EEG and brain CT scan with clinical-epidemiologic evaluation was critical for determination of epilepsy etiology. Establishment of specific programs for continuation of epidemiologic surveillance, education, intervention, and long-term follow-up will benefit the Salamá region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Radially aligned titanium dioxide (TiO 2) nanowires were synthetized on nitrogen plasma-treated carbon fibers (CF) using a two-step microwave-assisted solvothermal method. The TiO 2 synthesis consisted in seeding TiO 2 nuclei on CF followed by TiO 2 nanowire growth. To assess the role of the nitrogen plasma surface treatment and TiO 2 seeding, CF and CF-TiO 2 hybrids were analyzed by Raman spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, scanning electron and atomic force microscopies, after each step of the TiO 2 synthesis. In addition, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy was used to analyze the CF chemical composition upon the plasma treatment and TiO 2 seeding. Single fiber tensile tests were conducted on CF and CF-TiO 2 hybrids to track the mechanical changes induced by the surface treatment and TiO 2 synthesis. It was found that both, the nitrogen plasma surface treatment and TiO 2 nuclei seeding were essential to homogeneously synthesize radially aligned TiO 2 nanowires onto CF. No significant changes in the CF surface roughness after plasma treatment and TiO 2 seeding were found; however, upon TiO 2 nanowire growth, the surface roughness increased by about twelve times with respect to the pristine ones. The plasma surface treatment generates oxygen- and nitrogen-containing functional groups that promote TiO 2 nucleation onto CF. In addition, the CF internal heating due to microwave irradiation triggers a preferential nucleation of TiO 2 on the fibers rather than in the reaction medium. The tensile strength of CF remained without significative changes after the surface treatment and TiO 2 nanowire growth. The CF-TiO 2 hybrid materials developed in this work could be exploited in the development of multifunctional structural composites. [Display omitted] • Radially aligned TiO 2 nanowires were grown on plasma-treated carbon fibers. • A novel TiO 2 nanowire microwave-assisted synthesis is explored. • The role of the surface treatment and TiO 2 nuclei seeding is investigated. • The surface treatment and TiO 2 are crucial to radially grow TiO 2 on carbon fibers. • Oxygen and nitrogen species on the fibers promotes preferential TiO 2 nucleation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Fluconazole acts as adsorption inhibitor. • Best-fitted adsorption isotherm was the Frumkin model respect to Langmuir. • The stability of the film is the flu-flu and flu-water clusters formation. • The fluconazole is adsorbed on the metal surface. • The protective mechanism, DFT computations and QTAIM analysis were carried out. Through techniques such as electrochemical impedance spectroscopy and open circuit potential, the protective behavior of fluconazole against the mild steel corrosion process in neutral medium was evaluated. Best-fitted adsorption isotherm was the Frumkin model respect to Langmuir, which implies a multilayer protective film formation with lateral attraction between the adsorbed inhibitor molecules on mild steel surface. To document the protective mechanism, DFT computations and QTAIM analysis were carried out. The results, showed that the stability of the protection film is attributed to the flu-flu and flu-water clusters formation which, are stabilized by O H⋯N, O H⋯O, C H⋯N, C H⋯O, C H⋯F hydrogen bonds, as well as π-stacking. Altogether, the results reported here suggest that the fluconazole is adsorbed on the metal surface demonstrating that electrostatic interactions are the most relevant in the corrosion process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Humans are typically exposed to environmental contaminants' mixtures that result in different toxicity than exposure to the individual counterparts. Yet, the toxicology of chemical mixtures has been overlooked. This work aims at assessing and comparing viability and cell cycle of A549 cells after exposure to single and binary mixtures of: titanium dioxide nanoparticles (TiO2NP) 0.75–75 mg/L; cerium oxide nanoparticles (CeO2NP) 0.75–10 μg/L; arsenic (As) 0.75–2.5 mg/L; and mercury (Hg) 5–100 mg/L. Viability was assessed through water-soluble tetrazolium (WST-1) and thiazolyl blue tetrazolium bromide (MTT) (24 h exposure) and clonogenic (seven-day exposure) assays. Cell cycle alterations were explored by flow cytometry. Viability was affected in a dose- and time-dependent manner. Prolonged exposure caused inhibition of cell proliferation even at low concentrations. Cell-cycle progression was affected by TiO2NP 75 mg/L, and As 0.75 and 2.5 μg/L, increasing the cell proportion at G0/G1 phase. Combined exposure of TiO2NP or CeO2NP mitigated As adverse effects, increasing the cell surviving factor, but cell cycle alterations were still observed. Only CeO2NP co-exposure reduced Hg toxicity, translated in a decrease of cells in Sub-G1. Toxicity was diminished for both NPs co-exposure compared to its toxicity alone, but a marked toxicity for the highest concentrations was observed for longer exposures. These findings prove that joint toxicity of contaminants must not be disregarded. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: To describe the perceptions and experiences of key stakeholders to understand the use of telehealth in community mental health centers (CMHCs) during the COVID-19 pandemic in Lima and Callao, Peru., Methods: A qualitative study was carried out in four CMHCs in Lima and Callao, Peru. Forty-nine individual semi-structured interviews were conducted between September 2021 and March 2022, considering CMHCs' users and their relatives, health and administrative workers, directors, as well as local and national policymakers. Data was analyzed using thematic analysis., Results: Regarding the transition from in-person care to telehealth, CMHCs' directors and workers identified some of the regulations issued by the Government during the pandemic, such as the continuity of care through telehealth, especially for pregnant women and for people with comorbidities related to COVID-19. Regarding benefits, workers and users indicated that it allowed better communication, such as constant follow-ups. Directors and workers recognized that Google Drive facilitated access to user information, since they did not have an electronic medical record. Additionally, workers said they used social media to share educational information on mental health, and explained that some new users began their treatment this way. Regarding difficulties, participants reported a lack of devices and poor internet connection in CMHCs. Users mentioned that scheduling an appointment was difficult because the phone lines were usually saturated, and they could not find available appointments., Conclusion: Although the pandemic forced an immediate and disruptive change towards telehealth, CMHCs were able to adapt most of their services. This study reports the adaptations made by CMHCs to move from in-person to remote care, identifying the benefits and challenges faced, information that can be used for the nationwide implementation of telehealth in CMHCs. We recommend ensuring technological equipment and internet connection and adapt the telehealth system to make it responsive to the routine practices of CMHCs., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (© 2023 The Authors.)

The healthy adult aorta is a remarkably resilient structure, able to resist relentless cardiac-induced and hemodynamic loads under normal conditions. Fundamental to such mechanical homeostasis is the mechano-sensitive cell signaling that controls gene products and thus the structural integrity of the wall. Mouse models have shown that smooth muscle cell-specific disruption of transforming growth factor-beta (TGFβ) signaling during postnatal development compromises this resiliency, rendering the aortic wall susceptible to aneurysm and dissection under normal mechanical loading. By contrast, disruption of such signaling in the adult aorta appears to introduce a vulnerability that remains hidden under normal loading, but manifests under increased loading as experienced during hypertension. We present a multiscale (transcript to tissue) computational model to examine possible reasons for compromised mechanical homeostasis in the adult aorta following reduced TGFβ signaling in smooth muscle cells., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024. Published by Elsevier Ltd.)

Objectives. The improvised and massive adoption of remote work in the context of COVID-19 has forced us to adapt homes as workspaces, which could promote development of musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs). This review explores the evidence for ergonomic factors associated with MSDs in teleworkers. Methods . A literature search was conducted in MEDLINE, Embase, Scopus, SciELO and EBSCO. We included observational studies published between March 2020 and October 2021 that included teleworking personnel due to the restrictions of the pandemic. Results . A total of 212 studies were identified, 14 were chosen for complete review. Associated factors were change of work modality (on-site work to telework), use of home environments as workspaces (areas not adapted for work and with low lighting), working furniture (non-ergonomic chairs and desks), use of electronic devices (tablets, cell phones and laptops), organizational factors (working hours, active breaks, sitting time) and individual factors (physical activity practice). Conclusion . Various ergonomic home factors and the characteristics of teleworking - mainly furniture, the environment of work and physical activity - are associated with MSDs. This evidence suggests that the norms and regulation of telework can consider the adaptation of workspace and conditions at home to prevent health problems in the medium and long term.

Governments globally deployed various non-pharmacological public health measures to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic (i.e. lockdowns and suspension of transportation, amongst others); some of these measures had an influence on society's mental health. Specific mental health policies were therefore implemented to mitigate the potential mental health impact of the pandemic. We aimed to explore the implementation of mental health regulations adopted by the Peruvian health system by focusing on the care services at Community Mental Health Centres (CMHCs), based on the experiences of health workers. We conducted a phenomenological qualitative study to understand the implementation of mental health policies launched in Peru during the COVID-19 pandemic. Data were obtained from a document review of 15 national policy measures implemented during the pandemic (March 2020 to September 2021), and 20 interviews with health workers from CMHCs (September 2021 to February 2022). The analysis was conducted using thematic content analysis. Most implemented policies adapted CMHC care services to a virtual modality during the COVID-19 pandemic; however, various challenges and barriers were evidenced in the process, which prevented effective adaptation of services. Workers perceived that ineffective telemedicine use was attributed to a gap in access to technology at the CMHCs and also by users, ranging from limited access to technological devices to a lack of technological skills. Further, although mental health promotion and prevention policies targeting the community were proposed, CMHC staff reported temporary interruption of these services during the first wave. The disparity between what is stated in the regulations and the experiences of health workers is evident. Policies that focus on mental health need to provide practical and flexible methods taking into consideration both the needs of CMHCs and socio-cultural characteristics that may affect their implementation., (© The Author(s) 2023. Published by Oxford University Press in association with The London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.)

Objective.: To understand the experiences of new and continuing users of Community Mental Health Centers (CMHC) of Lima and Callao, and their relatives, regarding the mental health care they received during the COVID-19 pandemic., Materials and Methods.: Qualitative study conducted between September 2021 and February 2022, in which we interviewed 24 users and family members who interacted with the services provided by three CMHCs in Lima and one in Callao during the COVID-19 pandemic. We carried out a thematic analysis of the transcribed interviews., Results.: Participants perceived that the pandemic exacerbated the symptoms of people with mental health problems. During the pandemic, mental health care relied on the use of technology, mainly telephone calls, which were used to monitor the emotional state and pharmacological treatment of users, as well as to schedule and remember appointments. The users emphasized that frequent telephone calls made them feel accompanied and highlighted the commitment of the CMHC workers. Among the difficulties, they reported an increase in the demand for care, problems in accessing video calls, and low quality in virtual care., Conclusions.: COVID-19 had an emotional impact on people with mental health problems; in turn, CMHC services were affected by the type of care (face-to-face or virtual), resources, frequency, time and quality of care, finding limitations and benefits in the use of technology.

Background: Diabetes mellitus is a metabolic disease that causes multiple complications and common comorbidities, which decreases the quality of life for people affected by the disease. Sodium glucose cotransporter type 2 (SGLT2) participates in the reabsorption of 90% of glucose in the kidneys; therefore, it is an attractive drug target for controlling blood glucose levels., Objective: The aim in this work was to obtain new potential SGLT2 inhibitors., Methods: A ligand-based virtual screening (LBVS) from the ZINC15, PubChem and ChemSpider databases using the maximum common substructure (MCS) scaffold was performed., Result: A total of 341 compounds were obtained and analyzed by molecular docking on the active site of SGLT2. Subsequently, 15 compounds were selected for molecular dynamics (MD) simulation analysis. The compounds derived of spiroketal Sa1, Sa4, and Sa9 (≤ 3.5 Å) in complex with the receptor SGLT2 showed good stability during 120 ns of MD., Conclusion: These compounds are proposed as potential SGLT2 inhibitors., (Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at epub@benthamscience.net.)

Introduction: The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated health issues in healthcare workers which in turn impacts their quality of life., Objective: This review aimed to (i) analyze the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the quality of life of healthcare professionals and (ii) identify the associated factors with quality of life., Materials and Methods: We conducted a systematic review using the PRISMA guidelines previously registered in PROSPERO (CRD42021253075). The searched in Web of Science, Scopus, MEDLINE and EMBASE databases included original articles published till May 2021., Results: We found 19 articles and 14,352 professionals in total, the median age ranged from 29 to 42.5 years and 37% of the studies used the WHOQOL-BREF instrument to assess the outcome. The report was heterogeneous, 7 studies described global scores and 9 by domains. Depression, anxiety and stress were commonly reported factors affecting professional's quality of life and this was significantly lower among professionals working with COVID-19 patients compared to their counterparts., Conclusion: COVID-19 frontline workers perceived lower quality of life, which was mainly associated with psychological states such as the aforementioned besides to working conditions like not being previously trained in COVID-19 cases. On the other hand, social support, resilience and active coping could improved their quality of life., (© 2022 The Author(s).)

Background: Arts-based methodologies can be beneficial to identify different representations of stigmatized topics such as mental health conditions. This study used a theater-based workshop to describe manifestations, representations, and potential causes of depression and anxiety as perceived by adolescents and young adults., Methods: The theater company Teatro La Plaza conducted three online sessions with a group of adolescents and another with a group of young adults from Lima, Peru. The artistic outputs, which included images, similes, monologues, and narrations, were used to describe the experiences of depression and anxiety symptoms following a content analysis using posteriori categories., Results: Seventeen participants joined the sessions. The artistic outputs showed: physical, behavioral, cognitive, and emotional manifestations of depression and anxiety; a perception that both disorders have a cyclical nature; and an awareness that it is often difficult to notice symptom triggers. The mandatory social isolation due to the COVID-19 pandemic was highlighted as an important symptom trigger, mostly linked to anxiety., Conclusions: The findings are consistent with the literature, especially with regard to the manifestations, representations, and potential causes that trigger depression and anxiety. Using arts-based methods allowed adolescents and young adults to expand the articulation of their representations of mental disorders.

Two cases of lagochilascariasis minor in domestic cats from Costa Rica within a period of two months are recorded for the first time in Central America. Clinical findings included purulent discharge and a tumor in the left ear in one of the cats, whereas the other cat had an ulcerated cervical lesion. Both patients underwent surgical procedures during which nematode worms were collected and analyzed. The collected nematodes were identified using a combination of morphological and molecular assays, which revealed a 99.1% similarity in the cytochrome oxidase subunit 1 with L. minor from Mexico. The lack of information on this parasitosis, as well as the enormous harm it does to animal and human hosts, highlights the need for more research and awareness in Costa Rica and Central America. Furthermore, the unexpected occurrence of these instances in the same location emphasizes the imminent zoonotic risk to humans and the active circulation of the parasite., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no financial or personal competing interests that may have affected the writing and conclusions of this study., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Mature arteries exhibit a preferred biomechanical state in health evidenced by a narrow range of intramural and wall shear stresses. When stresses are perturbed by changes in blood pressure or flow, homeostatic mechanisms tend to restore target values via altered contractility and/or cell and matrix turnover. In contrast, vascular disease associates with compromised homeostasis, hence we must understand mechanisms underlying mechanical homeostasis and its robustness. Here, we use a multiscale computational model wherein mechanosensitive intracellular signaling pathways drive arterial growth and remodeling. First, we identify an ensemble of cell-level parameterizations where tissue-level responses are well-regulated and adaptive to hemodynamic perturbations. The responsible mechanism is persistent multiscale negative feedback whereby mechanosensitive signaling drives mass turnover until homeostatic target stresses are reached. This demonstrates how robustness emerges despite inevitable cell and individual heterogeneity. Second, we investigate tissue-level effects of signaling node knockdowns (ATIR, ROCK, TGF[Formula: see text]RII, PDGFR, ERK1/2) and find general agreement with experimental reports of fault tolerance. Robustness against structural changes manifests via low engagement of the node under baseline stresses or compensatory multiscale feedback via upregulation of additional pathways. Third, we show how knockdowns affect collagen and smooth muscle turnover at baseline and with perturbed stresses. In several cases, basal production is not remarkably affected, but sensitivities to stress deviations, which influence feedback strength, are reduced. Such reductions can impair adaptive responses, consistent with previously reported aortic vulnerability despite grossly normal appearances. Reduced stress sensitivities thus form a candidate mechanism for how robustness is lost, enabling transitions from health towards disease., (© 2022. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

Water is the most important resource for all kind forms of live. It is a vital resource distributed unequally across different regions of the globe, with populations already living with water scarcity, a situation that is spreading due to the impact of climate change. The reversal of this tendency and the mitigation of its disastrous consequences is a global challenge posed to Humanity, with the scientific community assuming a major obligation for providing solutions based on scientific knowledge. This article reviews literature concerning the development of nanomaterials for water purification technologies, including collaborative scientific research carried out in our laboratory (nanoLAB@UA) framed by the general activities carried out at the CICECO-Aveiro Institute of Materials. Our research carried out in this specific context has been mainly focused on the synthesis and surface chemical modification of nanomaterials, typically of a colloidal nature, as well as on the evaluation of the relevant properties that arise from the envisaged applications of the materials. As such, the research reviewed here has been guided along three thematic lines: 1) magnetic nanosorbents for water treatment technologies, namely by using biocomposites and graphite-like nanoplatelets; 2) nanocomposites for photocatalysis (e.g., TiO 2 /Fe 3 O 4 and POM supported graphene oxide photocatalysts; photoactive membranes) and 3) nanostructured substrates for contaminant detection using surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS), namely polymers loaded with Ag/Au colloids and magneto-plasmonic nanostructures. This research is motivated by the firm believe that these nanomaterials have potential for contributing to the solution of environmental problems and, conversely, will not be part of the problem. Therefore, assessment of the impact of nanoengineered materials on eco-systems is important and research in this area has also been developed by collaborative projects involving experts in nanotoxicity. The above topics are reviewed here by presenting a brief conceptual framework together with illustrative case studies, in some cases with original research results, mainly focusing on the chemistry of the nanomaterials investigated for target applications. Finally, near-future developments in this research area are put in perspective, forecasting realistic solutions for the application of colloidal nanoparticles in water cleaning technologies., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2022 Estrada, Daniel-da-Silva, Leal, Monteiro, Lopes, Nogueira, Lopes, Martins, Martins, Gonçalves, Fateixa and Trindade.)

Background: We investigated some of the factors associated with depression, perceived stress, and anxiety in clinical and nonclinical healthcare workers of two hospitals., Methods: A mixed-methods approach was used. The sample included clinical (physicians, nurses, and others) and nonclinical (security and cleaning staff) healthcare workers of two tertiary hospitals in Peru. Participants completed an online self-survey. In the qualitative analysis, data were subjected to thematic analysis., Results: We analyzed data from 613 participants, of which 8.6%, 9.0%, and 78.2% had moderate-to-severe anxiety, depression, and perceived stress, respectively. Having a previous mental health problem, being concerned about losing one's job, having at least two COVID-19 symptoms in the preceding two weeks, and being afraid of infecting family members increased the prevalence of experiencing moderate-to-severe depression and anxiety. The qualitative analysis allowed us to identify five recurring factors that caused a negative impact on workers' lives during the pandemic: emotional distress linked to hospital experiences of suffering and death, modification of routines, fear of COVID-19, exacerbation of mental disorders, and physical problems associated with emotional distress., Conclusions: Clinical and nonclinical healthcare workers in Peru have experienced depression, anxiety, and stress during the COVID-19 pandemic. Future research and interventions are necessary to improve psychological support for hospital workers.

Background: Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is one of the most serious and prevalent diseases worldwide. In the last decade, type 2 sodium-glucose cotransporter inhibitors (iSGLT2) were approved as alternative drugs for the pharmacological treatment of T2DM. The anti-hyperglycemic mechanism of action of these drugs involves glycosuria. In addition, SGLT2 inhibitors cause beneficial effects such as weight loss, a decrease in blood pressure, and others., Objective: This review aimed to describe the origin of SGLT2 inhibitors and analyze their recent development in preclinical and clinical trials., Results: In 2013, the FDA approved SGLT2 inhibitors as a new alternative for the treatment of T2DM. These drugs have shown good tolerance with few adverse effects in clinical trials. Additionally, new potential anti-T2DM agents based on iSGLT2 (O-, C-, and N-glucosides) have exhibited a favorable profile in preclinical evaluations, making them candidates for advanced clinical trials., Conclusion: The clinical results of SGLT2 inhibitors show the importance of this drug class as new anti-T2DM agents with a potential dual effect. Additionally, the preclinical results of SGLT2 inhibitors favor the design and development of more selective new agents. However, several adverse effects could be a potential risk for patients., (Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at epub@benthamscience.net.)

Thoracic aortopathy-aneurysm, dissection, and rupture-is increasingly responsible for significant morbidity and mortality. Advances in medical genetics and imaging have improved diagnosis and thus enabled earlier prophylactic surgical intervention in many cases. There remains a pressing need, however, to understand better the underlying molecular and cellular mechanisms with the hope of finding robust pharmacotherapies. Diverse studies in patients and mouse models of aortopathy have revealed critical changes in multiple smooth muscle cell signaling pathways that associate with disease, yet integrating information across studies and models has remained challenging. We present a new quantitative network model that includes many of the key smooth muscle cell signaling pathways and validate the model using a detailed data set that focuses on hyperactivation of the mechanistic target of rapamycin (mTOR) pathway and its inhibition using rapamycin. We show that the model can be parameterized to capture the primary experimental findings both qualitatively and quantitatively. We further show that simulating a population of cells by varying receptor reaction weights leads to distinct proteomic clusters within the population, and that these clusters emerge due to a bistable switch driven by positive feedback in the PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling pathway., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Growth and remodeling in the heart is driven by a combination of mechanical and hormonal signals that produce different patterns of growth in response to exercise, pregnancy, and various pathologies. In particular, increases in afterload lead to concentric hypertrophy, a thickening of the walls that increases the contractile ability of the heart while reducing wall stress. In the current study, we constructed a multiscale model of cardiac hypertrophy that connects a finite-element model representing the mechanics of the growing left ventricle to a cell-level network model of hypertrophic signaling pathways that accounts for changes in both mechanics and hormones. We first tuned our model to capture published in vivo growth trends for isoproterenol infusion, which stimulates β-adrenergic signaling pathways without altering mechanics, and for transverse aortic constriction (TAC), which involves both elevated mechanics and altered hormone levels. We then predicted the attenuation of TAC-induced hypertrophy by two distinct genetic interventions (transgenic Gq-coupled receptor inhibitor overexpression and norepinephrine knock-out) and by two pharmacologic interventions (angiotensin receptor blocker losartan and β-blocker propranolol) and compared our predictions to published in vivo data for each intervention. Our multiscale model captured the experimental data trends reasonably well for all conditions simulated. We also found that when prescribing realistic changes in mechanics and hormones associated with TAC, the hormonal inputs were responsible for the majority of the growth predicted by the multiscale model and were necessary in order to capture the effect of the interventions for TAC.

Tuberculosis (TB) is a chronic infectious disease caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis . In the oral cavity, clinical manifestations are considered atypical lesions. The aim of this study was to report an unusual granular ulcer secondary oral TB that does not heal, chronic, had irregular appearance with deep depression of 2 cm in diameter, and was located in buccal mucosa of the premolar area-the left mandibular arch, of a 42-year-old woman. The patient was subjected to surgical excision of ulcer in its entirety and accordingly a periodontal plastic surgery in the area of the lesion was performed positioning an autograft subepithelial connective tissue. We obtained optimal results in improving oral health, function, and patient's comfort, in postoperative controls at 15, 30, and 60 days, respectively., Competing Interests: The authors certify that they have contained all appropriate patient consent form. In the form, the patient gave her consent for the images and other clinical information to be reported in the journal. The patient understood that her name and initials will not be published and due efforts will be made to conceal her identify, but anonymity cannot be guaranteed.None declared.

Introduction: Breast cancer is a worldwide public health problem; between 5% and 10% of the cases present familial aggregation explained by genes of high risk such as BRCA1 and BRCA2. The founding origin of the deletion BRCA1 3450del4 in Colombia has been previously reported. Objective: To carry out in six families from Tolima and Huila departments a descriptive analysis of the presence of the BRCA1 3450del4 mutation associated with breast cancer and familial aggregation. Materials and methods: We conducted a descriptive and cross-sectional study of six index cases with breast cancer positive for BRCA1 3450del4 that fulfilled three of the criteria established by Jalkh, et al. The genealogical trees were made using the information of the interview data (GenoPro™, version 2016). The mutation was typified in healthy and affected relatives who agreed to participate. Results: Thirty of the 78 individuals selected by convenience in the six families presented the mutation BRCA1 3450del4 six of whom developed breast cancer, one, ovarian cancer, one ovarian and breast cancer, and one prostate cancer; 21 did not present any type of neoplasm at the time of the study. Of the 30 individuals carrying the pathogenic variant, six were men, 24 were women, and 13 of these were under 30. Conclusions: In this study of families with the deletion BRCA1 3450del4 in Tolima and Huila we confirmed its association with familial aggregation of breast cancer.

Protein-engineered biomaterials represent a powerful approach to increase biofunctional activity like tissue repair and celular proliferation. Among these materials, integrins and the development of their specific interactions with plasma-polymerized pyrrole (PPPy) are promising biomaterial for tissue regeneration. In this paper, we studied the molecular recognition in the active site of three integrins (α5β1, αvβ3 and αIIbβ3) with PPPy using the structure proposed by Kumar et al. PPPy molecule has three sites to incorporate different species, we worked mainly with the functional groups, -NH 2 and -OH groups according to our IR spectroscopic results. We carried out docking studies to find the better conformational couplings and to determine electrostatic (ΔG elec ) and non-electrostatic (ΔG non-elec ) contributions to the binding free energy (ΔG b ) of these complexes we used Adaptive Poisson-Bolztmann program (APBS). Our results indicated that when incorporating -1H-azirine, -NH 2 or -OH group in PPPy structure, interactions with integrins were favorable, as indicated by correspondent ΔG b values. These interactions were mainly triggered by Coulomb interactions, an important term in the electrostatic component. Furthermore, our studies suggest that some residues of integrins α5β1, αvβ3 and αIIbβ3 like aspartates are important for the binding to PPPy structures. Detailed interactions between integrin α5β1 and PPPy structures were revealed by molecular dynamics simulations. We used this particular integrin structure because of its favorable ΔG b as well as its major cellular receptor for the extracellular matrix protein fibronectin. Clustering analysis allowed us to carry out focused docking studies and to determine the time evolution of the ΔG b values. By incorporating -NH 2 into PPPy structure, ΔG b values were very favorable during the course of the dynamics simulations by the establishment of hydrogen bonds with Asn224 and/orAsp227 residues, which are part of the integrin α5β1 pocket. However, for the integrin α5β1-PPPy-1H-azirine complex and the rest of the functional groups, the ΔG b values were less favorable, although PPPy was found at a distance of less than 5 Å from the active site residues. This work is complementary to the previous studies made employing PPPy nanoparticles for a variety of tissue engineering applications, and were done to enlighten the role played by the amino group of the PPPy in its integrin recognition process.

Clinical variation in patient responses to myocardial infarction (MI) has been difficult to model in laboratory animals. To assess the genetic basis of variation in outcomes after heart attack, we characterized responses to acute MI in the Collaborative Cross (CC), a multi-parental panel of genetically diverse mouse strains. Striking differences in post-MI functional, morphological, and myocardial scar features were detected across 32 CC founder and recombinant inbred strains. Transcriptomic analyses revealed a plausible link between increased intrinsic cardiac oxidative phosphorylation levels and MI-induced heart failure. The emergence of significant quantitative trait loci for several post-MI traits indicates that utilizing CC strains is a valid approach for gene network discovery in cardiovascular disease, enabling more accurate clinical risk assessment and prediction., Competing Interests: The authors declare no competing interests.

To determine the socio-familial factors associated with quality of life within the family in children of schools in Piura, Peru., Subjects and Method: A cross-sectional study in a convenience sample of children between 3 to 6 years in schools in the city of Piura, Perú. The quality of life was measured by the HOME test, with data adjusted to the Machover and Koppitz test, and were also associated with other social and family variables. P values were obtained by generalised linear models, adjusting for the residence of each subject., Results: Of the 431 respondents, 64% (275) were male. The median age was 4 years old. A poor quality of life was observed in 50% of children. Traits of violence (p < .001) and aggression (p < .001) were associated to higher frequencies of poor quality of life, adjusted for shyness, dependence, and immaturity. The perception of parent’s love (p = .005), living with both parents (p < .001), playing with someone at home (p = .036), the person with whom plays most is the mother (p = .003) or both parents (p = .004) were associated with the quality of life in the survey., Conclusions: A large percentage of children who had a poor quality of life was found. The social and family protective factors were to live with both parents, and the demonstration of affection between both parents and play with both.

Familial nonmedullary thyroid cancer (NMTC) has not been clearly linked to causal germline variants, despite the large role that genetic factors play in risk. Recently, HABP2 G534E (rs7080536A) has been implicated as a causal variant in NMTC. We have previously shown that the HABP2 G534E variant is not associated with TC risk in patients from the British Isles. Hispanics are the largest and the youngest minority in the United States and NMTC is now the second most common malignancy in women from this population. In order to determine if the HABP2 G534E variant played a role in NMTC risk among Hispanic populations, we analyzed 281 cases and 1105 population-matched controls from a multicenter study in Colombia, evaluating the association through logistic regression. We found that the HABP2 G534E variant was not significantly associated with NMTC risk (P=0.843) in this Hispanic group. We also stratified available clinical data by multiple available clinicopathological variables and further analyzed the effect of HABP2 on NMTC presentation. However, we failed to detect associations between HABP2 G534E and NMTC risk, regardless of disease presentation (P≥0.273 for all cases). Therefore, without any significant associations between the HABP2 G534E variant and NMTC risk, we conclude that the variant is not causal of NMTC in this Hispanic population., (© 2016 The authors.)

Context: A recent study reported the non-synonymous G534E (rs7080536, allele A) variant in the HABP2 gene as causal in familial non-medullary thyroid cancer (NMTC)., Objective: The objective of this study was to evaluate the causality of HABP2 G534E in the TCUKIN study, a multi-center population based study of NMTC cases from the British Isles., Design and Setting: A case-control analysis of rs7080536 genotypes was performed using 2,105 TCUKIN cases and 5,172 UK controls., Participants: Cases comprised 2,105 NMTC cases. Patients sub-groups with papillary (N=1,056), follicular (N=691) and Hurthle cell (N=86) TC cases were studied separately. Controls comprised 5,172 individuals from the 1958 Birth Cohort (58C) and the National Blood Donor Service (NBS) study. The controls had previously been genotyped using genome-wide SNP arrays by the Wellcome Trust Case Control Consortium study., Outcome: Measures: Association between HABP2 G534E (rs7080536A) and NMTC risk was evaluated using logistic regression., Results: The frequency of HABP2 G534E was 4.2% in cases and 4.6% in controls. We did not detect an association between this variant and NMTC risk (OR=0.896, 95% CI: 0.746-1.071, P=0.233). We also failed to detect an association between HABP2 G534E and cases with papillary (1056 cases, G534E frequency= 3.5%, OR=0.74, P=0.017), follicular (691 cases, G534E frequency= 4.7%, OR=1.00, P=1.000) or Hurthle cell (86 cases, G534E frequency= 6.3%, OR=1.40, P=0.279) histology., Conclusions: We found that HABP2 G534E is a low-to-moderate frequency variant in the British Isles and failed to detect an association with NMTC risk, independent of histological type. Hence, our study does not implicate HABP2 G534E or a correlated polymorphism in familial NMTC and additional data are required before using this variant in NMTC risk assessment.

Culturing aortic valvular interstitial cells in an environment that models the aortic valve is an essential step towards understanding the progression of calcific aortic valve disease. Here the adaption of a three-dimensional (3-D) stacked paper-based culture system is presented for analyzing valve cells in a thick collagen gel matrix. Filter paper layers, modeled after a 96-well plate design, were printed with a wax well-plate template and then seeded with valve cell and collagen mixtures that quickly gelled into 3-D cultures. Stacking these layers permitted extensive customization of culture thickness and cell density profiles to model the full thickness of native valve tissue. Aortic valvular interstitial cells seeded into the paper-based constructs consistently demonstrated high survival up to 14 days of culture with significant increases in cell number through the first 3 days of culture. After 4 days following seeding, valve cells in single layer cultures showed reduced smooth muscle α-actin expression with a stabilized cell density, suggesting a transition from an activated phenotype to a more quiescent state. Valve cells in multilayer cultures demonstrated the ability to migrate from layer to layer and had the highest smooth muscle α-actin expression in areas with predicted low oxygen tensions. These results establish the filter-paper-based method as a viable culture system for analyzing valve cells in an in vitro 3-D model of the aortic valve., (Copyright © 2014 Acta Materialia Inc. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Background: Urinary incontinence is a common women's illness which causes a significant negative impact in their lives' quality. Stress urinary incontinence and mixed one are the most usual types in postmenopausal women. It is considered that transperineal ultrasound imaging could be as efficient for stress urinary incontinence diagnostic purposes, as the urodynamic testing., Objective: To determine the utility of transperineal ultrasound in the diagnosis of stress urinary incontinence in postmenopausal women., Material and Methods: A diagnostic test was applied based on employment of transperineal ultrasound, in postmenopausal women with clinical SUI from January 2001 to October 2008 in the Hospital Español de México. The procedure involved two phases: in the first phase, anatomical measurements were determined using transperineal ultrasound, in order to establish the normalcy in women not suffering stress urinary incontinence, and from them it began the second phase to study the utility of transperineal ultrasound in stress urinary incontinence., Results: The group analyzed involved 80 patients with stress urinary incontinence clinical diagnosis; 15 (19%) patients were excluded. We obtained the following results: sensitivity: 94% (IC 95% 88-100%), specificity 73% (IC 95% 46-99%), positive predictive value: 94% (IC 95% 88-100%), negative predictive value: 73% (IC 95% 46-99%) and positive likelihood ratio 3.46, and negative likelihood ratio 0.08., Conclusions: Our data suggest that transperineal ultrasound can be use as a screening tool for stress urinary incontinence diagnosis in postmenopausal patients, based on measurements perfoming simple. It is important more studies with bigger sample size to establish the diagnostic utility.

The Mayer-Rokitansky-Küster-Hauser (MRKH) syndrome affects 1 out of 4500 women. It is characterized by the congenital absence of the upper third of the vagina, uterus and tubes; it is usually associated to renal malformations, and patients show normal phenotype and genotype. Age at diagnosis is between 15 and 18. A case is reported and a critical review of the information about the management alternatives of patients with MRKH syndrome available in medical literature is made. The paper is intended to help establish the best criteria and treatment options for a comprehensive therapeutic approach to MRKH patients.

Most studies on zooplankton ecology have been conducted in open waters. However, it has been considered of great importance to extend such studies to other habitats, such as those generated of macrophytes. We studied the spatial and temporal variation of the microcrustacean and rotifer assemblage structures associated with macrophytes, and compare them with the variation exhibited in open waters. Integrated samples were collected for zooplankton and phytoplankton biomass using a Schindler bottle, in four open water sites and four other sites covered by macrophytes in the floodplain complex of Ayapel (Córdoba, Colombia) during different limnimetric levels. The significant differences in the structure were evaluated using Kruskal & Wallis and discriminant analyses, and the similarity among sampling sites was evaluated using Bray & Curtis analysis. Zooplanktonic richness was favored by macrophytes. However, we did not find a constant spatial pattern for density, and only particular trends apparently conditionated by flood pulses. The presence of Eichhornia azurea (Pontederiaceae) contributed in a significant way with an increase in the diversity and density of benthic taxa. The density of some zooplanktonic groups was related with environmental conditions and phytoplanktonic biomass.

Background: Biliary pathology is the second cause of abdominal acute pain during pregnancy. The surgical approach most often used for the treatment of acute cholecystitis during pregnancy is laparoscopy. Some aspects have made this approach during pregnancy controversial., Objectives: To analyze the maternal-fetal benefits and complications of laparoscopic cholecystectomy during pregnancy and compare these results with the medical literature., Material and Methods: It is a retrospective, transverse study. Laparoscopic cholecystectomy cases and pregnancy from 2005 to 2009 at Hospital Español de Mexico city were reviewed. The following information was obtained: maternal age, gestational age, signs and symptoms, medical department that made the diagnosis, the laparoscopic entry techniques, the monitoring of CO2 for the pressure of pneumoperitoneum, the complications in the peri and postoperatory state, the use of tocolytics medication and other medicines in the hospital stay, maternal and perinatal morbi-morbility, days of hospitable stay, follow-up surgical postintervention in the office. We did a comparation of our results with the medical literature., Results: 10 laparoscopic cholecystectomies were performed. Gestational ages were from 15 to 25 weeks. The incidence was 1:995. All the cases were diagnosed by doctors of the department of general surgery, and also the surgeries. 2/10 patients were in preterm delivery risk at 35 weeks of gestation. There was not any fetal loss or maternal death., Conclusions: Our results are similar with the literature research, and we confirm that laparoscopic cholecystectomy is a safe therapeutic option for gravid patients, which has minimal fetal-maternal morbidity.

Placenta previa in women older than 34 years old with previous cesarean section has a high risk to develop placenta accreta/inccreta/perccreta. Such background is frequent nowadays, so placenta previa-accreta is a growing problem. This disease cause hypervascularity in the pelvic floor and increases the risk of placenta penetrating the bladder. For these peculiarities, the maternal morbidity and mortality are higher; besides, hysterectomy produces additional morbidity and mortality. For such reasons, experts explore at present other alternatives to be able to make a better maternal prognosis. In this article we report two cases with placenta previa-accreta, and make a review of medical literature about this topic.

This article reviews the development of a new measure to assess children's perceptions of intergenerational boundary violations in families. The Boundary Violations Scale is a theoretically derived instrument consisting of 12 items. Principal components analysis using data from 119 young adolescents from diverse ethnic backgrounds (i.e., 56% Hispanic and 44% non-Hispanic) revealed three factors (promoting maturity, forming coalitions, and communicating as peers) that are consistent with the behavioral manifestations of this construct as posited by structural family theory. The validity of the measure was supported by significant correlations with theoretically relevant measures of family processes and child adjustment as reported by children and their mothers.