Search

Objective: This study is an open clinical trial. The aim of this study was to show the changes that occur in the viscoelastic properties of the plantar fascia (twenty healthy volunteers) measured by SEL and the changes in the plantar fascia temperature measured by thermography after the application of a 448 kHz capacitive resistive monopolar radiofrequency (CRMR) in active healthy subjects immediately after treatment and at the 1-week follow-up.Methods: Furthermore, to analyze if an intervention with 448 kHz CRMR in the plantar fascia of the dominant lower limb produces a thermal response in the plantar fascia of the non-dominant lower limb. The final objective was to analyze the level of association between the viscoelastic properties of the PF and the temperature before and after the intervention with 448 kHz CRMR.Results: Our results showed that a temperature change, which was measured by thermography, occurred in the plantar fascia after a single intervention (T0-T1) and at the 1-week follow up (T1-T2).Conclusion: However, no changes were found in the viscoelastic properties of the plantar fascia after the intervention or at the 1-week follow up. This is the first study to investigate changes in both plantar fascia viscoelastic properties and in plantar fascia temperature after a radiofrequency intervention.

High-intensity ultrasound systems for medical therapy must be carefully designed, implemented, and applied to avoid tissue damage or injury considering stimulation and relaxation time, frequency, and intensity of ultrasound. Based on these concerns and considering a test three-layer animal tissue consisting of skin, muscle, and bone, we determined the frequency and intensity at which ultrasound effectively stimulates the test animal tissues. In addition, from these ultrasound frequencies and intensities, and taking care the critical temperature recommended to preserve the integrity of the human tissue and avoid any tissue injury, we determine the stimulation and relaxation times. For this purpose, we performed a multiphysics simulation that describes the spatial and temporal dynamics of the thermoacoustic effect of ultrasound applied to test animal tissues. To practically demonstrate this ultrasound behavior, we perform an experimental setup based on an electronic HITU device designed and implemented to freely adjust the ultrasound intensity and frequency, as well as the stimulation time of the test animal tissues. Finally, we conclude that, depending on the test tissue, an ultrasound therapy system should allow the selection of the intensity and frequency of applied ultrasound, as well as the stimulation time to avoid tissue injury, which can be considered by health ministries around the world.

Background:Women’s football has been booming for a few years now, which has led to an increase in the expectation of the players’ performance, leading to a more detailed study of women’s physiology in the field of sports.Objectives:To analyze the scientific evidence on the influence of menstruation on the performance of female footballers, as well as to analyze the methodological quality of the studies included in this review.Materials and methods:The possible hormonal effects of the menstrual cycle phases on the performance of female footballers were analyzed. The databases used to conduct the searches were Pubmed, Scopus, Virtual Health Library, Web of Science, EBSCO and the Cochrane Library. All included studies met the inclusion criteria. The Cochrane risk of bias tool was used. This systematic review protocol was registered at the International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (PROSPERO: CRD42023390652).Results:A total of nine clinical trials were included in this review. A low quality of evidence was observed in the studies. Not all the results support the idea that the menstrual cycle phases can alter the performance of female footballers.Conclusion:This systematic review shows that there is a great deal of controversy about the influence of the menstrual cycle phases on the performance of female footballers. Studies are focused on solely biological factors and gender is normally no part of those studies. Further research with larger samples, and taking not only biological but also sociological factors, are necessary to determine the effects of menstruation on the performance of female footballers.

The study aimed to determine if combined physiotherapy treatments offer additional benefits over exercise-only programs for shoulder pain and to identify the most effective combined treatment. A systematic review, registered in PROSPERO (CRD42023417709), and meta-analyses were conducted. Quality analysis was performed using the PEDro scale on randomized clinical trials published from 2018 to 2023. Twenty articles met the inclusion criteria. The most commonly used combination was exercise plus manual therapy, without being statistically superior to exercise alone. The meta-analysis indicated that combining exercise with low-level laser therapy (mean difference of −1.06, 95% CI: −1.51 to −0.60) and high-intensity laser therapy (mean difference of −0.53, 95% CI: −1.12 to 0.06) resulted in the greatest reduction in SPADI scores. Adding manual therapy provided limited additional benefit (mean difference of −0.24, 95% CI: −0.74 to 0.27). Progressive exercise with advice or telerehabilitation yielded modest improvements. The multimodal meta-analysis for DASH scores showed significant improvement (mean difference of −1.06, 95% CI: −1.51 to −0.60). In conclusion, therapeutic exercise is the cornerstone of shoulder pain treatment, with the addition of laser therapy showing substantial benefits. Manual therapy and educational interventions offer some benefits but are not consistently superior. More rigorous studies are needed.

Abstract The concept of “one-airway-one-disease”, coined over 20 years ago, may be an over-simplification of the links between allergic diseases. Genomic studies suggest that rhinitis alone and rhinitis with asthma are operated by distinct pathways. In this MeDALL (Mechanisms of the Development of Allergy) study, we leveraged the information of the human interactome to distinguish the molecular mechanisms associated with two phenotypes of allergic rhinitis: rhinitis alone and rhinitis in multimorbidity with asthma. We observed significant differences in the topology of the interactomes and in the pathways associated to each phenotype. In rhinitis alone, identified pathways included cell cycle, cytokine signalling, developmental biology, immune system, metabolism of proteins and signal transduction. In rhinitis and asthma multimorbidity, most pathways were related to signal transduction. The remaining few were related to cytokine signalling, immune system or developmental biology. Toll-like receptors and IL-17-mediated signalling were identified in rhinitis alone, while IL-33 was identified in rhinitis in multimorbidity. On the other hand, few pathways were associated with both phenotypes, most being associated with signal transduction pathways including estrogen-stimulated signalling. The only immune system pathway was FceRI-mediated MAPK activation. In conclusion, our findings suggest that rhinitis alone and rhinitis and asthma multimorbidity should be considered as two distinct diseases.

Abstract Ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease are chronic inflammatory intestinal diseases with perplexing heterogeneity in disease manifestation and response to treatment. While the molecular basis for this heterogeneity remains uncharacterized, single-cell technologies allow us to explore the transcriptional states within tissues at an unprecedented resolution which could further understanding of these complex diseases. Here, we apply single-cell RNA-sequencing to human inflamed intestine and show that the largest differences among patients are present within the myeloid compartment including macrophages and neutrophils. Using spatial transcriptomics in human tissue at single-cell resolution (CosMx Spatial Molecular Imaging) we spatially localize each of the macrophage and neutrophil subsets identified by single-cell RNA-sequencing and unravel further macrophage diversity based on their tissue localization. Finally, single-cell RNA-sequencing combined with single-cell spatial analysis reveals a strong communication network involving macrophages and inflammatory fibroblasts. Our data sheds light on the cellular complexity of these diseases and points towards the myeloid and stromal compartments as important cellular subsets for understanding patient-to-patient heterogeneity.

Summary: The mechanism by which morphogenetic signals engage the regulatory networks responsible for early embryonic tissue patterning is incompletely understood. Here, we developed a minimal gene regulatory network (GRN) model of human pluripotent stem cell (hPSC) lineage commitment and embedded it into “cellular” agents that respond to a dynamic morphogenetic signaling microenvironment. Simulations demonstrated that GRN wiring had significant non-intuitive effects on tissue pattern order, composition, and dynamics. Experimental perturbation of GRN connectivities supported model predictions and demonstrated the role of OCT4 as a master regulator of peri-gastrulation fates. Our so-called GARMEN strategy provides a multiscale computational platform to understand how single-cell-based regulatory interactions scale to tissue domains. This foundation provides new opportunities to simulate the impact of network motifs on normal and aberrant tissue development.

Abstract The purpose of this study was to perform a histological and biochemical evaluation of the influence of plasma rich in growth factors (PRGF) on muscle regeneration process after a surgically induced grade II muscle laceration. A randomized, single blind, controlled experimental research was conducted including twenty-one adult healthy sheep, randomly divided in three groups (n = 7). A grade II surgical section was performed in the biceps femoris muscle of both hindlimbs. After two days (basal time), intralesional infiltration of autologous PRGF or Saline solution was randomly administered in both hindlimbs. Treatment was repeated once a week. Animal groups were euthanized at 1 (T1), 2 (T2) or 4 (T4) weeks. Histological assessment showed that PRGF intralesional injection induced a significant decrease of inflammatory cells density, significant higher centrally nucleated fibers percentage and significantly smaller fibrotic areas compared to Saline-treated muscles at T1, T2 and T4. Also, lower vascular density, with lower capillaries cross-sectional area, in PRGF group compared to Saline was observed. Biochemical analysis revealed a significant higher expression level of MYOD1, MYF5 and MYOG genes in PRGF groups at T1 compared to Saline treated muscles. At ultrastructural level, PRGF groups presented scarce edema and loss of connective tissue structure, as well as higher mitochondrial density adequately associated to the sarcomere unit in contrast to the Saline group. In conclusion, histological, biochemical, and ultrastructural results showed that PRGF treatment improved muscle regeneration process leading to more mature histological aspect in newly formed muscle tissue after a surgically induced grade II muscle injury.

ABSTRACT We characterized five carbapenemase-producing Enterobacterales (CPE) isolates from two health care institutions in Lima, Peru. The isolates were identified as Klebsiella pneumoniae (n = 3), Citrobacter portucalensis (n = 1), and Escherichia coli (n = 1). All were identified as blaOXA-48-like gene carriers using conventional PCR. Whole-genome sequencing found the presence of the blaOXA-181 gene as the only carbapenemase gene in all isolates. Genes associated with resistance to aminoglycosides, quinolones, amphenicols, fosfomycins, macrolides, tetracyclines, sulfonamides, and trimethoprim were also found. The plasmid incompatibility group IncX3 was identified in all genomes in a truncated Tn6361 transposon flanked by ΔIS26 insertion sequences. The qnrS1 gene was also found downstream of blaOXA-181, conferring fluoroquinolone resistance to all isolates. CPE isolates harboring blaOXA-like genes are an increasing public health problem in health care settings worldwide. The IncX3 plasmid is involved in the worldwide dissemination of blaOXA-181, and its presence in these CPE isolates suggests the wide dissemination of blaOXA-181 in Peru. IMPORTANCE Reports of carbapenemase-producing Enterobacterales (CPE) isolates are increasing worldwide. Accurate detection of the β-lactamase OXA-181 (a variant of OXA-48) is important to initiate therapy and preventive measures in the clinic. OXA-181 has been described in CPE isolates in many countries, often associated with nosocomial outbreaks. However, the circulation of this carbapenemase has yet to be reported in Peru. Here, we report the detection of five multidrug-resistant CPE clinical isolates harboring blaOXA-181 in the IncX3-type plasmid, a potential driver of dissemination in Peru.

Fly ashes from the fluidized bed boiler were used to obtain zeolites by the alkaline fusion process, followed by a hydrothermal procedure. The melting was carried out with 98 % granulated NaOH, mixed with ashes in mass ratios 1.2/1, 1.4/1 and 1.6/1 and using three melting temperatures, 450 °C, 550 °C and 650 °C. For the crystallization of the zeolites, the hydrothermal procedure at 90 °C was used. The crystalline phases of the zeolitic materials were quantified by XRD analysis. The morphology of the crystals was identified by SEM. The FTIR spectra revealed that the transformation of sodalite mineral to zeolite A and zeolite X increased with the NaOH/CVT ratio and the temperature.

Adhesive capsulitis, characterized by progressive fibrosis, causes a gradual, painful loss of both active and passive articular motion, leading to the final contracture of the joint capsule. The condition commonly referred to as “frozen ankle” (FA), which Goldman was the first to use, relates to the ankle joint and is challenging to both diagnose and treat. Data acquired from people who suffer from this type of damage in other joints such as the shoulder, hip, and wrist also exists. Despite the fact that a well-defined model for the medical management of FA does not exist, a wide spectrum of local treatments, both surgical and non-surgical, exist. This review gives an overview of the current scientific position of the frozen ankle in terms of evolutionary factors, etiology, the different mechanisms of action involved, current treatment options, and other possible interventions based on recent discoveries of pathophysiological mechanisms. The application of extracorporeal shockwave therapy, stretching exercises, and corticosteroid injections combined with physical therapy modalities that enhance pain management, range of motion, and functional capacity is highly advisable for the treatment of adhesive capsulitis, commonly known as “frozen joints”. Furthermore, the addition of interventions both impacting and analyzing chronic hypoxia, low-grade inflammation, and sedentary life is proposed.

The purpose of this study was to analyze the changes in the elasticity and temperature of the patellar tendon produced by the application of a radiofrequency at 448 kHz (CRMR) just after and 7 days after the intervention. An open controlled clinical trial was used with participants being recruited from a private clinic. The experimental group (n = 22) received a 448 kHz CRMR treatment while the control group (n = 22) did not receive any type of intervention. Quantitative ultrasound strain elastography (SEL) and thermography were used to collect data from 4 different areas of the patellar tendon. These areas were measured at the start (T0), just after (T1), and seven days after (T2) the intervention. There were thermal changes immediately after the intervention (p < 0.001). In addition, when the measurements were collected just after the intervention and seven days after they were analyzed, significant changes (p < 0.001) in temperature were observed in the tendons of both groups. Finally, a low but significant association (r = 0.434, p < 0.04) was observed between the elastic properties of the tendon at its insertion in the patella and thermal changes just after the 448 kHz intervention.

Short open reading frames (smORFs) of less than 100 codons exist in the thousands in metazoan genomes, mostly with yet unknown functions. Here the authors show how a smORF conserved from flies to vertebrates produces a secreted peptide that enhances the diffusion of the cell signalling protein Wingless.

Purpose. This study was aimed at verifying both the intraobserver and interobserver reliability of measuring plantar fascia stiffness for a given image in healthy active adults. Methodology. This study is reported following the Guidelines of Reporting Reliability and Agreement Studies. A total of 20 plantar fascia from healthy volunteers were analyzed. The thickness of the plantar fascia was measured vertically from the anterior edge of the inferior calcaneal border to the inferior border of the plantar fascia and the ultrasound elastography measurement was taken at the calcaneal insertion of the plantar fascia with the region of interest one centimeter away from the insertion. Results. The ultrasound strain elastography measurements: the right intraobserver 1 showed an ICC value of 0.9 and the left intraobserver 1 showed an ICC value of 0.78, while the right intraobserver 2 showed an ICC value of 0.91 and the left intraobserver 2 showed an ICC value of 0.83. Interobserver measurements showed excellent reliability with a right ICC value of 0.8 and a left ICC value of 0.9 for the plantar fascia thickness measurements. Discussion. The results of this study showed a strong correlation between left and right plantar fascia thickness. The intraobserver reliability was excellent for both plantar fascia ultrasound strain elastography and thickness measurements, with interobserver measurements showing excellent reliability.

The main objective of this literature review was to analyze the efficacy of (PBM) therapy application on subjects with chronic pain and inflammation, and furthermore, to evaluate the methodological quality of the collected literature. The search was conducted using five databases: PubMed, ProQuest, Scopus, Web of Science, and PEDro. The keywords “low level laser therapy”, “chronic pain”, and “inflammation” provided the selection of RCTs that were published within the last 5 years, conducted in humans, and written in English. The PEDro Internal Validity Scale (IVS) checklist was used to evaluate the risk of bias in the included studies. A total of 11 articles were selected, all of them RCTs. Of the articles, five showed that PBM positively influences chronic pain, while another showed the same but only in the short term. In two other articles, the patient’s inflammation improved markedly. In one article there was no improvement in chronic pain and in another, there was no improvement in inflammation. Four articles demonstrated that PBM is beneficial in acute pain. Furthermore, six studies were given an “excellent” score and the remaining five a “good” score based on the IVS. Photobiomodulation has beneficial effects on chronic pain and inflammation, although more research needs to be completed in this line for this to be clarified as the existence of RCTs on this subject is limited.

Brain dynamics show a rich spatiotemporal behavior whose stability is neither ordered nor chaotic, indicating that neural networks operate at intermediate stability regimes including critical dynamics represented by a negative power-law distribution of avalanche sizes with exponent α=−1.5. However, it is unknown which stability regimen allows global and local information transmission with reduced metabolic costs, which are measured in terms of synaptic potentials and action potentials. In this work, using a hierarchical neuron model with rich-club organization, we measure the average number of action potentials required to activate n different neurons (avalanche size). Besides, we develop a mathematical formula to represent the metabolic synaptic potential cost. We develop simulations variating the synaptic amplitude, synaptic time course (ms), and hub excitatory/inhibitory ratio. We compare different dynamic regimes in terms of avalanche sizes vs. metabolic cost. We also implement the dynamic model in a Drosophila and Erdos–Renyi networks to computer dynamics and metabolic costs. The results show that the synaptic amplitude and time course play a key role in information propagation. They can drive the system from subcritical to supercritical regimes. The later result promotes the coexistence of critical regimes with a wide range of excitation/inhibition hub ratios. Moreover, subcritical or silent regimes minimize metabolic cost for local avalanche sizes, whereas critical and intermediate stability regimes show the best compromise between information propagation and reduced metabolic consumption, also minimizing metabolic cost for a wide range of avalanche sizes.

Euphorbia nutans Lag. it is a herbaceous plant found in the Mixteca Poblana, Mexico. It is considered a weed, it is not cultivated and its medicinal use to treat gastric problems and heal wounds is ignored. This situation can cause your loss of the region. In addition, it presents difficulties to in vitro establish from plant tissues and seeds. Therefore, the objective of this work was to determine the effect of silver nitrate (AgNO3) on the in vitro germination of E. nutans seeds in combination with factors such as the position of the seeds in the culture medium, lighting conditions and the use of growth regulators. The MS culture medium was used to compare three seed positions, lighting conditions: (16/8 h) and darkness, and 1.0 mg l-1 of BA, AG3 and AIA. The results showed that the germination of the seeds is partially favored depending on the growth regulator or lighting. However, in all cases, germination was higher with AgNO3, with 100% of seeds germinated from the first week of culture. The seedlings reached the height of the container in three weeks of culture with a significant difference with the treatments without AgNO3. Silver nitrate plays an essential role in the in vitro germination of E. nutans seeds and in the growth of the seedlings obtained. This is the first work on the in vitro management of E. nutans.

El municipio de Tlalnepantla ha transitado de una estructura económica basada en la agricultura de autoconsumo y la actividad forestal hacia la producción, en grandes extensiones, de nopal verdura para consumo nacional e internacional. Con ello ha modificado su sector económico primario y ha propiciado una nueva organización de su territorio en torno a esta actividad. El objetivo de esta investigación es analizar el proceso de organización territorial de la cadena productiva del nopal verdura que se cultiva en este municipio y sus principales implicaciones tanto en su territorio como en los productores involucrados. Para ello, el trabajo se apoyó en un reconocimiento de los factores físicos e históricos que han impulsado el desarrollo de esta actividad y, posteriormente, se recopiló información directa en campo a través de las experiencias de diferentes tipos de productores, la cual se complementó con datos recopilados de fuentes de información estadística y hemerográfica, a fin de analizar y sintetizar cartográficamente la organización territorial actual de la producción de nopal verdura en el municipio de Tlalnepantla. Los resultados de la investigación revelaron que la organización territorial de esta actividad destaca por ser manejada en parte por los productores locales, lo que sumado a su cercanía a la capital del país, ha beneficiado sus condiciones productivas y comerciales, pero al mismo tiempo, ha derivado en la marginación de otro sector de productores de nopal como resultado de factores políticos y de la competencia directa en el mercado nacional.

Cities occupy a relatively small percentage of the Earth’s surface. However, they influence the entire biosphere, affect biodiversity and environmental conditions, which end up affecting human health and well-being. Therefore, it is necessary to evaluate the level of contamination by heavy metals in urban environments, as well as the possible ecological and human health risks. In this study, the urban dust of six Mexican cities was analyzed and it was found that all studied cities were contaminated, except for Mérida, when soil world background value was used as reference. In contrast, Mérida and Morelia were the most contaminated when a local background was used (decile 1). The concentrations in the cities for the metals Cu, Pb and Zn, decreased in the order CDMX > San Luis Potosí > Toluca > Morelia-Ensenada > Mérida. In the particular case of Cu and Pb, SLP accompanied CDMX as the most polluted city. For Mn and Fe concentrations, the order was CDMX > Toluca > Ensenada > SLP > Morelia-Mérida. No potential ecological risk was found due to contamination by Cu, Pb, and Zn, in the urban dust of the studied cities. However, the higher metal contribution to the potential ecological risk in all the cities was from Pb; and it represented a moderate ecological risk of more than 25% on CDMX, SLP, and Toluca sites. Pb can also be a potential risk for children’s health. In addition, chronic exposure to Fe and Mn could trigger many ailments. In the future, it is important to identify the main sources of Pb in cities and seek mitigation strategies to reduce the possible adverse effects that this metal may be causing.

Abstract Background Crohn’s disease (CD) is a multifactorial disease characterized by chronic intestinal inflammation. The increased visceral adiposity near the affected intestinal area, of which mesenteric adipose tissue (MAT) is the main component, is a feature of CD. Both protective and pathological roles have been attributed to this disease-associated tissue in CD. To understand the contribution of MAT to CD pathophysiology, a molecular and cellular signature of disease-associated MAT in CD patients was provided. Methods We performed an observational study with whole transcriptional analysis by RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) of MAT and ileal mucosa from CD patients with active disease and controls. qPCR and immunohistology were performed for validation analysis. Results RNA-seq identified 17 significantly regulated genes (|FC| > 1.5; FDR 1.5, nominal p ≤ 0.05) yielded a larger list of 651 genes in CD-MAT compared to controls. CD ileum showed the significant regulation compared to control ileum of 849 genes (|FC| > 1.5; FDR 1.5, nominal p ≤ 0.05). Ingenuity Pathway Analysis revealed the significant regulation of pathways related to T- and B cell functionality in the MAT of CD patients. Despite the differences between the MAT and ileal signatures of CD patients, we identified a subset of 204 genes significantly modulated in both tissues compared to controls. This common signature included genes related to the plasma cell signature. Genes such as S100A8, S100A9 (calprotectin) and IL1B, which are associated with acute inflammatory response, were exclusively regulated in the ileal mucosa of CD disease. In contrast, some genes encoding for lymphocyte receptors such as MS4A1, CD3D and CD79A were exclusively regulated in CD-MAT, exhibiting a different pattern of immune cell activation compared to the ileal mucosa in CD patients. qPCR and immunohistology confirmed the presence of large infiltrates of CD3+ CD20+ lymphocytes and CD138+ plasma cells in CD-MAT. Conclusion Our data strongly supports the role of CD-associated MAT as a site for T-, B- and plasma cell activation, and suggests that it could also act as a reservoir of memory immune responses.

The increasing availability of single-cell RNA-sequencing (scRNA-seq) data from various developmental systems provides the opportunity to infer gene regulatory networks (GRNs) directly from data. Herein we describe IQCELL, a platform to infer, simulate, and study executable logical GRNs directly from scRNA-seq data. Such executable GRNs allow simulation of fundamental hypotheses governing developmental programs and help accelerate the design of strategies to control stem cell fate. We first describe the architecture of IQCELL. Next, we apply IQCELL to scRNA-seq datasets from early mouse T-cell and red blood cell development, and show that the platform can infer overall over 74% of causal gene interactions previously reported from decades of research. We will also show that dynamic simulations of the generated GRN qualitatively recapitulate the effects of known gene perturbations. Finally, we implement an IQCELL gene selection pipeline that allows us to identify candidate genes, without prior knowledge. We demonstrate that GRN simulations based on the inferred set yield results similar to the original curated lists. In summary, the IQCELL platform offers a versatile tool to infer, simulate, and study executable GRNs in dynamic biological systems.

The main goal of this study is to analyze photobiomodulation therapy’s effectiveness on improving sports practice. Secondarily, the included studies were methodologically analyzed to verify their quality. A review and appraisal of literature found in Web of Science, ProQuest and Scopus databases was carried out. To evaluate the risk of bias of the included studies. The Physiotherapy Evidence Database (PEDro) scale and PEDro Internal Validity Scale (IVS) checklists were used. The included randomized clinical trials were in English, conducted on humans and published since 2016. A total of 15 randomized clinical trials were included, 4 of which found an improvement in oxygen volume after an aerobic stress test, while 2 showed no change. Muscle damage decreased in five studies, however, in two of them muscle damage did not change. Blood lactate concentration decreased in two of the studies, while in three of them there was no difference. Muscle soreness was lower in three studies, however, in four of the articles no change was demonstrated. All selected studies were of good methodological quality. On the IVS, six RCTs had a high internal quality and nine of them moderate. Photobiomodulation therapy has a positive effect on sports performance. Scientific studies on the subject are limited and more research in this line is needed.

The aim of the present study was to determine the level of association of the spatio-temporal gait parameters in subjects with and without plantar fasciopathy. The second objective was to analyze whether differences in spatio-temporal parameters between both groups exist. Seventy-four subjects divided in two groups participated in the study, one presenting subjects with plantar fasciopathy for more than three months (n = 31), and the other group comprising subjects without plantar fasciopathy (n = 43). The spatio-temporal parameters were measured using Optogait. Decreased step length (p < 0.001), increased contact phase (p < 0.001), increased double support (p < 0.001), increased load response (p < 0.001), increased pre-swing (p < 0.001), increased gait cycle (p = 0.002), decreased stride (p < 0.001), decreased speed (p < 0.001), decreased cadence (p < 0.001), decreased phase flatfoot (p = 0.001), and increased propulsion (p < 0.001) in subjects with PF showed statistically significant differences when compared with the control group.. Furthermore, the level of association between the spatio-temporal parameters was different when comparing the groups. These findings may help when assessing potential plantar fascia injuries, and they may serve as a tool that helps with clinical decision-making, or as a clinical measurement in a treatment and follow-up program.

This paper explores the narrative and visual resourcesused in Colombian comics, from 1992 to the presentday, in order to describe dystopian representations of Bogotá city. Dystopia is generally understood as a negative view 28La Bogotá distópica: los cómics sobre una ciudad en caosSergio Roncallo-Dow - Daniel Aguilar-Rodríguezy Enrique Uribe-Jongbloedfor humanity either of a possible future or an alternative present. These fictions are classified here as dystopias about a technologi-cal failure, dystopias about a symbolic/physical coercion, apocalyp-tic dystopias about zombies/infected individuals and apocalyptic dystopias about supernatural/non-human events. For this research study, printed publications available since 1992 (130 items) were collected. Out of these fictions, those that were set in or made re-ference to the city of Bogotá were selected. Of the 45 comics that met this criterion, 28 were identified and analyzed that contained a dystopian setting. One of the major findings was that violence and conflict, both symbolic and physical, are constant in the diffe-rent dystopic settings identified in the study sample, which reflects and projects the historical violence experienced in Colombia.

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a pandemic respiratory disease associated with high morbidity and mortality. Although many patients recover, long-term sequelae after infection have become increasingly recognized and concerning. Among other sequelae, the available data indicate that many patients who recover from COVID-19 could develop fibrotic abnormalities over time. To understand the basic pathophysiology underlying the development of long-term pulmonary fibrosis in COVID-19, as well as the higher mortality rates in patients with pre-existing lung diseases, we compared the transcriptomic fingerprints among patients with COVID-19, idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) using interactomic analysis. Patients who died of COVID-19 shared some of the molecular biological processes triggered in patients with IPF, such as those related to immune response, airway remodeling, and wound healing, which could explain the radiological images seen in some patients after discharge. However, other aspects of this transcriptomic profile did not resemble the profile associated with irreversible fibrotic processes in IPF. Our mathematical approach instead showed that the molecular processes that were altered in COVID-19 patients more closely resembled those observed in COPD. These data indicate that patients with COPD, who have overcome COVID-19, might experience a faster decline in lung function that will undoubtedly affect global health.

Extra-terrestrial beings always have the potential to alter ‘the world as we know it.’ Whenever they appear in film or television, there is a debate about the possibility that we have, as human beings, to communicate with them. Linguistics and semiotics become keyelements in our attempt to bridge the cultural gap. Be it through mathematics, music or technological gadgets, these films only mimic the uncertainty that arises from all types of intercultural contact. The fear is always the misinterpretation that can turn a ‘We come in peace’ into a fully-fledged war. This article starts from a general review of 138 films from the decade 2007-2017 to recognize the main points present in their narrative, which shows that hostile conflict remains the main theme. Then it provides an interpretive analysis of the films to describe the type of communication fears that exist in contemporary films, taking a special look at Avatar (Cameron, 2009), Arrival (Villeneuve, 2016) and District 9 (Blomkamp, 2009) as the main representations of our current understanding of communication difficulties. The humanization of extra-terrestrial beings to establish communication with them becomes an inverse representation of the dehumanization of the other, the enemy, as depicted by certain sectors of society and a few recently elected governments, with whom it is difficult to establish mechanisms of communication and dialogue.

Air pollution has been associated with adverse health effects across the life-course. Although underlying mechanisms are unclear, several studies suggested pollutant-induced changes in transcriptomic profiles. In this meta-analysis of transcriptome-wide association studies of 656 children and adolescents from three European cohorts participating in the MeDALL Consortium, we found two differentially expressed transcript clusters (FDR p

Este ensayo busca evidenciar la relevancia que ha tenido la cultura pop en la amplia obra y fabulosa vida de Sergio Roncallo-Dow. Esta travesía nos lleva a vincular conceptos como el de habitar, el dasein y el mit-dasein de Heidegger, con el sensorium de Walter Benjamin, a través de la máxima de Marshall McLuhan, el medio es el mensaje. Se presentan tres campos de la vida y obra de Sergio que se entrelazan para dar cuenta de su aproximación al apotegma mcluhaniano. Este camino aborda la televisión en Colombia en la década de los ochenta, la escena de la música rock de la cual Sergio fue parte y su relación con los videojuegos y YouTube. Esta exploración nos permite ver algunas de sus sondas principales, su crítica a los modelos binarios y a la separación de la cultura popular y de élite, la centralidad de la imbricación entre técnica y cultura, y su propuesta de la comprensión de nuestra hibridación latinoamericana como nuestro punto de partida para entender-nos en la comunicación. Para citar este ensayo / to reference this essay / para citar este ensaio Uribe-Jongbloed, E., Aguilar-Rodríguez, D. y Espinosa-Medina, H. D. (2020). La cultura pop en el pensamiento de Sergio Roncallo-Dow: el sur es el mensaje. Palabra Clave, 23(supl.), e23s2. https://doi.org/10.5294/pacla.2020.23.s.2

Tendon injuries are the most frequent musculoskeletal problems, constituting 30–50% of all sport-related lesions. Efficient handling of early stage tendon injury and healing can accelerate tendon repair as well as improve the quality of newly formed tendons. Plasma rich in growth factors (PRGF) is an autologous biological therapy that has been proposed to treat tendon injuries. To elucidate the effect of this treatment on the early stage of tendon healing, 14 sheep were used to perform the present study. The right Achilles tendon was surgically severed and repaired with sutures. Seven animals were treated with PRGF and the other seven with saline solution after surgical tendon reconstruction. Tendons were ultrasound-guide infiltrated 1 week after the induced injury. Two weeks later, the sheep were euthanized and histochemical and immunohistochemical analyses were performed. The tendons with PRGF showed reduced infiltration of inflammatory cells compared to those treated with saline solution. Analysis of the blood vessels, morphometric data of fibroblast nuclei, and collagen fibres in the extracellular matrix did not show statistical differences between groups. These findings suggest the important role that PRGF therapy plays in the modulation of inflammatory response in Achilles tendon injuries, leading to acceleration of the tendon healing process, shortening the convalescence period.

Abstract Understanding relationships between diseases, such as comorbidities, has important socio-economic implications, ranging from clinical study design to health care planning. Most studies characterize disease comorbidity using shared genetic origins, ignoring pathway-based commonalities between diseases. In this study, we define the disease pathways using an interactome-based extension of known disease-genes and introduce several measures of functional overlap. The analysis reveals 206 significant links among 94 diseases, giving rise to a highly clustered disease association network. We observe that around 95% of the links in the disease network, though not identified by genetic overlap, are discovered by functional overlap. This disease network portraits rheumatoid arthritis, asthma, atherosclerosis, pulmonary diseases and Crohn’s disease as hubs and thus pointing to common inflammatory processes underlying disease pathophysiology. We identify several described associations such as the inverse comorbidity relationship between Alzheimer’s disease and neoplasms. Furthermore, we investigate the disruptions in protein interactions by mapping mutations onto the domains involved in the interaction, suggesting hypotheses on the causal link between diseases. Finally, we provide several proof-of-principle examples in which we model the effect of the mutation and the change of the association strength, which could explain the observed comorbidity between diseases caused by the same genetic alterations.

E n Ensenada, Baja California, los barcos y vehículos emiten partículas con metales pesados. Las partículas se transportan con el viento y se depositan en el suelo, donde se mezclan con él dando lugar a los polvos urbanos. Los metales pesados pueden afectar la salud de la población, por lo que se requiere un diagnóstico rápido para encontrar soluciones. El objetivo de este trabajo fue identificar las zonas con mayor contaminación en la ciudad. Se tomaron 86 muestras de polvo urbano sobre diferentes sustratos (suelo, cemento y asfalto). Los metales se analizaron mediante f luorescencia de rayos X. Las diferencias entre los sustratos se identificaron mediante un análisis de varianza. Por otra parte, se hizo un análisis para conocer la distribución espacial de los metales pesados, utilizando la interpolación con kriging ordinario. El asfalto contiene las mayores concentraciones de Cr, Ni, Pb y Zn; el cemento contiene mayores concentracions de Cu y V; y el suelo es el que más Rb contiene. El mapa que integra las clases de mayor concentración de metales indica que la zona suroeste, donde se localiza el puerto y pasa la carretera transpeninsular, es la más contaminada.

In vitro models of postimplantation human development are valuable to the fields of regenerative medicine and developmental biology. Here, we report characterization of a robust in vitro platform that enabled high-content screening of multiple human pluripotent stem cell (hPSC) lines for their ability to undergo peri-gastrulation-like fate patterning upon bone morphogenetic protein 4 (BMP4) treatment of geometrically confined colonies and observed significant heterogeneity in their differentiation propensities along a gastrulation associable and neuralization associable axis. This cell line-associated heterogeneity was found to be attributable to endogenous Nodal expression, with up-regulation of Nodal correlated with expression of a gastrulation-associated gene profile, and Nodal down-regulation correlated with a preneurulation-associated gene profile expression. We harness this knowledge to establish a platform of preneurulation-like fate patterning in geometrically confined hPSC colonies in which fates arise because of a BMPs signalling gradient conveying positional information. Our work identifies a Nodal signalling-dependent switch in peri-gastrulation versus preneurulation-associated fate patterning in hPSC cells, provides a technology to robustly assay hPSC differentiation outcomes, and suggests conserved mechanisms of organized fate specification in differentiating epiblast and ectodermal tissues.

BackgroundThe mechanisms explaining multimorbidity between asthma, dermatitis and rhinitis (allergic multimorbidity) are not well known. We investigated these mechanisms and their specificity in distinct cell types by means of an interactome-based analysis of expression data.MethodsGenes associated to the diseases were identified using data mining approaches, and their multimorbidity mechanisms in distinct cell types were characterized by means of an in silico analysis of the topology of the human interactome.ResultsWe characterized specific pathomechanisms for multimorbidities between asthma, dermatitis and rhinitis for distinct emergent non-eosinophilic cell types. We observed differential roles for cytokine signaling, TLR-mediated signaling and metabolic pathways for multimorbidities across distinct cell types. Furthermore, we also identified individual genes potentially associated to multimorbidity mechanisms.ConclusionsOur results support the existence of differentiated multimorbidity mechanisms between asthma, dermatitis and rhinitis at cell type level, as well as mechanisms common to distinct cell types. These results will help understanding the biology underlying allergic multimorbidity, assisting in the design of new clinical studies.

The design of proxy techniques is an innovative tool to monitor the potentially toxic elements of pollution in road dust. This study evaluated the use of road dust color as a proxy methodology to identify samples contaminated with presumably contaminating elements. FRX determined the concentrations of Fe, Ti, Rb, Sr, Y, Cu, Zn, and Pb in eighty-five road dust samples. The appliance of the RGB system and the Munsell color cards identified five color groups of road dust samples. The discriminant analysis validated these groups by colorimetric indices and presumably contaminating elements. The “very dark gray” color of road dust contains the highest concentrations of Pb, Cu, Zn, and Y. The redness and saturation rates showed high correlations with presumably contaminating elements in “dark gray” and “very dark gray” color samples. The color of road dust, as a proxy technique, allows identifying samples contaminated with presumably contaminating elements.

Rheumatoid arthritis patients respond differently to anti-TNF treatment. Using community-based challenge, the authors show that currently available data does not reveal meaningful genetic predictors of response to anti-TNF therapy, thus confirming clinical observations.

Agave marmorata R. es una planta que se adapta a terrenos someros y fertilidad baja, también sirve para la retención y conservación de agua de lluvia reduciendo la erosión del suelo. Actualmente se encuentra de forma silvestre y escasa en la Mixteca Poblana (México) donde es intensamente aprovechada en gastronomía y como planta medicinal. Por ello, se propuso la propagación in vitro como estrategia de rescate y conservación a partir de brotes in vitro de Agave marmorata en un medio de cultivo básico de Murashige y Skoog (1962) 100 %, suplementado con azúcar de caña 3 %, myo-inositol 100 mg·L-1, agar 0.7 % y 0.40 mg·L-1 de tiamina-HCl, donde se agregaron por separado diferentes concentraciones de 6-Bencil-adenina (BA) y ácido indol-3-acético (AIA) mediante un arreglo factorial 5x5. Se evaluó el número y longitud de brotes y de raíces obtenidos in vitro. Para las plantas en aclimatación sólo se evaluó el porcentaje de sobrevivencia en diferentes sustratos. Los datos de las variables se sometieron a un análisis de varianza y a una prueba de medias de Tukey (p=0.05). La mejor respuesta para longitud de brotes, número y longitud de raíces fue en el medio MS 100 % adicionando 10 mg·L-1 de AIA y la proliferación de nuevos brotes fue promovida con la adición de BA y AIA en igual concentración. Finalmente, se obtuvo el 100 % de sobrevivencia de las plántulas en los sustratos de peat moss más agrolita y peat moss más arena de río.

We study the correlation properties of word lengths in large texts from 30 ebooks in the English language from the Gutenberg Project (www.gutenberg.org) using the natural visibility graph method (NVG). NVG converts a time series into a graph and then analyzes its graph properties. First, the original sequence of words is transformed into a sequence of values containing the length of each word, and then, it is integrated. Next, we apply the NVG to the integrated word-length series and construct the network. We show that the degree distribution of that network follows a power law, P ( k ) ∼ k - γ , with two regimes, which are characterized by the exponents γ s ≈ 1 . 7 (at short degree scales) and γ l ≈ 1 . 3 (at large degree scales). This suggests that word lengths are much more strongly correlated at large distances between words than at short distances between words. That finding is also supported by the detrended fluctuation analysis (DFA) and recurrence time distribution. These results provide new information about the universal characteristics of the structure of written texts beyond that given by word frequencies.

Dynamical interactions among sets of genes (and their products) regulate developmental processes and some dynamical diseases, like cancer. Gene regulatory networks (GRNs) are directed networks that define interactions (links) among different genes/proteins involved in such processes. Genetic regulation can be modified during the time course of the process, which may imply changes in the nodes activity that leads the system from a specific state to a different one at a later time (dynamics). How the GRN modifies its topology, to properly drive a developmental process, and how this regulation was acquired across evolution are questions that the evolutionary dynamics of gene networks tackles. In the present work we review important methodology in the field and highlight the combination of these methods with evolutionary algorithms. In recent years, this combination has become a powerful tool to fit models with the increasingly available experimental data.

La contaminación por elementos potencialmente tóxicos (EPT) no se evalúa periódicamente, ya que los análisis químicos son de costo elevado. Las cenizas y humos de combustión otorgan color obscuro al suelo y afectan la salud de la población. El color podría funcionar como indicador proxy. En este trabajo se diseñó una metodología para probar el uso del color del polvo urbano como indicador de contaminación por EPT y se identificó el color más contaminado. Se analizaron 86 muestras de polvo de Ensenada, Baja California. El color de las muestras se midió y los índices de color (IC) se calcularon con el sistema RGB. El Níquel (Ni), Cobre (Cu), Zinc (Zn), Plomo (Pb), Rubidio (Rb), Vanadio (V), Estroncio (Sr) e Itrio (Y) se analizaron por fluorescencia de rayos X. Las muestras se agruparon por color con las tablas Munsell; los agrupamientos se validaron con un análisis discriminante utilizando los IC. Las regresiones múltiples indicaron que existe relación entre los IC y los EPT. Las medianas de los elementos analizados en las muestras agrupadas por color fueron diferentes (Kruskal-Wallis, P < 0.05). El polvo gris contiene mayores concentraciones de Pb, Cu, Zn y Ni. Los índices de color del polvo urbano pueden considerarse una metodología proxy debido al bajo costo, rapidez y confiabilidad.

BACKGROUND:The mechanisms explaining the co-existence of asthma, eczema and rhinitis (allergic multimorbidity) are largely unknown. We investigated the mechanisms underlying multimorbidity between three main allergic diseases at a molecular level by identifying the proteins and cellular processes that are common to them. METHODS:An in silico study based on computational analysis of the topology of the protein interaction network was performed in order to characterize the molecular mechanisms of multimorbidity of asthma, eczema and rhinitis. As a first step, proteins associated to either disease were identified using data mining approaches, and their overlap was calculated. Secondly, a functional interaction network was built, allowing to identify cellular pathways involved in allergic multimorbidity. Finally, a network-based algorithm generated a ranked list of newly predicted multimorbidity-associated proteins. RESULTS:Asthma, eczema and rhinitis shared a larger number of associated proteins than expected by chance, and their associated proteins exhibited a significant degree of interconnectedness in the interaction network. There were 15 pathways involved in the multimorbidity of asthma, eczema and rhinitis, including IL4 signaling and GATA3-related pathways. A number of proteins potentially associated to these multimorbidity processes were also obtained. CONCLUSIONS:These results strongly support the existence of an allergic multimorbidity cluster between asthma, eczema and rhinitis, and suggest that type 2 signaling pathways represent a relevant multimorbidity mechanism of allergic diseases. Furthermore, we identified new candidates contributing to multimorbidity that may assist in identifying new targets for multimorbid allergic diseases.

Comment To: Ocampo-Rios, et al., Geofisica Internacional, 56(1), 2017. Doi: https://doi.org/10.22201/igeof.00167169p.2018.57.1.1812

We present a study of natural language using the recurrence network method. In our approach, the repetition of patterns of characters is evaluated without considering the word structure in written texts from different natural languages. Our dataset comprises 85 ebookseBooks written in 17 different European languages. The similarity between patterns of length m is determined by the Hamming distance and a value r is considered to define a matching between two patterns, i.e., a repetition is defined if the Hamming distance is equal or less than the given threshold value r. In this way, we calculate the adjacency matrix, where a connection between two nodes exists when a matching occurs. Next, the recurrence network is constructed for the texts and some representative network metrics are calculated. Our results show that average values of network density, clustering, and assortativity are larger than their corresponding shuffled versions, while for metrics like such as closeness, both original and random sequences exhibit similar values. Moreover, our calculations show similar average values for density among languages which that belong to the same linguistic family. In addition, the application of a linear discriminant analysis leads to well-separated clusters of family languages based on based on the network-density properties. Finally, we discuss our results in the context of the general characteristics of written texts.

Patterning and growth are linked during early development and have to be tightly controlled to result in a functional tissue or organ. During the development of the Drosophila eye, this linkage is particularly clear: the growth of the eye primordium mainly results from proliferating cells ahead of the morphogenetic furrow (MF), a moving signaling wave that sweeps across the tissue from the posterior to the anterior side, that induces proliferating cells anterior to it to differentiate and become cell cycle quiescent in its wake. Therefore, final eye disc size depends on the proliferation rate of undifferentiated cells and on the speed with which the MF sweeps across the eye disc. We developed a spatio-temporal model of the growing eye disc based on the regulatory interactions controlled by the signals Decapentaplegic (Dpp), Hedgehog (Hh) and the transcription factor Homothorax (Hth) and explored how the signaling patterns affect the movement of the MF and impact on eye disc growth. We used published and new quantitative data to parameterize the model. In particular, two crucial parameter values, the degradation rate of Hth and the diffusion coefficient of Hh, were measured. The model is able to reproduce the linear movement of the MF and the termination of growth of the primordium. We further show that the model can explain several mutant phenotypes, but fails to reproduce the previously observed scaling of the Dpp gradient in the anterior compartment.

El presente documento es una reflexión que surge como resultado de una investigación de 3 años con la comunidad hispana en Emporia, ciudad ubicada al este del estado de Kansas, en donde el flujo migratorio se incrementó durante los últimos 30 años, en un fenómeno directamente relacionado con el desarrollo de la industria agroalimentaria. El artículo propone abordar el proceso de adaptación de los inmigrantes hispanos heterodoxos, particularmente de origen Mexicano, desde la comunicación, observando tal adaptación como un proceso adquisición de un capital cultural dominante, manteniendo ciertas prácticas, a la vez que se desarrollan, adoptan y generan nuevas prácticas culturales y comunicacionales que permiten al inmigrante actuar en el espacio social receptor.

Abstract This research developed a logarithms for calculating the maximum heart rate (max. HR) for players in team sports in game situations. The sample was made of thirteen players (aged 24 ± 3 ) to a Division Two Handball team. HR was initially measured by Course Navette test. Later, twenty one training sessions were conducted in which HR and Rate of Perceived Exertion (RPE), were continuously monitored, in each task. A lineal regression analysis was done to help find a max. HR prediction equation from the max. HR of the three highest intensity sessions. Results from this equation correlate significantly with data obtained in the Course Navette test and with those obtained by other indirect methods. The conclusion of this research is that this equation provides a very useful and easy way to measure the max. HR in real game situations, avoiding non-specific analytical tests and, therefore laboratory testing.. Key words: workout control, functional evaluation, prediction equation.

Nature Communications 7: Article number: 12460 (2016); Published: 23 August 2016; Updated: 10 October 2016. The HTML version of this Article incorrectly duplicated the authors S. Louis Bridges, Lindsey Criswell, Larry Moreland, Lars Klareskog, Saedis Saevarsdottir, Leonid Padyukov, Peter K. Gregersen, Stephen Friend, Robert Plenge, Gustavo Stolovitzky, Baldo Oliva, Yuanfang Guan and Lara M.

Amino acids committed to a particular function correlate tightly along evolution and tend to form clusters in the 3D structure of the protein. Consequently, a protein can be seen as a network of co-evolving clusters of residues. The goal of this work is two-fold: first, we have combined mutual information and structural data to describe the amino acid networks within a protein and their interactions. Second, we have investigated how this information can be used to improve methods of prediction of functional residues by reducing the search space. As a main result, we found that clusters of co-evolving residues related to the catalytic site of an enzyme have distinguishable topological properties in the network. We also observed that these clusters usually evolve independently, which could be related to a fail-safe mechanism. Finally, we discovered a significant enrichment of functional residues (e.g. metal binding, susceptibility to detrimental mutations) in the clusters, which could be the foundation of new prediction tools.

An association between non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and cardiovascular disease (CVD) has been recently suggested. Indeed, different studies have demonstrated that NAFLD patients present increased subclinical atherosclerosis compared to non-steatosic individuals, and are supported by the few follow-up studies revealing that CVD is the second most common cause of death in NAFLD patients. However, the nature of the relationship NAFLD/CVD is still under debate.