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Helicobacter pylori is a human pathogen bacterium associated with gastritis, peptic ulcer, and gastric cancer. It can be identified through the 16S rRNA gene and characterized through cagA and vacA virulence genes. Clinical cultures of H. pylori were isolated and identified from human stomach biopsies. The isolates were characterized according to their colonial and microscopic morphology, and molecular genotyping was conducted to determine the bacterial virulence. A phylogenetic analysis of the 16S rRNA gene sequencing was performed. In addition, multilocus sequence typing analysis was performed to determine the phylogeographic nature of the isolated strains. Three bacterial isolates were selected from 22 gastric biopsies, identified as H. pylori through colonial morphology, Gram staining, urease, catalase, and oxidase tests and identification of the ureC gene through end-point PCR. Amplification of 16S rRNA, urea, and tonB genes was performed, as well. Differences between the cagA and vacA genotypes were determined among the isolates. The phylogenetic analysis confirmed the identity of the three isolates as the specie Helicobacter pylori. Different genotypes were obtained for each H. pylori strain, and all the clinical isolates showed the vacA s2/m2 genotype, indicating an absence of the VacA cytotoxin. Only HCGDL-MR01 is a cagA gene carrier with a greater risk to develop a serious disease, such as stomach cancer and peptic ulcer. The multilocus sequence typing placed all the strains within the hpEurope population structure.

Resumen Objetivos: El incremento de la población mayor ha hecho que se eleve el porcentaje de personas con demencia que requieren una atención especializada dirigida a mantener o retrasar su declive cognitivo y físico. El objetivo de esta investigación ha sido analizar si un grupo de personas con demencia mejoran cognitivamente al ser atendidos por cuidadores profesionales que han sido formados en un módulo de estimulación cognitiva del programa CUIDA-2 siguiendo los principios de la atención centrada en la persona. Metodología: La muestra estuvo formada por 47 personas con demencia (divididas en grupo tratamiento y grupo control) y 5 cuidadores formales de un centro de día de personas con demencia de Granada. El grupo tratamiento de personas mayores fue atendido durante 3 meses por cuidadores que recibieron el programa de formación. Todos los participantes fueron evaluados antes y después de la intervención con diversas pruebas de evaluación cognitiva. Resultados: Las personas con demencia que fueron atendidas por los cuidadores formados en el programa mantuvieron o mejoraron sus puntuaciones en todas las pruebas analizadas, si bien estas mejoras solo fueron significativas en diversas subescalas de los test empleados. Conclusiones: Se ha comprobado que el programa de formación de cuidadores aquí analizado produce un efecto positivo para las personas con demencia, ya que ayuda a mejorar y mantener sus funciones cognitivas. Esta investigación abre nuevas líneas de trabajo en el ámbito de la intervención cognitiva en personas con demencia que pueden ser de gran utilidad cuando se trabaje con esta población.

Stereotaxic surgery is a less invasive form of surgery that uses a three-dimensional coordinate system to place instruments at a specific location in the brain. Through this type of surgery, one can place needles among other tools within the structures of the brain. Therefore, injections can be given in order to deliver substances that cannot cross the blood–brain barrier. The two most important parameters of the microinjection to control are volume and speed. The volume should not be so large that it displaces the brain tissue and tears it. The injection speed must also be slow so that the liquid that comes out of the syringe can diffuse into the tissue without displacing it and damaging it. Thus, the objectives of the present work are: 1) To develop not a 3D printed prototype but an end-user device. 2) The device must be for animal research only. 3) It must have the same precision in volume and speed as commercial devices. 4) It must be adjustable for microsyringes from 0.5 µl to 1 ml. 5) It must be possible to place it directly on the stereotaxic surgery apparatus and to use it separately. 6) The price must be substantially lower than that of the commercial devices.

En el presente trabajo reportamos la caracterización de una muestra de acero 1045 en estado de suministro y cuando es sometida a los tratamientos térmicos de temple en agua y temple y revenido, para estudiar las transiciones de fase que se suscitan. Las técnicas empleadas fueron la microscopía óptica, la espectroscopía Mössbauer por dispersión y la fluorescencia de rayos X dispersiva en energía. Las micrografías de la muestra en estado de suministro, identificada como “acero-ST” dan cuenta de la presencia de ferrita y perlita; las micrografías de la muestra en estado de temple en agua, identificada como “acero-agua” presentan martensita y las micrografías de la muestra en estado de bonificado, es decir, sometida al tratamiento de temple en agua y revenido, denominada “acero-agua R”, ponen en evidencia la presencia de la denominada martensita revenida. Así mismo se llevaron a cabo las medidas de dureza obteniéndose 219 HB, 634 HB y 525 HB para las muestras acero-ST, acero-agua y acero-agua R respectivamente. El espectro Mössbauer de la muestra acero-ST presenta dos sextetos asociados a la ferrita y a la perlita; el espectro Mössbauer de la muestra acero-agua da cuenta de tres sextetos magnéticos adjudicados a los sitios de hierro presentes en la martensita y que son los vecinos del átomo de carbono. El espectro Mössbauer correspondiente a la muestra acero-agua R presenta tres sextetos magnéticos asociados a la martensita revenida. Además del hierro, los espectros de Fluorescencia de rayos X de las muestras en estudio dan cuenta de la presencia de manganeso, cobre y cromo. Se espera que los resultados obtenidos proporcionen mayor información acerca de las fases involucradas en las transiciones de fase inducidas por los tratamientos térmicos antes mencionados en el acero 1045 y que se inicien acercamientos de cooperación entre el sector industrial y el ámbito académico.

Background: Cardiac rehabilitation (CR) is essential in reducing cardiovascular mortality and morbidity. High-intensity interval training (HIIT) has emerged as a promising exercise intervention for enhancing clinical outcomes in cardiac patients. This study aimed to investigate the effects of two short-term exercise-based programs employing HIIT and moderate-intensity continuous training (MICT) in comparison to a control group concerning blood pressure, body composition, and blood biomarkers in patients diagnosed with coronary artery disease (CAD). Methods: Seventy-two CAD patients (14% women) underwent randomization into three groups: HIIT, MICT, and control. The training programs encompassed six weeks of supervised treadmill exercises, conducted thrice weekly. MICT targeted ≈70–75% of peak heart rate (HRpeak), while HIIT was tailored to ≈85–95% of HRpeak. The control group received guidance on adopting healthy lifestyles. Outcome measurements included evaluations of blood pressure, body composition, and blood biomarkers. Results: In contrast to MICT, the HIIT exhibited superior improvements in body fat mass (Δ%HIIT: 4.5%, p < 0.001 vs. Δ%MICT: 3.2%, p < 0.001), waist circumference (Δ%HIIT: 4.1%, p = 0.002 vs. Δ%MICT: 2.5%, p = 0.002), hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) (Δ%HIIT: 10.4%, p < 0.001 vs. Δ%MICT: 32.3%, p < 0.001) and thyrotropin (TSH) (Δ%HIIT: 16.5%, p = 0.007 vs. Δ%MICT: 3.1%, p = 0.201). Both HIIT and MICT induced significant enhancements across all variables compared to the control group. Conclusions: HIIT and MICT emerged as effective modalities for enhancing systolic and diastolic function, body composition, and blood biomarkers in CAD patients, with HIIT demonstrating incremental improvements over MICT. The absence of participation in exercise-based programs following cardiovascular events yielded less favorable outcomes. HIIT holds promise as an adjunct intervention in CR programs for CAD patients. Clinical Trial Registration: https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03538119.

Abstract Background Falls are associated with cognitive and physical function deterioration. Attention decline, inaccurate affordance perception, and balance impairment are considered to be risk factors for falls. Furthermore, few studies have reported psychomotor intervention as a fall prevention program. This study aimed to investigate the effects of two multimodal programs on attention, perceptual and stepping-forward boundaries, and balance in community-dwelling older adults at risk of falling. Methods Fifty-one community-dwelling older adults were recruited to participate in a 24-week randomized controlled trial. Participants (75.4 ± 5.6 years) were randomly assigned to one of three groups: the 1) multimodal psychomotor program [EG1], 2) combined program (multimodal psychomotor program + whole-body vibration program) [EG2], and 3) control group. Participants were assessed at baseline, at post-intervention, and after a 12-week no-intervention follow-up period. Results The within-group comparisons showed significant improvements in attention and balance in EG1 and EG2 after the intervention (p

Abstract Background Mental disorders are highly prevalent in older people, being depression a predominant disorder. Evidence points to a possible relationship between depression and violence against older people. Nonetheless, the role of the depressive symptomology severity in the risk of violence against older people remains unclear. Thus, this study’s main objective was to analyze the relationship between geriatric depressive symptomatology and the risk of violence against older people. Methods This exploratory study involved 502 community-dwelling older persons aged 65 to 96 years (73.3 ± 6.5). Measures were performed using the Geriatric Depression Scale and the Risk Assessment of Violence against the Non-Institutionalized Elderly scale. Results One hundred nineteen older people (23.7%) had mild/moderate depressive symptomology, and twenty-six (5.2%) had severe depressive symptomology. There were significant relationships between the severity of depressive symptomatology and the risk of violence (p

Abstract Background Multimodal forms of exercise can influence several physical and mental factors important for successful aging. In the present study, we introduce a new type of multimodal intervention, combining movement (creative dance) with traditional singing. This study aims to compare physical fitness, functional physical independence, depressive symptoms, general cognitive status, and daytime sleepiness among older adults participating in multimodal exercise, those participating in traditional physical exercise, and those not actively engaged in physical exercise. Methods This cross-sectional study included 112 people aged ≥ 65 years (75.3 ± 0.7 years) living independently in the community, divided into 3 groups: multimodal exercise (n = 34), traditional exercise (n = 41), and no physical exercise (n = 37). Results The multimodal exercise group showed greater flexibility of the lower limbs and upper limbs/shoulders and better general cognitive status than the traditional exercise group (p

Bariatric surgery is the treatment for severe obesity, with proven efficacy in reducing weight. Weight loss associated with bariatric surgery is greatly associated with a significant reduction of skeletal muscle and bone mineral mass, which leads us to induce that after bariatric surgery, patients incur an increased risk of sarcopenia. Prophylactic programs that prevent sarcopenia in bariatric surgery patients seems to be one of the crucial points for the long-term surgical success of bariatric and metabolic surgery. This article presents a initial data set of skeletal muscle mass index, body composition and strength to determinate sarcopenia in bariatric patients. The data were collected in a Central Hospital and in the University. In total, is necessary to recruit 46 patients waiting for bariatric surgery, between 18 and 60 years, men, and woman, without contradiction for exercise. The patients are randomized in two groups, for exercise group and control group. The evaluation is made on five points of timeline, before the surgery, after the surgery, after de exercise program, six months, and twelve months after the exercise program.

Introduction: Bariatric surgery is one of the treatments for severe obesity, with proven efficacy in reducing weight and diseases associated with obesity. Weight loss associated with bariatric surgery is greatly associated with a significant reduction of skeletal muscle and bone mineral mass, which leads us to induce that after bariatric surgery, patients incur an increased risk of sarcopenia. The need for prophylactic programs that prevent sarcopenia in bariatric surgery patients seems to be one of the crucial points for the long-term surgical success of bariatric and metabolic surgery. The aim of this randomized clinical trial will be to study the effects of a 16-week supervised exercise intervention program on the prevention of sarcopenia, in patients undergoing bariatric surgery. As a secondary purpose, it is also intended to characterize metabolic risk factors, physical fitness, and quality of life in post-bariatric surgery patients. Method: A total of 45 patients on the waiting list for bariatric surgery and who have subsequently perfurgery, will be include on EXPOBAR (EXercise POst BARiatric) and randomized into 2 groups, experimental and control. The intervention starts one month after surgery, for a total of 16 weeks. Parameters of body composition, metabolic risk, quality of life, physical activity, physical fitness, and sedentary behavior will be determined. For each participant, outcomes are measured at five different time points: before the surgery, before the exercise program, after the exercise program, six and twelve months after de exercise program. Results: This study will provide the effects of a physical exercise on sarcopenia, in patients after bariatric surgery. Trial registration: The trial was registered at Clinicaltrials.gov NCT03497546.

Studies have shown that the higher the aerobic capacity, the lower the risk of cardiovascular mortality and morbidity. In the case of cardiac patients, high-intensity interval training (HIIT) seems to be more effective than moderate-intensity continuous training (MICT) in improving aerobic capacity. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of two community-based exercise programs using two short-term protocols (HIIT and MICT) on physical fitness and physical activity (PA) levels in coronary artery disease (CAD) patients. Methods. In this randomized controlled trial, body composition, aerobic capacity, muscle strength, and daily PA levels were assessed before and after 6 weeks of intervention in 69 patients diagnosed with CAD. All patients were randomly (1 : 1 : 1) assigned to two exercise groups (HIIT or MICT) or a control group (no exercise). Both training programs consisted of 6 weeks of supervised treadmill exercise, three sessions per week. MICT targeted ≈70-75% of peak heart rate (HR), while HIIT aimed for ≈85-95% of peak HR. The control group only followed the medical recommendations. Results. Community-based exercise programs showed more positive effects on physical fitness variables and physical activity levels compared to control. HIIT could significantly improve waist circumference, body fat mass, VO2peak, sedentary behavior, and moderate-to-vigorous PA compared to MICT. Moreover, the control group showed poorer results. Conclusion. HIIT can improve health outcomes more positively than MICT and control. These findings indicate that HIIT may be an alternative and effective training method in community-based exercise programs for CAD patients. This trial is registered with NCT03538119.

We show how conditional generative neural networks can be used to efficiently find nanophotonic devices with desired properties, also known as inverse photonic design. Machine learning has emerged as a promising approach to overcome limitations imposed by the dimensionality and topology of the parameter space. Importantly, traditional optimization routines assume an invertible mapping between the design parameters and response. However, different designs may have comparable or even identical performance confusing the optimization algorithm when performing inverse design. Our generative modeling approach provides the full distribution of possible solutions to the inverse design problem, including multiple solutions. We compare a commonly used conditional variational autoencoder (cVAE) and a conditional invertible neural network (cINN) on a proof-of-principle nanophotonic problem, consisting in tailoring the transmission spectrum trough a metallic film milled by subwavelength indentations. We show how cINNs have superior flexibility compared to cVAEs when dealing with multimodal device distributions.

Severe obesity is a chronic disease and bariatric surgery is the treatment with more proven efficacy in reducing weight. After surgery, the weight loss is greatly associated with a significant reduction of skeletal muscle and bone mineral mass, with an increased risk of sarcopenia for these patients. Prophylactic programs that prevent sarcopenia in bariatric surgery patients seems to be one of the crucial points for the long-term surgical success of bariatric and metabolic surgery. This article aims to describe a protocol using supervised exercise applied after bariatric surgery on skeletal muscle mass index, body composition and strength to determinate sarcopenia in bariatric patients. A RCT will be conducted with 46 patients. Baseline measures will be compared with measures after de exercise program, in five different chronologic times. Participants will be randomly allocated to: 1) combined exercise group or 2) control group. The intervention will be 16 weeks for a combined exercise, started 1 month after surgery. The present study is expected to generate significant information about the role of exercise in patients undergoing bariatric surgery.

Abstract Background Fall risk assessment in older people is of major importance for providing adequate preventive measures. Current predictive models are mainly focused on intrinsic risk factors and do not adjust for contextual exposure. The validity and utility of continuous risk scores have already been demonstrated in clinical practice in several diseases. In this study, we aimed to develop and validate an intrinsic-exposure continuous fall risk score (cFRs) for community-dwelling older people through standardized residuals. Methods Self-reported falls in the last year were recorded from 504 older persons (391 women: age 73.1 ± 6.5 years; 113 men: age 74.0 ± 6.1 years). Participants were categorized as occasional fallers (falls ≤1) or recurrent fallers (≥ 2 falls). The cFRs was derived for each participant by summing the standardized residuals (Z-scores) of the intrinsic fall risk factors and exposure factors. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis was used to determine the accuracy of the cFRs for identifying recurrent fallers. Results The cFRs varied according to the number of reported falls; it was lowest in the group with no falls (− 1.66 ± 2.59), higher in the group with one fall (0.05 ± 3.13, p

Abstract Background Falls and violence against older people might represent a joint public health problem, as both may result in injury, fear, social isolation, sedentary behavior and dependence or even death. The ESACA project “Aging safely in Alentejo - Understanding for action” was designed to promote the healthy aging of older people in Alentejo by preventing the occurrence of falls and violence. This study aimed to report the ESACA protocol and the preliminary outcomes. Methods The ESACA study has a twofold design as a cross-sectional study that included retrospective and prospective surveys. The participants were 508 community-dwelling older people. Assessments included falls, the risk of violence against older people, sociodemographic characteristics, health-related measurements, fear of falling, anthropometric measures and body composition, functional physical fitness, physical activity, and environmental hazards. Results Among the participants, 43% were fallers, 21% were recurrent fallers, and 22% were victims of one or more kinds of violence (psychological: 17.1%, physical: 5.6%, and patrimonial: 3.0%). Moreover, the cumulative results suggested high risk on several risk factors for falling (7 factors: 0.6% to 2 factors: 17.4%) and of violence (26.7%). Conclusions In the ESACA project, a wide range of potential influencing factors on falls and violence risk factors were measured, and comprehensive quality control measures were applied. Overall, the results suggest that for falls and violence prevention strategies to be effective, it is essential to evaluate, diagnose, and inform all stakeholders in a directed and useful way. Moreover, we believe that our project outcomes may help change mindsets and behaviors by involving people in active aging and well-being programs that promote exercise and avoid isolation.

Abstract Background Falls in older adults are considered a major public health problem. Declines in cognitive and physical functions, as measured by parameters including reaction time, mobility, and dual-task performance, have been reported to be important risk factors for falls. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of two multimodal programs on reaction time, mobility, and dual-task performance in community-dwelling older adults at risk of falling. Methods In this randomized controlled trial, fifty-one participants (75.4 ± 5.6 years) were allocated into two experimental groups (EGs) (with sessions 3 times per week for 24 weeks), and a control group: EG1 was enrolled in a psychomotor intervention program, EG2 was enrolled in a combined exercise program (psychomotor intervention program + whole-body vibration program), and the control group maintained their usual daily activities. The participants were assessed at baseline, after the intervention, and after a 12-week no-intervention follow-up period. Results The comparisons revealed significant improvements in mobility and dual-task performance after the intervention in EG1, while there were improvements in reaction time, mobility, and dual-task performance in EG2 (p ≤ 0.05). The size of the interventions’ clinical effect was medium in EG1 and ranged from medium to large in EG2. The comparisons also showed a reduction in the fall rate in both EGs (EG1: -44.2%; EG2: − 63.0%, p ≤ 0.05) from baseline to post-intervention. The interventions’ effects on reaction time, mobility, and dual-task performance were no longer evident after the 12-week no-intervention follow-up period. Conclusions The results suggest that multimodal psychomotor programs were well tolerated by community-dwelling older adults and were effective for fall prevention, as well as for the prevention of cognitive and physical functional decline, particularly if the programs are combined with whole-body vibration exercise. The discontinuation of these programs could lead to the fast reversal of the positive outcomes achieved. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT03446352. Date of registration: February 07, 2018.

Abstract Background Fall risk assessment and determination of older adults’ individual risk profiles are crucial elements in fall prevention. As such, it is essential to establish cutoffs and reference values for high and low risk according to key risk factor outcomes. This study main objective was to determine the key physical fitness, body composition, physical activity, health condition and environmental hazard risk outcome cutoffs and interval reference values for stratified fall risk assessment in community-dwelling older adults. Methods Five-hundred community-dwelling Portuguese older adults (72.2 ± 5.4 years) were assessed for falls, physical fitness, body composition, physical (in) activity, number of health conditions and environmental hazards, and sociodemographic characteristics. Results The established key outcomes and respective cutoffs and reference values used for fall risk stratification were multidimensional balance (low risk: score > 33, moderate risk: score 32–33, high risk: score 30–31, and very high: score 44 kg, moderate risk: 42–44 kg, high risk: 39–41 kg, and very high: 42%); total physical activity (low risk: > 2800 Met-min/wk., moderate risk: 2300–2800 Met-min/wk., high risk: 1900–2300 Met-min/wk., and very high: 5 h/day); health conditions (low risk: n 5); and environmental hazards (low risk: n 8). Conclusions Assessment of community-dwelling older adults’ fall risk should focus on the above outcomes to establish individual older adults’ fall risk profiles. Moreover, the design of fall prevention interventions should manage a person’s identified risks and take into account the determined cutoffs and respective interval values for fall risk stratification.

Los sistemas de detección de radiación permiten el registro de picos suma como consecuencia de la resolución finita en tiempo de las cadenas de detección. A fin de poder interpretar los espectros que se acumulan es necesario poder predecir la presencia de estos picos suma para lograr una correcta identificación de los picos que se observan en los espectros, de manera particular de aquellos de muy baja intensidad. En este trabajo se trata de analizar la presencia de picos suma de orden 2 en espectros de fluorescencia de rayos dispersiva en energía (FRXDE).

Abstract A single intradermal vaccination with an antibiotic-less version of BCGΔBCG1419c given to guinea pigs conferred a significant improvement in outcome following a low dose aerosol exposure to M. tuberculosis compared to that provided by a single dose of BCG Pasteur. BCGΔBCG1419c was more attenuated than BCG in murine macrophages, athymic, BALB/c, and C57BL/6 mice. In guinea pigs, BCGΔBCG1419c was at least as attenuated as BCG and induced similar dermal reactivity to that of BCG. Vaccination of guinea pigs with BCGΔBCG1419c resulted in increased anti-PPD IgG compared with those receiving BCG. Guinea pigs vaccinated with BCGΔBCG1419c showed a significant reduction of M. tuberculosis replication in lungs and spleens compared with BCG, as well as a significant reduction of pulmonary and extrapulmonary tuberculosis (TB) pathology measured using pathology scores recorded at necropsy. Evaluation of cytokines produced in lungs of infected guinea pigs showed that BCGΔBCG1419c significantly reduced TNF-α and IL-17 compared with BCG-vaccinated animals, with no changes in IL-10. This work demonstrates a significantly improved protection against pulmonary and extrapulmonary TB provided by BCGΔBCG1419c in susceptible guinea pigs together with an increased safety compared with BCG in several models. These results support the continued development of BCGΔBCG1419c as an effective vaccine for TB.

Este proyecto tiene el propósito de identificar cuáles son los factores de riesgo que afectan la sostenibilidad a largo plazo de las empresas dedicadas a la comercialización al por mayor y por menor en la ciudad de Bucaramanga, con el fin de identificar los factores de riesgo de cierre repentino, para sugerir estrategias de sostenibilidad. Se realizó una búsqueda bibliográfica utilizando referentes nacionales e internacionales, que han realizado estudios sobre el fracaso empresarial en diferentes actividades económicas, en donde se identificaron variables claves para analizar como: estrategias de negocio, conocimiento del mercado, fidelización de clientes, educación administrativa y financiera. Dentro de los principales referentes se encuentran: Llano, Piñeiro y Rodríguez (2016), García-Marí, Sánchez-Vidal y Tomaseti-Solano (2016), Laverde-Verástegui y Rivera-Rodríguez, (2016). Se utilizó el tipo de estudio descriptivo, con enfoque mixto. Se aplicó la encuesta a una muestra representativa de cien empresas, en tres áreas claves para la generación de valor: administrativa, comercial y contable financiera. Como resultado se determinó que los factores de riesgo de fracaso empresarial son: la falta de planeación, ausencia de programas de fidelización de clientes, la no realización de estudios de mercado, la carencia de evaluaciones periódicas de desempeño, las debilidades en el acceso oportuno a la información financiera. Todo esto, permitió concluir que la falta de educación administrativa y financiera, es un factor relevante, puesto que las empresas en su cotidianidad se enfrentan a tomar decisiones, en donde es indispensable la planeación, como soporte para la definición de estrategias de sostenibilidad.

Abstract Mycobacterium tuberculosis and M. smegmatis form drug-tolerant biofilms through dedicated genetic programs. In support of a stepwise process regulating biofilm production in mycobacteria, it was shown elsewhere that lsr2 participates in intercellular aggregation, while groEL1 was required for biofilm maturation in M. smegmatis. Here, by means of RNA-Seq, we monitored the early steps of biofilm production in M. bovis BCG, to distinguish intercellular aggregation from attachment to a surface. Genes encoding for the transcriptional regulators dosR and BCG0114 (Rv0081) were significantly regulated and responded differently to intercellular aggregation and surface attachment. Moreover, a M. tuberculosis H37Rv deletion mutant in the Rv3134c-dosS-dosR regulon, formed less biofilm than wild type M. tuberculosis, a phenotype reverted upon reintroduction of this operon into the mutant. Combining RT-qPCR with microbiological assays (colony and surface pellicle morphologies, biofilm quantification, Ziehl–Neelsen staining, growth curve and replication of planktonic cells), we found that BCG0642c affected biofilm production and replication of planktonic BCG, whereas ethR affected only phenotypes linked to planktonic cells despite its downregulation at the intercellular aggregation step. Our results provide evidence for a stage-dependent expression of genes that contribute to biofilm production in slow-growing mycobacteria.

Plasmonic waveguides have been shown to be a promising approach to confine and transport electromagnetic energy beyond the diffraction limit. However, ohmic losses generally prevent their integration at micrometric or millimetric scales. Here, we present a gain-compensated plasmonic waveguide based on the integration of linear chains of Ag nanoparticles on an optically active Nd3+-doped solid-state gain medium. By means of dual confocal fluorescence microscopy, we demonstrate long-range optical energy propagation due to the near-field coupling between the plasmonic nanostructures and the Nd3+ ions. The subwavelength fluorescence guiding is monitored at distances of around 100 µm from the excitation source for two different emission ranges centered at around 900 nm and 1080 nm. In both cases, the guided fluorescence exhibits a strong polarization dependence, consistent with the polarization behavior of the plasmon resonance supported by the chain. The experimental results are interpreted through numerical simulations in quasi-infinite long chains, which corroborate the propagation features of the Ag nanoparticle chains at both excitation (λexc = 590 nm) and emission wavelengths. The obtained results exceed by an order of magnitude that of previous reports on electromagnetic energy transport using linear plasmonic chains. The work points out the potential of combining Ag nanoparticle chains with a small interparticle distance (~2 nm) with rare-earth-based optical gain media as ultra-long-range waveguides with extreme light confinement. The results offer new perspectives for the design of integrated hybrid plasmonic–photonic circuits based on rare-earth-activated solid-state platforms.

Se evidencia la autenticación de la muestra meteoritica Ar-51, como un meteorito arenoso, proveniente de la región de Arequipa, Perú. Las técnicas empleadas para su estudio fueron uorescencia de rayos X (FRX), difracción de rayos X (DRx) y espectroscopia Mössbauer de transmisión (EMT), que registró datos a temperatura de ambiente, (TA). Los resultados de las fases estructurales consisten principalmente de albita, piroxeno, clinopiroxeno, augita, maghemita y magnetita; y EMT, revela que su composición mineralógica contiene tres sextetos magnéticos, de los cuales, 2 de ellos se asignan a los sitios de la magnetita, el primer sexteto correspondiente al campo magnético mayor es asignado al sitio de Fe3+, sitio A (posición tetraedral); el segundo se adjudica al sitio B, donde se alojan los cationes Fe3+ y Fe2+ por igual (posición octaedral) y el tercer sexteto magnético se adjudica a la maghemita; la mezcla de posiciones (capas octaédricas y octaédricas/tetraédricas) a lo largo de la dirección [111] genera superposición de planos, los cuales se consideran más estables y tres dobletes paramagnéticos, de los cuales dos de ellos están asociados con cationes estructurales de Fe2+, que podrían ser adjudicados a los subgrupos del silicato piroxeno y el tercer doblete está asociado al sitio del catión de Fe3+

Background: There is great interest in the search for new alternatives to antimicrobial drugs, and the use of synbiotics is a promising approach to this problem. This study evaluated the growth inhibition and antibiofilm activity of the short-chain fatty acids produced by Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus and Pediococcus acidilactici in combination with inulin-type fructans against Candida albicans. Methods: The growth inhibition of Candida was evaluated using microdilution analysis in 96-well microtiter plates; different concentrations of cell-free supernatants of Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus and Pediococcus acidilactici were exposed to Candida albicans. The antibiofilm assessment was carried out using the crystal violet staining assay. The short-chain fatty acids were analyzed by gas chromatography. Results: The clinically isolated Candida albicans interacted with supernatants from Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus and Pediococcus acidilactici and showed significant growth inhibition and antibiofilm formation versus the controls. Lactate and acetic acid were elevated in the supernatants. The results suggest that the supernatants obtained from the synbiotic combinations of Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus and Pediococcus acidilactici with inulin-type fructans can inhibit the growth and biofilm formation against a clinically isolated Candida albicans strain. Conclusions: These results suggest that synbiotic formulations could be a promising alternative to antifungal drugs in candidiasis therapy.

Hemos identicado la presencia de óxidos de hierro, arcillas y otros minerales presentes en la fracción arcillosa de seis muestras provenientes de tres calicatas obtenidas de los suelos de las plantaciones de caña de azúcar de la empresa agroindustrial Pomalca S.A.A. Estas plantaciones están localizadas en el Distrito de Pomalca, Provincia de Chiclayo, Región Lambayeque, Perú. Las calicatas fueron identicadas como Estrella, Estreno y Mochica. La difracción de rayos X y espectroscopía Mössbauer de transmisión, complementados con los análisis físico-químicos de rutina, permitieron obtener resultados que resolvieron la identicación de las fases estructurales y mineralógicas de óxidos de Fe presentes adjudicados a la presencia de hematita, así como sitios de Fe2+ localizados en la estructura de los minerales arcillosos de illita y/o montmorillonita, y un sitio de Fe3+ localizado en la estructura de la caolinita

The objectives of the present study were to adapt a grief intervention program to family caregivers of patients with dementia, and assess its effectiveness in improving the symptoms of grief and other health-related variables. The intervention was based on Shear and Bloom's grief intervention program, with the necessary adaptations for use in the grieving process for a family member's illness. A total of 52 family caregivers of individuals with dementia participated. They were evaluated using a battery of self-report measures assessing grief, overload, resilience, post-traumatic growth, experiential avoidance, health-related quality of life, and benefits of care. The results suggest that the program is effective in improving grief symptoms, caregiver burden, resilience, post-traumatic growth, and quality of life of family caregivers. It is necessary to create and implement interventions targeting caregivers' feelings and manifestations of ambiguous grief, because there is a lack of programs providing an efficient solution for the mental and physical health of caregivers, and because of the human and socioeconomic cost involved in neglecting this group.

Mediante el uso de técnicas analíticas físicas, estudiamos tres piezas minerales pertenecientes al Museo de Historia Natural de la Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos. Nuestro objetivo es obtener detalles sobre su composición elemental y estructural. Específicamente, hemos utilizado técnicas como la fluorescencia de rayos X de dispersión de energía, la difractometría de rayos X, la espectroscopía Mössbauer, la microscopía óptica metalográfica y la microscopía electrónica de barrido. Esta última la usamos en conjunto con la espectroscopía de rayos X de dispersión de energía. Los resultados obtenidos indican que las muestras MHN-09 y MHN-11 se clasifican como impactitas. Esto demuestra que hubo un impacto meteorítico en Huánuco hace muchos años. También encontramos que la muestra MHN- 03 es una muestra magnética de acuerdo a los resultados obtenidos por fluorescencia de rayos X de dispersión de energía y espectroscopía Mössbauer.

Se presenta un modelo matemático que simula la evolución de casos como consecuencia del contagio con el coronavirus tomando como referencia los informes diarios que emite el Ministerio de Salud para todo el territorio del Perú. En este trabajo se ha puesto énfasis en la zona metropolitana de Lima-Callao. Para este fin se utilizan cuatro parámetros probabilísticos cuyos valores se escogen de manera que el modelo reproduzca los números de casos reportados. Uno de ellos cuantifica la probabilidad de que una persona se contagie por cada día que pasa, el segundo la probabilidad de ser dado de alta por cada día que ha transcurrido desde el día del contagio. Los otros dos parámetros cuantifican las fracciones de pacientes que superan el mal y los que fallecen. En este modelamiento se considera dos intervalos de tiempo: un intervalo inicial de 75 días en que la tasa de contagio es acelerada y un intervalo posterior que se inicia con la tasa final del primer intervalo. El ajuste de estos parámetros da como resultado que el número promedio de días para recuperarse del mal desde el día del contagio es de 27 días. Otro resultado es que el número máximo de pacientes activos llegará a alrededor de 115 mil pacientes a los seis meses del proceso, una fracción de los cuales necesitará hospitalización. La tasa de defunciones considerada es de 8%.

Estudiamos diversos minerales encontrados en la fracción magnética de arcillas de sedimentos medicinales recolectados en dos lagunas peruanas, La Milagrosa (MML) y La Mellicera (MELL). La fracción de arcilla se separó por el método de sedimentación. Las técnicas analíticas físicas que utilizamos fueron la fluorescencia de rayos X por energía dispersiva (FRXED), la difractometría de rayos X (DRX) y la espectroscopía Mössbauer de transmisión (EMT). Éstas técnicas las complementamos con un análisis físico-químico para determinar la textura, pH y conductividad eléctrica de las muestras recolectadas. Así, hemos observado, a través de DRX, minerales como ilita, calcita y maghemita. Específicamente, para MML, por DRX observamos dos fases minerales: cuarzo y dolomita. La EMT nos permitió observar la fracción magnética de los sedimentos. En los espectros observamos cuatro sextetos magnéticos y tres dobletes paramagnéticos. Los sextetos fueron asignados a hematita/goethita, dos sitios de magnetita (Fe3+ y Fe2.5+) y maghemita. Asimismo, los dobletes se asignaron a Fe2+ y Fe+3, sitios asignados a ilita y pirita, respectivamente

The stepping-forward affordance perception test (SF-APT) fills an important gap within the screening of falls risk factors by considering the perception of affordances. The test showed to be a valid instrument for community-dwelling older adults falls risk assessment. The present study aimed to distinguish and test the key outcomes of the SF-APT usable for falls risk assessment in community-dwelling older adults to determine the respective cut-offs. This cross-sectional study enrolled 347 participants (73.1 ± 6.2 years; non-fallers: 57.9%; fallers: 42.1%; recurrent-fallers: 17.9%). Falls occurrence and SF-APT outcomes were assessed. Analyses were performed using multivariate binary logistic regression analysis and receiver operating characteristic (ROC). The area under the ROC curve was computed (AUC) for each built model explaining falling or recurrent falling. Results distinguished the Estimated stepping-forward, and Absolute-error in interaction with Error-tendency as the SF-APT key outcomes for falls risk assessment [AUCfalling: 0.665 (CI 95%: 0.608-0.723); AUCfalling recurrently: 0.728 (CI 95%: 0.655-0.797)]. Computed cut-offs' analysis showed that (i) a boundary stepping-forward estimation >58 cm plus an underestimation bias >5 cm (>42nd percentile) avoid older adults to be recurrent-fallers, and (ii) a boundary stepping-forward estimation >62 cm plus an underestimation bias >6 cm (>54th percentile) avoid older adults to be fallers. In conclusion, results suggest that SF-APT is a valuable tool for falls risk assessment in community-dwelling older adults. Interventions targeting the prevention of falls should consider the above key outcomes and the respective cut-offs as alert red-flags.

Scientific innovation goes hand in hand with technological innovation, so scientific work depends to a great extent on the hardware available in the laboratory. The investment in developing countries is still far below that of OECD countries, which was about 2.4% of the gross domestic product (GDP) in 2015. In stark contrast, Brazil made the highest investment of Latin American countries at just 1.2%. Today, the “open-source revolution” appears more than ever to be a powerful ally for the promotion of development and the narrowing of the economic gap between developed and developing countries. In this context, this article presents the design of a 1000 μl 3D printed micropump. It is a practical and simple design inspired by pipette pumps. The present design was printed with a 3D printer and assembled very easily with common tools. Upon comparison of the micropump’s performance, it exhibits a systematic error between 1.4 and 3.8% of the volume and a random error between 0.38 and 9.5% of the volumen. Keywords: Open source, 3D printed micropump, 3D printing, DIY labware

Metal-based nanoparticles are widely used to deliver bioactive molecules and drugs to improve cancer therapy. Several research works have highlighted the synthesis of gold and silver nanoparticles by green chemistry, using biological entities to minimize the use of solvents and control their physicochemical and biological properties. Recent advances in evaluating the anticancer effect of green biogenic Au and Ag nanoparticles are mainly focused on the use of conventional 2D cell culture and in vivo murine models that allow determination of the half-maximal inhibitory concentration, a critical parameter to move forward clinical trials. However, the interaction between nanoparticles and the tumor microenvironment is not yet fully understood. Therefore, it is necessary to develop more human-like evaluation models or to improve the existing ones for a better understanding of the molecular bases of cancer. This review provides recent advances in biosynthesized Au and Ag nanoparticles for seven of the most common and relevant cancers and their biological assessment. In addition, it provides a general idea of the in silico, in vitro, ex vivo, and in vivo models used for the anticancer evaluation of green biogenic metal-based nanoparticles.

The papers published in this book of abstracts / proceedings were submitted to the Scientific Commission of the International Congress of Research Center in Sports Sciences, Health Sciences & Human Development, held on 11 and 12 November 2016, at the University of Évora, Évora, Portugal, under the topic of Exercise and Health, Sports and Human Development. The content of the abstracts is solely and exclusively of its authors responsibility. The editors and the Scientific Committee of the International Congress of Research Center in Sports Sciences, Health Sciences & Human Development do not assume any responsibility for the opinions and statements expressed by the authors. Partial reproduction of the texts and their use without commercial purposes is allowed, provided the source / reference is duly mentioned.

Researchers in the biomedical area are always involved in methodologies comprising several processes that are repetitive and time-consuming; these researchers can take advantage of this time for other more important things. For many years, the trend for this type of problem has been automation. One of the routine methodologies used by researchers in broad areas of basic investigation is the Western blot technique. This method allows the detection through specific antibodies and the eventual quantification of the protein of interest in different biological lysates transferred onto a suitable membrane. This methodology involves several repetitive processes; one of them is the washing of blots after incubations with primary and secondary antibodies. The present device has been designed to automate this process at a low cost. Researchers must use several tools to carry out the same task at a much higher price, and more importantly, in a time-consuming process. Although it is designed for the Western blot, it can be optimized for other cyclic tasks. Keywords: Open source, 3D printing, Western blot, Automation

Se ha estudiado una muestra del meteorito de Tuxtuac, clasicada como una condrita ordinaria. Se aplicaron tres técnicas analíticas. Así, la uorescencia de rayos X por dispersión de energía nos permitió identicar hierro, níquel y cobalto, que forman la estructura de los minerales kamacita y taenita. Asimismo, la difractometr ía de rayos X nos permitió reconocer la presencia de las fases estructurales de los silicatos olivino, piroxeno y ortopiroxeno. Además, la espectroscopia Mössbauer de transmisión con 57Fe indicó la presencia de dos sextetos magnéticos. Uno fue asignado a troilita y el otro, a goethita. Después del proceso de separación magnética, esta misma técnica se utilizó para determinar información más detallada sobre los minerales magnéticos presentes en la muestra. Como resultado, en los respectivos espectros Mössbauer se obtuvieron otros dos sextetos magnéticos, asignados a kamacita y taenita, respectivamente. Además, la presencia de goethita en la muestra puede ser el resultado de la meteorización química.

Thus far, few studies have examined the estimation and actual performance of locomotor ability in older adults. To our knowledge, there are no studies examining the relationship between stepping-forward estimation versus ability and fall occurrence. The aim of this study was to develop and assess the reliability and validity of a new test for fall risk assessment in community-dwelling older adults. In total, 347 participants (73.1 ± 6.2 years; 266 women) were assessed for their perception of maximum distance for the stepping-forward and action boundary. The test was developed following the existing literature and expert opinions. The task showed strong internal consistency. Intraclass correlation ranged from 0.99 to 1 for intrarater agreement and from 0.83 to 0.97 for interrater agreement. Multivariate binary regression analysis models revealed an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.665 (95% CI: 0.608-0.723) for fallers and 0.728 (95% CI: 0.655-0.797) for recurrent fallers. The stepping-forward affordance perception test (SF-APT) was demonstrated to be accurate, reliable and valid for fall risk assessment. The results showed that a large estimated stepping-forward associated with an underestimated absolute error works as a protective mechanism for fallers and recurrent fallers in community-dwelling older adults. SF-APT is safe, quick, easy to administer, well accepted and reproducible for application in community or clinical settings by either clinical or nonclinical care professionals.

In depicting scenes of youths in the company of a herm, the painters of Athenian sympotic pottery ostensibly portray a scene of daily life. Some, however, construct these scenes for viewing through an erotic lens, drawing on the fact that the two key iconographic elements of the stone herm, the bearded male head and the erect phallus, recall the iconography of the ἐραστής, the older male lover in traditional Greek pederasty. Representing herms in the company of young males thus allows the artists to play on the iconographic schemes of pederastic courtship while implicating the symposiast’s gaze, which becomes equated with the herm’s. The fact that the erotic interplay in the scenes takes place between a living ἐρώμενος (the desirable boy) and inanimate ἐραστής (the herm) is also significant, for it consciously inverts another interplay of person and object: the adult male symposiast who views and handles the sympotic vase. In the latter relationship, the roles are reversed, for now the lover is alive, and the vase, with its painted youth, is the object of the erotic gaze. In light of this allusive power, the herm serves as one of a series of signs through which vase painters show an awareness of their own power to manipulate desire for the symposiasts who engage with their work.

Con base en la teoría autoritaria de la prensa de Fred S. Siebert, el artículo analiza la actuación que desempeñan los medios de comunicación de masas en los regímenes autoritarios. El modelo teórico se aplica al sistema de medios mexicano en donde las instituciones mediáticas han guardado una estrecha relación simbiótica con el poder político y han sido un reflejo fiel de las estructuras de poder autoritarias imperantes. Asimismo, se examina el impacto del libre mercado en el desempeño de los medios de comunicación y cómo pone en peligro la libertad de expresión, asimilándose a un autoritarismo de tipo tradicional.

El presente documento es parte de los resultados de la investigación Trayectoria de los productores agrícolas de la comunidad Pelleco (1986-2006), que se planteó en continuidad del estudio realizadoen la década de 1980 denominado Minifundio mapuche y desarrollo agrícola, evolución histórica de la agricultura en Pelleco, que recopiló datos del año agrícola de 1986, bajo la autoría de Bravo y Sotomayor (1992). El nuevo estudio tuvo como objeto conocer la trayectoria de productores familiares de Pelleco en el período 1986-2006, así comoestablecer una tipología de las explotaciones mapuche para ser comparadas con la tipología establecida en el año 1986. Se trató de un estudio longitudinal de carácter cuanti-cualitativo, con la aplicación de encuestas al jefe de familia, entrevistas a dirigentes y agricultores relevantes para el estudio .A partir de la trayectoria de los productores familiares, fue posible distinguir las trayectorias y la tipología e identificar un proceso de restructuración de su sistema productivo, generado al interior de las familias como respuesta a las condiciones y necesidades sociales presentadas en el medio natural y social.