bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Extracellular 2′5′‐oligoadenylate synthetase 2 mediates T‐cell receptor CD3‐ζ chain down‐regulation via caspase‐3 activation in oral cancer
Authors: Dar Asif A. , Pradhan Trupti N. , Kulkarni Dakshayni P. , Shah Sagar U. , Rao Kanury V. , Chaukar Devendra A. , D'Cruz Anil K. , Chiplunkar Shubhada V.
Published: November 2015

Decreased expression of CD3‐ζ chain, an adaptor protein associated with T‐cell signalling, is well documented in patients with oral cancer, but the mechanistic justifications are fragmentary. Previous studies in patients with oral cancer have shown that decreased expression of CD3‐ζ chain was associated with decreased responsiveness of T cells. Tumours are known to induce localized as well as systemic immune suppression. This study provides evidence that oral tumour‐derived factors promote immune suppression by down‐regulating CD3‐ζ chain expression. 2′5′‐Oligoadenylate synthetase 2 (OAS2) was identified by the proteomic approach and our results established a causative link between CD3‐ζ chain down‐regulation and OAS2 stimulation. The surrogate situation was established by over‐expressing OAS2 in a HEK293 cell line and cell‐free supernatant was collected. These supernatants when incubated with T cells resulted in down‐regulation of CD3‐ζ chain, which shows that the secreted OAS2 is capable of regulating CD3‐ζ chain expression. Incubation of T cells with cell‐free supernatants of oral tumours or recombinant human OAS2 (rh‐OAS2) induced caspase‐3 activation, which resulted in CD3‐ζ chain down‐regulation. Caspase‐3 inhibition/down‐regulation using pharmacological inhibitor or small interfering RNA restored down‐regulated CD3‐ζ chain expression in T cells induced by cell‐free tumour supernatant or rh‐OAS2. Collectively these results show that OAS2 leads to impairment in CD3‐ζ chain expression, so offering an explanation that might be applicable to the CD3‐ζ chain deficiency observed in cancer and diverse disease conditions.
Both Ethnic and Religious: Explaining Employment Penalties Across 14 Ethno‐Religious Groups in the United Kingdom
Authors: Khattab Nabil , Modood Tariq
Published: November 2015

This article uses the case of the probability of being in employment among different ethno‐religious groups in Britain over a period of 12 years (2002–2013) to illustrate how different degrees of labor market penalty in the United Kingdom are highly associated with the different processes of racialization they undergo in the United Kingdom. It is argued that what matters in producing the observed inequalities in the United Kingdom is the inescapable centrality of “color” (mainly blackness) and “culture” (particularly being Muslim) and the way different Muslim and black groups have been racialized. The findings of this study leave little doubt that there is a black and a Muslim penalty in the labor market, but at the same time it suggest that these penalties are not fixed but tend to vary in extent and nature.
Hate Speech, Group Libel, and “Ford's Megaphone”
Authors: Spillenger Clyde
Published: November 2015

This essay on Victoria Saker Woeste's Henry Ford's War on
Jews and the Legal Battle Against Hate Speech (2012)
emphasizes that what made Ford's broadsides against Jews in the 1920s so
dangerous was technology—his command of an unparalleled network of
distribution, through his nationwide Ford dealerships. In addition, at the
time of Ford's libels, US legal culture had not yet absorbed the idea that
ideological and psychological subordination of minority groups was the
principal harm worked by what would later be called “hate speech.”
Reflections on Henry Ford's War on Jews
Authors: Schuele Donna C.
Published: November 2015

This essay provides an introduction to and overview of four essays that
emerged from an “Author Meets Readers” session at the 2013 Annual Meeting of
the Law and Society Association, considering Victoria Saker Woeste's book,
Henry Ford's War on Jews and the Legal Battle Against Hate
Speech. Three essays are authored by panelists (Aviam
Soifer, Carroll Seron, and Clyde Spillenger) and a final essay is provided
by Woeste. The essays explore larger themes suggested by the book, including
what the involvement of Louis Marshall reveals about the rise and role of
spokespeople purporting to represent Jewish interests; whether the arc of
Aaron Sapiro's education and career challenges our understandings of the
development of the legal profession in the late nineteenth and early
twentieth centuries; and how the law of group libel intersected with
government attempts to regulate hate speech during the twentieth century.
Woeste ends the symposium with a reconsideration of Henry
Ford's War and how it fits into the new civil rights
history.
Dead‐end intermediates in the enterobacterial common antigen pathway induce morphological defects in Escherichia coli by competing for undecaprenyl phosphate
Authors: Jorgenson Matthew A. , Kannan Suresh , Laubacher Mary E. , Young Kevin D.
Published: November 2015

Bacterial morphology is determined primarily by the architecture of the peptidoglycan (PG) cell wall, a mesh‐like layer that encases the cell. To identify novel mechanisms that create or maintain cell shape in Escherichia coli, we used flow cytometry to screen a transposon insertion library and identified a wecE mutant that altered cell shape, causing cells to filament and swell. WecE is a sugar aminotransferase involved in the biosynthesis of enterobacterial common antigen (ECA), a non‐essential outer membrane glycolipid of the Enterobacteriaceae. Loss of wecE interrupts biosynthesis of ECA and causes the accumulation of the undecaprenyl pyrophosphate‐linked intermediate ECA‐lipid II. The wecE shape defects were reversed by: (i) preventing initiation of ECA biosynthesis, (ii) increasing the synthesis of the lipid carrier undecaprenyl phosphate (Und‐P), (iii) diverting Und‐P to PG synthesis or (iv) promoting Und‐P recycling. The results argue that the buildup of ECA‐lipid II sequesters part of the pool of Und‐P, which, in turn, adversely affects PG synthesis. The data strongly suggest there is competition for a common pool of Und‐P, whose proper distribution to alternate metabolic pathways is required to maintain normal cell shape in E. coli.
Historical changes in flowering phenology are governed by temperature × precipitation interactions in a widespread perennial herb in western North America
Authors: Matthews Elizabeth R. , Mazer Susan J.
Published: November 2015

For most species, a precise understanding of how climatic parameters determine the timing of seasonal life cycle stages is constrained by limited long‐term data. Further, most long‐term studies of plant phenology that have examined relationships between phenological timing and climate have been local in scale or have focused on single climatic parameters. Herbarium specimens, however, can expand the temporal and spatial coverage of phenological datasets.

Using Trillium ovatum specimens collected over > 100 yr across its native range, we analyzed how seasonal climatic conditions (mean minimum temperature (Tmin), mean maximum temperature and total precipitation (PPT)) affect flowering phenology. We then examined long‐term changes in climatic conditions and in the timing of flowering across T. ovatum's range.

Warmer Tmin advanced flowering, whereas higher PPT delayed flowering. However, Tmin and PPT were shown to interact: the advancing effect of warmer Tmin was strongest where PPT was highest, and the delaying effect of higher PPT was strongest where Tmin was coldest. The direction of temporal change in climatic parameters and in the timing of flowering was dependent on geographic location. Tmin, for example, decreased across the observation period in coastal regions, but increased in inland areas.

Our results highlight the complex effects of climate and geographic location on phenology.
Donations and Gift‐Giving among Newar Buddhists, Nepal
Authors: Toffin Gérard
Published: November 2015

The Newar form of Buddhism that is practised in the Kathmandu Valley constitutes an intricate pluralistic religious system. If we consider the situation today, it combines old forms of Mahāyāna and Vajrayāna Buddhism which rely on Sanskrit texts and recently adopted Theravāda beliefs and practices based on Pali texts. The first of these two schools of Buddhism has been strongly influenced by the caste system over the course of time, whereas Theravāda lays emphasis on renunciation. The paper sets out to show the centrality of the gift in all religious contexts and its role in establishing lasting social ties between the laity and religious specialists. Two different gift‐giving ceremonies are discussed: (1) the Mahāyāna/Vajrayāna Pañca Dāna, a regular annual ritual event and (2) the Theravāda Kathina Dāna, which is more of an occasional event.

In both cases, donations of rice, money, etc.—more specifically a monastic robe at Kathina Dāna—are offered with much pomp and circumstance to religious specialists and/or the monastic community. During Pañca Dāna, this abundance of gifts goes to the traditional Newar samgha, i.e. Vajrayāna married priests (Vajrāchārya) and the heirs of a formerly monastic tradition (Shākya). During Kathina Dāna, they are offered to Theravāda monks. In both cases, the emphasis is on generosity; the gifts/offerings go to recipients of high socio‐religious status and express the superiority of transcendental values over secular values. However, there is one notable difference. Contrary to Kathina, which has a more individualistic optional orientation, Pañca Dāna is shaped more by caste social rules.

My findings, which are drawn from a South Asian society, are a far cry from Marcel Mauss's definition of the gift as reciprocal, as discussed in his notorious essay. In the Newar community, Buddhists offer gifts with no guarantee of their being reciprocated and do not expect to receive a counter‐gift. The gifts analysed here do contribute to the cohesion of society, however, by reproducing hierarchical links and maintaining the identity of the religious specialists on the one hand, and of the laity on the other. By and large, they reinforce the bonds between people.
Towards a Comparative Anthropology of the Buddhist Gift (and Other Transfers)
Authors: Sihlé Nicolas
Published: November 2015

The aim of this essay is threefold. I would like first to propose a more refined choice of analytical vocabulary for the study of Buddhist giving and related practices, by taking into consideration recent contributions by Testart and F. Weber, who have forcefully argued that the Maussian category of ‘the gift’ is in need of conceptual clarification: we need a typology of forms of ‘transfers’, to use Testart's term. I will argue for the analytical importance of the distinction between ‘gifts’ strictly speaking and patterns of transfers that are more akin to an exchange or transaction, such as the provision of ritual services and their remuneration. Second, I address the question of the extent to which we can we speak of ‘reciprocity’ in the case of actual Buddhist gifts (e.g. alms or donations made outside of contexts in which monks are asked for religious services). The scholarly literature displays here a remarkable lack of consensus and, to some extent, of clarity; I will offer an attempt at clarification. The third aim is to reconsider critically the common assumption that the gift is a central if not an outright essential and defining component in Buddhist laity‐sangharelations. I will draw here on data from a Tibetan society in which Buddhist gift‐giving is only of minor importance and transactions centred on ritual services are much more central to laity‐sangharelations, and contrast this with the data from mainstream Thai(‐Lao) and Burmese Theravada contexts. This may serve as a useful corrective to scholarly accounts that echo perhaps too closely emic emphases on the gift, or might have been misled by ill‐fitting theoretical models. The overall aim is to contribute, through the angle of the gift and its variants, to an emerging comparative anthropology of Buddhism.
Four amino acid exchanges located in the alpha‐2 domain specify the novel HLA‐B*50:20 allele
Authors: Becker P. S. A. , Seifried E. , Seidl C.
Published: November 2015

HLA‐B*50:20 contains seven nucleotide substitutions leading to four amino acid changes in the alpha‐2 domain.
Cascade plasmapheresis as preconditioning regimen for ABO‐incompatible renal transplantation: a single‐center experience
Authors: Jha Pranaw K. , Tiwari Aseem K. , Bansal Shyam B. , Sethi Sidharth K. , Ahlawat Rajesh , Kher Vijay
Published: November 2015

BACKGROUND

Removal of anti‐ABO is an important component of the preconditioning regimen for ABO‐incompatible (ABOi) renal transplant. Cascade plasmapheresis (CP) is one of the extracorporeal methods of antibody removal, others being conventional plasma exchange (PE) and immunoadsorption. There is no previous published experience with CP in this context. The purpose of this study was to present an early experience with this approach.

STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS

Consecutive ABOi renal transplant recipients in whom CP was used for pre‐ and posttransplant anti‐ABO removal were included. All the patients received intravenous rituximab 2 weeks before transplant. After 1 week, CP was started along with oral tacrolimus and mycophenolate sodium. Alternate‐day CP was done to attain immediate pretransplant antibody titer of not more than 8.

RESULTS

Fifteen ABOi renal transplant recipients had baseline (pretreatment) antibody titers ranging from 16 to 512. Desensitization rate was 100%. The mean number of procedures before transplant to achieve titer of not more than 8 was 3.27 ± 1.39. Patient survival was 93% and death‐censored graft survival was 87%. Biopsy‐proven acute rejection was seen in three patients (20%), one (6.67%) being acute antibody mediated rejection. The complication rate during CP was 4% and two patients had bleeding complication after surgery. Posttransplant infection rate was 13%.

CONCLUSION

Based on limited number of patients, we conclude that CP is a safe and effective extracorporeal method for pretransplant ABO antibody removal in patients undergoing ABOi transplant. Patients undergoing CP met target preoperative antibody titers and the clinical outcomes were acceptable.
ASVCP quality assurance guidelines: external quality assessment and comparative testing for reference and in‐clinic laboratories
Authors: Camus Melinda S. , Flatland Bente , Freeman Kathleen P. , Cruz Cardona Janice A.
Published: November 2015

The purpose of this document is to educate providers of veterinary laboratory diagnostic testing in any setting about comparative testing. These guidelines will define, explain, and illustrate the importance of a multi‐faceted laboratory quality management program which includes comparative testing. The guidelines will provide suggestions for implementation of such testing, including which samples should be tested, frequency of testing, and recommendations for result interpretation. Examples and a list of vendors and manufacturers supplying control materials and services to veterinary laboratories are also included.
COMPUTED TOMOGRAPHIC ANATOMY AND CHARACTERISTICS OF RESPIRATORY ASPERGILLOSIS IN JUVENILE WHOOPING CRANES
Authors: Schwarz Tobias , Kelley Cristin , Pinkerton Marie E. , Hartup Barry K.
Published: November 2015

Respiratory diseases are a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in captivity reared, endangered whooping cranes (Grus americana). Objectives of this retrospective, case series, cross‐sectional study were to describe computed tomography (CT) respiratory anatomy in a juvenile whooping crane without respiratory disease, compare CT characteristics with gross pathologic characteristics in a group of juvenile whooping cranes with respiratory aspergillosis, and test associations between the number of CT tracheal bends and bird sex and age. A total of 10 juvenile whooping cranes (one control, nine affected) were included. Seven affected cranes had CT characteristics of unilateral extrapulmonary bronchial occlusion or wall thickening, and seven cranes had luminal occlusion of the intrapulmonary primary or secondary bronchi. Air sac membrane thickening was observed in three cranes in the cranial and caudal thoracic air sacs, and air sac diverticulum opacification was observed in four cranes. Necropsy lesions consisted of severe, subacute to chronic, focally extensive granulomatous pathology of the trachea, primary bronchi, lungs, or air sacs. No false positive CT scan results were documented. Seven instances of false negative CT scan results occurred; six of these consisted of subtle, mild air sacculitis including membrane opacification or thickening, or the presence of small plaques found at necropsy. The number of CT tracheal bends was associated with bird age but not sex. Findings supported the use of CT as a diagnostic test for avian species with respiratory disease and tracheal coiling or elongated tracheae where endoscopic evaluation is impractical.
Canaliculosinostomy as a Long‐Term Treatment of Seven Horses for Permanent Obstruction of the Nasolacrimal Duct
Authors: Brink Palle , Schumacher James
Published: November 2015

Objective

To describe canaliculosinostomy performed to resolve epiphora caused by nasolacrimal duct obstruction and to report the outcome of horses undergoing this procedure.

Study Design

Case series.

Animals

Seven horses with uni‐ or bilateral nasolacrimal duct obstruction.

Methods

The ventral lacrimal punctum and canaliculus were expanded with catheters of increasing diameter until a 14 gauge, Jamshedi needle could be passed into and through the lacrimal sac into the caudal maxillary sinus. One end of a plastic tube was inserted through the needle into the sinus, and the needle was withdrawn over the tubing. Using a hubless needle, the other end of the tube was passed through the lower eyelid leaving a segment of tubing exposed ventral to the eyelid. The end of the tubing within the sinus was exteriorized through a trephine hole in the frontal sinus and then tunneled beneath the skin adjacent to the osteotomy using a hubless needle, leaving a segment of tubing exposed on the forehead. Exposed tubing was sutured to the skin. The tubing was removed at 5–6 weeks.

Results

Canaliculosinostomy was easily performed with the horses sedated. Five horses had resolution of epiphora, and 2 had improvement.

Conclusion

Canaliculosinostomy to divert lacrimal secretions into the sinuses resolves or improves epiphora caused by nasolacrimal duct obstruction and provides a good functional and cosmetic outcome. Canaliculosinostomy can be performed in the sedated horse.
Adaptive responses of cell hydration to a low temperature arrest
Authors: Christmann Jens , Azer Lale , Dörr Daniel , Fuhr Günter R. , Bastiaens Philippe I. H. , Wehner Frank
Published: November 2015

Key points

Na+ conducting cation channels are key players in the volume restoration of osmotically shrunken cells. Accordingly, they are potential candidates for the compensation of water loss during slow‐freezing procedures.

Cells were subjected to different levels of hypertonic stress, aiming to disturb cell water content and to define the energy demands of water channels and Na+ channels in the process of rehydration.

Activation of Na+ channels was clearly the rate‐limiting step in the restoration of cell volume post‐cryo, whereas water channels merely played a permissive role.

Low temperatures increased cell viscosity with a remarkable hysteresis; furthermore, increasing cell viscosity experimentally was shown to stimulate Na+ channels.

The peptide hormone vasopressin was a further activator of Na+ channels and increased the viability of post‐cryo cells considerably. This opens the path for a new class of cryo‐protectants with an intrinsic biological activity.

Slow cooling leads to a passive dehydration of cells, whereas rehydration during warming reflects the active regain of functionality. The ability to modulate such an energy demanding process could be instrumental in optimizing the cryo‐arrest of living systems. In the present study, various levels of hypertonic stress were used to disturb the water content of cells and to define the energy profiles of aquaporins and (Na+ conducting) cation channels during rehydration. Na+ import was found to be the rate‐limiting step in water restoration, whereas aquaporins merely played a permissive role. Indeed, regulated Na+ import was increased 2‐fold following cryo‐arrests, thus facilitating the osmotic rehydration of cells. Freezing temperatures increased cell viscosity with a remarkable hysteresis and viscosity was a trigger of cation channels. The peptide hormone vasopressin was a further activator of channels, increasing the viability of post‐cryo cells considerably. Hence, the hormone opens the path for a novel class of cryo‐protectants with an intrinsic biological activity.
Frecuencia aumentada del alelo D y el genotipo DD del gen de la enzima convertidora de angiotensina en pacientes con un primer evento coronario
Authors: Loango Nelsy , Vargas Ramiro , Osorio José H. , Gallego Martha L. , Landázuri Patricia
Published: November 2015

Objective. To evaluate the genotypic and allelic frequencies of the I/D polymorphism of the ACE gene and the enzymatic activity in a group of Colombian patients with myocardial infarction (MI) and in a group of healthy subjects. Materials and Methods. We examined 41 patients diagnosed MI and admitted consecutively in the San Juan de Dios Hospital, and 39 subjects with no clinical evidence of coronary syndrome.  ACE genotypes were determined by means of the polymerase chain reaction and the enzyme activity using spectrophotometry. Results. Polymorphism distribution among the patients was II 30.8%, ID 28.2%, and DD 51.2%, whilst in the control group it was II 30.8%, ID 28.2% and DD 41.0%, without significant differences between groups. ID and DD subjects were combined and after adjustment for other variables, their risk of MI was 3.5 times higher than in those subjects with the I allele (95% IC: 1.2-10.4 p=0.02). Enzyme activity was higher in subjects with the D allele, except in patients with enzyme inhibitor medication. Conclusions. Results show a higher frequency of the D allele and the DD genotype in patients with a first myocardial infarction, besides confirming a variation in the ACE activity levels influenced by the I/D. Our findings provide evidence of an increased risk of MI in Colombian subjects with the D allele.

Key words: angiotensin-converting enzyme, hypertension, myocardial infarction, polymorphism, risk factors.
Fabricación y caracterización óptica de cristales coloidales de alta calidad formados por esferas de SiO2 de 225 nm de diámetro con empaquetamiento fcc crecidos por el método convectivo de auto-ensamblado de deposición vertical.
Authors: Castañeda-Uribe Octavio Alejandro , Salcedo-Reyes Juan Carlos , Méndez-Pinzón Henry Alberto , Pedroza-Rodríguez Aura Marina
Published: November 2015

Objective: Fabrication and optical characterization of close-packed 225 nm SiO2 -based colloidal crystals. Materials and methods: The vertical convective self-assembly method is used to grow high-quality 225 nm close-packed SiO2-based colloidal crystals. An annealing process (550°C) is made in order to improve the mechanical stability of the sample. Optical characterization is done by angle-resolved transmission spectroscopy (A-RTS) and structural characterization by Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM). Results: Both, A-RTS and SEM, show that with the vertical convective self-assembly method, with the appropriate parameters of temperature of evaporation (60°C), volume fraction of the colloidal suspension (0.2% w/w) and acidity (pH=6), highly ordered close packed face centered cubic (fcc) SiO2 based colloidal crystals are obtained. Conclusions: The growth of high-quality (long range order and defect-free) face centered cubic opal-based photonic crystals is reported.

Key words: Photonic crystals, colloidal crystals, artificial opals, vertical convective deposition method, Bragg diffraction
Aproximación In Silico a la evolución de la familia de genes que conforman el receptor ionotrópico de glutamato en cuatro especies de primates
Authors: Vargas-Alejo Nury E. , Reyes-Montaño Edgar A. , Lareo Leonardo
Published: November 2015

 Man as a species has a brain unique in analysis capabilities due to its structure and organizational patterns that are presumably the basis of intelligence and the ability to manipulate the environment. Additionally, the development and evolution of the brain respond underlying genetic processes. Objective. To present an approach to the evolutionary process of the iGluR with the maximum likelihood (ML) and Bayesian (By) phylogenetic analysis methods. Materials and methods. we used in silico methods to propose a model of molecular evolution and to do a qualitative recognition of synteny blocks for these genes in different species of primates (chimpanzee, orangutan, rhesus monkey and man). Results. Glutamate is the main neurotransmitter and plays an important role in neuronal plasticity and neurotoxicity. Neurotransmission via glutamate is mediated by ionotropic glutamate receptors (iGluR) NMDA type and non-NMDA type (AMPA and KA). For every phylogenetic inference, we confirmed that the iGluRs of mammals could have evolved from a primitive signaling mechanism, thus explaining similar clusters between some species of primates and rodents. Conclusion. The NR-2 sequences have been exposed to a purifying selection, and the neutral level of divergence is faster in primates than in rodents, however further studies are needed to confirm these theories of evolution.

Key words: evolution in gene families, phylogenetic inference of ML and By, iGluR, AMPA, KA, NMDA.
Proteínas pro-apoptóticas y anti-apoptóticas como factores de pronóstico en Linfoma B difuso de célula grande en adultos
Authors: Martín-Reyes Liliana , Quijano-Gómez Sandra , Bravo-Hernández María Mercedes
Published: November 2015

 Objective. Our purpose was to evaluate the expression of antiapoptotic proteins Bcl-2 and Bcl-xL, and pro-apoptotic proteins Bad and Bax and their association with survival, in patients with DLBCL. Materials and methods. We analyzed biopsies from 28 patients diagnosed with DLBCL. The expression of the apoptotic regulators was assessed by western blot. The association between protein expression and survival was analyzed by the Kaplan-Meier method and the log-rank test. Results. Bcl-2, Bak, Bad and Bcl-xL proteins were expressed in 78.8, 71.4, 64.3 and 50% of the DLBCL cases, respectively. We found no association between the presence of proteins or their expression levels and overall survival. Both Bad and Bcl-xL were associated with higher disease-free survival (33.3% vs. 20.0%, p LR test= 0,003; 42.9% vs. 14.3%, p LR test= 0.03, respectively). High expression levels of Bad and Bcl-xL were associated with a higher disease-free survival (35.7% vs. 21.4%, p LR test= 0.012 y 42.9% vs. 14.3%, p LR test= 0.045, respectively). Conclusion. Given that expression of the Bad protein in tumors was related to a higher disease-free survival, patients with low expression levels of Bad could be candidates in future therapies oriented towards the inhibition of the anti-apoptotic proteins Bcl-xL and Bcl-2 by using molecules that bind specifically to the BH3 domain.

Key words: diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, Bcl-2 protein, Bcl-XL protein, Bad protein, Bax protein, survival analysis
Capartogramma crucicula (Grunow ex Cleve) Ross, primer registro del género para Colombia
Authors: Montoya-Moreno Yimmy , Sala Silvia , Vouilloud Amelia , Aguirre Néstor
Published: November 2015

Objective. To report for the first time the occurrence in Colombia of the genus Capartogramma and the species Capartogramma crucicula (Grunow ex Cleve) Ross. Materials and methods. This diatom is described based on epiphyton samples collected during the years 2006-2009 in the Ayapel swamp in Cordoba. Results. We describe the morphology of the studied materials and present some aspects related to their geographical distribution and the physicochemical conditions of the aquatic environment where they were collected. Conclusion. The confirmation of the presence of this species in Colombia broadens its geographic distribution in South America.

Key words: Carpatogramma crucicula, diatom, tropical, periphyton,  Colombia.
Secuencia parcial del genoma del maxicírculo de Leishmania braziliensis, comparación con otros tripanosomátidos
Authors: Nocua Paola , Ramírez Cesar , Requena José María , Puerta Concepción Judith
Published: November 2015

Objective. With the aim to provide new insights for genotyping and phylogenetic studies of the Leishmania genus, in this study the sequence of the maxicircle in Leishmania braziliensis, strain MHOM-BR-75-M2904, was determined and compared with those reported in other trypanosomatids species. Materials and methods. Searches for maxicircle sequences were performed in the unassembled sequences of GeneDB database version 2.1, as well as in the GenBank, using the ND8 and RPS12 genes of L. braziliensis as the initial probes. These sequences were assembled and compared with the homologous sequences of trypanosomatids using the bioinformatics tools LALIGN and ClustalW2. The size of maxicircle was determined by Southern blot assays. Results. Two maxicircle fragments of 6535 and 4257 nucleotides were assembled. The sequences of these genes showed high synteny and similarity with the sequences in other Leishmania species. This similarity even was extended to the editing patterns of these molecules. Conclusions. Although L. braziliensis is the most divergent species of the Leishmania genus in their nuclear genome, the maxicicircle has a high conservation. This result suggests that the pattern of editing present in the different Leishmania species studied has been conserved also in the subgenus Viannia. These results indicate a high conservation in the editing of mitochondrial transcripts at the genus level.

Key words: kinetoplast DNA (kDNA), RNA editing, Leishmania (Viannia) braziliensis, maxicircle.
Residuos de fármacos anabolizantes en carnes destinadas al consumo humano
Authors: Fajardo-Zapata Álvaro L. , Méndez-Casallas Francy J. , Molina Luis H.
Published: November 2015

The production of meat for human consumption is one of the important items in the economy of a country. This activity has great socio economic importance as it serves as a basis for development, employment generation and sustainability of a country. The demand for animal protein is one of the most precious and necessary factors to maintain a proper biological development of human beings in active growth as well as being a source of growth and tissue regeneration. Consumption has increased because populations continue to grow and there is continuous migration to the cities, which makes the offer insufficient, and therefore it is necessary to accelerate, introduce technology and improve the meat production process. Industry also seeks a reduction in production costs by producers in this sector of the economy, leading to the use and incorporation of technology and cutting-edge knowledge to improve yield production of meat. Such knowledge comprises the scientific basis of the use of growth hormones and promoters (anabolic steroids and others) to accelerate and increase the production of meat. Although there has been an increase in production, residual substances can remain in the meat intended for human consumption which can lead to changes in the health of consumers.

Key words: growth promoter, meat, animal production
Identificación de Norovirus Humano (HNoV) en muestras de estiércol de cerdos domésticos.
Authors: Gutiérrez María Fernanda , López Jazmín , Ruiz Andrea , Osorio Cesar , Ulloa Juan C.
Published: November 2015

Objective. To determine the presence of NoVs as a possible causal zoonotic agent of acute diarrhea in pigs and humans. Materials and methods. We collected a total of 77 samples from diarrheal children under 5 years and pigs under 2 months from La Chamba town in Tolima, Colombia. These samples were transported to the Laboratory of Virology of the Pontificia Universidad Javeriana in Bogotá, and extraction with Trizol-reagent was done following the manufacturer's instructions. After obtaining the RNA, the next step was to perform RT-PCR for obtaining the expected amplification product of 213- bp NoVs. Finally, the positive samples obtained in the RT-PCR were sequenced and analyzed by bioinformatics methods. Results. Six positive diarrheic samples from children and a positive diarrheic sample from pigs were detected by a band of 231 bp. Five of the six positive samples in children and the positive pig sample were sequenced and analyzed. Conclusion. Given the close genetic relationship between pig and human sequences, this could be an indication of the potential existence of a common animal acting as a reservoir for human or other animal strains.

Key words: Human Norovirus, domestic pigs, diarrhea, zoonotic transmission, reservoirs
Preparación simple de nuevas N-(6-metil-2-nitrofenil-1,2,3,4-tetrahidroquinolin-4-il) pirrolidin-2-onas y su análisis espectroscópico. Objetivos.
Authors: Bermudez John H. , Pinto José Luis , Meléndez Carlos Mario , Henao José A. , Kouznetsov Vladimir V.
Published: November 2015

Objectives. To prepare new N-(1,2,3,4-tetrahydroquinolin-4-yl) pyrrolidin-2-one molecules and to characterize them by spectroscopic methods. Materials and methods. All reagents were purchased from Aldrich, commercial grade. The purity of the products and the composition of the reaction mixtures were monitored by thin layer chromatography over Silufol UV254 chromatoplates (0.25 mm). Product isolation and purification were performed by column chromatography (SiO2), using ethyl acetate. Results. Preparation of new N-(2-nitrophenyl-1,2,3,4-tetrahydroquinolin-4-yl) pyrrolidin-2-ones has been achieved via the one-pot synthesis, based on a BiCl3-catalyzed imino Diels-Alder cycloaddition reaction of toluidine, N-vinylpyrrolidin-2-one and 4-nitro- or 3-nitrobenzaldehydes. The structure of the pyrrolidine derivatives was confirmed by 1H nmr and 13C nmr studies, in addition to inverse-detected 2D NMR experiments and monocrystal X-ray diffraction. Conclusions. An efficient, economic, and fast synthetic route (multi-component imino Diels-Alder reaction) was employed in the construction of several new tetrahydroquinoline derivatives, useful and attractive rigid skeleton with well-defined stereochemistry.

 

Key words: tetrahydroquinoline derivatives, N-substituted pyrrolidin-2-ones, three component imino Diels-Alder reaction, one-pot synthesis.
Análisis retrospectivo (2009-2010) de las alteraciones dermatológicas, óticas y oftalmológicas con diagnóstico clínico presuntivo de micosis en caninos y felinos
Authors: Pulido-Villamarin Adriana Del Pilar , Linares-Linares Melva Yomary , Castañeda-Salazar Rubiela , Gutiérrez-Granados Carolina , Aranda-Silva Moises , Rueda-Varón Milton Januario
Published: November 2015

  Objective. To determine the prevalence of dermatological, ear and ophthalmological alterations clinically suspected to be caused by fungi and to analyze their occurrence demographically. Materials and methods. We carried out a retrospective study in a clinic in Bogota for small animals. We reviewed the medical histories of patients who requested medical appointments due to dermatological, ear and ophtalmological alterations in 2009 and 2010. Results. In the assessed period, the prevalence of dermatological alterations in dogs was of 7.8%, 4.2% of ear alterations and of 3.3% of ophtalmological alterations. The main etiological suspects through clinical diagnosis were: dermatophytes with an incidence of 86.9% among dermatological alterations, Malassezia with an 86.5% of incidence in ear alterations, and Candida with 83.3% of incidence in ophtalmological alterations. Statistical analysis of variables showed no association with symptoms or clinically diagnosed etiological agents, but the categorized evaluation showed associations of races and ages with the etiologies through clinical diagnosis. The diagnosis of fungal etiologies was accomplished in most cases by clinical findings and less frequently by skin scrapings and ear cytology; in none of the cases a mycological culture was done. The feline population showed no dermatological, ear or ophtalmological alterations compatible with a fungal etiology.  Conclusion. In canines, the prevalence of dermatological alterations clinically compatible with dermatophytes was of 86.9%; ear alterations associated with Malassezia were of 86.5%; and ophtalmological alterations Candida-suspected were 83.3%. Final diagnoses were accomplished with the help of clinical findings without following standard diagnostic methodologies such as cultivation.

Key words: canines, felines, dermatophytes, Malassezia, Candida
Influencia de la materia orgánica y Azotobacter nigricans en un cultivo de Stevia rebaudiana B
Authors: Borda-Molina Daniel , Pardo-García Juan Manuel , Montaña-Lara José Salvador , Martínez-Salgado María Mercedes
Published: November 2015

 Stevia rebaudiana is a plant that accumulates a non-caloric sweetener compound known as stevioside. This crop is traditionally fertilized with chemicals that are harmful for the ecosystem, forcing to find  organic alternatives to mitigate this damage. Objective. To study the effect of organic matter and an Azotobacter nigricans-based bio-fertilizer on a Stevia rebaudiana plantation grown in acidic soil in the Department of Meta, Colombia. Materials and methods. Five treatments were established: T1 and T2 with the application of home organic waste compost at concentrations of 15 and 30 ton ha-1. T3 and T4 with the same compost concentrations and inoculating the A. nigricans bio-fertilizer. T5 contained the bio-fertilizer alone. The control consisted of the application of the Bokashi compost under the usual conditions of cultivation.  Plant growth was assessed by biomass increase measured as dry weight, production, and leaf area.  The physicochemical analysis of soil included: percentage of organic carbon, water content, and pH. Results. The inoculation of the bio-fertilizer produced an increase in the rate of mineralization of compost, reaching a final 4.85% of OC between 90 and 180 days after inoculation.  There were significant (p< 0.05) differences between biomass production with T2 (1,538 kg ha-1) and the control (477 kg ha-1).  Regarding the soluble solid content, T1, T3 and T4 showed the highest °Brix values (12.4, 12.35 and 12.15, respectively).  Conclusions. The concentration of 30 ton ha-1 produced the highest biomass production and the application of the biofertilizer showed a positive correlation with compost mineralization and glucoside synthesis.

Key words: Stevia rebaudiana, bio-fertilizer, mineralization, organic carbon.

 
Relación entre la enzima convertidora de angiotensina, polimorfismo I/D, y obstrucción coronaria en una población del Quindío, Colombia
Authors: Cardona-Barreto Andrea , Giraldo Alejandra María , Loango Nelsy , Castaño Hugo , Landázuri Patricia
Published: November 2015

Angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) activity in serum and insertion/deletion (I/D) polymorphism have been associated to cardiovascular disease in several studies. Objective. To find a relationship between ACE activity and I/D polymorphism in the enzyme gene in patients with coronary obstruction revealed by angiography. Materials and methods. Sample comprised patients attending a hemodynamics center in Quindío in need of a coronary angiography. ACE activity was measured by electrophotometry and the I/D genotype determined by polymerase chain reaction. Results. 542 patients were divided into two groups: individuals with coronary obstruction higher than or equal to 50% (OC≥50) and individuals with coronary obstruction less than 50% (CO<50%). Serum ACE activity in the global population was higher in individuals with DD polymorphism, followed by ID and II with significant differences. A similar pattern was shown in both study groups but without significant differences, although enzyme activity was always higher in individuals with OC≥50% compared with patients with OC<50%. ID genotype was the most frequent in both groups. No differences were found in allele and genotype frequencies in the study groups. Conclusions. Significant differences in ACE activity were found
according to genotype. Our study did not find any relationship between ACE activity, I/D polymorphisms and coronary obstruction.

Key words: angiotensin-converting enzyme, coronary obstruction, ID polymorphism, angiotensin.
Aplicación de técnicas estadísticas multivariadas en perfilación y segmentación
Authors: Rueda Varon Milton Januario , Moya-Moya Luz Marina , Aranda-Silva Moises
Published: November 2015

 Objective.To use the information about the factors identified, by means of correspondence analyses to determine the behavior of the variables to be used to then make a natural segmentation, thus facilitating the interpretation and presentation of results. Materials and methods. We present a new profiling and segmentation approach by using correspondence analyses and classification. Results. By using this methodology we can optimize the determination of segments and the profiling of a set of variables. This procedure allows researchers of different disciplines to present and interpret the results of their research efficiently. Conclusions.  The procedure here described enables a simple and quick interpretation of the analysis on many variables, rendering its use and implementation easy.

Key words: profiling, segmentation, multivariate techniques, correspondences.
Proteína LIC10494 de Leptospira interrogans serovar Copenhageni: modelo estructural y regiones funcionales asociadas
Authors: Barreto Leidy Viviana , Barreto George Emílio , Morales Ludis , Acevedo Orlando Emilio , González Santos Janneth
Published: November 2015

Objective. Predict by computational means the 3D structure of the antigenic protein LIC10494 and report associated important functional regions for its pathogenicity and immunogenicity. Materials and methods. We performed a computational analysis of the primary structure of LIC10494 using the servers BLAST, PROTPARAM, PROTSCALE, DAS, SOSUI, TOPPRED, TMAP, TMpred, SPLIT4, PHDHTM, TMHMM2, HMMTOP2, GLOBPLOT and PROSITE. The secondary structure was obtained by consensus of the algorithms SOPM, PREDATOR GOR4, DPM and DSC. The approach to the tertiary structure was obtained using the algorithm MUSTER. The energy minimization was done using the AMBER94 force field of the Schrodinger suite of molecular analysis, and the stereochemistry and energy model validation was performed by the RAMPAGE server. The final model was visualized using PyMol V.0,98. Results. This study proposes a computational model that describes the 3D structure of the hypothetical lipoprotein LIC10494 and agrees with previous experimental reports; thus, our study demonstrates the existence of patterns that could play an  important role in the pathogenicity and protection of the bacteria against the host immune system; the presence of a disorganized region between amino acids 80 and 140, and of a transmembrane segment between amino acids 8 and 22. Conclusion. The coincidence between structural and functional segments suggests that our model can be used to predict certain aspects of the biological behaviour of the protein according to the pathogenic and immunogenic characteristics of the bacteria.

Key words: Antigen, Bacteria Leptospirosis, LIC10494, Outer membrane protein.

 
Plant-based Complementary and alternative medicine used by breast cancer patients at the Hospital Universitario San Ignacio in Bogotá, Colombia.
Authors: Diaz Luz Angela , Torregrosa Lilian , Benavidez Luisa , Mercado Marcela , Fiorentino Susana
Published: November 2015

The present study estimates the frequency of the use of plant-based Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) by breast cancer patients. From June to December of 2011, a self-administered questionnaire was given to 404 breast cancer patients receiving outpatient therapy at the Javeriana Oncology Center of the Hospital Universitario San Ignacio in Bogotá. The prevalence of patient CAM use was 57%, out of which 76% was based on plants like anamú, aloe, red fruits and soursop. Sixty-five percent of the patients had a positive perception of using  medicinal plants and 57% used them simultaneously with the oncologist recommended allopathic treatment. We concluded that the frequency of CAM use in breast cancer patients at the Javeriana Oncology Center is within the prevalence range reported worldwide, despite differences in CAM types and frequencies. The high rates of plant-based CAM use without physician consent, brings about the lack of assessment of the synergic or antagonistic effects of CAM therapies on the allopathic treatment of breast cancer and evaluation of the antitumor and  immunomodulatory potential of the traditionally used plants.
Thermomechanical Stress in Cryopreservation Via Vitrification With Nanoparticle Heating as a Stress-Moderating Effect
Authors: Eisenberg David P. , Bischof John C. , Rabin Yoed
Published: November 2015

This study focuses on thermomechanical effects in cryopreservation associated with a novel approach of volumetric heating by means on nanoparticles in an alternating electromagnetic field. This approach is studied for the application of cryopreservation by vitrification, where the crystalline phase is completely avoided—the cornerstone of cryoinjury. Vitrification can be achieved by quickly cooling the material to cryogenic storage, where ice cannot form. Vitrification can be maintained at the end of the cryogenic protocol by quickly rewarming the material back to room temperature. The magnitude of the rewarming rates necessary to maintain vitrification is much higher than the magnitude of the cooling rates that are required to achieve it in the first place. The most common approach to achieve the required cooling and rewarming rates is by exposing the specimen's surface to a temperature-controlled environment. Due to the underlying principles of heat transfer, there is a size limit in the case of surface heating beyond which crystallization cannot be prevented at the center of the specimen. Furthermore, due to the underlying principles of solid mechanics, there is a size limit beyond which thermal expansion in the specimen can lead to structural damage and fractures. Volumetric heating during the rewarming phase of the cryogenic protocol can alleviate these size limitations. This study suggests that volumetric heating can reduce thermomechanical stress, when combined with an appropriate design of the thermal protocol. Without such design, this study suggests that the level of stress may still lead to structural damage even when volumetric heating is applied. This study proposes strategies to harness nanoparticles heating in order to reduce thermomechanical stress in cryopreservation by vitrification.