Título del artículo:

Quantitative phase analysis from powder diffraction using de Rietveld method in hydrogen storage alloys based on TiCr

Hydrogen storage is one of the important steps in the implementation of the hydrogen economy; metal hydrides are a promising way to achieve this goal. We present in this work the use of Rietveld analysis to characterize structurally TiCr-based alloys that are able to store hydrogen. TiCruV09, TiCrL1V0.45Nb0.45, TiCr1.1V0.2 Nb0.8, TiCr1.1Nb0.9 alloys were synthesized in an arc furnace under argon atmosphere. The analysis of phases was developed by X-Ray Diffraction (XRD) for further refinement of both the two lattice parameters and the percentage of the phases. Our results confirmed that a structure bcc, mostly combined with a small percentage of Laves phases, leads to obtain important properties in this area. Rietveld analysis was performed by the Fullprof program and this program allows us to obtain the different structural parameters.

Acerca de la revista donde se publicó este artículo:

Journal of Physics: Conference Series

Título del artículo:

Global and regional effects of potentially modifiable risk factors associated with acute stroke in 32 countries (INTERSTROKE): a case-control study

Background Stroke is a leading cause of death and disability, especially in low-income and middle-income countries. We sought to quantify the importance of potentially modifiable risk factors for stroke in different regions of the world, and in key populations and primary pathological subtypes of stroke. Methods We completed a standardised international case-control study in 32 countries in Asia, America, Europe, Australia, the Middle East, and Africa. Cases were patients with acute first stroke (within 5 days of symptom onset and 72 h of hospital admission). Controls were hospital-based or community-based individuals with no history of stroke, and were matched with cases, recruited in a 1:1 ratio, for age and sex. All participants completed a clinical assessment and were requested to provide blood and urine samples. Odds ratios (OR) and their population attributable risks (PARs) were calculated, with 99% confidence intervals. Findings Between Jan 11, 2007, and Aug 8, 2015, 26 919 participants were recruited from 32 countries (13 447 cases [10 388 with ischaemic stroke and 3059 intracerebral haemorrhage] and 13 472 controls). Previous history of hypertension or blood pressure of 140/90 mm Hg or higher (OR 2·98, 99% CI 2·72–3·28; PAR 47·9%, 99% CI 45·1–50·6), regular physical activity (0·60, 0·52–0·70; 35·8%, 27·7–44·7), apolipoprotein (Apo)B/ApoA1 ratio (1·84, 1·65–2·06 for highest vs lowest tertile; 26·8%, 22·2–31·9 for top two tertiles vs lowest tertile), diet (0·60, 0·53–0·67 for highest vs lowest tertile of modified Alternative Healthy Eating Index [mAHEI]; 23·2%, 18·2–28·9 for lowest two tertiles vs highest tertile of mAHEI), waist-to-hip ratio (1·44, 1·27–1·64 for highest vs lowest tertile; 18·6%, 13·3–25·3 for top two tertiles vs lowest), psychosocial factors (2·20, 1·78–2·72; 17·4%, 13·1–22·6), current smoking (1·67, 1·49–1·87; 12·4%, 10·2–14·9), cardiac causes (3·17, 2·68–3·75; 9·1%, 8·0–10·2), alcohol consumption (2·09, 1·64–2·67 for high or heavy episodic intake vs never or former drinker; 5·8%, 3·4–9·7 for current alcohol drinker vs never or former drinker), and diabetes mellitus (1·16, 1·05–1·30; 3·9%, 1·9–7·6) were associated with all stroke. Collectively, these risk factors accounted for 90·7% of the PAR for all stroke worldwide (91·5% for ischaemic stroke, 87·1% for intracerebral haemorrhage), and were consistent across regions (ranging from 82·7% in Africa to 97·4% in southeast Asia), sex (90·6% in men and in women), and age groups (92·2% in patients aged ≤55 years, 90·0% in patients aged >55 years). We observed regional variations in the importance of individual risk factors, which were related to variations in the magnitude of ORs (rather than direction, which we observed for diet) and differences in prevalence of risk factors among regions. Hypertension was more associated with intracerebral haemorrhage than with ischaemic stroke, whereas current smoking, diabetes, apolipoproteins, and cardiac causes were more associated with ischaemic stroke (p<0·0001). Interpretation Ten potentially modifiable risk factors are collectively associated with about 90% of the PAR of stroke in each major region of the world, among ethnic groups, in men and women, and in all ages. However, we found important regional variations in the relative importance of most individual risk factors for stroke, which could contribute to worldwide variations in frequency and case-mix of stroke. Our findings support developing both global and region-specific programmes to prevent stroke. Funding Canadian Institutes of Health Research, Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada, Canadian Stroke Network, Health Research Board Ireland, Swedish Research Council, Swedish Heart and Lung Foundation, The Health & Medical Care Committee of the Regional Executive Board, Region Västra Götaland (Sweden), AstraZeneca, Boehringer Ingelheim (Canada), Pfizer (Canada), MSD, Chest, Heart and Stroke Scotland, and The Stroke Association, with support from The UK Stroke Research Network.

Acerca de la revista donde se publicó este artículo:

The Lancet

Título del artículo:

Virulence mechanisms of enteropathogenic Escherichia coli

Acute diarrheal disease (ADD) is a global public health problem, especially in developing countries and is one of the causes of mortality in children under five. ADD etiologic agents include viruses, bacteria and parasites in that order. Escherichia coli bacteria it is classified as a major diarrheagenic agent and transmitted by consuming contaminated water or undercooked foods. This review compiled updates on information virulence factors and pathogenic mechanisms involved in adhesion and colonization of seven pathotypes of E. coli called enteropathogenic E. coli (EPEC), enterotoxigenic E. coli (ETEC), enteroinvasive E. coli (EIEC), shigatoxigenic E. coli (STEC), enteroaggregative E. coli (EAEC) and diffusely-adherent E. coli (DAEC). A final pathotype, adherent-invasive E. coli (AIEC) associated with Crohn’s disease was also reviewed. The diarrheagenic pathotypes of E. coli affect different population groups and knowledge of the molecular mechanisms involved in the interaction with the human is important to guide research towards the development of vaccines and new tools for diagnosis and control.

Acerca de la revista donde se publicó este artículo:

Revista Chilena de Infectologia

Título del artículo:

Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation for Phantom Limb Pain in Land Mine Victims: A Double-Blinded, Randomized, Sham-Controlled Trial

We evaluated the effects of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) in the treatment of phantom limb pain (PLP) in land mine victims. Fifty-four patients with PLP were enrolled in a randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled, parallel group single-center trial. The intervention consisted of real or sham rTMS of M1 contralateral to the amputated leg. rTMS was given in series of 20 trains of 6-second duration (54-second intertrain, intensity 90% of motor threshold) at a stimulation rate of 10 Hz (1,200 pulses), 20 minutes per day, during 10 days. For the control group, a sham coil was used. The administration of active rTMS induced a significantly greater reduction in pain intensity (visual analogue scale scores) 15 days after treatment compared with sham stimulation (−53.38 ± 53.12% vs −22.93 ± 57.16%; mean between-group difference = 30.44%, 95% confidence interval,. 30–60.58; P = .03). This effect was not significant 30 days after treatment. In addition, 19 subjects (70.3%) attained a clinically significant pain reduction (>30%) in the active group compared with 11 in the sham group (40.7%) 15 days after treatment (P = .03). The administration of 10 Hz rTMS on the contralateral primary motor cortex for 2 weeks in traumatic amputees with PLP induced significant clinical improvement in pain. Perspective High-frequency rTMS on the contralateral primary motor cortex of traumatic amputees induced a clinically significant pain reduction up to 15 days after treatment without any major secondary effect. These results indicate that rTMS is a safe and effective therapy in patients with PLP caused by land mine explosions.

Acerca de la revista donde se publicó este artículo:

Journal of Pain

Título del artículo:

Hypertension Guidelines: Is It Time to Reappraise Blood Pressure Thresholds and Targets?: Position Statement of the Latin American Society of Hypertension

Acerca de la revista donde se publicó este artículo:

Hypertension

Título del artículo:

Associations of urinary sodium excretion with cardiovascular events in individuals with and without hypertension: a pooled analysis of data from four studies

Background Several studies reported a U-shaped association between urinary sodium excretion and cardiovascular disease events and mortality. Whether these associations vary between those individuals with and without hypertension is uncertain. We aimed to explore whether the association between sodium intake and cardiovascular disease events and all-cause mortality is modified by hypertension status. Methods In this pooled analysis, we studied 133 118 individuals (63 559 with hypertension and 69 559 without hypertension), median age of 55 years (IQR 45–63), from 49 countries in four large prospective studies and estimated 24-h urinary sodium excretion (as group-level measure of intake). We related this to the composite outcome of death and major cardiovascular disease events over a median of 4·2 years (IQR 3·0–5·0) and blood pressure. Findings Increased sodium intake was associated with greater increases in systolic blood pressure in individuals with hypertension (2·08 mm Hg change per g sodium increase) compared with individuals without hypertension (1·22 mm Hg change per g; pinteraction<0·0001). In those individuals with hypertension (6835 events), sodium excretion of 7 g/day or more (7060 [11%] of population with hypertension: hazard ratio [HR] 1·23 [95% CI 1·11–1·37]; p<0·0001) and less than 3 g/day (7006 [11%] of population with hypertension: 1·34 [1·23–1·47]; p<0·0001) were both associated with increased risk compared with sodium excretion of 4–5 g/day (reference 25% of the population with hypertension). In those individuals without hypertension (3021 events), compared with 4–5 g/day (18 508 [27%] of the population without hypertension), higher sodium excretion was not associated with risk of the primary composite outcome (≥7 g/day in 6271 [9%] of the population without hypertension; HR 0·90 [95% CI 0·76–1·08]; p=0·2547), whereas an excretion of less than 3 g/day was associated with a significantly increased risk (7547 [11%] of the population without hypertension; HR 1·26 [95% CI 1·10–1·45]; p=0·0009). Interpretation Compared with moderate sodium intake, high sodium intake is associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular events and death in hypertensive populations (no association in normotensive population), while the association of low sodium intake with increased risk of cardiovascular events and death is observed in those with or without hypertension. These data suggest that lowering sodium intake is best targeted at populations with hypertension who consume high sodium diets. Funding Full funding sources listed at end of paper (see Acknowledgments).

Acerca de la revista donde se publicó este artículo:

The Lancet

Título del artículo:

Influence of football match time–motion parameters on recovery time course of muscle damage and jump ability

ABSTRACT: We analysed the time course of recovery of creatine kinase (CK) and countermovement jump (CMJ) parameters after a football match, and correlations between changes in these variables and match time–motion parameters (GPS-accelerometry) in 15 U-19 elite male players. Plasma CK and CMJ height (CMJH), average concentric force (CMJCON) and average eccentric force (CMJECC) were assessed 2 h before and 30 min, 24 h and 48 h post-match. There were substantially higher CK levels 30 min, 24 h and 48 h (ES: 0.43, 0.62, 0.40, respectively), post-match. CMJECC (ES: −0.38), CMJH (ES: −0.35) decreased 30 min post, CMJCON (ES: −0.35), CMJECC (ES: −0.35) and CMJH (ES: −1.35) decreased 24 h post, and CMJCON (ES: −0.41) and CMJH (ES: −0.53) decreased 48 h post. We found correlations between distance covered at velocities ≤21 km · h−1 and changes in CK at 24 h (r = 0.56) and at 48 h (r = 0.54) and correlations between CK and distance covered >14 km · h−1 (r = 0.50), accelerations (r = 0.48), and decelerations (r = 0.58) at 48 h. Changes in CMJCON 30 min and 24 h post (both r = −0.68) correlated with impacts >7.1·G. Decelerations >2 m · s−2 correlated with changes CMJCON (r = −0.49) at 48 h and CMJECC (r = −0.47) at 30 min. Our results suggest that match GPS-accelerometry parameters may predict muscle damage and changes in components of neuromuscular performance immediately and 24–48 h post-match.

Acerca de la revista donde se publicó este artículo:

Journal of Sports Sciences

Título del artículo:

Ability of care and care burden in family caregivers of people with chronic illness

Introduction: Caregiver burden has proved to be a variable that is related to gender factors, the functionality of the care recipient, the time spent on care, among others. Additional research to determine if the burden of care is related to the caring ability of the family caregiver is required. Objective: To determine the correlation between burden of care and caring in family caregivers of people with chronic illness and to compare that relationship in the different regions of Colombia. Methods: Quantitative study, with a correlational approach. The sample included 2040 caregivers of people with chronic illness of the Andean, Pacific, Caribbean and Amazon regions in Colombia. Informed consent process was performed. Data were collected with the Caring Ability Inventory of Nkonghoy and with the Zarit Caregiver Burden Interview. The statistical approach was done with the Spearman Rho test. Results: In Colombia and in its Amazonic and Pacific regions, a weak negative statistically significant correlation (p <0.01) was observed. In the Caribbean Region, a moderate and statistically significant negative correlation (p <0.01). In the Andean region, no connection between the ability of care and caregiver burden was found. Conclusion: A weak but statistically significant relationship between the ability of care and caregiver burden was found in Colombia, except in the Andean region were no correlation was founded. Interventions in strengthening the ability of care, could be useful in decreasing caregivers burden with care.

Acerca de la revista donde se publicó este artículo:

Revista Cubana de Enfermeria

Título del artículo:

Association of urinary sodium excretion with blood pressure and cardiovascular clinical events in 17,033 Latin americans

BACKGROUND Information on actual sodium intake and its relationships with blood pressure (BP) and clinical events in South America is limited. The aim of this cohort study was to assess the relationship of sodium intake with BP, cardiovascular (CV) events, and mortality in South America. METHODS We studied 17,033 individuals, aged 35-70 years, from 4 South American countries (Argentina, Brazil, Chile, and Colombia). Measures of sodium excretion, estimated from morning fasting urine, were used as a surrogate for daily sodium intake. We measured BP and monitored the composite outcome of death and major CV events. RESULTS Overall mean sodium excretion was 4.70 ± 1.43 g/day. A positive, nonuniform association between sodium and BP was detected, with a significant steeper slope for the relationship at higher sodium excretion levels (P < 0.001 for interaction). With a median follow-up of 4.7 years, the primary composite outcome (all-cause death, myocardial infarction, stroke, or heart failure) occurred in 568 participants (3.4%). Compared with sodium excretion of 5-6 g/day (reference group), participants who excreted >7 g/day had increased risks of the primary outcome (odds ratio (OR) 1.73; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.24 to 2.40; P < 0.001), as well as death from any cause (OR 1.87; 95% CI 1.23 to 2.83; P = 0.003) and major CV disease (OR 1.77; 95% CI 1.12 to 2.81; P = 0.014). Sodium excretion of <3 g/day was associated with a statistically nonsignificant increased risk of the primary outcome (OR 1.20; 95% CI 0.86 to 1.65; P = 0.26) and death from any cause (OR 1.25; 95% CI 0.81 to 1.93; P = 0.29), and a significant increased risk of major CV disease (OR 1.50; 95% CI 1.01 to 2.24; P = 0.048), as compared to the reference group. CONCLUSIONS Our results support a positive, nonuniform association between estimated urinary sodium excretion and BP, and a possible J-shaped pattern of association between sodium excretion over the entire range and clinical outcomes.

Acerca de la revista donde se publicó este artículo:

American Journal of Hypertension

Título del artículo:

The Sliding Leg Curl

SLIDING LEG CURLS PROVIDE AN ALTERNATIVE POSTERIOR CHAIN CONDITIONING EXERCISE TO THE NORDIC HAMSTRING CURLS. THIS EXERCISE CAN ASSIST IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF STRENGTH AT THE MUSCLE LENGTHS AND UNDER THE CONDITIONS OF FATIGUE IN WHICH HAMSTRING INJURY FREQUENTLY OCCURS, WHILE ITS VARIATIONS CAN ADDRESS BILATERAL STRENGTH ASYMMETRIES AND PROMOTE STRENGTH DEVELOPMENT AT SPECIFIC JOINT ANGLES.

Acerca de la revista donde se publicó este artículo:

Strength and Conditioning Journal

Título del artículo:

Blood-pressure and cholesterol lowering in persons without cardiovascular disease

BACKGROUND Elevated blood pressure and elevated low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol increase the risk of cardiovascular disease. Lowering both should reduce the risk of cardiovascular events substantially. METHODS In a trial with 2-by-2 factorial design, we randomly assigned 12,705 participants at intermediate risk who did not have cardiovascular disease to rosuvastatin (10 mg per day) or placebo and to candesartan (16 mg per day) plus hydrochlorothiazide (12.5 mg per day) or placebo. In the analyses reported here, we compared the 3180 participants assigned to combined therapy (with rosuvastatin and the two antihypertensive agents) with the 3168 participants assigned to dual placebo. The first coprimary outcome was the composite of death from cardiovascular causes, nonfatal myocardial infarction, or nonfatal stroke, and the second coprimary outcome additionally included heart failure, cardiac arrest, or revascularization. The median follow-up was 5.6 years. RESULTS The decrease in the LDL cholesterol level was 33.7 mg per deciliter (0.87 mmol per liter) greater in the combined-therapy group than in the dual-placebo group, and the decrease in systolic blood pressure was 6.2 mm Hg greater with combined therapy than with dual placebo. The first coprimary outcome occurred in 113 participants (3.6%) in the combined-therapy group and in 157 (5.0%) in the dual-placebo group (hazard ratio, 0.71; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.56 to 0.90; P = 0.005). The second coprimary outcome occurred in 136 participants (4.3%) and 187 participants (5.9%), respectively (hazard ratio, 0.72; 95% CI, 0.57 to 0.89; P = 0.003). Muscle weakness and dizziness were more common in the combined-therapy group than in the dual-placebo group, but the overall rate of discontinuation of the trial regimen was similar in the two groups. CONCLUSIONS The combination of rosuvastatin (10 mg per day), candesartan (16 mg per day), and hydrochlorothiazide (12.5 mg per day) was associated with a significantly lower rate of cardiovascular events than dual placebo among persons at intermediate risk who did not have cardiovascular disease.

Acerca de la revista donde se publicó este artículo:

New England Journal of Medicine

Título del artículo:

Blood-pressure lowering in intermediate-risk persons without cardiovascular disease

BACKGROUND Antihypertensive therapy reduces the risk of cardiovascular events among high-risk persons and among those with a systolic blood pressure of 160 mm Hg or higher, but its role in persons at intermediate risk and with lower blood pressure is unclear. METHODS In one comparison from a 2-by-2 factorial trial, we randomly assigned 12,705 participants at intermediate risk who did not have cardiovascular disease to receive either candesartan at a dose of 16 mg per day plus hydrochlorothiazide at a dose of 12.5 mg per day or placebo. The first coprimary outcome was the composite of death from cardiovascular causes, nonfatal myocardial infarction, or nonfatal stroke; the second coprimary outcome additionally included resuscitated cardiac arrest, heart failure, and revascularization. The median follow-up was 5.6 years. RESULTS The mean blood pressure of the participants at baseline was 138.1/81.9 mm Hg; the decrease in blood pressure was 6.0/3.0 mm Hg greater in the active-treatment group than in the placebo group. The first coprimary outcome occurred in 260 participants (4.1%) in the active-treatment group and in 279 (4.4%) in the placebo group (hazard ratio, 0.93; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.79 to 1.10; P = 0.40); the second coprimary outcome occurred in 312 participants (4.9%) and 328 participants (5.2%), respectively (hazard ratio, 0.95; 95% CI, 0.81 to 1.11; P = 0.51). In one of the three prespecified hypothesis-based subgroups, participants in the subgroup for the upper third of systolic blood pressure (>143.5 mm Hg) who were in the active-treatment group had significantly lower rates of the first and second coprimary outcomes than those in the placebo group; effects were neutral in the middle and lower thirds (P = 0.02 and P = 0.009, respectively, for trend in the two outcomes). CONCLUSIONS Therapy with candesartan at a dose of 16 mg per day plus hydrochlorothiazide at a dose of 12.5 mg per day was not associated with a lower rate of major cardiovascular events than placebo among persons at intermediate risk who did not have cardiovascular disease.

Acerca de la revista donde se publicó este artículo:

New England Journal of Medicine

Título del artículo:

Cholesterol lowering in intermediate-risk persons without cardiovascular disease

BACKGROUND Previous trials have shown that the use of statins to lower cholesterol reduces the risk of cardiovascular events among persons without cardiovascular disease. Those trials have involved persons with elevated lipid levels or inflammatory markers and involved mainly white persons. It is unclear whether the benefits of statins can be extended to an intermediate-risk, ethnically diverse population without cardiovascular disease. METHODS In one comparison from a 2-by-2 factorial trial, we randomly assigned 12,705 participants in 21 countries who did not have cardiovascular disease and were at intermediate risk to receive rosuvastatin at a dose of 10 mg per day or placebo. The first coprimary outcome was the composite of death from cardiovascular causes, nonfatal myocardial infarction, or nonfatal stroke, and the second coprimary outcome additionally included revascularization, heart failure, and resuscitated cardiac arrest. The median follow-up was 5.6 years. RESULTS The overall mean low-density lipoprotein cholesterol level was 26.5% lower in the rosuvastatin group than in the placebo group. The first coprimary outcome occurred in 235 participants (3.7%) in the rosuvastatin group and in 304 participants (4.8%) in the placebo group (hazard ratio, 0.76; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.64 to 0.91; P = 0.002). The results for the second coprimary outcome were consistent with the results for the first (occurring in 277 participants [4.4%] in the rosuvastatin group and in 363 participants [5.7%] in the placebo group; hazard ratio, 0.75; 95% CI, 0.64 to 0.88; P<0.001). The results were also consistent in subgroups defined according to cardiovascular risk at baseline, lipid level, C-reactive protein level, blood pressure, and race or ethnic group. In the rosuvastatin group, there was no excess of diabetes or cancers, but there was an excess of cataract surgery (in 3.8% of the participants, vs. 3.1% in the placebo group; P = 0.02) and muscle symptoms (in 5.8% of the participants, vs. 4.7% in the placebo group; P = 0.005). CONCLUSIONS Treatment with rosuvastatin at a dose of 10 mg per day resulted in a significantly lower risk of cardiovascular events than placebo in an intermediate-risk, ethnically diverse population without cardiovascular disease.

Acerca de la revista donde se publicó este artículo:

New England Journal of Medicine

Título del artículo:

Neuroimaging brainstem circuitry supporting cardiovagal response to pain: A combined heart rate variability/ultrahigh-field (7 T) functional magnetic resonance imaging study

Central autonomic control nuclei in the brainstem have been difficult to evaluate non-invasively in humans. We applied ultrahigh-field (7 T) functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), and the improved spatial resolution it affords (1.2mm isotropic), to evaluate putative brainstem nuclei that control and/or sense pain-evoked cardiovagal modulation (high-frequency heart rate variability (HF-HRV) instantaneously estimated through a point-process approach). The time-variant HF-HRV signal was used to guide the general linear model analysis of neuroimaging data. Sustained (6min) pain stimulation reduced cardiovagal modulation, with the most prominent reduction evident in the first 2min. Brainstem nuclei associated with pain-evoked HF-HRV reduction were previously implicated in both autonomic regulation and pain processing. Specifically, clusters consistent with the rostral ventromedial medulla, ventral nucleus reticularis (Rt)/nucleus ambiguus (NAmb) and pontine nuclei (Pn) were found when contrasting sustained pain versus rest. Analysis of the initial 2-min period identified Rt/NAmb and Pn, in addition to clusters consistent with the dorsal motor nucleus of the vagus/nucleus of the solitary tract and locus coeruleus. Combining high spatial resolution fMRI and high temporal resolution HF-HRV allowed for a non-invasive characterization of brainstem nuclei, suggesting that nociceptive afference induces pain-processing brainstem nuclei to function in concert with known premotor autonomic nuclei in order to affect the cardiovagal response to pain.

Acerca de la revista donde se publicó este artículo:

Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society A: Mathematical, Physical and Engineering Sciences

Título del artículo:

Is there a space for incretin mimetics as a therapy for excess weight, obesity and cardiometabolic disease prevention?

Introduction: During the last decades there has been a gradual increase of cardiovascular diseases, who have become the main cause of death in the world and especially in Latin American countries, despite having identified preventable cardiovascular risk factors that explain around 90% of myocardial infarctions and cerebrovascular accidents. Therefore, it is require to implement actions that will allow to control cardiovascular risk factors, including being overweight or obese. Motivation: To review the effect of GLP-1 receptor agonists, including liraglutide, in controlling cardiovascular risk factors, particularly excess weight and obesity and the subsequent prevention of cardiovascular diseases. Methods: Evidence were searched by means of boolean operators and cross references in databases MEDLINE, LILACS and Google Scholar. Conclusions: GLP-1 receptor agonists can be a pharmacological alternative to control excess weight and obesity, and may help in preventing cardiovascular disease, though some questions remain regarding the benefits of its use in our field.

Acerca de la revista donde se publicó este artículo:

Revista Colombiana de Cardiologia

Título del artículo:

Is myopia another clinical manifestation of insulin resistance?

Myopia is a multifactorial visual refraction disease, in which the light rays from distant objects are focused in front of retina, causing blurry vision. Myopic eyes are characterized by an increased corneal curvature and/or ocular axial length. The prevalence of myopia has increased in recent decades, a trend that cannot be attributed exclusively to genetic factors. Low and middle income countries have a higher burden of refractive error, which we propose could be a consequence of a shorter exposure time to a westernized lifestyle, a phenomenon that may also explain the rapid increase in cardiometabolic diseases, such as diabetes, among those populations. We suggest that interactions between genetic, epigenetic and a rapidly changing environment are also involved in myopia onset and progression. Furthermore, we discuss several possible mechanisms by which insulin resistance may promote abnormal ocular growth and myopia to support the hypothesis that insulin resistance and hyperinsulinemia are involved in its pathogenesis, providing a link between trends in myopia and those of cardiometabolic diseases. There is evidence that insulin have direct ocular growth promoting effects as well an indirect effect via the induction of insulin-like growth factors leading to decreases insulin-like growth factor-binding protein, also implicated in ocular growth.

Acerca de la revista donde se publicó este artículo:

Medical Hypotheses

Título del artículo:

Isolation and Molecular characterization of microorganisms with potential for the degradation of oil and grease from palm oil refinery wastes

In this study we isolated and characterized native microorganisms with the ability to degrade oil and grease (O&G) and evaluated their potential for the treatment of POMEs from a palm oil refining process. Yeast and bacterial isolates were obtained from solid and liquid wastes from a grease trap of a palm oil refining process, based on their ability to use palm oil as sole carbon source in solid medium. Molecular identification of microorganisms was performed by PCR techniques, revealing that isolates corresponded to Candida and Bacillus species, with a high degree of similarity with reported O&G-degrading organisms. Five out of these isolates showed lipolytic activity evidenced by changes in the turbidity, colour and produced a substantial decrease in O&G concentrations in liquid MBS cultures containing palm oil. These isolates promoted the highest O&G decrease in POME samples with 56 %, 77 %, 78 %, 76 % and 79 % O&G removal after 72 hours respectively. A microbial consortia composed of five degrading yeasts produced a O&G reduction up to 84 % in POME samples after 48 hours, evidencing a synergic effect of the microorganisms. The results of this study showed that bioaugmentation of polluted wastewaters from palm oil extraction with native microorganisms isolated from oily residues can be efficiently used to greatly improve the removal of grease, oils and organic matter.

Acerca de la revista donde se publicó este artículo:

Chemical Engineering Transactions

Título del artículo:

Evaluation of the efficiency of bio-polymers derived from desertic plants as flocculation agents

In the treatment of wastewater, flocculation is one of the most used processes, which aims to eliminate colloidal particles cannot be removed by other methods; Traditionally it has been used aluminum or iron salts and synthetic polymer, which generate little biodegradable sludge; moreover biopolymers, have coagulation and flocculation properties which can remove over 80-90% of solids contaminated; additionally, the use of natural polymers produce sludge increased biodegradability. The present work analyzes the efficiency of a biopolimer based on 6 endemic plants (Opuntia dilleni, Stenocereus griseus, Cereus forbesii, Melocactus sp. Aloe arborescens and Aloe vera) found at the desertic indian reservation \"Kululumana\".

Acerca de la revista donde se publicó este artículo:

Chemical Engineering Transactions

Título del artículo:

Improvement of biomass and dha production on a semi-continuous culture of aurantiochytrium sp NYH-2

Aurantiochytrium sp has been recognized as one of the most suitable sources of high valuable fatty acids (FA) including docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), docosapentaenoic acid, arachidonic acid, eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), and saturated FA; however it\'s necessary to improve total biomass production and high value FA specially DHA. The aim of this research is to improve the production of biomass and DHA on the novel Aurantiochytrium sp NYH-2 strain via an optimization of culture time (2, 3 and 5 days) and removal of culture (20, 50 and 80% v/v) using a 23 experimental design. It was found that in order to improve biomass production a large amount of culture media must be replaced (>90%), however after the third cycle biomass production was reduced from 10 g/L to 9 g/L; similarly under the same conditions lipids and DHA production increased from 15% to 20% (w/w) and from 3 to 5% (w/w) respectively in the first 3 cycles and then reduced in cycle 5. Finally results suggest that in a semi-continuous process the algae is only functional 3 cycles (9 to 12 days) and in order to improve total biomass lipids and DHA production, a volume of culture media between 80-92% must be removed every 3-4 days.

Acerca de la revista donde se publicó este artículo:

Chemical Engineering Transactions

Título del artículo:

Evaluation of a two-phase extraction system of carbohydrates and proteins from chlorella vulgaris utex 1803

Microalgae are a valuable source of high-value products and biofuels, however the high-energy cost required for the extraction of their metabolites has kept questioning on possible industrial upgrading. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of temperature, solvent/biomass, NaOH concentration and thermal pretreatment of the biomass in a 2-cycle carbohydrate and protein extraction system. Results shown that best conditions for carbohydrates extraction are achieved at a solvent concentration of 3.67 M, 55°C and a solvent/biomass ratio of 30mL/g. On the other side, the best conditions for protein were 3 M, 85°C and 45 mL/g. The efficiencies achieved under these conditions were 95% for carbohydrates and 98% for proteins. Using the best extraction conditions for each metabolite a thermal pre-treatment was performed at 25°C, 75°C and 105°C. Results indicate that highest efficiencies were achieved with dry biomass pretreated at 105°C, with values of 95% for carbohydrates and 98% for proteins.

Acerca de la revista donde se publicó este artículo:

Chemical Engineering Transactions

Título del artículo:

Life cycle assessment to identify environmental improvements in an aerobic waste water treatment plant

Currently, reduce the environmental impacts generated by industries is vital; that is the reason why many companies are changing their processes to biotechnological processes which seem to be more sustainable alternatives. The Life Cycle Analysis (LCA) is an internationally accepted tool that allows environmental assessment of products and processes. In addition, LCA has been used to identify environmental improvement opportunities in different production systems and, that is the reason why it has been selected to be used on this research in order to diagnose the environmental performance of a Waste Water Treatment Plant (WWTP) of a cattle benefit plant. The system studied was a WWTP located in Cúcuta (Colombia), which treats 118.477 kg/day of water from cattle benefit plant. The stages of the WWTP are: screening, grit removal, primary sedimentation tank, homogenizer, grease traps, activated sludge reactor, secondary sedimentation tank, slow down flow filter and drying bed. In this paper the process diagrams and the mass and energy balances were constructed with information provided directly by the cattle benefit plant. The impact analysis was carried out using the software SIMAPRO 7.0 and the following impact categories were evaluated: climate change, eutrophication, photochemical oxidation, depletion of the ozone layer, acidification and biotic exhaustion. It was found that the environmental impacts of the WWTP of the cattle benefit plant are generated mainly due to the high electricity consumption in screening, homogenizer, and slurry reactor. Eutrophication was also observed due to the enrichment caused by the increase of the amounts of nutrients, which affected decomposition of excess of organic matter in the water so it could not be a complete mineralization of the nutrients it possesses. All the calculations were carried out using the Ecoinvent data bases. Favourable indicators were observed comparing the environmental profiles of the biological WWTP under study with the environmental indicators of a physicochemical WWTP of cattle benefit plant located in Bucaramanga (Colombia). The potential environmental impacts were lower in all the impact categories evaluated.

Acerca de la revista donde se publicó este artículo:

Chemical Engineering Transactions

Título del artículo:

Molecular characterization and evaluation of oil-degrading native bacteria isolated from automotive service station oilcontaminated soils

In this study, a hydrocarbon-degrading mixed inoculum which is able to use used oil as sole carbon source, was selected from 15 bacterial isolates obtained from automotive service station oil-contaminated soils. Degrading microorganisms were isolated using different oils as sole carbon source and identified by the amplification and sequencing of the 16s rRNA sequences. In addition, the presence of hydrocarbon-degrading genes such as catechol 2,3 dioxygenase (nahH), alkane monooxygenase (alkB), Gram-negative (GN-RHDá) and Gram-positive PAH-Ring Hydroxylating Dioxygenase alpha (GP-RHDá) was analyzed by PCR and the molecular diversity by LSSP-PCR methods. Four (4) out of fifteen (15) isolates corresponding to Stenotrophomonas maltophilia, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Klebsiella pneumoniae showed significant differences regarding oil/grease removal in liquid culture after 72 hours. Subsequently, a degrading mixed inoculum composed of these isolates was constructed and its degrading potential tested in a two-liter bioreactor containing unsterile liquid oily wastes with 0.8 % (w/v) Total Petroleum Hydrocarbons (TPHs) concentration for 42 days. The use of the mixed inoculum led to a decrease of 98.4 % Biological Oxygen Demand (BOD), 97.5 % Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD) and 97.2 % TPHs after 40 days. Further scale-up of the process to five liters using 0.2 % (w/v) unsterile oily wastes produced similar results, with a reduction of 85 % BOD, 39 % COD and 87 % TPHs after 38 days. The degrading mixed microbial inoculum presented high potential for the treatment of impacted soils at automotive service stations and sites polluted with oily wastes due to its elevated growth at high hydrocarbon concentrations and its capacity to utilize oils as energy source.

Acerca de la revista donde se publicó este artículo:

Chemical Engineering Transactions

Título del artículo:

Effect of carbon-nitrogen ratio for the biomass production, hydrocarbons and lipids on botryoccus braunii UIS 003.

The genus Botryococcus compiles a variety of green microalgae which accumulate large quantities of hydrocarbons, this genus is classified in four types or races (A, B, L and R) based on chemical structure of hydrocarbons. Race B has been acknowledge due to its hability to accumulate triterpene hydrocarbons C30-C37 best known as botriococene and methylated squalene C31-C34 which are considerate as candidates for biofuels production; however, one of the main problems that face biofuels production using this alga as feedstock is the continuous production, both lipids and hydrocarbons; that is why it\'s mandatory to find the best carbon and nitrogen source that maximizes biomass and total lipid production. It was found that by adjusting the carbon/nitrogen ratio using sodium carbonate (Na2CO3) it was possible to substantially improve the production of biomass from 1 to 2 g/L in 15 days thus doubling the production of biomass in the same time; however, both the lipids and hydrocarbons production will not be affected positively showing a significant reduction from baseline.

Acerca de la revista donde se publicó este artículo:

Chemical Engineering Transactions

Título del artículo:

A profile of corporate social responsibility for mining companies present in the Santurban Moorland, Santander, Colombia

This work is an attempt to develop a corporate social responsibility (CSR) profile based on the practices and processes used by the mining companies present in the Santurban moorland, in the department of Santander. To achieve this, a census was applied based on 82 variables in 6 planes related to corporate social responsibility and the stakeholders. Information was collected between June of 2013 and May of 2014 using a census that was applied only to those mining companies with current registrations in the Bucaramanga Chamber of Commerce and with more than 10 employees each. The results enabled the evaluation of sectorial strengths as well as those elements that need to be improved in order to achieve an optimal level of CSR. The weaknesses found in the gold companies include: lack of clear and transparent hiring practices; lack of programs for employees who are mothers with small children; and lack of sufficient tools for identifying the needs of the closest community to the sites. They do practice diverse social investment strategies but do not track the impact of applying these in the region. It was also found that they have no clear processes for identifying, selecting, contracting and evaluating their suppliers. The greatest weakness found was with respect to the Client given that they have no client service department.The strengths found amongst the Mining Companies in the Santurban Moorland include that most of them do have a CSR policy or strategy and demonstrate a positive attitude towards implementing this kind of program. In addition, they have gender equity and anti-discrimination policies and agreements that go beyond they law.

Acerca de la revista donde se publicó este artículo:

Global Ecology and Conservation

Título del artículo:

Herding effect in economic sectors of the Latin American stock markets: A pre and post-subprime crisis vision

In recent years the behavior of the agents and what motivates them to make their investment decisions; it has been the focus of study by many researchers in the fields of economics, finance and related fields. With this in mind, this article seeks to test empirically one of these behaviors, the herd effect, using the models proposed by Christie y Huang (1995) and Chang, Cheng y Khorana (2000), in the most representative index and the sectors that compose it, of the main markets in Latin America (Brazil, Mexico, Chile, Colombia, Peru and Argentina) in the period 2002-2014, as well as in the sub periods pre and post crisis caused by the subprime mortgage. The findings of this research show that the herd effect is present in the most representative stock index in Colombia, Chile and Peru and in some of the sectors that comprise it, either in the total period and/or in sub periods pre and post crisis; in the Brazilian stock market, the effect is present in the banking sector in the total period and in the sub period of pre-crisis; Argentina stock market that effect is present in the banking sector and in the oil and gas sector, and Mexico stock market there is no evidence of this effect.

Acerca de la revista donde se publicó este artículo:

Contaduria y Administracion