New spin coated multilayer lactate biosensor for acidosis monitoring in continuous flow assisted with an electrochemical pH probe.

A LOx-based electrochemical biosensor for high-level lactate determination was developed. For the construction of the biosensor, chitosan and Nafion layers were integrated by using a spin coating procedure, leading to less porous surfaces in comparison with those recorded after a drop casting procedure. The analytical performance of the resulting biosensor for lactate determination was evaluated in batch and flow regime, displaying satisfactory results in both modes ranging from 0.5 to 20 mM concentration range for assessing the lactic acidosis. Finally, the lactate levels in raw serum samples were estimated using the biosensor developed and verified with a blood gas analyzer. Based on these results, the biosensor developed is promising for its use in healthcare environment, after its proper miniaturization. A pH probe based on common polyaniline-based electrochemical sensor was also developed to assist the biosensor for the lactic acidosis monitoring, leading to excellent results in stock solutions ranging from 6.0 to 8.0 mM and raw plasma samples. The results were confirmed by using two different approaches, blood gas analyzer and pH-meter. Consequently, the lactic acidosis monitoring could be achieved in continuous flow regime using both (bio)sensors.

Lonesome plants: How isolation affects seed set of a threatened dioecious shrub.

Plant reproductive failure is a critical concern for conserving rare and endangered species that typically have low-density and sparse populations. One important factor contributing to reproductive failure is the spatial arrangement of plants within a population, which can lead to isolation and negatively affect seed production, particularly in obligate outcrossers. Additionally, plant size can compound this effect, influencing seed production via multiple processes. Here, we investigate how spatial distribution and size influence the reproductive success of Vasconcellea chilensis, an endemic-threatened papaya species in Chile. We first examined whether V. chilensis can produce seeds via apomixis using pollinator exclusion experiments. We then used Spatial Point Pattern Analysis (SPPA) in three populations to explore the spatial arrangement of plants. Finally, we assessed whether plant size and neighbor distance influence the reproductive success V. chilensis is a dioecious shrub unable to produce fruits through apomixis. The SPPA revealed significant clustering of female and male plants at different spatial scales, indicating a non-random distribution. Moreover, a significant spatial association between the sexes was observed. In two populations, closer proximity to male plants was linked to higher seed production. Our study revealed that the reproductive system of V. chilensis is susceptible to distance-dependent reproductive failure due to pollen limitation. While the species' spatial structure may partially mitigate this risk, female plants isolated from male counterparts will likely experience reduced seed set.

Simple and cost-effective pH and T sensors from top to bottom: New chemical probes based on sonogel-carbon transducers for plasma analyses.

The present work introduces two novel approaches to fabricate simple and cost-effective pH and temperature probes. Sinusoidal voltage methodologies were employed to electrodeposit polyaniline (PANI) at different growth times (10-20 min) on the surface of an affordable Sonogel-Carbon electrode to conform a robust pH sensor. The presence of PANI and its phases were corroborated by electrochemical means. The sensibility, reversibility and selectivity of the produced sensor were very adequate to apply it in physiological samples. In this regard, the proposed sensor was evaluated in artificial blood serum as well as untreated plasma samples obtaining outstanding results in comparison with a gold reference technique (error <2 %). In addition, a new composite sonogel material, intrinsically modified with multiwalled carbon nanotubes, was attached on top of an electrode couple to one-step fabricate a new temperature probe, relating resistance of the probe with the surroundings temperature. In this case, an optical microscopy characterization was performed to study the sturdiness of the layer. Remarkably, suitable results in terms of sensitivity and selectivity were obtained. The probes were assessed in artificial and untreated plasma samples as well, with the corresponding validation step (error <1 %) by using a commercial temperature probe.

Development of a molecularly imprinted membrane for selective, high-sensitive, and on-site detection of antibiotics in waters and drugs: Application for sulfamethoxazole.

Sulfonamides are among the widespread bacterial antibiotics. Despite this, their quick emergence constitutes a serious problem for ecosystems and human health. Therefore, there is an increased interest in developing relevant detection method for antibiotics in different matrices. In this work, a straightforward, green, and cost-effective protocol was proposed for the preparation of a selective molecularly imprinted membrane (MIM) of sulfamethoxazole (SMX), a commonly used antibiotic. Thus, cellulose acetate was used as the functional polymer, while polyethylene glycol served as a pore-former. The developed MIM was successfully characterized through scanning electron microscopy (SEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). The MIM was used as a sensing platform in conjunction with a smartphone for optical readout, enabling on-site, selective, and highly sensitive detection of SMX. In this way, a satisfactory imprinting factor of around 3.6 and a limit of detection of 2 ng mL-1 were reached after applying response surface methodologies, including Box-Behnken and central composite designs. Besides, MIM demonstrated its applicability for the accurate and selective detection of SMX in river waters, wastewater, and drugs. Additionally, the MIM was shown to be a valuable sorbent in a solid-phase extraction protocol, employing a spin column setup that offered rapid and reproducible results. Furthermore, the developed sensing platform exhibited notable regeneration properties over multiple cycles and long shelf-life in different storage conditions. The newly developed methodology is of crucial importance to overcome the limitations of classical imprinting polymers. Furthermore, the smartphone-based platform was used to surpass the typically expensive and complicated methods of detection.

Rehabilitación protésica en odontopediatría y sus efectos en la modificación conductual de un niño / Prosthetic rehabilitation in pediatric dentistry and its effects on the behavioral modification of a child

La caries de la temprana infancia puede afectar severamente la dentición primaria que requiere tratamientos complejos y en ocasiones la extracción del diente afectado. Se presenta informe de caso sobre la rehabilitación dental integral de un paciente de 6 años, la evolución de su comportamiento y la mejora en su calidad de vida, autoestima e interacción social. El plan de tratamiento incluyó una fase de adaptación a la consulta odontológica, eliminación de caries, restauración dental, exodoncias y elaboración de dos prótesis removibles. Al inicio del tratamiento presentó temor y rechazo al tratamiento, pero con el avance del proceso rehabilitador odontológico y la evidencia de los resultados, el comportamiento del niño fue de aceptación y colaboración. Su evolución positiva de comportamiento se presentó también en sus relaciones sociales, aumentó la interacción con otras personas y su participación en juegos con otros niños. La rehabilitación protésica contribuyó a recuperar las funciones de masticación y fonación. La renovación de la estética dental produjo un significativo cambio de conducta, mejora en su autoestima con un impacto psicológico positivo en su calidad de vida

Early childhood caries can severely affect the primary dentition requiring complex treatments and sometimes the extraction of the affected tooth. A case report is presented on the comprehensive dental rehabilitation of a 6-year-old patient, the evolution of his behavior and the improvement in his quality of life, self-esteem and social interaction. The treatment plan included a phase of adaptation to the dental consultation, elimination of cavities, dental restoration, extractions and elaboration of two removable prostheses. At the beginning of the treatment, he presented fear and rejection of the treatment, but with the progress of the dental rehabilitation process and the evidence of the results, the child's behavior was one of acceptance and collaboration. Their positive behavior evolution was also present in their social relationships, increased interaction with other people and their participation in games with other children. Prosthetic rehabilitation contributed to recovering the functions of chewing and phonation. The renovation of dental aesthetics produced a significant change in behavior, an improvement in their self-esteem with a positive psychological impact on their quality of life

Hereditary pituitary tumor syndromes: genetic and clinical aspects

ABSTRACT The pituitary gland is responsible for the synthesis and secretion of various hormones that play a key role in regulating endocrine function and homeostasis. Pituitary adenomas (PA) are benign epithelial tumors arising from the endocrine cells of the anterior pituitary gland. Clinically relevant PA are relatively common and they occur in 0.1% of the general population. They are mostly benign monoclonal neoplasms that arise from any of the five hormone-secreting cell types of the anterior pituitary gland. PA are categorized as either functioning or non-functioning, depending on whether or not they produce a hormonal hypersecretion syndrome. Both functioning and non-functioning adenomas can produce symptoms or signs resulting from compression of the optic chiasm or invasion of cavernous sinuses. Only 5% of PA occur within the context of hereditary syndromes with reasonably well-defined oncogenic mechanisms. The vast majority of PA are sporadic, and their etiopathogenesis remains largely unknown. Pituitary tumor oncogenesis involves several mechanisms that eventually lead to abnormal cell proliferation and dysregulated hormone production. Among these factors, we found inactivating mutations of tumor suppressor genes, activating mutation of oncogenes and the participation of hormonal signals coming from the hypothalamus, all resulting in cell-cycle regulation abnormalities. In this review, we summarize the clinical and pathophysiological aspects of the different hereditary pituitary tumor syndromes.

Diagnóstico de la fertilidad de los suelos de cuatro municipios de Cundinamarca (Colombia) para la producción de plátano / Diagnostics of soil fertility in four municipalities of Cundinamarca (Colombia) employed for cooking banana production

RESUMEN Para lograr rendimientos óptimos en la producción de plátano, se debe tener en cuenta la disponibilidad de nutrientes en el suelo, para así ajustar planes de fertilización adecuados. Con el fin de contribuir al estudio de la fertilidad de suelos cultivados con plátano en el departamento de Cundinamarca-Colombia, se realizó una caracterización química de suelos, en cuatro de los principales municipios productores. Se visitaron 146 fincas, ubicadas en Viotá, La Vega, La Palma y Chaguaní, donde se tomaron muestras de suelo, para análisis químico. Los resultados obtenidos fueron sometidos a un análisis de frecuencias, correlación lineal de Pearson y componentes principales, realizando, finalmente, una comparación de medias entre los cuatro municipios. Se observaron niveles bajos de P, S y Mg, medios de K, Ca y B, así como altas concentraciones de Zn, que pueden llegar a ser tóxicas para el cultivo de plátano. Por otro lado, las variables se agruparon en cuatro componentes asociados a: la capa de cambio del suelo, la reacción del suelo, la salinidad y la relación entre el P y Zn. Suelos de los municipios de La Vega y La Palma no presentaron variación en la capa de cambio y la reacción del suelo, caso contrario al observado en suelos de Viotá y Chaguaní. Entre suelos de los municipios, se presentaron diferencias significativas para las propiedades materia orgánica, Ca y Mg, así como desbalances catiónicos y pH fuertemente ácidos.

ABSTRACT To achieve optimum yields in plantain production, appropriate fertilization plans must be adjusted, for which the availability of nutrients in the soil must be taken into account. In order to contribute to the study of the fertility of soils cultivated with cooking banana in the province of Cundinamarca - Colombia, a chemical characterization of soils was carried out in four of the main producing municipalities. 146 farms located in Viotá, La Vega, La Palma and Chaguaní, were visited, and soil samples were taken for chemical analysis. The results obtained were subjected to a frequency analysis, Pearson's linear correlation and main components; finally making a comparison of means between the four municipalities. Low levels of P, S and Mg, medium of K, Ca and B were observed, as well as high concentrations of Zn that can be toxic for the plantain crop. On the other hand, the variables were grouped into four components associated with: the soil change layer, the soil reaction, the salinity and the relationship between P and Zn. Soils of the municipalities of La Vega and La Palma did not show variation in the change layer and soil reaction, contrary to that observed in Viotá and Chaguaní soils. Among the soils of the municipalities, there were significant differences for the properties of organic matter, Ca and Mg as well as cationic imbalances and strongly acidic pH.

PlayStation PortableTM como tratamiento de la ambliopía en los niños / PlayStation PortableTM as treatment for children with amblyopia

Objetivo: Determinar la efectividad de la terapia visual con el uso del PlayStation PortableTM en la ambliopía. Método: Se incluyeron 40 pacientes de 5-10 años de edad con ambliopía estrábica, anisometrópica o ambas, aleatorizados en 4 grupos según el tipo de terapia a utilizar (10 pacientes por grupo): grupo 1, PlayStation PortableTM y lentes rojo-verde; grupo 2, PlayStation PortableTM y lentes con vidrio esmerilado en el ojo fijador (no ambliope); grupo 3, PlayStation PortableTM y parche oclusivo en el ojo fijador; grupo 4, parche oclusivo en el ojo fijador sin el PlayStation PortableTM. Todos los pacientes utilizaron su refracción. Las actividades de los grupos 1 al 3 incluyeron jugar videojuegos y ver películas 1-2 horas al día; el grupo 4 podía realizar cualquier actividad. Se valoró la agudeza visual mejor corregida semanalmente, hasta completar 3 meses de tratamiento. En el postratamiento se valoró la agudeza visual mejor corregida mensualmente durante 3 meses. Resultados: En total se estudiaron 40 pacientes, de los cuales el 60 por ciento fueron del sexo femenino, con un promedio de edad de 8,2 años, rango de 5-10 años. El tipo más frecuente de ambliopía fue la estrábica (55 por ciento), seguido de la anisometrópica (37,5 por ciento) y ambas (7,5 por ciento). En cuanto al ojo afectado, en el 62,5 por ciento fue el ojo izquierdo y en el 37,5 por ciento el ojo derecho. Conclusiones: En este estudio el grupo con mejores resultados fue el de filtro rojo-verde. Al suspender la terapia se observó un deterioro visual en los cuatro grupos, sin regresar a la basal. Se demuestra que el PlayStation PortableTM funciona como terapia en la ambliopía con una mejoría en la agudeza visual mejor corregida(AU)

Objective: Determine the effectiveness of visual therapy with PlayStation PortableTM for amblyopia. Methods: The study sample was composed of 40 patients aged 5-10 years with strabismic amblyopia, anisometropic amblyopia or both, randomized to 4 groups according to the therapy to be used (10 patients per group): Group 1: PlayStation PortableTM and red-green lenses; Group 2: PlayStation PortableTM and frosted glass lenses on the fixating (non-amblyopic) eye; Group 3: PlayStation PortableTM and occlusive patch on the fixating eye; Group 4: occlusive patch on the fixating eye without PlayStation PortableTM. All the patients used their refraction. The activities performed by Groups 1-3 included playing video games and watching movies 1-2 hours per day; Group 4 could perform any activity. Best corrected visual acuity was measured weekly until completing 3 months of treatment. In the post-treatment period best corrected visual acuity was measured monthly for 3 months. Results: A total 40 patients were studied, of whom 60 percent were female, with a mean age of 8.2 years, range of 5-10 years. Strabismic amblyopia was the most common type (55 percent), followed by anisometropic amblyopia (37,5 percent) and both (7.5 percent). The affected eye was the left eye in 62.5 percent and the right eye in 37.5 percent. Conclusions: It was found that PlayStation PortableTM is effective as therapy for amblyopia, improving best corrected visual acuity. The group with the best results was the red-green filter group. Upon suspension of the therapy, visual deterioration was observed in the 4 groups, without returning to baseline values(AU)

Melanoma maligno: presentación de un caso / Malignant melanoma. Case presentation

Antecedentes: El melanoma maligno en el cual la luz solar es un factor etiológico muy importante, aunque no como en los demás cánceres de la piel, es el más grande reto en la detección preventiva de todos los cánceres de la piel. Materiales y método: Describimos el caso de un melanoma lentiginoso acral en planta de pie, que es la forma más frecuente en nuestro país, en una señora de 71 años, que fue extirpado quirúrgicamente. Comentario: La paciente no ha sido sometida a quimioterapia post-operatoria y 11 meses después no muestra señales de metastasis

Manifestaciones clínicas del síndrome de Duane / Clinical features of Duane's syndrome

Se revisaron en forma retrospectiva 164 pacientes con diagnóstico de Síndrome de Duane. De estos 109 (66.46 por ciento) fueron mujeres y 55 (33.54 por ciento) fueron hombres; 138 (84.15 por ciento) fueron del tipo I, 5 (3.05 por ciento) del tipo II, 17 (10.36 por ciento) del tipo III y 4 (2.44 por ciento) presentaron combinaciones; 102 (62.20 por ciento) presentaban afección únicamente del ojo izquierdo, 30 (18.29 por ciento) del derecho y 32 (19.51 por ciento) de ambos; 94 (57.32 por ciento) se encontraban en orto posición, 43 (26.22 por ciento) en endotropia y 27 (16.46 por ciento) en exotropia; 20 (17.70 por ciento) de 113 pacientes presentaban desviaciones horizontales en la supra y/o infraversiones; 35 (24.14 por ciento) de 145 pacientes presentaban posición compensadora de la cabeza; 40 (37.38 por ciento) de 107 pacientes presentaban disparon; 11 (10.38 por ciento) de 106 pacientes presentaban ambliopía; 12 pacientes (7.40 por ciento) presentaban anisometropía; 110 ojos (34.06 por ciento) presentaban emetropía, 140 (43.34 por ciento) hipermetropía y 73 (22.60 por ciento) miopía

Prevalencia de enfermedades del sistema estomatognático en pacientes adultos que asistieron a la Facultad de Odontología de la Universidad de El Salvador durante los años 2000 y 2001 / Prevalence of diseases of the stomatognathic system in adult patients who attended the School of Dentistry of the University of El Salvador during the years 2000 and 2001

Entre muchas ramas de la medicina moderna una importante e indispensable es la epidemiología la cual puede llevar un registro actualizado de una manera ordenada y exacta de cada una de las enfermedades en cuanto a su aparecimiento y propagación en un tiempo y lugar determinado. Todos los países cuentan con un sistema de salud el cual tiene que llevar sus registros a través de la epidemiología; pues, cada institución que se dedique al préstamo de cualquier servicio en algunas de las áreas de la salud es necesario que lleve un registro estadístico de las atenciones que se prestan. En el marco de referencia de esta investigación, se presentan los antecedentes de estudios epidemiológicos que generaron en el grupo investigador la inquietud de plasmar después del análisis de los expedientes clínicos del área de archivo de la Facultad de Odontología de la Universidad de El Salvador entre los años 2000 y 2001, los datos epidemiológicos que puedan servir de base para posteriores estudios, a través de los cuales se vaya informando a la población interesada en este tipo de estudios sobre el grado de evolución de las diferentes patologías que adolece la población salvadoreña, de modo que pueda beneficiarse tanto la entidad educadora como la sociedad a la que sirve. La fundamentación bibliográfica ayuda a la presente investigación a ser sustentada por la opinión emitida por diversos autores, a través de una serie de publicaciones, que se presentan en libros, revistas, páginas WEB, en las cuales se emite una opinión o se plasma una serie de estudios que brindan información básica para conocer el estado de salud bucal de la población en distintas sociedades y de esa forma contrastar la realidad mundial con los datos obtenidos del contexto nacional. Los objetivos planteados en este estudio guiaron a los investigadores a lo largo de este trabajo a obtener los datos pertinentes de modo que al final se pudiera realizar una comparación de estos datos con otros estudios realizados. Se consideran ciertas definiciones de términos que en este estudio su significado y comprensión, serán de una forma particular valedera únicamente para esta investigación. se establecen los materiales y métodos utilizados para la recolección de los datos, la forma en que el grupo se organizó para el vaciado y la tabulación de los resultados, dentro de la totalidad de la población sometida a este estudio se tomó como referencia una muestra, la cual permitió extrapolar los resultados obtenidos a toda la población que involucra este estudio. El apartado de resultados de la investigación, se presentan todos los datos obtenidos, a través de cuadros y gráficos que muestran la prevalencia de patologías de tejidos blandos y duros presentes en la población en estudio que sirvió posteriormente para el análisis de los datos, momento en que se realizó una comparación de los datos recabados con la información brindada por los diferentes autores. Las conclusiones de este estudio ponen de manifiesto cuales fueron las patologías más prevalentes del sistema estomatognático tanto en los tejidos blandos como en los tejidos duros, en base al sexo de los pacientes y grupos de edad que se presentaron en la población involucrada en este estudio entre los años 2000 y 2001.

Among many branches of modern medicine, an important and indispensable one is epidemiology, which can keep an updated record in an orderly and exact way of each of the diseases in terms of their appearance and spread at a specific time and place. All countries have a health system which has to keep its records through epidemiology; therefore, each institution that is dedicated to the loan of any service in some of the health areas is necessary to keep a statistical record of the care provided. In the framework of this research, the antecedents of epidemiological studies are presented that generated in the research group the concern to capture after the analysis of the clinical records of the archive area of ​​the Faculty of Dentistry of the University of El Salvador among the years 2000 and 2001, the epidemiological data that can serve as a basis for subsequent studies, through which the population interested in this type of study is informed about the degree of evolution of the different pathologies that the Salvadoran population suffers, from so that both the educational entity and the society it serves can benefit. The bibliographic foundation helps this research to be supported by the opinion issued by various authors, through a series of publications, which are presented in books, magazines, WEB pages, in which an opinion is issued or a series is reflected of studies that provide basic information to know the oral health status of the population in different societies and thus contrast the world reality with the data obtained from the national context. The objectives set out in this study guided the researchers throughout this work to obtain the relevant data so that in the end a comparison of these data with other studies could be made. Certain definitions of terms are considered that in this study their meaning and understanding will be in a particular way valid only for this investigation. The materials and methods used for data collection are established, the way in which the group was organized for the emptying and the tabulation of the results, within the entire population submitted to this study, a sample was taken as a reference, which allowed extrapolating the results obtained to the entire population involved in this study. In the research results section, all the data obtained are presented, through tables and graphs that show the prevalence of soft and hard tissue pathologies present in the study population that subsequently served for the analysis of the data, at the time that a comparison was made of the data collected with the information provided by the different authors. The conclusions of this study show which were the most prevalent pathologies of the stomatognathic system in both soft and hard tissues, based on the sex of the patients and age groups that occurred in the population involved in this study between the years 2000 and 2001.

El trabajo extradoméstico de las mexicanas / Extradomestic work of mexican women

Documento elaborado a propósito de la IV Conferencia Mundial sobre la Mujer, realizada en Pekín, República Popular China, en septiembre de 1995, donde se da a conocer la situación de la mujer mexicana en torno a su participación en la actividad económica, que se caracteriza por condiciones de trabajo precarias, la segregación ocupacional y la doble jornada. El documento se divide en: I. La ocupación femenina en México en la última década II. Condiciones de trabajo de la población femenina III. Programas para el empleo IV. Propuestas y estrategias V. Cuadros VI. Anexo: integrantes del grupo de trabajo sobre "ocupación, empleo y fuerza de trabajo"