Plant adaptation to low phosphorus availability: Core signaling, crosstalks, and applied implications.

Phosphorus (P) is an essential nutrient for plant growth and reproduction. Plants preferentially absorb P as orthophosphate (Pi), an ion that displays low solubility and that is readily fixed in the soil, making P limitation a condition common to many soils and Pi fertilization an inefficient practice. To cope with Pi limitation, plants have evolved a series of developmental and physiological responses, collectively known as the Pi starvation rescue system (PSR), aimed to improve Pi acquisition and use efficiency (PUE) and protect from Pi-starvation-induced stress. Intensive research has been carried out during the last 20 years to unravel the mechanisms underlying the control of the PSR in plants. Here we review the results of this research effort that have led to the identification and characterization of several core Pi starvation signaling components, including sensors, transcription factors, microRNAs (miRNAs) and miRNA inhibitors, kinases, phosphatases, and components of the proteostasis machinery. We also refer to recent results revealing the existence of intricate signaling interplays between Pi and other nutrients and antagonists, N, Fe, Zn, and As, that have changed the initial single-nutrient-centric view to a more integrated view of nutrient homeostasis. Finally, we discuss advances toward improving PUE and future research priorities.

A Cost-Efficient 5G Non-Public Network Architectural Approach: Key Concepts and Enablers, Building Blocks and Potential Use Cases.

The provision of high data rate services to mobile users combined with improved quality of experience (i.e., zero latency multimedia content) drives technological evolution towards the design and implementation of fifth generation (5G) broadband wireless networks. To this end, a dynamic network design approach is adopted whereby network topology is configured according to service demands. In parallel, many private companies are interested in developing their own 5G networks, also referred to as non-public networks (NPNs), since this deployment is expected to leverage holistic production monitoring and support critical applications. In this context, this paper introduces a 5G NPN architectural approach, supporting among others various key enabling technologies, such as cell densification, disaggregated RAN with open interfaces, edge computing, and AI/ML-based network optimization. In the same framework, potential applications of our proposed approach in real world scenarios (e.g., support of mission critical services and computer vision analytics for emergencies) are described. Finally, scalability issues are also highlighted since a deployment framework of our architectural design in an additional real-world scenario related to Industry 4.0 (smart manufacturing) is also analyzed.

Recomendaciones latinoamericanas para el manejo de la hipertensión arterial en adultos (RELAHTA 2)

RESUMEN Se presenta la segunda parte de las recomendaciones latinoamericanas para el manejo de la Hipertensión Arterial (HTA) en adultos. En una primera fase se han descripto los aspectos más relevantes de la epidemiología, aspectos fisiopatológicos, cómo hacer diagnóstico, pautas terapéuticas, urgencias y emergencias hipertensivas, poblaciones especiales, hipertensión refractaria y la aplicación de las guías en la vida real. En esta segunda parte, se emiten recomendaciones respondiendo a preguntas específicas para prevención primaria, secundaria, terciaria y cuaternaria. En general pocas recomendaciones al respecto del manejo de la hipertensión arterial surgen desde la clínica médica/ medicina interna, a pesar de dos situaciones: la mayoría de los pacientes con hipertensión arterial son evaluados y manejados por los clínicos, y la clínica médica es la especialidad que permite la mirada holística e integrada de los problemas de salud del adulto, permitiendo agregar el enfoque biográfico al biológico, comprender e interpretar no solo el problema de salud sino sus causas y consecuencias (que muchas veces suelen corresponder a diferentes parénquimas, lo cual en el modelo fragmentado haría transitar al paciente por distintas especialidades). El bajo porcentaje de pacientes hipertensos controlados obliga a todos los profesionales involucrados en el manejo de los mismos a optimizar recursos y detectar problemas que se asocien a un control deficitario como la sub utilización del tratamiento farmacológico, baja tasa de pacientes tratados con estrategia combinada (la mayoría de los pacientes actualmente recibe monoterapia), falta de prescripción adecuada de los cambios en el estilo de vida, baja adherencia terapéutica e inercia clínica. En la presente publicación se presentan recomendaciones efectuadas por especialistas en clínica médica / medicina interna para el manejo de la hipertensión arterial en adultos, respondiendo preguntas de prevención primaria, secundaria, terciaria, y cuaternaria.

ABSTRACT The second part of the Latin American recommendations for the management of Arterial Hypertension (HTA) in adults is presented. In a first phase, the most relevant aspects of epidemiology, physiopathological aspects, how to diagnose, therapeutic guidelines, hypertension emergencies, special populations, refractory hypertension and the application of guides in real life have been described. In this second part, recommendations are issued answering specific questions for primary, secondary, tertiary and quaternary prevention. In general, few recommendations regarding the management of arterial hypertension arise from the medical clinic / internal medicine, despite two situations: the majority of patients with hypertension are evaluated and managed by the clinicians, and the medical clinic is the specialty that allows the holistic and integrated look of the health problems in adults, allowing to add the biographical approach to the biological, to understand and interpret not only the health problem but its causes and consequences (which often correspond to different parenchyma, which in the fragmented model would make the patient move through different specialties). The low percentage of controlled hypertensive patients forces all the professionals involved in the management of them to optimize resources and detect problems that are associated with a deficit control such as the under utilization of pharmacological treatment, low rate of patients treated with combined strategy (the most patients currently receive monotherapy), lack of adequate prescription of changes in lifestyle, low therapeutic adherence and clinical inertia. This publication presents recommendations made by specialists in medical clinic/internal medicine for the management of hypertension in adults, answering primary, secondary, tertiary and quaternary prevention questions.

Efectividad del Vimang® en pacientes con lesión hepática a causa del virus del dengue / Effectiveness of the Vimang® in patients with liver damage due to dengue virus

Introducción: En la evolución de la infección por el virus de dengue es frecuente la aparición de la lesión hepática, lo cual se asocia con el estrés oxidativo. Objetivo: Demostrar la efectividad del concentrado de Vimang® en pacientes con diagnóstico de lesión hepática por virus del dengue. Métodos: Se efectuó un ensayo clínico en fase III, abierto y aleatorizado, en la consulta de Hepatología del Hospital Provincial Docente Clinicoquirúrgico Saturnino Lora Torres de Santiago de Cuba, desde junio del 2014 hasta igual mes del 2017, consistente en la aplicación del concentrado de Vimang® en 39 pacientes con hepatitis reactiva por dengue, que conformaron el grupo de estudio, para luego comparar los resultados con los del grupo de control, integrado por igual número de pacientes con la afección, en quienes solo se aplicaron las medidas higiénico-dietéticas habituales. Resultados: En la serie se obtuvo un descenso importante de los valores medios de las pruebas para evaluar la función hepática en ambos grupos de trabajo, pero fueron más significativos en los pacientes que recibieron Vimang®. Del mismo modo, a los 9 meses se apreció una mejoría en 89,0 por ciento de los casos en cuanto a la disminución de los síntomas, frente a tan solo 69,2 por ciento de los controles. La hepatomegalia, como signo físico más importante, desapareció en el total de los casos al año de seguimiento clínico; sin embargo, se mantuvo en 7,2 por ciento del grupo de control. Conclusiones: Pudo demostrarse que el Vimang® influye de manera importante en el control de los síntomas y en la mejoría humoral de los pacientes que presentan lesión hepática ocasionada por el dengue.

Introduction: The emergence of the liver damage is frequent in the clinical course of the infection due to the dengue virus, which is associated to the oxidative stress. Objective: To demonstrate the effectiveness of the Vimang® concentrate in patients with diagnosis of liver damage due to dengue virus. Methods: A clinical open and randomized assay in phase III was carried out, in the Hepathology department of Saturnino Lora Torres Teaching Provincial Clinical Surgical Hospital in Santiago de Cuba, from June, 2014 to the same month in 2017, consistent in the use of Vimang® concentrate in 39 patients with reactive hepatitis due to dengue fever, who formed the study group, and then the results were compared with those of the control group, integrated by equally number of patients with the affection, in whom the habitual hygienic-dietary measures were applied. Results: In the series an important decrease of the mean values of the tests was obtained to evaluate the hepatic function in both groups, but they were more significant in the patients who received Vimang®. In the same way, an improvement was appreciated after 9 months in 89.0 percent of the cases as for the decrease of the symptoms, compared to a 69.2 percent of the controls. Hepatomegaly, as the most important physical sign, disappeared in the total of the cases after a year of clinical follow-up; however, it remained in 7.2 percent of the control group. Conclusions: It could be demonstrated that Vimang® influences in a significant way in the control of the symptoms and in the humoral improvement of the patients who present liver damage caused by dengue fever.

Prevalencia y factores asociados a conductas de riesgo alimentario en población indígena de Colombia / Prevalence of risky eating behaviors and associated factors in indigenous population in Colombia

Resumen La información sobre conductas alimentarias de riesgo (CAR) entre indígenas latinoamericanos es escasa. El objetivo de este estudio fue estimar la prevalencia de CAR en población indígena de Colombia, así como identificar factibles factores de riesgo sociodemo-gráficos e individuales. De la Encuesta Nacional de Salud Mental se retomaron los registros de 493 indígenas adultos (Medad =29.5 años, DE =7.39), hombres y mujeres. Las CAR evaluadas fueron: dieta restrictiva, malestar al comer, atracón y vómito autoinducido. El 19.5% de los participantes reportaron presentar al menos una CAR, y aquellas con mayor prevalencia fueron la dieta (8.5-9.6%) y el atracón (6.1%). Ninguno de los factores sociodemográficos evaluados se asoció a la presencia de CAR; por el contrario, de entre los factores individuales, la presencia de trastorno afectivo mostró ser un factible factor de riesgo de estas conductas. Las CAR no son infrecuentes en la población indígena adulta colombiana, e incluso su prevalencia puede duplicar la documentada en población general. Este estudio pretende aportar al escaso conocimiento existente sobre el tópico en poblaciones indígenas. Hallazgos que, ya sea a mediano o largo plazo, deberán incidir en el planteamiento de políticas de salud públicas acordes a las minorías indígenas presentes en Latinoamérica.

Abstract Data on risky eating behaviors (REB) in Latin American ethnic groups is scarce. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of REB in adult indigenous from Colombia, as well as to identify feasible sociodemographic and individual risk factors. A total of 493 records of adult indigenous men and women (Mage = 29.5 years, SD = 7.39) were retrieved from the National Survey of Mental Health. The REB assessed were: restrictive dieting, eating discomfort, binge-eating and self-induced vomiting. Participants (19.5%) reported having at least one REB, being restrictive dieting (8.5-9.6%) and binge eating (6.1%) those with higher prevalence. None of the sociodemographic factors evaluated was associated with the presence of REB, on the contrary, among the individual factors, the presence of affective disorder showed to be a feasible risk factor for these behaviors. The REB are common in the indigenous population in Colombia, even its prevalence may double the one reported in general population. This study aims to contribute to the scarce existing knowledge about the topic in indigenous populations. Findings that, whether in the medium or long term, should influence the approach of public health policies according to the indigenous minorities in Latin America.

Use of complementary and alternative therapies in outpatients with Parkinson's disease in Argentina.

We interviewed 300 patients (54.7% male; mean age was 65.8 ± 9.5) attending the Movement Disorders Clinic at the Buenos Aires University Hospital to determine the prevalence of CATs use and their association with demographic, social, or disease-specific characteristics among patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) in Buenos Aires, Argentina. We found that 25.7% of the PD patients interviewed (77/300) stated they had used CATs to improve their PD symptoms whereas 38.0% (114/300) had used some CATs without any relation to PD, at least once in life. At the moment of the interview, CATs prevalence use was 50.6% in the former group and 25.0% in the latter. The use of CATs was much more frequent among women and more common in the 50- to 69-year age group. Friends and neighbors of the patients had most frequently recommended these therapies. No major association was observed between CATs use and the duration of the disease, side of initial involvement, PD phenotype, or the Hoehn and Yahr staging. Acupuncture, homeopathy, yoga, and therapeutic massage were the most widely used therapies. After the initiation of conventional treatment the use of massage, yoga, and acupuncture in patients using CATs to improve PD significantly increased. Neurologists should be aware and inquire about the use of CATs to rule out potentially harmful effects.

Shape retention in porcine and rabbit nasal septal cartilage using saline bath immersion and Nd:YAG laser irradiation.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: The process of altering the shape of cartilage using heat has been referred to as thermoforming, and presents certain clinical benefits in reconstructive surgical procedures within the head and neck. Thermoforming allows cartilage in the upper airway and face to be reshaped without the use of classic surgical maneuvers such as carving, morselizing, or suturing. The goal of this study was to determine the dependence of cartilage shape change on both temperature and laser dosimetry using two thermoforming methods: saline bath immersion and laser irradiation. STUDY DESIGN/MATERIALS AND METHODS: Ex-vivo rabbit and porcine nasal septal cartilages were mechanically deformed and reshaped using the two thermoforming methods. With saline bath immersion using rabbit cartilage, each specimen was deformed by securing it to a small copper tube (outer diameter 8 mm) using dental bands. For porcine cartilage immersed in a saline bath, each sample was mechanically deformed between two pieces of wire mesh attached to a semicircular acrylic block. With both porcine and rabbit cartilage, the specimen and apparatus were then immersed in a hot saline bath for time intervals varying from 20 and 320 seconds and at constant temperatures between 62 and 74 degrees C. In laser reshaping, the cartilage specimens were mechanically deformed on a jig and consecutively irradiated with an Nd:YAG laser (lambda = 1.32 microm) in several spots for 6-16 seconds and irradiances of 10.2-40.7 W/cm2 per spot. After either saline bath heating or irradiation, cartilage specimens were immersed in room temperature saline for 15 minutes, then upon removal from the jig the length between the ends of each specimen was measured in order to calculate the resulting bend angle. RESULTS: The transition zone for cartilage reshaping was defined as where a significant increase in bend angle was observed between consecutive times of immersion/irradiation at the same temperature/irradiance. For the saline bath experiments, the transition zone was observed between 59-68 degrees C and 62-68 degrees C for porcine and rabbit cartilage, respectively. Similar transition zones occurred with laser irradiation below irradiances of 20.4 W/cm2 for both porcine and rabbit cartilage. In addition, the dosimetry pairs in the transition zones produce peak temperatures below the thresholds determined from the saline bath immersion studies. CONCLUSIONS: The critical transition temperature region was determined by the sharp increase in bend angle at consecutive times of immersion at the same temperature. This range was determined to be 59-68 degrees C and 62-68 degrees C for porcine and rabbit cartilage, respectively. Similar transition zones for dosimetry occurred below 20.4 W/cm2 during cartilage irradiation in both species.