ABSTRACT
Resumen Introducción. Fenómenos como la monitoria fetal y el repertorio T específico contra el alérgeno Poa p9 han sido evaluados con la ley de Zipf/Mandelbrot. Objetivo. Establecer una metodología de caracterización de la dinámica del dengue en Palmira, Valle del Cauca, Colombia, fundamentada en la ley de Zipf/Mandelbrot y aplicada al periodo 2001-2004. Materiales y métodos. Mediante la ley de Zipf-Mandelbrot se evaluaron las variaciones por grupos de edad (<1 año, 1-4, 5-14, 15-44, 45-59 y >60) y la complejidad del sistema frente al número de infectados de dengue en Palmira para cada año entre 2001 y 2004, se compararon los resultados para establecer variaciones en la complejidad y se realizaron simulaciones de posibles comportamientos que se puedan presentar. Resultados. Las dimensiones fractales para cada año se encontraron entre 0.5329 y 0.8703 y para grupos de edad entre 0.4694 y 0.6689. Las simulaciones de las dinámicas de años presentaron dimensiones fractales entre 0.4512 y 0.6316 y las de rangos de edad entre 0.455 y 0.6095. Conclusión. La dinámica de aparición de infectados de dengue en Palmira obedece a un comportamiento fractal estadístico con grados de complejidad finitos y acotados, útiles en la toma de decisiones en salud pública.
Abstract Introduction: Phenomena such as fetal monitoring and specific T cell repertoire against the allergen Poa p9 have been evaluated through the Zipf/Mandelbrot law. Objective: To establish a methodology for the characterization of the dynamics of dengue in Palmira, Valle del Cauca, Colombia, based on the Zipf/Mandelbrot law during the period 2001-2004. Materials and methods: Using the Zipf-Mandelbrot law, changes by age groups (<1 year, 1-4, 5-14, 15-44, 45-59 and> 60) were evaluated, as well as the complexity of the system versus the number of patients infected with dengue in Palmira, each year between 2001 and 2004. Results were compared to establish variations in the complexity, and simulations of possible behaviors that might arise were performed. Results: Fractal dimensions for each year were among 0.5329 and 0.8703, and for age groups between 0.4694 and 0.6689.The simulations of the dynamics per year presented fractal dimensions between 0.4512 and 0.6316, and age ranges between 0.455 and 0.6095. Conclusion: The dynamic of dengue onset in Palmira is caused by a statistical fractal behavior with finite and limited degrees of complexity, useful in decision-making in public health.
ABSTRACT
Huntington disease results from an expanded polyglutamine region in the N terminus of the huntingtin protein. HD pathology is characterized by neuronal degeneration and protein inclusions containing N-terminal fragments of mutant huntingtin. Structural information is minimal, though it is believed that mutant huntingtin polyglutamine adopts ß structure upon conversion to a toxic form. To this end, we designed mammalian cell expression constructs encoding compact ß variants of Htt exon 1 N-terminal fragment and tested their ability to aggregate and induce toxicity in cultured neuronal cells. In parallel, we performed molecular dynamics simulations, which indicate that constructs with expanded polyglutamine ß-strands are stabilized by main-chain hydrogen bonding. Finally, we found a correlation between the reactivity to 3B5H10, an expanded polyglutamine antibody that recognizes a compact ß rich hairpin structure, and the ability to induce cell toxicity. These data are consistent with an important role for a compact ß structure in mutant huntingtin-induced cell toxicity.
