Identification of Antioxidant Methyl Derivatives of Ortho-Carbonyl Hydroquinones That Reduce Caco-2 Cell Energetic Metabolism and Alpha-Glucosidase Activity.

α-glucosidase, a pharmacological target for type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), is present in the intestinal brush border membrane and catalyzes the hydrolysis of sugar linkages during carbohydrate digestion. Since α-glucosidase inhibitors (AGIs) modulate intestinal metabolism, they may influence oxidative stress and glycolysis inhibition, potentially addressing intestinal dysfunction associated with T2DM. Herein, we report on a study of an ortho-carbonyl substituted hydroquinone series, whose members differ only in the number and position of methyl groups on a common scaffold, on radical-scavenging activities (ORAC assay) and correlate them with some parameters obtained by density functional theory (DFT) analysis. These compounds' effect on enzymatic activity, their molecular modeling on α-glucosidase, and their impact on the mitochondrial respiration and glycolysis of the intestinal Caco-2 cell line were evaluated. Three groups of compounds, according their effects on the Caco-2 cells metabolism, were characterized: group A (compounds 2, 3, 5, 8, 9, and 10) reduces the glycolysis, group B (compounds 1 and 6) reduces the basal mitochondrial oxygen consumption rate (OCR) and increases the extracellular acidification rate (ECAR), suggesting that it induces a metabolic remodeling toward glycolysis, and group C (compounds 4 and 7) increases the glycolysis lacking effect on OCR. Compounds 5 and 10 were more potent as α-glucosidase inhibitors (AGIs) than acarbose, a well-known AGI with clinical use. Moreover, compound 5 was an OCR/ECAR inhibitor, and compound 10 was a dual agent, increasing the proton leak-driven OCR and inhibiting the maximal electron transport flux. Additionally, menadione-induced ROS production was prevented by compound 5 in Caco-2 cells. These results reveal that slight structural variations in a hydroquinone scaffold led to diverse antioxidant capability, α-glucosidase inhibition, and the regulation of mitochondrial bioenergetics in Caco-2 cells, which may be useful in the design of new drugs for T2DM and metabolic syndrome.

Neuropsychological and Anatomical-Functional Effects of Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation in Post-Stroke Patients with Cognitive Impairment and Aphasia: A Systematic Review.

Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) has been found to be promising in the neurorehabilitation of post-stroke patients. Aphasia and cognitive impairment (CI) are prevalent post-stroke; however, there is still a lack of consensus about the characteristics of interventions based on TMS and its neuropsychological and anatomical-functional benefits. Therefore, studies that contribute to creating TMS protocols for these neurological conditions are necessary. To analyze the evidence of the neuropsychological and anatomical-functional TMS effects in post-stroke patients with CI and aphasia and determine the characteristics of the most used TMS in research practice. The present study followed the PRISMA guidelines and included articles from PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, ScienceDirect, and EMBASE databases, published between January 2010 and March 2023. In the 15 articles reviewed, it was found that attention, memory, executive function, language comprehension, naming, and verbal fluency (semantic and phonological) are the neuropsychological domains that improved post-TMS. Moreover, TMS in aphasia and post-stroke CI contribute to greater frontal activation (in the inferior frontal gyrus, pars triangularis, and opercularis). Temporoparietal effects were also found. The observed effects occur when TMS is implemented in repetitive modality, at a frequency of 1 Hz, in sessions of 30 min, and that last more than 2 weeks in duration. The use of TMS contributes to the neurorehabilitation process in post-stroke patients with CI and aphasia. However, it is still necessary to standardize future intervention protocols based on accurate TMS characteristics.

Enzymatic Metabolic Switches of Astrocyte Response to Lipotoxicity as Potential Therapeutic Targets for Nervous System Diseases.

Astrocytes play a pivotal role in maintaining brain homeostasis. Recent research has highlighted the significance of palmitic acid (PA) in triggering pro-inflammatory pathways contributing to neurotoxicity. Furthermore, Genomic-scale metabolic models and control theory have revealed that metabolic switches (MSs) are metabolic pathway regulators by potentially exacerbating neurotoxicity, thereby offering promising therapeutic targets. Herein, we characterized these enzymatic MSs in silico as potential therapeutic targets, employing protein-protein and drug-protein interaction networks alongside structural characterization techniques. Our findings indicate that five MSs (P00558, P04406, Q08426, P09110, and O76062) were functionally linked to nervous system drug targets and may be indirectly regulated by specific neurological drugs, some of which exhibit polypharmacological potential (e.g., Trifluperidol, Trifluoperazine, Disulfiram, and Haloperidol). Furthermore, four MSs (P00558, P04406, Q08426, and P09110) feature ligand-binding or allosteric cavities with druggable potential. Our results advocate for a focused exploration of P00558 (phosphoglycerate kinase 1), P04406 (glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase), Q08426 (peroxisomal bifunctional enzyme, enoyl-CoA hydratase, and 3-hydroxyacyl CoA dehydrogenase), P09110 (peroxisomal 3-ketoacyl-CoA thiolase), and O76062 (Delta(14)-sterol reductase) as promising targets for the development or repurposing of pharmacological compounds, which could have the potential to modulate lipotoxic-altered metabolic pathways, offering new avenues for the treatment of related human diseases such as neurological diseases.

Water quality trends of streams in Puerto Rico: Evaluating 50 years of the Clean Water Act.

Water quality regulations entail a substantial commitment of resources from governments and private entities. It is important to continually evaluate the effectiveness of these regulations to ensure they are having the intended impact. In this paper, we evaluated nutrient data as indicators of primary productivity and dissolved oxygen (DO) concentrations and pH as response variables to assess historical water quality trends from 55 stations of Puerto Rico. The stations were divided into impaired versus non-impaired categories based on their historical total phosphorus (TP) mean concentration. Mean TP and total nitrogen (TN) concentrations were significantly higher in the impaired stations relative to the non-impaired stations. In contrast, DO mean concentrations and mean pH values were significantly lower in the impaired stations. A generalized additive mixed model was used to demonstrate temporal trends. A significant decrease in TP and TN concentrations was observed with time at the impaired stations. This was accompanied by significant increases in DO concentrations and pH. The non-impaired stations showed a marginal (statistically nonsignificant) decreasing trend with time. The large reductions in nutrient concentrations observed at the impaired stations seem to be related to the closure of several primary wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) across the island. The conversion of abandoned crop agricultural lands into secondary forest in recent decades has resulted in small but significant decreases in TN (not TP) in receiving streams. We conclude that the Clean Water Act has promoted improvements in water quality in Puerto Rico by advancing upgrades in sanitary infrastructure and the regulation of point sources of pollution.

Antibacterial and Antiviral Properties of Chenopodin-Derived Synthetic Peptides.

Antimicrobial peptides have been developed based on plant-derived molecular scaffolds for the treatment of infectious diseases. Chenopodin is an abundant seed storage protein in quinoa, an Andean plant with high nutritional and therapeutic properties. Here, we used computer- and physicochemical-based strategies and designed four peptides derived from the primary structure of Chenopodin. Two peptides reproduce natural fragments of 14 amino acids from Chenopodin, named Chen1 and Chen2, and two engineered peptides of the same length were designed based on the Chen1 sequence. The two amino acids of Chen1 containing amide side chains were replaced by arginine (ChenR) or tryptophan (ChenW) to generate engineered cationic and hydrophobic peptides. The evaluation of these 14-mer peptides on Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli showed that Chen1 does not have antibacterial activity up to 512 µM against these strains, while other peptides exhibited antibacterial effects at lower concentrations. The chemical substitutions of glutamine and asparagine by amino acids with cationic or aromatic side chains significantly favoured their antibacterial effects. These peptides did not show significant hemolytic activity. The fluorescence microscopy analysis highlighted the membranolytic nature of Chenopodin-derived peptides. Using molecular dynamic simulations, we found that a pore is formed when multiple peptides are assembled in the membrane. Whereas, some of them form secondary structures when interacting with the membrane, allowing water translocations during the simulations. Finally, Chen2 and ChenR significantly reduced SARS-CoV-2 infection. These findings demonstrate that Chenopodin is a highly useful template for the design, engineering, and manufacturing of non-toxic, antibacterial, and antiviral peptides.

Noise intensity modulates the responses of mantled howler monkeys to anthropophony.

Anthropogenic noise is a major global pollutant but its effects on primates are poorly understood, limiting our ability to develop mitigation actions that favor their welfare and conservation. In this study, we used an experimental approach to determine the impact of variation in noise intensity on mantled howler monkeys (Alouatta palliata). We conducted the study at Los Tuxtlas (México), where we studied the physiological stress (proxied via fecal glucocorticoid metabolites, fGCM) and behavioral responses of 16 males. We played back chainsaw noise at two intensities (40 and 80 dB) and used days in which groups were not exposed to noise as matched controls. With increased noise intensity fGCM increased, vigilance and vocalizations were longer, and vigilance, vocalizations, and flight occurred quicker. Physiological and behavioral responses occurred even after low-intensity noise playbacks (i.e., 40 dB). Therefore, noise intensity is a significant factor explaining the responses of mantled howler monkeys to anthropogenic noise. These results imply that management actions aimed at eradicating anthropogenic noise are required for the conservation and welfare of mantled howler monkeys at Los Tuxtlas.

Osteogenic potential of apical papilla stem cells mediated by platelet-rich fibrin and low-level laser.

To evaluate the osteogenic potential of platelet-rich fibrin (PRF) and low-level laser therapy (LLLT) on human stem cells from the apical papilla (SCAP) we isolated, characterized, and then cultured in an osteogenic medium cells with PRF and/or LLLT (660 nm, 6 J/m2-irradiation). Osteogenic differentiation was assessed by bone nodule formation and expression of bone morphogenetic proteins (BMP-2 and BMP-4), whereas the molecular mechanisms were achieved by qRT-PCR and RNA-seq analysis. Statistical analysis was performed by ANOVA and Tukey's post hoc tests (p < 0.05* and p < 0.01**). Although PRF and LLLT increased bone nodule formation after 7 days and peaked at 21 days, the combination of PRF + LLLT led to the uppermost nodule formation. This was supported by increased levels of BMP-2 and -4 osteogenic proteins (p < 0.005). Furthermore, the PRF + LLLT relative expression of specific genes involved in osteogenesis, such as osteocalcin, was 2.4- (p = 0.03) and 28.3- (p = 0.001) fold higher compared to the PRF and LLLT groups, and osteopontin was 22.9- and 1.23-fold higher, respectively (p < 0.05), after 7 days of interaction. The transcriptomic profile revealed that the combination of PRF + LLLT induces MSX1, TGFB1, and SMAD1 expression, after 21 days of osteogenic differentiation conditions exposition. More studies are required to understand the complete cellular and molecular mechanisms of PRF plus LLLT on stem cells. Overall, we demonstrated for the first time that the combination of PRF and LLLT would be an excellent therapeutic tool that can be employed for dental, oral, and craniofacial repair and other tissue engineering applications.

Cartografías artísticas: jóvenes autores de la construcción del pasado reciente / Artistic cartographies: Young people who are authors of the recent past

(analítico) Se presentan los resultados de una investigación que buscó conocer las maneras como los jóvenes construyen sus ideas e imaginarios sobre el pasado reciente en Colombia. El proyecto fue desarrollado en la ciudad de Manizales y contó con la participación de 24 jóvenes entre los 12 y 18 años de edad. El estudio se desarrolló por medio de cartografías de experiencias que se vinculan al pasado reciente y la reconstrucción de la memoria colectiva. Se encontró que los jóvenes emplean signos que se han utilizado tradicionalmente para representar la paz y la memoria, además, que los procesos dialógicos y creativos favorecen los espacios de reflexión en los cuales se trascienden estos signos y se construyen significados más amplios que a su vez les permiten narrar experiencias de vida.

(analytical) This article presents the results of a research project that sought to understand the ways in which young people construct their ideas and imaginaries about the recent past in Colombia. The research was conducted in the city of Manizales with the participation of 24 young people between 12 and 18 years of age. The research was carried out using cartographies of experiences from the recent past and the reconstruction of collective memory. It was identified that young people use signs that have been traditionally used to represent peace and memory. Dialogue and creative processes generate reflection spaces in which these signs are transcended and broader meanings are constructed, which in turn allow them to narrate their life experiences.

(analítico) Este artigo apresenta os resultados de um projeto de pesquisa que procurou compreender as formas pelas quais os jovens constroem suas idéias e imaginários sobre o passado recente na Colômbia. O projeto foi desenvolvido na cidade de Manizales, com a participação de 24 jovens entre 12 e 18 anos de idade. A pesquisa foi desenvolvida por meio de experiências de mapeamento ligadas ao passado recente e à reconstrução da memória coletiva. Constatou-se que os jovens utilizam sinais que tradicionalmente são usados para representar a paz e a memória, e que os processos dialógicos e criativos favorecem espaços de reflexão nos quais esses sinais são transcendidos e significados mais amplos são construídos, o que por sua vez lhes permite narrar experiências de vida.

The Role of Cytokinins during the Development of Strawberry Flowers and Receptacles.

Cytokinins play a relevant role in flower and fruit development and plant yield. Strawberry fruits have a high commercial value, although what is known as the "fruit" is not a "true" botanical fruit because it develops from a non-reproductive organ (receptacle) on which the true botanical fruits (achenes) are found. Given cytokinins' roles in botanical fruits, it is important to understand their participation in the development of a non-botanical or accessory "fruit". Therefore, in this work, the role of cytokinin in strawberry flowers and fruits was investigated by identifying and exploring the expression of homologous genes for different families that participate in the pathway, through publicly available genomic and expression data analyses. Next, trans-zeatin content in developing flowers and receptacles was determined. A high concentration was observed in flower buds and at anthesis and decreased as the fruit approached maturity. Moreover, the spatio-temporal expression pattern of selected CKX genes was evaluated and detected in receptacles at pre-anthesis stages. The results point to an important role and effect of cytokinins in flower and receptacle development, which is valuable both from a biological point of view and to improve yield and the quality of this fruit.

Design of ß-Keto Esters with Antibacterial Activity: Synthesis, In Vitro Evaluation, and Theoretical Assessment of Their Reactivity and Quorum-Sensing Inhibition Capacity.

This work proposes the design of ß-keto esters as antibacterial compounds. The design was based on the structure of the autoinducer of bacterial quorum sensing, N-(3-oxo-hexanoyl)-l-homoserine lactone (3-oxo-C6-HSL). Eight ß-keto ester analogues were synthesised with good yields and were spectroscopically characterised, showing that the compounds were only present in their ß-keto ester tautomer form. We carried out a computational analysis of the reactivity and ADME (absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion) properties of the compounds as well as molecular docking and molecular dynamics calculations with the LasR and LuxS quorum-sensing (QS) proteins, which are involved in bacterial resistance to antibiotics. The results show that all the compounds exhibit reliable ADME properties and that only compound 7 can present electrophile toxicity. The theoretical reactivity study shows that compounds 6 and 8 present a differential local reactivity regarding the rest of the series. Compound 8 presents the most promising potential in terms of its ability to interact with the LasR and LuxS QS proteins efficiently according to its molecular docking and molecular dynamics calculations. An initial in vitro antimicrobial screening was performed against the human pathogenic bacteria Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus as well as the phytopathogenic bacteria Pseudomonas syringae and Agrobacterium tumefaciens. Compounds 6 and 8 exhibit the most promising results in the in vitro antimicrobial screening against the panel of bacteria studied.

DHEA Induces Sex-Associated Differential Patterns in Cytokine and Antibody Levels in Mice Infected with Plasmodium berghei ANKA.

Malaria is the most lethal parasitic disease worldwide; the severity of symptoms and mortality are higher in men than in women, exhibiting an evident sexual dimorphism in the immune response; therefore, the contribution of 17ß-estradiol and testosterone to this phenomenon has been studied. Both hormones differentially affect several aspects of innate and adaptive immunity. Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) is the precursor of both hormones and is the sexual steroid in higher concentrations in humans, with immunomodulatory properties in different parasitic diseases; however, the involvement of DHEA in this sexual dimorphism has not been studied. In the case of malaria, the only information is that higher levels of DHEA are associated with reduced Plasmodium falciparum parasitemia. Therefore, this work aims to analyze the DHEA contribution to the sexual dimorphism of the immune response in malaria. We assessed the effect of modifying the concentration of DHEA on parasitemia, the number of immune cells in the spleen, cytokines, and antibody levels in plasma of CBA/Ca mice infected with Plasmodium berghei ANKA (P. berghei ANKA). DHEA differentially affected the immune response in males and females: it decreased IFN-γ, IL-2 and IL-4 concentrations only in females, whereas in gonadectomized males, it increased IgG2a and IgG3 antibodies. The results presented here show that DHEA modulates the immune response against Plasmodium differently in each sex, which helps to explain the sexual dimorphism present in malaria.

Risk Factors for Fibrous Ingrowth in Eyes Requiring Primary Keratoplasty.

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to define risks for corneal transplantation associated with fibrous ingrowth among first-time transplant recipients. METHODS: We performed a retrospective case-control study of patients with a histopathologic diagnosis of fibrous ingrowth between 2002 and 2019. Patients with fibrous ingrowth from a first corneal specimen were included. Those with incomplete records were excluded. A 1:2 case-control ratio was used. Controls were matched using surgical indication, surgery year, transplantation method, sex, and age. RESULTS: Seventy-eight eyes (76 patients) were included and matched with 160 control eyes. The incidence of fibrous ingrowth found on a first corneal transplant was 0.6% per year. The most common keratoplasty indications were pseudophakic corneal edema (n = 25, 32%) and aphakic corneal edema (n = 15, 19%). Cases were more likely to have a history of ocular trauma (odds ratio [OR], 2.94; 95% CI, 1.30-6.30; P = 0.007), uveitis (OR, 2.73; 95% CI, 1.12-6.63; P = 0.022), retinal detachment or previous retinal surgery (OR, 2.40; 95% CI, 1.34-4.30; P = 0.003), glaucoma tube-shunt surgery (OR, 2.70; 95% CI, 1.29-5.65; P = 0.007), aphakia (OR, 3.02; 95% CI, 1.61-5.67; P = 0.0004), or iris derangement (OR, 10.52; 95% CI, 5.45-20.30; P <0.0001). A multivariate logistic regression model using iris derangement, history of ocular trauma, history of uveitis, and history of cataract surgery demonstrated 81% sensitivity and 66% specificity in predicting presence of fibrous ingrowth. CONCLUSIONS: A history of ocular trauma, uveitis, retinal detachment or previous retinal surgery, glaucoma tube-shunt surgery, aphakia, and iris derangement are risks for detecting fibrous ingrowth among first-time keratoplasty recipients. Patients with these conditions should be monitored closely for corneal decompensation.

Phonological and Semantic Fluency in Alzheimer's Disease: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

BACKGROUND: Semantic and Phonological fluency (SF and PF) are routinely evaluated in patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD). There are disagreements in the literature regarding which fluency task is more affected while developing AD. Most studies focus on SF assessment, given its connection with the temporoparietal amnesic system. PF is less reported, it is related to working memory, which is also impaired in probable and diagnosed AD. Differentiating between performance on these tasks might be informative in early AD diagnosis, providing an accurate linguistic profile. OBJECTIVE: Compare SF and PF performance in healthy volunteers, volunteers with probable AD, and patients with AD diagnosis, considering the heterogeneity of age, gender, and educational level variables. METHODS: A total of 8 studies were included for meta-analysis, reaching a sample size of 1,270 individuals (568 patients diagnosed with AD, 340 with probable AD diagnosis, and 362 healthy volunteers). RESULTS: The three groups consistently performed better on SF than PF. When progressing to a diagnosis of AD, we observed a significant difference in SF and PF performance across our 3 groups of interest (p = 0.04). The age variable explained a proportion of this difference in task performance across the groups, and as age increases, both tasks equally worsen. CONCLUSION: The performance of SF and PF might play a differential role in early AD diagnosis. These tasks rely on partially different neural bases of language processing. They are thus worth exploring independently in diagnosing normal aging and its transition to pathological stages, including probable and diagnosed AD.

Demographic history and genetic structure in pre-Hispanic Central Mexico.

Aridoamerica and Mesoamerica are two distinct cultural areas in northern and central Mexico, respectively, that hosted numerous pre-Hispanic civilizations between 2500 BCE and 1521 CE. The division between these regions shifted southward because of severe droughts ~1100 years ago, which allegedly drove a population replacement in central Mexico by Aridoamerican peoples. In this study, we present shotgun genome-wide data from 12 individuals and 27 mitochondrial genomes from eight pre-Hispanic archaeological sites across Mexico, including two at the shifting border of Aridoamerica and Mesoamerica. We find population continuity that spans the climate change episode and a broad preservation of the genetic structure across present-day Mexico for the past 2300 years. Lastly, we identify a contribution to pre-Hispanic populations of northern and central Mexico from two ancient unsampled "ghost" populations.

Anti-Inflammatory Effect of Izalpinin Derived from Chromolaena leivensis: λ-Carrageenan-Induced Paw Edema and In Silico Model.

The flavonoid izalpinin was isolated from the aerial parts of Chromolaena leivensis. Its structural determination was carried out using MS and NMR spectroscopic techniques (1H, 13C). This compound was evaluated for its anti-inflammatory effect in a rat model on λ-carrageenan-induced plantar edema. Paw inflammation was measured at one-hour intervals for seven hours following the administration of λ-carrageenan. Serum creatine kinase (CK) levels were evaluated, obtaining statistically significant results with the treatments at doses of 10 mg/kg (* p < 0.01) and 20 mg/kg (** p < 0.005). The anti-inflammatory effect of the compound was evaluated by using plethysmography, and the results showed significant differences at the three concentrations (10 mg/kg, 20 mg/kg, 40 mg/kg) in the first and third hours after treatment. * p < 0.05; ** p < 0.001; **** p < 0.0001 vs. the negative control group treated with vehicle (DMSO). Lastly, molecular docking analyses reveal that izalpinin has a strong binding affinity with five target proteins involved in the inflammatory process. The analysis using molecular dynamics allowed demonstrating that the ligand-protein complexes present acceptable stability, with RMSD values within the allowed range.

Experiencia del tratamiento de la hernia incisional en un hospital de tercer nivel en Colombia / Experience of the treatment of incisional hernia in a third level hospital in Colombia

Introducción. El manejo de las hernias se ha instaurado como un problema quirúrgico común, estimándose su aumento en los próximos años. El objetivo del presente trabajo fue describir el curso clínico, los aspectos del tratamiento quirúrgico y factores asociados a la presencia de complicaciones en pacientes intervenidos por hernia incisional. Métodos. Estudio descriptivo en el que se analizaron las características de una cohorte de pacientes llevados a corrección quirúrgica de hernia incisional en el Hospital Universitario Hernando Moncaleano Perdomo, un centro de alta complejidad en Neiva, Colombia, entre 2012 y 2019. Los datos fueron recolectados en programa Microsoft Excel® y analizados en SPSSTM, versión 21. Resultados. Se realizaron 133 correcciones de hernias incisionales, 69,9 % en mujeres y la mayoría ubicadas en la línea media (84,2 %). La edad media de los pacientes al momento de la intervención fue de 52 años ±14,6. Las comorbilidades más frecuentes fueron obesidad, hipertensión y diabetes. La causa más frecuente de la hernia fue traumática (61,7 %). La frecuencia de complicaciones fue superior al 50 %, en su mayoría menores; se encontró asociación con obesidad para la presencia de seroma. La mortalidad fue del 2,3 %. Conclusión.La hernia incisional es un problema de salud pública. Consideramos que la obesidad y el uso de malla pueden ser factores de riesgo asociados con la presentación de complicaciones postoperatorias, así como el aumento de los gastos relacionados con días de hospitalización

Introduction. Hernias management has become a common surgical problem, with an estimated increase in the coming years. The objective of this study was to describe the clinical course, aspects of surgical treatment and factors associated with the presence of complications in patients operated on for incisional hernia. Methods. Descriptive study, in which the characteristics of a cohort of patients taken to surgical correction of incisional hernia at the Hospital Universitario Hernando Moncaleano Perdomo, a high complexity medical center located in Neiva, Colombia, between 2012 and 2019 were analyzed, whose data were collected in Microsoft Excel® software and analyzed in SPSSTM, version 21. Results. One-hundred-thirty-three incisional hernia corrections were performed. The mean age at the intervention was 52 years ±14.6. The most frequent comorbidities were weight disorders, hypertension and diabetes. Only one laparoscopy was performed, the first etiology of the hernia was traumatic (61.7%) and midline (84.2%). The frequency of complications was greater than 50%, mostly minors. An association with obesity was found for the presence of seroma. Mortality was 2.3%. Conclusion. Incisional hernia is a public health problem. We consider that obesity and the use of mesh are a risk factor associated with the presentation of postoperative complications as well as the increase in costs related to days of hospitalization

Dog barks influence the physiological stress and behavior of a wild primate.

Non-lethal impacts of dogs on primates have seldom been assessed. We used an experimental approach to determine if mantled howler monkeys (Alouatta palliata) perceive dog barks as an aversive stimulus and thus display physiological and behavioral responses toward simulated barks. For one year (1754 h of observations) we studied 16 adult males belonging to five groups in Los Tuxtlas (Mexico), and recorded the occurrence of naturally occurring dog barks, their sound pressure level (SPL), and the behavioral responses of howler monkeys to barks. We then exposed males to bark playbacks at two SPL treatments, 40 and 80 dB in a total of 50 experiments. We assayed glucocorticoid metabolite concentrations in fecal samples (fGCM) as a marker of the physiological stress response of males. We also recorded the duration of vigilance, vocalizations, and flight in relation to playbacks. Naturally occurring barks were frequent and usually elicited behavioral responses by males. fGCM concentrations increased after bark playbacks and with stimuli intensity. Time spent vigilant increased following playbacks independently of stimuli intensity but both vocalizations and flight were linked to stimuli intensity: vocalizations were the longest after barks played-back at 80 dB, but males spent more time fleeing in response to 40 dB bark playbacks. These results provide evidence that dog barks are pervasive in the habitat of mantled howler monkeys living at Los Tuxtlas and disturb males, both physiologically and behaviorally. Although the potential costs of physiological and behavioral responses could not be determined, there is sufficient evidence to assume that they do have negative impacts on individuals. Therefore, our study provides avenues for future research on dog-wildlife interactions and valuable information for the design of conservation actions aimed at mitigating the impact of dogs on mantled howler monkeys.

Creatividad, identidad y subjetividad de personas con enfermedades crónicas: Estado del arte / Creativity, Identity, and Subjectivity of People with Chronic Diseases: State of the Art

Resumen Este artículo es parte de una investigación que pretende identificar el impacto que tienen las enfermedades crónicas en el desarrollo de la creatividad, la identidad y la subjetividad de los sujetos que las padecen. El documento presenta la revisión de 50 artículos con resultados de estudios que, en la última década, investigaron sobre la creatividad en relación con la identidad y la subjetividad de niños, niñas, adolescentes y jóvenes que viven con enfermedades crónicas. Desde lo metodológico, se trata de un estudio no probabilístico de tipo intencional, en el cual se abordaron datos bibliométricos construidos a partir de bases de datos especializadas y, posteriormente, se efectuó un análisis interpretativo crítico de estas investigaciones desde una perspectiva cualitativa, para el que se recurrió a la categorización de la información. Los resultados evidencian que el uso del arte como estrategia terapéutica facilita el afrontamiento de la enfermedad; sin embargo, también se evidencian afectaciones relevantes en el sistema familiar y relacional de quienes viven con estas enfermedades. Se concluye que la investigación en este campo se ha dado principalmente desde la medicina y la psicología, pero dejó un campo abierto que puede ser explorado por la investigación social.

Abstract This article presents a state of the art that integrates the review of fifty articles of the results of studies that, in the last decade, investigated creativity in relation to the identity and subjectivity of children, adolescents and young people living with chronic diseases .The document is part of a doctoral research that aims to identify the transformations that creativity undergoes in relation to the development of identity and subjectivity of children living with chronic diseases, such as HIV/AIDS, cancer and diabetes, given that these are the diseases that Sontag (2008) relates as the diseases that cause the greatest social and economic impacts and that modify the life project of people in the long term. From the methodological point of view, bibliometric data constructed from specialized databases such as PubMed, APA, Science Direct, Proquest, Redalyc, Scielo and Scopus were approached; subsequently a critical interpretive analysis of these investigations was carried out from a qualitative perspective. The results show that the use of art as a therapeutic strategy facilitates coping with the disease; however, relevant effects are also evident in the family and relational system of those who live with these diseases. It is also found that a large part of the research, as suggested by Sontag (2008), assumes diseases as an enemy, making use of the language of war, in addition to locating whoever experiences the disease as a battle hero or as a survivor when it is possible to go through the disease in a satisfactory way, however, it is also evident that this position implies a struggle of the subject with himself. Also, some of the authors state that the disease facilitates the recognition of abilities, tastes and skills of which one was not aware before experiencing it. Through these investigations, the understanding of the importance of relationships with peers as a key aspect for the development of self-regulation is broadened, which facilitates self-care practices far from victimization and family overprotection. Creativity has been understood mainly from artistic exercises, art-therapy and the use of some resources such as painting, drawing, music and dance for the approach to the subject who lives with chronic diseases, from the research exercises themselves, but also from an attempt to allow the subject to establish diverse communications with his context and to establish communication bridges with himself and with his new life circumstances. However, this perspective leaves aside the proposal of Lavie, Narayan and Rosaldo (1993), who argue that creativity is the human capacity to respond to daily circumstances in different ways, which allows expanding the field of action of what creative, facilitating that it is linked to the daily lives of the subjects and other ways of displaying creativity are explored, from relationships, from the practices of self-recognition and self-care regarding the same disease.It is also found that chronic diseases are related to metaphors that force the subject who experiences them to assume the role of warrior, war hero or war victim; these postures assume burdens for the subject and, although in some cases they help to assume the disease with a spirit of improvement, they also increase responsibility, guilt and difficulties in cases in which the disease is not overcome.

El juego como escenario de construcción de paz en contextos de conflicto armado en Colombia / The game as a peace-building scenario in contexts of armed conflict in Colombia

Introducción: el artículo presenta algunos resultados de una investigación que buscó rescatar y visibilizar las potencias y los recursos de la niñez que se vio afectada por el conflicto armado, preguntando por las maneras en que los niños y las niñas pueden aportar a la construcción de paz desde sus potencialidades y escenarios relacionales, dando prioridad al juego como espacio socializador. Método: la investigación fue de tipo cualitativa y se ubicó desde la hermenéutica crítica comprensiva, empleando estrategias metodológicas como talleres creativos, entrevistas a profundidad y grupos focales. Resultados: algunos de los resultados evidencian que los niños y las niñas aportan a la construcción de paz desde la creatividad, el establecimiento de acuerdo con sus pares y otros agentes, pero, sobre todo, desde el juego como principal escenario en donde despliegan su autonomía y criterio propio para la configuración de sus acuerdos socia-les. Conclusión: se concluye que el juego se convierte en una práctica generativa, donde los niños y las niñas despliegan sus potencialidades y recursos como un aporte a la construcción paz.

Introduction: The article presents some results of a research that sought to rescue and make visible the potencies and resources of children who were affected by the armed conflict, asking about the ways in which children can contribute to peace building from their potentialities and relational scenarios, giving priority to play as a socializing space. Method: The research was qualitative and was based on comprehensive critical hermeneutics, using methodological strategies such as creative workshops, in-depth interviews and focus groups. Results: Some of the results show that children contribute to peace building through creativity, the establishment of agreements with their peers and other agents, but, above all, through play as the main scenario where they deploy their autonomy and own criteria for the configuration of their social agreements. Conclusion: It is concluded that play becomes a generative practice, where children deploy their potential and resources as a contribution to peace building.