Satisfaction assessment study in patients (and their partners) with/without Peyronie's disease and penile prosthesis implantation.

INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVE: Among the many treatments for erectile dysfunction, implantation of a penile prosthesis has been associated with high patient satisfaction rates. However, patients with coexistent Peyronie's disease (PD) and refractory erectile dysfunction and/or severe deformities may show different results. The aim of our study was to assess and to compare the level of satisfaction, with an inflatable penile prosthesis (IPP), in men with/without coexistent PD. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A survey study based on a five-item satisfaction questionnaire was submitted to all those live patients implanted in the period 1992-2022 at our center (n = 570) and their partners. Ninety-two percent of implants were inflatable devices. Surgeries were mainly performed by two surgeons. The main outcome measure used was the level of patient and partner satisfaction with sexual intercourse after IPP. RESULTS: Of the 570 eligible patients, 479 (84%) completed the survey (393 Non-PD: GROUP 1; 70 non-complex PD-Group 2; 16 complex PD). Eighty-six per cent of patients in Group 1 reported satisfactory sexual intercourse (very or moderately satisfied). Non-complex PD implanted patients (Group 2) reported a global 81% satisfactory sexual intercourse (very or moderately satisfied) (p > 0.05). However, when we evaluated the PD subgroup of patients with severe PD who require incision/excision/grafting at the time of implant (Group 3: n = 20), only 61% reported satisfactory sexual intercourse (p < 0.01) with predominance of moderately satisfied patients over very satisfied: 78% vs. 22%). Additionally, 84% (Group 1), 80% (Group 2) and 54% (Group 3) of partners reported satisfactory intercourses, respectively (p < 0.01). Overall, 84% of Group 1 implants and 79% of Group 2 reported that they would undergo the procedure again if the IPP failed (p > 0.05; ns). Only 50% of Group 3 patients would do it again. With regard to cosmetic aspects, 48% of the Group 3 implant reported penile shortness or soft glans as the main causes of their dissatisfaction. Only 2.4% of total PP patients expressed difficulty in manipulating the device. CONCLUSION: The presence of PD alone may not impact PP patient and partner satisfaction, but patients with more severe baseline deformity who require incision/grafting may be less satisfied with outcomes including penile length and glans sensation.

Red fluorescent benzothiadiazole derivative loaded in different nanoformulations: Optical properties and their use in bio-imaging.

Fluorophores with optimized nonlinear optical properties have become prominent as contrast labels in laser scanning microscopy (LSM). The purpose of this work is to report on a novel benzothiadiazole derivative, namely 4,7-bis(5-((9,9-dioctyl-9H-fluoren-2-yl)ethynyl)thiophen-2-yl)benzo[c][1,2,5]thiadiazole (EFBT) and its optical performance when it is loaded into organic nanostructures intended as labels for LSM. Four different nanostructured labels were prepared: i) EFBT-loaded silica nanoparticles (SiNPs); ii) folate-bioconjugated SiNPs (SiNPs-FA); iii) EFBT-loaded PEGylated nanoparticles (NPs-PEG); and iv) EFBT-loaded folate-terminated PEGylated nanoparticles (NPs-PEG-FA). All these nanostructures are reported through a comparative study of their linear and nonlinear optical properties, including their performance as exogenous label agents in the cervical cancer cell line HeLa. This assessment of the performance of a specific fluorophore loaded into different nanostructured matrices (labels), and fairly compared under the same characterization conditions, including the LSM settings, is less common while previous reports had focused in comparing silica and PEGylated nanoparticles but loaded with different fluorophores. The results show that the internal molecular organization into each type of organic nanostructure impacted differently the properties of EFBT, where the silica matrix tend to preserve the optical performance of the fluorophore by preventing intermolecular interactions; in contrast, PEGylated nanoparticles favored molecular interactions and introduced non-radiative decay channels that degrades drastically the optical performance. Nevertheless, the use of functionalized ends entities produced a better cellular label uptake with PEGylated that with silica nanoparticles. In overall, the NPs-PEG-FA label produced the best HeLa imaging.

Caesalpinia palmeri: First Report on the Phenolic Compounds Profile, Antioxidant and Cytotoxicity Effect.

This study aimed to determine the phenolic compounds profile, antioxidant potential and cytotoxicity of extracts and fractions of Caesalpinia palmeri. Methanolic extracts were generated from C. palmeri berries, stems and flowers. The latter was subjected to liquid-liquid partition, obtaining hexane, ethyl acetate and residues fractions. Results showed that the flower extract and ethyl acetate fraction had a larger concentration of phenolic compounds (148.9 and 307.9 mg GAE/g, respectively), being ellagic acid (6233.57 and 19550.08 µg/g, respectively), quercetin-3-ß-glycoside (3023.85 and 8952.55 µg/g, respectively) and gallic acid (2212.98 and 8422.34 µg/g, respectively) the most abundant compounds. Flower extract and ethyl acetate fraction also presented the highest antioxidant capacity on all tested methods (DPPH, ABTS, ORAC and FRAP) and low cytotoxicity against ARPE-19 cells (IC50 >170 µg/mL). C. palmeri possessed high antioxidant potential, associated with the presence of phenolic compounds and low cytotoxicity, suggesting that they could represent an option to counter oxidative stress.

Optimized hydration dynamics in mucoadhesive xanthan-based trilayer vaginal films for the controlled release of tenofovir.

Karaya gum, pectin and xanthan gum have been tested as candidates for manufacturing mucoadhesive trilayer films containing ethylcellulose and chitosan for the vaginal administration of the antiviral Tenofovir (TFV). The swelling profile correlated with the amount of mobile dipoles determined by impedance spectroscopy allows the determination of the hydration dynamics of these films. The fast water penetration has been demonstrated to favor the formation of polyelectrolyte complexes (PEC) via hydrogen or ionic bonds which would favor a controlled release. The incorporation of an inorganic drug release regulator induces the weakness of the polymeric chains thus enhancing the ionic mobility via the formation of low molecular weight PECs in films manufactured with karaya gum. Due to the different mechanical properties of the individual components, pectin-based films failed for a potential pharmaceutical formulation. However, mucoadhesive trilayer films produced with xanthan gum have demonstrated a moderate swelling, improved wettability and a controlled release of TFV.

Utility of capsule endoscopy in the diagnosis of gastrointestinal graft-versus-host disease.

INTRODUCTION AND AIM: Graft-versus-host disease (GvHD) is a complication of hematopoietic cell transplantation, and the small bowel is one of the main targets in the gastrointestinal tract. Capsule endoscopy is a safe procedure and can be useful in the diagnosis of GvHD. The aim of the present study was to compare the diagnostic yield of capsule endoscopy with the histopathologic findings in GvHD. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A retrospective diagnostic test study included all the patients with suspected GvHD that underwent gastroscopy and colonoscopy, with histopathologic evaluation of the biopsies taken, and capsule endoscopy, within the time frame of July 2015 and July 2019. Capsule endoscopy findings were compared with the histopathologic diagnosis, considered the gold standard. RESULTS: Twenty-one patients with GvHD (7 [33%] women; 37 ± 11.9 years of age) were included, 20 (95%) of whom had acute GvHD. The median gastric transit time of the capsule was 55 minutes (20-113) and the median small bowel transit time was 261 minutes (238-434). The entire small bowel was visualized through capsule endoscopy in 17 cases (80.95%). The histopathologic findings and capsule endoscopy findings resulted in the diagnosis of GvHD in 17 and 16 cases, respectively. There was agreement between the histopathologic and capsule endoscopy findings in 18 cases (15 positive and 3 negative). Sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value, and diagnostic yield of capsule endoscopy were 88%, 75%, 94%, 60%, and 85%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Capsule endoscopy is a safe tool for the diagnosis of GvHD, with high sensitivity and positive predictive value, as well as moderate agreement with histopathologic findings.

Differentiation of Epoxide Enantiomers in the Confined Spaces of an Homochiral Cu(II) Metal-Organic Framework by Kinetic Resolution.

TAMOF-1, a homochiral metal-organic framework (MOF) constructed from an amino acid derivative and Cu(II), was investigated as a heterogeneous catalyst in kinetic resolutions involving the ring opening of styrene oxide with a set of anilines. The branched products generated from the ring opening of styrene oxide with anilines and the unreacted epoxide were obtained with moderately high enantiomeric excesses. The linear product arising from the attack on the non-benzylic position of styrene oxide underwent a second kinetic resolution by reacting with the epoxide, resulting in an amplification of its final enantiomeric excess and a concomitant formation of an array of isomeric aminodiols. Computational studies confirmed the experimental results, providing a deep understanding of the whole process involving the two successive kinetic resolutions. Furthermore, TAMOF-1 activity was conserved after several catalytic cycles. The ring opening of a meso-epoxide with aniline catalyzed by TAMOF-1 was also studied and moderate enantioselectivities were obtained.

Influence of the simultaneous calibration of multiple ring dosimeters on the individual absorbed dose.

Ring dosimeters for personal dosimetry are calibrated in accredited laboratories following ISO 4037-3 guidelines. The simultaneous irradiation of multiple dosimeters would save time, but has to be carefully studied, since the scattering conditions could change and influence the absorbed dose in nearby dosimeters. Monte Carlo simulations using PENELOPE-2014 were performed to explore the need to increase the uncertainty ofHp0.07in the simultaneous irradiation of three and five DXT-RAD 707H-2 (Thermo Scientific) ring dosimeters with beam qualities: N-30, N-80 and N-300. Results show that the absorbed dose in each dosimeter is compatible with each of the others and with the reference simulation (a single dosimeter), with a coverage probability of 95% (k= 2). Comparison with experimental data yielded consistent results with the same coverage probability. Therefore, five ring dosimeters can be simultaneously irradiated with beam qualities ranging, at least, between N-30 and N-300 with a negligible impact on the uncertainty ofHp0.07.

In vivo and in vitro apoptosis induced by new acaricidal ethyl-carbamates in Rhipicephalus microplus.

The ability of ethyl-4-bromophenylcarbamate (LQM 919) and ethyl-4-chlorophenylcarbamate (LQM 996) to induce in vivo apoptosis of Rhipicephalus microplus ovarian cells and in vitro apoptosis of tick and mammalian cell culture was evaluated. The ovaries of engorged females treated with 1 mg mL-1 LQM 919 or LQM 996 presented more (p < 0.001) peroxidase-TUNEL-positive labeled cells (apoptotic cells) in situ than their respective control groups, and this increase was time-dependent (p < 0.001). The majority of apoptotic cells were observed in the epithelium and ovarian pedicel. HepG2, Vero and Rm-sus cells, as well as cells from primary cultures of R. microplus salivary glands, intestine and ovaries were exposed to different concentrations of the ethyl-carbamates. Both ethyl-carbamates induced a concentration-dependent reduction in the viability of all cell types (p < 0.001). Exposure to the ethyl-carbamates increased caspase 3 activity (p < 0.01) in primary cultures and cell lines, except in HepG2 cells. Fluorescent TUNEL-positive cells were observed in all cell types treated with 600 µM LQM 919 or LQM 996. These results indicate that both ethyl-carbamates induce apoptosis of the ovarian, intestinal and salivary glands cells in R. microplus and strongly suggest that this is their main mechanism of acaricidal action.

High compression deep learning based single-pixel hyperspectral macroscopic fluorescence lifetime imaging in vivo.

Single pixel imaging frameworks facilitate the acquisition of high-dimensional optical data in biological applications with photon starved conditions. However, they are still limited to slow acquisition times and low pixel resolution. Herein, we propose a convolutional neural network for fluorescence lifetime imaging with compressed sensing at high compression (NetFLICS-CR), which enables in vivo applications at enhanced resolution, acquisition and processing speeds, without the need for experimental training datasets. NetFLICS-CR produces intensity and lifetime reconstructions at 128 × 128 pixel resolution over 16 spectral channels while using only up to 1% of the required measurements, therefore reducing acquisition times from ∼2.5 hours at 50% compression to ∼3 minutes at 99% compression. Its potential is demonstrated in silico, in vitro and for mice in vivo through the monitoring of receptor-ligand interactions in liver and bladder and further imaging of intracellular delivery of the clinical drug Trastuzumab to HER2-positive breast tumor xenografts. The data acquisition time and resolution improvement through NetFLICS-CR, facilitate the translation of single pixel macroscopic flurorescence lifetime imaging (SP-MFLI) for in vivo monitoring of lifetime properties and drug uptake.

Caracterización del módulo salud del sistema 123: atención de accidentes de tránsito en la ciudad de Medellín / Characterization of the health module of the 123 system for traffic accident attention in the city of Medellín / Caracterização do módulo saúde do sistema 123: atenção de acidentes de trânsito na cidade de Medellín

Objetivo: Caracterizar la atención de accidentes de tránsito en la ciudad de Medellín para obtener una imagen general de la situación de salud en este contexto. Metodología: Estudio descriptivo observacional, con intención analítica, de fuentes secundarias de información, en pacientes con edad mayor o igual a 16 años, atendidos por el personal 123, módulo salud, víctimas de accidentes de tránsito en Medellín. Resultados: Un total de 3 829 individuos sufrieron accidente de tránsito entre octubre y diciembre del 2018 según los criterios del estudio. De estos, el 63.1% de sexo masculino, con edad media de 34 años. La zona con mayor demanda de atención prehospitalaria fue la comuna 10 de la ciudad (La Candelaria) y la mayoría de los afectados por los accidentes lo fueron en calidad de conductor, 64%, y en un 75% de los casos, el vehículo involucrado fue una motocicleta. Solo el 26.5% de los pacientes fueron dados de alta en la escena. Las extremidades fueron las zonas corporales de mayor compromiso, en un 78.2% de los episodios, seguidas por el cráneo y la cara, con un 26.8%. Conclusiones: Es evidente la necesidad de la ciudad de implementar y evaluar el impacto de estrategias dinámicas que permitan un manejo eficiente de los recursos, que priorice las zonas y grupos demográficos de mayor riesgo y la articulación de la disposición de pacientes dentro de la cadena de atención, según los tipos más frecuentes de lesiones.

Objective: To characterize the traffic accident attention in the city of Medellín in order to obtain a general image of the health situation in this context. Methodology: Observational descriptive study, with analytic intent, of secondary information sources in patients with age higher or equal to 16 years of age, served by the 123 personnel, health module, who were victims of traffic accidents in Medellín. Results: A total of 3 829 individuals suffered traffic accidents between October and December of 2018 according to the study criteria. Of these, 63.1% were males, with an average age of 34 years old. The zone with the highest demand of pre-hospital attention was the Comuna 10 of the city (known as La Candelaria) and most of the affected by the accidents were as drivers, 64%, and 75% of the cases, the vehicle involved was a motorcycle. Only 26.5% of the patients were discharged on the scene. The extremities were the body zones with the highest compromise in 78.2% of the episodes, followed by the cranium and the face, with 26.8%. Conclusions: It is evident that the city needs to implement and evaluate the impact of dynamic strategies that enable an efficient management of the resources that prioritizes the zones and demographic groups with the highest risk and the articulation of the disposition of patients within the attention chain, according to the most frequent types of injuries.

Objetivo: Caracterizar a atenção de acidentes de trânsito na cidade de Medellín para obter uma imagem geral da situação de saúde neste contexto. Metodologia: Estudo descritivo observacional, com intenção analítica, de fontes secundárias de informação, em pacientes com idade maior ou igual a 16 anos, atendidos pelo pessoal 123, módulo saúde, vítimas de acidentes de trânsito em Medellín. Resultados: Um total de 3 829 indivíduos sofreram acidente de trânsito entre outubro e dezembro de 2018 segundo os critérios do estudo. Destes, 63.1% de sexo masculino, com idade média de 34 anos. A região com maior demanda de atenção pré-hospitalar foi a comuna 10 da cidade (La Candelaria) e a maioria dos afetados pelos acidentes foram em qualidade de condutor, 64%, e num 75% dos casos, o veículo envolvido foi uma motocicleta. Só 26.5% dos pacientes foram dados de alta na cena. As extremidades foram as zonas corporais de maior compromisso, em 78.2% dos episódios, seguidas pelo crâneo e a cara, com um 26.8%. Conclusões: É evidente a necessidade da cidade de implementar e avaliar o impacto de estratégias dinâmicas que permitam um manejo eficiente dos recursos, que priorize as zonas e grupos demográficos de maior risco e a articulação da disposição de pacientes dentro da cadeia de atenção, segundo os tipos mais frequentes de lesões.

Correlation between eye lens doses and over apron doses in interventional procedures.

Measurements of eye lens dose using over apron dosimeters with a geometric correction factor is an international accepted practice. However, further knowledge regarding geometric correction factors in different contexts is required. The authors studied the correlation between eye lens dose and over apron dosimetry for different medical specialties in eleven hospitals, using a standardized protocol, two independent over apron dosimeters (worn at chest and at neck levels) and a dedicated calibration procedure. The results show good correlation between subjects working on the same medical specialty for 5 specialties: Interventional Radiology, Vascular Surgery, Vascular Radiology, Hemodynamics and Neuroradiology. The geometric correction factors resulting from this study could be used to estimate eye lens dose using over apron dosimeters, which are more comfortable than eye lens dosimeters, as reported by the study subjects, as long as the increased uncertainty of the over apron dosimetry compared to the dedicated eye lens dosimetry is acceptable.

d-serine regulation of the timing and architecture of the inspiratory burst in neonatal mice.

d-serine, released from mouse medullary astrocytes in response to increased CO2 levels, boosts the respiratory frequency to adapt breathing to physiological demands. We analyzed in mouse neonates, the influence of d-serine upon inspiratory/expiratory durations and the architecture of the inspiratory burst, assessed by pwelch's power spectrum density (PSD) and continuous wavelet transform (CWT) analyses. Suction electrode recordings were performed in slices from the ventral respiratory column (VRC), site of generation of the respiratory rhythm, and in brainstem-spinal cord (en bloc) preparations, from the C5 ventral roots, containing phrenic fibers that in vivo innervate and drive the diaphragm, the main inspiratory muscle. In en bloc and slice preparations, d-serine (100 µM) reduced the expiratory, but not the inspiratory duration, and increased the frequency and the regularity of the respiratory rhythm. In en bloc preparations, d-serine (100 µM) also increased slightly the amplitude of the integrated inspiratory burst and the area under the curve of the integrated inspiratory burst, suggesting a change in the recruitment or the firing pattern of neurons within the burst. Time-frequency analyses revealed that d-serine changed the burst architecture of phrenic roots, widening their frequency spectrum and shifting the position of the core of firing frequencies towards the onset of the inspiratory burst. At the VRC, no clear d-serine induced changes in the frequency-time domain could be established. Our results show that d-serine not only regulates the timing of the respiratory cycle, but also the recruitment strategy of phrenic motoneurons within the inspiratory burst.

Association of cagA+ Helicobacter pylori strains with high urease activity and dyspepsia in Mexican adults. / Asociación de cepas de Helicobater pylori cagA+ con alta actividad de ureasa y dispepsia en adultos mexicanos.

INTRODUCTION AND AIMS: Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) is associated with a higher risk of peptic ulcer and gastric cancer. The sole presence of the bacterium is not a determinant of clinical outcome, but rather the interaction of strain type and host factors determines the risk of disease. Our aim was to study the association between bacterial load, strain type, and gastric symptoms in H. pylori-positive subjects. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In a community survey, a diagnostic 13C-urea breath test for H. pylori was performed on 302 volunteers that were not taking antibiotics, antacids, or proton pump inhibitors one month prior to the test. The breath test produced 25 H. pylori-positive subjects, between 25-74 years of age, who then took a gastric symptoms survey and were tested for the presence of the cagA genotype in gastric juice, using the Entero-test®. Bacterial load was determined as a measure of urease activity, utilizing the delta over baseline value, obtained in the 13C-urea breath test. RESULTS: A total of 48% of the H. pylori-positive subjects were cagA+. A positive association was found between cagA status and high gastric urease activity (P<.0001) and the latter was significantly associated with the presence of symptoms (P<.0001). CONCLUSION: Gastric urease activity was strongly associated with dyspeptic symptoms and cagA+ H. pylori. Elevated 13C-delta over baseline values could be used as indicators of a higher risk for gastric disease.

Volatile metabolites produced by different flor yeast strains during wine biological ageing.

Sherry white wine called Fino is produced by dynamic biological ageing under the action of flor yeasts using traditional practices aimed at ensuring uniform quality and characteristics over time. These kinds of yeasts provide typical sensory properties to Fino wines. Although there are studies of the volatile composition of these wines submitted to biological ageing in wood barrels, there is a lack of knowledge on the particular volatile profile produced by different flor yeast strains from Sherry zone wineries. For this reason, the aim of this study was to analyse the volatile profiles produced by 15 pure culture flor velum yeasts, with the goal of observing their suitability for obtaining high quality Fino sherry wines. Volatile composition was determined by dual sequential stir bar sorptive extraction, followed by GC-MS analysis. All yeast strains studied produced the increase of most acetals, highlighting acetaldehyde diethylacetal which was the compound that most increased. Among terpenes, nerolidol and farnesol underwent remarkable increases. However, results showed that in a month of biological ageing, significant differences were observed among the volatile metabolites produced by flor yeast strains studied. Only some of them stood out for their high production of volatile compounds characteristic of Sherry Fino wines, which are good candidates for producing starter cultures.

Homochiral Metal-Organic Frameworks for Enantioselective Separations in Liquid Chromatography.

Selective separation of enantiomers is a substantial challenge for the pharmaceutical industry. Chromatography on chiral stationary phases is the standard method, but at a very high cost for industrial-scale purification due to the high cost of the chiral stationary phases. Typically, these materials are poorly robust, expensive to manufacture, and often too specific for a single desired substrate, lacking desirable versatility across different chiral analytes. Here, we disclose a porous, robust homochiral metal-organic framework (MOF), TAMOF-1, built from copper(II) and an affordable linker prepared from natural l-histidine. TAMOF-1 has shown to be able to separate a variety of model racemic mixtures, including drugs, in a wide range of solvents of different polarity, outperforming several commercial chiral columns for HPLC separations. Although not exploited in the present article, it is worthy to mention that the preparation of this new material is scalable to the multikilogram scale, opening unprecedented possibilities for low-energy chiral separation at the industrial scale.

Terapia complementaria a la insulina en el tratamiento de niños y adolescentes con diabetes mellitus tipo 1- (DM1) / Therapies complementaries to insulin in the treatment of children and adolescents with type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM)

La diabetes mellitus tipo 1 (DM1), es una enfermedad crónica caracterizada por la deficiencia de insulina debido a la pérdida de células ß pancreáticas, las alteraciones hormonales en la DM 1 no se limitan a la deficiencia de insulina; existiendo también secreción inadecuadada de glucagón en el período postprandial. Aunque el control glucémico con terapias intensivas con insulina ha reducido la incidencia de complicaciones microvascular y macrovasculares. La mayoría de las personas con DM1 tienen un control glucémico subóptimo; Por lo tanto, el uso de farmacoterapia adyuvante para mejorar el control ha sido de interés clínico. El uso de estos nuevos medicamentos brindaría la oportunidad de imitar más de cerca la fisiología pancreática normal, y contrarrestar otros mecanismos fisiopatológicos diferentes a Insulinopenia; contribuyendo a lograr un mejor control metabólico y expectativa de vida.

Type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM), is a chronic disease characterized by insulin deficiency due to the loss of pancreatic ß cells, the hormonal alterations in T1DM are not limited to insulin deficiency; there is also a deregulated glucagon secretion in the postprandial period. Although glycemic control with intensive therapies with insulin has reduced the incidence of microvascular and macrovascular complications, most people with T1DM1 glycemic control; therefore, the use of adjuvant pharmacotherapy to improve control has been of clinical interest. The use of these new drugs would offer the opportunity to imitate more closely the normal pancreatic physiology, and to counteract other physiopathological mechanisms different from insulinopenia; contributing to achieve better metabolic control and life expectancy.

Progesterone in vitro increases growth, motility and progesterone receptor expression in third stage larvae of Toxocara canis.

The in vitro effect of progesterone in T. canis larvae on their enlargement and motility were evaluated, together to the possible presence of progesterone receptors (PRs). T. canis larvae were cultured in RPMI-1640 with different concentrations of progesterone (0, 20, 40, 80, 400 and 800 ng/mL). Enlargement and increases in motility were dependent on the concentration only from 0 to 80 ng/mL (p < 0.05). The mean percentage of PR + cells in newly obtained larvae as measured by flow cytometry was 8.16 ± 0.4. The number of PR + cells increased depending on concentration from 0 to 80 ng/mL (p < 0.001). Cells obtained from larvae stimulated at any of the studied hormone concentrations showed greater mean fluorescence intensity when compared to non-stimulated cells. Additionally, the expression and location of PR + cells were determined in the larvae. The sequence of an amplicon (420-bp) obtained by PCR from T. canis larvae showed 100% homology with a gene fragment that codes for the PR of the dog. PR + cells were immunolocated using confocal microscopy in the intestinal region of the larvae that had been recently obtained. The results of this study show that T. canis larvae can recognize and respond to the presence of progesterone through a molecule possibly able to bind it. Since we previously observed a similar response to prolactin, we suggest that both hormones could participate sequentially in the reactivation of T. canis larvae in pregnant bitches.

In vitro and in silico evaluation of fucosterol from Sargassum horridum as potential human acetylcholinesterase inhibitor.

The fucosterol has been reported numerous biological activities. In this study, the activity in vitro of the fucosterol from Sargassum horridum as potential human acetylcholinesterase inhibitor was evaluated. The structural identification was obtained by nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy and based on experimental data, we combined docking and molecular dynamics simulations coupled to the molecular-mechanics-generalized-born-surface-area approach to evaluating the structural and energetic basis for the molecular recognition of fucosterol and neostigmine at the binding site of acetylcholinesterase (AChE). In addition, the Lineweaver-Burk plot showed the nature of a non-competitive inhibition. The maximum velocity (Vmax) and the constant of Michaelis-Menten (Km) estimated for fucosterol (0.006 µM) were 0.015 1/Vo (ΔA/h and 6.399 1/[ACh] mM-1, respectively. While, for neostigmine (0.14 µM), the Vmax was 0.022 1/Vo (ΔA/h) and Km of 6.726 1/[ACh] mM-1, these results showed a more effective inhibition by fucosterol respect to neostigmine. Structural analysis revealed that neostigmine reaches the AChE binding site reported elsewhere, whereas fucosterol can act as a no-competitive and competitive acetylcholinesterase inhibitor, in agree with kinetic enzymatic experiments. Binding free energy calculations revealed that fucosterol reaches the acetylcholinesterase binding site with higher affinity than neostigmine, which is according to experimental results. Whereas the per-residue decomposition free energy analysis let us identify crucial residues involved in the molecular recognition of ligands by AChE. Results corroborate the ability of theoretical methods to provide crucial information at the atomic level about energetic and structural differences in the binding interaction and affinity from fucosterol with AChE. Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.

Operational impact of canine teams in the fight against drug trafficking in Colombia: review of their contribution, strategies and recent trends. / Impacto operacional de los equipos caninos en la lucha contra el narcotráfico en Colombia: una revisión de la contribución, estrategias y tendencias recientes.

As part of national and international cooperation to fight the drug-trafficking system, the Colombian National Police (PNC) has created institutional operational synergy to combat organised armed groups. To this end, it uses police service dog and handler teams which are distributed across Colombia in 75 canine units and which are specialised in different policing tasks. The focus of canine teams is to counter actions that undermine peaceful co-existence and citizen security by checking for explosive substances around coca, marijuana and poppy fields. In 2016, these teams discovered 16% of the 12,500 kg of improvised explosive devices, anti-personnel mines and unexploded ordnance (conventional guns and grenades) that were seized by the PNC. In addition, dogs have detected 19% of all controlled substances (cocaine, marijuana, heroin, coca paste and synthetic drugs) seized at ports, airports, land terminals and highways, striking a blow at drug-trafficking structures at all stages, from the illicit cultivation of drugs, through to their production, distribution, sale and use, countering small-scale dealing and the factors associated with drug-related social disorder. It is the responsibility of the PNC Police Service Dog and Handler Training School (ESGAC) to provide a framework for academic endeavour and technological advances aimed at achieving defined strategic roles for dog and handler teams. This involves the genetic selection and breeding of candidate detection dogs, assessment, training, operant conditioning, odour-discrimination during searches, certification, dog/ handler relationship, the dogs' living environment, and animal health, production and welfare management. All of the above is designed to achieve real, effective and successful outcomes when policing with dogs, enshrined within the national government's Vision 2030 project for safe and peaceful communities.

Dans le cadre de la coopération nationale et internationale contre les réseaux de trafic de stupéfiants, la police nationale de Colombie a mis en place une synergie opérationnelle institutionnelle contre les groupes armés organisés. Pour ce faire, elle recourt à des binômes d'intervention (un maître-chien et un chien) répartis en 75 unités cynotechniques sur tout le territoire colombien, spécialisés dans différentes tâches opérationnelles. La contribution des équipes cynotechniques consiste à neutraliser les activités qui menacent la cohabitation et la sécurité des citoyens, en détectant la présence de substances explosives aux alentours des champs de culture de cocaïne, cannabis et pavot, celles-ci ayant représenté 16 % des engins explosifs improvisés, mines antipersonnel et munitions non explosées (fusils et grenades conventionnelles) saisis par la police colombienne en 2016 sur un total de 12 500 kg. De surcroît, les chiens ont détecté 19 % du total des saisies de substances illicites (cocaïne, cannabis, héroïne, dérivés de cocaïne et drogues de synthèse) dans les ports, aéroports, gares routières et routes. Ceci atteint les structures du narcotrafic depuis les cultures illicites jusqu'à la production, la distribution, la commercialisation et la consommation tout en neutralisant le microtrafic ainsi que d'autres facteurs liés à la décomposition sociale due aux drogues. L'École de maîtres-chiens et de dressage de chiens de la Police colombienne prend en charge les efforts de formation ainsi que la recherche technologique afin que les fonctions stratégiques attribuées aux binômes soient réalisées avec succès. Ceci requiert la prise en compte de plusieurs aspects : la sélection génétique, la reproduction, les chiens potentiellement candidats pour être formés à la détection de drogue, l'évaluation, la formation, la gestion comportementale opérationnelle, la capacité de discriminer entre les odeurs lors des recherches, la certification, la relation entre le maître-chien et son chien, l'habitat, la gestion sanitaire et zootechnique ainsi que la protection du bien-être animal. Ces différents aspects sont destinés à garantir l'efficience et l'efficacité des résultats concrets obtenus par les services de la police cynophile dans le cadre de la stratégie institutionnelle 2030 « Pour des communautés sûres et en paix ¼.

En el marco de la cooperación nacional e internacional contra el sistema del narcotráfico, la policía nacional de Colombia (PNC) establece una sinergia operacional institucional contra los grupos armados organizados (GAO). Para ello, emplea binomios (guía-perro), distribuidos en forma de 75 unidades caninas por todo el territorio colombiano, especializadas en diferentes tareas del servicio. La contribución de los equipos caninos consiste en contrarrestar las acciones que afectan a la convivencia y seguridad ciudadana, controlando sustancias explosivas alrededor de los cultivos de cocaína, marihuana y amapola, en los cuales se ha logrado hallar un 16% de artefactos explosivos improvisados, minas antipersona y munición sin explotar (fusiles y granadas convencionales) de un total de 12 500 kg incautados por la PNC (año 2016). Además, los perros han detectado un 19% del total de las incautaciones de sustancias controladas (cocaína, marihuana, heroína, bazuco y drogas sintéticas) en puertos, aeropuertos, terminales terrestres y carreteras, golpeando así las estructuras narcotraficantes desde los cultivos ilícitos, la producción, la distribución, la comercialización y el consumo, y contrarrestando el microtráfico y los factores asociados a la descomposición social de las drogas. Son responsabilidad de la Escuela de Guías y Adiestramiento Canino de la institución los esfuerzos académicos y avances tecnológicos que propenden a lograr roles estratégicos definidos para los binomios, para los cuales son necesarios la selección genética, la cría, los perros detectores aspirantes, la evaluación, la formación, el manejo comportamental operativo, la discriminación de olores durante la búsqueda, la certificación, la relación guía perro, su hábitat, y el manejo sanitario, zootécnico y relativo al bienestar animal. Todo lo anterior va destinado a lograr resultados efectivos, eficientes y eficaces en el servicio de policía con caninos en el marco de la visión institucional 2030 «Comunidades Seguras y en Paz¼.

Assessing patterns for compressive fluorescence lifetime imaging.

A novel hyperspectral single pixel system was used to compare different compressive basis patterns for intensity imaging, lifetime imaging, and FRET quantification. Six popular basis patterns were compared experimentally in a phantom containing two fluorescent dyes. The basis patterns that performed best for lifetime quantification were used to measure FRET occurrence in well-plate samples with varying acceptor-donor ratios. The ABS-WP approach using Haar patterns and the compressive sensing approach with Hadamard Ranked patterns displayed the best overall performances at a 50% compression ratio.