The mRNA and protein levels of the glycolytic enzymes lactate dehydrogenase A (LDHA) and phosphofructokinase platelet (PFKP) are good predictors of survival time, recurrence, and risk of death in cervical cancer patients.

INTRODUCTION: Patients with cervical cancer (CC) may experience local recurrence very often after treatment; when only clinical parameters are used, most cases are diagnosed in late stages, which decreases the chance of recovery. Molecular markers can improve the prediction of clinical outcome. Glycolysis is altered in 70% of CCs, so molecular markers of this pathway associated with the aggressiveness of CC can be identified. METHODS: The expression of 14 glycolytic genes was analyzed in 97 CC and 29 healthy cervical tissue (HCT) with microarray; only LDHA and PFKP were validated at the mRNA and protein levels in 36 of those CC samples and in 109 new CC samples, and 31 HCT samples by qRT-PCR, Western blotting, or immunohistochemistry. A replica analysis was performed on 295 CC from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database. RESULTS: The protein expression of LDHA and PFKP was associated with poor overall survival [OS: LDHA HR = 4.0 (95% CI = 1.4-11.1); p = 8.0 × 10-3 ; PFKP HR = 3.3 (95% CI = 1.1-10.5); p = 4.0 × 10-2 ] and disease-free survival [DFS: LDHA HR = 4.5 (95% CI = 1.9-10.8); p = 1.0 × 10-3 ; PFKP HR = 3.2 (95% CI = 1.2-8.2); p = 1.8 × 10-2 ] independent of FIGO clinical stage, and the results for mRNA expression were similar. The risk of death was greater in patients with overexpression of both biomarkers than in patients with advanced FIGO stage [HR = 8.1 (95% CI = 2.6-26.1; p = 4.3 × 10-4 ) versus HR = 7 (95% CI 1.6-31.1, p = 1.0 × 10-2 )] and increased exponentially as the expression of LDHA and PFKP increased. CONCLUSIONS: LDHA and PFKP overexpression at the mRNA and protein levels was associated with poor OS and DFS and increased risk of death in CC patients regardless of FIGO stage. The measurement of these two markers could be very useful for evaluating clinical evolution and the risk of death from CC and could facilitate better treatment decision making.

Argentine consensus recommendations for lung cancer screening programmes: a RAND/UCLA-modified Delphi study.

BACKGROUND: Lung cancer (LC) screening improves LC survival; the best screening method in terms of improving survival is low-dose CT (LDCT), outpacing chest X-ray and sputum cytology. METHODS: A consensus of experts in Argentina was carried out to review the literature and generate recommendations for LC screening programmes. A mixed-method study was used with three phases: (1) review of the literature; (2) modified Delphi consensus panel; and (3) development of the recommendations. The Evidence to Decision (EtD) framework was used to generate 13 evaluation criteria. Nineteen experts participated in four voting rounds. Consensus among participants was defined using the RAND/UCLA method. RESULTS: A total of 16 recommendations scored ≥7 points with no disagreement on any criteria. Screening for LC should be performed with LDCT annually in the population at high-risk, aged between 55 and 74 years, regardless of sex, without comorbidities with a risk of death higher than the risk of death from LC, smoking ≥30 pack-years or former smokers who quit smoking within 15 years. Screening will be considered positive when finding a solid nodule ≥6 mm in diameter (or ≥113 mm3) on baseline LDCT and 4 mm in diameter if a new nodule is identified on annual screening. A smoking cessation programme should be offered, and cardiovascular risk assessment should be performed. Institutions should have a multidisciplinary committee, have protocols for the management of symptomatic patients not included in the programme and distribute educational material. CONCLUSION: The recommendations provide a basis for minimum requirements from which local institutions can develop their own protocols adapted to their needs and resources.

Validation of 3D-Printed Swabs for Sampling in SARS-CoV-2 Detection: A Pilot Study.

In this pilot study, we characterize and evaluate 3D-printed swabs for the collection of nasopharyngeal and oropharyngeal secretion samples for the SARS-CoV-2 detection. Swabs are made with the fused deposition modeling technique using the biopolymer polylactic acid (PLA) which is a medical-grade, biodegradable and low-cost material. We evaluated six swabs with mechanical tests in a laboratory and in an Adult Human Simulator performed by healthcare professionals. We proved the adequacy of the PLA swab to be used in the gold standard reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) for viral RNA detection. Then, we did in vitro validation for cell collection using the 3D-printed swabs and RNA extraction for samples from 10 healthy volunteers. The 3D-printed swabs showed good flexibility and maneuverability for sampling and at the same time robustness to pass into the posterior nasopharynx. The PLA did not interfere with the RNA extraction process and qRT-PCR test. When we evaluated the expression of the reference gene (RNase P) used in the SARS-CoV-2 detection, the 3D-printed swabs showed good reproducibility in the threshold cycle values (Ct = 23.5, range 19-26) that is comparable to control swabs (Ct = 24.7, range 20.8-32.6) with p value = 0.47. The 3D-printed swabs demonstrated to be a reliable, and an economical alternative for mass use in the detection of SARS-CoV-2.

A Branched and Double Alpha-Gal-Bearing Synthetic Neoglycoprotein as a Biomarker for Chagas Disease.

Chagas disease (CD) is caused by the parasite Trypanosoma cruzi and affects 6-7 million people worldwide. The diagnosis is still challenging, due to extensive parasite diversity encompassing seven genotypes (TcI-VI and Tcbat) with diverse ecoepidemiological, biological, and pathological traits. Chemotherapeutic intervention is usually effective but associated with severe adverse events. The development of safer, more effective therapies is hampered by the lack of biomarker(s) (BMKs) for the early assessment of therapeutic outcomes. The mammal-dwelling trypomastigote parasite stage expresses glycosylphosphatidylinositol-anchored mucins (tGPI-MUC), whose O-glycans are mostly branched with terminal, nonreducing α-galactopyranosyl (α-Gal) glycotopes. These are absent in humans, and thus highly immunogenic and inducers of specific CD anti-α-Gal antibodies. In search for α-Gal-based BMKs, here we describe the synthesis of neoglycoprotein NGP11b, comprised of a carrier protein decorated with the branched trisaccharide Galα(1,2)[Galα(1,6)]Galß. By chemiluminescent immunoassay using sera/plasma from chronic CD (CCD) patients from Venezuela and Mexico and healthy controls, NGP11b exhibited sensitivity and specificity similar to that of tGPI-MUC from genotype TcI, predominant in those countries. Preliminary evaluation of CCD patients subjected to chemotherapy showed a significant reduction in anti-α-Gal antibody reactivity to NGP11b. Our data indicated that NGP11b is a potential BMK for diagnosis and treatment assessment in CCD patients.

Organized Scientific Diaspora and Its Contributions to Science Diplomacy in Emerging Economies: The Case of Latin America and the Caribbean.

The current knowledge society has driven an unprecedented mobility of people, especially scientists, from emerging economies to developed countries. This mobility can allow the development of human talent and the access to first class infrastructure and resources, but it can also mean a loss for emerging economies due to the phenomenon of brain drain. To counteract this situation, some countries in Latin America and the Caribbean have developed models for the articulation of their scientific diaspora in projects and programs, with the aim of exchanging knowledge and capitalizing on human and technical resources to advance science, technology and innovation systems. Likewise, science diplomacy has become a tool for interlinking the work of various actors in order to advance the solution of national, transnational or global problems through scientific advice. Scientific diasporas are vital in new structures of cooperation, enabling them to innovate and solve problems jointly, advising their countries of origin and articulating policies and programs. This research seeks to analyze the interactions and initiatives identified between the organized scientific diaspora from Latin America and the Caribbean and their countries of origin in relation to science diplomacy processes, providing recommendations and proposals for public policy to improve the interaction between the diaspora and the governments of their countries of origin. Results show that diaspora organizations from Latin America and the Caribbean engage with governmental and non-state actors and are active science diplomacy stakeholders promoting the scientific developments of their country or their researchers, as well as enabling access to research resources creating alliances for scientific, institutional and academic collaborations. In the cases studied, these efforts are planned and executed by the diaspora without responding to any science diplomacy strategy of the country. Policies and programs are needed to effectively link the scientific diaspora organizations to the interests of the countries.

Differentiation of circulating monocytes into macrophages with metabolically activated phenotype regulates inflammation in dyslipidemia patients.

Macrophages are mediators of inflammation having an important role in the pathogenesis of cardiovascular diseases. Recently, a pro-inflammatory subpopulation, known as metabolically activated macrophages (MMe), has been described in conditions of obesity and metabolic syndrome where they are known to release cytokines that can promote insulin resistance. Dyslipidemia represents an important feature in metabolic syndrome and corresponds to one of the main modifiable risk factors for the development of cardiovascular diseases. Circulating monocytes can differentiate into macrophages under certain conditions. They correspond to a heterogeneous population, which include inflammatory and anti-inflammatory subsets; however, there is a wide spectrum of phenotypes. Therefore, we decided to investigate whether the metabolic activated monocyte (MoMe) subpopulation is already present under dyslipidemia conditions. Secondly, we assessed whether different levels of cholesterol and triglycerides play a role in the polarization towards the metabolic phenotype (MMe) of macrophages. Our results indicate that MoMe cells are found in both healthy and dyslipidemia patients, with cells displaying the following metabolic phenotype: CD14varCD36+ABCA1+PLIN2+. Furthermore, the percentages of CD14++CD68+CD80+ pro-inflammatory monocytes are higher in dyslipidemia than in healthy subjects. When analysing macrophage differentiation, we observed that MMe percentages were higher in the dyslipidemia group than in healthy subjects. These MMe have the ability to produce high levels of IL-6 and the anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-10. Furthermore, ABCA1 expression in MMe correlates with LDL serum levels. Our study highlights the dynamic contributions of metabolically activated macrophages in dyslipidemia, which may have a complex participation in low-grade inflammation due to their pro- and anti-inflammatory function.

Serosurvey for dengue virus infection among pregnant women in the West Nile virus enzootic community of El Paso Texas.

All 4 dengue viruses (DENV) cause sporadic outbreaks of human disease in the Rio Grande Valley along the US-Mexico border. In addition, West Nile virus (WNV) is enzootic in most border communities, and is the only arbovirus known to cause human disease in the El Paso, Texas community. In an effort to determine if DENV were also endemic in the El Paso community, a serosurvey was conducted among mothers at the time of delivery of their babies in selected hospitals. Cord-blood plasma samples obtained from mothers were tested for DENV antibody by an enzyme-linked immuno-sorbent assay (ELISA), plaque reduction neutralization test (PRNT) and a multiplex microsphere immunoassay. All DENV antibody positive plasma samples were also tested for WNV antibody by the same assays to consider the possibility that DENV antibody positive samples reflected WNV cross reactive antibody. The results indicated that 0.74% (11/1,472) of the mothers had a previous DENV infection and that 3.3% (48/1,472) had a previous WNV infection. Of these mothers, 0.20% (3/1,472) had antibody to both DENV and WNV as evidence of infection by both viruses. The results indicated that 0.2% (3/1472) of the mothers were positive for antibody to only WNV envelope, thus suggesting an undetermined flavivirus infection. Although 6 of the 11 DENV antibody positive mothers did not have a history of travel to a DENV endemic country, the findings of this survey provided further evidence of local transmission of WNV and suggested the possibility of focal autochthonous transmission of DENV in the El Paso community.

Síndrome antisintetasa en paciente con COP como afección pulmonar / Antisynthetase Syndrome in Patient with COP as Pulmonary Disease

El síndrome antisintetasa es una miopatía inflamatoria autoinmune que puede presentar afectación pulmonar intersticial. La presencia de anticuerpos antisintetasa se relaciona con una mayor incidencia de enfermedad pulmonar intersticial. El patrón imagenológico y anatomopatológico de la EPID es variable, fundamentalmente inflamatorio. En el caso presentado se describe una paciente con miopatía inflamatoria y compromiso pulmonar presentando un patrón tomográfico de neumonía organizativa. Se destaca la importancia de elevar el índice de sospecha de síndrome antisintetasa ante un paciente con compromiso pulmonar y miopatía, siendo fundamental para arribar a un diagnóstico la evaluación multidisciplinaria. Se realiza una revisión de la evidencia al respecto en la discusión del caso

The antisynthetase syndrome is an autoimmune inflammatory miopathy that may show interstitial pulmonary involvement. The presence of antisynthetase antibodies is related to a higher incidence of interstitial pulmonary involvement. The imaging and anatomopathological pattern of diffuse interstitial pulmonary disease (DIPD) is variable, mainly inflammatory. This case describes a female patient with inflammatory miopathy and pulmonary involvement who shows a tomographic pattern of organizing pneumonia. It is important to increase suspicion for antisynthetase syndrome in a patient with pulmonary involvement and miopathy, where multidisciplinary evaluation is fundamental to reach a diagnosis. A review of the evidence is made in the discussion of the case.

Insights Into the Function of the NuA4 Complex in Plants.

Chromatin remodeling plays a key role in the establishment and maintenance of gene expression patterns essential for plant development and responses to environmental factors. Post-translational modification of histones, including acetylation, is one of the most relevant chromatin remodeling mechanisms that operate in eukaryotic cells. Histone acetylation is an evolutionarily conserved chromatin signature commonly associated with transcriptional activation. Histone acetylation levels are tightly regulated through the antagonistic activity of histone acetyltransferases (HATs) and histone deacetylases (HDACs). In plants, different families of HATs are present, including the MYST family, which comprises homologs of the catalytic subunit of the Nucleosome Acetyltransferase of H4 (NuA4) complex in yeast. This complex mediates acetylation of histones H4, H2A, and H2A.Z, and is involved in transcriptional regulation, heterochromatin silencing, cell cycle progression, and DNA repair in yeast. In Arabidopsis and, other plant species, homologs for most of the yeast NuA4 subunits are present and although the existence of this complex has not been demonstrated yet, compelling evidence supports the notion that this type of HAT complex functions from mosses to angiosperms. Recent proteomic studies show that several Arabidopsis homologs of NuA4 components, including the assembly platform proteins and the catalytic subunit, are associated in vivo with additional members of this complex suggesting that a NuA4-like HAT complex is present in plants. Furthermore, the functional characterization of some Arabidopsis NuA4 subunits has uncovered the involvement of these proteins in the regulation of different plant biological processes. Interestingly, for most of the mutant plants deficient in subunits of this complex characterized so far, conspicuous defects in flowering time are observed, suggesting a role for NuA4 in the control of this plant developmental program. Moreover, the participation of Arabidopsis NuA4 homologs in other developmental processes, such as gametophyte development, as well as in cell proliferation and stress and hormone responses, has also been reported. In this review, we summarize the current state of knowledge on plant putative NuA4 subunits and discuss the latest progress concerning the function of this chromatin modifying complex.

Signo de la aorta flotante / The Floating Aorta Sign

Paciente masculino de 25 años sin antecedentes patológicos conocidos que se desempeña en el rubro gastronómico. Consulta por dolor pleurítico en hemitórax izquierdo asociado a sudoración nocturna y pérdida de peso de 1 kg en el último mes. Niega fiebre, tos, disnea o contacto con personas enfermas. En el laboratorio no presenta anemia ni leucocitosis, con VSG 30 mm/h y PCR 12 mg/L. La radiografía de tórax evidencia derrame pleural bilateral a predominio izquierdo. Se punza, con criterios para exudado, obteniéndose un cultivo para gérmenes comunes, BAAR y cultivo KOCH negativos.

Neumonía intersticial linfoide en enfermedades del tejido conectivo / Lymphoid Interstitial Pneumonia in Connective Tissue Diseases

Mujer de 65 años, ex tabaquista de 20 p.y, ocupación ama de casa, antecedentes de artritis reumatoide y síndrome de Sjögren desde hace 44 años. Hace 14 años diagnóstico de neumonía intersticial linfoide (LIP, por sus siglas en inglés), por imágenes y clínica (tos seca, disnea); en tratamiento con corticoides, con buena respuesta a los mismos.

Síndrome combinado de fibrosis pulmonar y enfisema en artritis reumatoide / Combined pulmonary fibrosis syndrome and emphysema in rheumatoid arthritis

Caso clínico: Paciente de sexo masculino, de 72 años. Ingresa por un cuadro de disnea súbita mMRC 2-3, con progresión a disnea mMRC 4. Refiere tos crónica sin cambio en sus características. Niega fiebre. Antecedentes: Ex tabaquista (36 paquetes/año), con antecedentes de artritis reumatoidea, y fibrosis pulmonar. Examen físico: Saturación de oxígeno 88% aire ambiente, taquipneico. Con hipoventilación y crepitantes velcro hasta el tercio medio, bilaterales. Exámenes complementarios: Hemograma normal. La gasometría arterial revela alcalosis respiratoria compensada. La espirometría y los volúmenes pulmonares se encuentran dentro de los límites de referencia, se observa disminución severa de la capacidad de difusión pulmonar (DLCO). La tomografía computarizada torácica de alta resolución (TCAR) (Figuras 1 y 2) muestra enfisema en los lóbulos superiores, con fibrosis de predominio en lóbulos inferiores, no se observan signos indirectos de hipertensión pulmonar

Genome mining of Streptomyces scabrisporus NF3 reveals symbiotic features including genes related to plant interactions.

Endophytic bacteria are wide-spread and associated with plant physiological benefits, yet their genomes and secondary metabolites remain largely unidentified. In this study, we explored the genome of the endophyte Streptomyces scabrisporus NF3 for discovery of potential novel molecules as well as genes and metabolites involved in host interactions. The complete genomes of seven Streptomyces and three other more distantly related bacteria were used to define the functional landscape of this unique microbe. The S. scabrisporus NF3 genome is larger than the average Streptomyces genome and not structured for an obligate endosymbiotic lifestyle; this and the fact that can grow in R2YE media implies that it could include a soil-living stage. The genome displays an enrichment of genes associated with amino acid production, protein secretion, secondary metabolite and antioxidants production and xenobiotic degradation, indicating that S. scabrisporus NF3 could contribute to the metabolic enrichment of soil microbial communities and of its hosts. Importantly, besides its metabolic advantages, the genome showed evidence for differential functional specificity and diversification of plant interaction molecules, including genes for the production of plant hormones, stress resistance molecules, chitinases, antibiotics and siderophores. Given the diversity of S. scabrisporus mechanisms for host upkeep, we propose that these strategies were necessary for its adaptation to plant hosts and to face changes in environmental conditions.

Modelo de evaluación de la gestión de ciencia e innovación tecnológica en Tecnología de la Salud / Modelo de avaliação da gestão científica e inovação tecnológica em Tecnologia em Saúde / Model of evaluation of science management and technological innovation in Health Technology

Introducción: el accionar realizado en la Facultad de Tecnología de la Salud requiere potenciar una evaluación de la gestión de ciencia e innovación tecnológica en función de lograr mejores resultados. Objetivo: diseñar un modelo de evaluación de la gestión de Ciencia e Innovación Tecnológica, que propicie la unificación de criterios en el desarrollo integrado en la Facultad de Tecnología de la Salud. Método: se utilizaron métodos del nivel teórico como el analítico-sintético, histórico-lógico, sistémico estructural funcional, inductivo-deductivo y la modelación. Resultados: se definió un modelo de evaluación de la gestión de ciencia e innovación tecnológica para esta facultad, que se estructuró por los siguientes componentes: I. Marco epistemológico; II. Objetivo; III. Contexto social en el que se inserta el sistema; IV. Representación gráfica; V. Formas de instrumentación; VI. Evaluación. Conclusiones: la implementación del modelo diseñado y su valoración por especialista posibilitó la demostración de su viabilidad para dar solución a las problemáticas que limitaron la gestión de ciencia e innovación tecnológica(AU)

Introduction: the actions were carried out at the Faculty of Health Technology requiring an evaluation of the management of science and technological innovation in order to achieve better results. Objective: to design a model for evaluating the management of Science and Technological Innovation, which promotes the unification of criteria in integrated development in the Faculty of Health Technology Method: theoretical-level methods were used such as: Analytical-synthetic, historical-logical, structural-functional, inductive-deductive and modeling. Results: a model for evaluating the management of science and technological innovation was defined for this faculty, which was structured by the following components: I. Epistemological framework; II. Objective; III. Social context in which the system is inserted; IV. Graphic representation; V. Forms of instrumentation; VI. Evaluation. Conclusions: the implementation of the model designed and its evaluation by specialists enabled the demonstration of its viability to solve the problems that limited the management of science and technological innovation(AU)

Introdução: as ações realizadas na Faculdade de Tecnologia da Saúde exigem uma avaliação da gestão da ciência e da inovação tecnológica para alcançar melhores resultados. Objetivo: conceber um modelo de avaliação da gestão da Ciência e Inovação Tecnológica, que promova a unificação de critérios em desenvolvimento integrado na Faculdade de Tecnologia da Saúde. Método: foram utilizados métodos de nível teórico, como analítico-sintético, histórico-lógico, estrutural-funcional, indutivo-dedutivo e modelagem. Resultados: foi definido um modelo de avaliação da gestão da ciência e inovação tecnológica para essa faculdade, estruturado pelos seguintes componentes: I. Estrutura epistemológica; II. Objetivo III Contexto social em que o sistema está inserido; IV. Representação gráfica; V. Formas de instrumentação; VI. Avaliação. Conclusões: a implementação do modelo desenhado e sua avaliação por especialistas possibilitaram a demonstração de sua viabilidade para resolver os problemas que limitavam a gestão da ciência e da inovação tecnológica(AU)

Fundamentos de la evaluación de la gestión de ciencia e innovación tecnológica en las facultades de Tecnología de la Salud / Basics of the science management and technological innovation evaluation in Health Technology Faculties

La evaluación de la gestión de ciencia e innovación tecnológica en las facultades de Tecnología de la Salud debe ser continua, organizada, y debe incluir a todos los profesores y directivos de la institución en su etapa inicial, y más adelante a los estudiantes. Este proceso debe comprender la realización de más ciencia en la comunidad y desde la comunidad, la identificación de los problemas de salud de la localidad donde está ubicada la institución y la dirección de los proyectos de investigación hacia su solución mediante resultados concretos. En este trabajo se presentan los fundamentos teóricos que sustentan dicha evaluación, a través del método histórico lógico y de la sistematización realizada

The evaluation of science management and technological innovation in Health Technology Faculties should be continuous, organized, and include all the professors and executive of the institution in its initial stage, and later on, it should include the students. This process should comprise the realization of more science in the community and from the community, the identification of health problems of the locality where the institution is situated and the direction of investigation projects toward its solution by means of concrete results. In this work, the theoretical basics that sustain this evaluation are presented, through the logical historical method and the systematization that was carried out

Utilidad de la estrategia de superación en mamografía para el desempeño del tecnólogo en Imagenología / Usefulness of the self-improvement strategy in mammography for the imaging technologist's performance

Introducción: el tecnólogo en Imagenología aplica los procederes tecnológicos de mamografía para la detección precoz del cáncer de mama, problema de salud que en Cuba es la segunda causa de muerte del sexo femenino, lo que demanda un servicio de calidad. Objetivo: valorar la utilidad de la estrategia de superación en mamografía que contribuya al mejoramiento del desempeño profesional del tecnólogo de Imagenología en La Habana. Métodos: se realizó una investigación descriptiva, longitudinal y prospectiva en el período de octubre 2014 a julio 2016, la muestra del estudio contó con 26 tecnólogos en Imagenología encargados de realizar la mamografía en 9 servicios de Imagenología de La Habana. Para la selección se aplicó un muestro intencional no probabilístico, los métodos del nivel teórico utilizados fueron el histórico- lógico, análisis-síntesis, inducción-deducción enfoque sistema y la sistematización de investigaciones del ámbito internacional y nacional; para las indagaciones empíricas se aplicó encuesta, entrevista, prueba de desempeño y observación científica. Resultados: en la etapa de implementación se pudieron constatar cambios positivos en el desempeño profesional de los tecnólogos en Imagenología, en los 30 indicadores estudiados se lograron cambios positivos, aunque solo en 4 se alcanzó el nivel máximo. Conclusiones: el proceso de superación está vinculado al mejoramiento del desempeño profesional, permitiéndoles a los tecnólogos en Imagenología participar en equipos multidisciplinarios de salud, en aras del beneficio de pacientes y familiares, al convertirse en fuerza socialmente activa, capaz de asumir desde posiciones creativas e innovadoras la impronta de los avances científicos para la detección precoz del cáncer de mama(AU)

Introduction: The imaging technologist applies the technological procedures in mammography for early screening of breast cancer, a health problem that is the second cause of death of the female sex in Cuba, which demands a qualified service. Objective: To assess the usefulness of the self-improvement strategy in mammography that contributes to the improvement of the imaging technologist´s professional performance in Havana. Methods: A descriptive, longitudinal and prospective investigation was carried out between October 2014 and July 2016. The study sample included 26 imaging technologists in charge of performing mammography at 9 imaging services in Havana. Non-probabilistic intentional sampling was used for the selection. The theoretical methods used were the historic-logical, synthetic analysis, induction-deduction, a systemic approach system, and the systematization of international and national research; for the empirical investigations we applied the survey, the interview, the performance test and scientific observation. Results: In the implementation stage, positive changes in the imaging technologist's professional performance could be observed. Positive changes were achieved in the 30 indicators studied, although the maximum level was only reached by four. Conclusions: The self-improvement process is associated to the improvement of professional performance, allowing the imaging technologists to participate in multidisciplinary health teams, for the benefit of patients and their families, by becoming a socially active force capable of assuming, from creative and innovative positions, the imprint of scientific advances for the early screening of breast cancer(AU)

Anti-inflammatory, free radical scavenging and alpha-glucosidase inhibitory activities of Hamelia patens and its chemical constituents.

Context Hamelia patens Jacq. (Rubiaceae) is traditionally used to treat wounds, inflammation and diabetes. However, there is still a lack of scientific evidence to support these applications. Objective The objective of this study is to evaluate the anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and antidiabetic activities of Hamelia patens, and identify its bioactive compounds. Materials and methods Four extracts were obtained by maceration and liquid-liquid extraction: HEX, DCM-EtOAc, MeOH-EtOAc and MeOH-Aq. The anti-inflammatory effect was evaluated orally on rat paw carrageenan-induced oedema over 6 h (50, 200 and 500 mg/kg), and topically in mouse ear oedema induced by 12-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA) after 4 h (0.5 and 1 mg/ear). We also evaluated myeloperoxidase levels in ear tissue, 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) scavenging ability, and in vitro α-glucosidase inhibition. The chemical compounds were separated by column chromatography and identified by spectroscopic analysis. Results We found that the oral administration of the HEX extract at 500 and 200 mg/kg significantly decreased the carrageenan-induced inflammation after 1 and 3 h, respectively. The MeOH-EtOAc extract significantly inhibited myeloperoxidase activity (83.5%), followed by the DCM-EtOAc extract (76%), ß-sitosterol/stigmasterol (72.7%) and the HEX extract (55%), which significantly decreased oedema induced by TPA at both doses, giving a similar effect to indomethacin. We also found that the MeOH-EtOAc, MeOH-Aq and DCM-EtOAc extracts showed good DPPH scavenging activity (IC50 values of 18.6, 93.9 and 158.2 µg/mL, respectively). The HEX extract showed the lowest α-glucosidase inhibition (an IC50 value of 26.07 µg/mL), followed by the MeOH-EtOAc extract (an IC50 value of 30.18 µg/mL), ß-sitosterol/stigmasterol (IC50 34.6 µg/mL) and compound A ((6E,10E,14E,18E)-2,6,10,14,18,23-hexamethyl-2,6,10,14,18,22-tetracosahexaene, an IC50 value of 114.6 µg/mL), which were isolated for the first time from Hamelia patens. Discussion and conclusion Hamelia patens possesses anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and α-glucosidase inhibitory activities, which support its traditional use. These effects can be attributed to the identified compounds.

Identification of biomarkers of meat tenderisation and its use for early classification of Asturian beef into fast and late tenderising meat.

BACKGROUND: The objective of this work was to study the post-mortem evolution of potential biomarkers (µ-calpain activity and proteolytic profile) of meat tenderisation in bovine longissimus dorsi (LD) muscle from several biotypes coming from two beef breeds ('Asturiana de los Valles' and 'Asturiana de la Montaña') and showing different levels of muscular hypertrophy (mh/mh, mh/+, + /+). RESULTS: LD samples were taken at 2, 12, 24 and 48 h and 3, 7, 14 and 21 days post-mortem. The presence of muscular hypertrophy produced a faster rate of pH decline, faster exhaustion of µ-calpain activity and earlier occurrence of proteolytic changes. Changes in the electrophoretic pattern of some peptides from sarcoplasmic (glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase) and myofibrillar (troponin T and troponin I) muscle extracts within the first 24 h significantly correlated with meat toughness and allowed accurate discrimination of meat products into two groups: (1) fast tenderising meat, coming from mh-biotypes, and (2) late tenderising meat, from normal (+/+) biotypes. CONCLUSION: Early monitoring (within 24 h after slaughter) of selected biomarkers in LD muscle allowed accurate prediction of ultimate meat toughness and could be used in the meat industry as a tool for early classification of beef into fast and late tenderising meat.

Effects of arsenic exposure during the pre- and postnatal development on the puberty of female offspring.

UNLABELLED: The (As) arsenic exposure is a risk factor for causing disturbances in the endocrine organs. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate if sub-chronic As exposure during the pre- and postnatal development causes disturbances in the puberty. Moreover, determine adverse effects of As on the ovarian follicle and adrenocortical cell maturation. METHODS: Females adult Wistar rats were exposed to sodium arsenite at 3 ppm calculated as As in drinking water from mating, gestation. Following the birth, the female offspring continued exposured to As via lactation. Weaned pups received the same As treatment as mothers, until they were 1-4 months (mo) old. At these ages, blood sampling and tissue harvest were done. The tissues were fixed in situ with 4% paraformaldehyde in phosphate buffer. After the perfusion the ovaries, uterus, adrenal glands were harvested, dissected out, weighted. The ovaries and the adrenal glands were processed to paraffin and sectioned at 5 µM and stained with hematoxylin and eosin for light microscopy. STATISTICAL ANALYSIS: Comparisons between groups were made by unpaired t-test or nonparametric Mann-Whitney test as appropriate. RESULTS: 100% As treated rats at 1 mo of age were at diestrous stage, with low estradiol E2. As treatment caused disturbances in the morphology of the ovarian cell consisting in DNA damage evidenced by picknotic chromatin, cariorexis, significant cytoplasmic vacuolization and also vasculature damaged. Arrest in follicle maturation was also present. CONCLUSIONS: We found that the onset of puberty in the As treated rats was 1 mo delayed since vagina was still closed, the vaginal smear showed that they were at diestrus stage with plasma low E2 levels.