Long-term survival of kidney grafts in lupus nephritis: a Mexican cohort.

Kidney transplant for patients with lupus nephritis (LN) has satisfactory outcomes in studies with short-term or mid-term follow up. Nevertheless, information about long-term outcomes is scarce. We performed a retrospective matched-pair cohort study in 74 LN recipients compared with 148 non-LN controls matched by age, sex, immunosuppressive treatment, human leukocyte antigen (HLA) matches, and transplant period in order to evaluate long-term outcomes of kidney transplant in LN recipients. Matched pairs were predominantly females (83%), median age at transplant surgery of 32 years (interquartile range 23-38 years), and 66% received a graft from a living related donor. Among LN recipients, 5-, 10-, 15-, and 20-year graft survival was 81%, 79%, 57% and 51%, respectively, and it was similar to that observed in controls (89%, 78%, 64%, and 56%, respectively). Graft loss (27% vs. 21%, p = 0.24) and overall survival ( p = 0.15) were not different between LN recipients and controls. Also, there was no difference in episodes of immunological rejection, thrombosis, or infection. Only six LN recipients had biopsy-proven lupus recurrence and three of them had graft loss. In a cohort with a long follow up of kidney transplant recipients, LN recipients had similar long-term graft survival and overall outcomes compared with non-lupus recipients when predictors are matched between groups.

Thalamocortical Projections Are Significantly Impaired in the R6/2 Mouse Model of Huntington's Disease.

As Huntington's disease (HD) progresses, there is a significant loss of neurons in the striatum in addition to a distinct thinning of the cerebral cortex. Despite an early presence of sensorimotor deficits in patients with HD, electrophysiological studies designed to assess the integrity of thalamocortical circuits are sparse. Using the R6/2 mouse model of HD, we provide evidence of reduced connectivity between thalamic cells and their targeted cortical regions. Whole-cell patch clamp recordings from ventral anterolateral nucleus (VAL; motor) and ventral posteromedial nucleus (VPM; somatosensory) thalamic neurons in ex vivo brain slices of R6/2 and wild-type (WT) mice revealed that cells in both thalamic nuclei of R6/2 mice exhibited significant differences in passive and active cell membrane properties (smaller cell membrane capacitances, faster decay time constants and increased input resistances) compared with WT cells. Although only cells in the VPM of symptomatic R6/2 mice had more depolarized resting membrane potentials compared with WTs, cells in both nuclei displayed increased excitability in symptomatic, but not presymptomatic, R6/2 mice. Optical activation of VAL and VPM terminals elicited smaller magnitude current responses in cortical pyramidal neurons (CPNs) in both motor cortex (M1CTX) and somatosensory barrel cortex (BCTX) of symptomatic R6/2 mice compared with CPNs in WT mice. Furthermore, we observed a decrease in the frequency of thalamocortical excitatory quantal events in R6/2 BCTX CPNs, with no genotype-dependent differences in AMPA:NMDA response amplitude ratios. These data suggest there is a decrease in the transmission of thalamocortical information that is likely because of impaired neurotransmitter release.

Effect of a moderate electric field on the salting of Atlantic Salmon (Salmo salar): An experimental study and phenomenological understanding.

Salting is one of the oldest methods of preserving food. The main limitation of salting is its extended processing time due to slow salt diffusion. A moderate electric field (MEF) can improve the mass transfer rate through electroporation. Regularly, mass transfer processes are modeled with Fick's second law. However, due to the anisotropic nature of food microstructures, it might be more appropriate to use an anomalous model. The main objective of this study was to search for a phenomenological explanation for salt and water diffusion in the salmon brining process coupled with MEF. Salmon fillets were cut into finite cylinders (0.025 × 0.025 m) and brined in two salt concentrations (6 and 24% w/w NaCl) at 6 °C for 20 h. MEFs were applied in the range of 0 to 2 V/cm. The salt and water contents of the salmon were measured during the process. Fick's second law and anomalous model based on fractional calculus were used to describe the diffusion phenomena. The results showed that an MEF tended to reduce the brining processing time and increase the salt content of salmon. This effect is predominantly due to an increase in the equilibrium salt concentration in the salmon tissue. Mathematical analysis shows that the anomalous diffusion model is more suitable for representing the brining process, exhibiting superdiffusion behavior (α > 1). An MEF accelerates the salt mass transfer into salmon tissue even at lower temperatures, significantly reducing the processing time. In addition, the diffusion process can be characterized with an anomalous model.

Optimization of hot-air drying conditions for cassava flour for its application in gluten-free pasta formulation.

The design and development of gluten-free foods requires a comprehensive understanding of the behavior of the raw materials to attain the same cooking and nutritional quality as gluten-based food. The objective of this study was to determine the optimal hot-air drying conditions for elaboration of cassava flour to be used in a gluten-free pasta formulation. The results showed that the operational conditions to minimize the hot-air drying time (57 min) to produce cassava flour with higher water holding capacity was 57 ℃ at 3 m/s. Then, the optimal formulation for the pasta was found to be cassava (26 g/100 g), amaranth flour (12 g/100 g), and carboxymethyl cellulose (0.23 g/100 g), which maximized the Aw (0.160), moisture content (3.10 g/100 g), hardness (5.02 N), and protein content (9.30 g/100 g), and it is used for the sensorial analysis, which showed that an earthy taste was the main problem with consumer satisfaction.

Enhanced phosphorus uptake in transgenic tobacco plants that overproduce citrate.

Phosphorus (P) is one of the most important nutrients limiting agricultural production worldwide. In acid and alkaline soils, which make up over 70% of the world's arable land, P forms insoluble compounds that are not available for plant use. To reduce P deficiencies and ensure plant productivity, nearly 30 million tons of P fertilizer are applied every year. Up to 80% of the applied P fertilizer is lost because it becomes immobile and unavailable for plant uptake. Therefore, the development of novel plant varieties more efficient in the use of P represents the best alternative to reduce the use of P fertilizers and achieve a more sustainable agriculture. We show here that the ability to use insoluble P compounds can be significantly enhanced by engineering plants to produce more organic acids. Our results show that when compared to the controls, citrate-overproducing plants yield more leaf and fruit biomass when grown under P-limiting conditions and require less P fertilizer to achieve optimal growth.

Clinical and pathological factors associated with the development of hepatocellular carcinoma in patients with hepatitis virus-related cirrhosis: a long-term follow-up study.

AIMS: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) represents >90% of primary liver neoplasms and develops mainly in patients with liver cirrhosis. Risk factor identification for the development of HCC in patients with cirrhosis possesses great clinical relevance due to its high incidence and poor prognosis when detected at advanced stages. The aim of this study was to identify HCC development-associated risk factors in a cohort of patients with hepatitis virus-related chronic liver disease and cirrhosis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Patients with a diagnosis of hepatitis virus-related cirrhosis between January 1980 and January 2000 were included. Patients were followed with an abdominal ultrasound and the determination of alpha-fetoprotein levels, a physical examination, and routine biochemical tests every 3-6 months. The end point of the study was defined as the development of HCC. Liver histology was evaluated according to the French METAVIR Cooperative Study Group (METAVIR) score. RESULTS: Two hundred and eighty-two patients met the inclusion criteria; most of these (86%) had a serologic diagnosis of hepatitis C virus, and only 14% had hepatitis B virus at the time of the diagnosis of cirrhosis, whereas 56 and 37% were classified as Child A and B, respectively, and only 7% as Child C. Histological activity was mild in 59% of patients, and moderate and severe in 41%. The mean annual incidence was 1.87%, and 22 and 35% of patients developed HCC at 10 and 15 years of follow-up, respectively. The diagnosis of HCC was made by histopathology in 37% and by tumoural lesion-associated alpha-fetoprotein elevation confirmed by imaging studies in 63%. In multivariate analysis, we found three variables associated with HCC: moderate to severe histological activity; a platelet count <105x10(3)/mm(3), and alpha-fetoprotein >5 ng/ml. The patients were divided into two groups according to regression coefficient: low and high risk; patients assigned to the low-risk group showed 5-, 10- and 15-year HCC incidences of 3.4, 6.4 and 6.4%, respectively, in contrast to patients from the high-risk group, who showed incidences of 17.8, 33.5 and 56.8%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: We found three HCC-associated variables: histological activity, platelet count and alpha-fetoprotein levels. Patients considered as high risk for developing HCC must be considered candidates for closer follow-up.

Factores de riesgo cardiovasculares y su prevalencia en pacientes de 18 a 66 años hospitalizados en una clínica de tercer nivel de Barranquilla / Cardiovascular risk factors and their prevalence in patients 18 to 66 years old hospitalized in a third level of Barranquilla clinic

Los factores de riesgo cardiovasculares (FRCV) son conductas y condiciones de la población que suelen ser imperceptibles, por tanto en este estudio transversal-observacional en pacientes de 18 a 66 años hospitalizados se determinaron su prevalencia, caracterizando desde el punto de vista sociodemográfico a la población estudiada. Además se hallaron los diferentes tipos de riesgo cardiovascular a través del test de Framingham y PROCAM para posteriormente comparar los modelos de predicción. Se encontró ambos géneros en similar proporción, con edades entre 27 y 59 años, una mayor prevalencia de HTA y DM en el género masculino, baja prevalencia en el consumo de cigarrillos y alcohol, sin embargo el sedentarismo presentó una alta prevalencia, sobre todo en mujeres, lo que se relaciona con su IMC. Se encontraron diferencias estadísticas entre los predictores cardiovasculares. (AU)

Cardiovascular risk factors (CVRF) are behaviors and conditions of the population that are usually imperceptible, therefore in this cross-observational study in hospitalized patients aged 18 to 66, their prevalence was determined, characterizing the population from the sociodemographic point of view studied. In addition, different types of cardiovascular risk were found through the Framingham test and PROCAM to later compare the prediction models. Both genders were found in a similar proportion, with ages between 27 and 59 years, a higher prevalence of AHT and DM in the male gender, low prevalence in the consumption of cigarettes and alcohol, however sedentary lifestyle presented a ata prevalence, especially in women, which is related to your BMI. Statistical differences were found between cardiovascular predictors. (AU)

Immunophenotyping of leukemias using a cluster of differentiation antibody microarray.

Different leukemias express on their plasma membranes particular subsets of the 247 defined cluster of differentiation (CD) antigens, which may resemble those of precursor cells along the lineages of differentiation to mature myeloid and lymphoid leukocytes. The extent of use of CD antigen expression (immunophenotyping) for identification of leukemias has been constrained by the technique used, flow cytometry, which commonly specifies only three CD antigens in any one assay. Currently, leukemias and lymphomas are diagnosed using a combination of morphology, immunophenotype, cytochemistry, and karyotype. We have developed a rapid, simple procedure, which enables concurrent determination of 50 or more CD antigens on leukocytes or leukemia cells in a single analysis using a microarray of antibodies. A suspension of cells is applied to the array, and cells only bind to antibody dots for which they express the corresponding CD antigen. For patients with significantly raised leukocyte counts, the resulting dot pattern then represents the immunophenotype of those cells. For patients at earlier stages of disease, the diagnosis depends on recognition of dot patterns distinct from the background of normal leukocytes. Distinctive and reproducible dot patterns have been obtained for normal peripheral blood leukocytes, chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), hairy cell leukemia, mantle cell lymphoma, acute myeloid leukemia, and T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia. The consensus pattern for CD antigen expression found on CLL cells taken from 20 patients in descending order of cells bound was CD44, HLA-DR, CD37, CD19, CD20, CD5, CD52, CD45RA, CD22, CD24, CD45, CD23, CD21, CD71, CD11c, and CD9. The antigens that provided the best discrimination between CLL and normal peripheral blood leukocytes were CD19, CD20, CD21, CD22, CD23, CD24, CD25, and CD37. Results obtained for the expression of 48 CD antigens from the microarray compared well with flow cytometry. The microarray enables extensive immunophenotyping, and the intact cells captured on antibody dots can be further characterized using soluble, fluorescently labeled antibodies.

Industrial production of heterologous proteins by fed-batch cultures of the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

This review concerns the issues involved in the industrial development of fed-batch culture processes with Saccharomyces cerevisiae strains producing heterologous proteins. Most of process development considerations with fed-batch recombinant cultures are linked to the reliability and reproducibility of the process for manufacturing environments where quality assurance and quality control aspects are paramount. In this respect, the quality, safety and efficacy of complex biologically active molecules produced by recombinant techniques are strongly influenced by the genetic background of the host strain, genetic stability of the transformed strain and production process factors. An overview of the recent literature of these culture-related factors is coupled with our experience in yeast fed-batch process development for producing various therapeutic grade proteins. The discussion is based around three principal topics: genetics, microbial physiology and fed-batch process design. It includes the fundamental aspects of yeast strain physiology, the nature of the recombinant product, quality control aspects of the biological product, features of yeast expression vectors, expression and localization of recombinant products in transformed cells and fed-batch process considerations for the industrial production of Saccharomyces cerevisiae recombinant proteins. It is our purpose that this review will provide a comprehensive understanding of the fed-batch recombinant production processes and challenges commonly encountered during process development.

Production of recombinant hirudin by high cell density fed-batch cultivations of a Saccharomyces cerevisiae strain: physiological considerations during the bioprocess design.

The conditions for the high cell density fed-batch culture of a Saccharomyces cerevisiae strain producing recombinant hirudin (rHV2-Lys47) have been established. A Leu+ derivative of S. cerevisiae c13ABYS86 was used as the host strain transformed with an expression plasmid containing the gene encoding rHV2-Lys47 and driven by the MF alpha 1 promoter. In order to develop the fed-batch culture protocol, the recombinant strains' physiology was first of all investigated in chemostat culture. The maximum respiratory capacity of the recombinant strain was observed to be between dilution rates of 0.2 and 0.26 h-1, which is typical for laboratory strains as compared to values published for baker's yeasts. Furthermore, maximum biomass yield and product secretion were observed at a dilution rate of approx. 0.15 h-1. The plasmid segregational stability of the recombinant strain showed that the expression plasmid was stable, irrespective of the dilution rates used, for more than 80 generations of growth between dilution rates of 0.043 h-1 and 0.3 h-1. The chemostat data was used to define a fed-batch process. The fed-batch results demonstrated a biomass production of 60 g l-1 CDW and a high production level of recombinant hirudin of 500 mg l-1. Stability of the expression of the gene coding for rHV2-Lys47 was maintained during all the studied fed-batch conditions. The plasmid copy number in the fed-batch remained constant at approx. 43 at a specific growth rate of 0.12 h-1, whereas it increased by 60-95% at a lower dilution rate (mu = 0.06 h-1). Although a variation of the plasmid copy number could be expected, it was postulated from the experimental data that the observed amplification could have been influenced by an environmental effect due to an accumulation of medium components in the supernatant. The results presented here illustrate the importance of a well-balanced medium when considering the production of a recombinant protein in a high cell density cultivation process with high production levels.

First Report of Ascochyta Blight of Chickpea in Latin America.

Chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) has been cultivated in different regions of Bolivia for hundreds of years. In the highlands (2,400 to 3,000 m above sea level) of the Department (state) of Chuquisaca in southern Bolivia, chickpea is an important cash crop for small farmers. During March through April 1999, a blight was observed infecting local chickpea landraces in Chamicle, Escana, Kullpa Ckasa, Presto, Q'ara Puncu, Santa Rosalia, Sucre, and Yotala in Chuquisaca, and its cause was tentatively identified as Ascochyta rabiei (Pass.) Labrousse (teleomorph Didymella rabiei (Kovachevski) v. Arx) based on disease symptomatology. Stems, leaflets, and pods of infected plants exhibited abundant necrotic lesions. Isolations were made from lesions on leaflets, stems, pods, and seeds of infected plants on 2% water agar and potato dextrose agar. The fungus was isolated from the foliar and reproductive tissues of infected plants. Koch's postulates were fulfilled by inoculating the foliage of 15-day-old seedlings of a local chickpea landrace with spore suspensions of three isolates of the pathogen from Escana, Santa Rosalia, and Sucre. Inoculated and control (sterile water) plants were incubated in moist chambers for 4 days in the laboratory at ambient temperatures and under natural daylight. The fungus was reisolated from lesions that developed on the leaflets, petioles, and stems of all inoculated seedlings but not from tissues on any of the noninoculated control plants. The fungus was identified as A. rabiei based on symptoms, cultural and morphological characteristics (2), and pathogenicity tests. Above average rainfall and cool weather during March and April favored development and spread of the disease in many chickpea-growing areas. Severe infection usually resulted in dieback and death of plants and reduced yields. Additionally, A. rabiei was isolated from chickpea seeds purchased in the markets of Sucre and Monteagudo and in seeds used by farmers in Escana to plant the 1999 crop (which had supplied the plants previously observed with blight). The teleomorph did not develop on naturally infested chickpea debris from five locations when incubated over the winter on the soil surface in Sucre. Based on farmers' reports, it appears that Ascochyta blight of chickpea has been present in the Department of Chuquisaca and possibly other Bolivian departments for many years. This is the first report of the disease in either Bolivia or other countries of Latin America (Mexico and Central and South America) (1). References: (1) CAB. 1991. CAB Distribution Maps of Plant Diseases: Ascochyta rabiei. Map No. 151. CAB International Mycological Institute, Wallingford, England. (2) E. Punithalingham and P. Holliday. 1972. Ascochyta rabiei. Descriptions of Pathogenic Fungi and Bacteria No. 337. Commonwealth Mycological Institute, Kew, England.

Time reproduction disturbances in ADHD children: an ERP study.

Sixteen ADHD children and a control group were asked to reproduce the varying time duration of successively presented visual stimuli. Time estimation was poorer in ADHD children, who showed more impulsive errors. ERPs exhibited similar grand-mean waveforms for both groups during the estimating period, but they were significantly different during the reproducing stage, when an early positive wave over frontal regions characterized the control group, interpreted as memory-guided motor output, followed by a slow negativity probably reflecting an inhibitory motor closure process, both probably involving central executive networks that seem to be improperly activated in ADHD children.

[Presence of antibodies against Toxoplasma gondii in adolescents from the African continent]. / Presencia de anticuerpos anti-Toxoplasma gondii en jóvenes procedentes del Continente Africano.

It was determined the presence of antibodies anti-T. gondii in young, 13-16 year old, belonging to Republic Arab Saharaui; Popular Republic of Angola; Ethiopia and Republic of Ghana. From a total of 707 sera analyzed, the 71.43% of them showed the presence of specific antibodies. The prevalence of antibodies did not differ significantly (P > 0.05) between males and females in Angola and Republic Arab Saharaui. It was found a significant difference (P < 0.0001) among countries.

Dissociating arabic numeral reading and basic calculation: a case study.

This study is about JS, a patient who suffered from anomia, phonological dyslexia and severe writing problems following a left hemispheric stroke. He showed good arabic numeral comprehension as evidenced in number-comparison tasks, but impairment in transcoding arabic numerals into verbal numbers and verbal numbers into arabic numerals. Although JS had several operand reading errors, the four arithmetic operations were not affected. In calculations with arabic numerals, he produced the correct results both in oral and written responses. For instance, when presented with the multiplication "7 x 3", JS read the operation as "four times five", but provided the correct response orally "twenty one" and written "21". This behavior goes against those hypotheses which posit that multiplication facts are verbally-based, and those which establish the same route for verbal number production in calculation and arabic numeral reading.

Recombinant outer-surface protein A (des-Cys1-OspA) from the Lyme disease spirochete Borrelia burgdorferi: high production levels in Saccharomyces cerevisiae yeast cultures.

The recombinant outer-surface protein A with an N-terminally truncated form (des-Cys1-OspA) from the Lyme disease spirochete Borrelia burgdorferi was expressed in Saccharomyces cerevisiae at high production levels. Since the recombinant vaccine candidate expressed in Escherichia coli exhibits low production yields and the purification of lipoproteins appears to be difficult, we have investigated the secretion of a soluble recombinant OspA in the yeast S. cerevisiae. In this way, a Leu+ derivative of S. cerevisiae cI3ABYS86 was used as the host strain transformed with an expression plasmid containing the gene encoding des-Cys1-OspA and driven by the MF alpha 1 promoter. The fed-batch culture results revealed that an efficient secretion of des-Cys1-OspA is obtained with a high production level of about 2.1 g l-1 at a cell density of 101 g l-1 cell dry weight. The accumulation of recombinant protein in the supernatant exceeds 6% of the total yeast proteins when estimated by sodium dodecyl sulphate/polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Moreover, des-Cys1-OspA showed lower solubilities at high cell densities and, as a consequence, a fraction of the recombinant protein precipitated. An internal cleavage of the MF alpha 1 pro::des-Cys1-OspA precursor was also detected. However, in this case the cleavage occurred at a frequency such that the large amounts of the secreted des-Cys1-OspA could be employed for the evaluation of an immunogenic effect on animal immunization. These studies will extend the knowledge of the usefulness of OspA as a vaccine for Lyme borreliosis.

Embarazos producto de inyección intracitoplasmática de espermatozoides testiculares frescos y congelados obtenidos de biopsia testicular / Pregnancies obtained by intracitoplasmatic sperm injection from fresh and frozen specimens retrieved with testicular biopsy

Objetivo: Evaluar los resultados de ICSI realizadas con espermatozoides frescos y congelados obtenidos desde biopsias testiculares en pacientes azoospermicos desde junio 2003 a julio 2005 en el Hospital Clínico de la Universidad de Chile. Pacientes y Método: Catorce pacientes portadores de azoospermia fueron sometidos a biopsia testiculares con fines diagnósticos y terapéuticos. Las biopsias de 11 pacientes fueron realizadas el día previo a la aspiración folicular femenina y en 3 casos se utilizaron espermatozoides móviles criopreservados meses antes del procedimiento ICSI. Se cuantifico el número de pacientes en los que rescataron espermatozoides; y las tasas de fecundación y embarazo en los grupos de espermatozoides frescos y criopreservados. Resultados: En los 14 pacientes evaluados se recuperaron espermatozoides. En 3 casos se utilizaron espermatozoides congelados obtenidos de biopsias previas, y en 11 casos espermatozoides frescos para ICSI. Se obtuvieron 6 embarazos en el grupo de espermatozoides frescos y dos embarazos en el grupo de espermatozoides congelados. La tasa de fecundación en ambos grupos fue similar, 64,3 por ciento y 60,7 por ciento respectivamente. Conclusión: Nuestro trabajo demuestra que es posible obtener tasas de fecundación y embarazo semejantes con el uso de espermatozoides frescos y congelados obtenidos a partir de biopsias testiculares en pacientes azoospermicos. Recomendamos la criopreservación de espermatozoides testiculares cada vez que se realice una biopsia testicular y se encuentren espermatozoides, puesto que esto permitirá su uso posterior sin tener que someter al paciente a nuevas cirugías.

Objective: To report eight pregnancies obtained by intracitoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) using fresh and frozen spermatozoa obtained by testicular sperm extraction (TESE) from 14 azoospermic patients. Patients and Methods: Fourteen azoospermic patients underwent TESE for ICSI. Eleven TESE were made the day previous the oocyte retrieval and three were made the previous months in association with sperm cryopreservation. We evaluated the fertilization and pregnancy rate in both groups: fresh and frozen spermatozoa. Results: Fertilization rate in both groups of patients was similar 64.3 percent and 60.7 percent respectively. Six pregnancies were obtained in patients with fresh spermatozoa and two in the frozen spermatozoa group. Conclusions: We demonstrate that is possible to obtain similar fertilization and pregnancy rates using fresh and frozen spermatozoa from TESE. To decrease the number of testicular biopsies and aborted ICSI cycles we recommend spermatozoa cryopreservation every time a diagnosis testicular biopsy is made in patients with azoospermia.