Microsatellite isolation and characterization for Colletotrichum spp, causal agent of anthracnose in Andean blackberry.

The genus Colletotrichum, comprised of pathogenic fungi that affect plants grown worldwide, causes the disease known as anthracnose in several fruit and vegetable species. Several studies conducted on plants have shown that the disease is characterized by the presence of one or several species of the fungus attacking the fruit or other organs of the same host. To develop and implement effective control strategies, it is vital to understand the genetic structure of the fungus in agricultural systems, identify associated Colletotrichum species, and define the subpopulations responsible for the disease. Molecular tools were accordingly developed to characterize genotypic populations of Colletotrichum spp, causal agent of anthracnose in commercial crops of Andean blackberry (Rubus glaucus Benth.). A microsatellite-enriched library for Colletotrichum gloeosporioides was developed to identify and characterize microsatellite loci among isolates collected in R. glaucus plantations. Thirty microsatellites were developed and tested in 36 isolates gathered from eight different blackberry-production areas of Colombia. Ten pairs of microsatellites were polymorphic.

Genetic diversity and molecular characterization of several Heliconia species in Colombia.

Researchers have classified the Heliconia genus as a group of highly variable and diverse plants. Species and cultivars are visually differentiated primarily on the basis of the color and size of inflorescence bracts. At taxonomic level, flower type (parabolic, sigmoid, or erect) and size are taken into account. The vast morphological diversity of heliconias at intra-specific, intra-population, and varietal levels in central-west Colombia prompted the present study. We characterized the genetic variability of 67 genotypes of cultivated heliconias belonging to Heliconia caribaea Lamarck, H. bihai (L.) L., H. orthotricha L. Andersson, H. stricta Huber, H. wagneriana Petersen, and H. psittacorum L. f., as well as that of several interspecific hybrids such as H. psittacorum L. f. x H. spathocircinata Aristeguieta and H. caribaea Lamarck x H. bihai (L.) L. We also created an approximation to their phylogenetic analysis. Molecular analysis using amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) markers revealed a total of 170 bands. Two large, well-defined groups resulted: the first grouped cultivars of the very closely related H. caribaea and H. bihai species with those of H. orthotricha and H. psittacorum, and the second grouped H. stricta and H. wagneriana cultivars. The lowest percentage of polymorphism was found in H. psittacorum (17.65%) and the highest was in H. stricta (55.88%). Using AFLP, phylogenetic analysis of the species studied revealed the monophyletic origin of the Heliconiaceae family, and identified the Heliconia subgenus as monophyletic while providing evidence of the polyphyletic origin of several representatives of the Stenochlamys subgenus.

Behavioral effects of environmental enrichment on male and female wistar rats with early life stress experiences.

Exposure to adverse childhood experiences or early life stress experiences (ELSs) increase the risk of non-adaptive behaviors and psychopathology in adulthood. Environmental enrichment (EE) has been proposed to minimize these effects. The vast number of methodological variations in animal studies underscores the lack of systematicity in the studies and the need for a detailed understanding of how enrichment interacts with other variables. Here we evaluate the effects of environmental enrichment in male and female Wistar rats exposed to adverse early life experiences (prenatal, postnatal, and combined) on emotional (elevated plus maze), social (social interaction chamber), memory (Morris water maze) and flexibility tasks. Our results-collected from PND 51 to 64-confirmed: 1) the positive effect of environmental enrichment (PND 28-49) on anxiety-like behaviors in animals submitted to ELSs. These effects depended on type of experience and type of enrichment: foraging enrichment reduced anxiety-like behaviors in animals with prenatal and postnatal stress but increased them in animals without ELSs. This effect was sex-dependent: females showed lower anxiety compared to males. Our data also indicated that females exposed to prenatal and postnatal stress had lower anxious responses than males in the same conditions; 2) no differences were found for social interactions; 3) concerning memory, there was a significant interaction between the three factors: A significant interaction for males with prenatal stress was observed for foraging enrichment, while physical enrichment was positive for males with postnatal stress; d) regarding cognitive flexibility, a positive effect of EE was found in animals exposed to adverse ELSs: animals with combined stress and exposed to physical enrichment showed a higher index of cognitive flexibility than those not exposed to enrichment. Yet, within animals with no EE, those exposed to combined stress showed lower flexibility than those exposed to both prenatal stress and no stress. On the other hand, animals with prenatal stress and exposed to foraging-type enrichment showed lower cognitive flexibility than those with no EE. The prenatal stress-inducing conditions used here 5) did not induced fetal or maternal problems and 6) did not induced changes in the volume of the dentate gyrus of the hippocampus.

Influence of indentation test factors on the mechanical response of the skin / Influencia de los factores experimentales de la indentación en la respuesta mecánica de la piel / Influência dos fatores experimentais da indentação na resposta mecânica da pele

Abstract This study proposes in vivo tests and design of experiments to determine the influence of experimental factors on the mechanical response of the soft tissue. The experimental factors considered are: room temperature (A), indentation velocity (B), indenter temperature (C), pump pressure (D) and muscle activation (E). An inverse method was developed to obtain the constants for constitutive equations of a multilayer biological model (skin, hypodermis, and muscle) through the use of indentation tests in combination with a finite element method. For each combination of the experimental factors, two groups of constants were established from the inverse method. Sixteen combinations of experimental conditions and their corresponding constants for the Mooney-Rivlin constitutive equations were obtained to be used in further numerical models. The factor D and factor interactions ADE, CDE, and ACDE were statistically significant with respect to skin mechanical response. Therefore, it can be concluded that there is not a current equation able to represent the mechanical properties of the skin under all the experimental conditions considered in this study

Resumen Este estudio propone pruebas in vivo y diseño de experimentos para determinar la influencia de los factores experimentales en la respuesta mecánica de tejidos blandos. Los factores experimentales considerados son: temperatura ambiente (A) velocidad de indentación (B), temperatura del indentador (C), presión de bombeo (D) y activación muscular (E). Se desarrolló un método inverso con el fin de obtener las constantes para las ecuaciones constitutivas de un modelo biológico de multicapa (piel, hipodermis y músculo) a través del uso de pruebas de indentación en combinación con el método del elemento finito. Para cada combinación de los factores experimentales, se establecieron dos grupos de constantes del método inverso. Se obtuvieron dieciséis combinaciones de condiciones experimentales y sus correspondientes constantes para las ecuaciones constitutivas de Moorney-Rivlin, que se pueden usar en futuros modelos numéricos. El factor D y las interacciones de los factores ADE, CDE y ACDE fueron estadísticamente significativas con respecto a la respuesta mecánica de la piel. En consecuencia, se puede concluir que no hay actualmente una ecuación capaz de representar las propiedades mecánicas de la piel bajo las condiciones experimentales consideradas en este estudio.

Resumo Este estudo propõe ensaios in vivo e desenho de experimentos para determinar a influência dos fatores experimentais na resposta mecânica de tecidos moles. Os fatores experimentais considerados são: temperatura ambiente (A), velocidade de indentação (B), temperatura de indentação (C), pressão de bomba (D) e ativação muscular (E). Desenvolveu-se um método invertido com o fim de obter as constantes para a equação constitutivas de um modelo biológico de multicapa (pele, hipoderme e músculo) por meio do uso de ensaios de indentacao em combinação com o método do elemento finito. Para cada combinação dos fatores experimentais, se estabeleceram dois grupos de constantes do método inverso. Obtiveram-se dezesseis combinações de condições experimentais e suas constantes correspondentes para as equações constitutivas de Mooney- Rivlin, que podem ser usadas em futuros modelos numéricos. O fator D e as interações dos fatores ADE, CDE e ACDE foram estatisticamente significativas com respeito a resposta mecânica da pele. Assim sendo, se pode concluir que não há atualmente uma equação capaz de representar as propriedades mecânicas da pele baixo as condições experimentais consideradas neste estudo.

Comportamiento del cáncer colorrectal en pacientes menores de cuarenta años deñ Hospital Universitario Hernando Moncaleano Perdomo de Neiva (HUHMP) y el Hospital Universitario San Vicente de Paul de Medellín (HUSVP) entre 1980 y 2000 / Clinical behavior of colorectal cancer in patients less than 40 years of age in Neiva and Medellín, Colombia, in 1980-2000

Objetivo: Determinar el comportamiento del cancer colorectal (CCR) en pacientes menores de 40 años diagnosticados en el HUHMP y el HUSVP entre los años 1980 y 2000. Metodologia: Estudio de tipo descriptivo retrospectivo. La recoleccion de datos se realizó a partir de las historias clinicas, previa revision de los informes de patologia en cada una de las instituciones. Resultados: La frecuencia del CCR en el HUHMP fue del 20.9 vs 21.9 por ciento en el HUSVP, con un promedio de edad de 28 y 30 años respectivamente, confirmando la alta incidencia de la enfermedad en menores de 40 años en nuestro pais con respecto a lo informado mundialmente (21 por ciento vs 5 por ciento). Las lesiones se localizaron principalmente en el recto. Los sintomas más frecuentes fueron dolor abdominal, sangrado rectal y perdida de peso; el diagnostico fue realizado en los estadios Dukes C y D, indicando que en personas jovenes el diagnostico se realiza generalmente en forma tardia. Conclusion: En nuestra poblacion, la frecuencia de CCR en personas jovenes es la mas altas informada en el mundo.

Morbilidad respiratoria en trabajadores de la industria del talco / Respiratory morbidity of workers at a talc industry

Con el fin de conocer su morbilidad respiratoria se estudiaron los 36 trabajadores de la Empres de Talcos de Yarumal (Antioquia-Colombia); a cada trabajador se le realizaron historia clinica y ocupacional; examen fisico; estudios radiologicos de torax; espirometria; pruebas de tuberculina e histoplasmina; baciloscopias y cultivos para micobacterias. Se hicieron igualmente mediciones del grado de contaminacion del ambiente laboral. Se encontro una alta frecuencia de sintomatologia respiratoria previa; la mitad de los trabajadores anomalias al examen fisico; dos terceras partes tenian anormalidades radiologicoas y una tercera parte anormalidades espirometricas

Manejo de antibióticos en pacientes con heridas penetrantes abdominales / Antibiotic management in patients with penetrating abdominal wounds

En el Servicio de Cirugia General del Hospital Universitario San Vicente de Paul de Medellin, en forma prospectiva, se recolectaron 170 pacientes con heridas penetrantes abdominales entre octubre de 1997 y enero de 1999, asignandolos en forma aleatoria a uno de los siguientes esquemas de antibioticoterapia: Cloramfenicol/Garamicina por 24 horas; Cloramfenicol/Garamicina por 7 dias; y Ampicilina/Sulbactam por 24 horas. Se evaluo comparativamente en los tres grupos, la edad, el sexo, el tipo de trauma, el RTS, el tiempo requerido para iniciar el manejo antibiotico y quirurgico luego del trauma, el ASA, el tiempo quirurgico, la clasificacion de la contaminacion macroscopica del procedimiento quirurgico, el PATI y las complicaciones infecciosas, sin evidenciar diferencias estadisticamente significativas en los tres grupos. El ASA y el PATI mostraron diferencias, pero no tuvieron influencia significativa en la presentacion o no de infecciones y solo se encontro un tiempo quirurgico mayor de 2 horas como unico factor de riesgo que se relaciono con un incremento de tales infecciones. El estudio concluye en que los pacientes con heridas penetrantes abdominales presentan igual riesgo de desarrollar infecciones postoperatorias con 7 dias o solamente con 24 horas de antibioticos, siendo la Ampicilina/Sulbactam una buena alternativa como monoterapia en este tipo de enfermos.

Tiempo de recanalización y reflujo valvular después de la trombosis venosa profunda de los MI / Recanalization time and venous valve reflux following deep venous trombosis in lower limbs

Evaluar con ultrasonido doppler a color el tiempo de recanalización, los eventos de retrombosis y aparición de reflujo venoso en dos grupos de pacientes de acuerdo a la localización de la trombosis venosa profunda (DVT)...La trombosis venosa profunda y sus secuelas pueden ser documentadas por ultrasonografía doppler color. Las trombosis venosas profundas proximales tienen un curso natural desfavorable no solamente en el tiempo de la recanalización sino en la severidad del reflujo venoso. La heparina podría no ser una eficaz alternativa terapéutica en este subgrupo específico de pacientes (TVP proximal)

Tiempo de recanalización y reflujo valvular después de la trombosis venosa profunda de los MI / Recanalization time and venous valve reflux following deep venous trombosis in lower limbs

Evaluar con ultrasonido doppler a color el tiempo de recanalización, los eventos de retrombosis y aparición de reflujo venoso en dos grupos de pacientes de acuerdo a la localización de la trombosis venosa profunda (DVT)...La trombosis venosa profunda y sus secuelas pueden ser documentadas por ultrasonografía doppler color. Las trombosis venosas profundas proximales tienen un curso natural desfavorable no solamente en el tiempo de la recanalización sino en la severidad del reflujo venoso. La heparina podría no ser una eficaz alternativa terapéutica en este subgrupo específico de pacientes (TVP proximal)