Recurrence quantification analysis during a mental calculation task.

The identification of brain dynamical changes under different cognitive conditions with noninvasive techniques such as electroencephalography (EEG) is relevant for the understanding of their underlying neural mechanisms. The comprehension of these mechanisms has applications in the early diagnosis of neurological disorders and asynchronous brain computer interfaces. In both cases, there are no reported features that could describe intersubject and intra subject dynamics behavior accurately enough to be applied on a daily basis. The present work proposes the use of three nonlinear features (recurrence rate, determinism, and recurrence times) extracted from recurrence quantification analysis (RQA) to describe central and parietal EEG power series complexity in continuous alternating episodes of mental calculation and rest state. Our results demonstrate a consistent mean directional change of determinism, recurrence rate, and recurrence times between conditions. Increasing values of determinism and recurrence rate were present from the rest state to mental calculation, whereas recurrence times showed the opposite pattern. The analyzed features in the present study showed statistically significant changes between rest and mental calculation states in both individual and population analysis. In general, our study described mental calculation EEG power series as less complex systems in comparison to the rest state. Moreover, ANOVA showed stability of RQA features along time.

Veno-Occlusive Priapism in COVID-19 Disease.

Infection by COVID-19, being a respiratory disease caused by SARS-CoV-2, can predispose to arterial and venous thrombotic disease, in response to excessive inflammation, platelet activation, endothelial dysfunction, and venous stasis. During the COVID-19 pandemic period, the technological and resource availability for the care of these patients with thrombotic disease is critical, marking a factor of morbidity and poor prognosis in these cases. We describe a case of priapism in a patient with COVID-19, during the course of systemic inflammatory response syndrome and respiratory distress syndrome with a procoagulant state, seeking to relate the pathophysiological factors of ischemic priapism in patients with infection with SARS-Cov-2.

Current treatment of lichen sclerosus and stricture.

INTRODUCTION: Lichen sclerosus (LS) is a common cause of urethral stricture disease. The purpose of this article is to review the literature over the past 5 years, to describe current treatment of lichen sclerosus as it relates to urethral stricture in men. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Literature reviews were performed using PUBMED, with search terms "lichen scleros*" and "urethral stenosis", as well as "lichen scleros*" and "urethral stricture". Relevant articles published within the past 5 years were selected for review. A summary of current treatment of lichen sclerosus was prepared and synthesized. RESULTS: For LS affecting genital skin, topical steroids are a mainstay of therapy but in advanced cases, surgery may be required such as circumcision. When LS causes urethral stricture, urethral dilatation is unlikely to be successful long term, and surgery is often required, such as meatoplasty, single- or two-stage urethroplasty, or perineal urethrostomy. Oral mucosal grafting is the graft of choice, and usage of genital skin for flaps or grafts is best avoided due to predilection for recurrence. Biopsy and long-term surveillance of LS are recommended, due to its potential association with squamous cell carcinoma development. CONCLUSION: Although debate still exists regarding the pathogenesis of LS, it is agreed that LS can pose a treatment challenge to physicians and surgeons. Treatment options for LS range from pharmacological to surgical, depending on severity and location of disease, patient factors, and response of previous treatments.

Association of Listeria monocytogenes LIPI-1 and LIPI-3 marker llsX with invasiveness.

Listeria monocytogenes is an opportunistic pathogen that is widely distributed in the environment. The evolution of its genome has exhibited differences in virulence among strains of the same species. Listeria monocytogenes LIPI-3 (Listeria Pathogenicity Island 3) and LIPI-1 (Listeria Pathogenicity Island 1) are considered responsible for the increased virulence in some strains. The aim of this study was to detect LIPI-1 genes and the llsX gene belonging to LIPI-3 in invasive strains of L. monocytogenes and to establish whether there is a relationship among the invasiveness, presence of the llsX and LIPI-1 genes, and the source of the strains. The results showed that 70% of the strains were invasive, and all these strains except one possessed LIPI-1, which suggests that although there is a correlation between LIPI-1 and invasiveness, the independent mechanisms of LIPI-1 may contribute to invasiveness. In contrast, 35% of the total strains were positive for llsX and were invasive; thus, the results revealed that there is a strong association between llsX and the invasiveness of L. monocytogenes in HEp-2 cells (HeLa contaminant/epithelial in origin). In addition, there is no other association with any other variable in this study. Moreover, the authors found that LIPI-1 and llsX are more frequently found in fresh than in frozen vegetables. Together, the findings provide an approximation for the better understanding of Listeriolysin S (LLS) and its role in the pathogenesis of L. monocytogenes, and a possible relation between virulence factors and food-storage temperature.

Electroencephalographic Indicators in Default Mode, Habituation, and Visual-motor Association in Female College Students.

BACKGROUND: Oscillations, action, and postsynaptic potentials in glial-neuronal ensembles integrate the spectral power (SP) of electroencephalographic (EEG). Our objective is to propose SP indicators of healthy brains (control groups) based on the default mode and their modifications by habituation and visual-motor association (VM-asso), to support diagnostic and rehabilitation processes. However, important differences seem to exist between men and women. Therefore, we aim to analyze EEG characteristics in a female sample. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: In the current study, EEG was recorded at rest with closed eyes before and during repeated photostimulations (RPh) and before (pre) and during association of RPh with switch pressing (VM-asso) in 70 female adults. EEG was analyzed using UAM/INR software, which removes artifacts, identifies corresponding signals, selects 20 samples (2-s) from each condition, applies Welch's periodogram to calculate and average the absolute power (AP; AAPs) of áµ¹, θ, α, and ß, before and during learning, and emits data to a spreadsheet. Differences in each condition were evaluated using non-parametric tests. RESULTS: The AAPs were different; in habituation, áµ¹ and θ increased significantly in fronto-frontal (FF) and frontocentral and decreased in the other leads. During association, they increased in FF and decreased in the other three regions. α AAP decreased in all leads except in FF during habituation, and the decrement was lower in the association. ß AAP increased in all leads during both learning conditions. CONCLUSION: The SP and the topographic distribution are descriptive parameters of habituation and VM-asso; we propose them as EEG indicators.

[Antibiotic of resistence profile of Salmonella spp. serotypes isolated from retail beef in Mexico City]. / Perfil de resistencia a antibióticos de serotipos de Salmonella spp. aislados de carne de res molida en la Ciudad de México.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the serotype and antibiotic resistance profile of Salmonella spp. isolated from retail ground beef in Mexico City. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 100 samples of ground beef were analyzed. The pathogen was isolated by conventional methods and confirmed by PCR (invA gene, 284 bp).The antibiotic resistance profile was determined by the Kirby-Bauer method while serotyping was performed according to the Kauffman-White scheme. RESULTS: We isolated a total of 19 strains of Lomita (6), Derby (4), Senftenberg (2), Javiana and Cannsttat (1) and undetermined (5) serotypes. The strains showed a high resistance rate to ampicillin (18/19), carbenicillin (16/19), tetracyclin (13/19), and trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (13/19). Multidrug resistance was observed in 14 isolates. CONCLUSIONS: Several Salmonella spp. serotypes of public health significance are circulating in ground beef sold in the major Mexican city. Some of these strains are multi-drug resistance.

Effects of 700 and 3500 MHz 5G radiofrequency exposure on developing zebrafish embryos.

Telecommunications industries are rapidly deploying the fifth generation (5G) spectrum and there is public concern about the safety and health impacts of this type of Radio Frequency Radiation (RFR), in part because of the lack of comparable scientific evidence. In this study we have used a validated commercially available setting producing a uniform field to expose zebrafish embryos (ZFe) to unmodulated 700 and 3500 MHz frequencies. We have combined a battery of toxicity, developmental and behavioral assays to further explore potential RFR effects. Our neurobehavioral profiles include a tail coiling assay, a light/dark activity assay, two thigmotaxis anxiety assays (auditory and visual stimuli), and a startle response - habituation assay in response to auditory stimuli. ZFe were exposed for 1 and 4 h during the blastula period of development and endpoints evaluated up to 120 hours post fertilization (hpf). Our results show no effects on mortality, hatching or body length. However, we have demonstrated specific organ morphological effects, and behavioral effects in activity, anxiety-like behavior, and habituation that lasted in larvae exposed during the early embryonic period. A decrease in acetylcholinesterase activity was also observed and could explain some of the observed behavioral alterations. Interestingly, effects were more pronounced in ZFe exposed to the 700 MHz frequency, and especially for the 4 h exposure period. In addition, we have demonstrated that our exposure setup is robust, flexible with regard to frequency and power testing, and highly comparable. Future work will include exposure of ZFe to 5G modulated signals for different time periods to better understand the potential health effects of novel 5G RFR.

Mirabegron for male lower urinary tract symptoms.

Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) is a common cause of lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) in men. Patients with BPH often present with a combination of obstructive and overactive bladder (OAB) symptoms. It is postulated that bladder outlet obstruction (BOO) from BPH results in concomitant OAB symptoms through ischemic induced variations in the response to neurotransmitters of both the detrusor and the urothelium. This altered response leads to the pathologic activation of the micturition reflex, generating sensory dysfunction and involuntary bladder contractions. Alpha-1 adrenoceptor antagonists (alpha-blockers) and 5-alpha reductase inhibitors (5-ARIs) are commonly used to treat the BOO caused by BPH. Anticholinergic agents are frequently used to treat concurrently OAB symptoms caused by the BOO. Unfortunately, anticholinergic medications demonstrate bothersome side effects and a theoretical risk of urinary retention. Basic science and clinical research has led to the development of a new class of pharmaceuticals for the treatment of overactive bladder with diminished risk of urinary retention and lacking many anticholinergic side effects. This novel compound, mirabegron (Mybertriq, Astellas Pharma US, Inc.), is a ß3-adrenoceptor agonist and represents a promising new class of oral agents designed for the treatment of OAB symptoms, with minimal effect on voiding.

Fabrication of polycaprolactone/calcium phosphates hybrid scaffolds impregnated with plant extracts using 3D printing for potential bone regeneration.

The increase in critical bone diseases and defects in the world's population increases the need for bone substitutes to restore form and function. Organic and inorganic scaffolds with antibacterial properties could provide advantages for bone regeneration. In this study, we obtained scaffolds of polycaprolactone (PCL) charged with calcium phosphates nanoparticles and impregnated with extracts of Colombian plants as an alternative for potential bone regeneration. Calcium phosphate nanoparticles were obtained via auto-combustion synthesis. The nanoparticles were incorporated into the PCL with a chemical dissolution-disperse process. The composite obtained was used to produce a filament to print Triply Periodic Minimal Surface (TPMS) based scaffolds. Such geometry facilitates cellular growth thanks to its interconnected porosity. The scaffolds were impregnated with extracts of Justicia cf colorifera (Acanthaceae), and Billia rosea (Sapindaceae) due to their ancestral medical applications. A physical and biological characterization was conducted. The process to print scaffolds with an enhanced geometry to facilitate the flux of biological fluids was successful. The scaffolds loaded with B. rosea showed strong antibacterial behavior, suggesting the presence of reported terpenoids with antibacterial properties. The approach used in this study evidenced promising prospects for bone defect repair.

Improving COVID-19 vaccine uptake: a message co-design process for a national mHealth intervention in Colombia.

BACKGROUND: COVID-19 vaccination is a global priority. Latin American countries have some of the highest COVID-19 death rates worldwide with vaccination hampered by a variety of reasons, including mis- and disinformation, vaccine hesitancy, and vaccine supply constraints. Addressing vaccine hesitancy through effective messages has been found to help increase vaccine uptake. Participatory processes could be used to co-design health messages for this purpose. OBJECTIVE: This article describes the methodology used to co-design evidence-based audio messages to be deployed in a cohort of individuals through an interactive voice response (IVR) mobile phone survey intervention, aimed towards increasing vaccination uptake in an adult population in Colombia. METHODS: Participants of the COVID-19 vaccination message co-design process included a sample of the general population of the country, representatives of the funder organisation, and research team members. The co-design process consisted of four phases: (1) formative quantitative and qualitative research, (2) message drafting based on the results of the formative research, (3) message content evaluation, and (4) evaluation of the voices to deliver the audio messages; and was informed by reflexive meetings. RESULTS: Three categories of evidence-based audio messages were co-designed, each corresponding to an arm of the mHealth intervention: (1) factual messages, (2) narrative messages, and (3) mixed messages. An additional fourth arm with no message was proposed for control. The iterative co-design process ended with a total of 14 audio messages recorded to be deployed via the intervention. CONCLUSIONS: Co-developing health messages in response to health emergencies is possible. Adopting more context-relevant, participatory, people-centred, and reflexive multidisciplinary approaches could help develop solutions that are more responsive to the needs of populations and public health priorities. Investing resources in message co-design is deemed to have a greater potential for influencing behaviours and improving health outcomes.

Microwave-assisted solvent-free synthesis and in vitro antibacterial screening of quinoxalines and pyrido[2, 3b]pyrazines.

We report herein the microwave assisted synthesis, without solvents and catalysts, of 6-substituted quinoxalines and 7-substituted pyrido[2,3b]pyrazines. The compounds were obtained in good yields and short reaction times using the mentioned procedure and two new structures are reported. A complete ¹H- and ¹³C-NMR assignment was performed using 1D and 2D-NMR. Additionally, an in vitro screening was performed on Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria using amoxicillin as positive reference. Compounds bearing a pyridyl group tended to have higher antibacterial activity, but the best activity against Bacillus subtilis and Proteus mirabilis was observed with quinoxaline derivatives.

Devices and Technology in Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation: A Systematic Review.

The technology for transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) has significantly changed over the years, with important improvements in the signal generators, the coils, the positioning systems, and the software for modeling, optimization, and therapy planning. In this systematic literature review (SLR), the evolution of each component of TMS technology is presented and analyzed to assess the limitations to overcome. This SLR was carried out following the PRISMA 2020 statement. Published articles of TMS were searched for in four databases (Web of Science, PubMed, Scopus, IEEE). Conference papers and other reviews were excluded. Records were filtered using terms about TMS technology with a semi-automatic software; articles that did not present new technology developments were excluded manually. After this screening, 101 records were included, with 19 articles proposing new stimulator designs (18.8%), 46 presenting or adapting coils (45.5%), 18 proposing systems for coil placement (17.8%), and 43 implementing algorithms for coil optimization (42.6%). The articles were blindly classified by the authors to reduce the risk of bias. However, our results could have been influenced by our research interests, which would affect conclusions for applications in psychiatric and neurological diseases. Our analysis indicates that more emphasis should be placed on optimizing the current technology with a special focus on the experimental validation of models. With this review, we expect to establish the base for future TMS technological developments.

Disruption of the Cortical-Vagal Communication Network in Parkinson's Disease.

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a neuropathy characterized by motor disorders, but it has also been associated with the presence of autonomic alterations as a result of degradation of the dopaminergic system. Studying the relation between Band Power time series (BPts) and Heart Rate Variability (HRV), has been proposed as a tool to explore the bidirectional communication pathways between cortex and autonomic control. This work presents a primer analysis on study brain ↔ heart interaction on a databse of PD patients under two conditions: without and after levadopa (L-dopa) intake. Additionally a healthy control population was also analyzed, and used as comparison level between both conditions. Results show PD affects pathways by reducing the number of connections, specially association of beta and power and the second faster component of HRV seems to be more sensitive to L-dopa administration.

Spectral Electroencephalographic and Heart Rate Variability features enhance identification of medicated/non-medicated Parkinson's disease patients.

Parkinson's Disease is a neuropathy that produces changes in several biomarkers, these changes could be used to evaluate even sub-clinical conditions. This paper presents an evaluation of indices extracted from electroencephalography and Heart Rate Variability (HRV), when used to classify a sample of subjects from three groups: control (healthy), medicated and non medicated subjects diagnosed with Parkinson's disease. Classification performance was measured using accuracy over these classes and a cross validation scheme was used to assess repeatability for the classification process. Results tend to prove that inclusion of an autonomic index derived from HRV analysis enhances classification, suggesting that Parkinson's disease could be related with unperceptible to mild alterations of the Autonomic Nervous System.

Bidirectional intrinsic modulation of EEG band power time series and spectral components of heart rate variability.

Some hypotheses relate oscillations of EEG band power with autonomic processes derived from homeostatic control modulated by structures like the Central Autonomic Network and the Autonomic Nervous System. This research project studies the causal relationships between fluctuations of an autonomic process marker like the Heart Rate Variability (HRV) and the proposed EEG band power time series (BPts). To verify the existence of directional causal relationships, using Granger Causality (GC) test between HRV and BPts. Analyses were performed using two databases, of 9 and 14 subjects respectively. Experiments consisted of spontaneous breathing and a controlled breathing task (CBT). GC was tested over Intrinsinc Mode Functions of HRV derived from Empirical Mode Decomposition and BPts computed over α, ß and γ bands. Positive GC tests were observed through each experimental task, channels, IMFs, EEG band, and direction. The largest number of positive GC relationships were found from BPts to HRV when testing, higher EEG band and IMF with lower spectral content. Opposite direction achieves lower total counts, but more related with IMFs of higher spectral content. Its presence also suggests that some homeostatic condition alters the BPts course given its increment under the CBT. It is important to notice that in both cases γ band achieves larger values for almost all of the studied conditions. Suggesting that such band has an important influence over HRV, but alterations on breathing condition also produce changes on BPts evolution, suggesting that the closed loop for homeostatic control alters neural dynamics at cortical level.

Detection of Clostridium perfringens in yearling lamb meat (barbacoa), head, and gut tacos from public markets in Mexico City.

No reports on the incidence of Clostridium perfringens in popularly-consumed food from Mexico City have been published; neither are there any reports that have analyzed food consumed in popular markets and less established restaurants. Therefore, this study is aimed at providing data to evaluate the relevance of C. perfringens as an etiologic agent of food-borne diseases. Of the 650 analyzed samples, 106 (16.3%) were positive for C. perfringens; 6.4% (16/250) isolates were from barbacoa, 19% (38/200) from head, and 13% (52/200) from gut tacos. The presence of C. perfringens in these popular-consumed foods demonstrates its relevance as an etiologic agent of food-borne diseases, and confirms the great sanitary risk involved in their consumption. These results may serve as a basis for the Mexican sanitary authorities to control the microbiological quality of street-made foods.

Trajectory Tracking on Uncertain Complex Networks via NN-Based Inverse Optimal Pinning Control.

A new approach for trajectory tracking on uncertain complex networks is proposed. To achieve this goal, a neural controller is applied to a small fraction of nodes (pinned ones). Such controller is composed of an on-line identifier based on a recurrent high-order neural network, and an inverse optimal controller to track the desired trajectory; a complete stability analysis is also included. In order to verify the applicability and good performance of the proposed control scheme, a representative example is simulated, which consists of a complex network with each node described by a chaotic Lorenz oscillator.

Pinning Control for the p53-Mdm2 Network Dynamics Regulated by p14ARF.

p53 regulates the cellular response to genotoxic damage and prevents carcinogenic events. Theoretical and experimental studies state that the p53-Mdm2 network constitutes the core module of regulatory interactions activated by cellular stress induced by a variety of signaling pathways. In this paper, a strategy to control the p53-Mdm2 network regulated by p14ARF is developed, based on the pinning control technique, which consists into applying local feedback controllers to a small number of nodes (pinned ones) in the network. Pinned nodes are selected on the basis of their importance level in a topological hierarchy, their degree of connectivity within the network, and the biological role they perform. In this paper, two cases are considered. For the first case, the oscillatory pattern under gamma-radiation is recovered; afterward, as the second case, increased expression of p53 level is taken into account. For both cases, the control law is applied to p14ARF (pinned node based on a virtual leader methodology), and overexpressed Mdm2-mediated p53 degradation condition is considered as carcinogenic initial behavior. The approach in this paper uses a computational algorithm, which opens an alternative path to understand the cellular responses to stress, doing it possible to model and control the gene regulatory network dynamics in two different biological contexts. As the main result of the proposed control technique, the two mentioned desired behaviors are obtained.

Prevalence of Salmonella in vegetables from Mexico.

The present study is an overview of the role of vegetables as a transmission vehicle of Salmonella in Mexico. One hundred samples of each of 17 different vegetables were analyzed during a period of 18 months. Salmonella was isolated from 98 samples. Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium was isolated from the highest percentage of samples with typeable Salmonella isolates (23.9%), followed by S. enterica subsp. arizonae and Salmonella Choleraesuis each from 16.9%, Salmonella Gallinarum from 11.1%, Salmonella Anatum and S. enterica subsp. houtenae each from 9.7%, Salmonella Agona and Salmonella Edinburg each from 4.22%, Salmonella Enteritidis and S. enterica subsp. salamae each from 2.81%, and Salmonella Bongor, Salmonella Pullorum, Salmonella Typhi, and Salmonella C1 flagellar b each from 1.4%. Of the isolated bacteria, 27.6% were nontypeable strains. Salmonella was isolated from 12% of parsley samples, 11% of cilantro samples, 9% of broccoli samples, 9% of cauliflower samples, 9% of "papaloquelite" (Porophyllum ruderale) samples, 9% of purslane (Portulaca oleracea) samples, 7% of long lettuce samples, 7% of spinach samples, 7% of watercress samples, 6% of Chinese parsley samples, 4% of beet samples, 3% of celery samples, 3% of Romaine lettuce samples, 1% of cabbage samples, and 1% of potato samples. The presence of Salmonella Typhi in parsley is noteworthy. No Salmonella isolates were obtained from zucchini and onion. These results indicate that raw or minimally processed vegetables can be contaminated with Salmonella, leading to direct infection of consumers or cross-contamination of other foodstuffs. These contaminated vegetables can represent a severe health risk for the Mexican consumer.

[Degree of control of cardiovascular risk factors among a patient population with diabetes mellitus type 1 and 2]. / Grado de control de factores de riesgo cardiovascular en una población de pacientes con diabetes mellitus tipo 1 y 2 de difícil manejo.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the degree of control of metabolic goals in a group of very selected type 1 and 2 diabetic patients. METHODS: A cross-sectional and descriptive study was done. Patients were enrolled consecutively in the Diabetes Clinic in a tertiary-care hospital in México City during the period between april and july 2005. The population at this clinic is very selected as demonstrated by the fact that all type 2 diabetic patients were treated with drugs for diabetic control, including insulin in 43% of them. We used the goals recommended by the American Diabetes Association (ADA) as parameters to analyze and additionally included non-HDL cholesterol and the atherogenic index. RESULTS: A total of 530 patients were included; 468 (58.8% female) had type 2 diabetes, with an average age of 58.5 years; 62 (65% female) patients had type 1 diabetes, with an average age of 31.2 years. The mean HbA1c values were 10.2 +/- 2.8 and 9.0 +/- 2.4 in type 1 and type 2 diabetic patients, respectively. The proportion of diabetic type 1 and 2 patients reaching treatment goals were 12.9% and 23.7% for HbA1c (p=0.02), 82.2% and 57.2% for both systolic and diastolic blood pressure (p=0.0001), 75.8% and 49.3% for triglycerides (p=0.0001), 45.1% and 35.6% for LDL-c (p=0.16), 51.6% and 53.4% for HDL-c (p=0.79), 56.4% and 43.3% for non-HDL cholesterol (p=0.03) and 58.0% and 55.1% for atherogenic index (p=0.66), respectively. The proportion of patients reaching all the optimal treatment goals (non-HDL cholesterol, HbA1c, arterial blood pressure and triglycerides) was 6.4% for type 1 diabetic patients and 4.4% for type 2 patients (p=0.6). Factors associated with achieving goal values in a multiple regression analysis were drug treatment for high blood pressure, use of lipid lowering drugs, insulin use and a history of stroke. CONCLUSIONS: Our results are not comparable with other publications of series evaluating the same parameters in open populations. The results show that the degree of control of evaluated risk factors is not good, principally in the case of glucemic control; it is necessary to plan strategies that help to reach these goals in diabetic patients.