Facing the challenges to shorten the diagnostic odyssey: first Whole Genome Sequencing experience of a Colombian cohort with suspected rare diseases.

Exome and genome sequencing (ES/GS) are routinely used for the diagnosis of genetic diseases in developed countries. However, their implementation is limited in countries from Latin America. We aimed to describe the results of GS in patients with suspected rare genetic diseases in Colombia.

Acetylated galactopyranosyl N-heterocyclic monocarbene complexes of Silver(I) as novel anti-proliferative agents in a rhabdomyosarcoma cell line.

Herein, four silver(I) complexes bearing acetylated d-galactopyranoside-based N-heterocyclic carbene ligands were synthesized and fully characterized by elemental analysis, NMR, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. All complexes were obtained with an anomeric β-configuration and as monocarbene species. In this study, we investigated the biological effects of the silver(I) complexes 2a-d on the human rhabdomyosarcoma cell line, RD.

Occurrence of parasites in waters used for crops irrigation and vegetables from the Savannah of Bogotá, Colombia.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has established as a criterion of parasitological quality for irrigation water, ≤ 1 helminth egg/liter, which guarantees the safety in agricultural products. In this study, the presence of parasites in surface water used for irrigation of crops (n = 96) and vegetables (celery and lettuce) (n = 120), from the Former La Ramada irrigation district, was evaluated using conventional and molecular parasitological methods. Our findings showed contamination of irrigation systems in the study area with domestic wastewater, demonstrated by the presence of Ancylostomatidae eggs, Ascaris spp.

Knowledge, attitudes and perceptions of Latin American healthcare workers relating to antibiotic stewardship and antibiotic use: a cross-sectional multi-country study.

Background: The burden of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in Latin America is high. Little is known about healthcare workers' (HCWs) knowledge, attitudes, and perceptions of antimicrobial stewardship (AS), AMR, and antibiotic use (AU) in the region.

Methods: HCWs from 42 hospitals from 5 Latin American countries were invited to take an electronic, voluntary, anonymous survey regarding knowledge, attitudes, and perceptions of AS, AMR, and AU between March-April 2023.

Risk assessment and green chemistry applied to waste generated in university laboratories.

Chemical reagents have become fundamental products in daily life use, they contribute in several ways to establish a high level of social development. In the case of higher education, the use of reagents allows learning thought laboratory practices. These practices must be carried out under preventative measures, in order to avoid negative impacts on the environment and human health; this generates the need to identify and classify the chemical substances used and the waste generated.

A new non-invasive index for the prediction of endotracheal intubation in patients with SARS COVID-19 infection, in the emergency department, pilot study.

Background: In the current context of the SARS COVID-19 pandemic, where the main cause of death is respiratory failure, and since early recognition would allow timely measures to be implemented and probably improve outcomes, it is important to have tools that allow the emergency room to predict quickly and without the use of large resources which will need invasive mechanical ventilation. This study proposes using a new predictive index of noninvasive characteristics, based on the relationship between oxygenation and work of breathing measured by ultrasound-assessed diaphragmatic function, for the need for invasive mechanical ventilation in patients with SARS-COV2 infection who are admitted to the emergency department.

Methods: A prospective predictive cohort study was performed, collecting all patients admitted to the emergency room with respiratory failure (not severe or in imminent respiratory arrest) and a confirmed diagnosis of SARS-CoV-2 pneumonia.

Development of new 1, 3-dihydroxyacridone derivatives as Akt pathway inhibitors in skeletal muscle cells.

In the present work, four new compounds based on the privileged structure acridone were efficiently synthesized following simple operational techniques and biologically tested on proliferative skeletal muscle cells (C2C12) and rhabdomyosarcoma cells (RD) showing no significant changes in the number of dead or viable cells at 1 µM during 24 or 48 h of treatment. Of relevance, acridone derivatives 3a-3d at 0.5 µM for 24 h effectively inhibited Akt activation in C2C12, while at 1 µM only compounds 3a and 3b have effect.

Effects of calcitriol on the cell cycle of rhabdomyosarcoma cells.

Rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS) is a type of cancer of skeletal muscle. Calcitriol is the active form of vitamin D, also recognised as a steroid hormone called 1α, 25-dihydroxy vitamin D (1,25D). We previously reported that 1,25D promoted cell proliferation and differentiation in non-cancerous skeletal muscle cells C2C12.

Metformin Use Is Inversely Associated with Prevalent, but Not Incident Colorectal Adenomas.

Background: Chemoprevention for colorectal neoplasia has attracted growing interest, with multiple medications investigated. Metformin may decrease the overall incidence of cancer in patients with diabetes and may decrease the incidence of colorectal cancer.

Aims: We aimed to determine the impact of metformin use on the behavior of colorectal adenomas in a US veteran population.

Explicit and implicit markers of fairness preeminence in criminal judges.

Achieving justice could be considered a complex social decision-making scenario. Despite the relevance of social decisions for legal contexts, these processes have still not been explored for individuals who work as criminal judges dispensing justice. To bridge the gap, we used a complex social decision-making task (Ultimatum game) and tracked a heart rate variability measurement: the square root of the mean squared differences of successive NN intervals (RMSSD) at their baseline (as an implicit measurement that tracks emotion regulation behavior) for criminal judges (n = 24) and a control group (n = 27).

Comprehensive meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials of Lactated Ringer's versus Normal Saline for acute pancreatitis.

Introduction: Fluid resuscitation is the keystone of treatment for acute pancreatitis. Though clinical guidelines and expert opinions agree on large volume resuscitation, debate remains on the optimal fluid type. The most commonly used fluids are Lactated Ringer's (LR) and Normal Saline (NS), but the studies published to date comparing LR vs NS yield conflicting results.

ASGE guideline on the management of cholangitis.

Cholangitis is a GI emergency requiring prompt recognition and treatment. The purpose of this document from the American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy's (ASGE) Standards of Practice Committee is to provide an evidence-based approach for management of cholangitis. This document addresses the modality of drainage (endoscopic vs percutaneous), timing of intervention (<48 hours vs >48 hours), and extent of initial intervention (comprehensive therapy vs decompression alone).

Comparison of immediate colposcopy, repeat conventional cytology and hrHPV testing for the clinical management of ASC-US cytology in routine health services of Medellin, Colombia: The ASCUS-COL Trial.

In the context of opportunistic cervical cancer screening settings of low-and-middle-income countries, little is known about the benefits of high-risk human papillomavirus (hrHPV) testing on high-grade cervical abnormality detection among women with atypical squamous cells of undetermined significance (ASC-US) cytology in routine clinical practice. We compared the effectiveness of immediate colposcopy (IC), conventional cytology at 6 and 12 months (colposcopy if ≥ASC-US) (RC), and hrHPV testing (colposcopy if hrHPV-positive) (HPV) to detect cervical intraepithelial neoplasia grade 2 or more severe diagnoses (CIN2+) among women aged 20-69 years with ASC-US in routine care. Participants (n=2,661) were evenly randomized into three arms (n=882 IC, n=890 RC, n=889 HPV) to receive services by routine healthcare providers and invited to an exit visit 24 months after recruitment.

Creep attenuation in glassy polymer nanocomposites with variable polymer-nanoparticle interactions.

The use of nanoparticle reinforced polymer matrices in continuous fiber composites for infrastructure applications requires a comprehensive understanding of viscoelastic creep. Critical parameters affecting the mechanical reinforcement offered by nanoparticles include nanoparticle size and concentration, as well as the interaction between the nanoparticle surface and polymer matrix. Here, we study the viscoelastic creep of nanocomposite systems comprised of glassy thermoplastic polymers and spherical silica nanoparticles of varying sizes and surface functionalization using a dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) accelerated testing methodology.

Host Resistance, Genomics and Population Dynamics in a Enteritidis and Phage System.

Bacteriophages represent an alternative solution to control bacterial infections. When interacting, bacteria and phage can evolve, and this relationship is described as antagonistic coevolution, a pattern that does not fit all models. In this work, the model consisted of a microcosm of serovar Enteritidis and San23 phage.

Mental disorders and drug use in victims of the armed conflict in three cities in Colombia.

Introduction: Violence in its different forms increases the risk of mental disorders and the use of drugs. Objectives: To assess the prevalence of mental disorders, and the use and abuse of drugs, as well as associated factors in victims of forced displacement in three cities in Colombia. Materials and methods: We conducted a prevalence study with 1.

1α,25(OH)D-glycosides from leaves extract induce myoblasts differentiation through p38 MAPK and AKT activation.

We have previously shown that leaf extract (SGE) increases VDR protein levels and promotes myoblast differentiation. Here, we investigated whether p38 MAPK and AKT are involved in SGE actions. Cell-cycle studies showed that SGE prompted a peak of S-phase followed by an arrest in the G0/G1-phase through p38 MAPK.

Conversion of a Surgically Arthrodesed Knee to a Total Knee Arthroplasty-Is it Worth it? A Meta-Analysis.

Background: Conversion of a surgically arthrodesed knee to total knee arthroplasty (TKA) is an option for a select group of patients who are not satisfied with their results. However, there is a paucity of literature on this topic. A systematic review of literature was performed to (1) describe the overall demographic characteristics; (2) evaluate the clinical outcomes; (3) determine the overall rate of complications; and (4) evaluate the overall satisfaction of patients who underwent conversion of an arthrodesed knee to TKA.

[Trend in mortality from external causes in pregnant and postpartum women and its relationship to socioeconomic factors in Colombia, 1998-2010].

Objective: Determine the trend in mortality from external causes in pregnant and postpartum women and its relationship to socioeconomic factors.

Methods: Descriptive study, based on the official registries of deaths reported by the National Statistics Agency, 1998-2010. The trend was analyzed using Poisson regressions.

Synthetic dendrimeric peptide active against biofilm and persister cells of Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

Antimicrobial dendrimeric peptides (AMDP) are a relatively new class of agents displaying repetitive functional groups on a branched core. Previously, we have investigated the length requirement for antimicrobial activity of peptides consisting of repeated arginine (R) and tryptophan (W) side chains and found that even short linear RW repeats are active, providing a starting point for a de novo design of multivalent structures. In this study, we synthesized and tested a new synthetic dendrimer, 2D-24, for its antimicrobial activity against Pseudomonas aeruginosa, including the wild-type PAO1 and its mucoid mutant PDO300.

1α,25 dihydroxi-vitamin D₃ modulates CDK4 and CDK6 expression and localization.

We recently reported that the vitamin D receptor (VDR) and p38 MAPK participate in pro-differentiation events triggered by 1α,25(OH)₂-vitamin D₃ [1,25D] in skeletal muscle cells. Specifically, our studies demonstrated that 1,25D promotes G0/G1 arrest of cells inducing cyclin D3 and cyclin dependent kinases inhibitors (CKIs) p21(Waf1/Cip1) and p27(Kip1) expression in a VDR and p38 MAPK dependent manner. In this work we present data indicating that cyclin-dependent kinases (CDKs) 4 and 6 also play a role in the mechanism by which 1,25D stimulates myogenesis.

Implantation of peritoneal catheters by laparotomy: nephrologists obtained similar results to general surgeons.

Purpose: To analyze the complications and costs of minilaparotomies performed by a nephrologist (group A) compared with conventional laparotomies performed by a surgeon (group B) for peritoneal catheter implantation.

Setting: Two university hospitals (Santa Sofia and Caldas) in Manizales, Caldas, Colombia.

Methods: The study included stage 5 chronic kidney disease patients, with indication of renal replacement therapy, who were candidates for peritoneal dialysis and gave informed consent for a peritoneal catheter implant.

Actions of 1,25(OH)2-vitamin D3 on the cellular cycle depend on VDR and p38 MAPK in skeletal muscle cells.

Previously, we have reported that 1,25(OH)2-vitamin D3 (1,25D) activates p38 MAPK (p38) in a vitamin D receptor (VDR)-dependent manner in proliferative C2C12 myoblast cells. It was also demonstrated that 1,25D promotes muscle cell proliferation and differentiation. However, we did not study these hormone actions in depth.

WITHDRAWN: VDR involvement in 1a,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3-action on cellular cycle in C2C12 skeletal muscle cells.

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