Contrast-enhanced ultrasound imaging detects anatomical and functional changes in rat cervical spine microvasculature with normal aging.

Normal aging is associated with significant deleterious cerebrovascular changes; these have been implicated in disease pathogenesis and increased susceptibility to ischemic injury. While these changes are well documented in the brain, few studies have been conducted in the spinal cord. Here, we utilize specialized contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) imaging to investigate age-related changes in cervical spinal vascular anatomy and hemodynamics in male Fisher 344 rats, a common strain in aging research.

Neurodevelopmental assessment of normocephalic children born to Zika virus exposed and unexposed pregnant people.

Background: Studies examining the association between in utero Zika virus (ZIKV) exposure and child neurodevelopmental outcomes have produced varied results.

Methods: We aimed to assess neurodevelopmental outcomes among normocephalic children born from pregnant people enrolled in the Zika in Pregnancy in Honduras (ZIPH) cohort study, July-December 2016. Enrollment occurred during the first prenatal visit.

Promoter Methylation Status and and Expression in Patients With Wild-type KRAS Gene in Colorectal Cancer.

Background/aim: Although some mutations of KRAS proto-oncogene, GTPase (KRAS) have been associated with the prognosis and therapeutic management of colorectal cancer (CRC), the epigenetic mechanisms (DNA methylation and microRNA expression) that regulate wild-type KRAS expression in patients with CRC are poorly known. The aim of this study was to establish whether there is a relationship between the expression of the wild-type KRAS gene, the methylation status of its distal promoter, and miR-143 and miR-18a-3p levels in samples of sporadic CRC.

Patients And Methods: A total of 51 cases of sporadic CRC with wild-type KRAS were analyzed.

Thermal Debridement in the Management of Low Grade Scapholunate Ligament Tears.

Low grade scapholunate interosseous ligament (SLIL) tears are often managed with mechanical or thermal arthroscopic debridement, although this remains controversial. This study aimed to assess the short-term outcomes of thermal debride- ment of low-grade SLIL tears. Patients with low grade SLIL tears who underwent arthroscopic thermal debridement between 2010 and 2017 were identified and divided into two groups: isolated thermal debridement and concomitant pro- cedures.

Accuracy of combined molecular and morphology-based triage for HPV-positive women in routine cervical cancer screening services from Colombia.

WHO cervical cancer elimination goals comprise 70% of highly-sensitive screening coverage and 90% treatment of precancerous lesions. Triage for HPV-positive women may challenge sensitivity of screening algorithms and women's follow-up, particularly in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC) where screening quality and protocol adherence are frequently deficient. We aimed to determine the accuracy of triage for HPV positive women in routine screening services from Colombia by a prospective cross-sectional study.

Representative Diatom and Coccolithophore Species Exhibit Divergent Responses throughout Simulated Upwelling Cycles.

Wind-driven upwelling followed by relaxation results in cycles of cold nutrient-rich water fueling intense phytoplankton blooms followed by nutrient depletion, bloom decline, and sinking of cells. Surviving cells at depth can then be vertically transported back to the surface with upwelled waters to seed another bloom. As a result of these cycles, phytoplankton communities in upwelling regions are transported through a wide range of light and nutrient conditions.

Biocontrol Potential of Neoseiulus californicus (Mesostigmata : Phytoseiidae) Against Oligonychus punicae (Acari: Tetranychidae) in Avocado.

Oligonychus punicae (Hirst) (Trombidiformes: Tetranychidae) is a common pest in Mexican avocado orchards. Neoseiulus californicus (McGregor) (Mesostigmata: Phytoseiidae) is frequently found associated with avocado orchards in Mexico and may be an important aid for controlling O. punicae.

Measurement of Head Circumference: Implications for Microcephaly Surveillance in Zika-Affected Areas.

Worldwide recognition of the Zika virus outbreak in the Americas was triggered by an unexplained increase in the frequency of microcephaly. While severe microcephaly is readily identifiable at birth, diagnosing less severe cases requires comparison of head circumference (HC) measurement to a growth chart. We examine measured values of HC and digit preference in those values, and, by extension, the prevalence of microcephaly at birth in two data sources: a research study in Honduras and routine surveillance data in Uruguay.

Low-density lipoprotein aggregation predicts adverse cardiovascular events in peripheral artery disease.

Background And Aims: Peripheral artery disease (PAD) is a systemic manifestation of atherosclerosis that is associated with a high risk of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE). LDL aggregation contributes to atherosclerotic plaque progression and may contribute to plaque instability. We aimed to determine if LDL aggregation is associated with MACE in patients with PAD undergoing lower extremity revascularization (LER).

Food Choice and Dietary Intake among People with Tuberculosis in Peru: Implications for Improving Practice.

Background: In Peru, tuberculosis (TB) is perceived as a nutritional disease. This perception, alongside factors including household food insecurity, may drive the food choices of people with TB and influence treatment outcomes.

Objectives: The objective of this qualitative study was to explore drivers of food choice among adults recently diagnosed with TB.

Detection and Genotyping of HPV DNA in a Group of Unvaccinated Young Women from Colombia: Baseline Measures Prior to Future Monitoring Program.

In 2012, Colombia launched human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination program for girls ages 9 to 12, and in 2013, the target age was expanded to 9 to 17 years. Monitoring the changes of HPV infection prevalence among young women has been proposed as an endpoint for early assessment of HPV vaccination programs. However, the data on HPV prevalence in young ages are very limited.

Transcription factor VdCmr1 is required for pigment production, protection from UV irradiation, and regulates expression of melanin biosynthetic genes in Verticillium dahliae.

Verticillium dahliae is a soilborne fungus that causes vascular wilt diseases on numerous plant species worldwide. The production of darkly melanized microsclerotia is crucial in the disease cycle of V. dahliae, as these structures allow for long-term survival in soil.

Telomerase activity in cervical scrapes of women with high-grade cervical disease: A nested case-control study.

Epidemiological information on telomerase activity (TA) and development of cervical lesions is scarce. A nested case-control study was carried out within a cohort of Colombian women tested for Human Papillomavirus (HPV). Measurement of TA was done in cervical scrapes of 25 women who developed High Grade Squamous Intraepithelial Lesion (HGSIL) during the first 6 years of follow-up and was compared with that of 104 control women who maintained normal cytology during the entire follow-up.

ICT Services for Life Improvement for the Elderly.

Integrated care ICT Platform to support patients, care-givers and health/social professionals in the care of dementia and Parkinson's disease with training, empowerment, sensor-based data analysis and cooperation services based on user-friendly interfaces.

Clinical manifestations of colorectal cancer patients from a large multicenter study in Colombia.

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a major public health problem, and its incidence is rising in developing countries. However, studies characterizing CRC clinicopathological features in cases from developing countries are still lacking. The goal of this study was to evaluate clinicopathological and demographic features in one of the largest CRC studies in Latin America.

Role of the transient receptor potential vanilloid type 1 receptor and stretch-activated ion channels in nitric oxide release from endothelial cells of the aorta and heart in rats.

Shear stress stimulates nitric oxide (NO) release in endothelial cells. Stretch-activated ion channels (SACs) and the transient receptor potential vanilloid type 1 (TRPV1) receptor respond to mechanical stimulus and are permeable to Na(+), Ca(2+) and K(+). The influence of SACs and the TRPV1 receptor on NO release on the heart and on the vascular reactivity of the thoracic aorta (TA) was studied.

[Design of dietary questionnaires to study the relationships between diet and cancer prevalence in Colombia].

Introduction: In Colombia, cancer ranks third as a cause of death in the adult population. Thirty-five percent of cancer deaths are attributable to dietary factors and that 90% of colorectal cancers can be prevented by appropriate diets.

Objective: A dietary questionnaire was developed to study the relationship between diet and cancer for five cities in Colombia (Barranquilla, Cartagena, Santa Marta, Bogotá and Bucaramanga and its metropolitan area), based on 24-hour dietary survey data accumulated by the National Survey of Nutritional Status-2005.

The genome of Bacillus coahuilensis reveals adaptations essential for survival in the relic of an ancient marine environment.

The Cuatro Ciénegas Basin (CCB) in the central part of the Chihuahan desert (Coahuila, Mexico) hosts a wide diversity of microorganisms contained within springs thought to be geomorphological relics of an ancient sea. A major question remaining to be answered is whether bacteria from CCB are ancient marine bacteria that adapted to an oligotrophic system poor in NaCl, rich in sulfates, and with extremely low phosphorus levels (<0.3 microM).

[New antiarrhythmic agents in atrial fibrillation].

The convenience to count with a safe and effective pharmacological wealth for atrial fibrillation treatment had conduced, in a way, to a deep depuration of the vast array of antiarrhythmic drugs, keeping only a very restricted number of compounds with a widely proved anti-atrial activity. On the other hand, it had lead to the discovery of the pathophysiological concepts that point to novel therapeutic targets. Within these objectives is that new antiarrhythmic drugs with preferential, even selective, activity on myocardial atrium ion channels had been developed.

Differences in impulsivity and risk-taking propensity between primary users of crack cocaine and primary users of heroin in a residential substance-use program.

Crack cocaine use is more associated with impulsivity and a propensity to take risks than heroin use, yet no studies have examined this relationship in the absence of acute drug effects. The current study examined impulsivity (using the Delay Discounting Task) and risk-taking propensity (using the Balloon Analogue Risk Task) across independent groups of primary crack cocaine users with minimal heroin use (n = 16) and primary heroin users with minimal crack cocaine use (n = 11) in residential treatment, with all participants drug abstinent during participation. Crack cocaine users evidenced greater levels of impulsivity and risk-taking propensity, with only the difference in impulsivity persisting after controlling for age and gender.

Dietary fish oil prevents vascular dysfunction and oxidative stress in hyperinsulinemic rats.

Background: Fish oil has been shown to improve blood pressure (BP) in some disease states by an unknown mechanism. We tested the ability of fish oil to prevent vascular dysfunction in fructose-fed rats, a model of insulin resistance and hypertension.

Methods: Rats were placed on three diets: 1) regular rat diet (control); 2) diet containing 60% fructose (FFR); or 3) diet containing 60% fructose and 4.

Intraoperative application of topical mitomycin C 0.05% for pterygium surgery.

Background: Pterygium recurrence is a common problem encountered by ophthalmic surgeons. Several methods have been suggested to avoid these recurrences. We studied the recurrence rate of pterygium after administration of a single intraoperative dosage of topical mitomycin C 0.