Publications by authors named "Velazquez N"

Introduction: The intricate relationship between obesity and chronic kidney disease (CKD) progression underscores a significant public health challenge. Obesity is strongly linked to the onset of several health conditions, including arterial hypertension (AHTN), metabolic syndrome, diabetes, dyslipidemia, and hyperuricemia. Understanding the connection between CKD and obesity is crucial for addressing their complex interplay in public health strategies.

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Objectives: We sought to assess if adding a biopsy proven histologic subtype to a model that predicts overall survival that includes variables representing competing risks in observed, biopsy proven, T1a renal cell carcinomas, enhances the model's performance.

Methods: The National Cancer Database was assessed (years 2004-2015) for patients with observed T1a renal cell carcinoma who had undergone renal mass biopsy. Kaplan-Meier curves were utilized to estimate overall survival stratified by histologic subtype.

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The aim of this study was to characterize the protein expression of matrix metalloproteinase-2 (MMP-2) and -- 9 and their inhibitors (TIMP-1 and -2) in mammary tissue of dairy cows with naturally occurring chronic S. aureus intramammary infections (IMI) during active involution. Moreover, the gelatinolytic activity of MMP-2 and -9 in mammary secretions was evaluated.

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Introduction: The natural history of T1b (4-7 cm) or T2a (> 7-10 cm) kidney cancers managed with observation is not well-understood. The aim of our study was to determine if the addition of histologic subtype to a predictive model of overall survival (OS) that includes covariates for competing risks in observed, biopsy-proven, T1b and T2a renal cell carcinomas (RCCs) improves the model's performance.

Materials And Methods: We queried the National Cancer Database for patients with biopsy-proven stage T1b or T2a RCC and managed nonoperatively between 2004 and 2015.

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Omental wrap is commonly performed after ureterolysis to prevent ureteral obstruction from recurrence of periureteral adhesions and fibrosis. We present the case of a 37-year-old Caucasian woman with a history of two cesarean sections and laparotomy for the treatment of endometriosis. She subsequently developed right flank pain caused by a right distal ureteral stricture requiring a chronic indwelling ureteral stent.

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Article Synopsis
  • The 2018 CrossFit Open involved five weekly workouts, and researchers wanted to find out which fitness parameters affected athletes' performance.
  • Sixteen experienced athletes underwent tests measuring energy expenditure, hormones, body composition, muscle size, cardiorespiratory fitness, and strength before the competition.
  • Key findings showed that competition experience and body composition were significant predictors of performance, with body composition being the most crucial factor, providing insights for athletes to improve their training strategies.
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Background: Several consensus statements recommend serial serum prostate-specific antigen (PSA), multi parametric magnetic resonance imaging (mpMRI), and prostate biopsy following partial gland ablation. We determined the rate of persistent in-field disease following primary partial gland cryo-ablation and whether PSA or mpMRI are reliable predictors of in-field disease persistence.

Methods: Between March 2017 and July 2019, subjects meeting eligibility criteria for partial gland cryoablation were enrolled into an IRB approved outcomes registry.

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The aim of this study was to evaluate and compare the ability to adhere/internalize, persist, and induce damage in mammary epithelial cells (MAC-T) of two Staphylococcus aureus strains with different adaptation genotypes (low and high) to the bovine mammary gland (MG). Also, the phagocytic and bactericidal capacity induced after the interaction between macrophages, isolated from mammary secretion, of both S. aureus strains was evaluated.

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Progesterone (PGT) is a natural hormone that stimulates and regulates various important functions, such as the preparation of the female body for conception and pregnancy. Due to its low water solubility, it is administered in a micronized form and/or in vehicles with specific solvents requirements. In order to improve the drug solubility, inclusion complexes of PGT and β-cyclodextrins were obtained by the freeze-drying method.

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Takayasu arteritis is an idiopathic and chronic granulomatous vasculitis manifested in the form of panaortitis, of unknown etiology, even though an autoimmune origin is postulated. It is progressive and generates, in adults and children, segmental stenosis, occlusion, dilation and / or aneurysms. Isolated gastrointestinal vasculitis without systemic involvement is rare.

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Cyclodextrins are cyclic cone shaped oligosaccharides. A guest molecule can be incorporated into the hydrophobic inner of the cyclodextrin to form non-covalent complexes. The formation of these complexes in general, increases the solubility, stability, dissolution rate, and bioavailability of drugs with poor water solubility.

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The aim of this study was to characterize the effects of chronic S. aureus intramammary infection (IMI) on local innate and adaptive immune response during active involution. Cows in late lactation that were either uninfected or with chronic naturally acquired S.

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Purpose: Limited data exist on the characteristics, risk factors, and management of blunt trauma pelvic fractures causing genitourinary (GU) and lower gastrointestinal (GI) injury. We sought to determine these parameters and elucidate independent risk factors.

Methods: The National Trauma Data Bank for years 2010-2014 was queried for pelvic fractures by ICD-9-CM codes.

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Introduction: Penectomy for PC is useful in staging, disease prognosis, and treatment. Limited studies have evaluated its surgical complications. We sought to assess these complications and determine predictive models to create a novel risk score for penectomy complications.

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Background: Urinary tract infection is more common in children with spina bifida (SB) than neurologically intact children, and Escherichia coli is the most common urinary pathogen in the general pediatric population. Less is known of the pathogens responsible for urinary tract infections (UTI) in the pediatric SB population or their evolving antimicrobial resistance patterns. The goal of this study is to determine the epidemiology and antimicrobial resistance patterns of SB-associated urinary pathogens.

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Solar collector technologies operate with better performance when the Sun beam direction is normal to the capturing surface, and for that to happen despite the relative movement of the Sun, solar tracking systems are used, therefore, there are rules and standards that need minimum accuracy for these tracking systems to be used in solar collectors' evaluation. Obtaining accuracy is not an easy job, hence in this document the design, construction and characterization of a sensor based on a visual system that finds the relative azimuth error and height of the solar surface of interest, is presented. With these characteristics, the sensor can be used as a reference in control systems and their evaluation.

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Objective: Kidney stone disease has become more common among children and young adults. Despite its well-documented success in adults, published success rates of medical expulsive therapy (MET) for pediatric urolithiasis vary widely. Our objective was to determine whether the aggregated evidence supports the use of MET in children.

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Shiga toxin (Stx)-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) cause post-diarrhea Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome (HUS), which is the most common cause of acute renal failure in children in many parts of the world. Several non-O157 STEC strains also produce Subtilase cytotoxin (SubAB) that may contribute to HUS pathogenesis. The aim of the present work was to examine the cytotoxic effects of SubAB on primary cultures of human cortical renal tubular epithelial cells (HRTEC) and compare its effects with those produced by Shiga toxin type 2 (Stx2), in order to evaluate their contribution to renal injury in HUS.

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Cornstarch/sorghum flour (X₁) ratio, water added (X₂) and amount of hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC) used (X₃) were varied for making gluten-free bread so as to optimize batter softness (Y₁), specific volume (Y₂) and crumb grain (Y₃). A second-order model was employed to generate a response surface. It was found that the softness of the batter depends significantly on three factors in a linear way.

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Neuropeptide Y (NPY) plays important roles in the central control of appetite and energy balance, but the receptor subtype responsible for this function has not been cloned. Here we report the cloning by expression of a novel NPY receptor subtype from a rat hypothalamus cDNA library. The novel receptor, referred to as the NPY Y5 receptor, has a transcript of approximately 2.

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The effect of insulin on the regulation of lipoprotein lipase (LPL) activity in isolated adipocytes from rats in various nutritional states was studied. Because LPL is secreted from adipocytes, possible insulin effects on LPL activity were assessed as 1) total cellular LPL activity, 2) LPL activity spontaneously secreted during incubations and 3) LPL secretion during perifusion of adipocytes preincubated with or without insulin. Incubation with insulin for 2 h produced no increase in LPL activity associated with adipocytes isolated from 5- to 6-wk-old fasted rats but increased by 83% the activity of LPL secreted into the incubation medium.

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We treated three patients who had documented Toxoplasma retinochoroiditis and negative immunofluorescent antibody toxoplasmosis titers (titer less than 1:16), positive Sabin-Feldman dye titers of 1:64, 1:16, and 1:64 in the three patients, respectively, and a positive enzyme-linked immunoassay titer of 1:256 in the one patient tested. In patients with negative immunofluorescent antibody toxoplasmosis titers, we recommend obtaining Sabin-Feldman or enzyme-linked immunoassay titers, or both, before excluding the diagnosis of ocular toxoplasmosis.

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Fifteen patients with ocular or oculodermal melanocytosis were found after reviewing 1210 cases of histologically proven uveal melanomas. The melanoma in each of these patients developed in the eye affected with ocular or oculodermal melanocytosis and not in the unaffected eye. In the one case of bilateral involvement with oculodermal melanocytosis, the patient developed the melanoma in the eye more affected with melanocytosis.

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