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Müllerian mimicry is a positive interspecific interaction, whereby co-occurring defended prey species share a common aposematic signal. In Lepidoptera, aposematic species typically harbour conspicuous opaque wing colour patterns with convergent optical properties among co-mimetic species. Surprisingly, some aposematic mimetic species have partially transparent wings, raising the questions of whether optical properties of transparent patches are also convergent, and of how transparency is achieved. Here, we conducted a comparative study of wing optics, micro and nanostructures in neotropical mimetic clearwing Lepidoptera, using spectrophotometry and microscopy imaging. We show that transparency, as perceived by predators, is convergent among co-mimics in some mimicry rings. Underlying micro- and nanostructures are also sometimes convergent despite a large structural diversity. We reveal that while transparency is primarily produced by microstructure modifications, nanostructures largely influence light transmission, potentially enabling additional fine-tuning in transmission properties. This study shows that transparency might not only enable camouflage but can also be part of aposematic signals.

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In order to characterize native strains of Bacillus thuringiensis of the Colombian Caribbean with toxic effect against insect vectors, 28 samples of bacteria identified as B. thuringiensis were isolated from different soils and muds around the city of Valledupar. Using a biological test, five isolates of B. thuringiensis showed toxic effect against larvae of Aedes aegypti. PCR methods were used to detect cry1, cry2, cry4B, cry10 and cyt1 genes. Cry1 and cry2 genes were detected in 35.7% and 32.1% of the 28 isolates analyzed, respectively. Surprisingly, reduced lengths of cry4B gene segments were detected in 28.6% of B. thuringiensis samples. The presence of cry10 or cyt1 was not detected in any of the 28 samples of B. thuringiensis, despite the high sensitivity of the assays used. The results show that B. thuringiensis samples from the Colombian Caribbean have atypical characteristics compared to those of Latin America and elsewhere in the world, which is consistent with the idea that the geographic origin of B. thuringiensis samples is associated with their biological and genetic characteristics.

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Objective: We evaluated the effect of sitagliptin in correction of symptomatic reactive hypoglycemia. Methods: Randomized, double blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial. Thirteen patients treated with sitagliptin and 15 with placebo, with mean age of 34.3 ± 10.6 years and body mass index of 24.6 ± 5.1 kg/m2, mostly women (n = 24, 85.7%), were evaluated. Results: Basal glycemia was similar in placebo versus sitagliptin (92.3 ± 18.9 vs. 93.4 ± 17.3 mg/dl; p = 0.41) as was median and interquartile range of insulin (15.2 [8.8-43.7] vs. 14.7 µU/ml [7.0-39.0]; p = 0.44). Patients with sitagliptin recovered the first phase insulin secretion (FISP). This was related with higher glucose level at the end of the oral glucose tolerance test (79.5 [74.2-83.0] vs. 83.5 [81.2-89.7]; p = 0.003) with a similar insulin median level (13.0 [5.0-34.4] vs. 13.8 [4.8-30.6]; p = 0.32). Symptomatology was significantly lower under sitagliptin treatment (p < 0.0001). Conclusions: Sitagliptin improved FISP and reduced post-prandial symptomatology. These results suggest a novel therapeutic option for patients with reactive hypoglycemia related with FISP.

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Phytases are used for feeding monogastric animals, because they hydrolyze phytic acid generating inorganic phosphate. Aspergillus niger 3-phytase A (PDB: 3K4Q) and 3-phytase B (PDB: 1QFX) were characterized using bioinformatic tools. Results showed that both enzymes have highly conserved catalytic pockets, supporting their classification as histidine acid phosphatases. 2D structures consist of 43% alpha-helix, 12% beta-sheet, and 45% others and 38% alpha-helix, 12% beta-sheet, and 50% others, respectively, and pI 4.94 and 4.60, aliphatic index 72.25 and 70.26 and average hydrophobicity of -0,304 and -0.330, respectively, suggesting aqueous media interaction. Glycosylation and glycation sites allowed detecting zones that can affect folding and biological activity, suggesting fragmentation. Docking showed that H59 and H63 act as nucleophiles and that D339 and D319 are proton donor residues. MW of 3K4Q (48.84 kDa) and 1QFX (50.78 kDa) is similar; 1QFX forms homodimers which will originate homotetramers with several catalytic center accessible to the ligand. 3K4Q is less stable (instability index 45.41) than 1QFX (instability index 33.66), but the estimated lifespan for 3K4Q is superior. Van der Waals interactions generate hydrogen bonds between the active center and O2 or H of the phytic acid phosphate groups, providing greater stability to these temporal molecular interactions.

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In Colombia it is estimated that about 900,000 persons are infected with T. cruzi. There are 25 triatomine species and 5 of them have been reported infected with T. cruzi in the Colombian Caribbean region. In order to obtain more information about the triatomine populations in this region, 89 wild triatomines were collected from four Colombian Departments. The most frequent specie collected was Rhodnius pallescens (65%), followed by Rhodnius prolixus (20%), Panstrongylus geniculatus (10.1%) and Triatoma dimidiata (1%), found in Bolivar, Córdoba, Atlántico/Sucre, and Bolívar Departments, respectively. The majority of triatomines (95.5%) were captured in the arboreal ecotope and 76.4% were found infected with T. cruzi. Interestingly, some of these triatomine species were captured in Departments in which they had not previously been reported and also new finding of triatomine species infected with T. cruzi. These results are relevant, because they can be consequence of a continued geographical expansion of this parasite, not only in the Colombian Caribbean region, but even in all Latin America. The information presented here will contribute in the surveillance and control strategies of the vectors infected with T. cruzi that circulate in four department of Colombian Caribbean region in order to interrupt the transmission to human dwelling.

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Introducción: La Enfermedad y dolor han acompañado al hombre a través de su evolución. No es posible borrar su memoria y aislarlo del contexto social e histórico. Enfermería acompaña su proceso evolutivo. Avances en su manejo, involucran a los profesionales de enfermería en el cuidado de pacientes que sufren dolor. El objetivo de esta reflexión es: Visibilizar el dolor de las personas y generar una reflexión para entender el dolor y sufrimiento. Formular retos que motiven a enfermería a educarse continúamente en este tema. Materiales y Métodos: Artículo de reflexión basado en un análisis amplio de la literatura sobre publicaciones relacionadas con dolor. Revisión de la historia y evolución del concepto de dolor a través de los tiempos. Reflexión y formulación de retos para enfermería basados en la experiencia clínica del cuidado a pacientes con dolor. Resultados: Revisar la historia de la evolución del concepto del dolor ayuda a entender la presencia de éste en la cotidianidad humana. Impone retos que se traducen en acciones de enfermería para tratarlo, y motiva a estudiarlo continuamente para aliviarlo. Discusión: El currículo académico de las instituciones formadoras de profesionales y auxiliares de enfermería, debe reforzar: la humanización del cuidado que se ofrece. Actualmente el cuidado de enfermería adolece de sensibilidad y humanidad. Conclusiones: No es posible evitar el dolor pero se puede aliviar. Enfermería, a nivel profesional y tecnológico tiene retos de mejoramiento continuo y buenas prácticas en el cuidado de estos pacientes. En este nuevo siglo los retos son: la humanización del cuidado y formación en dolor.

Introduction: Disease and pain have accompanied man through its evolution. It is not possible erase his memory and isolates the social and historical context. Nursing accompanies its evolutionary process. Advances in management, involving nurses in the care of patients suffering pain. The aim of this study is: Visualizing the pain of people and generate a reflection to understand the pain and suffering. Formulate challenges that motivate nurses to continually educate themselves on this issue. Materials and Methods: Reflection article based on an extensive analysis of the literature on pain -related publications. Review the history and evolution of the concept of pain through time. Reflection and formulation challenges for nursing based on clinical experience of care for patients with pain. Results: To review the history of the evolution of the concept of pain helps to understand the presence of this in human daily life. Imposes challenges that result in nursing actions to address it, and continually motivates study to alleviate it. Discussion: The academic curriculum of the training institutions for nurses and nursing assistant should strengthen: the humanization of the care offered. Nursing care currently lacks sensitivity and humanity. Conclusions: It is not possible avoid the pain, but can be alleviated. Nursing, professional and technological level has challenges of continuous improvement and best practice in the care of these patients. In this new century, the challenges are: the humanization of care and training and formation in pain.

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La superfamilia de receptores de hormonas nucleares, es un amplio grupo de proteínas cuya función es actuar como factores de transcripción para modular, de manera positiva o negativa, la expresión de genes involucrados en procesos de diferenciación, crecimiento, reproducción y metabolismo. Dada su participación en procesos fisiológicos claves, las disfunciones asociadas con estos receptores tienen enormes implicaciones en enfermedades de elevada importancia en salud pública como la enfermedad cardiovascular, la diabetes mellitus tipo 2 y el cáncer, entre otras. En este trabajo se revisan algunos aspectos de esta superfamilia de proteínas, incluyendo su estructura, relación con el metabolismo de lípidos e implicaciones cardiovasculares. El trabajo se enfoca en los receptores activados por el proliferador del peroxisoma (PPAR), aunque se da una breve mirada a los receptores X hepáticos (LXR).

Nuclear hormone receptors superfamily are a wide group of proteins which function is to act as transcription factors in order to modulate in a positive or negative way the expression of genes involved in differentiation processes, growth, reproduction and metabolism. Given its participation in key pathologic processes, the disfunctions associated to these receptors have huge implications in diseases of great importance in public health such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes mellitus type 2, and cancer between others. Some aspects of this protein superfamily are reviewed in this study, including its structure, relationship with lipid metabolism and cardiovascular implications. This study focuses on the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR), and briefly on the liver X receptors (LXR).

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Common polymorphisms in the fat mass and obesity-associated gene (FTO) have shown strong association with obesity in several populations. In the present study, we explored the association of FTO gene polymorphisms with obesity and other biochemical parameters in the Mexican population. We also assessed FTO gene expression levels in adipose tissue of obese and nonobese individuals. The study comprised 788 unrelated Mexican-Mestizo individuals and 31 subcutaneous fat tissue biopsies from lean and obese women. FTO single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) rs9939609, rs1421085, and rs17817449 were associated with obesity, particularly with class III obesity, under both additive and dominant models (P = 0.0000004 and 0.000008, respectively). These associations remained significant after adjusting for admixture (P = 0.000003 and 0.00009, respectively). Moreover, risk alleles showed a nominal association with lower insulin levels and homeostasis model assessment of B-cell function (HOMA-B), and with higher homeostasis model assessment of insulin sensitivity (HOMA-S) only in nonobese individuals (P (dom) = 0.031, 0.023, and 0.049, respectively). FTO mRNA levels were significantly higher in subcutaneous fat tissue of class III obese individuals than in lean individuals (P = 0.043). Risk alleles were significantly associated with higher FTO expression in the class III obesity group (P = 0.047). In conclusion, FTO is a major risk factor for obesity (particularly class III) in the Mexican-Mestizo population, and is upregulated in subcutaneous fat tissue of obese individuals.

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Objetivos: Describir las características de la transmisión hereditaria de la enfermedad en familias de la ciudad de Cartagena (Colombia) y analizar algunos factores medioambientales del núcleo familiar de los pacientes que pudieran influir en la evolución y/o severidad de la patología. Materiales y métodos: Se estudiaron 22 pacientes, distribuidos en 16 familias, del “Programa de atención integral a pacientes con fibrosis quística” de la Universidad de Cartagena. Se recopiló información acerca de las condiciones de vivienda del grupo familiar y se evaluaron aspectos fenotípicos hereditarios, y se construyeron genealogías para esta enfermedad. Resultados: El análisis de pedigríes reveló lo siguiente: en ocho familias (67%), los individuos afectados presentan rasgos caucásicos; en cinco familias (42%) se reconoce existencia de ancestros europeos; en dos familias (17%) existe consaguinidad. En relación con el aspecto ambiental, se encontró que 33% de las familias estudiadas habitan viviendas en malas condiciones. Conclusiones: Entre las familias de los pacientes con fibrosis quística de la ciudad de Cartagena detectados en este estudio se verifica la transmisión hereditaria autosómica recesiva, se confirma el mestizaje de nuestras poblaciones. La reincidencia de enfermos y la consanguinidad en varias familias denota la falta de asesoramiento genético y el desconocimiento de la evolución de la enfermedad por su grupo familiar. Estos resultados pueden ser el punto de partida de estudios más amplios que sirvan de fundamento para la implementación de políticas tendientes a reducir la frecuencia y severidad de la enfermedad a nivel local y nacional...

Objective: Describe characteristics of hereditary transmissión diseases in families in Cartagena (Colombia) also analysing some environmental factors that might affect the evolution and or severity of this diseases. Materials and methods: Twenty-two patients distributed into 16 families attending to the Universidad de Cartagena's Integral attention program for CF families were studied. Information about family house conditions was collected; some inherited phenotype aspects were evaluated, and genealogy trees were constructed for this disease. Results: Our pedigree analysis reveals the next issues: first, caucasian traits in affected individuals are present in eight families (67%); second, european ancestors are reported in five families (42%); third, inbreeding was detected in two families (17%). Thirty three percent of these families are living in bad housing conditions. Conclusions: Between relatives of cystic fibrosis patients from Cartagena it is verified the autosomal recessive hereditary transmission, it is confirmed the crossbreeding inside our population. The relapse of patients and the blood relationship in several families reveal the lack of genetic counseling and inadequate knowledge about the evolution of the disease between the members of the families. These results could be the starting point of larger studies that serve as a foundation of politics tending to reduce the frequency and severity of the disease in a local and national level...

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De los 100 pacientes incluidos en el estudio, se documentó la sepsis en 74 niños, en 48 de estos pacientes se aislaron microorganismos en sangre (66.2 por ciento). En los hemocultivos los gérmenes aislados con mayor frecuencia fueron Enterobacter aerogens (31.2 por ciento), Klebsiella sp. (27 por ciento) y Staphylococcus epidermidis (22.9 por ciento). En cultiv os de L.C.R. se aislaron 2 Klebsiellas sp; 2 Escherichia coli y 1 Staphylococcus epidermis, todos estos gérmenes coincidieron con el aislado en el hemocultivo respectivo, excepto 1 Escherichia coli, que en el hemocultivo fue negativo. De los pacientes en los cuales se hizo aislamiento de microorganismos (49) se pudo hacer punción lumbar y procesar el L.C.R. en 32 de ellos, comprobáandose la miningitis en el 15.6 por ciento. La V.S.G., la proteína C reactiva y la haptoglobina furon las pruebas coadyuvantes que más aportaron al diagnóstico de sepsis neonatal. Los gérmenes aislados mostraron baja sensibilidad a la ampicilina, droga considerada tradicionalmente como de primera elección en el inicio del manejo de la sepsis. La misma observación en relación a la sensibilidad se obtuvo en el caso del Staphylococcus epidermidis frente a la oxaciclina. La ampicilina debe dejar de utilizarse durante algún tiempo en los hospitales en los cuales se hizo el estudio, debido a la baja sensibilidad de los gérmenes

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