RESUMEN

The genus Rhinella (Bufonidae) comprises 92 species of Neotropical toads. In Colombia, Rhinella is represented by 22 recognized species, of which nine belong to the Rhinellafestae group. Over the past decade, there has been increasing evidence of cryptic diversity within this group, particularly in the context of Andean forms. Specimens of Rhinella collected in high Andean forests on both slopes of the Central Cordillera in Colombia belong to an undescribed species, Rhinellakumandaysp. nov. Genetic analyses using the mitochondrial 16S rRNA gene indicated that the individuals belong to the festae species group. However, they can be distinguished from other closely related species such as Rhinellaparaguas and Rhinellatenrec by a combination of morphological traits including the presence of tarsal fold, a moderate body size, and substantial genetic divergence in the 16S rRNA gene (> 5%). Through this integrative approach, the specimens from the Central Cordillera of Colombia are considered an evolutionary divergent lineage that is sister to R.paraguas, and described as a new species. Rhinellakumandaysp. nov. is restricted to the Central Cordillera of Colombia inhabiting both slopes in the departments of Caldas and Tolima, in an elevational range between 2420 and 3758 m. With the recognition of this new species, the genus Rhinella now comprises 93 species with 23 of them found in Colombia, and ten species endemic to the country.

RESUMEN

BACKGROUND: The delay in surgical management of intestinal obstruction patients who did not respond to conservative management increases morbidity, mortality and days of hospital stay. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to describe the clinical and tomographic features associated with surgical management in adhesive small bowel obstruction patients. METHOD: We conducted a retrospective review of the electronic medical records during a 5-year period with the diagnosis of adhesive small bowel obstruction. We divided patients in two, those who responded to medical management and those who required surgery. RESULTS: A total of 162 patients were included, with a mean age of 61.5 years. It was the first case of intestinal obstruction in 63% of the patients and 65.4% underwent surgery: 52.8% (n = 56) open surgery and 47.2% (n = 50) laparoscopic surgery. Multivariate analysis showed the following predictors of surgical treatment: abdominal rebound (odds ratio [OR]: 8.8; 95% confidence interval [95% CI]: 1.09-71.6), tomographic free fluid (OR: 4.62; 95% CI: 1.50-14.20) and transition zone (OR: 5.4; 95% CI: 1.59-18.80). The history of previous obstruction was a protective factor (OR: 0.33; 95% CI: 0.17-0.67). CONCLUSIONS: Abdominal rebound, free intrabdominal fluid and transition zone are related with the surgical management of adhesive small bowel obstruction.

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ANTECEDENTES: El retraso en el manejo quirúrgico de los pacientes con oclusión intestinal aumenta la morbimortalidad y los días de estancia intrahospitalaria. OBJETIVO: Describir las características clínicas y tomográficas de ingreso asociadas al manejo quirúrgico en pacientes con oclusión intestinal adherencial. MÉTODO: Revisamos los expedientes electrónicos de pacientes de los últimos 5 años con diagnóstico de oclusión intestinal adherencial y los dividimos según recibieran tratamiento conservador o tratamiento quirúrgico, y comparamos las variables. RESULTADOS: Cumplieron los criterios de inclusión 162 pacientes, con una edad media de 61.5 años. El episodio capturado fue el primer episodio de oclusión intestinal en el 63% de los pacientes. Se realizó tratamiento quirúrgico al 65.4% de los pacientes (n = 106): 52.8% (n = 56) cirugía abierta y 47.2% (n = 50) cirugía laparoscópica. El análisis multivariado mostró los siguientes factores predictores de tratamiento quirúrgico: presencia de rebote abdominal (odds ratio [OR]: 8.8; intervalo de confianza del 95% [IC95%]: 1.09-71.6), líquido libre (OR: 4.62; IC95%: 1.50-14.20) y zona de transición por tomografía (OR: 5.4; IC95%: 1.59-18.80). El antecedente de oclusiones previas fue un factor protector (OR: 0.33; IC95%: 0.17-0.67). CONCLUSIONES: El rebote abdominal, el líquido libre y la presencia de zona de transición por tomografía están asociados al manejo quirúrgico en los pacientes con oclusión intestinal adherencial.

Asunto(s)

Adhesivos , Obstrucción Intestinal , Humanos , Obstrucción Intestinal/diagnóstico por imagen , Obstrucción Intestinal/etiología , Obstrucción Intestinal/cirugía , Intestino Delgado/diagnóstico por imagen , Intestino Delgado/cirugía , Persona de Mediana Edad , Estudios Retrospectivos , Adherencias Tisulares/complicaciones , Adherencias Tisulares/cirugía

RESUMEN

Exposure to microgravity and ionizing radiation during spaceflight missions causes excessive reactive oxygen species (ROS) production that contributes to cellular stress and damage in astronauts. Average spaceflight mission time is expected to lengthen as humanity aims to visit other planets. However, longer missions or spaceflights will undoubtedly lead to an increment in microgravity, ionizing radiation and ROS production. Strategies to minimize ROS damage are necessary to maintain the health of astronauts, future space colonists, and tourists during and after spaceflight missions. An antioxidant cocktail formulated to prevent or mitigate ROS damage during space exploration could help maintain the health of space explorers. We propose key points to consider when developing an antioxidant cocktail. We discuss how ROS damages our body and organs, the genetic predisposition of astronauts to its damage, characteristics and evidence of the effectiveness of antioxidants to combat excess ROS, differences in drug metabolism when on Earth and in space that could modify antioxidant effects, and the characteristics and efficacy of common antioxidants. Based on this information we propose a workflow for assessing astronaut resistance to ROS damage, infight monitoring of ROS production, and an antioxidant cocktail. Developing an antioxidant cocktail represents a big challenge to translate current medical practices from an Earth setting to space. The key points presented in this review could promote the development of different antioxidant formulations to maintain space explorers' health in the future.

RESUMEN

Ultraviolet light incident on organic material can initiate its spontaneous dissipative structuring into chromophores which can catalyze their own replication. This may have been the case for one of the most ancient of all chromophores dissipating the Archean UVC photon flux, the nucleic acids. Oligos of nucleic acids with affinity to particular amino acids which foment UVC photon dissipation would most efficiently catalyze their own reproduction and thus would have been selected through non-equilibrium thermodynamic imperatives which favor dissipation. Indeed, we show here that those amino acids with characteristics most relevant to fomenting UVC photon dissipation are precisely those with greatest chemical affinity to their codons or anticodons. This could provide a thermodynamic basis for the specificity in the amino acid-nucleic acid interaction and an explanation for the accumulation of information in nucleic acids since this information is relevant to the optimization of dissipation of the externally imposed thermodynamic potentials. The accumulation of information in this manner provides a link between evolution and entropy production.

RESUMEN

BACKGROUND: In the perioperative context, a frailty evaluation scale must consider certain characteristics such as validation, execution speed, simplicity, the capacity to measure multiple dimensions and not being dependent on a cognitive or physical test that could not be performed prior to surgery. The test should select patients that could benefit from interventions aimed to improve their postoperative outcomes. AIM: To validate two frailty evaluation scales for the perioperative period. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The Risk Analysis Index with local modifications (RAI-M) were applied to 201 patients aged 73 ± 7 years (49% women) and the Edmonton frailty scale were applied in 151 patients aged 73 ± 7 years (49% women) in the preoperative period. Their results were compared with the Rockwood frailty index. RESULTS: The Edmonton frail scale showed adequate psychometric properties and assessed multiple dimensions through 8 of the 11 original questions, achieving a discrimination power over 80% compared to the Rockwood Index. The RAI- M, demonstrated solid psychometric properties with a tool that examines 4 dimensions of frailty through 15 questions and reviewing the presence of 11 medical comorbidities. This scale had a discrimination power greater than 85% and it was significantly associated with prolongation of the planned hospital stay and mortality. CONCLUSIONS: RAI-M is a short and easily administered scale, useful to detect frailty in the preoperative period.

Asunto(s)

Fragilidad , Anciano , Anciano de 80 o más Años , Femenino , Anciano Frágil , Evaluación Geriátrica , Humanos , Masculino , Complicaciones Posoperatorias , Periodo Preoperatorio , Medición de Riesgo

RESUMEN

The development of renewable energy sources requires the parallel development of sustainable energy storage systems because of its noncontinuous production. Even the most-used battery on the planet, the lithium-ion battery, is reaching its technological limit. In light of this, lithium-sulfur batteries have emerged as one of the most promising technologies to address this problem. The use of biomass to produce cathodes for these batteries addresses not only the aforementioned problem, but it also reduces the carbon footprint and gives added value to something normally considered waste. Here, the production, by simple and nonactivating pyrolysis, of a carbon material using the abundant "after-boiling waste" derived from beer brewing is reported. After adding a high sulfur loading (70 %) to this biowaste-derived carbon by the "melt diffusion" method, the sulfur-carbon composite is used as an effective cathode in Li-S batteries. The cathode shows excellent performance, reaching high capacity values with long-term cyclability at high current-847 mAh g-1 at 1 C, 586 mAh g-1 at 2 C, and even 498 mAh g-1 at 5 C after 400 cycles-drastically reducing capacity loss to values approaching 0.01 % per cycle. This work demonstrates the possibility of obtaining low-cost, highly sustainable cathodic materials for the design of advanced energy storage systems.

RESUMEN

Background: In the perioperative context, a frailty evaluation scale must consider certain characteristics such as validation, execution speed, simplicity, the capacity to measure multiple dimensions and not being dependent on a cognitive or physical test that could not be performed prior to surgery. The test should select patients that could benefit from interventions aimed to improve their postoperative outcomes. Aim: To validate two frailty evaluation scales for the perioperative period. Material and Methods: The Risk Analysis Index with local modifications (RAI-M) were applied to 201 patients aged 73 ± 7 years (49% women) and the Edmonton frailty scale were applied in 151 patients aged 73 ± 7 years (49% women) in the preoperative period. Their results were compared with the Rockwood frailty index. Results: The Edmonton frail scale showed adequate psychometric properties and assessed multiple dimensions through 8 of the 11 original questions, achieving a discrimination power over 80% compared to the Rockwood Index. The RAI- M, demonstrated solid psychometric properties with a tool that examines 4 dimensions of frailty through 15 questions and reviewing the presence of 11 medical comorbidities. This scale had a discrimination power greater than 85% and it was significantly associated with prolongation of the planned hospital stay and mortality. Conclusions: RAI-M is a short and easily administered scale, useful to detect frailty in the preoperative period.

Asunto(s)

Humanos , Masculino , Femenino , Anciano , Anciano de 80 o más Años , Fragilidad , Complicaciones Posoperatorias , Evaluación Geriátrica , Anciano Frágil , Medición de Riesgo , Periodo Preoperatorio

Asunto(s)

Anuros/clasificación , Anuros/fisiología , Estructuras Animales/anatomía & histología , Estructuras Animales/crecimiento & desarrollo , Animales , Anuros/anatomía & histología , Anuros/crecimiento & desarrollo , Tamaño Corporal , Colombia , Femenino , Larva/anatomía & histología , Larva/crecimiento & desarrollo , Masculino , Vocalización Animal

RESUMEN

Se analizaron las historias clinicas de 50 pacientes consecutivos que recibieron vagotomia supraselectiva (VSS) como tratamiento de ulcera duodenal, en el Hospital San Igancio de Bogota entre 1976 y 1984. El 74% corresponde al sexo masculino con promedio de edad de 34.9 anos y 6.2 anos de presentar sintomas ulcerosos. La indicacion mas frecuente fue la intratabilidad en 24 casos: la evolucion postoperatoria fue satisfactoria con una estancia hospitalaria de 6.4 dias sin mortalidad operatoria ni postoperatoria. La sensacion de distension abdominal fue la molestia prosoperatoria mas frecuente, presente en 8 pacientes. El seguimiento se realizo en un lapso de 5 a 14 anos. La clasificacion de Visck muestra 86.6% en los grupos I y II y solo se presentaron 2 (6.6%) recidivas ulcerosas comprobadas. La VSS se considera como una operacion segura y con resultados satisfactorios en el tratamiento de la ulcera duodenal intratable

Asunto(s)

Adulto , Humanos , Masculino , Femenino , Úlcera Duodenal/cirugía , Vagotomía Gástrica Proximal , Colombia , Úlcera Duodenal/diagnóstico , Úlcera Duodenal/terapia , Vagotomía Gástrica Proximal/mortalidad , Vagotomía Gástrica Proximal