Título del artículo:

Enhancement of Phycobiliprotein Accumulation in Thermotolerant Oscillatoria sp. Through Media Optimization

Phycobiliproteins (PBPs) are a group of brilliant pigment proteins found in cyanobacteria and red algae; their synthesis and accumulation depend on several factors such as the type of strain employed, nutrient concentration, light intensity, light regimes, and others. This study evaluates the effect of macronutrients (citrate buffer, NaNO3, K2HPO4, MgSO4, CaCl2, Na2CO3, and EDTA) and the concentration of trace metals in BG-11 media on the accumulation of PBPs in a thermotolerant strain of Oscillatoria sp. The strain was grown in BG-11 media at 28 °C with a light:dark cycle of 12:12 h at 100 μmol m-2 s-1 for 15 days, and the effect of nutrients was evaluated using a Plackett-Burman Design followed by optimization using a response surface methodology. Results from the concentration of trace metals show that it can be reduced up to half-strength in its initial concentration without affecting both biomass and PBPs. Results from the Plackett-Burman Design revealed that only NaNO3, Na2CO3, and K2HPO4 show a significant increase in PBP production. Optimization employed a central Non-Factorial Response Surface Design with three levels and four factors (34) using NaNO3, Na2CO3, K2HPO4, and trace metals as variables, while the other components of BG-11 media (citrate buffer, MgSO4, CaCl2, and EDTA) were used in half of their initial concentration. Results from the optimization show that interaction between Na2CO3 and K2HPO4 highly increased PBPs\' concentration, with values of 15.21, 3.95, and 1.89 (% w/w), respectively. These results demonstrate that identifying and adjusting the concentration of critical nutrients can increase the concentration of PBPs up to two times for phycocyanin and allophycocyanin while four times for phycoerythrin. Finally, the reduction in non-key nutrients\' concentration will reduce the production costs of colorants at an industrial scale and increase the sustainability of the process.

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ACS Omega

Título del artículo:

Glycemic index, glycemic load, and cardiovascular disease and mortality

BACKGROUND Most data regarding the association between the glycemic index and cardiovascular disease come from high-income Western populations, with little information from non-Western countries with low or middle incomes. To fill this gap, data are needed from a large, geographically diverse population. METHODS This analysis includes 137,851 participants between the ages of 35 and 70 years living on five continents, with a median follow-up of 9.5 years. We used country-specific food-frequency questionnaires to determine dietary intake and estimated the glycemic index and glycemic load on the basis of the consumption of seven categories of carbohydrate foods. We calculated hazard ratios using multivariable Cox frailty models. The primary outcome was a composite of a major cardiovascular event (cardiovascular death, nonfatal myocardial infarction, stroke, and heart failure) or death from any cause. RESULTS In the study population, 8780 deaths and 8252 major cardiovascular events occurred during the follow-up period. After performing extensive adjustments comparing the lowest and highest glycemic-index quintiles, we found that a diet with a high glycemic index was associated with an increased risk of a major cardiovascular event or death, both among participants with preexisting cardiovascular disease (hazard ratio, 1.51; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.25 to 1.82) and among those without such disease (hazard ratio, 1.21; 95% CI, 1.11 to 1.34). Among the components of the primary outcome, a high glycemic index was also associated with an increased risk of death from cardiovascular causes. The results with respect to glycemic load were similar to the findings regarding the glycemic index among the participants with cardiovascular disease at baseline, but the association was not significant among those without preexisting cardiovascular disease. CONCLUSIONS In this study, a diet with a high glycemic index was associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease and death.

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New England Journal of Medicine

Título del artículo:

Tuberculosis and the heart

Acquired tuberculosis continues to be a challenge worldwide. Although tuberculosis has been considered a global public health emergency, it remains poorly controlled in many countries. Despite being primarily a pulmonary disease, tuberculosis could involve the heart. This systematic review is part of the \"Neglected Tropical Diseases and Other Infectious Diseases Involving the Heart\" (the NET-Heart Project) initiative from the Interamerican Society of Cardiology. This project aims to review the cardiovascular involvement of these heterogeneous diseases, advancing original algorithms to help healthcare providers diagnose and manage cardiovascular complications. In tuberculosis, pericardium involvement is relatively common, especially in AIDS, and tuberculosis is the most common cause of constrictive pericarditis in endemic countries. Myocarditis and aortitis by tuberculosis are rare. Clinical manifestations of cardiovascular involvement by tuberculosis differ from those typically found for bacteria or viruses. Prevailing systemic symptoms and the pericarditis diagnostic index should be taken into account. An echocardiogram is the first step for diagnosing cardiovascular involvement; however, several image modalities can be used, depending on the suspected site of infection. Adenosine deaminase levels, gamma interferon, or polymerase chain reaction testing could be used to confirm tuberculosis infection; each has a high diagnostic performance. Antituberculosis chemotherapy and corticosteroids are treatment mainstays that significantly reduce mortality, constriction, and hospitaliza-tions, especially in patients with HIV. In conclusion, tuberculosis cardiac involvement is frequent and could lead to heart failure, constrictive pericarditis, or death. Early detection of complications should be a cornerstone of overall management.

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Journal of the American Heart Association

Título del artículo:

High flow arteriovenous malformation in a young adult: Case report

Introduction. Arteriovenous malformations are relative rare and infrequent injuries. Their main characteristic is an abnormal increase in the number of blood vessels as a result of defective vascular development. They represent a diagnostic and therapeutic challenge for the treating physician. Their incidence in the general population is around 1.5%. Some therapeutic options include selective embolization, surgical resection, or both. The purpose of this article is to report a case of an infrequent pathology and to perform a literature review on the topic to shed light on its diagnosis. Case report. The case involves a young adult patient who inquired about the presence of a mass in the right buttock with six years of evolution. It was erroneously diagnosed as a lipoma, as a result of which the patient was taken to surgery without performing preliminary diagnostic images. During surgery, the patient went into hypovolemic shock. Afterwards, the mass was documented as a profound arteriovenous malformation. Discussion. Such malformations are rarely found in the lower limbs, as in this case. These injuries may be clinically diagnosed, but knowledge or suspicion on the existence of this entity is required, because such injuries might not be clinically visible, which implies that they may go unnoticed or be erroneously diagnosed. Conclusion. Even though it is an infrequent pathology, it may have substantial clinical, physical, psychological and aesthetic implications, which implies that it is indispensable to perform adequate imaging-based procedures to enable its adequate diagnosis and management.

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MedUNAB

Título del artículo:

Impact of social isolation on mortality and morbidity in 20 high-income, middle-income and low-income countries in five continents

Objective To examine the association between social isolation and mortality and incident diseases in middle-aged adults in urban and rural communities from high-income, middle-income and low-income countries. Design Population-based prospective observational study. Setting Urban and rural communities in 20 high income, middle income and low income. Participants 119 894 community-dwelling middle-aged adults. Main outcome measures Associations of social isolation with mortality, cardiovascular death, non-cardiovascular death and incident diseases. Results Social isolation was more common in middle-income and high-income countries compared with low-income countries, in urban areas than rural areas, in older individuals and among women, those with less education and the unemployed. It was more frequent among smokers and those with a poorer diet. Social isolation was associated with greater risk of mortality (HR of 1.26, 95% CI: 1.17 to 1.36), incident stroke (HR: 1.23, 95% CI: 1.07 to 1.40), cardiovascular disease (HR: 1.15, 95% CI: 1.05 to 1.25) and pneumonia (HR: 1.22, 95% CI: 1.09 to 1.37), but not cancer. The associations between social isolation and mortality were observed in populations in high-income, middle-income and low-income countries (HR (95% CI): 1.69 (1.32 to 2.17), 1.27 (1.15 to 1.40) and 1.47 (1.25 to 1.73), respectively, interaction p=0.02). The HR associated with social isolation was greater in men than women and in younger than older individuals. Mediation analyses for the association between social isolation and mortality showed that unhealthy behaviours and comorbidities may account for about one-fifth of the association. Conclusion Social isolation is associated with increased risk of mortality in countries at different economic levels. The increasing share of older people in populations in many countries argues for targeted strategies to mitigate its adverse effects.

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BMJ Global Health

Título del artículo:

A survey for potentially zoonotic parasites in backyard pigs in the Bucaramanga metropolitan area, Northeast Colombia

Background and Aim: Backyard pigs farming is a rearing system associated with poor hygienic and sanitary conditions of the pig, often causing public health and food safety problems. Therefore, this study was conducted to investigate the occurrence of potentially zoonotic parasites in population pig reared under backyard farming in the Bucaramanga metropolitan area, Northeast Colombia. Materials and Methods: From September to December 2019, a total of 558 fecal samples from 64 backyard pig farms were examined for the presence of enteric protozoan infection. The coprological diagnosis was done by direct examination using Lugol\'s iodine solution, buffered saline solution, and Kinyoun technique. In addition, blood samples were collected from 200 pigs. Serum was collected and used for the detection of Trichinella spiralis and Taenia solium cysticercosis infections, using the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Results: The overall prevalence of zoonotic protozoa in the Bucaramanga metropolitan area was 65.2%, reporting 52.7% prevalence for Balantidium coli, 33.7% for Entamoeba coli, and 5.7% for Cryptosporidium spp. Regarding the prevalence by municipalities, there was no statistical association (p>0.05), indicating that the prevalence was similar in the region under study. Pigs >7 months of age showed to be a risk factor for B. coli infection, indicating that the prevalence increases with the age, while pigs raised at >1000 masl and access to latrines, increased infection risk for E. coli and Cryptosporidium spp. infections. In the present study, T. spiralis infection was not detected in the analyzed sera, while T. solium cysticercosis infection was found to be 40.5%. Conclusion: The high prevalence of protozoan infections and porcine cysticercosis reported in this study could be due to poor facilities, and lack of hygiene in the facilities, and suggests the possible transmission of these parasite populations between pigs and humans, thus increasing the transmission of parasites zoonotic potential. Therefore, appropriate sanitary management practices and deworming programs should be adopted to reduce the prevalence of these infectious agents.

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Veterinary World

Título del artículo:

Genomic diversity of Burkholderia pseudomallei isolates, Colombia

We report an analysis of the genomic diversity of isolates of Burkholderia pseudomallei, the cause of melioidosis, recovered in Colombia from routine surveillance during 2016-2017. B. pseudomallei appears genetically diverse, suggesting it is well established and has spread across the region.

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Emerging Infectious Diseases

Título del artículo:

Variations in knowledge, awareness and treatment of hypertension and stroke risk by country income level

Objective Hypertension is the most important modifiable risk factor for stroke globally. We hypothesised that country-income level variations in knowledge, detection and treatment of hypertension may contribute to variations in the association of blood pressure with stroke. Methods We undertook a standardised case-control study in 32 countries (INTERSTROKE). Cases were patients with acute first stroke (n=13 462) who were matched by age, sex and site to controls (n=13 483). We evaluated the associations of knowledge, awareness and treatment of hypertension with risk of stroke and its subtypes and whether this varied by gross national income (GNI) of country. We estimated OR and population attributable risk (PAR) associated with treated and untreated hypertension. Results Hypertension was associated with a graded increase in OR by reducing GNI, ranging from OR 1.92 (99% CI 1.48 to 2.49) to OR 3.27 (2.72 to 3.93) for highest to lowest country-level GNI (p-heterogeneity<0.0001). Untreated hypertension was associated with a higher OR for stroke (OR 5.25; 4.53 to 6.10) than treated hypertension (OR 2.60; 2.32 to 2.91) and younger age of first stroke (61.4 vs 65.4 years; p<0.01). Untreated hypertension was associated with a greater risk of intracerebral haemorrhage (OR 6.95; 5.61 to 8.60) than ischaemic stroke (OR 4.76; 3.99 to 5.68). The PAR associated with untreated hypertension was higher in lower-income regions, PAR 36.3%, 26.3%, 19.8% to 10.4% by increasing GNI of countries. Lifetime non-measurement of blood pressure was associated with stroke (OR 1.80; 1.32 to 2.46). Conclusions Deficits in knowledge, detection and treatment of hypertension contribute to higher risk of stroke, younger age of onset and larger proportion of intracerebral haemorrhage in lower-income countries.

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Heart

Título del artículo:

Effects of meteorological factors on human leptospirosis in Colombia

Leptospirosis is a disease usually acquired by humans through water contaminated with the urine of rodents that comes into direct contact with the cutaneous lesions, eyes, or mucous membranes. The disease has an important environmental component associated with climatic conditions and natural disasters, such as floods. We analyzed the relationship between rainfall and temperature and the incidence of leptospirosis in the top 30 municipalities with the highest numbers of cases of the disease in the period of 2007 to 2016. It was an ecological study of the time series of cases of leptospirosis, rainfall, and temperature with lags of 0, 1, 2, 3, and 4 weeks. A multilevel negative binomial regression model was implemented to evaluate the relationship between leptospirosis and both meteorological factors. In the 30 evaluated municipalities during the study period, a total of 5136 cases of leptospirosis were reported. According to the implemented statistical model, there was a positive association between the incidence of leptospirosis and rainfall with a lag of 1 week and a negative association with temperature with a lag of 4 weeks. Our results show the importance of short-term lags in rainfall and temperature for the occurrence of new cases of leptospirosis in Colombia.

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International Journal of Biometeorology

Título del artículo:

Innovation management practices: review and guidance for future research in SMEs

This article aims to identify the innovation management practices used by companies worldwide and referenced in the scientific literature. This study employed a scoping review methodology proposed by Manchado et al. (Medicina y seguridad del trabajo 55:12–19, 2009). A total of 322 documents were located and screened by two reviewers. After we applied the inclusion and exclusion criteria, 19 articles were analysed in depth. This article identifies the innovation management practices used by different kinds of companies, focusing on small and medium-sized enterprises. The review found a total of 116 practices, grouped into 13 categories. These categories were classified based on the innovation management process. The practices most frequently cited by authors were the application of project management fundamentals, product changes and process improvements, idea generation techniques, and practices related to human talent management for innovation. This article provides a framework of good practices for companies that wish to improve their innovation management process.

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Management Review Quarterly

Título del artículo:

Assessment of the energy recovery potential of oil sludge through gasification aiming electricity generation

Thermochemical conversion of oil sludge (OS) residues from crude oil refinery was studied as an alternative for treatment and energy recovery before OS final disposal. A simulation model for OS gasification was developed and validated by using AspenPlus™ V 11.0. Three scenarios by considering different gasifying agents were evaluated, aiming the assessment of different gasification parameters and performance indexes such as gasification temperature, cold-gas efficiency, syngas yield, and LHV. To evaluate the potential use of syngas to generate electricity, three different prime movers such as steam Rankine cycle, gas microturbine, and gas-Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) were modeled. A hydrogen-rich syngas from OS gasification with air/steam mixture was reached (38.2 vol%) at ER 0.20. Syngas LHV and syngas yield ranged between 8.6 and 3.0 MJ/Nm3 and 0.6–1.3 Nm3/kg OS, when ER was increased from 0.25 to 0.45, respectively. The highest energy recovery potential (electricity generation) was obtained when using syngas to power a gas-ICE, with a generation index of about 0.47 kWh/kg-OS at ER ratio of 0.25. Therefore, OS thermochemical conversion into syngas and its subsequent use to generate electricity could be a technological alternative to oily residues management inside an oil refinery that could efficiently transform a dangerous residue into electricity.

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Energy

Título del artículo:

Mechanisms of action of Ib-M antibacterial peptides against Escherichia coli. A structural and proteomic study. Preliminary results

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Iatreia

Título del artículo:

Micromorphology and ultrastructure of anthers and pollen grains in ten elite genotypes of theobroma cacao (Malvaceae).

Introduction: Despite the fact that T. cacao is an important species worldwide for cocoa production, little is known about the micromorphology and structure of anthers and pollen grains. Objectives: To describe and analyze the structure and micromorphology of the anthers and pollen grains of 10 elite genotypes of this important tropical species. Methods: More than 30 anthers of flowers in anthesis were taken of the 10 elite genotypes of T. cacao from the ex situ germplasm bank of the Suiza-Agrosavia Research Center (Rionegro, Santander-Colombia). The anthers with the pollen grains were fixated and processed according to the standard protocols for embedding and sectioning in paraffin. Sections obtained (3 μm thick) were stained with Safranin-Alcian blue to discriminate structures with primary and secondary walls and total polyphenols. Additionally, the samples were also stained with the PAS-Amidoblack technique was used to differentiate between structural and reserve polysaccharides as well as proteins. Toluidine blue staining was used for the determination of sporopollenin and polyphenols and finally Alcian blue-PAS-Hematoxylin staining was applied for additional descriptions. Observations were made using photonic microscopy and epifluorescence microscopy. For observa-tion with scanning electron microscopy (SEM) the anthers with the pollen grains were fixed and dehydrated in 2.2 Dimethoxypropane, then desiccated to critical point and finally coated with gold. Results: the anthers are dithecal and supported by a long filament made up of an epidermal stratum, parenchymal tissue, and a vascular bundle. The dehiscence occurs longitudinally through the stomium. The anther wall is made up of a monostrati-fied epidermal layer, followed by a layer of endothecial cells with lignified fibrillar thickenings, cellular rem-nants of tapetum and abundant orbicules can be seen covering the cavity of the microsporangia. The epidermal and parenchymal tissues of the anthers are abundant in polyphenols. Orbicules are generally spherical, psilated, and these exhibit the same staining and fluorescence reactions as exine from pollen grains. The pollen grains are monades, isopolar, small (16-19 µm) with circular amb, spheroidal, tricolpate with medium or short colpi (5-10 µm) with sculptured membrane, semitectate, reticulated, heterobrochate, sculptured or non-sculptured walls, with microgranules of different size or scabrate. The statistical analyzes showed that there are significant differences in the size of the pollen grains (P ˂ 0.05). It is observed that the smallest pollen grains are those of the TCS 19 genotype (16.890 µm) and are different from the other genotypes, and among these there are no significant differences. Only two genotypes (SCC 19 and SCA 6) showed pollenkit and only one has perforated walls (SCA 6). Conclusions: The structure and micromorphology of the anthers of T. cacao are similar to those described for other Malvaceae. Likewise, the pollen grains showed variations in size, ornamentation of the sporoderm and the lumen of the reticulum and the presence of pollenkitt. However, no relationship was observed between the micromorphological characters analyzed in the pollen grains and the pollen compatibility models reported for these genotypes.

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Revista de Biologia Tropical

Título del artículo:

Multiple Coronary Fistulas After Several Penetrating Chest Wounds: A Rare Case of Refractory Heart Failure

Coronary artery fistulas are rare coronary abnormalities. Most of these fistulas have a congenital origin, and only a few are acquired. We report the case of a patient with late-acquired multiple coronary fistulas secondary to a stab wound, diagnosed in the setting of ischemic heart failure secondary to coronary steal syndrome. (Level of Difficulty: Intermediate.)

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JACC: Case Reports

Título del artículo:

Detraining of specific neuromuscular qualities in elite footballers during COVID-19 quarantine

The COVID-19 pandemic forced elite football leagues into extended breaks followed by prompt resumption of competition. Inadequate periods of on-pitch football-specific training may underlie the increased injury incidence reported following restart in a non-peer reviewed report. Detraining effects from isolated training are expected, but existing models do not completely describe the unprecedented conditions imposed by COVID-19. Providing insight into specific neuromuscular qualities affected by extended absence of football-specific training, we share countermovement jump performance and kinetic data from an elite team’s assessments pre and post 15 weeks of isolated training, and to contextualise these trends, off-season changes with no training. The isolated circuit resistance and aerobic interval training maintained jump height and Reactive Strength Indexmodified, but there were moderate magnitude (p = 0.01–0.04) changes in eccentric ‘yielding’ and landing ‘loading’ phase variables. These changes suggest a compromised initiation of countermovement deceleration, impact attenuation and altered coordination/motor control strategies or muscle-tendon properties. This analysis may have revealed kinetic markers specifically stimulated by football-specific training/competition, relevant to post-quarantine monitoring. Lower landing forces may reduce overuse injury risk, while yielding phase alterations suggest a negative effect on reactive performance, therefore the overall effect on vulnerability to injury is unclear.

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Science and Medicine in Football

Título del artículo:

Key competences, education for sustainable development and strategies for the development of 21st century skills. A systematic literature review

Skills needed to be successful in the world have changed, and there is a gap between those learned at school and those required to function at work and in society. A broader range of skills is required to learn, communicate, collaborate, and solve problems in digital environments. Twenty-first century skills have been identified by UNESCO, OECD, and others as competences required for a sustainable future of the knowledge society. The aim was to learn the design principles involved in the incorporation of these skills into the curriculum, find out possible ways to teach and assess them, and examine how this process could be personalized using Information and Communications Technology (ICT). A literature review was carried out through a qualitative metasynthesis, which identified 43 studies that met the inclusion criteria. From the in‐depth analysis, it can be seen that although the incorporation of 21st century skills into the curriculum, teaching methodologies, and the use of ICT are all recurrent themes, there is still a need for further research into the design and implementation of new instruments for assessment and the ways in which the teaching–learning process can be personalized.

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Sustainability (Switzerland)

Título del artículo:

Current status of prevalence and risk factors associated with liver fluke Fasciola hepatica in cattle raised in different altitudinal regions of Colombia

Fasciola hepatica is a trematode parasite with a worldwide distribution that affects mammals, including humans, and is considered a major food safety and public health problem. A research was conducted in three hundred eighty-five livestock farms located in different altitudinal regions of Colombia between February 2017 and March 2018 with the aim to determine the coprological prevalence, seroprevalence (SP) and risk factors associated with liver fluke F. hepatica. A total of 5620 fecal sample were collected from cattle and processed using sedimentation technique. Additionally, 597 blood samples were collected and processed by an ELISA test. The coprological prevalence of F. hepatica in animals and herds was 6.4% and 38.4%, respectively. Regarding the prevalence by municipalities, there was statistical association (P < .05), indicating that the prevalence was higher in those municipalities above 2000 masl (meters above sea level). Regarding risk factors, cattle raised in municipalities at 2000 to 3000 masl showed about 4 (OR = 3.96 [CI95% 3.1–5]; P < .05) times higher probability for infection than those raised at lower altitude. Cattle from 2 to 3 year of age, showed almost 4 times (OR = 3.7[CI95% 2.5–5.4]; P < .05), increased infection risk. Females and dairy breeds showed almost 2 (OR = 1.9 [CI95% 1.3–2.6]; P < .05) and 10 times (OR = 10 [CI95% 7.8–12.8]; P < .05), respectively, increased infection risk. The presence of antibodies anti- F. hepatica (SP = 37.8%; [CI95% 35.8–39.7]; P < .05) in cattle of the region under study is confirmed, which suggests an endemic behavior of this parasitosis. The present study provides current information on the prevalence of F. hepatica in different altitudinal regions of Colombia, and these findings could be useful for designing new holistic control measures for the liver fluke F. hepatica infection.

Acerca de la revista donde se publicó este artículo:

Veterinary Parasitology: Regional Studies and Reports

Título del artículo:

Availability of personal protective equipment and diagnostic and treatment facilities for healthcare workers involved in COVID-19 care: A cross-sectional study in Brazil, Colombia, and Ecuador

Many affected counties have had experienced a shortage of personal protective equipment (PPE) during the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic. We aimed to investigate the needs of healthcare professionals and the technical difficulties faced by them during the initial outbreak. A cross-sectional web-based survey was conducted among the healthcare workforce in the most populous cities from three Latin American countries in April 2020. In total, 1,082 participants were included. Of these, 534 (49.4%), 263 (24.3%), and 114 (10.5%) were physicians, nurses, and other professionals, respectively. At least 70% of participants reported a lack of PPE. The most common shortages were shortages in gown coverall suits (643, 59.4%), N95 masks (600, 55.5%), and face shields (569, 52.6%). Professionals who performed procedures that generated aerosols reported shortages more frequently (p<0.05). Professionals working in the emergency department and primary care units reported more shortages than those working in intensive care units and hospital-based wards (p<0.001). Up to 556 (51.4%) participants reported the lack of sufficient knowledge about using PPE. Professionals working in public institutions felt less prepared, received less training, and had no protocols compared with their peers in working private institutions (p<0.001). Although the study sample corresponded to different hospital centers in different cities from the participating countries, sampling was non-random. Healthcare professionals in Latin America may face more difficulties than those from other countries, with 7 out of 10 professionals reporting that they did not have the necessary resources to care for patients with COVID-19. Technical and logistical difficulties should be addressed in the event of a future outbreak, as they have a negative impact on healthcare workers.

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PLoS ONE

Título del artículo:

Lean manufacturing: A systematic review in the food industry

This paper describes the study trends of lean manufacturing at a national and international level through a systematic review of the scientific literature between 2015 and 2019. A total of 3776 research articles were retrieved from the main bibliographic databases. Metadata and VOSviewer were used to perform a bibliometric cluster analysis by topic and year. The results indicated that the database with the largest number of publications was Science Research. In addition, 36% of all the research articles retrieved were from Asian countries and they addressed efficiency of production processes and productivity. The present article provided an analysis of the implementation of the lean manufacturing philosophy and a summary of the tools used in companies in the food sector to generate inputs that promote productivity. A general framework is proposed that summarizes the trends in lean manufacturing from the literature review performed here.

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Informacion Tecnologica

Título del artículo:

Determining factors of competitiveness and organizational integration: Scoping review

This work presents a systematic review of the literature related to the competitiveness and organizational integration from 2013 to 2019. This is done with information reported by the main bibliographic databases. The results show records related to competitiveness and organizational integration in Latin America, Europe, and Asia. There is evidence of an increase in the number of articles published during the period considered in the study. There are 23 competitiveness factors identified including the structure and cooperation between companies, marketing management, and the implementation of innovative technology in production. In addition, there are 17 factors that favor organizational integration such as the governance of strategic relationships between companies, intra-business coordination, and the implementation of quality management systems. This scoping review article contributes to the generation of organizational capacities for competitiveness development and process integration.

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Informacion Tecnologica

Título del artículo:

Association of Symptoms of Depression with Cardiovascular Disease and Mortality in Low-, Middle-, and High-Income Countries

Importance: Depression is associated with incidence of and premature death from cardiovascular disease (CVD) and cancer in high-income countries, but it is not known whether this is true in low- A nd middle-income countries and in urban areas, where most people with depression now live. Objective: To identify any associations between depressive symptoms and incident CVD and all-cause mortality in countries at different levels of economic development and in urban and rural areas. Design, Setting, and Participants: This multicenter, population-based cohort study was conducted between January 2005 and June 2019 (median follow-up, 9.3 years) and included 370 urban and 314 rural communities from 21 economically diverse countries on 5 continents. Eligible participants aged 35 to 70 years were enrolled. Analysis began February 2018 and ended September 2019. Exposures: Four or more self-reported depressive symptoms from the Short-Form Composite International Diagnostic Interview. Main Outcomes and Measures: Incident CVD, all-cause mortality, and a combined measure of either incident CVD or all-cause mortality. Results: Of 145862 participants, 61235 (58%) were male and the mean (SD) age was 50.05 (9.7) years. Of those, 15983 (11%) reported 4 or more depressive symptoms at baseline. Depression was associated with incident CVD (hazard ratio [HR], 1.14; 95% CI, 1.05-1.24), all-cause mortality (HR, 1.17; 95% CI, 1.11-1.25), the combined CVD/mortality outcome (HR, 1.18; 95% CI, 1.11-1.24), myocardial infarction (HR, 1.23; 95% CI, 1.10-1.37), and noncardiovascular death (HR, 1.21; 95% CI, 1.13-1.31) in multivariable models. The risk of the combined outcome increased progressively with number of symptoms, being highest in those with 7 symptoms (HR, 1.24; 95% CI, 1.12-1.37) and lowest with 1 symptom (HR, 1.05; 95% CI, 0.92-1.19; P for trend <.001). The associations between having 4 or more depressive symptoms and the combined outcome were similar in 7 different geographical regions and in countries at all economic levels but were stronger in urban (HR, 1.23; 95% CI, 1.13-1.34) compared with rural (HR, 1.10; 95% CI, 1.02-1.19) communities (P for interaction =.001) and in men (HR, 1.27; 95% CI, 1.13-1.38) compared with women (HR, 1.14; 95% CI, 1.06-1.23; P for interaction <.001). Conclusions and Relevance: In this large, population-based cohort study, adults with depressive symptoms were associated with having increased risk of incident CVD and mortality in economically diverse settings, especially in urban areas. Improving understanding and awareness of these physical health risks should be prioritized as part of a comprehensive strategy to reduce the burden of noncommunicable diseases worldwide..

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JAMA Psychiatry

Título del artículo:

Salt and cardiovascular disease: Insufficient evidence to recommend low sodium intake

Several blood pressure guidelines recommend low sodium intake (<2.3 g/day, 100 mmol, 5.8 g/day of salt) for the entire population, on the premise that reductions in sodium intake, irrespective of the levels, will lower blood pressure, and, in turn, reduce cardiovascular disease occurrence. These guidelines have been developed without effective interventions to achieve sustained low sodium intake in free-living individuals, without a feasible method to estimate sodium intake reliably in individuals, and without high-quality evidence that low sodium intake reduces cardiovascular events (compared with moderate intake). In this review, we examine whether the recommendation for low sodium intake, reached by current guideline panels, is supported by robust evidence. Our review provides a counterpoint to the current recommendation for low sodium intake and suggests that a specific low sodium intake target (e.g. <2.3 g/day) for individuals may be unfeasible, of uncertain effect on other dietary factors and of unproven effectiveness in reducing cardiovascular disease. We contend that current evidence, despite methodological limitations, suggests that most of the world\'s population consume a moderate range of dietary sodium (2.3-4.6g/day; 1-2 teaspoons of salt) that is not associated with increased cardiovascular risk, and that the risk of cardiovascular disease increases when sodium intakes exceed 5 g/day. While current evidence has limitations, and there are differences of opinion in interpretation of existing evidence, it is reasonable, based upon observational studies, to suggest a population-level mean target of <5 g/day in populations with mean sodium intake of >5 g/day, while awaiting the results of large randomized controlled trials of sodium reduction on incidence of cardiovascular events and mortality.

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European Heart Journal

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Stigma-discrimination: Significant collateral damage of COVID-19

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Indian Journal of Psychiatry

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Low levels of awareness, treatment, and control of hypertension in Andean communities of Ecuador

The major burden of hypertension (HTN) occurs in low-middle-income countries (LMIC) and it is the main modifiable risk factor for cardiovascular diseases (CVD). Few population studies on HTN prevalence have been carried out in Ecuador where there is limited information regarding its prevalence, awareness, treatment, and control. Thus, the aim of the present study was to determine the prevalence, awareness, treatment, and control of HTN and its association with socio-economic, nutritional, and lifestyle habits in urban and rural Andean communities of Pichincha province in Ecuador. The authors studied 2020 individuals aged 35-70 years (mean age 50.8 years, 72% women), included in the Ecuadorian cohort of the Prospective Urban and Rural Epidemiology (PURE) study, from February to December 2018. The hypertension prevalence (\'140/90 mmHg) was 27% and was greater in urban than in rural communities, more common in men, in individuals older than 50 years of age, in people with low monthly income and low level of education. Higher prevalence was also observed in subjects with obesity, and among former smokers and those who consumed alcohol. Only 49% of those with HTN were aware of their condition, 40% were using antihypertensive medications, and 19% had their blood pressure under control (\'140/90 mmHg). These results showed low levels of awareness, treatment, and control of HTN in the Andean region of Ecuador, suggesting the urgent necessity of implementing programs to improve the diagnosis and management of HTN.

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Journal of Clinical Hypertension

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Comparative gastroprotective activity of Malva pseudolavatera webb & Berthel and Malva sylvestris L. Grown in Ecuador

Species of the genus Malva (Malva pseudolavatera and Malva sylvestris), introduced in Ecuador, are widely used traditionally. However, unlike the species M. sylvestris, for M. pseudolavatera there is no information on its composition and properties. The species were collected in the province of Chimborazo Ecuador. Aqueous decoction extracts were made which were lyophilized to obtain dry extracts. Gastroprotective activity was studied in two models of ulcers induced by ethanol and NSAIDs (ASA). Male mice with average weights of 30 ± 2 g were used, which were divided into 13 groups of 5 mice, for each of the models. The treatments of aqueous extracts of M. pseudolavatera and M. sylvestris were administered orally, for seven days, in doses of 1000, 500, 250, 125 and 75 mg / Kg of mouse weight respectively. The degree of gastric protection was compared between the two species studied and it was evidenced that at the dose of 1000 mg / kg, M. pseudolavatera presented greater gastric protection than M. sylvestris, which was met at lower doses for the two models used. The inhibition percentages of gastric ulcers showed that the positive control treated with Sucralfate reached 87.5% inhibition, while the groups treated with the extracts of M. pseudolavatera and M. sylvestris at doses of 1000 mg / Kg reached 77 and 72%. inhibition respectively in the induction model alcohol and 84 and 78% inhibition respectively in the induction model NSAID.

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Pharmacologyonline