Background: Early wheezing and asthma are relevant health problems in the tropics. Mite sensitization is an important risk factor, but the roles of others, inherent in poverty, are unknown. We designed a birth-cohort study in Cartagena (Colombia) to investigate genetic and environmental risk factors for asthma and atopy, considering as particular features perennial exposure to mites, parasite infections and poor living conditions. Methods: Pregnant women representative of the low-income suburbs of the city were randomly screened for eligibility at delivery; 326 mother-infant pairs were included at baseline and biological samples were collected from birth to 24 months for immunological testing, molecular genetics and gene expression analysis. Pre and post-natal information was collected using questionnaires.

BackgroundAsthma is a common chronic disease worldwide and Ascaris lumbricoides infection (ascariasis) is frequent in tropical regions. However, the effect of ascariasis on asthma severity has not been sufficiently explored. We sought to evaluate the influence of the IgE immune response to Ascaris extract and purified house dust mites (HDM) and Ascaris allergens on indicators of asthma severity in patients living in the tropics.MethodsAsthmatic patients from Cartagena, Colombia were recruited. Clinical assessment included questionnaires, physical examination, allergy skin tests, spirometry, parasite stool examination and IgE antibody measurements. Asthma was diagnosed by a physician according to validated criteria. Indicators of severity were occurrence of severe dyspnea episodes, night awakenings events, > 4 emergency room (ER) visits and hospitalizations during the last year. Specific IgE to Der p 2, Ascaris spp., Blomia tropicalis and Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus extracts was determined by ImmunoCap. IgE to tropomyosins (Asc l 3, Blo t 10 and Der p 10), Blo t 5 and Asc s 1 was detected by ELISA. Logistic regression analyses were used to explore the relationships between sensitization and indicators of asthma severity.ResultsAfter adjustment for HDM sensitization, Ascaris sensitization remained associated with severe dyspnea (aOR: 1.90, 95% CI: 1.08 - 3.34, p = 0.03) and > 4 ER visits (aOR: 2.23, 95% CI: 1.15 - 4.30, p = 0.02). We also found that sensitization to the species specific markers Blo t 5 and Asc s 1, as well as the cross-reactive tropomyosins of D. pteronyssinus and Ascaris were associated with > 4 ER visits. Der p 2 sensitization was associated with bronchodilator responsiveness (aOR: 2.24: 1.25-4.02, p = 0.01). Remarkably, significantly higher IgE levels to HDM species specific allergens were found in Ascaris sensitized patients.ConclusionsIn this tropical population, IgE sensitization to Ascaris and the cross-reactive tropomyosins was frequent and associated with clinical indicators of asthma severity. The significant relationship between sensitization to the nematode-specific marker Asc s 1 and ER attendance supports these findings. Moreover, ascariasis increases the human IgE responses to HDM specific allergens.

The aim of this study was to establish the criteria for methodology of cellular “anti-IGF-I” therapy of malignant tumours and particularly for glioblastoma multiforme. The treatment of primary glioblastoma patients using surgery, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy was followed by subcutaneous injection of autologous cancer cells transfected by IGF-I antisense/triple helix expression vectors. The prepared cell “vaccines” should it be in the case of glioblastomas or other tumours, have shown a change of phenotype, the absence of IGF-I protein, and expression of MHC-I and B7. The peripheral blood lymphocytes, PBL cells, removed after each of two successive vaccinations, have demonstrated for all the types of tumour tested an increasing level of CD8+and CD8+28+molecules and a switch from CD8+11b+to CD8+11. All cancer patients were supervised for up to 19 months, the period corresponding to minimum survival of glioblastoma patients. The obtained results have permitted to specify the common criteria for “anti-IGF-I” strategy: characteristics sine qua non of injected “vaccines” (cloned cells IGF-I(−) and MHC-I(+)) and of PBL cells (CD8+increased level).

OBJECTIVE: Gestational Anaemia (GA) is common in developing countries. This study assessed the relationship of late GA and negative perinatal outcomes in participants recruited in a reference maternity unit of the Caribbean region of Colombia. DESIGN: Prospective analytical birth cohort study. Maternal haemoglobin and serum ferritin (SF) levels were measured. GA was defined as haemoglobin levels <11 g/dL, SF depletion as SF levels <12 ng/mL. Birth outcomes such as low birth weight (LBW), preterm birth (PB) and small for gestational age (SGA) were examined. SETTING: Mothers in the first stage of labour, living in urban or rural areas of Bolívar, were enrolled in an obstetrical centre located in Cartagena, Colombia. Blood and stool samples were taken prior delivery. Maternal blood count, SF levels and infant anthropometric data were recorded for analysis. PARTICIPANTS: 1,218 pregnant women aged 18 - 42 years-old and their newborns. RESULTS: Prevalence of GA and SF depletion was 41.6% and 41.1%, respectively. GA was positively associated with poverty-related sociodemographic conditions. Prenatal care attendance lowered the risk of PB, LBW and SGA. Birth weight was inversely associated with haemoglobin levels, observing a -36.8 g decrease in newborn weight per 1 g/dl of maternal haemoglobin. SF depletion, but not anaemia was associated with PB. Small for gestational age (SGA) outcome showed a significant association with anaemia, but not a significant relationship with SF depletion. CONCLUSION: Birth weight and other-related perinatal outcomes are negatively associated to haemoglobin and SF depletion. Prenatal care attendance reduced the risk of negative birth outcomes.

Abstract:The next future using machine tools will be dominated by highly flexible and interconnected systems, in order to achieve the required productivity, accuracy and reliability. Nowadays, distortion and vibration problems are easily solved for the most common cases by sing models based on equations describing the physical laws dominating the machining process; however additional efforts are needed to overcome the gap between scientific research and the real manufacturing problems. In fact, there is an increasing interest in developing simulation packages based on "deep knowledge and models" that aid the machine designer, the production engineer, or machinists to get the best of their machines. This article proposes a systematic methodology to reduce problems in machining by means of a simulation utility, which recognizes, collects and uses the main variables of the system/process as input data, and generates objective results that help in the proper decision-making. Direct benefits by such an application are found in a) the fixture/clamping optimal design, b) the machine tool configuration, c) the definition of chatter free optimum cutting conditions and the right programming of cutting tool path at the Computer Aided Manufacturing (CAM) stage. The information and knowledge-based approach showed successful results in several local manufacturing companies.