Evaluation of VEGF gene polymorphisms and proliferative diabetic retinopathy in Mexican population

AIM： To assess if the included vascular endothelial growth factor （VEGF） polymorphisms rs3025035, rs3025021 and rs2010963 are associated to proliferative retinopathy in a Mexican population with type 2 diabetes mellitus （T2DM）. METHODS： A case-control study was conducted in adult individuals with T2DM associated to proliferative retinopathy or non-proliferative retinopathy from Oct. 2014 to Jun. 2015 from the Retina Department of the Asociation to Prevent Blindness in Mexico. The selected patients were adults with a diagnosis of T2DM ≥5y. All subjects had a comprehensive ocular examination and the classification of the retinopathy severity was made considering the Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Study （ETDRS） standardization protocols. Genomic DNA was extracted from whole fresh blood. All samples were genotyped by qPCR for selected VEGF polymorphisms. Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium was calculated by comparing Chi-square values between the expected and the observed values for genotype counts.RESULTS： In total 142 individuals were enrolled, 71 individuals with T2DM and associated proliferative retinopathy and 71 individuals with non-proliferative retinopathy. One-sided Fisher’s exact test was performed for rs3025021 [OR （95% CI）=0.44（0.08-2.2）; P=0.25] and rs2010963 [OR （95% CI）=0.63（0.25-1.6）; P=0.23]. The minor allelic frequencies obtained were 26% for rs3025021, 10% for rs3025035 and 61% for rs2010963. The pairwise linkage disequilibrium between the three SNP was assessed, and was as follows： rs3025021 vs rs3025035： D’=1.0, r2=0.1043, P≤0.0001; rs3025021 vs rs2010963： D’=0.442, r2=0.0446, P=0.149; rs3025035 vs rs2010963： D’=0.505, r2=0.0214, P=0.142.CONCLUSION： This is the first analysis involving VEGF polymorphisms and proliferative diabetic retinopathy in a Mexican population. A major finding of the present study is that none of the polymorphisms studied was significantly associated with proliferative retinopathy. Based on these results, we can infer that different populations have different associations for the same polymorphisms.

Assessment of Beauveria bassiana and Their Enzymatic Extracts against Metamasius spinolae and Cyclocephala lunulata in Laboratory

The application of enzymatic extracts and conidia of Beauveria bassiana in Metamasius spinolae and Cyclocephala lunulata was evaluated. The variables were mortality and time of death. In M. spinolae, mortality with extracts 29%, conidia 27% and the combination of both 31%, all had a time of death of four days. Although with different symptoms, used enzymatic extracts: contraction and softening of the joints;by conidia: mycelium in the joints;in the combination of conidia and enzymatic extracts: abundant aerial mycelium. In C. lunulata, 100% mortality in all treatments;Time of death: enzymatic extracts and extracts with conidia 1.2 days;conidia 2.8 days. Symptoms were different, enzymatic extracts: melanization and internal tissue lysis;enzymatic extract and conidia: mycelium emerged and melanization;conidia: mycelium emerged. Enzymatic extracts showed insecticidal activity in M. spinolae and C. lunulata. These results suggest the potential of enzymatic extracts as biocontrol agents to improve the use of entomopathogenic fungi.

Effectiveness of Gabions Dams on Sediment Retention： A Case Study

Illegal deforestation changes in land use and climate change have resulted in increased runoff and surface erosion from the upper areas of watersheds, affecting directly the lower lands where human settlements are common. Such is the case of Angangueo in the state ofMichoacam, Mexico, where in 2010 an unusual weather event caused substantial damage to infrastructure, and unfortunately human deaths. Against disasters, the government has carried out actions such as implementing infrastructure to alleviate flooding and mudslides. Gabions dams were used to control erosion and runoff, as they are considered environmentally friendly as compared to most of the constructed impermeable weirs. This study was carried out to evaluate the effectiveness of gabions dams in sediment retention in a small watershed East of Michoacan. Eight gabions dams and five masonry dams two years after of construction were studied. The results indicated that the gabions dams retained less gravel than masonry dams, more sand, but no significant differences were found for fine sediments. Regarding the efficiency of gabions dams, there were not identified relationships since the building volume and contribution area is different in each one of them.

Concurrence and Turnout Effect of Reforms on Electoral Processes in Mexico

Since the 1990s, the turnout in electoral processes has decreased, taking into account the Mexican context with its democratic transition, this decrease started after the 1994 federal election. The drop in turnout in federal elections had its lowest figure during the midterm elections of 2003, it picked up during the electoral process of 2009 and kept the same level of 2012. The change in the electoral turnout pattern for the federal elections in Mexico after 2009 can be explained as the combined effect of the electoral cycle and the concurrence between federal and local elections. Beginning from the hypothesis that there is a close link between institutions and contexts, the purpose of this study is to prove with the analysis of the electoral processes from 1997 to 2012, the effect of the electoral reforms--specifically the one in Article 116 of the Constitution in 2007-on turnout for federal elections of 2009 and 2012.

A Conceptualist Survey of Physical Theories

The main thesis intended in this paper consists in that scientific knowledge of the physical world entails a conceptualization of it in a certain mode which is relative to,and dependent on,the theory assumed or constructed.Physical theories embody conceptual systems that at once make possible and limit our conceptualization of how the world is and our cognitive access to what happens in it.From a conceptual holism(Brown,2007),we try to maintain that since we think of the world and understand what occurs in it by systems of concepts,they acquire major relevance to a philosophical stance about scientific knowledge.In a holistic sense,delimited,at least,by the system of concepts of a given theory,concepts have both a theoretical laden to scientific experience,according to the thesis of Hanson(1958),and an ontological laden to the world,which consists in that the statements that one can assert about the physical world,the entities,and systems that one can describe as well as the claims that one holds about the processes undergone by the physical systems are dependent on and relative to such conceptual system of such theory.Thus,the framework displayed here contrasts with the epistemological realist thesis in the sense that we cannot claim how the world is really but rather how we conceptualize it relative to our theory.In addition,we expose an epistemic concept of valid statement,relative to a theory,which becomes consistent and even complementary to the framework provided.

Shape Retrieval Using Fourier Descriptors Applied to Industrial Process

Nowadays, manufacturing processes are carried out at speeds that they themselves demand and subject to rigorous standards to maintain the quality of materials. An important step to define the quality of products in metalworking is the casting process, which principal focus is seeking control and monitoring of properties of materials. Nevertheless, it is not easy due to the high temperatures and gas produced in the vessel. Although some researchers have been attempting to solve these problems, it is difficult to carry out due to hard conditions. This article proposes the analysis of the surface of the liquid metal, that is, the slag on the surface, which is considered as connected spaces characterized by the topology of their discrete surface. These spaces are described through Fast Fourier Transform, associating changes of intensities to the frequency domain and obtaining main features of these frequencies, these features are used to define an enveloping shape that represents the liquid metal. Finally, the results obtained are presented, which, according to them shows that it is possible to characterize the slag, and by which it is possible to spatially locate the molten metal liquid in the refractory. Therefore, this research serves as the basis for the development of new algorithms for level detection and measurement, preventing overflows and damage to refractories.

Sexual Attitudes among College Students: An Approach in Mexico

Objective: To develop a predictive model for HIV/AIDS in the sexual behavior of university students from a public university in the state of Guanajuato. Methodology: Correlational study involved 294 university students from 18 to 19 years of age by stratified random sampling. The instruments used were: attitudes, subjective norms, self-efficacy and intentions for HIV/AIDS and sexual behavior. Descriptive statistics, normality test of Kolmogorov-Smirnov test, Spearman correlation and logistic regression was used. Results: In describing sexual behavior of young students at the beginning of sexual life is observed that 61.9% of them have had sexual life, with higher per- centage in men. Of the 182 university students who reported first sexual intercourse used a contraceptive method 138 and 135 specifically used a condom the first time they had sex. The variables that have the ability to predict the sex drive at the start of sexual life, are the attitudes and perceived behavioral control (X2 = 39,638, df = 4, p < 0.000), reporting a 12.6% of explained variance. Conclusions: In general, university students today are perceived as vulnerable to sexual behavior and have safe sex, which leads us to think that protect not get HIV/AIDS and unwanted pregnancies.