Abstract Objectives: low vitamin D during pregnancy is common and could adversely affect health outcomes. This study evaluated vitamin D status during pregnancy and early in life, and its association with glucose metabolism. Methods: maternal serum 25(OH)D, glucose, and insulin levels were measured longitudinally during pregnancy in Hispanic women with overweight/obesity (n = 31) and their infants at birth and 4 months. Results: insulin and HOMA-IR levels were higher among women with vitamin D below adequate levels compared to those with adequate levels in pregnancy (p < 0.05). Late in pregnancy, as vitamin D increased by one unit (ng/mL), insulin decreased by 0.44 units and HOMA-IR by 0.09 units. Maternal vitamin D late in pregnancy was correlated with infant vitamin D levels at birth (r = 0.89; p < 0.01) and 4 months (r = 0.9; p = 0.04), and with glucose (r = 0.79; p = 0.03) and insulin (r = 0.83; p = 0.04) at 4 months. Conclusion: maternal vitamin D status was associated with maternal and infant glucose metabolism in this sample.

Resumen Objetivos: un bajo nivel de vitamina D durante el embarazo es común y puede tener consecuencias adversas en la salud. Este estudio evaluó el nivel de vitamina D en mujeres embarazadas y sus bebés, así como su asociación con los marcadores de glucosa. Métodos: los niveles séricos de 25(OH)D, glucosa e insulina se midieron longitudinalmente en mujeres embarazadas hispanoamericanas con sobrepeso/obesidad (n = 31) y en sus bebés, desde el nacimiento hasta los 4 meses de edad, en Puerto Rico. Resultados: los niveles maternos de insulina y HOMA-IR eran mayores en las mujeres con niveles de vitamina D por debajo de lo considerado adecuado, comparado con aquellas con niveles adecuados durante todo el embarazo (p < 0,05). Al final del embarazo, a medida que los niveles de vitamina D aumentaron, por cada unidad (ng/mL) de aumento, la insulina disminuyo en 0,44 unidades y el HOMA-IR en 0,09 unidades. El nivel de vitamina D al final del embarazo se correlacionó con los niveles del bebé al nacer (r = 0,89; p < 0,01) y a los 4 meses (r = 0,9; p = 0,04), y con los niveles de glucosa (r = 0,79; p = 0,03) e insulina (r = 0,83; p = 0,04) a los 4 meses. Conclusión: el nivel materno de vitamina D se asoció con los marcadores maternos e infantiles de glucosa en esta muestra.

Exhaust emissions from diesel vehicles have recently been receiving global attention, due to potential human health effects associated with exposure to emitted pollutants. In addition, a link has recently been established between unburnt hydrocarbon (HC) emissions from diesel engines and photochemical smog. Despite being present at very low concentrations in the exhaust, these HCs may act as precursors in the formation of photochemical smog pollution. While short-chain HCs are easier to characterise and have been successfully reduced in many developed cities, longer chain HCs, most likely arising from diesel exhaust emissions, have been poorly quantified to date, and a limited range of HCs from this source has been studied. In this study, transient cycle tests were conducted to collect exhaust emissions from a Euro 3 compliant, 1.6 L test engine fuelled with three diesel fuels; a highly paraffinic fuel, a South African market fuel and a European reference fuel. Portable denuder samplers were used to collect the emissions and analysis was done by thermal desorption-comprehensive 2D gas chromatography-time of flight mass spectrometry (TD-GC x GC-TofMS). The South African market diesel had the greatest n-alkane emissions, with greater emissions observed in the earlier phases (low and medium phase) of the WLTC test cycle. The total n-alkane emissions for this fuel ranged from 34.80 mg/km - 282.67 mg/km from the low to the extra-high phase. The paraffinic diesel had the second highest n-alkane emissions with the total emissions ranging from 35.43 mg/km - 164.99 mg/km. The European reference diesel had the lowest n-alkane emissions amongst the three fuels, with the total emissions ranging from 22.46 mg/km - 82.56 mg/km. Substituted alkyl-benzenes were also detected in the gas phase emissions from each fuel, however only semi-quantitative analysis of these compounds was conducted. The results showed that long-chain HCs were present at easily detectable concentrations in diesel engine exhaust emissions, which is critical in understanding their contribution to photochemical ozone and informing appropriate mitigation and management strategies.

Abstract This essay reflects upon the challenges that arise from understanding the rule of law as a form of life. To that end, it explores the importance of understanding the comparison between constitutional orders not as a technical comparison between public law structures and procedures, but as different variations on a perennial theme within Western legal culture: the antinomy between reason and will.

Este ensayo reflexiona acerca de los desafíos de comprender el estado de derecho como una forma de vida. Para ello aborda la importancia de entender la comparación entre ordenamientos constitucionales no como una comparación técnica entre estructuras y procedimientos de derecho público, sino como distintas variaciones de un tema perenne en la cultura jurídica occidental: la antinomia entre razón y voluntad.

INTRODUÇÃO: este estudo in vivo avaliou a precisão e a confiabilidade de medições do comprimento dentário realizadas em radiografias panorâmicas convencionais e em reconstruções panorâmicas de tomografias computadorizadas de feixe cônico (TCFC), comparando-as com medições feitas com um paquímetro digital, consideradas o padrão-ouro. MÉTODOS: a amostra incluiu indivíduos que já tivessem realizado tanto exames imaginológicos de TCFC quanto radiografias panorâmicas, e cujo tratamento ortodôntico exigisse a extração de pré-molar superior. No total, 48 dentes extraídos, de 26 pacientes, foram mensurados diretamente com paquímetros digitais. As radiografias foram escaneadas e digitalmente avaliadas com a ajuda do software Dolphin 3D. Por meio da análise de variância simples com correção de Bonferroni e Coeficiente de Correlação Intraclasse simples, comparou-se a precisão das medições de comprimento dentário realizadas em reconstruções panorâmicas de TCFC, em radiografias panorâmicas convencionais e com paquímetro digital. RESULTADOS: medições repetidas de comprimento dentário feitas com o paquímetro digital, radiografias panorâmicas e reconstruções panorâmicas de TCFC foram todas consideradas, individualmente, altamente confiáveis. Em comparação ao paquímetro, as medidas obtidas por meio de radiografias panorâmicas convencionais foram, em média, 6,3 ± 2,0mm mais longas, enquanto as medidas obtidas por meio das reconstruções panorâmicas de TCFC foram, em média, 1,7 ± 1,2mm mais curtas. CONCLUSÕES: em comparação com o real comprimento dentário, as radiografias panorâmicas convencionais foram relativamente imprecisas e superestimaram o comprimento em 29%; já as reconstruções panorâmicas de TCFC subestimaram o comprimento em 4%.

INTRODUCTION: This in vivo study assessed accuracy and reliability of tooth length measurements obtained from conventional panoramic radiographs and CBCT panoramic reconstructions to that of a digital caliper (gold standard). METHODS: The sample consisted of subjects who had CBCT and conventional panoramic radiographic imaging and who required maxillary premolar extraction for routine orthodontic treatment. A total of 48 teeth extracted from 26 subjects were measured directly with digital calipers. Radiographic images were scanned and digitally measured in Dolphin 3D software. Accuracy of tooth length measurements made by CBCT panoramic reconstructions, conventional panoramic radiographs and digital caliper (gold standard) were compared to each other by repeated measures one-way ANOVA with Bonferroni correction and by single measures intraclass correlation coefficient. RESULTS: Repeated root length measures with digital calipers, panoramic radiographs and CBCT constructed panoramic-like images were all individually highly reliable. Compared to the caliper (gold standard), tooth measurements obtained from conventional panoramic radiographs were on average 6.3 mm (SD = 2.0 mm) longer, while tooth measurements from CBCT panoramic reconstructions were an average of 1.7 mm (SD = 1.2 mm) shorter. CONCLUSIONS: In comparison to actual tooth lengths, conventional panoramic radiographs were relatively inaccurate, overestimating the lengths by 29%, while CBCT panoramic reconstructions underestimated the lengths by 4%.

Background: Known causes of unsuccessful pregnancy in couples undergoing assisted reproduction treatment include embryo aneuploidies. Preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) is a technique used in assisted reproduction in order to detect these abnormalities, select embryos chromosomally normal and subsequently transfer to the patients’ uterus. Embryos with single aneuploidies may have the ability to survive and achieve unnoticed implantation. Objectives: To determine incidence of single aneuploidies in good quality embryos in third day of development to blastocyst. Design: Statistical and experimental study. Setting: Reprogenetics Latin-America and Assisted Reproduction Center - Concebir. Biologic material: Samples of embryo biopsies. Methods: Comparative analysis of results from evaluation of each sample obtained by embryo biopsy on the third and fifth days of embryonic development, performing PGD by respectively in situ hybridization (FISH) and comparative genomics (aCGH). Results: On third day of embryonic development 62.9% of embryos with single monosomy had 8-cell morphology. Though when evaluated by aCGH in the blastocyst stage 42.3% were abnormal and 37.5% of these belonged to the 8-cell stage. Single monosomies index in the blastocyst stage was 57.9% in 84.2% of single aneuploidies. Conclusions: Eight-cell embryos on the third day of embryonic development are most likely to reach blastocyst stage and have single aneuploidies.

Introducción: De las causas más conocidas en cuanto a la falta del éxito en el embarazo con tratamientos de reproducción asistida son aquellas relacionadas a las aneuploidías cromosómicas presentes en los embriones. El diagnóstico genético preimplantacional (PGD) es una técnica empleada en reproducción asistida para detectar estas anomalías, seleccionando aquellos que sean cromosómicamente normales, para luego transferirlos al útero de la paciente. Los embriones con aneuploidías únicas podrían tener la capacidad de sobrevivir y lograr la implantación, y por lo tanto, sin diagnóstico previo, estas podrían pasar desapercibidas. Objetivos: Determinar la incidencia de aneuploidías únicas en embriones de buena calidad embrionaria en el día 3 de desarrollo hasta blastocisto. Diseño: Estadístico y experimental. Instituciones: Reprogenetics Latinoamérica y Centro de Reproducción asistida, de la Clínica Concebir. Material Biológico: Muestras de biopsia embrionaria. Metodología: Análisis comparativo de resultados a partir de la evaluación de cada muestra obtenida por biopsia en el día tercero y día quinto de desarrollo embrionario, realizando el PGD por hibridación in situ (FISH) y genómica comparada (aCGH), respectivamente. Resultados: El 62,9% de embriones que presentaron monosomías únicas al tercer día de desarrollo embrionario resultaron ser de 8 células. Pero cuando se evaluó por aCGH en día cinco, 42,3% resultó anormal, y de estos 37,5% perteneció al estadio de 8 células. El índice de monosomías únicas en blastocisto resultó ser 57,9% de un total de 84,2% de aneuploidías únicas. Conclusiones: Los embriones de 8 células en el tercer día de desarrollo embrionario son los más probables de llegar al estadio de blastocisto, así como presentar aneuploidías únicas.

A pesar de que las instituciones democráticas en América Latina se han alternado frecuentemente con regímenes autoritarios, sus características básicas han persistido en los últimos 200 años. Muchas de estas características fundacionales ajustaron modelos usados en otros países a sus condiciones locales, lo que explica en parte su durabilidad. Desde comienzos del siglo XIX hasta finales del siglo XX, la mayoría de las instituciones políticas en Latinoamérica exhibieron constituciones inestables, usualmente con bajo nivel de aplicación, extremadamente centralistas, hiper-presidencialistas, con legislaturas débiles y sin capacidad proactiva, con poderes judiciales conservadoras e ineficaces, elecciones contestadas y partidos políticos efímeros. Las distintas facetas y defectos institucionales pueden explicar solamente algunas de las fallas iniciales y continuas de estas democracias.

Although Latin America’s democratic institutions have alternated frequently with authoritarian regimes, their basic features have persisted for two hundred years. Many of their foundational characteristics adjusted foreign models to local conditions, which partly accounts for their durability. From the early 1800s to the early 2000s, most Latin American political institutions exhibited unstable and often unenforceable constitutions, extreme centralism, hyperpresidentialism, lackluster legislatures, conservative and ineffective judiciaries, contentious elections, and ephemeral political parties. Institutional facets and defects can explain some important initial and continuing shortcomings of these democracies.

The Chiapanecan Volcanic Arc (CVA), located in the central portion of the State of Chiapas, is a 150 km long chain of volcanic structures aligned in a NW-SE direction. The central part of the CVA is composed of an irregular northeast-trending alignment of more than 10 volcanic structures, generally centered along NNW-SSE trending faults splayed from the Motagua-Polochic Fault System. Among these structures are seven volcanic domes (Huitepec, Amahuitz, La Iglesia, Mispía, La Lanza, Venustiano Carranza, and Santotón), one explosion crater (Navenchauc), one collapse structure (Apas), and one dome complex (Tzontehuitz). In this work, we report thirteen new 40Ar/39Ar ages of rocks from seven domes that increase the available geochronometric data on Quaternary volcanic activity in the central part of Chiapanecan Volcanic Arc. From the new and previous data, we identified the Tzontehuitz Dome Complex as the oldest volcanic center in the CVA, yielding an age of 2.1 Ma, and the Venustiano Carranza Volcanic Dome as exhibiting the most recent activity in the zone, with an age of 0.225 Ma.

El Arco Volcánico Chiapaneco (AVC; CVA = siglas en inglés) se localiza en la porción central del estado de Chiapas, es una cadena de estructuras volcánicas alineadas en dirección NO-SE de aproximadamente 150 km de longitud. En su parte central el AVC está compuesto de al menos 10 estructuras volcánicas alineadas al Noreste y concentradas en fallas con rumbo NNO-SSE asociadas al Sistema de Fallas Motagua-Polochic. Las estructuras son siete Domos Volcánicos (Huitepec, Amahuitz, La Iglesia, Mispía, La Lanza, Venustiano Carranza y Santotón), un Cráter de Explosión (Navenchauc), una Estructura de Colapso (Apas), y un Complejo de Domos Volcánico (Tzontehuitz). En este trabajo, reportamos 13 nuevas edades 40Ar/39Ar de rocas de los siete domos que incrementan las dataciones disponibles para la actividad volcánica durante el Cuaternario, en la parte central del Arco Volcánico Chiapaneco. Con las nuevas dataciones y las reportadas en bibliografía se tiene al Complejo de Domos Tzontehuitz como la estructura más antigua 2.1 Ma y al Domo Volcánico Venustiano Carranza como el de actividad más reciente de 0.225 Ma.

Abstract This article offers a history during the last thirty years of the weakening of the labor movement in Chile, in its economic role, its institutional position, and its political power. This study examines that movement's trajectory before, during, and after the military government of Augusto Pinochet. This essay analyzes its current difficulties in comparison with the similar situation in many other countries. The question is asked whether the military coup of 1973 was necessary to create the negative condition of trade unionism today. The conclusion is that the evolution of the economy is the most important factor that explains the existing problems of unions. Consequently, the future of the workers' movement does not appear auspicious in this moment.

Resumen Este artículo ofrece la historia del debilitamiento del movimiento obrero en Chile en los últimos treinta años, en su rol económico, en su posición institucional, y en su poder político. Examina su trayectoria antes, durante, y después del gobierno militar de Augusto Pinochet. Analiza sus dificultades actuales estableciendo una comparación con la realidad similar por la que atraviesan muchos otros países. Pregunta si el golpe de 1973 fue la causa necesaria para generar la condición negativa que vive hoy el sindicalismo. Tras el análisis, concluye que el factor más importante para explicar los problemas actuales de los sindicatos es la evolución económica y por eso el futuro del movimiento de los trabajadores no parece auspicioso en este momento.

Evolutionary theory may contribute to practical solutions for control of disease by identifying interventions that may cause pathogens to evolve to reduced virulence. Theory predicts, for example, that pathogens transmitted by water or arthropod vectors should evolve to relatively high levels of virulence because such pathogens can gain the evolutionary benefits of relatively high levels of host exploitation while paying little price from host illness. The entrance of Vibrio cholerae into South America in 1991 has generated a natural experiment that allows testing of this idea by determining whether geographic and temporal variations in toxigenicity correspond to variation in the potential for waterborne transmission. Preliminary studies show such correspondences: toxigenicity is negatively associated with access to uncontaminated water in Brazil; and in Chile, where the potential for waterborne transmission is particularly low, toxigenicity of strains declined between 1991 and 1998. In theory vector-proofing of houses should be similarly associated with benignity of vectorborne pathogens, such as the agents of dengue, malaria, and Chagas' disease. These preliminary studies draw attention to the need for definitive prospective experiments to determine whether interventions such as provisioning of uncontaminated water and vector-proofing of houses cause evolutionary reductions in virulence

We have investigated the effects of L-arginine, D-arginine and L-lysine on airway smooth muscle responsiveness to spasmogens in vitro. Both L-arginine and D-arginine (100 mM) significantly reduced the contractile potency and maximal contractile response to histamine but not to methacholine or potassium chloride in guinea-pig epithelium-denuded isolated trachea. Similarly, the contractile response to histamine was significantly reduced by L-arginine (100 mM) in rabbit epithelium-denuded isolated bronchus. The amino acid L-lysine (100 mM) failed to significantly alter the contractile potency of histamine in guinea-pig isolated trachea (P>0.05). In guinea-pig isolated trachea precontracted with histamine, both L-arginine and D-arginine produced a concentration-dependent relaxation which was not significantly altered by epithelium removal or by the presence of the nitric oxide synthase inhibitor, NG-nitro L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME; 50 µM). Thus, at very high concentrations, arginine exhibit a non-competitive antagonism of histamine-induced contraction of isolated airway preparations that was independent of the generation of nitric oxide and was not dependent on charge. These observations confirm previous studies of cutaneous permeability responses and of contractile responses of guinea-pig isolated ileal smooth muscle. Taken together, the data suggest that high concentrations of arginine can exert an anti-histamine effect.