Germán Alberto Nolasco-Rosales

La cefalometría es un auxiliar diagnóstico esencial en ortodoncia, donde coexisten instrumentos de medición análogos y digitales. El objetivo de este estudio fue comparar las mediciones lineales obtenidas con una regla análoga (TD Orthodontics) y con el software de trazado cefalométrico NemoCeph® en radiografías laterales de cráneo de pacientes de ortodoncia. Se realizó un estudio cuantitativo, observacional, comparativo y transversal en 60 radiografías laterales de cráneo de pacientes de 20 a 40 años atendidos en las Clínicas de Especialidades Odontológicas de la Universidad Juárez Autónoma de Tabasco. Un solo operador midió la altura facial posterior (S-Go) y la altura facial anterior (N-Me) con ambos instrumentos. Se aplicaron las pruebas t de Student para muestras relacionadas y de Wilcoxon, el coeficiente de correlación intraclase (CCI) y el análisis de Bland-Altman. NemoCeph® registró valores en promedio 0.6 a 0.7 mm mayores (p = 0.019 y p = 0.022) y la concordancia fue buena a excelente (CCI = 0.940 y 0.926); sin embargo, los límites de acuerdo de Bland-Altman alcanzaron aproximadamente ±4 mm. Se concluye que ambos instrumentos son equivalentes en promedio, pero no deben alternarse en un mismo paciente.

Medicinal plants are being investigated as a source of compounds with biological activities related to diabetes. The antidiabetic properties of the plant Carica papaya have been reported in experimental models. This study aimed to evaluate the phytochemical composition, antioxidant activity, and inhibitory activity of extracts from C. papaya leaves against α-glucosidase and pancreatic lipase. Plant material was collected in Tabasco, Mexico, and extracted by sequential maceration with solvents of increasing polarity: hexane, dichloromethane, methanol, and methanol:water. The extracts were fractionated by column chromatography, and the most active fractions were selected for further purification. The phytochemical identification of the active compounds was performed, and their structures were elucidated using spectroscopic and spectrometric techniques. The methanolic extract, rich in phenols and flavonoids, showed the highest antioxidant capacity (DPPH: 8.99 mmol TE/g; ABTS: 35.94 mmol RE/g; FRAP: 48.62 mmol Fe²⁺/g). The hydroalcoholic extract exhibited α-glucosidase inhibitory activity (38.44%), and bioassay-guided fractionation led to the identification of clitorin. The dichloromethane extract showed pancreatic lipase inhibition (52.2%), and the most active fraction contained loliolide. These findings demonstrate that C. papaya leaves contain bioactive compounds with antioxidants and digestive enzyme inhibitory activities, suggesting they could be candidates for further research in the management of diabetes.

Studies on Carica papaya have focused on addressing challenges in cultivation, postharvest management, and its medicinal properties. Given the extensive volume of information produced, a quantitative analysis is required to clarify the intellectual framework of C. papaya research. This study aims to delineate the scientific landscape of C. papaya, identify research trends in agriculture and food science, and analyze correlations between secondary metabolites and bioactivities using bibliometric analysis. Our analysis examined 6546 documents from 1737 journals, consisting of 6076 articles, 379 reviews, and 91 conference papers. The United States, India, Brazil, and China lead scientific production and maintain robust international partnerships. The main research domains were applied sciences (40.9%), analytical studies (36.6%), and experimental research (16.9%), with topics including postharvest quality, disease resistance, genomic sequencing, and biological activities. A co-occurrence analysis revealed an association between polar leaf extracts and phenolic and flavonoid compounds, which are linked to antioxidant, anticancer, and antimicrobial activities. Furthermore, antioxidant activity was the most frequent finding (945 articles). In conclusion, scientific knowledge of C. papaya primarily comprises studies on the plant genome, crop diseases, and bioactive compounds. Research highlights the plant as a valuable resource for sustainable agriculture, specifically its leaves as a source of novel phytopharmaceuticals.

Studies on Carica papaya have focused on solving challenges related to its cultivation, postharvest management, and medicinal properties. Given the extensive volume of information produced, a quantitative analysis is required to delineate the intellectual framework and development of C. papaya research. This study presents the first comprehensive bibliometric analysis of 45 years of scientific research on C. papaya. Our analysis examined 6,544 documents from 1,737 journals, consisting of 6,076 articles, 379 reviews, and 91 conference papers. The United States, India, Brazil, and China lead scientific production, maintaining robust international partnerships. The main research domains were applied sciences (40.9%), analytical studies (36.6%), and experimental research (16.9%), with topics including postharvest quality, disease resistance, genomic sequencing, and the biological activities of secondary metabolites. A co-occurrence analysis revealed an association between polar leaf extracts and phenolic and flavonoid compounds, which are linked to antioxidant, anticancer, and antimicrobial properties. Furthermore, antioxidant activity was the most frequent finding (945 articles). In conclusion, scientific knowledge of C. papaya primarily comprises studies on the plant genome, crop diseases, and bioactive compounds. Research highlights the plant as a valuable resource for sustainable agriculture and, specifically, its leaves as a source of novel phytopharmaceuticals.

Background: Psychosis is one of the leading causes of disability worldwide. Individuals with early-onset psychosis (EOP) tend to experience a worse prognosis and shorter life expectancy. The etiology of EOP remains unclear, but epigenetic mechanisms are known to serve as the interface between environmental exposures and biological processes to better understand its etiology. Objectives: We characterized the sociodemographic and clinical characteristics, as well as genome-wide epigenetic markers, in Mexican patients with EOP. Methods: We estimated epigenetic age, performed an epigenome-wide association study, and finally developed an epigenetic risk score (MRS) to predict manifestations of psychosis. Results: We found that patients with EOP have a higher epigenetic age using Wu’s clock (p = 0.015). Moreover, accelerated epigenetic age was correlated with chronological age (PedBE clock, p = 0.046), global functioning (Wu’s clock, p = 0.027), and psychiatric admissions (DNAmTL, p = 0.038). In addition, we observed that a reduction in years of schooling is associated with an increase on epigenetic age (Levine’s clock, β = 5.07, p = 0.001). In our epigenome-wide association study, we identified eight CpGs associated with EOP. Noteworthy, a psychosis-methylation risk score (EOP-MRS) was associated with panic disorder (β = 1.36, p = 0.03), as well as auditory (β = 1.28, p = 0.04) and visual (β = 1.22, p = 0.04) hallucinations. Conclusions: Years of education have an impact on epigenetic age. Additionally, our study suggests associations of DNA methylation with EOP. Finally, we developed an MRS that associates clinical manifestations of psychosis.

Psychosis is one of the leading causes of disability worldwide. Individuals with an early onset, known as early-onset psychosis (EOP), tend to experience a worse prognosis and shorter life expectancy. The etiology of EOP remains unclear, but hypotheses suggest that both environmental and biological factors interact in its development. Epigenetic mechanisms are known to serve as the interface between environmental exposures and biological processes, emerging as potential tools to better understand the etiology of EOP. We characterized the sociodemographic and clinical characteristics, as well as genome-wide epigenetic markers, in Mexican patients with EOP. We found that patients with EOP have a higher epigenetic age using Wu`s clock (p=0.015). In addition, we observed that a reduction in years of schooling is associated with an increase in epigenetic age (Levine clock, =5.07, p=0.001). In our epigenome-wide association study, we identified eight CpGs associated with EOP. Noteworthy, a psychosis-methylation risk score (EOP-MRS) was associated with panic disorder (=1.36, p=0.03), as well as auditory (=1.28, p=0.04) and visual (=1.22, p=0.04) hallucinations. In conclusion, years of education have an impact in epigenetic age. Additionally, our study suggests associations of DNA methylation with EOP. Finally, we developed an MRS that associates clinical manifestations of psychosis.

Background/Objectives: Emerging evidence suggests that patients suffering from COVID-19 may experience neurocognitive symptoms. Furthermore, other studies indicate a probable association between leukocyte telomere length (LTL) and neurocognitive changes in subjects with post-COVID-19 condition. Our study was designed to determine the correlation between telomere length and cognitive changes in post-COVID-19 subjects. Methods: This study included 256 subjects, categorized based on SARS-CoV-2 infection from 2020 to 2023. In addition, subjects with a psychiatric diagnosis were considered. Moreover, the MoCA and MMSE scales were applied. Telomere length was determined using a polymerase chain reaction, and statistical analysis was employed using ANOVA and X² tests. Results: We identified a decrease in LTL in individuals with post-COVID-19 conditions compared to those without SARS-CoV-2 infection (p ≤ 0.05). However, no association was found between LTL and cognitive impairment in the subjects post-COVID-19. Conclusions: The findings suggest that LTL is affected by SARS-CoV-2 infection. Nonetheless, this important finding requires further research by monitoring neurological changes in subjects with post-COVID condition.

Latent autoimmune diabetes in adults (LADA) is characterized by the presence of glutamate decarboxylase autoantibodies (GADA). LADA has intermediate features between type 1 diabetes and type 2 diabetes. In addition, genetic risk factors for both types of diabetes are present in LADA. Nonetheless, evidence about the genetics of LADA in non-European populations is scarce. This study aims to perform a genome-wide association study with a phenome-wide association study of LADA in a southeastern Mexican population. We included 59 patients diagnosed with LADA from a previous study and 3121 individuals without diabetes from the MxGDAR/ENCODAT database. We utilized the GENESIS package in R to perform the genome-wide association study (GWAS) of LADA and PLINK for the phenome-wide association study (PheWAS) of LADA features. Nine polymorphisms reach the nominal association level (1 × 10⁻⁵) in the GWAS. The PheWAS showed that rs7305229 is genome-wide and associated with serum GADA levels in our sample (p = 1.84 × 10⁻⁸). rs7305229 is located downstream of the FAIM2 gene; previous reports associate FAIM2 variants with childhood obesity, body mass index, body adiposity measures, lymphocyte CD8+ activity, and anti-thyroid peroxidase antibodies. Our findings reveal that rs7305229 affects the GADA levels in patients with LADA from southeastern Mexico. More studies are needed to determine if this risk genotype exists in other populations with LADA.

Emerging evidence suggests that patients suffering from COVID-19 may experience neurocognitive symptoms. Besides, other studies indicate a probable association between leukocyte telomere length (LTL) and neurocognitive changes in subjects with post-COVID-19 condition. Our study was designed to determine the correlation between telomere length and cognitive changes in subjects post-COVID-19. The study included 256 subjects, categorized based on SARS-CoV-2 infection from 2020 to 2023. On the other hand, those subjects who have a psychiatric diagnosis are considered. Besides, the MoCA and MMSE scales were applied. Telomere length was determined using a Polymerase Chain Reaction, and statistical analysis was employed ANOVA and X2 tests. We identified a decrease in LTL in individuals with post-COVID-19 conditions compared to those without SARS-CoV-2 infection (p≤0.05). However, no association was found between LTL and cognitive impairment in subjects post-COVID-19. The findings suggest that LTL is affected by SARS-CoV-2 infection. Nonetheless, this important finding requires further research by monitoring neurological changes in subjects with post-COVID condition.

Latent autoimmune diabetes in adults (LADA) is characterized by the presence of glutamate de-carboxylase autoantibodies (GADA). LADA has intermediate features between type 1 diabetes and type 2 diabetes. In addition, genetic risk factors for both types of diabetes are present in LADA. Nonetheless, evidence about the genetics of LADA in non-European populations is scarce. This study aims to perform a genome-wide association study with a phenome-wide association study of LADA in a southeastern Mexican population. We included 59 patients diagnosed with LADA from a previous study and 3121 individuals without diabetes from the MxGDAR/ENCODAT database. We utilized the GENESIS package in R to perform the GWAS of LADA and PLINK for the PheWAS of LADA features. Nine polymorphisms reach the nominal association level (1x10-5) in the GWAS. The PheWAS showed that rs7305229 is genome-wide associated with serum GADA levels in our sample (p=1.84x10-8). rs7305229 is located downstream FAIM2 gene; previous reports associate FAIM2 variants with childhood obesity, body mass index, body adiposity measures, lymphocyte CD8+ activity, and anti-thyroid peroxidase antibodies. Our findings reveal that rs7305229 affects the GADA levels in patients with LADA from southeastern Mexico. More studies are needed to determine if this risk genotype exists in other populations with LADA.