Development of a sensitive polyclonal antibody-based competitive indirect ELISA for determination of citrinin in grain-based foods.

A sensitive competitive indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ciELISA) was developed for the detection and quantification of citrinin (CIT) in grain-based food samples. The limit of quantification (IC20) of the established method was 0.10 ± 0.02 ng mL-1, with the limit of detection (IC10) being 0.04 ± 0.007 ng mL-1 in wheat and corn flour matrices with a coefficient of variation (CV) less than 20%. The assay was very specific to CIT and showed no cross-reactivity with other mycotoxins (OTA, T-2 toxin, HT-2 toxin, DON, patulin and zearalenone). In spiked wheat and corn flours, the recoveries ranged from 86.6% to 115.6% with CVs of less than 20%. The effectiveness of this method was verified by participating in a proficiency test (PT) from the Food Analysis Performance Assessment Scheme (FAPAS) 17181 corn flour. A successful z-score (-0.6) for this PT sample showed that the present method is comparable to the instrumental methods used by other laboratories in the PT testing scheme. A small survey of grain-based foods was conducted using this method and CIT was detected in 43% of the samples up to a concentration of 17.7 ng g-1. This method is suitable for sensitive and rapid quantitation of citrinin in wheat and corn matrices.

Development of a polyclonal antibody-based indirect competitive ELISA for determination of sterigmatocystin in wheat and corn flours.

Sterigmatocystin (STC) is a toxic secondary metabolite produced by more than 50 fungal species, including Aspergillus flavus, A. parasiticus, A. nidulans, and A. versicolor. The Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives concluded that sterigmatocystin is genotoxic and carcinogenic with the critical effect determined to be carcinogenicity. The present study describes a simple method to prepare hapten and immunogens in order to generate polyclonal antibodies against this metabolite. We developed a sensitive and specific polyclonal antibody-based competitive indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ciELISA) for monitoring STC in wheat and corn flours without the need for derivatisation of STC or clean-up of samples by immunoaffinity chromatography for quantification. The half inhibitory concentration (IC50) of the established method was 4.52 ± 0.81 ng mL-1, with the limit of detection (IC10) being 0.19 ± 0.04 ng mL-1 in wheat and corn flour matrices with the coefficient of variation of less than 22%.The assay was very specific to STC and showed no cross-reactivity with its analogue structures. The ELISA allowed for up to 5% methanol without significant influence on the IC50 value. Validation of the assay was performed by spiking STC into a blank flour matrix and the recoveries were in the range of 75.3 % to 104.5 % with a coefficient of variation less than 15%. A small retail survey was conducted by purchasing wheat (n = 8) and corn flours (n = 2) from local grocery stores. All of these retail samples were negative for STC using the developed ELISA method and were confirmed by LC-MS/MS. We demonstrated a rapid, simple, and reliable method for screening STC in wheat and corn flours.

[Operation of government policies for the prevention and control of dengue: The cases of Arauca and Armenia]. / Funcionamiento de las políticas gubernamentales para la prevención y el control del dengue: el caso de Arauca y Armenia en Colombia.

INTRODUCTION: Dengue is a growing public health problem in urban areas, given that its transmission is associated with the environment, as well as with the behaviour of individuals and communities. The model proposed by Ecohealth to study this problem includes the operation of government policies. OBJECTIVE: To describe the operation of policies to prevent and control dengue in two Colombian cities. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A qualitative study was conducted. Data was collected through interviews with officials who worked in the health and education sectors. The contents were processed with the Ethnograph software, using the proposals of the bottom-up model of implementation as analytical categories. RESULTS: A lack of coordination was identified between department and municipal offices, with few developments of the protocol for dengue and severe dengue in terms of community participation, communication strategies and studies of inhabitants´ knowledge, attitudes and practices. The integrated management strategy was limited by the instability of human resources, limited intra-institutional and cross-sectorial coordination and little emphasis on promotion interventions, both at the individual and population levels. CONCLUSIONS: Coordination between the departament and the municipality needs to be strengthened in the city of Arauca. Both here and in Armenia administration of human resources and interinstitutional coordination should be improved. Promotion of preventative measures should be strengthened to impact on the determinants of dengue.

Funcionamiento de las políticas gubernamentales para la prevención y el control del dengue: el caso de Arauca y Armenia en Colombia / Operation of government policies for the prevention and control of dengue: The cases of Arauca and Armenia

Introducción. El dengue es un problema de salud pública en aumento en las zonas urbanas, debido a que su transmisión está asociada con el ambiente y el comportamiento de las personas y las comunidades. El modelo propuesto por Ecosalud para su estudio, incluye el análisis del funcionamiento de las políticas gubernamentales. Objetivo. Describir el funcionamiento de las políticas para prevenir y controlar el dengue en dos ciudades colombianas. Materiales y métodos. Se adelantó un estudio cualitativo, para lo cual se recopiló información mediante entrevistas a funcionarios del sector de la salud y la educación, cuyos contenidos se procesaron en Ethnograph con base en las categorías de análisis propuestas en el modelo de ´implementación desde la base´. Resultados. Se encontró que había desarticulación entre el departamento y el municipio, así como un desarrollo escaso del protocolo de dengue y dengue hemorrágico en cuanto a la participación comunitaria, las estrategias de comunicación y los estudios de conocimientos, actitudes y prácticas de los pobladores. La estrategia de gestión integrada se ve limitada por la inestabilidad del recurso humano, la escasa coordinación entre instituciones y sectores, y la falta de énfasis en las intervenciones de promoción tanto a nivel individual como de la población. Conclusiones. En Arauca es necesario fortalecer la coordinación entre el departamento y el municipio. Tanto en Arauca como en Armenia se requiere mejorar la administración de los recursos humanos y la coordinación interinstitucional, así como fortalecer la promoción y la prevención, para lograr el efecto esperado sobre los factores determinantes del dengue.

Introduction: Dengue is a growing public health problem in urban areas, given that its transmission is associated with the environment, as well as with the behaviour of individuals and communities. The model proposed by Ecohealth to study this problem includes the operation of government policies. Objective: To describe the operation of policies to prevent and control dengue in two Colombian cities. Materials and methods: A qualitative study was conducted. Data was collected through interviews with officials who worked in the health and education sectors. The contents were processed with the Ethnograph software, using the proposals of the bottom-up model of implementation as analytical categories. Results: A lack of coordination was identified between department and municipal offices, with few developments of the protocol for dengue and severe dengue in terms of community participation, communication strategies and studies of inhabitants´ knowledge, attitudes and practices. The integrated management strategy was limited by the instability of human resources, limited intra-institutional and cross-sectorial coordination and little emphasis on promotion interventions, both at the individual and population levels. Conclusions: Coordination between the departament and the municipality needs to be strengthened in the city of Arauca. Both here and in Armenia administration of human resources and interinstitutional coordination should be improved. Promotion of preventative measures should be strengthened to impact on the determinants of dengue.

Manual de actividades diarias de enfermeria: areas hospitalaria y ambulatoria / Manual of daily nursing activities in hospital and ambulatory care areas

Se elaboro un manual de procedimientos de enfermeria como complemento del administrativo y el de perosnal ya existentes. En la primera parte se describen los procedimientos de esterilizacion de material y equipos y lavado de manos. El segundo capitulo presenta las curaciones de heridas, uso de la via parenteral para administracion de medicamentos, infusion de soluciones endovenosas y sangre, colocacion de sondas nasogastrica y vesical, administracion de oxigeno con canula. En el capitulo 3 se describe el cuidado perioperatorio del paciente, la atencion de parto y el control de liquidos. La segunda parte se refiere a la participacion del personal de enfemeria en programas ambulatorios, vacunacion, control prenatal, control de crecimiento y desarrollo, planificacion familiar , citologia vaginal y TBC.