Mexican parents' and teachers' literacy perspectives and practices: construction of cultural capital.

This article examines the relationships among the literacy practices engaged in by first-grade children and parents at home and the ways in which these practices are communicated, shaped, and fostered by teachers and administrators in two different sociocultural environments in urban Mexico. The differences observed between the home literacy experiences of children in a working class and a middle class community included transgenerational communication of assumptions regarding literacy and schooling, as well as attitudes associated with the parents' own school experiences. Class-based expectations on the part of teachers not only shaped interactions with parents, but were also reflected in the way the national curriculum was delivered, with a greater emphasis on rote skills and traditional reading instruction in the working class community. The authors argue that the school plays a role in the co-production of cultural capital in the home through its shaping of some of the literacy practices that children and families undertake.

Primary vaginal reconstruction at the time of pelvic exenteration for gynecologic cancer: morbidity revisited.

The aim of this study is to analyze our experience about the benefits and morbidity of primary vaginal reconstruction in pelvic exenteration. Over a 10-year period, 64 patients underwent a pelvic exenteration for gynecologic cancer, except for ovarian and fallopian cancer. Twenty-nine patients underwent pelvic exenteration with vaginal reconstruction [21 cases with transverse rectus-abdominis myocutaneous (TRAM) flap and eight cases with Singapore fascio-cutaneous flap]. Thirty-five patients did not undergo vaginal reconstruction. Postoperative morbidity was recorded and a comparative analysis of morbidity between groups was made. Pelvic abscess and small bowel fistula occurred more frequently in the no neovagina group (20% versus 6.9% and 20% versus 3.4%, respectively). There were no differences between groups regarding fever, colorectal anastomosis (CRA) dehiscence-leakage, prolonged ileus, deep venous thrombosis, pulmonary embolism or wound complications. Surgery time was significantly longer for the neovagina group. There was only one perioperative death, which occurred in the neovagina group. Vaginal stenosis, necrosis, and shortness occurred less frequently for TRAM flap compared with Singapore flap (19.0% versus 28.6%, 14.5% versus 50% and 0% versus 100%, respectively). CRA dehiscence-leakage appeared more frequently (83.3% versus 28.6%) in the Singapore group. Nevertheless, this complication was statistically associated (p = 0.0009) with low CRA (<5 cm). TRAM flap seems to be the preferable option for reconstructing the vagina after pelvic exenteration. The Singapore fascio-cutaneous flap carries a higher rate of complications, does not work as functional neovagina after pelvic exenteration, and does not seem to be a good choice in cases of low colorectal anastomosis.

Paro cardíaco extrahospitalario en Bariloche: incidencia, distribución y contexto. Evaluación de la potencial utilidad de un programa de desfibriladores externos automáticos / Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest in Bariloche: Incidence, Distribution and Context. Evaluation of the Potential Usefulness of an Automated External Defibrillator Program

RESUMEN Introducción: A los efectos de anticipar la eficacia de la implementación de un programa de desfibriladores automáticos en una comunidad, resulta indispensable determinar la incidencia y la distribución de los paros cardíacos extrahospitalarios potencialmente reanimables en esa comunidad. Objetivos: 1) Determinar la incidencia anual, distribución y contexto del paro cardíaco extrahospitalario en la ciudad de Barilo-che; 2) de acuerdo con los datos obtenidos, evaluar la potencial utilidad de un programa de implementación de desfibriladores automáticos en la ciudad, tanto para espacios públicos como para casos domiciliarios. Material y métodos: En el marco del estudio REGIBAR, se realizó un registro prospectivo de paros cardíacos extrahospitalarios durante un año y se utilizó como fuente el Registro Civil. Además, se analizaron los casos de infarto que fueron internados y se hubieran presentado como paro cardíaco prehospitalario. Para determinar si la muerte había sido de causa cardiovascular y conocer su contexto se realizaron autopsias verbales. Según el lugar del evento, los paros cardíacos extrahospitalarios se dividieron en domiciliarios y en espacios públicos. Se registró la presencia de convivientes y de testigos del evento en los casos de paros cardíacos domiciliarios, así como el antecedente de infarto/insuficiencia cardíaca previos. Resultados: Durante el período estudiado, se registraron 61 paros cardíacos extrahospitalarios (edad 78,3; rango: 47-100). El 40% eran mujeres y el 52% tenía ≥ 80 años. Incidencia: 53/100 000 personas-año. No se encontraron casos de paro cardíaco prehospitalario reanimados que hubieran llegado vivos a un centro de salud. Un 11,5% (7/61) presentaba infarto/insuficiencia cardíaca previos. Hubo 60 paros cardíacos domiciliarios y un caso de paro cardíaco en espacio público. Se dio aviso al servicio de emergencias en el 20% de los casos, y 10% recibió maniobras de reanimación. De los paros cardíacos domiciliarios, el 75% (45/60) tenía convivientes, pero solo en el 12% de las veces (7/60) estos presenciaron el fallecimiento. Conclusiones: La incidencia del paro cardíaco extrahospitalario en Bariloche fue de 53/100 000 personas-año. Solo un caso ocurrió en espacio público. En 1 de cada 5 casos, acudió un servicio de emergencias, y la mitad de estos recibió maniobras de reanimación. No hubo casos que lograran llegar a un centro de salud luego del paro cardíaco extrahospitalario. De las muertes cardiovasculares domiciliarias, solamente 1 de cada 10 fueron presenciadas. a implementación de un programa de desfibriladores externos automáticos no representaría una alternativa recomendable en Bariloche.

ABSTRACT Background: The incidence and distribution of potentially resuscitable out-of-hospital cardiac arrests in a community should be determined before implementing an automated external defibrillator program in order to anticipate its effectiveness. Objectives: The aims of this study were: 1) to determine the annual incidence, distribution and context of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest in the city of Bariloche; and 2) to evaluate the potential usefulness of an AED program in the city, in public locations or in the patients' homes according to the information obtained. Methods: A retrospective registry of out-of-hospital cardiac arrests was carried out in the setting of the REGIBAR study during one year, using The Civil Registry as source of information. The cases of myocardial infractions hospitalized and presenting as cardiac arrest prior to arrival at hospital were also analyzed. Verbal autopsies were performed to determine if the death was due to cardiovascular disease and to determine its context. Out-of-hospital cardiac arrests were classified as those occurring within the patient's home or in public locations. The presence of co-habitants and witnesses of cardiac arrests occurring at home and the history of myocardial infarction/heart failure were recorded. Results: During the study period, 61 out-of-hospital cardiac arrests occurred (age: 78.3; range: 47-100), 40% were women and 52% were ≥80 years. Incidence: 53/100, 000 person-years. None of the cases of cardiac arrest prior to arrival at hospital undergoing resuscitation arrived alive at hospital. Prior myocardial infarction/heart failure was present in 11.5% (7/61) of the cases. Sixty cardiac arrests occurred at home and one took place in a public space. The emergency medical service system was contacted in 20% of the cases and 10% of the cases underwent cardiopulmonary resuscitation. Seventy-five percent (45/60) of the subjects who experienced cardiac arrests at home were not living alone, but their co-habitants witnessed the event in only 12% (7/60) of the cases. Conclusions: The incidence of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest in Bariloche was 53/100,000 person-years. Only one case occurred in a public space. An emergency medical service attended 1 out of 5 cases and half of these cases underwent cardiopulmonary resuscitation. None of the cases of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest arrived alive at hospital. Only 1 of 10 cardiovascular deaths at home was witnessed. The implementation of an automated external defibrillator program does not represent an advisable strategy in Bariloche.

Cardiotrophin-1 is expressed in adipose tissue and upregulated in the metabolic syndrome.

Adipose tissue is a target for cardiotrophin-1 (CT-1), a cytokine member of the IL-6 family of cytokines that is involved in cardiac growth and dysfunction. However, it is unknown whether adipocytes are a source of CT-1 and whether CT-1 is overexpressed in diseases characterized by increased fat depots [i.e., the metabolic syndrome (MS)]. Thus this work aimed 1) to test whether adipose tissue expresses CT-1 and whether CT-1 expression can be modulated and 2) to compare serum CT-1 levels in subjects with and without MS diagnosed by National Cholesterol Education Program Adult Treatment Panel III criteria. Gene and protein expression of CT-1 was determined by real-time RT-PCR, ELISA, and Western blotting. CT-1 expression progressively increased, along with differentiation time from preadipocyte to mature adipocyte in 3T3-L1 cells. CT-1 expression was enhanced by glucose in a dose-dependent manner in these cells. mRNA and protein CT-1 expression was also demonstrated in human adipose biopsies. Immunostaining showed positive staining in adipocytes. Finally, increased CT-1 serum levels were observed in patients with MS compared with control subjects (127 +/- 9 vs. 106 +/- 4 ng/ml, P < 0.05). Circulating levels of CT-1 were associated with glucose levels (r = 0.2, P < 0.05). Taken together, our data suggest that adipose tissue can be recognized as a source of CT-1, which could account for the high circulating levels of CT-1 in patients with MS.