Predicting portal thrombosis in cirrhosis: A prospective study of clinical, ultrasonographic and hemostatic factors.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: Portal vein thrombosis (PVT) is a relatively frequent event in patients with cirrhosis. While different risk factors for PVT have been reported, such as decreased portal blood flow velocity (PBFV) and parameters related with severity of portal hypertension, these are based on retrospective studies assessing only a discrete number of parameters. The aim of the current study was to evaluate the incidence and risks factors for non-tumoral PVT development in a large prospective cohort of patients with cirrhosis. METHODS: We performed an exhaustive evaluation of clinical, biochemical, inflammatory and acquired/hereditary hemostatic profiles in 369 patients with cirrhosis without PVT who were prospectively followed-up. Doppler ultrasound was performed at baseline and every 6 months or whenever clinically indicated. PVT development was always confirmed by computed tomography. RESULTS: Twenty-nine patients developed non-tumoral PVT, with an incidence of 1.6%, 6% and 8.4% at 1, 3 and 5 years, respectively. Low platelet count, PBFV <15 cm/sec and history of variceal bleeding were factors independently associated with a high PVT risk. No relationship between PVT development and any other clinical biochemical, inflammatory and acquired or hereditary hemostatic parameter was found. CONCLUSIONS: In patients with cirrhosis, the factors predictive of PVT development were mainly those related to the severity of portal hypertension. Our results do not support the role of hemostatic alterations (inherited or acquired) and inflammatory markers in the prediction of PVT in patients with cirrhosis. LAY SUMMARY: Patients with cirrhosis and more severe portal hypertension are at higher risk of non-tumoral portal vein thrombosis development. Acquired or inherited hemostatic disorders, as well as inflammatory status, do not seem to predict the development of portal vein thrombosis in patients with cirrhosis.

In vitro expression of Sec-dependent pathway and type 4B secretion system in Piscirickettsia salmonis.

Piscirickettsia salmonis is an intracellular bacterium and the causative agent of Piscirickettsiosis, a disease responsible for considerable mortalities in the Chilean salmon farming industry. Currently, P. salmonis protein translocation across the membrane and the mechanisms by which virulence factors are delivered to host cells are poorly understood. However, it is known that Gram-negative bacteria possess several mechanisms that transport proteins to the periplasmic and extracellular compartments. The aim of this study was to evaluate the expressional changes of several genes in the P. salmonis Sec-dependent pathway and type 4B secretion system during in vitro infection. Genes homologous and the main proteins belonging to Sec-dependent pathway and Type 4 Dot/Icm secretion system were found in the genome and proteome of P. salmonis AUSTRAL-005 strain. Additionally, several genes of these protein transport mechanisms were overexpressed during in vitro P. salmonis infection in SHK-1 cell line. The obtained data indicate that the Sec-dependent pathway and Type 4B secretion system are biologically active during P. salmonis infection. These mechanisms could contribute to the recycling of proteins into the inner and outer bacterial membrane and in translocate virulence factors to infected cell, which would favor the structural integrity and virulence of this bacterium.

Efficiency Analysis of Integrated Public Hospital Networks in Outpatient Internal Medicine.

Healthcare systems are evolving towards a complex network of interconnected services due to the increasing costs and the increasing expectations for high service levels. It is evidenced in the literature the importance of implementing management techniques and sophisticated methods to improve the efficiency of healthcare systems, especially in emerging economies. This paper proposes an integrated collaboration model between two public hospitals to reach the reduction of weighted average lead time in outpatient internal medicine department. A strategic framework based on value stream mapping and collaborative practices has been developed in real case study settled in Colombia.

The complete mitochondrial and plastid genomes of the invasive marine red alga Caulacanthus okamurae (Caulacanthaceae, Rhodophyta) from Moss Landing, California, USA.

Caulacanthus okamurae is an invasive red alga that forms extensive mats in sheltered marine habitats around the world. To determine its genomic structure and genetic relationship to native and other non-native populations of C. okamurae, high-throughput sequencing analysis was performed on an introduced specimen from Bennett Slough, Moss Landing, California, USA. Assembly of 23,146,595 filtered 150 bp paired-end Illumina sequencing reads yielded its complete mitogenome (GenBank accession MT193839) and plastid genome (GenBank accession MT193838). The mitogenome is 25,995 bp in length and contains 50 genes. The plastid genome is 173,516 bp and contains 234 genes. Comparison of the organellar chromosomes to other Gigartinales revealed a high-level of gene synteny. BLAST analysis of marker sequences (rbcL, cox1, cox2) of C. okamurae from Moss Landing identified four identical DNA sequences: one from a specimen from a native population of C. okamurae from South Korea and three from specimens representing invasive populations from France, Spain, and the USA. These genetic results confirm the presence of C. okamurae in central California, USA, and represent the first complete mitogenome and plastid genome from the Caulacanthaceae.

Fitorremediación con Brassicaceae y Apiaceae en suelos contaminados con metales pesados

Introducción: La cuenca media del río Bogotá viene sufriendo contaminación por metales pesados debido a los vertidos industriales. Esta fuente de agua ha sido utilizada para el riego de cultivos de ciclo corto, lo que ha provocado la contaminación por metales pesados de los suelos productivos. Objetivo: Evaluar un proceso de fitorremediación con las especies de Brócoli (Brassica oleracea var. italica Plenck) y Cilantro (Coriandrum sativum L.) en suelos contaminados con metales pesados en Mosquera, Colombia. Métodos: El muestreo se realizó con un diseño factorial al azar: a) proporciones de cilantro/brócoli (30 cilantro/70 brócoli, 50/50, 70 cilantro/30 brócoli y dos controles de tipo monocultivo de cada especie) y b) tiempo de fitorremediación (3, 6 y 9 meses), cada tratamiento con cuatro parcelas experimentales. El suelo y el tejido vegetal se analizó mediante espectrofotometría de absorción atómica para determinar la concentración de los metales pesados. Resultados: Las concentraciones de metales pesados en las muestras de tejido vegetal para brócoli y cilantro mostraron valores de Cd, Pb y Cr más altos que Hg y As, respecto al control. Las concentraciones de Cd, Pb y Cr presentaron valores significativamente más altos (P < 0.05) en suelos con cilantro y brócoli mezclados, respecto al sitio de control donde la concentración de Cd registró niveles significativamente más bajos que en los otros suelos. Las concentraciones de Cd, Pb y Cr fueron más altas en tejidos de cilantro y en suelos con cilantro en comparación con el control. Conclusiones: La fitorremediación por medio de las especies Brassica oleracea var. itálica Plenck y Coriandrum sativum L. en proporciones 70/30 o 30/70 a suelos con pH entre 5.5 y 6.0 permiten una buena recuperación de suelos con contenidos de metales pesados en términos de concentraciones altas a cortos plazos, iniciando la biorremediación a los tres meses y finalizando cargas de disponibilidad variable a los nueve meses.

Introduction: The middle basin of the Bogotá River has been suffering from heavy metal contamination due to industrial discharges. This water source has been used to irrigate short-cycle crops, which has resulted in heavy metal contamination of productive soils. Objective: To evaluate a phytoremediation process with the plant species Broccoli (Brassica oleracea var. Italica plenck) and Cilantro (Coriandrum sativum L.) in soils contaminated with heavy metals in Mosquera, Colombia. Methods: Sampling was performed with a randomized factorial design: a) cilantro/broccoli proportions (30 cilantro/70 broccoli, 50/50, 70 cilantro/30 broccoli and two monoculture type controls of each species) and b) phytoremediation time (3, 6 and 9 months), each treatment with four experimental plots. Soil and plant tissue were analyzed in the laboratory by atomic absorption spectrophotometry to determine the concentration of heavy metals. Results: The concentrations of heavy metals in plant tissue samples for broccoli and cilantro showed higher values of Cd, Pb and Cr than Hg and As, with respect to the control. The concentrations of Cd, Pb and Cr presented significantly higher values (P < 0.05) in soil where there was a mixed presence of cilantro and broccoli, with respect to the control site where the concentration of Cd registered significantly lower levels than in the other soils. Finally, Cd, Pb and Cr concentrations were higher in cilantro tissues and in soils with cilantro compared to the control. Conclusions: Phytoremediation by means of Brassica oleracea var. italica Plenck and Coriandrum sativum L. in 70/30 or 30/70 proportions in soils with pH between 5.5 and 6.0 allows a good recovery of soils with heavy metal contents in terms of high concentrations in short terms, starting bioremediation after three months and ending loads of variable availability after nine months.

Occupational safety and health in construction: a review of applications and trends.

Due to the high number of accidents that occur in construction and the consequences this has for workers, organizations, society and countries, occupational safety and health (OSH) has become a very important issue for stakeholders to take care of the human resource. For this reason, and in order to know how OSH research in the construction sector has evolved over time, this article-in which articles published in English were studied-presents an analysis of research conducted from 1930 to 2016. The classification of documents was carried out following the Occupational Safety and Health Cycle which is composed of five steps: regulation, education and training, risk assessment, risk prevention, and accident analysis. With the help of tree diagrams we show that evolution takes place. In addition, risk assessment, risk prevention, and accident analysis were the research topics with the highest number of papers. The main objective of the study was to contribute to knowledge of the subject, showing trends through an exploratory study that may serve as a starting point for further research.

Disección espontánea de la arteria coronaria diagnosticada por angioTAC: Presentación de un caso / Spontaneous Coronary Artery Dissection Diagnosed By Ct Angiography: A Case Report

La disección espontánea de las arterias coronarias es una rara causa de síndrome coronario agudo, su presentación clínica varía desde un síndrome coronario agudo hasta la muerte súbita, dependiendo de la extensión de la disección. En las publicaciones se evidencia que la mayoría aparecen en mujeres de edad media. A continuación presentamos un caso de disección espontánea de la arteria coronaria izquierda con extensión a la rama descendente anterior y circunfleja, en una mujer de 31 años de edad.

Spontaneous coronary artery dissection is a rare cause of acute coronary syndrome. Clinical presentation is variable, from acute coronary syndrome to sudden death, depending on the extent of the dissection; case reports and case series shows evidence that most cases present in middle-aged women. We present a case of spontaneous dissection of the left coronary artery extending to the left anterior and circumflex descending branch in a 31 years old woman

Planos cardíacos y segmentación del ventrículo izquierdo en resonancia magnética / Cardiac Imaging Planes and Myocardial Segmentation in Magnetic Resonance Imaging

La resonancia magnética de corazón es un método efectivo y no invasivo de imagen del corazón. Dados los actuales avances en este método de imagen se requiere mayor conocimiento de los planos cardiacos utilizados para la valoración específica de las diferentes estructuras cardiacas, así como un acuerdo respecto a la nomenclatura y organización de los diferentes segmentos cardiacos, para facilitar la comunicación entre los diferentes métodos de imagen (ecocardiografía, resonancia magnética, tomografía computarizada, tomografía computarizada con emisión de positrones y angiografía coronaria).

Cardiac magnetic resonance imaging is an effective and non-invasive imaging method to evaluate the heart. The current advances in this imaging method require greater knowledge of cardiac planes used for the specific assessment of the different cardiac structures, as well as an agreement on the nomenclature and organization of the different cardiac segments in order to ease communication between different imaging methods (echocardiography, magnetic resonance imaging, computed tomography, computerized tomography emission tomography and coronary angiography).

Enfermedad de Müller-Weiss: un diagnóstico ignorado / Müller-Weiss Disease: An Ignored Diagnosis

La enfermedad de Müller-Weiss es una displasia del escafoides tarsiano producida en la infancia, pero sin síntomas hasta la edad adulta. No se considera una osteonecrosis del escafoides del adulto. Característicamente, el astrágalo está en varo y lateralizado, lo que genera una compresión en sentido anteroposterior de la porción externa del escafoides tarsiano. El compromiso suele ser bilateral. Las dos condiciones necesarias para el desarrollo de la enfermedad de Müller-Weiss son: retraso en la osificación del escafoides tarsiano y transferencia lateral de carga, en ocasiones favorecida por un primer metatarsiano corto. El varo del retropié y la morfología del escafoides son las características más frecuentes encontradas en los hallazgos radiológicos.

The Müller-Weiss disease is a tarsal navicular dysplasia developed in childhood which presents no symptoms until adulthood. Is not considered an adult osteonecrosis of the scaphoid. Characteristically, the talus is in varus and lateralized, generating anteroposterior compression of the outer portion of the tarsal navicular. There is often bilateral affection. The two necessary conditions for the development of Müller-Weiss' disease are: a delay in the ossification of the tarsal navicular and the lateral load transfer, which are favored by a short first metatarsal. The varus deviation of the hind foot and the tarsal navicular morphology are the two most commonly found radiological findings.

Spontaneous bladder rupture in non-augmented bladder exstrophy.

Childhood spontaneous bladder rupture is an uncommon event, usually associated with bladder augmentation. Occasionally it occurs in normal bladders or non-augmented bladders with a predisposing factor. We present a unique case of misdiagnosed spontaneous bladder rupture in a non-augmented bladder exstrophy patient without evidence of lower urinary outlet obstruction. His acute abdomen mimicked appendicitis and was managed with laparoscopic exploration, intraperitoneal fluid drainage, appendectomy and bladder drainage. This case highlights the need for pediatric urological consultation by surgeons in the case of an acute abdomen with free fluid in a patient with an abnormal bladder.

Análisis de la situación actual de la aplicación de las normas de seguridad industrial en las obras civiles de la ciudad de san juan de pasto

La seguridad industrial en el sector de la construcción se define como el conjunto de medidas preventivas destinadas a la identificación y control de las causas que generan accidentes y ponen en peligro la vida de los trabajadores, los materiales y los equipos en la obra.1 Los trabajadores del sector de la construcción son muy vulnerables a tener accidentes de trabajo en los diferentes procesos constructivos, ya que al realizar las labores para las que fueron contratados están en contacto permanente con elementos y situaciones generadoras de riesgo. El objetivo de este estudio exploratorio era establecer el grado de cumplimiento de las normas de seguridad industrial en la construcción, así como también analizar las causas de accidentalidad en este campo, en la ciudad de San Juan de Pasto, teniendo como base la normatividad vigente que regula la materia. Los resultados obtenidos demuestran que existe una la necesidad de concientizar y capacitar a todas las personas relacionadas con la construcción de obras civiles acerca de la importancia de cuidar el principal recurso que puede tener cualquier empresa: el recurso humano.

The industrial security in the building sector is defined as the group of preventive measures dedicated to the identification and control of the causes which generate accidents and put in danger the life of the workers, the materials and the equipments in the work as well.1 The workers of building sectors are very vulnerable to have work accidents in the different constructive processes because when they do what they were hired for, they are in permanent contact with elements and situations which generate risk for them. The objective of this exploratory study was to establish the grade of execution of the industrial security norms in the construction, as well as to make an analysis of the causes of accident in this field in the city of San Juan de Pasto by having like base the legal frame that regulates the subject. The obtained results demonstrate that there is the need to inform and to qualify all the people related with the construction of civil works about the importance of taking care of the main resource any company can have which is the human resource.

Uso de entero-TC para evaluar patología del intestino delgado: experiencias y hallazgos en 90 pacientes / Use of CT enterography for small bowel pathology: experience and findings in 90 patients

Introducción: La entero-TC o escanografía abdominal con protocolo especial para evaluar el intestino delgado se ha convertido en una valiosa herramienta en los pacientes con sospecha de patologías intestinales, a partir de la combinación de un medio de contraste endovenoso y grandes volúmenes de medio de contraste neutro, administrado por vía oral, para distender la luz intestinal y obtener imágenes del lumen, así como del espesor y el patrón de realce de las paredes del intestino delgado. Materiales y métodos: Entre mayo de 2007 y febrero de 2009 se recolectaron de forma retrospectiva 90 casos de pacientes que consultaron en una clínica universitaria. Fueron preparados con dieta líquida sin residuo durante 24 horas y ayuno completo de cuatro horas previo al examen. Se administró un total de 2.000 cm3 de agua. Luego se complementó con 100 cm3 de medio de contraste endovenoso a una tasa de 4 cm3/segundo. Se realizó una fase arterial temprana a los 20 segundos y una fase portal a los 60 segundos luego de iniciar la administración del contraste. Resultados: Los hallazgos más frecuentes fueron: enfermedad diverticular, lesiones quísticas, afectación neoplásica, enfermedad de Crohn, ileítis, obstrucción mecánica, hernia hiatal, colelitiasis, hemangiomas hepáticos, hernia interna, divertículo duodenal, poliposis, malrotación intestinal y sangrado activo. Conclusiones: El entero-TC es un estudio útil y no invasivo para el diagnóstico de patologías de intestino delgado, que permite una distensión satisfactoria del intestino delgado en la mayoría de los casos sin la utilización de una sonda enteral avanzada.

Introduction: Proper evaluation of the small intestine is achieved with the combination of intravenous contrast medium and large volume of neutral contrast medium administered orallyto stretch the intestinal lumen and produce images for the assessment of the lumen, thickness and pattern of enhancement of the small intestine walls. Materials and methods: Between May 2007 and February 2009 we retrospectively collected 90 cases of mainly outpatients who consulted our clinic. They were prepared taking a liquid diet for 24 hours that had no residue and complete fasting 4hours prior to the examination. A total of 2000 cc of water was administrated orally...