Nickel Oxy-Hydroxy/Multi-Wall Carbon Nanotubes Film Coupled with a 3D-Printed Device as a Nonenzymatic Glucose Sensor.

A rapid and simple method for the amperometric determination of glucose using a nanocomposite film of nickel oxyhydroxide and multi-walled carbon nanotube (MWCNTs) was evaluated. The NiHCF)/MWCNT electrode film was fabricated using the liquid-liquid interface method, and it was used as a precursor for the electrochemical synthesis of nickel oxy-hydroxy (Ni(OH)2/NiOOH/MWCNT). The interaction between nickel oxy-hydroxy and the MWCNTs provided a film that is stable over the electrode surface, with high surface area and excellent conductivity. The nanocomposite presented an excellent electrocatalytic activity for the oxidation of glucose in an alkaline medium. The sensitivity of the sensor was found to be 0.0561 µA µmol L-1, and a linear range from 0.1 to 150 µmol L-1 was obtained, with a good limit of detection (0.030 µmol L-1). The electrode exhibits a fast response (150 injections h-1) and a sensitive catalytic performance, which may be due to the high conductivity of MWCNT and the increased active surface area of the electrode. Additionally, a minimal difference in the slopes for ascending (0.0561 µA µmol L-1) and descending (0.0531 µA µmol L-1) was observed. Moreover, the sensor was applied to the detection of glucose in artificial plasma blood samples, achieving values of 89 to 98% of recovery.

Análisis epidemiológico de los fallecimientos por suicidio, Uruguay año 2000 / Epidemiological analysis of deaths by suicide, Uruguay 2000

Con el objetivo de conocer las principales característicasepidemiológicas de la mortalidad por suicidio en el Uruguay,se realizó un estudio descriptivo. Uruguay se ubicó en elprimer tercio de los países con las tasas de suicidio máselevadas del mundo, en el tercer lugar de América y en elprimero de Sudamérica. Presentó para el año 2000 unatasa del 18.76 por cien mil, ocurriendo un promedio de 1.7suicidios por día, representando la novena causa de muerte.Las tasas más elevadas se presentaron en el sexo masculino;entre divorciados/as y viudos/as y el método más usadofue el disparo por arma de fuego. Para el Departamento deMontevideo, el promedio de AVPP por suicidio fue de 28 y29 años para el sexo femenino y masculino respectivamente,se destaca las mayores tasas en el nivel de instrucciónterciaria, en desocupados y jubilados; y en nivelessocioeconómicos medios o bajos. El suicidio es consideradoun problema de Salud Pública.

Fine-needle aspiration biopsy of liver masses: diagnostic value and reproducibility of cytological criteria.

There are many helpful cytological criteria for the diagnosis of liver fine-needle aspiration biopsies (FNABs), but none of them are pathognomonic of primary or metastatic tumors. We analyzed the diagnostic value and reproducibility of 28 cytological parameters in FNABs from 140 hepatic masses, including 29 benign lesions, 49 hepatocellular carcinomas (HCCs), and 62 metastatic tumors, encompassing 48 adenocarcinomas (ACAs). Five different observers evaluated each sample, and the interobserver and intraobserver agreement was studied. Multivariable analysis showed that the criteria more closely associated with malignancy were irregular nuclear contour, three-dimensional cell groups, and atypical naked nuclei. Capillaries separating tumor cells and granular cytoplasm were strongly associated with HCCs, while eccentrically placed nuclei and necrosis were most commonly seen in ACAs and in metastatic tumors. The intraobserver and interobserver agreement was excellent for the final cytological diagnosis, and there was fair to very good interobserver agreement for 22 of the 28 criteria studied. Architectural features were less reproducible than pure cytological criteria. Intraobserver variability was not influenced by the years of experience in the field. A precise and strict definition of terminology rendered a better reproducibility of the cytological criteria.

[Reliability of routine cytological diagnosis in bladder cancer]. / Fiabilidad del diagnóstico citológico de rutina en el cáncer vesical.

OBJECTIVES: To establish the reliability of three cystopathologists for cytological diagnosis of primary bladder tumors. METHODS: Pre-operative voided urine specimens of 71 patients with bladder cancer and 55 healthy controls were retrospectively and blindly reviewed by 3 independent cytologists, and their results--positive for bladder cancer, negative or inconclusive--were compared with each other. The estimation of the interobserver agreement was calculated using the weighted kappa-coefficient (k). A multivariative analysis was carried out to identify the factors associated with the disagreement among the three observers. The sensitivity and specificity for each of the participants were calculated in order to clearly identify the origin of the disagreement, in terms of the performance of the diagnostic test in the hands of each observer. A comparison of the overall diagnostic performance was made by plotting sensitivity versus 1-specificity. RESULTS: The weighted k coefficient among observers was 0.46. The multivariative analysis did not identify any variable that could have caused such disagreement. Large differences in sensitivity and specificity were detected between observer number 1 (sens., 0.90, spec., 0.45) and observers number 2 (sens., 0.67, spec., 0.72) and number 3 (sens., 0.71, spec., 0.80), but the overall diagnostic performance (sensitivity vs 1-specificity) was superimposable in the three cases (p = ns). CONCLUSIONS: Simple, reproducible and agreed-on diagnostic criteria should be established to yield reliable results in a group of cytologists. The consideration of individual diagnostic performances can give a false idea of homogeneity between observers. In this field, concordance analysis makes quality control reliable and should be a routine procedure of any pathology department.

Reliability of the routine cytological diagnosis in bladder cancer.

OBJECTIVES: To establish the reliability of three cytopathologists for cytological diagnosis of primary bladder tumors. METHODS: Preoperative voided urine specimens of 71 patients with bladder cancer and 55 noncancer controls were retrospectively and blindly reviewed by 3 independent cytologists, and their results compared. The estimation of the interobserver agreement was calculated using the weighted kappa coefficient. A multivariate analysis was carried out to identify the factors associated with the disagreement between the three observers. The sensitivity and specificity for each of the participants was calculated in order to clearly identify the origin of the disagreement, in terms of the performance of the diagnostic test in the hands of each observer. A comparison of the overall diagnostic performance was made by plotting sensitivity versus 1-specificity. RESULTS: The weighted kappa coefficient among the 3 observers was 0.46. The multivariate analysis did not identify any variable that could have caused such disagreement. Vast differences in sensitivity and specificity were detected between observer 1 (sens. 0.90, spec. 0.45) and observers 2 (sens. 0.67, spec. 0.72) and 3 (sens. 0.71, spec. 0.80), but the overall diagnostic performance (sensitivity vs. 1-specificity) was superimposable in the 3 cases (p = NS). CONCLUSIONS: Simple, reproducible and agreed-on-diagnostic criteria should be established to yield reliable results in a group of cytologists. The consideration of individual diagnostic performances can give a false idea of homogeneity between observers. In this field, concordance analysis makes quality control reliable and should be a routine procedure of any pathology department.

Procedimientos para prevención, diagnóstico y tratamiento de las intoxicaciones con los plaguicidas de usos agrícola y veterinarios registrados en la república de Panamá y algunos métodos de análisis / Procedures for the prevention diagnosis and treatment of intoxation with pesticide of agricultural and veterinay use register in the Republic of Panama and some analysis records

Prepara un manual que incluye toda la información toxicológica concerniente a los plaguicidas de uso agropecuario y veterinario registrados en Panamá. Revisa bibliografía sobre el tema y los expedientes de información archivada y presentada por los fabricantes en el Departamento de Farmacia y Drogas del Ministerio de Salud de la República de Panamá. Presenta los métodos analíticos de un gran número de compuestos. También, enlista los plaguicidas de uso agrícola y veterinario por orden alfabético según principio activo y según nombre del producto

Epidemiología de la Infección por el VIH en hemofílicos de América Latina / Epidemiology of the infection by HIV in haemophilics of Latin America

La incidencia de la infección VIH en hemofílicos en Latino América varía de 2-4 a 72.4% en los diferentes países