Real Time Monitoring of Children, and Adults with Mental Disabilities Using a Low-Cost Non-Invasive Electronic Device.

There are a growing number of small children-as well as adults-with mental disabilities (including elderly citizens with Alzheimer's disease or other forms of age-related dementia) that are getting lost in rural and urban areas for various reasons. Establishing their location within the first 72 h is crucial because lost people are exposed to all kinds of adverse conditions and in the case of the elderly, this is further aggravated if prescribed medication is needed. Herein we describe a non-invasive, low-cost electronic device that operates constantly, keeping track of time, the geographical location and the identification of the subject using it. The prototype was made using commercial low-cost electronic components. This electronic device shows high connectivity in open and closed areas and identifies the geographical location of a lost subject. We freely provide the software and technical diagrams of the prototypes.

HIV-related oral lesions, demographic factors, clinical staging and anti-retroviral use.

BACKGROUND: The aim of the present study was to compare the prevalence of HIV-related oral lesions (HIV-OL) between two health centers for HIV in Mexico City and to analyze the factors that, in addition to combined antiretroviral therapy (CART) and low CD4(+), may be associated with possible differences in prevalence. METHODS: A cross-sectional observational study was performed between January 2000 and February 2003 at the Instituto Nacional de Ciencias Médicas y Nutrición Salvador Zubirán (INCMNSZ), a specialized referral center for HIV/AIDS patients and the Clínica Especializada Condesa (CEC), a primary care center for HIV-infected individuals without social security insurance. A consecutive sample of HIV-infected individuals had an oral examination based on established clinical criteria. Demographic, clinical and laboratory data were obtained. Independent association of each factor with specific HIV-OL was assessed by logistic regression modeling. RESULTS: Eight hundred fifty individuals were examined (INCMNSZ: 479; CEC: 371). Hairy leukoplakia (HL), periodontal disease (PD) and Kaposi's sarcoma (KS) were independently associated with the study site [odds ratio (OR) = 1.7 (95% confidence interval (CI): 1.1-2.4), OR = 4.2 (95% CI: 1.3-13), OR = 10.1 (95% CI: 2.7-38.2), respectively], being more frequent in CEC patients. HL was independently associated with men having sex with men OR = 1.7 (95% CI: 1.1-2.8). All HIV-OL were independently associated with CD4(+) counts and, with the exception of PD and KS, with time under CART. CONCLUSIONS: The present comparative study showed that several factors were associated with a difference in prevalence of oral lesions found in two AIDS clinics located in Mexico City. Severe immune suppression, CART duration and the study site were associated with HIV-OL. Further investigation into factors such as socioeconomic determinants associated with HIV-OL is warranted.

Investigación y evaluación crítica de la literatura en reumatología / Critical evaluation and investigation of the rheumatology literature

Objetivos: Evaluar los resultados de un taller de metodología de la investigación para reumatólogos. Participantes: Reumatólogos de la Sociedad Mexicana de Reumatología. El taller: Tuvo una duración de 16 horas de acuerdo al siguiente programa: conceptos básicos de diseño, pruebas diagnósticas, medición, manejo de datos, conceptos básicos de estadística y el protocolo de investigación. El material se distribuyó con 3 semanas de anticipación. Dinámica: fue activo-participativa en grupos pequeños distribuidos al azar. Evaluación: Se hizo una evaluación antes y después del taller con un cuestionario de 28 preguntas del formato falso, verdadero y no sé. Las primeras 12 preguntas eran conceptos básicos y las restantes de apreciación crítica. La comparación se hizo con estadística no paramétrica. Resultado: La calificación global mejoró en los participantes (20 a 27, p= 0.0006) a expensas de conocimiento básico (p= 0.00001), más que de apreciación crítica (p= 0.58). No se encontró diferencia entre centros no con los años de certificación. Los que leyeron el material antes del curso tuvieron mejores calificaciones al inicio y final del taller sin alzanzar significancia estadística. Conslusiones; puede requerirse un mayor tiempo para mejorar la apreciación crítica se suguiere la lectura previa