Parasomnias in patients with addictions-a systematic review.

Parasomnias are involuntary behaviors or subjective experiences during sleep. Our objective was to review existing information on the presence of parasomnias in patients with addictions or during treatment for addictions. Information about parasomnias related to rapid-eye-movement (REM) and non-REM sleep in patients with addictions, while using substances or in abstinence, was reviewed. A systematic search of published articles reporting parasomnias as a consequence of drug use or abuse was conducted in the PubMed and SciELO databases. The search for the studies was performed in three phases: (1) by title, (2) by abstract, and (3) by complete text. The search was performed independently by two researchers, who then compared their results from each screening phase. Seventeen articles were found. The consumption of alcohol was reported in association with arousal disorders, such as sexsomnia and sleep-related eating disorder; and REM sleep behavior disorder was reported during alcohol withdrawal. Cocaine abuse was associated with REM sleep behavior disorder with drug consumption dream content. Overall, we found that several types of parasomnias were very frequent in patients with addictions. To avoid accidents in bedroom, legal problems, and improve evolution and prognosis; must be mandatory to include security measures related to sleep period; avoid pharmacological therapy described as potential trigger factor; improve sleep hygiene; and give pharmacological and behavioral treatments for patients with these comorbid sleep disorders.

[First case of meningitis by Streptococcus suis in the norwest area of Argentina]. / Primer caso de meningitis por Streptococcus suis en el noroeste de Argentina.

Streptococcus suis causes meningitis, bacteremia, endocarditis, endophthalmitis, artrithis and toxic shock in both pigs and human beings. The incidence of this pathogen is increasing worldwide. A case of 54 years old men from a rural zone of Tucumán, Argentina with two days of headache, vomit and photophobia was admitted septic, with purulent meningitis. Streptococcus suis was growth from the blood and cerebrospinal fluid culture. The patient was treated with ceftriaxona and had a good evolution without sequels. This is the first case of S. suis described in the northwest of Argentina and the third of Latin America, and it is emphasized that the occupational contact with pigs is an important background for the initial suspect of this pathogen.

Deterministic convergence in iterative phase shifting.

Previous implementations of the iterative phase shifting method, in which the phase of a test object is computed from measurements using a phase shifting interferometer with unknown positions of the reference, do not provide an accurate way of knowing when convergence has been attained. We present a new approach to this method that allows us to deterministically identify convergence. The method is tested with a home-built Fizeau interferometer that measures optical surfaces polished to lambda/100 using the Hydra tool. The intrinsic quality of the measurements is better than 0.5 nm. Other possible applications for this technique include fringe projection or any problem where phase shifting is involved.

Primer caso de meningitis por Streptococcus suis en el noroeste de Argentina / First case of meningitis by Streptococcus suis in the norwest area of Argentina

Streptococcus suis causes meningitis, bacteremia, endocarditis, endophthalmitis, artrithis and toxic shock in both pigs and human beings. The incidence of this pathogen is increasing worldwide. A case of 54 years old men from a rural zone of Tucumán, Argentina with two days of headache, vomit and photophobia was admitted septic, with purulent meningitis. Streptococcus suis was growth from the blood and cerebrospinal fluid culture. The patient was treated with ceftriaxona and had a good evolution without sequels. This is the first case of S. suis described in the northwest of Argentina and the third of Latin America, and it is emphasized that the occupational contact with pigs is an important background for the initial suspect of this pathogen.

La infección por Streptococcus suis puede causar meningitis, bacteriemia, endocarditis, endoftalmitis, artritis y shock tóxico, tanto en el ser humano como en cerdos. La incidencia de esta zoonosis está aumentando en el mundo. Se presenta el caso de un varón de 54 años de edad, trabajador rural proveniente de la provincia de Tucumán, Argentina, que consultó por cefalea, vómitos y fotofobia de dos días de evolución, constatándose una sepsis de foco meníngeo. Tanto en el cultivo de líquido cefalorraquídeo como en el hemocultivo se aisló S. suis. Se trató con ceftriaxona con buena evolución y sin secuelas. Es el primer caso de S. suis en el noroeste argentino y el tercero en Latinoamérica. Se resalta la importancia del antecedente de exposición laboral a cerdos para la sospecha inicial de este microorganismo.