Erythrocyte folate content and serum folic acid and homocysteine levels in preeclamptic primigravidae teenagers living at high altitude.

OBJECTIVE: To measure erythrocyte folate content and serum folic acid and homocysteine (Hcy) levels in preeclamptic primigravidae teenagers living at high altitude. METHODS: Measured analytes were compared to those found in normal teen controls. RESULTS: Teenagers complicated with preeclampsia displayed significantly lower hematocrit and erythrocyte folic acid levels with higher serum Hcy levels as compared to controls (36.40 ± 4.90 vs. 38.99 ± 2.89 %, 493.80 ± 237.30 vs. 589.90 ± 210.60 ng/mL, and 7.29 ± 2.52 vs. 5.97 ± 1.41 µmol/L, respectively, p < 0.05). There was a non-significant trend for lower serum folic acid levels among preeclampsia teenagers. Serum and erythrocyte folic acid levels positively correlated in preeclampsia teenagers, and levels of both analytes inversely correlated with Hcy levels. CONCLUSION: This pilot study found that teenagers complicated with preeclampsia living at higher altitude displayed lower erythrocyte folate content in addition to higher serum Hcy levels. More research is warranted to determine the clinical implications of these findings.

Treadmill exercise post dry needling improves heel rise in patients recovering from surgical ankle fracture: A randomised controlled trial.

INTRODUCTION: Little is known about the effectiveness of the dry needling technique (DNT) plus exercise on motor function in musculoskeletal diseases. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effects of treadmill exercise immediately after DNT on pain, range of motion (ROM) and bilateral heel rise test in patients recovering from surgical ankle fracture. METHOD: A randomised, parallel-group, controlled trial was conducted on patients recovering from surgical ankle fracture. Patients received the DNT intervention for the triceps surae muscle. Then, participants were randomly assigned to the experimental (DNT plus incline treadmill for 20 min) or control group (DNT plus rest for 20 min). Baseline and immediate post-intervention assessments included: visual analogue scale (VAS), maximal ankle dorsiflexion ROM and bilateral heel rise test. RESULTS: A total of 20 patients recovering from surgical ankle fracture were included. Eleven patients were assigned to the experimental group (mean age 46 ± 12.6 years, 2/9 men/women) and nine to the control group (mean age 52 ± 13.4 years, 2/7 men/women). Two-way ANOVA showed a significant time × group interaction for bilateral heel rise test (F = 5.514, p = 0.030, ηp2 = 0.235). Both groups increased the number of repetitions (p < 0.001), however, the experimental group showed a significant difference compared to control group (mean difference: 2.73 repetitions; p = 0.030). There was no time × group interaction in VAS and ROM (p > 0.05). CONCLUSION: Our results indicate that treadmill exercise after dry needling improves plantar flexors motor function more than rest after dry needling in patients with surgical ankle fracture.

Participación instituyente y política local mediante procesos y metodologías participativas: la construcción ciudadana del observatorio de la participación en Cuenca, Ecuador / Instituting Participation and Local Politics through Participatory Processes and Methodologies. Citizen Construction of the Participation Observatory in Cuenca, Ecuador

Resumen En este artículo se retoma la relación de la participación instituida y la participación instituyente en un proceso participativo en la Ciudad de CuencaEcuador provincia de Azuay, entre los años 2017 y 2018. A par tir de una investigación acción basada en un estudio de caso exploratorio, empleando técnicas participativas y cualitativas se encontraron como resultados que, (i) las metodologías participativas potencian la participación instituyente, (ii) la participación instituyente favorece la adaptación y mejora de los sistemas de participación de los gobiernos locales - participación instituida - y, finalmente (iii) el proceso participativo genera propuestas de prácticas democráticas directas, concretas e inclusivas.

Abstract This article retakes the relationship of the instituted participation and the instituting participation in a participatory process in the city of Cuenca-Ecuador province of Azuay, between the years 2017 and 2018. From an action research based on an exploratory case study, by using participatory and qualitative techniques were found as results that, (i) parti cipatory methodologies enhance instituting participation, (ii) instituting participation promotes the adaptation and improvement of the systems of participation of local governments - an instituted participation, - and finally (iii), the participatory process generates proposals for direct, con crete and inclusive democratic practices.

Deficiencia de ácido fólico en ratas wistar / Fólico acid deficiency in rats to wistar

Esta investigación se llevó a cabo en aproximadamente 2 meses. Para nuestro trabajo utilizamos 3 ratas wistar hembras de 221 gr. y 36 cm. como promedio; identificadas como rata A o control, marcada con un anillo negro en la cola y ratas B y C como ratas caso, con dos y tres anillos negros respectivamente. Las ratas B y C tuvieron una alimentación suplementada con alcohol etílico, administrado junto con el agua de bebida diaria, durante todo el estudio, no así la rata A y se casteó a las 3 ratas. La suplementación con alcohol tiene como fin disminuir la absorción de ácido fólico o vitamina B, en las ratas casos y provocar, por esta deficiencia, anemia megaloblástica y productos con malformaciones del tubo neural...