Time after a peak-pesticide use period and neurobehavior among ecuadorian children and adolescents: The ESPINA study.

BACKGROUND: Limited evidence exists regarding transient neurobehavioral alterations associated with episodic pesticide exposures or agricultural pesticide spray periods. We previously observed that children examined soon after a pesticide spray period (the Mother's Day flower harvest [MDH]) had lower neurobehavioral performance than children examined later. The present study builds on our previous work by incorporating longitudinal analyses from childhood through adolescence. METHODS: We examined participants in agricultural communities in Ecuador (ESPINA study) during three periods: July-August 2008 (N = 313, 4-9-year-olds); April 2016 (N = 330, 11-17-year-olds); July-October 2016 (N = 535, 11-17-year-olds). Participants were examined primarily during a period of low floricultural production. Neurobehavior was assessed using the NEPSY-II (domains: Attention/Inhibitory Control, Language, Memory/Learning, Visuospatial Processing, and Social Perception). Linear regression and generalized linear mixed models were used to examine cross-sectional and longitudinal associations between examination date (days) after the MDH and neurobehavioral outcomes, adjusting for demographic, anthropometric, and socio-economic variables. RESULTS: Participants were examined between 63 and 171 days after the MDH. Mean neurobehavioral domain scores ranged from 1.0 to 17.0 (SDrange = 2.1-3.1) in 2008 and 1.0 to 15.5 (SDrange = 2.0-2.3) in 2016. In cross-sectional analyses (2016 only; N = 523), we found significant or borderline positive associations between time after the MDH and Attention/Inhibitory Control (difference/10 days [ß] = 0.22 points [95% CI = 0.03, 0.41]) and Language (ß = 0.16 points [95% CI = -0.03, 0.34]). We also observed positive, longitudinal associations (2008-2016) with Attention/Inhibitory Control (ß = 0.19 points [95% CI = 0.04, 0.34]) through 112 days after the harvest and Visuospatial Processing (ß = 3.56, ß-quadratic = -0.19 [95% CI: -0.29, -0.09]) through 92 days. CONCLUSIONS: Children examined sooner after the harvest had lower neurobehavioral performance compared to children examined later, suggesting that peak pesticide spray seasons may transiently affect neurobehavior followed by recovery during low pesticide-use periods. Reduction of pesticide exposure potential for children during peak pesticide-use periods is advised.

Pyramidal core-shell quantum dot under applied electric and magnetic fields.

We have theoretically investigated the electronic states in a core/shell pyramidal quantum dot with GaAs core embedded in AlGaAs matrix. This system has a quite similar recent experimental realization through a cone/shell structure [Phys. Status Solidi-RRL 13, 1800245 (2018)]. The research has been performed within the effective mass approximation taking into account position-dependent effective masses and the presence of external electric and magnetic fields. For the numerical solution of the resulting three-dimensional partial differential equation we have used a finite element method. A detailed study of the conduction band states wave functions and their associated energy levels is presented, with the analysis of the effect of the geometry and the external probes. The calculation of the non-permanent electric polarization via the off-diagonal intraband dipole moment matrix elements allows to consider the related optical response by evaluating the coefficients of light absorption and relative refractive index changes, under different applied magnetic field configurations.

Ready-to-eat street food: a potential source for dissemination of multidrug-resistant Escherichia coli epidemic clones in Quito, Ecuador.

Ready-to-eat food contamination with ESBL-producing Escherichia coli is a growing health concern. Some of these strains also are epidemic clones and can cause community-associated infections that are difficult to treat. In this study, the occurrence of ESBL-producing E. coli contaminated ready-to-eat street food in Quito, Ecuador was evaluated. In total, 150 samples were collected randomly in the most crowded sites of the city. In all, 34 samples (34/150; 22·6%) were positive for total thermotolerant (44·5°C) coliforms resistant to cefotaxime. MALDI-TOF analysis identified that the E. coli was found in 20 food samples (20/34; 59%). ESBL gene blaCTX-M-55 was identified in nine isolates, blaCTX-M-15 in six isolates, blaCTX-M-14 in two isolates, and one isolate each harboured blaCTX-M-24 , blaCTX-M-65 , blaCTX-M-55 and blaCTX-M-8 . Phylogenetic groups like A and B1 were the most common, followed by groups D and B2. MLST analysis identified 12 different sequence types (STs), the most common was ST162. Recognized epidemic clonal groups ST410, ST131 and ST744 were encountered. Ready-to-eat street food is a potential way of spreading ESBL-producing E. coli epidemic clones in Quito, Ecuador. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY: This study identified ESBL-producing Escherichia coli epidemic clones: ST131, ST410 and ST744 in ready-to-eat street food samples. Street food is a possible way to spread harm multidrug-resistant (MDR) E. coli strains in the community. Studies to identify the contamination sources of this kind of food are needed to tackle MDR E. coli dissemination.

Genetic diversity and drug resistance of Mycobacterium tuberculosis in Ecuador.

BACKGROUND: The genetic diversity of Mycobacterium tuberculosis in Quito, Ecuador is not well known. OBJECTIVE: To investigate mutations related to drug resistance and bacterial genotypes in M. tuberculosis strains in Ecuador. DESIGN: This was a retrospective study of M. tuberculosis isolates from 104 patients. Isolates were phenotypically resistant to rifampicin (RMP) and/or isoniazid (INH). The genotype was determined using 24-locus mycobacterial interspersed repetitive units-variable-number tandem repeats (MIRU-VNTR). RESULTS: Isolates showed mutations in the rpoB and katG genes, and the inhA promoter. In rpoB, we found 13 genetic alterations at codons 511, 513, 514, 515, 516, 526 and 531. Forty-six (44.2%) RMP-resistant isolates belonged to codon 531. In katG, there were nine genetic alterations at codons 296, 312, 314, 315, 322, 324 and 351. Fifty-three (51%) INH-resistant isolates belonged to codon 315. Five mutations not previously described were identified in katG: Thr324Ser, Thr314Ala, Ala312Pro, Trp351Stop and deleted G at 296 codon. The Latin American Mediterranean (LAM) (33.7%) and Ghana (30.8%) lineages presented most of the main mutations observed. CONCLUSION: This is the first report from Ecuador; it describes five new mutations in katG and indicates that LAM is the most prevalent lineage.

Micellar electrokinetic chromatography with laser induced fluorescence detection shows increase of putrescine in erythrocytes of Parkinson's disease patients.

A highly sensitive method was developed to measure putrescine by micellar electrokinetic chromatography with laser induced fluorescence detection with excellent linearity in the 1 nM to 3 µM range. The technique was tested on a drop of blood from Parkinson's disease patients obtained by finger prick. The results showed a statistically significant increase of putrescine in the erythrocytes compared to controls and a non-significant increase in plasma. This high level of putrescine does not constitute by itself proof that putrescine and polyamines are directly related to Parkinson's disease. However, the present results and several others addressed in the discussion suggest that these compounds might be causally involved in the pathophysiology of Parkinson's disease. In addition, the analytical method reported here may help to find new biomarkers for many diseases including Parkinson's disease.

Association between preterm birth and its subtypes and maternal sociodemographic characteristics during the post-transitional phase in a developing country with a very high human development index.

OBJECTIVES: Chile is a post-transitional country evolving towards a stationary population pyramid, which may be associated with increasing preterm birth (PTB) rates. This study aimed to compare maternal sociodemographic characteristics between the start of the post-transition phase (1994) and an established stage (2013) and to evaluate associations between these characteristics and PTB. STUDY DESIGN: An observational analytic design was conducted using national birth records (n = 4,956,311). METHODS: Variables analysed in the 20 birth cohorts from 1994 to 2013 were: length of gestation (preterm <37 weeks) subdivided by gestational age (extreme, moderate/severe and late); maternal age (≤19, 20-35 and >35 years); education level (<8, 8-12 and >12 years of education); employment; marital status; area of residence; and type of birth (singleton, twins, and triplets or higher order). The prevalence of PTB was expressed as a percentage, and associations between PTB and predictor variables were analysed using logistic regression models. RESULTS: Education level, age >35 years, maternal employment, unmarried status, twin delivery and urban residency rates increased between 1994 and 2013. According to the adjusted models, age >35 years and delivery of more than two foetuses were risk factors for all PTB subtypes. Maternal employment was a risk factor for moderate/severe, late and total PTB, and a low level of education was a risk factor for late and total PTB. On the other hand, age ≤19 years was protective against all PTB subtypes. CONCLUSIONS: All maternal characteristics changed between 1994 and 2013. Furthermore, the prevalence of PTB increased for all predictor variables studied over this period.

Actividad antioxidante y marcha fitoquímica de los capítulos de Tagetes filifolia Lag. "pacha anís" / Antioxidant activity and phytochemical screening of capitula of Tagetes filifolia Lag. or "pacha anís"

Objetivo: Estudiar la actividad antioxidante y marcha fitoquímica de los capítulos de Tagetes filifolia Lag. "pacha anís".Materiales y métodos: Estudio de tipo experimental en el cual se empleó 5 kg de los capítulos de la planta medicinal Tagetes filifolia lag., provenientes de Junín. Se usó el método de cribado fitoquímico de Olga Lock para la marcha fitoquímica y el método DPPH para la determinación de la actividad antioxidante. Se dividió la muestra en 3 grupos: etéreo, alcohol etílico y agua destilada a concentraciones de 100, 50 y 5 µg/ml.Resultados: Se encontró fenoles en cantidades abundantes tanto en el extracto en agua destilada como en el extracto en alcohol etílico, además este último tuvo cantidades moderadas de quinonas. Por otro lado, el extracto en alcohol etílico fue el que presentó el mayor porcentaje de captación de radicales libres (91.26%) a una concentración de 100 µg/ml, similares resultados se encontró con el extracto etéreo (88.94%) y el extracto en agua destilada (75.58%).Conclusiones: Los principales componentes químicos fueron fenoles y quinonas. El mayor efecto antioxidante se obtuvo del extracto etanólico de la planta Tagetes filifolia a una concentración de 100 µg/ml.

Colistin-resistant Escherichia coli clinical isolate harbouring the mcr-1 gene in Ecuador.

Colistin resistance mediated by the mcr-1 gene has been reported worldwide, but to date not from the Andean region, South America. We report the first clinical isolate of Escherichia coli harbouring the mcr-1 gene in Ecuador. The strain was isolated from peritoneal fluid from a 14-year-old male with acute appendicitis, and subjected to molecular analysis. The minimum inhibitory concentration of colistin for the strain was 8 mg/ml and it was susceptible to carbapenems but resistant to tigecycline. The strain harboured mcr-1 and bla CTX-M-55 genes and was of sequence type 609. The recognition of an apparently commensal strain of E. coli harbouring mcr-1 serves as an alert to the presence in the region of this recently described resistance mechanism to one of the last line of drugs available for the treatment of multi-resistant Gram-negative infections.

Characterization of the first report of Mycobacterium timonense infecting an HIV patient in an Ecuadorian hospital.

Mycobacterium timonense is a non-tuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) described in southern France in 2009, and to our knowledge, not reported again as a human pathogen in indexed literature. The aim of this work was to characterize the first clinical isolate of M. timonense in Ecuador. Time of growth, biochemical tests, thin layer growth test, PCR-RFLP analysis of the hsp65 gene and MALDI-TOF spectra analysis were not able to identify the species. The species identification was achieved through sequencing of rrs, hsp65 and rpoB genes. The results highlight the necessity to set up a sequencing method to identify emerging NTM in Ecuadorian clinical facilities.

Model experiments on improving nitrogen removal in laboratory scale subsurface constructed wetlands by enhancing the anaerobic ammonia oxidation.

Anaerobic ammonia oxidation (Anammox) has been identified as a new general process-strategy for nitrogen removal in wastewater treatment. In order to evaluate the role and effects of the Anammox process in wetlands, laboratory-scale model experiments were performed with planted fixed bed reactors. A reactor (planted with Juncus effusus) was fed with synthetic wastewater containing 150-200 mg L(-1) NH4+ and 75-480 mg L(-1) NO2(-). Under these operating conditions, the plants were affected by the high ammonia and nitrite concentrations and the nitrogen removal rate fell within the same range of 45-49 mg N d(-1) (equivalent to 0.64-0.70 g Nm(-2)d(-1)) as already reported by other authors. In order to stimulate the rate of nitrogen conversion, the planted reactor was inoculated with Anammox biomass. As a result, the rate of nitrogen removal was increased 4-5-fold and the toxic effects on the plants also disappeared. The results show that, in principle, subsurface flow wetlands can also function as an "Anammox bioreactor". However, the design of a complete process for the treatment of waters with a high ammonia load and, in particular, the realisation of simple technical solutions for partial nitrification have still to be developed.

Effects of type of flow, plants and addition of organic carbon in the removal of zinc and chromium in small-scale model wetlands.

Constructed wetlands are used for the treatment of wastewater containing metals. In order to clarify the role of plants, flow and the impact of organic matter, an investigation of three factors, each at two different levels, was carried out in small-scale model wetlands. The evaluated factors and levels were: type of flow (subsurface and surface); presence of plants (planted with Typha latifolia and unplanted) and addition of organic matter (with and without). Eight different experimental units were run for a year. The units were fed with synthetic wastewater containing chromium (VI) (1.5 mg L(-1)), zinc (1.5 mg L(-1)), macro, micronutrients and organic matter (to those units in which this factor was being investigated). Subsurface flow wetlands showed a significantly higher rate of chromium removal in comparison with surface flow systems (97 and 60 mg m(-2) d(-1), respectively). Planted systems removed significantly more chromium compared to unplanted systems (85 and 76 mg m(-2) d(-1), respectively), and the addition of organic matter increased the removal rate in a comparison with the units without it (88 and 69 mg m(-2) d(-1), respectively). Similar results were found for zinc; however, the addition of organic matter made no significant difference to zinc removal.

[Nutritional status in the pediatric population of a rural area on the Ecuadorian coast]. / Estudio del estado nutricional de la población infantil de la zona rural de la costa ecuatoriana.

OBJECTIVES: To determine the effects of a diet based on carbohydrates on the nutritional status of a pediatric population through a study performed in a rural area of the province of Los Ríos (Ecuador). PATIENTS AND METHODS: We evaluated 871 Ecuadorian children from a rural environment in an ambulatory medical clinic created for the purposes of the study. Basic anthropometric measurements (weigh, height, head circumference and upper arm circumference) and clinical data from physical examination were recorded. The anthropometric measurements were compared with the growth charts used in Spanish children, which were taken as the standard reference measurements. Information on nutrition was obtained from interviews with the mothers. RESULTS: A total of 871 children were evaluated (53 % boys; 47 % girls). Mean age was 6.39 years (range: 0-14 years; mode 4). Comparison of the data obtained with the standard growth charts for the Spanish pediatric population revealed significant differences in body mass index in boys aged 5-14 years and in girls aged 3-12 years and highly significant differences in boys aged 6-13 years and in girls aged 3-12 years. Significant differences in middle upper arm circumference were found in boys and girls aged 1-14 years and highly significant differences were found in boys aged 1-12 years and in girls aged 2-12 years. A middle upper arm circumference of less than 14 cm (slight malnutrition) was found in 6.67 % of boys and in 9.15 % of girls; a middle upper arm circumference of less than 12.5 cm (serious malnutrition) was found in 1.82 % of boys and in 2.82 % of girls. Nutritional interviews revealed that the overall caloric intake was approximately 1,500 cal/ day. Eight percent of calories came from carbohydrates, 15 % from fats and 5 % from proteins. CONCLUSIONS: A poor diet affects the child population's nutritional status qualitatively but not quantitatively. Nutritional deficit favors the prevalence of childhood diseases that could be avoided by suitable feeding and hygiene. Because of the lack of economic and health resources, prevention is the fundamental weapon for maintaining health in underdeveloped countries. Childhood nutritional status is influenced by diet, which in turn is influenced by physical, climatic, cultural and political factors, and by stress, which is provoked by infections and parents' behavior. Nutritional status in children is a clear reflection of the socioeconomic status of a given population.

Medial prefrontal transection enhances social interaction. I: behavioral studies.

Behavioral effects of a medial prefrontal cortex (MPFC) transection were assessed in animal tests of anxiety. Social investigation and plus-maze open arm exploration increased in MPFC damaged animals relative to sham ones. MPFC lesions prevented D-amphetamine (2 mg/kg, i.p.) induced social investigation decrease and exaggerated general locomotion increase. Diazepam (1 mg/kg, i.p.) and MPFC synergistically increased open arm exploration on a second (repeated) plus-maze trial. These results suggest that the MPFC would be implicated in a generalized mechanism of warning enabling emission of appropriate responses to anxiogenic stimuli. Although, this lesion did not modify motor activity itself, the pattern of the motor activation induced by amphetamine was altered. The role of the MPFC areas in the behavioral response associated with fear is discussed.

Melatonin acts on the nucleus accumbens to increase acetylcholine release and modify the motor activity pattern of rats.

Brain microdialysis coupled to high performance liquid chromatography with electrochemical detection (HPLC-ED) was used to evaluate the influence of melatonin on extracellular concentration of acetylcholine (ACh) in the nucleus accumbens (NAc) of rats. Motor activity was simultaneously monitored during the dialysis sessions with an activity meter. Melatonin and prazosin were administered locally through the dialysis probe. It was found that melatonin dose-dependently increased accumbens ACh. Melatonin (3 microM) decreased horizontal activity and increased vertical activity, while another dose (100 microM) enhanced both horizontal and vertical activity. Prazosin, a putative melatonin antagonist, blocked the effects of melatonin on both motor activity and ACh release when given 20 min before melatonin. Overall, these results suggest that melatonin modulates the release of ACh in the NAc and the pattern of motor activity in the rat.

Síndrome hemolítico urémico post-parto / Post-partum hemolytic uremic

Se presenta un caso visto en el Hospital San Ignacio, informando las manifestaciones clínicas, los hallazgos histopatológicos, su manejo terapéutico, seguimiento y se hace una revisión literaria