Actitud y comportamiento hacia la salud oral de los mayores que acuden a los centros socioculturales de Vitoria / Attitude and behavior towards oral health in the elderly who visit the sociocultural centers of Vitoria

El envejecimiento de la población es un hecho irreversible en nuestra sociedad. Los problemas y necesidades bucodentales se pasan por alto en muchas ocasiones no prestándose atención en los programas de salud en el anciano (A. Norman et al, 1988). Mediante una encuesta realizada a 133 ancianos mayores de 60 años nos proponemos valorar los comportamientos y hábitos higiénicos que influyen sobre la salud oral. Los resultados reflejan que la demanda odontológica en esta población se limita generalmente a la existencia de problemas o molestias en la cavidad bucal, observándose a su vez un déficit de Educación Sanitaria. Esto sugiere la necesidad de intervención poniendo en marcha programas de Educación para la Salud y programas preventivos en el campo de la salud bucodental (JM. Fernández Varela et al, 1997) (AU)

Detection of Oestrus ovis and associated risk factors in sheep from the central region of Yucatan, Mexico.

A cross-sectional epidemiologic study was conducted in order to detect the presence of and to estimate the seroprevalence of Oestrus ovis L. infection in flocks of sheep from the central region of the state of Yucatan, Mexico. The risk factors associated with disease were also identified. A sample size of 10 animals per farm was used to detect seropositive animals, considering a 30% prevalence and 95% confidence level. Blood samples of 689 sheep from 88 flocks were collected and a questionnaire with questions about the flock and the host was applied. The thin layer immune assay test was used. The risk factors were screened using logistic regression procedures. 77% of the flocks had at least one-positive animal with antibodies against O. ovis. The overall seroprevalence and standard error was 30.6 +/- 3.5%. Only flock size and sheep nose color showed association (P < 0.05) with the disease. The odds ratios for flocks with less than 11 and with 11 to 25 sheep, as related to herds with 25 or more sheep, were 0.74 and 1.73, respectively. Sheep with dark noses had a higher risk (OR = 1.46) compared with sheep having light noses (P < 0.05).

Anticarsia gemmatalis nuclear polyhedrosis virus replication in serum-free and serum-reduced insect cell cultures.

In order to develop a financially feasible process to produce Anticarsia gemmatalis Nuclear Polyhedrosis virus in cell culture, we developed a lipidic supplement to replace fetal calf serum in insect cell culture media. The supplement, prepared with an extract of lipids from hen egg yolk, allowed us to reduce the contents of serum in the culture medium from 10% to 1%. IPLB-Sf-21 cells could be kept along consecutive passages in serum-reduced medium. The replication of AgNPV in HEYLE-supplemented cultures was evaluated. Extracellular virions production was the same as in FCS-supplemented-cultures, but the production level of polyhedral inclusion bodies was significantly lowered in HEYLE-supplemented cultures. The reduced production of PIBs is related to a premature releasing of non-occluded particles as well as to a reduced synthesis of polyhedrin protein.

Elevated plasma hydroxyproline. A possible risk factor associated with connective tissue injuries during overuse.

Basal plasma hydroxyproline was measured in 104 male Navy Seal candidates 1 week into their intense physical training program, which lasted 7 weeks, and correlated to the incidence of connective tissue injuries incurred later in the training program. Eleven subjects (10.6%) were diagnosed as having connective tissue injuries. Those subjects with connective tissue injuries had a significantly higher (P less than 0.05) mean plasma hydroxyproline value (4.02 micrograms/ml) than subjects without injury (3.10 micrograms/ml). The majority of graduates (75%) had plasma hydroxyproline values less than 3.3 micrograms/ml. These graduates represented the strongest and most enduring injury-free subjects. Of the subject pool who incurred connective tissue injuries, only 27% had plasma hydroxyproline values less than 3.3 micrograms/ml. The majority of the injured subjects (73%) had plasma hydroxyproline values greater than or equal to 3.3 micrograms/ml. In conclusion, there is a relationship between initial training basal plasma hydroxyproline levels and connective tissue injuries later incurred in an intense physical training program. These data suggest that elevated plasma hydroxyproline levels may represent a risk factor associated with connective tissue injuries.