Further optimisation of a macromolecular ocular irritation test (OptiSafeTM).

PURPOSE: OptiSafeTM (OS) is a shelf stable, nonanimal test for ocular irritation. A recent database search found that half of the OS false positive (FP) materials were associated with reactive oxygen chemistries but were not eye irritants in vivo (based on historical rabbit studies by other groups). We hypothesized that naturally occurring tear antioxidants protect the eye from reactive chemistries in vivo and that specific tear chemistries might help explain why some materials are FP for nonanimal tests but are reported as nonirritants in the live animal. To test this hypothesis, a prior study evaluated tear antioxidants and found that the tear antioxidant ascorbic acid, added at human physiological tear levels to the OS test, specifically reduced the measured values for these FPs but did not reduce the true-positive rate. Based on these findings, the OS test method was further optimized. The purpose of the current study was to comprehensively evaluate the performance of the further optimized test method for detection of ocular irritants. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The OS test measures chemically induced damage to macromolecules and relates these measured values to ocular irritancy. To improve the performance of OS, we made updates to the material to be tested physiochemical handling procedures, prediction model, and test method to include tear-level concentrations of ascorbic acid. We then retested the 78 chemicals from the prior OS-coded validation study in triplicate and compared the accuracy of the 'nonirritant versus irritant' prediction for the further optimized method with the prior results. RESULTS: We report that for the detection of 'nonirritant' versus 'irritant' (GHS NC versus categories 2B/A and 1) test substances, the further optimized OS test with ascorbic acid compared with the original version has a FP rate that is reduced from 40.0 to 22.2%, the false-negative (FN) rate remains at 0.0%, and the accuracy improved from 80.3% to 89.2%. CONCLUSION: A comparison to OECD-adopted tests demonstrates that the further optimized OS test, like the original method, has a higher accuracy and lower FN rate for the detection of 'nonirritants' versus 'irritants' (GHS Category NC versus 2B/A and 1) than the other eye irritation tests (BCOP, EpiOcularTM Eye Irritation Test, ICE, Ocular Irritection®, and STE).

Expansion of the application domain of a macromolecular ocular irritation test (OptiSafe™).

The OptiSafe (OS) test is shelf-stable, macromolecular eye irritation test that does not include any animal ingredient or component ("vegan"). The purpose of this study was to evaluate the test's accuracy for an expanded application domain for both the original and recently updated OS method. This study involved the testing of additional ocular corrosives and previously excluded foaming agents ("surfactants") using both the original and updated OS methods and then combining these data with prior validation data for a total of 147 chemicals. Predictivity was evaluated by a statistical comparison of the OptiSafe predictions with historical in vivo "Draize" rabbit eye data for the same chemicals (from public databases). We report that for the detection of chemicals not requiring classification for eye irritation [Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labeling of Chemicals (GHS) No Category], the accuracy, specificity, and sensitivity were 92.8%, 79.6%, and 100.0%, respectively, for the updated method; for the detection of chemicals inducing extreme eye damage/corrosion (GHS Category 1), the accuracy, specificity, and sensitivity were 79.4%, 71.8%, and 91.7%, respectively, for the updated method. Results indicate that both the original and updated methods have a high accuracy for the expanded application domain that included ocular corrosives and surfactants.

The neural circuits of monogamous behavior.

The interest in studying the neural circuits related to mating behavior and mate choice in monogamous species lies in the parallels found between human social structure and sexual behavior and that of other mammals that exhibit social monogamy, potentially expanding our understanding of human neurobiology and its underlying mechanisms. Extensive research has suggested that social monogamy, as opposed to non-monogamy in mammals, is a consequence of the neural encoding of sociosensory information from the sexual partner with an increased reward value. Thus, the reinforced value of the mate outweighs the reward value of mating with any other potential sexual partners. This mechanism reinforces the social relationship of a breeding pair, commonly defined as a pair bond. In addition to accentuated prosocial behaviors toward the partner, other characteristic behaviors may appear, such as territorial and partner guarding, selective aggression toward unfamiliar conspecifics, and biparental care. Concomitantly, social buffering and distress upon partner separation are also observed. The following work intends to overview and compare known neural and functional circuits that are related to mating and sexual behavior in monogamous mammals. We will particularly discuss reports on Cricetid rodents of the Microtus and Peromyscus genus, and New World primates (NWP), such as the Callicebinae subfamily of the titi monkey and the marmoset (Callithrix spp.). In addition, we will mention the main factors that modulate the neural circuits related to social monogamy and how that modulation may reflect phenotypic differences, ultimately creating the widely observed diversity in social behavior.

Perception on phone medical report to family members of patients admitted by COVID-19 to emergency observation rooms of a tertiary hospital: A cross-sectional study. / Percepción sobre informe médico telefónico a familiares de pacientes ingresados por COVID-19 en salas de observación de emergencias de un hospital terciario: estudio transversal.

Introduction: Medical reports of patients admitted to the emergency services has been modified due to the social distancing needed in the COVID-19 epidemic. For this reason, it is essential to know the family members' perceptions about telephone medical reports. Objective: To determine the perception of care by family members of patients hospitalized due to COVID-19 on telephone medical reports in a tertiary hospital's emergency room in Lima, Peru. Methods: A non-experimental cross-sectional study, through a survey of family members of patients with COVID-19 admitted during July and August 2020. The "External user satisfaction survey of the Ministry of Health" adapted to this setting was used due to the absence of similar studies. Information, respect for the user, efficiency, accessibility, suitability, security, and overall satisfaction were considered. The sample size for finite populations was selected from 2 936 family members, obtaining 347 surveys from 641 calls. Relatives were called by phone, and after acceptance, the survey was sent to them via WhatsApp in Google Forms format. Once the survey was received, it was analyzed using descriptive statistical techniques. Results: We made 641 telephone calls with a response rate of 54.1%, obtaining 347 surveys. The mean age was 40.12 years (standard deviation: 11.93 years), with 61.4% of females and 38.0% married. We found that 65.1% received higher education and that Chorrillos was the most prevalent district (10.1%). Moreover, 42.4% of those surveyed were children of hospitalized patients, 17.3% were spouses, and 85% were not health personnel. We found a high level of agreement in overall satisfaction (73.2%) and in most dimensions, including information (88.8%), respect for the user (82.1%), efficiency (70.3%), accessibility (75.8%), suitability (79.0%), and security (87.9%). Conclusion: The telephone medical reports to relatives of patients hospitalized due to COVID-19 in the emergency room found an overall satisfaction of 73.2% . Telephone medical reports are essential alternatives to improve the quality of care during the COVID-19 epidemic.

Introducción: El informe médico sobre el estado de salud del paciente ingresado a los servicios de emergencia se ha modificado, debido al necesario distanciamiento por la epidemia de COVID-19. Por esto, es importante conocer la percepción que tienen los familiares informados sobre el reporte médico telefónico implementado. Objetivo: Determinar la percepción de los parientes sobre la atención de pacientes internados por COVID-19, a través del informe médico telefónico entregado a las familias en el servicio de emergencia de un hospital terciario del Seguro Social de Salud (EsSalud), Lima, Perú. Métodos: Estudio transversal observacional, mediante encuesta a familiares de pacientes con COVID-19 ingresados durante los meses de julio y agosto del año 2020. Se usó como base la "Encuesta de satisfacción de usuario externo del Ministerio de Salud" adaptada a esta realidad, no habiéndose realizado ningún trabajo similar a este en forma previa. Se consideraron las dimensiones información, respeto al usuario, eficacia, accesibilidad, oportunidad, seguridad y satisfacción global. Se seleccionó la muestra para poblaciones finitas de 2936 familiares, obteniéndose 347 encuestas de 641 llamadas realizadas. Se les llamó telefónicamente y, previa aceptación, se les envió la encuesta vía en formato . Recibida la encuesta, se procedió a su análisis mediante técnicas de estadística descriptiva. Resultados: Se realizaron 641 llamadas telefónicas con una tasa de respuesta de 54,1% obteniéndose 347 encuestas. La edad promedio fue de 40,12 años (desviación estándar de 11,93), de los cuales 61,4% era del sexo femenino y 38% estaban casados. El 65,1% de los entrevistados tenía educación superior. Dentro de los distritos de procedencia, Chorrillos tuvo más encuestados con 10,1%. El 42,4% de los encuestados fueron hijos de los pacientes internados, 17,3% fueron cónyuges y el 85% no era personal de salud. Las dimensiones con percepción de acuerdo fueron: información 88,8%, respeto de usuario 82,1%, eficacia 70,3%; accesibilidad 75,8%; oportunidad 79,0% y seguridad 87,9%. La satisfacción global obtuvo un 73,2% de acuerdo. Conclusiones: La información médica telefónica entregada a los familiares de pacientes internados por COVID-19 en las salas de emergencia, encontró una satisfacción global de 73,2% de acuerdo. La información médica telefónica es una alternativa importante para mejorar la calidad de atención durante la epidemia por COVID-19.

Percepción sobre informe médico telefónico a familiares de pacientes ingresados por COVID-19 en salas de observación de emergencias de un hospital terciario: estudio transversal / Perception on phone medical report to family members of patients admitted by COVID-19 to emergency observation rooms of a tertiary hospital: A cross-sectional study

Introducción El informe médico sobre el estado de salud del paciente ingresado a los servicios de emergencia se ha modificado, debido al necesario distanciamiento por la epidemia de COVID-19. Por esto, es importante conocer la percepción que tienen los familiares informados sobre el reporte médico telefónico implementado. Objetivo Determinar la percepción de los parientes sobre la atención de pacientes internados por COVID-19, a través del informe médico telefónico entregado a las familias en el servicio de emergencia de un hospital terciario del Seguro Social de Salud (EsSalud), Lima, Perú. Métodos Estudio transversal observacional, mediante encuesta a familiares de pacientes con COVID-19 ingresados durante los meses de julio y agosto del año 2020. Se usó como base la "Encuesta de satisfacción de usuario externo del Ministerio de Salud" adaptada a esta realidad, no habiéndose realizado ningún trabajo similar a este en forma previa. Se consideraron las dimensiones información, respeto al usuario, eficacia, accesibilidad, oportunidad, seguridad y satisfacción global. Se seleccionó la muestra para poblaciones finitas de 2936 familiares, obteniéndose 347 encuestas de 641 llamadas realizadas. Se les llamó telefónicamente y, previa aceptación, se les envió la encuesta vía en formato . Recibida la encuesta, se procedió a su análisis mediante técnicas de estadística descriptiva. Resultados Se realizaron 641 llamadas telefónicas con una tasa de respuesta de 54,1% obteniéndose 347 encuestas. La edad promedio fue de 40,12 años (desviación estándar de 11,93), de los cuales 61,4% era del sexo femenino y 38% estaban casados. El 65,1% de los entrevistados tenía educación superior. Dentro de los distritos de procedencia, Chorrillos tuvo más encuestados con 10,1%. El 42,4% de los encuestados fueron hijos de los pacientes internados, 17,3% fueron cónyuges y el 85% no era personal de salud. Las dimensiones con percepción de acuerdo fueron: información 88,8%, respeto de usuario 82,1%, eficacia 70,3%; accesibilidad 75,8%; oportunidad 79,0% y seguridad 87,9%. La satisfacción global obtuvo un 73,2% de acuerdo. Conclusiones La información médica telefónica entregada a los familiares de pacientes internados por COVID-19 en las salas de emergencia, encontró una satisfacción global de 73,2% de acuerdo. La información médica telefónica es una alternativa importante para mejorar la calidad de atención durante la epidemia por COVID-19.

Introduction Medical reports of patients admitted to the emergency services has been modified due to the social distancing needed in the COVID-19 epidemic. For this reason, it is essential to know the family members' perceptions about telephone medical reports. Objective To determine the perception of care by family members of patients hospitalized due to COVID-19 on telephone medical reports in a tertiary hospital's emergency room in Lima, Peru. Methods A non-experimental cross-sectional study, through a survey of family members of patients with COVID-19 admitted during July and August 2020. The "External user satisfaction survey of the Ministry of Health" adapted to this setting was used due to the absence of similar studies. Information, respect for the user, efficiency, accessibility, suitability, security, and overall satisfaction were considered. The sample size for finite populations was selected from 2 936 family members, obtaining 347 surveys from 641 calls. Relatives were called by phone, and after acceptance, the survey was sent to them via WhatsApp in Google Forms format. Once the survey was received, it was analyzed using descriptive statistical techniques. Results We made 641 telephone calls with a response rate of 54.1%, obtaining 347 surveys. The mean age was 40.12 years (standard deviation: 11.93 years), with 61.4% of females and 38.0% married. We found that 65.1% received higher education and that Chorrillos was the most prevalent district (10.1%). Moreover, 42.4% of those surveyed were children of hospitalized patients, 17.3% were spouses, and 85% were not health personnel. We found a high level of agreement in overall satisfaction (73.2%) and in most dimensions, including information (88.8%), respect for the user (82.1%), efficiency (70.3%), accessibility (75.8%), suitability (79.0%), and security (87.9%). Conclusion The telephone medical reports to relatives of patients hospitalized due to COVID-19 in the emergency room found an overall satisfaction of 73.2% . Telephone medical reports are essential alternatives to improve the quality of care during the COVID-19 epidemic.

Factores asociados a Hospitalizaciones inadecuadas de adultos mayores en el Servicio de Emergencia del Hospital Edgardo Rebagliati Martins 2017 / Factors associated with inadequate Hospitalizations of older adults in the Emergency Department of the Hospital Edgardo Rebagliati Martins 2017

Introducción:Las hospitalizaciones inadecuadas (HI) alteran la gestión hospitalaria y mucho más cuando estas son realizadas en población adulta mayor, por tal la identicación de los factores es de relevancia en el ámbito nacional y local. Objetivo:Determinar los factores asociados a HI de adultos mayores en el Servicio de Emergencia (SE) del Hospital Nacional Edgardo Rebagliati Martins (HNERM) durante el año 2017. Métodos: Estudio observacional, analítico, transversal. Se seleccionó una muestra de 414 pacientes seleccionados aleatoriamente de 18 250 pacientes admitidos en el periodo de estudio. Se utilizaron chas de recolección y se revisaron historias clínicas. Con ayuda del programa SPSS 25 se realizó la prueba Chi cuadrado y se calculó la Razón de Prevalencias simple (RP) y ajustada (Rpa). El nivel de signicancia fue del 5%. Resultados: La frecuencia de HI fue de 11,8%. Los factores epidemiológicos asociados a HI fueron las edades de 75 a 84 años RPa=5,80 (2,20-15,27) y de 85 a más años RPa=8.22 (2,76-24,44), el sexo femenino RPa=2,20 (1,11-3,10), la ocupación ama de casa RPa=3,39 (1,13-10,17) y el acompañamiento del cónyuge RPa= 9,16 (2,59-32,38), hijo/a RPa= 3,72 (1,14-12,14), padres RPa= 8,50 (1,88-38,44) y hermanos RPa= 22,42 (5,78-86,97). Los factores organizativos asociados a HI fueron médico tratante internista RPa=2,90 (1,38-6,07) y turno mañana de admisión RPa=4,84 (1,67-14,06). Conclusiones: Existen factores asociados a las HI de adultos mayores en el SE del HNERM.

Introduction:Inadequate hospitalizations (IH) alter hospital management and much more when they are carried out in the elderly population; therefore, identifying the factors is relevant at the national and local levels. Objective: To determine the factors associated with IH in older adults in the Emergency Service (ES) of the Edgardo Rebagliati Martins National Hospital (HNERM) during 2017. Methods: Observational, analytical, cross-sectional study. A sample of 414 patients randomly selected from 18 250 patients admitted during the study period was selected. Collection forms were used, and medical records were reviewed. With the help of the SPSS 25 program, the Chi-square test was performed, and the simple Prevalence Ratio (PR) and adjusted (Rpa) were calculated. The level of signicance was 5%. Results: The frequency of IH was 11,8%. The epidemiological factors associated with IH were ages from 75 to 84 years RPa=5,80 (2,20-15,27) and from 85 to more years RPa=8,22 (2,76-24,44), the female sex RPa=2,20 (1,11-3,10), the occupation as a housewife RPa=3,39 (1,13-10,17) and the accompaniment of the spouse RPa= 9,16 (2,59-32,38), child RPa= 3,72 (1,14-12,14), parents RPa= 8,50 (1,88-38,44) and siblings RPa=22,42 (5,78-86,97). The organizational factors associated with IH were internist treating physician RPa=2,90 (1,38-6,07) and admisiion morning shift RPa=4,84 (1,67-14,06). Conclusions: There are factors associated with IH in older adults in the SE of HNERM.

Ascorbic acid specifically reduces the misclassification of nonirritating reactive chemicals in the OptiSafe™ macromolecular eye irritation test.

Recently, we showed that the addition of physiological concentrations of ascorbic acid, a tear antioxidant, to the OptiSafe™ macromolecular eye irritation test reduced the false-positive (FP) rate for chemicals that had reactive chemistries, leading to the formation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and molecular crosslinking. The purpose of the current study was to 1) increase the number of chemicals tested to comprehensibly determine whether the antioxidant-associated reduction in OD is specific to FP chemicals associated with ROS chemistries and 2) determine whether the addition of antioxidants interferes with the detection of true positive (TP) and true negative (TN) ocular irritants. We report that when ascorbic acid is added to the test reagents, retesting of FP chemicals with reactive chemistries show significantly reduced OD values (P < 0.05). Importantly, ascorbic acid had no significant effect on the OD values of TP or TN chemicals regardless of chemical reactivity. These findings suggest that supplementation of ascorbic acid in alternative ocular irritation tests may help improve the detection of TN for those commonly misclassified reactive chemicals.

Maternal Separation Modifies the Activity of Social Processing Brain Nuclei Upon Social Novelty Exposure.

Maternal separation has been shown to disrupt proper brain development and maturation, having profound consequences on the neuroendocrine systems in charge of the stress response, and has been shown to induce behavioral and cognitive abnormalities. At the behavioral level, maternal separation has been shown to increase offensive play-fighting in juvenile individuals and reduce social interest in adulthood. Since most of the studies that have evaluated the consequences of maternal separation on social behavior have focused on behavioral analysis, there is a need for a further understanding of the neuronal mechanisms underlying the changes in social behavior induced by maternal separation. Therefore, the aim of the present research was to assess the long-term effects of maternal separation on social interaction behavior and to assess the activity of several brain regions involved in the processing of social cues and reward upon social novelty exposure, using c-Fos immunohistochemistry as a marker of neuronal activity. Male Wistar rats were subjected to 4 h maternal separation during the neonatal period, 9:00 h-13:00 h from postnatal day 1 to 21, and exposed to social novelty during adulthood. After social novelty exposure, brains were fixed and coronal sections of the medial amygdala, lateral septum (LS), paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus, nucleus accumbens, and medial prefrontal cortex were obtained for c-Fos immunohistochemistry. Maternally separated rats spent less time investigating the novel peer, suggesting that maternal separation reduces social approach motivation. Furthermore, maternal separation reduced the number of c-Fos positive cells of the medial amygdala, paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus, LS, nucleus accumbens, and medial prefrontal cortex upon social novelty exposure. These findings suggest that maternal separation can reduce the plastic capacity of several brain nuclei, which constitute a physiological basis for the emergence of behavioral disorders presented later in life reported to be linked to early life adversity.

Modeling the antioxidant properties of the eye reduces the false-positive rate of a nonanimal eye irritation test (OptiSafe).

We recently identified a group of chemicals that are misclassified by most, if not all, in vitro alternative ocular irritation tests, suggesting that nonanimal tests may not fully model the ocular environment in which these chemicals interact. To address this, we evaluated the composition of tears, the first defense against foreign substances, and identified the presence of antioxidants that could detoxify reactive chemicals that otherwise may be falsely identified as irritants in alternative irritation tests. In this study, we evaluated the effects of tear antioxidants on the ocular irritation scoring of commonly overclassified chemicals (false positives) using the OptiSafe™ ocular irritation test. Six tear-related antioxidants were individually added to the OptiSafe formulation, and the effects on test outcome were determined. Ascorbic acid, the most abundant water-soluble antioxidant in tears, specifically reduced the OptiSafe false-positive rate. Titration curves showed that this reduction occurs at in vivo concentrations and is specific to chemicals identified either as producing reactive oxygen species or as crosslinkers. Importantly, the addition of tear antioxidants did not impact the detection of true negatives, true positives, or other false positives unassociated with reactive oxygen species or crosslinking. These results suggest that the addition of tear antioxidants to in vitro alternative test systems may substantially reduce the false-positive rate and improve ocular irritant detection.

Same-chemical comparison of nonanimal eye irritation test methods: Bovine corneal opacity and permeability, EpiOcular™, isolated chicken eye, ocular Irritection®, OptiSafe™, and short time exposure.

The testing and classification of chemicals to determine adverse ocular effects are routinely conducted to ensure that materials are appropriately classified, labeled, and meet regulatory and safety guidelines. We have performed a same-chemical analysis using publicly available validation study results and compared the performance between tests for the same chemicals. To normalize for chemical selection, we matched chemicals tested by pairs of tests so that each matched set compared performance for the exact same chemicals. Same-chemical accuracy comparisons demonstrate a chemical selection effect that results in a wide range of overlapping false-positive (FP) rates and accuracies for all test methods. In addition, the analysis suggests that a tiered-testing strategy with specific combinations of tests can reduce the FP rate for some combinations. However, reductions in the FP rates were typically accompanied by an increase in the false-negative rates, resulting in minimal advantage in terms of accuracy. In addition, actual improvements in the FP rate after retesting positives with a second test are not as good as the theoretical improvements because some chemicals and functional groups appear to be broadly misclassified by all test methods, which, to the extent the tests make the same-chemical misclassifications, reduces the advantage of using tiered-testing strategies.

Factores asociados a trastornos musculoesqueléticos en trabajadores de limpieza del servicio de emergencia de un hospital terciario / Factors Associated With Musculoskeletal Disorders In Cleaning Workers Of The Emergency Service Of A Tertiary Hospital

Introducción: Los trastornos musculoesqueléticos son problemas de salud que pueden llevara la incapacidad. Objetivo: Determinar los factores asociados a la presencia de trastornosmusculoesqueléticos en trabajadores de limpieza del servicio de emergencia del hospital NacionalEdgardo Rebagliati Martins, año 2019. Métodos: Descriptivo, observacional, transversal retrospectivocon enfoque cuantitativo. Se utilizó la técnica de la encuesta y el instrumento fue el CuestionarioNórdico Estandarizado. Se aplicó estadística descriptiva e inferencial. Resultados: 129 participantes,de sexo femenino (82,95%); mediana de edad 43 años, talla 1,55m, con sobrepeso u obesidad (57,37%),estudios secundarios o superiores (93,80%), procedencia del interior del país (37,21 %) y de Lima;radicaban en Lima 32 años, la mediana de tiempo de trabajo fue18 meses, 43,41% trabajaban en lamañana y 9,30% laboraban en más de un lugar. Presentaron dolor musculoesquelético 93,02%, doloren más de una zona 75,97%, dolor lumbar 65,12%, dolor dorsal 47,29%, dolor en cuello (37,21%) y doloren codo/antebrazo 13,18%. Sólo en el análisis bivariado, el tiempo de trabajo fue significativo parapresencia dolor (P= 0,009). Conclusión: Tras realizar el análisis ajustado, no se encontraron factoresasociados a los trastornos musculoesqueleticos.

Introduction: Musculoskeletal disorders are health problems that can lead to disability. Objective: Todetermine the factors associated with the presence of musculoskeletal disorders in cleaning workers inthe emergency service of the Edgardo Rebagliati Martins National Hospital, 2019. Methods: Descriptive,observational, cross-sectional retrospective with a quantitative approach. The survey technique wasused and the instrument was the Standard Nordic Questionnaire. Descriptive and inferential statisticswere applied. Results: 129 participants, female (82.95%); median age 43 years, height 1.55m, overweightor obese (57.37%), secondary or higher education (93.80%), originating in the interior of the country(37.21%) and from Lima; 32 years lived in Lima, the median working time was 18 months, 43.41% workedin the morning and 9.30% worked in more than one place (9.30%). They presented musculoskeletal pain93.02%, pain in more than one area 75.97%, low back pain 65.12%, back pain 47.29%, neck pain (37.21%)and elbow / forearm pain 13, 18%. Only in the bivariate analysis, the working time was significant forthe presence of pain (p value=0.009). Conclusion: After performing the adjusted analysis, no factorsassociated with musculoskeletal disorders were found.

Anandamide and sucralose change ΔFosB expression in the reward system.

Food reward has been studied with highly palatable stimuli that come from natural additives such as sucrose. The most common food additive is sucralose, a noncaloric sweetener present in many food products of daily intake. The role of anandamide [N-arachidonylethanolamide (AEA)], an endogenous cannabinoid, has been widely studied in food behavior. Studies have shown that cannabinoids, such as AEA, 2-Arachidonilglycerol, and Tetrahydrocannabinol, can provoke hyperphagia, because they enhance the preference and intake of sweet and high-fat food. Taste perception is mediated by receptors taste type 1 receptor 3 (T1R3); therefore, there could be a synergistic effect between receptors CB1 and T1R3. This could explain why cannabinoids could change sweet taste perception and therefore the activity of neural nuclei involved in taste and reward. In this study, we evaluated the activity of dopaminergic nuclei implicated in food reward after the chronic administration of AEA (0.5 mg/kg bw) and sucralose intake (0.02%). We analyzed the expression of ΔFosB by immunohistochemistry. Our results show that the chronic administration of AEA and sucralose intake induces an overexpression of ΔFosB in the infralimbic cortex (Cx), nucleus accumbens (NAc) core, shell, and central nucleus of amygdala (Amy). These results suggest that the possible interaction between receptors CB1 and T1R3 has consequences not only in taste perception but also that AEA intervenes in the activity of dopaminergic nuclei such as the NAc, and that the chronic administration AEA and sucralose intake induce long-term changes in the reward system.

An in vitro depth of injury prediction model for a histopathologic classification of EPA and GHS eye irritants.

The purpose of this study was to develop Globally Harmonized System (GHS) and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) prediction models for classifying irritant materials based on histopathologic in vitro depth of injury (DoI) measurements. Sixteen different materials were selected, representing all classes of toxicity, according to the GHS and EPA classification systems. Food-source rabbit eyes, similar to eyes used for the widely accepted Bovine Corneal Opacity and Permeability and Isolated Chicken Eye ocular irritation tests, were used. Tissues were exposed to test material for 1 min, and corneas were collected at 3- and 24-hours post-exposure. Tissues were then fixed and processed for live/dead biomarker fluorescent staining using phalloidin. DoI was then measured, and the percent DoI values for the epithelium and stroma were compared to the EPA and GHS classifications. Excluding surfactants, EPA nonclassified (category IV) materials showed no stromal and very slight epithelial damage (≤10%) to the cornea, whereas EPA corrosive (category I) materials showed significantly greater damage (P < 0.001), ranging from 39% to 100% of the stromal depth. Importantly, EPA reversible (categories II and III) materials showed significant damage to the epithelium (>10%, P < 0.005) but significantly less severe damage to the corneal stroma (P < 0.001), ranging from 1% to 38% of the stromal depth. GHS nonclassified (category NC) irritants caused damage to the epithelium but not to the stroma. All GHS class 2 materials showed damage to the stroma (1-11%), whereas GHS corrosives caused significantly greater damage to the stroma (38-100%; P < 0.001). Additionally, one corrosive material, which produced a stromal DoI of 99% at 24 h, produced no apparent damage at 3-hours post-exposure. Based on these findings, histopathologic EPA and GHS prediction models are proposed that appear to separate and identify reversible irritants from other irritant classes. Furthermore, GHS classification appears to require stromal damage, whereas NC materials may or may not damage the corneal epithelium.

c-Fos immunoreactivity in the hypothalamus and reward system of young rats after social novelty exposure.

Socialization is an adaptive behavior during the early stages of life because it helps young animals become independent and determines healthy adult social behavior. Therefore, it is probable that the brain areas involved in the processing of social stimuli are more sensitive to social novelty during early life stages. To test this hypothesis, four groups of young male rats were exposed to different socioenvironmental stimuli; nonsocial physical novelty, social familiarity, social novelty, and a control group which received no stimulation. After stimuli exposure, brains were fixed and cut in coronal sections for c-Fos immunohistochemistry. The number of c-Fos-immunoreactive (c-Fos-ir) neurons in the paraventricular nucleus and supraoptic nucleus, the main producers of oxytocin and vasopressin, was compared, as well as in the nucleus accumbens and ventral pallidum, the main areas involved in reinforced behavior. A significantly higher number of c-Fos-ir neurons were found in animals exposed to social novelty in all areas, except in the supraoptic nucleus. In particular, the increase in c-Fos-ir in the paraventricular nucleus seems to be selective in response to social novelty, while the increase of c-Fos-ir in the nucleus accumbens and ventral pallidum suggests that social novelty during youth is a highly rewarding stimulus compared with social familiarity and nonsocial physical novelty.

Trombosis venosa profunda de miembro inferior en gestante del primer trimestre: Reporte de caso / Lower limb deep vein thrombosis in first trimester pregnant woman: A case report

Venous thromboembolism represents a prominent cause of maternal morbidity and mortality with an incidence of 0.5 to 2.2 out of 1 000 pregnancies. Pregnant patients have 5 times increased risk compared with non-pregnant women; it is the second cause of death in this population. We present the case of a 27-year-old pregnant woman with 11 weeks of gestation with no significant history who was admitted to the Emergency Department due to 24 hours of pain, increased volume of the lower limb and slight functional impotence for walking. Venous Doppler ultrasound of the lower limbs revealed deep vein thrombosis of the left lower limb. The diagnosis and management of deep vein thrombosis during pregnancy and the need for timely recognition are discussed.

El tromboembolismo venoso representa una causa importante de morbimortalidad materna con incidencia de 0,5 a 2,2 de 1 000 embarazos. Las mujeres embarazadas presentan un riesgo incrementado en 5 veces respecto de las no embarazadas, siendo la segunda causa de muerte en dicha población. Presentamos el caso de una paciente mujer de 27 años, gestante de 11 semanas, sin antecedentes de importancia, quien ingresó a Emergencia por presentar 24 horas dolor e incremento de volumen de extremidad inferior, además de impotencia funcional a la marcha. Se realizó ecografía Doppler venosa de extremidades inferiores, encontrándose trombosis venosa profunda de miembro inferior izquierdo. Se discute el diagnóstico y manejo de la trombosis venosa profunda durante la gestación, la necesidad del reconocimiento oportuno que puede no ser clara.

Tumor abdominopélvico por actinomicosis en gestante / Abdominopelvic tumor due to actinomycosis in a pregnant woman

La actinomicosis es una infección poco frecuente causada por el Actinomyces spp, germen grampositivo, de naturaleza saprofita, ubicado en la boca, tracto genital y el tracto digestivo inferior. Su diagnóstico resulta difícil por la poca frecuencia y clínica muy variable. Se presenta el caso de una mujer de 28 años, de 34½ semanas de gestación, con masa pélvica y abdominal hipogástrica acompañada de dolor abdominal. Un día antes de su ingreso, se intensificó el dolor en fosa ilíaca derecha tipo contracción. Sometida a cesárea se obtuvo producto a término; de inmediato se realizó histerectomía y resección de tumor de pared abdominal más resección en bloque de la cúpula vesical más apendicectomía. La anatomía patológica informó actinomicosis. Se incide en la forma de presentación, en una paciente gestante con producto pretérmino y vivo, así como los signos y síntomas que ayudan a considerar este diagnóstico.

Actinomycosis is a rare infection caused by Actinomyces spp, a gram-positive germ of saprophytic nature, located in the mouth, genital tract and lower gastrointestinal tract. Its diagnosis is difficult because of its low frequency and variable clinical presentation. We report the case of a 28-year-old female, 34½ weeks pregnant, who presented a pelvic and hypogastric mass accompanied by abdominal pain. One day before admission, the contraction-like pain in the right iliac fossa intensified. The patient underwent a cesarean section and a full-term product was obtained. This surgery was followed by hysterectomy and resection of an abdominal wall tumor as well as en bloc resection of the vesical dome plus appendectomy. The pathology report informed actinomycosis. We focus on the presentation in a pregnant woman with a preterm and live product, as well as the signs and symptoms that help consider this diagnosis.

Satisfacción sobre la infraestructura y la calidad de atención en la consulta de gineco-obstetricia de un establecimiento de atención primaria / Satisfaction in infrastructure and quality of care in obstetrics-gynecology consultation of a primary care center

Determinar el grado de satisfacción de los usuarios externos acerca de la infraestructura y la calidad de atención del consultorio del servicio de Gineco - Obstetricia del Hospital de la Solidaridad de Comas. Material y Métodos: Se realizó un estudio observacional no experimental en el servicio de Gineco Obstetricia del Hospital de la Solidaridad Comas de Lima, Perú con pacientes de 18 años o más mediante encuesta anónimas a 249 pacientes, con el instrumento SERVQUAL modificado, de agosto 2011 a febrero 2012. Teniendo como principal medida de resultado el detectar el grado de satisfacción de paciente. Resultados: La edad promedio fue de 41.41 años (DS 13.36); 74% tienen secundaria incompleta o no la han iniciado. 68.28% estuvo de acuerdo en cuanto a la atención y su percepción del trato. La ôexplicación con palabras fáciles de entenderõ tuvo un 73.89% de aceptación y la receta prescrita con indicaciones claras, 75.1% de aceptación. Las tarifas tuvieron 25.70% de totalmente de acuerdo. 29.72% estuvo pocas veces de acuerdo por los vestidores y 55.75% no estaban de acuerdo con la comodidad de los ambientes. La percepción sobre calidad de atención obtuvo un 87.65% de acuerdo. El grado de Satisfacción de los Usuarios Externos fue de 72.58%. El grado de satisfacción en relación a la infraestructura fue de 63.58%.Conclusiones: El grado de Satisfacción de los Usuarios Externos acerca de la Infraestructura y de la Calidad de atención del Consultorio Externo del servicio de Gineco - Obstetricia del Hospital de la Solidaridad de Comas fue elevado...

To determine the degree of satisfaction of External Users in Infrastructure and Quality of care of the Surgery Gynecology û Obstetrics service in the ôDe La Solidaridadõ Hospital in Comas. Material and Methods: Anon-experimental observational study was conducted in the service of Gynecology and Obstetrics in the ôDe La Solidaridadõ Hospital in Comas in Lima, Peru with patients of 18 years and up in 249 patients using a anonymous survey, with the modified SERVQUAL instrument, from August 2011 to February 2012. The main outcome was to detect the degree of patient satisfaction Results: The mean age was 41.41 years (SD 13.36); 74% had incomplete or have not started school. 68.28%. agreed in terms of attention and perception of care. The "explanation with easy words to understand '' had a 73.89% acceptance and the recipe prescribed with clear indications, 75.1% acceptance. Fees had only 25.70% of totally acceptance. 29.72% were rarely agree about the dressing room and 55.75% disagreed with the comfort of the facilities. The perception of quality of care obtained 87.65% agreement. The degree of satisfaction of external users was 72.58%. The degree of satisfaction in relation to infrastructure was 63.58%. Conclusions: The degree of satisfaction of External Users in Infrastructure and Quality of care of the Surgery Gynecology û Obstetrics service in the ôDe La Solidaridadõ Hospital in Comas was high...

Uso inadecuado del bloqueador H2 ranitidina en pacientes hospitalizados en el servicio de emergencia de adultos de un hospital general de EsSalud / Inappropriate use of H2 blocker ranitidine in patients hospitalized in the adult emergency service observation room in an EsSalud general hospital

La terapia profiláctica para úlcera de estrés es una práctica habitual en los servicios de emergencia, siendo muchas veces inadecuada. Objetivo: Determinar si existe uso inadecuado del bloqueador H2 ranitidina, en un servicio de emergencia de adultos. Diseño: Estudio observacional transversal. Lugar: Servicio de Emergencia, Hospital Edgardo Rebagliati Martins, EsSalud, Lima, Perú. Participantes: Pacientes de 14 años o más. Intervenciones: Se revisó las historias clínicas de 422 pacientes ingresados a las salas de observación de emergencia, entre los meses de enero y marzo de 2011. Usando prueba correlacional, los diagnósticos fueron confrontados con la pertinencia del uso de la ranitidina según las guías clínicas, en relación fundamentalmente a la profilaxis de úlcera de estrés. Principales medidas de resultados: Detectar el uso inadecuado de ranitidina mediante ASHP Report Therapeutic Guidelines on Stress Ulcer. Resultados: Del total, 49,8 por ciento (210) fueron varones y 50,2 por ciento (212) mujer. La edad promedio fue 62,2 años (DS 18,9). Los antecedentes más frecuentes fueron hipertensión arterial (24,9 por ciento) y, por sistemas, el cardiovascular (32,5 por ciento). El diagnóstico de ingreso más frecuente fue el síndrome doloroso abdominal (13,3 por ciento) y, por sistema, el cardiovascular (18,6 por ciento). De las personas atendidas, 78,9 por ciento no tenía recomendación de prescripción de ranitidina según los diagnósticos consignados. La ranitidina fue administrada a 63,5 por ciento (268) de los pacientes ingresados. El 72 por ciento (193) de las prescripciones de ranitidina no era recomendada según las guías clínicas, con una medida de concordancia índice de kappa de 0,151 o grado de acuerdo insignificante entre las recomendaciones de las guías y las prescripciones realizadas. De los pacientes sin recomendación, 59,9 por ciento recibió prescripción inadecuada de ranitidina por la especialidad de medicina de emergencia, de cirugía...

Objective: To determine H2 blocker ranitidine misuse in an adult emergency service observation room. Design: Observational crosssectional study. Setting: Emergency Service, Hospital Edgardo Rebagliati Martins, EsSalud, Lima, Peru. Participants: Patients 14 year-old or older. Interventions: Clinical charts of 422 patients admitted to the emergency observation rooms between January and March 2011 were reviewed. Diagnosis was confronted with pertinence of ranitidine use according to clinical guidelines of stress ulcer prophylaxis. Main outcome measures: Inadequate use of ranitidine by the ASHP Report Therapeutic Guidelines on Stress Ulcer. Results: Patients were male in 49.8 per cent (210) and female in 50.2 per cent (212), 62.2 year-old average. Most frequent antecedent was hypertension in 24.9 per cent and cardiovascular as classified by systems in 32.4 per cent. Most frequent admission diagnosis was abdominal pain syndrome in 13.3 per cent, and cardiovascular by systems in 18.6 per cent. From patients admitted 78.9 per cent had no recommendation of ranitidine prescription according to appropriate diagnosis. Ranitidine was administered to 63.5 per cent (268) of patients admitted to observation; 72 per cent (193) of ranitidine prescriptions were not recommended according to current clinical guidelines; kappa index 0.151 showed insignificant agreement. Of patients admitted with no recommendation of ranitidine 59.9 per cent received ranitidine by the emergency medicine specialty, 63.8 per cent by surgery and 11.8 per cent by traumatology. Conclusions: There was ranitidine prescription misuse at Rebagliati Hospital EsSalud emergency observation room by the emergency medicine, surgery and traumatology specialties...

Satisfacción de los usuarios externos acerca de la infraestructura y de la calidad de atención en la consulta del Servicio de Gineco-Obstetricia del Hospital de la Solidaridad de Comas agosto 2011 - febrero 2012 / Satisfaction of the external users of the infrastructure and of the quality of care in the consultation of the Obstetrics and Gynecology Service of the Hospital de la Solidarity de Comas August 2011 - February 2012

Determinar el grado de Satisfacción de los Usuarios Externos acerca de la Infraestructura y de la Calidad de atención del Consultorio Externo del servicio de Gineco-Obstetricia del hospital de la Solidaridad de Comas Agosto 2011- Febrero 2012. Metodología: Estudio de tipo cualitativo, transversal, descriptivo y observacional en 242 encuestas anónimas mediante un instrumento validado, SERVQUAL modificado, para su uso en los Establecimientos de Salud y Servicio Médico de Apoyo del Ministerio de Salud a pacientes del servicio de gineco-obstetricia del hospital de la solidaridad Comas entre los meses de Agosto 2011 a Febrero del 2012. Los datos se procesaron en SPSS 19.0 con estadísticas descriptivas, de frecuencia y porcentajes, media y desviación estándar, presentados con gráficos y tablas de frecuencia con un intervalo de confianza del 95 por ciento y 5 por ciento de error. Las variables principales fueron el Grado de satisfacción de los Usuarios respecto a la Calidad de atención y sobre la Infraestructura en la consulta del servicio de Gineco-Obstetricia. Resultados: El promedio de edad fue de 41.41 años (DS 13,360), siendo los distritos de origen más frecuentes Comas e Independencia con 28.11 por ciento y 18.88 por ciento. 74 por ciento refiere que no ha llegado a concluir la secundaria o no la han iniciado. Un 68.28 por ciento estuvo de acuerdo en cuanto a la atención y su percepción del trato y un 76.28 por ciento están conformes en relación al examen clínico realizado. La "explicación con palabras fáciles de entender" tuvo un 73.89 por ciento de aceptación. La receta prescrita en relación a si las indicaciones fueron claras, con un 75.1 por ciento Las tarifas con un 25.70 por ciento de totalmente de acuerdo, no tuvo una gran aceptación, aunque el 42.97 por ciento estuvo mayormente de acuerdo. 80.72 por ciento estuvo de acuerdo con el horario de atención establecido. Infraestructura tuvo porcentajes de aceptación bajos con un 29.72 por ciento...

Isolation, characterization, and bioinformatic analysis of calmodulin-binding protein cmbB reveals a novel tandem IP22 repeat common to many Dictyostelium and Mimivirus proteins.

A novel calmodulin-binding protein cmbB from Dictyostelium discoideum is encoded in a single gene. Northern analysis reveals two cmbB transcripts first detectable at 4 h during multicellular development. Western blotting detects an approximately 46.6 kDa protein. Sequence analysis and calmodulin-agarose binding studies identified a "classic" calcium-dependent calmodulin-binding domain (179IPKSLRSLFLGKGYNQPLEF198) but structural analyses suggest binding may not involve classic alpha-helical calmodulin-binding. The cmbB protein is comprised of tandem repeats of a newly identified IP22 motif ([I,L]Pxxhxxhxhxxxhxxxhxxxx; where h = any hydrophobic amino acid) that is highly conserved and a more precise representation of the FNIP repeat. At least eight Acanthamoeba polyphaga Mimivirus proteins and over 100 Dictyostelium proteins contain tandem arrays of the IP22 motif and its variants. cmbB also shares structural homology to YopM, from the plague bacterium Yersenia pestis.