Frequency of Neospora caninum-specific antibodies in bulk milk from dairy farms from Mar y Sierras Dairy Basin, Argentina.

The aim of this study was to describe the prevalence of Neospora caninum based on the detection of specific antibodies in bulk tank milk (BTM) from dairy cattle farms in the Mar y Sierras Basin by using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). A total of 98 BTM samples from 49 dairy farms were collected during autumn and spring of 2019. Additionally, 147 paired individual milk and serum samples were collected from two dairy farms to assess the prevalence within-herd by ELISA and indirect fluorescent antibody test (IFAT, serum samples). Additionally, 12 individual serum samples were also assessed to test the agreement between IFAT and ELISA (total serum samples 159). Noteworthy, 100 and 91.84% of 49 dairy farms were positive in the BTM in autumn and spring, respectively. For the within-herd individual samples, a good agreement between serum and milk results was obtained for ELISA and IFAT (0.86-0.90). This is the first study in Argentina in which milk samples were tested to determine the N. caninum infection status at herd and within-herd levels in dairy farms, providing a base for further research.

Gonadal remodeling and hormonal regulation during sex change of juvenile dusky grouper Epinephelus marginatus (Teleostei, Serranidae), an endangered protogynous hermaphrodite fish.

Sex change was induced in Epinephelus marginatus juveniles using a nonsteroidal aromatase inhibitor (AI), a synthetic androgen (17α-methyltestosterone; MT), and a combination of both (MT + AI) in a 90-day experiment. A detailed remodeling of the gonads, the plasma level of gonadal steroids, and immunostaining of pituitary follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), luteinizing hormone (LH), and somatolactin (SL) cells were analyzed. Sex inversion reached the final spermatogenesis stages using MT, while AI triggered spermatogenesis, but reaching only the spermatid stage. Estradiol (E2) levels did not change in fish treated with AI but decreased throughout the experimental period in animals treated with MT and MT + AI. Testosterone (T) levels increased in animals treated with MT during the first 60 days (and combined with AI in the first 30 days), decreasing in all experimental groups at 90 days, while AI-treated animals had increased plasma 11-ketotestosterone (11-KT) levels after 90 days. In control fish, FSH- and SL-producing cells (ir-FSH and ir-SL) were restricted to pars intermedia (PI) of the adenohypophysis. Pituitary ir-FSH cells were decreased at the end of the experimental period in all treatments compared with the CT animals. LH-producing cells (ir-LH) were present in proximal pars distalis (PPD) and pars intermedia (PI) of adenohypophysis and did not change after the experimental period. The decreased number of ir-FSH cells at the end of the experiment in all treatments could be related to the negative feedback loop triggered by the increase in natural and/or synthetic androgens.

Embryonic and larval development and fatty-acid profile of Epinephelus marginatus spawned in captivity: tools applied to captive rearing.

Development, ontogeny of the digestive system and the fatty-acid (FA) profile, were analysed during development of Epinephelus marginatus. Larvae were analysed 7 and 17 days post fertilization (dpf) to evaluate fatty-acid profile and morphological variables, respectively. Epinephelus marginatus larvae have relatively slow development of digestive structures, but were able to capture, ingest and digest prey by 5 dpf. Eggs were composed of high percentages of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) in phospholipids. The percentage of n3 PUFAs was higher than n6, especially docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), which exhibited higher levels compared with other marine species during the first 3 days of development, both in terms of phospholipids and triglycerides. The larvae present a high content of docosahexaenoic acid-eicosapentaenoic acid (DHA-EPA) and, during this phase, live food of small size was required (copepods or SS-strain Brachionus rotundiformes), enriched with DHA-EPA. These results may guide future studies on the contribution of FAs required during this stage of the life cycle of E. marginatus, to advance knowledge of the use of these FAs throughout ontogeny and contribute to the culture of this species commercial production or restocking.

Assessing water use and quality through youth participatory research in a rural Andean watershed.

Water availability, use and quality in a rural watershed of the Colombian Andes were investigated through participatory research involving local youth. Research included the quantification of disaggregated water use at the household level; comparison of water use with availability; monitoring water quality of streams, community water intakes and household faucets; and the determination of land use-water quality interactions. Youth were involved in all aspects of the research from design to implementation, dissemination of results and remediation options. Quantification of domestic and on-farm water use, and water availability indicated that water availability was sufficient during the study period, but that only an 8% decrease in dry season supply would result in shortages. Elevated conductivity levels in the headwaters were related to "natural" bank erosion, while downstream high conductivity and coliform levels were associated with discharges from livestock stalls and poorly maintained septic tanks in the stream buffer zone. Through the involvement of youth as co-investigators, the knowledge generated by the research was appropriated at the local level. Community workshops led by local youth promoted water conservation and water quality protection practices based on research, and resulted in broader community participation in water management. The approach involving youth in research stimulated improved management of both land and water resources, and could be applied in small rural watersheds in developed or developing countries.

Guerra contra las Drogas o Guerra contra la Salud? Los retos para la salud pública de la política de Drogas de Puerto Rico / War on Drugs or War against Health? The pitfalls for public health of Puerto Rican drug policy

Puerto Rico has followed the United States in adopting drug policy sustained on a criminal justice model that limits the opportunities to address problematic drug use through public health interventions. Demand for illegal drugs is controlled by criminalizing drug use and applying jail sentences for drug offenses. These strategies marginalize drug users and reduce opportunities to minimize health risks applying public health measures. Production and sale of illegal drugs is criminalized with the intent of dissuading drug use, with adverse unintended health effects that impact both drug users and non-drug users in the community. The present work reviews the assumptions of the punitive prohibitionist model and its outcomes that present themselves as public health challenges in Puerto Rico. It also presents those principles that should sustain pragmatic drug policy to address problematic drug use from a health and social perspective.

Gender and health services use for a mental health problem.

This study addresses whether the predictors of seeking help for a mental health problem differ by gender. An adaptation of Andersen's Socio-Behavioral Model is used to identify factors associated with seeking care for a mental health problem. Data are derived from two waves of a community survey undertaken in 1992-1993 and in 1993-1994 among a probability sample of adults (18-69 years), residing in poor areas of Puerto Rico. Paired data was used from those individuals who responded to both waves of the survey for a total of 3221 community respondents. Responses from wave 1 were used to predict mental health service use in wave 2. The dependent variable is any use of outpatient mental health services in the year preceding the second interview. Logistic regression was used to model the effects of the independent variables on use. Males and females were found to use mental health services in nearly equal proportions. Gender did not have a main effect on use when other covariates were controlled. Significant interactions with gender were found for several predictors of use. The largest intervention effects were encountered in our need for care indicators. Having a definite need for mental health care and poor self-rated mental health had a larger effect on predicting use of services for men than they do for women. It is concluded that strategies designed to improve access to mental health services for minority disadvantaged populations ought to take into account gender differences in the predictors of use. Studies addressing factors influencing health services utilization for a mental health problem should consider stratifying their sample by gender. Future research should establish whether or not these findings are sustained with other population groups.

Heterogeneity in early onset alcoholism suggests a third group of alcoholics.

Data from 141 Brazilian male alcoholics were investigated with the objective of further exploring the heterogeneity of alcoholism and to replicate previous studies. A set of seven variables was studied by different cluster analyses to test hypotheses with two, three, and four groups. The results suggested that the best solution showed three groups of alcoholics, two of them similar to those previously described and a third relatively similar to type 2, but with lower scores in harm avoidance, more positive impact of life events, higher proportion of alcoholic relatives, less frequent use of antianxiety drugs, and less delirium tremens. These results reinforced the model with three groups and may be useful in the delineation of new etiology and treatment studies.

Recurrent and de novo non-alcoholic steatohepatitis following orthotopic liver transplantation.

BACKGROUND: Non-alcoholic steatohepatitis was coined in 1980 to describe pathological and clinical features of non-alcoholic disease associated with pathological features, commonly seen in alcoholic-liver disease itself. It is now a well-recognised cause of end-stage liver disease and a rare cause of orthotopic liver transplantation. A small number of cases with recurrent non-alcoholic steatohepatitis following liver transplantation have been reported, however de novo non-alcoholic steatohepatitis in the liver allograft is not well recognised. AIMS/RESULTS: We report four cases of non-alcoholic steatohepatitis following orthotopic liver transplantation describing the factors related with the pathology. The recurrence of fatty infiltration occurred within 21 months and transition from mild steatosis to non-alcoholic steatohepatitis and early fibrosis was observed within 60 months post transplant in all four patients. All four cases had association with one or multiples risk factors (obesity, type 2 diabetes and/or hyperlipidemia). CONCLUSIONS: Management of this risk factors may play a therapeutic role in the prevention of recurrent and de novo non-alcoholic steatohepatitis following orthotopic liver transplantation.

[Microbiological quality of pasteurized milk creams manufactured in Venezuela]. / Calidad microbiológica de las cremas de leche pasteurizadas elaboradas en Venezuela.

A total of 100 samples of pasteurized milk creams produced by eleven (11) dairy milk industries were analyzed for the presence of microoganisms. The dairy milk industries were distributed along different places of Venezuela. The samples were analyzed for the presence of mesophilic aerobic bacteria, psychotropic bacteria, Staphylococcus aureus, coliformes, molds and yeasts 75% of the analyzed samples did not reach the international standards for aerobic mesophilic bacteria, similarly, 95% for Staphylococcus aureus, 91% for coliformes and 58% for molds and yeasts, so pathogenic enterobacteria we have found: Salmonella Typhimurium, Shigella sonnei and Escherichia coli enteropathogenic.

Verminoses / Intestinal parasitosis (verminosis)

Escolhendo o tema das verminoses, o Grupo Interdisciplinar e Multiprofissional n§9 (GIM-9) fez um levantamento da frequência de positividade de verminose entre a populaçäo da área de abrangência da Unidade Básica de Saúde do Jardim Leonor, em Londrina, e, em seguida, procurou proporcionar maior informaçäo àquela populaçäo sobre a importância de cuidados básicos, higiene pessoal e saneamento básico. Como objetivos secundários, decorrentes do processo de aprendizagem, destacamos a integraçäo e desenvolvimento em equipe multidisciplinar, o amadurecimento ético e humanístico e o despertar do espírito crítico logo no início da nossa formaçäo profissional

Evaluación de los conocimientos y necesidades referidas a diabetes de los médicos generales / Evaluation of knowledge and needs refered to diabetes in general physicians

El objetivo de este estudio fue determinar la necesidad de conocimientos acerca de diabetes que manifiestan los médicos generales. Los autores confeccionaron un cuestionario y con él encuestaron a 366 médicos de 20 hospitales municipales de la ciudad de Buenos Aires. El cuestionario se refería al interés de adquirir conocimientos de diabetes en general y sobre distintos temas diabetológicos en particular, el tiempo para estudiar y la frecuencia de consultas con médicos especializados en diabetes. Las respuestas demostraron que las necesidades son elevadas, especialmente en el área de tratamiento. Al mismo tiempo se evaluaron los métodos deseados por los encuestados para aumentar sus conocimientos, siendo la utilización de revisiones la más solicitada. Se demuestra además que los médicos generales no realizan las interconsultas con los médicos especialistas con la frecuencia necesaria. De las conclusiones del trabajo se deduce que en la programación de los programas de educación médica continuada en diabetes es necesario tener en cuenta las necesidades de los médicos a quienes van dirigidos

Evaluación de los conocimientos y necesidades referidas a diabetes de los médicos generales / Evaluation of knowledge and needs refered to diabetes in general physicians

El objetivo de este estudio fue determinar la necesidad de conocimientos acerca de diabetes que manifiestan los médicos generales. Los autores confeccionaron un cuestionario y con él encuestaron a 366 médicos de 20 hospitales municipales de la ciudad de Buenos Aires. El cuestionario se refería al interés de adquirir conocimientos de diabetes en general y sobre distintos temas diabetológicos en particular, el tiempo para estudiar y la frecuencia de consultas con médicos especializados en diabetes. Las respuestas demostraron que las necesidades son elevadas, especialmente en el área de tratamiento. Al mismo tiempo se evaluaron los métodos deseados por los encuestados para aumentar sus conocimientos, siendo la utilización de revisiones la más solicitada. Se demuestra además que los médicos generales no realizan las interconsultas con los médicos especialistas con la frecuencia necesaria. De las conclusiones del trabajo se deduce que en la programación de los programas de educación médica continuada en diabetes es necesario tener en cuenta las necesidades de los médicos a quienes van dirigidos (AU)

[The clock test: a simple method to assess dementia]. / Prueba del reloj: un método simple para evaluar demencia.

AIM: to validate an easy and simple test to measure cognitive function: the clock drawing test. STUDY DESIGN: 138 hospitalized and free living elders (96 female, mean age 77.9 years) were studied. They were requested to draw a clock, using standardized instructions. The drawings were independently analyzed and scored by the authors. The Mini Mental State test was used as reference and the scores of both tests were correlated. RESULTS: there was a correlation of 0.73 between the scores of the clock drawing and Mini Mental State tests. Using a score of 7 points in tye clock drawing and 26 points in the Mini Mental State test as cut of points for the diagnosis of dementia, the former's sensitivity and specificity was 0.82 and 0.71 respectively. CONCLUSIONS: the clock drawing test appears as a simple and effective test for the initial assessment of cognitive functions in patients with suspected dementia.

[Microbiological quality of vanilla ice cream manufactured in Caracas, Venezuela]. / Calidad microbiológica de los helados de crema elaborados en Caracas, Venezuela.

A total of 122 samples of vanilla ice cream, the base product used for all flavors, prepared by eight different large firms at the Metropolitan Area of Caracas, Venezuela, were analyzed for aerobic mesophilic and psicrophilic bacteria, Staphylococcus aureus, Enterobacteriaceae, and Filamentous fungi. Findings revealed that within the sampling, 56.6% complied with the international standards proposed for aerobic mesophilic bacteria, 68% for Staphylococcus aureus, and 23% for Enterobacteriaceae. Three serotypes of enteropathogenic Escherichia coli, one of Salmonella, and one of Shigella were found. Ten genera of Filamentous fungi were isolated and identified.