Associação à positividade da Lawsonia intracellularis com a expressão clínico-patológica da infecção em suínos da região metropolitana de Bucaramanga (Santander, Colômbia) / Association to positivity of Lawsonia intracellularis with the clinical and pathologic expression of infection in swine from the metropolitan area of Bucaramanga (Santander, Colombia)

Porções de íleo terminal foram coletados de 100 suínos com sinais de doença gastrointestinal na área metropolitana de Bucaramanga, a fim de se estudar a eficiência do diagnóstico de enteropatia proliferativa suína (PPE) pela técnica de PCR aninha (PCRa) empregando sequências específicas (primers) para L. intracellularis: 16S ARN região (270pb) e sua correlação com achados clínicos e patológicos. Todas as amostras foram processadas para se determinar a associação entre positividade por PCR, os sinais clínicos, os achados de necropsia e as lesões histológicas. Cinquenta e seis por cento das amostras foram positivas para L. intracellularis pela PCRa. Só 2% exibiram resultados positivos pela técnica Warthin-Starry. Trinta e um de 100 animais com sinais de anorexia resultaram positivos para PCRa (P>0,05). Não houve associação (P<0,05) entre diarreia e queda no crescimento, bem como associação (P<0,05) entre achados anatomopatológicos e histológicos com PCRa positivas.(AU)

Fragments of terminal ileum were collected from 100 pigs at slaughter from Bucaramanga Metropolitan Area (Santander, Colombia), to study the efficacy of the diagnosis of porcine proliferative enterophaty (PPE) through the technique of nested polymerase chain reaction (PCRa), employing specific sequences (primers) for L. intracellularis: 16S ARN region (270pb) and his correlation with clinic and pathological findings. All samples were processed by standard histological methods and stained with a Warthin-Starry technique. All samples were processed to determinate the association between positive PCRa results, clinical signs and necropsy findings. 56% of the 100 samples were positive for L. intracellularis through PCRa technic. Only 2% exhibited positive results through Warthin-Starry technique. A total of 31 (100) animals with anorexic symptoms were associated with positive results from PCRa (P>,05). No associations (P<0.05) were observed between diarrhea and delayed growth. No associations (P<0.05) were observed between anatomopathological and histological findings with positive PCRa.(AU)

Associação à positividade da Lawsonia intracellularis com a expressão clínico-patológica da infecção em suínos da região metropolitana de Bucaramanga (Santander, Colômbia) / Association to positivity of Lawsonia intracellularis with the clinical and pathologic expression of infection in swine from the metropolitan area of Bucaramanga (Santander, Colombia)

Porções de íleo terminal foram coletados de 100 suínos com sinais de doença gastrointestinal na área metropolitana de Bucaramanga, a fim de se estudar a eficiência do diagnóstico de enteropatia proliferativa suína (PPE) pela técnica de PCR aninha (PCRa) empregando sequências específicas (primers) para L. intracellularis: 16S ARN região (270pb) e sua correlação com achados clínicos e patológicos. Todas as amostras foram processadas para se determinar a associação entre positividade por PCR, os sinais clínicos, os achados de necropsia e as lesões histológicas. Cinquenta e seis por cento das amostras foram positivas para L. intracellularis pela PCRa. Só 2% exibiram resultados positivos pela técnica Warthin-Starry. Trinta e um de 100 animais com sinais de anorexia resultaram positivos para PCRa (P>0,05). Não houve associação (P<0,05) entre diarreia e queda no crescimento, bem como associação (P<0,05) entre achados anatomopatológicos e histológicos com PCRa positivas.(AU)

Fragments of terminal ileum were collected from 100 pigs at slaughter from Bucaramanga Metropolitan Area (Santander, Colombia), to study the efficacy of the diagnosis of porcine proliferative enterophaty (PPE) through the technique of nested polymerase chain reaction (PCRa), employing specific sequences (primers) for L. intracellularis: 16S ARN region (270pb) and his correlation with clinic and pathological findings. All samples were processed by standard histological methods and stained with a Warthin-Starry technique. All samples were processed to determinate the association between positive PCRa results, clinical signs and necropsy findings. 56% of the 100 samples were positive for L. intracellularis through PCRa technic. Only 2% exhibited positive results through Warthin-Starry technique. A total of 31 (100) animals with anorexic symptoms were associated with positive results from PCRa (P>,05). No associations (P<0.05) were observed between diarrhea and delayed growth. No associations (P<0.05) were observed between anatomopathological and histological findings with positive PCRa.(AU)

Annual variations in sexual hormones and births' frequency in female stump-tailed macaques (Macaca arctoides).

Although the breeding seasonality in Macaca arctoides have been studied over a long period of time, it is still controversial whether reproduction in this primate tend to increase during certain months of the year as it happens in most of the macaque species. Many authors have classified Macaca arctoides as not being seasonal species. Nonetheless, there were no reports, about seasonal variations of female sexual hormones to demonstrate that asseveration. Therefore, in the present study we collect 1611 fecal samples from June 2009 to November 2010 from 10 female stump-tailed macaques to measure 17ß-estradiol and progesterone concentrations. Also, we included the birth frequency per year, in order to identify if sexual hormones peaked at a certain period of the year, thus, births would be occurring six months later according to the gestation length of stump-tailed macaques. Our results indicate two mating seasons per year in stump-tailed macaques: one in July-August and a second one in November. The distribution of the birth frequency, throughout the year support these results. We conclude that stump-tail macaques have a discrete seasonality no different than most of macaques' species.

Adhesión y proliferación de las células troncales mesenquimales de médula ósea en andamios fibrilares de poli (ácido L-láctico) (PLA) / Adhesion and proliferation of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells onto poli-L lactic acid (PLA) fiber scaffolds

Resumen: Los andamios fibrilares han recibido un enorme interés como futuros biomateriales con potencial aplicación en el campo de la biomedicina regenerativa. En este sentido, hemos optimizado los parámetros para la síntesis de diferentes concentraciones (6, 7, y 10 %) de andamios de ácido poli-láctico (PLA) por la técnica de hilado por propulsión de gas (AJS). Dichos andamios fueron caracterizados por Microscopía Electrónica de Barrido (SEM) y por espectrometría Infrarroja con Transformada de Fourier (FTIR). Nuestros resultados mostraron que los andamios son fibrilares con diámetros en escalas nanométricas. Asimismo; se estudió la biocompatibilidad celular in vitro al realizar ensayos de adhesión, proliferación y de interacción célula-material al cultivar células troncales mesenquimales derivadas de médula ósea. Nuestros datos indican que las membranas fibrilares de PLA aumentan la respuesta celular, no son citotóxicas al compararse con las películas delgadas de PLA. Por lo tanto; el método de síntesis propuesto tiene potencial para la fabricación de membranas hiladas con una facilidad de procesamiento y podría ser un prometedor biomaterial económico con futuras aplicaciones en la regeneración de tejidos.

Abstract: Fiber scaffolds have received increasing interest as promising biomaterials for potential application in the field of tissue regeneration. In this sense, we optimized the parameters for the synthesis of different concentrations (6, 7, and 10 %) of poly-lactic acid (PLA) scaffolds by air jet spinning technology (AJS). The PLA scaffolds were characterized by Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) analysis. Our results by SEM micrographs showed that scaffolds have a fibrilar morphology with nanoscale diameter of fibers. Biocompatibility assay was observed through an in vitro experiment based on cell attachment, MTT and cell-material interaction assay when culturing bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells onto the PLA spun membrane scaffolds. Our data indicate that fiber membrane of PLA scaffold increase the cellular response, are not cytotoxic when compared to thin films of PLA. Thus; the proposed synthesis method has potential for easy processing of spun fibrilar scaffolds with good biocompatibility and could be a promising economical biomaterial with future potential applications in tissue regeneration.

Excitación sexual: una revisión sobre su relación con las conductas sexuales de riesgo / Sexual arousal: a review of its relationship with sexual risk behaviors

Se plantea una revisión sistemática de las publicaciones que relacionan excitación sexual con conductas sexuales de riesgo. La búsqueda bibliográfica en Scopus, Web of Science Pub Medproporcionó 50 estudios. Los resultados fueron organizados en: (a) consumo de alcohol-drogas en encuentros sexuales; (b) uso de métodos anticonceptivos-barrera/riesgo de infección de transmisión sexual y embarazo no deseado; (c) sexo casual/número de parejas sexuales/sexo como profesión. El instrumento de evaluación de la excitación sexual más usado fue Sexual Inhibition/Sexual Excitation Scales. La excitación sexual se relacionó de forma positiva con consumo de alcohol y drogas en una situación sexual, con sexo casual, número de parejas sexuales y trabajar o pagar por sexo y, de forma negativa, con uso métodos anticonceptivos/barrera. Se considera la necesidad de incluir la excitación sexual como una variable relevante en los programas de prevención e intervención de conductas sexuales de riesgo y de educación sexual.

We conducted a systematic review of the literature about the association between sexual arousal and sexual risk behaviors. The literature search in Scopus, Web of science and pubMed provided 50 studies. The results were organized considering: (a) use of alcohol-drugs in sexual encounters; (b) use of contraceptive methods/ risk of sexually transmitted infections and unwanted pregnancy; (c) casual sex/number of sex partners/sex workers. We observed that the self-reported measure more frequently used to assess sexual arousal was the sexual inhibition/sexual excitation scales. In addition, levels of sexual arousal has been positively associated with the use of alcohol and drugs in a sexual situation, casual sex, number of sexual partners and work or pay for sex, and negatively with using contraceptives methods. This review, highlights the need to include sexual arousal as a relevant variable in programmes for the prevention and intervention of sexual risk behaviors and sexual education.

[Microbiological profile of infections in the Intensive Care Units of Colombia (EPISEPSIS Colombia]. / Perfil microbiológico de la Infecciones en Unidades de Cuidados Intensivos de Colombia (EPISEPSIS Colombia).

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Valid and reliable data regarding sepsis is lacking in Colombia. Our aim was to determine the prevalence of the microorganisms in the main infections treated in Intensive Care Units (ICUs) in our country. METHODS: This is a sub-study of a prospective cohort with 10 general hospitals in Colombia during a 6-month period. The inclusion criteria were hospitalization in ICU and confirmation of infection according to the CDC definitions. Patients were classified into three groups, that is, community, hospital and intensive care, according to the site where the infection was acquired. RESULTS: A total of 826 patients were included in this analysis. Of these, 51% developed infections in the community, 5.33% in the hospital and 43.7% in intensive care unit. Overall, the most common diagnoses were pneumonia (29.54%), intra-abdominal infection (18.16%) and urinary tract infection (11.62%). The most frequent germ in community-acquired infections was E. coli -lung (16. 4%), peritoneum (57.7%), urine (55.5%), blood (22.4%)-. E. coli -peritoneum (29.3%), urine (52.9%)- also predominated in the ICU-acquired infections, except for lung and blood in which Staphylococcus aureus (32.4%) and Klebsiella pneumoniae (15.7%) were the most prevalent. Cultures were requested from 655 patients, 40% of them having received antibiotics before cultures were taken, although this did not affected the percentages of positive cultures (P=0.583). CONCLUSIONS: Pneumonia was the main cause of infection regardless of the site of acquisition. E. coli was the most prevalent germ, except in the pulmonary infections acquired in UCI in which S. aureus was the most prevalent.

Sediment and pollutant load modelling using an integrated urban drainage modelling toolbox: an application of City Drain.

Numerical and computational modelling of flow and pollutant dynamics in urban drainage systems is becoming more and more integral to planning and design. The main aim of integrated flow and pollutant models is to quantify the efficiency of different measures at reducing the amount of pollutants discharged into receiving water bodies and minimise the consequent negative water quality impact. The open source toolbox CITY DRAIN developed in the Matlab/Simulink environment, which was designed for integrated modelling of urban drainage systems, is used in this work. The goal in this study was to implement and test computational routines for representing sediment and pollutant loads in order to evaluate catchment surface pollution. Tested models estimate the accumulation, erosion and transport of pollutants--aggregately--on urban surfaces and in sewers. The toolbox now includes mathematical formulations for accumulation of pollutants during dry weather period and their wash-off during rainfall events. The experimental data acquired in a previous research project carried out by the Environmental Engineering Research Centre (CIIA) at the Universidad de los Andes in Bogotá (Colombia) was used for the calibration of the models. Different numerical approaches were tested for their ability to calibrate to the sediment transport conditions. Initial results indicate, when there is more than one peak during the rainfall event duration, wash-off processes probably can be better represented using a model based on the flow instead of the rainfall intensity. Additionally, it was observed that using more detailed models (compared with an instantaneous approach) for representing pollutant accumulation do not necessarily lead to better results.

[Non-invasive evaluation of pulmonary artery occlusion pressure in critically ill patients with mechanical ventilation]. / Evaluación no invasiva de la presión de oclusión de la arteria pulmonar en el paciente crítico mecánicamente ventilado.

OBJECTIVE: To compare the measurements of pulmonary artery occlusion pressure (PAOP) by means of the use a pulmonary artery catheter and those obtained through a formula that relates the systolic artery pressure before and after a Valsalva maneuver. DESIGN: Prospective observational study. SCOPE: Medical-surgical intensive care unit. PATIENTS: A total of 120 patients mechanically ventilated and with deep sedation who had pulmonary artery catheter and arterial line. INTERVENTIONS: Provocation of a Valsalva maneuver by maintaining airway pressure at 30 mmHg for 10 seconds that was subsequently released. MAIN VARIABLES OF INTEREST: PAOP measured at the end of expiration by means of the use of a pulmonary artery catheter, PAOP was calculated by means of the use of a formula that relates the systolic artery pressure before and after a Valsalva maneuver. RESULTS: There was a limited correlation between the measured PAOP and that calculated by means of the Valsalva maneuver in the total population (r=0.44, CI 95%: 0.28 to 0.57, p=0.0001). There was a better correlation in the post-surgical subgroup (r=0.518, CI 95%: 0.1055 to 0.7738, p=0.016) and in the sub-group of "Others diagnosis" (r=0.62, CI: 95%: 0.30 to 0.81, p=0.001). CONCLUSIONS: The prediction of the PAOP by means of the Valsalva maneuver showed a limited correlation with that obtained by means of the pulmonary artery catheter.

TVT (cinta vaginal libre de tensión) nuevo tratamiento para la incontinencia urinaria de esfuerzo: experiencia en el Hospital Patrocinio Peñuela Ruíz / TVT (vaginal type free of tension) new treatment for the incontinence urinaria of effort: experience in the Hospital Patrocinio Peñuela Ruíz

Descripción de la técnica quirúrgica y evaluación en nuestra casuística del tratamiento de la incontinencia urinaria de esfuerzo con cinta vaginal libre de tensión (TVT). Se realizo una revisión de la literatura acerca de este nuevo método. Se revisaron las historias de las pacientes sometidas a este procedimiento en el Hospital Patrocinio Peñuela Ruíz, recolectando datos en tablas para la evaluación y análisis de la misma. Se encontraron un total de 14 casos, con un promedio de edad de 50 años. Se presentaron (2) casos de perforación de vejiga (14,2 por ciento), dos (2) casos presentaron retención urinaria en el postoperatorio inmediato (14,2 por ciento). La tasa de curación subjetiva fue de 81,8 por ciento. La mayoría de los casos fueron intervenidos en forma ambulatoria. Los resultados obtenidos son equiparables con los publicados en otras series. Concluimos se trata de una técnica sencilla, de fácil aprendizaje, con tiempo quirúrgico corto y corta estancia postoperatoria, siendo así una buena elección en el tratamiento de la incontinencia urinaria de esfuerzo.

BCR/ABL p210, p190 and p230 fusion genes in 250 Mexican patients with chronic myeloid leukaemia (CML).

There are two major forms of the BCR/ABL fusion gene, involving ABL exon 2, but including different exons of BCR gene. The transcripts b2a2 or b3a2 code for a p210 protein. Another fusion gene leads to the expression of an e1a2 transcript, which codes for a p190 protein. Another, less common fusion gene is c3a2[e19a2], which encodes a p230 protein. The incidence of one or the other rearrangement in chronic myeloid leukaemia (CML) patients varies in different reported series. This study was designed to determine the frequency of coexpresion of the p210, p190 and p230 transcripts in 250 Mexican patients with CML. We performed nested and multiplex reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) on bone marrow samples from adult patients and found that all cases were positive for some type of BCR/ABL rearrangement. In 226 (90.4%) patients it was p210, while the remaining 9.6% showed coexpression or one of the transcripts of p190/p210/p230. In 7% of patients with p210 expression there are both isoforms (b3a2/b2a2), presumably the result of alternative splicing. The rate of coexpression of the p190/p210 transcripts was 5%, which is much lower than in other reports. This may be due to the technical factors. These patients had high platelet counts, marked splenomegaly and chromosomal abnormalities in addition to Ph'. Other types of coexpression seen were p210/p230 and p190/p210/p230, in patients with high-risk clinical factors. Our study confirms the occurrence of coexpression of different BCR/ABL transcripts, although the rate (9.6%) was much lower than has been reported in other populations. This may reflect either the sensitivity of the detection techniques used or the possibility of genetic differences between the populations studied. Coexpression may be due to alternative splicing or to phenotypic variation, with clinical courses different from classical CML.

Prevalence, detection and treatment of anxiety, depression, and delirium in the adult critical care unit.

This study assesses the levels of depression, anxiety, and delirium during admission to three adult critical care units (CCU) and the performance of CCU staff with respect to detection and treatment. During a 1-month period, 96 consecutive patients were evaluated on the first day of admission by an independent rater, using the Hospital Anxiety Depression Scale and the Confusional Assessment Method. Frequency of alcohol use and demographic data were recorded. CCU teams rarely made diagnoses of anxiety, depression, or delirium. On at least one screening test, 29.2% of patients were positive. Delirium was present in 7.3%, depression in 13.7%, anxiety in 24%, and possible problem drinking in 37.9%. Although some form of psychiatric treatment was offered to 58%, there was low agreement between psychiatric diagnoses made by the independent rater and the diagnoses made and treatments used by CCU staff. This suggests that the CCU staff are using psychotropic medications without any clear documentation and perhaps clear understanding of the psychiatric diagnoses they are treating. In summary, we found high rates of psychiatric disorders in adult CCU patients but low rates of detection and only moderate rates of treatment by CCU staff.

Radial forearm free tissue transfer for head and neck reconstruction: versatility and reliability of a single donor site.

Since its description as a free flap, the radial forearm flap has undergone numerous modifications for reconstruction of various defects in the head and neck region. Fasciocutaneous, adipofascial, osteocutaneous, tendinofasciocutaneous, or osteotendinofasciocutaneous flaps may be designed and transferred from the radial forearm. This article illustrates the versatility and reliability of this donor site in 15 patients with a variety of head and neck oncologic defects who underwent immediate (12 patients) and delayed (3 patients) reconstruction using different free flaps from the radial forearm. Skin flaps were used in 11 patients (73.3%) with floor of mouth (4 cases), hemiglossectomy (2 cases) and partial maxillectomy (2 cases) defects, and for scalp (1 case), lower lip (1 case) and a central face (anterior maxilla/upper lip/nasal) (1 case) defect. Osteocutaneous flaps were used in four patients (26.6%) for reconstruction of bilateral subtotal maxillectomy defects (2 cases), a complex forehead and nasal defect (1 case), and for mandible reconstruction (1 case). In addition, the palmaris longus tendon was included with the flap in the two patients that required oral sphincter reconstruction. One patient required reexploration due to vein thrombosis, and no flap failures were detected in this series. The donor site healed uneventfully in all patients, except one, who had partial skin graft failure. Because of their multiple advantages, free flaps from the radial forearm have a definite role for reconstruction of head and neck defects. New applications of composite flaps from this donor site may continue to emerge, as illustrated in some of our patients.

Pico flujo espiratorio: valores normales de la ciudad de Salta y correlación con tablas de Polgar / The peak expiratory flow: normal values of the Salta city and correlation with Polgars table

El Pico Flujo Expiratorio (PFE) es útil en el seguimiento de los pacientes con asma moderada y severa, teniendo como parámetros de valores normales las tablas de Polgar. En la práctica diaria, nos encontramos con valores que de acuerdo a esta tabla pareciera no corresponder a la clínica que presenta el paciente. Hemos realizado la medición de PFE en 514 niños asintomáticos respiratorios con dos medidores distintos (Vitalograph - Assess) a fin de evaluar si hubiere diferencias entre estos aparatos y con las tablas de Polgar. Los resultados obtenidos muestran una correlación positiva, que nos permite sugerir que aunque las mediciones realizadas parecieran no coincidir con el cuadro clínico, los valores de las tablas de Polgar son útiles como guía y que la lectura de los dos medidores similares (AU)

Pico flujo espiratorio: valores normales de la ciudad de Salta y correlación con tablas de Polgar / The peak expiratory flow: normal values of the Salta city and correlation with Polgar's table

El Pico Flujo Expiratorio (PFE) es útil en el seguimiento de los pacientes con asma moderada y severa, teniendo como parámetros de valores normales las tablas de Polgar. En la práctica diaria, nos encontramos con valores que de acuerdo a esta tabla pareciera no corresponder a la clínica que presenta el paciente. Hemos realizado la medición de PFE en 514 niños asintomáticos respiratorios con dos medidores distintos (Vitalograph - Assess) a fin de evaluar si hubiere diferencias entre estos aparatos y con las tablas de Polgar. Los resultados obtenidos muestran una correlación positiva, que nos permite sugerir que aunque las mediciones realizadas parecieran no coincidir con el cuadro clínico, los valores de las tablas de Polgar son útiles como guía y que la lectura de los dos medidores similares

Three-dimensional reconstruction of thick filaments from rapidly frozen, freeze-substituted tarantula muscle.

We have applied three-dimensional helical reconstruction techniques to images of myosin filaments of tarantula leg muscle obtained from rapidly frozen, freeze-substituted specimens. Computed Fourier transforms of filaments selected from longitudinal sections show up to six layer lines indexing on the 43.5-nm helical repeat of myosin crossbridges. The three-dimensional reconstruction, performed after separation of overlapped Bessel functions, shows four continuous strands of density on the surface of the filament, modulated by density at 14.5-nm intervals, corresponding to the myosin heads aligned approximately along the helical strands. In transverse viw, the reconstruction shows four projections and is similar in profile to myosin filaments seen in thin transverse sections of rapidly frozen muscle. The reconstruction is similar to that of negatively stained, isolated tarantula filaments except that in the latter there is an additional modulation of the helix density, which better resolves the two heads of each myosin crossbridge. Thus, the general arrangement of the myosin heads in the freeze-substituted specimens is preserved, although finer details of structure such as individual myosin heads are lost.

Cuales son las complicaciones mas frecuentes durante la administracion de la alimentacion por sonda nasograstrica en los pacientes del servicio de medicina interna en el Hospital San Rafael de Girardot desde 1/10 a 1/11 de 1984 / What are the most frequent complications during nasogastric tube feeding in the patients from the internal medicine ward in Hospital San Rafael, Girardot, since october 1 to november 1, 1984

En un estudio descriptivo-prospectivo se analizaron las complicaciones de la alimentacion por sonda nasogastrica ocurridas en los pacientes del servicio de medicina interna entre el 1 de octubre y el 1 de noviembre de 1984. La complicacion mas frecuentemente observada fue la diarrea (99%) causada mas probablemente por la tecnica de administracion; el tipo de grastroclisis con el cual se produjeron mas complicacines fue el I..