Milk quality of dual-purpose cows supplemented with biological fish silage (Pterygoplichthys sp.) as a protein source / Calidad de leche de vacas doble propósito suplementadas con ensilado biológico de pez diablo (Pterygoplichthys sp.) como fuente proteica / Qualidade do leite de vacas de duplo propósito suplementadas com silagem biológica de peixe (Pterygoplichthys sp.) como fonte protéica

Abstract Background: Devilfish (Pterygoplichthys sp.) is a pest of high impact in aquaculture production systems. Through a biological fermentation process, it could be used as a source of protein for dairy cows. However, milk palatability and smell could be limiting factors. Objective: to evaluate the quality of milk from cows supplemented with biological fish silage (Pterygoplichthys sp.) as a protein source. Methods: The treatments (T) evaluated were T1, 0% biological fish silage; T2, 10% biological fish silage; and T3, 20% biological fish silage. Twelve randomly selected cows were used in a Latin square experimental design, in which three treatments were tested with all of the cows during three time periods. Each period lasted 20 days (15-day adaptation period and 5-day experimental phase). Milk was analyzed for physicochemical, microbiological, sanitary condition and sensory characteristics. Analyses of variance were performed for all the response variables. Results: No significant differences for physicochemical variables were found among the treatments studied. Differences were observed in microbiological and sanitary variables among treatments, but values were in the range for high quality milk standards (˂100,000 CFU mL-1 aerobic mesophilic bacteria, and ˂400,000 somatic cells mL-1). In the sensory analyses, panelists did not detect strange odors nor fishy taste or odor in the milk of any of the treatments. Conclusion: Biological fish silage can be included up to 20% as a protein source in supplements for lactating cows.

Resumen Antecedentes: el pez diablo (Pterygoplichthys sp.) es una plaga de alto impacto en los sistemas de producción acuícolas. A través de los procesos de fermentación biológicos podría ser utilizado como fuente de proteína en los suplementos para vacas en producción. Sin embargo, el sabor y olor a pescado en la leche pudiera ser una limitante. Objetivos: evaluar la calidad de la leche de vacas suplementadas con ensilaje biológico de pez diablo como fuente de proteína. Métodos: los tratamientos (T) evaluados fueron T1, 0% de ensilaje biológico de Pterygoplichthys sp.; T2, 10% de ensilaje biológico de Pterygoplichthys sp.; y T3, 20% de ensilaje biológico de Pterygoplichthys sp.. Se utilizaron doce vacas seleccionadas al azar en un diseño experimental de cuadrado latino. Cada período tuvo una duración de 20 días (período de adaptación de 15 días y fase experimental de 5 días). La leche fue analizada para determinar su condición fisicoquímica, microbiológica, sanitaria y sensorial. Se realizaron análisis de varianza para todas las variables. Resultados: no se encontraron diferencias significativas entre los tratamientos estudiados para las variables fisicoquímicas las cuales estuvieron dentro de los estándares de leche de mayor calidad. Se observaron diferencias en las variables microbiológicas y sanitarias entre los tratamientos, pero los valores estuvieron dentro del rango para los estándares de leche de mayor calidad (˂100.000 UFC ml-1 de bacterias mesofílicas aeróbicas y ˂400.000 células somáticas ml-1). Los análisis sensoriales no detectaron olores extraños, ni olor ó sabor a pescado en la leche de los tratamientos estudiados. Conclusiones: se puede incluir hasta 20% de ensilaje biológico de Pterygoplichthys sp. como fuente de proteína en los suplementos de vacas en producción.

Resumo Antecedentes: o peixe cascudo (Pterygoplichthys sp.) é uma praga de alto impacto nos sistemas de produção aquícola. Por meio de processos de fermentação biológica poderia ser usado como fonte de proteína em suplementos para vacas em produção, porém o sabor e cheiro de peixe no leite podem ser uma limitação. Objetivos: avaliar a qualidade do leite de vacas suplementadas com silagem biológica de peixe cascudo como fonte de proteína. Métodos: os tratamentos (T) avaliados foram T1, 0% da silagem biológica de Pterygoplichthys sp.; T2, silagem biológica a 10% de Pterygoplichthys sp.; e T3, silagem biológica a 20% de Pterygoplichthys sp. Doze vacas selecionadas aleatoriamente foram utilizadas em um delineamento experimental de quadrado latino. Cada período durou 20 dias (período de adaptação de 15 dias e fase experimental de 5 dias). O leite foi analisado para determinar sua condição físico-química, microbiológica, sanitária e sensorial. Análises de variância foram realizadas para todas as variáveis. Resultados: não foram encontradas diferenças significativas entre os tratamentos estudados para as variáveis físico-químicas, os valores estavam dentro dos mais altos padrões de qualidade do leite. Observaram- se diferenças nas variáveis microbiológicas e sanitárias entre os tratamentos, mas os valores estavam dentro dos limites para os mais altos padrões de leite de qualidade (˂100.000 CFU ml-1 de bactérias mesofílicas aeróbicas e ˂400.000 células somáticas ml-1). As análises sensoriais não detectaram odores estranhos, nem cheiro ou sabor de peixe no leite dos tratamentos estudados. Conclusões: a silagem biológica de peixes pode ser incluída em até 20% como fonte de proteína em suplementos de vacas em produção.

Occult hepatitis B infections and anti-HBc prevalence at a resource-limited blood bank in Mexico.

OBJECTIVES: To identify blood donors with occult hepatitis B infections (OBIs), determine the prevalence of antibody to hepatitis B core antigen (anti-HBc) positivity and estimate the impact of anti-HBc screening on donor deferral at CETS-Veracruz (Mexico). BACKGROUND: Hepatitis B virus infection is a major concern in transfusion medicine. Mexican regulations only mandate screening for hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg), and there are no requirements regarding testing for anti-HBc or use of a nucleic acid test (NAT). There is, therefore, limited information about the prevalence of anti-HBc positivity and occult hepatitis B among blood donors in Mexico. METHODS: This retrospective study examined individuals who donated blood to CETS-Veracruz from June 2014 to June 2017. All donors were serologically examined according to Mexican health regulations, and the prevalence of anti-HBc positivity was determined. A NAT was used to identify individuals with OBIs. RESULTS: We analysed the data of 28 016 blood donors. Over 4 years, the average prevalence of anti-HBc positivity was 1.05%. The risk factors for anti-HBc positivity were low education and age over 50 years. There were nine donors with OBIs. CONCLUSION: The presence of donors with OBIs in CETS-Veracruz and other Mexican blood banks highlights the need to mandate the implementation of anti-HBc screening in Mexico.

Early pregnancy protein multiplex screening reflects circulating and urinary divergences associated with the development of preeclampsia.

BACKGROUND: Preeclampsia, a pregnancy disorder characterized by hypertension and proteinuria, represents the leading cause of fetal and maternal morbidity and mortality in developing countries. The identification of novel and accurate biomarkers that are predictive of preeclampsia is necessary to improve the prognosis of patients with preeclampsia. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the preeclampsia predictive value of 34 angiogenic-related proteins. METHODS: We performed a nested cohort case-control study of pregnant women. The profile of the 34 proteins was evaluated at 12, 16, and 20 gestational weeks (GWs), using urine/plasma from 16 women who developed preeclampsia and 20 normotensive pregnant controls by Bio-Plex ProTM Human Cancer Biomarker Panels 1 and 2. RESULTS: The urine concentration of soluble epidermal growth factor receptor (sEGFR), hepatocyte growth factor (HGF), angiopoietin-2 (ANG-2), endoglin (ENG), soluble fas ligand (sFASL), interleukin 6 (IL-6), placental growth factor (PLGF), and vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGF-A) at 12 GW, prolactin (PRL), ANG-2, transforming growth factor alpha (TGF-α), and VEGF-A at 16 GW, and soluble IL-6 receptor alpha (sIL-6Rα), ANG-2 and sFASL at 20 GW, were different between groups (p < 0.05). The concentration cut-off values calculated in this study for the mentioned proteins, predicted an increased risk to developing preeclampsia in a range of 3.8-29.8 times in the study population. CONCLUSION: The proteins sEGFR, HGF, ANG-2, sFASL, IL-6, PLGF, VEGF-A, PRL, TGF-α FGF-b, sHER2/Neu sIL-6Rα, ENG, uPA, and insulin-like growth factor binding protein 1 (IGFBP-1), were predictive of the development of preeclampsia and their use as markers for this disease should be considered.

Retinol and α-Tocopherol in the Breast Milk of Women after a High-Risk Pregnancy.

BACKGROUND: There is scant information about whether, after a high-risk pregnancy, breast milk provides enough vitamins for assuring satisfactory bodily reserves in newborns. OBJECTIVE: To comparatively evaluate, in women with high-risk and normal pregnancy, the concentration of retinol and α-tocopherol in breast milk. METHODS: This cross-sectional, analytical study was evaluated with reverse-phase high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Informed consent was signed by 95 mothers with a high-risk pregnancy and 32 mothers with a normal pregnancy. From the mothers with a high-risk pregnancy were obtained: 23 samples of colostrum, 24 of transitional milk, and 48 of mature milk. From the normal pregnancy group, 32 mature milk samples were collected. Pregestational Body Mass Index (BMI) and the gestational weight gain were noted. Models of logistic regression were constructed to identify the variables related to a low concentration of either retinol or α-tocopherol in breast milk. RESULTS: The concentration of retinol and α-tocopherol in mature milk was 60 (interquartile range (IQR), 41-90) and 276 (103-450) µg/dL, respectively, for the high-risk pregnancy group, and 76 (65-91) and 673 (454-866) µg/dL, respectively, for the normal pregnancy group (p = 0.001). The concentration of retinol and α-tocopherol was similar in the subgroups of mothers with different disorders during gestation. A clear correlation was found between a greater pregestational weight and a lower concentration of retinol (Rho = -0.280, p = 0.006), and between α-tocopherol and retinol in all cases (Rho = 0.463, p = 0.001). Among women having a high-risk pregnancy, those delivering prematurely rather than carrying their pregnancy to term had a reduced concentration of retinol (54 (37-78) vs. 70 (49-106) µg/dL; p = 0.002) and a tendency to a lower concentration of α-tocopherol in breast milk (185 (75-410) vs. 339 (160-500) µg/dL; p = 0.053). Compared to mothers with a normal pregnancy, those with a high-risk pregnancy (whether carried to term or ending in preterm delivery) exhibited a reduced concentration of retinol in mature milk (p = 0.003), as well as a tendency to a lower concentration of α-tocopherol (p = 0.054). CONCLUSION: Even though the women in the high-risk pregnancy group showed a deficiency of vitamins A and E in their breast milk, the unique biological benefits of this milk justify the promotion of breast feeding as the optimal method of nourishing neonates and infants. In these cases, it should be recommended that the woman increase her consumption of certain nutrients during pregnancy. Additionally, after childbirth mothers should consider the use of supplements to produce milk of adequate quality and thus meet the needs of the baby and prevent any deficiency in micronutrients.

Linking functional and relational service quality to customer satisfaction and loyalty: differences between men and women.

This study assessed differences between men and women in the association of perceptions of service quality with customer evaluations. Functional (efficiency with which the service is delivered) and relational (customers' emotional benefits, beyond the core performance, related to the social interaction of customers with employees) dimensions of service quality were measured as well as customer satisfaction and loyalty. The sample of 277 customers (191 men, 86 women), surveyed in 29 Mexican hotels, had a mean age of 38.1 yr. (SD=9.7) for men and 34.5 yr. (SD=11.0) for women. To be eligible for survey, customers had to have spent at least one night in the hotel in question. Analysis indicated that the women and men differed in the association of functional and relational dimensions of service quality with their satisfaction and loyalty. Functional service quality was higher for the men than the women, while relational service quality showed greater predictive power for women than for men, although these accounted for only 4% of the customers' satisfaction variance and 6% of the loyalty variance.

[A cross-level analysis of the links between service quality and disconfirmation of expectations and customer satisfaction]. / Un análisis transnivel de las relaciones de la calidad de servicio y la confirmación de expectativas con la satisfacción de los usuarios.

This article examines links between disconfirmation of expectations and functional and relational service quality perceived by employees and customer satisfaction. A total of 156 employees, who were working in 52 work units, participated in the research study. In addition, 517 customers who were assisted by these work units were surveyed. Using a cross-level approach, we used a random coefficient model to test the aforementioned relationships. A strong relationship between disconfirmation of expectations and customer satisfaction was observed. Also, the results confirmed that functional service quality maintains an additional and significant association with customer satisfaction. In contrast, there were no significant relationships between relational service quality and customer satisfaction. The article concludes with a discussion of these results.

Dichlorodiphenyldichloroethylene exposure during the first trimester of pregnancy alters the anal position in male infants.

Anogenital distance (AGD) at birth is regarded as a useful measurement that reflects the prenatal androgenic status in rodents. However, the impact of xenoantiandrogens on human development is largely unknown. The aim of this study was to evaluate the potential antiandrogenic impact of prenatal DDT metabolites (p,p'-DDE and p,p'-DDT) exposure on infant AGD, using a non-age-dependent anal position index (API). As part of an ongoing perinatal cohort study on the effects of organochlorine pesticides in children's neurodevelopment, we conducted a cross-sectional study in 71 infants (37 males and 34 females). Maternal serum levels of DDT metabolites (p,p'-DDE and p,p'-DDT) before and during each trimester of pregnancy were determined by electron capture gas-liquid chromatography. During postnatal home visits at 3, 6, and 12 or 18 months of age, the children's weight and API were evaluated. Multiple lineal regression models were used to estimate the potential endocrine disruptor activity of prenatal p,p'-DDE exposure. Boys had significantly higher API values than girls (0.6 versus 0.5; P < 0.001). Only among boys, a doubling increase of maternal p,p'-DDE serum levels during the first trimester of pregnancy, were associated with a significant reduction of API (beta=-0.02; P= 0.02). No effect of p,p'-DDT on AGD was observed. Evidence of the effect of prenatal p,p'-DDE on external genital differentiation is scarce and not consistent in the literature. Further studies are needed to confirm a hormonal disruptive effect on the development of external genitalia, due not only to p,p'-DDE but also due to other antiandrogenic persistent compounds.

In utero p,p'-DDE exposure and infant neurodevelopment: a perinatal cohort in Mexico.

BACKGROUND: Evidence suggests that p,p'-dichlorodiphenyldichloroethene (DDE) affects neurodevelopment in infants, although a critical exposure window has not yet been identified. OBJECTIVES: Our goal was to assess the prenatal DDE exposure window and its effect on the psychomotor development index (PDI) and mental development index (MDI) during the first year of life. METHODS: We recruited 244 children whose pregnancies and deliveries were uncomplicated, and whose mothers were monitored throughout the pregnancy. Participating mothers were not occupationally exposed to DDT (dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane) but were residents of a zone in Mexico with endemic malaria. We measured serum levels of DDE before pregnancy and during each trimester of the pregnancy. We evaluated PDI and MDI of the Bayley Scales for Infant Development (BSID-II), at 1, 3, 6, and 12 months of age. We adjusted for quality of the home environment and maternal intellectual coefficient (IQ). We used generalized mixed-effects models for statistical analysis. RESULTS: Third-trimester DDE level (7.8 +/- 2.8 ppb) was significantly higher than the level at baseline, first, and second trimesters, but the differences never exceeded 20%. Only DDE levels during the first trimester of pregnancy were associated with a significant reduction in PDI (every doubled increase of DDE level reduced the PDI 0.5 points). DDE was not associated with MDI. CONCLUSIONS: A critical window of exposure to DDE in utero may be the first trimester of the pregnancy, and psychomotor development is a target of this compound. Residues of DDT metabolites may present a risk of developmental delay for years after termination of DDT use.

Iatrogenia en cuidados intensivos / Iatrogenic disease in intensive care medicine

Se plantea algunos criterios sobre la iatrogenia en Cuidados Intensivos, y se destaca la necesidad de realizar diversos procederes en el paciente crítico, aun con el riesgo potencial de causar iatrogenia. Se plantea el papel de la ventilación mecánica artificial como posible fuente iatrógena y la influencia que sobre el pronóstico pueden tener iatrogenias ajenas a procederes invgasivos

Estudio de la posible actividad anticonvulsiva de la raíz de Ipomoeastans / Possible anticonvulsive activity of Ipomoea stans

Se hizo un estudio sobre la posible actividad anticonvulsivante de extractos acuosos crudos de la raíz de Ipomoea stans Cav, que es usada en la medicina herbolaria empírica, en el tratamiento de los ataques epileptiformes. Se emplearon dos modelos farmacológicos para la evaluación de los posibles efectos anticonvulsivantes de la planta: el de Estimulación Supramáxima y el de Estimulación Química con Pentilentetrazol, ambos en ratones Balb-C. Los resultados se compararon con los que se habían obtenido en los mismos modelos, pero utilizando drogas anticonvulsivantes de referencia (definilhidantoína en el modelo elétrico y trimetadiona en el químico). Los resultados mostraron una tendencia a la disminución de la actividad convulsiva evocada en los animales a los que se les administró el extracto; sin embargo, no se observó una diferencia que fue se estadísticamente significativa (p >0.05) al comparar los resultados con testigos apropiados. Estos resultados nos impiden asegurar que la raíz de Ipomoea tenga actividad anticonvulsivante, al menos, en los modelos empleados en este estudio