Behavioral changes in models of chemoconvulsant-induced epilepsy: A review.

Epilepsy is one of the most common neurological disorders in the general population and affects over 50 million people worldwide. Epilepsy is characterized by the presence of spontaneous recurrent seizures as a result of sudden and abnormal electrical activity in specific areas of the cerebral cortex. However, this condition encompasses much more than simply the presence of seizures. Cognitive problems and behavioral impairments are also frequent actors, as well as mood disorders. These must be precisely described in order to develop more successful pharmacological, or even behavioral, treatments. We review some of the fundamental behavioral experimental rodent protocols that have recently been applied to the study of behavioral impairments in epilepsy, particularly in epilepsy modeled by different chemoconvulsants, such as pilocarpine or kainic acid. These experimental protocols are classified into two categories: Tests designed for studying emotional factors, and those designed for studying cognitive impairments and social behavior. Behavioral impairments and adaptations identified by the use of these procedures are described.

Leiomiosarcoma de arteria pulmonar: una enfermedad infrecuente y de difícil diagnóstico / Pulmonary artery leiomyosarcoma: uncommon and difficult to diagnose

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Reference genes for high-throughput quantitative reverse transcription-PCR analysis of gene expression in organs and tissues of Eucalyptus grown in various environmental conditions.

Interest in the genomics of Eucalyptus has skyrocketed thanks to the recent sequencing of the genome of Eucalyptus grandis and to a growing number of large-scale transcriptomic studies. Quantitative reverse transcription-PCR (RT-PCR) is the method of choice for gene expression analysis and can now also be used as a high-throughput method. The selection of appropriate internal controls is becoming of utmost importance to ensure accurate expression results in Eucalyptus. To this end, we selected 21 candidate reference genes and used high-throughput microfluidic dynamic arrays to assess their expression among a large panel of developmental and environmental conditions with a special focus on wood-forming tissues. We analyzed the expression stability of these genes by using three distinct statistical algorithms (geNorm, NormFinder and ΔCt), and used principal component analysis to compare methods and rankings. We showed that the most stable genes identified depended not only on the panel of biological samples considered but also on the statistical method used. We then developed a comprehensive integration of the rankings generated by the three methods and identified the optimal reference genes for 17 distinct experimental sets covering 13 organs and tissues, as well as various developmental and environmental conditions. The expression patterns of Eucalyptus master genes EgMYB1 and EgMYB2 experimentally validated our selection. Our findings provide an important resource for the selection of appropriate reference genes for accurate and reliable normalization of gene expression data in the organs and tissues of Eucalyptus trees grown in a range of conditions including abiotic stresses.

[Diplopia after sub-Tenon's anesthesia for cataract surgery]. / Diplopía postcirugía de catarata con anestesia subtenoniana.

PURPOSE: To study the clinical signs, treatment and prognosis of strabismus after sub-Tenon's anesthesia for cataract surgery. METHODS: Eight patients without previous strabismus developed incomitant diplopia immediately after cataract surgery; the left eye was affected in five patients and the right eye in three. Restrictive strabismus was diagnosed with the cover test, prisms, and active and passive ductions in all cases. In seven cases the deviation was vertical and in one patient it was horizontal. The average deviation was 17.5 S.D. 9.84 (range 5-35) prismatic dioptres in primary position. The deviation increased looking upward in seven cases, and looking sideways to the left in the other. It was considered to be a good result if the diplopia disappeared after treatment. RESULTS: Botulinum toxin was the first treatment applied in four patients, but only one showed a good response and required no further therapy. Strabismus surgery was required in four cases, and prisms were adapted in three. Three patients required two strabismus operations. A good result was achieved in all cases, with the average time interval being 10.12 (SD 5.5) months. CONCLUSIONS: Sub-Tenon's anesthesia may result in restrictive strabismus and incomitant diplopia which does not resolve spontaneously. The inferior rectus is the most commonly affected muscle. Strabismus surgery is required to resolve the diplopia in half of the cases. Good results have been achieved in all patients.

Diplopía postcirugía de catarata con anestesia subtenoniana / Diplopia after sub-tenon's anesthesia por cataract surgery

Objetivo: Estudiar las características del estrabismosecundario a la cirugía de catarata con anestesiasubtenoniana; su tratamiento y pronóstico.Método: Ocho enfermos sin estrabismo previo presentarondiplopía inmediatamente después de lacirugía de catarata; cinco de ojo izquierdo, tres deojo derecho. La exploración con cover test, prismasy ducción activa y pasiva mostró estrabismo restrictivo:siete de componente vertical y uno horizontal.La desviación media fue de 17,5 DE: 9,84 dioptríasprismáticas (rango 5-35) en la mirada al frente. Laposición máxima de desviación fue en supraversiónen siete, y en levoversión en otro. Todos teníandiplopía invalidante. Se considera buen resultado sidesaparecía la diplopía con el tratamiento.Resultados: Cuatro casos recibieron tratamientoquirúrgico, en uno sólo se inyectó toxina botulínicay en tres se pusieron prismas. La toxina botulínicase empleó como primera opción en cuatro casos ysólo fue eficaz en un enfermo. De los cuatro casosoperados, tres necesitaron dos cirugías y un pacientesólo un tiempo quirúrgico. Se consiguió buenresultado en los ocho pacientes tratados. El tiempomedio de evolución fue de 10,12 DE: 5,46 meses. Conclusiones: La anestesia subtenoniana puedeprovocar un estrabismo restrictivo y una diplopíamuy invalidantes que no se resuelven espontáneamente.El recto inferior es el músculo más frecuentementeafectado. La cirugía muscular es necesariapara resolver el problema en la mitad de los casos.Se consiguen buenos resultados quirúrgicos

Purpose: To study the clinical signs, treatment and ;;prognosis of strabismus after sub-Tenon’s anesthesia ;;for cataract surgery. ;;Methods: Eight patients without previous strabismus ;;developed incommitant diplopia immediately ;;after cataract surgery; the left eye was affected in ;;five patients and the right eye in three. Restrictive ;;strabismus was diagnosed with the cover test, ;;prisms, and active and passive ductions in all cases. ;;In seven cases the deviation was vertical and in one ;;patient it was horizontal. The average deviation was ;;17.5 S.D. 9.84 (range 5-35) prismatic dioptres in ;;primary position. The deviation increased looking ;;upward in seven cases, and looking sideways to the ;;left in the other. It was considered to be a good ;;result if the diplopia disappeared after treatment. ;;Results: Botulinum toxin was the first treatment ;;applied in four patients, but only one showed a good ;;response and required no further therapy. Strabismus ;;surgery was required in four cases, and prisms ;;were adapted in three. Three patients required two ;;strabismus operations. A good result was achieved ;;in all cases, with the average time interval being ;;10.12 (SD 5.5) months. Conclusions: Sub-Tenon’s anesthesia may result in ;;restrictive strabismus and incommitant diplopia ;;which does not resolve spontaneously. The inferior ;;rectus is the most commonly affected muscle. Strabismus ;;surgery is required to resolve the diplopia in ;;half of the cases. Good results have been achieved ;;in all patients

Prevalencia de las enfermedades reumaticas en servicios de salud de Tucuman / Prevalence of rheumatic diseases in Tucuman is health services

Actualmente las enfermedades reumaticas constituyen un verdadero desafio, tanto para la sociedad, como para los sistemas de salud, por lo que representan: alta prevalencia, gran discapacidad de adultos jovenes, no respeta grupos etareos, y alto costo para el enfermo, la sociedad y la economia. El objetivo del presente trabajo fue analizar la prevalencia de las enfermedades reumaticas, su distribucion por edad, sexo y procedencia de los servicios de referencia de Tucuman y generar nuevas lineas de investigacion y elaborar un programa de investigacion y control. Material y metodo: estudio descriptivo transversal. Se analizo la demanda de tres centros de referencia que cuentan con servicio de reumatologia. Fuentes de datos, historias clinicas y registros institucionales. Variables analizadas. Resultados: El total de pacientes asistidos fue de 2179 lo que representaba el 2.5 por ciento de la consulta total. El 77 por ciento de los pacientes fueron del sexo fememino. La totalidad de datos disponibles y confiables para el estudio fue de: 1020 pacientes (registros de consultorio externo y de internacion ). Todos los grupos etareos de adultos estaban afectados. El grupo de los 20-40 y 40-60 años concentraban el 50 por ciento del total. Los diagnosticos mas frecuentes fueron: artrosis, artritis reumatoidea, y sin diagnostico 11.41 por ciento. Segun procedencia: la mayor parte pertenecian al departamento capital (79 por ciento) y el 21 restante se distribuyo entre los departamentos de la provincia. Conclusion: Las enfermedades reumaticas representan el 2 por ciento del total de la demanda. Entre 20 y 60 años se concentra el 50 por ciento del total de la consulta. La artrosis fue la causa mas frecuente, seguida de artritis reumatoidea. Hay un importante porcentaje sin diagnostico sobre lo cual debemos trabajar. El subregistro detectado pone en evidencia la precariedad de la informacion ya que estos resultados nos muestran la verdadera produccion de los servicios y por lo tanto no podemos cuantificar el daño. Todo esto pone en evidencia la necesidad de realizar estudios epidemiologicos con enfoque nacional y regional. El saber cuantos se enferman y mueren, de que y donde, nos permitira elaborar estrategias a fin de lograr eficiencia en la atencion de la poblacion reumatica en su conjunto

Prevalencia de las enfermedades reumaticas en servicios de salud de Tucuman / Prevalence of rheumatic diseases in Tucuman is health services

Actualmente las enfermedades reumaticas constituyen un verdadero desafio, tanto para la sociedad, como para los sistemas de salud, por lo que representan: alta prevalencia, gran discapacidad de adultos jovenes, no respeta grupos etareos, y alto costo para el enfermo, la sociedad y la economia. El objetivo del presente trabajo fue analizar la prevalencia de las enfermedades reumaticas, su distribucion por edad, sexo y procedencia de los servicios de referencia de Tucuman y generar nuevas lineas de investigacion y elaborar un programa de investigacion y control. Material y metodo: estudio descriptivo transversal. Se analizo la demanda de tres centros de referencia que cuentan con servicio de reumatologia. Fuentes de datos, historias clinicas y registros institucionales. Variables analizadas. Resultados: El total de pacientes asistidos fue de 2179 lo que representaba el 2.5 por ciento de la consulta total. El 77 por ciento de los pacientes fueron del sexo fememino. La totalidad de datos disponibles y confiables para el estudio fue de: 1020 pacientes (registros de consultorio externo y de internacion ). Todos los grupos etareos de adultos estaban afectados. El grupo de los 20-40 y 40-60 años concentraban el 50 por ciento del total. Los diagnosticos mas frecuentes fueron: artrosis, artritis reumatoidea, y sin diagnostico 11.41 por ciento. Segun procedencia: la mayor parte pertenecian al departamento capital (79 por ciento) y el 21 restante se distribuyo entre los departamentos de la provincia. Conclusion: Las enfermedades reumaticas representan el 2 por ciento del total de la demanda. Entre 20 y 60 años se concentra el 50 por ciento del total de la consulta. La artrosis fue la causa mas frecuente, seguida de artritis reumatoidea. Hay un importante porcentaje sin diagnostico sobre lo cual debemos trabajar. El subregistro detectado pone en evidencia la precariedad de la informacion ya que estos resultados nos muestran la verdadera produccion de los servicios y por lo tanto no podemos cuantificar el daño. Todo esto pone en evidencia la necesidad de realizar estudios epidemiologicos con enfoque nacional y regional. El saber cuantos se enferman y mueren, de que y donde, nos permitira elaborar estrategias a fin de lograr eficiencia en la atencion de la poblacion reumatica en su conjunto (AU)

Unwanted caesarean sections among public and private patients in Brazil: prospective study.

OBJECTIVE: To assess and compare the preferences of pregnant women in the public and private sector regarding delivery in Brazil. DESIGN: Face to face structured interviews with women who were interviewed early in pregnancy, about one month before the due date, and about one month post partum. SETTING: Four cities in Brazil. PARTICIPANTS: 1612 pregnant women: 1093 public patients and 519 private patients. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Rates of delivery by caesarean section in public and private institutions; women's preferences for delivery; timing of decision to perform caesarean section. RESULTS: 1136 women completed all three interviews; 476 women were lost to follow up (376 public patients and 100 private patients). Despite large differences in the rates of caesarean section in the two sectors (222/717 (31%) among public patients and 302/419 (72%) among private patients) there were no significant differences in preferences between the two groups. In both antenatal interviews, 70-80% in both sectors said they would prefer to deliver vaginally. In a large proportion of cases (237/502) caesarean delivery was decided on before admission: 48/207 (23%) in women in the public sector and 189/295 (64%) in women in the private sector. CONCLUSIONS: The large difference in the rates of caesarean sections in women in the public and private sectors is due to more unwanted caesarean sections among private patients rather than to a difference in preferences for delivery. High or rising rates of caesarean sections do not necessarily reflect demand for surgical delivery.

[Tuberculosis treatment adherence in Pelotas, Brazil, from the patient's perspective]. / Adesão à terapêutica da tuberculose em Pelotas, Rio Grande do Sul: na perspectiva do paciente.

This study deals with adherence to tuberculosis treatment among men and women as well as the disease's links and consequences vis-à-vis life styles and treatment outcomes. The ethnographic study was a component of the Tuberculosis Epidemiological Control Project in the city of Pelotas and aimed to identify the reasons patients failed to complete treatment. Direct ethnographic observations and semi-structured interviews were used. Use of the term "adherence" is justified by the concern for extending to other fundamental factors in addition to the patient's own individual responsibility. This approach fostered an understanding of views towards disease, social dynamics among the various protagonists involved in the disease process, and treatment. Some of the factors considered in adherence to treatment were: socio-demographic characteristics, cultural factors, popular beliefs, the cost-benefit relationship, physical and chemical aspects of the drugs, the physician-patient relationship, and level of family participation in treatment.

[Blood, fecundity, and contraceptive usage]. / Sangre, fertilidad y practicas anticonceptivas.

PIP: This work describes ethnographic and other evidence that lower class women in southern Brazil believe that the fertile period is simultaneous with or closely related to the menstrual period. Ethnographic reports from both rural and urban areas in southern Brazil, materials on the folklore of the area, and findings of an ongoing study of four lower class neighborhoods served by community health services indicate that nearly all lower class adults of both sexes believe that conception is possible if not most likely during the menstrual period. Menstrual blood is not viewed as actually a part of women, but as a fluid which remains in the uterus after fertilization or otherwise as something dirty that must be eliminated. The cultural model of the female body includes notions of opening to allow elimination of the menstrual fluid, closing after its departure, and states of wetness and heat. Numerous informants reported cases in which women became pregnant while using IUDs or in the interval between 21-day packets of oral contraceptive (OC) pills. The fact that OCs reduce the menstrual flow is viewed as problematic, because blood that should be eliminated is apparently retained. The IUD, which causes long menstrual periods and intermenstrual bleeding, is also viewed with suspicion since it appears impossible to prevent pregnancy when there is actually greater flow. Irregular and incorrect use of OCs and very limited acceptance of IUDs may be factors in the growing demand for female sterilization and in the very high rates of illegal abortion.^ieng

Reversible prevention of platelet activation by (E,Z)-4,5,9-trithiadodeca-1,6,11-triene 9-oxide (ajoene) in dogs under extracorporeal circulation.

Ajoene ((E,Z)-4,5,9-trithiadodeca-1,6,11-triene 9-oxide), an organosulfur compound derived from garlic inhibits platelet activation induced ex vivo by all known agonists. The effect of ajoene on the thrombocytopenia associated with the circulation of blood through extracorporeal devices such as dialyzers or oxygenators was studied under the following conditions: Ex vivo using fresh, heparinized human blood, circulating through a dialyzer or oxygenator, and in vivo, in dogs subjected to extracorporeal circulation. In both experimental conditions ajoene proved very efficacious in preventing platelet loss (60-65% loss in controls vs. 15-20% loss in the presence of ajoene, p less than 0.01). Moreover, recuperation of platelet function was achieved after 3-4 h in the in vivo experiments.

Efecto del fenbendazol sobre la eliminación de huevos de nematodos gastrointestinales en las heces de caprinos infestados en condiciones naturales / Efect of fenbendazole against gastrointestinal nematode eggs output in goats under natural conditions

El Fenbendazol a la dosis de 5 mg/kg de peso vivo en caprinos infestados en condiciones naturales, ocasionó una drástica reducción de la producción de huevos por gramo de heces de estrongilos digestivos, sin embargo, dicho efecto fue mucho menos intenso sobre Strongiles spp. En los controles coproscópicos postratamiento se observó un incremento en el número de ooquistes de Eimeria spp por gramo de heces. No se encontraron diferencias estadísticamente significativas entre el peso de los caprinos antes y después del tratamiento

[Clinical testing of a 0.1 percent difluocortolone valerianate ointment in various chronic dermatoses]. / Ensayo clínico de un unguento al 0.1% de valerianato de diflucortolona en algunas dermatósis crónicas.

The object of the present study was to investigate the clinical efficacy of Nerisona fatty ointment in very skin conditions. A total of 37 patients, most of them with chronic dermatoses, was treated. Either very good or good results were achieved in 100% of the cases. The side effects observed were very slight.