Assessing Biomedical and Psychosocial Factors in a Cross-Sectional Study of School Dropouts Among Pregnant Adolescents and Young Mothers in Quito, Ecuador.

BACKGROUND: Over nearly three decades, Ecuador experienced a significant rise in adolescent motherhood. OBJECTIVES: By focusing on social, health, and psychological aspects, the research aims to reveal the complex factors influencing the decision to discontinue education. The emphasis on providing a platform for direct expression of personal experiences not only adds qualitative depth to the study but also ensures that the voices of those involved are heard authentically. METHODS: Employing a nonexperimental, descriptive, cross-sectional approach with qualitative and quantitative methods, the research delves into the interplay of biological, psychological, and social factors. Descriptive statistics, presented through tables and graphs, were used for variable analysis, complemented by inferential statistics to validate hypotheses. Focus group sessions, processed with ATLAS.ti (ATLAS.ti Scientific Software Development GmbH, Berlin, Germany) underwent a thorough review in workshops with Servicio de Atención Integral para Adolescentes (SAIA) experts. Adolescent participants were randomly recruited through the hospital's system. RESULTS: The findings unveiled a significant dropout rate among adolescents, where pregnancy was just one factor influencing their decision. Those discontinuing education often embraced a life project centered on motherhood and domestic roles, facing domestic violence and mental health disorders. In contrast, those persisting with education were driven by professional development, facing challenges but benefiting from family support. Despite unwanted pregnancies and low contraceptive use, many found personal growth and identity affirmation in motherhood. CONCLUSIONS: Our research highlights key insights into factors like pregnancy desire, contraception, reactions, and challenges. Urgent action is needed to address systemic problems and provide holistic support, acknowledging the resilience and validity of choices made by adolescent mothers in balancing motherhood with education and career goals.

Antiparasitic Activity of Compounds Isolated from Ganoderma tuberculosum (Agaricomycetes) from Mexico.

The genus Ganoderma has a long history of use in traditional Asiatic medicine due to its different nutritional and medicinal properties. In Mexico, the species G. tuberculosum is used in indigenous communities, for example, the Wixaritari and mestizos of Villa Guerrero Jalisco for the treatment of diseases that may be related to parasitic infections; however, few chemical studies corroborate its traditional medicinal potential. Thereby, the objective of this study was to isolate and identify anti-parasitic activity compounds from a strain of G. tuberculosum native to Mexico. From the fruiting bodies of G. tuberculosum (GVL-21) a hexane extract was obtained which was subjected to guided fractioning to isolate pure compounds. The in vitro anti-parasitic activity of the pure compound (IC50) was assayed against Leishmania amazonensis, Trypanosoma cruzi, Acanthamoeba castellanii Neff, and Naegleria fowleri. Furthermore, the cytotoxicity (CC50) of the isolated compounds was determined against murine macrophages. The guided fractioning produced 5 compounds: ergosterol (1), ergosta-4,6,8(14),22-tetraen-3-one (2), ergosta-7,22-dien-3ß-ol (3), 3,5-dihydroxy-ergosta-7,22-dien-6-one (4), and ganoderic acid DM (5). Compounds 2 and 5 showed the best anti-parasitic activity in an IC50 range of 54.34 ± 8.02 to 12.38 ± 2.72 µM against all the parasites assayed and low cytotoxicity against murine macrophages. The present study showed for the first time the in vitro anti-parasitic activity of compounds 1-5 against L. amazonensis, T. cruzi, A. castellanii Neff, and N. fowleri, corroborating the medicinal potential of Ganoderma and its traditional applications.

"Our Voices, Our Meaning": The Social Representations of Sports for Brazilian Athletes With Disabilities.

This study aimed to identify the social representations of sports for Brazilian athletes with disabilities and to understand the extent to which sports can contribute to their empowerment. A total of 153 Brazilian athletes of various sports and with different types of disabilities took part in the study (122 men and 31 women; M = 31.91 years, SD = 9.46). The research was performed by an online survey by means of the free word association technique. All analyses were carried out using the Iramuteq computer program. The results indicated that the social representations of sports are related to individual and collective gains derived from practicing sports and that the representations are distinct according to the discipline practiced by the athlete. These results are discussed in light of the advantages of valuing the collective experience of athletes with disabilities as a group rather than as cases of individual overcoming. Social implications and possible future directions for research are presented.

[Autoimmune encephalitis. New diagnosis for an old condition]. / Autoimmune encephalitis. New diagnosis for an old condition.

Autoimmune encephalitis is a new group of diseases of great clinical and therapeutic importance due to the good response in most cases to the immunomodulatory therapy indicated, with a large percentage of healing without significant neurological effects (cognitive, motor, seizures or involuntary movements). Since 2007, the presence of neuronal autoantibodies in the pathogenesis of this group of diseases has been demonstrated, with psychotic symptoms and involuntary movements as clinical markers of the disease. The present review emphasizes the crucial leap and change of paradigms arising after the discovery of these encephalitis associated with antibodies.

Encefalitis autoinmunes: Un nuevo diagnóstico para una antigua enfermedad / Autoimmune encephalitis. New diagnosis for an old condition

Las encefalitis autoinmunes son un nuevo grupo de enfermedades de gran trascendencia clínica y terapéutica debido a la buena respuesta en gran parte de los casos a la terapia inmunomoduladora indicada, con un gran porcentaje de curación, sin secuelas neurológicas importantes (cognitivo, motor, crisis o movimientos involuntarios). En el año 2007 se demostró la presencia de auto anticuerpos neuronales en la patogenia de este grupo de enfermedades, con síntomas psicóticos y de movimientos involuntarios como indicadores de la enfermedad. La presente revisión enfatiza el salto crucial y el cambio de paradigmas suscitados tras el descubrimiento de estas encefalitis asociadas a anticuerpos.

Autoimmune encephalitis is a new group of diseases of great clinical and therapeutic importance due to the good response in most cases to the immunomodulatory therapy indicated, with a large percentage of healing without significant neurological effects (cognitive, motor, seizures or involuntary movements). Since 2007, the presence of neuronal autoantibodies in the pathogenesis of this group of diseases has been demonstrated, with psychotic symptoms and involuntary movements as clinical markers of the disease. The present review emphasizes the crucial leap and change of paradigms arising after the discovery of these encephalitis associated with antibodies.

Isoflurane-loaded nanoemulsion prepared by high-pressure homogenization: investigation of stability and dose reduction in general anesthesia.

Isoflurane is a halogenated ether which is used for general anesthesia. To stabilize a new formulation in order to evaluate the potential to reduce the dose required for general anesthesia, an isoflurane-loaded nanoemulsion was proposed. A high-pressure homogenization technique was used to develop drug-loaded nanoemulsions which presented droplet size of 150 +/- 0.78 nm with a narrow size distribution and low polydispersity index (0.08 +/- 0.01). The zeta potential was -18 +/- 2.4 mV and pH was 6.03 +/- 0.04. Rheological analysis showed Newtonian behavior for the formulations, whose physical stability was confirmed by multiple light scattering. It was verified that isoflurane volatilization did not occur in these formulations. The preclinical evaluation, carried out via the end-tidal isoflurane concentration, showed that the dose required for anesthetic maintenance significantly decreased when the nanostructured formulation was administered compared to inhaled isoflurane. There was no significant difference (p < 0.05) between experimental groups (inhaled isoflurane and intravenous isoflurane-loaded nanoemulsion) in terms of the cardiac rate, oxygen hemoglobin saturation, and arterial blood pressure, as well as the biomarkers of renal, hepatic and skeletal muscle system functionalities. Slight tachypnea, edema, and erythema were observed after isoflurane-loaded or unloaded-nanoemulsion. The stability and significant dose reduction observed for drug-loaded nanoemulsion render this formulation a promising option for intravenous delivery of isoflurane.

Bupivacaine 0.25% and methylene blue spread with epidural anesthesia in dog.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the extent sensory and motor blocks produced by the epidural injection of different volumes of 0.25% bupivacaine (Bu) with methylene blue (MB), in dogs. STUDY DESIGN: Prospective experimental trial. ANIMALS: Twenty healthy adult mongrel dogs, weighing 9.9 +/- 1.9 kg. METHODS: Dogs were randomly allocated into one of four groups that received 0.2, 0.4, 0.6 or 0.8 mL kg(-1) of an epidural solution containing 0.25% Bu and MB. Sensory block was evaluated against time by pinching the tail, hind limb interdigital web, toenail bases and the skin over the vertebral dermatomes. Motor block was assessed by ataxia, hind limb weight-bearing ability and by loss of muscle tone of the tail and pelvic limbs. Data were collected at 2, 5, 10, 15 and 30 minutes after the end of epidural injection. After the final time point, dogs were euthanatized and laminectomies were conducted to expose the extent of the dural dye staining. RESULTS: The volumes 0.2, 0.4, 0.6 and 0.8 mL kg(-1) of 0.25% Bu and MB blocked a mean of 5, 14.2, 20.2 and 21 dermatomes, respectively. The extent of the sensory block increased up to a volume of 0.6 mL kg(-1). Motor block was longer-lasting and more intense than sensory block. Complete dyeing of the spinal cord with MB was achieved in some dogs at 0.4 mL kg(-1) and all dogs at 0.6 mL kg(-1). CONCLUSIONS: The volume of anesthetic injected into the epidural space plays an important role in the quality of the epidural anesthesia. At 0.25%, bupivacaine provided an efficient sensory block at 0.6 mL kg(-1). CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Relatively high volumes (0.6 mL kg(-1)) of 0.25%, BU and MB were needed to produce an effective sensory and motor block caudal to the umbilicus, but all spinal cord segments were reached by MB at this dose.

Perfil das pacientes do Ambulatório de Colposcopia do Hospital Universitário Säo Vicente de Paulo / Profile of patients at the Ambulatory of Colposcopy, University of Passo Fundo's Medical School

A colposcopia orienta a conduta clínica nas várias modificaçöes benignas e malignas do colo uterino. Analisou-se, retrospectivamente, as características referentes a idade, número de gestaçöes e classe colposcópica das pacientes no ambulatório de colposcopia do Hospital Universitário Säo Vicente de Paulo, entre janeiro de 1987 e agosto de 1997. Foram encontrados 566 pacientes, em 833 consultas, com idade média de 36,75 anos, sendo que 50 por cento tinham idade inferior a 30 anos. A média ponderada de consultas foi 1,47 por paciente. A classificaçäo colposcópica tipo 2 ocorreu em 55 por cento das consultas e a classificaçäo tipo 3 ocorreu em 18 por cento das consultas. Encontrou-se pequeno número de pacientes neste período. Verificou-se como tardio o início da avaliaçäo colposcópica e pequeno o número de reconsultas, previsível o número de mulheres com classe 2 e elevado o número de pacientes com classe colposcópica tipo 3

Evidence for low-molecular weight antibodies in the serum of a urodele amphibian, Ambystoma mexicanum.

Adult axolotls (A. mexicanum) were hyperimmunized with the haptenic determinant, azobenzene-arsonate (ARS). Specific antibodies were isolated from their serum by immune-affinity chromatography on immobilized ARS columns. Analysis of the specific ARS-binding molecules by sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) indicated that these animals were capable of producing both high molecular-weight (presumably IgM) and low molecular-weight antibodies to the ARS hapten. The low molecular-weight anti-ARS antibody produced by one inbred colony of axolotls did not show any restricted heterogeneity, as assessed by isoelectric focusing. Our results suggest that regulatory events, not the absence of genetic information, may be responsible for the apparent lack of Ig isotype diversity in this species.