Pullulan nanofibers containing the antimicrobial palindromic peptide LfcinB (21-25)Pal obtained via electrospinning.

Electrospinning technology is useful for making ultrafine drug-eluting fibers for the clinical treatment of wounds. We show the incorporation of an antimicrobial LfcinB-derived peptide into Pullulan nanofibers. The palindromic peptide LfcinB (21-25)Pal: RWQWRWQWR was synthesized, purified, and characterized by means of the RP-HPLC and MALDI-TOF MS methods. The peptide's antibacterial activity against the E. coli ATCC 25922 strain was evaluated, and the peptide LfcinB (20-25)Pal exhibited significant antibacterial activity. Nanofibers were obtained by electrospinning a Pullulan or Pullulan-LfcinB (21-25)Pal solution. The obtained nanofibers were characterized via microscopy (AFM and SEM) and RP-HPLC chromatography. The peptide incorporation efficiency was 31%. The Pullulan-LfcinB (21-25)Pal nanofibers were soluble in water, and the peptide was liberated immediately. The Pullulan-LfcinB (21-25)Pal nanofibers exhibited the same antibacterial activity against E. coli strain as the free peptide LfcinB (21-25)Pal. The results suggest that Pullulan-LfcinB (21-25)Pal nanofibers could be considered for designing and developing antibacterial wound dressings.

Mieloma múltiple IgA en paciente obstétrica / Multiple Myeloma in an obstetric patient

El mieloma múltiple es una neoplasia caracterizada por la proliferación anómala de células plasmáticas en la médula ósea, usualmente diagnosticada en pacientes mayores de 60 años, siendo rara su presentación antes de los 40 años de edad. Se presenta el caso de paciente femenina de 29 años de edad, sin antecedentes patológicos conocidos, a quien se le realiza el diagnóstico de mieloma múltiple IgA lambda en el primer trimestre del embarazo. Durante su estancia hospitalaria presenta hipercalcemia en rango de malignidad, con falla renal expresada en elevación de azoados y acidosis metabólica compensada. Se realizó serie radiológica ósea que mostró lesiones líticas en bóveda craneana. En la RMN de columna lumbar se evidencian fracturas patológicas de en columna lumbar (L4). Asimismo se solicitó electroforesis de proteínas en suero y orina e inmunofenotipo, corroborándose el diagnóstico de mieloma múltiple IgA lambda estadío IIIA según criterios de Durie Salmon. La paciente fue tratada con esteroides, evidenciándose disminución de la lesión en región frontal y mejoría de la función renal. El MM durante el embarazo es raro, habiendo sólo 42 casos descritos desde 1968 hasta la actualidad; de los cuales 4 corresponden a MM IgA. Reportamos el quinto caso en la literatura de mieloma múltiple IgA en una paciente obstétrica(AU)

Multiple myeloma is a hematologic malignancy characterized by the abnormal proliferation of plasma cells in the bone marrow. This disease is usually diagnosed in patients older than 60 years, with rare presentation before 40 years of age. We present the case of a female, 29 years - old patient, with no medical history, with IgA lambda myeloma diagnosed in the first trimester of pregnancy and who, during her hospitalization, presented malignant hypercalcemia, with renal failure. Bone survey revealed litic lesions in the skull. The MRI scan showed pathologic fractures of lumbar spine. The patient was treated with steroids, with a decrease of the frontal lesion and improvement of renal function. A protein electrophoresis is also requested in serum and urine, and immunophenotype, corroborating diagnosis of multiple myeloma IgA lambda IIIA stage according to Durie Salmon criteria. Myeloma multiple during pregnancy is extremely rare and there are 42 cases described from 1968 to date, and 4 of them are IgA MM. We report the fifth case in the literature of IgA multiple myeloma in an obstetric patient(AU)

Milker's nodule--Case report.

Milker's nodule is an occupational viral skin disease of universal distribution, caused by the Paravaccinia virus and that occurs in individuals who deal with dairy cattle herds. We describe a case acquired due to lack of use of PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) and perform a literature review.

Milker's nodule - Case report

Abstract Milker's nodule is an occupational viral skin disease of universal distribution, caused by the Paravaccinia virus and that occurs in individuals who deal with dairy cattle herds. We describe a case acquired due to lack of use of PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) and perform a literature review.

Shiitake dermatitis: the first case reported in Brazil.

Shiitake Dermatitis is often presented as papules and erythemato-violaceous linear streaks. It can be associated with bleomycin treatment, dermatomyositis and shiitake mushroom (Lentinus edodes). There is not any previous report concerning this rare etiology in our country. Shiitake is the second most consumed mushroom worldwide and it can cause flagellate erythema when ingested raw or half cooked. It has a higher incidence in Oriental countries because of their eating habits, this is the first case reported in Brazil, in a male patient that presented a cutaneous rash after consuming this raw mushroom.

Shiitake dermatitis: the first case reported in Brazil / Dermatite flagelada por shiitake, primeiro relato de caso no Brasil

Shiitake Dermatitis is often presented as papules and erythemato-violaceous linear streaks. It can be associated with bleomycin treatment, dermatomyositis and shiitake mushroom (Lentinus edodes). There is not any previous report concerning this rare etiology in our country. Shiitake is the second most consumed mushroom worldwide and it can cause flagellate erythema when ingested raw or half cooked. It has a higher incidence in Oriental countries because of their eating habits, this is the first case reported in Brazil, in a male patient that presented a cutaneous rash after consuming this raw mushroom.

A dermatite flagelada é caracterizada por pápulas eritematosas lineares com aspecto de "chicotada". A etiologia pode ser associada ao uso de bleomicina, dermatomiosite e shiitake (Lentinus edodes). Este é o segundo cogumelo mais consumido no mundo e pode ser causa de dermatite flagelada quando ingerido cru ou mal cozido. Não há relatos nas literaturas de quadro de dermatite flagelada por shiitake em nosso país, reportamos o primeiro caso no Brasil de um paciente masculino que desenvolveu o quadro após a ingesta desse cogumelo cru.

Evaluation of a breastfeeding peer support program for fathers of Hispanic participants in a Texas special supplemental nutrition program for women, infants, and children.

A mother's decision to breastfeed and the duration of breastfeeding depends on different factors; among them are the support of her husband or male partner and other social support. There have been different types of support programs for mothers and few have targeted fathers. In 2002, the Texas Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children introduced an innovative approach for encouraging breastfeeding among mothers and their spouses. The pilot Peer Dad Program targeted fathers to promote and support their spouse in breastfeeding. This cohort study evaluated duration of breastfeeding among Hispanic couples who enrolled in the pilot Peer Dad Program (n=101) and those who did not enroll (n=99). Structured interviews were conducted with Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children participants and their male partners. Unconditional logistic regression was used to estimate the likelihood of continuing breastfeeding past 6 months associated with participation in the Peer Dad Program and significant predictors. Mothers whose partner participated in the pilot Peer Dad Program were no more likely to continue breastfeeding past 6 months (odds ratio 1.44, 95% confidence interval 0.82 to 2.54) compared with mothers who received peer counseling only. The percentage of women in the intervention group (63.4%) who breastfed for 6 months or longer compared with women in the control group (54.6%) was not significant (P=0.20). Although other studies suggest that father's support lengthens breastfeeding duration, our study, which targeted Hispanic fathers, found no association due to its small sample size. Further research with larger studies is needed to establish this association.

Perspectives on safety and health among migrant and seasonal farmworkers in the United States and México: a qualitative field study.

CONTEXT: A large number of hired farmworkers in the United States come from México. Understanding safety and health concerns among the workers is essential to improving prevention programs. PURPOSE: The purpose of this pilot study was to obtain detailed information about safety and health concerns of hired farmworkers in Colorado and in México. METHODS: A total of 10 migrant farmworkers from northern Colorado and 5 seasonal farmworkers from Guanajuato, México, were interviewed using a semi-structured interview process. The social cognitive theory (SCT) served as a framework to gain understanding of safety and health among workers. FINDINGS: Topics of concern identified included causes of farm, home and motor vehicle injuries, and treatment preferences for injuries and illnesses. Four main themes emerged: safety and health concerns, personal control and prevention strategies, factors affecting control and prevention strategies, and the importance of family. CONCLUSIONS: Further study of the themes using a revised semi-structured interview will be done in a larger study among hired farmworkers. The results add to the current work to understand specific health and safety concerns among these workers.

Farmworkers at the border: a bilingual initiative for occupational health and safety.

OBJECTIVE: Bilingual and bicultural occupational health and safety interventions for Hispanic farmworkers are extremely rare and, because of language barriers and cultural differences, issues important to their health and safety on the job remain unaddressed. We designed, conducted, and assessed the first bilingual occupational health and safety education program for farmworkers attending High School Equivalency Programs (HEPs). METHODS: We took an interdisciplinary participatory approach by integrating educators and researchers with a community advisory board to guide development, evaluation, and implementation of Work Safely-Trabaje con Cuidado Curriculum (Curriculum), a bilingual occupational health and safety curriculum. We created a quasi-experimental design using mixed-method evaluation (quantitative and qualitative elements) via pre- and posttest comparisons, follow-up surveys, and focus groups assessing the Curriculum effect on knowledge, safety risk perception (SRP), and safety behavior. Focus groups and follow-up surveys reflected success and acceptance of the Curriculum among participating farmworkers under the study's logic model. RESULTS: Completion of the Curriculum resulted in statistically significant improvements in the combined score of knowledge and SRP at the posttest (p = 0.001) and follow-up survey (p = 0.02) in the intervention group. After completing this study, the Curriculum was permanently adopted by the two high school equivalency sites involved. CONCLUSION: The participatory approach resulted in integration of community and applied research partnership. The potential to expand use of this Curriculum by other HEP sites can further assess effectiveness and external validity among underserved minority groups.

Inermicapsifer madagascariensis / Inermicapsifer madagascariensis

Se hace la presentación de un caso recibido en abril de 2004 en el Laboratorio de Microbiología del Instituto Superior de Medicina Militar Dr Luis Díaz Soto de una niña de 2 años de edad que expulsaba granos de arroz que se movían en las heces fecales; se hizo el diagnóstico de Inermicapsifer madagascariensis . La “reaparición” del parásito motivó a realizar una revisión sobre este y su incidencia en Cuba. Tras un período de silencio desde 1948, reaparece en 1996 el reporte de 2 casos en Ciudad de La Habana y a posteriori en el 2003 diagnostican 23 casos en Santa Clara, por lo que se hace un llamado a los médicos de asistencia acerca de la presencia del parásito en este medio.

The case received at the Microbiology Laboratory of Dr Luis Díaz Soto Higher Institute of Military Medicine, in April 2004, of a 2-year-old girl that expelled grains of rice in the feces is reported. The diagnosis of Inermicapsifer madagascariensis was made. The parasite reappearance led us to make a review of it, and of its incidence in Cuba . After a silence period since 1948, 2 cases were reported in Havana City in 1996, and 23 cases were diagnosed in Santa Clara, in 2003. That is why a call is made to health care physicians on the presence of this parasite in our environment.

Inermicapsifer madagascariensis / Inermicapsifer madagascariensis

Se hace la presentación de un caso recibido en abril de 2004 en el Laboratorio de Microbiología del Instituto Superior de Medicina Militar Dr Luis Díaz Soto de una niña de 2 años de edad que expulsaba granos de arroz que se movían en las heces fecales; se hizo el diagnóstico de Inermicapsifer madagascariensis . La “reaparición” del parásito motivó a realizar una revisión sobre este y su incidencia en Cuba. Tras un período de silencio desde 1948, reaparece en 1996 el reporte de 2 casos en Ciudad de La Habana y a posteriori en el 2003 diagnostican 23 casos en Santa Clara, por lo que se hace un llamado a los médicos de asistencia acerca de la presencia del parásito en este medio(AU)

The case received at the Microbiology Laboratory of Dr Luis Díaz Soto Higher Institute of Military Medicine, in April 2004, of a 2-year-old girl that expelled grains of rice in the feces is reported. The diagnosis of Inermicapsifer madagascariensis was made. The parasite reappearance led us to make a review of it, and of its incidence in Cuba . After a silence period since 1948, 2 cases were reported in Havana City in 1996, and 23 cases were diagnosed in Santa Clara, in 2003. That is why a call is made to health care physicians on the presence of this parasite in our environment(AU)

Low back pain in Hispanic residential carpenters.

OBJECTIVE: Low back pain (LBP) is a leading cause of lost work time and has been recognized as America's number one workplace safety challenge. Low back pain is occurring at epidemic proportions among construction workers, and minority populations have been underinvestigated for risk of back injury. This project investigated the multiple potential risk factors for occupational LBP among Hispanic residential carpenters. METHODS: This investigation evaluated 241 Hispanic residential framing carpenters. Data for this study were collected using a 91-question survey. End points of interest included point, annual, and lifetime prevalence of LBP. RESULTS: Nineteen percent of respondents reported they had an episode of LBP in their lifetime. CONCLUSIONS: Hispanic residential carpenters reported less than expected prevalence of LBP compared with non-Hispanic counterparts in the same trade and location. Job tasks and personal and workplace risk factors, including psychological and morphological characteristics, affect the prevalence of LBP among Hispanic framing carpenters.

Nontraditional work factors in farmworker adolescent populations: implications for health research and interventions.

Agriculture has been documented to be one of the most hazardous work environments for both adults and children. Adolescents may be especially vulnerable to adverse health effects from agricultural exposures due to the rapid growth and development experienced during those years. Separating the occupational, economic, and social issues in this population is difficult. Weak regulatory protection, lack of compliance with existing regulations, and gaps in service provision characterize the working conditions of adolescent farmworkers. Although there is increasing research on the impact of work organization on mental and physical health in adult working populations, there is a scarcity of research focused on this concept in young workers--and it remains virtually unaddressed in young farmworkers. Work characteristics of the informal work sector, better delineated in international literature, should be considered when planning research or interventions in this at-risk population. Further, the population of adolescent farmworkers is diverse, and research strategies and interventions need to be targeted and tailored to the heterogeneous groups. This article addresses some of the nontraditional work factors associated with the less-than-formal work organization and environments in the farmworker adolescent population and how these factors may inform the planning of research and interventions. Specifically, mobility, cultural patterns and social networks, alternative sampling strategies, alternative delivery of health care and education, and involvement of a wide range of players in the work environment of adolescent farmworkers should all be considered when conducting research or planning programs for this population.

Measuring success in a pesticide risk reduction program among migrant farmworkers in Colorado.

BACKGROUND: Farmworkers in the US largely consist of young undocumented Hispanics with a median education of 6 years and limited English skills. The High Plains Intermountain Center for Agricultural Health and Safety bilingual pesticide risk reduction program, which complied with the Worker Protection Standard for migrant farmworkers was evaluated. METHODS: A pretest/posttest comparison of farmworkers (n = 152) assigned to either the experimental or control group was used. Independent variables included demographics, agricultural experience, and health locus of control. Dependent variables were pesticide knowledge, safety risk perception (SRP), and safety-behavior outcomes. RESULTS: The bilingual pesticide program effectively increased farmworker's pesticide knowledge (P = 0.0001), SRP (P = 0.0001), and two (out of four) behavior outcomes. Workers with external health locus of control were less likely to adopt safety behaviors (P = 0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: The cognitive decision-making process whereby farmworkers' readiness to change and permanently adopt safety behaviors was supported by the pesticide program. Our results support the need for long-term sustained bilingual, intervention programs that demonstrated effectiveness using integrative methodology.

Assessment of occupational health and safety risks of farmworkers in Colorado.

BACKGROUND: Migrant farmworkers face a variety of hazards including exposure to pesticides and agricultural chemicals. However, few studies have quantatively evaluated these risks. METHODS: Hazards were assessed during 32 field surveys conducted in the agricultural fields and 15 surveys at five camps. Observations of 1,461 farmworkers for potential hazards were recorded. Estimated risk was evaluated on a four-point scale (no hazard, minor, serious, and critical). A total of 229 farmworkers were interviewed about field conditions. RESULTS: Two out of the five camps did not have safe drinking water. Risks for farmworkers were lower when a manager was living on site. Field surveys estimated higher risk when provision of sanitation was deficient (P < 0.05). Farmworkers' responses concerning field conditions differed from the survey findings. CONCLUSIONS: Risks for farmworkers depended largely on the environment provided. Discordances between survey results and farmworkers' interview responses suggested that self-reported data might have limited validity for this population. Working and living conditions require improvement to decrease occupational risks for farmworkers.

Meningoencefalitis letal por Salmonella B

La meningoencefalitis por bacilos gramnegativos ha ido incrementándose desde la década de los 70, con una mayor incidencia en niños pequeños, aunque existe una tendencia a aumentar en pacientes de la 3ra. edad. Dentro de este grupo de microorganismos, la causada por Salmonella sp, por su poca frecuencia, resulta una rareza. En este caso se presenta a una paciente de 80 años de edad con cuadro clínico de meningoencefalitis, que en el estudio del líquido cefalorraquídeo se aisló Salmonella grupo B serotipo typhimurium; la paciente fallece a los 5 días de su ingreso. La meningoencefalitis por Salmonella sp debe tenerse en cuenta en pacientes menores de 2 años de edad y ancianos, por la severidad del cuadro clínico y elevada mortalidad.

Meningoencephalitis caused by gram-negative bacilli has increased since the 1970s, with a higher incidence in little children , although there is a a trend to rise in the elderly. Within this group of micororganisms, the meningoencephalitis caused by Salmonella sp is rare, since it is not very common. The case of an 80-year-old female patient with a clinical picture of meningoencephalitis is reported. Salmonella typhimurium serogroup B was isolated from the cerebrospinal fluid. The patient died 5 days after being admitted in the hospital. The meningoencephalitis caused by Salmonella sp should be taken into consideration in children under 2 and in the elederly because of the severity of the clinical picture and the elevated mortality.

Comportamiento de algunas variables clínico epidemiológicas en madres adolescentes y sus recién nacidos / Behavior of some variable epidemiological clinical in mothers adolescents and their newly born

Se realizó un estudio longitudinal prospectivo sobre el comportamiento de algunas variables clínico epidemiológicas en madres adolescentes y sus recién nacidos pertenecientes al municipio San Cristobal durante un año. Fueron analizados mediante encuestas aplicadas; las 50 madres adolescentes y sus recién nacidos (grupo estudio) y las 50 madres adultas y sus recién nacidos que le sucedieron en la capatación (grupo control). Aplicándose el procesamiento estadístico Chi Cuadrado con niveles de significación 0,01 0,05. Primó el bajo peso al nacer en el grupo de estudio con relación al frupo control. Influyó de forma negativa las malas condiciones de la vivienda y la situación socioeconómica en madres adolescentes. La sepsis urinaria resultó ser la afectación más frecuente durante la gestación para ambos grupos. Las madres adolescentes aportaron mayor número de racién nacidos pretérminos y de partos distócicos, y resultó el distrés respiratorio la afección neonatal más frecuente al acto del nacimiento...(AU)

Desprendimiento prematuro de la placenta: revisión bibliográfica / Premature loosening of the placenta: bibliographical overhaul

Trata de una revisión bibliográfica sobre desprendimiento prematuro de placenta, en la mayoría de los casos la separación de placenta ocurre sin ningún factor previo asociado, se han descrito casos de recidivas en embarazos posteriores. Es crucial la evaluación de todos los casos de hemorragia vaginal para determinar la causa. Actualmente el tratamiento rápido son las únicas medidas disponibles para eliminar los efectos de este trastorno.

Factores de riesgo especificos que originan Hepatitis B en pacientes hemodializados en la Unidad Renal del Hospital de San Jose / Specific risk factors that produce Hepatitis B in hemodyalized patients in Hospital San Jose Dialisis Unit

En la Unidad Renal del Hospital San Jose de Bogota, existen tres clases de tratamiento para pacientes con insuficiencia renal cronica, estos son: 1. Transplante renal 2. Dialisis peritoneal 3. Hemodialisis: Procedimiento que consiste en establecer un circuito sanguineo cerrado extracorporeo entre el paciente y una maquina, la cual desempena la funcion del rinon artificial, extrayendo los productos de desecho del organismo y devolviendo al paciente la sangre ya depurada. En esta unidad son atendidos pacientes del Seguro Social, Servicio Social, Caprecom y particulares que asisten a su seccion tres veces a la semana, en los horarios manana o tarde de lunes a sabado. Estos pacientes estan bajo condiciones cronicas de uremia, anemia, enfermedades sistemicas, nutricion alterada, ademas son sometidos a transfusiones sanguineas a repeticion. debido a lo anterior, tienen alterada su respuesta inmune y son suceptibles a infectarse especialmente por el virus de la hepatitis B; convirtiendose en portadores cronicos asintomaticos de dicha enfermedad. La probabilidad de diseminacion del virus aumenta como resultante de numerosos factores de riesgo que intervienen en su transmision tales como: Comparticion de la maquina de hemodialisis entre portadores y no portadores de la antigenemia de la hepatitis B. Contaminacion de monitores de presion venosa de uso multiple. Salpicaduras de sangre durante la canalizacion de la fistula arteriovenosa sobre heridas expuestas de la piel en la ropa o en el equipo. Espacios estrechos de tratamiento que incrementan la probabilidad de..