Increasing the recovery and selectivity of 238U, 235U, and 234U extraction with tri-n-butyl phosphate in mine tailing samples with a high copper content.

Abandoned Cu mine tailings may be associated high concentrations of U. However, the presence of stable cations such as Cu, Fe, Al, Ca, or Mg, etc. in high concentrations can reduce the chemical efficiency of the liquid-liquid extraction method with tri-n-butyl phosphate (TBP); it can also inhibit the electrodeposition of U on the stainless steel planchet where the sample is measured. In this work we studied an initial stage of complexation with ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) and a back extraction with different solutions: H2O, Na2CO3, and (NH4)2CO3 at room temperature and at 80 °C. The sensitivity of the method was 4.9·10-4 Bq for 238U and 234U, and 2.3·10-5 Bq for 235U. The validation of the method achieved 95% of the results when using a |ζ-score| ≤ ± 2.0 and a relative bias (RB[%]) ≤ ± 20% as the acceptance criteria. The recoveries obtained with the proposed method were higher than those achieved with the extraction method without initial complexation and re-extraction with H2O for water samples. Finally, this method was applied in practice to study the tailing of an abandoned Cu mine and the activity concentrations of 238U and 235U were compared with those obtained by gamma spectrometry for 234Th and 235U. The means and variances of both methods showed no significant differences between these two isotopes.

Allergic contact dermatitis from acrylic nails in a flamenco guitarist.

Acrylates are molecules that are well known for their strong sensitizing properties. Historically, many beauticians and individuals using store-bought artificial nail products have developed allergic contact dermatitis from acrylates. More recently, the use of acrylic nails among flamenco guitarists to strengthen their nails has become very popular. A 40-year-old non-atopic male patient working as a flamenco guitarist developed dystrophy, onycholysis and paronychia involving the first four nails of his right hand. The lesions were confined to the fingers where acrylic materials were used in order to strengthen his nails to play the guitar. He noticed improvement whenever he stopped using these materials and intense itching and worsening when he began reusing them. Patch tests were performed and positive results obtained with 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate (2-HEMA), 2-hydroxyethyl acrylate (2-HEA), ethyleneglycol-dimethacrylate (EGDMA) and 2-hydroxypropyl methacrylate (2-HPMA). The patient was diagnosed with occupational allergic contact dermatitis likely caused by acrylic nails. Artificial nails can contain many kinds of acrylic monomers but most cases of contact dermatitis are induced by 2-HEMA, 2-HPMA and EGDMA. This is the first reported case of occupational allergic contact dermatitis from acrylates in artificial nails in a professional flamenco guitar player. Since the practice of self-applying acrylic nail products is becoming very popular within flamenco musicians, we believe that dermatology and occupational medicine specialists should be made aware of the potentially increasing risk of sensitization from acrylates in this setting.

Carcinoma ductal ecrino: papel de la cirugía de Mohs y revisión de la literatura / Eccrine Carcinoma: The Role of Mohs Micrographic Surgery and a Review of the Literature

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Trayectoria y retos del Servicio de Ocio: los primeros 25 años / Trajectory and challenges of the Leisure Service: the first 25 years

Con tal de plantear nuevos retos es importante detenerse y conocer su precedencia. El Servicio de Ocio de la Fundación Catalana Síndrome de Down este año cumple sus prime¬ros 25 años. Por lo tanto, se hará un breve repaso de la historia del Servicio y de cómo este entiende el concepto ocio. Además, se comentará cómo se siente la persona y su entorno cuando esta quiere empezar a disfrutar de su tiempo libre y qué fórmula proponen los profesionales como respuesta. Los retos y los nuevos proyectos del Servicio ocuparán el final de este artículo (AU)

Whenever there are new challenges it is important to stop to consider their priorities. This year the Leisure Service of the Catalan Down's Syndrome Foundation celebrates its first 25 years. Thus, a short review of the history of the Service will be presented and what this leisure concept means. It will also comment on how the individuals and those around them feel when the former want to start enjoying their free time, and what the professional propose to do as a response. The challenges and new concepts of the Service will be presented at the end of this article (AU)

Dermatitis alérgica de contacto a metil aminolevulinato / Allergic Contact Dermatitis Caused by Methyl Aminolevulinate

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Eczema generalizado secundarioal tratamiento con interferón alfa pegiladoy ribavirina en dos pacientes / Generalized eczema secondary to treatment with peginterferon alpha an ribavirin in two patients

Los efectos adversos cutáneos del tratamiento con interferón alfa o la combinación de interferón alfa y ribavirina en pacientes con hepatitis crónica C son relativamente frecuentes, pero son principalmente locales y relacionados con el lugar de inyección del interferón. Sin embargo, las reacciones eczematosas a distancia o generalizadas son raras. La introducción de los interferones alfa pegilados podría aumentar la frecuencia de estas lesiones cutáneas (AU)

Treatment with interferon alpha or interferon alpha plus ribavirin in patients with chronic hepatitis C frequenty cause cutaneous local side effects limited to the injection sites. Distant or generalized eczematous reactions are rare. However, distant lesions may increase with the use of pegylated interferons alpha (AU)

Metástasis cutáneas de presentación atípicade adenocarcinoma de probable origenendometrial / Cutaneous metastases of atypical presentation from adenocarcinoma

Las metástasis cutáneas son poco frecuentes y en ocasiones representa la primera manifestación de una neoplasia desconocida. Aunque la clínica esvariable, generalmente se confunde con un proceso infeccioso o inflamatorio. Las metástasis de localización acral son particularmente raras y el pronósticoes muy malo. Presentamos el caso de un paciente con metástasis en las manos y los pies como signo inicial de una neoplasia no conocida previamente (AU)

Cutaneous metastases are infrequent and in some cases represent the first sign of cancer from an unknown primary site. Although the clinical presentationvaries, they are generally confused with an infectious or inflammatory process. Acral metastases are particularly rare and the prognosis is verypoor. A patient with metastases on the hands and feet as an initial sign of a previously unknown tumour is reported (AU)

Fibroxantoma atípico. Estudio clínicopatológico e inmunohistoquímico de diez casos / Atypical fibroxanthoma. A clinicopathological and immunohistochemical

El fibroxantoma atípico es un tumor infrecuente, de histogénesis incierta. La mayoría de los autores lo consideran una variante superficial del histiocitomafibroso maligno. Generalmente se manifiesta como un nódulo solitario en personas de edad avanzada y zonas expuestas al sol. El diagnósticodel fiborxantoma atípico es siempre de exclusión, y debe diferenciarse mediante inmunohistoquímica de otros tumores fusocelulares como los carcinomas escamosos y melanomas. Describimos las características clínicopatológicas e inmunohistoquímicas de diez casos de fibroxantoma atípico (AU)

Atypical fibroxanthoma is a rare tumor of unknown histogenesis, considered by most authors to represent a superficial or minimally invasive variant ofmalignant fibrous histiocytoma that most often presents as a solitary nodule on sun-exposed skin of the elderly. The diagnosis of atypical fibroxanthomais always one of exclusion. Other spindle-cell tumor such as squamous cell carcinoma and melanoma must be ruled out by immunohistochemical techniques. We report the clinicopathological and immunohistochemical features of ten cases of atypical fibroxanthoma (AU)

Eczema generalizado secundarioal tratamiento con interferón alfa pegilado y ribavirina en dos pacientes con hepatitis C / Generalized eczema secondary to treatment with peginterferon alpha and ribavirin in two patients with hepatitis C

Los efectos adversos cutáneos del tratamiento con interferón alfa o la combinación de interferón alfa y ribavirina en pacientes con hepatitis crónica C son relativamente frecuentes, pero son principalmente locales y relacionados con el lugar de inyección del interferón. Sin embargo, las reacciones eczematosas a distancia o generalizadas son raras. La introducción de los interferones alfa pegilados podría aumentar la frecuencia de estas lesionescutáneas (AU)

Treatment with interferon alpha or interferon alpha plus ribavirin in patientes with chronic hepatitis C frequently cause cutaneous local side effects limited to the injection sites. Generalized eczematous reactions are rare. However, distant lesions may increase with the use of pegylated inteferons alpha (AU)

Isolation, characterization, and evaluation of metallothionein in renal transplant patients.

The plasma metallothionein concentration was studied in renal transplant patients. These patients are submitted to an attack of free radicals catalyzed by metals such as copper, zinc, cadmium, and others. The function of metallothionein is to bind toxic metals inhibiting the attack of free radicals and oxidative stress that patients receiving renal transplants are submitted to. This is the reason for studying this protein in this work. The metalloprotein was separated from the plasma by thermoprecipitation and molecular exclusion chromatography with Sephadex G-75 followed by anionic-ionic exchange chromatographic purification with a CINa gradient. Identification was done by SDS electrophoresis in acrylamide gel with markers and commercial protein. Finally, determinations were made by atomic absorption, silver saturation method. In this work, determinations were made in the plasma of 11 patients before and 48 h and 1 and 2 weeks after renal transplantation. The same study was carried out in parallel in a control group of 11 blood donors. The results obtained show the existence in the plasma of metallothionein, with lower concentrations in patients than in controls (19 +/- 1.2 mg vs. 12 +/- 1.2 mg). The levels were lowest in the patient group analyzed 48 h after having received the transplant (6.34 mg) and had recovered slightly one and two weeks later.

Gestante con hemiparesia izquierda y pápulas amarillentas / Pregnant woman with left hemiparestesis and yellwish papules

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Contraceptive efficacy and clinical performance of Nestorone implants in postpartum women.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the contraceptive efficacy and clinical performance of a Nestorone subdermal implant (NES) in the postpartum period. NES (n = 100) and Copper T intrauterine device (T-Cu; n = 100) acceptors initiated contraception at 8 weeks postpartum and were followed at monthly intervals during the first year and at 3-month intervals thereafter. Pregnancy rates, breastfeeding performance, infant growth, bleeding pattern, and side effects were assessed. Blood and milk NES concentration were measured. No pregnancy occurred in 2195 and 2145 woman-months of NES implant and T-Cu use, respectively. No effect of NES on lactation and infant growth and no serious adverse events were observed. Lactational amenorrhea was significantly longer in NES users (353 +/- 20 days) than in T-Cu users (201 +/- 11 days). More NES users (55.8%) experienced prolonged bleedings than did T-Cu users (36.2%). Concentrations of NES in breast milk ranged between 54-135 pmol/liter. The Nestorone implant is a highly effective contraceptive, safe for breastfed infants because the steroid is inactive by the oral route.

Leiomiomatosis cutaneouterina familiar / Familial cutaneous-uterine leiomyomatosis

Presentamos el caso de una familia afectada por leiomiomatosis cutaneouterina familiar o síndrome de Reed. Este proceso asocia leiomiomas múltiples familiares cutáneos y/o uterinos. Es importante su conocimiento tanto por parte del dermatólogo como del ginecólogo. Su diagnóstico obliga a realizar un examen dermatológico a los miembros de la familia afectada, así como controles ginecológicos periódicos a las mujeres de la misma (AU)

Breast-feeding duration and growth of fully breast-fed infants in a poor urban Chilean population.

The duration of breast-feeding and the growth of fully breast-fed infants during the first year of life were analyzed according to sex, birth weight, characteristics of the mother, and breast-feeding pattern. All infants (n = 1217) were healthy and fully breast-fed at 30 d postpartum and 63% and 24% were still fully breast-fed at 6 and 12 mo, respectively. The median ages at introduction of nondairy food and of milk supplements were 6.0 and 7.4 mo, respectively. The probability of remaining fully breast-fed for 12 mo was significantly higher in infants with higher birth weight and higher maternal weight, and in infants who breast-fed seven times a day or more in the first 6 mo. The comparison of the monthly weight and length of fully breast-fed infants with the World Health Organization/National Center for Health Statistics reference data showed the adequacy of breastfeeding to support infant growth. When mothers and infants are healthy, breast milk is sufficient to support adequate infant growth and health during the first months of life. The main variables that affect the duration of breast-feeding, nutrition and suckling frequency, are susceptible to interventions by health services. The results reinforce the need to care for maternal nutrition during pregnancy and to provide the support that women need to sustain a high suckling frequency.

Early difference in the endocrine profile of long and short lactational amenorrhea.

The endocrine profiles associated with long and short lactational amenorrhea were assessed in a longitudinal study in which morning blood samples were drawn in 48 women from the first postpartum month until the recovery of ovulation and in a cross-sectional study in which the samples were drawn throughout 24 h at the end of the third postpartum month in 10 fully nursing and amenorrheic women. PRL, LH, FSH, estradiol (E2), progesterone, cortisol, and dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate were measured. In both studies we detected a smaller PRL increase in response to suckling (P less than 0.001) and higher E2 levels (P less than 0.001) in nursing women who ovulated within 6 months postpartum compared to those in women who did not. Such differences were observed early after delivery when all women were fully nursing and amenorrheic. These results suggest some probable sources of variability in the duration of lactational amenorrhea in our population. The greater PRL response to suckling associated with longer amenorrhea may be due to higher sensitivity of the breast-hypothalamus-pituitary system or a stronger suckling stimulus in this group. Differences in plasma E2 levels between longer and shorter periods of amenorrhea may reflect dissimilar endogenous production, intake, or clearance of estrogens.