Has Pandemic Threat Stoked Xenophobia? How COVID-19 Influences California Voters' Attitudes toward Diversity and Immigration.

Sociological theory and historical precedent suggest that pandemics engender scapegoating of outgroups, but fail to specify how the ethnoracial boundaries defining outgroups are drawn. Using a survey experiment that primed half of the respondents (California registered voters) with questions about COVID-19 during April 2020, we ask how the pandemic influenced attitudes toward immigration, diversity and affect toward Asian Americans. In the aggregate, the COVID prime did not affect attitudes toward immigrants, but did reduce support for policies opening a pathway to citizenship for undocumented immigrants and reduced appreciation of California's diversity. Respondents reported rarely feeling anger or fear toward Asian Americans, and rates were unaffected by the COVID prime. A non-experimental comparison between attitudes toward immigrants in September 2019 and April 2020 found a positive change, driven by change among Asian-American and Latino respondents. The results provide selective support for the proposition that pandemics engender xenophobia. At least in April 2020 in California, increased bias crimes against Asian Americans more likely reflected politicians' authorization of scapegoating than broad-based racial antagonism.

Terapia descompresiva en el manejo no quirúrgico de lesiones perirradiculares de gran tamaño / Decompressive therapy in the non-surgical management of large periradicular lesions

Introducción: La periodontitis apical asintomática es de los diagnósticos endodónticos más comunes que se presentan en la población mundial. Consiste en la afectación del tejido periapical como resultado de la activación de mecanismos de inflamación, los que incluyen lisis y reabsorción de tejidos de soporte como cemento, ligamento y hueso alveolar. El signo patognomónico de la periodontitis apical es la presencia de radiolucidez periapical, resultado de la destrucción de los tejidos periapicales. Su principal tratamiento abarca el manejo endodóntico convencional cuyo objetivo es la eliminación de los irritantes locales dentro del conducto radicular. Sin embargo, cuando se desarrollan lesiones de gran tamaño es necesario complementar con terapias que aceleren la reparación, una de ellas la descompresión, la cual a partir de la reducción de la presión intralesión e intraósea con lo que favorece la formación de tejido fibroso, conectivo y óseo. Objetivo: Describir la técnica de descompresión intraconducto en el manejo de lesiones periapicales de gran tamaño. Presentación del caso: Paciente de 33 años de edad, con diagnóstico de periodontitis apical asintomática y evaluación tomográfica de lesión periapical de gran tamaño (67,5 UH) manejado con terapia endodóntica convencional y descomprensión intraconducto como terapia coadyuvante. Posterior a la restauración se realizaron controles clínicos y radiográficos. A los 24 meses se evidenció reparación de los tejidos involucrados con restauración del espacio del ligamento periodontal. Conclusiones: En este caso, la terapia descomprensiva fue una alternativa en el manejo de una lesión periapical de gran tamaño, que permitió regular la presión intraósea y facilitar la regeneración del tejido óseo, evitando la intervención quirúrgica siendo así más confortante para el paciente(AU)

Introduction: Asymptomatic apical periodontitis is one of the most common endodontic disorders diagnosed in the world population. It consists in damage to the periapical tissue due to activation of inflammation mechanisms, including lysis and resorption of support tissues like cementum, ligament and alveolar bone. The pathognomonic sign of apical periodontitis is the presence of periapical radiolucency due to the destruction of periapical tissue. Its main treatment includes conventional endodontic management aimed at removing local irritants from the root canal. However, when large lesions develop, it is necessary to complement the conventional treatment with therapies speeding up the repair process, such as decompression, which reduces intralesion and intraosseous pressure, fostering the formation of fibrous, connective and bone tissue. Objective: Describe the use of intracanal decompression technique in the management of large periapical lesions. Case presentation: A case is presented of a 33-year-old patient diagnosed with asymptomatic apical periodontitis and a tomographic evaluation of a large periapical lesion (67.5 UH) treated with conventional endodontic therapy and intracanal decompression as adjuvant therapy. Restoration was followed by clinical and radiographic controls. At 24 months it was observed that the tissues involved had been repaired and the periodontal ligament space restored. Conclusions: The use of decompressive therapy as an alternative in the management of a large periapical lesion, made it possible to regulate intraosseous pressure and facilitate bone tissue regeneration, relieving the patient from the discomforts of a surgical intervention(AU)

Improving body image at scale among Brazilian adolescents: study protocol for the co-creation and randomised trial evaluation of a chatbot intervention.

BACKGROUND: Body image concerns are prevalent among Brazilian adolescents and can lead to poor psychological and physical health. Yet, there is a scarcity of culturally-appropriate, evidence-based interventions that have been evaluated and made widely available. Chatbot technology (i.e., software that mimics written or spoken human speech) offers an innovative method to increase the scalability of mental health interventions for adolescents. The present protocol outlines the co-creation and evaluation of a body image chatbot for Brazilian adolescents via a partnership between academics, industry organisations and the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF). METHODS: A two-armed fully remote randomised controlled trial will evaluate the chatbot's effectiveness at improving body image and well-being. Adolescent girls and boys (N = 2800) aged 13-18 years recruited online will be randomly allocated (1:1) into either: 1) a body image chatbot or 2) an assessment-only control condition. Adolescents will engage with the chatbot over a 72-hour period on Facebook Messenger. Primary outcomes will assess the immediate and short-term impact of the chatbot on state- and trait-based body image, respectively. Secondary outcomes will include state- and trait-based affect, trait self-efficacy and treatment adherence. DISCUSSION: This research is the first to develop an evidence-informed body image chatbot for Brazilian adolescents, with the proposed efficacy trial aiming to provide support for accessible, scalable and cost-effective interventions that address disparities in body image prevalence and readily available resources. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: NCT04825184 , registered 30th March 2021.

Being parent is associated with suicidal history in people with serious mental illness enrolled in psychiatric rehabilitation.

Parenting is a central life experience that could promote recovery in people with Serious Mental Illness (SMI). It could also be challenging for parents with SMI and result in poor recovery-related outcomes. Parenting is often overlooked in psychiatric rehabilitation. The objectives of the present study were to identify the characteristics and needs for care of mothers and fathers with SMI enrolled in a multicentric non-selected psychiatric rehabilitation SMI sample. We consecutively recruited 1436 outpatients from the French National Centers of Reference for Psychiatric Rehabilitation cohort (REHABase). The evaluation included standardized scales for clinical severity, psychosocial function, quality of life and satisfaction with life, wellbeing, personal recovery and a broad cognitive battery. We found that parenting was associated to suicidal history in mothers and fathers with SMI. In the multivariate analysis, being mother was best explained by insight (p < 0.015, adjusted OR = 0.76 [0.59-0.90]), current age (p < 0.001, aOR = 1.13 [1.07-1.21]), education level (p = 0.008; aOR = 0.12 [0.02-0.53]) and family accommodation (p = 0.046, aOR = 0.19 [0.03-0.84]). Being father was best explained by suicidal history (p = 0.005, aOR = 3.85 [1.51-10.10]), marital status (in relationship, p < 0.001; aOR = 7.81 [2.73-23.84]), satisfaction with family relationships (p = 0.032, aOR = 1.22 [1.02-1.47]) and current age (p < 0.001, aOR = 1.16 [1.10-1.23]). In short, parenting was associated to increased history of suicide attempt in mothers and fathers with SMI. Mothers and fathers with SMI may have unique treatment needs relating to parenting and recovery-related outcomes. The implementation of interventions supporting the needs of parents with SMI in psychiatric rehabilitation services could improve parent and children outcomes.

Improving diabetes care among patients with severe mental illness: A systematic review of the effect of interventions.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: Individuals with severe mental illness (SMI) who suffer from type 2 diabetes (T2DM) are likely to be sub-optimally treated for their physical condition. This study aimed to review the effect of interventions in this population. METHODS: A systematic search in five databases was conducted in July 2017. RESULTS: Seven studies on multi-faced interventions were included. These comprised nutrition and exercise counselling, behavioural modelling and increased disease awareness aiming to reduce HbA1c, fasting plasma glucose, body mass index and weight. CONCLUSION: Non-pharmacologic interventions in individuals with SMI and T2DM could possibly improve measures of diabetes care, although with limited clinical impact.

Cardiovascular diseases may play a negative role in the prognosis of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Only a few studies have considered the role of comorbidities in the prognosis of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and have provided conflicting results. METHODS: Our multicentre, retrospective study included patients diagnosed from 1 January 2009 to 31 December 2013 in 13 referral centres for ALS located in 10 Italian regions. Neurologists at these centres collected a detailed phenotypic profile and follow-up data until death in an electronic database. Comorbidities at diagnosis were recorded by main categories and single medical diagnosis, with the aim of investigating their role in ALS prognosis. RESULTS: A total of 2354 incident cases were collected, with a median survival time from onset to death/tracheostomy of 43 months. According to univariate analysis, together with well-known clinical prognostic factors (age at onset, diagnostic delay, site of onset, phenotype, Revised El Escorial Criteria and body mass index at diagnosis), the presence of dementia, hypertension, heart disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, haematological and psychiatric diseases was associated with worse survival. In multivariate analysis, age at onset, diagnostic delay, phenotypes, body mass index at diagnosis, Revised El Escorial Criteria, dementia, hypertension, heart diseases (atrial fibrillation and heart failure) and haematological diseases (disorders of thrombosis and haemostasis) were independent prognostic factors of survival in ALS. CONCLUSIONS: Our large, multicentre study demonstrated that, together with the known clinical factors that are known to be prognostic for ALS survival, hypertension and heart diseases (i.e. atrial fibrillation and heart failure) as well as haematological diseases are independently associated with a shorter survival. Our findings suggest some mechanisms that are possibly involved in disease progression, giving new interesting clues that may be of value for clinical practice and ALS comorbidity management.

Reaching a Vapor Sensitivity of 0.01 Parts Per Quadrillion in the Screening of Large Volume Freight.

The feasibility of detecting explosives in the atmosphere at concentrations as low as 0.01 ppq hinges on the poorly known question of what interfering species exist at these or higher concentrations. To clarify the issue, hundreds of samples of ambient air, either clean or loaded with explosives (from lightly contaminated environments) have been collected in fiberglass/stainless steel filters coated with Tenax-GR, thermally desorbed at variable temperature, and ionized with Cl- via secondary electrospray (SESI). They are analyzed with a narrow-band mobility filter (SEADM's P5 DMA) and a triple quadrupole mass spectrometer (Sciex's 5500), configured in series to transmit precursor and fragment ions of the explosives Nitroglycerin, PETN, RDX, and TNT. Blanks were sampled outdoors at a rural site (Boecillo, Valladolid, Spain), and loads were sampled at diverse locations. For RDX and TNT, atmospheric background inhibits detection below 1 part/trillion (ppt) without mobility filtering. This interference was drastically reduced by the DMA, allowing detection up to 1 part/quadrillion (ppq). Further sensitivity increase was achieved by scanning over a mobility region several percent around that of the target explosive, to separate various isobaric compounds by Gaussian deconvolution. (i) All four MS/MS channels analyzed exhibit several background peaks within the narrow mobility intervals investigated. At least one of these interferents is much stronger than the instrument background at the explosive's mobility, making DMA separation most helpful. (ii) For Nitroglycerin and PETN the combined filtering techniques have not lowered ambient chemical noise down to 0.01 ppq. (iii) Interferents are greatly reduced for TNT and RDX, resulting in minimal chemical noise: 322 blank tests for RDX yielded mean signal of 0.0012 ppq and standard deviation σ = 0.0035 ppq (mean + 3σ detection limit of 0.01 ppq).

Non-motor involvement in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: new insight from nerve and vessel analysis in skin biopsy.

AIMS: To assess cutaneous sensory and autonomic nerves and the vascular bed in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). METHODS: We enrolled 41 patients (M = 20, aged 63.5 ± 11.8 years), and 41 age- and gender-matched healthy volunteers (M = 20, aged 63.5 ± 11.8 years). Disease severity and sensory and autonomic symptoms were scored using dedicated rating scales. Skin biopsies obtained from thigh, leg and fingertip were processed using indirect immunofluorescence. Intraepidermal nerve fibres, Meissner corpuscles (MCs), intrapapillary myelinated endings, cholinergic and noradrenergic pilomotor nerves and dermal vessels were quantified on confocal images. Intraepidermal nerve fibres, pilomotor nerves and vessels were also assessed on distal leg skin samples of 10 spinal cord injury patients to compare our findings with those of a chronic hypomobility condition. RESULTS: Compared to healthy controls skin biopsies showed: (i) non-length-dependent loss of intraepidermal nerve fibres (P < 0.01) and loss of MCs (P < 0.01); (ii) reduced (P < 0.01) density of pilomotor nerves involving cholinergic and noradrenergic fibres and (iii) a reduced (P < 0.01) vascular bed. Autonomic nerve and dermal vessel densities were higher in patients with higher disease progression rate (P < 0.01). Moreover, we observed signs of nerve regeneration coexisting with nerve degeneration and increased complexity of the dermal vessels. In patients with posttraumatic spinal cord injury, the density of intraepidermal nerve fibres, pilomotor nerves and of the vascular bed did not differ from controls (P > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: We demonstrated a cutaneous sensory and autonomic denervation in ALS and a previously undescribed relationship between autonomic and vascular involvement that appeared to be linked to the disease progression rate.

Percepción del ambiente educacional en dos escuelas de medicina con currículo tradicional: Estudio longitudinal / Longitudinal perception of the educational environment in two medical schools with traditional curricula in Chile and Spain

Background: To establish an educational environment that ensures the quality of the teaching-learning process is a challenge for any educational institution. The questionnaire DREEM (Dundee Ready Educational Environment Measure) is used to identify strengths and weaknesses of an educational environment and to compare different medical schools. Aim: To evaluate the changes in the perception of educational environment by students of the Schools of Medicine of the University of Zaragoza, UZar (Spain) and the University of Chile, UCh (Chile) at two points in their curricula. Material and Methods: DREEM questionnaire was answered by 90 students from the UZar and 87 students of the UCh, when they were in the first year (2009) and in the fourth year of their career (2012). Results: At both universities the overall mean scores of DREAM were significantly higher in students in their first year than those obtained in the fourth year (137.5/118.3 for UZar and 128.6/118.8 for UCh). Items with worse perception in the fourth year were observed in subscales Learning Perception and Atmosphere Perception. Items with good evaluation (≥ 3.0) were the subscales Perception of teachers, academic self-perception, perception of Environment and Social Self-perception. Conclusions: The perception of Chilean and Spanish students about their educational environments indicates that the stage of their medical training is more important than the geographical context or educational institution.

Evaluación de la Escala EPInfant durante una prueba de ejercicio incremental en cinta rodante / Evaluation of the EPInfant scale during an incremental exercise test in treadmill

The scales of perceived exertion (PE) quantify the perceptual changes induced by physiological stress during exercise. Whereas the adult scales cannot be used in children, it was built the EPInfant scale for Spanish speaking children. The aim of this study is to determine the validity of the criteria for an exercise test on a treadmill. Methods: Cross-sectional study, in which the criterion validity was determined by linear regression between the EP and variable intensity exercise (heart rate and workload) during incremental exercise test in treadmill (Naughton’s test). Results: At study entered 26 healthy children (13 males) with a mean age of 13.6 ± 0.13 years-old. Both the PE and heart rate (HR) increased significantly at every level of intensity during the Naughton’ test. It was observed a strong linear correlation between the PE and HR, as well as between PE and workload (speed and slope of the treadmill). All regression models were highly significant (p < 0.0001). Conclusion: EPInfant scale has an acceptable criterion-related validity to measure PE during an incremental exercise test on a treadmill in the studied sample of children. Future studies are needed to determine other properties of measurement in this type of exercise.

Introducción: Las escalas de esfuerzo percibido (EP) permiten cuantificar los cambios perceptuales inducidos por el estrés fisiológico durante el ejercicio. Considerando que las escalas de EP para adultos no pueden ser utilizados en niños, se construyó la escala EPInfant. El objetivo de este estudio fue determinar su validez de criterio durante una prueba de ejercicio en cinta rodante. Métodos: Estudio de corte transversal. Se determinó validez de criterio concurrente aplicando regresión lineal entre EP y variables de intensidad de ejercicio (frecuencia cardíaca (FC) y carga de trabajo), durante la prueba de ejercicio incremental en cinta rodante (test de Naughton), en población infantil sana de la ciudad de Concepción Chile. Resultados: Se estudiaron 26 sujetos (13 varones), con una media de edad de 13,6 ± 0,13. Tanto la FC como el EP incrementaron significativamente en cada nivel de intensidad durante el test de Naughton. Se verificó correlación lineal entre el EP y FC; así como también, entre EP y carga de trabajo (velocidad e inclinación de la trotadora). Todos los modelos de regresión fueron significativos (p < 0,0001). Conclusión: La escala EPInfant posee una adecuada validez de criterio concurrente para medir EP durante el test de Naughton en la muestra estudiada. Se requieren estudios adicionales para determinar otras propiedades de medición en esta modalidad de ejercicio.

Lose to win: marT pseudogenization in Salmonella enterica serovar Typhi contributed to the surV-dependent survival to H2O2, and inside human macrophage-like cells.

The difference in host range between Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium (S. Typhimurium) and Salmonella enterica serovar Typhi (S. Typhi) can be partially attributed to the gain of functions, to the loss of functions (i.e. pseudogenization), or to a combination of both processes. As previously reported, the loss of functions by pseudogenization may play a role in bacterial evolution, especially in host-restricted pathogens such as S. Typhi. The marT-fidL operon, located at the SPI-3, encodes the MarT transcriptional regulator and a hypothetical protein (i.e. FidL) with no significant similarities to known proteins, respectively. Even though predicted S. Typhimurium FidL exhibit 99.4% identity with S. Typhi FidL, marT has been annotated as a pseudogene in S. Typhi. In this work, we found that S. Typhi expressing S. Typhimurium marT-fidL exhibited an increased accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), leading to a decreased survival in presence of H2O2. Moreover, we found that that the presence of a functional copy of S. Typhimurium marT-fidL in S. Typhi resulted in a repression of surV (STY4039), an ORF found in the S. Typhi SPI-3 but absent from S. Typhimurium SPI-3, that contribute to the resistance to H2O2 by decreasing the accumulation of ROS. Finally, we observed that the presence of S. Typhimurium marT-fidL in S. Typhi negatively affected the survival inside macrophage-like cells, but not in epithelial cells, after 24h post infection. Therefore, this work provides evidence arguing that marT pseudogenization in Salmonella Typhi contributed to the surV-dependent survival against H2O2, and inside human macrophage-like cells. This is a good example of how the loss of functions (marT pseudogenization) and the gain of functions (presence of surV) might contribute to phenotypic changes improving virulence.

[Longitudinal perception of the educational environment in two medical schools with traditional curricula in Chile and Spain]. / Percepción del ambiente educacional en dos escuelas de medicina con currículo tradicional: Estudio longitudinal.

BACKGROUND: To establish an educational environment that ensures the quality of the teaching-learning process is a challenge for any educational institution. The questionnaire DREEM (Dundee Ready Educational Environment Measure) is used to identify strengths and weaknesses of an educational environment and to compare different medical schools. AIM: To evaluate the changes in the perception of educational environment by students of the Schools of Medicine of the University of Zaragoza, UZar (Spain) and the University of Chile, UCh (Chile) at two points in their curricula. MATERIAL AND METHODS: DREEM questionnaire was answered by 90 students from the UZar and 87 students of the UCh, when they were in the first year (2009) and in the fourth year of their career (2012). RESULTS: At both universities the overall mean scores of DREAM were significantly higher in students in their first year than those obtained in the fourth year (137.5/118.3 for UZar and 128.6/118.8 for UCh). Items with worse perception in the fourth year were observed in subscales Learning Perception and Atmosphere Perception. Items with good evaluation (≥ 3.0) were the subscales Perception of teachers, academic self-perception, perception of Environment and Social Self-perception. CONCLUSIONS: The perception of Chilean and Spanish students about their educational environments indicates that the stage of their medical training is more important than the geographical context or educational institution.

Pseudogenization of sopA and sopE2 is functionally linked and contributes to virulence of Salmonella enterica serovar Typhi.

The difference in host range between Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium (S. Typhimurium) and S. enterica serovar Typhi (S. Typhi) can be partially attributed to pseudogenes. Pseudogenes are genomic segments homologous to functional genes that do not encode functional products due to the presence of genetic defects. S. Typhi lacks several protein effectors implicated in invasion or other important processes necessary for full virulence of S. Typhimurium. SopA and SopE2, effectors that have been lost by pseudogenization in S. Typhi, correspond to an ubiquitin ligase involved in cytokine production by infected cells, and to a guanine exchange factor necessary for invasion of epithelial cells, respectively. We hypothesized that sopA and/or sopE pseudogenization contributed to the virulence of S. Typhi. In this work, we found that S. Typhi expressing S. Typhimurium sopE2 exhibited a decreased invasion in different epithelial cell lines compared with S. Typhi WT. S. Typhimurium sopA completely abolished the hypo-invasive phenotype observed in S. Typhi expressing S. Typhimurium sopE2, suggesting that functional SopA and SopE2 participate concertedly in the invasion process. Finally, the expression of S. Typhimurium sopA and/or sopE2 in S. Typhi, determined changes in the secretion of IL-8 and IL-18 in infected epithelial cells.

Dieta, estado nutricional y riesgo de cáncer / Diet, nutrition and cancer risk

El cáncer resulta de la interacción entre susceptibilidad genética y exposición ambiental; su diagnóstico está relacionado con la edad y existe un marcador que incrementa su incidencia después de los años reproductivos. Los nutrientes y la exposición a tóxicos contribuyen en forma importante al riesgo de padecer algunos cánceres. La nutrición influye en el riesgo de cáncer directamente a través de carcinógenos presentes en los alimentos o indirectamente como la respuesta hormonal y metabólica al crecimiento y la obesidad. La prevención del cáncer podría comenzar antes de la concepción, las futuras madres deben iniciar su embarazo con un peso saludable y evitar ganancia excesiva o bajo peso gestacional. Los micronutrientes son importantes para el desarrollo embriológico y crecimiento fetal. Los hábitos inadecuados en edades tempranas de la vida, la ingesta de toxinas incluidas en ciertos alimentos desencadenan mecanismos fisiopatológicos que se traducen finalmente en modificación del patrón genómico de los niños, que conlleva más tarde a la aparición de enfermedades oncológicas en la edad adulta. Recomendaciones: alimentación exclusiva con leche humana hasta los 6 meses y a partir de ese momento, incorporar alimentos complementarios adecuados; mantener un peso corporal adecuado, comer una dieta variada, incluir diariamente vegetales y frutas, incrementar la ingesta diaria de fibra, limitar la ingesta total de grasas, bebidas alcohólicas, alimentos curados con sal, ahumados y preservados con nitritos. El pediatra debe colaborar con los padres y profesores en el fomento de hábitos saludables que acompañarán a lo largo de su vida a los niños de hoy.

Cancer results from the interaction of genetic susceptibility and environmental exposure. The diagnosis of cancer is related to age and there is a net increase in cancer incidence after the childbearing years. Nutrients and toxic exposures contribute significantly to the risk of some cancers. Nutrition as a determinant of growth and body development also influences cancer risk directly through carcinogens in food or indirectly as the hormonal and metabolic response to growth and obesity. Cancer prevention may begin before conception, so expectant mothers should start your pregnancy at a healthy weight and avoid excessive weight gain or low during pregnancy. Micronutrients are important for embryonic development and fetal growth. Inadequate habits at an early age of life, given by ingestion of toxins contained in certain foods trigger pathophysiological mechanisms that eventually result in modification of the genomic pattern of children, which later leads to the emergence of oncological diseases in adulthood. Children should be fed exclusively on breast milk until 6 months of age and thereafter incorporate adequate complementary foods. Suggested recommendations firmly established base are analyzed are: maintain a healthy body weight, eating a varied diet, daily include various vegetables and fruits, increase daily fiber intake, limit total fat intake, alcohol, salt-cured foods, smoked and preserved with nitrites. The pediatrician can and should work with parents and teachers in promoting healthy habits that accompany you throughout your life to the children of today.

Variables que afectan la satisfacción con la alimentación según nivel socioeconómico: un estudio exploratorio en el sur de Chile / Variables affecting food satisfaction according to socioeconomic status: an exploratory study in southern Chile

In order to identify variables that influence in food satisfaction for people belonging to different socioeconomic status (SES) in southern Chile, a survey was administered to a sample of 400 people living in the major cities of this region. The questionnaire included the SWFL (Satisfaction with Food-related Life) scale and the IQLRH (Index of Quality of Life Related to Health). Demographic characteristics and dietary habits were also consulted. Four ordinal logit models were proposed, where the dependent variable was satisfaction with food-related life, considering the total sample and three subsamples: medium and medium-high strata (ABC1), medium-medium (C2) and medium-low (C3), low (D) and very low (E) as a whole. The four models were significant (p<0.001), but differed in the explanatory variables that were significant. Regardless of SES, satisfaction with food-related life decreases if the person does not have a good perception of their own health. Other variables that influence satisfaction with food-related life, which differed according to the SES, are related to the gender, the family composition, the time available for family dining, frequency of consumption of meat and use of fast food outlets and the restriction of alcohol consumption.

Con el objetivo de identificar variables que influyen en la satisfacción con la alimentación en personas pertenecientes a distintos niveles socioeconómicos (NSE) del sur de Chile, se aplicó una encuesta a 400 personas residentes en las principales ciudades de esta parte del país. El cuestionario incluyó la escala SWFL (Satisfaction with Food-related Life) y el Indice de Calidad de Vida relativo a la Salud (ICVRS). Se consultaron características demográficas y hábitos alimentarios. Se plantearon cuatro modelos logit ordinales, en los cuales la variable dependiente fue la satisfacción con la alimentación, considerando la muestra total y tres submuestras: estratos alto y medio-alto (ABC1), medio-medio (C2) y en conjunto los niveles medio-bajo (C3), bajo (D) y muy bajo (E). Los cuatro modelos resultaron significativos (p<0,001), pero difirieron en las variables explicativas significativas. Independientemente del NSE, la satisfacción con la alimentación disminuye si la persona no tiene una buena auto percepción de su salud. Otras variables que influyen en la satisfacción con la alimentación, que difirieron según el NSE, corresponden al género, composición de la familia, tiempo disponible para cenar en familia, frecuencia de consumo de carne y en locales de comida rápida y, la restricción del consumo de alcohol.

Salmonella Typhi shdA: pseudogene or allelic variant?

ShdA from Salmonella Typhimurium (ShdASTm) is a large outer membrane protein that specifically recognizes and binds to fibronectin. ShdASTm is involved in the colonization of the cecum and the Peyer's patches of terminal ileum in mice. On the other hand, shdA gene from Salmonella Typhi (shdASTy) has been considered a pseudogene (i.e. a nonfunctional sequence of genomic DNA) due to the presence of deletions and mutations that gave rise to premature stop codons. In this work we show that, despite the deletions and mutations, shdASTy is fully functional. S. Typhi ΔshdA mutants presented an impaired adherence and invasion of HEp-2 pre-treated with TGF-ß1, an inducer of fibronectin production. Moreover, shdA from S. Typhi and S. Typhimurium seem to be equivalent since shdASTm restored the adherence and invasion of S. Typhi ΔshdA mutant to wild type levels. In addition, anti-FLAG mAbs interfered with the adherence and invasion of the S. Typhi shdA-3xFLAG strain. Finally, shdASTy encodes a detectable protein when heterologously expressed in Escherichia coli DH5α. The data presented here show that shdASTy is not a pseudogene, but a different functional allele compared with shdASTm.

Dosimetric effect by shallow air cavities in high energy electron beams.

This study evaluates the dosimetric impact caused by an air cavity located at 2 mm depth from the top surface in a PMMA phantom irradiated by electron beams produced by a Siemens Primus linear accelerator. A systematic evaluation of the effect related to the cavity area and thickness as well as to the electron beam energy was performed by using Monte Carlo simulations (EGSnrc code), Pencil Beam algorithm and Gafchromic EBT2 films. A home-PMMA phantom with the same geometry as the simulated one was specifically constructed for the measurements. Our results indicate that the presence of the cavity causes an increase (up to 70%) of the dose maximum value as well as a shift forward of the position of the depth-dose curve, compared to the homogeneous one. Pronounced dose discontinuities in the regions close to the lateral cavity edges are observed. The shape and magnitude of these discontinuities change with the dimension of the cavity. It is also found that the cavity effect is more pronounced (6%) for the 12 MeV electron beam and the presence of cavities with large thickness and small area introduces more significant variations (up to 70%) on the depth-dose curves. Overall, the Gafchromic EBT2 film measurements were found in agreement within 3% with Monte Carlo calculations and predict well the fine details of the dosimetric change near the cavity interface. The Pencil Beam calculations underestimate the dose up to 40% compared to Monte Carlo simulations; in particular for the largest cavity thickness (2.8 cm).

Análisis multicanal de un sensor no obstructivo para la detección del Síndrome de Apnea-Hipopnea del Sueño / Multichannel Analysis of an Unobtrusive Sensor for Sleep Apnea-Hypopnea Detection

Este artículo presenta un método no obstructivo para la detección del síndrome de apnea-hipopnea del sueño (SAHS). El flujo respiratorio es medido indirectamente a través de un colchón sensorizado (PBS Pressure Bed Sensor) que incluye 8 transductores de presión. Mediante la transformada de Hilbert se obtiene la amplitud instantánea de las señales respiratorias y se reduce la información a través del análisis de componentes principales (ACP). Los eventos respiratorios (ERs apneas/hipopneas) se localizan como una reducción en la amplitud instantánea resultante y se contabilizan en el índice de eventos respiratorios (IER), un índice de severidad similar al oficial apnea-hypopnea index (AHI). El PBS se analiza agrupando primero la información de pares de canales y después utilizando los 8 canales. Los IER se evalúan comparándolos con el AHI en diferentes niveles de severidad. En el diagnóstico de pacientes sanos y patológicos se obtuvo una sensibilidad, especificidad y exactitud de 92%, 100% y 96% respectivamente, utilizando la información de dos u ocho canales. Con estos resultados podemos proponer el uso del PBS como una alternativa para el diagnóstico del SAHS en ambientes fuera del hospital, ya que no requiere la presencia de un clínico especialista para su uso.

This manuscript presents an unobtrusive method for sleep apneahypopnea syndrome (SAHS) detection. The airflow is indirectly measured through a sensitive mattress (Pressure Bed sensor, PBS) that incorporates multiple pressure sensors into a bed mattress. The instantaneous amplitude of each sensor signal is calculated through Hilbert transform, and then, the information is reduced via principal component analysis. The respiratory events (ERs -apneas/hypopneas) are detected as a reduction in the resulting instantaneous amplitude and accounted in the respiratory event index (IER), which is a severity indicator similar to the offcial apnea-hypopnea index (AHI). The respiratory signals extracted from PBS are analyzed first by clustering the information coming from channel pairs, and then using the eight channels. The IER performance is compared with the AHI for different severity categories. For the diagnosis of healthy and pathological patients we obtain a sensitivity, specificity and accuracy of 92%, 100% and 96%, respectively using two or eight PBS channels. These results suggest the possibility to propose PBS as an alternative tool for SAHS diagnosis in home environment.

Wildlife reservoirs of brucellosis: Brucella in aquatic environments.

Neurobrucellosis and osteomyelitis are common pathologies of humans and cetaceans infected with Brucella ceti or B. pinnipedialis. Currently, 53 species of marine mammal are known to show seropositivity for brucellae, and B. ceti or B. pinnipedialis have been isolated or identified in polymerase chain reaction assays in 18 of these species. Brucellae have also been isolated from fish and identified in lungworm parasites of pinnipeds and cetaceans. Despite these circumstances, there are no local or global requirements for monitoring brucellosis in marine mammals handled for multiple purposes such as capture, therapy, rehabilitation, investigation, slaughter or consumption. Since brucellosis is a zoonosis and may be a source of infection to other animals, international standards for Brucella in potentially infected marine mammals are necessary.

The use of non-standard CT conversion ramps for Monte Carlo verification of 6 MV prostate IMRT plans.

Monte Carlo (MC) dose calculation algorithms have been widely used to verify the accuracy of intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) dose distributions computed by conventional algorithms due to the ability to precisely account for the effects of tissue inhomogeneities and multileaf collimator characteristics. Both algorithms present, however, a particular difference in terms of dose calculation and report. Whereas dose from conventional methods is traditionally computed and reported as the water-equivalent dose (Dw), MC dose algorithms calculate and report dose to medium (Dm). In order to compare consistently both methods, the conversion of MC Dm into Dw is therefore necessary. This study aims to assess the effect of applying the conversion of MC-based Dm distributions to Dw for prostate IMRT plans generated for 6 MV photon beams. MC phantoms were created from the patient CT images using three different ramps to convert CT numbers into material and mass density: a conventional four material ramp (CTCREATE) and two simplified CT conversion ramps: (1) air and water with variable densities and (2) air and water with unit density. MC simulations were performed using the BEAMnrc code for the treatment head simulation and the DOSXYZnrc code for the patient dose calculation. The conversion of Dm to Dw by scaling with the stopping power ratios of water to medium was also performed in a post-MC calculation process. The comparison of MC dose distributions calculated in conventional and simplified (water with variable densities) phantoms showed that the effect of material composition on dose-volume histograms (DVH) was less than 1% for soft tissue and about 2.5% near and inside bone structures. The effect of material density on DVH was less than 1% for all tissues through the comparison of MC distributions performed in the two simplified phantoms considering water. Additionally, MC dose distributions were compared with the predictions from an Eclipse treatment planning system (TPS), which employed a pencil beam convolution (PBC) algorithm with Modified Batho Power Law heterogeneity correction. Eclipse PBC and MC calculations (conventional and simplified phantoms) agreed well (<1%) for soft tissues. For femoral heads, differences up to 3% were observed between the DVH for Eclipse PBC and MC calculated in conventional phantoms. The use of the CT conversion ramp of water with variable densities for MC simulations showed no dose discrepancies (0.5%) with the PBC algorithm. Moreover, converting Dm to Dw using mass stopping power ratios resulted in a significant shift (up to 6%) in the DVH for the femoral heads compared to the Eclipse PBC one. Our results show that, for prostate IMRT plans delivered with 6 MV photon beams, no conversion of MC dose from medium to water using stopping power ratio is needed. In contrast, MC dose calculations using water with variable density may be a simple way to solve the problem found using the dose conversion method based on the stopping power ratio.