BNCT research activities at the Granada group and the project NeMeSis: Neutrons for medicine and sciences, towards an accelerator-based facility for new BNCT therapies, medical isotope production and other scientific neutron applications.

The Granada group in BNCT research is currently performing studies on: nuclear and radiobiological data for BNCT, new boron compounds and a new design for a neutron source for BNCT and other applications, including the production of medical radioisotopes. All these activities are described in this report.

Efficacy of bronchodilators administered by nebulizers versus spacer devices in infants with acute wheezing.

The aim of this study was to compare the response of infants with acute wheezing to treatments with inhaled terbutaline when administered by nebulizer or by metered-dose inhaler and spacer device (MDI-spacer). Thirty-four infants between the ages of 1 and 24 months who were seen in our emergency department for acute wheezing were studied in a double-blind, randomized trial. The participants received two treatments of terbutaline at 20-min intervals, either by a nebulizer (2 mg/dose in 2.8 mL of 0.9% saline solution) or by an MDI-spacer device (0.5 mg/dose). The outcome measure was a clinical score, based on respiratory rate, degree of wheezing, retractions, degree of cyanosis, color, and pulse oximetry data measured before treatment, 20 min after the first treatment, and again 20 min after the second treatment. There was no difference in the rate of improvement in the clinical score between infants who received terbutaline by nebulizer and those who received it by MDI-spacer. We conclude that MDI-spacers and nebulizers are equally effective means of delivering beta-2 agonists to infants and small children with acute wheezing.

Increased cytogenetic damage in outdoor painters.

Painters are exposed to an extensive variety of hazardous substances such as organic solvents, lead-containing pigments and residual plastic monomers. In this particular case, workers used commercially available exterior paints and occasionally gasoline or thinner as solvents. The application or removal of paints was performed without protection (masks or gloves). To determine occupational exposure risk, a monitoring study was designed. Group selection was made after a questionnaire administration, which included questions about lifestyle and medical history to exclude exposure to other potential sources of genotoxics. Smoking and drinking habits were also considered. Blood and buccal cell samples were obtained from 25 public building male painters and from a similar number of age- and gender-matched controls. Lead levels were measured in paint samples and in individuals' blood. Organic solvents and/or its metabolites were also determined in blood. Chromosomal aberrations (CA) and sister chromatid exchanges (SCE) were determined in peripheral blood lymphocyte cultures. Also, the frequency of micronuclei (MN) in buccal cells was investigated. Painters had higher lead levels in blood (p<0.05); CA and SCE in lymphocytes and MN in epithelial cells were also elevated (p<0.05). Cytogenetic damage was significantly associated with occupational exposure time but not with the levels of lead found in blood.

[Relationship between a benign fibroepithelial polyp and a pelvic nephroblastoma: report of a case]. / Relación entre un pólipo fibroepitelial benigno y un nefroblastoma piélico: a propósito de un caso.

The purpose of this paper is to report one case of left pyelic Wilms' tumour in a 17-year old male patient. Pre-operative diagnosis was complicated by a background of prior surgery on the same kidney due to a benign fibroepithelial polyp. The possible concomitences are analyzed while the relevance of an extensive pathoanatomical study to avoid possible diagnostic errors is emphasized.

[Identification of factors conditioning urinary cytology in bladder cancer]. / Identificación de los factores que condicionan la citología urinaria en el cáncer vesical.

OBJECTIVES: To identify the clinical and tumoral aspects related with urinary cytology as a means of validating current criteria or determining the usefulness of this test in the diagnosis of bladder tumors. METHODS: 96 patients that were posteriorly diagnosed as having primary transitional cell carcinoma of the bladder were initially evaluated by urinary cytology. The diagnoses were positive, negative or inconclusive cytology. Any abnormality (for both inconclusive and positive cytologies) were considered as compatible with tumor. To determine the relationship between patient characteristics and tumors, and the results of cytology, standard univariate statistical analysis was performed. To eliminate the confounding factors, a multivariate analysis was performed. RESULTS: Cytology was positive on 44 (45.8%), inconclusive on 22 (23%) and negative on 30 (31.2%) occasions. Age > or = 55 years (p < 0.05), grade (p < 0.05), tumor aspect (p < 0.01) and size (p < 0.001) were associated with a higher frequency of cytologies compatible with tumor. Multiple regression analysis identified tumor size as the only independent variable related with the cytologies compatible with tumor [odds ratio = 8.68 (2.7-26.9)]. CONCLUSIONS: If, as the results of the present analysis suggest, the real effect of cytological analysis in the initial diagnosis of bladder tumors is the anticipation of different features of tumor grade and stage (as patient age, tumor size, aspect and number), its utility would be very limited since other more precise tests (US, cystoscopy...) that provide this information are available.

Idiopathic adulthood ductopenia: a diagnosis: two clinicopathologic courses.

Idiopathic adulthood ductopenia is a chronic cholestatic entity of unknown origin that was discovered in the past decade. Although it is classically a progressive and severe disease, a benign and responsive-to-therapy form has been reported recently. We present two middle-aged females that represent the extremes of the clinicopathologic spectrum: One with a severe form of the disease for whom liver transplantation was considered and the other with a benign form.