Influenza A virus antibodies in dogs, hunting dogs, and backyard pigs in Campeche, Mexico.

AIMS: This study aimed to identify exposure to human, swine, and avian influenza A virus subtypes in rural companion and hunting dogs, backyard pigs, and feral pigs. METHODS AND RESULTS: The study took place in a region of southeastern Mexico where the sampled individuals were part of backyard production systems in which different domestic and wild species coexist and interact with humans. We collected blood samples from pigs and dogs at each of the sites. We used a nucleoprotein enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay to determine the exposure of individuals to influenza A virus. Haemagglutination inhibition was performed on the positive samples to determine the subtypes to which they were exposed. For data analysis, a binomial logistic regression model was generated to determine the predictor variables for the seropositivity of the individuals in the study. We identified 11 positive individuals: three backyard pigs, four companion dogs, and four hunting dogs. The pigs tested positive for H1N1 and H1N2. The dogs were positive for H1N1, H1N2, and H3N2. The model showed that dogs in contact with backyard chickens are more likely to be seropositive for influenza A viruses. CONCLUSIONS: We demonstrated the essential role hunting dogs could play as intermediate hosts and potential mixing vessel hosts when exposed to human and swine-origin viral subtypes. These results are relevant because these dogs interact with domestic hosts and humans in backyard systems, which are risk scenarios in the transmission of influenza A viruses. Therefore, it is of utmost importance to implement epidemiological surveillance of influenza A viruses in backyard animals, particularly in key animals in the transmission of these viruses, such as dogs and pigs.

[Lower esophageal sphincter pressure in patients with achalasia. Is high blood pressure frequent in these patients?]. / Variación de la presión del esfínter esofágico inferior (EEI) en pacientes con acalasia. El EEI hipertenso es un hallazgo frecuente?

OBJECTIVE: To describe variability of lower esophageal sphincter (LES) pressure in patients with diagnosis of achalasia based in esophageal manometry. METHODS: We included 29 patients with diagnosis of achalasia confirmed by water perfusion manometry performed between July 2000 and June 2002 at the Digestive and Liver Disease Center in Guadalajara, Jalisco. Three were excluded due to impossibility of evaluating LES. RESULTS: Esophageal aperistalsis was found in all patients. LES pressure was normal in 73%, low (hypotension) in 8%, and high (hypertension) in only 19% of patients. Relaxation of LES showed different responses ranging from absence to complete relaxation after degluttion. There was absence of relaxation after degluttion in all patients with LES hypertension and hypotension. CONCLUSION: Hypertension of LES in our cohort of patients with achalasia was seen only in 19%. Knowledgement of manometric variability is fundamental to avoid errors in achalasia diagnosis and further patient treatment.

Compartmentalization of lipid biosynthesis in mycobacteria.

The plasma membrane of Mycobacterium sp. is the site of synthesis of several distinct classes of lipids that are either retained in the membrane or exported to the overlying cell envelope. Here, we provide evidence that enzymes involved in the biosynthesis of two major lipid classes, the phosphatidylinositol mannosides (PIMs) and aminophospholipids, are compartmentalized within the plasma membrane. Enzymes involved in the synthesis of early PIM intermediates were localized to a membrane subdomain termed PMf, that was clearly resolved from the cell wall by isopyknic density centrifugation and amplified in rapidly dividing Mycobacterium smegmatis. In contrast, the major pool of apolar PIMs and enzymes involved in polar PIM biosynthesis were localized to a denser fraction that contained both plasma membrane and cell wall markers (PM-CW). Based on the resistance of the PIMs to solvent extraction in live but not lysed cells, we propose that polar PIM biosynthesis occurs in the plasma membrane rather than the cell wall component of the PM-CW. Enzymes involved in phosphatidylethanolamine biosynthesis also displayed a highly polarized distribution between the PMf and PM-CW fractions. The PMf was greatly reduced in non-dividing cells, concomitant with a reduction in the synthesis and steady-state levels of PIMs and amino-phospholipids and the redistribution of PMf marker enzymes to non-PM-CW fractions. The formation of the PMf and recruitment of enzymes to this domain may thus play a role in regulating growth-specific changes in the biosynthesis of membrane and cell wall lipids.

Intervención terapéutica en pacientes con trastorno agudo por estrés luego de accidente ferroviario / Therapeutic intervention on patients suffering acute disorders due to stress after a railway accident

Se dispone en la institución y en el país de poca información relativa al tratamiento del trastorno de estrés agudo. Se realizó un estudio longitudinal, observacional y descriptivo a una muestra de los accidentados por el descarrilamiento de un tren, atendidos en el Instituto Superior de Medicina Militar “Dr. Luis Díaz Soto" que reunían los criterios diagnóstico de trastorno agudo por estrés según las clasificaciones internacionales. A ellos se les aplicó un programa de intervención propuesto por los autores el cual incluyó el uso de varias técnicas. Al grupo objeto de estudio se les realizaron 3 evaluaciones psiquiátricas. Predominaron los síntomas de embotamiento (53(por ciento), recuerdos recurrentes (13(por ciento), ansiedad e intranquilidad (66(por ciento) y efecto negativo en el funcionamiento social (26(por ciento). La evolución clínica después del tratamiento fue muy favorable y solo en 1 paciente se desarrolló trastorno por estrés postraumático

Modelación de la composición química del salchichon tipo Danés durante su elaboración / Modeling of chemical composition of salchichon type danish during its processing

El proceso de fabricación del salchichón fermentado tipo Danés requiere de una etapa de secado y otra de fermentación, para obtener cambios en su composición química que determinan su calidad. Los objetivos de este trabajo fueron analaizar y modelar los cambios en la composición química, durante cada etapa del proceso de elaboración del salchichón tipo Danés. Un diseño experimental jerárquico con dos factores seleccionados al azar (lote y muestra), un factor fijo y cruzado (tiempo), fue utilizado para analizar los efectos del tiempo, lote, muestras y condiciones del proceso. Para ello, se tomaron dos lotes de producción, en diferentes días, constituidos por 200 salchichones cada uno, después del embutido de la mezcla, en una industria de productos cárnicos. Dos muestras fueron sacadas, al azar, de cada lote en diez intervalos de tiempo durante el secado y maduración, para determinar el contenido de humedad, proteína, grasa, ceniza y sal. Mediante un análisis de varianza se encontró que las variaciones de la composición química dependían significativamente del tiempo de proceso (secado y maduración) y que no había diferencias significativas de ellas entre los lotes. Mediante la regresión lineal simple se encontraron modelos en función del tiempo que no mostraron falta de ajutes y que explicaban el 91, 39-94, 58% de la variabilidad en la composición química del producto durante el secado y el 91, 57-96, 82% de la variabilidad durante la maduración.