Título del artículo:

Characterization of resistance in vitro to different antimicrobial in strains of Staphylococcus spp. in a hospital of the city of Valledupar between January and July 2009

The Staphylococcus spp. they can cause a wide range of infections systemic and located in community and hospital patients. Its high pathogenicity and growing resistance to multiple antimicrobials including methicillin, causes high morbiditymortality rates, causing a high epidemiological impact. Objective: to determine the phenotypic profile of resistance to different antimicrobials in strains of the genus Staphylococcus spp. Materials and methods: collected 75 strains and determined them susceptibility to different antibiotics by the Kirby-Bauer method. The production of betalactamase check using the nitrocefin test. (Resistance to Methicillin in S. aureus was conducted using Mueller Hinton with 4% NaCl and oxacillin 6 μg/mL). Inducible clindamycin resistance tamizo by D-Test test. Results: they were isolated by 38% of staphylococcus coagulase negative (SNA) and 62% of S. aureus. 53% were penicillin resistant staphylococci: S. aureus with 58% and 42% SNA. 47% of the strains showed resistance to methicillin: S. aureus with 61% and SNA with 39%. A strain of S. aureus showed inducible resistance to clindamycin (1.33%). Coagulase negative staphylococci were isolated mostly from blood samples (31%), blood (29%), tip of catheter (5%) and came mostly from neonatal ICU (25%), medical (21%) and surgery (16%). Conclusions: S. aureus and SNA were isolated with greater frequency in blood and wounds from surgery and neonatal ICU. The predominant resistance phenotypes were penicillin and oxacillin.

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Revista Ciencias de la Salud

Título del artículo:

Un reto para colombia: Mejorar la utilización de medicamentos probadamente beneficiosos en la prevención secundaria cardiovascular

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Colombia Medica

Título del artículo:

CD99 is expressed in chordoid glioma and suggests ependymal origin

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Virchows Archiv

Título del artículo:

Two-Dimensional free convection flow simulations on a square cavity through the use of lattice Boltzmann equation method

Convection is a key phenomenon found in different atmospheric and industrial applications. This work presents the numerical simulation of flow in a cavity which has been heated on one wall, in laminar regime, with Rayleigh numbers (Ra) of 103 ≤ Ra ≤ 106 and a Prandtl number of Pr = 0.7, through the lattice Boltzmann equation method -LBE. This technique has proven to be very efficient and powerful in computational fluid dynamics -CFD- (Y. W. Know, 2006). The flow velocity is calculated based on the use of density distribution function in the model D2Q9 -, with two dimensions and nine velocities. Temperature readings are obtained through the model D2T5 -, with two dimensions and five temperatures. The new thermal model used showed to be stable, and the results are highly accurate compared to the experimental and numerical results obtained through other CFD methods.

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Ingenieria y Universidad

Título del artículo:

Recurrent sycope secundary to primary cardiac rhabdomyosarcoma

Primary or secondary neoplasms can affect the heart. Secondary are more common. However, primary neoplasms are relevant because is a group with diverse genesis, behavior, treatment and clinical manifestations. We present a case of a 45 year-old woman, with recurrent syncope started 1 year before her first consult. She had palpitations and chest pain. Echocardiography identified a left atrium mass of 2.1 x 1.8 cm. Endomyocardial biopsy document a primary rhabdomyosarcoma of the heart. The patient dies after a overall-survival of 22 months. This case presented had a good study of its symptoms with an accurate diagnosis and early treatment, which provided prolonged survival of this rare and aggressive neoplasm.

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Archivos de Cardiologia de Mexico

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Intrathyroidal parathyroid carcinoma in a pediatric patient

Parathyroid carcinoma is unusual and its intrathyroidal variant is extremely rare. Therefore, few cases have been reported to describe a case of parathyroid carcinoma located inside the thyroid gland. The case corresponds to a 14-year-old girl who came to the office with a severe osteoarticular disease, depression, calcemia of 14.3 mg/dl and parathyroid hormone of 2,792 pg/ml. Right neck exploration was conducted and a parathyroid carcinoma was found located intrathyroidally. A right thyroid lobectomy was performed. A 20-month follow-up period revealed no recurrence of clinical or biochemical signs. In patients with severe hypercalcemia and significant elevation of parathyroid hormone, the diagnosis of parathyroid carcinoma has to be considered. It is worth highlighting the early age of presentation in this case. Treatment has allowed the effective control of the disease and its recommended long-term follow-up. © 2011 Springer-Verlag.

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Pediatric Surgery International

Título del artículo:

Ontogeny of strobili, sporangia development and sporogenesis in Equisetum giganteum (Equisetaceae) from the Colombian Andes

Studies on the ontogeny of the strobilus, sporangium and reproductive biology of this group of ferns are scarce. Here we describe the ontogeny of the strobilus and sporangia, and the process of sporogenesis using specimens of E. giganteum from Colombia collected along the Rio Frio, Distrito de Sevilla, Piedecuesta, Santander, at 2 200m altitude. The strobili in different stages of development were fixed, dehydrated, embedded in paraffin, sectioned using a rotatory microtome and stained with the safraninO and fast green technique. Observations were made using differential interference contrast microscopy (DIC) or Nomarski microscopy, an optical microscopy illumination technique that enhances the contrast in unstained, transparent. Strobili arise and begin to develop in the apical meristems of the main axis and lateral branches, with no significant differences in the ontogeny of strobili of one or other axis. Successive processes of cell division and differentiation lead to the growth of the strobilus and the formation of sporangiophores. These are formed by the scutellum, the manubrium or pedicel-like, basal part of the sporangiophore, and initial cells of sporangium, which differentiate to form the sporangium wall, the sporocytes and the tapetum. There is not formation of a characteristic arquesporium, as sporocytes quickly undergo meiosis originating tetrads of spores. The tapetum retains its histological integrity, but subsequently the cell walls break down and form a plasmodium that invades the sporangial cavity, partially surrounding the tetrads, and then the spores. Towards the end of the sporogenesis the tapetum disintegrates leaving spores with elaters free within the sporangial cavity. Two layers finally form the sporangium wall: the sporangium wall itself, with thickened, lignified cell walls and an underlying pyknotic layer. The mature spores are chlorofilous, morphologically similar and have exospore, a thin perispore and two elaters. This study of the ontogeny of the spore-producing structures and spores is the first contribution of this type for a tropical species of the genus. Fluorescence microscopy indicates that elaters and the wall of the sporangium are autofluorescent, while other structures induced fluorescence emitted by the fluorescent dye safranin O. The results were also discussed in relation to what is known so far for other species of Equisetum, suggesting that ontogenetic processes and structure of characters sporoderm are relatively constant in Equisetum, which implies important diagnostic value in the taxonomy of the group.

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Revista de Biologia Tropical

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Nitric oxide synthase inhibitor improves de novo and long-term l-DOPA-induced dyskinesia in hemiparkinsonian rats

Inhibitors of neuronal and endothelial nitric oxide synthase decrease l-3,4-dihidroxifenilalanine (l-DOPA)-induced dyskinesias in rodents. The mechanism of nitric oxide inhibitor action is unknown. The aims of the present study were to investigate the decrease of l-DOPA-induced abnormal involuntary movements (AIMs) in 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA)-lesioned rats by nitric oxide inhibitors following either acute or chronic treatment. The primary findings of this study were that NG-nitro-l-Arginine, an inhibitor of endothelial and neuronal nitric oxide synthase, attenuated AIMs induced by chronic and acute l-DOPA. In contrast, rotational behavior was attenuated only after chronic l-DOPA. The 6-OHDA lesion and the l-DOPA treatment induced a bilateral increase (1.5 times) in the neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS) protein and nNOS mRNA in the striatum and in the frontal cortex. There was a parallel increase, bilaterally, of the FosB/ΔFosB, primarily in the ipsilateral striatum. The exception was in the contralateral striatum and the ipsilateral frontal cortex, where chronic l-DOPA treatment induced an increase of approximately 10 times the nNOS mRNA. Our results provided further evidence of an anti-dyskinetic effect of NOS inhibitor. The effect appeared under l-DOPA acute and chronic treatment. The l-DOPA treatment also revealed an over-expression of the neuronal NOS in the frontal cortex and striatum. Our results corroborated findings that l-DOPA-induced rotation differs between acute and chronic treatment. The effect of the NOS inhibitor conceivably relied on the l-DOPA structural modifications in the Parkinsonian brain. Taken together, these data provided a rationale for further evaluation of NOS inhibitors in the treatment of l-DOPA-induced dyskinesia. © 2011 Padovan-Neto, Echeverry, Chiavegatto and Del-Bel.

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Frontiers in Systems Neuroscience

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First colombian multicentric newborn screening for congenital toxoplasmosis

Aims: To determine the incidence of congenital toxoplasmosis in Colombian newborns from 19 hospital or maternal child health services from seven different cities of five natural geographic regions (Caribbean, Central, Andean, Amazonia and Eastern). Materials and Methods: We collected 15,333 samples from umbilical cord blood between the period of March 2009 to May 2010 in 19 different hospitals and maternal-child health services from seven different cities. We applied an IgM ELISA assay (Vircell, Spain) to determine the frequency of IgM anti Toxoplasma. The results in blood cord samples were confirmed either by western blot and repeated ELISA IgM assay. In a sub-sample of 1,613 children that were negative by the anti-Toxoplasma IgM assay, the frequency of specific anti-Toxoplasma IgA by the ISAGA assay was determined. All children with positive samples by IgM, IgA, clinical diagnosis or treatment during pregnancy were recalled for confirmatory tests after day 10 of life. Results: 61 positive samples for specific IgM (0.39%) and 9 positives for IgA (0.5%) were found. 143 questionnaires were positive for a clinical diagnosis or treatment for toxoplasmosis during pregnancy. 109 out of the 218 children that had some of the criteria for postnatal confirmatory tests were followed. Congenital toxoplasmosis infection was confirmed in 15 children: 7 were symptomatic, and three of them died before the first month of life (20% of lethality). A significant correlation was found between a high incidence of markers for congenital toxoplasmosis and higher mean annual rainfall for the city. Conclusions: Incidence for congenital toxoplasmosis is significantly different between hospitals or maternal child health services from different cities in Colombia. Mean annual rainfall was correlated with incidence of congenital toxoplasmosis. © 2011 Gómez-Marin et al.

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PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases

Título del artículo:

Plasma nitrate levels and flow-mediated vasodilation in untreated major depression

Objective: Findings from several studies have revealed that major depression is associated with an increased cardiovascular risk. The physiopathologic mechanisms of this association remain unclear, although recently, it has been hypothesized that a decreased production of nitric oxide could be a potential contributor to vascular dysfunction in depressive patients. The objective of this study was to evaluate nitric oxide production and vascular endothelial function in treatment-naive young healthy adults with a first episode of major depression. Methods: A case-control study in 50 treatment-naive young adults with a first episode of major depression and 50 healthy control subjects was conducted. Plasma levels of nitric oxide metabolites (nitrates/nitrites) were determined using a colorimetric assay based on Griess reaction. Endothelial function was assessed by flow-mediated vasodilation measurements after reactive hyperemia. Results: The mean age of the depressed patients was 22.6 (standard deviation [SD], 4.6) years, whereas the controls were 23.4 (SD, 4.8) years. Sixteen men (32%) and 34 women (68%) were included in each group. The plasma nitrite/nitrate concentrations were significantly lower in depressive subjects compared with healthy controls (17.5 [SD, 4.9] μmol/L versus 21.6 [SD, 7.0] μmol/L, p < .001); however, flow-mediated vasodilation values were similar in both groups (13.1% [SD, 4.3%] versus 12.1% [SD, 5.0%], p = .10). Conclusions: Decreased plasma concentrations of nitric oxide metabolites are not associated with vascular endothelial dysfunction in young subjects with a first episode of major depression. Reduced nitrate/nitrite levels could reflect a decreased nitric oxide production in the central nervous system of depressed subjects. Further studies are needed to confirm this hypothesis. Copyright © 2011 by the American Psychosomatic Society.

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Psychosomatic Medicine

Título del artículo:

Hyperinsulinemia is a predictor of new cardiovascular events in Colombian patients with a first myocardial infarction

Background: Acute Myocardial Infarction (AMI) is one of the main causes of mortality and disability in Colombia. The factors associated to a new event in surviving subjects to a first AMI in our population have not yet been fully identified. Methods: Two hundred and ninety five surviving subjects to a first AMI (58.8 ± 12.6 years) were included in a prospective cohort study between 2000 and 2006. Lipid profile, glycemia and plasma insulin levels were measured. Deaths of cardiovascular origin, a new AMI, unstable angina, heart failure, stroke, new myocardial revascularization or angioplasty were considered new cardiovascular events. Results: The study included 61 (20.6%) women and 234 (79.4%) men. The mean follow up time was 50 ± 30 months with a 38.9% incidence of new events. Fifty five patients (18.6%) were diabetic. Bi-varied analysis identified as risk factors for a new cardiovascular event the presence of: hypertension, anterior descending coronary artery stenosis, intrahospital cardiac failure, age over 55, low income, lack of education, Killip III-IV, heart rate over 76 bpm, pulse pressure over 80 mm Hg, total cholesterol over 200 mg/dl and insulin over 10 IU/ml. After logistic regression analysis, the log values of insulin remained as the only significant predictor for new cardiovascular events. Conclusions: Hyperinsulinism was the most important factor associated to the occurrence of new cardiovascular events in Colombian patients with AMI, which emphasizes the pivotal role of insulin resistance in the physiopathologic mechanisms of atherosclerosis, especially in undeveloped countries. © 2009 Elsevier Ireland Ltd.

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International Journal of Cardiology

Título del artículo:

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease is associated with insulin resistance in a young Hispanic population

Objective: To investigate whether nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is associated with insulin resistance (IR) in a young Hispanic population. Methods: A cross-sectional study was performed in Bogotá, Colombia, during 2006 in 263 males from the Colombian Air Force (age range 29-54 years). Anthropometric measurements and biochemical determinations (glycemia, lipid profile, insulin, and HOMA-IR) were obtained in order to determine the presence of metabolic syndrome (MS) criteria and insulin resistance in this population. In addition, ultrasound studies were performed to evaluate the presence of NAFLD. Results: NAFLD was detected in 26.6% (n= 70) of the subjects. Thirty four individuals had complete MS criteria (48.5%). The presence of NAFLD was associated with higher insulin levels (11.0±5.1 vs. 6.6±3.6, p= 0.001), and its prevalence increased from 11% (n= 8), to 24% (n= 17) to 64% (n= 45) from the lowest to the highest HOMA-IR tertile. Body mass index, triglycerides and subcutaneous and visceral fat were found to be independent predictors of NAFLD. Conclusions: These results suggest that NAFLD is associated with insulin resistance and extrahepatic adiposity in nondiabetic young Hispanic population. © 2010 Elsevier Inc.

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Preventive Medicine

Título del artículo:

The microbiological quality of food sent to a public health laboratory in 2009

Objective Testing the microbiological quality of food samples from municipalities in the Santander department which were processed by the Public Health Laboratory (PHL) in 2009. Materials and Methods The microbiological quality of food samples sent to the Santander PHL in 2009 was analysed by collecting reports issued by the institution and conducting a statistical analysis of 763 food samples from 76 municipalities in the department. Minitab statistical software (version 15) and Statistica (version 8.0) were used for analysing the information by municipality; this information was organised by food category and adverse incident frequency was analysed in each municipality from January to December 2009. Results It was seen that 45.2 % (n=345) of 763 food records had bacterial contamination; there was a greater frequency of these events in the municipalities of Barichara, Barrancabermeja, Floridablanca, Girón, Socorro and Valle de San Jose accounting for 33.6 % (n=116) of all affected samples. The main foods that had non-standard parameters were prepared foods (160 samples submitted), of which 80 had alterations in quality (50 %), followed by drinks like fruit juice and soft drinks (48.3 %), dairy products (47.9 %) and meat (40.7 %). Conclusions A high rate of food contamination was found in the samples sent to PHL during 2009; this information is useful for planning preventative action within the ongoing PHL surveillance programme.

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Revista de Salud Publica

Título del artículo:

Evaluation of acaricides for the control of riphicephalus (Boophilus) microplus that affect the double purpose bovine using generalized linear models

In this paper, we present the results of an evaluation of several chemical products used as acaricides: alpha-cypermethrin Amitraz, Cypermethrin, and Ethion over the control of Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) microplus that affects the double purpose bovines. Tics (Rhipicephalus microplus) were collected in two production units in each County of the Municipality of Colón, in the Zulia State in Venezuela. After a selection of comparable insects, they were immersed in concentrations obtained from the recommended dose and concentration of the acaricides of each active principle. Then, the experiment was followed until the larvaes hatching and the number of death and alive ones larva was counted in each case. The data was analyzed using techniques related to Generalized Linear Models, considering first, binary models of dose-response based on the binomial distribution to model the proportion of death larva for each concentration, using models for each acaricide and, the \"best\" model was selected using the deviances and information criteria, considering the Akaike criteria (AIC) the Pearson χ2, the deviance and a adaptation of the R2 for binomial model. After determining the best performance concentration of each acaricide, it was performed an analysis of contingency tables using a Poisson distribution to compare the effect of the acaricides, using in this case the recommended dose for each product.

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Revista de la Facultad de Agronomia

Título del artículo:

Assertiveness: A necessary social ability in the professionals of nursing and physiotherapy

Health professionals are constantly interrelated with other people, sometimes derived from these relationships and conflicting distressing situations. The aim of this study was to determine the assertiveness of college students in nursing and physiotherapy. It is a cross-sectional study. 225 students were included. The instrument used was the Rathus Assertiveness Schedule. The results show that age is an essential element for people to be assertive; with increasing age, the indirect assertiveness increases each year in (0.04) and decreases the non-assertiveness (p=0.004). This leads to the conclusion that assertiveness as ability relational should be seen as a requirement in the formation of the professionals of nursing and physiotherapy, as properly applied enables greater and more complete realization of care and services provided, providing professional and personal recognition.

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Texto e Contexto Enfermagem

Título del artículo:

Role of the autonomic nervous system in the endothelial dysfunction of the metabolic syndrome

In the last decade there has been an accelerated growth in the prevalence of metabolic syndrome (MS), especially in Latin American countries, which has led an increased risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM2). Recently has been raised the relationship between the autonomic nervous system (ANS), endothelial dysfunction (ED) and the appearance of MS. In the present article we review the evidence that support the proposal that abdominal obesity (AO) produce adypokines that result in insulin resistance and low degree inflammation, which increase the activity of ANS, causing vasoconstriction, hypertension, decreased peripheral glucose uptake, and decreased secretion of insulin, leading to hyperglycemia and increased lipolysis and hypertriglyceridemia. All these factors cause ED, explaining the higher risk of the patients with MS of developing DM2 and CVD. © 2011 Bentham Science Publishers.

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Current Hypertension Reviews

Título del artículo:

Absence of hepatitis C infection among illegal drug users in bucaramanga, Colombia

The aim of this study was to estimate the prevalence of hepatitis C virus (HCV) and identify risk factors associated with the transmission this virus among drug users. In 2009 we performed a cross-sectional study at three facilities handling cases of drug addiction and in one prison. 259 participants were interviewed to collect socio-demographic information and determine risk factors. Anti-HCV antibodies were identified with two different immunoassays. HCV prevalence was 0%. 98% of participants used illegal drugs either orally or nasally while 4.2% injected drugs. 78% of participants reported marijuana consumption, 51% reported consumption of bazuco (Colombian variant of crack cocaine), 50.2% reported cocaine consumption and 22.8% reported amphetamine consumption. 59% had consumed drugs for more than 5 years, 60.2% had tattoos, 17.8% had piercings, and 84.9% have practiced unsafe sex. HCV prevalence was lower than reported in previous studies of drug users in Latin-America. However, we identified risk factors that would facilitate HCV infection once the virus is introduced in this population. © 2011 Asociaciones Colombianas de Gastroenterología, Endoscopia digestiva, Coloproctología y Hepatología.

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Revista Colombiana de Gastroenterologia

Título del artículo:

Mediastinal malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumor in a neurofibromatosis type 1 patient

The malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumor (MPNST) is a malignant neoplasm originated in the Schwan cells of the periferic nerves sheath. We describe a case of a man with Neurofibroatosis Type 1 (NF1), who developed a low grade MPNST, and subsequent to a discussion of this disease. 28-year-old Man with pleuritic pain in the left hemithorax, dyspnea and weight loss, with a previous diagnosis of NF1, from the age of 15 and a family history of NF1. At chest examination the patient had an intense thoracic kyphosis, with a decline in the ventilation of the inferior two thirds of the left hemithorax, where a dull sound to percusión was also found. The chest X rays showed a large radiopaque and well delimited mass in the posterior mediastinum, that pushed the cardiovascular structures to the anterior region, which was also documented by chest computed tomography (CT). In view of the above, a puncture biopsy was performed with thick needle guided by CT, from where a malignant mesenhymal neoplasm was identified. It was decided to perform the resection of the tumor of the left posterior mediastinum, by left posterior lateral thoracotomy, in which a large mass of 8×9×9 cm was obtanied, with irregular external surface, brown-violet, and firm. The histopathological and inmunophenotypic study concluded the diagnosis of MPNST in the posterior mediastinum grade 1. Following surgery the patient was asymptomatic. We present a case of MPNST which originated in a patient with NF1, who would usually have a worse prognosis. A brief review of the more relevant aspects of this disease was also reported, some of which have shown important progress in recent years.

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International Journal of Morphology

Título del artículo:

Combating the type 2 diabetes mellitus epidemic in Latin America: Special features demanding innovative actions

Latin American countries have an accelerated growth in the prevalence of type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM2) associated with increased rates of obesity and overweight. This increase is due to the rapid urbanization experienced in recent years, which has led to changes in physical activity and dietary habits. In addition, the fetal programming of malnourished mothers during pregnancy increases the tendency of children with low birth weight to develop insulin resistance and low-grade inflammation. This is especially so when these children are subjected to an environment of excess food to which they were not programmed, leading them to develop abdominal obesity and an increased risk of DM2. This article reviews some of the factors that may be associated with the DM2 epidemic in Latin America. These factors are basically caused by the contradiction between the need of the fetus to adapt to poor maternal nutrition or placental insufficiency due to diseases such as preeclampsia, and the need of the adult to adapt to the urban lifestyle full of excess food with a high intake of saturated fats, flours and sweetened beverages, as well as a sedentary lifestyle, which lead to insulin resistance and DM2. A full understanding of these conditions is essential to combat the DM2 epidemic in Latin America, as well as acceptance that effective prevention of DM2 requires a concerted effort by all of the actors in society, not just health teams. © 2010 Elsevier España, S.L. and SEA.

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Clinica e Investigacion en Arteriosclerosis

Título del artículo:

Fetal programming and cardiometabolic diseases: The role of angiotensin II and infl ammation

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Clinica e Investigacion en Arteriosclerosis

Título del artículo:

Environmental profile of a community\'s health (EPOCH): An instrument to measure environmental determinants of cardiovascular health in five countries

Background: The environment in which people live is known to be important in influencing diet, physical activity, smoking, psychosocial and other risk factors for cardiovascular (CV) disease. However no instrument exists that evaluates communities for these multiple environmental factors and is suitable for use across different communities, regions and countries. This report describes the design and reliability of an instrument to measure environmental determinants of CV risk factors. Method/Principal Findings: The Environmental Profile of Community Health (EPOCH) instrument comprises two parts: (I) an assessment of the physical environment, and (II) an interviewer-administered questionnaire to collect residents\' perceptions of their community. We examined the inter-rater reliability amongst 3 observers from each region of the direct observation component of the instrument (EPOCH I) in 93 rural and urban communities in 5 countries (Canada, Colombia, Brazil, China and India). Data collection using the EPOCH instrument was feasible in all communities. Reliability of the instrument was excellent (Intraclass Correlation Coefficient - ICC>0.75) for 24 of 38 items and fair to good (ICC 0.4-0.75) for 14 of 38 items. Conclusion: This report shows data collection with the EPOCH instrument is feasible and direct observation of ommunity measures reliable. The EPOCH instrument will enable further research on environmental determinants of health for population studies from a broad range of settings. © 2010 Chow et al.

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PLoS ONE

Título del artículo:

Participation of valine 171 in α-helix 5 of Bacillus thuringiensis Cry1Ab δ-endotoxin in translocation of toxin into Lymantria dispar midgut membranes

The Cry1Ab δ-endotoxin V171C mutant protein exhibits a 25-fold increase in toxicity against Lymantria dispar, which correlates with a faster rate of partitioning into the midgut membrane and slightly decreased protein stability. This is an insect-specific mechanism; similar results were not observed in Manduca sexta, another Cry1Ab δ-endotoxin-susceptible insect. Copyright © 2010, American Society for Microbiology.

Acerca de la revista donde se publicó este artículo:

Applied and Environmental Microbiology

Título del artículo:

Atypical cellular neurothekeoma (nerve sheath myxoma) of the foot. A case report

Introduction: Neurothekeomas, or nerve sheath myxomas, are rare benign tumours, arising from the sheath of peripheral nerves. They are usually found in young adults, in the dermis and subcutaneous tissue of the head, neck and upper limbs and only rarely occur in the lower limbs. Objective: A case of atypical cellular neurothekeoma of the foot in a child is presented. Case report: A 10 year-old child presented with 3 year history of a well circumscribed nodule on the dorsum of the right foot. A 0.6×0.5 nodule was surgically removed and a diagnosis of atypical cellular neurothekeoma was made. Conclusion: Neurothekeomas are a rare new entity, a few cases of which have been described in the foot. Three distinct varieties have been reported, each of which is probably of a different origin, which would explain their morphological features and immunohistochemical findings. The atypia only refers to morphological findings and is not reflected in their clinical behaviour. These tumours can easily be confused with many other lesions and immunohistochemistry is helpful in the differential diagnosis. © 2010 SEAP y SEC.

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Revista Espanola de Patologia

Título del artículo:

The presence of abdominal obesity is associated with changes in vascular function independently of other cardiovascular risk factors

Background: Because of the strong association between abdominal obesity (AO) and other cardiovascular risk factors, it has been difficult to determine which changes in vascular function are directly related to this condition. Our objective was to evaluate the changes in ex-vivo vascular reactivity, circulating levels of adipokines and inflammatory markers associated with the presence of AO in subjects who underwent coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) controlling by the presence of other cardiovascular risk factors. Methods: Subjects scheduled for a CABG with (n = 17) and without (n = 17) AO (defined as a waist circumference ≥ 90 cm for male or ≥ 80 cm for female) whom were matched by several cardiovascular risk factors, were included in the study. Lipid profile and plasma levels of glucose, insulin, leptin, adiponectin and inflammatory markers were measured. Internal mammary artery segments were used for ex-vivo vascular reactivity experiments and morphometry. Results: Leptin concentrations were higher and adiponectin concentrations were lower in subjects with AO. No differences were observed in other biochemical or clinical parameters between the groups. No correlation between waist circumference, HOMA index and inflammatory markers were observed. Endothelium-dependent relaxation to acetylcholine was lower, and contractile responses to angiotensin-II were higher in subjects with AO. These changes were not related to differences in vascular morphometry. Conclusion: In subjects with severe coronary disease, the presence of AO was associated with leptin/adiponectin imbalance, decreased endothelium-dependent relaxation and an enhanced response to angiotensin-II. These changes occurred independently of other cardiovascular risk factors including insulin resistance and levels of inflammatory markers. © 2008 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Acerca de la revista donde se publicó este artículo:

International Journal of Cardiology

Título del artículo:

Psychosocial and environmental risk factors associated with mental disorders

In Colombia, there are few studies on the association of psychosocial and environmental factors with the most prevalent mental disorders; such studies are important due to the context of violence, social insecurity, and job and economic instability in the country. The objective of this study was to identify the psychosocial and environmental risk factors for mental disorders, in users of psychological services in Colombia. The Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview and a Questionnaire to evaluate the Axis-IV of the DSM-IV-TR were applied to 490 participants. The analysis comprised descriptive statistics and risk factors. As risk factors for depression, there were identified housing problems, access to health care services, problems related to the primary group, economics, problems of the social environment, and labor. For generalized anxiety, there were identified economic and education issues. For panic disorders, the risk factors were related to social environment, and for social phobia, the risk factors were problems in education, work and social environment.

Acerca de la revista donde se publicó este artículo:

Suma Psicologica