Smoking characteristics and years since quitting smoking of US adults diagnosed with lung and bladder cancer: A national health and nutrition examination survey analysis

ABSTRACT Purpose: Smoking is a recognized risk factor for bladder BC and lung cancer LC. We investigated the enduring risk of BC after smoking cessation using U.S. national survey data. Our analysis focused on comparing characteristics of LC and BC patients, emphasizing smoking status and the latency period from smoking cessation to cancer diagnosis in former smokers. Materials and Methods: We analyzed data from the National Health and Examination Survey (2003-2016), identifying adults with LC or BC history. Smoking status (never, active, former) and the interval between quitting smoking and cancer diagnosis for former smokers were assessed. We reported descriptive statistics using frequencies and percentages for categorical variables and median with interquartile ranges (IQR) for continuous variables. Results: Among LC patients, 8.9% never smoked, 18.9% active smokers, and 72.2% former smokers. Former smokers had a median interval of 8 years (IQR 2-12) between quitting and LC diagnosis, with 88.3% quitting within 0-19 years before diagnosis. For BC patients, 26.8% never smoked, 22.4% were active smokers, and 50.8% former smokers. Former smokers had a median interval of 21 years (IQR 14-33) between quitting and BC diagnosis, with 49.3% quitting within 0-19 years before diagnosis. Conclusions: BC patients exhibit a prolonged latency period between smoking cessation and cancer diagnosis compared to LC patients. Despite smoking status evaluation in microhematuria, current risk stratification models for urothelial cancer do not incorporate it. Our findings emphasize the significance of long-term post-smoking cessation surveillance and advocate for integrating smoking history into future risk stratification guidelines.

Antagonistic activity of bacteria from wild honey against Colletotrichum musae, and testing of wild honey as biopesticide spray to control banana anthracnose

Anthracnose is a foliar and fruit disease caused by Colletotrichum spp. affecting a wide range of crops. Infection occurs early followed by quiescence in fruits, such as in banana, where chemical-based pesticides are used as a dependable fungal control for many years. There is an increasing need for a safe control and as implicated in the Organic Agriculture Act of 2010 (RA 10068) in the Philippines. This scenario drove the use of alternative pest control such as the use of biologicals and natural products. In this study, seven bacteria were isolated from wild honey, produced by Apis mellifera, wherein four (BC2, BC3, BC6 and BC7) were found to be an effective antagonist against Colletotrichum musae in in vitro conditions. These bacteria were identified to belong to the genus Lactobacillus spp. (BC2, BC3, BC7) and Bacillus spp. (BC6) based on sugar utilization tests, morphological and cultural growth in PDPA. For the in vivo test, different dilutions of wild honey were used and it was found out that lower concentrations were effective as biopesticide spray to prevent anthracnose infection. Lastly, we report herewith the first isolation of bacteria with biological control potential from wild honey, and to apply the raw or natural product as biopesticide in postharvest fruits.

Impacto del conocimiento tecnológico sobre la adopción de tecnología agrícola en campesinos indígenas de México / Impact of technological knowledge on the adoption of agricultural technology by indigenous peasants of Mexico / Impacto do conhecimento tecnológico sobre a adoção de tecnologia agrícola em camponeses indígenas do México

Se presentan resultados de una modificación sustancial aplicada a la metodología tradicional de escuelas campesinas (EC). El estudio da respuesta al objetivo específico de conocer el impacto del nivel de conocimiento tecnológico, otorgado mediante el método de las EC, sobre el índice de adopción de tecnología agrícola localmente validada en la región Cuicateca, Oaxaca, México, una de las regiones indígenas más pobres del país. Las variables analizadas fueron: índice de adopción inicial, nivel inicial de conocimientos, número de sesiones de EC, índice de adopción final y nivel final de conocimientos. A una muestra tomada en productores promotores, estrato inicialmente homogéneo respecto al nivel de conocimientos e índices de adopción, fueron implementados 25,27 ±3,14 sesiones de EC; mientras que a un grupo testigo, con las mismas características iniciales, no le fueron impartidas dichas sesiones. La hipótesis nula consistió en afirmar que no existen diferencias estadísticamente significativas respecto al índice de adopción final, atribuible al aumento en el nivel de conocimiento tecnológico. La prueba de hipótesis requirió de Anova y de correlaciones. El índice de adopción final de los participantes en las EC tuvo incrementos estadísticamente significativos respecto al inicial, debido al aumento en el nivel de conocimiento tecnológico. Se concluye que los campesinos con mayor participación en las EC tuvieron mayor conocimiento y adopción tecnológica.

Results produced by a significant modification made on the traditional method of farmer field schools are presented. The main objective was to assess the influence of the level of technological knowledge, provided by the farmer field schools method, on the adoption index for locally validated agricultural technologies. The study was carried out in the Cuicateca region, Oaxaca, Mexico, which is one of the poorest indigenous regions in the country. The analyzed variables included: initial adoption index, initial level of knowledge, number of sessions of farmer field schools, final adoption index, and final level of knowledge. On a sample taken from entrepreneurial farmers, an initially homogeneous stratum concerning knowledge level and adoption indexes, 25.27 ±3.14 sessions of farmer field schooling were implemented, while a control group with similar starting characteristics did not receive such school sessions. The null hypothesis was that there are no significant differences in the final adoption index attributable to an increase in the level of technological knowledge. Anovas and correlations were used to test the hypothesis. It is concluded that those peasants with a greater participation in the farmer field school activities acquired higher knowledge and technological adoption level than the rest of the farmers.

Apresentam-se resultados de uma modificação substancial aplicada à metodologia tradicional de escolas camponesas (EC). O estudo da resposta ao objetivo específico de conhecer o impacto do nível de conhecimento tecnológico, outorgado mediante o método das EC, sobre o índice de adoção de tecnologia agrícola localmente validada na região Cuicateca, Oaxaca, México, uma das regiões indígenas mais pobres do país. As variáveis analisadas foram: índice de adoção inicial, nível inicial de conhecimentos, número de sessões de EC, índice de adoção final e nível final de conhecimentos. A uma amostra colhida em produtores promotores, estrato inicialmente homogêneo relativo ao nível de conhecimentos e índices de adoção, foram implementadas 25,27 ±3,14 sessões de EC; enquanto que em um grupo testemunha, com as mesmas características iniciais, não foram aplicadas ditas sessões. A hipótese nula consistiu em afirmar que não existem diferenças estatísticamente significativas relativas ao índice de adoção final, atribuível ao aumento no nível de conhecimento tecnológico. A prova de hipótese requeriu de Anova e de correlações. O índice de adoção final dos participantes nas EC teve incrementos estatisticamente significativos relativos ao inicial, devido ao aumento no nível de conhecimento tecnológico. Conclui-se que os camponeses com maior participação nas EC tiveram maior conhecimento e adoção tecnológica.

Treatment outcome of implementing "pain as the 5th vital sign" in the standard of care of pain management among patients admitted in the Department of General Surgery, Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center

OBJECTIVE: To determine the impact of monitoring pain as the 5th vital sign and the utilization of a protocolized analgesic regimen on pain treatment outcome among patients admitted in the Department of General Surgery. METHODS: Eight hundred fifty (850)admitted patients were included in the study. These were patients who underwent surgery (either trauma or non-trauma cases) and may or may not have had any complaint of pain magnitude. The Department's post operative analgesic regimen protocol (composed of tramadol and ketorolac combination)was followed. Pain scores were monitored every eight hours throughout the patient's hospitalization up to discharge and were documented on the new monitoring sheet of Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center. RESULTS: Of the 850 patients, 629 patients (74 percent) were non-trauma cases and 221 patients (26 percent) were trauma cases. On admission, 313 (51 percent) non-trauma patients and 171 (81 percent) trauma patients experienced severe pain. upon discharge, only 1 (0.6 percent) non-trauma patient continued to be suffering from severe pain and non from trauma cases. Five hundred five (80 percent) non-trauma patients and 140 (63 percent) trauma patients had mild pain, 114 (18 percent) non-trauma patients and 81 (37 percent) trauma patients were totally pain free. CONCLUSION: There was a significant reduction to pain from admission to discharge because patients were intervened appropriately of their respective symptoms by using proactive pain monitoring and providing analgesia using a protocolized analgesic regimen.

Bromocriptina en el tratamiento de la enfermedad de Parkinson. / Bromocriptine in the treatment of Parkinson's disease

El efecto terapeutico de la bromocriptina fue evaluado en 22 pacientes parkinsonianos, a los cuales se les habia prescripto una medicacion con L-dopa + inhibidores, anticolinergicos y antidepresivos.El agregado de bromocriptina fue inicialmente de 2,5 mg/dia y se aumento en forma gradual.El analisis del resultado en este grupo de pacientes, revela una disminucion significativa de la rigidez y una mejoria general de todos los sintomas, comparativos al momento previo al comienzo con bromocriptin