Spatio-Temporal distribution of a vector of cutaneous leishmaniasis: Pintomyia longiflocosa, in a population from the Colombian Andean Mountains.

BACKGROUND: Leishmaniasis, a neglected disease and public health concern, is associated with various factors such as biological, social, economical conditions and climate, increasing the risk of human infection. Understanding the population dynamics of the vectors, like Pintomyia longiflocosa, and its relationship with ecological variables is crucial for developing effective strategies to control sand fly populations and combat cutaneous leishmaniasis in a tropical country like Colombia. METHODOLOGY: Adult sand flies were collected in three different sample locations: outdoor, indoor, and peri-domestic areas in three houses located in the rural settlement of Campoalegre (Huila) between February 2020 and February 2021, using the CDC light traps. The sand fly density was quantified and associated with the sample locations and the sampling months using Analysis of Variance and Pearson correlations. PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: In the period of the sample, 98.86% of sand fly collected was identified as Pi. longiflocosa. The density of this species was significantly different between males and females, the latter contributing more to density in all sample locations (P<0.0001). The outdoor was the sample location with the highest and most significative density in this study (70%, P = 0.04). The density of these sand flies is related to the seasonality of Campoalegre, revealing a density peak from February and June to October (P < 0.05). Finally, precipitation is the environmental variable prominently linked to the density pattern, showing a negative correlation with it. Months with the highest precipitations show the lowest values of Pi. longiflocosa abundance. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNICANCE: Our investigation reveals a inverse correlation between precipitation levels and the abundance of Pi. longiflocosa in Campoalegre (Huila), particularly in outdoor areas. This suggests that vector control strategies to periods of reduced precipitation in outdoor settings could offer an effective approach to minimizing cases of cutaneous leishmaniasis in the region.

Green gentrification in European and North American cities.

Although urban greening is universally recognized as an essential part of sustainable and climate-responsive cities, a growing literature on green gentrification argues that new green infrastructure, and greenspace in particular, can contribute to gentrification, thus creating social and racial inequalities in access to the benefits of greenspace and further environmental and climate injustice. In response to limited quantitative evidence documenting the temporal relationship between new greenspaces and gentrification across entire cities, let alone across various international contexts, we employ a spatially weighted Bayesian model to test the green gentrification hypothesis across 28 cities in 9 countries in North America and Europe. Here we show a strong positive and relevant relationship for at least one decade between greening in the 1990s-2000s and gentrification that occurred between 2000-2016 in 17 of the 28 cities. Our results also determine whether greening plays a "lead", "integrated", or "subsidiary" role in explaining gentrification.

Electrospinning-Generated Nanofiber Scaffolds Suitable for Integration of Primary Human Circulating Endothelial Progenitor Cells.

The extracellular matrix is fundamental in order to maintain normal function in many organs such as the blood vessels, heart, liver, or bones. When organs fail or experience injury, tissue engineering and regenerative medicine elicit the production of constructs resembling the native extracellular matrix, supporting organ restoration and function. In this regard, is it possible to optimize structural characteristics of nanofiber scaffolds obtained by the electrospinning technique? This study aimed to produce partially degraded collagen (gelatin) nanofiber scaffolds, using the electrospinning technique, with optimized parameters rendering different morphological characteristics of nanofibers, as well as assessing whether the resulting scaffolds are suitable to integrate primary human endothelial progenitor cells, obtained from peripheral blood with further in vitro cell expansion. After different assay conditions, the best nanofiber morphology was obtained with the following electrospinning parameters: 15 kV, 0.06 mL/h, 1000 rpm and 12 cm needle-to-collector distance, yielding an average nanofiber thickness of 333 ± 130 nm. Nanofiber scaffolds rendered through such electrospinning conditions were suitable for the integration and proliferation of human endothelial progenitor cells.

Subclinical parameters of arterial stiffness and arteriosclerosis correlate with QRISK3 in systemic lupus erythematosus.

It is well known that cardiovascular diseases (CVD) are a major contributor of death in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) as well in other rheumatic illness. In the last decades, there has been a growing development of different methodologies with the purpose of early detection of CVD. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study is to correlate the usefulness of subclinical parameters of vascular aging and QRISK 3-2017 score for early detection of CVD in SLE. METHODS: Clinical assessment including systemic lupus erythematosus disease activity index (SLEDAI) and systemic lupus international collaborating clinics / american college of rheumatology damage index (SLICC/ACR DI), laboratory measurements, carotid ultrasound examination, carotid intima media thickness (cIMT) measurement, carotid distention and diameter analysis, arterial stiffness measurement measured by tonometry and QRISK 3-2017 were done. All results were analyzed by SPSS 24 software. RESULTS: We observed correlation between QRISK3 and mean cIMT (rs = 0.534, P < 0.001), PWV (rs = 0.474, P < 0.001), cfPWV (rs = 0.569, P < 0.001) and distensibility (rs = -0.420, P = 0.006). Consistent with above, SLE patients in middle and high risk QRISK 3-2017 showed increased arterial stiffness versus low risk group. CONCLUSIONS: We encourage to the rheumatology community to assess cardiovascular risk in SLE patients with QRISK 3-2017 risk calculator as an alternative method at the outpatient clinic along a complete cardiovascular evaluation when appropriate.

Magnetic resonance imaging structural alterations in brain of alcohol abusers and its association with impulsivity.

Despite the suggestion that impulsivity plays a central role in the transfer from a recreational drug use to a substance use disorder, very few studies focused on neurobiological markers for addiction. This study aimed to identify volumetric alterations in a sample of patients with mild alcohol use disorder with a short history of alcohol use, compared with a control group, and also focused on its association with impulsivity levels. Most magnetic resonance imaging studies have focused on severe alcohol use disorder, formerly called alcohol-dependent patients, showing alcohol-related structural alterations and their association with alcohol use history variables but not with personality parameters like impulsivity. Our hypothesis is that our group of alcohol users may already display structural alterations especially in brain regions related to inhibitory control like medial-prefrontal regions, and that those structural alterations could be more associated to personality traits like impulsivity than to drug use variables. Our results clearly demonstrate that our population showed lower regional grey and white matter volumes in the medial-prefrontal and orbitofrontal cortices, as well as higher regional white matter volume in the ventral striatum and the internal capsule. Volumetric alterations were associated to the Barratt's impulsivity score: the more impulsive the subjects, the lower the medial-prefrontal cortex grey matter volume.

CA-125 response patterns in patients with recurrent ovarian cancer treated with pegylated liposomal doxorubicin (PLD).

INTRODUCTION: : In recurrent ovarian cancer, CA-125 could be the only objective response criteria. This study analyzes response patterns regarding CA-125 in responders versus nonresponders and determines whether a specific cutoff value for CA-125 could predict clinical response, compared with response evaluation criteria in solid tumors, in patients receiving pegylated liposomal doxorubicin (PLD). METHODS: : Sixty-eight patients were identified, 78% were platinum resistant. Relative changes in CA-125 values were calculated, and response was defined as higher than 50% reduction in CA-125 from baseline. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were constructed based on CA-125 value after the first cycle of PLD to evaluate the most precise cutoff point for the decision model predicting response. RESULTS: : Fifty-three patients were assessable for response: 16 patients responded and 37 did not; the median increase of CA-125 was 0.20 (-63; 312) and 52 (-29; 620), respectively. Our ROC curve generated a cutoff value with a sensitivity of 35% (positive test, the proportion of patients who will not respond) and a predictive positive value of 80%. According to the predictive positive value, 20% of the responder patients will be identified as nonresponders; P = 0.025. CONCLUSIONS: : Our ROC analysis did not demonstrate any reliable CA-125 cutoff on response. Discontinuation of the therapy before cycle 3 may exclude some patients who will benefit from PLD.

Efecto de una intervención educativa en la calidad de vida del paciente hipertenso / Effect of an educational intervention on the quality of life of the hypertense patient

Evaluar el efecto de una intervención educativa sobre la calidad de vida del paciente hipertenso. Material y métodos. Se estudiaron 150 adultos hipertensos en un primer nivel de atención mediante un ensayo clínico aleatorizado a dos grupos. El grupo experimental fue objeto de una intervención educativa sobre hipertensión y la repercusión del estilo de vida en el control de tal enfermedad. El grupo testigo no recibió intervención. En ambos grupos se determinó la calidad de vida mediante una escala análoga visual, antes y seis meses después de la intervención educativa. Los datos se analizaron mediante las pruebas t-pareada y Wilcoxon. Resultados. El grado de mejoría, en relación con la fuerza física y el estado anímico, difirió entre grupos (p< 0.05); en las áreas correspondientes a la capacidad de pensamiento, la convivencia social-familiar, la percepción de calidad de vida y el funcionamiento sexual, sólo el grupo experimental mostró cambios (p< 0.05). Conclusiones. La intervención educativa es efectiva para modificar la calidad de vida del paciente hipertenso

Conización del cuello uterino en patologia cervical / Cervix uteri's conization in the cervical pathology

De 1988 a 1991 se analizaron 226 pacientes que fueron sometidas a conización cervical por informes histológicos de biopsia dirigida de neoplasia intraepitelial cervical y sospecha de invasión en la liga contra el cáncer de San Pedro Sula, el análisis reveló: que el 50// no tenían citología previa; 30 pacientes (36//) sus papanicolau habían sido reportados normales, 15 casos (7//) de carcinomas preclínicos estban acompañados por papiloma virus humano bién como factor causal o casual. La biopsia dirigida por colposcopía reveló un 98// de NIC en sus 3 grados el 1.8// de Micro e Invasión, 11 casos (5//) no se encontró patología en el cono. La colposcopía fué efectiva del 95 al 98//. El cono fué terapeutico en 160 casos (71//); 53 pacientes con lesión residual (23//) y 13 (6//) bordes no descritos. A 17 pacientes (32//) se les practicó histerctomía total, ellos 9 (53//) no había lesión residual y en el 12// 3 casos se encontró displasia residual, 8 casos (15//) controladas con PAP al final del estudio seguían normales, 5 pacientes se ignora el diagnóstico por abandono al seguimiento final. COMPLICACIONES. Perforación Unterina 1 caso y 5 de cervicorragia post-cono

Tumores óseos. Estadio clínico / Bone tumors. Clinical staging

Se presenta una revisión retrospectiva de 100 casos clínicos con lesiones óseas primarias tumorales, diagnosticados, tratados y seguidos clínicamente por un lapso promedio de 24 meses, que se usaron para utilizar y evaluar el sistema de estadio clínico de neoplasias esqueléticas propuesto por Enneking. Toda la información clínica fué codificada en el lenguaje del sistema de Enneking, determinándose en cada uno de los casos el estado clínico correspondiente. Los elementos que se consideraron para su evaluación fueron la verificación de las correlaciones: clínico-radiológica-histopatológica del diagnóstico, y la del margen quirúrgico y tratamiento complementario con el estadio clínico, así como la concordancia de ambas correlaciones con su seguimiento. En nuestro estudio el sistema de Enneking demostró que es una metodología eficaz y confiable para el diagnóstico y tratamiento de los pacientes con neoplasias esqueléticas primarias.

Tumores óseos: prevalencia / Bone tumors: prevalence

Se revisaron 1200 casos de tumores óseos atendidos en el Hospital de Ortopedia "Magdalena de las Salinas" del Instituo Mexicano del Seguro Social, de 1982 a 1989. De todos ellos 66.7 por ciento correspondieron a tumores benignos, 14.3 a lesiones pseudotumorales, 10.1 a tumores metastásicos, 8.6 a tumores malignos primarios y 0.3 por ciento a tumores malignos invasores de hueso. Los tumores benignos más frecuentemente encontrados fueron: osteocondroma, encondroma y tumor de células gigantes; del grupo de lesiones pseudotumorales: defecto fibroso metafisiario, quiste óseo solitario y displasia fibrosa; y del grupo de tumores malignos primarios: osteosarcoma. La prevalencia, distribución de frecuencias, sexo, edad, huesos afectados, milticentricidad y fracturas agregadas, y en el caso de tumores metastásicos e invasores, el sitio de origen del primario, fueron comparables con los datos de otras series