Evaluation of factors influencing road dust loadings in a Latin American urban center.

Vehicle non-exhaust emissions are a major component of particle matter, including the direct wear of tires, brakes, road, and the resuspension of deposited particles. It is suggested that resuspended PM (RPM) emissions can be at the same magnitude or even larger than combustion emissions in urban centers. Factors affecting RPM can be included in four categories: road characteristics, traffic condition, land use, and meteorology. In order to study and evaluate these influencing factors, road dust less than 10 micrometers (RD10) was collected in 41 sites across Bogotá. The sampling points had diverse characteristics. RD10 levels varied between 1.0 and 45.8 mg/m2 with an average of 8.9 ± 8.4 mg/m2. Lower RD10 values were observed when vegetation density was high, pavement condition good, driving speeds fast and construction activities absent. On the contrary, RD10 increased under heavy-duty traffic influence and dry conditions. Among dust mitigation measures, management of land-use variables could be as important as traffic control and road maintenance. Implications: This study documented for the first time in Latin America dust loadings less than 10 micrometers, information that can be used to estimate resuspended particle matter emissions in the region. The influence of meteorology, traffic characteristics, road condition, and land-use variables was analyzed and quantified. The management of land-use variables could be as important as traffic control and road maintenance for road dust mitigation. Further research interests are discussed.

Manifestaciones bucales y maxilofaciales en pacientes con adicción a las drogas / Oral and maxillofacial manifestations in patients with drug addiction

El objetivo de esta investigación fue caracterizar las manifestaciones bucales y maxilofaciales presentes en pacientes adictos a las drogas. Se realizó una investigación descriptiva, de campo. Se seleccionaron 32 individuos recluidos en un centro de rehabilitación localizado en el estado Zulia, Venezuela. Se realizó una encuesta y un examen clínico para determinar las manifestaciones bucales y maxilofaciales. El promedio de edad de los sujetos fue de 37,7 años, siendo la mayoría del género masculino. Las drogas consumidas con mayor frecuencia fueron el crack, seguido de cocaína y marihuana. Con respecto a las manifestaciones bucales se observó el predominio de caries (87,5%), seguida de la presencia de signos de enfermedad periodontal. Los hallazgos reportados revelan el escaso cuidado bucal por parte de los sujetos narcodependientes, lo que aumenta el riesgo a procesos infecciosos, pérdida de órganos dentales, disminución de todas las funciones y por ende el deterioro de su calidad de vida

The aim of this research was to characterize oral and maxillofacial manifestations in patients addicted to drugs. A descriptive field study was conducted. Thirty-two individuals attending voluntarily a rehabilitation center located in Zulia State, Venezuela, were selected. A survey and a clinical examination were conducted to determine the oral and maxillofacial manifestations. The average age of the subjects was 37.7, most of them being male. The most commonly used drugs were crack, followed by cocaine and marijuana. Regarding oral manifestations, the predominance of caries (87.5%) was observed, followed by the presence of signs of periodontal disease. These findings point to the poor oral care of the drug-dependent subjects, which increases the risk of infectious processes, loss of dental organs, decrease of all functions and therefore leads to the deterioration in quality of life

Long-term Outcome of Lupus Nephritis Class II in Argentine Patients: An Open Retrospective Analysis.

BACKGROUND: There is controversy in medical literature over the outcome of patients with lupus nephritis (LN) class II. The aim of this study was to explore the risk of histological transformation (HT) and possible factors related to negative response to treatment in patients with mesangial LN class II. METHODS: A retrospective and multicenter study was carried out that includes patients who had received a diagnosis of LN class II on their first renal biopsy. Creatinine, urine sediment, and proteinuria were recorded at the time of the first biopsy, 6 months, and 1, 2, and 5 years after the first biopsy. Response to treatment, HT, and long-term outcome were evaluated. RESULTS: Forty-one patients were included. The manifestation at first biopsy was proteinuria greater than 0.5 g/d in 28 patients (68.29%; 8 [28.57%] of 28 patients had nephrotic syndrome), hematuria in 18 patients (43.90%), and deterioration of renal function in 3 patients (7.31%). During the follow-up (median, 8 years; range, 1-35 years), a new biopsy was performed in 18 patients (43.90%), and in 17 patients (17/18 [94.44%]), there was HT. Median time at rebiopsy was 32 months (range, 11-305 months). Of the 18 patients who had a second biopsy, 10 (55.55%) were on hydroxychloroquine versus 100% (19/19) of patients who did not undergo the procedure (P = 0.001). A year after the first renal biopsy, there are data available from 34 patients; of them, 24 patients (70.58%) had achieved response, and 10 patients (29.41%) had no response (NR) (missing data in 7). A higher 24-hour urinary protein at 6 months was predictor of worse outcome at 1 year, with statistical significance difference for the nonresponder group (median proteinuria, 2.3 g/d [range, 0-4.7 g/d]) compared with responders (median proteinuria, 0.28 g/d [range, 0-1.7 g/d]) (P = 0.0133).In the long-term follow-up (5 years), HT was the main cause of unfavorable outcome and was measured in 78.57% of patients (11/14 patients). CONCLUSIONS: This series shows a high rate of HT in long-term follow-up. Proteinuria at 6 months made it possible to set aside patients who will have an unfavorable outcome in the long term and who will thus benefit from a more aggressive treatment. The results suggest that hydroxychloroquine had a nephroprotective effect.

Video training and certification program improves reliability of postischemic neurologic deficit measurement in the rat.

Scoring systems are used to measure behavioral deficits in stroke research. Video-assisted training is used to standardize stroke-related neurologic deficit scoring in humans. We hypothesized that a video-assisted training and certification program can improve inter-rater reliability in assessing neurologic function after middle cerebral artery occlusion in rats. Three expert raters scored neurologic deficits in post-middle cerebral artery occlusion rats using three published systems having different complexity levels (3, 18, or 48 points). The system having the highest point estimate for the correlation between neurologic score and infarct size was selected to create a video-assisted training and certification program. Eight trainee raters completed the video-assisted training and certification program. Inter-rater agreement ( Κ: score) and agreement with expert consensus scores were measured before and after video-assisted training and certification program completion. The 48-point system correlated best with infarct size. Video-assisted training and certification improved agreement with expert consensus scores (pretraining = 65 ± 10, posttraining = 87 ± 14, 112 possible scores, P < 0.0001), median number of trainee raters with scores within ±2 points of the expert consensus score (pretraining = 4, posttraining = 6.5, P < 0.01), categories with Κ: > 0.4 (pretraining = 4, posttraining = 9), and number of categories with an improvement in the Κ: score from pretraining to posttraining (n = 6). Video-assisted training and certification improved trainee inter-rater reliability and agreement with expert consensus behavioral scores in rats after middle cerebral artery occlusion. Video-assisted training and certification may be useful in multilaboratory preclinical studies.

Sustained functional improvement by hepatocyte growth factor-like small molecule BB3 after focal cerebral ischemia in rats and mice.

Hepatocyte growth factor (HGF), efficacious in preclinical models of acute central nervous system injury, is burdened by administration of full-length proteins. A multiinstitutional consortium investigated the efficacy of BB3, a small molecule with HGF-like activity that crosses the blood-brain barrier in rodent focal ischemic stroke using Stroke Therapy Academic Industry Roundtable (STAIR) and Good Laboratory Practice guidelines. In rats, BB3, begun 6 hours after temporary middle cerebral artery occlusion (tMCAO) reperfusion, or permanent middle cerebral artery occlusion (pMCAO) onset, and continued for 14 days consistently improved long-term neurologic function independent of sex, age, or laboratory. BB3 had little effect on cerebral infarct size and no effect on blood pressure. BB3 increased HGF receptor c-Met phosphorylation and synaptophysin expression in penumbral tissue consistent with a neurorestorative mechanism from HGF-like activity. In mouse tMCAO, BB3 starting 10 minutes after reperfusion and continued for 14 days improved neurologic function that persisted for 8 weeks in some, but not all measures. Study in animals with comorbidities and those exposed to common stroke drugs are the next steps to complete preclinical assessment. These data, generated in independent, masked, and rigorously controlled settings, are the first to suggest that the HGF pathway can potentially be harnessed by BB3 for neurologic benefit after ischemic stroke.

Effects of repetitive exposure to anesthetics and analgesics in the Tg2576 mouse Alzheimer's model.

The use of anesthetics and sedatives has been suggested to be a contributor to Alzheimer's disease neuropathogenesis. We wanted to address the in vivo relevance of those substances in the Tg2576 Alzheimer's mouse model. Tg7526 mice were anesthesia-sedated for 90 min once a week for 4 weeks. Y maze, Congo Red, and amyloid beta (Aß) immunochemistry were performed. We did not find any significant change in the navigation behavior of the exposed mice compared to the controls. Significantly less deposition of Aß in the CA1 area of the hippocampus and frontal cortex of mice exposed to isoflurane, propofol, diazepam, ketamine, and pentobarbital was observed. In the dentate gyrus, Aß deposition was significantly greater in the group treated with pentobarbital. Congo Red staining evidenced significantly fewer fibrils in the cortex of mice exposed to diazepam, ketamine, or pentobarbital. The adopted repetitive exposure did not cause a significant detriment in Tg7526 mouse.

Hippocampal cellular loss after brief hypotension.

Brief episodes of hypotension have been shown to cause acute brain damage in animal models. We used a rat hemorrhagic shock model to assess functional outcome and to measure the relative neuronal damage at 1, 4 and 14 days post-injury (3 min of hypotension). All rats underwent a neurological assessment including motor abilities, sensory system evaluation and retrograde memory at post-hypotensive insult. Brains were harvested and stained for Fluorojade C and Nissl. Stereology was used to analyze Fluorojade C and Nissl stained brain sections to quantitatively detect neuronal damage after the hypotensive insult. Statistical analysis was performed using Graphpad Prism 5 with the Bonferroni test at a 95% confidence interval after ANOVA. A Mixed Effect Model was used for the passive avoidance evaluation. Stereologically counted fluorojade positive cells in the hippocampus revealed significant differences in neuronal cell injury between control rats and rats that received 3 min of hypotension one day after insult. Quantification of Nissl positive neuronal cells showed a significant decrease in the number hippocampal cells at day 14. No changes in frontal cortical cells were evident at any time, no significative changes in neurological assessments as well. Our observations show that brief periods of hemorrhage-induced hypotension actually result in neuronal cell damage in Sprague-Dawley rats even if the extent of neuronal damage that was incurred was not significant enough to cause changes in motor or sensory behavior.

Quantitative assessment of new cell proliferation in the dentate gyrus and learning after isoflurane or propofol anesthesia in young and aged rats.

There is a growing body of evidence showing that a statistically significant number of people experience long-term changes in cognition after anesthesia. We hypothesize that this cognitive impairment may result from an anesthetic-induced alteration of postnatal hippocampal cell proliferation. To test this hypothesis, we investigated the effects of isoflurane and propofol on new cell proliferation and cognition of young (4 month-old) and aged (21 month-old). All rats were injected intraperitoneally (IP) with 50 mg/kg of 5-bromo-2-deoxyuridine (BrdU) immediately after anesthesia. A novel appetitive olfactory learning test was used to assess learning and memory two days after anesthesia. One week after anesthesia, rats were euthanized and the brains analyzed for new cell proliferation in the dentate gyrus, and proliferation and migration of newly formed cells in the subventricular zone to the olfactory bulb. We found that exposure to either isoflurane (p=0.017) or propofol (p=0.006) decreased hippocampal cell proliferation in young, but not in aged rats. This anesthetic-induced decrease was specific to new cell proliferation in the hippocampus, as new cell proliferation and migration to the olfactory bulb was unaffected. Isoflurane anesthesia produced learning impairment in aged rats (p=0.044), but not in young rats. Conversely, propofol anesthesia resulted in learning impairment in young (p=0.01), but not in aged rats. These results indicate that isoflurane and propofol anesthesia affect postnatal hippocampal cell proliferation and learning in an age dependent manner.

Medición de la actividad física en el tiempo libre de los habitantes de la localidad de Usaquén, 2008 / Measurement of the physical activity during leisure time of the Usaquen locality residents, 2008 / Medição da atividade fisica no tempo livre dos habitantes da localidade de Usaquén, 2008

Objetivo: Identificar y clasificar la actividad física que realizan los habitantes de la localidad de Usaquén (Bogotá - Colombia) durante su tiempo libre mediante el GPAQ. Metodología: se definió una muestra constituida por 395 residentes divididos en las nueve Unidades de Planeación Zonal (UPZ) de la localidad de Usaquén; el rango de edad de la población estuvo comprendida entre los 15 y 64 años, donde se tuvo en cuenta factores como el género, el tiempo dedicado a la realización de actividades en sus diferentes ámbitos (tiempo libre, trabajo, hogar); se aplicó el GPAQ que pertenece al cuestionario mundial sobre Actividad Física construido por la Organización Mundial de la Salud (OMS) y validado internacionalmente para la vigilancia de la actividad física en los países. Resultados: entre los resultados obtenidos se destaca: que el 54% de la muestra estuvo constituido por mujeres dedicando un tiempo de treinta minutos diarios para la realización de la actividad física en su tiempo libre, y el 46% por hombres los cuales le dedican en promedio 58 minutos a la practica de la actividad física en su tiempo libre; también, se resaltan las diferencias significativas entre los que realizan actividad física vigorosa y los que no la realizan frente al género, donde el valor de Ji cuadrado = 15,09 grados de libertad (P = 0,0001); mientras que no existe una asociación estadísticamente significativa entre los residentes que realizan actividad física moderada o baja y los que no realizan actividad física donde Ji cuadrado = 0,58 grados de libertad (P = 0,44). Conclusiones: fue posible identificar la actividad física realizada durante el tiempo libre teniendo en cuenta el género y la edad, en los habitantes de la localidad de Usaquén de Bogotá.

Objective: the identification and classification of the physical activity performed by Usaquen (Bogotá - Colombia) residents during their free time through the GPAQ. Methodology: a sample of 395 residents divided in nine zonal planning units (UPZ) from the town of Usaquen was used. The age range of the population was between 15 and 64 years age, taking into account factors such as gender, time spent on activities in different areas (leisure, work and home). The GPAQ, part of the Global Physical Activity Questionnaire constructed by the World Health Organization (WHO) and validated internationally for monitoring physical activity in countries, was used. Results: 54% of the sample consisted of women devoting thirty minutes to physical activity during their leisure time; while 46% of men spend on average 58 minutes in physical activity during their free time. Significant differences between those who perform strenuous physical activity and those who do not in regarding gender, where the value of Ji squared = 15.09 degrees of freedom (P = 0.0001). While there isn’t a statistically significant association between residents who performed moderate or low physical activity and those who do not perform any physical activity, where Ji-squared = 0.58 degrees of freedom (P = 0.44). It was possible to identify the physical activity performed during leisure time, taking into account gender and age among the residents of the Usaquen locality in Bogotá.

Metodologia: se definiu uma amostra constituída por 395 residentes divididos em as nove Unidades de Planejarão Zonal (UPZ) da localidade de Usaquén; o rango de idade da povoação esteve compreendido entre os 15 e 64 anos, onde se teve em conta fatores como gênero, o tempo dedicado á realização de atividades em seus diferentes âmbitos (tempo livre, trabalho, lar); se aplicou o GPAQ que pertence ao questionário mundial sobre Atividade Física construído por a Organização Mundial da saúde (OMS) e validado internacionalmente para a vigilância da atividade física nos países. Resultados: entre os resultados obtidos destacam se: que o 54% da mostra esteve construído por mulheres dedicando um tempo de trinta minutos diários para a realização da atividade física em seu tempo livre, e o 46% por homens os quais lhe dedicam em média 58 minutos á prática da atividade física em seu tempo livre, também, ressaltam se as diferenciam significativas entre os que realizam atividade física vigorosa e os que não a realizam frente ao gênero, onde o valor de Ji quadrado = 15,09 graus de liberdade (P = 0,0001), mientras que não existe uma associação estadisticamente significativa entre os residentes que realizam atividade física moderada o baixa e os que não realizam atividade física onde Ji quadrado = 0,58 graus de liberdade (P = 0,44). Conclusões: foi possível identificar a atividade física realizada durante o tempo livre tendo em conta o gênero e a idade, nos habitantes da localidade de Usaquén de Bogotá.