Cervicouterine Cancer Screening - TruScreen™ vs. Conventional Cytology: Pilot Study.

INTRODUCTION: Cervicouterine cancer (CC) is a health problem worldwide and is the fourth most common cancer in women, with a greater proportion of individuals affected by advanced stages of the disease in developing countries. OBJECTIVE: To determine the sensitivity and specificity of the TruScreen™ opto-electronic device vs. conventional cytology in CC screenings. METHODOLOGY: This is a prospective observational study that included individuals who presented for the first time at the Dysplasia Clinic of the Instituto Nacional de Cancerología from March 1 through April 30, 2016, and those referred due to abnormal conventional cytology. The patients were evaluated with the TruScreen™ device, conventional cytology, colposcopy and, if necessary, cervical biopsy. The results were analyzed by descriptive statistics as well as the sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), and negative predictive value (NPV) of the TruScreen™, using conventional cytology as the standard. RESULTS: Thirty-two patients were included who met the inclusion criteria. The average age of the patients was 40 years (range, 23-61 years). For the diagnosis of high-grade intraepithelial lesions, the TruScreen™ device showed a 43% sensitivity, a 92% specificity, a PPV of 60%, and a NPV of 85%, whereas evaluation via cervical biopsy exhibited a 33% sensitivity, an 86% specificity, a 33% PPV, and an 86% NPV. The Kappa agreement index of the TruScreen™ with the colposcopies was 0.70. CONCLUSIONS: TruScreen™ demonstrated low sensitivity and high specificity compared with conventional cytology, which had a high NPV.

Thermoregulation of nutrient-restricted hair ewes subjected to heat stress during late pregnancy.

In summers with severe hot environmental temperatures, thermoregulation is expected to be critical during the last third of gestation of hair ewes, and this effect can be overstated by suboptimal feeding conditions. Twenty-four multiparous hair sheep ewes with approximately 100d of pregnancy were randomly assigned to two treatments to evaluate the effects of nutritional restriction (NR) during late gestation on some serum metabolites, physiological variables, and thyroid hormone concentrations under intense heat load (maximum temperature 42-45°C). Treatments were as follows: (1) control, ewes fed free choice wheat straw plus a concentrate at a rate of 500g/d, and (2) nutritionally-restricted (NR) ewes, which were offered wheat straw only ad libitum. Body weight of NR ewes dropped 5.1kg (P<0.05), while control ewes gained 4.7kg during the study period. Rectal temperature was not affected (P>0.05) by feeding regime either in the morning or afternoon hours. Respiration rate was greater (P<0.05) in control ewes (20 and 40breaths/min higher in the day and night, respectively) on d 130 and 145 of pregnancy compared to NR ewes. Skin temperatures during the morning and afternoon were affected (P<0.05) by feeding regime at d 130 and 145 of pregnancy. In the morning, NR ewes presented greater (P<0.05) head and rump temperature at day 145 of gestation, and lower (P<0.05) udder temperatures at d 130 and 145 than control ewes. In the afternoon, skin temperatures of NR ewes were higher (P<0.05) in head and right flank on d 130 and 145 of pregnancy, and in udder at day 145 compared to control ewes. Serum glucose was higher (P<0.05) in NR ewes than control animals at day 145 of pregnancy. Serum cholesterol, triglyceride and thyroid hormones were not affected by nutritional restriction. Overall, it was found that nutritionally restricted ewes were less affected by intense heat loads than well-fed ewes, apparently due to the lower metabolic heat produced by this underfed animals. Also, it was apparent that the lower respiration rate of NR ewes was compensated by a greater body surface temperature.

Relación de la ingesta de grupos de alimentos con la proteína C-reactiva en adultos sanos en la ciudad de Mexicali, Baja California, México / Relationship of food groups intake and C-reactive protein in healthy adults from Mexicali, Baja California, México

La proteína C-reactiva ultrasensible (PCR-us) es un biomarcador importante en procesos inflamatorios. El objetivo del estudio fue examinar la relación entre la concentración de la PCR-us de adultos aparentemente sanos, con su patrón alimentario característico del norte de México. A una muestra de 72 profesores universitarios se les realizó una valoración clínica y antropométrica y se les cuantificó la PCR-us con un ensayo inmunoenzimométrico (EIA). Los profesores además contestaron un cuestionario de frecuencia de consumo de alimentos, del cual se estimaron las raciones de grupos de alimentos con el programa ESHA. La edad promedio de los participantes fue 49,75 ±10,05 años y la concentración de PCR-us tuvo un promedio de 1,66 (0,97 a 3,52) mg/L. La magnitud de la asociación entre el consumo de frutas y el nivel de PCR-us fue protectora de acuerdo con el análisis de regresión logística cuya Razón de Momios (RM) fue de 0,23 (95% IC: 0,05 a 1,03), mientras que para los vegetales la RM fue de 0,66 (95% IC: 0,12 a 3,68). Por otro lado, los alimentos proteicos, lácteos, aceites y grasas se asociaron con niveles elevados de la PCR-us. En conclusión, la menor concentración de la PCR-us se asoció con la mayor ingesta de los grupos de frutas y vegetales, y en menor grado con los cereales.

The high sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) is an important biomarker in inflammatory processes. The objective was to analyze the relationship between the concentrations of hs-CRP in adults from a northern Mexico region with their typical food intake patterns. A sample of 72 university professors underwent clinical and anthropometric assessments and their hs-CRP levels were quantified with an immunoenzymometric assay. Additionally, they filled out a food intake frequency questionnaire, from which the servings of different food groups were obtained with the ESHA software. The average age of participants was 49.75 ± 10.05 years and the average hs-CRP concentration was 1.66 (0.97, 3.52) mg/L. The value of the association between fruit consumption and hs-CRP level was protective, according to the logistic regression analysis, being the Odds Ratio (OR) 0.23 (95% CI: 0.05, 1.03); while for vegetables the OR was 0.66 (95% CI: 0.12, 3.68). Furthermore, high protein content foods, dairy products, oils and fats were associated with elevated levels of hs-CRP. In conclusion, in our study, the intake of some food groups like fruits and vegetables, and to a lesser extent cereals, were associated with low values of hs-PCR.

Physiological and productive responses of multiparous lactating Holstein cows exposed to short-term cooling during severe summer conditions in an arid region of Mexico.

Heat stress generates a significant economic impact for the dairy industry in arid and semi-arid regions of the world, so that heat abatement is an important issue for dairy producers. The objective of this study was to evaluate effects of two short-term cooling periods on physiological and productive status of lactating Holstein cows during hot ambient temperatures. Thirty-nine multiparous cows were blocked by milk yield and assigned to one of three treatments including: control group (C), cows cooled before milking time (0500 and 1700 h daily, 1 h cooling); AM group, cows cooled at 1000 h and before milking (2 h cooling); and AM + PM group, cows cooled at 1100, 1500 and 2200 h, as well as before milking (4 h cooling). The cooling system was placed in the holding pen which the cows were moved through for cooling. Respiratory rate, and temperatures of thurl and right flank, were lower (P < 0.05) in cows from the AM + PM group than AM and C cows during the morning and afternoon. However, udder temperature was higher in the AM + PM group compared to AM and C groups during the afternoon, although lower than the AM group during the morning. Rectal temperature was similar in all groups. Thyroxin concentrations tended (P < 0.10) to be lower in AM + PM relative to the AM and C groups. The AM + PM group had higher (P < 0.05) milk production than C (18.70 vs. 17.43 kg, respectively), and AM + PM cows had a trend (P < 0.10) to increased milk energy output vs. the C and AM groups (13.75 vs. 13.18 and 13.15 Mcal, respectively). Protein and fat in milk, body condition score, glucose, cholesterol, triglycerides and triiodothyronine were similar among the groups. Four hours of cooling with spray and fans during severe summer temperatures only modestly improved milk yield of lactating Holstein cows.