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1.
S Afr Med J ; 110(7): 667-670, 2020 Jul 07.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-32880345

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Trauma in pregnancy poses a unique challenge to clinicians. Literature on this topic is limited in South Africa (SA). OBJECTIVES: To review our institution's experience with the management of trauma in pregnancy in a developing-world setting. METHODS: This study was based at Grey's Hospital, Pietermaritzburg, SA. All pregnant patients who were admitted to our institution following trauma between December 2012 and December 2018 were identified from the Hybrid Electronic Medical Registry (HEMR). RESULTS: During the 6-year study period, 2 990 female patients were admitted by the Pietermaritzburg Metropolitan Trauma Service (PMTS), of whom 89 were pregnant. The mean age of these patients was 25.64 (range 17 - 43) years. The mechanism of injury was road traffic crash (RTC) in 39, stab wounds (SW) in 19, assault other than SW or gunshot wounds (GSW) in 19, GSW in 8, snake bite in 5, impalement in 1, dog bite in 1, hanging in 1, sexual assault in 1 and a single case of a patient being hit by a falling object. A subset of patients sustained >1 mechanism of injury. Thirty patients were managed operatively. The mean time of gestation was 19.16 (5 - 36) weeks. Three patients died, and there were 16 fetal deaths (including 3 lost after the mother's death). Forty-five fetuses were recorded as surviving at discharge, while 25 fetal outcomes were not specifically recorded. There were 2 threatened miscarriages and/or patients with vaginal bleeding, 1 positive pregnancy test with no recorded outcome and no premature births as a result of trauma. CONCLUSIONS: Trauma in pregnancy is relatively uncommon and mostly due to a RTC or deliberately inflicted trauma. Fetal outcome is largely dependent on the severity of the maternal injury, with injuries requiring laparotomy leading to a high fetal mortality rate.


Subject(s)
Pregnancy Complications/epidemiology , Wounds and Injuries/epidemiology , Adolescent , Adult , Age Distribution , Female , Fetal Death , Humans , Pregnancy , Pregnancy Complications/surgery , South Africa/epidemiology , Surgical Procedures, Operative/statistics & numerical data , Trauma Centers , Wounds and Injuries/surgery , Young Adult
2.
S Afr Med J ; 110(1): 44-48, 2019 Dec 12.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-31865942

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Trauma in South Africa (SA) has been referred to as a malignant epidemic, but the impact of trauma on the elderly has tended to be overlooked. OBJECTIVES: To address this deficit by focusing on trauma victims aged ≥65 years. METHODS: All patients aged ≥65 years who were admitted to Grey's Hospital, Pietermaritzburg, SA, following trauma between December 2012 and January 2019 were reviewed. RESULTS: Over the 6-year study period, a total of 281 patients aged ≥65 years were admitted to Grey's Hospital following trauma. There were 150 males (53.4%) and 97 females (34.5%). The sex of 34 patients was unknown. The average age was 72 years (range 65 - 97). There were 226 cases of blunt trauma, 42 cases of penetrating trauma (including two incidents of impalement following blunt trauma) and 15 cases of other types of trauma. The most common causes of blunt trauma were accidental falls (n=76), motor vehicle accidents (n=46), pedestrian vehicle accidents (n=32) and falls from a height (n=23). Gunshot wounds (n=22) and knife wounds (n=14) were the most common forms of penetrating trauma. Other trauma mainly comprised dog bites (n=6) and snakebites (n=6). There were 72 incidents of assault (25.6% of total cases). The majority of assaults were committed by a single perpetrator, and the perpetrator was frequently known to the victim. There were no significant differences in the proportions of penetrating, blunt and other trauma injuries between males and females. A total of 44 patients (15.7%) required surgical intervention, and 41 patients (14.6%) experienced complications during their hospitalisation. Respiratory, renal and cardiac complications were most frequent, and 5 patients had a cardiac arrest. Seven experienced acute kidney injury. Seventeen patients (6.0%) required intensive care unit admission and 5 (1.8%) required ventilation. Patients stayed in hospital for an average of 2.96 days (range 0 - 39). Of the patients, 241 (85.8%) survived, 32 (11.4%) died and 8 (2.9%) had an unknown outcome. CONCLUSIONS: Geriatric trauma in SA is relatively rare, but will increase as the population ages. There is a high incidence of assault as a mechanism, highlighting the fact that elderly people are a vulnerable group. Managing these patients is challenging and is associated with significant morbidity and mortality.


Subject(s)
Wounds and Injuries/epidemiology , Accidents/statistics & numerical data , Age Factors , Aged , Aged, 80 and over , Female , Humans , Incidence , Male , South Africa/epidemiology , Violence/statistics & numerical data , Wounds and Injuries/diagnosis , Wounds and Injuries/etiology
3.
Environ Pollut ; 231(Pt 2): 1633-1641, 2017 Dec.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-28964607

ABSTRACT

Soil salinization, as the combination of primary and secondary events, can adversely affect organisms inhabiting this compartment. In the present study, the effects of increased salinity were assessed in four species of terrestrial fungi: Lentinus sajor caju, Phanerochaete chrysosporium, Rhizopus oryzae and Trametes versicolor. The mycelial growth and biochemical composition of the four fungi were determined under three exposure scenarios: 1) exposure to serial dilutions of natural seawater (SW), 2) exposure to serial concentrations of NaCl (potential surrogate of SW); and 3) exposure to serial concentrations of NaCl after a period of pre-exposure to low levels of NaCl. The toxicity of NaCl was slightly higher than that of SW, for all fungi species: the conductivities causing 50% of growth inhibition (EC50) were within 14.9 and 22.0 mScm-1 for NaCl and within 20.2 and 34.1 mScm-1 for SW. Phanerochaete chrysosporium showed to be the less sensitive species, both for NaCl and SW. Exposure to NaCl caused changes in the biochemical composition of fungi, mainly increasing the production of polysaccharides. When fungi were exposed to SW this pattern of biochemical response was not observed. Fungi pre-exposed to low levels of salinity presented higher EC50 than fungi non-pre-exposed, though 95% confidence limits overlapped, with the exception of P. chrysosporium. Pre-exposure to low levels of NaCl also induced changes in the biochemical composition of the mycelia of L. sajor caju and R. oryzae, relatively to the respective control. These results suggest that some terrestrial fungi may acquire an increased tolerance to NaCl after being pre-exposed to low levels of this salt, thus, suggesting their capacity to persist in environments that will undergo salinization. Furthermore, NaCl could be used as a protective surrogate of SW to derive safe salinity levels for soils, since it induced toxicity similar or higher than that of SW.


Subject(s)
Basidiomycota/drug effects , Mycelium/drug effects , Rhizopus/drug effects , Soil Microbiology/standards , Soil/chemistry , Basidiomycota/growth & development , Mycelium/growth & development , Rhizopus/growth & development , Salinity , Salt Tolerance/drug effects , Seawater/chemistry , Sodium Chloride/toxicity
4.
J Environ Manage ; 128: 226-32, 2013 Oct 15.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-23747373

ABSTRACT

This work describes the synthesis of CuS powders in high yield and via an environmentally friendly and straightforward process, under ambient conditions (temperature and pressure), by adding to aqueous copper (II) a nutrient solution containing biologically generated sulfide from sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB). The powders obtained were composed of CuS (covellite) nanoparticles (NPs) exhibiting a spheroid morphology (<5 nm). The relevance of this method to obtain CuS supported solid substrates has been demonstrated by performing the synthesis in the presence of TiO2 and SiO2 submicron particles. We further extended the work carried out, which substantiates the potential of using biogenic sulfide for the production of covellite nanocrystals and composites, using the effluent of a bioremediation column. Hence, such process results in the synthesis of added value products obtained from metal rich effluents, such as metallurgical and industrial ones, or Acid Mine Drainage (AMD), when associated with bioremediation processes.


Subject(s)
Biodegradation, Environmental , Copper/chemistry , Nanoparticles/chemistry , Copper/isolation & purification , Desulfovibrio desulfuricans/metabolism , Microscopy, Electron, Scanning , Nanoparticles/ultrastructure , Silicon Dioxide , Titanium , X-Ray Diffraction
5.
Int J Biol Markers ; 23(3): 154-60, 2008.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-18949741

ABSTRACT

Osteopontin (OPN) is a secreted, calcium-binding phosphorylated glycoprotein involved in several physiological and pathological events such as angiogenesis, apoptosis, inflammation, wound healing, vascular remodeling, calcification of mineralized tissues, and induction of cell proteases. There is growing interest in the role of OPN in breast cancer. In an attempt to obtain new insight into the pathogenesis of OPN-associated breast carcinomas, an immunohistochemical panel with 17 primary antibodies including cytokeratins and key regulators of the cell cycle was performed in 100 formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded samples of invasive breast carcinomas. OPN was expressed in 65% of tumors and was negatively correlated with estrogen (p=0.0350) and progesterone (p=0.0069) receptors, but not with the other markers and clinicopathological features evaluated including age, menstrual status, pathological grading, tumor size, and metastasis. There was no correlation between OPN expression and carcinomas of the basal-like phenotype (p=0.1615); however, OPN correlated positively with c-erbB-2 status (p=0.0286) and negatively with carcinomas of the luminal subtype (p=0.0353). It is well known that carcinomas overexpressing c-erbB-2 protein have a worse prognosis than luminal tumors. Here, we hypothesize that the differential expression of OPN in the first subtype of carcinomas may contribute to their more aggressive behavior.


Subject(s)
Breast Neoplasms/metabolism , Carcinoma, Ductal, Breast/metabolism , Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic , Immunohistochemistry/methods , Osteopontin/biosynthesis , Adult , Aged , Biomarkers, Tumor/metabolism , Breast Neoplasms/pathology , Carcinoma, Ductal, Breast/pathology , Female , Gene Expression Profiling , Humans , Middle Aged , Models, Statistical , Neoplasm Invasiveness , Receptors, Estrogen/metabolism
6.
Med Law ; 19(2): 309-19, 2000.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-10994216

ABSTRACT

Since 1993 in Portugal, it is possible, by legal enforcement, to request forensic examination to study possible conditions of drug addiction. On the basis of examinations carried out in the Medico Legal Institute of Oporto, we present a study of 494 cases involving the relation to the demographic data of the examined individuals, their family background, legal situation, age at which drug consumption began, consumption profile at the beginning and at time of forensic examination and our conclusions.


Subject(s)
Forensic Medicine/legislation & jurisprudence , Forensic Medicine/statistics & numerical data , Mandatory Testing/legislation & jurisprudence , Mandatory Testing/statistics & numerical data , Substance Abuse Detection/legislation & jurisprudence , Substance Abuse Detection/statistics & numerical data , Substance-Related Disorders/diagnosis , Substance-Related Disorders/etiology , Academies and Institutes , Adolescent , Adult , Age Distribution , Educational Status , Female , Humans , Male , Patient Advocacy/legislation & jurisprudence , Portugal/epidemiology , Risk Factors , Socioeconomic Factors , Substance-Related Disorders/epidemiology
7.
J Forensic Sci ; 45(4): 891-2, 2000 Jul.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-10914591

ABSTRACT

Allele frequencies for four short tandem repeat loci were determined in a population sample from Porto (North Portugal), using the polymerase chain reaction (PCR), in order to investigate possible genetic differences between populations from the center and north of Portugal. After denaturing PAGE electrophoresis, nine alleles were identified for D3S1358 (n = 256), 13 alleles for D18S51 (n = 235), 10 alleles for D19S253 (n = 238), and 15 alleles for FGA (n = 181). No deviations from Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium were found. The allele frequencies observed are similar to those of the Portuguese population compared except for the D3S1358 system.


Subject(s)
DNA Fingerprinting , Genetics, Population , Microsatellite Repeats/genetics , Alleles , Forensic Medicine , Humans , Portugal , Reference Values
8.
J Biotechnol ; 75(2-3): 99-103, 1999 Oct 08.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-10553651

ABSTRACT

The bioconversion of glucose and fructose to gluconic acid and sorbitol, respectively, by the enzymes glucose-fructose oxidoreductase (GFOR) and glucono-delta-lactonase (GL), contained in untreated cells of Zymomonas mobilis ATCC 29191, was investigated in batch runs with glucose plus fructose concentrations (S0) varying from 100 to 750 g l-1 in equimolar ratio. When S0 was increased to 650 g l-1, the yields were improved, reaching a maximum of 91% for both products, with productivities of 1.6 and 1.5 g g-1 cell h-1 for gluconic acid and sorbitol, respectively. Above this level (S0 = 750 g l-1), no further improvement in yields was observed and productivities decreased due to the longer process time. The high yields of bioconversion runs with S0 > or = 650 g l-1 are a consequence of the sequential inhibition of the normal metabolism of Z. mobilis by substrates and products, resulting in preferential utilization of substrates via the GFOR/GL system.


Subject(s)
Fructose/metabolism , Gluconates/metabolism , Glucose/metabolism , Sorbitol/metabolism , Zymomonas/metabolism , Fermentation , Zymomonas/growth & development
9.
Appl Biochem Biotechnol ; 76(2): 99-105, 1999 Feb.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-15304729

ABSTRACT

The efficiency of an ion exchange system coupled to a bioreactor to extract on-line inhibitory organic acids produced was evaluated. Batch fermentations without dialysis and fed-batch experiments with and without dialysis of Propionibacterium freudenreichii were conducted. It was possible to keep the propionic acid concentration in the reactor at a low level to avoid complete growth inhibition. Improvements in biomass and propionic acid productivities were achieved when the dialysis system was used. The performance of the dialysis system was improved when a new pH control strategy evaluated in this study was used.

10.
J Forensic Sci ; 42(1): 121-4, 1997 Jan.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-8988585

ABSTRACT

Allele and genotype frequencies of four short tandem-repeat loci were determined in a population sample from the North of Portugal using the polymerase chain reaction (PCR). After denaturing PAGE, 6 alleles were identified for HUMTH01 (n = 419), 9 alleles for HUMVWA31A (n = 376), 12 alleles for HUMF13A1 (n = 232), and 5 alleles for HUMFES/FPS (n = 409). No deviation from Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium was found. The allele frequencies observed are similar to those of the European populations compared. The combined power of discrimination is 0.999.


Subject(s)
Genetics, Population , Polymorphism, Genetic , Repetitive Sequences, Nucleic Acid/genetics , Alleles , DNA/blood , DNA/genetics , Female , Forensic Medicine , Gene Frequency , Genotype , Humans , Male , Paternity , Polymerase Chain Reaction , Portugal , White People/genetics
11.
Forensic Sci Int ; 79(1): 23-9, 1996 May 17.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-8635770

ABSTRACT

Allele and genotype frequencies for D1S80, 3'ApoB and YNZ22 loci have been determined in a population sample of the North of Portugal using the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification and nonradioactive detection. The distribution of genotypes in the three polymorphisms studied is in agreement with expected values according to the Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium. The combined chance of exclusion for the three systems is 0.96, and the combined power of discrimination is 0.99.


Subject(s)
DNA/genetics , Gene Frequency/genetics , Minisatellite Repeats/genetics , Alleles , Base Sequence , Genotype , Humans , Molecular Sequence Data , Portugal
12.
Med Law ; 15(1): 135-41, 1996.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-8691995

ABSTRACT

The authors analysed 115 victims of limb injuries due to traffic accidents, to compare the medico-legal assessment by the rate of permanent disability (PD) with a tridimensional evaluation of the damage (lesion, function and situation), from a professional aspect. There was a high correlation between PD and lesional and functional sequelae. However, in professional situations only with those who were working full-time was there a high correlation with PD. PD gives only a lesional assessment. The authors propose a professional damage evaluation which considers the handicap of the individual in her/his ordinary work besides the lesion and function, as long as the assessment is personal and it is meant to reintegrate the victim completely in her/his professional life.


Subject(s)
Accidents, Traffic , Arm Injuries/rehabilitation , Disabled Persons/legislation & jurisprudence , Leg Injuries/rehabilitation , Work Capacity Evaluation , Adult , Arm Injuries/etiology , Disabled Persons/rehabilitation , Female , Humans , Injury Severity Score , Leg Injuries/etiology , Male , Portugal
15.
Med Law ; 8(1): 11-4, 1989.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-2516192

ABSTRACT

History of organ transplantation dating back to 3500 BC is briefly surveyed as well as modern legislation with specific reference to Portugal. The importance and necessity for medical and legal certification of death is discussed as are the rights of the organ donor.


Subject(s)
Human Rights/legislation & jurisprudence , Tissue Donors , Transplantation/legislation & jurisprudence , Death Certificates/legislation & jurisprudence , Humans , Portugal
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