And Harm Reduction for All.

The Harm Reduction Act, a groundbreaking piece of legislation in New Mexico, provided for the legal use of paraphernalia by New Mexican residents so long as they could present their yellow sharps cards. Unfortunately, tribal governments in New Mexico were not consulted in these changes in harm reduction practices. As a result, Native American persons in New Mexico cannot access harm reduction services as freely as any other New Mexican can-and harm reduction programs are desperately needed in New Mexico. In this commentary, I examine the impact that the Harm Reduction Act has had on Native American populations in New Mexico and suggest opportunities for improving collaboration between state and tribal governments and community-based organizations.

Antifungal activity of crude glycolated extracts of Solanum tuberosum L. (white potato) peelings against Candida and Aspergillus species

@#<p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Background:</strong> A rise in the number of immunocompromised patients has increased the risk of opportunistic fungal infections. Identifying novel sources of antifungal agents from commonly discarded materials (i.e. potato peelings) can provide a cheaper alternative for antifungal drugs.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Objectives:</strong> The aim of the study was to determine the antifungal activity of crude glycoalkaloid extract from Solanum tuberosum L. (white potato) peelings against opportunistic fungi Candida albicans, Candida glabrata, Aspergillus niger, Aspergillus fumigatus, and Aspergillus flavus.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Methods:</strong> The glycoalkaloid content from dried potato peelings were extracted using ethanol and confirmed using colorimetric tests.The extract had a concentration 833.33 microgram/mL. Determination of the minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of the extract via two-fold broth dilution was performed for the five fungi with amphotericin B and fluconazole as the reference antifungal drugs.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Results:</strong> MICs of the crude extract for C. albicans, C. glabrata, A. fumigatus, and A. niger were not found within the concentration range of the studies and would thus need further experiments using a broader range of glycoalkaloid concentrations. The extract was found to have a MIC of 104.17microgram/mL for A. flavus, thereby verifying the antifungal effect of glycoalkaloid against A. flavus at said concentration.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Conclusion:</strong> Glycoalkaloids from Solanum tuberosum are a potential source of antifungals against certain opportunistic fungi.</p>

Bird species and traits associated with logged and unlogged forest in Borneo.

The ecological consequences of logging have been and remain a focus of considerable debate. In this study, we assessed bird species composition within a logging concession in Central Kalimantan, Indonesian Borneo. Within the study area (approximately 196 km2) a total of 9747 individuals of 177 bird species were recorded. Our goal was to identify associations between species traits and environmental variables. This can help us to understand the causes of disturbance and predict whether species with given traits will persist under changing environmental conditions. Logging, slope position, and a number of habitat structure variables including canopy cover and liana abundance were significantly related to variation in bird composition. In addition to environmental variables, spatial variables also explained a significant amount of variation. However, environmental variables, particularly in relation to logging, were of greater importance in structuring variation in composition. Environmental change following logging appeared to have a pronounced effect on the feeding guild and size class structure but there was little evidence of an effect on restricted range or threatened species although certain threatened species were adversely affected. For example, species such as the terrestrial insectivore Argusianus argus and the hornbill Buceros rhinoceros, both of which are threatened, were rare or absent in recently logged forest. In contrast, undergrowth insectivores such as Orthotomus atrogularis and Trichastoma rostratum were abundant in recently logged forest and rare in unlogged forest. Logging appeared to have the strongest negative effect on hornbills, terrestrial insectivores, and canopy bark-gleaning insectivores while moderately affecting canopy foliage-gleaning insectivores and frugivores, raptors, and large species in general. In contrast, undergrowth insectivores responded positively to logging while most understory guilds showed little pronounced effect. Despite the high species richness of logged forest, logging may still have a negative impact on extant diversity by adversely affecting key ecological guilds. The sensitivity of hornbills in particular to logging disturbance may be expected to alter rainforest dynamics by seriously reducing the effective seed dispersal of associated tree species. However, logged forest represents an increasingly important habitat for most bird species and needs to be protected from further degradation. Biodiversity management within logging concessions should focus on maintaining large areas of unlogged forest and mitigating the adverse effects of logging on sensitive groups of species.

Somatização na prática médica / Somatization in general medical practice

Somatização, sintomas físicos sem uma base orgânica identificável, é um problema comum nos serviços de atenção básica à saúde. Geralmente é um dignóstico de exclusão. Pacientes somatizadores frequentemente são de difícil diagnóstico, podendo apresentar ou não comorbidade com outros transtornos psiquiátricos. Além disso, esses pacientes costumam demandar uma grande quantidade de consultas médicas e exames, gerando altos custos para o sistema de saúde. Esta revisão aborda o conceito, as manifestações clínicas, etiologia, diagnóstico e tratamento da somatização