Control of Escherichia coli and Listeria monocytogenes in suckling-lamb meat evaluated using microbial challenge tests.

Escherichia coli and Listeria monocytogenes microbial challenge tests were performed on fresh suckling-lamb meat. Hind leg slices were chilly stored under two modified atmosphere packaging (MAP) environments (A: 15%O2/60%CO2/25%N2, B: 15%O2/30%CO2/55%N2) and vacuum packaging (V). Only E. coli was reduced between 0.72-1.25 log cfu/g from day 1 to day 4 by the combined use of MAP/V, chilling storage and the growth of native lactic acid bacteria. However, L. monocytogenes was not inhibited by the application of V or MAP. Even do, in inoculated samples, this pathogen increased between 1.2-2.7 log cfu/g throughout the study. Consequently, a second experiment that combined the effects of MAP/V and a protective culture (Leuconostoc pseudomesenteroides PCK 18) against L. monocytogenes was designed. Two different levels of protective cultures were assayed (4 and 6 log cfu/g). Lc. pseudomesenteroides PCK 18 was able to control the growth of L. monocytogenes when the differences between them are higher than 2 log cfu/g. Moreover, when high level of protective culture was used a significant reduction of L. monocytogenes counts were noticed in samples packaged in 60% of CO2 along the storage period, although sensory properties were also affected.

[Effect of budesonide on bone density and metabolism in asthmatic children]. / Efecto de budesonida sobre la densidad y el metabolismo óseo en niños asmáticos.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the effect of inhaled budesonide on the mineral density, content and bone metabolism in children with asthma. MATERIAL AND METHODS: From September 1996 to July 1997, a cross-sectional study was conducted in 38 prepubertal children aged 6 to 11 years, selected from the pediatric chest outpatient clinic of the Instituto Autónomo Hospital Universitario de Los Andes, Mérida, Venezuela. Three study groups were assembled: 9 asthmatic children treated with inhaled budesonide (300 micrograms/day) for over 6 months (Group A); 14 asthmatic children not treated with inhaled corticosteroids (Group B); and 15 non-asthmatic children (Group C). All of them underwent testing of bone formation and resorption markers, and measurement of bone mineral density (DMO) and content (CMO). Statistical analysis consisted of central tendency and dispersion measures, analysis of variance, and Fisher and Scheffe tests for comparison of means. RESULTS: In the groups studied (A, B, and C) calcium serum levels were 9.1 +/- 0.3; 9.6 +/- 0.4; 9.3 +/- 0.6 mg/ml, respectively; osteocalcin levels were 14.8 +/- 4.6; 13.0 +/- 2.5; 11.9 +/- 3.4 ng/dl; the type I collagen carboxyterminal telopeptide (ICTP) levels were 19.6 +/- 16.5; 14.2 +/- 15.4; 13.0 +/- 18.3 micrograms/l; the DMO levels were 0.67 +/- 0.06; 0.68 +/- 0.06; 0.69 +/- 0.06 g/cm2; and the CMO levels were 1,158.8 +/- 217.4; 1,106.4 +/- 256.1; 1,176.5 +/- 240.5 g, respectively. No statistically significant differences were observed between the groups. CONCLUSIONS: The administration of 100-400 micrograms/day of inhaled budesonide for a period of six months, did not change the bone mineral density and metabolism of asthmatic children.

Adenoidal tissue mass as a clinical guide of disease evolution in vertically HIV-1 infected children.

INTRODUCTION: it is known that in early-stage HIV-induced disease there is a discrepancy between the levels of viral burden and virus replication in peripheral blood versus lymphoid organs. HIV disease is active in the lymphoid tissue throughout the period of clinical latency. However, it is not known how long term progression of HIV infection is influenced by short-term changes in the adenoidal size. OBJECTIVE: To assess the reliability of adenoidal-nasopharyngeal (AN) ratio in predicting clinical evolution of pediatric HIV infection. METHODS: lateral radiographs of the nasopharynx in 94 Caucasian children born to HIV-1-infected mothers ranged from 6 months to 15 years (60 children infected with HIV-1 and 34 without HIV infection), and in a control group of 692 normal children were evaluated to obtain the AN ratio in order to identify the relationship of AN profiles with different stages of the disease. Patients were rated regarding their clinical and immunological status according to the Center for Disease Control Classification. RESULTS: statistically significant differences between the groups of HIV-1-infected children, seroreverters and controls in the AN ratio were found (P < 0.001). Moreover, significant differences were also found in individual children that correlated with clinical progression. CONCLUSION: examination of radiographic changes in adenoidal size by AN ratio in relation to clinical status during one year period in the whole group showed strong prognostic value. These findings may have important implications in the design of therapeutic strategies.

Cholesterol and fat contents of Spanish commercial pork cuts.

A study was carried out to determine the fat and cholesterol contents of several commercial pork cuts as function of sex. Fat and cholesterol content ranged from 2.7% and 57 mg/100 g in loin to 30.3% and 116 mg/100 g in dewlap. The higher the fat content the higher was the cholesterol content. Sex did not influence fat content and the fat/cholesterol ratio, but cholesterol content was higher in females than in males.

[The study of suicides and homicides in Spain. Years 1980-1990]. / Estudio de suicidios y homicidios en España. Años 1980-1990.

A descriptive epidemiological was carried out in order to evaluate true scope of the problem of suicides and homicides in Spain. These two items were considered individually. With regard to the cases of suicides and homicides published in Causes of Death Spain, the mortality rates, tendency and potential years of life lost (PYLL) were calculated. We have found that the suicides rates are higher than the homicide and both are higher in men than in women. The provinces having the highest suicide rates are: La Rioja, Ceuta and Melilla, Asturias and Galicia. Those have the lowest Castilla-León. By means of the tendency study, we have noted a greater increase in Barcelona, Madrid and Valencia for the period 1980-90. Regarding homicides, the only provinces showing statistically significative values are Jaen, Las Palmas and Guipuzcoa. The provinces with highest rates of PYLL, in men, were Galicia, Asturias and Navarra; were observed in the women of Cantabria and Madrid in the case of suicides, and Castilla-La Mancha, Asturias, Ceuta and Melilla in case of homicides.