[Popular education and child nutrition: experience with women in a rural area of Mexico]. / Educación popular y nutrición infantil: experiencia de trabajo con mujeres en una zona rural de México.

OBJECTIVE: Community intervention was undertaken using the health promotion strategy, the objective being to develop a health education program for women. METHODS: The popular education methodology was used with the purpose of generating organizational and social participation processes to improve hates of child nutrition and survival. RESULTS: The main results are linked with the generation of community self-care processes and the creation of a health promoters' group which has been working with women, focusing their work on improving child nutrition and family health. The health promoters have taken charge of the epidemiological surveillance program for child nutrition and, together with the mothers, have undertaken a series of actions which have helped to decrease the rate of malnutrition among the children participating in this programs. CONCLUSIONS: There would be greater possibility of success if the general population were involved in the solution of this problem. This would be possible by the use of an adequate methodology which brought about greater community participation in such a way as to leave room for its own improvement. Popular education provides such a tool. It is necessary to continue to increase experience in health education with this type of methodology.

Regulation of gap junctions by protein phosphorylation.

Gap junctions are constituted by intercellular channels and provide a pathway for transfer of ions and small molecules between adjacent cells of most tissues. The degree of intercellular coupling mediated by gap junctions depends on the number of gap junction channels and their activity may be a function of the state of phosphorylation of connexins, the structural subunit of gap junction channels. Protein phosphorylation has been proposed to control intercellular gap junctional communication at several steps from gene expression to protein degradation, including translational and post-translational modification of connexins (i.e., phosphorylation of the assembled channel acting as a gating mechanism) and assembly into and removal from the plasma membrane. Several connexins contain sites for phosphorylation for more than one protein kinase. These consensus sites vary between connexins and have been preferentially identified in the C-terminus. Changes in intercellular communication mediated by protein phosphorylation are believed to control various physiological tissue and cell functions as well as to be altered under pathological conditions.

Regulation of gap junctions by protein phosphorylation

Gap junctions are constituted by intercellular channels and provide a pathway for transfer of ions and small molecules between adjacent cells of most tissues. The degree of intercellular coupling mediated by gap junctions depends on the number of gap junction channels and their activity may be a function of the state of phosphorylation of connexins, the structural subunit of gap junction channels. Protein phosphorylation has been proposed to control intercellular gap junctional communication at several steps from gene expression to protein degradation, including translational and post-translational modification of connexins (i.e., phosphorylation of the assembled channel acting as a gating mechanism) and assembly into and removal from the plasma membrane. Several connexins contain sites for phosphorylation for more than one protein kinase. These consensus sites vary between connexins and have been preferentially identified in the C-terminus. Changes in intercellular communication mediated by protein phosphorylation are believed to control various phsysiological tissue and cell functions as well as to be altered under pathological conditions. (AU)Gap junctions are constituted by intercellular channels and provide a pathway for transfer of ions and small molecules between adjacent cells of most tissues. The degree of intercellular coupling mediated by gap junctions depends on the number of gap junction channels and their activity may be a function of the state of phosphorylation of connexins, the structural subunit of gap junction channels. Protein phosphorylation has been proposed to control intercellular gap junctional communication at several steps from gene expression to protein degradation, including translational and post-translational modification of connexins (i.e., phosphorylation of the assembled channel acting as a gating mechanism) and assembly into and removal from the plasma membrane. Several connexins contain sites for phosphorylation for more than one protein kinase. These consensus sites vary between connexins and have been preferentially identified in the C-terminus. Changes in intercellular communication mediated by protein phosphorylation are believed to control various phsysiological tissue and cell functions as well as to be altered under pathological conditions.

Forward head posture: its structural and functional influence on the stomatognathic system, a conceptual study.

An extensive conceptual analysis to establish the primary role a forward head posture plays in the appearance of some craniomandibular dysfunctions and internal derangements of the temporomandibular joints, associated to craniocervical postural disturbances. The analysis is based on findings contributed by scientific investigations in the field of dentofacial orthopedics and dysfunction. Special emphasis has been put on the influence of forward head posture on the craniofacial growth as it can determine a morphoskeletal and neuromuscular pattern leading to a dysfunctional condition. A correlation is established between Class II Occlusion, forward head posture, and craniomandibular dysfunction. The concept of craniocervical postural position is defined, as well as its close relation to the mandibular postural position.

[The sensitivity and specificity of the clinical, serological and tomographic diagnosis of Toxoplasma gondii encephalitis in the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS)]. / Sensibilidade e especificidade do diagnóstico clínico, sorológico e tomográfico da encefalite por Toxoplasma gondii na síndrome da imunodeficiência adquirida (SIDA).

Toxoplasmic encephalitis (TE) is among the most common neurologic affections and it is the most prevalent cause of intracerebral mass lesions in AIDS patients. All patients with AIDS hospitalized at the Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre between May/85 and December/91 (516 cases) had their files revised to determinate TE prevalence, serology, sensitivity and specificity of the computed tomography (CT) brain scan, clinical findings and serology to make its diagnosis. The prevalence on CT was 13% (presumptive diagnosis). Blood serology and cerebrospinal (CSF) serology to toxoplasma were positive respectively in 65% and 49%. Autopsies of 125 patients were also revised with a prevalence of 22% (definite diagnosis). CT scan had 65% of sensitivity and 82% of specificity. Sensitivity and specificity of serology on blood was respectively 95% and 30%, while the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) serology had 77% of sensitivity and 56% of specificity. The following clinical findings were considered: fever (sensitivity = 92%; specificity = 56%), neurological focal signs (sensitivity = 59%; specificity = 82%) and headache (sensitivity = 41%; specificity = 69%). We conclude that, based on the high serology sensitivity and high CT scan specificity, they constitute an useful approach to make TE diagnosis.

Morphometric studies of the bovine uterus: microscopic lesions and retrospective reproductive history.

A survey of reproductive tracts from nonpregnant cows at an abattoir was conducted. Reproductive tracts from 98 cows were studied microscopically and evaluated with a grading system to determine the severity of pathologic changes. Inflammatory reaction (type and distribution), fibrosis, gland morphology, and appearance were measured, quantified, and scored (1 to 4). Category 1 endometrium (normal) was found in 18 cows, category 2 in 23, category 3 in 34, and category 4 in 23. The category of endometrium was then compared with the retrospective reproductive status, and it was found that reproductive problems had occurred in 6 cows (33.3%) in category 1, in 13 cows (56.5%) in category 2, in 25 cows (73.5%) in category 3, and in 21 cows (91.3%) in category 4. Cervicitis was found in 43 (43.8%) genital tracts; 16 cows (16.3%) had salpingitis. Ovarian lesions were not observed. Serum samples were tested for certain antibodies. Only 1 was seropositive for brucellosis, but 61 of 81 sera had leptospira titers greater than 1:100 and 1:50 (hardjo). The serovar hardjo was the most prevalent. All sera had neutralizing titers against parainfluenza type 3 virus; 74.2% and 56.7% of the sera had neutralizing antibodies against bovine viral diarrhea virus and infectious bovine rhinotracheitis virus, respectively.

Accion de la esporotoxina de Clostridium perfringens (welchii) en el intestino aislado de conejo. / Action of the sporotoxin of Clostridium perfringens (welchii) in the isolated intestine of ralbits

Se estudio por primera vez la enterotoxina de Clostridium perfringens (CPE) en el modelo intestino aislado de conejo.Se observaron cambios marcados sobre todo en fuerza con aumento inicial (6 min.) y luego disminucion paulatina (80 min.) para luego dar lugar a paralisis total (180 min.). La frecuencia por lo tanto tambien fue afectada en los estudios finales.A los 128 min se observaron periodos intermitentes de paralisis. El modelo sugirio la posibilidad de replicar in vitro pero en un modelo biologico, un "colico". Las lesiones histopatologicas observadas fueron principalmente de tipo descamacion, necrosis y degeneracion de la mucosa y vellosidades pero sin alteracion de la arquitectura. Se sugiere que los cambios observados son mas de tipo topico por lesiones a la mucosa, que de tipo farmaco sistemico