Evaluation of the Starch Quantification Methods of Musa paradisiaca, Manihot esculenta, and Dioscorea trífida Using Factorial Experiments.

BACKGROUND: Starch and its products are used in a variety of ways for both the food and nonfood industries. A factorial experiment is carried out with two factors to explain the behavior of the percentage of starch, where the factors correspond to the extraction method and to the raw material. METHOD: Three methods were used in triplicate: the first followed the official technique of the Association of Official Analytical Chemists (AOAC), to perform acid hydrolysis and quantification of starch by Titulation; the second method involved the colorful reaction with iodine using the UV equipment to measure the absorbance and calculate the percentage of starch; as a third method the FTIR was used, through which the concentration of the starch was calculated by the area under the curve obtained from the spectrum. RESULTS: there is an effect of both the method and the raw material on the percentage of starch, while there was no effect of the interaction; the Tukey test indicates that the highest average percentage of extraction occurs with the extraction method by Titulation and with the starch of Manihot esculenta. CONCLUSION: It is used as raw material. The method of quantification of starch by UV-VIS spectroscopy was the best for the study samples because it presented less deviation in relation to the FTIR and Titulation methods.

Evaluación de la analgesia obtenida con esteroides epidurales para el tratamiento del dolor crónico lumbar / Evaluation of the analgesic effect of epidural steroids for the treatment of low back pain

El dolor crónico es un problema de salud a nivel mundial. Un cuarto de los enfermos con dolor crónico tiene lumbalgia. Cerca del 38 por ciento de los sujetos con lumbalgia requieren abordaje no farmacológico. Existe controversia con respecto a la utilidad de los abordajes intervencionistas. Objetivo: Evaluar la analgesia tras la administración de esteroides por vía epidural para el tratamiento del dolor crónico lumbar. Materiales y método: Se trata de un estudio retrospectivo de casuística institucional de los casos que acuden a la consulta externa de una clínica del dolor del medio urbano. En la población que recibió esteroides por vía epidural se documento: (i) el número de consultas subsecuentes en un año después a la realización de la intervención, (ii) la intensidad del dolor mediante la escala visual análoga encada una de las consultas, (iii) causalidad del dolor lumbar, (iv) tipo de dolor, y (v) número de procedimientos. Resultados: Con respecto a la causalidad del dolor se identifico que en 72 por ciento (n=41) de los procedimientos el diagnóstico fue el de radiculopatia, seguido por canal estrecho en 16 por ciento (n=9). La intensidad del dolor mediante la EVA en la consulta antes del procedimiento fue en promedio de 7 (DS 2). Conclusiones: Los resultados con respecto a la eficaciad e esta intervención en el alivio del dolor crónico lumbar son controversiales. No obstante a dicha eventualidad, en este reporte identificamos una disminución significativa en la intensidad del dolor mediante la EVA y que se mantuvo a lo largo del tiempo...

Chronic pain is a worldwide health problem. One quarter of the patients with chronic pain have low back pain. It has been reported that 38 percent of the patients with low back pain are referred for non pharmacological management. There is controversy about the usefulness of the invasive procedures for low back pain management. Objective: To evaluate the analgesic effect of epidural steroids for the treatment of low back pain. Materials y method: This is a retrospective study of institutional cases of patients attended in a urban chronic pain clinic. From the patients that received epidural steroids information about (i) number of visits during one year after the intervention, (ii) pain intensity with the analogue visual scale, (iii) cause of pain, (iv) type of pain, and (v) number of procedures, were documented. Results: In 72 percent of the cases the cause of pain was due radiculopathy (n=41), the next mayor cause of pain was spinal stenosis (16 percent, n=9). Average pain intensity before the procedure using the VAS was 7 (SD 2). Conclusions: Results about the efficacy of epidural steroid injections for low back pain are controversial. Despite this in this report we identify a significant decrease in mean VAS value after the procedure and this finding was maintained over time....

Insomnio y calidad del sueño en médicos de atención primaria: una perspectiva de género / Insomnia and quality of sleep among primary care pshycians: A gender perspective

Objetivo. Se trata de explorar la prevalencia del insomnio y la calidad del sueño en una muestra de médicos de atención primaria desde una perspectiva de género. Sujetos y métodos. Se seleccionó una muestra representativa compuesta por 240 médicos de 70 centros de atención primaria de la Comunidad de Madrid. La tasa de respuesta fue del 71,6%. El cuestionarioincluía información sociodemográfica, síntomas de insomnio según los criterios del Manual diagnóstico y estadístico de los trastornos mentales (DSM-IV) y el índice de calidad del sueño de Pittsburgh (ICSP). Resultados. El 18,8% del total de a muestra cumplió los criterios diagnósticos de insomnio del DSM-IV, con una mayor frecuencia en las mujeres (23%) comparadascon los hombres (9,6%). El mismo patrón apareció en el despertar antes de lo deseado y en el malestar diurno. La relación entre género e insomnio se confirmó mediante análisis de regresión binaria, controlando las variables sociodemográficas. Además, los resultados indicaron que las mujeres obtuvieron puntuaciones significativamente mayores que las de los hombres en el índice ICSP y en sus componentes. Una puntuación global igual o mayor de 5 en el ICSP resulta un criterio válido desde el punto de vista clínico para discriminar entre buenos y malos durmientes. Mediante este criterio, puede considerarseque el 35,4% de los médicos encuestados era mal durmiente, y es significativamente mayor el porcentaje de mujeres que cumplía dicho criterio (el 40% frente al 25,3%). Conclusiones. Los datos indican una elevada prevalencia de las alteraciones del sueño en médicos de atención primaria, especialmente entre las mujeres

Aim. To assess insomnia and sleep quality in primary care physicians from a gender perspective. Subjects and methods. A representative sample of 240 physicians was drawn from 70 medical centers from the Madrid Autonomous region. The participation rate was 71.6%. The questionnaire included sociodemographic data, insomnia symptomatology using DSM-IVcriteria and the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI). Results. 18.8% of the total sample met DSM-IV criteria for insomnia diagnosis, with higher frequency among women (23%) compared to men (9.6%). The same pattern appeared for early morning awakening and daytime impairment.Results of logistic regression analyses showed that, after controlling for sociodemographic variables, this relationship between gender and insomnia remained significant. Furthermore, the results indicate that women scored significantly higher than men on global sleep quality and on its components. A PSQI global score= or > 5 is an optimal cut-off score for distinguishing good sleepers from subjects with clinical sleep problems. Following this criteria, 35.4% of physicians had sleep problems, with a significant higher prevalence among women (40% vs. 25.3%).Conclusions. The data indicates that the prevalence of sleep disturbances is high among primary care physicians, especially among women

[Insomnia and quality of sleep among primary care physicians: a gender perspective]. / Insomnio y calidad del sueño en médicos de atención primaria: una perspectiva de género.

AIM: To assess insomnia and sleep quality in primary care physicians from a gender perspective. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: A representative sample of 240 physicians was drawn from 70 medical centers from the Madrid Autonomous region. The participation rate was 71.6%. The questionnaire included sociodemographic data, insomnia symptomatology using DSM-IV criteria and the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI). RESULTS: 18.8% of the total sample met DSM-IV criteria for insomnia diagnosis, with higher frequency among women (23%) compared to men (9.6%). The same pattern appeared for early morning awakening and daytime impairment. Results of logistic regression analyses showed that, after controlling for sociodemographic variables, this relationship between gender and insomnia remained significant. Furthermore, the results indicate that women scored significantly higher than men on global sleep quality and on its components. A PSQI global score = or > 5 is an optimal cut-off score for distinguishing good sleepers from subjects with clinical sleep problems. Following this criteria, 35.4% of physicians had sleep problems, with a significant higher prevalence among women (40% vs. 25.3%). CONCLUSIONS: The data indicates that the prevalence of sleep disturbances is high among primary care physicians, especially among women.

Protease inhibitor coinfusion with amyloid beta-protein results in enhanced deposition and toxicity in rat brain.

Amyloid beta-protein, Abeta, is normally produced in brain and is cleared by unknown mechanisms. In Alzheimer's disease (AD), Abeta accumulates in plaque-like deposits and is implicated genetically in neurodegeneration. Here we investigate mechanisms for Abeta degradation and Abeta toxicity in vivo, focusing on the effects of Abeta40, which is the peptide that accumulates in apolipoprotein E4-associated AD. Chronic intraventricular infusion of Abeta40 into rat brain resulted in limited deposition and toxicity. Coinfusion of Abeta40 with the cysteine protease inhibitor leupeptin resulted in increased extracellular and intracellular Abeta immunoreactivity. Analysis of gliosis and TUNEL in neuron layers of the frontal and entorhinal cortex suggested that leupeptin exacerbated Abeta40 toxicity. This was supported further by the neuronal staining of cathepsin B in endosomes or lysosomes, colocalizing with intracellular Abeta immunoreactivity in pyknotic cells. Leupeptin plus Abeta40 caused limited but significant neuronal phospho-tau immunostaining in the entorhinal cortex. Intriguingly, Abeta40 plus leupeptin induced intracellular accumulation of the more toxic Abeta, Abeta42, in a small group of septal neurons. Leupeptin infusion previously has been reported to interfere with lysosomal proteolysis and to result in the accumulation of lipofuscin, dystrophic neurites, tau- and ubiquitin-positive inclusions, and structures resembling paired helical filaments. Coinfusion of Abeta40 with the serine protease inhibitor aprotinin also increased diffuse extracellular deposition but reduced astrocytosis and TUNEL and was not associated with intracellular Abeta staining. Collectively, these data suggest that an age or Alzheimer's-related defect in lysosomal/endosomal function could promote Abeta deposition and DNA fragmentation in neurons and glia similar to that found in Alzheimer's disease.

[High altitude pulmonary edema. Physiopathologic considerations apropos of a case]. / Edema pulmonar de las alturas. Consideraciones fisiopatólogicas a propósito de un caso.

High Altitude Pulmonary Edema (HAPE) generally appears in persons who climb over 2,500 meters (8,300 feet) above sea level, or in residents at altitudes beyond 3,000 meters (10,000 feet) who go down to sea level for a short period of time and return to their place of residence. Although dozens of cases have been reported, their etiopathogenesis is unknown, although both hydrostatic and permeability factors have been implied in its genesis. In this paper we describe the first HAPE case reported in the national literature and the factors implied in its physiopathology are reviewed.

[Glycogenosis type II, infantile variant. Report of a case and review of the literature]. / Glucogenosis tipo II variedad infantil. Informe de un caso y revisión de la literatura.

A case of glycogenosis type II infantile onset (Pompe's disease) is presented, and the literature is reviewed in order to establish the basis of the diagnostic suspect. We studied an 8-month old female with muscular weakness--and cardiac failure. The chest X-ray: cardiomegaly; electrocardiogram: PR interval of 0.06 seconds, gigant QRS complexes, biventricular hypertrophy, and the echocardiogram and cineangiography: left ventricle hypertrophy and hypokinesia. The patient died because of refractory heart failure. Histochemical examination demonstrated excessive intracellular accumulation of glycogen. Also, in the muscle, the kidneys and the liver we did not find any alpha 1,4 glucosidase. Then, the diagnosis of glycogenosis type II infantile onset was established. Finally, we conclude that this disease should be suspected in every infant with muscular weakness, cardiac failure, cardiomegaly, electrocardiogram with shortness of PR interval, gigant QRS complexes and biventricular hypertrophy, and that needs to be confirmed by muscle biopsy. At the moment, there has not been reported any case of Pompe's disease in the Mexican literature.