Broadband serrodyne phase modulation for optical frequency standards and spectral purity transfer.

We perform low phase noise, efficient serrodyne modulation for optical frequency control and spectral purity transfer between two ultrastable lasers. After characterizing serrodyne modulation efficiency and its bandwidth, we estimate the phase noise induced by the modulation setup by developing a novel, to the best of our knowledge, composite self-heterodyne interferometer. Exploiting serrodyne modulation, we phase locked a 698 nm ultrastable laser to a superior ultrastable laser source at 1156 nm by means of a frequency comb as a transfer oscillator. We show that this technique is a reliable tool for ultrastable optical frequency standards.

Cytological screening for cervical cancer and associated factors in the penitentiary population of Peru.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the prevalence and factors associated with the screening of cervical cancer by Papanicolaou in the penitentiary population of Peru. METHOD: A cross-sectional study was conducted using data from the 2016 National Penitentiary Population Census of Peru. The dependent variable was the cytological screening of cervical cancer during the last year. The independent variables were classified as facilitators, sociodemographic predisposers, and generators of need for the use of health services.The multivariate association was estimated through adjusted prevalence ratios (aPR) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CI), using Poisson regression and using the variables with p <0.05 in the bivariate. RESULTS: A total of 4515 women incarcerated in the 67 prisons of Peru entered the study. 69% (95% CI: 67.81-70.5) performed cytological screening during the last year and this is associated with having public health insurance (aPR 1.28 , 95% CI: 1.21-1.36), go to prison health services (aPR 1.18 , 95% CI: 1.12-1.24) and have a history of cancer (aPR 1.14, 95% CI: 1.02-1.26). Age, number of children, sports activities and the type of prison were also associated with cytological screening. DISCUSSION: There is an association between cytological screening and access to health services, sociodemographic predispositions and pathological backgrounds of women incarcerated in Peru. More research should be promoted on health prevention behaviors in this population.

Cribado citológico de cáncer de cuello uterino y factores asociados en la población penitenciaria del Perú / Cytological screening for cervical cancer and associated factors in the penitentiary population of Peru

Objetivo: Determinar la prevalencia y los factores asociados al cribado de cáncer de cuello uterino por Papanicolaou en la población penitenciaria del Perú. Métodos: Se realizó un estudio transversal que utilizó los datos del Censo Nacional de Población Penitenciaria del Perú de 2016. La variable dependiente fue la realización de un cribado citológico del cáncer de cuello uterino durante el último año. Las variables independientes se clasificaron en facilitadores, predisponentes sociodemográficos, y generadores de necesidad para el uso de los servicios de salud. La asociación multivariada se estimó a través de razones de prevalencia ajustadas (RPa) e intervalos de confianza al 95% (IC 95%), mediante la regresión de Poisson y utilizando las variables con p <0,05 en el bivariado. Resultados: En el estudio participaron un total de 4.515 mujeres encarceladas en los 67 establecimientos penitenciarios del Perú. El 69% (con un intervalo de confianza o IC 95%: 67,81-70,5) realizó un cribado citológico durante el último año, y está asociado con poseer un seguro de salud público (RPa: 1,28; IC 95%: 1,21-1,36), acudir a los servicios de salud del establecimiento penitenciario (RPa: 1,18; IC 95%: 1,12-1,24) y tener antecedentes de cáncer (RPa: 1,14; IC 95%: 1,02-1,26). La edad, el número de hijos, la práctica de actividades deportivas y el tipo de establecimiento penitenciario también son factores que estuvieron asociados al cribado citológico. Discusión: Existe una asociación entre el cribado citológico y el acceso a los servicios de salud, predisponentes sociodemográficos y antecedentes patológicos de las mujeres encarceladas en el Perú. Se deben impulsar más investigaciones sobre las conductas de prevención de salud en esta población

Objective: To determine the prevalence and factors associated with the screening of cervical cancer by Papanicolaou in the penitentiary population of Peru. Method: A cross-sectional study was conducted using data from the 2016 National Penitentiary Population Census of Peru. The dependent variable was the cytological screening of cervical cancer during the last year. The independent variables were classified as facilitators, sociodemographic predisposers, and generators of need for the use of health services.: The multivariate association was estimated through adjusted prevalence ratios (aPR) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CI), using Poisson regression and using the variables with p <0.05 in the bivariate. Results: A total of 4515 women incarcerated in the 67 prisons of Peru entered the study. 69% (95% CI: 67.81-70.5) performed cytological screening during the last year and this is associated with having public health insurance (aPR 1.28 , 95% CI: 1.21-1.36), go to prison health services (aPR 1.18 , 95% CI: 1.12-1.24) and have a history of cancer (aPR 1.14, 95% CI: 1.02-1.26). Age, number of children, sports activities and the type of prison were also associated with cytological screening. Discussion: There is an association between cytological screening and access to health services, sociodemographic predispositions and pathological backgrounds of women incarcerated in Peru. More research should be promoted on health prevention behaviors in this population

Cardiovascular risk assessment in rheumatoid arthritis: impact of the EULAR recommendations on a national calibrated score risk index.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the impact of the application of the EULAR task force recommendations in the cardiovascular (CV) risk assessment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients according to a national calibrated SCORE. METHODS: Two hundred and one consecutive RA patients seen at the rheumatology outpatient clinics of the University Hospital 'San Cecilio', Granada, Southern Spain, were studied. Information on demographic, classic CV risk factors, history of CV events and disease clinical features were obtained. Both the systematic coronary risk evaluation (SCORE) risk index and the modified SCORE (mSCORE) following the EULAR recommendations were performed. RESULTS: Based on the classic CV risk factors the mean ± standard deviation SCORE was 2.2 ± 2.6 (median 2). Twenty-two (11%) patients were above the threshold of high risk for the Spanish population. Following the EULAR recommendations 52 of the 124 patients (41.93%) initially classified as having intermediate risk were reclassified as having high CV risk. Therefore, the mean mSCORE was 3.3 ± 4 (median 3) and, due to this, 74 (36.8%) patients were above the threshold of high CV risk for the Spanish population. As expected, patients who had experienced CV events were older, had more CV risk factors and higher mSCORE than those without CV events. CONCLUSIONS: These observations support the claim that the mSCORE should be specifically adapted to the population to be assessed. However, the use of additional tools should be considered in an attempt to fully identify high-risk RA patients.

Cartilage and serum levels of nitric oxide in patients with hip osteoarthritis.

OBJECTIVE: To assess whether nitric oxide (NO) is related to cartilage deterioration resulting from osteoarthritis, NO concentrations were analyzed in normal and deteriorated areas of cartilage obtained from femur heads of patients with primary hip osteoarthritis (HOA). METHODS: The concentration of NO in macroscopically deteriorated and non-deteriorated cartilage of femoral heads of patients with HOA at hip replacement surgery was analyzed spectrophotometrically. Serum NO levels were also determined in 16 ambulatory patients with hip OA and in healthy volunteers. RESULTS: NO levels of non-deteriorated areas of femoral head cartilage were significantly lower (3.82+/-1.30 micromol/l; mean +/- SD) than levels of deteriorated cartilage areas (11.07+/-6.48 micromol/l; p<0.01). The surgery HOA group showed serum NO levels (2.64+/-0.32 micromol/l; p<0.0001 vs. healthy group) similar to the ambulatory HOA group levels (2.56+/-0.56 micromol/l; p<0.0001 vs. healthy group). Serum NO concentrations in healthy volunteers were 1.37+/-0.55 micromol/l. CONCLUSION: This study shows increased NO levels in joint cartilage of patients with hip OA. This increase was not homogeneously distributed, but the higher NO levels were found in macroscopically deteriorated areas. The data also suggest that high NO serum levels found in patients with hip OA may be due to joint cartilage destruction.

[Treatment of anemia with recombinant human erythropoietin and the bone marrow response in uremic patients undergoing periodic hemodialysis]. / Tratamiento de la anemia con eritropoyetina humana recombinante y respuesta medular en pacientes urémicos en hemodiálisis periódicas.

Treatment of anemia with human recombinant erythropoietin (EPO-R) and its effect on bone marrow was studied in 10 anemic patients on periodic hemodialysis (HD). Blood transfusion was not required once treatment started. Hemoglobin (Hb) levels normalized at six months in all patients (7.2 +/- 0.2 vs 12.4 +/- 3 g/dl, p less than 0.01). Serum ferritin levels decreased progressively as Hb increased (r = -0.5609), and six patients needed iron supplement since the third month. Bone marrow iron deposits decreased significantly (p less than 0.001), together with an increase of cellularity and improvement of erythrodysplasia. EPO-R was associated with worsening hypertension in previously hypertensive patients, although it could be controlled with more aggressive treatment. Thrombotic events either systemic or at the vascular access, were not observed. EPO-R corrects the anemia in uremic patients undergoing HD. Iron stores and blood pressure in hypertensive patients on treatment with EPO-R must be monitored regularly.

Isolation of rabies virus from bats in Bolivia.

Rabies virus was isolated from apparently normal blood-sucking (Desmodus rotundus) and insectivorous (Artibeus planirostris) bats caught in Bolivia. The virus was identified by immunofluorescence, biological and sero-neutralisation tests.