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Schizophrenia (SZ) is a mental disorder characterized by neurocognitive dysfunctions and a reduction in occupational and social functioning. Several studies have provided evidence for mitochondrial dysfunction in the pathophysiology of SZ. In this sense, it is known that the addition of genetic variations in mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) impairs oxidative phosphorylation of enzymatic complexes in mitochondria, resulting in ATP depletion and subsequent enhancement of reactive oxygen species; this is associated with cellular degeneration and apoptosis observed in some neuropsychiatric disorders. As a consequence of mitochondrial dysfunction, an increase in circulating cell-free mtDNA fragments can occur, which has been observed in individuals with SZ. Moreover, due to the bacterial origin of mitochondria, these cell-free mtDNA fragments in blood plasma may induce inflammatory and immunogenic responses, especially when their release is enhanced in specific disease conditions. However, the exact mechanism by which mtDNA could be released into blood plasma is not yet clear. Therefore, the aims of this review article were to discuss the participation of mtDNA genetic variations in physiopathologic mechanisms of SZ, and to determine the status of the disease and the possible ensuing changes over time by using circulating cell-free mtDNA fragments as a biomarker. more...

El Trastorno del Espectro Autista (TEA) se encuentra dentro de los trastornos del neurodesarrollo y se caracteriza por las alteraciones relacionadas con la comunicación y la interacción social, así como por presentar intereses fijos y conductas repetitivas (Kids Health, 2019). El objetivo de este estudio ha sido analizar la vivencia familiar de los hermanos de niños diagnosticados con Trastornos del Espectro Autista, en la ciudad de Estelí. La metodología que se planteó fue en base a un estudio cualitativo de tipo exploratorio y descriptivo con un enfoque fenomenológico. El tipo de muestreo es no probabilístico intencional, se seleccionaron cinco familias que cumplieran con el criterio de muestreo. Las técnicas utilizadas fueron entrevista en profundidad y test de la familia. Los resultados demuestran que la vivencia familiar de los hermanos de niños diagnosticados con TEA, realizan el cumplimiento de deberes en la vida de su hermano tal como: cuidador, protector y facilitador de las relaciones sociales. Para los hermanos de niños autistas no todo ha sido negativo, a pesar del cambio que ha significado el nuevo diagnóstico en la familia, muestran una mayor empatía, tolerancia al estrés, capacidad para adaptarse y mayor sentido de responsabilidad de cuidado de la familia. Se demuestra que los padres y madres de familia han dado mucha responsabilidad a sus hijos sobre el cuido a su hermano con autismo. La mayoría de los hermanos que ejercen el rol de mamá o papá en el niño autista, se debe a la ausencia de la figura paterna o materna, este dato es uno de los factores que más inciden en el apego y sobreprotección hacia el hermano autista. Finalmente, se propone una estrategia de intervención psicológica aplicada a los hermanos de niños autistas, con el fin de mejorar la adaptación y disminuir su estrés. more...

Prior to Hurricane Maria, Puerto Rico already had 200+ hazardous waste sites, significant contamination of water resources, and among the highest rates of preterm birth in the US. To address these issues, the Puerto Rico Testsite for Exploring Contamination Threats (PROTECT) Center was formed in 2010 to investigate prenatal environmental exposures, particularly phthalates, and adverse birth outcomes. Recent work from the PROTECT study confirms that in utero exposure to certain phthalates is associated with shorter gestation and increased risk of preterm birth. However, previous research also suggests that pregnant women who experience a natural disaster such as Hurricane Maria are at higher risk of adverse birth outcomes, but it is unknown whether this is due to stress, hazardous exposures, or a combination of factors. Thus, the aim of this analysis was to characterize hurricane-related changes in phthalate exposures and experiences within the PROTECT cohort. Among 176 participants who were pregnant during or within 5 months after Maria, 122 completed a questionnaire on hurricane-related experiences. Questionnaire results and biomarkers of exposure suggest that participants did not have regular access to fresh foods and water during hurricane recovery, and almost half reported structural damage to their home. In addition, biomarker concentrations of phthalates commonly used in food packaging were higher among participants post-hurricane, while phthalates commonly used in personal care products were lower compared to pre-hurricane levels. Hurricane-related increases in phthalate exposure, as well as widespread structural damage, food and water shortages, and long-term absence of electricity and cell phone service, likely increased the risk of adverse birth outcomes among this already vulnerable population. more...

[EN] A dendrometric and energetic characterisation of Tamarix africana L. was carried out in this study. This is an indigenous plant species in the Mediterranean area, and it can survive in semi-arid areas with saline soils and occasional floods. Owing to these characteristics, this species is a good candidate for its use in the restoration of several environments, such as the marshes. This opens up the possibility of improving the management of biomass, which can be used for obtaining economic benefits from its energetic use. For the stems, biomass volume functions were determined from their diameter and length with r(2) of 0.96. For the whole plant, biomass volume functions were determined from the diameter of the projected area in the soil and the height of the plant with r(2) of 0.95. For energetic characterisation, the density, higher heat value, and the composition of this wood were measured in terms of following elements: carbon, nitrogen, hydrogen, sulphur and chlorine, volatiles and ash. The determination of its composition in C allows us to evaluate the CO2 fixed by the plant during its growth. The average catchment was estimated to be 2.58 kg/plant., This work was financed by Project 20170734 entitled as follows: Development of methods of quantification of riparian vegetation bio-mass for the management of channels of the Comunidad Valenciana. Direccion General de Universidades. Generalitat Valenciana (Spain). more...

Background: Shoulder pain syndrome (SPS) is frequent and management in primary care is precarious, with a high rate of referral without adequate treatment, overloading rehabilitation and orthopedic services. Aim: To assess the effectiveness of a self-administered rehabilitation program in adults with shoulder pain syndrome in primary care. Patients and Methods: A randomized, single-blind clinical trial (evaluators) with an experimental group (self-administered rehabilitation) and a control group (standard physical therapy) was carried out in 271 adult patients aged 18 or older with unilateral shoulder pain lasting more than six weeks and less than three months. The primary outcome was the recovery perceived by the patient. Constant score for function, quality of life using SF-36, simple shoulder test (SST) and the Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder, and Hand (DASH) score were also calculated at six, 12 and 24 weeks of follow-up. Results: The self-administered rehabilitation program showed an adjusted effectiveness of 51% at the end of treatment compared to 54% of the standard physical therapy (p > 0.05). No differences in the evolution of the other scores assessed were observed between groups. Conclusions: A self-administered rehabilitation program for painful shoulder was non-inferior than usual physical therapy. more...

Staphylococcus aureus es un patógeno conocido como causa de infecciones de piel, tejidos blandos, osteoarticulares y celulitis en niños. Estas infecciones son principalmente causadas por cepas sensibles a meticilina. Staphylococcus aureus resistente a meticilina asociado a la comunidad fue publicado por primera vez en población australiana nativa en 1993 y desde entonces se ha transformado en un patógeno cosmopolita. En Latinoamérica se publicó el primer caso en 2003 y en Chile se comunicaron los primeros casos en 2008, casi todos adultos y con antecedentes de viaje al extranjero. Nuestra serie describe cuatro casos clínicos en niños escolares, pesquisados desde el 2012 con seguimiento clínico y estudio molecular. Dos casos se presentaron como una osteomielitis de extremidad inferior y uno como una celulitis de brazo. Los tres primeros casos correspondieron a cepas leucocidina Panton Valentine (PV-L) negativa, del complejo clonal 8. El último caso fue un absceso renal, cepa PV-L positiva, perteneciente al complejo clonal 30. Esta serie es el primer reporte de casos pediátricos en Chile. more...

Resumen Introducción: En pacientes con esófago de Barrett largo hemos sugerido efectuar fundoplicatura con antrectomía, vagotomía y derivación duodenal en Y de Roux que podría asociarse con complicaciones y efectos colaterales. Objetivo: El objetivo de este estudio es comparar la cirugía por vía abierta vs laparoscópica en cuanto a complicaciones postoperatorias precoces y alejadas, mortalidad y resultados alejados. Material y método: Se comparan 2 cohortes de pacientes, 73 pacientes con cirugía abierta y 53 pacientes operados con la misma técnica por vía laparoscópica por el mismo equipo. Solo se incluyeron los pacientes con Barret largo. Se controlan clínicamente en el postoperatorio inmediato y alejado, con endoscopia e histología anual, y se evalúan los resultados en cuanto a complicaciones precoces, alejadas y se analiza la calidad de vida y la satisfacción del paciente. Para el análisis se utilizó «t» de Student considerando un valor de p < 0,05 como significativo. Resultados: En cuanto a complicaciones precoces en ambos grupos no hubo diferencias significativas. No hubo mortalidad postoperatoria. En las complicaciones tardías las complicaciones totales no son significativamente diferentes entre ambos grupos (solo cambian sus causas y características) ni en cuanto a la clasificación de Visick y el puntaje de calidad de vida. Conclusión: La fundoplicatura con procedimiento de supresión ácida y derivación biliar por vía laparoscópica presenta similares resultados a corto y largo plazo que la cirugía abierta, pero con los beneficios de una cirugía mínimamente invasiva. more...

Eurytemora americana and Acartia tonsa are the two most important copepods from the Bahia Blanca estuary plankton. For this study, 30 females were selected from recently preserved samples. Prosome length (PL), width (PW) and height (PH), urosome length (UL) and width (UW) measured in each female and subsequently the following ratios PL/PW, PL/PH, PW/PH and PL/UL were determined. Individual volumes for E. americana and A. tonsa females were estimated following the morphometric method in order to obtain individual biomass values. Regression tests were conducted for both species between individual volume and prosome length or width as independent variables, fitting data to a power model. Regression lines were compared through covariance analysis and single pair comparisons in order to evaluate the temporal behavior of the relationships. PL/UL was the best ratio for separating one species from the other. Average individual volume and std. error estimated for E. americana and A. tonsa were 0.0749 (±0.0097) mm3 and 0.0399 (±0.0049) mm3, respectively. Strong differences between both copepods morphometric variable and rate values were observed. A size and volume decrease was detected associated with higher temperatures and less phytoplankton available for food. According to R 2 values of regression lines prosome width and prosome length were good volume predictors on different dates for E. americana, however, prosome width was the best predictor on the majority of dates for A. tonsa. Differences in slopes and mean variances found between regression lines demonstrated seasonal variability. General regression equations between volume and PL or PW for each species could be derived. more...

Presentamos un caso de osteoartropatia hipertrofica como manifestacion acompanante de un tumor maligno amigdalar, en un paciente al que se detecto la anomalia osea 10 meses antes de la presentacion clinica del tumor. La osteoartropatia hipertrofica pneumica es un sindrome clinico-radiologico caracterizado por proliferacion del periostio de huesos tubulares con hipocratismo digital. En mas del 90 % de los casos se ha relacionado con un tumor intratoracico, mas raramente secundario a hemopatia maligna o cancer otorrinolaringeo, sobre todo de rinofaringe. La asociacion con tumor amigdalar, en nuestro conocimiento, no se ha descrito. more...

Acase of hypertrophic osteoarthropathy (HOA) in association with malignant tonsil tumour is reported. It involved a patient in whom the bone disorder was detected 10 months prior to the clinical manifestation of the tumour. Hypertrophic pneumic osteoarthropathy is a clinical and radiological syndrome characterized by proliferation of periosteum in long bones with digital clubbing. In over 90% of the cases, it has been associated with an intra-thoracic tumour and more rarely secondary to a malignant haemopathy or ENT cancer, particularly of the rhinopharynx. As far as we know, the association with carcinoma of the tonsils has not previously been described. more...

The mechanism of intestinal fluid loss in SBP intolerance is not known. The possibility of absorptive disturbances was examined in 82 symptomatic infants. Stool composition, oral absorptive tests and mucosal disaccharidases ruled out absorptive impairment in most infants. The possibility of a secretory disturbance was examined in 10 infants by the intestinal perfusion method. 0.142 M NaCl, 5 mM D-glucose (A) and 0.142 M NaCl,5 mM D-galactose (B) were perfuse in the proximal jejunum following soy protein-sucrose feeding. Net water, Na and Cl secretion occurred during perfusion of A and changed to net water and ion absorption during perfusion of B (p < .001). The effect of D-galactose was then tested clinically by substituting lactose for sucrose in the soy formula. Symptoms of intolerance ceased immediately. Re-examination of the water and ion fluxes after 1 mo. of SBP-lactose feeding showed equal rates of absorption during perfusions of A and B. It was postulated that D-galactose, but not D-glucose, inhibited and SBP-mucosal surface interaction underlying the mechanism of fluid loss. This assumption finds support on the known specificity of soybean protein (glycinin) for galactosyl receptors in membrane glycoproteins. more...