Search

El presente artículo pretende describir los principios fisiológicos, biomecánicos y clínicos en los que se basa la distracción del esqueleto facial, centrándonos en el tercio medio. Se mostrarán sus principales indicaciones y aplicaciones, además de las diferentes alternativas quirúrgicas y dispositivos de distracción y mencionando sus principales complicaciones.

Forage oats (Avena sativa L.) are globally important for milk and meat production, and, to a lesser extent, for the human diet. In Mexico, oats are a strategic crop, occupying the fourth place in cultivated area, only after maize for grain, bean, and sorghum for grain. Droughts are the main problem for oat production in Mexico. This study evaluated the germination and seedling growth of several oat varieties in response to drought stress simulated by PEG-6000 treatments of different osmotic pressure in order to identify drought-resistant genotypes. The Teporaca genotype was the most outstanding in the three levels of OP compared to its control with 0.0 of Osmotic Potential (OP). The Teporaca genotype showed the largest root length and the lowest diminishment of root length under osmotic stress conditions. This genotype also had the largest shoot length in the three osmotic stress levels. Regarding root fresh weight, Babicora stands out with 98.5% and Teporaca with 43% in the most severe level. Teporaca, Menonita, and Babicora showed the outstanding root dry weights of 346.5%, 327.2%, and 251.2%, respectively. These varieties had higher root dry weight than their own controls in water in the most severe level of OP. In conclusion, the Teporaca, Menonita, and Karma genotypes showed the highest osmotic stress tolerance and could be used as sources of favorable alleles to improve oat drought tolerance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We prove that every stationary state in the annihilator of all Kraus operators of a weak coupling limit-type Markov generator consists of two pieces, one of them supported on the interaction-free subspace and the second one on its orthogonal complement. In particular, we apply the previous result to describe in detail the structure of a slightly modified quantum transport model due to Arefeva et al. (modified AKV's model) studied first in [J. C. García et al., Entangled and dark stationary states of excitation energy transport models in many-particles systems and photosynthesis, Infin. Dimens. Anal. Quantum Probab. Relat. Top.21(3) (2018), Article ID: 1850018, p. 21, doi:10.1142/S0219025718500182], in terms of generalized annihilation and creation operators. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We characterize the stationary states of an excitation energy transfer model in quantum many-particle systems [Y. Aref'eva, I. Volovich and S. Kozyrev, Stochastic limit method and interference in quantum many-particles systems, Theor. Math. Phys.183(3) (2015) 782–799] as well as the stationary states of a quantum photosynthesis model [S. Kozyrev and I. Volovich, Dark states in quantum photosynthesis, arXiv:1603.07182v1 [physics.bio-ph]] in terms of a transport operator. It turns out that, apart from the ground state, all invariant states of the excitation energy transport model are entangled. For the photosynthesis model, any invariant state in the commutant of the system Hamiltonian is a mixed bright–dark state in the sense of [S. Kozyrev and I. Volovich, Dark states in quantum photosynthesis, arXiv:1603.07182v1 [physics.bio-ph]] and it is pure dark if and only if the bright vector belongs to the kernel of this state. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The quantum Markov semigroup of the two-photon absorption and emission process has two extremal normal invariant states. Starting from an arbitrary initial state it converges toward some convex combination of these states as time goes to infinity (approach to equilibrium). We compute the exact exponential rate of this convergence showing that it depends only on the emission rates. Moreover, we show that off-diagonal matrix elements of any initial state go to zero with an exponential rate which is smaller than the exponential rate of convergence of the diagonal part. In other words quantum features of a state survive longer than the relaxation time of its classical part. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We apply a simple criterion for non-conservativeness of the minimal quantum dynamical semigroup associated with the Azema martingale of parameter β for β > β*, where β* is the unique real number such that [image omitted] This result was proved first in Ref.[4]. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

By using a new procedure representation formulas are obtained for the solution of the Cauchy problem for hyperbolic systems generalizing Schrödinger and Dirac equations. This procedure makes explicit the relation of the underlying Poisson jump process with the perturbation series. It allows one to find out a path integral representation formula for the two-dimensional Dirac equation. Further, it can be applied in the four-dimensional case with a Coulombian potential. This approach is also used to describe the time evolution of dissipative two-level systems and estimate transition probabilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The mycobacterial antigens and the factors related to protection for the development of active tuberculosis are not known. In a natural model of tuberculosis, we studied 10 patients with active pulmonary tuberculosis (non-protective immune response) and 38 healthy household contacts (protective immune response). We tested the lymphocyte proliferative response by T cell Western blotting to eight different antigen fractions and lo two purified mycobacterial antigens of 30 and 64 kD. Patients with active tuberculosis recognized fractions with molecular weights of 80- 114, 60-80, 28-41 and 14-19kD. Household contacts recognized the same fractions except the I4-19kD. The response lo the 64-kD antigen was not significantly different between groups. In contrast, 10% of the patients with active tuberculosis and 73% of the household contacts responded to the 30-kD antigen. The humoral response against the 30-kD antigen by ELISA showed a significantly higher production of antibodies in tuberculosis patients compared with household contacts. We conclude that patients with active pulmonary tuberculosis develop an immune response characterized by poor proliferative response to the 30-kD antigen with a strong humoral response, whereas the opposite occurs in healthy subjects infected by Mycobacterium tuberculoses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Perfluorohexane sulfonate (PFHxS) is one of the most abundant perfluorinated compounds in the environment. Exposure to this compound has been correlated to a decrease in human fertility, although the molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying this correlation have not been described. The adverse reproductive effects of PFHxS could be based on alterations in oocyte maturation, the process rendering oocytes competent for fertilization. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of PFHxS on porcine oocyte viability and maturation in vitro, as well as on gap-junctional intercellular communication (GJIC) in cumulus–oocyte complexes (COCs), oocyte mitochondrial membrane potential (mΔΨ) and DNA damage in cumulus cells, as possible mechanisms of action. PFHxS caused cytotoxicity (medium lethal concentration, LC 50 = 329.1 μM) and inhibition of oocyte maturation (medium inhibitory concentration, MIC 50 = 91.68 μM). GJIC was not affected in exposed COCs. However, the mitochondrial membrane potential was significantly decreased in PFHxS-exposed oocytes at the germinal vesicle breakdown (GVBD) stage. In addition, exposure to PFHxS induced DNA damage in cumulus cells. Thus, inhibition of oocyte maturation by PFHxS could be attributed to a decreased oocyte mΔΨ at the GVBD and to DNA damage of the cumulus cells that support the oocyte. • PFHxS is cytotoxic for porcine oocytes in vitro (LC 50 = 329.1 μM). • PFHxS inhibits oocyte maturation in vitro (MIC 50 = 91.68 μM). • PFHxS did not affect gap junctional Intercellular communication. • PFHxS decreases mΔΨ in oocytes during the IVM. • PFHxS induce genotoxic damage in cumulus cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the present study, we evaluated the influence of maternal and neonatal factors on the efficiency of the placental transfer of neutralizing antibodies against SARS-CoV-2. Vaccination during pregnancy provides fetal and neonatal protection through the passive transplacental transfer of maternal neutralizing antibodies. To date, little information is available regarding the factors that affect the transfer of antibodies against SARS-CoV-2. A retrospective, cross-sectional, observational, and analytical study was carried out. It was found that several biological factors could be altering transplacental passive immunity after vaccination against COVID-19. In our study population, type 2 diabetes mellitus and chronic hypertension tended to decrease efficiency, while data from women with pre-eclampsia showed better indices compared to those from women with healthy pregnancies. Neonates born prematurely showed lower transfer rates when compared to healthy neonates. The premature rupture of membranes significantly decreased antibody transfer. Taken together, the data suggest that vaccination against COVID-19 during pregnancy is effective even under certain unfavorable clinical conditions for the mother, fetus, and neonate. It is important to create and disseminate immunization strategies in vulnerable populations to reduce maternal and perinatal morbidity and mortality associated with infections preventable by vaccination.

Zinc and boron are nutrients that often suffer low bioavailability to pecan trees grown in calcareous soils whereas adequate supplies of these two elements is essential for commercial pecan production. Working with young pecan trees, we evaluated changes in oxidative metabolism, levels of bioactive compounds, yield components and foliar nutrient concentrations in response to foliar sprays (50 or 100 mg L -1 ) of zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) and boron (H 3 BO 3 ). Four different treatment solutions were applied in a completely randomised design with six replications per treatment (24 trees in total). Zinc and B treatments were applied before pistil receptivity (3 weeks before anthesis) and at stem elongation stage 31, 39/60; flowering stage 69; fruit stages 7-75 and continued for a total of five applications at 14-day intervals. We evaluated enzyme activities (SOD, H 2 O 2 , CAT and GPx), AC, phenols, flavonoids, leaf area, chlorophyll, total anthocyanins and nut yield and quality (nut weight and % kernel). The mineral concentrations in the leaflets were also determined. The mineral concentrations (N, P, K, Ca, Mg, Fe, Cu, Mn, Ni, Zn and B) in the leaflets were also determined. Spraying ZnO NPs and B increased SOD activity, CA, chlorophyll concentration, mineral nutrients (N, K, Ca, Zn and B) and yield. However, reductions were observed for CAT activity, nut quality and concentrations of phenol, flavonoid, anthocyanin and Fe. Boron increased GPx activity and P concentration. These results demonstrate that spraying low doses (50 mg L -1 ) of ZnO NPs and B can help reduce oxidative stress and increase yield, nut quality and leaf concentrations of Zn and B in young cv. Wichita pecan trees established on a calcareous soil., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (© 2024 The Authors.)

The protection of the neonate against pathogens depends largely on the antibodies transferred placentally from the mother; for this reason, maternal vaccination against emerging viruses, such as SARS-CoV-2, is of vital importance. Knowing some of the immunogenic factors that could alter the placental transfer of antibodies could aid in understanding the immune response and neonatal protection after maternal vaccination. In this study, we analyzed the efficiency of the placental transfer of binding and neutralizing antibodies, as well as some factors that could alter the passive immune response, such as the trimester of gestation at the time of immunization, the number of doses received by the mother and the type of vaccine. Binding IgG antibodies were detected by ELISA, and the detection of neutralizing antibodies was carried out using flow cytometry. Our results show efficient transfer rates (>1), which are higher when maternal vaccination occurs during the third trimester of gestation. Antibodies are detectable in mothers and their neonates after 12 months of maternal immunization, suggesting than the vaccination against COVID-19 before and during pregnancy in the Mexican population induces a lasting neutralizing response in mothers and their newborns.

Background: Hand hygiene (HH) is an important practice that prevents transmission of infectious diseases, such as COVID-19. However, in resource-limited areas, where water and soap are not always available, it can be difficult to practice HH correctly and at appropriate moments. The purpose of this study was to assess HH knowledge and behaviors among students from six elementary schools in Quetzaltenango, Guatemala to identify gaps that could later inform interventions to improve HH., Methods: We conducted knowledge, attitude, and practices (KAP) surveys among primary school students during the COVID-19 pandemic in July 2022. We also observed students' HH practices at three different moments during the day, making note of the use of the HH station and materials, duration of handwashing, presence of a HH assistant, and the students' sex. We also used the Quantitative Personal Hygiene Assessment Tool (qPHAT), to measure hand dirtiness before eating, after restroom use, and upon arriving to school., Results: We surveyed 109 students across six schools. Mean scores were 4 out of 5 for knowledge, 8 out of 8 for attitudes, and 6 out of 7 for HH practices. Most students identified "before eating" as a critical moment for HH (68.8%), fewer identified "after restroom use" (31.2%), and no students mentioned HH being necessary "after coughing or sneezing". We observed 326 HH opportunities of which 51.2% performed correct HH (used water and soap for at least 20 s or used alcohol-based hand rub, where materials were available). We collected 82 qPHAT hand swabs. A Kruskal Wallis test revealed a significant difference in hand dirtiness between entering the school and after restroom use (p = 0.017), but no significant difference before eating and after entering the school (p = 0.6988)., Conclusions: The results from the KAP survey show high scores, however correct identification of key moments for HH was relatively uncommon, especially after restroom use and after coughing or sneezing. Additionally, half of HH opportunities observed had correct HH practices and on average, hands were dirtiest when arriving at school. These findings will inform interventions to improve HH practices and behaviors, which will be evaluated with follow-up data collection., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

Water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) services in schools are essential to reduce infectious disease transmission, including that of COVID-19. This study aimed to establish a baseline of WASH services in six public elementary schools in Guatemala, with a focus on hand hygiene. We used the WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme (JMP) report indicators to assess the WASH infrastructure at each school. We collected water samples from easily accessible water points (pilas, or bathroom sinks) at each school to test for the presence of total coliforms and E. coli . In-depth interviews were carried out with teachers to understand hand hygiene practices and systems at school. Results indicate that all schools had water available at the time of the survey. All water samples at four schools tested positive for total coliforms and at one school, positive for E. coli . All schools had sanitation facilities, but services were limited. Only 43% of handwashing stations at schools had soap available. No school had disability-inclusive WASH services. Financial constraints and a lack of appropriate WASH infrastructure were the main barriers reported by teachers to meet hand hygiene needs at school. Appropriate access to WASH infrastructure and supplies could increase hand hygiene practices and improve learning conditions for students.

Introduction: The positive effects of exercise programs in relation to chronic low-back pain have been long established and patient adherence has a fundamental role in the impact of the resulting benefits. On the other hand, cognitive factors have shown to be the predictors of poor outcomes in patient suffering from this condition to the point of possibly affecting adherence., Objective: To determine the influence of cognitive factors on the adherence to a home exercise program, the patient's pain intensity and their level of disability at a two-month follow-up, specifically regarding patients with non-specific chronic low-back pain (NSCLBP)., Method: ology: Ten patients with NSLBP underwent a home exercise program. This study was undertaken to assess their adherence rate after two months. The assessment tools included the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS), the Oswestry Disability Index pre-follow-up and post-follow-up (ODI1 and ODI2), the Tampa Kinesiophobia Scale (TSK-11), the Pain Catastrophism Scale (PCS), the Fear-Avoidance Beliefs Questionnaire (FABQ) and the General Self-efficacy Scale (GSS) respectively., Results: There were no significant associations found between adherence and the selected cognitive factors. There was an association between GSS and VAS (R = 0.68, p = 0.031). A clinically relevant improvement of 6.8 points in the mean of ODI2 in relation to ODI1 was observed., Conclusion: The influence of cognitive factors on adherence has not been ruled out because the study had a low sample size. Future studies should replicate the evaluation protocol in a larger population., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest None., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Background/purpose: The aim of this study was to characterize the Staphylococcus aureus strains isolated from periodontal lesions of patients, to determine the expression of genes involved in cell adhesion upon their infection of human epithelial cells using an in vitro model, its biofilm formation, and its resistance to antibiotics., Methods: S. aureus was analysed by PCR, Kirby-Bauer, and pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE), measuring gene expression by real-time PCR after infection of human cells in vitro., Results: S. aureus was identified in 18.6% (50/268) of the samples. All strains (n = 50) possessed the virulence genes spa (Staphylococcal protein A), coa (coagulase), and icaAB (intercellular adhesin); 96% (n = 48) possessed clfB (clumping factor B), and 88% (n = 44) possessed ebps (elastin-binding protein) and sdrD (serine aspartate repeat protein D). All strains were resistant to methicillin, ampicillin, dicloxacillin, cefotaxime, and penicillin, and were multidrug resistant to 6-12 antibiotics. PFGE analysis showed 37 different pulsed-field types and most strains (60.4%) had a unique pulsed-field type. Twenty-four distinct combinations of virulence genes and antibiotic-resistant phenotypes were identified., Conclusion: Although S. aureus has been considered a transient member of the oral microbiota, our results indicate a high-level expression of virulence genes and multidrug resistance in the strains isolated from periodontal lesions. These strains might complicate the successful treatment of the disease., (Copyright © 2019. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

Preeclampsia and intrauterine growth restriction, multisystemic disorders characterized by a shallow trophoblast invasion, have been associated with maternal cadmium (Cd) exposure. The molecular mechanisms of this association remain unknown. Cell adhesion and matrix metalloproteinase production are essential for an adequate trophoblast invasion. Thus, the aim of this study was to determine the effect of Cd exposure on invasion, adhesion, and matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) production in the trophoblast-derived HTR-8/SVneo cell line. Cultured HTR-8/SVneo trophoblast cells were incubated with different concentrations of CdCl 2 for 6 h. Cell invasion was determined by the transwell assay, while cell adhesion was examined on collagen type I. MMP-9 release and activity were measured by ELISA and zymography, respectively. MMP-9 mRNA expression was detected by reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction, while intracellular MMP-9 protein was assessed by Western blotting. Cd exposure significantly decreased the invasion and adhesion of HTR-8/SVneo cells. Also, MMP-9 levels and activity in the culture medium were significantly reduced after Cd incubation. In contrast, MMP-9 mRNA expression and intracellular protein levels were significantly increased. These data indicate that Cd reduces trophoblast cells invasiveness by inhibiting cell adhesion and MMP-9 secretion., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

In the last decades, the incorporation of copper in polymeric membranes for water treatment has received greater attention, as an innovative potential solution against biofouling formation on membranes, as well as, by its ability to improve other relevant membrane properties. Copper has attractive characteristics: excellent antimicrobial activity, high natural abundance, low cost and the existence of multiple cost-effective synthesis routes for obtaining copper-based materials with tunable characteristics, which favor their incorporation into polymeric membranes. This study presents a comprehensive analysis of the progress made in the area regarding modified membranes for water treatment when incorporating copper. The notable use of copper materials (metallic and oxide nanoparticles, salts, composites, metal-polymer complexes, coordination polymers) for modifying microfiltration (MF), ultrafiltration (UF), nanofiltration (NF), forward osmosis (FO) and reverse osmosis (RO) membranes have been identified. Antibacterial and anti-fouling effect, hydrophilicity increase, improvements of the water flux, the rejection of compounds capacity and structural membrane parameters and the reduction of concentration polarization phenomena are some outstanding properties that improved. Moreover, the study acknowledges different membrane modification approaches to incorporate copper, such as, the incorporation during the membrane synthesis process (immobilization in polymer and phase inversion) or its surface modification using physical (coating, layer by layer assembly and electrospinning) and chemical (grafting, one-pot chelating, co-deposition and mussel-inspired PDA) surface modification techniques. Thus, the advantages and limitations of these modifications and their methods with insights towards a possible industrial applicability are presented. Furthermore, when copper was incorporated into membrane matrices, the study identified relevant detrimental consequences with potential to be solved, such as formation of defects, pore block, and nanoparticles agglomeration during their fabrication. Among others, the low modification stability, the uncontrolled copper ion releasing or leaching of incorporated copper material are also identified concerns. Thus, this article offers modification strategies that allow an effective copper incorporation on these polymeric membranes and solve these hinders. The article finishes with some claims about scaling up the implementation process, including long-term performance under real conditions, feasibility of production at large scale, and assessment of environmental impact.

The influence of the lateral size and the content of graphene oxide (GO) flakes in specific oxygenate functional groups on the anti-biofouling properties and performance of thin-film composite membrane (TFC) was studied. Three different multidimensional GO samples were prepared with small (500-1200 nm), medium (1200-2300 nm), and large (2300-3600 nm) size distribution, and with different degrees of oxidation (GO3 > GO2 > GO1), varying the concentration of the hydrogen peroxide amount during GO synthesis. GO1 sheets' length have a heterogeneous size distribution containing all size groups, whilst GO2 is contained in a medium-size group, and GO3 is totally contained within a small-size group. Moreover, GO oxygenate groups were controlled. GO2 and GO3 have hydroxyl and epoxy groups at the basal plane of their sheets. Meanwhile, GO1 presented only hydroxyl groups. GO sheets were incorporated into the polyamide (PA) layer of the TFC membrane during the interfacial polymerization reaction. The incorporation of GO1 produced a modified membrane with excellent bactericidal properties and anti-adhesion capacity, as well as superior desalination performance with high water flow (133% as compared with the unmodified membrane). For GO2 and GO3, despite the significant anti-biofouling effect, a detrimental impact on desalination performance was observed. The high content of large sheets in GO2 and small sheet stacking in GO3 produced an unfavorable impact on the water flow. Therefore, the synergistic effect due to the presence of large- and small-sized GO sheets and high content of OH-functional groups (GO1) made it possible to balance the performance of the membrane.

Type of metal and metal-oxide NPs added to modify Thin-Film Composites Reverse Osmosis Membranes (TFC-RO) can alter their anti-biofouling properties by changing the dissolution process. The development of a mathematical model can facilitate the selection of these NPs. This work consists of a mathematical and experimental methodology to understand copper-based NPs dissolution of three copper species incorporated into TFC-RO membranes: Cu-NPs, CuO-NPs and Cu-Oligomer complexes formed in situ during the polymerization process. Biocidal capacity of copper species into the membrane was evaluated using colony forming unit method (CFU) over E. coli . In addition, copper ion release kinetics for both NPs and modified membranes were determined. A model based on the shrinking core model (SCM) was validated and applied to determine the limiting rate step in the dissolution process and simulate the ion release kinetics. Fitted curves reached a good adjustment with the experimental data, demonstrating the SCM can be applied to predict ion release process for copper-based NPs in suspension and the modified membranes. All membranes reached similar inhibition rate >50%, however, differences in the dissolution level of copper-based NPs in membrane were noted, suggesting a dual-type effect that defined the copper toxicity into the membrane, associated to the dissolution capacity and ROS production.

The aim of this study is to explore the expression of osteopontin (OPN) and its relationship with prognostic factors and survival in diffuse large B cell lymphoma (DLBCL). A tissue microarray was performed for immunohistochemical evaluation. Contingency tables were analyzed for trends; chi-square test was used to determine differences between groups. Univariate and multivariate Cox proportional hazards-regression analyses were performed to evaluate the impact of prognostic factors on survival. Expression of OPN was observed in 28%. It was different in non-germinal center DLBCL (P=0.04). The mean overall survival (OS) was lower in patients with positive OPN expression (19.762; CI 95% 14.269-25.255) it was not significant (P=0.123). It is not possible to establish a clear relationship between the expression by immunohistochemistry of osteopontin and a poor prognosis but it would be important to complement the analysis with other techniques as PCR or NGS that allow us to assess the influence of the isoforms and post-translational modifications of OPN on the biological behavior of DLBCL. Our findings indicate that OPN expression could be associated with a more aggressive variant of lymphoma: non-germinal center DLBCL., Competing Interests: Conflict of interest: the authors declare no conflict of interest., (©Copyright: the Author(s), 2019.)

While there is a progressive ageing of the population, we are witnessing a rapid development of new information and communication technologies (ICTs). Although for most of society this technology is within reach, there are population segments for whom access is limited, especially adults who are considered of old age. Due to the relevance that the relationship between ICTs and older adults acquires in today's society, it is necessary to carry out an analysis of the scientific literature in order to understand the knowledge structure of this field. In this research, a comparative bibliometric analysis of 172 documents published in the Web of Science (WoS) and Scopus databases was carried out until 2018 and is complemented by a co-citation analysis. The results show that this subject is incipient and is in its exponential growth stage, with two thirds of the production concentrated in the 2012-2018 period. Four out of five authors are transient with a single authorship and the collaboration level is high. The most productive country is Germany followed by the United States and Australia.

Background: Primary graft dysfunction (PGD) is a frequent complication after cardiac transplantation and remains one of the leading causes of mortality in these patients. The objective of this case-control study is to identify donor and surgical procedure's factors associated with PGD, and further guide possible strategies to prevent PGD., Methods: Retrospective analysis of the medical records of patients who underwent cardiac transplantation at Memorial Hermann Hospital at Texas Medical Center between October 2012 and February 2015., Results: The study population included 99 patients, of which 18 developed PGD. Univariate analysis of donor characteristics revealed opioid use (P = .049) and death owing to anoxia (P = .021) were associated with PGD. The recipient/donor blood type match AB/A was significantly associated with PGD (P = .031). Time from brain death to aortic cross clamp (TBDACC) of ≥3 and ≥5 days were also found to be associated with PGD (P = .0011 and .0003, respectively). Multivariate analysis confirmed that patients with a time from brain death to aortic cross clamp ≥3 and ≥5 days had lesser odds of developing PGD (odds ratio, 0.098 [P = .0026] and OR, 0.092 [P = .0017], respectively]., Conclusions: Our study showed that a longer time from brain death to aortic cross clamp was associated with lower odds of developing PGD. Therefore, postponing heart procurement for a few days after brain death seems to be beneficial in preventing PGD., (Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Healthcare-acquired infections with methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) are a significant cause of increased mortality, morbidity and additional health care costs in United States. Surface decontamination technologies that utilize pulsed xenon ultraviolet light (PPX-UV) may be effective at reducing microbial burden. The purpose of this study was to compare standard manual room-cleaning to PPX-UV disinfection technology for MRSA and bacterial heterotrophic plate counts (HPC) on high-touch surfaces in patient rooms., Methods: Rooms vacated by patients that had a MRSA-positive polymerase chain reaction or culture during the current hospitalization and at least a 2-day stay were studied. 20 rooms were then treated according to one of two protocols: standard manual cleaning or PPX-UV. This study evaluated the reduction of MRSA and HPC taken from five high-touch surfaces in rooms vacated by MRSA-positive patients, as a function of cleaning by standard manual methods vs a PPX-UV area disinfection device., Results: Colony counts in 20 rooms (10 per arm) prior to cleaning varied by cleaning protocol: for HPC, manual (mean = 255, median = 278, q1-q3 132-304) vs PPX-UV (mean = 449, median = 365, q1-q3 332-530), and for MRSA, manual (mean = 127; median = 28.5; q1-q3 8-143) vs PPX-UV (mean = 108; median = 123; q1-q3 14-183). PPX-UV was superior to manual cleaning for MRSA (adjusted incident rate ratio [IRR] = 7; 95% CI <1-41) and for HPC (IRR = 13; 95% CI 4-48)., Conclusion: PPX-UV technology appears to be superior to manual cleaning alone for MRSA and HPC. Incorporating 15 minutes of PPX-UV exposure time to current hospital room cleaning practice can improve the overall cleanliness of patient rooms with respect to selected micro-organisms.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the use of membrane technology to treat oxygen and peroxide-reinforced extraction stage (EPO) filtrate from a kraft pulp mill bleach plant. Three different types of tubular membranes were tested in a pilot plant: (i) tight ultrafiltration (UF); (ii) open UF followed by nanofiltration (UF+NF); and (iii) nanofiltration (NF). According to the separation performance, considering the chemical oxygen demand (COD) and colour removal, permeate flux, operational simplicity and cost, the results indicated that the best option for treatment of (EPO) filtrates was the tight UF membrane. This membrane obtained a COD removal of 79% with a colour reduction of 86%. The effect of (EPO) filtrate UF treatment on the mill effluent treatment plant was evaluated. Compared with the actual mill effluent, the results indicated that if the UF permeate was recycled in the bleaching area, the COD reduction efficiency increased by 7%, the final effluent colour decreased by 8%, the biological sludge production decreased by 18%, and the energy consumption decreased by 40%. In the tertiary treatment plant, the coagulant dosage decreased by 40%, and the tertiary sludge production decreased by 46%.

Since Mexican mestizos are an admixed population, it is necessary to determine the effects that the substructure of the population has on genetic and forensic parameters. With this aim, a study was performed with 15 STR loci (CODIS plus D2S1338 and D19S433) on 1,640 unrelated Mexican mestizos. We determine allele and genotypic frequencies observing departure from Hardy-Weinberg expectation (12 out of 15 loci, with an excess of homozygotes, Fis > 0), as well as pairs of loci in an apparent linkage disequilibrium (13 of 92 loci). We conducted a test for genetic population stratification, the results show that the Mexican mestizo population is substructured into three subgroups, which are in HW and linkage equilibrium. The combination of the 15 loci in the whole population has high forensic efficiency with the capacity to genetically discriminate one individual in one quintillion (1/10(18)). Our data potentially validates the use of these 15 STR loci to establish forensic identity and parentage testing for legal purposes, and offers a powerful tool for genetic variation analysis. However, given that the population is stratified, we highly recommend applying a correction with the inbreeding coefficient in calculations of paternity and forensic studies to avoid erroneous assumptions.

Recurrent oral erythema multiforme is a distinct, but less-well-recognized variant of the erythema multiforme group of diseases. It is characterized by recurrent blistering of the mouth, periodic recurrences, prolonged duration, and considerable morbidity. The cause is unknown; however, a number of precipitating factors have been suggested. Patients with severe involvement usually require orally administered corticosteroids for adequate control.