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In the present work, a spatio-temporal study of arsenic (As) concentration in groundwater and its impact in barley uptake is presented. The impact of As on barley is studied through the determination of its bioaccumulation in the soil-plant system, As uptake, as well as a correlation between As concentration in water and its temperature in the groundwater. For the groundwater, spatial and temporal variability of As concentration in central Mexico was determined through a geostatistical analysis using ordinary kriging. The results show that the variability of As in the ground water is correlated with its temperature (R2 > 0.83). The As accumulation in the structures of plant follows the order root > leaf > ear in concentration. The bioaccumulation factor BAFT suggests that As is mobilized to the aerial parts of the barely for both As concentrations used in the irrigation water. However, for As concentration lower than 25 μg L−1, the BAFT is lower than 0.57, suggesting that the amount of As in root is the same as that contained in the aerial parts; whereas, for higher As concentrations (from 170 to 250 μg L−1), the BAFT is around 0.92, indicating that the As is mainly contained in root. The spatial distribution of As concentration trend in groundwaters along the time is the same, which means high As concentration areas remain in the same groundwaters and these areas are presenting the highest water temperature. These results shall contribute to understand the bioaccumulation of As in barley and the As spatial variability in central Mexico. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Vibrio parahaemolyticus is an important human pathogen that has been isolated worldwide from clinical cases, most of which have been associated with seafood consumption. Environmental and clinical toxigenic strains of V. parahaemolyticus that were isolated in Mexico from 1998 to 2012, including those from the only outbreak that has been reported in this country, were characterized genetically to assess the presence of the O3:K6 pandemic clone, and their genetic relationship to strains that are related to the pandemic clonal complex (CC3). Pathogenic tdh+ and tdh+/trh+ strains were analyzed by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) and multilocus sequence typing (MLST). Also, the entire genome of a Mexican O3:K6 strain was sequenced. Most of the strains were tdh/ORF8-positive and corresponded to the O3:K6 serotype. By PFGE and MLST, there was very close genetic relationship between ORF8/O3:K6 strains, and very high genetic diversities from non-pandemic strains. The genetic relationship is very close among O3:K6 strains that were isolated in Mexico and sequences that were available for strains in the CC3, based on the PubMLST database. The whole-genome sequence of CICESE-170 strain had high similarity with that of the reference RIMD 2210633 strain, and harbored 7 pathogenicity islands, including the 4 that denote O3:K6 pandemic strains. These results indicate that pandemic strains that have been isolated in Mexico show very close genetic relationship among them and with those isolated worldwide. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

En este trabajo se muestran los resultados del estudio de caso del proceso de formación de los docentes en el uso de las tecnologías de la información y la comunicación (TIC) en su práctica educativa en la Facultad de Ingeniería de la Universidad Autónoma de Querétaro. Se consideraron variables como la habilidad en la comunicación a través de medios electrónicos y el dominio de herramientas web 2.0. El Grupo de Desarrollo e Investigación en Tecnología Educativa inició la formación de docentes, de diferentes áreas del conocimiento, en el proceso de integración de las TIC en sus asignaturas. La investigación trató de encontrar los motivos por los cuales un gran número de docentes no aplican herramientas web 2.0 en sus cursos. Para ello, el grupo consideró dos etapas fundamentales: la sensibilización y la capacitación tecnológica de los profesores. Como resultado, se han logrado avances significativos, ya que los docentes creen relevante incluir las TIC en la práctica educativa para alcanzar el aprendizaje significativo. Algunos profesores han incorporado paulatinamente algunas de las herramientas web 2.0, como el foro y el wiki. Sin embargo, un número reducido emplea la comunicación síncrona, que es la más utilizada por los estudiantes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In Mexico there is a proliferation of "centers for aesthetic medicine" that offer different treatments with laser beam, mesotherapy and hyaluronic acid and botulinum toxin injections. In numerous centers of this type, offered and performed by medical personnel that are neither trained or certified to ensure the quality of services. The National Academy of Medicine of Mexico and the National Normative Council for Medical Specialties (CONACEM) communicate their posture on this matter., (Copyright: © 2018 SecretarÍa de Salud.)

As a consequence of the Presidential Decree that reforms and additions the General Statute of Health with regard to medicinal and scientific use of tetrahydrocannabinol, its isomers and stereochemical variants, the National Academy of Medicine of Mexico declares its position in favor of regulating investigation and national production thereof., (Copyright: © 2018 SecretarÍa de Salud.)

Informed consent is an indispensable element to obtain adequate patient participation either in research protocols or in therapeutic design. The Committee of Ethics and Transparency in the Physician-Industry Relationship (CETREMI) of the National Academy of Medicine developed several recommendations for informed consent to be documented., (Copyright: © 2018 SecretarÍa de Salud.)

There are decisions at the end of life that currently are relevant as humanistic values. Respect for human life and dignity are part of human rights. The National Academy of Medicine of Mexico declares its posture about end-of-life decisions that include treatment refusal, limitation of the therapeutic effort, advance directives and palliative sedation, among others, with the purpose to favor a peaceful death., (Copyright: © 2018 SecretarÍa de Salud.)

Background/aims: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) has increased in many countries as a result of an increased frequency of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. In Mexico, the association of HCC to HCV infection has not been evaluated. This study aims to evaluate the epidemiological factors related to HCC in Mexican patients as well as the results of treatment., Methodology: A retrospective review of clinical files of patients with HCC diagnosed between May 1992 to July 2002 was performed., Results: There were 63 males and 64 females with a median age of 57 years (range 17-82). Seventy-one patients were evaluated for hepatitis status. In 43 (60%) HCV was the etiological factor. Isolated HCV infection was present in 32 (45%), HCV infection and ethanol abuse was observed in 11 (15.5%). In six (8.4%) patients hepatitis B was the etiological factor. HCV and HBV infection were found in 9 (12.6%). HCV and HBV infection associated to ethanol abuse was present in one patient. Ethanol abuse alone was observed in six (8.4%) patients. The median size of the lesion was 8cm (range 3-20cm). Alpha-fetoprotein was measured in 113 patients and was higher than 500ng/dL in 60 (53%). Sixty-five patients received supportive measures. Sixty-two were treated. Eighteen were resected. Thirteen were treated with intraoperative large volume ethanol injection (ILVEI), 12 with chemotherapy and 19 with tamoxifen-talidomide. Patients without treatment had a median survival time of 11 months and patients who received treatment had a median survival time of 25.3 months. The median survival time in patients who received surgery was 26 months, the ILVEI group survival time was 18 months, the chemotherapy survival was 8.8 months, and the tamoxifen-talidomide survival time was 7 months., Conclusions: HCC is a rare neoplasm in Mexico and HCV infection is the main etiological factor. Surgical resection is the best form of treatment of HCC in our country. However, only 14% of the patients were candidates. For non-resectable lesions, ILVEI offers the best palliative results in our center.

Background/aims: To compare patients with gallbladder cancer treated with radical resection and regional lymphadenectomy (RR-RL) versus simple cholecystectomy and adjuvant external radiotherapy (SC-ERT) and determine outcome., Methodology: Presentation, operative data, complications and survival were examined in 137 patients. In particular, the 45 patients treated with RR-RL or SC-ERT., Results: Twenty-five had SC-ERT and 20 had a RR-RL. There were no epidemiological differences between groups. Resection of segments IV-b and V and en bloc dissection of regional lymph nodes was the most frequently used procedure (75%). The morbidity and mortality of the radical procedure were 25% and 10%. The morbidity of SC-ERT was 16%. All patients with Nevin I are alive. For lesions Nevin II and Nevin III RR-RL offered a 100% 5-year survival rate and SC-ERT had a 62% and 39% 5-year survival rate respectively. For lesions Nevin IV and V there was no difference in long-term survival., Conclusions: RR-RL is better than SC-ERT in patients with Nevin II and III lesions because it improves survival rate. SC-ERT can be recommended as an alternative treatment. For more advanced lesions further trials are needed.