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Background Analysis of a large cohort of business travelers will help clinicians focus on frequent and serious illnesses. We aimed to describe travel-related health problems in business travelers. Methods GeoSentinel Surveillance Network consists of 64 travel and tropical medicine clinics in 29 countries; descriptive analysis was performed on ill business travelers, defined as persons traveling for work, evaluated after international travel 1 January 1997 through 31 December 2014. Results Among 12 203 business travelers seen 1997–2014 (14 045 eligible diagnoses), the majority (97%) were adults aged 20–64 years; most (74%) reported from Western Europe or North America; two-thirds were male. Most (86%) were outpatients. Fewer than half (45%) reported a pre-travel healthcare encounter. Frequent regions of exposure were sub-Saharan Africa (37%), Southeast Asia (15%) and South Central Asia (14%). The most frequent diagnoses were malaria (9%), acute unspecified diarrhea (8%), viral syndrome (6%), acute bacterial diarrhea (5%) and chronic diarrhea (4%). Species was reported for 973 (90%) of 1079 patients with malaria, predominantly Plasmodium falciparum acquired in sub-Saharan Africa. Of 584 (54%) with malaria chemoprophylaxis information, 92% took none or incomplete courses. Thirteen deaths were reported, over half of which were due to malaria; others succumbed to pneumonia, typhoid fever, rabies, melioidosis and pyogenic abscess. Conclusions Diarrheal illness was a major cause of morbidity. Malaria contributed substantial morbidity and mortality, particularly among business travelers to sub-Saharan Africa. Underuse or non-use of chemoprophylaxis contributed to malaria cases. Deaths in business travelers could be reduced by improving adherence to malaria chemoprophylaxis and targeted vaccination for vaccine-preventable diseases. Pre-travel advice is indicated for business travelers and is currently under-utilized and needs improvement.

BACKGROUND: Few previous retrospective studies suggest that Plasmodium ovale wallikeri seems to have a longer latency period and produces deeper thrombocytopaenia than Plasmodium ovale curtisi. Prospective studies were warranted to better assess interspecies differences. METHODS: Patients with imported P. ovale spp. infection diagnosed by thick or thin film, rapid diagnostic test (RDT) or polymerase chain reaction (PCR) were recruited between March 2014 and May 2017. All were confirmed by DNA isolation and classified as P. o. curtisi or P. o. wallikeri using partial sequencing of the ssrRNA gene. Epidemiological, analytical and clinical differences were analysed by statistical methods. RESULTS: A total of 79 samples (35 P. o. curtisi and 44 P. o. wallikeri) were correctly genotyped. Males predominate in wallikeri group (72.7%), whereas were 48.6% in curtisi group. Conversely, 74.3% of curtisi group were from patients of African ethnicity, whilst 52.3% of Caucasians were infected by P. o. wallikeri. After performing a multivariate analysis, more thrombocytopaenic patients (p = 0.022), a lower number of platelets (p = 0.015), a higher INR value (p = 0.041), and shorter latency in Caucasians (p = 0.034) were significantly seen in P. o. wallikeri. RDT sensitivity was 26.1% in P. o. curtisi and 42.4% in P. o. wallikeri. Nearly 20% of both species were diagnosed only by PCR. Total bilirubin over 3 mg/dL was found in three wallikeri cases. Two patients with curtisi infection had haemoglobin under 7 g/dL, one of them also with icterus. A wallikeri patient suffered from haemophagocytosis. Chemoprophylaxis failed in 14.8% and 35% of curtisi and wallikeri patients, respectively. All treated patients with various anti-malarials which included artesunate recovered. Diabetes mellitus was described in 5 patients (6.32%), 4 patients of wallikeri group and 1 curtisi. CONCLUSIONS: Imported P. o. wallikeri infection may be more frequent in males and Caucasians. Malaria caused by P. o. wallikeri produces more thrombocytopaenia, a higher INR and shorter latency in Caucasians and suggests a more pathogenic species. Severe cases can be seen in both species. Chemoprophylaxis seems less effective in P. ovale spp. infection than in P. falciparum, but any anti-malarial drug is effective as initial treatment. Diabetes mellitus could be a risk factor for P. ovale spp. infection. This study has been funded with a grant FIB-PI14-04 from the Foundation for Biomedical Research of the Hospital Universitario Príncipe de Asturias, Alcalá de Henares, Madrid, Spain. Sí

Objectives: The natural history of untreated ONCF is devastating in most cases and ultimately leads to the development of secondary osteoarthritis. Surgical treatments have been effective when applied in the early stages of the disease. The gold standard in the treatment of ONCF is core decompression[for full text, please go to the a.m. URL], Deutscher Kongress für Orthopädie und Unfallchirurgie (DKOU 2017)

The use of multipotent mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) as candidate medicines for treating a variety of pathologies is based on their qualities as either progenitors for the regeneration of damaged tissue or producers of a number of molecules with pharmacological properties. Preclinical product development programmes include the use of well characterized cell populations for proof of efficacy and safety studies before testing in humans. In the field of orthopaedics, an increasing number of translational studies use sheep as an in vivo test system because of the similarities with humans in size and musculoskeletal architecture. However, robust and reproducible methods for the isolation, expansion, manipulation and characterization of ovine MSCs have not yet been standardised. The present study describes a method for isolation and expansion of fibroblastic-like, adherent ovine MSCs that express CD44, CD90, CD140a, CD105 and CD166, and display trilineage differentiation potential. The 3-week bioprocess proposed here typically yielded cell densities of 1.4x10(4) MSCs/cm(2) at passage 2, with an expansion factor of 37.8 and approximately eight cumulative population doublings. The osteogenic potential of MSCs derived following this methodology was further evaluated in vivo in a translational model of osteonecrosis of the femoral head, in which the persistence of grafted cells in the host tissue and their lineage commitment into osteoblasts and osteocytes was demonstrated by tracking enhanced green fluorescent protein-labelled cells. Copyright (c) 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Background: Understanding and detecting imported diseases is a priority in the prevention and management of prevalent and emergent infectious diseases acquired abroad. The +Redivi network measures the burden of imported infections in Spain and is essential for closing the gap in travel medicine. Methods: Demographic characteristics, travel information, syndromes and confirmed travel-related diagnoses were registered in a standardised online database. Results: A total of 10 767 cases of imported infectious diseases were registered between October 2009 and December 2015. Of these, 60.8% of cases were immigrants seen for the first time after arrival, 20.6% were travellers, and 18.4% were individuals visiting friends and relatives (VFR [immigrants and travellers]). The median time between arrival and medical consultation was 5.5 years for immigrants, 2.0 weeks for travellers, 3.1 weeks for VFR-travellers and 11.4 for VFR-immigrants. The most prevalent diagnoses were Chagas disease in immigrants and nonspecific acute diarrhoea in travellers. Malaria by P. falciparum was one of the most prevalent diagnoses among VFR. More than half the travellers saw a physician before travelling, although one-third of those for whom antimalarial medication was indicated did not take their medication correctly. As for VFR, only 10.4% of VFR-immigrants and 32.5% of VFR-travellers sought pre-travel advice. Only 23 and 21%, respectively, of those for whom antimalarial prophylaxis was indicated took the medication properly. Conclusions: +Redivi provides a clear picture of the prevalence of imported infectious diseases among travellers and immigrants in Spain. The data collected could be used to improve everyday health care provided to travellers and immigrants after travel, to guide pre-travel consultations and to monitor the potential occurrence of tropical or exotic infectious diseases.

National statistics for England and Wales for the period of 1950-79 were examined to study the secular trends in multiple myeloma mortality and to evaluate the extent to which these changes may be due to biases associated with improvements in medical care. Age-adjusted mortality has increased more than fivefold during this 30-year period. Contrary to the impression obtained from clinical series, a slightly greater increase in age-adjusted mortality has occurred in males. Examination of age- and sex-specific mortality trends showed that the greatest apparent increase in myeloma mortality occurred in individuals over 70 years of age. The data are consistent with either a cohort effect, indicating a true increase in mortality, or an age-dependent diagnostic effect in which a greater percentage of deaths among the elderly are now being certified as myeloma. Analyses of mortality data by social class and region point toward improved case ascertainment being responsible for at least part of the apparent increase in reported mortality. The increase in reported mortality in the younger age groups may reflect a true increase in the incidence of this disease. This increase, however, would account for only a proportion of the total increase, even when extrapolated to the older age groups.

Introduction: The improvement in the prognosis of HIV infection, coupled with the increase in international travel and migration, has led to a rising number of HIV infected travelers. The objective of this study was to describe the epidemiological and clinical features of returning travelers, according to their HIV status. Methods: An observational prospective study was conducted including travelers and immigrants who traveled to visit friends and relatives (VFRs) registered in the +REDIVI collaborative network (January-2009; October-2014). +REDIVI is a national network that registers information regarding infections imported by travelers and immigrants at 21 different centers using a standardized protocol. Results: A total of 3464 travellers were identified: 72 were HIV+ (2.1%) and 3.392 HIV-(98%). HIV+ vs. HIV travelers were often older (40.5y vs. 34.2y P = .001), VFRs (79.1% vs. 44.4%; P < .001), and consulted less for pre-travel advice (27% vs. 37%; P = .078). The main destinations for both groups were sub-Saharan Africa and Latin America. The most frequent reasons for consultation after travel were fever, request for a health examination, gastrointestinal complaints, and abnormal laboratory tests (mainly eosinophilia and anemia), which differed between groups. The most frequent diagnoses in HIV+ travelers were malaria (38.8%), newly diagnosed HIV infection (25%), and intestinal parasites (19.4%), while for HIV-travelers the main diagnoses were "healthy" (17.9%), malaria (14%), and intestinal parasites (17.3%). Conclusions: The typical profile of an HIV+ traveler in +REDIVI was that of a VFR traveler who did not seek pre-travel advice and made high-risk trips. This may increase the chance of acquiring travel-related infections which may pose a special risk for HIV-infected travelers. The post-travel visit was a good opportunity for HIV infection screening. (C) 2015 Elsevier Espana, S.L.U. and Sociedad Espanola de Enfermedades Infecciosas y Microbiologia Clinica. All rights reserved.

Background: Gastrointestinal symptoms are a common cause of consultation about children traveling to or coming from developing countries. The aim of this study was to identify the risk factors associated with gastrointestinal syndrome in children who travel. Methods: A prospective observational analytical and multicenter study was performed within +Redivi, a Spanish Tropical Medicine network on imported infections, from January 2009 to December 2013. All participants aged 16 years and younger were included in the analysis. Ethical approval was obtained from all the participating centers. Results: A total of 606 children 16 years of age were registered in the +Redivi database during the study period. Median age was 8.7 years (interquartile range, 4.4-12.4 years), 65.8% (399/606) were immigrants, 90% were >2 years old and 54% were male. Median travel duration, excluding immigrants, was 50 days (interquartile range, 30-150 days). Children with gastrointestinal symptoms represented 13.5% (82/606) of total consultations. A significant association was found in bivariate analysis between gastrointestinal disorder and age

La evaluación de la fuerza de prensión realizada comúnmente mediante dinamometría manual actualmente es considerada como un indicador del estado nutricional y como un marcador temprano en la morbimortalidad de la enfermedad cardiometabólica. Objetivos: en este estudio, se presentan valores de la fuerza prensil por dinamometría manual en una muestra de estudiantes universitarios de Colombia. Método: estudio descriptivo y transversal realizado en 5.647 estudiantes universitarios aparentemente sanos (58,5% mujeres, edad media 20,6 ± 2,7 años) pertenecientes a instituciones privadas y públicas de Bogotá y Cali (Colombia). La fuerza prensil se midió utilizando dinamómetro manual, ajustado para cada individuo según el tamaño de la mano. Se calcularon percentiles (P3 , P10, P25, P50, P75, P90 y P97) y curvas centiles ajustado por edad y sexo. Resultados: el valor medio de fuerza prensil fue significativamente mayor en los hombres (37,1 ± 8,3 kg) en comparación con las mujeres (24.2 ± 8.1 kg) (p < 0,001). En ambos sexos, la fuerza prensil aumentó con la edad y fue significativamente mayor y homogénea en los hombres en todas las categorías de edad. Adicionalmente, se presentan tablas de referencia que pueden ser empleadas para identificar estudiantes con niveles de fuerza saludable. Conclusión: este trabajo puede ser tenido en cuenta como referencia para estudiar las tendencias seculares y las variaciones de la fuerza prensil en universitarios y para identificar puntos de corte clínicamente relevantes en el estado nutricional y como un marcador de manifestaciones tempranas asociadas a la enfermedad cardiometabólica en la población Suramericana. Handgrip strength (HGS), evaluated with a handgrip dynamometer, is a marker of current nutritional status and cardiometabolic risk, as well as of future morbidity and mortality. Objectives: We present reference values for HGS of Colombian university students. Methods: Cross-sectional study. The sample comprised a number of students (n = 5,647, 58.5% women) who were apparently healthy (mean age, 20.6 ± 2.7 years) attending public and private institutions in the cities of Bogota and Cali (Colombia). HGS was measured using a manual dynamometer, adjusted for each individual according to hand size. Sex- and age-specific normative values for HGS were calculated using the LMS method and expressed as tabulated percentiles from 3 to 97 and as smoothed centile curves (P3 , P10, P25, P50, P75, P90 and P97). Results: The mean HGS value was significantly higher in men (37.1 ± 8.3 kg) when compared to women (24.2 ± 8.1 kg) (p < 0.001). HGS increased with age in both sexes and was significantly higher for men in all age categories. The results were generally more homogeneous among men than women. Sex- and age-specific handgrip strength normative values among healthy young Colombian adults are defined. Conclusion: This information may be helpful in future studies of secular trends in HGS and in identifying clinically relevant cut points for poor nutritional and elevated cardiometabolic risk in a Latin American population. Evidence of a decline in HGS before the end of the third decade of life is of concern and warrants further investigation.

Introduction: Immigrants are increasingly traveling back to their countries of origin to visit friends and relatives (VFRs). They account for an important proportion of all international travelers and have a high risk for certain travel-related infectious diseases. Methods: We describe the spectrum of infectious diseases diagnosed in a cohort of 351 VFRs and compare them with two previously published cohorts: of immigrants and travelers attended at our centre. Results: The most frequent diagnoses observed among VFRs were typical travel-associated infections such as malaria (75 [21.4%]), traveler's diarrhea 17 [4.8%]), intestinal parasites (16 [4.6%]) and dengue (11 [3.1%]). Asymptomatic chronic infectious diseases, such as latent tuberculosis (56 [16%]), chronic viral hepatitis (18 [5.1%]) and filariasis (18 [5.1%]), probably acquired before migration, were also observed. Conclusions: VFRs should thus be approached from two perspectives as concerns imported infectious diseases: as travelers and as immigrants. Etiological studies focusing on the presenting complaint as well as systematic screening for other latent infectious diseases should be performed. (C) 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Este documento del doctor Robinson Ramiíez Vélez, especializado en Niveles de actividad física, Condición física y tiempo, vinculado a Colciencias a través de sus investigaciones. Articulista de publicaciones sobre medicina entre ellos Caracteristicas antropométicas y Funcionales de individuos físicamente activos, Percentiles de presión arterial de niños y adolescentes de Santiago de Cali Colombia, Condición física, actividad física y dificultades para su realización en estudiantes de medicina y otros más que también incluye la investigación Efecto del ejercicio aeróbico regular sobre la vasodilatación dependiente del endotelio en mujeres embarazadas. Un ensayo controlado aleatorio.

The periosteum in children has strong osteogenic power and is quite thick, facilitating procurement. However, it has been rarely used as a vascularized flap to enhance bone union in this age range. The purpose of this study is to assess the effectiveness of a new vascularized periosteal flap harvested from the fibula for the enhancement of bone union in the pediatric age.