Search

Pesticides pose a serious public health risk due to their toxicity, such as in the case of the widely distributed organophosphorus pesticide methamidophos. There is a strong need to develop a simple, rapid, and cost-effective method of detecting methamidophos residues; thus, this study proposes the TCPO-Rubrene-H2O2 chemiluminescence (CL) system as a means of pesticide detection via quenching effect. The results show that the methamidophos concentration is inversely proportional to the CL system's light output as confirmed through fluorescence spectroscopy and Batch Measure Macro (BMM) analysis. The light intensity differences were correlated with the methamidophos concentration with both methods showing linear trends. Both the digital camera and the smartphone camera BMM analyses displayed good sensitivity, with respective detection limits of 1.6 μg/mL and 1.0 μg/mL and respective quantitation limits of 5.0 μg/mL and 3.0 μg/mL. Both also showed good linearity within the 100-10000 μg/mL range, suggesting viability as alternatives to the fluorescence spectrometer; however, the light intensity difference values per pesticide concentration of both camera systems were significantly different from one another owing to differences in camera features.

Recently, several urban sustainability assessment tools (USAT) have appeared to reduce the human impact provided by the built environment. Few of them focus on the assessment of urban spaces like squares, streets, and parks, etc., but they don’t operation and maintenance (OM) phase is not considered. It would be necessary to develop an in use holistic urban sustainable assessment tool (UHU2SAT) to specifically assess urban spaces under OM phase. This paper provides a qualitative research among 188 studies, with the aim to classify them according to the impacts they pursue: environmental (ENV), social (SOC) economic (ECO) and Others. Finally, the SOC criteria are reduced up to 21 and arranged into 4 different groups: Human comfort, Urban mobility, SOC Cohesion, and Health & safety. These SOC criteria have been discussed and revised according to the literature review to identify the most suitable indicators for the UHU2SAT. Finally, it can be concluded that this methodology could also be useful to obtain ENV and ECO criteria to provide a holistic assessment of the sustainability.

Thermal comfort and energy performance of our buildings has been seriously improved during the last decades with the introduction of better envelope airtightness and mechanical ventilation systems. The arrival of Covid-19 has forced us to accept new natural ventilation protocols to improve the air quality inside buildings over other characteristics of the buildings. As a consequence, it brings some negative effects, like a reduction in the control of indoor dry bulb temperature (T), and an increase in energy demand for heating and air conditioning. To evaluate these influences during a winter season, a standard classroom from a school located at subtropical climate has been selected to be monitored with air quality and comfort devices. The experiment considers two different scenarios in 2018, and 2021. At them, data have been compared with several comfort ranges from international standards and the recommendations from the Spanish Government, obtaining opposite results. The results from 2018 showed that the comfort T ranges were adequate, but CO2 concentrations rise over 2000 ppm which was unhealthy. On the contrary, in 2021 when the Covid-19 natural ventilation protocol is activated, the CO2 concentration becomes less than 700 ppm. Finally, the suggested natural ventilation protocol was proved as an efficient measure to improve air quality, but it reduces the performance of the building in terms of comfort and energy demand. Therefore, several alternative ventilation methods should be considered to keep both energy air quality building’s performance.

Background and Aims: Tranexamic acid (TA) is used for prophylactic antifibrinolysis in coronary artery bypass surgeries to reduce bleeding. We evaluated the efficacy of two different doses of TA for prophylactic antifibrinolysis in patients undergoing primary coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) surgery in this retrospective cohort study at a tertiary care referral centre. Methods: One-hundred eighty-four patients who underwent primary CABG with cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) via sternotomy between January 2009 and June 2011 were evaluated. Pre-operative patient characteristics, intraoperative data, post-operative bleeding, transfusions, organ dysfunction and 30-day mortality were compared between high-dose TA (30 mg/kg loading dose followed by infusion of 15 mg/kg/h until the end of surgery along with 2 mg/kg priming dose in the bypass circuit) and low-dose TA (15 mg/kg loading dose followed by infusion of 6 mg/kg/h until the end of surgery along with 1 mg/kg priming dose in the bypass circuit) groups. Univariate comparative analysis of all categorical and continuous variables was performed between the two groups by appropriate statistical tests. Linear and logistic regression analyses were performed to control for the effect of confounding on the outcome variables. Results: Chest tube output, perioperative transfusion of blood products and incidence of re-exploration for bleeding did not differ significantly (P> 0.05) between groups. Post-operative complications and 30-day mortality were comparable between the groups. The presence of cardiogenic shock and increased pre-operative creatinine were found to be associated with increased chest tube output on the post-operative day 2 by multivariable linear regression model. Conclusions: Low-dose TA protocol is as effective as high-dose protocol for antifibrinolysis in patients undergoing primary CABG with CPB.

Background: Complex calcified coronary lesions are a frequent finding during percutaneous coronary intervention, representing for decades a challenge and limitation in patients with indication of revascularization, due to suboptimal angiographic results, high incidence of perioperative complications and long-term adverse events despite the multiple strategies employed, such as the use of cutting balloon, high-pressure balloons or rotational or orbital atherectomy, interventions with limitations that have hindered its routine use, recently a new plaque modification technique known as coronary intravascular lithotripsy has burst into the treatment of this complex entity, which consists in the use of a specially modified balloon for the emission of pulsatile mechanical energy (sonic pressure waves) that allows modifying the calcified plate., Clinical Case: By presenting a series of clinical cases and reviewing the literature, our initial experience is presented, key elements are summarized and discussed in the understanding of this new intervention technique necessary for decision making., Conclusion: Coronary intravascular lithotripsy is projected as a promising technique for the modification and preparation of superficial and deep calcified coronary lesions, through microfractures that allow the apposition and effective expansion of the stent, strategy that according to different trials (Disrupt CAD series, SOLSTICE assay) and records presents a high efficiency and good safety profile, data consistent with our initial experience., (Licencia CC 4.0 (BY-NC-ND) © 2023 Revista Médica del Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social.)

Neurocysticercosis (NCC) is a common neurological disorder especially in developing countries, caused by infection of the brain with encysted larvae of the tapeworm Taenia solium. Seizures are a common finding associated with this disease. The objective of the present study was to evaluate the correlation between the levels of various cytokines present in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of patients with NCC and the severity of the disease. The levels of the cytokines IL-1ss, TNF-alpha, IL-5, IL-10 and IFN-gamma were determined in the CSF of 22 patients with active NCC, 13 patients with inactive NCC and 15 control subjects. CSF from patients with active NCC presented significantly higher IL-5 levels compared to control subjects. IL-5 and IL-10 levels in CSF from NCC patients with inflammatory CSF were significantly higher than those detected in non-inflammatory CSF. These results show a predominant Th2 lymphocyte activation in human NCC and also indicate the possible use of cytokines in the CSF as a marker for the differential diagnosis between inactive disease and the active form of NCC.

Based on their own experience and on the literature, the authors compare the brain pathology due to HIV+ associated Trypanosoma cruzi reactivated infection to that described for the natural history of the Chagas' disease (CD). The peculiar focal necrotizing chagasic meningoencephalitis (MECNF) which appears only in immunedeficient chagasics, especially when the deficiency is due HIV is a safe criterion for reactivation of CD. MECNF morphologic findings are unlike to those found either for some cases of acute phase CD or for chronic nervous form of CD.

Twenty-two HIV+ patients with encephalitis were studied. Of these, 7 had meningoencephalitis due to Toxoplasma gondii (MT) and 15 due to Trypanosoma cruzi (MC). Pathologic and computerized axial tomography (CAT) changes were compared. We found that focal necrotizing encephalitis due to Toxoplasma involved the cerebral cortex and the basal ganglia, whereas lesions due to Trypanosoma cruzi were centered in the white matter, sometimes extending into the cortex. Hemorrhages, myelin lesions and organisms were more pronounced in chagasic than in toxoplasmic encephalitis. These findings are consistent with the literature reviewed.

Terson's syndrome is characterized by the presence of a subarachnoid hemorrhage accompanied by retinal and vitreous hemorrhage leading to a not very favorable prognosis. We describe a case with a good outcome, probably because of a early diagnosis and medical intervention. We emphasize the routine optician's check up as very important in the evaluation of a prognosis in the cases of a suspect intracranial hemorrhage.

The frequency of strokes was studied in chronic chagasic and years of age, non-chagasic patients, older than 15 coming to necropsy in Uberaba, from 1979 than 1988. The study consisted of paired sex and age matched controls. Two hundred and eight pairs were analysed. Either ischemic or hemorrhagic strokes were found in 41 (19.7%) of the chagasics and in 55 (26.4%) of the non-chagasic, a difference not significant at the level of 5%. Twelve (75%) of the former had infarcts and 4 (25%) had brain hemorrhage; five (31.3%) of the non-chagasics had ischemic strokes and 11 (68.7%) had hemorrhagic strokes. The differences were significant to the level of 5%. The results indicate a high frequency of ischemic strokes in human Chagas' disease and demonstrate a lesser frequency of hemorrhagic stroke in chagasics when compared with non-chagasics.

Eighteen of nineteen patients reported relief from chronic pain (40 to 100%, analogue scale) lasting from a few hours to up to two months after single or repeated regional infusion of dipyrone into a limb. A tendency towards increased duration of pain relief was observed after repeated infusions. The present series of observations in man and experiments with rat paw hyperalgesia are consistent with the interpretation that dipyrone blocks a persistent hyperalgesic state which may result from a previous frequent nociceptive stimulation (memory?) rather than an ongoing inflammatory process.

A bibliographical revision about Silverstein's amyotrophy, with a historical sight analizing the physiopathogeny and its clinical manifestations is reported. The authors discussed the possible cause of the few references in the literature about the matter and relate three cases; they leave a blank in one of them with amyotrophy in the other side and the same side of the lesion, that got better with surgical treatment. This was not found in the bibliographical revision that has been looked for.

Severe qualitative and quantitative alterations of the autonomic system inervating the heart and other organs have been demonstrated in experimental and natural Chagas' disease. These facts led us to search for the presence of antibody to neurons in 230 chagasic sera by an indirect immunofluorescence technique. Our results indicated that 83% of the chagasic patients presented IgG antibodies and 7% IgM antibodies to neurons. All control sera were negative. The demonstrated antibody to neurons presented cross-reaction against neurons of the central and peripheral nervous system (sympathetic and parasympathetic) and also against neurons of different species.