Helicobacter pylori infection and associated factors

Background and Objectives: Helicobacter pylori is linked to gastroduodenal pathologies. To determine the frequency and potential risk factors of the H. pylori infection. Material and methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted, including 227 patients, submitted to upper gastrointestinal endoscopy. A questionnaire was applied to the patients, before endoscopy. The biopsy specimens were obtained from the antrum and gastric body for histology and PCR. The chi-square test was used for the categorical data analysis. P-values0.05). However, we observed a significant association between the number of persons per household and presence of H. pylori (p=0.04). A statistically significant relation also was found between H. pylori and the patient’s age (p=0.04) and between the histological and endoscopic diagnoses and the H. pylori infection (p≤0.01). Conclusions: We found a significant relation between household crowding and presence of H. pylori, which seems facilitate the person-to-person transmission H. pylori within families. Our results also suggest a cohort phenomenon. The increase in the frequency of H. pylori infection according to age may be due the acquisition of bacterium predominantly in childhood, when the sanitary conditions were deficient, and not during adulthood. Once acquired and untreated, the persistent H. pylori infection might have led to the development of severe gastroduodenal diseases

Experimentos de ciencias para la escuela primaria

Los experimentos de las páginas siguientes, fueron realizados por los autores en el Colegio HEMA de la ciudad de Río Grande, RS, Brasil, en las clases de las profesoras Claudia Nunes y Giovanna Arruda con el permiso de su directora, la profesora Mónica Salomão, en los años 2003 y 2004. Estos representan una muestra de una forma de trabajo, cuya finalidad fue motivar a los alumnos de la escuela para el posterior estudio de las ciencias naturales. Teniéndolos como ejemplo se podrían realizar otros más que reunieran las características arriba señaladas, sin perder de vista que lo más importante es la motivación de los alumnos al ver realizar los experimentos

Dalla riqualificazione energetica al recupero sostenibile. Un metodo di analisi energetica dei tessuti della città compatta

Recent studies point out the importance of urban areas, in spite of the ever increasing unsustainable nature of the conventional city. In the specific context of the Mediterranean compact city, new settlement models are still a negligible proportion compared to the great mass of the ordinary city. Find operative way to transform the existing building stock, became more crucial than imagine a new one much more energy-efficient. Hence, seems necessary to deal with the existing urban fabrics in order to define more sustainable condition. The results here proposed of a comparative study carried out on various urban fabrics, in search of parametric relations between density and energy performance. Such methodology can represent a knowledge-base and lead to conscious and effective urban transformations, towards more efficient conditions.A dispetto della sempre maggiore “insostenibilità” della città odierna, recenti statistiche ne hanno confermato il crescente potere attrattivo; una circostanza che vede il continente europeo presentare un’assoluta prevalenza del costruito esistente sul nuovo. Per tentare di raggiungere quel complesso stato di equilibrio, che in molti fanno ricadere sotto il nome di sostenibilità, appare dunque necessario confrontarsi con il patrimonio edilizio dei tessuti storici, piuttosto che realizzarne di nuovi ad alta efficienza. Si presentano qui i risultati di uno studio comparativo condotto su diversi tessuti urbani alla ricerca di relazioni tra densità urbana e performance energetiche. Tale metodologia può rappresentare una base di conoscenza che conduca a trasformazioni consapevoli verso condizioni a maggiore efficienza

Differential capacities of outher membrane proteins from neisseria meningitidis B to prime the murine immune system after vaccination

Understanding the specificity of antibody response to Neisseria meningitidis serogroup B (Men B) is a key requirement for the development of an effective vaccine. This study was designed to investigate the antigen specificity of murine IgG1 and IgG2b antibodies induced by different primary immunization schedules and the booster dose with the Cuban Men B vaccine. Immunoblotting analyses were performed using outer membrane vesicles (OMV) from the vaccine strain (B:4,7:P1.19,15). IgG subclasses binding to PorA, PorB and RmpM were determined by digital scanning of the immunoreactive bands. Bactericidal antibody response after vaccination was also evaluated. The results indicated that IgG2b anti-PorA was the main antibody response induced by two doses of the vaccine. A primary series of three doses was found important for increasing IgG2b as well as IgG1 to PorB and RmpM. The fourth dose favoured the recognition of RmpM as detected by the increase of specific IgG1 and IgG2b. IgG subclasses anti-PorA did not change significantly if animals received two, three or four doses of the vaccine during the primary immunization or after the booster dose for all vaccine groups. The booster response to PorB and RmpM of groups BC2 and BC3 showed a significant increase in IgG2b levels compared with the primary response. However, the recall and the primary response of group BC4 were similar, suggesting a saturated dose– effect response after four doses of vaccine. The same was seen for bactericidal antibody response when human complement source was used in the assay

Effect of a booster dose of serougroup B meningococcal vaccine on antibody response to neisseria meningitidis in mice vaccinated with differente immunization schedules

The generation and maintenance of memory antibody response by different primary immunization schedules with the Cubanproduced outer membrane protein based vaccine was investigated in a murine model. We analyzed the duration of the antibody response (IgG-ELISA and bactericidal titer) and the effect of a booster dose on the antibody response. The IgG avidity index was determined in an attempt to find a marker for memory development. This study also included an analysis of IgG subclasses induced by primary and booster immunization. The specificity of bactericidal antibodies was investigated using local strains of the same serotype/serosubtype (4,7:P1.19,15) as the vaccine strain and mutant strains lacking major outer membrane proteins. A significant recall response was induced by a booster dose given 7 months after a primary series of 2, 3 or 4 doses of vaccine. The primary antibody response showed a positive dose-effect. In contrast, a negative dose-effect was found on the booster bactericidal antibody response. There was a significant increase in IgG1 levels after the fourth and booster doses. Three doses of vaccine were required to induce a significant increase in IgG avidity. Two injections of vaccine induced a significant antibody response to PorA protein, while 4 injections induced a larger range of specificities

Considering planned change anew: stretching large group interventions strategically, emotionally and meaningfully

Large Group Interventions, methods for involving “the whole system” in a change process, are important contemporary planned organizational change approaches. They are well known to practitioners but unfamiliar to many organizational researchers, despite the fact that these interventions address crucial issues about which many organizational researchers are concerned. On the other hand, these interventions do not appear to be informed by contemporary developments in organizational theorizing. This disconnect on both sides is problematic. We describe such interventions and their importance; illustrate them with extended descriptions of particular Future Search and Whole‐Scale™ change interventions; summarize research on strategy, emotion, and sensemaking that may inform them; and suggest questions about the interventions that may stimulate research and reflection on practice. We also discuss conditions that may foster effective engagement between Large Group Interventions practitioners and organizational researchers. Our approach represents a way to conduct a review that combines scholarly literature and skilled practice and to initiate a dialog between them