Seroepidemiology of Toxoplasma gondii infection in psychiatric inpatients in a northern Mexican city

BACKGROUND: Patients with psychiatric disorders were found to show a high seroprevalence of Toxoplasma gondii infection. There is scarce information about the epidemiology of T. gondii infection in psychiatric patients in Mexico. Therefore, we sought to determine the prevalence of T. gondii infection and associated socio-demographic, clinical and behavioural characteristics in a population of psychiatric patients in Durango City, Mexico. Seroprevalence in patients was compared with that obtained in a control population. METHODS: One hundred and thirty seven inpatients of a public psychiatric hospital and 180 controls were examined for the presence of IgG and IgM antibodies against T. gondii by enzyme-linked immunoassay (Diagnostic Automation Inc., Calabasas, CA, USA). The control population consisted of blood donors of a public blood bank and elderly persons attending a senior center in the same city. Age in controls (42 years +/- 20.2) was comparable with that of the psychiatric patients (43.7 years +/-13.8) (p = 0.42). Socio-demographic, clinical and behavioral characteristics from the patients were also obtained. RESULTS: Anti-T. gondii IgG antibodies indicating latent infection with T. gondii was found in 25 (18.2%) of 137 psychiatric inpatients and 16 (8.9%) of 180 controls (p = 0.02). Ten (26.3%) of 38 schizophrenic patients had latent infection and this prevalence was also significantly higher than that observed in controls (p = 0.005). Prevalence of anti-T. gondii IgM antibodies was comparable among patients and controls (4.4% vs 2.2%, respectively, p = 0.22). Multivariate analysis showed that T. gondii infection in inpatients was positively associated with sexual promiscuity (adjusted OR = 15.8; 95% CI: 3.8–64.8), unwashed raw fruit consumption (adjusted OR = 5.19; 95% CI: 2.3–11.3), and a history of surgery (adjusted OR = 6.5; 95% CI: 2.6–16), and negatively associated with lamb meat consumption (adjusted OR = 0.26; 95% CI: 0.10–0.63). CONCLUSION: In the present study, psychiatric inpatients in Durango, Mexico, in general and schizophrenia inpatients in particular had a significantly higher prevalence of T. gondii infection than the control group. Results suggest that unwashed raw fruit consumption might be the most important route of T. gondii transmission in our psychiatric inpatients while lamb meat consumption the less important. Additional studies will have to elucidate the causative relation between infection with T. gondii and psychiatric disorders

Autologous Cell Immunotherapy (IGV-001) with IGF-1R Antisense Oligonucleotide in Newly Diagnosed Glioblastoma Patients

Standard-of-care first-line therapy for patients with newly diagnosed glioblastoma (ndGBM) is maximal safe surgical resection, then concurrent radiotherapy and temozolomide, followed by maintenance temozolomide. IGV-001, the first product of the Goldspire™ platform, is a first-in-class autologous immunotherapeutic product that combines personalized whole tumor-derived cells with an antisense oligonucleotide (IMV-001) in implantable biodiffusion chambers, with the intent to induce a tumor-specific immune response in patients with ndGBM. Here, we describe the design and rationale of a randomized, double-blind, phase IIb trial evaluating IGV-001 compared with placebo, both followed by standard-of-care treatment in patients with ndGBM. The primary end point is progression-free survival, and key secondary end points include overall survival and safety

User Experience Guidelines for Designing HMD Extended Reality Applications

Part 4: Virtual and Augmented Reality IInternational audienceWith the rise of Extended Reality (XR) technologies, such as head mounted displays (HMD) for Virtual Reality (VR), Mixed Reality (MR), and Augmented Reality (AR), designers are presented with many unique challenges and opportunities when creating applications. Publications can be found from research and industry that offer insights and ideas surrounding user experience (UX) for XR applications. However, these publications often vary in format and content. Based on a thorough analysis of 68 different resources from research, industry, and 2D design, we present a set of eleven UX guidelines for designing XR applications. Our work serves as a reference to the literature for understanding what others have tried and discovered and provides an integrated set of guidelines. Furthermore, our guidelines offer guidance to a software developer to aid in the design of XR applications for HMD devices

Uso e efetividade da papaína no processo de cicatrização de feridas: uma revisão sistemática

Trata-se de uma revisão sistemática, cujo objetivo é analisar as evidências sobre o uso da papaína na cicatrização deferidas. Foi realizado levantamento bibliográfico manual e eletrônico nas bases de dados: LILACS; COCHRANE;IBECS; MEDLINE via Pubmed e CINAHL, utilizando os seguintes termos como descritores e como palavras:Carica; Papaína; e Cicatrização, período de 1987 a 2010. Os resultados apontaram predomínio de estudos descritivos,exploratórios, estudos de caso e relatos de caso, apenas um ensaio clínico randomizado e controlado. Os resultadostambém evidenciaram que a papaína é usada em feridas de diversas etiologias e em todas as fases da cicatrização, semcontraindicações específicas, sendo efetiva e segura, embora haja relatos de ardência e dor. Conclui-se que este estudocontribuiu para demonstrar o uso da papaína nesse período, como fonte de consulta, além de apontar para necessidadede pesquisas com maior rigor metodológico, que proporcionem evidências fortes do seu uso e recomendação

Efeitos da toxicidade do zinco em folhas de Salvinia auriculata cultivadas em solução nutritiva Effects of zinc toxicity on leaves of Salvinia auriculata cultivated in nutrient solution

A macrófita aquática Salvinia auriculata tem sido utilizada em vários programas de monitoramento em corpos d'água passíveis de eutrofização, sendo considerada uma planta bioindicadora. Contudo, sabe-se que a salvínia também tem um potencial fitorremediador, acumulando em seus tecidos concentrações consideráveis de poluentes. Com isso, o objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar o potencial fitorremediador e bioindicador dessa planta, avaliando as características morfológicas da salvínia quando submetida a doses excessivas de zinco (Zn), bem como o teor desse metal acumulado em seus tecidos. Os indivíduos foram coletados em águas livres de contaminação e cultivados sob condições controladas, em vasos com solução nutritiva, em casa de vegetação, e submetidos aos tratamentos com zinco na forma de ZnSO4. 7H2O, nas seguintes concentrações: 0; 2,5; 5,0; 7,5; e 10,0 mg L-1. As alterações morfológicas foram observadas diariamente e, após dez dias de exposição dos vegetais ao zinco, procedeu-se à colheita das plantas. As plantas colhidas foram lavadas, secas, pesadas, moídas e digeridas em solução com ácido nítrico e ácido perclórico, obtendo-se extratos para determinação dos teores de zinco por espectrofotometria de absorção atômica. Os resultados indicaram que S. auriculata apresentou danos morfológicos, com o desenvolvimento de lesões e necroses marginais nas folhas em concentrações de zinco na solução superiores à permitida pela legislação, porém não diferiram no que se refere ao crescimento populacional. Em relação ao acúmulo, a absorção de zinco pelas plantas aumentou proporcionalmente com a concentração do metal em solução. O zinco, quando em concentrações elevadas, tornou-se tóxico às plantas, sendo as alterações morfológicas de plantas de S. auriculata de fácil detecção, podendo ser utilizadas no biomonitoramento de ecossistemas aquáticos contaminados com zinco.<br>The aquatic macrophyte Salvinia auriculata has been used in several monitoring programs in bodies of water susceptible to eutrophication, being thus considered a bioindicator. However, salvinia is also known to have phytoremediating potential, accumulating considerable concentrations of pollutants in its tissues. Thus, this work aimed to evaluate the potential of this plant as a phytoremediator and bioindicator by analyzing its morphologic characteristics when submitted to Zinc (Zn) overdoses, as well as to determine the level of this metal accumulated in its tissues. The individuals were collected in water bodies free from contamination and cultivated in vases, using a nutrition solution, under controlled greenhouse conditions and submitted to treatments with Zinc in the form of ZnSO4. 7H2O at the following concentrations: 0; 2.5; 5.0; 7.5 and 10.0 mg L-1 . The morphologic alterations were observed daily and after ten days of exposure of the plants to Zinc, the number of individuals per treatment was counted. The plants were then harvested, washed, dried, weighed, ground and digested in a nitric and perchloric acid solution, with extracts being obtained for determination of the Zinc levels by atomic absorption spectrophotometry. The results indicated that S. auriculata presented morphologic damage, with the development of lesions and marginal necrosis on the leaves with Zinc concentrations, in solution, being superior to that allowed by the legislation, but not different in relation to the population growth. Zinc absorption by the S.auriculata plants increased proportionally to the concentration of the metal in the solution. When at high concentrations, Zinc became toxic to the plants, with their morphologic alterations being easy to detect, allowing them to be used in monitoring Zinc-polluted aquatic ecosystems