New dental simulator for microsurgical training preliminary overview

Objective: To present a new simulator designed at the Minimally Invasive Surgery Centre (Cáceres) which offers an integral, effective and viable training system that can be used for learning microsurgical techniques. Study design: A square methacrylate block was used. Animal jaws were fixed to the sides by means of butterfly screws. This block also has a drainage tube to facilitate the escape of fluids. Results: Excellent results were obtained using this simulator in microsurgical suturing training in dental, Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Conclusions: We believe that this simulator is an essential component in microsurgical training. It is an ethically and morally valid training method with which various suturing techniques can be practised before using live animals and before applying these to daily clinical practice

Un proyecto audiovisual sobre el equilibrio químico para el máster en formación del profesorado de educación secundaria

La implantación del Máster en Formación del Profesorado de Educación Secundaria y Bachillerato, Formación Profesional y Enseñanza de Idiomas (MFPS) está suponiendo la participación de profesorado de diferentes áreas de conocimiento procedentes de distintas facultades. Desde el punto de vista de las didáctica de la química es una gran oportunidad para acercar los resultados de la investigación a otros ámbitos disciplinares de la química y posibilitar su puesta en práctica. Con esta intención, en la UCM, se ha llevado a cabo un proyecto audiovisual, sobre una propuesta didáctica para el equilibrio químico, como estrategia didáctica para la formación inicial de futuros profesores de secundaria de Física y Química

Imatinib therapy of chronic myeloid leukemia restores the expression levels of key genes for DNA damage and cell-cycle progression

[EN] Background Chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) is a malignant clonal disorder of the hematopoietic system caused by the expression of the BCR/ABL fusion oncogene. It is well known that CML cells are genetically unstable. However, the mechanisms by which these cells acquire genetic alterations are poorly understood. Imatinib mesylate is the standard therapy for newly diagnosed CML patients. Imatinib mesylate targets the oncogenic kinase activity of BCR-ABL. Objective To study the gene expression profile of bone marrow hematopoietic cells in the same patients with CML before and 1 month after imatinib therapy. Methods Samples from patients with CML were analyzed using Affymetrix GeneChip Expression Arrays. Results A total of 594 differentially expressed genes, most of which (393 genes) were downregulated, as a result of imatinib therapy were observed. Conclusion The blockade of oncoprotein Bcr-Abl by imatinib could cause a decrease in the expression of key DNA repair genes and substantially modify the expression profile of the bone marrow cells in the first days of therapy

Desempeño de mezclas cementicias binarias y ternarias basadas en metacaolín y humo de sílice

The effects of metakaolin and silica fume onvarious properties of mortars were evaluated andcompared in this study. Mortars were cast with 0,5 and 10 percent cement replaced by metakaolin(MK) and/or silica fume (SF). The compressivestrength and durability properties, such asabsorption and porosity, chloride permeabilityand sulphate attack resistance, were evaluated.Corrosion of steel reinforcement into these mortarswas studied using the techniques of half-cellpotential, linear polarization resistance and Tafelslopes. Mixtures containing 10% SF and 5% MKreported a compressive strength 40% higher thanthe mortar without addition and an excellentperformance in the presence of chlorides andsulphates. The mixture containing 10% MK and10% SF presented the best performance to steelcorrosion.El presente trabajo reporta los resultados del estudiode la acción conjunta que produce la incorporaciónde adiciones de metacaolín (MK) y humo desílice (HS) a morteros de cementos portland enlas propiedades mecánicas, fisicoquímicas y decorrosión del acero de refuerzo. Para la realizaciónde este estudio se produjeron morteros de OPCcon diferentes porcentajes de adición de HS yMK con respecto a la cantidad total de cemento.Se evaluaron las propiedades de resistencia a lacompresión y de durabilidad tales como absorcióny porosidad, permeabilidad a cloruros y resistenciaal ataque de sulfatos. La corrosión de los acerosde refuerzo se estudio mediante las técnicas depotencial de media celda, resistencia a la polarizaciónlineal y pendientes tafel. Mezclas con contenidosdel 10% MK y 5% HS presentan una resistenciaa la compresión un 40% superior y un excelentedesempeño en presencia de cloruros y sulfatos.Desde el punto de vista del análisis de corrosiónde los aceros la mezcla óptima, aún a condicionesaceleradas y en presencia de cloruros, es la mezclade OPC adicionado con 10% de MK y 10% de H

Frequency of cancer in children residing in Mexico City and treated in the hospitals of the Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social (1996–2001)

BACKGROUND: The objective of this article is to present the frequency of cancer in Mexican children who were treated in the hospitals of the Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social in Mexico City (IMSS-MC) in the period 1996–2001. METHODS: The Registry of Cancer in Children, started in 1996 in the IMSS-MC, is an on-going, prospective register. The data from 1996 through 2001 were analyzed and the different types of cancer were grouped according to the International Classification for Cancer in Children (ICCC). From this analysis, the general and specific frequencies by age and by sex were obtained for the different groups of neoplasms. Also, the frequency of the stage of the disease that had been diagnosed in cases of children with solid tumors was obtained. RESULTS: A total of 1,702 new cases of children with cancer were registered, with the male/female ratio at 1.1/1. Leukemias had the highest frequency with 784 cases (46.1%) and, of these, acute lymphoblastic leukemias were the most prevalent with 614 cases (78.3%). Thereafter, in descending order of frequency, were tumors of the central nervous system (CNST) with 197 cases (11.6%), lymphomas with 194 cases (11.4%), germinal cell tumors with 110 cases (6.5%), and bone tumors with 97 cases (5.7%). The highest frequency of cancer was found in the group of one to four year-olds that had 627 cases (36.8%). In all the age groups, leukemias were the most frequent. In the present work, the frequency of Hodgkin's disease (~4%) was found to be lower than that (~10%) in previous studies and the frequency of tumors of the sympathetic nervous system was low (2.3%). Of those cases of solid tumors for which the stage of the disease had been determined, 66.9% were diagnosed as being Stage III or IV. CONCLUSIONS: The principal cancers in the children treated in the IMSS-MC were leukemias, CNST, and lymphomas, consistent with those reported by developed countries. A 2.5-fold reduction in the frequency of Hodgkin's disease was found. Of the children, the stage of whose disease had been determined, two thirds were diagnosed as having advanced stages of the disease

Las procesiones y su canto en la liturgia hispánica

Much is known about processions within the Roman liturgy. However, processions of the Old Hispanic rite practiced in most of Christian Iberia until c. 1080 have been barely studied. Manuscripts from the Old hispanic rite preserve rubrics that explicitly show features and context for such processions. These processions happened around or during Mass (for example, on Palm Sunday), at the end of Vespers or Matutinum (for example, the consecration of a basilica), or even outside the usual daily liturgy (for example, votive ordos). In this article, we have collated all the rubrics pertaining to liturgical movement that were copied in the extant Old Hispanic manuscrits. Some of these unquestionably refer to processions, while others describe ceremonies that might better be described more informally as «liturgy in motion». In particular, we have focused on the processional rubrics, while also engaging with other movements as part of the liturgy. Additionally, in this article we identify the chant genres associated with processions and outline the processional practices attested in the rubrics.Conocemos mucha información sobre las procesiones de la liturgia romana. Sin embargo, las procesiones del rito hispánico celebradas en la mayor parte de la Iberia cristiana antes de ca. 1080 apenas han sido estudiadas. Los manuscritos de la liturgia hispánica preservan rúbricas que muestran explícitamente las características y el contexto de dichas procesiones. Estas tenían lugar antes, durante o después la Misa (por ejemplo, en el Domingo de Ramos), al final del oficio vespertino o matutino (por ejemplo, en la consagración de una basílica), o incluso fuera de la rutina diaria de la liturgia (por ejemplo, en ocasiones votivas). En este artículo recopilamos la totalidad de las rúbricas que se transmiten en los manuscritos del rito hispánico y que informan sobre movimiento litúrgico. Algunas de estas rúbricas se refieren de forma inequívoca a procesiones, mientras que otras describen ceremonias que bien podrían ser descritas, más informalmente, como «liturgia en movimiento». En particular, nos hemos centrado en aquellas rúbricas procesionales, si bien hemos prestado también atención a otros movimientos como parte de la liturgia. Además, en este artículo identificamos los géneros de canto asociados con las procesiones y definimos las prácticas procesionales que atestiguan dichas rúbricas.

Clinical profile of the first 1000 fatalities for influenza A (H1N1) in Mexico

Background: Influenza is an acute respiratory disease responsible for several episodes of high mortality throughout human history. In 2009, Mexico experienced an atypical influenza outbreak caused by a mutant strain of the influenza A (H1N1) subtype, which generated significant mortality. The aim of this paper was to analyze the clinical and sociodemographic conditions of the first 1000 fatalities recorded during this outbreak.Methods: We conducted a study based on an analysis of the clinical files of patients positive for influenza A (H1N1) using Real-Time-Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR) to conduct an analysis of deaths compared to deaths in the general population.  Results: The majority of deaths occurred in patients aged 35-84 years (65.8%). Average time between symptom onset and death was 13.8 days, with an average of 7.8 days from time of hospitalization until death. Ca. 25% of deaths occurred in residents from Mexico City and from the nearby State of Mexico. In the majority of cases, we found that patients who died had a low educational and socioeconomic status along with co-morbidities such as metabolic syndrome and its individual components, as well as respiratory illnesses. In 80% of cases, patients received mechanical ventilation, and a similar percentage received antiviral therapy (oseltamivir, zanamivir).  Conclusions: The primary-care level was not utilized by patients who died from influenza. The higher prevalence of chronic degenerative diseases among deaths compared with the general population indicates that these groups of patients should be considered and prioritized in the event of future outbreaks.

Evaluation of endothelial function and subclinical atherosclerosis in patients with HIV infection

The aim of this study was to analyse the association between human immunodefciency virus (HIV) related clinical and analytical parameters and the presence of subclinical atherosclerosis as well as endothelial dysfunction. This was a prospective cohort study of HIV-positive patients who underwent intima media thickness (IMT) determination and coronary artery calcium scoring to determine subclinical atherosclerosis. To detect endothelial dysfunction, the breath holding index, fow-mediated dilation and the concentration of endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) were measured. Patients with an IMT? 0.9 mm had an average of 559.3 ± 283.34 CD4/?l, and those with an IMT< 0.9 mm had an average of 715.4 ± 389.92 CD4/?l (p= 0.04). Patients with a low calcium score had a signifcantly higher average CD4 cell value and lower zenith viral load (VL) than those with a higher score (707.7 ± 377.5 CD4/?l vs 477.23 ± 235.7 CD4/?l (p= 0.01) and 7 ×?¬104 ± 5 ×?¬104 copies/ml vs 23.4 × 104 ± 19 × 104 copies/ml (p= 0.02)). The number of early EPCs in patients with a CD4 nadir< 350/ µl was lower than that in those with a CD4 nadir? 350 (p= 0.03). In HIV-positive patients, low CD4 cell levels and high VL were associated with risk of developing subclinical atherosclerosis. HIV patients with CD4 cell nadir < 350/µl may have fewer early EPCs

Neuroimaging Studies of Suicidal Behavior and Non-suicidal Self-Injury in Psychiatric Patients: A Systematic Review

Background: With around 800,000 people taking their own lives every year, suicide is a growing health concern. Understanding the factors that underlie suicidality and identifying specific variables associated with increased risk is paramount for increasing our understanding of suicide etiology. Neuroimaging methods that enable the investigation of structural and functional brain markers in vivo are a promising tool in suicide research. Although a number of studies in clinical samples have been published to date, evidence about neuroimaging correlates for suicidality remains controversial.Objective: Patients with mental disorders have an increased risk for both suicidal behavior and non-suicidal self-injury. This manuscript aims to present an up-to-date overview of the literature on potential neuroimaging markers associated with SB and NSSI in clinical samples. We sought to identify consistently reported structural changes associated with suicidal symptoms within and across psychiatric disorders.Methods: A systematic literature search across four databases was performed to identify all English-language neuroimaging articles involving patients with at least one psychiatric diagnosis and at least one variable assessing SB or NSSI. We evaluated and screened evidence in these articles against a set of inclusion/exclusion criteria and categorized them by disease, adhering to the PRISMA guidelines.Results: Thirty-three original scientific articles investigating neuroimaging correlates of SB in psychiatric samples were found, but no single article focusing on NSSI alone. Associations between suicidality and regions in frontal and temporal cortex were reported by 15 and 9 studies across four disorders, respectively. Furthermore, differences in hippocampus were reported by four studies across three disorders. However, we found a significant lack of replicability (consistency in size and direction) of results across studies.Conclusions: Our systematic review revealed a lack of neuroimaging studies focusing on NSSI in clinical samples. We highlight several potential sources of bias in published studies, and conclude that future studies should implement more rigorous study designs to minimize bias risk. Despite several studies reporting associations between SB and anatomical differences in the frontal cortex, there was a lack of consistency across them. We conclude that better-powered samples, standardized neuroimaging and analytical protocols are needed to continue advancing knowledge in this field