Addressing Health Disparities and Cultural Competency in Reproductive Health Through Active Learning in the University of Puerto Rico, School of Medicine

Introduction: Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) individuals face health disparities linked to societal stigma, discrimination, and denial of their civil and human rights which impact reproductive health. Previous pregnancy, induced abortion, and hormonal contraceptive use are common among women who report sex with women, regardless of self-identification as lesbian. LGBTQ have higher risk of smoking, use illicit drugs or have alcohol related problems. Methods: A faculty development training addressed methods and skills for teaching cultural competence and eliminate health disparities. Faculty facilitated a small group active learning activity, including a vignette and a reflective self-evaluation, for medical students to provide better health care services to LGBTQ women in childbearing age. A pre-test and post-test were administered. Analysis was performed using Statistix8.0. Results: A total of 115 second year medical students were included in the educational activity. Subjects included 101 students (87%) on the pretest and 104 students (90%) on the post-test. Subjects showed an overall improvement in knowledge (89% correct answers pre-test, 100% post-test, (

La transformación de los campos de identidad como estrategia informativa: El caso de "La Jornada" y "Reforma" en el desafuero de Andrés Manuel López Obrador (AMLO)

Los medios de comunicación buscan permanentemente influir en los temas que son prioritarios para las audiencias, por lo que es necesario estudiar cómo llevan a cabo estrategias que les permiten determinar la importancia y relevancia de la información. A partir de la teoría del Framing, en los campos de identidad de los movimientos sociales, es posible identificar y desvelar estrategias informativas de los mass media. Este artículo analiza la conformación y transformación de los campos de identidad de los actores involucrados en el desafuero del Jefe de Gobierno del Distrito Federal, Andrés Manuel López Obrador (AMLO), por dos diarios mexicanos La Jornada y Reforma. Los periódicos analizados hicieron uso de herramientas periodísticas para influir en la percepción de sus audiencias, por lo que no fueron simples transmisores de la información

Morfologia i formació del complexe sinaptinèmic a espermatòcits i oòcits de Mus musculus

A method for the sequential study of synaptonemal complexes by light and electron microscopy has been used to characterize the synaptic process in mouse (Mus musculus) spermatocytes and oocytes. Pre- and post-synaptic figures can be easily identified

Quantification of alpha-amanitin in biological samples by HPLC using simultaneous UV- diode array and electrochemical detection

α-Amanitin is a natural bicyclic octapeptide, from the family of amatoxins, present in the deadly mushroom species Amanita phalloides. The toxicological and clinical interests raised by this toxin, require highly sensitive, accurate and reproducible quantification methods for pharmacokinetic studies. In the present work, a high-performance liquid chromatographic (HPLC) method with in-line connected diode-array (DAD) and electrochemical (EC) detection was developed and validated to quantify α-amanitin in biological samples (namely liver and kidney). Sample pre-treatment consisted of a simple and unique deproteinization step with 5% perchloric acid followed by centrifuga tion at 16,000. ×g, 4. °C, for 20. min. The high recovery found for α-amanitin (≥96.8%) makes this procedure suitable for extracting α-amanitin from liver and kidney homogenates. The resulting supernatant was collected and injected into the HPLC. Mobile phase was composed by 20% methanol in 50. mM citric acid, and 0.46. mM octanessulfonic acid, adjusted to pH 5.5. The chromatographic runs took less than 22. min and no significant endogenous interferences were observed at the α-amanitin retention time. Calibration curves were linear with regression coefficients higher than 0.994. The overall inter- and intra-assay precision did not exceed 15.3%.The present method has low interferences with simple and fast processing steps, being a suitable procedure to support in vivo toxicokinetic studies involving α-amanitin. In fact, the validated method was successfully applied to quantify α-amanitin in biological samples following intraperitoneal α-amanitin administration to rats. Moreover, human plasma was also used as matrix and the purposed method was adequate for detection of α-amanitin in that matrix. The results clearly indicate that the proposed method is suitable to investigate the pharmacokinetic and tissue distribution of α-amanitin. Additionally, the method will be very useful in the development of novel and potent antidotes against amatoxins poisoning and to improve the knowledge of α-amanitin toxicity.This work received financial support from the European Union (FEDER funds through COMPETE) and National Funds (FCT, Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia) through project Pest- C/EQB/LA0006/2013. Juliana Garcia and Vera Marisa Costa thank FCT - Foundation for Science and Technology - for their PhD grant (SFRH/BD/74979/ 2010 ) and Post-doc grant (SFRH/BPD/63746/2009), respectively.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Effect of dietary sunflower hulls on nutrient digestibility, ileal morphology, and volatile fatty acid concentration in broilers and pullets fed a broiler diet from 1 to 21 days of age

The effects of sunflower hulls (SFH) inclusion on performance, TTAR of nutrients, ileal mucosa morphology, and volatile fatty acid (VFA) concentration in the ceca were studied in birds from 1 to 21 d of age. There were 4 treatments organized as 2 × 2 factorial with 2 chicken lines (broilers vs. pullets) and 2 levels of SFH (0 vs. 3%). Each treatment was replicated 7 times (10 birds). The corn-soybean meal control diet contained 3,010 kcal AMEn/kg, 1.25% digestible Lys, and 8.7% NDF. In the experimental diet, SFH was included at the expense (wt:wt) of the control diet. Diets were offered in mash form. No interactions between main effects were detected for any trait. From 1 to 21 d of age, ADG was greater and FCR was better in broilers than in pullets (P < 0.001) but SFH inclusion did not affect bird performance. The TTAR of all nutrients was higher (P < 0.05) in broilers than in pullets. The inclusion of SFH improved AMEn of the diet (P < 0.05) at both ages and DM and N retention (P < 0.001) at 21 d. Broilers had larger villus and deeper crypt (P < 0.01) than pullets. Broilers tended to have higher (P = 0.077) cecal proportion of acetate than pullets but no effects were observed for the other VFA. SFH inclusion tended to increased villus height (P < 0.05) and cecal proportion of acetate and propionate (P < 0.01). In summary, broilers grew faster, were more efficient, had higher ileum absorptive capacity, TTAR of nutrients than pullets. The inclusion of 3% SFH in substitution (wt:wt) of the whole diet improved AMEn without showing any negative effect on growth performance of the bird

Influence of body weight at hatching and inclusion of oat hulls in the diet on growth performance and digestive tract traits of brown-egg laying pullets from 0 to 16 wk of age

The influence of pre-incubated weight of eggs (EW) laid by 24 wk-old brown layer breeders and the inclusion (wt:wt) of 3% oat hulls (OH) in the diet on growth performance and gastrointestinal tract (GIT) traits were studied in pullets reared under stressful conditions from hatching to 16 wk of age. The initial BW of the pullets resulting from these eggs was of 29.9 and 38.2 g for the 2 extreme groups. The stress applied consisted in using a prolonged (8 h) transport time from the hatchery to the experimental facility, reducing barn temperature at night from placement to 7 d of age, and late beak trimming of the pullets (18 d). Growth performance, pullet uniformity, and GIT traits were measured by period (0 to 5 wk, 5 to 10 wk, and 10 to 16 wk of age) and cumulatively. Data were analyzed as a completely randomized design with treatments organized as a 7 × 2 factorial, with 7 groups of pullets that differed on pre-hatched EW (47 to 54 g with 1 g difference between groups) and 2 levels of OH inclusion (0 vs. 3%). Effects of EW on the variables studied were partitioned into linear and quadratic components. The stress conditions applied affected pullet growth, with BW at 5 wk of age that were as an average 27% lower than recommended by the genetic company (269 g vs. 367 g). Neither initial EW nor OH inclusion affected any of the variables studied. In summary, EW of young breeders did not affect growth performance, BW uniformity, or GIT traits of the resulting pullets from 0 to 16 wk of age. Eggs bigger than 47 g laid by young breeders can produce high quality pullets. Pullets fed diets with 3% OH performed equally to pullets fed the control diet, suggesting that the amount of fiber can be increased during the rearing period of brown egg pullet

Dissemination of clonal Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium isolates causing salmonellosis in Mauritius

Salmonella enterica serotype Typhimurium is one of the leading causes of salmonellosis in Mauritius, where it has also been associated with outbreaks of foodborne illness. However, little is known about its molecular epidemiology in the country. This study was therefore undertaken to investigate the clonality and source of Salmonella Typhimurium in Mauritius by studying human, food, and poultry isolates by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) and antibiotic minimum inhibitory concentration determination. Forty-nine isolates collected between 2008 and 2011 were analyzed, including 25 stool isolates from foodborne illness outbreaks and sporadic gastroenteritis cases, four blood isolates, one postmortem colon isolate, 14 food isolates, and five poultry isolates. All isolates were pansusceptible to the 16 antibiotics tested, except for two isolates that were resistant to sulfamethoxazole and trimethoprim. Overall characterization of the isolates by PFGE digested with XbaI and BlnI resulted in eight different patterns. The largest of the clusters in the composite dataset consisted of 20 isolates, including two raw chicken isolates, four poultry isolates, and nine human stool isolates from two outbreaks. A second cluster consisted of 18 isolates, of which 12 originated from human blood and stool samples from both sporadic and outbreak cases. Six food isolates were also found in this cluster, including isolates from raw and grilled chicken, marlin mousse, and cooked pork. One poultry isolate had a closely related PFGE pattern. The results indicate that one clone of Salmonella Typhimurium found in poultry has been causing outbreaks of foodborne illness in Mauritius and another clone that has caused many cases of gastrointestinal illness and bacteremia in humans could also be linked to poultry. Thus, poultry appears to be a major reservoir for Salmonella Typhimurium in Mauritius. Initiating on-farm control strategies and measures against future dissemination may substantially reduce the number of cases of salmonellosis in the country

High glucose concentrations induce TNF-α production through the down-regulation of CD33 in primary human monocytes

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>CD33 is a membrane receptor containing a lectin domain and a cytoplasmic immunoreceptor tyrosine-based inhibitory motif (ITIM) that is able to inhibit cytokine production. CD33 is expressed by monocytes, and reduced expression of CD33 correlates with augmented production of inflammatory cytokines, such as IL-1β, TNF-α, and IL-8. However, the role of CD33 in the inflammation associated with hyperglycemia and diabetes is unknown. Therefore, we studied CD33 expression and inflammatory cytokine secretion in freshly isolated monocytes from patients with type 2 diabetes. To evaluate the effects of hyperglycemia, monocytes from healthy donors were cultured with different glucose concentrations (15-50 mmol/l D-glucose), and CD33 expression and inflammatory cytokine production were assessed. The expression of suppressor of cytokine signaling protein-3 (SOCS-3) and the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) were also evaluated to address the cellular mechanisms involved in the down-regulation of CD33.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>CD33 expression was significantly decreased in monocytes from patients with type 2 diabetes, and higher levels of TNF-α, IL-8 and IL-12p70 were detected in the plasma of patients compared to healthy donors. Under high glucose conditions, CD33 protein and mRNA expression was significantly decreased, whereas spontaneous TNF-α secretion and SOCS-3 mRNA expression were increased in monocytes from healthy donors. Furthermore, the down-regulation of CD33 and increase in TNF-α production were prevented when monocytes were treated with the antioxidant α-tocopherol and cultured under high glucose conditions.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Our results suggest that hyperglycemia down-regulates CD33 expression and triggers the spontaneous secretion of TNF-α by peripheral monocytes. This phenomenon involves the generation of ROS and the up-regulation of SOCS-3. These observations support the importance of blood glucose control for maintaining innate immune function and suggest the participation of CD33 in the inflammatory profile associated with type 2 diabetes.</p

Amanita phalloides poisoning: Mechanisms of toxicity and treatment

Amanita phalloides, also known as 'death cap', is one of the most poisonous mushrooms, being involved in the majority of human fatal cases of mushroom poisoning worldwide. This species contains three main groups of toxins: amatoxins, phallotoxins, and virotoxins. From these, amatoxins, especially α-amanitin, are the main responsible for the toxic effects in humans. It is recognized that α-amanitin inhibits RNA polymerase II, causing protein deficit and ultimately cell death, although other mechanisms are thought to be involved. The liver is the main target organ of toxicity, but other organs are also affected, especially the kidneys. Intoxication symptoms usually appear after a latent period and may include gastrointestinal disorders followed by jaundice, seizures, and coma, culminating in death. Therapy consists in supportive measures, gastric decontamination, drug therapy and, ultimately, liver transplantation if clinical condition worsens. The discovery of an effective antidote is still a major unsolved issue. The present paper examines the clinical toxicology of A. phalloides, providing the currently available information on the mechanisms of toxicityinvolved and on the current knowledge on the treatment prescribed against this type of mushrooms. Antidotal perspectives will be raised as to set the pace to new and improved therapy against these mushrooms.This work was supported by the Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia (FCT ) – project PTDC/DTPFTO/4973/2014 – and the European Union (FEDER funds through COMPETE) and National Funds (FCT, Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia) through project Pest-C/EQB/LA0006/2013. Juliana Garcia and Vera Marisa Costa thank FCT for their PhD grant (SFRH/BD/74979/2010) and Post-doc grants (SFRH/BPD/63746/2009 and SFRH/BPD/110001/2015), respectively.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

How to find information on national food and nutrient consumption surveys across Europe: systematic literature review and questionnaires to selected country experts are both good strategies

The present research was conducted within the framework of the EURopean micronutrient RECommendations Aligned project. in order to identify the best practice in assessing nutrient intakes, a search strategy for collecting data from national food consumption surveys/studies in Europe was developed. Systematic literature searches were carried out on twenty-eight European and the four European Free Trade Association Countries. A questionnaire was also sent to two to five experts in each country. Systematic reviews using PubMed yielded 12 703 abstracts that were reduced to 200 studies using inclusion and exclusion criteria. Similarly, a search of ministry web sites yielded 3033 hits. and subsequently reduced to nine Surveys. Belgium, France, Germany, Ireland, Sweden, Spain and the United Kingdom were the countries with most data and Slovenia and Liechtenstein were those with the least. Seventy-eight expert questionnaires were obtained from all Countries except for Liechtenstein. Luxembourg and Slovakia. Detailed results and references are given. A systematic search and questionnaires are equally good at identifying national surveys across countries. Literature searching provides globally accessible and objective information albeit limited, whereas the questionnaire provides information that, depending upon responders, can be more complete. A combination of both strategies is recommended