Diphyllobothrium sp. en Canis familiaris de la región del subtrópico argentino (Puerto Iguazú, Misiones)

This paper reports the first finding of Diphyllobothrium sp. eggs in Canis familiaris(domestic dog) from Puerto Iguazú, a subtropical city of Misiones province, Argentina. In 2013,two positive cases of Diphyllobothrium sp. eggs were detected during an annual parasitological survey of dogs. Dog feces were collected in vials containing 10 % formalin and processed using Telemann?s sedimentation and Sheather?s flotation techniques. The two cases were detected in rural areas of the municipality. Since Misiones is not a part of the endemic area of diphyllobothriasis and given the fact that it is located in the three-border area of Argentina, Brazil and Paraguay, we consider this finding of great importance to public health. We stress the need for updating the current knowledge about the life cycle of these parasites considering the range of intermediate and definitive hosts, their zoonotic potential, and the epidemiological situation in non-endemic areas.This paper reports the first finding of Diphyllobothrium sp. eggs in Canis familiaris (domestic dog) from Puerto Iguazú, a subtropical city of Misiones province, Argentina. In 2013, two positive cases of Diphyllobothrium sp. eggs were detected during an annual parasitological survey of dogs. Dog feces were collected in vials containing 10 % formalin and processed using Telemann's sedimentation and Sheather's flotation techniques. The two cases were detected in rural areas of the municipality. Since Misiones is not a part of the endemic area of diphyllobothriasis and given the fact that it is located in the three-border area of Argentina, Brazil and Paraguay, we consider this finding of great importance to public health. We stress the need for updating the current knowledge about the life cycle of these parasites considering the range of intermediate and definitive hosts, their zoonotic potential, and the epidemiological situation in non-endemic areas.Fil: Rivero, Maria Romina. Ministerio de Salud. Instituto Nacional de Medicina Tropical; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Motta, Carlos E.. Universidad Nacional de Rio Cuarto. Facultad de Agronomia y Veterinaria. Departamento de Patología Animal; ArgentinaFil: Salas, Martin Miguel. Ministerio de Salud. Instituto Nacional de Medicina Tropical; ArgentinaFil: Chiaretta, Alicia. Universidad Nacional de Rio Cuarto. Facultad de Agronomia y Veterinaria. Departamento de Patología Animal; ArgentinaFil: Salomón, Oscar Daniel. Ministerio de Salud. Instituto Nacional de Medicina Tropical; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentin

Critical care procedure logging using handheld computers

INTRODUCTION: We conducted this study to evaluate the feasibility of implementing an internet-linked handheld computer procedure logging system in a critical care training program. METHODS: Subspecialty trainees in the Interdepartmental Division of Critical Care at the University of Toronto received and were trained in the use of Palm handheld computers loaded with a customized program for logging critical care procedures. The procedures were entered into the handheld device using checkboxes and drop-down lists, and data were uploaded to a central database via the internet. To evaluate the feasibility of this system, we tracked the utilization of this data collection system. Benefits and disadvantages were assessed through surveys. RESULTS: All 11 trainees successfully uploaded data to the central database, but only six (55%) continued to upload data on a regular basis. The most common reason cited for not using the system pertained to initial technical problems with data uploading. From 1 July 2002 to 30 June 2003, a total of 914 procedures were logged. Significant variability was noted in the number of procedures logged by individual trainees (range 13–242). The database generated by regular users provided potentially useful information to the training program director regarding the scope and location of procedural training among the different rotations and hospitals. CONCLUSION: A handheld computer procedure logging system can be effectively used in a critical care training program. However, user acceptance was not uniform, and continued training and support are required to increase user acceptance. Such a procedure database may provide valuable information that may be used to optimize trainees' educational experience and to document clinical training experience for licensing and accreditation

Prospective evaluation of an internet-linked handheld computer critical care knowledge access system

INTRODUCTION: Critical care physicians may benefit from immediate access to medical reference material. We evaluated the feasibility and potential benefits of a handheld computer based knowledge access system linking a central academic intensive care unit (ICU) to multiple community-based ICUs. METHODS: Four community hospital ICUs with 17 physicians participated in this prospective interventional study. Following training in the use of an internet-linked, updateable handheld computer knowledge access system, the physicians used the handheld devices in their clinical environment for a 12-month intervention period. Feasibility of the system was evaluated by tracking use of the handheld computer and by conducting surveys and focus group discussions. Before and after the intervention period, participants underwent simulated patient care scenarios designed to evaluate the information sources they accessed, as well as the speed and quality of their decision making. Participants generated admission orders during each scenario, which were scored by blinded evaluators. RESULTS: Ten physicians (59%) used the system regularly, predominantly for nonmedical applications (median 32.8/month, interquartile range [IQR] 28.3–126.8), with medical software accessed less often (median 9/month, IQR 3.7–13.7). Eight out of 13 physicians (62%) who completed the final scenarios chose to use the handheld computer for information access. The median time to access information on the handheld handheld computer was 19 s (IQR 15–40 s). This group exhibited a significant improvement in admission order score as compared with those who used other resources (P = 0.018). Benefits and barriers to use of this technology were identified. CONCLUSION: An updateable handheld computer system is feasible as a means of point-of-care access to medical reference material and may improve clinical decision making. However, during the study, acceptance of the system was variable. Improved training and new technology may overcome some of the barriers we identified

Análise da eficiência dos equipamentos de proteção aos agrotóxicos utilizados em saúde pública

Os Equipamentos de Proteção Individuais (EPI) são utilizados na Saúde Pública para proteger os trabalhadores que utilizam agrotóxicos para controle de vetores de doenças. A exposição dérmica representa o maior risco de contaminação. A permeabilidade é uma característica que torna os EPI inadequados ao uso. Mesmo os EPI confeccionados com materiais impermeáveis, podem ser permeáveis, devido à porosidade dos tecidos e as costuras. Este estudo analisou a permeabilidade dos EPI aos agrotóxicos utilizados no combate ao mosquito Aedes Aegypti. A permeabilidade foi avaliada através do método da pipeta, calculando-se as porcentagens de repelência, de retenção e de penetração dos agrotóxicos nos EPI. Os resultados mostraram que: o tipo de costura influencia na permeabilidade; e que uma menor repelência pode não ser suficiente para avaliar a eficiência de um EPI, pois esta pode ser compensada por uma maior retenção, resultando em uma menor penetração.Los Equipos de Protección Personal (EPP) son utilizados en la salud pública para proteger a los trabajadores que manejan plaguicidas para el control de vectores de enfermedades. La exposición cutánea es el mayor riesgo de contaminación. La permeabilidad de los EPP es una característica que hace su uso inadecuado. Incluso los EPP hechos de materiales impermeables pueden ser permeables debido a la porosidad de la tela y a las costuras. Esta investigación analizó la permeabilidad de los EPP a los plaguicidas utilizados para combatir el mosquito Aedes Aegypti. La permeabilidad se evaluó por el método de la pipeta, computando el porcentaje de repelencia, retención y penetración de los plaguicidas en los EPP. Los resultados mostraron que el tipo de costura influye en la permeabilidad y que una repelencia inferior puede no ser suficiente para evaluar la eficiencia de un EPP, ya que puede ser compensada por una mayor retención, lo que resulta en menos penetración.Les équipements de protection individuelle (EPI) sont utilisés en santé publique pour protéger les travailleurs qui utilisent des pesticides pour lutter contre certaines maladies. L’exposition cutanée représente le plus grand risque de contamination. La perméabilité est une caractéristique des EPI qui les rend impropres à une utilisation. Même les EPI fabriqués à partir de matériaux imperméables sont perméables en raison de la porosité du tissu et des coutures. Cette étude a analysé la perméabilité des EPI contre les pesticides utilisés pour lutter contre les moustiques Aedes aegypti. La perméabilité a été évaluée par la méthode de la pipette, en calculant les pourcentages de répulsion, de rétention et de pénétration des pesticides dans l’EPI. Les résultats ont montré : que le type de couture influence la perméabilité; et qu’une répulsivité inférieure peut ne pas être suffisante pour évaluer l’efficacité de l’EPI, puisque celle-ci peut être compensée par une plus grande rétention, ce qui entraîne moins de pénétration.Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) is used in Public Health to protect the workers who use pesticides for disease control. The dermal exposure is the highest contamination risk. The permeability is a characteristic that makes PPE unsuitable for using. Even those PPE which are made from waterproof materials, can be permeable, due to fabric porosity and the presence of seams. This study analysed the permeability to pesticides on PPE used by health personnel controlling Aedes aegypti mosquito. Permeability was evaluated through the pipette method, by calculating repellency, retention and penetration percentages of pesticides in the PPE. The results showed that the type of seam influences permeability; and a lower repellency may not be sufficient to evaluate the efficiency of PPE, as this can be compensated by a greater retention, resulting in less penetration

Épocas de semeadura e qualidade de sementes de soja

Considering the difficulties of producing high quality soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merrill] seeds during the traditional cropping period in some areas of the State of Paraná, Brazil, a research project was carried out with the objective of evaluating the influence of sowing dates on the physiological and sanitary quality of seeds, during the 1998/99 and 1999/00 cropping seasons, in Maringá, PR, Brazil. The experiment consisted of five cultivar competition assays, arranged in a completely randomized block design, with each assay sown at different dates (10/15, 10/30, 11/15, 11/30 and 12/15) for each cropping season. The evaluated cultivars were BRS 132 (early), BRS 133 (semi-early), BR 16 (semi-early), BRS 134 (intermediate) and FT- Estrela (late). Seeds obtained at the sowing dates were evaluated in the laboratory by germination, accelerated aging, and health tests. Sowing in November resulted in seeds with superior physiological and health quality. Cultivar BRS 133 showed the greatest stability in seed production with better quality for the different sowing dates. Cultivars BRS 134 and BRS 133, which were sown during the period from 10/15 to 11/30, produced seeds that had higher percentages of normal seedlings in the germination and accelerated aging tests. Advancing or delaying sowing dates had adverse effects on soybean seed production with regard to their sanitary quality.Considerando as dificuldades encontradas na produção de sementes de soja [Glycine max (L.) Merrill] com alta qualidade, na época de cultivo tradicional, em algumas regiões do Estado do Paraná, foi realizado um trabalho com o objetivo de avaliar a influência da época de semeadura na qualidade fisiológica e sanitária das sementes de cinco cultivares de soja, em dois anos agrícolas 1998/99 e 1999/00, na região de Maringá - PR. O experimento foi constituído de cinco ensaios de competição de cultivares com delineamento em blocos completos casualizados, semeando-se um ensaio em cada época de semeadura (15/10, 30/10, 15/11, 30/11 e 15/12) e anos agrícolas. Os cultivares avaliados foram: BRS 132 (precoce), BRS 133 (semiprecoce), BR 16 (semiprecoce), BRS 134 (médio) e FT- Estrela (tardio). Em laboratório, a qualidade das sementes provenientes das épocas de semeadura foram avaliadas pelos testes de germinação, envelhecimento acelerado (41ºC por 48 horas) e sanidade (método do papel-filtro). A semeadura realizada em novembro foi mais favorável à obtenção de sementes de melhor qualidade fisiológica e sanitária. O cultivar BRS 133 apresentou maior estabilidade na produção de sementes de melhor qualidade nas diferentes épocas de semeadura avaliadas. Os cultivares BRS 134 e BRS 133, que foram semeados de 15/10 a 30/11, produziram sementes que apresentaram as maiores porcentagens de plântulas normais nos testes de germinação e de envelhecimento acelerado. Tanto a antecipação quanto o retardamento da época de semeadura foram desfavoráveis à produção de sementes de soja com relação à qualidade sanitária

Brazil nuts almonds - nutritional aspects and market

[POR] Neste artigo apresentam-se informações relacionadas à composição da amêndoa de castanha-do-Pará ou castanha-do-brasil, à essencialidade dos diferentes tipos de ácidos graxos, às necessidades humanas diárias desses componentes e à contribuição da amêndoa de castanha-do-brasil no seu suprimento. São analisadas a produção, a importação e a exportação mundial nos últimos 20 anos, assim como a participação da amêndoa da castanha-do-brasil no agronegócio brasileiro e sua comercialização. A análise estatística evidencia uma clara desvantagem no mercado internacional para o Brasil, que se mantém como segundo exportador mundial de amêndoa de castanha-do-brasil, porém com taxa de crescimento da exportação negativa (-6,01%), contrastando com seu principal competidor, a Bolívia, primeiro exportador mundial, com uma taxa de crescimento da exportação de 8,72%. Com relação à produção, também ocorre o mesmo, desvantagem para o Brasil, com uma taxa de crescimento da produção de castanha-do-brasil negativa (-1,28%) enquanto seu principal competidor (Bolívia) alcança 5,10%. Com relação ao aspecto nutricional, destacam-se a importância dos ácidos graxos (ômega 6 e 9) que compõem a amêndoa de castanha-do-brasil para a nutrição humana e as recomendações diárias de ácidos graxos nas diferentes fases do crescimento humano. [SPA] This paper presents information related to the composition of brazil nut almonds, the essentiality of different types of fat acids, the human daily intake needs of those components and the contribution of brazil nut almonds in its supply. Production and world imports and exports during the last 20 years were analyzed, as well as the participation of brazil nut almonds in the Brazilian agribusiness and its commercialization. The statistical analysis evidenced a disadvantage of Brazil in the international market. As second world exporter of brazil nut almonds, Brazil has a negative growth rate of its exports (-6.01%) while its main competitor Bolivia, who is the first world exporter of brazil nut almonds, has export growth rate of 8.72%. Considering production, again Brazil is disadvantaged, with a negative growth rate of brazil nuts production (-1.28%), while Bolivia's growth rate reaches 5.10%. Regarding the nutritional aspect, the paper emphasizes the importance of the fat acids (omega 6 and 9) that compose the brazil nut almonds to human nutrition and the daily intake recommendations of fat acids in different phases of human growth

Produção científica e tecnológica das regiões metropolitanas brasileiras

Este artigo faz uma avaliação da produção científica e tecnológica das regiões metropolitanas no Brasil a partir de estatísticas de patentes (depositadas no INPI) e de artigos científicos (indexados pelo ISI). O trabalho está dividido em cinco seções. A seção 1 resenha brevemente a literatura sobre interação entre ciência e tecnologia, desde o ponto de vista da abordagem dos sistemas nacionais de inovação. A seção 2 apresenta as bases de dados e um quadro geral da produção científica e tecnológica do Brasil. A seção 3 focaliza as regiões metropolitanas do Brasil, avaliando a distribuição das atividades científicas e tecnológicas entre elas e comparando-a com outros países. A seção 4 avalia as diferentes especializações científicas e tecnológicas das regiões metropolitanas avaliadas. A seção 5 conclui o trabalho.

Perfil epidemiológico y molecular de pacientes con cáncer de pulmón en un centro oncológico referencial de Lima, Perú.

Background: According to GLOBOCAN estimates, in 2020, lung cancer was the second most frequent cancer and epidemiological information is needed in Latin American countries. The objective was to describe the epidemiological and molecular characteristics of lung cancer patients from a referral clinic in Lima, Peru. Material and methods: A retrospective cohort study was conducted to characterize the epidemiological and molecular profile of lung cancer patients attended at a referral cancer center in Peru during 2018 to 2021. Variables such as age, sex, histology, staging and mutation were reported. In the descriptive analysis, frequencies and percentages were shown for categorical variables. For numerical variables, the best measure of central tendency and dispersion was reported. Results: A total of 225 patients with a diagnosis of lung cancer were observed. EGFR gene mutation was the most frequently detected (45.3%); and within them exon 19 deletion (55.7%). The most frequent histological type was adenocarcinoma with 180 patients (85.7%). Of the total number of patients with EGFR mutation, 77.8% received treatment with a tyrosine kinase inhibitor (osimertinib, erlotinib, afatinib) and 15.9% received immunotherapy (pembrolizumab, atezolizumab, nivolumab). Conclusions: The predominant mutation was EGFR, the most frequent histologic type was adenocarcinoma and most patients received treatment with a tyrosine kinase inhibitor.Introducción: Según estimaciones del GLOBOCAN, en 2020, el cáncer de pulmón fue el segundo más frecuente y se necesita información epidemiológica en países latinoamericanos. El objetivo fue describir las características epidemiológicas y moleculares de pacientes con cáncer de pulmón de una clínica referencial de Lima, Perú. Material y métodos: Se realizó un estudio cohorte retrospectiva para caracterizar el perfil epidemiológico y molecular de los pacientes con cáncer pulmón atendidos en un centro oncológico referencial del Perú durante 2018 al 2021. Se reportaron variables como edad, sexo, histología, estadiaje y mutación. En el análisis descriptivo, se mostraron frecuencias y porcentajes para las variables categóricas. En el caso de las variables numéricas, se reportó la mejor medida de tendencia central y de dispersión. Resultados: Se observó un total de 225 pacientes con diagnóstico de cáncer de pulmón. La mutación del gen EGFR fue la más frecuentemente detectada (45.3%); y dentro de ellas la deleción del exón 19 (55.7%). El tipo histológico más frecuente fue de Adenocarcinoma con 180 pacientes (85.7%). Del total de paciente con mutación en el EGFR, el 77.8% recibió tratamiento con algún inhibidor de tirosin kinasa (osimertinib, erlotinib, afatinib) y un 15.9% recibieron inmunoterapia (pembrolizumab, atezolizumab, nivolumab). Conclusiones: La mutación predominante fue el EGFR, el tipo histológico más frecuente fue el adenocarcinoma y la mayoría de pacientes recibió tratamiento con un inhibidor de tirosin kinasa

Towards the solution of the many-electron problem in real materials: Equation of state of the hydrogen chain with state-of-the-art many-body methods

We present numerical results for the equation of state of an infinite chain of hydrogen atoms. A variety of modern many-body methods are employed, with exhaustive cross-checks and validation. Approaches for reaching the continuous space limit and the thermodynamic limit are investigated, proposed, and tested. The detailed comparisons provide a benchmark for assessing the current state of the art in many-body computation, and for the development of new methods. The ground-state energy per atom in the linear chain is accurately determined versus bond length, with a confidence bound given on all uncertainties