Pathogenic hantaviruses, northeastern Argentina and eastern Paraguay

Fil: Padula, Paula. ANLIS Dr.C.G.Malbrán. Instituto Nacional de Enfermedades Infecciosas. Departamento de Virología. Laboratorio de Hantavirus; Argentina.Fil: Martínez, Valeria Paula. ANLIS Dr.C.G.Malbrán. Instituto Nacional de Enfermedades Infecciosas; Argentina.Fil: Bellomo, Carla. ANLIS Dr.C.G.Malbrán. Instituto Nacional de Enfermedades Infecciosas; Argentina.Fil: Maidana, Silvina. ANLIS Dr.C.G.Malbrán. Instituto Nacional de Enfermedades Infecciosas; Argentina.Fil: San Juan, Jorge. Hospital de Enfermedades Infecciosas “Francisco J. Muñiz,”; Argentina.Fil: Tagliaferri, Paulina. Hospital de Pediatría de Posadas; Argentina.Fil: Bargardi, Severino. Universidad Nacional de Misiones; Argentina.Fil: Vazquez, Cynthia. Laboratorio Central de Salud Pública; Paraguay.Fil: Colucci, N. Colucci, N. Ministerio de Salud Pública y Bienestar Social. Laboratorio Central de Salud Pública; Paraguay.Fil: Estévez, Julio. Ministerio de Salud Pública Provincial, Misiones; Argentina.Fil: Almirón, María. Instituto de Investigaciones en Ciencias de la Salud; Paraguay.We describe the first, to our knowledge, cases of hantavirus pulmonary syndrome in northeastern Argentina and eastern Paraguay. Andes and Juquitiba (JUQ) viruses were characterized. JUQV was also confi rmed in 5 Oligoryzomys nigripes reservoir species from Misiones. A novel Akodonborne genetic hantavirus lineage was detected in 1 rodent from the Biologic Reserve of Limoy

Pathogenic hantaviruses, northeastern Argentina and eastern Paraguay

Fil: Padula, Paula. ANLIS Dr.C.G.Malbrán. Instituto Nacional de Enfermedades Infecciosas. Departamento de Virología. Laboratorio de Hantavirus; Argentina.Fil: Martínez, Valeria Paula. ANLIS Dr.C.G.Malbrán. Instituto Nacional de Enfermedades Infecciosas; Argentina.Fil: Bellomo, Carla. ANLIS Dr.C.G.Malbrán. Instituto Nacional de Enfermedades Infecciosas; Argentina.Fil: Maidana, Silvina. ANLIS Dr.C.G.Malbrán. Instituto Nacional de Enfermedades Infecciosas; Argentina.Fil: San Juan, Jorge. Hospital de Enfermedades Infecciosas “Francisco J. Muñiz,”; Argentina.Fil: Tagliaferri, Paulina. Hospital de Pediatría de Posadas; Argentina.Fil: Bargardi, Severino. Universidad Nacional de Misiones; Argentina.Fil: Vazquez, Cynthia. Laboratorio Central de Salud Pública; Paraguay.Fil: Colucci, N. Colucci, N. Ministerio de Salud Pública y Bienestar Social. Laboratorio Central de Salud Pública; Paraguay.Fil: Estévez, Julio. Ministerio de Salud Pública Provincial, Misiones; Argentina.Fil: Almirón, María. Instituto de Investigaciones en Ciencias de la Salud; Paraguay.We describe the first, to our knowledge, cases of hantavirus pulmonary syndrome in northeastern Argentina and eastern Paraguay. Andes and Juquitiba (JUQ) viruses were characterized. JUQV was also confi rmed in 5 Oligoryzomys nigripes reservoir species from Misiones. A novel Akodonborne genetic hantavirus lineage was detected in 1 rodent from the Biologic Reserve of Limoy

Designing Marine Protected Areas for the South American Sea Lion (Otaria byronia) in the Argentine Patagonia

This work looks into the conservation of South American sea lions (SSL), Otaria byronia1 by advancing a process of Marine Protected Area (MPA) design targeted for reproductive females during the first weeks of lactation. Focusing on protection of a single species may result in the establishment of a more comprehensive and ecologically functional system for management. SSL is distributed in the Atlantic and the Pacific coasts of South America. Along the coast of the Argentine Patagonian coast, 73 colonies were described, 42 % of which are reproductive. Breeding females give birth during the austral summer (January) and lactation lasts ca. one year. Critical to the annual cycle are the few weeks after birth, when mothers spend 2-3 days nursing and a similar or longer time at sea foraging, while pups remain alone on shore. Satellite tracking and dive recording instruments indicate that females are either coastal or pelagic in their feeding habits, but the latter travel relatively short distances from colony (mean 152 km). SSL are bottom foragers that dive to maximum depths of approximately 80 m. Optimizing travel and foraging time is critical for these animals, as pups left alone fast and are threatened by both starvation and being accidentally crushed by fighting adult males. Foraging areas overlap with fishing grounds, sea lions are caught in fishing gear and competition for food cannot be ignored. Yet, although 20 of the 31 existing breeding colonies are within coastal protected areas, none of the foraging areas have been considered for protection to minimize the consequences of interactions with fisheries. This work draws from very limited data to advance a process of design of Marine Protected Areas that is eminently practical, thus affordable to government wildlife administrators. I selected the most important colonies, based on location and abundance, integrated satellite locations at sea, analyzed potential associations with physical variables, and proposed criteria to decide important marine areas based on distribution at sea. Finally, I estimated the cost for fisheries to comply with the proposed conservation intervention scenarios. Foraging distribution did not follow a pattern consistent with physical oceanographic variables (sea surface temperature, productivity, bathymetry and seafloor composition) to guide conservation intervention. Bathymetry was the best proxy to help in the design of protected areas. Most of the conservation scenarios based on distribution at sea of lactating females did not strongly overlap with fisheries to justify conservation intervention. The colonies that did, however, involved the largest breeding colonies of Argentine Patagonia and Uruguay. In a context of closing the fisheries for the area of overlap and compensate for the loses during one month, I estimate a conservation cost of 2-3 million dollars, as the impact is on the most profitable of all Argentine Patagonian fisheries, targeting Argentine red shrimp, Pleoticus muelleri. I conclude that management that includes MPAs for this species requires a priori spatial planning considerations. Once a fishery is operational, the costs for conservation will not be affordable for the administrators. I identified some areas where an a priori approach would be practical, effective and feasible

Inspiratory muscle training: integrative review of use in conditions other than COPD.

Inspiratory muscle training (IM training) is a technique that is designed to improve the performance of the respiratory muscles (RMs) that may be impaired in a variety of conditions. Interest in IM training has expanded over the past two decades, and IM training has been used in an increasingly wide range of clinical conditions. However, the benefits of IM training continue to be debated, primarily because of methodological limitations of studies conducted to date. The focus of this article is to provide a critical review of IM training research in conditions other than chronic obstructive pulmonary disease for which it has been used, including asthma, bronchiectasis, cystic fibrosis, pre- and postsurgery, ventilator weaning, neuromuscular diseases, and chronic heart failure. Emphasis is placed on what has been learned, remaining questions, future applications, and significance to practice

Long-term married couples\u27 health promotion behaviors: Identifying factors that impact decision-making

Knowledge about health promotion behaviors and their determinants in older individuals is scant. Even less is known about persons in long-term marriages, although a growing interdependence in health decision-making has been suggested. The purpose of this study was to identify determinants of health promotion activities in older adults who were in long-term marriages. Pender\u27s Health Promotion Model and a proposed re-conceptualization of Pender\u27s interpersonal influences were used to guide selection of study variables. Perceived barriers and perceived self-efficacy, two behavior-specific cognitions, and relationship quality and social support, proposed interpersonal influences, were hypothesized to predict participation in health promotion behaviors. A convenience sample of 80 individuals in long-term marriages was recruited. Regression analysis identified four predictor variables as explaining 31% of the participation in health promotion behaviors: relationship quality, perceived barriers, perceived self-efficacy, and social support. Implications for nursing practice and for further research are discussed

Inspiratory muscle training: integrative review.

This article provides a critical review of inspiratory muscle training (IMT) in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Although extensive research on IMT has accumulated, its benefits have been debated, primarily because of methodological limitations of studies. Using relevant key words, multiple databases were searched from 1966. Selected studies used PImax (maximal inspiratory pressure) as an outcome variable. Overall, research demonstrated that a standard protocol of 30% or higher for a duration of 20 to 30 minutes per day for 10 to 12 weeks improves dyspnea and inspiratory strength and endurance with either inspiratory resistive or inspiratory threshold training. Regardless of method, IMT protocols for people with COPD and inspiratory muscle weakness and dyspnea are generally safe, feasible, and effective. Patient selectivity and study of subgroups are recommended

A home-based nurse-coached inspiratory muscle training intervention in heart failure

People with heart failure (HF) are living longer but with disabling dyspnea that erodes quality of life (QOL). Decreased strength of inspiratory muscles (IMs) may contribute to dyspnea in HF, and inspiratory muscle training (IMT) has been shown to improve the strength of IMs. The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of a 3-month nurse-coached IMT program. Bandura\u27s Self-Efficacy Theory directed nursing interventions. This randomized controlled trial employed an experimental group (IMT) and a control group (education). Data were collected during six home visits. Outcome measures included maximal inspiratory pressure, perceived dyspnea, self-efficacy, and health-related QOL. Significant differences in PImax, dyspnea, and respiratory rate were found. Implications for further research and practice are discussed. © 2009 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved

Strengthening Primary Health Care with Family and Community Medicine in Brazil

This paper reviews the development of the specialty of family medicine with attention to strategies that may be used to strengthen Brazilian health care with appropriately trained family doctors. These strategies include establishing academic departments of family and community medicine in all Brazilian medical schools, ensuring a common core curriculum in training programs, and defining standards for the evaluation and certification of family doctors. These strategies could enhance the quality, scope and effectiveness of the Brazilian Family Healthcare Program.O presente artigo resgata o desenvolvimento da Medicina de Família e Comunidade como especialidade, com enfoque nas estratégias capazes de fortalecer o sistema de saúde brasileiro com médicos de família adequadamente capacitados. Tais estratégias envolvem o estabelecimento de departamentos de Medicina de Família e Comunidade em todas as escolas médicas brasileiras, a garantia de um currículo básico comum para os programas de treinamento e a definição de padrões para a avaliação e a certificação de médicos de família. A implementação destas estratégias pode contribuir para um aumento da qualidade, abrangência e eficácia do Programa Saúde Família Brasileiro