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

Happiness around the world: A combined etic-emic approach across 63 countries.

What does it mean to be happy? The vast majority of cross-cultural studies on happiness have employed a Western-origin, or "WEIRD" measure of happiness that conceptualizes it as a self-centered (or "independent"), high-arousal emotion. However, research from Eastern cultures, particularly Japan, conceptualizes happiness as including an interpersonal aspect emphasizing harmony and connectedness to others. Following a combined emic-etic approach (Cheung, van de Vijver & Leong, 2011), we assessed the cross-cultural applicability of a measure of independent happiness developed in the US (Subjective Happiness Scale; Lyubomirsky & Lepper, 1999) and a measure of interdependent happiness developed in Japan (Interdependent Happiness Scale; Hitokoto & Uchida, 2015), with data from 63 countries representing 7 sociocultural regions. Results indicate that the schema of independent happiness was more coherent in more WEIRD countries. In contrast, the coherence of interdependent happiness was unrelated to a country's "WEIRD-ness." Reliabilities of both happiness measures were lowest in African and Middle Eastern countries, suggesting these two conceptualizations of happiness may not be globally comprehensive. Overall, while the two measures had many similar correlates and properties, the self-focused concept of independent happiness is "WEIRD-er" than interdependent happiness, suggesting cross-cultural researchers should attend to both conceptualizations

Interchangeability of biological drugs: Considerations about the approval of biogeneric formulations in Chile Intercambiabilidad de medicamentos de origen biológico (biofármacos): Consideraciones acerca de la aprobación de formulaciones biosimilares (biog

Once drug patents expire, the health authorities can approve the registry of similar products. They must request to the manufacturer, the bibliographic background of the original product and the analytical results that certify drug quality. An inspection of the premises of the manufacturer is also required. The main goal of this approval is to decrease cost, considering that the original product is usually more expensive. This is a current situation due to the imminent expiration of the patents of many biopharmaceutical products. Therefore, in Chile, the Public Health (ISP) and the Ministry of Health should consider that for this kind of products, until now, there are no interchangeable generic drugs, and that the similar drugs that are offered have a different chemical composition, since they have been manufactured through different processes. In the case of biological drugs (e.g. erythropoietir, somatotropin, heparin) the quality and homogeneity depend from the manufacture process.

Identificación de peligros en la tapa de cimentación en dos (2) empresas del sector de la construcción arquitectónicas, en Santiago de Cali, Valle del Cauca 2016

Este trabajo se realizará utilizando metodología de investigación descriptiva, el cual permite conocer la situación actual de ambas empresas, la problemática existente en cuanto a la accidentalidad y el comportamiento de los miembro de la organización. Nos permite encontrar similitudes existentes entre las dos empresas en cuanto al proceso constructivo y control de peligros.Introducción .................................................................................................................................. 71. Justificación ............................................................................................................................ 92 Planteamgiento del problema ............................................................................................. 113. Objetivos ............................................................................................................................... 144. Marco referencial ................................................................................................................ 155. Metodología .......................................................................................................................... 556 Análisis y Resultados ........................................................................................................... 687 Conclusiones ....................................................................................................................... 1298 Recomendaciones ............................................................................................................... 131Bibliografía ................................................................................................................................ 133PregradoProfesional en Seguridad y Salud en el Trabaj

Farmacogenómica: Aplicaciones cardiovasculares

Las enfermedades cardiovasculares constituyen un importante problema de salud pública al ser la principal causa de morbilidad y mortalidad en el mundo. Por ello, existe la creciente necesidad de tratamientos farmacoterapéuticos más eficaces y seguros. Sin embargo, a pesar de que los médicos prescriben fármacos sobre la base de las características farmacológicas del medicamento y la probabilidad de obtener resultados clínicamente reproducibles, muchos de los fármacos son eficaces sólo entre 25-60% de los pacientes. En este sentido es que la Farmacogenómica, a través del estudio de variantes genéticas de proteínas involucradas en la farmacocinética y farmacodinamia de los medicamentos, persigue maximizar su eficacia y seguridad. Este trabajo pretende dar una visión general acerca de farmacogenómica cardiovascular y la posibilidad de utilizar, en la consulta clínica, herramientas genéticas para apoyar la decisión farmacoterapéutica, con el objeto de mejorar la respuesta al tratamiento de enfermedades cardiovasculares, un paso hacia la medicina personalizada en Chile

Estudio de polimorfismos genéticos en CYP3A4 y CYP2D6, y su papel en la susceptibilidad a cáncer de mama

Background: Breast cancer is the first cause of death in women in Chile and worldwide. One of the causing factors is the exposition to endogenous and exogenous estrogens which stimulate cell proliferation. Estrogens are metabolized by cytochrome P450 enzymes, mainly CYP3A4 and CYP2D6, which participate in estradiol hydroxylation to 2-hydroxyestradiol and/ or 4-hydroxyestradiol, facilitating their excretion from the body. Thus, polymorphisms in these enzymes alter the plasma estrogen concentration and its excretion rate. Moreover, CYP3A4*1B polymorphism have been associated to breast cancer risk and also with early menarche. Goal: To establish potential associations between breast cancer risk and CYP3A4*1B and CYP2D6*4 genetic variants in patients compared with healthy volunteers. Methods: The Research was authorized by the Ethical Comitee of Military Hospital of Santiago, Chile. Patients signed an informed consent and genomic DNA was obtained for genotyping of CYP3A4 and CYP2D6 through PCR-RFLP. Results: Obtained genotype frequencies in patients for CYP3A4*1B were: 0.821 for CYP3A4*1/*1; 0.184 for CYP3A4*1/*1B; 0.789 for CYP2D6*1/*1 and 0.211 for CYP2D6*1/*4. No recessive homozygote mutant genotypes were detected in patients (CYP3A4*1B/*1B or CYP2D6*4/*4). enotype frequencies for healthy volunteers were 0.890 for CYP3A4*1/*1; 0.110 for CYP3A4*1/*1B; 0.735 for CYP2D6*1/*1; 0.245 for CYP2D6*1/*4 and 0.019 for CYP2D6*4/*4. It was observed a higher frequency of CYP3A4*1/*1B in patients in relation to healthy volunteers, however the difference was not statistically significant. Conclusions: This research is a first approach to the study of breast cancer susceptibility associated to CYP3A4 and CYP2D6 variants in Chilean patients. Even though we do not find an statistically significant association, the potential relationship observed for CYP3A4*1B (OR=1,83, IC=0,63-5,22, p= 0,212) should be confirmed in a bigger study, so that these findings could be extrapolated to clinical therapeutics in breast cancer patients in order to favor early detection of the risk to acquire the pathology

Differences in specific chloride toxicity to Diospyros kaki cv. “Rojo Brillante” grafted on D. lotus and D. virginiana

Persimmon trees grafted on D. lotus have been found to be extensively affected by leaf necrosis in the important cropping area of Valencia (E Spain). Although this problem has been attributed to chloride toxicity, this association had not been rigorously demonstrated. In addition the chloride and salinity tolerance of persimmons grafted on D. lotus has not been characterised, and neither has the performance of this rootstock been compared to D. virginiana. Two outdoors experiments, one in pots, and another one in the field were set up and conducted for three years with trees grafted on both rootstocks. Trees in the pots experiment were arranged in five groups and irrigated with waters differing in their salt and thus, Cl−, Ca2+ and Na+ water contents. Season-end leaf contents of Na, Cl, N, P, K, Ca, Mg, S, B, Cu, Fe, Mn and Zn, toxicity symptoms and fruit yields were assessed. In the field experiment, one irrigation water quality was used, and just leaf chloride contents, water potential and fruit yields were evaluated. Field toxicity symptoms were reproduced in the pots experiment in the trees on D. lotus, but not on D. virginiana, with leaf chloride contents increasing with increasing irrigation water salinity. Leaf chloride contents were much higher than either sodium or boron, and significantly more correlated with toxicity symptoms. Comparing to chloride toxicity and salinity tolerance data from similar woody crops, D. lotus was classified as sensitive to salinity with, respectively, threshold ECe and slope of 1.2 dS m−1 and 22 dS−1 m. D. lotus rootstocks lend persimmon trees very lower ability to avoid chloride toxicity likely because of, on the one hand, its low soil exploration capacity, and, on the other hand, its low chloride exclusion capacity. In return, however, D. lotus lends persimmon trees more productivity, which still keeps for waters with slight-to-moderate chloride contents (3–4 mmol/L).F. Visconti thanks the financial support received from the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (MINECO) through grant “Juan de la Cierva” (JCI-2011-11254) during the 2012–2015 triennium.Peer reviewe