Edificio clínico en Suiza

Por necesidades de la Confederación Suiza se ha construido un servicio médico de control en la frontera de Brigue con Italia destinado a los obreros italianos que entran a Suiza por esta población. Al objeto, los Ferrocarriles federales pusieron a su disposición un terreno en el andén núm. I de la estación, entre dos edificios ya existentes, con la condición de revestir su propiedad a aquel Organismo en el momento en que deje de ser útil a la Confederación. En este caso se prevé una fácil adaptación del edificio para oficinas

Casa de alta montaña

En Rosswald, dominando el valle del Ródano y a 1.800 m de altura, está situada esta pequeña vivienda, de construcción sencilla y línea graciosa, cuya misión es el procurar refugio y descanso a sus habitantes, que, según costumbre tradicional, pasan en la región un mínimo de dos meses al año

Gender differences in presentation and diagnosis of chest pain in primary care

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Chest pain is a common complaint and reason for consultation in primary care. Research related to gender differences in regard to Coronary Heart Disease (CHD) has been mainly conducted in hospital but not in primary care settings. We aimed to analyse gender differences in aetiology and clinical characteristics of chest pain and to provide gender related symptoms and signs associated with CHD.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>We included 1212 consecutive patients with chest pain aged 35 years and older attending 74 general practitioners (GPs). GPs recorded symptoms and findings of each patient and provided follow up information. An independent interdisciplinary reference panel reviewed clinical data of every patient and decided about the aetiology of chest pain at the time of patient recruitment. Multivariable regression analysis was performed to identify clinical predictors that help to rule in or out CHD in women and men.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Women showed more psychogenic disorders (women 11,2%, men 7.3%, p = 0.02), men suffered more from CHD (women 13.0%, men 17.2%, p = 0.04), trauma (women 1.8%, men 5.1%, p < 0.001) and pneumonia/pleurisy (women 1.3%, men 3.0%, p = 0.04) Men showed significantly more often chest pain localised on the right side of the chest (women 9.1%, men 25.0%, p = 0.01). For both genders known clinical vascular disease, pain worse with exercise and age were associated positively with CHD. In women pain duration above one hour was associated positively with CHD, while shorter pain durations showed an association with CHD in men. In women negative associations were found for stinging pain and in men for pain depending on inspiration and localised muscle tension.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>We found gender differences in regard to aetiology, selected clinical characteristics and association of symptoms and signs with CHD in patients presenting with chest pain in a primary care setting. Further research is necessary to elucidate whether these differences would support recommendations for different diagnostic approaches for CHD according to a patient's gender.</p

Effects of Immune Serum on Macrophage Infection with Leishmania

Leishmaniasis is a vector-borne disease caused by single-celled parasites in the genus Leishmania. More than 20 different species of Leishmania infect humans, with several occurring within the same geographical area. The disease is spread when an infected sand fly feeds on a susceptible mammalian host. Leishmania parasites are injected into the mammalian host during a blood meal; upon entry into the body, the parasites infect white blood cells, macrophages. Leishmaniasis symptoms vary and may elicit: no symptoms, skin sores, weight loss, fever, internal organ enlargement, or death depending on the species of parasite and susceptibility of the host. Previous experiments have shown that the susceptible BALB/c mouse, infected with a low dose of cutaneous L. major and challenged with L. infantum develop exacerbated disease with higher parasite burden relative to naive mice. The immune response generated to L. infantum had little notable difference between L. major exposed and naive mice. Cross-reactive antibodies were noted in both groups regardless of immune history. The present study focuses on the role of cross-reactive antibodies in uptake of Leishmania parasites by macrophages using immune serum containing antibodies. A mouse macrophage cell line was exposed to Leishmania parasites and either control serum or L. major-infected serum. Cells were exposed to parasites and serum for 24, 48, or 72 hours and then stained to visualize internal parasites. This study aims to reveal if preexisting antibodies to one species of Leishmania leads to the disease exacerbation seen upon exposure to a different species

Physiologically low oxygen concentrations in fetal skin regulate hypoxia-inducible factor 1 and transforming growth factor-beta3.

In the first-trimester mammalian fetus, skin wounds heal with perfect reconstitution of the dermal architecture without scar formation. Understanding environmental molecular regulation in fetal wound healing may reveal scar-limiting therapeutical strategies for the prevention of postnatal scarring wound repair. Therefore, we performed studies on fetal skin oxygenation and skin and wound expression of hypoxia-inducible factor 1alpha (HIF-1alpha) in the sheep model in vivo and performed studies on the potential relevance of HIF-1alpha during wound healing in vitro. Skin oxygen partial pressure levels were hypoxic throughout normal development. In nonscarring fetal skin at gestation day (GD)60, HIF-1alpha could be detected neither in healthy nor in wounded tissue. At GD100, in wounds with minimal scar formation, HIF-1alpha was expressed in fibroblasts and was markedly up-regulated at the wound edge. In scarring fetal wounds at GD120, HIF-1alpha was predominantly expressed in inflammatory cells. Expression of transforming growth factor beta3 (TGF-beta3), a potent antiscarring cytokine, overlapped with HIF-1a expression at GD100. HIF-1alpha-deficient mouse embryonic fibroblasts showed impaired migratory capabilities and demonstrated that TGF-beta3, but not proscarring TGF-beta1, manifests hypoxia- and HIF-1alpha-dependent regulation. In conclusion, HIF-1alpha-dependent regulation of a potent antiscarring cytokine may provide new strategies for antiscarring manipulation of wound healing