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Biomedical subjects

A L Guerrero

Publications and source records attributed to A L Guerrero.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2005

Treatment of wastewater containing high phenol concentrations using stabilisation ponds enriched with activated sludge.

Treatment of wastewater containing high phenol concentrations (up to 4,000 mg/l, 1,600 kg/ha.d) in laboratory-scale stabilisation ponds enriched with activated sludge was studied. Phenol was biodegraded efficiently, even when fed as the sole carbon source. At influent concentrations of 1,000, 1,300, 1,600, 1,900, 2,500, 3,000 and 4,000 mg/l of phenol (loading rates of 400, 520, 640, 760, 1,000, 1,200 and 1,600 kg phenol/ha.d), the phenol removal efficiencies were 92, 89, 81, 81, 76, 65 and 22%, respectively. At 4,000 mg/l of phenol, the enriched ponds were significantly inhibited. The maximum phenol removal rate observed was 780 kg/ha.d, which is 7.7 times higher than the maximum value reported for attached-growth waste stabilisation ponds. All along the experiments, the enriched ponds showed removal rates 1.8-20.5 times higher than the values observed in control pond (not enriched). The results suggest that enrichment is an effective method to increase xenobiotic removal rates of stabilisation ponds.

Biodegradation, Environmental↗
PubMed2004

[A legendary neurological disease favored the refoundation of the diocese of Palencia].

INTRODUCTION: At the beginning of the XI century, the diocese of Palencia, Spain, was refounded and politically empowered following the indications of Sancho III, King of Pamplona. Beginning in the XIII century orally and then after the XV century in several written documents, there is a legend that explains this historical event by the miraculous cure of the King for an apparent neurological disease. CLINICAL DESCRIPTION: One day, when he was about 42 years old, King Sancho III was hunting near the river Carrion. Following the trail of a wild boar, he entered a ruined crypt in which the mortal remains of the martyr Saint Antolín laid. Just when he was going to kill the animal, the King abruptly suffered weakness in his right arm, which made him drop his lance. On his knees and aware of his disease, and praying sorrowfully, the King recovered the mobility of his arm and left the crypt cured. RESULTS: We analyzed the written documents and artistic representations that recall this legendary episode. We reviewed the political reasons, apart from mere religious events, that might have persuaded Sancho III to empower the land of Palencia. CONCLUSIONS: We have had the opportunity of reviewing a beautiful legend of our medieval Spain, which could correspond to one of the first ever-existing descriptions of a cardioembolic transient ischemic attack.

Catholicism↗
PubMed2003

[Parkinson's disease of Adolf Hitler and its influence in the development of World War Second].

Adolf Hitler very probably suffered from Parkinson's disease. The first symptoms of it began to appear in 1937/1938. It is likely that its appearance, and the fear that it caused regarding his survival, lead Hitler to advance his initial projects of military expansion of the great Germany beginning in 1943. Thus, the Second World War broke out in 1939, perhaps quite before the time in which Germany would be prepared. Chronic treatment carried out with opiates, cocaine, amphetamines, and strychnine may very well be related with a very abnormal judgement of the problems and absence of trust in the advice of his team. With this, he would make military decisions that would end up being ill-fated for his interests and which, after 1942, would lead to a change in the course of the war.

Famous Persons↗
PubMed2003

[Apolipoprotein E polymorphism as a predictor of progression of multiple sclerosis].

INTRODUCTION: During recent years, different studies have proposed that apolipoprotein E e4 can be a predictor of progression in multiple sclerosis. We aim to evaluate these findings in our country. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We studied 42 patients with relapsing remitting or secondary progressive multiple sclerosis, and a disease duration of at least 2 years. We correlated the presence or absence of e4 allele with markers of progression such as age of onset and diagnosis, disease duration, number of relapses, EDSS at 1, 2, 5 and 10 years, progression index and relapse rate. RESULTS: None of the parameters evaluated significantly correlate with e4 allele of the APOE. CONCLUSIONS: In spite of the limitation due to the small number of patients studied, we cannot confirm that APOE e4 allele is a predictor of progression of disability in multiple sclerosis.

Adult↗
PubMed2000

[Prospective epidemiologic study of headache in ambulatory neurology service in the province of Palencia].

OBJECTIVES: To study demographic data about the first time consultations for headache in our neurologic clinic, its diagnostic distribution, its diagnostic and therapeutic management by the neurologist, its source, and the influence of the primary care doctors formation in their search of neurological consultation and therapeutic management in patients with headache. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A protocol with several demographic clinical and medical care data of the all first time visits for headache in our province was picked up, during 3 consecutive months. RESULTS: Headaches represent 21.5% of the first time consultations. The majority of the patients were women. The primary care doctors sent 93.6% of patients. The two more common diagnoses were tension-type headache (60%) and migraine (25.4%), reflecting their prevalences in the population. The more common treatments were the associations of two drugs. The general doctors sent more patients with headache (3.36 per thousand and year) than family doctors (1.84 per thousand and year). The approximation between initial diagnosis (primary care doctor) and final diagnosis (neurologist) was 26.4%, greater for family doctors (38.1%) than for general doctors (23.9%). CONCLUSIONS: Headaches represent the first cause of neurological consultation. The diagnostic distribution of the patients sent to our province shows the prevalences in the population. The family medicine formation is useful for a better selection of the patients sent to neurologists and a better diagnostic approach.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1999

Effects of vitamin E on ozone-induced memory deficits and lipid peroxidation in rats.

Ozone exposure induces increased production of free radicals which may result in oxidative stress. The objectives of this study were to determine the antioxidant effects of vitamin E on memory deficits and lipid peroxidation due to oxidative stress caused by acute ozone exposure. Rats were exposed to 0.7 p.p.m. ozone for 4 h and 50 mg/kg vitamin E was administered either before or after exposure. Experiment 1 evaluated alterations in short-term and long-term memory in a passive avoidance task. Experiment 2 quantified lipid peroxidation levels of the striatum, hippocampus and frontal cortex. Vitamin E administered before or after ozone exposure blocked memory deterioration and increases in lipid peroxidation levels associated with oxidative stress.

Animals↗
PubMed1999

Neurological complications after cardiopulmonary bypass: An update.

INTRODUCTION: Neurological complications are, at the present time, considered among the most important causes of morbidity and mortality after heart surgery. We evaluated their importance and risk factors. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed 2, 528 consecutive patients who underwent cardiopulmonary bypass in a single center. In each one, we attended to previous vascular risk factors, such as surgical and postoperative events. We considered four categories of neurologic outcome: (1) persistent neurological focal deficits, (2) stupor or coma, (3) temporary neurological focal deficits, and (4) seizures. We carried out univariant and multivariant statistical analysis, looking for predictors of adverse neurologic events. RESULTS: Neurological complications occurred in 76 patients (3%); 36 of them (47%) had persistent neurological focal deficits, 18 (24%) stupor or coma, 18 (24%) temporary neurological focal deficits, and 27 (36%) seizures. Twenty-two patients with cerebral adverse outcomes died (29%), the overall mortality among the 2,528 cases being 5%. Predictors of risk were aortic aneurysm and aortic valve surgery, advanced age, female sex, and the use of intra-aortic balloon pump. A longer hospitalization time was noticed among patients with neurological side effects. DISCUSSION: Neurological complications are common and serious after heart surgery, as we have noticed with this series, the largest up to now, according to our review of the literature. They increase perioperative mortality and hospitalization time. Neurological morbidity and risk factors in our study are similar to those previously published.

Cardiopulmonary Bypass↗
PubMed1998

[Unilateral paresis of the fourth cranial nerve as the only symptom of mesencephalic ischemia].

INTRODUCTION: Lesions of the fourth cranial nerves are infrequently diagnosed in cases of disorder of the oculomotor nerves. Most authors consider head injury to be the usual cause of this lesion, which is also frequently seen in association with a microvascular lesion in persons with blood flow problems. CLINICAL CASE: We present the case of an isolated lesion of the trochlear nerve as a consequence of midbrain ischaemia. CONCLUSIONS: Vascular disorders of the brain stem are an uncommon cause of paresis of the superior oblique muscle of the eye and exceptional as the only symptom.

Aged↗
PubMed1998

Purification and characterization of a protease from Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae serotype 1, an antigen common to all the serotypes.

A high molecular-mass proteolytic enzyme of Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae serotype 1, was purified from culture supernatants (CSN) by using DEAE-cellulose and sepharose-4B-gelatin chromatography. In 10% SDS-polyacrylamide gels copolymerized with porcine gelatin, the protease showed a single band of activity of > 200 kDa. However, minor molecular-mass proteolytic bands were observed when the protease was electrophoresed in the presence of either 5% beta-mercaptoethanol, 50 mM dithiothreitol, or 0.25 M urea. Furthermore, when the > 200-kDa purified protein was passed through a sucrose gradient, several bands with proteolytic activity were found: 62, 90, 190, and 540 kDa. The proteolytic activity was increased in the presence of calcium or zinc and was not affected after being heated at 90 degrees C for 5 min. Proteolytic activities were also observed in CSN from all A. pleuropneumoniae serotypes and biotypes. The purified protease hydrolyzed porcine IgA and IgG in vitro. In addition, by immunoblot the protease was recognized by serum of naturally infected pigs with serotypes 1 and 5, and by serum of pigs experimentally infected with serotypes 1, 2, 8, or 9. Serum of a pig vaccinated with CSN of a serotype 3 strain also recognized the protease, but not sera of pigs vaccinated with a bacterin (serotype 1). Proteins from CSN of all the serotypes, which were precipitated with 70% (NH4)2SO4, were recognized by a polyclonal antibody raised against the purified protease. Taken together these results indicate that an antigenic protease is produced in vivo by all the serotypes of A. pleuropneumoniae. The results indicate that proteases could have a role in the disease and in the immune response of pigs infected with A. pleuropneumoniae.

Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae↗
PubMed1998

[Ischemic stroke in children].

OBJECTIVE: Ischemic stroke in children and infants is a rare condition. We present a series of 23 pediatric patients of ischemic stroke. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A retrospective series of 23 patients, aged between 1 month and 13 years, diagnosed by anamnesis, clinical examination and neuroimaging. The clinical picture, neuroimaging findings, etiology, evolution and sequelae are evaluated. RESULTS: Eighteen of the patients had an ischemic stroke in the carotid territory (78.3%) and 5 in the vertebro-basilar (21.7%). Idiopathic (30.4%), cardiopathy (21.7%) and migraine (17.4%) were the most frequent etiologies. The recovery was complete in 9 patients (39.1%). There was a death as a result of systemic complications caused by dehydration (4.3%), and 13 patients (56.6%) were disabled: 6 with hemiparesis of diverse grades, 5 with epilepsy and hemiparesis, one with epilepsy, and one with mental retardation. CONCLUSIONS: Ischemic stroke in children and infants is an unusual entity. The causes are multiple, although there is an elevated percentage of idiopathic cases. In our series, we highlight the significative percentage of vertebro-basilar strokes and the finding of three unusual etiologies in ischemic stroke in childhood, such as migraine, Mycoplasma pneumoniae infection and smallpox.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1998

[Fulminant angiopathy caused by allogenic transplantation of bone marrow with cerebral involvement: clinico-pathologic correlation].

We present a 41 woman who underwent an allogeneic bone marrow transplantation as a treatment for a multiple myeloma. After presenting graft-versus-host disease, hyperbilirubinemia, cyclosporine toxic levels, renal failure and peripheral schistocytosis, she developed complex partial seizures and bilateral hypodensity lesions in occipital lobes. Fulminant microangiopathy was diagnosed; though promptly treated with immunoglobulins and fenitoin, she died in few days. Necropsy showed diffuse thrombotic disease and a haematoma in left occipital lobe. We review the types of thrombotic microangiopathy described up to now, and the different pathogenic theories related to them. According to our reviewing of the literature, this is the first case of fulminant thrombotic microangiopathy ever described in Spanish language.

Adult↗
PubMed1998

[Neurological complications of aortic artery surgery].

INTRODUCTION: Improvement in cardiac surgery techniques has led to a considerable reduction in mortality following surgery of the aorta, dissection of the aorta and for aortic aneurysms. Although there are satisfactory vascular results following surgical repair, morbi-mortality related to neurological complications, both cerebral and spinal, is still very high. Repair of aortic lesions may lead to damage by two main mechanisms: ischemia secondary to prolonged obstruction of the aorta or to neurological lesions due to total circulatory arrest. DEVELOPMENT: After description of the mechanisms leading to cerebral and spinal lesions and the risk factors involved, we discuss methods of vascular protection and other means of neuro-protection, both spinal and cerebral. Of the vascular techniques for spinal protection, the most useful ones are short-circuits, or active or passive shunts, and cardiopulmonary by-pass. Amongst the vascular techniques for cerebral protection we describe total circulatory arrest and methods of anterograde and retrograde cerebral perfusion, and when these may be used. As general measures for nervous system protection, we describe the use of hypothermia and drugs such as corticosteroids, free radical blockers, antagonists of the excitatory amino-acids etc. CONCLUSIONS: In spite of the number of studies done, the extreme sensitivity of the nervous system to ischemia has meant that in few cases have encouraging results been seen. Neurological damage continues to be the main cause of morbi-mortality in patients with dissection or aneurysm of the aorta.

Aortic Dissection↗