Effect of NaCl concentration on the survival and growth of coliforms in raw seasoned sausages.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Animals↗
Biomedical subjects
A Vergara
Publications and source records attributed to A Vergara.
Behaviour of Listeria monocytogenes in anchovies during marination.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Animals↗
Analysis of the influence of coupled diffusion on transport in protein crystal growth for different gravity levels.
Diffusion has a central role in protein crystal growth both in microgravity conditions and on ground. Recently several reports have been focused on the importance to use the generalized Fick's equations in n-component systems where crystals grow. In these equations the total flux of each component is produced by the own concentration gradient (main flow) and by the concentration gradient of the other components (cross-flow) present in the system. However in literature the latter effect is often neglected, and the so-called pseudo-binary approximation is used. Lin et al. (1995) proposed a mathematical model to evaluate the concentration profile of the species present around a growing protein crystal. Although the model is reliable, it suffers of the pseudo-binary approximation (neglecting cross term diffusion coefficients and using binary diffusion coefficients), probably because of the lack of multicomponent diffusion data. The present model is based on the experimental set-up proposed by Lin et al. (1995). Nevertheless we have included the coupled diffusion effects, according to the correct description of the matter transport through the generalized Fick's equations. The crystal growth rate is calculated for different gravity levels. The model has been applied to the ternary lysozyme-NaCl-water and quaternary lysozyme-poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG)-NaCl-water systems using recent diffusion data.
Animals↗
Prognostic evaluation of bacteremia and fungemia in patients with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome.
The incidence of bacterial infections in general and of bacteremia in particular is high among patients with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). The factors influencing the prognosis of bacteremia in these patients are not well known. In order to better define those factors associated with a poor prognosis, all episodes of bacteremia or fungemia in patients with AIDS who were hospitalized in four general hospitals between 1 September 1987 and 31 December 1996 were studied prospectively. Among 1,390 patients diagnosed with AIDS, 238 (17.1%) developed 274 episodes of bacteremia or fungemia. Mortality related to bacteremia was 21.3%. Variables associated with high mortality were fungemia (odds ratio [OR], 6.19; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.99 - 19.28), hypotension (OR, 19.65; 95%CI, 7.42 - 52.07), inappropriate antimicrobial treatment (OR, 16.94; 95%CI, 4.92 - 58.32), and unknown origin of bacteremia (OR, 3.93; 95%CI, 1.58 - 9.76). The mortality rate among patients with at least one of these factors was 46.7%, whereas in patients without any of these factors, the rate was 4.9% ( P < 0.001). Bacteremic episodes of unknown origin were significantly more frequently associated with community acquisition ( P = 0.001), inappropriate antimicrobial treatment ( P = 0.04), and etiology by gram-negative microorganisms or fungi ( P < 0.001) and were significantly less frequently associated with the presence of a previous intravenous catheter ( P = 0.004), resulting in peculiar etiologic and epidemiological profiles. The factors that influence the outcome of AIDS patients who develop bacteremia are sometimes avoidable or known during the first days after admission. Therefore, knowledge about these factors could improve the prognosis of bloodstream infections in this population.
AIDS-Related Opportunistic Infections↗
Iron-induced oxidative stress up-regulates calreticulin levels in intestinal epithelial (Caco-2) cells.
Calreticulin, a molecular chaperone involved in the folding of endoplasmic reticulum synthesized proteins, is also a shock protein induced by heat, food deprivation, and chemical stress. Mobilferrin, a cytosolic isoform of calreticulin, has been proposed to be an iron carrier for iron recently incoming into intestinal cells. To test the hypothesis that iron could affect calreticulin expression, we investigated the possible associations of calreticulin with iron metabolism. To that end, using Caco-2 cells as a model of intestinal epithelium, the mass and mRNA levels of calreticulin were evaluated as a function of the iron concentration in the culture media. Increasing the iron content in the culture from 1 to 20 microM produced an increase in calreticulin mRNA and a two-fold increase in calreticulin. Increasing iron also induced oxidative damage to proteins, as assessed by the formation of 4-hydroxy-2-nonenal adducts. Co-culture of cells with the antioxidants quercetin, dimethyltiourea and N-acetyl cysteine abolished both the iron-induced oxidative damage and the iron-induced increase in calreticulin. We postulate that the iron-induced expression of calreticulin is part of the cellular response to oxidative stress generated by iron.
Acetylcysteine↗
Polymerase chain reaction for the direct detection of Brucella spp. in milk and cheese.
A polymerase chain reaction test was developed to detect Brucella spp. directly in milk and cheese and optimized using primers for the BSCP-31 gene. A total of 46 cheese samples produced with sheep and goats milk were assayed, and Brucella spp. was detected in 46% of them, especially in cheese made from sheep milk. This method is of remarkable epidemiologic interest because it is an indirect test indicating the sanitary quality of milk used in dairy industries. The method showed good sensitivity and specificity. It is faster and less expensive than the conventional bacteriological assays.
Animals↗
Mental health, social functioning, and attitudes of Kosovar Albanians following the war in Kosovo.
CONTEXT: The 1998-1999 war in Kosovo had a direct impact on large numbers of civilians. The mental health consequences of the conflict are not known. OBJECTIVES: To establish the prevalence of psychiatric morbidity associated with the war in Kosovo, to assess social functioning, and to identify vulnerable populations among ethnic Albanians in Kosovo. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: Cross-sectional cluster sample survey conducted from August to October 1999 among 1358 Kosovar Albanians aged 15 years or older in 558 randomly selected households across Kosovo. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Nonspecific psychiatric morbidity, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms, and social functioning using the General Health Questionnaire 28 (GHQ-28), Harvard Trauma Questionnaire, and the Medical Outcomes Study Short-Form 20 (MOS-20), respectively; feelings of hatred and a desire for revenge among persons surveyed as addressed by additional questions. RESULTS: Of the respondents, 17.1% (95% confidence interval [CI], 13.2%-21.0%) reported symptoms that met Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition criteria for PTSD; total mean score on the GHQ-28 was 11.1 (95% CI, 9.9-12.4). Respondents reported a high prevalence of traumatic events. There was a significant linear decrease in mental health status and social functioning with increasing amount of traumatic events (P</=.02 for all 3 survey tools). Populations at increased risk for psychiatric morbidity as measured by GHQ-28 scores were those aged 65 years or older (P =.006), those with previous psychiatric illnesses or chronic health conditions (P<.001 for both), and those who had been internally displaced (P =.009). Populations at risk for poorer social functioning were living in rural areas (P =.001), were unemployed (P =.046) or had a chronic illness (P =.01). Respondents scored highest on the physical functioning and role functioning subscales of the MOS-20 and lowest on the mental health and social functioning subscales. Eighty-nine percent of men and 90% of women reported having strong feelings of hatred toward Serbs. Fifty-one percent of men and 43% of women reported strong feelings of revenge; 44% of men and 33% of women stated that they would act on these feelings. CONCLUSIONS: Mental health problems and impaired social functioning related to the recent war are important issues that need to be addressed to return the Kosovo region to a stable and productive environment. JAMA. 2000;284:569-577
Adolescent↗
Brain cancer incidence in the provinces of Zaragoza and Navarre (Spain): effect of age, period and birth cohort.
Several studies have detected increases in malignant brain tumour incidence and mortality rates particularly among the elderly. We analyzed time trends in malignant brain tumors incidence in Zaragoza over the period 1973-1990 and Navarre over the period 1973-1991, two Spanish provinces that have been collecting data through their respective Cancer Registries for the last 20 years, using Poisson regression analysis of age, period of diagnosis and cohort. In general, age-adjusted rates showed a steady rise in both registries, except in the case of females in Navarre, for whom a decrease in risk was observed for the last period, 1988-1991. This increase is a reflection of the rise in incidence experienced by the elderly, since the cohorts successively register rates that are stable over time, and even downward in the case of females in Navarre. The risk run by generations born circa 1920-1930 was the highest encountered. Rates were higher in Navarre in both sexes and for all but the last period in females, when rates on the two registers stood level. Increasingly generalised use of CT scanning and magnetic resonance in the 1980s in Spain, coupled with better and more effective health care access for the elderly, are factors that may well have some bearing on these findings.
Adolescent↗
Hypocaloric support in the critically ill.
The critically ill patient exhibits a well defined endocrine and metabolic adaptive response to stressor agents, characterized by incremented resting energy expenditure (hypermetabolism, which is believed to signify increased energy requirements), accelerated whole-body proteolysis (hypercatabolism), and lipolysis. These phenomena occur in the acute stage, which is also characterized by hyperglycemia, typically accompanied by a hyperdynamic cardiovascular reaction manifested by high cardiac output, increased oxygen consumption, high body temperature, and decrease peripheral vascular resistance. High provisions of glucose-derived calories tend to accentuate these reactions and increase the degree of hyperglycemia. We have adopted a hypocaloric-hyperproteic regimen which is provided only during the first days of the flow phase of the adaptive response to injury, sepsis, or critical illness. Our regimen includes a daily supply of 100 to 200 g of glucose and 1.5 to 2.0 g of protein (synthetic amino acids) per kilogram of ideal body weight. We have analyzed the data on 107 critically ill patients, 70 men and 37 women, who were admitted to the surgical intensive care unit and who received nutritional support by the TPN hypocaloric modality for a minimum of 3 days. We found that the high caloric loads contained in TPN regimens results in additional metabolic stress, with consequent hyperdynamic cardiorespiratory repercussion, high CO2 production, and frequently hepatic steatosis. In contrast, our hypocaloric-hyperproteic approach has resulted in a more physiologic clinical course and considerable reduction in cost. The infusion of high glucose loads, such as those used in hypercaloric TPN, does not seem to suppress the excessive endogenous production of glucose but instead markedly exacerbates the hyperglycemia of the postinjury and acute stress condition. We believe that the hypocaloric-hyperproteic regimen we utilize during the first few days of the stress situation is more in accordance with the inflammatory and hormonal mediator climate of the initial stages of the flow phase and thus appears to be beneficial vis-à-vis the hypercaloric loads that many use as routine metabolic support in critically ill patients.
Adolescent↗
Comparative study of bacteremias caused by Enterococcus spp. with and without high-level resistance to gentamicin. The Grupo Andaluz para el estudio de las Enfermedades Infecciosas.
A prospective, multicenter study was carried out over a period of 10 months. All patients with clinically significant bacteremia caused by Enterococcus spp. were included. The epidemiological, microbiological, clinical, and prognostic features and the relationship of these features to the presence of high-level resistance to gentamicin (HLRG) were studied. Ninety-three patients with enterococcal bacteremia were included, and 31 of these cases were caused by HLRG (33%). The multivariate analysis selected chronic renal failure, intensive care unit stay, previous use of antimicrobial agents, and Enterococcus faecalis species as the independent risk factors that influenced the development of HLRG. The strains with HLRG showed lower levels of susceptibility to penicillin and ciprofloxacin. Clinical features (except for chronic renal failure) were similar in both groups of patients. HLRG did not influence the prognosis for patients with enterococcal bacteremia in terms of either the crude mortality rate (29% for patients with bacteremia caused by enterococci with HLRG and 28% for patients not infected with strains with HLRG) or the hospital stay after the acquisition of enterococcal bacteremia. Hemodynamic compromise, inappropriate antimicrobial therapy, and mechanical ventilation were revealed in the multivariate analysis to be the independent risk factors for mortality. Prolonged hospitalization was associated with the nosocomial acquisition of bacteremia and polymicrobial infections.
Adult↗
Rising incidence of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma in Spain: analysis of period of diagnosis and cohort effects.
Incidence trends in non-Hodgkin's lymphomas for the period 1973-1991 were studied using data from Spain's Zaragoza and Navarre registries. The overall rate of increase was 5.8% per year. Age-period-cohort models were used, also including sex and registry as explanatory variables. In these models, the variable period was categorized according to the observed changes in diagnostic availability during the length of the study. Non-Hodgkin's lymphomas increased with age, and rates were 31% lower in women. Incidence was almost 50% higher in Navarre, but differences in registry procedures might account for this discrepancy. The rise affects all adult age groups and seems to be the result of changes related not only to the period of diagnosis, mainly ascribable to improvements in diagnostic and coding practices, but also to the birth cohort. According to the model, the risk increased with on-coming generations at a rate of 1.5% per year. The AIDS epidemic in Spain is unable to explain this trend, although it may well exert a stronger influence in the future. Additional knowledge is required to understand the observed rise and to prevent the growing numbers of cases that are expected in years to come.
Adult↗
Childhood cancer incidence in Zaragoza and Navarre (Spain): 1973-1987.
Patterns and trends in childhood cancer incidence for Navarre and Zaragoza registries were studied over the 15-year period, 1973-1987. Overall cancer rates and rates for 10 specific types of cancer were analysed using a log-linear Poisson model or, alternatively, a gamma-Poisson model whenever overdispersion was present, with age, sex, registry and period being used as predictor variables. Childhood cancer was 30% more frequent in boys than in girls, and, except for lymphomas and bone tumours, incidence decreased remarkably with age. Adjusted rates were high in comparison with other European countries, particularly in the case of non-Hodgkin's lymphomas. Cancer rates proved somewhat higher in Navarre, but this difference attained statistical significance solely in the case of central nervous system tumours (rate ratio = 1.75; 95% confidence interval 1.21-2.54). A significant rise in overall incidence was observed (11% 5-yearly increase) due mainly to the upward trend in central nervous system tumours. While the rise in these tumours coincides with the period which witnessed the spread of computerised tomography in Spain, the trend nevertheless held steady over the last 5-year period, when access to this diagnostic technique had already become generalised nationwide.
Adolescent↗
Time trend and age-period-cohort effects on gastric cancer incidence in Zaragoza and Navarre, Spain.
STUDY OBJECTIVE: To describe time trends in gastric cancer incidence in Zaragoza and Navarre, and to investigate time period and birth cohort as determinants of such trends. DESIGN: Cases from two registries were grouped into five year intervals and the following were calculated: age specific and sex specific incidence rates, and the male to female ratio. Log linear models including age, period of diagnosis, and birth cohort were fitted. SETTING: The Zaragoza Cancer Registry covers the province of Zaragoza, which has a population of 824,776 (403,755 men and 421,021 women). The Navarre Cancer Registry covers the province of Navarre which has 512,512 inhabitants (254,786 men and 257,726 women). In both cases population figures were based on the late census. PATIENTS: These comprised incident cases of gastric cancer reported to the Zaragoza Cancer Registry in 1963-87 and to the Navarre Cancer Registry in 1973-87. MAIN RESULTS: Navarre registered higher adjusted and cumulative rates than Zaragoza for both sexes. In both provinces, there were relative declines in the rates for men and women of 3% and 4% respectively per year. In Zaragoza, the risk of developing stomach cancer fell in generations born between 1888 and 1933, and rose in subsequent birth cohorts in both sexes, while in Navarre the cohort effect showed an approximately linear risk for both sexes. Both provinces recorded increases in risk associated with cohorts born between 1933 and 1943. CONCLUSION: The incidence rates of gastric cancer fell in both Zaragoza and Navarre. The reason for the greater incidence of gastric cancer in Navarre remains unknown. Trends in rates seem to be mainly linked to birth cohort. Increases in risk in generations born after 1933 may be ascribable to nutritional deficiencies in the early years of life.
Adolescent↗
Age-period-cohort modeling of colorectal cancer incidence and mortality in Spain.
Spain registers a much lower rate of colorectal cancer incidence and mortality than do other European countries, yet the rises observed in the adjusted rates over recent decades led us to attempt to monitor the trends over time using Poisson log-linear models. Incidence data were furnished by the Zaragoza and Navarre population-based cancer registries, whereas mortality data corresponded to Spain as a whole. For trend evaluation purposes, we made use of invariant parameters from age-period-cohort models (net drift and curvature) and a restriction of the cohort-effect slope range. The results suggest the presence of a marked rise in incidence of colorectal cancer for both sexes and across all age groups in the provinces studied. The rise in mortality was less pronounced than the rise in incidence and seemed to coincide with a marked cohort effect present throughout the study period. Both in incidence and mortality, the increases were more pronounced among men. When studied jointly, incidence and mortality trends tend to be complementary, rendering an approach of this nature especially important in sites with better survival, such as the case in point.
Age Factors↗
Male sexual behavior and human papillomavirus DNA: key risk factors for cervical cancer in Spain.
BACKGROUND: It is now established that certain types of human papillomaviruses (HPVs) are the sexually transmitted agents etiologically linked to cervical cancer. Studies assessing the contribution of the male's sexual behavior and genital HPV DNA status to the risk of development of cervical neoplasia in sexual partners have yielded inconsistent results. PURPOSE: This study evaluates the role of men's sexual behavior and the presence of HPV DNA in the penis on the development of cervical cancer in their sexual partners in Spain, a low-risk area for cervical neoplasia. METHODS: Husbands (n = 633) of women participating in two case-control studies of cervical neoplasia were interviewed to obtain information on lifestyle habits, including sexual practices. Cytologic samples were taken from the distal urethra and the surface of the glans penis of 183 husbands of case women and of 171 husbands of control women. These samples were analyzed by a polymerase chain reaction-based system using a generic probe and 25 type-specific probes for the detection and typing of HPV DNA. Serologic specimens were also obtained and analyzed for antibodies to Chlamydia trachomatis, Treponema pallidum, herpes simplex virus type II, and Neisseria gonorrhoeae. RESULTS: The presence of HPV DNA in the husbands' penis conveyed a fivefold risk of cervical cancer to their wives (adjusted odds ratio [OR] for HPV DNA positivity = 4.9; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.9-12.6). The risk of cervical cancer was strongly related to HPV type (adjusted OR for HPV type 16 = 9.0; 95% CI = 1.1-77.5), to the husbands' number of extramarital partners (adjusted OR = 11.0; 95% CI = 3.0-40.0; for > or = 21 women versus one), and to the number of prostitutes as extramarital sexual partners (adjusted OR = 8.0; 95% CI = 2.9-22.2; for > or = 10 women versus none). Presence of antibodies to C. trachomatis (adjusted OR = 2.6; 95% CI = 1.4-4.6) and an early age at first sexual intercourse of the husband (adjusted OR = 3.2; 95% CI = 1.7-5.9; for < or = 15 years versus > or = 21 years) were also associated with cervical neoplasia in the wife. After adjustment for these variables and for the wife's pack-years of smoking, the husband's smoking was moderately associated with cervical cancer in his wife (adjusted OR = 2.5; 95% CI = 1.4-4.4; for > or = 26.2 pack-years versus none). CONCLUSIONS: The study supports the role of men as vectors of the HPV types that are related to cervical cancer. Life-time number of female sexual partners, number of female prostitutes as sexual partners, and detection of HPV DNA in the penis of husbands are all surrogate markers of exposure to HPV during marriage. IMPLICATIONS: Men who report multiple sexual partners or who are carriers of HPV DNA may be vectors of high-risk HPV types and may place their wives at high risk of developing cervical cancer. Prostitutes are an important reservoir of high-risk HPVs.
Carcinoma, Squamous Cell↗
Prospective evaluation of fever of unknown origin in patients infected with the human immunodeficiency virus. Grupo Andaluz para el Estudio de las Enfermedades Infecciosas.
The aim of this study was to determine the frequency and aetiology of fever of unknown origin (FUO) in patients infected with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), to assess the value of the tests used in its diagnosis, and to evaluate possible models of diagnosis for the causes found most frequently. One hundred twenty-eight (3.5%) of 3603 hospitalised HIV-positive patients evaluated from October 1992 to December 1993 had FUO, defined by established criteria. Eighty-six percent of patients with FUO had previously progressed to AIDS. The median CD4+ cell count was 46/mm3. A definite diagnosis was made in 96 (75%) of the 128 patients and a possible diagnosis in 24 (18.7%). whilst no diagnosis was made in eight cases (6.2%). Tuberculosis (48.3%), visceral leishmaniasis (16%), and infection by Mycobacterium avium complex (6.9%) were the diseases found most frequently. The most useful diagnostic tests were liver biopsy (68.9%) and bone marrow aspirate/biopsy (39.7%). It is not possible to predict clinically the cases of FUO due to tuberculosis, whilst thrombocytopaenia < 100,000 cells/mm3 alone is useful for differentiating the cases of visceral leishmaniasis, with a negative predictive value of 95.2%.
Adolescent↗
Socioeconomic differences in cervical cancer: two case-control studies in Colombia and Spain.
OBJECTIVES: This study examined the causes of socioeconomic differences in invasive cervical cancer in two countries that differ substantially in cervical cancer incidence and economic development. METHODS: Data were derived from two case-control studies carried out in Spain and Colombia; there were 373 case subjects, 387 control subjects, and 425 husbands interviewed with a structured questionnaire. Exfoliated cells were obtained from cervical or penile scrapes and tested for human papillomavirus (HPV) DNA. RESULTS: Relative to better educated women, women with low educational levels in both countries reported fewer Pap smears and had a higher prevalence of HPV DNA. The prevalence ratio of HPV DNA across educational strata was twofold in Spain and fourfold in Colombia. In both countries, husbands of poorly educated women reported higher use of prostitutes than husbands of better educated women. In Colombia, 30% of husbands of poorly educated women harbored HPV DNA, compared with 10% of husbands of better educated women. CONCLUSIONS: Socioeconomic differences in invasive cervical cancer could be partly explained by differences in the prevalence of HPV DNA and by a lower use of preventive care.
Adult↗
[Infectious endocarditis of the native valve].
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Endocarditis, Bacterial↗