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Biomedical subjects

M Canales

Publications and source records attributed to M Canales.

34 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed1999

A prospective randomized trial of granulocyte colony-stimulating factor therapy after autologous blood stem cell transplantation in adults.

In order to assess the potential clinical benefit of filgrastim (G-CSF) after peripheral blood stem cell (PBSC) autotransplantation a randomized study was begun in our center in July 1997: 62 patients were involved (30 received filgrastim after PBSC infusion and 32, the control group, received no cytokines). All were adults (median 40 years, range 18-65). Patients with one of three different pathologies were recruited: 28 had advanced breast carcinoma, 23 had lymphomas (12 Hodgkin's disease and 11 non-Hodgkin's lymphoma) and 11 had de novo AML. All of them were transplanted using myeloablative chemotherapy conditioning regimens. G-CSF was administered subcutaneously from day +5 in the treated group at a dose of 5 microg/kg body weight/day. The numbers of CD34+ and mononuclear (MNC) cells infused were similar in each group. Only minor differences regarding the use of G-CSF could be inferred from the analysis of the data. Faster granulocyte engraftment was evident in the treated group (mean of 10 vs 12 days to achieve >0.5 x 109/l granulocytes, P = 0.0008), without differences in incidence and severity of infections, days of fever or duration of antibiotic treatment between groups. There was slightly slower platelet engraftment (mean of 15 days in the group with G-CSF vs 12 days in the other group to achieve >20 x 109/l platelets, P = NS) in this series, but there were no differences in incidence and severity of haemorrhage or platelet transfusion support. Considering the economical costs, the median expenditure per inpatient stay was Eur5961 (range Eur4386-Eur17186) in the G-CSF group compared with Eur5751 (range Eur3676-Eur15640) in the control group (P = 0.47). From our data it could be concluded that for adult patients transplanted with PBSC there is no clear beneficial impact of post-infusion G-CSF administration.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1999

Therapeutic embolization and surgical excision of haemophilic pseudotumour.

Haemophilic pseudotumour is a rare complication of haemophilia. Few cases of iliac haemophilic pseudotumour have been reported in the literature. These tumours can act as a focus for infection and cause cutaneous fistulas. When they present perforations and infections of endogenous origin their course is usually fatal. Suitable treatment has been investigated on numerous occasions, most of the literature agreeing that the only curative treatment is surgical resection. We present a case of haemophilic pseudotumour of the iliac and caecum with cutaneous fistulas, with a septic process of endogenous origin. It was treated with surgical resection after performing arterial embolization to reduce the vascularization of the pseudotumour, thereby reducing its size and the risk of bleeding complications during surgery.

Cecal Diseases↗
PubMed1999

Dynamic properties of Lennard-Jones fluids and liquid metals.

The dependence of the dynamic properties of liquid metals and Lennard-Jones fluids on the characteristics of the interaction potentials is analyzed. Molecular-dynamics simulations of liquids in analogous conditions but assuming that their particles interact either through a Lennard-Jones or a liquid-metal potential were carried out. The Lennard-Jones potentials were chosen so that both the effective size of the particles and the depth of the potential well were very close to those of the liquid-metal potentials. In order to investigate the extent to which the dynamic properties of liquids depend on the short-range attractive interactions as well as on the softness of the potential cores, molecular-dynamics simulations of the same systems but assuming purely repulsive interactions with the same potential cores were also performed. The study includes both single-particle dynamic properties, such as the velocity autocorrelation functions, and collective dynamic properties, such as the intermediate scattering functions, the dynamic structure factors, the longitudinal and transverse current correlations, and the transport coefficients.

Journal Article↗
PubMed1998

Seroprevalence of Taenia solium cysticercosis in pigs in a rural community of Honduras.

Several retrospective studies have shown that human Taenia solium cysticercosis is endemic in Honduras, but very few reports of porcine cysticercosis in rural communities have been published. To determine the local prevalence of this disease in pigs, a serological survey has been undertaken in a rural community, Salamá, in the Department of Olancho in central Honduras. Eighty-five families raising pigs in the community were randomly selected and sera were obtained from pigs older than one month of age. The sera were examined by the enzyme-linked immunoelectrotransfer blot assay (EITB). Of 192 porcine sera, 27.1% (52) were positive by the EITB. Seropositivity did not correlate with age and sex by statistical analysis. With respect to the number and the frequency of recognition of the seven diagnostic glycoprotein bands in the EITB, 67.3% of the positive serum specimens recognized only one band and 80.8% of them recognized GP42-39. Since recognition of GP42-39 has been reported as a characteristic of late infection, these results suggest that most of the seropositive pigs were in the late stage of infection (more than 5-8 weeks postinfection). It seems that pigs in this community may be infected with this parasite soon after the birth and be in a hyperendemic steady state. In view of a high prevalence of antibodies to T. solium in pigs or characteristics of the antigen detected by the EITB, the infection pressure of T. solium appears to be very high in this community. This is probably the case in most of the communities in Honduras.

Animals↗
PubMed1998

Field studies and cost-effectiveness analysis of vaccination with Gavac against the cattle tick Boophilus microplus.

The control of tick infestations and the transmission of tick-borne diseases remains a challenge for the cattle industry in tropical and subtropical areas of the world. Traditional control methods have been only partially successful and the parasites continue to result in significant losses for the cattle industry. Recently, vaccines containing the recombinant Boophilus microplus gut antigen Bm86 have been developed. These vaccines have been shown to control tick infestations in the field. However, extensive field studies investigating the efficacy and cost-effectiveness of vaccination have not been reported and are needed to appraise the effect of this new approach for tick control. Here is reported the results of the application of Gavac in a field trial including more than 260,000 animals in Cuba. In this study the correlation between the antibody response to vaccination and the effect on ticks fertility is determined. Physiological status of the animals was found to affect the primary response to vaccination but not the antibody titers after revaccination. A cost-effectiveness analysis showed a 60% reduction in the number acaricide treatments, together with the control of tick infestations and transmission of babesiosis, which resulted in savings of $23.4 animal-1 year-1. These results clearly demonstrate the advantage of vaccination and support the application of Gavac for tick control.

Animals↗
PubMed1998

Cultural allies: creating allegiances across borders.

Culture brokerage, as a nursing intervention, is a strategy that is intended to assist nurses to "bridge" the gap between the orthodox health care system and the health belief systems of clients and their families who are from "different" cultures. However, this intervention often reinforces and solidifies borders, rather than expanding or eliminating them. Culture brokerage will be examined against social constructions of "borders", "Others", and the power relationships that influence these constructions. Fein's (1979) "universe of obligation" will provide the framework for a critique of the culture brokerage intervention. This paper argues that culture brokerage maintains existing borders by ignoring the power differentials that exist between the nurse and the client. Reconceptualizing the nurse as cultural ally begins the process of bringing all clients into the universe of obligation. The nurse, as cultural ally, recognizes the differences that exist between the nurse and the client, and asks each to examine how their different lives and experiences are connected. It is through this nurse-client allegiance that borders can be crossed and meaningful relationships created.

Communication↗
PubMed1997

Large-scale production in Pichia pastoris of the recombinant vaccine Gavac against cattle tick.

A gene coding for the Bm86 tick protein was recently cloned, expressed in Pichia pastoris and shown to induce an inmunological response in cattle against ticks. Moreover, the Gavac vaccine (Heber Biotec S.A., Havana, Cuba), which contains this recombinant protein, has proved to control the Boophilus microplus populations under field conditions. This paper reviews the development and large-scale production of this vaccine, the efficacy of the resulting product and the strategy followed in designing its production plant. The production plant fulfills biosafety requirements and GMP.

Animals↗
PubMed1992

Hydrophobicity and structural classes in proteins.

The bulk hydrophobic character for the 20 natural amino acid residues, has been obtained from a database of 60 protein structures, grouped in the four structural classes alpha alpha, beta beta, alpha + beta and alpha/beta. The hydrophobicity coefficients thus obtained are compared with Ponnuswamy's original values using scales normalized to average = 0.0 and standard deviation = 1.0. Even though most of the amino acid residues do not change their hydropathic character in the different structural classes, their behaviour suggests the convenience that averaging methods should only consider proteins of the same structural class and that this information should be included in the secondary structure methods.

Amino Acids↗
PubMed1991

[Application of a system of serological surveillance of Chagas disease in a region of high chagasic endemia. I. Prevalence of Trypanosoma cruzi infection in Salamanca].

A serologic study for prevalence of Chagas infection was performed in Salamanca, Northern Chile. Indirect immunofluorescence and indirect hemagglutination reactions were used in samples from 1529 females and 698 males representing 10% of the population. A total of 499 positive results were obtained. The incidence of infection increases at a mean rate of 1% per year up to age 30, declining slowly in older groups to reach a maximum of 39.7% for the population. These data will be used to implement appropriate serologic surveillance programs and sanitary control measures in this and other populations.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1988

Fluorescence studies on clupein protamines: evidence for globular conformation.

Conjugates of fluorescein isothiocyanate with clupein YI, YII and Z, the protamines from Clupea palasii, were prepared and their fluorescence utilized to determine the rotational relaxation times of the proteins. All conjugates exhibited single component lifetimes near 4.05 ns. Linear isothermal Perrin plots were obtained for all conjugates; these data indicated rotational relaxation times of 3.33 ns for clupein YI and YII and 3.19 ns for clupein Z. These results and the results from our previous studies lead us to postulate globular conformations for the three proteins with hydrated molecular diameters of 22 A. Based on these findings a three dimensional model for Clupein YII is proposed.

Clupeine↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Narrative interaction: creating a space for therapeutic communication.

This theoretical article explores the impact of ethnic appearance on the nurse-client encounter from the perspective of Chicanas, women of Mexican descent. The issues raised for Chicanas, however, are applicable for members of many other ethnic groups, individuals whose identity is often constructed from the stereotypes and myths their appearance evokes. Ethnic minority women often experience a feeling of double jeopardy, enduring the consequences of living in a society that devalues both women and members of specific racial or ethnic groups. Research from nursing, counseling psychology, and sociology provide the bases for an examination of the mental health consequences of this double jeopardy. Narrative interaction, the sharing of personal stories, is offered as a therapeutic form of communication. Through narrative interactions, nurses may begin to understand the context of women's lives and learn what is meaningful for them, from their perspective. It is from the women themselves that nurses will begin to learn new meanings for their appearance and gain some understanding of their world.

Communication↗