Pathoecology and paleodiet in Postclassic: Historic Maya from northern coastal Belize

This paper examines the synergism among diet, disease, and ecology at two related coastal Maya sites in Belize (Marco Gonzalez and San Pedro) for the Postclassic and Historic periods (1350-1650 AD), which immediately follow the Classic period collapse. Stable carbon- and nitrogen-isotope ratios in collagen and stable carbon-isotope ratios in structural carbonate were analysed for bones from 65 humans and a wide variety of faunal species. There are no apparent differences in whole diets or degree of carnivory between individuals with lesions indicative of anemia and those without, but those with lesions appear to have consumed significantly more C4 foods and protein from lower trophic levels. Non-specific infection (periostitis) and vitamin C deficiency (scurvy) are also present in high frequencies and appear to co-occur with lesions indicative of anemia, particularly in childhood. Individuals with scurvy also appear to have consumed significantly more C4 foods than normal individuals. Spondyloarthropathy is common in adults. These findings are discussed in light of: (1) the debate on how anemia versus scurvy are manifest and diagnosed, (2) Spanish ethnohistoric descriptions of the poor state of Maya health at the time of contact, and (3) the Osteological Paradox. We suggest that although this coastal environment exacerbated morbidity because of possible parasitic infection, the inhabitants were probably able to survive physiological stresses better than either their inland contemporaries or their modern counterparts.

Quality indicators and shelf life of red octopus (Octopus maya) in chilling storage

Abstract There are no precedents concerning the quality of Octopus maya during chilled storage. This study evaluated the shelf life of the red octopus in chilling storage (4oC) and the correlation of the sensory quality index with microbiological counting and the biochemical indicators (hypoxanthine, histamine and volatile amines). A total of 112 whole raw octopi (average weight of 896 g) were randomly selected from seven batches and exposed to 4°C for 18, 24, 48, 72, 84, 96, and 100 h. The histamine concentration (91.7%), followed by the counts of psychrotrophic bacteria (5.5%) and hypoxanthine (2.2%), were the predictors from the redundancy analysis that better explained the changes taking place during the chilling hours. After 72 h of chilling, the microbial count was determined to be log 4.7 CFU/g, and the octopus samples were classified as B quality (minor sensory quality defects) based on the sensory quality scale. Although the samples were not classified as unacceptable at 100 h of refrigeration by the sensory index, the level of histamine reached the defect action level (5 mg/100 g) as ruled by the International Food Safety Authorities. The shelf life of the red octopus in chilling storage was predicted to be 119 h.

Educación popular y nutrición infantil: experiencia de trabajo con mujeres en una zona rural de México

OBJETIVO: Se realizó una intervención comunitaria bajo la estrategia de promoción de la salud, con el objetivo de desarrollar un programa de educación para la salud con mujeres. MÉTODOS: Se analizó la metodología de educación popular; con la finalidad de generar procesos organizativos y de participación social que mejoren la nutrición y sobrevivencia infantil. RESULTADOS: Los principales resultados, se relacionan con la generación de procesos autogestivos, la conformación de un grupo de promotoras de salud que han impulsado la organización de las mujeres enfocando su trabajo a mejorar la nutrición infantil y la salud familiar. Las promotoras han tomado en sus manos el programa de vigilancia epidemiológica en nutrición infantil y en conjunto con las mujeres han emprendido una serie de acciones para mejorar la nutrición de los niños y los porcentajes de desnutrición en los niños que participan en el programa de nutrición infantil han iniciado un descenso (64% a 62%). CONCLUSIONES: Los programas de nutrición infantil tienen mayores posibilidades de éxito en la medida que logran involucrar a la población en la resolución de esta problemática, eso es posible cuando se utiliza una metodología que propicie la participación de los individuos y se generen espacios que les permitan realizar una práctica transformadora de su realidad. La metodología de la educación popular proporciona las pautas en ese sentido. Es necesario continuar ampliando las experiencias educativas en educación para la salud con este tipo de metodología.

Quality of scientific articles

The paper discusses the difficulties in judging the quality of scientific manuscripts and describes some common pitfalls that should be avoided when preparing a paper for submission to a peer-reviewed journal. Peer review is an imperfect system, with less than optimal reliability and uncertain validity. However, as it is likely that it will remain as the principal process of screening papers for publication, authors should avoid some common mistakes when preparing a report based on empirical findings of human research. Among these are: excessively long abstracts, extensive use of abbreviations, failure to report results of parsimonious data analyses, and misinterpretation of statistical associations identified in observational studies as causal. Another common problem in many manuscripts is their excessive length, which makes them more difficult to be evaluated or read by the intended readers, if published. The evaluation of papers after their publication with a view towards their inclusion in a systematic review is also discussed. The limitations of the impact factor as a criterion to judge the quality of a paper are reviewed.

Migración y ruralización del SIDA: relatos de vulnerabilidad en comunidades indígenas de México

OBJETIVO: Analizar la vulnerabilidad para ITS/VIH entre mujeres Purépechas y Zapotecas unidas en concubinato con varones que practican sexo sin protección. MÉTODOS: Estudio etnográfico realizado en febrero del 2004 y en diciembre del 2005 en localidades indígenas de Michoacán y Oaxaca, Mexico. Estos son entidades con niveles altos de expulsión migratoria, rezago comunitario y casos registrados de VIH/SIDA. Se entrevistaron en profundidad a 91 personas: migrantes temporales (24), mujeres indígenas (33), autoridades locales (20) y personal de salud (14). RESULTADOS: La ruralización del ITS/VIH puede relacionarse con las prácticas de iniciación sexual femeninas pero sobre todo con el miedo del migrante a que su concubina tenga relaciones extra-conyugales en su ausencia. El embarazo y la crianza son recursos masculinos de control de las esposas. CONCLUSIONES: La migración de retorno implica formas de vulnerabilidad para las mujeres indígenas en las localidades estudiadas, cuya sexualidad tiene un remarcado carácter reproductivo. Es necesario implementar políticas de prevención para ITS/VIH dirigidas a fortalecer derechos sexuales y reproductivos de las mujeres y que tomen en cuenta aspectos de identidad sexual masculina.

Intestinal microsporidiosis in HIV-positive patients with chronic unexplained diarrhea in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil: diagnosis, clinical presentation and follow-up

After the diagnosis of two cases of microsporidial intestinal infection in 1992, in Rio de Janeiro, we have started looking for this parasite in HIV-infected patients with chronic unexplained diarrhea. We have studied 13 patients from Hospital Evandro Chagas, IOC-FIOCRUZ. Fecal specimens from these patients were examined for the presence of Cryptosporidia and Microsporidia, in addition to routine examination. Spores of Microsporidia were found in the stools of 6 (46.1%) of the 13 patients studied, with 2 histological jejunal confirmations. The Microsporidia-infected patients presented chronic diarrhea with about 6 loose to watery bowel movements a day. Five infected patients were treated with Metronidazole (1.5 g/day). They initially showed a good clinical response, but they never stopped eliminating spores. After about the 4th week of therapy, their diarrhea returned. Two patients utilized Albendazole (400 mg/day-4 weeks) with a similar initial improvement and recurrence of the diarrhea. Intestinal Microsporidiosis seems to be a marker of advanced stages of AIDS, since 5 of our 6 infected patients were dead after a 6 month period of follow-up. The present study indicates that intestinal microsporidiosis may be a burgeoning problem in HIV-infected patients with chronic diarrhea in Brazil, which deserves further investigation.

Frequency of dermatophytes in the metropolitan area of Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil

In order to evaluate the distribution of dermatophytes in Porto Alegre, the capital of the state of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, they were isolated from the skin, hairs and nails samples and retrospectively analyzed from June 1981 to June 1995, in two different institutions in the city of Porto Alegre: (i) the Serviço de Micologia do Instituto de Pesquisas Biológicas Jandyr Maya Faillace, da Secretaria de Saúde e Meio Ambiente do Rio Grande do Sul which attends the low income population (low and middle classes) and, (ii) Laboratório Weinmann, a clinical pathology laboratory which attends predominantly the higher income population (middle and upper classes), both which attend in the metropolitan area of Porto Alegre. The dermatophyte predominance of Trichophyton rubrum was confirmed (55.33%) followed by T. mentagrophytes (21.46%). The data obtained were compared with the existing prevalence data which were collected in the interior of the state over a period of 32 years (1960-1992). T. verrucosum, T. simii, Microsporum persicolor, T. schöenleinii, M. nanum and M. cookei were isolated in the interior and have not been found in the capital so far. On the other side, T. violaceum was, isolated in the capital and has not been found in the interior so far.

Adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma associated with HTLV-1 infection in a Brazilian adolescent

We present the case of a 15-year-old patient infected with HTLV-1 who developed a cutaneous T-cell lymphoma, confirmed by histopathological and immunohistochemical examination, as well as clinically and hematologically confirmed leukemia. The patient died 3 months after initial presentation of the disease. The rarity of the disease in this age group justifies the present report.

HUMAN T-LYMPHOTROPIC VIRUS 1 (HTLV-1) AND HUMAN T-LYMPHOTROPIC VIRUS 2 (HTLV-2): GEOGRAPHICAL RESEARCH TRENDS AND COLLABORATION NETWORKS (1989-2012)

Publications are often used as a measure of research work success. Human T-lymphotropic virus (HTLV) type 1 and 2 are human retroviruses, which were discovered in the early 1980s, and it is estimated that 15-20 million people are infected worldwide. This article describes a bibliometric review and a coauthorship network analysis of literature on HTLV indexed in PubMed in a 24-year period. A total of 7,564 documents were retrieved, showing a decrease in the number of documents from 1996 to 2007. HTLV manuscripts were published in 1,074 journals. Japan and USA were the countries with the highest contribution in this field (61%) followed by France (8%). Production ranking changed when the number of publications was normalized by population (Dominican Republic and Japan), by gross domestic product (Guinea-Bissau and Gambia), and by gross national income per capita (Brazil and Japan). The present study has shed light on some of the defining features of scientific collaboration performed by HTLV research community, such as the existence of core researchers responsible for articulating the development of research in the area, facilitating wider collaborative relationships and the integration of new authors in the research groups.

Effects of bariatric surgery on the central nervous system and eating behavior in humans: a systematic review on the neuroimaging studies

INTRODUCTION: Neuroimaging studies suggest that obese people might show hyperactivity of brain areas regarding reward processing, and hypoactivity of brain areas concerning cognitive control, when exposed to food cues. Although the effects of bariatric surgery on the central nervous system and eating behavior are well known, few studies have used neuroimage techniques with the aim of investigating the central effects of bariatric surgery in humans. OBJECTIVES: This paper systematically and critically reviews studies using functional neuroimaging to investigate changes on the patterns of activation of central areas related to the regulation of eating behavior after bariatric surgery. METHOD: A search on the databases Medline, Web of Science, Lilacs and Science Direct on Line, was conducted in February 2013, using the keywords "Neuroimaging", "Positron-Emission Tomography", "Magnetic Resonance Imaging", "Gastric Bypass", "Gastroplasty", "Jejunoileal Bypass", "Bariatric Surgery". RESULTS: Seven manuscripts were included; the great majority studied the central effects of Roux en Y gastric bypass, using positron emission tomography or functional magnetic resonance. CONCLUSIONS: Bariatric surgery might normalize the activity of central areas concerned with reward and incentive salience processing, as the nucleus accumbens and mesencephalic tegmental ventral area, as well as circuitries processing behavioral inhibition, as the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex.

Tai Chi Chuan for Cardiac Rehabilitation in Patients with Coronary Arterial Disease

Background:Several studies have shown that Tai Chi Chuan can improve cardiac function in patients with heart disease.Objective:To conduct a systematic review of the literature to assess the effects of Tai Chi Chuan on cardiac rehabilitation for patients with coronary artery disease.Methods:We performed a search for studies published in English, Portuguese and Spanish in the following databases: MEDLINE, EMBASE, LILACS and Cochrane Register of Controlled Trials. Data were extracted in a standardized manner by three independent investigators, who were responsible for assessing the methodological quality of the manuscripts.Results:The initial search found 201 studies that, after review of titles and abstracts, resulted in a selection of 12 manuscripts. They were fully analyzed and of these, nine were excluded. As a final result, three randomized controlled trials remained. The studies analyzed in this systematic review included patients with a confirmed diagnosis of coronary artery disease, all were clinically stable and able to exercise. The three experiments had a control group that practiced structured exercise training or received counseling for exercise. Follow-up ranged from 2 to 12 months.Conclusion:Preliminary evidence suggests that Tai Chi Chuan can be an unconventional form of cardiac rehabilitation, being an adjunctive therapy in the treatment of patients with stable coronary artery disease. However, the methodological quality of the included articles and the small sample sizes clearly indicate that new randomized controlled trials are needed in this regard.

Mechanisms Involved in Exercise-Induced Cardioprotection: A Systematic Review

Background:Acute myocardial infarction is the leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Furthermore, research has shown that exercise, in addition to reducing cardiovascular risk factors, can also protect the heart against injury due to ischemia and reperfusion through a direct effect on the myocardium. However, the specific mechanism involved in exerciseinduced cardiac preconditioning is still under debate.Objective:To perform a systematic review of the studies that have addressed the mechanisms by which aerobic exercise promotes direct cardioprotection against ischemia and reperfusion injury.Methods:A search was conducted using MEDLINE, Literatura Latino-Americana e do Caribe de Informação em Ciências da Saúde, and Scientific Electronic Library Online databases. Data were extracted in a standardized manner by two independent researchers, who were responsible for assessing the methodological quality of the studies.Results:The search retrieved 78 studies; after evaluating the abstracts, 30 studies were excluded. The manuscripts of the remaining 48 studies were completely read and, of these, 20 were excluded. Finally, 28 studies were included in this systematic review.Conclusion:On the basis of the selected studies, the following are potentially involved in the cardioprotective response to exercise: increased heat shock protein production, nitric oxide pathway involvement, increased cardiac antioxidant capacity, improvement in ATP-dependent potassium channel function, and opioid system activation. Despite all the previous investigations, further research is still necessary to obtain more consistent conclusions.

Disseminated American muco-cutaneous leishmaniasis caused by Leishmania brasiliensis brasiliensis in a patient with AIDS: a case report

The authors report a case of culture-proven disseminated American muco-cutaneous leishmaniasis caused by Leishmania brasiliensis brasiliensis in an HIV positive patient. Lesions began in the oropharynx and nasal mucosa eventually spreading to much of the skin surface. The response to a short course of glucantime therapy was good.

A new species of predaceous midge of the genus Monohelea Kieffer from Mexico (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae)

A description and illustrations of Monohelea maya, new species, based on male and female characteristics are provided. The specimens were collected in the special biosphere Reserves of Ria Lagartos and Ria Celestun, Yucatan State, Mexico.

Sporotrichosis: an emergent zoonosis in Rio de Janeiro

During the period from 1987 to 1998, 13 cases of human sporotrichosis were recorded at the Research Center Evandro Chagas Hospital (CPqHEC) in Rio de Janeiro. Two of these patients related scratch by a sick cat. During the subsequent period from July 1998 to July 2000, 66 human, 117 cats and 7 dogs with sporotrichosis were diagnosed at the CPqHEC. Fifty-two humans (78.8%) reported contact with cats with sporotrichosis, and 31 (47%) of them reporting a history of a scratch or bite. This epidemic, unprecedented in the literature, involving cats, dogs and human beings may have started insidiously before 1998.