The Pratt Pouch Provides a Three-Fold Access Increase to Antiretroviral Medication for Births outside Health Facilities in Southern Zambia.

INTRODUCTION: Modern day antiretroviral therapy allows HIV+ pregnant women to lower the likelihood of viral transmission to their infants before, during, and after birth from 20-45% to less than 5%. In developing countries, where non-facility births may outnumber facility births, infant access to safe antiretroviral medication during the critical first three days after birth is often limited. A single-dose, polyethylene pouch ("Pratt Pouch") addresses this challenge by allowing the medication to be distributed to mothers during antenatal care. METHODS: The Pratt Pouch was introduced as part of a one year clinical feasibility study in two districts in Southern Province, Zambia. Participating nurses, community health workers, and pharmacists were trained before implementation. Success in achieving improved antiretroviral medication access was assessed via pre intervention and post intervention survey responses by HIV+ mothers. RESULTS: Access to medication for HIV-exposed infants born outside of a health facility increased from 35% (17/51) before the introduction of the pouch to 94% (15/16) after (p<0.05). A non-significant increase in homebirth rates from 33% (pre intervention cohort) to 50% (post intervention cohort) was observed (p>0.05). Results remained below the national average homebirth rate of 52%. Users reported minimal spillage and a high level of satisfaction with the Pratt Pouch. CONCLUSION: The Pratt Pouch enhances access to infant antiretroviral medication in a rural, non-facility birth setting. Wide scale implementation could have a substantial global impact on HIV transmission rates from mother to child.

Total gastrectomy with substitution of stomach by jejunal pouch with and without duodenal passage. Study in rats

A comparison was done between the F. Paulino jejunal pouch (FP) and a jejunal pouch (JP) as esophagusduodenum interpositional graft, for replacing the stomach after total gastrectomy. It was investigated the effect of the two procedures on esophagus histology, nutritional state and serum gastrin in rats. Methods: Male Wistar rats weighing 282±17g were randomly submitted to sham operation (S), FP and JP after total gastrectomy. After eight weeks the rats were killed with overdose of anesthetic and tissue was taken from the distal esophagus for histology. Serum levels of total proteins, albumin, iron, transferring, folate, cobalamine, calcium, as well as serum gastrin were determined. Survival was considered. Results: Fourty six rats were operated and thirty survived for eight weeks. Five (33.3%) died after FP and 11 (52.3%) after JP (p<0.05). Postoperative esophagitis occurred in 6 JP rats. At 8th week, no difference was observed on body weight when compared FP and JP rats (p>0.05). The JP rats had a significant decrease in serum albumin, glucose, transferrin, iron, folate and calcium, compared to sham (p<0.05). Serum gastrin, iron and calcium were significantly higher in JP rats than in FP rats (p<0.05). In FP rats, transferrin and cobalamine showed significant decrease comparing the preoperative with 8th week levels (p<0.05). Conclusion: F. Paulino pouch in rats had lower mortality than JP, and esophagitis was not detected in it. JP rats had serum gastrin, iron and calcium unaffected, possibly because of preservation of duodenal passage

Primary neuroendocrine lung tumor presenting with acute ileal obstruction. Case report

The authors describe a clinical case of a patient with neuroendocrine carcinoma of the lung diagnosed after the onset of an intestinal obstruction from an ileal metastasis. A review of literature reveals that the incidence of symptomatic gastro-intestinal metastases from lung cancer has been estimated to be about 2-3% and is exceedingly rare that the intestinal symptoms may be the initial presentation of cancer of the lung. The authors emphasize the difficulty of preoperative diagnosis of gastro-intestinal metastases which is made, almost always, too late because of the lack of specific symptoms. In our case, on account of the computed tomography, we leaned towards the diagnosis of lymphoma because of the double mediastinal and abdominal localization. Furthermore, this diagnosis was supported by the fact that the pulmonary lesion did not have clear radiological features of a lung cancer. The prognosis is poor because once intestinal metastases occur, other metastatic sites, which would make surgery only a palliative measure, are already present. The review of the literature shows that the average survival rate of these patients is 136 days. In our case the patient survived 277 days.

Total gastrectomy with substitution of stomach by jejunal pouch with and without duodenal passage. Study in rats

A comparison was done between the F. Paulino jejunal pouch (FP) and a jejunal pouch (JP) as esophagusduodenum interpositional graft, for replacing the stomach after total gastrectomy. It was investigated the effect of the two procedures on esophagus histology, nutritional state and serum gastrin in rats. Methods: Male Wistar rats weighing 282±17g were randomly submitted to sham operation (S), FP and JP after total gastrectomy. After eight weeks the rats were killed with overdose of anesthetic and tissue was taken from the distal esophagus for histology. Serum levels of total proteins, albumin, iron, transferring, folate, cobalamine, calcium, as well as serum gastrin were determined. Survival was considered. Results: Fourty six rats were operated and thirty survived for eight weeks. Five (33.3%) died after FP and 11 (52.3%) after JP (p<0.05). Postoperative esophagitis occurred in 6 JP rats. At 8th week, no difference was observed on body weight when compared FP and JP rats (p>0.05). The JP rats had a significant decrease in serum albumin, glucose, transferrin, iron, folate and calcium, compared to sham (p<0.05). Serum gastrin, iron and calcium were significantly higher in JP rats than in FP rats (p<0.05). In FP rats, transferrin and cobalamine showed significant decrease comparing the preoperative with 8th week levels (p<0.05). Conclusion: F. Paulino pouch in rats had lower mortality than JP, and esophagitis was not detected in it. JP rats had serum gastrin, iron and calcium unaffected, possibly because of preservation of duodenal passage

Desarrollo hist?rico de la noci?n de curva: de la forma sint?tica a la representaci?n anal?tica

En este trabajo se realiza un estudio del desarrollo hist?rico de la noci?n de curva desde la forma sint?tica hasta la representaci?n anal?tica; tomando como rejilla de an?lisis dos categor?as metodol?gicas presentes en el tratamiento hist?rico de la noci?n de curva como lo son la tematizaci?n y la generalizaci?n. Y considerando los aportes m?s importantes de la concepci?n de las curvas en la antigua Grecia, en la geometr?a cartesiana y en la representaci?n de las curvas mediante series de potencias.

Factores de riesgo de fisura anal, estudio de casos en el departamento de coloproctología del Hospital Santa Inés, Cuenca 2008

Es un estudio descriptivo de corte transversal. La investigación se realizó durante los meses de Abril de 2008 a Julio de 2008, en el Departamento de Coloproctología del Hospital Santa Inés, de la Ciudad de Cuenca. Un total de 118 pacientes con diagnóstico de fisura anal fueron analizados. Se les realizó una entrevista y llenaron el formulario previamente elaborado. Resultados: los posibles Factores de Riesgo de la Fisura Anal fueron; el sexo Femenino (72,88), la edad entre la segunda y sexta década de la vida (94,1), los embarazos que cursan con estreñimiento (88,1), la poca ingesta de fibra vegetal (56,8) y líquidos en la dieta diaria y además el uso de papel higiénico (98,3). Por otra parte, se observó que la mayoría de los pacientes presentaron dolor entre moderado e intenso (93,3) y que el sangrado fue el signo más frecuente de todos (92,4)

Estudio comparativo de anastomosis de intestino delgado entre: la técnica de sutura monoplano extramucosa y la técnica de sutura en dos planos

Parte de la hipótesis de que la sutura monoplano extra mucosa es mejor que la sutura en dos planos porque la cicatrización estaría favorecida por respetar la red vascular submucosa. La complicación post operatoria de estenosis sería menor ya que la cantidad de tejido que se incluye en la sutura es mínima, el riesgo dehiscencia sería inferior porque la coaptación de los bordes sería mejor. Se presenta entonces el objetivo de evaluar comparativamente las ventajas y desventajas de estos dos tipos de sutura. El trabajo experimental se realiza en 20 perros de raza mestiza (fotos) con edad y peso promedio de dos años y dos meses y 10,4 kg. Divididos en dos grupos de 10 cada uno. A un grupo se le aplicó la sutura monoplano extra mucosa en intestino delgado y al otro la sutura en dos planos en intestino delgado. Cada uno de ellos fue re intervenido a los cinco, diez y veinte días post operatorios, divididos en tres subgrupos de seis, ocho y seis animales, los mismos que en primer subgrupo corresponden a tres con sutura monoplano y tres en dos planos; el segundo grupo: cuatro con monoplano y cuatro en dos planos; y el tercero: tres de monoplano y tres de dos planos. Mediante la observación se analizó las complicaciones intraoperatorias, las complicaciones post operatorias y el grado de cicatrización. Los resultados fueron: No hubo complicaciones intraoperatorias; 2 Las complicaciones post operatorias se dividieron en mediatas e inmediatas, inmediatas no existieron; y en las mediatas se tiene adherencias, estenosis; obstrucción no se presentó

Corrigendum to “The envelope theorem for multiobjective convex programming via contingent derivatives” [J. Math. Anal. Appl. 372 (1) (2010) 197–207]

The aim of this note is to formulate an envelope theorem for vector convex programs. This version corrects an earlier work, “The envelope theorem for multiobjective convex programming via contingent derivatives” by Jiménez Guerra et al. (2010) [3]. We first propose a necessary and sufficient condition allowing to restate the main result proved in the alluded paper. Second, we introduce a new Lagrange multiplier in order to obtain an envelope theorem avoiding the aforementioned error.

Unmasking of the trigemino-accessory reflex in accessory facial anastomosis

To evaluate the possible blink reflex responses in facial muscles reinnervated by the accessory nerve. Method: Eleven patients with a complete facial palsy were submitted to a surgical repair by an accessory facial nerve anastomosis (AFA). In this pathological group, blink reflex was studied by means of percutaneous electrical stimulation of the supraorbital nerve and recording from the orbicularis oculi muscle. A control group comprised seven normal people and seven patients with a complete Bell's facial palsy; in this group, responses on the sternocleidomastoideus (SCM) muscles were studied after supraorbital nerve stimulation. Results: All the patients with AFA showed a consistent degree of facial reinnervation. Ten out of the 11 patients with AFA showed reflex responses; in six, responses were configured by a double component pattern, resembling the R1 and R2 components of the blink reflex; three patients had an R1-like response and one patient showed a unique R2 component. Mean values of latencies were 15.2 (SD 4.6) ms for the R1 and 85.3 (SD 9.6) ms for the R2. In the control group, eight out of 14 people had evidence of reflex responses in the SCM muscles; these were almost exclusively configured by a bilateral late component (mean latency 63.5 (SD 15.9) ms) and only one of the subjects showed an early response at 11 ms. Conclusion: The trigemino-accessory reflex response in the pathological group was more complex and of a significantly higher incidence than in the control group. These differences could be tentatively explained by a mechanism of synaptic plasticity induced by the impairment of the efferent portion of the reflex. This could unmask the central linking between the trigeminal and the accessory limbs of the reflex. The findings described could be a demonstration of neurobionomic function in the repairing process of the nervous system.