Urban ecology of Triatoma infestans in San Juan, Argentina

This study was performed in an urban neighborhood of the capital city of the province of San Juan, Argentina. Erected as a housing complex, the place consists of 768 flats distributed in buildings of three and seven floors each. A survey was carried out in 33% of the dwellings, enquiring about the number of Triatoma infestans found indoors, stage of the bug development - nymph or adult - and how these insects had entered their homes. Adult T.infestans were found on all floors; 163 people (64%) had found them at least once, and 130 (51%) several times. Dispersal flight seems to have been the main mechanism of infestation by adult bugs in this area, and a total of 51% of the surveyed inhabitants reported that the insects had flown into their flats.

Population dynamics of intermediate snail hosts of Fasciola hepatica and some environmental factors in San Juan y Martinez municipality, Cuba

The variation of abundances of intermediate snail hosts of Fasciola hepatica in Cuba (Fossaria cubensis and Pseudosuccinea columella) was studied during one year under natural conditions at five sampling sites in San Juan y Martinez municipality, Pinar del Rio province, Cuba. The effect of some environmental variables on the lymnaeid abundances was also studied. A canonical correspondence analysis showed that both species do not generally occur together in the same habitat and that most factors affect them in an opposite fashion, although both of them correlate positively through time to the diversity of the habitats. F. cubensis prefers the sites that are in or closer to the city whereas P. columella is more abundant in rural sites. Lymnaeid abundances are mainly affected by nitrite and nitrate concentrations as well as by the abundance of the thiarid Tarebia granifera. F. cubensis is more abundant in polluted habitats with low densities (or absence) of T. granifera whereas P. columella prefers cleaner habitats and can coexist with the thiarid, even at its higher densities. The implications of divergent preferences of the two lymnaeids for the control of fasciolosis are discussed.

Angiogenesis-related gene expression profile with independent prognostic value in advanced ovarian carcinoma.

BACKGROUND Ovarian carcinoma is the most important cause of gynecological cancer-related mortality in Western societies. Despite the improved median overall survival in patients receiving chemotherapy regimens such as paclitaxel and carboplatin combination, relapse still occurs in most advanced diseased patients. Increased angiogenesis is associated with rapid recurrence and decreased survival in ovarian cancer. This study was planned to identify an angiogenesis-related gene expression profile with prognostic value in advanced ovarian carcinoma patients. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS RNAs were collected from formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded samples of 61 patients with III/IV FIGO stage ovarian cancer who underwent surgical cytoreduction and received a carboplatin plus paclitaxel regimen. Expression levels of 82 angiogenesis related genes were measured by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction using TaqMan low-density arrays. A 34-gene-profile which was able to predict the overall survival of ovarian carcinoma patients was identified. After a leave-one-out cross validation, the profile distinguished two groups of patients with different outcomes. Median overall survival and progression-free survival for the high risk group was 28.3 and 15.0 months, respectively, and was not reached by patients in the low risk group at the end of follow-up. Moreover, the profile maintained an independent prognostic value in the multivariate analysis. The hazard ratio for death was 2.3 (95% CI, 1.5 to 3.2; p<0.001). CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE It is possible to generate a prognostic model for advanced ovarian carcinoma based on angiogenesis-related genes using formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded samples. The present results are consistent with the increasing weight of angiogenesis genes in the prognosis of ovarian carcinoma.

Effectiveness of olive oil for the prevention of pressure ulcers caused in immobilized patients within the scope of primary health care: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND Pressure ulcers are considered an important issue, mainly affecting immobilized older patients. These pressure ulcers increase the care burden for the professional health service staff as well as pharmaceutical expenditure. There are a number of studies on the effectiveness of different products used for the prevention of pressure ulcers; however, most of these studies were carried out at a hospital level, basically using hyperoxygenated fatty acids (HOFA). There are no studies focused specifically on the use of olive-oil-based products and therefore this research is intended to find the most cost-effective treatment and achieve an alternative treatment. METHODS/DESIGN The main objective is to assess the effectiveness of olive oil, comparing it with HOFA, to treat immobilized patients at home who are at risk of pressure ulcers. As a secondary objective, the cost-effectiveness balance of this new application with regard to the HOFA will be assessed. The study is designed as a noninferiority, triple-blinded, parallel, multi-center, randomized clinical trial. The scope of the study is the population attending primary health centers in Andalucía (Spain) in the regional areas of Malaga, Granada, Seville, and Cadiz. Immobilized patients at risk of pressure ulcers will be targeted. The target group will be treated by application of an olive-oil-based formula whereas the control group will be treated by application of HOFA to the control group. The follow-up period will be 16 weeks. The main variable will be the presence of pressure ulcers in the patient. Secondary variables include sociodemographic and clinical information, caregiver information, and whether technical support exists. Statistical analysis will include the Kolmogorov-Smirnov test, symmetry and kurtosis analysis, bivariate analysis using the Student's t and chi-squared tests as well as the Wilcoxon and the Man-Whitney U tests, ANOVA and multivariate logistic regression analysis. DISCUSSION The regular use of olive-oil-based formulas should be effective in preventing pressure ulcers in immobilized patients, thus leading to a more cost-effective product and an alternative treatment. TRIAL REGISTRATION Clinicaltrials.gov identifier: NCT01595347.

Récit ethnographique d'une expérience partagée de la fête de San Juan/Inti Raymi à Otavalo (Andes équatoriennes)

Cet article constitue une tentative de récit ethnographique qui compte rendre l'expérience vécue de la fête de San Juan/Inti Raymi dans la région d'Otavalo (Andes équatoriennes) de différents acteurs et de l'anthropologue. L'auteur s'essaie à la description minutieuse afin de montrer, à partir d'une perspective pragmatique, le développement des actions dans l'espace et dans le temps, permettant de mettre en évidence le savoir pratique et la créativité de ses interlocuteurs, ainsi que la dimension d'indétermination des situations. Par ce faire, aucune explication sous-jacente ou cachée est recherchée, le sens se trouvant dans la pratique festive même. L'abondance des détails a également pour objectif de faire vivre aux lecteurs les situations et de leur faire prendre conscience de leur caractère complexe et situé.

Sebastià Juan Arbó, autotraductor: de terres de l'Ebre (1932) a Tierras del Ebro (1940)

Sebastià Juan Arbó (1902-1984) era un escriptor en llengua catalana fins a la Guerra Civil espanyola. Arran del desenllaç de la guerra, Arbó va esdevenir un escriptor tant en llengua catalana com en llengua castellana. Aquest pas d’una llengua a una altra va tenir un pas intermedi: l’autotraducció. A partir de la seva primera autotraducció al castellà (Tierras del Ebro, 1940), Sebastià Juan Arbó es va introduir en les lletres castellanes. Aquesta tasca autotraductora, que encetà el 1940, no l’abandonà en la resta de la seva obra catalana i mai no l’exercí en la seva obra escrita originalment en llengua castellana.Amb aquest treball de recerca es vol establir, en primer lloc, un mètode d’anàlisi per a l’autotraducció de Terres de l’Ebre, de Sebastià Juan Arbó, que pugui ser exportable a l’anàlisi d’altres autotraduccions, i, en segon lloc, analitzar un fragment de les primeres edicions en català (1932) i castellà (1940) de Terres de l’Ebre, que permeti reconèixer-hi les tendències autotraductores de Sebastià Juan Arbó.