Sistema Regional de Información
en línea para Revistas Científicas de América Latina,
el Caribe, España y Portugal

Introduction: Pain is one of the symptoms that causes more suffering in any disease.  It also constitutes a basic health problem all over the world, which is frequently under-diagnosed mostly in the area of Pediatrics with a special deficit in the prescription of opioid analgesics.Objective: To characterize the knowledge of opioid analgesics and their prescription made by pediatric health professionals.Material and Method: An ad hoc questionnaire, which was validated by the Delphi Method, was applied to 43 pediatricians of three Hospitals in Havana province from March 2017 to March 2018.Results: The knowledge of the pharmacology of opioid analgesics was insufficient in 81.3 %, regular in 13 %, and good in 5,7 %.  The most frequent barriers in the prescription of opioids were the fear to respiratory depression (71,9%), scarcity of opioids in the Basic Drugs Chart (56,3%), and the fear to addiction (36,3%).  Opioids are prescribed only in 39,5% of the cases, being codeine and tramadol the ones that are more frequently prescribed. In 55.8 % of the inquired cases, the formation and updating in analgesia was insufficient, in 28% it was fairly good, and only in 16.2 % it was considered good.Conclusions: The insufficient pharmacologic knowledge of opioids and the poor availability of these drugs are the factors that most influence on the inadequate management of pain in Pediatrics in our study.Keywords: Pain, pediatrics, analgesic, opioids, prescription, opiophobia

Se documenta la presencia de Hypoplectrus ecosur en 2 localidades de la costa noroccidental de la península de Yucatán, México. La evidencia que se presenta en este trabajo permite ampliar el ámbito de distribución geográfico de esta especie hacia aguas del golfo de México. Hasta este reporte, la presencia de esta especie solo había sido confirmada en el extremo noreste de la península de Yucatán, en aguas del mar Caribe.

Extensive outcrops of folded limestone rocks forming mountainous systems with intense karst development are found in areas of central Mexico. An important part of the water supply in these areas is derived from aquifers controlled by the karst system. We analyzed the underground flow between the towns of Joya de Luna (in an elevated part of the mountain) and Guaxcamá, topographically lower, to establish if there is a connection between these zones, and corroborate if the water infiltrated in the upper part is captured in lowland springs. A new method is proposed to qualitatively assess the hydraulic connectivity between the recharge and discharge zones in a karst and fractured system using pollen grains as tracers. Deuterium and oxygen-18 isotopic data were used to compare and evaluate the suitability of this method; in addition, excess deuterium was used as a factor in the hydrogeological analysis. Through a survey of the vegetation present within a 5 km radius in both zones, the pollen families existing in the recharge zone Joya de Luna and the discharge zone in Guaxcama were documented, and a database with 41 pollen species was generated for morphological characterization. Subsequently, 135 groundwater samples with suspended pollen grains were collected from 5 water wells in the recharge zone and 10 water springs in the discharge zone. The species analysis showed that pollen grains of Zea mays, Avena sativa, Cicer arietinum y Quercus sp., characteristic only of the recharge zone, were also present in water samples collected in the discharge area. The pollen-based results were consistent with those obtained with isotopic data; they allowed identifying two routes with hydraulic connection, G1 and G2. For each of these routes an hydraulic connection was established between samples from the recharge zone and the discharge zone. Grains of Zea mays, Avena sativa, and Cicer arietinum were found in samples from both zones. Pollen of Quercus sp., characteristic of the mountainous are was detected three samples of the recharge zone and seven points of the zone of discharge.

Rare Earth Elements (REE) - series of lanthanides - were used to determine the water-rock interaction process in two geological provinces in central Mexico: the Mesa Central (MC) and the Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt (FVTM). Ninety-four groundwater samples were collected from fractured and granular aquifers in the southwestern part of the State of Guanajuato, from which REE concentrations were analytically determined in all of the samples. The geochemical software PHREEQC was later used to determine aqueous speciation, saturation indices with respect to mineral phases and mixing. The results show that the anomalies of cerium (Ce) and europium (Eu) are characteristic in the determination of water-rock interactions. The negative anomalies of Ce are associated with groundwater circulating through a carbonated-marine Cretaceous aquifer; whereas the negative and positive anomalies of the Eu are associated to fractured aquifers of MC and FVTM. The REE are incorporated into the groundwater by dissolution of minerals present in the rocks and their concentration is controlled by pH, coprecipitation and sorption processes. The presence of negative anomalies of Ce, in the fractured and granular aquifers above the carbonated aquifer, suggests an hydraulic continuity between them through faults and fractures connected to depths greater than 1000 m. This behavior is consistent with the Gravitational model of Groundwater Flow Systems (GFS) Tóthian-Freezean, so the REEs act as natural tracers in defining the regional flow in this complex geological environment and confirming the importance of considering the residence time and vertical components of GFS in groundwater management.

Apatite is the most common phosphate mineral in the Earth’s crust and can be found in practically all magmatic and metamorphic rocks, as well as in ancient and recent sediments and in certain ore deposits. Its effective closure temperature of 450–550 °C for the U-Pb system makes apatite an important natural medium-temperature thermochronometer that can be dated by both laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA–ICP-MS) and isotope dilution thermal ionization mass spectrometry (ID–TIMS) techniques. Due to its low U content, coupled with high Pb contents incorporated during crystallization (also called common lead), apatite U-Pb dating is analytically challenging, and requires robust analytical protocols to achieve reliable ages. In this experimental study we obtained apatite U-Pb ages from six rock samples employing LA–ICP-MS (at Laboratorio de Estudios Isotópicos, Centro de Geociencias, UNAM), while one sample was also dated by ID–TIMS (at Laboratorio Universitario de Geoquímica Isotópica, UNAM). These samples have igneous emplacement or metamorphic ages broadly ranging from the Neoproterozoic to the Paleocene. The obtained apatite U-Pb ages agree well with other radioisotopic data (U-Pb on zircon and K-Ar or Ar-Ar on micas and hornblende) available for the same rock samples tested, or for the same geological units studied. These apatite U-Pb results, obtained for the first time at two main Mexican geochronology laboratories, are precise enough to be geologically meaningful and usually represent the cooling ages; though, in some cases they may also indicate the crystallization or the metamorphic age. Some advantages and disadvantages of LA–ICP-MS- and ID–TIMS-based methodologies were observed and outlined. Our results validate the analytical procedures used and will serve as an important trigger towards the development or improvement of medium-temperature thermochronology techniques in Mexico.

Neonate calves are continuously exposed to a wide range of microorganisms in the environment, including diarrhea-causing enteropathogens. Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) was isolated from the oral mucosa of calves, and colostrum and milk from Holstein cows, the strains identified and their resistance to acid pH and bile salts tested. Isolation was done on plated de Man-Rogosa-Sharpe agar. Once decontaminated, the LAB colonies were morphologically and biochemically characterized. Sixteen of the isolated bacterial strains were selected: 12 from oral mucosa, 2 from milk and 2 from colostrum. After testing for resistance to an acid environment (pH 4 and 4.5) and bile salts (0.3 and 1.5 g), the five most resistant species (pH 4 and 1.5 g bile salts) were identified with the API50 CHL system: Leuconostoc mesenteroides, Pediococcus pentosaceus, Lactobacillus plantarum, Lactobacillus crispatus and Lactococcus lactis. These strains have probiotic potential in calves. 

This research determines which factors most influence the purchase price of bulls in livestock auctions in the State of Rio Grande do Sul, Southern Brazil. Hence, 760 beef bulls sold in eleven different auctions between August and November 2013 were analysed. The data consists of: breed, muscularity (MUSC), frame (FRAME), body condition score (BCS), scrotal circumference (SC) and body weight (BW). Other data such as the animal entry order and the purchase price of the bulls was collected during the auction. A linear generalized model was used to evaluate the interaction of each variable with the purchase price of the bulls. An ANOVA with Tukey post-hoc was used to compare the differences between the categories that influenced the purchase price of bulls and were realized in the software SPSS 20.0. All breeds presented declining prices from the first to the second entry order and increasing purchase prices from the order third to forth. Bulls with large frame received higher purchase prices independent of the auction order, except for the second order of entry, in which medium and small animals were more valued. Angus bulls obtained the highest prices in relation to the breeds Brangus and Hereford. The frame and breed constituted the main phenotypic characteristics that influence in price. In addition, the order of entry of bulls in the ring influence the purchase price.

Of the many animal reproduction biotechnologies, in vitro embryo production has developed most over the past twenty years. Procedure success depends on many factors, including the presence of reactive oxygen species in adequate proportions. Both in vitro fertilization and gamete and embryo manipulation exposes cells to endogenous and/or exogenous factors that can affect antioxidant defense mechanisms and quality. This review discusses some sources of reactive oxygen species, the use of enzymatic, non-enzymatic and polyphenolic antioxidants to reduce oxidative stress in in vitro embryo production processes, and their effects on oocyte and embryo quality, gene expression and embryo developmental competence.

Introducción: El cáncer de pene representa menos del 1% del total de cánceres que afectan al género masculino; sin embargo, implica un gran impacto para el paciente por lo que esto representa. Objetivo: Reportar la calidad de vida, función eréctil y percepción de autoestima de los pacientes sometidos a falectomía parcial por cáncer de pene. Materiales y métodos: Estudio analítico de cohorte transversal. A 10 pacientes posoperados se les aplicó el cuestionario EORTC-QLQ-30 (validado para población mexicana), Índice Internacional de Función Eréctil 5 y SES (Cuestionario de Autoestima de Rosenberg). Resultados: De los 10 pacientes, la calidad de vida, evaluada con el cuestionario EORTC-QLQ-30, fue menor que los resultados de la población general; la actividad sexual, evaluada por la Escala IIEF-5, 5 de 10 pacientes eran sexualmente inactivos, 1 no tuvo deterioro, 1 tuvo un deterioro leve y 3 un deterioro leve-moderado; el autoestima, evaluada por la Escala de Autoestima de Rosenberg, 8 de 10 pacientes presentaron un autoestima arriba del promedio, 1 dentro del promedio y 1 baja autoestima. Conclusiones: Los resultados obtenidos, evaluados según las distintas escalas, indican que la Falectomía Parcial como tratamiento de Cáncer de Pene, afecta la calidad de vida y puede tener repercusiones respecto a la función sexual, sin embargo, la autoestima, pese a la condición de los pacientes, se muestra sin afección, incluso, mejor que el promedio.

Objective: To determine the factors associated with the decrease in hemoglobin and hematocrit in percutaneous nephrolithotomy. Materials and methods:  Patients that underwent percutaneous nephrolithotomy within the time frame of January 2015 to January 2017 were included in the study. The factors associated with bleeding were analyzed using the Levene’s test, the Student’s t test, and inferential statistics. Results: Sixty-nine patients underwent percutaneous nephrolithotomy. The mean decrease in hemoglobin and hematocrit after the procedure was 1.17 g/dl and 2.56%, respectively.  The statistically significant factors were: diabetes mellitus (Hb, p £ 0.001/Hct, p = 0.017), high blood pressure (p = 0.007/p = 0.050), stone morphology (p = 0.004/p = 0.003), stone area (p = 0.003/p = 0.003), number of tracts (p = 0.002/p = 0.012), and surgery duration (p £ 0.001/p = 0.010). Positive culture (p = 0.030) and stone size (p=0.028) were significant only in relation to the decrease in hematocrit. A total of 27.5% patients had undergone previous surgery, mean stone size was 3.26 cm, the lower calyx was the most frequently punctured (78.3%), mean tract length was 8.41cm, and mean surgery duration cutoff time was 140 min. In our study, diabetes mellitus (RR = 1.8, CI = 1.4-2.3), high blood pressure  (RR = 2.12, CI = 1.5-2.8), stone morphology (RR = 1.9, CI = 1.5-2.5), stone area (RR = 1.8, CI = 1.19-2.7), surgical technique and number of tracts  (RR = 1.7, CI = 1.4-2.1), and surgery duration (RR = 1.9, CI = 1.3 -2.8) were the risk factors associated with decreased Hb and Hct values in percutaneous nephrolithotomy. Conclusions: Percutaneous nephrolithotomy is a minimally invasive procedure for the treatment of kidney stones. In our study, the incidence of bleeding was low, and the transfusion rate was minimal, at 2.9%.