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Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) has varied characteristics with an impact at the social, communicative and sensorimotor (SM) level. An SM feature is postural control (PC) problems. There are various motor intervention strategies (MIS), but the benefit over LC is something that has been analyzed less extensively. The objective was to describe the MIS and its results on the PC of children and adolescents with ASD. A search of PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science and Cochrane was performed. A total of eight articles met the eligibility criteria. All MIS showed beneficial results on the improvement of PC. The MIS were of a varied nature (dance practice, personalized physical activity, video games, Tai Chi Chuan, Taekwondo and virtual reality). It is necessary to improve the designs and consider the risks of bias, since they limit the scope of the results.

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Escherichia coli strains are part of the normal biota of humans and animals; however, several clinical reports have implicated E. coli as the etiological agent of diarrhea in humans and companion animals. Thus, the aim of the present study was to know if companion dogs in the city of San Luis Potosi are colonized with virulent potentially harmful E. coli strains. Rectal swabs from 30 dogs, 13 with and 17 without diarrhea were analyzed. Phylogenetic and virulence genes analysis was performed to the E. coli isolates. Additionally, the Kirby-Bauer test was used to analyze the sensitivity to 32 different antimicrobials from 14 families. Eighty-five isolates were identified as E. coli and detected in 97% of healthy and diarrheic dog samples. E. coli isolates from healthy dogs carried several virulence genes, in contrast with those from diarrheic animals that presented only eaeA. In healthy dogs, phylogenetic analysis showed that 57% and 43% of E. coli isolates belonged to commensal (A and B1) and virulent (B2 and D) groups respectively. Meanwhile, diarrheic dogs showed that 69% of the isolates were identified as virulent B2 and D phylogroups. Moreover, E. coli resistant to ß-lactams, aminoglycosides, tetracycline, quinolones, and folate inhibitors were detected in both groups of dogs. The presence of E. coli with eaeA virulence gene in diarrheic dogs, suggest that these strains are associated with the animal´s condition. Finally, major attention must be drawn to the careful handling of dogs because of their capability to harbor and disseminate virulent E. coli strains.

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OBJECTIVES: To analyze trends in cytogenetic prenatal diagnosis in Cuba and to analyze possible causes leading to a low Down syndrome prevalence in a country where the triple test is not available. METHODS: An analysis of the Cuban program in prenatal cytogenetic diagnosis from 1984 to 2012 was conducted. Results are described, with particular emphasis on indications, abnormal results, types of invasive procedures, and terminations of pregnancy. RESULTS: Cytogenetic prenatal diagnostic analyses (n = 75,095) were conducted; maternal age was the indication for 77.9% of the amniocenteses and chorionic villus samplings. The detection rate of chromosomally abnormal pregnancies was 2.3% for maternal age and increased to 8-9% for other indications. When a chromosomal abnormality was identified, 88.5% terminated the pregnancy. In 2002, the live birth prevalence of Down syndrome was 8.4 per 10,000 live births, and in 2012, 7 per 10,000. CONCLUSION: Prenatal diagnosis in Cuba has contributed to a significant reduction in chromosomal aberrations. The impact increased because of the demographic trends of the population, the high index of terminations of pregnancy, and the establishment of a network of cytogenetic laboratories throughout Cuba.

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Femoral head chondroblastoma is an infrequent tumor, accounting for approximately 1-2% of benign bone tumors. It occurs more frequently in young male patients. It's most frequent locations include the proximal humerus, proximal femur, distal femur and proximal tibia. The femoral head is the third most frequent site of this tumor. There is no specific treatment for this entity; reported treatments range from acetabular osteotomies and osteochondral grafts, to vascularized fibular grafts, all of them with good results. However, this tumor is clinically unpredictable if left untreated. We report a case managed with osteochondral graft and followed-up for three years after the surgical procedure.

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Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) is characterized by persistent synovitis, systemic inflammation and presence of autoantibodies, mainly Rheumatoid Factor and Anticitrullinated peptide antibody. This condition develop in genetically susceptible individuals, where environmental factors interact, although the pathogenesis is not yet fully known. Since the disease was described until now, there have been major diagnostic and therapeutic advances. In this paper was performed a retrospective and prospective evaluation of 28 patients with RA over twenty years of evolution, was held in treatment and periodic inspection at the Department of Rheumatology at Hospital San Juan de Dios...

La Artritis Reumatoide (AR) se caracteriza por presentar una sinovitis persistente, inflamación sistémica y presencia de autoanticuerpos, fundamentalmente factor reumatoideo y anticuerpo anti-péptido citrulinado. Esta patología se desarrolla en individuos genéticamente susceptibles, donde interactúan diversos factores ambientales, aunque la patogenia aún no se conoce en su totalidad. Desde que se describió la enfermedad hasta la actualidad, ha habido grandes avances diagnósticos y terapéuticos. En este trabajo se realizó una evaluación retrospectiva y prospectiva de 28 pacientes con AR sobre 20 años de evolución, en tratamiento y control periódico en el Departamento de Reumatología del Hospital San Juan de Dios...

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We show how the low-frequency dependence of the proton spin-lattice relaxation time T1(nu) of octylcyanobiphenyl liquid crystals confined in high-density silica gels evidences a long-range order nematic phase in spite of the strong confinement and random disorder of the gels. The universal value and frequency dependence observed, T1(nu) proportional, variant nu(2/3), is interpreted within a relaxation model due to director fluctuations in nematic liquid crystals confined to mass fractal porous media. The model provides a relation T1(nu) proportional, variant nu(2-d/2), giving a reliable value of the structural fractal dimension d(f)=2.67 for all the host silica gels.

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Conductance histograms of aluminum and gold nanocontact rupture are studied experimentally and simulated using embedded atom potentials to assess the interplay between electronic and structural properties at room temperature. Our results reveal a crossover from quantized conductance structures to crystalline faceting or geometric shell/subshell structures at 300 K. The absence of electronic shell structure in gold and aluminum is in stark contrast with the behavior of alkaline metal nanowires which emulate their cluster counterparts. Semiclassical arguments suggest why rapid dominance of ionic structures takes place, and possible nanowire architectures are proposed in consistency with both the experimental and simulated nanocontact data.

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Active surveillance of acute pesticide poisonings in a potato-growing region of highland Ecuador during 1991-1992 uncovered a rate of 171/100,000, due predominantly to occupational exposures to organophosphate and carbamate pesticides. Occupational exposure among agricultural workers was the most common reason for poisoning (32 male workers and 1 female worker, out of a total of 50 cases). Of these 33 cases, 28 of them reported pesticide application as the work task just prior to poisoning, with over 80% citing the use of World Health Organization Hazard Category I pesticides. The suicide rate of 17.1/100,000 and the overall mortality rate of 20.5/100,000 that we found are among the highest reported anywhere in the world. At the exchange rates prevailing at that time, median costs associated with these poisonings were estimated as follows: public and social security health care direct costs of US$ 9.85/case; private health costs of US$ 8.33/case; and lost-time indirect costs of US$ 8.33/agricultural worker. Each one of those costs was over five times the daily agricultural wage, which was then about US$ 1.50. Further costing of pesticide poisonings should be carried out in other settings to provide appropriate information for decisions about pesticide use. In addition, integrated pest management should be further evaluated as an appropriate technology to reduce the economic burden of illness from pesticide poisonings in developing countries.

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The purpose of this research is to characterize the possible vascular selectivity of a series of novel bicyclic compounds derived from 3,4-dihydropyridones. We describe the synthesis, structural study by X-ray analysis and quantum chemical calculations at semiempirical (AMI) and ab initio (HF/321G) levels and pharmacological activity of these 4-aryl-7,7-dimethyl-2,5-dioxo-1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8-octahydroquinolines. In addition, the more favoured conformation for compounds 4a-c in solution was determined from the calculated and experimental proton coupling constants. We report the first computational study on the structure of octahydroquinolines. The results of ab initio (HF/3-21G) and semiempirical molecular orbital calculations (AMI) are compared with the data obtained by X-ray crystallographic study for 4a.

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This study analyzed the efficiency of cholera treatment in three hospitals representative of the Ecuadorian public health system in order to provide hospital directors and administrators and health service policy-makers with information to plan responses to future epidemics and to reduce the costs of cholera treatment in general. For the study, total and excess cholera treatment costs were calculated using hospital files and statistics and an in-hospital surveillance system of the cholera cases. The type and quantity of each input used for each treatment were analyzed, as well as the number of days hospitalized, according to the severity of the illness. With this process, excess costs were determined in relation to a "treatment norm" that would have been appropriate for each patient. The researchers found that 45% of the cholera treatment costs were excessive. The most important contributor was excess recurrent costs (90%), including extended hospital stays, disproportionate use of intravenous rehydration solutions, and unnecessary laboratory tests. Excess capital costs, from land, buildings, and hospital equipment, represented 10% of the total excess treatment costs. No significant relationship was found between treatment costs and the severity of the illness, nor between costs and a patient's age. A patient's sex appeared to be an important variable, with the cost of treating women being notably higher than for men. An inverse relationship was found between treatment costs and the complexity of the hospital. The researchers concluded there was an inefficient use of resources in the treatment of cholera in the three hospitals where the research was performed.

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This paper describes a Microsoft Word 97 macro designed for restriction endonuclease analysis. Selected DNA fragments in the active Word document can be analyzed through a dynamic dialog box that formats the enzyme restriction lists for further analysis. The results can be obtained in a new Word document with the name of the enzymes, number of cuts and positions. This macro has several advantages: the results can be printed in a format suitable for record keeping, no additional programs are required and it is simple to use.

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To explore the peripheral nervous system effects of regular agricultural pesticide use, a cross-sectional survey was conducted in highland Ecuador. Participants were 144 occupationally exposed farm members, 30 female farm members with little direct exposure, and 72 unexposed local town residents, frequency matched to the exposed people on age, sex, and education. Organophosphorus and carbamate insecticides and dithiocarbamate fungicides accounted for the majority of pesticide applications, with leaking backpack sprayers, minimal use of personal protective equipment, and frequent dermal contact being the norm. In polytomous logistic regression analyses, applicators had significantly greater odds for more current peripheral nerve symptoms (odds ratio OR = 3.1), signs of poor coordination (OR = 4.3), abnormal deep tendon reflexes (OR = 2.9), and reduced power (OR = 2.1) compared to controls. Mean toe vibration threshold scores, on a logarithmic scale, were significantly higher among applicators (beta = 0.035) and those reporting previous pesticide poisonings (beta = 0.074). Such indicators of peripheral nervous system effects may be due to a variety of factors, including high pesticide exposure conditions.

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International researchers have urged greater use of simple neurobehavioral batteries in developing country settings where higher levels of exposure and a variety of cultural and demographic factors may both occur. We conducted a cross-sectional survey of 144 farm members and 72 age and education frequency-matched controls from rural Ecuador, using an amplified Neurobehavioral Core Test Battery. Farm members ranged from those with only indirect pesticide contact to applicators regularly applying organophosphate and carbamate insecticides by backpack sprayer. The distributors of scores showed those with less than 4 years of formal education and at the extremes of age (< 16 or > 65 years old) contributed sufficiently to nonnormality that they had to be excluded from subsequent analyses (resultant n = 170). After adjustment for age and education, language-based IQ test scores and farm membership were the most consistent determinants of neurobehavioral outcomes. Visual-spatial tasks were the most sensitive to the effects of farm membership. Gender (women better than men), alcohol problems, and solvent use were also important for some neurobehavioral tests.

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Using a cross-sectional survey of potato farm workers in northern Ecuador, we examined the relationship between pesticide exposure and skin disorders. From a farm population census, all pesticide applicators and 1/2 of exposed field workers were selected. Controls were age-matched from urban occupations. Individual exposure measures included overall years and current hours working with pesticides. Farm-level measures included numbers of applications over the last 6 months and an application practices score (range 0-4). Each participant underwent a clinical skin examination, with patch tests to maneb on a sample of dermatitis cases. Exposure-related increases in conjunctivitis (7% of applicators, 0% in other groups), dermatitis (68% of exposed and 55% of applicators versus 31% of controls, p < 0.001) and pigmentation disorders (25% of exposed and applicators vs 10% controls, p = 0.06) were found. Among dermatitis cases (n = 117), 5% were positive to maneb on patch testing. In logistic regression analysis, significant predictors (p < 0.1) of dermatitis included years using fungicides (OR = 1.12 per year) and poor application practices (OR = 1.42 per score unit). Agricultural fungicide application in high-exposure situations can contribute to dermatitis prevalence among farm populations.

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This report reviews the phenomenology related to the rescue and later development of the newborn babies buried in the rubble of several collapsed maternity hospitals in Mexico City during the earthquake of September 1985. We describe the rescue process as well as the impact of this process on the community. The rescued babies' development has been followed through the first 15 months of their lives and we describe our observations. We also review the implications of the emotional burdens that these babies may bear and the possible repercussions later in their development.

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