Analgesia And Pain

Acupuncture is shown as a treatment to reduce some types of pain, a compendium of some reviews on analgesia and pain is presented, but mainly the acupuncture technique. The types of pain and the different forms of analgesia are described, as a fundamental element, assessing acupuncture as one of the oldest and most reliable methods to face pain. In addition, a brief review is made of other types of analgesia such as hypnosis, general anesthesia, local, digit puncture, or shiatsu, the twelve common channels (meridians). Knowing always that the success of acupuncture depends in the first place on the correct choice of the points on which to act; secondly, it depends on the medium used, which should be the most appropriate in each case (type of needle to be used); In addition, the way in which they should be applied is analyzed. The work sends a reflection related to healthy life, proposing that the traditional methods used to alleviate the different pains and achieve the integral harmony of the human body

Thiamethoxam in Papaya (Carica papaya Linnaeus) Agroecosystems

Papaya (Carica papaya L.) is a profitable fruit of economic and food importance in Mexico and Central America. Veracruz is the state in Mexico with the highest cultivable area, eventhough its production presents numerous phytosanitary problems, which are being faced with the use of the pesticide thiamethoxam. The aim of this study was to make a diagnosis of the use and management of thiamethoxam in papaya agroecosystems in the municipality of Cotaxtla, Veracruz. Two surveys were applied, one to a 30% of the total number of producers organized by an association dedicated to papaya culture, and the other survey was through key informants, both surveys were designed using the snowball sampling, a non-probability sampling technique. The results indicate that 6% of papaya producers use mainly the pesticide thiamethoxam, which belongs to the chemical group of neonicotinoids. It was found out that for five years there have been records of thiamethoxam use in vertisoils. During the cycle of papaya cultivation the producers use a maximum dose of 3 L/ha and a minimum dose of 250 ml/ha per crop cycle. One hundred per cent of those who apply thiamethoxam are not aware of its use and efficient management, nor of the damage they are doing or have caused to agroecosystems

Why Are Outcomes Different for Registry Patients Enrolled Prospectively and Retrospectively? Insights from the Global Anticoagulant Registry in the FIELD-Atrial Fibrillation (GARFIELD-AF).

Background: Retrospective and prospective observational studies are designed to reflect real-world evidence on clinical practice, but can yield conflicting results. The GARFIELD-AF Registry includes both methods of enrolment and allows analysis of differences in patient characteristics and outcomes that may result. Methods and Results: Patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) and ≥1 risk factor for stroke at diagnosis of AF were recruited either retrospectively (n = 5069) or prospectively (n = 5501) from 19 countries and then followed prospectively. The retrospectively enrolled cohort comprised patients with established AF (for a least 6, and up to 24 months before enrolment), who were identified retrospectively (and baseline and partial follow-up data were collected from the emedical records) and then followed prospectively between 0-18 months (such that the total time of follow-up was 24 months; data collection Dec-2009 and Oct-2010). In the prospectively enrolled cohort, patients with newly diagnosed AF (≤6 weeks after diagnosis) were recruited between Mar-2010 and Oct-2011 and were followed for 24 months after enrolment. Differences between the cohorts were observed in clinical characteristics, including type of AF, stroke prevention strategies, and event rates. More patients in the retrospectively identified cohort received vitamin K antagonists (62.1% vs. 53.2%) and fewer received non-vitamin K oral anticoagulants (1.8% vs . 4.2%). All-cause mortality rates per 100 person-years during the prospective follow-up (starting the first study visit up to 1 year) were significantly lower in the retrospective than prospectively identified cohort (3.04 [95% CI 2.51 to 3.67] vs . 4.05 [95% CI 3.53 to 4.63]; p = 0.016). Conclusions: Interpretations of data from registries that aim to evaluate the characteristics and outcomes of patients with AF must take account of differences in registry design and the impact of recall bias and survivorship bias that is incurred with retrospective enrolment. Clinical Trial Registration: - URL: http://www.clinicaltrials.gov . Unique identifier for GARFIELD-AF (NCT01090362)

Calorie Restriction Improves Physical Performance and Modulates the Antioxidant and Inflammatory Responses to Acute Exercise

Our aim was to characterize the effects of calorie restriction on the anthropometric characteristics and physical performance of sportsmen and to evaluate the effects of calorie restriction and acute exercise on mitochondria energetics, oxidative stress, and inflammation. Twenty volunteer taekwondo practitioners undertook a calorie restriction of 30–40% on three alternate days a week for one month. Eleven volunteer sportsmen participated as controls. Both groups performed an energy efficiency test to evaluate physical performance, and samples were taken before and after exercise. The total weight of participants significantly decreased (5.9%) after calorie restriction, while the efficiency of work and the contributions of fat to obtain energy were enhanced by calorie restriction. No significant differences induced by acute exercise were observed in individual non-esterified fatty acid percentage or oxidative stress markers. Calorie restriction downregulated the basal gene expression of nitric oxide synthase, antioxidant enzymes, mitochondrial uncoupling proteins, and repairing stress proteins, but it enhanced the expression of sirtuins in peripheral blood mononuclear cells. In conclusion, one month of calorie restriction decreases body weight and increases physical performance, enhancing energy efficiency, moderating the antioxidant and inflammatory basal gene expression, and influencing its response to acute exercise.This research was funded by Acción Estratégica en Salud del Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación DPS2008-07033-C03-03, Program of Promotion of Biomedical Research and Health Sciences, Projects 11/01791, Red Predimed-RETIC RD06/0045/1004, CIBEROBN CB12/03/30038, and Balearic Island Government (35/2011 and 23/2012) and FEDER funds. X.C. was funded by a FOLIUM program of Institut d’Investigació Sanitària de les Illes Balears. M.H.L. was founded by APOSTD/2017/023 fellowship from Generalitat Valenciana to APS

Pharmacovigilance in children in Camagüey Province, Cuba

Purpose: Our aim was to describe the adverse drug reactions (ADRs) detected following increased education about pharmacovigilance and drug toxicity in children in Camagüey Province, Cuba. Methods: Over a period of 24 months (January 2009 to December 2010), all reports of suspected ADRs in children to the Provincial Pharmacovigilance Centre in Camagüey Province were analysed. ADRs were classified in relation to causality and severity. Results: There were 533 reports involving suspected ADRs in children in the period. Almost one third of the reports received were classified as moderate (155, 29%) or severe (10, 2%). There was one fatality in association with the use of ceftriaxone. Vaccines and antibiotics were responsible for most of the ADR reports (392, 74%) and for all ten severe ADRs. After an intensive educational package, both within the community and the Children’s Hospital, the number of reports increased from 124 in 2008 to 161 in 2009 and 372 in 2010. This was equivalent to a reporting rate of 879 and 2,031 reports per million children per year for 2009 and 2010, respectively. Conclusions: The incidence of ADRs in children Camagüey Province, Cuba, is greater than previously reported. An educational intervention about pharmacovigilance and drug toxicity in children can improve the reporting of ADRs

Laxative effects of partially defatted flaxseed meal on normal and experimental constipated mice

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Constipation is a very common health problem in the world. Intake of sufficient amount of dietary fibers is a cornerstone in the prevention and treatment of constipation. As a traditional medicine, flaxseed has been used to treat constipation for centuries, but the controlled trials are rare. The purpose of the present study was to assess that whether partially defatted flaxseed meal (PDFM) has the potential role to facilitate fecal output in normal and experimental constipated mice.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>After supplemented with 2.5%, 5% and 10% (w/w) PDFM (L-, M- and H -PDFM) for 14 days, the constipation models of mice were induced by atropine-diphenoxylate. The small intestinal transit rates, start time of defecation, amount of defecation and wet weight of feces were researched in normal and constipation model mice.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>M- and H-PDFM significantly increase small intestinal transit rates in constipation model mice. All dose of PDFM markedly shortened the start time of defecation and M- and H-PDFM significantly increase stool frequency and weight in both normal and constipation model mice.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>PDFM may be a useful laxative to facilitate fecal output in normal and constipation conditions.</p

microbeMASST: a taxonomically informed mass spectrometry search tool for microbial metabolomics data

microbeMASST, a taxonomically informed mass spectrometry (MS) search tool, tackles limited microbial metabolite annotation in untargeted metabolomics experiments. Leveraging a curated database of >60,000 microbial monocultures, users can search known and unknown MS/MS spectra and link them to their respective microbial producers via MS/MS fragmentation patterns. Identification of microbe-derived metabolites and relative producers without a priori knowledge will vastly enhance the understanding of microorganisms' role in ecology and human health

Electrical and Mechanical Ventricular Activation During Left Bundle Branch Block and Resynchronization

Cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) aims to treat selected heart failure patients suffering from conduction abnormalities with left bundle branch block (LBBB) as the culprit disease. LBBB remained largely underinvestigated until it became apparent that the amount of response to CRT was heterogeneous and that the therapy and underlying pathology were thus incompletely understood. In this review, current knowledge concerning activation in LBBB and during biventricular pacing will be explored and applied to current CRT practice, highlighting novel ways to better measure and treat the electrical substrate