Visión de jóvenes Costarricenses, de zonas rurales, en un programa de rehabilitación, sobre el consumo de drogas

Este estudio cualitativo tuvo como objetivo investigar la visión de jóvenes Costarricenses, institucionalizados en dos organizaciones no gubernamentales de Costa Rica, sobre el consumo de drogas ilícitas. Se aplicó la técnica de grupo focal para que los adolescentes expresasen sus sentimientos y sus vivencias acerca del consumo de drogas ilícitas. Entre los resultados se obtuvo que la percepción de los adolescentes sobre sí mismo tiene como enfoque un proceso de cambio y de desarrollo de la identidad y experimentación que los hace tomar decisiones negativas, como es el consumo de drogas. También, se encontró que las relaciones que tienen con sus padres son conflictivas debido a que provienen de hogares disfuncionales y de comunidades marginales. Los amigos representan el apoyo a sus vicisitudes y la inducción del consumo. Se concluye que es necesario que Costa Rica modifique y cree nuevas políticas públicas para mejorar la calidad de vida de este grupo poblacional.Trata-se de estudo qualitativo que teve como objetivo investigar a visão de jovens costarriquenhos, institucionalizados em duas organizações não-governamentais de Costa Rica, sobre o consumo de drogas ilícitas. A técnica de grupo focal foi aplicada para que os adolescentes expressassem seus sentimentos e suas vivências sobre o processo de consumo de drogas ilícitas. Entre os resultados, obteve-se que a percepção que os adolescentes têm de si mesmos está focada em processo de mudança e de desenvolvimento da identidade e experimentação que os faz tomar decisões negativas, como o consumo de drogas. As relações que têm com seus pais são conflitantes por virem de lares disfuncionais e de comunidades marginalizadas. Os amigos representam o apoio às suas vicissitudes e à indução do consumo. Há necessidade de o Estado de Costa Rica delimitar políticas públicas para melhorar a qualidade de vida dessa população.This qualitative study aimed to investigate the view of adolescents following rehabilitation programs about the consumption of illicit drugs. It was carried out in two Non-Governmental Organizations in Costa Rica. The focus group technique was applied, aiming to allow adolescents to express their feelings and experiences regarding illicit drug consumption. Results showed that the perception adolescents have of themselves is focused on a process of change and development of their identity and experimentation, which influence them in taking negative decisions like drug consumption. The relationships they have with their parents are conflicting, as they come from dysfunctional homes and marginal communities. Friends represent support for their difficulties and lead to drug consumption. The state of Costa Rica needs to define public policies to improve the lives of this population

PLoS Pathog

Cytomegalovirus (CMV) is a leading infectious cause of morbidity in immune-compromised patients. γδ T cells have been involved in the response to CMV but their role in protection has not been firmly established and their dependency on other lymphocytes has not been addressed. Using C57BL/6 αβ and/or γδ T cell-deficient mice, we here show that γδ T cells are as competent as αβ T cells to protect mice from CMV-induced death. γδ T cell-mediated protection involved control of viral load and prevented organ damage. γδ T cell recovery by bone marrow transplant or adoptive transfer experiments rescued CD3ε-/- mice from CMV-induced death confirming the protective antiviral role of γδ T cells. As observed in humans, different γδ T cell subsets were induced upon CMV challenge, which differentiated into effector memory cells. This response was observed in the liver and lungs and implicated both CD27+ and CD27- γδ T cells. NK cells were the largely preponderant producers of IFNγ and cytotoxic granules throughout the infection, suggesting that the protective role of γδ T cells did not principally rely on either of these two functions. Finally, γδ T cells were strikingly sufficient to fully protect Rag-/-γc-/- mice from death, demonstrating that they can act in the absence of B and NK cells. Altogether our results uncover an autonomous protective antiviral function of γδ T cells, and open new perspectives for the characterization of a non classical mode of action which should foster the design of new γδ T cell based therapies, especially useful in αβ T cell compromised patients

Productive Development Policies in Latin American Countries: The Case of Peru, 1990-2007

This paper assesses the institutional setting and productive impact of selected productive development policies (PDPs), institutions, and programs implemented in Peru during the period 1990-2007. The assessment is based on a simple, basic framework of a series of economic or market failures that may have constrained the transformation of the productive structure, the process of innovation, and the growth of total factor productivity. Evidence indicates that the PDPs and structural reforms implemented in Peru did not significantly alter the productive structure of the Peruvian economy. If the objectives of the PDPs are to transform the productive structure, increase total factor productivity, and enhance innovation, government interventions need to focus directly on the source of market failures and create quality productive changes within the private sector

Establishment of a prospective cohort of mechanically ventilated patients in five intensive care units in Lima, Peru: protocol and organisational characteristics of participating centres

Introduction Mechanical ventilation is a cornerstone in the management of critically ill patients worldwide; however, less is known about the clinical management of mechanically ventilated patients in low and middle income countries where limitation of resources including equipment, staff and access to medical information may play an important role in defining patient-centred outcomes. We present the design of a prospective, longitudinal study of mechanically ventilated patients in Peru that aims to describe a large cohort of mechanically ventilated patients and identify practices that, if modified, could result in improved patient-centred outcomes and lower costs. Methods and analysis Five Peruvian intensive care units (ICUs) and the Medical ICU at the Johns Hopkins Hospital were selected for this study. Eligible patients were those who underwent at least 24 h of invasive mechanical ventilation within the first 48 h of admission into the ICU. Information on ventilator settings, clinical management and treatment were collected daily for up to 28 days or until the patient was discharged from the unit. Vital status was assessed at 90 days post enrolment. A subset of participants who survived until hospital discharge were asked to participate in an ancillary study to assess vital status, and physical and mental health at 6, 12, 24 and 60 months after hospitalisation, Primary outcomes include 90-day mortality, time on mechanical ventilation, hospital and ICU lengths of stay, and prevalence of acute respiratory distress syndrome. In subsequent analyses, we aim to identify interventions and standardised care strategies that can be tailored to resource-limited settings and that result in improved patient-centred outcomes and lower costs. Ethics and dissemination We obtained ethics approval from each of the four participating hospitals in Lima, Peru, and at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, USA. Results will be disseminated as several separate publications in different international journals