Regional assessment of the historical trends of mercury in sediment cores from Wider Caribbean coastal environments.

Spatial and temporal variations of mercury (Hg) concentrations, enrichment, and potential ecological risks were studied in a suite of lead-210 (Pb) dated sediment cores from 13 Wider Caribbean Region coastal environments. Broad variability of Hg concentrations (19-18761 ng g) was observed, encompassing even background levels (38-100 ng g). Most Hg concentration profiles exhibited a characteristic upward trend, reaching their peak values in the past two decades.

Continuous Positive Airway Pressure Effect on Progression of Retinal Disease in Patients with Sleep Apnea and Nonproliferative Diabetic Retinopathy: A Randomized Clinical Trial.

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is associated with impaired glycemic control and a higher risk of vascular complications, such as diabetic retinopathy. However, the effect of apnea-hypopnea suppression on retinal disease progression is unclear. To evaluate the efficacy and safety of continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) for the reduction of retinal lesions in patients with non-proliferative diabetic retinopathy (NPDR) and OSA.

[Argentine hemorrhagic fever: report of two cases in a non-endemic area].

We present the case of a 38-year-old woman with no relevant medical history, resident of the City of Buenos Aires, who was admitted in hospital for presenting fever, retroocular headache, myalgia, arthralgia, and maculopapular pruritic rash on the back of the hands and feet of 6 days of evolution. Laboratory tests revealed lymphopenia, severe thrombocytopenia, and anicteric hepatitis. Her husband had been hospitalized three weeks earlier for a condition of similar characteristics without etiological diagnosis.

Biomarkers of Venous Thromboembolism Recurrence after Discontinuation of Low Molecular Weight Heparin Treatment for Cancer-Associated Thrombosis (HISPALIS-Study).

The most appropriate duration of anticoagulant treatment for cancer-associated venous thromboembolism (CAT) remains unclear. We have conducted a prospective multicenter study in CAT patients with more than 6 months of anticoagulant treatment to predict the risk of venous thromboembolism (VTE) recurrence after anticoagulation discontinuation. Blood samples were obtained when patients stopped the anticoagulation, at 21 days and at 90 days.

Sleep apnea and eye diseases: evidence of association and potential pathogenic mechanisms.

Unlabelled: Eye diseases are an important group of increasingly prevalent disorders that contribute very significantly to disability and represent a considerable health burden. Some data suggest that several of these diseases may be associated with sleep-disordered breathing, mainly obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), due to intermediate mechanisms, such as intermittent hypoxia or sleep fragmentation. The aims of this systematic review were to identify and critically evaluate the current evidence supporting the existence of a possible relationship between OSA and the more relevant eye diseases as well as to evaluate the potential pathogenic mechanisms.

Body-mass index, blood pressure, diabetes and cardiovascular mortality in Cuba: prospective study of 146,556 participants.

Background: Cardiovascular disease accounts for about one-third of all premature deaths (ie, age < 70) in Cuba. Yet, the relevance of major risk factors, including systolic blood pressure (SBP), diabetes, and body-mass index (BMI), to cardiovascular mortality in this population remains unclear.

Methods: In 1996-2002, 146,556 adults were recruited from the general population in five areas of Cuba.

Association of childhood smoking and adult mortality: prospective study of 120 000 Cuban adults.

Background: The average age at which people start smoking has been decreasing in many countries, but insufficient evidence exists on the adult hazards of having started smoking in childhood and, especially, in early childhood. We aimed to investigate the association between smoking habits (focusing on the age when smokers started) and cause-specific premature mortality in a cohort of adults in Cuba.

Methods: For this prospective study, adults were recruited from five provinces in Cuba.

Optimization of the Preanalytical Phase by Estimating Serum Indices Using an Automated Classifier.

Background: Most laboratory errors occur in the preanalytical phase. Among the most common preanalytical errors are interferences due to hemolysis, lipemia, and icterus. Our objective was to evaluate a serum interference estimation methodology by the RSD classifier, to identify other biochemical parameters affected by preanalytical interferences, and to determine the economic impact of its implementation.

OCT Angiography: Imaging of Choroidal and Retinal Tumors.

Objective: Optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA) is a new, noninvasive imaging modality used to assess the vasculature in chorioretinal disease. The purpose of this study was to describe OCTA findings in several chorioretinal tumors, specifically melanocytic tumors. We correlate these findings with clinical risk factors (RFs) for growth.

RECURRENT ACUTE RETINAL PIGMENT EPITHELIITIS: SPECTRAL DOMAIN OPTICAL COHERENCE TOMOGRAPHY AND OPTICAL COHERENCE TOMOGRAPHY ANGIOGRAPHY FEATURES.

Purpose: To describe an atypical case of acute retinal pigment epitheliitis including spectral domain optical coherence tomography (OCT) and OCT angiography features.

Methods: We report a 41-year-old woman with 3 episodes of acute retinal pigment epitheliitis over a 3-year period. Spectral domain OCT and OCT angiography images were acquired with Cirrus 5,000 spectral domain OCT.

Trends in HIV Terminology: Text Mining and Data Visualization Assessment of International AIDS Conference Abstracts Over 25 Years.

Background: The language encompassing health conditions can also influence behaviors that affect health outcomes. Few published quantitative studies have been conducted that evaluate HIV-related terminology changes over time. To expand this research, this study included an analysis of a dataset of abstracts presented at the International AIDS Conference (IAC) from 1989 to 2014.

[URISCAM project: Multicenter evaluation of the UF-Series cytometer in the urinary tract infections screening].

Objective: Urine culture, the gold standard to confirm the presence of urinary tract infection (UTI), is the most requested assay in the microbiology department. Our objective was to determine the diagnostic yield of the UF-Series cytometer as a screening method for UTI.

Methods: All the urine samples sent to the six Microbiology Laboratories participating in a period of 5 working days were analyzed.

Sysmex UF-1000i flow cytometer to screen urinary tract infections: the URISCAM multicentre study.

Unlabelled: The new Sysmex UF-1000i analyzer - which incorporates bacteria morphology distinction - allows to automatically screen samples to be cultured at microbiology laboratories. We have evaluated the feasibility and accuracy of Sysmex UF-1000i to screen urinary tract infections (UTIs). A total amount of 2468 urine samples from six Spanish hospitals were analysed.

The C6H6 NMR repository: An integral solution to control the flow of your data from the magnet to the public.

NMR is a mature technique that is well established and adopted in a wide range of research facilities from laboratories to hospitals. This accounts for large amounts of valuable experimental data that may be readily exported into a standard and open format. Yet the publication of these data faces an important issue: Raw data are not made available; instead, the information is slimed down into a string of characters (the list of peaks).

Structural and Functional Outcomes in Chronic Central Serous Chorioretinopathy Treated with Photodynamic Therapy.

Purpose: To study the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) and retinal alterations in chronic central serous chorioretinopathy treated with photodynamic therapy, and its correlation with functional parameters such as best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) and contrast sensitivity (CS).

Methods: Retrospective, noncomparative, consecutive evaluation by optical coherence tomography and its correlation with BCVA and CS in 31 eyes of 26 patients.

Results: In all affected patients, 88.

A case-control study of post-traumatic endophthalmitis at a Spanish hospital.

Our aim was to identify the potential risk factors for developing post-traumatic endophthalmitis (PTE) and the possible measures of prevention. Retrospective case-control study, with 15 cases of PTE and 2 matched controls. We reviewed the medical records of the cases and their respective controls during the period 1996-2008 at a Spanish Hospital.

[Trend in the susceptibility of the most frequent bacterial pathogens isolated at Hospital General La Mancha Centro over 2010-2012 period].

Introduction. Our objective was to determine the trend of the antimicrobial susceptibility of the most common bacterial pathogens isolated in La Mancha Centro Hospital (MCH) between 2010-2012. Material and methods.

Seroprevalence survey of zoonoses in Extremadura, southwestern Spain, 2002-2003.

Our aims were to determine the seroprevalence rates for the most common types of zoonosis among the population of Extremadura (southwestern Spain) and to identify the associated risk factors. We conducted a seroepidemiological survey to collect information on family background and the habits of people residing in Extremadura between 2002 and 2003. Antibodies to Brucella were determined by Rose Bengal staining and a standard tube agglutination test; a titer of 1/80 was considered to be positive.

[Microbiological study of infectious endophthalmitis with positive culture within a 13 year-period].

Introduction: Our objectives are to describe the microbial spectrum and antimicrobial susceptibility of isolates from patients with culture-proven endophthalmitis.

Material And Methods: Retrospective study of patients with microbiological diagnosis of endophthalmitis treated at the Ophthalmology Department of the General Hospital La Mancha Centro in the period 1996-2008. The identification of isolates was performed using the automated VITEK-2® and Api galleries (bioMérieux, Spain SA).

A case-control study of post-operative endophthalmitis diagnosed at a Spanish hospital over a 13-year-period.

A retrospective case-control study of patients who had undergone cataract extraction at a Spanish hospital over a 13-year period was conducted to identify the risk factors for developing post-operative endophthalmitis (POE). During the study period, the type of antibiotic prophylaxis was changed from subconjunctival gentamicin to the addition of both vancomycin and gentamicin to the irrigating solution. The overall incidence of POE was 0·19% (35 cases/18 287 operations).

Impact of changes in antibiotic prophylaxis on postoperative endophthalmitis in a Spanish hospital.

Objective: This study aims to assess whether changes in antibiotic prophylaxis used in cataract surgery in the La Mancha Centro General Hospital, Spain, were associated with a reduced incidence of postoperative endophthalmitis (POE).

Methods: The hospital employed two different antibiotic prophylaxis regimens during two clearly differentiated periods. In the first period (January 2000 to April 2003), subconjunctival injections of gentamicin were used while in the second (May 2003 to December 2008), vancomycin and gentamicin were added to the irrigating solution.

[Antimicrobial resistance of the most frequently isolated microorganisms in the Hospital General La Mancha Centro between June 2009 and May 2010].

Introduction: During the last two decades an increased incidence of infections caused by multiresistant bacteria has been observed. The spread of these microorganisms in the hospital is a major therapeutic and epidemiological problem. The aim of this study was to determine local resistance patterns of microorganisms causative of multirresistant infections in patients admitted to our hospital.