Publications by authors named "Luz Torres"

Olfactory bulbectomy (OBX) is an experimental strategy that is widely employed because it produces changes at different levels (from behavioral to molecular) that can be related to symptoms of depression in humans. This procedure has been widely studied in adult rats, but little information has been obtained of its effect in neonatal rats. The objective of the present study was to evaluate learning and memory capacity and dendritic spine density in dorsal hippocampal CA3 neurons.

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Purpose: Primary care physicians have an important role in encouraging adequate cancer screening. Disparities in cancer screening by socioeconomic status (SES) may affect presentation stage and cancer survival. This study aimed to examine whether breast, colorectal, and cervical cancer screening rates in women differed by SES and age, and whether screening rates and SES disparities changed after introduction of a primary care-based national quality indicator program.

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Objectives: Economical, operational, and employment strains present challenges for widespread implementation of parent-directed interventions. We designed Sit Down and Play (SDP) with the aim of creating a brief primary care-based program that encourages positive parenting practices through take-home play activities. To develop a sustainable model of implementation in real-world settings, we explored the use of university student volunteers as a potential solution for employment strains.

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In 2014, the chikungunya virus (CHIKV) was detected for the first time in Mexico, the identified strain was the one corresponding to the Asian genotype which was phylogenetically grouped with the strains that circulated in the British Virgin Islands outbreak and was later classified with lineages of Caribbean strains. In three years, 13,569 cases of chikungunya were registered in Mexico. Although the transmission and spread of the virus are now considered a moderate risk, the danger that the virus reemerges is not ruled out due to the infestation of Aedes mosquitoes.

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With the growing appreciation of the importance of early learning experiences for children's healthy development, attention to the cultivation and maintenance of a qualified workforce has steadily increased. Such a workforce must have not just the knowledge and skills related to child development and early learning, but also be linguistically and culturally prepared to meet the needs of an increasingly diverse child and family population. To ensure a highly qualified workforce, programs and policymakers must attend to both the "pipeline" through which new early childhood educators (ECEs) enter the workforce and the "pathways" by which ECEs work toward and obtain the necessary education and credentials for different roles within the field.

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Preschool teachers across the country have been charged to prepare children socially and emotionally for kindergarten. Teachers working in preschool centers are supporting children's social and emotional learning (SEL) within a rich ecology of emotion and social relationships and the present study considers how the supports implemented for children's SEL at the center-level are associated with teachers' psychological health and workplace experiences. Hierarchical linear models were constructed using data from the Head Start Family and Child Experiences Survey 2009 cohort.

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Objective: Determine the impact of informed contraceptive counseling on choice of contraceptive method.

Methods: Multicenter descriptive study using before-and-after evaluation in nine cities in Colombia. Women considering use of self-administered combined hormonal methods at the time of consultation were invited to participate.

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The Helicobacter pylori infection of gastric mucosa is one of the most common infectious diseases and is associated with a variety of clinical outcomes, including peptic ulcer disease and gastric cancer. Helicobacter pylori-induced damage to gastric mucosal cells is controlled by bacterial virulence factors, which include VacA and CagA. Outer membrane vesicles are constantly shed by the bacteria and can provide an additional mechanism for pathogenicity by releasing non-secretable factors which can then interact with epithelial cells.

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This prospective, multicenter study was conducted to evaluate the contraceptive reliability, cycle control and tolerability of a 21-day oral contraceptive regimen containing 20 microg ethinylestradiol and 75 microg gestodene in four Latin American countries (Mexico, Argentina, Brazil and Colombia). Participants took trial medication daily for 21 days. Contraceptive efficacy, cycle control and tolerability were evaluated over a period of 13 cycles.

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