Coronary heart disease and stroke attributable to major risk factors is similar in Argentina and the United States: the Coronary Heart Disease Policy Model.

Background: Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in Argentina and the U.S. Argentina is 92% urban, with cardiovascular disease risk factor levels approximating the U.

Subtelomeric regions in mammalian cells are deficient in DNA double-strand break repair.

We have previously demonstrated that double-strand breaks (DSBs) in regions near telomeres are much more likely to result in large deletions, gross chromosome rearrangements, and chromosome instability than DSBs at interstitial sites within chromosomes. In the present study, we investigated whether this response of subtelomeric regions to DSBs is a result of a deficiency in DSB repair by comparing the frequency of homologous recombination repair (HRR) and nonhomologous end joining (NHEJ) at interstitial and telomeric sites following the introduction of DSBs by I-SceI endonuclease. We also monitored the frequency of small deletions, which have been shown to be the most common mutation at I-SceI-induced DSBs at interstitial sites.

Tobacco point-of-sale advertising in Guatemala City, Guatemala and Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Objectives: To determine tobacco point of sale advertising prevalence in Guatemala City, Guatemala and Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Methods: Convenience stores (120 per city) were chosen from randomly selected blocks in low, middle and high socioeconomic neighbourhoods. To assess tobacco point of sale advertising we used a checklist developed in Canada that was translated into Spanish and validated in both countries studied.

Physician counseling of pregnant women about active and secondhand smoking in Argentina.

Objective: Describe physicians' practices of smoking cessation and secondhand smoke (SHS) exposure counseling during prenatal visits.

Design: Cross-sectional survey.

Setting: A total of 13 public and private hospitals from three cities in Argentina.

[Health literacy in patients attending a University Hospital].

Health literacy in patients attending a University Hospital. Low level of health literacy is associated with poor communication between patients and clinicians and with increased hospitalization rates, less frequent screening for cancer, poor control of diabetes, and disproportionately high rates of disease and mortality. Despite the importance of health literacy in medicine, there is no information about its prevalence in Latin America.

Tobacco Industry Strategies to Obstruct the FCTC in Argentina.

OBJECTIVE: To describe the strategies pursued by the tobacco industry (TI) to interfere with the ratification of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) in Argentina. METHODS: We conducted semi-structured interviews about the FCTC, the TI and the legislative process with 3 legislators, 4 public health officials, 1 representative of the tobacco growers and two tobacco-control advocates. We reviewed 6 newspapers from the 4 tobacco growing provinces, searched TI documents in the Legacy Tobacco Documents Library and reviewed 1624 documents.

The challenge of environmental regulation in India.

India's environmental regulations have become stronger in the 25 years since Bhopal, but enforcing them remains a challenge.

[Screening colorectal cancer. Perception and behavior of the population].

There is strong evidence favoring colorectal cancer screening. Preliminary data suggests that it is not included in routine practice with the adequate frequency. We intended to recognize in a Health Care System (HCS) that provides the needed resources, the facilitators and barriers related with the implementation of this preventive practice, how many individuals have carried out one procedure and what this preventive activity predicts.

Smoking behavior and ethnicity in Jujuy, Argentina: evidence from a low-income youth sample.

Latin America is the world region with the highest rates of youth tobacco use and widest socioeconomic gaps, yet no data are available on smoking among Indigenous people, the largest disadvantaged group in the region. A self-administered survey of 3,131 8th grade youth enrolled in a random sample of 27 urban and rural schools was administered in 2004 in Jujuy, Argentina. Standard questions adapted from global surveys were used.

Endothelin-1 inhibits prostate cancer growth in vivo through vasoconstriction of tumor-feeding arterioles.

The vasoactive peptide endothelin-1 (ET-1) has been implicated in promoting the progression of prostate and other cancers though its precise mechanism(s)-of-action remain unclear. To better define the role of ET-1 in prostate cancer progression, we generated prostate cancer cell lines (PC-3 and 22Rv1) that express elevated levels of ET-1. As anticipated, increased ET-1 lead to modest autocrine growth stimulation of PC-3 cells in monolayer culture and increased colony formation in soft agar by both cell lines.

[Brain death in a pregnant woman and fetus survival].

A 29 year old woman suffered massive brain injury after a cerebellum hemorrhage at 17 weeks' gestation. Several hours later, and after brainstem test, she was declared brain dead. She was supported with intensive care during 56 days.

Production and quality of clinical practice guidelines in Argentina (1994-2004): a cross-sectional study.

Background: In the last decades, a sustained increment of Clinical Practice Guidelines (CPG) production in the world has been accompanied by a growing concern about their quality. Many studies related to quality assessment of guidelines produced in High Income Countries were published; however, evidence on this topic is scarce in Low and Middle Income Countries (LMIC). The objectives of this research were: a) to describe guideline production in Argentina at different levels of the health system (macro, meso and micro) from 1994 to 2004; and b) to assess their quality by using the AGREE instrument.

Prevalence and clinical outcome of inpatient hyperglycemia in a community pediatric hospital.

Background: Inpatient hyperglycemia in adult patients with and without a history of diabetes is a predictor of poor clinical outcome. No previous studies, however, have examined the association of hyperglycemia and clinical outcome in children admitted to a community pediatric hospital.

Methods: The study was a retrospective observational cohort of pediatric patients admitted to a community children's hospital from January 2004 to August 2004.

Determinants of recent HIV infection among Seattle-area men who have sex with men.

Objectives: We sought to identify HIV-infection risk factors related to partner selection and sexual behaviors with those partners among men who have sex with men (MSM) in King County, Washington.

Methods: Participants were recruited from HIV testing sites in the Seattle area. Recent HIV infection status was determined by the Serologic Testing Algorithm for Recent HIV Seroconversion (STARHS) or a self-reported previous HIV-negative test.

Oestrogens for preventing recurrent urinary tract infection in postmenopausal women.

Background: Recurrent urinary tract infection (RUTI) is defined as three episodes of urinary tract infection (UTI) in the previous 12 months or two episodes in the last six months. The main factors associated with RUTI in postmenopausal women are vesical prolapse, cystocoele, post-voidal residue and urinary incontinence, all associated with a decrease in oestrogen. The use of oestrogens to prevent RUTI has been proposed.

Longitudinal observation of an HIV prevention community planning group (CPG).

HIV prevention community planning groups were formed to increase stakeholder participation and develop evidence-based comprehensive HIV prevention plans. To date, it is not well understood what factors affect group behavior as the planning group prepares for data-informed decision making. In this observational case study, the authors videotaped 18 meetings of a community planning group (CPG) to observe how a group's behavior changes over time in response to modifications in its structure and function.

Tobacco industry targeting youth in Argentina.

Background/aim: Argentina has one of the highest cigarette smoking rates among both men and women in the Americas and no legislated restrictions on tobacco industry advertising. The tobacco industry has traditionally expanded markets by targeting adolescents and young adults. The objective of this study was to determine whether and how the tobacco industry promotes cigarettes to adolescents in Argentina.