Common Pediatric Hand Anomalies.

Upper extremity congenital anomalies in the newborn are second only to congenital heart anomalies. Some of the more commonly encountered upper extremity anomalies are trigger thumb, thumb hypoplasia, polydactyly, syndactyly, and amniotic band syndrome. While some conditions occur in isolation, others are known to commonly occur in association with syndromes.

How bone quality may influence intraoperative and early postoperative problems after angular stable open reduction-internal fixation of proximal humeral fractures.

Background: With the introduction of the deltoid tuberosity index (DTI), a simple radiographic tool has become available to measure bone mineral density of the proximal humerus. The aim of this study was to assess the influence of local bone mineral density on the early failure rate after angular stable open reduction-internal fixation of proximal humeral fractures (PHFs).

Methods: We retrospectively followed up all patients treated with angular stable implants for PHFs from 2007 to 2014.

Molecular characterization of Trypanosoma cruzi and infection rate of the vector Triatoma dimidiata in Costa Rica.

According to the genetic characterization by the analysis of the miniexon gene, strains of Trypanosoma cruzi can be classified into six discrete typing units (DTUs), and the DTU 1 into four distinct genotypes associated with different life cycles. While Chagas disease is endemic in Costa Rica, T. cruzi isolates from this region have never been genetically characterized.

Life cycle of Triatoma ryckmani (Hemiptera: Reduviidae) in the laboratory, feeding patterns in nature and experimental infection with Trypanosoma cruzi.

A cohort initiated with 121 eggs, yielding 105 first instar nymphs (eclosion rate: 86.78%), allowed us to observe the entire life cycle of Triatoma ryckmani under laboratory conditions (24 degrees C and 62% relative humidity), by feeding them on anesthetized hamsters. It was possible to obtain 62 adults and the cycle from egg to adult took a mean of 359.

Molecular evidence of intraspecific variability in different habitat-related populations of Triatoma dimidiata (Hemiptera: Reduviidae) from Costa Rica.

Intraspecific genetic variation among Triatoma dimidiata (Hemiptera: Reduviidae) from seven Costa Rican populations and from different domestic, peridomestic, and sylvatic ecotopes were analyzed. The complete nucleotide sequence of the nuclear ribosomal DNA internal transcribed spacer (ITS-2) and partial sequences of the cytochrome B (Cyt b) gene and the large ribosomal subunit RNA (16S) of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) were analyzed and compared. All ITS-2 sequences analyzed were identical and correspond to the haplotype T.