Bacterial Mucosal Immunotherapy with MV130 Prevents Recurrent Wheezing in Children: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-controlled Clinical Trial.

Recurrent wheezing in children represents a severe public health concern. Wheezing attacks (WA), mainly associated with viral infections, lack effective preventive therapies. To evaluate the efficacy and safety of mucosal sublingual immunotherapy based on whole inactivated bacteria (MV130) in preventing WA in children.

Enhancing molecular recognition in electron donor-acceptor hybrids via cooperativity.

Herein, we report the synthesis of guanidinium bis-porphyrin tweezers 1 and fullerene carboxylate 3, their assembly into a novel supramolecular 1@3 electron donor-acceptor hybrid, and its characterization. In solution, the binding constant affording 1@3 is exceptionally high. 1@3, which features a highly confined topography, builds up from a combination of guanidinium-carboxylate hydrogen bonding and π-π stacking/charge-transfer motifs.

Cardiac amyloidosis secondary to multiple myeloma.

Amyloidosis is a multisystemic disease caused by extracellular deposition of pathologic beta fibrillar proteins in multiple organs. Deposited fibrils can be either innunoglobulin light chanis or amyloid-A protein. The incidence of anyloidosis derived from anyloid-A protein, usually associated to an underlying disease, has been dimisishing over the decades in the United States producing clinical evidence of cardiac involvement in less than 5% of all cases.

Ventricular tachycardia as a presentation of congenital left ventricular aneurysm.

Left ventricular aneurysm (LVA) describes a region of ventricular wall that is thinner than the adjacent myocardial segments, balloons outward and exhibits either akinesis or dyskinesis. Congenital LVA is diagnosed by exclusion with a very low incidence, especially in adult patients with very few cases reported. Clinically, most congenital LVA are asymptomatic.

Spontaneous hemothorax: first manifestation of pulmonary arteriovenous malformation in a patient with hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia.

Hereditary Hemorrhagio Telangiectasla (HHT) is a rare inherited autosomal dominant disorder characterized by systemic fibrovascular dysplasia making vessel walls more liable to spontaneous ruptures and injuries. Epistaxis is the first and the most common symptom; however patients may have a variety of serious complications due to vascular involvement of internal organs. In this report we present a case of a 39 year-old woman with recurrent epistaxis and family history of HHT who presented with right spontaneous hemothorax.

Observation of Varroa destructor behavior in capped worker brood of Africanized honey bees.

The behavioral activity of Varroa destructor was observed using transparent cells. Mite oviposition started at 45.0 ± 25.

Aborted sudden cardiac death as a presentation of isolated non-compaction cardiomyopathy.

Left ventricular non-compaction cardiomyopathy (LVNC) is a rare disorder characterized by a thick myocardial wall with two distinct layers consisting of compacted and noncompacted myocardium. The major clinical manifestations of LVNC have been described as heart failure, cardiac arrhythmias, and cardioembolic events. In this report we present a case of a young woman with LVNC who presented with aborted sudden cardiac death.

Varroa destructor (Mesostigmata: Varroidae) in Costa Rica: population dynamics and its influence on the colony condition of Africanized honey bees (Hymenoptera: Apidae).

The development of Varroa destructor Anderson & Trueman (Mesostigmata: Varroidae) population dynamics in Africanized honey bees, Apis mellifera L. (Hymenoptera: Apidae) colonies was monitored from February to July 2004 in Atenas, Costa Rica. A correlation between the mite infestation level and the colony condition was evaluated.

Behavior of varroa mites in worker brood cells of Africanized honey bees.

The ectoparasitic mite Varroa destructor is currently the most important pest of the honey bee, Apis mellifera. Because mite reproduction occurs within the sealed cell, the direct observation of varroa activity inside the cell is difficult. A video observation method using transparent polystyrol cells containing infested brood was used to analyze the behavior of varroa mites in worker brood of Africanized honey bees.

Ventricular non-compaction cardiomyopathy.

Non-compaction of the left ventricle is an extremely rare cardiomyopathy resulting from a defective morphogenesis of the endomyocardium. It results in an architecturally aberrant ventricular wall consisting of two layers: a compacted layer and a loose interwoven meshwork with prominent trabeculae and deep intertrabecular recesses that communicate with the left ventricular cavity. This report describes the case of a 25-year-old man with dilated cardiomyopathy, due to non-compaction of the left ventricle, presenting with a transient ischemic attack.

Clinical characteristics and outcomes in hypertensive patients of Hispanic descent.

In the United States, patients of Hispanic descent have higher rates of hypertension-related morbidity and mortality than patients from other ethnic groups even though the prevalence of hypertension among Hispanics is lower. This discrepancy likely reflects lower rates of hypertension awareness and control among Hispanics as well as a higher prevalence of diabetes mellitus and other cardiovascular risk factors in this population. Although available data suggest that patients of Hispanic descent who receive antihypertensive therapy experience responses and treatment benefits similar to those achieved by other ethnic groups, clinical trials of antihypertensive therapy have typically enrolled only small numbers of Hispanic patients.

A comparison of the reproductive ability of Varroa destructor (Mesostigmata:Varroidae) in worker and drone brood of Africanized honey bees (Apis mellifera).

Colony infestation by the parasitic mite, Varroa destructor is one of the most serious problems for beekeeping worldwide. In order to reproduce varroa females, enter worker or drone brood shortly before the cell is sealed. To test the hypothesis that, due to the preference of mites to invade drone brood to reproduce, a high proportion of the mite reproduction should occur in drone cells, a comparative study of mite reproductive rate in worker and drone brood of Africanized honey bees (AHB) was done for 370 mites.

A survey of the termite fauna (Isoptera) of an eucalypt plantation in central Brazil.

The termite fauna of a plantation of Eucaliptus urophylla S.T. Blake (Myrtales: Mytaceae) in Buritis, Minas Gerais, was manually sampled in 12 transects.

Basiliximab and heart transplantation in Hispanics: the experience in Puerto Rico.

Background: Induction immunotherapy in addition to standard triple therapy at the time of cardiac transplantation with cytolytic antibodies has been used in recipients with pre transplant renal impairment, and to prevent rejection. Recently, anti-interlukin-2 receptor monoclonal antibodies have been used for these purposes. A retrospective study of 58 heart transplant recipients was conducted to assess the effect of basiliximab, a chimeric anti-interlukin-2 receptor monoclonal antibody on biopsy proven acute rejection, serum creatinine, creatinine clearance, hospitalizations due to infection and mortality one year after transplantation.

Coexistent congenital aortic defects, aneurysm of sinus of valsalva, atrial septal defect and infective endocarditis: a case report.

Coarctation of the Aorta is frequently associated with bicuspid aortic valve. This is a risk factor for infective endocarditis. Aneurysm of a sinus of Valsalva is a rare defect with a prevalence of 0.

Renal health models in Latin America: development of national programs of renal health.

Purpose: To verify the actions and degree of progress achieved in countries of Latin America and the Caribbean in the implementation of the Sustainable and Tenable Renal Health Model promoted by the Latin American Society of Nephrology and Hypertension (SLANH), together with local societies and the participation of the Pan-American Health Organization. (PAHO/WHO).

Method: The implementation of workshops (e.

Bilobulated atrial myxoma originating from low interatrial septum.

Myxomas are the most common type of primary cardiac tumors. Around 70% of patients who have them are females, 86% occur in the left atrium and more than 90% are solitary. In the left atrium the usual site of attachment is in the fossa ovalis.

Heart transplantation in females: the experience in Puerto Rico.

Background: Heart transplantation is the procedure of choice for a selected group of patients with end stage heart disease. Gender related differences have been observed in the heart transplant field: less women than men are recipients of heart transplants, more risk of rejection in female recipients, and a perception toward reduced survival in women. We report our experience of heart transplantation in females in Puerto Rico.

Sustainable and tenable renal health model: a Latin American proposal of classification, programming, and evaluation.

Background: End-stage renal disease (ESRD) presents a major problem to public health, with complex implications for social and economic structures in every nation of the world. Clearly, Latin American and Caribbean countries are not able to meet the needs of every patient requiring dialysis treatment at ESRD. Consequently, a considerable number of patients die every year as a result of lack of resources.

The cardiomyopathies, a review for the primary physician.

The cardiomyopathies constitute a group of diseases with direct involvement of the heart muscle itself, and is a significant cause of morbidity and mortality. The World Health Organization (WHO) and the International Society and Federation of Cardiology (ISFC) have promulgated a classification taking into consideration the etiology and pathophysiology, which includes dilated cardiomyopathy, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy, restrictive cardiomyopathy, and unclassified cardiomyopathies. Over 25 causes are associated with the development of the cardiomyopathies.

Selection of congestive heart failure patients for heart transplant.

Heart failure is one of the most common causes of hospitalization in adult patients. With the recent technological advances and the use of new medications for controlling rejection, heart transplant has been established as a definite therapeutic measure for properly selected patients with advanced congestive heart failure. As there is an active transplant program in the Cardiovascular Center of Puerto Rico and the Caribbean, this review is intended to acquaint the practicing physician with the required work up and management of patients referred for cardiac transplant.

Neonatal prefrontal cortex lesion using CO2 laser technique.

Prefrontal cortex (PFC) is a large area of the brain and its neonatal lesion with ibotenic or kainic acid is used to study the early abnormalities in neurodevelopment that lead to behavioral changes linked to schizophrenia. However, these exitotoxic drugs produce a large and asymmetric damage in the PFC. We produced the bilateral lesions of the dorsal part of the PFC of neonatal Sprague-Dawley rats (postnatal day 7, P7) at the anteroposterior +2.