Micronutrient deficiencies according to sociodemographic factors and nutritional status among Panamanian children aged six to 59 months in 2019: a cross-sectional population-based study.

Background: Micronutrient deficiencies have serious lifelong consequences. This study aimed to estimate the prevalence of anaemia, iron deficiency anaemia, iron deficiency, and vitamin A deficiency, according to sociodemographic factors and nutritional status among Panamanian children aged six to 59 months in 2019.

Methods: We used data from the National Health Survey of Panama (ENSPA), a population-based, cross-sectional study, with a nationally representative subsample to evaluate haemoglobin, C-reactive protein (CRP), ferritin, and retinol levels among children aged six to 59 months.

Malnutrition among Children under Age Five in Panama: Results of the ENSPA 2019.

Malnutrition has important short- and long-term consequences in children under age five. Malnutrition encompasses undernutrition, overnutrition, and the coexistence of both of them, known as the double burden of malnutrition (DBM). The aim of this study was to estimate the prevalence of undernutrition, overnutrition, and the DBM among these children at the national level and by living area in Panama.

Model biological systems demonstrate the inducibility of pathways that strongly reduce cryoprotectant toxicity.

Cryoprotectant toxicity is a limiting factor for the cryopreservation of many living systems. We were moved to address this problem by the potential of organ vitrification to relieve the severe shortage of viable donor organs available for human transplantation. The M22 vitrification solution is presently the only solution that has enabled the vitrification and subsequent transplantation with survival of large mammalian organs, but its toxicity remains an obstacle to organ stockpiling for transplantation.

History of the National Cancer Registry of Panama.

Background: The National Cancer Registry of Panama (NCRP) was established in 1974. In 1984, histological confirmation became mandatory. The now pathology-based registry has evolved and has been a population-based cancer registry (PBCR) since 2012 with cancer-specific Web-based reporting software.

Diabetes mellitus, its prevalence, awareness, and control in Panama: Data from ENSPA 2019, a national cross-sectional study.

Diabetes mellitus (DM) represents an important global burden of disease. In Panama, DM was investigated in 1 study utilizing questionnaires and in another using biomarkers, but at subnational level. Using data from a recent cross-sectional country-wide population-based study that included biomarkers, we estimated the prevalence of DM, its awareness, and control; evaluating possible risk factors.

A Comprehensive Approach to Posttraumatic Lymphedema Surgical Treatment.

 Posttraumatic lymphedema (PTL) is sparsely described in the literature. The aim of this study is to propose a comprehensive approach for prevention and treatment of PTL using lymphovenous anastomosis (LVA) and lymphatic vessels free flap, reporting our experience in the management of early-stage lymphedema.  A retrospective observational study was performed between October 2017 and July 2022.

Extremity reconstruction with superficial circumflex iliac artery perforator free flap: Refinements and innovations after 101 cases.

Introduction: The superficial circumflex iliac artery perforator flap is based on perforators originated on the superficial circumflex iliac artery. This flap is thin and pliable, of moderate size, and has a concealed donor site. The authors report their experience, innovations, and refinements in both planning and execution, and the outcomes obtained after 101 extremity reconstruction consecutive cases.

Physical Inactivity and Sedentary Behaviour among Panamanian Adults: Results from the National Health Survey of Panama (ENSPA) 2019.

Physical inactivity (PI) has been described as an independent risk factor for a large number of major non-communicable diseases and is associated with an increased risk of premature death. Additionally, sedentary behaviour has been associated with increased overall mortality. We estimated the national prevalence of PI and sedentary behaviour using the Global Physical Activity Questionnaire version 2.

The utility of immunohistochemistry for detecting mycobacterial infections in bronchoalveolar lavage & bronchial washings.

Background & Objectives: Tuberculosis, most commonly caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB), is an infectious bacterial disease, with a major impact on global health. In this study, immunohistochemistry (IHC), acid-fast bacilli (AFB) culture and Ziehl-Neelsen (ZN) staining, techniques were compared on bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) and bronchial washings (BW) with respect to sensitivity and specificity for detecting mycobacteria, taking culture as the gold standard.

Methods: Consecutive BAL and BW specimens were included in the study, over a period of one year for which AFB cultures were available.

Prevalence of hypertension and possible risk factors of hypertension unawareness among individuals aged 30-75 years from two Panamanian provinces: Results from population-based cross-sectional studies, 2010 and 2019.

Background: Recent estimates of hypertension in Panama remain unknown. We aim to describe the variation in prevalence and unawareness of hypertension in two Panamanian provinces using two different cross-sectional population-based studies and to investigate risk factors associated with hypertension unawareness.

Methods: Data were derived from a sub-national study conducted in the provinces of Panama and Colon (PREFREC-2010 [2,733 participants]) and from a nationally representative study (ENSPA-2019), in which we restricted our analyses to the same provinces (4,653 participants).

Pushing the Limits in Extremity Reconstruction Using Virtual Surgical Planning: A Case Series Study.

Summary: Technology is advancing in benefit to solving complex problems. Preoperative planning is essential in any reconstructive process given the importance of achieving good results. New technologies facilitate the process to anticipate intraoperative findings.

Electrostatic Reaction Inhibition in Nanoparticle Catalysis.

Electrostatic reaction inhibition in heterogeneous catalysis emerges if charged reactants and products with similar charges are adsorbed on the catalyst and thus repel the approaching reactants. In this work, we study the effects of electrostatic inhibition on the reaction rate of unimolecular reactions catalyzed on the surface of a spherical model nanoparticle using particle-based reaction-diffusion simulations. Moreover, we derive closed rate equations based on an approximate Debye-Smoluchowski rate theory, valid for diffusion-controlled reactions, and a modified Langmuir adsorption isotherm, relevant for reaction-controlled reactions, to account for electrostatic inhibition in the Debye-Hückel limit.

How the Shape and Chemistry of Molecular Penetrants Control Responsive Hydrogel Permeability.

The permeability of hydrogels for the selective transport of molecular penetrants (drugs, toxins, reactants, .) is a central property in the design of soft functional materials, for instance in biomedical, pharmaceutical, and nanocatalysis applications. However, the permeation of dense and hydrated polymer membranes is a complex multifaceted molecular-level phenomenon, and our understanding of the underlying physicochemical principles is still very limited.

Tuning the selective permeability of polydisperse polymer networks.

We study the permeability and selectivity ('permselectivity') of model membranes made of polydisperse polymer networks for molecular penetrant transport, using coarse-grained, implicit-solvent computer simulations. In our work, permeability P is determined on the linear-response level using the solution-diffusion model, P = KDin, i.e.

Tobacco use and access among 13 to 15 year olds in Kuna Yala, an indigenous region of Panama.

Background: Panama has the lowest overall prevalence of tobacco use in the Americas, however rates are almost three times higher in the indigenous territory of Kuna Yala compared with the national average. Most people who smoke started during adolescence, making this a key period for tobacco control efforts.

Objective: We aimed to examine tobacco access and use among adolescents (13 to 15 years old) in Kuna Yala compared with nationwide Panama using data from the 2017 Global Youth Tobacco Survey, a standardised international tool for assessing key tobacco control indicators among adolescents.

Prevention and Treatment of Posttraumatic Lymphedema by Soft Tissue Reconstruction With Lymphatic Vessels Free Flap: An Observational Study.

Background: Extremities soft tissue damage may increase the risk of presenting posttraumatic lymphedema. This type of lymphedema is often ignored in trauma and reconstructive literature. We propose a microsurgical soft tissue reconstruction approach to prevent and/or treat posttraumatic lymphedema.

Utility of basic clinical and laboratory parameters to predict Serious Bacterial Infection in children younger than 3 months old hospitalized for Febrile Syndrome without Source.

Introduction: In 20% of children with febrile syndrome, it appears as fever of unknown origin (FUO) syndrome. Management strategies in this group have high sensitivity but low specificity.

Objectives: To cha racterize serious bacterial infections (SBI) in children younger than three months old hospitalized because of FUO syndrome and to evaluate the utility of clinical and laboratory parameters in the identification of patients that are at high risk of SBI.

A New Planning Method to Easily Harvest the Superficial Circumflex Iliac Artery Perforator Flap.

Background:  The superficial circumflex iliac artery perforator flap (SCIP) is a thin, pliable, and versatile flap used mainly for extremities and head and neck reconstruction. Different planning methods have been described, but these are not yet standardized like in other flaps. The aim of this study is to present a fast, effective, and reliable method for SCIP flap planning using computed tomography angiography (CTA).

Enhanced Catalytic Activity of Gold@Polydopamine Nanoreactors with Multi-compartment Structure Under NIR Irradiation.

Photothermal conversion (PTC) nanostructures have great potential for applications in many fields, and therefore, they have attracted tremendous attention. However, the construction of a PTC nanoreactor with multi-compartment structure to achieve the combination of unique chemical properties and structural feature is still challenging due to the synthetic difficulties. Herein, we designed and synthesized a catalytically active, PTC gold (Au)@polydopamine (PDA) nanoreactor driven by infrared irradiation using assembled PS-b-P2VP nanosphere as soft template.