Racial/Ethnic Differences in Non-Discretionary Risk Factors for COVID-19 Among Patients in an Early COVID-19 Hotspot.

Background: Baseline disparities in non-discretionary risk factors, i.e., those not readily altered, like family size and work environment, appear to underlie the disproportionate COVID-19 infection rates seen among Hispanic persons and, at surge onsets, Black persons.

Spinal stereotactic body radiotherapy following intralesional curettage with separation surgery for initial or salvage chordoma treatment.

OBJECTIVE Chordoma is a rare malignant tumor for which en bloc resection with wide margins is advocated as primary treatment. Unfortunately, due to anatomical constraints, en bloc resection to achieve wide or marginal margins is not feasible for many patients as the resulting morbidity would be prohibitive. The objective of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of intralesional curettage and separation surgery followed by spinal stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) in patients with chordomas in the mobile spine.

[Effect of propolis on Staphylococcus aureus strains resistant to antibiotics].

The activity of propolis and its combinations with antibiotics against antibiotic resistant strains of Staphylococcus aureus was studied. It was found that staphylococcae strains resistant to benzylpenicillin, tetracycline and erythromycin were mainly sensitive to propolis. It is concluded that there was synergism in the effect of propolis and antibiotics with respect to antibiotic resistant strains of Staphylococcus aureus.

[Method of determining the antimicrobial activity of alcohol extracts of propolis].

It is proposed to determine the antimicrobial activity of propolys alcohol extracts by the method of subsequent dilutions in solid nutrient media. Dilution of the extracts immediately in hot agar eliminated the inhibiting effect of the extragent on the microbial growth. Opalesence appearing in the agar did not prevent estimation of the results in contrast to the method of subsequent dilutions in liquid nutrient media.