Featured Issue: VITAE Academia Biomédica Digital No.56

We are featuring VITAE Academia Biomédica Digital no.56 on the blog today.

This issue includes "Proptosis and fungal sinusitis caused by Bipolaris hawaiiensis in a pediatric patient" by Inoa et al. This article details a study in which a 10 year-old patient with symptoms such as runny nose, headache, facial pain and proptosis underwent an endscopic nose sinus surgery and biopsies. Biopolaris hawaiiensis was found in mycological exams. The patient then underwent a successful treatment through the use of Voriconazole for three months.

This issue also includes "Laparoscopic suture and tie aided by robot: a comparative study of the learning curve" by Vegas et al. The article examines the learning curve of suturing and knot tying in laparoscopy in both a traditional setting and robot-assisted laparoscopy. Five people were evaluated for their performance using the GOALS score. The results indicated that robotic assistance helps improve performance of complex tasks in laparoscopy.

For these articles and other articles from this issue, click here.

Featured Issue: Ciência Florestal Vol.24 No.1

Today we are featuring Ciência Florestal vol.24 no.1, which was recently updated on Bioline in June 2014.

Conservation and reforestation has been a constant theme among the recent articles of Ciência Florestal, especially in South America. One of the most popular trees used as a hardwood commercially for uses such as furniture and flooring is the Hymenaea courbaril. This issue includes "Genetic parameters for Hymenaea courbaril L. Conservation in Southwestern Amazon" by Melo Silva et al. This study evaluates the genetic parameters for the conservation of Hymenaea courbaril in southwestern Amazon. Three forest areas that are intended to be used for logging were examined in order to determine sustainable management. The study found that the genetic diversity was higher in low density populations, and that Minimum Viable Area for species conservation was consistent with the studied areas.

This issue also includes "Growth and Mineral Nutrition in Seedlings of Pequi Subjected to Nutrient Deprivation" by Carlos et al. This article details a study done to examine the nutritional content of fruit and medicinal native species of Savannah, the Caryocar brasiliense, an edible fruit grown in Brazil. An experiment was conducted where 12 treatments were tested on Caryocar brasiliense plants that were harvested and separated into air shoot and root system. The plant samples were then dried at 70 degrees. The results indicated that the total mass of the dry matter was not affected by the omission of nutrients.

For these articles and others from this issue, click here.

Featured Issue: Ciência Florestal Vol.23 No.4

Today we are featuring vol.23 no.4 of Ciência Florestal.

Teak is a popular source of wood for commercial use, used for both indoor and outdoor furniture. Teak is grown in many parts of Asia such as Thailand, Indonesia and Myanmar. Brazil has also grown Teak trees since the 1970s. This issue of Ciência Florestal includes "Occurence and Pathogenicity of Meloidogyne javanica on Teak (Tectona grandis Linn. F.) Plants" by de Oliveira & da Silva. The article details the occurrence of the nematode Meloidogyne javanica on Teak plants (Tectona grandis) grown in Mato Grosso, Brazil. For the study, female larvae of the Meloidogyne javanica were extracted from the roots of Teak plants. The results indicated that teak is vulnerable to the nematode because of reproduction factor, and that the nematode is a pathogen to the Teak plant, as the Teak plants were found to have nutrient deficiency.

This issue also includes "Substrate for Production of Macacaúba (Platymiscium ulei Harms) Seedlings in the Autazes town, Amazonas State" by de Miranda et al. This article details the efficiency levels of different substrates on Macacaúba seedlings used in reforestation in Autazes, Amazonas State. Eight treatments of the substrate were administered in random blocks, and five replicates were tested. Some of the treatments included: cattle manure, lime, corrective phosphate, fertilizer with NPK, and lime + correction phosphate. The treatments were tested for 120 days, after which the following characteristics were evaluated: height of shoot, diameter of the neck, shoot, paroot and total dry matter, nutrient levels and amounts in shoot dry matter. The results indicated that all the treatments improved the soil of the seedlings, as more nutrients were found. The results also indicated that plants grown in cattle manure had higher nutrient absorption and growth rates. The study concludes that cattle manure could be the best treatment for the production of Macacaúba seedlings.

For these articles and other articles from this issue, click here.

Featured Issue: Iranian Journal of Pediatrics Vol.23 No.4

Today we are featuring Iranian Journal of Pediatrics Vol.23 No.4, which was updated on Bioline in March. This issue includes an editorial in memory of Professor Mohsen Ziai, one of the Editorial Board members of the journal who passed away in March 2013. The editorial details his life, education and achievements in the community of pediatric medicine.

The importance of mental health and awareness of mental illness has taken a spotlight on the world stage. One article in this issue of Iranian Journal of Pediatrics, "Effectiveness of Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy in Decreasing Suicidal Ideation and Hopelessness of the Adolescents with Previous Suicidal Attempts" by Alavi et al., examines how Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT) has affected a group of 30 young adults ages 12 to 18 who have been diagnosed with depression and have attempted suicide in the previous three months before the study was conducted. The group underwent a 12-week program of CBT and were evaluated by the Scale of Suicide Ideation, Beck's Hopelessness Inventory and Beck's Depression Inventory before and after the program. The results indicated that there was a significant difference between scores found before and after treatment. It was concluded that CBT is effective in reducing suicide ideation.

This issue also includes "Apparent Life-Threatening Events in Neonatal Period: Clinical Manifestations and Diagnostic Challenges in a Pediatric Referral Center" by Alavi et al. This article evaluates infants who experience episodes of Apparent Life-Threatening Events (ALTEs) in which they can experience apnea, colour change, altered muscle tone, choking and gagging. The study was conducted between June 2010 and May 2011. 18 infants who were treated at the Children's Medical Center in Tehran underwent physical exams and their medical histories were examined, as well as paraclinical findings. The study found that 50% of patients had previous ALTE episodes. Among common symptoms were cyanosis, which was experienced by 67% of patients, and apnea, which was experienced in 44% of patients. It was also found that no infants experienced recurring ALTEs at the follow-up exam. The study concludes that more attention should be paid to the underlying diseases of ALTEs.

You can find these articles and other articles from this issue here.

Featured Issue: Rwanda Medical Journal Vol.70 No.2

Today we are featuring vol.70 no.2 of Rwanda Medical Journal on the blog. This issue includes a special article on the addition of Rwanda Medical Journal to Bioline International by the Editor-in-Chief, Joseph Mucumbitsi.

This issue also includes a few other articles on open access, including "Open Access, Knowledge sharing and sustainable Scholarly Communication: 'A new core of research development'" by Fidele Byiringiro. This article is a short communication highlighting the importance and increasing growth of open access articles. This issue also includes an article on free and open source software, "Free and Open Source Software (Foss) for Electronic Health Record Management in Developing Countries" by Verbeke et al. The article summarizes the key advantages and disadvantages as well as any challenges that could be faced when using the software in a medical setting.

This issue includes other articles such as "Patterns of Ocular Trauma at the Main Referral Hospital in Rwanda: Kigali University Teaching Hospital" by Semanyenzi & Nsengiyumva. This article details a study conducted at the Kigali University Teaching Hospital to determine the patterns of ocular trauma experienced by 352 patients referred to the Opthamology department. Out of the patients examined, 73% were males and 27% were females. Among the results found, 37% of patients sustained workplace-related injuries, 21% of ocular injuries were sustained in road traffic incidents, and 15% of injuries were sustained by assault. Among the objects found to cause ocular trauma, wood caused 22% of injuries.

For these articles and other articles from this issue, click here.

Featured Issue: Memórias do Instituto Oswaldo Cruz Vol.108 No.4

Today we are featuring Memórias do Instituto Oswaldo Cruz vol.108 no.4. This issue includes another article on Central-West Brazil, "Prevalence of hepatitis C virus infection among recyclable waste collectors in Central-West Brazil" by Marinho et al. This study was conducted in 15 cooperatives in Goiânia in Central-West Brazil with 431 recyclable waste collectors participating in the study. The results indicated that the prevalence of hepatitis C virus was 1.6%, associated with a history of sexually transmitted infections. The results also indicated that the studied group did report a 47.3% rate of sharps and needle accidents, but researchers concluded that the hepatitis C infection did not occur more frequently in recyclable waste collectors than the rest of Brazil's population.

This issue also includes "Leishmania infection and host-blood feeding preferences of phlebotomine sandflies and canine leishmaniasis in an endemic European area, the Algarve Region in Portugal" by Maia et al. This article discusses the tourist destination in southern Portugal called the Algarve Region, which, since the 1980s has a high prevalence of zoonotic leishmaniasis caused by Leishmania infantum. For this study, phlebotomine and canine surveys were used. The results indicated that four different sandfly species were captured. The results also indicated that Phlebotomus perniciosus, infected with Leishmania infantum, has no preference of hosts, and its prevalence in the area indicates a need for spatial distribution of phlebotomine populations.

For these articles and others from this issue, click here.

Featured Issue: Rwanda Medical Journal Vol.70 No.3

Today we are featuring issue 3 of vol.70 of the Rwanda Medical Journal. This issue includes "Inventory of studies on health systems strenghthening in Rwanda and in Africa" by Munyanshongore & Jino. The article is a study on health systems in Africa with a focus on Rwanda. The article notes that not many studies on health systems have been conducted, but this study in particular aims to create an inventory of existing studies on health systems so the studies and access how these studies could be used in future research. Data on Rwanda was collected from several health institutions and organizations. The researchers then obtained data via the Internet on twenty randomly selected countries in the rest of Africa. Functions of health systems were then identified. Some of the functions included were Leadership and Governance for Health, Health Financing, Health Information System and Health Technologies. The results indicated that there are gaps in Health Systems Strengthening, and further documentation in all categories is required, especially in the Health Information System and Health Technologies.

This issue also includes "Risk factors and prevalence of diabetic retinopathy in adult diabetic patients consulting at Kigali university teaching hospital" by Giraneza & Semanyenzi. This article looks at a study conducted at Kigali University Teaching Hospital between January and June 2012 in which 226 adults with diabetes mellitus were examined for diabetic retinopathy. The results indicated that diabetic retinopathy was found in 31% of cases. The results also indicated that the length of time the patient has had diabetes, uncontrolled blood pressure and high blood pressure were among significant independent risk factors.

You can find these articles and other articles from this issue here. The abstracts are also available in French.

Featured Issue: Memórias do Instituto Oswaldo Cruz Vol.108 No.3

This is our second post in the series of blog posts on Memórias do Instituto Oswaldo Cruz that we will be posting over the next couple of days.

This issue includes "Historical trends in the epidemiology of candidaemia: analysis of an 11-year period in a tertiary care hospital in Brazil" by Wille et al. This study looks at the Candida species' effect on two different groups of patients with Candida infections, one group who was treated from 1994 to 1999 and the other group treated from 2000 to 2004. The results indicated that many patients had a previous history of cancer and were using antibiotics before infection. The results also indicated that Candida albicans had the highest incidence rate, found in 42% of patients, and almost 2.47% of the strains were resistant to fluconazole. Research also suggested that candidaemia was prevalent among elderly patients.

This issue also includes "Climatic factors influencing triatomine occurrence in Central-West Brazil" by Pereira et al. This article looks at the Triatominae species, also commonly known as the triatomine species, in Central-West Brazil. For the study, 27 triatominae species were analyzed using the maximum entrophy method to create models for eight species. The results indicated that Triatoma sordida and Rhodinus neglectus were the two species that were widely found throughout Central-West Brazil, and that the Central-West region of Brazil has suitable climate conditions for different triatominae species.

You can find these articles and others from this issue here.

Featured Issue: Rwanda Medical Journal Vol.70 No.1

This week we will be featuring issues from vol.70 of Rwanda Medical Journal on the blog. This is the second time we are featuring Rwanda Medical Journal on the blog. To find out more about the journal, click here.

Today we are featuring issue 1 of vol.70. This issue includes "Knowledge, attitudes and practices of exclusive breast-feeding of infants aged 0-6 months by urban refugee women in Kigali" by Bahemuka et al, which details a study to examine the practices, knowledge and attitudes of women in Kigali who are exclusively breastfeeding, so that this information may be made available to promote the practice. For the study, 90 refugee women with children six months to two years of age were examined between January and February 2011. The results indicated that 74% of the women had correct knowledge about exclusive breastfeeding. 34% of the women were found to have practiced exclusive breastfeeding for up to six months. Bahemuka et al. concluded that a study using qualitative research should be conducted to examine the reasons for low practice rates of exclusive breastfeeding.

The issue also includes "Antibiotic sensitivity pattersn of Enterobacteriaceae isolated at King Faisal Hospital, Kigali - A Three Years Study" by Rangaiahagari et al. This study is conducted to evaluate patterns of antibiotic sensitivity. This study was conducted from January 2009 to December 2011 in the Microbiology unit in King Faisal hospital in Rwanda. The antibiotic sensitivity of microorganisms was processed and compiled through the hospital information system. The results indicated that Enterobacteriaceae had low susceptibility to antimicrobial agents. 2153 Enterobacteriaceae were isolated, with the most common isolate being Escherichia coli (click to see more articles on this species).

You can find more articles from this issue here.

Featured Issue: Zoological Research Vol.35 No.1

Pycnonotus sinesis
Photo courtesy of Noel Reynolds

Zoological Research has recently been updated on Bioline. We will be posting about on vol.35 no.2 on the blog soon! Stay tuned!

This issue includes "Effects of temperature acclimation on body mass and energy budget in the Chinese bulbul Pycnonotus sinensis" by Wu et al. which is a study examining how the food intake of Pycnonotus sinensis, also known as the Chinese bulbul, is affected by seasonal changes in temperature. The birds were examined in two groups, a group in which the seasonal temperature was 30 degrees celsius and a group in which the seasonal temperature was 10 degrees celsisus. Body mass and temperature and length and mass of digestive tracts were among the factors measured. The results indicated that the length and mass of the birds were significantly smaller in the 30 degrees celsius group than the 10 degrees celsius group.

Another article included in this issue is "Geographic variation in parasitism rates of two sympatric cuckoo hosts in China" by Yang et al. which examines brood parasitism rates in two birds of the cuckoo variety, Acrocephalus orientalis and Paradoxornis heudei, also known as the Oriental Reed Warbler and the Reed Parrotbill, respectively. Brood parasitism involves one species using another to raise their offspring. The results indicated that Cuculus canorus, also known as the common cuckoo, used both the Oriental Reed Warbler and Reed Parrotbill as hosts, but had a higher rate of using the Oriental Reed Warbler.

You can find these articles and other articles from this issue here.

Featured Issue: Memórias do Instituto Oswaldo Cruz Vol.108 No.5

Today we are featuring Memórias do Instituto Oswaldo Cruz vol.108 no.5. 

This issue includes "Polycystic echinococcosis in the state of Acre, Brazil: contribution to patient diagnosis, treatment and prognosis" by de Siquera et al., which examines the process of diagnosis and treatment for patients with Polycystic echinococcosis. The study started in 1999 and by 2009, included 60 patients. Patients were classified based on parasite lesions, neighbouring organ invasion and metastases, and were subsequently divided into three groups to receive either chemotherapy, surgical removal of the cysts or puncturing of the cysts using the PAIR method. The results indicated that surgical removal of the cysts could be the best method of treatment out of the three treatments described above, and that the PAIR method requires more research.

Also included in this issue is "Culicidae (Diptera) selection of humans, chickens and rabbits in three different environments in the province of Chaco, Argentina" by Stein et al. For this study, mosquitoes were collected by using chicken and rabbit bait during the period of June 2001 to May 2002. The incidence of mosquitoes biting the humans operating the traps was also collected. 49 species and 10 genera of mosquitoes were collected. The results indicated that Culex species were most attracted to chicken bait, while Wyeomyia species were most attracted to rabbit bait. Several species including Psorophora albigenu were most attracted to human bait.

For the complete articles and other articles from this issue, click here.