Educators, advisors, therapists? Youth, sexuality, and social intervention

Sexual and reproductive health programs directed at youth have a recent history, related to international politics, especially the International Conference on Population and Development in Cairo, which in 1994 recommended specific services for adolescents and proposed to reduce substantially the pregnancies in this social group. This effort is an opportunity to consider young people as citizens with rights, or also as new clients and health consumers. In this article, we analyze how this conflict is addressed in the Sexual and reproductive health programs, and the limits and range of the mediating role played by civil employees who carry out health interventions, specially when they enter into relationships with other agents of socialization of adolescents (fathers, mothers, educators, etc.), but also with the public health system. In this field we identified the predominant perspectives of social intervention that seeks to direct and structure the possible field of action of youth in sexual matters. These perspectives emphasize individual responsibility in relation to self care and articulate very well with the effective model of health, based on market rationality.     

Prevalence and incidence of respiratory symptoms in relation to indoor dampness: the RHINE study

BACKGROUND: An association between indoor dampness and respiratory symptoms has been reported, but dampness as a risk factor for the onset or remission of respiratory symptoms and asthma is not well documented. METHOD: This follow up study included 16 190 subjects from Iceland, Norway, Sweden, Denmark, and Estonia who had participated in the European Community Respiratory Health Survey (ECRHS I). Eight years later the same subjects answered a postal questionnaire that included questions on respiratory symptoms and indicators of indoor dampness. RESULTS: Subjects living in damp housing (18%) had a significantly (p<0.001) higher prevalence of wheeze (19.1% v 26.0%), nocturnal breathlessness (4.4% v 8.4%), nocturnal cough (27.2% v 36.5%), productive cough (16.6% v 22.3%) and asthma (6.0% v 7.7%). These associations remained significant after adjusting for possible confounders. Indoor dampness was a risk factor for onset of respiratory symptoms but not for asthma onset in the longitudinal analysis (OR 1.13, 95% CI 0.92 to 1.40). Remission of nocturnal symptoms was less common in damp homes (OR 0.84, 95% CI 0.73 to 0.97). CONCLUSIONS: Subjects living in damp housing had a higher prevalence of respiratory symptoms and asthma. Onset of respiratory symptoms was more common and remission of nocturnal respiratory symptoms was less common in subjects living in damp housing.     

The use of bioabsorbable staple line reinforcement for circular stapler (BSG "Seamguard") in colorectal surgery: initial experience

Of all the complications associated with colorectal surgery, the most devastating and constant, despite all techniques being performed properly is anastomotic leakage, especially in left colon and rectal resections with rates as high as 50% when the rectum is involved. In 2005, our center published the preliminary experience with the use of linear staple line reinforcement for colon surgery. The purpose of this paper is to present a series of cases using a new conformation of bioabsorbable reinforcement for circular staplers in 5 patients, 2 patients with rectal cancer, 2 patients with diverticular disease, and 1 patient with sigmoid cancer. These initial data are very promising and has encouraged us to continue using this device on further patients.     

Role of vitamins, minerals and supplements in the prevention and management of prostate cancer

The authors review the current literature on the complementary and alternative medicines most frequently utilized by prostate cancer patients and those at risk for the disease. Products covered are vitamin E, vitamin A, selenium, zinc, soy, lycopene, pomegranate juice, green tea and omega-3 fatty acids. There is no definitive proof that any of the nutritional supplements discussed can impact the course of prostate cancer or its development. The authors believe that simply taking a standard daily multivitamin should be sufficient to ensure that patients have the appropriate levels of vitamins and minerals without risking the over utilization of vitamins, minerals, and supplements which can lead to numerous negative side effects.     

Dried plum prevents bone loss in a male osteoporosis model via IGF-I and the RANK pathway

Previously, dietary supplementation with dried plums, a rich source of polyphenolic compounds with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, has been shown to improve bone density, microstructure and biomechanics in female animal models of osteopenia. We designed this study to determine the extent to which dried plum prevents skeletal deterioration in gonadal hormone deficient male animals and to begin to understand its mechanism of action. Sixty 6-month-old male Sprague–Dawley rats were either sham-operated (Sham = 1 group) or orchidectomized (ORX = 4 groups) and randomly assigned to dietary treatments: standard semi-purified diet (Control) with either LD = 5%, MD = 15%, or HD = 25% (w/w) dried plum for 90 days. At the end of the treatment period, both the MD and HD dried plum completely prevented the ORX-induced decrease in whole body, femur, and lumbar vertebra bone mineral density (BMD). Biomechanical testing indicated that the MD and HD of dried plum prevented the ORX-induced decrease in ultimate load of the cortical bone as well as the compressive force and stiffness of trabecular bone within the vertebrae. Analyses of trabecular microarchitecture of the distal femur metaphysis and vertebral body revealed that HD dried plum protected against the decrease in trabecular bone volume (BV/TV) induced by ORX. In the distal femur, all doses of dried plum improved trabecular number (TbN) and separation (TbSp) compared to the ORX-control group, while MD and HD dried plum prevented the ORX-induced changes in vertebral TbN and TbSp. At the end of the 90-day treatment, no remarkable changes in serum osteocalcin or alkaline phosphatase in any of the treatment groups were observed, while serum insulin-like growth factor (IGF)-I was increased by dried plum. The ORX-induced increase in urinary deoxypyridinoline (DPD) excretion was completely prevented by all doses of dried plum coinciding with down-regulation of gene expression for receptor activator of NFκ-B ligand (RANKL) and osteoprotegerin (OPG) in the bone. We conclude that dried plum prevents osteopenia in androgen deficient male rats, and these beneficial effects may be attributed in part to a decrease in osteoclastogenesis via down-regulation of RANKL and stimulation of bone formation mediated by IGF-I.