Peru is one of the countries with the highest lead contamination in the world. Biological monitoring has limitations due to the shortage of laboratories with validated methodologies for the measurement of blood lead, and it is necessary to use alternative methods for its measurement in high-altitude cities. We aimed to compare the blood lead levels (BLL) measured by the LeadCare II (LC) method and Graphite Furnace Atomic Absorption Spectrometry (GF-AAS). We measured the BLL of 108 children from the city of La Oroya. The mean and median BLL for GF-AAS were 10.77 ± 4.18 and 10.44 µg/dL, respectively; for the LC method, the mean was 11.71 ± 4.28 and the median was 11.60 µg/dL. We found a positive linear correlation (Rho = 0.923) between both methods. Notwithstanding, the Wilcoxon test suggests a significant difference between both methods (ρ = 0.000). In addition, the Bland–Altman analysis indicates that there is a positive bias (0.94) in the LC method, and this method tends to overestimate the BLL. Likewise, we performed a generalized linear model to evaluate the influence of age and hemoglobin on BLL. We found that age and hemoglobin had a significant influence on BLL measured by the LC method. Finally, we used two non-parametric linear regression methods (Deming and Passing-Bablok regression) to compare the LC method with the GF-AAS. We found that these methods differ by at least a constant amount, and there would be a proportional difference between both. Although in general there is a positive linear correlation, the results of both methods differ significantly. Therefore, its use in cities located at high altitudes (higher than 2440 m.a.s.l.) would not be recommended.
Background. Demodex folliculorum is a mite that causes human demodicosis, which is characterized by producing lesions on the face, and its infestation could be associated with factors that alter the immune response, including Type 2 Diabetes (T2D). This study aimed to evaluate the relationship between T2D and D. folliculorum infestation in patients attended at a hospital in Peru in 2021. Methods. A cross-sectional study enrolling patients who were classified according to the presence (n = 100) and absence (n = 100) of T2D was conducted. Information was obtained on age, sex, domestic animal husbandry, and symptoms and signs associated with demodicosis. Demodicosis was determined to be present when counts of D. folliculorum greater than five mites per cm2 were found in superficial facial skin biopsies. Results. A frequency of demodicosis in 76 and 35 patients with and without T2D, respectively, was observed. In the multivariate analysis adjusted for confounders age, sex, and domestic animal husbandry, T2D was found to be associated with D. folliculorum infestation (PR: 2.13; 95% CI95: 1.42–3.19). Conclusions. T2D was associated with D. folliculorum infestation. In this sense, it is important to strengthen surveillance to identify of D. folliculorum infestation in people with T2D.
This review identifies and describes the main outcomes and complications associated with remote work during the COVID-19 pandemic. A systematic review of the literature was carried out. This included observational studies whose population or partly carried out remote work, published between March 1, 2020, and November 30, 2020. The descriptors were adapted to MEDLINE (Ovid), EMBASE, Scopus and PsycINFO databases. We found 139 studies; 15 articles were included in this synthesis. A total of 18,818 remote workers were reported, of which women represented between 18.2%-100%. The findings describe the increased use of electronic devices, sedentary lifestyle, anxiety, depression, feelings of loneliness, sleep disorders and the presence of musculoskeletal pain in remote workers. Therefore, it is necessary to provide assistance and education to the remote worker in order to improve their conditions, reduce the associated complications and positively impact their lifestyle.
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