Background: Upper limb motor impairment is one of the main complications of stroke, affecting quality of life both for the patient and their family. The aim of this systematic review was to summarize the scientific evidence on the safety and efficacy of Vagus Nerve Stimulation (VNS) on upper limb motor recovery after stroke.Methods: A systematic review and meta-analysis of studies that have evaluated the efficacy or safety of VNS in stroke patients was performed. The primary outcome was upper limb motor recovery. A search of articles published on MEDLINE, CENTRAL, EBSCO and LILACS up to December 2021 was performed, and a meta-analysis was developed to calculate the overall effects.Results: Eight studies evaluating VNS effects on motor function in stroke patients were included, of which 4 used implanted and 4 transcutaneous VNS. It was demonstrated that VNS, together with physical rehabilitation, increased upper limb motor function on average 7.06 points (95%CI 4.96; 9.16) as assessed by the Fugl-Meyer scale. Likewise, this improvement was significantly greater when compared to a control intervention (mean difference 2.48, 95%CI 0.98; 3.98). No deaths or serious adverse events related to the intervention were reported. The most frequent adverse events were dysphonia, dysphagia, nausea, skin redness, dysgeusia and pain related to device implantation.Conclusion: VNS, together with physical rehabilitation, improves upper limb motor function in stroke patients. Additionally, VNS is a safe intervention.

Outdoor exposure is considered the primary modifiable risk factor in preventing the development of myopia. This effect is thought to be attributed to the light-induced synthesis and release of dopamine in the retina. However, until recent years, there was no objective quantifiable method available to measure the association between time spent outdoors and myopia. It is only recently that the conjunctival ultraviolet autofluorescence (CUVAF) area, serving as a biomarker for sun exposure, has begun to be utilized in numerous studies. To provide a comprehensive summary of the relevant evidence pertaining to the association between the CUVAF area and myopia across different geographic regions and age groups, a systematic review and meta-analysis were conducted. The search encompassed multiple databases, including MEDLINE, SCIENCE DIRECT, GOOGLE SCHOLAR, WEB OF SCIENCE, and SCOPUS, and utilized specific search terms such as "conjunctival ultraviolet autofluorescence", "CUVAF", "UVAF", "objective marker of ocular sun exposure", "myopia", "degenerative myopia", and "high myopia". The bibliographic research included papers published between the years 2006 and 2022. A total of 4051 records were initially identified, and after duplicates were removed, 49 articles underwent full-text review. Nine articles were included in the systematic review. These studies covered myopia and outdoor exposure across different regions (Australia, Europe and India) with a total population of 3615 individuals. They found that myopes generally had smaller CUVAF areas compared to non-myopes. The meta-analysis confirmed this, revealing statistically smaller CUVAF areas in myopic patients, with a mean difference of − 3.30 mm² (95% CI − 5.53; − 1.06). Additionally, some studies showed a positive correlation between more outdoor exposure and larger CUVAF areas. In terms of outdoor exposure time, myopic patients reported less time outdoors than non-myopic individuals, with a mean difference of − 3.38 h/week (95% CI − 4.66; − 2.09). Overall, these findings highlight the connection between outdoor exposure, CUVAF area and myopia, with regional variations playing a significant role. The results of this meta-analysis validate CUVAF as a quantitative method to objectively measure outdoor exposure in relation with myopia development.

Introducción: La malnutrición abarca la desnutrición, el sobrepeso y la obesidad, generada por desbalance alimentario y presencia de determinantes sociales de la salud (DSS) que afecta principalmente a la población infantil. Objetivo: Identificar la prevalencia de malnutrición y su asociación con DSS, en menores de 5 años pertenecientes al Sistema de Selección de Beneficiarios para Programas Sociales (SISBEN) del área urbana del municipio de Palermo. Materiales y métodos: Estudio de corte transversal, con enfoque analítico. Muestra de 254 niños menores de 5 años pertenecientes al SISBEN, residentes del área urbana del municipio de Palermo. La información socioeconómica se recolectó por una encuesta y la clasificación nutricional por valoración antropométrica. Resultados: El 6,7% presentaron malnutrición por déficit y 9,8% por exceso. Se encontró asociación entre desnutrición crónica con hacinamiento (p=0,03; RP=1,9 IC: 95% 1,138 - 3,173) y con bajo ingreso económico, (p=0,004; RP=1,96 IC: 95% 1,22 - 3,15); entre desnutrición aguda y disposición inadecuada de basuras (p=0,03; RP=6 IC: 95% 4,2 - 8,7); y entre desnutrición global con bajo ingreso económico (p=0,02; RP=2,2 IC: 95% 1,11 - 4,35) y vivienda inadecuada (p=0,03; RP=2,08 IC: 95% 1,06 - 4,06). Conclusiones: Coexisten los dos extremos de malnutrición: por exceso y por defecto, ésta última, relacionada con determinantes: hacinamiento, bajo ingreso económico familiar y disposición inadecuada de basuras.

Previously, we showed that disinfection of sink drains is effective at decreasing bacterial loads. Here, we report our evaluation of the ideal frequency of sink-drain disinfection and our comparison of 2 different hydrogen peroxide disinfectants.