Lanata CF, Black RE, Maurtua D, et al. Etiologic agents in acute vs persistent diarrhea in children under three years of age in peri-urban Lima, Peru. Acta Prediatr 1992;(suppl 381):32-8. Stockholm.In a longitudinal study of acute and persistent diarrhea in 677 children less than three years old in a peri-urban community of Lima, Peru, during 27 months of surveillance, stools were cultured at the beginning of each diarrheal episode and on each subsequent week of illness. Analyzing stool cultures only from children who had not received antibiotic treatment in the 48 h prior to the culture, no association was found between any enteropathogen and persistent diarrhea. We did not find any increase in mixed infections in persistent diarrhea episodes as compared with acute diarrhea, controlling for age, season and anthropometric status. The isolation rate for any given enteropathogen was similar during the first, second, third or later week of illness, but when the presence of a specific enteropathogen was sought in sequential stools within a single episode, no evidence of persistent infection was found. This study shows that in developing countries with a high incidence of diarrheal diseases frequent re-infections with enteropathogens prevalent in the population are one reason for prolonged illnesses. Host factors that increase susceptibility to infection or decrease recovery from illness may also play a role. Further studies of these factors, such as micronutrient deficiencies, are needed to identify a public health intervention to control persistent diarrhea, a condition associated with mortality in many developing countries. 0 Diarrhea, enteropathogens, epidemiology, persistent (chronic, prolonged) CF Lanata, Instituto de Inuestigacion Nutricional, A.P. 18-0191, Lima 18. Peru

Chitosan and alginate are biopolymers with interesting bioactivity that can be transferred to cotton fibers for medical and health care applications. These polymers in solution can be attached onto cotton fibers by a layer‐by‐layer technique. Confirmation of polymer deposition onto fibers was verified by morphology analysis, coomassie blue dye coloration, and contact angle of water on fibers. Also, weight gain and level of whiteness after each layer deposition were determined. Antimicrobial activity on treated cotton samples against E. coli and S. aureus was evaluated after each layer deposition and high inhibition rate of bacteria growth was observed in samples with chitosan outer layer (∼ 100%). Polyelectrolyte layers on cotton fibers not only provide interesting bioactivity by themselves, but can also serve as a matrix for small bioactive molecules. In this regard, a model molecule was added during sample preparation to study its release behaviors in a buffer solution by monitoring with UV–vis spectroscopy. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2016, 133, 43054.

The application of nanotechnology has gained importance in the finishing of textile products, imparting them functional properties, which are achieved without affecting the textile. A novel method was developed for the in situ growth of CuO nanoparticles (NPs) onto cotton textiles by the exhaust dyeing method. For functionalised textiles, a constant sodium hydroxide concentration (0.4 g l −1 ) and different percentages of on-weight-fabric (% owf) of copper acetate were used. The textiles were microbiologically evaluated, the laundering durability was assessed and their UV protection factor (UPF) was determined. In addition, their CIE L*a*b* colour coordinates and colour strength (K/S) were studied. The results determined that NPs on the textile were CuO and were distributed randomly on the cotton fibre surface. The functionalised textiles with CuO NPs had percentages of bacterial reduction against Escherichia coli (ATCC 25922) between 89.7 and 99.7% and showed an improvement in the UPF of cotton from approximately 7 to 32. The CuO NP content on the textile was inversely correlated with the L* value and directly correlated with the a* and b* values and the K/S parameter.

Access to safe drinking water is limited in many isolated areas, such as the Amazon where Indigenous peoples frequently reside. Identifying safe forms of drinking water accepted by the communities could have positive health benefits for Indigenous peoples. Many Amazon Indigenous peoples traditionally prepare and consume a fermented beverage called masato, which is frequently the only form of water consumption. Despite its widespread consumption and evidence of the health benefits of fermentation, masato remains poorly investigated. We partnered with a Shawi Indigenous community in the Peruvian Amazon to conduct participatory photography to research masato preparation, and to characterize key cultural features and to assess the presence of total and fecal coliform bacteria by using a membrane filter technique. Pictures show that masato preparation is a key part of cultural practices and that there are clear gender roles in the preparation process. We found that 100% of communal water sources (26/26) were contaminated with coliform bacteria; by contrast, fewer, 18% of masato samples (2/11), were positive for coliform. This exploratory study suggests that fermented beverages like masato merit further investigation as they represent an Indigenous method to improve water quality in Amazonian communities where water safety cannot be assured.