Background: Glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) deficiency causes acute haemolytic anaemia triggered by oxidative drugs such as primaquine (PQ), used for Plasmodium vivax malaria radical cure. However, in many endemic areas of vivax malaria, patients are treated with PQ without any evaluation of their G6PD status.Methods: G6PD deficiency and its genetic heterogeneity were evaluated in northeastern and southeastern areas from Venezuela, Cajigal (Sucre state) and Sifontes (Bolívar state) municipalities, respectively. Blood samples from 664 randomly recruited unrelated individuals were screened for G6PD activity by a quantitative method. Mutation analysis for exons 4-8 of G6PD gen was performed on DNA isolated from G6PD-deficient (G6PDd) subjects through PCR-RFLP and direct DNA sequencing.Results: Quantitative biochemical characterization revealed that overall 24 (3.6 %) subjects were G6PDd (average G6PD enzyme activity 4.5 ± 1.2 U/g Hb, moderately deficient, class III), while DNA analysis showed one or two mutated alleles in 19 of them (79.2 %). The G6PD A-202A/376G variant was the only detected in 17 (70.8 %) individuals, 13 of them hemizygous males and four heterozygous females. Two males carried only the 376A → G mutation. No other mutation was found in the analysed exons. Conclusions:The G6PDd prevalence was as low as that one shown by nearby countries. This study contributes to the knowledge of the genetic background of Venezuelan population, especially of those living in malaria-endemic areas. Despite the high degree of genetic mixing described for Venezuelan population, a net predominance of the mild African G6PD A-202A/376G variant was observed among G6PDd subjects, suggesting a significant flow of G6PD genes from Africa to Americas, almost certainly introduced through African and/or Spanish immigrants during and after the colonization. The data suggest that 1:27 individuals of the studied population could be G6PDd and therefore at risk of haemolysis under precipitating factors. Information about PQ effect on G6PDd individuals carrying mild variant is limited, but since the regimen of 45 mg weekly dose for prevention of malaria relapse does not seem to be causing clinically significant haemolysis in people having the G6PD A-variant, a reasoned weighing of risk-benefit for its use in Venezuela should be done, when implementing public health strategies of control and elimination.

Research allows for the strengthening of disciplines, particularly those that draw on information from various specialties, such as public health. The objective of this report is to provide consolidated methodological perspectives to enrich public health as a science. The review highlights three key elements: the type of investigative approach, the evidence and competence approaches in the methodological context of the inquiry into collective health. It is concluded that the systematic, specific knowledge, integrated to the context and obtained in attention to the circumstances of the investigation, the object of study and the institutional location, contribute with the strengthening of public health as a multidisciplinary science, directly involved, for its competence and based on the evidence, in the decision making in matters of health by the State in areas as important as needs, services and health systems.

In the educational process it is necessary to use management paradigms and active participation of parents. The objective was to determine the use of management strategies by the director of basic education and participation of parents in the educational process. It is a descriptive, transversal and field study, whose instrument was a questionnaire of 26 closed-questions.   The sample comprised 16 directors, 52 teachers and 62 parents. For most managers and faculty the technique of brainstorming, involvement in decision-making, continues knowledge management and radical change are crucial in the educational process of children.   But mothers and fathers believe that managerial groups do not use strategies properly except for reengineering.   The mother and fathers are mainly involved in education management but not in the learning process. It is recommended the deepening of policy management training teaching force, through continuous training provided by the government and the promotion of family participation in the teaching-learning process of children.

Los extractos etanólicos del propóleos poseen actividad antifúngica en diferentes especies de levaduras, propiedad de importancia por ser una opción terapéutica económica y poco toxica respecto a los antimicóticos tradicionales, de particular utilidad sobre especies del complejo Candida albicans, patógeno oportunista. A pesar de que la composición química general del propóleos es similar en las distintas regiones del mundo, su actividad antifúngica no parece serlo. El objetivo fue determinar la actividad fungistática y fungicida de propóleos venezolano y de 3 regiones del mundo. Para ello cepas del Complejo C. albicans, C. guillermondi, C. krusei y C. tropicalis se enfrentaron a distintas concentraciones de extractos etanólicos de propóleos. Los propóleos de mayor actividad biológica fueron los de Alemania e Italia (10,2 mg/mL), seguidos por el de Venezuela (15,6 mg/mL) y España (18,8 mg/mL). La CMI en las especies más sensibles a los propóleos fueron C. krusei y C. guillermondii (8,6 mg/mL como promedio de los 4 propóleos). Los extractos etanólicos de propóleos italiano y alemán son fungicidas en todas las cepas estudiadas en diluciones de 1/32 (concentración final de 3,12 mg/dL). Se concluye que los extractos etanólicos de propóleos tienen efectos fungistáticos y fungicidas sobre las especies del Complejo C. albicans, C. krusei, C. guillermondii y C. tropicalis; que C. tropicalis es la especie más resistente a la acción biológica del propóleos  y C. krusei y C. guillermondii las más sensibles; que los propóleos de Alemania e Italia son los más efectivos contra las especies de Candida aisladas de pacientes venezolanas.