A new cryptic species of Imparfinis (Siluriformes: Heptapteridae) from the Orinoco River basin, revealed by an iterative approach.

An iterative analysis of Imparfinis, combining phylogenetic analysis based on cytochrome oxidase gene and multivariate morphometrics, revealed a new cryptic species from the Andean tributaries of the Orinoco River basin, which is described here. The new species is sister to a clade constituted by Imparfinis hasemani and Imparfinis pijpersi, both from the river basins of the Guiana Shield, being also the most geographically proximate species. Nonetheless, the new species is most similar in general appearance to Imparfinis guttatus from the Madeira and Paraguay River drainages, being almost undistinguishable by conventional characters of external morphology, differing only by morphometric attributes overall. The new species can be distinguished from the remaining congeners by a unique combination of characters, including lower lobe of caudal fin darker than upper lobe, maxillary barbel reaching or surpassing pelvic-fin insertion, 12-15 gill rakers on first gill arch, 40-42 total vertebrae and 9-10 ribs. The new species constitutes the only representative from the Orinoco River basin belonging to Imparfinis sensu stricto.

New records of Pimelodella (Siluriformes, Heptapteridae) from Colombia for the Amazon River basin, and redescription of P. serrata.

We recorded Pimelodella bockmanni and P. serrata for the first time for Colombia, based on specimens collected in tributaries from the main channel of the Amazonas River, in the so-called Trapecio Amazónico, in the southernmost region of this country. We also present morphometric, meristic, and osteological data of the examined material, and provide a complementary morphological description of the poorly known P. serrata, a species known only from the Madeira River drainage in Bolivia and Brazil.

A new species of Pimelodella Eigenmann amp; Eigenmann, 1888 (Siluriformes: Heptapteridae) from the Orinoco River basin.

A new species of Pimelodella is described from western Andean tributaries of the Orinoco River basin. The new species differs from all congeners by a unique set of characters that includes long maxillary barbel, surpassing the dorsal lobe of the caudal fin; relatively short adipose fin (32.8-36.4 of SL); 40-42 total vertebrae; posterior margin of pectoral-fin spine with 12-18 retrorse dentations along basal two thirds; laterosensory canal foramina of dentary and preopercle large and externally conspicuous; a brown faint and narrow midlateral stripe extending from the pseudotympanum, fading posteriorly along the caudal peduncle, and ending as a spot at the caudal-fin base; and dorsal-fin base darkly pigmented, from spinelet to posteriormost interradial membrane. Taxonomic status of P. pallida and presence of P. cruxenti in Colombia are also discussed.

Update of the Mexican College of Rheumatology guidelines for the pharmacologic treatment of rheumatoid arthritis.

BACKGROUND: The pharmacologic management of rheumatoid arthritis has progressed substantially over the past years. It is therefore desirable that existing information be periodically updated. There are several published international guidelines for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis that hardly adapt to the Mexican health system because of its limited healthcare resources. Hence, it is imperative to unify the existing recommendations and to incorporate them to a set of clinical, updated recommendations; the Mexican College of Rheumatology developed these recommendations in order to offer an integral management approach of rheumatoid arthritis according to the resources of the Mexican health system. OBJECTIVE: To review, update and improve the available evidence within clinical practice guidelines on the pharmacological management of rheumatoid arthritis and produce a set of recommendations adapted to the Mexican health system, according to evidence available through December 2012. METHODS: The working group was composed of 30 trained and experienced rheumatologists with a high quality of clinical knowledge and judgment. Recommendations were based on the highest quality evidence from the previously established treatment guidelines, meta-analysis and controlled clinical trials for the adult population with rheumatoid arthritis. RESULTS: During the conformation of this document, each working group settled the existing evidence from the different topics according to their experience. Finally, all the evidence and decisions were unified into a single document, treatment algorithm and drug standardization tables. CONCLUSIONS: This update of the Mexican Guidelines for the Pharmacologic Treatment of Rheumatoid Arthritis provides the highest quality information available at the time the working group undertook this review and contextualizes its use for the complex Mexican health system.