Pollinator response to yellow UV-patterned versus white UV-patternless flower dimorphism in Anemone palmata.

Flower colour polymorphisms are uncommon but widespread among angiosperms and can be maintained by a variety of balancing selection mechanisms. Anemone palmata is mostly yellow-flowered, but white-flowered plants coexist in some populations. We analysed the distribution of colour morphs of A. palmata across its range. We also characterised their colours and compared their vegetative and sexual reproductive traits, pollinator attention and fitness. The range of A. palmata is limited to the Western Mediterranean, while white-flowered plants are restricted to Portugal and SW Spain, where they occur at low proportions. Yellow flowers have a characteristic UV pattern, with a UV-absorbing centre and UV-reflecting periphery, which is absent in the white morph. Colour features of both morphs were highly delineated, making it easy for pollinators to distinguish them. Both morphs were protogynous, with the same duration of sexual stages, and the main floral traits related to pollinator attraction, apart from flower colour, were similar. Hymenoptera and Diptera were the main pollinators, showing preference for the yellow morph, clear partitioning of pollinator groups between the two colour morphs and a marked constancy to flower colour during foraging. Both morphs combined clonal propagation with sexual reproduction, but sexual reproductive potential was lower in white-flowered plants. Finally, female fitness was higher in the yellow morph. Pollinator partitioning and colour constancy could maintain this polymorphism, despite the lower visitation rate and fitness of white-flowered plants, which could facilitate their clonal propagation.

Correspondencia entre la formación académica del estomatólogo relacionado con pacientes especiales y la práctica estomatológica integral.

Se realiza una actualización bibliográfica sobre la atención a pacientes especiales (aquel que presenta signos y síntomas que lo alejan de la normalidad, sea de orden mental o sensorial, así como de comportamiento). Se observó que en España y otros países de Europa las instituciones académicas poseen programas de estudios universitarios de pre y posgrado, donde se adquieren conocimientos y habilidades para la atención de pacientes especiales. Se clasifican los pacientes en 4 grupos, según las afecciones que presentan: grupo I, pacientes con enfermedades crónicas degenerativas, como diabéticos, cardiópatas, nefrópatas, discrasias sanguíneas,epilépticos y otros; grupo II, pacientes con enfermedades que provocan déficit motor, donde se incluyen pacientes parapléjicos, cuadripléjicos, hemipléjicos y otros; grupo III, pacientes con enfermedades que provocan déficit sensorial como ciegos, sordos, sordomudos y otros; grupo IV, pacientes con retraso mental según clasificación de fronterizos, ligeros, moderados, severos yprofundos. Se describen las características de las enfermedades bucales en pacientes especiales. Se concluye que en el futuro, para realizar tratamientos bucales en este tipo de pacientes, se requerirá de personal especializado y con medios adecuados. Habrá que capacitar y formar a los profesionales de la estomatología para poder responder a esta demanda y se deben realizar estudios epidemiológicos con enfoque de riesgos y atención clínica con enfoque de familia, detal forma que se involucre, se comprometa y se responsabilice con la atención a este tipo depersona, para los que resulta fundamental el apoyo de la familia.(AU)

Virulence factors of A. caviae strains isolated from acute diarrheic disease in Cuba.

Fifty Aeromonas caviae strains from intestinal infection in different Cuban provinces were identified by the Aerokey II method and virulence factors were investigated. The strains did not produce haemolysins but other exoenzymes such as proteases, lipases, and DNases; additionally, all isolates adhered to the HEp-2 cell line by the Carrello method and this did not correlate with other virulence factors presence which demonstrates that the haemolysin phenotypic expression is not necessary for these strains to be pathogenic and that pathogenicity is multifactorial, each strain expressing at least one virulence factor.

Influence of iron on growth, production of siderophore compounds, membrane proteins, and lipase activity in Acinetobacter calcoaceticus BD 413.

Acinetobacter calcoaceticus BD413 was examined for production of siderophores and iron-repressible outer membrane proteins following growth in iron-restricted media. The iron-scavenging phenotype was associated with the secretion of iron-repressible catechol and the induction of a group of six outer membrane proteins with molecular weights ranging from 34 to 85 kDa. The amount of catechol produced was dependent on medium composition and iron stringency. The relation between iron limitation and lipase production was studied at the level of lipA transcription and extracellular lipase activity. In minimal medium, iron limitation slightly affected lipA expression but decreased exo-lipase activity significantly. However, if iron limitation and rich nitrogen sources were simultaneously present in the culture media, the production of lipase was increased approximately 4 times.

[Toxigenic Vibrio cholerae non-01]. / Vibrio cholerae No-01 toxigénico.

The antimicrobial susceptibility and the presence of a heat-stable toxin were researched into 100 non-01 Vibrio cholerae strains sent by 7 different health centers to the National Reference Laboratory of Acute Diarrheal Diseases in "Pedro Kourí" Tropical Medicine Institute. The presence of 20% toxigenic non-01 Vibrio cholerae was detected, a figure substantially higher than that reported in other geographic areas, except for endemic areas. This result will make it possible to set epidemiological alert in Cuba because these strains can be infected by CTX phages (element transporting genes that encode for choleric toxin) which will give such strains an epidemic potential similar to that of the etiologic agent of cholera. The identified strains could be studied as possible cholera vaccine candidates.

A randomized, blinded, comparative trial of one pepsin-digested and two whole IgG antivenoms for Bothrops snake bites in Uraba, Colombia. The Regional Group on Antivenom Therapy Research (REGATHER).

The therapeutic efficacy and the incidence of early antivenom reactions (EARs) were compared in a clinical trial performed in 79 patients bitten by Bothrops sp. in Urabá, Colombia. Patients were randomized into three groups according to the antivenom administered: A (n = 30, Butantan polyspecific, pepsin-digested Bothrops antivenom); B (n = 27, Butantan polyspecific, whole IgG Bothrops antivenom); and C (n = 22, Colombian commercial, monovalent, whole IgG Bothrops antivenom). The groups were comparable in all clinical and epidemiologic aspects; 33 patients had mild, 22 moderate, and 24 severe envenoming. At the doses used (two, four, and six vials [10 ml/vial] for mild, moderate, and severe envenomings, respectively) there were no differences between the antivenoms in restoring normal hemostatic parameters within 24 hr. The evolution of local envenoming was comparable in the three groups. Serum venom/antivenom kinetics determined by ELISA showed a complete clearance of venom levels 1 hr after treatment in mild/moderate envenomings. In severe cases, venom levels remained detectable up to 24 hr and recurrence of antigenemia was observed in some cases. Antivenom concentrations remained at high levels up to 24 hr of treatment. The incidence of EARs was significantly different in the groups: A (36.7%), B (11.1.%), and C (81.8%). There were no life-threatening anaphylactic reactions. We conclude that the efficacy of the three antivenoms was similar in neutralizing human Bothrops envenomings and that the production of whole IgG antivenoms by caprylic acid fractionation is a good alternative for reducing the incidence of EARs.

Simposio. Avances recientes con ifosfamida/mesna en el tratamiento de tumores sólidos malignos: estudio fase II con ifosfamida, mesna y carboplatino en el tratamiento del cáncer cervicouterino etapa IIB / Symposium. Recent Advances with ifosfamide/Mesna in the treatment of malignant solid tumors: Phase II study in carcinoma of the uterine cervix clinical stage IIB with ifosfamide, mesna and carboplatin

Los casos de carcinoma cervicouterino se diagnostican en la mayoría de las pacientes en etapas localmente avanzadas. Esto evita el abordaje quirúrgico. La quimioterapia combinada neoadyuvante ha demostrado reducción tumoral en más de la mitad de los casos tratados. En el Instituto Nacional de Cancerología, elaboramos un estudio fase II con objeto de determinar la eficacia y la toxicidad de la combinación de ifosfamida+mesna+carboplatino. También se evaluó la posibilidad de intervenir quirúrgicamente a las enfermas con carcinoma cervicouterino etapa IIB. Se incluyeron 20 pacientes sin tratamiento previo y con edad promedio de 42 años. Todas recibieron tres ciclos de quimioterapia cada cuatro semanas con carboplatino 300 mg/m² el día 1+ifosfamida 3g/m²/día por dos días en infusión contínua de 24 horas; mesna 600mg por vía intravenosa (bolo) directo antes de ifosfamida; 3,000 mg en la solución de la ifosfamida en infusión de 24 horas por dos días. Al término de ésta se administró 1,500 mg de mesna en 1,00 ml de solución glucosada en infusión de 12 horas. Se obtuvieron cuatro respuestas completas y nueve parciales; tres pacientes cursaron con enfermedad estable y cuatro progresaron. En dos enfermas sometidas a cirugía, los especímenes mostraron: carcinoma in situ residual en una mujer y en la otra no hubo actividad tumoral. De 18 pacientes que recibieron radioterapia posterior a la quimioterapia, 13 tuvieron respuesta completa, una mostró respuesta parcial y cuatro progresaron. La toxicidad para 54 ciclos de quimioterapia fue predominantemente medular; neutropenia grado 1-2 (6 por ciento), grado 3-4 (62 por ciento); plaquetopenia grado 0 (90 por ciento), grado 1-2 (44 por ciento) y grado 3 (4 por ciento). No se observó ningún proceso séptico asociado a la neutropenia. Se presentó emesis grado 2-3 en el 42 por ciento y alopecia grado 3 en el 75 por ciento. El seguimiento promedio para todas la pacientes fue de 12 meses. El intervalo libre de progresión en 14 casos con respuesta completa (13 con quimioterapia+radioterapia y uno con quimioterapia+cirugía) fue de 14.3 meses promedio (extremos 6-19 meses). Los resultados obtenidos con esta combinación confirman un alto índice de respuestas objetivas (65 por ciento) y completas (20 por ciento) con toxicidad moderada. La quimioterapia neoadyuvante puede reducir suficientemente el volumen tumoral; esto permite la cirugía en pacientes tradicionalmente consideradas con enfermedad irresecable

Celulitis periorbitaria y orbitaria en pediatría / Orbital and periorbital celulitis in pediatrics

Se analizaron los datos clínicos y de laboratorio de 113 niños con celulitis orbitaria y periorbitaria. Los datos clínicos más constantes fueron: fiebre, edema y quemosis. Sólo 20 casos presentaron datos francos de celulitis orbitaria. Los gérmenes más frecuentemente aislados fueron Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus haemophilus. Las complicaciones se presentaron en el 9% de los pacientes y 2 niños murieron. Se revisa la patofisiología de la celulitis orbitaria y periorbitaria, formulándose una ruta para el manejo de estos padecimientos

[Continuous infusion of heparin in newborn infants with disseminated intravascular coagulation]. / Heparina a infusión continua en lactantes con coagulación intravascular diseminada

This study was carried out in ten infants with DIC who were given heparin at the rate of 100 U. per kilogram of body weight and per day in continuous perfusion. Successful therapeutic results were achieved in nine cases made evident by recovery and quick clinical control of their DIC condition, shown by normalization of hemostatic and fibrinogen tests and negative paracoagulation tests.