Revalidación taxonómica y distribución potencial de Armatocereus brevispinus Madsen (Cactaceae) / Taxonomic revalidation and potential distribution of Armatocereus brevispinus Madsen (Cactaceae)

Se reporta el primer registro confirmado para el norte de Perú de Armatocereus brevispinus Madsen, una especie de cactácea considerada como endémica de la provincia de Loja, en la región sur del Ecuador. El registro corresponde a una localidad situada en el km 18 de la vía a Ayabaca (04º 42' 21.0" S y 79º 48' 51.0" W), en el distrito de Ayabaca, dentro de la provincia de Ayabaca, en el Departamento de Piura. Este registro representa una ampliación del rango distributivo conocido para esta especie en Ecuador. Se analiza la taxonomía, distribución y el estado de conservación y se comenta sobre su biogeografía en la región andina.

We report the first confirmed record for northern Peru of Armatocereus brevispinus Madsen, a species of cactus regarded as endemic to the province of Loja, in the southern region of Ecuador. The record corresponds to a locality placed near the km 18 of the route to Ayabaca (04º42'21.0"S and 79º48'51.0"W), in the district of Ayabaca, within the province of Ayabaca, in the Department of Piura. This records represents an extension of the distributional range known for this species in Ecuador. We analyze its taxonomy and the distribution and conservation status and comments on its biogeography in the Andean region.

Inadequate fine-tuning of protein synthesis and failure of amino acid homeostasis following inhibition of the ATPase VCP/p97.

The cellular mechanisms that control protein degradation may constitute a non-oncogenic cancer cell vulnerability and, therefore, a therapeutic target. Although this proposition is supported by the clinical success of proteasome inhibitors in some malignancies, most cancers are resistant to proteasome inhibition. The ATPase valosin-containing protein (VCP; p97) is an essential regulator of protein degradation in multiple pathways and has emerged as a target for cancer therapy. We found that pharmacological depletion of VCP enzymatic activity with mechanistically different inhibitors robustly induced proteotoxic stress in solid cancer and multiple myeloma cells, including cells that were insensitive, adapted, or clinically resistant to proteasome inhibition. VCP inhibition had an impact on two key regulators of protein synthesis, eukaryotic initiation factor 2α (eIF2α) and mechanistic target of rapamycin complex 1 (mTORC1), and attenuated global protein synthesis. However, a block on protein translation that was itself cytotoxic alleviated stress signaling and reduced cell death triggered by VCP inhibition. Some of the proteotoxic effects of VCP depletion depended on the eIF2α phosphatase, protein phosphatase 1 regulatory subunit 15A (PPP1R15A)/PP1c, but not on mTORC1, although there appeared to be cross-talk between them. Thus, cancer cell death following VCP inhibition was linked to inadequate fine-tuning of protein synthesis and activity of PPP1R15A/PP1c. VCP inhibitors also perturbed intracellular amino acid levels, activated eukaryotic translation initiation factor 2α kinase 4 (EIF2AK4), and enhanced cellular dependence on amino acid supplies, consistent with a failure of amino acid homeostasis. Many of the observed effects of VCP inhibition differed from the effects triggered by proteasome inhibition or by protein misfolding. Thus, depletion of VCP enzymatic activity triggers cancer cell death in part through inadequate regulation of protein synthesis and amino acid metabolism. The data provide novel insights into the maintenance of intracellular proteostasis by VCP and may have implications for the development of anti-cancer therapies.

High proportion of cactus species threatened with extinction.

A high proportion of plant species is predicted to be threatened with extinction in the near future. However, the threat status of only a small number has been evaluated compared with key animal groups, rendering the magnitude and nature of the risks plants face unclear. Here we report the results of a global species assessment for the largest plant taxon evaluated to date under the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List Categories and Criteria, the iconic Cactaceae (cacti). We show that cacti are among the most threatened taxonomic groups assessed to date, with 31% of the 1,478 evaluated species threatened, demonstrating the high anthropogenic pressures on biodiversity in arid lands. The distribution of threatened species and the predominant threatening processes and drivers are different to those described for other taxa. The most significant threat processes comprise land conversion to agriculture and aquaculture, collection as biological resources, and residential and commercial development. The dominant drivers of extinction risk are the unscrupulous collection of live plants and seeds for horticultural trade and private ornamental collections, smallholder livestock ranching and smallholder annual agriculture. Our findings demonstrate that global species assessments are readily achievable for major groups of plants with relatively moderate resources, and highlight different conservation priorities and actions to those derived from species assessments of key animal groups.

[Nutritional status in Chilean school children according to NCHS and WHO 2007 reference]. / Estado nutricional en escolares chilenos según la referencia NCHS y OMS 2007.

BACKGROUND: In 2007, WHO published a new reference for assessing the nutritional status of children and adolescents aged 5 to 19 years, including body mass index (BMI) by sex and age. OBJECTIVE: To compare the nutritional assessment by BMI in schoolchildren and adolescents using the actual Chilean Ministry of Health norm (NCHS) and the new WHO reference 2007. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Retrospective cohort study of 117,745 newborns, with nutritional assessment on first year of basic education (1997) and later in high education (2005). We analyzed the nutritional status according to BMI for age in relation to the NCHS references and WHO 2007, in standard deviations (SD) and percentiles. We analyzed the agreement between the different references with the Kappa index. RESULTS: There were small differences in the nutritional classification in first grade (6,4 ± 0,3 years) between the three references. Underweight prevalence was slightly higher with both WHO references, overweight with WHO in standard deviation and obesity with WHO percentiles, at first grade of high school (14,4 ± 0,3 years). The main difference was in relation to classification of obesity (≥ percentile 95), where 43,9% of obese by WHO percentiles were considered overweight with NCHS (87,3% concordance Kappa 0,75). CONCLUSIONS: The diagnostic concordance between the three criteria was the order of 90%. There are some differences between NCHS and WHO, and between both WHO reference, depending on the cutoff point used. The adoption of one or other reference should depend on the biological hazards associated with it.

Birth weight and obesity risk at first grade in a cohort of Chilean children.

The purpose of the study was to determine the association of birth weight as a risk factor for obesity at first grade in a cohort of elementary school Chilean children. Height and weight at birth and follow up measurements at first grade were analyzed from a national cohort of 119,070 new borns. Subjects were classified by anthropometric characteristics: new born weight in kilograms, Ponderal Index, (birth weight/height³ x 100), and gestational age (physical maturity) categories at birth. The study tested the hypothesis that a macrocosomic newborn (≥ 4,000 g or > 8.8 pounds) or Large for Gestational Age, would be at higher risk to be obese at first grade. A positive relationship between birth weight ≥ 4,000 g, (O.R. =1.55), (p < 0.001), high Ponderal Index (O.R. = 1.39), (p < 0.001), large for gestational age (O.R. = 1.51), (p < 0.001), and obesity at first grade was found. Macrosomic children were more likely to be obese at first grade after controlling for the effects of confounding prenatal variables (O.R. = 1.67, (p < 0.001). When weight gain between birth and first grade was ≥ 120% of reference value, the obesity risk was 20 times higher (p < 0.001). A direct and statistically significant relationship between high birth weight and obesity at first grade in this group of Chilean children were observed. These results highlight the significance of birth weight as an important tool for healthcare providers that can be used as an indicator of obesity risk for children.

LACE-conditioned autologous stem cell transplantation for relapsed or refractory Hodgkin's lymphoma: treatment outcome and risk factor analysis in 67 patients from a single centre.

High-dose chemotherapy followed by autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT) is a recognized treatment option for patients with relapsed Hodgkin's lymphoma. We have analysed 67 patients who underwent ASCT after LACE (lomustine (CCNU), cytarabine (Ara-C), cyclophosphamide, etoposide) conditioning for relapsed (n=61) or primary refractory (n=6) Hodgkin's lymphoma. The 100-day treatment-related mortality was 3%. With a median follow-up of 67 months (range 3.3-161.0) the probabilities of overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) at 5 years were 68 and 64%, respectively. Probabilities for OS and PFS at 5 years for patients with chemosensitive relapse (n=40) were 81 and 78% versus 50 and 35%, respectively, for patients (n=27) with chemoresistant relapse (P=0.012 for OS, P=0.002 for PFS). In multivariate analysis mixed cellularity classical or lymphocyte-depleted classical histology subtype and haemoglobin level of 10 g/dl or less at the time of ASCT were identified as risk factors for worse OS, whereas stage III or IV disease at diagnosis and disease status at ASCT other than complete or partial remission predicted inferior PFS. LACE followed by ASCT is an effective treatment for the majority of patients with chemosensitive relapsed Hodgkin's lymphoma and a proportion of chemorefractory patients also benefit.

Unexpected recovery in a newborn with severe hypomyelinating neuropathy.

We report the case of a severely hypotonic and weak term newborn who required ventilatory support from the time of birth. Serial neurophysiologic studies were consistent with severe demyelinating polyneuropathy. The infant's condition deteriorated over several weeks despite treatment with corticosteroids and intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) for presumed inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy. Histopathologic findings in a sural nerve biopsy, however, were similar to those previously reported in congenital hypomyelinating neuropathies. After 12 weeks of hospitalization and after discontinuation of corticosteroids, the patient began to recover and required no further ventilatory support. Remarkable improvement has continued for 18 months. This patient raises questions about the underlying mechanisms of hypomyelinating neuropathies in early infancy.

Diagnóstico ultrasonográfico antenatal y manejo de tumor cardíaco fetal / Antenatal ultrasonographic diagnosis and fetal cardiac tumor management

Se presenta un caso clínico de diagnóstico antenatal ultrasonográfico de tumor cardíaco y posterior manejo activo mediante seguimiento con ecocardiografía y Doppler-Color, así como el resultado perinatal y evolución posterior. Los tumores cardíacos fetales pueden ser primarios o metastásicos, siendo estos últimos más frecuentes. Si bien la frecuencia de tumores primarios es baja y en su mayoría son benignos, son capaces de causar la muerte del feto por complicaciones como arritmias, taponamiento pericárdico, obstrucción valvular o embolia

Hallazgos a la ultrasonografía transvaginal en 27 casos comprobados de embarazo ectópico / Findings of the transvaginal ultrasonography in 27 confirmed cases of ectopic pregnancy

Se realiza un estudio prospectivo del aspecto ultrasonográfico transvaginal en 27 pacientes con diagnóstico comprobado de embarazo ectópico. Diez pacientes se intervienen quirúrgicamente de entrada, 13 son tratadas con inyección de metrotexato MTX y 4 con manejo expectante. Durante la evolución es necesario añadir cirugía en 3 casos. Se estableció una importante correlación entre imágenes ultrasonográficas, la clínica, hallazgos quirúrgicos y anatomía patológica. Creemos que la imagen definida como anillo tubario en la ultrasonografía transvaginal USTV es altamente compatible con un embarazo ectópico temprano. Puesto que la detección precoz del embarazo ectópico se asocia a métodos de tratamiento conservador, tales como aspiración tubaria, manejo expectante, inyección local o sistémica de MTX, y todo lo anterior, a mejor pronóstico reproductivo, consideramos a la USTV un procedimiento valioso en el manejo del embarazo ectópico EE, y que debe agregarse a otros métodos ya tradicionales