Afforestation and climate mitigation: lessons from Chile.

The Chilean Climate Change Law excludes tree monocultures as a solution to the climate crisis, offering an opportunity for resilience and climate mitigation in Latin America. The Chilean experience with mega-fires in extensive, homogeneous forest plantations provides important lessons that could inform climate policies in other countries.

Bayesian spatial and spatio-temporal approaches to modelling dengue fever: a systematic review.

Dengue fever (DF) is one of the world's most disabling mosquito-borne diseases, with a variety of approaches available to model its spatial and temporal dynamics. This paper aims to identify and compare the different spatial and spatio-temporal Bayesian modelling methods that have been applied to DF and examine influential covariates that have been reportedly associated with the risk of DF. A systematic search was performed in December 2017, using Web of Science, Scopus, ScienceDirect, PubMed, ProQuest and Medline (via Ebscohost) electronic databases. The search was restricted to refereed journal articles published in English from January 2000 to November 2017. Thirty-one articles met the inclusion criteria. Using a modified quality assessment tool, the median quality score across studies was 14/16. The most popular Bayesian statistical approach to dengue modelling was a generalised linear mixed model with spatial random effects described by a conditional autoregressive prior. A limited number of studies included spatio-temporal random effects. Temperature and precipitation were shown to often influence the risk of dengue. Developing spatio-temporal random-effect models, considering other priors, using a dataset that covers an extended time period, and investigating other covariates would help to better understand and control DF transmission.

Efectividad de terapia restrictiva combinada con terapia ocupacional y física en la función motora de extremidad superior en niños con parálisis cerebral tipo hemiparesia / Effectiveness of restrictive therapy combined with occupational and physical therapy on upper extremity motor function in children with cerebral palsy hemiparesis

Introduction: restrictive therapy is effective to enhance affected upper limb use, however combined therapy application protocols and use of instruments to evaluate results, vary. Objective: to evaluate changes in motor function of the affected upper extremity, following the application of restrictive therapy combined with occupational and physical therapy, in 7 to 13 year old children with cerebral palsy (CP) hemiparesis. Methods and patients: a cohort study of nine children, mean age 10 +/- 2.3 years, without affected upper limb function treatment in the previous ≥ 6 months. The intervention consisted of restriction of the undamaged limb for two months, 20 therapy sessions twice a week, and a home work program. Shriner’s Hospital upper extremity evaluation protocol (SHUEE) and a stereognosis test were applied prior to, and at 1 and 3 months post intervention. Results: median values for dynamic posture analysis and grasp-release, increase significantly when all three evaluations are considered, and at discharge and follow-up, as compared to baseline levels. Spontaneous functional use increases median value with respect to baseline, without statistical significance. At treatment finalization, stereognosis median reaches 100 percent, achieving an optimal performance maintained at follow-up. Conclusion: restrictive therapy combined with occupational and physical therapy is effective to achieve changes in motor function of affected upper limbs in children with CP hemiparesis, as evaluated with SHUEE.

Introducción: la terapia restrictiva es efectiva para potenciar uso de extremidad superior (EESS) comprometida, pero los protocolos de aplicación en forma combinada y uso de instrumentos para evaluar resultados, son variados. Objetivo: evaluar cambios en función motora de EESS comprometida, por aplicación de terapia restrictiva en combinación con terapia ocupacional y física, en niños de 7 a 13 años, portadores de parálisis cerebral (PC) tipo hemiparesia. Pacientes y métodos: estudio de cohorte de 9 niños, edad promedio 10 +/- 2,3 años, sin tratamiento que estimule función de EESS comprometida en un período previo ≥ 6 meses. La intervención consistió en restricción de mano indemne por 2 meses, 20 sesiones de terapia dos veces por semana, y protocolo para trabajo en el hogar. Se aplicó evaluación de EESS del Hospital de Niños de Shriners (SHUEE) y test deestereognosia, las que fueron efectuadas antes, a un mes y tres meses posteriores a la intervención. Resultados: los valores de la mediana del análisis postural dinámico y agarre-liberación, aumentan en forma significativa al considerar las tres evaluaciones en su conjunto y, al alta y seguimiento respecto de medición basal. El porcentaje de uso funcional espontáneo, aumenta el valor de la mediana respecto del valor inicial, sin significancia estadística. Al finalizar la intervención, la mediana de estereognosia es de 100 por ciento, logrando óptimo desempeño mantenido al seguimiento. Conclusión: la terapia restrictiva combinada con terapia ocupacional y física, es efectiva para lograr cambios en función motora de EESS comprometida en niños con PC tipo hemiparesia, evaluado con SHUEE.

Detección por PCR múltiple de gérmenes atípicos en pacientes con neumonía adquirida de la comunidad que concurrieron al INERAM / Multiplex PCR for detection of atypical bacteria in community-acquired pneumonia patients attending INERAM Hospital

La neumonía adquirida en la comunidad (NAC) es una causa relevante de morbilidad y mortalidad. Los métodos convencionales fracasan en la detección de Mycoplasma pneumoniae, Chlamydophila pneumoniae y Legionella pneumophila. Estas bacterias pueden generar procesos infecciosos crónicos y no responden a ciertos antibióticos empleados en el tratamiento empírico de la NAC. Nuestro objetivo fue detectar de forma simultánea, mediante métodos moleculares, M. pneumoniae, C. pneumoniae y L. pneumophila en muestras respiratorias de pacientes con NAC, y describir los gérmenes comunes aislados por métodos microbiológicos convencionales. Estudio observacional descriptivo de corte trasverso realizado en el año 2011, en el que se analizaron 60 muestras respiratorias provenientes de pacientes con NAC atendidos en el INERAM (Instituto de Enfermedades Respiratorias y del Ambiente). Para la PCR múltiple se emplearon primers específicos para genes de los tres microorganismos citados. El protocolo de estudio fue aprobado por los comités científico y ético del IICS y se mantuvieron en estricta confidencialidad los datos personales de los pacientes. La PCR múltiple permitió la amplificación de los genes específicos de estos microorganismos con límites de sensibilidad comprendidos entre 0,05 y 0,001 ng/µL de ADN. M. pneumoniae y C. pneumoniae estuvieron presentes respectivamente en el 18,3% y 1,7% del total de muestras analizadas. No se detectó la presencia de L. pneumophila. Los gérmenes comunes más frecuentemente aislados fueron estreptococos del grupo viridans y Candida spp.La técnica de PCR múltiple permitió detectar M. pneumoniae, C. pneumoniae y L. pneumophila, siendo el primero de los tres el más frecuentemente detectado en pacientes con NAC

Helminth parasites of eastern box turtles (Terrapene carolina carolina) from southern Indiana, USA.

Very little is known about parasitic diseases of eastern box turtles (Terrapene carolina carolina). The objective of this study was to examine the parasitic fauna of eastern box turtles collected from southern Indiana, USA. Turtles (n = 40) were salvaged mostly as road kills from southern Indiana between May and October 2009. Seven species of helminths in total were found parasitizing the gastrointestinal tract, including two digenean trematodes (Brachycoelium salamandrae and Telorchis robustus) and five nematodes (Oswaldocruzia pipiens, Cosmocercoides dukae, Falcaustra affinis, F. chelydrae and Serpinema trispinosus). We report prevalence, abundance and mean intensity of infection for all helminths. Helminths were not found in any other organs examined (heart, gonads, liver, heart, kidney and urinary bladder) and no ectoparasites were found. Overall, mean intensity of infections was low (1-14 parasites/host), suggesting that these parasites are unlikely to be associated with negative health impacts. This constitutes the first study of this kind for Indiana.

Reanastomosis tubárica por vía laparoscópica / Laparoscopic tubal anastomosis: reversal of sterilization

Antecedentes: La esterilización tubárica se realiza en un número importante de pacientes jóvenes que por diferentes motivos desean posteriormente un nuevo embarazo, porcentaje que varía entre el 1,3-15 por ciento. Hasta ahora la cirugía ha sido la primera alternativa de tratamiento y gracias a la evolución de la técnica y el desarrollo de material quirúrgico, es posible de realizar por vía laparoscópica. Objetivos: Hacer una síntesis de la historia y técnicas utilizadas en la reanastomosis tubárica, los criterios de selección, el estudio preoperatorio, los factores pronósticos y comparar los resultados de la laparotomía y la laparoscopia. Métodos: Se realiza búsqueda en base de datos Medline PubMed usando las palabras clave: tubal anastomosis, reversal of esterilization, infertility, microsurgery, tubal esterilization; se seleccionan todas aquellas publicaciones tipo review de reanastomosis tubárica con microcirugía abierta y todas aquellas de reanastomosis por vía laparoscópica. Resultados: La reanastomosis tubárica por laparotomía con técnica microquirúrgica tiene un éxito entre 60 y 90 por ciento de tasas de embarazo. Las primeras publicaciones de la técnica laparoscópica no presentan resultados satisfactorios, sin embargo casuísticas más numerosas y especialmente las que muestran la técnica microlaparoscópica tienen resultados similares con todas las ventajas de la laparoscopia. Conclusión: La recanalización tubaria por vía laparoscopica es una técnica factible, probada y exitosa, alternativa a la laparotomía, sin embargo, para su implementación con resultados satisfactorios es necesario contar con equipamiento apropiado, experiencia previa en cirugía abierta y entrenamiento en cirugía endoscópica.

Arachidonic acid release from rat Leydig cells: the involvement of G protein, phospholipase A2 and regulation of cAMP production.

We have previously demonstrated that the release of arachidonic acid (AA) from human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG)-stimulated Leydig cells occurs in a dose- and time-dependent manner. In addition, the amount of AA released was dependent on the hormone-receptor interaction and the concentration of LH-hCG binding sites on the cell surface. The present study was conducted to evaluate the involvement of phospholipase A(2) (PLA(2)) and G proteins in AA release from hormonally stimulated rat Leydig cells, and the possible role of this fatty acid in cAMP production. Cells were first prelabelled with [(14)C]AA to incorporate the fatty acid into cell phospholipids, and then treated in different ways to evaluate AA release. hCG (25 mIU) increased the release of AA to 180+/-12% when compared with AA released from control cells, arbitrarily set as 100%. Mepacrine and parabromophenacyl bromide (pBpB), two PLA(2) inhibitors, decreased the hormone-stimulated AA release to 85+/-9 and 70+/-24% respectively. Conversely, melittin, a PLA(2) stimulator, increased the release of AA up to 200% over control. The inhibitory effect of mepacrine on the release of AA was evident in hCG-treated Leydig cells, but not in the melittin-treated cells. To determine if the release of AA was also mediated through a G protein, cells were first permeabilized and subsequently treated with pertussis toxin or GTPgammaS, a non-hydrolyzable analog of GTP. Results demonstrate that GTPgammaS was able to induce a similar level of the release of AA as hCG. In addition, pertussis toxin completely abolished the stimulatory effect of hCG on the release of AA, indicating that a member of the G(i) family was involved in the hCG-dependent release of AA. Cells treated with PLA(2) inhibitors did not modify cAMP production, but exogenously added AA significantly reduced cAMP production from hCG-treated Leydig cells, in a manner dependent on the concentration of AA and hCG. Results presented here suggest an involvement of PLA(2) and G proteins in the release of AA from hCG-stimulated Leydig cells, and under particular conditions, regulation of cAMP production by this fatty acid in these cells.

Effect of desialylated human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) on the bioactivity of rat Leydig cells.

Human chorionic gonadotropin is a glycoprotein hormone that, like LH, stimulates steroidogenesis in gonadal cells. Using a desialylation process. 95 per cent of the sialic acid residues from an intact standard hCG molecule were eliminated and then the electrophoretic properties and the bioactivity of the desialylated hCG were determined. Using rat Leydig cells as a biological model, the binding affinity to LH receptors of Leydig cell membranes, steroidogenic activity and second messenger production were studied. The results indicate that the loss of sialic acid from the hCG molecule slightly increases the binding activity to LH receptors and results in steroidogenic activity with an increased ED50. Cyclic AMP production was significantly reduced however and arachidonic acid release was not observed. Several possible mechanisms that could explain these results are discussed.

Arachidonic acid release from rat Leydig cells depends on the presence of luteinizing hormone/human chorionic gonadotrophin receptors.

In this work, the involvement of arachidonic acid (AA) in the luteinizing hormone and human chorionic gonadotrophin (LH/hCG) action on Leydig cells was studied. Experiments were first designed to evaluate [14C]AA incorporation into membrane phospholipids. Subsequently, time-course, pulse-chase and dose-response studies of the effect of hCG on [14C]AA release were performed. Results indicated that 4 h was optimal for maximal incorporation of [14C]AA into membrane phospholipids of viable Leydig cells. Pulse-chase experiments and studies performed to evaluate the effect of different doses of hCG on [14C]AA release demonstrated that this hormone stimulates [14C]AA release in a dose-response and time-dependent manner. Furthermore, using a desensitised animal model, a link between the presence of LH/hCG receptors and LH/hCG-stimulated [14C]AA release in Leydig cells could be established. In fact, the amount of [14C]AA released was significantly dependent on, and directly proportional to, the concentration of LH/hCG binding sites. Thus [14C]AA released from intact rat Leydig cells decreased when animals had been previously injected with a high single dose of hCG (desensitised animals), which is known to cause a dramatic decrease in the number of LH/hCG binding sites. These results demonstrate that the mechanism of AA release in Leydig cells depends on LH/hCG-receptor interaction and also suggest that AA could act as an additional intracellular messenger associated with the hormonal action of LH/hCG.

Programa de rastreo neonatal de fenilquetonuria / Screening for phenylketonuria in newborn infants

Se describe el programa para la detección de fenilquetonuria neonatal, que se está desarrollando desde hace 17 meses en el Servicio de Salud Metropolitano Central, utilizando el ensayo de inhibición bacteriana de Guthrie como prueba de rastreo. Durante este período se han analizado 15.214 muestras de sangre de recién nacido, consiguiéndose coberturas de 94,4%. De esta manera, en las muestras estudiadas, se han detectado dos casos de hiperfenilalaninemia transitoria, uno de hiperfenilalaninemia benigna y uno de fenilquetonuria clásica, en quien se inició el tratamiento nutricional a los 13 días de vida