Alfalfa microsymbionts from different ITS and nodC lineages of Ensifer meliloti and Ensifer medicae symbiovar meliloti establish efficient symbiosis with alfalfa in Spanish acid soils.

Alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) is an important crop worldwide whose cropping in acid soils is hampered by the poor nodulation and yield commonly attributed to the sensitivity of its endosymbionts to acid pH. In this work, we isolated several acid-tolerant strains from alfalfa nodules in three acid soils in northwestern Spain. After grouping by RAPD fingerprinting, most strains were identified as Ensifer meliloti and only two strains as Ensifer medicae according to their 16S-23S intergenic spacer (ITS) sequences that allowed the differentiation of two groups within each one of these species. The two ITS groups of E. meliloti and the ITS group I of E. medicae have been previously found in Medicago nodules; however, the group II of E. medicae has been only found to date in Prosopis alba nodules. The analysis of the nodC gene showed that all strains isolated in this study belong to the symbiovar meliloti, grouping with the type strains of E. meliloti or E. medicae, but some harboured nodC gene alleles different from those found to date in alfalfa nodules. The strains of E. medicae belong to the symbiovar meliloti which should be also recognised in this species, although they harboured a nodC allele phylogenetically divergent to those from E. meliloti strains. Microcosm experiments showed that inoculation of alfalfa with selected acid-tolerant strains significantly increased yields in acid soils representing a suitable agricultural practice for alfalfa cropping in these soils.

Thermotherapy. An alternative for the treatment of American cutaneous leishmaniasis.

BACKGROUND: Pentavalent antimonials (Sb5) and miltefosine are the first-line drugs for treating cutaneous leishmaniasis in Colombia; however, toxicity and treatment duration negatively impact compliance and cost, justifying an active search for better therapeutic options. We compared the efficacy and safety of thermotherapy and meglumine antimoniate for the treatment of cutaneous leishmaniasis in Colombia. METHOD: An open randomized Phase III clinical trial was performed in five military health centres. located in northwestern, central and southern Colombia. Volunteers with parasitological positive diagnosis (Giemsa-stained smears) of cutaneous leishmaniasis were included. A single thermotherapy session involving the application of 50°C at the center and active edge of each lesion. Meglumine antimoniate was administered intramuscularly at a dose of 20 mg Sb5/kg weight/day for 20 days. RESULTS: Both groups were comparable. The efficacy of thermotherapy was 64% (86/134 patients) by protocol and 58% (86/149) by intention-to-treat. For the meglumine antimoniate group, efficacy by protocol was 85% (103/121 patients) and 72% (103/143) by intention-to-treat, The efficacy between the treatments was statistically significant (p 0.01 and < 0.001) for analysis by intention to treat and by protocol, respectively. There was no difference between the therapeutic response with either treatment regardless of the Leishmania species responsible for infection. The side effects of meglumine antimoniate included myalgia, arthralgia, headache and fever. Regarding thermotherapy, the only side effect was pain at the lesion area four days after the initiation of treatment. CONCLUSION: Although the efficacy rate of meglumine antimoniate was greater than that of thermotherapy for the treatment of cutaneous leishmaniasis, the side effects were also greater. Those factors, added to the increased costs, the treatment adherence problems and the progressive lack of therapeutic response, make us consider thermotherapy as a first line treatment for cutaneous leishmaniasis.

Caracterización citogenética de lucilia sericata (Meigen, 1826) (Diptera: calliphoridae), Cepa Bogotá, Colombia / Cytogenetic characterization of lucilia sericata (Meigen, 1826) (diptera: calliphoridae), Bogotá-Colombia strain / Caracterização citogenética de lucilia sericata (Meigen, 1826) (diptera: calliphoridae), cepa Bogotá, Colômbia

Introducción: Lucilia sericata es una especie de importancia médica y forense, utilizada en terapia larval para curar heridas crónicas y en estudios médico-legales empleada en la estimación del intervalo post mórtem y el traslado de cadáveres. No existen registros de las características citogenéticas de esta mosca en el neotrópico. El objetivo principal de este trabajo fue identificar las características morfométricas cromosómicas y las estructuras primarias del cariotipo, a partir de especímenes de L. sericata de la cepa Bogotá, Colombia. Materiales y métodos: Se tomaron huevos embrionados, que fueron previamente esterilizados en su superficie, se maceraron y luego fueron sembrados en el medio de cultivo L-15, suplementado con 20% de SFB, e incubados a una temperatura de 28 °C, sin atmosfera de C0(2). La preparación de los cromosomas se obtuvo de monocapas celulares semiconfluentes, empleando diversas soluciones: antimitótica (Colchicina), hipotónica (KCl 0,075 M) y fijadora (Carnoy: metanol y ácido acético; 3:1). Se llevó a cabo la técnica de bandeo C para la identificación de regiones cromosómicas de heterocromatina constitutiva. Resultados: Se obtuvieron parámetros morfométricos de cada par cromosómico. El número diploide del cariotipo obtenido de los cultivos celulares fue 2n = 12; éstos se clasificaron morfológicamente, de acuerdo con patrones previamente establecidos, así: los pares I, II, IV y V fueron metacéntricos, y el par III fue submetacéntrico. A su vez, el par sexual fue heteromórfico, siendo el cromosoma X metacéntrico y el cromosoma Y submetacéntrico. El bandeo C fue positivo para todos los pares cromosómicos. Conclusiones: Se establecieron las características citogenéticas de L. sericata, cepa Bogotá, Colombia, relacionadas con número, forma, tamaño, posición del centrómero y regiones heterocromáticas de los cromosomas.

Objective: Lucilia sericata is an important species for medical and forensic purposes, it is used in maggot therapy in the treatment of chronic wounds and in medical-legal studies for establishing the post-mortem interval and the transfer of corpses. Currently there are no records of the cytogenetic characteristics of this fly in Neotropical region. The main objective of this study was to identify morphometric characteristics and primary structures from karyotype of L. sericata strain Bogota, Colombia. Methods and materials: Embryonated eggs were taken, which were previously surface sterilized, macerated and then seeded in L-15 medium culture, supplemented with 20% FBS and incubated at 28 °C, without C0(2) atmosphere. The preparation of chromosomes was obtained from semiconfluent monolayers, pretreated with various solutions: antimitotic (Colchicine), hypotonic (KCl 0.075 M) and fixative (Carnoy, methanol and acetic acid, 3:1). C-banding technique was carried out to identify chromosomal regions of constitutive heterochromatin. Results: Morphometric parameters were obtained from each pair of chromosomes. The diploid karyotype number obtained from cell cultures was 2n = 12; they were classified morphologically, according to patterns established previously, as follows: pairs I, II, IV and V were metacentric and pair III was submetacentric. On the other hand, the sexual pair was heteromorphic, being X chromosome metacentric and Y chromosome submetacentric. C banding was positive for all chromosome pairs. Conclusions: The cytogenetic characteristics of L. sericata, strain Bogotá, were established according to number, shape, centromer position and heterochromatic regions.

Introdução: Lucilia sericata é uma espécie de importência médica e forense, utilizada em terapia larval para curar feridas crônicas e em estudos médico-legais empregada na estimação do intervalo post morteme o traslado de cadáveres. Não existem registros das características citogéneticas desta mosca no neotrópico. O objetivo principal deste trabalho foi identificar as características morfométricas cromossômicas e as estruturas primárias do cariótipo, a partir de especímenes de L. sericata da cepa Bogotá, Colômbia. Materiais e métodos: Tomaram-se ovos embrionados, que foram previamente esterilizados em sua superfície, se maceraram e depois foram semeados no médio de cultivo L-15, suplementado com 20% de SFB, e incubados a uma temperatura de 28 °C, sem atmosfera de C02. A preparação dos cromossomas obteve-se de monocamadas celulares semiconfluentes, utilizando diversas soluções: antimitótica (Colchicina), hipotônica (KCl 0,075 M) e fixadora (Carnoy: metanol y ácido acético; 3:1). Levou-se a cabo a técnica de bandas C para a identificação de regiões cromossômicas de heterocromatina constitutiva. Resultados: Se obtiveram parâmetros morfométricos de cada par cromossômico. O número diplóide do cariótipo obtido dos cultivos celulares foi 2n = 12; estes se classificaram morfologicamente, de acordo com patrões previamente estabelecidos, assim: os pares I, II, IV e V foram metacêntricos, e o par III foi submetacéntrico. Por sua vez, o par sexual foi heteromórfico, sendo o cromossoma X me-tacêntrico e o cromossoma Y submetacêntrico. As bandas C foram positivas para todos os pares cromossômicos. Conclusões: Se estabeleceram as características citogenéticas de L. sericata, cepa Bogotá, Colômbia, relacionadas com número, forma, tamanho, posição do centrômero e regiões heterocromáticas dos cromossomas.

Ectoparasites associated to two species of Corynorhinus (Chiroptera: Vespertilionidae) from the Guanaceví mining region, Durango, Mexico.

As a part of an inventory of bats in abandoned mines at the municipality of Guanaceví, Durango, Mexico, a sample of long-eared bats (genus Corynorhinus) was collected and ectoparasites were taken. Twenty-three specimens of Corynorhinus mexicanus Allen, 1916, and 18 of Corynorhinus townsendii (Cooper, 1937) were collected in four sampling periods coincident with the seasons. In total, 98 ectoparasites of 10 species and seven families were examined. Five species are recorded for the first time on C. mexicanus and four on C. townsendii. Macronyssus cyclaspis and Trichobius corynorhini had the highest frequency of infestation in both bats. Differences in number of arthropods per bat among seasons were nonsignificant for both species.

Application of ITS-2 sequences as markers for identification and phylogenetic inference within the genus Geomylichus (Acari: Listrophoridae).

Phylogenetic relationships among 18 samples from nine nominal species of Geomylichus (Acari: Listrophoridae), were analyzed based on internal transcribed spacer 2 (ITS 2) sequences, Prolistrophorus sp. was used as an outgroup. Maximum likelihood and neighbor-joining analyses indicated that Geomylichus is formed by at least three internal clades. Genetic distance among Prolistrophorus and Geomylichus was 27.8-35.5%, and among species, populations, and infrapopulations of Geomylichus it was 0.4-21.8%, 0.8-2.4%, and 0.8-1.2%, respectively. Differences between the results of this analysis with conventional taxonomy of the group, as well as the overlapping of genetic distances among species, populations, and infrapopulations, suggest that the definition of species within Geomylichus deserves reconsideration. For example, the recognition of inconsistencies among G. texanus populations associated to different host species, resulting from the molecular analysis, led us to collect new morphological evidence now suggesting that this taxon represents more than one species.

La clinica del litio en el hospital psiquiátrico de La Habana: estudio longitudinal de diez años / The lithium clinic at the Psychiatric Hospital of Havana: ten-year longitudinal study

En el presente trabajo se estudia la evolución de treinta pacientes psicóticos que han recibido tratamiento con carbonato de litio en un período de tiempo promedio de 10 años. Se valoran varios parámetros en los pacientes estudiados, entre ellos: diagnóstico nosólogico, tiempo de evolución clínica, tiempo de tratamiento con litio, propensión a abandono del tratamiento, presencia de reacciones tóxicas, enfermedades orgánicas concomitantes, número de recaídas, incorporación a actividades socialmente útiles y otros, igualmente importantes. Entre los resultados obtenidos, tenemos que en los pacientes maniacodepresivos con crisis principalmente maníacas, se reducen las mismas a prácticamente cero, mientras se mantiene bajo tratamiento, tendiendo éstas a aparecer de nuevo si abandonan el mismo, lográndose una total incorporación laboral y social. En los pacientes con crisis fundamentalmente depresivas, el resultado es menos espectacular, aunque se obtiene generalmente un alargamiento del período de sanidad intercrisis. Se analiza el resultado en otras entidades nosológicas. Se describe el funcionamiento de la Clínica del Litio del Hospital Psiquiátrico de La Habana

La clinica del litio en el hospital psiquiátrico de La Habana: estudio longitudinal de diez años / The lithium clinic at the Psychiatric Hospital of Havana: ten-year longitudinal study

En el presente trabajo se estudia la evolución de treinta pacientes psicóticos que han recibido tratamiento con carbonato de litio en un período de tiempo promedio de 10 años. Se valoran varios parámetros en los pacientes estudiados, entre ellos: diagnóstico nosólogico, tiempo de evolución clínica, tiempo de tratamiento con litio, propensión a abandono del tratamiento, presencia de reacciones tóxicas, enfermedades orgánicas concomitantes, número de recaídas, incorporación a actividades socialmente útiles y otros, igualmente importantes. Entre los resultados obtenidos, tenemos que en los pacientes maniacodepresivos con crisis principalmente maníacas, se reducen las mismas a prácticamente cero, mientras se mantiene bajo tratamiento, tendiendo éstas a aparecer de nuevo si abandonan el mismo, lográndose una total incorporación laboral y social. En los pacientes con crisis fundamentalmente depresivas, el resultado es menos espectacular, aunque se obtiene generalmente un alargamiento del período de sanidad intercrisis. Se analiza el resultado en otras entidades nosológicas. Se describe el funcionamiento de la Clínica del Litio del Hospital Psiquiátrico de La Habana