A coffee berry borer (Hypothenemus hampei) genome assembly reveals a reduced chemosensory receptor gene repertoire and male-specific genome sequences.

Coffee berry borer-CBB (Hypothenemus hampei) is a globally important economic pest of coffee (Coffea spp.). Despite current insect control methods for managing CBB, development of future control strategies requires a better understanding of its biology and interaction with its host plant. Towards this objective, we performed de novo CBB genome and transcriptome sequencing, improved CBB genome assembly and predicted 18,765 protein-encoding genes. Using genome and transcriptome data, we annotated the genes associated with chemosensation and found a reduced gene repertoire composed by 67 odorant receptors (ORs), 62 gustatory receptors (GRs), 33 ionotropic receptors (IRs) and 29 odorant-binding proteins (OBPs). In silico transcript abundance analysis of these chemosensory genes revealed expression enrichment in CBB adults compared with larva. Detection of differentially expressed chemosensory genes between males and females is likely associated with differences in host-finding behavior between sexes. Additionally, we discovered male-specific genome content and identified candidate male-specific expressed genes on these scaffolds, suggesting that a Y-like chromosome may be involved in the CBB's functional haplodiploid mechanism of sex determination.

Coffee Berry Borer (Hypothenemus hampei) Emergence from Ground Fruits Across Varying Altitudes and Climate Cycles, and the Effect on Coffee Tree Infestation.

During coffee harvest, picked berries fall to the ground where they serve as a reservoir for the coffee berry borer (CBB) which then infest coffee berries on the trees. This study tested the effect of fallen CBB-infested coffee berries on the infestation of coffee trees (Coffea arabica). Three-year-old trees were treated with either 0, 1, 5, 10, 15, or 20 CBB-infested berries placed on the root vicinity. The CBB infestation of coffee trees was sampled every 30 days during 6 months for four coffee productive cycles. The experiment was set up at four different locations comprising different altitudes (1,218; 1,381; 1,470; and 1,700 m.a.s.l.) and the measurements were taken during 4 years where the climatic events of El Niño, La Niña, Neutral, and transitions El Niño/La Niña were present. The results show that CBB-infested berries left on the ground are a reservoir of CBB for 140 ± 8.2 days and infest developing healthy coffee berries. In a climate Neutral year, one CBB-infested ground berry left on the ground infested on average 590.2 ± 142.2 berries in coffee trees grown at 1,218 m.a.s.l. At the same altitude, one CBB-infested ground berry resulted in 151.5 ± 29.1 infested tree berries during La Niña year and 959.0 ± 89.6 during El Niño year. The CBB infestation was positively correlated with temperature and negatively correlated with altitude (R2= 0.99 and R2= -0.96, respectively). This study highlights the importance of careful harvesting practices to prevent berries from falling to the ground, followed by ground sanitation to limit later infestation of the coffee crop.

Physicochemical and biochemical profiling of diphenyl diselenide.

The objective of the present study was to evaluate the physicochemical and biochemical profiling of diphenyl diselenide (PhSe)2, a selenoorganic compound with biological activity. Experimental protocols were established for chemical stability in isotonic phosphate buffer (PBS) pH 7.4 and in simulated gastric and intestinal fluids, biological stability (bovine serum albumin (BSA) and plasma), solubility in PBS pH 7.4, distribution coefficient (Log D) in octanol/PBS, and determination of free (PhSe)2 concentrations in BSA and plasma by using liquid chromatography with ultraviolet detection and tandem mass spectrometry. (PhSe)2 was found to be chemically stable and not susceptible to degradation in plasma. The aqueous solubility was 0.98 ± 0.072 µM and the Log D in octanol/PBS system was found to be 3.13. The percentage of unbound fractions of (PhSe)2 obtained by equilibrium dialysis from BSA and plasma incubated with 100 µM (PhSe)2 were 0.69 ± 0.12 and 0.44 ± 0.09 %, respectively. The findings indicated that (PhSe)2 presents chemical and biological stability. Though, the compound showed low aqueous solubility, high Log D value and high binding to plasmatic protein. These data contribute to the knowledge of the toxicokinetic properties of (PhSe)2 and further explain its low bioavailability in experimental models.

In vitro metabolism of diphenyl diselenide in rat liver fractions. Conjugation with GSH and binding to thiol groups.

In spite of an extensive literature reporting pharmacological properties of diphenyl diselenide, (PhSe)(2), little is known about its metabolism. The aim of this study was to identify possible metabolic pathways of (PhSe)(2) in vitro to get insights into the mechanism of its toxicity. Rat liver preparations, namely total homogenate, S9 fraction, cytosol and microsomes were used in the incubations. Samples were analyzed using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS), high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) or inductively coupled plasma (ICP). A reduced glutathione (GSH)-selenol adduct (m/z 462) was identified in all liver fraction incubations by LC-MS/MS, suggesting a reaction between (PhSe)(2) and GSH in tissues. Results from incubation of (PhSe)(2) with microsomal fraction showed that (PhSe)(2) disappears from the supernatant without formation of phase I metabolites. The addition of exogenous GSH maintained constant (PhSe)(2) levels in supernatant and significantly reduced the amount of selenium in the precipitate obtained when microsomal incubations were treated with methanol. Addition of N-acetylcysteine (NAC) had a similar effect; moreover, a NAC-selenol adduct similar to the GSH-selenol adduct was identified by LC-MS/MS (m/z 318) in the NAC incubations. The data indicates that (PhSe)(2) probably binds covalently to microsomal components and that GSH and NAC can prevent binding. The depletion of GSH levels in vitro may be related to (PhSe)(2) toxicity. The inhibition of cytochrome P450 (CYP) activity by carbon monoxide or proadifen did not change the amount of (PhSe)(2) in supernatant and selenium levels in the precipitate, neither did the inactivation of the microsomes by heat indicating that binding was not mediated by cytochrome P450 metabolism and was probably due to a direct reaction between (PhSe)(2) and microsomal components. Due to the covalent binding of (PhSe)(2) to microsomal components the potential of (PhSe)(2) to inhibit cytochrome P450 was examined. (PhSe)(2) at a concentration as low as 1 µM reduced monooxygenase activity with an IC(50) value of 78 µM.

Trauma colorrectal y su relación con los índices predictivos / Colorectal trauma and its relationship with predictive indexes

Se realizó un estudio retrospectivo en 56 pacientes lesionados con herida colorrectal ingresados en el Hospital Militar Central "Dr. Luis Díaz Soto" de Ciudad de La Habana en el período comprendido desde enero de 1995 hasta septiembre de 1999, con el objetivo de valorar los índices predictivos (escala de Moore y el índice de Flint) para evaluar resultados. El 66 por ciento de los lesionados correspondieron al rango de edades de 15 a 34 años; predominó el sexo masculino (91,1 por ciento). Las heridas por arma blanca constituyeron el agente causal más frecuente, seguido por las heridas por proyectil de arma de fuego de baja velocidad (30,4 por ciento). Las lesiones asociadas estuvieron en 55,4 por ciento de los pacientes, el intestino delgado fue el órgano intrabdominal más dañado (46,1 por ciento). El proceder quirúrgico que predominó fue la exteriorización del segmento de colon lesionado 39,3 por ciento, seguido de la sutura primaria intraperitoneal (28,6 por ciento). Las complicaciones sépticas fueron las más frecuentes en 35,7 por ciento. Fallecieron 4 pacientes (7,2 por ciento), los que se relacionaron con índice de herida penetrante mayor de 36 e índice de Flint en el grupo III. Se demuestra la elevada importancia de los índices predictivos utilizados para determinar severidad y conducta a seguir ante las lesiones de colon

Problemática actual del paciente con ostomía / Present problem of the patient with ostomy

Las ostomías constituyen procedimientos estándar en la práctica de la cirugía, con gran repercusión sobre los pacientes y sus familiares por los inconvenientes económicos, sociales, laborales y los efectos psicológicos que producen. En esta revisión se reflexiona sobre estos aspectos que en ocasiones el profesional de la salud no analiza de forma integral y precisamente el éxito de la rehabilitación está en la educación. Además se compara la situación actual de Cuba con otros países. Se dan instrucciones especiales sobre la dieta, aseo, deportes, ejercicios, viajes. Se concluye de que el diagnóstico precoz es factible de realizar gracias al sistema de salud cubano y constituye la única forma de poder disminuir las ostomías