Oxidative stress proteins as an indicator of a low quality of eucalyptus clones for the pulp and paper industry.

Eucalyptus is a genus widely cultivated in many tropical and subtropical regions of the world as one of the main sources of raw materials for the pulp and paper industry. Identification of clones and selection of genotypes with desirable agronomic characteristics would be useful. We assessed eucalyptus full-sibs that varied in wood quality, using a combination of two-dimensional gel electrophoresis and mass spectrometry to identify differentially expressed proteins as candidates for quality markers. Thirty-one differently expressed proteins were identified, including three proteins of clone X1, four of clone X2, and 12 each of clones X3 and X4. These proteins are involved in various biological processes, including polyphosphate biosynthesis, catalytic activity, nucleotide excision repair, cellular metabolic processes, cell redox homeostasis, response to salt stress, response to temperature, oxidation and reduction processes, cellular water homeostasis, and protein phosphorylation. In the cambial region of each clone, the proteins ketol-acid reductoisomerase, uncharacterized protein MG428, receptor-like serine/threonine-protein kinase and a heat shock protein were found in larger quantities in clone X4 than in clone X1. These proteins are known to be related to protection against oxidative stress and biosynthesis of lignin. A high buildup of proteins involved in response to stress in the cambial region of eucalyptus would indicate clones with undesirable characteristics for use in the pulp and paper industry.

Fluid bed porosity mathematical model for an inverse fluidized bed bioreactor with particles growing biofilm.

A new mathematic model to estimate bed porosity as a function of Reynolds and Archimedes numbers was developed based in experimental data. Experiments were performed using an inverse fluidized bed bioreactor filled with polypropylene particles, Lactobacillus acidophillus as the immobilized strain and fluidized with a Man-Rogosa-Sharpe culture medium under controlled temperature and pH conditions. Bed porosity was measured at different flow rates, starting from 0.95 to 9.5 LPM. The new model has several advantages when compared with previously reported. Among them, advantages such as standard deviation values ≤ 1% between experimental and calculated bed porosity, its applicability in traditional and inverse fluidization, wall effects do not take account, it gives excellent agreement with spherical particles with or without biofilm, and inertial drag coefficient allow extend the new model a non-spherical particles.

[Multiple organ failure syndrome: correlation of mortality and the Modified Criteria for Multiple Organ Failure]. / Síndrome de falla orgánica múltiple: correlación entre la mortalidad y el Criterio Modificado de Falla Orgánica Múltiple.

Seventy-two patients from one month to 15 years of age that according with the Modificated criterion of multiple organ failure (MCMOF) had two or more organ failures were studied. They were divided into two groups: Group I consisted of 55 patients that survived and group II of 17 patients that died. In both groups, the MCMOF was determinated upon admission and discharge, as well as the maximum obtained during the evolution. The comparison of both groups, with respect to the number of organic failures presented and the points of MCMOF showed highly significant differences with p less than 0.001, found in group I: 1.27 +/- 0.96 organ failures and a value of 4.84 +/- 2.92 of the MCMOF and in the group II: 3.84 +/- 1.59 organ failures and 25.68 +/- 7.57 points of the MCMOF respectively. The comparison between the number of organic failures at admission and discharge showed significant differences in both groups, having the tendency to decrease in group I from 1.87 +/- 1.01 to 0.56 +/- 0.60 and in the group II to increase from 3.41 +/- 1.46 to 4.35 +/- 1.45. The same phenomenon was observed for the values of the MCMOF with a qualification of 7.72 +/- 5.36 to 1.87 +/- 1.82 in a group I and from 18.94 +/- 10.31 to 33.38 +/- 8.27 in group II. Spearman correlation coeficient between the number of organic failures and values of the MCMOF showed and r = 0.99 and equivalent p less than 0.001, highly significant.

Utilidad de la tomografia axial computada en el diagnostico de pancreatitis aguda y sus complicaciones. / Use of axial computed tomography in the diagnosis of acute pancreatitis and its complications

Se estudiaron 45 TACs abdominales practicadas en 30 pacientes con diagnostico clinico de pancreatitis aguda de Enero de 1980 a Diciembre de 1982, de las cuales 30 formaron parte del estudio inicial y las 15 restantes fueron para control subsecuente de 5 pacientes. De los 30 sujetos estudiados 27 correspondieron a pancreatitis edematosa, 2 a hemorragica y 1 a necrotizante. Los principales hallazgos en los 30 enfermos fueron la presencia de bordes difusos en todos (100%), aumento generalizado en 21 (70%), hipodensidad localizada en 9 (30%) e hipocaptacion generalizada del medio de contraste en 11 (36.6%). Se observo compresion a estomago de 21 pacientes, a duodeno en 16 infiltracion a grasa peripancreatica en 19 y grasa perirrenal izquierda en 8. La TAC permitio establecer el diagnostico de pseudoquiste en 8 pacientes.La TAC es un excelente estudio en el diagnostico temprano de la pancreatitis aguda y sus complicaciones

Colon por enema doble contraste en el enfermo pediatrico. / Colon by double contrast enema in pediatric patient

Se presenta la experiencia en 17 pacientes pediatricos estudiados en la practica privada, por medio de colon por enema con doble contraste encontrandolo de utilidad en el diagnostico de padecimientos congenitos poliposis unica y familiar multiple observando en la mayoria de los pacientes la asociacion de mas de un diagnostico. No se presentaron complicaciones atribuibles al procedimiento

Diagnostico por imagenes del feocromocitoma: informe de un caso clinico. / Diagnosis by pheochromocytoma images report of a clinical case

El presente caso reviste interes debido a que es un ejemplo representativo de lo que los procedimientos no invasivos de imagen pueden ayudar al diagnostico de padecimientos neoplasicos. En particular la ultrasonografia, que es considerada por algunos, como poco util en la valoracion de la glandula suprarenal. En nuestro paciente mostro imagenes caracteristicas aun mas demostrativas que con la misma tomografia computada, debido probablemente a su gran tamano. El estudio fue completado con arteriografia. El estudio anatomopatologico comprobo la impresion diagnostica inicial