Trade-offs between succulent and non-succulent epiphytes underlie variation in drought tolerance and avoidance.

Epiphyte communities comprise important components of many forest ecosystems in terms of biomass and diversity, but little is known regarding trade-offs that underlie diversity and structure in these communities or the impact that microclimate has on epiphyte trait allocation. We measured 22 functional traits in vascular epiphyte communities across six sites that span a microclimatic gradient in a tropical montane cloud forest region in Costa Rica. We quantified traits that relate to carbon and nitrogen allocation, gas exchange, water storage, and drought tolerance. Functional diversity was high in all but the lowest elevation site where drought likely limits the success of certain species with particular trait combinations. For most traits, variation was explained by relationships with other traits, rather than differences in microclimate across sites. Although there were significant differences in microclimate, epiphyte abundance, and diversity, we found substantial overlap in multivariate trait space across five of the sites. We found significant correlations between functional traits, many of which related to water storage (leaf water content, leaf thickness, hydrenchymal thickness), drought tolerance (turgor loss point), and carbon allocation (specific leaf area, leaf dry matter content). This suite of trait correlations suggests that the epiphyte community has evolved functional strategies along with a drought avoidance versus drought tolerance continuum where leaf succulence emerged as a pivotal overall trait.

Prevention and treatment of upper respiratory diseases in the pandemic COVID-19 era.

In the pandemic coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) era, the need to use preventive-curative treatments is compelling. A series of non-pharmacological compounds, including oligo-elements, vitamins, nutraceuticals, and bacteriotherapy, might affect the risk of COVID-19, both reinforcing the immune system and improving the inflammation resolution during respiratory infections. Non-pharmacological remedies are very popular and usually have no relevant side effects. Bacterial and natural products may potentiate the immune system against respiratory viruses. Moreover, these compounds also exert antiinflammatory and antioxidant activity. Consequently, these non-chemical remedies could be prescribed to build up the immune defence and adequately treat the upper respiratory infection. In this way, natural compounds could be used to manage people in the pandemic COVID-19 era.

Nasal eosinophilic angiocentric fibrosis with IgG4-positive plasma cell infiltration.

INTRODUCTION: Eosinophilic angiocentric fibrosis (EAF) is a rare lesion that predominantly affects the upper respiratory tract. Its etiology is unknown and it has been recently associated with the IgG4- related disease (IgG4-RD) spectrum. To the author's knowledge, this is the sixth case report of the relationship between EAF and IgG4-RD. CASE REPORT: We report the case of a 37-year-old woman with nasal deformity and facial pain. The lesion was surgically excised. Histological examination revealed features of EAF with an IgG4/IgG plasma cell ratio ≷73% and 31 IgG4 stained cells per high power field. No clinical or radiological recurrence was detected during follow-up. Serum IgG4 quantification one year after surgery was within normal limits. DISCUSSION: The relationship between both entities may have therapeutic impact because IgG4-RD of the head and neck has a high remission rate with corticosteroids and immunosuppressive therapy. Additional reports of this infrequent disease are necessary to elucidate appropriate treatment and prognosis.

[Malnutrition as a multiple cause of death]. / El análisis de la desnutrición como causa múltiple de muerte.

With the purpose of describing the role of malnutrition at death time, an analysis of multiple causes of death in children under five years-old was performed on deaths which occurred during April and May 1985 in Mexico City. A proportional mortality analysis was done taking in consideration all the causes listed on the death certificate, not only the underlying causes. The number of deaths associated to malnutrition was greater by multiple cause than by underlying cause (OR = 7.9, 95% CI 5.0-12.7, p = 0.00000). The importance of considering multiple causes of death, mainly when there are frequent diseases which are some times recorded as underlying cause of death, is also discussed.

[Analysis of multiple-cause mortality: a new approach]. / El análisis de la mortalidad por causa múltiple: un nuevo enfoque.

Due to changes in mortality patterns, cronic and degenerative diseases have become a major problem in Mexico. Description and explanation of this kind of deaths is difficult by means of a single cause of death. In order to have a better understanding of this fenomenum an analysis of 4021 deaths occurred in Mexico city during april and may in 1985 using multiple cause of death was performed, this analysis take count of all causes reported in death certificates. With the method of multiple cause we found that the number of associated deaths, for example with hypertension and nutritional deficiencies, was considerably greater that when reported as underlying cause.

High serum interleukin-2 receptor levels correlate with a poor prognosis in children with Hodgkin's disease.

To improve the biologic evaluation of Hodgkin's disease, we determined serum interleukin-2 receptor (IL2R) levels in 88 children with this tumor. In patients with stage III or IV disease, the median receptor level was significantly higher than in patients with lower stages (3195 vs. 1087 U/ml, p = 0.0001). Similarly, the median level for children with stage B disease was 3262 U/ml, compared with 999 U/ml for those lacking constitutional symptoms (p = 0.0001). Patients with very high soluble IL2R levels (greater than or equal to 5000 U/ml) were significantly more likely to fail treatment (p = 0.01), even when the analysis was restricted to groups with advanced disease: stages III and IV (p = 0.0001). When entered in the Cox-proportional hazards model with other potentially useful prognostic factors, soluble IL2R level was found to be an independent predictor of treatment outcome. The relationship of high serum IL2R levels to an adverse clinical outcome in Hodgkin's disease may be explained by a model in which the soluble receptor competes for the ligand with the cellular receptor on normal lymphocytes, thus blocking antitumor immunity dependent on interleukin-2. Alternatively, high serum levels of IL2R may simply reflect increased release of the receptor from activated malignant cells in patients with advanced disease or an otherwise poor prognosis.

Neuroendocrine regulation of anterior pituitary function in patients during and after molar pregnancy.

Only partial studies evaluating the endocrine profile in molar pregnancy have been performed. In order to characterize the neuro-endocrine pattern during and after molar pregnancy, we studied the basal hormonal levels of hCG, human placental lactogen (hPL), FSH, GH, TSH, free thyroxine index (FTI), oestradiol-17 beta (E2), and progesterone (PG), as well as the anterior pituitary response to TRH, GnRH, and hypoglycaemia induced by insulin in 7 patients during molar pregnancy and one week after molar abortion. hCG showed significantly higher serum levels during rather than after molar pregnancy and hPL was detectable in only 4 patients during, but in none after molar pregnancy. FSH values were in the follicular phase range before and after molar abortion (12.7 +/- 0.8 and 12.7 +/- 3.5 IU/l). PRL had elevated basal levels before and after molar abortion; 103.0 +/- 16.5 and 43 +/- 10.6 micrograms/l, respectively (P less than 0.05). GH levels were distinctly elevated in 3 patients during molar pregnancy; after molar abortion, the basal GH values were normal in all patients less than 10 micrograms/l. Basal cortisol and TSH levels were in the normal range before and after molar abortion. The FTI was above the normal range in 3 patients during molar pregnancy, whereas after molar abortion the values were normalized. E2 levels were elevated before and after molar abortion, 1881 +/- 477 and 96.5 +/- 39.2 ng/l, respectively (P less than 0.01). PG levels before and after molar abortion were 30.9 +/- 5.4 and 10 +/- 6.7 micrograms/l, respectively (P less than 0.05).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Cuales son realmente las principales causas de duncion en Mexico? / Which are the major causes of death in Mexico?

Resumen El objetivo del trabajo es demostrar que el mecanismo oficial establecido para la elaboración de las estadísticas de mortalidad en México propicia errores que afectan seriamente su calidad y con ello la planeación y evaluación de las acciones que el sector salud realiza en beneficio de la población. Se señala la importancia de estas estadísticas en el conocimiento y análisis de la dinámica de la población para todos los sectores y para el de salud en particular; ellas. junto con las de natalidad, son por el momento la fuente de datos más accesible y completa para el conocimiento de los problemas de salud y la definición de los universos en programas prioritarios que se desarrollan. Se mencionan los principales problemas de las estadísticas de mortalidad con solución a mediano y largo plazo, para llegar a lo que se considera su mayor defecto, posible de corregirse a corto plazo; "el mecanismo oficial establecido para la captación de los datos básicos y la elaboración de las estadísticas a nivel nacional Para confirmar lo anterior se presentan los resultados del estudio de las 10 principales causas de muerte obtenidas de las estadísticas oficiales, comparadas con las trabajadas directamente de los certificados de defunción para el Distrito Federal en 1978; que se pueden generalizar a 84% de las muertes certificadas por médico en el país por utilizarse el mismo procesamiento estadístico. Los resultados muestran lo siguiente: lo. Que existen causas que ocupan los mismos lugares en ambas fuentes; las enfermedades del corazón (1°) y las cerebrovasculares (9°), con defunciones y tasas similares. 20. Que hay causas que con las estadísticas oficiales aparecen con tasas más altas que las que realmente ocupan: la influenza y neumonías, las causas de la morbilidad y de la mortalidad perinatales. las enfermedades diarreicas y las lesiones en las que se ignora si fueron accidental o intencionalmente infligidas. y , 30. Que hay causas que en las estadísticas oficiales no revelan su verdadera magnitud. por lo que en el sector salud no se les presta la atención que merecen; la diabetes, los accidentes, la cirrosis hepática y los tumores malignos. También existen diferencias importantes al analizar los diversos componentes de una causa. El ejemplo que confirma los defectos del mecanismo implantado para la producción de las estadísticas de mortalidad lo son las causas violentas; en que el riesgo de muerte por accidente, homicidio y suicidio con las estadísticas obtenidas de los certificados. es más del doble del que se ha estado conociendo con las estadísticas oficiales