Reassessment of the extinction risk status of the ponytail palm Beaucarnea inermis / Reevaluación del riesgo de extinción de la pata de elefante Beaucarnea inermis

Abstract Beaucarnea inermis is an endemic species from Northeast Mexico, in the states of San Luis Potosí and Tamaulipas. It is appreciated as an ornamental plant, so its populations are subject to the poaching of individuals for illegal trade. Previous studies determined that their populations have been affected due to the disturbance since the incidence of anthropogenic activities affects the viability of the species. Here we determine the current conservation status of B. inermis and identify their main risk factor by performing an extinction risk assessment based on the Annex II "Method for Evaluation of Risk of Extinction of Plants in Mexico". We studied 10 populations of B. inermis from protected and non-protected areas in San Luis Potosí and Tamaulipas. We considered the MER criteria: A) geographical distribution characteristics, B) habitat characteristics, C) intrinsic biological vulnerability, and D) impact of human activity. Using field and analyzed data, the MER assessment gives 1.91 points that confirm B. inermis is correctly classified as an Endangered species. The natural protected areas where the species occurs represent cores for its protection; however, the surface of these areas may not be sufficient without biological corridors that connect them.

Resumen Beaucarnea inermis es una especie endémica del Noroeste de México distribuida en los estados de San Luis Potosí y Tamaulipas. Es apreciada como planta ornamental, por lo que sus poblaciones están sujetas al saqueo de individuos para su comercialización ilegal. En trabajos anteriores se determinó que sus poblaciones han sido afectadas debido al disturbio por la incidencia de actividades antrópicas que afectan su viabilidad. En la presente contribución se determina el nivel de riesgo de B. inermis con base en el Anexo Normativo II "Método de Evaluación de Riesgo de Extinción de Plantas en México". Se estudiaron 10 poblaciones de B. inermis en San Luis Potosí y Tamaulipas, tanto en áreas naturales protegidas como en sitios no protegidos. Los criterios MER considerados fueron: A) características de la distribución geográfica, B) características del hábitat, C) vulnerabilidad biológica intrínseca y D) impacto de la actividad humana. El análisis MER arroja un valor de 1.91 que, confirma a B. inermis dentro de la categoría de Amenazada. Las áreas naturales protegidas donde se distribuye la especie funcionan como núcleos de protección, sin embargo, su superficie puede no ser suficiente sin la presencia de corredores biológicos que las conecten.

Clear Cell Odontogenic Carcinoma a Systematic Review.

Clear cell Odontogenic Carcinoma (CCOC) is an uncommon malignant odontogenic tumor (MOT). It is the fifth most common MOT. A systematic review is presented of reported cases, case series and retrospective studies of CCOC, to determine trends in presentation, diagnostic features, treatment, and patient outcome. Searches of detailed databases were carried out to identify papers reporting CCOC. The variables were demographics, patient symptoms, tumor location, histopathological findings, immunohistochemical studies, treatment, follow-up, and recurrence. 117 cases were identified; CCOC was most frequently seen in mature females 65% (n = 76). The total average age was 55.4 with a range from 17 to 89 years, for females 56.4 and males 53.6 years. The mean size was 3.41 cm. The most common location was in the mandibular body 36.2% (n = 42), followed by the anterior mandible 23.3% (n = 27). The most common clinical presentation was a swelling 80.4% (n = 74), and the main symptom was pain 41.3% (n = 31), followed by painless lesion 24% (n = 18). The most common Immunohistochemistry positive expression was CK19, EMA, and CEA, and for special staining periodic acid Shiff (PAS); 97% of cases were treated surgically. The average follow-up was 30.3 months, and recurrence was reported in 52.4% of the cases. Conclusion: CCOC shows a strong predilection for the body and anterior mandible, and females are more frequently affected. CCOCs can be painful and the principle clinical sign is swelling, CCOCs can metastasize, and the prognosis is fair.

Dengue hemorrhagic fever complicated by pancreatitis

Acute pancreatitis is an atypical complication of dengue fever and is rarely described. We are reporting a case of dengue hemorrhagic fever complicated by acute pancreatitis in a patient with history of diabetes mellitus type 1 and end stage renal disease on hemodialysis.

Effects of ozone oxidative preconditioning on different hepatic biomarkers of oxidative stress in endotoxic shock in mice.

In endotoxic shock, variations are known to occur in different biochemical parameters of oxidative stress. Ozone oxidative preconditioning (OOP) is a good candidate to restore the redox balance on different tissue. This investigation examined the effect of OOP on different biomarkers of oxidative stress in hepatic tissue of mice treated with lipopolysaccharide (LPS). LPS doses of 30 mg/kg were administered intraperitoneally (i.p.) and pretreatment with ozone/oxygen mixture (OOM) was applied i.p. at 0.2, 0.4, and 1.2 mg/kg once daily during 5 days before LPS injection. The mice were euthanized under ether atmosphere at different times, 1 and 24 h after LPS injection. Hepatic tissue from all animals was taken for biochemical determinations of oxidative stress parameters such as thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) content and activity of antioxidant enzymes superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GPx), and glutathione S-transferase (GST). The results demonstrated that OOP reduces levels of TBARS content and increases the activity of GPx in hepatic tissue. In conclusion, OOP was able to recover the redox balance and in this way to protect the animals against the oxidative damage induced by endotoxemia.

Dengue hemorrhagic fever complicated by pancreatitis.

Acute pancreatitis is an atypical complication of dengue fever and is rarely described. We are reporting a case of dengue hemorrhagic fever complicated by acute pancreatitis in a patient with history of diabetes mellitus type 1 and end stage renal disease on hemodialysis.

The physiological stimulus for the BarA sensor kinase.

The two-component signal transduction system (TCS) BarA/UvrY activates transcription of CsrB and CsrC noncoding RNAs, which act by sequestering the RNA-binding global regulatory protein CsrA. Here, we show that the metabolic end products formate and acetate provide a physiological stimulus for this TCS and thus link posttranscriptional regulation by the Csr system to the metabolic state of the cell.

Ozone oxidative preconditioning reduces nitrite levels in blood serum in LPS: induced endotoxic shock in mice.

OBJECTIVE AND DESIGN: Reactive oxygen species, and also reactive species of nitrogen such as nitric oxide, play an important role in the pathogenesis of peritonitis and septic shock. Ozone oxidative preconditioning (OOP) has shown protective effects in various experimental models of peritonitis in rats and endotoxic shock in mice. Currently, strong evidence is available that this protective effect of OOP is due to its action on the balance between endogenous antioxidants and pro-oxidants, which is favorable for anti-oxidant defense. The aim of this research was to elucidate whether or not OOP is able to reduce nitrite levels in blood serum of mice treated with lipopolysaccharide (LPS). We used an experimental model of endotoxic shock induced by LPS in mice in which the animals were pre-treated with ozone/oxygen mixture for 5 days (once daily), with injection of LPS 24 h thereafter to induce endotoxic shock. RESULTS: Mice pretreated with OOP showed a significant decrease in nitrite levels with all three doses tested [0.2 mg/kg (50.91%), 0.4 mg/kg (47.3%) and 1.2 mg/kg (34.6%)]. CONCLUSIONS: Ozone oxidative preconditioning significantly reduced nitrite levels in blood serum of mice with endotoxic shock induced by LPS. We propose that OOP merits further testing in studies as a potential alternative treatment to reduce nitrite levels in patients with sepsis syndrome and septic shock.

Preconditioning with ozone/oxygen mixture induces reversion of some indicators of oxidative stress and prevents organic damage in rats with fecal peritonitis.

OBJECTIVE AND DESIGN: Reactive oxygen and nitrogen species are involved in the pathogenesis of sepsis syndrome with peritonitis and the septic shock. The aim of this study was to determine whether ozone oxidative preconditioning (OOP) may exert beneficial effects in the prevention and treatment of sepsis syndrome in rats inoculated by the intraperitoneal route (i.p.) with fecal material and also to determine if antioxidant enzymes such as superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GPx) may exert protective effects against this systemic inflammatory disorder. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Male Wistar rats were used. SOD and GPx activities were determined in erythrocytes. Thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) content as biomarkers of oxidative stress, alanine amino transferase (ALT), aspartate amino transferase (AST) and creatinine (CRE) were measured in blood serum and myeloperoxidase (MPO) in lung tissue as markers of organs damage. RESULTS: In rats submitted to OOP, SOD and GPx activities were significantly increased and it was accompanied by significant decrease of TBARS content in blood serum. OOP also significantly reduced levels of ALT, AST and CRE in blood serum as well as MPO in rat lung. CONCLUSION: The results support the important role of SOD and GPx in the protective effects of OOP against organ damage induced by fecal peritonitis in rats.

Tratamiento del glaucoma neovascular con criocirugía

Se hizo un estudio descriptivo, longitudinal y prospectivo de 19 pacientes con glaucoma neovascular, tratdos por medio de criocirugía en el Servicio de Oftalmología del Hospital General Clínicoquirúrgico ginecobstétrico Santiago de Cuba durante el primer semestre de 1998, de donde se derivó que el citado métodoconstituye un tratamiento eficaz y alternativo al respecto, tanto por su bajo costo como por la ausencia de riesgos y complicación en su aplicación (AU)

Tratamiento del glaucoma neovascular con criocirugía

Se hizo un estudio descriptivo, longitudinal y prospectivo de 19 pacientes con glaucoma neovascular, tratdos por medio de criocirugía en el Servicio de Oftalmología del Hospital General Clínicoquirúrgico ginecobstétrico Santiago de Cuba durante el primer semestre de 1998, de donde se derivó que el citado métodoconstituye un tratamiento eficaz y alternativo al respecto, tanto por su bajo costo como por la ausencia de riesgos y complicación en su aplicación

La gestion diagnostica en la atencion del alcoholico / La gestion diagnostica en la atencion del alcoholico

El autor comenta la complejidad y signigicacion del diagnostico de alcoholismo en su proyeccion epidemiologica o clinica y emite su criterio sobre las definiciones y clasificaciones de mayor operatividad para el profesional no especializado endicha materia, destaca los objetivos diagnosticos imprescindibles para la atencion integral del paciente alcoholico y valora los recursos auxiliares diagnosticos de mayor factibilidad en nuestro medio.

El token economy: resultados de su utilizacion en una comunidad terapeutica

Se plantea la hipotesis de que con la aplicacion de una variante del sistema de reforzamiento por fichas, podria incrementarse la participacion de los pacientes en las actividades desarrolladas en una comunidad terapeutica para psicoticos y alcoholicos, y de que su aplicacion era factible dentro de la estructura organizativa mantenida en los tres ultimos anos de trabajo. Para lograr estos objetivos se Ilevo a cabo una investigacion desarrollada en tres etapas de tres meses cada una, y se controlo durante las mismas el comportamiento de los pacientes en cuanto a: asistencia diaria a la reunion matutina; cumplimiento del horario establecido para levantarse; y otros indicadores utilizados como control por no comtemplarse en el sistema de gratificaciones. Durante la primera etapa se mantuvo la estructura anterior, basada exclusivamente en gratificaciones morales; durante la segunda, se ensayaron diferentes tipos de premios, donde se incluyeron excursiones, premios en efectivo y articulos de artesania, asi como pases especiales a los pacientes destacados. En la tercera etapa se establecio el otorgamiento del pase de fin de semana mediante la acumulacion de puntos ganados por conductas positivas y anotados mediante gomigrafo en una tarjeta individual que se renovaria semanalmente. Los resultados evidenciaron un incremento importante de los indicadores contemplados en el sistema de gratificaciones, y poca modificacion en aquellos que se utilizaron como controles y para valorar la influencia indirecta de otras conductas positivas. Se considero que sua resultados apoyan las dos hipotesis planteadas, y que el pase de fin de semana otorgado mediante puntos acumulados constituye el premio de interes general mas adecuado. Se concluye que la experiencia acumulada hizo incorporar dicho sistema a la estructura comunitaria del servicio docente 'Rogelio Paredes', del Hospital Psiquiatrico de La Habana, y anadirlo al sitema previo de estimulaciones morales, exclusivamente.