Assessing the effectiveness of international government responses to the COVID-19 pandemic.

This paper examines the effectiveness of non-pharmaceutical measures adopted by governments to control the evolution of the COVID-19 pandemic. Using a Panel VAR model for the OECD countries, we test for Granger causality between the 7-day cumulative incidence, mortality rate, and government response indexes. Granger-type statistics reveal evidence that the evolution of the COVID-19 pandemic influenced the measures taken by governments. However, limited or nonexistent evidence supports the reverse situation. This suggests that government measures were not highly effective in controlling the pandemic. While not implying total ineffectiveness, our results indicate a considerable lack of efficacy, emphasizing a lesson for governments to learn from and correct in preparation for similar events in the future.

Inequality in the Face of Death: The Income Gradient in Mortality of the Spanish Pre-Recession Working-Age Population.

The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the association between socioeconomic status (SES) and mortality over a three-year period for working-age Spaniards (2007-2009), paying particular attention to the effect of income level. The analysis is relatively new in Spain, and the studies are limited. Neither income nor wealth are included in existing Spanish mortality studies. The main reason for this limitation is the nature of the data sets used, mainly Census Records. We overcome this problem by using data on 693,994 individuals taken from a Social Security sampling and used to estimate the probabilities of death for each income decile and the mortality rate ratios in three different models: (1) using only income, controlled by age and sex, (2) adding socio-economic and geographical variables, and (3) adding level of education. However, the data used here also have some limitations. They do not include government employees, the military or the Department of Justice personnel, whose exclusion we believe causes an under-representation of highly educated people in our sample. The results confirm that there is a non-linear relationship between mortality and income. This non-linear relationship implies that income redistribution resulting from progressive taxation systems could lead to higher reductions in mortality for low-income groups than the reductions induced in the mortality of the high-income population, thus reducing overall mortality.

Global Trends in Child Obesity: Are Figures Converging?

Childhood obesity has become one of the most serious global health challenges of our time. The combined prevalence of overweight and obesity has rapidly increased worldwide during the last two decades, especially in some developing countries where obesity is reaching levels on a par with some industrialized countries, or even higher. This fast growth has occurred especially in countries in the midst of rapid social-economic transitions. Most international comparisons focus on the adult population while analyses focusing on the child population are more limited. Using the methodology developed by Phillips and Sul, this paper studies the worldwide evolution of children's body mass index (BMI), overweight and obesity prevalence for a large sample of countries during the period 1975-2016. Our results indicate that the figures for BMI or the prevalence of obesity in different countries do not converge, while the opposite is the case for overweight prevalence in children. Furthermore, there is a non-linear relationship between obesity and income or human capital, indicating that low and middle-income countries require a strong initiative for health policies targeting obesity prevention.

Epistatic interactions between PHOTOPERIOD1, CONSTANS1 and CONSTANS2 modulate the photoperiodic response in wheat.

In Arabidopsis, CONSTANS (CO) integrates light and circadian clock signals to promote flowering under long days (LD). In the grasses, a duplication generated two paralogs designated as CONSTANS1 (CO1) and CONSTANS2 (CO2). Here we show that in tetraploid wheat plants grown under LD, combined loss-of-function mutations in the A and B-genome homeologs of CO1 and CO2 (co1 co2) result in a small (3 d) but significant (P<0.0001) acceleration of heading time both in PHOTOPERIOD1 (PPD1) sensitive (Ppd-A1b, functional ancestral allele) and insensitive (Ppd-A1a, functional dominant allele) backgrounds. Under short days (SD), co1 co2 mutants headed 13 d earlier than the wild type (P<0.0001) in the presence of Ppd-A1a. However, in the presence of Ppd-A1b, spikes from both genotypes failed to emerge by 180 d. These results indicate that CO1 and CO2 operate mainly as weak heading time repressors in both LD and SD. By contrast, in ppd1 mutants with loss-of-function mutations in both PPD1 homeologs, the wild type Co1 allele accelerated heading time >60 d relative to the co1 mutant allele under LD. We detected significant genetic interactions among CO1, CO2 and PPD1 genes on heading time, which were reflected in complex interactions at the transcriptional and protein levels. Loss-of-function mutations in PPD1 delayed heading more than combined co1 co2 mutations and, more importantly, PPD1 was able to perceive and respond to differences in photoperiod in the absence of functional CO1 and CO2 genes. Similarly, CO1 was able to accelerate heading time in response to LD in the absence of a functional PPD1. Taken together, these results indicate that PPD1 and CO1 are able to respond to photoperiod in the absence of each other, and that interactions between these two photoperiod pathways at the transcriptional and protein levels are important to fine-tune the flowering response in wheat.

Single nucleotide polymorphisms in a regulatory site of VRN-A1 first intron are associated with differences in vernalization requirement in winter wheat.

Winter wheats require a long exposure to cold temperatures (vernalization) to accelerate flowering. However, varieties differ in the length of the period of cold required to saturate the vernalization response. Here we show that single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) at the binding site of the GRP2 protein in the VRN-A1 first intron (henceforth, RIP3) are associated with significant differences in heading time after a partial vernalization treatment. The ancestral winter VRN-A1 allele in 'Triple Dirk C' has one SNP in the RIP3 region (1_SNP) relative to the canonical RIP3 sequence, whereas the derived 'Jagger' allele has three SNPs (3_SNPs). Both varieties have a single VRN-A1 copy encoding identical proteins. In an F2 population generated from a cross between these two varieties, plants with the 3_SNPs haplotype headed significantly earlier (P < 0.001) than those with the 1_SNP haplotype, both in the absence of vernalization (17 days difference) and after 3-weeks of vernalization (11 days difference). Plants with the 3_SNPs haplotype showed higher VRN-A1 transcript levels than those with the 1_SNP haplotype. The 3_SNPs haplotype was also associated with early heading in a panel of 127 winter wheat varieties grown in three separate controlled-environment experiments under partial vernalization (36 to 54 days, P < 0.001) and one experiment under field conditions (21 d, P < 0.0001). The RIP3 polymorphisms can be used by wheat breeders to develop winter wheat varieties adapted to regions with different duration or intensity of the cold season.

Análisis de polifenoles e iniciación de cultivos in vitro de Ligaria cuneifolia (R. et P.) Tiegh (Loranthaceae) de ejemplares provenientes de la localidad La Población, provincia de Córdoba, Argentina / Analysis of polyphenols and initiation of in vitro cultures of Ligaria cuneifolia (R. et P.) Tiegh (Loranthaceae) from specimens from the town of La Población, province of Córdoba, Argentina

Ligaria cuneifolia (R. et P.) Tiegh (Loranthaceae) es una hemiparásita sudamericana que produce polifenoles con actividad hipolipemiante, citostática, inmunomoduladora, antioxidante y antimicrobiana. Nuestro objetivo fue determinar el perfil de polifenoles de ejemplares silvestres en distintos órganos y extractos, así como las condiciones más adecuadas para iniciar sus cultivos in vitro. Para el estudio fitoquímico se realizaron cromatografías en capa delgada de tipo monodimensional observándose la presencia de flavonoides, derivados hidroxicinámicos y proantocianidinas en los extractos de hojas, tallos primarios, tallos secundarios y flores. En cuanto al análisis cuantitativo se observaron altos valores de flavonoides en hojas (2,14 mg eq. de rutina por gramo de material seco) y de proantocianidinas en flores (7,52 mg eq. de catequina por gramo de material seco), compuestos responsables de las actividades biológicas mencionadas. Para la iniciación de cultivos in vitro se estudiaron diferentes aspectos: protocolo de desinfección, explanto de iniciación (hojas, pedicelos, frutos, tallos, meristemas y haustorios) y medios de cultivo base (reguladores de crecimiento y agentes antioxidantes). Los tratamientos más efectivos fueron HgCl2 0,05 - 0,2 % en una proporción de 25 explantos cada 100 ml de solución desinfectante y ácido cítrico 2,6 mM o L-cisteína 100 µM como antioxidantes. Solamente fue posible iniciar callos a partir de haustorios cultivados en medio Gamborg B5 con el agregado de ácido 2,4-dicloro-fenoxiacético 2,25 µM como regulador de crecimiento. (AU)

Foliar anatomy of Viola maculata growing in Parque Nacional Los Alerces, Chubut, Patagonia, Argentina

ABSTRACT Viola maculata Cav., Violaceae, grows in the underwood along the Los Andes mountain system from Neuquén to Tierra del Fuego and Islas Malvinas. It is also known as violeta amarilla or as pilundeu, and is used in popular medicine by the Mapuches as stimulant, in dermatology, and as a lavage in eye diseases. The aim of this work is to examine the morpho-anatomical traits of the leaves and petiole of V. maculata (collected at Parque Nacional Los Alerces, Patagonia, Argentina). Cross sections and scanning electron microscopy of leaves blade and petiole showed a simple organization with simple unicellular trichomes and cells containing tannins, and crystals of calcium oxalate mainly in the spongy parenchyma. As V. maculata is used in traditional medicine, the specification of the anatomical characters is relevant to describe the species.

Economic evaluation of botulinum toxin versus thoracic sympathectomy for palmar hyperhidrosis: data from a real-world scenario.

INTRODUCTION: Local botulinum toxin injections and endoscopic thoracic sympathectomy (ETS) have shown clinical effectiveness for the treatment of palmar hyperhidrosis in several studies. Although both strategies cause considerable costs for health-care systems, at the moment there are no studies examining directly their cost-effectiveness performance. The aim of the study was to assess the incremental cost-effectiveness of botulinum toxin when compared with ETS for palmar hyperhidrosis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Costs, effectiveness, and incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) were calculated. Costs were assessed from a Spanish National Health System perspective in a historical cohort of patients with palmar hyperhidrosis attending a tertiary referral hospital. Effectiveness was evaluated by using the Hyperhidrosis Disease Severity Scale (HDSS). A responder was defined as a patient who reported at least a two-grade improvement on the HDSS scale with respect to the baseline value. The horizon of time was 1 year. RESULTS: Effectiveness was greater for ETS (n = 128) when compared with botulinum toxin (n = 100) for the treatment of palmar hyperhidrosis (92% vs. 68%; odds ratio (OR) = 6.22 [2.80, 13.80]; absolute risk ratio (ARR) = -0.24 [-0.45, -0.14]; number-needed-to-treat (NNT) = -4 [-2, -11]). Botulinum toxin had an ICER of 125 € when compared with ETS during the first year of treatment. CONCLUSIONS: In this retrospective real-world observational sample of patients with palmar hyperhidrosis, treatment with ETS appears to be more effective and less costly when compared with botulinum toxin during the first year of treatment. Analyses such as this give decision makers the tools to choose a better treatment option which is both highly effective and yet has a low cost.

Perfil atencional en niños con síndrome de Asperger / Attentional profile in children with Asperger syndrome

El propósito de este estudio ha sido analizar el perfil atencional (atención focalizada, atención mantenida, codificación, capacidad de cambio atencional y resistencia a la perseveración) en niños con diagnóstico de síndrome de Asperger. Se han comparado los resultados obtenidos en nuestro examen con los ofrecidos en las principales investigaciones realizadas hasta la fecha a fin de validar un perfil que permita planificar una intervención psicoterapéutica en disfunciones de la atención en el síndrome de Asperger (AU)

The purpose of this study is to analyze the attentional profile (focused attention, sustained attention, encoding, attentional capacity and resistance to change perseveration) in children diagnosed with Asperger Syndrome. We compared the results of our examination with those offered by major investigations validate a profile suitable for planning a psychotherapeutic intervention of attentinal dysfunctions in Asperger Syndrome (AU)

Simultaneous determination of arsenic, cadmium, copper, chromium, nickel, lead and thallium in total digested sediment samples and available fractions by electrothermal atomization atomic absorption spectroscopy (ET AAS).

This study describes the optimization and validation of a quick and simple method for the simultaneous determination of total content and available fractions of As, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb and Tl in sediments by ET AAS, which has been proved to be useful for environmental research. The optimization was carried out using a 3(3) Box-Behnken factorial design which was applied to matrices of total digestion and to stages 1 and 2 of the modified BCR sequential extraction scheme for sediments in order to determine the appropriate atomization temperatures and masses for the chemical modifiers: Pd(NO(3))(2) and Mg(NO(3))(2). The simultaneous determination of the elements in all matrices considered was performed, without the use of chemical modifiers at atomization temperatures of 1700 °C for Cd and Tl, and 2100 °C for As, Cu, Cr, Ni and Pb, using a standard calibration curve for calibration purposes. The characteristic masses and limits of detection obtained were 36.5, 1.8, 6.5, 28, 34, 46.5 and 48 ρg and 0.11, 0.001, 0.022, 0.04, 0.2, 0.03 and 0.003 µg g(-1) for As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb and Tl, respectively. The analytical procedure was validated by analyzing three sediment certified reference materials (CRM NCS DC 73315 and LKSD-4 for total content and BCR 701 for available fractions). Good accuracy was obtained (tested statistically, P=0.05, and shown by the high recovery for each element in each matrix), except for total As in the matrix of total digestion, where losses of the analyte could be attributed to sample treatment with HNO(3). The precision of the procedure was between 0.6% and 6%.

Carcinoma erysipeloides of laryngeal origin.

The term "carcinoma erysipeloides" (CE) designates an uncommon form of cutaneous metastasis. CE is most often associated with carcinoma of the breast. However, there have been reports of CE from carcinoma of the uterus, prostate, lung, ovary, stomach, tonsils, thyroid, pancreas, rectum, parotid glands and melanoma. To our knowledge, CE of laryngeal origin has not been previously reported. We describe a patient diagnosed with human immunodeficiency virus and hepatitis C virus coinfection who developed a supraglottic laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma and erythematous cutaneous lesions. A skin biopsy demonstrated invasion of dilated dermal lymphatics by clusters of atypical squamous cells with polymorphic nuclei and extensive infiltration of the dermis by tumor cells. The histology of the metastatic cells was similar to that of the laryngeal carcinoma.

Two-stage culture for producing berberine by cell suspension and shoot cultures of Berberis buxifolia Lam.

In vitro cultures of Berberis buxifolia were established using thidiazuron (4.5, 23 and 45 mM) or picloram (4 and 40 mM) as plant growth regulators for sustaining growth. For producing berberine, a two-stage culture was performed. In the first step, thidiazuron or picloram were used for biomass production followed by the production stage where benzylaminopurine (4.4 mM) was added as a plant growth regulator. Berberine yields (102 mg g(-1) DW) and in vitro shoot cultures (200 mg g(-1) DW) were significantly lower than those of whole plants in the field (416 mg g(-1) DW). The highest productivity (0.18 mg 1(-1) day(-1)) was attained using picloram (either 4 on 40 mM) in the first stage for producing biomass.

Valor de la biopsia aspirativa con aguja fina para el diagnóstico de tumores intraabdominales e intratorácicos / Value of fine-needle aspiration biopsy for the diagnosis of intrathoracic and intraabdominal tumors

Introducción. La biopsia aspirativa con aguja fina permite el diagnóstico de enfermedades tan graves como el cáncer en la infancia, en un breve período de tiempo y con gran exactitud. El método se ha establecido como una técnica rápida, efectiva y económica en la biopsia de tumores de cavidades como la abdominal y la torácica. El objetivo de esta investigación fue comprobar la aplicación y validez del método diagnóstico en los tumores intratorácicos e intraabdominales en la infancia. Métodos. En el Hospital Pediátrico ®William Soler¼, se realizó un estudio retrospectivo de las citologías aspirativas realizadas en tumores intratorácicos e intraabdominales entre enero de 1999 y diciembre de 2005. En todas se realizó la técnica de biopsia por aspiración preconizada en Estocolmo y se utilizó también la técnica de citopunción. Resultados. El abdomen fue la región más frecuente, en particular, el riñón. Veinte citologías fueron negativas de malignidad (17,6 por ciento) y 65, positivas (57,5 por ciento). Existió una buena correlación citohistológica positiva. La sensibilidad fue del 96,1 por ciento; el valor predictivo positivo, del 94,9 por ciento y la eficiencia, del 92,8 por ciento. Conclusiones. La biopsia con aguja fina es un método eficaz para el diagnóstico de los tumores intraabdominales e intratorácicos en la infancia. Tiene gran valor diagnóstico para cirujanos, pediatras y oncólogos, y permite planificar de manera eficaz la conducta ulterior ante cada paciente.

Introduction. Fine needle aspiration biopsy allows the diagnosis of diseases as severe as cancer in childhood in a short period of time, and with great accuracy. This method has been established as a rapid, effective and economic technique in the biopsy of tumours of cavities such as the abdominal and the thoracic. The objective of this research was to check the application and validity of the diagnostic method in intrathoracic and intraabdominal tumours in children. Methods: A retrospective study of the aspiration cytologies performed in intrathoracic and intraabdominal tumours at William Soler Teaching Children Hospital from January 1999 to December 2005 was conducted . In all of them the aspiration biopsy technique recommended in Stockholm was used, and the cytopuncture technique was also applied. Results. The abdomen was the most frequent region and, in particular, the kidney. Twenty cytologies yielded negative (17.6 percent), and 65 positive (57.5 percent). There was a good positive cytohistologic correlation. Sensivity was 96.1 percent; positive predictive value, 94.9 percent; and efficiency, 92.8 percent. Conclusions. Fine needle biopsy is an effective method for the diagnosis of intraabdominal and intrathoracic tumours in children. It has a great diagnostic value for surgeons, pediatricians and oncologists, and it also allows to plan in a efficient way the conduct to be followed with each patient.

Valor de la biopsia aspirativa con aguja fina para el diagnóstico de tumores intraabdominales e intratorácicos / Value of fine-needle aspiration biopsy for the diagnosis of intrathoracic and intraabdominal tumors

Introducción. La biopsia aspirativa con aguja fina permite el diagnóstico de enfermedades tan graves como el cáncer en la infancia, en un breve período de tiempo y con gran exactitud. El método se ha establecido como una técnica rápida, efectiva y económica en la biopsia de tumores de cavidades como la abdominal y la torácica. El objetivo de esta investigación fue comprobar la aplicación y validez del método diagnóstico en los tumores intratorácicos e intraabdominales en la infancia. Métodos. En el Hospital Pediátrico «William Soler¼, se realizó un estudio retrospectivo de las citologías aspirativas realizadas en tumores intratorácicos e intraabdominales entre enero de 1999 y diciembre de 2005. En todas se realizó la técnica de biopsia por aspiración preconizada en Estocolmo y se utilizó también la técnica de citopunción. Resultados. El abdomen fue la región más frecuente, en particular, el riñón. Veinte citologías fueron negativas de malignidad (17,6 por ciento) y 65, positivas (57,5 por ciento). Existió una buena correlación citohistológica positiva. La sensibilidad fue del 96,1 por ciento; el valor predictivo positivo, del 94,9 por ciento y la eficiencia, del 92,8 por ciento. Conclusiones. La biopsia con aguja fina es un método eficaz para el diagnóstico de los tumores intraabdominales e intratorácicos en la infancia. Tiene gran valor diagnóstico para cirujanos, pediatras y oncólogos, y permite planificar de manera eficaz la conducta ulterior ante cada paciente(AU)

Introduction. Fine needle aspiration biopsy allows the diagnosis of diseases as severe as cancer in childhood in a short period of time, and with great accuracy. This method has been established as a rapid, effective and economic technique in the biopsy of tumours of cavities such as the abdominal and the thoracic. The objective of this research was to check the application and validity of the diagnostic method in intrathoracic and intraabdominal tumours in children. Methods: A retrospective study of the aspiration cytologies performed in intrathoracic and intraabdominal tumours at William Soler Teaching Children Hospital from January 1999 to December 2005 was conducted . In all of them the aspiration biopsy technique recommended in Stockholm was used, and the cytopuncture technique was also applied. Results. The abdomen was the most frequent region and, in particular, the kidney. Twenty cytologies yielded negative (17.6 percent), and 65 positive (57.5 percent). There was a good positive cytohistologic correlation. Sensivity was 96.1 percent; positive predictive value, 94.9 percent; and efficiency, 92.8 percent. Conclusions. Fine needle biopsy is an effective method for the diagnosis of intraabdominal and intrathoracic tumours in children. It has a great diagnostic value for surgeons, pediatricians and oncologists, and it also allows to plan in a efficient way the conduct to be followed with each patient(AU)

How polyamine synthesis inhibitors and cinnamic acid affect tropane alkaloid production.

Hairy roots of Brugmansia candida produce the tropane alkaloids scopolamine and hyoscyamine. In an attempt to divert the carbon flux from competing pathways and thus enhance productivity, the polyamine biosynthesis inhibitors cyclohexylamine (CHA) and methylglyoxal-bis-guanylhydrazone (MGBG) and the phenylalanine-ammonia-lyase inhibitor cinnamic acid were used. CHA decreased the specific productivity of both alkaloids but increased significantly the release of scopolamine (approx 500%) when it was added in the mid-exponential phase. However, when CHA was added for only 48 h during the exponential phase, the specific productivity of both alkaloids increased (approx 200%), favoring scopolamine. Treatment with MGBG was detrimental to growth but promoted release into the medium of both alkaloids. However, when it was added for 48 h during the exponential phase, MGBG increased the specific productivity (approx 200%) and release (250- 1800%) of both alkaloids. Cinnamic acid alone also favored release but not specific productivity. When a combination of CHA or MGBG with cinnamic acid was used, the results obtained were approximately the same as with each polyamine biosynthesis inhibitor alone, although to a lesser extent. Regarding root morphology, CHA inhibited growth of primary roots and ramification. However, it had a positive effect on elongation of lateral roots.

Efficacy of five human melanocytic cell lines in experimental rabbit choroidal melanoma.

This study was undertaken to compare the ability of five uveal melanocytic cell lines to produce primary and metastatic uveal melanomas in immunosuppressed rabbits and to determine whether animal survival was improved by antibiotic administration. One hundred albino rabbit eyes, five groups of 20, were implanted in the suprachoroidal space with four melanoma cell lines (MKT-BR, OCM-1, 92-1 and SP 6.5) and one melanocytic line (UW-1). Rabbits were immunosuppressed with cyclosporin A (CsA) at a dosage of 15 mg/kg/day, decreased to 10 mg/kg/day after the fourth week. Prophylactic penicillin G, 10 to 2 x 10 IU, was administered intramuscularly at 5-day intervals. Animals were followed for 12 weeks and the ophthalmoscopic findings, weight and general well-being were recorded weekly. Autopsies were performed to study the eyes, liver and lungs under light microscopy. The mean global survival time in the groups was 43+/-4 days. Ophthalmoscopic intraocular tumours developed in 37% of the MKT-BR group, 50% of the OCM-1 group, 100% of the 92-1 group, 23% of the UW-1 group and 75% of the SP 6.5 group; histologically, tumours appeared in 36.8%, 45%, 100%, 58.8% and 100%, respectively. The 92-1 and SP 6.5 cell lines were associated with the most aggressive local behaviour. Lung metastases developed in the OCM-1 group (5%), 92-1 group (61.1%), UW-1 group (7.1%) and SP 6.5 group (42.1%), but were not present in the MKT-BR group. The 92-1 and SP 6.5 cell lines were the most efficient in local and metastatic tumour production. Prophylactic antibiotic administration did not improve animal survival.

Simultaneous determination of lead, nickel, tin and copper in aluminium-base alloys using slurry sampling by electrical discharge and multielement ETAAS.

The simultaneous multielement determination of Pb, Sn, Ni and Cu in aluminium alloys by electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry (ETAAS) was performed by a quick method using slurry sampling. The metallic colloidal slurries were obtained by an electrical discharge operated in liquid medium. In this work, the effects of aluminium were evaluated and the results show that it causes a strong retention of Pb, Ni and Cu at low pyrolysis temperatures which is overcome by employing high pyrolysis temperatures. Aluminium also significantly improves the thermal stabilisation of Pb and Sn, it being possible to reach pyrolysis temperatures of 1100 and 1300 degrees C, respectively. Such stabilisation indicates that the performance of aluminium as a matrix modifier for Pb is better than that obtained using phosphate and magnesium nitrate without substantial changes of the figures of merit. The effects of aluminium on the atomisation characteristics of the elements and those coming from the simultaneous multielement determination on the figures of merit of the elements are also discussed. In this work, a calibration procedure involving a matrix matching method with aqueous aluminium standards is proposed as a simple and efficient way to solve the inconveniences originated by the aluminium matrix. The proposed method was applied to the simultaneous multielement determination of several aluminium-base alloy standards giving results well within the recommended values.