ABSTRACT
In this work the epipodium morphology of the marine snail Prisogaster niger is described. In this gastropods the epipodium includes a complex of structures among which the neck lobes, epipodial ridge, epipodial tentacles and epipodial papillae constitute the most remarkable characters. Although these features are commonly found among trochoidean taxa, the observation of the epipodium, compared with the literature, revealed potential autapomorphic characters of diagnostic value for the genus and the subfamily Prisogasterinae, like epipodial lamellae and epipodial tuft.
En este trabajo se describe la morfología del epipodio del caracol marino Prisogaster niger. En esta especie el epipodio está conformado por un complejo de estructuras entre las cuales los lóbulos del cuello, rebordes epipodiales, tentáculos epipodiales y papilas epipodiales constituyen conspicuos caracteres. El estudio de la morfología del epipodio reveló potenciales autapomorfías de valor diagnóstico para la subfamilia Prisogasterinae.
Subject(s)
Animals , Gastropoda/anatomy & histologyABSTRACT
OBJECTIVES: The objectives of this pilot study were to determine the blood lead levels in children in Belize and to try to relate these findings to demographic variables. METHODS: With permission from parents, capillary blood was collected from the fingers of 164 children with an age range of 2 to 8 years, living and attending school in the spring of 2002 in four towns: Belize City, San Pedro, Orange Walk, and Benque Viejo. The sample represents 0.4 percent of all children in Belize in that age range. Lead levels were analyzed by the method of anodic stripping voltammetry using the ESA LeadCare analyzer. RESULTS: The mean blood lead level for the children in the sample was 4.94 micrograms per deciliter (µg/dL) with a standard deviation of 2.46. However, 11 children (7 percent) had blood lead in the range of 10.1-13.8 µg/dL, which is the level of concern according to guidelines of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Children living in the large urban centers of Belize City and Orange Walk town had higher lead levels (mean 5.80 and 5.74 µg/dL) than children living in the smaller towns of Benque Viejo and San Pedro (mean 4.17 and 4.63 µg/dL). There were no statistically significant differences between male and female children. CONCLUSIONS: These data indicate that children in Belize are being exposed to lead and suggest that this pilot study be followed up with a comprehensive study with a larger sample and correlation of the findings to socioeconomic characteristics, to children's behavior, and to the home and school environment.
OBJETIVOS: Estudio piloto para determinar los niveles de plomo en la sangre en niños de Belice y relacionar estos valores con algunas variables demográficas. MÉTODOS: Con el consentimiento de los padres, se tomaron muestras de sangre capilar del dedo a 164 niños de 2 a 8 años que en la primavera de 2002 vivían y asistían a la escuela en cuatro localidades: Belice, San Pedro, Orange Walk y Benque Viejo. La muestra representa 0,4 por cento de los niños de ese grupo de edad en el país. Los niveles de plomo se analizaron mediante voltametría de redisolución anódica con un analizador ESA LeadCare. RESULTADOS: El nivel promedio de plomo en la sangre de los niños estudiados fue de 4,94 µg/dL (desviación estándar: 2,46). No obstante, 11 niños (7 por cento) tenían entre 10,1 y 13,8 µg/dL de plomo en la sangre, nivel de preocupación según los Centros de Control y Prevención de Enfermedades (CDC) de los Estados Unidos de América. Los niños que vivían en los centros urbanos grandes Belice y Orange Walk presentaron mayores niveles de plomo (valores medios: 5,80 µg/dL y 5,74 µg/dL, respectivamente) que los niños de las poblaciones más pequeñas Benque Viejo y San Pedro (4,17 µg/dL y 4,63 µg/dL, respectivamente). No se encontraron diferencias significativas entre los niños y las niñas. CONCLUSIONES: Estos resultados indican que los niños de Belice están expuestos al plomo y que a este estudio piloto debe seguir una investigación integral basada en una muestra mayor que correlacione los hallazgos con las características socioeconómicas, el comportamiento de los niños y el medio ambiente del hogar y la escuela.
Subject(s)
Child , Child, Preschool , Female , Humans , Male , Environmental Exposure/analysis , Lead/blood , Belize , Mass Screening , Pilot ProjectsABSTRACT
The genetic characterization of 117 peach and nectarine cultivars (Prunus persica (L.) Batsch) using microsatellite (SSR) markers is presented. Analyzed genotypes include the complete list of cultivars under intellectual property (IP) protection in Chile. One hundred and two out of the 117 cultivars under study could be identified using only 7 SSRs. Other 5 cultivars were differentiated using 3 additional markers, but 5 pairs of genotypes were not differentiable. The average expected heterozygosity for the set of markers was 0.55, ranging from 0.28 in BPPCT-008 to 0.81 in CPPCT-022, with an F value of 0.37. A Neighbor-Joining dendrogram showed that, with few exceptions, peaches and nectarines clustered separately. These results are the basis for the development of a fingerprinting protocol for the unequivocal identification of most of the peach and nectarine cultivars officially registered in Chile.
Subject(s)
Crop Production , Amygdalus persica/isolation & purification , Genome, Plant , Pyrus/genetics , DNA Fingerprinting , Microsatellite Repeats/genetics , Temperate ClimateABSTRACT
Copper is an essential and toxic trace metal for bacteria and, therefore, must be tightly regulated in the cell. Enterococcus hirae is a broadly studied model for copper homeostasis. The intracellular copper levels in E. hirae are regulated by the cop operon, which is formed by four genes: copA and copB that encode ATPases for influx and efflux of copper, respectively; copZ that encodes a copper chaperone; and copY, a copper responsive repressor. Since the complete genome sequence for E. hirae is not available, it is possible that other genes may encode proteins involved in copper homeostasis. Here, we identified a cop-like operon in nine species of Lactobacillale order with a known genome sequence. All of them always encoded a CopY-like repressor and a copper ATPase. The alignment of the cop-like operon promoter region revealed two CopY binding sites, one of which was conserved in all strains, and the second was only present in species of Streptococcus genus and L. johnsonii. Additional proteins associated to copper metabolism, CutC and Cupredoxin, also were detected. This study allowed for the description of the structure and organization of the cop operon and discussion of a phylogenetic hypothesis based on the differences observed in this operon's organization and its regulation in Lactobacillale order.