Calotropis procera -induced keratitis.

Calotropis procera produces copious amounts of latex, which has been shown to possess several pharmacological properities. Its local application produces intense inflammatory response. In the 10 cases of Calotropis procera -induced keratitis reported here, the clinical picture showed corneal edema with striate keratopathy without any evidence of intraocular inflammation. The inflammation was reversed by the local application of steroid drops.

Composição florística dos afloramentos rochosos do Morro do Forno, Altinópolis, São Paulo / Floristic composition of the rock outcrops of the Morro do Forno, Altinópolis-SP

Áreas de afloramentos rochosos em topos de morros abrigam uma vegetação bastante peculiar. Muitas das espécies que ocorrem nessas áreas apresentam uma série de características que permitem sua sobrevivência num ambiente com solo pobre e arenoso, com alta insolação e grande oscilação de temperatura entre o dia e a noite. Essas características particulares despertaram o interesse no estudo da flora das áreas de afloramentos rochosos do Morro do Forno (Altinópolis-SP). A flora apresenta um total de 157 espécies distribuídas em 48 famílias. Fabaceae (14 spp.), Asteraceae (12 spp.), Poaceae (12 spp.), Rubiaceae (11 spp.), Malpighiaceae (9 spp.) e Melastomataceae (8 spp.) são as famílias com o maior número de espécies. O estrato herbáceo-arbustivo caracteriza a área (61 por cento), seguido pelo arbóreo (19 por cento), sendo de menor representatividade as lianas (11 por cento) e os subarbustos (9 por cento). Muitas das espécies que ocorrem na área estão presentes em outros afloramentos rochosos brasileiros como, por exemplo, nos campos rupestres da Serra do Cipó e Serra da Canastra em Minas Gerais e nos cerrados rupestres da Chapada dos Guimarães no Mato Grosso.

Rock outcrops on the plateaus of hills have peculiar vegetation. The major part of the species occurring on these areas have various features that allow their survival under adverse environmental conditions as poor and sandy soil with intense solar radiation and great temperature ranging from day and night. These particular characteristics aroused the interest in the study of the flora on rock outcrops of Morro do Forno (Altinópolis-SP). A list of 157 species of 48 families was recorded. Fabaceae (14 spp.), Asteraceae (12 spp.), Poaceae (12 spp.), Rubiaceae (11 spp.), Malpighiaceae (9 spp.) and Melastomataceae (8 spp.) are the families with more number of species. The herbaceous-shruby stratum characterizes the area (61 percent), followed by arboreous (19 percent); lianas (11 percent) and subshruby (9 percent) are less representative. Many of the species occurring on the area are present another Brazilian rocky outcrops as, for example, the "campos rupestres" of the Minas Gerais state (Serra do Cipó and Serra da Canastra) and the "cerrados rupestres" of the Mato Grosso state (Chapada dos Guimarães).

Preventing the oral cavity cancer epidemic.

Bhurgri Y (2005) have studied the time trends in the site specific oral cancer incidence in the Karachi South, a sample population of Pakistan with a representation of all ethnic and socio-economic groups of the country. Oral cancer ranks 6th world-wide. However, 58% of the cases are concentrated in South and Southeast Asia (Nair et al; 2004). In Karachi, it ranks 2nd in all malignancies among both males and females, with the highest reported incidence in the world. In the absence of alcohol use, chewing of products of betel, areca and tobacco remain the main etiological risk factors. These products include paan, chaalia, gutka and naswar. Because of the ancient history of these products, their use is socially acceptable in all sections of South Asian society.