Response to Comment on "An excess of massive stars in the local 30 Doradus starburst".

Farr and Mandel reanalyze our data, finding initial mass function slopes for high-mass stars in 30 Doradus that agree with our results. However, their reanalysis appears to underpredict the observed number of massive stars. Their technique results in more precise slopes than in our work, strengthening our conclusion that there is an excess of massive stars (>30 solar masses) in 30 Doradus.

Síndrome de bridas amnióticas / Syndrome of amniotic bands

Se presentan 2 casos clínicos de niños de 3 años y 7 meses de edad, respectivamente, atendidos en el Hospital Central de Windhoek, Namibia, donde laboraba una brigada médica cubana, por presentar bridas amnióticas congénitas en los miembros inferiores, los cuales fueron intervenidos quirúrgicamente. En ambos, la evolución fue satisfactoria y a los 2 años de operados los resultados eran excelentes.

Two case reports of children with 3 year-old and 7 months respectively, assisted in the Central Hospital of Windhoek, Namibia, where a Cuban medical brigade worked are presented due to their disorders of congenital amniotic bands in the lower members, which were surgically treated. In both, the clinical course was satisfactory and after 2 years of the surgery the results were excellent.

Síndrome de bridas amnióticas / Syndrome of amniotic bands

Se presentan 2 casos clínicos de niños de 3 años y 7 meses de edad, respectivamente, atendidos en el Hospital Central de Windhoek, Namibia, donde laboraba una brigada médica cubana, por presentar bridas amnióticas congénitas en los miembros inferiores, los cuales fueron intervenidos quirúrgicamente. En ambos, la evolución fue satisfactoria y a los 2 años de operados los resultados eran excelentes(AU)

Two case reports of children with 3 year-old and 7 months respectively, assisted in the Central Hospital of Windhoek, Namibia, where a Cuban medical brigade worked are presented due to their disorders of congenital amniotic bands in the lower members, which were surgically treated. In both, the clinical course was satisfactory and after 2 years of the surgery the results were excellent(AU)

Phenol used as a preservative in Bothrops antivenom induces impairment in leukocyte-endothelial interactions.

The effect of Bothrops antivenom on blocking the disturbances induced by Bothrops jararaca venom in leukocyte-endothelial interactions (LEI) at the microcirculation of the cremaster muscle in mice was evaluated using intravital microscopy. Our findings showed that an i.v. injection of Bothrops antivenom, per se, induced changes in LEI, similar to those induced by an s.c. injection of B. jararaca venom, and that Bothrops antivenom can also induce ephemeral symptoms, such as tremor and dyspnea in mice. These effects were mostly due to phenol used in Bothrops antivenom as a preservative, since animals injected i.v. with a phenol solution, but not with phenol-free Bothrops antivenom, presented those effects on LEI, and also tremor and dyspnea. In addition, phenol-free antivenom abrogated venom-induced changes in LEI parameters. The present data demonstrate that Bothrops antivenom contains antibodies that neutralize toxins of B. jararaca venom that impair LEI, and suggest that the phenol used as a preservative in it can originate some undesired effects.

Lepromin hypersensitivity induced by integral lepromin in persons presumably free from leprosy

1- A study has been made of the results of two successive lepromin tests in residents of San Miguel de Tucumán aged 20 years or more, supposedly healthy (except for various dermatologic conditions) and without known contacts with leprosy. The second-test injections were made 21 days after the first ones, at the time of reading of the Mitsuda reaction. The reactions of hypersensitivity (Fernandez) and of resistance (Mitsuda) are compared. 2- In the first test the frequency of the reaction of hypersensitivity in the 214 persons in whom it was read was 11.7 per cent, and the frequency of the reaction of resistance in the 92 persons who returned for that reading was 96.7 per cent - results which are not uncommon for noncontact adults. 3- In the second test special attention was paid the Fernandez reaction, because so few had been MItsuda negative that there could be no significant numerical changes in the retesting. Of the 57 original Fernandez negatives, 56.1 per cent now gave positive reactions, as did 6 of the 7 in whom the first reactions had been of doubtful grade. 4- A comparative study of the reactions of hypersensitivity anc of resistance among those in whom both reactions were read shows that: (a) Those who gave negative results with both reactions were relatively few in both tests, 5.6 per cent in the first one and 3.9 per cent in the second. (b) Those who in the first test gave negative hypersensitivity but positive resistance reactions were many, 73.2 per cent, but in the second test only 15.7 per cent, a large proportion of the Fernandez negatives having been sensitized by the first injection. (c) The proportion of cases showing both reactions positive in the first test was not high, only 21.1 per cent, but it increased greatly, to 81.4 per cent, in the second test because of the large number who had acquired hypersensitivity. 5- The great discordance between the two reactions in the first test (73.2%), cjhanged to marked concordance (84.3%) in the second one. In other words, the persons under study reacted to the second injection of lepromin in much the same way as do leprosy contacts on first test. (3). 6- From the results observed it is concluded that, in persons without known contact and presumably free from leprosy, a single injection of integral lepromin can sensitize an appreciable proportion (well over 50%) of Fernandez-reaction negatives so that they become positive reactors.

Sensitization of the dog with lepromin and BCG, and evidence of cross sensitization

It has been found that integral lepromin can sensitize dogs, confirming the observations of Wade (the Wade phenomenon), just as injections of BCG cause sensitization to that antigen. Using animals so sensitized it has been found, in both cases, that there exists a cross sensitization between BCG and lepromin.

Persistence of sensitization and cross-sensitization to lepromin and BCG in the dog

A study has been made of the persistence of the phenomena of specific and nonspecific (cross) sensitization to lepromin and BCG in the dog. The time intervals between the sensitizing injection (or the second such injection when there had been two) and most of the test injections was around 9 to 10 months, but in two instances the interval was about 16 months. Three experiments were performed: (1) Of three dogs sensitized with BCG, two were tested with lepromin and the other with the homologous antigen (control). (2) Of four dogs sensitized with lepromin, two were tested with BCG and two with thhe homologous antigen (control). (3) Two dogs had been sensitized with both antigens, and were tested simultaneously with the two. From the results obtained it is concluded that the nonspecific (cross) sensitization to lepromin induced in the dog by BCG appears to be a phenomenon of transitory character which may disappear within nine months, whereas the nonspecific sensitization to BCG induced by lepromin is a more stable phenomenon, causing accelerated reactions after nine months and presumably longer. The specific sensitization induced by either lepromin or BCG is equally stable.

Contribution to the study of the serology of leprosy

The authors have reviewed a series of investigations, designed to demonstrate specific changes in leprosy sera, which they have carried out since 1943. To that end they have employed a lipid extract of leproma tissues as the antigen of microflocculation and complement fixation tests. For its simplicity and ease the former is preferred. Two techniques of that test have been used, called the qualitative or diagnostic reaction and the quantitative or desimetric reaction. The diagnostic test is thus designated because it possesses the requisites of diagnostic sensibility; it is used for diagnostic purposes. The quantitative technique is employed for the interpretation of the clinical form and the state of the infection. A pathogenic interpretation of the serological phenomena observed is given, and the microreaction used is described as one of the specific heterophile reaction type. It is believed that serology may be of value as a decisive factor in the granting of conditional parole to lepromatous leprosy patients.