Molecular identification and first demographic insights of sharks based on artisanal fisheries bycatch in the Pacific Coast of Colombia: implications for conservation.

The Pacific coast of Colombia is characterized by mangrove ecosystems which play a crucial role as possible nurseries for juvenile sharks. However, trophic food webs from coastal ecosystems are heavily disturbed by increased fishing pressure, which affects numerous shark species. In this region of the Eastern Tropical Pacific (ETP), fisheries' data from coastal areas are scarce and unspecific, as most sharks from artisanal fisheries are landed decapitated and finless, making their morphological identification difficult. For the establishment and implementation of effective regional conservation and management policies, information on the diversity and population dynamics of shark species is crucial. We therefore sequenced the mitochondrial NADH2 gene of 696 samples taken from fishermen's landings of shark's bycatch along the Colombian north Pacific coast. We were able to identify 14 species of sharks, two of the most abundant species were Sphyrna lewini and Carcharhinus falciformis, both evaluated on IUCN the Red List of Threatened species (Critically Endangered and Vulnerable) and CITES regulated. We found low genetic diversity in the sampled area increasing the concern for both species in the region, even more considering that the majority of individuals were juveniles. Our results showed the importance of genetic markers for first population genetic insights as a complementary tool during the decision-making process in management plans. For this specific region, strategies such as the delimitation of conservation priority areas or the regulation of fishing gears could help improve the sustainability of shark populations in the Colombian Pacific.

Rinoplastia de preservación dorsal, una nueva filosofía: Experiencia en el Hospital Naval Almirante Nef / Dorsal preservation rhynoplasty, a new philosophy: Experience in the Almirante Nef Naval Hospital

Resumen Introducción: La rinoplastia de preservación dorsal es una técnica innovadora en rinoplastias de reducción primaria, logrando una adecuada ventilación nasal y resultados estéticos naturales. Objetivo: Describir los resultados estéticos y funcionales en pacientes sometidos a rinoplastias de preservación dorsal. Material y Método: Se realiza un estudio de intervención no aleatorio "antes-después", donde se evaluaron las variables estética y funcional previo a la cirugía y luego a los seis meses. La variable estética se evaluó mediante el cuestionario de Utrecht (CU), escala visual análoga de apariencia nasal (EVA) y set de fotos clínicas. La variable funcional mediante el cuestionario de NOSE (Nasal Obstruction Symptoms Evaluation). Resultados: Un total de 15 pacientes fueron sometidos a rinoplastia de preservación dorsal. No hubo complicaciones tanto intra como posoperatorias. Ningún paciente intervenido presentó irregularidades dorsales, asimetrías, ni deformidades en "V" invertidas. Se observó una mejoría estadísticamente significativa (p < 0,01) en los resultados del CU, EVA y NOSE. Conclusión: La rinoplastia de preservación dorsal ofrece como resultado una nariz funcional, con líneas dorsales posoperatorias naturales. Esta técnica no presenta estigmas quirúrgicos, por lo que no es necesario la utilización de injertos para reparación del dorso nasal. Es rápida y fácil de realizar por cualquier cirujano especialista en rinoplastias.

Abstract Introduction: Dorsal preservation rhinoplasty is an innovative technique in primary reduction rhinoplasty, achieving adequate nasal ventilation and natural aesthetic results. Aim: To describe the aesthetic and functional results in patients undergoing dorsal preservation rhinoplasties. Material and Method: A non-randomized "before-after" intervention study was carried out, where the aesthetic and functional variables were evaluated before surgery and then at six months. The aesthetic variable was evaluated using the Utrecht questionnaire (CU), the visual analog scale of nasal appearance (VAS), and a set of clinical photos. The functional variable using the Nasal Obstruction Symptoms Evaluation (NOSE) questionnaire. Results: A total of 15 patients underwent dorsal preservation rhinoplasty. There were no intraoperative and postoperative complications. No patient who underwent surgery presented dorsal irregularities, asymmetries, or inverted "V" deformities. A statistically significant improvement (p < 0.01) was observed in the UC, VAS, and NOSE results. Conclusion: Dorsal preservation rhinoplasty results in a functional nose, with natural postoperative dorsal lines. This technique does not present surgical stigmata, so it is not necessary to use grafts to repair the nasal dorsum. It is quick and easy to perform by any rhinoplasty surgeon.

Prevalencia de agentes etiológicos de meningitis bacteriana en población adulta en el Hospital San Martín de Quillota entre los años 2012-2018 / Prevalence of etiological agents of acute bacterial meningitis in adult population at the Quillota's San Martin Hospital between years 2012-2018

Resumen Introducción: La Meningitis Bacteriana Aguda (MBA) corresponde a la inflamación de las leptomeninges por presencia de bacterias piógenas. La epidemiología es variable y depende multifactorial. A pesar de los avances en medicina la mortalidad de la MBA se ha mantenido estable, evidenciando la necesidad de estudiar esta patología para orientar estrategias de prevención y tratamiento. Objetivos: Determinar la prevalencia de los agentes etiológicos de MBA confirmadas en adultos en el Hospital San Martín de Quillota (HSMQ) entre los años 2012 y 2018. Establecer la tasa de resistencia a antibióticos. Determinar el perfil de los pacientes, y establecer la relación entre perfil, agente etiológico identificado y desenlace. Métodos: c muestra de 38 casos, se estableció la prevalencia de los patógenos involucrados y se realizó un análisis estadístico considerando los factores de riesgo, sus días de estadía y su condición al egreso hospitalario. Resultados: 15 casos en que no se aisló patógeno en LCR (líquido cefalorraquídeo), 13 MBA por neumococo, 4 por Haemophilus spp, 3 por meningococo, 2 por Staphylococcus spp y 1 por Mycobacterium tuberculosis. En el grupo sin agente aislado se observó un mejor pronóstico, valores de PCR (proteína C reactiva) en sangre menores y valores de glucorraquia mayores. Se registraron 6 fallecimientos por MBA. Conclusión: La prevalencia de los agentes etiológicos fue similar a la descrita en la literatura, con neumococo como el microorganismo más frecuente, no se reportaron casos de Listeria monocytogenes. Probablemente en el grupo sin agente aislado se incluyeron casos de meningitis virales.

Introduction: Acute bacterial meningitis (ABM) is denifed as the inflammation of leptomeninges due to the presence of pyogenic bacteriae. Epidemiology is variable and multifactorial. In spite of advance in medicine, ABM's mortality has remained stable, hence the need to study the causative microorganisms in order to guide prevention and treatment strategies. Objectives: To determine the prevalence of the etiological agents of ABM confirmed in adults in a medium complexity hospital located in Quillota, Chile, between 2012 and 2018, to establish the rate of resistance of these to antibiotics. Determine the profile of the patients and establish the relationship between profile, etiological agent identified and outcome. Methods: A sample of 38 cases with ABM was evaluated during, the prevalence of the pathogens involved was established and a statistical analysis was carried out considering the risk factors of patients, their days of in-hospital stay and their condition at hospital discharge. Results: We analyzed 38 cases, 15 without isolated pathogens, 13 of Streptococcus pneumoniae, 4 of Haemophilus spp., 3 of Neisseria meningitidis, 2 of Staphylococcus spp. and we obtained one case of Mycobacterium tuberculosis. In the group without isolated pathogens, a better prognosis was observed, lower blood CRP values and higher glucose on spinal fluid values. 6 deaths per ABM were recorded. Conclusion: The prevalence of etiological agents was similar to that described in the literature, with pneumococcus as the most frequent microorganism, no cases of Listeria monocytogenes were reported. Probably in the group in which no agent was isolated, cases of viral meningitis were included.

El enfermo y el dolor: reflexiones / The sick and pain: reflections

El dolor y el sufrimiento son y han sido parte importante en la historia del hombre, y acompañantes de la enfermedad. Diversas razones, tanto fisiológicas como de interpretación del rol que el dolor tiene en el curso de enfermedades, han conducido a que tanto la Medicina como los médicos, descuidáramos su alivio. Actualmente el conocimiento de los efectos fisiológicos adversos inducidos por el dolor, ha conducido a médicos e instituciones de salud a propiciar su adecuado control.

Concerted mechanisms of the reactions of 2,4,6-trinitrophenyl methyl carbonate and 2,4,6-trinitrophenyl acetate with secondary alicyclic amines.

The reactions of secondary alicyclic amines with 2,4,6-trinitrophenyl methyl carbonate (TNPMC) and 2,4,6-trinitrophenyl acetate (TNPA) are subjected to a kinetic study in aqueous solution, 25.0 degrees C, ionic strength 0.2 (KCl). The reactions are studied by following spectrophotometrically (360 nm) the release of the 2,4,6-trinitrophenoxide anion. Under amine excess, pseudo-first-order rate coefficients (k(obsd)) are found. Plots of k(obsd) vs [amine] are linear, with the slope (kN) independent of pH. The Brönsted-type plots (log k(N) vs pK(a) of the conjugate acid of the amines) are linear, with slopes beta = 0.41 and beta = 0.36 for the reactions of TNPA and TNPMC, respectively. The predicted breaks of the Brönsted plots for stepwise mechanisms are pK(a)0 = 6.8 and 7.3, respectively. The lack of Brönsted breaks for these reactions and the values of the Brönsted slopes are consistent with concerted mechanisms. By comparison of the reactions under investigation among them and with similar aminolysis and pyridinolysis, the following conclusions can be drawn: (i) Secondary alicyclic amines react with TNPA and TNPMC by concerted mechanisms. (ii) TNPA is more reactive toward these amines than TNPMC due to the greater electron release of MeO from the latter substrate. (iii) The change of 2,4-dinitrophenoxy to 2,4,6-trinitrophenoxy in the zwitterionic tetrahedral intermediate (T+/-) formed in the reactions of the title amines with 2,4-dinitrophenyl acetate greatly destabilizes T+/-. (iv) Secondary alicyclic amines destabilize T+/- relative to pyridines. (v) The intermediate T+/- formed in the reactions of the title amines with S-(2,4,6-trinitrophenyl) acetate is greatly destabilized by substitution of S-(2,4,6-trinitrophenyl) by O-(2,4,6-trinitrophenyl) as the leaving group.

Kinetics of peroxidation of linoleic acid incorporated into DPPC vesicles initiated by the thermal decomposition of 2,2'-azobis(2-amidinopropane) dihydrochloride.

In a previous work [Chem. Phys. Lipids 2000 104, 49], we have derived the following rate law for the oxidation of lipids in compartmentalized systems: R(T)=(k(1)/k(t))(0.5) k(p) [In](0.5) c(0.5) [LH], where, R(T) is the total rate of oxidation, k(1) is the rate constant for the production of free radicals, k(t) and k(p) are the intra-particle rate constants for the termination and propagation sets, respectively, [In] is the concentration of a water-soluble initiator, c is the concentration of particles, and [LH] is the intra-particle concentration of oxidable lipid. In the present work, we have investigated on the applicability of the proposed kinetic rate law for a system where it takes place the oxidation of a reactive lipid incorporated into an inert matrix. With this purpose, we have measured the rate of oxidation of linoleic acid incorporated into dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine vesicles initiated by the thermal decomposition of 2,2'-azobis(2-amidinopropane) dihydrochloride as a function of the initiator, particles, and intra-particle LH concentrations. The experimentally determined kinetic orders obtained were 0.54+/-0.02, 0.48+/-0.05 and 0.83+/-0.04 for the dependence of the oxidation rate with initiator, particles, and LH intra-particle concentrations, respectively, in agreement with those theoretically predicted. The lower value obtained for the kinetic order in LH is attributed to a change in k(t) with the increase in oxidable lipid intra-particle concentration. The main point to be emphazised from the results here obtained is that the kinetic rate law for the oxidation of lipids in compartmentalized systems can be significantly different than that observed when to the oxidation takes place in homogeneous solution.

Plasmodium falciparum circumsporozoite (CS) protein peptides specifically bind to HepG2 cells.

Hepatocyte invasion by malaria parasites is mediated by specific molecular interactions. Several lines of evidence suggest the importance of the surface plasmodial circumsporozoite (CS) protein in the sporozoite invasion of hepatocytes. Identification of the sequences involved in binding to hepatocytes is an important step towards understanding the structural basis for the sporozoite-hepatocyte interaction. In this study, binding assays between Plasmodium falciparum CS peptides and HepG2 cells were performed. Fifteen overlapping residue 20 mer long peptides, spanning the entire CS sequence, were tested in HepG2 cell binding assays. Five High Binding Activity Peptides (HBAPs) to HepG2 cells were identified: 4593, (NANPNANPNANP); 4383, (NSRSLGENDDGNNEDNEKLR); 4388, (GNGQGHNMPNDPNRNVDENA); 4389, (HNMPNDPNRNVDENANANSA) and 4390, (DPNRNVDENANANSAVKNNN). The HBAP HepG2 interaction is independent of charge and amino-acid composition, but sequence dependent. Four HBAPs (4383, 4388, 4389 and 4390) are bound with similar affinity to a 50 kDa molecule. These HBAPs define three Hepatocyte Binding Sequences (HBSs): HBS-1, located between residues 68 and 87 (HBAP 4383); HBS-11, the repeat NANP region (HBAP 4593), for which anti repeat antibodies are able to specifically inhibit sporozoite invasion of hepatocytes have been reported; and HBS-111, between residues 286 and 315 (HBAPs 4388, 4388 and 4390), respectively. Interestingly, HBS 111 carries two earlier-reported B-epitopes (underlined) in peptides 4388, 4389 and 4390 (GNGQGHNMPNDPNRNVD ENANANSAVKNN) in its sequence. The HBSs reported here show lesser interspecie-variability than the entire protein in species invading the same kind of hepatic cells. This data supports these HBSs' important role in CS-protein function; they could be used as ligand by the sporozoite to invade hepatic cells.

Kinetics of lipid peroxidation in compartmentalized systems initiated by a water-soluble free radical source.

Kinetic rate laws arising from theoretical expectations for the oxidation of lipids initiated by water-soluble free radicals in compartmentalized systems under different experimental conditions are deduced. In particular, the predictions for the kinetic reaction orders in: (a) intra-particle oxidizable compound concentration (at fixed number of particles and particle size), alpha; (b) number of particles or analytical lipid concentration (at fixed intra-particle concentration and particle size), beta and (c) initiator, gamma, are obtained. The reaction orders beta and gamma are determined by the fraction of initiator derived radicals captured by the particles (f) and the mean number of chain carrying radicals per particle () when the system reaches the steady state condition. Predicted orders in initiator range from 0 ( = 0.5) to 0.5 (f-->1; > > 1), while the order in number of particles ranges between 0.5 (f-->1; > > 1) and 1. These predictions are tested by measuring the kinetic law for the oxidation of SUV's egg yolk phosphatidylcholine vesicles initiated by the thermal decomposition of ABAP. The results indicate that, under the conditions employed, beta = 0.68 +/- 0.05 and gamma = 0.46 +/- 0.04. These values are close to those expected for a system in which > > 1 and the efficiency of capture is relatively high. This last condition is confirmed by estimating the efficiency of capture from a comparison of induction times elicited by similar concentrations of Trolox and alpha-tocopherol.

[Variation of bone density in relation to age: analysis of 259 necropsies]. / Variación de la densidad osea con la edad: análisis de 259 necropsias.

In a previous study we reported a relatively low incidence of hip fracture in our population compared to figures reported elsewhere and speculated that this could be related to differences in bone density. Accordingly, we measured bone density in 259 subjects at necropsy. In 172 males we found that bone density decreased from 0.88 g/cc at age 21-30 to 0.80 at age 70 (NS). In women, density decreased from 1.0 at age 21-30 to 0.84 at age 50, 0.69 at age 60 and 0.64 in those older than 70 years (p less than 0.01). These figures are higher than those reported from USA at all ages and could explain the lower incidence of hip fractures in our population.

[Postmenopausal women: changes in plasma lipids with different estrogen replacement therapies]. / Mujeres postmenopáusicas: cambios de los lípidos plasmáticos con distintas terapias estrogénicas de reemplazo.

We measured total, HDL and LDL cholesterol and triglycerides in 183 postmenopausal women before and 4 weeks after hormone therapy. Ethinyl estradiol or conjugated estrogens alone or in association with medroxyprogesterone, norethyndrone or norgestrel were used in different dosages either continuously or sequentially. Total cholesterol decreased from 206 to 196 mg/dl and HDL raised from 47 to 53 mg/dl (p less than 0.001) except in the group treated with estradiol-levonorgestrel in which HDL fell from 41 to 36 mg/dl (p less than 0.001). HDL cholesterol decreased from 133 to 113 mg/dl, overall. The total cholesterol/HDL ratio decreased from 4.8 to 4.2 in all groups except the group previously mentioned. Estrogen therapy, isolated or in association to medroxyprogesterone induced a moderate increase in serum triglyceride levels (132 to 149 mg/dl, p less than 0.001). Thus, the administration of estrogens in postmenopausal women is associated with a decrease in total, LDL and total/HDL cholesterol ratio and an increase in triglycerides. Norgestrel but not medroxyprogesterone partially revert these effects.

Algunas características clínicas de la menopausia / Some clinical aspects of menopausia

En los últimos años la menopausia ha adquirido notoriedad por las serias consecuencias que tiene sobre el esqueleto y el sistema cardiovascular. Con el objeto de conocer algunas características de esta etapa de la vida se entrevistó a 722 mujeres entre 35 y 65 años: 412 fueron consideradas menopáusicas. La mediana edad de menopausia (EM) fue 47,8 años; el promedio, 47,6 + - 4,6, y el normalizado con Longit-Log, 47,0 + - 4,4 años. El 46,1% de las mujeres cesó de menstruar sin alteraciones previas de sus ciclos. En las restantes, 84,3% presentó trastornos durante menos de un año. El 34% de las mujeres jamás presentó bochornos. De las 223 (53,7%) que mantenían vida sexual activa, el 61,9% presentó dispareunia. En nuestra población estudiada la EM es menor que la publicada por autores extranjeros. Es menor en las esterilizadas quirúrgicamente (p. 0,003); en las fumadoras, (p. 0,01), y en las que tuvieron una menarquia más precoz (p. 0,05)