Patterns of invasive ctenophore Mnemiopsis leidyi distribution and variability in different recipient environments of the Eurasian seas: A review.

Harmful invader ctenophore Mnemiopsis leidyi's expansions in the Eurasian Seas, its spatio-temporal population dynamics depending on environmental conditions in recipient habitats have been synthesized. M. leidyi found suitable temperature, salinity and productivity conditions in the temperate and subtropical environments of the semi-enclosed seas, in the coastal areas of open basins and in closed water bodies, where it created autonomous populations. M. leidyi changes its phenology depending on seasonal temperature regime in different environments. We assessed ranges of sea surface temperature, sea surface salinity and sea surface chlorophyll values, sufficient for M. leidyi general occurrence and reproduction based on comprehensive long-term datasets, contributed by co-authors. This assessment revealed that there are at least two eco-types (Southern and Northern) in the recipient seas of Eurasia with features specific for their donor areas. The range of thresholds for M. leidyi establishment, occurrence and life cycle in both eco-types depends on variability of environmental parameters in their native habitats.

Neutropenia febril: complicación frecuente en pacientes sometidos a quimioterapia / Febrile neutropenia: frequent complication in patients subjected to chemotherapy

En pacientes neutropénicos es frecuente la presencia de fiebre e infecciones diversas, sobre todo con recuentos bajos de neutrófilos. Nos interesa precisar las infecciones más frecuentes de estos pacientes en nuestro medio, la posibilidad de profilaxis y la evolución de estos. Se estudian 77 pacientes que presentaron neutropenia después de ser sometidos a quimioterapia (QMT) en el Hospital F.A.CH. de Santiago, entre Enero de 1986 y Mayo de 1993. Se revisaron los antecedentes clínicos, valor de neutropenia, aparición de fiebre durante el período neutropénico, antibióticos utilizados, foco y agentes infecciosos aislados. La indicación más frecuente para realizar QMT, fueron los linfomas, la incidencia de neutropenia post QMT, fue de 63,1 porciento. Dentro de los pacientes neutropénicos se registró fiebre en un 39 porciento, con mayor frecuencia bajo un recuento de neutrófilos de 500 por mm3. El esquema antibiótico más usado, fue el de una Cefalosporina de IIIa generación con un Aminoglucósido y dentro de los agentes aislados, predominaron los Bacilos Gram (-), también las formas Cocaceas Gram (+) y en menor número los hongos. Se concluye que la QMT, favorece la aparición de neutropénia y que esta última, predispone a infecciones diversas, graves, sobre todo con recuentos bajos de neutrófilos, por lo que se hace imperioso tomar medidas especiales en este tipo de pacientes, como tratamiento antibiótico profiláctico o terapéutico precoz. No se puede concluir respecto al uso de G-CSF o GM-CFF, ya que no fueron utilizados en todos los casos en que habrían estado indicados. Sin embargo, la recuperación del recuento de neutrófilos en los pacientes en que sí se utilizó, se logró en aproximadamente 30 días, igual a lo que ocurrió en los pacientes en los que no se administró

Nutrition and education. III. Educational achievement and food habits of Chilean elementary and high school graduates.

The objective of this study was to correlate the educational achievement (EA) of Chilean elementary and high-school graduates with their food habits. For this purpose, a random sample of 550 schoolers from the Metropolitan Area of Santiago, Chile, graduating from elementary and high school (1:1) of both sexes (1:1), from public and private schools and from high, medium and low socioeconomic status (SES) (1:1:1), was selected. Food habits were determined through a specially designed questionnaire and defined as the frequency of consumption of the food groups, expressed as days per week. The EA was established through the Achievement Evaluation Program (AEP) and Academic Aptitude Test (AAT) in elementary-and high-school graduates-, respectively. Results revealed that EA was found significantly and positively correlated with the frequency of consumption of dairy products, meat products and eggs, in both elementary and high school graduates. A significant and inverse correlation between EA and the frequency of vegetables and fruits consumption was observed in both educational levels, and with miscellaneous products, only in elementary school graduates. Food habits explained 24.4% and 16.6% of the EA variance, in elementary and high school graduates, respectively. The frequency of consumption of dairy products was the independent variable with the greatest explanatory power in EA variance (approximately above 70% of the explained variance). These results are important to consider for educational planning focused on the School Feeding Program.

Nutrition and education. II. Educational achievement and nutrient intake of Chilean elementary and high school graduates.

The interrelationships between educational achievement (EA) and nutrient intake were investigated in 550 Chilean adolescent schoolers graduating from elementary and high school. The random sample included schoolers from both educational levels (1:1), from public and private schools (1:1), and from high, medium, and low socioeconomic status (SES) (1:1:1). Standard procedures for 24-hour dietary recall interviews were used to collect data, and adequacy of intake was assessed by the FAO/WHO Pattern. EA was measured by means of the Achievement Evaluation Program (AEP) and Academic Aptitude Test (AAT) in elementary and high school, respectively. In elementary school graduates, results showed a significant and positive correlation between EA (AEP) and energy, protein, riboflavin, ascorbic acid, calcium and vitamin A intake (Multiple r = 0.456 p less than 0.01; r2 = 0.208). The School Feeding Program beneficiaries who belonged to the low SES presented the lowest EA (AEP) together with a deficient nutrient intake, especially for energy, riboflavin, niacin, vitamin A and calcium, at the same time that they registered the lowest values for those anthropometric parameters, indicators of past nutrition, that is to say height-for-age, weight-for-age, head circumference-for-age and a higher upper-to-lower segment ratio, as compared with non-beneficiaries from the same SES and with those from the higher strata. In high-school graduates, EA (AAT) was found to be significantly and positively correlated with protein, calcium, riboflavin and iron intake (Multiple r = 0.438 p less than 0.001; r2 = 0.192). Nevertheless, these interrelationship are strongly related to SES and sex. Results showed that educational achievement (EA) is significantly and positively associated with nutrient intake, this fact being important for educational planning related to the School Feeding Program.