Racial/ethnic differences in HPV 16/18 genotypes and integration status among women with a history of cytological abnormalities.

OBJECTIVE: HPV genotype distribution varies by race/ethnicity, but is unclear whether there are racial/ethnic variations in HPV 16/18 integration in the host genome. We describe HPV16/18 infection and integration status in a racially/ethnically diverse sample of women with a recent abnormal Pap test. METHODS: Patients (n=640) represent a subset of women participating in a clinical trial. Cervical swabs were tested for HPV16/18 DNA using type-specific polymerase chain reaction assays. Viral integration status was assessed using type-specific integration assays and categorized as fully integrated, fully non-integrated, or mixed. Unconditional logistic regression was used to generate unadjusted (OR) and adjusted odds ratios (aOR) to assess the association between self-reported race/ethnicity and risk of these outcomes. RESULTS: Hispanic and non-Hispanic black women had half the odds of prevalent HPV16 compared to non-Hispanic white women (aORs: 0.43 and 0.45, respectively). The prevalence odds of HPV18 was less than half among Hispanic women (aOR: 0.48), but not significantly different between black and white women (aOR: 0.72). Among women with prevalent HPV16, the odds of fully integrated viral DNA were significantly higher among black women (aORs: 2.78) and marginally higher among Hispanic women (aOR: 1.93). No racial/ethnic differences were observed for HPV18 DNA integration. CONCLUSIONS: While HPV16 and 18 infections were less prevalent among Hispanic and black women compared to whites, their HPV16 DNA was more likely to be present in a fully integrated state. This could potentially contribute to the higher rates of abnormal cytology and cervical dysplasia observed among Hispanic and black women.

Observation of environment-induced double sudden transitions in geometric quantum correlations.

Correlations in quantum systems exhibit a rich phenomenology under the effect of various sources of noise. We investigate theoretically and experimentally the dynamics of quantum correlations and their classical counterparts in two nuclear magnetic resonance setups, as measured by geometric quantifiers based on trace norm. We consider two-qubit systems prepared in Bell diagonal states, and perform the experiments in real decohering environments resulting from Markovian local noise which preserves the Bell diagonal form of the states. We then report the first observation of environment-induced double sudden transitions in the geometric quantum correlations, a genuinely nonclassical effect not observable in classical correlations. The evolution of classical correlations in our physical implementation reveals in turn the finite-time relaxation to a pointer basis under nondissipative decoherence, which we characterize geometrically in full analogy with predictions based on entropic measures.

Phytoplasmas Associated with Grapevine Yellows Disease in Chile.

An extensive survey was performed from 2002 to 2006 to detect and identify phytoplasmas associated with Chilean grapevines. Nested polymerase chain reaction assays using phytoplasma universal primer pairs P1/P7 and R16F2n/R2 detected phytoplasmas in 34 out of the 94 samples tested (36%). Restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) analyses, cloning, and sequencing allowed identification of phytoplasmas belonging to ribosomal subgroups 16SrI-B, 16SrI-C, 16SrVII-A, and 16SrXII-A. The 16SrVII-A phytoplasma represents a new finding in grapevine; moreover, variability of the RFLP profile was observed in some of the 16SrXII-A phytoplasmas, indicating possible new ribosomal subgroups. Mixed phytoplasma infections and infections of phytoplasmas together with one or more viruses also occurred.

Evaluación in vitro de mutantes de cepas de Trichoderma para el control de Rhizoctonia solani y Phytophthora nicotianae en tomate / In vitro evaluation of Trichoderma strains mutant for the control of Rhizoctonia solani and Phythopthora nicotianae in tomatoes

Se determinó la capacidad antagónica in vitro de mutantes de Trichoderma harzianum (Th), T. piluliferum (Tpi) y T. viride (Tvi), en Rhizoctonia solani cepas 509 (GA 2-1) y 618 (GA 4) y Phytophthora nicotianae cepa 699, aisladas de tomate. Se efectuaron pruebas de antagonismo directo en cultivos duales, metabolitos volátiles y difusibles. Todos los ensayos se desarrollaron a la temperatura y pH óptimos de los 2 patógenos mencionados. Los mutantes se obtuvieron en estudios previos por medio de nitroso guanidinio y luz ultravioleta A (320 nm) y C (256 nm), de progenitores previamente caracterizados y seleccionados por su excelente capacidad para expresar mecanismos múltiples de antagonismo en estos patógenos. Todos los mutantes demostraron cierto grado de capacidad antagónica, los mejores correspondieron a los obtenidos con luz ultravioleta A y C, como: Th 11 A 20.1, Th 11 A 80.1, Th 11 A 160.1 y Th 12 A 10.1, provenientes de las cepas de T. harzianum 11 y 12; mientras que para mutantes de nitroso guanidinio el mejor fue Tvi NG 10, de la cepa T. viride. Los resultados obtenidos se evaluarán en ensayos de invernadero y de campo.

The in vitro antagonic capacity of Trichoderma harzianum (Th), T.piluliferum (Tpi) and T.viride (Tvi)mutants was determined in Rhizoctonia solani strains 509 (GA 2-1) and 618 (GA4) and in Phytophthora nicotianaestrain 699 isolated from tomatoe. Direct antagonism tests were performed in dual cultures, volatile metabolite anddiffusible metabolites. All tests were carried out at the optimum temperature and pH of the two pathogens mentioned above. Mutants resulted from early studies by means of nitrous guanidinio and UV light A (320 nm) and C (256 nm), and they came from parents that had been previously characterized and selected for their excellent ability to express multiple antagonism mechanisms in these pathogenous. All mutants showed a certain degreeof antagonic capacity , being the best of them those obtained under UV light A and C, such as: Th 11 A 20.1, Th 11 A 80.1, Th 11 A 160.1 and Th 12 A 10.1, which came from T.harzianum strains 11 and 12; as to nitrous guanidinio mutants, the best fell in Tvi NG 10 from T. viride strain. Final results will be evaluated in greenhouse and field tests.

Respuesta in vitro de cepas de Trichoderma harzianum frente a Fe3+, salinidad, pH y temperatura, con el fin de ser utilizadas en control biológico de Rhizoctonia solani y Fusarium solani en tomate / In vitro response of Trichoderma harzianum strains to Fe3+, salinity, pH and temperature, in order to be used in the biological control of Rhizoctonia solani and Fusarium solani in tomatoe

Se investigó el grado de efectividad in vitro mediante antagonísmo directo, metabolitos volátiles y difusibles, así como la respuesta a Fe3+, salinidad, pH y temperatura de 4 cepas de Trichoderma harzianum, con el fin de utilizarse en el control biológico de Rhizoctonia solani y de Fusarium solani en tomate. Se determinó que la mejor cepa antagonista correspondió a T. harzianum Th 650, la que siempre fue más eficiente en el control de las cepas de R. solani que las de F. solani. Las cepas de T. harzianum evaluadas crecieron mejor a concentraciones bajas de Fe3+ y salinidad y a pH 5,0; sin embargo, estos factores no fueron limitantes para bioantagonizar a R. solani y a F. solani. Ninguna de las temperaturas fue limitante para el desarrollo de las cepas de T. harzianum, siendo 28ºC la más adecuada. Se determinó que la cepa Th 650 actúa mejor como bioantagonista a 28ºC y pH5. Si se consideran las caracteísticas de los suelos a aplicarse, los factores analizados no serían una limitante para su uso como un biocontrolador de los patógenos evaluados.

Information systems design for development projects in Central America.

Present development projects in Central America, particularly food aid and food and nutrition education programs, are operating under severe management constraints which limit their potential to produce positive and measurable impacts on target communities and families. Thus, operational analysis and information systems are basic managerial tools to improve the efficiency of the projects. This paper presents an information system development methodology which has been used by the Institute of Nutrition of Central America and Panama (INCAP) to assist different development projects of Central America. The methodology is geared on the one hand, towards systematizing the definition of the demand and of applications and, on the other, of the types of response required or deemed convenient, taking into account the technologies that are appropriate to the users' various capacities. The complete development cycle is based on good understanding of the social, organizational and human aspects of the project. Through the whole process, not only is the information system being developed and documented, but personnel is being trained and assisted in solving their problems, contributing thereby, to true transfer of technology. No new set of techniques of systems development is presented. What has been done is to carefully select elements of current technical practices, modifying tools and techniques to generate a unique methodology through which the information systems' requirements, specifications, and details may be expressed.

Information systems design for development projects in Central America

Los proyectos de desarrollo que existen en la actualidad en Centroamérica, particularmente los programas de ayuda alimentaria y de educación alimentaria nutricional, están operando bajo restricciones gerenciales severa que limitam su potencial de alcanzar impactos positivos y medibles en las comunidades y familias a las que van dirigidos. De esta cuenta, el análisis operacional y los sistemas de información representan herramientas gerenciales básicas para mejorar la eficiencia de este tipo de proyectos. En este documentos se presenta una metodología para el desarrollo de sistemas de información que ha sido empleada por el Instituto de Nutrición de Centro América y Panamá (INCAP) para colaborar con diversos proyectos de desarrollo en los Países Miembros. La metodología está dirigida hacia la sistematización de las definiciones, en primer lugar, de la demanda y de las aplicaciones existentes de información, y en segundo lugar, de los tipos de respuestas requeridas o convenientes, tomando en consideración las tecnologías apropiadas y la capacidad de los diversos usuarios. El ciclo completo de desarrollo se basa en al buena compresión de los aspectos sociales, organizaciones y humanos del proyecto, Através de todo el proceso, no sólo se desarrolla y documenta el sistema de información, sino que al mismo tiempo se capacita al personal y se le aiyta a resolver sus propios problemas, contribuyendo así a la verdadera transferencia de tecnología. Ninguna técnica nueva de desarrollo de sistemas de información forma parte de la metodología. Lo que se ha hecho es seleccionar cuidadosamente elementos de técnicas y prácticas existentes, modificando herramientas apropiadas para generar una metodología única, en la que los requerimientos, especificaciones y detalles del sistema de información puedan ser expresados

[Operations research in group feeding programs: techniques for the identification and analysis of management problems]. / Investigación de operaciones en programas de alimentación a grupos: técnicas para la identificación y análisis de problemas de gestión.

The operations of the group feeding programs (PAG--"Programas de Alimentación a Grupos"--) can be viewed as a sequence of decisions and activities that according to their direction, order, relationship and dependency, will influence the quality and quantity of the service's delivery. While searching for the essential characteristics of a PAG: components, relationship, variables, pertinent parameters, restrictions, underlying criteria and objective functions, operations research can be useful for its analysis, the identification of its management problems, and to develop, evaluate and finally, implement solutions. Various operation research techniques are presented in this article, which are geared towards responding to those knowledge needs of the national technicians and program managers, in order to give a solid foundation to solutions for the management problems identified in a PAG. Failures of different quantitative models had been due, mainly, to the tendency to formulate models or investigate problems without users being prepared to implement the solutions. The techniques presented herein take into consideration the interaction between specialists and users.