Vitrectomy and tumor endoresection for the diagnosis and treatment of focal nodular retinal gliosis.

We report the case of a 60-year-old woman who presented with metamorphopsia and progressive vision loss in the right eye. Fundus examination revealed an elevated, white-yellow mass in the peripheral inferotemporal retina, with massive retinal exudation, proliferative vitreoretinopathy, and retinal detachment. Pars plana vitrectomy with tumor endoresection was performed, and a complete excisional biopsy of the lesion was obtained by removing the tumor through the anterior chamber. Histopathological analysis of the specimen confirmed a diagnosis of peripheral, focal, nodular retinal gliosis. Postoperatively, visual function improved greatly, with no recurrence of the disease at 12 months' follow-up. Focal nodular retinal gliosis is a rare, non-neoplastic proliferation of retinal glial cells, with a vascular component. In our case, surgical treatment with pars plana vitrectomy facilitated accurate diagnosis and resulted in effective management of the retinal tumor and associated complications.

Candesartan exhibits low intrinsic permeation capacity and affects buccal tissue viability and integrity: An ex vivo study in porcine buccal mucosa.

Candesartan is a nonpeptide angiotensin II receptor blocker that selectively binds to angiotensin II receptor subtype 1. It is administered orally in its ester form (candesartan cilexetil). However, its poor aqueous solubility results in its low bioavailability; therefore, other routes of administration must be explored. The buccal mucosa has been extensively studied as an alternative route for drug delivery as it improves the bioavailability of drugs administered via the peroral route. Porcine buccal mucosa has been widely used as an ex vivo model to study the permeability of various diffusants; however, studies on candesartan are limited. This study aimed to evaluate the ex vivo permeation profile of candesartan and its effects on the viability and integrity of porcine buccal mucosa. Initially, we evaluated the viability, integrity, and barrier function of the buccal tissue before performing permeability tests using freshly excised tissues or tissues after 12 h of resection. Here, three indicators were used: caffeine, ß-estradiol, and FD-20 penetration; mucosal metabolic activity, as determined using MTT reduction assay; and haematoxylin and eosin staining. Our results indicated that the porcine buccal mucosa preserved its viability, integrity, and barrier function before the permeation assay, allowing the passage of molecules with a molecular mass of less than 20 kDa, such as caffeine, but not ß-estradiol and FD-20. Furthermore, we analyzed the intrinsic capacity of candesartan to diffuse through the fresh porcine buccal mucosa under two pH conditions. The concentration of candesartan in the receptor chamber of Franz diffusion cell was quantified using ultra-high liquid chromatography. In the permeation assay, candesartan exhibited a low intrinsic permeation capacity that impacted the buccal tissue viability and integrity, suggesting that using the buccal mucosa as an alternative route of administration requires developing a pharmaceutical formulation that reduces the adverse effects on mucosa and increasing the buccal permeability of candesartan.

Human Y chromosome sequences from Q Haplogroup reveal a South American settlement pre-18,000 years ago and a profound genomic impact during the Younger Dryas.

The settlement of the Americas has been the focus of incessant debate for more than 100 years, and open questions regarding the timing and spatial patterns of colonization still remain today. Phylogenetic studies with complete human Y chromosome sequences are used as a highly informative tool to investigate the history of human populations in a given time frame. To study the phylogenetic relationships of Native American lineages and infer the settlement history of the Americas, we analyzed Y chromosome Q Haplogroup, which is a Pan-American haplogroup and represents practically all Native American lineages in Mesoamerica and South America. We built a phylogenetic tree for Q Haplogroup based on 102 whole Y chromosome sequences, of which 13 new Argentine sequences were provided by our group. Moreover, 1,072 new single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) that contribute to its resolution and diversity were identified. Q-M848 is known to be the most frequent autochthonous sub-haplogroup of the Americas. The present is the first genomic study of Q Haplogroup in which current knowledge on Q-M848 sub-lineages is contrasted with the historical, archaeological and linguistic data available. The divergence times, spatial structure and the SNPs found here as novel for Q-Z780, a less frequent sub-haplogroup autochthonous of the Americas, provide genetic support for a South American settlement before 18,000 years ago. We analyzed how environmental events that occurred during the Younger Dryas period may have affected Native American lineages, and found that this event may have caused a substantial loss of lineages. This could explain the current low frequency of Q-Z780 (also perhaps of Q-F4674, a third possible sub-haplogroup autochthonous of the Americas). These environmental events could have acted as a driving force for expansion and diversification of the Q-M848 sub-lineages, which show a spatial structure that developed during the Younger Dryas period.

Flavonoids and saponins from Passiflora edulis f. edulis leaves (purple passion fruit) and its potential anti-inflammatory activity.

OBJECTIVES: The objective of this work was to evaluate the anti-inflammatory activity of the aqueous extract, fractions and major compounds, which are isolated and identified from Passiflora edulis f. edulis (purple passion fruit) leaves extract. METHODS: For the isolation of the major compounds, reversed-phase chromatography and normal phase countercurrent chromatography were used. The separation was followed by thin layer chromatography and HPLC-DAD-ELSD. One-dimensional and two-dimensional NMR and ESI-TOF-MS/MS were used for structural elucidation. The anti-inflammatory activity was evaluated on a TPA multiple dose model of skin chronic inflammation in mice. Additionally, myeloperoxidase (MPO) and nitric oxide synthase (NOS) activity assays were performed as possible mechanisms of action studies. KEY FINDINGS AND CONCLUSIONS: The study of the butanolic fraction mainly showed the presence of saponins and flavonoids. Three minor flavonoids were detected; and three known saponins, cyclopassiflosides IX, XI and III were isolated and identified. This is the first unequivocal report of the presence of these compounds in P. edulis f. edulis leaves. The most favourable results of anti-inflammatory activity were obtained for the flavonoid-rich fraction. All the fractions and isolated compounds evaluated, presented high percentages of inhibition of nitric oxide synthase activity.

Full-length LTR retroelements in Capsicum annuum revealed a few species-specific family bursts with insertional preferences.

Capsicum annuum is a species that has undergone an expansion of the size of its genome caused mainly by the amplification of repetitive DNA sequences, including mobile genetic elements. Based on information obtained from sequencing the genome of pepper, the estimated fraction of retroelements is approximately 81%, and previous results revealed an important contribution of lineages derived from Gypsy superfamily. However, the dynamics of the retroelements in the C. annuum genome is poorly understood. In this way, the present work seeks to investigate the phylogenetic diversity and genomic abundance of the families of autonomous (complete and intact) LTR retroelements from C. annuum and inspect their distribution along its chromosomes. In total, we identified 1151 structurally full-length retroelements (340 Copia; 811 Gypsy) grouped in 124 phylogenetic families in the base of their retrotranscriptase. All the evolutive lineages of LTR retroelements identified in plants were present in pepper; however, three of them comprise 83% of the entire LTR retroelements population, the lineages Athila, Del/Tekay, and Ale/Retrofit. From them, only three families represent 70.8% of the total number of the identified retroelements. A massive family-specific wave of amplification of two of them occurred in the last 0.5 Mya (GypsyCa_16; CopiaCa_01), whereas the third is more ancient and occurred 3.0 Mya (GypsyCa_13). Fluorescent in situ hybridization performed with family and lineage-specific probes revealed contrasting patterns of chromosomal affinity. Our results provide a database of the populations LTR retroelements specific to C. annuum genome. The most abundant families were analyzed according to chromosome insertional preferences, suppling useful tools to the design of retroelement-based markers specific to the species.

Matrix Effects of the Hydroethanolic Extract of Calyces of Physalis peruviana L. on Rutin Pharmacokinetics in Wistar Rats Using Population Modeling.

Rutin is the rutinose conjugate of quercetin. It presents several biological activities and is the major flavonoid in the hydroalcoholic extract of the calyces of Physalis peruviana L. It also shows hypoglycemic activity after oral administration. The aim of this work was to study the matrix effects of the extract from P. peruviana calyces on the pharmacokinetics of rutin and its metabolites in Wistar rats, using non-compartmental and population pharmacokinetic analyses. A pharmacokinetic study was performed after intravenous and oral administration of different doses of pure rutin and the extract. In the non-compartmental analysis, it was found that rutin from the extract exhibited higher distribution and clearance, as well as an 11-fold increase in the bioavailability of its active metabolites. A population pharmacokinetic model was also carried out with two compartments, double absorption and linear elimination, in which the extract and the doses were the covariates involved. This model correctly described the differences observed between rutin as a pure compound and rutin from the extract, including the dose dependency.

Continental Origin for Q Haplogroup Patrilineages in Argentina and Paraguay.

Haplogroup Q originated in Eurasia around 30,000 years ago. It is present in Y-chromosomes from Asia and Europe at rather low frequencies. Since America is undoubtedly one of the continents where this haplogroup is highly represented, it has been defined as one of the founding haplogroups. Its M3 clade has been early described as the most frequent, with pan-American representation. However, it was also possible to find several other haplogroup Q clades at low frequencies. Numerous mutations have been described for haplogroup Q, allowing analysis of its variability and assignment of its geographic origin. We have analyzed 442 samples of unrelated men from Argentina and Paraguay belonging to haplogroup Q; here we report specifically on 27 Q (xM3) lineages. We tested 3 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) by amplified product-length polymorphism (APLP) analysis, 3 SNPs for restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) analysis, 15 SNPs by Sanger sequencing, and 17 short tandem repeats (STRs). Our approach allowed us to identify five subhaplogroups. Q-M3 and Q-CTS2730/Z780 are undoubtedly autochthonous lineages and represent the most frequent subhaplogroups, with significant representation in self-defined aboriginal populations, and their autochthonous status has been previously described. The aim of present work was to identify the continental origin of the remaining Q lineages. Thus, we analyzed the STR haplotypes for the samples and compared them with haplotypes described by other authors for the rest of the world. Even when haplogroup Q lineages have been extensively studied in America, some of them could have their origin in post-Columbian human migration from Europe and Middle East.

Fine-scale genomic analyses of admixed individuals reveal unrecognized genetic ancestry components in Argentina.

Similarly to other populations across the Americas, Argentinean populations trace back their genetic ancestry into African, European and Native American ancestors, reflecting a complex demographic history with multiple migration and admixture events in pre- and post-colonial times. However, little is known about the sub-continental origins of these three main ancestries. We present new high-throughput genotyping data for 87 admixed individuals across Argentina. This data was combined to previously published data for admixed individuals in the region and then compared to different reference panels specifically built to perform population structure analyses at a sub-continental level. Concerning the Native American ancestry, we could identify four Native American components segregating in modern Argentinean populations. Three of them are also found in modern South American populations and are specifically represented in Central Andes, Central Chile/Patagonia, and Subtropical and Tropical Forests geographic areas. The fourth component might be specific to the Central Western region of Argentina, and it is not well represented in any genomic data from the literature. As for the European and African ancestries, we confirmed previous results about origins from Southern Europe, Western and Central Western Africa, and we provide evidences for the presence of Northern European and Eastern African ancestries.

Preschool Girl With Vaginal Bleeding Due to Pinworm Endometritis.

Genital tract bleeding in prepubertal girls is a rare clinical condition, which can occur for multiple reasons. It frequently generates anxiety in the family and in health care professionals. A thorough anamnesis and careful genital inspection can give important diagnostic hints; however, there are cases in which the cause remains doubtful and a complete gynecological evaluation (including cultures and vaginoscopy) is necessary. Therefore, the attending physician should always consider less frequent diagnoses in order to perform the necessary studies in a sequential and rational manner. We present the case of a preschool girl with vaginal bleeding due to pinworm endometritis, which, to our knowledge, has never been reported before as a cause of genital bleeding in prepubertal girls.

Refractory Myopic Retinal Detachment and Macular Hole Closure with Autologous Neurosensory Retinal Free Flap.

The purpose of this case report is to describe a modified technique involving the use of an autologous neurosensory retinal free flap for closure of a macular hole (MH) during retinal detachment (RD) surgery. A 50-year-old female presented with sudden vision loss (light perception only) and a recurrent myopic RD associated with an MH. An autologous neurosensory retinal free flap was obtained and moved toward the MH. Silicone oil was used as an endotamponade and removed after 6 months. Two months after oil removal visual acuity improved to 20/400 and remained stable thereafter; however, the patient developed central retinal atrophy. One year after surgery the MH was closed and the retina attached. This modified technique with the use of an autologous neurosensory retinal flap provides an alternative approach for recurrent MH in RD procedures.

Population structure in Argentina.

We analyzed 391 samples from 12 Argentinian populations from the Center-West, East and North-West regions with the Illumina Human Exome Beadchip v1.0 (HumanExome-12v1-A). We did Principal Components analysis to infer patterns of populational divergence and migrations. We identified proportions and patterns of European, African and Native American ancestry and found a correlation between distance to Buenos Aires and proportion of Native American ancestry, where the highest proportion corresponds to the Northernmost populations, which is also the furthest from the Argentinian capital. Most of the European sources are from a South European origin, matching historical records, and we see two different Native American components, one that spreads all over Argentina and another specifically Andean. The highest percentages of African ancestry were in the Center West of Argentina, where the old trade routes took the slaves from Buenos Aires to Chile and Peru. Subcontinentaly, sources of this African component are represented by both West Africa and groups influenced by the Bantu expansion, the second slightly higher than the first, unlike North America and the Caribbean, where the main source is West Africa. This is reasonable, considering that a large proportion of the ships arriving at the Southern Hemisphere came from Mozambique, Loango and Angola.

Intravitreal Injections of Bevacizumab: The Impact of Needle Size in Intraocular Pressure and Pain.

AIM: To compare the effect of 30-gauge vs 27-gauge needle size on intraocular pressure (IOP) rise and patients' pain experience after intravitreal injection (IVI) of bevacizumab. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Cross-sectional, randomized, double-armed study. Patients were randomized to IVI with 30-gauge or 27-gauge needle. The IOP was measured pre and post IVI. Patients' pain was graded using the visual analog scale (VAS). RESULTS: A total of 54 eyes were included. The IVI caused a significant IOP rise in both groups (p < 0.001). In the 30-gauge group, the mean pre- and postinjection IOP was 16.3 ± 3.6 mm Hg and 24.1 ± 9.0 mm Hg. The corresponding figures in the 27-gauge group were 18.0 ± 2.54 (p = 0.26) and 23.1 ± 7.5 mm Hg (p = 0.66). In the 30-gauge group, the mean VAS pain score was 3.2 ± 2.6 compared to 3.0 ± 2.5 in the 27-gauge group (p = 0.78). CONCLUSION: The IVI caused a significant rise in IOP after the injection, independently of the needle size used. The 27-gauge needle coursed with lower postinjection IOP without prejudice of the patient comfort. CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE: The IVI with 27-gauge may be considered for glaucomatous eyes (higher risk eyes), for which IOP spikes are not recommended. HOW TO CITE THIS ARTICLE: Loureiro M, Matos R, Sepulveda P, Meira D. Intravitreal Injections of Bevacizumab: The Impact of Needle Size in Intraocular Pressure and Pain. J Curr Glaucoma Pract 2017;11(2):38-41.

Peripapillary choroidal thickness by enhanced depth imaging optical coherence tomography: the impact of metabolic syndrome.

PURPOSE: To assess the impact of metabolic syndrome (MetS) on the peripapillary choroidal thickness (PPCT) and to characterize the PPCT in a Portuguese population. METHODS: This prospective study included 104 eyes. Detailed medical and ophthalmic examinations were performed; the PPCT was measured by spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) using enhanced depth imaging (EDI) modality. The PPCT changes with MetS, as well as with other clinical and demographic factors, were investigated. RESULTS: The mean PPCT was 142.4 ± 54.0 µm (58-303 µm); it was thickest superiorly, followed by the temporal, nasal, and inferior sectors. The PPCT was significantly associated with axial length (p<0.001), age (p = 0.001), intraocular pressure (IOP) (p = 0.041), weight (p = 0.015), and arterial hypertension (p = 0.044). The presence of MetS was associated with thinner PPCT in all sectors, being statistically significant in the temporal (p = 0.032) and inferotemporal (p = 0.034) sectors. CONCLUSIONS: The choroidal thickness was significantly less in temporal and inferotemporal sectors in patients with MetS than in controls. This may suggest vascular insufficiency around the optic nerve head.

Terapia de pareja: reflexiones sistémicas de un grupo en formación / Couple therapy: systemic reflections in a formative group

Se presentan a continuación algunas ideas y reflexiones planteadas como resultado del trabajo en equipo llevado a cabo durante el curso de terapia de pareja en el proceso de formación como especialistas en terapia familiar de la Universidad Católica Luis Amigó. Inicialmente se plantean algunos datos históricos e ideas acerca de la forma en que los cambios socioculturales han modificado las relaciones, aportando a la consolidación de nuevas formas de ser pareja. Se analizan características de dicha diada y el lugar del amor en su conformación, a la luz de nuevas comprensiones de las dinámicas del mundo contemporáneo y las problemáticas actuales. Concluyendo este recorrido se reconoce la vigencia e importancia de la terapia sistémica como alternativa para el abordaje de las problemáticas de pareja y se describen asuntos propios de dicha intervención, resaltando en ellos el lugar del terapeuta. Se concluye con la idea de la pareja como producto de un proceso de transformación transversalizado por la sociedad y la cultura, con diversos matices y formas de ser, que siendo cambiantes mantienen como constante la idea de pareja como un sistema interaccional complejo, en el que amor, deseo y pasión movilizan sentimientos y emociones vitales que revelan simultáneamente la fragilidad y fuerza del ser humano capaz de transformarlo. Vista de este modo la pareja es un escenario de intervención del terapeuta sistémico y la terapia el encuentro que posibilita el cambio.

Below are some ideas and reflections raised as a result of the team work carried out during the course of couple therapy in the process of training as specialists in family therapy at the Universidad Católica Luis Amigo. Initially, some historical data and ideas about the way in which socio-cultural changes have changed relationships are presented, contributing to the consolidation of new ways of being a couple. We analyze the characteristics of this dyad and the place of love in its conformation, in the light of new understandings of the dynamics of the contemporary world and the current problems. Concluding this tour, the validity and importance of systemic therapy is recognized as an alternative for the treatment of the problems of couples and describes specific issues of this intervention, highlighting in them the place of the therapist. It concludes with the idea of the couple as the product of a process of transformation that is mainstreamed by society and culture, with different nuances and ways of being, which, while being constant, maintain the idea of a constant as a complex interactional system in which Love, desire and passion mobilize feelings and vital emotions that simultaneously reveal the fragility and strength of the human being capable of transforming it. In this way the couple is a scenario of systemic therapist intervention and therapy the encounter that makes change possible.

Bilateral Chorioretinitis as Syphilis Presentation: Multimodal Characterization and Therapy Response.

Ocular involvement of syphilis may occur in any stage of infection. We report a case of bilateral syphilitic chorioretinitis, in an immunocompetent patient, as the presenting feature of a tertiary syphilis we performed a multimodal characterization through Fundus Autofluorescence (FAF), Fluorescein Angiography (FA) and Spectral-Domain Optical Coherence Tomography (SD-OCT).

Intravitreal and subtenon depot triamcinolone as treatment of retinitis pigmentosa associated cystoid macular edema.

We present a case of retinitis pigmentosa (RP) related cystoid macular edema (CME) refractory to oral acetazolamide and topical ketorolac that was treated with intravitreal and subtenon depot triamcinolone. A 32-year-old male with RP presented with complaints of bilateral decrease in visual acuity. His best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) was 20/50 in the right eye and 20/100 in the left eye. After being informed of the available treatment options, the patient received bilateral intravitreal injection triamcinolone. The patient's BCVA improved to 20/40 in the right eye and 20/50 in the left eye and the CME was resorbed. However, 5 months after the injection in the left eye and two months in the right eye, visual acuity decreased due to recurrence of CME. We performed a second intravitreal injection in the left eye with improvement of visual and anatomic results, but we observed a recurrence of CME. Afterwards, we treated the patient with subtenon depot triamcinolone in both eyes, with the result that there was no recurrence after 4 months in OD or after 3 months in OS. We conclude that intravitreal and subtenon depot triamcinolone appear to provide at least temporary benefit in refractory CME as regards the improvement of visual acuity.

UNA ESPECIE NUEVA DE Geotrigona (HYMENOPTERA: APIDAE, MELIPONINI), CON COMENTARIOS SOBRE EL GÉNERO EN COLOMBIA / A New Species of Geotrigona(Hymenoptera: Apidae, Meliponini), with Comments on the Genus in Colombia

Se describe la abeja sin aguijón Geotrigona kaba sp. nov. de la cordillera Central de Colombia. También se presentan nuevos registros geográficos y comentarios para las otras dos especies del género que se encuentran en Colombia.

We describe the stingless bee Geotrigona kaba sp. nov. from the cordillera Central of Colombia. We also provide new geographical records and comments on the other two species of the genus that occur in Colombia.