Owl Pellets, a Useful Method to Study Epigean Tenebrionid Beetles in Arid Lands.

Owl pellets, regurgitates formed by the undigested parts of owls' prey, have been used since the 1960s to estimate relative species abundances and community diversity of small mammals in the field. Although insects are important food sources for raptors, the usefulness of owl pellets as a collecting method for entomological studies remains practically unexplored. Many terrestrial arthropods have fragile bodies that degrade during the raptor's digestive process; however, darkling beetles (Tenebrionidae) resist this process. These organisms are abundant and rich in species, and play significant roles in food and nutrient soil cycles in arid regions. Moreover, darkling beetles are well known and represent up to 52% of prey abundances in Bubo magellanicus (Lesson), one of the most common owls in arid Patagonia. The aim of this work is to evaluate the suitability of B. magellanicus pellets as a research tool for studies of tenebrionid beetle biodiversity assessments in arid Patagonia. Thus, we compare tenebrionid relative species abundances, species richness, and their species assemblage estimated from the diet of B. magellanicus with those identified simultaneously by conventional trapping (pitfall trapping and hand collecting) using multivariate techniques and the Fisher's exact test. Mitragenius araneiformis Curtis, Patagonogenius quadricollis Fairmaire, and Emmallodera crenaticostata crenaticostata Blanchard were the most abundant tenebrionid species. Relative abundances of almost all species, the estimation of species richness, and tenebrionid assemblage from both collecting methodologies were similar. Therefore, we propose the owl pellet analysis as a useful sampling tool for rapid estimations of the tenebrionid assemblage structure in arid Patagonia.

Genomewide association analysis of growth traits in Charolais beef cattle.

The objective of this study was to perform a genomewide association study (GWAS) for growth traits in Charolais beef cattle and to identify SNP markers and genes associated with these traits. Our study included 855 animals genotyped using 76,883 SNP from the GeneSeek Genomic Profiler Bovine HD panel. The examined phenotypic data included birth, weaning, and yearling weights as well as pre- and postweaning ADG. After quality control, 68,337 SNP and 823 animals were retained in the analysis. The association analysis was performed using the principal components method via the egscore function of the GenABEL version 1.8-0 package in the R environment. Eighteen SNP located in 13 BTA were associated with growth traits ( < 5 × 10). The most important genes in these genomic regions were (), (), (), (), and ( [angiotensinase C]), due to their relationships with perinatal and postnatal survival, bone growth, cell adhesion, regulation of adipogenesis, and appetite. In conclusion, this study is the first to describe a GWAS conducted in beef cattle in Mexico and represents a basis for further and future research. This study detected new QTL associated with growth traits and identified 5 positional and functional candidate genes that are potentially involved in variations of the analyzed traits. Future analyses of these regions could help to identify useful markers for marker-assisted selection and will contribute to the knowledge of the genetic basis of growth in cattle and be a foundation for genomic predictions in Mexican Charolais cattle.

Microsatellite marker-based identification and genetic relationships of olive cultivars from the Extremadura region of Spain.

Seventy-seven olive accessions corresponding to 25 cultivars from the Extremadura region of Spain were studied using four microsatellite or SSR markers in order to fingerprint them, and evaluate genetic similarity and relationships between local and introduced olive cultivars. The number of alleles per locus ranged from 4 to 8, with a mean of 6.25 alleles per primer pair (a total of 25 alleles). The observed heterozygosity ranged from 0.58 to 0.95, while the expected heterozygosity varied between 0.68 and 0.83. The polymorphism information content values ranged from 0.63 to 0.79. The mean polymorphism information content value of 0.70 for the SSR loci provided sufficient discriminating ability to evaluate the genetic diversity among the cultivars. The SSR data allowed unequivocal identification of all the cultivars; a combination of three SSR markers was sufficient to discriminate all 25 olive cultivars. A dendrogram was prepared, using the unweighted pair-group method with arithmetic mean clustering algorithm; it depicted the pattern of relationships between the cultivars. Most of the local cultivars grouped according to their geographic origin. No clear clustering trends were observed when the morphological traits of fruit endocarps or fruit use of cultivars were employed as analysis criteria. We conclude that there is a high level of variability among local olive cultivars from the Extremadura region at both the morphological and molecular levels; these data should be useful for identifying and distinguishing local germplasm.

Morphological traits and RAPD markers for characterization and identification of minor Spanish olive cultivars from the Extremadura region.

A total of 91 wild olive accessions and 31 olive cultivars growing in the Extremadura region of central-western Spain were analyzed using morphological traits and RAPD markers. We focused on three main and 16 minor Spanish olive cultivars that are recognized as native or local to the Extremadura region. The five arbitrary 10-mer primers tested on the olive cultivars gave 67 polymorphic bands, representing 91% of the total amplification products. The number of bands per primer ranged from 9 to 18, whereas the number of polymorphic bands ranged from 8 to 17. All the cultivars could be identified by a combination of three primers (OPF-6, OPA-8, and OPK-16); four cultivar-specific markers were detected. The minor local "Jariego" and "Tempranillo" cultivars showed the most distal similarities. The resulting dendrogram, using the unweighted pair-group method with arithmetic mean clustering algorithm, depicted the pattern of relationships between the local Extremadura cultivars and the cultivars from geographically connected regions. This analysis showed a correlation between most of the minor local cultivars and the geographical origin; there was no apparent clustering according to morphological traits or fruit use of olive cultivars when these parameters were used as analysis criteria.

Langmuir-blodgett films of supported polyester dendrimers.

Amphiphiles with a dendritic structure are attractive materials as they combine the features of dendrimers with the self-assembling properties and interfacial behavior of water-air affinities. We have synthesized three generations of polyester dendrimers and studied their interfacial properties on the Langmuir films. The behavior obtained was, as a rule, the lowest generation dendrimers behaving like traditional amphiphiles and the larger molecules presenting complicated isotherms. The Langmuir films of these compounds have been characterized by their surface pressure versus molecular area (π/A) and Brewster angle microscopy (BAM) observations.

Snapshot of Quantiferon TB gold testing in Northern Mexico.

Most people infected with Mycobacterium tuberculosis have an asymptomatic condition named latent tuberculosis. These people do not have bacilli in the corporal secretions and are hard to diagnose by conventional laboratory tests. Diagnosis of latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) in México is based on the tuberculin skin test (TST). This test has disadvantages, principally because the vaccine containing the Bacille Calmette-Guérin (BCG) is applied to 99% of this population and causes false positive TST outcomes. Recently, interferon-gamma release assays (IGRA) have been demonstrated to be a good test to detect latent tuberculosis with equal or better sensitivity to TST and without interference from BCG. However, in México the IGRA are an uncommon test due to the higher cost compared to TST. The main objective of this work was demonstrate the potential utility of the Quantiferon TB(®) gold in tube (QTB(®)-GIT) test to detect latent TB in a population from northern México. Samples from 106 subjects with close contact, or without contact, with actively infected TB patients were tested to detect LTBI. Our results show a significant difference between individuals in close contact with active TB patients (39.7%) compared to those without contact (3.2%), p < 0.01. The concordance between TST and QTB(®)-GIT was poor (κ = 0.31). Our preliminary results show that the QTB(®)-GIT has better capacity than TST to detect latent tuberculosis infection.

Cryptosporidium parvum in diarrheic calves detected by microscopy and identified by immunochromatographic and molecular methods.

Cryptosporidium is an important protozoan parasite that causes diarrhea in neonates and young bovines. The objective of the present study was to determine the frequency of Cryptosporidium infection in animals of dairy farms of the Metropolitan Region (Santiago), Chile. Fecal samples of 205 newborn calves with diarrhea were studied and used for comparing the efficiency of two microscopic staining methods for diagnosis of the parasite, the auramine (AU) and a modified Ziehl-Neelsen (ZN) procedure. Out of the 205 fecal samples, we detected oocysts in 115 (56.1%) with AU and 102 (49.8%) with ZN. Comparison of results obtained with the two microscopic techniques showed significant difference (p<0.05), AU being more sensitive. On the other hand, concordance between the two methods was almost perfect (kappa value of 0.83). The results with these two operator dependent methods were confirmed using an operator independent immunochromatographic (IC) method. The IC method also enabled us to determine the identity of the parasite species as that of Cryptosporidium parvum. Identification of the parasite species was further corroborated by performing a Cryptosporidium species-specific polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test on few samples taken at random. Overall, the results showed a high number of infected animals suggesting the parasite C. parvum as a major parasitic disease agent of neonatal calves with diarrhea in dairy farms of the Metropolitan Region (Santiago) of Chile.

Evaluation of toxicity of surgery and/or chemoirradiation treatment of uterine cervix cancer.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate acute and chronic toxicity of chemoirradiation treatment (neoadjuvant, adjuvant and radical treatment) in patients diagnosed with cervix cancer. METHODS: From December 1999 to August 2007, 53 patients diagnosed with adenocarcinoma or squamous cell carcinoma of the uterine cervix received neoadjuvant, adjuvant or radical chemoirradiation. RESULTS: Acute gastrointestinal toxicity of grade 3 or more in 9 patients (17%) and haematological toxicity of grade 3 or more in 9 patients (17%). Chronic toxicity of grade 3 or more was shown in only 2 patients (4%). The most frequent toxicities were gastrointestinal toxicity and haematological toxicity. The most frequent chronic toxicities were gastrointestinal toxicity and vaginal toxicity. CONCLUSIONS: We report that the combined neoadjuvant, adjuvant or radical chemoirradiation treatment with weekly cisplatin chemotherapy (40 mg/m(2)/week) in patients diagnosed with cervix cancer is a well tolerated treatment and chronic and acute toxicity is low-grade. This treatment scheme has easy compliance.

Re-irradiation to prevent ectopic bone formation after major hip surgery.

Ectopic bone formation may occur after total hip arthroplasty, but fortunately most patients are asymptomatic. Both pre-operative and post-operative radiotherapy are effective in prevention of ectopic bone formation. In the few patients who needed re-operation, we found that re-irradiation is possible and safe. This case report presents our experience with single dose reirradiation of the hip in an attempt to prevent post-operative ectopic bone formation.

Intracranial germ cell tumor mimicking anorexia nervosa.

We report on a case of a 23 year-old female diagnosed as having a germ-cell tumour located in the sellar region. The patient referred anorexia, psychic disorders, weight loss of 15 kilograms and secondary amenorrhea during the previous three years. This is the reason why the patient was diagnosed as having anorexia nervosa. Subsequently, the patient presented some endocrine dysfunction. MRI revealed the existence of a lesion located in suprasellar and hypothalamic regions. This case shows that the presence of intracranial tumours next to the hypothalamus must be borne in mind as a rare but real possibility in cases of anorexia nervosa, specially in those non-typical cases.

[Health services utilization in Mexico: the perspective of individuals with diabetes]. / Utilización de los servicios de salud en México: perspectivas de los individuos con diabetes.

AIMS: This paper reports findings of a qualitative study whose focus is health services use among individuals with chronic illness. DESIGN: Qualitative research with an ethnographic orientation. SETTING: A low income neighborhood of Guadalajara, Mexico. SUBJECTS: Twenty subjects selected through a theoretical sample. Measurements and main results. Open-ended interviews. The data were content-analyzed. Most diabetic sufferers live with two or more chronic illnesses. Medical services use is combined with that of other healing systems. Participants also combine different types of health care services. Four health care use categories were found: frequent, occasional, periodical, and abandonment. Those who use health services frequently have oscillating or deteriorating illness trajectories, are supported by family members and are primarily women and elderly/retired men. Those who abandon health services have stable trajectories, they are their families primary providers, and cannot stop work to receive medical care; but some others have deteriorating illness trajectories and their symptoms do not ameliorate with consultations. CONCLUSIONS: Different factors explain patterns of health services utilization. Such patterns of use have serious implications in the health care reorganization.

Inconsistent journalism: the coverage of chronic diseases in the Mexican press.

The mass media are recognized by many social scientists as important sources of medical information for lay people and as a positive influence on those working in the health care professions. However, there is a lack of study about print and mass media reporting on major health problems in developing countries such as Mexico. This article presents the findings of a study conducted to identify specific messages that the Mexican print media convey to the general reader about chronic diseases, especially one of the most important and pervasive, diabetes. We undertook a comprehensive review and content analysis of secondary source media reporting in the Boletin (Bulletin)--published by the Department of Education and Health, Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana, Xochimilco. The Boletin summarizes all articles related to health matters published in 12 national daily newspapers and 3 magazines. Our study covered all issues of the Boletin from 1992 through 1996. Our findings indicate that at times the press and popular print media disseminate an incomplete and often biased picture of chronic diseases prevalent in Mexico. Specifically, the press gives equal or more important coverage of acute diseases, or to AIDS, than to other major chronic conditions. The press also reproduces the biomedical model of disease and does not address topics important to certain segments of the population, including the patient. Moreover, the media may present an overly idealized impression of the capability of health services. Consequently, this failure to address the issues of certain widespread, chronic illnesses is severe enough to ask about the role of the press in medical health care reform. We conclude by suggesting areas for further research.

Apoptosis induction and cell cycle perturbation in established cell lines by peroxysomicine A1 (T-514).

Peroxysomicine A1, a novel potential anticancer compound induced cell death in established cell lines and in a primary culture of rat neonatal cardiomyocytes. Non-transformed cells are less sensitive to the compound than transformed cell lines. Fluorescent microscopy of dying cells stained with DNA-specific dyes revealed chromatin condensation and nuclear fragmentation as well as membrane blebbing characteristic of apoptosis. Flow cytometry of cells treated with peroxysomicine A1, demonstrated appearance of cells containing less than 2C DNA, that indicated degradation of nuclear DNA, another hallmark of apoptotic cell death. Z-VAD, a nonspecific caspase inhibitor, prevented DNA fragmentation but not cell death registered by permeabilization of cell outer membrane. Peroxysomicine A1 also inhibited proliferation of various cell lines. Flow cytometry analysis showed significant accumulation of dividing cells in G2/M phases of cell cycle indicating, most likely delay in G2. These results provide initial insight into the mechanisms of action of peroxysomicine A1 and suggest that peroxysomicine A1 is a potent inhibitor of cell proliferation and inducer of apoptosis and may be a useful antineoplastic chemotherapeutic agent.

[Perspectives of chronically ill patients concerning medical care in Guadalajara, Mexico: a qualitative study]. / La perspectiva de enfermos crónicos sobre la atención médica en Guadalajara, México. Un estudio cualitativo.

This paper reports partial findings from a broader study on the experience of people with chronic diseases. The objective was to explore the perspectives of diabetic patients towards medical care. A qualitative study was conducted in a poor neighborhood of Guadalajara, Mexico. Thirty subjects with diabetes mellitus participated in the study. Data was gathered by open and semi-open interviews in the subjects' homes and over the course of one year. Data were analyzed using a combination of content and conversational analyzing techniques. Three perspectives predominated when participants evaluated medical care: some define it as good, some as ambivalent, and the rest as bad. These perspectives were closely linked to their disease experience and available medical options according to their material resources. These perspectives change with time, are specific to each available service and type of medical care, and are constructed in terms of all the subjects' present chronic illnesses. Those treated through the social security system evaluate the care in negative terms, with the opposite occurring with those treated in public health care centers and private facilities. Implications regarding health care reform are discussed.

[The patient's perspective. Reflections on past, present, and future in the chronic illness experience]. / La perspectiva de los sujetos enfermos. Reflexiones sobre pasado, presente y futuro de la experiencia del padecimiento crónico.

The illness experience is a relevant issue in current research and academic discussions. A growing number of research initiatives have undertaken to account for the subject's perspective and subjectivity in the health field. This paper discusses our research team's approach and results in studying the experience of people living with chronic illness. Our perspective is based upon the production in this relatively new field as well as health-related discussions in Latin America. The illness experience calls for an understanding of it as a subjective and existential phenomenon, entailing the phenomenological arena, immersed in the process where ill people "produce" and "reproduce" themselves. The unfolding and course of the illness as well as treatment management are some salient dimensions we evoke. Some lines of future work are presented in order to create a research agenda, highlighting its implications for existing proposals pertaining to health reform in our Latin American countries.

Experimental evidence for toxic damage induced by a dimeric anthracenone: diast T-514 (peroxisomicine A2).

Dimeric anthracenones obtained from the genus Karwinskia (Rhamnaceae) are characteristic compounds isolated from the plants of this species. Previous toxicity studies demonstrated Diast T-514 to be toxic to animals in experimental settings. Diast T-514 extracted and characterized from Karwinskia parvifolia, was studied in CD1 mice. The LD50 for this compound was determined. Animals were tested with Diast T-514 following enteral and parenteral administration. An LD50 dose by both oral and intraperitoneal administration showed selective damage to target organs.

[Sources of support of individuals with diabetes in a deprived area of Guadalajara, Mexico]. / Las fuentes de apoyo de los individuos con diabetes en una zona marginal de Guadalajara, México.

This article examines the relationship between sociodemographic factors and sources of support in non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus patients living in a socially deprived area of Guadalajara, Mexico. A total of 121 diabetic subjects and the same number of caretakers, spouses and children, participated in the study. Findings show that some variables of diabetic individuals are associated with caretakers' age, sex and kinship. Moreover, sex distribution of children and family composition were also associated with sources of support. No association was found between disease characteristics and those of caretakers. The impact of these results on health services programs is discussed.

Simulation in computer of the mechanical ventilator Servo 900C made by Siemens Elema.

In our country, Intensive Care Units (ICU) for both adults and children include medical equipment of high technology that saves the lives of patients in critical condition. Many of these patients for different pathologies need the use of a mechanical ventilator which keeps the patient's respiration and allows the medical staff to assist them with other means. In practice, there are a lot of different situations that the medical staff have to face and make adequate decisions that will help save the patients' lives. In this case, the mechanical ventilator must be used, requiring a great deal of experience acquired along many years of work. The mechanical ventilator SERVO 900C made by Siemens Elema is available in all ICUs; this equipment is used for the treatment of more critical patients due to his reliability and technical features. Based on this fact, a simulator was designed to help train the less experienced staff in the use of the ventilator and to allow them to face real case simulations, making decisions that will be adequate or wrong with no risk to the patient's life. In this way, they would acquire the necessary knowledge on how to use the equipment in real-life situations. The created system displays the control panel of the ventilator allowing the user to interact. The control panel includes both analogical and digital devices that show different parameters and also the gases mixer which is connected to the equipment. During the work, the user can access a calculator to facilitate the adjustment of some parameters in case any calculation is needed. The system is divided into modules. The module "Exercises" permits you to choose one out of a set and solve it by means of the adjustment of the controls; this answer is analyzed and warning messages are displayed in case a control has been set incorrectly. The aim of these exercises is that the users learn how to handle the equipment by parts and are conceived for a sequence of question-answer. The module "Problems" describes the condition of a given patient which must be treated with the ventilator. The user will then simulate his performance in the adjustment of it. The sequence question-answer will change dynamically according to the evolution previously previewed for the patient by the professor. The simulator has a set of acoustic and visual alarms which are activated during the occurrence of different anomalies. These alarms work according to the professor's will at the moment of planning the lesson. The module "Information" gives the user the possibility of consulting topics about the equipment such as: functions, patient's safety, installation, clinical judgment and location of failures. In the last module "Options" the user defines the files (exercises or problems) he is going to use as well as the directory of work and the initialization file. The system uses pull-down menus, providing a context-sensitive on screen help with information about the function of each control and how to handle it. For the preparation of the files of exercises and problems only Servo editor can be used; this editor works independently from the simulator. The system requires a PC IBM Compatible with 640 kb RAM, MS-DOS operating system, and VGA color display. We consider that with the implementation this system the user can gain experience and knowledge about the use of the ventilator before he faces real situations.

[Pediatric nosocomial bacteremia. Potential usefulness of culturing infusion liquids]. / Bacteriemia nosocomial pediátrica. Utilidad potencial del cultivo de los líquidos de infusión.

Hospital-acquired bacteremia is a common cause of morbidity and mortality, mainly in pediatric units. In a 25 month retrospective study, we analyzed the blood cultures from the Hospital General Regional of the city of Leon, Guanajuato State, Mexico, in order to establish the causal agents of nosocomial bacteremia and infer some associations with contaminated intravenous infusion fluids. In addition we performed a two month study to culture the flasks and intravenous tubing used in our infusions. Five hundred and fifty one blood cultures drawn from August 1990 to September 1992 were analyzed. A total of 135 (24.5%) were positive, most of them (51.8%) with strains of the Klebsielleae tribe (SKT) (Klebsiella, Enterobacter, Serratia). The global incidence of bacteremia in the two year period was 4.3%. In the infusion study, 230 intravenous fluids were cultured, with 68 isolates (30%) most from the SKT tribe. A final consideration is made on the role that inadequate management of intravenous liquids could play in the development of endemic and epidemic nosocomial bacteremia in our hospital, and the eventual utility of making cultures of the i.v. liquids.