First Report of Diplodia Cane Dieback of Grapevine in Bolivia.

Grape (Vitis vinifera L.) is an important commercial crop in the temperate regions of Bolivia where it has been grown for hundreds of years. In October of 2001, diseased canes of grape (cv. Muscat of Alexandria) were collected in a vineyard in Yotala, Department of Chuquisaca in southern Bolivia. In this planting of more than 1,000 plants, more than 75% were exhibiting cane dieback symptoms and many were dead or dying. No disease was observed on grape berries. Symptoms of the disease were similar to those reported for Diplodia cane dieback (1). Cankers ranging from 2 to 10 cm long and 0.5 to 3 cm wide were observed. When diseased canes were placed in a moist chamber, conidia oozed from pycnidia in black cirri. Immature conidia were hyaline and one-celled, but mature conidia were dark brown (20 to 30 × 10 to 15 µm) with one median septum and longitudinal striations. The pathogen was tentatively identified as Lasiodiplodia theobromae (Pat.) Griffon & Maubl. (synonyms Diplodia natalensis Pole-Evans and Botryodiplodia theobromae Pat.), teleomorph Botryosphaeria rhodina (Cooke) Arx) (2). Fungi were isolated from cankers on diseased canes by surface disinfestation in 0.25% NaOCl for 5 min and placing small pieces of tissue on 2% water agar or potato dextrose agar (PDA). L. theobromae was isolated from these tissues. Koch's postulates were fulfilled by inoculating grape berries and canes with the pathogen. Five grape berries were surface disinfested and inoculated by wounding with a sterile scalpel and inserting a piece of fungal mycelium on PDA in the wounded sites. The same number of control berries was similarly treated with sterile PDA. Inoculated and control berries were placed in plastic, moist chambers in the laboratory at ambient temperature (15 to 28°C) in the dark. Five canes on two potted plants were inoculated with the same isolate of the pathogen in a similar manner as the berries. The inoculated and control sites on canes were wrapped with masking tape. Plants were placed in a moist chamber for 5 days. After 8 days, inoculated berries were rotting and the inoculated sites were covered with grayish mycelium. Within 12 days, cankers as much as 3 cm long developed on the inoculated canes, and in some lesions, black pycnidia were observed. No lesions developed in the wounded control canes. The pathogen was reisolated from inoculated berries and canes, but not from control berries or canes. The teleomorph was not observed on any naturally infected canes or on those inoculated with the anamorph. The pathogen was identified as L. theobromae based on symptoms (1), cultural and morphological characteristics (2), and pathogenicity tests. The disease poses a potential threat to the cultivation of grapevine in southern Bolivia. To our knowledge, this is the first report of Diplodia cane dieback of grapevine in Bolivia. References: R. C. Pearson and A. C. Goheen. Compendium of Grape Diseases. The American Phytopathological Society, St. Paul, MN, 1988. (2). E. Punithalingam. No. 519 in: Descriptions of Pathogenic Fungi and Bacteria. CMI, Kew, Surrey, England, 1976.

Visceral leishmaniasis in Costa Rica: first case report.

We describe a 15-month-old eutrophic immunocompetent male who presented with fever, hepatosplenomegaly, pancytopenia, and hypergammaglobulinemia. Leishmania amastigotes were identified in spleen and bone marrow specimens. In addition, tissue culture, animal inoculation, and isoenzyme analysis identified the parasite as Leishmania donovani infantum or Leishmania donovani chagasi. The infant was successfully treated with an antimonial drug. These findings represent the first case of visceral leishmaniasis reported in Costa Rica.

Tipos de circulaçäo e predominância das artérias coronárias em coraçöes de brasileiros / Types of circulation and predominance of the coronary arteries in brazilian hearts

O conhecimento anatômico do tipo de circulaçäo, com a identificaçäo da dominância das artérias coronárias na irrigaçäo do coraçäo, apresenta grande interesse clínico e cirúrgico, devido a que variaçöes nessa irrigaçäo ocasionam diferentes graus de gravidade em casos de obstruçäo. Foram estudados 50 coraçöes retirados de indivíduos adultos, de ambos os sexos e diferentes raças, nos quais as artérias coronárias foram dissecadas, visando identificar o tipo de circulaçäo. Realizamos, ainda, estudo morfométrico em coraçöes cujo peso médio foi 291 gramas e altura ventricular média de 97 mm. Em 72 por cento dos coraçöes estudados havia dominância da direita, 16 por cento circulaçäo balanceada e 12 por cento dominância da esquerda. Identificamos o número de ramos que ultrapassam a crux cordis, sendo o mínimo de um ramo e o máximo de cinco ramos, com valor médio de 2,2 nos casos de dominância da direita e em apenas dois coraçöes um ramo (em cada um) nos 8 de dominância da esquerda. Em 50 por cento dos coraçöes estudados o ramo interventricular anterior ultrapassa o ápice cardíaco, atingindo a sua face diafragmática.

Tipos de circulaçäo e predominância das artérias coronárias em coraçöes de brasileiros / Circulation types and predominance of the coronary arteries in brazilian hearts

O conhecimento anatômico do tipo de circulaçao, com a identificaçao da dominância das artérias coronárias na irrigaçao do coraçao, apresenta grande interesse clínico e cirúrgico, devido a que variaçoes nessa irrigaçao ocasionam diferentes graus de gravidade em casos de obstruçao. Foram estudados 50 coraçoes retirados de indivíduos adultos, de ambos os sexos e diferentes raças, nos quais as artérias coronárias foram dissecadas, visando identificar o tipo de circulaçao. Realizamos, ainda, estudo morfométrico em coraçoes cujo peso médio foi 291 gramas e altura ventricular média de 97 mm. Em 72 por cento dos coraçoes estudados havia dominância da direita, 16 por cento circulaçao balanceada e 12 por cento dominância da esquerda. Identificamos o número de ramos que ultrapassam a crux cordis, sendo o mínimo de um ramo e o máximo de cinco ramos, com valor médio de 2,2 nos casos de dominância da direita e em apenas dois coraçoes um ramo (em cada um) nos 8 de dominância da esquerda. Em 5O por cento dos coraçoes estudados o ramo interventricular anterior ultrapassa o ápice cardíaco, atingindo a sua face diafragmática.

Situacion actual de las exploraciones vasculares / Current situation of vascular exploration

La exploracion vascular con metodos no invasivos atraviesa una etapa de continuos avances en la actualidad, haciendo raramente necesaria la realizacion de arterio o angiografia