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Lupus nephritis (LN) is a serious manifestation of systemic lupus erythematosus that can lead to end-stage renal disease. Many clinical and prognostic data on which our therapeutic decisions are based come from international cohorts, which have important ethnic and prognostic differences. To identify clinical and prognostic data from patients with LN in Spain, we undertook a bibliographic search of NL-related papers by Spanish authors and published in national and international journals between 2005 and 2022. According to the selected references, renal biopsy is not only essential for LN diagnosis but its repetition can be useful for the follow-up. Regarding LN treatment, standard strategy consists of an induction phase and a maintenance phase. However, as new drugs have been released, a new paradigm of treatment in a single, continuing and personalized phase has been proposed.

La nefritis lúpica (NL) es una manifestación grave del lupus eritematoso sistémico que puede llevar a una enfermedad renal terminal. La mayor parte de los datos clínicos y pronósticos que manejamos, y sobre los que tomamos decisiones terapéuticas, proceden de cohortes internacionales con importantes diferencias étnicas y relativas al pronóstico renal. Para conocer los datos clínicos y pronósticos de los pacientes con NL en España se realizó una búsqueda bibliográfica de artículos relacionados con la NL publicados por autores españoles en revistas nacionales e internacionales entre 2005 y 2022. Las referencias seleccionadas mostraron que la biopsia no solo es clave en el diagnóstico de la NL, sino que su repetición puede ser útil en el seguimiento. En cuanto al tratamiento el abordaje estándar de la NL consiste en una fase de inducción y una fase de mantenimiento. Sin embargo, la aparición de nuevos fármacos ha motivado que se postule un nuevo paradigma de tratamiento en una sola fase continuada y personalizada.

ResumenIntroducción:El oxígeno es esencial en la cicatrización de heridas. Su ausencia o hipoxia puede retrasar este proceso, especialmente en individuos con comorbilidades, lo que podría resultar en heridas complejas o de difícil cicatrización. La Asociación Colombiana de Diabetes (ACD) y la Asociación Colombiana de Medicina Interna (ACMI) se unieron con un grupo diverso de expertos para brindar recomendaciones sobre la eficacia y práctica de la terapia de oxígeno transdérmico continuo (TOTc) en el cuidado de estas heridas.Método:Se utilizó la técnica Delphi modificada para obtener respuestas y retroalimentación controlada. Expertos de diversas disciplinas participaron en la revisión y discusión de numerosos estudios científicos relevantes, centrados en el papel de la TOTc en el tratamiento de úlceras crónicas.Resultados:El oxígeno transdérmico continuo ha demostrado ser una terapia eficaz y segura en el tratamiento de úlceras crónicas y/o de difícil cicatrización. Esta terapia aborda directamente la deficiencia de oxígeno en la herida, proporcionando un entorno propicio para la curación. Se observaron beneficios significativos, incluyendo aceleración del proceso de cicatrización, reducción del tamaño de la herida y mejora en la calidad de vida del paciente. Se encontró eficacia en diversas etiologías de úlceras, subrayando su versatilidad terapéutica.Conclusiones:La terapia de oxígeno transdérmico continuo es eficaz y segura para tratar úlceras crónicas y de difícil cicatrización. Es vital abordar cada caso de manera individualizada y mediante un enfoque multidisciplinario para maximizar los beneficios de esta terapia. La evidencia y experiencia clínica respaldan su utilidad en diversas etiologías de úlceras.Palabras clave:Terapia de oxígeno transdérmico continuo, Oxígeno, Pie diabético, Cicatrización de heridas, Cuidado de heridas, Úlceras vasculares, Lesiones por presión, Hipoxia, Infección.

Purpose Monofocal intraocular lenses (IOLs) used in cataract surgery are designed to improve visual acuity (VA). The available evidence of new monofocal IOLs” functional benefits is limited. The aim of this meta-analysis was to analyze the improvement in VA using Tecnis Eyhance monofocal IOLs compared to standard monofocal IOLs Tecnis ZCB00.Methods MEDLINE, Web of Science and Scopus were searched for studies assessing improvement in intermediate VA using Tecnis Eyhance IOLs versus Tecnis ZCB00 IOLs. Studies evaluating post-operative VA in patients who underwent cataract surgery were selected. This meta-analysis followed PRISMA guidelines and was registered in PROSPERO. The Cochrane Risk of Bias Tool 2.0. was used to assess the methodological quality of the included studies, risk of selection bias and comparability of cohorts and outcomes.Results The search resulted in 1153 articles. Five studies met the inclusion criteria and were included in the meta-analysis. A total of 604 eyes were evaluated, of which 309 received Tecnis Eyhance IOLs and 295 were implanted with Tecnis ZCB00 IOLs. Mean binocular distant-corrected intermediate VA with Tecnis Eyhance IOLs at 2 weeks-1 month showed a significant difference of −0,21 logMAR, p < 0.001; and mean binocular distance-corrected intermediate VA with Tecnis Eyhance IOLs at 6 months showed a significant difference of −0,11 logMAR, p < 0.001.Conclusion Near VA could not be assessed in this meta-analysis as it was measured in very few studies. Preliminary pooled evidence indicates that intermediate VA improved with Tecnis Eyhance IOLs. Further studies evaluating near VA and with longer follow-up are still necessary.

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The use of Roman and Late-antique spolia in the erection of Umayyad infrastructures is extensively documented, from Bilad al-Sham to al-Andalus. Particularly in the latter, spolia were key in the construction of mosques, of which the Friday Mosque of Córdoba is the most paradigmatic example. The reuse of decorative and architectural materials in these religious spaces has been broadly discussed, and it has been often concluded that there were aesthetic, religious and ideological reasons, as well as strong political needs of legitimation and representation of the Umayyad dynasty. In this context, the case of the mosque of Madinat al-Zahra' is quite striking. Here, while spolia seem to have been absent, the capitals designed for its prayer room stand out for their particular characteristics, often described as resembling Visigothic models and as a product of rush. This paper aims to bring together the information available about the use of spolia in Umayyad mosques and its possible explanations, as well as to bring forward the particularities of the series of capitals designed for the mosque of Madinat al-Zahra', suggesting new ideas for their interpretation.

ABSTRACTIntroductionOne of the most important aims in the management of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is to avoid or delay the accumulation of organ damage. The first five years after diagnosis are crucial for prognosis.Areas coveredThis manuscript reviews available data on organ damage accrual in SLE and early therapeutic intervention as a possible strategy to prevent its long-term accrual.Expert opinionOrgan damage can be minimized by controlling disease activity and risk of flares, reducing the dose of glucocorticoids, and ensuring a proper therapeutic intervention with an early introduction of the right therapies. The current standard treatment cannot provide clinical remission in all patients with SLE. Therefore, there is a clinical need for introducing new therapeutic strategies able to achieve the main therapeutic objectives. The addition of biologic and other therapeutic agents to the standard of care is effective for controlling disease activity and for preventing severe flares, enabling a reduced use of glucocorticoids, and presumably reducing organ damage progression. Considering its efficacy and safety, early inclusion of biologic agents in the first lines of the treatment algorithm, at least in certain patients, could be considered as an innovative treatment approach to decrease disease burden in SLE patients.

Dissolved organic matter (DOM) composition exerts a direct control on its degradation and subsequent persistence in aquatic ecosystems. Yet, under certain conditions, the degradation patterns of DOM cannot be solely explained by its composition, highlighting the relevance of environmental conditions for DOM degradation. Here, we experimentally assessed the relative influence of composition vs. environment on DOM degradation by performing degradation bioassays using three contrasting DOM sources inoculated with a standardized bacterial inoculum under five distinct environments. The DOM degradation kinetics modeled using reactivity continuum models showed that composition was more important than environment in determining the bulk DOM decay patterns. Changes in DOM composition resulted from the interaction between DOM source and environment. The role of environment was stronger on shaping the bacterial community composition, but the intrinsic nature of the DOM source exerted stronger control on the DOM degradation function.

Abstract:Much is known about processions within the Roman liturgy, but the processions of the Old Hispanic rite practiced in most of Christian Iberia until ca. 1080 have not been studied. Explicit evidence about Old Hispanic processional characteristics and liturgical contexts is preserved in manuscript rubrics. Processions happened around or during Mass (for example, on Palm Sunday), at the end of Vespers or Matutinum (for example, the consecration of a basilica), or outside the usual daily liturgy (for example, votive ordos). We have collated all of the extant Old Hispanic rubrics pertaining to liturgical movement. Some of these unquestionably refer to processions, while others describe ceremonies that might better be described more informally as "liturgy in motion." We focus primarily on the processional rubrics, while also engaging with other liturgical movement. We identify the chant genres associated with processions and outline the processional practices attested in the rubrics.

Much is known about processions within the Roman liturgy, but the processions of the Old Hispanic rite practiced in most of Christian Iberia until ca. 1080 have not been studied. Explicit evidence about Old Hispanic processional characteristics and liturgical contexts is preserved in manuscript rubrics. Processions happened around or during Mass (for example, on Palm Sunday), at the end of Vespers or Matutinum (for example, the consecration of a basilica), or outside the usual daily liturgy (for example, votive ordos). We have collated all of the extant Old Hispanic rubrics pertaining to liturgical movement. Some of these unquestionably refer to processions, while others describe ceremonies that might better be described more informally as “liturgy in motion.” We focus primarily on the processional rubrics, while also engaging with other liturgical movement. We identify the chant genres associated with processions and outline the processional practices attested in the rubrics.

Nowadays, women’s participation in the fishing industry is increasing worldwide and women are more involved in activities that were traditionally male-dominated. Many studies have highlighted women’s low-paid labor, but the influential positions women can hold in fisheries and in fish trading have rarely been described. Through exploring women’s experiences and hindrances in the second largest wholesale fish market in Mexico, this study identifies the main drivers that have led women in the Mercado del Mar to work in fish trade, to occupy managerial positions in fishing businesses, and to hold influential positions in this market. Twelve interviews were conducted with women entrepreneurs in the fish market coupled with observations of daily activities in the market and informal interviews with men business owners. Different pathways to and experiences of entering into the fishing business were found. All these have to do with family networking and the different skill sets that each woman possesses and develops. Some women started the family business as middle-women, peddling fish on a small-scale basis, eventually building their business, and achieving an influential position in the market. Other women inherited an already thriving business from their parents and learned how to manage it from a young age. Finally, the division of labor in the Mercado del Mar depends on the abilities of each person, how they perform their roles, and the support that family networks and cultural heritage represent rather than gendered social norms.

Soil organisms are a crucial part of the terrestrial biosphere. Despite their importance for ecosystem functioning, few quantitative, spatially explicit models of the active belowground community currently exist. In particular, nematodes are the most abundant animals on Earth, filling all trophic levels in the soil food web. Here we use 6,759 georeferenced samples to generate a mechanistic understanding of the patterns of the global abundance of nematodes in the soil and the composition of their functional groups. The resulting maps show that 4.4 ± 0.64 × 1020nematodes (with a total biomass of approximately 0.3 gigatonnes) inhabit surface soils across the world, with higher abundances in sub-Arctic regions (38% of total) than in temperate (24%) or tropical (21%) regions. Regional variations in these global trends also provide insights into local patterns of soil fertility and functioning. These high-resolution models provide the first steps towards representing soil ecological processes in global biogeochemical models and will enable the prediction of elemental cycling under current and future climate scenarios.

Problems related to physical disability may have an extremely negative impact in the work environment, reducing productivity and contributing to health problems and a worsening quality of life.

To evaluate the effect of a physical activity programme in the aquatic environment with immersion up to the neck, of six weeks duration, on haemodynamic constants in pregnant women.

Evaluar el efecto de un programa de actividad física en el medio acuático con inmersión hasta el cuello, de seis semanas de duración, sobre las constantes hemodinámicas en mujeres gestantes.

Informal caregivers of post-stroke patients usually undergo high levels of pain and stress and have a reduced quality of life.

El suicidio es un problema sociosanitario de primer orden. El propósito de este estudio fue analizar la ideación suicida en una muestra representativa de adolescentes españoles. Concretamente, se examinó las tasas de prevalencia, se validó la Escala Paykel de Ideación Suicida (Paykel Suicide Scale, PSS) y se analizó el ajuste socioemocional de aquellos adolescentes con ideación suicida.

Valorar la eficacia y seguridad de un programa de actividad física por medio del método Pilates de ocho semanas de duración en mujeres gestantes sobre parámetros funcionales, como el peso, la tensión arterial, fuerza, flexibilidad, curvatura de la columna y parámetros en el parto, como tipo de parto, episiotomía, analgesia y peso del recién nacido.

To assess the effectiveness and safety of a physical activity programme based on use of the Pilates method, over eight weeks in pregnant women, on functional parameters, such as weight, blood pressure, strength, flexibility and spinal curvature, and on labour parameters, such as, type of delivery, episiotomy, analgesia and newborn weight.

El objetivo de este estudio fue evaluar el impacto de un conjunto de 5 intervenciones sobre la incidencia de infecciones relacionadas con la asistencia sanitaria en una unidad de Neonatología de nivel iii.

•Research on Solutrean points needs more interdisciplinary works beyond typology.•Analysis of fractures and dimensions of each element of the projectile points are key to establish their functionality.•Identification of remains of glue on Solutrean points, never recorded before, greatly establish hafting systems.•The percentage of Solutrean points with use marks, as well as that of unfinished ones provide information about the mobility and meat procurement strategies of the hunting-gathering groups of the time.

Existe evidencia sobre los efectos positivos de la danza, como la mejora de los parámetros cardiovasculares y del sueño. El objetivo del presente estudio ha sido explorar si un programa de terapia de baile es capaz de mejorar el sueño y la presión arterial en mujeres de mediana edad, prehipertensas e hipertensas.

Evaluar la mortalidad y diversos factores clínicos derivados del desarrollo de neumotórax (NTX) y/o neumomediastino (NMD) atraumáticos en pacientes críticos como consecuencia de la debilidad pulmonar asociada a la COVID-19 (DPAC).

The study in the quality of life of old people is seen as having a special interest in order to detect specific needs which otherwise would go unnoticed. This is even more important in multicultural societies, where religious and cultural perspectives are understood as decisive. The main objective of this study was to identify factors which affect the quality of life of the elderly belonging to different religions (Christian, Muslim and Jewish), living together in Ceuta (Spain), on the border of Morocco. Between 2006 and 2009, an ethnographic study was made in the city of Ceuta amongst people aging from 65 to 80 years (n: 372; N: 7078), different religious beliefs (7% Jewish; 68% Christians; 25% Muslims; 7% Jewish), both genders (55% female; 45% male), with no invalidating/disability pathologies and who had lived in Ceuta for at least 20 years within any of the six different districts in which the city is divided. The indicated population underwent a survey, from which three different dimensions emerge. These dimensions are submitted to reliability and validity criteria: Isolation (α=0,73), Multiculturality (=0,65), and Border Security (α=69). These results lead us to the elaboration of a model of the reality of the elderly in a multicultural context.

Electrochemical techniques offer many advantages for the treatment of industrial effluents. These processes are clean, operate at room temperature, and in most cases, do not need the addition of reagents (as in the case of reactive dyeing effluents). In particular, the electrochemical treatment of textile effluents is an efficient method to remove colour. In this work, diverse synthetic effluents containing reactive dyes were treated in an electrochemical cell with Ti/PtOxelectrodes. The efficiency of the process to remove colour and the use of an additional UV irradiation were evaluated. Once the conditions were established in synthetic effluents, they were applied on two types of exhausted reactive dye baths collected from a cotton mill. Instead of the effluent discharge, another possibility is to reuse the decoloured effluents for a new dyeing process. In this sense, diverse experiments were carried out and conditions for the effluents reuse were established. The reuse of dyeing effluents implies an important reduction of the salt and water consumption as well as a reduction of the salinity of the discharged effluents.

The aim of the study was to analyze the diagnostic performance of anti-deamidated gliadin peptide (dGp) immunoglobulin (Ig) G and IgA regarding the age at celiac disease (CD) diagnosis and the anti-dGp IgG usefulness for diagnosing CD IgA-deficient patients.

OBJECTIVE: To analyze circulating cytokines and regulatory T cells (Treg) in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) of different durations, and their association with functional interleukin 10 (IL-10) and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) genotypes in patients treated with corticosteroids. METHODS: Serum levels of IL-6, IL-10, IL-17, IL-18, TNF-α, and transforming growth factor-ss (TGF-ss) were quantified in 196 patients and 61 healthy controls. Percentage of CD4+CD25high cells was determined by flow cytometry and Foxp3 expression by real-time reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction. Data were related to clinical measurements and presence of the genotype –1082GG IL-10/–308GG TNF-α, previously associated with good response to corticosteroids. RESULTS: Levels of TNF-α, IL-6, and IL-18 were significantly higher in patients compared to controls, while TGF-ss and IL-10 were lower. Serum samples of patients at disease onset (n = 32) had increased IL-6 and decreased TGF-ss, but there were no differences in other cytokines. These patients also presented a higher percentage of CD4+CD25high cells than those with established disease, although no significant differences were detected in Foxp3. Patients under corticosteroid treatment who were carriers of the good responder genotype had higher levels of TGF-ss, Foxp3, and Treg compared to patients with other genotypes, while relatively lower levels of TNF-α and IL-17 were observed. CONCLUSION: Patients at onset of RA present fewer alterations in cytokine levels and Treg than those with longer disease duration, supporting the role of disease progression in subsequent changes. The antiinflammatory balance observed in high IL-10/low TNF-α patients treated with prednisone supports the use of these genetic polymorphisms as predictors of response to corticosteroid therapy.

OBJECTIVE: There are dysregulated levels of interleukin 10 (IL-10) and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) in rheumatoid arthritis (RA), and their role in the disease is controversial. We analyzed the association of functional polymorphisms of IL-10 and TNF-α with susceptibility and disease characteristics at the time of diagnosis, and we also evaluated their possible use as predictors of clinical response to treatments. METHODS: Patients with recent-onset RA (n = 162) and healthy controls (n = 373) were genotyped for –1082 IL-10 and –308 TNF-α polymorphisms and data were related to clinical and immunological measurements of patients at the time of diagnosis. Response to treatment after 6 months was determined in 125 patients by the absolute change in Disease Activity Score (DAS28) and the American College of Rheumatology criteria for improvement. RESULTS: We found a reduced frequency of the low IL-10 producer genotype (–1082AA) in patients with RA compared to controls (26.5% vs 38.9%; p = 0.006), while it is a risk factor for anticyclic citrullinated peptide antibodies (anti-CCP) positivity (p = 0.028). Evaluation of clinical response to treatments indicated that carriage of the high IL-10 genotype was associated with a favorable outcome (p = 0.009), specifically to prednisone therapy (p = 0.0003). No significant effects were observed with TNF-α polymorphism alone; however, in combination with the IL-10 genotype, it increased the strength of these associations. CONCLUSION: Results show an association between the low IL-10 producer genotype and protection from RA; nevertheless, when other specific genetic and/or environmental factors trigger onset of RA, this genotype may predispose to development of anti-CCP+ RA disease with reduced response to prednisone treatment.

OBJECTIVE: As interleukin 10 (IL-10)/tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) polymorphisms have been shown to influence TNF-α inhibition and clinical response to antimalarial treatment in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), we investigated involvement of these variants in antimalarial effects on cytokine serum levels and regulatory T cell population (Treg). METHODS: The alleles present at -308 TNF-α and -1082 IL-10 genes; serum concentrations of interferon-α (IFN-α), IL-10 and TNF-α; and size and function of CD4+CD25high(Treg) population were determined in SLE patients and in healthy controls. These data were related to treatment and clinical manifestations. RESULTS: Patients were observed to have increased IFN-α serum levels that did not correlate with any treatment. Among patients receiving antimalarial drugs, high IL-10/low TNF-α producers presented higher levels of IFN-α and IL-10 than carriers of other genotypes. In contrast, patients with the converse, low IL-10/high TNF-α genotype who were receiving antimalarial treatment presented increased size and function of Treg population. The percentage of CD4+CD25highcells was inversely correlated to TNF-α levels. CONCLUSION: Our findings suggest that the beneficial effect of antimalarials in low IL-10/high TNF-α patients with SLE may be partially attributable to the increase in Treg activity, whereas patients with the converse genotype did not show this phenomenon, yet did have significantly upregulated levels of IFN-α and IL-10, 2 cytokines that have been associated with SLE activity.

Asturias is an autonomous region in the north of Spain with historical and anthropologic peculiarities. In the current report, we examine the main clinical and immunologic features of 363 patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), virtually the entire population of SLE patients in Asturias.

Genetic variations in the interleukin (IL)-10 gene promoter have been associated with levels of induced production of IL-10, disease susceptibility, and allograft rejection. Small amounts of this cytokine are constitutively produced and are important in maintaining the physiologic function of the cytokine network. In this study, we evaluated the distribution of IL-10 basal levels and its genetic regulation in a healthy Spanish population.

The new diterpenes anhydrocinnzeylanone, garajonone and 2,3-didehydrocinnzeylanone, and the known anhydrocinnzeylanine, have been isolated from Persea indica. The antifeedant activity of these compounds has been evaluated showing the importance of the 11-hemiketal group for the antifeedant effects of ryanodane diterpenes.

Objective Spain’s so-called Stroke Belt is an area with high prevalence of vascular disease. We aimed to determine the prevalence of undetected obstructive sleep apnea–hypopnea syndrome (OSAHS) among patients with acute ischemic stroke (AIS) in southern Spain.Methods We conducted a cross-sectional study at the Virgen Macarena University Hospital Stroke Unit during 2018 to 2019. We included patients <72 hours after AIS with a neuroimaging lesion and performed sleep tests.Results Seventy-two patients were included. The median participant age was 72 years. Mean body mass index was 27.07 kg/m2, and 40.28% were daily alcohol drinkers. Hypertension, atrial fibrillation, ischemic cardiomyopathy, and previous stroke were detected in 63.9%, 11.1%, 15.3%, and 17.6% of patients, respectively. Polygraphy was feasible in 91.38% of patients. The prevalence of OSAHS was 84.72% (apnea–hypopnea index ≥5). Patients with moderate and severe OSAHS were more likely to be obese and to have a larger neck circumference and facial palsy. The diagnostic criteria of central sleep apnea syndrome were met in only 1.38% of patients.Conclusions The high prevalence of OSAHS found in the Spanish Stroke Belt justifies further investigation and development of a screening program as a strategy to identify patients with undetected OSAHS.

Structure–dose–feeding deterrency relationships were compared between the Colorado potato beetle, Leptinotarsa decemlineata(Say), and the western corn rootworm, Diabrotica virgifera virgiferaLeConte, using 15 alkaloids, terpenoids, and phenolic derivatives. The former species, a specialist herbivore on selected alkaloid-rich Solanaceae species, was on average 100-times less sensitive to the antifeedant effects of alkaloids, but more similarly sensitive to the terpenoids and phenolics than the latter species, a generalist flower herbivore predominantly on Graminae, Cucurbitaceae, and Compositae species. Antifeedant ED50values for the potato beetle and corn rootworm, each from closely related subfamilies of Chrysomelidae, ranged over four orders of dose magnitude among the 15 compounds with major species differences in stereosensitivity to β-hydrastines and analog sensitivity with the silphinenes. Extremes in sensitivity ranged from silphinene, a rare tricyclic sesquiterpene that is 53 times more active on the potato beetle to aconitine, which is 430 times more antifeedant to the corn rootworm. Among silphinene and its two hydrolysis derivatives, there was not a strong correlation between antifeedant potency and injected toxicity for the two beetle species, but there was correlation between behavioral activity and galeal taste cell electrophysiological threshold and frequency responses. That all of the established GABA- and glycinergic compounds tested were antifeedant for both species suggests a shared molecular mechanism for antifeedant taste chemoreception in these divergent Chrysomelidae species. Moreover, the wide differences in antifeedant sensitivities among these and other chrysomelids to a suite of ligand-gated ion channel antagonists implicate a common protein neuroreceptor type with extraordinary heterogeneity in beetle taste.

The sesquiterpenes farnesol, caryophyllene oxide, and 2,10-bisaboladien-1-one (patent #9602748) and the monoterpenes citronellol and geraniol were tested for settling inhibition and chronic effects on the aphidMyzus persicaeby means of an improved leaf-disk assay. Of these compounds, geraniol, famesol, and the natural bisabolene significantly inhibit settling in choice tests. Furthermore, application of the bisabolene to intactCapsicum annuumleaves did not cause phytotoxicity, but did affect the insects' probing behavior by decreasing the probing activity and the number of intracellular punctures. Both compounds significantly decreased offspring production. Of the compounds tested, the natural product bisabolene could be a promising lead for future development of aphid control agents.

The present report describes opportunistic infections found at 74 autopsies of pediatric HIV/AIDS patients performed at several hospitals in Latin American countries. Fungal infections were the most common (53 cases), Candida sp. (39.18 %) and Pneumocystis carinii (20.27%) being the most frequently recognized. Other fungal diseases included histoplasmosis, aspergillosis, and cryptococcosis. Viral infections were present in 31 cases, 38.7% being due to cytomegalovirus. Other viruses recognized included herpes simplex and adenovirus. Additional opportunistic infections were due to Mycobacterium avium-intracellulare, toxoplasmosis, and tuberculosis. Nonspecific bacterial bronchopneumonia was present in 11 cases. Cytomegalovirus and P. carinii coinfection was the most common association found. In this series patients died at a younger age (72% at or younger than 1 year old) and there was a slightly higher number of cases of histoplasmosis and. brain toxoplasmosis than in other previously published series of infants and children.

Summary: This randomized trial compared the efficacy of a rice-based (50 g/L) oral rehydration solution with the standard glucose-based WHO/UNICEF solution in the treatment of 100 hospitalized infants, ages 3–18 months, with acute dehydrating diarrhea. The main outcomes examined were stool output and duration of diarrhea. Patients were placed on a “metabolic” bed so that intake and losses could be measured accurately throughout the study. Overall, 89 of patients were successfully rehydrated orally; the rehydration failure rate was similar in the two groups and it was significantly associated with infection by specific E. coliserotypes. Stool output in the first 24 h was 11 lower in the rice group (112 versus 126 ml/kg), but this difference was not significant. Neither stool output in the second 24 h nor total stool output were different between groups. The median duration of diarrhea was 3.8 days in the rice group and 3.9 days in the glucose group (p = NS). Other (secondary) outcomes, such as fluid intake, urine output, emesis losses, weight change, and electrolyte balance were also similar between the two groups. Some evidence of carbohydrate malabsorption was detected in 61 of the rice group versus 45 of the glucose group (p = NS) and was not associated with any particular treatment outcome. These results show that a rice-based oral rehydration solution is as efficacious as, but not better than the standard glucose-based solution in the treatment of infants with acute dehydrating diarrhea not associated with cholera.

A new HPLC method is described for the quantification of aglycones derived from cyclic hydroxamic acids: DIMBOA (2,4-dihydroxy-7-methoxy-2H-1,4-benzoxazin-3(4H)-one), its degradation product MBOA (6-methoxybenzoxazolinone) and the demethoxy analogue DIBOA (2,4-dihydroxy-2H-1,4-benzoxazin-3(4H)-one) in crude aqueous solutions from homogenized cereal tissues. After hydrolysis of ß-glycosides to aglycones, extracts of cereal samples were chromatographed on a PRP-1 column using a gradient of tris/citric acid and methanol/acetonitrile, and monitored at 288 nm. The three compounds were separated within 26 min. The minimum detection limit for all of them was 50 pmol. The recovery percentage was 100% for DIBOA, 87% for DIMBOA and 96% for MBOA. The levels of aglycones were determined in aqueous extracts from corn and winter cereal seedlings (20-100 mg), ranging from 3.80 to 11.50 mg DIBOA/g dry weight and 4.75 to 100.43 mg DIMBOA/g dry weight.

Summary: This randomized trial compared the efficacy of a rice-based (50 g/L) oral rehydration solution with the standard glucose-based WHO/UNICEF solution in the treatment of 100 hospitalized infants, ages 3–18 months, with acute dehydrating diarrhea. The main outcomes examined were stool output and duration of diarrhea. Patients were placed on a “metabolic” bed so that intake and losses could be measured accurately throughout the study. Overall, 89% of patients were successfully rehydrated orally; the rehydration failure rate was similar in the two groups and it was significantly associated with infection by specific E. coliserotypes. Stool output in the first 24 h was 11% lower in the rice group (112 versus 126 ml/kg), but this difference was not significant. Neither stool output in the second 24 h nor total stool output were different between groups. The median duration of diarrhea was 3.8 days in the rice group and 3.9 days in the glucose group (p = NS). Other (secondary) outcomes, such as fluid intake, urine output, emesis losses, weight change, and electrolyte balance were also similar between the two groups. Some evidence of carbohydrate malabsorption was detected in 61% of the rice group versus 45% of the glucose group (p = NS) and was not associated with any particular treatment outcome. These results show that a rice-based oral rehydration solution is as efficacious as, but not better than the standard glucose-based solution in the treatment of infants with acute dehydrating diarrhea not associated with cholera.

This paper deals with the construction of a behavioural questionnaire on sexual harassment. It tries to outline a method for measuring working women's vulnerability to sexual harassment and their degree of adjustment to the pattern profile constructed in this work. This pattern was obtained from scores of 42 different women. Multidimensional Scaling Analysis was used. The results were used to set up an objective profile from which to calculate both the degree of adjustment and the vulnerability of working women to sexual harassment behaviour.

Stenotrophomonas maltophiliais an important but rare cause of late onset neonatal sepsis in extremely low birth weight (ELBW) infants. These infections are difficult to treat due to the multiple drug resistance profile of the organism. One class of antibiotics available for use is the quinolones, such as ciprofloxacin and levofloxacin. However, the limited experience and known toxicity of levofloxacin raises further concerns regarding its use in this patient population. We present a case of refractory shock in an ELBW infant following the use of levofloxacin to treat S. maltophiliainfection. The use of levofloxacin in ELBW infants may be associated with major hemodynamic compromise and, accordingly, we recommend caution for its use in this patient population.