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We report the first record of Tomodon orestes Harvey and Muñoz, 2004 for Argentina. An adult male wascollected in November 2008 in an open grassland habitat in the locality of Vallecito, Santa Victoria department, Saltaprovince, Argentina. This new record is the southernmost locality for the species extending its distribution range ca. 95 kmstraight-line south from type locality.

Competition among males can be a decisive factor for successful mating in anuran explosive breeders with a male-biased population sex ratio. The Yungas Red-belly Toad (Melanophryniscus rubriventris (Vellard, 1947)) is an explosive breeder where males exhibit a classic scramble competition. We studied the body size, body condition, and stress-induced leukocyte response of M. rubriventris males under natural scenarios of scramble competition. We hand-captured adult males (categorised as single, in pairs, or in mating balls) and determined their body mass and length, body condition, and their leukocyte profile. We found that males in pairs had significantly higher body mass than single males and those in mating balls. We found the highest percentage of individuals with better body condition within the paired males who showed significantly higher body condition index value than singles or those in mating balls. Amplectant males (those collected in pairs or in mating balls) had a significantly lower proportion of lymphocytes and higher neutrophil–lymphocyte ratios than singles. Amplectant males showed significantly higher proportions of neutrophils or eosinophils than singles. Our results suggest that M. rubriventris males with better body condition can be more successful in acquiring mates, although scramble competition among males can trigger a stress response. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Natural habitats have drastically regressed due to rapid changes in land‐use during recent decades, generating a decrease in species diversity. In light of natural habitat destruction worldwide, there is a need to adopt an integrative approach to the study of biodiversity in order to better assess the magnitude of diversity loss in landscapes affected by human intervention. The aim of this study was to assess and compare anuran assemblages under different land‐uses in a subtropical forest of NW Argentina using an integrative view of diversity through different measures. We assessed alpha and beta diversity components for three complementary diversity measures: species richness, functional diversity and phylogenetic diversity in three land‐uses: forest, tobacco and suburban. We carried out generalized linear mixed models with an autocorrelation structure to compare the three diversity measures across the different land‐uses. We also used a beta diversity partitioning method to determine nestedness and turnover processes in taxonomic, functional and phylogenetic dissimilarity. Our results suggest a filtering effect of the land‐uses on the diversity of anuran assemblages in the surveyed area, with an increased loss of anuran diversity in areas with intensified land‐use, such as tobacco monoculture. This study contributes to understand amphibian communities associated to modified habitats in the Southern Andean Yungas forests from Argentina. Our findings highlight the importance of disentangling each diversity component separately to detect more accurately the diversity patterns associated to land‐use change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: The best treatment for relapsed platinum sensitive epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) is controversial. The aim of the study was to compare progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) in platinum-sensitive EOC patients treated with chemotherapy alone (CTA), secondary cytoreductive surgery (SCR) or SCR plus hyperthermic intraperitoneal intraoperative chemotherapy (HIPEC). Materials and Methods: Retrospective analysis of the clinical outcome of 46 EOC patients with at least 30 months of follow-up. Results: Median follow-up time was 32 months for the CTA group, 30 months for the SCR group, and 45 months for the SCR + HIPEC group. Fifteen recurrences were observed in the CTA group, seven in the SCR group, and 16 in the SCR + HIPEC group. The median time elapsed between first and second recurrence (PFI-2) was significantly higher among patients treated with SCR + HIPEC, in comparison with patients treated with CTA (p = 0.012 and p = 0.017, respectively). On the contrary, PFI-2 did not significantly differ between the SCR and SCR + HIPEC groups (p = 0.877). A statistically significant difference in OS favouring SCR + HIPEC in comparison with CTA (p = 0.04) was observed. Conclusions: SCR ± HIPEC compared with CTA improves PFI-2 in patients with platinum-sensitive EOC recurrence. SCR + HIPEC might also improve OS in comparison with CTA. No improvement in favor of SCR + HIPEC vs SCR was observed. These results further support the need of a randomized trial comparing chemotherapy with SCR ± HIPEC in this setting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Aims Aim of this study was to assess operators' safety while performing a semi-closed HIPEC procedure for peritoneal carcinomatosis using cisplatin drugs. Methods Environmental air, theater personnel urine, operators' gloves and hand skin contamination were assessed during two non-consecutive working days. Six operating surgeons, two anesthesiologists and two theater nurses were included in the study. Glove samples were collected from the inner surface of the external glove and from the external surface of the inner glove from operating surgeons wearing a double pair of gloves. Personnel urine samples were collected before, after and 24 h from the procedure. Results Air and urine samples permanently resulted below detectable levels for cisplatin presence on all the tested sources and sessions. Cisplatin contamination was detected on the inner surface of the external gloves and on the outer surface of the inner gloves, but in a lower concentration for the latter. Skin wipe samples were below detectable levels for platinum presence. Conclusion The results suggest that two pairs of gloves are adequate to protect the skin from antiblastic drugs. No sign of direct contact or systemic absorption of drugs was ever detected from the inspected samples. Semi-closed HIPEC technique appears to be a safe procedure for operators. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Three species of marsupial frogs of the genus Gastrotheca are at the forefront of amphibian conservation concern in Argentina. Most of the data available on these amphibian species in the country are in the form of museum collections. In this study, we use the recent rediscovery of G. gracilis to test the applicability of a series of probabilistic methods and a trend analysis to analyse the sighting records in the marsupial frog species of Argentina, and to assess the probability that G. christinani and G. chrysosticta are still extant. The results suggest that the two marsupial frog species are still extant, but probably declining. Based on these results, we suggest as a precautionary measure to raise the actual conservation status of these marsupial frog species to Critically Endangered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Aim: The present study was specifically designed to assess the major clinical and pathological variables of patients with colorectal peritoneal carcinomatosis in order to investigate whether currently used criteria appropriately select candidates for peritonectomy procedures (cytoreductive surgery) combined with hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC). Patients and methods: Preoperative, operative and follow-up data on 146 consecutive patients presenting with peritoneal carcinomatosis of colorectal origin and treated by surgical cytoreduction combined with HIPEC in 5 Italian Hospital and University Centers were prospectively entered in a common database. Univariate and multivariate analyses were used to assess the prognostic value of clinical and pathologic factors. Results: Over a minimum 24-month follow-up, the overall morbidity rate was 27.4% (mortality rate: 2.7%) and was directly related to the extent of surgery. Peritoneal cancer index (PCI), unfavorable peritoneal sites, synchronous or previously resected liver metastasis and the completeness of cytoreduction, all emerged as independent prognostic factors correlated with survival. Conclusions: Until research provides more effective criteria for selecting patients based upon the biomolecular features of carcinomatosis, patients should be selected according to the existing independent prognostic variables. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Aim: This retrospective multi-institutional study addresses the role of surgical cytoreduction and hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) in the treatment of multicystic peritoneal mesothelioma (MCPM). MCPM is an uncommon tumour with uncertain malignant potential and no current standard therapy. Additionally, poorly defined pathological and biological features of this disease were investigated. Methods: Twelve patients with MCPM underwent 14 procedures of cytoreduction and HIPEC in two Italian referral centres. Nine patients had recurrent disease after previous debulking (one operation in six patients, two in two, four in one). Biological markers related to mesothelioma origin and clinical features were assessed by immunohistochemical studies. Results: Median follow-up was 64 months (range 5–148). Optimal cytoreduction (residual tumour nodules ≤2.5 mm) was performed in all the procedures. One grade IV postoperative complication (NCI/CTCAE v.3.0) and no operative death occurred. All the patients are presently alive with no evidence of disease, including two patients who underwent the procedure twice, due to locoregional disease recurrence. Five- and ten-year progression-free survival was 90% and 72%, accounting for a. statistically significant difference (P = 0.0001) with progression-free survival following previous debulking surgery (median 11 months; range 2–31). All cases showed low proliferative activity assessed by mitotic rate and Ki-67 expression. Conclusions: MCPM is a borderline tumour with a high propensity to local–regional recurrence. Definitive tumour eradication by means of cytoreduction and HIPEC seems more effective than debulking surgery in preventing disease relapse. Low mitotic rate and poor Ki-67 expression might be related to the peculiar behaviour of MCMP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]