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Anthropogenic activities are increasing the atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2); around a third of the CO2 emitted by these activities has been taken up by the ocean. Nevertheless, this marine ecosystem service of regulation remains largely invisible to society, and not enough is known about regional differences and trends in sea-air CO2 fluxes (FCO2), especially in the Southern Hemisphere. The objectives of this work were as follows: first to put values of FCO2 integrated over the exclusive economic zones (EEZ) of five Latin-American countries (Argentina, Brazil, Mexico, Peru, and Venezuela) into perspective regarding total country-level greenhouse gases (GHG) emissions. Second, to assess the variability of two main biological factors affecting FCO2 at marine ecological time series (METS) in these areas. FCO2 over the EEZs were estimated using the NEMO model, and GHG emissions were taken from reports to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change. For each METS, the variability in phytoplankton biomass (indexed by chlorophyll-a concentration, Chla) and abundance of different cell sizes (phy-size) were analyzed at two time periods (2000–2015 and 2007–2015). Estimates of FCO2 at the analyzed EEZs showed high variability among each other and non-negligible values in the context of greenhouse gas emissions. The trends observed at the METS indicated, in some cases, an increase in Chla (e.g., EPEA-Argentina) and a decrease in others (e.g., IMARPE-Peru). Evidence of increasing populations of small size-phytoplankton was observed (e.g., EPEA-Argentina, Ensenada-Mexico), which would affect the carbon export to the deep ocean. These results highlight the relevance of ocean health and its ecosystem service of regulation when discussing carbon net emissions and budgets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Muchos miembros de Archaea, un grupo de microroganismos descritos hace aproximadamente 30 años, colonizan ambientes extremos. Sin embargo, las investigaciones más recientes han demostrado que las arqueas también son abundantes componentes del plankton marino, siendo algunos grupos de Archaea componentes fundamentales de los ecosistemas marinos debido a su rol clave en los ciclos biogeoquímicos. Aunque la ubiquidad de las arqueas ha sido bien documentada, hasta el momento no hay registros de la presencia de representantes de este grupo en el mar Argentino. En un estudio de biodiversidad orientado a determinar secuencias de picoplancton utilizando cebadores universales para eucariotas, se encontraron secuencias de ADNr de Archaea en muestras recolectadas durante la primavera en una estación fija de monitorización (EPEA) en el mar Argentino. A partir de ADN ambiental y mediante el uso de la metodología de PCR, se obtuvieron dos fragmentos de aproximadamente 1700 y 1460 pb, que fueron separados y visualizados después de electroforesis en geles de agarosa y, luego, purificados, clonados y secuenciados. El análisis de BLAST mostró que las secuencias de tamaño superior correspondían a organismos eucariotas y las secuencias de menor tamaño pertenecían a Archaea. El análisis filogenético mostró que las secuencias de Archaea se agrupan con Euryarchaeota marina grupo II, caracterizado como un linaje metanógeno. Éste es el primer reporte de la presencia de secuencias de Euryarchaeota grupo II en aguas del mar Argentino. El hecho de que las secuencias de Archaea hayan sido amplificadas con cebadores no específicos para este grupo podría sugerir una inesperada abundancia de estos organismos durante los inicios de primavera en el mar Argentino. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many members of Archaea, a group of prokaryotes recognized three decades ago, colonize extreme environments; however, new research has shown that Archaeans are also abundant components of plankton in the open sea, where they play a key role in the biogeochemical cycles. Although the widespread distribution of Archaea in the marine environment is well documented there are no reports on the detection of Archaea in the Southwest Atlantic Ocean. During the search for picophytoplankton sequences using eukaryotic universal primers, we retrieved archaeal rDNA sequences from surface samples collected during the spring at a fixed monitoring station (EPEA) in the Argentine Sea. From environmental DNA and using PCR methodology, two DNA fragments of about 1700 and 1450 bp were visualized after electrophoresis in agarose gels, and separately purified, cloned, and sequenced. BLAST analysis showed that sequences of the highest size corresponded to eukaryotic organisms and, unexpectedly, those of about 1460 bp corresponded to archaeal organisms. Phylogenetic analysis showed that archaeal sequences belong to Euryarchaeota of marine group II, characterized as a methanogenic lineage. This is the first report on the presence of group II Euryarchaeota sequences in environmental water samples of the Argentine Sea. The fact that Archaea sequences were amplified with primers non-specific for this group may suggest an unexpected abundance of these organisms in the early spring in the Argentine Sea. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We have studied the swallowing apnea in 66 persons. Five were laryngectomized. We analysed 1916 breathing/swallowing correlation charts, 109 in laryngectomized and 1807 in not laryngectomized persons. The correlation charts were done using a piezoelectric and thermistor register coupled to a manometric system developed by Synetics Medical interfaced to a microcomputer running software Polygram upper 4.21. Our observation allows us to conclude that: 1. the swallowing apnea has not the same reflex path of the breathing interruption that occurs when a foreign body stimulates the laryngeal receptors; 2. the swallowing apnea installation is not dependent on the laryngeal structures; 3. the swallowing apnea and rima glottidis closure, that occur in the same moment, are correlated phenomena, but are a distinct part of the airway protective mechanisms; and 4. even though the swallowing apnea can occur in every moment of the breathing cycle, it occurs more frequently at the end of expiratory and beginning of the inspiratory phase of breathing cycle; it is usually continued by a complementary expiration. We believe that the less lung volume is the basic condition to the establishment of the more frequent kind of swallowing apnea reflex.

Respiratory diseases are very frequent in childhood, for the discrimination between atopic and non atopic causes. We therefore investigated a new in vitro test for specific IgE to inhalant allergens. Sera from 29 patients pediatrics with suspected allergic symptoms of the respiratory tract were analysed. Diagnosis was established by clinical history, PRIST, laboratory test, intradermal skin tests. The issue of our study show that Phadiatop can be effectively screened in the diagnosis of allergy in young children.

The mother's perception of signs and symptoms of dehydration in children under three years of age was studied and compared with the medical classification. The study was carried out in a children's hospital in the city of Rio de Janeiro, among children hospitalized with diarrhoea between January, 1987 and February, 1988. The number of excretions and of vomitings, thirst and condition of eyes constituted the signs and symptoms most frequently reported by mothers. However, they had difficulty in judging the amount of urine, humidity of mouth and tongue and turgidity of the skin. These signs were almost always regarded as normal or, at most, as indicating only slight alteration. Those mothers who tended to underestimate the severity of the dehydration indicated by the physician were of a lower educational level and had more severely undernourished children and greater difficulty of access to the hospital. On the other hand, those who tended to overestimate it belonged to a higher educational level, had better-nourished children, greater ease of access to the hospital and were attended to by a smaller number of health care services before reaching the hospital surveyed. Those who agreed with the medical diagnosis were in an intermediate situation, although they tended to be closer to those who underestimated the gravity of the dehydration. Those mothers whose children had already gone through a dehydration episode did not present a more intense agreement with the physician's diagnosis, thus evidencing that the information afforded at the health care service was either non-existent or inadequate.

Single bolus injections of hypertonic (7.5%) NaCl (H), hyperoncotic (6%) dextran-70 (D), or of their combination (HD) were given to severely bled (54.2 +/- 1.3 ml/kg) anesthetized dogs. Two shock procedures (30 or 60 min at 35 mm Hg) were tested. Survival was highest (11/12) after HD, lower (9/12) after H, and lowest (7/12) after D; it was higher (15/18 vs. 12/18) after the shorter vs. longer shock procedure. Cardiac index (CI) was restored to 83%-104% of prehemorrhage levels immediately after HD or H; 3 h later it was down to 67%-71% of control; after D, CI was stable at 41% to 50% of control; no differences in the relative performances of the agents tested in the 30 or 60-min shock durations. Arterial pressure recovered to near control levels in all groups; consequently, systemic vascular resistance was reduced after H and HD, but increased after D. Plasma volume recovered to 95% of control after H, 105% of control after HD, but only to 80% after D; however, the response to H was transient. Metabolic acidosis was partially reverted by all solutions. Plasma Na+ was transiently raised by H and HD. Overall differences detected between H vs. HD tend to favor HD as a resuscitative solution.