Cultivating <Emphasis Type="Italic">in vitro</Emphasis> coconut palms (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Cocos nucifera</Emphasis>) under glasshouse conditions with natural light,improves <Emphasis Type="Italic">in vitro</Emphasis> photosynthesis nursery survival and growth

Plantlets of coconut were cultured in vitro under three different ambient conditions including a standard culture room, a culture room inside a glasshouse with natural light but controlled temperature, and a standard glasshouse with natural light and natural fluctuations of temperature. Plantlets from the 3 treatments were compared in terms of growth, plant survival as well as net photosynthesis and efficiency of PSII (Fv/Fm ratio) both at the end of the in vitro stage and at 3 stages of ex vitro acclimatization. At the end of the in vitro stage, plantlets cultured in vitro under glasshouse conditions showed the best performance showing the highest photosynthesis rate, dry weight and number of leaves. Plantlets from the standard culture room showed the lowest photosynthesis and growth rate. After 6 months of ex vitro acclimatization, plantlets originally grown in vitro under glasshouse conditions maintained better field survival and growth rates in terms of fresh weight, dry weight and leaf number than plantlets originally grown in vitro in the standard culture room. Although more studies are required to define the reason for this effect, it is clear that the conditions of standard culture rooms are not the best for in vitro cultivation of coconut and perhaps other tropical species.     

Geographical Information Systems risk assessment models for zoonotic fascioliasis in the South American Andes region

The WHO recognises Fasciola hepatica to be an important human health problem. The Andean countries of Peru, Bolivia and Chile are those most severely affected by this distomatosis, though areas of Ecuador, Colombia and Venezuela are also affected. As part of a multidisciplinary project, we present results of use of a Geographical Information Systems (GIS) forecast model to conduct an epidemiological analysis of human and animal fasciolosis in the central part of the Andes mountains. The GIS approach enabled us to develop a spatial and temporal epidemiological model to map the disease in the areas studied and to classify transmission risk into low, moderate and high risk areas so that areas requiring the implementation of control activities can be identified. Current results are available on a local scale for: (1) the northern Bolivian Altiplano, (2) Puno in the Peruvian Altiplano, (3) the Cajamarca and Mantaro Peruvian valleys, and (4) the Ecuadorian provinces of Azuay, Cotopaxi and Imbabura. Analysis of results demonstrated the validity of a forecast model that combines use of climatic data to calculate of forecast indices with remote sensing data, through the classification of Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) maps.     

Precise excision of the large pathogenicity island, SPI7, in Salmonella enterica serovar Typhi

The large pathogenicity island (SPI7) of Salmonella enterica serovar Typhi is a 133,477-bp segment of DNA flanked by two 52-bp direct repeats overlapping the pheU (phenylalanyl-tRNA) gene, contains 151 potential open reading frames, and includes the viaB operon involved in the synthesis of Vi antigen. Some clinical isolates of S. enterica serovar Typhi are missing the entire SPI7, due to its precise excision; these strains have lost the ability to produce Vi antigen, are resistant to phage Vi-II, and invade a human epithelial cell line more rapidly. Excision of SPI7 occurs spontaneously in a clinical isolate of S. enterica serovar Typhi when it is grown in the laboratory, leaves an intact copy of the pheU gene at its novel join point, and results in the same three phenotypic consequences. SPI7 is an unstable genetic element, probably an intermediate in the pathway of lateral transfer of such pathogenicity islands among enteric gram-negative bacteria.     

The helminth community of the wood mouse, Apodemus sylvaticus, in the Sierra Espuna, Murcia, Spain

The helminth community of the wood mouse, Apodemus sylvaticus, in the Sierra Espuna was characterized after a complete analysis of its helminth community component and infracommunity structure relative to host age, sex and year of capture. The helminth community comprised 13 species: one trematode, four cestodes and eight nematodes. The cestode Pseudocatenotaenia matovi and the nematode Syphacia frederici were the most prevalent and abundant helminth species, respectively. Sixty four percent of mice analysed presented helminths with a direct cycle and 42% presented helminths with an indirect cycle. The helminth community presents a low diversity with infracommunities usually made up of only one or two helminth species. Host age and year of capture seem to play a major role in determining species richness and helminth diversity, but not in determining the abundance of helminths. Host sex does not seem to affect the infection rate nor the diversity. Further studies on more samples of wood mice and other small mammal species in this regional park are needed to explore any possible interactions between helminth communities in the host populations.     

Simple purification of immunoglobulins from whey proteins concentrate

We have developed a new protocol with only two steps for purification of immunoglobulins (Ig) from a protein concentrate of whey. Following this protocol, we have an 80% recovery of immunoglobulins, fairly pure. The purification was achieved by eliminating the BSA, via a strong adsorption on DEAE-agarose. Full desoprtion of the other serum proteins could be achieved without contamination with BSA. Thus, a protein solution containing only Ig and very small proteins (e.g., beta-lactoglobulins and alpha-lactalbumin) was obtained. Offering this protein mixture to a lowly activated aminated support, only Ig adsorbed on the support. It has been shown that BSA is able to interact with other proteins (including Ig and lactalbumins). This ability to form complexes with other proteins prevented the success of the direct adsorption of Ig on this mildly activated support, even although Ig should be the largest protein presented in dairy whey.     

Comparative population genetics of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Basilichthys microlepidotus</Emphasis> (Atheriniformes: Atherinopsidae) and <Emphasis Type="Italic">Trichomycterus areolatus</Emphasis> (Siluriformes: Trichomycteridae) in north central Chile

To describe comparative population genetic structure of the Chilean silverside Basilichthys microlepidotus and the catfish Trichomycterus areolatus, four rivers and three sites within each river were investigated by the analysis of haplotype polymorphisms of the mitochondrial Control Region. For both species, analyses revealed significant differentiation among rivers and low differences within rivers. However, the species differ in haplotype composition; individuals of B. microlepidotus shared some haplotypes in all four rivers, while individuals of T. areolatus showed a different haplotype composition in most rivers. This difference may be explained by the different ecological features of the species. Assuming that both silversides and catfish were present before the separation of the rivers, B. microlepidotus migrated after river isolation, probably using coastal water, while T. areolatus has probably never migrated between these rivers. The long times that the studied rivers have been separated should be taken into account in future conservation plans for the freshwater fish of Chile.     

Synthesis of 5-arylidene-2-amino-4-azolones and evaluation of their anticancer activity

Series of novel 5-arylidene-2-arylaminothiazol-4(5H)-ones and 2-aryl(benzyl)amino-1H-imidazol-4(5H)-ones were synthesized from appropriate 2-alkylthioazol-4-ones using nucleophilic substitution in position 2 by various anilines and benzylamines and Knoevenagel reaction. X-ray structural studies of 22 revealed the structure to be intermediate between amino and imino tautomeric forms. All the target compounds were evaluated for the anticancer activity in vitro in standard National Cancer Institute 60 cancer cell lines assay. Majority of compounds showed significant antitumor cytotoxicity effect at micromolar and submicromolar level (Mean Log GI₅₀ ranges ?5.77 to ?4.35). Some of the most potent compounds, namely 10 and 13, possessed selectively high effect on all leukemia cell lines at submicromolar level (Mean Log GI₅₀ [leukemia lines], respectively, ?6.41 and ?6.29), which are probably associated with immunosuppressive activity. Individual cancer cell lines sensitivity to synthesized compounds and SAR studies are discussed. COMPARE analysis allowed to disclose probable modes of anticancer action for synthesized compounds, in particular showed number of high correlations with activity patterns of alkylating agents (PCC ～ 0.606–0.731).