Dos nuevas especies de <Emphasis Type="Italic">Staelia</Emphasis> (Rubiaceae) con hojas ternadas del nordeste de Brasil

Two new Brazilian species of Staelia with ternate leaves are described and illustrated. The first, Staelia paganuccii, was collected in the cerrado biome, whereas the second, S. domingosii belongs to the Caatingas domain of the Chapada Diamantina complex. The affinities of the two species within the genus are discussed. Photographs of the plants in their natural environments are provided. A brief commentary on the inflorescence structure of Staelia is presented and its importance is discussed.     

Cuatro especies nuevas de <Emphasis Type="Italic">Telipogon</Emphasis> (Orchidaceae) de los bosques montanos de Bolivia

Four new species of Telipogon are described and illustrated: T. cotapatensis, T. juan-torrezii, T. oliganthus and T. pubescens. All were collected from the montane forest of Cotapata National Park, Nor Yungas Province, Department of La Paz, Bolivia.     

Fenologia y seleccion de habitat de las especies de sirfidos afidofagos (Dipt.: Syrphidae) mas frecuentes en cultivos cerealeros y forrajeros en la provincia de buenos aires,argentina

Phenology and habitat selection of the aphidophagous syrphid species most frequently found in crops and pastures in the Province of Buenos Aires, Argentina. The paucity in ecological studies on aphidophagous syrphid flies (Diptera, Syrphidae) of the neotropical region is particularly pronounced in Argentina. In order to increase the database on these natural enemies, the phenology and habitat selection of six syrphid flies (Dipt., Syrphidae):Syrphus phaeostigma (L.);Allograpta obliqua (Wied.);Allograpta exotica (Wied.);Pseudodorus clavatus (L.);Platycheirus carposcalis (L.) andOcyptamus argentinensis (Thorn.) were studied in the Province of Buenos Aires (Argentina). The moment of the year in which adults, eggs, larvae and pupae of these species are found was recorded. The phenologies found for the species in our area are similar to those found for other species of the same genera in other parts of the world. These aphidophagous syrphids are not evenly distributed in all the systems sampled, evidencing a preference for either one of the following types of habitat: cereal crop, lucerne, soya, bushes or prairies. These results are potentially useful in terms of crop and pest management practices.

     

Dos especies nuevas de <Emphasis Type="Italic">Borreria</Emphasis> (Rubiaceae), un nuevo registro de <Emphasis Type="Italic">Declieuxia</Emphasis> y observaciones taxonómicas

Two new species of Borreria are described: the first, Borreria johnwoodii from the Campo Cerrado area of the Noel Kempff Mercado National Park; the second, Borreria siberiana from the cloud forest of the Yungas, between 2600 and 3100 m above sea level. Declieuxia cordigera is recorded for the first time from Bolivia. Borreria nectarifera is shown to be synonymous with B. eryngioides var. affinis.     

A new combination in Spermacoce (Rubiaceae) and lectotypification of Borreria terminalis

Borreria terminalis Small is recognized as a species distinct fromS. verticillata L. and as an endemic to southern Florida and is transferred to the genusSpermacoce L. A new combination,S. terminalis (Small) Kartesz & Gandhi, is proposed, and a lectotype is designated.     

Análisis morfométrico de las especies de Echinocereus sección Triglochidiati (Cactaceae) en México

Echinocereus section Triglochidiati has been accepted in the most recent taxonomic treatments of the genus. However, the number of included species has varied from one to 14. This study aims to define the species number of section Triglochidiati in Mexico through multivariate analysis, and to identify quantitative characters that can be used to recognize them. We used canonical discriminant analysis and classification discriminant analysis for 11 putative taxa native to Mexico and 20 morphometric characters. The number of stem ribs, number of central spines, stem diameter, length of radial spines (position 09), length of flower, receptacular tube length / perianth length ratio, and the receptacular tube trichome length permitted the differentiation of six taxa: E. acifer, E. arizonicus, E. coccineus, E. koehresianus, E. polyacanthus and E. scheeri. A key to the species is included.     

Antibacterial effect of borreverine, an alkaloid isolated from Borreria verticillata (Rubiaceae)

Borreria verticillata, a very common tropical plant, is used in traditional pharmacopeia to recover cutaneous infections. The Borreverine alkaloid extracted from this plant had an antimicrobial action in vitro. The minimal inhibitory concentration is lower than 50 micrograms/ml for Gram positive cocci, (specially Staphylococcus aureus) and than 6 micrograms/ml for Vibrio cholerae and upper than 200 micrograms/ml for several Gram negative rod-bacteria (Enterobacteria and Pseudomonas). These preliminary results underline the interest in the research about the antimicrobial agents from plant origin, in particular concerning naturally or chemically modified alkaloids.     

Novelties in spermacoceae (Rubiaceae) from Bolivia and Paraguay

One new Bolivian species (Borreria pazensis) and three new varieties (Borreria densiflora var.minima, Richardia, scabra var.chacoensis andStaelia virgata var.killeenii) are described and illustrated. The genusDiodella, with three species (D. apiculata comb. nov., D. radula comb. nov., andD. teres), is reported for the first time.Borreria limae, B. wunschmannii, B. scabiosoides var.scabiosoides, andB. scabiosoides var.anderssonii are also reported as new to Bolivia.     

Cinco especies nuevas de <Emphasis Type="Italic">Aechmea</Emphasis> (Bromeliaceae: Bromelioideae) para Colombia

Se describen e ilustran cinco especies nuevas de Aechmea (Bromeliaceae: Bromelioideae) para Colombia: A. confertiflora y A. viridispica del norte de los Andes, A. longipedunculata y A. longiramosa de la planicie amazónica y A. baudoensis de la región biogeográfica del Chocó. Además, para cada especie se presentan notas sobre sus relaciones taxonómicas, estado de conservación, hábitat y distribución.     

Empleo de un nuevo protocolo de extracción y disminución de las falsas hiperprolactinemias

IntroductionNumerous authors have reported that prolactin measurement is influenced by several factors and consequently the values obtained may not faithfully reflect the physiological reality of the individual studied. Unless a series of measures is adopted, especially in the pre-analytic stage, values may be falsely elevated. The objective of the present study was to evaluate the extent to which optimization or non-optimization of the extraction procedure translates into higher results and how reports expressed in terms of monomeric (biologically active) prolactin could be crucial to adopt a diagnosis and therapeutic approach.Material and methodsWe performed two extractions in each woman (following the protocol universally used for this kind of analysis): one through direct puncture and another 60 min later without a new puncture (a catheter was inserted in the site of the first puncture and kept permeable by salinization). The monomeric fraction was then studied, if required.ResultsA statistically significant difference was observed between the 2 extractions. The monomeric fraction was three times lower in the second extraction than in the first.DiscussionThe results of this study justify systematic use of extraction techniques that avoid the stress of venous puncture, as well as the use of the term biologically active prolactin [monomeric (little) prolactin fraction] in reports.     

El significado de las relaciones sociales como mecanismo para mejorar la salud y calidad de vida de las personas mayores,desde una perspectiva interdisciplinar

Introduction

This study presents an analysis on the effects of positive social relationships as determining factors on the health status of the elderly, from an interdisciplinary point of view.

Existencia de un foco endemico de rinosporidiosis en la provincia Del Chaco. V. Estudio de nuevas observaciones y consideraciones finales

Summary In the East Center area of the Chaco province (Argentina) 41 cases of rhinosporidiosis have been studied: 6 cases in humans, 33 cases in horses, 1 case in dog and also 1 in cow.The authors assume that there is an endemic focus of rhinosporidiosis in this country whose center may be situated in the Villa Angela region.30 cases of rhinosporidiosis in horses and 1 in humans is the authors' contribution to the study of this disease in the province of Chaco (Argentina).     

Metaciclogénesis de Trypanosoma cruzi en Belminus ferroae (Reduviidae: Triatominae) y capacidad infectiva de las heces en condiciones de laboratorio

IntroducciónBelminus ferroae es un triatomino de comportamiento entomófago, sin embargo, puede alimentarse de vertebrados ocasionalmente. No se ha demostrado infección natural por Trypanosoma cruzi en esta especie, como tampoco la metaciclogénesis del parásito.ObjetivoExaminar la metaciclogénesis de T. cruzi en B. ferroae y la capacidad infectiva de las heces o sus contenidos intestinales en roedores.Materiales y métodosSe analizaron las heces y la orina expulsadas espontáneamente por los insectos o mediante compresión abdominal o extracción del contenido intestinal a los 10, 20, 30, 40, 50 y 60 días. Se cuantificó la carga parasitaria de T. cruzi y sus formas evolutivas se identificaron con tinción de Giemsa. Asimismo, se evaluó en ratones albinos la capacidad infectiva de los tripomastigotes metacíclicos de T. cruzi obtenidos de las heces o contenidos intestinales de los especímenes infectados.ResultadosEl análisis parasitológico reveló tres (15%) insectos infectados con T. cruzi a los 30 (n=1), 40 (n=1) y 50 (n=1) días después de la infección con cargas parasitarias de hasta 1,62 x 10⁵ tripanosomas/mm³ y porcentajes de metaciclogénesis entre el 3,5 y el 6,78%.ConclusionesSe demuestra por primera vez, en una especie del género Belminus. la metaciclogenésis de T. cruzi en condiciones de laboratorio y la capacidad infectiva de las heces para un huésped vertebrado.Palabras clave: Trypanosoma cruzi, Triatominae, enfermedad de Chagas, tripanosomiasis