Traditional medicine in Incahuasi: An ethnobotanical study [version 1; peer review: 2 approved, 1 approved with reservations]

Introduction: Understanding the use of medicinal plants as herbal medicines is considered essential for the survival and continuity of humanity. Since ancient times, the origin and development of natural and traditional medicine have been intrinsically linked to humanity struggle for survival. Nowadays, ethnobotanical studies are employed as a tool for the preservation and conservation not only of taxonomic biodiversity but also of cultural biodiversity. Methodology: A descriptive research with a quantitative, non-experimental cross-sectional design was carried out. The study was conducted in six Quechua-speaking communities in the district of Incahuasi (3,000 meters above sea level), selected for convenience considering factors such as altitude, accessibility, and proximity to the city. A questionnaire was administered to 32 residents from the communities, who shared their knowledge about medicinal plants, providing relevant information about them. The gender of the participants was considered because men and women use traditional medicine and the knowledge of them is transmitted from parents to children. Results: During the study, a total of 46 medicinal species were recorded, belonging to 42 genera and 22 botanical families. The most representative medicinal families used by the informants of the communities were Asteraceae (30.4%) and Lamiaceae (15.2%). It is also worth mentioning the genera Salvia and Baccharis, with 3 and 2 species respectively, which are commonly used to treat various ailments and diseases. Conclusions: Ethnobotanical information was collected on the medicinal plants used by the community members of the selected communities in Incahuasi, and the corresponding data were recorded. A total of 46 plants were collected, with the majority belonging to the Asteraceae and Lamiaceae families

Maria Huanca, nueva variedad de papa resistente al nematodo de quiste de la papa (Globodera pallida)

Desde 1980 el Centro Internacional de la Papa (CIP) ha estado enviando clones de papa a varios investigadores del Programa Nacional de Papa del Perú adscrito al Instituto Nacional de Investigación Agraria y Agroindustrial (INIAA), para evaluar su comportamiento y resistencia al nemátodo quiste de la papa con el objeto de seleccionar variedades resistentes. En 1983, el CIPA IV del INIAA, en La Libertad (Sierra Norte del Perú), seleccionó un clon sobresaliente, identificado como 279142.12 ó G3. Después de varias pruebas, el clon fue liberado en 1987 con el nombre de María Huanca, y es la primera variedad resistente a las razas P4A y P5A de G. pallida en el Perú y Latinoamérica. Esta variedad proviene de un cruce entre S. tuberosum subsp. andigena y un híbrido de 5. tuberosum subsp. tuberosum x S. vernei. Los tubérculos son oblongos, de piel rojiza, la pulpa es blanca, ocasionalmente con estrías moradas. La planta es erecta y alcanza una altura de 80 cm con pequeños folíolos de color verde oscuro; tiene el fenotipo de andigena. Los rendimientos de las Estaciones Experimentales variaron entre 30 y 60 t/ha y en campos de agricultores de 20 a 30 t/ha. Además de su resistencia al nemátodo del quiste de la papa, esta variedad es también resistente a las razas 1 y 2 de la verruga (Synchitrium endobioticum), inmune a PVY e hipersensitiva a la raza común de PVY. Es tolerante a rancha (Phytophthora infestans) y al carbón de la papa (Tecaphora solani); susceptible a roña (Spongospora subterranea),rizoctoniasis (Rhizoctonia solani), oidium (Erysiphe cichoracearum) y a mancha foliar (Phoma andigena)

Spinal cord stimulation as adjuvant during chemotherapy and reirradiation treatment of recurrent high-grade gliomas

AIMS: Relapsed high-grade gliomas (HGGs) have poor prognoses and there is no standard treatment. HGGs have ischemia/hypoxia associated and, as such, drugs and oxygen have low access, with increased resistance to chemotherapy and radiotherapy. Tumor hypoxia modification can improve outcomes and overall survival in some patients with these tumors. In previous works, we have described that cervical spinal cord stimulation can modify tumor microenvironment in HGG by increasing tumor blood flow, oxygenation, and metabolism. The aim of this current, preliminary, nonrandomized, study was to assess the clinical effect of spinal cord stimulation during brain reirradiation and chemotherapy deployed for the treatment of recurrent HGG; the hypothesis being that an improvement in oxygenated blood supply would facilitate enhanced delivery of the scheduled therapy. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Seven patients had spinal cord stimulation applied during the scheduled reirradiation and chemotherapy for the treatment of recurrent HGG (6 anaplastic gliomas and 1 glioblastoma). Median dose of previous irradiation was 60 Gy (range = 56-72 Gy) and median dose of reirradiation was 46 Gy (range = 40-46 Gy). Primary end point of the study was overall survival (OS) following confirmation of HGG relapse. RESULTS: From the time of diagnosis of last tumor relapse before reirradiation, median OS was 39 months (95% CI = 0-93) for the overall study group: 39 months (95% CI = 9-69) for those with anaplastic gliomas and 16 months for the patient with glioblastoma. Posttreatment, doses of corticosteroids was significantly decreased (P = .026) and performance status significantly improved (P = .046). CONCLUSIONS: Spinal cord stimulation during reirradiation and chemotherapy is feasible and well tolerated. In our study, spinal cord stimulation was associated with clinical improvement and longer survival than previously reported in recurrent anaplastic gliomas. Spinal cord stimulation as adjuvant during chemotherapy and reirradiation in relapsed HGGs merits further research

Worldwide Disparities in Recovery of Cardiac Testing 1 Year Into COVID-19

BACKGROUND The extent to which health care systems have adapted to the COVID-19 pandemic to provide necessary cardiac diagnostic services is unknown.OBJECTIVES The aim of this study was to determine the impact of the pandemic on cardiac testing practices, volumes and types of diagnostic services, and perceived psychological stress to health care providers worldwide.METHODS The International Atomic Energy Agency conducted a worldwide survey assessing alterations from baseline in cardiovascular diagnostic care at the pandemic's onset and 1 year later. Multivariable regression was used to determine factors associated with procedure volume recovery.RESULTS Surveys were submitted from 669 centers in 107 countries. Worldwide reduction in cardiac procedure volumes of 64% from March 2019 to April 2020 recovered by April 2021 in high- and upper middle-income countries (recovery rates of 108% and 99%) but remained depressed in lower middle- and low-income countries (46% and 30% recovery). Although stress testing was used 12% less frequently in 2021 than in 2019, coronary computed tomographic angiography was used 14% more, a trend also seen for other advanced cardiac imaging modalities (positron emission tomography and magnetic resonance; 22%-25% increases). Pandemic-related psychological stress was estimated to have affected nearly 40% of staff, impacting patient care at 78% of sites. In multivariable regression, only lower-income status and physicians' psychological stress were significant in predicting recovery of cardiac testing.CONCLUSIONS Cardiac diagnostic testing has yet to recover to prepandemic levels in lower-income countries. Worldwide, the decrease in standard stress testing is offset by greater use of advanced cardiac imaging modalities. Pandemic-related psychological stress among providers is widespread and associated with poor recovery of cardiac testing. (C) 2022 The Authors. Published by Elsevier on behalf of the American College of Cardiology Foundation