Prevalencia de pie plano en niños escolares de Asunción y Gran Asunción, en el año 2008

300 niños de ambos sexos, escolares fueron evaluados por podoscopia para conocer la prevalencia de pieplano, en tres centros educativos públicos de Asunción y el Gran Asunción, en el año 2008. Los casospositivos encontrados fueron agrupados y sujetos a un estudio podográfico donde se obtuvieron sushuellas plantares para conocer el grado de pie plano según la clasificación de Tachdjian. Un total de 97escolares presentaron pie plano, con una prevalencia del 32,2 % de los cuales 52 pacientes eran varones(53,6%) y 45 mujeres (46,4%). Predominó el grado 1 con 51 pacientes (52,5%), grado 2, 39 pacientes(40,2%) y en menor frecuencia grado 3; 7 pacientes (7,3%). No tuvimos pacientes con pie plano grado 4.La mayor frecuencia de pie plano en niños se observo entre 5 a 7 años, 46 pacientes (47,4%). Solo 6pacientes (6,2%) sabían de su condición de pie plano y habían recurrido al especialista para sutratamiento

Sequential Effects in Judgements of Attractiveness: The Influences of Face Race and Sex

In perceptual decision-making, a person’s response on a given trial is influenced by their response on the immediately preceding trial. This sequential effect was initially demonstrated in psychophysical tasks, but has now been found in more complex, real-world judgements. The similarity of the current and previous stimuli determines the nature of the effect, with more similar items producing assimilation in judgements, while less similarity can cause a contrast effect. Previous research found assimilation in ratings of facial attractiveness, and here, we investigated whether this effect is influenced by the social categories of the faces presented. Over three experiments, participants rated the attractiveness of own- (White) and other-race (Chinese) faces of both sexes that appeared successively. Through blocking trials by race (Experiment 1), sex (Experiment 2), or both dimensions (Experiment 3), we could examine how sequential judgements were altered by the salience of different social categories in face sequences. For sequences that varied in sex alone, own-race faces showed significantly less opposite-sex assimilation (male and female faces perceived as dissimilar), while other-race faces showed equal assimilation for opposite- and same-sex sequences (male and female faces were not differentiated). For sequences that varied in race alone, categorisation by race resulted in no opposite-race assimilation for either sex of face (White and Chinese faces perceived as dissimilar). For sequences that varied in both race and sex, same-category assimilation was significantly greater than opposite-category. Our results suggest that the race of a face represents a superordinate category relative to sex. These findings demonstrate the importance of social categories when considering sequential judgements of faces, and also highlight a novel approach for investigating how multiple social dimensions interact during decision-making

Consórcio couve-coentro em cultivo orgânico e sua influência nas populações de joaninhas.

O consórcio de culturas é comumente praticado na produção de hortaliças devido a diversos benefícios econômicos. Em alguns casos, podem reduzir infestações de pragas por favorecer a conservação dos inimigos naturais nos agroecossistemas. Avaliou-se a viabilidade agronômica do consórcio de couve e coentro, sob manejo orgânico, com base em parâmetros fitotécnicos, além de sua influência sobre populações de joaninhas (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae), na comparação com os respectivos cultivos solteiros. O coentro, representando a cultura secundária, foi utilizado com a finalidade de fornecer recursos para as joaninhas. O estudo foi realizado em área do Sistema Integrado de Produção Agroecológica em Seropédica-RJ. O experimento consistiu dos consórcios: 1) couve consorciada com coentro, cujas quatro linhas de plantas foram colhidas na fase vegetativa (consórcio I), e 2) couve consorciada com coentro, cujas plantas das duas linhas internas (próximas à linha da couve) foram colhidas na fase vegetativa e as duas linhas externas foram cortadas após floração (consórcio II). Em ambos consórcios foram avaliados os parâmetros fitotécnicos da couve e do coentro na fase vegetativa (padrão comercial), enquanto que no consórcio II, também se avaliou as populações de joaninhas, por meio de coletas semanais de adultos, em comparação com a couve em cultivo solteiro. O delineamento experimental foi em blocos ao acaso com quatro repetições. O coentro não interferiu na produtividade da couve consorciada e sua introdução contribuiu positivamente para a abundância e diversidade de espécies de joaninhas. O índice de equivalência de área para o consórcio I, com referência aos rendimentos de biomassa aérea fresca, foi superior em 92% em relação ao cultivo solteiro. Este resultado demonstra a viabilidade do consórcio I, no manejo orgânico adotado, para plantios de outono nas condições edafoclimáticas da Baixada Fluminense

Variación estacional de la producción de huevos del copépodo calanoideo Centropages furcatus (Dana, 1852) en la Bahía de La Paz, México

The egg production rate (EPR) was estimated for Centropages furcatus in Bahia de La Paz, Baja California Sur, Mexico during 2003. This species is one of the most abundant and frequent copepod in the zone. The highest egg production in carbon estimations for C. furcatus were observed in summer (1.20 ± 0.7 µg C female-1 d-1) and the lowest was found during spring (0.58 ± 0.42 µg C female-1 d-1). The longest prosome length (PL) was registered in summer (1.15 ± 0.05 mm) and the shorter during autumn (1.01 ± 0.04 mm). No significant correlation was found in a daily base between EPR and PL with chlorophyll a (Chl a) concentration neither the sea surface temperature (SST). In temporal scale, in winter, spring and summer the SST was low (<23.2°C) in contrast, autumn presented high SST (>27 °C). Chl a was low (<1 mg m-3) in winter, spring and autumn, whereas in summer it was high (>3 mg m-3). Although the correlation was non significant between the biological parameters and the environmental variables (p> 0.05), the species showed high values of LP and TPH in summer when SST were low and the concentration of Chl a was high.Se estimó la tasa de producción de huevos (TPH) para Centropages furcatus en la Bahía de la Paz, Baja California Sur, México, durante 2003. Esta especie es una de las más abundantes y frecuentes de los copépodos en la zona. La estimación en carbono de la producción de huevos fue máxima en verano (1.20 ± 0.7 µg C hembra-1 d-1) y mínima en primavera (0.58 ± 0.42 µg C hembra-1 d-1). La mayor longitud del prosoma (LP) fue registrada en verano (1.15 ± 0.05 mm) y la menor en otoño (1.01 ± 0.04 mm). No hubo correlación significativa entre LP y TPH con la concentración de clorofila a (Cl a) ni con la temperatura superficial del mar (TSM). En invierno, primavera y verano la TSM fue menor a 23.2 °C, a diferencia de otoño que presentó TSM mayores a 27 °C. En relación a la Cl a, tanto en invierno, primavera y otoño los valores fueron menores a 1 mg m-3, mientras que en verano fueron mayores a 3 mg m-3. Aunque la correlación no fue significativa (p >0.05) entre los parámetros biológicos y las variables ambientales, la especie presentó valores altos de LP y TPH en verano cuando la TSM fue baja y la concentración de Cl a fue la más alta

Cambios diarios en la composición y abundancia de copépodos planctónicos al sur de Bahía de La Paz (Octubre 2002)

The goal of this work to analyze the changes in the copepods community, and its relationships with the sea temperature, chl-a concentration and tidal level south of Bahía de La Paz during October 2002. The statistical analysis split the study period with different communities. During the first phase, the oceanic and neritic-oceanic species were dominant (e.g. Labidocera acutifrons, L. acuta, L. diandra, and L. trispinosa), whereas during the second period an increase of the abundance and species richness of coastal and estuarine species was measured (e.g. Acartia lilljeborgii, A. clausi, Nannocalanus minor, and Canthocalanus pauper). These changes were mainly associated with changes in the tide level with respect to de mean sea level as well as with the chlorophyll-a concentration.El objetivo de este trabajo fue analizar los cambios de la comunidad de copépodos y su relación con la temperatura del mar, concentración de Cl a y la altura de la marea al sur de Bahía de La Paz durante octubre del 2002. El análisis estadístico dividió el periodo de estudio en dos etapas con distintas comunidades. En la primera etapa dominaron especies oceánicas y neríticooceánicas (Ej. Labidocera acutifrons, L. acuta, L. diandra, L. trispinosa), y en la segunda se incrementó la abundancia y número de especies costeras y lagunares (Ej. Acartia lilljeborgii, A. clausi, Nannocalanus minor y Canthocalanus pauper). Estos cambios, se asociaron principalmente a cambios en la altura de la marea con respecto al nivel medio del mar y a incrementos en la concentración de Cl a

Microvertebrates preserved in mammal burrows from the Holocene of the Argentine Pampas: a taphonomic and paleoecological approach

Microvertebrates are a major component of many assemblages recovered from the Quaternary of the Argentine Pampas. The main goal of this paper is to analyse the taphonomic history of a Holocene microfossil bonebed, recovered from the infilling of a burrow. Evidences suggest the plains vizcacha Lagostomus maximus as the putative producer of the burrow. The assemblage includes individuals belonging to different taxa of mammals (marsupials and rodents) and reptiles (snakes). Taphonomic features suggest that the accumulation inside the burrow was related to flooding processes in the plain. The burrow was a natural trap that favoured the accumulation and preservation of remains corresponding to individuals from different sources. According to the taphonomic evidence, some individuals (Lagostomus maximus, Lestodelphys halli and Serpentes indet.) died inside the burrow, whereas others (Microcavia australis, Reithrodon auritus and Ctenomys sp.) died outside the burrow, and after a time of being exposed on the surface their remains were transported by surface run-offs into the burrow. The record of Lestodelphys halli and Serpentes indet. in the burrow produced by Lagostomus maximus could be related to a circumstantial use. Mammal burrows are a significant taphonomic mode for the late Cenozoic of the Argentine Pampas

Consumo de inflorescencia de maguey Agave sp. (Aspargales: Aspargaceae) por la ardilla de Peters Parasciurus oculatus (Rodentia: Sciuridae) en la Reserva de la Biosfera Sierra Gorda de Guanajuato, México

Approximately 87.5% of flowering plant species are pollinated by animals, however, the magnitude of the impact on plant pollination by rodents, a group to which squirrels belong, has been underestimated due to the lack of information. For the first time, we documented the consumption of inflorescences, nectar or pollen of maguey (Agave sp.) By the Peters squirrel (Parasciurus oculatus). It is necessary to continue monitoring the pollinators of the magueys, in order to determine the role that squirrels play in the pollination or predation processes of these plants.Aproximadamente el 87,5 % de las especies de plantas con flores son polinizadas por animales, sin embargo, la magnitud del impacto en la polinización de plantas por parte de los roedores, grupo al que pertenecen las ardillas, ha sido subestimada por la falta de información. Documentamos por primera ocasión consumo de las inflorescencias, néctar o polen de maguey (Agave sp.) por la ardilla de Peters (Parasciurus oculatus). Es necesario continuar el monitoreo de los polinizadores de los magueyes, para determinar el papel que juegan las ardillas en los procesos de polinización o depredación de estas plantas

Nitric Oxide-Sensitive Guanylyl Cyclase Is Differentially Regulated by Nuclear and Non-Nuclear Estrogen Pathways in Anterior Pituitary Gland

17β-estradiol (E2) regulates hormonal release as well as proliferation and cell death in the pituitary. The main nitric oxide receptor, nitric oxide sensitive- or soluble guanylyl cyclase (sGC), is a heterodimer composed of two subunits, α and β, that catalyses cGMP formation. α1β1 is the most abundant and widely expressed heterodimer, showing the greater activity. Previously we have shown that E2 decreased sGC activity but exerts opposite effects on sGC subunits increasing α1 and decreasing β1 mRNA and protein levels. In the present work we investigate the mechanisms by which E2 differentially regulates sGC subunits' expression on rat anterior pituitary gland. Experiments were performed on primary cultures of anterior pituitary cells from adult female Wistar rats at random stages of estrous cycle. After 6 h of E2 treatment, α1 mRNA and protein expression is increased while β1 levels are down-regulated. E2 effects on sGC expression are partially dependent on de novo transcription while de novo translation is fully required. E2 treatment decreased HuR mRNA stabilization factor and increased AUF1 p37 mRNA destabilization factor. E2-elicited β1 mRNA decrease correlates with a mRNA destabilization environment in the anterior pituitary gland. On the other hand, after 6 h of treatment, E2-BSA (1 nM) and E2-dendrimer conjugate (EDC, 1 nM) were unable to modify α1 or β1 mRNA levels, showing that nuclear receptor is involved in E2 actions. However, at earlier times (3 h), 1 nM EDC causes a transient decrease of α1 in a PI3k-dependent fashion. Our results show for the first time that E2 is able to exert opposite actions in the anterior pituitary gland, depending on the activation of classical or non-classical pathways. Thus, E2 can also modify sGC expression through membrane-initiated signals bringing to light a new point of regulation in NO/sGC pathway