Enfermedad meningocócica e impacto de la vacunación sistemática con la vacuna conjugada antimeningocócica C en el área sanitaria de Andalucía

comenzó en julio de 2000 la vacunación con vacuna conjugada antimeningocócica C de todos los niños nacidos con posterioridad al 1 de enero de 1995, y en septiembre de 2001 se amplíó a los nacidos a partir del 1 de enero de 1991, esto es, hasta los 10 años de edad. El objetivo de este trabajo es valorar la efectividad de esta vacuna tras su introducción masiva en los niños del área geográfica de un distrito sanitario, midiendo su impacto. Métodos: Mediante un estudio longitudinal retrospectivo de incidencia poblacional se calculan las coberturas vacunales de los niños nacidos entre los años 1991 y 2001 y las tasas de incidencia de los casos declarados de enfermedad meningocócica en siete temporadas epidemiológicas (1997/98 a 2003/04). El impacto de la vacunación frente a la meningitis del serogrupo C se calcula comparando las tasas promedios anuales de las temporadas previas y posteriores a las campañas de vacunación en la población menor y mayor de 10 años, utilizando el test exacto de Fisher. Resultados: En el periodo de estudio se declararon 109 casos de enfermedad meningocócica, de los que 50 eran de meningitis C. A partir de la temporada 2000-2001 descendió la incidencia de meningitis C en los niños menores de 10 años. En este grupo de edad se encuentran diferencias significativas entre las tasas promedio anual de las temporadas prevacunales y postvacunales (de 8,2 a 2,0 por 100.000 habitantes). En la población mayor de 10 años no se observa este descenso en la incidencia. En el periodo de estudio no se ha declarado ningún caso de fallo vacunal. Conclusiones: La ausencia de fallos vacunales y la disminución de la incidencia de enfermedad meningocócica C en los niños menores de 10 años sugiere la buena efectividad de esta nueva vacuna conjugada frente al meningococo

The influence of antidesiccants on field performance and physiology of 2+0 ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa Dougl.) seedlings

This thesis research examines the effects of film-forming antidesiccants applied to dormant pondexosa pine (Pinus ponderosa Dougl.) seedlings after being lifted and to actively growing seedlings. The basic proposition was that antidesiccants would have a positive effect on reducing water loss in ponderosa pine seedlings. In order to evaluate the effects of six different antidesiccant treatments on the physiology, morphology, and phenology of ponderosa pine seedlings, four experiments were conducted and four hypotheses tested. Eleven variables were studied: survival, height and diameter growth, budbreak, budset, foliar damage, root growth potential, water loss, stomatal conductance, electrolyte leakage, and chlorophyll fluorescence. None of the antidesiccants or concentrations tested affected survival or height and diameter growth. However, several antidesiccant treatment did cause temporary reductions in stomata! conductance of outplanted seedlings in June 1992. Seedlings treated with AntiStress® 2000 (1:20 and 1:40) had the lowest reduction in stomatal conductance. In another experiment in a controlled environment, antidesiccants did reduce water loss but failed to significantly affect height growth. Antidesiccant application to actively growing seedlings subjected to different periods of wind exposure reduced foliar damage as measured by the amount of electrolyte leakage released from the fascicles but increased stomatal conductance. In a separate experiment under greenhouse conditions antidesiccants did not reduce stomatal conductance but they did damage seedling foliage. The film-forming antidesiccants had a negative effect on the growth of new roots. A 46% reduction in new root growth was observed. When antidesiccants were used, budbreak activity was also delayed. Moreover, in several experiments antidesiccants had no effect on photochemical efficiency. Antidesiccants also did not affect light absorption or emission. In this thesis research the proposition was that antidesiccants would have a positive effect on ponderosa pine seedlings. Based on the preponderance of evidence from the four experiments conducted, it is concluded that under the conditions of this study, antidesiccants tested had little overall effect on ponderosa pine seedlings. However, had seedlings been subjected to greater water stress, the outcome of this research might have been different

The synthesis of an homochiral aziridine as a useful synton to iminosugars and amino acid compounds

Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT) - PTDC/QUI/67407/200

Angular Analysis Of Corpus Callosum In 18 Patients With Frontonasal Dysplasia.

Considering the rarity of the frontonasal dysplasia (FD) and the few reports about it in a large casuistry using magnetic resonance image (MRI), we describe the results of the angular analysis of the corpus callosum of 18 individuals with FD (7 male, 11 female), using an easily-reproductive method. Group I had 12 individuals with isolated form and Group II had 6 individuals with FD syndromic with unknown etiology. The results are presented in set. Comparing with the control group, patients with FD presented alpha angle increase and beta and gamma angles reduction (p<0.05). Alpha and gamma angles express the relationship between the anterior portion of corpus callosum and the floor of 4th ventricle. Considering the embryonary development, these findings would occur secondarily to failure during the development of nasal capsula. Thus, angular anomaly in corpus callosum would be a usual finding, and not fortuitous in patients with FD.62195-

Advances in the synthesis of Homochiral (-)-1-azafagomine and (+)-5-epi-1-azafagomine. 1-N-phenyl carboxamide derivatives of both enantiomers of 1-azafagomine: leads for the synthesis of active α-Glycosidase inhibitors

- A new expeditious preparation of homochiral (-)-1-azafagomine, and (+)-5-epi-1-azafagomine has been devised. Stoodley´s diastereoselective cycloaddition of dienes bearing a 2,3,4,6-tetraacetyl glucosyl chiral auxiliary to 4-phenyl-1,2,4-triazole-3,5-dione, was merged with Bols protocol for functionalizing alkenes into molecules bearing a glucosyl framework. Homochiral (+)-5-epi-1-azafagomine was synthetized for the first time. Partial reductive cleavage of the phenyltriazolidinone moiety afforded new homochiral 1-N-phenyl carboxamide derivatives of 1-azafagomine. Both enantiomers of these derivatives were synthetized and tested, displaying a very good enzymatic inhibition towards baker´s yeast α-glucosidase. The molecular recognition mechanism of the 1-N-phenyl carboxamide derivative of 1-azafagomine by α-glucosidase from baker´s yeast was studied by molecular modelling. The efficient packing of the aromatic ring of the 1-N-phenyl carboxamide moiety into a hydrophobic sub-site (pocket) in the enzyme´s active site, seems to be responsible for the improved binding affinity in relation to underivatized (-)1-azafagomine and (+)1-azafagomine.We thank FCT for project funding PTDC/QUI/67407/2006 and FCT and FEDER for funding NMR spectrometer Bruker Avance III 400 as part of the National NMR Network. M.N.M. acknowledges the contract research program "Compromisso com a Ciencia" Reference C2008-UMINHO-CQ-03 and access to the Minho University GRIUM cluster