Allopurinol improves myocardial reperfusion injury in a xanthine oxidase-free model

The ability of allopurinol to protect against reperfusion injury in the heart has usually been attributed to its xanthine oxidase (XO)- inhibiting properties. Human myocardium how- ever has exhibited low levels of XO activity. To investigate the effects of allopurinol in an XO-free model and determine whether pretreat- ment is necessary 12 domestic pigs (15 kg to 20 kg) underwent occlusion of the left circum- flex for 8 minutes followed by reperfusion for 4 hours. One group received allopurinol infusion (5 mg/kg IV) at occlusion over 45 minutes and a control group (n = 6) received a saline infusion (same volume). Left ventricular and aortic pressure electrocardiograms and regional wall motion (sonomicrometry) were monitored throughout the process. Regional blood flow (microspheres) were obtained before during and 5 10 and 30 minutes after ischemia. Occlusion decreased transmural flow at the midpapillary level by 75% (0.28 versus 1.10 mUminute/g). The allopurinol-treated group exhibited a mild generalized hyperemia at 5 minutes (ischemic zone: 1.44 versus 1.10 mU min/g which returned to control levels at 10 and 30 minutes. In contrast the control group was associated with only 80% restoration of resting blood flow at 5 minutes (0.84 versus 1.10 mUmin/g) which stabilized at 63% of control levels at 10 and 30 minutes. When evaluated for the propensity of arrhythmias using an arbitrary arrhythmia score the al- lopurinol group demonstrated no myocardial ectopy when compared with the focal ectopy routinely encountered in the control group at all time intervals. Since pigs have no detectable levels of XO activity allopurinol must exert its protectant effect during myocardial reperfu- sion by an alternative mechanism. Because protection was evident without pretreatment beneficial effects may not necessarily be the result of allopurinol degradation products; therefore pretreatment with allopurinol may not be necessary. These results are clinically important when considering the use of allopuri- nol in an emergent coronary angioplasty or coronary artery bypass grafting. Originally published Journal of the National Medical Association Vol. 87 No. 7 July 199

Feminicidio: Mujeres que Mueren por Violencia Intrafamiliar en Colombia: Estudio de Casos en cinco Ciudades del País

Para Profamilia ha sido una preocupación constante el tema de las violencias de género y la forma en que éstas afectan a las mujeres y a los hombres. Es un hecho apreciado institucionalmente que las mujeres tienen un nivel de reconocimiento de derechos inferior a los hombres. Esta inequidad se revela de múltiples formas: mayor índice de desempleo, mayor Impacto en los incrementos de población, mayores niveles de pobreza, remuneración menor en los puestos de trabajo, imposibilidad de tomar decisiones sobre sus cuerpos en temas como esterilización definitiva y, en general, una serie de situaciones que las hacen más propensas a que sus derechos sean vulnerados. Pese a lo anterior, el marco general de los Derechos Sexuales y los Derechos Reproductivos se analizan y promueven con perspectiva de género y por eso en la institución hay servicios diferenciados y especializados para mujeres y hombres. La Violencia Basada en Género - VBG - es un asunto de hombres y de mujeres, y afecta directamente tanto a unos como a otras. El género, entendido como una construcción cultural acerca de lo que le corresponde hacer y de cómo le corresponde actuar a las personas dependiendo de su sexo biológico, causa inequidades debido a que impone la asunción de roles, es decir de actividades, comportamientos y actitudes que se supone debemos realizar según si somos hombres o si somos mujeres. La perspectiva de género, entendida como la visión teórica que permite analizar las relaciones entre hombres y mujeres a partir de las diferencias culturales que se les han asignado a cada uno/a, debe ser un elemento esencial para el análisis de interpretación de las situaciones de violencia y de criterio desde el Estado para la intervención de estas problemáticas. Una mirada a estas situaciones que no sea sistémica, que no aborde lo social, lo económico, lo político y lo cultural, desconoce muchas diferencias en el punto de partida del reconocimiento de derechos y si esta perspectiva es desconocida en la formulación o interpretación de la ley causa desigualdades e inequidades aun más graves que las que trata de solucionar. Cuando se inició esta investigación se hizo una aproximación al concepto ginocidio entendido como la muerte de mujeres, pero al avanzar los análisis, se hizo evidente que se trataba de un error de base abordar como antónimos proporcionales el homicidio y la muerte de mujeres por causas o en circunstancias directamente basadas en el género, más aún en las circunstancias especiales que reviste la violencia intrafamiliar, que implica largos períodos de violencias y vejaciones antes de la muerte

Greenness indices from digital cameras predict the timing and seasonal dynamics of canopy-scale photosynthesis.

The proliferation of digital cameras co-located with eddy covariance instrumentation provides new opportunities to better understand the relationship between canopy phenology and the seasonality of canopy photosynthesis. In this paper we analyze the abilities and limitations of canopy color metrics measured by digital repeat photography to track seasonal canopy development and photosynthesis, determine phenological transition dates, and estimate intra-annual and interannual variability in canopy photosynthesis. We used 59 site-years of camera imagery and net ecosystem exchange measurements from 17 towers spanning three plant functional types (deciduous broadleaf forest, evergreen needleleaf forest, and grassland/crops) to derive color indices and estimate gross primary productivity (GPP). GPP was strongly correlated with greenness derived from camera imagery in all three plant functional types. Specifically, the beginning of the photosynthetic period in deciduous broadleaf forest and grassland/crops and the end of the photosynthetic period in grassland/crops were both correlated with changes in greenness; changes in redness were correlated with the end of the photosynthetic period in deciduous broadleaf forest. However, it was not possible to accurately identify the beginning or ending of the photosynthetic period using camera greenness in evergreen needleleaf forest. At deciduous broadleaf sites, anomalies in integrated greenness and total GPP were significantly correlated up to 60 days after the mean onset date for the start of spring. More generally, results from this work demonstrate that digital repeat photography can be used to quantify both the duration of the photosynthetically active period as well as total GPP in deciduous broadleaf forest and grassland/crops, but that new and different approaches are required before comparable results can be achieved in evergreen needleleaf forest

Appendix C. Scatter plots of daily GPP vs. GCC for all deciduous broadleaf forest (DBF) evergreen needleleaf forest (ENF) and grassland (GRS) sites, listed by plant functional type.

Scatter plots of daily GPP vs. GCC for all deciduous broadleaf forest (DBF) evergreen needleleaf forest (ENF) and grassland (GRS) sites, listed by plant functional type

Appendix B. Time series of daily gross primary productivity (GPP) and green chromatic coordinate (GCC) for all deciduous broadleaf forest (DBF) evergreen needleleaf forest (ENF) and grassland (GRS) sites, listed by plant functional type.

Time series of daily gross primary productivity (GPP) and green chromatic coordinate (GCC) for all deciduous broadleaf forest (DBF) evergreen needleleaf forest (ENF) and grassland (GRS) sites, listed by plant functional type