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Hookworms of the genus Uncinaria parasitize pinniped pups in various locations worldwide. Four species have been described, two of which parasitize pinniped pups in the southern hemisphere: Uncinaria hamiltoni parasitizes Otaria flavescens and Arctocephalus australis from the South American coast, and Uncinaria sanguinis parasitizes Neophoca cinerea from the Australian coast. However, their geographical ranges and host specificity are unknown. Uncinaria spp. are morphologically similar, but molecular analyses have allowed the recognition of new species in the genus Uncinaria. We used nuclear genetic markers (internal transcribed spacer (ITS) and large subunit (LSU) rDNA) and a mitochondrial genetic marker (cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI)) to evaluate the phylogenetic relationships of Uncinaria spp. parasitizing A. australis and O. flavescens from South American coasts (Atlantic and Pacific coasts). We compared our sequences with published Uncinaria sequences. A Generalized Mixed Yule Coalescent (GMYC) analysis was also used to delimit species, and principal component analysis was used to compare morphometry among Uncinaria specimens. Parasites were sampled from A. australis from Peru (12°S), southern Chile (42°S), and the Uruguayan coast, and from O. flavescens from northern Chile (24°S) and the Uruguayan coast. Morphometric differences were observed between Uncinaria specimens from both South American coasts and between Uncinaria specimens from A. australis in Peru and southern Chile. Phylogenetic and GMYC analyses suggest that south-eastern Pacific otariid species harbour U. hamiltoni and an undescribed putative species of Uncinaria. However, more samples from A. australis and O. flavescens are necessary to understand the phylogenetic patterns of Uncinaria spp. across the South Pacific.

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BACKGROUND: Nasal sensation of airflow describes the perception of the passage of air through the nose. Nasal obstruction can be assessed using subjective techniques (symptom scores and visual analogue scales [VAS]) and objective techniques (anterior rhinomanometry [RMN], acoustic rhinometry [AR], and peak nasal inspiratory flow [PNIF]). Few studies have evaluated the correlation between these techniques. OBJECTIVE: The primary objective of our study was to determine the degree of correlation between subjective and objective techniques to assess nasal obstruction. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Nasal obstruction was assessed using a symptom score, VAS, RMN, AR (minimal cross-sectional area [MCSA] and volume), and PNIF in 184 volunteer physicians. Spearman's rho was recorded. Correlations were considered weak if r ≤ 0.4, moderate if 0.4 < r < 0.8, and strong if r > 0.8. RESULTS: Mean (SD) age was 37.1 (6.9) years (range, 25-56 years); 61% were women. We found a strong correlation (r > 0.8; p = 0.001) between the different parameters of RMN and a moderate correlation between symptom score and VAS (r = 0.686; p = 0.001) and between MCSA and RMN (resistance) (r = 0.496; p = 0.001) and PNIF (r = 0.459; p = 0.001). The correlations were weak or non-significant for the remaining comparisons. CONCLUSION: Nasal obstruction can be assessed using subjective and objective approaches. The correlations between objective techniques were moderate to strong. In addition, between subjective techniques we reported a moderate correlation. Finally, the correlations between the subjective and objective techniques were weak and absent. These findings suggest that each of the techniques assesses different aspects of nasal obstruction, thus making them complementary.

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BACKGROUND: There are no data on atmospheric pollen in Talca. In the present work, our aim is to describe the amount of pollen grain in the atmosphere of the city of Talca likely to cause pollinosis of its inhabitants. METHODS: A volumetric Hirst sampler (Burkard seven-day recording device) was used to study pollen levels. It was placed in the centre of Talca from May 2007 to April 2008. RESULTS: The highest airborne presence of pollen, as measured in weekly averages, was Platanus acerifolia with a maximum weekly daily average of 203 grains/m³ registered during September and October. The second highest was Acer pseudoplatanus with a maximum weekly daily average of 116 grains/m³. Populus spp. had a maximum weekly daily average 103 grains/m³. Olea europaea reached 19 grains/m³ in November. Grasses presented high levels of pollen counts with a maximum weekly daily average of 27 grains/m³ from the end of August until the end of January. Pollens of Plantago spp. Rumex acetosella and Chenopodium spp. had a similar distribution and were present from October to April with maximum weekly daily average of 7 grains/m³, 7 grains/m³ and 3 grains/m³ respectively. Significant concentrations of Ambrosia artemisiifolia were detected from February until April. CONCLUSION: The population of Talca was exposed to high concentrations of allergenic pollen, such as P. acerifolia, A. pseudoplatanus, and grasses in the months of August through November. The detection of O. europaea and A. artemisiifolia is important as these are emergent pollens in the city of Talca. Aerobiological monitoring will provide the community with reliable information about the level of allergenic pollens, improving treatment and quality of life of patients with respiratory allergy.

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BACKGROUND: Allergic diseases are very common, with the estimated cumulative prevalence in Colombia for asthma and allergic rhinitis being 22.7% and 31.3% respectively, and with a clear upward trend. A major social as well as economic impact associated with allergic disease has been described. Because in Colombia there are no studies that assess the Health-Related Quality of Life (HRQOL) in allergic respiratory diseases, our aim is to describe the HRQOL in subjects with respiratory allergy and its association with clinical control variables. METHODS: A prospective descriptive study was conducted among 76 Colombian subjects with rhinitis and asthma/allergic rhinitis. In order to evaluate the HRQOL, the instruments Kidscreen-27 and SF-36 were applied. The scores obtained in the HRQOL fields were correlated with the following clinical variables: peak expiratory flow (PEF) and peak nasal inspiratory flow (PNIF). RESULTS: In children, the better HRQL domain is present in the school environment (55.9) and the worst in psychological well-being (39.9). For adults the worst HRQL was found in the emotional function domain (55.6) while the physical function (81.7) had the best. There were no statistical differences between groups of asthma/allergic rhinitis and allergic rhinitis. Subjects with allergic asthma showed a strong correlation between the mental health domain and PEF values (r=-0717, p=0.046). CONCLUSION: Mental health is more affected than physical health in Colombian subjects with respiratory allergy. There was a strong correlation between the mental health domain and the values of PEF in patients with asthma/allergic rhinitis.

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Great genome size (GS) variations described in desert-specialist octodontid rodents include diploid species ( Octomys mimax and Octodontomys gliroides ) and putative tetraploid species ( Tympanoctomys barrerae and Pipanacoctomys aureus ). Because of its high DNA content, elevated chromosome number, and gigas effect, the genome of T. barrerae is claimed to have resulted from tetraploidy. Alternatively, the origin of its GS has been attributed to the accumulation of repetitive sequences. To better characterize the extent and origin of these repetitive DNA, self-genomic in situ hybridization (self-GISH), whole-comparative genomic hybridization (W-CGH), and conventional GISH were conducted in mitotic and meiotic chromosomes. Self-GISH on T. barrerae mitotic plates together with comparative self-GISH (using its closest relatives) discriminate a pericentromeric and a telomeric DNA fraction. As most of the repetitive sequences are pericentromeric, it seems that the large GS of T. barrerae is not due to highly repeated sequences accumulated along chromosomes arms. W-CGH using red-labeled P. aureus DNA and green-labeled O. mimax DNA simultaneously on chromosomes of T. barrerae revealed a yellow-orange fluorescence over a repetitive fraction of the karyotype. However, distinctive red-only fluorescent signals were also detected at some centromeres and telomeres, indicating closer homology with the DNA sequences of P. aureus. Conventional GISH using an excess of blocking DNA from either P. aureus or O. mimax labeled only a fraction of the T. barrerae genome, indicating its double genome composition. These data point to a hybrid nature of the T. barrerae karyotype, suggesting a hybridization event in the origin of this species.

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OBJECTIVE: To estimate the health related quality of life in patients with chronic kidney disease without dialysis or transplant and your association with risk factors. DESIGN: It was a descriptive transversal study from a representative sample belongs to two Health Insurance Organizations. We applied the medical outcomes study 36-item short form and the scores were associated with some demographics and clinics variables. RESULTS: The median age was 70 years, 67% were men, 93% had hypertension and 67% were in stage three. The physical aspects of quality of life were more affected than mental components (Wilcoxon p < 0,001) and the physical functioning, role-physical and body pain domains were better in younger men. In addition, the Physical component was most associated with social-demographics and clinics conditions than mental component. Women older than 65 years old with chronic kidney disease and diabetes mellitus obtained lowest scores among all patients. There was no association between glomerular filtration rate and physical health when we fit them by age. There was a significant difference between physical component of quality of life by sex (p<0,001), which 12.5% of variance was explained by age. CONCLUSION: Physical component of quality of life was significantly reduced compared with mental component among patient with chronic kidney disease without dialysis and transplant. Their scores were lower than general population. The oldest women were the most affected.

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BACKGROUND: The toxic hepatitis is the most common manifestation of acute liver disease in patient with alcohol. In these patients the discriminatory function index (DFI) > 32, has been associated with a mortality rate of up to 50%. MELD is a scale that has been recently validated as independent risk factors for death in patients who are candidates for liver transplantation. OBJECTIVES: To compare the usefulness in mortality score vs. MELD. Maddrey index of discrimination in patients with alcoholic hepatitis and analyze the factors in a cohort Mexican prognosis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We evaluated the usefulness of MELD, compared with the index of discrimination Maddrey so retrospective in 67 hospitalized patients with alcoholic hepatitis in the Hospital Juárez in Mexico. RESULTS: The c-statistic for mDFI was 0.69 (CI 0.56-0.82) and to MELD was 0.73 (CI 0.61-0.86), sensitivity and specificity of DFI > 32 in 7 days to predict mortality was 100 and 7.1% , Respectively, and to meld > 21 sensitivity was 96% and specificity of 9.5%. The presence of encephalopathy > grade 2 and creatinine > 1.5 mg/dL was independent predictors of mortality. CONCLUSIONS: MELD > 21 calculated on admission, is equally useful for the mDFI for predicting mortality in patients with alcoholic hepatitis in the first week.

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We studied a group of 60 boys and girls, 30 were asthmatics and 30 were controls in order to know more about factors that influenced the psychodynamics of the asthmatic and non asthmatic child. Both groups received the child's Thematic Aperception Test. Human version (CAT-H) and its supplement (CAT-S). No significant statistical differences were observed in relation to aggression but there was a significant difference in dependence (p.05). There results suggest us that the asthmatic child has lack of self confidence and has to look for support in other people.

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