Behavioral Characterization of Mutant Zebrafish Reveals Crucial Aspects of Vertebrate Locomotion through Phenotypes Related to Acceleration.

Vertebrate locomotion is orchestrated by spinal interneurons making up a central pattern generator. Proper coordination of activity, both within and between segments, is required to generate the desired locomotor output. This coordination is altered during acceleration to ensure the correct recruitment of muscles for the chosen speed.

Circadian regulation of phosphodiesterase 6 genes in zebrafish differs between cones and rods: Implications for photopic and scotopic vision.

A correlation is known to exist between visual sensitivity and oscillations in red opsinand rhodopsin gene expression in zebrafish, both regulated by the clock gene. This indicates that an endogenous circadian clock regulates behavioural visual sensitivity, apart from the regulation exerted by the pineal organ. However, the specific mechanisms for cones (photopic vision) and rods (scotopic vision) are poorly understood.

A gas-filled abdominal cyst in an elderly woman: A giant colonic diverticulum case report.

Introduction: Giant colonic diverticulum (GCD), a rare complication of the diverticular disease, can present with a wide range of nonspecific symptoms as abdominal pain and bowel obstruction. Its diagnosis represents a challenge that mainly depends on imaging findings.

Presentation Of Case: We report the case of a 79 year-old female patient that came to our emergency department complaining of 5-day history of hypogastric pain and constipation.

Bimodal distribution of Trypanosoma cruzi antibody levels in blood donors from a highly endemic area of Argentina: what is the significance of low-reactive samples?

Background: Low-level seroreactive donor samples that are inconsistently detected by different Trypanosoma cruzi immunoassays are common, but the population distribution has not been reported in an endemic region. The objective was to understand the distribution of low-level reactive samples using highly sensitive immunoassays and the relationship with epidemiologic evidence of exposure to T. cruzi.

Molecular cloning, tissue distribution and daily expression of cry1 and cry2 clock genes in European seabass (Dicentrarchus labrax).

Biological rhythms are driven by circadian oscillators, which are ultimately controlled by the cyclic expression of clock genes. Cryptochromes (CRY), blue light photoreceptors, belong to the negative elements of the transcriptional feedback loop into the molecular clock. This paper describes the cloning and characterization of two cryptochromes (cry1 and 2) in European seabass, which is considered an interesting chronobiology model due to its dual (diurnal/nocturnal) behavior.

Neuroprotective effects of human umbilical cord mesenchymal stromal cells in an immunocompetent animal model of Parkinson's disease.

Microglial activation in the substantia nigra (SN) is a ubiquitous feature in PD which could mediate toxic effects. Human mesenchymal stromal cells (hMSCs) possess immunomodulatory properties. We evaluated whether the transplantation of hMSCs obtained from umbilical cord had a neuroprotective effect in a not-immunosuppressed rat Parkinson's disease (PD) model.

Daily rhythms of clock gene expression, glycaemia and digestive physiology in diurnal/nocturnal European seabass.

Seabass is a fish species with dual (diurnal/nocturnal) feeding behavior, although little is known about changes in its molecular clock, physiology and metabolism linked to this dual behavior. In the research described here possible differences in clock gene expression in central (brain) and peripheral (liver) oscillators, and in physiology (blood glucose and amylase activity in mid-intestine) were studied in seabass with diurnal or nocturnal self-feeding patterns under LD 12:12h (light:dark) (lights on=Zeitgeber Time (ZT) 00:00h). The results revealed that per1 expression in brain shows daily rhythmicity with the acrophase (Φ) around the lights offset (ZT 12:00h, Cosinor, p<0.

Circadian rhythms of self-feeding and locomotor activity in zebrafish (Danio Rerio).

To investigate daily feeding rhythms in zebrafish, the authors have developed a new self-feeding system with an infrared photocell acting as a food-demand sensor, which lets small-size fish such as zebrafish trigger a self-feeder. In this paper, the authors used eight groups of 20 fish. Locomotor activity rhythms were also investigated by means of infrared sensors.

Estimation of sensitivity and specificity of several Trypanosoma cruzi antibody assays in blood donors in Argentina.

Background: The absence of a gold standard test for Trypanosoma cruzi antibodies represents a problem not only for the evaluation of screening tests, but also for appropriate blood donor counseling. The aim of this study was to estimate the sensitivity and specificity of multiple blood donor screening tests for T. cruzi antibodies in Argentina.

WHO comparative evaluation of serologic assays for Chagas disease.

Background: Evaluation of commercially available test kits for Chagas disease for use in blood bank screening is difficult due to a lack of large and well-characterized specimen panels. This study presents a collaborative effort of Latin American blood centers and the World Health Organization (WHO) to establish such a panel.

Study Design: A total of 437 specimens, from 10 countries were collected and sent to the WHO Collaborating Center in São Paulo and used to evaluate 19 screening assays during 2001 through 2005.

Management of hepatocellular carcinoma.

Hepatocellular carcinoma is the fifth most common cancer in the world and is the third cause of cancer-related death with varying prevalence according to endemic risk factors. Despite therapeutic advances, there has not been significant improvement in the overall survival of patients who have hepatocellular cancer in the last 2 decades. Treatment selection should be based on tumor characteristics and the underlying liver disease.

Antibodies to hepatitis C and other viral markersin multi-transfused patients from Argentina.

Background: The knowledge of transfusion-transmitted viral infections in Argentina is scarce. A regional study organized by the Pan American Health Organization let us asses the current status.

Objectives: To estimate the prevalence of HCV, HBV and HIV infection in a population of multi-transfused Argentinean patients.

[Epidermoid carcinoma of gallbladder: analysis of our casuistic].

Background: The most common type of gallbladder cancer is the adenocarcinoma. The squamous cell carcinoma represents only a 0-12% of all gallbladder tumors.

Methods: 124 cases of malignant neoplasias of the gallbladder were diagnosed during the last 33 years in the Department of Surgery of our hospital.

Relationship between the Arg72Pro polymorphism of p53 and outcome for patients with traumatic brain injury.

Objective: To determine the relationship between the Arg72Pro polymorphism of p53 and the outcome after traumatic brain injury (TBI) in humans.

Design And Setting: A prospective study was carried out in a ten-bed surgical intensive care unit (SICU) of a university hospital.

Patients: The study included 90 caucasian patients who had experienced a severe TBI within the previous 24 h.

[External performance evaluation of screening in blood banks in Argentina: results and strategies for improvement].

Objectives: Because there was no program for the external evaluation of the quality of the screening for transfusion-transmitted infections (TTIs) in blood banks in Argentina, in 1999 the Hemotherapy Service of Garrahan Hospital, in Buenos Aires, launched an ongoing external evaluation program, with the support of the Pan American Health Organization and the Argentine Hemotherapy and Immunohematology Association.

Methods: A panel of 12 samples that were reactive to all the markers screened for in Argentine blood banks was distributed. The panel was delivered to 52 laboratories in 1999, 102 laboratories in 2000, and 118 laboratories in 2001.

[Beta thalassemia major in Argentina].

An analysis of beta thalassemia major patients seen at Hospital Juan P. Garrahan was carried out in order to determine the characteristics and outcome of the population. From August 1987 to July 2000, 45 patients were admitted (27 males-18 females).