Publications by authors named "Raul E Alcala"

Background: Sural sparing is common in Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS). However, one third of patients have sural nerve compromise. Its clinical implications associated factors and short-term prognosis are still unknown.

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Several clinical phenotypes have been described related to the gene (calcium channel voltage-dependent L-type alpha-1S subunit), such as autosomal dominant hypokalemic periodic paralysis 1 and autosomal dominant malignant hyperthermia susceptibility and are associated with autosomal dominant and recessive congenital myopathy. Recently, an interesting case of a 58-year-old male patient was published describing an unusual clinical presentation of hypokalemic periodic paralysis where a late-onset limb-girdle myopathy had developed 41 years after paralysis occurred when the patient was 11 years old. Muscle biopsy results were consistent with myopathic changes and revealed the presence of vacuoles, without inflammatory reaction.

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Late-onset limb-girdle myopathies pose a diagnostic challenge. The most common etiologies are inflammatory, followed by genetic and metabolic. Rare cases include limb-girdle dystrophies and permanent myopathies (vacuolar), such as those associated with hypokalemic periodic paralysis (HypoPP).

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Article Synopsis
  • Tropical dry forests are crucial for biodiversity, but human activities threaten their ecosystems and genetic diversity.
  • A study using ISSR markers to assess the impact of these activities on the genetic structure of southern pygmy mice found no significant differences in genetic diversity between conserved and disturbed forests.
  • The results indicate that B. musculus possesses sufficient behavioral and genetic flexibility to adapt to changes caused by habitat alterations.
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Most species of Pinguicula present a montane distribution with populations located at high altitudes. In this context, we proposed that populations of Pinguicula species could be genetically differentiated even at a local scale. This study supported that prediction, as a RAPD-based analysis of molecular variance revealed a high degree of genetic structure (Φ (st) = 0.

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In this study we explored the effect of the physical environment and the availability of prey (biomass and taxonomic composition) on the patterns of prey capture and reproduction on five populations of Pinguicula moranensis (Lentibulariaceae) in areas ranging from pine-oak forests to desert scrublands. Environmental variation was summarized using principal factor analysis. Prey availability and prey capture increased toward the shadiest, most humid, and fertile population.

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