Molecular cloning of a Drosophila potential Z-DNA forming sequence hybridizing in situ to a developmentally regulated subdivision of the polytene chromosomes

We describe the selection of a group of plasmids with potential to form Z-DNA, from libraries of Drosophila hydei nuclear DNA using anti Z-DNA monoclonal (22) or polyclonal (10c) antibodies. The supercoiled closed circular forms of most of the selected recombinant plasmids from the 10c Z-DNA library show affinity to the polyclonal 10c antibody as indicated by DNA binding assays. One of these plasmids, pF17, was selected for further study. The insert in this plasmid adopts the Z conformation at bacterial supercoiled density. Analysis of deletion plasmids indicates that a Z-epitope is located within a short fragment of the insert in which 3 GC repetitions are found. The Drosophila DNA insert in pF17 hybridizes in situ with locus 4-75C1-2 of the polytene chromosomes, a locus whose transcriptional activity is developmentally regulated during the third instar.

[Strategy of Ascaris lumbricoides and Trichuris trichiura for the environmental contamination, in an endemic area]

The distribution of frequencies of the number per grame of Ascaris lumbricoides and Trichuris trichiura in the faeces of naturally infected human in endemic areas, were found following a negative binomial distribution and an overdispersal pattern, independently of the ages of hosts. These results show, that only few hosts, independently of their ages, are involved in the higher environment contamination.

[Ecoepidemiology of Haemonchus contortus bahiensis, ecotype present in sheep of arid zones of Venezuela]

The frequency distribution of female Haemonchus contortus bahiensis Grisi, 1974 in sheep from Venezuelan arid zones is 15.32% for the type with vulvar flap, 51.6% for the vulvar-knob and 33.07% for smooth type. A Shannon-Weaver diversity index corresponding to 1.44 bits was calculated for these forms with similarities in the general size, egg-size and in the number of the longitudinal cuticular ridges. An aggregated kind of distribution in the host population according to the K parameter of a negative binomial distribution was recorded for male and female worms. A complicated interaction was observed between the abundance, aggregation and prevalence of this ecotype and the importance of these findings is discussed with regard to host-parasite relationships.

[Comparison between the communities of parasitic nematoda of sheep and goats bred in arid zones of Venezuela]

Under the studied conditions, the structure and composition of community of parasitic nematodes observed in both sheeps and goats, is similar (rS = 0.90 P less than or equal to 0.05 and CSS = 93.33%), the Shannon-Weaver index of diversity was 1.23 +/- 0.15 bits and 1.15 +/- 0.24 bits for sheeps and goats, respectively. The equitability index resulted in 0.49 +/- 0.06 for sheep-nematodes and 0.44 +/- 0.09 for goats-nematodes. However, no significant difference was observed when the means of these indexes, were compared. Not withstanding, a greater homogenity was observed in the ovine parasitic nematodes.

[Microecological characterization of parasitic nematoda present in goats of arid zones of Venezuela]

Goats from the Venezuelan northern arid zones were found infested by the following nematodes: Haemonchus contortus, Trichostrongylus axei, T. colubriformis, Cooperia curticei, Oesophagostomum columbianum, Skrjabinema ovis y Trichuris globulosa. The Shannon-Weaver index of diversity values oscillated between 0.045 and 1.73 bits (means = 1.16 +/- 0.24 bits). The maximum value of montly diversity ranged from 1 to 2.80 bits (means = 2.49 +/- 0.28 bits) and the equitability ranged from 0.045 to 0.67 (means = 0.44 +/- 0.09). Parasitic associations were found among 1) T. axei, T. colubriformis and H. contortus, 2) T. colubriformis, H. contortus and O. columbianum and 3) T. colubriformis, S. ovis and T. globulosa. The above results suggest that in months when the diversity index is close to the maximum value and the equitability index is near unity, wide spectrum antihelmintic treatment should be used for poly-parasitized animals.

Drinking patterns of inner-city black Americans and Puerto Ricans

Alcoholic patients--183 Black Americans (62 women) and 132 Puerto Ricans (18 women)--at an inner-city alcoholism treatment program were surveyed using the Drinking History Questionnaire. Significantly more Puerto Rican men than Black men reported drinking distilled spirits, daily drinking, drinking in the morning to relieve a hangover, shakes when sobering up, blackouts when drinking, convulsions after a bout, psychoperceptual withdrawal symptoms and alcohol-related marital difficulties. Puerto Rican women were significantly older at the first time of drunkenness than the other groups. These women tended to drink at home daily and they reported a surprisingly high mean alcohol consumption. Significantly more Black women reported drinking to make friends. The tendency for Blacks to drink with their spouse, and to encourage their spouse to drink, was a major finding. This finding may have clinical implications for treatment and suggests that in lower class Black alcoholics a careful history of the drinking patterns of the spouse or living companion should be taken to determine the proper treatment approach.

Cultural influences and alcoholism: a study of Puerto Ricans

Some reports in the literature suggest a correlation between acceptance of traditional Latin American family values and alcoholism in Hispanic males. To examine the effects of traditional values on alcoholism, the authors surveyed 151 lower-class Puerto Rican alcoholics (126 males and 25 females), using a scale to measure Hispanic-American family values. The scores of these patients were compared with those of 116 lower-class Puerto Rican nonalcoholics (45 males and 71 females). A path model was constructed with alcoholism as the dependent variable, the Traditional Scale scores as an intervening variable, and demographic variables which may also influence alcoholism (such as sex, age, years of residence in the United States, education, and English ability) as independent variables. Overall, the findings show that traditionalism is a significant predictor of alcoholism, both directly and as an intervening variable in the relation between sex and alcoholism, and education and alcoholism. However, sex and years of residence in the United States were both stronger direct predictors of alcoholism than was traditionalism. These results support the hypothesis that the manifestations of alcoholism in lower-class Puerto Ricans are influenced by cultural attitudes.

Dermatomyositis-like syndrome caused by trichinae. Report of two cases

We report 2 cases of trichinosis in which the clinical features resembled dermatomyositis. In both cases, however, the diagnosis was established histologically by demonstrating trichina larvae in the patients' muscle biopsies. Indirect immunofluorescence and counterimmunoelectrophoresis techniques were used to confirm the diagnosis serologically.

Determinacion de las relaciones polimorficas entre Teladorsagia circumcincta (Stadelmann, 1894) y Teladorsagia trifurcata (Ransom, 1907) en condiciones experimentales

En el presente estudio se demostró que Teladorsagia circumcincta (Stadelmann, 1894) y T. trifurcata (Ransom, 1907), nemátodes Trichostrongylidae de la sub-família Ostertagiinae, parasitan un espectro de hospedadores similares. La ausencia de barreras reproductivas entre T. trifurcata y T. circumcincta, así como la estabilización rápida de las proporciones de las dos entidades en el seno de la población, evidencia que T. trifurcata es un morfo de T. circumcincta.

Progabide treatment in severe epilepsy: a double-blind cross-over trial versus placebo

Twenty therapy-resistant epileptic patients entered a double-blind, randomized, two-period, cross-over trial comparing progabide (19.3-36 mg/kg/day) and placebo as add-on drugs to standard therapy. Each period lasted 6 weeks with a gradual crossover during 4 days. Five patients were dropped because of reasons unrelated to treatment. Among the 15 patients who completed the study, seven had partial, six primary generalized, and two secondary generalized epilepsies. Preexisting antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) ranging from one to three per patient (mean 2.2 AEDs/patient) were maintained unchanged during the trial. Efficacy was assessed biweekly by means of total seizure counts, counts of each seizure type, and global clinical judgment. At the same time intervals, safety was assessed by means of reports of adverse events, clinical and neurological examination, laboratory tests, and measurement of plasma concentrations of progabide and associated AEDs. According to the clinical global judgment, eight patients were considered improved during progabide treatment. Seizures were reduced in 14 of 15 patients during the progabide as compared with the placebo period. During the progabide period, the reduction of the total seizure count was 45 and 58% in two patients and 88-97% in six patients. A significant reduction of the total seizure number was observed in the progabide period as compared with the placebo period, both in the whole patient group (p less than 0.01) and in the two subgroups of patients with generalized (p less than 0.01) and partial (p less than 0.05) epilepsies.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

[Infection of Lymnaea cubensis by Fasciola hepatica in a high altitude region in Venezuela]

Lymnaea cubensis is the vector in a region of distome infection in Trujillo State at more than 1000 m altitude where almost all bovines are infected. A quarter of the molluscs were infected with a mean number of 20 rediae per infected molluc each redia capable of producing 16 cercariae. Prevalence of infection increases with size of molluse and is highest in those 4 to 5 mm long. However, Lymnaea as small as 3 mm produce cercariae and molluscicide treatments should be begun as soon as forms of this size appear.

Paniculatine. A New Alkaloid from L. paniculatum Desvaux

The structure of paniculatine, an alkaloid of L. paniculatum, has been elucidated. It has a skeletal structure different from other alkaloids of the Lycopodium family.