We tested the hypothesis that the El Niñ o Southern Oscillation influences forest-wide fruit production, which, in turn, limits frugivorous and granivorous mammals on Barro Colorado Island (BCI), Panama. Observations of BCI mammals have been compiled for 49 years. Frugivorous mammals experienced famine . The most recent famine is evident from an 11-yr record of natural deaths of mammals and a 2-yr record of population densities. Famine occurred every time a mild dry season followed an El Niñ o event in the 49-yr record. This coincidence is statistically improbable, as demonstrated by a randomization test.A 2-yr cycle of high, then low community-level fruit production has been observed twice for BCI when a mild dry season followed an El Niñ o event. We used 260 litter traps to monitor community-and species-level fruit production from 1 January 1987 through 30 June 1996. Community-level fruit production was greatest during the 1992 El Niñ o event and lowest one year later, after the mild 1993 dry season. We also reinterpret an earlier 2-yr record of fruit production in light of our 9.5-yr record of fruit production. Communitylevel fruit production was elevated during the 1969 El Niñ o event and was very low one year later, after the mild 1970 dry season. We hypothesize that (1) El Niñ o conditions enhance fruit production; (2) high fruit production consumes stored reserves, limiting the next reproductive event; and (3) mild dry seasons reduce fruit production. Each plant species may respond to any combination of the three components of this hypothesis. Communitylevel fruit production is extremely low when species sensitive to components 1 and 2 are entrained with species sensitive to component 3, or when a mild dry season follows one year after an El Niñ o event.El Niñ o events bring dry, sunny conditions to BCI and a large portion of the wet tropics. Drought and sun may both favor fruit production in wet tropical forests. Drought is known to synchronize flowering, and sunny conditions may relieve light limitation. The El Niño Southern Oscillation has a strong 24-mo periodicity. This creates a strong tendency for dry, sunny years to alternate with wet, cloudy years in Central America and elsewhere in the tropics. We present evidence that this alternately enhances and reduces fruit production on BCI.Terborgh hypothesized that predators regulate frugivorous mammals in tropical forests. As a corollary, he further hypothesized that famines occur on BCI because several large predators are absent and frugivores escape predation. We extended censuses to the nearby mainland to evaluate this hypothesis. Poachers, who are active on the mainland, reduce the abundances of game species below levels maintained in the presence of large felids and raptors. There was evidence for famine in poached, mainland populations, and we rejected the hypothesis that reduced predation pressure is a prerequisite for famine.

MSC is a simple, robust marker of remission after TSS for CD.

Currently, there is a growing demand to determine the protective status of vaccinated fish in order to prevent diseases outbreaks. A set of different parameters that include the infectious and immunological status of vaccinated salmonids from 622 Chilean farms were analyzed during 2011–2014. The aim of this study was to optimize the vaccination program of these centers through the determination of the protective state of vaccinated fish using oral immunizations. This state was determined from the association of the concentration of the immunoglobulin M (IgM) in the serum and the mortality rate of vaccinated fish. Salmonids were vaccinated with different commercial mono- or polyvalent vaccines against salmonid rickettsial septicemia (SRS) and infectious salmon anemia (ISA), first by the intraperitoneal injection of oil-adjuvanted antigens and then by the stimulation of mucosal immunity using oral vaccines as a booster vaccination. The results showed that high levels of specific IgM antibodies were observed after injectable vaccination, reaching a maximum concentration at 600–800 degree-days. Similar levels of antibodies were observed when oral immunizations were administrated. The high concentration of antibodies [above 2750 ng/mL for ISA virus (ISAv) and 3500 ng/mL for SRS] was maintained for a period of 800 degree-days after each vaccination procedure. In this regard, oral immunizations maintained a long-term high concentration of anti-SRS and anti-ISAv specific IgM antibodies. When the concentration of antibodies decreased below 2000 pg/mL, a window of susceptibility to SRS infection was observed in the farm, suggesting a close association between antibody levels and fish protective status. These results demonstrated that, in the field, several oral immunizations are essential to uphold a high level of specific anti-pathogens antibodies and, therefore, the protective status during the whole productive cycle.

The objective of this paper was to determine the outcome of the transfer of the latissimus dorsi tendon in patients with massive irreparable rotator cuff tears. Eighteen patients of mean age 54 years (range 37-72 years) with massive irreparable rotator cuff tears were studied. The mean follow-up was 28 months (range 12-58 months). The postoperative Constant score was higher by an average of 21.15 points compared to the preoperative score (P=0.002); 88.8% of patients reported significant pain relief and improved mobility, particularly on external rotation. Postoperative resting antero-posterior radiography in neutral rotation revealed a mean 3.2-mm depression of the humeral head, due to the tenodesis effect of tendon transfer, thus, increasing the deltoid lever arm. These clinical results suggest that latissimus dorsi transfer is a useful surgical technique for treating massive irreparable postero-superior tears of the rotator cuff in young and/or active patients, providing significant pain relief and improved shoulder strength.

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Objective: To describe the sequence of hormonal changes during recurrence of Cushing's disease (CD) after successful transsphenoidal surgery (TSS). Design: Retrospective study in a single center. Patients and methods: We studied 101 of the 127 patients treated by TSS for CD between 1996 and 2009, who had hypocortisolism or eucortisolism for at least 3 months post-TSS. We arbitrarily defined 'overt recurrence', as presence of two classical parameters of excess cortisol (increased midnight -either serum or salivary -and 24 h urinary cortisol (UC)), leading to further specific therapeutic action, and 'mild recurrence', as presence of a single classical parameter, leading to simple surveillance. Results: Of the 101 patients, 21 (20.8%) presented with recurrence, 'mild' or 'overt', during long-term follow-up (median 50.4 months, range 7-99). Recurrence occurred less frequently (16.8 vs 50%, PZ0.02), and later (mean 44.7 months, median 43, range 7-94 vs mean 21.5 months, median 17, range 3-61, PZ0.05), in patients with early post-TSS hypocortisolism compared with those with eucortisolism. Increase in midnight cortisol occurred in a mean time of 38.2 months, while UC elevation was observed at 50.6 months. Vasopressin analogs and CRH tests were eventually positive in 85 and 93% of all patients respectively; a positive response to one of the two dynamic tests preceded the increase in midnight cortisol or UC in 71 and 64% of the patients respectively. Conclusion: A positive response to vasopressin analogs and/or CRH tests occurs early in recurrence, followed by an increase in midnight cortisol, while UC elevation is at a later stage.