Ten-day-old neonate who underwent correction of interrupted aortic arch developed a giant early post-surgical aneurysm. To our knowledge, this unusual complication has been only reported as a late complication.

The use of prostaglandin E1 is well documented in ductus arteriosus-dependent CHD or in neonatal pulmonary pathologies that cause severe pulmonary hypertension. The intravenous infusion is well established in loading infusion and maintenance with an onset of action of 30 minutes until 2 hours or even more. Our aim is to report three patients with pulmonary atresia that presented hypercyanotic spell due to a ductal spasm during cardiac catheterisation in whom the administration of a bolus of alprostadil reversed the spasm and increased pulmonary flow, immediately stabilising the condition of the patients allowing subsequent successful stent placement with no serious complications or sequelae after the administration of the bolus. More studies are needed to make a recommendation regarding the use of alprostadil in bolus in cases where the ductal spasm might jeopardise the life of the patient.

High-whiteness kaolinite mining reserves are scarce. In some locations, it is necessary to remove material to access them (adding to the cost). Therefore, processes have been developed to eliminate contaminants, such as iron, and provide alternatives to the used contaminated materials that, after being treated, meet quality criteria. In our previous research, we developed an electrochemical process for kaolin whitening at the laboratory level and bench scale, demonstrating the reaction mechanisms that occur during the removal of iron from kaolin. However, the geometry used at the laboratory level does not present the most suitable position for the electrodes. Therefore, in the present study, we focused on the geometry and the function of the electrodes. This is necessary during the escalation process to reach the pilot-scale level. The study was carried out using computer-aided engineering in the COMSOL Multiphysics computer program and by analysing the distribution of the electric potential and the electric current of the geometries considered while performing the scaling. The results indicated that the change in the anode position from perpendicular to parallel to the discs improved the distribution of electric current density on the cathode surface and so increased the elimination of iron through electrochemical deposition. Similarly, to reduce the amount of material used in the construction of the reactor, the anode-size effect was analysed, revealing that relatively small anodes improved the distribution of electric current density over the entire surface of the electrode and not only at the edges.

A large collection of maize macro-specimens has been gathered from archaeological sites across the American continent, but only a few have been directly dated by accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS). We recently conducted two new excavations in several rock shelters of Tehuacán valley (San Marcos, Coxcatlán, and Purrón) and uncovered 132 non-manipulated macro-specimens of maize suitable for morphological and paleogenomic analysis, including many complete cobs, stalks, internodes, and leaves. Direct AMS dates for 43 samples found in San Marcos or Coxcatlán confirm the previously reported chronologies for these sites. By contrast, a cob found in Purrón was dated to 3060±30 before present (3360–3180 cal BP) (2σ), demonstrating that maize was present at that site at least 1500 calendar years earlier than previously expected, and suggesting that other specimens of similar age are still likely to be found in the southeastern region of the Tehuacán valley. A global comparison of macro-specimen chronology across the continent shows that the current archaebotanical record does not yet reflect the chronology of dispersal from central Mexico to northern or southern regions, opening the possibility for finding the missing links in subsequent expeditions within Mexico and Central America.

Underutilized crops tend to harbor high levels of genetic diversity, be maintained on-farm in small-scale farming systems and be relatively neglected by formal research and development strategies, including breeding programs. While high genetic variability allows these crops to adapt to marginal environments, inappropriate management practices and reductions in population sizes in individual farmers’ plots may lead to productivity loss and poor harvests. This situation further limits their cultivation and use, notwithstanding the potential these crops may hold for diversification of agricultural systems, food security and market development. Peru hosts a wealth of native agrobiodiversity, which includes many underutilized crops. To improve their performance and promote their continued conservation and use, a participatory breeding program was developed on five underutilized crops of the Peruvian highlands; the breeding approach, based on a combination of evolutionary and participatory methods, is designed to achieve a balance between yield improvement and maintenance of genetic diversity. Preliminary results in quinoa and amaranth are encouraging, fostering further engagement of farmers by increasing availability of quality seed for downstream uses. However, methodological, financial and institutional issues need to be addressed for the effort to be expanded and upscaled. This paper provides an overall description of the initiative as well as a discussion on early results obtained in quinoa and amaranth, highlighting those aspects that make this approach particularly relevant for minor crops and identifying the opportunities and challenges for the initiative to move forward.

Giardiosis is a neglected parasitic disease that produces diarrhoea and different degrees of malabsorption in humans and animals. Its treatment is based on derivatives of 5-nitroimidazoles, benzimidazoles, nitrofuranes, acridine and nitrotiazoles. These drugs produce undesirable secondary effects, ranging from a metallic taste in the mouth to genetic damage and the selection of resistant strains; therefore, it is necessary to develop new therapeutic alternatives. We demonstrated that a 2-h treatment with 2·87 μg ml−1 of fraction 6 of Lippia graveolens (F-6) was sufficient to kill half of an experimental Giardia intestinalis (Syn. G. duodenalis, G. lamblia) population, based on the reduction of MTT-tetrazolium salt levels. F-6 breaks the nuclear envelope and injures the ventral suckling disc. The major compounds of F-6 were characterized as naringenin, thymol, pinocembrin and traces of compounds not yet identified. The results suggest that Lippia is a potential source to obtain compounds with anti-Giardia activity. This knowledge is an important starting point to develop new anti-giardial drugs. Future studies will be required to establish the efficacy of F-6 in vivo using an animal model.

The luminescent properties of porous silicon (PSi) films in the visible region were used to improve the photoresponse of PSi/Si-wafer and PSi/Si p-n junctions UV detector prototypes in the region below 500nm. A luminescent PSi overlayer was formed on top of the Si wafers and p-n junctions by electrochemical anodization. These overlayers have emission spectra peaking close to 690nm. In the case of the PSi/Si wafer, the PSi film was produced with a high optical transparency above 600nm and highly absorbent below this value. With such characteristics, the incident UV radiation is partially absorbed and converted into visible radiation that can be highly transmitted through the PSi film and efficiently absorbed by the wafer or the junction. The UV measurements show enhancement of the photoresponse at 366nm as compared with control prototypes without PSi. Details about the enhancement process are discussed.