: The findings of a normal or inflamed appendix in a hernia sac is a rare finding intraoperatively. It is referred to as an Amyand's hernia, named after Claudius Amyand who first described it in 1735. We present a case of a 7-week-old male, born prematurely at 32 weeks' gestation, who presented clinically with an incarcerated right inguinal hernia. Intra-operative findings revealed an inflamed and ruptured appendix in the hernia sac. An appendectomy and herniotomy was performed with good results.

Castor oil has shown potential as raw material for biodiesel production. Nevertheless, the hydroxyl group present in ricinoleic acid structure provides special characteristics to castor oil and its derivatives. For this reason, the phase separation between biodiesel and glycerin (produced during the transesterification reaction) is not a spontaneous process. In this work is reported the experimental methodology developed for solving the problem of purification. It was found that the best method to achieve phase separation is to add glycerin to the product mixture. During the experiments, a qualitative analysis was performed on the sample using mid-infrared spectroscopy (IR), the results demonstrated the presence of glycerin, biodiesel and saponified products.

El aceite de ricino representa una materia prima viable para la producción de biodiesel. Sin embargo, la presencia de un grupo hidroxilo en la estructura del ácido ricinoleico provee de características especiales al aceite de ricino y a sus derivados. Debido a esto no hay una separación de fases biodiesel-glicerina formadas durante la reacción de transesterificación. El presente trabajo se enfocó en la generación de una metodología experimental para resolver tal problema de purificación. Resultando como mejor método la adición de glicerina (que puede provenir del proceso mismo) para lograr la separación de fases. Así mismo, se realizó un análisis cualitativo por espectroscopia en la región de Infrarrojo Medio (IR) de la muestra extraída, encontrándose la presencia de glicerina, biodiesel y productos saponificables.

La "hormiga loca" Paratrechina fulva (Mayr) ha encontrado en el cultivo de cana de azucar las condiciones adecuadas para establecerse y proliferar, lo que ha ocasionado serios problemas al sector. En 1996, se detecto en el Ingenio Risaralda la presencia de un acaro atacando las pupas de la hormiga; diversas investigaciones condujeron a elucidar su biologia, comportamiento y otras relaciones existentes entre el acaro y la hormiga, en orden a determinar la posibilidad de usar el acaro como agente de control de poblaciones de la hormiga loca. El acaro identificado como Macrodinychus sellnicki (Hirschmann) es mirmecofilo y se desarrolla como ectoparasitoide de la pupa succionando los liquidos internos de ella, la cual muere al emerger el adulto. En condiciones de campo, se determino que el acaro puede presentar rangos de parasitismo entre 0 y 93%. Antes de llegar al estado adulto M sellnicki pasa por tres estados de desarrollo: larva, protoninfa y deutoninfa. La duracion de su ciclo de vida fue de 30 dias en promedio contabilizado desde larvas activas hasta la emergencia del adulto. Despues de copuladas las hembras formaron huevos a los siete dias y larvas a los 37, sugiriendo oviviparidad. No se logro observar el proceso de salida de las larvas, las cuales son moviles lo que les permite ubicar a su hospedero. Los dos estados ninfales sufren cambios regresivos en los organos locomotores. M sellnicki tiene una alta capacidad para afectar las poblaciones de P. fulva, pero su reproduccion masiva en laboratorio no fue posible. Su uso, por lo tanto, consistiria en liberaciones inoculativas de material de campo altamente parasitado, en sectores donde se presenten explosiones de hormiga loca y el acaro este ausente.

The crazy ant Paratrechina fulva (Mayr) has conditions found in sugarcane adequate for establishing and proliferating, causing serious problems to growers. In 1996, the presence of a mite attacking crazy ant pupae was detected in Risaralda sugar mill; several investigations were conducted to elucidate its biology, behaviour other relationships between the mite and the ant, in order to determine the possibility of using the mite as a control agent of ant populations. The mite, identify as Macrodinychus sellnicki (Hirschmann), is a myrmecophile and develops as an ectoparasitoid sucking internal fluids of the pupa, which in turn dies when the adult mite emerges. Percent parasitism by mites in the field may vary from 0 to 93%. Before becoming an adult M sellnicki passes through three development stages: larva, protonymph and deutonymph. Mean duration of the life cycle was 30 days from active larva to emerged adult. After copulation, females formed eggs 7 days later and larvae 37 days later, suggesting ovoviviparity. Birth of larvae was not observed; these are active and seek their host. Nymphal stages have regressive development of their locomotion appendages. M sellnicki has a high capacity to affect P. fulva populations but its mass reproduction in laboratory was not possible. Its potential use therefore would be inoculative, consisting of liberations of highly parasitized individuals obtained from the field into areas where there are crazy ant outbreaks but the mite is absent.

We have previously demonstrated that acute third ventricle injections of both lead and cadmium prevent the dipsogenic response elicited by dehydration or by central injections of dipsogenic agents such as angiotensin II, carbachol and isoproterenol in rats. We have also shown that the antidipsogenic action of cadmium may be due, at least in part, to activation of thirst-inhibitory central serotonergic pathways. In the present paper we show that in Wistar male rats the antidipsogenic effect of both lead acetate (3.0 nmol/rat) and cadmium chloride (3.0 nmol/rat) may be partially dependent on the activation of brain opiatergic pathways since central injections of naloxone (82.5 nmol/rat), a non-selective opioid antagonist, blunt the thirst-inhibiting effect of these metals. One hundred and twenty minutes after the second third ventricle injections, dehydrated animals (14 h overnight) receiving saline + sodium acetate displayed a high water intake (7.90 ± 0.47 ml/100 g body weight) whereas animals receiving saline + lead acetate drank 3.24 ± 0.47 ml/100 g body weight. Animals receiving naloxone + lead acetate drank 6.94 ± 0.60 ml/100 g body weight. Animals receiving saline + saline drank 8.16 ± 0.66 ml/100 g body weight whilst animals receiving saline + cadmium chloride drank 1.63 ± 0.37 ml/100 g body weight. Animals receiving naloxone + cadmium chloride drank 8.01 ± 0.94 ml/100 g body weight. It is suggested that acute third ventricle injections of both lead and cadmium exert their antidipsogenic effect by activating thirst-inhibiting opioid pathways in the brain.

We have previously demonstrated that acute third ventricle injections of both Pb2+ and Cd2+ impair the dipsogenic response elicited by three different situations: dehydration and central cholinergic or angiotensinergic stimulation. ß-Adrenergic activation is part of the multifactorial integrated systems operating in drinking behavior control in the central nervous system. In the present study acute third ventricle injections of Pb2+ (3, 30 and 300 pmol/rat) or Cd2+ (0.3, 3 and 30 pmol/rat) blocked the dipsogenic response induced by third ventricle injections of isoproterenol (ISO; 160 nmol/rat) in a dose-dependent manner. Normohydrated animals receiving ISO + NaAc (sodium acetate) or saline (controls) displayed a high water intake after 120 min (ISO + saline = 5.78 ± 0.54 ml/100 g; ISO + NaAc = 6.00 ± 0.6 ml/100 g). After the same period, animals receiving ISO but pretreated with PbAc at the highest dose employed (300 pmol/rat) drank 0.78 ± 0.23 ml/100 g while those receiving ISO and pretreated with the highest dose of CdCl2 (30 pmol/rat) presented a water intake of 0.7 ± 0.30 ml/100 g. Third ventricle injections of CdCl2 (3 nmol/rat) or PbAc (3 nmol/rat) did not modify food intake in rats deprived of food for 24 h. Thus, general central nervous system depression explaining the antidipsogenic action of the metals can be safely excluded. It is concluded that both Pb2+ and Cd2+ inhibit water intake induced by central ß-adrenergic stimulation