Sistema Regional de Información
en línea para Revistas Científicas de América Latina,
el Caribe, España y Portugal

Mercury is a heavy metal with toxic eff ects, especially at the level of the central nervous system. Th e poisoning by this metal can be acute when the damage occurs in a limited time or chronic when the deleterious eff ect is sustained. Inorganic mercury poisoning in minors who were never linked to illegal mining, an activity that takes place where minors reside, was determined. Of 118 children under 18 years, 28.8% (34/118) exceeded the permissible limits (5 μg Hg·g-1) of creatinine. Th e percentage of contaminated minors was high given that they are people who are not linked to mining activity, so they must have been accidentally contaminated by activity generated by someone close to the minors. Th is premise was demonstrated in the case of the minor who was contaminated every time the mercury vapor was emitted by a chimney that was near the window of her room when mercury amalgam was re-founded on the fi rst floor of the minor’s residence. A high percentage of contaminated minors was demonstrated. Minors that are not related to the activity of illegal mining that is a serious threat to public health, especially since this group is highly vulnerable due to the cognitive development that would be aff ected by the inhalation of heavy metals.

The environmental protection of resources must represent a social responsibility and only like that, human welfare could be guaranteed. The aim of study was to estimate the sustainability of environmental economy and ecological economy. A rational  formula was established for the estimation of sustainable environmental economy and ecological economy (SEEEEE) based on five indicators: 1st) estimated cost of resource, 2nd) cost of temporary benefit, 3rd) social attributable impact, 4th) rate of necessary availability and 5th) value of future generational demand. Determining the following formula ∑ (ECR + CTB + SIA + RNA + VFGD) / 5. From the concentration of lead and cadmium in the waters of San Juan ecosystem of Santiago de Cuba-Cuba, the measurement criterion (high, medium and low) was defined for action estimation of resource (immediate protection, protection not immediate and conserved). It was concluded that the established formula allowed the understanding of rational and sustainable use of environmental resources because it is the same scenario of thought that can be assessed in the present (Environmental Economy) and for the future, showing more concern and commitment (Ecological Economics).

We analyzed hyperactivation and fertilizing capacity of the sperm of Tetrapygus niger "black sea urchin" in the presence of β-caryophyllene. β-caryophyllene obtained from extracts of Piper nigrum "black pepper" and synthetic β-caryophyllene donated by the Biosciences Institute of the University of Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, Brazil, was used. Tetrapygus niger spermatozoa pretreated with the extracts of synthetic β-caryophyllene (β-caryophyllene A) and β-Caryophyllene from black pepper (β-caryophyllene B) were used to study the effect of this molecule on sperm hyperactivity (mean velocity and percentages of progressive and continuous movement) and the fertilizing capacity (percentage of fertilized ovules). The average values ​​of the sperm head area in the control and in the treatments with β-caryophyllene A and β-caryophyllene B were: 33.8; 32.33 and 33.59 um2, respectively, indicating the homogeneity in the sample and that this was not influenced by the sesquiterpene. In the presence of β-caryophyllene A and B, the average speed observed was decreased by approximately 30 and 20 um/s, respectively, with respect to the control. There are significant differences between the control and the treatments with β-caryophyllene A and B, but not between the two treatments with β-caryophyllene. The progressive movement of the sperm was also affected. While all the sperm of the control group showed rapid progressivity; in the treatment with β-caryophyllene B only 40% presented this characteristic and in the treatment with β-caryophyllene A 100% were progressive slow. On the other hand, the β-caryophyllene B produced a slight decrease in fertilization (96.76% of fertilized ovules) and in the presence of β-caryophyllene A, this was reduced to 79.50% with respect to the control group. A possible mechanism to explain the effects observed in this study would be the ability of β-caryophyllene to activate inhibitory G proteins as reported in other studies.

Pesticides have been widely used since ancient times in agriculture for the protection of crops from plagues. However, most of these generate high environmental pollution. Despite of law regulation, they continue to arrive in different ways to the ocean. The present work evaluates the toxicity of three commercial pesticides in Peru: the herbicide Butachlor, the insecticide Chlorpyrifos and the fungicide Copper Oxychloride, on the marine amphipod Apohyale grandicornis (Krøyer, 1845). Ecotoxicological bioassays were carried out in each one with standardized protocols, in addition to Potassium Dichromate sensitivity test. Likewise, based on acute test, the environmental risk of the three pesticides at the aquatic level was evaluated by calculating the risk quotient (RQs). According to the LC50 of the pesticides the sequence in descended order of toxicity was: Butachlor> Chlorpyrifos> Copper Oxychloride. For the Potassium Dichromate sensitivity test, an LC50 value of 13.04 mg·L-1 was found. The herbicide Butachlor registered the highest toxicity of all the pesticides evaluated at the 96 h of exposure in A. grandicornis with LC50 of 0.019 mg·L-1, showing a toxicity 1.11 times higher than Chlorpyrifos and 28.42 more than Copper Oxychloride. Finally, both Butachlor and Chlorpyrifos present an environmental risk on A. grandicornis. While, Copper Oxychloride was an environmental risk when using the safety factor to calculate the risk quotient.

The main objective of this work was to describe intraocular pressure (IOP) in rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus (Linnaeus, 1758)) subjected to two anesthetic protocols. Anesthetic protocols 1 and 2 were Meloxicam-Xylazine-Ketamine and Meloxicam-Diazepam-Ketamine, respectively. It was a cross-sectional study of descriptive nature only, with a sample of twelve rabbits divided into two groups for the use of anesthetic protocols 1 and 2 independently. The IOP was measured with a Shiotz tonometer throughout the duration of the anesthetic protocols at minutes 5, 10 and 15. Subsequently, based on the measurements collected, the statistical frequencies were determined and the results obtained show the reduction of significant IOP during anesthesia in both anesthetic protocols, especially at minute 10 with measurements of 9.017 and 9.442 mmHg considering the baseline measurements of 19.917 and 20.408 mmHg and a normal IOP value in rabbits between 15 and 23 mmHg. Using anesthetic protocols composed of drugs that reduce or help keep IOP low, such as Xylazine and Diazepam, used in daily practice with ketamine as an inductor drug. It is important to consider the IOP when formulating anesthetic protocols in rabbits, since a considerable increase in IOP could mean the occurrence of ocular damage or the exacerbation of some ocular pathology prior to anesthesia. The results of this study provide a contribution to consider when establishing anesthetic protocols in rabbits and represent important data for the formulation of new research work in the same area of ​​study.

Record of a total of eleven oysters from the Cajamarca and Ancash región, belonging to four genera: Aetostreon Bayle, 1878, Cameleolopha Vyalov, 1936, Exogyra Say, 1820 and Nicaisolopha Vyalov, 1936, all of the upper Cretaceous of the regions of Cajamarca, Chota, La Encañada and Ancash, Sihuas.  Determinación of four species: Exogyra africana Coquand, 1862 var. peruana Paulcke, 1903. Exogyra (Costagyra) olisiponensis Sharpe, 1850 var. duplex Paulcke, 1903, Exogyra mermeti (Coquand, 1862) and Nicaisolopha nicaisei Vyalov, 1936 was made.

The objective of the present investigation was to determine the relationship between the “Safe Hour” liquor sales schedules and those killed by traffic crashes and abuses, homicides and suicides. The descriptive investigation based on the monthly reports carried out by the Metropolitan Municipality of Lima (LM), Peru from the database of the Institute of Legal Medicine (ILM) recorded from 2015 to 2017, with a bivariate analysis and relative risks, characterizing those killed by violent deaths and their relationship with sex, age and alcohol consumption. There is a significant decrease in alcoholized victims in all violent deaths except for the suicide of women, between 2015 and 2017. The largest percentage decrease in homicides of alcoholics occurred in women, meaning a reduction in feminicide. The average age shifts in frequencies as the years go by, with the exception of suicide in women between the base year (2015) against 16 and 17. The victims are older in LM alcoholics, consistent with that published by the statistical yearbook of the National Police, both in age and sex. It is concluded that the decrease in violent deaths and changes in age and sex in LM should be a consequence of public policy and effective police controls. The "safe hour" has evidence for its application throughout the country. Safe time is an effective strategy to deal with feminicide.

Around airports, there are external conditions that turn out to be attractive for birds that include wetlands, grasslands, crops, mangroves, organic waste from human activities, and taxiways for aircraft which are permanent source for bird transit. Jorge Chávez International Airport (AIJCh) located in Lima, Peru presents many of the above mentioned factors, so the evaluation of avian fauna is necessary. The objective of this work is to perform the spatial and temporal evaluation through surveys between  November 2015 and July 2016 and use the Avian Risk Assessment Index (IERA in Spanish) to detect those species that generate the greatest risk. The groups of species that presented greater abundance were the gulls (Family Laridae) with a maximum reported of 5189 individuals and the “black vulture” (Coragyps atratus (Bechstein, 1793) with a maximum reported of 371 individuals.  Both groups were more active from the first hours of the morning (9:00 am) and in the mid-afternoon (4:00 pm to 5:00 pm). In addition, these groups also presented higher risk according to the IERA. This index works efficiently as a diagnostic tool for potentially dangerous bird species for air navigation.

The present study attempts to improve the original description of Favrella lorensis (Lisson, 1907) Carlos Lisson Beingolea as first time. The species was originally reported without information by international researchers. The present material was collected at the Morro Solar, Chorrillos, Lima. Seventy samples were selected from the Vera Alleman collections, deposited in the Natural History Museum “Vera Alleman Haeghebaert” in Ricardo Palma University. Favrella lorensis (Lisson, 1907) holotype T.19 (48703) is located in the Museum of Mineralogy and Paleontology of the Faculty of Geological Engineering of the National University of Engineering.  Our description was complemented adding the partial description of the suture and examples with trapezoidal section. In addition we have the first collection of Favrella lorensis (Lisson, 1907) in Peru.

A prospective longitudinal study was performed to determine the infectivity of Sarcocystis sp. cysts in alpacas in a livestock of the central highlands in Peru. Fifty raised male alpacas were selected at random after birth and then slaughtered, 3 monthly until one year of age, in order to detect micro or macrocysts in the skeletal and cardiac muscles. Dog groups free of parasites were infected monthly with skeletal and cardiac muscle to investigate their infectivity. The results show that the raised alpacas presented micro cysts of Sarcocystis sp. in skeletal and cardiac muscle since four months of age. We did not detect macro cysts in the skeletal muscles in the raised alpacas until the end of the experiment. Dogs feed monthly on microcysts of Sarcocystis sp since birth until a year of age but does not eliminate micro or macrocyst of Sarcocystis sp.