Caparratriene, an active sesquiterpene hydrocarbon from Ocotea caparrapi

The seasonal distribution of cryptosporidiosis in children in Aragón, a region in northeastern Spain, was determined. Over a period of six years (October 1988 to September 1994), 10,034 stool samples from 4,508 children with gastrointestinal symptoms were analyzed for this purpose. The age of the patients ranged from 1 month to 14 years. Cryptosporidium oocysts were identified in 87 (1.93%) patients. Prevalence was highest (6.20%) in children aged 1 to 3 years old. The prevalence was significantly higher in the autumn-winter period (October to March) than in the spring-summer period (April to September) in the whole population (2.41% vs. 1.35%, p = 0.010) and in the 1- to 3-year-old age group (8.44% vs. 3.20%, p = 0.002), but not in the other age groups. A possible relationship of this pattern to attendance at child care centres is suggested.     

Electron microscope studies of conditional spore cortexless mutants of Bacillus sphaericus

Spore cortex of conditional cortexless mutants of Bacillus sphaericus 9602 was not detectable by electron microscopy unless the medium was supplemented with meso-alpha,epsilon-diaminopimelic acid during sporulation. Other spore structures appeared normal. Spore shape was quite irregular in the absence of meso-alpha,epsilon-diaminopimelic acid.