Biochemical metabolism of young plants of Ucuúba (Virola surinamensis) in the presence of cadmium.

Virola surinamensis is a forest species widely distributed in the estuaries of the Amazon. These ecosystems are susceptible to contamination by Cadmium (Cd), indicating that the plant has strategies for tolerating this metal. The aim of this study was to assess the nitrogen and carbon metabolism of young plants of Ucuúba (Virola surinamensis) in the presence of cadmium with the perspective of the phytoremediation of contaminated environments. The used experimental design was a completely randomized design with five Cd concentrations (0, 15, 30, 45, and 60 mg L- 1), for 60 days. In general, Cd did not affect nitrate concentration in the root but had a positive effect on leaves. The reduction of nitrate reductase (NR) in plants exposed to Cd was followed by a decrease in ammonia, total soluble amino acids (TSA), and total soluble proteins (TSP). Cd promoted an increase in the concentration of total soluble carbohydrates (TSC), proline, sucrose, and reducing sugars in the plants. The increase in TSC, sucrose and proline, suggests a metabolic regulatory mechanism of V. surinamensis against Cd stress.

Active surveillance cultures: comparison of inguinal and rectal sites for detection of multidrug-resistant bacteria.

BACKGROUND: Rectal swabs are the most widely used surveillance technique for detecting multidrug-resistant bacteria colonizing the intestinal tract. Obtaining these samples may cause embarrassment and discomfort to patients. Prior studies indicate that perirectal swabs are as sensitive and specific as rectal swabs with greater patient acceptance. AIM: To compare inguinal and rectal swabs for the detection of multidrug-resistant bacteria colonizing the intestinal tract. METHODS: An epidemiological, comparative, prospective, and controlled study was undertaken with 102 Brazilian patients. Inguinal and rectal swabs were collected for culture and compared. FINDINGS: Compared to rectal swabs, the sensitivity and specificity of inguinal swabs was 91.8% and 88.7%, respectively. Even when there were low colony counts from rectal samples, there were more than 100 colonies from inguinal samples. CONCLUSION: The inguinal region can be considered an acceptable alternative for collecting surveillance cultures for multidrug-resistant bacteria colonizing the intestinal tract. The inguinal swab technique is sensitive and specific for assessing multidrug-resistant micro-organisms, less embarrassing for patients, and simple to implement in hospital practice.

[Treatment of streptococcal tonsillitis with once-a-day amoxicillin: a meta-analysis]. / Tratamiento de la amigdalitis estreptocócica con amoxicilina una vez al día: metaanálisis.

INTRODUCTION: The objective of this systematic review is to determine if the treatment of streptococcal pharyngitis with a daily dose of amoxicillin is similar in effectiveness to other dosing schedules (every 6, 8 or 12 hours) of the same antibiotic or penicillin V. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Randomised clinical trials (RCT) comparing amoxicillin (one dose per day) compared to other dosages of amoxicillin (every 8-12 hours) or penicillin V (every 6, 8 or 12 hours). Search databases consulted: Medline, Central, EMBASE and Google Scholar. The results were combined using the risk difference (RD). We measured the effectiveness of each treatment with a negative throat culture on the 14-21th day, being previously positive to group A Streptococcus (under a non-inferiority hypothesis, where the upper limit of the 95% confidence interval [95% CI] of the DR does not exceed 10%) and clinical failure on days 10-21. The results were combined according to a fixed effects model or random depending on whether or not there was heterogeneity. RESULTS: Four RCT met the selection criteria with 1,314 participants (657 received amoxicillin once per day, and 657 received other antibiotics or dosages): a) any positive culture for Streptococcus (14-21st day, 4 RCTs): DR: -0.5% (95% CI: -5.1% to 4.2%; b) persistence of the same serotype (14-21st day, 3 RCT): DR: 0.32% (95% CI: -3.1% to 3.7%; c) clinical failure (2 RCT): DR: 1.7% (95% CI: -1.9% to 5.4%; d) adverse effects (4 RCT): DR: -0.39% (95% CI: -1.5% to 6.8%). There were no statistically significant differences in any comparisons. CONCLUSIONS: Amoxicillin, administered once daily is not inferior to other dosages of the same antibiotic or penicillin V. These results are important because they may facilitate compliance.

A new technique of congenital cataract surgery with primary posterior chamber intraocular lens implantation.

We present a series of nine cases involving primary intraocular lens implantation in congenital cataracts. Because of the problems encountered with the technique used in the earlier cases, we developed a new surgical technique that may be described as primary epilenticular posterior chamber lens implantation followed by pars plana endocapsular lensectomy. This new technique ensures a clear pupillary area, minimizes postoperative complications, and ultimately prevents amblyopia, resulting in useful vision.

XX males: two new cases.

Two new cases of phenotypic males with 46,XX karyotype are presented. Fluorescence, autoradiographic and centromeric heterochromatin studies in several lines, including testicular cells, failed to demonstrate the existence of the Y chromosome or the existence of distal Yq material translocated to another chromosome in the two patients. The Xg study in one of the patients and his family provided direct evidence of transmission of an X chromosome from father to son. We present indirect evidence favoring the mutation theory to explain the XX male phenotype.