Effect of RRR-α-tocopherol supplementation on serum of breastfeeding women up to 60 days after delivery: a randomised controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Maternal supplementation is a viable strategy to combat vitamin E deficiency in newborns, although a protocol for maternal vitamin E supplementation has not been defined. The present study assessed the effect of maternal supplementation in a single dose on the serum of postpartum women up to 60 days after delivery. METHODOLOGY: Fifty healthy breastfeeding women were recruited at two maternity hospitals both located in Natal, RN, Brazil. The participants were randomly allocated to a control group and a treatment group in a 1 : 1 ratio. Serum was collected 1, 20, 30 and 60 days after delivery. Immediately after the first collection, the treatment group received a single dose of 400 IU of RRR-α-tocopherol. α-Tocopherol was quantified by high-performance liquid chromatography. The usual dietary vitamin E intake was determined using four 24-h recalls, and intake adequacy was assessed based on the estimated average requirements for lactating women (16 mg day-1 ). RESULTS: The mean dietary vitamin E intakes of the both groups were similar (P > 0.05) and inadequate. The serum levels of α-tocopherol assessed at 1, 20, 30 and 60 days indicated adequate vitamin E status in both the control group (1194.6, 907.7, 910 and 748.6 µg dL-1 , respectively) and treatment group (1183.7, 956.0, 935.9 and 766.4 µg dL-1 , respectively). The comparison at each day showed no difference between treatments (P > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: A single vitamin E supplement did not change the mean serum level of α-tocopherol in breastfeeding women; thus, it does not improve their vitamin E status in the first 60 days after delivery.

Modelling runoff on ceramic tile roofs using the kinematic wave equations.

Generally, roofs are the best candidates for rainwater harvesting. In this context, the correct evaluation of the quantity and quality of runoff from roofs is essential to effectively design rainwater harvesting systems. This study aims to evaluate the performance of a kinematic wave based numerical model in simulating runoff on sloping roofs, by comparing the numerical results with the ones obtained from laboratory rainfall simulations on a real-scale Lusa ceramic tile roof. For all studied slopes, simulated discharge hydrographs had a good adjust to observed ones. Coefficient of determination and Nash-Sutcliffe efficiency values were close to 1.0. Particularly, peak discharges, times to peak, peak durations and runoff volumes were very well simulated.

Assessment of messenger RNA (mRNA) of Mycobacterium tuberculosis as a marker of cure in patients with pulmonary tuberculosis.

AIMS: To analyse the performance of RT-qPCR using 85B mRNA in the diagnosis of Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection and in the assessment of the response to treatment for pulmonary tuberculosis (TB). METHODS AND RESULTS: Ninety-eight patients with signs of pulmonary TB were selected: 56 were considered infected with Myco. tuberculosis and they had positive cultures or evident clinical response to anti-TB treatment. Patients with pulmonary tuberculosis were evaluated by culture and RT-qPCR for a 30-day specific treatment. It was found that both tests demonstrated a decline in viable bacilli at 15 and 30 days after the beginning of the therapy in most of the patients. The quantification of the 85B mRNA target was performed in 52 patients who had initially shown positive results by RT-qPCR and who were followed on the days 15 and 30 after the specific treatment. Thus 85B mRNA was detectable in sputum samples in 52 patients with a confirmed diagnosis of pulmonary tuberculosis on day 0. During the specific treatment the 85B mRNA was detectable in 13 patients on day 15 and in only three patients on day 30. CONCLUSIONS: Mycobacterium tuberculosis mRNA in the sputum is a useful prognostic marker and its quantification, an early and reliable indicator for monitoring response to treatment, drug resistance, re-infection and relapse. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY: RT-qPCR is a tool that can be used in clinical and therapeutic monitoring as an indicator of bacterial resistance and indicator of the period of transmissibility of Myco. tuberculosis in patients with pulmonary TB undergoing treatment.

Evaluation of a IS6110-Taqman real-time PCR assay to detect Mycobacterium tuberculosis in sputum samples of patients with pulmonary TB.

AIM: Evaluate the IS6110-Taqman system performance in sputum samples from patients with pulmonary tuberculosis from health services in north-eastern Brazil as a diagnostic laboratory tool for pulmonary tuberculosis. METHODS AND RESULTS: 165 sputum samples from respiratory symptomatic patients were evaluated in the IS6110-TaqMan assay: 66 patients with pulmonary tuberculosis and 99 without TB. When the IS6110-TaqMan assay was evaluated using culture and/or clinical response to the specific treatment as the gold standard, IS6110-TaqMan assay obtained a sensitivity of 87.9% and specificity of 98%. The performance of IS6110-TaqMan assay was also evaluated with the sputum smear microscopy, resulting in a sensitivity of 79.7% and specificity 94.8%. CONCLUSIONS: The IS6110-TaqMan was rapid, sensitive and specific for the diagnosis of pulmonary TB. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY: IS6110-TaqMan assay is a promising auxiliary tool for the diagnosis of pulmonary TB when used in conjunction with routine laboratory tests, clinical and epidemiological criteria of the patient, thus increasing the sensitivity and specificity of diagnosis.

Ecosystem Services Provided by Insects in Brazil: What Do We Really Know?

Insects are the most abundant and diverse organisms on Earth and provide essential ecosystem services. However, Brazilian society rarely consider the importance of insects in their diverse country. Therefore, in this review, we provide an overview of ecosystem services provided by insects in Brazil. A database search returned 136 articles, published in English or Portuguese, on ecosystem services provided by insects in Brazil. The first article was published in 1982, and majority of the studies were conducted in the Atlantic Forest or the Cerrado biomes. The most frequently studied insect-provided ecosystem services were pollination, decomposition, and biological control of pests. The studies focused primarily on natural and anthropic ecosystems, and most followed an experimental approach. We noted that the term "ecosystem services" was not used frequently in studies on insects in Brazil. The information available was mostly taxon-biased. We discuss the implications of these findings in relation to reconciling economic interests and the need for insect conservation for continued provision of ecosystem services in a broader perspective. In conclusion, we argue that the scientific community should focus on understanding the ecosystem services provided by insects other than those strictly related to economic activities, and on improving communication with policymakers and citizens. As a tropical and megadiverse country, Brazil has the potential to become a protagonist in conserving and using the ecosystem services provided by insects, both locally and internationally, by providing scientific information to policymakers and citizens.

Sequence-specific antirepression of histone H1-mediated inhibition of basal RNA polymerase II transcription.

To understand the principles of control and selectivity in gene expression, the biochemical mechanisms by which promoter- and enhancer-binding factors regulate transcription by RNA polymerase II were analyzed. A general observed repressor of transcription was purified and identified as histone H1. Since many aspects of H1 binding to naked DNA resemble its interaction with chromatin, purified H1 bound to naked DNA was used as a model for the repressed state of the DNA template. Three sequence-specific transcription factors, Sp1, GAL4-VP16, and GAGA factor, were shown to counteract H1-mediated repression (antirepression). In addition, Sp1 and GAL4-VP16, but not the GAGA factor, activated transcription in the absence of H1. Therefore, true activation and antirepression appear to be distinct activities of sequence-specific factors. Furthermore, transcription antirepression by GAL4-VP16 was sustained for several rounds of transcription. These findings, together with previous studies on H1, suggest that H1 participates in repression of the genome in the ground state and that sequence-specific transcription factors induce selected genes by a combination of true activation and release of basal repression that is mediated at least in part by H1.

The Chilean version of the Childhood Health Assessment Questionnaire (CHAQ) and the Child Health Questionnaire (CHQ).

We report herein the results of the cross-cultural adaptation and validation into the Chilean language of the parent's version of two health related quality of life instruments. The Childhood Health Assessment Questionnaire (CHAQ) is a disease specific health instrument that measures functional ability in daily living activities in children with juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA). The Child Health Questionnaire (CHQ) is a generic health instrument designed to capture the physical and psychosocial well-being of children independently from the underlying disease. The Chilean CHAQ-CHQ were derived from the European Spanish version with changing of the few words whose use is different in the 2 countries. A total of 126 subjects were enrolled: 72 patients with JIA (29% systemic onset, 39% polyarticular onset, 4% extended oligoarticular subtype, and 28% persistent oligoarticular subtype) and 54 healthy children. The CHAQ clinically discriminated between healthy subjects and JIA patients, with the JIA patients having a higher degree of disability, pain, and a lower overall well-being when compared to their healthy peers. Also the CHQ clinically discriminated between healthy subjects and JIA patients, with the JIA patients having a lower physical and psychosocial well-being when compared to their healthy peers. In conclusion the Chilean version of the CHAQ-CHQ is a reliable, and valid tool for the functional, physical and psychosocial assessment of children with JIA.

Melanotic meningioma complicated by disseminated intravascular coagulation.

The purpose of this paper is fourfold: First, to confirm the rarity of melanotic meningioma, as we have found only 11 reported cases; second to demonstrate that this tumor is not always totally pigmented, a fact that has not been mentioned before; third, to show an unusual recurrence as a hemorrhagic cystic meningioma 10 years and 8 months after removal; and fourth, to describe the association of disseminated intravascular coagulation, a rare disorder with brain tumors.

Demographic and anthropometrical analysis and genotype distribution of chronic hepatitis C patients treated in public and private reference centers in Brazil.

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is a serious public health problem, since 80% to 85% of HCV carriers develop a persistent infection that can progress into liver cirrhosis and hepatocarcinoma. Considering that the response of hepatitis C patients to combination therapy with interferon and ribavirin depends on HCV characteristics as well as on host features, we made a retrospective analysis of demographic and anthropometrical data and HCV genotype distribution of chronic hepatitis C patients treated in public and private reference centers in Brazil. The medical records of 4,996 patients were reviewed, 81% from public and 19% from private institutions. Patients' median age was 46 years, and there was a higher prevalence of male (62%) and white patients (80%). The analysis of HCV-infecting strains showed a predominance of genotype 1 (64%) over genotypes 2 and 3. The patients' mean weight was 70.6 kg, and 65% of the patients weighed less than 77 kg. Overweight and obesity were observed in 37.8% and 13.6% of the patients, respectively. Since a body weight of 75 kg or less has been considered an independent factor that significantly increases the odds of achieving a sustained virological response, the Brazilian population seems to have a more favorable body weight profile to achieve a sustained response than the American and European populations. The finding that 65% of chronic hepatitis C patients have a body weight of 77 kg or less may have a positive pharmacoeconomic impact on the treatment of genotype 1 HCV patients with weight-based doses of peginterferon.

Comparison of the quantity and quality of the microbiological content of sludge in countries with low and high content of pathogens.

The parasites present in the residual sludge generate by the diverse treatment processes of residual water vary, depending on the socioeconomic and epidemiological conditions of different communities. And although data exist at the global level regarding the microbiological quality of sludge, these data are practically nonexistent in developing countries. Therefore, this project compares the content of the four principal groups of parasites in residual sludge from the United States and Mexico. The marked differences between the orders of magnitude found in the two countries (coliphages 10(3)-10(6) and 1.3 x 10(5) PFU/gTS, fecal coliforms 10(7)-10(10) and 10(7), Salmonella typhi 10(6)-10(8) and 10(3) MPN/gTS, Giardia lamblia 10(2)-10(4) and 10(2) cysts/gTS and helminth ova from 73-177 and <1 to 10 viable HO/gTS, respectively) will permit proposing real, effective and economical stabilization processes (undoubtedly different from those of industrialized countries), and will thus take advantage of the benefits represented by the reuse and disposal of sludge, in addition to developing regulations in agreement with the conditions of each region.

Trastornos temporomandibulares en la infancia: bruxismo de sueño y compromiso de atm en artritis idiopática juvenil / Temporomandibular disorders in childhood: sleep bruxism and temporomandibular joint involvement in juvenile idiopathic arthritis

Los trastornos temporomandibulares (TTM) corresponden a un grupo de condiciones musculoesqueletales y neruromusculares que involucran las articulaciones temporomandibulares (ATM), los músculos masticatorios y todos los tejidos asociados. La etiología de los TTM es considerada multifactorial, siendo el bruxismo de sueño (BS) uno de muchos factores asociados con TTM dolorosos. Tanto los TTM como el BS se presentan en adultos y niños y actualmente es sabido que la etiopatogenia de ambos no difiere de acuerdo a la edad. Las ATM son articulaciones sinoviales que pueden verse afectadas por diversos TTM o por condiciones sistémicas como la artritis idiopática juvenil (AIJ). La ATM está involucrada en un 40% de los pacientes con AIJ, siendo subestimada debido a que clínica-mente se manifiesta con poco dolor. En el presente artículo se revisarán los conceptos de TTM y BS en niños, así como también la manifestación de la AIJ en el territorio orofacial, entregando una aproximación de su etiopatogenia, identificación y manejo.

Temporomandibular disorders (TMD) encompass a group of musculoskeletal and neuromuscular conditions that involve the temporomandibular joints (TMJ), the masticatory muscles, and all associated tissues. TMD's etiology is considered to be mul-tifactorial, were sleep bruxism (SB) is one of many causes of painful TMD. TMD and SB can present in adults and children and the etiology does not differ regarding age.TMJ are synovial joints that can be affected by many TMD as well as systemic conditions such as juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA). TMJ are involved in 40% of patients with JIA, which is usually underestimated because of its painless presentation.This article will review the concepts of TMD and SB in children, as well as JIA presentation in the orofacial region.

Illness trajectories in Mexican children with juvenile idiopathic arthritis and their parents.

BACKGROUND: We hypothesize that the qualitative approach of socio-cultural aspects in children with juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) and their parents would improve the understanding of their illness. OBJECTIVE: To explain the phenomenon of experiencing JIA within a specific cultural context. METHODS: The theoretical position of this research was based on the substantive theories of suffering, explanatory models and illness experience. Its design was that of qualitative field, and its analysis followed the interpretative grounded theory methodology. Data were collected by in-depth interviews and notes; tape recordings were transcribed verbatim, read and imported into the ATLAS/ti 4.2 software. Data conceptualization, categorization and interpretation were based on the constant comparison method. RESULTS: A total of 16 adults and six children from 10 families were interviewed. 'Pilgrimage' (metaphorically referred by some of the parents) was a major code in the study that reflected the religious reference to the trajectory of pain, faith and hope. For children, pilgrimage was conformed by immediate concepts; for parents, by historical and immediate experiences influenced by JIA subtype. Pilgrimage was consistent with the model of the illness trajectory theory, which conceptually relates to the idea that the course of chronic diseases is variable and modifiable throughout time. CONCLUSION: The qualitative approach of JIA provides wide and deep information on the perception that children and parents have about the disease. The illness trajectory theory corresponds to pilgrimage, the theoretical model for JIA in this study.

Changes in the survival of patients with systemic lupus erythematosus in childhood: 30 years experience in Chile.

The objective of this study was to analyse the survival rate and cause of death in children with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) during the past 30 years in Chile. A retrospective analysis was performed between 1969 and 2000 on patients attending pediatric rheumatology centres in Santiago, Chile. Survival and causes of death in 31 children followed from 1969 to 1980 fulfilling the 1982 American College of Rheumatology criteria for SLE and treated with oral steroids were compared with 50 other patients who were treated with oral steroids and an aggressive treatment of IV bolus of cyclophosphamide (38 patients) and azathioprine (12 patients). Global survival at five and 10 years follow-up for the patients studied from 1969 to 1980 was 68 and 40%, respectively. During the second study period these values were significantly improved and global survival reached 95% at five years and 90% at 10 years follow-up (P < 0.05). Survival at 10 years follow-up for patients with lupus nephropathy increased from 28% (study period 1964-1980) to 86% (study period 1984-2000). Twelve children died (38%) during the 1964-1980 study period. The causes of death were six due to kidney failure, three due to infectious conditions and another three of unknown causes. During the 1980-2000 study period mortality reached 6% (three cases), two cases died of a lupus flare-up and one case due to infection. In the last three decades, we have seen an important increase in the survival of children with SLE, especially in those patients with renal involvement. Management with immunosuppressive drugs, such as IV cyclophosphamide or azathioprine has changed the prognosis in these children. These results demonstrate that our children with SLE increased their life expectancy but are now faced with new types of morbidity because of the sequelae related to the disease itself.

[Family structure, fertility and population in Latin America: a review of various studies].

PIP: It is suggested that the relation between fertility and family structure in Latin America must be studied at both the micro- and the macro-levels. The former studies the ways different features of family structure are related to fertility and the latter, the relation between economic and social development on the 1 hand and family structure on the other. Studies of fertility and family structure in Latin America are reviewed. Relations between development and the family are examined, reviewing some approaches made in the study of links between development and the family. Also included is a description of characteristics of urban and rural families in Latin America.^ieng

A general method for purification of H1 histones that are active for repression of basal RNA polymerase II transcription.

H1 histones were purified from extracts of salt-treated nuclei as a co-product of RNA polymerase II transcription factors from both Drosophila embryos and HeLa cells by a simple and general method. This procedure was also used to purify H1 as co-product of the core histones from calf thymus. The key steps in this purification exploit the solubility of H1 in 2.26 M ammonium sulfate and the chromatographic properties of the highly charged H1 molecules on a phenyl-Sepharose resin. H1 that is prepared by this procedure is active for in vitro repression of basal RNA polymerase II transcription. This method provides a new means of purifying H1 by a mild procedure that is likely to be generally useful for studies of transcription and chromatin structure.

The primary structure and the functional domains of an elongation factor-1 alpha from Mucor racemosus.

We have determined the complete nucleotide sequence for TEF-1, one of three genes coding for elongation factor (EF)-1 alpha in Mucor racemosus. The deduced EF-1 alpha protein contains 458 amino acids encoded by two exons. The presence of an intervening sequence located near the 3' end of the gene was predicted by the nucleotide sequence data and confirmed by alkaline S1 nuclease mapping. The amino acid sequence of EF-1 alpha was compared to the published amino acid sequences of EF-1 alpha proteins from Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Artemia salina. These proteins shared nearly 85% homology. A similar comparison to the functionally analogous EF-Tu from Escherichia coli revealed several regions of amino acid homology suggesting that the functional domains are conserved in elongation factors from these diverse organisms. Secondary structure predictions indicated that alpha helix and beta sheet conformations associated with the functional domains in EF-Tu are present in the same relative location in EF-1 alpha from M. racemosus. Through this comparative structural analysis we have predicted the general location of functional domains in EF-1 alpha which interact with GTP and tRNA.

Sequence-specific transcriptional antirepression of the Drosophila Krüppel gene by the GAGA factor.

We have analyzed the proximal promoter of the Drosophila Krüppel (Kr) gene. A 44-base pair fragment containing the RNA start sites contains significant promoter activity, and this minimal promoter is flanked both upstream and downstream by binding sites for the GAGA factor. The GAGA factor is the predominant sequence-specific DNA binding factor that interacts with the Kr promoter region, and the purified protein activates Kr transcription in vitro. However, strong transcriptional activation of Kr as well as of Ultrabithorax, another GAGA factor-responsive gene, requires the presence of a DNA binding transcriptional repressor. The GAGA factor is able to relieve this repression in a binding site-dependent manner, and, thus, these data suggest that the GAGA factor functions as an antirepressor, rather than an activator, of the Kr gene.

Sequence analysis of the EF-1 alpha gene family of Mucor racemosus.

Our previous studies have shown that Mucor racemosus possesses three genes (TEF-1, -2 and -3) for EF-1 alpha, and that all three genes are transcribed. However, the level of transcription varies markedly between the three genes, with TEF-1 mRNA levels being approximately two fold higher than TEF-3 and 6 fold higher than TEF-2. We have now completed the DNA sequence of both strands of all three genes and have found that these genes are highly homologous. TEF-2 and TEF-3 are more similar to each other than they are to TEF-1. The TEF-2 and the TEF-3 coding regions differ from TEF-1 at 30 and 37 positions respectively out of 1374 nucleotides. Twenty-six of these nucleotide substitutions were common to both TEF-2 and TEF-3, and the majority of the substitutions were clustered in the 5' region of the coding sequences. While the majority of these changes were silent, TEF-2 and TEF-3 differed from TEF-1 by having a lysine instead of a glutamate at amino acid position 41. In addition, TEF-2 and -3, but not TEF-1, each have an intron located near the 5' end of the coding region, although its size and sequence is not conserved between the two genes. All three genes have a conserved intron near the 3' end of the coding region. The sequence data have been analyzed with respect to the structure and function of EF-1 alpha in protein biosynthesis.

Knigth's Move in the Periodic Table, From Copper to Platinum, Novel Antitumor Mixed Chelate Copper Compounds, Casiopeinas, Evaluated by an in Vitro Human and Murine Cancer Cell Line Panel.

We synthesized a novel anticancer agents based on mixed chelate copper (II) complexes, named Casiopeínas((R)) has of general formula [Cu(N-N)(N-O)H(2)O]NO(3) (where, N-N = diimines as 1,10- phenanthroline, 2,2-bipyridine, or substituted and N-O=aminoeidate or [Cu(N-N)(O-O)H(2)O]NO(3) (where NN= diimines as 10-phenanthroline, 2,2-bipyridine or substituted Casiopeínas I, II, IV, V, VI, VII VIII and O-O=acetylacetonate, salicylaldehidate Casiopínas III). We evaluated the in vitro antitumor activity using a human cancer cell panel and some nurine cancer cells. Eleven Casiopeinas are evaluated in order to acquire some structure-activity correlations and some monodentated Casiopeinäs analogues; cisplatinum was used as control drug. The 50% growth inhibition observed is, in all cases reach with concentrations of Casiopeina's 10 or 100 times lower than cisplatinum. In a previous work we reported the induction of apoptosis by Casiopeina II. The results indicate that Casiopeinass are a promising new anticancer drug candidates to be developed further toward clinical trials.

[Prevalence of sexual abuse in students and its relation with drug abuse]. / Prevalencia de abuso sexual en estudiantes y su relación con el consumo de drogas.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the prevalence of sexual abuse among high school (secondary and preparatory) students, male and female, throughout Mexico, and its relationship with drug abuse. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Data were obtained from the National Survey of Drug Use in Schools applied in November and December, 1991. A total of 61,779 students, 51.8% men and 47.1% women, with a mean age of 14.4 years completed the self-applied questionnaire. Sexual abuse was explored from the perspective of the abusers and of the victims. RESULTS: The prevalence of sexual abuse in adolescent victims was 4.3% and no statistically significant differences were found between sexes. The prevalence of sexual aggressors was 2.5%. Men coerced someone else in a higher proportion than women. Adolescent women experienced sexual abuse at a younger age than men and they also reported a higher percentage of intrafamily abuse. Men reported friends as the most frequent aggressors. Victims and aggressors of both sexes reported a significantly higher drug consumption than students without these antecedents. CONCLUSIONS: The differences in the experience of sexual abuse between men and women are described. In particular, the fact that sexual abuse in men mainly occurs outside the family sphere, while in women it is mainly within the family and at a younger age than in men. Additionally, the need for further research focusing on the consequences on mental health of infantile and adolescent sexual abuse and drug consumption is emphasized, considering the characteristics of each gender.