The influence of education in the validation process of a food frequency questionnaire for adults in Viçosa, Minas Gerais, Brazil.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the educational influence in the relative validation of a semiquantitative food frequency questionnaire (FFQs) for adults in the city of Viçosa, Brazil. DESIGN AND SUBJECTS: Four 24-h dietary recalls (reference method) were applied to a sample of 94 adults of both genders, at intervals of 1 month. At the end of the study, an FFQs consisting of 58 food items was also applied. Then, the individuals were divided into two main groups according to their educational level (lower and higher). The dietary data were calculated by the Diet Pro 4.0 software and analyzed according to differences of means or medians and Pearson's correlation coefficients. These coefficients were adjusted by the energy and corrected by the within-person variance for each educational group, considering the extreme quartiles of the data distribution. RESULTS: The intake of energy and nutrients, based on the 24 h dietary recalls, was inferior for the lower educational group (P < 0.05). For the FFQs, just the protein and calcium intakes were statistically different, suggesting interference of the education variable in this assessment. Over estimations in the FFQs were identified in the analyses of means and medians for vitamin C and retinol intakes in the lower education group and for retinol in the higher education one. However, when evaluated by correlation coefficients non-adjusted and adjusted, they were well correlated. On the other hand, lipid (r = 0.34) and calcium (r = 0.13) coefficients of the group with less instruction showed beneath the desirable values, suggesting weak consistence of the estimates provided by the FFQs for these nutrients. Correlation means of r = 0.65 and 0.54 were found for the higher and lower educational groups, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The results indicate that FFQs showed acceptable performance on evaluating the habitual food consumption for most of the nutrients in the studied population. A tendency for better quantifications in the groups with higher education was observed, inferring its influence in the assessment of the dietary intake.

A thiophene-modified screen printed electrode for detection of dengue virus NS1 protein.

A thiophene-modified screen printed electrode (SPE) for detection of the Dengue virus non-structural protein 1 (NS1), an important marker for acute phase diagnosis, is described. A sulfur-containing heterocyclic compound, the thiophene was incorporated to a carbon ink to prepare reproducible screen printed electrodes. After cured, the thiophene SPE was coated by gold nanoparticles conjugated to Protein A to form a nanostrutured surface. The Anti-NS1 antibodies immobilized via their Fc portions via Protein A, leaving their antigen specific sites free circumventing the problem of a random antibodies immobilization. Amperometric responses to the NS1 protein of dengue virus were obtained by cyclic voltammetries performed in presence of ferrocyanide/ferricyanide as redox probe. The calibration curve of immunosensor showed a linear response from 0.04 µg mL(-1) to 0.6 µg mL(-1) of NS1 with a good linear correlation (r=0.991, p<0.05). The detection limit (0.015 µg mL(-1) NS1) was lower than conventional analytical methods. In this work, thiophene monomers incorporated in the carbon ink enhanced the electroanalytical properties of the SPEs, increasing their reproducibility and sensitivity. This point-of-care testing represents a great potential for use in epidemic situations, facilitating the early diagnosis in acute phase of dengue virus.

Crescimento vascular em membrana do saco vitelínico e desenvolvimento embrionário de codornas japonesas (Coturnix japonica) expostas a campo magnético de baixa frequência / Vascular growth in yolk sac membrane and embryonic development of Japanese quail (Coturnix japonica) exposed to low frequency magnetic field

O objetivo deste trabalho foi observar a influência do campo magnético (CM) de baixa frequência na membrana do saco vitelínico (MSV) e no desenvolvimento do embrião de codornas japonesas (Coturnix japonica) em 72 horas de incubação. Ovos fertilizados foram expostos a nove horas consecutivas de CM, sendo um grupo a partir das 48 horas e o outro a partir das 63 horas de incubação. A quantificação da vascularização da MSV foi determinada pela obtenção da dimensão fractal por meio dos métodos de box-counting e de dimensão de informação, enquanto o peso corporal e o percentual de comprimento cefálico dos embriões foram utilizados como parâmetros de desenvolvimento embrionário. O CM não causou diferenças significativas na densidade vascular da MSV nem no desenvolvimento embrionário, quando comparados ao grupo controle...

The aim of this study was to observe the influence of the low frequency magnetic field (MF) on the yolk sac membrane (YSM) and embryonic development of Japanese quail (Coturnix japonica) in 72 hours of incubation. Fertilized eggs were exposed to 9 consecutive hours of MF, with a group from 48 hours and the second group from 63 hours of incubation. The evaluation of YSM vascularization was determined by the fractal dimensions obtained through box-counting method and information dimension, while body weight of the embryo and percentage of cephalic length were used as parameters for embryo development. The MF caused no significant differences in vessel density in the YSM, nor in the embryonic development considering the body weight and percentage cephalic length, when were compared to the control group...

Vírus rábico isolado de morcego frugívoro (Artibeus lituratus), capturado em 1997 no município de Rio Claro, SP / Rabies virus isolated from a frugivorous bat (Artibeus lituratus), capturated in 1997 in Rio Claro, Säo Paulo, SP

O vírus rábico foi isolado de morcego frugívoro Artibeus lituratus, capturado no município de Rio Claro, SP, em bairro residencial, em 1997. Neste município, o último caso de raiva animal ocorreu em 1986, sendo este o primeiro relato do isolamento em morcego frugívoro. As implicaçöes em Saúde Pública foram discutidas