Pesticides compromise health: a comparison between lizards collected within and outside an agricultural area.

Reptiles are the least studied vertebrates regarding the impact of pesticides on their health, despite being good models for ecotoxicological studies given their abundance and easy handling. Salvator merianae is widely distributed in South America and often found in agricultural cultivation areas. Here, we compared the morphological, biochemical, and physiological parameters of S. merianae from an exposed area (EA) to pesticides and a reference area (RA) or control. These parameters were measured in plasma (albumin, alanine transaminase, alkaline phosphatase, gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase, glucose, total proteins, uric acid, triglycerides, VLDL, and corticosterone) and in erythrocytes (TBARS, glutathione S-transferase, superoxide dismutase, and catalase activity). Blood samples were collected from 28 lizards (EA: three juveniles, three adult females, and three adult males; RA: nine juveniles, four females, and five males) in southern Brazil during the reproductive period. We observed a decrease in body mass, the ratio between body mass and total length and snout-vent length in juvenile lizards collected at EA. The levels of TBARS, glutathione S-transferase, triglycerides, VLDL, and uric acid were altered for juveniles in EA. When comparing the two areas, females differed in superoxide dismutase activity and total proteins, while males differed in superoxide dismutase, catalase, and glutathione S-transferase activity. This set of results shows that S. merianae, especially juveniles, suffers a negative impact when inserted in an agricultural area. The analyzed biomarkers proved suitable for monitoring these lizards and the quality of this environment.

Magnetic, structural and cation distribution studies on [Formula: see text] (x = 0.00, 0.02, 0.04, 0.06 and 0.1) nanoparticles.

We synthesized and characterized the colloidal suspensions of [Formula: see text] nanoparticles with x = 0.00, 0.02, 0.04, 0.06 and 0.1. The effect of the Fe3+ ion replacement by Nd3+ on the crystal structure is in-depth studied. The samples were characterized by the following techniques: X-ray diffraction (XRD), UV-Vis spectrophotometry, transmission electronic microscopy (TEM), small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS), magnetization as a function of applied magnetic field (M-H loops) and magnetization as a function of temperature in zero-field-cooled and field-cooled regimes (ZFC-FC). From XRD cation distribution, structural parameters were extracted. The increasing in the bandgap is interpreted as a result of the higher interatomic separation with the doping. TEM micrographs reveal a polydisperse size and shape distribution of particles. The results for the volume-weighted average diameter measured by SAXS are consistent with those determined by XRD. From the M-H loops we found that the superparamagnetic (SPM) regime contributes with 95-97% for all samples, while only 3-5% contribution comes from the paramagnetic (PM) regime. The saturation magnetization increases in a steady manner upon increasing the Nd3+ ion molar ratio from 0.00 up to 0.06, reaching the maximum value of 105.8±0.4 Am2/kg at x = 0.06. It is worth to mention that the result for the saturation magnetization value are higher than that of the bulk material.

Memory for time of training modulates performance on a place conditioning task in marmosets.

In rodents, the expression of a reward-conditioned place preference (CPP) is regulated in a circadian pattern such that the preference is exhibited strongly at the circadian time of prior training but not at other circadian times. Because each animal is trained only at a single circadian phase, the concept of time as a context cue is derived from a rhythmic internal state rather than learned explicitly from the external cues. We now report that the same "time memory" is expressed following context conditioning in the common marmoset (Callithrix jacchus). Animals were trained at a specific time to discriminate between an unpaired context and a context paired with food reward. Marmosets were then tested for preference at circadian times that were either the same or different from the training time. Preference was expressed only when training and testing times matched. The results show that time of day learning can be generalized to this new world primate implying that a similar circadian mechanism might regulate craving for reward in diverse mammals including human beings.

Supplementation with dry Mimosa caesalpiniifolia leaves can reduce the Haemonchus contortus worm burden of goats.

Gastrointestinal nematodes (GINs) cause considerable economic losses in grazing goat herds. At present, GIN control cannot rely on conventional anthelmintic (AH) drugs because parasites have developed resistance against such drugs. Thus, alternative control methods are being sought to reduce the dependence on AH. Many tannin-rich plants exhibit AH activity and may be used as alternatives for GIN control. Mimosa caesalpiniifolia is a tannin-rich shrub consumed by small ruminants in Brazil. This study evaluated the in vivo AH effect of M. caesalpiniifolia leaf powder supplementation on GIN egg fecal excretion and worm burden in goats. Plant leaves were harvested, dried and ground to obtain a powder. Twenty-four castrated male goats, aged six to eight months, with a mean body weight of 15.0 ±â€¯2.5 kg were used in the experiment. Animals were infected orally with 16,000 larvae comprising 50% Haemonchus spp., 41% Trichostrongylus spp. and 9% Oesophagostomum spp. Once the infection was patent, the goats were distributed into four groups of six animals. The control group received concentrate without condensed tannins (CTs) and did not receive any drench against GINs. The monepantel group received concentrate without CTs and were drenched once with monepantel. The other two groups received the M. caesalpiniifolia leaf powder in two periods of seven consecutive days (days 1-7 and 14-21), with one of the groups also receiving 10 g of polyethyleneglycol (PEG)/day. The animals were weighed weekly, and individual fecal eggs counts (FECs) were performed daily. After 28 days, the animals were humanly slaughtered, and the worm burden was estimated. Although live weight gain and FECs did not differ among the groups (P > 0.05), post-mortem worm counts showed a reduction in Haemonchus contortus adult worm burden (57.7%) in goats of the CT group compared to control goats (P < 0.05). The addition of PEG did not diminish AH activity in the CT + PEG group (66.9% reduction compared to the control). No AH effect against other GIN species was found. The result for the addition of PEG suggested that the observed AH activity was associated with plant secondary compounds, as opposed to CTs. As expected, no AH effect against Oesophagostomum columbianum was found for the monepantel group showed. Thus, feeding dry leaves of M. caesalpiniifolia represent a promising alternative for the control of GIN infections in goats.

Cavernous sinus syndrome as the first manifestation of metastatic breast disease.

BACKGROUND: The cavernous sinus is a venous plexus crossed by vital neurovascular structures. Metastases to the region are uncommon and often associated with a headache, facial pain, or progressive neurological deficit in III, IV, and VI cranial nerves. The treatment options are surgery, including endoscopic approach, radiotherapy, radiosurgery, and chemotherapy. CASE DESCRIPTION: We report the case of a 26-year-old female with cavernous sinus syndrome due to breast cancer metastasis, who was subjected to chemotherapy with complete neurological recovery. A literature review was performed using the databases Bireme, Pubmed, Cochrane, Lilacs and Medline with the keywords: cavernous sinus/metastasis/surgery/radiosurgery for multiple management options review. CONCLUSION: Cavernous sinus metastases are rare, and the cavernous sinus syndrome is rarely the first sign of cancer, especially in young patients. Because the syndrome has multiple causes, the history of rapid progression and atypical image findings can arise suggesting metastatic diseases. As in our case, the image was suggestive of meningioma, however, the clinical presentation and further investigations led us to suspect as a metastatic disease. The therapeutic decision considers clinical and functional status, the extent of primary and metastatic disease, radiological study, tumor histopathology, and biological behavior. Often associated with significant symptoms and disseminated systemic disease, nowadays radiosurgery is the first and less invasive strategy, offering low risk of new deficits, clinical improvement, and good local control. The prognosis depends on early treatment and disease staging because mortality is associated with progression of cancer.

A Novel Configuration of Pipeline Embolization Device for Internal Carotid Bifurcation Region Aneurysms: Horizontal Deployment.

PURPOSE: To describe a novel configuration of pipeline embolization device for internal carotid bifurcation region aneurysm, named horizontal stenting. CLINICAL PRESENTATION: A 64-year-old woman, with visual deficit, harboring a large wide-necked aneurysm located at the junction between left internal carotid artery and left A1 segment of anterior cerebral artery, was submitted to endovascular treatment. As she had pre-existing occlusion of left internal carotid, approach from the contralateral internal carotid was used to advance the pipeline embolization device through the anterior communicating artery and place the flow diverter horizontally across the neck (from M1 to A1). Coil embolization was also performed through a microcatheter navigated via posterior communicating artery. The intervention was uneventful, with total aneurysm occlusion. Patient presented with visual improvement on follow-up. CONCLUSION: Horizontal deployment of pipeline embolization device appears to be an acceptable and feasible alternative to treat internal carotid bifurcation aneurysms. Long-term follow-up and a greater number of cases are mandatory to establish the safety of this strategy.

Versatile magnetometer assembly for characterizing magnetic properties of nanoparticles.

We constructed a versatile magnetometer assembly for characterizing iron oxide nanoparticles. The magnetometer can be operated at room temperature or inside a cryocooler at temperatures as low as 6 K. The magnetometer's sensor can be easily exchanged and different detection electronics can be used. We tested the assembly with a non-cryogenic commercial Hall sensor and a benchtop multimeter in a four-wire resistance measurement scheme. A magnetic moment sensitivity of 8.5 × 10(-8) Am(2) was obtained with this configuration. To illustrate the capability of the assembly, we synthesized iron oxide nanoparticles coated with different amounts of a triblock copolymer, Pluronic F-127, and characterized their magnetic properties. We determined that the polymer coating does not affect the magnetization of the particles at room temperature and demonstrates that it is possible to estimate the average size of coating layers from measurements of the magnetic field of the sample.

Seasonal rhythm of semen characteristics of a Brazilian breed ("Mangalarga") stallion.

An attempt has been made to define semen seasonality in a horse in the Southern Hemisphere. Repeated measurements of three variables in the semen were made for 36 months (Jan/90-Dec/92) in a 21-year old "Mangalarga" stallion living under natural photoperiod and temperature conditions in a farm situated in São José do Rio Pardo, São Paulo, Brazil (latitude 21 degrees) 36'S; longitude 46 degrees 53' W). The horse fed on natural pasture and a nutritionally balanced feed twice a day (11:00 and 17:00 h). Water and mineral supplement were available ad libitum. Semen was collected almost daily by an artificial vagina and showed annual changes in volume of ejaculate, sperm motility, and sperm concentration. Spectral and rhythmometric analyses of the semen data were performed according to the fast Fourier transform (FFT) and cosinor techniques (tau = 365 days). Statistically significant annual rhythms for semen volume, motility, and concentration of sperm were present. Acrophases occurred in the spring (October) for ejaculate volume and in autumn (May) for sperm concentration and motility.

Circadian and ultradian rhythms of drinking behavior of albino rats maintained in constant darkness.

The objective of the present study was to investigate the circadian and the ultradian rhythms of drinking behavior in Wistar rats maintained under conditions of constant darkness. Six mature male rats (weighing 270-350 g) were exposed to light-dark 12:12-h cycles (LD 12:12, light on at 12:00 h) for 35 days and then switched to constant darkness (DD) conditions for at least 2 weeks. Drinking behavior was monitored continuously with a standard drinkometer circuit and the data was stored in 5-min bins. A modification of Enright's periodogram technique was used to evaluate the free-running drinking behavior circadian rhythm. Ultradian rhythms in drinking behavior were estimated by the Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) technique. Two of the animals (rats 4 and 6) showed no statistically significant circadian or ultradian rhythms and the other four showed free-running drinking circadian rhythm behavior shorter than 24 h (ranging from 23.333 to 23.967 h). Ultradian rhythms of drinking behavior of 12- and 8-h periods were detected in 4 (rats 1, 2, 3 and 5) and 2 (rats 1 and 5) animals, respectively. The relation of the compound structure of the circadian and ultradian rhythms is discussed demonstrating that drinking behavior is a good marker for studies of physiology of temporal organization.

Sleep-wake pattern of medical students: early versus late class starting time.

The sleep-wake cycle of students is characterized by delayed onset, partial sleep deprivation and poor sleep quality. Like other circadian rhythms, the sleep-wake cycle is influenced by endogenous and environmental factors. The aim of the present study was to determine the effects of different class starting times on the sleep-wake pattern of 27 medical students. The data were collected during two medical school semesters having different class starting times. All subjects answered the Portuguese version of the Horne and Ostberg Morningness/Eveningness Questionnaire, the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) and kept a sleep diary for two weeks during each semester. Better sleep quality (PSQI = 5.3 vs 3.4), delayed sleep onset (23:59 vs 0:54 h) and longer sleep duration (6 h and 55 min vs 7 h and 25 min) were observed with the late schedule. We also found reduced sleep durations during weekdays and extended sleep durations during weekends. This pattern was more pronounced during the semester with the early class schedule, indicating that the students were more sleep deprived when their classes began earlier in the morning. These results require further investigation regarding the temporal organization of our institutions.

[The epidemiology of Chagas' disease in a rural area of the city of Teresina, Piauí, Brazil]. / Epidemiologia da doença de Chagas na zona rural do município de Teresina-Piauí, Brasil.

In the rural areas of Teresina, 129 triatomines were captured distributed in (a) artificial ecotopes; a house with one Triatoma brasiliensis, one Panstrongylus geniculatus, Rhodnius pictipes, and one Rhodnius prolixus and in a uninhabited chicken house (7 Rhodnius nasutus). (b) Natural ecotopes; Pahus Orbignya martiana (41 Rhodnius neglectus, 33 Rhodnius prolixus and 41 Rhodnius nasutus) and Copernicia cerifera (3 Rhodnius neglectus). The 22.6% of captured triatomines were infected by flagellates similar to Trypanosoma cruzi. Twenty-eight sylvatic mammals were captured and examined. Seven Didelphia albiventris, 2 Rattus rattus and a Tamandua tetradactyla were infected with flagellates. The flagellates found in both triatomines and mammals were morphologically indistinguishable from Trypanosoma cruzi. Serology by the indirect immunofluorescence test for Chagas disease revealed two positive seroreactions of positivity among 123 inhabitants examined.

[Extradural hematoma of the posterior fossa. Report of 7 cases]. / Hematoma extradural da fossa posterior. Relato de sete casos.

Hematomas of the posterior fossa are an uncommon complication of head injury. Almost invariably they occur after trauma of the occiput, and are associated with skull fracture. Their diagnosis and management have been greatly improved by CT scanning. In the present series, the majority of patients had acute evolution indicating the potential hazard of conservative treatment. Our results (29% mortality) are similar to those previously reported in other series.

[Multiple meningiomas and neurofibromatosis. Report of 3 cases]. / Meningiomas múltiplos e neurofibromatose. Relato de três casos.

Multiple intracranial meningiomas (MIM) may be a specific pathological entity. In general these lesions are associated with neurofibromatosis. The classical clinical picture of neurofibromatosis, as described by von Recklinghausen, may not necessarily be associated with MIM. This possibility is a direct result of the variable penetrability of chromosomic aberrations connected with the chromosome 22. Molecular studies of these tumors confirmed this finding. In our series of 108 patients with intracranial meningiomas only three cases were multiple. In only one of them external stigmata of von Recklinghausen's disease were detected. In the absence of skin manifestations of neurofibromatosis in patients with MIM it is very difficult to diagnosis von Recklinghausen's disease, and the so called "true multiple meningiomas". The authors believe that there are no justificative findings to consider MIM as an independent pathological entity.

[Cerebral metastasis from prostatic neoplasm simulating meningioma. Report of a case]. / Mestástase cerebral de carcinoma prostático simulando meningioma. Relato de caso.

The clinical aspects of the meningiomas are well described. However, there is an important number of reports on a variety of other lesions simulating meningioma, including the prostate cancer. The authors describe one additional patient with prostate cancer who at presentation had clinical and radiographic signs suggesting meningioma. The literature on the subject is reviewed and summarized.

[Multiple cerebral abscesses: apropos of 2 cases]. / Abscessos cerebrais múltiplos: a propósito de dois casos.

The authors summarize the current concepts regarding pathogenesis and surgical management of multiple brain abscesses, and report their experience with two recent cases with computerized tomographic follow-up.

[Carpal tunnel syndrome: retrospective study of 106 cases and complications]. / Síndrome do túnel do carpo: estudo retrospectivo de 106 casos e complicações.

The authors present a short review of anatomic and pathophysiological bases of the carpal tunnel syndrome, and its surgical treatment and complications. They report the cases of two patients who developed sympathetic alterations with hand edema and vascular changes (Raynaud phenomenon), and propose an explanation which they name "sympathetic denervation". This is the only complication of their series and it occurred during the immediate post-operative period, coinciding with removal of immobilization of the wrist on the 22nd post-operative day.

[Cystic meningioma]. / Meningiomas císticos.

Cystic meningiomas are uncommon lesions. CT image may simulate a glial or a metastatic tumor with cystic or necrotic changes. The correct radiological evaluation and the recognition of this kind of tumor are important for surgical treatment since they are potentially curable neoplasms. In this paper the authors report their experience with the treatment of three cases of cystic meningiomas, and discuss some characteristics of these lesions.

[Brain metastasis of malignant melanoma. Analysis of 13 cases]. / Melanomas metastáticos intracranianos. Análise de 13 casos.

The authors present a retrospective review of 13 patients with the diagnostic of intracranial metastatic malignant melanoma. Their ages ranged from 28 to 84 years. The time interval from diagnosis of primary tumor to development of cerebral metastases ranged from 6 to 60 months. There was preoperative evidence of extracranial disease in 9 patients. All patients underwent craniotomy, and the 30-day mortality was zero. The patients survived 2 to 55 months after surgery. Medium survival time for all patients was 14 months. The excision of metastatic melanoma from the brain, although not curative, may increase survival in patients with this metastatic cancer. The criteria for consideration of surgery, radiotherapy and chemotherapy are discussed.

[Malignant course of a ganglioglioma: case report]. / Evolução maligna de um ganglioglioma. Relato de caso.

We present the case of a 8-years-old boy, admitted with a history of headache, nausea and vomiting. Cerebral angiography showed a non-vascular mass on frontal lobe. The patient underwent craniotomy and the lesion was removed. Neuropathological study revealed that the tumor was a ganglioglioma. The patient received pos-operative radiotherapy. On follow-up, 16 years after, a computed tomographic scan showed a recurrence of the tumor, and a second surgery revealed a glioblastoma multiform. Gangliogliomas are rare tumors of the central nervous system containing neoplastic ganglion cells and low grade neoplastic glial cells. The malignant degeneration occurs only in the glial component, so the prognosis of these tumors is related to the grade of that component.

[Chronic subdural hematoma: analysis of 35 cases]. / Hematoma subdural crônico: análise de 35 casos.

Thirty five patients with chronic subdural hematoma were treated surgically between 1988 and 1995. The patients, aged 19 to 80 years, were graded retrospectively according to the Bender scale. The clots were removed via burr-holes with irrigation of the subdural space to ensure as complete an evacuation of subdural collection, and craniotomy with membranectomy. The mortality rate was 16.6% with craniotomy and 0% with burr-hole. The patients who died, 80% were in grade III or IV. The pathogenesis and surgical treatment of chronic subdural hematoma has been controversial, and still remains obscure.