Postintervention Immunological and Entomological Survey of Lymphatic Filariasis in the City of Olinda, Brazil, 2015-2016.

Lymphatic filariasis (LF) is a leading cause of disability due to infectious disease worldwide. The Recife Metropolitan Region (RMR) is the only remaining focus of LF in Brazil, where the parasite Wuchereria bancrofti is transmitted solely by the mosquito Culex quinquefasciatus. This study reports the results of transmission assessment surveys and molecular xenomonitoring in the city of Olinda, RMR, after nearly 15 years (2015-2016) of interventions for LF elimination. Participants were screened for W. bancrofti antigen via immunochromatographic card tests (ICT) in: 1) door-to-door surveys conducted for all children aged 5-7 years from 4 out of 17 intervention areas treated with at least five annual doses of mass drug administration (MDA), and 2) a two-stage cluster sampling survey of residents aged 5 years and older in non-MDA areas. Mosquitoes were collected via handheld aspirators in four MDA areas, differentiated by species, sex, and physiological status, pooled into groups of up to 10 blood-fed, semigravid, and gravid mosquitoes, and screened for W. bancrofti infection by real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR). All 1,170 children from MDA areas and the entire population sample of 990 residents in non-MDA areas were ICT negative. In MDA areas, a total of 3,152 female Cx. quinquefasciatus mosquitoes in 277 households (range, 0-296 mosquitoes per house) were collected via aspiration. RT-qPCR of 233 pools of mosquitos were negative for W. bancrofti RNA; an independent reference laboratory confirmed these results. These results provide evidence that LF transmission has been halted in this setting.

Growth, survival, and myogenic gene expression in the post-larvae of Colossoma macropomum provisioned with Artemia nauplii.

Artemia nauplii are widely used as fish larvae feed due to its beneficial nutritional characteristics for larval development; however, efficient feeding strategies are needed to balance its high costs. Therefore, we evaluated the effects of different densities of Artemia nauplii (100, 250, 500, 750, and 1000 nauplii/post-larvae) on the growth, survival, water quality, and myogenic gene expression of tambaqui (Colossoma macropomum) post-larvae cultivated in a recirculating aquaculture system. After 2 weeks of trial, there was a significant decrease in dissolved oxygen concentration with the increase in nauplii density, but it did not interfere with larval performance and survival. In the first week, larvae fed with fewer than 500 nauplii/post-larvae presented slower growth, while in the second week, larvae fed with 1000 nauplii/post-larvae had the highest final weight and length. Regression analysis suggests that the optimum feeding density of Artemia nauplii during the first week is 411 nauplii/post-larvae, while for the second week, the growth increased proportionally to the feeding densities. The relative expression of the myod, myog, and mstn genes was higher in larvae fed with fewer than 500 nauplii/post-larvae. Although low-growing larvae showed increased expression of myod and myog genes, responsible for muscle hyperplasia and hypertrophy, respectively, mstn expression may have played a significant inhibitory role in larval development. Further research is needed to better determine the effects of the live food on the zootechnical performance and the expression of the myogenic genes in the initial phase of the life cycle of the tambaqui post-larvae.

Chromosomal Mapping of the Histone Multigene Family and U2 snRNA in Hypancistrus Species (Siluriformes, Loricariidae) from the Brazilian Amazon.

Loricariidae (Siluriformes) comprises ∼1026 species of neotropical fish, being considered the most diverse among the Siluriformes. Studies on repetitive DNA sequences have provided important data on the evolution of the genomes of members of this family, especially of the Hypostominae subfamily. In this study, the chromosomal mapping of the histone multigene family and U2 snRNA was performed in two species belonging to the Hypancistrus genus, Hypancistrus sp. "pão" (2n = 52, 22m + 18sm +12st) and Hypancistrus zebra (2n = 52, 16m + 20sm +16st). The presence of dispersed signals of histones H2A, H2B, H3, and H4 in the karyotype of both species, with each sequence displaying a varied level of accumulation and dispersion of these sequences between them was observed; in addition, U2 snDNA probe only showed positive results in H. zebra, which present this multigene in the terminal region of three chromosomal pairs. The obtained results resemble data already analyzed in the literature, in which the action of transposable elements interfere in the organization of these multigene families, in addition to other evolutionary processes that shape the evolution of the genome, such as circular or ectopic recombination. This study also shows that the dispersion of the multigene histone family is quite complex, and from this, these data serve as a point of discussion for the evolutionary processes that occur in the Hypancistrus karyotype.

CSN1S1 and CSN3 gene variants in female Murrah buffaloes in the Brazilian Amazon.

The characteristics of milk are controlled by several genes, with emphasis on the four genes from casein, CSN1S1; CSN1S2; CSN2 and CSN3, which are responsible encoding of fractions the milk protein. The study of genetic variants in these genes, seek to investigate alleles, insertions or deletions, that can directly reflect on productive characteristics, indicating differences in milk quality, composition and yield. The CSN1S1 and CSN3 genes were analyzed in lactating Murrah buffaloes using nucleotide sequencing. An SNP was found in the amplified fragment of the CSN1S1 gene, located in nucleotide number 2,123 of the promoter region in position nt-258 (A/G). As for the CSN3 gene, two SNPs of exon number 4 were identified in codons 33 (ACC/ATC) and 34 (ACC/ACT) of the analyzed fragment. This study contributes to important associations between genetic variants and the desired characteristics of milk and its derivatives in future studies, because the variants found may be associated with the quality of milk, enabling genetic selection to be assisted by molecular markers, indicating a major advance that makes it possible to select animals early.

Novel insights on aquatic mammal MHC evolution: Evidence from manatee DQB diversity.

The low diversity in marine mammal major histocompatibility complex (MHC) appears to support the hypothesis of reduced pathogen selective pressure in aquatic systems compared to terrestrial environments. However, the lack of characterization of the aquatic and evolutionarily distant Sirenia precludes drawing more generalized conclusions. Therefore, we aimed to characterize the MHC DQB diversity of two manatee species and compare it with those reported for marine mammals. Our results identified 12 and 6 alleles in T. inunguis and T. manatus, respectively. Alleles show high rates of nonsynonymous substitutions, suggesting loci are evolving under positive selection. Among aquatic mammals, Pinnipeda DQB had smaller numbers of alleles, higher synonymous substitution rate, and a dN/dS ratio closer to 1, suggesting it may be evolving under more relaxed selection compared to fully aquatic mammals. This contradicts one of the predictions of the hypothesis that aquatic environments impose reduced pathogen pressure to mammalian immune system. These results suggest that the unique evolutionary trajectories of mammalian MHC may impose challenges in drawing ecoevolutionary conclusions from comparisons across distant vertebrate lineages.

Decolonizando a cultura corporal: algumas reflexões e proposições / Decolonizing body culture: some reflections and propositions / Descolonizando la cultura corporal: algunas reflexiones y proposiciones

As práticas corporais realizadas na Educação Física Escolar brasileira, em muitos casos, se limitam a esportes de origem euro-estadunidenses, reproduzindo discursos e práticas hegemônicas de grupos privilegiados, e um apagamento da cultura de grupos e sujeitos colocados a margem. Desta forma, o objetivo desse trabalho foi levantar reflexões e proposições para se pensar uma cultura corporal decolonial, para isso foi feita uma aproximação com o currículo cultural da Educação Física. Pensar uma Educação Físicadecolonial pressupõe reconfigurar suas práticas pedagógicas, seu currículo, formação docente e toda a base epistemológicas em que foram construídas. O próprio professor precisa passar constantemente por uma desconstrução

The corporal practices carried out in the Brazilian Physical Education School, in many cases, are limited to sports of Euro-American origin, reproducing hegemonic discourses and practices of privileged groups, and an erasure of the culture of groups and subjects placed on the sidelines. Thus, the objective of this work was to raise reflections and proposals to think about a decolonial body culture, for that an approximation with the cultural curriculum of Physical Education was made. Thinking about Decolonial Physical Education presupposes reconfiguring its pedagogical practices, its curriculum, teacher training and the entire epistemological base on which they were built. The teacher himself needs to constantly go through a deconstruction.

Las prácticas corporales realizadas en la Escuela Brasileña de Educación Física, en muchos casos, se limitan a deportes de origen euroamericano, reproduciendo discursos y prácticas hegemónicas de grupos privilegiados, y un borrado de la cultura de grupos ysujetos marginados. Así, el objetivo de este trabajo fue suscitar reflexiones y propuestas para pensar en una cultura corporal descolonial, para ello se hizo un acercamiento con el currículo cultural de Educación Física. Pensar en una Educación Física Decolonial presupone reconfigurar sus prácticas pedagógicas, su currículum, la formación del profesorado y toda la base epistemológica sobre la que se construyeron. El propio maestro necesita pasar constantemente por una deconstrucción.

TLR4 and TLR8 variability in Amazonian and West Indian manatee species from Brazil.

Amazonian (Trichechus inunguis) and West Indian (Trichechus manatus) manatees are aquatic mammals vulnerable to extinction found in the Amazon basin and the coastal western Atlantic. Toll-like receptors (TLR) play a key role in recognizing pathogen-associated molecular patterns using leucine-rich repeats (LRRs). We described the diversity of TLR4 and TLR8 genes in these two species of manatee. Amazonian manatee showed seven SNPs in TLR4 and the eight in TLR8, while West Indian manatee shared four and six of those SNPs, respectively. In our analysis, TLR4 showed one non-conservative amino acid replacement substitution in LRR7 and LRR8, on the other hand, TLR8 was less variable and showed only conserved amino acid substitutions. Selection analysis showed that only one TLR4 site was subjected to positive selection and none in TLR8. TLR4 in manatees did not show any evidence of convergent evolution compared to species of the cetacean lineage. Differences in TLR4 and TLR8 polymorphism may be related to distinct selection by pathogens, population reduction of West Indian manatees, or an expected consequence of population expansion in Amazonian manatees. Future studies combining pathogen association and TLR polymorphism may clarify possible roles of these genes and be used for conservation purposes of manatee species.

Comparative study of the types of fixation in adolescent idiopathic scoliosis / Estudo comparativo dos tipos de fixação na escoliose idiopática do adolescente / Estudio comparativo de los tipos de fijación en la escoliosis idiopática del adolescente

ABSTRACT Objective: To conduct a comparative study of the results obtained in the treatment of adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) with different types of fixations (traditional, selective and multiple), and to evaluate the correction of angular deformity in the frontal plane by the Cobb and sacral clavicular angle (SCA) methods. Methods: A study of a group of 278 patients with AIS who underwent selective, traditional, and multiple fixation surgeries. Results: Significant corrections of both the Cobb angle and the SCA were observed. Conclusions: In the multiple fixation surgeries there was a 100% correction between the preoperative and postoperative SCA values and a 50% correction in the traditional and selective fixations, a difference considered significant. Regarding the Cobb angle, the three fixations presented corrections between preop and postop with significant differences. Level of evidence III; Retrospective Study.

RESUMO Objetivo: Realizar um estudo comparativo dos resultados obtidos no tratamento da escoliose idiopática do adolescente (EIA) com diferentes tipos de fixação tradicional, seletiva e múltipla e avaliar a correção da deformidade angular no plano frontal pelo método de Cobb e do â ngulo sacro clavicular (ASC). Métodos: Estudo de um grupo de 278 pacientes com EIA operados com fixações seletiva, tradicional e múltipla. Resultados: Observou-se correção significativa tanto do ângulo de Cobb quanto do ASC. Conclusões: Nas cirurgias com fixação múltipla constatou-se, entre pré-operatório (pré-op) e pós-operatório (pós-op), uma correção de 100% do ASC, e com as fixações tradicional e seletiva a correção foi de 50%, diferença que se considerou significativa. Com relação ao ângulo de Cobb as três fixações resultaram em correções entre o pré-op e o pós-op com diferença considerada significativa. Nível de evidência III; Estudo retrospectivo.

RESUMEN Objetivo: Realizar un estudio comparativo de los resultados obtenidos en el tratamiento de la escoliosis idiopática del adolescente (EIA) con diferentes tipos de fijación: tradicional, selectiva y múltiple, y evaluar la corrección de la deformidad angular en el plano frontal mediante el método de Cobb y del ángulo sacro clavicular (ASC). Métodos: Estudio de un grupo de 278 pacientes con EIA operados con fijaciones selectiva, tradicional y múltiple. Resultados: Se observó corrección significativa tanto del ángulo de Cobb como del ASC. Conclusiones: En las cirugías con fijación múltiple se constató, entre preoperatorio (pre-op) y postoperatorio (post-op), una corrección de 100% del ASC, y con las fijaciones tradicional y selectiva la corrección fue de 50%, diferencia que se consideró significativa. Con relación al ángulo de Cobb las tres fijaciones resultaron en correcciones entre pre-op y post-op con diferencia considerada significativa. Nivel de evidencia III; Estudio Retrospectivo.

Correction of the spinal sagittal plane: the application of convergent or divergent screws / Correção do plano sagital da coluna vertebral: aplicação de parafusos convergentes ou divergentes / Corrección del plano sagital de la columna vertebral: aplicación de tornillos convergentes o divergentes

ABSTRACT Objective To present a new principle for correction of the sagittal plane of the spine through the convergent or divergent placement of monoaxial pedicle screws in this plane, associated with compression or distraction, to provide lordotizing or kyphotizing leverage force. Method A statistical mechanical study of twenty-eight fixations in synthetic spine segments was performed. In fifteen pieces, pedicle screws were applied to the ends of the segments with positioning convergent to the center of the fixation. They were attached to the straight rods and subjected to compression force. The other thirteen segments were fixed with pedicle screws in a direction divergent to the center of the fixation, attached to the straight rods, and subjected to distraction force. Results To create kyphosis in the 15 synthetic segments of the spine, the mean pre-fixation Cobb angle was - 0.7° and the mean post-fixation angle was +15°. To create lordosis in the 13 segments, the mean pre-fixation Cobb angle was +1° and the mean post-fixation angle was +18°. The difference was confirmed by statistical mechanical tests and considered significant. However, there is no relevant difference between the mean angles for lordosis and kyphosis formation. Conclusions It was concluded that the correction of the sagittal plane of the spine by applying the new instrumentation method is efficient. A statistical mechanical test confirmed that the difference in Cobb degrees between pre- and post-fixation of the synthetic spine segments was considered significant in the creation of both kyphosis and lordosis. Level of evidence II C; Statistical mechanical study of synthetic spine segments.

RESUMO Objetivo Apresentar um novo princípio para correção do plano sagital da coluna vertebral, posicionando os parafusos pediculares monoaxiais nesse plano de forma convergente ou divergente, associados à compressão ou distração, para proporcionar força em alavanca lordotizante ou cifotizante. Métodos Realizou-se um estudo de mecânica estatística de 28 fixações em segmentos de coluna sintética. Em quinze peças, foram aplicados parafusos pediculares monoaxiais nos extremos dos segmentos abordados com posicionamento no sentido convergente à fixação. Foram agregados às hastes retas e submetidos à força de compressão. Em outros treze segmentos, a fixação foi feita com parafusos pediculares monoaxiais, no sentido divergente ao centro da fixação, integrados às hastes retas e submetidos à força de distração. Resultados Para criar cifose nos 15 segmentos sintéticos da coluna vertebral, a média do ângulo de Cobb na pré-fixação foi de -0,7° e a média pós-fixação foi de +15°. Para cria lordose em 13 segmentos, a média do ângulo de Cobb na pré-fixação foi de +1° e a média pós-fixação foi de +18°. A diferença foi confirmada por testes de mecânica estatística e considerada significativa. Contudo, não existe diferença relevante entre os ângulos médio para formação da lordose e da cifose. Conclusões Conclui-se que a correção do plano sagital da coluna aplicando o novo método de instrumentação é eficiente. Confirmou-se com teste de mecânica estatística que a diferença em graus de Cobb entre o período pré e o pós-fixação dos segmentos de coluna sintética fixados foi considerada significativa, tanto na criação da cifose quanto da lordose. Nível de evidência II C; Estudo mecânico estatístico de segmentos de coluna sintética.

RESUMEN Objetivo Presentar un nuevo principio para corrección del plano sagital de la columna vertebral, posicionando los tornillos pediculares monoaxiales en ese plano de forma convergente o divergente, asociados a la compresión o distracción, para proporcionar fuerza en palanca lordotizante o cifosante. Métodos Se realizó un estudio de mecánica estadística de 28 fijaciones en segmentos de columna sintética. En quince piezas, fueron aplicados tornillos pediculares monoaxiales en los extremos de los segmentos abordados con posicionamiento en el sentido convergente a la fijación. Fueron agregados a las varillas rectas y sometidos a la fuerza de compresión. En otros trece segmentos, la fijación fue hecha con tornillos pediculares monoaxiales, en el sentido divergente del centro de la fijación, integrados a las varillas rectas y sometidos a la fuerza de distracción. Resultados Para crear cifosis en los 15 segmentos sintéticos de la columna vertebral, el promedio del ángulo de Cobb en la prefijación fue de -0,7° y el promedio de postfijación fue de +15°. Para crear lordosis en 13 segmentos, el promedio del ángulo de Cobb en la prefijación fue de +1° y el promedio de postfijación fue de +18°. La diferencia fue confirmada mediante tests de mecánica estadística y considerada significativa. Sin embargo, no existe diferencia relevante entre los ángulos promedios para la formación de lordosis y de cifosis. Conclusiones Se concluye que la corrección del plano sagital de la columna aplicando el nuevo método de instrumentación es eficiente. Se confirmó con test de mecánica estadística que la diferencia en los grados de Cobb entre el período de pre y postfijación de los segmentos de columna sintética fijados fue considerada significativa, tanto en la creación de cifosis como de la lordosis. Nivel de evidencia II C; Estudio mecánico estadístico de segmentos de columna sintética.

Spatiotemporal Analysis of the Population Risk of Congenital Microcephaly in Pernambuco State, Brazil.

Since an outbreak in Brazil, which started in 2015, Zika has been recognized as an important cause of microcephaly. The highest burden of this outbreak was in northeast Brazil, including the state of Pernambuco. The prevalence of congenital microcephaly in Pernambuco state was estimated from the RESP (Registro de Eventos em Saúde Pública) surveillance system, from August 2015 to August 2016 inclusive. The denominators were estimated at the municipality level from official demographic data. Microcephaly was defined as a neonatal head circumference below the 3rd percentile of the Intergrowth standards. Smoothed maps of the prevalence of microcephaly were obtained from a Bayesian model which was conditional autoregressive (CAR) in space, and first order autoregressive in time. A total of 742 cases were identified. Additionally, high and early occurrences were identified in the Recife Metropolitan Region, on the coast, and in a north-south band about 300 km inland. Over a substantial part of the state, the overall prevalence, aggregating over the study period, was above 0.5%. The reasons for the high occurrence in the inland area remain unclear.

Reliability of ICDAS to Detect Occlusal Caries among Master's Degree students of Dentistry / Confiabilidade do ICDAS para Detectar Cárie Oclusal Entre Mestrandos de Odontologia

The objective of this study was to investigate the reproducibility of the International System for the Detection and Evaluation of Caries (ICDAS) for the diagnosis of caries by students of the Master's Degree in Dentistry (n = 25). The occlusal surfaces of human third molars (n = 14) were evaluated by twenty-five (n = 25) students using the ICDAS index and later a questionnaire was applied on demographic and professional context data. The dental crowns were sectioned in mesial to distal direction to obtain slices of 1mm in thickness which were observed in a stereomicroscope (40X) to identify the greatest extension of caries lesion. Data were analyzed by the Chi-Square, Fisher's Exact and Spearman's Correlation Coefficient at a significance level of 5%. There was an influence in the diagnosis of caries among students and teeth, where the majority of those who declared themselves to be safe missed the diagnosis. There was variability between the diagnosis and the proposed treatment for caries, with a better diagnosis for tooth VII and less for X; greater fit for treatment of teeth XIII, XIV and lower for IV, VI. The histological cut showed that the teeth were more affected by caries than the ICDAS. It was concluded that the ICDAS reproducibility was partially satisfactory when the occlusal surface was evaluated by the master's degree students. (AU).

Este trabalho teve o objetivo de investigar a reprodutibilidade do Sistema Internacional de Detecção e Avaliação de Cárie (ICDAS) para o diagnóstico da cárie, por estudantes de curso de Mestrado em Odontologia (n=25). As superfícies oclusais de terceiros molares humanos (n=14) foram avaliadas por vinte e cinco (n=25) estudantes, utilizando o índice ICDAS, e posteriormente foi aplicado questionário sobre dados demográficos e de contexto profissional. As coroas dentárias foram seccionadas no sentido mésio distal para obter fatias de 1 mm de espessura, que foram observadas em estereomicroscópio (40X) para identificar a maior extensão da lesão de cárie. Os dados foram analisados pelos Testes Qui-Quadrado, Exato de Fisher e Coeficiente de Correlação de Spearman, em nível de significância de 5%. Houve influência do grau de instrução dos estudantes no diagnóstico da cárie em relação ao dente avaliado e a maioria que se declarou segura errou o diagnóstico. Houve variabilidade entre o diagnóstico e o tratamento proposto para a cárie, com maior acerto para diagnóstico do dente VII e menor para o X; maior acerto para tratamento dos dentes XIII, XIV e menor para IV, VI. O corte histológico mostrou que os dentes estavam mais comprometidos pela cárie que o ICDAS. Concluiu-se que a reprodutibilidade do ICDAS foi satisfatória quando a superfície oclusal foi avaliada pelos mestrandos. (AU).

The Marine Mammal Class II Major Histocompatibility Complex Organization.

Sirenians share with cetaceans and pinnipeds several convergent traits selected for the aquatic lifestyle. Living in water poses new challenges not only for locomotion and feeding but also for combating new pathogens, which may render the immune system one of the best tools aquatic mammals have for dealing with aquatic microbial threats. So far, only cetaceans have had their class II Major Histocompatibility Complex (MHC) organization characterized, despite the importance of MHC genes for adaptive immune responses. This study aims to characterize the organization of the marine mammal class II MHC using publicly available genomes. We located class II sequences in the genomes of one sirenian, four pinnipeds and eight cetaceans using NCBI-BLAST and reannotated the sequences using local BLAST search with exon and intron libraries. Scaffolds containing class II sequences were compared using dotplot analysis and introns were used for phylogenetic analysis. The manatee class II region shares overall synteny with other mammals, however most DR loci were translocated from the canonical location, past the extended class II region. Detailed analysis of the genomes of closely related taxa revealed that this presumed translocation is shared with all other living afrotherians. Other presumptive chromosome rearrangements in Afrotheria are the deletion of DQ loci in Afrosoricida and deletion of DP in E. telfairi. Pinnipeds share the main features of dog MHC: lack of a functional pair of DPA/DPB genes and inverted DRB locus between DQ and DO subregions. All cetaceans share the Cetartiodactyla inversion separating class II genes into two subregions: class IIa, with DR and DQ genes, and class IIb, with non-classic genes and a DRB pseudogene. These results point to three distinct and unheralded class II MHC structures in marine mammals: one canonical organization but lacking DP genes in pinnipeds; one bearing an inversion separating IIa and IIb subregions lacking DP genes found in cetaceans; and one with a translocation separating the most diverse class II gene from the MHC found in afrotherians and presumptive functional DR, DQ, and DP genes. Future functional research will reveal how these aquatic mammals cope with pathogen pressures with these divergent MHC organizations.

Development of an urban molecular xenomonitoring system for lymphatic filariasis in the Recife Metropolitan Region, Brazil.

INTRODUCTION: Molecular xenomonitoring (MX)-pathogen detection in the mosquito rather than human-is a promising tool for lymphatic filariasis (LF) surveillance. In the Recife Metropolitan Region (RMR), the last LF focus in Brazil, Culex quinquefasciatus mosquitoes have been implicated in transmitting Wuchereria bancrofti parasites. This paper presents findings on the ideal mosquito collection method, mosquito dispersion, W. bancrofti infection in mosquitoes and W. bancrofti antigen in humans to aid MX development. METHODS: Experiments occurred within two densely populated urban areas of Olinda, RMR, in July and August 2015. U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) light traps were compared to battery-powered aspirators as collection methods, and mosquito dispersion was measured by mosquito mark release recapture (MMRR). Female Cx. quinquefasciatus were tested by PCR for W. bancrofti infection, and study area residents were screened by rapid tests for W. bancrofti antigen. RESULTS: Aspirators caught 2.6 times more total Cx. quinquefasciatus, including 38 times more blood-fed and 5 times more gravid stages, than CDC light traps. They also collected 123 times more Aedes aegypti. Of the 9,644 marked mosquitoes released, only ten (0.01%) were recaptured, nine of which were < 50m (34.8m median, 85.4m maximum) from the release point. Of 9,169 unmarked mosquitoes captured in the MMR, 38.3% were unfed, 48.8% blood-fed, 5.5% semi-gravid, and 7.3% gravid. PCR on 182 pools (1,556 mosquitoes) found no evidence of W. bancrofti infection in Cx. quinquefasciatus. Rapid tests on 110 of 111 eligible residents were all negative for W. bancrofti antigen. CONCLUSIONS: Aspirators were more effective than CDC light traps at capturing Ae. aegypti and all but unfed stages of Cx. quinquefasciatus. Female Cx. quinquefasciatus traveled short (< 86m) distances in this urban area. Lack of evidence for W. bancrofti infection in mosquitoes and antigen in humans in these fine-scale studies does not indicate that LF transmission has ceased in the RMR. A MX surveillance system should consider vector-specific collection methods, mosquito dispersion, and spatial scale but also local context, environmental factors such as sanitation, and host factors such as infection prevalence and treatment history.

Effect of Polyacrylic Acid Conditioning on the Longevity of Bonding of Self - Adhesive Resin Cement to Dentin / Efeito do Condicionamento com Ácido Poliacrílico na Longevidade da Adesão de Cimento Resinoso Autoadesivo à Dentina

Bonding of fiber posts using self-adhesive resin cement to radicular dentin is controversial. The aim was to evaluate the effect of conditioning of polyacrylic acid on the longevity of bonding of self-adhesive resin cement to dentin. Thirty six single rooted pre molars were divided into 3 groups (n=12) ARC: ScotchBond Multi Purpose + RelyX™ARC; U: RelyX™U200; PU: 11.5% Polyacrylic acid + RelyX™U200. After conditioning of the dentin, the resin cement and the post were inserted and light-activated for 60s (1200mw/cm2 ) and stored in distilled water (24h/37ºC). Two discs of 1 mm thickness were obtained from each root-third and tested in push-out (0.5mm/min) after 24 hours and 6 months. For statistical purposes, the data from the root-thirds were grouped and the bond strength (in MPa) was analyzed using Two-Way Analysis of Variance and Tukey's post-hoc test at 5%. The power of the test was calculated. The bonding of the U at 6 months was higher than PU at both times (p<0.001). There were no differences for time (p=0.153) or for the interaction of treatment x time (p=0.090). Adhesive fractures between the cement and dentin were prevalent. The power test was 0.97. The bonding of the RelyX™U200 was influenced by the dentin pre-treatment with poliacrylic acid and the bonding of all groups remained stable for 6 months. (AU).

A adesão de pino de fibra de vidro com cimento resinoso autoadesivo à dentina é controversa. Foi objetivo avaliar o efeito do condicionamento da dentina com ácido poliacrílico na longevidade da adesão de cimento resinoso autoadesivo. Trinta e seis raízes de pré-molares uni radiculados foram divididas em 3 grupos (n=12) ARC: ScotchBond Multi Purpose + RelyX™ARC; U: RelyX™U200; PU: Ácido poliacrílico 11,5% + RelyX™U200. Após condicionamento da dentina, o cimento resinoso e o pino de fibra de vidro foram inseridos, fotoativados por 60s (1200mw/cm2 ) e armazenados em água destilada (24h/37ºC). Dois discos de dentina de 1 mm de espessura foram obtidos de cada terço radicular e testados em push-out (0.5mm/min) após 24 houras e 6 meses. Para análise estatística, os dados dos terços radiculares foram agrupados e resistência adesiva (em MPa) analisada por Análise de Variância de dois fatores e teste de Tukey a 5%. O poder do teste foi calculado. A adesão de the U após 6 meses foi maior que a de PU nos dois períodos (p<0,001). Não houve diferença para o fator tempo (p=0,153) nem para a interação tratamento x tempo (p=0,090). Fraturas adesivas prevaleceram entre cimento e dentina. O poder do teste calculado foi de 0,97. A adesão do RelyX™U200 foi influenciada pelo pré-tratamento da dentina com ácido poliacrílico e a adesão de todos os grupos se manteve estável até 6 meses. (AU).

Effect of POU5F1 Expression Level in Clonal Subpopulations of Bovine Fibroblasts Used as Nuclear Donors for Somatic Cell Nuclear Transfer.

Somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT) success is partially hindered by the low epigenetic reprogramming efficiency of the donor cell. Previous studies suggest cellular heterogeneity among donor nuclei in regard to reprogramming potential, which precludes comparison among different strategies to increase cloning success. In this context, we evaluated the effect of using clonal cell populations (CPs) of bovine adult fibroblasts established by single-cell plating in SCNT. Different CPs were evaluated in regard to proliferation rate, senescence level, and chromosome stability, as well as for POU5F1 (POU class 5 homeobox 1) mRNA expression levels. In total, 9 of 24 CPs (37.5%) were successfully expanded in vitro up to the fourth passage and shown to proliferate following cryopreservation, at which time cell analyses were performed. The use of a CP with low senescence level, normal karyotype, and highest POU5F1 expression levels did not improve embryo development rates or quality following SCNT. As previously suggested, this study supports the notion that levels of POU5F1 expression in the donor nucleus do not impact the SCNT results. Notably, the single-cell seeding approach used herein to isolate CPs may be extended to the evaluation of additional predictor markers of reprogrammability success for SCNT in future experiments.

Screening of endoglucanase-producing bacteria in the saline rhizosphere of Rhizophora mangle.

In screening the culturable endoglucanase-producing bacteria in the rhizosphere of Rhizophora mangle, we found a prevalence of genera Bacillus and Paenibacillus. These bacteria revealed different activities in endoglucolysis and biofilm formation when exposed to specific NaCl concentrations, indicating modulated growth under natural variations in mangrove salinity.

Expression of PLIN2 and PLIN3 during oocyte maturation and early embryo development in cattle.

In vitro-produced embryos store high lipid content in cytoplasmic lipid droplets (LD), and reduction or removal of LD has been demonstrated to improve freeze-thaw viability. The Perilipin Adipophilin Tail-interacting Protein of 47 kD (PAT) family of proteins is involved in the formation and regulation of LD in many cell types, but their presence has not been addressed either in cattle oocytes or preimplantation embryos. Therefore, this study aimed to detect the expression of PAT family transcripts (Perilipin-2 [PLIN2] and Perilipin-3 [PLIN3]) in immature and in vitro-matured (IVM) oocytes, and in in vitro-produced embryos at the stages of two to four cells, eight to 16 cells, morulae (MO), and blastocyst (BL). The expression of PLIN3 was downregulated in response to IVM, and PLIN2 was comparatively more expressed than PLIN3 in IVM oocytes (P < 0.001). During the early stages of embryo development, PLIN2 expression reached its peak at the MO stage (P < 0.001) and decreased again at the BL stage. In contrast, PLIN3 was expressed in low levels during the earliest stages of development, slightly upregulated at the MO stage (P < 0.05), and greatly increased its expression at the BL stage (15-fold; P < 0.001). PLIN3 was comparatively more expressed than PLIN2 during embryo culture in most stages analyzed (P < 0.05), except in eight- to 16-cell embryos. These results indicate that PLIN2 might be involved in the maintenance of lipid stocks necessary to support embryo development after fertilization of IVM oocytes. Also, we hypothesize that PLIN3 is the main PAT protein responsible for stabilization of LD formed in consequence of the acute lipid load seen during embryo development. We confirmed the presence of both PLIN2 and PLIN3 proteins in BL at Day 7 using immunocytochemistry: these PAT proteins colocalized with LD stained with BODIPY. PLIN3 seemed to be more ubiquitously spread out in the cytoplasm than PLIN2, consistent with the pattern seen in adipocytes. These findings suggest that both elderly (bigger) and newly formed (smaller) LD, positive for PLIN2 and PLIN3 respectively, coexist in blastocysts. To our knowledge this is the first report showing that transcripts of the PAT family are present in cattle oocytes and embryos.

Influence of L-arginine during bovine in vitro fertilization.

The objective of this work was to evaluate the effect of using L-arginine during in vitro fertilization (IVF) on in vitro embryonic development using Bos taurus and Bos indicus semen. Effect of different concentrations (0, 1, 10 and 50 mM) of L-arginine, added to the IVF medium, was evaluated on the fertilization rate at 18 h post-fertilization (hpf), NO3(-)/NO2(-) production during IVF by the Griess colorimetric method (30 hpf), cleavage and blastocyst rates (on Day 2 and Day 7 of culture, respectively) and total blastocyst cell number (Day 7 of culture). The results reveal that the addition of 50 mM L-arginine to IVF medium, with either Bos taurus or Bos indicus spermatozoa, decreased the cleavage rate and blastocyst rate compared to the control group. Other concentrations did not affect embryo production. However, 1 mM L-arginine with Bos indicus semen increased the proportion of hatched blastocysts. These results indicate that high L-arginine concentrations may exhibit toxic effects on bovine gametes during in vitro fertilization.

Screening of endoglucanase-producing bacteria in the saline rhizosphere of Rhizophora mangle

In screening the culturable endoglucanase-producing bacteria in the rhizosphere of Rhizophora mangle, we found a prevalence of genera Bacillus and Paenibacillus. These bacteria revealed different activities in endoglucolysis and biofilm formation when exposed to specific NaCl concentrations, indicating modulated growth under natural variations in mangrove salinity.

Resistência de união entre uma cerâmica e o esmalte de dente bovino, efetuada por diferentes sistemas adesivos e técnicas de cimentação / Bond strength between a ceramic and bovine tooth enamel, made by different adhesive systems and luting techniques

O objetivo no presente trabalho foi avaliar a resistência da união adesiva de uma cerâmica vítrea (IPS e.max Press) fixada sobre o esmalte de dentes bovinos. Empregaram-se dois métodos de cimentação um, com a fotoativação prévia do adesivo; outro, com a fotoativação simultânea do adesivo e do cimento compósito após a fixação do disco cerâmico, que tinha 5mm de diâmetro e 2mm de espessura. Pela combinação de dois sistemas adesivos fotopolimerizáveis (Optibond FL e Single Bond 2), e de dois cimentos (Variolink II e RelyX ARC), um fotopolimerizável e outro de cura dupla associados às duas técnicas de cimentação formaram-se oito condições de cimentação. As amostras foram submetidas a ensaio de cisalhamento pela técnica do fio de aço. Com base nos valores encontrados nas condições estabelecidas, após o respectivo tratamento estatístico, foi possível concluir que: a) a técnica de cimentação com fotopolimerização simultânea do adesivo com o cimento produziu índices de resistência superiores aos obtidos pela técnica de fotopolimerização prévia do adesivo; b) A combinação do adesivo Single Bond 2 com o cimento Variolink II resultou em menores valores de resistência adesiva, diante das outra três combinações de cimentos e adesivos formadas.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the strength of adhesive bonding of a glass-ceramic (IPS e.max Press) fixed on the enamel of bovine teeth. There were used two methods of cementation one in which the adhesive was pre-cured, and another in which the photopolymerization of the adhesive and composite cement was performed simultaneously after the fixing of ceramic disc, which was 5mm in diameter and 2mm thick. Through a combination of two light cured adhesive systems (Single Bond and FL Optibond 2) and two resin cements (Variolink II and RelyX ARC), one light-cured and another dual-cured associated with the two luting techniques eight conditions of cementation were formed. The samples were subjected to shear test technique. Under the established conditions, after statistical treatment of results the following conclusions could be drawn: a) the cementation technique with simultaneous curing of the adhesive with cement produced resistance rates higher than those obtained by the technique of pre-curing the adhesive; b) the combination of adhesive Single Bond 2 with cement Variolink II resulted in lower bond strength, in comparison with the other three combinations of cements and adhesives formed.