Self-assembly of maltoheptaose-b-PMMA block copolymer systems: 10nm Resolution in thin film and bulk states.

This paper describes the self-assembly of oligosaccharide-based hybrid block copolymers (BCPs) consisting of maltoheptaose (MH) and poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) into 10nm scale lamellar and cylindrical phases depending on the volume fractions of MH (ϕMH) and the annealing process. Time resolved SAXS study of the BCP bulk samples during thermal annealing indicated that the BCPs phase separate into 10nm scale periodical structures. The solvent vapor annealing induced self-organizations of the BCP into different phases depending on ϕMH and the weight fraction of THF/H2O. BCPs with relatively higher ØMH, MH-b-PMMA3k (ϕMH=0.27) and MH-b-PMMA5k (ϕMH=0.16) self-organized into lamellar phases while the BCP sample with relatively lower ϕMH, MH-b-PMMA9k (ϕMH=0.10), self-organized into cylindrical phase by using THF/H2O=1/4 (w/w). On the other hand, the solvent vapor annealing with larger fraction of THF, i.e. THF/H2O=2/3 (w/w), induced cylindrical phases for MH-b-PMMA3k and MH-b-PMMA5k.

Palliative effect of Pausinystallia macroceras on testicular ischemic reperfusion injury in Wistar rats: a histological study / Efecto paliativo de Pausinystallia macroceras sobre la lesión testicular por isquemia-reperfusión en ratas Wistar: un estudio histológico

Testicular torsion is a disorder involving the scrotum that results in a compromise of its blood supply. The aim was to investigate the effect of Pausinystallia macroceras (PM) on testicular histology following torsion-detortion at different time intervals ranging from 1 to 4 hours 65 mature male Wister rats allotted randomly into seven groups (A to G; E& F further divided into 4-subgroups). Each group/subgroup comprised 5 rats. Testis maintained in the torted position (T) for 1, 2, 3 and 4 hours in Groups A (AT1+PM), B (BT2+PM), C (CT3+PM) and D (DT4+PM). Group E subgroups (E1+PM, E2+PM, E3+PM, E4+PM -) were sham operated, without torsion served as the sham control. Group F subgroups (F1T1, F2T2, F3T3 and F4T4) were torted as in A. All animals (except groups F & G) treated with PM extract (0.1 g/kg.b.w/day) for 56 days. Group G rats (normal control). Testes processed for histological studies. In AT1+PM showed preserved seminiferous tubules. BT2+PM, revealed varying number of necrosed and apoptotic seminiferous tubules. Group CT3+PM rats were similar to BT2+PM although with a slightly higher proportion of seminiferous tubules had undergone necrosis. In DT4+PM, sections showed few viable spermatozoa within the seminiferous tubules. When compared to the torted group F; showed extensive areas of seminiferous tubular necrosis (F3T3) as well as damage to the interstitium; while in F4T4 there were no viable testicular tissues seen. In conclusion, PM significantly prevented the cellular changes and cell death observed especially in group AT1+PM and BT2+PM.

La torsión testicular es un trastorno que involucra el escroto resultando en un compromiso del suministro sanguíneo. El objetivo fue investigar el efecto de Pausinystallia macroceras (PM) en la histología testicular tras torsión-detorsión a intervalos de tiempo diferentes que van desde 1 a 4 horas en 65 ratas macho Wistar maduras, asignando aleatoriamente en siete grupos (desde A a G, mientras que E y F se dividieron en 4 subgrupos). Cada grupo/subgrupo estuvo compuesto por 5 ratas. Los testículos se mantuvieron en posición torsionada (T) durante 1, 2, 3 y 4 horas en los grupos A (AT1 + PM), B (BT2 + PM), C (CT3 + PM) y D (DT4 + PM). El grupo E, subgrupos (E1 + PM, E2 + PM + PM E3, E4 + PM) fueron operados por modelo sham sin torsión, que sirvió de control. El grupo F, subgrupos (F1T1, F2T2, F3T3 y F4T4) fueron torsionados como en A. Todos los animales (excepto los grupos F y G) fueron tratados con extracto de AM (0,1 g/kg peso corporal/día) durante 56 días. El grupo G fueron ratas control (control normal). Los testículos fueron procesados para el estudio histológico. En AT1 + PM se observó preservación de los túbulos seminíferos. BT2 + PM, reveló un número variable de túbulos seminíferos con necrosis y apoptosis. El grupo de ratas CT3 + PM fue similar a BT2 + PM, aunque un porcentaje ligeramente superior de los túbulos seminíferos mostraron necrosis. En DT4 + PM, los cortes mostraron pocos espermatozoides viables dentro de los túbulos seminíferos. En comparación con el grupo F torsionado mostró extensas áreas de necrosis tubular (F3T3), así como daños en el intersticio; mientras que en F4T4 no hubo tejido testicular viable. En conclusión, PM previno significativamente cambios celulares y la muerte celular observada, especialmente en el grupo AT1 + PM y BT2 + PM.

[Mortality spatial patterns and socioeconomic differences in the city of Rio de Janeiro]. / Padrões espaciais de mortalidade e diferenciais sócio-econômicos na cidade do Rio de Janeiro.

Health situation analysis has been used to understand complex health processes and to contribute to decision-making in public policies. This paper analyzes the spatial relationship between mortality patterns in the city of Rio de Janeiro (1996-1998) and socioeconomic profiles of neighborhoods. Mortality data were collected from the Municipal Health Department and population data were obtained from the National Census Bureau (IBGE) (1991 and 1996). Neighborhoods were aggregated through the K-means cluster method into 4 homogeneous socioeconomic groups, and the mortality indicators distribution was analyzed by different strata. General mortality, circulatory disease mortality, mortality from poorly defined causes, and mortality from violent causes all displayed large differences among socioeconomic groups. The spatial pattern of the socioeconomic strata allowed the identification of different living conditions, which involved specific mortality patterns. Higher socioeconomic strata presented low mortality figures for all causes.

[Maternal mortality in the city of Rio de Janeiro, 1993-1996]. / Mortalidade materna no município do Rio de Janeiro, 1993 a 1996.

The maternal mortality rate is considered an important indicator of quality of care during the gravid-puerperal cycle. To shed light on the maternal mortality pattern in the city of Rio de Janeiro, maternal deaths from 1993 to 1996 among residents of the city were analyzed, based on data from death certificates. The maternal mortality rate was calculated according to cause, age, and schooling. High annual mortality rates were detected throughout the period analyzed (74.3, 47.9, 51.5, and 55.3 per 100,000 live births, respectively). Main causes of death were hypertension, hemorrhage, and puerperal complications. Greatest risk of death was among the youngest and oldest women and those with less schooling. The study discusses strategies to decrease under-recording of deaths and increase quality and results of care.

[Violence, ethnic groups and skin color: a study on differences in the metropolitan region of Salvador, Bahia, Brazil]. / Violência, etnia e cor: um estudo dos diferenciais na região metropolitana de Salvador, Bahia, Brasil.

The objective of this study was to analyze the distribution of various forms of violence--structural, institutional, interpersonal, and crime-related--in the three most common color groups of Bahian society: mulattos, whites, and blacks. The study compared the levels of victimization of mulatto, white, and black individuals with their assessments of the efficiency of crime-control institutions, in order to ascertain how that relates to those same citizens' acceptance of authoritarian attitudes and norms. The data analyzed came from the multicenter project on Attitudes and Cultural Standards about Violence (ACTIVA) project, from a sample of 1,384 residents of the Salvador metropolitan region. The study was designed as a cross-sectional survey, with interviews done in the people's homes between September and December of 1996. The sample selection was done in three stages: first, residential areas were chosen at random; then, a systematic selection was made from the homes in each of the selected areas; finally, the persons to be interviewed were chosen at random. To collect the data the researchers used a pretested questionnaire that had been designed for the ACTIVA study. The results showed an unequal distribution of structural violence that mainly affected blacks. There were no differences by color group for interpersonal and institutional violence. Criminal violence impacted whites and blacks to the same degree. Distrust in the efficiency of the civil and military police and in the justice and penal systems was very high among all three color groups. Moreover, few differences were found among the groups with regard to authoritarian attitudes and norms. Based on the results, it is possible to conclude that public order is threatened if the dissatisfaction with institutions for crime prevention and reduction continues at a high level at the same time that individuals tend to support violence to resolve conflicts.

Assessment of the direct effectiveness of BC meningococcal vaccine in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil: a case-control study.

BACKGROUND: Meningococcal disease is still a serious public health problem in many countries. A vaccine produced by Cuba was the first product against B meningococcus available on a large scale. In an attempt to control the increasing incidence of this serogroup in greater Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, the vaccine was used in 1990 in children aged 6 months-9 years. About 1.6 million children were vaccinated. METHODS: In order to assess the direct effectiveness of the vaccine in preventing disease, we conducted a case-control study during the first year after vaccination. Using a hospital-based census, we selected all children hospitalized with meningococcal disease and sampled the control group among children hospitalized with other types of meningitis. Vaccine effectiveness was estimated from the relationship, 1-OR, where OR (odds ratio) was the exponential of the logistic regression coefficient for the association between meningococcal disease and previous vaccination. RESULTS: A total of 275 cases and 279 controls were selected between September 1990 and October 1991. The summary adjusted measure of protection against serogroup B was 54% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 20-74%). Estimated protection varied among different age strata and place of residence, being high among children aged > or = 4 years, 71% (95% CI: 34-87%), and among those who lived in the City of Rio de Janeiro, 74% (95% CI: 42-89%). CONCLUSIONS: The results suggest that the vaccine produced by Cuba may offer protection against serogroup B meningococcal disease, but its effects may not be homogeneous.

PIP: Meningococcal disease is still a serious public health problem in many countries. A vaccine produced by Cuba was the first product against B meningococcus available on a large scale. In an attempt to control the increasing incidence of this serogroup in greater Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, the vaccine was used in 1990 in children 6 months-9 years old. About 1.6 million children were vaccinated. In order to assess the direct effectiveness of the vaccine in preventing disease, a case-control study was conducted during the first year after vaccination. Using a hospital-based census, all children hospitalized with meningococcal disease caused by Neisseria meningitidis were selected, and the control group came from children hospitalized with other types of meningitis at the Sao Sebastiao State Infectology Institute. Vaccine effectiveness was estimated, using ordinary logistic regression, from the relationship, 1 - OR, where OR (odds ratio) was the exponential of the logistic regression coefficient for the association between meningococcal disease and previous vaccination. A total of 275 cases and 279 controls were selected between September 1990 and October 1991. 57% of the total cases belonged to serogroup B and 7% to serogroup C. The case fatality rate was 11%. Of the 279 controls, 46% were related to viral meningitis, 34% were related to meningitis caused by bacteria other than N. meningitidis, 13% were related to postmumps meningitis, 5% to tuberculosis meningitis, and 2% to other diseases. The summary-adjusted measure of protection against serogroup B was 54% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 20-74%). The combined vaccine effectiveness for 230 cases and 232 controls amounted to 58% (95% CI: 31-74%). Estimated protection varied among different age strata and place of residence, being high among children or= 4 years old, 71% (95% CI: 34-87%), and among those who lived in the City of Rio de Janeiro, 74%, (95% CI: 42-89%). The results suggest that the vaccine produced by Cuba may offer protection against serogroup B meningococcal disease, but its effects may not be homogeneous.

[Orofacial evaluation with a punctuation scale in patients with myotonic dystrophy (Steinert's disease)]. / Avaliação orofacial através de uma escala de pontuação em pacientes com distrofia miotônica. (Doença de Steinert).

Orofacial examination was applied in 39 patients with myotonic dystrophy. We made an original table with a scale of punctuation. The group showed a deficit of 43.70%. The female group was 6.16% better than male's. The maternal inherited cases were 3.63% better than the paternal ones. When we separated the groups by decades, there was a tendency to an increasingly better performance as the age of the beggining of symptoms was later. The performance was 10.68% better in the group of patients with 1 to 10 years than in the group with 11 to 20 years of disease. We concluded that the phonoaudiological affection in myotonic dystrophy was less intense in patients with later onset of symptoms and less than 10 years of disease.

[A popular concept of schistosomiasis mansoni: modes of transmission and prevention in the perspective of gender differences]. / Uma concepção popular sobre a esquistossomose mans nica: os modos de transmiss o e prevenção na perspectiva de gênero.

This is a study on popular ideas, beliefs and practices concerning the transmission and prevention of parasitic diseases, specifically schistosomiasis mansoni. The author explored the existence of a popular belief system within the health care system, combining elements from biomedicine and folk medicine for the understanding and management of the health/disease phenomenon. The study describes the differences in perception of morbidity and gender among the interviewees. Finally, the study presents popular discourse on parasitic diseases and discusses difficulties with control measures. It considers the contradiction between cultural values and habits and conventional control measures, critically assessing the lack of precision in health education measures under government prevention programs.

[Is male violence directed towards Eve or Mary?]. / A violência masculina é dirigida para Eva ou Maria?

This paper analyses the different categories of violent death and other injuries occurred in Bahia. In Brazil, traffic accidents, homicides and suicides correspond to the third most common cause of death. Besides, violent acts tend to increase the emergency health services demand. The data were collected from the written press covering all the homicides, grave injuries and notified rapes during 1989. Police violence appeared as responsible for the death of a high proportion (24%) of young males, followed by the disagreement between criminals (18.6%). In relation to females, the quantitative dimension of crimes are lower, more diffused and registered in the family environment. The data point to the importance of male domination in the interpretation of those domestic violent acts. Resisting the ideology of women's inferiority means avoiding both injuries and homicides - a complex task for Brazilian society.

[Epidemiology of tegumentary American leishmaniasis and its relations with agriculture and prospecting, in a locality of the State of Bahia, Brazil]. / Epidemiologia da leishmaniose tegumentar americana e suas relações com a lavoura e o garimpo, em localidade do Estado da Bahia (Brasil).

This study was carried out in the city of Lençóis, State of Bahia, with the objective of verifying the association between leishmaniasis infection and occupation. A Montenegro test and a questionnaire including biological and socio-economic variables were applied to the study group. Sandflies were captured in and around dwellings. The higher-than-average prevalence of leishmaniasis observed among agricultural workers and prospectors is explained by the double exposure to the infection-both at home and at work.