Parâmetros hematológicos e bioquímicos de cabras lactantes alimentadas com dietas contendo glicerina bruta oriunda da produção de biodiesel proveniente de óleo de fritura / Hematological and biochemical parameters of lactating goats fed diets containing crude glycerin from biodiesel production from waste frying oil

Objetivou-se analisar os efeitos da inclusão da glicerina bruta (GB), oriunda da produção de biodiesel proveniente de óleos residuais de fritura, sobre o consumo, e os parâmetros hematológicos e bioquímicos em cabras em lactação. Oito cabras com 42,06±3,5kg de peso corporal foram utilizadas, recebendo dietas contendo 0, 7, 14 e 21% de GB com base na MS total da dieta. O experimento foi conduzido em quadrado latino duplo 4×4, com duração de 80 dias, sendo quatro períodos de 20 dias, dos quais 15 para a adaptação e cinco para a coleta de dados. As amostras de sangue foram coletadas pela punção da veia jugular. Os consumos de MS, proteína bruta e matéria mineral decresceram linearmente, enquanto o de extrato etéreo aumentou quadraticamente. As concentrações do hematócrito, hemoglobina, hemácias e fósforo reduziram linearmente. Tendência quadrática foi observada para as concentrações séricas de cálcio. Não foram verificados efeitos para as concentrações de magnésio, glicose, colesterol total, triglicerídeos, proteínas plasmáticas totais, albumina, globulinas, ureia, creatinina, aspartato aminotransferase e fosfatase alcalina. Conclui-se que a GB pode ser utilizada em até 7% da MS total da dieta, sem promover problemas metabólicos.(AU)

The aim of this study was to analyze the effects of the inclusion of crude glycerin (CG) from biodiesel production from waste frying oils on nutrients intake, hematological and biochemical parameters in lactating goats. Eight goats with 42.06±3.5kg of body weight were used, receiving diets containing 0, 7, 14 and 21% of CG based on total dietary DM. The experiment was carried out in a 4×4 double Latin square, with a duration of 80 days, four periods of 20 days, of which 15 days were for adaptation and five days for data collection. Blood samples were collected by puncture of the jugular vein. Dry matter, crude protein, and mineral matter intakes decreased linearly, while intake of ether extract increased quadratically. The concentrations of hematocrit, hemoglobin, red blood cells, and phosphorus reduced linearly. A quadratic tendency for serum calcium concentrations was observed. No effects were observed for concentrations of magnesium, glucose, total cholesterol, triglycerides, total plasmatic protein, albumin, globulins, urea, creatinine, aspartate aminotransferase, and alkaline phosphatase. It can be concluded that CG can be used in up to 7% of total dietary DM without promoting metabolic problems.(AU)

Cross-cultural adaptation and validation of the Social Comfort Questionnaire for Brazilian adult survivors of burns.

PURPOSE: Burn patients may encounter social barriers and stigmatization. The objectives of this study were to adapt the Social Comfort Questionnaire (SCQ) into Brazilian Portuguese and to assess the psychometric properties of the adapted version. METHODS: Cross-cultural adaptation of the 8 items of the SCQ followed international guidelines. We interviewed 240 burn patients and verified the SCQ internal consistency, test-retest reliability and construct validity, correlating the scores with depression [Beck Depression Inventory (BDI)], affect/body image and interpersonal relationships [Burns Specific Health Scale-Revised (BSHS-R)] and self-esteem [Rosenberg's Self-Esteem Scale (RSES)]. We also performed a confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). RESULTS: The cross-cultural adaptation resulted in minor semantic modifications to the original SCQ version. After CFA, a reduced 6-item version showed satisfactory fit to the one-factor model (RMSEA = 0.05, CFI = 0.99, TLI = 0.99). Cronbach alpha's was 0.80, and test-retest intraclass correlation coefficient was 0.86. The final version presented a strong negative correlation with depression (BDI), and strong positive correlations with affect/body image (BSHS-R), interpersonal relationships (BSHS-R) and self-esteem (RSES) (all p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: The results showed that the SCQ Brazilian Portuguese adapted version complies with the validity and reliability criteria required for an instrument assessing social comfort in Brazilian burn patients. The Brazilian version yields a single score that is easy to interpret and well understood by patients.

Bisphosphonate treatment and dental implants: A systematic review.

BACKGROUND: To analyze articles that studied patients submitted to diphosphonates therapy and who received dental implants before, during or after bisphosphonate (BP) treatment, compared to healthy patients, analyzing the increase of failure and loss of implants or bisphosphonate related osteonecrosis of the jaw (BRONJ) incidence. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analysis (PRISMA) statement was used in this study. The clinical question in "PICO" format was: In patients under bisphosphonate therapy, do dental implants placement, compared to healthy patients, increase the failure and loss of implants or bisphosphonate related osteonecrosis of the jaw incidence? PubMed/MEDLINE was searched for articles published up until April 15, 2015 using a combination of MeSH terms and their Entry terms. RESULTS: The search resulted in 375 articles. After selection according to the eligibility criteria, 15 studies fulfilled were included (eight retrospective, one prospective and six case series), with a total of 1339 patients analyzed, 3748 implants placed, 152 loss of implants and 78 cases of BRONJ. CONCLUSIONS: Due to the lack of randomized clinical trials looking at this theme, further studies with longer follow-up are needed to elucidate the remaining questions. Thus, it is wise to be careful when planning dental implant surgery in patients undergoing bisphosphonate therapy because of the risk of developing BRONJ as well as occurring failure of implant. Moreover, complete systemic condition of the patient must be also taking into considering when such procedures are performed.

Expression of genes related to the regulation of muscle protein turnover in Angus and Nellore bulls.

We aimed to evaluate the expression of genes related to the regulation of muscle protein turnover in the longissimus dorsi (LD) muscle of Angus and Nellore bulls and to estimate the within-breed correlations of gene expression and performance traits. Thirteen genes related to the IGF-1 and myostatin pathways were studied. Thirteen animals, with an initial average BW of 381.2 ± 11.8 kg, from each breed were used in a completely randomized 2 × 2 factorial design (2 breeds and 2 feeding levels). The diet consisted of corn silage and a corn-soybean meal concentrate in a roughage-to-concentrate ratio of 30:70. Cattle were fed ad libitum (with 9 animals from each breed) or feed restricted (a 55% restriction of total DMI of ad libitum-fed animals, calculated as percentage of metabolic BW, with 4 animals of each breed). The experimental period lasted for 82 d and it was preceded by a 28-d adaptation period. The performance traits evaluated were slaughter body weight, total ADG (from d 1 to 82 of the trial), initial ADG (from d 1 to 41 of the trial), final ADG (from d 42 to 82 of the trial), total DMI (from d 1 to 82 of the trial), initial DMI (from d 1 to 41 of the trial), final DMI (from d 42 to 82 of the trial), HCW, LD weight (LDW), and rib eye area (REA). After slaughter, samples were taken from the LD muscle between the 12th and 13th ribs for gene expression analysis by quantitative reverse transcription PCR. There was no difference ( > 0.05) in the expression of any of the genes studied between ad libitum-fed Angus and ad libitum-fed Nellore, whereas feed restriction increased the expression of (; < 0.001), (; = 0.05), and (; = 0.04) and decreased the expression of ( < 0.01). The REA was negatively correlated to (; = 0.01), (; = 0.02), and ( = 0.05). The HCW was negatively correlated to ( = 0.01) and ( = 0.01) and tended to be negatively correlated to ( = 0.07), whereas the LDW tended to be negatively correlated to ( = 0.08). The genes , , and seem to be important for muscle growth and may be worthy of further investigation as future strategies for increasing muscle in livestock.

Exploring fungal mega-diversity: Pseudocercospora from Brazil.

Although the genus Pseudocercospora has a worldwide distribution, it is especially diverse in tropical and subtropical countries. Species of this genus are associated with a wide range of plant species, including several economically relevant hosts. Preliminary studies of cercosporoid fungi from Brazil allocated most taxa to Cercospora, but with the progressive refinement of the taxonomy of cercosporoid fungi, many species were relocated to or described in Pseudocercospora. Initially, species identification relied mostly on morphological features, and thus no cultures were preserved for later phylogenetic comparisons. In this study, a total of 27 Pseudocercospora spp. were collected, cultured, and subjected to a multigene analysis. Four genomic regions (LSU, ITS, tef1 and actA) were amplified and sequenced. A multigene Bayesian analysis was performed on the combined ITS, actA and tef1 sequence alignment. Our results based on DNA phylogeny, integrated with ecology, morphology and cultural characteristics revealed a rich diversity of Pseudocercospora species in Brazil. Twelve taxa were newly described, namely P. aeschynomenicola, P. diplusodonii, P. emmotunicola, P. manihotii, P. perae, P. planaltinensis, P. pothomorphes, P. sennae-multijugae, P. solani-pseudocapsicicola, P. vassobiae, P. wulffiae and P. xylopiae. Additionally, eight epitype specimens were designated, three species newly reported, and several new host records linked to known Pseudocercospora spp.

Avaliação da migração das células progenitoras após terapia da tendinite equina / Migration evaluation of progenitor cells after treatment of equine tendinitis

A terapia celular vem sendo utilizada com resultados promissores no tratamento da tendinite equina, entretanto ainda existem dúvidas quanto à persistência e ao comportamento dessas células quando implantadas no local da lesão, e quanto à sua migração para outros focos inflamatórios. O objetivo deste estudo foi avaliar a marcação das células-tronco mesenquimais (CTMs) com nanocristal antes e após o implante em lesões tendíneas experimentais do tendão flexor digital superficial (TFDS) de equinos, bem como observar a possibilidade de migração das CTMs marcadas para outro foco de lesão, o membro contralateral do mesmo animal. Para isso, foi realizada a indução de lesão experimental no TFDS em ambos os membros torácicos de cinco equinos e, após sete dias, foram implantadas as CTMs autólogas marcadas com o nanocristal Qtracker 655 em um dos membros dos animais. Após sete dias do implante, foi realizada a biópsia tendínea para posterior avaliação histopatológica, utilizando-se microscopia com fluorescência. Também foi realizado o teste de viabilidade celular antes e após a incubação com o nanocristal. As CTMs marcadas e injetadas no tecido tendíneo mantiveram sua fluorescência sete dias após seu implante, e não ocorreu migração para o membro contralateral. O uso do nanocristal para a marcação das CTMs derivadas da medula óssea equina mostrou-se efetivo pelo fato de essa nanopartícula não ter alterado a viabilidade celular e por ela ter permanecido ativa durante o período implantado...

Cell therapy has been used with promising results in the treatment of equine tendinitis. However, there are still doubts about the persistence and behavior of these cells implanted in the injured tissue and their migration to other inflamed sites. The aim of this study was to evaluate the labeling of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) with nanocrystals before and after implantation in experimental tendinitis of the superficial digital flexor tendon (SDFT) of horses, observing the migration possibility of MSCs marked to another lesion, performed on the contralateral limb of the same animal. An experimental lesion was induced in SDFT in both forelimbs of five horses, and after seven days autologous MSCs labeled with Qtracker(r) 655 were implanted in one member of the animals. Tendon biopsy was performed for subsequent histopathological evaluation using fluorescence microscopy seven days after the implant. Cell viability test was also performed before and after incubation with the cell labeling kit. MSCs labeled and injected into the tendon tissue maintained their fluorescence seven days after their implantation and there was no migration to the contralateral limb. The use of nanocrystals for labeling MSCs was effective because it does not alter cell viability and remains active during the experimental period...

Seroprevalence of hepatitis E antibodies in a population of recyclable waste pickers in Brazil.

BACKGROUND: Hepatitis E virus (HEV) infection represents an important cause of acute viral hepatitis. Selective waste collection is a widespread activity carried out by the urban poor, and recyclable waste pickers have a lifestyle that makes this group highly vulnerable to unfavorable socio-economic and environmental factors. To date, the epidemiology of HEV infection in this population remains unknown. OBJECTIVES: To assess the seroprevalence of hepatitis E-specific antibodies in a population of recyclable waste pickers in Brazil. STUDY DESIGN: Between April 2010 and May 2011, a cross-sectional study was conducted among recyclable waste pickers from all 15 recycling cooperatives in Goiânia City, Central Brazil. The participants were tested for serological markers indicative of HEV infection. RESULTS: Of 432 individuals asked to participate in the survey, 431 (99.8%) agreed to participate. Twenty-four of 431 participants were anti-HEV IgG positive by ELISA. Of these, 22 were confirmed positive by immunoblot, resulting in an anti-HEV IgG prevalence of 5.1% (95% CI: 3.4-7.6). In addition, four individuals were anti-HEV IgM positive by ELISA. Of these, three (0.7%; 95% CI: 0.4-2.4) were confirmed anti-HEV IgM positive by immunoblot, but were HEV RNA negative. One was concurrently positive for anti-HEV IgG. Only age>40 years was independently associated with the presence of anti-HEV. CONCLUSIONS: These findings demonstrated that the prevalence of HEV antibodies among recyclable waste pickers in Central Brazil is relatively low and increased with age.

Anomalous colour in Neotropical mammals: a review with new records for Didelphis sp. (Didelphidae, Didelphimorphia) and Arctocephalus australis (Otariidae, Carnivora).

Anomalous colourations occur in many tropical vertebrates. However, they are considered rare in wild populations, with very few records for the majority of animal taxa. We report two new cases of anomalous colouration in mammals. Additionally, we compiled all published cases about anomalous pigmentation registered in Neotropical mammals, throughout a comprehensive review of peer reviewed articles between 1950 and 2010. Every record was classified as albinism, leucism, piebaldism or eventually as undetermined pigmentation. As results, we report the new record of a leucistic specimen of opossum (Didelphis sp.) in southern Brazil, as well as a specimen of South American fur seal (Arctocephalus australis) with piebaldism in Uruguay. We also found 31 scientific articles resulting in 23 records of albinism, 12 of leucism, 71 of piebaldism and 92 records classified as undetermined pigmentation. Anomalous colouration is apparently rare in small terrestrial mammals, but it is much more common in cetaceans and michrochiropterans. Out of these 198 records, 149 occurred in cetaceans and 30 in bats. The results related to cetaceans suggest that males and females with anomolous pigmentation are reproductively successful and as a consequence their frequencies are becoming higher in natural populations. In bats, this result can be related to the fact these animals orient themselves primarily through echolocation, and their refuges provide protection against light and predation. It is possible that anomalous colouration occurs more frequently in other Neotropical mammal orders, which were not formally reported. Therefore, we encourage researchers to publish these events in order to better understand this phenomenon that has a significant influence on animal survival.

First Report of Stagonosporiopsis cucurbitacearum Causing Fruit Rot of Luffa cylindrica in Brazil.

Luffa cylindrica (Cucurbitaceae) is an Asian vine widely known as the source of loofah (4). In Brazil (local name bucha), it is cultivated by small scale producers as a cash crop. In January 2012, samples of fruits were collected in three areas in the municipality of Cipotânea, state of Minas Gerais (Brazil) bearing rot symptoms. These had large necrotic areas with a grayish epidermis and slightly sunken tissue. Internally, the fibrous parts were necrosed, darkened, and unmarketable. Isolations by surface sterilization of necrotic tissue with 10% bleach and plating onto potato dextrose agar yielded colonies with consistent morphology. A representative culture was deposited in the culture collection of the Universidade Federal de Viçosa (UFV) as COAD1119. Inoculations of seven healthy-appearing L. cylindrica fruits were performed with culture disks obtained from 4-day-old cultures grown on PDA, which were placed onto two points on the epidermis of each of seven fruits. Each point was either intact or previously injured with a sterile needle. Controls consisted of two fruits treated equally but with tap water agar disks in place of fungal inoculum. Fruits were then placed on trays with water-soaked cotton and the trays were wrapped in plastic bags and left over a bench at room temperature for 2 days. The plastic bags were then removed. After 5 days, necrosis was evident and fungal fruit bodies appeared at points with injury. No symptoms appeared on controls. Isolation from diseased tissue yielded colonies identical to those of the inoculated fungus. A dried sample was deposited in the local herbarium at UFV (VIC 32053). Slides were mounted in lactophenol and observed. The fungus had subepidermal perithecia, globose to subglobose, from 75.5 to 134 µm diam.; asci bitunicate, cylindrical, 8-spored; pseudoparaphyses filiform; ascospores fusoid to ellipsoidal, from 26 to 45 µm long and 8 to 11.5 µm wide, one septate, and hyaline. This morphology is consistent with Stagonosporopsis cucurbitacearum (syn. Didymella bryoniae) (3), a broad spectrum pathogen of cucurbits. Genomic DNA was extracted from the isolate growing in pure culture and ITS and LSU sequences were generated and deposited in GenBank under the accession numbers KC582022 and KC582021, respectively. Sequences were compared in BLASTn with other entries in GenBank, and the closest match for each region were S. cucurbitacearum strain CAP14C and D. bryoniae strain CBS 133.96 (JQ936326 and GU456335) with 100% of nucleotide homology for ITS and 100% of nucleotide homology for LSU. Cercospora citrullina and C. cucurbitae have been reported in Brazil on L. cylindrica and mistakenly indicated as synonyms of D. bryoniae (2). To our knowledge, this is the first valid report of S. cucurbitacearum causing fruit rot of loofah in Brazil and the first time pathogenicity to this host has been demonstrated. Losses due to the disease on the crop were reported to be high by growers and management to be difficult since there are no fungicides registered for this crop in Brazil. References: (1) M. M. Aveskamp et al. Stud. Mycol 65:1, 2010. (2) M. A. S. Mendes and A. F. Urben. Fungos em Plantas no Brasil. Brasília, Brazil: EMBRAPA-SPI. Retrieved from http://pragawall.cenargen.embrapa.br/aiqweb/michtml/micbanco01a.asp , 2012. (3) E. Puithalingam and P. Holliday. CMI Descriptions of Pathogenic Fungi and Bacteria 332:1, 1972. (4) J. W. Purseglove. Tropical Crops - Dicotyledons. Longman Group, London, 1968.

Propagação vegetativa de Hyptis leucocephala Mart. ex Benth. e Hyptis platanifolia Mart. ex Benth. (Lamiaceae) / Vegetative propagation of Hyptis leucocephala Mart. ex Benth. and Hyptis platanifolia Mart. ex Benth

O gênero Hyptis (Lamiaceae) apresenta metabolismo especial de notável variabilidade, possuindo predominância de óleos essenciais, que têm muito valor junto a diversas comunidades que utilizam essas plantas pelas propriedades terapêuticas. Diversos estudos com esse gênero têm demonstrado que os óleos essenciais apresentam propriedades antimicrobiana, antifúngica, citotóxica, antiinflamatória, anti-HIV e inseticida, entretanto, poucos são os estudos voltados para a exploração sustentável dessas espécies. O objetivo desse trabalho foi avaliar o efeito de diferentes tipos de estaca e diferentes concentrações de ácido indolbutírico (AIB) sobre a taxa de sobrevivência, crescimento e enraizamento de estacas de Hyptis leucocephala Mart. ex Benth. e Hyptis platanifolia Mart. ex Benth., espécies endêmicas do semi-árido nordestino cujo valor medicinal tem sido amplamente comprovado. O experimento teve duração de quatro meses. Foram utilizadas estacas apicais, médio-apicais, médio-basais e basais tratadas com soluções de 0, 1000, 2000 e 4000 mg L-1 de ácido indolbutírico (AIB), durante 5 minutos. A utilização de estacas apicais, médio/apicais e médio/basais induzidas com 2000 e 4000 mg L-1 de AIB possibilitaram melhores resultados para propagação vegetativa de Hyptis leucocephala. Para Hyptis platanifolia os melhores resultados foram obtidos com a utilização de estacas médio/basais e basais tratadas com AIB na concentração de 2000 e 4000 mg L-1.

The genus Hyptis (Lamiaceae) has a special metabolism with remarkable variability and predominance of essential oils of great value to the various communities that use these plants due to their therapeutic properties. A number of studies on this genus have demonstrated that its essential oils present antimicrobial, antifungal, cytotoxic, anti-inflammatory, anti-HIV and insecticidal activities. However, few studies have focused on the sustainable exploitation of these species. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of different types of cuttings and different concentrations of indolebutyric acid (IBA) on the survival, growth and rooting rates of cuttings from Hyptis leucocephala Mart. ex Benth. and Hyptis platanifolia Mart. ex Benth., species endemic to the semi-arid region of Northeastern Brazil and with largely proven medicinal value. The experiment lasted four months. Apical, middle-apical, middle-basal and basal cuttings were treated with 0, 1000, 2000 and 4000 mg L-1 IBA solutions for 5 min. The use of apical, middle-apical and middle-basal cuttings induced by 2000 and 4000 mg L-1 IBA led to the best results for vegetative propagation of H. leucocephala. For H. platanifolia, the best results were obtained using middle-basal and basal cuttings treated with IBA at 2000 and 4000 mg L-1.

Fatal bothropic snakebite in a horse: a case report

The present study reports a snakebite in a horse in the state of Pará, Brazil. At initial evaluation the animal was reluctant to walk and had tachycardia, tachypnea, severe lameness, bleeding on the pastern and swelling around the left hind leg. Blood samples from the bleeding sites, took on the first day, showed leukocytosis and neutrophilia, whereas biochemical values of urea and creatinine were significantly increased. The chosen treatment was snake antivenom, fluid therapy, antibiotics, anti-inflammatory agents and diuretic drugs. On the fourth day of therapy, the hematological values were within normal parameters. There was improvement related to the clinical lameness and swelling of the limb. However, a decrease in water intake and oliguria were observed. On the seventh day the animal died. Necropsy revealed areas of hemorrhagic edema in the left hind limb and ventral abdomen; the kidneys presented equimosis in the capsule, and when cut they were wet. Moreover, the cortex was pale, slightly yellow and the medullary striae had the same aspect. Based on these data, we concluded that the snakebite in the present study was caused by Bothrops spp. and that renal failure contributed to death.

Gill monogeneans of the chub mackerel, Scomber japonicus from Madeiran waters of the Atlantic Ocean, Portugal.

Five species of monogeneans were recovered from the gill filaments of 181 chub mackerel, Scomber japonicus, from the Madeiran waters of the Atlantic Ocean, Portugal, during 2004/2005. The monogenean Pseudokuhnia minor showed the highest prevalence (98.68%) and a mean intensity of 28.23, followed by Kuhnia scombri (prevalence of 43.71% and mean intensity of 2.69) and K. scombercolias (prevalence of 39.1% and a mean intensity of 1.81). Kuhnia sprostonae and Grubea cochlear were rare, occurring in only one and five fish hosts respectively. No correlation between fish host length and mean intensity of infection with the three most abundant monogeneans was found. However, significant differences in prevalence and abundance were found in relation to date of sampling for P. minor, and all parasites were aggregated in their distribution.

Periodontal disease in a Rubinstein-Taybi syndrome patient: case report.

INTRODUCTION: Rubinstein-Taybi syndrome (RTS) is a rare disorder affecting 1 of 300,000 people, characterized by growth, mental and motor retardation, small stature, broad thumbs and toes, characteristic face, high-arched palate, and recurrent respiratory infections. CASE REPORT: The present report describes the periodontal and immunological status of a 14-year-old female patient with RTS. Probing depth, clinical attachment level, bleeding on probing, and radiographic evaluation were performed. Periodontal examination revealed severe attachment loss in incisors and molars and generalized bleeding on probing. Periodontal treatment consisted of scaling and root planing and oral hygiene instructions. Periodontal treatment resulted in resolution of gingival inflammation and pocket depth reductions. The association of periodontal disease and RTS is previously undescribed. CONCLUSION: This case report underscores the importance of periodontal clinical diagnosis and the possibility of successful periodontal treatment in RTS patients.

[Characterization of Rhizobium isolates from acid and alkaline soils in semi-arid regions of Pernambuco]. / Caracterización de aislamientos de rizobios de suelos ácidos y alcalinos en la región semiárida de Pernambuco.

The genetic variety of the Rhizobium isolates from acid and alkaline soils in the semiarid zone of Pernambuco state was evaluated through the use of 17 primers of arbitrary sequence. Amplified products were separated by electrophoresis in agarose gel at 1.4% and visualized by ethidium bromide coloration. The results obtained suggest a high genetic variety of the isolates in relation to the standard strain. Data were analyzed by UPGMA (unweighted pair-group method with arithmetic average), based on Jaccard's coefficient and visualized through dendrograms. The strains isolated from the acid soils were included in one group whereas the strains from alkaline soils were located in other three groups. Meanwhile, one of the groups formed by strain Isol-14, isolated from acid soils is more related to the groups of strains isolated from acid soils than to the remaining groups from alkaline soils.

Caracterización de aislamientos de rizobios de suelos ácidos y alcalinos en la región semiárida de Pernambuco / [Characterization of Rhizobium isolates from acid and alkaline soils in semi-arid regions of Pernambuco]

The genetic variety of the Rhizobium isolates from acid and alkaline soils in the semiarid zone of Pernambuco state was evaluated through the use of 17 primers of arbitrary sequence. Amplified products were separated by electrophoresis in agarose gel at 1.4

and visualized by ethidium bromide coloration. The results obtained suggest a high genetic variety of the isolates in relation to the standard strain. Data were analyzed by UPGMA (unweighted pair-group method with arithmetic average), based on Jaccard’s coefficient and visualized through dendrograms. The strains isolated from the acid soils were included in one group whereas the strains from alkaline soils were located in other three groups. Meanwhile, one of the groups formed by strain Isol-14, isolated from acid soils is more related to the groups of strains isolated from acid soils than to the remaining groups from alkaline soils.

Caracterización de aislamientos de rizobios de suelos ácidos y alcalinos en la región semiárida de Pernambuco. / [Characterization of Rhizobium isolates from acid and alkaline soils in semi-arid regions of Pernambuco]

The genetic variety of the Rhizobium isolates from acid and alkaline soils in the semiarid zone of Pernambuco state was evaluated through the use of 17 primers of arbitrary sequence. Amplified products were separated by electrophoresis in agarose gel at 1.4

and visualized by ethidium bromide coloration. The results obtained suggest a high genetic variety of the isolates in relation to the standard strain. Data were analyzed by UPGMA (unweighted pair-group method with arithmetic average), based on Jaccards coefficient and visualized through dendrograms. The strains isolated from the acid soils were included in one group whereas the strains from alkaline soils were located in other three groups. Meanwhile, one of the groups formed by strain Isol-14, isolated from acid soils is more related to the groups of strains isolated from acid soils than to the remaining groups from alkaline soils.

Chemical safety and governance in Brazil.

Chemical safety is recognized in Agenda 21(UNCED--Rio 92), as one of the most serious problems to be faced worldwide being a problem not just of governability, restricted more to the role of states and governments, but of governance at the national and international levels. It poses greater challenges for countries like Brazil where the issues of democracy, security, sustainability and equity, which are fundamental to governance, are merely incipient and still far from solved. Taking as references the analysis of four cases in the Brazilian context, we illustrate the situation from less densely populated areas (as in the cases of mercury use by gold miners in the Amazon and pesticides in agricultural producing areas), through medium-sized towns (as in the accident with cesium 137 in Goiânia), to the major urban and industrial centers (as in the cases of lead from battery renovators and benzene in the oil and steel industries and oil refineries). What can be seen is a situation where problems connected with chemical safety have grown in intensity and extent far more than the capacity to deal with them. In industrializing countries, the formulation of chemical safety policies must take into account not only the complexity and uncertainties involved in understanding the problems, but also the aspects relating to the different modes and levels of vulnerability. This is necessary in order to attempt to build better contextualized and more participatory knowledge and decision-making processes at the local and global levels, which we take as basic prerequisites for governance.

Robust full Bayesian learning for radial basis networks.

We propose a hierarchical full Bayesian model for radial basis networks. This model treats the model dimension (number of neurons), model parameters, regularization parameters, and noise parameters as unknown random variables. We develop a reversible-jump Markov chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) method to perform the Bayesian computation. We find that the results obtained using this method are not only better than the ones reported previously, but also appear to be robust with respect to the prior specification. In addition, we propose a novel and computationally efficient reversible-jump MCMC simulated annealing algorithm to optimize neural networks. This algorithm enables us to maximize the joint posterior distribution of the network parameters and the number of basis function. It performs a global search in the joint space of the parameters and number of parameters, thereby surmounting the problem of local minima to a large extent. We show that by calibrating the full hierarchical Bayesian prior, we can obtain the classical Akaike information criterion, Bayesian information criterion, and minimum description length model selection criteria within a penalized likelihood framework. Finally, we present a geometric convergence theorem for the algorithm with homogeneous transition kernel and a convergence theorem for the reversible-jump MCMC simulated annealing method.

Detection of herpesvirus DNA by the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) in vitreous samples from patients with necrotising retinitis.

AIMS: Viral uveitis and retinitis, usually caused by herpesviruses, are common in immunosuppressed patients. The diagnosis of viral anterior uveitis and retinitis is usually clinical. The polymerase chain reaction (PCR) has been used for the diagnosis of some viral infections, especially those caused by herpesviruses. This paper reports the use of PCR in the diagnosis of viral retinitis in vitreous samples from Brazilian patients. METHODS: PCR was used for the diagnosis of necrotising retinitis in vitreous samples from patients from the Hospital São Geraldo, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Brazil. The vitreous samples were collected by paracentesis and stored until analysis. Samples were analysed by PCR using specific primers designed to amplify herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV-1), varicella zoster virus (VZV), or human cytomegalovirus (HCMV). In a case of anterior uveitis, PCR was performed with a sample from the anterior chamber. RESULTS: Herpesvirus DNA was amplified in 11 of 17 samples. HCVM DNA was detected in nine samples but DNA from HSV-1 and VZV were detected only once each. CONCLUSION: These results strongly suggest that PCR could be used for a rapid complementary diagnosis of viral uveitis and retinitis. A prospective study to evaluate the PCR results, clinical evolution, and treatment is imperative to corroborate the real value of PCR in diagnosis and how it could help the clinicians' approach.