Óleos encapsulados: perfil de ácidos graxos e contaminação por hidrocarbonetos policíclicos aromáticos / Encapsulated oils: fatty acid profile and contamination by polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons

Os óleos vegetais encapsulados podem ser extraídos a frio e ter como origem fontes não convencionais, reconhecidos por preservarem compostos bioativos característicos e, alguns deles, serem fontes de ácidos graxos essenciais. No entanto, são produtos geralmente onerosos e por este motivo, passíveis de adulteração com óleos de menor qualidade. O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar a identidade e a contaminação por hidrocarbonetos policíclicos aromáticos (HPAs) de óleos encapsulados. Foram avaliadas catorze amostras, de diferentes tipos e marcas, comercializadas na cidade de São Paulo. Os ensaios realizados incluíram perfil de ácidos graxos e HPAs [benzo(a)antraceno, criseno, benzo(b)fluoranteno e benzo(a)pireno]. Duas amostras (14%) foram consideradas insatisfatórias quanto aos perfis de ácidos graxos, incluindo óleos de coco e borragem. Quanto aos HPAs, as concentrações parao benzo(a)pireno variaram de

Scaling properties of universal tetramers.

We evidence the existence of a universal correlation between the binding energies of successive four-boson bound states (tetramers), for large two-body scattering lengths (a), related to an additional scale not constrained by three-body Efimov physics. Relevant to ultracold atom experiments, the atom-trimer relaxation peaks for |a|→∞ when the ratio between the tetramer and trimer energies is ≃4.6 and a new tetramer is formed. The new scale is also revealed for a < 0 by the prediction of a correlation between the positions of two successive peaks in the four-atom recombination process.

Proteocephalid cestode infection in alien fish, Cichla piquiti Kullander and Ferreira, 2006 (Osteichthyes: Cichlidae), from Volta Grande reservoir, Minas Gerais, Brazil.

This work evaluates the variation of the parasitological indexes in 114 Cichla piquiti Kullander and Ferreira, 2006 (tucunaré) infected by two proteocephalid species (Cestoda) for the period of August 1999 to June 2001 in the Volta Grande reservoir, MG, Brazil. The relation between the parasitosis with rainfall and water quality (pH, electric conductivity, oxygen, chlorophyll, transparency and temperature) is discussed. Prevalence of Proteocephalus macrophallus (Diesing, 1850) and/or P. microscopicus (Woodland, 1935) was 83.3%, mean intensity 110.8 and mean abundance 100.7 during the period. A hundred percent prevalence was reported in August and December 1999, April and December 2000 and June 2001. The largest mean intensities of 122.7 (October 1999), 158.8 (December 1999), 96.4 (February 2000), 400.7 (April 2000), 215.6 (October 2000) and 136.4 (December 2000) were observed. Abiotic factors may favour the development of the species of the food chain that sustain the organisms in the diet of 'tucunaré', but in this case, there was no correlation (P > 0.05) between the values of prevalence, mean intensity and mean abundance with the rainfall and water quality. At the same time, these organisms may constitute the intermediate hosts of cestodes. The time-course between the fish species development and the parasitosis manifestation in the definitive host can explain the lack of correlation between the parasitological indexes and abiotic factors. The predation on small fishes and cannibalism described for 'tucunaré' might explain the high values of prevalence and intensity of infection. The results are also related to the exotic condition of the host in the reservoir.

Proteocephalid cestode infection in alien fish, Cichla piquiti Kullander and Ferreira, 2006 (Osteichthyes: Cichlidae), from Volta Grande reservoir, Minas Gerais, Brazil / Infecção por cestóides proteocefalídeos em peixe introduzido, Cichla piquiti (Osteichthyes: Cichlidae), no reservatório de Volta Grande, Minas Gerais, Brasil

This work evaluates the variation of the parasitological indexes in 114 Cichla piquiti Kullander and Ferreira, 2006 (tucunaré) infected by two proteocephalid species (Cestoda) for the period of August 1999 to June 2001 in the Volta Grande reservoir, MG, Brazil. The relation between the parasitosis with rainfall and water quality (pH, electric conductivity, oxygen, chlorophyll, transparency and temperature) is discussed. Prevalence of Proteocephalus macrophallus (Diesing, 1850) and/or P. microscopicus (Woodland, 1935) was 83.3 percent, mean intensity 110.8 and mean abundance 100.7 during the period. A hundred percent prevalence was reported in August and December 1999, April and December 2000 and June 2001. The largest mean intensities of 122.7 (October 1999), 158.8 (December 1999), 96.4 (February 2000), 400.7 (April 2000), 215.6 (October 2000) and 136.4 (December 2000) were observed. Abiotic factors may favour the development of the species of the food chain that sustain the organisms in the diet of "tucunaré", but in this case, there was no correlation (P > 0.05) between the values of prevalence, mean intensity and mean abundance with the rainfall and water quality. At the same time, these organisms may constitute the intermediate hosts of cestodes. The time-course between the fish species development and the parasitosis manifestation in the definitive host can explain the lack of correlation between the parasitological indexes and abiotic factors. The predation on small fishes and cannibalism described for "tucunaré" might explain the high values of prevalence and intensity of infection. The results are also related to the exotic condition of the host in the reservoir.

Este estudo avalia a variação nos índices parasitológicos de 114 espécimes de Cichla piquiti Kullander e Ferreira, 2006 (tucunaré) infectados por duas espécies de proteocefalídeos (Cestoda) entre agosto de 1999 e junho de 2001 no reservatório de Volta Grande, MG, Brasil. A relação entre a parasitose e os valores de pluviosidade e qualidade de água (pH, condutividade elétrica, oxigênio, clorofila, transparência e temperatura) é discutida. A prevalência de Proteocephalus macrophallus (Diesing, 1850) e/ou P. microscopicus (Woodland, 1935) foi 83,3 por cento, intensidade média 110,8 e abundância média 100,7 durante todo o período. Prevalência de 100 por cento foi observada em agosto e dezembro de 1999, abril e dezembro de 2000 e junho de 2001. As maiores intensidades médias foram 122,7 em outubro de 1999; 158,8 em dezembro de 1999; 96,4 em fevereiro de 2000; 400,7 em abril de 2000; 215,6 em outubro de 2000; e 136,4 em dezembro de 2000. Fatores abióticos podem favorecer o desenvolvimento de espécies que sustentam a alimentação do "tucunaré", mas, neste caso, não houve correlação (P > 0,05) entre os valores de prevalência, intensidade média e abundância média com a pluviosidade e qualidade de água no reservatório. Ao mesmo tempo, estes organismos podem constituir hospedeiros intermediários de cestóides. A relação entre o desenvolvimento da espécie hospedeira e a manifestação da parasitose no hospedeiro definitivo pode explicar a falta de correlação entre os índices parasitológicos e os fatores abióticos. A predação de pequenos peixes e o canibalismo descrito para o "tucunaré" explica a elevada prevalência e intensidade de infecção, favorecido pela condição exótica do hospedeiro no reservatório.

Infantile cholestatic jaundice associated with adult-onset type II citrullinemia.

Adult-onset type II citrullinemia, characterized by a liver-specific argininosuccinate synthetase deficiency, is caused by a deficiency of citrin that is encoded by the SLC25A13 gene. Three patients with infantile cholestatic jaundice were found to have mutations of the SLC25A13 gene. Adult-onset type II citrullinemia may be associated with infantile cholestatic disease.

Toxicities and distribution of tetrodotoxin in the tissues of puffer fish found in the coast of the Baja California Peninsula, Mexico.

Toxicities and tetrodotoxin distribution in tissues of five puffer fish species commonly found in the littoral of Baja California Peninsula, Mexico (Sphoeroides annulatus, S. lobatus, S. lispus, Arothron meleagris and Canthigaster punctatissima) were evaluated by bioassay and HPLC. The toxicities estimated as tetrodotoxin-equivalents of all species were more than 0.42 microg/g in at least one of the tissues tested, and the highest was found in S. lispus liver (130 microg/g).

Molecular epidemiology of human T-cell leukemia virus type I (HTLV-1) Brazil: the predominant HTLV-1s in South America differ from HTLV-ls of Japan and Africa, as well as those of Japanese immigrants and their relatives in Brazil.

To better understand the origin of human T-cell leukemia virus type l (HTLV-l) in South America, we conducted a phylogenetic study on 27 new HTLV-ls in Brazil. These were obtained from Brazilians of various ethnic origins, such as Japanese immigrants, whites, blacks and mulattos. We amplified and sequenced proviral DNAs of a part of the long terminal repeats. Phylogenetic trees revealed that all but 6 of the new isolates were not only similar to each other but also similar to HTLV-ls of other South American countries, including those from Amerindians. However, the isolates differed from the HTLV-ls of Africa and Japan. The other six isolates were from Japanese immigrants and were phylogenetically almost identical to HTLV-ls in Japan but different from the majority of South American HTLV-ls, including the other new Brazilian HTLV-ls. These findings indicate that the recent introduction of HTLV-1 from Japan is limited to Japanese immigrants. In addition, the results do not support the prevailing hypothesis that HTLV-ls in South America were introduced by blacks who were brought from Africa as slaves. Rather, these results suggest that the majority of HTLV-1s prevailing in South America have spread from Amerindians, some of whom are likely to have possessed this human retrovirus from the beginning of their settlement in South America.

HLA class I and class II of the Nivkhi, an indigenous population carrying HTLV-I in Sakhalin, Far Eastern Russia.

The Nivkhi are a native people isolated in the Nogliki region of Sakhalin, Far East Russia, where our group recently recognized human T-cell lymphoma virus type I (HTLV-I) infection. In order to trace the Nivkhi's ethnic background and the HTLV-I carriers, we investigated HLA class I and II allele types of 53 Nivkhi (including four HTLV-I carriers). Major HLA class I alleles of the Nivkhi were A*24, A*02, B*40, B*48, B*27, B*35 with allele frequencies similar to the Orochon, a native people isolated in Northeast China. Major Nivkhi class II alleles were DRB1*0901, DRB1*1401, DRB1*1201, DRB1*1106 with allele frequencies similar to the Ainu in Hokkaido, Japan, but dissimilar to other Asian Mongoloids, including the general Japanese population. The same HLA class I and II allele frequencies are found in both Nivkhi HTLV-I carriers and the background population. A dendrogram of HLA class I alleles showed that the Nivkhi were closely related to the Orochon and Yakut, and remotely related to the Japanese, Ainu and other Asian Mongoloids. Interestingly, the Nivkhi were intermediately related to the Amerindians (Inuit, Tlingit and Andeans), a relationship closer than to the Japanese and Asian Mongoloids. These results suggested the Nivkhi might be related to some genetic group of Northeast Asian Mongoloids like the Orochon and Yakut, being infected with HTLV-I in the distant past before diverging into the current major Mongoloid ethnic groups.

[Suicide attempt by introducing 2 nails in the head. Case report]. / Tentativa de suicídio pela introdução de dois pregos na cabeça. Relato de caso.

Case report of a 39 years old male patient who attempted suicide by introducing two nails in the midline of the head. He was successfully submitted to an extensive paramedian bifrontotemporal craniotomy, and survived without motor deficits.

HTLV-Is in Argentina are phylogenetically similar to those of other South American countries, but different from HTLV-Is in Africa.

To understand the origin and past dissemination of human T-cell leukemia/lymphotropic virus type I (HTLV-I) in Latin America, we conducted a phylogenetic study of five new HTLV-I isolates from Argentina. We sequenced partial fragments of long terminal repeats (LTR) of the new HTLV-Is, and then the sequences were subjected to a phylogenetic analysis for comparison with other HTLV-Is of various geographical origins. Our results indicated that all the isolates were members of the Cosmopolitan group. Furthermore, most (four out of five isolates) of the new HTLV-Is belonged to the Transcontinental (A) subgroup, the most widespread subgroup of the four subgroups in the Cosmopolitan group. In this subgroup, they were closely related to HTLV-Is found in other South American countries including those of Amerindians, and were different from those found in Africa. In contrast, the remaining one HTLV-I (ARGMF) did not show any clear similarity to known HTLV-I isolates belonging to the Cosmopolitan group. The close similarity of South American HTLV-Is strongly suggests a common origin of the virus in this continent. Our results do not support the proposed idea of recent introduction of HTLV-I into South America as a consequence of the slave trade from Africa, where phylogenetically different HTLV-Is predominate.

Phylogenetic relationships of HTLV-I/STLV-I in the world.

In an effort to delineate the origin and evolution of HTLV-I/STLV-I, we have been conducting phylogenetic analyses on LTR sequences of this virus group. HTLV-I isolates newly analyzed in the present study were from Iran, South Africa, Cameroon, Sakhalin and Brazil where little is known concerning the genetic features of HTLV-I. In addition, STLV-I isolates were obtained from non-human primates in Africa and Asia including an isolate from orangutans in Indonesia. Proviral LTR sequences were amplified by nested PCR, and then sequenced. Phylogenetic trees were constructed by the neighbor joining method. The results obtained are: 1) African STLV-I isolates formed one large cluster together with the Central African group of HTLV-I in the tree; 2) Asian STLV-I isolates including that of an orangutan in Indonesia were highly divergent from African STLV-I and the Cosmopolitan group of HTLV-I, but not so closely related to each other and to the Melanesian group of HTLV-I; 3) An HTLV-I isolate of Cameroon Pygmy was related to African STLV-I isolates, but distinct from the Central African group of HTLV-I; 4) The majority of HTLV-I isolates belonged to subgroup A which is the most widespread subgroup of the Cosmopolitan group of HTLV-I, while some Brazilian isolates from descendants of Japanese immigrants belonged to subgroup B which mainly consists of HTLV-I isolates from Japan. 5) In the phylogenetic tree, several HTLV-I isolates of subgroup A from the same areas appear to form monophyletic clusters such as a subcluster of Brazilian and Colombian isolates and that of Iranian isolates.

Molecular phylogeny of human T-cell leukemia virus type I and II of Amerindians in Colombia and Chile.

Six human T-cell leukemia virus type I (HTLV-I) and eight human T-cell leukemia virus type II (HTLV-II) cases newly isolated from the South American countries of Colombia and Chile were analyzed together with the two Amerindian HTLV-I isolates previously reported. All of the HTLV-I isolates belonged to the transcontinental subgroup of the "cosmopolitan" group, and Colombian isolates, including those from native Amerindians and Negroes, formed a single tight cluster within this subgroup. The transcontinental subgroup consisted of isolates from various regions such as the Caribbean basin, India, Iran, South Africa, Sakhalin, and Japan, and included isolates from the "Ainu" and "Okinawa" people, regarded as relatively pure Japanese descended from the prehistoric "Jomon" period which began more than 10,000 years ago. This implied a dissemination of the subgroup associated with the movement of human beings in ancient times. On the other hand, all of the HTLV-II isolates from native Amerindians in Colombia and Chile belonged to the HTLV-IIb subtype which has previously been reported to be mainly endemic in certain populations of native Amerindians. The southernmost isolate from Chile, showing wide distribution of the IIb subtype in native South Amerindians and largest heterogeneity of the subtype in Colombian isolates, supported the idea that the HTLV-IIb subtype has been endemic for a long time in native Indians of South America.

Molecular epidemiology of HTLV-I in the world.

The geographic distribution of human T-cell lymphotropic/leukemia virus type I (HTLV-I) was initially believed to be limited to southwestern Japan, the Caribbean basin, and Africa. However, extensive searches in recent years have discovered its existence in other areas of the world as well as in isolated, ethnic populations such as South Amerindians, Australo-Melanesian aborigines, religiously segregated Jews, and Pygmies. Previous genetic analyses indicated that HTLV-I can be phylogenetically classified into three major lineages: Melanesian, Central African, and Cosmopolitan groups. Recently, more detailed characterization using long terminal repeat sequences (the most variable genomic region) has revealed that the Cosmopolitan group consists of four subtypes: (A) Transcontinental, (B) Japanese, (C) West African, and (D) North African. Most HTLV-I isolates of the same ethnic group from distant locations and those from different groups inhabiting the same area showed phylogenetic similarities. These observations indicate the present distribution of this virus should be interpreted from the anthropological backgrounds of the virus-possessing populations as well as spatial contact among them. Thus, the molecular epidemiology of HTLV-I and its simian counterpart, STLV-I, provides us with important clues for understanding not only the origin and dissemination of this retrovirus but past human movements over the globe.

HTLV-I from Iranian Mashhadi Jews in Israel is phylogenetically related to that of Japan, India, and South America rather than to that of Africa and Melanesia.

A new endemic focus of human T-lymphotropic virus type I (HTLV-I) was recently reported among Mashhadi Jews, a group of immigrants from northeastern Iran to Israel. We extracted DNAs from fresh peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) and/or gargle mouthwash from 10 HTLV-I carriers, who consisted of members of one family, and HTLV-I-associated myelopathy (HAM) and adult T-cell leukemia (ATL) patients. Long terminal repeat (LTR) regions of proviral DNAs were sequenced and analyzed phylogenetically. In a phylogenetic tree, all the Mashhadi HTLV-I isolates belonged to subtype A, one of the three subtypes of the cosmopolitan type of HTLV-I, and made a tight cluster distinct from the other isolates of subtype A from Japan, India, the Caribbean Basin, and South America. Although a few nucleotide substitutions were observed among the clones sequenced, no characteristic sequence variation was found in different disease manifestations, even in one family or different sources of DNA preparation.

Phylogenetic subtypes of human T-lymphotropic virus type I and their relations to the anthropological background.

Isolates of human T-lymphotropic virus type I (HTLV-I) were phylogenetically analyzed from native inhabitants in India and South America (Colombia and Chile) and from Ainu (regarded as pure Japanese descendants from the preagricultural "Jomon" period). Their genomes were partially sequenced together with isolates from Gabon in central Africa and from Ghana in West Africa. The phylogenetic tree was constructed from the sequence data obtained and those of previously reported HTLV-I isolates and simian T-lymphotropic virus type I (STLV-I) isolates. The heterogeneity of HTLV-I was recently recognized, and one major type, generally called the "cosmopolitan" type, contained Japanese, Caribbean, and West African isolates. The phylogenetic tree constructed in the present study has shown that this cosmopolitan type can be further grouped into three lineages (subtypes A, B, and C). Subtype A consists of some Caribbean, two South American, and some Japanese isolates, including that from the Ainu, in addition to an Indian isolate, and subtype B consists of other Japanese isolates in addition to another Indian isolate, suggesting that there might be at least two ancestral lineages of the Japanese HTLV-I. Subtype A implies a close connection of the Caribbean and South American natives with the Japanese and thereby a possible migration of the lineage to the American continent via Beringia in the Paleolithic era. Subtype C consists of the West African and other Caribbean isolates, indicating that not all but part of the Caribbean strains directly originated from West Africa probably during the period of slave trade. The tree also has shown that the HTLV-I isolate from Gabon in central Africa forms a cluster with STLV-I from a chimpanzee, suggesting a possible interspecies transmission between man and the chimpanzee in the past. No specific clustering was observed in the tree in relation to manifestations of the disease such as adult T-cell leukemia and HTLV-I-related neurological disorders. Thus, the topology of the phylogenetic tree reflects the movement of people carrying the virus in the past.

[Microadenomas and hypersecreting pituitary adenomas]. / Microadenomas e adenomas hipersecretantes da hipofise

The early radiographic changes of the sella turcica in the cases of hypersecreting pituitary adenomas (Cushing disease, acromegaly, amenorrhea-galactorrhea) are reported and discussed. The finding of the double contour of the sellar floor and the small crescentic bulging of its antero-inferior wall, with the aid of the tomographic cuts of the sella, has permited the diagnosis of the microadenoma'a localization. With this it si possible the achievement of a selective excision of the lesion in the initial stage, when the tumor has not caused yet irreversible damage to the inside normal pituitary tissue. This surgery is performed in the precocious stage with the primary goal to preserve the normal gland, without hurt it to avoid postoperative hipopituitarism. A anatomo-radiologic classification of the alterations sella turcica in 4 grades is made, which is of great utility for the surgical prognostic, since we have observed clinical and biological cure over 90% in the grade 1, 75% in the grade 2, 50% in the grade 3 and up to 10% in the grade 4 in the first surgery.