A tale of two neglected tropical infections: using GIS to assess the spatial and temporal overlap of schistosomiasis and leprosy in a region of Minas Gerais, Brazil.

BACKGROUND: Despite public health efforts to reduce the global burden of leprosy, gaps remain in the knowledge surrounding transmission of infection. Helminth co-infections have been associated with a shift towards the lepromatous end of the disease spectrum, potentially increasing transmission in co-endemic areas. OBJECTIVES: Using this biologically plausible association, we conducted a geographic information systems (GIS) study to investigate the spatial associations of schistosomiasis and leprosy in an endemic area of Minas Gerais (MG), Brazil. METHODS: Data on new cases of Mycobacterium leprae and Schistosoma mansoni infections from 2007-2014 were retrieved from the Brazilian national notifiable diseases information system for seven municipalities in and surrounding Vespasiano, MG. A total of 139 cases of leprosy and 200 cases of schistosomiasis were mapped to a municipality level. For one municipality, cases were mapped to a neighborhood level and a stratified analysis was conducted to identify spatial associations. FINDINGS: A relative risk of 6.80 [95% confidence interval (CI) 1.46 - 31.64] of leprosy was found in neighborhoods with schistosomiasis. Incidence rates of leprosy increased with corresponding incidence rates of schistosomiasis, and the temporal trends of both infections were similar. CONCLUSIONS: The associations found in this project support the hypothesis that helminth infections may influence the transmission of leprosy in co-endemic areas.

Endotoxins in surgical instruments of hip arthroplasty.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate endotoxins in sterilized surgical instruments used in hip arthroplasties. METHOD: A descriptive exploratory study conducted in a public teaching hospital. Six types of surgical instruments were selected, namely: acetabulum rasp, femoral rasp, femoral head remover, chisel box, flexible bone reamer and femoral head test. The selection was based on the analysis of the difficulty in removing bone and blood residues during cleaning. The sample was made up of 60 surgical instruments, which were tested for endotoxins in three different stages. The EndosafeTM Gel-Clot LAL (Limulus Amebocyte Lysate method) was used. RESULT: There was consistent gel formation with positive analysis in eight instruments, corresponding to 13.3%, being four femoral rasps and four bone reamers. CONCLUSION: Endotoxins in quantity ≥0.125 UE/mL were detected in 13.3% of the instruments tested. OBJETIVO: Investigar endotoxinas em instrumentais cirúrgicos esterilizados empregados em artroplastias do quadril. MÉTODO: Estudo exploratório, descritivo, desenvolvido em um hospital público de ensino. Foram selecionados seis tipos de instrumentais, a saber: raspa acetabular, raspa femural, saca-cabeça de fêmur, formão box, fresa de fêmur e cabeça de prova de fêmur. A seleção foi feita a partir da análise da dificuldade para a remoção de resíduos de sangue e osso durante a limpeza. A amostra foi constituída por 60 instrumentais cirúrgicos, que foram testados para endotoxinas em três momentos distintos. Foi utilizado o método de gel-clot pelo Limulus Amebócito Lisado (LAL) Endosafe(tm). RESULTADO: Houve formação de gel consistente com análise positiva em oito instrumentais, o que corresponde a 13,3%, sendo quatro raspas de fêmur e quatro fresas de fêmur. CONCLUSÃO: Foram detectadas endotoxinas em quantidade ≥0,125 UE/mL em 13,3% dos instrumentais testados.

Associations between occupation, leprosy disability and other sociodemographic factors in an endemic area of Brazil.

BACKGROUND: In Brazil, new leprosy cases with grade-2 disability (G2D) have been increasing. Physical disability has been associated with experienced stigmatization, psychological distress, and social restriction. OBJECTIVES: To identify factors associated with leprosy disability in an endemic area of Brazil focusing on occupational and other sociodemographic factors. METHODS: Between July and December 2015, adult patients with multibacillary leprosy who attended a clinic in Belo Horizonte, Brazil were enrolled. Social, clinical, and demographic factors were collected from an administered questionnaire and medical charts. Occupations were categorized as manual vs non-manual. Descriptive statistics and multivariable logistic regression were performed to study associated factors with disability (Grade 1 disability (G1D) and G2D combined). FINDINGS: Seventy-three patients were enrolled with 48 (65.8%) presenting with either G1D or G2D at the time of enrollment. Twenty-nine (39.7%) had G2D. About half of the patients (n = 36, 49%) reported a manual labor occupation and reactions were common (n = 53, 73%). On univariate analyses, older age (p = 0.048) and low education (p = 0.007) were associated with disability. On multivariable analyses, only low education (primary or less) was associated with disability (OR = 6.34, 95% CI 1.37, 29.26). Greater distance from clinic, income, smoking, marital status, and occupation were not associated. MAIN CONCLUSIONS: Low education was associated with leprosy disability, consistent with prior studies, and therefore should be a focus for disability reduction programs. While the sample size of this study may have limited detection of associations between disability and social determinants tested, half of the patients reported a manual job, highlighting the need for more extensive studies on associations between occupation, disability, and related injuries.

Fatigue Failure from Inner Surfaces of Additive Manufactured Ti-6Al-4V Components.

Selective laser melting (SLM) is an additive manufacturing process for producing metallic components with complex geometries. A drawback of this process is the process-inherent poor surface finish, which is highly detrimental in materials submitted to fatigue loading situations. The goal of this work is to analyze the fatigue behavior of Ti-6Al-4V specimens with internal axial channels under the following different conditions: hole drilled, hole as manufactured, and hole threaded M4 × 0.7. All the cases studied showed a lower fatigue performance as compared with solid samples due to the surface roughness and geometry effect that produced a surface stress concentration leading to a reduction in fatigue strength. The fractography revealed that crack initiation occurred from the internal surface in all specimens with internal channel mostly from defects as unfused particles and lack of fusion zones, while for the solid specimens crack initiation was observed from the external surface due to insufficient fusion defect. The application of the Smith-Watson-Topper energy-based parameter was revealed to be a good tool for fatigue life prediction of the different series studied.

GOECP/SEOR radiotherapy guidelines for small-cell lung cancer.

Small cell lung cancer (SCLC) accounts for approximately 20% of all lung cancers. The main treatment is chemotherapy (Ch). However, the addition of radiotherapy significantly improves overall survival (OS) in patients with non-metastatic SCLC and in those with metastatic SCLC who respond to Ch. Prophylactic cranial irradiation reduces the risk of brain metastases and improves OS in both metastatic and non-metastatic patients. The 5-year OS rate in patients with limited-stage disease (non-metastatic) is slightly higher than 30%, but less than 5% in patients with extensive-stage disease (metastatic). The present clinical guidelines were developed by Spanish radiation oncologists on behalf of the Oncologic Group for the Study of Lung Cancer/Spanish Society of Radiation Oncology to provide a current review of the diagnosis, planning, and treatment of SCLC. These guidelines emphasise treatment fields, radiation techniques, fractionation, concomitant treatment, and the optimal timing of Ch and radiotherapy. Finally, we discuss the main indications for reirradiation in local recurrence.

The Effect of Emotional and Cultural Intelligences on Networks' Behaviors in International SMEs: Evidence from Portugal.

The major purpose of this research was to study the predictive value of the top managers' psychological characteristics regarding their networking behavior. In the international business management context of small- and medium-sized enterprises, we took the top managers' cultural intelligence and emotional intelligence as determinant capabilities to perform better in their external networking. The sample was composed of 307 Portuguese SMEs' international decision-makers, specifically founders, owners, chief executive officers (CEOs), managers of international activities, international market managers, or commercial managers. The data was collected from 2-30 April 2019 through online surveys directed to the Portuguese decision-makers that were directly responsible for the firms' international activities. As a data collection instrument, the surveys were pretested and sent by e-mail. The average age of the participants was approximately 50 years old for males and 45 years old for females. We used self-reported measures to assess the different constructs and the hierarchical regression analysis to test our hypotheses. The results showed that cultural intelligence and emotional intelligence were significant drivers of decision-makers' external networking behavior. A new factor structure concerning external networking behavior was retained. The major results exhibited the predictive value of some cultural and emotional intelligence dimensions over the new retained external networking behavior factors. Therefore, in the international business management context, the capability to adapt to new cultural contexts, as well as the capability to reason about emotions, improved the international decision-makers' external networking behavior.

Profile of hip arthroplasty patients in a teaching hospital.

OBJECTIVE: to characterize the epidemiological profile of patients undergoing hip replacement, primary or revisional. METHODS: we conducted a retrospective, descriptive study, including hip arthroplasties performed from January 2009 to June 2012 in a Belo Horizonte teaching hospital, Minas Gerais State - MG, Brazil. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics. RESULTS: orthopedic procedures represented 45% of the operations at the hospital in the period, 1.4% hip arthroplasties. There were 125 hip replacements, 85 total, 27 partial and 13 reviews. Among the patients, 40% were male and 60% were female. Age ranged between 20 and 102 years, mean and median of 73 and 76 years, respectively. The most frequent diagnosis (82%) was femoral neck fracture by low-energy trauma caused by falling form standing position. In 13 revision operations, 12 required removal of the prosthesis. The infectious complication led to revision in 54% of the time, followed by dislocation (15%), peri-prosthetic fracture (15%) and aseptic loosening (15%). The infection etiologic agent was identified in 43% of occasions. The average length of the prosthesis to a revision operation was eight months. CONCLUSION: patients undergoing hip arthroplasty are elderly, with femoral neck fracture caused by falling form standing position, affecting more women. The incidence of hip prosthesis loosening was 10%. The main cause of the infection was loosening. The incidence of revisional hip arthroplasty was 10% and the incidence of hospital mortality in patients undergoing hip arthroplasty was 7.2%.

Effectiveness of flexible gastrointestinal endoscope reprocessing.

The practice of reprocessing endoscopes and its effectiveness was evaluated in 37 services. Contamination of at least 1 endoscope could be identified in 34 (91.6%) of 37 services. Bacteria, fungi, and/or mycobacteria were isolated from 84.6% (33/39) of the colonoscopes (110-32,000 colony-forming units [CFUs]/mL) and from 80.6% (50/62) of the gastroscopes (100-33,000 CFUs/mL). Not all services followed recommended guidelines. Therefore, patients who underwent gastrointestinal endoscopies were exposed to diverse pathogens.

A tale of two neglected tropical infections: using GIS to assess the spatial and temporal overlap of schistosomiasis and leprosy in a region of Minas Gerais, Brazil

BACKGROUND Despite public health efforts to reduce the global burden of leprosy, gaps remain in the knowledge surrounding transmission of infection. Helminth co-infections have been associated with a shift towards the lepromatous end of the disease spectrum, potentially increasing transmission in co-endemic areas. OBJECTIVES Using this biologically plausible association, we conducted a geographic information systems (GIS) study to investigate the spatial associations of schistosomiasis and leprosy in an endemic area of Minas Gerais (MG), Brazil. METHODS Data on new cases of Mycobacterium leprae and Schistosoma mansoni infections from 2007-2014 were retrieved from the Brazilian national notifiable diseases information system for seven municipalities in and surrounding Vespasiano, MG. A total of 139 cases of leprosy and 200 cases of schistosomiasis were mapped to a municipality level. For one municipality, cases were mapped to a neighborhood level and a stratified analysis was conducted to identify spatial associations. FINDINGS A relative risk of 6.80 [95% confidence interval (CI) 1.46 - 31.64] of leprosy was found in neighborhoods with schistosomiasis. Incidence rates of leprosy increased with corresponding incidence rates of schistosomiasis, and the temporal trends of both infections were similar. CONCLUSIONS The associations found in this project support the hypothesis that helminth infections may influence the transmission of leprosy in co-endemic areas.

Endotoxins in surgical instruments of hip arthroplasty / Endotoxinas en instrumentales quirúrgicos de artroplastia de la cadera / Endotoxinas em instrumentais cirúrgicos de artroplastia do quadril

Abstract OBJECTIVE To investigate endotoxins in sterilized surgical instruments used in hip arthroplasties. METHOD A descriptive exploratory study conducted in a public teaching hospital. Six types of surgical instruments were selected, namely: acetabulum rasp, femoral rasp, femoral head remover, chisel box, flexible bone reamer and femoral head test. The selection was based on the analysis of the difficulty in removing bone and blood residues during cleaning. The sample was made up of 60 surgical instruments, which were tested for endotoxins in three different stages. The EndosafeTM Gel-Clot LAL (Limulus Amebocyte Lysate method) was used. RESULT There was consistent gel formation with positive analysis in eight instruments, corresponding to 13.3%, being four femoral rasps and four bone reamers. CONCLUSION Endotoxins in quantity ≥0.125 UE/mL were detected in 13.3% of the instruments tested.

Resumen OBJETIVO Investigar las endotoxinas en instrumentales quirúrgicos esterilizados empleados en artroplastias de la cadera. MÉTODO Estudio exploratorio, descriptivo, desarrollado en un hospital público de enseñanza. Fueron seleccionados seis tipos de instrumentales, a saber: raspa de acetábulo, raspa femoral, sacacorchos (para extraer la cabeza femoral), gubia quirúrgica, fresa femoral y cabeza femoral de prueba. La selección se hizo desde el análisis de la dificultad para la retirada de residuos de sangre y hueso durante la limpieza. La muestra estuvo constituida de 60 instrumentales quirúrgicos, que fueron puestos a prueba para endotoxinas en tres momentos diferentes. Se utilizó el método de gelificación (Gel-clot) Lisado de Amebocitos de Limulus (LAL) Endosafe(tm). RESULTADO Hubo formación de gel consistente con análisis positivo en ocho instrumentos, lo que corresponde a el 13,3%, siendo cuatro raspas femorales y cuatro fresas femorales. CONCLUSIÓN Fueron detectadas endotoxinas en cantidad ≥0,125 UE/mL en el 13,3% de los instrumentos probados.

Resumo OBJETIVO Investigar endotoxinas em instrumentais cirúrgicos esterilizados empregados em artroplastias do quadril. MÉTODO Estudo exploratório, descritivo, desenvolvido em um hospital público de ensino. Foram selecionados seis tipos de instrumentais, a saber: raspa acetabular, raspa femural, saca-cabeça de fêmur, formão box, fresa de fêmur e cabeça de prova de fêmur. A seleção foi feita a partir da análise da dificuldade para a remoção de resíduos de sangue e osso durante a limpeza. A amostra foi constituída por 60 instrumentais cirúrgicos, que foram testados para endotoxinas em três momentos distintos. Foi utilizado o método de gel-clot pelo Limulus Amebócito Lisado (LAL) Endosafe(tm). RESULTADO Houve formação de gel consistente com análise positiva em oito instrumentais, o que corresponde a 13,3%, sendo quatro raspas de fêmur e quatro fresas de fêmur. CONCLUSÃO Foram detectadas endotoxinas em quantidade ≥0,125 UE/mL em 13,3% dos instrumentais testados.

A importância da busca ativa como estratégia de controle da hanseníase em territórios endêmicos / The importance of active surveillance as a strategy to control leprosy in endemic areas

De acordo com a literatura, contatos de casos de hanseníase apresentam maior risco de adoecimento e, nesse sentido, é primordial fortalecer e ampliar as ações de busca ativa de casos no âmbito da atenção primária de saúde, potencializando a ampliação do diagnóstico precoce, tratamento oportuno e demais medidas de vigilância, controle e reabilitação necessárias. Neste cenário, objetivou-se realizar a busca ativa de novos casos de hanseníase em um distrito rural do município de Mantena, MG, e caracterizar a situação socioeconômica e epidemiológica da doença na região. Foram realizadas visitas aos residentes do distrito e palestras informativas sobre a doença, sendo os moradores convidados a participar da pesquisa. Um total de 292 indivíduos foi examinado no período de julho de 2016 a fevereiro de 2017. Foram diagnosticados 27 casos novos, 22 dos quais eram multibacilares. Os graus de incapacidade 1 e 2 foram identificados em 74% da amostra. Sobre as variáveis socioeconômicas, a maioria dos casos possui baixa escolaridade e baixa renda familiar, além de todos os casos terem tido contato com a doença em algum momento. A busca ativa foi eficiente para a detecção de casos novos de hanseníase na população estudada e contribuiu para o controle da doença que é endêmica na região. Ademais, a busca ativa foi relevante, especialmente considerando a baixa instrução dos indivíduos e, portanto, menor acesso à informação.

Contacts of leprosy cases present a higher risk of illness and, therefore it is essential to strengthen and expand actions to actively search for cases in primary health care, thus intensifying early diagnosis, timely treatment and other surveillance measures, and improve control and rehabilitation. In this setting, we aimed to perform the active search of new cases of leprosy in the rural area of Mantena, MG, and to characterize the socioeconomic and epidemiological situation related to the disease in the region. For this purpose, visits were made to the residents of the region with informative talks about the disease, and subsequently inhabitants were invited to participate in the research. A total of 292 individuals were examined from July 2016 to February 2017. Twenty-seven new cases were diagnosed, 22 of which were multibacillary. Grade 1 and 2 physical disabilities were identified in 74% of the new cases. Regarding socioeconomic variables, the majority of the cases had little schooling and low family income. In addition, all cases had had contact with the illness, at some point. We conclude that the active search was efficient to detect new leprosy cases in the population, and it contributed to the control of the disease, which is endemic in the region. In addition, active search is an important methodology, especially when the population involved has little schooling and thus less access to information.

Profile of hip arthroplasty patients in a teaching hospital / Perfil dos pacientes submetidos à artroplastia do quadril em hospital de ensino

OBJECTIVE: To characterize the epidemiological profile of patients undergoing hip replacement, primary or revisional. METHODS: we conducted a retrospective, descriptive study, including hip arthroplasties performed from January 2009 to June 2012 in a Belo Horizonte teaching hospital, Minas Gerais State - MG, Brazil. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics. RESULTS: orthopedic procedures represented 45% of the operations at the hospital in the period, 1.4% hip arthroplasties. There were 125 hip replacements, 85 total, 27 partial and 13 reviews. Among the patients, 40% were male and 60% were female. Age ranged between 20 and 102 years, mean and median of 73 and 76 years, respectively. The most frequent diagnosis (82%) was femoral neck fracture by low-energy trauma caused by falling form standing position. In 13 revision operations, 12 required removal of the prosthesis. The infectious complication led to revision in 54% of the time, followed by dislocation (15%), peri-prosthetic fracture (15%) and aseptic loosening (15%). The infection etiologic agent was identified in 43% of occasions. The average length of the prosthesis to a revision operation was eight months. CONCLUSION: patients undergoing hip arthroplasty are elderly, with femoral neck fracture caused by falling form standing position, affecting more women. The incidence of hip prosthesis loosening was 10%. The main cause of the infection was loosening. The incidence of revisional hip arthroplasty was 10% and the incidence of hospital mortality in patients undergoing hip arthroplasty was 7.2%.

OBJETIVO: Caracterizar perfil epidemiológico de pacientes submetidos à artroplastia do quadril, primária ou de revisão. MÉTODOS: estudo retrospectivo, descritivo, incluindo artroplastias do quadril realizadas no período de janeiro/2009 a junho/2012 em hospital de ensino de Belo Horizonte, MG. Os dados foram analisados por estatística descritiva. RESULTADOS: as operações ortopédicas correspondem a 45% das realizadas no Hospital e 1,4% à artroplastias do quadril. No período, foram realizadas 125 artroplastias do quadril, sendo 85 totais, 27 parciais e 13 revisões. Dentre os pacientes, 40% pertenciam ao sexo masculino e 60%, ao feminino. A idade variou entre 20 e 102 anos, com média e mediana de 73 e 76 anos. O diagnóstico mais frequente (82%) foi fratura de colo de fêmur por trauma de baixa energia causado por queda da própria altura. Em 13 operações de revisão, 12 necessitaram a remoção da prótese. A complicação infecciosa motivou a revisão em 54% das ocasiões, seguida de luxação (15%), fratura periprótese (15%) e soltura asséptica (15%). O agente etiológico de infecção foi identificado em 43% das ocasiões. O tempo médio de prótese até a operação de revisão foi oito meses. CONCLUSÃO: os pacientes submetidos à artroplastia do quadril são idosos, com fratura de colo fêmur, causada por queda da própria altura, que acometeu mais as mulheres. A incidência de soltura de prótese do quadril foi 10%. A principal causa de soltura foi a infecção. A incidência de revisão cirúrgica de artroplastia do quadril foi 10% e a incidência de mortalidade hospitalar nos pacientes submetidos à artroplastia do quadril foi 7,2%.

Concordancia entre informacoes do SISPRENATAL e o recordatorio maternoem relacao à idade gestacional no momento do inicio do cuidado pre-natal / Agreement between SISPRENATAL and mother's recall for gestational age at prenatal care initiation

Comparou-se o início da atenção pré-natal durante o primeiro trimestre da gravidez (adequação do início do acompanhamento) a partir de entrevistas com as mulheres e a coleta de dados junto ao sistema de informações de saúde pré-natal (SISPRENATAL). Foram entrevistadas 238 mulheres que fizeram o pré-natal nas Unidades da Saúde da Família em Vespasiano, Minas Gerais. Informações sobre a idade gestacional e primeira visita pré natal foram coletadas. As entrevistas e a análise do SISPRENATAL indicaram que cerca de 30% das mulheres tiveram início de acompanhamento pré-natal inadequado. Entrevistas e os dados do SISPRENATAL tiveram um nível razoável de concordância pela análise de adequação da iniciação (Kappa=0,35; IC 95%: 0,22-0,48). A partir de modelos de regressão observou-se que a concordância foi mais provável quando as mulheres se recordavam dos procedimentos de acompanhamento ou quando não utilizaram o setor privado. O uso do setor privado (16,4%) foi associado a data mais tardia de inclusão da gestante no SISPRENATAL, quando comparado com as entrevistas. Em resumo, diferenças entre o recordatório materno e o SISPRENATAL foram associadas à não lembrança das informações por parte das mulheres entrevistadas e ao acompanhamento junto ao setor privado. Apesar dalimitação do viés de memória, o recordatório materno foi considerado mais fidedigno do que o SISPRENATAL na obtenção de dados sobre o início do acompanhamento da gestante na rede pública de saúde.

We compared the initiation of prenatal care during the first trimester of pregnancy (adequacy of initiation) between mother's recall and the prenatal health information system (SISPRENATAL). We asked 238 women that received prenatal care at Family Health Units in Vespasiano, Minas Gerais their gestational age at first prenatal visit. Both recall and SISPRENATAL indicated that 30% of women had inadequate initiation. There was fair agreement in the adequacy of initiation (Kappa=0.35, 95% CI: 0.22-0.48) between recall and SISPRENATAL. Through regression models, we found that agreement was more likely with mother's shorter recall period and non-use of the private sector. Use of the private sector (16.4%) was also correlated with a later date of initiation by SISPRENATAL than by mother's recall. In sum, differences in the adequacy of initiation between recall and SISPRENATAL were associated with longer recall periods and with use of the private sector. Despite the limitation of recall bias, mother's recall is preferable to SISPRENATAL for capturing the public use by the pregnant women.

Extrapulmonary small cell carcinoma in breast and prostate.

Extrapulmonary small cell carcinoma in breast and prostate are uncommon neoplasms. In the literature most of the data come from case reports and these show that these tumours are highly aggressive. Histologically, they bear striking similarities to small cell carcinomas of the lung and usually show evidence of additional histologies. Treatment, which may include surgery, radiotherapy and chemotherapy, is based on the clinical stage. We present the evolution of two cases.

Human immunodeficiency virus-1 subtypes and antiretroviral drug resistance profiles among drug-naïve Brazilian blood donors.

BACKGROUND: Human immunodeficiency virus-1 (HIV-1) genetic variability and its implication on the development of new reagents were investigated by correlating time of infection and resistance to antiretroviral drugs. STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: Seventy-four plasma samples from Brazilian drug-naïve blood donors were assayed to further develop a panel of biologic reagents to be used in serology and molecular tests. After viral RNA extraction, cDNA was generated and used in nested polymerase chain reaction protocols with primers for the ENV (C2-V3 and gp41), protease (PR), and reverse transcriptase (RT) of HIV-1. Genomic sequencing was conducted to define HIV-1 subtypes and drug resistance mutations. RESULTS: Subtype B was found in 83.8 percent of all samples, subtype F in 2.7 percent, and BF mosaics in 11 percent of the cases. B and F different genetic profiles were evidenced: B(PR)B(RT)B(gp120)B(gp41), F(PR)F(RT)F(gp120)F(gp41), F(PR)F(RT)B(gp120)B(gp41), F(PR)B(RT)B(gp120)B(gp41), and B(PR)B(RT)F(gp120)B(gp41). A single sample (1.4%) was characterized as a BC mosaic (B(PR)C(RT)U(gp120)C(gp41)) and an AGH mosaic (AG(PR)G(RT)H(gp120)H(gp41)) was first observed in the country. Antiretroviral resistance to nucleoside RT inhibitor was observed in one sample (1.35%) showing M41L and T215S mutations. Nonnucleoside RT inhibitor and major PR inhibitor resistance mutations were not observed. Previously unseen patterns of resistance to T20 were found among HIV-1-infected drug-naïve individuals in Brazil. Recent infections were characterized in 21.6 percent of the blood donor samples included in this study. CONCLUSIONS: The availability of characterized plasma samples and HIV isolates will allow the development of biologic reagents necessary to implement quality control programs and to develop, validate, and evaluate the performance of diagnostic kits, considering all HIV-1-circulating variants in the country.

Aspectos da utilização do treinamento de força em programas de reabilitação cardíaca / Weight training exercises in cardiac rehabilitation

Por muito tempo os programas de reabilitação cardíaca se restringiram à prática de atividades predominantemente aeróbicas que englobavam, em especial, os membros inferiores, sendo pouco valorizadas, e mesmo contra-indicadas, atividades que envolvessem um componente de força com participação de contraçöes estáticas. Com o aparecimento de vários estudos desmistificando a real periculosidade das contraçöes estáticas e a evolução da reabilitação cardíaca para um conceito utilitário, os exercícios de força e resistência muscular localizada foram fazendo parte integrante de um programa formal de reabilitação cardíaca. Este texto objetiva rever os principais estudos e guidelines sobre o tema de modo a prover o leitor das informaçöes básicas que justifiquem a aplicação e permita a prescrição do treinamento de força par ao cardiopata.

Estudo da variabilidade genética do HIV-1 em amostras brasileiras de doadores de sangue visando a caracterização de um painel biológico: análise dos subtipos e da resistência aos anti-retrovirais / Study of the genetic variability of the HIV-1 in brazilian samples of blood donors aiming at the characterization of a biological panel: analysis of the subtypes and the resistance to the anti-retroviral agents

O estudo da infecção pelo HIV/aids compreende,entre outros,aspectos epidemiológicos,clínicos e genéticos.Com o objetivo de elaborar um painel biológico de amostras de plasma,com caracterização sorológica e molecular para o HIV-1,estudamos a variabilidade genética e dinâmica dos subtipos virais e sua implicação no desenvolvimento de novos reagentes correlacionando tempo de infecção e aparecimento de resistência aos anti-retrovirais.Amostras de plasma de 74 doadores de sangue,virgens de tratamento, das regiões N,NE,SE do Brasil foram recebidas e analisadas por um teste rápido,2 EIE e 1 IFI para a confirmação da reatividade ao HIV-1.As amostras de doadores possibilitam,por seu volume,a obtenção de um painel biológico.A discriminação das amostras de plasma quanto à infecção recente ou de longo prazo foi feita por ensaio imunoenzimático para incidência de infecção por HIV-1.O RNA de todas as amostras foi extraído,retro-transcrito e usado em PCR em 2 etapas(nested PCR)com iniciadores de síntese para as regiões env(gp120 e gp41), TR e PRO.Seguiu-se o seqüenciamento genômico das regiões env,TR e PRO para definição do subtipo genético e verificação da resistência aos anti-retrovirais pela ocorrência de mutações nas regiões da TR,PRO e env (gp41).As análises filogenéticas das regiões gp120,gp41, TR e PRO para definição dos subtipos virais foram realizadas com o programa Mega v.3.0 após alinhamento segundo o programa Clustal X.Observou-se que...Com relação...mutação T69N com perfil de resistência aos INTR e 2 amostras (2,7por cento)com o polimorfismo V82I,conferindo resistência aos IP,além de 8 amostras(12,9por cento),com padrão de resistência ao inibidor de fusão T20,descrita pela 1ªvez entre indivíduos infectados pelo HIV-1, virgens de tratamento,no Brasil.Devido à predominância de amostras do subtipo B e ao pequeno nºde genótipos não-B, não foi possível estabelecer correlações entre subtipos e mutações/polimorfismos,tampouco entre subtipos e tempo de infecção...