Interaction between HFE and haptoglobin polymorphisms and its relation with plasma glutathione levels in obese children.

Obesity among children has emerged as a serious public health problem. The growing prevalence of childhood obesity has led to the appearance of serious complications, including a chronic systemic inflammation associated with oxidative stress.  In the present study, we analysed the interaction between two genes related with iron metabolism - HFE and haptoglobin - and the plasmatic concentration of glutathione, as a way to evaluate the antioxidant response capacity in obesity. To achieve this, 118 obese children and 89 eutrophic children were recruited for the study. Results showed that although obese children present a significantly decreased tGSH levels, once we analysed separately children based on their haptoglobin phenotype, the decreased tGSH levels is significant only for the Hp 2 allele. Additionally, Hp 2.2 obese children carrying H63D polymorphism show significantly lower tGSH/GSSG values. Our results found an association of haptoglobin and HFE with oxidative stress in childhood obesity.

Cone-Beam Computed Tomography Findings in the Early Diagnosis of Calcified Atheromas.

PURPOSE: Computed tomograms of the mandibles of 285 patients with indications for dental implants were evaluated at a private clinic. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This study involved the evaluation of 285 cone-beam computed tomograms of patients 50 to 75 years of age who were referred to the clinic for the evaluation for implant placement images with visible C3 and C5 vertebrae that were obtained using the same I-Cat tomographic device (Imaging Sciences-Kavo, Hatfield, PA). Atheromas in the carotid space were visualized using paraxial images. RESULTS: Data were analyzed using Student t and χ2 tests, with a significance level of a P value less than or equal to .05. Atheromas in the carotid space were observed in 17.89% of patients; a significant difference in the incidence of atheromas was observed between men (24.27%) and women (14.29%; P = .034). However, no significant correlation was found between the frequency of occurrence of atheromas and the affected side of the carotid bifurcation (right or left) in women (P = .431) or men (P = .558). CONCLUSION: Based on these results, cone-beam computed tomography could be a useful tool for the diagnosis of atheroma.

Geometric morphometry and molecular analysis clarified the identity of Opius sp. aff. bellus (Hymenoptera, Braconidae), a fruit fly parasitoid in Brazil.

The aim of this study was to clarify the identity of specimens designated as Opius sp. aff. bellus using geometric morphometry and analysis of the ITS2 region of the ribosomal DNA (rDNA) and region D2 of the 28S rDNA. Opius bellus Gahan is a koinobiont endoparasitoid of fruit fly larvae (Diptera: Tephritidae) exclusively found in the Neotropical region, but widely distributed from Mexico to Argentina. Opius sp. aff. bellus is morphologically similar to Opius bellus but exhibits yellowish, instead of dark-brown, posterior tibiae. Twenty anatomical landmarks on the wings from these two taxa sampled from three Brazilian states were analyzed. Multivariate morphometric analysis showed a large amount of morphological similarity between the specimens, indicating they are the same species. Sequence analysis of the ITS2 showed that intrapopulation variability was similar to interpopulation variability and that the morphotypes were also highly similar. In addition, the D2 region of the 28S rDNA displayed high similarity between sequences. Therefore, based on morphometric and molecular analyses, specimens thought to be Opius sp. aff. bellus actually belong to O. bellus. 

Intracorporeal vs. extracorporeal open and closed knot tying techniques in laparoscopy: A randomized, controlled study.

Objective: Tying knots during suturing is one of the most challenging tasks in laparoscopic surgery. Therefore, measures aimed at ensuring both the ease and speed of knot tying not only benefit the surgeon but can also reduce operating time significantly. This study compared extracorporeal and intracorporeal knot tying techniques using a Szabo pelvic trainer model from the Gynaecological Endoscopic Surgical Education and Assessment program. Design: The students tied intra- and extracorporeal knots using closed- and open-jaw knot pushers. Using an artificial tissue suturing pad in a certified Szabo pelvic trainer, students tied three knots using each technique according to block randomization. Task completion time, knot strength, knot-spread ability, and number of errors were recorded. The Wilcoxon test and mixed-effects models were used to analyze the results. After completing the exercises, participants answered a questionnaire concerning knot-tying techniques and their performance. Setting: University Hospital Basel, which provides tertiary-level clinical care. Participants: Fifty-seven medical students with no experience in laparoscopy voluntarily signed up for this study. Results: Open and closed extracorporeal knot tying was significantly faster (p < 0.001, p < 0.001, respectively), more precise (p = 0.007, p = 0.003), and associated with reduced knot-spread ability (p < 0.001, p < 0.001) compared to intracorporeal knot tying. Open- and closed-jaw knot pushers were shown to be equal in terms of speed (p = 0.563), knot-spread ability (p = 0.49), and precision (p = 0.831). The study participants rated open (30 %) and closed (49 %) extracorporeal knot tying as more intuitive than intracorporeal (21 %) knot tying. Improved concentration was significantly correlated with tighter knots (p = 0.011). Conclusions: Students achieved significantly better results using extracorporeal knot-tying techniques than intracorporeal ones, including greater speed, tighter knots, and optimized precision. These results suggest that beginners in the field of laparoscopy should be encouraged to practice extracorporeal knot-tying techniques.

A new species of emDoryctobracon/em Enderlein (Hymenoptera, Braconidae) parasitizing larvae of emAnastrepha/em Schiner (Diptera, Tephritidae), with illustrated key to species of emDoryctobracon/em that parasitize fruit-infesting tephritids in Brazil.

Doryctobracon maculatus Marinho, a new species of Braconidae (Opiinae) collected in the municipalities of Piracicaba and São Roque, state of São Paulo, Brazil, is described and illustrated. This new species is placed in group of species with areolate propodeum, but is easily distinguished from other species of this group, and other members of the genus by the noticeable black to dark-brown spots on the head, mesosoma and metasoma. This new species was reared in larvae of Anastrepha pseudoparallela (Diptera, Tephritidae) in passion fruits, Passiflora alata Curtis (Passifloraceae). An illustrated key to species of Doryctobracon recorded in Brazil is presented.

Alterations in plasma semicarbazide-sensitive amine oxidase activity in hypertensive heart disease with left ventricular systolic dysfunction.

BACKGROUND: Semicarbazide-sensitive amine oxidase (SSAO) is found in various mammalian tissues, particularly in vascular smooth muscle cells, but also in plasma. It has been suggested that it plays an important role in vascular endothelial damage and in progression of atherosclerosis through conversion of endogenous amines into cytotoxic aldehydes, ammonia and hydrogen peroxide. In patients with diabetes mellitus and chronic heart failure, plasma activity appears to rise in parallel with disease severity. METHODS AND RESULTS: Plasma SSAO and monoamine oxidase (MAO) activity was measured in 39 patients with hypertensive heart disease and left ventricular systolic dysfunction, in NYHA heart failure class II-IV, and compared to values in 89 controls. SSAO was found to be elevated in patients compared to controls (2.781 +/- 1.599 vs. 1.627 +/- 0.751 micromol/l/h; p = 0.000). Plasma MAO was also significantly increased in the patient group (3.837 +/- 1.899 vs. 3.077 +/- 1.559 (micromol/l/h; p = 0.018). No significant differences were seen between different NYHA classes, but class IV patients presented the highest SSAO activity. SSAO and MAO activity showed a trend for a positive correlation (R = 0.265; p = 0.092). CONCLUSION: The finding of elevated plasma SSAO and MAO activity in congestive heart failure supports the hypothesis that amine oxidases may be involved in the pathogenesis of vascular endothelial damage.

Decreased erythrocyte activity of methemoglobin and glutathione reductases may explain age-related high blood pressure.

OBJECTIVES: Erythrocytes may play an important role in regulating blood pressure as storage sites for nitric oxide (NO). The objective of this work was to determine whether factors related to variations in erythrocyte metabolism associated with NO bioavailability, such as the activity of two enzymes--methemoglobin reductase (MHbR) and glutathione reductase (GSHR)--may help explain age-related increased blood pressure. METHODS: The sample consisted of 468 individuals of both sexes, 237 hypertensive (HT) and 231 normotensive (NT), aged between 18 and 98 years (48.81 +/- 19.46). The activity of MHbR (micromol.g Hb-1.min-1) and of GSHR (micromol.g Hb-1.min-1) was determined in erythrocytes by spectrophotometry. The statistical methods used were the Mann-Whitney test, Spearman's correlation coefficient and binary logistic regression. RESULTS: In this population, age was a risk factor for hypertension (OR=1.055, 95% CI = 1.045-1.065, p < 0.001). There was a significant difference in erythrocyte activity of these enzymes between normotensive and hypertensive subjects, with lower values in hypertensives: MHbR-NT = 16.97 (3.82-34.63), HT = 16.26 (3.26-37.10), p = 0.012; and GSHR-NT=57.60 (21.59-96.58), HT = 39.26 (23.07-90.27), p < 0.001. Enzyme activity was inversely correlated with age (MHbR: r = -0.193, p < 0.001; GSHR: r = -0.757, p < 0.001). MHbR correlated directly with GSHR only in hypertensive patients (r = 0.343, p = 0.034), which was not observed in normotensives. CONCLUSIONS: Age was a risk factor for hypertension. The erythrocyte activity of glutathione and metahemoglobin reductases, essential for redox balance and nitric oxide bioavailability in erythrocytes, may contribute only partially to the increased prevalence of age-related hypertension, and other factors should be taken into consideration, such as nutrition and antihypertensive medication.

The methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase gene variant (C677T) as a susceptibility gene for tetralogy of Fallot.

The aim of this study was to evaluate whether the cytosine-to-thymine mutation at base 677 of the methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase gene (MTHFR C677T), which has been associated with neural tube defects and congenital oral cleft, is also associated with tetralogy of Fallot (TF), a congenital heart disease. The MTHFR C677T genotype was investigated in a sample of 38 children born with TF who underwent surgical repair in early life. Two hundred and fifty-one healthy individuals were included as controls for allele and genotype frequencies. We found a higher prevalence of the T allele in TF compared to the control group (OR = 1.675; 95% CI [1.022-2.743]; p = 0.05). The TT genotype increased by 4.856 the risk for this congenital disease (95% CI 1.308 12.448; p = 0.028). Our results suggest that MTHFR polymorphism can be considered a susceptibility gene for this congenital heart disease.

Annotated checklist and illustrated key to braconid parasitoids (Hymenoptera, Braconidae) of economically important fruit flies (Diptera, Tephritidae) in Brazil.

The braconid parasitoids of fruit-infesting flies have been more intensively studied from the middle to late 1990s, when taxonomic research was restarted in Brazil. At the same time, efforts toward the biological control of fruit flies intensified, and an exotic species, Diachasmimorpha longicaudata, was introduced. In the decade 2010, another exotic species, Fopius arisanus, was introduced, and two new species of Doryctobracon were described.  Currently, 12 species of braconids from the subfamilies Alysiinae (two species) and Opiinae (10 species) are associated with fruit flies of economic importance in Brazil, two of which are introduced species. More than half of the species belong to the genus Doryctobracon, with D. areolatus (Szépligeti) the most widely distributed species in Brazil.

QSAR Study of Biologically Active Essential Oils against Beetles Infesting the Walnut in Catamarca, Argentina.

Essential oils from six species of aromatic plants collected in the Catamarca Province of Argentina were evaluated for their chemical composition and repellent and insecticidal activities against beetles of the genus Carpophilus (Coleoptera: Nitidulidae) and Oryzaephilus (Coleoptera: Silvanidae) that infest the local walnut production. Experimental data were analyzed using generalized estimating equations, with normal distribution and the identity link function. From the spectral information from the tested essential oils, we worked their molecular modeling as mixtures by developing mixture descriptors ( Dmix) that combined the molecular descriptor of each component in the mixture ( d i) and its relative concentration ( x i), i.e., Dmix = f( d i, x i). The application of chemoinformatic approaches determined that a combination of mixture descriptors related to molecular size, branchedness, charge distribution, and electronegativity were useful to explain the bioactivity profile against Carpophilus spp. and Oryzaephilus spp. The reported models were rigorously validated using stringent statistical parameters and essential oils reported with repellent activity against other beetle species from the Nitidulidae and Silvanidae families. This model confirmed each essential oil as a repellent with a comparable performance to the experimental reports.

Description of two new species closely related to Doryctobracon areolatus (Szépligeti, 1911) (Hymenoptera, Braconidae), based on morphometric and molecular analyses.

This study clarifies the identity of two morphs that appear similar but not identical to the braconid wasp Doryctobracon areolatus (Szépligeti), by analyses of fore wing morphometry and the ITS2 and D2 region of 28S ribosomal DNA. Wing measurements of D. areolatus and the two morphs, one with a yellow stigma and one with a brown stigma, from several Brazilian localities, were taken and subjected to geometric morphometry. Evaluation of 20 anatomical points on the fore wing by means of multivariate analysis revealed that these morphs consistently differ from D. areolatus. Intraspecific size variation in both molecular markers (ITS2 and 28S-D2 rDNA) was also detected among populations of D. areolatus from the states of Amapá, São Paulo, Goiás, and Tocantins, but no such difference was observed among samples of the two morphs. However, high sequence variability was observed for both markers among D. areolatus and these morphs. Morphometric analysis yielded similar results and produced dendrogram congruent with those based on the molecular markers, also indicating that D. areolatus corresponds to a complex of cryptic species. Therefore, our morphometric and molecular data, in addition to revealing that D. areolatus includes cryptic species, showed that the unidentified morphs actually represent two distinct, previously undescribed species of Doryctobracon. These new taxa are formally described herein, as D. whartoni sp. nov. and D. adaimei sp. nov.

Qualidade de vida de idosos com insuficiência cardíaca

RESUMO Objetivo: Avaliar a qualidade de vida de idosos com diagnóstico de insuficiência cardíaca acompanhados no ambulatório de um hospital universitário em Salvador, Estado da Bahia, Brasil. Material e Método: Estudo avaliativo, realizado com 68 idosos portadores de insuficiência cardíaca. Os dados foram coletados a partir das escalas WHOQOL-OLD e BREF, e analisados por meio da estatística descritiva. Resultados: Houve equivalência entre os sexos dos participantes, a maioria (64,7%) tinha entre 60 e 69 anos, 86,8% aposentados, 83,8% ensino fundamental, 92,6% renda de 1 a 3 salários mínimos, 82,3% moravam com 1 ou mais pessoas e 72,1% eram provedores exclusivos do lar. Os fatores relacionados aos domínios Físico (83,8%) e Meio Ambiente (86,8%) influenciaram para uma pior qualidade de vida (média 1,96 e 1,76 de 5 respectivamente), e os relacionados ao Funcionamento do Sensório (51,5%) e Morte e Morrer (47,1%) à melhor qualidade de vida (média 2,43 e 2,28 de 5 respectivamente). Conclusão: A qualidade de vida desses idosos está aquém do ideal. A manutenção dos impactos das doenças cardíacas e o incremento no envelhecimento em âmbito global torna essencial o conhecimento proporcionado pelo estudo para desenvolvimento de estratégias de controle da doença, melhoramento da qualidade de vida e redução de gastos com a saúde.

ABSTRACT Objective: To analyze the quality of life of elderly patients diagnosed with heart failure in an outpatient clinic of a university hospital in Salvador, State of Bahia, Brazil. Material and Method: Evaluative study performed with 68 patients with heart failure. Data was collected from WHOQOL-OLD and BREF scales and then analyzed using descriptive statistics. Results: There was similar gender representation. Most of the participants were between 60 to 69 years old (64.7%), retired (86.8%), had attended primary school (83.8%), received 1 to 3 minimum wages (92.6%), lived with 1 or more people (82.3%) and 72.1% were the sole providers of their families. The elements related to the Physical (83.8%) and Environmental Domain (86.8%) were linked to a worse quality of life (average 1.96 and 1.76 of 5, respectively) and those related to Sensory Functioning (51.5%) and Death and Dying (47.1%) were linked to a better quality of life (average 2.43 and 2.28 of 5, respectively). Conclusion: The quality of life of the assessed population is worse than expected. The impact from heart disease and the increase in aging globally makes this study essential for the development of strategies to control the disease, improve the quality of life and reduce healthcare costs.

RESUMEN Objetivo: Evaluar la calidad de vida de las personas mayores diagnosticadas con insuficiencia cardíaca y en seguimiento en la clínica ambulatoria de un hospital universitario en Salvador, Estado de Bahía, Brasil. Material y Método: Estudio evaluativo, realizado con 68 personas mayores con insuficiencia cardíaca. Los datos fueron recolectados usando las escalas WHOQOL-OLD y BREF, y analizados con estadística descriptiva. Resultados: Hubo equivalencia entre los sexos de los participantes, la mayoría (64, 7%) tenía entre 60 y 69 años, 86, 8% jubilados, 83,8% con educación primaria, 92,6% ingresos de 1 a 3 salarios mínimos, 82,3% vivían con 1 o más personas y 72,1% eran proveedores exclusivos del hogar. Los factores relacionados con los dominios Físico (83,8%) y Medio Ambiente (86,8%) influyeron en una peor calidad de vida (promedio 1,96 y 1,76 de 5 respectivamente), y aquellos relacionados con la Función Sensorial (51,5%) y Muerte y morir (47,1%) para la mejor calidad de vida (promedio 2,43 y 2,28 de 5 respectivamente). Conclusión: La calidad de vida de estas personas mayores es menos que ideal. Mantener los impactos de las enfermedades cardíacas y aumentar el envejecimiento global hace que el conocimiento proporcionado por el estudio sea esencial para desarrollar estrategias para controlar la enfermedad, mejorar la calidad de vida y reducir los costos de salud.

Anatomical study of the canalis sinuosus in 100 cone beam computed tomography examinations.

OBJECTIVE: To identify and describe the morphology and location of the canalis sinuosus (CS) and make correlations with gender, age, and distance of this canal to important adjacent structures on the region, thus mapping the anatomy of this structure. METHODOLOGY: A total of 100 cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) examinations were collected from the files of a dental clinic in the Municipality of Belém, Pará, Brazil, and analyzed to identify the site of bifurcation, the diameter of CS right after such bifurcation and in its terminal portion as well as the direction of its course and the distance to the alveolar bone crest region. The anatomical views were evaluated using InVivoDental software on sagittal, axial, and coronal sections, and the results were submitted to Fisher's exact test, Kendall correlation coefficients, Mann-Whitney tests, and T tests. RESULTS: CS was present in 88 % of the sample. There were no statistically significant changes in the presence of CS regarding gender, age and direction of course. A strong positive correlation between CS's diameter on its initial and terminal portions was observed (p < 0.0001). There was a statistically significant change in the distance to alveolar bone crest related to gender, which is higher in men (p = 0.0303). CONCLUSION: In the sample, CS was frequent and similar in both genders, with course distance to the alveolar bone crest and termination in different locations that ought to be analyzed on CBCT prior to surgical procedures.

Grafting guava on cattley guava resistant to Meloidogyne enterolobii / Enxertia da goiabeira sobre araçazeiros resistentes a Meloidogyne enterolobii

The use of resistant rootstocks could be a promising method to control nematodeMeloidogyne enterolobiiin commercial plantations of guava. The present study aimed to evaluate the success of grafting guava as a scion on accessions of cattley guava as rootstocks resistant to M. enterolobii.The treatments consisted of the rootstocks cattley guava plants (three accessions of Psidium cattleyanum) and common guava (control). In the apical wedge grafting method, scion of Paluma cultivated variety was used. The experiment was arranged in a randomized block design with four treatments and five replicates, and eight plants per plot. The saplings produced as described before were planted in the field where the initial growth of the different combinations were evaluated. Graft success was observed for the control (common guava) and for accessions 115 and 117 of cattley guava plants, with success rates of 63, 32 and 29%, respectively. In the field, the cattley guava used as rootstocks hampered Paluma canopy development and caused death of plants. Incompatibility of P. cattleyanumas rootstocks for P. guajavaPaluma was confirmed one year after cultivation in field.

O uso de porta-enxertos resistentes poderá ser um método promissor para o controle do nematoide Meloidogyne enterolobiiem plantios comerciais de goiaba, em caso de compatibilidade de enxertia. O presente trabalho teve como objetivo avaliar o pegamento via enxertia por garfagem de topo em fenda cheia, entre a goiabeira e acessos de araçazeiros resistentes a M. enterolobii. Os tratamentos foram constituídos pelos porta-enxertos utilizados, araçazeiros (três acessos de Psidium cattleyanum) e a goiabeira. O delineamento estatístico adotado foi em blocos casualizados (DBC), com quatro tratamentos, cinco repetições, e oito plantas por parcela. Após a enxertia, foi avaliada a percentagem de pegamento dos enxertos. As mudas produzidas foram plantadas no campo e avaliadas quanto ao crescimento inicial das diferentes combinações. Constatou-se pegamento de enxertia entre a goiabeira 'Paluma' e os porta-enxertos de goiabeira e araçazeiros dos acessos 115 e 117, ocorrendo uma taxa de pegamento de 63, 32 e 29%, respectivamente. No campo, os araçazeiros utilizados como porta-enxertos induziram menor desenvolvimento de copa e resultaram em morte de plantas. A incompatibilidade entre a goiabeira 'Paluma' e o porta-enxerto P. cattleyanumfoi confirmada um ano após plantio no campo.

[Parasitoids (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) of fruit flies (Diptera: Tephritidae) in the State of São Paulo, Brazil: associated plants and parasitism]. / Parasitóides (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) de moscas-das-frutas (Diptera: Tephritidae) no Estado de São Paulo: plantas associadas e parasitismo.

A total of 3,008 braconid parasitoids in 26 species of fruit fly host plants were collected in 33 localities of São Paulo State. The majority of the braconids (96.2%) belonged to four Opiinae species, Doryctobracon areolatus (Szépligeti), Doryctobracon brasiliensis (Szépligeti), Opius bellus (Gahan) and Utetes anastrephae (Viereck), and the remaining 3.8%, a single species of Alysiinae, Asobara anastrephae (Muesebeck). Doryctobracon areolatus was collected on Anastrepha fraterculus (Wied), A. obliqua (Macquart) and A. amita Zucchi, and was found associated with the largest number of fruit fly host plant species (26), being recorded for the first time in fruits of Clausena lansium and Cryptocarya aschersoniana. This species was the most common, occurring in most of the sampled localities, totaling 77.5% of all parasitoids collected. Doryctobracon brasiliensis was associated only with A. fraterculus and recorded, for the first time, in Japanese plum (Prunus salicina). It was not possible to associate the remaining braconids to the fruit fly species. Opius bellus was also reared from larvae in C. aschersoniana. The natural parasitism percentage ranged from <1% to 40%.

ACP1 genotype, glutathione reductase activity, and riboflavin uptake affect cardiovascular risk in the obese.

Erythrocyte acid phosphatase (ACP locus 1), also known as low-molecular-weight protein tyrosine phosphatase, has previously been associated to glycemia, dyslipidemia, and obesity. In this study, ACP1 genotype and activity were tested in 318 women aged 19 to 83 (mean, 51.74 +/- 13.44) years. ACP1 genotype was found to directly correlate to glutathione reductase activity (P < .001) and levels of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (P = .038). Glutathione reductase activity was in turn found to correlate to a series of cardiovascular risk factors such as systolic arterial pressure (P < .001), total cholesterol levels (P = .018), and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels (P = .039). A possible protective effect of ACP1 genotype AA against these cardiovascular risk factors was observed in this study. Furthermore, this work hypothesizes that nutritional riboflavin uptake becomes more crucial as body mass index increases, to counteract oxidative stress and minimize cardiovascular risk. This might be especially true in ACP1 genotypes AC, BC, and CC, which might possibly show the least endogenous protection against oxidative stress.

Goiabeiras Paluma, Pedro Sato e Cortibel 6 propagadas por miniestaquia e miniestaquia seriada / Paluma, Pedro Sato and Cortibel 6 guava tree cultivars propagated by minicutting and serial minicutting techniques

A técnica da miniestaquia seriada consiste na coleta de brotações de miniestacas previamente enraizadas e tem proporcionado efeito positivo sobre o revigoramento de alguns clones de eucalipto. O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar a sobrevivência e o enraizamento de miniestacas seriadas de goiabeiras Paluma, Pedro Sato e Cortibel 6. O experimento foi conduzido em delineamento de blocos casualizados (DBC), com quatro repetições, sendo cada parcela constituída por três miniestacas. Sessenta e dois dias após o estaqueamento, as miniestacas de Paluma, Pedro Sato e Cortibel 6 apresentaram sobrevivência de 100, 100 e 92% e enraizamento de 100, 75 e 62,5%, respectivamente. Os resultados deste trabalho demonstram que a miniestaquia seriada possibilita sobrevivência e enraizamento de miniestacas de goiabeiras Paluma, Pedro Sato e Cortibel 6 semelhantes aos da miniestaquia, podendo ser empregada na multiplicação dessas cultivares.

The serial minicutting technique consists in the collection off shoots from minicuttings previously rooted and it has providing positive effects on the reinvigoration of some eucalyptus clones. This research aims to evaluate the survival and rooting of the serial minicuttings from guava tree cultivars Paluma, Pedro Sato and Cortibel 6. The experiments were carried out in a randomized block design (RBD) with four repetitions, being each plot composed of three minicuttings. Seventy-two days after the cutting, the minicuttings from Paluma, Pedro Sato and Cortibel 6 guava tree cultivars showed 100, 100 and 92% of survival and 100, 75 and 62.5% of rooting, respectively. The results have evidenced that serial minicutting allows the survival and rooting of Paluma, Pedro Sato e Cortibel 6 minicuttings similar to the minicutting technique, being suitable for the multiplication of these cultivars.

New records of fruit flies (Diptera: Tephritidae), wild hosts and parasitoids (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) in the Brazilian Amazon.

Anastrepha anomala Stone was obtained from Parahancornia amapa (Huber) Ducke (Apocynaceae) fruits, and Anastrepha hastata Stone from Cheiloclinium cognatum (Miers.) (Hippocrateaceae) in the State of Amapá, Brazil. Two braconids, Doryctobracon sp. and Opius bellus Gahan, were reared from the latter fruit fly species. This is the first record of P. amapa as a fruit fly host. C. cognatum is the first host known to A. hastata. Both braconids are also the first records of parasitoids for this species.

GST M1/T1 and MTHFR polymorphisms as risk factors for hypertension.

The aim of this study is to investigate GSTM1, GSTT1 and MTHFR genetic polymorphisms and its relation with total plasma glutathione (tGSH) levels in hypertension. Genotype distributions of GSTM1 and GSTT1 deletion polymorphisms and C677T variant of MTHFR were examined in a sample of 94 hypertensive patients with congestive heart failure and 207 healthy unrelated Portuguese individuals using PCR techniques. Plasma GST activity was determined spectrophotometrically. The antioxidant status was evaluated by fluorometric assays of tGSH. Genotype distributions of GSTT1 (chi2 test; p < 0.01) and MTHFR (chi2 test; p < 0.01) differ significantly between control and hypertensive patients with a greater prevalence of "non-null GSTT1/M1" and CT (heterozygous) genotypes. Moreover, GST activity and tGSH were markedly decreased in hypertension but there is no correlation with the studied polymorphisms. GSH depletion confirmed the possible involvement of oxidative stress in this pathology. Deletion of GSTT1 gene might be considered as protective factor for hypertension.