Height variability from the MIROC - IPCC model for the 20th century compared to that of the TOPEX/POSEIDON altimeter

Planetary waves are key to large-scale dynamical adjustment in the global ocean as they transfer energy from the east to the west side of oceanic basins; they connect the forcing in the ocean interior with the variability at its boundaries: and they change the local heat content, thus coupling oceanic, atmospheric, and biological processes. Planetary waves, mostly of the first baroclinic mode, are observed as distinctive patterns in global time series of sea surface height anomaly (SSHA) and heat storage. The goal of this study is to compare and validate large-scale SSHA signals from coupled ocean-atmosphere general circulation Model for Interdisciplinary Research on Climate (MIROC) with TOPEX/POSEIDON satellite altimeter observations. The last decade of the models` time series is selected for comparison with the altimeter data. The wave patterns are separated from the meso- and large-scale SSHA signals by digital filters calibrated to select the same spectral bands in both model and altimeter data. The band-wise comparison allows for an assessment of the model skill to simulate the dynamical components of the observed wave field. Comparisons regarding both the seasonal cycle and the Rossby wave Held differ significantly among basins. When carried within the same basin, differences can occur between equal latitudes in opposite hemispheres. Furthermore, at some latitudes the MIROC reproduces biannual, annual and semiannual planetary waves with phase speeds and average amplitudes similar to those observed by the altimeter, but with significant differences in phase. (C) 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Two new species of Jupiaba (Characiformes: Characidae) from the rio Tapajos and rio Madeira drainages, Brazil, with an identification key to species of the genus

Two new species of Jupiaba Zanata are described from Brazil. Jupiaba iasy, new species, is described from rio Teles Pires and rio Jamanxim, tributaries of rio Tapajos, and from rio Aripuana, in the rio Madeira drainage. It is distinguished from its congeners by its color pattern consisting of a single posteriorly displaced dark crescent-shaped humeral blotch, situated over the first 5 to 7 lateral line scales, and an inconspicuous dark spot at the end of caudal peduncle. It also differs from all remaining Jupiaba for the following combination of characters: 34-36 lateral line scales, 19-21 branched anal-fin rays, 8-10 predorsal scales arranged in a regular row, 6 horizontal series of scales above and 4 series below lateral line, body depth 32.3-36.1% of SL, and absence of filamentous rays in the first dorsal and anal-fin rays. Jupiaba paranatinga, new species, is described from rio Teles Pires, tributary of rio Tapajos. It is distinguished by having 34-35 lateral line scales, two vertically elongated humeral blotches, a conspicuous caudal spot at the end of the caudal peduncle, extending over 8-10 median caudal-fin rays, eye diameter 43.7-46.9% of HL, and relatively low body depth (31.3-35.5% of SL). Additionally, comments on the putative relationships of the new species with their congeners and an updated key to the species of the genus are provided.

Human telomere disease due to disruption of the CCAAT box of the TERC promoter

Mutations in the coding region of telomerase complex genes can result in accelerated telomere attrition and human disease. Manifestations of telomere disease include the bone marrow failure syndromes dyskeratosis congenita and aplastic anemia, acute myeloid leukemia, liver cirrhosis, and pulmonary fibrosis. Here, we describe a mutation in the CCAAT box (GCAAT) of the TERC gene promoter in a family in which multiple members had typical features of telomeropathy. The genetic alteration in this critical regulatory sequence resulted in reduced reporter gene activity and absent binding of transcription factor NF-Y, likely responsible for reduced TERC levels, decreased telomerase activity, and short telomeres. This is the first description of a pathogenic mutation in the highly con-served CCAAT box and the first instance of a mutation in the promoter region of TERC producing a telomeropathy. We propose that current mutation-screening strategies should include gene promoter regions for the diagnosis of telomere diseases. This clinical trial was registered at www.clinicaltrials.gov as #NCT00071045. (Blood. 2012;119(13):3060-3063)

HEALTH EDUCATION IN THE CARE TO CLIENTS OF THE BLOOD GLUCOSE SELF-MONITORING PROGRAM

This article reports, in a systemized and analytical way, the experience of an Outreach Program in the period between 2010 and 2011. The study focused on health education interventions as strategies to improve the adherence of individuals with insulin- dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM), clients of a blood glucose self-Monitoring program. In addition, we intended to contribute to the reorganization of the program's working processes in the unit. Health education strategies were used in both educational groups and home visits, thus permitting the provision of care that was more individualized. Data regarding the clients were organized on a spreadsheet and in files for the Family Health teams, which made it easier to identify the patients, including those who were absent, helping to decentralize the care. By using health education strategies, we intended to contribute to a more comprehensive and emancipatory care of the clients, aimed at a continuous reflection of the workers regarding their practices.

Economic Cost of Air Pollution in Cubatao - SP Based on Health Expenses Related to Diseases of the Respiratory and Circulatory Systems

The aim of this research was to evaluate economic costs of respiratory and circulatory diseases in the municipality of Cubatao, in the state of Sao Paulo, Brazil. Data on hospital admissions and on missed working days due to hospitalization (for age group 14 to 70 years old) from the database of Sistema Unico de Sa de (SUS - Brazilian National Health System) were used. Results: Based on these data, it was calculated that R$ 22.1 million were spent in the period 2000 to 2009 due to diseases of the respiratory and circulatory systems. Part of these expenses can be directly related to the emission of atmospheric pollutants in the city. In order to estimate the costs related to air pollution, data on Cubatao were compared to data from two other municipalities that are also located at the coast side (Guaruja and Peru be), but which have little industrial activity in comparison to Cubatao. It was verified that, in both, average per capita costs were lower when compared to Cubatao, but that this difference has been decreasing in recent years.

Hypersensitivity reactions to non beta-lactam antimicrobial agents, a statement of the WAO special committee on drug allergy

Antibiotics are used extensively in the treatment of various infections. Consequently, they can be considered among the most important agents involved in adverse reactions to drugs, including both allergic and non-allergic drug hypersensitivity [J Allergy Clin Immunol 113:832–836, 2004]. Most studies published to date deal mainly with reactions to the beta-lactam group, and information on hypersensitivity to each of the other antimicrobial agents is scarce. The present document has been produced by the Special Committee on Drug Allergy of the World Allergy Organization to present the most relevant information on the incidence, clinical manifestations, diagnosis, possible mechanisms, and management of hypersensitivity reactions to non beta-lactam antimicrobials for use by practitioners worldwide.

Influence of a narrow depth gradient and season on the morphology, phenology, and epibiosis of the brown alga Sargassum cymosum

Temporal and spatial fluctuations of environmental parameters are normally assigned as causes of variations in morpho-phenological characters of seaweeds and in their epibionts, but formal tests of such hypotheses are lacking, especially in narrow gradients. The present study evaluated the influence of a very small depth gradient (1 to 3 m) and of subtle seasonality characteristic of tropical areas on morpho-phenological traits and on the occurrence of sessile epiphytic organisms using a controlled orthogonal sampling design in a sublittoral population of the tropical brown alga Sargassum cymosum. Four temporal samples were obtained over a one-year period at three depths using nine replicates. The wet weight, maximum length, number of primary and secondary branches, and proportion of secondary branches with receptacles were recorded. Epibiosis was estimated by visual evaluation of percentage cover on secondary branches. Algal morphology varied as a function of the period of the year (weaker effect) and depth (stronger effect) but in different ways for each variable analysed. In general, fronds tended to be shorter, heavier, and more ramified in shallower areas. In relation to time, the morphological characters tended mostly to present higher values in January (summer) and/or April (autumn). Frequency of receptacles did not depend on algal morphology and depth at all but varied in time, although only in the deepest area. Epibiosis also did not depend on algal morphology but varied in relation to time (stronger effect) and, to a lesser extent, depth (weaker effect). The effect of time upon epibiosis also depended on the biological group analysed. These data support the hypothesis that algal morphology varies in relation to period of the year and depth, even under small temporal and spatial environmenal gradients.

Revision of the fungus-growing ant genera Mycetophylax Emery and Paramycetophylax Kusnezov rev. stat., and description of Kalathomyrmex n. gen. (Formicidae: Myrmicinae: Attini)

Based on the morphology of workers, gynes and males, we revise the taxonomy of nominal taxa traditionally included by authors in the fungus-growing ant genus Mycetophylax. Our results indicate that Mycetophylax Emery (Myrmicocrypta brittoni Wheeler, 1907, type species, by designation of Emery, 1913; junior synonym of Cyphomyrmex conformis Mayr, 1884 by Kempf, 1962) includes M. conformis, M. simplex (Emery, 1888), and M. morschi (Emery, 1888) new combination (formerly in Cyphomyrmex), with several synonymies. Mycetophylax bruchi (Santschi, 1916) does not belong to the same genus and is diagnosed, in addition to other characters, by a psammophore arising at the anterior margin of the clypeus. For this species we are resurrecting from synonymy Paramycetophylax Kusnezov, 1956 (Mycetophylax bruchi as type species, by original designation, with M. cristulatus as its new synonym). Myrmicocrypta emeryi Forel, 1907 is the only attine in which females lack the median clypeal seta and have the antennal insertion areas very much enlarged and anteriorly produced, with the psammophore setae arising from the middle of the clypeus and not at its anterior margin as in Paramycetophylax. Notwithstanding its inclusion in Mycetophylax by recent authors, it is here recognized as belonging to a hitherto undescribed, thus far monotypic genus, Kalathomyrmex new genus (Myrmicocrypta emeryi as its type species, here designated). We redescribe workers, gynes and males of all species in the three genera and describe for the first time gynes of Mycetophylax conformis and M. simplex, males of M. simplex and M. morschi, and gynes of P. bruchi. Furthermore we present a key to the workers of the taxa treated here (most formerly included under the name Mycetophylax), a key to workers of the Mycetophylax in the revised sense, SEM pictures and high resolution AutoMontage(C) photographs of the species, along with maps of collection records and a summary of biological observations.

Mapping and Quantification of the Cotton Chain in Brazil

The CHAINPlan method developed by Neves (2007) is a practical tool which can be used to construct strategic plans for production chains. A preliminary step in this process includes mapping and quantifying the production chain. We present the results of applying the method to one of the most important agribusiness chains in Brazil-the cotton sector. The Gross Domestic Product for the cotton sector in the 2010-2011 crop year was estimated at nearly $19.2 billion. We show the interconnections between the links in the chain and its ability to generate revenues, taxes and jobs.

Peptides of the Constant Region of Antibodies Display Fungicidal Activity

Synthetic peptides with sequences identical to fragments of the constant region of different classes (IgG, IgM, IgA) of antibodies (Fc-peptides) exerted a fungicidal activity in vitro against pathogenic yeasts, such as Candida albicans, Candida glabrata, Cryptococcus neoformans, and Malassezia furfur, including caspofungin and triazole resistant strains. Alanine-substituted derivatives of fungicidal Fc-peptides, tested to evaluate the critical role of each residue, displayed unaltered, increased or decreased candidacidal activity in vitro. An Fc-peptide, included in all human IgGs, displayed a therapeutic effect against experimental mucosal and systemic candidiasis in mouse models. It is intriguing to hypothesize that some Fc-peptides may influence the antifungal immune response and constitute the basis for devising new antifungal agents.

Changes in tissue perfusion parameters in dogs with severe sepsis/septic shock in response to goal-directed hemodynamic optimization at admission to ICU and the relation to outcome

Objective To evaluate the changes in tissue perfusion parameters in dogs with severe sepsis/septic shock in response to goal-directed hemodynamic optimization in the ICU and their relation to outcome. Design Prospective observational study. Setting ICU of a veterinary university medical center. Animals Thirty dogs with severe sepsis or septic shock caused by pyometra who underwent surgery and were admitted to the ICU. Measurements and Main Results Severe sepsis was defined as the presence of sepsis and sepsis-induced dysfunction of one or more organs. Septic shock was defined as the presence of severe sepsis plus hypotension not reversed with fluid resuscitation. After the presumptive diagnosis of sepsis secondary to pyometra, blood samples were collected and clinical findings were recorded. Volume resuscitation with 0.9% saline solution and antimicrobial therapy were initiated. Following abdominal ultrasonography and confirmation of increased uterine volume, dogs underwent corrective surgery. After surgery, the animals were admitted to the ICU, where resuscitation was guided by the clinical parameters, central venous oxygen saturation (ScvO2), lactate, and base deficit. Between survivors and nonsurvivors it was observed that the ScvO2, lactate, and base deficit on ICU admission were each related independently to death (P = 0.001, P = 0.030, and P < 0.001, respectively). ScvO2 and base deficit were found to be the best discriminators between survivors and nonsurvivors as assessed via receiver operator characteristic curve analysis. Conclusion Our study suggests that ScvO2 and base deficit are useful in predicting the prognosis of dogs with severe sepsis and septic shock; animals with a higher ScvO2 and lower base deficit at admission to the ICU have a lower probability of death.

Exploration of the Antiplatelet Activity Profile of Betulinic Acid on Human Platelets

Betulinic acid, a natural pentacyclic triterpene acid, presents a diverse mode of biological actions including antiretroviral, antibacterial, antimalarial, and anti-inflammatory activities. The potency of betulinic acid as an inhibitor of human platelet activation was evaluated, and its antiplatelet profile against in vitro platelet aggregation, induced by several platelet agonists (adenosine diphosphate, thrombin receptor activator peptide-14, and arachidonic acid), was explored. Flow cytometric analysis was performed to examine the effect of betulinic acid on P-selectin membrane expression and PAC-1 binding to activated platelets. Betulinic acid potently inhibits platelet aggregation and also reduced PAC-1 binding and the membrane expression of P-selectin. Principal component analysis was used to screen, on the chemical property space, for potential common pharmacophores of betulinic acid with approved antithrombotic drugs. A common pharmacophore was defined between the NMR-derived structure of betulinic acid and prostacyclin agonists (PGI2), and the importance of its carboxylate group in its antiplatelet activity was determined. The present results indicate that betulinic acid has potential use as an antithrombotic compound and suggest that the mechanism underlying the antiplatelet effects of betulinic acid is similar to that of the PGI2 receptor agonists, a hypothesis that deserves further investigation.

Salts of the anti-HIV drug lamivudine with phthalic and salicylic acids

Salts of the anti-HIV drug lamivudine, with phthalic acid and salicylic acid as counterions, were investigated in this study. Neither the packing of the (lamivudine)(+)(phthalic acid)(-) ion pairs nor the conformation of the lamivudine moiety itself were similar to those found in other multicomponent molecular salts of the drug, such as hydrogen maleate and saccharinate ones, even though all three salts crystallize in the same P2(1)2(1)2(1) orthorhombic space group with similar unit cell metrics. Lamivudine salicylate assumes a different crystal structure to those of the hydrogen maleate and saccharinate salts, crystallizing in the P2(1) monoclinic space group as a monohydrate whose (lamivudine)(+)(salicylic acid)(-) ion pair is assembled through two hydrogen bonds with cytosine as a dual donor to both oxygens of the carboxylate, such as in the pairing of lamivudine with a phthalic acid counterion. In lamivudine salicylate monohydrate, the drug conformation is related to the hydrogen maleate and saccharinate salts. However, such a conformational similarity is not related to the intermolecular interaction patterns. Lamivudine and water molecules alternate into helical chains in the salicylate salt monohydrate.

Validation of the Subjective Handicap of Epilepsy (SHE) in Brazilian patients with epilepsy

The objectives of the study were to translate and adapt the Subjective Handicap of Epilepsy (SHE) instrument to Brazilian Portuguese and to determine its psychometric properties for the evaluation of quality of life in patients with epilepsy. A sample of 448 adult patients with epilepsy with different clinical profiles (investigation, preoperative period, postoperative period, and drug treatment follow-up) was evaluated with the SHE and the Epilepsy Surgery Inventory (ESI-55). Exploratory factorial analysis demonstrated that four factors explained 60.47% of the variance and were sensitive to discriminate the different clinical groups, with the preoperative group having the poorest quality of life. Internal consistency ranged from 0.92 to 0.96, and concurrent validity with the ESI-55 was moderate/strong (0.32-0.70). Test-retest reliability was confirmed, with an ICC value of 0.54 (2 days), 0.91 (7 days), and 0.97 (30 days). The SHE had satisfactory psychometric qualities for use in the Brazilian population, similar to those of the original version. The instrument seems to be more adequate in psychometric terms for the postoperative and drug treatment follow-up groups, and its use should be encouraged. (c) 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

HEPATOTOXICITY ASSESSMENT OF THE AZO DYES DISPERSE ORANGE 1 (DO1), DISPERSE RED 1 (DR1,) AND DISPERSE RED 13 (DR13) IN HEPG2 CELLS

During the dyeing process in baths approximately 10 to 15% of the dyes used are lost and reach industrial effluents, thus polluting the environment. Studies showed that some classes of dyes, mainly azo dyes and their by-products, exert adverse effects on humans and local biota, since the wastewater treatment systems and water treatment plants were found to be ineffective in removing the color and reducing toxicity of some dyes. In the present study, the toxicity of the azo dyes disperse orange 1 (DO1), disperse red 1 (DR1), and disperse red 13 (DR13) was evaluated in HepG2 cells grown in monolayers or in three dimensional (3D) culture. Hepatotoxicity of the dyes was measured using 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2yl)2,5-diphenyltetrazolium (MTT) and cell counting kit 8 (CCK-8) assays after 24, 48, and 72 h of incubation of cells with 3 different concentrations of the azo dyes. The dye DO1 only reduced the mitochondrial activity in HepG2 cells grown in a monolayer after 72 h incubation, while the dye DR1 showed this deleterious effect in both monolayer and 3D culture. In contrast, dye DR13 decreased the mitochondrial activity after 24, 48, and 72 h of exposure in both monolayer and 3D culture. With respect to dehydrogenase activity, only the dye DR13 diminished the activity of this enzyme after 72 h of exposure in both monolayer and 3D culture. Our results clearly demonstrated that exposure to the studied dyes induced cytotoxicity in HepG2 cells.