Is pain relief equally efficacious and free of side effects with repeated doses of oral sucrose in preterm neonates?

The aim of the present study was to examine the efficacy and potential side effects of repeated doses of oral sucrose for pain relief during procedures in NICU. Thirty-three preterm neonates were randomly allocated in blind fashion into two groups, the sucrose group (SG = 17) and the control group (CG = 16). The responses of neonates to pain and distress were assessed during blood collection on four consecutive assessment (ass.) days. For the first assessment, the neonates did not receive any solution before the blood collection procedure. During the next three days, the SG received oral sucrose (25%; 0.5 ml/kg) and the CG received sterile water, 2 min before each minor acute painful procedure. The neonates were evaluated during blood collection each morning. The assessment was divided into five phases: Baseline (BL), Antisepsis (A), Puncture (P), Dressing (D), and Recovery (R). The neonates` facial activity (NFCS), behavioral state, and heart rate were evaluated. The data analysis used cut-off scores for painful and distressful responses. No side effects of using sucrose were detected. There were significantly fewer SG neonates with facial actions signaling pain than CG neonates in P (ass.2) and in A (ass.3). We found significantly fewer SG neonates in the awake state than CG neonates in P (ass.2 and ass.4). There were significantly fewer SG neonates crying during A (ass.2), P (ass.2 and ass.4), and D (ass.3). There was no statistical difference between-groups for physiological response. The efficacy of sucrose was maintained for pain relief in preterm neonates with no side effects. (C) 2007 International Association for the Study of Pain. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Prevalence of Toxoplasma gondii and Neospora caninum infections in sheep from Federal District, central region of Brazil

Serum samples from 1028 sheep were collected from 32 herds within Federal District, in the central region of Brazil. The samples were examined by indirect fluorescent antibody test (IFAT) using sera diluted 1:64 and 1:50 as cut-off values for the detection of antibodies against Toxoplasma gondii and Neospora caninum, respectively. The observed prevalence for T. gondii infection was 38.22% (26.81%< CI 0.95 < 49.62%), and the titers ranged from 64 to 65536. The observed prevalence for N. caninum infection was 8.81% (7.08%< CI 0.95 < 10.53%). The titers ranged from 50 to 51200. The reactant sera to both pathogens corresponded to 4.67% of the samples. The risk factors were not determined because of the absence of negative herds for T. gondii and the high proportion of positive herds for N. caninum (87.50%). The prevalence for T. gondii infection was significantly higher among males than in females. The present work is the first report on seroprevalence of T. gondii and N. caninum in sheep from Federal District and shows that infection by both parasites is widespread in the ovine population from this region.

Prevalence of anti-Toxoplasma gondii and anti-Neospora caninum antibodies in sheep from Mossoro, Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil

Toxoplasma gondii is an obligate intracellular parasite with a variety of hosts, responsible for reproductive problems and economic losses in sheep flocks. Neospora caninum was recently identified and its clinical presentation in sheep is similar to that of toxoplasmosis, which can cause repeated abortions, though less frequently in this species. In order to confirm the prevalence of these agents in the city of Mossoro, Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil, 409 serum samples from adult sheep (364 females and 45 males) were tested by the indirect immunofluorescence antibody test, using cut-off point at a dilution of 1:64 and 1:50 for T. gondii and N. caninum, respectively. From the 35 properties examined, 23 (65.7%)had at least one seropositive animal for T gondii and six (17.1%) for N. caninum. The prevalence of seropositive animals for T. gondii was 20.7% and for N. caninum 1.8%. There was no association between the presence of the agent`s antibody and gender, reports of reproductive problems and presence of dogs and/or cats in the properties. T. gondii is well distributed and N. caninum has low prevalence in sheep and in the properties of the studied region. (C) 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Prevalence of Neospora caninum antibodies in cattle from Santarem, Para, Brazil

Prevalence of anti-Neospora caninum antibodies was measured in serum samples randomly collected from dairy (40 cows from four farms) and beef cattle (120 animals from 12 farms) from the municipality of Santarem, Para State, Brazil, calculated by using the Win Episcope 2.0 statistical program. The presence of anti-N. caninum antibodies was determined by indirect immunofluorescence-antibody test with a cut-off value of 1: 100. We found that 13 farms (81.25%) showed infection rates above 10%, which indicates widespread distribution of M caninum in the region. The frequency per animal was 19%. No difference was observed between the prevalence values in dairy and beef animals or between farms, which was probably due to the small number of dairy farms examined. The results confirm, for the first time, the presence of anti-N. caninum antibodies in cattle from Para State and the necessity to further investigate the epidemiology of M caninum in the Amazon region. (c) 2007 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Risk factors associated with leptospirosis in dairy goats under tropical conditions in Brazil

Serum samples from 248 adult dairy goats from 13 flocks with lowered fertility farmed in the Rio de Janeiro region of Brazil were examined for Leptospira antibodies by MAT with 24 serovars, cut off 100. A questionnaire was completed for each herd. Antibodies were detected in 20.8% of these goats, mainly to serovar Hardjo. Risk factors associated with seroprevalence to leptospirosis were the frequency of professional veterinary supervision (OR = 2.35), climate (OR = 2.63) and grazing for more than 2 h a day. Flock factors as size, type of milking and offering of food supplementation, as well as the location and topography, the type of animal housing or the presence of silos did not significantly affect seroprevalence. We suggest that a successful control program for goat leptospirosis should include a complete investigation of herd management practices, which could influence in the occurrence of the infection. (C) 2007 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The use of MPB70-ELISA for the diagnosis of caprine tuberculosis in Brazil

After one clinical case that evidenced the outbreak, a complete screening by intradermal tuberculin test was performed in one goat herd in Brazil. The herd was composed by 500 animals and 83 of them (16.6%) showed to be reactive to the comparative double cervical intradermal test. Four months after the test, all the 83 reactive animals were slaughtered and blood samples were collected from 45 of them, for serological assays. From those 45, 32 were randomly chosen for necropsy and histopathological and bacteriological procedures were conducted. Histopathology evidenced at least one characteristic lesion of tuberculosis in each animal, with typical granulommas where acid-fast bacilli (AFB) could be observed. Bacteriology was positive for Mycobacterium bovis in 22 samples (68.7%), therefore confirming the etiology of the outbreak. Sera of 45 animals plus 20 other from a certified free tuberculosis farm were tested in an ELISA using the recombinant M.bovis protein MPB70 as capture antigens. From those, 43 were reactive to the test, with high ODs results, considering a cut-off point established by ROC curve analyzing results (cut-off = 0.8; mean = 0.55; range: 0.157-1.357). These results suggest that MPB70-ELISA can be considered as a reliable tool to diagnose tuberculosis in goat herds, since this assay was capable to correctly detect 95.6% of the animals here examined.

Serological survey of Toxoplasma gondu in captive Neotropical felids from Southern Brazil

Toxoplasma gondu is the causative intracellular protozoan of toxoplasmosis inhuman being and animals Members of the Felidae family are considered the single definitive host for the infection both wild and domestic cats are able to excrete oocysts in the environment Wild cats maintained in captivity may serve as source of infection for other clinically susceptible animals in the same environment The aim of this study was to determine the frequency of T gondu IgG antibodies in 57 neotropical felids (1 Leopardus geoffroyi 3 Puma yagouaroundi 17 Leopard us wiedu 22 Leopardus tigrinus and 14 Leopard us pardalis) kept at the Bela Vista Biological Sanctuary Itaipu Binacional Southern Brazil by the modified agglutination test (MAT) using titer 16 as cut-off point Seropositivity was observed in 38/57 (66 67% 95% CI 53 66-77 51%) samples with higher frequency in ocelots (71 43%) Wild-caught felids were three times more likely to be infected when compared to zoo-born animals (P <= 0 05) and age of wild-caught animals (P= 0 6892 95% CI = 0 7528-166) was not significant as a risk factor for the infection the same occurring with zoo-born animals (P=0 05 95% CI = 06267-24052) These results suggest that despite efforts to control T gondu infection in zoo facilities such as individual pens hygiene monitoring veterinary care and pre-frozen meat offered as food non-domestic feuds kept in captivity particularly the wild-caught specimens may be invariably exposed to infection due to other environmental sources (C) 2010 Elsevier B V All rights reserved

Prevalence and risk factors for anti-Toxoplasma gondii antibodies in goats of the Serido Oriental microregion, Rio Grande do Norte state, Northeast region of Brazil

The prevalence and risk factors for anti-Toxoplasma gondii antibodies were investigated in goats of the Serido Oriental microregion, Rio Grande do Norte state, Northeast region of Brazil. Three hundred and sixty-six blood samples from goats collected by jugular venopuncture were used. For the serologic diagnosis of Toxoplasma gondii infection, the indirect fluorescent-anti body test (IFAT) with cut-off value 1:64 was carried out. The prevalence of anti-T. gondii antibodies was 30.6% [95% CI = 25.9-35.6%] with titers ranging from 1:64 to 1: 16,384. The multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that the risk factors associated to anti-T. gondii antibodies were presence of cats in the herd, extensive/semi-intensive management systems and lack of mineral supplementation. (c) 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Ki-67 expression in non-tumour epithelium adjacent to oral cancer as risk marker for multiple oral tumours

Objective: The aim of this study was to determine whether the differential assessment of epithelial proliferation is useful to diagnose premalignant fields and assess the risk of multiple tumours. Material and methods: We analysed 83 oral carcinomas with associated non-tumour epithelium classified as distant or close according to its distance (> or < 1 cm) from the invasion point, and as squamous hyperplasia, mild, moderate, severe dysplasia or carcinoma in situ. Twenty-five healthy oral mucosa samples were used as controls. An immunohistochemical technique was applied using Mib-1. Ki-67 in premalignant epithelium was assessed in basal layer, parabasal layer, medium and upper third. Results: Parabasal expression was significantly higher or showed a tendency to be higher in close and distant epithelia with any histological grade than in the controls. Parabasal Ki-67 significantly differed between distant epithelia associated with multiple vs single tumours (P < 0.001) and between distant epithelia associated with multiple tumours vs controls (P < 0.001). This difference was not observed between distant epithelia associated with single tumours and controls (P = 0.175). The cut-off point that differentiated epithelia associated with multiple tumours was > 50% of Ki-67 + parabasal cells in distant epithelia, which yielded 0.88 sensitivity and 0.79 specificity. Conclusions: The concept of a precancerous field may be linked to an increase in the proliferative activity of parabasal cells.

Socio-economic variables influence the prevalence of inadequate nutrient intake in Brazilian adolescents: results from a population-based survey

Objective: To estimate the prevalence of inadequate nutrient intake among adolescents and the association between socio-economic variables and nutritional status. Design: Cross-sectional study with a population-based sample. Settings: The usual nutrient intake distribution was estimated using the Iowa State University method. The Estimated Average Requirement cut-off point method was used to determine the proportion of adolescents with inadequate intake for each nutrient, according to sex, income, parental educational level and nutritional status. Subjects: Twenty-four-hour dietary recalls were applied in 525 male and female Brazilian adolescents aged 14-18 years. Results: The highest prevalence of inadequate nutrient intake was observed for vitamin E (99% in both sexes). For male and female adolescents, the prevalence of inadequate intake was: Mg, 89% and 84%; vitamin A, 78% and 71 %; vitamin C, 79% and 53%; and vitamin B(6), 21% and 33%, respectively. The prevalence of inadequate intake for niacin, thiamin, riboflavin, Se, Cu and vitamin B(12) was <15 %. Individuals in the lower income and lower parental educational level strata had the highest risk of having inadequate intake for P, riboflavin and vitamins A, B(6) and B(12). Compared with non-overweight individuals, overweight individuals had a higher risk of inadequate intake for Mg, vitamin A, P, thiamin and riboflavin. Conclusions: The present study found a high prevalence of inadequate intake of nutrients that are recognised as being protective against chronic diseases. Adolescents in the lower income and lower parental educational level strata were less likely to have their nutrient intake requirements met.

Investigating relationships within and between category networks in Wikipedia

This work maps and analyses cross-citations in the areas of Biology, Mathematics, Physics and Medicine in the English version of Wikipedia, which are represented as an undirected complex network where the entries correspond to nodes and the citations among the entries are mapped as edges. We found a high value of clustering coefficient for the areas of Biology and Medicine, and a small value for Mathematics and Physics. The topological organization is also different for each network, including a modular structure for Biology and Medicine, a sparse structure for Mathematics and a dense core for Physics. The networks have degree distributions that can be approximated by a power-law with a cut-off. The assortativity of the isolated networks has also been investigated and the results indicate distinct patterns for each subject. We estimated the betweenness centrality of each node considering the full Wikipedia network, which contains the nodes of the four subjects and the edges between them. In addition, the average shortest path length between the subjects revealed a close relationship between the subjects of Biology and Physics, and also between Medicine and Physics. Our results indicate that the analysis of the full Wikipedia network cannot predict the behavior of the isolated categories since their properties can be very different from those observed in the full network. (C) 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Border trees of complex networks

The comprehensive characterization of the structure of complex networks is essential to understand the dynamical processes which guide their evolution. The discovery of the scale-free distribution and the small-world properties of real networks were fundamental to stimulate more realistic models and to understand important dynamical processes related to network growth. However, the properties of the network borders (nodes with degree equal to 1), one of its most fragile parts, remained little investigated and understood. The border nodes may be involved in the evolution of structures such as geographical networks. Here we analyze the border trees of complex networks, which are defined as the subgraphs without cycles connected to the remainder of the network (containing cycles) and terminating into border nodes. In addition to describing an algorithm for identification of such tree subgraphs, we also consider how their topological properties can be quantified in terms of their depth and number of leaves. We investigate the properties of border trees for several theoretical models as well as real-world networks. Among the obtained results, we found that more than half of the nodes of some real-world networks belong to the border trees. A power-law with cut-off was observed for the distribution of the depth and number of leaves of the border trees. An analysis of the local role of the nodes in the border trees was also performed.

Obsessive-compulsive disorder: Influence of age at onset on comorbidity patterns

Purpose. - This study investigates the influence of age at onset of OCS on psychiatric comorbidities, and tries to establish a cut-off point for age at onset. Methods. - Three hundred and thirty OCD patients were consecutively recruited and interviewed using the following structured interviews: Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale; Yale Global Tic Severity Scale and the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV. Data were analyzed with regression and cluster analysis. Results. - Lower age at onset was associated with a higher probability of having comorbidity with tic, anxiety, somatoform, eating and impulse-control disorders. Longer illness duration was associated with lower chance of having tics. Female gender was associated with anxiety, eating and impulse-control disorders. Tic disorders were associated with anxiety disorders and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. No cutoff age at onset was found to clearly divide the sample in homogeneous subgroups. However, cluster analyses revealed that differences started to emerge at the age of 10 and were more pronounced at the age of 17, suggesting that these were the best cut-off points on this sample. Conclusions. - Age at onset is associated with specific comorbidity patterns in OCD patients. More prominent differences are obtained when analyzing age at onset as an absolute value. (C) 2008 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Epilithic community development on artificial reefs deployed along a cross-shelf environmental gradient off Paraná state, southern Brazil

Concrete modules were deployed on the bottom of the 11, 18 and 30 meters isobaths along a cross-shelf hydrographic gradient off Paraná State, Southern Brazil, with the purpose of studying the colonization of sessile epilithic macroinvertebrates on artificial surfaces. After one year of submersion a total of 63 species of epilithic organisms were identified, dominated by Ostrea puelchana, Chthamalus bisinuatus, Balanus cf spongicola, Astrangia cf rathbuni, Didemnum spp, poryphers and bryozoans. Diversity index and percent cover at reef stations placed at 11, 18 and 30 meters isobaths were respectively 2.28 and 66.7%, 2.79 and 96.6% and 1.66 and 77.4%. Differences of general community structure among the three assemblages were not clearly related to the general environmental conditions at the bottom layers near the reef stations. Turbidity and larval abundance are discussed as important factors affecting colonization processes. Results indicate that depths between 15-20 meters are more suitable for the implementation of large scale artificial reef systems in the inner shelf off Paraná and, possibly, throughout the inner shelves off southern Brazil with similar hydrographic conditions.