Caracterização de hemoglobina N-Baltimore em doador de sangue de São José do Rio Preto, SP

As alterações que envolvem as globinas devem-se a modificações em genes responsáveis pela seqüência e estrutura das cadeias polipeptídicas, bem como aos genes reguladores da síntese destas cadeias. Hemoglobinas variantes apresentam estrutura química diferente da hemoglobina normal correspondente, resultante de mutações em uma ou mais bases nitrogenadas, ocasionando a troca de aminoácidos nas globinas alfa, beta, delta ou gama. A hemoglobina N-Baltimore é uma variante de globina beta, com substituição da lisina, na posição 95, por ácido glutâmico, apresentando mobilidade eletroforética mais rápida que a hemoglobina A em pH alcalino. Nas análises eletroforéticas em pH alcalino realizadas em doadores de sangue do Hemocentro de São José do Rio Preto (SP) identificamos a presença de portador de hemoglobina rápida em heterozigose, posteriormente confirmada por focalização isoelétrica e cromatografia líquida de alta pressão (HPLC). Os estudos de hemoglobinas anormais em doadores de sangue permitem a identificação de variantes raras e possibilitam o aconselhamento genético adequado a cada caso com estudo familial.

Giardia survey in live-trapped small domestic and wild mammals in four regions in the southwest region of the State of São Paulo, Brazil

For the first time, a survey on Giardia in the live-trapped small domestic and wild mammals was perfomed in four regions of state of the São Paulo, Brazil, with special attention to the parasitism of Rattus rattus rattus by Giardia. This species was found infected in all studied sites: Botucatu (15.4%), Conchas (28.5%), Itaporanga (38.7%) and São Roque (100 %). Two new hosts and their frequency of infection were described for Giardia in Nectomys squamipes, an aquatic rodent and in Bolomys lasiurus, a forest rodent (100 % and 14.3 %, respectively). Both G. muris and G. duodenalis groups were found in scrapings of intestinal mucosa of those rodents. Mixed infection was observed in some animals. It is important to emphasize the infection by G. duodenalis in the black rat as this species lives as a comensal with man and in N. squamipes as it may contaminate small streams used for domestic consumption. Therefore, further investigation will be necessary to elucidate the potential of these rodents to act as reservoirs of Giardia for man.

Plastic debris collars on juvenile carcharhinid sharks (Rhizoprionodon lalandii) in southwest Atlantic

Three juvenile Brazilian sharpnose sharks (Rhizoprionodon lalandii) caught in gillnets in southeast Brazil, southwest Atlantic, were found with plastic debris rings around their gill or mouth region. The rings caused severe abrasion on the sharks' tissues as the animal grew, the collars probably hampering normal feeding and/or ventilation since two of the collared individuals were emaciated. The rings were identified as detachable lid parts from plastic bottles, likely thrown overboard by fishery and/or recreation boats. As several carcharhinid shark species dwells and reproduce in shallow waters, the impact of discarded plastic debris likely is greater on this shark type. (C) 2002 Elsevier B.V. Ltd. All rights reserved.

A case study of convective organization into precipitating lines in the Southwest Amazon during the WETAMC and TRMM-LBA

A case study of convective development in the Southwest Amazon region during the Wet Season Atmospheric Mesoscale Campaign (WETAMC) and Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM)/Large-Scale Biosphere-Atmosphere (LBA) Experiment in Amazonia is presented. The convective development during 7 February 1999 is shown to occur during a period of very weak large-scale forcing in the presence of topography and deforestation. The available data include dual Doppler radar analysis, radiosonde launches, and surface and boundary layer observations. The observational analysis is complemented with a series of model simulations using the RAMS with 2-km resolution over a 300 km 300 km area forced by a morning radiosonde profile. A comparison of the observed and simulated thermodynamic transformation of the boundary layer and of the formation of convective lines, and of their kinematic and microphysical properties is presented. It is shown that only a few very deep and intense convective cells are necessary to explain the overall precipitating line formation and that discrete propagation and coupling with upper atmosphere circulations may explain the appearance of several lines. The numerical simulation indicates that topography may be the cause of initial convective development, although later on the convective line is parallel to the midlevel shear. There are indications that small-scale deforestation may have an effect on increasing rainfall in the wet season when the large-scale forcing is very weak.

Short Report: Vaccinia Virus in Humans and Cattle in Southwest Region of São Paulo State, Brazil

A new outbreak of Vaccinia virus was observed in Southwest region of São Paulo State. Brazil. The disease was observed in four small dairy farms with manual milking. Lesions were detected in cattle and in humans previously vaccinated and not vaccinated against smallpox. Although several reports of Vaccinia virus outbreaks have been occuring in Brazil, it was not yet reported in this region. This Outbreak reinforces the Viral circulation in Our country. The disease in persons previously vaccinated and not vaccinated against smallpox reinforces the absence of immunity, the risk to the human health, and the need for more epidemiologic and immunologic studies.

Survey of Minas frescal cheese from Southwest Minas Gerais for virulence factors and antimicrobial resistance in Escherichia coli isolates

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Sexual development, size at maturity, size at maternity and fecundity of the blue shark Prionace glauca (Linnaeus, 1758) in the Southwest Atlantic

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Agricultural production and sustainable development in a Brazilian region (Southwest, Sao Paulo State): motivations and barriers to adopting sustainable and ecologically friendly practices

The objective of this study is to identify the adoption level of practices associated with more sustainable agriculture and environmentally friendly practices. Additionally, the motivations for and barriers to the adoption of these practices by farmers are investigated. Data were collected through closed questionnaires taken by a random sample of farmers in the Southwest, Sao Paulo, Brazil, during the second half of 2013. Overall, sustainable agricultural practices recommended in the literature and analysed in this study are being not fully adopted by farmers of the studied area. The results showed that financial motivation is associated with farmers adopting new, more sustainable technology, whereas the lack of information on and lack of technical support for these technologies are significant barriers. Other results, research implications, limitations and suggestions for future research are presented.

Bridging hydraulic diffusivity from aquifer to particle-size scale: a study on loess sediments from southwest Hungary

In situ megascale hydraulic diffusivities (D) of a confined loess aquifer were estimated at various scales (10 <= L <= 1500 m) by a finite difference model, and laboratory microscale diffusivities of a loess sample by empirical formulas. A scatter plot reveals that D fits to a single power function of L, providing that microscale diffusivities are assigned to L = 1 m and that differences in diffusivity observed between micro- and megascales are assigned to medium heterogeneity appraised by variations in the curvature and slope of natural hydraulic head waves propagating through the aquifer. Subsequently, a general power relationship between D and L is defined where the base and exponent terms stand for the aquifer storage capability under a confined regime of flow, for the microscale hydraulic conductivity and specific yield of loess, and for the changes in curvature and slope of hydraulic head waves relative to values defined at unit scale.[GRAPHICS]Editor Z.W. Kundzewicz

High connectivity of the crocodile shark between the atlantic and southwest indian oceans: highlights for conservation

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Spontaneous poisoning by Hovenia dulcis in dairy cattle in Southwest Parana, Brazil

Livestock poisoning by plants is a frequent occurrence which determines severe losses, such as the fall in the milk and meat production, the cost of expensive treatments, the state of immunosuppression, or even the animal's death. Cattle ingest toxic plants only when there is food shortage, when they cannot select what they eat, or when they ingest food for preference, which is the case of Hovenia dulcis fruits, very rich in sucrose. This plant is widely distributed in the southern and southeastern Brazilian regions. In literature, there are some cases of severe human liver injury associated with a long-term of H. dulcis leaf and fruit tea intake, and only one report regarding spontaneous poisoning of goats caused by this plant ingestion. However, its toxic effects associated with spontaneous ingestion by cattle have never been reported. This paper reports the first case of spontaneous poisoning in cattle by H. dulcis, which occurred in a dairy farm in southwest Paraná, Brazil. Three cattle individuals showed anorexia, ruminal atony, severe diarrhea and neurological tournament, head pressing, blindness, ataxia, and circling. The necropsy of the animals was done, and the remaining alterations were restricted to the digestive system and brain. The clinical signs presented by the animals are characteristic of polioencephalomalacia (PEM), caused by changes in the thiamine metabolism. Furthermore, clinical signs, gross, and microscopic lesions as well as the large amount of the plant throughout the digestive segment led to a diagnosis.