Plasmodium coatneyi-infected rhesus monkeys: a primate modelfor human cerebral malaria

Although several animal models for human cerebral malaria have been proposed in the past, name have shown pathological findings that are similar to those seen in humans. In order to develop an animal model for human cerebral malaria, we studied the pathology of brains of Plasmodium coatneyi (primate malaria parasite)-infected rhesus monkeys. Our study demonstrated parazitized erythrocyte (PRBC) sequestration and cytoadherence of knobs on PRBC to endothelial cells in cerebral microvessels of these monkeys. This similar to the findings een in human cerebral malaria. Crebral microvessels with sequestred PRBC were shown by immunohistochemistry to possess CD36, TSP and ICAM-1. These proteins were not evident in cerebral microvessels of uninfected control monkeys. Our study indicates, for the first time, that rhesus monkeys infected with P. coatneyi can be used as a primate model to study human cerebral malaria.

Visceral leishmaniasis in Teresina, state of Piauí, Brazil: preliminary observations on the detection and transmissibility of canine and sandfly infections

A Leishmania donovani-complex specific DNA probe was usedto confirm the widespread dissemination of amastigotes in apparently normal skinof dogs with canine visceral leishmaniasis. When Lutzomyia longipalpis were fed on abnormal skin of five naturally infected dogs 57 of 163 (35 per cent) fliesbecame infected: four of 65 flies (6 per cent) became infected when fed on apparently normal skin. The bite of a single sandfly that had fed seven days previouslyon a naturally infected dog transmitted the infection to a young dog from a non-endemic area. Within 22 days a lesion had developed at the site of the infectivebite (inner ear): 98 days after infection organisms had not disseminated throughout the skin, bone marrow, spleen or liver and the animal was still serologically negative by indirect immunofluorescence and dot-enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. When fed Lu. longipalpis were captured from a kennel with a sick dog known to be infected, 33 out of 49 (67 per cent) of flies contained promastigotes. In contrast only two infections were detected among more than 200 sandflies captured in houses. These observations confirm the ease of transmissibility of L.chagasi from dog to sandfly to dog in Teresina. It is likely that canine VL is the major source of human VL by the transmission route dog-sandfly-human. the Lmet2 DNA probe was a useful epidemiological tool for detecting L. chagasi in sandflies.

Sabethes (Peytonulus) luxodens, a New Species of Sabethini (Diptera: Culicidae) from Ecuador

The adult male, larva and pupa of Sabethes (Peytonulus) luxodens, a new species from Ecuador, are described. The species is distinguished from Sabethes aurescens (Lutz), which it closely resembles in all life stages

Overview of some biomedical research projects in tropical medicine conducted at the Instituto Venezolano de Investigaciones Cientificas

The Instituto Venezolano de Investigaciones Cientificas (IVIC) is a government-funded multidisciplinary academic institution dedicated to research, development and technology in many areas of knowledge. Biomedical projects and publications comprise about 40% of the total at IVIC. In this article, we present an overview of some selected research and development projects conducted at IVIC which we believe contain new and important aspects related to malaria, ancylostomiasis, dengue fever, leishmaniasis and tuberculosis. Other projects considered of interest in the general area of tropical medicine are briefly described. This article was prepared as a small contribution to honor and commemorate the centenary of the Instituto Oswaldo Cruz.

Araucnephia iberaensis n. sp., a Neotropical Black Fly with a Peculiar Distribution (Diptera-Simuliidae)

Araucnephia Wygodzinsky & Coscarón is a Neotropical black fly genus in which only one species from Central Chile is known. Another species has now been found in Corrientes province on the eastern side of the Iberá tropical swamps of Argentina, on the western border of the mountainous region of southern Brazil. This new species, A. iberaensis, is herein described and illustrated and information on its bionomics is recorded. It is an interesting species because previous to its discovery no black fly genus or subgenus from Central Chile region has been found in tropical areas, because these two regions are separated by the Monte and Pampas realms. Similarly, no Brazilian genus or subgenus has crossed the Andes mountains to Chile. A comparison with other Neotropical, Nearctic, Ethiopian (Afrotropical) and Australian Prosimuliini (sensu Crosskey & Howard) showed Araucnephia to be a valid taxon most closely related to Araucnephioides (sympatric in Chile). Araucnephia also shows great affinities with Lutzsimulium from Southeast Brazil and Argentina and Paracnephia from South Africa.

Toxoplasma gondii and the Immunity-Related GTPase (IRG) resistance system in mice: a review

The Immunity Related GTPases (IRG proteins) constitute a large family of interferon-inducible proteins that mediate early resistance to Toxoplasma gondii infection in mice. At least six members of this family are required for resistance of mice to virulent T. gondii strains. Recent results have shown that the complexity of the resistance arises from complex regulatory interactions between different family members. The mode of action against T. gondii depends on the ability of IRG proteins to accumulate on the parasitophorous vacuole of invading tachyzoites and to induce local damage to the vacuole resulting in disruption of the vacuolar membrane. Virulent strains of T. gondiiovercome the IRG resistance system, probably by interfering with the loading of IRG proteins onto the parasitophorous vacuole membrane. It may be assumed that T. gondii strains highly virulent for mice will be disadvantaged in the wild due to the rapid extinction of the infected host, while it is self-evident that susceptibility to virulent strains is disadvantageous to the mouse host. We consider the possibility that this double disadvantage is compensated in wild populations by segregating alleles with different resistance and susceptibility properties in the IRG system.

Social and commercial entrepreneurship: same, different, or both?

Entrepreneurship has been the engine propelling much of the growth of the business sector as well as a driving force behind the rapid expansion of the social sector. This article offers a comparative analysis of commercial and social entrepreneurship using a prevailing analytical model from commercial entrepreneurship. The analysis highlights key similarities and differences between these two forms of entrepreneurship and presents a framework on how to approach the social entrepreneurial process more systematically and effectively. We explore the implications of this analysis of social entrepreneurship for both practitioners and researchers.

Efeitos de misturas de bentazon e paraquat no controle de plantas daninhas e na cultura do feijão (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) (nota prévia)

O objetivo da presente pesquisa foi estudar a seletividade da mistura bentazon (3-isopropil-2,1, 3-benzothiodiazinona-(4)-2,2-dióxido) com paraquat (1,1' -dimetil-4,4'-bipiridilio dicloreto) para as cultivares de feijão 'Carioca' e 'Moruna'; alêm do efeito dessa mistura no controle de algumas plantas daninhas e possíveis efeitos sinergisticos resultantes das diferentes misturas. O experimento está sendo conduzido em condições de campo na área experimental do Departamento de Agricultura e Horticultura da ESALQ em Piracicaba-SP, como tambêm em casa de vegetação. O delineamento experimental foi o de blocos ao acaso com quatro repetições. O critério de avaliação adotado foi o de "percentagem de injúria", às cultivares e às espécies de plantas daninhas, através de avaliação visual. A verificação de sinergismo foi feita utilizando-se a fórmula de Gowing citada por Colby (1). De acordo com ess e método, ve rificou -se que, para ambas as cultivares de feijão, a injúria observada foi menor que a esperada, o que caracterizou um evidente antagonismo entre as misturas desses herbicidas, em relação à cultura. Em relação ao capim-colchão (Digitaria sanguinalis (L .) Scop.) todas as misturas ensaiadas foram também antagonísticas. O sinergismo entre esses produtos ficou bastante caracterizado no controle da guanxuma (Sida glaziovii K. Sch.) e beldroega (Portulacca oleracea L.) principalmente nas doses de 0,48 + 0,05 kg/ha de bentazon + paraquat, respectivamente, notadamente ao 6.º e 8.º dia após a aplicação. Quanto ao fedegoso (Cassia tora L.) a mistura que mostrou antagonismo significativo foi 0,96 kg/ha de bentazon + 0,10 Kg/ha de paraquat.

Interação entre herbicidas inibidores da accase e diferentes formulações de glyphosate no controle de capim-amargoso

O glyphosate é um herbicida não seletivo que inibe a produção de aminoácidos aromáticos essenciais à sobrevivência de plantas. Esse herbicida é disponibilizado no mercado em distintas formulações que podem apresentar diferenças no controle de espécies. A mistura de herbicidas é uma ferramenta importante no controle de plantas daninhas resistentes, sendo uma opção à mistura de inibidores da ACCase ao herbicida glyphosate. Este trabalho contou com a aplicação de diferentes misturas de quatro graminicidas e três formulações de glyphosate em dois estádios vegetativos de plantas de capim-amargoso resistente a esse herbicida. O controle químico foi avaliado por notas visuais de controle, aos 7, 14 e 28 dias após a aplicação, e pela medida de biomassa fresca das plantas, aos 28 dias depois da aplicação. As misturas foram avaliadas como antagonísticas, sinergísticas ou aditivas, segundo o modelo proposto por Colby. Dos tratamentos utilizados, conclui-se que todos são efetivos no manejo da resistência de Digitaria insularis, com exceção do uso de glyphosate isolado, porém o controle deve ser feito em estádios iniciais de desenvolvimento da planta. Em estádios mais desenvolvidos, o melhor controle se deu na associação de quizalofop às formulações sal de amônio e sal potássico de glyphosate; contudo, outras medidas de controle, além da associação de produtos, devem ser tomadas.

Hermenêutica e teoria crítica: iluminismo como política

O presente artigo, analisando a hermenêutica de Gadamer e a teoria crítica de Horkheimer e Marcuse, procura mostrar que, se se concebe a sociedade moderna do ponto de vista do político, é possível elaborar uma teoria da modernidade em que ambas, em vez de se oporem, sejam complementares.