Nota sobre Lutzomyia (Trichopygomyia) Dasypodogeton (Castro, 1939), com a redescrição do macho e da fêmea (Diptera: Psychodidae, Phlebotominae)

Os autores, após transcreverem a descrição original da Lutzomyia (Trichopygomyia) dasypodogeton (Castro, 1939), inicialmente publicada de maneira muito resumida em jornal não científico, redescrevem, de acordo com as normas atualmente adotadas, ambos os sexos dessa espécie, inclusive com desenhos dos elementos taxonomicamente importantes. É, também, dada uma chave para a identificação das espécies do subgênero trichopygomyia Barreto, 1952.

Cutaneous lesions sensory impairment recovery and nerve regeneration in leprosy patients

It is important to understand the mechanisms that enable peripheral neurons to regenerate after nerve injury in order to identify methods of improving this regeneration. Therefore, we studied nerve regeneration and sensory impairment recovery in the cutaneous lesions of leprosy patients (LPs) before and after treatment with multidrug therapy (MDT). The skin lesion sensory test results were compared to the histopathological and immunohistochemical protein gene product (PGP) 9.5 and the p75 nerve growth factor receptors (NGFr) findings. The cutaneous neural occupation ratio (CNOR) was evaluated for both neural markers. Thermal and pain sensations were the most frequently affected functions at the first visit and the most frequently recovered functions after MDT. The presence of a high cutaneous nerve damage index did not prevent the recovery of any type of sensory function. The CNOR was calculated for each biopsy, according to the presence of PGP and NGFr-immunostained fibres and it was not significantly different before or after the MDT. We observed a variable influence of MDT in the recovery from sensory impairment in the cutaneous lesions of LPs. Nociception and cold thermosensation were the most recovered sensations. The recovery of sensation in the skin lesions appeared to be associated with subsiding inflammation rather than with the regenerative activity of nerve fibres.

She’s a femme fatale: low-density larval development produces good disease vectors

Two hypotheses for how conditions for larval mosquitoes affect vectorial capacity make opposite predictions about the relationship of adult size and frequency of infection with vector-borne pathogens. Competition among larvae produces small adult females. The competition-susceptibility hypothesis postulates that small females are more susceptible to infection and predicts frequency of infection should decrease with size. The competition-longevity hypothesis postulates that small females have lower longevity and lower probability of becoming competent to transmit the pathogen and thus predicts frequency of infection should increase with size. We tested these hypotheses for Aedes aegypti in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, during a dengue outbreak. In the laboratory, longevity increases with size, then decreases at the largest sizes. For field-collected females, generalised linear mixed model comparisons showed that a model with a linear increase of frequency of dengue with size produced the best Akaike’s information criterion with a correction for small sample sizes (AICc). Consensus prediction of three competing models indicated that frequency of infection increases monotonically with female size, consistent with the competition-longevity hypothesis. Site frequency of infection was not significantly related to site mean size of females. Thus, our data indicate that uncrowded, low competition conditions for larvae produce the females that are most likely to be important vectors of dengue. More generally, ecological conditions, particularly crowding and intraspecific competition among larvae, are likely to affect vector-borne pathogen transmission in nature, in this case via effects on longevity of resulting adults. Heterogeneity among individual vectors in likelihood of infection is a generally important outcome of ecological conditions impacting vectors as larvae.

Studies of genotoxicity and mutagenicity of nitroimidazoles: demystifying this critical relationship with the nitro group

Nitroimidazoles exhibit high microbicidal activity, but mutagenic, genotoxic and cytotoxic properties have been attributed to the presence of the nitro group. However, we synthesised nitroimidazoles with activity against the trypomastigotes of Trypanosoma cruzi, but that were not genotoxic. Herein, nitroimidazoles (11-19) bearing different substituent groups were investigated for their potential induction of genotoxicity (comet assay) and mutagenicity (Salmonella/Microsome assay) and the correlations of these effects with their trypanocidal effect and with megazol were investigated. The compounds were designed to analyse the role played by the position of the nitro group in the imidazole nucleus (C-4 or C-5) and the presence of oxidisable groups at N-1 as an anion receptor group and the role of a methyl group at C-2. Nitroimidazoles bearing NO2 at C-4 and CH3 at C-2 were not genotoxic compared to those bearing NO2 at C-5. However, when there was a CH3 at C-2, the position of the NO2 group had no influence on the genotoxic activity. Fluorinated compounds exhibited higher genotoxicity regardless of the presence of CH3 at C-2 or NO2 at C-4 or C-5. However, in compounds 11 (2-CH3; 4-NO2; N-CH2OHCH2Cl) and 12 (2-CH3; 4-NO2; N-CH2OHCH2F), the fluorine atom had no influence on genotoxicity. This study contributes to the future search for new and safer prototypes and provide.

A relação dos aspectos profissionais na qualidade de vida dos enfermeiros das equipes Saúde da Família

Este estudo teve como objetivo conhecer os aspectos profissionais relacionados à Qualidade de Vida dos enfermeiros das equipes saúde da família da Macrorregião de Saúde do Triângulo Sul. Trata-se de um estudo descritivo e transversal. Os 90 enfermeiros sujeitos da pesquisa responderam a um questionário contendo as variáveis profissionais e o instrumento para avaliação da Qualidade de Vida WHOQOL-100. Os resultados mostram o impacto negativo do número de vínculos, do vínculo empregatício inseguro, da excessiva carga horária de trabalho e da insatisfação com o trabalho nos domínios da Qualidade de Vida dos enfermeiros. Considera-se necessária a (re)definição de políticas públicas voltadas para as condições de trabalho desses profissionais. Ações que contribuam no desenvolvimento da Qualidade de Vida dos enfermeiros são importantes considerando sua forte influência na qualidade da assistência prestada.

Efeito do lodo de esgoto em um Argissolo e no crescimento e nutrição de milho

O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar os efeitos da aplicação de lodo de esgoto nas propriedades químicas de um Argissolo Vermelho-Amarelo, e na produção de matéria seca e acúmulo de nutrientes em plantas de milho. O experimento foi realizado em casa de vegetação, em delineamento inteiramente casualizado e os tratamentos foram dispostos em fatorial 6x2x2, com quatro repetições. Ao solo (3 kg), contido em vasos, adicionaram-se doses de lodo equivalentes a 0, 10, 20, 30, 40 e 50 Mg ha-1 (base seca). Após incubação por 30 dias, retiraram-se amostras de solo para análise, realizaram-se complementações minerais com P (0 e 100 mg kg-1) e K (0 e 100 mg kg-1) e cultivaram-se cinco plantas por vaso durante 50 dias. A aplicação de lodo elevou os teores de MO, P, K, Ca, Mg, SO4(2-), Al e H+Al do solo e diminuiu o pH. O acúmulo de macronutrientes e a produção de matéria seca do milho aumentaram com a aplicação de lodo de esgoto e foram incrementados pela adição de K, não sofrendo efeito da aplicação de fósforo.

Clinical and videofluoroscopic diagnosis of dysphagia in chronic encephalopathy of childhood

Objective To evaluate the contribution of deglutition videofluoroscopy in the clinical diagnosis of dysphagia in chronic encephalopathy of childhood. Materials and Methods The study sample consisted of 93 children diagnosed with chronic encephalopathy, in the age range between two and five years, selected by convenience among patients referred to the authors' institution by speech therapists, neurologists and gastroenterologists in the period from March 2010 to September 2011. The data collection was made at two different moments, by different investigators who were blind to each other. Results The method presented low sensitivity for detecting aspiration with puree consistency (p = 0.04). Specificity and negative predictive value were high for clinical diagnosis of dysphagia with puree consistency. Conclusion In the present study, the value for sensitivity in the clinical diagnosis of dysphagia demonstrates that this diagnostic procedure may not detect any change in the swallowing process regardless of the food consistency used during the investigation. Thus, the addition of the videofluoroscopic method can significantly contribute to the diagnosis of dysphagia.

Constituintes químicos voláteis das flores e folhas do pau-brasil (Caesalpinia echinata, Lam.)

The volatile constituents obtained from a static cryogenic headspace of Caesalpinia echinata Lam. (Leguminosae) showed E-beta-ocimene as the major compound (57.2%), beside other monoterpenes, C6 derivatives like n-hexanal and (E)-2-hexenal and nitrogen compounds such as indole and methyl anthranilate. From the essential oil of the leaves obtained by hydrodistillation in a Clevenger apparatus, (E)-3-hexen-1-ol was identified as the major constituent while phenolic compounds were the most representative class of secondary metabolites.

Saponinas antifúngicas de Swartzia langsdorffii

Chromatographic fractionation of the EtOH extract from the leaves of Swartzia langsdorffii afforded the pentacyclic triterpenes oleanolic acid and lupeol, and two saponins: oleanolic acid 3-sophoroside and the new ester 3-O-b-D-(6'-methyl)-glucopyranosyl-28-O-b-D-glucopyranosyl-oleanate. Their structures were elucidated from spectral data, including 2D NMR and HRESIMS experiments. Antifungal activity of all isolated compounds was evaluated, using phytopathogens Cladosporium cladosporioides and C. sphaerospermum, and human pathogens Candida albicans, C. krusei, C. parapsilosis and Cryptococcus neoformans.

Aplicações de enzimas na síntese e na modificação de polímeros

Enzymes are biological catalysts that offer great potential for use in the synthesis and modification of polymers, being more specific and greener than chemical catalysts. In this work, enzymes from the classes of hydrolases (lipase, cutinase and protease) and of oxidoreductases (horseradish peroxidase, manganese peroxidase and laccase) were identified as the main biocatalysts responsible for the synthesis of polymers. Biocatalysis can potentially be part of the life cycle of several polymers, including polyesters, polyurethanes, polycarbonates, polyamides, functionalized polysaccharides and polystyrene, allowing the synthesis of specialty macromolecules for fine applications and with higher added-value than commodity polymers.

Estudo fitossociológico de uma comunidade vegetal sobre canga como subsídio para a reabilitação de áreas mineradas no quadrilátero ferrífero, MG

O objetivo deste trabalho foi caracterizar a estrutura e composição de um campo rupestre sobre canga para servir de base a estudos sobre reabilitação de áreas degradadas pela mineração de ferro. Estudou-se uma canga no Parque Estadual da Serra do Rola-Moça, MG. Em 30 parcelas de 2 m², foram amostrados 2.151 indivíduos pertencentes a 32 espécies e 16 famílias, com diversidade de 2,45 nats/ind. A altura média foi de 15,8 ± 16,3 cm, com 80% dos indivíduos menores do que 25 cm. As famílias mais importantes foram Orchidaceae, Poaceae e Cyperaceae, e as espécies com maior valor de importância foram Andropogon ingratus (Poaceae), Lychnophora pinaster (Asteraceae), Bulbostylis fimbriata (Cyperaceae), Sophronitis caulescens (Orchidaceae) e Sebastiania glandulosa (Euphorbiaceae). Sugere-se que essas espécies mais importantes, aquelas com crescimento clonal como gramíneas, ciperáceas e orquídeas epilíticas, as facilitadoras como Stachytarpheta glabra e Mimosa calodendron e espécies tolerantes a metais pesados como Vellozia spp. sejam candidatas prioritárias em programas de recuperação de áreas degradadas por mineração de ferro.