WATER FROM DIFFERENT SOURCES USED FOR THE IRRIGATION OF VEGETABLES TO BE MARKETED: RESEARCH ON Cryptosporidium spp., Giardia spp., AND COLIFORMS IN PARANA, BRAZIL

SUMMARY The aim of this work was to compare, from a parasitological ( Cryptosporidiumspp. and Giardia duodenalis), bacteriological (total and thermotolerants coliforms) and physicochemical perspective, water sources used for drinking and irrigation of vegetables intended to be sold for human consumption. From January 2010 to May 2011, samples of different water sources from vegetable producing properties were collected; 100 liters for parasitological analysis, 200 mL for bacteriological analysis, and five liters for physicochemical analysis. Water samples were filtered under vacuum with a kit containing a cellulose acetate membrane filter, 1.2 µm (Millipore(r), Barueri, SP, Brazil). The material retained on the membrane was mechanically extracted and analyzed by direct immunofluorescence (Merifluor(r)kit). From 20 rural properties investigated, 10 had artesian wells (40 samples), 10 had common wells (40 samples), and one had a mine (four samples), the latter contaminated by Cryptosporidiumspp. In samples from artesian wells, 90 to 130 meters depth, 42.5% were positive for total coliforms and 5.0% were identified to have abnormal coloration. From the samples of common wells, 14 to 37 meters depth, 87.5% were contaminated with total coliforms, 82.5% were positive for thermotolerant coliforms, and 12.5% had color abnormalities. We did not detect the presence of Giardiaspp. or Cryptosporidiumspp. in artesian and common wells. The use of artesian or common wells is an important step in the control of the spreading of zoonoses, particularly Cryptosporidiumspp. and Giardiaspp., as well as artesian wells for coliform control in local production of vegetables to be marketed.

Quality of essential drugs in tropical countries: evaluation of antimalarial drugs in the Brazilian Health System

INTRODUCTION: The emergence of drug resistance is one of the main problems concerning malaria treatment. The use of counterfeit and/or substandard antimalarial drugs can contribute to the development of parasite resistance. Thus, the aim of this study was to evaluate the quality of antimalarial drugs distributed in Brazil. METHODS: Samples containing chloroquine phosphate, mefloquine hydrochloride, primaquine phosphate, and quinine sulfate tablets were delivered to the Rio de Janeiro central storeroom (CENADI), state storerooms (SS), and Basic Health Units (BHUs) in the north region of Brazil - a total of 10 sample sets. After 5 months of storage, the samples were collected, and in vitro quality control analyses according to official and published methods were performed. RESULTS: Inadequate drug storage conditions were found in two SS and in all BHUs evaluated. There were no quality deviations found in the chloroquine samples. The quinine samples exhibited weight variation above the allowed limits. The primaquine samples were found to have packaging deficiency. The release of mefloquine in samples from some regions showed a statistically significant difference when compared with the CENADI samples. CONCLUSIONS: It is important to periodically evaluate the quality and storage conditions of essential drugs. The quality deviations found with the primaquine and quinine samples are not related to storage conditions and must be addressed urgently. The decreased mefloquine release from tablets is related to formulation problems or influenced by inadequate storage conditions, prompting further investigation. Even with the mentioned problems, the samples would probably not contribute to resistant parasite selection.

Fungemia in a university hospital: an epidemiological approach

INTRODUCTION: Fungemia corresponds to the isolation of fungi in the bloodstream and occurs mostly in immunosuppressed patients. The early diagnosis and treatment of these infections are relevant given the serious threat to the affected patients and possible spread to other organs, often becoming fatal. The growing number of fungemia associated with poor prognosis resulted in this research aiming to diagnose and assess the epidemiological aspects of hematogenous infections by fungi. METHODS: The study included 58 blood samples collected within a 1-year period, from patients at the Hospital das Clinicas, Federal University of Pernambuco, by venipuncture in vacuum tubes. Blood samples were processed for direct examination and culture and identification, conducted by observing the macroscopic and microscopic characteristics, as well as physiological characteristics when necessary. RESULTS: Eight (13.8%) episodes of fungemia were identified, accounting for the total sample, and these pathogens were Candida, Histoplasma, Trichosporon, Cryptococcus, and a dematiaceous fungus. C. albicans was the prevalent species, accounting for 37.5% of the cases. Most affected patients were adult males. There was no predominance for any activity, and the risk of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome was the underlying pathology most often cited. CONCLUSIONS: The isolation of fungi considered as emergent species, such as C. membranifaciens and dematiaceous species, highlights the importance of epidemiological monitoring of cases of fungemia in immunocompromised patients, as the therapy of choice depends on the knowledge of the aethiological agent.

Preparo de filmes-suporte para microscópio eletrônico

Working with low voltage microscope (R.C.A., EMC-2, of 30KV.) the authors verified that parlodion and Formvar films are quickly destroyed by intense heating under the electron beam. They have tried to employ oxide films, as Al2O3 and SiO, more resistant to heat. Al2O3 films are prepared by anodic oxidation of thin aluminium sheets, under 8 to 10 volts in a 3% ammonium citrate solution and subsequent aluminium dissolution in a O.25% HgCl2 solution. These films are very suitable when prepared with highly pure aluminium of extremely homogeneous surface. Best results were obtained with SiO films, evaporated in high vacuum over Parlodion films mounted on metallic grids. Employing 1 or 1.5 mg of SiOm highly homogeneous and resistant films are obtained, having little inferior transparence than the Parlodion ones. Pure SiO films (1.5 mg) are obtained by elimination of the Parlodion under slow heating until 250°C; they are greatly transparent but little resistant to water, thus beeing indicated in dry preparations. For particles which deposite in a chain-like form around thin fibers, the authors employ the mounting on Parlodion fibers, obtained by heating Parlodion films on microscope grids about 190°C.

Sensitivity of Lymph Node Aspiration in Localized Cutaneous Leishmaniasis Due to Leishmania (Viannia) braziliensis

Twenty nine patients with localized cutaneous leishmaniasis had lymph node and skin ulcer aspirations for culture of Leishmania with the modified Marzochi´s vacuum aspiratory technique. Sensitivity of lymph node aspiration was 58.6% and 34.5% for skin ulcer aspiration (P=0.06). Combined sensitivity of the two methods was 79.3%. There was no agreement between methods (Kappa Index = -0.084; CI95% -0,45; 0,28) showing the potential complementary roles in diagnostic approach.

Lesion aspirate culture for the diagnosis and isolation of Leishmania spp. from patients with cutaneous leishmaniasis

The detection of Leishmania spp. in skin lesion aspirates, using a puncture technique, was evaluated in 76 patients with cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) who were referred to a Leishmaniasis Reference Centre in Brazil. CL was defined based on skin lesions suggestive of the disease and on a positive result of the Montenegro skin test or Giemsa-stained imprints of biopsy fragments. The aspirates were cultured using a vacuum tube device containing culture medium and evaluated for the presence of Leishmania spp. The biphasic medium culture was examined once a week for three weeks. Promastigotes were observed in 53/76 (69.7%) cultures. Stained smears from 60 of the 76 patients were evaluated using PCR-RFLP to detect the conserved minicircle region of Leishmania spp. and to classify the parasite. Of these patients, 45 (75%) showed positive results in aspirate culture and 15 presented negative results. The PCR was positive in 80% (53/60) samples. The PCR-RFLP profile was determined in 49 samples, of which 45 (92%) showed a pattern compatible with Leishmania (Viannia) braziliensis. The aspirate culture is a sensitive and feasible method for diagnosing CL and may be routinely adopted by health services for L. (V.) braziliensis isolation and identification.

Should I go to court?: an assessment of the role of the Judiciary in disputes between cattle raisers and meatpackers in Brazil

The main objective of this perspective paper is to analyze the role of the judiciary in resolving conflicts between cattle raisers and meatpacking firms in Brazil. Looking at the transaction for the acquisition of cattle for slaughter in the state of Mato Grosso do Sul (the central-western region of Brazil), the analysis encompasses three steps. First, the authors describe the transaction pattern between cattle raisers and meatpacking firms, identifying a guarantee vacuum within the supply chain. Secondly, the authors present evidence that the guarantee vacuum may give rise to legal conflicts of non-payment, which are indeed prevalent in disputes that reach the courts. Finally, the role of the judiciary in resolving these conflicts is investigated. Results suggest that, on average, producers have little confidence in the legal system, indicating the potential function that informal mechanisms may play in the supply chain. The paper concludes by suggesting some implications for public and private strategies.

Accidental intoxication of the infant-juvenile population in households: profiles of emergency care

OBJECTIVE Analyzing profiles of intoxication and accidental poisoning of infant-juvenile population (0-24 years) in the household, treated at a reference facility for Emergency and Primary Care, during the year 2013. METHOD A descriptive, cross-sectional study. Data were analyzed using Epi-Info, by way of simple and bivariate analyzes. The project was approved by the Research Ethics Committee (protocol 405.578). RESULTS There were 45 intoxications, with a prevalence of males (60.0%), aged 1-4 years (71.1%). Among children under one, there was a higher frequency of pesticide poisoning (66.6%), between the ages of 1-4 by cleaning products (34.4%), and between 5-9 years of age by pharmacological substances (66.6%). The primary assistance was provided only at health institutions, with hospital admissions in 24.4% of the cases. CONCLUSION The importance of prevention through legislation is evident, in order to ensure greater safety in packaging of various products, and community awareness to eliminate risks in the household environment.

Direct Cost of Reprocessing Cotton-woven Surgical Drapes: a Case Study

OBJECTIVE Identify the direct cost of reprocessing double and single cotton-woven drapes of the surgical LAP package. METHOD A quantitative, exploratory and descriptive case study, performed at a teaching hospital. The direct cost of reprocessing cotton-woven surgical drapes was calculated by multiplying the time spent by professionals involved in reprocessing the unit with the direct cost of labor, adding to the cost of materials. The Brazilian currency (R$) originally used for the calculations was converted to US currency at the rate of US$0.42/R$. RESULTS The average total cost for surgical LAP package was US$9.72, with the predominance being in the cost of materials (US$8.70 or 89.65%). It is noteworthy that the average total cost of materials was mostly impacted by the cost of the cotton-woven drapes (US$7.99 or 91.90%). CONCLUSION The knowledge gained will subsidize discussions about replacing reusable cotton-woven surgical drapes for disposable ones, favoring arguments regarding the advantages and disadvantages of this possibility considering human resources, materials, as well as structural, environmental and financial resources.

Isotope determination of sulfur by mass spectrometry in soil samples

Sulphur plays an essential role in plants and is one of the main nutrients in several metabolic processes. It has four stable isotopes (32S, 33S, 34S, and 36S) with a natural abundance of 95.00, 0.76, 4.22, and 0.014 in atom %, respectively. A method for isotopic determination of S by isotope-ratio mass spectrometry (IRMS) in soil samples is proposed. The procedure involves the oxidation of organic S to sulphate (S-SO4(2-)), which was determined by dry combustion with alkaline oxidizing agents. The total S-SO4(2-) concentration was determined by turbidimetry and the results showed that the conversion process was adequate. To produce gaseous SO2 gas, BaSO4 was thermally decomposed in a vacuum system at 900 ºC in the presence of NaPO3. The isotope determination of S (atom % 34S atoms) was carried out by isotope ratio mass spectrometry (IRMS). In this work, the labeled material (K2(34)SO4) was used to validate the method of isotopic determination of S; the results were precise and accurate, showing the viability of the proposed method.

Behaviour of pre-parturient sows housed in intensive outdoor or indoor systems

This work compared the behaviour of pre-parturient sows housed in intensive confined and outdoor systems, during the morning and afternoon prior to delivery. Eight sows were kept individually in farrowing crates or in paddocks with access to fresh pasture from 8 to 10 days before expected parturition. All outdoor sows built a nest within 24 hours before farrowing. On the morning and afternoon before farrowing they spent 6.5% of the time collecting grass and 7.5% of the time organizing the nest. Outdoor sows were observed more often than confined sows rooting (4.60% vs. 0.25%), feeding (10.2% vs. 3.0%), standing (51% vs. 13%) and walking (8% vs. 0%). Indoor sows redirected the nesting behaviour to other behaviours like attempts to dig the ground, nosing, biting and rooting parts of the crate, feeder or drinker, during 4.7% of the time. They also spent more time than outdoor sows inactive (85% vs. 60%), lying (72% vs. 41%), drinking (2.1% vs. 0.5%) and vacuum chewing (3.7% vs. 0.1%). The pre-parturient behaviour of sows was considerably affected by the husbandry system. The outdoor system appears to be more appropriate for the sows' welfare than the conventional confinement.

Qualidade de queijo minas frescal preparado com leite com diferentes quantidades de células somáticas

The objective of this work was to evaluate the effects of using bulk milk with different somatic cell counts (SCC) on the quality of minas frescal cheese. A randomized complete block design was used, with 3x5 factorial treatments, with three SCC levels (low, 125,000 cells mL-1; intermediate, 437,000 cells mL-1; and high, 1,053,000 cells mL-1) and five storage durations. Cheese was vacuum-packed in plastic bags and analyzed after 2, 9, 16, 23 and 30 days of storage at 4ºC. Somatic cell counts did not affect dry matter, fat, ash content, pH, free fatty acid concentrations and sensory parameters of minas frescal cheese. However, SCC in milk increased losses of protein in whey and decreased the cheese protein content. These changes did not affect the moisture-adjusted cheese yield and proteolysis during 30 days of storage. An interaction effect between SCC and time of storage was observed for firmness and sensory grades of cheeses. Results indicated that raw milk used to produce minas frescal cheese should not contain high SCC, in order to avoid lower acceptance of the product after 30 days of storage.

An ethanol-based process to simultaneously extract and fractionate carotenoids from Mauritia flexuosa L. Pulp

Mauritia vinifera (buriti) is a palm tree that grows wild in different areas of Brazil, particularly in the Amazonian region. The buriti oil is rich in carotenoids, especially in β-carotene. The growing interest in other natural sources of β-carotene has stimulated the industrial use of buriti as a raw material for pulp oil extraction. Most processes are based on the conventional technologies, involving drying and pressing the pulp for oil recovery and further separation of carotenoids in a liquid phase using organics solvents. In the present work, the ethanol-based process was evaluated for simultaneous carotenoids recovering and fractionating from buriti pulp. The raw material and ethanol, 1:4 ratio, were placed in an erlenmeyer flask and maintained at 30rpm for 1 hour in a temperature-controlled bath at 65ºC. The mixture was filtered under vacuum and cooling at 10ºC to allow for the separation of the solvent in two phases. Carotenoids composition, determined by HPLC, has indicated a β-carotene concentration about 12 times greater in the lower phase than in the upper phase. The profile of the carotenoids in the denser phase is quite similar to that of raw buriti oil, and the concentration of total carotenoids is 40% higher than that of the original raw oil, making the ethanol-based process particularly attractive for industrial applications.

Construção de equipamentos de refrigeração que permitem trabalhar com temperaturas de -40ºC ou -60ºC

In this article we describe the construction of two cooling systems with an immersion probe which will allow one to work at temperatures of either -40ºC or -60ºC. The two systems were constructed with readily available components and have been used daily for the last year in our laboratory to carry out reactions at low temperature or to cool down traps of vacuum pumps, reducing our need of dry-ice or liquid nitrogen.