In vitro studies of the anthelmintic activity of Picrolemma sprucei Hook. f. (Simaroubaceae)

1300 ppm (1.3 g / L), water and ethanol extracts prepared from stems or roots of Picrolemma sprucei Hook. f. were lethal (85-90 % mortality) in vitro to Haemonchus contortus (Barber Pole Worm) larvae, a gastrointestinal nematode parasite found in domestic and wild ruminants. Neosergeolide and isobrucein B were isolated in 0.0083 and 0.0070 % yield from dry, ground P. sprucei stems (0.89 kg). Neosergeolide, isobrucein B and the anthelmintic drug standard levamisole all caused comparable mortality rates (68-77 %) in vitro to H. contortus at similar concentrations (81-86 ppm). The anthelmintic activity of P. sprucei infusions (teas), alcohol extracts, and neosergeolide and isobrucein B, has therefore been demonstrated for the first time.

Epidemiological studies of Mansonella ozzardi (Nematoda, Onchocercidae) in indigenous communities of Pauini municipality, Amazonas, Brazil

The Mansonella ozzardi has a widespread distribution among the indigenous and riverine communities of Amazonas, Brazil. We estimated the prevalence of Mansonella ozzardi in indigenous communities of the Pauini municipality, Amazonas state, Brazil and the rate of parasitic infection in vectors. We collected thick blood smears from individuals from six Apurinã indigenous communities along the Purus River and its tributaries. Collections of simuliids were made and dissected, and the larval instars of M. ozzardi identified. The overall prevalence of M. ozzardi was 28.40%, with the highest incidence among males and agricultural workers. Among age groups, children 2-9 years of age had the lowest incidence, while individuals older than 58 exhibited the highest rates of infection. We found infected simuliids in three communities, with Parasitic Infection Rates (PIR) of 0.34-6.58%. The prevalence of M. ozzardi among the Apurinã people is high, possibly related to the diary activities of the riparian people, where a high abundance of the vectors exists.

Mangrove vegetation in Amazonia: a review of studies from the coast of Pará and Maranhão States, north Brazil

The present study is a compilation of the literature about vegetation of mangrove forest of the north coast of Brazil. It synthesizes the knowledge about this important ecosystem and lists the currently available literature. The study focuses on the coast of Pará and Maranhão states, which are covered by a continuous belt of mangroves. The mangrove flora comprises six mangrove tree species and several associated species. Mangrove tree height and stem diameter vary as a function of abiotic local stand parameters. Seasonal variation in rainfall and salinity affect the species' phenology and litter fall. Local population use products derived from mangrove plants for different purposes (e.g. fuel; medicinal; rural construction). The increase in the coastal population has given rise to conflicts, which impact on mangrove forest.

Trans-cultural aspects of social anxiety disorder and related conditions: a Brazilian case series and a review of international clinical studies

Cross-cultural studies have much to teach clinicians and researchers alike about psychopathology in general and about social anxiety disorder (SAD) in particular. Unfortunately, little is known about the degree and the mechanisms through which cultural environment may influence clinical manifestations of SAD. OBJECTIVE: Our objective was to identify culture-related clinical patterns in SAD and related disorders. METHODS: We described socio-demographic and clinical characteristics of a sample of 62 adult outpatients with SAD seen at a university clinic for anxiety and depressive disorders in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and compared them with those reported in clinical samples from North America, Europe, Asia and Oceania identified through a systematic review in Medline, PsychINFO, and LILACS. RESULTS: Our comparison of trans-cultural features of SAD lends partial support to Heimberg's (1997) contention that the majority of socio-demographic features and symptoms of this disorder are relatively independent of geographic and cultural differences. CONCLUSION: Patients with SAD were almost universally characterized by: 1) a predominance of males in clinical samples; 2) early onset of the disorder; 3) high educational attainment; and 4) great frequency of comorbidities.

Effects of bariatric surgery on the central nervous system and eating behavior in humans: a systematic review on the neuroimaging studies

INTRODUCTION: Neuroimaging studies suggest that obese people might show hyperactivity of brain areas regarding reward processing, and hypoactivity of brain areas concerning cognitive control, when exposed to food cues. Although the effects of bariatric surgery on the central nervous system and eating behavior are well known, few studies have used neuroimage techniques with the aim of investigating the central effects of bariatric surgery in humans. OBJECTIVES: This paper systematically and critically reviews studies using functional neuroimaging to investigate changes on the patterns of activation of central areas related to the regulation of eating behavior after bariatric surgery. METHOD: A search on the databases Medline, Web of Science, Lilacs and Science Direct on Line, was conducted in February 2013, using the keywords "Neuroimaging", "Positron-Emission Tomography", "Magnetic Resonance Imaging", "Gastric Bypass", "Gastroplasty", "Jejunoileal Bypass", "Bariatric Surgery". RESULTS: Seven manuscripts were included; the great majority studied the central effects of Roux en Y gastric bypass, using positron emission tomography or functional magnetic resonance. CONCLUSIONS: Bariatric surgery might normalize the activity of central areas concerned with reward and incentive salience processing, as the nucleus accumbens and mesencephalic tegmental ventral area, as well as circuitries processing behavioral inhibition, as the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex.

Psychometric properties of assessment instruments for autism spectrum disorder: a systematic review of Brazilian studies

Objective To systematically review the scientific literature on the psychometric properties of international instruments for the assessment of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in the Brazilian population. Methods A search of bibliographic references was conducted in six electronic databases: PsycINFO, PubMed, IndexPsi, Lilacs, Capes (theses and dissertations) and SciELO. The studies were selected by two independent researchers. Results The procedure identified 11 studies of the Brazilian population that encompassed six ASD assessment tools. Given the information provided, the adaptation of the M-CHAT, a screening instrument, was the best conducted. All steps of the adaptation process were described and the changes made to the final version of the instrument were presented, which was not addressed in other studies. In terms of reliability, all of the instruments that assessed internal consistency showed adequate values. In addition, the ADI-R and the CARS adaptations also satisfactorily contemplated inter-rater reliability and test-retest indices, respectively. Finally, all studies aiming to validate instruments showed evidence of validity and sensitivity, and specificity values above 0.90 were observed in the ASQ, ADI-R and ABC. Conclusion Considering both the psychometric aspects and the copyright information, the screening instrument that currently appears to be best indicated for clinical and research use is the M-CHAT. It was also noticed that there are still no specific ASD diagnostic tools available for use in Brazil. This lack of diagnostic instruments consists in a critical situation for the improvement of clinical practice and the development of research in this area.

Cognitive-behavioral therapy for anxiety disorders in children and adolescents: a systematic review of follow-up studies

Objective To conduct a systematic review about the long-term response to cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) for anxiety disorders (ADs) in children and adolescents. Methods The PubMed and ISI Web of Science databases were consulted. Search in the databases was performed in November 2012 and included cohort studies after CBT for ADs in children and adolescents with a follow-up period over 12 months. Results A total of 10 papers met the inclusion criteria. The follow-up period ranged from 12 months to 13 years and the results generally showed maintenance of the short-term benefits with CBT. However, the studies presented limitations, especially regarding methods, such as lack of a control group and losses to follow-up. Conclusion The long-term benefits of CBT were identified, however it would be interesting to conduct other studies with more frequent assessment periods, in order to minimize losses to follow-up, in addition to evaluating children and adolescents in the various stages of their development.

Why do we need randomized and epidemiological studies on cardiovascular disease? Evidence-based cardiology VII

Over the last two decades the results of randomized clinical studies, which are powerful aids for correctly assessing therapeutical strategies, have consolidated cardiological practice. In addition, scientifically interesting hypotheses have been generated through the results of epidemiological studies. Properly conducted randomized studies without systematic errors and with statistical power adequate for demonstrating moderate and reasonable benefits in relevant clinical outcomes have provided reliable and strong results altering clinical practice, thus providing adequate treatment for patients with cardiovascular disease (CVD). The dissemination and use of evidence-based medicine in treating coronary artery disease (CAD), heart failure (HF), and in prevention will prevent hundreds of thousands of deaths annually in developed and developing countries. CVD is responsible for approximately 12 million deaths annually throughout the world, and approximately 60% of these deaths occur in developing countries. During recent years, an increase in mortality and morbidity rates due to CVD has occurred in developing countries. This increase is an indication that an epidemiological (demographic, economical, and health-related) transition is taking place in developing countries and this transition implies a global epidemic of CVD, which will require wide-ranging and globally effective strategies for prevention. The identification of conventional and emerging risk factors for CVD, as well as their management in high-risk individuals, has contributed to the decrease in the mortality rate due to CVD. Through a national collaboration, several multi-center and multinational randomized and epidemiological studies have been carried out throughout Brazil, thus contributing not only to a generalized scientific growth in different Brazilian hospitals but also to the consolidation of an increasingly evidence-based clinical practice.

Electrophysiological Studies and Radiofrequency Ablations in Children and Adolescents with Arrhythmia

Background:Radiofrequency ablation is the standard non-pharmacological treatment for arrhythmias in pediatric patients. However, arrhythmias and their associated causes have particular features in this population.Objective:To analyze the epidemiological characteristics and findings of electrophysiological diagnostic studies and radiofrequency ablations in pediatric patients referred to the Electrophysiology Unit at Instituto de Cardiologia do Rio Grande do Sul, in order to characterize the particularities of this population.Methods:Cross-sectional study with 330 electrophysiological procedures performed in patients aged less than 20 years between June 1997 and August 2013.Results:In total, 330 procedures (9.6% of the overall procedures) were performed in patients aged less than 20 years (14.33 ± 3.25 years, age range 3 months to 19 years), 201 of which were males (60.9%). A total of 108 (32.7%) electrophysiological diagnostic studies were performed and of these, 48.1% showed abnormal findings. Overall, 219 radiofrequency ablations were performed (66.3%) with a success rate of 84.8%. The presence of an accessory pathway was the most prevalent finding, occurring in 158 cases (72.1%), followed by atrioventricular nodal reentrant tachycardia (16.8%), typical atrial flutter (3.1%) and extrasystoles originating from the right ventricular outflow tract (2.7%). Three patients developed complications during ablation (1.4%). Among congenital heart diseases, which occurred in 51 (15.4%) patients, atrial sept defect was the most frequent (27.4%), followed by ventricular sept defect (25.4%) and Ebstein's anomaly (17.6%).Conclusion:Electrophysiological study and radiofrequency ablation are effective tools for diagnosis and treatment of arrhythmias in the pediatric population.

Tracer studies in the coffee plant (Coffea arabica L.)

Due to the great importance of coffee to the Brazilian economy, a good deal of the work carried out in the "Laboratório de Isótopos", E. E. A. "Luiz de Queiroz", Piracicaba, S. Paulo, Brazil, was dedicated to the study of some problems involving that plant. The first one was designed to verify a few aspects of the control of zinc deficiency which is common in many types of soils in Brazil. An experiment conducted in nutrient solution showed that the leaf absorption of the radiozinc was eight times as high as the root uptake; the lower surface of the leaves is particularly suited for this kind of absorption. Among the heavy metal micronutrients, only iron did not affect the absorption of the radiozinc; manganese, copper, and molybdenum brought about a decrease of fifty per cent in total uptake. In another pot experiment in which two soils typical of the coffee growing regions were used, namely, a sandy soil called "arenito de Bauru" and a heavy one, "terra roxa", only O.l and 0.2 per cent of the activity supplied to the roots was recovered", respectively. This indicates that under field conditions the farmer should not attempt to correct zinc deficiency by applying zinc salts to the soil: leaf sprays should be used wherever necessary. In order to find out the most suitable way to supply phosphatic fertilizers to the coffee plant, under normal farm conditions, an experiment with tagged superphosphate was carried out with the following methods of distribution of this material: (1) topdressed in a circular area around the trees; (2) placed in the bottom of a 15 cm deep furrow made around the plant; (3) placed in a semicircular furrow, as in the previous treatment; (4) sprayed directly to the leaves. It was verified that in the first case, circa 10 per cent of the phosphorus in the leaves came from the superphosphate; for the other treatments, the results ware, respectively: 2.4, 1.7, and 38.0 per cent. It is interesting to mention that the first and the last methods of distribution were those less used by the farmers; now they are being introduced in many coffee plantations. In a previous trial it was demonstrated that urea sprays were an adequate way to correct nitrogen deficiency under field conditions. An experiment was then set up in which urea-C14 was used to study the metabolism of this fertilizer in coffee leaves. In was verified that in a 9 hours period circa 95 per cent of the urea supplied to the leaves had been absorbed. The distribution of the nitrogen of the urea was followed by standard chemical procedures. On the other hand the fate of the carbonic moiety was studied with the aid of the radiochromatographic technique. Thus, the incorporation of C14 in aminoacids, sugars and organic acids was ascertained. Data obtained in this work gave a definite support to the idea that in coffee leaves, as in a few other higher plants, a mechanism similar to the urea cycle of animals does exist.

Studies on the mineral nutrition and fertilization of the passion fruit plant (Passiflora edulis f. flavicarpa): II - placement of fertilizer phosphorus

A localização do superfosfato (marcado com P32) no maracujá em produção foi estudada em condições de plantação comercial. Verificou-se que as aplicações em sulcos circulares ou faixas superficiais ao redor da planta tem eficiência equivalente sendo esses métodos três vezes superiores à localização do adubo em furos no solo. A pulverização foliar, por sua vez, mostrou-se 20 vezes mais eficiente que a aplicação no solo de acordo com os dois primeiros métodos.

Studies on the mineral nutrition and fertilization of the passion fruit plant (Passiflora edulis F. flavicarpa): II. placement of fertilizer phosphorus

1. Tagged superphosphate was applied to 2.5 year old passion fruit plants from a commercial plantation established in a sandy loam. 2. 100 grams of the fertilizer were distributed in the following ways: in a circular furrow 20 cm around the plant 40 cm from the stems; in a circular strip 10 cm wide, 40 cm from the stems; in six holes around the plants, 40 cm from the stems 20 cm deep, 2.5 cm in diameter. 3. 10 grams of the fertilizer in 11 of water were sprayed to the leaves. 4. Three weeks after the treatments were made, leaf samples were taken for analysis. 5. Determinations of specific activities both in the leaves and in the fertilizer used have shown that R in the plant was derived from the superphosphate in the following relative proportions (by making the first treatment equal to 100): circular furrow = 100; circular strip = 120; holes = 30; foliar spray = 230.

Chromosome studies of Brazilian vespertilionids Lasiurus cinereus and Lasiurus ega (Mammalia, Chiroptera)

Cytogenetical studies based on conventional coloration by Giemsa, C-banding and Ag-NOR were performed on 2 species of bats from the vespertilionid family: Lasiurus cinereus (Beauvois, 1796) and Lasiurus ega (Gervais, 1856). The 2n was 28 and FN was 48 in both species. The constitutive heterochromatin is located in centromeric regions in the two species and in the short arm of the subtelocentric X chromosome in L. ega. NORs were observed in the secondary constriction of the smaller autosome in both species.

Studies on neotropical Protoneuridae: 19. Two new species of Neoneura from Southern Brazil (Odonata, Protoneuridae)

Neoneura anaclara sp. nov. and Neoneura leonardoi sp. nov. are described and illustrated from specimens collected in Southern Brazil. These two species are unique in the genus Neoneura by the structure of their anal appendages.