Epidemiological aspects of Toxoplasma gondii infection in riverside communities in the Southern Brazilian Amazon

INTRODUCTION: Toxoplasma gondii infection is widely prevalent in humans and other animals worldwide. Information on the prevalence of T. gondii infection is scarce in some regions of Brazil, including riverside communities along the Amazon River basin. M METHODS: The prevalence of T. gondii in 231 people, aged 1-85 years, who were living in four riverside communities along the Purus River, Lábrea, State of Amazonas, Brazil, was determined. Antibodies against T. gondii were assayed using a commercial enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) kit. The hearts and brains of 50 chickens, which were raised free-range in the communities, were pooled according to the community of origin and bioassayed in mice. The isolates were genotyped using polymorphisms at 12 nuclear markers (SAG1, 5' and 3'-SAG2, alt.SAG2, SAG3, BTUB, GRA6, c22-8, c29-2, L358, PK1, Apico and CS3). RESULTS: The overall seroprevalence of T. gondii was 56.7% (131/231). IgG antibodies were presented by 117 (89.3%) and IgM by 14 (10.7%) of the 131 positive individuals. No association between age group and gender with prevalence was observed (chi-square test, p > 0.05); however, the comparison between localities showed that the seroprevalence of T. gondii was significantly lower among the individuals living in the Boca do Ituxi (p < 0.05) community. Five isolates of T. gondii were obtained in the mouse bioassay, and genotyping revealed two complete genotypes that had not been described previously and three mixed isolates. CONCLUSIONS: These results support previous findings that T. gondii population genetics are highly diverse in Brazil and that T. gondii infection is active in these riverside communities.

Clinical and radiological aspects in Melnick-Needles syndrome

Melnick-Needles syndrome is an X-linked dominant bone dysplasia, lethal in males, characterized by a typical facies and characteristic radiological findings: including sclerosis of skull base and mastoids, S-shaped appearance of tibia; cortical irregularities with a ribbon appearance of the ribs. About 48 well-documented cases have been reported, most of them were sporadic. Parental transmission has been published in only 11 kindreds. We are presenting the first Brazilian family with mother-daughter transmission.The proposita presented the typical clinical and radiological features with characteristic facies, severe thoracic cage restriction and pulmonary hypertension. Her mother was more mildly affected.

Radiographic aspects and angioarchitectural arrangements in corrosion casts of the blood supply to the human sternocleidomastoid muscle by the sternocleidomastoid branch of the occipital artery

The contribution of the sternocleidomastoid branch of the occipital artery (superior arterial pedicle - SAP) to the irrigation of the sternocleidomastoid muscle (SCM) was evaluated in fresh human cadavers by injecting radiological dye and a resin for microvasculature corrosion casts. From its insertion in the mastoid process of the temporal bone, the SCM was divided into superior, medium, and inferior thirds. In most of the SCM, The SAP are formed by two longitudinal parallel branches. In all specimens, the radiological dye injected into the SAP reached or trespassed the middle part of the studied SCM. The SAP was poorly distributed in the lowermost region of the inferior third of the SCM, suggesting the contribution of other arteries or pedicles. The corrosion casts of the microvasculature showed a profuse network of microscopic vessels in those levels where the SAP was detected.

Noonan syndrome: a clinical and genetic study of 31 patients

Noonan syndrome is a multiple congenital anomaly syndrome, inherited in an autosomal dominant pattern. We studied 31 patients (18 males and 13 females) affected by this disorder regarding their clinical and genetic characteristics. The most frequent clinical findings were short stature (71%); craniofacial dysmorphisms, especially hypertelorism, ptosis, downslanting of the palpebral fissures; short or webbed neck (87%); cardiac anomalies (65%), and fetal pads in fingers and toes (70%). After studying the probands' first-degree relatives, we made the diagnosis of Noonan syndrome in more than one family member in three families. Therefore, the majority of our cases were sporadic.

Measuring male infertility: epidemiological aspects

Evidence suggests that human semen quality may have been deteriorating in recent years. Most of the evidence is retrospective, based on analysis of data sets collected for other purposes. Measures of male infertility are needed if we want to monitor the biological capacity for males to reproduce over time or between different populations. We also need these measures in analytical epidemiology if we want to identify risk indicators, risk factors, or even causes of an impaired male fecundity-that is, the male component in the biological ability to reproduce. The most direct evaluation of fecundity is to measure the time it takes to conceive. Since the time of conception may be missed in the case of an early abortion, time to get pregnant is often measured as the time it takes to obtain a conception that survives until a clinically recognized pregnancy or even a pregnancy that ends with a live born child occurs. A prolonged time required to produce pregnancy may therefore be due to a failure to conceive or a failure to maintain a pregnancy until clinical recognition. Studies that focus on quantitative changes in fecundity (that does not cause sterility) should in principle be possible in a pregnancy sample. The most important limitation in fertility studies is that the design requires equal persistency in trying to become pregnant and rather similar fertility desires and family planning methods in the groups to be compared. This design is probably achievable in exposure studies that make comparisons with reasonable comparable groups concerning social conditions and use of contraceptive methods.

Ethical aspects in the management of the terminally ill patient in the pediatric intensive care unit

OBJECTIVE: To identify the prevalence of management plans and decision-making processes for terminal care patients in pediatric intensive care units. METHODOLOGY: Evidence-based medicine was done by a systematic review using an electronic data base (LILACS, 1982 through 2000) and (MEDLINE, 1966 through 2000). The key words used are listed and age limits (0 to 18 years) were used. RESULTS: One hundred and eighty two articles were found and after selection according to the exclusion/inclusion criteria and objectives 17 relevant papers were identified. The most common decisions found were do-not-resuscitation orders and withdrawal or withholding life support care. The justifications for these were "imminent death" and "unsatisfatory quality of life". CONCLUSION: Care management was based on ethical principles aiming at improving benefits, avoiding harm, and when possible, respecting the autonomy of the terminally ill patient.

Climatic aspects of the Amazonian Tropical Forest

The purpose of this study is to analyse the climatic aspects of the data collected in a forest site in comparison with conventional data obtained at different sites, such as clearing, rural an urban areas. The results showed that diverse climatic conditions do exist among the sites: the urban site showed higher temperature and lower relative humidity. In addition, evapotranspiration (potential and actual rates) was computed from the forest data set, using the classical Penman-Monteith's equation. The actual evapotranspiration is 30% of the potential value during dry period and seems to be almost constant during the whole year (tipically 2.0 to 2.5 mm day-1).

Genetic breeding on the bee Melipona scutellaris (Apidae, Meliponinae)

A selection of queens of Melipona scutellaris through the most productive colonies were carried out during eight months in an orange honeyflow. Each of the colonies was evaluated by its production, that is, the gross weight production ( pollen, brood, geopropolis and wax of each hive). With this data a coefficient of repeatability was estimated by the intraclass correlation method, obtained r = 0.835 ± 0.071. The repeatibility is very high showing that the analysed data (production) is repeatable. Selection was then carried out using the regression coefficient of each colony and the respective production gain. Using these data the colonies were divided into three groups according to the method Vencovsky and Kerr (1982): a with the colonies of highest productivity, b of least productivity, and c of intermediary productivity. Colonies with the highest production (Group a) gave their queens to those of the lowest production (Group b) after their queens were taken out and killed; while those of intermediate (Group c) stayed with the same queens during the entire experiment both before and after the selection. The modifications in weight, that is, the genetic response was (R)= 7.98 gr per day which indicated a selection gain. The estimate of the realized herdability is twice the rate of the response to selection (R) by the selection differential (S2). That is then h²R=2(R/S2) then h²R= 0.166

Geographic pattern of genetic diversity in natural populations of Rosewood (Aniba rosaeodora), in the Central Amazonia

Rosewood (Aniba rosaeodora Ducke, Lauraceae) is an Amazonian evergreen tree and a source of the purest linalool, the main component of its essential oil, which is very valuable in the international perfumery market. After decades of over-exploitation it is currently considered as threatened. We evaluated the genetic diversity and its distribution in four populations in Central Amazonia. Thirty-five reliable RAPD markers were generated, of which 32 were polymorphic (91.4%). Variation was higher within the populations (76.5%; p < 0.0001) and geographic distribution contributed to population differentiation (23.4%; p < 0.0001). The Amazon River had a small influence on gene flow (3.3%; p < 0.0001), but we identified evidence of gene flow across the river. There were significant differences in marker frequencies (p < 0.05), in agreement with the low gene flow (Nm = 2.02). The correlation between genetic distance and gene flow was - 0.95 (p = 0.06) and between geographic distance and gene flow was -0.78 (p = 0.12). There was a geographic cline of variability across an East-West axis, influenced as well by the Amazon River, suggesting the river could be a barrier to gene flow. Although threatened, these Rosewood populations retain high diversity, with the highest levels in the Manaus population, which has been protected for over 42 years in a Reserve.

Genetic diversity in rosewood saplings (Aniba rosaeodora ducke, Lauraceae): an ecological approach

This article takes an ecological approach to the genetic diversity of Rosewood (Aniba rosaeodora Ducke) in a central Amazonian terra firme forest north of Manaus. Planted Rosewood setting, under partial shaded canopy, were assessed in terms of fruiting production, frugivory, and seed dispersal. Using RAPD molecular analysis procedures, the influence of the spatial distribution of adult trees on the genetic diversity (polymorphism) of saplings was assessed with genetic samples from 34 reproductive trees and 60 saplings. The density and distribution patterns the reproductive trees did not modify the sapling"s diversity (1.86%, AMOVA). Two types of adult tree dispersion were identified; i) clumped and ii) more widely dispersed. Polymorphism (77.5%) and gene flow were high between these. Although more sapling genetic variability in areas with a higher density of mature plants was not as high as expected, density did not affect the genetic diversity of samplings, indicating a high incidence of gene flow amongst trees. In planted Rosewood population (surrounded by low disturbed forest), fruiting trees experienced a high level of removal of seeds by toucans (Rhamphastidae), about of 50%. The high gene flow found among native trees suggested that toucans, promoting seed rain at short and long distances from maternal trees, actively contribute to the maintenance of genetic diversity within wild rosewood populations.

Biological and morphometric aspects and rearing of Syssphinx molina (Cramer) (Lepidoptera: Saturniidae), a defoliator of parica tree

The objective of this research was to describe the biological and morphometric aspects of the parica tree defoliator, Syssphinx molina (Cramer), and make recommendations about the insect rearing. The life cycle was 62.9 days with mean periods for the egg, larval, pre-pupal and pupal stages of 5.6, 31.1, 2.2 and 16.6 days respectively. The pupal viability was 60.5% for females and 48.6% for males. The sexual ratio was 0.5 with mean production of 182.3 ± 2.2 eggs per female and egg viability of 24.3%. The mean longevity was 7.9 ± 2 and 8.1 ± 3 days for females and males respectively. Other parameters were also observed and compared with description of other Saturniidae species.

Reproductive aspects of Macrobrachium amazonicum (Decapoda: Palaemonidae) in the State of Amapá, Amazon River mouth

Macrobrachium amazonicum is an indigenous prawn vastly distributed in basins of South America, widely exploited by artisanal fisheries in northern and northeastern Brazil and, with great potential for aquaculture. This study aimed to investigate general aspects of population structure and reproductive characteristics (size at first maturity, fecundity and reproductive output) of M. amazonicum from two important areas to artisanal prawn fishing located at the mouth of the Amazon River, State of Amapá. The specimens were captured using 20 handcrafted traps called "matapi". A number of 5,179 prawns were captured, 2,975 females and 2,195 males resulting in 1.35:1 female to male ratio. Santana Island and Mazagão Velho showed females predominated in the population. A reproductive peak period was observed from January to April/2009 and in December/2010, coinciding with the period of higher rainfall. The recruitment peak occurred in June and July/2009. Egg-bearing females ranged in size (carapace length) from 11.10 to 29.6 mm. Fecundity increased with female size and reached up to 7,417 eggs. This amount of eggs is considered low if compared with other Macrobrachium estuarine species. Mean egg volume increased gradually from 0.121 to 0.24 mm³ during embryogenesis, representing 68.5% of overall increase from Stage I to Stage III. Eggs of M. amazonicum are small; this is typical for Macrobrachium species, which depends on brackish water to complete the larval development. Irrespective of female size, reproductive output of M. amazonicum varied between 4.8 and 21.85% of their body weight into eggs production.

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.