Opportunities and constraints in schistosomiasis vaccine development: infection characteristics and industry realities

The notes provided in this article relate to two components of the development of vaccines against schistosomiasis: (1) The characteristics of schistosome infections (eg. features of the schistosome life cycle), and the parasite itself, that have implications for vaccination strategies; (2) The characteristics of the biopharmaceutical industry that have implications for product development. As will be seen, these two topic areas are not vastly disparate.

Rethinking "energy nationalism": a study of the relationship between nation states and companies in the oil industry

ABSTRACTThe term "energy nationalism" is frequently used by academic literature and media, but usually without adequate conceptual accuracy. Despite this, a set of papers deepens the discussion on the relationship between nation states and the energy industry, especially the oil sector. These papers allow identifying fundamental elements to understand the energy nationalism, either complementary or divergent between each other. Thus, this study aims at presenting an interpretation of the concept that fills the gaps left by the above mentioned literature based on a global analysis of the oil industry structure and its historical evolution since the mid-19thcentury.

Prevalence of hypertension among adolescents: systematic review and meta-analysis

ABSTRACT OBJECTIVE To estimate the prevalence of hypertension among adolescent Brazilian students. METHODS A systematic review of school-based cross-sectional studies was conducted. The articles were searched in the databases MEDLINE, Embase, Scopus, LILACS, SciELO, Web of Science, CAPES thesis database and Trip Database. In addition, we examined the lists of references of relevant studies to identify potentially eligible articles. No restrictions regarding publication date, language, or status applied. The studies were selected by two independent evaluators, who also extracted the data and assessed the methodological quality following eight criteria related to sampling, measuring blood pressure, and presenting results. The meta-analysis was calculated using a random effects model and analyses were performed to investigate heterogeneity. RESULTS We retrieved 1,577 articles from the search and included 22 in the review. The included articles corresponded to 14,115 adolescents, 51.2% (n = 7,230) female. We observed a variety of techniques, equipment, and references used. The prevalence of hypertension was 8.0% (95%CI 5.0–11.0; I2 = 97.6%), 9.3% (95%CI 5.6–13.6; I2 = 96.4%) in males and 6.5% (95%CI 4.2–9.1; I2 = 94.2%) in females. The meta-regression failed to identify the causes of the heterogeneity among studies. CONCLUSIONS Despite the differences found in the methodologies of the included studies, the results of this systematic review indicate that hypertension is prevalent in the Brazilian adolescent school population. For future investigations, we suggest the standardization of techniques, equipment, and references, aiming at improving the methodological quality of the studies.

Frequency, diversity, and productivity study on the Aedes aegypti most preferred containers in the city of Manaus, Amazonas, Brazil

The most preferred containers by Aedes aegypti were studied April and July (rainy and dry periods) in two Manaus neighbourhoods. In all, 2,700 premises and 13,912 containers were examined, most (87%) recorded outdoors. Out of the 13,100 inspected premises, only 1.6% showed to be positive for Aedes aegypti, summing up to 7,916 collected samples. Most frequently found containers outdoors in either neighbourhood regardless of rain or dry period were Bottles flasks and Storage, and indoors, Fixed, Flowerpots, and buckets. Productivity was estimated according to the number of premises and positive containers investigated, showing the actual container groups productivity. Considering both rainy and dry periods outdoors at Praça 14 the groups of Tyre, Flask, Bottle, Construction Equipment and Fixed, had the highest averages respectively. Construction Equipment and Flask groups were the most productive in Coroado in April. Flask, Construction Equipment and Storage groups stood out in July.

Costs of reusable and disposable aprons in a public teaching hospital

Objective To analyze the direct cost of reusable and disposable aprons in a public teaching hospital. Method Cross-sectional study of quantitative approach, focusing on the direct cost of reusable and disposable aprons at a teaching hospital in northern Paraná. The study population consisted of secondary data collected in reports of the cost of services, laundry, materials and supplies division of the institution for the year 2012 Results We identified a lower average cost of using disposable apron when compared to the reusable apron. The direct cost of reusable apron was R$ 3.06, and the steps of preparation and washing were mainly responsible for the high cost, and disposable apron cost was R$ 0.94. Conclusion The results presented are important for hospital managers properly allocate resources and manage costs in hospitals
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Improvement of productivity and polysaccharide-protein complex in Agaricus blazei

The objective of this work was to assess the productivity and polysaccharide-protein complex content of Agaricus blazei on rice straw medium, in comparison to conventional sawdust, using four casing soils. The A. blazei strain used was BCRC36814T, purchased from the Food Industry Research and Development Institute, Hsin-Chu, Taiwan. The two media were evaluated as to A. blazei productivity, harvesting time, and production costs. The experimental design used was a randomized complete block, with four replicates. Three local casing soils - Typic Paleudult (CCe), Typic Udorthent (Tq) and Oxyaquic Paleudult (TSp) - were compared to imported peat soil (PS, Saprists, Histosols), used as the control. The productivity of A. blazei using Tq and TSp soil was significantly higher. The TSp casing treatment resulted in earlier harvest by at least 14 to 27 days, when compared to the other treatments. The polysaccharide content in CCe (13.2%) and Tq soils (13.2%) did not differ significantly from the PS (13.4%) and TSp (10.6%) treatments. Local casing soils decreased the production costs of A. blazei cultivation. Composted rice straw can substitute sawdust as the culture medium for A. blazei production with increased yield.

Evaluation of occupational and patient dose in cerebral angiography procedures

Objective The present study was aimed at estimating the doses received by physicians and patients during cerebral angiography procedures in a public hospital of Recife, PE, Brazil. Materials and Methods The study sample included 158 adult patients, and during the procedures the following parameters were evaluated: exposure parameters (kV, mAs), number of acquired images, reference air kerma value (Ka,r) and air kerma-area product (PKA). Additionally, the physicians involved in the procedures were evaluated as for absorbed dose in the eyes, thyroid, chest, hands and feet. Results The results demonstrated that the doses to the patients' eyes region were relatively close to the threshold for cataract occurrence. As regards the physicians, the average effective dose was 2.6 µSv, and the highest effective dose recorded was 16 µSv. Conclusion Depending on the number of procedures, the doses received by the physicians may exceed the annual dose limit for the crystalline lenses (20 mSv) established by national and international standards. It is important to note that the high doses received by the physicians are due to the lack of radiation protection equipment and accessories, such as leaded curtains, screens and protective goggles.

Fundamentals of beer and hop chemistry

Beer brewing is an intricate process encompassing mixing and further elaboration of four essential raw materials, including barley malt, brewing water, hops and yeast. Particularly hops determine to a great extent typical beer qualities such as bitter taste, hoppy flavour, and foam stability. Conversely, hop-derived bitter acids account for an offending lightstruck flavour, which is formed on exposure of beer to light. These various processes are presented in detail, while due emphasis is placed on state-of-the-art hop technology, which provides brewers with efficient means to control bitterness, foam, and light-stability thereby allowing for the production of beers with consistent quality.

Evaluation of techniques for C and ASG banding of the mitotic chromosomes of Anastrepha species (Diptera, Tephritidae)

Methods previously described by Canovai et al. (Caryologia 47: 241-247, 1994) which produced C and ASG bands in mitotic chromosomes of Ceratitis capitata were applied to the chromosomes of several Anastrepha species. Metaphase plate yield was substantially increased by use of imaginal disks together with cerebral ganglia. The C-bands were quite prominent allowing the resolution of tiny blocks of heterochromatin. The ASG method produced G-like banded chromosomes, which permitted recognition of each individual chromosome. These simple techniques do not require special equipment and may be valuable for karyotype variability studies in fruit flies and other Diptera

DNA extraction and quantification from touch and scrape preparations obtained from autopsy liver cells

The objective of the present study was to develop a simplified low cost method for the collection and fixation of pediatric autopsy cells and to determine the quantitative and qualitative adequacy of extracted DNA. Touch and scrape preparations of pediatric liver cells were obtained from 15 cadavers at autopsy and fixed in 95% ethanol or 3:1 methanol:acetic acid. Material prepared by each fixation procedure was submitted to DNA extraction with the Wizard® genomic DNA purification kit for DNA quantification and five of the preparations were amplified by multiplex PCR (azoospermia factor genes). The amount of DNA extracted varied from 20 to 8,640 µg, with significant differences between fixation methods. Scrape preparation fixed in 95% ethanol provided larger amount of extracted DNA. However, the mean for all groups was higher than the quantity needed for PCR (50 ng) or Southern blot (500 ng). There were no qualitative differences among the different material and fixatives. The same results were also obtained for glass slides stored at room temperature for 6, 12, 18 and 24 months. We conclude that touch and scrape preparations fixed in 95% ethanol are a good source of DNA and present fewer limitations than cell culture, tissue paraffin embedding or freezing that require sterile material, culture medium, laboratory equipment and trained technicians. In addition, they are more practical and less labor intensive and can be obtained and stored for a long time at low cost.

Correlations between pulse oximetry and peak expiratory flow in acute asthma

Few studies are available concerning correlations between pulse oximetry and peak expiratory flow in children and adolescents with acute asthma. Although the Global Initiative for Asthma states that measurements of lung function and oximetry are critical for the assessment of patients, it is not clear if both methods should necessarily be included in their evaluation. Since there is a significant difference in cost between pulse oximetry equipment and peak expiratory flow devices, we determined whether clinical findings and peak expiratory flow measurements are sufficient to determine the severity of acute asthma. The present prospective observational study was carried out to determine if there is correlation between pulse oximetry and peak expiratory flow determination in 196 patients with acute asthma aged 4 to 15 years diagnosed according to the Global Initiative for Asthma criteria. Patients experiencing their first or second wheezing episode, with fever, related acute or chronic diseases, and unable to perform the peak expiratory flow maneuver were excluded. Measurements of peak expiratory flow and pulse oximetry were performed at admission and after 15 min of each inhaled salbutamol cycle. Correlations obtained by linear regression using the Pearson correlation coefficients (r) were 0.41 (P < 0.0001), 0.53 (P < 0.0001), 0.51 (P < 0.0001), and 0.61 (P < 0.0001) at admission and after the first, second and third cycles of salbutamol, respectively. These correlations showed that one measure cannot substitute the other (Pearson's coefficient <0.7), probably because they evaluate different aspects in the airways, suggesting that peak expiratory flow should not be used alone in the assessment of acute asthma in children and adolescents.

Adhesion and production of degrading enzymes by bacteria isolated from biofilms in raw milk cooling tanks

Biofilms in milk cooling tanks compromise product quality even on farms. Due to the lack of studies of this topic, this study evaluated the microbiological conditions of raw milk cooling tanks on farms and characterized the microorganisms isolated from these tanks. Samples were wiped off with sterile swabs from seven milk cooling tanks in three different points in each tank. Mesophiles and psychrotrophic counts were performed in all samples. The isolation of Pseudomonas spp., Bacillus cereus and atypical colonies formed on selective media were also performed, totalizing 297 isolates. All isolates were tested for protease and lipase production and biofilm formation. Of the total isolates, 62.9% produced protease, 55.9% produced lipase, and 50.2% produced biofilm. The most widespread genus inside the milk cooling tank was Pseudomonas since it was not possible to associate this contamination with a single sampling point in the equipment. High counts of microorganisms were found in some cooling tanks, indicating poor cleaning of the equipment and providing strong evidences of microbial biofilm presence. Moreover, it is worth mentioning the milk potential contamination with both microbial cells and their degrading enzymes, which compromises milk quality.