Visual analysis, clustering, and classification of contrast-enhanced tumor perfusion MRI data

Magdeburg, Univ., Fak. für Inf., Diss., 2014

Efeitos da matéria orgânica sobre a capacidade de retenção de umidade de quatro solos do município de Piracicaba

Foi feito um ensaio de incubação, em vasos, para se verificar o efeito da matéria orgânica (torta de mamona) sobre o poder de retenção de umidade de 4 terras do município de Piracicaba. Conclui-se que tais efeitos foram lineares e significativos a 5% em duas terras e a 1% em outras duas.

Diversity and structure of microcrustacean assemblages (Cladocera and Copepoda) and limnological variability in perennial and intermittent pools in a semi-arid region, Bahia, Brazil

Temporary wetlands undergo recurrent drought due to the scarcity of water, which disrupts the hydrological connectivity with adjacent aquatic systems. However, some environments retain water for longer periods, allowing greater persistence of the community. The current study evaluated differences in the microcrustacean assemblages and limnological variability between perennial and intermittent pools in a semi-arid region of Brazil. The abiotic features (water temperature, pH, total alkalinity, electrical conductivity and depth) of intermittent pools were affected more than perennial pools due to loss of water volume. This may have contributed to a higher average richness and diversity index in some intermittent pools and differences in the structure of the assemblages. The lowest species richness and diversity were recorded where physical factors, such as a large quantity of suspended solids and variability in the electrical conductivity of the water and pH, make the environment unsuitable for these organisms. These results suggest that community development in intermittent pools is interrupted by the dry season; when the water returns, due to rainfall or rising groundwater, each pond undergoes a different process of colonization. In these circumstances, the biological importance of temporary aquatic environments is clear, since such pools provide shelters and have an important role in the maintenance of the regional diversity of aquatic environments.

A new species of Tmesiphantes (Araneae, Theraphosidae) from the state of Pará, Brazil

A new species of Tmesiphantes Simon, 1892, T. aridai sp. nov., is described and illustrated based on three males and three females collected at the Floresta Nacional do Tapajós, Santarém, state of Pará, Brazil. Males can be distinguished from T. perp Guadanucci & Silva, 2012 by the palpal bulb with an inconspicous tegular basal projection, but presenting a very slender embolus with shorter keels not extending to the tip, and from T. nubilus Simon, 1892 by the tibial apophysis with two similarly sized branches, the prolateral one with a strong spine on the retrolateral margin. Females resemble T. nubilus by the aspect of the seminal receptacle but the constriction near the apex is less evident and apex shape is irregular. The new species represents the first record of Tmesiphantes from the Amazonian region, bringing the total number of species to eight.

Revision of the spider genus Pycnothele (Araneae, Nemesiidae)

The genus Pycnothele Chamberlin, 1917 is revised. The Brazilian species Pycnothele perdita Chamberlin, 1917, P. singularis (Mello-Leitão, 1934) and P. auronitens (Keyserling, 1891) are redescribed, diagnosed and illustrated. The females of P. auronitens and P. singularis are described for the first time and P. auripila (Mello-Leitão, 1946) from Uruguay, currently a junior synonym of P. auronitens, is revalidated. Pycnothele piracicabensis (Piza, 1938) is transferred to Rachias Simon, 1892, with which it shares the morphology of the sexual structures, restoring the original combination. Five new species are proposed for Brazil: Pycnothele rubra sp. nov., P. jatai sp. nov. and P. araraquara sp. nov., from state of São Paulo, P. arapongas sp. nov., from state of Paraná, and P. gauderio sp. nov., from state of Rio Grande do Sul. After this revision the genus includes ten Neotropical species. Maps with distribution of all species is presented for the first time and the occurrence of species of the genus is enhanced for the Brazilian state of Paraná.

La imagen y el papel de los voluntarios en los Juegos Olímpicos de 1992

Documento que se presentó en la Asignatura Campus de la Universidad Autónoma de Barcelona (UAB) “Olimpismo, Sociedad y Deporte” durante el curso académico 1996/97. El propósito del análisis de este texto es determinar el papel y la imagen de los voluntarios olímpicos antes, durante y después de los Juegos Olímpicos de Barcelona 1992, haciendo hincapié en los aspectos comunicativos, sociales y culturales.

Self-identity and religion/spirituality

Although medicine is practised in a secular setting, religious and spiritual issues have an impact on patient perspectives regarding their health and the management of any disorders that may afflict them. This is especially true in psychiatry, as feelings of spirituality and religiousness are very prevalent among the mentally ill. Clinicians are rarely aware of the importance of religion and understand little of its value as a mediating force for coping with mental illness. This book addresses various issues concerning mental illness in psychiatry: the relation of religious issues to mental health; the tension between a theoretical approach to problems and psychiatric approaches; the importance of addressing these varying approaches in patient care and how to do so; and differing ways to approach Christian, Muslim, and Buddhist patients. This is the first book to specifically cover the impact of religion and spirituality on mental illness.

IgM antibodies to Schistosoma mansoni gut-associated antigens for the study of schistosomiasis transmission in Ribeirão Pires, São Paulo

The potential of an immunofluorescence test for detection of IgM antibodies against Schistosoma mansoni gut-associated antigens (IgM-IFT) was evaluated as a tool for studying aspects related to the schistosomiasis transmission in Ribeirão Pires, in the metropolitan area of the capital of the State of São Paulo, Brazil. Children from a school with about 400 students, 6 to 18 years, were followed-up for two years. In the five surveys, carried out at 6-month intervals, from October 92 to October 94, serological (IgM-IFT) prevalence indices of 5.3%, 5.8%, 6.2%, 2.9% and 3.3% were obtained. These indices were 7 to 10 times higher than the parasitological prevalence indices of 0.5%, 0.5%, 0.7%, 0.4% and 0% determined by the Kato-Katz method. Seroconversion from IFT negative to positive was indicating possible newly acquired S. mansoni infection in three children. But confirmation of infection by fecal examination was possible in only one child. The IgM-IFT can constitute a valuable tool for the improvement of the vigilance program in low endemic areas for schistosomiasis, better characterizing the S. mansoni transmission in such areas.

A comparative study on IgG-ELISA, IgM-IFT and Kato-Katz methods for epidemiological purposes in a low endemic area for schistosomiasis

The high sensitivity and the possibility of automation of the enzyme-linked-immunosorbent-assay (ELISA) has indicated this technique as one of the most useful serological test for epidemiological studies. In the present study, an ELISA for detection of IgG antibodies against adult worm antigens (IgG-ELISA) was investigated for epidemiological purposes, in a rural area of the municipality of Itariri (São Paulo, Brazil). Blood on filter paper (1,180 samples) from about 650 schoolchildren were submitted to ELISA and the data compared to the results of the parasitological method of Kato-Katz and also to the IgM-IFT (immunofluorescence test for IgM antibodies to gut associated antigens). The prevalence rates respectively of 8.5%, 43.0%, and 56.2% by the Kato-Katz, IgG-ELISA, and IgM-IFT methods suggest the poor sensitivity of the parasitological method for detection of Schistosoma mansoni eggs in individuals with low worm burden, situation commonly observed in low endemic areas. These results can partially explain the poor degree of agreement between the IgG-ELISA and the Kato-Katz, as suggested by the Kappa index of 0.170. Otherwise, the Kappa index of 0.675 showed substantial agreement between the two serological tests. Some discrepancy of results between the two serological techniques must be better investigated.

Effects of flooding and temperature on Aedes albifasciatus development time and larval density in two rain pools at Buenos Aires University City

Aedes albifasciatus is a floodwater mosquito that breeds in temporary waters. This semi-domestic species, widely distributed in Argentina, is a competent vector of the western equine encephalitis. The present study was carried out in two rain pools of the city of Buenos Aires, from April 1998 through March 1999. Samples were taken twice a week during the cold season and daily during the warmer months, starting from October. Immature mosquitoes were collected with a dipper, being the number of dippers proportional to the flooded area. The estimated rainfall thresholds to initiate cohorts of Ae. albifasciatus were: 16-17 mm in the fall-winter period, 25 mm in the spring, and 30 mm in the summer. The development time of the different cohorts and the mean air temperature of their respective periods were estimated in all seasons, ranging from six days (at 24ºC) to 32 days (at 13ºC). The equation that best expresses the relationship between development time and mean air temperature is dt =166,27.e-0,1435.T (R²=0,92). Significantly shorter development times were recorded for larvae of the first three stages as compared to the fourth larval stage and pupae.

Spirituality and religious practices among outpatients with schizophrenia and their clinicians

OBJECTIVES: Religious issues may be neglected by clinicians who are treating psychotic patients, even when religion constitutes an important means of coping. This study examined the spirituality and religious practices of outpatients with schizophrenia compared with their clinicians. Clinicians' knowledge of patients' religious involvement and spirituality was investigated. METHODS: The study sample included 100 patients of public psychiatric outpatient facilities in Geneva, Switzerland, with a diagnosis of nonaffective psychosis. Audiotaped interviews were conducted with use of a semistructured interview about spirituality and religious coping. The patients' clinicians (N=34) were asked about their own beliefs and religious activities as well as their patients' religious and clinical characteristics. RESULTS: Sixteen patients (16 percent) had positive psychotic symptoms reflecting aspects of their religious beliefs. A majority of the patients reported that religion was an important aspect of their lives, but only 36 percent of them had raised this issue with their clinicians. Fewer clinicians were religiously involved, and, in half the cases, their perceptions of patients' religious involvement were inaccurate. A few patients considered religious practice to be incompatible with treatment, and clinicians were seldom aware of such a conflict. CONCLUSIONS: Religion is an important issue for patients with schizophrenia, and it is often not related to the content of their delusions. Clinicians were commonly not aware of their patients' religious involvement, even if they reported feeling comfortable with such an issue.

Ochlerotatus albifasciatus in rain pools of Buenos Aires: seasonal dynamics and relation to environmental variables

The immature stages of Ochlerotatus albifasciatus develop in temporary pools. The present study aims at evaluating the seasonal dynamics of the aquatic stages of this mosquito, also analyzing the relationship among their presence and breeding success to some relevant climatic and environmental variables in the ephemeral rain pools of an urban park. Nineteen cohorts of O. albifasciatus that developed synchronously after rain events were recorded in all seasons. The proportions of mosquito-positive pools were significantly higher during the fall-winter period than in the spring-summer months (p < 0.001). The presence of this mosquito species was positively related to the amount of rain (p < 0.001), whereas negatively correlated to air temperature (p < 0.05) within a 5.2 to 29.7ºC range. The distribution of the number of cohorts per pool throughout the year was grouped (variance/mean: 3.96), indicating that these habitats were not equally suitable as breeding sites. The immature stages of O. albifasciatus were detected in pools belonging to all of the categories of surface area, depth, duration, vegetation cover, and insolation. However, the proportion of pools where immature mosquitoes were detected was positively and significantly related to surface, depth, duration, and vegetation cover. On the other hand, the proportion of mosquito-positive pools was higher at an intermediate insolation degree. Our results suggest that although preimaginal stages were present in all seasons, high temperatures may be unfavorable to larval development, and substrate vegetation may regulate water temperature. The positive relationship between the proportion of mosquito-positive pools and pool size and duration might reflect a strategy of O. albifasciatus to accomplish immature development.

Anti-human immunodeficiency virus-1 antibody titers in injection drug users compared to sexually infected individuals

Sera from infected injection drug users (IDU) have shown to have antibodies against synthetic human immunodeficiency virus-1 (HIV-1) envelope peptides more frequently. In this study, reactivity of 48 IDU plasma were compared to 60 plasmas obtained from sexually infected individuals (S). The overall reactivity of plasma from IDU compared to S was higher, and the reactivity titers were much higher for IDU plasma than S. IDU plasma also showed a broader antibody response. The higher reactivity titers were observed mainly for the gp41 immunodominant epitope and V3 peptides corresponding to the consensus sequences of HIV-1 subtypes/variants prevalent in Brazil (B, F, C) indicating the specificity in the higher immune response of IDU.

Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex differentiation using gyrB-restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis

Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex (MTBC) members are causative agents of human and animal tuberculosis. Differentiation of MTBC members is required for appropriate treatment of individual patients and for epidemiological purposes. Strains from six MTBC species - M. tuberculosis, M. bovis subsp. bovis, M. bovis BCG, M. africanum, M. pinnipedii, and "M. canetti" - were studied using gyrB-restriction fragment length polymorphism (gyrB-RFLP) analysis. A table was elaborated, based on observed restriction patterns and published gyrB sequences. To evaluate applicability of gyrB-RFLP at Instituto Adolfo Lutz, São Paulo, Mycobacterial Reference Laboratory, 311 MTBC clinical isolates, previously identified using traditional methods as M. tuberculosis (306), M. bovis (3), and M. bovis BCG (2), were analyzed by gyrB-RFLP. All isolates were correctly identified by the molecular method, but no distinction between M. bovis and M. bovis BCG was obtained. Differentiation of M. tuberculosis and M. bovis is of utmost importance, because they require different treatment schedules. In conclusion, gyrB-RFLP is accurate and easy-to-perform, with potential to reduce time needed for conventional differentiation methods. However, application for epidemiological studies remains limited, because it cannot differentiate M. tuberculosis from M. africanum subtype II, and "M. canetti", M. africanum subtype I from M. pinnipedii, and. M. bovis from M. bovis BCG.

Is human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome decreasing among Brazilian injection drug users? Recent findings and how to interpret them

We briefly review findings from Brazilian settings where the human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS) epidemic among injection drug users (IDUs) seems to be decreasing, highlighting recent findings from Rio de Janeiro and discussing methodological alternatives. Former analyses using serologic testing algorithm for recent HIV seroconversion have shown that HIV incidence has been low in IDUs recruited by two different surveys carried out in Rio, where low injection frequencies and infection rates have been found among new injectors. The proportion of AIDS cases among IDUs in Rio has been fairly modest, compared to São Paulo and especially to the southernmost states. Notwithstanding, the interpretation of findings from serial surveys constitutes a challenge, magnified in the assessment of HIV spread among IDUs due to the dynamic nature of the drug scenes and limitations of sampling strategies targeting hard-to-reach populations. Assessment of epidemic trends may profit from the triangulation of data, but cannot avert biases associated with sampling errors. Efforts should be made to triangulate data from different sources, besides exploring specific studies from different perspectives. In an attempt to further assess the observed trends, we carried out original analyses using data from Brazilian AIDS databank.