Perspective for the reproduction of antimalarial drugs in Brazil

The appears to be no chemical manufacture of antimalarial drugs is Brazil. Technology at laboratory process level has been developed for chloroquine, mefloquine, pyrimethamine and cycloquanil, but not perfected nor scaled-up, largely for economic reasons and market uncertainty. Development of primaquine has been contracted but it will run into the same difficulty. Manufacturing capacity for sulfadoxine was registred in the SDI by Roche. A project to produce artemisinine and its derivates is under way at UNICAMP-CPQBA but is hampered by low content in the plant. Proguanil could be produced easily, but apparently no attempt has been made to do so. Quinine is imported on a large scale mostly for softdrink production. Since malarial treatment falls largely within responsability of the Government health authorities, manufacture of drugs in Brazil will depend on an assured medium-term purchase order made to a potential local manufacturer, since competition in the world market is scarcelyviable at the present moment.

Ecology of malaria vectors in the Americas and future direction

The resurgence of malaria in the Americas has renewed interest in Anopheles biology. Anopheles darlingi, An. albimanus, An. nuneztovai and An aquasalis are reconfirmed as major malaria vectors and other species are playing important roles in regional malaria transmission. Adultbiting activity and larval ecology are discussed in detail. Seasonal abundance and daily biting activity of Anopheles vary considerably among species and geographically for the same species. Anopheles albimanus has the least amount of variation in biting activity over its range and An. darlingi has the greatest. All species studied are more exophilic and exophagic than endophilic and endophagic. Anopheles darling is more antropophilic, endophilic and endophagic than other Anophelines. Larval studies remain more descriptive than comprehensive. Research on Anophelines is becoming more integrated and biologists are using new biochemical techniques and ecological principles to answer critical questions. This "pluralization" will help us understand species complexes, population dynamics and malaria transmission. integrated control programs will require more regional, in-depth ecological studies.

Endemic leishmaniasis in Brazil: future implications

Some predictions are made as to how work on leishmaniaisis and its control will develop in Brazil in the future.

Taxonomy of the genus Leishmania: present and future trends and their implications

The application of different taxonomic methods (Cladistic, Evolutionary Taxonomy and Numerical Taxonomy) to the taxonomy of the Genus Leishmania are reviewed. The major groupings of the most recent classifications obtained using the cladistical approach agree with the major divisions of previous classifications which used traditional taxonomy (Evolutionary Taxonomy). The advantage of the cladistical approach is that it produces cladograms whose branches indicate more accurately levels of relationships between the different taxa. Numerical Taxonomy is useful for identification but not as good as the cladistical approach for classification. The ancient division of this monophyletic genus into two major evolutionary lines supports the use of the subgeneric names Leishmania and Viannia.

Perspectives de l'inactivation des pathogènes: quand la fiction dépasse la réalité [Back to the future: a fiction dealing with pathogen inactivation of blood products].

AIM OF THE PAPER: Arouse the reflection with a fiction having a scientific appearance, presenting a late and unexpected complication of the universal inactivation of pathogens. CONCLUSION: Such a fiction story opens the debate on a series of fundamental questions that could be addressed during the paradigm shift that is expected by introducing universal pathogen inactivation of blood products.

Eurytrema coelomaticum: influence of the infection on the reproduction and nucleic acids contents in the albumen gland and ovotestis of Bradybaena similaris

The number of eggs laid per snail in Bradybaena similaris and the nucleic acids (DNA and RNA) in the albumen gland and ovotestis were quantified in snails infected with sporocysts of the digenetic trematode Eurytrema coelomaticum. The total number of eggs laid per mollusc was reduced by 96.32% at the end of the larval development. The DNA concentration increased by 700% and the RNA concentration was reduced by 8,38% by the time when the daughter sporocysts of E. coelomaticum were released from B. similaris. The relation between these values and the inhibition of the reproduction observed in infected molluscs is discussed.

Influence of the primary cleft palate closure on the future need for orthognathic surgery in unilateral cleft lip and palate patients.

The aim of the study was to determine the influence of the dissection of the palate during primary surgery and the type of orthognathic surgery needed in cases of unilateral total cleft. The review concerns 58 children born with a complete unilateral cleft lip and palate and treated between 1994 and 2008 at the appropriate age for orthognathic surgery. This is a retrospective mixed-longitudinal study. Patients with syndromes or associated anomalies were excluded. All children were treated by the same orthodontist and by the same surgical team. Children are divided into 2 groups: the first group includes children who had conventional primary cleft palate repair during their first year of life, with extensive mucoperiosteal undermining. The second group includes children operated on according to the Malek surgical protocol. The soft palate is closed at the age of 3 months, and the hard palate at 6 months with minimal mucoperiosteal undermining. Lateral cephalograms at ages 9 and 16 years and surgical records were compared. The need for orthognathic surgery was more frequent in the first than in the second group (60% vs 47.8%). Concerning the type of orthognathic surgery performed, 2- or 3-piece Le Fort I or bimaxillary osteotomies were also less required in the first group. Palate surgery following the Malek procedure results in an improved and simplified craniofacial outcome. With a minimal undermining of palatal mucosa, we managed to reduce the amount of patients who required an orthognathic procedure. When this procedure was indicated, the surgical intervention was also greatly simplified.

The Future of the Deuteronomistic History

The present debate on the so-called "Deuteronomistic History" has become quite confusing and in recent years more and more scholars are inclined to deny the existence of a Deuteronomistic History as elaborated by Martin Noth or at least to modify this thesis radically. The contributions in this volume reflect the present state of discussion about the Deuteronomistic History. With one exception they have all been presented and discussed in three special sessions dedicated to "Deuteronomism" during the SBL International Meeting in Lausanne (July 1997). Three topics were treated: "The Future of the Deuteronomistic History", "Identity and Literary Strategies of the Deuteronomists", "Deuteronomism and the Hebrew Bible". The contributors are: R. Albertz, A.G. Auld, M. Bauks, W. Dietrich, D. Edelman, F. Garcia Lopez, E.A. Knauf, G. Knoppers, S.K. McKenzie, C. Nihan, T.C. Römer, N.H. Rösel, J. Van Seters and J. Vermeylen. Each contribution offers a valuable entry into one of the most important discussions of Old Testament scholarship at the end of the twentieth century.

The Influence of Self-fertilization performance and Copulation Behaviour in Reproduction by Cross-fertilization in Groups of Biomphalaria tenagophila (Mollusca, Planorbidae)

The following hypotheses were tested for groups of simultaneous hermaphrodites Biomphalaria tenagophila: (a) snails that have low reproductive success during the process of self-fertilization do not increase their reproductive success after the end of grouping; (b) the copulation behaviour and the presence of one snail whose eggs have a low viability rate influence the partner's reproductive success by cross-fertilization. Groups were constituted by a homozygous pigmented snail and two albinos: one with a viability rate higher than 70% ("good reproducers") and the other less than 10% ("bad reproducers"). All pigmented snails had viability rates higher than 70%. The "good" and "bad" reproducer albino snails had similar copulation behaviour. However, after the end of grouping, the "bad reproducers" continued to have viability rates less than 10% over 30 days. In 100% of the cases that pigmented snails copulated (performing either a male role or simultaneously male and female roles) exclusively with "good" reproducer albinos, they presented high reproductive success (producing, on average of 8.4 pigmented embryos/egg-mass). However, in 100% of the cases that pigmented snails copulated with both partners, the "good" reproducer albino snails produced none or very few embryos (the highest average was 2.2 pigmented embryos/egg-mass). Therefore, the production of viable embryos by cross-fertilization was more influenced by self-fertilization performance than by copulation behaviour. The presence of a snail whose eggs have a low viability rate could decrease their partners reproductive success

Proceedings of the Schistosome Genome Project

"The host-parasite relationship" is a vast and diverse research field which, despite huge human and financial input over many years, remains largely shrouded in mystery. Clearly, the adaptation of parasites to their different host species, and to the different environmental stresses that they represent, depends on interactions with, and responses to, various molecules of host and/or parasite origin. The schistosome genome project is a primary strategy to reach the goal; this systematic research project has successfully developed novel technologies for qualitative and quantitative characterization of schistosome genes and genome organization by extensive international collaboration between top quality laboratories. Schistosomes are a family of parasitic blood flukes (Phylum Platyhelminthes), which have seven pairs of autosomal chromosomes and one pair of sex chromosomes (ZZ for a male worm and ZW for a female), of a haploid genome size of 2.7x108 base pairs (Simpson et al. 1982). Schistosomes are ideal model organisms for the development of genome mapping strategies since they have a small genome size comparable to that of well-characterized model organisms such as Caenorhabditis elegans (100 Mb) and Drosophila (165 Mb), and contain functional genes with a high level of homology to the host mammalian genes. Here we summarize the current progress in the schistosome genome project, the information of 3,047 transcribed genes (Expressed Sequence Tags; EST), complete sets of cDNA and genomic DNA libraries (including YAC and cosmid libraries) with a mapping technique to the well defined schistosome chromosomes. The schistosome genome project will further identify and characterize the key molecules that are responsible for host-parasite adaptation, i.e., successful growth, development, maturation and reproduction of the parasite within its host in the near future

Genetic Diversity in Natural Populations of New World Leishmania

Our results have shown the wide diversity of parasites within New World Leishmania. Biochemical and molecular characterization of species within the genus has revealed that much of the population heterogeneity has a genetic basis. The source of genetic diversity among Leishmania appears to arise from predominantly asexual, clonal reproduction, although occasional bouts of sexual reproduction can not be ruled out. Genetic variation is extensive with some clones widely distributed and others seemingly unique and localized to a particular endemic focus. Epidemiological studies of leishmaniasis has been directed to the ecology and dynamics of transmission of Leishmania species/variants, particularly in localized areas. Future research using molecular techniques should aim to identify and follow Leishmania types in nature and correlate genetic typing with important clinical characteristics such as virulence, pathogenicity, drug resistance and antigenic variation. The epidemiological significance of such variation not only has important implications for the control of the leishmaniases, but would also help to elucidate the evolutionary biology of the causative agents.

How The 1996 Hotel Majestic agreement may explain a future PP/CiU relationship in Madrid

Some historians have argued that 1996 marked a ‘second transition’ for Spain because of the return to power of the political right in Madrid and that the relationship and eventual pact between the Partido Popular (PP) and Convergència i Unió (CiU) meant that the state could finally escape the ghosts of its Francoist past. For this research, face-to-face interviews were conducted with Catalan Members of Parliament who served under either José María Aznar or Jordi Pujol in Madrid or Barcelona. Drawing upon both interviews and other evidence, including the analysis of election results and the 1996 Hotel Majestic Agreement, the research seeks to provide a better understanding of the previous relationships between the PP and CiU and their leaders in order to understand what lessons might be learnt that would contribute to anticipating and explaining possible future negotiations between the two parties. This is attempted by first examining the potential costs and benefits of political pacts between centre (Madrid) and periphery (Barcelona). Secondly, due to many interviewees making reference to Salvador Espriu’s work La Pell de Brau, the three routes of Espriu’s Catalan nationalism are put into the context of the political pacts. Finally, the likelihood of future agreements between PP and CiU are hypothesized, not only how those agreements may (or may not) come about, but also, what might the result of those negotiations be. Ultimately, it is concluded that the benefits of the Hotel Majestic Agreement outweighed the costs, thus leaving the door open for future negotiations, even if some of those interviewed disagreed.