Comparative study of the in-hospital case-fatality rate of leptospirosis between pediatric and adult patients of different age groups

The main objective was to compare the in-hospital case-fatality rate of leptospirosis between pediatric (< 19 years) and adult (>19 years) patients, taking into account gender, renal function, duration of symptoms and jaundice. Medical records of 1016 patients were reviewed. Comparative analysis was restricted to 840 patients (100 pediatric, 740 adults) with recorded information on the variables included in the analysis. Among these patients 81.7% were male and 91.5% were icteric. The case-fatality rate of leptospirosis was 14.4%. The odds of death adjusted for gender, jaundice, duration of symptoms, serum urea and serum creatinine were almost four times higher for the adult than for the pediatric group (odds ratio (OR) = 3.94; 95% confidence interval = 1.19-13.03, p = 0.029). Among adults, increased age was also significantly and independently associated with increased risk of death (p < 0.01). Older patients were also more often treated by dialysis. In conclusion, the data suggest that the in-hospital case fatality rate of leptospirosis is higher for adults than for children and adolescents, even after taking into account the effects of several potential risk factors of death. Among adults, older age was also strongly and independently associated with higher risk of death.

The frequency rate of Toxocara species contamination in soil samples from public yards in a urban area "Payathai", Bangkok, Thailand

Toxocara species are most common roundworms of Canidae and Felidae. Human toxocariasis develops by ingesting of embryonated eggs in contaminated soil. There is no previous report of Toxocara contamination in the soil samples from the public areas in Bangkok. For this reason our study have been carried out to examine the frequency of Toxocara eggs in public yards in Bangkok, Thailand. A total of 175 sand and clay samples were collected and examined for parasite eggs. According to this study, Toxocara eggs were detected from 10 (5.71%) of 175 soil samples. The high rate of contamination in this study implies the importance of the control of this possible zoonotic disease: control of abandon of dogs and cats, is still necessary.

Toxoplasma-IgM and IgG-avidity in single samples from areas with a high infection rate can determine the risk of mother-to-child transmission

Anti-Toxoplasma IgG-avidity was determined in 168 serum samples from IgG- and IgM-positive pregnant women at various times during pregnancy, in order to evaluate the predictive value for risk of mother-to-child transmission in a single sample, taking the limitations of conventional serology into account. The neonatal IgM was considered the serologic marker of transmission. Fluorometric tests for IgG, IgM (immunocapture) and IgG-avidity were performed. Fifty-one of the 128 pregnant women tested gave birth in the hospital and neonatal IgM was obtained. The results showed 32 (62.75%) pregnant women having high avidity, IgM indexes between 0.6 and 2.4, and no infected newborn. Nineteen (37.25%) had low or inconclusive avidity, IgM indexes between 0.6 and 11.9, and five infected newborns and one stillbirth. In two infected newborns and the stillbirth maternal IgM indexes were low and in one infected newborn the only maternal parameter that suggested fetal risk was IgG-avidity. In the present study, IgG-avidity performed in single samples from positive IgM pregnant women helped to determine the risk of transmission at any time during pregnancy, especially when the indexes of the two tests were analysed with respect to gestational age. This model may be less expensive in developing countries where there is a high prevalence of infection than the follow-up of susceptible mothers until childbirth with monthly serology, and it creates a new perspective for the diagnosis of congenital toxoplasmosis.

HTLV-1/2 seroprevalence and coinfection rate in Brazilian first-time blood donors: an 11-year follow-up

The seroprevalence and geographic distribution of HTLV-1/2 among blood donors are extremely important to transfusion services. We evaluated the seroprevalence of HTLV-1/2 infection among first-time blood donor candidates in Ribeirão Preto city and region. From January 2000 to December 2010, 1,038,489 blood donations were obtained and 301,470 were first-time blood donations. All samples were screened with serological tests for HTLV-1/2 using enzyme immunoassay (EIA). In addition, the frequency of coinfection with hepatitis B virus (HBV), hepatitis C virus (HCV), human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), Chagas disease (CD) and syphilis was also determined. In-house PCR was used as confirmatory test for HTLV-1/2. A total of 296 (0.1%) first-time donors were serologically reactive for HTLV-1/2. Confirmatory PCR of 63 samples showed that 28 were HTLV-1 positive, 13 HTLV-2 positive, 19 negative and three indeterminate. Regarding HTLV coinfection rates, the most prevalent was with HBV (51.3%) and HCV (35.9%), but coinfection with HIV, CD and syphilis was also detected. The real number of HTLV-infected individual and coinfection rate in the population is underestimated and epidemiological studies like ours are very informative.

Muscarinic antibodies and heart rate responses to dynamic exercise and to the Valsalva maneuver in chronic chagasic patients

We have studied the cardiac chronotropic responses to the Valsalva maneuver and to dynamic exercise of twenty chronic chagasic patients with normal left ventricular function and no segmental wall abnormalities by two-dimensional echocardiogram. The absolute increase in heart rate of the patients (Δ = 21.5 ± 10 bpm, M±SD) during the maneuver was significantly diminished when compared to controls (Δ = 31.30 ± 70, M±SD, p = 0.03). The minimum heart rate (58.24 ± 8.90 vs. 62.80 ± 10, p = 0.68) and the absolute decrease in heart rate at the end of the maneuver (Δ = 38.30 ± 13 vs. Δ = 31.47 ± 17, p = 0.10) were not different from controls. The initial heart rate acceleration during dynamic exercise (Δ = 12 ± 7.55 vs. Δ = 19 ± 7.27, M±SD, p = 0.01) was also diminished, but the heart rate recovery during the first ten seconds was more prominent in the sero-positive patients (Median: 14, Interquartile range: (9.75-17.50 vs. 5(0-8.75, p = 0.001). The serum levels of muscarinic cardiac auto-antibodies were significantly higher in the chagasic patients (Median: 34.58, Interquartile Range: 17-46.5, Optical Density) than in controls (Median: 0, Interquartile Range: 0-22.25, p = 0.001) and correlated significantly and directly (r = 0.68, p = 0.002) with early heart rate recovery during dynamic exercise. The results of this investigation indirectly suggest that, the cardiac muscarinic auto-antibodies may have positive agonist effects on parasympathetic heart rate control of chagasic patients.

Fsp27/CIDEC is a CREB target gene induced during fasting and regulated by fatty acid oxidation rate

Dissertação para obtenção do Grau de Mestre em Biotecnologia

Principal component analysis of the yield curve

A Work Project, presented as part of the requirements for the Award of a Masters Degree in Finance from the NOVA – School of Business and Economics

The impact of sizeof the firm and exchange rate in the export propensity of domestic and foreign owned firms in a developing country: A study of the Brazilian exporters

A Work Project, presented as part of the requirements for the Award of a Masters Degree in Management from the NOVA – School of Business and Economics

Rate of reversion of hepatosplenic schistosomiasis after specific therapy

Seventy patients with hepatosplenic schistosomiasis were treated with oxamniquine. The patients lived iti an endemic area and were evaluated 6, 18 and 24 months after treatment, during which time transmission in the area was interrupted. After treatment, clinical improvement occurred in 49 (70%) of the patients, as seen by reduction in visceromegaly and reversion of liver nodules. Reversion of hepatosplenic disease occurred in 28 (40%) patients and in liver nodularity in 26 (47.3%)patients after 24 months. Reversion of hepatosplenic disease was seen in 12 (21%) patients and liver nodules disappeared in 4 (8.5%) as early as 6 months after treatment. In general, hepatosplenomegaly reverses earlier than liver nodularity. Itis notable that reversion of hepatosplenic disease occurred in many individuals with a history ofprevious treatment and also in some with advanced age. In four cases this clinical form of the disease had existed for 20 years. Therefore, there must exist factors other than age and duration of the condition which determine the reversibility of this clinical form. Ourresults reinforce the concept that, in patients with hepatosplenic disease without esophageal hemorrhages, specific treatment shouldpreceed surgical intervention even in those with a history of previous treatment. At least 18 months should be allowed for the ejfects of treatment to be manifest.

Nominal and inflation-linked government bonds: An assessment of arbitrage opportunities in UK Gilt Market

A Work Project, presented as part of the requirements for the Award of a Masters Degree in Finance from the NOVA – School of Business and Economics

Rate of action of schistosomicides in mice infected with Schistosoma mansoni

Mice infected with adult Schistosoma mansoni were dosed with a single oral dose of 125 or 250 mg/kg oltipraz, 50 or 100 mg/kg oxamniquine, or 200 or 400 mg/kg praziquantel. The mortality rate of worms and oogram changes were determined between 1 and 16 weeks after dosing. The time required between dosing and postmortem to obtain maximum effectiveness was 1 week for praziquantel, 2 weeks for oxamniquine and 8 weeks for oltipraz. Changes in oograms persisted throughout most of the experiment, although relapse has been observed at the 4th week on.

Three essays on the term structure of interest rates

A PhD Dissertation, presented as part of the requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy from the NOVA - School of Business and Economics

Serial heart rate changes in rats inoculated by conjunctival instillation of Trypanosoma cruzi obtained from bug faeces

The cardiac effects of experimentally induced myocarditis, when the parasite is obtained from mouse blood, are well known. However, the consequences of the infection when the parasites are obtained from bug faeces are less well defined. In the present investigation, we have used the "Y" strain of Trypanosoma cruzi, which was maintained in Rhodnius prolixus by repeated passages in mice. The faeces of 30 infected bugs were collected, the number of parasites counted and 4,000 parasites inoculated by the conjunctival route in 60 rats. Twenty-nine other rats received faeces from noninfected bugs (sham-inoculated controls) and 40 were used as normal controls. The heart rate of the three groups of animals was recorded under general anesthesia with ether. The heart rate, at day 0 pre-inoculation, was similar in the three groups of animals (Controls: 379 ± 27 beats/min Mean ± SD; Sham-inoculated: 366 ± 31; Infected: 351 ± 29) (p> 0.05). In the infected animals, the mean heart rate began to increase significantly by day 12 following infection (375 ± 31), reaching the highest values between days 18 (390 ± 33) and 21 (403 ± 33) and returned to baseline by day 30 (359 ± 28) (p< 0.05). The heart rate changes were statistically different from those observed in the sham-inoculated controls and in the control animals. Therefore, these heart rate changes were provoked by the Trypanosoma cruzi-induced infection. Thus, it appears that irrespective of the source of the parasite and route of inoculation Trypanosoma cruziacute infection provokes a transient sinus tachycardia.

Acredita Portugal: How to improve the implementation rate of entrepreneurial projects?

A Work Project, presented as part of the requirements for the Award of a Masters Degree in Management from the NOVA – School of Business and Economics

Transparency in project bond ratings: Assessment of rating methodologies and development of a proven rating simulator

A Work Project, presented as part of the requirements for the Award of a Masters Degree in Finance from the NOVA – School of Business and Economics