HIV-1-mother-to-child transmission and associated characteristics in a public maternity unit in Presidente Prudente, Brazil

In children, vertical transmission is the main form of HIV infection. Our aim was to determine the prevalence of HIV-1 vertical transmission in mother-infant pairs in a public maternity ward in Presidente Prudente, SP. Additionally; we sought to identify characteristics associated with this form of transmission. The files of 86 HIV-1-infected mothers and their newborns referred to a Public Hospital from March 2002 to March 2007 were analyzed. The HIV-1-RNA viral load of the newborns was determined by bDNA. The HIV-1 vertical-transmission rate was 4.6%. Children that were born in the pre-term period and breastfed were at a higher risk of HIV-1 infection (p = 0.005 and p = 0.017 respectively) than children born at term and not breastfed. Prophylactic therapy with zidovudine after birth for newborns was associated with a lower risk of infection (p = 0.003). The number of newborns weighing < 2,500 g was significantly higher for infected children (p = 0.008) than for non-infected newborns. About 22.9% of mothers did not know the HIV-1 status of their newborns eight months after delivery. The study suggests that it is necessary to increase the identification of HIV-1 infection in pregnant women and their newborns as well as to offer and explain the benefits of ARV prophylaxis.

Immunoglobulin E-rheumatoid factor in juvenile rheumatoid arthritis

OBJECTIVES: To determine the presence of immunoglobulin E-rheumatoid factor in patients with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis and to correlate it with clinical and laboratory parameters. METHODS: A multicenter prospective study was carried out from January 1993 to January 1999 with the enrollment of 3 centers of pediatric rheumatology. Ninety-one children with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis diagnosed according to the American College of Rheumatology criteria were studied: 38 (42%) with systemic, 28 (31%) with pauciarticular, and 25 (27%) with polyarticular onset. Ages ranged from 2.1 years to 22.6 years (mean 10.5 ± 4.7), with 59 (65%) girls. The control group consisted of 45 healthy children. The detection of immunoglobulin E-rheumatoid factor was carried out utilizing an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Associations of immunoglobulin E-rheumatoid factor with immunoglobulin M-rheumatoid factor (latex agglutination test), total serum immunoglobulin E, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, antinuclear antibody, and functional and radiological classes III or IV were analyzed. RESULTS: Positive immunoglobulin E-rheumatoid factor was found in 15 (16.5%) of the 91 children with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis: 7 (18.5%) with systemic, 5 (18%) with pauciarticular, and 3 (12%) with polyarticular onset. A significant correlation was observed between immunoglobulin E-rheumatoid factor and total serum immunoglobulin E in the juvenile rheumatoid arthritis patients. No correlation was found between immunoglobulin E-rheumatoid factor and positive latex agglutination slide test, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, antinuclear antibody, or the functional and radiological classes III or IV in any disease onset group. In 4 out of 45 control children (8.9%), immunoglobulin E-rheumatoid factor was positive but with no correlation with total serum immunoglobulin E levels. CONCLUSIONS: Immunoglobulin E-rheumatoid factor could be detected in 16.5% of juvenile rheumatoid arthritis patients, particularly in those with high levels of total serum immunoglobulin E, and immunoglobulin E-rheumatoid factor appears not to be associated with disease activity or severity.

Transfer of radionuclides from soil to vegetation in selected Irish ecosystems

This thesis details the findings of a study relating the transfer of 238U, 228Ra (232Th), 226Ra, and 137Cs from soil to vegetation in an Atlantic blanket bog, upland blanket bog and semi-natural grassland situated along the north-west coast of Ireland. The results of this study provide information on the uptake of these radionuclides by the indigenous vegetation found present in these ecosystems. The ecosystems chosen are internationally recognizable ecosystems and provide a wide variety of vegetation species and contrasting soil physiochemical properties which allow the influence of these parameters on radionuclide uptake to be assessed. The levels of radionuclides in the soil and vegetation were measured using gamma spectrometry, alpha spectrometry and ICP-MS. The nutrient status of the vegetation and soil physiochemical properties were measured using atomic absorption, flame photometry and other analytical techniques. The results of the study indicate that the uptake of 238U and 228Ra (232Th) by vegetation from all three ecosystems was negligible as the levels in all vegetation was below the limits of detection for the methods used in this study. These results appear to indicate that the vegetation studied do not possess the ability to accumulate significant levels of these radionuclides however this assumption cannot be upheld in the case of the Atlantic blanket bog as the levels in the soil of this ecosystem were too low for detection. Similar results were obtained for 226Ra uptake in both the Atlantic blanket bog and grassland for all vegetation with the exception of H. lanatus from the grassland ecosystem. Radium-226 uptake in upland blanket bog was higher and was detectable in the majority of vegetation indigenous to this ecosystem. Transfer factor values ranged from 0.07 to 2.35 and the TF values for E. tetralix were significantly higher than all other vegetation studied. This species of heather demonstrated the ability to accumulate 226Ra to a greater extent than all other vegetation. The uptake of 226Ra by upland blanket bog vegetation appears to be significantly influenced by a range of soil physiochemical properties. The nutrient status of the vegetation, in particular the calcium content in the vegetation appears to have a negative impact on the uptake of this radionuclide. Potassium-40 was detectable in all vegetation present in the three ecosystems and the levels in the grassland soil were significantly higher than the levels in both bogland soils. Transfer factor values for Atlantic blanket bog vegetation ranged from 0.9 to 13 .8 and were significantly higher in E. vaginatum in comparison to C. vulgaris. Potassium-40 TF values for upland blanket bog vegetation on average ranged from 1.4 for C. vulgaris (stems) to 5.2 for E. vaginatum and were statistically similar for all species of vegetation. Transfer factor values for grassland vegetation ranged from 0.7 to 3.8 and were also statistically similar for all species of vegetation indicating that the transfer of 40K to vegetation within the upland bog and grassland ecosystem is not dependent on plant species. Comparisons of 40K TF values for all three ecosystems indicate that the uptake in E. vaginatum from the Atlantic blanket bog was statistically higher than all other vegetation studied. This appears to indicate that E. vaginatum has the ability to accumulate 40K, however, this species of vegetation was also present in the upland blanket and did not demonstrate the same behaviour. The uptake of 40K by vegetation from all three ecosystems was significantly affected by a range of soil physiochemical properties and in some cases the results were contradictory in nature possibly indicating that the affect of these parameters on 40K uptake is species dependent. The most obvious trend in the data was the influence of soil CEC and magnesium levels in vegetation on 40K TF values. A positive correlation was apparent between the CEC of the soil and 40K uptake in vegetation from both the Atlantic blanket bog and grassland ecosystem. A similar trend was apparent between magnesium levels in vegetation and 40K TF values for the upland blanket bog and grassland vegetation. Caesium-13 7 levels were found to be significantly higher in the two bogland soils in comparison to the grassland soil and levels of 137Cs decreased with increasing soil depth. Transfer factor values for Atlantic blanket bog vegetation ranged from 1.9 to 9.6 and TF values were significantly higher in the leaves o f C. vulgaris in comparison to all other vegetation from this ecosystem. Caesium-13 7 TF values for the upland blanket bog vegetation on average ranged from 0.29 for E. tetralix to 1.6 for C. vulgaris. Uptake by the leaves of C. vulgaris was significantly higher than all other vegetation present thereby supporting the trend found within the Atlantic blanket bog vegetation. These results appear to indicate that the leaves of C. vulgaris have the ability to accumulate significant quantities of 137Cs and also that the uptake of 137Cs by this vegetation is dependent on plant compartment as the stems of this vegetation contained significantly lower levels than the leaves in both ecosystems. The uptake of 137Cs by grassland vegetation was very low and was only detectable in a fraction of the vegetation sampled. Caesium-137 TF values for grassland vegetation were in general lower than 0.02. The impact of soil physiochemical properties and nutrient status of vegetation on 137Cs uptake by vegetation appears to be complex and in some cases contradictory. The most apparent trend in the data was the positive influence of vegetation nutrients on 137Cs uptake in particular the magnesium levels present in the vegetation and to a lesser extent the calcium levels present. The results in general indicate that the uptake of 226Ra, 40K and 137Cs by the chosen vegetation is varied and complex and is significantly dependent on the species of vegetation, soil radionuclide concentration, soil physiochemical properties and the nutrient status of the vegetation.

A amostragem da cana-de-açúcar para determinações tecnológicas

The authors carried out 3 experiments on the sampling of sugar cane for technological determinations, one with each of the varieties Co 419, CB 40-69 and CB 41-58, in Piracicaba, State of São Paulo, Brasil. The main intent of the project was to compare 2 methods of sampling, namely: 1) Method A, where the sample is a hill (CATANI et al, 1959) or, more generally, 20 stalks all together in a randomly selected point of the furrow; 2) Method B, where 20 stalks are taken, from 20 points evenly spread but on the whole plot. Coefficients of variation for 20 stalk samples Variety Characteristic 20 stalks per hill 1 stalk per hill Brix 4.8% 1.9% Pol 6.4% 2.5% CB 40-69 Coefficient of purity 2.1% 0.83% Available sucrose 7.3% 2.7% Weight 6.6% 6.9% Brix 5.3% 1.8% Pol 7.6% 2.6% Co 419 Coefficient of purity 2.9% 1.0% Available sucrose 8.6% 3.0% Weight 21.2% 6.5% Brix 2.8% 1.4% Pol 4.1% 1.9% CB 41-58 Coefficient of purity 1.8% 0.8% Available sucrose 5.0% 2.2% Weight 10.9% 6.2% For the 3 varieties studied and for the data on Brix, pol, coefficient of purity, available sucrose and weight, analyses of variance were carried out. Further computations led to the following coefficients of variation. For available sucrose, which is probably the most important characteristic studied, the average coefficient of variation for the 3 varieties was 2.7%, for the case of method B, that is, 20 stalk samples, one stalk per hill. Assuming this coefficient of variation, in a trial with 5 treatments and 6 replications, in randomised blocks, the least significant difference among treatment means, at the 5% level, would be 4.7% of available sucrose by Tukey's test, and 3.3% by the t test. For the case of method A the average coefficient of variation is 7.0% and, in similar conditions, the least significant difference would be 15.1% by Tukey's test, and 12.1% by the t test. Since differences of available sucrose among treatments in experiments with fertilizers seldom are higher than 3 or 4% of the mean (PIMENTEL GOMES & CARDOSO, 1958), method B with a 20 stalk sample per plot gives more or less the minimum amount of cane to be sampled for technological determinations. In experiments with varieties, however, where differences may be assumed to be higher, a sample of 10 to 20 stalks one per hill, can be enough.

Space-time variation of the relative abundance of Limnoperna fortunei in deep zones of São Gonçalo Channel, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil

This work describes the spatial-temporal variation of the relative abundance and size of Limnoperna fortunei (Dunker, 1857) collected in São Gonçalo Channel through bottom trawl with a 0.5 cm mesh, at depths between 3 and 6 m. The estimative of mean relative abundance (CPUE) ranged from 2,425.3 individuals per drag (ind./drag) in the spring to 21,715.0 ind./drag in the fall, with an average of 9,515.3 ind./drag throughout the year. The estimated mean density of L. fortunei for the deep region of São Gonçalo Channel ranged from 1.2 to 10.3 ind./m², and it was recorded a maximum density of 84.9 ind./m² in the fall of 2008. The method of sampling using bottom trawl enabled the capture of L. fortunei under the soft muddy bottom of the channel, in different sizes ranging from 0.4 to 3.2 cm. This shows that the structure of the L. fortunei adult population under the bottom of the São Gonçalo Channel is composed mostly of small individuals (<1.4 cm), which represent up to 74% of the population collected.

La ópera como integración de las artes : LSP 3.1

Embarcarse en la aventura de componer una ópera y llegar a materializarla con los mínimos recursos requiere de mucha imaginación e ilusión, de un trabajo constante y meditado, de un buen equipo de colaboradores, de fe ciega en que todo acabará funcionando y de lo más básico: un buen libreto. La serva padrona de Pergolesi nos demuestra cómo una historia sencilla y de recursos austeros puede llegar a ser tan tremendamente fresca, divertida y entretenida. Este intermezzo representará el punto de partida de una creación en la que la escena teatral y el discurso musical se fundirán de manera indivisible. Al fin y al cabo, la creación de una ópera supone asimilar desde buen principio que en ella convergen diferentes artes de índole muy diversa. Conseguir trabajar dentro de este marco de encuentro multidisciplinar es un privilegio que, sin duda, se debe aprovechar.

Ultrastructural study of the TG180 murine sarcoma cell invasion by Toxoplasma gondii: comparison between in vivo and in vitro cell cultures

Infection of non-adherent TG180 murine sarcoma cells with Toxoplasma gondii was compared, at the ultrastructural level, in both in vivo and in vitro conditions. Suspensions of 3.0 x 10(6) TG180 cells infected in vitro with 1.0 x 10(6) parasites of the RH strain were harvested between the first and 6th day post-infection and processed for transmission electron microscopy. In vivo infection was made by intraperitoneal inoculation in mice of 1.0 x 10(6) TG180 cells, that were co-inoculated with a parasite suspension at the same cell concentration. Cells were harvested 10, 20, 30 min and 24, 48 h post-inoculation and processed for transmission electron microscopy at the same conditions of the in vitro culture. It was observed TG180 murine sarcoma cells with intense and equivalent intracellular parasitism in both conditions. Host cells with parasitophorous vacuoles containing up to 16 parasites, as well as parasites undergoing mitoses or presenting a bradyzoite-like morphology, were frequently seen in both culture methods.