Plasmid composition and virulence-associated factors of Yersinia pestis isolates from a plague outbreak at the Paraíba State, Brazil

Pathogenic Yersinia pestis isolates were collected during a plague outbreak at the Paraiba State in 1986. The Y. pestis isolates were investigated for the presence of virulence-associated factors and plasmid content. All strains analysed were proficient in the expression of the VW and fraction 1 antigens, pigment adsorption and pesticin-fibronolysin-coagulase production. A similar plasmid profile composed by four plasmid with molecular weight of 60, 44, 14.9, and 6.4 Megadaltons (MD) was found in all strains. DNA cleavage with EcoRI restriction enzyme further demonstrated the uniform plasmid content of the Y. pestis isolates. Seven additional Y. pestis strains, previously isolated in the same region but in an endemic state, showed the same plasmid fingerprint. The lack of any detectable difference between epidemic and endemic isolates as well as the value of plasmid fingerprints in epidemiology of Y. pestis is discussed.

Le Crétacé terminal de Beira Litoral, Portugal: remarques stratigraphiques et écologiques, étude complémentaire de Rosasia soutoi (Cbelonii, Bothremydidae)

The synthetic study of the uppermost Cretaceous of the Beira Litoral (fauna, floral confirms its upper Campanian-Maastrichtian age. It shows the presence of a tropical to subtropical climate in an area constituted by a low coastal plain only occasionally linked to the sea, saturared with fresh water and possessing accordingly, a predominantely freshwater fauna (Viso, Aveiro); this plain changed towards the interior into a drier more forested zone with a more abundant terrestrial fauna which includes mammals (Taveiro). A thorough study of the chelonian Rosasia, abundant on the coastal plain, was made possible thanks to the discovery of a skull: it demonstrates that the genus belongs to the family Bothremydidae, revalided here. The composition of this family is presented, its phylogenetic and paleobiogeographic relation with the other pleurodires are analyzed, and its diagnosis established. The family is constituted of three groups; Rosasia belongs to one of rhese, the Bothremys group.

Biomass production of four Cynara cardunculus clones and lignin composition analysis

Four Cynara cardunculus clones, two from Portugal and two from Spain were studied for biomass production and their lignin was characterized. The clones differed in biomass partitioning: Spanish clones produced more capitula (54.5% vs. 43.9%), and Portuguese clones more stalks (37.2% vs. 25.6%). The heating values (HHV0) of the stalks were similar, ranging from 17.1 to 18.4 MJ/kg. Lignin was studied by analytical pyrolysis (Py-GC/MS(FID)), separately in depithed stalks (stalksDP) and pith. StalksDP had in average higher relative proportions of lignin derived compounds than pith (23.9% vs. 21.8%) with slightly different lignin monomeric composition: pith samples were richer in syringyl units as compared to stalksDP (64% vs. 53%), with S/G ratios of 2.1 and 1.3, respectively. The H:G:S composition was 7:40:53 in stalksDP and 7:29:64 in pith. The lignin content ranged from 18.8% to 25.5%, enabling a differentiation between clones and provenances. © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Prevalence of HTLV-I antibody among two distinct ethnic groups inhabiting the Amazon region of Brazil

HTLV-I seroprevalences of 3.63% (02/55), 12.19% (10/82) and 13.88% (10/72) were demonstrated among Tiryio, Mekranoiti and Xicrin Amazonian Indians, respectively, by the Western blotting enzyme assay (WBEI). By indirect immuno electron microscopy (IIEM), 2 Tiriyo, 9 Mekranoiti and 6 Xicrin Amerindians were reactive. Of 44 serum samples from Japanese immigrants, none reacted by any of the techniques before mentioned. One, 8 and 6 serum samples from Tiryio, Mekranoiti and Xicrin Indians, respectively, were both WBEI and IIEM positive. Our results strongly suggest that HTLV-I and/or an HTLV-I antigenic variant circulate (s) among populations living in the Amazon region of Brazil.

Nutritional composition of low protein and phenylalanine-restricted dishes prepared for phenylketonuric patients

Nutritional management is essential for Phenylketonuria (PKU) treatment, consisting in a semi-synthetic and low phenylalanine (Phe) diet, which includes strictly controlled amounts of low protein natural foods (essentially fruits and vegetables) supplemented with Phe-free protein substitutes and dietetic low-protein products. PKU diet has to be carefully planned, providing the best ingredient combinations, so that patients can achieve good metabolic control and an adequate nutritional status. Hereupon, it is mandatory to know the detailed composition of natural and/or cooked foodstuffs prepared specifically for these patients. We intended to evaluate sixteen dishes specifically prepared for PKU patients, regarding the nutritional composition, Phe and tyrosine (Tyr) contents, fatty acids profile, and vitamins E and B12 amounts. The nutritional composition of the cooked samples was 15.5–92.0 g/100 g, for moisture; 0.7–3.2 g/100 g, for protein; 0.1–25.0 g/100 g, for total fat; and 5.0–62.0 g/100 g, for total carbohydrates. Fatty acids profile and vitamin E amount reflected the type of fat used. All samples were poor in vitamin B12 (0.3–0.8 μg/100 g). Boiled rice presented the highest Phe content: 50.3 mg/g of protein. These data allow a more accurate calculation of the diet portions to be ingested by the patients according to their individual tolerance.

Octopus Lipid and Vitamin E Composition: Interspecies, Interorigin, and Nutritional Variability

Octopus vulgaris, Octopus maya, and Eledone cirrhosa from distinct marine environments [Northeast Atlantic (NEA), Northwest Atlantic (NWA), Eastern Central Atlantic, Western Central Atlantic (WCA), Pacific Ocean, and Mediterranean Sea] were characterized regarding their lipid and vitamin E composition. These species are those commercially more relevant worldwide. Significant interspecies and interorigin differences were observed. Unsaturated fatty acids account for more than 65% of total fatty acids, mostly ω-3 PUFA due to docosahexaenoic (18.4−29.3%) and eicosapentanoic acid (11.4− 23.9%) contributions. The highest ω-3 PUFA amounts and ω-3/ω-6 ratios were quantified in the heaviest specimens, O. vulgaris from NWA, with high market price, and simultaneously in the lowest graded samples, E. cirrhosa from NEA, of reduced dimensions. Although having the highest cholesterol contents, E. cirrhosa from NEA and O. maya from WCA have also higher protective fatty acid indexes. Chemometric discrimination allowed clustering the selected species and several origins based on lipid and vitamin E profiles.

Blood groups and malaria

The possible relationship between erythrocyte antigens and the presence of malaria infection by P. vivax and P. falciparurn was sought in four different ethnic groups of two departments of Colombia. Malaria infection by P. falciparum was found in 91.4% of malaria infected blacks. No significant differences were found between the presence of malaria infection and ABO antigens. In the other blood groups, it was observed that groups MNSs conferred black people a greater Rr for malaria by both species of Plasmodium and that Duffy-negative blacks and indians appeared to be resistant to P. vivax infection. A predominance of P. vivax infection was observed in Katio indians while P.falciparum was predominant in Kuna indians; the reason for this finding still needs to be explored.

Evaluation of different methods for Plasmodia detection, in well defined population groups in an endemic area of Brazil

In Brazil, more than 500,000 new cases of malaria were notified in 1992. Plasmodium falciparum and P.vivax are the responsible species for 99.3% of the cases. For adequate treatment, precoce diagnosis is necessary. In this work, we present the results of the traditional Plasmodia detection method, thick blood film (TBF), and the results of alternative methods: Immunofluorescence assay (IFA) with polyclonal antibody and Quantitative Buffy Coat method (QBC)® in a well defined population groups. The analysis were done in relation to the presence or absence of malaria clinical symptoms. Also different classes of immunoglobulins anti-P.falciparum were quantified for the global analysis of the results, mainly in the discrepant results. We concluded that alternative methods are more sensitive than TBF and that the association of epidemiological, clinical and laboratory findings is necessary to define the presence of malaria.

Promotion of gender equality and social inclusion of unemployed groups in Portuguese European Founds Frameworks (1990-2007): overview and critical reflection

Comunicação apresentada no 38º Congresso Mundial do Instituto Internacional de Sociologia, em Budapeste, Hungria, de 26 a 30 de Junho de 2008.

Identification of factors and groups at risk of infection with Schistosoma mansoni: a strategy for the implementation of control measures?

A fourteen year schistosomiasis control program in Peri-Peri (Capim Branco, MG) reduced prevalence from 43.5 to 4.4%; incidence from 19.0 to 2.9%, the geometric mean of the number of eggs from 281 to 87 and the level of the hepatoesplenic form cases from 5.9 to 0.0%. In 1991, three years after the interruption of the program, the prevalence had risen to 19.6%. The district consists of Barbosa (a rural area) and Peri-Peri itself (an urban area). In 1991, the prevalence in the two areas was 28.4% and 16.0% respectively. A multivariate analysis of risk factors for schistosomiasis indicated the domestic agricultural activity with population attributive risk (PAR) of 29.82%, the distance (< 10 m) from home to water source (PAR = 25.93%) and weekly fishing (PAR = 17.21%) as being responsible for infections in the rural area. The recommended control measures for this area are non-manual irrigation and removal of homes to more than ten meters from irrigation ditches. In the urban area, it was observed that swimming at weekly intervals (PAR = 20.71%), daily domestic agricultural activity (PAR = 4.07%) and the absence of drinking water in the home (PAR=4.29%) were responsible for infections. Thus, in the urban area the recommended control measures are the substitution of manual irrigation with an irrigation method that avoids contact with water, the creation of leisure options of the population and the provision of a domestic water supply. The authors call attention to the need for the efficacy of multivariate analysis of risk factors to be evaluated for schistosomiasis prior to its large scale use as a indicator of the control measures to be implemented.

Recurring contact opportunities within groups of devices

The capability to anticipate a contact with another device can greatly improve the performance and user satisfaction not only of mobile social network applications but of any other relying on some form of data harvesting or hoarding. One of the most promising approaches for contact prediction is to extrapolate from past experiences. This paper investigates the recurring contact patterns observed between groups of devices using an 8-year dataset of wireless access logs produced by more than 70000 devices. This effort permitted to model the probabilities of occurrence of a contact at a predefined date between groups of devices using a power law distribution that varies according to neighbourhood size and recurrence period. In the general case, the model can be used by applications that need to disseminate large datasets by groups of devices. As an example, the paper presents and evaluates an algorithm that provides daily contact predictions, based on the history of past pairwise contacts and their duration. Copyright © 2015 ICST.

A importância das consultoras no processo de internacionalização das micro, pequenas e médias empresas em Portugal

Relatório de Estágio Apresentado ao Instituto de Contabilidade e Administração do Porto para a obtenção do grau de Mestre em Empreendedorismo e Internacionalização, sob orientação da Mestre Inês Veiga Pereira

Multy-dimensional composition by objectives in aspect-oriented requirements analysis

Thesis submitted to Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia of Universidade Nova de Lisboa in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master in Computer Science

Cerebrospinal fluid profiles in acquired immunodeficiency syndrome with and without neurocryptococcosis

Cryptococcosis is one of the most common fungal infections of the central nervous system (CNS) in AIDS patients and meningoencephalitis or meningitis is a frequently observed manifestation. However, systematic studies of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) composition from AIDS patients with CNS cryptococcosis have been few. CSF samples from 114 HIV seropositive patients whose clinical complaint suggested CNS involvement, were analyzed; 32 samples from patients diagnosed as having neurocryptococcosis (Group 1) and 82 samples from patients with no identified neurological disfunction (Group 2). Based on cytological and biochemical results, two distinct profiles were observed: Normal (Group 1 = 31%, Group 2 = 39%); Abnormal (Group 1 = 69%, Group 2 = 61%). Lymphocytes were the most frequent cells in both groups. Our CSF cytological and biochemical findings showed that in AIDS patients liquoric abnormalities are quite frequent, non-specific and difficult to interpret. In these circumstances a systematic search to identify the etiologic agent using microbiological and/or immunological assays must be routinely performed

New Strategies on Molecular Biology Applied to Microbial Systematics

Systematics is the study of diversity of the organisms and their relationships comprising classification, nomenclature and identification. The term classification or taxonomy means the arrangement of the organisms in groups (rate) and the nomenclature is the attribution of correct international scientific names to organisms and identification is the inclusion of unknown strains in groups derived from classification. Therefore, classification for a stable nomenclature and a perfect identification are required previously. The beginning of the new bacterial systematics era can be remembered by the introduction and application of new taxonomic concepts and techniques, from the 50’s and 60’s. Important progress were achieved using numerical taxonomy and molecular taxonomy. Molecular taxonomy, brought into effect after the emergence of the Molecular Biology resources, provided knowledge that comprises systematics of bacteria, in which occurs great evolutionary interest, or where is observed the necessity of eliminating any environmental interference. When you study the composition and disposition of nucleotides in certain portions of the genetic material, you study searching their genome, much less susceptible to environmental alterations than proteins, codified based on it. In the molecular taxonomy, you can research both DNA and RNA, and the main techniques that have been used in the systematics comprise the build of restriction maps, DNA-DNA hybridization, DNA-RNA hybridization, sequencing of DNA sequencing of sub-units 16S and 23S of rRNA, RAPD, RFLP, PFGE etc. Techniques such as base sequencing, though they are extremely sensible and greatly precise, are relatively onerous and impracticable to the great majority of the bacterial taxonomy laboratories. Several specialized techniques have been applied to taxonomic studies of microorganisms. In the last years, these have included preliminary electrophoretic analysis of soluble proteins and isoenzymes, and subsequently determination of deoxyribonucleic acid base composition and assessment of base sequence homology by means of DNA-RNA hybrid experiments beside others. These various techniques, as expected, have generally indicated a lack of taxonomic information in microbial systematics. There are numberless techniques and methodologies that make bacteria identification and classification study possible, part of them described here, allowing establish different degrees of subspecific and interspecific similarity through phenetic-genetic polymorphism analysis. However, was pointed out the necessity of using more than one technique for better establish similarity degrees within microorganisms. Obtaining data resulting from application of a sole technique isolatedly may not provide significant information from Bacterial Systematics viewpoint