Low levels of realized seed and pollen gene flow and strong spatial genetic structure in a small, isolated and fragmented population of the tropical tree Copaifera langsdorffii Desf

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Pollen Dispersal Between Isolated Trees in the Brazilian Savannah: A Case Study of the Neotropical Tree Hymenaea stigonocarpa

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Antimicrobial resistance of isolated Streptococcus pneumoniae in a hospital of the Brazilian public system

Streptococcus pneumoniae is the predominant bacterial agent that affects the human population with pneumonia. This disease is an important cause of death in the elderly and the children under five years old. In this study, 29 strains of invasive S. pneumoniae were isolated from 29 patients of pneumonia, bacteremia and meningitis in the laboratory of the Municipal Hospital in Paulinia, Brazil, from May 2006 to October 2007. Patients' age ranged from 8 months old to 60 years old. These strains of S. pneumoniae were isolated from blood, pleural fluid and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of patients. After typing of encapsulated strains of S. pneumoniae through quellung reaction, their resistance to antimicrobial agents was gauged through Disc Diffusion Technique followed by determination of minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC). Among the 29 strains analyzed, 23 were methicillin-sensitive and six were methicillin-resistant and penicillin intermediate resistant. No strain presented full resistance to penicillin. Serotyping was performed only in two samples, which belonged to serotype 18. Our data may alert ambulatory regarding the incidence of pneumococcal strains resistant to the most common drugs due to inappropriate use of antimicrobials and also collaborate to the elaboration of pneumococcal conjugate vaccines specific to each region.

Modified 'Stent-Graft Sandwich' Technique for Treatment of Isolated Common Iliac Artery Aneurysm in Patient With Marfan Syndrome

Isolated iliac artery aneurysms are rare in the general population (0.03%) and represent 2% of all abdominal aneurysms, and the association with Marfan syndrome is even rarer. We report a Marfan syndrome case with an isolated common iliac artery aneurysm treated by using a modified 'stent-graft sandwich' technique, with preservation of the internal iliac artery perfusion. The modified 'stent-graft sandwich' technique involves building an appropriate proximal neck just in the common iliac artery for fittingly housing two new stent-grafts inside, both deployed simultaneously and each one going to both distal iliac arteries (internal and external).

The influence of temporal food restriction on the performance of isolated cardiac muscle

In this study we assessed the mechanical function of isolated left ventricular papillary muscles from 60 day-old male Wistar-Kyoto rats (WKY) subjected to different periods of food restriction (FR). The food-restricted animals (R) were fed 50% of the amount of diet consumed by the ad Libitum-fed rats (C). The cardiac muscles were studied after 30, 60, and 90 days (R-30, R-60 and R-90) of FR. The effect of FR on myocardial collagen concentration was also evaluated. The parameters from the three control groups that were statistically identical were combined and the control pool group (CP) was formed. The left ventricular weight-to-body weight ratio was lower in the R-30 and higher in the R-60 and R-90 in relation to their control groups. Hydroxyproline concentration was higher only in R-90 compared to CP and R-30. Myocardial mechanical function was the same in the C groups. The comparisons between CP and FR groups showed that: the muscles of R-30 presented increased resting tension and maximum rate of tension decline, and decreased velocity of shortening; the muscles of R-60 and R-90 groups showed a prolongation of the time to peak tension (TPT) and the time to peak shortening (TPS); and R-30 had an increased time from peak tension to 50% relaxation (RT1/2). Increases in TPT, TPS, and RT1/2 in groups R-60 and R-90 were significant in relation to R-30. In conclusion, while FR for 30 days produces disparate effects on myocardial performance, FR for 60 and 90 days prolongs the contraction period. The change of relaxation time in R-90 might be related to the increased myocardial collagen content. (C) 2001 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Effects of isolated cycle ergometer training on patients with moderate-to-severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

Background: Pulmonary rehabilitation (PR) programs are beneficial to patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and lower-extremity training is considered a fundamental component of PR. Nevertheless, the isolated effects of each PR component are not well established. Objective: We aimed to evaluate the effects of a cycle ergometry exercise protocol as the only intervention in a group of COPD patients, and to compare these results with a control group. Methods: 25 moderate-to-severe COPD patients were evaluated regarding pulmonary function, respiratory muscle strength, exercise capacity, quality of life and body composition. Patients were allocated to one of two groups: (a) the trained group (TG; n=13; 6 men) was submitted to a protocol of 24 exercise sessions on a cycle ergometer, with training intensity initially set at a heart rate (HR) close to 80% of maximal HR achieved in a maximal test, and load increase based on dyspnea scores, and (b) the control group (CG; n=12; 6 men) with no intervention during the protocol period. Results: TG showed within-group significant improvements in endurance cycling time, 6-min walking distance test, maximal inspiratory pressure and in the domain 'dyspnea' related to quality of life. Despite the within-group changes, no between-group significant differences were observed. Conclusion: In COPD patients, the results of isolated low-to-moderate intensity cycle ergometer training are not comparable to effects of multimodality and high-intensity training programs. Copyright (C) 2004 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Standardization of an experimental model of parabiotic isolated heart in rabbits

O objetivo foi a padronização de modelo experimental de coração isolado parabiótico em coelhos, testando sua estabilidade e durabilidade, para fins de pesquisa cardiovascular. Foram utilizados 66 coelhos raça Norfolk-2000 divididos em grupo doador do coração isolado e animais suporte, totalizando 33 preparações. Mediante auxilio de bombas peristálticas estabeleceu-se suporte circulatório para o coração isolado mantendo-se fluxo constante(16ml/min.). Um balão intraventricular foi inserido no ventrículo esquerdo, sendo ajustado para gerar pressão diastólica de ± 10mmHg. A freqüência foi fixada em 120 batimentos por minuto mediante o uso de marcapasso. Foram avaliadas variáveis hemodinâmicas, laboratoriais e anatomopatológicas. Das 33 preparações, 13 foram excluídas mediante critérios pré-estabelecidos. Das 20 restantes, 10 cumpriram o tempo máximo do protocolo(180 minutos). Com relação ao animal suporte houve deterioração hemodinâmica progressiva c/ queda da pressão arterial média(89,30±6,09mmHg->47,50±6,35mmHg). Com relação ao corações isolado, das 10 preparações que cumpriram os 180 minutos de protocolo, houve estabilidade hemodinâmica. As variáveis laboratoriais mostraram queda progressiva do sódio, potássio e hemoglobina, sendo compatível com hemodiluição. O exame anatomopatológico mostrou espaçamento maior entre fibras, compatível com edema. O presente modelo mostrou estabilidade e atividade de 100% das preparações em 60 minutos, havendo perdas progressivas chegando a 50% das preparações em atividade em 180 minutos. O presente modelo, dentro das limitações estabelecidas é viável para pesquisas cardiovasculares.

Myocardial contractility of the isovolumetrically beating isolated rat heart

Several indexes of myocardial contractility have been proposed to assess ventricular function in the isovolumetrically beating isolated heart. However, the conclusions reached on the basis of these indexes may be influenced by ventricular geometry rather than contractility itself. The objective of the present study was to assess the performance of widely used contractility indexes in the isovolumetrically beating isolated heart in two experimental models of hypertrophy, the spontaneously hypertensive rat (SHR) and infrarenal aortocava fistula. Compared to normotensive controls (N = 8), SHRs with concentric hypertrophy (N = 10) presented increased maximum rate of ventricular pressure rise (3875 ± 526 vs 2555 ± 359 mmHg/s, P < 0.05) and peak of isovolumetric pressure (187 ± 11 vs 152 ± 11 mmHg, P < 0.05), and decreased developed stress (123 ± 20 vs 152 ± 26 g/cm², P < 0.05) and slope of stress-strain relationship (4.9 ± 0.42 vs 6.6 ± 0.77 g/cm²/%). Compared with controls (N = 11), rats with volume overload-induced eccentric hypertrophy (N = 16) presented increased developed stress (157 ± 38 vs 124 ± 22 g/cm², P < 0.05) and slope of stress-strain relationship (9 ± 2 vs 7 ± 1 g/cm²/%, P < 0.05), and decreased maximum rate of ventricular pressure rise(2746 ± 382 vs 3319 ± 352 mmHg, P < 0.05) and peak of isovolumetric pressure (115 ± 14 vs 165 ± 13 mmHg/s, P < 0.05). The results suggested that indexes of myocardial contractility used in experimental studies may present opposite results in the same heart and may be influenced by ventricular geometry. We concluded that several indexes should be taken into account for proper evaluation of contractile state, in the isovolumetrically beating isolated heart.

Biochemical and biological evaluation of gyroxin isolated from Crotalus durissus terrificus venom

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Genotyping of Toxoplasma gondii strains isolated from dogs with neurological signs

From 111 dogs with neurological signs admitted in this research in a 22-month period, brain samples of 34 animals were inoculated in mice in order to isolate Toxoplasma gondii. From these 34 dogs, 9 strains of T. gondii were isolated and the genetic characterization performed by restriction analysis (RFLP) of the SAG-2 gene. RFLP analysis showed that four of them were classified as Type I, and five as Type Ill. The present report is the first description of genotyping of T. gondii isolated from brain samples of naturally infected dogs, in Brazil. (C) 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Identification of Staphylococcus saprophyticus isolated from patients with urinary tract infection using a simple set of biochemical tests correlating with 16S-23S interspace region molecular weight patterns

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Assessment of genetic relationship between Klebsiella pneumoniae and Klebsiella oxytoca samples isolated from a dental office

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Oxacillin Resistance of Staphylococcus aureus Isolated from the University Hospital of Botucatu Medical School in Brazil

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)