An old taxonomic dilemma: the identity of the western south Atlantic lebranche mullet (Teleostei: Perciformes: Mugilidae)

The identification of the lebranche mullet in the western south Atlantic has long been problematical. In most recent works either Mugil liza Valenciennes and M. platanus Gunther, 1880 or M. liza and M. cephalus Linnaeus, 1758 were recognized from the region and more rarely the occurrence of only one species has been proposed but without sufficient morphological, biochemical or molecular data to allow the designation of the taxonomically appropriate name. Analysis of meristic and morphometric data taken from samples collected from Venezuela to Argentina, clearly indicates that there is only one species of lebranche mullet in the Caribbean Sea region and the Atlantic coast of South America and that Mugil liza is the appropriate name. The comparison of the combined data from all the samples of M. liza with the data taken from one sample of M. cephalus that originated in the Mediterranean, the possible locality from which type specimens were collected (Eschmeyer and Fricke, 2009), revealed significant differences indicating that they are different species. It is also suggested that individuals from the western north Atlantic identified as M. cephalus might represent a population of M. liza in this region.

Species composition and plant use in old urban homegardens in Rio Claro, Southeast of Brazil

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Intraosseous foreign-body granuloma in the mandible subsequent to a 20-year-old work-related accident

The purpose of this article was to describe the clinical and microscopic features of an intraosseous foreign-body granuloma in the mandible that developed after the traumatic implantation of metal fragments during a work-related accident. A 65-year-old male patient had a severe pain in the body of mandible. Clinical examination showed facial asymmetry and a scar, extending to the left mental region. Intraoral examination revealed a soft mass involving the left alveolar bone with normal appearance of the mucosa surface. Panoramic radiographs showed a radiolucent lesion along the mandible extending from the central incisive to the first molar. Computed tomography revealed an osteolytic mass in the same area. His medical history included a work-related accident twenty years prior to evaluation. During the biopsy an important amount of bright metal-like pieces surrounded by soft tissue were found. A microscopic examination showed a foreign body associated with an aggregation of multinucleated giant cells. The final diagnosis was a foreign body granuloma. Even though foreign-body granulomas in the mandible are rare lesions, dentists should be familiar with their features and include them in the differential diagnosis of tissue masses.

Evolução e determinantes de incremento de peso (por altura e idade) em crianças de dois a 72 meses em Sorocaba, São Paulo: evidências a partir de estudo quase-experimental seriado.

OBJETIVOS: recupera-se síntese dos principais aspectos das publicações referentes a projeto conduzido pela equipe, na década passada, com o objetivo de subsidiar a avaliação de política pública setorial de suplementação alimentar na infância. MÉTODOS: acompanharam-se trimestralmente, durante um ano, indicadores de crescimento e desenvolvimento em populações periféricas de dois a 72 meses de idade, em Sorocaba, São Paulo. Após realização do censo infantil de duas regiões da cidade, as crianças freqüentes a creches (em número de 164) foram comparadas às demais (280). O impacto nutricional foi quantificado através de análises univariadas (testes inferenciais Kappa e de Goodman) e multivariadas. Vieses e confundimento foram averiguados e controlados. RESULTADOS: observou-se, entre muitas outras informações obtidas, que o grupo assistido apresentou: 1) idade média superior; 2) menor taxa de aleitamento natural; 3) menores valores de peso/altura à admissão, com maiores ganhos durante a evolução; 4) essa melhora aumentou com a duração da exposição e foi maior entre os mais velhos. CONCLUSÕES: avalia-se que assistir apropriadamente pré-escolares constitui hoje, em nosso meio, relevante imperativo de ordem social.

Periodontal conditions in a 7-19-year-old student population in Araraquara, São Paulo, Brazil, 1995

O objetivo deste estudo foi verificar as condições periodontais e necessidades de tratamento em crianças e adolescentes, com idades entre 7 e 19 anos, matriculados em Escolas Públicas de Araraquara, SP, Brasil, em 1995, com o propósito de se obter um banco de dados-base inicial para o monitoramento das mudanças no estado periodontal. Uma amostra de 1956 crianças e adolescentes foi examinada por duas examinadoras, previamente calibradas, usando o CPITN. Os resultados mostraram que o sangramento gengival foi a condição periodontal mais frequentemente observada em todas as idades, com média de 3,0 sextantes afetados na idade de 15 anos. A presença de cálculo dental aumentou com a idade. No grupo etário de 15-19 anos, o cálculo dental e as bolsas periodontais rasas (3,5-5,5 mm) foram observados em 39,8% e 1,6% dos adolescentes, respectivamente. Com o propósito de alcançar a meta da OMS de não mais do que um sextante com escores 1 (sangramento) ou 2 (presença de cálculo dental) do CPITN na idade de 15 anos, prioridade deve ser dada aos programas de prevenção primária para que a saúde periodontal da maioria seja beneficiada.

Changes in caries prevalence in 7-12-year-old children from Araraquara, São Paulo, Brazil: 1989-1995

O objetivo deste estudo foi comparar a prevalência de cárie em crianças de sete a 12 anos em Araraquara, São Paulo, Brasil, em 1989 e 1995. Foi utilizada amostragem sistemática para selecionar crianças de escolas públicas. Examinadores treinados realizaram levantamentos epidemiológicos, utilizando o índice CPOD e os critérios de diagnóstico da OMS. em todas as idades, houve aumento da porcentagem de crianças livres de cárie na dentição permanente (de 29% em 1989 para 51% em 1995). Para crianças aos 12 anos de idade, foram observados índices CPOD de 3,8 em 1989 e de 2,6 em 1995. Detectaram-se também reduções nas porcentagens de crianças classificadas nas seguintes categorias do CPOD: um a três (de 40% em 1989 para 31% em 1995); quatro a seis (de 26,6% em 1989 para 16,5% em 1995) e sete ou mais (de 4,4% em 1989 para 1,5% em 1995). A meta da OMS/FDI para o ano 2000, de que aos 12 anos os indivíduos apresentem em média índice CPOD menor ou igual a três, foi atingida pelos escolares em estudo. Esforços devem ser empreendidos para que haja redução da porcentagem de crianças com experiência de cárie e sejam alcançadas as metas de saúde bucal da OMS/FDI para o ano 2010.

Structure of a lectin from Canavalia gladiata seeds: new structural insights for old molecules

Background: Lectins are mainly described as simple carbohydrate- binding proteins. Previous studies have tried to identify other binding sites, which possible recognize plant hormones, secondary metabolites, and isolated amino acid residues. We report the crystal structure of a lectin isolated from Canavalia gladiata seeds ( CGL), describing a new binding pocket, which may be related to pathogen resistance activity in ConA- like lectins; a site where a non- protein amino- acid, aaminobutyric acid ( Abu), is bound.Results: the overall structure of native CGL and complexed with alpha- methyl- mannoside and Abu have been refined at 2.3 angstrom and 2.31 angstrom resolution, respectively. Analysis of the electron density maps of the CGL structure shows clearly the presence of Abu, which was confirmed by mass spectrometry.Conclusion: the presence of Abu in a plant lectin structure strongly indicates the ability of lectins on carrying secondary metabolites. Comparison of the amino acids composing the site with other legume lectins revealed that this site is conserved, providing an evidence of the biological relevance of this site. This new action of lectins strengthens their role in defense mechanisms in plants.

Prevalence of caries and developmental defects of enamel in 9-10 year old children living in areas in Brazil differing water fluoride histories

Aims To assess the prevalences of caries, of developmental defects of enamel and their interrelationship in Brazilian 9-10-year-olds from areas of contrasting fluoridation histories.Methods systematic random sampling procedures were used to select children from an area where water had been fluoridated in 1963 and from a second area where water had been fluoridated since 1998. Clinical examinations for caries were carried out using the DMFT index and WHO diagnostic criteria. Developmental defects of enamel on upper incisors were diagnosed using the DDE index.Results A difference of 40% in DMFT was observed, with a lower prevalence of disease in the area fluoridated since 1963. Diffuse opacities affected 14.3% of the children from the area fluoridated since 1963 compared with only 2.4% in the area fluoridated in 1998. Children living in the area fluoridated in 1963 who had diffuse defects had twice the chance of being free from caries compared with those living in the same area who had no defects or who had only demarcated or hypoplastic defects.Conclusions This study confirms previous ones in showing the benefits of water fluoridation. Diffuse opacities of upper incisors affected relatively few subjects in either of the two areas.

The 3.4-3.5 Ga Sao Jose do Campestre massif, NE Brazil: remnants of the oldest crust in South America

The oldest fragment of continental crust recognized in South America occurs as an isolated Archean enclave in northeastem Brazil's Borborema Province, ca. 600 Ma Brasiliano-Pan African orogenic belt. This Archean fragment, the Sao Jose do Campestre massif, is surrounded by large tracts of 2.2-2.0 Ga Paleoproterozoic gneisses and is located more than 600-1500 km from the much larger assemblages of Archean rocks found in the Sao Fransciso and Amazonian cratons, located to the south and west, respectively. Geochronological studies of the Sao Jose do Campestre massif show that its oldest rocks contain zircons with U-Pb ages up to 3.5 Ga and Sm-Nd T-DM model ages of more than 3.7 Ga, indicating that they represent reworked crust. This older nucleus is flanked by both reworked and juvenile 3.25 and 3.18 Ga rocks which arc intruded by both 3.00 and 2.69 Ga plutonic bodies. The protracted evolution the Sao Jose do Campestre massif is consistent with that of a larger continental mass as opposed to a small crustal fragment that grew in isolation. As such, the Sao Jose do Campestre massif is interpreted as representing a detached piece of an evolved craton that became entrained with younger rocks during a subsequent Paleoproterozoic accretionary-orogenic event. This hypothesis is bolstered by the presence of Paleoproterozoic gneisses that envelop the Sao Jose do Campestre massif, as well as the existence of ca. 2.0 Ga metamorphic zircon and monazite within its rocks. The occurrence of several different Archean cratonic basement inliers within the greater Paleoproterozoic crustal framework of the Borborema Province suggests that cratonic slices spalled off one or more larger Archean masses prior to the ca. 2.2-2.0 Ga Paleoproterozoic orogenic collage. A important challenge is to link these older fragments to their parent cratons. Although results are not unique, the pattern of ages and isotopic signatures observed in the Sao Jose do Campestre massif is similar to that seen in parts of the Sao Francisco Craton, and it is possible that the Sao Jose do Campestre massif is a fragment of an Archean continental fragment formed during an episode of continental breakup prior to 2200 Ma. (C) 2003 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.