Chlamydospore formation by Paracoccidioides brasiliensis mycelial form

To investigate the role of some adverse environmental conditions in chlamy-dospore formation by the mycelial form of P. brasiliensis, we cultured four P. brasiliensis isolates (18, Bt4, 1183, Pb9) at 25°C within solid agar medium either rich or poor in nutrients. Isolates 18 and 1183 were also cultured under anaerobiosis in a nitrogen atmosphere. Isolate 18 produced great number of terminal and intercalary chlamydospore after 7-10 days of culture in a medium poor in nutrients (2% agar with 0.1% dextrose and polypepton). The three other isolates also produced chlamydospores under the same conditions, but in lower numbers. Chlamydospore production by isolate 18 was abolished when the fungus was cultured in two agar media rich in nutrients (brain heart infusion and potato dextrose agar). Anaerobic incubation of isolate 18 under an atmosphere of N2 showed small mycelial outgrowth with numerous chlamydospores. At the electron microscopical level, the chlamydospores showed one or various nuclei and numerous mitochondria, indicating great potential for further development. Accordingly, chlamydospores produced multiple budding after only 24 h incubation at 35°C. The results demonstrate that under adverse environmental conditions P. brasiliensis mycelial form produces chlamydospores within a short period of time.

Chronic gastritis and Helicobacter pylori in digestive form of Chagas' disease

Patients with the digestive form of Chagas'disease frequently present chronic gastritis. As the microorganism Helicobacter pylori is now accepted as the most common cause of human chronic gastritis, the present work was undertaken to verify a possible relationship between the presence of this bacterium and inflammatory changes of antral mucosa in chagasic patients. Seventeen chagasics, with megaesophagus and or megacolon were studied. Fragments from two different regions of antral mucosa were obtained by endoscopy, fixed in 4% neutral formaldehyde and embedded in paraffin. The sections were stained by haematoxylin and eosin for histology analysis, and by carbolfuchsin for H. pylori identification. H. pylori was found in 16 (94.1%) chagasic patients, all of them presenting chronic gastritis. Superficial gastritis was seen in 9 (52.9%) while atrophic gastritis was present in 8 (47.1%) patients. H. pylori was present on gastric mucosa of 8 (100%) patients with atrophic gastritis and of 8 (88.8%) patients with superficial gastritis. We concluded that the microorganism H. pylori should be considered a possible factor connected with the etiopathogenesis of chronic superficial and atrophic gastritis frequently observed in patients with the digestive form of Chagas' disease.

Characterization of the non-apparent clinical form in the initial phase of schistosomiasis mansoni

In this paper the history of 115 recruits that had bathed simultaneously in streams contaminated with Schistosoma mansoni, during military maneuvers, is reported. Thirty four of the infected patients presented the initial phase of the infection diagnosed through epidemiologic, clinical and laboratorial parameters. Three out of the 34 patients did not reveal the clinical picture of the infection, thus being considered representatives of the non-apparent form of the disease. Differences between the intensity of blood eosinophilia, the area of immediate cutaneous reaction and the number of Schistosoma eggs eliminated in the stools proved not to be statistically significant (p>0.05) when the non-apparent and acute cases of schistosomiasis were compared. These cases actually may be considered evidences of the non-apparent form hitherto merely taken for granted in the literature.

Search of intravascular hemolysis in patients with the cutaneous form of loxoscelism

Haptoglobin assay, a highly sensitive method to detect intravascular hemolysis was carried out in the sera of 19 patients referred to Hospital Vital Brazil with the cutaneous form of loxoscelism in order to investigate the occurrence of mild intravascular hemolysis. Data from this series did not show decreased levels haptoglobin, ruling out intravascular hemolysis in these patients with cutaneous form of loxoscelism.

Peptic disease and Helicobacter pylori are highly prevalent in patients with the indeterminate form of chagas’ disease: report of 21 cases

Given that chagasic patients in the indeterminate form of this disease, can have abnormal motility of the digestive tract and immunologic abnormalities, we decided to assess the frequency of peptic disease and Helicobacter pylori (Hp) infection in these individuals. Twenty-one individuals, 13 males and 8 females, mean age 37.6 ± 11.1 years, were examined. Biopsies of the duodenum, antrum, lesser and greater gastric curvature and esophagus were performed. The endoscopic findings were of chronic gastritis in 20 (95.2%) patients, duodenal ulcer in 3 (14.3%), gastric and duodenal ulcer in 3 (14.3%), gastric ulcer alone in 1 (4.8%), esophagitis in 5 (23.8%), and duodenitis in 5 (23.8%). The diagnosis of infection by the Hp was done by the urease test and histologic examination. Hp infection was found in 20 (95.2%) individuals: in 20 out of them in the antrum, in 17 in the lesser curvature, and in 17 in the greater curvature. Hp was not found in the esophagus and duodenum. The only individual with no evidence of infection by Hp was also the only one with normal endoscopic and histologic examinations. The histologic examinations confirmed the diagnoses of gastric ulcer as peptic, chronic gastritis in 20 patients, duodenitis in 14, and esophagitis in 9. In this series the patients had a high frequency of peptic disease, which was closely associated with Hp infection

Periodontal aspects of the juvenile form of paracoccidioidomycosis

Three cases of the juvenile form of paracoccidioidomycosis are reported. Emphasis has been given to the oral manifestations, particularly the periodontal involvement. The main periodontal findings were: generalized and progressive alveolar bone destruction leading to gingival recession with exposure of the tooth roots, and spontaneous tooth losses. The gingival mucosa was predominantly smooth, erithematous and slightly swollen. These aspects, although rare, may be the earliest signs of the disease and sometimes its only manifestation.

Psychometric Properties of the Portuguese Version of the Posttraumatic Growth Inventory Short Form Among Divorced Adults

The aim of this study was to develop and validate a Portuguese version of the Short Form of the Posttraumatic Growth Inventory (PTGI-SF). Using an online convenience sample of Portuguese divorced adults (N = 482), we confirmed the oblique five-factor structure of the PTGI-SF by confirmatory factor analysis. The results demonstrated the measurement invariance across divorce initiator status groups. Total score and factors of PTGI-SF showed good internal consistency, with the exception of the New Possibilities factor, which revealed an acceptable reliability. The Portuguese PTGI-SF showed a satisfactory convergent validity. In terms of discriminant validity, posttraumatic growth assessed by the Portuguese PTGI-SF was a distinct factor from posttraumatic psychological adjustment. These preliminary findings suggest the cultural adaptation and also psychometric properties of the present Portuguese PTGI-SF to measure posttraumatic growth after personal crisis.

Comparative morphometry and morphology of Anopheles aconitus Form B and C eggs under scanning electron microscope

Comparative morphometric and morphological studies of eggs under scanning electron microscope (SEM) were undertaken in the three strains of two karyotypic forms of Anopheles aconitus, i.e., Form B (Chiang Mai and Phet Buri strains) and Form C (Chiang Mai and Mae Hong Son strains). Morphometric examination revealed the intraspecific variation with respect to the float width [36.77 ± 2.30 µm (Form C: Chiang Mai strain) = 38.49 ± 2.78 µm (Form B: Chiang Mai strain) = 39.06 ± 2.37 µm (Form B: Phet Buri strain) > 32.40 ± 3.52 µm (Form C: Mae Hong Son strain)] and number of posterior tubercles on deck [2.40 ± 0.52 (Form B: Phet Buri strain) = 2.70 ± 0.82 (Form B: Chiang Mai strain) < 3.10 ± 0.32 (Form C: Chiang Mai strain) = 3.20 ± 0.42 (Form C: Mae Hong Son strain)], whereas the surface topography of eggs among the three strains of two karyotypic forms were morphologically similar.

Crystallization and crystallographic analysis of the apo form of the orange protein (ORP) from desulfovibrio gigas

Acta Crystallographica Section F Structural Biology and Crystallization Communications Volume 65, Part 8

BIWiki - Using a Business Intelligence Wiki to Form a Virtual Community of Practice for Portuguese Master's Students

Web 2.0 software in general and wikis in particular have been receiving growing attention as they constitute new and powerful tools, capable of supporting information sharing, creation of knowledge and a wide range of collaborative processes and learning activities. This paper introduces briefly some of the new opportunities made possible by Web 2.0 or the social Internet, focusing on those offered by the use of wikis as learning spaces. A wiki allows documents to be created, edited and shared on a group basis; it has a very easy and efficient markup language, using a simple Web browser. One of the most important characteristics of wiki technology is the ease with which pages are created and edited. The facility for wiki content to be edited by its users means that its pages and structure form a dynamic entity, in permanent evolution, where users can insert new ideas, supplement previously existing information and correct errors and typos in a document at any time, up to the agreed final version. This paper explores wikis as a collaborative learning and knowledge-building space and its potential for supporting Virtual Communities of Practice (VCoPs). In the academic years (2007/8 and 2008/9), students of the Business Intelligence module at the Master's programme of studies on Knowledge Management and Business Intelligence at Instituto Superior de Estatistica e Gestao de Informacao of the Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Portugal, have been actively involved in the creation of BIWiki - a wiki for Business Intelligence in the Portuguese language. Based on usage patterns and feedback from students participating in this experience, some conclusions are drawn regarding the potential of this technology to support the emergence of VCoPs; some provisional suggestions will be made regarding the use of wikis to support information sharing, knowledge creation and transfer and collaborative learning in Higher Education.

DECREASING PREVALENCE OF THE ACUTE/SUBACUTE CLINICAL FORM OF PARACOCCIDIOIDOMYCOSIS IN MATO GROSSO DO SUL STATE, BRAZIL

With the objective to evaluate the behavior of paracoccidioidomycosis in the last three decades, clinical and epidemiological data of 595 patients admitted to clinical services of the Federal University of Mato Grosso do Sul from 1980 to 2009 were investigated. Gender, age distribution, clinical form, comorbidity with tuberculosis or AIDS, and mortality were compared by decades of clinical admission. It was shown that during the three decades there was a decrease in women percentage, and the same manner occurred a reduction in participants in the age group of 20 to 39 years. Moreover, the acute/subacute forms have been diminished in the period. These fluctuations are closely related and can be simultaneously analyzed. Increased AIDS co-infection prevalence from the first to the second decade was also revealed, coinciding with the appearance of the retroviral epidemic and stabilizing during the third decade. No change in the tuberculosis co-infection rate was observed (overall = 6.9%). It reinforces the importance of this co-morbidity. The overall mortality rate remained steady at 6.7%, not varying significantly from one decade to another. The persistent mortality rate calls attention to the importance of this neglected disease.

HUMAN TOXOPLASMOSIS OUTBREAKS AND THE AGENT INFECTING FORM. FINDINGS FROM A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW

SUMMARY Toxoplasmosis, a worldwide highly prevalent zoonotic infection, is transmitted either by the oocysts, from water and soil, or the tissue cysts, in raw or undercooked infected meat, of Toxoplasma gondii. An ongoing debate is whether there are differences between the clinical and epidemiological characteristics of the outbreaks due to one or the other infective form of the agent. We performed a systematic review, recovering 437 reported outbreaks of which 38 were selected. They were complete reports containing ascribed Toxoplasma infecting form, and clinical and demographic data. There was no gender or age group selection in the outbreaks, which were described more often in the Americas. A large number of individuals were affected when oocysts, associated with soil and water contaminated with cat feces, were considered the transmission source. Onset of symptoms occurred early when the infection was ascribed to meat tissue cysts (11.4 ± 6.7 days) with sharpened temporal distribution of cases, while a broader and prolonged appearance of new cases was observed when oocysts in water were the source of the infection (20 ± 7 days, p < 0.001). Such information may be useful in the design and implementation of control strategies.

A new CuZ active form in the catalytic reduction of N2O by nitrous oxide reductase from Pseudomonas nautica

J Biol Inorg Chem (2010) 15:967–976 DOI 10.1007/s00775-010-0658-6

NMR assignment of the apo-form of a Desulfovibrio gigas protein containing a novel Mo–Cu cluster

Biomol NMR Assign (2007) 1:81–83 DOI 10.1007/s12104-007-9022-3