Composition and diversity of Ephemeroptera (Insecta) nymph communities in the middle section of the Jacui River and some tributaries, southern Brazil

The taxonomic composition and diversity of assemblages of Ephemeroptera nymphs of four lotic environments in the central region of State of Rio Grande do Sul, a subtropical area in southern Brazil, were evaluated. Samplings were done monthly, with a Surber sampler, from June 2001 to May 2002, in the Jacui River and three of its tributaries. The total number of nymphs collected in the four sampling sites was 11,007 in five families and 19 genera, of these, 11 are new records for the State. The highest diversity occurred in Point 4 (H` = 2.41) and the lowest in Point 2 (H` = 1.69). Point 4 had the highest environmental stability, conservation of the riparian vegetation and the lowest anthropic impact, while Point 2 presented a large environmental simplification due to a direct anthropic influence ( e. g. domestic sewerage, trampling by cattle). The diversity of nymphs observed in the total area is high, compared to the estimated maximum theoretical diversity; a result of the high evenness and richness recorded. Rarefaction curves, calculated for a sample of 1,018 specimens, showed a similar expectation of richness for the four sampling sites. This result seems to be associated with the overall environmental homogeneity of the region caused by long-term alterations ( land use and deforestation). In summary, higher diversity of Ephemeroptera nymph assemblages seems to be associated with habitat complexity, a good vegetation cover and a lower anthropic influence.

'Lots of little kindnesses': valuing the role of older Australians as informal volunteers in the community

This paper describes the ways in which older people contribute to their communities and families as informal volunteers. It challenges current ways of thinking that assign an economic value to the productive activities undertaken by older people. Using qualitative data from a study of older people resident in Queensland, Australia, the paper explores the ways that older people contribute to their families and to the community and the outcomes associated with these activities. Two specific themes emerged from the data: first, the ways' in which older people contribute to strong inter-generational relations, and second, how they provide essential mutual support that permits many older people to remain living in the community. These contributions, while often small in themselves, are in aggregate critical both to family functioning and to the maintenance of sustainable and healthy communities. Many are reciprocal interactions that add value to the lives of individuals and offer positive social roles in later life, and they may be particularly important for those from minority cultural backgrounds or at risk of social isolation. The findings suggest that older people are integral to community and civil society and, therefore, that social policy should respond to the ageing of Australia's population and recognise the positive contributions of older people, rather than emphasising the costs of demographic change.

Binge eating symptoms, diet composition and metabolic characteristics of obese children and adolescents

This study aimed to determine the occurrence of symptoms of binge eating (BE) among children and adolescents seeking treatment for their obesity, as well as to evaluate their diet composition and metabolic characteristics. The Binge Eating scale (BES) was answered by 128 children and adolescents (10.77 +/- 2.04 years, BMI 29.15 +/- 4.98 kg/m(2), BMI Z score 2.28 +/- 0.46, 53.91% pubescent), who were classified into two subgroups-binge eaters (score greater than or equal to IS points) and non-binge eaters (score lower than 18 points). Anthropometric data, body composition and Tanner stages were collected and dietary evaluation conducted. Blood pressure was determined, and glucose, lipid profile and insulin assays were performed. insulin resistance was determined using HOMA-IR. BE symptoms were present in 39.06% of patients. Carbohydrate intake in diet composition was significantly higher among binge eaters. Children with BE did not demonstrate significant dissimilar metabolic characteristics when compared to their counterparts without BE. Therefore, BE seems to be a prevalent problem among children and adolescents seeking help for their obesity. When associated with obesity, this eating behaviour can influence macronutrient consumption through increased carbohydrate intake. Further research would be valuable to verify the reproducibility of these findings. (c) 2007 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Vitamin D insufficiency: A risk factor to vertebral fractures in community-dwelling elderly women

Objective:To determine the risk factors for the presence of moderate/severe vertebral fracture, specifically 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25-OHD). Study design: Cross-sectional study conducted for 2 years in the city of Sao Paulo, Brazil including community-dwelling elderly women. Methods: Bone mineral density (BMD), serum 25-OHD, intact parathyroid hormone (iPTH), calcium and estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) were examined in 226 women without vertebral fractures (NO FRACTURE group) and 189 women with at least one moderate/severe vertebral fracture (FRACTURE group). Vertebral fracture assessment (VFA) was evaluated using both the Genant semiquantitative (SQ) approach and morphometry. Results: Patients in the NO FRACTURE group had lower age, increased height, higher calcium intake, and higher BMD compared to those patients in the FRACTURE group (p < 0.05). Of interest, serum levels of 25-OHD in the NO FRACTURE group were higher than those observed in the FRACTURE group (51.73 nmol/L vs. 42.31 nmol/L, p < 0.001). Reinforcing this finding, vitamin D insufficiency (25-OHD < 75 nmol/L) was observed less in the NO FRACTURE group (82.3% vs. 93.65%, p = 0.001). After adjustment for significant variables within the patient population (age, height, race, calcium intake, 25-OHD, eGFR and sites BMD), the logistic-regression analyses revealed that age (OR = 1.09, 95% Cl 1.04-1.14, p < 0.001) femoral neck BMD (OR = 0.7, 95% CI 0.6-0.82, p < 0.001) and 25-OHD <75 nmol/L (OR = 2.38, 95% CI 1.17-4.8, p = 0.016) remains a significant factor for vertebral fracture. Conclusion: Vitamin D insufficiency is a contributing factor for moderate/severe vertebral fractures. This result emphasizes the importance of including this modifiable risk factor in the evaluation of elderly women. (C) 2009 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Lipid content and fatty acid composition of 11 species of Queensland (Australia) fish

The fatty acid composition of 11 species of fish caught off the northeast coast of Australia was determined. No fatty acid profiles have been previously published for fish from this area nor for nine of these species. Although the percentage of polyunsaturated fatty acid (PU FA) was the same as the calculated average for Australian fish (42.3%), the percentage of n-3 fatty acids was lower (24.4 +/- 5.4% vs. 30.7 +/- 10.1%) and the n-6 fatty acids higher (16.5 +/- 4.5% vs. 11.2 +/- 5.9%), P < 0.001 in each case. The major n-3 PUFA were docosahexaenoic (15.6 +/- 6.3%) and eicosapentaenoic acid (4.3 +/- 1.1%) while the major n-6 PUFA were arachidonic (8.3 +/- 3.2%) and n-6 docosatetraenoic acid (3.1 +/- 1.3%). The second-most abundant class of fatty acid was the saturates (31.6 +/- 3.5%) while the monounsaturates accounted for 17.4 +/- 4.3% of the total fatty acids. The monounsaturate with the highest concentration was octadecenoic acid (11.8 +/- 2.6%). There was a positive correlation between the total lipid content and saturated and monounsaturated fatty acids (r = 0.675 and 0.567, respectively) and a negative correlation between the total lipid content and PUFA(r = 0.774).

Effect of body composition at selection on reproductive development in large white gilts

Fifty-four Large White gilts were used to determine the effect of body composition at selection (145 d of age) on the onset of puberty and subsequent reproductive development until 202 d of age. Gilts were assigned to one of three groups based on their backfat depth at selection: 10 to 12 mm (L), 13 to 15 mm (M), and 16 to 18 mm (F). All of the F gilts, 92% of the M gilts, and 67% of the L gilts reached puberty by slaughter at 202 d of age. Data from a subgroup (first 67% to reach puberty in each group; L = Lp, M = Mp, and F = Fp) was also used. The M (Mp) and F (Fp) gilts reached puberty at 172 d (166 d) and 170 d (166 d) of age, respectively, but the L (Lp) gilts at 184.5 d were 12 d (18 d) older than M(P < .05), Mp(P < .001), and F(P < .01), Fp (P < .001) gilts. The Lp (97.68 kg) and Mp (98.33 kg) gilts were lighter (P < .01) than Fp (108.72 kg) gilts at puberty. There were no differences (P < .05) among the L, M, and F gilts in terms of backfat depth or weight at puberty. The L (Lp) gilts had a mean of 1.16 (1.75) estrous cycles, which was lower (P < .01) than for M (Mp) and (P < .01) F (Fp) gilts, with 1.96 (2.29) and 2.25 (2.33) cycles, respectively. L (Lp) gilts had fewer (P < .05) follicles, 13.14 (12.63), than either M (Mp), 19.08 (18.71), or F (Fp), 18.25 (17.42) gilts. The number of corpora lutea was not influenced (P > .05) by grouping at selection, but Fp gilts had fewer (P < .05) corpora lutea than Mp or Fp gilts. Live weight at slaughter was not influenced (P > .10) by grouping at selection or subgrouping at puberty. The L gilts with a mean of 18.05 mm of backfat at slaughter were leaner (P < .05) than the F (21.66 mm) but not (P > .10) the M gilts (19.41 mm). Subgrouping had no effect. Fat deposition and protein deposition were higher (P < .05) in those animals that attained puberty. We conclude that the rate of fat and protein deposition seems to be one of the determinants of puberty attainment.

Prevalence of fibromyalgia and chronic widespread pain in community-dwelling elderly subjects living in Sao Paulo, Brazil

Objectives: To estimate the prevalence of fibromyalgia (FM) and chronic widespread pain (CWP) in community-dwelling elderly individuals living in Sao Paulo, to assess the spectrum of problems related to these diseases using the Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire (FIQ) and to correlate the FIQ with the number of tender points and with pain threshold. Methods: Our sample consisted of 361 individuals (64% women, 36% men, mean age of 73.3 +/- 5.7 years). Individuals were classified into four groups: FM (according to American College of Rheumatology criteria), CWP, regional pain (RP) and no pain (NP). Pain characteristics and dolorimetry for 18 tender points and the FIQ were assessed. Results: The prevalence of FM was 5.5% [95% confidence interval (CI) = 5.4-5.7], and the prevalence of CWP was 14.1% (95% Cl: 10.5-17.7%). The frequency of RP was 52.6% and the prevalence of NP was 27.7%. FIQ scores were higher in people with FM (44.5), followed by CWP (31.4), RP (18.1) and NP (5.5) (p < 0.001). There was a positive correlation between the domains of the FIQ and the number of tender Points (p < 0.05), and a negative correlation between FIQ score and pain threshold (p < 0.05). Conclusion: In our elderly subjects, the prevalence of FM was slightly higher compared to previously reported studies, and CWP was around 14%. The spectrum of problems related to chronic pain was more severe in FM followed by CWP, strongly suggesting that these conditions should be diagnosed and adequately treated in older individuals. (C) 2010 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Molecular epidemiology and genetic diversity of hepatitis B virus genotype E in an isolated Afro-Colombian community

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is a significant public health concern with 350 million chronic carriers worldwide. Eight HBV genotypes (A-H) have been described so far. Genotype E (HBV/E) is widely distributed in West Africa and has rarely been found in other continents, except for a few cases in individuals with an African background. In this study, we characterized HBV genotypes in Quibdo, Colombia, by partial S/P gene sequencing, and found, for the first time, HBV/E circulating in nine Afro-Colombian patients who had no recent contact with Africa. The presence of HBV/E in this community as a monophyletic group suggests that it was a result of a recent introduction by some Afro-descendent contact or, alternatively, that the virus came with slaves brought to Colombia. By using sequences with sampling dates, we estimated the substitution rate to be about 3.2x10(-4) substitutions per site per year, which resulted in a time to the most recent common ancestor (TMRCA) of 29 years. In parallel, we also estimated the TMRCA for HBV/E by using two previously estimated substitution rates (7.7x10(-4) and 1.5x10(-5) substitutions per site per year). The TMRCA was around 35 years under the higher rate and 1500 years under the slower rate. In sum, this work reports for the first time the presence of an exclusively African HBV genotype circulating in South America. We also discuss the time of the entry of this virus into America based on different substitution rates estimated for HBV.

Photodegradation of irinotecan (CPT-11) in aqueous solutions: Identification of fluorescent products and influence of solution composition

The photodegradation of irinotecan (CPT-11), the semisynthetic derivative of the antitumor alkaloid 20(S)-camptothecin, has been investigated. The drug was exposed to laboratory light for up to 5 days in 0.9% saline solution (pH 8.5). Five significant photodegradation products were observed and a high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) assay was employed to isolate them from CPT-11 using gradient conditions. The structures were elucidated by nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy and tandem mass spectrometry and shown to be the result of extensive modifications of the lactone ring of CPT-11. Three of the compounds were found to belong to the mappicine group of alkaloids. In addition, the effect of light on the stability of CPT-11 in aqueous solutions and biological fluids was also assessed, Potassium phosphate buffers (0.05 M, pH 5.0-8.2) and saline, plasma, urine, and bile solutions containing 20 mu M CPT-11 were equilibrated in the dark for 24 h before being exposed to laboratory light for up to 171 h at ambient temperature. Four of the five identified photodegradation products were observed and quantitated by isocratic HPLC, using a different detection mode (fluorescence) than the one used for gradient elution, In general, CPT-11 was found to be unstable under neutral and alkaline conditions for all solutions investigated, with the exception of bile. We conclude that CPT-11 is photolabile and that care should be taken to protect samples, particularly those intended for the isolation and identification of novel metabolites of CPT-11.