Community ecology of the metazoan parasites of pink cusk-eel, Genypterus brasiliensis (Osteichthyes: Ophidiidae), from the coastal zone of the State of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Fifty-five specimens of pink cusk-eel, Genypterus brasiliensis Regan, 1903 (Osteichthyes: Ophidiidae) collected from the coastal zone of the State of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (approx. 21-23°S, 41-45°W), from September 2000 to January 2001, were necropsied to study their parasites. All fish were parasitized by one or more metazoan. Fourteen species of parasites were collected. G. brasiliensis is a new host record for nine parasite species. The larval stages of cestodes and the nematodes were the majority of the parasite specimens collected, with 38.4% and 36.5%, respectively. Cucullanus genypteri was the dominant species with highest prevalence and/or abundance. The parasites of G. brasiliensis showed the typical overdispersed pattern of distribution. Six parasite species showed correlation between the host's total body length and prevalence and abundance. Host sex did not influence prevalence and parasite abundance of any parasite species. The mean diversity in the infracommunities of G. brasiliensis was H= 0.364 ± 0.103, with correlation with the host's total length and without differences in relation to sex of the host. One pair of adult endoparasites (C. genypteri and A. brasiliensis) showed positive covariations between their abundances. Negative association or covariation was not found. Differences between the qualitative and quantitative aspects of the parasite community of G. brasiliensis from Rio de Janeiro and Argentina suggest the existence of two population stocks of pink cusk-eel in the South America Atlantic Ocean.

Clinical application of differential time to positivity of blood cultures as a diagnostic method for catheter-related bloodstream infection.

La sospita de bacterièmia relacionada a catèter (BRC) necessita la retirada d’aquest, confirmant-se a posteriori només en un 15-25%. La diferencia en el temps de positivització d´ hemocultius (DTP) ha demostrat ser un mètode fiable per el diagnòstic de BRC evitant la retirada del catèter. Amb la intenció de comprovar la utilitat clínica de la DTP, l’hem comparada amb un mètode diagnòstic estàndard. Hem inclòs 133 pacients ingressats a una unitat de cures intensives portadors de catèters venosos centrals. 56 pacients s’han aleatoritzats. No hem trobat diferències significatives en quant a morbi-mortalitat en els 2 grups havent evitat 70% de retirada innecessària de catèters en el grup de DTP.

A new automated method versus continuous positive airway pressure method for measuring pressure-volume curves in patients with acute lung injury

Objective: To compare pressure–volume (P–V) curves obtained with the Galileo ventilator with those obtained with the CPAP method in patients with ALI or ARDS receiving mechanical ventilation. P–V curves were fitted to a sigmoidal equation with a mean R2 of 0.994 ± 0.003. Lower (LIP) and upper inflection (UIP), and deflation maximum curvature (PMC) points calculated from the fitted variables showed a good correlation between methods with high intraclass correlation coefficients. Bias and limits of agreement for LIP, UIP and PMC obtained with the two methods in the same patient were clinically acceptable.

First characterization of Candida albicans by random amplified polymorphic DNA method in Nicaragua and comparison of the diagnosis methods for vaginal candidiasis in Nicaraguan women

A total of 106 women with vaginitis in Nicaragua were studied. The positive rate for the identification of Candida species was 41% (44 positive cultures out of 106 women with vaginitis). The sensitivity of microscopic examination of wet mount with the potassium hydroxide (KOH) was 61% and 70% with Gram's stain when using the culture of vaginal fluid as gold standard for diagnosis of candidiasis. Among the 44 positives cultures, isolated species of yeast from vaginal swabs were C. albicans (59%), C. tropicalis (23%), C. glabrata (14%) and C. krusei (4%). This study reports the first characterization of 26 C. albicans stocks from Nicaragua by the random amplified polymorphic DNA method. The genetic analysis in this small C. albicans population showed the existence of linkage disequilibrium, which is consistent with the hypothesis that C. albicans undergoes a clonal propagation.

A new species of Anoplodiscus (Monogenea: Anoplodiscidae) parasitic on Pagrus pagrus (Osteichthyes: Sparidae) from the coastal zone of the State of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

A new species of Anoplodiscus (Monogenea, Anoplodiscidae), parasitic on gills of the red porgy, Pagrus pagrus, from the coastal zone of the State of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, is described and illustrated. The new species can be differentiated from the other species of this genus by the shape of the accessory piece of the copulatory complex, and the length of the vagina. This is the first record of a species of Anoplodiscus in the Neotropical region.

A new species of Acantholochus (Copepoda: Bomolochidae) parasitic on Centropomus undecimalis (Osteichthyes: Centropomidae) from the coastal zone of the State of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

A new species of Acantholochus Cressey, 1984 (Copepoda: Bomolochidae) parasitic on the gills of common snook, Centropomus undecimalis, from the coastal zone of the State of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, is described and illustrated. The new species differs from all other species of Acantholochus by the presence of only one inner seta on middle segment of the second and third endopods.

Exogenous selection shapes germination behaviour and seedling traits of populations at different altitudes in a Senecio hybrid zone.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: The Senecio hybrid zone on Mt Etna, Sicily, is characterized by steep altitudinal clines in quantitative traits and genetic variation. Such clines are thought to be maintained by a combination of 'endogenous' selection arising from genetic incompatibilities and environment-dependent 'exogenous' selection leading to local adaptation. Here, the hypothesis was tested that local adaptation to the altitudinal temperature gradient contributes to maintaining divergence between the parental species, S. chrysanthemifolius and S. aethnensis. METHODS: Intra- and inter-population crosses were performed between five populations from across the hybrid zone and the germination and early seedling growth of the progeny were assessed. KEY RESULTS: Seedlings from higher-altitude populations germinated better under low temperatures (9-13 °C) than those from lower altitude populations. Seedlings from higher-altitude populations had lower survival rates under warm conditions (25/15 °C) than those from lower altitude populations, but also attained greater biomass. There was no altitudinal variation in growth or survival under cold conditions (15/5 °C). Population-level plasticity increased with altitude. Germination, growth and survival of natural hybrids and experimentally generated F(1)s generally exceeded the worse-performing parent. CONCLUSIONS: Limited evidence was found for endogenous selection against hybrids but relatively clear evidence was found for divergence in seed and seedling traits, which is probably adaptive. The combination of low-temperature germination and faster growth in warm conditions might enable high-altitude S. aethnensis to maximize its growth during a shorter growing season, while the slower growth of S. chrysanthemifolius may be an adaptation to drought stress at low altitudes. This study indicates that temperature gradients are likely to be an important environmental factor generating and maintaining adaptive divergence across the Senecio hybrid zone on Mt Etna.

Detection of telomerase activity in Plasmodium falciparum using a nonradioactive method

A simple, quick and sensitive method was used to detect telomerase activity in Plasmodium falciparum. The telomeric repeat amplification protocol (TRAP assay) was modified using electrophoresis and staining with SYBR-green I to detect telomerase activity in a range of 10² to 10(7) parasites. This might be a useful way to ascertain telomerase activity in different types of nontumor cells.

Development of genital plates in nymphs of Triatoma pallidipennis, Stål 1872, (Hemiptera: Reduviidae) and its application as sexing method

Searching for morphometric differences between sexes in immature forms, the development of genital plates in the exuviae of Triatoma pallidipennis Stål 1872nymphs was studied. Differences were found in the form and size of the 9th genital urosternite, it is larger and wider in males as compared to females. This difference is reported in several South American Triatoma species. From our results it is possible to sex early stages from microscopic observation of genital plates in whole insects.

Schistosomiasis mansoni: follow-up of control program based on parasitologic and serologic methods in a Brazilian community of low endemicity

A field survey on schistosomiais was carried out in 1998, in the municipality of Pedro de Toledo, a low endemic area in the state of São Paulo, Brazil. According to the parasitologic Kato-Katz method, the prevalence rate was 1.6%, with an infection intensity of 40.9 eggs per gram of stool. By the immunofluorescence test (IFT) for detection of IgG and IgM antibodies in the serum, IgG-IFT and IgM-IFT, respectively, prevalence indices of 33.2% and 33.5% were observed. To assess the impact of the schistosomiasis control program in the area, parasitologic and serologic data obtained in 1998, analyzed according to the age, sex, and residence zone, were compared to previous data obtained in a epidemiologic study carried out in 1980, when prevalence indices were of 22.8% and 55.5%, respectively by Kato-Katz and IgG-IFT. A significant fall of the prevalence was observed, indicating that the control measures were effective. Nonetheless, residual transmission was observed, demonstrating the need for a joint effort to include new approaches for better understanding the real situation and improving the control of the disease in low endemic areas.

Paleopharmacology and pollen: theory, method, and application

Parasitism was a universal human condition. Because of this, people developed herbal medicines to treat parasites as part of their pharmacopoeias. We propose that it is possible to recover evidence of medicinal plants from archaeological sites and link their use to specific health conditions. This is a multidisciplinary approach that must involve at least paleoethnobotanists, archaeoparasitologists, paleopathologists, and pharmacologists.

Viremic blood donor found by a rapid screening method in a season of high human parvovirus B19 activity in Niterói, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Erythrovirus B19 infection is usually benign but may have serious consequences in patients with hemolytic anemia (transient aplastic crisis), immunodeficiency (in whom persistent infection can lead to chronic bone marrow failure with anemia), or who are in the first or second trimester of gestation (spontaneous abortion, hydrops fetalis, and fetal death). Being non-enveloped, B19 resists most inactivation methods and can be transmitted by transfusion. B19 is difficult to cultivate and native virus is usually obtained from viremic blood. As specific antibodies may be absent, and there is no reliable immunological method for antigen detection, hybridization or polymerase chain reaction are needed for detecting viremia. A rapid method, gel hemagglutination (Diamed ID-Parvovirus B19 Antigen Test), can disclose highly viremic donations, whose elimination lessens the viral burden in pooled blood products and may even render them non-infectious. In order to obtain native antigen and to determine the frequency of viremic donors, we applied this test to blood donors in a period of high viral activity in our community. Positive or indeterminate results were re-tested by dot-blot hybridization. We tested 472 donors in 1998 and 831 ones in 1999. One viremic donor was found in 1999. We suggest that in periods of high community viral activity the gel hemagglutination test may be useful in avoiding highly viremic blood being added to plasma pools or directly transfused to patients under risk.

Drug susceptibility testing of Mycobacterium tuberculosis by the broth microdilution method with 7H9 broth

In this study, we have evaluated the broth microdilution method (BMM) for susceptibility testing of Mycobacterium tuberculosis. A total of 43 clinical isolates of M. tuberculosis and H37Rv as a control strain were studied. All isolates were tested by the proportion method and the BMM for isoniazid (INH), rifampicin (RIF), streptomycin (STR), and ethambutol (ETM). The proportion method was carried out according to the National Committee for Clinical Laboratory Standards (NCCLS) on Löwenstein-Jensen (LJ) medium. The BMM was carried out using 7H9 broth with 96 well-plates. All strains were tested at 3.2-0.05 µg/ml, 16-0.25 µg/ml, 32-0.5 µg/ml, and 32-0.5 µg/ml concentrations for INH, RIF, STR, and ETM, respectively. When the BMM was compared with the proportion method, sensitivity was 100, 100, 96.9, and 90.2%, while specificity was 100, 85.7, 90.9, and 100% for INH, RIF, STR, and ETM, respectively. The plates were examined 7, 10, 14, and 21 days after incubation. The majority of the result were obtained at 14th days after incubation, while the proportion method result were ended in 21-28 days. According to our results, it may be suggested that the BMM is suitable for early determining of multidrug-resistance-M. tuberculosis strains in developed or developing countries.