Estudos citológicos e citoquímicos em Stenophoridae crawley, 1903 (Eugregarinidae, Protozoa): I - microscopia óptica e citoquímica do núcleo

Neste trabalho os autores apresentam uma revisão da morfologia das gregarinas do gênero Stenophora Labbé, 1899, baseada principalmente em S. juli (Frantzius, 1848) Labbé, 1899. Caracterizam citoquìmicamente os elementos da estrutura nuclear, ficando evidenciado que o corpúsculo nuclear referido por muitos como um cariossomo apresenta reações positivas para o RNA, sendo portanto um nucléolo. O suco nuclear apresenta reações para o DNA pouco intensas, devido as granulações de cromatina se apresentarem muito finas. Fazem referências também à estrutura do nucléolo, que varia com as técnicas empregadas e salientam a necessidade de comparação dêstes resultados com aquêles obtidos com o auxílio da microscopia eletrônica e que são tratados no segundo trabalho desta série.

Medulite supra-renálica em casos de raiva humana

Foram estudados os encéfalos e as supra-renais de cinco casos de raiva humana, sendo três crianças e dois adultos com óbito ocorrendo entre três e seis dias após início das manifestações clínicas. Em todos os casos o encéfalo mostrava corpúsculo de Negri nas células nervosas e infiltrado mononuclear perivascular mais evidente nos casos de evolução mais longa. O comprometimento eletivo da medular das supra-renais caracterizado por acentuado exsudato mononuclear, além de alterações dos feocromócitos ocorreu em 60% dos casos. Corpúsculos eosinófilos foram encontrados no citoplasma dos feocromócitos e, às vezes, no interstício da medular. Tais corpúsculos poderiam representar inclusões viróticas semelhantes aos corpúsculos de Negri dos neurônios. Entretanto sua verdadeira natureza precisa ser ainda esclarecida. A medulite supra-renálica aqui descrita pode ter sua gênese, pelo menos em parte, determinada por fatores que se relacionam ao "parentesco" embriológico do sistema cromafim com o tecido nervoso.

Regulation of adaptive behaviour during fasting by hypothalamic Foxa2.

The lateral hypothalamic area is considered the classic 'feeding centre', regulating food intake, arousal and motivated behaviour through the actions of orexin and melanin-concentrating hormone (MCH). These neuropeptides are inhibited in response to feeding-related signals and are released during fasting. However, the molecular mechanisms that regulate and integrate these signals remain poorly understood. Here we show that the forkhead box transcription factor Foxa2, a downstream target of insulin signalling, regulates the expression of orexin and MCH. During fasting, Foxa2 binds to MCH and orexin promoters and stimulates their expression. In fed and in hyperinsulinemic obese mice, insulin signalling leads to nuclear exclusion of Foxa2 and reduced expression of MCH and orexin. Constitutive activation of Foxa2 in the brain (Nes-Cre/+;Foxa2T156A(flox/flox) genotype) results in increased neuronal MCH and orexin expression and increased food consumption, metabolism and insulin sensitivity. Spontaneous physical activity of these animals in the fed state is significantly increased and is similar to that in fasted mice. Conditional activation of Foxa2 through the T156A mutation expression in the brain of obese mice also resulted in improved glucose homeostasis, decreased fat and increased lean body mass. Our results demonstrate that Foxa2 can act as a metabolic sensor in neurons of the lateral hypothalamic area to integrate metabolic signals, adaptive behaviour and physiological responses.

Prevalence and intensity of infections of Ascaris lumbricoides and Trichuris trichiura and associated socio-demographic variables in four rural Honduran communities

Between January and March 1998, a cross-sectional survey was carried out in four rural communities in Honduras, Central America. We examined the prevalence and intensity of Ascaris lumbricoides and Trichuris trichiura infections among 240 fecal specimens, and the association between selected socio-demographic variables and infection for 62 households. The overall prevalence of A. lumbricoides and T. trichiura was 45% (95% CI 39.0-51.9) and 38% (95% CI 31.8-44.4) respectively. The most intense infections for Ascaris and Trichuris were found in children aged 2-12 years old. By univariate analysis variables associated with infections of A. lumbricoides were: number of children 2-5 years old (p=0.001), level of formal education of respondents (p=0.01), reported site of defecation of children in households (p=0.02), households with children who had a recent history of diarrhea (p=0.002), and the location of households (p=0.03). Variables associated with both A. lumbricoides and T. trichiura infection included: number of children 6-14 years old (p=0.01, p=0.04, respectively), ownership of a latrine (p=0.04, p=0.03, respectively) and coinfection with either helminth (p=0.001, p=0.001, respectively). By multivariate analysis the number of children 2-5 years living in the household, (p=0.01, odds ratio (OR)=22.2), children with a recent history of diarrhea (p=0.0, OR=39.8), and infection of household members with T. trichiura (p=0.02, OR=16.0) were associated with A. lumbricoides infection. The number of children 6-14 years old in the household was associated with both A. lumbricoides and T. trichiura infection (p=0.04, p=0.01, OR=19.2, OR=5.2, respectively).

OER as a Model for Enhanced Teaching and Learning

This article presents preliminary findings from a research study conducted by the Institute for the Study of Knowledge Management in Education on the role of open educational resources (OER) in transforming pedagogy. Based on a study of art and humanities teachers participating in an OER training network, the study reveals how exposure to OER resources and tools support collaboration among teachers, as well as new conversations about teaching practices. These findings have implications for engaging teachers in adopting new OER use practices, and for how OER can be integrated as a model for innovation in teaching and in resource development.

Recursos electrónicos y catálogos

Como en años anteriores, durante la conferencia Online Information'99 la empresa UMI ¿adquirida hace unos meses por Bell and Howell¿, hizo entrega del premio al mejor trabajo publicado durante 1999, según un jurado designado por la propia empresa.

High-resolution ultrasonography of subretinal structure and assessment of retina degeneration in rat.

The purpose of this work was to evaluate the ability of 80 MHz ultrasonography to differentiate intra-retinal layers and quantitatively assess photoreceptor dystrophy in small animal models. Four groups of 10 RCS rats each (five dystrophic and five controls) were explored at 25, 35, 45 and 55 days post-natal (PN). A series of retina cross-sections were obtained ex vivo from outside intact eyes using an 80 MHz three-dimensional ultrasound backscatter microscope (20-microm-axial resolution). Ultrasound features of normal retina were correlated to those of corresponding histology and thickness measurements of photoreceptor segment and nuclear layers were performed on all groups. To show the ability of 80 MHz ultrasonography to distinguish the retinal degeneration in vivo, one RCS rat was explored at 25 and 55 days post-natal. Ultrasound image of normal retina displayed four distinct layers marked by reflections at neurites/nuclei interfaces and permitted to differentiate the photoreceptor segment and nuclear layers. The backscatter level from the retina was shown to be related to the size, density and organization of the intra-layer structure. Ultrasound thickness measurements highly correlated with histologic measurements. A thinning (p<0.05) of outer nuclear layer (ONL) was detected over time for controls and was thought to be assigned to retina maturation. Retinal degeneration started at PN35 and resulted in a more pronounced ONL thinning (p<0.05) over time. ONL degeneration was accompanied by segment layer thickening (p<0.05) at PN35 and thinning thereafter. These changes may indicate accumulation of outer segment debris at PN35 then progressive destruction. In vivo images of rat intra-retinal structure showed the ability of the method to distinguish the photoreceptor layer changes. Our results indicate that 80 MHz ultrasonography reveals intra-retinal layers and is sensitive to age and degenerative changes of photoreceptors. This technique has great potential to follow-up retinal dystrophy and therapeutic effects in vivo.