Trichospilus diatraeae (Hymenoptera: eulophidae): a potential biological control agent of Lepidopteran pests of oil palm in the brazilian Amazon.

A expansão da monocultura da palma do óleo (Elaeis guineensis) pode favorecer pragas como as lagartas Opsiphanes invirae Hübner, Brassolis sophorae L. (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae) e Eupalamides cyparissias (Fabricius) (Lepidoptera: Castniidae). O objetivo foi avaliar o potencial de Trichospilus diatraeae Cherian & Margabandhu (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae) como parasitóide de pupas de lepidópteras-praga da palma do óleo. Cinquenta fêmeas de T. diatraeae foram mantidas um tubo de ensaio por 48 horas com uma pupa dos seguintes hospedeiros: O. invirae, B. sophorae ou E. cyparissias, com, até, dois dias de idade. Trichospilus diatraeae realizou o parasitismo nas três espécies de Lepidoptera, mas obteve potencial reprodutivo em pupas de O. invirae e B. sophorae. Isto sugere que este parasitoide, de hábito polífago, pode representar uma alternativa para o controle de pragas de lepidópteros da palma de óleo na Amazônia brasileir

A Redescription of Riggia paranensis Szidat, 1948 (Isopoda, Cymothoidae) Based on Thirty-two Specimens from Curimatid Fish of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, with an Emendation of the Genus

Riggia paranensis Szidat, 1948 is redescribed on the basis of 30 female and 2 male specimens collected from the pericardial cavities of the curimatid fish Cyphocarax (= Curimata,) gilberti (Quoy & Gaimard). The fishes were caught in the Itabapoana River, State of Rio de Janeiro, southeastern Brazil, The presence of "dwarf" males, as reported by Szidat, was verified. The fusion of the pleonites and pleotelson in adult females was also confirmed. The generic diagnosis was emended to include details of the mouthparts and pleopods

Evaluation of solar exposure in Brachiaria decumbens poisoning in sheep

Foram utilizados 26 ovinos, entre 3 e 4 meses de idade, divididos em 3 grupos, provenientes de rebanhos que nunca tiveram contato com pastos de Brachiaria spp.. Dois grupos receberam Brachiaria decumbens no cocho diariamente ad libitum, sendo que um deles permaneceu em área com exposição solar (GS) e o outro foi mantido em baias cobertas protegidos do sol (GSB). O grupo controle (GC) foi também mantido em local com exposição solar e alimentado com feno de Cynodon dactylon e capim Pennisetum purpureum triturado. Todos os grupos receberam alimentação em cochos e foram suplementados com 200g/ dia/animal de ração comercial para ovinos. Foi realizada a avaliação clínica diária dos ovinos e colhidas amostras duas vezes por semana para dosagem sérica de AST e GGT. Os animais que morreram foram submetidos a necropsia e em todos os ovinos sobreviventes foi realizada biópsia hepática no final do experimento. Três animais do grupo GS adoeceram e dois morreram. Um ovino do grupo GSB adoeceu e morreu. Não houve alterações clínicas nos ovinos controles. Os principais sinais clínicos observados nos animais que adoeceram foram apatia, emagrecimento, fotofobia, hiperemia e secreção ocular e icterícia. Nenhum animal apresentou lesões cutâneas de fotossensibilização. O grupo que permaneceu no sol apresentou atividades séricas médias de AST e GGT significativamente maiores que a dos demais grupos (p≤0,05) e os animais que permaneceram na sombra apresentaram níveis maiores de GGT (p≤0,05) em comparação ao grupo controle. A histopatologia das amostras de fígados dos ovinos com sinais clínicos demonstrou tumefação e vacuolização de hepatócitos, necrose individual de hepatócitos, macrófagos espumosos com cristais birrefringentes intracitoplasmáticos e dentro de ductos biliares e infiltrado mononuclear periportal. Amostras do capim fornecidas aos cordeiros evidenciaram níveis médios de 0,94±0,80% da saponina protodioscina. As observações do presente experimento sugerem que a não exposição ao sol não evita a presença de sinais clínicos da intoxicação, mas que a exposição solar exacerba os sinais clínicos.Twenty-six five-month-old lambs originated from flocks with no previous contact with Brachiaria spp. pastures were divided into three groups. Two groups (GS and GSB) were fed daily with fresh harvested Brachiaria decumbens ad libitum. GS was kept in an area with solar exposure and GSB was kept in stalls sheltered from solar exposure. Control group (GC) was also kept under solar exposure, but fed with Cynodon dactylon grass hay and Pennisetum pur¬pureum fresh grass. All sheep from the three groups were supplemented with 200g daily of a commercial concentrated food. Evaluation of clinical signs was carried out daily and blood samples were collected twice a week to determine AST and GGT serum activities. Three out of nine lambs of GS presented clinical signs of Brachiaria spp. poisoning, and two died. One animal showed clinical signs and died in GSB. The main clinical signs observed were apathy, weight loss, photophobia, conjunctivitis, ocular mucous discharge and jaundice. Dermatitis due to photosensitization was not observed. Mean serum AST and GGT activities were significantly higher (p≤0,05) in the group exposed to sun, than in the other two groups, and the GGT activities were significantly higher in the group sheltered than in the control group (p≤0,05). All animals at the end of the experiment were submitted to liver biopsy and died lambs were necropsied. Histopathological evaluation of liver samples from sheep with clinical signs evidenced swelling and vacuolization of hepatocytes, individual hepatocytes necrosis, presence of foamy macrophages, crystal negative images within bile ducts and foamy macrophages, biliary duct hyperplasia and periportal mononuclear infiltration. These results suggest that sun exposure does not define intoxication, but exacerbates the toxicity of the grass

Health technology performance assessment : real-world evidence for public healthcare sustainability

Objective: Health technology financing is often based on randomized controlled trials (RCTs), which are often the same ones used for licensing. Since they are designed to show the best possible results with typically Phase III studies conducted under ideal and highly controlled conditions to seek high internal validity and maximize the chance of demonstrating clinical benefit, they often do not reflect likely effectiveness in routine clinical care. Consequently, it is not surprising that technologies do not always perform in real life in the same way as controlled conditions. Since financing (and price paid) decisions can be made with overestimated results, health authorities need to ask whether health systems achieve the results they expect when they choose to pay for a technology. The optimal way to answer this question is to assess the performance of financed technologies in real world settings. Health technology performance assessment (HTpA) refers to the systematic evaluation of the properties, effects, and/or impact of a health intervention or health technology in the real world to provide information for investment/ disinvestment decisions and clinical guideline updates. The objective is to describe the development and principal aspects of the Guideline for HTpA commissioned by the Brazilian Ministry of Health. Method: Extensive literature review, refinement with experts across countries and public consultation. Results: A comprehensive guideline was developed, which has been adopted by the Brazilian government. Conclusion: We believe the guideline, with its particular focus on disinvestment, along with the creation of a specific program for HTpA, will allow the institutionalization and continuous improvement of the scientific methods to use real world evidence to optimize available resources not only in Brazil but across countries

A ausência de mutações no gene PAX6 em três casos de síndrome de Morning Glory associada à deficiência isolada de hormônio do crescimento

Morning glory syndrome (MGS) is a congenital optic disc dysplasia often associated with craniofacial anomalies, especially basal encephalocele and hypopituitarism. Clinical signs are varied and often occult. The PAX6 gene is involved in ocular morphogenesis and is expressed in numerous ocular tissues during development especially in the developing central nervous system. The aim of the present study is to evaluate PAX6 in MGS associated with isolated growth hormone deficiency. Three pre-pubertal males (A, B and C) with MGS and short stature due to growth hormone deficiency, treated with recombinant human growth hormone with limited response, were reported. Two of them had basal encephalocele. Coding and non-coding sequences corresponding of PAX6 different transcripts were analyzed by direct sequencing. Nucleotide variations causing putative aminoacid change were not observed. Patient A presented the new IVS2+9G>A transition, whereas patients A and C were heterozygous for known single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) within the intron 4. In addition, two SNP heterozygoses were observed for patient C in both intron 9 and 13. Sequencing also revealed several nucleotide variations in patient B. Two heterozygoses for known polymorphisms were identified along with a novel C>A nucleotide change in intron 4. This patient also presented a low number on the TG repeat in intron 9 and a new IVS11+33A>T transversion. Gene regulation and transcription of PAX6 are complex processes; there are two major protein isoforms, PAX6(-5a) and PAX6(+5a), and nine transcripts described. Furthermore, extra transcription regulatory elements have been postulated within PAX6 introns. Considering that neither population distributions on PAX6 polymorphism nor their linkeages with diseases have been reported, a functional effect due to alterations described here cannot be discarded.A síndrome de Morning Glory (SMG) é uma displasia óptica congênita associada a anomalias craniofaciais, principalmente encefalocele basal e hipopituitarismo. Os sinais clínicos são variados e muitas vezes ocultos. O gene PAX6 está envolvido na morfogênese ocular e se expressa em vários tecidos oculares durante o desenvolvimento do sistema nervoso central. O objetivo deste estudo foi avaliar o gene PAX6 na SMG associada com deficiência isolada de hormônio de crescimento. Foram relatados três pacientes pré-púberes (A, B e C) com SMG e baixa estatura por deficiência de hormônio de crescimento tratados com hormônio de crescimento recombinante humano. As seqüências codificadoras e não-codificadoras correspondentes ao PAX6 em diferentes transcritos foram analisadas por seqüenciamento direto. Variações nucleotídeas com trocas pontuais de aminoácidos não foram encontradas. O paciente A apresentou uma transição nova IVS2+9G>A, enquanto os pacientes A e C foram heterozigotos para um polimorfismo (SNP) no íntron 4. Ainda, dois SNPs em heterozigose nos íntrons 9 e 13 foram observados no paciente C. O seqüenciamento também mostrou várias variações nucleotídeas no paciente B. Dois SNPs conhecidos com a alteração nucleotídea nova C>A no íntron 4 foram observados em heterozigose. Este paciente também apresentou um baixo número de repetições TG no íntron 9 e uma nova transversão IVS11+33A>T. A regulação e a transcrição do gene PAX6 são um processo complexo; existem 2 isoformas principais da proteína, PAX6(-5a) e PAX6(+5a) e 9 transcritos descritos. Considerando que nem a distribuição de SNPs no PAX6 e nem as suas ligações com as doenças foram relatadas, um defeito funcional devido às alterações descritas não pode ser descartado.University of Campinas Faculty of Medical Sciences Pediatric Endocrinology UnitFederal University of São Paulo School of Medicine Pediatric Endocrinology UnitUNIFESP School of Medicine Department of RadiologyUnicamp Center of Molecular Biology and Genetic EngineeringUNIFESP, EPM, Pediatric Endocrinology UnitUNIFESP, School of Medicine Department of RadiologySciEL