Diagnóstico laboratorial de raiva em quirópteros realizado em área metropolitana na região sudeste do Brasil Laboratory diagnosis of rabies in chiroptera carried out of a metropolitan area of Southeastern Brazil

No período de janeiro de 1988 adezembro de 1992, foi realizado diagnóstico de raiva em 289 morcegos através das técnicas de imunofluorescência direta e de inoculação intracerebral em camundongos. Dois morcegos insetívoros da espécie Nyctinomops macrotis se apresentaram positivos, representando 0,69% da amostra. Esses morcegos foram capturados, ainda vivos, em 1988 e 1990, na sala de um apartamento no sétimo andar e no muro de uma casa, respectivamente. Ambos em bairros residenciais. Apresentaram período de incubação de 13 e 11 dias, respectivamente, na prova biológica. A existência de morcegos insetívoros infectados com o vírus da raiva é preocupante, uma vez que essa população parece ser cada vez mais freqüente em áreas urbanas, porém isto não justifica ações predatórias indiscriminadas contra as espécies, principalmente levando-se em consideração a importância do morcego no equilíbrio ecológico da população de insetos, abundante em área urbana.<br>Between January, 1988 and December, 1992 the S. Paulo Animal Disease Control Center subjected 289 bats to rabies examinations, utilizing the direct immunofluorescence and biological techniques. Two insectivorous bats belonging to the species Nyctinomopsmacrotis, representing 0.69% of the total sample, tested positive. Both animals had been captured alive in residential neighborhoods of the city, one in 1988 in the living room of a 7' th floor apartment and the other in 1990 on top of a wall surrounding a private house. In the biological tests, the disease showed incubation periods of 13 and 11 days respectively.Although the existence of infected insectiverous bats in urban areas is cause for concern, indiscriminate predatory action against such species can in no way be justified-particularly bearing in mind their importance in preserving the ecological balance of the insect population so prevalent in cities

Self-enhancement: food for thought

Self-enhancement denotes a class of psychological phenomena that involve taking a tendentiously positive view of oneself. We distinguish between four levels of self-enhancement—an observed effect, an ongoing process, a personality trait, and an underlying motive—and then use these distinctions to organize the wealth of relevant research. Furthermore, to render these distinctions intuitive, we draw an extended analogy between self-enhancement and the phenomenon of eating. Among the topics we address are (a) manifestations of self-enhancement, both obvious and subtle, and rival interpretations; (b) experimentally documented dynamics of affirming and threatening the ego; and (c) primacy of self-enhancement, considered alongside other intrapsychic phenomena, and across different cultures. Self-enhancement, like eating, is a fundamental part of human nature

Safety and efficacy of lenabasum in a phase 2 randomized, placebo-controlled trial in adults with cystic fibrosis

Background. Few therapies specifically address the chronic airway inflammation in cystic fibrosis (CF) that contributes to progressive destruction of lung tissue and loss of lung function. Lenabasum is a cannabinoid type 2 receptor (CB2) agonist that resolves inflammation in a number of in vitro and in vivo models. Methods. A Phase 2 double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled study assessed the safety and tolerability of lenabasum in adults with CF. Subjects with FEV1% (ppFEV1) 6540% predicted were randomized to lenabasum 1 or 5 mg or placebo once daily (QD) (Weeks 1\u20134), then 20 mg QD, 20 mg twice daily (BID) or placebo (Weeks 5\u201312), with follow-up at Week 16. Pulmonary exacerbations (PEx) were recorded and biomarkers of blood and lung inflammation were measured. Results. Of 89 subjects randomized, 51 lenabasum and 23 placebo-only subjects completed the study. No deaths or serious or severe adverse events (AE) were considered related to lenabasum. Most AEs were mild/moderate, and the most common were PEx, hemoptysis, dry mouth, and upper respiratory infection. Three lenabasum and one placebo-only subjects discontinued the study for a treatment related AE. New PEx were treated with intravenous antibiotics in 4.0% of lenabasum-treated vs. 11.4% of placebo-treated subjects, during Weeks 1\u20134 and 5.2% compared to 13.0% during Weeks 5\u201312 (p&lt;0.2). No significant differences in ppFEV1 were observed between treatment groups. Sputum neutrophils, eosinophils, and neutrophil elastase were numerically reduced, and significant (p&lt;0.05) reductions in IL-8 and immunoglobulin G levels occurred with lenabasum. Conclusions. The safety findings of lenabasum, coupled with biomarker data, support further testing in a larger study with a longer duration