New approaches in W-gravities

We have devoted an effort to study some nonlinear actions, characteristics of the ${\cal W}$-theories, in the framework of the soldering formalism. We have disclosed interesting new results concerning the embedding of the original chiral ${\cal W}$-particles in different metrical spaces in the final soldered action, i.e., the metric gets modified by the soldering interference process. The results are presented in a weak field approximation for the ${\cal W}_N$ case when N is greater than 3 and also in an exact way for ${\cal W}_2$. We have promoted a generalization of the interference phenomena to ${\cal W}_N$-theories of different chiralities and shown that the geometrical features introduced can yield a new understanding about the interference formalism in quantum field theories.Comment: 28 pages, Late

Streptococcus Agalactiae In Brazil: Serotype Distribution, Virulence Determinants And Antimicrobial Susceptibility

Background: Group B Streptococcus (GBS) remains a major cause of neonatal sepsis and is also associated with invasive and noninvasive infections in pregnant women and non-pregnant adults, elderly and patients with underlying medical conditions. Ten capsular serotypes have been recognized, and determination of their distribution within a specific population or geographical region is important as they are major targets for the development of vaccine strategies. We have evaluated the characteristics of GBS isolates recovered from individuals with infections or colonization by this microorganism, living in different geographic regions of Brazil.Methods: A total of 434 isolates were identified and serotyped by conventional phenotypic tests. The determination of antimicrobial susceptibility was performed by the disk diffusion method. Genes associated with resistance to erythromycin (ermA, ermB, mefA) and tetracycline (tetK, tetL, tetM, tetO) as well as virulence-associated genes (bac, bca, lmb, scpB) were investigated using PCR. Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) was used to examine the genetic diversity of macrolide-resistant and of a number of selected macrolide-susceptible isolates.Results: Overall, serotypes Ia (27.6%), II (19.1%), Ib (18.7%) and V (13.6%) were the most predominant, followed by serotypes IV (8.1%) and III (6.7%). All the isolates were susceptible to the beta-lactam antimicrobials tested and 97% were resistant to tetracycline. Resistance to erythromycin and clindamycin were found in 4.1% and 3% of the isolates, respectively. Among the resistance genes investigated, tetM (99.3%) and tetO (1.8%) were detected among tetracycline-resistant isolates and ermA (39%) and ermB (27.6%) were found among macrolide-resistant isolates. The lmb and scpB virulence genes were detected in all isolates, while bac and bca were detected in 57 (13.1%) and 237 (54.6%) isolates, respectively. Molecular typing by PFGE showed that resistance to erythromycin was associated with a variety of clones.Conclusion: These findings indicate that GBS isolates circulating in Brazil have a variety of phenotypic and genotypic characteristics, and suggest that macrolide-resistant isolates may arise by both clonal spread and independent acquisition of resistance genes. © 2014 Dutra et al.; licensee BioMed Central Ltd.141Schuchat, A., Epidemiology of group B streptococcal disease in the United States: shifting paradigms (1998) Clin Microbiol Rev, 11, pp. 497-513. , 88893, 9665980Skoff, T.H., Farley, M.M., Petit, S., Increasing burden of invasive group B streptococcal disease in nonpregnant adults, 1990-2007 (2009) Clin Infect Dis, 49, pp. 85-92. , 10.1086/599369, 19480572Maisey, H.C., Doran, K.S., Nizet, V., Recent advances in understanding the molecular basis of group B Streptococcus virulence (2008) Expert Rev Mol Med, 10, pp. 1-16Slotved, H.C., Kong, F., Lambertsen, L., Sauer, S., 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epidemiology and distribuition of serotypes, surface proteins, and antibiotic resistance among Group B streptococci in Italy (2007) J Clin Microbiol, 9, pp. 2909-2916Kim, E., Hans, C.S., Hans, V.N., Marcit, S.K., Helle, B.K., Emergence of invasive serotype VIII group B streptococcal infections in Denmark (2003) J Clin Microbiol, 41, pp. 4442-4444. , 10.1128/JCM.41.9.4442-4444.2003, 193804, 12958288Benchetrit, L.C., Fracalanzza, S.E.L., Peregrino, H., Camelo, A.A., Sanches, L.A.L.R., Carriage of Streptococcus agalactiae in women and neonates and distribution of serological types: a study in Brazil (1982) J Clin Microbiol, 15, pp. 787-790. , 272190, 7047552Duarte, R.S., Bellei, B.C., Miranda, O.P., Brito, M.A., Teixeira, L.M., Distribution of antimicrobial resistance and virulence-related genes among Brazilian group B streptococci recovered from bovine and human sources (2005) Antimicrob Agents Chemother, 49, pp. 97-103. , 10.1128/AAC.49.1.97-103.2005, 538850, 15616281Simões, J.A., Alves, V.M., Fracalanzza, S.E.L., Camargo, R.P., Mathias, H.M., Brolazo, E.M., Phenotypical characteristics of group B Streptococcus in parturients (2007) Braz J Infect Dis, 11, pp. 261-266. , 10.1590/S1413-86702007000200019, 17625774Palmeiro, J.K., Dalla-Costa, L.M., Fracalanzza, S.E.L., Botelho, A.C.N., Nogueira, K.S., Scheffer, M.C., Torres, A.R.L.S., Madeira, H.M.F., Phenotypic and genotypic characterization of group B streptococcal isolates in southern Brazil (2010) J Clin Microbiol, 12, pp. 4397-4403Corrêa, A.B.A., Silva, G.L., Pinto, T.C.A., Oliveira, I.C.M., Fernandes, F.G., Costa, N.S., Mattos, M.C., Benchetrit, L.C., The genetic diversity and phenotypic characterisation of Streptococcus agalactiae isolates from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (2011) Mem Inst Oswaldo Cruz, 106, pp. 1002-1006. , 10.1590/S0074-02762011000800017, 22241124Pinto, T.C.A., Costa, N.S., Souza, A.R.V., Silva, L.G., Corrêa, A.B.A., Fernandes, F.G., Oliveira, I.C.M., Benchetrit, L.C., Distribution of serotypes 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Estrutura populacional de Petrolisthes armatus (Gibbes) (Decapoda, Anomura, Porcellanidae) da Ilha do Farol, Matinhos, Paraná, Brasil Population structure of Petrolisthes armatus (Gibbes) (Decapoda, Anomura, Porcellanidae) from Farol Isle, Matinhos, Paraná, Brazil

<abstract language="eng">Population structure of the porcelain crab Petrolisthes armatus (Gibbes, 1850) from the rocky shore of the Farol isle (25º51'S, 48º32'W) was carried out in the following aspects: annual fluctuation of the density, distribution of the developmental stages and sexes over year round, size composition and recruiting period of juveniles into the population. Monthly collections were made in the three sites of the midlittoral, from November/89 to April/91, with the aid of a trap. The air temperature ranged from 13ºC to 28ºC, that of the surface water from 16ºC lo 29ºC and the salinity of the surface water from 06.7‰ to 31.5‰. A total of 5.585 individuals of Petrolisthes armatus was collected, among which, 116 were in the megalopa stage, 1,579 juveniles, 830 immature males, 729 immature females, 1,161 mature males, 744 mature females and 426 ovigerous females. The population density ranged from 15.3 to 305.0 ind.m-2, with a peak in January. This density is the highest among the porcelain crab populations known from the literature. The species has continuous reproduction, but, there were two main cohorts in the year: summer one that was longer and more abundant and the winter one that was shorter and the less numerous

Ecologia populacional dos Amphipoda (Crustacea) dos fitais de Caiobá, Matinhos, Paraná, Brasil Population ecolocy of Amphipoda (Crustacea) from the phytals of Caiobá, Matinhos, Paraná, Brazil

<abstract language="eng">Spalial and temporal density distributions of Amphipoda from the phytals of Caiobá are described. Air temperature oscillated from 16ºC (August and May) to 23ºC (March), surface water temperature from 17ºC (August) to 25ºC (March) and the salinity from 29.3‰ (May) to 32.8‰ (August). Two samples of 25cm² (for algae less than 5cm long), 100 cm² (for algae between 5-10cm long) and whole plants (for algae more than 10cm long) were removed with a spatula from the rocky surface at Caiobá Beach, in August/86, November/86, March/87 and May/87. After sorting, the algal substrata were weighted, their adsorption coefficient calculated and the sediment retained among the thallii weighted. The average distance between the branching was measured for all branched algae. The densities were calculated in relation to the weight of the algal substrate in grams. Eight phytals were considered: Ulva fasciata Delile, Padina gymnospora (Kútzing) Vickers, Sargassum cymosum Garth, Porphyra atropurpurea (Olivi) De Toni, Gelidium sp., Gymnogongrus griffithsiae (Turner) Martius, Pterocladia capillacea (Gmelin) Bornet &Thurel and Pterosiphonia pennata (Roth) Falkenberg, over which nine Amphipoda species live: Ampithoe ramondi Audouin, 1816, Cymadusa filosa Savigny, 1852, Elasmopus pectenicrus Bate, 1857, Hyale media Dana, 1857, Hyale sp.l, Jassa falcata Montagu, 1895 and Sunampithoe pelagica H. Milne-Edwards, 1830 (Gammaridea). Caprella danilevskii Czerniavski, 1861 and Caprella penantis Leach, 1814 (Caprellidea). Amphipoda densities ranged from 0.27 ind.g-1 to 45.68. ind.g-1. The broad-thallii algae Porphyra, Ulva and Padina harbored lower densities of Amphipoda, whereas those finely branched Pterocladia, Pterosiphonia and Gymnogongrus, the highest values and the less branched Sargassum and Gelidium, intermediate values. The high densities found in the finely branched algae had as main contribution the juvenile recruiting of most Amphipoda. The tide level might have influenced the temporal distribution of the Amphipoda density, due to the distinct time of air exposition in eaeh collection data. Most Amphipoda did not show specific algal substratum colonization: only Sunampithoe pelagica occurred solely in Sargassum. Four species occurred in different branched algae: J. falcata. S. pelagica. C. danilevskii and C. penantis. H. media had Sargassum, Pterocladia, Pterosiphonia and Gymnogongrus as the best algal substrata, whereas Caprellidea, the Pterocladia and Pterosiphonia phytals. High sediment weight in Padina was the main reason for high densities of Hyale sp.l in this phytal. The occurrence of males, females (including ovigerous ones) and juveniles of most Amphipoda species found in the present study indicates a complete life cycle whithin these phytals and corroborates with the assumption of the complexity of this marine coastal ecosystem