An averaging principle for diffusions in foliated spaces

Consider an SDE on a foliated manifold whose trajectories lay on compact leaves. We investigate the effective behavior of a small transversal perturbation of order $\varepsilon$. An average principle is shown to hold such that the component transversal to the leaves converges to the solution of a deterministic ODE, according to the average of the perturbing vector field with respect to invariant measures on the leaves, as $\varepsilon$ goes to zero. An estimate of the rate of convergence is given. These results generalize the geometrical scope of previous approaches, including completely integrable stochastic Hamiltonian system.Comment: Published at http://dx.doi.org/10.1214/14-AOP982 in the Annals of Probability (http://www.imstat.org/aop/) by the Institute of Mathematical Statistics (http://www.imstat.org

Effect of gonadal hormones on hypophagic property of opioid antagonist Naloxone

Background: Studies have shown that hormonal fluctuations that occur over the estrous cycle in rats affect food intake. It is possible that estrogen affects food intake via Opioid system and other brain areas which are involved in regulation of food intake. Therefore it may affect the sensitivity of female rats to hypophagic effect of Opioid antagonist Naloxone. Testosterone in male rats also changes food intake. However, little is known about hoe these Gonadal hormones interact with Opioid receptors to modulate food intake. Objective: The aim of the study was to find out how Gonadal hormones affect hypophagic property of Naloxone. Methods: Basal food intake of 40 healthy adult females and 20 healthy adult male rats was recorded. Then they were injected intraperitoneally with Naloxone after fasting for 24 hrs. In female rats food intake was measured during different phases of the estrous cycle. All the rats were then subjected to gonadectomy. The food intake was measured after gonadectomy. The effect of Naloxone was also measured in deprivation paradigm after gonadectomy. Results: Female rats showed decreased food intake during proestrous and estrous phases. In female rats there was no hypophagia after Naloxone injection during these phases. Male rats showed hypophagia on Naloxone injection. Male rats showed increased food intake after gonadectomy. In female rats the increase in food intake was not significant when gonadectomy was done during metestrous and diestrous. However, Naloxone could induce hypophagia in all female rats after gonadectomy. Conclusion: Estrogen decreases food intake, it decreases sensitivity of female rats to hypophasic effects of Naloxone. Testosterone decreases food intake. Testosterone does not interfere with hypophagic effect of Naloxone

Malaria: a retrospective study of clinical suspected infection cases by Plasmodium sp. between 2010 and 2014

[PT] A malária é uma infeção parasitária causada por um protozoário intracelular obrigatório (género Plasmodium), cuja transmissão é assegurada quando uma fémea de mosquito género Anopheles infetada efetua a sua refeição de sangue num indivíduo. Estão descritas mais de 150 espécies mas apenas 5 infetam o Homem: P. falciparum, P. vivax, P. malariae, P. ovale e mais recentemente, P. knowlesi, uma espécie que causa malária em macacos no sudeste asiático. É a doença parasitária mais frequentes para o Homem, encontrando-se infetada cerca de 5% da população mundial, sendo o P. falciparum o agente mais disseminado, responsável por mais de 80% dos casos mundiais e o que apresenta uma patogenia mais agressiva. O objetivo deste estudo foi descrever as características demográficas dos casos de malária, em doentes com quadro clinico compatível e cujo diagnóstico laboratorial foi confirmado. As metodologias de diagnóstico utilizadas foram, serológicas (IFI), moleculares (PCR em tempo real, adaptada de Swan et al.) e a pesquisa direta em gota espessa e esfregaço. Foram analisadas 471 amostras, 6 das quais provenientes do surto de ébola (África Ocidental, 2014). Detetaram-se 55 (11,7%) casos positivos. Todos os casos positivos de malária são importados. A maioria dos casos ocorreu em viajantes, indivíduos adultos. Pelo facto da transmissão local continuar a ser possível na Europa e pela quantidade de viagens efetuadas entre a Europa e os países endémicos, salienta-se a necessidade de vigilância e prevenção desta parasitose.[EN] Malaria is a human disease caused by a protozoan infection of red blood cells transmitted by the bite of a female anopheline mosquito. There are described more than 150 species of Plasmodium but only five infected humans, P. falciparum, P. vivax, P. malariae, P. ovale and more recently P. knowlesi, a specie that causes malaria in monkeys in Southeast Asia. Malaria is the most important parasitic disease of man; approximately 5% of the world’s population is infected. P. falciparum is the most widespread specie responsible for over 80% of cases worldwide and which has a more aggressive pathogenesis. The aim of the study was to describe the demographic characteristics of malaria cases, in patients with clinical symptoms compatible with malaria and whose laboratory diagnosis was confirmed. The methods of diagnosis used were: serological (IIF), molecular (real-time PCR, adapted Swan et al.) and direct visualization of thick and thin blood smears. We analyzed 471 specimens, 6 of which belonging to Ebola outbreak (West Africa, 2014). Fifty-five (11.7%) were positive cases. All positive cases of malaria are imported. Most cases occurred in adults travellers. Since local transmission continues to be possible in Europe and the big number of trips between Europe and endemic countries are a reality underlines the need of surveillance and prevention of this disease

Genetic and virulence characterization of Toxoplasma gondii strains isolated from pigeons in Lisbon region

habitat with cats and humans, bands are observed in recreational areas such as urban parks, playgrounds and parks. The interaction between cats, birds and human population is quite evident favoring the fecal-oral transmission of T. gondii between the definitive host and intermediate hosts, in the urban cycle of the parasite. The results of the inoculation in vivo of the brain homogenates showed pigeon isolation rates (58.5%) significantly higher when compared with previous studies, including the preliminary study in 2006 that the isolation rate in mice was 39,1% (9/23) (Waap 2008) and another that was not achieved any isolation in mouse (Godoi 2010). The genotypic analysis revealed a majority of strains of type II, which is consistent with what has been described in Portugal, the rest of Europe and the USA (Ajzenberg 2005, Fazaeli 2000, Honoré 2000, Howe 1997, Waap 2008) . We also isolated strains of type III and type I. The identification of type III strains in animals have been reported by other authors, but the type I have been rarely found in animals has not been previously described in Portugal except in a preliminary study of our team at the 2008 (Waap 2008). The type I strains are usually associated with high virulence in laboratory mice, leading to death within days. This strain was identified by molecular biology and has not been isolated in vivo. The difficulty in isolation of strain may be related to the small number of cysts of the type I strains can develop, these type strains are considered low cystogenic. Genetic characterization of strains of T. gondii is far from its terminus, more sequences of different genes should be studied to help the understanding of the molecular epidemiology and genetic characterization of T. gondii, a relevant parasite for which these data are lacking. The combination of data from humans and animals, through the use of high resolution genetic characterization should improve our perceptive of T. gondii, which will be ultimately beneficial for the control of T. gondii transmission

Malaria: laboratory confirmation of clinical suspected cases of Plasmodium sp. between 2010-2017

A malária é uma infeção parasitária causada por um protozoário intracelular obrigatório (género Plasmodium), cuja transmissão é assegurada quando uma fémea de mosquito género Anopheles infetada efetua a sua refeição de sangue num indivíduo. Estão descritas mais de 150 espécies mas apenas 5 infetam o Homem: P. falciparum, P. vivax, P. malariae, P. ovale e mais recentemente, P. knowlesi, uma espécie que causa malária em macacos no sudeste asiático. É a doença parasitária mais frequente para o Homem, encontrando-se infetada cerca de 5% da população mundial, sendo o P. falciparum o agente mais disseminado, responsável por mais de 80% dos casos mundiais e o que apresenta uma patogenia mais agressiva. O objetivo deste estudo foi descrever as características demográficas dos casos de malária, em doentes com quadro clinico compatível e cujo diagnóstico laboratorial foi confirmado. As metodologias de diagnóstico utilizadas foram, serológicas (IFI), moleculares (PCR em tempo real, adaptada de Swan et al.) e a pesquisa direta em gota espessa e esfregaço. Foram analisadas 700 amostras, 15 das quais provenientes do sur to de ébola (África Ocidental, 2014/2015). Detetaram-se 103 (14,7%) casos positivos. Todos os casos positivos de malária são impor tados. A maioria dos casos ocorreu em viajantes, indivíduos adultos. Pelo facto da transmissão local continuar a ser possível na Europa e pela quantidade de viagens efetuadas entre a Europa e os países endémicos, salienta-se a necessidade de vigilância e prevenção desta parasitose.Malaria is a human disease caused by a protozoan infection of red blood cells transmitted by the bite of a female anopheline mosquito. There are described more than 150 species of Plasmodium but only five infected humans, P. falciparum, P. vivax, P. malariae, P. ovale and more recently P. knowlesi, a specie that causes malaria in monkeys in Southeast Asia. Malaria is the most impor tant parasitic disease of man; approximately 5% of the world’s population is infected. P. falciparum is the most widespread specie responsible for over 80% of cases worldwide and which has a more aggressive pathogenesis. The aim of the study was to describe the demographic characteristics of malaria cases, in patients with clinical symptoms compatible with malaria and whose laboratory diagnosis was confirmed. The methods of diagnosis used were: serological (IIF), molecular (real-time PCR, adapted Swan et al.) and direct visualization of thick and thin blood smears. We analyzed 700 specimens, 15 of which belonging to Ebola outbreak (West Africa, 2014/2015). One hundred and three (14.7%) were positive cases. All positive cases of malaria are impor ted. Most cases occurred in adults travellers. Since local transmission continues to be possible in Europe and the big number of trips between Europe and endemic countries are a reality underlines the need of sur veillance and prevention of this disease.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio