Phylogenetic position of the freshwater fish trypanosome, Trypanosoma ophiocephali (Kinetoplastida) inferred from the complete small subunit ribosomal RNA gene sequence

The complete small subunit rRNA (SSrRNA) gene sequence (2,142 nucleotides) of the freshwater fish trypanosome Trypanosoma ophiocephali Chen (1964) was determined. The phylogenetic analysis deduced using neighbor-joining, maximum parsimony, and Bayesian methods demonstrated the existence of an “aquatic clade”. T. ophiocephali was revealed to be a member of the freshwater fish trypanosomes and form the sister species with Trypanosoma siniperca and Trypanosoma sp. Carpio with high bootstrap values (98% MP, 100% NJ, 100% Bay). The high similarity of SSrRNA gene sequences and morphometric characters showed that T. ophiocephali, T. siniperca and T. sp. Carpio probably were the same species. The phylogenetic trees further suggested that Chinese freshwater fish trypanosome might be paraphyletic, and fish trypanosomes should have low host specificity

Perception of hypertensive patients about their non-adherence to the use of medication

This qualitative study aims to analyze the perception of patients with hypertension on their non-adherence to medication. 13 participants were interviewed, classified as non-adherent.The analysis was performed using the technique of thematic content analysis. Data points to contradictions in the approach of what is being adherent or not, the difficulty of adhering to the use of medication due to lifestyle habits, that forgetting is understood as a justification for non-compliance, and reinforces factors that hinder such practice, such as the use of many drugs, the presence of signs and symptoms and changes in daily routine. With complex conditions that involve non-adherence to treatment and the current context of the predominance of chronic diseases, it is essential to invest in innovative strategies of care for such people

Acute maternal infection and risk of pre-eclampsia: a population-based case-control study.

BACKGROUND: Infection in pregnancy may be involved in the aetiology of pre-eclampsia. However, a clear association between acute maternal infection and pre-eclampsia has not been established. We assessed whether acute urinary tract infection, respiratory tract infection, and antibiotic drug prescriptions in pregnancy (a likely proxy for maternal infection) are associated with an increased risk of pre-eclampsia. METHODS AND FINDINGS: We used a matched nested case-control design and data from the UK General Practice Research Database to examine the association between maternal infection and pre-eclampsia. Primiparous women aged at least 13 years and registered with a participating practice between January 1987 and October 2007 were eligible for inclusion. We selected all cases of pre-eclampsia and a random sample of primiparous women without pre-eclampsia (controls). Cases (n=1533) were individually matched with up to ten controls (n=14236) on practice and year of delivery. We calculated odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals for pre-eclampsia comparing women exposed and unexposed to infection using multivariable conditional logistic regression. After adjusting for maternal age, pre-gestational hypertension, diabetes, renal disease and multifetal gestation, the odds of pre-eclampsia were increased in women prescribed antibiotic drugs (adjusted odds ratio 1.28;1.14-1.44) and in women with urinary tract infection (adjusted odds ratio 1.22;1.03-1.45). We found no association with maternal respiratory tract infection (adjusted odds ratio 0.91;0.72-1.16). Further adjustment for maternal smoking and pre-pregnancy body mass index made no difference to our findings. CONCLUSIONS: Women who acquire a urinary infection during pregnancy, but not those who have a respiratory infection, are at an increased risk of pre-eclampsia. Maternal antibiotic prescriptions are also associated with an increased risk. Further research is required to elucidate the underlying mechanism of this association and to determine whether, among women who acquire infections in pregnancy, prompt treatment or prophylaxis against infection might reduce the risk of pre-eclampsia

South Atlantic paleobathymetry since early Cretaceous

We present early Cretaceous to present paleobathymetric reconstructions and quantitative uncertainty estimates for the South Atlantic, offering a strong basis for studies of paleocirculation, paleoclimate and paleobiogeography. Circulation in an initially salty and anoxic ocean, restricted by the topography of the Falkland Plateau, Rio Grande Ridge and Walvis Rise, favoured deposition of thick evaporites in shallow water of the Brazilian-Angolan margins. This ceased as sea oor spreading propagated northwards, opening an equatorial gateway to shallow and intermediate circulation. This gateway, together with subsiding volcano-tectonic barriers would have played a key role in Late Cretaceous climate changes. Later deepening and widening of the South Atlantic, together with gateway opening at Drake Passage would lead, by mid-Miocene (∼15 Ma) to the establishment of modern-style thermohaline circulation

Modelos avaliativos e reforma sanitária Brasileira: enfoque qualitativo-participativo

Throughout the last years, there has been a growing interest in ongoing assessment proposals in Latin America, which are more far-reaching and not traditional. The aim of this study was to analyze the potential of qualitative-participatory evaluation in view of the challenge of strengthening health reforms in the region, particularly those considered progressive, such as the Brazilian case. There is the need to assess health reforms in a rigorous and permanent way, especially the incongruity when using normative models to evaluate health systems based on principles of universality, comprehensiveness, humanization and democratic management. In addition to the demand for assessment instruments and strategies, the Brazilian health reform requires the adoption of evaluation proposals and practices that are founded on other paradigms, distinct from the hegemonic one, in the sphere of health assessment. It is recommended that emerging evaluative models be used, such as those with a qualitative-participatory approach.Ao longo dos últimos anos, registra-se um crescente interesse por propostas avaliativas não tradicionais e mais abrangentes nos movimentos de reforma sanitária em curso na América Latina. Este estudo teve por objetivo analisar potencialidades do enfoque avaliativo qualitativo-participativo ante o desafio de fortalecer as reformas sanitárias na região, particularmente aquelas que se configuram progressistas, como o caso brasileiro. Há necessidade de se avaliarem as reformas sanitárias rigorosa e permanentemente, sobretudo a incongruência do emprego de modelos normativos para avaliar sistemas de saúde baseados nos princípios de universalização, integralidade, humanização e gestão democrática. Além da demanda por estratégias e instrumentos de avaliação, a reforma sanitária brasileira requer a adoção de propostas e práticas avaliativas fundamentadas em outros paradigmas distintos daquele ainda hegemônico no âmbito da avaliação em saúde. Advoga-se pela utilização de modelos emergentes de avaliação, tais como os de corte qualitativo-participativo.A lo largo de los últimos años, se registra un interés creciente por propuestas evaluativas no tradicionales y más amplio en los movimientos de reforma sanitaria en curso en la América Latina. Este estudio tuvo por objetivo analizar potencialidades del enfoque evaluativo cualitativo-participativo frente al desafío de fortalecer las reformas sanitarias en la región, particularmente aquellas que se configuran como progresistas, como el caso brasilero. Hay necesidad de evaluar las reformas sanitarias de forma rigorosa y permanente, sobretodo la incongruencia del empleo de modelos normativos para evaluar sistemas de salud basados en los principios de universalización, integralidad, humanización y gestión democrática. Además de la demanda por estrategias e instrumentos de evaluación, la reforma sanitaria brasilera requiere la adopción de propuestas y prácticas evaluativas fundamentadas en otros paradigmas distintos de aquel hegemónico en el ámbito de la evaluación en salud. Se defiende la utilización de modelos emergentes de evaluación, tales como los de corte cualitativo-participativo

Non-Centered Spike-Triggered Covariance Analysis Reveals Neurotrophin-3 as a Developmental Regulator of Receptive Field Properties of ON-OFF Retinal Ganglion Cells

The functional separation of ON and OFF pathways, one of the fundamental features of the visual system, starts in the retina. During postnatal development, some retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) whose dendrites arborize in both ON and OFF sublaminae of the inner plexiform layer transform into RGCs with dendrites that monostratify in either the ON or OFF sublamina, acquiring final dendritic morphology in a subtype-dependent manner. Little is known about how the receptive field (RF) properties of ON, OFF, and ON-OFF RGCs mature during this time because of the lack of a reliable and efficient method to classify RGCs into these subtypes. To address this deficiency, we developed an innovative variant of Spike Triggered Covariance (STC) analysis, which we term Spike Triggered Covariance – Non-Centered (STC-NC) analysis. Using a multi-electrode array (MEA), we recorded the responses of a large population of mouse RGCs to a Gaussian white noise stimulus. As expected, the Spike-Triggered Average (STA) fails to identify responses driven by symmetric static nonlinearities such as those that underlie ON-OFF center RGC behavior. The STC-NC technique, in contrast, provides an efficient means to identify ON-OFF responses and quantify their RF center sizes accurately. Using this new tool, we find that RGCs gradually develop sensitivity to focal stimulation after eye opening, that the percentage of ON-OFF center cells decreases with age, and that RF centers of ON and ON-OFF cells become smaller. Importantly, we demonstrate for the first time that neurotrophin-3 (NT-3) regulates the development of physiological properties of ON-OFF center RGCs. Overexpression of NT-3 leads to the precocious maturation of RGC responsiveness and accelerates the developmental decrease of RF center size in ON-OFF cells. In summary, our study introduces STC-NC analysis which successfully identifies subtype RGCs and demonstrates how RF development relates to a neurotrophic driver in the retina

A Chitinase from Aeromonas veronii CD3 with the Potential to Control Myxozoan Disease

Background: The class Myxosporea encompasses about 2,400 species, most of which are parasites of fish and cause serious damage in aquaculture. Due to the concerns about food safety issues and limited knowledge of Myxozoa life cycle and fish immune system, no chemicals, antibiotics or immune modulators are available to control myxozoa infection. Therefore, little can be done once Myxozoa establishment has occurred. Methodology/Principal Findings: In this paper we isolated Aeromonas veronii CD3 with significant myxospore shell valvedegrading ability from pond sediment. A 3,057-bp full-length chitinase gene was consequently cloned, and the corresponding mature, recombinant chitinase (ChiCD3) produced by Escherichia coli had substantial chitinase activity. The deduced sequence of ChiCD3 contained one catalytic domain, two chitin-binding domains, and one putative signal peptide. ChiCD3 had an optimal activity at 50uC and pH 6.0, and retained more than 50 % of its optimal activity under warm water aquaculture conditions (,30uC and pH,7.0). After incubation with ChiCD3, 38.064.8 % of the myxospores had damaged shell valves, whereas myxospores incubated with commercially available chitinases remained intact. Conclusion/Significance: This study reveals a new strategy to control myxozoan disease. ChiCD3 that has capacity to damage the shell valve of myxospores can be supplemented into fish feed and used to control Myxozoa-induced disease