Pregnant teenagers treated at the obstetric center of a university hospital

According to the definition of the World Health Organization, adolescence is the phase of life between 10 and 19 years of age, a period marked by physiological and biopsychosocial changes, in which pregnancy is considered a risk factor for both mother and fetus from the biomedical point of view. Several factors have been associated with teenage pregnancy with negative maternal and neonatal impacts, such as: social vulnerability, low levels of education, income, and sexual education. This is a descriptive cross-sectional study with a quantitative approach, which aimed to identify obstetric factors and neonatal outcomes of greater frequency among pregnant adolescents treated at the obstetric center of a university hospital. Data collection was performed through a logbook of daily procedures at the obstetric center, so that all parturients under 19 years of age treated in 2018 were included in the study. The variables studied were age, parity, type of delivery, gestational age, diagnosis of syphilis and HIV, number of prenatal consultations, and insertion of an intrauterine device (IUD). As for the newborn, the following were analyzed: weight and hospital destination after birth. The data were processed using the SOFA.5.2 software (Statistics Open for All) and the significance level established was 95%, with a value of (P ≤ 0.05). Three thousand four hundred and thirty pregnant women were evaluated. There was a birth rate of 19.3% among adolescents, with a correlation between the low weight of the newborn with the longest hospital stay and the number of prenatal visits, and also the identification of low insertion of contraceptive methods immediately after delivery. Adolescent pregnancy was correlated with low-birth-weight newborns and a longer stay in neonatal units, consequences often associated with the insufficient number of prenatal consultations. Public health policies for the inclusion of qualified nursing professionals in the management of insertion of the intrauterine device for the prevention of subsequent pregnancies deserve special attention

Embryonic desiccation resistance in Aedes aegypti: presumptive role of the chitinized Serosal Cuticle

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>One of the major problems concerning dengue transmission is that embryos of its main vector, the mosquito <it>Aedes aegypti</it>, resist desiccation, surviving several months under dry conditions. The serosal cuticle (SC) contributes to mosquito egg desiccation resistance, but the kinetics of SC secretion during embryogenesis is unknown. It has been argued that mosquito SC contains chitin as one of its components, however conclusive evidence is still missing.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>We observed an abrupt acquisition of desiccation resistance during <it>Ae. aegypti </it>embryogenesis associated with serosal cuticle secretion, occurring at complete germ band extension, between 11 and 13 hours after egglaying. After SC formation embryos are viable on dry for at least several days. The presence of chitin as one of the SC constituents was confirmed through Calcofluor and WGA labeling and chitin quantitation. The <it>Ae. aegypti </it>Chitin Synthase A gene (<it>AaCHS1</it>) possesses two alternatively spliced variants, <it>AaCHS1a </it>and <it>AaCHS1b</it>, differentially expressed during <it>Ae. aegypti </it>embryonic development. It was verified that at the moment of serosal cuticle formation, <it>AaCHS1a </it>is the sole variant specifically expressed.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>In addition to the peritrophic matrix and exoskeleton, these findings confirm chitin is also present in the mosquito serosal cuticle. They also point to the role of the chitinized SC in the desiccation resistance of <it>Ae. aegypti </it>eggs. <it>AaCHS1a </it>expression would be responsible for SC chitin synthesis. With this embryological approach we expect to shed new light regarding this important physiological process related to the <it>Ae. aegypti </it>life cycle.</p

Physiological and Morphological Aspects of Aedes aegypti Developing Larvae: Effects of the Chitin Synthesis Inhibitor Novaluron

Population control of the dengue vector mosquito, Aedes aegypti, is difficult due to many reasons, one being the development of resistance to neurotoxic insecticides employed. The biosynthesis of chitin, a major constituent of insect cuticle, is a novel target for population control. Novaluron is a benzoylphenylurea (BPU) that acts as a chitin synthesis inhibitor, already used against mosquitoes. However, information regarding BPU effects on immature mosquito stages and physiological parameters related with mosquito larval development are scarce. A set of physiological parameters were recorded in control developing larvae and novaluron was administered continuously to Ae. aegypti larvae, since early third instar. Larval instar period duration was recorded from third instar until pupation. Chitin content was measured during third and fourth instars. Fourth instars were processed histochemically at the mesothorax region, stained with hematoxylin and eosin (HE) for assessment of internal tissues, and labeled with WGA-FITC to reveal chitinized structures. In control larvae: i) there is a chitin content increase during both third and fourth instars where late third instars contain more chitin than early fourth instars; ii) thoracic organs and a continuous cuticle, closely associated with the underlying epidermis were observed; iii) chitin was continuously present throughout integument cuticle. Novaluron treatment inhibited adult emergence, induced immature mortality, altered adult sex ratio and caused delay in larval development. Moreover, novaluron: i) significantly affected chitin content during larval development; ii) induced a discontinuous and altered cuticle in some regions while epidermis was often thinner or missing; iii) rendered chitin cuticle presence discontinuous and less evident. In both control and novaluron larvae, chitin was present in the peritrophic matrix. This study showed quantitatively and qualitatively evidences of novaluron effects on Ae. aegypti larval development. To our knowledge, this is the first report describing histological alterations produced by a BPU in immature vector mosquitoes

Period duration of <i>Ae. aegypti</i> larval ecdysis.

<p>Symbols represent the cumulative percentage of specimens at different immature stages. Bars represent the standard deviation of three independent experiments. Arrows indicate the experimental points, defined in hours, as early (e), intermediate (int) and late (l) moments for each instar.</p

Novaluron inhibits <i>Ae. aegypti</i> adult emergence.

<p>(<b>A</b>) Dose-dependent effect of novaluron over emergence inhibition. EI₅₀ and EI₉₀ indicate novaluron concentrations resulting in emergence inhibition of 50 and 99% of adults, respectively. Black and white bars indicate death at larval and pupal stages, respectively (<b>B</b>) Percentage of surviving adults (males and females) after novaluron treatment (EI₅₀). Bars indicate mean and standard deviation of three experiments. Asterisks indicate significant differences (ANOVA, P<0.05).</p

Novaluron alters cuticular chitin presence in late L4 larvae.

<p>WGA-FITC labeling was used to detect chitin by fluorescence microscopy. (<b>A</b>, <b>B</b>) Control larvae exhibiting continuous cuticle labeling. (<b>C–F</b>) Novaluron EI₉₉ larvae show uneven cuticle labeling. Chitin labeling of cuticle in distinct regions of the larva is rather uniform (arrow in <b>C</b>; panel <b>D</b>), absent (asterisk in <b>C</b>; panel <b>E</b>) or irregular (arrowhead in <b>C</b>; panel <b>F</b>). Peritrophic matrix chitin labeling was not altered (<b>A</b>, <b>C</b>). Bar = 100 µm in <b>A</b>, <b>C</b> and 10 µm in <b>B</b>, <b>D–F</b>. All images were also recorded in bright field, in order to assure that images were in focus and that a cuticle was present (data not shown).</p

Novaluron induces delay in the development of <i>Ae. aegypti</i> immatures.

<p>Symbols represent the cumulative percentage of specimens in relation to eliminated exuviae of the preceding instar: squares, triangles and lozenges indicate newly emerged L4, pupae and adults, respectively. (<b>A</b>) control; (<b>B</b>) EI₅₀ and (<b>C</b>) EI₉₉. Bars represent the standard deviation of three independent experiments. Arrow indicates the moment of novaluron administration (see <a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0030363#s2" target="_blank">Methods</a>).</p

Novaluron modifies cuticle and epidermis aspect of <i>Ae. aegypti</i> larvae.

<p>DIC microscopy was performed on histological sections of late L4 larvae stained with HE. (<b>A</b>) Control. Note the close association among cuticle, epidermis and the subjacent fat body layer. (<b>B–D</b>) Novaluron EI₉₉. Cuticle presents a semitransparent and discontinuous aspect being detached from the epidermis (<b>B</b>); epidermis is thinner (<b>C</b>) or degenerated, with a rope-like cuticle (<b>D</b>). ct: cuticle, did: disorganized imaginal disc, ep: epidermis, fb: fat body.</p

Incidence of base rot and wilt, sanitary severity and influence about seed pathology by cultivars of common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris)

ABSTRACT: The objective of this work was to conduct a temporal evaluation of incidence of rot base and sanitary severity, and to relate the impact on the seed pathology of common bean cultivars. In the 2015-2016 harvest, in the city of Ipameri, Goiás, ten cultivars of common bean were evaluated (BRS Estilo©, BRS Pérola©, IPR Tangará©, IPR Tuiuiú©, IPR Uirapuru©, IAC Milênio©, Imperador©, IAC F3 R2©, IAC OTG© and IPR Campos Gerais©) and distributed into five blocks, totaling 40 experimental units. The incidence of wilt and base rot and sanitary severity were analyzed by taking ten random samples per block at 21, 28, 56, 63 and 69 days after planting. At the end of 120 days, a total of 20 plants were harvested per cultivar, and 250 seeds were harvested for application of the Blotter Test method. From 21 to 69 days after planting, the cultivars BRS Pérola© and IPR Campos Gerais© deserve to be highlighted for presenting the lowest incidence of wilt in the reproductive and vegetative cycles. The cultivar BRS Pérola© showed the lowest incidence of wilt and sanitary severity. In the analysis of harvested seeds, the cultivar BRS Pérola© presented high physiological quality for all evaluated parameters. On the other hand, Cramberry (OTG)© showed low physiological potential in germination and vigor tests