AIDS: uma epidemia do mundo atual

A sigla aids é originada do idioma inglês, e quer dizer síndrome da imunodeficiência adquirida. Foi reconhecida no início da década de 1980, nos Estados Unidos, quando adultos do sexo masculino apresentaram comprometimento do sistema imunológico. A aids é causada pelo vírus HIV, que destrói os linfócitos (células de defesa do organismo), permitindo o aparecimento de várias doenças oportunistas. As três formas de transmissão do vírus HIV são: sexual, sangüínea e perinatal (da mãe para o filho). A classificação da aids é baseada nos sinais e sintomas, e apresenta padrões diferentes para o adulto e a criança. Com a evolução da doença, há o surgimento de várias complicações, que vão desde manifestações cutâneas a manifestações neurológicas. Somente através da realização de testes é possível saber se uma pessoa tem o vírus HIV, pois muitos dos sintomas são comuns a outras doenças. O teste anti-HIV deve ser realizado quando a pessoa se expõe a algum fator de risco. Existem vários testes que detectam os anticorpos contra o vírus HIV, como por exemplo, o “Elisa” e o Western Blot, que são mais utilizados devido ao baixo custo; os testes de detecção viral, como o PCR (reação em cadeia de polimerase), têm custo elevado e são utilizados em situações específicas. Atualmente a aids não tem cura, mas os medicamentos anti-retrovirais prolongam a vida do portador do vírus HIV. Os medicamentos atuam em fases diferentes do ciclo viral, e a associação deles, conhecida como coquetel, é importante para que o vírus não crie resistência a esses medicamentos. Somente com acompanhamento médico é possível identificar o momento mais adequado para o início do tratamento. O número de casos de aids vem aumentando em todo o mundo, e a transmissão não está ligada a “grupos de risco” como se dizia antigamente, mas a comportamentos de risco. Qualquer pessoa pode se infectar com o vírus, desde que não adote práticas de prevenção

Numerical evidence of hyperscaling violation in wetting transitions of the random-bond Ising model in d = 2 dimensions

We performed extensive simulations of the random-bond Ising model confined between walls where competitive surface fields act. By properly taking the thermodynamic limit we unambiguously determined wetting transition points of the system, as extrapolation of localization-delocalization transitions of the interface between domains of different orientation driven by the respective fields. The finite-size scaling theory for wetting with short-range fields establishes that the average magnetization of the sample, with critical exponent β, is the proper order parameter for the study of wetting. While the hyperscaling relationship given by γ+2β=ν +ν requires β=1/2 (γ=4, ν =3, and ν =2), the thermodynamic scaling establishes that Δs=γ+β, which in contrast requires β=0 (Δs=4), where γ, ν, ν, and Δs are the critical exponents of the susceptibility, the correlation lengths parallel and perpendicular to the interface, and the gap exponent, respectively. So, we formulate a finite-size scaling theory for wetting without hyperscaling and perform numerical simulations that provide strong evidence of hyperscaling violation (i.e., β=0) and a direct measurement of the susceptibility critical exponent γ/ν =2.0±0.2, in agreement with theoretical results for the strong fluctuation regime of wetting transitions with quenched noise.Instituto de Física de Líquidos y Sistemas Biológico

Characteristics of patients returning to emergency departments in Naples, Italy

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Crowding in hospital Emergency Departments (EDs) is a problem in several countries. We evaluated the number and characteristics of patients who make repeated visits to the EDs in Naples, Italy.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>All patients (≥ 16 years) who presented to the EDs of three randomly selected non-academic acute care public hospitals, within randomly selected week periods, were studied. The two outcomes of interest were the re-utilization, within 72 hours, of the ED and the number of visits in the previous year.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Of the 1430 sampled patients, 51.9% self-reported multiple visits in the previous year and 10.9% and 1.6% used the ED for 3 and ≥4 times, respectively. The number of visits in the previous year was significantly higher in those who live closer to hospital, with a more severe burden of overall comorbidity, and who were on pharmacological treatment. Overall, 72-hours return visits were found in 215 patients (15.8%). Patients were more likely to re-use within 72 hours the ED if younger, were not on pharmacological treatment, attended the ED more times in the previous year, were referred by a physician, arrived at the ED by car driven by other person, had problems of longer duration prior to arrival at the ED, had a surgical ED discharge diagnosis, and were admitted to the hospital.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>The data may assist policymakers in the development and implementation of protocols to track changes in the re-utilization of the ED for the high financial impact and for the benefit of the patients.</p

Candida albicans identification: comparison among nine phenotypic systems and a multiplex PCR

Background. Candida albicans is the most common fungal pathogen isolated from clinical samples and is also the most common yeast species carried as a commensal by healthy individuals although some non-C. albicans species account for an important number of infections. Objectives. To compare nine phenotypic systems for C. albicans identification [API 20C AUX; RapID Yeast Identification panel (RYIP); Vitek2 ID-YST system; chromogenic media, CHROMagar, Oxoid Chromogenic Candida Agar (OCCA), Candida ID2, Candida Identification Agar, CandiSelect 4, and Chromalbicans Agar] with multiplex PCR. Patients/Methods. A collection of 390 yeast strains was obtained by routine isolation from oral and vaginal swabs. All of the yeasts isolated were tested for germ tube formation, and then submitted to a multiplex PCR protocol tested in previous studies, and to nine phenotypical commercial methods, together with the reference ATCC strains. Comparison was limited to the ability of the tests to identify C. albicans. Results. 253 isolates were provisionally identified as C. albicans by germ tube, and their identities were further confirmed with the multiplex PCR. Sensitivity of phenotypical systems ranged from 81.9% (Vitek2) to 87.7% (Candida ID2 e CHROMagar). For specificity, the highest value was 96.8% for Candida ID2, and the lowest value (75.1%) was for Chromalbicans Agar. Conclusions. Although with differences in discriminatory power, the methods tested showed overall acceptable levels of sensitivity and specificity respect to the multiplex PCR; therefore, all could be useful for C. albicans identification where molecular differentiation is not available

Effect of a reduced amount of straw bedding on goats' comfort and hygienic characteristics of milk and straw

The present study aims to understand the influence of a reduced amount of straw litter on goats' lying comfort and hygienic characteristics of milk and straw. Lying behaviour (frequency, lying post..

Numerical evidence of hyperscaling violation in wetting transitions of the random-bond Ising model in d = 2 dimensions

We performed extensive simulations of the random-bond Ising model confined between walls where competitive surface fields act. By properly taking the thermodynamic limit we unambiguously determined wetting transition points of the system, as extrapolation of localization-delocalization transitions of the interface between domains of different orientation driven by the respective fields. The finite-size scaling theory for wetting with short-range fields [E. V. Albano and K. Binder, Phys. Rev. Lett. 109, 036101 (2012)PRLTAO0031-900710.1103/PhysRevLett.109.036101] establishes that the average magnetization of the sample, with critical exponent β, is the proper order parameter for the study of wetting. While the hyperscaling relationship given by γ+2β=ν +ν requires β=1/2 (γ=4, ν =3, and ν =2), the thermodynamic scaling establishes that Δs=γ+β, which in contrast requires β=0 (Δs=4), where γ, ν, ν, and Δs are the critical exponents of the susceptibility, the correlation lengths parallel and perpendicular to the interface, and the gap exponent, respectively. So, we formulate a finite-size scaling theory for wetting without hyperscaling and perform numerical simulations that provide strong evidence of hyperscaling violation (i.e., β=0) and a direct measurement of the susceptibility critical exponent γ/ν =2.0±0.2, in agreement with theoretical results for the strong fluctuation regime of wetting transitions with quenched noise.Fil: Albano, Ezequiel Vicente. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - La Plata. Instituto de Física de Líquidos y Sistemas Biológicos. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas. Instituto de Física de Líquidos y Sistemas Biológicos; ArgentinaFil: Luque, Luciana Melina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - La Plata. Instituto de Física de Líquidos y Sistemas Biológicos. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas. Instituto de Física de Líquidos y Sistemas Biológicos; ArgentinaFil: Trobo, Marta Liliana. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - La Plata. Instituto de Física de Líquidos y Sistemas Biológicos. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas. Instituto de Física de Líquidos y Sistemas Biológicos; ArgentinaFil: Binder, Kurt. University Mainz. Institute of Inorganic and Analytical Chemistry, Johannes Gutenberg; Alemani

ACERTOS GRADIENTES NOS CHAMADOS ERROS DE PRONÚNCIA

A proposta deste artigo é discutir o papel dos acertos gradientes no processo de estabelecimento de contrastes fônicos em crianças com os chamados “erros” de pronúncia, falantes do Português Brasileiro. As investigações pautaram-se principalmente pela análise acústica, à luz da Fonologia Acústico-Articulatória. os resultados compreendem um estudo transversal – com foco nas fricativas coronais desvozeadas – e dois estudos longitudinais – um com foco nos róticos e outro com foco nas obstruintes coronais desvozeadas. Ante a constatação de que os acertos gradientes permeiam a aquisição de contrastes fônicos muito mais do que se costuma imaginar, as implicações clínicas desses achados são debatidas

Bone marrow ectopic expression of a non-coding RNA in childhood T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia with a novel t(2;11)(q11.2;p15.1) translocation

Chromosomal translocations play a crucial role in tumorigenesis, often resulting in the formation of chimeric genes or in gene deregulation through position effects. T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL) is associated with a large number of such rearrangements. We report the ectopic expression of the 3' portion of EST DA926692 in the bone marrow of a childhood T-ALL case showing a t(2;11)(q11.2;p15.1) translocation as the sole chromosome abnormality. The breakpoints, defined at the sequence level, mapped within HPS5 ( Hermansky Pudlak syndrome 5) intron 1 at 11p15.1, and DA926692 exon 2 at 2q11.2. The translocation was accompanied by a submicroscopic inversion that brought the two genes into the same transcriptional orientation. No chimeric trancript was detected. Interestingly, Real-Time Quantitative (RQ)-PCR detected, in the patient's bone marrow, expression of a 173 bp product corresponding to the 3' portion of DA926692. Samples from four T-ALL cases with a normal karyotype and normal bone marrow used as controls were negative. It might be speculated that the juxtaposition of this genomic segment to the CpG island located upstream HPS5 activated DA92669 expression. RQ-PCR analysis showed expression positivity in 6 of 23 human tissues examined. Bioinformatic analysis excluded that this small non-coding RNA is a precursor of micro-RNA, although it is conceivable that it has a different, yet unknown, functional role. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report, in cancer, of the activation of a small non-coding RNA as a result of a chromosomal translocation