Obtaining tetraploid plants of ruzigrass (Brachiaria ruziziensis).

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Cross-Protection to New Drifted Influenza A(H3) Viruses and Prevalence of Protective Antibodies to Seasonal Influenza, During 2014 in Portugal

INTRODUCTION: Immune profile for influenza viruses is highly changeable over time. Serological studies can assess the prevalence of influenza, estimate the risk of infection, highlight asymptomatic infection rate and can also provide data on vaccine coverage. The aims of the study were to evaluate pre-existing cross-protection against influenza A(H3) drift viruses and to assess influenza immunity in the Portuguese population. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We developed a cross-sectional study based on a convenience sample of 626 sera collected during June 2014, covering all age groups, both gender and all administrative health regions of Portugal. Sera antibody titers for seasonal and new A(H3) drift influenza virus were evaluated by hemagglutination inhibition assay (HI). Seroprevalence to each seasonal influenza vaccine strain virus and to the new A(H3) drift circulating strain was estimated by age group, gender and region and compared with seasonal influenza-like illness (ILI) incidence rates before and after the study period. RESULTS: Our findings suggest that seroprevalences of influenza A(H3) (39.9%; 95% CI: 36.2-43.8) and A(H1)pdm09 (29.7%; 95% CI: 26.3-33.4) antibodies were higher than for influenza B, in line with high ILI incidence rates for A(H3) followed by A(H1)pdm09, during 2013/2014 season. Low pre-existing cross-protection against new A(H3) drift viruses were observed in A(H3) seropositive individuals (46%). Both against influenza A(H1)pdm09 and A(H3) seroprotection was highest in younger than 14-years old. Protective antibodies against influenza B were highest in those older than 65years old, especially for B/Yamagata lineage, 33.3% (95% CI: 25.7-41.9). Women showed a high seroprevalence to influenza, although without statistical significance, when compared to men. A significant decreasing trend in seroprotection from north to south regions of Portugal mainland was observed. CONCLUSIONS: Our results emphasize that low seroprotection increases the risk of influenza infection in the following winter season. Seroepidemiological studies can inform policy makers on the need for vaccination and additional preventive measures.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Anthropometric aspects of body seated in school

This study aimed to assess the student-furniture interface from anthropometric parameters of the sitting posture. The sample was composed of 887 students from two public schools in the State of Parana - Brazil, which attended children from 7 to 17 years of age. The data collection used anthropometric measures of the sitting position, a questionnaire containing a human body diagram for indication of discomfort areas and photographic records to verify postural and ergonomic inadequacies in classroom. The following anthropometric variables were measured: popliteal height, sacro-popliteal length, hip width, lumbar support height, and elbow and thigh height. Percentiles 5 and 95 of anthropometric variables showed differences statistically significant, with variation coefficient greater than 30%. In relation to body discomfort, the highest occurrences were recorded for ankle, knees and shoulder joints as well as for spine and buttocks. It was concluded that children use school furniture that does not meet their anthropometric standards, which favored the adoption of incorrect postures and contributed to the emergence of musculoskeletal problems that can interfere with their educational process

<b>Sistema de liberação prolongada a partir de comprimidos matriciais bioadesivos vaginais contendo metronidazol</b>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; line-height: normal; text-align: justify; mso-layout-grid-align: none;"> A vaginose bacteriana é a mais comum das infecções do trato genital feminino. O metronidazol, droga de escolha no tratamento, possui boa resposta terapêutica, mas, devido à sua toxicidade após doses contínuas, tem sua capacidade de combate e reversão da doença limitada pela efemeridade do tratamento. Desenvolveu-se a forma farmacêutica comprimido matricial bioadesivo vaginal contendo metronidazol que levou em conta, tanto a redução das quantidades administradas da droga, quanto o uso de atributos que desfavoreçam a permanência da flora patógena no meio vaginal, como a liberação prolongada e a acentuada adesão da forma à mucosa. Foram obtidos durante o estudo três formulações chamadas de lotes de bancada (LB I, LB II e LB III) com variações quali-quantitativas dos excipientes utilizados. Nos LB I e LB II utilizou-se o hidropropilmetilcelulose e carbopol como constituintes da matriz, porém no LB III foi utilizado uma composição de hidropropilmetilcelulose, etilcelulose e carbopol. As formulações apresentaram resultados dentro das especificações frente aos testes físico-químicos habituais de acordo com a Farmacopéia brasileira. Os comprimidos LB I e LB II liberaram todo seu conteúdo após seis e 12 horas, respectivamente, a partir de matrizes de caráter notadamente adesivo e ao fim dos ensaios mantiveram-se na forma de pequena estrutura gelificada. Mesmo sob essas condições, e após 48 horas de ensaio, a formulação LB III não liberou todo seu conteúdo, pode-se levar em conta a mudança da natureza dos componentes da matriz assim como a necessidade de um desenvolvimento e validação de método mais específico para dissolução. Palavras-chave: Comprimidos matriciais, metronidazol, liberação prolongada. </p&gt