Forecasting temporal dynamics of cutaneous leishmaniasis in Northeast Brazil.

IntroductionCutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) is a vector-borne disease of increasing importance in northeastern Brazil. It is known that sandflies, which spread the causative parasites, have weather-dependent population dynamics. Routinely-gathered weather data may be useful for anticipating disease risk and planning interventions.Methodology/principal findingsWe fit time series models using meteorological covariates to predict CL cases in a rural region of Bahía, Brazil from 1994 to 2004. We used the models to forecast CL cases for the period 2005 to 2008. Models accounting for meteorological predictors reduced mean squared error in one, two, and three month-ahead forecasts by up to 16% relative to forecasts from a null model accounting only for temporal autocorrelation.SignificanceThese outcomes suggest CL risk in northeastern Brazil might be partially dependent on weather. Responses to forecasted CL epidemics may include bolstering clinical capacity and disease surveillance in at-risk areas. Ecological mechanisms by which weather influences CL risk merit future research attention as public health intervention targets

Microvascular oxygen delivery-to-utilization mismatch at the onset of heavy-intensity exercise in optimally treated patients with CHF

Sperandio PA, Borghi-Silva A, Barroco A, Nery LE, Almeida DR, Neder JA. Microvascular oxygen delivery-to-utilization mismatch at the onset of heavy-intensity exercise in optimally treated patients with CHF. Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol 297: H1720-H1728, 2009. First published September 4, 2009; doi:10.1152/ajpheart.00596.2009.-Impaired muscle blood flow at the onset of heavy-intensity exercise may transiently reduce microvascular O(2) pressure and decrease the rate of O(2) transfer from capillary to mitochondria in chronic heart failure (CHF). However, advances in the pharmacological treatment of CHF (e. g., angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors and third-generation beta-blockers) may have improved microvascular O(2) delivery to an extent that intramyocyte metabolic inertia might become the main locus of limitation of O(2) uptake ((V)over dot(O2)) kinetics. We assessed the rate of change of pulmonary (V)over dot(O2) ((V)over dot(O2p)), (estimated) fractional O(2) extraction in the vastus lateralis (similar to Delta[deoxy-Hb + Mb] by near-infrared spectroscopy), and cardiac output ((Q)over dot(T)) during high-intensity exercise performed to the limit of tolerance (Tlim) in 10 optimally treated sedentary patients (ejection fraction = 29 +/- 8%) and 11 controls. Sluggish (V)over dot(O2p) and (Q)over dot(T) kinetics in patients were significantly related to lower Tlim values (P < 0.05). the dynamics of Delta[deoxy-Hb + Mb], however, were faster in patients than controls [mean response time (MRT) = 15.9 +/- 2.0 s vs. 19.0 +/- 2.9 s; P < 0.05] with a subsequent response overshoot being found only in patients (7/10). Moreover, tau(V)over dot(O2)/MRT-[deoxy-Hb + Mb] ratio was greater in patients (4.69 +/- 1.42 s vs. 2.25 +/- 0.77 s; P < 0.05) and related to (Q)over dot(T) kinetics and Tlim (R = 0.89 and -0.78, respectively; P < 0.01). We conclude that despite the advances in the pharmacological treatment of CHF, disturbances in central and peripheral circulatory adjustments still play a prominent role in limiting (V)over dot(O2p) kinetics and tolerance to heavy-intensity exercise in nontrained patients.Fed Univ São Paulo UNIFESP, Dept Med, Div Resp Med, Pulm Funct & Clin Exercise Physiol Unit SEFICE, São Paulo, BrazilFed Univ São Paulo UNIFESP, Dept Med, Div Cardiol, São Paulo, BrazilFed Univ Sao Carlos UFSCar, Nucleus Res Phys Exercise, Cardiopulm Lab, Sao Carlos, SP, BrazilFed Univ São Paulo UNIFESP, Dept Med, Div Resp Med, Pulm Funct & Clin Exercise Physiol Unit SEFICE, São Paulo, BrazilFed Univ São Paulo UNIFESP, Dept Med, Div Cardiol, São Paulo, BrazilWeb of Scienc

Practices in radiopharmacy: Is the use of a breathing needle a concern on the radiochemical purity of 99mTc radiopharmaceuticals?

This article was retracted on 05 February 2014The action of collecting the patient’s individual doses isn’t subjected to any followed protocol, unlike most practices in the Nuclear Medicine department. In certain departments, the individual doses are withdrawn by perforating the rubber septum at every dose while others choose to keep a needle in the kit to avoid multiple perforations. Radiochemical purity is typically the primary concern for 99mTc-radiopharmaceuticals so the potential presence of impurities will affect the radiochemical stability of the radiopharmaceutical and, after being injected to a patient, result in an altered biodistribution and poor image quality. Therefore, it’s important to verify every practice used on the product, which results in a need to learn if the needle kept in the kit at some departments is affecting the radiopharmaceutical’s stability. It is aimed to disseminate the results obtained on a large study performed to evaluate whether there is any correlation between keeping the needle in the kit, during the clinical practice and during the stability period of two different radiopharmaceuticals.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Comparison of the transcriptional landscapes between human and mouse tissues

Although the similarities between humans and mice are typically highlighted, morphologically and genetically, there are many differences. To better understand these two species on a molecular level, we performed a comparison of the expression profiles of 15 tissues by deep RNA sequencing and examined the similarities and differences in the transcriptome for both protein-coding and -noncoding transcripts. Although commonalities are evident in the expression of tissue-specific genes between the two species, the expression for many sets of genes was found to be more similar in different tissues within the same species than between species. These findings were further corroborated by associated epigenetic histone mark analyses. We also find that many noncoding transcripts are expressed at a low level and are not detectable at appreciable levels across individuals. Moreover, the majority lack obvious sequence homologs between species, even when we restrict our attention to those which are most highly reproducible across biological replicates. Overall, our results indicate that there is considerable RNA expression diversity between humans and mice, well beyond what was described previously, likely reflecting the fundamental physiological differences between these two organisms

Sildenafil improves microvascular O-2 delivery-to-utilization matching and accelerates exercise O-2 uptake kinetics in chronic heart failure

Sperandio PA, Oliveira MF, Rodrigues MK, Berton DC, Treptow E, Nery LE, Almeida DR, Neder JA. Sildenafil improves microvascular O-2 delivery-to-utilization matching and accelerates exercise O-2 uptake kinetics in chronic heart failure. Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol 303: H1474-H1480, 2012. First published September 28, 2012; doi:10.1152/ajpheart.00435.2012.-Nitric oxide (NO) can temporally and spatially match microvascular oxygen (O-2) delivery (QO(2mv)) to O-2 uptake (VO2) in the skeletal muscle, a crucial adjustment-to-exercise tolerance that is impaired in chronic heart failure (CHF). To investigate the effects of NO bioavailability induced by sildenafil intake on muscle QO(2mv)-to-O-2 utilization matching and VO2 kinetics, 10 males with CHF (ejection fraction = 27 +/- 6%) undertook constant work-rate exercise (70-80% peak). Breath-by-breath VO2, fractional O-2 extraction in the vastus lateralis {similar to deoxy-genated hemoglobin + myoglobin ([deoxy-Hb + Mb]) by near-infrared spectroscopy}, and cardiac output (CO) were evaluated after sildenafil (50 mg) or placebo. Sildenafil increased exercise tolerance compared with placebo by similar to 20%, an effect that was related to faster on-and off-exercise VO2 kinetics (P 0.05). On-exercise [deoxy-Hb + Mb] kinetics were slowed by sildenafil (similar to 25%), and a subsequent response overshoot (n = 8) was significantly lessened or even abolished. in contrast, [deoxy-Hb + Mb] recovery was faster with sildenafil (similar to 15%). Improvements in muscle oxygenation with sildenafil were related to faster on-exercise VO2 kinetics, blunted oscillations in ventilation (n = 9), and greater exercise capacity (P < 0.05). Sildenafil intake enhanced intramuscular QO(2mv)-to-VO2 matching with beneficial effects on VO2 kinetics and exercise tolerance in CHF. the lack of effect on CO suggests that improvement in blood flow to and within skeletal muscles underlies these effects.Universidade Federal de São Paulo, Dept Med, Div Resp Dis, Pulm Funct & Clin Exercise Physiol Unit, BR-04020050 São Paulo, BrazilQueens Univ, Dept Med, Div Resp & Crit Care Med, Kingston, ON K7L 3N6, CanadaUniversidade Federal de São Paulo, Dept Med, Div Cardiol, BR-04020050 São Paulo, BrazilUniversidade Federal de São Paulo, Dept Med, Div Resp Dis, Pulm Funct & Clin Exercise Physiol Unit, BR-04020050 São Paulo, BrazilUniversidade Federal de São Paulo, Dept Med, Div Cardiol, BR-04020050 São Paulo, BrazilWeb of Scienc

Avaliação do comportamento de diferentes porta-enxertos de citros em casa de vegetação, submetidos a estresse hídrico

Desenvolvimento de Variedade