New findings on carambola fruit fly hosts in South America.

Bactrocera carambolae Drew & Hancock (Diptera: Tephritidae), a mosca-da-carambola, é uma praga quarentenária presente no Brasil, restrita aos estados do Amapá, Pará e Roraima. Sua dispersão para outras regiões do país poderia causar sérios prejuízos socioeconômicos. Os frutos foram coletados em árvores urbanas, quintais residenciais e pequenos pomares nas áreas rurais e urbanas do município de Oiapoque, Amapá, Brasil. Um total de 240 amostras (11.126 frutos; 288,8 kg) de 33 espécies vegetais (16 nativas e 17 introduzidas) de 19 famílias foram coletadas. Bactrocera carambolae foi isolada dos frutos de 13 espécies vegetais. Além de B. carambolae, foram coletados neste estudo espécimes de 8 espécies de Anastrepha. Além disso, 5 espécies de parasitoides (Hymenoptera; 3 espécies de Braconidae e 2 de Figitidae) associadas a Anastrepha spp. foram identificadas. No geral, este estudo acrescenta 3 novos registros à lista de plantas hospedeiras de B. carambolae no Brasil (Artocarpus heterophyllus Lam.; Moraceae, Passiflora quadrangularis L.; Passifloraceae e Ziziphus mauritiana Lam.; Rhamnaceae), dois deles novos registros na América do Sul (A. heterophyllus e P. quadrangularis) e demonstra novas interações entre espécies de Anastrepha e plantas hospedeiras no extremo norte do estado do Amapá. Notavelmente, este é o primeiro relato da espécie de figitídeo Aganaspis nordlanderi Wharton no estado do Amapá

Pharmacist intervention program to enhance hypertension control: a randomised controlled trial

Objective Studies have demonstrated that hypertension remains inadequately managed throughout the world, with lack of adherence to BP-lowering medication being a major factor. The aim of the present study was to evaluate if a pharmaceutical care program could improve antihypertensive medication adherence and blood pressure control. Setting This study was conducted in a secondary care hypertension/dyslipidemia outpatient clinic in the university teaching hospital of Cova da Beira Hospital Centre, Covilhã, located in the Eastern Central Region of Portugal. Method This report evaluates the pharmacist’s interventions during a prospective randomised controlled trial, from July 2009 to June 2010. Patients with diagnosis of essential hypertension attending the clinic for routine follow-up were randomly allocated either to a control group (no pharmaceutical care) or to an intervention group (quarterly follow-up by a hospital pharmacist during a 9-month period). The pharmacist interventions, aimed to increase medication adherence and blood pressure control, involved educational interventions and counselling tips directed to the patient. Main outcome measure Systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure and blood pressure control (according to JNC 7 guidelines) assessed at the baseline visit and at the end of pharmaceutical care were the main outcome measures. Blood pressure measurements were performed by blinded nurses. Medication adherence was also evaluated, using a validated questionnaire at baseline and at the end of investigation. Results A total of 197 hypertensive patients were randomly assigned to the study (99 in the control group and 98 in the intervention group). Although there were no significant differences (P > 0.05) in both groups concerning mean age, gender, body mass index, and antihypertensive pharmacotherapy, blood pressure control was higher in the intervention group (P = 0.005) at the end of the study. Significant lower systolic blood pressure (−6.8 mmHg, P = 0.006) and diastolic blood pressure (−2.9 mmHg, P = 0.020) levels were observed in the intervention group. Medication adherence was also significantly higher in the intervention group at the end of the study (74.5% vs. 57.6%, P = 0.012).Conclusion Pharmacist intervention can significantly improve medication adherence and blood pressure control in patients treated with antihypertensive agents

Thermal behaviour of intercalated 8-hydroxyquinoline (oxine) in montmorillonite clay

The composite montmorillonite-8-hydroxyquinoline (Swy-1-8-HQ) was prepared by two different processes and studied by using thermogravimetric analysis (TG/DTG and DSC), as well as helpful techniques as fluorescence in the UV-visible region and X-ray diffraction. The composites developed fluorescent appearance, however with quantum poor efficiency and they exhibited distinct TG and DSC thermal behavior. The fluorescence data of spectra associated to the TG/DT curves allowed to suggest that the 8-HQ was present in the composites in two different circumstances: 1 - intercalated in the interlayer spaces (Swy-1-8-HQ2), rigidly associated to the Substrate feasible as a monolayer with the aromatic rings parallel to the silica layer; and/or, 2 - adsorbed on the Surface (Swy-1-8-HQ1), either as a bilayer formation or tilting of the molecules to the silicate layer sheet. All results confirmed above are in agreement with X-ray diffraction patterns, once the interlayer space increases when 8-HQ is incorporated. The experimental results confirm the formation of the composites in agreement with the method used in the preparation

NUCLEAR SPIN 3/2 ELECTRIC QUADRUPOLE RELAXATION AS A QUANTUM COMPUTATION PROCESS

In this work we applied a quantum circuit treatment to describe the nuclear spin relaxation. From the Redfield theory, we obtain a description of the quadrupolar relaxation as a computational process in a spin 3/2 system, through a model in which the environment is comprised by five qubits and three different quantum noise channels. The interaction between the environment and the spin 3/2 nuclei is described by a quantum circuit fully compatible with the Redfield theory of relaxation. Theoretical predictions are compared to experimental data, a short review of quantum channels and relaxation in NMR qubits is also present.Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)CAPESConselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)CNPqFundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)FAPESPNational Institute for Quantum InformationNational Institute for Quantum Informatio

Quality of life in patients randomized to receive a bone marrow or a peripheral blood allograft

Background and Objectives. Quality of life (QOL) is an important clinical end-point to be considered in the late follow-up of patients treated with allogeneic bone marrow (BM) or peripheral blood progenitor cell (PBPC) transplantation. Design and Methods. To assess the QOL in a group of survivors of hematologic malignancies who had been enrolled in a prospective randomized trial comparing allogeneic BM with PBPC. Sixty randomized patients had been enrolled in a study comparing BM-with PBPC graft during 1995-99. At the time of this QOL study, 30 were alive and 26 (13 BM and 13 PBPC) were eligible. Clinical and demographic data were collected and psychometric instruments (WHOQOL-100 and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale-HAD) were used. Non-parametric and univariate analyses were performed. Results. The PBPC recipients had more chronic graft-versus-host disease (p=0.03) and were on immunosuppressive treatment for a longer period (p=0.02). The WHOQOL-100 analysis demonstrated significant differences between groups With, more favorable results in the BM group in the facets of Pain and Discomfort (p=0.03), Mobility (p=0.02) and Daily Living Activities (p=0.03). According to the patients' spontaneous responses, 8 individuals (6 in the PBPC group) believed that their QOL had worsened. Interpretation and Conclusions. With the limitations of a small randomized study, these findings suggest a lower QOL in recipients of allogeneic PBPC than in recipients of BM grafts, probably due to the frequency and severity of chronic graft-versus-host disease. This need to be confirmed in a large international trial. (C) 2002, Ferrata Storti Foundation.87121281128

Evidence for associations between the purinergic receptor P2X₇ (P2RX7) and toxoplasmosis

Congenital Toxoplasma gondii infection can result in intracranial calcification, hydrocephalus and retinochoroiditis. Acquired infection is commonly associated with ocular disease. Pathology is characterized by strong proinflammatory responses. Ligation of ATP by purinergic receptor P2X7, encoded by P2RX7, stimulates proinflammatory cytokines and can lead directly to killing of intracellular pathogens. To determine whether P2X7 has a role in susceptibility to congenital toxoplasmosis, we examined polymorphisms at P2RX7 in 149 child/parent trios from North America. We found association (FBAT Z-scores ±2.429; P=0.015) between the derived C(+)G(−) allele (f=0.68; OR=2.06; 95% CI: 1.14–3.75) at single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) rs1718119 (1068T>C; Thr-348-Ala), and a second synonymous variant rs1621388 in linkage disequilibrium with it, and clinical signs of disease per se. Analysis of clinical subgroups showed no association with hydrocephalus, with effect sizes for associations with retinal disease and brain calcifications enhanced (OR=3.0–4.25; 0.004<P<0.009) when hydrocephalus was removed from the analysis. Association with toxoplasmic retinochoroiditis was replicated (FBAT Z-scores ±3.089; P=0.002) in a small family-based study (60 families; 68 affected offspring) of acquired infection in Brazil, where the ancestral T(+) allele (f=0.296) at SNP rs1718119 was strongly protective (OR=0.27; 95% CI: 0.09–0.80)