Outbreak of Tinea capitis by Trichophyton tonsurans and Microsporum canis in Niterói, RJ, Brazil

18 girls from an orphanage (Orfanato Santo Antônio) in Niterói presented tinea capitis due to Trichophyton tonsurans (15 cases - 83.3%) and Microsporum canis (3 cases - 26.7%). Comments are made about clinical, mycological and therapeutic aspects of this microepidem

Diatreta Cups, Light in Roman Dining Spaces

Cage cups or Diatreta are ancient Roman glass vessels produced by creating a thick blown blank of glass that, once cooled down, is taken to a glass cutter or diatretarii. The latter would cut and carve away most of the glass leaving a transparent vessel inside and an open-work decoration separated through thin posts of glass. The work is very delicate and exclusive, produced within limited space in time with no record of similar vessels until the late 1800 (Donald B. Harden & Toynbee 1959, p.181). Many of these glass objects have good-will inscriptions or decorations that express the importance of drinking. As for their provenance, most –when found in context- have been found in pagan burials. Nevertheless some fragments have been found in Christian environments or with Christian motifs like the Szekszárd cup. The location of these finds is mostly in the Rhine area –northern Empire, when Milan was one of its capitals (Aquaro 2004)- but the actual extent of finds expand throughout the 4th century extent of the Roman Empire. Considering their typological analysis there are basically two types, beaker and bowl. Beakers are considered drinking vessels as they either display a legend or a mythological reference to drink or wine. Whereas a general consensus agrees that open bowl-form cups were hanging lamps (Whitehouse 1988, p.28) since the 1986 find of a diatreta bowl with copper alloy hanging attachments. It is clear these were luxury objects to be used in special occasions and spaces. The aim of this paper is to understand the space were socialisation and drinking took place and the importance of luxurious objects to adorn, display and use. The paper will also put forward the idea that the beaker shaped diatreta vessels, usually considered for drinking, could have been lamps that encouraged drinking and good will to the guests. This paper is structured to first consider an introduction to late luxury Roman glass and then analysing the typological shape of all, or most of the diatreta currently known; secondly, through assessment by the means of comparison, analyse the writings or decorations the vessels were endowed with. Thirdly, by describing and understanding the people and the space were these vessels would have been used, emphasise the beauty of illuminating such spaces with these vessels. According to Herodotus in his historical investigation –5th century-, dress habits and food regime are elements of extreme importance to understand a people (Caporusso et al. 2011, p.12). This idea is not only valid for Herodotus’ time but it is something anthropology uses time and again to explain different aspects in people’s way of life. Through food and its environment, the dining space, this paper will aim to put the cage cups into a social context in order to give emphasis to the hypothesis of light versus wine

Novel Loci for Adiponectin Levels and Their Influence on Type 2 Diabetes and Metabolic Traits : A Multi-Ethnic Meta-Analysis of 45,891 Individuals

J. Kaprio, S. Ripatti ja M.-L. Lokki työryhmien jäseniä.Peer reviewe

Epidemiologia da leishmaniose tegumentar americana e suas relações com a lavoura e o garimpo, em localidade do Estado da Bahia (Brasil) Epidemiology of leishmaniasis related to agriculture and prospecting in a locality of the State of Bahia, Brazil

Realizou-se um estudo sobre a associação entre infecção leishmaniótica e a ocupação dos indivíduos em Lençóis-Bahia (Brasil). Foram utilizados um questionário com variáveis biológicas, sociais e econômicas e o teste de Montenegro. Houve captura de flebotomíneos em locais peri e intra-domiciliares. Encontrou-se maior prevalência da infecção no grupo ocupacional de lavradores/garimpeiros em comparação às demais ocupações. Explica-se esse resultado em razão da dupla exposição dos lavradores/garimpeiros à leishmaniose tegumentar americana, em sua área de moradia e local de trabalho.<br>This study was carried out in the city of Lençóis, State of Bahia, with the objective of verifying the association between leishmaniasis infection and occupation. A Montenegro test and a questionnaire including biological and socio-economic variables were applied to the study group. Sandflies were captured in and around dwellings. The higher-than-average prevalence of leishmaniasis observed among agricultural workers and prospectors is explained by the double exposure to the infection-both at home and at work

Rastreamento sorológico para doenças infecciosas em banco de sangue como indicador de morbidade populacional Serological screening for infectious diseases in blood donors as morbidity indicator

É discutido o valor do rastreamento sorológico para doença de Chagas, sífilis, hepatite B e AIDS realizado por bancos de sangue como indicador de morbidade populacional. Foram analisados os dados referentes a 62.814 doações de sangue obtidas em dois bancos de sangue públicos e três privados correspondendo ao total das doações no período de outubro de 1985 a outubro de 1987 em Goiânia, Goiás (Brasil). A soroprevalência foi comparada com dados obtidos pela notificação compulsória das doenças e com inquéritos epidemiológicos disponíveis. Foi encontrada soroprevalência para AIDS de 0,0@% para um único exame de ELISA, estimando-se em 1.900 o número de indivíduos supostamente infectados em Goiás, número compatível com o esperado quando se trabalha com dados de notificação. Para a doença de Chagas, hepatite B e sífilis foram observadas soroprevalências de até 3,3%, 1,3% e 4,1%, respectivamente. Foram discutidas as dificuldades encontradas para validação desses resultados pela ausência de notificação compulsória e características particulares dos inquéritos sorológicos.<br>Screening tests of 62,814 blood donations carried out between October 85 and October 87 in all five blood banks of Goiânia, Central Brazil, were analysed. The private institutions (3 blood banks) collected 80% of all donations and the remaining were collected by public blood banks. Seroprevalence of HIV, HBsAg, Chagas' disease and syphilis were compared with data obtained in the surveillance system and from previous surveys in an attempt to validate this source of health information. A seroprevalence of 0.07% for AIDS (one ELISA test) was calculated, which may suggest the presence of 1900 infected individuals, in the population of the State of Goiás as a whole. This figure seems reasonably close to the official data obtained by compulsory notification. For Chagas' disease, hepatitis B and syphilis seroprevalence of 3.3%, 1.3% and 4.1% were obtained, respectively. The potential usefulness and the limitations of screening in blood banks as a source of realible morbidity indicator is discussed