Chronic Cough and Eosinophilic Esophagitis: An Uncommon Association

An increasing number of children, usually with gastrointestinal symptoms, is diagnosed with eosinophilic esophagitis (EE), and a particular subset of these patients complains of airway manifestations. We present the case of a 2-year-old child with chronic dry cough in whom EE was found after a first diagnosis of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) due to pathological 24-hour esophageal pH monitoring. Traditional allergologic tests were negative, while patch tests were diagnostic for cow's milk allergy. We discuss the intriguing relationship between GERD and EE and the use of patch test for the allergologic screening of patients

High throughput screening of hydrolytic enzymes from termites using a natural substrate derived from sugarcane bagasse

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The description of new hydrolytic enzymes is an important step in the development of techniques which use lignocellulosic materials as a starting point for fuel production. Sugarcane bagasse, which is subjected to pre-treatment, hydrolysis and fermentation for the production of ethanol in several test refineries, is the most promising source of raw material for the production of second generation renewable fuels in Brazil. One problem when screening hydrolytic activities is that the activity against commercial substrates, such as carboxymethylcellulose, does not always correspond to the activity against the natural lignocellulosic material. Besides that, the macroscopic characteristics of the raw material, such as insolubility and heterogeneity, hinder its use for high throughput screenings.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>In this paper, we present the preparation of a colloidal suspension of particles obtained from sugarcane bagasse, with minimal chemical change in the lignocellulosic material, and demonstrate its use for high throughput assays of hydrolases using Brazilian termites as the screened organisms.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Important differences between the use of the natural substrate and commercial cellulase substrates, such as carboxymethylcellulose or crystalline cellulose, were observed. This suggests that wood feeding termites, in contrast to litter feeding termites, might not be the best source for enzymes that degrade sugarcane biomass.</p

Brazilian Consensus on Photoprotection

Brazil is a country of continental dimensions with a large heterogeneity of climates and massive mixing of the population. Almost the entire national territory is located between the Equator and the Tropic of Capricorn, and the Earth axial tilt to the south certainly makes Brazil one of the countries of the world with greater extent of land in proximity to the sun. The Brazilian coastline, where most of its population lives, is more than 8,500 km long. Due to geographic characteristics and cultural trends, Brazilians are among the peoples with the highest annual exposure to the sun. Epidemiological data show a continuing increase in the incidence of nonmelanoma and melanoma skin cancers. Photoprotection can be understood as a set of measures aimed at reducing sun exposure and at preventing the development of acute and chronic actinic damage. Due to the peculiarities of Brazilian territory and culture, it would not be advisable to replicate the concepts of photoprotection from other developed countries, places with completely different climates and populations. Thus the Brazilian Society of Dermatology has developed the Brazilian Consensus on Photoprotection, the first official document on photoprotection developed in Brazil for Brazilians, with recommendations on matters involving photoprotection

Avaliação da vigilância de contatos de casos novos de tuberculose no Estado de Mato Grosso - Brasil Evaluation of surveillance of contacts of new tuberculosis cases in the state of Mato Grosso - Brazil

OBJETIVO: Avaliar as ações de vigilância de contatos de casos novos de tuberculose em Mato Grosso no período de 1999 a 2004. MÉTODOS: Estudo epidemiológico descritivo baseado em dados do Sistema de Informação de Agravos de Notificação-Tuberculose. O número de casos novos de tuberculose, o número de contatos (estimados, examinados e não examinados) e a taxa de incidência de tuberculose foram analisados segundo a faixa etária. Calculou-se, por ano de estudo, a média de contatos examinados para cada caso de tuberculose segundo a faixa etária. Os casos de tuberculose pulmonar com e sem contatos examinados foram analisados segundo o resultado da baciloscopia. RESULTADOS: Em 2004, Mato Grosso apresentou 41,3 casos de tuberculose por 100 mil habitantes. A mesorregião centro-sul apresentou a maior taxa de incidência (57 casos/100 mil habitantes) e uma taxa de 15% de contatos examinados. Entre os menores de 15 anos, examinaram-se 63 contatos (60,5%), enquanto entre aqueles com 15 anos ou mais, examinaram-se 389 contatos (8,9%). Em 1999, a média de contatos examinados em Mato Grosso foi de 0,02 (0,5%), e, em 2004, ela alcançou 0,42 (10,5%). O percentual de contatos examinados foi 40,0% maior entre os contatos de casos bacilíferos (OR = 1,4; IC95%: 1,08-1,83). CONCLUSÕES: O percentual de contatos examinados é muito baixo, principalmente entre os adultos. A normatização do exame de contatos de tuberculose pela Secretaria de Vigilância em Saúde do Ministério da Saúde não tem sido suficiente para garantir que esse grupo de maior risco de adoecimento seja priorizado pelos serviços de saúde de Mato Grosso.<br>OBJECTIVE: To evaluate surveillance of contacts of new tuberculosis cases in the state of Mato Grosso from 1999 to 2004. METHODS: This was a descriptive epidemiological study based on data from the Tuberculosis Case Registry Database. The number of new tuberculosis cases, the number of contacts (estimated, investigated, and uninvestigated), and the tuberculosis incidence rate were analyzed by age bracket. The mean rate of contacts investigated for each case of tuberculosis by age bracket was calculated per year of study. The cases of pulmonary tuberculosis with and without contacts investigated were analyzed by sputum smear microscopy results. RESULTS: In 2004, there were 41.3 cases of tuberculosis per 100,000 inhabitants in the state of Mato Grosso. The south-central region presented the highest incidence rate (57 cases/100,000 inhabitants) and a 15% rate of contacts investigated. Among those younger than 15 years, 63 contacts (60.5%) were investigated, whereas among those aged 15 or older, 389 (8.9%) were investigated. In 1999, the mean rate of contacts investigated statewide was 0.02 (0.5%), and, in 2004, it reached 0.42 (10.5%). The percentage of contacts investigated was 40% higher among the contacts of contagious cases (OR = 1.4; 95% CI: 1.08-1.83). CONCLUSIONS: The percentage of contacts investigated is very low, principally among adults. The adoption of the standards for investigation of tuberculosis contacts proposed by the Brazilian National Ministry of Health Department of Health Surveillance has not ensured that this group at highest risk of developing active tuberculosis be given priority at health care facilities in the state of Mato Grosso

Correlação entre índice de massa corporal e circunferência da cintura em crianças Correlación entre índice de masa corporal y circunferencia de la cintura en niños Correlation between body mass index and waist circumference in children

OBJETIVO: Estabelecer uma correlação entre a circunferência da cintura e o Índice de Massa Corporal (IMC) na determinação do excesso de peso e distribuição de gordura em crianças de escolas públicas de Fortaleza - CE. MÉTODOS: Trata-se de um estudo transversal, realizado em 12 escolas da rede da pública da cidade de Fortaleza- CE. Participaram 727 crianças de ambos os sexos, com idade variando entre 6 a 11 anos. A coleta de dados ocorreu de março a junho de 2008. RESULTADOS: Os resultados do inquérito mostraram que, de acordo com o IMC,11,4% das crianças encontravam-se em sobrepeso, 6,6% eram obesas e 30,9% apresentaram obesidade central. CONCLUSÃO: Nem toda criança obesa apresentava obesidade central, demonstrando que uma só medida antropométrica não é eficaz na determinação do padrão de gordura na infância.<br>OBJETIVO: Establecer una correlación entre la circunferencia de la cintura y el Índice de Masa Corporal (IMC) en la determinación del exceso de peso y distribución de grasa en niños de escuelas públicas en Fortaleza - CE. MÉTODOS: Se trata de un estudio transversal, realizado en 12 escuelas de la red pública de la ciudad de Fortaleza- CE. Participaron 727 niños de ambos sexos, con edad que varió de 6 a 11 años. La recolección de datos ocurrió de marzo a junio de 2008. RESULTADOS: Los resultados de la encuesta mostraron que, de acuerdo con el IMC, 11,4% de los niños se encontraban con sobrepeso, 6,6% eran obesos y 30,9% presentaron obesidad central. CONCLUSIÓN: No todos los niños obesos presentaban obesidad central, demostrando que solo una medida antropométrica no es eficaz para determinar el estándar de adiposidad en la infancia.<br>OBJECTIVE: To establish a correlation between waist circumference and Body Mass Index (BMI) and to determine overweight and fat distribution in children from public schools in Fortaleza - CE. METHODS: This is a cross-sectional study conducted in 12 public schools in the city of Fortaleza-CE. The participants were 727 children of both genders, aged 6-11 years. Data collection occurred from March to June 2008. RESULTS: The survey results showed that, according to BMI, 11.4% of children were overweight, 6.6% were obese and 30.9% had central obesity. CONCLUSION: Not all obese children had central obesity, showing that only one anthropometric measure is not effective in determining the pattern of fat in childhood

Characterization of the occupied shells by the hermit crab Clibanarius vittatus (Decapoda, Diogenidae) at Baixio Mirim tideflat, Guaratuba Bay, southern Brazil

A characterization of the occupied shells by the hermit crab Clibanarius vittatus was carried out. Hermit crabs were collected in the intertidal zone, during the low spring tide monthly from April 2005 to March 2006. They were sexed and their cephalothoracic shield length (CL) was measured. Shells were identified, dried, weighed and the aperture length (AL) and width (AW) were measured. 1187 crabs were collected (949 males, 216 females and 22 intersexes), which occupied 12 species of gastropod shells. Stramonita haemastoma, Olivancillaria urceus and Dorsanum moniliferum made up 96.55% of the total shell species. Male hermit crabs attained significantly larger sizes than females; therefore, males occupied a wider spectrum of shells in size and weight. A stronger correlation ratio was obtained between CL and AW of S. haemastoma. Last whorl with a rounded shape and a spacious inner area is a common feature of all shell species most frequently occupied by this hermit crab where it occurs. The successful establishment of C. vittatus at Baixio Mirim is mainly due to the appropriately shaped and wide range of size of S. haemastoma shells that were most often occupied by the hermit crabs of the studied population.<br>A caracterização das conchas ocupadas pelo ermitão Clibanarius vittatus (Bosc, 1802) foi realizada. Os ermitões foram coletados de abril/2005 a março/2006, na zona intertidal, durante a maré baixa de sizígia. Os ermitões tiveram o sexo reconhecido e foram medidos no comprimento do escudo ce-falotorácico. As conchas foram identificadas, pesadas depois de secas e edidas no copriento e na largura da abertura. Foram coletados 1187 ermitões (949 machos, 216 fêmeas e 22 intersexos) que ocuparam 12 espécies de conchas de gastrópodes. Stramonita haemastoma, Olivancillaria urceus e Dorsanum moniliferum perfizeram 96,55% do total das conchas ocupadas. Ermitões machos atingiram tamanhos significativamente maiores do que as fêmeas; entretanto ocuparam um maior espectro de conchas em tamanho e peso. Fortes índices de correlação foram obtidos para a relação entre o escudo cefalotorácico dos ermitões e a largura da abertura de S. haemastoma. A última espira espaçosa e de formato globoso é um aspecto comum das conchas mais frequentemente ocupadas pelo presente ermitão em todos os locais de sua ocorrência. O sucesso no estabelecimento de C. vittaus no Baixio Mirim é devido principalmente ao formato e à amplitude de tamanhos das conchas de S. haemastoma, as quais são mais frequentemente ocupadas pelos ermitões da população estudada