Identification of common fragile sites in chromosomes of 2 species of bat (Chiroptera, Mammalia)

In the karyotypes of the bat species Molossus ater and M molossus, spontaneous and bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU)- or aphidicolin (APC)-sensitive fragile sites were located. Four chromosome regions harbored APC-sensitive fragile sites: 1q9 and 8q4 in both M ater and M molossus, 3q3 in M ater, and 1p7 in M molossus. The fragile sites in 1q9 and 8q4 were also observed without induction in M molossus. BrdU-sensitive fragile sites were not detected. Despite observations in several other species, the fragile sites detected in Molossus are not coincident with the breakpoints involved in the chromosome rearrangements occurring in the evolution of 7 species of the Molossidae family

Acute respiratory viral infections in children in Rio de Janeiro and Teresópolis, Brazil

Neste estudo foi investigada a frequência de patógenos virais causando infecção em crianças nas cidades do Rio de Janeiro e Teresópolis. Foram coletados 205 swabs nasais de crianças com infecção aguda do trato respiratório no período de março de 2006 a outubro de 2007. Os espécimes foram testados para detecção de vírus através de (RT)-PCR e/ou PCR em tempo real. Dentre as 205 amostras testadas, 64 (31,2%) foram positivas para pelo menos um vírus. Infecções causadas por um único agente viral foram detectadas em 56 amostras, 50 das quais eram causadas por vírus de RNA: 33 amostras foram positivas para rinovírus, cinco amostras foram positivas para influenza A, cinco amostras foram positivas para metapneumovírus, quatro amostras foram positivas para coronavírus e três amostras foram positivas para vírus respiratório sincicial. Para os vírus de DNA foram detectadas cinco amostras positivas para bocavírus humano e uma amostra positiva para adenovírus. Foram identificados oito casos de co-infecção. Nossos dados demonstram frequência elevada de infecções respiratórias virais, enfatizando a necessidade de um diagnóstico mais acurado destes patógenos, principalmente os vírus considerados emergentes. O fato de alguns vírus respiratórios emergentes terem sido detectados em 9,2% das amostras testadas sugere que estes vírus podem ser patógenos respiratórios importantes no país.The frequency of viral pathogens causing respiratory infections in children in the cities of Rio de Janeiro and Teresópolis was investigated. Nasal swabs from children with acute respiratory illnesses were collected between March 2006 and October 2007. Specimens were tested for viral detection by conventional (RT)-PCR and/or real time PCR. Of the 205 nasal swabs tested, 64 (31.2%) were positive for at least one of the viral pathogens. Single infections were detected in 56 samples, 50 of those were caused by RNA viruses: 33 samples tested positive for rhinovirus, five for influenza A, five for metapneumovirus, four for coronavirus and, three for respiratory syncytial virus. For the DNA viruses, five samples were positive for bocavirus and one for adenovirus. Co-infections with these viruses were detected in eight samples. Our data demonstrate a high frequency of viral respiratory infections, emphasizing the need for a more accurate diagnosis particularly for the emerging respiratory viruses. The fact that the emerging respiratory viruses were present in 9.2% of the tested samples suggests that these viruses could be important respiratory pathogens in the country

Investigating the association between children who witness domestic volence in their household and being clinically diagnosed with childhood depression

Introduction/Objective: Depression is the most common psychiatric disorder in the general population. In particular, childhood depression is undertreated. Domestic violence affects more than 32 million Americans, and children who witness violence are more likely to display internalizing behaviors. Although the association between childhood abuse and depression in adulthood has been established, the objective of our study was to determine the association between children witnessing violence at home and being diagnosed with childhood depression. Methods: We used the 2011 NSCH database, which randomly surveyed parents in the U.S. Our cross-sectional study sample was limited to children 8-17 years old, and whose parents responded to specific survey questions. The exposure was children who witnessed domestic violence at home and the outcome was the diagnosis of childhood depression. Data analysis included 1) a descriptive analysis of population baseline characteristics, 2) a bivariate analysis of the baseline characteristics with the exposure and outcome, and 3) a multivariate logistic regression to control for potential confounders. Results: Our sample included 54,268 children. The unadjusted binary logistic regression indicated that children who witnessed domestic violence were 4.5 times more likely (95% CI 3.6- 5.5, p <0.001) to be diagnosed with childhood depression. However, the adjusted analysis did not find an association between witnessing domestic violence and childhood depression (OR 1.0, 95% CI 0.6-1.4, p: 0.834). Other variables independently associated with childhood depression include, but are not limited to: children whose school contacted the household about problems more than 10 times (OR 8.4, 95% CI 5.9-12.1, p: <0.001), poor general health of the child (OR 7.7, 95% CI 2.6-22.6, p <0.001), and poor mental health of the mother (OR 7.4, 95% CI 3.0-18.5, p <0.001). Conclusions: Our study found that children witnessing domestic violence do not have an increased risk of childhood depression. We found other factors such as problems at school or instability at home had a significant influence on whether a child was clinically depressed. Further research should be conducted to explore the associations of these other factors with childhood depression

Low energy electron interactions with resveratrol and resorcinol: anion states and likely dissociation pathways

We report a computational study of the anion states of the resveratrol (RV) and resorcinol (RS) molecules, also investigating dissociative electron attachment (DEA) pathways. RV has well known beneficial effects in human health, and its antioxidant activity was previously associated with DEA reactions producing H$_2$. Our calculations indicate a valence bound state ($\pi^*_1$) and four resonances ($\pi^*_2$ to $\pi^*_5$) for that system. While the computed thermodynamical thresholds are compatible with DEA reactions producing H$_2$ at 0~eV, the well known mechanism involving vibrational Feshbach resonances built on a dipole bound state should not be present in RV. Our results suggest that the shallow $\pi^*_1$ valence bound state is expected to account for H$_2$ elimination, probably involving $\pi_1^*$/$\sigma_{\text{OH}}^*$ couplings along the vibration dynamics. The RS molecule is also an oxidant and a subunit of RV. Since two close-lying hydroxyl groups are found in the RS moiety, the H$_2$-elimination reaction in RV should take place at the RS site. Our calculations point out a correspondence between the anion states of RV and RS, and even between the thresholds. Nevertheless, the absence of bound anion states in RS, indicated by our calculations, is expected to suppress the H$_2$-formation channel at 0~eV. One is lead to conclude that the ethene and phenol subunits in RV stabilize the $\pi^*_1$ state, thus switching on the DEA mechanism producing H$_2$.Comment: 29 pages, 13 figure

Reference Structure Model for Degree Alert Classification During Seasonal Hydrological Events for Humanitarian Assistence in the Brazilian Amazon

AbstractRecent events in the rivers of the Amazon region show the distinct need for concern in this region and the vulnerability of the Amazonian people in regards to these events. Organizations for humanitarian aid developed procedures in the Amazon region. But to what extent are these actions effective if little is done prior to disasters? This work seeks to develop a frame of reference for classifying alertness in cities likely to suffer from flooding and ebbing of the hydrographic network in the Amazon Basin. The objective is to serve warning to the riverside communities in the state of Amazonas, establish future provisions of supplies and to form a solid database of information concerning the needs and impacts of these events, hence creating a historical record

Daily Faecal Excretion of Alkane \u3cem\u3eC\u3csub\u3e32\u3c/sub\u3e\u3c/em\u3e in Beef Cattle Females Grazing Natural Grasslands in Southern Brazil and in Uruguay

The n-alkane technique is accepted as an appropriate method to estimate herbage intake by grazing ruminants. This method reinforces issues similar to those raised by other methods based on markers such as the effect of carrier matrix or dosing method and frequency on the excretion kinetics of the dosed n-alkanes (Dove et al. 2002; Molina et al. 2004, Oliván et al. 2007). The time of dosage needed to reach the dynamical equilibrium between the concentrations of alkanes in the diet and in the faeces of ruminants is still unclear for the natural grassland environments. The aim of this study was to determine the appropriate timing of oral administration of alkane C32 to estimate herbage intake in beef heifers on natural grassland environments

Association between gender and receipt of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in stroke patients from Puerto Rico

Introduction: Stroke is the fifth principal cause of death in the United States and Puerto Rico and a prime cause of adult disability. Women tend to have worse outcomes post-stroke. Initial diagnoses and management of stroke include the use of computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance image (MRI) scans. MRI scans are more sensitive and more specific than CT scans. Still, CT scans are used more commonly. Whether differences in the choice of imaging techniques exists for gender and whether that can be a potential reason for gender differences in post-stroke outcomes it is yet unknown. The study is directed to evaluate the association between gender and receipt of a MRI in stroke patients in the Puerto Rico population. Methods: We did a secondary analysis of data collected from patients who suffered from a stroke and who participated in the Puerto Rican Cardiovascular Surveillance System (PRCSS) in 2007, 2009 and 2011. The main independent variable was gender (male and female). The dependent variable will be receipt of a MRI (alone or in combination with any other imaging modality as recorded in the medical charts). Multivariate logistic regression was used to assess for the independent associations. P-value < 0.05 for a two tailed test was considered to be statistically significant. SPSS software was used for analysis. Results: A total of 1,950 patients suffered from an ischemic stroke and participated at the PRCSS. We excluded 595 patients due to BMI ≥35 (n=135) or no recorded BMI (n=460). MRI was used for 50% of participants. Women were 85% less likely to receive a MRI compared to men in both the unadjusted (OR-0.85, 95% CI=0.11-0.20, p-value <0.001) and after adjusting for BMI, age, marital status, hypertension, and transient ischemic attacks (TIA) (OR=0.15; 95%CI: 0.11-0.20). No other variables assessed had significant independent association with the receipt of a MRI. Conclusions: We found evidence of gender disparities in the receipt of MRI during hospitalization for stroke in patients in the Puerto Rico. Women were less likely to receive MRI compared to men. Further research on potential reasons for such dispairites, increasing awareness, and testing intervention as to decrease these potential disparities are needed

Diabetes and atypical presentations of patients hospitalized for an acute myocardial infarction in Puerto Rico

Introduction: Diabetes mellitus is one of the fastest growing health issues concerning the world today with an estimated 382 million individuals affected as of 2013 and a projected increase in number to 592 million by 2035. Diabetes mellitus is a condition affecting 12-15% of the population or around 400,000 people in Puerto Rico. The most common presenting complaint of diabetics who are hospitalized for an acute myocardial infarction (AMI) is chest pain. However, the pervasiveness of atypical symptoms in diabetic patients is yet unclear. The aim of this study is to determine if there is an association between diabetes and the presentation of atypical symptoms in the emergency room in those suffering from an AMI in Puerto Rico. Methods: We conducted a secondary data analysis of data from participants from the 2007, 2009 and 2011 Puerto Rico Cardiovascular Disease Surveillance system (PRCDS), an observational, non-concurrent, cross-sectional study. The main independent variable was presence of diabetes mellitus (Type I and Type II). The outcome was the presence of atypical symptoms at the time of presentation, defined as the absence of chest pain on admission. The prevalence of atypical symptoms in diabetic patients and non-diabetic patients was compared. Binary logistic regression was used to test for independent association. Statistical significance was considered for p-values ≤0.05 for a two-tailed test. Analysis was conducted using SPSS software. Results: We found no association between atypical presentation of an AMI and diabetes, before or after adjustment for age, gender, congestive heart failure, stroke history and BMI. (unadjusted OR= 1.0, 95%CI=0.7-1.4 and adjusted OR=1.0, 95% CI=0.6-1.5). Other independent associations identified were that patients older than 75 were 3.5 times more likely to present atypically than people younger than 55 (OR= 3.5, 95% CI=1.6-7.6), and those with CHF and stroke were more likely to present with atypical symptoms (OR=3.2, 95% CI=1.7-6.1 and OR=4.2 95% CI=2.1-8.4, respectively). Lastly, overweight patients were 3.3 times more likely to present atypically than healthy weight patients (OR=2.0, 95% CI=0.6-7.0). Conclusion: We found no evidence of an association between diabetes and the presentation of atypical symptoms in patients hospitalized for AMI in Puerto Rico