In the present study, a nested-PCR system, targeting the TbD1 region, involving the performance of conventional PCR followed by real-time PCR, was developed to detect Mycobacterium bovis in ...bovine/bubaline tissue homogenates. The sensitivity and specificity of the reactions were assessed with DNA samples extracted from tuberculous and non-tuberculous mycobacteria, as well as other actinomycetales species and DNA samples extracted directly from bovine and bubaline tissue homogenates. In terms of analytical sensitivity, the DNA of M. bovis AN5 was detected up to 1.56 ng with conventional PCR, 97.6 pg with real-time PCR, and 1.53 pg with nested-PCR in the reaction mixture. The nested-PCR exhibited 100% analytical specificity for M. bovis when tested with the DNA of reference strains of environmental mycobacteria and closely-related Actinomycetales. A clinical sensitivity value of 76.0% was detected with tissue samples from animals that exhibited positive results in the comparative intradermal tuberculin test (CITT), as well as from those with lesions compatible with tuberculosis (LCT) that rendered positive cultures. A clinical specificity value of 100% was detected with tissue samples from animals with CITT- results, with no visible lesions (NVL) and negative cultures. No significant differences were found between the nested-PCR and culture in terms of detecting CITT+ animals with LCT or with NVL. No significant differences were recorded in the detection of CITT- animals with NVL. However, nested-PCR detected a significantly higher number of positive animals than the culture in the group of animals exhibiting LCT with no previous records of CITT. The use of the nested-PCR assay to detect M. bovis in tissue homogenates provided a rapid diagnosis of bovine and bubaline tuberculosis.
Chronic pelvic pain is a disease that directly affects the social and professional lives of women.
To estimate the prevalence of this clinical condition and to identify independent factors associated ...with it in women living in Ribeirão Preto, Brazil.
A one-year cross-sectional study was conducted in a population sample of 1,278 women over the age of 14 years. The target population was predominantly composed of women who are treated by the public health system. The questionnaire was administered by interviewers who were not linked to the city health care programs. The prevalence of the morbidity was estimated. First, we identified the significant variables associated with pelvic pain (p<0.10) and then we attributed values of 0 or 1 to the absence or presence of these variables. Logistic regression analysis was used to identify and estimate the simultaneous impact of the independent variables. The results were expressed by odds ratio and their 95% confidence interval with p<0.05.
The disease was found in 11.5% (147/1,278) of the sample. The independent predictors were dyspareunia, previous abdominal surgery, depression, dysmenorrhea, anxiety, current sexual activity, low back pain, constipation, urinary symptoms, and low educational level.
The prevalence of chronic pelvic pain in Ribeirão Preto is high and is associated with conditions that can usually be prevented, controlled, or resolved by improvement of public health policies and public education.
The Brazilian Policy of Comprehensive Care for People with Rare Diseases (BPCCPRD) was established by the Ministry of Health to reduce morbidity and mortality and improve the quality of life of ...people with rare diseases (RD). Several laboratory tests, most using molecular genetic technologies, have been incorporated by the Brazilian Public Health System, and 18 specialised centres have so far been established at university hospitals (UH) in the capitals of the Southern, Southeastern and Northeastern regions. However, whether the available human and technological resources in these services are appropriate and sufficient to achieve the goals of care established by the BPCCPRD is unknown. Despite great advances in diagnosis, especially due to new technologies and the recent structuring of clinical assessment of RD in Brazil, epidemiological data are lacking and when available, restricted to specific disorders. This position paper summarises the performance of a nationally representative survey on epidemiology, clinical status, and diagnostic and therapeutic resources employed for individuals with genetic and non-genetic RD in Brazil. The Brazilian Rare Disease Network (BRDN) is under development, comprising 40 institutions, including 18 UH, 17 Rare Diseases Reference Services and five Newborn Screening Reference Services. A retrospective study will be initially conducted, followed by a prospective study. The data collection instrument will use a standard protocol with sociodemographic data and clinical and diagnostic aspects according to international ontology. This great collaborative network is the first initiative of a large epidemiological data collection of RD in Latin America, and the results will increase the knowledge of RD in Brazil and help health managers to improve national public policy on RD in Brazil.
The aim of this study was to assess whether the presence of grade 3 placenta <36 weeks of pregnancy is associated with adverse perinatal outcomes.
Retrospective cohort study in which patients were ...separated into the following three groups: 1) grade 3 placenta <36 weeks, 2) grade 3 placenta >36 weeks, 3) no occurrence of grade 3 placenta throughout pregnancy. The χ
and general linear model tests were used to compare adverse perinatal outcomes. Binary logistic regression model was used to estimate the odds ratio (OR) for adverse perinatal outcomes. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was used to determine the cut-off of the middle cerebral artery Pulsatility Index (MCA PI) in the detection of births <37 weeks in grade 3 placentas <36 weeks.
Significant association was observed between grade 3 placenta <36 weeks and birth <37 weeks (P<0.001), birth weight <10
percentile (P=0.001), 5-min Apgar Score <7 (P=0.014), admission to neonatal intensive care unit (P<0.001), and fetal death (P=0.002). Grade 3 placenta <36 weeks was significant predictor for birth <37 weeks (OR: 2.6; 95% CI: 1.74-3.92), pre-eclampsia (OR: 1.8; 95% CI: 1.02-3.27), birth weight <10
percentile (OR: 2.1; 95% CI: 1.39-3.10), fetal death (OR: 5.6; 95% CI: 1.65-18.78), and composite perinatal outcomes (OR: 2.2; 95% CI: 1.51-3.17). The MCA PI showed an area under ROC curve of 0.641 (95% CI: 0.546-0.728) in the detection of births <37 weeks.
Grade 3 placenta <36 weeks was associated with a higher prevalence of adverse perinatal outcomes.
Hymenopteran parasitoids have been shown to be of potential value in tick biocontrol. Tick parasitoids has been reported only once in Brazil, over 95 yr ago when Ixodiphagus hookeri (Howard) was ...reported parasitizing Rhipicephalus sanguineus (Latreille) nymphs in Rio de Janeiro. Herein, we report the occurrence of Ixodiphagus spp. in ticks from three different regions of Brazil. In the state of Maranhão, in northeastern Brazil, parasitoids were detected in R.sanguineus nymphs on three occasions, during August 2009 and September 2010 (dry season), and January 2011 (rainy season). All parasitoids found in northeastern Brazil were identified as I. hookeri. In the state of Mato Grosso do Sul (west—central Brazil), one Amblyomma sp. engorged nymph was shown to be parasitized by I. hookeri. In the state of Rondônia (northern Brazil), one Amblyomma sp. engorged nymph was parasitized by Ixodiphagus texanus (Howard). Because Ixodiphagus spp. are present in ecologically distinct and geographically distant areas of Brazil, they are of potential use for biocontrol in the country.
This study aimed to investigate the associative effects caused by changes in the proportions of feed ingredients (forage-to-concentrate ratio) and the forage source in ruminant diets on in vitro gas ...production and fermentation parameters. The study consisted of two assays conducted in a completely randomized design with a 3 × 10 factorial arrangement consisting of three forages (pineapple crop waste silage PS, corn silage CS, and Tifton hay TH) associated with concentrate feed (C) (binary mixture) in 11 proportions, with triplicates of each combination. For the first assay, the asymptotic volume of gas did not show any difference among (p = 0.059) CS and PS (p = 0.464) and their proportions. We evaluated the associative effect among forages and their proportions and noticed there was an effect on gas production between the combination of forage and concentrate for the CS (p = 0.003) and PS (p = 0.003). In the second assay, volatile fatty acids (VFA) and ammonia nitrogen (p < 0.05) were affected by the forage source and concentrate inclusion. In conclusion, forages with a high content of soluble carbohydrates presented the lowest gas production, as well as higher concentrations of propionic acid and ammonia nitrogen. The associative effect on in vitro gas production was more pronounced in the first 12 h incubation. The different forage sources and the inclusion of concentrate change fermentation parameters.
RESUMO
Dentre os diversos fatores que influenciam as perdas de água por evaporação e arraste (PEA) destaca-se o vento. Sendo assim, os objetivos deste trabalho foram: i) determinar os valores de PEA ...decorrentes de onze avaliações de um sistema de irrigação do tipo pivô central; ii) gerar um modelo para estimativa de PEA a partir de variáveis explicativas; iii) avaliar modelos de predição disponíveis na literatura para estimar PEA a partir de ensaios de campo. Os ensaios foram realizados ao longo de um vão de 48 m, situado entre a quarta e quinta torre de um pivô central de 432,57 m de raio, equipado com sprays de placa oscilante modelo I-Wob. As PEA foram simuladas em função de cinco modelos empíricos propostos na literatura sendo ainda ajustado um modelo específico para a condição estudada. As avaliações de campo em diferentes condições meteorológicas demonstraram que os valores das PEA obtidos com modelos existentes na literatura apresentaram índices de adequabilidade insatisfatórios para as condições estudadas porém o modelo de PEA ajustado apresentou menores erros quando comparado aos modelos existentes, podendo ser utilizado para condições operacionais e climáticas semelhantes às observadas neste estudo.
Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis NCDO 2118 is a nondairy lactic acid bacterium, a xylose fermenter, and a gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) producer isolated from frozen peas. Here, we report the ...complete genome sequence of L. lactis NCDO 2118, a strain with probiotic potential activity.
Hymenopteran parasitoids have been shown to be of potential value in tick biocontrol. Tick parasitoids has been reported only once in Brazil, over 95 yr ago when Ixodiphagus hookeri (Howard) was ...reported parasitizing Rhipicephalus sanguineus (Latreille) nymphs in Rio de Janeiro. Herein, we report the occurrence of Ixodiphagus spp. in ticks from three different regions of Brazil. In the state of Maranhao, in northeastern Brazil, parasitoids were detected in R.sanguineus nymphs on three occasions, during August 2009 and September 2010 (dry season), and January 2011 (rainy season). All parasitoids found in northeastern Brazil were identified as I. hookeri. In the state of Mato Grosso do Sul (west-central Brazil), one Amblyomma sp. engorged nymph was shown to be parasitized by I. hookeri. In the state of Rondonia (northern Brazil), one Amblyomma sp. engorged nymph was parasitized by Ixodiphagus texanus (Howard). Because Ixodiphagus spp. are present in ecologically distinct and geographically distant areas of Brazil, they are of potential use for biocontrol in the country.