Caracterização dos hemócitos de operários de Nasutitermes coxipoensis(Holmgren) (Isoptera: Termitidae) e avaliação hemocitária após parasitismo por Metarhizium anisopliae / Hemocyte characterization of Nasutitermes coxipoensis (Holmgren) (Isoptera: Termitidae) workers and hemocyte evaluation after parasitism by Metarhizium anisopliae

O objetivo desta pesquisa foi caracterizar morfológica e ultraestruturalmente os hemócitos de operários de Nasutitermes coxipoensis (Holmgren) e quantificar os tipos celulares 24h, 48h e 72h após inoculação com Metarhizium anisopliae. Seis tipos de hemócitos foram identifi cados: plasmatócito, granulócito, esferulócito, prohemócito, adipohemócitos e oenocitóide. Nenhuma alteração na morfologia dessas células foi evidenciada durante os intervalos. Entretanto, houve variações na proporção dos hemócitos em relação à testemunha para esferulócitos, adipohemócitos e oenocitóides, nos três intervalos de avaliação, e para plasmatócitos e granulócitos no intervalo de 48h. As causas potenciais dessa variação e suas implicações são apresentadas e discutidas neste artigo.

We aimed to characterize the morphology and ultrastructure of hemocytes of Nasutitermes coxipoensis (Holmgren) workers and to quantify the cell types 24h, 48h and 72h after inoculation with Metarhizium anisopliae. Six hemocytes types were identified, plasmatocyte, granulocyte, spherulocyte, prohemocyte, adipohemocyte and eonocytoid Hemocytes did not present any morphological alteration at the several observation periods, but they did have a change in their abundance, as observed for spherulocytes, adipohemocytes and eonocytoids at all intervals, and for plasmatocytes and granulocytes at 48h after host inoculation. We argue on the possible reasons and implications of the observed changes.

Fracture Patterns in Non-Accidentally Injured Children at the Red Cross Children's Hospital

Background: Unexplained fractures in infants and children often suggest abuse. The fracture patterns with high specificity for abuse are well documented; however; in practice these patterns occur infrequently and abused children may present with a wide spectrum of bony injuries. The Child Accident Prevention Foundation of South Africa (CAPFSA) keeps a database of children treated at the Red Cross War Memorial Children's Hospital (RXH) in Cape Town. Methods: The medical records of all children admitted between January 1991 and October 2005 were reviewed and children with fractures resulting from non-accidental injury (NAI) were included in the study. Results: During the 14-year study period; 99586 trauma patients were treated at RXH; of which 1037 (1.04) were diagnosed with non-accidental injury. The majority was male (64). An the average age was 44.8 months. Of the 1037 patients diagnosed with NAI; 121 (11.7) sustained a total of 149 fractures; 21 (17.3) with multiple fractures (16 had 2 fractures; 3 had 3 fractures and 2 had 4 fractures). The head and neck was the most frequently fractured anatomical area (53); followed by the upper limb (24) and lower limb (18). Only 7 fractures of the trunk were seen. Children sustaining fractures of the head and neck were significantly younger than those sustaining fractures to other areas. Discussion: Although the established consensus on fracture patterns in NAI is that long bone fractures are the most frequently experienced in clinical practice; the principal finding of our study was that skull fractures were considerably more common; nearly 40of all fractures were skull fractures. Skull fractures were associated with violent injury; approximately one-third were reported to have been inflicted with an implement/weapon and one-quarter of these children had multiple fractures at the time of presentation. This underlines the importance of local studies; as socio-cultural issues underpin many of the aetiological factors related to disease burden in general; and to child abuse in particular

Patogenicidade de Metarhizium anisopliae var. anisopliae e Metarhizium anisopliae var. acridum sobre Nasutitermes coxipoensis (Holmgren) (Isoptera: Termitidae) / Pathogenicity of Metarhizium anisopliae var. anisopliae and Metarhizium anisopliae var. acridum on Nasustitermes coxipoensis (Holmgren) (Isoptera: Termitidae)

A ação de Metarhizium anisopliae var. anisopliae e Metarhizium anisopliae var. acridum sobre o cupim de montículo Nasutitermes coxipoensis (Holmgren) e a produção de conídios sobre os insetos mortos foram estudadas em laboratório. Doses infectivas foram determinadas através do contato direto dos insetos com a cultura fúngica após 12 dias de crescimento e quantificação dos conídios em câmara de Neübauer. Foram utilizadas as doses 0,5 x 10(6) e 1,6 x 10(7) conídos/ml, para M. anisopliae var. anisopliae, e 1,4 x 10(5) e 1,8 x 10(6) conídios/ml para M. anisopliae var. acridum, nominadas dose A e dose B, respectivamente. As doses corresponderam a 3 min. e 15 min. de contato direto de 20 cupins com a cultura fúngica. A produção de conídios foi avaliada utilizando-se insetos inoculados com o fungo, 10 dias após a morte. Os bioensaios foram realizados em triplicata. Os percentuais de mortalidade acumulada de N. coxipoensis tratados com M. anisopliae, no terceiro dia após a inoculação, foram: controle, 15,7 por cento; dose A 95,7 por cento e dose B 100 por cento; para M. anisopliae var. acridum foram: controle, 13,3 por cento; dose A 66,4 e dose B 88,8 por cento. A média da produção de conídios foi mais elevada para M. anisopliae var. anisopliae do que para M. anisopliae var. acridum. Os resultados mostraram que M. anisopliae var. anisopliae apresentou maior potencial para o controle biológico de N. coxipoensis.

The action of Metarhizium anisopliae var. anisopliae and Metarhizium anisopliae var. acridum on the mound termite Nasutitermes coxipoensis (Holmgren) and the conidia production on dead insects were studied in laboratory. Infective doses were determined through direct contact of the insects with the fungi cultures with 12 days of growth followed by conidia quantification in Neübauer camera. The doses of 0.5 x 10(6) and 1.6 x 10(7) conidia/ml of M. anisopliae var. anisopliae, and 1.4 x 10(5) e 1.8 x 10(6) conidia/ml of M. anisopliae var. acridum were named dose A and dose B, for each fungus, respectively. These doses corresponded to 3-min and 15-min direct contact of 20 insects with the fungi cultures. Conidia production was evaluated using the insects inoculated with fungi. The bioassays were carried out in triplicate. The percentage of accumulated mortality of N. coxipoensis treated with M. anisopliae var. anisopliae on the third day after inoculation were: control, 15.7 percent; dose A 95.7 percent and dose B 100 percent; for M. anisopliae var. acridum: control, 13.3 percent; dose A 66.4 percent and dose B 88,8 percent. The average of conidia production was higher for M. anisopliae var. anisopliae than M.anisopliae var. acridum. The results showed that M. anisopliae var. anisopliae presented better potential for the biological control of N. coxipoensis.

Hiperinsulinemia y sensibilidad a la sal / Hyperinsulinaemia and salt sensitivity

La enfermedad coronaria es una de las primeras causas de morbilidad y mortalidad cardiovascular. Para su prevención es necesario diagnosticar y corregir con medidas farmacológicas y no farmacológicas los factores de riesgo cardivascular modificables. Nosotros hemos desarrollado un programa de diagnóstico precoz y tratamiento de factores que incrementan a desarrollar enfermedades cardiovasculares y metabólicas, en sujetos "sanos", asintomáticos. Hasta el presente hemos evaluado 153 sujetos. En este trabajo evaluamos la asociación a la sensibilidad a la sal con otros factores de riesgo cardiovascular silente e investigamos los posibles factores predictores de sensibilidad a la sal. La comparación de los sujetos sensibles a la sal (SS), con los sujetos sal resistentes (SR) demostró que los sujetos SS tienen mayor edad, peso corporal, cifras tensionales, niveles elevados de triglicéridos, niveles bajos de HDL-colesterol y de actividad físico. Adicionalmente estudiamos el papel de la hiperinsulinemia y de la hiperglicemia en la sensibilidad a la sal, a través de la medición de la incidencia (porcentaje de individuos SS y SR) y severidad de la sensibilidad a la sal en sujetos hiperinsulinémicos e intolerantes glucosados y/o diabéticos comparándolos con su respectivos controles. No hubo diferencias en la distribución de sensibilidad a la sal entre los diferentes grupos (hiper y normo insulinémicos (insulina en ayunas < 15uUL/ml), glucotolerantes (glicemia en ayunas <110;2 horas post carga < 140 mg/d) y en los intolerantes glucosados y/o diabéticos. La severidad de la sensibilidad a la sal también fue similar entre grupos, de hecho, la reducción de la ingesta de sal de 316ñ13 a 26ñ3 mmol/día, produjo cambios similares en la presión arterial en sujetos hiperinsulinémicos o en sujetos con niveles normoinsulinémicos y en sujetos tolerantes e intolerantes glucosados y/o diabéticos. Adicionalmente no se encontró correlación entre la magnitud de los cambios de la presión arterial inducidos por la sal y los niveles de insulina y glucosa en ayunas, 2 horas después de la carga oral de glucosa o el área bajo la curva de insulina. En conclusión, nuestros resultados sugieren los niveles de glicemia y de insulina del paciente, no determinan su reactividad vascular a los cambios en ingesta de sal

The control of tuberculosis in the Caribbean

A survey of the Ministries of Health in the English-speaking Caribbean countries was conducted with the purpose of collecting information about current capacity in the prevention and control of tuberculosis. A response rate of 78.9 per cent was achieved. The results of this survey indicate that tuberculosis control programmes in the English-speaking Caribbean are limited, and inadequately address issuse relating to multi-drug resistant disease and co-infection with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Limitations and implications of this survey are discussed.

Attitudes and practices of pesticide users in Saint Lucia, West Indies

This article reports the results of a Saint Lucia survey, part of a larger program, that was the first to document the prevalence of suboptimal safety practices among vector control and farm workers using pesticides in the English-speaking Caribbean. Among other things, the survey found that many of 130 pesticide users surveyed were unaware that the skin and eyes were important potential routes of absorption. Over a quarter said had felt ill at some point as a result of pesticide use. About half the respondents said they had received more than "introductory" training in safe pesticide use, and most said they always found labels or directions affixed to pesticide containers. However, about half said they never or only sometimes understood the labels, and many of those who said they understood did not always follow the instructions. About a quarter of the smokers said they smoked while using pesticides; about a sixth of the survey subjects said they ate food while using pesticides; and over 60 percent said they never wore protective clothing

La lucha contra el SIDA en el Caribe: Un enfoque subregional coordinado / Combatting AIDS in the Caribbean: A coordinated subregional approach

Combatting AIDS in the Caribbean: A coordinated subregional approach