Lycophytes and ferns of an Amazonian-Cerrado ecotone in Maranhão State, Northeastern Brazil: identification key and annotated list of taxa / Licófitas e samambaias de um ecótono Amazonia-Cerrado no estado do Maranhão, Nordeste do Brasil: chave de identificação de lista anotada dos táxons

Abstract We present a key to identify and an annotated list of lycophytes and ferns of the Immediate Geographical Region of São Luís, Maranhão State, which has ecotonal characteristics of Amazonian Forest, Cerrado, and Coastal Vegetation. Specimens were collected monthly between April 2020 and September 2022 in the 13 municipalities of this region. A total of 64 species were identified, including 61 species of ferns, in 18 families and 38 genera, and three species of lycophytes, in two genera and one family. The most representative families were Pteridaceae (18 species) and Polypodiaceae (nine species). The most recorded substrate of occurrence was terrestrial with 35 species (54.6%), followed by epiphytic with 15 species (23.4%), aquatic with four species (6.2%), rupicolous with three species (4.6%), and hemiepiphytic with two species (3.1%). Five species (7.8%) had more than one life form. This study expands the knowledge about the geographic distribution of fern and lycophyte species in the central region of Northern Maranhão, in Northeastern Brazil, which until now had several sampling gaps. Maranhão has a diversity that is still poorly reported and known compared to other states in South and Southeast Brazil. Therefore, floristic surveys are essential to increase what is known about the flora, especially in areas under anthropic pressure and places with few collections, such as the ecotonal areas in Maranhão.

Resumo Apresentamos uma chave para a identificação e uma lista com detalhes das licófitas e samambaias da Região Geográfica Imediata de São Luís, Estado do Maranhão, que possui características ecotonais da Floresta Amazônica, Cerrado e Vegetação Litorânea. Os dados foram coletados mensalmente entre abril de 2020 e setembro de 2022 nos 13 municípios dessa região. Foram identificadas 64 espécies, incluindo 61 espécies de samambaias, em 18 famílias e 38 gêneros, e três espécies de licófitas, em dois gêneros e uma família. As famílias mais representativas foram Pteridaceae (18 espécies) e Polypodiaceae (nove espécies). O substrato de ocorrência mais registrado foi o terrestre com 35 espécies (54,6%), seguido do epifítico com 15 espécies (23,4%), aquático com quatro espécies (6,2%), rupícola com três espécies (4,6%) e hemiepifítico com duas espécies (3,1%). Cinco espécies (7,8%) apresentaram mais de uma forma de vida. Este estudo amplia o conhecimento sobre a distribuição geográfica de espécies de samambaias e licófitas na região central do norte do Maranhão, no Nordeste do Brasil, que até então possuía várias lacunas de amostragem. O Maranhão possui uma diversidade ainda pouco relatada e conhecida em comparação com outros estados das regiões Sul e Sudeste do Brasil. Portanto, levantamentos florísticos são essenciais para aumentar o conhecimento sobre a flora, principalmente em áreas sob pressão antrópica e locais com poucas coletas, como as áreas ecotonais do Maranhão.

Typing Candida albicans oral isolates from healthy Brazilian schoolchildren using multilocus enzyme electrophoresis reveals two highly polymorphic taxa

The genetic diversity of C. albicans oral isolates from 75 healthy schoolchildren from eight schools located in different geographic areas of Piracicaba city, São Paulo state, Brazil, was established using isoenzymes marker (Multilocus Enzyme Electrophoresis - MLEE) and cluster analysis. Patterns of monoclonal and polyclonal oral colonization by C. albicans within and between groups of schoolchildren were identified. However, significant divergence between the observed and the expected genotypic frequencies (Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium test) was not detected in the geographically adjacent groups, suggesting the hypothesis that populations of healthy schoolchildren do not correspond to the selection factor (differential survival) of strains. Two highly polymorphic and distantly genetically related taxa (A and B) were identified within the total population of yeasts, each contained subgroups (A1, A2, A3, A4, B1 and B2) and clusters of moderately related strains (from I to X), suggesting the existence of strains restricted or not to certain groups of geographically limited, healthy students. However, the coexistence of identical strains in healthy schoolchildren from the same school (geographically related) reinforces the hypothesis of oral transmission, where the sources of propagation could be explored. Furthermore, this could also be used in current and retrospective analyses of C. albicans isolated from immunocompetent and immunocompromised people, in order to detect commensal or potentially pathogenic yeast groups, predominantly in candidiasis, and in the development of strategies to prevent transmission or human propagation.

Pediatric lymphomas in Brazil

OBJECTIVE: This study provides the clinical pathological characteristics of 1301 cases of pediatric/adolescent lymphomas in patients from different geographic regions of Brazil. METHODS: A retrospective analyses of diagnosed pediatric lymphoma cases in a 10-year period was performed. We believe that it represents the largest series of pediatric lymphomas presented from Brazil. RESULTS: Non-Hodgkin lymphomas represented 68 percent of the cases, including those of precursor (36 percent) and mature (64 percent) cell origin. Mature cell lymphomas comprised 81 percent of the B-cell phenotype and 19 percent of the T-cell phenotype. Hodgkin lymphomas represented 32 percent of all cases, including 87 percent of the classical type and 13 percent of nodular lymphocyte predominant type. The geographic distribution showed 38.4 percent of the cases in the Southeast region, 28.7 percent in the Northeast, 16.1 percent in the South, 8.8 percent in the North, and 8 percent in the Central-west region. The distribution by age groups was 15-18 years old, 33 percent; 11-14 years old, 26 percent; 6-10 years old, 24 percent; and 6 years old or younger, 17 percent. Among mature B-cell lymphomas, most of the cases were Burkitt lymphomas (65 percent), followed by diffuse large B-cell lymphomas (24 percent). In the mature T-cell group, anaplastic large cell lymphoma, ALK-positive was the most prevalent (57 percent), followed by peripheral T-cell lymphoma, then not otherwise specified (25 percent). In the group of classic Hodgkin lymphomas, the main histological subtype was nodular sclerosis (76 percent). Nodular lymphocyte predominance occurred more frequently than in other series. CONCLUSION: Some of the results found in this study may reflect the heterogeneous socioeconomical status and environmental factors of the Brazilian population in different regions.

El pterigio una patología relevante en la población del valle de San Diego de Ubate / The petrigio, a relevant pathology in San Diego de Ubate people

Esta investigación descriptiva buscaba conocer la relación de la aparición del pterigio, en diferentes poblaciones según su edad, género, ocupación y zona de permanencia, de los pobladores del Valle de San Diego de Ubaté, durante el periodo comprendido entre julio de 2005 y enero de 2006. La muestra del presente estudio fue de 897 pacientes que asistieron a la consulta de optometría y oftalmología del Hospital El Salvador de Ubaté. Para los efectos de esta investigación, el método de recolección de datos fue el de recopilación de historias clínicas, que consistió en la aplicación de un instrumento o formulario impreso, orientado a recabar la información sobre el problema de estudio. Como resultados, se observó que la prevalencia de pterigio, fue del 40.31 por ciento en el grupo de edad entre 20 – 40 años, del 61.47 por ciento en el grupo de edad entre 41 – 65 años y del 29.22 por ciento a los mayores de 65 años. Por género la prevalencia fue del 83. 64 por ciento en mujeres y del 47.36 por ciento en hombres. Según la ocupación, la presencia de pterigio fue del 42.33 por ciento en personas dedicadas al hogar, el 35.27 por ciento a la agricultura y 24.18 por ciento a la minería. En los municipios que se presentó cuadro de pterigio fueron respectivamente 30.24 por ciento Ubaté, 20.16 por ciento Fuquene, 16.13 por ciento Susa, compartiendo el 11.8 por ciento Cucunuba, Guachetá, Carmen de Carupa, 9.7 por ciento Tausa, 8.6 por ciento Simijaca, compartiendo el 7.5 por ciento Suatatausa y Lenguazaque.

This descriptive research intends to know the reasonof the presence of pterigio in different population,regarding age, gender, occupation and permanencezone of Valle de San Diego de Ubate populationfrom July 2005 to January 2006. The sample was897 patients who attended optometry andophthalmology consultation in the El Salvador deUbate Hospital. The research methodology wasthrough clinical records collection, applying aprinted survey to find information about the specificproblem. As a result, pterigio had a presence of 40.31 percent in the group of 20-40 year old population;61.47 percent in 41-65 year old group and 29.22 percent in over65 year old people. By gender, the prevalence was 83.64 percent in women and 47.36 in men. Regardingoccupation, the presence of pterigio was 42.33 percent inpeople related to housework, 35.27 percent in agricultureand 24.18 percent in mining. Finally, the towns presentedthe following percentage: 30.24 percent in Ubaté, 20.16 percentin Fuquene, 16.13 percent in Susa, 11.8 percent in Cucunuba,Guachetá, and Carmen de Carupa, 9.7 percent in Tausa,8.6 percent in Simijaca, and 7.5 percent in Suatatausa andLenguazaque.