Surveillance of Erythrovirus B19 (B19V) in patients with acute febrile illness suspected of arboviruses in Mato Grosso do Sul state, Brazil.

Introduction: Human Erythrovirus (parvovirus) B19 infection can produce symptoms similar to those produced by Dengue, Chikungunya, and Zika viruses, making clinical diagnosis difficult. The importance of erythrovirus B19 in human pathology has been increased and reported in numerous studies published globally. Methods: The B19V infection was investigated by real-time PCR in sera samples from patients with signs and symptoms related to classic arboviral symptoms. This study was conducted to provide information on the genetic diversity of Human Erythrovirus B19 (B19V) circulating in the state of Mato Grosso do Sul, Midwest region of Brazil, from 2017 to 2022. A total of 773 sera samples of patients with negative diagnostic results for Dengue, Chikungunya, and Zika, during the study period were analyzed. Results: Erythrovirus DNA was found in 10.6% (82/773) of patients, among them 10 were pregnant women. Four samples were completely sequenced, and the other five partially, to genotype by phylogenetic reconstruction. All samples belong to worldwide dispersed genotype 1, subgenotype 1a. Discussion: The findings of the study demonstrate the importance of including B19V in differential laboratory diagnosis for epidemiological purposes and appropriate patient management. The diagnosis for B19V should be performed, particularly among pregnant women, immunocompromised patients, and individuals with hemolytic diseases, given that the infection is more severe in these cases.

Long-term surveillance of SARS-CoV-2 in the school community from Campo Grande, Brazil.

BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly impacted education systems worldwide, with Brazil being one of the countries with the longest school closures. Over a million children and teenagers have been affected, leading to increased hunger and nutritional deficiencies. This study aimed to implement long-term surveillance of SARS-CoV-2 infections in public and private schools in Campo Grande, Brazil, after returning to in-person classes. METHODS: The study involved testing and genomic surveillance at 23 public and private schools in Campo Grande, Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil, from October 18, 2021 to November 21, 2022. The participants eligible for enrollment were students aged 6-17 years and staff members from school institutions. At the time of collection, participants were asked if they had symptoms in the last two weeks. Whole-genome sequencing of SARS-CoV-2 was conducted to identify circulating variants and to compare them with those detected in the municipality. The demographic data and clinical history of the participants were described, and a logistic regression model was used to understand how the RT-qPCR results could be related to different characteristics. RESULTS: The study included 999 participants, most of whom were women. A total of 85 tests were positive, with an overall positivity rate of 3.2%. The dynamics of case frequency were consistent with those observed in the municipality during the study period. The most common symptoms reported were cough, rhinorrhea, headache, and sore throat. Symptoms were significantly associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection. Eleven lineages were identified in school community samples, with a frequency of occurrence per period similar to that found in the sequences available for the municipality. The most prevalent lineages within the sampling period were BA.2 (59.3%) and BA.5 (29.6%). CONCLUSIONS: Our findings demonstrate that schools can play a crucial role in epidemiological surveillance, helping trigger rapid responses to pathogens such as SARS-CoV-2. Long-term surveillance can be used to track outbreaks and assess the role of children and adults in transmission. It can also contribute to pandemic preparedness, enabling a rapid response to emergencies, such as COVID-19.

Seroprevalence of antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 in the school community in Campo Grande, state of Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil, October 2021-November 2022.

Introduction: With the reopening of schools during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, it was imperative to understand the role of students and education professionals in the spread of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). In this paper, we determined the seroprevalence of the SARS-CoV-2 anti-nucleocapsid antibodies in the school community in Campo Grande, the capital and most populous city of the state of Mato Grosso do Sul (Brazil) and evaluated its association with sex, school level, and school type. Materials and methods: The survey was carried out in 20 public and private schools in the urban region of Campo Grande using the TR DPP® COVID-19 immunoglobulin M/immunoglobulin G (IgM/IgG) kit from the Immunobiological Technology Institute (Bio-Manguinhos, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil). Testing was carried out in three periods: from October to December 2021; from March to July 2022; and from August to November 2022. The participants were students aged 6-17 years enrolled in primary or secondary schools and professionals of different ages and roles. Results: During the first testing period, 162 participants were seropositive for the IgM and/or IgG anti-nucleocapsid SARS-CoV-2 antibodies, with an estimated seroprevalence of 19.6% using Bayesian multilevel regression. In the second period, 251 participants were seropositive (estimated seroprevalence, 34.6%), while in the third period, 393 participants were seroconverted (estimated seroprevalence, 56.7%). In 2022, there was an increase in the seroconversion rate compared to that in 2021. The most frequently described acute manifestations in the three periods were fever, headache, sore throat, and runny nose. In terms of the demographic profile, there was no predominance of seropositivity between the sexes, although women represented approximately 70% of the study population. There were also no differences between students and school staff. Discussion: The results made it possible to evaluate the extent of SARS-CoV-2 transmission in the school community through immunity developed against the virus, in addition to providing information about COVID-19 symptoms in children, adolescents, and adults.

Multilayer Networks Assisting to Untangle Direct and Indirect Pathogen Transmission in Bats.

The importance of species that connect the different types of interactions is becoming increasingly recognized, and this role may be related to specific attributes of these species. Multilayer networks have two or more layers, which represent different types of interactions, for example, between different parasites and hosts that are nonetheless connected. The understanding of the ecological relationship between bats, ectoparasites, and vector-borne bacteria could shed some light on the complex transmission cycles of these pathogens. In this study, we investigated a multilayer network in Brazil formed by interactions between bat-bacteria, bat-ectoparasite, and ectoparasite-bacteria, and asked how these interactions overlap considering different groups and transmission modes. The multilayer network was composed of 31 nodes (12 bat species, 14 ectoparasite species, and five bacteria genera) and 334 links, distributed over three layers. The multilayer network has low modularity and shows a core-periphery organization, that is, composed of a few generalist species with many interactions and many specialist species participating in few interactions in the multilayer network. The three layers were needed to accurately describe the multilayer structure, while aggregation leads to loss of information. Our findings also demonstrated that the multilayer network is influenced by a specific set of species that can easily be connected to the behavior, life cycle, and type of existing interactions of these species. Four bat species (Artibeus lituratus, A. planirostris, Phyllostomus discolor, and Platyrrhinus lineatus), one ectoparasite species (Steatonyssus) and three bacteria genera (Ehrlichia, hemotropic Mycoplasma and Neorickettsia) are the most important species for the multilayer network structure. Finally, our study brings an ecological perspective under a multilayer network approach on the interactions between bats, ectoparasites, and pathogens. By using a multilayer approach (different types of interactions), it was possible to better understand these different ecological interactions and how they affect each other, advancing our knowledge on the role of bats and ectoparasites as potential pathogen vectors and reservoirs, as well as the modes of transmission of these pathogens.

The SISBIOTA-Diptera Brazilian Network: A long-term survey of Diptera from unexplored Brazilian Western Arc of Amazon, Cerrado, and Pantanal

ABSTRACT The SISBIOTA-BRASIL was a three-year multimillion-dollar research program of the Brazilian government to document plants and animals in endangered/understudied areas and biomes in Brazil. Distributional patterns and the historical events that generated them are extensively unknown regarding Brazilian fauna and flora. This deficiency hinders the development of conservation policies and the understanding of evolutionary processes. Conservation decisions depend on precise knowledge of the taxonomy and geographic distribution of species. Given such a premise, we proposed to research the diversity of Diptera of the Brazilian western arc of Amazon, Cerrado, and Pantanal in the states of Mato Grosso, Mato Grosso do Sul, and Rondônia. Three important biomes of the South American continent characterize these Brazilian states: Amazon forest, Cerrado (Brazilian Savannah), and Pantanal. Besides their ecological relevance, these biomes historically lack intensive entomological surveys. Therefore, they are much underrepresented in the Brazilian natural history collections and in the scientific literature, which is further aggravated by the fact that these areas are being exponentially and rapidly converted to commercial lands. Our project involved over 90 collaborators from 24 different Brazilian institutions and one from Colombia among researchers, postdocs, graduate and undergraduate students, and technicians. We processed and analyzed nearly 300,000 specimens from ~60 families of Diptera collected with a large variety of methods in the sampled areas. Here, we provide a detailed overview of the genera and species diversity of 41 families treated. Our results point to a total of 2,130 species and 514 genera compiled and identified for the three states altogether, with an increase of 41% and 29% in the numbers of species and genera known for the three states combined, respectively. Overall, the 10 most species-rich families were Tachinidae, Cecidomyiidae, Tabanidae, Psychodidae, Sarcophagidae, Stratiomyidae, Bombyliidae, Syrphidae, Tephritidae, and Asilidae. The 10 most diverse in the number of genera were Tachinidae, Stratiomyidae, Asilidae, Mycetophilidae, Syrphidae, Tabanidae, Muscidae, Dolichopodidae, Sarcophagidae, and Chloropidae. So far, 111 scientific papers were published regarding taxonomic, phylogenetic, and biogeographical aspects of the studied families, with the description of 101 new species and three new genera. We expect that additional publications will result from this investigation because several specimens are now curated and being researched by specialists.

Gravidade respiratória e fatores sociodemográficos associados ao desfecho clínico de pacientes com COVID-19 no Ceará / Respiratory severity and sociodemographic factors associated with the clinical outcome of patients with COVID-19 in Ceará

A COVID-19 causa complicações pulmonares importantes, oferecendo risco à vida. Objetivou-se compreender como a gravidade respiratória e os fatores sociodemográficos interferem no desfecho clínico de pacientes com COVID-19. Pesquisa descritiva, transversal, de abordagem quantitativa, realizada em hospital de referência em Fortaleza-Ceará, Brasil. Os dados foram coletados de novembro/2020 a setembro/2021, totalizando 470 pacientes com testagem positiva, sendo analisados pelo programa Microsoft Office Excel 2019. Quanto ao gênero, 56,8% eram do sexo masculino, com média de idade de 57,32 anos e 67,1% dos pacientes que evoluíram com alta hospitalar não apresentaram suporte de oxigênio à internação. Indivíduos residentes em regiões com Índice de Desenvolvimento Humano muito baixo foram mais suscetíveis à contaminação e maior mortalidade (46,1%), e as doenças crônicas degenerativas foram preditivas de letalidade. Os perfis sociodemográfico e clínico influenciaram os aspectos fisiopatológicos de desenvolvimento da doença e a evolução preditiva relacionada à permanência hospitalar e ao desfecho.

COVID-19 causes major, life-threatening lung complications. This study aimed to understand how respiratory severity and sociodemographic factors affect the clinical outcome of patients with COVID-19. It was a descriptive, cross-sectional research with quantitative approach conducted in a referral hospital in Fortaleza-Ceará, Brazil. Data collection occurred from November 2020 to September 2021, totaling 470 patients who tested positive for COVID-19, being analyzed in Microsoft Office Excel 2019. Regarding gender, 56.8% were male, with a mean age of 57.32 years and 67.1% of patients who evolved to hospital discharge did not have oxygen support at admission. Individuals living in regions with very low Human Development Index were more susceptible to contamination and higher mortality (46.1%), and chronic degenerative diseases were predictive of lethality. Sociodemographic and clinical profiles influenced the pathophysiological aspects of disease development and the predictive evolution related to hospital stay and outcome.

Selenium in Brazil nuts: An overview of agronomical aspects, recent trends in analytical chemistry, and health outcomes.

Se is an essential element in mammals. We review how its bioavailability in soil and the ability of plants to accumulate Se in foods depends on the soil Se profile (including levels and formats), besides to describe how the various selenoproteins have important biochemical functions in the body and directly impact human health. Owing to its favorable characteristics, the scientific community has investigated selenomethionine in most nut matrices. Among nuts, Brazil nuts have been highlighted as one of the richest sources of bioavailable Se. We summarize the most commonly used analytical methods for Se species and total Se determination in nuts. We also discuss the chemical forms of Se metabolized by mammals, human biochemistry and health outcomes from daily dietary intake of Se from Brazil nuts. These findings may facilitate the understanding of the importance of adequate dietary Se intake and enable researchers to define methods to determine Se species.

Multilayer networks assisting to untangle direct and indirect pathogen transmission in bats

The importance of species that connect the different types of interactions is becoming increasingly recognized, and this role may be related to specific attributes of these species. Multilayer networks have two or more layers, which represent different types of interactions, for example, between different parasites and hosts that are nonetheless connected. The understanding of the ecological relationship between bats, ectoparasites, and vector-borne bacteria could shed some light on the complex transmission cycles of these pathogens. In this study, we investigated a multilayer network in Brazil formed by interactions between bat-bacteria, bat-ectoparasite, and ectoparasite-bacteria, and asked how these interactions overlap considering different groups and transmission modes. The multilayer network was composed of 31 nodes (12 bat species, 14 ectoparasite species, and five bacteria genera) and 334 links, distributed over three layers. The multilayer network has low modularity and shows a core-periphery organization, that is, composed of a few generalist species with many interactions and many specialist species participating in few interactions in the multilayer network. The three layers were needed to accurately describe the multilayer structure, while aggregation leads to loss of information. Our findings also demonstrated that the multilayer network is influenced by a specific set of species that can easily be connected to the behavior, life cycle, and type of existing interactions of these species. Four bat species (Artibeus lituratus, A. planirostris, Phyllostomus discolor, and Platyrrhinus lineatus), one ectoparasite species (Steatonyssus) and three bacteria genera (Ehrlichia, hemotropic Mycoplasma and Neorickettsia) are the most important species for the multilayer network structure. Finally, our study brings an ecological perspective under a multilayer network approach on the interactions between bats, ectoparasites, and pathogens. By using a multilayer approach (different types of interactions), it was possible to better understand these different ecological interactions and how they affect each other, advancing our knowledge on the role of bats and ectoparasites as potential pathogen vectors and reservoirs, as well as the modes of transmission of these pathogens.

A importância das espécies que conectam os diferentes tipos de interações é cada vez mais reconhecida, e esse papel pode estar relacionado a atributos específicos dessas espécies. As redes multicamadas têm duas ou mais camadas, que representam diferentes tipos de interações, por exemplo, entre diferentes parasitas e hospedeiros que, no entanto, estão conectados. A compreensão da relação ecológica entre morcegos, ectoparasitas e bactérias transmitidas por vetores pode lançar alguma luz sobre os complexos ciclos de transmissão desses patógenos. Neste estudo, investigamos uma rede multicamadas no Brasil formada por interações entre morcego-bactéria, morcego-ectoparasita e ectoparasita-bactéria, e perguntamos como essas interações se sobrepõem considerando diferentes grupos e modos de transmissão. A rede multicamada foi composta por 31 nós (12 espécies de morcegos, 14 espécies de ectoparasitas e cinco gêneros de bactérias) e 334 links, distribuídos em três camadas. A rede multicamadas possui baixa modularidade e apresenta uma organização núcleo-periferia, ou seja, composta por poucas espécies generalistas com muitas interações e muitas espécies especialistas participando de poucas interações na rede multicamadas. As três camadas foram necessárias para descrever com precisão a estrutura multicamadas, enquanto a agregação leva à perda de informações. Nossas descobertas também demonstraram que a rede multicamada é influenciada por um conjunto específico de espécies que podem ser facilmente conectadas ao comportamento, ciclo de vida e tipo de interações existentes dessas espécies. Quatro espécies de morcegos (Artibeus lituratus, A. planirostris, Phyllostomus discolor e Platyrrhinus lineatus), uma espécie de ectoparasita (Steatonyssus) e três gêneros de bactérias (Ehrlichia, hemotrópico Mycoplasma e Neorickettsia) são as espécies mais importantes para a estrutura da rede multicamada. Por fim, nosso estudo traz uma perspectiva ecológica sob uma abordagem de rede multicamadas sobre as interações entre morcegos, ectoparasitas e patógenos. Usando uma abordagem multicamadas (diferentes tipos de interações), foi possível entender melhor essas diferentes interações ecológicas e como elas afetam umas às outras, avançando nosso conhecimento sobre o papel de morcegos e ectoparasitas como potenciais vetores e reservatórios de patógenos, bem como a modos de transmissão desses patógenos.

Vibrations in CDFW.

Continuous drive friction welding is a solid-state welding process that has been experimentally proven to be a fast and reliable method. This is a complex process; deformations in the viscosity of a material alter the friction between the surfaces of the pieces. All these dynamics cause changes in the vibration signals; the interpretation of these signals can reveal important information. The vibration signals generated during the friction and forging stages are measured on the stationary part of the structure to determine the influence of the manipulated variables on the time domain statistical characteristics (root mean square, peak value, crest factor, and kurtosis). In the frequency domain, empirical mode decomposition is used to characterize frequencies. It was observed that it is possible to identify the effects of the manipulated variables on the calculated statistical characteristics. The results also indicate that the effect of manipulated variables is stronger on low-frequency signals.

Revision of Noctiliostrebla (Diptera: Streblidae), parasites of bulldog bats (Chiroptera: Noctilionidae: Noctilio).

The Neotropical genus Noctiliostrebla Wenzel (Diptera: Streblidae) is revised after examination of the types of all nominal species, and 11 species are recognized. Seven new species are described, and a lectotype is designated for Lipoptena dubia Rudow. Resulting information on species distributions and host records can be summarized as follows: Noctiliostrebla dubia (Rudow) is restricted to the Amazon region and is a parasite of Noctilio leporinus (Linnaeus) (Chiroptera: Noctilionidae); Noctiliostrebla traubi Wenzel is restricted to Central America and northern South America, being the only species of the genus parasitizing N. leporinus in Central America; the distribution ranges of N. maai Wenzel and N. traubi are similar, but the host of N. maai is N. albiventris Desmarest; Noctiliostrebla aitkeni Wenzel is restricted to northern South America and has only been recorded as parasitizing N. leporinus; Noctiliostrebla ecuadorensis sp. n. occurs only in Ecuador, on N. albiventris; Noctiliostrebla guerreroi sp. n. has only been recorded from the Amazon region on N. albiventris; Noctiliostrebla falsispina sp. n. is restricted to south-central South America and is a parasite of N. leporinus; the distributions of N. lamasi sp. n. and N. falsispina sp. n. are similar, and the two species usually co-occur on N. leporinus; Noctiliostrebla morena sp. n. has a similar distribution to those of N. falsispina sp. n. and N. lamasi sp. n., but parasitizes N. albiventris; Noctiliostrebla pantaneira sp. n. has a similar distribution to N. morena sp. n. and usually co-occurs with it on N. albiventris; Noctiliostrebla caissara sp. n. is restricted to the southeastern coast of South America and is a parasite of N. leporinus. All species are included in a key and illustrated.

Genome skimming is a low-cost and robust strategy to assemble complete mitochondrial genomes from ethanol preserved specimens in biodiversity studies.

Global loss of biodiversity is an ongoing process that concerns both local and global authorities. Studies of biodiversity mainly involve traditional methods using morphological characters and molecular protocols. However, conventional methods are a time consuming and resource demanding task. The development of high-throughput sequencing (HTS) techniques has reshaped the way we explore biodiversity and opened a path to new questions and novel empirical approaches. With the emergence of HTS, sequencing the complete mitochondrial genome became more accessible, and the number of genome sequences published has increased exponentially during the last decades. Despite the current state of knowledge about the potential of mitogenomics in phylogenetics, this is still a relatively under-explored area for a multitude of taxonomic groups, especially for those without commercial relevance, non-models organisms and with preserved DNA. Here we take the first step to assemble and annotate the genomes from HTS data using a new protocol of genome skimming which will offer an opportunity to extend the field of mitogenomics to under-studied organisms. We extracted genomic DNA from specimens preserved in ethanol. We used Nextera XT DNA to prepare indexed paired-end libraries since it is a powerful tool for working with diverse samples, requiring a low amount of input DNA. We sequenced the samples in two different Illumina platform (MiSeq or NextSeq 550). We trimmed raw reads, filtered and had their quality tested accordingly. We performed the assembly using a baiting and iterative mapping strategy, and the annotated the putative mitochondrion through a semi-automatic procedure. We applied the contiguity index to access the completeness of each new mitogenome. Our results reveal the efficiency of the proposed method to recover the whole mitogenomes of preserved DNA from non-model organisms even if there are gene rearrangement in the specimens. Our findings suggest the potential of combining the adequate platform and library to the genome skimming as an innovative approach, which opens a new range of possibilities of its use to obtain molecular data from organisms with different levels of preservation.

NAD9/NAD7 (mitochondrial nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide dehydrogenase gene)-A new "Holy Grail" phylogenetic and DNA-barcoding marker for Arcellinida (Amoebozoa)?

Molecular phylogeny is an indispensable tool for assessing evolutionary relationships among protists. The most commonly used marker is the small subunit ribosomal RNA gene, a conserved gene present in many copies in the nuclear genomes. However, this marker is not variable enough at a fine-level taxonomic scale, and intra-genomic polymorphism has already been reported. Finding a marker that could be useful at both deep and fine taxonomic resolution levels seemed like a utopic dream. We designed Amoebozoa-specific primers to amplify a region including partial sequences of two subunits of the mitochondrial nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide dehydrogenase gene (NAD9/NAD7). We applied them to arcellinids belonging to distantly related genera (Arcella, Difflugia, Netzelia and Hyalosphenia) and to Arcellinid-rich environmental samples to obtain additional Amoebozoa sequences. Tree topology was congruent with previous phylogenies, all nodes being highly supported, suggesting that this marker is well-suited for deep phylogenies in Arcellinida and perhaps Amoebozoa. Furthermore, it enabled discrimination of close-related taxa. This short genetic marker (ca. 250bp) can therefore be used at different taxonomic levels, due to a fast-varying intergenic region presenting either a small intergenic sequence or an overlap, depending on the species.

Lista das espécies de Hippoboscoidea (Diptera) no estado de Mato Grosso do Sul, Brasil / Checklist of Hippoboscoidea (Diptera) of the state of Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil

A checklist of the species of Hippoboscidae, Nycteribiidae and Streblidae and their hosts and localities in the state of Mato Grosso do Sul, based on literature and specimens deposited in scientific collections, is presented. Fifty-three species are recorded, being Xenotrichobius noctilionis Wenzel, 1976 reported for first time in Brazil.(AU)

Uma listagem das espécies de Hippoboscidae, Nycteribiidae e Streblidae, seus hospedeiros e localidades no estado de Mato Grosso do Sul, baseada em dados de literatura e no acervo de coleções científicas, é apresentada. Cinquenta e três espécies são registradas, sendo Xenotrichobius noctilionis Wenzel, 1976 reportada pela primeira vez no Brasil.(AU)

Lista das espécies de Hippoboscoidea (Diptera) no estado de Mato Grosso do Sul, Brasil

ABSTRACT A checklist of the species of Hippoboscidae, Nycteribiidae and Streblidae and their hosts and localities in the state of Mato Grosso do Sul, based on literature and specimens deposited in scientific collections, is presented. Fifty-three species are recorded, being Xenotrichobius noctilionis Wenzel, 1976 reported for first time in Brazil.

RESUMO Uma listagem das espécies de Hippoboscidae, Nycteribiidae e Streblidae, seus hospedeiros e localidades no estado de Mato Grosso do Sul, baseada em dados de literatura e no acervo de coleções científicas, é apresentada. Cinquenta e três espécies são registradas, sendo Xenotrichobius noctilionis Wenzel, 1976 reportada pela primeira vez no Brasil.

Lista das espécies de Hippoboscoidea (Diptera) no estado de Mato Grosso do Sul, Brasil / Checklist of Hippoboscoidea (Diptera) of the state of Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil

A checklist of the species of Hippoboscidae, Nycteribiidae and Streblidae and their hosts and localities in the state of Mato Grosso do Sul, based on literature and specimens deposited in scientific collections, is presented. Fifty-three species are recorded, being Xenotrichobius noctilionis Wenzel, 1976 reported for first time in Brazil.

Uma listagem das espécies de Hippoboscidae, Nycteribiidae e Streblidae, seus hospedeiros e localidades no estado de Mato Grosso do Sul, baseada em dados de literatura e no acervo de coleções científicas, é apresentada. Cinquenta e três espécies são registradas, sendo Xenotrichobius noctilionis Wenzel, 1976 reportada pela primeira vez no Brasil.

Bat flies (Diptera: Streblidae) ectoparasites of bats at an Atlantic Rainforest site in northeastern Brazil

Bat flies were surveyed between March, 2007 and February, 2008, in the Carnijó Private Natural Heritage Reserve (08° 07′ S and 35° 05′ W), an area of Atlantic Rainforest in the municipality of Moreno, in the Brazilian state of Pernambuco. Bats were captured biweekly using mist nets set during six hours each night. The ectoparasites were collected with tweezers and/or a brush wet in ethanol and stored in 70% ethanol. The specimens are deposited in the zoological reference collection of the Federal University of Mato Grosso do Sul. Sixteen species of streblid bat flies were collected from 10 bat species of the family Phyllostomidae. Thirteen of the these streblid species were recorded for the first time in Pernambuco.

O presente estudo ocorreu entre Março de 2007 e Fevereiro de 2008 na Reserva Particular do Patrimônio Natural Carnijó (08° 07′ S e 35° 05′ W), área de Mata Atlântica, localizada no município de Moreno, Pernambuco, Brasil. Os morcegos foram capturados quinzenalmente com redes de neblina por um intervalo de seis horas por noite. A coleta dos ectoparasitos foi realizada com auxílio de pinça e/ou um pincel umedecido com álcool, sendo mantidos em etanol 70%. Os espécimens estão depositados na Coleção Zoológica de Referência da Fundação Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso do Sul. Dezesseis espécies de moscas estreblídeas foram capturadas sobre 10 espécies de morcegos da família Phyllostomidae. Treze espécies de estreblídeas encontradas no presente trabalho foram registradas pela primeira vez para o estado de Pernambuco.

International prostate symptom score - IPSS - AUA as discriminat scale in 400 male patients with lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS)

OBJECTIVE: This study analyzed the total symptom score, irritative and obstructive domains of IPSS questions regarding quality of life and the urodynamic diagnosis in 400 men with LUTS. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Four hundred consecutive male patients were prospectively enrolled after being submitted to full urodynamic evaluation and IPSS. Obstructed and non-obstructed patients were compared regarding the symptoms score and quality of life. Results were assessed through Wilcox, ANOVA and Student-t tests. RESULTS: 80.2 percent were diagnosed as urodynamically obstructed of which 42.4 percent presented detrusor instability in the filling phase. In obstructed patients there were no statistical difference concerning obstructive or irritative questions from IPSS (p = 0.50). It was not possible either to predict which patients presented detrusor instability based on the questionnaire (p = 0.65). Out of seventy-nine cases unobstructed (19.8 percent), 65.4 percent revealed detrusor instability. These cases could not be distinguished from all obstructed men based on the clinical questions measured by IPSS (p = 0.87). Obstructive and irritative questions did not present different indexes than obstructed cases (p = 0.63). Subjective quality of life index did not discriminate obstruction nor it could predict detrusor instability in both groups. CONCLUSION: Clinical symptoms and quality of life index measured by the IPSS as well as its obstructive and irritative domains do not have discriminating power to predict the presence of infravesical obstruction in males with LUTS, demanding objective tools to demonstrate obstruction.

International Prostate Symptom Score--IPSS-AUA as discriminat scale in 400 male patients with lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS).

OBJECTIVE: This study analyzed the total symptom score, irritative and obstructive domains of IPSS questions regarding quality of life and the urodynamic diagnosis in 400 men with LUTS. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Four hundred consecutive male patients were prospectively enrolled after being submitted to full urodynamic evaluation and IPSS. Obstructed and non-obstructed patients were compared regarding the symptoms score and quality of life. Results were assessed through Wilcox, ANOVA and Student-t tests. RESULTS: 80.2% were diagnosed as urodynamically obstructed of which 42.4% presented detrusor instability in the filling phase. In obstructed patients there were no statistical difference concerning obstructive or irritative questions from IPSS (p = 0.50). It was not possible either to predict which patients presented detrusor instability based on the questionnaire (p = 0.65). Out of seventy-nine cases unobstructed (19.8%), 65.4% revealed detrusor instability. These cases could not be distinguished from all obstructed men based on the clinical questions measured by IPSS (p = 0.87). Obstructive and irritative questions did not present different indexes than obstructed cases (p = 0.63). Subjective quality of life index did not discriminate obstruction nor it could predict detrusor instability in both groups. CONCLUSION: Clinical symptoms and quality of life index measured by the IPSS as well as its obstructive and irritative domains do not have discriminating power to predict the presence of infravesical obstruction in males with LUTS, demanding objective tools to demonstrate obstruction.