Epidemiological, clinical and laboratory aspects of Angiostrongylus cantonensis infection: an integrative review.

This integrative literature review study analyzes the findings of the last 5 years of the parasite Angiostrongylus cantonensis. It is known that this nematode is found in the pulmonary arteries of rats, where it remains as a definitive host. From mice, the cycle spreads to animals, such as snails, which in contact with humans can trigger the disease. In humans, the parasite causes several neurological, abdominal manifestations and mainly meningitis. Based on the review of studies, its epidemiology shows worldwide distribution, although there are endemic cases for this parasite, such as asian countries. Laboratory findings generally showed altered CSF with turbidity, increased protein and eosinophilia, which generated meningeal signs in the patient, moreover MRI exams showed multiple alterations. Rare findings of the nematode in the eyeball, lung and signs of peritoneal inflammation were reported, which requires further studies to understand the whole pathophysiology. Finally, conservative treatment based on anthelmintics and anti-inflammatories brought good responses, although there are reports of deaths, which demonstrates the importance in the prevention and therapy of this disease.

Natural infection by Culex flavivirus in Culex quinquefasciatus mosquitoes captured in Cuiabá, Mato Grosso Mid-Western Brazil.

New species of insect-specific viruses (ISV) have been reported worldwide. In the present study, the complete genome of Culex flavivirus (CxFV) and partial sequences of other ISVs in Culex quinquefasciatus Say 1823 females (n = 3425) sampled in 200 urban areas census tracts of Cuiaba, state of Mato Grosso, were identified via reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction for a NS5 region of flaviviruses, nucleotide and high-throughput sequencing, and viral isolation in C6/36 cells. CxFV was detected in 16 of 403 mosquito pools; sequences found in the study presented a high similarity with isolates from São Paulo, Brazil and other countries in Latin American that belong to genotype II, supporting the geographical influence on CxFV evolution. The monthly maximum likelihood estimation for CxFV ranged from 1.81 to 9.94 per 1000 mosquitoes. In addition to the CxFV complete genome, one pool contained an ORF1 sequence (756 bp) that belongs to a novel Negevirus from the Sandewavirus supergroup most similar to the Santana virus (77.1%) and another pool presented an RNA-dependent RNA polymerase sequence (1081 bp) of a novel Rhabdovirus most similar to Wuhan mosquito virus 9 (44%). After three passages in C6/36 cells, only CxFV was isolated from these co-infected pools. The importance of ISVs relies on their possible ability to interfere with arbovirus replication in competent vectors.

Transition from glass- to gel-like states in clay at a liquid interface.

Colloidal clay in water suspensions are known to exhibit a multitude of bulk phases depending on initial colloidal concentration and ionic strength, and examples of this include repulsive Wigner colloidal glasses at low ionic strength and attractive gels at higher ionic strength due to screened electrostatic forces by the electrolyte. From confocal Raman microscopy combined with elasticity measurements, we infer that clay trapped at quasi two-dimensional interfaces between oil and water also exhibit confined glass-like or gel-like states. The results can be important for the preparation of particles stabilized colloidal emulsions or colloidal capsules, and a better understanding of this phenomenon may lead to new emulsion or encapsulation technologies.

Compostos coordenados híbridos de platina no tratamento do câncer / Platinum hybrid coordinated compounds in cancertreatment

O câncer, ou neoplasia, é uma doença caracterizada pela propagação descontrolada de formas anormais das próprias células corporais e corresponde à segunda doença que mais causa mortes no mundo. A história da platina no tratamento do câncer teve início com a descoberta da sua atividade, em 1965, com a aprovação para uso clínico acontecendo apenas após 10 anos. Atualmente, os fármacos com platina estão entre os mais bem sucedidos agentes anticancerígenos, onde se destacam cisplatina (1), carboplatina (2) e oxaliplatina (3). Seus mecanismos de ação são similares: estes fármacos formam adutos com o DNA, impedindo a sua síntese e reparo, levando à morte celular. Contudo, os efeitos adversos desencadeados pelo tratamento e o desenvolvimento de resistência ao medicamento têm limitado suas aplicações. Uma das principais estratégias para a diminuição de tais efeitos consiste em alterar a estrutura destas moléculas, levando à formação de compostos híbridos, que se caracterizam pela presença de pelo menos dois fragmentos funcionais distintos em uma mesma molécula e podem apresentar maior espectro de atividade antitumoral. Dentre as alterações mais comuns encontram-se a modificação da solubilidade, através da inserção de grupos abandonadores mais ou menos hidrofóbicos e a introdução de ligantes com atividade biológica própria. Dessa forma, esta revisão visa verificar os avanços mais recentes na síntese de compostos híbridos de platina, bem como as melhorias na atividade anticâncer dos novos compostos platinados...

Cancer, or neoplasm, is a disease characterized by the uncontrolled propagation of abnormal cells of the body and is the second leading death-causing disease. The history of platinum in cancer treatment goes back to the discovery of its activity in 1965 and its approval for clinical use just 10 years later. Some of the most successful anticancer agents are Pt-based chemotherapeutics, among which cisplatin (1), carboplatin (2), and oxaliplatin (3) stand out. They have similar mechanisms of action: they form adducts with DNA, preventing its synthesis and repair and leading to cell death. However, adverse effects triggered by treatment and the development of resistance to these drugs have limited their application. One of the most important strategies to reduce such effects is to carry out structural modifications of these molecules, leading to hybrid compounds that are characterized by the presence of at least two distinct functional fragments on the same molecule and can exhibit a broader antitumor activity spectrum. Among the most typical modifications are changes to the solubility pattern, created by the insertion of leaving groups with high or low hydrophobicity, and the introduction of biologically active ligands as non-leaving groups. The purpose of these strategies is to obtain compounds capable of reducing systemic toxicity and/or overcoming acquired resistance factors to cisplatin. Therefore, the aim of this review is to discuss the most recent advances in the synthesis of hybrid platinum compounds, as well as improvements in the anticancer activity of Pt-compounds...

Evaluation of a IS6110-Taqman real-time PCR assay to detect Mycobacterium tuberculosis in sputum samples of patients with pulmonary TB.

AIM: Evaluate the IS6110-Taqman system performance in sputum samples from patients with pulmonary tuberculosis from health services in north-eastern Brazil as a diagnostic laboratory tool for pulmonary tuberculosis. METHODS AND RESULTS: 165 sputum samples from respiratory symptomatic patients were evaluated in the IS6110-TaqMan assay: 66 patients with pulmonary tuberculosis and 99 without TB. When the IS6110-TaqMan assay was evaluated using culture and/or clinical response to the specific treatment as the gold standard, IS6110-TaqMan assay obtained a sensitivity of 87.9% and specificity of 98%. The performance of IS6110-TaqMan assay was also evaluated with the sputum smear microscopy, resulting in a sensitivity of 79.7% and specificity 94.8%. CONCLUSIONS: The IS6110-TaqMan was rapid, sensitive and specific for the diagnosis of pulmonary TB. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY: IS6110-TaqMan assay is a promising auxiliary tool for the diagnosis of pulmonary TB when used in conjunction with routine laboratory tests, clinical and epidemiological criteria of the patient, thus increasing the sensitivity and specificity of diagnosis.

Risk factors for lacune subtypes in the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) Study.

OBJECTIVE: Lacunar infarctions are mainly due to 2 microvascular pathologies: lipohyalinosis and microatheroma. Little is known about risk factor differences for these subtypes. We hypothesized that diabetes and glycated hemoglobin (HbA(1)c) would be related preferentially to the lipohyalinotic subtype. METHODS: We performed a cross-section analysis of the brain MRI data from 1,827 participants in the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities study. We divided subcortical lesions ≤ 20 mm in diameter into those ≤ 7 mm (of probable lipohyalinotic etiology) and 8-20 mm (probably due to microatheroma) and used Poisson regression to investigate associations with the number of each type of lesion. Unlike previous studies, we also fitted a model involving lesions <3 mm. RESULTS: Age (prevalence ratio [PR] 1.11 per year; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.08-1.14), black ethnicity (vs white, PR 1.66; 95% CI 1.27-2.16), hypertension (PR 2.12; 95% CI 1.61-2.79), diabetes (PR 1.42; 95% CI 1.08-1.87), and ever-smoking (PR 1.34; 95% CI 1.04-1.74) were significantly associated with lesions ≤ 7 mm. Findings were similar for lesions <3 mm. HbA(1)c, substituted for diabetes, was also associated with smaller lesions. Significantly associated with 8-20 mm lesions were age (PR 1.14; 95% CI 1.09-1.20), hypertension (PR 1.79; 95% CI 1.14-2.83), ever-smoking (PR 2.66; 95% CI 1.63-4.34), and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol (PR 1.27 per SD; 95% CI 1.06-1.52). When we analyzed only participants with lesions, history of smoking (PR 1.99; 95% CI 1.23-3.20) and LDL (PR 1.33 per SD; 95% CI 1.08-1.65) were associated with lesions 8-20 mm. CONCLUSIONS: Smaller lacunes (even those <3 mm) were associated with diabetes and HbA(1)c, and larger lacunes associated with LDL cholesterol, differences which support long-held theories relating to their underlying pathology. The findings may contribute to broader understanding of cerebral microvascular disease.

Cardiodepressive effect elicited by the essential oil of Alpinia speciosa is related to L-type Ca²+ current blockade.

This study was undertaken to elucidate the effect of the essential oil from Alpinia speciosa (EOAs) on cardiac contractility and the underlying mechanisms. The essential oil was obtained from Alpinia speciosa leaves and flowers and the oil was analyzed by GC-MS method. Chemical analysis revealed the presence of at least 18 components. Terpinen-4-ol and 1,8-cineole corresponded to 38% and 18% of the crude oil, respectively. The experiments were conducted on spontaneously-beating right atria and on electrically stimulated left atria isolated from adult rats. The effect of EOAs on the isometric contractions and cardiac frequency in vitro was examined. EOAs decreased rat left atrial force of contraction with an EC50 of 292.2±75.7 µg/ml. Nifedipine, a well known L-type Ca²+ blocker, inhibited in a concentration-dependent manner left atrial force of contraction with an EC50 of 12.1±3.5 µg/ml. Sinus rhythm was diminished by EOAs with an EC50 of 595.4±56.2 µg/ml. Whole-cell L-type Ca²+ currents were recorded by using the patch-clamp technique. EOAs at 25 µg/ml decreased I(Ca,L) by 32.6±9.2% and at 250 µg/ml it decreased by 89.3±7.4%. Thus, inhibition of L-type Ca²+ channels is involved in the cardiodepressive effect elicited by the essential oil of Alpinia speciosa in rat heart.

Análise espacial de dados geográficos

Apresenta estudo em análise espacial de dados geográficos trazendo análise espacial e geoprocessamento, análise de eventos pontuais, análise de superfície por geoestatística linear, análise de superfícies por geoestatística indicadora, análise de dados de área e modelagem dinâmica. Documentos em formato PDF, requer Acrobat Reader.

Distribution of microglial cells in the cerebral hemispheres of embryonic and neonatal chicks.

The distribution, morphology and morphometry of microglial cells in the chick cerebral hemispheres from embryonic day 4 (E4) to the first neonatal day (P1) were studied by histochemical labeling with a tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum) lectin. The histochemical analysis revealed lectin-reactive cells in the nervous parenchyma on day E4. Between E4 (5.7 +/- 1.35 mm length) and E17 (8.25 +/- 1.2 mm length), the lectin-reactive cells were identified as ameboid microglia and observed starting from the subventricular layer, distributed throughout the mantle layer and in the proximity of the blood vessels. After day E13, the lectin-reactive cells exhibited elongated forms with small branched processes, and were considered primitive ramified microglia. Later, between E18 (5.85 +/- 1.5 mm cell body length) and P1 (3.25 +/- 0.6 mm cell body length), cells with more elongated branched processes were observed, constituting the ramified microglia. Our findings provide additional information on the migration and differentiation of microglial cells, whose ramified form is observed at the end of embryonic development. The present paper focused on the arrangement of microglial cells in developing cerebral hemispheres of embryonic and neonatal chicks, which are little studied in the literature. Details of morphology, morphometry and spatial distribution of microglial cells contributed to the understanding of bird and mammal central nervous system ontogeny. Furthermore, the identification and localization of microglial cells during the normal development could be used as a morphological guide for embryonic brain injury researches.

Distribution of microglial cells in the cerebral hemispheres of embryonic and neonatal chicks

The distribution, morphology and morphometry of microglial cells in the chick cerebral hemispheres from embryonic day 4 (E4) to the first neonatal day (P1) were studied by histochemical labeling with a tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum) lectin. The histochemical analysis revealed lectin-reactive cells in the nervous parenchyma on day E4. Between E4 (5.7 ± 1.35 mm length) and E17 (8.25 ± 1.2 mm length), the lectin-reactive cells were identified as ameboid microglia and observed starting from the subventricular layer, distributed throughout the mantle layer and in the proximity of the blood vessels. After day E13, the lectin-reactive cells exhibited elongated forms with small branched processes, and were considered primitive ramified microglia. Later, between E18 (5.85 ± 1.5 mm cell body length) and P1 (3.25 ± 0.6 mm cell body length), cells with more elongated branched processes were observed, constituting the ramified microglia. Our findings provide additional information on the migration and differentiation of microglial cells, whose ramified form is observed at the end of embryonic development. The present paper focused on the arrangement of microglial cells in developing cerebral hemispheres of embryonic and neonatal chicks, which are little studied in the literature. Details of morphology, morphometry and spatial distribution of microglial cells contributed to the understanding of bird and mammal central nervous system ontogeny. Furthermore, the identification and localization of microglial cells during the normal development could be used as a morphological guide for embryonic brain injury researches.

Dystrophin-glycoproteins associated in congenital muscular dystrophy: immunohistochemical analysis of 59 Brazilian cases

The congenital muscular dystrophies (CMD) are heterogeneous muscular diseases with early and dystrophic pattern on muscle biopsy. Many different subtypes have been genetically identified and most phenotypes not yet identified belong to the merosin-positive (MP) CMD subgroup. OBJECTIVE: To analyze the immunohistochemical expression of the main proteins of the dystrophin-glycoproteins associated complex in muscle biopsy of patients with different CMD phenotypes, for investigating a possible correlation with clinical and histopathological data. METHOD: Fifty-nine patients with CMD had clinical, histopathological and immunohistochemical data evaluated: 32 had MP-CMD, 23 CMD with merosin deficiency (MD-CMD), one Ullrich phenotype and three Walker-Warburg disease. RESULTS: Dystrophin and dysferlin were normal in all; among the patients with MD-CMD, merosin deficiency was partial in nine who showed the same clinical severity as those with total deficiency; the reduced expression of alpha-sarcoglycan (SG) and alpha-dystroglycan (DG) showed statistically significant correlation with severe MD-CMD phenotype. CONCLUSION: There is a greater relationship between merosin and the former proteins; among MP-CMD patients, no remarkable immunohistochemical/phenotypical correlations were found, although the reduced expression of beta-DG had showed statistically significant correlation with severe phenotype and marked fibrosis on muscular biopsy.

A distrofia muscular congênita (DMC) é doença muscular heterogênea, de início precoce e padrão histopatológico de distrofia. Diversos subtipos foram geneticamente identificados e os fenótipos ainda não identificados pertencem em geral ao subgrupo de DMC merosina-positiva (MP). OBJETIVO: Analisar a expressão imuno-histoquímica das principais proteínas do complexo distrofina-glicoproteínas associadas na biópsia muscular de pacientes com diferentes fenótipos de DMC, a fim de investigar uma eventual correlação com o quadro clínico e histopatológico. MÉTODO: Cinqüenta e nove pacientes com DMC foram avaliados clinicamente e sua biópsia muscular, histopatologica e imuno-histoquimicamente: 32 eram MP, 23 merosina-deficiente (MD), um mostrava fenótipo Ullrich e três síndrome de Walker-Warburg. RESULTADOS: Distrofina e disferlina foram normais em todos; nove pacientes MD apresentavam déficit parcial de merosina, porém com a mesma gravidade clínica daqueles com deficiência total. CONCLUSÃO: A hipoexpressão de a-sarcoglicana (SG) and a-distroglycan (DG) se correlacionou estatisticamente com o grave fenótipo MD, assim indicando maior correlação entre a merosina e as referidas proteínas; entre os pacientes MP, apesar da hipoexpressão de b-DG ter se correlacionado significativamente com fenótipo e histopatologia mais grave, não houve correlação clínica/imuno-histoquímica valorizável.

Ullrich congenital muscular dystrophy and Bethlem myopathy: clinical and genetic heterogeneity

Ullrich congenital muscular dystrophy (UCMD), due to mutations in the collagen VI genes, is an autosomal recessive form of CMD, commonly associated with distal joints hyperlaxity and severe course. A mild or moderate involvement can be occasionally observed. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the clinical picture of CMD patients with Ullrich phenotype who presented decreased or absent collagen VI immunoreactivity on muscular biopsy. RESULTS: Among 60 patients with CMD, two had no expression of collagen V and their clinical involvement was essentially different: the first (3 years of follow-up) has mild motor difficulty; the second (8 years of follow-up) never acquired walking and depends on ventilatory support. A molecular study, performed by Pan et al. at the Thomas Jefferson University, demonstrated in the first a known mutation of Bethlem myopathy in COL6A1 and in the second the first dominantly acting mutation in UCMD and the first in COL6A1, previously associated only to Bethlem myopathy, with benign course and dominant inheritance. CONCLUSION: Bethlem myopathy should be considered in the differential diagnosis of UCMD, even in patients without fingers contractures; overlap between Ullrich and Bethlem phenotypes can be supposed.

A distrofia muscular congênita (DMC) com hiperextensibilidade articular distal (fenótipo Ullrich) associa-se a mutações nos genes do colágeno VI e corresponde a um grave quadro congênito de herança autossômica recessiva e curso progressivo, ocasionalmente mostrando menor gravidade. OBJETIVO: Avaliar o quadro clínico dos pacientes com DMC tipo Ullrich que apresentam imunoexpressão baixa ou ausente do colágeno VI na biópsia muscular. RESULTADOS: Entre 60 pacientes com DMC, dois mostravam imunomarcação negativa do colágeno VI. Mostravam-se clinicamente essencialmente diferentes: o primeiro, com 8 anos de idade e três de seguimento mostra leve dificuldade motora; o segundo, com 14 anos de idade e 8 de seguimento, não deambula e apresenta insuficiência respiratória. O estudo molecular, realizado na Thomas Jefferson University por Pan et al., revelou no primeiro, no gene COL6A1, mutação típica da miopatia de Bethlem, que tem curso benigno e herança autossômica dominante; e no segundo a primeira mutação de efeito dominante e do gene COL6A1, previamente associado apenas à miopatia de Bethlem. CONCLUSÃO: A miopatia de Bethlem deve constar no diagnóstico diferencial da DMC tipo Ullrich, mesmo na ausência das típicas contraturas dos dedos; pode existir sobreposição dos fenótipos Ullrich e Bethlem.

Modeling of under-detection of cases in disease surveillance.

PURPOSE: Accurate epidemiological surveillance of leprosy is a matter of international public health concern. It often suffers, however, from potential problems of under-registration of reported cases, particularly in poorer and more socially deprived areas. Such problems also apply in the surveillance of many other communicable or transmissible diseases. We develop a Bayesian model for small-area disease rates that allows for censoring of case detection in suspect districts and can therefore be used to estimate under-reporting of cases in a given study region. METHODS: Such methods are applied to leprosy incidence in a municipality of Pernambuco State in North Eastern Brazil, using a social deprivation indicator as the basis for considering data from certain districts to be censored. The time period we consider was immediately prior to an extension of the coverage and efficacy of the control program and model predictions concerning under reporting can therefore be compared with more reliable data subsequently collected from the same region. RESULTS: The proposed method produces informative estimates of under detection of leprosy cases in the defined study region and these estimates compare well, both in size and in geographical location, with the numbers of cases subsequently detected. CONCLUSIONS: As illustrated by the application discussed in this article, the proposed model provides a general tool that may be used in spatial epidemiological surveillance situations where the available data is suspected to contain significant under-registrations of cases in certain geographical areas.

[Empirical bayesian model applied to the spatial analysis of leprosy occurrence]. / Aplicação de modelo bayesiano empírico na análise espacial da ocorrência de hanseníase.

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the spatial distribution of leprosy, identify areas of potential case underreporting or high transmission risk, and to assess the ecological association of leprosy distribution with multibacillary cases. METHODS: This study was carried out in 94 neighborhoods of Recife, Brazil. Data was obtained from the Ministry of Health's Disease Reporting System. An ecological approach with the empirical Bayesian method was applied for local rate flattening, using data from a neighborhood matrix. RESULTS: The mean annual occurrence was 17.3% of new cases in individuals under the age of 15 (28.3% corresponded to multibacillary forms), revealing an intense disease transmission. The spatial distribution of leprosy indicated three areas where there was a concentration of high detection rates and low-income neighborhoods. CONCLUSIONS: The Bayesian method allowed to reassess epidemiological indicators based on data from neighboring spatial units. This enabled to identify areas that should be prioritized in municipal control programs, either because of underreporting of cases or the higher number of occurrences related to multibacillary forms in individuals under 15.

[Urban hospital markets: a methodological approach]. / Mercados hospitalares em área urbana: uma abordagem metodológica.

This study developed a method for the construction of hospital markets in a metropolitan area, focusing on users of the Unified Health System (SUS) with hip fractures and admitted to municipal hospitals in Rio de Janeiro in 1994-1995. The study used a spatial smoothing technique based on a Kernel (quartic) estimate for constructing areas of care for each hospital and subsequently for hospital markets. Areas of the city were presented where there was a market domain and a secondary domain for treating patients with hip fractures. Hospital market analysis can help health planners organize resources in the health care system.

[Spatial clusters detection of violent deaths in Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, 1996]. / Detecção de aglomerados espaciais de óbitos por causas violentas em Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brasil, 1996.

Violence is of major importance in the health profile of Brazilian metropolitan areas and should be treated as a public health problem. Spatial analysis methods can be highly useful for the surveillance and prevention of violence. This paper analyzes the spatial distribution of victims' place of residence in relation to the main causes of violent death in Porto Alegre (1996) in order to identify vulnerable areas. For motor vehicle accidents, homicides, and suicide, the victim's place of residence was pinpointed using the municipal Geographic Information System. The point patterns of health events and population density were analyzed using a Kernel smoother, visually compared. Some areas with higher concentration of events are similar to population distribution but differ from each other in the remaining high concentration areas, thus indicating specific micro-areas at risk. Areas of higher homicide risk are mainly located on the periphery of the more urbanized area, with worse socioeconomic conditions. Motor vehicle accidents are concentrated in areas that are simultaneously commercial and residential and are traversed by streets with heavy traffic. Suicide deaths are more evenly distributed over the territory. Identification of risk areas provides meaningful information for developing preventive and health promotion measures focusing on the events for which health policies may play a central role.

[Spatial risk distribution: modeling infant mortality in Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul State, Brazil]. / Distribuição espacial do risco: modelagem da mortalidade infantil em Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brasil.

Estimation and mapping of risk profiles are the main concerns of epidemiology. This paper analyzes spatial distribution of infant mortality cases as compared to live-born controls from Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul. The modeling framework adopted in this research work is a spatial point process. Under this structure, a risk measure which continuously varies over the study region is defined and estimated using generalized additive model methods. This approach has the advantage of allowing for risk factors that are simple and easy to interpret. The procedure also allows the construction of tolerance contours which help identify areas of significantly high/low risk and an overall test for the null hypothesis of constant risk over the region. Application of this method to infant mortality data showed a highly significant spatial variation in risk for neonatal mortality data and non-significant results for post-neonatal mortality data.

Flow injection determination of cobalt after its sorption onto polyurethane foam loaded with 2-(2-thiazolylazo)-p-cresol (TAC).

This paper reports the development of a new methodology for determination of cobalt in water samples by using a flow injection system with loaded PUF as solid phase to preconcentrate analytes. Procedure is based on on-line retention of Co(III) ions (generated in alkaline medium by Co(II) oxidation) in a minicolumn packed with a polyether type polyurethane foam loaded with TAC (2-(2-thiazolylazo)-p-cresol) and elution with 2 mol l(-1) HCl directly to the flame atomic absorption spectrometer nebulizer. Several chemical and flow variables that could affect the performance of this system were investigated as well as the possible interferents. For 2 min of preconcentration time (10.0 ml of sample volume) the system achieved a detection limit 3.2 mug l(-1), a R.S.D. 5% at 20 mug l(-1) and an analytical throughput 24 h(-1). Whereas for 3 min of preconcentration time (15.0 ml of sample volume) a detection limit 2.4 mug l(-1), a R.S.D. under 8% at 10 mug l(-1) and a sampling frequency 17 h(-1) were reported.

[Infant mortality in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil: risk areas and distance traveled by patients to get to health care facilities]. / Mortalidade infantil no Rio de Janeiro, Brasil: áreas de risco e trajetória dos pacientes até os serviços de saúde.

The infant mortality rate has been considered a summary of the quality of life and level of development of a given population. However, this indicator is very sensitive to such simple measures as oral rehydration therapy, vaccination, and continuation of breast-feeding. Given that such health activities have become more widespread, an infant mortality rate may no longer reflect a particular development model. With the aim of broadening the discussion regarding infant mortality, this study analyzed the 153 neighborhoods of the city of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Our objective was to identify areas with more risk, and the priority groups for interventions to decrease infant mortality. We analyzed neonatal and postneonatal mortality in each neighborhood. We also identified the children's home neighborhood and the location of their deaths and related these results to the socioeconomic classification of the corresponding neighborhoods. In relation to the average infant mortality rate for the city, we could not make statistically significant comparisons for some neighborhoods due to their small number of births. One-third of the infant deaths could have been prevented with early diagnosis and treatment. Only 15% of the deaths were considered unavoidable. Both neonatal mortality and postneonatal mortality were geographically dispersed, with no direct association with the socioeconomic profile of the neighborhoods. An analysis of the children's place of residence and the location of their deaths showed flows of patients from poor areas to more affluent city areas with better health services. This pattern highlights the effect of access to quality medical care on infant mortality.