Selectivity of herbicides used in corn on Crotalaria ochroleuca G. Don.

In the cropping systems that integrate the corn crop, the insertion of Crotalaria ochroleuca G. Don is predominantly intercropped. In this context, there is a need to observe herbicides that present selectivity for this sunn hemp species. The objective of this study was to evaluate the selectivity of pre and post-emergent herbicides on C. ochroleuca. Two field experiments were conducted in randomized blocks with four replications, involving the pre-emergence and post-emergence application of different herbicide treatments. For the pre-emergent ones, amicarbazone, atrazine and flumioxazin provided phytotoxicity higher than 90% and, consequently, low plant biomass. On the other hand, acetochlor and s-metolachlor did not cause phytotoxicity and did not affect the dry mass of crotalaria. In post-emergence, atrazine + mesotrione showed phytotoxicity >95%, followed by nicosulfuron and 2.4-D with phytotoxicity between 50-60%, whereas tembotrione did not cause injury to the plants. Thus, it was found that among the pre-emergent, acetochlor and s-metolachlor were selective, and for the emerging powders, only tembotrione was the most selective for all parameters analyzed.

Does Type of Substratum Affects Chironomid Larvae Assemblage Composition? A Study in a River Catchment in Northern Patagonia, Argentina.

Chironomid larvae assemblages were investigated at seven sampling stations in relation to stream habitat type in the Challhuaco-Ñireco river system located in the Nahuel Huapi National Park, in the North-Western part of Rio Negro Province, Argentina. A total of 2229 individuals were sampled and 43 Chironomidae taxa were recorded with Orthocladiinae (29) being the best represented subfamily, followed by Diamesinae (5), Tanypodinae (3), Podonominae (3) and Chironominae (3). Stictocladius spF, Cricotopus (Paratrichocladius) sp6, Cricotopus sp2, Cricotopus sp3 and Parapsectrocladius sp2 were the most abundant taxa. Sites near the source of the river system were dominated by Podonomus sp., Limnophyes sp., Parapsectrocladius sp. and Stictocladius spF, whereas sites close to the river mouth were dominated by Diamesinae sp5 and Cricotopus sp. Rank/abundance plots show that all the analysed sites displayed dominance of some species. Stictocladius spF, Cricotopus sp2, Cricotopus sp3, Cricotopus (Paratrichocladius) sp6, Parapsectrocladius sp. and Limnophyes sp. resulted as dominant species, or being part of a group of dominant species, at least in one sample. Eleven taxa were associated with habitats related with riffle areas and stable substrates with filamentous algae. Species-environment relationships were examined using ordination analysis. Elevation was the most significant environmental variable that explained 22% of the total variability of the chironomid assemblages, showing stronger relationships among sites within an altitudinal gradient than among habitat type. Abundance of chironomids increased from headwaters to the outflow in Nahuel Huapi Lake responding to an altitude gradient as well as some environmental factors such as coarse matter and nutrient concentrations.

Oral health-related quality of life before hematopoietic stem cell transplantation.

OBJECTIVES: This study was planned to evaluate the impact of oral health on the quality of life (QoL) of patients undergoing hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). MATERIAL AND METHODS: We assessed 200 patients divided into two paired groups: 100 patients prior to HSCT (SG) and 100 healthy volunteers (CG). We applied the Oral Health Impact Profile instrument, which is based on the biopsychosocial problem gradation of World Health Organization (WHO) and relates oral health problems with QoL according to seven dimensions. RESULTS: Fourteen patients in SG were referred for extraction of one to eight teeth, mostly due to deep caries with risk of pulpal infection and possible spread of infection via blood (r = 0.59, p = 0.000). The presence of severely compromised teeth by extensive decay correlated with Oral Health Impact Profile (OHIP-14). The Mann-Whitney test showed a significant difference between SG and CG in the following dimensions: functional limitation (p < 0.001), physical pain (p = 0.025), physical disability (p = 0.016), and social disability (p = 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: The impact of oral health on QoL of onco-hematologic patients is weak but is greater as compared to healthy ones. Nevertheless, a significant impact is seen in patients with severely compromised teeth. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: The negligence of oral care, proper hygiene, and the search for dental care may increase the risk for local and systemic infections.

Impact of pretransplant minimal residual disease after cord blood transplantation for childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia in remission: an Eurocord, PDWP-EBMT analysis.

To address the prognostic value of minimal residual disease (MRD) before unrelated cord blood transplantation (UCBT) in children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), we analyzed 170 ALL children transplanted in complete remission (CR) after myeloablative conditioning regimen. In all, 72 (43%) were in first CR (CR1), 77 (45%) in second CR (CR2) and 21 (12%) in third CR (CR3). The median interval from MRD quantification to UCBT was 18 days. All patients received single-unit UCBT. Median follow-up was 4 years. Cumulative incidence (CI) of day-60 neutrophil engraftment was 85%. CI of 4 years relapse was 30%, incidence being lower in patients with negative MRD before UCBT (hazard ratio (HR)=0.4, P=0.01) and for those transplanted in CR1 and CR2 (HR=0.3, P=0.002). Probability of 4 years leukemia-free survival (LFS) was 44%, (56, 44 and 14% for patients transplanted in CR1, CR2 and CR3, respectively (P=0.0001)). Patients with negative MRD before UCBT had better LFS after UCBT compared with those with positive MRD (54% vs 29%; HR=2, P=0.003). MRD assessment before UCBT for children with ALL in remission allows identifying patients at higher risk of relapse after transplantation. Approaches that may decrease relapse incidence in children given UCBT with positive MRD should be investigated to improve final outcomes.

Six cases of leprosy associated with allogeneic hematopoietic SCT.

We report here the first six cases of leprosy associated with HLA-identical allogeneic SCT in different phases and with different findings and outcomes. Skin and peripheral nerves may be sites of leprosy associated with SCT, stressing the importance of differential diagnosis between leprosy and GVHD or drug reactions. Clinical manifestations of leprosy before or after transplantation did not influence the outcome of SCT in our cases.

The influence of parental age on the risk of Wilms' tumour.

The Brazilian Wilms' Tumour Study Group carried out a hospital-based multicentre case-control study of potential risk factors for the disease between April 1987 and January 1989. The parents of 109 cases of Wilms' tumour (WT) were interviewed when they were admitted to hospital for diagnosis and treatment. Also interviewed were the parents of two controls per case, matched for age, sex and interviewer, who were admitted to the same or nearby hospitals for treatment of non-neoplastic conditions. Odds ratios adjusted for family income and parental education were calculated by conditional logistic regression. Among cases diagnosed before 25 months of age there was a marked gradient of increasing risk of WT with increasing maternal age at the time of the child's birth. There was no increased risk for cases diagnosed after 25 months of age. The effects of paternal age were less marked. Possible explanations for these results are discussed.

The influence of parental age on the risk of Wilms tumour

The Brazilian Wilms' Tumour Study Group carried out a hospital-based multicentre case-control study of potential risk factors for the disease between April 1987 and January 1989. The parents of 109 cases of Wilms' tumour (WT) were interviewed when they were admitted to hospital for diagnosis and treatment. Also interviewed were the parents of two controls per case, matched for age, sex and interviewer, who were admitted to the same or nearby hospitals for treatment of non-neoplastic conditions. Odds ratios adjusted for family income and parental education were calculated by conditional logistic regression. Among cases diagnosed before 25 months of age there was a marked gradient of increasing risk of WT with increasing maternal age at the time of the child's birth. There was no increased risk for cases diagnosed after 25 months of age. The effects of paternal age were less marked. Possible explanations for these results are discussed.

Parental exposures to pesticides and risk of Wilms' tumor in Brazil.

Wilms' tumor is one of the most common abdominal childhood malignancies. Wilms' tumor rates in Brazil are among the highest in the world. This prompted the Brazilian Wilms' Tumor Study Group to conduct a hospital-based, multicenter, case-control investigation of environmental risk factors for the disease. Between April 1987 and January 1989, the authors collected information on relevant occupational exposures by interviewing the parents of 109 Wilms' tumor cases admitted to hospitals in Sao Paulo, Salvador, Belo Horizonte, and Jau. Also interviewed were the parents of 218 age- and sex-matched control children who had been admitted for treatment of nonneoplastic diseases to the same or nearby hospitals. Odds ratios (ORs) adjusted for income and education were calculated by conditional logistic regression. Consistently elevated risks were seen for farm work involving frequent use of pesticides by both the father (OR = 3.24, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.2-9.0) and the mother (OR = 128.6, 95% CI 6.4-2,569). These risk elevations were restricted to cases diagnosed after 2 years of age (ORs > 4), for paternal exposure, and after 4 years of age (OR = 14.8, 95% CI 2.2-98.8), for maternal exposure. Risk elevations were also more pronounced among boys (paternal exposure OR = 8.56, 95% CI 2.1-35.1; maternal exposure OR = 4.60, 95% CI 0.8-26.4) than among girls (paternal exposure OR = 1.31, 95% CI 0.4-4.1; maternal exposure OR = 2.03, 95% CI 0.5-8.9).

Parental exposures to pesticides and risk of Wilms tumor in Brazil

Wilms' tumor is one of the most common abdominal childhood malignancies. Wilms' tumor rates in Brazil are among the highest in the world. This prompted the Brazilian Wilms' Tumor Study Group to conduct a hospital-based, multicenter, case-control investigation of environmental risk factors for the disease. Between April 1987 and January 1989, the authors collected information on relevant occupational exposures by interviewing the parents of 109 Wilms' tumor cases admitted to hospitals in Sao Paulo, Salvador, Belo Horizonte, and Jau. Also interviewed were the parents of 218 age- and sex-matched control children who had been admitted for treatment of nonneoplastic diseases to the same or nearby hospitals. Odds ratios (ORs) adjusted for income and education were calculated by conditional logistic regression. Consistently elevated risks were seen for farm work involving frequent use of pesticides by both the father (OR = 3.24, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.2-9.0) and the mother (OR = 128.6, 95% CI 6.4-2,569). These risk elevations were restricted to cases diagnosed after 2 years of age (ORs > 4), for paternal exposure, and after 4 years of age (OR = 14.8, 95% CI 2.2-98.8), for maternal exposure. Risk elevations were also more pronounced among boys (paternal exposure OR = 8.56, 95% CI 2.1-35.1; maternal exposure OR = 4.60, 95% CI 0.8-26.4) than among girls (paternal exposure OR = 1.31, 95% CI 0.4-4.1; maternal exposure OR = 2.03, 95% CI 0.5-8.9).

Alcaptonúria / Alcaptonuria

Os autores relatam o caso de uma paciente portadora de alcaptonúria, apresentando ocronose em regiäo palmar, pigmento ocronótico em esclerótica ocular, pigmentaçäo da urina e calcificaçöes dos discos intervertebrais. Foi tratada com dieta especial, pobre em fenilalanina e complementaçäo vitamínica com cido ascórbico. A paciente evolui bem, apresentando na ocasiäo da alta hospitalar melhora do estado geral e da coloraçäo urinária.

Medicina caseira em sete localidades da regiäo de Bauru, SP / Domestic medicine in 7 localities of the Bauru región, SP

Este trabalho foi realizado nas localidades de Duartina, Piratininga, Presidente Alves, Bocaina, Boracéia, Dois Córregos e Potunduva (Regiäo de Bauru), em 1981. O objetivo foi avaliar o conhecimento e o uso de plantas medicinais, pela populaçäo. Foram entrevistadas 372 pessoas, das quais, a maioria pertencia ao estrato social baixo. Mais de 95% das pessoas conheciam plantas medicinais, com grande utilizaçäo de duas a quatro variedades. O näo-uso representou, no total, apenas 10,8%. O local de obtençäo mais freqüente foi quintal, seguindo-se a farmácia. Citaram-se 118 plantas diferentes para uso medicinal. Destas, em apenas 9,3% näo se encontrou, na literatura, o nome científicos correspondente e, em 17,0%, a indicaçäo do valor medicinal. O uso mencionado pelos entrevistados foi coincidente com os da literatura em quase 70% das vezes, em pelo menos um sintoma ou doença. Discutiram-se as razöes do recente incremento da medicina caseira; alguns aspectos referentes à industrializaçäo e comercializaçäo de plantas medicinais e sublinhou-se a necessidade de promoçäo de pesquisas farmacológicas para o melhor conhecimento do valor terapêutico de flora medicinal brasileira

Efeito da degermacao quimica previa da pele abdominal de pacientes cesariadas, na deiscencia da incisao cirurgica, em presenca de processos infecciosos ou febris. / Effect of previous chemical degermation of abdominal skin in patients subjected to cesarean section in dehiscence of surgical wound, at the presence of infective or fever processes

Os autores estudaram a relacao existente entre estados febris ou infecciosos no terceiro trimestre da gestacao e no puerperio, com o aparecimento de deiscencia da incisao cirurgica em pacientes submetidas a operacao cesariana. Foi estudado tambem o efeito da degermacao da parede abdominal com um composto quaternario de amonia, em se evitar ou diminuir a incidencia de deiscencia da incisao cirurgica