Intrathoracic fluid may be a normal finding at around 8 gestational weeks.

OBJECTIVE: To describe the observation of embryonic thoracic fluid at around 8 weeks' gestation and to discuss the likely etiology. METHODS: This was a retrospective study of patients referred between August 2005 and May 2006 to our units in France and in the USA for a dating scan between 6 and 10 weeks. Included in our series were all embryos presenting with an ultrasound finding suggestive of an early pericardial fluid collection, i.e. a large anechoic fluid collection surrounding the heart. The gestational age, fetal heart rate and maternal age at this first scan were recorded, along with nuchal translucency thickness as measured at the 12-week scan and the second-trimester anomaly scan results. RESULTS: Five cases were included in this study. In all five patients, the anechoic fluid collection was visualized at 8 weeks, and by the time of the nuchal scan it had disappeared completely. The nuchal translucency thickness was normal in all cases and all five embryos had normal cardiac examinations during the second trimester and were normal at birth. CONCLUSIONS: The observation on ultrasound at 8 weeks' gestation of a large anechoic fluid collection surrounding the heart that disappears by week 12 is suggestive of a transient pericardial collection.

[Control of blood transfusion malaria in an endemic and in a non-endemic region in Brazil]. / Controle da malária transfusional em região endêmica e não endêmica do Brasil.

The aim of the present work was to establish appropriate criteria for screening of donor blood from regions with distinct Malaria epidemiological characteristics. Three locations with different screening criteria were studied: São Paulo, SP (with no vectorial transmission), Belém, PA (with low active transmission) and Matupá and Peixoto de Azevedo, MT (with high active transmission). The Malaria parasite--Plasmodium sp--was searched for by "thick film", QBC Test and antigen Immunofluorescence test, and was not detected in any of the samples. There was, however, a great variation in the positivity of anti-plasmodial antibodies, as determined by IIF-IgG anti-P. vivax and -P. falciparum, between accepted donors in the 3 studied locations and between rejected and accepted donors in São Paulo (1.98% accepted, 22.3% rejected--p < 0.01) and Belém (17.2% accepted, 58.3% rejected--p < 0.01). These data endorse the use of the applied clinical and epidemiological screening. In Matupá and Peixoto de Azevedo, where there was no rejected donor, the serological positivity was 80.6%. We, therefore, consider that the Malaria screening in blood banks should follow clinical and epidemiological criteria suitable to each region. The laboratorial screening techniques should then detect either the parasites (thick film/QBC Test or the parasite antigens.

Controle da malária transfusional em região endêmica e não endêmica do Brasil / Control of blood transfusion malaria in an endemic and in a non-endemic region in Brazil

O presente trabalho teve como objetivo estabelecer critérios adequados à triagem de doadores de sangue de regiões com características epidemiológicas distintas, para malária. Foram estudados 3 locais com critérios de seleção diferentes: São Paulo, SP (sem transmissão vetorial), Belém (baixa transmissão ativa), Matupá, Belém, PA e Peixoto de Azevedo, MT (alta transmissão ativa). A pesquisa de plasmódios foi realizada por gota espessa, QBC Test® e imunofluorescência para pesquisa de antígenos, tendo sido todas as amostras negativas. Houve grande variação na positividade para anticorpos antiplasmodiais por IFI-IgG anti P. vivax e P. falciparum entre doadores aptos nos 3 locais de estudo e entre doadores aptos e inaptos em São Paulo (aptos 1,98%, inaptos 22,3%, p < 0.01) e Belém (aptos 17,2%, inaptos 58,3%, p < 0.01), o que atesta a validade da triagem clínico-epidemiológica realizada. Em Matupá e Peixoto de Azevedo não houve doadores inaptos e a positividade foi de 80,6%. Consideramos que em bancos de sangue a triagem deve seguir critérios clínico-epidemiológicos adequados à situação de cada região. Os métodos laboratoriais de triagem, devem ser para detecção de plasmódios (gota espessa/QBC Test® ou detecção de antígenos parasitários.

The aim of the present work was to establish appropriate criteria for screening of donor blood from regions with distinct Malaria epidemiological characteristics. Three locations with different screening criteria were studied: São Paulo, SP (with no vectorial transmission), Belém, PA (with low active transmission) and Matupá and Peixoto de Azevedo, MT (with high active transmission). The Malaria parasite--Plasmodium sp--was searched for by [quot ]thick film[quot ], QBC Test and antigen Immunofluorescence test, and was not detected in any of the samples. There was, however, a great variation in the positivity of anti-plasmodial antibodies, as determined by IIF-IgG anti-P. vivax and -P. falciparum, between accepted donors in the 3 studied locations and between rejected and accepted donors in São Paulo (1.98% accepted, 22.3% rejected--p < 0.01) and Belém (17.2% accepted, 58.3% rejected--p < 0.01). These data endorse the use of the applied clinical and epidemiological screening. In Matupá and Peixoto de Azevedo, where there was no rejected donor, the serological positivity was 80.6%. We, therefore, consider that the Malaria screening in blood banks should follow clinical and epidemiological criteria suitable to each region. The laboratorial screening techniques should then detect either the parasites (thick film/QBC Test or the parasite antigens.

Stereoselective total synthesis of some insect pheromones: (±)-serricornine and (±)-invictolide

An efficient (12 steps, 12% overallyield) and stereoselective total synthesis of (±)-serricornine (1) the sex pheromone of the cigarette beetle (Lasioderma serricornine F) is described. The preparation of intermediate 5, which encompasses the proper relative configuration of three contiguous chiral centers of (±)-invictolide, (3), is discussed.