Successful treatment of refractory cutaneous leishmaniasis with GM-CSF and antimonials.

Therapeutic failure in the treatment of cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) occurs in 5% of patients infected by Leishmania braziliensis. This study evaluates the use of topically applied granulocyte macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) combined with the standard dose of antimony to treat refractory cases of CL. Five patients who had received three courses or more of antimony were enrolled in an open-label clinical trial.

Familial aggregation of mucosal leishmaniasis in northeast Brazil.

To evaluate whether familial clustering occurs in mucosal leishmaniasis (ML), patients with ML (index cases) were randomly selected from medical records at a health post in an endemic area for Leishmania braziliensis infection. Control individuals (index controls) matched by age, gender, and place of residence to index cases were selected. Family members of index cases and controls were compared with respect to environmental factors and the incidence of cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) and ML.

Narrow resonances and ripple fluctuations in light scattering by a spheroid.

We develop a semiclassical theory to explain the rapid ripple fluctuations in the extinction efficiency of light scattering by a transparent prolate spheroid. The theory is based on uniform asymptotic expansion of spheroidal radial functions. We have calculated the extinction efficiency for normal and oblique incidence.

Surface tension of calcium hydroxide associated with different substances.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the surface tension of calcium hydroxide (CH) associated with different substances (deionized distilled water, camphorated paramonochlorophenol, 2% chlorhexidine digluconate, Otosporin, 3% sodium lauryl ether sulphate; Furacin, PMC Furacin) using tensiometer. The action of the substances studied on the dentinal structure enhances the property of surface tension. This method consists in the application of force to separate a platinum ring immersed in the substances.

Arrest in ciliated cell expansion on the bronchial lining of adult rats caused by chronic exposure to industrial noise.

Workers chronically exposed to high-intensity/low-frequency noise at textile plants show increased frequency of respiratory infections. This phenomenon prompted the herein investigation on the cytology of the bronchial epithelium of Wistar rats submitted to textile noise. Workplace noise from a cotton-mill room of a textile factory was recorded and reproduced in a sound-insulated animal room.

Insulin-like effects of Bauhinia forficata aqueous extract upon Tityus serrulatus scorpion envenoming.

Scorpion envenoming causes an intense autonomic discharge, leading to a massive release of neurotransmitters, giving rise to several pathophysiological effects. In this work we report the effects of a Bauhinia forficata aqueous extract (BfAE) upon hyperglycemia, glycogenolysis, increase of plasma catecholamines, lethality and changes in serum insulin and plasma electrolytes induced by Tityus serrulatus scorpion venom (TSV). We compare them with the effects of the regular insulin therapy.

Effect of pH on the production of the antitumor antibiotic retamycin by Streptomyces olindensis.

The effect of pH on cell growth and retamycin production in batch bioreactor cultures of Streptomyces olindensis ICB20 was investigated. In fermentations pH-controlled over the range 6.0-8.

[Reoperation in mitral valve reconstructive surgery].

Unlabelled: In the past few years reconstructive surgery of the mitral valve has experienced a growing popularity. It is now clearly established that restoration of a normal function valve is preferable to valve replacement. The authors report the results of the mitral valve reconstructive surgery in a population of 701 patients with high incidence of restrictive lesions of rheumatic fever.

Extracellular alkaline phosphatase from the filamentous fungus Aspergillus caespitosus: purification and biochemical characterization.

Among 30 species of filamentous fungi isolated from Brazilian soil, Aspergillus caespitosus produced and secreted the highest levels of alkaline phosphatase in culture medium supplemented with xylan. The extracellular alkaline phosphatase was purified by DEAE-cellulose and concanavalin A-sepharose chromatography. The enzyme was a glycoprotein containing up to 56% sugar with molar mass of 134.

Characterization and properties of acid phosphatases with phytase activity produced by Aspergillus caespitosus.

High levels of thermostable acid phosphatases were produced by Aspergillus caespitosus in culture media supplemented with xylan birchwood or agricultural residues, as carbon sources. The optimal culture conditions for production of phosphatases were 40 degrees C and pH 6.0.

Reduction of rat pleural microvilli caused by noise pollution.

Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was used to investigate whether chronic exposure to noise modifies pleural morphology. Rats were submitted to 8-h/day schedule of noise that is similar to the working hours at cotton-mill rooms. Morphometry of the area occupied by microvilli on the pleural surface showed a decrease in microvilli after 3 months of rat exposure to noise.

Zonation of ciliated cells on the epithelium of the rat trachea.

We have used scanning electron microscopy (SEM) to screen the entire epithelial surface of the cervical trachea of the adult rat. This scrutiny revealed that the density of ciliated cells along this epithelium follows a repetitive pattern: circular strips of high density of ciliated cells alternate with areas of low density of the same cells. Cilia-poor strips of the tracheal epithelium were seen on areas of cartilage rings; here, ciliated cells made up 32% of the total surface of the tracheal lining.

Multiclonal Leishmania braziliensis population structure and its clinical implication in a region of endemicity for American tegumentary leishmaniasis.

In Corte de Pedra (CP), northeastern Brazil, Leishmania braziliensis causes three distinct forms of American tegumentary leishmaniasis (ATL). To test the hypothesis that strain polymorphism may be involved in this disease spectrum and accurately characterize the parasite population structure in CP, we compared one L. major, two non-CP L.

[Differences between the nutritional status of children in public preschools and nutritional transition].

OBJECTIVE: To verify if there are different patterns of nutritional status among preschool children, and if these patterns deserve special interventions. METHODS: This cross-sectional study included 1,200 children from public preschools in Cosmópolis, a small town in the state of São Paulo. The z scores indices for height/age, weight/age, and weight/height were analyzed in terms of age, sex, type of school, and school location.

[Anemia in children under 3 years of age in public day care centers].

OBJECTIVE: To study the prevalence of anemia in children aged less than 36 months in public day care centers in the city of Cuiabá, state of Mato Grosso, Brazil. METHODS: Cross-sectional study with all children (n=271) less than 36 months of age who attended public day care centers in mid-1997. Children were evaluated as to their hemoglobin levels (venous blood, analyzed at the Central State Laboratory) and anthropometric indicators (weight/age, height/age, weight/height).

Molecular diagnosis of Huntington disease in Portugal: implications for genetic counselling and clinical practice.

Huntington disease (HD) is a neurodegenerative, autosomal dominant disorder of late-onset, caused by the expansion of a CAG repeat in the coding region of the gene. Ours is the reference laboratory for genetic testing in HD, in Portugal, since 1998; 90.1% of all 158 families known were identified for the first time, including patients with unusual presentation or without family history.

Portuguese families with dentatorubropallidoluysian atrophy (DRPLA) share a common haplotype of Asian origin.

Dentatorubropallidoluysian atrophy (DRPLA) is an autosomal dominant neurodegenerative disorder characterized by a variable combination of progressive ataxia, epilepsy, myoclonus, choreoathetosis and dementia. This disease is caused by a (CAG)(n) expansion in the DRPLA gene, on chromosome 12p13. DRPLA is prevalent in Japan, but several families of non-Japanese ancestry have already been published.

Evaluation of solubility, disintegration, and dimensional alterations of a glass ionomer root canal sealer.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the glass ionomer cement Ketac-Endo (K) compared with Endofill (E), N-Rickert (N), and Sealer 26 (S) in terms of disintegration, solubility, and dimensional alteration properties, based on ADA Specification No 57. For dimensional alterations, 12-mm high cylindric specimens measuring 6 mm in diameter were prepared and left to stand for a period corresponding to three times the setting time. These specimens were immersed in 30 ml of deionized distilled water after measuring their length with a caliper.

Congenital epigastric evisceration: a case report.

A rare case of abdominal wall defect at the epigastric midline is presented. This newborn boy had only the greater omentum eviscerated, and no other abnormalities could be detected. This case does not seem to relate to the abdominal wall defects reported so far in the literature.

Effect of carbon source on alkaline phosphatase production and excretion in Aspergillus caespitosus.

The effect of several carbon sources on the production of alkaline phosphatase by the thermotolerant Aspergillus caespitosus was analysed. The fungus released high levels of alkaline phosphatases into the medium after being cultured for long periods with xylan or industrial residues such as wheat raw and sugar cane bagasse in the culture media. In contrast, the alkaline phosphatase activities were found only intracellulary when the fungus was cultured in glucose-supplemented media.

Green teeth associated with cholestasis caused by sepsis: a case report and review of the literature.

Green stain is an uncommon condition associated with deposition of bilirubin in dental hard tissues. Prolonged hyperbilirubinemia has long been recognized as a frequent clinical manifestation of infection in the newborn, although the green staining of teeth caused by cholestasis associated with sepsis has not yet been reported. The purpose of this report is to present a case of green teeth of the primary dentition in a 3-year-old Brazilian girl.

Application of semiclassical and geometrical optics theories to resonant modes of a coated sphere.

This work deals with some aspects of the resonant scattering of electromagnetic waves by a metallic sphere covered by a dielectric layer, in the weak-absorption approximation. We carry out a geometrical optics treatment of the scattering and develop semiclassical formulas to determine the positions and widths of the system resonances. In addition, we show that the mean lifetime of broad resonances is strongly dependent on the polarization of the incident light.