Clinical and histological impact of previous hepatitis B virus infection in patients with chronic hepatitis C.

Background: Recent reports suggest that hepatitis C virus (HCV) carriers with serological markers of prior hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection have more advanced liver fibrosis, irrespective of HBV-DNA detection.

Aims: We sought to assess the prevalence and impact of previous HBV infection in patients with HCV chronic infection.

Methods: This cross-sectional study included hepatitis B surface antigen- and human immunodeficiency virus-negative subjects with positive HCV-RNA.

Serum levels of YKL-40 and hyaluronic acid as noninvasive markers of liver fibrosis in haemodialysis patients with chronic hepatitis C virus infection.

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is highly prevalent among end-stage renal disease (ESRD) patients undergoing haemodialysis and it is an important cause of morbidity and mortality in this population. The aim of this study was to evaluate the diagnostic value of YKL-40 and hyaluronic acid (HA) as noninvasive markers of liver fibrosis in 185 ESRD HCV-infected patients. Significant liver fibrosis was defined as METAVIR F2, F3 or F4 stages.

[Managers of territory in the Family Health Strategy: analysis and profile of qualification necessities].

The study aimed at elaborating the socio-demographic and educational profile of managers of territory of the Family Health Strategy and to identify the qualification types or process of permanent education that the managers have or to the ones that are inserted, the cultural- scientific development of them. The investigation is of exploratory-descriptive type, carried out in Sobral - Ceará, with 28 managers of territory of the Strategy of Health of the Family in the period of November of 2006 to June of 2007. For the collection of data it was used a questionnaire and a semi-structured interview.

Studies on the heterogeneity of the carotenogenic yeast Rhodotorula mucilaginosa from Patagonia, Argentina.

The yeast species Rhodotorula mucilaginosa is considered to be ubiquitous due to its world-wide distribution in terrestrial, freshwater and marine habitats, and to its ability to colonize a large variety of substrates. In this paper we assess the phenotypic and genetic variability of environmental isolates of R. mucilaginosa collected from natural and artificial environments in Patagonia, Argentina.

Tunnel technique with a surgical maneuver to increase the graft extension: case report with a 3-year follow-up.

Background: This article reports a clinical case with a 3-year follow-up in which a subepithelial connective tissue graft (SCTG) was used with the tunnel technique to treat multiple gingival recessions, and describes a technique used to enlarge the extension of the graft.

Methods: A 41-year-old female patient was referred for evaluation and treatment of maxillary multiple recessions. Following basic therapy, the plaque index was 23%, and the gingival index was 12%.

Optimized cutoffs improve performance of the aspartate aminotransferase to platelet ratio index for predicting significant liver fibrosis in human immunodeficiency virus/hepatitis C virus co-infection.

Aim: To assess the diagnostic value of modified cutoffs for aspartate aminotransferase to platelet ratio index (APRI) to predict significant liver fibrosis in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)/hepatitis C virus (HCV) patients.

Patients And Methods: This retrospective cross-sectional study included consecutive patients with HIV/HCV co-infection who underwent percutaneous liver biopsy. The accuracy of APRI for the diagnosis of significant fibrosis (F2/F3/F4 METAVIR) was evaluated by estimating the positive and negative predictive values (PPV and NPV respectively) and by measuring the area under the receiver operating characteristics curve (AUROC).

Reappraisal of the Sporobolomyces roseus species complex and description of Sporidiobolus metaroseus sp. nov.

Here, we investigate a group of red to pinkish ballistoconidia-forming yeasts that were preliminarily identified as Sporobolomyces roseus or Sporidiobolus pararoseus. Detailed molecular and micromorphological studies revealed that the sexual strains and several conspecific anamorphic isolates belonged to a novel teleomorph that represents the sexual stage of Sporobolomyces roseus. Consequently, a new taxon in the genus Sporidiobolus is here described as Sporidiobolus metaroseus sp.

Natural populations of Saccharomyces kudriavzevii in Portugal are associated with oak bark and are sympatric with S. cerevisiae and S. paradoxus.

Here we report the isolation of four Saccharomyces species (former Saccharomyces sensu stricto group) from tree bark. The employment of two temperatures (10 degrees C in addition to the more commonly used 30 degrees C) resulted in the isolation of S. kudriavzevii and S.

Effects of inelastic neutrino-nucleus scattering on supernova dynamics and radiated neutrino spectra.

Based on the shell model for Gamow-Teller and the random phase approximation for forbidden transitions, we calculate cross sections for inelastic neutrino-nucleus scattering (INNS) under supernova (SN) conditions, assuming a matter composition given by nuclear statistical equilibrium. The cross sections are incorporated into state-of-the-art stellar core-collapse simulations with detailed energy-dependent neutrino transport. While no significant effect on the SN dynamics is observed, INNS increases the neutrino opacities noticeably and strongly reduces the high-energy tail of the neutrino spectrum emitted in the neutrino burst at shock breakout.

Retinal and cortical patterns of spatial anisotropy in contrast sensitivity tasks.

It has often been postulated that asymmetries in performance within the visual field (VF) are not characteristic of early visual processing. Here, human retinal (naso/temporal), cortical (left/right) and superior/inferior patterns of asymmetry were explored with achromatic contrast sensitivity (CS) tasks, that probed distinct spatiotemporal frequency channels. Low spatial, high temporal frequency stimuli (illusory frequency-doubling (FD)) yielded superior and temporal field disadvantage.

[Psychometric evaluation of the Coach Orientation Questionnaire with a Spanish sample of handball coaches].

The purpose of this study was to develop a questionnaire to investigate volleyball coaches' orientations toward the coaching process. The study was preceded by four developmental stages in order to improve user understanding, validate the content, and refine the psychometric properties of the instrument. Participants for the reliability and validity study were 334 Spanish volleyball team coaches, 86.

Outbreak of surgical infection caused by non-tuberculous mycobacteria in breast implants in Brazil.

We investigated an outbreak caused by non-tuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) related to breast implant surgery in the city of Campinas, Brazil, by means of a retrospective cohort and molecular epidemiological study. A total of 492 records of individuals having breast surgery in 12 hospitals were evaluated. Twelve isolates were analysed using four different molecular typing methods.

Clinical and laboratory profile of HIV-positive patients at the moment of diagnosis in Bahia, Brazil.

In Brazil, current trends of the AIDS epidemic include an increase in transmission through heterosexual contact, predominantly from men to women, with more cases of AIDS in women and more children contaminated by vertical transmission. There is also a high proportion of cases in poor people or people living in small towns. HIV-infected patients with high levels of immunodeficiency are frequently hospitalized after their first visit to the clinic due to opportunistic infections, characteristic of advanced disease.

Rhodotorula psychrophila sp. nov., Rhodotorula psychrophenolica sp. nov. and Rhodotorula glacialis sp. nov., novel psychrophilic basidiomycetous yeast species isolated from alpine environments.

Three novel psychrophilic species of the genus Rhodotorula are described. Rhodotorula psychrophila sp. nov.

AIDS related malignancies in Brazil.

Purpose Of Review: There have been relatively few studies of HIV-related malignancies in Brazil. Universal access to antiretroviral drugs in Brazil has changed both the mortality and morbidity rates of AIDS. Nevertheless, there is also extreme poverty in both urban and rural areas and complications of prolonged immune suppression such as mycobacterial and malignant diseases have put a significant strain on the country's healthcare system.

Stronger health systems to beat TB.

Jorge Sampaio graduated in law in 1961 at Lisbon University in his native Portugal. At university and later, Sampaio took part in political action against the military dictatorship in Portugal until the revolution in 1974. In 1978, Sampaio joined Portugal's Socialist Party and was a member of parliament for many years.

Simple blood tests as noninvasive markers of liver fibrosis in hemodialysis patients with chronic hepatitis C virus infection.

Unlabelled: HCV infection is common among patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) on hemodialysis, and it has been considered an independent risk factor for mortality in this setting. Although liver biopsy in ESRD patients with HCV infection is useful before kidney transplantation, it carries a high risk of complications. We sought to assess the diagnostic value of noninvasive markers to stage liver fibrosis in 203 ESRD HCV-infected patients.

A higher-level phylogenetic classification of the Fungi.

A comprehensive phylogenetic classification of the kingdom Fungi is proposed, with reference to recent molecular phylogenetic analyses, and with input from diverse members of the fungal taxonomic community. The classification includes 195 taxa, down to the level of order, of which 16 are described or validated here: Dikarya subkingdom nov.; Chytridiomycota, Neocallimastigomycota phyla nov.

Slow component of VO(2) during level and uphill treadmill running: relationship to aerobic fitness in endurance runners.

Aim: The aim of this study was to compare the oxygen uptake (VO(2)) slow component (SC) during level and uphill running in endurance runners, and to identify associations between the SC and the following aerobic fitness indicators: peak VO(2), running speed associated with the peak VO(2) (Vpeak), running speed at the lactic threshold and the VO(2) fraction elicited at the lactic threshold.

Methods: Fourteen male endurance-trained runners underwent several 6-min bouts of level (LTR) and 10.5% uphill treadmill running.

An overview of the higher level classification of Pucciniomycotina based on combined analyses of nuclear large and small subunit rDNA sequences.

In this study we provide a phylogenetically based introduction to the classes and orders of Pucciniomycotina (= Urediniomycetes), one of three subphyla of Basidiomycota. More than 8000 species of Pucciniomycotina have been described including putative saprotrophs and parasites of plants, animals and fungi. The overwhelming majority of these (approximately 90%) belong to a single order of obligate plant pathogens, the Pucciniales (= Uredinales), or rust fungi.

Dynamics of yeast populations recovered from decaying leaves in a nonpolluted stream: a 2-year study on the effects of leaf litter type and decomposition time.

Here we report on the results of a survey of the yeast populations occurring on submerged leaves (alder, eucalyptus and oak) in a natural mountain stream, during different phases of their decomposition and through two consecutive years. Leaf litter mass loss, total yeast counts, Shannon-Weiner index (H'), yeast community structure and physiologic abilities were analyzed to evaluate the dynamics of yeast communities during decay. Seventy-two yeast taxa were recorded, and in all litter types, species of basidiomycetous affinity predominated over ascomycetous ones.

Antibiotic resistance and trend of urinary pathogens in general outpatients from a major urban city.

Objective: We assessed the antimicrobial resistance patterns of pathogens responsible for urinary tract infections (UTI) in outpatients in São Paulo, Brazil, as well as the Escherichia coli antimicrobial resistance trend.

Materials And Methods: Outpatients urine cultures were collected from January 2000 to December 2003. Statistical analysis considered positive results for one bacterial species with colony count >or= 100,000 CFU/mL.

Scanning electron microscopic and profilometric study of different sharpening stones.

Scaling and root planing contribute to the recovery of periodontal health. All periodontal instruments loose their fine cutting angle after use. To maintain this angle, correct sharpening is required using specifically designed stones.

Biogeography, host specificity, and molecular phylogeny of the basidiomycetous yeast Phaffia rhodozyma and its sexual form, Xanthophyllomyces dendrorhous.

Phaffia rhodozyma (sexual form, Xanthophyllomyces dendrorhous) is a basidiomycetous yeast that has been found in tree exudates in the Northern Hemisphere at high altitudes and latitudes. This yeast produces astaxanthin, a carotenoid pigment with biotechnological importance because it is used in aquaculture for fish pigmentation. We isolated X.