Abstract Introduction Ménière disease (MD) affects the inner ear, comprising the cochlea and semicircular canals. Symptoms include severe incapacitating vertigo, nausea, vomit, aural fullness, and sensorineural hearing loss – in which speech discrimination and intelligibility are impaired and can be quantified with speech audiometry. Objective To investigate the influence of the stimuli presentation level in speech audiometry and the quality of life in adults with and without a diagnosis of MD. Method Two groups were formed with nine individuals each – one with and the other without MD. The Speech Recognition Percentage Index was researched with stimuli presented above the self-reported comfort level or 5 dB below the discomfort level. Dizziness Handicap and Tinnitus Handicap Inventories were administered to individuals with tinnitus and vertigo complaints. Results Speech recognition was better in the study group with higher presentation levels, as 75% of the sample improved their performance. The presence of vertigo significantly impacted the quality of life of individuals in the study group. Conclusion Speech recognition improves with higher presentation levels. Also, MD impacts the quality of life, especially regarding limitations caused by vertigo.

Resumo O plano de Belo Horizonte, capital inaugurada no fim do século XIX, teve ordem, progresso e higiene como premissas básicas. Todavia, a cidade apresenta, desde suas origens, um padrão peculiar de segregação socioespacial. Essa condição tem sido atribuída a seu plano, que previa a construção de uma zona urbana elitista, expulsando antigos moradores e imigrantes pobres para os subúrbios desorganizados e sem higiene, assim como áreas de risco e ambientalmente frágeis. Esta pesquisa histórica revela quais mecanismos e práticas resultaram em tal segregação socioespacial, agindo além do plano e em consequência dele, ao mesmo tempo que desafia dicotomias tais como centro rico/periferia pobre que têm dominado a historiografia sobre Belo Horizonte, revelando uma realidade muito mais complexa.

Abstract The plan for Belo Horizonte, founded at the turn of the 19thcentury, was premised by order, progress and hygiene. The city has displayed, however, a peculiar pattern of social-spatial exclusion since its beginnings. This pattern has be traced back to the plan, as it foresaw the construction of an elitist urban area in replacement of the existing village, evicting former residents and poor newcomers and relegating them to the unorganized, unhygienic suburbs as well as to at-risk and environmentally fragile areas. This historiographic research reveals which mechanisms and practices led to such social-spatial segregation, working outside and as a result of its plan, while challenging simplistic “rich-center/poor-periphery” dichotomies that have dominated Belo Horizonte’s historiography, unveiling instead a much more complex reality.

Abstract Pineapple (Ananas comosus var. comosus) fusariosis is an economically important fungal disease affecting the plant and its fruit. A rapid and reliable diagnosis is the base of integrated disease management practices. Fusariosis has resulted in quarantines for pineapple products in Central America, Africa and Asia. Difficulties diagnosing and correctly identifying the fungus Fusarium guttiforme, agent of the pineapple fusariosis, have led to the search for new methodologies, and for this we developed a new reliable molecular method to detect it. For diagnostic purposes, real-time PCR of elongation factor gene 1-α (ef1) was used to rapidly, specifically and sensitively diagnose F. guttiforme. A pathogenicity test was conducted with slips of the pineapple cultivar Pérola, a multiplex PCR was run, and the results compared with those obtained with real-time PCR. The real-time PCR assay with its specific primer set could readity distinguish F. guttiforme from other Fusarium species known to occur on pineapple. The real-time PCR test had 95% sensitivity and 100% specificity with a significance level p<0.0001. For field samples the test had 100% sensitivity and specificity. Thus, this new test is fit for use in serial analyses of pineapples, and may have application in the evaluation of propagation materials and making quarantine decisions. The ability to rapidly and specifically detect F. guttiforme in plant samples will facilitate monitoring of the pathogen and improve disease management.

Resumen Los inmigrantes europeos (y aquellos mezclados con nativos, denominados caboclos) en el sur de Brasil conservan peculiaridades terapéuticas derivadas de la experiencia con la biodiversidad presente en los ecosistemas de las tierras altas, asociados con los bosques de araucaria. El estudio sistematizó el conocimiento popular sobre las prácticas de medicina herbal adoptadas por agricultores familiares en la meseta sur del estado de Santa Catarina. Se realizaron entrevistas semiestructuradas para la recopilación de información. Además, los índices se adoptaron como estimaciones. El conocimiento de las plantas medicinales compartidas por los agricultores familiares de la región aparece como un patrimonio sociocultural aún presente en las comunidades rurales a pesar de los cambios en la tierra y las alteraciones en el uso de la terreno.

Abstract European immigrants —and those mixed with native people called caboclos— keep in Southern Brazil therapeutic peculiarities derived from the experience with the biodiversity present in highland fields ecosystems, associated with araucaria forests. The study systematized the popular knowledge about herbal medicine practices adopted by family farmers in the South Plateau of Santa Catarina State. Semi-structured interviews were adopted for the collection of information. Also, indices were adopted as estimates. The knowledge of medicinal plants shared by family farmers of the region appears as a sociocultural heritage, which is still present in rural communities in spite of land changes and alterations in land use.

RESUMO O objetivo do trabalho foi verificar os efeitos da combinação de capinas + consorciação com gliricídia no controle de plantas daninhas para produção de minimilho e milho verde. Utilizou-se o delineamento de blocos casualizados com quatro repetições e parcelas subdivididas. Os híbridos AG 1051 e BR 205 foram submetidos aos seguintes tratamentos: A = duas capinas (20 e 40 dias após a semeadura, DAS); B = realização de capina aos 20 DAS + consorciação com gliricídia após a capina; C = consorciação com gliricídia por ocasião da semeadura do milho (CGSM) + realização de capina aos 40 DAS; D = CGSM; E = sem capinas. A gliricídia foi semeada a lanço com 30 sementes viáveis m-2. A ordem dos melhores tratamentos foi A > B > C, quanto ao número de espigas, massas frescas de espigas empalhadas e despalhadas, e massa seca de espigas despalhadas, de minimilho, e quanto aos números e massas totais e de espigas comercializáveis, empalhadas e despalhadas, de milho verde. Os tratamentos D e E foram os piores, sendo o tratamento D superior ao tratamento E apenas quanto ao número de espigas despalhadas comercializáveis. Não existem diferenças entre os híbridos quanto aos rendimentos de espigas imaturas.

ABSTRACT The goal of the study was to test the effects of combined weeding and gliricidia (Gliricidia sepium) intercropping for weed control in baby corn and green corn production. A completely randomized block design was employed, with split-plot and four replicates. Hybrids AG 1051 and BR 205 were subjected to the following treatments: A = two hoeings, 20 and 40 days after sowing (DAS); B = hoeing at 20 DAS + gliricidia intercropping following weeding; C = gliricidia intercropping established at the moment of corn sowing (GICS) + hoeing at 40 DAS; D = GICS; E = no weeding. Gliricidia was broadcast sown with 30 viable seeds m-2. The best treatments follow the order A > B > C as number of ears, fresh mass of ears with husks, fresh and dry masses of ears without husks for baby corn, and number of ears, fresh mass of ears with husks, fresh and dry masses of ears without husks for green corn. The worst results are observed for treatments D and E. Treatment D is only better than treatment E for the number of marketable ears without husks. No differences in the yields of immature ears exist between the hybrids.

Abstract Herba Cistanche (Cistanche species) in Traditional Chinese Medicine is used for the treatment of several diseases and symptoms, to include pain. The objective of this study was to evaluate the antinociceptive effect of the hydroethanol extract of Cistanche salsa (C.A.Mey.) Beck, Orobanchaceae, stolons in animal models of pain. Chemical composition of Herba Cistanche was analyzed by HPLC-UV. Mice Swiss Webster (25–30 g, n = 6) were orally pre-treated with Herba Cistanche (10, 30 or 100 mg/kg) and evaluated in the formalin test and in the capsaicin- or glutamate-induced licking response. Kazakh Herba Cistanche is composed mainly by phenylpropanoid glycosides, from which echinacoside, acteoside and tubuloside B are the main constituents. When Herba Cistanche was administered to mice it had an effect in both phases of the formalin test (77% activity at 30 mg/kg for phase 1 and 62% activity at 100 mg/kg for phase 2) suggesting analgesic and anti-inflammatory properties. Kazakh Herba Cistanche was able to reduce the animals licking time after injection of glutamate (81% reduction at 30 mg/kg) and capsaicin (81% reduction at 100 mg/kg). We conclude that phenolics present in the hydroethanol extract of C. salsa could be responsible for its pharmacological profile. In order to source a good quality raw material for Traditional Chinese Medicine we recommended this Kazakh species to be standardized using echinacoside and acteoside as markers.

RESUMO A epilepsia traz importantes consequências na funcionalidade e nas atividades sociais. São escassos os instrumentos de avaliação para esta finalidade. Este estudo tem por objetivo realizar a tradução da Escala de Funcionamento Social e Ocupacional para Epilepsia - SOFSE. É um estudo de tradução, para o qual foram utilizadas as diretrizes de Beaton et al. (2000). Foram avaliados 60 sujeitos, acima de 18 anos com diagnóstico confirmado de epilepsia. A análise da consistência interna (alpha de Cronbach) apresentou valores entre 0,55 e 0,72 associados às dimensões originais do instrumento, enquanto as cinco dimensões identificadas pelos resultados de uma análise fatorial exploratória apresentaram valores entre 0,60 e 0,68, com agrupamento diferente da estrutura da escala original. Os entrevistados não apresentaram dificuldade para responder a versão traduzida da SOFSE, mas os resultados estatísticos mostram a necessidade de uma adaptação cultural para a população brasileira.

ABSTRACT Epilepsy has important consequences on functionality and social activities. There are few evaluation tools for this purpose. This study aimed to translate the Social and Occupational Functioning Scale for Epilepsy. It is a translation study, for which Beaton et al’s. guidelines were used. Sixty patients over 18 years of age, with a confirmed diagnosis of epilepsy, were evaluated. The analysis of internal consistency (Cronbach’s alpha) showed values between 0.55 and 0.72 associated with the original dimensions of the instrument, while the five dimensions identified by the results of an exploratory factor analysis showed values between 0.60 and 0.68, with different grouping of the structures of the original scale. Respondents had no difficulty answering the translated version of the Social and Occupational Functioning Scale for Epilepsy, but the statistics show the need for cultural adaptation to the Brazilian population.

Abstract Choisya ternata Kunth, C. ternata var. sundance Kunth and the hybrid Choisya ‘Aztec-Pearl’ are three related species belonging to the Rutaceae family. Ethanol extracts were prepared from the leaves of these three species and evaluated in relation to their antioxidant activity using in vitro and ex vivo models. The ethanol extracts belonging to the three species produced a very high antioxidant profile as evidenced by the DPPH radical scavenging activity, the determination of total phenolics and flavonoid equivalent. The generation of reactive species of oxygen in leukocytes stimulated with LPS was dramatically reduced when the three ethanol extracts were used. The alkaloids anhydroevoxine and choisyine were isolated from the ethanol extract of C. ternata using HEMWat (4:6:5:5) as the solvent system by means of high-speed countercurrent chromatography. This was the first time quinoline alkaloids were isolated from this species using HSCCC. These compounds were also assayed for their capacity to inhibit the generation of ROS in leukocytes stimulated by LPS and the results also suggested that they are reactive oxygenase inhibitors.

Through dereplication strategies using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and ultra fast liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UFLC-MS/MS), the ethanol extract from Psycotria nemorosa leaves (Rubiaceae) showed to be composed of: cinnamic acid, dihydroactinidiolide, 4-hydroxy-β-ionone, phytol, isophytol, 4,8,12,16-tetramethylheptadecan-4-olide, lupeol, a mixture of α/β-amyrin, the keto and acetylated derivatives, besides stigmast-4-en-3-one, campesterol, stigmasterol and γ-sitosterol by GC-MS. Likewise, by UFLC-MS/MS, the main compounds identified were: butin, resveratrol, rutin, kaempferol 7-O-β-D-glucopyranoside, deacetylasperuloside, epiloganin, hordenine, strictosidine, N-methyl-1,2,3,4-tetrahydro-β-carboline and N-formyl-tryptamine. The antinociceptive activity of the crude extract ant its fractions was reported.

OBJETIVO: As fraturas de escápula são entidades raras e que frequentemente cursam com complicações respiratórias graves, geralmente associadas a contusões do tecido pulmonar. Os autores descrevem um caso raro de tromboembolismo arteriolar ocular causado por fratura multifragmentária do corpo escapular em paciente vítima de acidente automobilístico.

OBJECTIVE: Scapula fractures are rare entities and occur along with severe respiratory complications, usually associated with lung tissue injuries. The authors describe a rare case of eye arteriolar thromboembolism due to scapular body fracture in a patient victim of a car accident.

Uma nova família de barbituratos, ácidos 5-cloro-5-benzilbarbitúricos, foi preparada usando um método simples e eficiente a partir de aldeídos aromáticos e ácido barbitúrico, seguido de redução e cloração usando ácido tricloroisocianúrico, com rendimento global de 53 a 70%. Por avaliação in vivo com camundongos, os produtos apresentaram atividade tranqüilizante.

A new family of barbiturates, 5-chloro-5-benzylbarbituric acids, was prepared using a simple efficient synthetic method from aromatic aldehydes and barbituric acid, followed by reduction and chlorination with trichloro-isocyanuric acid, affording overall yields of 53 to 70%. The in vivo evaluation with mice showed that these compounds present tranquilizing activity.

As viroses são problemas importantes para a agricultura moderna e o seu controle representa um desafio para o manejo de áreas cultivadas. As principais estratégias de resistência a vírus se baseiam em mecanismos naturais ou em engenharia genética. Recentemente, a maior compreensão dos mecanismos moleculares envolvidos na função de genes de resistência da planta facilitou o desenvolvimento de novas estratégias antivirais. Plantas modificadas geneticamente, em particular aquelas expressando a via de silenciamento de RNA, são alvo de interesse crescente e representam a possibilidade de estratégias futuras mais efetivas. Neste trabalho são discutidos diferentes aspectos relacionados à resistência a viroses em plantas. Adicionalmente, a perspectiva de aplicação biotecnológica das diferentes vias de resistência é apresentada.

Virus diseases are significant threats to modern agriculture and their control remains a challenge to the management of cultivation. The main virus resistance strategies are based on either natural resistance or engineered virus-resistant plants. Recent progress in understanding the molecular mechanisms underlying the roles of resistance genes has promoted the development of new anti-virus strategies. Engineered plants, in particular plants expressing RNA-silencing nucleotides, are becoming increasingly important and are likely to provide more effective strategies in future. A general discussion on the biotechnology of plant responses to virus infection is followed by recent advances in engineered plant resistance.

Papaya meleira virus (PMeV) é o agente etiológico da meleira do mamoeiro (Carica papaya L.), cujo diagnóstico é feito através da detecção do RNA dupla-fita (dsRNA) viral a partir do látex das plantas. Neste trabalho é demonstrado que o dsRNA do PMeV é protegido durante 25 dias quando diluído em tampão citrato pH 5.0 (1:1 v/v) seguido de armazenamento à -20°C. Nesta mesma temperatura, o dsRNA foi parcialmente protegido quando o látex foi diluído em água ultra-pura ou mantido puro. Ao contrário, quando as amostras foram mantidas à 25°C, observou-se uma degradação progressiva do dsRNA, com ausência de bandas após 25 dias, indicando a necessidade do congelamento do látex. Os procedimentos de coleta e armazenamento do látex descritos neste trabalho contribuem para a eficiência e uso em larga escala do diagnóstico molecular do PMeV.

Papaya meleira virus (PMeV) is the causal agent of papaya (Carica papaya L.) sticky disease, which has been detected through analysis of its double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) genome from plant latex. In this work we demonstrate that PMeV dsRNA is protected during 25 days when latex is diluted in citrate buffer pH 5.0 (1:1 v/v) and maintained at -20°C. At the same temperature, some protection was observed for pure latex or latex diluted in ultra-pure water. Conversely, the dsRNA was almost completely degraded after 25 days when maintained at 25°C, indicating the need for freezing. The proper procedures to collect and store papaya latex described here will contribute to efficient and large scale use of molecular diagnosis of PMeV.

Banana, mamão e abacaxi são as frutas tropicais mais consumidas no mundo, sendo o Brasil um dos principais produtores. Os fungos Colletotrichum musae, Colletotrichum gloeosporioides e Fusarium subglutinans f.sp ananas são os principais causadores de doenças e perdas em pós-colheita de frutas. A proposta deste estudo foi avaliar a eficácia de cinco monoterpenos em inibir o crescimento micelial e a germinação dos conídios destes três fitopatógenos. Os monoterpenos citral, citronelal, L-carvona, isopulegol e a-pineno foram diluídos em etanol à concentração final de 0,2 a 1%. Todos os monoterpenos testados inibiram os três fungos estudados de maneira dose-dependente. Citral foi o mais efetivo dos óleos testados e apresentou uma potente atividade fungicida em concentrações acima de 0,5%. Mais ainda, avaliação in vivo com estas frutas tropicais demonstrou a eficácia de citral como inibidor do crescimento fúngico. Estes resultados indicam o uso em potencial de citral como um pesticida natural no controle das doenças em pós-colheita de frutas tropicais.

Banana, papaya and pineapple are the most consumed tropical fruits in the world, being Brazil one of the main producers. Fungi Colletotrichum musae, Colletotrichum gloeosporioides and Fusarium subglutinans f.sp. ananas cause severe post harvest diseases and losses in fruits quality. The aim of this work was to evaluate the effectiveness of five monoterpenes to inhibit the mycelial growth and conidia germination of these three phytopathogens. The monoterpenes citral, citronellal, L-carvone, isopullegol and a-pinene were diluted in ethanol to final concentrations from 0.2 to 1%. All monoterpenes were found to inhibit the growth of the three studies fungi in a dose-dependent manner. Citral was the most effective of the oils tested and showed potent fungicidal activity at concentrations above 0.5%. Also, in vivo evaluation with these tropical fruits demonstrated the efficiency of citral to inhibit fungal growth. These results indicate the potential use of citral as a natural pesticide control of post-harvest fruit diseases.

Extratos de flores (ETFA) e espigas (ETEA) de Açaí (Euterpe oleraceae Mart.) foram avaliados quanto a sua atividade antinociceptiva. ETFA mostrou significativa atividade periférica, reduzindo em até 50% o número total de contorções abdominais. Já ETEA mostrou reduzido efeito no modelo de contorções abdominais, mas seu efeito espinhal pode ser observado com as doses maiores. Nenhum dos extratos foi capaz de alterar os índices de analgesia na placa quente.