Abstract INTRODUCTION: Biomphalaria glabrata is considered to be responsible for the incidence of schistosomiasis in Brazil. Therefore, surveillance of areas where schistosomiasis is prevalent is fundamental for public health planning. This study was aimed to evaluate B. glabrata populations in water bodies of the city of Salvador, determine their distribution, estimate the prevalence of Schistosoma mansoni infections, characterize shed cercariae, and identify transmission foci. METHODS: Malacological surveys were carried out in 17 water collections from Salvador. Snail species were identified based on shell and mantle characteristics. Snails were evaluated for S. mansoni infection by exposure to light and via real time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) using S. mansoni-18S rRNA subunit specific primers. RESULTS: 1,403 B. glabrata were collected. Classical cercarial shedding indicated that 5 snails (0.4%) were positive for S. mansoni. A higher prevalence of infections was found in Horta de Saramandaia (5.5%) and Lagoa do IAT (1.9%). Non-Schistosoma larvae, such as Xiphidiocercaria, Strigeidae, Spirorchiidae and Clinostomidae, were observed in 3.2% of the snails. S. mansoni DNA was detected in 6.2% snails via qPCR. CONCLUSIONS: B. glabrata is widely distributed in Salvador, as indicated by 7 water collections associated with a risk of schistosomiasis transmission. To our knowledge, this is the first study to identify B. glabrata eliminating cercariae of Clinostomidae, Strigeidae, and Spirorchiidae in Salvador. We propose that qPCR may be employed in combination with classical cercarial shedding. Estimating S. mansoni prevalence in snails by only considering the results of light exposure method classical into account may underestimate the problem.

A cultura da pereira (Pyrus communisL.) possui grande potencial de expansão no sul do Brasil devido às condições climáticas e de solo. A carência de informações a respeito da(s) melhor(es) combinação(ões) de cultivares 'copa de pereiras europeias' e porta-enxertos de marmeleiro em relação à compatibilidade de enxertia é um dos fatores que tem limitado o cultivo de pera no país. A utilização de porta-enxertos de marmeleiros apresentam as vantagens de redução do vigor e rápida entrada em produção, porém, quando enxertados com algumas cultivares de 'pereira europeia', pode acarretar incompatibilidade de enxertia. O trabalho foi realizado com o objetivo de avaliar fenotipicamente a compatibilidade morfológica entre cultivares 'copa de pereiras europeias' e porta-enxertos de marmeleiro através das variáveis de crescimento das plantas, como o incremento de diâmetro (mm) do tronco da cultivar e do porta-enxerto; diferença de diâmetro entre a cultivar e o porta-enxerto; incompatibilidade 'translocada'; incompatibilidade 'localizada'; e análise da conexão vascular no ponto de enxertia pela imersão em solução corante de Ácido Fuccínico 0,08%. Os experimentos foram conduzidos em pomares de pereiras europeias na região de Urupema, estado de Santa Catarina, durante os ciclos de cultivo 2011/12, 2012/13 e 2013/14. As combinações de cultivares de pereiras europeias e porta-enxertos avaliados foram a 'Abbè Fetel'/'Adams', 'Decana du Comice'/'Adams', 'Clapp's Favourite'/'EMA', 'Rocha'/'Adams', 'Packham´s Triumph'/'EMA' e 'Santa Maria'/'Adams'. A combinação 'Clapp´s Favourite'/'EMA' apresentou incompatibilidade do tipo 'localizada' pela descontinuidade vascular na região de união do enxerto, impedindo a passagem do corante. As combinações 'Rocha'/'Adams' e 'Abbè Fetel'/'Adams' não apresentaram incompatibilidade de enxertia. Nessas combinações, foram observadas união vascular contínua entre as cultivares e os porta-enxertos. As combinações 'Santa Maria'/'Adams', 'Decana du Comice'/'Adams' e 'Packham´s Triumph'/'EMA' apresentaram boa união na zona de enxertia pela continuidade da linha de união na casca e no lenho. A combinação 'Clapp´s Favourite'/'EMA', devido às regiões de incompatibilidade encontradas, não é uma combinação recomendada nas condições experimentais avaliadas. As combinações 'Abbè Fetel'/'Adams' e 'Rocha'/'Adams' são as mais indicadas para plantio, devido à total compatibilidade encontrada entre a cultivar e o porta-enxerto. As combinações 'Santa Maria'/'Adams', 'Decana du Comice'/'Adams' e 'Packham´s Triumph'/'EMA' podem ser recomendadas, devido à compatibilidade parcial de enxertia, sendo indicadas para alta e super densidades de plantio.

The pear (Pyrus communis L.) crop offers an expansive market opportunity in southern Brazil, because of amicable climatic and soil conditions. However, the lack of studies on compatibility of european pear cultivars and rootstocks is one of the limiting factors on the development of the pear crop in southern Brazil. The use of quinces as rootstocks has the advantages of vigor reduction and earlier bearing trees. However, some of these combinations can present some incompatibility graft. The objective of this study was to evaluate phenotypicaly the morphological compatibility among european pear cultivars and quince rootstocks. The evaluated variable were the section increment of cultivars and rootstocks trunk diameter at the graft union; the diameter difference between scion and cultivars and rootstocks; 'translocated' incompatibility; 'located' incompatibility; and the vascular connection of the graft union by immersion of the base of the plants (under the graft union) in a 0.08% Fuccinic acid solution. The experiments were conducted in an european pear orchards in the region of Urupema municipality, state of Santa Catarina, during the 2011/12, 2012/13 and 2013/14 growing seasons. The european pear cultivars and rootstocks evaluated were: 'Abbé Fetel'/'Adams', 'Decana du Comice'/'Adams', 'Clapp's Favourite'/'EMA', 'Rock'/'Adams', 'Packham's Triumph'/'EMA' and 'Santa Maria'/'Adams'. 'The Clapp´s Favourite'/'EMA' combination showed a `located incompatibility by descontinued vascular graft region, preventing the dye translocation. 'The Rocha'/'Adams' and 'Abbè Fetel'/'Adams' combinations did not present graft incompatibility, showing continued vascular union and no vascular disruption between cultivars and rootstocks. The 'Santa Maria'/'Adams', 'Decana du Comice'/'Adams' and 'Packham´s Triumph'/'EMA' combinations showed a good graft union region with clear and continued bark and wood bond lines. The 'Clapp´s Favourite'/'EMA' combination showed high incompatibility and is not recomented for the experimental conditions evaluated. The 'Abbè Fetel'/'Adams' and 'Rocha'/'Adams' combinations showed the highest graft compatibility among cultivars and rootstocks and are the best recomended combinations. Additionly, the 'Santa Maria'/'Adams', 'Decana du Comice'/'Adams' and 'Packham´s Triumph'/'EMA' combinations showed partial compatibility and can eventually be indicated for high and super plant density when 'Abbè Fetel'/'Adams' and 'Rocha'/'Adams' combinations are not available.

PURPOSE:A detailed analysis in the iconography and pictorial appearance of the scene of the "Prophet Jonah" painted by the artist Michelangelo Buonarroti (1475-1564) on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel between the years 1508 and 1512. MATERIALS AND METHODS:Literature review on the Italian Renaissance period and the life of Michelangelo Buonarroti and analysis of historical aspects of the evolution of studies of human anatomy in this period and the works of the artist. RESULTS:A comparative analysis of the representation of the figure of the fish on the left thigh of "Jonah" with a cross section of penis shows a curious similarity. The pictorial and iconographic analysis reveals an intensity of light on the pubic area and the position of the prophet with the legs spread apart and left hand placed on this region. A tube-shaped cloth covers the region and the angel at the side seems to be looking at this anatomical region of "Jonah". In fact, sets of iconographic and pictorial relate to the deciphered code. CONCLUSIONS: This description helps to confirm the relationship of the Renaissance art with the human anatomy; science has been much studied in this period. The design of a cross section of the penis is revealed with the two cavernous bodies with the septum between them and the spongy body. Considering the circumstances in which Michelangelo had painted, subjectivity was fundamental due to religious motivations added to the vigorous implications of a limited scientific knowledge typical of that era.

PURPOSE: Living donor nephrectomy is usually performed by a retroperitoneal flank incision. Due to the significant morbidity and long recovery time for a flank incision, anterior extra peritoneal sub-costal and transperitoneal video-laparoscopic methods have been described for donor nephrectomy. We prospectively compare the long-term results of donors as well as functional recipients submitted to these three approaches. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 107 live donor renal transplantations were prospectively evaluated from May 2001 to January 2004. Donors were compared with regard to operative and warm ischemia time, postoperative pain, analgesic requirements, and complications. Recipients were compared with regard to graft function, acute cellular rejection, surgical complications, and graft and recipient survival. RESULTS: The mean operative and warm ischemia times were longer in the video-laparoscopic group (p<0.001), whereas patients of the flank incision group presented more postoperative pain (p=0.035), required more analgesics (p<0.001), had longer hospital stays (p<0.001), and suffered more pain on the 90th day after surgery (p=0.006). In the sub-costal and flank incision groups, there was a larger number of paraesthesias and abdominal wall asymmetries (p<0.001). Recipient groups were demographically comparable and presented similar acute tubular necrosis incidence and delayed graft function. The incidence of acute cellular rejection was higher in the video-laparoscopic and flank incision groups (p=0.013). There was no difference in serum creatinine levels, surgical complications, or recipient or graft survival between groups. CONCLUSIONS: The video-laparoscopic and sub-costal approaches proved to be safe, and to provide donor advantages relative to the flank incision approach. Among recipients, the complication rate, graft survival, and recipient survival were similar in all groups.

A aplicação de indutores de brotação é uma das principais estratégias de manejo utilizadas para minimizar os problemas da falta de frio em frutíferas de clima temperado. Em razão da influência dos indutores de brotação sobre a resposta produtiva das plantas, a mensuração de seus efeitos ao longo do ciclo produtivo torna-se importante. Assim, o presente trabalho foi desenvolvido no ciclo 2007/2008, em Caçador/SC, objetivando avaliar diferentes combinações de cianamida hidrogenada e óleo mineral sobre a fenologia, brotação de gemas e produção de frutos em macieiras. O delineamento experimental foi em blocos casualizados, com seis repetições compostas de uma planta, seguindo arranjo fatorial (5x2), com cinco níveis de indutor de brotação (1. testemunha; 2. óleo mineral 3,2%; 3. óleo mineral 3,2% + cianamida hidrogenada 0,20%; 4. óleo mineral 3,2% + cianamida hidrogenada 0,39%; 5. óleo mineral 3,2% + cianamida hidrogenada 0,59%) e duas cultivares (Imperial Gala e Fuji Suprema). A aplicação dos indutores de brotação antecipou e reduziu o período de florescimento, aumentando a coincidência de florescimento das cultivares Imperial Gala e Fuji Suprema. Os indutores de brotação uniformizaram e aumentaram a brotação de gemas axilares e terminais, obtendo-se máxima brotação na cultivar Imperial Gala com 0,44% de cianamida hidrogenada e 3,2% de óleo mineral. O aumento da concentração de cianamida hidrogenada revelou a tendência de diminuir a frutificação efetiva. Observaram-se respostas diferenciadas entre tratamentos quanto à produção e à massa média dos frutos, podendo ser atribuídas ao predomínio da produção de frutos em distintas estruturas de frutificação.

The budbreak promoters application is one of main management strategies used to decrease the problems of insufficient winter chilling on temperate fruit trees. Because the influence of budbreak promoters on productive behaviour of plants, detecting this effects along of productive season became important. Thus, this study was carried out during 2007/2008 season, in Caçador, Santa Catarina State, Brazil, aiming to evaluate different hydrogen cyanamide and mineral oil combinations on phenology, budbreak and apple fruit production. The experimental design was a randomized block, with six replications, in factorial arrangement (5x2), with five budbreak promoter treatments (1. control; 2. mineral oil 3.2%; 3. mineral oil 3.2% + hydrogen cyanamide 0.20%; 4. mineral oil 3.2% + hydrogen cyanamide 0.39%; 5. mineral oil 3.2% + hydrogen cyanamide 0.59%) and two cultivars (Imperial Gala and Suprema's Fuji). The budbreak promoters application anticipated and reduced the blooming period, increasing the blooming overlap between Imperial Gala and Suprema's Fuji cultivars. The budbreak promoters equalized and increased the budbreak in axillary and terminal buds, with the major budbreak level observed in Imperial Gala cultivar with 0.44% of hydrogen cyanamide and 3.2% of mineral oil treatment. The increase of hydrogen cyanamide concentration showed the tendency to decrease the fruit set. It was observed different treatment responses on production and mean fruit weight, probably to be related to fruit production predominance in different frutification structures.

In this work, the impact of fish farming activities on the Queixada, Macuco and Pari-Veado Rivers in the Paranapanema watershed was evaluated. Physical, chemical and microbiological parameters were quantified in these aquatic systems followed by application of multivariate statistical analysis (MSA) and water quality index (WQI) tools. Watersheds where fish farming activities are predominant presented WQI > 52 indicating good quality, whereas MSA demonstrated bad quality for these aquatic bodies. The results showed that the degradation in this watershed follows the fish farming activity. The MSA index is more restricted than the "National Foundation Sanitation" (NFS) index routinely used to infer water quality.

OBJECTIVE: To present the initial experience of videolaparoscopic nephrectomy in live renal donor. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In the period from April 2000 to August 2003, 50 left nephrectomies in live donor were performed by videolaparoscopy for transplantation. Twenty-eight patients were male (56%) and 22 female (44%). Mean age was 37.2 years, and the mean body mass index (BMI) was 27.1 kg/m². RESULTS: Mean surgical time was 179.5 minutes, and warm ischemia time of the graft was 3.79 minutes. The mean estimated bleeding was 141 mL. There was no need of blood transfusion or conversion to open surgery. In 42 cases (84%), the vascular portion of the graft was considered good by the recipient's surgical team and in all cases, the ureter was considered of proper size, though in one of them (2%) its vascularization was considered improper. The transplanted kidneys produced urine still in the surgical room in 46 of the 50 transplantations considered. In only 2 cases opioid was required for analgesia. In average, 3.1 doses of dipyrone were used for each patient during hospital stay, and hospital discharge occurred, in average, after 3.2 days post-operatively. Two patients required re-operations and one of them evolved to death. CONCLUSIONS: The laparoscopic nephrectomy in live donor for renal transplantation is an alternative to conventional open surgery. In relation to the graft, no alteration, either anatomic or functional, was detected. Though there is already a large documentation in the international literature regarding this procedure, in our setting a prospective randomized study with the usual surgical study is still necessary in order to prove the advantages and disadvantages of the method.