ABSTRACT Iron deficiency (ID) and iron deficiency anemia (IDA) are still major health problems worldwide, affecting especially preschool children and pregnant women. The objectives of this article are: a) To describe the laboratory tests for diagnosing IDA and the factors that may influence results of the serum ferritin and the other iron biomarkers ; b) To present advances in iron metabolism, i.e. the critical regulatory role of hepcidin in the absorption and utilization of iron ; c) To describe the impact this new knowledge has had in the design of clinical investigations comparing the absorption of iron following oral supplementation given in consecutive days vs. alternate days schedules; and, d) To describe the clinical situations in which intravenous iron is indicated as secondary or first-line treatment. The concepts expressed and the suggestions made in this article are based on updated literature and the clinical experience of the authors.

RESUMEN Deficiencia de hierro (DH) y anemia ferropénica (AF) continúan siendo problemas de salud de magnitud en el mundo y afectan especialmente a niños preescolares y mujeres embarazadas. Este artículo tiene como objetivos: a) Describir las pruebas de laboratorio diagnóstico de AF y los factores que influyen en los niveles de ferritina y otros biomarcadores del estado del hierro; b) Presentar avances en el metabolismo del hierro, i.e. el rol regulador esencial de la hepcidina en la absorción y utilización del hierro; c) Describir el impacto que estos avances han tenido en el diseño de investigaciones clínicas comparando la absorción del hierro asociada con esquemas de ingesta diaria versus días alternados; d) Describir las situaciones clínicas en las cuales hierro endovenoso está indicado como tratamiento secundario o de primera línea. Los conceptos y sugerencias expresados en este artículo están basados en literatura actualizada y la experiencia clínica de los autores.

BACKGROUND. Allogeneic haemopoietic stem cell transplant (Allo-HSCT) is a specialised and costly intervention, associated with significant morbidity and mortality. It is used to treat a broad range of paediatric conditions. South Africa (SA) is an upper middle-income country with limitations on healthcare spending. The role of paediatric Allo-HSCT in this setting is reviewed. OBJECTIVES. To review paediatric patients who underwent Allo-HSCT at the Groote Schuur Hospital/University of Cape Town Private Academic Hospital transplant unit in Cape Town, South Africa, and received post-transplant care at Red Cross War Memorial Children's Hospital, over the period January 2006 - December 2014 in respect of indications for the transplant, donor sources, conditioning regimens, treatment-related morbidity and overall survival (OS). METHODS. A retrospective analysis of patient records was performed and a database was created in Microsoft Access. Descriptive analyses of relevant demographic, clinical and laboratory data were performed. Summary statistics of demographic and clinical parameters were derived with Excel. OS was calculated from the date of transplant to the date of an event (death) or last follow-up using the Kaplan-Meier method in Statistica. RESULTS. A total of 48 children received Allo-HSCT: 24 for haematological malignancies, 20 for non-oncological haematological conditions, 3 for immune disorders and 1 for adrenoleukodystrophy. There were 28 boys (median age 7.5 years) and 20 girls (8.5 years). There were 31 sibling matched peripheral-blood stem cell (PBSC) transplants and 1 maternal haploidentical PBSC transplant. Stem cells were mobilised from bone marrow into peripheral blood by administering granulocyte-colony stimulating factor to donors. PBSCs were harvested by apheresis. Eight patients received 10/10 HLA-matched grafts from unrelated donors. Six were PBSC grafts and 2 were bone marrow grafts. Three of the unrelated PBSC grafts were from SA donors. Eight transplants used umbilical cord blood from international registries. OS for patients with non-oncological disorders was 91.3% (median follow-up 3.9 years), while that for oncology patients was 56.8% (1.9 years). Two of the survivors developed chronic graft-versus-host disease. CONCLUSIONS. OS for non-oncological conditions was excellent, while outcomes for oncological disorders were on par with those in high-income settings. Transplantation offers many patients the opportunity for long-term survival and has been shown to be both feasible and rewarding in a less well-resourced environment servicing an economically diverse population.

Objetivou-se, neste trabalho, avaliar a produção de moranga (Cucurbita maxima Duch. Cv Coroa IAC) irrigada com esgoto doméstico tratado. O delineamento experimental foi em blocos casualizados com cinco tratamentos e quatro repetições. Os tratamentos se constituíram de : T1- irrigação com lâmina de 150% da demanda hídrica da cultura; T2- irrigação com lâmina de 150% + adição de CaSO4 no solo; T3- irrigação com lâmina de 100% da demanda hídrica da cultura; T4- irrigação com lâmina de 100% + adição de CaSO4 no solo e T5- tratamento testemunha (sem irrigação). Foram avaliados a produtividade da cultura, o peso e o número de frutos, suas características físico-químicas (pH, acidez total, sólidos solúveis, açúcares totais, açúcares redutores e açúcares não redutores) e potencial de contaminação por agentes patogênicos na água. Foi identificada diferença significativa entre o tratamento testemunha e os demais tratamentos em relação à produção, produtividade e número de frutos. As características físico-químicas apresentaram valores similares em todos os tratamentos. Foi registrada a presença de coliformes termo tolerantes somente na superfície externa dos frutos porém em níveis abaixo dos padrões mínimos estabelecidos pelas normas sanitárias.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the yield of pumpkin (Cucurbita maxima Duch. Coroa IAC) irrigated with treated domestic wastewater. The study was conducted in a completely randomized design with five treatments and four replications. The treatments were: T1 - irrigation depth of 150% of crop water demand; T2 - irrigation depth of 150% of crop water demand with application of CaSO4 in soil; T3 - irrigation depth of 100% of crop water demand; T4 - irrigation depth of 100% of crop water demand with application of CaSO4 in soil and T5 - control (without irrigation). The parameters evaluated were: crop yield, weight and number of fruits, their physico-chemical characteristics and potential contamination by pathogens in water. Significant differences in productivity, yield and number of fruits were identified between the control and all other treatments. The physico-chemical characteristics were similar in all treatments. Thermo tolerant coliforms were detected only on the surface of the fruit, but at levels below the minimum standards established by the sanitary legislation.

Neste trabalho se estudaram o desenvolvimento e o estado nutricional de helicônias irrigadas com água residuária tratada de origem doméstica associada a fertilizantes químicos (NPK). O experimento foi conduzido em casa de vegetação na qual se utilizaram plantas de helicônia Golden Adrian. O experimento foi instalado no esquema fatorial 5 x 3 + 1 constituídos de cinco níveis de lâmina de água aplicada (equivalente a 60, 80, 100, 120 e 140% da evaporação do tanque classe A ECA), três tipos de água (água residuária (AR), água pluvial (AP) e mistura de 50% de AR + 50% de AP) e testemunha (solo sem adubação e recebendo 100% da ECA de água pluvial). O delineamento experimental utilizado foi blocos ao acaso, com cinco repetições. A utilização de AR e as lâminas maiores proporcionaram acréscimo nos parâmetros de crescimento avaliados. Os teores de macronutrientes presentes nas folhas das plantas irrigadas com AR se comportaram de forma semelhante às plantas que receberam AP. O uso de AR e AP resultou em acréscimo de teores de micronutrientes nas folhas, principalmente Fe e Mn, acima dos teores recomendados para a cultura.

In this study the growth and nutritional status of helicônias irrigated with treated wastewater of domestic origin associated with chemical fertilizers (NPK) was studied. The experiment was conducted in a greenhouse utilizing plants of helicônia Golden Adrian. The experiment was installed in 5 x 3 + 1 factorial scheme consisting of five depths of irrigation water (equivalent to 60, 80, 100, 120 and 140% of class A pan evaporation - ECA), three types of water (wastewater (AR), rainwater (AP) and a mixture of 50% AR + 50% AP) and control (soil without fertilizer and receiving rainwater corresponding to 100% ECA). The experimental design was in randomized blocks with five repetitions. The use of AR and larger depths of irrigation provided increases in evaluated parameters of growth. The levels of macronutrients in the leaves of plants irrigated with AR were similar to plants that received AP. The use of AR and AP resulted in increases in the content of micronutrients in leaves, especially Fe and Mn, above the levels recommended for the crop.

Existem várias técnicas de extração da solução no solo; entretanto, a proporção entre a água gravitacional e as retidas por forças capilares é geralmente desconhecida. Neste estudo se propôs desenvolver um sistema de extração seqüencial da solução no solo a fim de caracterizar a sua composição química em função da porosidade do solo. Construíram-se colunas com terra fina secada ao ar de um Cambissolo de textura argilo-siltosa. As colunas foram saturadas por 24 h com água destilada, logo após, a solução no solo foi coletada aplicando-se sucessivamente na base das colunas um vácuo de: 0; -13,3; -26,7; -40,0; -53,3; -66,6 kPa. Mediram-se o volume, o pH, a condutividade elétrica e as concentrações de Na+, K+ e NO3-. Houve boa correlação entre o vácuo aplicado e o potencial mátrico do solo medido por tensiometria (não linear, r² = 0,998), validando o método proposto da extração seqüencial de solução. O estudo evidenciou importantes variações da composição química da solução nas diferentes porosidades do solo, com concentração iônica menor na macroporosidade, exceto para K+, demonstrando a necessidade de se uniformizar a metodologia de amostragem da solução do solo para evitar estimação incorreta da concentração de solutos no solo.

Various methodologies for soil solution sampling are available, but the proportion between gravitational and capilar water is usually unknown. In this study, a sequential extraction system of soil water for determining its chemical composition as a function of the soil porosity is presented. Soil columns were filled by air-dried clay-loam Ultisol. The columns were saturated with distilled water for 24 h, and then the soil solution was sampled at the base of the column by applying the suction equivalent to 0, 13.3, 26.7, 40.0, 53.3 and 66.6 kPa. Volume, pH, electrical conductivity, Na+, K+ and NO3- were measured in the solution. The high correlation (non linear; r² = 0.998) between applied suction and soil matrix potencial, which was assessed by a tensiometer within the soil column, validated the proposed method for sequential soil solution extraction. Ionic concentrations were highly variable in different soil pore sizes, with low concentrations in the soil macroporosity, except for K+, which demonstrated the necessity of standardizing the sampling methodology to avoid incorrect estimation of concentration of solute in soil.

O objetivo primordial com este trabalho é avaliar o impacto do uso de águas residuárias domésticas tratadas (ART) no desenvolvimento de espécies ornamentais, razão por que se instalou o ensaio no município de Simões Filho, BA, em delineamento experimental de blocos casualizados, com parcelas subdivididas, cultivadas com Heliconia psittacorum e Gladiolus hortulanus e irrigadas por gotejamento com ART e com água de riacho; avaliaram-se o comprimento das hastes, número de botões florais (helicônia e gladíolo), altura das plantas, número de perfilhos, diâmetro da touceira e nutrientes (somente helicônia). Dentre os fatores que afetam o desenvolvimento das plantas, avaliaram-se a porosidade e a salinidade (condutividade elétrica - CE) do solo, de 0 a 0,3 m. Não se observaram diferenças significativas no desenvolvimento das plantas; ressalta-se que micro e macroporosidade, CE e sodicidade, também não indicaram diferenças entre os tratamentos depois de 180 dias de irrigação, mas se observou início de salinização do solo após 1 ano de experimento, o que significa possíveis alterações dos parâmetros avaliados a médio e longo prazos.

This research aims to evaluate the impact of irrigation with treated domestic wastewater (TDW) on the growth of ornamental plant species. The experiment was installed in the town of Simões Filhos (BA), in a randomized block design with sub-divided plots, cultivated with Heliconia psittacorum and Gladiolus hortulanus using surface drip irrigation with TDW and river water. The evaluated parameters were: stem length, button number (parakeet flower and gladiola), and plant height, number of tillers, plant diameter and nutriment content (only parakeet flower). Among the factors which affect the growth of the plant, soil porosity and soil salinity (electrical conductivity - EC) were measured for 0 to 0.3 m soil depth. No significant difference was observed for the plant morphology. Changes in soil micro and macroporosity, EC and sodicity after 180 days of irrigation were also insignificant. However, a beginning of soil salinization was found after one year of experimentation, which signifies a possible change in the monitored parameters in the medium to long term.

Resumo Pelo método de campo do perfil instantâneo, somente se conseguem fazer medidas de condutividade numa faixa de umidade relativamente elevada, entre a condição de saturação e a capacidade de campo, pois o processo muito lento de redistribuição, em níveis inferiores de umidade, é dificilmente detectado. Em solos sódicos, a infiltração e a drenagem interna podem ser prejudicadas pelo sódio, dificultando a aplicação do método de campo. Experimentos baseados na evaporação podem ser realizados para se obter valores de condutividade hidráulica em níveis menores de umidade, eliminando também o problema da infiltração. Sendo assim, o objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar o sistema de determinação de condutividade hidráulica não saturada, em laboratório Wind, comparando-o ao método do perfil instantâneo em campo, num solo irrigado com água residuária rica em sódio. Os resultados demonstraram que o método de determinação de K(() em laboratório, através do sistema Wind, baseado na evaporação do solo, além de ser mais robusto e preciso, mostrou-se mais adaptado a solos irrigados com águas sódicas do que o método do perfil instantâneo baseado na drenagem.

Abstract The determination of hydraulic conductivity by instant profile method provides conductivity values only for a high water contents range, between saturation and field capacity conditions, because the very slow process of water redistribution in lower water content usually can not be detected. In sodic soils, sodium can reduce infiltration and free percolation, and complicate the use of this field method. Experiments based on evaporation can be performed to obtain hydraulic conductivity values in lower water content, avoiding the problem of infiltration. The objective of this study was to evaluate the Wind laboratory system for determination of hydraulic conductivity, in comparison with the field instant profile method, in soils irrigated by sodium-rich wastewater. The results show that the determination of K(() by Wind system based on evaporation was more consistent and more accurate, and more adapted for soils irrigated with sodic water than field method based on percolation.

Species-specific Random Amplified Polymorphic DNA-Polymerase chain Reaction (RAPD-PCR) markers were used to identify four species related to Anopheles (Nyssorhynchus) albitarsis Lynch-Arribàlzaga from 12 sites in Brazil and 4 in Venezuela. In a previous study (Wilkerson et al. 1995), which included sites in Paraguay and Argentina, these four species were designated "A", "B", "C" and "D". It was hypothesized that species A is An. (Nys.) albitarsis, species B is undescribed, species C is An. (Nys) marajoara Galvão and Damasceno and species D is An. (Nys.) deaneorum Rosa-Freitas. Species D, previously characterized by RAPD-PCR from a small sample from northern Argentina and southern Brazil, is reported here from the type locality of An. (Nys.) deaneorum, Guajará-Mirim, state of Rondônia, Brazil. Species C and D were found by RAPD-PCR to be sympatric at Costa Marques, state of Rondônia, Brazil. Species A and C have yet to be encountered at the same locality. The RAPD markers for species C were found to be conserved over 4,620 km; from Iguape, state of São Paulo, Brazil to rio Socuavo, state of Zulia, Venezuela. RAPD-PCR was determined to be an effective means for the identification of unknown species within this species complex.