RESUMO O efeito inseticida do óleo essencial de Piper aduncum (OEPA) e, particularmente, de seu constituinte dilapiol [1-alil-2,3-dimetoxi-4,5-(metilenodioxi) benzeno], está bem documentado na literatura e pode estar associado à sua interferência na desintoxicação enzimática em artrópodes. No entanto, não existem dados sobre a amplitude de teores de dilapiol associados à atividade inseticida, o que é necessário para estabelecer parâmetros de dose-atividade confiáveis para um produto formulado. A composição do óleo também pode sofrer alterações durante seu armazenamento após a destilação, principalmente devido a fatores ambientais como incidência de luz, oxigênio atmosférico e temperatura, que podem ser deletérios à qualidade do óleo. Neste estudo, durante quatro anos, OEPA submetido a diferentes condições de armazenamento e suas frações retificadas foram submetidos a bioensaios para avaliar seu efeito inseticida por contato tópico e contato residual contra Spodoptera frugiperda. Nossos objetivos foram determinar a relação entre o teor de dilapiol e a atividade inseticida do OEPA, e avaliar suas propriedades químicas e toxicológicas ao longo do tempo sob diferentes condições. Nossos resultados mostraram que o OEPA foi estável em relação ao teor de dilapiol e o efeito toxicológico contra S. frugiperda sob diferentes condições de armazenamento durante quatro anos. A composição química do OEPA não variou significativamente entre as condições de armazenamento. OEPA com teor de dilapiol entre 68% e 100% apresentou maior toxicidade inseticida por contato residual e tópico contra larvas de S. frugiperda.

ABSTRACT The insecticidal effect of the essential oil of Piper aduncum (EOPA), and of its constituent dillapiole [1-allyl-2,3-dimethoxy-4,5-(methylenedioxy) benzene] in particular, is well documented in the literature and can be associated with its interference with the enzymatic detoxification in arthropods. However, no data exist on the range of dillapiole content associated with insecticidal activity, which is necessary to establish reliable dose-activity parameters for a formulated product. The oil composition can also change during storage after distillation, mainly due to environmental factors such as light incidence, atmospheric oxygen and temperature, which can be deleterious to oil quality. In this study, EOPA subjected to different storage conditions over four years and its rectified fractions were submitted to bioassays to evaluate their insecticidal effect by topical contact and residual contact against Spodoptera frugiperda. Our objectives were to determine the relationship between dillapiole content and the insecticidal activity of EOPA, and to evaluate its chemical and toxicological properties over time under different conditions. Our results showed that EOPA was stable with respect to the dillapiole content and the toxicological effect against S. frugiperda under different storage conditions for four years. The overall chemical composition of the EOPA did not vary significantly among storage conditions. EOPA with dillapiole content ranging between 68% and 100% showed greater insecticidal toxicity by residual and topical contact against S. frugiperda larvae.

Num tempo de incerteza e precarização do trabalho, este estudo tenta compreender como os estudantes do ensino superior constroem significados sobre a educação superior, o trabalho, a transição da educação para o trabalho e como estes se relacionam entre si. Com uma amostra de 986 estudantes do Ensino Superior português visa-se compreender as relações e mediações das dimensões dos significados da educação superior com as dimensões dos significados da transição da educação superior para o trabalho e as dimensões dos significados do trabalho. A dimensão Afirmação Profissional é mediadora da relação entre o Desenvolvimento Pessoal e Social e a Dimensão Pessoal e Social do Trabalho. Com base na análise dos resultados algumas pistas de intervenção são apresentadas.

In times of uncertainty and growing job insecurity, this study aims to understand how higher education students build meanings regarding higher education, work, the transition from education to work, and how they are interrelated. Based on a sample of 986 students in the Portuguese higher education system, we intend to understand the relationships and mediations of the dimensions of the meanings of higher education with those of the transition from higher education to work and of the meanings of work. Professional Affirmation mediates the relationship between Personal Development and Personal and Social Dimension of Work. The results show that 61% of the dependent variable values for the personal and social dimension of work are explained by the proposed model. An analysis of the results provides a few pointers for counselling, which will be discussed.

RESUMO: O presente trabalho teve por objetivo avaliar a influência do tipo de parto sobre a transferência de imunidade passiva e de alguns constituintes séricos de cordeiros recém-nascidos, alimentados naturalmente com colostro materno, criados no semiárido paraibano em sistema extensivo. Foram utilizados 34 cordeiros clinicamente sadios, da raça Santa Inês, os quais foram identificados e pesados imediatamente após o nascimento e separados em dois grupos experimentais com 17 animais cada. O grupo PS (nove machos e oito fêmeas) formado por animais nascidos de partos simples e o grupo PG (seis machos e onze fêmeas) formado por cordeiros nascidos de partos gemelares. A ingestão de colostro se deu de forma natural e voluntária em suas respectivas mães. Foram coletados 10 mL de sangue de cada animal, mediante punção da veia jugular, em tubos siliconizados a vácuo, 48 horas após o nascimento. Após centrifugação, as alíquotas de soro foram separadas e permaneceram congeladas a -15°C até o momento das análises. Para o estudo comparativo dos constituintes séricos, foram constituídos dois grupos experimentais distribuídos em um delineamento inteiramente casualizado, no esquema fatorial 2x2 (tipo de parto e sexo). Os dados obtidos foram submetidos à análise de variância, cujas médias foram comparadas pelo teste de Tukey a 5%. Foram determinadas as atividades séricas das enzimas aspartato aminotransferase (AST) e gamaglutamiltransferase (GGT) e as concentrações séricas de proteína total, albumina, ureia, creatinina, cálcio, fósforo e magnésio, utilizando-se conjuntos de reagentes comerciais e as leituras das amostras em espectrofotômetro automático. As atividades séricas de AST, GGT e as concentrações séricas de proteína total, albumina e globulinas dos cordeiros dos grupos PS e PG não foram influenciadas pelo tipo de gestação e sexo. A partir da concentração sérica de proteína total, verificou-se falha de transferência de imunidade passiva (FTIP) nos cordeiros do grupo PG, utilizando-se o valor 5,0g/dL como ponto de corte. Com exceção do cálcio, as concentrações séricas da ureia, creatinina, fósforo e magnésio apresentaram o mesmo padrão de comportamento. Embora esses constituintes não tenham apresentado diferença significativa entre os grupos estudados e o sexo, pôde-se observar valores mais elevados nos animais nascidos de partos simples, sugerindo que a ausência de concorrência pela ingestão voluntária de colostro materno pode ter sido o fator determinante. Pode-se concluir que cordeiros Santa Inês nascidos de partos gemelares e criados extensivamente no semiárido paraibano apresentam falha na transferência de imunidade passiva e alterações/diminuições marcantes nos teores séricos de alguns constituintes bioquímicos, suscitando a necessidade de interferência humana nestes casos.

ABSTRACT: This study is concerned with an evaluation of the influence of mode of birth on the transfer of passive immunity and some serum constituents to newborn lambs, naturally fed with colostrum, breed in the semiarid region of the State of Paraiba (Brazil) on an extensive system. Thirty-four clinically healthy Santa Ines lambs were employed, identified and weighted immediately after birth, and divided into two experimental groups of seventeen animals each. The PS group (nine males and eight females) included lambs born of single pregnancies and the PG group (six males and eleven females) comprised of lambs born of twin pregnancies. The colostrum intake occurred naturally and voluntarily at their mothers. Forty-eight hours after birth, 10 mL of blood were collected in siliconized tubes from each animal by puncture of the jugular vein, and maintained under vacuum. After centrifugation, aliquots of sera were separated and kept frozen at -15°C until analyzed. For the comparative study of serum constituents, two experimental groups were formed, distributed in a completely randomized lineation, 2x2 factorial (type of birth and sex). The data were subjected to analysis of variance, whose means were compared by Tukey test at 5%. The serum activities of AST and GGT, and the total protein serum, albumin, urea, creatinine, calcium, phosphorus and magnesium concentrations were determined by using sets of commercial reagents; the samples were read by an automatic spectrophotometer. The serum activities of AST, GGT and serum concentrations of total protein, albumin and globulins of the PS and PG lambs groups were not influenced by the type of pregnancy and sex. From the serum concentration of total protein, FTIP was found in the lambs of PG group, using the value of 5.0g/dL as the cutoff point. With the exception of calcium, serum concentrations of urea, creatinine, phosphorus and magnesium showed the same pattern. Although these constituents did not showed significant differences between groups and sex, higher values were observed in animals born of single pregnancies, suggesting that the absence of competition for the voluntary ingestion of colostrum may have been the determining factor. It can be concluded that lambs born twin deliveries and breed extensively in the semiarid region of the State of Paraiba failed to transfer passive immunity and showed significant reduction in serum levels of some biochemical constituents, indicating the need for human interference in these cases.

Abstract This study aimed to evaluate the in vitro antifungal activity of terpinen-4-ol, tyrosol, and β-lapachone against strains of Coccidioides posadasii in filamentous phase (n = 22) and Histoplasma capsulatum in both filamentous (n = 40) and yeast phases (n = 13), using the broth dilution methods as described by the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute, to determine the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum fungicidal concentration (MFC) of these compounds. The mechanisms of action of these compounds were also investigated by analyzing their effect on cell membrane permeability and ergosterol synthesis. The MIC and MFCf these compounds against C. posadasii, mycelial H. capsulatum, and yeast-like H. capsulatum, were in the following ranges: 350-5720 µg/mL, 20-2860 µg/mL, and 40-1420 µg/mL, respectively for terpinen-4-ol; 250-4000 µg/mL, 30-2000 µg/mL, and 10-1000 µg/mL, respectively, for tyrosol; and 0.48-7.8 µg/mL, 0.25-16 µg/mL, and 0.125-4 µg/mL, respectively for β-lapachone. These compounds showed a decrease in MIC when the samples were subjected to osmotic stress, suggesting that the compounds acted on the fungal membrane. All the compounds were able to reduce the ergosterol content of the fungal strains. Finally, tyrosol was able to cause a leakage of intracellular molecules.

Abstract Recent studies have shown that some drugs that are not routinely used to treat fungal infections have antifungal activity, such as protease inhibitor antiretroviral drugs. This study investigated the in vitro susceptibility of Histoplasma capsulatum var. capsulatum to saquinavir and ritonavir, and its combination with the antifungal itraconazole. The susceptibility assay was performed according to Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute guidelines. All strains were inhibited by the protease inhibitor antiretroviral drugs. Saquinavir showed minimum inhibitory concentrations ranging from 0.125 to 1 μg mL−1 for both phases, and ritonavir presented minimum inhibitory concentrations ranging from 0.0312 to 4 μg mL−1and from 0.0625 to 1 μg mL−1 for filamentous and yeast phase, respectively. Concerning the antifungal itraconazole, the minimum inhibitory concentration values ranged from 0.0019 to 0.125 μg mL−1 and from 0.0039 to 0.0312 μg mL−1 for the filamentous and yeast phase, respectively. The combination of saquinavir or ritonavir with itraconazole was synergistic against H. capsulatum, with a significant reduction in the minimum inhibitory concentrations of both drugs against the strains (p < 0.05). These data show an important in vitro synergy between protease inhibitors and itraconazole against the fungus H. capsulatum.

Abstract Introduction: Despite of more than a hundred years of electrosurgery, only a few electrosurgical equipment manufacturers have developed methods to regulate the active power delivered to the patient, usually around an arbitrary setpoint. In fact, no manufacturer has a method to measure the active power actually delivered to the load. Measuring the delivered power and computing it fast enough so as to avoid injury to the organic tissue is challenging. If voltage and current signals can be sampled in time and discretized in the frequency domain, a simple and very fast multiplication process can be used to determine the active power. Methods This paper presents an approach for measuring active power at the output power stage of electrosurgical units with mathematical shortcuts based on a simple multiplication procedure of discretized variables – frequency domain vectors – obtained through Discrete Fourier Transform (DFT) applied on time-sampled voltage and current vectors. Results Comparative results between simulations and a practical experiment are presented – all being in accordance with the requirements of the applicable industry standards. Conclusion An analysis is presented comparing the active power analytically obtained through well-known voltage and current signals against a computational methodology based on vector manipulation using DFT only for time-to-frequency domain transformation. The greatest advantage of this method is to determine the active power of noisy and phased out signals with neither complex DFT or ordinary transform methodologies nor sophisticated computing techniques such as convolution. All results presented errors substantially lower than the thresholds defined by the applicable standards.

Abstract Since, there is no study reporting the mechanism of azole resistance among yeasts isolated from aquatic environments; the present study aims to investigate the occurrence of antifungal resistance among yeasts isolated from an aquatic environment, and assess the efflux-pump activity of the azole-resistant strains to better understand the mechanism of resistance for this group of drugs. For this purpose, monthly water and sediment samples were collected from Catú Lake, Ceará, Brazil, from March 2011 to February 2012. The obtained yeasts were identified based on morphological and biochemical characteristics. Of the 46 isolates, 37 were Candida spp., 4 were Trichosporon asahii, 3 were Cryptococcus laurentii, 1 Rhodotorula mucilaginosa, and 1 was Kodamaea ohmeri. These isolates were subjected to broth microdilution assay with amphotericin B, itraconazole, and fluconazole, according to the methodology standardized by the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI). The minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of amphotericin B, itraconazole, and fluconazole were 0.03125–2 µg/mL, 0.0625 to ≥16 µg/mL, and 0.5 to ≥64 µg/mL, respectively, and 13 resistant azole-resistant Candida isolates were detected. A reduction in the azole MICs leading to the phenotypical reversal of the azole resistance was observed upon addition of efflux-pump inhibitors. These findings suggest that the azole resistance among environmental Candida spp. is most likely associated with the overexpression of efflux-pumps.

Nos tempos atuais, vivencia-se uma revolução da tecnologia, da comunicação e da informação. Essa revolução tem afetado, além de outras esferas da vida social, a educação, as instituições de ensino superior e a prática docente. Os sistemas de informação manipulam dados e geram informações a partir do uso de suas tecnologias. Os docentes são os profissionais que têm maior aproximação com os discentes, cabendo a eles, dentre outras funções, transitarem pelo universo da informação, transmitirem informação, possibilitarem o conhecimento e viabilizarem o fluxo de informação e comunicação com seus discentes. Com este estudo, objetiva-se investigar alguns dos usos do Sistema Integrado de Gestão de Atividades Acadêmicas (SIGAA) pelos docentes de graduação da UFC, mediante uma análise desse uso entre as diversas unidades acadêmicas da universidade. Trata-se de uma pesquisa exploratória descritiva na qual os dados principais foram coletados no banco de dados da instituição. Conforme verificado, o sistema SIGAA tem apresentado crescimento gradual de uso por parte dos docentes de graduação da UFC a cada semestre, porém sua utilização ainda não é plena. Algumas unidades acadêmicas destacam-se no uso do sistema como: FEAAC, CT e CCA.

Currently, we are living through a revolution in technology, communication, and information. This revolution has affected not only social life but also education, institutions of higher education, and teaching methods. Information systems manipulate data and generate information through technologies. Professors are the professionals involved with students, responsible for the universe of information, sharing information, allowing the spread of knowledge, and enabling the flux of information and communication with students. In this study, we aim to investigate some uses of Sistema Integrado de Gestão de Atividades Acadêmica (SIGAA) by professors of undergraduate courses at Universidade Federal do Ceará (UFC), analyzing its use among the many university units. This is a descriptive explanatory research in which the main data were collected in the internal documents of this institution. As it could be verified, in each semester, the use of SIGAA has been gradually increasing among teachers’ UFC graduation; however, its use is not yet complete. Some academic units, such as FEAAC, CT, and CCA, are distinct regarding usage of the system.

En los tiempos actuales se está experimentando una revolución en la tecnología, la comunicación y la información. Esta revolución ha afectado otras esferas de la vida social, la educación, las instituciones de educación superior y de la práctica docente. Los sistemas de información manipulan los datos y generan información de la utilización de sus tecnologías. Los profesores son profesionales que tienen una relación más estrecha con los estudiantes, permitiéndoles, entre otras funciones, transitar por el universo de la información, la transmisión de información, conocimientos y hacer posible la circulación de la información y la comunicación con sus alumnos. Este estudio tiene como objetivo investigar algunos de los usos de las actividades académicas del Sistema Integrado de Gestión SIGAA, por los profesores de la graduación UFC, mediante el análisis de dicho uso entre las unidades académicas de la universidad. Se trata de un estudio exploratorio descriptivo en el que los principales datos fueron recogidos en la institución. Como se ha señalado, el sistema SIGAA ha mostrado un crecimiento gradual en el uso por los maestros que se gradúan cada semestre en la UFC, pero aún no es completo. Algunas unidades académicas se destacan en el uso del sistema como FEAAC, CT y CCA.

Este estudo teve como objetivo avaliar o papel do camarão Macrobrachium amazonicum como carreador de Candida spp. do ambiente aquático, por meio da análise da correlação entre Candida spp. isoladas desse camarão e do seu ambiente (água de superfície e sedimento) através das técnicas de M13-PCR fingerprinting e RAPD-PCR. Para tanto, 27 cepas de Candida spp. foram avaliadas. Essas cepas foram recuperadas a partir do trato gastrointestinal de M. amazonicum adultos (7/27), oriundos da lagoa do Catú, Ceará, Brasil, e do meio aquático (águas superficiais e sedimentos) desse lago (20/27). A comparação molecular entre as cepas de camarões e o ambiente aquático foi conduzida por M13-PCR fingerprinting e RAPD-PCR, utilizando os iniciadores M13 e OPQ16, respectivamente. A análise molecular revelou semelhanças entre os padrões de bandas de oito isolados de Candida com o iniciador M13 e 11 isolados com o primer OPQ16, indicando que elas estão presentes no trato digestivo de M. amazonicum e no ambiente aquático, onde esses camarões habitam. Portanto, essa espécie de camarão pode ser usada como sentinela para monitoramento ambiental através da recuperação de Candida spp. do ambiente aquático, a partir do seu trato gastrointestinal

This study aimed to evaluate the role of the Amazon River prawn, Macrobrachium amazonicum, as carrier of Candida spp., by analyzing the correlation between Candida spp. from these prawns and their environment (surface water and sediment), through M13-PCR fingerprinting and RAPD-PCR. For this purpose, 27 strains of Candida spp. were evaluated. These strains were recovered from the gastrointestinal tract of adult M. amazonicum (7/27) from Catú Lake, Ceará State, Brazil and from the aquatic environment (surface water and sediment) of this lake (20/27). Molecular comparison between the strains from prawns and the aquatic environment was conducted by M13-PCR fingerprinting and RAPD-PCR, utilizing the primers M13 and OPQ16, respectively. The molecular analysis revealed similarities between the band patterns of eight Candida isolates with the primer M13 and 11 isolates with the primer OPQ16, indicating that the same strains are present in the digestive tract of M. amazonicum and in the aquatic environment where these prawns inhabit. Therefore, these prawns can be used as sentinels for environmental monitoring through the recovery of Candida spp. from the aquatic environment in their gastrointestinal tract

This paper reports the results of environmental surveillance of yeasts in specific areas of two tertiary local hospitals. From March 2007 to February 2008, samples from the air of two public hospitals were collected on a monthly basis. The samples were collected through passive sedimentation method (day and night exposure) of Petri dishes. A total of 240 air samples from 10 hospital environments were analyzed. These environments presented similar contamination levels, from which 80 fungi isolates were isolated: Candida parapsilosis (n = 34), Rhodotorula spp. (19), Trichosporon asahii (11), C. tropicalis (8), C. albicans (4), C. glabrata (1), C. guilliermondii (1), C. krusei (1) and Saccharomyces spp. (1). Regarding the presence of yeasts and climatic conditions, there were 40 strains (50%) in semi-critical areas (natural ventilation) and critical areas (air conditioned). Considering the presence of microorganisms with pathogenic potential, environmental monitoring is necessary to prevent possible hospital infections.

Algumas formigas neotropicais de correição têm um importante papel na estruturação da comunidade de invertebrados. Labidus praedator (Fr. Smith, 1858) como predador generalista de topo pode reduzir as densidades de pragas em agroecossistemas. O objetivo deste estudo foi descrever atributos comportamentais, composição de dieta e interações interespecíficas da formiga Labidus praedator. Nós buscamos as colunas das formigas de correição por meio de amostragens por caminhamento em trilhas padronizadas. Nós plotamos as posições das colunas sobre uma imagem aérea. Nós fotografamos eventos nas frentes de caça de L. praedator e registramos os itens alimentares transportados para os bivaques. Seis espécies de quatro gêneros de Ecitoninae - Labidus (Jurine, 1807), Nomamyrmex (Borgmeier, 1936), Neivamyrmex (Borgmeier, 1940) e Eciton (Latreille, 1804) - foram registradas. Lagartas dominaram a composição de dieta de L. praedator. Diásporos e flores de ervas daninhas e arilo e polpa de frutos também foram transportados para os bivaques. Uma colônia parou de forragear após chuva intensa e grupos discretos de centenas de L. praedator se formaram sob áreas cobertas por arbustos. Grupos de aves da subfamília Crotophaginae e vespas e moscas dos táxons Sarcophaginae e Polistinae seguiram as frentes de caça de L. praedator. Discutimos a importância da estrutura da paisagem para colonização de agroecossistemas por Ecitoninae e a existência de oportunismo químico entre formigas de correição no mínimo por meio do reuso de trilhas desocupadas.

New World army ants species have an important role in structuring invertebrate communities. Labidus praedator (Fr. Smith, 1858) is a generalist top predator that can reduce pest densities in agroecosystems. The aim of this study was to describe behavioral attributes, diet composition and interspecific interactions of the ant L. praedator. We searched for army ant raids using standardized trail-walk surveys and plotted army ants raids positions on an aerial image. We photographed events at swarm raids of L. praedator and recorded its diet items in basal columns near bivouacs. Six species from four Ecitoninae genera - Labidus (Jurine, 1807), Nomamyrmex (Borgmeier, 1936), Neivamyrmex (Borgmeier, 1940) and Eciton (Latreille, 1804) - were recorded. Caterpillars dominated the composition of the diet of L. praedator. Flowers and diaspores of weeds and aril and flesh of fruits were also transported to bivouacs. One colony stopped foraging after intense rainfall and discrete groups of hundreds of L. praedator ants were separated under patches covered by shrubs. Groups of Crotophaginae birds, Sarcophaginae flies and Polistinae wasps followed L. praedator swarm raids. We discuss the importance of landscape structure for agroecosystem colonization by Ecitoninae and the existence of chemical opportunism between army ants species through the reuse of unoccupied trails.

Infection with both Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) and Mycobacterium tuberculosis is currently the world's leading cause of death due to infectious agents. We evaluated factors related to the development of tuberculosis (TB) in HIV-infected patients who were being treated at an infectious diseases hospital in Fortaleza, Ceará, Brazil. From January 2004 to December 2005, we made an epidemiological study through the analysis of the medical records of 171 patients, who were diagnosed as having both HIV and tuberculosis. Among these co-infected patients, most (81%, p=0.0006) were male. Co-infection was more frequent (87.8%) among patients over 40 years of age and those with lower educational levels (less than eight years of schooling). Forty-one percent of the patients in the study had not had a smear culture test for acid-fast bacilli (AFB). CD4 cell counts were lower than 200 cells/µL in 71.9% of the patients, the mean being 169 cells/µL. This type of data is important for establishing strategies to improve the control of tuberculosis in HIV-infected patients.

Little information on the epidemiology and clinical characteristics of human parainfluenza virus (HPIV) infections, especially in children from tropical countries, has been published. The aim of this study was to determine the frequency of HPIV infections in children attended at a large hospital in Fortaleza in Northeast Brazil, and describe seasonal patterns, clinical and epidemiological characteristics of these infections. From January 2001 to December 2006, a total of 3070 nasopharyngeal aspirates collected from children were screened by indirect immunofluorescence for human parainfluenza viruses 1, 2, and 3 (HPIV-1, 2 and 3) and other respiratory viruses. Viral antigens were identified in 933 samples and HPIV in 117. The frequency of HPIV-3, HPIV-1 and HPIV-2 was of 83.76%, 11.96% and 4.27%, respectively. Only HPIV-3 showed a seasonal occurrence, with most cases observed from September to November, and with an inverse relationship to the rainy season. Most HPIV-3 infections seen in outpatients were diagnosed as upper respiratory tract infections.

O presente estudo objetivou descrever alguns fatores relacionados à positividade de cães para leishmaniose visceral, em área endêmica do Estado do Rio Grande do Norte. Foram analisados 198 cães, dos quais 62 foram recrutados de propriedades rurais e 136 de residências urbanas. O diagnóstico foi realizado através dos testes de imunofluorescência indireta e imunoadsorção enzimática. Dos cães analisados, 45% dos positivos eram provenientes da área rural e 35% da área urbana. Analisando a função dos animais, a prevalência foi de 50% dos cães de guarda nas áreas rural e de 43% na área urbana. Quanto aos cães que tinham contato com outros cães de origem rural ou urbana, a prevalência observada de foi 54% e 32%, respectivamente. No que se refere ao sexo, as fêmeas da zona rural foram mais prevalentes. Estes resultados sugerem uma atenção maior sobre o papel destes animais como reservatório dessa zoonose, como também na urbanização da leishmaniose visceral e o inquérito epidemiológico desta doença, no qual estas informações poderão contribuir para o planejamento de estratégias de controle do cão como reservatório doméstico.

This study aimed at describing several factors related to positive testing of dogs for visceral leishmaniasis, in an endemic area of the state of Rio Grande do Norte. Sera of 198 dogs were analyzed, 62 from rural properties and 136 from urban residences. Diagnosis was performed through indirect immunofluorescence and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Forty five percent of positive dogs were from the rural area and 35% came from the urban area. Concerning the analysis of dogs' function, the watchdogs showed greater prevalence, with 50% prevalence in the rural area and 43% in the urban area. With regard to contact with other dogs and origin in rural or urban areas, the prevalence was 54% and 32% respectively. In relation to gender, females from the rural area were more prevalent. These results suggest more attention should be paid to dogs as reservoirs for this zoonosis, as well as their important role in the urbanization of Leishmaniasis and in epidemiological survey of the disease. These data can contribute to the planning of strategies for control, targeting dogs as domestic reservoirs.

A manutenção de culturas de Malassezia pachydermatis em micotecas é importante para estudos retrospectivos e prospectivos. O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar o comportamento de Malassezia pachydermatis frente a diferentes métodos de conservação de culturas. Para tanto, após o processo de identificação, essa levedura foi estocada, por seis e nove meses, em salina e salina com óleo mineral a 28°C, bem como, em ágar Dixon, ágar Dixon acrescido de glicerol e ágar Dixon acrescido de dimetil-sulfóxido (DMSO) a -20°C. Os meios de Dixon e Dixon acrescido de glicerol foram os métodos mais adequados (p< 0,05) para manter a viabilidade das cepas, em seis e nove meses de estoque. Qualquer dos métodos utilizados foi conveniente para manutenção da positividade na prova da urease em seis meses de estocagem, sendo o ágar Dixon e o ágar Dixon acrescido de glicerol, os melhores (p< 0,05) para nove meses. Portanto, para a recuperação e manutenção das características de Malassezia pachydermatis, recomenda-se o emprego do meio de Dixon ou do meio de Dixon acrescido de glicerol.

The maintenance of Malassezia pachydermatis in fungal collections is very important for retrospective and prospective studies. The aim of this study was to evaluate the behavior of Malassezia pachydermatis in different storage methods. After the identification process, M. pachydermatis strains were stored for six and nine months, in saline and saline plus mineral oil at 28°C, as well as in Dixon's agar, Dixon's agar plus glycerol and Dixon's agar plus dimethyl-sulfoxide (DMSO), at -20°C. Dixon's agar and Dixon's agar plus glycerol were the most adequate methods (p <0.05) for the maintenance of Malassezia pachydermatis viability, after six and nine months of storage. All the methods used were capable of maintaining the urease activity at six months of storage, but only Dixon's agar and Dixon's agar plus glycerol were statistically adequate at nine months (p <0.05). Thus, to assure Malassezia pachydermatis recovery and to maintain its characteristics, Dixon's agar or Dixon's agar plus glycerol should be used.