bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Efficacy and feasibility of teledermatology for paediatric medical education
Authors: Shaikh Nader , Lehmann Christoph U , Kaleida Phillip H , Cohen Bernard A
Published: May 2008

Summary

We evaluated a teledermatology consultation service in the education of medical trainees. The selection of cases for consultation was at the discretion of the trainees, who could contact the study team for advice about obtaining photographs and submitting the case to a web-based system. Asynchronous structured feedback was provided to trainees by an academic paediatric dermatology consultant using a web-based interface. Efficacy was evaluated by examining the trainees' self-reported competency in clinical dermatology skills before and after teleconsultation. A total of 44 trainees (31 residents and 13 medical students) completed 50 consultations. Trainees reported significant improvement (mean improvement 22%, P < 0.002) in competency in five of the six areas assessed. In addition, 88% of trainees were very satisfied with the teaching methodology (≥5 on a 7-point scale) and 86% were very likely to apply the information in their future practice (≥5 on a 7-point scale). We believe that teledermatology has great potential in the education of medical trainees.
Accuracy of store-and-forward diagnosis in leprosy
Authors: Trindade Maria Ângela Bianconcini , Wen Chao Lung , Neto Cyro Festa , Escuder Maria Mercedes , Andrade Vera Lúcia G , Yamashitafuji Tânia Mara T , Manso Vânia Lúcia S
Published: May 2008

Summary

Telemedicine might increase the speed of diagnosis for leprosy and reduce the development of disabilities. We compared the accuracy of diagnosis made by telemedicine with that made by in-person examination. The cases were patients with suspected leprosy at eight public health clinics in outlying areas of the city of São Paulo. The case history and clinical examination data, and at least two clinical images for each patient, were stored in a web-based system developed for teledermatology. After the examination in the public clinic, patients then attended a teaching hospital for an in-person examination. The benchmark was the clinical examination of two dermatologists at the university hospital. From August 2005 to April 2006, 142 suspected cases of leprosy were forwarded to the website by the doctors at the clinics. Of these, 36 cases were excluded. There was overall agreement in the diagnosis of leprosy in 74% of the 106 remaining cases. The sensitivity was 78% and the specificity was 31%. Although the specificity was low, the study suggests that telemedicine may be a useful low-cost method for obtaining second opinions in programmes to control leprosy.
Trends in Media Use
Authors: Roberts Donald F. , Foehr Ulla G.
Published: May 2008

American youth are awash in media. They have television sets in their bedrooms, personal computers in their family rooms, and digital music players and cell phones in their backpacks. They spend more time with media than any single activity other than sleeping, with the average American eight- to eighteen-year-old reporting more than six hours of daily media use. The growing phenomenon of "media multitasking"—using several media concurrently—multiplies that figure to eight and a half hours of media exposure daily. Donald Roberts and Ulla Foehr examine how both media use and media exposure vary with demographic factors such as age, race and ethnicity, and household socioeconomic status, and with psychosocial variables such as academic performance and personal adjustment. They note that media exposure begins early, increases until children begin school, drops off briefly, then climbs again to peak at almost eight hours daily among eleven- and twelve-year-olds. Television and video exposure is particularly high among African American youth. Media exposure is negatively related to indicators of socioeconomic status, but that relationship may be diminishing. Media exposure is positively related to risk-taking behaviors and is negatively related to personal adjustment and school performance. Roberts and Foehr also review evidence pointing to the existence of a digital divide—variations in access to personal computers and allied technologies by socioeconomic status and by race and ethnicity. The authors also examine how the recent emergence of digital media such as personal computers, video game consoles, and portable music players, as well as the media multitasking phenomenon they facilitate, has increased young people's exposure to media messages while leaving media use time largely unchanged. Newer media, they point out, are not displacing older media but are being used in concert with them. The authors note which young people are more or less likely to use several media concurrently and which media are more or less likely to be paired with various other media. They argue that one implication of such media multitasking is the need to reconceptualize "media exposure."
Children as Consumers: Advertising and Marketing
Authors: Calvert Sandra L.
Published: May 2008

Marketing and advertising support the U.S. economy by promoting the sale of goods and services to consumers, both adults and children. Sandra Calvert addresses product marketing to children and shows that although marketers have targeted children for decades, two recent trends have increased their interest in child consumers. First, both the discretionary income of children and their power to influence parent purchases have increased over time. Second, as the enormous increase in the number of available television channels has led to smaller audiences for each channel, digital interactive technologies have simultaneously opened new routes to narrow cast to children, thereby creating a growing media space just for children and children's products. Calvert explains that paid advertising to children primarily involves television spots that feature toys and food products, most of which are high in fat and sugar and low in nutritional value. Newer marketing approaches have led to online advertising and to so-called stealth marketing techniques, such as embedding products in the program content in films, online, and in video games. All these marketing strategies, says Calvert, make children younger than eight especially vulner-able because they lack the cognitive skills to understand the persuasive intent of television and online advertisements. The new stealth techniques can also undermine the consumer defenses even of older children and adolescents. Calvert explains that government regulations implemented by the Federal Communications Commission and the Federal Trade Commission provide some protection for children from advertising and marketing practices. Regulators exert more control over content on scarce television airwaves that belong to the public than over content on the more open online spaces. Overall, Calvert concludes, children live and grow up in a highly sophisticated marketing environment that influences their preferences and behaviors.
Media and Young Children's Learning
Authors: Kirkorian Heather L. , Wartella Ellen A. , Anderson Daniel R.
Published: May 2008

Electronic media, particularly television, have long been criticized for their potential impact on children. One area for concern is how early media exposure influences cognitive development and academic achievement. Heather Kirkorian, Ellen Wartella, and Daniel Anderson summarize the relevant research and provide suggestions for maximizing the positive effects of media and minimizing the negative effects. One focus of the authors is the seemingly unique effect of television on children under age two. Although research clearly demonstrates that well-designed, age-appropriate, educational television can be beneficial to children of preschool age, studies on infants and toddlers suggest that these young children may better understand and learn from real-life experiences than they do from video. Moreover, some research suggests that exposure to television during the first few years of life may be associated with poorer cognitive development. With respect to children over two, the authors emphasize the importance of content in mediating the effect of television on cognitive skills and academic achievement. Early exposure to age-appropriate programs designed around an educational curriculum is associated with cognitive and academic enhancement, whereas exposure to pure entertainment, and violent content in particular, is associated with poorer cognitive development and lower academic achievement. The authors point out that producers and parents can take steps to maximize the positive effects of media and minimize the negative effects. They note that research on children's television viewing can inform guidelines for producers of children's media to enhance learning. Parents can select well-designed, age-appropriate programs and view the programs with their children to maximize the positive effects of educational media. The authors' aim is to inform policymakers, educators, parents, and others who work with young children about the impact of media, particularly television, on preschool children, and what society can do to maximize the benefits and minimize the costs.
Children's Media Policy
Authors: Jordan Amy B.
Published: May 2008

Amy Jordan addresses the need to balance the media industry's potentially important contributions to the healthy development of America's children against the consequences of excessive and age-inappropriate media exposure. Much of the philosophical tension regarding how much say the government should have about media content and delivery stems from the U.S. Constitution's First Amendment protection against government interference in free speech, including commercial speech. Courts, Jordan says, have repeatedly had to weigh the rights of commercial entities to say what they please against the need to protect vulnerable citizens such as children. This balancing act is complicated even further, she says, because many government regulations apply only to broadcast television and not to non-broadcast media such as the Internet or cable television, though Congress has addressed the need to protect children's privacy online. The need to protect both free speech and children has given rise to a fluid media policy mix of federal mandates and industry self-regulation. Jordan describes the role of the three branches of the federal government in formulating and implementing media policy. She also notes the jockeying for influence in policymaking by industry lobbies, child advocacy groups, and academic researchers. The media industry itself, says Jordan, is spurred to self-regulation when public disapproval grows severe enough to raise the possibility of new government action. Jordan surveys a range of government and industry actions, from legislatively required parental monitoring tools, such as the V-Chip blocking device on television sets, to the voluntary industry ratings systems governing television, movies, and video games, to voluntary social website disclosures to outright government bans, such as indecency and child privacy information collection. She considers the success of these efforts in limiting children's exposure to damaging content and in improving parents' ability to supervise their children's media use. Jordan concludes by considering the relevance and efficacy of today's media policy given the increasingly rapid pace of technological change. The need for research in informing and evaluating media policy, she says, has never been greater.
Media and Attention, Cognition, and School Achievement
Authors: Schmidt Marie Evans , Vandewater Elizabeth A.
Published: May 2008

Marie Evans Schmidt and Elizabeth Vandewater review research on links between various types of electronic media and the cognitive skills of school-aged children and adolescents. One central finding of studies to date, they say, is that the content delivered by electronic media is far more influential than the media themselves. Most studies, they point out, find a small negative link between the total hours a child spends viewing TV and that child's academic achievement. But when researchers take into account characteristics of the child, such as IQ or socioeconomic status, this link typically disappears. Content appears to be crucial. Viewing educational TV is linked positively with academic achievement; viewing entertainment TV is linked negatively with achievement. When it comes to particular cognitive skills, say the authors, researchers have found that electronic media, particularly video games, can enhance visual spatial skills, such as visual tracking, mental rotation, and target localization. Gaming may also improve problem-solving skills. Researchers have yet to understand fully the issue of transfer of learning from electronic media. Studies suggest that, under some circumstances, young people are able to transfer what they learn from electronic media to other applications, but analysts are uncertain how such transfer occurs. In response to growing public concern about possible links between electronic media use and attention problems in children and adolescents, say the authors, researchers have found evidence for small positive links between heavy electronic media use and mild attention problems among young people but have found only inconsistent evidence so far for a link between attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and media use. The authors point out that although video games, interactive websites, and multimedia software programs appear to offer a variety of possible benefits for learning, there is as yet little empirical evidence to suggest that such media are more effective than other forms of instruction.
Media and Children's Aggression, Fear, and Altruism
Authors: Wilson Barbara J.
Published: May 2008

Noting that the social and emotional experiences of American children today often heavily involve electronic media, Barbara Wilson takes a close look at how exposure to screen media affects children's well-being and development. She concludes that media influence on children depends more on the type of content that children find attractive than on the sheer amount of time they spend in front of the screen. Wilson begins by reviewing evidence on the link between media and children's emotions. She points out that children can learn about the nature and causes of different emotions from watching the emotional experiences of media characters and that they often experience empathy with those characters. Although research on the long-term effects of media exposure on children's emotional skill development is limited, a good deal of evidence shows that media exposure can contribute to children's fears and anxieties. Both fictional and news programming can cause lasting emotional upset, though the themes that upset children differ according to a child's age. Wilson also explores how media exposure affects children's social development. Strong evidence shows that violent television programming contributes to children's aggressive behavior. And a growing body of work indicates that playing violent video games can have the same harmful effect. Yet if children spend time with educational programs and situation comedies targeted to youth, media exposure can have more prosocial effects by increasing children's altruism, cooperation, and even tolerance for others. Wilson also shows that children's susceptibility to media influence can vary according to their gender, their age, how realistic they perceive the media to be, and how much they identify with characters and people on the screen. She concludes with guidelines to help parents enhance the positive effects of the media while minimizing the risks associated with certain types of content.
Online Communication and Adolescent Relationships
Authors: Subrahmanyam Kaveri , Greenfield Patricia
Published: May 2008

Over the past decade, technology has become increasingly important in the lives of adolescents. As a group, adolescents are heavy users of newer electronic communication forms such as instant messaging, e-mail, and text messaging, as well as communication-oriented Internet sites such as blogs, social networking, and sites for sharing photos and videos. Kaveri Subrahmanyam and Patricia Greenfield examine adolescents' relationships with friends, romantic partners, strangers, and their families in the context of their online communication activities. The authors show that adolescents are using these communication tools primarily to reinforce existing relationships, both with friends and romantic partners. More and more they are integrating these tools into their "offline" worlds, using, for example, social networking sites to get more information about new entrants into their offline world. Subrahmanyam and Greenfield note that adolescents' online interactions with strangers, while not as common now as during the early years of the Internet, may have benefits, such as relieving social anxiety, as well as costs, such as sexual predation. Likewise, the authors demonstrate that online content itself can be both positive and negative. Although teens find valuable support and information on websites, they can also encounter racism and hate messages. Electronic communication may also be reinforcing peer communication at the expense of communication with parents, who may not be knowledgeable enough about their children's online activities on sites such as the enormously popular MySpace. Although the Internet was once hailed as the savior of education, the authors say that schools today are trying to control the harmful and distracting uses of electronic media while children are at school. The challenge for schools is to eliminate the negative uses of the Internet and cell phones in educational settings while preserving their significant contributions to education and social connection.
Media and Risky Behaviors
Authors: Escobar-Chaves Soledad Liliana , Anderson Craig A.
Published: May 2008

Liliana Escobar-Chaves and Craig Anderson investigate two important trends among American youth and examine the extent to which the two trends might be related. First, the authors note that U.S. youth are spending increasing amounts of time using electronic media, with the average American youngster now spending one-third of each day with some form of electronic media. Second, the authors demonstrate that American adolescents are engaging in a number of unhealthful behaviors that impose huge societal costs. Escobar-Chaves and Anderson detail the extent of five critical types of adolescent health risk behaviors identified by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention—obesity, smoking, drinking, sexual risk taking, and violence. Obesity, the authors note, has become an epidemic among America's young people. Cigarette smoking among adolescents is one of the ten leading health indicators of greatest government concern. Alcohol abuse and alcohol dependence are widespread problems among the nation's youth and are the source of the three leading causes of death among youth. More than 20 percent of American high school students have sexual intercourse for the first time before they reach the age of fourteen. And twelve- to twenty-year-olds perpetrated 28 percent of the single-offender and 41 percent of multiple-offender violent crimes in the United States in 2005. Escobar-Chaves and Anderson present and evaluate research findings on the influence of electronic media on these five risk behaviors among adolescents. Researchers, they say, have found modest evidence that media consumption contributes to the problem of obesity, modest to strong evidence that it contributes to drinking and smoking, and strong evidence that it contributes to violence. Research has been insufficient to find links between heavy media exposure and early sexual initiation. The authors note the need for more large-scale longitudinal studies that specifically examine the cumulative effects of electronic media on risky health behavior.
Social Marketing Campaigns and Children's Media Use
Authors: Evans W. Douglas
Published: May 2008

Media-related commercial marketing aimed at promoting the purchase of products and services by children, and by adults for children, is ubiquitous and has been associated with negative health consequences such as poor nutrition and physical inactivity. But, as Douglas Evans points out, not all marketing in the electronic media is confined to the sale of products. Increasingly savvy social marketers have begun to make extensive use of the same techniques and strategies used by commercial marketers to promote healthful behaviors and to counter some of the negative effects of conventional media marketing to children and adolescents. Evans points out that social marketing campaigns have been effective in helping to prevent and control tobacco use, increase physical activity, improve nutrition, and promote condom use, as well as other positive health behaviors. He reviews the evidence from a number of major recent campaigns and programming in the United States and overseas and describes the evaluation and research methods used to determine their effectiveness. He begins his review of the field of social marketing by describing how it uses many of the strategies practiced so successfully in commercial marketing. He notes the recent development of public health brands and the use of branding as a health promotion strategy. He then goes on to show how social marketing can promote healthful behavior, how it can counter media messages about unhealthful behavior, and how it can encourage discussions between parents and children. Evans concludes by noting some potential future applications to promote healthful media use by children and adolescents and to mitigate the effects of exposure to commercial marketing. These include adapting lessons learned from previous successful campaigns, such as delivering branded messages that promote healthful alternative behaviors. Evans also outlines a message strategy to promote "smart media use" to parents, children, and adolescents and suggests a brand based on personal interaction as a desirable alternative to "virtual interaction."
Mistakes That Let The Light In
Authors: Wileman Robin
Published: May 2008

A highly intelligent psychopath is not easily identified, and counsellors can fall victim to their manipulations unless aware of the characteristics by which psychopaths can be identified and to the feelings and sensations that they provoke. When working individually with clients, engaging other family members may be a necessary safeguard against clinical manipulation and its undesirable consequences.
Gender portrayals in food commercials at different times of the day: A content analytic study
Authors: Aronovsky Alexandra , Furnham Adrian
Published: May 2008

This study examined 153 foodstuff commercials on a popular British television channel. Eighty ‘Daytime’ and 73 ‘Evening’ commercials were separately coded for 11 content categories; constituting attributes pertaining to central advertised figures (gender, presentation-mode, credibility-basis, role, age, location, arguments, background, reward-type, product-appeal, end-comment). Although both sexes were portrayed stereotypically for eight daytime and nine evening content analytic categories, daytime advertisements tended to reveal advertisers' awareness of a female audience which tended to be reflected in greater proportions of non-stereotyped female depictions rather than a salience of female stereotypes. Results are discussed with respect to implicated gender ideologies and their accuracy against the wider sex-role climate in society.
Web surveying academics in six European countries
Authors: Smeenk Sanne G. A. , van Selm Martine , Eisinga Rob
Published: May 2008

The WWW is increasingly used as a tool and platform for survey research. Several principles have been developed to deal with the new challenges posed to researchers conducting online surveys. In this paper, we discuss some of the challenges we encountered in all phases of our Web based survey conducted in 2004/2005 among nearly 10,000 respondents in six European countries. We argue how and to what extent we applied the principles and methodologies of online surveys to meet the challenges, ranging from composing sampling frames, questionnaire construction, addressing potential respondents, questionnaire distribution, response rate improvement, to data cleaning and data processing. When relevant, we discuss the differences between the six countries involved. It is concluded that many if not most of the problems encountered in online surveys are solved when taking into account the principles that guide the conduct of conventional surveys.
CASTA DIVA®: Experiments and Modeling of Oxide-Induced Deformation in Nuclear Components
Authors: Barberis P. , Rebeyrolle V. , Vermoyal J. J. , Chabretou V. , Vassault J. P.
Published: May 2008

In-pile deformation of nuclear structural components remains a major preoccupation for fuel vendors and utilities, especially when introducing new alloys or extending burn-ups. The usual invoked causes of such deformations are free growth, hydriding (hydrides induce a volume expansion which translates into deformation), irradiation creep if the component is subjected to external loads (e.g., axial load for the fuel assembly), and flux gradients (for fuel channel bow). In this paper we show through out-of-pile experiments (autoclave corrosion and low temperature air oxidation) and in-pile data analysis that the oxide layer significantly contributes to the deformation. A model (CASTA DIVA®) taking into account all the above mentioned phenomena has been derived and correctly predicts the deformation behavior, the stresses in the oxide layer, as well as the external cracking of the oxide. The relative impacts of hydriding and stresses in the metal are computed. A comparison between Zircaloy-4 and M5® is made, showing the better behavior of M5.
Solderability Testing of Lead-Free Solder Joints Using Miniature Specimens
Authors: Rosenthal Y. , Sabag O. , Tourgeman A. , Zalkind S. , Stern A. , Eliezer D.
Published: May 2008

A new method for mechanical testing of lead-free solder joints solderability is presented. Copper blanks are soldered with a known thermal cycle. Miniature tensile solder joints specimens are produced in large numbers from the blanks having a gage section made of lead-free solder alloy with dimensions that represent actual solder joints. Mechanical properties of Sn-3.5Ag-0.7Cu in tension at room temperature and strain-rates between 2.8×10−4–2.7×10−1s−1 have been studied. It is concluded that the solder section of the miniature joints is the weakest link in this complex structure. It was also found that the experimental results for solder strength and strain-rate sensitivity are in partial agreement with data obtained using solder bulk specimens. The role of microstructure across the joint, especially intermetallic compounds along the copper/solder interface is also discussed.
CMPO-calix[4]arenes and the influence of structural modifications on the Eu(III), Am(III), Cm(III) separation
Authors: Peters Christelle , Braekers Damien , Kroupa Jan , Kasyan Oleg , Miroshnichenko S. , Rudzevich Valentyn , Böhmer Volker , Desreux Jean-F.
Published: May 2008

The syntheses of new calix[4]arenes featuring CMPO groups on the wide rim are reported and the extraction of Am(III) and Eu(III) from concentrated HNO3 aqueous phases are discussed with reference to the properties of the symmetric tetra-CMPO derivative
1
. All extraction studies were conducted in the same experimental conditions which allows to directly compare the dependence of the distribution coefficients of various calixarenes on the acid concentration (0.1 M < [HNO3] < 5 M). Calix[4]arene
1
becomes a very poor extractant if the length of the aliphatic chain between the amide and phosphine oxide groups of CMPO is increased, if the bridging methylene groups are replaced by sulfur atoms or if the macrocyclic cavity size is increased. By contrast, mixed amide — CMPO calix[4]arenes are nearly as effective than
1
. Moreover, Am(III)/Cm(III) separation coefficients between 1.5 and 3 have been obtained with unsymmetrical calix[4]arenes of type
1
with different aliphatic chains grafted on the narrow rim. Guidelines to anticipate the extraction ability of calix[4]arenes remain elusive because of the intricate solution behavior of these compounds.
A fejlődési plaszticitás kutatási logikája
Authors: Pléh Csaba
Published: May 2008

A tanulmány áttekinti, hogy a mai idegtudomány és kognitív
tudomány találkozási pontjain hogyan vizsgálják az idegrendszeri plaszticitást.
Milyen kapcsolata van ennek a modularitás vitáihoz? Hogyan jelenik meg eltérő
eredetű –biztosan vagy feltehetőleg genetikai alapú és világosan szerzett
–zavarokban a plaszticitás__
A kognitív deficit jelentősége a schizophrenia formakörének meghatározásában
Authors: Kéri Szabolcs
Published: May 2008

A tanulmány 10 év saját kutatásai alapján tekinti át, hogy
milyen elemi kognitív működésekben jelenik meg a schizophrenia. A vizuális
rendszerben a magnocelluláris (M) M-pálya kifejezett zavara mutatható ki, ami
összefügg a Gestalt-szerveződés zavar_
A téri referenciakeretek változása az életkorral tipikusan fejlődő és Williams-szindrómás gyerekeknél
Authors: Ivády Rozália Eszter , Felhősi Gabriella , Pléh Csaba
Published: May 2008

Kutatásunkban a nyelv és a gondolkodás egymásra hatását,
ezen belül is a Levinson(1996) és
munkatársai (P__
Az arcpercepció és arcadaptáció elektrofiziológiája
Authors: Kovács Gyula
Published: May 2008

Az emberi arcfelismerés neurális korrelátumait számos
elektro- és pszichofizikai kísérlet keresi. Elektro­fiziológiai vizsgálatok
leírták, hogy az okcipito-temporális területek felől elvezethető egy nagy
negatív hullám, mely latenciája miatt az N170 nevet kapta. Számos tanulmány
szerint az N170 speci_
Numerikus képességek Williams-szindrómá­ban: disszociálódó analóg mennyiség­rendszer és verbális előhívás
Authors: Krajcsi Attila , Igács János , Lukács Ágnes , Racsmány Mihály , Pléh Csaba
Published: May 2008

A Williams-szindróma (WS) egy ritka genetikai fejlődési
zavar, amely a numerikus képességek súlyos sérülésével jár együtt. Két
numerikus rendszer, az analóg mennyiségi rendszer és a verbális rendszer
működését vizsgáltuk meg Williams-szindrómában, három eltérő numerikus
feladatban: egyszerű össz__
Memória és nyelvi funkciók temporális lebeny epilepsziában
Authors: Borbély Csaba , Halász Péter
Published: May 2008

A tanulmány az emlékezeti és a nyelvi feldolgozó
rendszereken keresztül foglalja össze a halántéklebeny epilepsziára (TLE)
legjellemzőbb kognitív deficit-mintázatokat és ezek lehetséges okait. A
temporális lebeny epilepszia, mint krónikus neurológiai betegség, a legtöbb
esetben kimutatható változást (által__
Seroprevalence of selected viral, bacterial and parasitic infections among inpatients of a public psychiatric hospital of Mexico
Authors: Alvarado-Esquivel Cosme , Arreola-Valenzuela Miguel Ángel , Rodríguez-Briones Alfredo , Alanís-Quiñones Olga Patricia , Estrada-Martínez Sergio , Luevanos-Becerra Carlos , Martínez-Saenz Luis Felipe , Martínez-García Sergio Arturo , Ramírez-Valles Eda Guadalupe , Ibarra-Torres Isaac , González-Verdín Cesar Arnulfo
Published: May 2008

We sought to determine the frequency of serological markers of selected infections in a population of psychiatric patients in Durango City, Mexico, and to determine whether there are any epidemiological characteristics of the subjects associated with the infections. One hundred and five inpatients of a public psychiatric hospital of Durango were examined for HBsAg, anti-HCV antibodies, anti-HIV antibodies, anti-Brucella antibodies, rapid plasma reagin and anti-Cysticercus antibodies by commercially available assays. Anti-Cysticercus antibodies were confirmed by Western blot and HBsAg by neutralization assay. Epidemiological data from each participant were also obtained. Seroprevalences of HBsAg, anti-HCV, anti-HIV, anti-Brucella, rapid plasma reagin and anti-Cysticercus antibodies found were 0.0%, 4.8%, 0.9%, 0.0%, 1.9%, and 0.9%, respectively. Overall, 9 (8.6%) inpatients showed seropositivity to any infection marker. We concluded that our psychiatric inpatients have serological evidence of a number of infections. HCV is an important pathogen among our psychiatric inpatients. Health care strategies for prevention and control of infections in Mexican psychiatric patients should be considered.
Estudo do comportamento eletroquímico da enzima peroxidase na presença de peróxido de hidrogênio e ácido 5-aminossalicílico
Authors: Uliana C. V. , Riccardi C. S , Yamanaka H.
Published: May 2008

O comportamento eletroquímico da enzima peroxidase (HRP) foi estudado utilizando o peróxido de hidrogênio como substrato enzimático e o ácido 5-aminossalicílico (5-ASA) como mediador de elétrons sobre eletrodo de grafite. Diversos parâmetros foram otimizados, tais como, o potencial aplicado à técnica amperométrica fixado em -0,125V, a solução tampão fosfato-citrato 0,1 mol L-1 pH 5,0 como eletrólito suporte e a proporção entre o 5-ASA e H2O2 em 1:7, entre outros. Foi observada a catálise da reação de oxidação do peróxido de hidrogênio na presença da enzima HRP e do mediador 5-ASA. O produto dessa oxidação foi reduzido na superfície do eletrodo, evidenciando um significativo aumento na intensidade da corrente catódica.
Atividade de enzimas associadas ao estado de indução em mudas de cacaueiro expostas a dois actinomicetos residentes de filoplano
Authors: Macagnan Dirceu , Romeiro Reginaldo da Silva , Baracat-Pereira Maria Cristina , Lanna-Filho Roberto , Batista Gisele Sales , Pomella Alan Willian Vilela
Published: May 2008

Dois antagonistas selecionados para o biocontrole da vassoura-de-bruxa do cacaueiro foram avaliados quanto à capacidade em ativar mecanismos de defesa de plantas contra patógenos. Para tanto, mudas seminais de cacaueiro "comum" foram cultivadas em casa-de-vegetação por 30 dias e expostas aos antagonistas aplicados a mudas de cacaueiro por atomização, individualmente e em associação. O primeiro par de folhas das mudas dos diferentes tratamentos foi coletado aos dois, quatro, 12 e 24 dias após a exposição aos antagonistas. Foi quantificada a atividade de peroxidases, polifenoloxidases, quitinases e beta-1,3-glucanases no material coletado. Observou-se um aumento na atividade de peroxidases e polifenoloxidases nos primeiros dias após a exposição das mudas, especialmente ao isolado Ac26. Não foi observado efeito aditivo ou sinergístico nas mudas expostas aos dois isolados simultaneamente.
Caracterização morfofisiológica de isolados do gênero Cylindrocladium
Authors: Aparecido Christiane Ceriani , Furtado Edson Luiz , Figueiredo Mário Barreto
Published: May 2008

Com o objetivo de caracterizar o "complexo" gênero anamórfico Cylindrocladium, dezoito isolados foram cultivados em meios de cultura distintos, mantidos sob diferentes temperaturas, além de ter conídios e vesículas terminais analisados morfologicamente para identificação correta das culturas. Inoculações em diferentes hospedeiros foram, também, realizadas para avaliação do comportamento patogênico dos isolados estudados. Com relação aos caracteres morfológicos, pôde-se observar que ocorrem alterações nas dimensões de conídios e na morfologia da vesícula terminal devido, provavelmente, à mudança do substrato de cultivo. Porém, a variabilidade natural nas características dessas estruturas é tão elevada que dificulta a identificação correta dos isolados. Em uma mesma cultura, por exemplo, foram observadas vesículas terminais de diferentes morfologias. Pôde-se constatar que existem diferenças patogênicas e fisiológicas entre os isolados, uma vez que houve a formação de grupos distintos quando tais características foram consideradas. Estas diferenças, provavelmente, sejam devidas à constituição genética distinta existente entre os isolados.
Bioprospecção de macroalgas marinhas e plantas aquáticas para o controle da antracnose do feijoeiro
Authors: Abreu Guilherme Fernandes de , Talamini Viviane , Stadnik Marciel João
Published: May 2008

O objetivo deste trabalho foi testar o efeito local, residual e sistêmico, de extratos de 17 espécies de macroalgas marinhas e de duas plantas aquáticas, sobre a antracnose do feijoeiro. Para tanto, os espécimes foram coletados, identificados, secos em estufa (50ºC/ 48 h), moídos e seus compostos extraídos com etanol. Plantas de feijoeiro (Phaseolus vulgaris cv. Uirapuru) foram cultivadas em vasos, em casa-de-vegetação. Os 19 extratos foram subdivididos e testados em duas etapas de seleção e comparação independentes, utilizando-se o delineamento inteiramente ao acaso, com cinco repetições (vasos com três plantas). As plantas foram pulverizadas com extratos na concentração de 50 mg de peso seco/mL quando apresentavam o primeiro trifólio expandido. Para verificar o efeito local, as plantas foram inoculadas com uma suspensão de 1,2 x 10(6) conídios/mL 4 horas após o tratamento, enquanto que para o estudo do efeito residual e sistêmico, as plantas foram inoculadas 7 dias após o tratamento. A severidade da antracnose foi avaliada 7 dias após a inoculação (dai) na planta inteira e no trifólio não tratado (efeito sistêmico), utilizando-se uma escala de 1 a 9. As algas e plantas que reduziram significativamente a severidade da doença foram comparadas em experimento avaliado aos 7 e aos 12 dai. O extrato de Bryothamnion seaforthii apresentou efeito local, reduzindo em 35% a severidade da antracnose, enquanto o extrato de Ulva fasciata demonstrou efeito residual com redução de 22% na doença aos 12 dai. Somente os extratos de Lemna sp. e U. fasciata reduziram sistemicamente a severidade de doença aos 7 dai na ordem de 55 e 44%, respectivamente, em relação à testemunha. O possível modo de ação desses extratos é discutido.
Ocorrência generalizada do Lettuce mottle virus em três regiões produtoras de alface comercial do Estado de São Paulo
Authors: Krause-Sakate Renate , Firmino Ana Carolina , Jadão Adriana Salomão , Pavan Marcelo A. , Silva Norberto da , Hanai Sérgio Minoru , Anbo Roberto Hiroto , Nietzsche Thomas
Published: May 2008

Os sequivírus são vírus isométricos transmitidos por afídeos. Lettuce mottle virus (LeMoV), um provável sequivirus foi descrito no Brasil em 1982 e causa sintomas de mosaico semelhantes aos observados pelo Lettuce mosaic virus (LMV). Um levantamento para ocorrência do LeMoV nos campos de produção de alface de três diferentes regiões do Estado de São Paulo (Mogi das Cruzes, Campinas e Bauru) foi realizado durante 2002 a 2005. RNA total foi extraído e utilizado na detecção, em RT-PCR, com oligonucleotídeos específicos para o LeMoV. Do total de 1362 amostras, 137 (10,05%) foram positivas para o LeMoV. Infecção mista com o LMV foi verificada em 43 amostras (31,4%). Foi verificada a ocorrência do LeMoV nas três diferentes regiões analisadas, porém sua ocorrência foi baixa nas diferentes épocas do ano.
Efeitos do dimetilsulfóxido no estresse oxidativo e na regeneração hepática pós-hepatectomia em ratos
Authors: Melo José Ulisses de Souza , Vasconcelos Paulo Roberto Leitão de , Santos Jefferson Menezes Viana , Campos Júnior Manoel Messias , Barreto Marcus Vinicius Amaral , Kimura Osamu de Sandes
Published: May 2008

OBJETIVO: avaliar a influência do DMSO sobre o estresse oxidativo e a regeneração hepática pós-HP via um modelo experimental. MÉTODO: 36 ratos Wistar machos jovens foram aleatoriamente distribuídos em dois Grupos de 18 animais: parcialmente hepatectomizados com infusão diária de solução salina (controle) e parcialmente hepatectomizados com aporte diário intraperitoneal de DMSO, todos por duas semanas. Nos tempos 36h (T1), 168h (T2) e 336h (T3) pós-HP, glutationa (GSH) foi medida no plasma e no tecido hepático, enquanto glicose e bilirrubina total foram aquilatados no sangue. A massa do fígado residual, nos mesmos tempos, foi o parâmetro utilizado para estimar a evolução da regeneração do fígado. RESULTADOS: DMSO baixou os níveis de GSH hepático e sangüíneo mas não interferiu na evolução da massa em regeneração. CONCLUSÃO: DMSO inibiu o estresse oxidativo pós-HP mas não mostrou alterações significantes na regeneração hepática em ratos.
Estudo morfológico do intestino de ratos após a criação cirúrgica de esfíncteres artificiais
Authors: Barra Ângela Aparecida , Silva Alcino Lázaro da , Rena Cícero de Lima , Furtado Maria Cristina Vasconcelos , Pinto Rafael Moraes
Published: May 2008

OBJETIVO: Avaliar as alterações morfológicas ocorridas após à confecção de esfíncteres no intestino delgado de ratos. MÉTODO: Foram estudados 30 ratos, Wistar, distribuídos em três grupos de 10 animais. Grupo A, controle, foi retirado um segmento de intestino delgado de 20mm de extensão. Grupo B, foram realizados dois esfíncteres, um a 100mm e outro a 150mm da junção íleo-cecal. Grupo C, um esfíncter à 100mm da junção íleo-ceco-cólica. Entre 10º e 14º dia os animais do Grupo B e C foram re-operados para a ressecção do segmento intestinal envolvendo os esfíncteres com margem de 10mm proximal e distal. As aferições de peso foram feitas no pré-operatório das duas intervenções. O diâmetro das alças foi computado antes e depois da confecção dos esfíncteres. Nas peças ressecadas dos três grupos foram medidas as alturas das vilosidades dos segmentos pré e pós-esfíncter dos Grupos B e C, segmento intermediário do Grupo B e segmento intestinal do Grupo A. Os dados obtidos foram submetidos à análise estatística do programa SPSS. RESULTADO: O peso dos animais aumentou nos dois grupos com significância no grupo B. Aumento do diâmetro das alças e a média das alturas das vilosidades foram significante. CONCLUSÃO: A confecção dos esfíncteres leva a alterações da camada de vilos e dos diâmetros das alças, semelhantes àquelas que ocorrem na fase de adaptação intestinal após ressecções.
Processamento mínimo do melão Cantaloupe com uso de doses de cloreto de cálcio e quelato aminocálcico
Authors: Machado Francisca Ligia de C , Alves Ricardo E , Silva Ebenézer de O
Published: May 2008

A qualidade de melão Cantaloupe 'Hy-Mark' minimamente processado em cubos, tratado com cloreto de cálcio ou quelato aminocálcico e armazenado sob refrigeração foi avaliada. Os frutos foram colhidos em estádio de maturação comercial, caracterizado por camada de abscisão do pedúnculo com até 75% de desprendimento, teor de sólidos solúveis mínimo de 9.0ºBrix, coloração externa verde-escuro e firmeza da polpa máxima de 18 N, no Agropolo Mossoró-Assu (RN), e transportados para o laboratório da Embrapa Agroindústria Tropical, onde foram selecionados, sanitizados, processados e tratados a 10ºC. Posteriormente os cubos foram imersos em cálcio a 0,5% e 1,0%, na forma de cloreto de cálcio e cálcio 0,5% e 1% na forma de quelato aminocálcico por três minutos, drenados, acondicionados em embalagens PET e armazenados a 5±1ºC e 90±5% UR por 18 dias. As análises de aparência, coloração, firmeza da polpa, teores de cálcio total e livre, sólidos solúveis totais, acidez total titulável e pH foram realizadas logo após o processamento e em intervalos de três dias até o décimo oitavo dia. A aplicação de cálcio na forma de cloreto de cálcio e quelato aminocálcico reteve a firmeza da polpa e conservou a aparência das amostras por todo o período experimental, destacando-se principalmente a aplicação de 1,0% de cálcio na forma de cloreto de cálcio que não só resultou em maior retenção da firmeza, como também proporcionou os maiores teores de cálcio total.
Solução nutritiva para produção de menta em hidroponia
Authors: Paulus Dalva , Medeiros Sandro L. P. , Santos Osmar S. , Paulus Eloi
Published: May 2008

A menta (Mentha arvensis L.) é uma planta aromática e que produz um óleo essencial rico em mentol. Para o cultivo hidropônico de hortaliças folhosas e de frutos existe um grande número de soluções nutritivas recomendadas pela pesquisa; no entanto, existem poucas informações sobre soluções nutritivas para menta. O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar uma solução nutritiva para o cultivo de menta em hidroponia. Conduziram-se dois experimentos de outubro a dezembro de 2004 em Santa Maria, RS. Para o experimento a campo, as mudas foram obtidas por estacas e produzidas em substrato organo-mineral (plantmax®), posteriormente transplantadas para canteiros de 5,00 m de comprimento e 1,00 de largura, no espaçamento 0,60 x 0,30 m. No sistema hidropônico "NFT", as mudas foram propagadas por estaquia em espuma fenólica, onde permaceram 18 dias no berçário, quando foram transferidas para as bancadas de produção final. O delineamento experimental foi blocos ao acaso em esquema fatorial 2x2 com os fatores: concentração da solução nutritiva e espaçamentos. Determinou-se a fitomassa seca, o teor de óleo essencial e o mentol. Os melhores resultados de teor de óleo essencial (0,60 ml 100 g-1 de folhas frescas), mentol (82,4%) e fitomassa seca (45 g planta-1) foram obtidos com 100% da concentração da solução nutritiva no transplante e reposição de 50% quando a condutividade elétrica reduziu 50% do valor inicial e no espaçamento de 0,50 m x 0,25 m nos canais de cultivo. Constatou-se que o teor e rendimento de óleo essencial e fitomassa seca no cultivo hidropônico com a solução nutritiva proposta foram superiores aos encontrados em cultivo a campo de 27 g planta-1de fitomassa seca, 0,53 Ml 100 g-1 de folhas frescas de óleo essencial e 64,43% de mentol. A solução nutritiva com concentração de 100% no transplante e reposição de 50% dos nutrientes quando a condutividade elétrica reduzir 50% do valor inicial e o espaçamento 0,50 x 0,25 m pode ser recomendada para o cultivo hidropônico de Mentha arvensis.
Interferência do excesso de água no solo e componentes de produção em beterraba
Authors: Costa Raimundo Nonato T , Vasconcelos José Paulino de , Silva Luís Antônio da , Ness Ricardo Luiz L
Published: May 2008

O experimento, realizado no Laboratório de Hidráulica e Irrigação da UFC, em Fortaleza, de julho a setembro de 2002, utilizou tanques de drenagem de nível freático constante para verificar a relação existente entre o Índice Diário de Estresse (IDS) e componentes de produção em beterraba, cultivar Early Wonder. O delineamento experimental foi inteiramente casualizado, com cinco tratamentos (0; 120; 180; 240 e 300 cm de soma de excesso de água no solo (SEW30)), quatro repetições e parcelas de 48 plantas úteis. O coeficiente de suscetibilidade da cultura (SC) ao encharcamento foi calculado para o primeiro, segundo e terceiro estádios de desenvolvimento, submetendo-se as plantas a um encharcamento de quatro dias de duração com lençol freático à profundidade de 0,10 m, em cada um desses estádios. Avaliou-se o diâmetro médio do hipocótilo (DM), o comprimento da maior folha (CMF) e a produtividade (PT). Somente DM apresentou variação significativa em função do excesso de água, passando de 5,51 quando não houve estresse para 4,71 quando o estresse foi aplicado no último estádio de desenvolvimento. Os valores obtidos para SC para o primeiro, segundo e terceiro estádios de crescimento foram de 0,10; 0,16 e 0,28, respectivamente. O produto do valor ponderado de SC (0,17) juntamente com os respectivos valores de SEW30 (0; 120; 180; 240 e 300 cm) permitiu calcular, para cada tratamento, os valores de índice diário de estresse (IDS), de 0; 20,4; 30,6; 40,8 e 51,0, respectivamente. Somente o tratamento com maior nível de estresse (lençol freático a 5 cm de profundidade) diferiu estatisticamente (p<0,05) da testemunha sem estresse: DM passou de 5,51 na testemunha para 4,00; CMF foi reduzido 43,35 para 26,10 e; a produtividade caiu de 40,4 para 15,8 t ha-1). A estimativa de IDS que produziu os maiores valores para produtividade (41,8 t ha-1) foi de 12,8 cm, obtida através de regressão quadrática (r² = 0,87).