Visceral Larva Migrans syndrome (VLM) results from the presence or migration of helminth larvae in humans, who nonetheless only play the role of paratenic hosts in the helminths' life cycle. In humans, VLM can be caused by larvae of various nematode species, chiefly those of the ascarid Toxocara canis, which can then be found at a variety of body sites, such as the liver, lungs, heart, and brain. Clinical and pathological manifestations depend primarily on larvae number and location, infection duration, reinfection occurrence, and host's immunological condition. Signs and symptoms may range from asymptomatic infection to severe disease. In humans, infection is acquired through ingestion of T. canis eggs present in soil, containing larvae in the infective stage7, 8, 9. Indeed, eggs of Toxocara sp. have been found in sandboxes in several public places in the city of Campo Grande, Mato Grosso do Sul state2. This study was carried out to detect the presence of anti-Toxocara antibodies in children attending the Pediatrics division of Hospital Universitário of Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso do Sul at Campo Grande, Brazil. Over the years 1992-94, 454 serum samples, obtained from children of 5.25 ± 3.28 years of mean age and selected at that hospital on the basis of eosinophil count greater than or equal to 1000/mm3 of blood, were tested for the presence of antibodies by means of the ELISA technique employing Toxocara canis larvae excretory-secretory antigens5. A high prevalence rate for toxocariasis (35.55%) was found, which was observed to be associated with eosinophil levels lower than those usually reported in literature. Furthermore, a higher frequency of positive serology among boys was also observed (13 cases in contrast to only 3 among girls), a result also reported by other author

No abstract

Objetivo: O presente estudo tem como objetivo verificar a influncia do consumidor infantil no processo de deciso de compra e consumo de alimentos na famlia. Mtodo: Para tanto, foi conduzido um estudo quantitativo-descritivo junto a 304 pais de crianas de 07 (sete) a 12 (doze) anos incompletos, mediante questionrios estruturados. Para a anlise dos dados utilizou-se de estatstica descritiva e anlise hierrquica aglomerativa de clusters. Originalidade/Relevncia: Poucos estudos analisam a influncia do consumidor infantil na deciso de compra familiar com foco em reas especficas, como a de alimentos. Resultados: Foi possvel verificar a existncia de quatro segmentos distintos de famlias: Famlias concessivas sem restrio econmica, na qual 75,8% das crianas influenciam no processo de deciso de compra e consumo de alimentos na famlia (37,45% da amostra), Famlias no concessivas com restrio econmica, na qual 50,0% das crianas influenciam (23,87% da amostra), Famlias no concessivas sem restrio econmica, na qual 51,7% das crianas influenciam (11,93% da amostra) e Famlias concessivas com restrio econmica, na qual 84,6% das crianas influenciam (26,75% da amostra). Contribuies tericas/metodolgicas: Esta pesquisa tratou de forma indita da anlise do processo de deciso de compra e consumo de alimentos na famlia sob a tica da percepo dos pais quanto a influncia de seus filhos neste, abordando de forma quantitativa esta interao.

The series of 2,4-dihydroxy-6-methylbenzoates 2-10 (methyl to hexyl orsellinates) prepared by alcoholysis of lecanoric acid (1) - a natural product from the lichen Parmotrema tinctorum (Nyl.) Hale - was submitted to the brine shrimp lethality test (BST), which was also performed for 2,4-dihydroxy-6-methylbenzoic acid (11) (orsellinic acid) and the derivative ethyl-2-hydroxy-4-methoxy-6-methylbenzoate (12) (4-methoxy-ethyl orsellinate), in order to detect new substances with probable antineoplasic activity. Results showed that chain elongation - increase in lipophilicity (log P) - causes a rise in the cytotoxic activity of orsellinates. Hexyl orsellinate (7) showed the highest cytotoxic activity (LC50 = 31 μм). A correlation between lipophilicity (log P) and cytotoxic activity (log 1/LC50) is presented. Compounds with ramified chains - iso-propyl, sec-butyl and tert-butyl orsellinates (8-10) - were less active than those with the correspondent linear chain. The activities presented by 4-methoxy-ethyl orsellinate (12) and ethyl orsellinate (3) suggest that the hydroxy group at the C-4 position causes effect in the cytotoxic activity of orsellinates against Artemia salina.

In the present work, a neural network able to formulate fats with three ingredients derived from soybean (one refined oil and two hydrogenated base stocks) was built and trained. The training of the network was accomplished with data on the solid fat content (SFC) of 112 products, association with the proportions of the raw material used in their formulation. After the training, the network furnished, from the requested solid profiles, the possible formulations for the desired product. According to the statistical analysis applied to the results obtained, larger mean errors were observed in products with very low SFC and the smallest errors were found in products with high SFC. Regarding different temperatures, the network performance was more accurate for 10, 20, and 25°C than for 30, 35, and 37.5°C, where the lower measurements resulted in larger relative errors. According to evaluation by industrial experts, all the responses furnished by the network after its training were considered within the acceptable variation limits. For these experts, the network knowledge generalization (accomplished with products not presented during the training) was considered highly efficient (nearly 100%).