Rosa et al. Global Biogeography of Coastal Cephalopods are historical processes that may explain the contemporary Caribbean octopus richness and Mediterranean sepiolid endemism, respectively. Last, we discuss how the life cycles and strategies of cephalopods may allow them to adapt quickly to future climate change and extend the borealization of their distribution.

A cross-sectional study was conducted in order to identify hepatitis A virus (HAV) serological markers in 418 individuals (mean age, 16.4 years; range, 1 month-80 respectively, in 89.5% (374/418) and 10.5% (44/418) IA and IB in 93.3% (28/30) Hepatitis A virus (HAV) is a hepatotropic virus and a member of the Hepatovirus genus within the Picornaviridae family (Minor 1991). The virus is responsible for the majority of the acute hepatitis cases in Brazil (Gaspar et al. 1996), and infection symptoms are age-related. Among HAV-infected individuals, children under 6 years old are typically asymptomatic, whereas older children and adults develop jaundice or present dark urine. The prevalence of HAV infection is closely correlated with the level of environmental sanitation and with prevailing socioeconomic and hygiene conditions. The incidence of HAV is higher in developing countries, although the pattern of HAV endemicity in several of these countries has dropped from high to intermediary due to improvements in sanitation conditions in recent decades (Tapia-Conyer et al. 1999, Tanaka 2000. As a consequence, increasing proportions of those populations have had no contact with HAV and are therefore more susceptible to infection. In Brazil, hepatitis A is still considered an endemic disease, although data collected in the state of Rio de Janeiro indicate that a shift in the hepatitis A epidemiological pattern has taken place (Santos et al. 2002, Villar et al. 2002. of the individuals tested. Acute HAV infection in children was independently correlated with crawling (p < 0.05). In 56.8% (25/44) of the IgM anti-HAV-positive individuals and in 33.3% (5/15) of the IgM anti-HAV-negative individuals presenting clinical symptoms, HAV RNA was detected. Phylogenetic analysis revealed co-circulation of subgenotypesThe virus is usually transmitted via the fecal-oral route, either through person-to-person contact or through in- (Gehlbach et al. 1973, Williams et al. 1975. Results of some studies have suggested that HAV is transmitted mainly by children with either asymptomatic or subclinical infection. Lack of proper hygiene facilitates HAV transmission from such children to their relatives and friends, as well as to child care center staff members (Castelli et al. 1999, Poovorawan et al. 2005.The HAV strains have been classified into six genotypes (I to VI), based on nucleotide sequences of the VP1/2A junction region (Robertson et al. 1992. Prevalent human strains fall into genotypes I or III, each of which are divided into subtypes A and B. In Brazil, co-circulation of subgenotypes IA and IB have been found in Rio de Janeiro , Villar et al. 2004. Circulation of subgenotype IA has also been detected in other regions of Brazil (de Paula et al. 2004).Since it was first reported that HAV was able to propagate in cell culture (Provost et al. 1979), there have been many attempts to develop an HAV vaccine. In the United States and some other countries, safe and effective formalin-inactivated HAV vaccines against hepatitis A have ...

The Northeast region is the location of most cases of acute hepatitis A virus (HAV) in Brazil. In the present study, the genotypes of HAV strains from Pernambuco State, one of most populous states in the Northeast region, were characterized. Blood samples positive for anti-HAV IgM from 145 individuals (mean age = 29.1 years), collected during 2002 and 2003, were submitted to nested RT-PCR for amplification of the 5'non-translated region (5'NTR) and VP1/2A regions of the HAV genome. The VP1/2A and 5'NTR regions were amplified in 39 and 21% of the samples, respectively. Nucleotide sequencing was carried out in 46% of VP1/2A and in 53% of 5'NTR isolates. The identity in nucleotide sequence of the VP1/2A region ranged from 93.6 to 100.0%. Phylogenetic analysis of the VP1/2A sequences showed that 65% belong to sub-genotype IA and 35% to sub-genotype IB. Co-circulation of both sub-genotypes was observed in the two years studied. Distinct clusters of highly related sequences were observed in both sub-genotypes, suggesting endemic circulation of HAV strains in this area. In the 5'NTR isolates, 92.7-99.2% identity was observed and two isolates presented one deletion at position 413. Phylogenetic analysis showed that genotype IA strains cluster in the tree in the same way as genotype IB strains, but one IIIA isolate from Spain clusters with genotype IB strains. These results do not allow us to state that 5'NTR could be used to genotype HAV sequences. This is the first report of co-circulation of sub-genotypes IA and IB in this region, providing additional information about the molecular epidemiology of HAV strains in Brazil.

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The replication of hepatitis A virus (HAV) is via a complementary negative-strand RNA. Each negative strand may serve as a template for the synthesis of many positive strands. The aim of this study was to detect the intermediate replicative (negative strand) of HAV in order to monitor its replication in vitro and in vivo. Real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was standardized to detect the intermediate replicative of HAV in cell culture and liver from non-human primates infected experimentally. HAV primers from the 5' non-translated region and VP3 were used in the cDNA synthesis of negative-strand RNA. The negative strand was detected in the infected cell lines and liver by highly strand-specific rTth recombinant Thermus thermophilus DNA polymerase reverse transcription followed by quantitative PCR. The results indicate that the negative-strand HAV RNA can be detected in vivo and in vitro. This model is an approach for assessing the dynamic patterns of replication and should represent a valuable tool for the monitoring of HAV replications in cell cultures and for the evaluation of experimental infections in animal models.

Resumo -Existem muitas evidências de que as cidades influenciam o clima local, particularmente no que diz respeito à temperatura, ocasionando uma "ilha de calor urbano", com impactes negativos no conforto bioclimático e na saúde humana. Durante o século transacto, sobretudo a partir de 1980, ocorreu um aumento da temperatura dos meses de Verão (Junho, Julho, Agosto e Setembro, JJAS), particularmente no que diz respeito à temperatura mínima média. Verificou-se igualmente um aumento de noites "quentes" (de temperatura mínima superior a 20ºC), em especial em Junho e Setembro e uma diminuição significativa da amplitude térmica diurna, nomeadamente nos últimos anos do século XX. Estes factos poderão ser devidos não só ao efeito urbano, mas também ao aquecimento global. Palavras-chave:Conforto bioclimático, saúde humana, ilha de calor urbana, aquecimento global, noites quente, amplitude térmica diurna. IN LISBON DURING THE 20 TH CENTURY. TRENDS, NUMBER OF HOT NIGHTS AND DIURNAL TEMPERATURE RANGE. There is ample evidence of the cities' effects upon the local climate and, in particular, upon temperature, by giving rise to the so-called "urban heat island" (UHI), which has a strong negative impact upon human bioclimatic comfort and health. Abstract -URBAN CLIMATE AND SUMMER TEMPERATURESIn this study, temporal evolution of summer (June, July, August and September-JJAS) temperature trends in Lisbon are studied. During the course of the 21 st Century, a temperature increase was found to have occurred in this city (most notably since 1980 and particularly as regards the mean minimum temperature), alongside an increase in the number of nights in which the temperature has reached values higher than 20 ºC and a reduction of the diurnal temperature range, all of which can be attributed to urban growth and/or global warming. Il est prouvé que les villes affectent le climat local, surtout en ce qui concerne les températures, en créant un îlot de chaleur urbain, lequel diminue le confort bioclimatique des habitants. Pendant le XX e siècle (particulièrement depuis 1980), la température des mois de juin, juillet, août et septembre a augmenté à Lisbonne, surtout en ce qui concerne la moyenne des minimums. Ceci peut être dû soit à l'îlot de chaleur urbain, soit au « réchauffement global ».Le nombre de nuits dont la température est supérieure à 20ºC a aussi augmenté, ainsi que l'amplitude thermique journalière (DTR), en conséquence de la croissance urbaine. Mots-clés:Confort bioclimatique, santé humaine, îlot de chaleur urbain, réchauf-fement global, nuits chaudes, amplitude thermique journalière.

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