Resumo O impacto de atropelamentos por veículos sobre populações animais ainda é subestimado devido ao pouco conhecimento existente sobre sua intensidade e seus efeitos. Para avaliar diferenças entre atropelamentos de animais em rodovias inseridas em paisagens distintas, este trabalho registrou atropelamentos de meso e mega vertebrados em trechos de 50 km durante um ano em duas rodovias na região de transição Amazônia/Cerrado em Tangará da Serra, Mato Grosso: MT-358 e MT-235, sendo que a segunda cruza a Terra Indígena Paresi. Avaliamos as taxas de atropelamento e os locais de maior intensidade, registrando as espécies mais impactadas. Avaliamos efeitos de sazonalidade, perda de biomassa, horário de atividade das espécies e horário de maior fluxo de veículos. Foram 178 animais atropelados em 4.950 km percorridos, com 33 espécies (15 ordens), totalizando 0,035 animais/km-percorrido. Os mamíferos foram os mais atingidos com 135 atropelamentos (75,8%), seguidos por répteis (6,2%), anfíbios (5,6%) e aves (5,1%). Entre os mamíferos atropelados 51,1% pertencem à ordem carnívora, e a espécie mais atropelada foi Cerdocyon thous (n = 42). Na rodovia MT-358 (antropizada) foram registrados 155 atropelamentos de mamíferos, sendo que C. thous (23,9%) e Euphractus sexcinctus (13,5%) foram os mais atropelados. Enquanto na rodovia MT-235 foram registrados 23 atropelamentos sendo Myrmecophaga tridactyla (26.1%) e C. thous (21,7%) as espécies mais afetadas. Observamos menor taxa de atropelamentos dentro da Terra Indígena Paresi, possivelmente devido a presença de passagens para fauna ao longo da rodovia e maior quantidade de áreas florestadas.

Abstract Roadkill impact is still underestimated due to the lack of knowledge of its intensity and effect on animal populations. To assess differences between animal roadkills on roads in distinct landscapes, this study recorded meso- and megavertebrate roadkills along 50 km during a year in two highways in the transitional area of Amazonia/Cerrado in Tangará da Serra, Mato Grosso: MT-358 and MT-235, the latter crossing the Paresi Indigenous Land. We assessed roadkill rates and points with higher rates of roadkills, recording the most impacted species, seasonal effects, biomass loss, activity period of species, and traffic volume. We recorded 178 roadkills in 4,950 km travelled, a rate of 0.035 animal/km-travelled. Mammals were the most impacted with 135 roadkills (75.8%), followed by reptiles (6.2%), amphibians (5.6%) and birds (5.1%). Among mammals 51.1% were Carnivora, and the most impacted species was Cerdocyon thous (n = 42). On highway MT-358 (human-modified landscape), we recorded 155 roadkilled mammals, and the most impacted were C. thous (23.9%) and Euphractus sexcinctus (13.5%). Whilst on highway MT-235 (Paresi Indigenous Land), we recorded 23 roadkilled mammals, and the most impacted were Myrmecophaga tridactyla (26.1%) and C. thous (21.7%). The low roadkill rate in the Paresi Indigenous Land might be related to the presence of fauna pathways along the highway and the availability of a forested landscape.

O melanoma maligno da mucosa nasossinusal é um tumor indubitavelmente raro e agressivo que acomete pacientes acima dos sessenta anos e não tem associação com o sexo. A obstrução nasal e a epistaxe são os sintomas mais freqüentemente relatados, embora a sintomatologia seja tardia e inespecífica, o que retarda o diagnóstico e piora o prognóstico. A abordagem tradicional tem sido o tratamento cirúrgico; a radioterapia é também utilizada, entretanto sua eficácia ainda é discutida. O objetivo desse trabalho é relatar dois casos da doença em mucosa nasossinusal e realizar uma revisão da literatura sobre o assunto.

Malignant melanoma of the sinonasal mucosa is undoubtedly a rare and aggressive tumor, which affects patients over sixty years of age and is not associated with gender. Nasal obstruction and epistaxis are the most frequently reported symptoms, although the presentation is late and unspecific, which delays the diagnosis and worsens the prognosis. The traditional approach has been surgical treatment; radiotherapy has also been used; however its effectiveness remains uncertain. The purpose of the present study is to report two cases of malignant melanoma of the sinonasal mucosa and present a literature review.

O solo é um importante componente do ecossistema, influenciando a qualidade do ar e da água. Atualmente, é crescente o interesse pelo potencial que o solo apresenta em seqüestrar carbono e, conseqüentemente, contribuir para mitigar o efeito estufa. Este estudo teve por objetivos avaliar: (a) o potencial da inclusão de plantas de cobertura em sistemas de produção de milho (aveia + ervilhaca, tremoço (posteriormente azevém + ervilhaca), mucuna e feijão-de-porco) em acumular C orgânico e N total num Argissolo Vermelho distrófico arênico, comparativamente ao sistema tradicional pousio/milho e a uma área preservada de campo natural; (b) a contribuição dos sistemas de cultura em plantio direto no seqüestro de CO2 atmosférico pelo solo. Para instalação do experimento, realizaram-se uma lavração e duas gradagens, que acarretaram uma queda acentuada nos estoques de C orgânico e N total nos primeiros quatro anos, em comparação ao campo natural. Do quarto ao oitavo ano, os sistemas de cultura promoveram uma recuperação dos estoques de C e N total, sendo esta maior no sistema milho + mucuna. No oitavo ano, o solo no sistema milho + mucuna apresentou 5,42 Mg ha-1 de C e 1,27 Mg ha-1 de N a mais que o solo no sistema pousio/milho, na camada de 0-20 cm. Estimou-se que o sistema tradicional pousio/milho apresentou uma liberação líquida de 4,32 Mg ha-1 CO2 em relação ao campo natural, enquanto, no sistema milho + mucuna, ocorreu um seqüestro de 15,5 Mg ha-1 CO2. A utilização de sistemas conservacionistas de produção de milho é uma eficiente alternativa ao sistema tradicional (pousio/milho) em acumular matéria orgânica no solo e contribuir para o seqüestro do CO2 atmosférico em solos agrícolas e, portanto, para a melhoria da qualidade ambiental.

Soil is an important component of the ecosystem. Its management affects air and water quality. Nowadays, the soil potential to sequester carbon and, therefore, mitigate global warming, is an emergent subject. The main goals of this research were: (a) to evaluate the potential of cover crops (black oat, blue lupine (priori to oat + vetch), velvet bean and jack bean) used in corn production systems to increase soil organic carbon (OC) and total nitrogen (TN) content in a sandy-loam typic Paleudalf, in comparison with traditional farm system (fallow/corn) and a native grass field; and (b) to assess soil potential for acting as a sink of atmospheric CO2 under a no-tillage system. To establish this experiment, all treatments, except for native pasture, were conventionally tilled with plow plus disk for soil fertilization and liming. This soil disturbance caused an expressive decrease of soil OC and TN contents as compared to native vegetation, in the first four years. From the fourth to the eighth year, the cropping systems in no-tillage recovered the OC and TN contents in soil, this effect being highest in corn + velvet bean. At the eighth year, the soil under the corn+velvet bean system had 5.42 Mg ha-1 of C and 1.27 Mg ha-1 of N more than the fallow/corn system, in the 0 to 20 cm soil layer. It was estimated that corn+velvet bean, in the eight year, acted as a sink of 15.5 Mg ha-1 of CO2, while the treatment fallow/corn had a net emission of 4.32 Mg ha-1 of CO2. The use of conservation cropping systems in substitution to traditional fallow/corn systems used by farmers was an efficient tool to store soil organic matter and increase agricultural carbon sequestration and, therefore, mitigate the greenhouse effect.

This study was designed to evaluate the effect of different conditions of collection, transport and storage on the quality of blood samples from normal individuals in terms of the activity of the enzymes ß-glucuronidase, total hexosaminidase, hexosaminidase A, arylsulfatase A and ß-galactosidase. The enzyme activities were not affected by the different materials used for collection (plastic syringes or vacuum glass tubes). In the evaluation of different heparin concentrations (10% heparin, 5% heparin, and heparinized syringe) in the syringes, it was observed that higher doses resulted in an increase of at least 1-fold in the activities of ß-galactosidase, total hexosaminidase and hexosaminidase A in leukocytes, and ß-glucuronidase in plasma. When the effects of time and means of transportation were studied, samples that had been kept at room temperature showed higher deterioration with time (72 and 96 h) before processing, and in this case it was impossible to isolate leukocytes from most samples. Comparison of heparin and acid citrate-dextrose (ACD) as anticoagulants revealed that ß-glucuronidase and hexosaminidase activities in plasma reached levels near the lower normal limits when ACD was used. In conclusion, we observed that heparin should be used as the preferable anticoagulant when measuring these lysosomal enzyme activities, and we recommend that, when transport time is more than 24 h, samples should be shipped by air in a styrofoam box containing wet ice.

A tinha dos pés é a forma mais comum das dermatofitoses, mas pode simular outras doenças da pele e tende a se tornar crônica. Apresentamos um estudo da freqüência, epidemiologia e aspectos clínicos da tinha dos pés na região central do Rio Grande do Sul durante o período 1988-1997.

Tinea pedis is the most common type of dermatophytosis, but can mimic many cutaneous diseases and tend to be chronic. We present a study of the frequency, epidemiology and clinical aspects of tinea pedis in the central region of Rio Grande do Sul during the period 1988-1997.

Nesta pesquisa, descrevemos aspectos qualitativos e quantitativos da ciclagem de detritos de macrófitas aquáticas e carboidratos em duas lagoas costeiras do nordeste do Estado do Rio de Janeiro. Amostras de água das lagoas Imboassica e Cabiúnas foram enriquecidas com sacarose. Amostras de água da lagoa Cabiúnas foram também utilizadas para a montagem de câmaras de mineralização com fragmentos de três espécies de macrófitas aquáticas encontradas nestas lagoas (Typha domingensis, Potamogeton stenostachys e Nymphaea ampla). Em seguida, as garrafas foram aeradas e incubadas (no laboratório) por um período de 8 dias. As concentrações de oxigênio dissolvido, o pH, a condutividade elétrica e a temperatura foram medidos diariamente. Os processos anaeróbicos foram inibidos pela aeração periódica das garrafas. Os resultados sugerem que o processo de mineralização na lagoa Imboassica foi mais eficiente; na lagoa Cabiúnas o processo de imobilização da matéria orgânica foi dominante. No curto prazo, o maior consumo de oxigênio ocorreu na mineralização de N. ampla, seguida pela mineralização de P. stenostachys e de T. domingensis. Entretanto, foi estimado que no longo prazo a mineralização de P. stenostachys consumiria uma quantidade maior de oxigênio.

In this work, we describe qualitative and quantitative aspects of the cycling of detritus of aquatic macrophytes and carbohydrates in two coastal lagoons of the northeastern part of the State of Rio de Janeiro. Samples of water of the Imboassica and Cabiúnas lagoons were enriched with sucrose. Samples of water of the Cabiúnas lagoon were also utilized to arrange mineralization chambers with fragments of three species of aquatic macrophytes found in these lagoons (Typha domingensis, Potamogeton stenostachys and Nymphaea ampla). Following that, the bottles were aerated and incubated (in the laboratory) for a period of 8 days. The concentrations of dissolved oxygen, the pH, the electrical conductivity and the temperature were daily measured. The anaerobic processes were inhibited by periodical aeration of the bottles. The results suggested that the mineralization process in Imboassica lagoon was more efficient; in Cabiúnas lagoon the process of immobilization of the organic matter was dominant. In the short term, maximum oxygen uptake occurred in the mineralization of N. ampla, followed by the mineralization of P. stenostachys and of T. domingensis. However, it was estimated that in long term the mineralization of P. stenostachys showed a greater oxygen uptake.

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 authors