Este trabalho avaliou a seletividade de herbicidas sobre espécies nativas de florestas estacionais semideciduais de São Paulo, amplamente utilizadas em projetos de restauração de ecossistemas naturais degradados: Acacia polyphylla e Enterolobium contortisiliquum (Fabaceae), e Ceiba speciosa e Luehea divaricata (Malvaceae). Os tratamentos consistiram de uma testemunha sem herbicida e da aplicação de herbicidas imazapyr (125, 250, 500, 1.000, 2.000 e 3.000 g ha-1), sulfentrazone (100, 200, 400, 800, 1.400 e 2.400 g ha-1), glyphosate (90, 180, 360, 720, 1.440 e 2.160 g ha-1) e metribuzin (360, 720, 1.920, 2.880, 5.760 e 8.400 g ha-1 ). Foram avaliados os sintomas de fitotoxicidade aos 30 dias após aplicação (DAA) e a biomassa seca da parte aérea. O delineamento experimental foi inteiramente casualizado, com quatro repetições por tratamento. Cada parcela experimental foi constituída de uma muda com 30 cm de altura. Os resultados permitem concluir que, entre os herbicidas testados, o glyphosate foi o menos seletivo às espécies arbóreas, razão pela qual são sugeridas aplicações dirigidas desse produto. As espécies estudadas diferiram em relação à seletividade dos herbicidas avaliados. Para C. speciosa, o imazapyr foi o herbicida mais seletivo, seguido do sulfentrazone. O herbicida metribuzin foi seletivo para A. polyphylla. Quanto a E. contortisiliquum, o metribuzin foi menos tóxico, seguido pelo sulfentrazone. Para L. divaricata, somente o herbicida sulfentrazone foi seletivo.

We aimed to evaluate the selectivity of the herbicides imazapyr, glyphosate, metribuzin, and sulfentrazone, when applied on four native species of semideciduous forests from southeastern Brazil: Acacia polyphylla and Enterolobium contortisiliquum (Fabaceae), and Ceiba speciosa and Luehea divaricata (Malvaceae). We did a randonmized design with four replicates per treatment: the application of imazapyr (125, 250, 500, 1000, 2000 and 3000 g ha-1), sulfentrazone (100, 200, 400, 800, 1400 and 2400 g ha-1), glyphosate (90, 180, 360, 720, 1440 and 2160 g ha-1), and metribuzin (360, 720, 1,920, 2880, 5760 and 8400 g ha-1), besides the control (without any herbicide). We evaluated phytotoxicity symptoms 30 days after application (DAA), and also dry biomass of leaves. Experimental plot comprised one seedling with 30 cm height. We concluded that glyphosate showed the lowest selectivity in relation to four tree species; therefore, we suggest that its application could be done through direct aplications. Behavior of four tree species varied in relation to selectivity of herbicides. For C. speciosa, imazapyr was the most selective herbicide, followed by sulfentrazone. Metribuzin was selective for A. polyphylla. In relation to E. contortisiliquum, metribuzin presented the lowest phytotoxicity, followed by sulfentrazone. For L. divaricata, only sulfentrazone showed selectiveness.

The construction of a hexahistidine-tagged version of the B fragment of diphtheria toxin (DTB) represents an important step in the study of the biological properties of DTB because it will permit the production of pure recombinant DTB (rDTB) in less time and with higher yields than currently available. In the present study, the genomic DNA of the Corynebacterium diphtheriae Park Williams 8 (PW8) vaccine strain was used as a template for PCR amplification of the dtb gene. After amplification, the dtb gene was cloned and expressed in competent Escherichia coli M15™ cells using the expression vector pQE-30™. The lysate obtained from transformed E. coli cells containing the rDTB PW8 was clarified by centrifugation and purified by affinity chromatography. The homogeneity of the purified rDTB PW8 was confirmed by immunoblotting using mouse polyclonal anti-diphtheria toxoid antibodies and the immune response induced in animals with rDTB PW8 was evaluated by ELISA and dermonecrotic neutralization assays. The main result of the present study was an alternative and accessible method for the expression and purification of immunogenically reactive rDTB PW8 using commercially available systems. Data also provided preliminary evidence that rabbits immunized with rDTB PW8 are able to mount a neutralizing response against the challenge with toxigenic C. diphtheriae.

In this paper, the authors present the concept of a system for Distance Object Learning and Evaluation (DOLE), which can be used during the teaching-learning process as a virtual learning environment. The term Distance Object Learning is used here for learning over a computer network or the Internet about real world entities that are distinguishable from others. The DOLE system concept uses standards for Learning Object Metadata (LOM) at different levels of abstraction. The objective of the resulting system is not only the correct and retrievable description of the course material covered by the LOM but also the further use of parts of the LOM data set for the generation of learning materials and students' learning development assessment, which can be represented by quizzes and tests. The Distance Object Learning and Evaluation system concept outlined in this paper is based in part on an earlier version of an E-learning Assessment System for Young learners (EASY). DOLE extends the concept of EASY by a learning component and by posing system generated questions with the help of a forward-chaining inference engine to find out about a specific item (object) of the domain of instruction. As the questioning process is bidirectional ("open" questions can be asked by the system as well as by the learner), DOLE is more targeted at advanced and adult learners than at young learners. The ultimate goal is to use the DOLE system concept as a part of a virtual college or university.

O comprometimento do sistema nervoso periférico é frequente nas vasculites sistêmicas e contribui decisivamente para o diagnóstico. Oito pacientes foram estudados: sete do sexo feminino e um do sexo masculino; cinco brancos, dois negros, um amarelo; média de idade de 55,9 anos; quatro com poliarterite nodosa, um com lúpus eritematoso sistêmico, um com artrite reumatóide, um com vasculite isolada do sistema nervoso periférico e um com vasculite livedóide. Todos foram submetidos a terapêutica intravenosa com pulsos mensais de metilprednisolona (1 g/dia/3dias) e ciclofosfamida (1 g/dia). Cinco pacientes melhoraram, dois permaneceram inalterados e um faleceu. A melhora neurológica objetiva ocorreu após o terceiro ou quarto pulso e nos pacientes com menor duração da doença.

The peripheral nervous system is frequently involved in systemic vasculitis and it may be helpful in the disease diagnosis. We report on eight patients: seven women and one man; five white, two black and one yellow; age mean 55.9 years; four had polyarteritis nodosa, one had systemic lupus erythematosus, one had isolated peripheral nerve vasculitis and one had livedoid vasculitis. All of them received endovenous therapy with "pulse" of methylprednisolone (1 g/day/3days) and cyclophosphamide (1 g/1day). Five patients improved, two remained unchanged and one died. The neurological improvement occurred after the third or fourth pulse and in the patients who have had a shorter time of disease.

RESUMO A auto-imunidade retiniana desempenha um papel na etiopatogenia de várias uveítes endógenas. Estudos experimentais e ensaios clínicos têm demonstrado a importância de antígenos retinianos, como o antígeno S (AgS), não somente na patogenia mas também na elaboração de estratégias de imunoterapia. O presente trabalho visa analisar o perfil da imunidade celular in vitro ao AgS e a dois de seus peptídeos relevantes, denominados M e G, em uma população brasileira com diagnóstico de uveíte por doença de Behçet (DB) (n=19), doença de Vogt-Koyanagi-Harada (DVKH) (n=27) e vasculite de retina (n=S) acompanhados no serviço de uveíte do Hospital das Clínicas da Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo. Pacientes com DB sem uveíte (n=17) e 16 controles normais foram também analisados. A freqüência de respostas positivas ao AgS (índice de estimulação maior ou igual a 2) foi 42%, 52%, 80%,47% e 25% em pacientes com uveíte por DB, DVKH, vasculite de retina, DB sem uveíte e no grupo controle, respectivamente. A freqüência de positividade ao peptídeo M foi 21%, 26%, 60%, 6% e 6%, e ao peptídeo G foi 21%, 30%, 80%, 6% e 6%, respectivamente. Embora não houvesse diferença estatisticamente significante entre os grupos estudados, o presente trabalho demonstra a importância do AgS em várias uveítes endógenas. Em pacientes com DB sem uveíte o reconhecimento da molécula total mas não dos peptídeos M e G sugere diferentes respostas aos diversos fragmentos do AgS podendo se especular sobre os mecanismos de indução da uveíte.

SUMMARY Experimental and clinicai studies on S-antigen (SAg) and other retinal specific antigens have demonstrated their importance not only in the pathogenesis of various endogenous uveitis but also in the elaboration of new forms of immunotherapy. The present study aims to analyze the profile of in vitro cellular immunity to bovine SAg and to two of its immunodominant peptides, peptide M and peptide G, in Brazilian patients with Behçet's disease (BD) with uveitis, Vogt-Koyan agi Harada 's disease (VKH), retinal vasculitis, BD without uveitis and in a contral group. The frequency of positive responses to SAg was 42%, 52%, RO%, 4 7% a n d 25% in patients with BD with uveitis, VKH, retinal vasculitis, BD without uveitis and in the contral group, respectively. The Fequency of positive responses to peptide M was 26%, 60%, 6% a n d 6%, respectively, and, top eptide G was 21 %, 30%, 80%, 6% a n d 6%, respectively. Although there was no statistically significant difference amongth e groups analyzed, the present study demons trated the importance of AgS in patients with endogenous uveitis. Patients with BD without uveitis recognized the whole molecule but not the peptides suggesting that there are different responses to diverse AgS epitopes making possible some speculation about the mechanisms of uveitis induction.