Phytochemical investigation from carnauba (Copernicia prunifera) wax led to the identification of sixteen dammarane-type triterpenes, including thirteen new characterized as: (24R*)-methyldammara-20,25-dien-3α-ol and a mixture of alkyl (24R*)-methyldammar-25-en-20-ol-3β-carboxylates, together with three previously described triterpenes: carnaubadiol, (24R*)-methyldammara-20,25-dien-3β-ol and (24R*)-24-methyldammara-20,25-dien-3-one. Moreover, four fatty alcohols (eicosanol, docosanol, tetracosanol and hexacosanol) as well as four sterols (cholesterol, campesterol, stigmasterol, and sitosterol) were also obtained. These compounds were isolated using classical chromatographic methods and their structures were determined by spectroscopic and chemical methods.

The obesity is a multicausal disease that includes exogenous and endogenous factors. We emphasized the leptin, a hormone produced by adipose tissue, whose receiver is in the hypothalamus. The leptin has been considered important in the development of the obesity, because it influences in the energy intake and expenditure.In the revision one sets out to evaluate the leptin like factor related to the development of the obesity, as well as the influence of diet in the secretion and action of leptin.In the human obesity, the deficiency of functionalleptin is rare, never theless, can exist leptin resistance. After the loss weight it happens reduction in the leptin levels, which can be in the recovery of body weight. The leptin is regulated by food intake and their circulating levels and potential of action are associated with content of macronutrients of the diet and the body composition individually. Nevertheless, studies demonstrated the high and the low food intake can influence in the leptin secretion, independent of the effect on adiposity. In addition, the fat of diet presents important effect in secretion and action of leptin. Also the zinc deficiency has been associated with the reduced levels of leptin. Several experimental studies have been made to evaluate the effect of the administration of leptin in treatment of obesity, by means of injections, inhalation or more active forms of leptin. Nevertheless, we need similar studies with humans.Is important the development of studies that associate the environmental factors, particularly the diet, with regulation of serum levels and action of leptin in humans.

La obesidad es una enfermedad multicausal que incluye factores exógenos y endógenos. Destacamos la leptina, una hormona sintetizada en el tejido adiposo, cuyo receptor se encuentra en el hipotálamo. La leptina ha sido considerada importante en el desarrollo de la obesidad, pues influye en la ingesta y en el gasto energético. En la revisión se propone evaluar la leptina como factor relacionado al desarrollo de la obesidad, así como la influencia de la dieta en la secreción y acción de la leptina. En la obesidad humana, la deficiencia de leptina funcional es rara, sin embargo, puede existir resistencia a la leptina. Tras la pérdida de peso ocurre reducción en los niveles de leptina, lo que puede resultar en la recuperación del peso corporal. La leptina es regulada por la ingesta de alimentos y sus niveles circulantes y potencial de acción se encuentran asociados con el contenido de macronutrientes de la dieta y la composición corporal del individuo. Sin embargo, estudios demuestran que tanto la alta cuanto la baja ingesta de alimentos pueden influir en la secreción de leptina, independiente del efecto de la adiposidad. Además, la grasa de la dieta presenta efecto importante en la secreción y acción de la leptina. También la deficiencia de zinc ha sido asociada con los niveles reducidos de leptin. Varios estudios experimentales han siendo hechos para evaluar el efecto de la administración de leptina en el tratamiento de la obesidad, sea por medio de inyecciones, inhalación o formas de leptina más activas. Sin embargo, nos faltan estudios semejantes con humanos. Es importante el desarrollo de estudios que asocien los factores ambientales, particularmente la dieta, con la regulación de los niveles séricos y acción de la leptina en humanos.

Geomagnetic storms are intervals of time when a sufficiently intense and long-lasting interplanetary convection electric field leads, through a substantial injection of energy into the magnetosphere-ionosphere system, to an intensified ring current, strong enough to exceed some key threshold of the quantifying storm time Dst index. We have studied all the 9 great magnetic storms (peak Dst < -200 nT) observed during the rise and maximum of solar cycle 23 (from 1997 to early 2001), in order to identify their solar and interplanetary causes. Apart of one storm occurred during the period without observations from the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO), all of them were related to coronal mass ejections observed by the Large Angle and Spectroscopic Coronagraph (LASCO). The sources of interplanetary southward magnetic field, Bs, responsible for the occurrence of the storms were related to the intensified shock/sheath field, interplanetary magnetic cloud's field, or the combination of sheath-cloud or sheath-ejecta field. It called our attention the fact that one of the events was related to a slow CME, with CME expansion speed not greater than 550 km/s. The purpose of this paper is to address the main sources of large geomagnetic disturbances using the current satellite capability available. As a general conclusion, we found that shock/sheath compressed fields are the most important interplanetary causes of great magnetic storms during this period.

In this work we present a comparison between the solar origins of two solar-terrestrial connection events occurring on April 1999 and February 2000, respectively. On April 13 (1999), a coronal mass ejection (CME) appeared for the first time in LASCO-C2 coronagraph field of view at 03:30 UT. The possible solar disc source of this CME was located at coordinates N25 E05, and it consisted on flaring activity together with a filament eruption as seen in EIT images. The geomagnetic storm with a Dst peak of -91 nT registered on April, 17 was attributed to this solar surface activity. On February 8, 9 and 10 (2000) three Earth-directed halo CMEs were recorded by LASCO coronagraphs. The interaction of two of them caused the intense interplanetary geomagnetic storm registered on February 12 (Dst = -110 nT). The CMEs detected on February 8 and 10 were launched from AR 8858 and the source of the activity was attributed to two solar flares of X-ray class M1.3 and C7.3 respectively. The CME detected on February 9 was originated in AR 8853 and flaring activity was also identified as the solar source for this event. In this study we discuss the solar origins of the events that gave rise to coronal and interplanetary disturbances and as a consequence produced geomagnetic activity at the Earth. This work is part of a complete study that is searching the solar origin, the interplanetary aspects and the magnetospheric effects of these events.

Interplanetary shock parameters are analyzed for solar maximum (year 2000) and solar minimum (years 1995-1996) activity. Fast forward shocks are the most usual type of shock observed in the interplanetary medium near Earth's orbit, and they are 88% of the identified shocks in 2000 and 60% in 1995-1996. Average plasma and magnetic field parameters for upstream and downstream sides of the shocks were calculated, and the parameter variations through the shock were determined. Applications of the Rankine-Hugoniot equations were made, obtaining shock speeds and Alfvenic Mach number. Static and dynamic pressures variations through the shocks were also calculated. Every parameter have larger variation through the shock in solar maximum than in solar minimum, with exception of the proton density. The intensity of shocks relative to the interplanetary medium, quantified by the Alfvenic Mach Number, is observed to be similar in solar maximum and minimum. It could be explained because, during solar maximum, in despite of the higher shock speeds, the Alfvenic speed of the interplanetary medium is higher than in solar minimum.

The occurence of acute cutaneous leishmaniasis among inhabitants of 10 farms within 10 Km of the hamlet of Corte de Pedra, Bahia, Brazil was studied prospectively from 1984-l989. A mean population of 1,056 inhabitants living in 146 houses were visited every 6 months and the number of sKin ulcers recorded. A leishmanin skin test survey was done people with suggestive skin scars or active disease in l984. The incidence of skin ulcers due to Leishmania (Viannia) brasiliensis (Vlb) reached 83/1,000 inhabitants but declined sharply in the subsequent 2 years. Retrospective data shows that leishamiasis is a sporadic endemic disease. Although the reasons for this epidemic are unclear some possible aetiological factors are discussed.

Três isolados de Leishmania foram obtidos de cinco entre 27 exemplares do roedor Proechimys iheringi denigratus, capturados na região de Três Braços, na mata atlântica do Estado da Bahia, Brasil. O isolamento desse parasito foi feito através de inoculação de triturado de pele, baço e fígado em patas de hamsters. Em pelo menos um dos casos, (MTB-574), o parasito foi isolado da pele. Metas- tase foi observada nos hamsters inoculados, os parasitos cresceram abundantemente em meios artificiais de cultura e um padrão suprapapilario típico foi obtido em Lutzomyia longipalpis, indicando que o parasito pertence ao complexo L. mexicana. Todos os isolados reagiram positivamente com anticorpos monoclonais de L. m. mexicana e L. m. amazonensis. A análise isoenzimática diferenciou o parasito de isolados padrões de L. m. mexicana. L. m. amazonensis. L. m. aristedesi. L. m. pifanoi. L. m. garnhami e L. m. ssp(Goiás-W. Barbosa). O parasito parece ser uma subespécie de L. mexicana muito próxima à L. m. amazonensis, da qual difere pela menor mobilidade eletroforêtica de GPI, PEP e ALAT. Este e o primeiro registro do isolamento de um parasito do gênero Leishmania em um roedor capturado no Estado da Bahia.

Three isolates of Leishmania were recovered from five of 27 specimens of the rodent Proechimys iheringi denigratus Moojen captured near Três Braços in the Atlantic Forest region of Bahia, Brazil. Two of these isolates were recovered from hamsters inoculated with a pooled triturate of liver, spleen and skin tissue from apparently healthy P. i. denigratus. The third isolate was recovered from a triturate of only skin tissue from another. Metastasis was observed in the inoculated hamsters, the parasites grew abundantly in artificial media and a typical suprapylarial pattern of infection in Lutzomyia longipalpis was produced indicating that the parasites belong to the Leishmania mexicana complex. All isolates reacted with Leishmania mexicana mexicana and Leishmania mexicana amazonensis monoclonal antibodies. The isoenzyme analysis differentiated these isolates from standard isolates of L. m. mexicana, L. m. amazonensis, L. m. aristedesi, L. m. pifanoi, L. m. garnhami and L. m. ssp.(Goiás-W. Barbosa). These isolates seem to be a subspecies of L. mexicana very closely related to L. m. amazonensis from which they differ by decreased electrophoretic mobility of GPI, PEP and ALAT. This is the first record of the isolation of a parasite of thegenus Leishmania in a rodent captured in the State of Bahia.