OBJECTIVES: To describe retrospectively severe hospitalized cases and deaths related to the COVID-19 epidemic in the state of São Paulo, starting from the date of the first record with symptoms onset on 02/10/2020 up to 05/20/2021 records. METHODS: This is a descriptive study. The data source used was from the Influenza Epidemiological Surveillance System (SIVEP-Gripe). The rates of incidence, mortality and accumulated incidence in the period were calculated, stratified by age group and Regional Health Department (DRS). In addition, severe cases were geocoded to analyze their spread across the state; and the Effective R, which determines the spread potential of a virus within a population, was calculated. RESULTS: There was a significant increase in severe cases and deaths recorded in the period of one year, with incidence and mortality rates being heterogeneous within the state. The most critical periods regarding the incidence of severe cases occurred between May and July 2020 and between March and April 2021. The DRSs in São José do Rio Preto, Grande São Paulo and Araçatuba concentrated the highest incidence and mortality rates. Severe cases and deaths were more frequent in men and in the population over 60 years, while the main risk conditions related to deaths were heart disease (59%) and diabetes (42,8%). CONCLUSIONS: These results not only provide a detailed profile for more efficient control action plan, but will also allow the historical understanding of the COVID-19 evolution within the state of São Paulo.

OBJETIVOS: Descrever, de forma retrospectiva, os casos graves hospitalizados e óbitos relacionados à epidemia de COVID-19 no estado de São Paulo, desde a data do primeiro registro com início de sintomas em 10/02/2020 até registros disponíveis em 20/05/2021. MÉTODOS: Trata-se de um estudo descritivo realizado por meio da base de dados do Sistema de Vigilância Epidemiológica da Gripe (SIVEP-Gripe). Foram calculadas as taxas de incidência, mortalidade e incidência acumulada no período, estratificadas por faixa etária e Departamento Regional de Saúde (DRS). Os casos graves foram geocodificados para análise de seu espalhamento pelo estado e foi calculado o R Efetivo, que estima o potencial de propagação de um vírus dentro de uma população. RESULTADOS: Houve um aumento significativo dos casos graves e óbitos registrados no período de um ano, sendo que as taxas de incidência e mortalidade foram heterogêneas dentro do estado. Os períodos mais críticos em relação à incidência de casos graves ocorreram entre maio e julho de 2020 e entre março e abril de 2021. Os DRS de São José do Rio Preto, Grande São Paulo e Araçatuba concentraram as maiores taxas de incidência e mortalidade. Os casos graves e óbitos foram mais frequentes nos homens e na população acima de 60 anos, e as principais condições de risco relacionadas aos óbitos foram cardiopatia (59%) e diabetes (42,8%). CONCLUSÕES: Espera-se que esses resultados ofereçam embasamento e possam contribuir para uma ação de controle mais eficiente, além de permitir o entendimento histórico da evolução da COVID-19 no estado.

ABSTRACT The objective of this study was to evaluate the antiproliferative, cytotoxic and genotoxic potential of salty liquid synthetic flavorings of Butter, Cheddar Cheese and Onion. The antiproliferative potential (2.9-1500 µg/mL) was assessed by MTT assay after 72h using the human tumor lines SF-295 (glioblastoma), OVCAR-8 (ovarian), HCT-116 (colon) and HL-60 (promyelocytic leukemia) and primary cultures of murine Sarcoma 180 (S180) and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC). Allium cepa bulbs were exposed to growing respective doses (1 mL and 2 mL). Only Butter and Cheddar flavorings revealed cytotoxic activity on cancer cells, with IC50 values ranging from 125.4 µg/mL (Cheddar - HCT-116) to 402.6 µg/mL (Butter - OVCAR-8). Butter flavoring was the most cytotoxic on PBMC (136.3 µg/mL) and increased cell division rate in relation to the mitotic index but did not cause cellular aberrations. Onion and Cheddar flavorings reduced the mitotic index after 24h and 48h exposure, but only Onion flavoring resulted in cellular aberrations and mitotic spindle abnormalities, such as anaphase and telophase bridges, micronucleated cells, conchicine-metaphases and amplifications. So, Butter, Onion and/or Cheddar flavorings caused significant changes in the division of meristematic cells of A. cepa and presented cytotoxic action even on decontrolled proliferating human tumor cells.

Resumo: A acidificação urinária com cloreto de amônio (CA) é um método preventivo eficiente em urolitíase obstrutiva em ovinos. Os objetivos deste estudo com ovinos confinados, que receberam dieta concentrada com elevado teor proteico, foram: verificar o efeito da dieta sobre a formação de urólitos e o desenvolvimento da doença; analisar as características macroscópicas e histopatológicas do sistema urinário; relacionar os achados clínicos, laboratoriais e necroscópicos com a presença de urólitos. Utilizaram-se 60 ovinos machos: grupo CA (n=40), 400 mg/kg CA/dia, tratados via oral, por 42 dias consecutivos; grupo-controle (n=20), não tratado. Determinaram-se sete momentos de colheita de amostras com intervalos de sete dias, no total de 56 dias de confinamento. Encontraram-se microcálculos na pelve renal em cinco animais de ambos os grupos. As lesões renais microscópicas mais relevantes foram congestão vascular e necrose tubular. Concluiu-se que a dieta rica em concentrado provocou lesão renal em ambos os grupos, embora sem alterar a função renal, o que foi comprovado em testes pela ureia e creatinina séricas. O cloreto de amônio fornecido ao grupo CA não impediu a calculogênese, mas reduziu sua prevalência em relação ao grupo-controle. Os ovinos do grupo-controle tiveram maior comprometimento renal, pela alta incidência de cristalúria e pela necrose tubular, induzidas pelo consumo da dieta rica em grãos.

Abstract: The urinary acidification with ammonium chloride (AC) is an efficient preventive method for urolithiasis in sheep. The objectives of this study with feedlot sheep receiving concentrated diet with high protein content were (1) to verify the effect of diet on urolith formation and development of the disease, (2) to analyze the macroscopic and histopathological characteristics of the urinary system, and (3) to relate the clinical, laboratory and necropsy findings with the presence of uroliths. Sixty male sheep were used: AC group (n=40), 400mg/kg AC/day, orally treated for 42 consecutive days, and control group (n=20), untreated. Seven times were determined for sampling with a seven-day interval, totaling 56 days of feedlot. Small uroliths were found in the renal pelvis of five sheep in both groups. The most relevant microscopic renal lesions were vascular congestion and tubular necrosis. It was concluded that the highly concentrated diet caused renal injury in both groups, without changing the renal function, what was proven by laboratory tests of urea and creatinine. Ammonium chloride provided to the CA group did not prevent urolith formation, but reduced its prevalence in comparison with the control group. Sheep of the control group had increased kidney damage, which resulted in higher incidence of crystalluria and tubular necrosis induced by the consumption of a diet rich in grains.

Two waterbucks from São Paulo Zoo Foundation exhibited respiratory symptoms in July 2004. After euthanasia, granulommas in lungs and mediastinic lymph nodes were observed. Acid-fast bacilli isolated were identified as Mycobacterium bovis spoligotype SB0121 by PRA and spoligotyping. They were born and kept in the same enclosure with the same group, without any contact to other species housed in the zoo. This is the first detailed description of M. bovis infection in Kobus ellipsiprymnus.

O potencial citotóxico de extratos orgânicos do caule de Calotropis procera (Asclepiadaceae) foi primeiramente avaliado frente a linhagens de células tumorais através do ensaio de MTT. Aquelas amostras consideradas citotóxicas foram sub-sequentemente testadas para atividade antimitótica sobre o desenvolvimento de ovos de ouriço-do-mar e para atividade antiproliferativa in vivo em camundongos transplantados com tumor Sarcoma 180. Dentre os cinco extratos estudados (hexano, diclorometano, acetato de etila, acetona e metanol), os extratos acetato de etila e acetona mostraram maior potencial citotóxico contra células tumorais, com CI50 variando de 0,8 to 4,4 μg/mL, enquanto o extrato metanólico revelou ser fracamente citotóxico. s extratos citotóxicos também exibiram capacidade de inibição da divisão celular com valores de CI50 menores que 5 μg/mL. Nas avaliações antitumorais in vivo, os animais tratados com os extratos acetato de etila e acetona mostraram taxas de inibição do crescimento tumoral de 64,3 e 53,1%, respectivamente, com efeitos tóxicos reversíveis sobre o fígado e os rins.

The cytotoxic potential of stem organic extracts from Calotropis procera (Asclepiadaceae) was firstly evaluated against cancer cell lines by MTT assay. Subsequently, samples considered cytotoxic were tested for antimitotic activity on sea urchin egg development and for in vivo antiproliferative activity in mice bearing Sarcoma 180 tumor. Among the five extracts (hexane, dichloromethane, ethyl acetate, acetone and methanol), ethyl acetate and acetone extracts displayed higher cytotoxic potential against tumor cells, with IC50 ranging from 0.8 to 4.4 μg/mL, while methanolic extract was weakly cytotoxic. Cytotoxic extracts also exhibited cell division inhibition capacity by antimitotic assay, revealing IC50 values lower than 5 μg/mL. In the in vivo antitumor assessments, ethyl acetate- and acetone-treated animals showed tumor growth inhibition ratios of 64.3 and 53.1%, respectively, with reversible toxic effects on liver and kidneys. Further studies are in progress in order to identify C. procera cytotoxic compound(s) and to understand the mechanism of action responsible for this tumor-decreasing potential.

Neste trabalho, o extrato aquoso das sementes de Moringaoleifera (EASMO) foi avaliado quanto aos seus efeitos biológicos sobre ovos e larvas de Aedes aegypti no 3ºestágio de desenvolvimento e sua toxicidade sobre animais de laboratório(Daphnia magna, camundongos e ratos). O EASMO bruto revelou uma CL50 de 1.260 µg/mL, causando 99, 2 ± 2, 9% de mortalidade em 24 h na concentração de 5.200 µg/mL, embora o mesmo não tenha sido capaz de impedir a eclosão dos ovos. A atividade larvicida extinguiu-se após aquecimento do extrato a 80ºC/10 min. Diálises sucessivas do EASMO bruto resultaram em duas frações solúveis em água (Fração dializável, FD; Fração nãodializável, FND), dentre as quais apenas a FD mostrou ação larvicida. Testes de toxicidade aguda realizadosem dáfnias (CE50 de 188, 7 µg/mL) e camundongos (DL50 de446,5 mg/kg de peso corpóreo) evidenciaram baixa toxicidade. Apesar da hipertrofia tímica, o EASMO mostrou ser atóxicoapós tratamento subagudo via oral em ratos. Conclui-se, portanto, que o EASMO apresenta substâncias com capacida de larvicida contra Ae. aegypti, as quais possuem massa molecular aparente menor que 12 kDa e potencial tóxico moderado.

In this work, biological effects of the water extract of Moringa oleifera seeds (WEMOS) were assessed on eggs and 3rd instar larvae of Aedes aegypti and on its toxicity upon laboratory animals (Daphnia magna, mice and rats). Crude WEMOS showed a LC50 value of 1260µg/mL, causing 99.2 ± 2.9% larvae mortality within 24 h at 5200µg/mL, though this larvicidal activity has been lost completely at 80ºC/10 min. WEMOS did not demonstrate capacity to prevent egg hatching. After extensive dialyses of the crude WEMOS into watersoluble dialyzable (DF) and nondyalizable (NDF) fractions, only DF maintained its efficacy to kill larvae. Acute toxicity evaluations on daphnids (EC50 of 188.7µg/mL) and mice (LD50 of 446.5 mg/kg body weight) pointed out to low toxicity. Despite the thymus hypertrophy, WEMOS revealed to be harmless in orally and subacutelytreated rats. In conclusion, WEMOS has thermostable bioactive compounds against Ae. aegypti larvae with apparent molecular mass lower than 12 kDa and moderately toxic potential.

The genetic relationships among 81 maize accessions consisting 79 landraces and two improved varieties, maintained by farmers in southern Brazil were investigated using Random Amplified Polymorphic DNA (RAPD). Thirty-two highly informative primers amplified 255 markers of which 184 (72.2%) were polymorphics. Based on the RAPD markers, a dendrogram was constructed using the UPGMA method. The range of genetic similarity was from 0.78 to 0.91. The molecular data grouped the accessions into two main clusters, which were correlated according to kernel colors. Small clusters were seen associated to characteristics, such as kernel morphology. The analysis of the molecular data revealed that maize management adopted by small-scale farmers has contributed to the maintenance of genetic variability and since field isolation is a regular practice, variety identities have been preserved. These results will be useful to establish and maintain a germplasm collection of landrace maize and may guide us in designing strategies that maximize the utility of maize genetic resources.