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A exploração indiscriminada dos recursos naturais direciona o mercado a buscar novas tecnologias como alerta à possível escassez de materiais. No contexto da construção a utilização de novas alternativas para pintura é uma urgência e o uso da tinta a base de terra é uma alternativa inovadora, econômica e viável, considerando o apelo socioambiental da proposta. O trabalho objetiva apresentar a percepção de agricultores sobre a pintura com tinta de terra, como ecotecnologia social para a valorização das potencialidades não agrícolas do solo e oportunidade de geração de trabalho e renda. As atividades aconteceram numa associação rural do Cariri paraibano. Inicialmente foi aplicado um questionário semiestruturado para verificar o entendimento dos participantes sobre a morfologia e uso não agrícola do solo. A seguir realizou-se a oficina de pintura com terra (geotinta). Os resultados apresentam a ausência de conceitos sobre as características do solo e suas potencialidades não agrícolas. Após a oficina a percepção dos agricultores mudou e estes revelaram-se entusiasmados pela tinta de terra, como inovação para pintura da casas e como oportunidade de agregar renda pelo artesanato. Evidencia-se a geotinta como possibilidade para disseminação de conceitos sobre o solo, promoção de posturas sustentáveis e ecotecnologia para inovação.

Spent Pot Liner (SPL) is a solid waste product generated in the process of aluminum production. Tradescantia micronuclei (Trad-MN) and stamen hair mutation (Trad-SHM) bioassays are very useful tests to assess genotoxicity of environmental pollutants. In the present study, we intended to investigate the genotoxicity of this waste with Tradescantia bioassays using leachates of SPL simulating the natural leachability of SPL in soil. The formation of micronuclei (MN) was found to be concentration dependent. MN frequency enhanced significantly with SPL treatment. In addition, SPL also appeared to increase the percentage of dyads and triads. Trad-SHM assay showed that SPL increases pink mutation events as SPL concentration increases. These results demonstrated that SPL is a cytogenotoxic agent that affects different genetic end-points (induction of micronuclei and point mutations) even at low concentration (2% and 3%).

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is an autoimmune disease with a persistent systemic inflammation. Exercise induced inflammatory response in SLE remains to be fully elucidated. The aim of this study was to assess the effects of acuteexercise on leukocyte gene expression in active (SLEACTIVE) and inactive SLE (SLEINACTIVE) patients and healthy controls(HC).All subjects (n = 4 per group) performed a 30-min single bout of acute aerobic exercise (~70% of VO2peak) on a treadmill, and blood samples were collected for RNA extraction from circulating leukocyte at baseline, at the end of exercise, and after three hours of recovery. The expression of a panel of immune-related genes was evaluated by a quantitative PCR array assay. Moreover, network-based analyses were performed to interpret transcriptional changes occurring after the exercise challenge.In all groups, a single bout of acute exercise led to the down-regulation of the gene expression of innate and adaptive immunity at the end of exercise (e.g., TLR3, IFNG, GATA3, FOXP3, STAT4) with a subsequent up-regulation occurring upon recovery. Exercise regulated the expression of inflammatory genes in the blood leukocytes of the SLE patients and HC, although the SLE groups exhibited fewer modulated genes and less densely connected networks (number of nodes: 29, 40 and 58; number of edges: 29, 60 and 195; network density: 0.07, 0.08 and 0.12, for SLEACTIVE, SLEINACTIVE and HC, respectively).The leukocytes from the SLE patients, irrespective of disease activity, showed a down-regulated inflammatory geneexpression immediately after acute aerobic exercise, followed by an up-regulation at recovery. Furthermore, less organized gene networks were observed in the SLE patients, suggesting that they may be deficient in triggering a normal exercised-induced immune transcriptional response.

Squashes and pumpkins are important dietary sources of carotenoids worldwide. The carotenoid composition has been determined, but reported data have been highly variable, both qualitatively and quantitatively. In the present work, the carotenoid composition of squashes and pumpkins currently marketed in Campinas, Brazil, were determined by HPLC-DAD, complemented by HPLC-MS for identification. Cucurbita moschata 'Menina Brasileira' and C. moschata 'Goianinha' had similar profiles, with beta-carotene and alpha-carotene as the major carotenoids. The hybrid 'Tetsukabuto' resembled the Cucurbita pepo 'Mogango', lutein and beta-carotene being the principal carotenoids. Cucurbita maxima 'Exposição' had a different profile, with the predominance of violaxanthin, followed by beta-carotene and lutein. Combining data from the current study with those in the literature, profiles for the Cucurbita species could be observed. The principal carotenoids in C. moschata were beta-carotene and alpha-carotene, whlereas lutein and beta-carotene dominate in C. maxima and C. pepo. It appears that hydroxylation is a control point in carotenoid biosynthesis.

It is increasingly recognized that the nutrient/phytochemical composition in foods can be optimized through agriculture and food technology. To put this strategy into practice, the compositional variation throughout the food chain has to be known. Additionally, natural variation in carotenoid composition must be distinguished from analytical variability. In endive, as well as lettuce, the carotenoid concentrations of the mature leaves were two to four times greater than those of the young leaves. In contrast, the younger leaves of New Zealand spinach had slightly higher carotenoid levels than the mature leaves. The carotenoid contents of marketed minimally processed endive and New Zealand spinach were significantly higher in the summer than in the winter, reflecting seasonal rather than processing effects. β -Carotene, lutein, violaxanthin, and neoxanthin were reduced 18%, 19%,12% and 8%, respectively, in minimally processed endive during 5 days of storage at 7–9 °C. The corresponding losses in New Zealand spinach were 42%, 32%, 20% and 20%.

Although the genetic contribution to schizophrenia is substantial, positive findings in whole-genome linkage scans have not been consistently replicated. We analyzed gene expression in various rat conditions to identify novel candidate genes for schizophrenia. Suppression subtraction hybridization (SSH), with polyA mRNA from temporal and frontal cortex of rats, was used to identify differentially expressed genes. Expression of mRNA was compared between adult Lewis and Fischer 344 (F344) rats, adult and postnatal day 6 (d6) F344, and adult F344 treated with haloperidol or control vehicle. These groups were chosen because each highlights a particular aspect of schizophrenia: differences in strain vulnerability to behavioral analogs of psychosis; factors that may relate to disease onset in relation to CNS development; and improvement of symptoms by haloperidol. The 14-3-3 gene family, as represented by 14-3-3gamma and 14-3-3zeta isoforms in the SSH study, and SNAP-25 were among the candidate genes. Genetic association between schizophrenia and the 14-3-3eta gene, positioned close to a genomic locus implicated in schizophrenia, and SNAP-25 genes was analyzed in 168 schizophrenia probands and their families. These findings address three different genes in the 14-3-3 family. We find a significant association with schizophrenia for two polymorphisms in the 14-3-3eta gene: a 7 bp variable number of tandem repeats in the 5' noncoding region (P=0.036, 1 df), and a 3' untranslated region SNP (753G/A) that is an RFLP visualized with Ava II (P=0.028). There was no significant genetic association with SNAP-25. The candidate genes identified may be of functional importance in the etiology, pathophysiology or treatment response of schizophrenia or psychotic symptoms. This is to our knowledge the first report of a significant association between the 14-3-3eta-chain gene and schizophrenia in a family-based sample, strengthening prior association reports in case-control studies and microarray gene expression studies.

Cross-Disorder Working Group of the Psychiatric Genomics Consortium - Vicente A.M. Acessível em: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/pmid/25640677/ Genetic risk prediction has several potential applications in medical research and clinical practice and could be used, for example, to stratify a heterogeneous population of patients by their predicted genetic risk. However, for polygenic traits, such as psychiatric disorders, the accuracy of risk prediction is low. Here we use a multivariate linear mixed model and apply multi-trait genomic best linear unbiased prediction for genetic risk prediction. This method exploits correlations between disorders and simultaneously evaluates individual risk for each disorder. We show that the multivariate approach significantly increases the prediction accuracy for schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and major depressive disorder in the discovery as well as in independent validation datasets. By grouping SNPs based on genome annotation and fitting multiple random effects, we show that the prediction accuracy could be further improved. The gain in prediction accuracy of the multivariate approach is equivalent to an increase in sample size of 34% for schizophrenia, 68% for bipolar disorder, and 76% for major depressive disorders using single trait models. Because our approach can be readily applied to any number of GWAS datasets of correlated traits, it is a flexible and powerful tool to maximize prediction accuracy. With current sample size, risk predictors are not useful in a clinical setting but already are a valuable research tool, for example in experimental designs comparing cases with high and low polygenic risk

Adiponectin administration to obese or type 2 diabetic patients is still far off, due to its expensive costs and absence of studies demonstrating the effectiveness of its chronic administration. We performed long-term globular adiponectin administration, testing its usefulness in improving adipose tissue metabolism. Adiponectin (98 υg/day) was administered through a subcutaneous minipump with continued release (28 days) to Wistar rats fed a high-fat diet. Adiponectin decreased body weight and adipocyte size, while decreasing circulating leptin levels. More, adiponectin was able to increase IkappaBalpha and PPARgamma levels and to prevent high-fat diet-induced impairment of insulin signalling, especially in epididymal adipose tissue. This resulted in improved glucose profile. High-fat diet caused an impairment of lipolysis in epididymal adipose tissue, which was partially restored by adiponectin treatment. Long-term globular adiponectin administration was able to improve pathways of insulin signalling and lipid storage in adipose tissue of high-fat diet-fed rats, contributing to a better metabolic profile.

The litchi erineum mite, Aceria litchii (Keifer), is the major pest of litchi, Litchi chinensis Sonnerat (Sapindaceae). This study evaluated the effect of 11 pesticides on the survival of A. litchii as well as on the survival and reproduction of Phytoseius intermedius EvansMcFarlane, the predator most found in association with it in Brazil. The containment of A. litchii in small petri dishes whose bottoms were covered with a solidified paste made of a mixture of gypsum and activated charcoal (9:1 in volume), kept humid, was shown to be adequate for this type of study. For the evaluation of the effect of pesticides on A. litchii, mites leaving the erinia from the pieces of litchi leaves (removed from the plants approximately 24 h earlier) were sprayed under a Potter tower and immediately transferred to the 2.5-cm-diameter petri dishes. After 2, 12, 24, and 48 h of the application, the dishes were examined to evaluate the mite survival. The four pesticides causing the highest levels A. litchii mortality, as well as azadirachtin, were tested for the effect on P. intermedius. For this test, experimental units consisted of discs of uninfested litchi leaves also sprayed under a Potter tower before introducing the predators. Survival and oviposition of the predator were evaluated every 24 h for 5 consecutive days; viability of the eggs laid was also evaluated. Highest mortality of A. litchii occurred with the application of fenpyroximate, sulfur, abamectin, and hexythiazox. Azadirachtin was considered moderately harmful to the predator P. intermedius, whereas other pesticides were classified as harmful. Despite the low efficiency of azadirachtin in the control of the pest, its relative selectivity to P. intermedius would encourage the evaluation on field condition, especially for use in organic production systems.

Lip and oral venous varices are acquired benign vascular lesions characterized by a darkblue to violaceous papule or nodule, commonly found on the ventral tongue and lower lip. Although these lesions are usually asymptomatic, they can bleed if injured. This study assessed the effectiveness of photocoagulation with high-intensity diode laser in the treatment of these lesions. Thirty-two patients (14 men and 18 women; mean age, 56 years) with lip and oral venous varices were examined and treated with a noncontact diode laser. With one exception, all cases were successfully treated with a single irradiation exposure session. Healing was complete in about 2 to 3 weeks; none of the patients experienced complications or recurrence. Photocoagulation with high-intensity diode laser was proven to be safe and effective for the treatment of lip and oral venous varices, with consistent results.

The article reports a case of oral proliferative verrucous leukoplakia (OPVL) in a 76-year-old woman, underscoring how an otherwise inconspicuous white plaque lesion can rapidly turn into a phase of verrucous carcinoma and subsequently squamous cell carcinoma.

This study evaluated the effects of the exposure time of eugenol-based provisional restorative material and the time elapsed between the provisional material removal and the adhesive procedure on the bond strength of the composite to dentin.Human third molars were sectioned into two halves that were enclosed in resin cylinders. The cavities were prepared over the buccal/lingual faces with diamond burs. Zinc oxide and eugenol (ZOE) provisional material was inserted into cavities and left for 24 hours, 7 days or 14 days. The cavities not restored with ZOE were used as controls. After ZOE removal or over fresh dentin (control), self-etching Adper SE Plus was applied immediately, after a 7- or 14-day delay. The cavity was restored with non-eugenol provisional material during this delay period. Cylinders of resin cement were built-up over the hybridized dentin. A shear load was applied to the cylinders at a crosshead speed of 0.5 mm/minute until failure. The data were statistically analyzed using two-way ANOVA and Tukey's tests (α=0.05).Using IRM as a provisional restoration for 24 hours followed by its removal and immediate adhesive application resulted in the lowest values of shear bond strength. There was no significant difference between the other experimental conditions.The use of IRM for 24 hours adversely affected the shear bond strength of a self-etching adhesive to dentin. The recovery of the proper bond strength occurred one week after IRM removal.

This study investigates the association between sleep disturbances, body mass index (BMI) and eating behaviour in a sample of undergraduate students. The sample comprises 870 medicine and dentistry students from Coimbra University (62.5% females), aged between 17 and 25 years. The Eating Attitudes Test-40 was used to measure eating behaviour, and two questions were applied addressing difficulties of initiating sleep (DIS) and difficulties of maintaining sleep (DMS). A sleep disturbance index (SDI) was calculated from the sum of DIS and DMS scores. Body mass index (BMI) was determined from self-reported weight and height. The correlation analyses generally indicated that global eating disturbance, bulimic behaviour dimension and social pressure to eat were associated particularly with sleep difficulties. An association between diet concerns and sleep difficulties was less consistent. Regression analyses showed that bulimic behaviour (BB) and social pressure to eat (SPE) dimensions were associated significantly with sleep difficulties (DIS, DMS, SDI) in the total sample (BB: from P0.01 to P0.001; SPE: P0.05) and in males (BB: from P0.05 to P0.001; SPE: P0.05) and with insomnia symptoms (P0.01). In females, bulimic behaviour was the only factor associated significantly with sleep difficulties (SDI, DIS; P0.01) and with insomnia symptoms (P0.05). Although BMI was correlated negatively with sleep difficulties (P0.05), regression analyses indicated that it was not associated significantly with them. Our findings support an association between eating behaviour and sleep disturbances in both genders, which may have treatment implications.

Introduction To study the association between sleep quality/quantity and eating behaviours in female university students. Materials and methods 520 females (mean = 19.3 years, sd = 1.31), completed a series of questionnaires that assessed eating behaviours (Eating Attitudes Test-25), sleep-wake aspects, arousability, coping, emotional expressivity, worry, neuroticism/extraversion, perceived physical/mental health, academic stress, positive/negative affect, pre-sleep arousal (cognitive/somatic arousal) and Body Mass Index (BMI; KG/M2). Results BMI mean score was of 20.7 (sd = 2.39; range = 14.5–34.7). 14,7% were classified as underweight (BMI 18.5), 81,8% normal weight (BMI of 18.5–24.9), 2,9% overweight (BMI of 25.0–29), and 0,6 obese (BMI ⩾ 30.0). EAT-25 mean score was 24.25 (sd = 14.2; range = 0–78). 55.8% usually slept 7–8 h a night, 9.1% slept more than 8 h and 8.7% usually slept 6 h or less. 66% considered their sleep as “Very good/Good”. Logistic Regression analyses models showed that neuroticism, sleep reactivity to stress and sleep quality were independent significant predictors of drive for thinness (respectively, Odds ratio/OR = 1.220; OR = 1.506; OR = 1.926). Pre-sleep somatic arousal, negative emotion expressiveness, perceived academic stress, sleep reactivity to stress and usual sleep duration were independent significant predictors of bulimic behaviours (respectively, OR = 1.285; OR = 1.290; OR = 1.183; OR = 0.823; OR = 0.356). Pre-sleep cognitive arousal, usual sleep duration and sleep quality were independent significant predictors of Social pressure to eat (respectively, OR = 1.714; OR = 3.810; OR = 1.537). Pre-sleep cognitive arousal, perceived daytime sleepiness and usual sleep duration were independent significant predictors of global eating disturbance (respectively, OR = 1.293; OR = 0.577; OR = 0.148). Conclusion In young females, usual sleep duration/quality, neuroticism, emotion expressiveness, perceived stress, sleep reactivity to stress and pre-sleep arousal were predictors of disordered eating behaviours/attitudes. Acknowledgements The co-operation of Professors and Students is gratefully acknowledged.

The recent success of the application of fuzzy logic in industry automation has motivated its use in the control of nonlinear systems. Its simplicity and the fact that is not a time consuming method, make it a very promising approach for this kind of control problems. Some difficulties arise, such as the adjustment of the rule base and the choice of the membership functions. A new approach that combines the learning capability of the neural networks with the simplicity of fuzzy logic has been identified as neuro-fuzzy methods. This paper presents an overview of various neuro-fuzzy approaches, including their special features. A DC motor with a nonlinear load is controlled using the fuzzy-neural method. The paper is concluded with an analysis of the simulation results. >

This paper presents the design and hardware implementation of a multiple purpose fuzzy controller. The controller can be applied for a large class of systems including highly nonlinear industrial systems, such as, chemical plants, induction motors, etc. The controller can be applied without a complete knowledge of the system equations. Expert knowledge is taken into account during the adjustment of the rule base and the membership functions, Basically, the controller consists of a microcontroller with the necessary hardware and software. All the digital and analog hardware for processing the input-output signals and for the implementation of the desired control police are included as well.

The neurologic involvement during Wegener granulomatosis reaches 15-50% of patients, however as initial symptomatology is not commented in the literature. We describe a patient with Wegener's granulomatosis and mononeuritis multiplex, emphasizing the fact that neurologic manifestations anticipated systemic symptoms, and also focusing on the diagnostic contribution of sural biopsy and the good outcome of neurologic disease.

Alternative surgical procedures to treat unclippable aneurysms of the intracavernous carotid artery include proximal vessel occlusion and trapping. Those techniques, even in patients with rich collateral vessels, are associated with risk of hemodynamic compromise and ischemic complications. Therefore, a safe treatment requires revascularization to maintain blood flow to the involved territories. We report the case of a 47-year-old female, with ischemic signs and symptoms and a right third nerve palsy caused by a giant aneurysm, partially trombosed, of the intracavernous carotid artery. The patient was submitted to trapping after a saphenous vein graft bypass from the external carotid artery to the supraclinoid internal carotid artery. The surgical result was good without complications.

Sunflower (Helianthus annuus L. cv. SH222) plants and calli were exposed to KCl stress for three weeks. Calli were more tolerant to KCl than plants. KCl stress decreased NO(-)(3), Mn, Fe and B levels in whole plants and P, Ca and Mg in shoots. NO(-)(3), P, Ca, Mg, Mn, and B levels decreased in 100 mM-stressed calli. Chlorophyll content, F:(m) and (F:(m)-F:(0))/F:(m) ratio decreased in stressed leaves, while F:(0) increased only in leaves exposed to severe stress (100 and 150 mM). Membrane permeability and lipid peroxidation increased in plants under all stress conditions and in 100 and 150 mM stressed calli, but remained unchanged in 25 mM stressed calli. Salt stress also induced changes relating to antioxidant enzymes: plants under all stress conditions showed a decrease in catalase, peroxidase and SOD activities. Calli under moderate stress (25 mM KCl) showed an increase of catalase, peroxidase and SOD activities, but the activities of peroxidase and SOD decreased when calli were exposed to higher KCl concentrations. The decrease of antioxidant enzyme activities is in tune with lipid peroxidation and membrane permeability increases. On the other hand, calli adapted for 6 months to 100 mM KCl showed an increase of these enzyme activities compared to unstressed calli, while MDA production and membrane permeability were not significantly affected.

We have studied 24 families with multiple affected members with bipolar disorder to test the hypothesis that in those families clinically showing genetic anticipation [Macedo et al., 1999] we would find large repeat expansions. The families meeting inclusion criteria had a minimum of two affected members over two generations and showed marked anticipation both in terms of age of onset and disease severity. We used the repeat expansion detection (RED) method to test patients (n = 24) and controls from these families and unrelated controls (n = 53). We also genotyped patients and family members from two families with large expansions at the known expansion loci on chromosomes 13, 17, and 18. The RED method revealed a higher number of large expansions in patients compared with controls (t-test; P0.0055: Mann-Whitney U; P = 0.02). The patients with the largest expansions were typed at the specific loci on chromosomes 13, 17, and 18 and the chromosome 18 expansion locus segregated with disease in one family, and a second family showed segregation with the expansion located at the SCA8 locus on chromosome 13. Genetic anticipation had been analyzed in this cohort of families, with correction for potential ascertainment bias, possible proband effects, cohort effects, regression to the mean, gender effects, and maternal vs. paternal transmission. None of these potential confounds appeared to account for the observed anticipation. We also identified that the presence of large expansions in affected family members derives primarily from two families from the genetically isolated Azores population. One family shows segregation with the chromosome 18 locus, whereas the other family segregates with expansions at the SCA8 locus. Am. J. Med. Genet. (Neuropsychiatr. Genet.) 96:854-857, 2000.

Expansion at a recently identified unstable trinucleotide repeat on chromosome 13q21 has been reported as the molecular cause for spinocerebellar ataxia type 8 (SCA8). The trinucleotide repeat, which consists of a [CTA]n repeat and adjacent [CTG]n repeat, was reported to have a pathogenic range of 107-127 CTG repeats (or 110-130 combined CTA and CTG repeats) in a large ataxia kindred. This repeat region was also cloned by our group from a bipolar affective disorder (BPAD) patient, who has approximately 600 combined repeats, and large alleles (100 repeats) were reported to be present in 0.7% of controls and 1.5% of major psychosis patients (n = 710 and n = 1,120, respectively). We have followed up these findings by screening three new samples of BPAD and schizophrenia (SCZ) patients and controls, including 272 individuals from 14 BPAD families from Sweden, 130 individuals from 32 SCZ and BPAD families/trios from the Azores Islands, and 206 SCZ individuals from the United Kingdom and Ireland, and 219 matched controls. We found large repeat alleles above the SCA8 pathogenic range in individuals from 3 of 32 Azorean pedigrees and in 1 of 206 SCZ individuals from the United Kingdom, and repeat alleles within the SCA8 pathogenic range in 1 of 14 Swedish families. Although the rarity of major psychosis patients carrying the SCA8 expansion mutation would require a much larger sample size to reach statistical significance, these results support the previously reported observation of increased occurrence of large repeats at SCA8 in major psychosis. Am. J. Med. Genet. (Neuropsychiatr. Genet.) 96:873-876, 2000.

We performed a meta-analysis of over 30 case-control studies of association between schizophrenia and a bi-allelic, Bali polymorphism in exon 1 of the dopamine D3 receptor gene. We observed a significant excess of both forms of homozygote in patients (P = 0.0009, odds ratio (OR) = 1.21, 95% Confidence Interval (CI) = 1.07-1.35) in the combined sample of 5351 individuals. No significant heterogeneity was detected between samples and the effects did not appear to be the product of publishing bias. In addition we undertook an independent, family-based association study of this polymorphism in 57 parent/proband trios, taken from unrelated European multiplex families segregating schizophrenia. A transmission disequilibrium test (TDT) showed a significant excess of homozygotes in schizophrenic patients (P = 0.004, odds ratio (OR) = 2.7, 95% CI = 1.35-5.86). Although no significant allelic association was observed, a significant association was detected with the 1-1 genotype alone (P = 0.02, OR = 2.32, 95% CI = 1.13-4.99). In addition when the results of the family-based association study were included in the meta-analysis, the homozygosity effect increased in significance (P = 0.0002, OR = 1.23, 95% CI = 1.09-1.38). The results of the meta-analysis and family-based association study provide independent support for a relationship between schizophrenia and homozygosity at the Bali polymorphism of the D3 receptor gene, or between a locus in linkage disequilibrium with it.

The authors present the clinical of a male patient aged 45 years whose main complaints were loud snoring and excessive daytime sleepiness. Polysomnographic study revealed a sleep obstructive apnea syndrome with an apnea/hypopnea index of 86.5. After being treated with nasal continuous positive air pressure, (12 cm H2O), the apneas ended and sleep architecture was corrected. Physical examination also indicated the presence of an acromegaly, and therefore, the patient was subjected to endocrinological and cerebral imagiological studies; the diagnosis confirmed it as a predisposing factor to the sleep breathing disorder. A brief literature review about the incidence of sleep apnea syndrome in acromegaly is also made; the authors conclude that there is still the need for a systematic screening of sleep breathing disorders in acromegalic patients in order to optimise the treatment and prognosis of this disorders.

Molecular genetic studies of psychiatric disorders must face the possibility that despite the significant contribution of genetic factors to the expression of syndromes like schizophrenia, these syndromes may be a heterogeneous collection of genetic and non-genetic illnesses. These illnesses may be etiologically distinct from each other and still share many clinical features in common. Linkage studies of families with multiple affected members tend to favor the selection of genetic forms of a syndrome but can still represent a heterogeneous set of different genetic illnesses. To limit the potential genetic heterogeneity of a study sample, we selected a population that was geographically isolated and was historically relatively genetically homogeneous. We then assessed the relative level of homogeneity utilizing a surname analysis of the population of the Azores, mainland Portugal, rural USA, and urban USA. The average number of families with the same last name corrected for population size in the Azores is 30.88, in Coimbra it is 21.42, compared to 1.13 in a rural American population and 0.38 in an urban American population. The results of this analysis indicate that the Azores have the highest degree of homogeneity, and mainland Portugal has a high degree of homogeneity.

Background Drug interactions (DIs) occur when one drug affects the activity of another drug when both are administered together. This is clinically relevant as it may cause drug-related adverse events, and is generally preventable. [1–3] Purpose To analyse potential DIs in prescriptions for hospitalised patients. The drugs investigated were lithium, levothyroxine, phenytoin, risperidone, clozapine, olanzapine, quetiapine and ziprasidone. Materials and Methods A longitudinal and descriptive study of pharmaceutical interventions (PIs) conducted in a Brazilian public hospital specialising in psychiatry with 145 beds, from 5 January to 30 September 2012. The drugs analysed were lithium, levothyroxine, phenytoin, risperidone, clozapine, olanzapine, quetiapine, and ziprasidone. The searches for DIs were done once a week and categorised according to severity (mild/moderate/severe). [4] Results 134 DIs were analysed in 108 patients. Of the 134 DIs 59.85% were mild; 19.71% moderate and 2.92% severe risk. 1.46% of all prescriptions showed moderate to severe risk and 11.68% showed mild to moderate risk. Of the 134 DIs detected, 59 resulted in a written communication to the physician. The 59 written communications sent to physicians resulted in 25 prescriptions interventions, therefore 34 did not generate a medical intervention. The drugs most frequently involved in an interaction were: lithium (58); olanzapine (44); risperidone (19); levothyroxine (4) and clozapine (7). Of all 25 prescription interventions, 14 removed the potentially risky drug; in 4 the doctor reduced the dose and the other 7 the appearance of adverse reactions was monitored. In all prescriptions with severe and moderate/severe risk the drug with potential risk was replaced and the number of DIs reduced due to pharmaceutical interventions. Conclusions The study demonstrated the importance of pharmaceutical evaluation of potential DIs in prescriptions and provided information for the prescribing physician to increase patient safety. In addition this study showed that potential DIs generally unnoticed by the prescribing physician were detected by pharmaceutical intervention. References Oga’s, Basile AC, Ch MF. Guide Zanini-Oga interactions. Sao Paulo: Atheneu; 2002. Rodrigues ML. Prescription medication. In: Cassiani SHB, Ueta, J. patient safety in the use of medication. 1st ed. Sao Paulo (SP): Mosby; 2004. p. 150. Peral Aguirregoitia J. et al , Prospective evaluation of interaciones between drugs en una aplicacion informatica redeemed by patients. Farm. Hosp ., Madrid, V. 31, no. 32, pp. 93–100, 2007. David S. Tatro. Drug Interaction Facts, The Authority on Drug Interactions. Pharmaboobooks, 2006. No conflict of interest.