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Ao longo dos últimos 35 anos, grandes progressos foram alcançados em termos de prevenção, diagnóstico e tratamento de infeção VIH, com redução da incidência de infeção em Portugal, na última década. Ainda assim, continua a existir uma taxa elevada de doentes com diagnóstico tardio, com consequências individuais e populacionais. Este artigo tem como objetivos: apresentar um ponto de situação da infeção VIH em Portugal, rever brevemente a evolução natural da infeção e explicitar o mais recente algoritmo de diagnóstico de infeção VIH, revisto em 2014, reforçando a necessidade de manter um elevado nível de suspeição clínica para o diagnóstico precoce de infeção. info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion

A Hipertensão pulmonar (HTP) é uma patologia rara mas que condiciona elevada morbilidade e mortalidade. É conhecida a sua associação com o Vírus da Imunodeficiência Humana (VIH), mas muitos dos mecanismos implicados na sua patogénese bem como o impacto da terapêutica antiretroviral (TARV) no tratamento e prognóstico desta doença ainda se encontram por definir. Apresenta-se um caso clínico de uma doente de 62 anos com infecção VIH internada por um quadro interpretado inicial- mente como infecção respiratória. A má evolução e os exames adicionais permitiram o diagnóstico de Hipertensão pulmonar grave que viria a determinar o falecimento da doente em poucos dias. Atendendo à elevada prevalência de doentes com infecção VIH, é expectável o aumento do número de casos de Hipertensão pulmonar, pelo que se chama a atenção para a necessidade de um diagnóstico precoce antes da evolução da mesma. info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion

Tanto en España como en Europa existen demasiadas plantas exóticas invasoras para poder afrontar la gestión de todas ellas, por lo que es necesariopriorizar las más nocivas. Sin embargo, ello requiere disponer de medidas cuantitativas, sistemáticas y comparables de su impacto. La informacióndisponible es desigual en cuanto a los criterios y variables para medir impactos y por tanto difícil de integrar. Proponemos el siguiente métodopara integrar medidas de impactos procedentes de distintos estudios: 1) Búsqueda de casos de estudio, 2) cálculo de tamaños del efecto; 3) clasificaciónde los casos por nivel de organización, 4) integración de los tamaños del efecto para cada especie y nivel de impacto con técnicas demeta-análisis, y 5) estima de un índice de fiabilidad (basado en el número de casos) y otro de consistencia (basado en la heterogeneidad entrecasos). Aplicamos este método para estimar los impactos en España de tres árboles invasores (Ailanthus altissima, Robinia pseudoacacia y Ulmuspumila). Encontramos 50 casos para A. altissima, 39 para R. pseudoacacia y 15 para U. pumila. Los impactos en el nivel de ecosistema (fertilidad)fueron los más estudiados, mientras que los de comunidad e individuo están menos documentados. Robinia pseudoacacia tiende a incrementar lafertilidad, mientras que A. altissima no altera esta propiedad. La metodología propuesta tiene la ventaja de permitir estimar el impacto con datos deestudios diversos, pero su aplicación está limitada por la disponibilidad de casos de estudio., In Spain as in Europe there are too many invasive alien plants to address their management, so it is necessary to give priority to the most harmful species. But this requires the use of quantitative, systematic and comparable impact measures. The information available is uneven in terms of the criteria and variables to measure impacts and, therefore, difficult to integrate. We propose the following method to integrate measures of impacts from different studies: 1) search for case studies, 2) calculation of effect sizes; 3) classification of cases by level of organization, 4) integration of all effect sizes for each species and level of impact with meta-analysis techniques, and 5) estimate a consistency index (based on the heterogeneity among cases) and of reliability (based on the number of cases). We apply this method to estimate the impacts in Spain of three invasive trees (Ailanthus altissima, Robinia pseudoacacia and Ulmus pumila). We found 50 cases for A. altissima, 39 for R. pseudoacacia and 15 for U. pumila. The impacts at the ecosystem level (fertility) were the most studied, while the community or the individual level are less documented. Robinia pseudoacacia tends to increase fertility, while A. altissima does not alter this property. The proposed methodology has the advantage of allowing an impact assessment using data from disparate studies, but its application is limited by the availability of case studies., Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación, Junta de Comunidades de Castilla-La Mancha, Universidad de Alcalá

26 páginas, 3 tables, 8 figuras., Some data on the reproductive biology of three native glossoscolecid species from the Colombian “Llanos” are presented. The seasonal dynamics of reproduction varied among the species considered which displayed either one or two reproductive periods per year. Cocoons were laicl at different depths to a maximum of 50 cm. The relation between cocoon weight and adult weight was the sanie for two endogeic species, ca. 6%, whereas for one anecic species the value has been the highest obtained to date for any tropical and temperate earthworm, i.e., 16 %., This study was included within the STD-3 European Macrofauna Project and the Tropical Lowlands Program at the International Centre for Tropical Agriculture, CIAT (Cali, Colombia).

This study compares the origin and activities of glycolytic enzymes present in the gut contents of some geophagous adult earthworms and demonstrates that all the species did not develop mutualistic relationships with the ingested microorganisms to digest soil organic matter. Although the glycolytic activities were rather weak in the earthworms studied, they possess quite a complete enzymatic system that allows to degrade root and fungal substrates available in soils. #Millsonia anomala$ Omo. from Lamto (Côte d'Ivoire) and #Hormogaster elisae$ Alvarez from El Molar (Madrid) developed a strong mutualistic earthworm-microflora digestion system for hydrolysing cellulose : cellulase produced by inested microflora is able to degrade cellulose to cellobiose, cellobiase released by the worm itself breaks down cellobiose into D-glucose. Both enzymes found in intestinal contents of #Pontoscolex corethrurus$ Müll. from Palma Sola, Veracruz (Mexico) were produced by ingested soil microflora since they were not found in gut tissue culture. On the contrary, #Polypheretima elongata$ Perr. from Sainte Anne (Martinique), #Hyperiodrilus africanus$ Bedd. and #Dichogaster terrae nigrae$ Omo. et Vld. from Lamto (Cîte d'Ivoire) possess a complete enzymatic system for hydrolyzing cellulose. They could synthesize cellulolytic enzymes, i.e. cellulase and cellobiase by themselves. In the course of their digestion, geophagous earthworms seem to display variable adaptive characters which are undoubtedly linked to the different ecological categories and niches. (Résumé d'auteur)

The effects of a deep-burrowing earthworm species, #Martiodrilus carimagnuensis$, on soil fertility and plant growth were assessed in two grasslands in the Eastern Plains of Colombia. This species aestivates deep in the soil during the dry season. Fibre glass netting was used to prevent colonisation of the top soil at the onset of the humid season. Effects of earthworm absence on soil properties and plant biomass were analysed with principal component analysis. Experimental manipulation succeeded in preventing #M. carimaguensis$ activity in the top soil. The larger part of the variance in our data (29.35%) was explained by the effect of pasture type and age on soil structure and organic matter. A lesser part (10.81%) was due to the effect of legumes on soil physical properties. The effect of earthworm absence on soil properties and plant growth explained 16.50% of the total variance. #M. carimaguensis$ biomass was associated with low soil compaction, high C contents, low Al saturation, high herbaceous biomass and low weed biomass. These results support the general knowledge of how earthworms can affect soil fertility and plant growth. (Résumé d'auteur)

From April to September 1994, micofauna density, total biomass, and species diversity of earthworms were measured across a range of land use types in the Cabuyal River watershed. The methodology recommended by the Tropical Soil Biology and Fertility Program (TSBF) was used. Macrofauna density, biomass, and diversity of earthworm species varied considerably across land use types, and depths. Principal component analysis yielded three factors that accounted for 71.8% of the total variance in macrofauna density. High taxonomic units values occur in the Andean forest (98 observed), decreasing dramatically in pastures (ranging from 28 to 13) and farm lands (ranging from 31 to 18). (Résumé d'auteur)

The gut mucus production of different earthworms species has been measured in order to verify the mutualistic hypothesis between earthworms and soil microflora. Earthworms of different origin (tropical and temperate) and ecological category (endogeic, anecic and epigeic), individuals of the same species occupying different soils, and earthworms of different species from the same soil, have been studied. Intestinal mucus production suggests the existence of the mutualistic digestion system. The mucus percentage in the gut was greater in the epigeic than in both anecic and endogeic. Nevertheless, the relative enrichment was higher in the endogeic species. The organic matter content of the substratum seems to play a regulating role in the mutualistic system, because the greater the substratum organic matter content the lower the relative enrichment. Generally, in temperate zones more mucus was added to the substratum, suggesting that the low temperature do necessary a greater microflora simulation. (Résumé d'auteur)

A green house experiment was performed using the radioisotope 32P to study the effects of earthworms (#Pontoscolex corethrurus$) and P fertilization on #Brachiaria decumbens$ pasture production and P dynamics in a P-limited soil from a pasture in Veracruz, Mexico. Two fertilization levels (0 and 10 kg/ha P) were applied, while the soil P pool was labelled with 10mg 32P/pot (equivalent to 1.6 kg P/ha). At harvest (51d) measurements included shoot and root biomass, total, inorganic, organic and exchangeable P in the soil and earthworm castings, mycorrhizal infection in roots, and earthworm populations. Fertilization with 10 kg/ha (injected P) increased shoot biomass by almost 10 times and root biomass by three times. Earthworms were only important for biomass production and P uptake with 10 kg/ha P, where despite significant yield reductions, more 32P fertilizer was imported into plants and the coefficient of 32P fertilizer use was significantly higher. On the other hand, treatments with earthworms tended to have lower organic P and higher available-P contents. Both fertilization and earthworms had a significant negative effect on root infection by VAM. Total P contents of earthworms was high (0.4%), and 32P derived from the fertilizer reached from 3 to 4% of the total at harvest. Earthworm castings were richer in total P and especially organic P, than uningested soil. By ingesting soil rich in organic P, producing large amounts of castings (P-rich microsites), and stimulating P mineralization processes in soils, #P. corethrurus$ forms an important component of the soil P cycle, and further research should pay attention to their potential as priming agents within the soil, and their effects on plant growth and nutrient uptake. (Résumé d'auteur)