Here, we showed emergency endoscopic diagnosis and hemostasis for

Here, we showed emergency endoscopic diagnosis and hemostasis for delayed bleeding of submucosal tunnel after POEM in a 25-year-old male. This patient did not have any coagulation disorder before POEM and underwent POEM successfully. After discharge, he complained of progressive serious retrosternal pain from the first day after surgery and also suddenly had vomiting of fresh blood on

the third day. Emergency gastroscopy was performed immediately for exploration. Hematoma was found along the submucosal tunnel and the covering mucosa was very swelling. After removing the metal clips of mucosal entry, a large number of blood selleck chemicals llc clots were discovered in the submucosal tunnel, and were removed. The active bleeding points were identified and coagulated with hemostatic forceps. However, on the third day after first endoscopic hemostasis, there was major blood drainage from nasogastric tuble. A Sengstaken–Blakemore tube was placed into the stomach Selleck Epacadostat and lower part of the esophagus to compress the bleeding spot. Intermittence deflation of the balloons was done every 24 hours.

The gastric balloon of Sengstaken–Blakemore tube was finally deflated on the first day after placement, and the esophageal balloon was finally released on the second day. Successful hemostasis was achieved and no blood transfusion was necessary. This case may provide a better understanding of delayed bleeding after POEM with an emphasis on its early features and effective managements. Vomiting of fresh blood and progressive serious retrosternal pain were the major early manifestations in patients with delayed bleeding of submucosal

tunnel. Emergency endoscopic diagnosis and hemostasis should be taken as early as possible. It should be worth mentioning that a Sengstaken–Blakemore tube is particularly effective for hemostasis by compression. “
“Colorectal endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) is technically more challenging than gastric ESD and results in a higher perforation rate (5-20%). Consequently, this technique is not yetwidely performed. Proper traction 4��8C to improve the dissection plane may allow for an easier and safer colorectal ESD. Several traction methods have been reported, but most of them cannot control the direction and strength of the traction intraoperatively. ESD with a new traction method using a steerable grasper may overcome this issue. The aim of this randomized animal study was to compare steerable grasper ESD (SG-ESD) with conventional ESD (C-ESD) in the porcine colon. A single-channel gastroscope with a transparent cap were used. ESDs were performed at 20, 27, 34 and/or 40cm from the anus (3-4 ESDs/pig). ESD steps included the following: 1) marking; 2) submucosal injection and circumferential mucosal incision (pre-cut), and 3) submucosal dissection. In the SG-ESD group, the 3.

Wrack deposition is highly variable depending on beach type, near

Wrack deposition is highly variable depending on beach type, nearshore hydrodynamics

and buoyancy characteristics of the wrack; in a curved or indented coastline, the beach wrack and detritus distribution may be rather patchy (Orr et al. 2005, Oldham et al. 2010). As the wrack particles dry on the shore, the biological material becomes more buoyant and can also be moved back to sea during the next high water event that covers the wrack. The buoyancy of different macrophyte species varies: some species (e.g. Fucus Cell Cycle inhibitor vesiculosus L.) can be cast ashore more easily than others. Furthermore, the material may originate in nearby areas but can also be carried as drifting algal mats from distant locations ( Biber 2007). Over a period of about one year beach wrack decays and becomes detritus. Regarding persistence, some species decompose faster than others. Although the biomass of species with tender thalli may decrease rapidly, fragments of specimens remain in the wrack for several months, which allows the species to be identified ( Jędrzejczak 2002a, b). Beach wrack is an important component of the food web and nutrient load for coastal ecosystems. Beach casts provide an ideal environment for microorganisms, amphipods and insects. A number of articles describe how beach wrack, an allochthonous input of organic matter, directly enhances the abundance of beach fauna through the provision of food and

habitat ( Pennings Interleukin-2 receptor et al. 2000, Dugan et al. 2003, Ince et al. 2007) or by fertilising foredune vegetation ( Gonçalves & Marquez 2011). Beach wrack accumulations can filter out wave effects, contributing to beach stability ( selleck kinase inhibitor Ochieng

& Erftemeijer 1999). Beach wrack also plays an important role in the building of new dunes by capturing sand and seeds, allowing new dunes to form. On the other hand, trapped detritus accumulations may result in the temporary creation of anoxic conditions underneath. On recreational beaches, decaying beach wrack is often perceived as a kind of ‘pollution’, which smells bad and promotes insects and bacteria, and its removal is therefore sometimes an important management task ( Filipkowska et al. 2009, Oldham et al. 2010, Imamura et al. 2011). Some of the very first data on macrophyte species occurring in the eastern Baltic Sea area were collected from beach wrack (von Luce 1823, Heugel & Müller 1847, Heugel 1851/52, Müller 1852/53, Lepik 1925). Although equipment like hooks, rakes or grab samplers was used to sample specimens from the nearshore, beach wrack was still an important source of data for such studies. Since 1959, SCUBA diving has been widely used to collect macrovegetation data from the Estonian coastal sea (Pullisaar 1961). Nowadays, in addition to expensive and time-consuming diving, underwater video cameras and remotely operated underwater vehicles are also used for observing and collecting samples from macrovegetation communities.

The physico-chemical properties of the water were measured at eac

The physico-chemical properties of the water were measured at each sampling station prior to macroinvertebrate sampling. The specimen of Limnodrilus cervix was collected near the village of Piaski (54°26′N, 19°37′E, sampling station No. 22) from the coastal zone, beyond the range of littoral plants on the sandy bottom at a depth of 1–1.5 m. The salinity in this part of the lagoon was 2.8 ± 0.74 PSU (the average for the study

period). The oxygen content in the near-bottom water was high (10 ± 0.94 mg O2 dm− 3) and the pH was 7.8. Description: Length of chaetae varied from 57 to 63 μm. The number of chaetae in the anterior dorsal bundles 4–5, rarely 6; in the ventral bundles 3–4, sometimes 5. In the anterior segments their upper tooth was only slightly longer than the lower one, GW-572016 clinical trial find more but distinctly thinner; in some segments around the clitellar zone and in the postclitellar region both teeth were very similar in length. The number of chaetae per bundle did not decrease posteriorly (3–5). The penis sheaths were very long (about 1260 μm), with distinctly bilaminate walls ( Figure 2). The external layer was partially delaminated, which suggests that the specimen was damaged (it may have got squashed during slide preparation). The width of the penis sheath (in its middle part) was ca 25.5–27.5 μm, and its wall was ca 6.5–7.5 μm thick.

The thicker external layer was absent near the ectal end of the sheath; in this part the width of the sheath decreased to 23 μm. The hood of the penis sheath had an almost triangular distal part and a slightly rounded proximal part ( Figure 3). Five other species from the family

Naididae were found at this station. The most numerous were Potamothrix hammoniensis (35 individuals) Montelukast Sodium and P. moldaviensis (18 individuals). A few Limnodrilus hoffmeisteri, Tubifex tubifex and T. blanchardi were also present. The specimen of Limnodrilus found in VL was identified as L. cervix on the basis of the shape of its penis sheath, which is long and has evidently bilaminate walls – this last feature is diagnostic for this species ( Kathman and Brinkhurst, 1998 and van Haaren and Soors, 2013). Nevertheless some features of this specimen differ a little from the original species description by Brinkhurst (1963). L. cervix from VL has a smaller number of chaetae in the particular bundles. Moreover, the lack of a proximal projection on the hood of its penis sheaths, according to Brinkhurst & Jamieson 1971 and Milbrink 1980, is characteristic of the rarely observed hybrid form L. claparedeianus/cervix. Even if we assume that this is a hybrid form, the finding of such a form indicates the presence of L. cervix in VL. L. claparedeianus has been found at other stations in this lagoon (E. Dumnicka, I. Jabłońska-Barna & A. Rychter, unpubl.).

A national survey of children and teens in Ireland also showed

A national survey of children and teens in Ireland also showed

a positive association between WG intake and total dietary fiber intake [30]. US Department of Agriculture nutrient profiles for food groups in the MyPyramid Equivalents Database [31] indicate that WG selleck inhibitor choices can account for about 28% of the total dietary fiber recommendation. However, in the current study, only a small proportion of children/adolescents and adults consumed at least 3 oz eq/d WG; hence, other foods accounted for a larger proportion of total dietary fiber intake for most of the sample. For example for children and adolescents, fruits and vegetables provided about one-third of the total dietary fiber intake for those who consumed less than 3 oz eq/d WG and

only about one-fifth for those who consumed at least 3 oz eq/d WG. Similarly, for a nationally representative sample of children/adolescents and adults (NHANES 2003-2006), others have found that about one-third of total dietary fiber intake was provided by fruit and vegetable food sources [32] and [33]. Dividing the total sample into WG intake groups in the current study allowed for a better understanding of how consuming WG foods at different levels affects the proportion of total dietary fiber that is provided by various WG and non-WG food sources. This knowledge can inform the development of food-based dietary guidelines to facilitate increased fiber intakes. The current study showed that breads and cereals were major food learn more sources of WG in the diets of US children/adolescents and adults in 2009 to 2010 similar to the findings from NHANES data for the US population collected in 2001 to 2002 [13]. These 2 sources accounted for about two-thirds to three-fourths of WG intake in both periods. For children/adolescents, yeast breads were also the number 4 source of energy in the diet based on NHANES 2005 to 2006 data [34]. These findings indicate GBA3 that yeast breads are commonly consumed by children/adolescents, making them an ideal food source of WG. The updated assessment of WG intake completed in the current study from NHANES data 2009 to 2010 showed that mean daily WG intake for children and adolescents was similar to intake

estimated from 1999 to 2004 NHANES data [9]. O’Neil et al [9] showed that the mean daily WG servings were 0.45, 0.59, and 0.63 oz eq/d for children and adolescents aged 2 to 5 years, 6 to 12 years, and 13 to 18 years, respectively. The current study (NHANES 2009-2010) showed that the mean daily intake was 0.57 oz eq/d. The mean number of WG servings for adults based on NHANES 1999 to 2004 ranged from 0.63 and 0.77 oz eq/d for adults 19 to 50 years and 51 years and older, respectively [10]. The current study showed that the mean intake was 0.82 oz eq/d for adults. Despite the media attention from the 2005 Dietary Guidelines calling for one-half of all grains to be consumed as WG and changes in the availability of products, intake is still at very low levels.

Nonhistone proteins, including p53, p63, and GATA-1, are also inf

Nonhistone proteins, including p53, p63, and GATA-1, are also influential substrates of HDACs [15], [16], [17], [18], [19] and [20].

HDAC inhibitors block proliferation of transformed cells in culture by inducing cell cycle arrest, differentiation, and/or apoptosis and inhibit tumor growth in animal models. Various mechanisms of actions are continuously being discovered. Approximately 2% of genes are functionally altered after exposure to HDAC inhibitors; some genes, like the cell cycle inhibitors p21WAF1/CIP1, gelsolin, p27Kip, p16INK4a, and p15INK4b are induced after exposure to HDAC selleck chemicals llc inhibitors, whereas other genes, such as cyclin D1 and NFκB, are repressed [21], [22], [23], [24], [25], [26], [27], [28], [29], [30], [31] and [32]. Valproic acid, a short-chain fatty acid that has been in clinical use for more than three decades for the therapy of seizures and bipolar disorder, also inhibits HDAC. At therapeutic levels, valproic acid directly inhibits class I and II HDACs (except HDAC6 and HDAC10), with resultant hyperacetylation of histones H3 and H4. After treatment with valproic acid, there is altered expression of multiple genes, PI3K inhibitor including the cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor p21Cip1, glycogen synthase kinase-3ß, and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors,

and down-regulation of the expression of the antiapoptotic protein kinase C α and ε isoforms [33], [34], [35], [36], [37], [38] and [39]. Valproic acid has displayed potent in vitro and in vivo antitumor activities against neuroblastoma, glioma, leukemia, breast cancer, multiple myeloma, and prostate cancer lines [9], [40], [41], [42], [43], [44],

[45], [46] and [47]. Even though valproic acid is a potent teratogen in noncommitted cell lineages, it is otherwise usually well tolerated; in fact, it may even protect against neurotoxicity observed with some drugs. However, although it has been incidentally used in some patients with Celastrol malignancies, to date, there are no reported trials of valproic acid alone or with other agents in a controlled clinical trial setting. In vitro, the cytotoxicity of valproic acid is potentiated by hydralazine, a noncytotoxic drug. Clinical efforts to evaluate epigenetic modulation in solid tumors are in very early stages. Juergens et al. reported the outcome of a phase I-II trial in heavily pretreated patients (more than three lines of chemotherapy) with non–small cell lung cancer treated with a combination of the DNMT and HDAC inhibitors 5-azacytidine and entinostat, respectively, and noted a 35% clinical benefit rate, with two objective responses and ten subjects with disease stabilization [48]. As in most phase I trials, the current investigation was conducted in heavily pretreated patients with limited standard therapeutic options, and nonetheless, intriguing activity was seen.

The water levels and vegetation composition at the two reference

The water levels and vegetation composition at the two reference sites are distinctly different from the plots in Crane Flat. Groundwater pumping has apparently shifted the Crane Flat fen from a peat-accumulating to a peat-losing ecosystem. In the long-term, peat that has accumulated over thousands of years will be lost through oxidation and erosion and the system could be changed to a seasonally wet meadow, as has been documented with drained peatlands throughout the world (Waddington et al., 2002, Coulson et al., 1990 and Leifeld et al., 2011). Selleckchem Fluorouracil This change has functionally already occurred as indicated by the summer

water table depth and vegetation composition. Further decomposition and loss of peat could facilitate the invasion of trees such as lodgepole pine into the meadow, and the switch from meadow to forest habitat. Maintaining a high water table will reduce the chances of invasive plants altering the meadow composition (Timmermann et al., 2006). An additional danger is Bleomycin chemical structure the potential of wildfire to burn the dry peat body during the summer,

resulting in the loss of organic matter and alterations of the soil physical properties (Dikici and Yilmaz, 2006). Changes in the thickness or decomposition state of the peat body could also reduce its water storage capacity, further altering the hydrologic function of the meadow (Loheide et al., 2009 and Lowry et al., 2011). However, the decomposed peat likely has increased capillary rise producing higher volumetric water content higher above the water table than pristine peat (Macrae et al., 2013). This research provides guidance for the

development of water management strategies to maintain or restore the hydrologic processes that formed O-methylated flavonoid the Crane Flat fen, and this information is critical to fen and wet meadow management any place in the world where hydrologic alterations occur. For Crane Flat, two options that are supported by the data analysis and modeling performed in this study include: (1) reduce or eliminate pumping during July and August in water years with below average SWE, and (2) allow normal pumping in summers following winters with above average SWE. Other beneficial strategies may involve adjusting the timing and duration of pumping to maintain soil saturation in the plant root zone, which will sustain the peat body and limit the invasion of small mammals and dry land plants. The installation of larger water tanks to store winter snowmelt for summer use is another alternative. However, tanks are expensive and may hold insufficient water to meet the demands of human users. Since the initial investigation, Yosemite National Park has replaced the water distribution system at Crane Flat, which had been leaking up to 75% of pumped water. However the water leaking did not return to the Crane Flat watershed. However, the new pipes may have resulted in a reduction in groundwater extraction impacts to the fen.

High intraspecific specificity of RNAi was also shown using dsRNA

High intraspecific specificity of RNAi was also shown using dsRNAs designed to silence three CYP genes in M. sexta ( Kumar et al., 2012). In this study no off-target effect was observed even in genes sharing the highest sequence similarity with the targets. These investigations compellingly demonstrate that the RNAi response can be exploited to devise species-specific ATM inhibitor insect pest control strategies through careful target sequence selection and design of dsRNA. As noted above, the variable effectiveness of dsRNAs to inhibit target gene expression in insects has been attributed not only to the relative sensitivity of a given species to systemic RNAi, but also to intrinsic

properties of specific genes and gene products as well as the tissues in which they are expressed. Until recently, most experimental work attempting to identify genes of insect pest TGF-beta inhibitor species that might be suitable candidates for future RNAi-based control strategies has involved injection of dsRNA targeting the expression of individual genes of known function. This approach is labor intensive and inefficient,

insofar as it requires preexisting genomic or cDNA libraries that are not available for most nonmodel organisms, and the vast majority of potential targets are not considered. A recent landmark paper establishes methodological advances that address the above limitations (Wang et al., 2011). In this investigation, RNAseq, Illumina’s second-generation sequencing technology, was used in combination with 3′ digital gene expression tag (DGE-tag) technology

to characterize the expression profiles of several tens of thousands of unique tagged sequences at each of four developmental stages (embryonic, larval, pupal and adult) of the Asian corn Adenosine triphosphate borer O. furnacalis. This methodological approach is not biased toward genes of known function and is highly comprehensive. In this investigation about 1000 developmental stage-specific unique tagged sequences corresponding to expressed genes were identified at each developmental stage and their relative levels of expression measured. Remarkably, of ten abundantly expressed, larval stage-specific sequences tested for the ability of their corresponding dsRNAs to induce an RNAi response, nine produced high levels of mortality and developmental stunting following spraying of dsRNA onto newly hatched O. furnacalis larvae. This work establishes a paradigm for efficiently identifying suitable targets in pest insects for RNAi-based pest control, by combining high throughput genome-wide searching for candidate target genes and screening for optimal ones with bioassays. As a consequence of the greatly reduced cost of second generation sequencing, more transcriptomes are becoming available for a broad spectrum of species at different developmental stages and in different tissues.

Their destinations included Europe,

especially Hungary, w

Their destinations included Europe,

especially Hungary, where he still had relatives, Japan, Australia, and India. Larry and Helen visited a number of countries in Africa, where Larry taught medicine and pharmacology on an exchange program in 1973 at the University of Lagos in Nigeria. There were several family trips to South America, and the last trip before he was diagnosed with gastric cancer in 2009, was to Machu Picchu in Peru. Larry affected many of us, not only those who worked directly with him and who acquired his passion for bone research (expressed in his tongue-in-cheek reminder that “work is the only reliable source of pleasure”), and for service to the bone community, but others who had the enjoyment of being his friends and Caspase activity colleagues, with whom he discussed science, osteoporosis awareness, and the pleasures of life, and even those others who did not know him personally but shared his insights from their seats in the back of the room. The world of bone will not be the same without him. “
“The authors regret that in the above article Fig. 3 was published incorrectly.

The correct Fig. 3 appears below. “
“Multiple myeloma (MM) is a hematologic malignancy characterized by the development of progressive and destructive osteolytic bone disease that is associated with diminished numbers of marrow stromal cells and osteoblasts [17] and [27]. Despite recent advances in treatment strategies myeloma remains largely incurable, with renal failure and immunosuppression as well as bone destruction as the major causes of morbidity [11], [14] and [27]. Numerous studies have shown that the rampant osteolysis in myeloma results from Selleck Thiazovivin the uncoupling of osteoclastic bone resorption and osteoblastic bone formation [14], [17] and [27]. However, the molecular mechanisms

regulating these events are not fully understood. Heparanase is an enzyme that cleaves the heparan sulfate chains of proteoglycans into shorter chain length oligosaccharides [2] and [32] and is upregulated in a variety of human tumors, including myeloma [5], [9], [10], [15], [19], [21] and [29]. We have demonstrated that increased levels of heparanase crotamiton dramatically enhance myeloma tumor growth, angiogenesis, and the spontaneous metastasis of tumor cells to bone [18], [26], [33] and [35]. Recently, we reported that the expression of heparanase by myeloma cells markedly increased local and systemic osteolysis [36]. However, whether heparanase also contributes to the decreased osteoblast compartment common in myeloma bone disease remains unknown. In the present study, we determined the mechanism(s) by which heparanase modifies the development and/or activity of mesenchymal lineage cells that differentiate into osteoblasts and adipocytes in the bone marrow microenvironment. The CAG myeloma cell line was established at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (Little Rock, AR) as described previously [3].

Eight-μm sections were obtained in an 820-II microtome (Reichert-

Eight-μm sections were obtained in an 820-II microtome (Reichert-Jung, Austria). Following xylol-based MK-2206 paraffin removal and tissue rehydration, three 10-minute incubations in 3% hydrogen peroxide took place. Immunofluorescence assays followed standard protocols (Oiticica et al., 2010). Images were obtained by confocal microscopy (LSM510, Zeiss, Germany) after background subtraction from negative control (primary antibody omission). The means obtained for CMAP amplitude and latency for each group were analyzed by the Kruskal–Wallis test to determine if there was any difference among groups. Group-paired analyses for CMAP amplitude, segment axonal density or

diameter were performed with the Mann–Whitney test. Axonal density comparisons between different segments (proximal or distal) were by

the Wilcoxon (Mann–Whitney-U) test. All statistical analyses were performed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS, version 19.0). Significance level was 5% (p<0.05) unless when adjusted by the Bonferroni coefficient. The authors thank Dr. Ana Lúcia Garippo (Instituto do Coração, USP, São Paulo, Brazil) and Waldir Caldeira (Instituto de Biociências, USP, São Paulo, Brazil) for careful confocal microscope analyses. LAH and RFB acknowledge financial support from INCT Program Project (573633/2008-8, National Council for GDC-0941 cost Scientific and Technological Development, CNPq, Brasília, Brazil) and São Paulo Research Farnesyltransferase Foundation, FAPESP (CEPID 1998/14254-2) through the facilities of the Human Genome Research Center (Instituto de Biociências, USP, São Paulo, Brazil). Research has been funded by FAPESP grants 2008/00584-4 for HJZRC, 2008/53857-8 for LAH, and 2008/00972-4 for RFB. “
“The authors regret not including the funding of the study by the Else Kroener-Fresenius Foundation to B.S. “
“Aberrant expression of alpha-synuclein (SNCA) occurs in a number of diseases termed synucleinopathies, including Parkinson’s disease (PD), multiple system atrophy and dementia with Lewy bodies

(Marti et al., 2003). In familial forms of PD, SNCA is directly associated with disease pathogenesis due to three missense mutations in the SNCA gene or multiplication of the gene (Lee and Trojanowski, 2006). SNCA is further implicated in the pathogenesis of sporadic PD because it is a major protein component of intra-cytoplasmic inclusions termed Lewy bodies, a diagnostic hallmark of PD (Spillantini et al., 1997). These findings suggest that therapeutically targeting aberrant SNCA expression may ameliorate disease pathogenesis in both sporadic and familial PD. Many SNCA-based experimental models of PD have been created in an effort to better understand the role of SNCA in disease pathogenesis. Transgenic mouse models of PD in which SNCA is expressed under the control of various promoters allowing expression in a ubiquitous or cell-specific manner have been created.

Corroborating these findings, Cunha-Filho et al (2010) and

Corroborating these findings, Cunha-Filho et al. (2010) and

Sciani et al. (2012) did not find hemolytic activity in amphibian skin secretions from R. crucifer, R. marina, R. schneideri and R. major at a concentration of 50 μg/mL, though secretions of R. jimi, R. margaritifer and Phyllomedusa hypochondrialis showed membrane disruption after 1 h incubation. Divergent results were seen with R. guttatus venom extracts, whereas all exhibited find protocol hemolytic potentiality, a contradictory finding when compared to that described by Sciani et al. (2012), who reported no membrane damage. It is likely that this difference should be correlated with range of concentrations used. The antiproliferative effects of the extracts were investigated on the basis of the incorporation of BrdU, a thymidine analog, into DNA, which occurs during the S phase of the cell cycle. R. marina extracts caused inhibition of DNA synthesis in HL-60 leukemia as evidenced by the decrease in BrdU incorporation, corroborating outcomes achieved with MTT and Alamar Blue™ Small molecule library assays. In fact, investigations have demonstrated that some toad skin secretions possess compounds able to induce cell cycle

arrest in G2/M phase, decrease cell viability, activate initiator and effector caspases and provoke morphological alterations (chromatin condensation, nuclear fragmentation, cytoplasm retraction, cell detachment, membrane blebs and apoptotic Amoxicillin bodies) in prostate and breast carcinomas ( Yeh et al., 2003 and Sciani et al., 2012). Since cardiotonic steroids of two chemical classes, cardenolides (ouabain, for example) and bufadienolides,

bind specifically to the subunits of the sodium/potassium pump (Na+/K+-ATPase) ( Newman et al., 2008 and Gao et al., 2011), it is possible that the stimulation of apoptosis by bufadienolides is associated with this bioactivity. In summary, nine extracts of R. marina and R. guttatus venoms showed pronounced lethal and discriminating effects in tumor lines, especially those from R. marina, highlighting toad parotoid gland secretions as a promising source of novel lead anticancer compounds. HPLC and LC–MS analysis of the extracts of R. marina and R. guttatus venom showed significant differences between them, where four bufadienolides (1, 2, 3, and 4) were identified in different extracts from R. marina and only one (2) in R. guttatus. We are grateful to the Brazilian agencies Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq), Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado do Mato Grosso (FAPEMAT), Fundação Cearense de Apoio ao Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (FUNCAP) and Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado do Piauí (FAPEPI) for financial support. The authors are indebted to Prof. Dr. M. L. dos Santos and Dr. G. A.