Sequencing and analysis of chromosome 1 of Eimeria tenella reveals a unique segmental organization

Eimeria tenella is an intracellular protozoan parasite that infects the intestinal tracts of domestic fowl and causes coccidiosis, a serious and sometimes lethal enteritis. Eimeria falls in the same phylum (Apicomplexa) as several human and animal parasites such as Cryptosporidium, Toxoplasma, and the malaria parasite, Plasmodium. Here we report the sequencing and analysis of the first chromosome of E. tenella, a chromosome believed to carry loci associated with drug resistance and known to differ between virulent and attenuated strains of the parasite. The chromosome--which appears to be representative of the genome--is gene-dense and rich in simple-sequence repeats, many of which appear to give rise to repetitive amino acid tracts in the predicted proteins. Most striking is the segmentation of the chromosome into repeat-rich regions peppered with transposon-like elements and telomere-like repeats, alternating with repeat-free regions. Predicted genes differ in character between the two types of segment, and the repeat-rich regions appear to be associated with strain-to-strain variation.

[Adolescent mothers caring for their child]

This is a qualitative research that had the objective of understanding the perception of adolescent mothers about their child[symbol: see text]s care. The phenomenological approach was used to analyze data gathered from 7 mothers. To the adolescent mothers caring for their child means feeding the child, do his/her hygiene, care for his/her illness, promote rest, give attention, give love, give educational support and promote leisure. These themes converge to 3 main categories: attend to the biological, psychological and social necessities of the child.

The genome sequence of the plant pathogen Xylella fastidiosa. The Xylella fastidiosa Consortium of the Organization for Nucleotide Sequencing and Analysis

Xylella fastidiosa is a fastidious, xylem-limited bacterium that causes a range of economically important plant diseases. Here we report the complete genome sequence of X. fastidiosa clone 9a5c, which causes citrus variegated chlorosis--a serious disease of orange trees. The genome comprises a 52.7% GC-rich 2,679,305-base-pair (bp) circular chromosome and two plasmids of 51,158 bp and 1,285 bp. We can assign putative functions to 47% of the 2,904 predicted coding regions. Efficient metabolic functions are predicted, with sugars as the principal energy and carbon source, supporting existence in the nutrient-poor xylem sap. The mechanisms associated with pathogenicity and virulence involve toxins, antibiotics and ion sequestration systems, as well as bacterium-bacterium and bacterium-host interactions mediated by a range of proteins. Orthologues of some of these proteins have only been identified in animal and human pathogens; their presence in X. fastidiosa indicates that the molecular basis for bacterial pathogenicity is both conserved and independent of host. At least 83 genes are bacteriophage-derived and include virulence-associated genes from other bacteria, providing direct evidence of phage-mediated horizontal gene transfer.

[The refusal of nursing consultation. A comprehensive analysis of the phenomenon]

The purpose of this study was to understand the abandonment of nursing consultation focused on children 0 to 2 years old. A phenomenological approach was used to make apprehension of the essence of the phenomenon and to try to understand it without becoming attached to its determinant causes. Interviews were done with 12 mothers to describe their experiences on nursing consultation and, therefore, making possible to see the essence of the phenomenon.

[Evaluation of the nursing care for children 0-2 years old in a health center]

The study is an exploratory-descriptive research that has as a main goal to evaluate the nursing consultation to 0 to 2 years old children in a health center. To do that the authors analysed the data collected in the children records from 1985 to 1988 and from interviews with mothers whose children had the nursing consultation in that time.

[An analysis of the nursing care given to the child on parenteral nutrition]

The purpose of this study was to collect information on nursing car of children receiving parenteral nutrition in order to gain knowledge to improve nursing care according to the resources available in the hospital. Our results showed that in the three hospitals studied there were no adequate physical space to prepare parenteral nutrition. There were no suitable accommodations for the children, the nursing care on P.N. were not standardized and the follow up was not well done.