Structural and Functional Insights from the Metagenome of an Acidic Hot Spring Microbial Planktonic Community in the Colombian Andes

A taxonomic and annotated functional description of microbial life was deduced from 53 Mb of metagenomic sequence retrieved from a planktonic fraction of the Neotropical high Andean (3,973 meters above sea level) acidic hot spring El Coquito (EC). A classification of unassembled metagenomic reads using different databases showed a high proportion of Gammaproteobacteria and Alphaproteobacteria (in total read affiliation), and through taxonomic affiliation of 16S rRNA gene fragments we observed the presence of Proteobacteria, micro-algae chloroplast and Firmicutes. Reads mapped against the genomes Acidiphilium cryptum JF-5, Legionella pneumophila str. Corby and Acidithiobacillus caldus revealed the presence of transposase-like sequences, potentially involved in horizontal gene transfer. Functional annotation and hierarchical comparison with different datasets obtained by pyrosequencing in different ecosystems showed that the microbial community also contained extensive DNA repair systems, possibly to cope with ultraviolet radiation at such high altitudes. Analysis of genes involved in the nitrogen cycle indicated the presence of dissimilatory nitrate reduction to N2 (narGHI, nirS, norBCDQ and nosZ), associated with Proteobacteria-like sequences. Genes involved in the sulfur cycle (cysDN, cysNC and aprA) indicated adenylsulfate and sulfite production that were affiliated to several bacterial species. In summary, metagenomic sequence data provided insight regarding the structure and possible functions of this hot spring microbial community, describing some groups potentially involved in the nitrogen and sulfur cycling in this environment. Citation: Jimenez DJ, Andreote FD, Chaves D, Montana JS, Osorio-Forero C, et al. (2012) Structural and Functional Insights from the Metagenome of an Acidic Hot Spring Microbial Planktonic Community in the Colombian Andes. PLoS ONE 7(12): e52069. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0052069

Social Mobilization in Health and Sanitation in an Action Research Process in an Indigenous Community in Northwestern Amazon

The living conditions of the inhabitants of Iauarete, an indigenous area in the municipality of Sao Gabriel da Cachoeira, State of Amazonas (Northern Brazil), have been negatively affected by population density, poor sanitation and maintenance of sanitation practices that are incompatible with that reality. To improve the population's quality of life, sanitation systems that are adequate to the local socio-cultural characteristics should be implemented, as well as educational processes with emphasis on social mobilization and community empowerment. The aim of this paper is to report and discuss a training course on health and sanitation using action research, directed to the mobilization of the Iauarete indigenous people, with the objective of assisting other studies of this nature. In the meetings, issues related to environmental health were discussed, a Community Newspaper was constructed, the course participants made interviews and drew up claims documents. This experience has enhanced the participants' understanding of local problems and of the importance of social mobilization for the dialogue with governmental institutions that are responsible for providing sanitation services and for seeking better living conditions. The researchers and teachers of the training course benefitted from the construction of collective knowledge resulting from interaction with subjects of the investigated situation and from the recognition and redefinition of their representations, fulfilling the fundamental premise of action research.

A 30-year quantitative comparison of the bird community of a semideciduous forest remnant in the state of Sao Paulo

A 30-year quantitative comparison of the bird community of a semideciduous forest remnant in the state of Sao Paulo. Few studies have evaluated long-term changes in avian abundance in forest remnants. To compare both species richness and abundance of the bird community in a forest fragment located in the municipality of Galia, state of Sao Paulo, southeastern Brazil, we surveyed forest birds using transect counts. We compared our results with a survey conducted 30 years earlier at the same locality and further classified bird species according to their food habits to eventually predict fluctuations of specific abundance. Although species with population declines predominated in the community, all trophic categories had species which increased their abundances. Most species prone to move around remnants decreased in abundance. We suggest that, regarding specific abundances, trophic categories may be equally affected as a result of fragmentation processes and that the forest regeneration of this remnant may have led to the loss of edge species. Species that suffered from abundance loss during this time period may become locally extinct in the near future.

Prevalence of non-organ-specific autoantibodies in a rural community from northeastern Brazil: a population-based study

Non-organ-specific autoantibodies (NOSA) are well-recognized diagnostic markers of autoimmune hepatitis (All-l) and primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC), but can also be observed in patients with viral hepatitis as well as in healthy subjects. The aim of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of NOSA in subjects living in a rural community in Brazil and to correlate their occurrence with the presence of liver disease. Seven hundred twenty-five apparently healthy subjects were randomly selected for assessment of antinuclear (ANA), anti-smooth muscle (SMA), antimitochondrial (AMA), anti-liver/kidney microsome type 1, and anti-liver cytosol type 1 antibodies. Subjects with those NOSA were evaluated for the presence of AIH, PBC, and viral hepatitis. Reactivities for all NOSA, SMA, ANA, and AMA were detected, respectively, in 14, 10, 4, and 0.1% of subjects, with a mean titer of 1:40. NOSA-positive subjects were significantly older and more frequently females. No correlation was observed between the occurrence of NOSA and PBC. AIH, or viral hepatitis. The prevalence of NOSA in Brazilians was 14%. They were usually low titer. NOSA were more frequently observed in females and older subjects and their presence was not correlated with the presence of AIH, PBC, or viral hepatitis. (C) 2012 American Society for Histocompatibility and Immunogenetics. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Ambulatory blood pressure monitoring in children with obstructive sleep apnea and primary snoring

Objective: To evaluate the systemic blood pressure (BP) during daytime and nighttime in children with sleep breathing disorders (SBD) and compare parameters of BP in children with diagnosis of obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSA) to those one with primary snoring (PS). Methods: Children, both genders, aged from 8 to 12 years, with symptoms of SBD realized an overnight polysomnography followed by a 24 h recording of ambulatory BP. Results: All subjects presented with a history of snoring 7 nights per week. Children who have apnea/hipoapnea index >= four or a apnea index >= one presented a mean BP of 93 +/- 7 mmHg and 85 +/- 9 mmHg diurnal and nocturnal respectively whereas children who have a apnea/hipoapnea < four or a apnea index < one presented 90 +/- 7 mmHg and 77 +/- 2 mmHg. Eight children out of fourteen, from OSA group, lost the physiologic nocturnal dipping of the blood pressure. Among OSA children 57% were considered non-dippers. Two (16%) have presented absence of nocturnal dipping among children with primary snoring. The possibility of OSA children loosing physiologic blood pressure dipping was 6.66 higher than the possibilities of patients from PS group. Discussion: Our results indicate that children with sleep apnea syndrome exhibit a higher 24 h blood pressure when compared with those of primary snoring in form of decreased degree of nocturnal dipping and increased levels of diastolic and mean blood pressure, according to previous studies in literature. OSA in children seems to be associated to the development of hypertension or other cardiovascular disease. (C) 2012 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Detection of Hepatitis B virus subgenotype A1 in a Quilombo community from Maranhão, Brazil

Abstract Background The Brazilian population is mainly descendant from European colonizers, Africans and Native Americans. Some Afro-descendants lived in small isolated communities since the slavery period. The epidemiological status of HBV infection in Quilombos communities from northeast of Brazil remains unknown. The aim of this study was to characterize the HBV genotypes circulating inside a Quilombo isolated community from Maranhão State, Brazil. Methods Seventy-two samples from Frechal Quilombo community at Maranhão were collected. All serum samples were screened by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays for the presence of hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg). HBsAg positive samples were submitted to DNA extraction and a fragment of 1306 bp partially comprising HBsAg and polymerase coding regions (S/POL) was amplified by nested PCR and its nucleotide sequence was determined. Viral isolates were genotyped by phylogenetic analysis using reference sequences from each genotype obtained from GenBank (n = 320). Sequences were aligned using Muscle software and edited in the SE-AL software. Bayesian phylogenetic analyses were conducted using Markov Chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) method to obtain the MCC tree using BEAST v.1.5.3. Results Of the 72 individuals, 9 (12.5%) were HBsAg-positive and 4 of them were successfully sequenced for the 1306 bp fragment. All these samples were genotype A1 and grouped together with other sequences reported from Brazil. Conclusions The present study represents the first report on the HBV genotypes characterization of this community in the Maranhão state in Brazil where a high HBsAg frequency was found. In this study, we reported a high frequency of HBV infection and the exclusive presence of subgenotype A1 in an Afro-descendent community in the Maranhão State, Brazil.