Naturally-acquired humoral immune responses against the N- and C-termini of the Plasmodium vivax MSP1 protein in endemic regions of Brazil and Papua New Guinea using a multiplex assay

Background: Progress towards the development of a malaria vaccine against Plasmodium vivax, the most widely distributed human malaria parasite, will require a better understanding of the immune responses that confer clinical protection to patients in regions where malaria is endemic. Methods: Glutathione S-transferase (GST) and GST-fusion proteins representing the N-terminus of the merozoite surface protein 1 of P. vivax, PvMSP1-N, and the C-terminus, PvMSP1-C, were covalently coupled to BioPlex carboxylated beads. Recombinant proteins and coupled beads were used, respectively, in ELISA and Bioplex assays using immune sera of P. vivax patients from Brazil and PNG to determine IgG and subclass responses. Concordances between the two methods in the seropositivity responses were evaluated using the Kappa statistic and the Spearman's rank correlation. Results: The results using this methodology were compared with the classical microtitre enzyme-linked immnosorbent assay ( ELISA), showing that the assay was sensitive, reproducible and had good concordance with ELISA; yet, further research into different statistical analyses seems desirable before claiming conclusive results exclusively based on multiplex assays. As expected, results demonstrated that PvMSP1 was immunogenic in natural infections of patients from different endemic regions of Brazil and Papua New Guinea ( PNG), and that age correlated only with antibodies against the C-terminus part of the molecule. Furthermore, the IgG subclass profiles were different in these endemic regions having IgG3 predominantly recognizing PvMSP1 in Brazil and IgG1 predominantly recognizing PvMSP1 in PNG. Conclusions: This study validates the use of the multiplex assay to measure naturally-acquired IgG antibodies against the merozoite surface protein 1 of P. vivax.

Non-Cardiac Surgery in Developing Countries: Epidemiological Aspects and Economical Opportunities - The Case of Brazil

Background: Worldwide distribution of surgical interventions is unequal. Developed countries account for the majority of surgeries and information about non-cardiac operations in developing countries is scarce. The purpose of our study was to describe the epidemiological data of non-cardiac surgeries performed in Brazil in the last years. Methods and Findings: This is a retrospective cohort study that investigated the time window from 1995 to 2007. We collected information from DATASUS, a national public health system database. The following variables were studied: number of surgeries, in-hospital expenses, blood transfusion related costs, length of stay and case fatality rates. The results were presented as sum, average and percentage. The trend analysis was performed by linear regression model. There were 32,659,513 non-cardiac surgeries performed in Brazil in thirteen years. An increment of 20.42% was observed in the number of surgeries in this period and nowadays nearly 3 million operations are performed annually. The cost of these procedures has increased tremendously in the last years. The increment of surgical cost was almost 200%. The total expenses related to surgical hospitalizations were more than $10 billion in all these years. The yearly cost of surgical procedures to public health system was more than $1.27 billion for all surgical hospitalizations, and in average, U$445.24 per surgical procedure. The total cost of blood transfusion was near $98 million in all years and annually approximately $10 million were spent in perioperative transfusion. The surgical mortality had an increment of 31.11% in the period. Actually, in 2007, the surgical mortality in Brazil was 1.77%. All the variables had a significant increment along the studied period: r square (r(2)) = 0.447 for the number of surgeries (P = 0.012), r(2) = 0.439 for in-hospital expenses (P = 0.014) and r(2) = 0.907 for surgical mortality (P = 0.0055). Conclusion: The volume of surgical procedures has increased substantially in Brazil through the past years. The expenditure related to these procedures and its mortality has also increased as the number of operations. Better planning of public health resource and strategies of investment are needed to supply the crescent demand of surgery in Brazil.

Changes in soil organic carbon storage under different agricultural management systems in the Southwest Amazon Region of Brazil

The Cerrado and Amazon regions of Brazil are probably the largest agricultural frontier of the world, and Could be a sink or source for C depending on the net effect of land use change and subsequent management on soil organic C pools. We evaluated the effects of agricultural management systems on soil organic C (SOC) stocks in the Brazilian states of Rondonia and Mato Grosso, and derived regional specific factors for soil C stock change associated with different management systems. We used 50 observations (data points) in this study, including 42 dealing with annual cropping practices and 8 dealing with perennial cropping, and analyzed the data in linear mixed-effect models. No tillage (NT) systems in Cerrado areas increased SOC Storage by 1.08 +/- 0.06 relative to SOC stocks under native conditions, while SOC storage increased by a modest factor of 1.01 +/- 0.17 in Cerradao and Amazon Forest conditions. Full tillage (FT) had negative effect on SOC storage relative to NT, decreasing SOC stocks by a factor of 0.94 +/- 0.04. but did not significantly reduce SOC stocks relative to native levels when adopted in the Cerrado region. Perennial cropping had a minimal impact on SOC stocks, estimated at a factor Value of 0.98 +/- 0.14, suggesting these systems maintain about 98% of the SOC stock found under native vegetation. The results Suggest that NT adoption may be increasing SOC with land use change from native vegetation to cropland management in the Cerrado region of Brazil. (C) 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Discharge-calcium concentration relationships in streams of the Amazon and Cerrado of Brazil: soil or land use controlled

Stream discharge-concentration relationships are indicators of terrestrial ecosystem function. Throughout the Amazon and Cerrado regions of Brazil rapid changes in land use and land cover may be altering these hydrochemical relationships. The current analysis focuses on factors controlling the discharge-calcium (Ca) concentration relationship since previous research in these regions has demonstrated both positive and negative slopes in linear log(10)discharge-log(10)Ca concentration regressions. The objective of the current study was to evaluate factors controlling stream discharge-Ca concentration relationships including year, season, stream order, vegetation cover, land use, and soil classification. It was hypothesized that land use and soil class are the most critical attributes controlling discharge-Ca concentration relationships. A multilevel, linear regression approach was utilized with data from 28 streams throughout Brazil. These streams come from three distinct regions and varied broadly in watershed size (< 1 to > 10(6) ha) and discharge (10(-5.7)-10(3.2) m(3) s(-1)). Linear regressions of log(10)Ca versus log(10)discharge in 13 streams have a preponderance of negative slopes with only two streams having significant positive slopes. An ANOVA decomposition suggests the effect of discharge on Ca concentration is large but variable. Vegetation cover, which incorporates aspects of land use, explains the largest proportion of the variance in the effect of discharge on Ca followed by season and year. In contrast, stream order, land use, and soil class explain most of the variation in stream Ca concentration. In the current data set, soil class, which is related to lithology, has an important effect on Ca concentration but land use, likely through its effect on runoff concentration and hydrology, has a greater effect on discharge-concentration relationships.

Effects of land cover on chemical characteristics of streams in the Cerrado region of Brazil

The Cerrado is the second largest Brazilian biome and contains the headwaters of three major hydrological basins in Brazil. In spite of the biological and ecological relevance of this biome, there is little information about how land use changes affect the chemistry of low-order streams in the Cerrado. To evaluate these effects streams that drain areas under natural, rural, and urban land cover were sampled near Brasilia, Brazil. Water samples were collected between September 2004 and December 2006. Chemical concentrations generally followed the pattern of Urban > Rural > Natural. Median conductivity of stream water of 21.6 (interquartile: 22.7) mu S/cm in urban streams was three and five-fold greater relative to rural and natural areas, respectively. In the wet season, despite of increasing discharge, concentration of many solutes were higher, particularly in rural and natural streams. Streams also presented higher total dissolved N (TDN) loads from natural to rural and urban although DIN:DON ratios did not differ significantly. In natural and urban streams TDN was 80 and 77% dissolved organic N, respectively. These results indicate that alterations in land cover from natural to rural and urban are changing stream water chemistry in the Cerrado with increasing solute concentrations, in addition to increased TDN output in areas under urban cover, with potential effects on ecosystem function.

Evaluation of pharmacotherapy on elderly residents of nursing homes in the north-east of Brazil

Data related to medication order and the use of medications was collected from 94 elderly medical records of two nursing homes of Aracaju (SE), The mean age was 83.2 (SD = 10.1), with most belonging to the females (63.8%). The prevalence of the use of drugs was 87.2% and the average of medicines consumed was equal to 2.7 (SD = 1.8), mainly with action in the cardiovascular and nervous systems. In this Study, the elderly population studied presented polypharmacy (18.1%), inappropriate use of drugs (28.7%) and double therapy (11.7%). Data showed the need for improvement and evaluation of the quality of pharmacotherapy to promote rational drug use in the elderly population.

Multiple views of sustainable urban mobility: The case of Brazil

The aim of this work is to identify key factors of a sustainable urban mobility concept in a particular context. A multiple criteria decision analysis method was developed to identify the main variables associated to the concept. Looking at the results obtained in 11 cities of the five Brazilian regions, we conclude that the method is able to capture the different views and approaches discussed in the formulation of the mobility concept. Therefore, it can be used as a starting point for the formulation of public policies and also in the development of tools designed for monitoring the mobility conditions. (C) 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Palynological and physicochemical characterization of Apis mellifera L. bee pollen in the Southern region of Brazil

Bee pollen has been used for many years in both traditional medicine and supplementary nutrition, as well as in alternative diets, mainly due to its nutritional properties and health benefits. Bee pollen production is a recent activity in Brazil, having begun in the late 1980s. However, the country has the potential of being a large world producer of high quality pollen, particularly because of the great diversity of tropical flora and the resistance of the Brazilian Apis mellifera bee races. Thirty-six samples of bee pollen from the Southern region of Brazil were analyzed regarding pollen types and physicochemical and nutritional composition. Only one sample was considered monofloral, which was exclusively composed by pollen from the Asteraceae family). The State of Parana showed a greater variety of pollen types, 18 in total, representing 82% of the total number identified in this study. The bee pollen in the States of Rio Grande do Sul and Parana showed a higher number of samples with humidity content above the standard permitted by the Brazilian legislation, i.e. over 4%. The bee pollen was characterized by its high protein content with average values of 20.47%. The analysis regarding humidity, lipids and sugar showed no statistical differences among the samples (p<0.05). The pollen samples had a high concentration of reducible sugars (48%). The predominant minerals in the samples PR, SC and RS were phosphorus (7102.29, 6873.40, 6661.73 mg/kg of pollen), followed by potassium (5383.73, 4997.77, 4773.26 mg/kg of pollen), calcium (1179.05, 961.93, 848.36 mg/kg of pollen) and magnesium (818.02, 679.01, 725.89 mg/kg of pollen). Statistical analysis (Tukey test) demonstrated no significant difference between the contents of calcium, copper, iron, phosphorus and sodium in the pollen samples of the South of Brazil. However, the samples from the State of Parana contained the highest contents of potassium and differed statistically from the samples of the State of Rio Grande do Sul.

Emerging Threats and Opportunities for Large-Scale Ecological Restoration in the Atlantic Forest of Brazil

Over the past 150 years, Brazil has played a pioneering role in developing environmental policies and pursuing forest conservation and ecological restoration of degraded ecosystems. In particular, the Brazilian Forest Act, first drafted in 1934, has been fundamental in reducing deforestation and engaging private land owners in forest restoration initiatives. At the time of writing (December 2010), however, a proposal for major revision of the Brazilian Forest Act is under intense debate in the National Assembly, and we are deeply concerned about the outcome. On the basis of the analysis of detailed vegetation and hydrographic maps, we estimate that the proposed changes may reduce the total amount of potential areas for restoration in the Atlantic Forest by approximately 6 million hectares. As a radically different policy model, we present the Atlantic Forest Restoration Pact (AFRP), which is a group of more than 160 members that represents one of the most important and ambitious ecological restoration programs in the world. The AFRP aims to restore 15 million hectares of degraded lands in the Brazilian Atlantic Forest biome by 2050 and increase the current forest cover of the biome from 17% to at least 30%. We argue that not only should Brazilian lawmakers refrain from revising the existing Forest Law, but also greatly step up investments in the science, business, and practice of ecological restoration throughout the country, including the Atlantic Forest. The AFRP provides a template that could be adapted to other forest biomes in Brazil and to other megadiversity countries around the world.

New records of Rhagomys rufescens (Rodentia : Sigmodontinae) in the Atlantic forest of Brazil

Since it was trapped in the XIX(th) century, Rhagomys rufescens has been considered a rare endangered sigmodontine rodent and an endemic species of the Atlantic forest. Only a handful of vouchers of this taxon were known by Thomas, 1886. Recently, eight new individuals were collected, providing new geographical, morphological and phylogenetic (based on molecular evidence) information on this species. In the present work we report the southernmost occurrence record for R. rufescens at Indaial, Santa Catarina State, with the largest collected series of this species, the northernmost occurrence record at Santa Teresa, Espirito Santo State, and new records from Pocos de Caldas, Minas Gerais State, from Ibiuna and Ribeirao Grande, Sao Paulo State.

The impact of El Nino Southern Oscillation phases on off-season maize yield for a subtropical region of Brazil

In recent years, maize has become one of the main alternative crops for the autumn winter growing season in the central-western and southeastern regions of Brazil. However, water deficits, sub-optimal temperatures and low solar radiation levels are common problems that are experienced during this growing season by local farmers. One methodology to assess the impact of variable weather conditions on crop production is the use of crop simulation models. The goal of this study was to evaluate the effect of climate variability on maize yield for a subtropical region of Brazil. Specific objectives for this study were (1) to analyse the effect of El Nino Southern Oscillation (ENSO) on precipitation and air temperature for four locations in the state of Sao Paulo and (2) to analyse the impact of ENSO on maize grown off-season for the same four locations using a crop simulation model. For each site, historical weather data were categorised as belonging to one of three phases of ENSO: El Nino (warm sea surface temperature anomalies in the Pacific), La Nina (cool sea surface temperature anomalies) or neutral, based on an index derived from observed sea surface temperature anomalies. During El Nino, there is a tendency for an increase in the rainfall amount during May for the four selected locations, and also during April, mainly in three of the locations, resulting in an increase in simulated maize yield planted between February 15 and March 15. In general, there was a decrease in the simulated yield for maize grown off-season during neutral years. This study showed how a crop model can be used to assess the impact of climate variability on the yield of maize grown off-season in a subtropical region of Brazil. The outcomes of this study can be very useful for both policy makers and local farmers for agricultural planning and decision making. Copyright (C) 2009 Royal Meteorological Society

LEAF AREA REDUCTION IN CORN GROWN IN A TROPICAL REGION OF BRAZIL AND ITS EFFECTS ON AGRONOMIC TRAITS

Global climate change may reduce leaf area in crop plants due to factors such as increasing occurrence of pests and diseases. The aim of this work was to estimate the impact of leaf area reduction on agronomic traits in corn. An experiment simulating leaf area reduction was carried out in a tropical region of Brazil. The agronomic performance of corn plants was evaluated at different percentages of leaf loss. It was observed that leaf area reductions over 41.01% significantly harm yield, mass of 1000 grains, cob density, and stem and root quality Crop improvement programs should take into account the development of genotypes resistant to factors that cause leaf area reduction in tropical crops.

Correlation between sensory and chemical markers in the evaluation of Brazil nut oxidative shelf-life

Sensory analysis is one of the most suitable processes for measuring oxidative damage and determining the shelf-life of nuts, but it is an expensive and time-consuming methodology. Thus, our objective was to correlate sensory data and chemical markers obtained during the accelerated oxidation of Brazil nuts and to determine the chemical parameters values associated with the sensory shelf-life of the nuts as established by the consumers. Brazil nuts were kept at 80 A degrees C for 21 days. At intervals of 2 days, the oxidized odor of the samples was analyzed by nine trained panelists using a discriminative scale, and the oil was extracted to quantify the chemical parameters. A high (r > 0.95) and significant correlation (p < 0.05) was observed between the sensory data and the hydroperoxide concentration (PV), para-anisidine value (pAV), hexanal content, and alpha- and gamma-tocopherol concentrations. When compared with fresh samples, sensory identification of oxidized odor occurred on the 4th day, noticeably earlier than changes in chemical markers (12th day). Consumers rejected the nuts after 12 days of storage, which corresponded to PV = 18.8 meq kg(-1) oil, pAV = 7.68, hexanal = 48.95 mu mol 100 g(-1) oil, alpha-tocopherol = 15.01 mg kg(-1) oil, and gamma + beta-tocopherol = 73.88 mg kg(-1) oil. Our study suggests that simple spectrometric methods, such as PV and pAV, can be used to estimate the oxidative shelf-life of nuts based on sensory analysis.

WINE GRAPE QUALITY OF GRAPEVINES GROWN IN THE CERRADO ECOREGION OF BRAZIL

Aims: Geographical indication plays an important role in the improvement of wine quality. In this context, the search for new grape growing areas has been constant. The Sao Francisco River Valley in the cerrado of Minas Gerais State (Brazil) has been pointed out in the Geoviticulture Multicriteria Climatic Classification System (MCC System) as a potentially winegrowing region, especially considering the autumn-winter period when night temperatures are favorable to grape ripening. In this work, we studied the maturation curves and fruit composition of four wine grape varieties (Syrah, Merlot, Cabernet-Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc) in two growing seasons in order to validate the state of Minas Gerais as a new winegrowing region in Brazil. Methods and results: Quality parameters (berry weight, pH, titratable acidity and total soluble solids) were measured weekly from veraison to harvest, and sugar, organic acid, anthocyanin and phenolic concentrations were determined in must and berry skins and seeds at harvest. Syrah berries showed the highest weight throughout maturation which contributed to higher yield (8.92 ton ha(-1)), followed closely by Merlot (8.07 ton ha(-1)). Bern, sugar concentrations were higher and malic acid levels were lower than the values usually observed in wine grapes harvested during summer in traditional winegrowing regions in Brazil. Cabernet Franc showed lower levels of anthocyanins and skin phenolics per kg berries and the highest values of seed phenolics, which were not affected by growing season. Conclusion: Weather conditions of the cerrado of Minas Gerais State in Brazil during winter allowed complete maturation of Cabernet-Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot and Syrah cultivars as revealed by the satisfactory sugar, anthocyanin and skin phenolic accumulation. Significance and impact of the study: This study revealed the potential of the cerrado ecoregion in the northeast of Minas Gerais to become a new winemaking region in Brazil.

Effect of Brazil nut supplementation on the blood levels of selenium and glutathione peroxidase in hemodialysis patients

Objective: In patients who have undergone hemodialysis, large amounts of reactive oxygen species (ROS) are produced and, at higher concentrations, ROS are thought to be involved in the pathogenesis of cardiovascular disease. It has been proposed that selenium (Se) may exert an anti-atherogenic influence by reducing oxidative stress. The richest known food source of selenium is the Brazil nut (Bertholletia excelsa, family Lecythidaceae), found in the Amazon region. We evaluated the effect of Brazil nut supplementation on blood levels of Se and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) activity in patients on hemodialysis. Methods: A total of 81 patients on hemodialysis (52.0 +/- 15.2 y old, average time on dialysis 82.3 +/- 91.4 mo, body mass index 24.9 +/- 4.4 kg/m(2)) from the RenalCor and RenalVida Clinics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, were studied. All patients received one nut (around 5 g, averaging 58.1 mu g Se/g) a day for 3 mo. The Se concentrations in the nuts and in plasma and erythrocytes were determined by atomic absorption spectrophotometry with hydride generation (Hitachi, Z-500). GSH-Px levels were measured using Randox commercial kits. Results: Plasma Se (18.8 +/- 17.4 mu g/L) and erythrocyte (72.4 +/- 37.9 mg/L) levels were below the normal, range before nut supplementation. After supplementation, the plasma level increased to 104.0 +/- 65.0 mu g/L and erythrocytes to 244.1 +/- 119.5 mg/L (P<0.0001). The activity of GSH-Px also increased after supplementation, from 46.6 +/- 14.9 to 55.9 +/- 23.6 U/g of hemoglobin (P<0.0001). Before supplementation, 11% of patients had GSH-Px activity below the normal range (27.5-73.6 U/g of hemoglobin). After supplementation, all patients showed GSH-Px activity within the normal range. Conclusion: The data revealed that the investigated patients presented Se deficiency and that the consumption of only one Brazil nut a day (5 g) during 3 mo was effective to increase the Se concentration and GSH-Px activity in these patients, thus improving their antioxidant status. (C) 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.