Mental health research in Brazil: policies, infrastructure, financing and human resources

The objective of this descriptive study was to map mental health research in Brazil, providing an overview of infrastructure, financing and policies mental health research. As part of the Atlas-Research Project, a WHO initiative to map mental health research in selected low and middle-income countries, this study was carried out between 1998 and 2002. Data collection strategies included evaluation of governmental documents and sites and questionnaires sent to key professionals for providing information about the Brazilian mental health research infrastructure. In the year 2002, the total budget for Health Research was US$101 million, of which US$3.4 million (3.4) was available for Mental Health Research. The main funding sources for mental health research were found to be the São Paulo State Funding Agency (Fapesp, 53.2%) and the Ministry of Education (CAPES, 30.2%). The rate of doctors is 1.7 per 1,000 inhabitants, and the rate of psychiatrists is 2.7 per 100,000 inhabitants estimated 2000 census. In 2002, there were 53 postgraduate courses directed to mental health training in Brazil (43 in psychology, six in psychiatry, three in psychobiology and one in psychiatric nursing), with 1,775 students being trained in Brazil and 67 overseas. There were nine programs including psychiatry, neuropsychiatry, psychobiology and mental health, seven of them implemented in Southern states. During the five-year period, 186 students got a doctoral degree (37 per year) and 637 articles were published in Institute for Scientic Information (ISI)-indexed journals. The investment channeled towards postgraduate and human resource education programs, by means of grants and other forms of research support, has secured the country a modest but continuous insertion in the international knowledge production in the mental health area.

Toxoplasma gondii infection: seroprevalence and associated risk factors among primary schoolchildren in Lagos City, Southern Nigeria

INTRODUCTION: Toxoplasma gondii infection has been described as the most widespread zoonotic infection of humans and other animals. Information concerning T. gondii infection among schoolchildren is unavailable in Lagos City, Nigeria. METHODS: This cross-sectional study investigated the seroprevalence and risk factors associated with T. gondii infection among primary schoolchildren (PSC) from a community located in the center of Lagos, southern Nigeria, from November 2013 to March 2014. A total of 382 PSC were screened for the presence of sera anti-T. gondii antibodies using a latex agglutination test (TOXO Test-MT, Tokyo, Japan). A cutoff titer of ≥ 1:32 was considered positive, while titers ≥ 1:1,024 indicated high responders. Questionnaires were also used to obtain data on possible risk factors from parents/guardians. RESULTS: The overall seroprevalence was 24% (91/382), and 83.5% (76/91) of seropositive PSC were classified as high responders. Among the risk factors tested, including contact with cats and soil, consumption of raw meat and vegetables, and drinking unboiled water, none showed statistical significance after multivariate adjustment. No associations were observed among age, gender, body mass index (BMI), and parents' occupation/educational level. CONCLUSIONS: The findings in this study show evidence of active infection, and hence, there is need for urgent preventive measures in this city. Further investigation is required to clarify the transmission routes. Policy makers also need to initiate prevention and control programs to protect pregnant women and immunocompromised patients in particular because they are more severely affected by T. gondii infection.

Review on the Molecular Tools for the Understanding of the Epidemiology of Animal Trypanosomosis in West Africa

The epidemiology of animal trypanosomosis around Bobo-Dioulasso (Burkina Faso, West Africa) benefited a lot in the last years from the progress of molecular tools. The two most used molecular techniques were the polymerase chain reaction for the diagnosis of the disease in cattle and the characterization of the trypanosomes in the host and the vector on one hand, and the microsatellite DNA polymorphism in tsetse flies to study the intraspecific genetic variability of the vector on the other hand. The results obtained in the Sideradougou area during a recent two year survey with these techniques, associated with many other georeferenced informations concerning vector and cattle distribution, natural environment, landuse, ground occupation, livestock management, were combined in a Geographical Information System. This new approach of a complex pathogenic system led to a better evaluation of the risk of trypanosome transmission.

Amazon Fund: financing deforestation avoidance

The Amazon Fund, created in 2008 by the Brazilian Federal Government, is managed by Banco Nacional de Desenvolvimento Econômico e Social (BNDES). It is a pioneering initiative to fundraise and manage financial resources to cut back deforestation and support sustainable development for 30 million inhabitants in the Amazon Biome. The Amazon Fund has already received more than R$ 1.7 billion in grants (about USD 787 million). This essay analyzes the Amazon Fund's governance and management with focus on its operation and from its stakeholders' perspectives. A combination of research methods includes: documental research, in-depth interviews, and speech analysis. The study offers a comparative analysis of strengths and weaknesses related to its governance. Furthermore, it proposes ways to improve its management towards greater effectiveness. The essay also includes an assessment of the government of Norway, a major donor to the fund. The governments of Norway and Germany, in partnership with Brazil, reveal how important it is to experiment with new means of international cooperation to successfully reduce greenhouse gas emissions through rainforest preservation.

Micorrizas arbusculares no crescimento pós-transplantio de mudas de árvores em solo com excesso de metais pesados

Os efeitos adversos dos metais pesados para as diversas formas de vida dificultam a recuperação de solos contaminados por estes elementos. Neste trabalho, avaliaram-se os efeitos da inoculação com fungos micorrízicos arbusculares no crescimento e absorção de metais de mudas de cinco espécies arbóreas, transplantadas para misturas que continham diferentes proporções de um solo contaminado (PSC). Mudas de Senna multijuga (L.C. Rich.) Irwin et Barneby (cássia verrugosa), Luehea grandiflora Mart. et Zucc. (açoita-cavalo), Enterolobium contortisiliquum (Vell.) Morong (tamboril), Albizia lebbeck (L.) Benth. (albizia) e Senna macranthera (Collard.) Irwin et Barneby (fedegoso), inoculadas e sem inoculação, foram transplantadas para as misturas de solos e desenvolvidas por 180 dias, no período de abril a novembro de 1996, em vasos, em casa de vegetação do Departamento de Ciência do Solo da UFLA, Lavras (MG). Verificou-se que a elevação na PSC na mistura reduziu o desenvolvimento das mudas e a colonização micorrízica (CM), sendo isto causado pela elevada absorção de metais pelas plantas, especiamente, de Cd e Zn. A inoculação favoreceu o crescimento das mudas após transplantio, sendo esse efeito mais evidente nas misturas de solo com baixa PSC. A CM foi reduzida de 70 a 90% no solo não contaminado para valores próximos de zero na mistura com alta PSC. Os níveis críticos de toxidez (redução de 10% na matéria seca das plantas inoculadas) dos metais no solo foram, em mg dm-3, de 83, 57, 153, 256 e 16, para o Zn, e de 1,3; 0,9; 0,8; 4,0 e 1,6, para Cd, para açoita-cavalo, cássia verrugosa, fedegoso, tamboril e albizia, respectivamente. Observando esses níveis críticos, as plantas não inoculadas apresentaram produção de matéria seca relativa, média para todas as espécies, de apenas 39%, evidenciando os benefícios da inoculação para o crescimento pós-transplantio das mudas. Esses benefícios relacionaram-se com menores teores de metais na parte aérea. Mesmo desconhecendo os mecanismos envolvidos nestas respostas, os resultados deste trabalho evidenciaram a importância das micorrizas arbusculares para o crescimento de mudas de árvores e para a recuperação de áreas tropicais contaminadas com metais pesados.

Crescimento e nodulação de Acacia mangium, Enterolobium contortisiliquum e Sesbania virgata em solo contaminado com metais pesados

Um dos desafios atuais da pesquisa é encontrar plantas e microssimbiontes tolerantes e que possibilitem a revegetação de áreas degradadas por excesso de metais pesados. Este experimento foi realizado no período de agosto a dezembro de 1998, em casa de vegetação do Departamento de Ciência do Solo da UFLA, Lavras (MG), com o objetivo de avaliar a tolerância a metais pesados e a capacidade de estabelecimento de simbiose de rizóbio de diferentes origens com Enterolobium contortisiliquum (tamboril), Acacia mangium (acácia) e Sesbania virgata (sesbânia), em misturas de solos, que continham proporções de solo contaminado (PSC): (0, 15, 30, 45 e 60% v/v) com Zn, Cd, Pb e Cu (18.600, 135, 600 e 596 mg dm-3, extraídos por aqua regia, respectivamente), diluído em Latossolo Vermelho distrófico. Estirpes recomendadas (E) e isolados de solo contaminado (ISC) e de solo não contaminado (ISNC), cuja tolerância a Cu, Cd e Zn foi determinada previamente "in vitro", foram inoculados. O aumento da PSC nas misturas inibiu o crescimento vegetativo, a produção de matéria seca e a nodulação das três espécies. A simbiose tamboril-BR4406 foi a mais tolerante e acácia-BR3617 a mais sensível à contaminação do solo. Os ISC que foram mais tolerantes "in vitro" formaram nódulos eficientes em solo sem contaminação, mas foram ineficientes em solos contaminados. Na PSC 15% (Zn = 750; Cd = 22,1; Pb = 65,1 e Cu = 111 mg dm-3 extraídos por DTPA) a atividade específica da nitrogenase aumentou 5 e 10 vezes em relação ao solo sem contaminação para as simbioses sesbânia-BR5401 e tamboril-BR4406, respectivamente. A tolerância de rizóbio a metais "in vitro" não correspondeu à tolerância da simbiose em solo contaminado.

Agronomic performance, chromosomal stability and resistance to velvetbean caterpillar of transgenic soybean expressing cry1Ac gene

The objective of this work was to analyze the agronomic performance and chromosomal stability of transgenic homozygous progenies of soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merrill.], and to confirm the resistance of these plants against Anticarsia gemmatalis. Eleven progenies expressing cry1Ac, hpt and gusA genes were evaluated for agronomic characteristics in relation to the nontransformed parent IAS 5 cultivar. Cytogenetical analysis was carried out on transgenic and nontransgenic plants. Two out of the 11 transgenic progenies were also evaluated, in vitro and in vivo, for resistance to A. gemmatalis. Two negative controls were used in resistance bioassays: a transgenic homozygous line, containing only the gusA reporter gene, and nontransgenic 'IAS 5' plants. The presence of cry1Ac transgene affected neither the development nor the yield of plants. Cytogenetical analysis showed that transgenic plants presented normal karyotype. In detached-leaf bioassay, cry1Ac plants exhibited complete efficacy against A. gemmatalis, whereas negative controls were significantly damaged. Whole-plant feeding assay confirmed a very high protection of cry1Ac against velvetbean caterpillar, while nontransgenic 'IAS 5' plants and homozygous gusA line exhibited 56.5 and 71.5% defoliation, respectively. The presence of cry1Ac transgene doesn't affect the majority of agronomic traits (including yield) of soybean and grants high protection against A. gemmatalis.

Characterization of cowpea genotype resistance to Callosobruchus maculatus

The objective of this work was to characterize the resistance of 50 cowpea (Vigna unguiculata) genotypes to Callosobruchus maculatus. A completely randomized design with five replicates per treatment (genotype) was used. No-choice tests were performed using the 50 cowpea genotypes to evaluate the preference for oviposition and the development of the weevil. The genotypes IT85 F-2687, MN05-841 B-49, MNC99-508-1, MNC99-510-8, TVu 1593, Canapuzinho-1-2, and Sanzi Sambili show non-preference-type resistance (oviposition and feeding). IT81 D-1045 Ereto and IT81 D-1045 Enramador exhibit antibiosis against C. maculatus and descend from resistant genitors, which grants them potential to be used in future crossings to obtain cowpea varieties with higher levels of resistance.

MUTANTES DE LARANJA - 'PÊRA' COM NÚMERO REDUZIDO DE SEMENTES, OBTIDOS ATRAVÉS DE MUTAÇÕES INDUZIDAS

A obtenção de cultivares de citros com pequeno número de sementes é importante quando o objetivo é a produção de frutas para o consumo in natura. O objetivo deste trabalho foi o de avaliar, por três anos (1997, 1998 e 1999), o número médio de sementes e 15 outras características agronômicas, de 127 mutantes putativos de laranja-'Pêra', selecionados após irradiação de borbulhas com raios-gama e 8 plantas selecionadas do controle não irradiado. Os mutantes foram divididos em 16 grupos baseados nos tipos de mutações observados e em cada grupo, como controle comum, foram incluídas plantas de laranja-'Pêra' comercial. Observou-se que 46 mutantes putativos e uma planta do controle não irradiado (PSC) apresentaram redução significativa no número de sementes por fruto, nos três anos consecutivos, sendo que 15 mutantes apresentaram frutos com média entre uma e duas sementes e 9 mutantes, frutos com média inferior a uma semente. Dentre estes 9 mutantes, os de número 27, 28 e 58, que apresentaram também alterações significativas no diâmetro de copa ou na altura de planta, além do 59 e 101, que não apresentaram alterações nas outras 15 características avaliadas, possuem um maior potencial para serem lançados como novos mutantes de laranja-'Pêra' com pequeno número de sementes.

Produtividade em pesquisa do CNPq: análise do perfil dos pesquisadores da Química

The profile of the CNPq Research Productivity Program in Chemistry was studied using the Plataforma Lattes curricula of all researchers with grants in effect as of March 2009. Most of them are male (67.2%), working in Federal Universities (59.4%) and located in Southeastern Brazil (63.7%). There is no evident homogeneity among researchers of the same level/category concerning the productivity criterions used (the H index and the scientific productivity of the last five years). CNPq and the Chemistry Assessor Committee have been focusing on making their judgments unbiased, by using quantitative parameters, but such overlap is still noticeable.

BUSCAS DE INFORMAÇÕES TECNOLÓGICAS COM BASE EM DADOS DE PATENTES: ESTUDO DE CASO DOS LÍQUIDOS IÔNICOS NO BRASIL

This study describes the application of the Art of Scientific and Technological Search to strategically analyze areas of technological and industrial development. Application of scientific search strategies such as the creation of Patent Landscape has been shown to be useful for writing research projects, earning grants, publishing papers, drafting patent applications, and analyzing the market and economic potentials of a previous determined subject. The Patent Landscape regards a simplified analysis of technologies concerning ionic liquids patents applied in Brazil and published by Instituto Nacional da Propriedade Industrial(INPI). A total of 93 patent applications using the keywords "ionic liquids" were found in the INPI database. Among these, 75% were nonresident applications and 25% were Brazilian resident applications. Interestingly, BASF, Chevron Industries, and the Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS) were discovered as higher patent applicant assignees. Differences in the patent application areas were also observed between these applicants, with new solvents and petrochemical applications as the areas of focus for the industrial applications (BASF and Chevron Industries), and energy production, catalysis, and chemical reaction media as the focus for the university applications.

PERFIL DOS BOLSISTAS DE PRODUTIVIDADE EM PESQUISA NAS SUBÁREAS DA QUÍMICA DO CNPq

The profile analysis of CNPq Research Productivity Fellows (PQ) in the four subfields of chemistry and in their respective specialties highlighted particularities with regard to the indicators related to the judging criteria established by the Chemistry Advisory Committee. The curricula of all 727 PQ fellows with active grants in 15/03/2013 were analyzed spanning the past10 years (2003-2013). Out of all PQ-1 fellows, researchers in the subfield of Organic Chemistry had the highest median number of articles published per year. The subfield of Analytical Chemistry qualifies a higher number of postgraduate level students in comparison to other Chemistry subfields. Furthermore, this subfield had the highest average Hirsch index among PQ-1A and PQ-1B fellows. On the other hand, Inorganic Chemistry had the highest average number of patent applications per researcher, while Physical Chemistry had the specialties with the highest citation rates per paper and the highest average impact factors per journal. In all subfields, women made up a low proportion, especially at the highest levels of PQ fellowships. Although quantitative differences in scientific output were observed among the subfields, qualitative evaluation of science output was not carried out.

Multivariate statistical analysis to support the minimum streamflow regionalization

ABSTRACT This study aimed to develop a methodology based on multivariate statistical analysis of principal components and cluster analysis, in order to identify the most representative variables in studies of minimum streamflow regionalization, and to optimize the identification of the hydrologically homogeneous regions for the Doce river basin. Ten variables were used, referring to the river basin climatic and morphometric characteristics. These variables were individualized for each of the 61 gauging stations. Three dependent variables that are indicative of minimum streamflow (Q7,10, Q90 and Q95). And seven independent variables that concern to climatic and morphometric characteristics of the basin (total annual rainfall – Pa; total semiannual rainfall of the dry and of the rainy season – Pss and Psc; watershed drainage area – Ad; length of the main river – Lp; total length of the rivers – Lt; and average watershed slope – SL). The results of the principal component analysis pointed out that the variable SL was the least representative for the study, and so it was discarded. The most representative independent variables were Ad and Psc. The best divisions of hydrologically homogeneous regions for the three studied flow characteristics were obtained using the Mahalanobis similarity matrix and the complete linkage clustering method. The cluster analysis enabled the identification of four hydrologically homogeneous regions in the Doce river basin.

An overview of invasive plants in Brazil

Alien plants are known to occur in Brazil since the 18th century when African grasses started to be recorded in pastures near Rio de Janeiro. In the beginning of the 19th century two royal decrees (July, 1809 and July, 1810) offered grants and tax exemption to everyone who would introduce plants of economic value. Nowadays, there are 117 plant species recognized as invasive or established and with invasive potential in Brazil and an unknown number of introduced plant species. Some of the most pervasive invasive species are Artocarpus heterophyllus Lam. and Hedychium coronarium König in tropical ombrophilous forest, Hovenia dulcis Thunb. in subtropical ombrophilous forest and subtropical semi-deciduous forest, Pinus taeda L. and Pinus elliottii Engelm. in subtropical ombrophilous forest and steppe, Prosopis juliflora (Sw.) DC. in stepic-savanna, Tecoma stans (L.) Juss. ex Kunth in tropical and subtropical semi-deciduous forest, Melinis minutiflora P. Beauv. in the Brazilian savannas, and Eragrostis plana Nees in the steppe. The purpose of this article is to fill a knowledge gap on alien species that are invasive in Brazil and where they are invading by summarizing data obtained by joint efforts of the Hórus Institute for Environmental Conservation and Development, The Nature Conservancy (TNC), the Inter-American Biodiversity Information Network (IABIN) invasive species thematic network (I3N), and the Brazilian Ministry of Environment (MMA) in the last six years.