Chlamydia trachomatis serotype A infections in the Amazon region of Brazil: prevalence, entry and dissemination

INTRODUCTION: Chlamydia infection is associated with debilitating human diseases including trachoma, pneumonia, coronary heart disease and urogenital diseases. Serotypes of C. trachomatis show a fair correlation with the group of diseases they cause, and their distribution follows a well-described geographic pattern. Serotype A, a trachoma-associated strain, is known for its limited dissemination in the Middle East and Northern Africa. However, knowledge on the spread of bacteria from the genus Chlamydia as well as the distribution of serotypes in Brazil is quite limited. METHODS: Blood samples of 1,710 individuals from ten human population groups in the Amazon region of Brazil were examined for antibodies to Chlamydia using indirect immunofluorescence and microimmunofluorescence assays. RESULTS: The prevalence of antibodies to Chlamydia ranged from 23.9% (Wayana-Apalai) to 90.7% (Awa-Guaja) with a mean prevalence of 50.2%. Seroreactivity was detected to C. pneumoniae and to all serotypes of C. trachomatis tested; furthermore, we report clear evidence of the as-yet-undescribed occurrence of serotype A of C. trachomatis. CONCLUSIONS: Specific seroreactivity not only accounts for the large extent of dissemination of C. trachomatis in the Amazon region of Brazil but also shows an expanded area of occurrence of serotype A outside the epidemiological settings previously described. Furthermore, these data suggest possible routes of Chlamydia introduction into the Amazon region from the massive human migration that occurred during the 1,700s.

Induction and nosocomial dissemination of carbapenem and polymyxin-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae

INTRODUCTION:Polymyxins are antimicrobial agents capable of controlling carbapenemase-producing Klebsiella pneumoniae infection.METHODS: We report a cluster of four patients colonized or infected by polymyxin-resistant and Klebsiella pneumoniae carbapenemase (KPC)-producing K. pneumoniae.RESULTS: Three patients were hospitalized in adjacent wards, and two were admitted to the intensive care unit. The index case maintained prolonged intestinal colonization by KPC-producing K. pneumoniae. Three patients received polymyxin B before the isolation of polymyxin-resistant K. pneumoniae.CONCLUSIONS: Colonization by KPC-producing K. pneumoniae and previous use of polymyxin B may be causally related to the development of polymyxin-resistant microorganisms.

Progression of the load of waterborne and intestinal parasitic diseases in the State of Amazonas

In the State of Amazonas, Brazil, urban expansion together with precarious basic sanitation conditions and human settlement on river banks has contributed to the persistence of waterborne and intestinal parasitic diseases. Time series of the recorded cases of cholera, typhoid fever, hepatitis A and leptospirosis are described, using data from different levels of the surveillance systems. The sources for intestinal parasitosis prevalence data (non-compulsory reporting in Brazil) were Medical Literature Analysis and Retrieval System Online (MEDLINE), Literatura Latino-Americana (LILACS) and the annals of major scientific meetings. Relevant papers and abstracts in all languages were accessed by two independent reviewers. The references cited by each relevant paper were scrutinized to locate additional papers. Despite its initial dissemination across the entire State of Amazonas, cholera was controlled in 1998. The magnitude of typhoid fever has decreased; however, a pattern characterized by eventual outbreaks still remains. Leptospirosis is an increasing cause of concern in association with the annual floods. The overall prevalence of intestinal parasites is high regardless of the municipality and the characteristics of areas and populations. The incidence of hepatitis A has decreased over the past decade. A comparison of older and recent surveys shows that the prevalence of intestinal parasitic diseases has remained constant. The load of waterborne and intestinal parasitic diseases ranks high among the health problems present in the State of Amazonas. Interventions aiming at basic sanitation and vaccination for hepatitis A were formulated and implemented, but assessment of their effectiveness in the targeted populations is still needed.

Molecular analysis of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus dissemination among healthcare professionals and/or HIV patients from a tertiary hospital

Abstract INTRODUCTION: Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is a nosocomial pathogen in community settings. MRSA colonized individuals may contribute to its dissemination; the risk of MRSA infection is increased in human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immune deficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS) patients, although the prevalence of colonization in this group is not well established. The present study addressed this issue by characterizing MRSA isolates from HIV/AIDS patients and their healthcare providers (HCPs) to determine whether transmission occurred between these two populations. METHODS: A total of 24 MRSA isolates from HIV-infected patients and five from HCPs were collected between August 2011 and May 2013. Susceptibility to currently available antimicrobials was determined. Epidemiological typing was carried out by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis, multilocus sequence typing, and Staphylococcus cassette chromosome (SCCmec) typing. The presence of heterogeneous vancomycin-intermediate Staphylococcus aureus (hVISA) and heterogeneous daptomycin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (hDRSA) was confirmed by population analysis profile. Isolates characterized in this study were also compared to isolates from 2009 obtained from patients at the same hospital. RESULTS: A variety of lineages were found among patients, including ST5-SCCmecII and ST30-SCCmecIV. Two isolates were Panton-Valentine leukocidin-positive, and hVISA and hDRSA were detected. MRSA isolates from two HCPs were not related to those from HIV/AIDS patients, but clustered with archived MRSA from 2009 with no known relationship to the current study population. CONCLUSIONS: ST105-SCCmecII clones that colonized professionals in 2011 and 2012 were already circulating among patients in 2009, but there is no evidence that these clones spread to or between HIV/AIDS patients up to the 7th day of their hospitalization.

Criminosos popularizados na narrativa de divulgação (De 1838 aos Alvores da República)

O presente estudo incide sobre obras impressas que tomaram como motivo central as «façanhas» de criminosos com referência histórica celebrizados em Portugal na segunda metade do século XIX e inícios de XX e mostra que, enquanto narrativas elaboradas para o grande público, os textos foram não só um reflexo da popularidade prévia dos famigerados transgressores, como também um fator incontornável da sua «lendarização» ao longo de décadas. São as seguintes as figuras dos infratores que protagonizaram as ficções em apreço: José Joaquim de Sousa Reis, ou «o Remexido» (1797-1838), Diogo Alves, ou «o Pancada» (1810-1841), Francisco de Matos Lobo (1814-1842), José Teixeira da Silva, ou «o José do Telhado» (1816-1875), João Victor da Silva Brandão, ou «o João Brandão de Midões» (1825-1880), e Vicente Urbino de Freitas (1859-1913). A tese agora apresentada aborda um corpus textual de características singulares, nunca antes coligido nem estudado. Comprova que os textos sobre as figuras criminosas tiveram uma função iminentemente noticiosa, pedagógico-edificante e política, apropriando-se de relatos orais, adotando procedimentos de atestação da veracidade (transcrição de documentos na primeira pessoa, referenciação cronológica, espacial, geográfica dos eventos, alusão às fontes) e incorporando diversas fontes do conhecimento dos crimes, quer de origem popular (geralmente designadas de «musa popular», «tradição»), quer de caráter erudito e teórico-científico («estudo», «estudo social»). Assim, foram analisadas as condições históricas excecionais nas quais as ficções emergiram: as características específicas do seu universo editorial, a apropriação a um público amplo (o formato de coleção, uso de sinopses e de outros elementos gráficos), as regularidades discursivas das obras (ocorrência de determinados dispositivos de organização textual), os procedimentos narrativos (recurso abundante a paratextos com intuito explicativo e aproximação a modalidades ficcionais conhecidas do público da época) e, ainda, as configurações imagéticas inspiradas nos discursos oficiais (influência de ciências e doutrinas epocais emergentes, como a criminologia, a antropologia criminal, a frenologia, a psiquiatria, a sociologia). Em suma, estas edições produzidas em diversos contextos e por um elenco autoral heterogéneo não só viveram da relação com as edições predecessoras, ao longo de gerações, como recriaram e ampliaram as «façanhas» dos transgressores em função de diversos propósitos e fontes: ampla divulgação dos casos criminais, condenação pública dos infratores, análise médico-científica dos sujeitos culpados, especulação política, pressão sobre o foro judiciário, edificação moral do público leitor. Trata-se, sem dúvida, de produções únicas, que erigiram a comemoração dos facínoras e sucessivamente reinscreveram as suas histórias reais na problemática do homem criminal e na consciência ética do seu tempo.

Bone turnover markers for early detection of fracture healing disturbances: A review of the scientific literature

Imaging techniques are the standard method for assessment of fracture healing processes. However, these methods are perhaps not entirely reliable for early detection of complications, the most frequent of these being delayed union and non-union. A prompt diagnosis of such disorders could prevent prolonged patient distress and disability. Efforts should be directed towards the development of new technologies for improving accuracy in diagnosing complications following bone fractures. The variation in the levels of bone turnover markers (BTMs) have been assessed with regard to there ability to predict impaired fracture healing at an early stage, nevertheless the conclusions of some studies are not consensual. In this article the authors have revised the potential of BTMs as early predictors of prognosis in adult patients presenting traumatic bone fractures but who did not suffer from osteopenia or postmenopausal osteoporosis. The available information from the different studies performed in this field was systematized in order to highlight the most promising BTMs for the assessment of fracture healing outcome.

HLT Hilotec: self-building manual for sustainable housing

The future of the construction industry will require changes at many levels. One is the ability of companies to adapt to new challenges, converting needs to opportunities and simultaneously contributing to the solving of social and environmental problems. In the coming decades we will see a change in attitude in the industry, with a strong tendency to adopt natural and recycled materials, as well as bet on green technology and social innovation oriented to emerging countries. On the other hand, emerging countries have a high demand for housing construction on a large scale, but the current techniques in the developed countries for building requires a large amount of natural resources and skilled labor. This contextualization brings sustainability problems for the construction sector in emerging countries, often with scarce natural resources and with the construction sector underdeveloped. Through a cooperative action between the construction company Mota-Engil Engineering and the University of Minho in Portugal, a construction technology was developed based on the use of Compressed Earth Blocks as part of a social concept for innovative small houses, favoring the adoption of local and natural materials and with the main premise of being dedicated to self-construction. The HiLoTec project - Development of a Sustainable Self-Construction System for Developing Countries was based on this idea. One of the several results of this project is this construction manual. To Mota-Engil the project was a platform for incubation of knowledge about earth construction and to obtain a constructive solution validated technically and scientifically, suitable to be implemented in the markets where it operates. For the University of Minho the project was an opportunity to strengthen skills in research, laboratory and scientific development, through the development of engineering studies, architecture and sustainability, as well as supporting the doctoral scholarships and dissemination of scientific publications. May the knowledge of this project be of benefit, in the future, for the welfare of those who build a HiLoTec house.

HEP-Frame: A software engineered framework to aid the development and efficient multicore execution of scientific code

This work was supported by FCT (Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia) within Project Scope (UID/CEC/00319/2013), by LIP (Laboratório de Instrumentação e Física Experimental de Partículas) and by Project Search-ON2 (NORTE-07-0162- FEDER-000086), co-funded by the North Portugal Regional Operational Programme (ON.2 - O Novo Norte), under the National Strategic Reference Framework, through the European Regional Development Fund.

Adoção e difusão de aplicações das tecnologias da informação: iniciativas lançadas no âmbito de processos de implantação de aplicações em organizações – estudo de práticas profissionais e proposta de ferramenta de suporte

Tese de Doutoramento Tecnologias e Sistemas de Informação

Instrumentos de políticas públicas do turismo: uma análise empírica dos municípios portugueses

Tese de Doutoramento em Ciências da Administração

Chemical composition of phytoplankton from the estuaries of Eastern Amazonia

Phytoplankton is important bioindicator of chemical and biological modifications of natural ecosystems. The objective of this study was to determine the total chemical composition of the phytoplankton of the Pará and Mocajuba estuaries on the eastern coast of the Amazon region in the Brazilian state of Pará. The chemical composition of the surface water, bottom sediments (total sample and bioavailable fraction), and the phytoplankton were determined by inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry. Phytoplankton contained high concentrations of Ca, P, Mn, Fe, Zn, Al, Ba, and Pb. The phytoplankton of the Mocajuba estuary is rich in Fe (2,967-84,750 µg g-1), while those from the Pará is rich in Al (1,216-15,389 µgg-1), probably reflecting divergent anthropogenic inputs. Both samples indicated a high bioconcentration factor derived from both the water and the bioavailable fraction, reflecting the efficiency of these organisms in the concentration of metals.

Potencial geopolítico da língua portuguesa para Timor-Leste

Dissertação de mestrado em Relações Internacionais

Why do we need randomized and epidemiological studies on cardiovascular disease? Evidence-based cardiology VII

Over the last two decades the results of randomized clinical studies, which are powerful aids for correctly assessing therapeutical strategies, have consolidated cardiological practice. In addition, scientifically interesting hypotheses have been generated through the results of epidemiological studies. Properly conducted randomized studies without systematic errors and with statistical power adequate for demonstrating moderate and reasonable benefits in relevant clinical outcomes have provided reliable and strong results altering clinical practice, thus providing adequate treatment for patients with cardiovascular disease (CVD). The dissemination and use of evidence-based medicine in treating coronary artery disease (CAD), heart failure (HF), and in prevention will prevent hundreds of thousands of deaths annually in developed and developing countries. CVD is responsible for approximately 12 million deaths annually throughout the world, and approximately 60% of these deaths occur in developing countries. During recent years, an increase in mortality and morbidity rates due to CVD has occurred in developing countries. This increase is an indication that an epidemiological (demographic, economical, and health-related) transition is taking place in developing countries and this transition implies a global epidemic of CVD, which will require wide-ranging and globally effective strategies for prevention. The identification of conventional and emerging risk factors for CVD, as well as their management in high-risk individuals, has contributed to the decrease in the mortality rate due to CVD. Through a national collaboration, several multi-center and multinational randomized and epidemiological studies have been carried out throughout Brazil, thus contributing not only to a generalized scientific growth in different Brazilian hospitals but also to the consolidation of an increasingly evidence-based clinical practice.

Body Mass Index: A Scientific Evidence-Based Inquiry

OBJECTVE: To objectively and critically assess body mass index and to propose alternatives for relating body weight and height that are evidence-based and that eliminate or reduce the limitations of the body mass index. METHODS: To analyze the relations involving weight and height, we used 2 databases as follows: 1) children and adolescents from Brazil, the United States, and Switzerland; and 2) 538 university students. We performed mathematical simulations with height data ranging from 115 to 190 cm and weight data ranging from 25 to 105 kg. We selected 3 methods to analyze the relation of weight and height as follows: body mass index - weight (kg)/height (m²); reciprocal of the ponderal index - height (cm)/weight1/3 (kg); and ectomorphy. Using the normal range from 20 to 25 kg/m² for the body mass index in the reference height of 170 cm, we identified the corresponding ranges of 41 to 44 cm/kg1/3 for the reciprocal of the ponderal index, and of 1.45 to 3.60 for ectomorphy. RESULTS: The mathematical simulations showed a strong association among the 3 methods with an absolute concordance to a height of 170 cm, but with a tendency towards discrepancy in the normal ranges, which had already been observed for the heights of 165 and 175 cm. This made the direct convertibility between the indices unfeasible. The reciprocal of the ponderal index and ectomorphy with their cut points comprised a larger age range in children and adolescents and a wider and more central range in the university students, both for the reported (current) and desired weights. CONCLUSION: The reciprocal of the ponderal index and ectomorphy are stronger and are more mathematically logical than body mass index; in addition, they may be applied with the same cut points for normal from the age of 5 ½ years on.

The illustrated dictionary of gardening :a practical and scientific encyclopædia of horticulture for gardeners and botanists /edited by George Nicholson ; assisted by J.W.H. Trail ... and J. Garrett ...

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