Detection of caliciviruses associated with acute infantile gastroenteritis in Salvador, an urban center in Northeast Brazil

Acute gastroenteritis caused by viruses is one of the leading causes of infantile morbidity. The aim of the present study was to investigate the presence of human caliciviruses of the genera norovirus and sapovirus in children up to 3 years of age with acute gastroenteritis from low-income communities in the city of Salvador, Brazil. This study is an extension of previous work carried out to establish the profile of the most prevalent enteric pathogens present in these communities. In this report, 139 fecal samples, collected from July 2001 to January 2002 were analyzed by RT-PCR and 13 (9%) were positive for human caliciviruses. By sequencing, seven isolates were characterized as norovirus genogroup GII and one as sapovirus genotype GII/1. Sequencing of the previously detected group-A rotaviruses and human astroviruses was also performed and revealed the circulation of rotavirus group A genotypes G1P[8] and G9P[8], and human astrovirus genotypes 6, 7, and 8. No mixed infection was observed. Community-based studies provide geographically representative information on disease burden. However, there are only a few reports in developing countries concerning the genotypes of the most important gastroenteric viruses detected in such communities. The present findings demonstrate the wide diversity of genotypes of the most important viruses responsible for acute gastroenteritis circulating in low-income communities.

Raising awareness of chronic kidney disease in a Brazilian urban population

The incidence and prevalence of chronic kidney disease have been increasing in recent years in developing countries. The aim of this study was to report the results of a general chronic kidney disease awareness program applied to an urban population in a large Brazilian city. From January 2002 to January 2005 a total of 8883 individuals in the city of Curitiba (PR, Brazil) were screened for hypertension, body mass index, hematuria, and proteinuria. A family history and previous medical diagnosis of hypertension and diabetes mellitus (DM) were also recorded. Of the 8883 individuals assessed, 56% were women, subject median age was 47 years (range: 17-93 years) and more than 90% were Caucasian. Thirty percent had signs of hematuria, 6% had proteinuria, and 3% had hematuria and proteinuria. The median of mean arterial pressure values was 93 mmHg (range: 71-135 mmHg) and 16% of the population screened had a history of hypertension. A significant positive family history of both hypertension or DM was present in 42% (P < 0.0001; chi-square = 83.18) and 7% (P < 0.0001; chi-square = 161.31) of the hypertensive group, respectively. Finally, the prevalence of hypertension and DM was significantly higher in older individuals with proteinuria. In the present study, a higher prevalence of hematuria and proteinuria was found in older individuals with hypertension and diabetes compared to the general population. These data confirm the need for public awareness of renal disease in high-risk individuals.

ATIVIDADE ENZIMÁTICA DE MICRORGANISMOS ISOLADOS DO JACATUPÉ (Pachyrhizus erosus L. Urban)

O isolamento e a identificação de microrganismos produtores de enzimas de interesse comercial, utilizando tubérculos de jacatupé (Pachyrhizus erosus L. Urban), foi o objetivo principal deste trabalho. Isolaram-se microrganismos endofíticos e epifíticos identificados por observação micromorfológica. A avaliação da atividade enzimática das linhagens foi determinada pelo método de difusão em ágar. As sessenta e oito linhagens isoladas dos tubérculos de jacatupé foram cultivadas em meio sólido específico para amilase, lipase, protease e celulase por 96h a 280 C. Os microrganismos epifíticos encontrados foram Pithomyces (7,3%), Aspergillus (19,2%), Fusarium (5,9%) e Trichoderma (5,8%), e os endofíticos foram Mucor (7,3%), Rhizopus (10,3%), Bacillus (19,0%), Staphylococcus (10,3%) e Nocardiopsis (15%). As linhagens de Nocardiopsis sp. apresentaram atividade lipolítica superior à do padrão, porém a atividade amilolítica não apresentou diferença significativa comparada com o padrão. As linhagens de Mucor sp., Pithomyces sp. e Staphylococcus sp. produziram atividade proteolítica abaixo do padrão. Nenhum isolado apresentou atividade celulolítica.

Germinação de sementes de Operculina macrocarpa (L.) Farwel e Operculina alata (Ham.) Urban

Várias espécies vegetais nativas produzem sementes que, mesmo vivas, apresentam dificuldades para germinar. Assim, foram conduzidos dois experimentos com o objetivo de identificar métodos para a superação da dormência de sementes de Operculina macrocarpa e para a germinação de sementes de O. macrocarpa e Operculina alata. No primeiro, sementes de O. macrocarpa foram submetidas a oito tratamentos visando a superação de dormência: frio seco, calor úmido, imersão em água oxigenada, água quente e em ácido sulfúrico, frio úmido, escarificação mecânica, embebição em nitrato de potássio, além da testemunha, determinando-se os percentuais de germinação, de sementes duras e de mortas. No segundo ensaio, sementes de O. macrocarpa e O. alata, após escarificadas, foram semeadas em substratos de areia e de papel e colocadas para germinar sob cinco combinações de luz e temperatura: luz contínua a 25ºC constante; luz contínua com temperaturas alternadas (20ºC/16h-35ºC/8h); escuro contínuo a 25ºC constante; escuro contínuo com temperaturas alternadas (20ºC/16h-35ºC/8h) e alternância de luz e temperaturas (luz/35ºC/8h-escuro/20ºC/16h). Determinaram-se o percentual e o índice de velocidade de germinação. Concluiu-se que Operculina macrocarpa apresenta sementes dormentes, destacando-se a escarificação mecânica como o método mais eficiente para a sua superação; o substrato papel, associado à temperatura de 20-35ºC e em ausência de luz, é o mais indicado para a germinação de sementes de Operculina macrocarpa e Operculina alata.

Mobilization of reserves and germination of seeds of Erythrina velutina Willd. (Leguminosae - Papilionoideae) under different osmotic potentials

Some environmental factors, including water availability, may influence seed germination. This study investigated the germination of E. velutina seeds submitted to different osmotic potentials and mobilization of reserves during water-stress. Scarified seeds were arranged in paper rolls and soaked in solutions of Polyethylene Glycol (PEG) prepared in osmotic potentials 0.0, -0.2, -0.4, -0.6, and -0.8 MPa and kept into a seed germinator, at 25 °C, and 12/12 h photoperiod (L/D), during 10 days. The percentage, mean time, mean speed, germination speed index; as well as the germination uniformity coefficient were assessed. During germination process the total soluble sugars, reducing sugars, soluble protein, and total amino acids were quantified in the cotyledon, hypocotyl and radicle of soaked seeds and cotyledons of quiescent seeds (control). There was influence of osmotic potential on E. velutina seed germination. The germination percentage remained at high levels until -0.6 MPa and above this osmotic potential there has been no germination. The mobilization of stored reserves of carbon and nitrogen in E. velutina seeds was also influenced by water-stress. There was sensitiveness between -0.2 and -0.6 MPa; however, the degradation and the mobilization of reserves was slower when the osmotic potential decreased.

[Bevil Gordon d'Urban] Rudd, demi-finale [du] 800 m [des Jeux olympiques d'Anvers] : [photographie de presse] / [Agence Rol]

Référence bibliographique : Rol, 60574

Prevalence of overweight and obesity in children from urban and rural Niagara

Purpose: The influence of environment in the development of overweight and obesity is an ongoing concern. This investigation examined the influence of urbanization on the rates of childhood overweight and obesity. Method: 2167 (1090M, 1077F) grade four children from 75 schools in Ontario's Niagara Region were sampled. A sophisticated algorithm overlaying electoral boundaries, population densities, and the knowledge of community members was used to classify schools into one of three location categories: urban {N= 1588), urban fringe {N= 379), and rural (A^= 234). Each subject was measured for: height, weight, and aerobic performance (Leger). Physical activity was evaluated with the self-report Participation Questionnaire (free-time and organized sport activities), and teacher's evaluations of student activity. Overweight (overweight and obesity combined) was measured both as a continuous (BMI) and categorical variable (BMI category), to evaluate the prevalence by location. A multivariate analysis was used to test for a suppression effect. Results: BMI and BMI category did not differ significantly by location or gender, and no evidence of a gender interaction existed. According to both a linear and logistic regression, physical activity or fitness levels did not suppress the influence of location on BMI and BMI category. Age, gender, free-time activity, organized sports, fitness level, and number of siblings, were all found to significantly influence overweight. Conclusions: It is plausible that the prevalence of overweight does not differ in urban and rural children from the Niagara Region. Further investigation is recommended, examining subjects by individual location of residence, in multiple regions throughout Ontario.

Competing and Conflicting Land Uses at the Rural-Urban Interface: Understanding the Impacts of Residential Development on Agricultural Landscapes

Rural communities are currently undergoing rapid restructuring as globalization impacts the future viability of many small towns. Agricultural regions throughout Canada, in particular, Niagara-on-the-Lake, are forced to adapt to changes within the industry. In addition to these challenges, sprawling residential developments from nearby urban centres are changing the dynamic of this town, resulting in conflicts between the residential and agricultural land uses. This thesis explores these conflicts from the perspective of the residents and the farmers. It was found that the initial sources of conflict related to noise-generating farm activities are no longer a concern, while the use of pesticide have become a source of contention among the residents. The farmers, alternately, were found to be proactive and strived to limit the potential for conflict with adjacent residents. Lastly, it was determined that planning legislation aggravates land use conflicts within Niagara-on-the-Lake and need to better address these land use conflicts.

A Home at School: Building Stronger Indigenous People through Cultural Resurgence in an Urban Ontario Public School Context.

In this thesis, I work through the educational narratives of young Aboriginal women and men as I explore the relationship between cultural programming and student engagement. My analysis is structured through a collaborative Indigenous research project. My overarching task is to explore how a cultural support program, the Native Youth Advancement with Education Hamilton (NYA WEH) Program, offered at Sir John A. Macdonald Secondary School, located in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, attempts to re-imagine Aboriginal education in ways that directly challenge the residential school legacy. In particular, I work to illuminate how particular forms of Aboriginal education are connected to the graduation rates of Aboriginal youth. I argue that the ways in which the NYA WEH Program navigates Native Studies curriculum, relationships, and notions of culture and tradition are significant to the engagement of Aboriginal youth. This research develops theoretical connections between the contemporary experience of Aboriginal social inequality and educational initiatives which attempt to reverse that legacy. By placing the NYA WEH Program narratives side-by-side with literature supporting Aboriginal education for Self-determination, I work to learn how to best support and encourage Aboriginal student engagement in secondary schools across Ontario.

The neoliberalization of street vending policy in Lima, Peru: the politics of citizenship. property and public space in the production of a new urban marginality

Neoliberalism is having a significant and global impact on political, social and economic life across spaces. This work illustrates how neoliberalism is attempting to change the ways in which the urban poor - particularly those that participate in street vending - use urban spaces in Lima, Peru. Using municipal policies, newspaper articles and local academic texts I argue that there is a changing marginality in Lima that is being experienced by street vendors, and currently in los canas of Lima. In particular, I discuss formalization, a neoliberal strategy in street vending policy, which is used with eradication and social assistance strategies in attempts to re-regulate street vendors.

Utilización de jícama (Pachyrhizus erosus L. Urban) en la elaboración de pan blanco para favorecer su calidad nutricia [por] Ma. Esperanza Castañeda Garza.

Tesis (Maestría en Ciencias con Especialidad en Alimentos) U.A.N.L.

Associations between area-level unemployment, body mass index, and risk factors for cardiovascular disease in an urban area

INTRODUCTION: Il existe peu d’évidences sur l’association entre le taux de chômage dans le milieu résidentiel (CR) et le risque de maladies cardiovasculaires parmi les résidents de milieux urbains. De plus, on ne sait pas si ce lien diffère entre les deux sexes. Cette thèse a pour objectif de déterminer la direction et la taille de l’association entre le CR et le risque de maladies cardiovasculaires, et d’examiner si cette association varie en fonction du sexe. MÉTHODES: Un sous-échantillon de 342 participants de l’Étude sur les habitudes de vie et la santé dans les quartiers montréalais a rapporté ses habitudes de vie et sa situation socio-économique. Des mesures biologiques et anthropométriques ont été recueillies par une infirmière. Le CR a été opérationnalisé en fonction d’une zone-tampon d’un rayon de 250 m centrée sur la résidence de chacun des participants à l’aide d’un Système d’Information Géographique (SIG). Des équations d’estimation généralisées ont été utilisées afin d’estimer l’association entre le CR et l’Indice de Masse Corporelle (IMC) et un score cumulatif de Risque Cardio-métabolique (RC) représentant la présence de valeurs élevées de cholestérol total, de triglycérides, de lipoprotéines de haute densité et d’hémoglobine glyquée. RÉSULTATS: Après ajustement pour l’âge, le sexe, le tabagisme, les comportements de santé et le statut socio-économique, le fait de vivre dans un endroit classé dans le 3e ou 4e quartile de CR était associé avec un IMC plus élevé (beta pour Q4 = 2.1 kg/m2, IC 95%: 1.02-3.20; beta pour Q3 = 1.5 kg/m2, IC 95%: 0.55-2.47) et un taux plus élevé de risque cardiovasculaires Risque Relatif [RR pour Q4 = 1.82 (IC 95 %: 1.35-2.44); RR pour Q3 = 1.66 (IC 95%: 1.33-2.06)] par rapport au 1er quartile. L'interaction entre le sexe et le CR révèle une différence absolue d’IMC de 1.99 kg/m2 (IC 95%: 0.00-4.01) et un risque supérieur (RR=1.39; IC 95%: 1.06-1.81) chez les femmes par rapport aux hommes. CONCLUSIONS: Le taux de chômage dans le milieux résidentiel est associé à un plus grand risque de maladies cardiovasculaires, mais cette association est plus prononcée chez les femmes.

Associations between Exposure to Socio-Cultural Influences in Proximal Environments and Weight Concerns among Urban-Dwelling Women

Résumé Les préoccupations et comportements alimentaires entourant le poids sont omniprésentes chez les jeunes adolescentes et femmes qui habitent dans les cultures occidentales où les formes corporelles sont orientées vers un idéal ultra-mince. L’objectif de cette étude est d’examiner si une plus grande exposition aux endroits faisant la promotion de la minceur est associée à des préoccupations pour le poids plus élevées chez les femmes. Cette étude fait partie d’un projet intitulé ¨Social, cultural, and economic disparities and disordered eating: Understanding the contribution of neighbourhood and individual level factors¨ (Gauvin, Steiger, & Brodeur, 2009). Un échantillon de 1288 femmes âgées entre 20 et 40 ans et résidant à Montréal depuis au moins 12 mois ont répondu à un sondage téléphonique. Des régressions logistiques ont comparé les femmes se situant dans le quintile le plus élevé des préoccupations de poids avec les femmes dans les autres quintiles en fonction de leur exposition 15 jours ou plus dans des endroits faisant la promotion de la minceur. De plus, une analyse de sensibilité a vérifié si l’association demeurait significative à d’autres niveaux d’exposition. Les facteurs confondants ont été contrôlés statistiquement. Les résultats démontrent qu’une fréquentation d’au moins 15 jours par mois d’endroits faisant la promotion de la minceur est associée à des préoccupations plus élevées pour le poids. Aussi, fréquenter ces lieux entre 15 et 20 jours/mois est aussi associé à des préoccupations de poids élevées. Des interventions de santé publique pourraient viser la diminution des pressions socioculturelles vers la minceur.