Leprosy and pregnancy in the State of Para: an epidemiological perspective

Introduction A few older publications describe leprosy associated with pregnancy, a situation that has been linked to leprosy exacerbation. This study aimed to describe the detection rate of this association in the State of Pará by county and Integration Region (IR) from 2007 to 2009 via an analysis of sociodemographic, epidemiological and operational indices. Methods This was a descriptive study using information generated by the SINAN. The Detection Coefficient of the Leprosy and Pregnancy Association (DCLP) epidemiological index was constructed to help interpret the endemicity parameters. The disease was considered hyperendemic when greater than two cases per 10,000 inhabitants were identified. Results During the study period, 149 associations were detected, with 14 hyperendemic counties: seven in 2007, five in 2008 and two in 2009. The Carajás Integrated Region displayed the highest DCLP index in the period. Eldorado dos Carajás had the single highest DCLP index (5.7/10,000 inhabitants, 2008), whereas the DCLP index in Conceição do Araguaia was very high in all three years. However, most counties displayed low or medium DCLP indices. The annual averages were 0.31 DCLP (2007), bass; 0.30 (2008), bass and 0.19 (2009), bass. The average DCLP index was 0.26, which is considered low. Three clusters of medium endemicity were identified by the average DCLP in the study period. Conclusions The analyses indicated that the surveillance program is still unsatisfactory in Pará. The interpretation of the endemicity parameters enabled qualitative and quantitative analyses to determine the epidemiological panorama of this association. The identification of high endemicity requires further clarification.

Leadership in Angola and Mozambique: How Portuguese leaders overcome the human resources challenge and contribute to organizational success

This Work Project presents human resources as one of the major challenges that Portuguese leaders meet in Angola and Mozambique. The main goal is to understand the role of leaders in translating this challenge into benefits for their own business and the African society. To conduct this study 13 leaders who work in Portugal and Africa were interviewed. Then, a framework was constructed based on the two ways these leaders recognize the importance of their employees for sustainable growth – financial incentives or/and personal development. The main conclusion here is that individually, incentives and personal development are not effective methods. Because of this, an employee empowerment process is proposed that encloses both, along with the leaders’ personal qualities needed to implement that “ideal” process.

As concepções das famílias no envolvimento parental

Dissertação de Mestrado apresentada ao ISPA - Instituto Universitário

Measuring poverty in Portugal: An absolute approach

The aim of this article is to measure poverty in Portugal from an absolute perspective. We estimated several absolute poverty lines and defined maximum and minimum thresholds. We applied aggregation measures to these thresholds and constructed probit models to assess the effect of some variables on poverty. The intervals obtained contain the poverty lines constructed by other approaches. We got evidence that poverty is positively correlated with the number of people in the household, with living alone; negatively correlated with the number of workers in the household, the share on non-food expenditure and the existence of a heating device at home.

Under the veil of citations

Academics are often ranked on citation counts’, which is considered an adequate proxy for author's quality and reputation. This paper seeks to find what is behind a cited academic / a cited article. We constructed a rich dataset from Portuguese affiliated economists and use zero inflated negative binomial model. This procedure is appropriate for count outcomes, correcting for overdispersion and excess zeros. We also use a fixed effect poisson model to accomodate authors' unobserved heterogeneity. We analyze results in detail comparing with existing literature and making some theoretical considerations around.

Triatominae (Hemiptera, Reduviidae) in the Pantanal region: association with Trypanosoma cruzi, different habitats and vertebrate hosts

ABSTRACTINTRODUCTION: The transmission cycle of Trypanosoma cruzi in the Brazilian Pantanal region has been studied during the last decade. Although considerable knowledge is available regarding the mammalian hosts infected by T. cruzi in this wetland, no studies have investigated its vectors in this region. This study aimed to investigate the presence of sylvatic triatomine species in different habitats of the Brazilian Pantanal region and to correlate their presence with the occurrences of vertebrate hosts and T. cruzi infection.METHODS: The fieldwork involved passive search by using light traps and Noireau traps and active search by visual inspection. The light traps were placed at five selected points along forested areas for seven nights during each of the nine excursions. At each point where a light trap was set, eight Noireau traps were placed in palm trees and bromeliads.RESULTS: In all, 88 triatomine bugs were collected: two and one individuals from light traps and Noireau traps, respectively; three from peridomestic areas; 23 in coati nests; and 59 in thornbird nests. In this study, active search in microhabitats showed higher efficiency than passive search, since 95% of the triatomine bugs were caught in nests. Further, triatomine bugs were only found to be infected by T. cruzi in coati nests.CONCLUSIONS: Coati nests might act as a point of convergence and dispersion for triatomine bugs and mammal hosts infected by T. cruzi, thereby playing an important role in the sylvatic cycle of T. cruziin the Pantanal region.

Towards modification of Medicago truncatula epigenome: genome editing with engineered nucleases

Periodic drought is the primary limitation of plant growth and crop yield. The rise of water demand caused by the increase in world population and climate change, leads to one of the biggest challenges of modern agriculture: to increase food and feed production. De novo DNA methylation is a process regulated by small interfering RNA (siRNAs), which play a role in plant response and adaptation to abiotic stress. In the particular case of water deficit, growing evidences suggest a link between the siRNA pathways and drought response in the model legume Medicago truncatula. As a first step to understand the role of DNA methylation under water stress, we have set up several bioinformatics and molecular methodologies allowing the design of Clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)/Cas9 systems and the assembly of TALENs (transcription activator-like effector nucleases), to target both dicer-like 3 (MtDCL3) and RNA-Dependent RNA polymerase (MtRDR2), enzymes of the RNA-directed DNA methylation pathway. TALENs efficiency was evaluated prior to plant transformation by a yeast-based assay using two different strategies to test TALENs activity: Polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE) and Single strand conformation polymorphisms (SSCP). In this assay, yeast cells triple transformation emerged as good and rapid alternative to laborious yeast mating strategies. PAGE analysis might be a valuable tool to test TALENs efficacy in vivo if we could increase TALENs activity. SSCP-based approach proved to be ineffective due to the generation of several false positives. TALENs and CRISPR/Cas9 system constructed and designed in this work will in the future certainly enable the successful disruption of DCL3 and RDR2 genes and shed the light on the relationship between plant stress resistance and epigenetic regulation mediated by siRNAs in M.truncatula.

Exploring the relationship between toxin and spore production in the human enteric pathogen Clostridium difficile

RESUMO: Clostridium difficile é presentemente a principal causa de doença gastrointestinal associada à utilização de antibióticos em adultos. C. difficile é uma bactéria Gram-positiva, obrigatoriamente anaeróbica, capaz de formar endósporos. Tem-se verificado um aumento dos casos de doença associada a C. difficile com sintomas mais severos, elevadas taxas de morbilidade, mortalidade e recorrência, em parte, devido à emergência de estirpes mais virulentas, mas também devido à má gestão do uso de antibióticos. C. difficile produz duas toxinas, TcdA e TcdB, que são os principais fatores de virulência e responsáveis pelos sintomas da doença. Estas são codificadas a partir do Locus de Patogenicidade (PaLoc) que codifica ainda para um regulador positivo, TcdR, uma holina, TcdE, e um regulador negativo, TcdC. Os esporos resistentes ao oxigénio são essenciais para a transmissão do organismo e recorrência da doença. A expressão dos genes do PaLoc ocorre em células vegetativas, no final da fase de crescimento exponencial, e em células em esporulação. Neste trabalho construímos dois mutantes de eliminação em fase dos genes tcdR e tcdE. Mostrámos que a auto-regulação do gene tcdR não é significativa. No entanto, tcdR é sempre necessário para a expressão dos genes presentes no PaLoc. Trabalho anterior mostrou que, com a exceção de tcdC, os demais genes do PaLoc são expressos no pré-esporo. Mostrámos aqui que TcdA é detectada à superfície do esporo maduro e que a eliminação do tcdE não influencia a acumulação de TcdA no meio de cultura ou em associação às células ou ao esporo. Estas observações têm consequências para o nosso entendimento do processo infecioso: sugeremque o esporo possa ser também um veículo para a entrega da toxina nos estágios iniciais da infecção, que TcdA possa ser libertada durante a germinação do esporo, e que o esporo possa utilizar o mesmo receptor reconhecido por TcdA para a ligação à mucosa do cólon.---------------------------ABSTRACT: Clostridium difficile is currently the major cause of antibiotic-associated gastrointestinal diseases in adults. This is a Gram-positive bacterium, endospore-forming and an obligate anaerobe that colonizes the gastrointestinal tract. Recent years have seen a rise in C. difficile associated disease (CDAD) cases, associated with more severe disease symptoms, higher rates of morbidity, mortality and recurrence, which were mostly caused due to the emergence of “hypervirulent” strains but also due to changing patterns of antibiotics use. C. difficile produces two potent toxins, TcdA and TcdB, which are the main virulence factors and the responsible for the disease symptoms. These are codified from a Pathogenicity Locus (PaLoc), composed also by the positive regulator, TcdR, the holin-like protein, TcdE, and a negative regulator, TcdC. Besides the toxins, the oxygen-resistant spores are also essential for transmission of the organism through diarrhea; moreover, spores can accumulate in the environment or in the host, which will cause disease recurrence. The expression of the PaLoc genes occurs in vegetative cells, at the end of the exponential growth phase, and in sporulating cells. In this work, we constructed two in-frame deletion mutants of tcdR and tcdE. We showed that the positive auto regulation of tcdR is not significant. However, tcdR is always necessary for the expression of the PaLoc genes. A previous work showed that, except tcdC, all the PaLoc genes are expressed in the forespore. Here, we detected TcdA at the spore surface. Furthermore, we showed that the in-frame deletion of tcdE does not affect the accumulation of TcdA in the culture medium or in association with cells or spores. This data was important for us to conclude about the infeccious process: it suggests that the spore may be the vehicle for the delivery of TcdA in early stages of infection, that TcdA may be released during spores germination and that this spore may use the same receptor recognized by TcdA to bind to the colonic mucosa.

Study of the role of wall teichoic acids in the localization Staphylococcus aureus cell wall synthesis protein PBP4

The cell wall of Staphylococcus aureus is a highly complex network mainly composed of highly cross-linked peptidoglycan (PG) and teichoic acids (TAs), both important for the maintenance of the integrity and viability of bacteria. The penicillin binding proteins (PBPs), which catalyse the final stage of PG biosynthesis, are targets of β-lactam antibiotics and have been a key focus of antibacterial research. S. aureus has four native PBPs, PBP1-4 carried by both methicillin-sensitive (MSSA) and –resistant (MRSA) strains. PBP4 is required for the synthesis of the highly cross-linked PG and, as shown in recent studies, is essential for the expression of β-lactam resistance in community-acquired strains (CA-MRSA). This protein has a septal localization that seems to be spatially and temporally regulated by an unknown intermediate of the wall teichoic acids (WTA) biosynthesis pathway. Therefore, if WTA synthesis is compromised, PBP4 becomes dispersed throughout the entire cell membrane. The aim of this project was to identify the WTA precursor responsible for the septal recruitment of PBP4. In order to do so, inducible mutants of tarB and tarL genes in the background of NCTCPBP4-YFP were constructed allowing for the study of PBP4 localization in the presence and absence of these specific tar genes.With this work we were able to show that the absence of TarB or TarL leads to the delocalization of PBP4, indicating that TarL or a protein/WTA precursor whose localization/synthesis is dependent on TarL is responsible for the recruitment of PBP4.

De Alma-Ata a Harry Potter : um testemunho pessoal

RESUMO - Quando, finalmente, entendemos a importância dos cuidados de saúde primários, procuramos construí-los à maneira das antigas catedrais góticas dos velhos burgos medievais: desenhadas por poucos, construídas por alguns, frequentadas obrigatoriamente por todos os demais. Através de todo este esforço, aprendemos. Os cuidados de saúde primários acontecem todos os dias: quando as pessoas comuns aprendem ou fazem alguma coisa de útil à sua saúde e à dos que lhes estão próximos; sempre que comunicam com alguém habilitado a ouvi-los e apoiá-los sobre as suas dúvidas, medos, fantasias, angústias, preferências ou necessidades de saúde. Para assegurar o reforço dos cuidados de saúde primários necessitamos de conhecimentos renovados, «teorias de acção» mais elaboradas, alguma sabedoria e muita imaginação.

A wave of change: Labor market and social security impacts of the EU refugee inflow

The recent massive inflow of refugees to the European Union (EU) raises a number of unanswered questions on the economic impact of this phenomenon. To examine these questions, we constructed an overlapping-generations model that describes the evolution of the skill premium and of the welfare benefit level in relevant European countries, in the aftermath of an inflow of asylum-seekers. In our simulation, relative wages of skilled workers increase between 8% and 11% in the period of the inflow; their subsequent time path is dependent on the initial skill premium. The entry of migrants creates a fiscal surplus of about 8%, which can finance higher welfare benefits in the subsequent periods. These effects are weaker in a scenario where refugees do not fully integrate into the labor market.

Glycemia in newborns of hypertensive mothers according to maternal treatment

PURPOSE: To evaluate the evolution of glycemic levels in newborns of hypertensive mothers according to maternal treatment. METHODS: Prospective randomized study, including 93 newborns of mothers treated with isradipine (n = 39), atenolol (n = 40), or low sodium diet (control group - n=14). Glycemia was determined at birth (mother and newborn by the oxidase glucose method) and in the 1st, 3rd, 6th, 12th, and 24th hours after birth (newborn by a test strip method). The evolution of glycemia was analyzed in each group (Friedman test). The groups were compared regarding glycemia (Kruskall-Wallis test), and linear regression models were constructed for the analyses (independent variable = maternal glycemia; dependent variables = umbilical cord, 3rd, and 6th hour glycemia). RESULTS: There were no statistically significant differences among the mean blood glucose levels of the 3 groups in any of the assessments. There was a correlation between maternal and umbilical cord blood glucose in the isradipine (r = 0.61; P <.05) and control (r = 0.84; P <.05) groups. Regarding glycemia levels of the mothers and newborns in the third and sixthhours postpartum, this correlation was present only in the control group (maternal x third hour: r = 0.65; P <.05; maternal x sixth hour: r = 0.68; P <.05). There were no correlations in the atenolol group. Hypoglycemia was detected in 51.3% of the isradipine group, 60% of the atenolol group, and 35.7% of the control group, and it was more frequent in the first hour postpartum in all groups. CONCLUSIONS: The results suggest a similar effect of the 3 types of treatment upon newborn glycemia. The correlation analysis suggests that isradipine could have effects upon newborn glycemia only after birth (correlation only in umbilical cord blood), whereas atenolol could act earlier (there was no correlation at any moment). The results also point to the need for glycemic control from the first hour postpartum of newborns of hypertensive mothers whether they have or have not undergone treatment with antihypertensive drugs.

Reserva de Pesquisa Ecológica para a Floresta Amazônica criada em Ouro Preto do Oeste Rondônia

A 138 ha area of rainforest has been donated to INPA for an ecological research reserve in Ouro Preto do Oeste, Rondônia. The land was given to INPA by the municipal government of Ouro Preto do Oeste. A fence around the reserve has been constructed with faunds from World Wildlife Fund-US. The unique location of the reserve within walking distance of a small, city will make possible many ecological research projects that would otherwise be Impractical.

Enunciados do tipo injuntivo em géneros de texto publicitários sobre o vinho.

A partir de um corpus de géneros de texto publicitários, rótulos e contrarrótulos de garrafa de vinho e anúncios sobre o vinho, neste trabalho, serão analisados os enunciados injuntivos em ocorrência para averiguar as relações que se estabelecem entre marcas comerciais e consumidores, o tipo de informação veiculada e as representações linguisticamente construídas destes sujeitos. Situando-se no âmbito da Teoria do Texto e combinando patamares de análise linguística com a dimensão social, esta investigação convoca ainda o Interacionismo Sociodiscursivo que defende uma perspetiva ontogenética da linguagem, consentânea com uma abordagem discursivo-textual da Linguística. A análise dos dados indica que os domínios sociais ou as atividades envolvidas, publicitária e de produção e de comercialização do vinho, preconizam imagens do consumidor ideal de vinho no que diz respeito à prova de vinho, a um comportamento socialmente adequado e sobre as boas propriedades do vinho.

Avaliação do desempenho de fundos de investimento de obrigações: evidência para o mercado Brasileiro

Dissertação de mestrado em Finanças