Anatomical characterization and chemical profile of Laguncularia racemosa (L.) Gaertn leaf blades, from impacted and non-impacted mangroves of the São Paulo Coast

Anatomical characterization and chemical profile of Laguncularia racemosa (L.) Gaertn leaf blades, from impacted and non-impacted mangroves of the São Paulo Coast. Several sources of environmental impact have caused great damage to the flora in mangroves. Therefore, this study aimed to analyze the anatomy and chemical composition of Laguncularia racemosa (L.) Gaertn leaf blades, from impacted (Municipality of Santos) and non-impacted mangroves (Municipality of Peruibe) of the São Paulo Coast. For the leaf anatomy studies, light microscopy and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) were used. For chemical analysis, high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) was conducted. The biometry revealed leaf tissues of plants from impacted mangroves with a less thick epidermis and mesophyll and higher width of the central vascular beam. A smaller number of stomata and higher amounts of daises in these leaves were also observed. Results were confirmed by the Student t-test (alpha = 5%). The chemical profiles revealed a higher ammount of secondary metabolites in leaves from the impacted environment.

Spatial distribution of dengue in the city of Cruzeiro, São Paulo State, Brazil: use of geoprocessing tools

Este artigo tem por objetivo identificar padrões na distribuição espacial dos casos de dengue ocorridos no município de Cruzeiro/SP, no ano de 2006. Trata-se de um estudo ecológico e exploratório que utiliza as ferramentas de análise espacial na elaboração de mapas temáticos, com dados obtidos do SinanNet. Foi feita uma análise por área, tomando-se como unidade o setor censitário do IBGE; a análise considerou quatro meses do ano de 2006 que mostra a ocorrência da doença no município. Os mapas temáticos foram construídos pelo programa computacional TerraView 3.3.1; assim como os valores dos índices de Moran Global (I M) mês a mês e o estimador de Kernel. Foram georreferenciados 691 casos de dengue (taxa de 864,2 casos/100.000 habitantes); os Índices de Moran e p-valores obtidos foram I M = 0,080 (março) p = 0,11; I M = 0,285 (abril) p = 0,01; I M = 0,201 (maio) p = 0,01 e I M = 0,002 (junho) p = 0,57. Os primeiros casos foram identificados na região nordeste e central e os últimos casos, na região norte, nordeste e central. Foi possível identificar os setores censitários onde a epidemia teve início e como ocorreu têmporo-espacialmente no município.

Laboratory essays on solid residues from an area of sand mining activities at Analandia, São Paulo, Brazil, and implications to the water resources quality

This investigation reports the results of tests performed in a laboratory with solid waste samples from an area belonging to Sibelco Mineracao Ltd., which is located around Analandia municipality, nearly in the center of São Paulo State, Brazil. Dissolution and leaching essays were realized under different experimental conditions in four samples collected from the mining front and decantation pool, with the aim of evaluating the possibility of release of several constituents to the liquid phase.

MOLECULAR DIAGNOSIS of LEISHMANIA AMAZONENSIS IN A CAPTIVE SPIDER MONKEY IN BAURU, São Paulo, BRAZIL

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Influence of the vinasse application in sugar cane fields in Patrocínio Paulista, São Paulo State, Brazil

This investigation was carried out in Patrocínio Paulista municipality, located in the state of São Paulo, Brazil. Sugarcane has been extensively cultivated in the area in order to be utilized by the sugar and ethanol industries. The major effluent from the ethanol industry, vinasse, has been applied in the sugarcane fields as an alternative to supply several nutrients in crop production. Because it may represent a major environmental problem in that area, with implications to human health, soil samples from six points were collected and analyzed in order to evaluate the main factors related to the vinasse application in the ground. The importance of clays, iron oxides, organic matter and minor refractory minerals was also considered for explaining several relationships identified from the acquired data. © 2009 WIT Press.

First record of leucospis signifera bouček, 1974 (Insecta: Hymenoptera: Leucospidae) in the São Paulo State, Brazil

The present note extends the geographic range of Leucospis signifera Bouček, 1974 farther to the Northeast, reaching the State of São Paulo, based on the examination of four females collected at Jataí Ecological Station, municipality of Luiz Antônio, São Paulo State, Brazil. The present finding indicates that L. signifera is associated with dry ecosystems, at least in part of its geographic distribution. © 2012 Check List and Authors.

Spatial distribution of dengue incidence and socio-environmental conditions in Campinas, São Paulo State, Brazil, 2007

This study aimed to analyze the spatial distribution of dengue risk and its association with socio-environmental conditions. This was an ecological study of the counts of autochthonous dengue cases in the municipality of Campinas, São Paulo State, Brazil, in the year 2007, aggregated according to 47 coverage areas of municipal health centers. Spatial models for mapping diseases were constructed with Bayesian hierarchical models, based on Integrated Nested Laplace Approximation (INLA). The analyses were stratified according to two age groups, 0 to 14 years and above 14 years. The results indicate that the spatial distribution of dengue risk is not associated with socio-environmental conditions in the 0 to 14 year age group. In the age group older than 14 years, the relative risk of dengue increases significantly as the level of socio-environmental deprivation increases. Mapping of socio-environmental deprivation and dengue cases proved to be a useful tool for data analysis in dengue surveillance systems.

School inclusion: analyzing the establishment and organization of a special needs education service in a brazilian municipality

The present research integrates a network of studies called National Monitoring Center for Special Education (NMCSE) which studies the Multi-purpose Feature Rooms (MFRs) in regular schools. We aim to investigate whether the service offered by such rooms, maintained by the Department of Education of the Municipality of Araraquara, in São Paulo State, Brazil, is being successful at supporting the education of children and youth with special needs, pervasive developmental disorders and high skilled/gifted individuals. We have also investigated the limits and possibilities of such rooms concerning the set of services offered to their participants. In order to conduct the present research, we have performed: an interview with the Special Education Program manager from the abovementioned Department of Education; and the analysis of a Training Program that MFRs teachers must take. The training program consists of ten morning and afternoon shift meetings. The analyzed data leads us to conclude that the policy of implementation of MFRs, even in this relatively restricted universe is seen from different perspectives. Some interpretations are still permeated by the clinical model, considering individual action. The challenges observed in the classrooms show that the cooperation among teachers still occur randomly and, among other difficulties raised by them, is the selection of the right placement methods to identify eligible students who will benefit from the Specialized Educational Service (SES). In addition, teaching evaluation was considered fragile, as well as the training and the general requirements demanded in order to achieve the expected results.

First report of Trypanosoma vivax outbreak in dairy cattle in São Paulo state, Brazil

This is the first description of a Trypanosoma vivax outbreak in the state of São Paulo (municipality of Lins). Fever, jaundice, decreased milk production, weight loss, profuse diarrhea, abortion, anemia, leukocytosis and hyperfibrinogenemia were observed in the affected animals. Thirty-one cows and calves died out of a total of 1080 in the herd. Three cows showed neurological symptoms like dysmetria, ataxia, muscle weakness, ptyalism, lymph node enlargement and submandibular edema. Flagellated hemoparasites were observed in blood smears. The species was diagnosed as T. vivax by means of PCR. This T.vivax strain showed resistance to diaminazene aceturate and the infection spread quickly at the herd. From the ELISA test, 599 serum samples (98.36%) were positive for anti-T.vivax IgG antibodies. This outbreak occurred during a very dry period, which indicates that other factors were involved in the outbreak, such as absence of tabanids and large populations of Haematobia irritans and Stomoxys calcitrans. The increases in these populations may have been due to the use of biosolid waste from sugar and ethanol plants in the sugarcane plantations surrounding the dairy farm.

The Use Of Medication And Associated Factors Among Adults Living In Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil: Differences Between Men And Women.

The objective of this study was to verify factors associated with the use of medication by adults, with emphasis on the differences between men and women. It was a population-based, cross-sectional study with cluster sampling conducted in two stages in Campinas in the state of São Paulo in 2008. Among the 2,413 individuals aged 20 or older, the prevalence of use of at least one drug in the three days before the research was 45.4% (95% CI: 41.3 - 49.4) in men and 64.6% (95% CI: 59.8 - 69.2) in women. For adult men over 40 years old who were not working, former smokers, with one or more chronic diseases, with two or more health problems and who sought health care or a health professional in the two weeks preceding the research showed higher prevalence of medication use. Among women, a higher prevalence of use was observed in females over 40, obese, former smokers, who reported a short sleep pattern, with one or more chronic diseases and two or more health problems, and who reported seeking a health care service or professional in the past 15 days. The findings showed some differences in the determinants of drug use in relation to gender, revealing the greater importance of health-related behavior among women.

Equity Of Access To Pap Smears: Population-based Study In Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil.

To determine the prevalence of the Papanicolaou exam among women aged 20 to 59 years in the city of Campinas (state of São Paulo, Brazil) and to analyze associations between this test and affiliation to private health insurance plans as well as socioeconomic/demographic variables and health-related behavior. To do so, a population-based, cross-sectional study was carried out. Statistical analyses took the study design into account. Despite the significant socioeconomic differences between women with and without private health plans, no differences between these groups were found regarding having been submitted to the Papanicolaou test. In fact no differences were found as to socioeconomic and health variables analyzed. Among all variables analyzed, only marital status was significantly associated with having undergone the test. The Brazilian public health system accounted for 55.7% of the exams. The present findings indicate social equity in the city of Campinas regarding the preventive exam for cervical cancer in the age group studied.

Distribution Of Lutzomyia Longipalpis Chemotype Populations In São Paulo State, Brazil.

American visceral leishmaniasis (AVL) is an emerging disease in the state of São Paulo, Brazil. Its geographical expansion and the increase in the number of human cases has been linked to dispersion of Lutzomyia longipalpis into urban areas. To produce more accurate risk maps we investigated the geographic distribution and routes of expansion of the disease as well as chemotype populations of the vector. A database, containing the annual records of municipalities which had notified human and canine AVL cases as well as the presence of the vector, was compiled. The chemotypes of L. longipalpis populations from municipalities in different regions of São Paulo State were determined by Coupled Gas Chromatography - Mass Spectrometry. From 1997 to June 2014, L. longipalpis has been reported in 166 municipalities, 148 of them in the Western region. A total of 106 municipalities were identified with transmission and 99 were located in the Western region, where all 2,204 autochthonous human cases occurred. Both the vector and the occurrence of human cases have expanded in a South-easterly direction, from the Western to central region, and from there, a further expansion to the North and the South. The (S)-9-methylgermacrene-B population of L. longipalpis is widely distributed in the Western region and the cembrene-1 population is restricted to the Eastern region. The maps in the present study show that there are two distinct epidemiological patterns of AVL in São Paulo State and that the expansion of human and canine AVL cases through the Western region has followed the same dispersion route of only one of the two species of the L. longipalpis complex, (S)-9-methylgermacrene-B. Entomological vigilance based on the routes of dispersion and identification of the chemotype population could be used to identify at-risk areas and consequently define the priorities for control measures.

Occurrence of Staphylococcus aureus in raw milk produced in dairy farms in São Paulo state, Brazil

The objective of the present study was to evaluate the occurrence of Staphylococcus aureus in milk produced in 37 farms located in the regions of Ribeirão Preto and São Carlos, state of São Paulo, Brazil. Two-hundred and eight samples of milk from individual cows showing subclinical mastitis, and 37 samples of bulk tank milk were analyzed. S. aureus strains were detected in 18 (7.3%) milk samples: 14 (6.7%) from samples of individual cows, and 4 (10.8%) from bulk tank milk. Two individual milk samples (14.3%) and two bulk milk samples contained enterotoxigenic S. aureus. PFGE analysis revealed the genetic heterogeneity of the strains isolated from raw milk, which presented to 13 S. aureus patterns. Results confirmed the potential transmission of staphylococcal food poisoning to consumers via milk of cows affected by subclinical mastitis, mainly when raw milk is ingested.

Butterflies (Lepidoptera, Papilionoidea and Hesperioidea) of the "Baixada Santista" region, coastal São Paulo, southeastern Brazil

Butterflies (Lepidoptera, Papilionoidea and Hesperioidea) of the "Baixada Santista" region, coastal São Paulo, southeastern Brazil. A list with 538 species of butterflies recorded in the Baixada Santista, São Paulo ( SE Brazil) is presented. Standard sampling protocols (i.e. with entomological nets) were followed. Baited traps were installed for fruit feeding species. Data from the literature and entomological collections were also considered in the total estimated species richness. The species richness recorded in the Baixada Santista region represents about 16% of the Brazilian butterfly fauna, and 34% of the known butterfly fauna for the state of São Paulo. The present list contains an appreciably higher number of species in comparison to other lists from similar biomes farther south, such as Blumenau in Santa Catarina, and Maquiné in Rio Grande do Sul.

Phlebotomine fauna (Diptera: Psychodidae) of an American cutaneous leishmaniasis endemic area in the state of Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil

The occurrence of an outbreak of cutaneous leishmaniasis associated with Leishmania (Leishmania) amazonensis in the municipality of Bela Vista, state of Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil, and the absence of information on its vectors in this area led the authors to undertake captures of phlebotomine sand flies, using Shannon traps and automatic CDC light traps, in domiciles, forested areas and animal shelters from February 2004-January 2006. A total of 808 specimens belonging to 18 sandfly species have been identified: Bichromomyia flaviscutellata,Brumptomyia avellari, Brumptomyia brumpti, Brumptomyia sp, Evandromyia aldafalcaoae, Evandromyia cortelezzii, Evandromyia evandroi, Evandromyia lenti, Evandromyia teratodes, Evandromyia termitophila, Lutzomyia longipalpis, Nyssomyia whitmani, Pintomyia christenseni, Psathyromyia aragaoi, Psathyromyia campograndensis, Psathyromyia punctigeniculata, Psathyromyia shannoni and Sciopemyia sordellii. The presence of Lu. longipalpis, Ny. whitmani and Bi. flaviscutellata, vectors of Leishmania chagasi, Leishmania braziliensis and L. amazonensis, respectively, has increased.