Biomonitoring of coastal regions of So Paulo State, Brazil, using mussels Perna perna

The marine environment is constantly affected by anthropic actions, with causes consequent degradation of the waters and marine biota by various discharges of xenobiotics. In the present study, the focus was the study of a region of the marine coast of the State of So Paulo (city of Santos), which is one of the most industrialized parts of Brazil and suffers also from a strong impact of domestic effluents. The mussel Perna perna, very abundant in the coast of the State of So Paulo, Brazil, was selected as the biomonitoring organism for the determination of inorganic elements and a passive biomonitoring was performed. The organisms were collected at two sites in So Paulo State coast: Cocanha beach in Caraguatatuba (mussel farm) and Santos Bay (Itaipu and Palmas). Seasonally, the Perna perna were collected between September/08 and July/09 in each study sites. After removal and sample preparation, the elements As, Co, Cr, Fe, Se and Zn were determined by instrumental neutron activation analysis (INAA) and Cd, Pb and Hg were determined by atomic absorption spectroscopy (AAS) in this organism.

Mastectomy and Sexuality: An Integrative Review

Women affected by breast cancer are faced with the removal of a body part related to sexuality. This study aimed to investigate the impact of breast cancer and mastectomy in women's sexuality through the analysis of scientific literature published from 2000 to 2009. The bibliographic survey was carried out in LILACS, MedLine and PsycINFO databases. Twenty nine articles were selected to constitute the corpus of the analysis. The findings were grouped by means of content analysis. The results showed that after the removal of the breast, sexual performance is compromised, with reduced frequency of sexual intercourse in the early stages of treatment and low sexual desire, interest and satisfaction.

Use of Demonstrably Effective Therapies in the Treatment of Acute Coronary Syndromes: Comparison between Different Brazilian Regions. Analysis of the Brazilian Registry on Acute Coronary Syndromes (BRACE)

Background: Little is known in our country about regional differences in the treatment of acute coronary disease. Objective: To analyze the behavior regarding the use of demonstrably effective regional therapies in acute coronary disease. Methods: A total of 71 hospitals were randomly selected, respecting the proportionality of the country in relation to geographic location, among other criteria. In the overall population was regionally analyzed the use of aspirin, clopidogrel, ACE inhibitors / AT1 blocker, beta-blockers and statins, separately and grouped by individual score ranging from 0 (no drug used) to 100 (all drugs used). In myocardial infarction with ST elevation (STEMI) regional differences were analyzed regarding the use of therapeutic recanalization (fibrinolytics and primary angioplasty). Results: In the overall population, within the first 24 hours of hospitalization, the mean score in the North-Northeast (70.5 +/- 22.1) was lower (p < 0.05) than in the Southeast (77.7 +/- 29.5), Midwest (82 +/- 22.1) and South (82.4 +/- 21) regions. At hospital discharge, the score of the North-Northeast region (61.4 +/- 32.9) was lower (p < 0.05) than in the Southeast (69.2 +/- 31.6), Midwest (65.3 +/- 33.6) and South (73.7 +/- 28.1) regions; additionally, the score of the Midwest was lower (p < 0.05) than the South region. In STEMI, the use of recanalization therapies was highest in the Southeast (75.4%, p = 0.001 compared to the rest of the country), and lowest in the North-Northeast (52.5%, p < 0.001 compared to the rest of the country). Conclusion: The use of demonstrably effective therapies in the treatment of acute coronary disease is much to be desired in the country, with important regional differences.

Identification of Regions Involved in Substrate Binding and Dimer Stabilization within the Central Domains of Yeast Hsp40 Sis1

Protein folding, refolding and degradation are essential for cellular life and are regulated by protein homeostatic processes such those that involve the molecular chaperone DnaK/Hsp70 and its co-chaperone DnaJ. Hsp70 action is initiated when proteins from the DnaJ family bind an unfolded protein for delivery purposes. In eukaryotes, the DnaJ family can be divided into two main groups, Type I and Type II, represented by yeast cytosolic Ydj1 and Sis1, respectively. Although sharing some unique features both members of the DnaJ family, Ydj1 and Sis1 are structurally and functionally distinct as deemed by previous studies, including the observation that their central domains carry the structural and functional information even in switched chimeras. In this study, we combined several biophysical tools for evaluating the stability of Sis1 and mutants that had the central domains (named Gly/Met rich domain and C-terminal Domain I) deleted or switched to those of Ydj1 to gain insight into the role of these regions in the structure and function of Sis1. The mutants retained some functions similar to full length wild-type Sis1, however they were defective in others. We found that: 1) Sis1 unfolds in at least two steps as follows: folded dimer to partially folded monomer and then to an unfolded monomer. 2) The Gly/Met rich domain had intrinsically disordered characteristics and its deletion had no effect on the conformational stability of the protein. 3) The deletion of the C-terminal Domain I perturbed the stability of the dimer. 4) Exchanging the central domains perturbed the conformational stability of the protein. Altogether, our results suggest the existence of two similar subdomains in the C-terminal domain of DnaJ that could be important for stabilizing each other in order to maintain a folded substrate-binding site as well as the dimeric state of the protein.

Serological evidence of hantavirus infection in rural and urban regions in the state of Amazonas, Brazil

Hantavirus disease is caused by the hantavirus, which is an RNA virus belonging to the family Bunyaviridae. Hantavirus disease is an anthropozoonotic infection transmitted through the inhalation of aerosols from the excreta of hantavirus-infected rodents. In the county of Itacoatiara in the state of Amazonas (AM), Brazil, the first human cases of hantavirus pulmonary and cardiovascular syndrome were described in July 2004. These first cases were followed by two fatal cases, one in the municipality of Maues in 2005 and another in Itacoatiara in 2007. In this study, we investigated the antibody levels to hantavirus in a population of 1,731 individuals from four different counties of AM. Sera were tested by IgG/IgM-enzyme-linked immune-sorbent assay using a recombinant nucleocapsid protein of the Araraquara hantavirus as an antigen. Ten sera were IgG positive to hantavirus (0.6%). Among the positive sera, 0.8% (1/122), 0.4% (1/256), 0.2% (1/556) and 0.9% (7/797) were from Atalaia do Norte, Careiro Castanho, Itacoatiara and Labrea, respectively. None of the sera in this survey were IgM-positive. Because these counties are distributed in different areas of AM, we can assume that infected individuals are found throughout the entire state, which suggests that hantavirus disease could be a local emerging health problem.

Nursing care practices at an outpatient care center from an integrative perspective

Aim: to analyze nursing care practices at a Specialized Outpatient Care Center from the perspective of an integrative health care activity. Method: Interviews with 24 nursing professionals were undertaken. For data analysis, Thematic Content Analysis as proposed by Bardin was applied, resulting in the following themes: the team size and its commitment to health care; professional practices and activity of the nursing team. Results: The size of the nursing team was considered insufficient, which compromises the quality of care and results in work overload and dissatisfaction of the nursing professionals. On the other hand, they were satisfied with the tasks performed day-to-day and related integrality to individual care, considered it essential and usually practiced it daily. Conclusion: It is considered that the nursing team has the potential and commitment to develop their care practice combined with the integrative perspective, and therefore providing quality health care to the population.

Multiple Quaternary Refugia in the Eastern Guiana Shield Revealed by Comparative Phylogeography of 12 Frog Species

The Guiana Shield (GS) is one of the most pristine regions of Amazonia and biologically one of the richest areas on Earth. How and when this massive diversity arose remains the subject of considerable debate. The prevailing hypothesis of Quaternary glacial refugia suggests that a part of the eastern GS, among other areas in Amazonia, served as stable forested refugia during periods of aridity. However, the recently proposed disturbance-vicariance hypothesis proposes that fluctuations in temperature on orbital timescales, with some associated aridity, have driven Neotropical diversification. The expectations of the temporal and spatial organization of biodiversity differ between these two hypotheses. Here, we compare the genetic structure of 12 leaf-litter inhabiting frog species from the GS lowlands using a combination of mitochondrial and nuclear sequences in an integrative analytical approach that includes phylogenetic reconstructions, molecular dating, and Geographic Information System methods. This comparative and integrated approach overcomes the well-known limitations of phylogeographic inference based on single species and single loci. All of the focal species exhibit distinct phylogeographic patterns highlighting taxon-specific historical distributions, ecological tolerances to climatic disturbance, and dispersal abilities. Nevertheless, all but one species exhibit a history of fragmentation/isolation within the eastern GS during the Quaternary with spatial and temporal concordance among species. The signature of isolation in northern French Guiana (FG) during the early Pleistocene is particularly clear. Approximate Bayesian Computation supports the synchrony of the divergence between northern FG and other GS lineages. Substructure observed throughout the GS suggests further Quaternary fragmentation and a role for rivers. Our findings support fragmentation of moist tropical forest in the eastern GS during this period when the refuge hypothesis would have the region serving as a contiguous wet-forest refuge.

Gingival Papilla Dimensions in Anterosuperior Regions Adjacent to Single-Tooth Implants

This study compared the dimensions of gingival papillae in anterosuperior areas presenting at natural teeth (teeth sites) or single-tooth implants adjacent to natural teeth (implant-tooth sites) by analyzing determined distances. A total of 45 teeth and 46 implant-tooth sites were carefully selected. Clinical evaluation consisted of visual and quantitative analyses with millimeter grids on radiographs. Implant-tooth sites showed a smaller gingival papilla dimension than tooth sites (P < .01). Both evaluated distances (contact point to bone crest and between the roots of adjacent teeth or implant platform to root of adjacent tooth) in all groups significantly influenced the presence/absence of gingival papillae (P < .01). (Int J Periodontics Restorative Dent 2012;32:93-100.)

ENVIRONMENTAL TOBACCO SMOKE INDUCES OXIDATIVE STRESS IN DISTINCT BRAIN REGIONS OF INFANT MICE

Environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) leads to the death of 600,000 nonsmokers annually and is associated with disturbances in antioxidant enzyme capacity in the adult rodent brain. However, little is known regarding the influence of ETS on brain development. The aim of this study was to determine levels of malonaldehyde (MDA) and 3-nitrotyrosine (3-NT), as well as enzymatic antioxidant activities of glutathione peroxidase (GPx), glutathione reductase (GR), glutathione S-transferase (GST), and superoxide dismutase (SOD), in distinct brain structures. BALB/c mice were exposed to ETS twice daily for 1 h from postnatal day 5 through postnatal day 18. Acute exposure was performed for 1 h on postnatal day 18. Mice were euthanized either immediately (0) or 3 h after the last exposure. Immediately after an acute exposure there were higher GR and GST activities and MDA levels in the hippocampus, higher GPx and SOD activities in the prefrontal cortex, and higher GST activity and MDA levels in the striatum and cerebellum. Three hours later there was an increase in SOD activity and MDA levels in the hippocampus and a decrease in the activity of all enzymes in the prefrontal cortex. Immediately after final repeated exposure there were elevated levels of GST and GR activity and decreased GPx activity in the hippocampus. Moreover, a rise was found in GPx and GST activities in the prefrontal cortex and increased GST and GPx activity in the striatum and cerebellum, respectively. After 3 h the prefrontal cortex showed elevated GR and GST activities, and the striatum displayed enhanced GST activity. Data showed that enzymatic antioxidant system in the central nervous system responds to ETS differently in different regions of the brain and that a form of adaptation occurs after several days of exposure.

Neuronal NOS Inhibitor and Conventional Antidepressant Drugs Attenuate Stress-induced Fos Expression in Overlapping Brain Regions

Recent evidence indicates that the administration of inhibitors of neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS) induces antidepressant-like effects in animal models such as the forced swimming test (FST). However, the neural circuits involved in these effects are not yet known. Therefore, this study investigated the expression of Fos protein, a marker of neuronal activity, in the brain of rats submitted to FST and treated with the preferential nNOS inhibitor, 7-nitroindazole (7-NI), or with classical antidepressant drugs (Venlafaxine and Fluoxetine). Male Wistar rats were submitted to a forced swimming pretest (PT) and, immediately after, started receiving a sequence of three ip injections (0, 5, and 23 h after PT) of Fluoxetine (10 mg/kg), Venlafaxine (10 mg/kg), 7-NI (30 mg/kg) or respective vehicles. One hour after the last drug injection the animals were submitted to the test session, when immobility time was recorded. After the FST they were sacrificed and had their brains removed and processed for Fos immunohistochemistry. Independent group of non-stressed animals received the same drug treatments, or no treatment (naive). 7-NI, Venlafaxine or Fluoxetine reduced immobility time in the FST, an antidepressant-like effect. None of the treatments induce significant changes in Fos expression per se. However, swimming stress induced significant increases in Fos expression in the following brain regions: medial prefrontal cortex, nucleus accumbens, locus coeruleus, raphe nuclei, striatum, hypothalamic nucleus, periaqueductal grey, amygdala, habenula, paraventricular nucleus of hypothalamus, and bed nucleus of stria terminalis. This effect was attenuated by 7-NI, Venlafaxine or Fluoxetine. These results show that 7-NI produces similar behavioral and neuronal activation effects to those of typical antidepressants, suggesting that these drugs share common neurobiological substrates.

Comparison of eating attitudes among university students from the five Brazilian regions

Eating attitudes can be defined as beliefs, thoughts, feelings, behavior and relationship with food. They can influence people's food choices and health status. The scope of this paper is to compare eating attitudes of university students from different regions of Brazil and investigate possible associations and correlations with nutritional status, age, individual income and parental education. 2489 female university students in the area of health answered the Eating Attitude Scale - evaluated by total score and 5 sub-scores. The eating attitudes were compared by means of an analysis of covariance. A logistic regression was conducted to evaluate which variables were associated to the scale score. The Northeast presented more restrictive and compensatory practices and the North and Northeast presented less positive feelings about food and worse ideas about normal eating. The score on the scale did not present strong correlation with any of the variables studied, but nutritional status and age were associated with the total score. The profile of university students was similar among regions with the worst response in the North and Northeast regions. It is believed that these data could help to elucidate dietary patterns and nutritional differences among groups.

Haplotype frequencies based on eight polymorphic sites at the 3' untranslated region of the HLA-G gene in individuals from two different geographical regions of Brazil

The Brazilian population represents an admixture of native Amerindians, Portuguese settlers and Africans who were brought as slaves during the colonization period that began in the 16th century and was followed by waves of immigrations of Europeans and Asians in the 20th century. The contribution of these different ethnic groups to the constitution of Brazilian populations from different geographic regions is variable and, in addition to environmental factors, might act by determining different allele profiles among Brazilian populations from different regions. We studied polymorphic sites at the 3' untranslated region of the HLA-G gene in individuals from a Northeastern Brazilian region and compared them to our previously published data about a Southeastern Brazilian region, located at a distance of 2589 km. Our results showed that most polymorphic sites present a similar distribution in both populations, except for the lower frequency of the +3003C allele in the Northeastern population compared to the Southeastern population. Although differences in genotypic distribution were only significant for the +3003 locus (P = 0.0201), the diversity of haplotypes was distinct for each population. These results are important for casecontrol studies on the association of human leucocyte antigen-G polymorphism with disease and also in terms of the genetic structure of two distinct Brazilian populations.

Phylogenetic and Similarity Analysis of HTLV-1 Isolates from HIV-Coinfected Patients from the South and Southeast Regions of Brazil

HTLV-1 is endemic in Brazil and HIV/ HTLV-1 coinfection has been detected, mostly in the northeast region. Cosmopolitan HTLV-1a is the main subtype that circulates in Brazil. This study characterized 17 HTLV-1 isolates from HIV coinfected patients of southern (n = 7) and southeastern (n = 10) Brazil. HTLV-1 provirus DNA was amplified by nested PCR (env and LTR) and sequenced. Env sequences (705 bp) from 15 isolates and LTR sequences (731 bp) from 17 isolates showed 99.5% and 98.8% similarity among sequences, respectively. Comparing these sequences with ATK (HTLV-1a) and Mel5 (HTLV-1c) prototypes, similarities of 99% and 97.4%, respectively, for env and LTR with ATK, and 91.6% and 90.3% with Mel5, were detected. Phylogenetic analysis showed that all sequences belonged to the transcontinental subgroup A of the Cosmopolitan subtype, clustering in two Latin American clusters.

Genotype by environment interaction for birth and weaning weights of composite beef cattle in different regions of Brazil

The objectives of the present study were to characterize and define homogenous production environments of composite beef cattle in Brazil in terms of climatic and geographic variables using multivariate exploratory techniques and to use them to assess the presence of G x E for birth weight (BW) and weaning weight (WW). Data from animals born between 1995 and 2008 on 36 farms located in 27 municipalities of the Brazilian states were used. Fifteen years of climate observations (mean minimum and maximum annual temperature and mean annual rainfall) and geographic (latitude, longitude and altitude) data were obtained for each municipality where the farms were located for characterization of the production environments. Hierarchical and nonhierarchical cluster analysis was used to group farms located in regions with similar environmental variables into clusters. Six clusters of farms were formed. The effect of sire-cluster interaction was tested by single-trait analysis using deviance information criterion (DIC). Genetic parameters were estimated by multi-trait analysis considering the same trait to be different in each cluster. According to the values of DIC, the inclusion of sire-cluster effect did not improve the fit of the genetic evaluation model for BW and WW. Estimates of genetic correlations among clusters ranged from -0.02 to 0.92. The low genetic correlation among the most studied regions permits us to suggest that a separate genetic evaluation for some regions should be undertaken. (C) 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Modeling and measuring the spatial relation "along": Regions, contours and fuzzy sets

The analysis of spatial relations among objects in an image is an important vision problem that involves both shape analysis and structural pattern recognition. In this paper, we propose a new approach to characterize the spatial relation along, an important feature of spatial configurations in space that has been overlooked in the literature up to now. We propose a mathematical definition of the degree to which an object A is along an object B, based on the region between A and B and a degree of elongatedness of this region. In order to better fit the perceptual meaning of the relation, distance information is included as well. In order to cover a more wide range of potential applications, both the crisp and fuzzy cases are considered. In the crisp case, the objects are represented in terms of 2D regions or ID contours, and the definition of the alongness between them is derived from a visibility notion and from the region between the objects. However, the computational complexity of this approach leads us to the proposition of a new model to calculate the between region using the convex hull of the contours. On the fuzzy side, the region-based approach is extended. Experimental results obtained using synthetic shapes and brain structures in medical imaging corroborate the proposed model and the derived measures of alongness, thus showing that they agree with the common sense. (C) 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.