Frequency of soil contamination by Toxocara canis eggs in the south region of São Paulo municipality (SP, Brazil) in a 18 month period

Soil contamination by embryonic eggs of Toxocara canis is the main source of human infection by this ascarid larvae resulting, sometimes, in the occurrence of visceral larva migrans syndrome. The objective of the present research is to determine the frequency of T. canis eggs in soil samples monthly collected in nine public places, located at the South Region of São Paulo municipality in a 18-month period, from February 2004 to July 2005. The soil samples collected were treated with a 30% antiformine solution and with a sodium dichromate solution (d = 1.40) and microscopic slides were prepared and examined under light microscopy for searching T. canis eggs. Two peaks of higher frequency had been found, one in February - May 2004 and the other in April - July 2005.

Multidimensional Scalling Analysis of the World Economy During the Period 1972-2012

The last 40 years of the world economy are analyzed by means of computer visualization methods. Multidimensional scaling and the hierarchical clustering tree techniques are used. The current Western downturn in favor of Asian partners may still be reversed in the coming decades.

Visualization and interaction in a simulation system for flood emergencies

Dissertação apresentada na Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia da Universidade Nova de Lisboa para obtenção do grau de Mestre em Engenharia Informática

Benign and malignant neoplasias in 261 necropsies for HIV-positive patients in the period of 1989 to 2008

Considering that there are some studies with autopsies from AIDS describing only malignant neoplasias and that changes can occur after the introduction of Highly Active Antiretroviral Therapy (HAART), our objectives were to analyze the frequency of benign and malignant neoplasms in AIDS patients in the periods of both pre- and post-HAART. This is a retrospective study with 261 autopsies of HIV-positive patients between 1989 and 2008 in Uberaba, Brazil. Sixty-six neoplasms were found (39 benign, 21 malignant and six premalignant) in 58 patients. The most frequent malignant neoplasms were lymphoid, in 2.7% (four Non-Hodgkin lymphoma, one Hodgkin, one multiple myeloma and one plasmablastic plasmacytoma), and Kaposi's Sarcoma, in 2.3% (six cases). The most frequent benign neoplasms were hepatic hemangiomas in 11 (4.2%) of 261 cases and uterine leiomyoma in 11 (15.7%) of 70 woman. In the pre-HAART period eight (9.8%) benign neoplasias and four (4.9%) malignant occurred in 82 patients; in the post-HAART period, 29 (16.2%) benign and 17 (9.5%) malignant were present; however, the differences were not significant. We conclude that the introduction of HAART in our region doesn't look to have modified the frequency of neoplasms occurring in patients with HIV.

Envenoming by coral snakes (Micrurus) in Argentina, during the period between 1979-2003

Envenomation by coral snakes (Micrurus sp.) is one of the most dangerous injuries in America and it is considered as a serious medical emergency, however bites by these snakes appear to be rare. We analyzed epidemiological data, clinical signs and antivenom use in Argentina during the period between 1979-2003. During this period of study 46 non-fatal Micrurus bites were reported. The majority of cases were men from 31 to 40 years old. Bites occurred primarily in spring and summer. Most cases were reported from the northeast and northwest provinces of the country. The bites were mostly located on hands or feet and occurred mostly during agricultural activities and so mainly involved farmers. Only four cases occurred as a result of handling snakes. The median time it took for antivenom to be administrated was 60 minutes after the bite, and the median number of vials applied was 2. Local pain was mentioned and edema was reported in 41% of patients. All patients recovered without sequelae. This study showed a low incidence of Micrurus bites and low severity of envenomation. However, although no deaths have been reported during the last 30 years, given the toxicity of the venom of Micrurus snakes, the risk of severe envenomation should be considered.

POTENTIALLY PATHOGENIC FREE-LIVING AMOEBAE IN SOME FLOOD-AFFECTED AREAS DURING 2011 CHIANG MAI FLOOD

SUMMARYThe survey was carried out to investigate the presence of potentially pathogenic free-living amoebae (FLA) during flood in Chiang Mai, Thailand in 2011. From different crisis flood areas, seven water samples were collected and tested for the presence of amoebae using culture and molecular methods. By monoxenic culture, FLA were detected from all samples at 37 °C incubation. The FLA growing at 37 °C were morphologically identified as Acanthamoeba spp., Naegleria spp. and some unidentified amoebae. Only three samples (42.8%), defined as thermotolerant FLA, continued to grow at 42 °C. By molecular methods, two non-thermotolerant FlA were shown to have 99% identity to Acanthamoeba sp. and 98% identity to Hartmannella vermiformis while the two thermotolerant FLA were identified as Echinamoeba exundans (100% identity) and Hartmannella sp. (99% identity). This first report of the occurrence of FLA in water during the flood disaster will provide information to the public to be aware of potentially pathogenic FLA.

Incontinentia Pigmenti in the Neonatal Period

Incontinentia pigmenti (IP) is a rare multisystem disease, X linked dominant disorder. As all X linked dominant diseases, it is usually male-lethal. Female newborn admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit on the fi rst day of life was diagnosed as having probable herpetic infection with vesicular skin lesions distributed on upper right limb and inferior limbs. Family history showed that her 22-year-old mother had hypopigmented lesions on the lower limbs and her 13-month-old sister had hyperpigmented lesions on the trunk and limbs. In newborns, herpes infection emerges as the principal diagnosis of vesicular rash, due to the importance of precocious diagnosis and treatment. Other hypothesis must be considered in a newborn with vesicobullous rash, such as IP.

FUNGEMIA CAUSED BY Candida SPECIES IN A CHILDREN'S PUBLIC HOSPITAL IN THE CITY OF SÃO PAULO, BRAZIL: STUDY IN THE PERIOD 2007-2010

Candidemia remains a major cause of morbidity and mortality in the health care environment. The epidemiology of Candida infection is changing, mainly in relation to the number of episodes caused by species C. non-albicans. The overall objective of this study was to evaluate the frequency of yeasts of the genus Candida, in a four-year period, isolated from blood of pediatric patients hospitalized in a public hospital of the city of São Paulo, Brazil. In this period, yeasts from blood of 104 patients were isolated and, the identified species of Candida by phenotypic and genotypic methods were: C. albicans (39/104), C. tropicalis (25/104), C. parapsilosis (23/104), Pichia anomala (6/104), C. guilliermondii (5/104), C. krusei (3/104), C. glabrata (2/104) and C. pararugosa (1/104). During the period of the study, a higher frequency of isolates of C. non-albicans (63.55%) (p = 0.0286) was verified. In this study we verified the increase of the non-albicans species throughout the years (mainly in 2009 and 2010). Thus, considering the peculiarities presented by Candida species, a correct identification of species is recommended to lead to a faster diagnosis and an efficient treatment.

PATHOGENICITY OF Blastocystis sp. TO THE GASTROINTESTINAL TRACT OF MICE: RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN INOCULUM SIZE AND PERIOD OF INFECTION

The pathogenic potential of Blastocystis sp. in experimental models requires further investigation. In this work, the pathogenicity of this parasite in the gastrointestinal tract of male Swiss mice was evaluated according to the inoculum size and period of infection. Animals were infected intragastrically, with 100, 500, 1,000, 5,000 and 10,000 Blastocystis sp. vacuolar forms obtained from a mixture of eight human isolates cultured axenically in Jones' medium. After seven, 14, 21, 28 and 60 days of infection, the animals were sacrificed and fragments of the small intestine (duodenum), large intestine, and cecum were subjected to histopathological analysis. Blastocystis sp. triggered an inflammatory response in the different tissues analyzed, with a predominance of mononuclear cells. The parasite was found in the muscular layer of the cecum, showing its invasive character. Larger inocula triggered inflammatory processes earlier (seven days) than smaller ones (from 21 days). We conclude that, in the proposed model, the pathogenicity of Blastocystis sp. isolates that were studied is related to inoculum size and period of infection.

The un-infectivity of the PF cultivated strain of trypanosoma cruzi to mice. An evaluation through a one year period by blood cultures and histopathology

Trypanosoma cruzi of the cultivated PF strain when injected in mice per subcutaneous route, in adequate doses, is able to induce an efficient sterile immunization in the animais (for at least one year) as determined by whole blood cultures and histopathology.

Species distribution and in vitro fluconazole susceptibility of clinical Candida isolates in a Brazilian tertiary-care hospital over a 3-year period

INTRODUCTION: In this study, we aimed at identifying Candida isolates obtained from blood, urine, tracheal secretion, and nail/skin lesions from cases attended at the Hospital Universitário de Londrina over a 3-year period and at evaluating fluconazole susceptibilities of the isolates. METHODS: Candida isolates were identified by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) using species-specific forward primers. The in vitro fluconazole susceptibility test was performed according to EUCAST-AFST reference procedure. RESULTS: Isolates were obtained from urine (53.4%), blood cultures (19.2%), tracheal secretion (17.8%), and nail/skin lesions (9.6%). When urine samples were considered, prevalence was similar in women (45.5%) and in men (54.5%) and was high in the age group >61 years than that in younger ones. For blood samples, prevalence was high in neonates (35%) and advanced ages (22.5%). For nail and skin samples, prevalence was higher in women (71.4%) than in men (28.6%). Candida albicans was the most frequently isolated in the hospital, but Candida species other than C. albicans accounted for 64% of isolates, including predominantly Candida tropicalis (33.2%) and Candida parapsilosis (19.2%). The trend for non-albicans Candida as the predominant species was noted from all clinical specimens, except from urine samples. All Candida isolates were considered susceptible in vitro to fluconazole with the exception of isolates belonging to the intrinsically less-susceptible species C. glabrata. CONCLUSIONS: Non-albicans Candida species were more frequently isolated in the hospital. Fluconazole resistance was a rare finding in our study.

Mapping of Chagas disease research: analysis of publications in the period between 1940 and 2009

INTRODUCTION: Publications are often used as a measure of success in research work. Chagas disease occurs in Central and Southern America. However, during the past years, the disease has been occurring outside Latin America due to migration from endemic zones. This article describes a bibliometric review of the literature on Chagas disease research indexed in PubMed during a 70-year period. METHODS: Medline was used via the PubMed online service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine from 1940 to 2009. The search strategy was: Chagas disease [MeSH] OR Trypanosoma cruzi [MeSH]. RESULTS: A total of 13,989 references were retrieved. The number of publications increased steadily over time from 1,361 (1940-1969) to 5,430 (2000-2009) (coefficient of determination for linear fit, R²=0.910). Eight journals contained 25% of the Chagas disease literature. Of the publications, 64.2% came from endemic countries. Brazil was the predominant country (37%), followed by the United States (17.6%) and Argentina (14%). The ranking in production changed when the number of publications was normalized by estimated cases of Chagas disease (Panama and Uruguay), population (Argentina and Uruguay), and gross domestic product (Bolivia and Brazil). CONCLUSIONS: Several Latin American countries, where the prevalence of T. cruzi infection was not very high, were the main producers of the Chagas disease literature, after adjusting for economic and population indexes. The countries with more estimated cases of Chagas disease produced less research on Chagas disease than some developed countries.

Demographic determinants of survival of people living with HIV attending an outpatient reference unit in the city of Três Lagoas, state of Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil, in the period 1984-2009

INTRODUCTION: While the incidence of HIV infection and AIDS is increasing in small Brazilian cities, epidemiological studies are often conducted in large urban centers. METHODS: Our group conducted a retrospective analysis of survival determinants among 358 patients who attended a reference unit in a small city. RESULTS: Death risk was lower among men that had sex with men, patients with an HIV-seropositive partner, and those admitted after highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) was available. CONCLUSIONS: The study documents the striking beneficial effect of HAART. The finding of other groups with improved survival may aid in the development of programmatic strategies.

Flood resilient housing recovery models: a theoretical case study in Maldives

Natural disasters are events that cause general and widespread destruction of the built environment and are becoming increasingly recurrent. They are a product of vulnerability and community exposure to natural hazards, generating a multitude of social, economic and cultural issues of which the loss of housing and the subsequent need for shelter is one of its major consequences. Nowadays, numerous factors contribute to increased vulnerability and exposure to natural disasters such as climate change with its impacts felt across the globe and which is currently seen as a worldwide threat to the built environment. The abandonment of disaster-affected areas can also push populations to regions where natural hazards are felt more severely. Although several actors in the post-disaster scenario provide for shelter needs and recovery programs, housing is often inadequate and unable to resist the effects of future natural hazards. Resilient housing is commonly not addressed due to the urgency in sheltering affected populations. However, by neglecting risks of exposure in construction, houses become vulnerable and are likely to be damaged or destroyed in future natural hazard events. That being said it becomes fundamental to include resilience criteria, when it comes to housing, which in turn will allow new houses to better withstand the passage of time and natural disasters, in the safest way possible. This master thesis is intended to provide guiding principles to take towards housing recovery after natural disasters, particularly in the form of flood resilient construction, considering floods are responsible for the largest number of natural disasters. To this purpose, the main structures that house affected populations were identified and analyzed in depth. After assessing the risks and damages that flood events can cause in housing, a methodology was proposed for flood resilient housing models, in which there were identified key criteria that housing should meet. The same methodology is based in the US Federal Emergency Management Agency requirements and recommendations in accordance to specific flood zones. Finally, a case study in Maldives – one of the most vulnerable countries to sea level rise resulting from climate change – has been analyzed in light of housing recovery in a post-disaster induced scenario. This analysis was carried out by using the proposed methodology with the intent of assessing the resilience of the newly built housing to floods in the aftermath of the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami.