Genotypic identification of Cryptosporidium spp. isolated from hiv-infected patients and immunocompetent children of São Paulo, Brazil

Cryptosporidium isolates identified in fourteen stool samples, collected from five HIV-infected patients and nine immunocompetent children, living in the Sate of São Paulo, Brazil, were submitted to a molecular analysis using a nested PCR followed of restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP), for genetic characterization. The analysis was based on digestion with RsaI restriction enzyme of a DNA fragment amplified from the Cryptosporidium oocyst wall protein (COWP) gene. Based on this analysis, four samples were identified as Cryptosporidium parvum, eight as Cryptosporidium hominis and two presented a profile that correspondedto Cryptosporidium meleagridis when compared to the standards used in the analysis. The use of molecular methods can be helpful to identify source of infections and risk factors related to Cryptosporidium infection in our communities.Isolados de Cryptosporidium identificados em quatorze amostras de fezes, coletadas de cinco pacientes com infecção por HIV e de nove crianças imunocompetentes, residentes no estado de São Paulo, Brasil, foram submetidos a análise molecular por Nested-PCR, seguido da caracterização genética por polimorfismo do tamanho do fragmento de restrição (RFLP). A análise foi baseada na digestão, com a enzima de restrição RsaI, de um fragmento de DNA amplificado do gene que codifica a proteína de parede do oocisto de Cryptosporidium (COWP). Baseado nesta análise, quando comparadas aos padrões utilizados, quatro amostras foram identificadas como Cryptosporidium parvum, oito como Cryptosporidium hominis e duas apresentaram um perfil correspondente ao de Cryptosporidium meleagridis. O uso de métodos moleculares pode ser útil para identificar a fonte das infecções e os fatores de risco relacionados à infecção por Cryptosporidium em nossas comunidades

RepublicSearch, um site para busca e cadastro de repúblicas para estudantes

Todo ano diversos alunos ingressam em escolas e faculdades, muitas vezes em cidades diferentes das quais residem. A necessidade da procura de uma república se torna trabalhosa devido ao fato de não se conhecer as pessoas que oferecem esse tipo de serviço e a falta do conhecimento da cidade em que procura residir. Este trabalho pretende facilitar a busca do público estudantil, por repúblicas que estejam disponíveis em uma determinada região, com o desenvolvimento de um site, que execute recomendações e que permita pesquisas com nível de detalhamento sobre características de cada local

Light means power: harnessing light spectrum and UV-B to enhance photosynthesis and rutin levels in microtomato plants

Urban vertical agriculture with lighting system can be an alternative green infrastructure to increase local food production irrespective of environmental and soil conditions. In this system, light quality control can improve the plant physiological performance, well as induce metabolic pathways that contribute to producing phenolic compounds important to human health. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the influence of RBW (red, blue and white) and monochromatic (red and blue; R and B, respectively) light associated or not with UV-B on photosynthetic performance and phenolic compound production in microtomato fruits cultivated via vertical agriculture. The experimental design adopted was completely randomized, with six replicates illuminated with 300 µmol·m−2·s−1 light intensities (RBW, RBW + UV, B, B + UV, R, and R + UV), 12 h photoperiod, and 3.7 W·m−2 UV-B irradiation for 1 h daily for the physiological evaluations. Twenty-six days after the installation, gas exchange, chlorophyll a fluorescence and nocturnal breathing were evaluated. Fruits in different ripening stages (green, orange, and red) were collected from microtomato plants grown under with different light qualities, to evaluate the physiological performance. The identification and quantification of the phenolic compound rutin was also performed to investigate their metabolic response. This study identified that plants grown under B + UV had high photosynthetic rates (A=11.57 µmol·m−2·s−1) and the fruits at all maturation stages from plants grown under B and B + UV had high rutin content. Meanwhile, the activation of suppressive mechanisms was necessary in plants grown under R because of the high nocturnal respiration and unregulated quantum yield of the non-photochemical dissipation of the photosystem II. These results highlight the importance of selecting light wavelength for vegetable cultivation to produce fruits with a high content of specialized metabolites that influence color, flavor, and health promotion, which is of special interest to farmers using sustainable cropping systems

Physical activity in daily life in physically independent elderly participating in community-based exercise program

BACKGROUND: It is unclear whether participation in exercise programs specifically developed for elderly translates into a more active lifestyle. OBJECTIVES: To compare the objectively measured level of physical activity in daily life (PADL) between physically independent elderly who participate or do not participate in community-based exercise programs; and to evaluate which factors are associated with the higher level of PADL in these subjects. METHOD: 134 elderly participants in community-based exercise programs (PG) and 104 non-participants (NPG) had their level of PADL measured using pedometers during 7 days. Other measurements: 6-minute walking test (6MWT), incremental shuttle walking test (ISWT), muscle strength, flexibility and balance. RESULTS: The PG had higher 1-week mean daily step count than NPG (8314 [IQR 5971-10060] vs. 6250 [IQR 4346-8207] steps/day, p8000 steps/day) in PG than in NPG (37% vs. 16%, respectively; p<0.001), as well as the proportion of sedentary subjects (<5000 steps/day) (14% vs. 33%, respectively; p<0.001). Participation in exercise programs, 6MWT and ISWT explained a higher daily steps count (model r2=0.56, p<0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: In physically independent elderly, a higher level of physical activity in daily life occurs in those who participate in community-based exercise programs, regardless of the weekday and including non-program days. Participation of elderly in community-based exercise programs should be more systematically available and encouraged due to its close link to higher activity levels and better exercise capacity

LUMINEXW: a new technology for the simultaneous identification of five Entamoeba spp. commonly found in human stools

Made available in DSpace on 2015-09-28T13:02:35Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 2 license.txt: 1914 bytes, checksum: 7d48279ffeed55da8dfe2f8e81f3b81f (MD5) helena_santos_etal_IOC_2013.pdf: 373011 bytes, checksum: c537be69eb18cae08af818dd30e1222a (MD5) Previous issue date: 2013Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro. Instituto de Microbiologia. Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil / Fundação Oswaldo Cruz. Instituto Oswaldo Cruz. laboratório de Avaliação e Promoção da Saúde Ambiental. Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil.Center for Global Health. Division of Parasitic Diseases and Malaria. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Atlanta, GA, USA.Center for Global Health. Division of Parasitic Diseases and Malaria. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Atlanta, GA, USA.Universidade Federal Fluminense. Departamento de Patologia. Niterói, RJ, Brasil.Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro. Instituto de Microbiologia. Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil.Center for Global Health. Division of Parasitic Diseases and Malaria. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Atlanta, GA, USA.Background: Six species of the genus Entamoeba, i.e., E. histolytica, E. dispar, E. moshkovskii, E. polecki, E. coli, and E. hartmanii can be found in human stools. Among these, only E. histolytica is considered to be pathogenic, causing intestinal and extra-intestinal disease, but it is morphologically identical to E. dispar and E. moshkovskii. In general, E. polecki, E. coli, and E. hartmanii can be differentiated morphologically from E. histolytica, but some of their diagnostic morphologic features may overlap creating issues for the differential diagnosis. Moreover, the previous inability to differentiate among Entamoeba species has limited epidemiologic information on E histolytica. The objective of this study was to develop a rapid, high-throughput screening method using Luminex technique for the simultaneous detection and differentiation of Entamoeba species. Methods: PCR amplification was performed with biotinylated Entamoeba sp 18S rRNA gene primers, designed to amplify a fragment ranging from 382 to 429 bp of the Entamoeba spp studied. Regions of this fragment that could differentiate among E. histolytica, E. moshkovskii, E. dispar, E. hartmanii and E. coli were selected to design hybridization probes to link to Luminex beads. The assay was standardized with cloned DNA samples of each species and evaluated with 24 DNA extracts from samples obtained from individuals diagnosed with these amebas in their stools. Results: Using this approach we were able to correctly identify E. histoltyica, E. dispar, E hartmanni, E. coli and E. moshkovskii in all specimens studied. From twenty four samples tested by microscopy, PCR/DNA Sequencing and real-time PCR, 100% agreed with PCR-Luminex assay for identification of E. dispar, E. moshkovskii, E. hartmanni, E. histolytica, and E. coli. Conclusion: These results show that this method could be used in the diagnostic detection of Entamoeba spp in fecal samples. This diagnostic test was useful to clearly distinguish E histolytica from other species and also to strengthen epidemiologic data on Entamoeba spp

Qualidade do leite bovino no Semiárido do Rio Grande do Norte, Brasil

The aim of this study was to evaluate the composition and quality of raw milk that was refrigerated in tanks, according to the farm structures, bovine diet, and production levels of the dairy producers that provide milk for the Association of Small-Scale Ranchers of the Angicos Wilderness (ASRAW). Data were collected from 47 dairy farmers from different cities of the state of Rio Grande do Norte who are associated with ASRAW. Twenty-three tanks were sampled throughout the month of June 2013, with two collections per week and five samples per tank, for a total of 920 samples. The properties were characterized according to the type of tank (private or community), the food provided during milk collection (voluminous or voluminous and concentrated), the structure of the dairy producer (family producer or non-family producer), and the amounts of each component. Analyses of fat content, total protein, casein levels, lactose levels, total solids, degreased dry extract (DDE), freezing point, urea levels, somatic cell counts (SCC), and antibiotic residues were performed. Statistical analyses were conducted for each group, and the means were compared by Tukey tests, with a critical significance level of 5% probability calculated with the PROC GLM procedure of the SAS® program. Most components differed significantly for each parameter. The highest difference was noted between the urea and SCC levels, which was probably due to the wide variety of dairy producer profiles. The SCC values exhibited the largest amplitude variations. Most milk components significantly differed according to the strata, producer, food, and tank. These changes probably had little influence on the animal’s physiology and productivity. Therefore, despite the small variations in the components of the milk supplied by ASRAW, the different types of milk storage tank, milk volume produced, and type of dairy producer affected the overall milk quality.Objetivou-se com o presente trabalho, avaliar a composição e qualidade do leite cru refrigerado, proveniente de tanques, de acordo com o enquadramento dos produtores, o tipo de alimentação e os níveis de produção das propriedades que fornecem leite para a Associação dos Pequenos Agropecuaristas do Sertão de Angicos - APASA. Os dados coletados foram provenientes de 47 produtores, provenientes de diferentes cidades do estado do Rio Grande do Norte, vinculados a APASA. As coletas foram realizadas em 23 tanques ao longo do mês de junho de 2013, sendo duas coletas por semana, e cinco amostras por tanque, totalizando 920 observações. As propriedades foram caracterizadas de acordo com o tipo de tanque, particular ou comunitário; alimento fornecido durante as coletas, volumoso e volumoso + concentrado; o enquadramento do produtor, produtor familiar e não familiar; e por fim de acordo com a quantidade ou estrato de produção das propriedades. Foram realizadas as análises para os teores de gordura, proteína total, caseína, lactose, sólidos totais, extrato seco desengordurado (ESD), crioscopia, ureia, contagem de células somáticas (CCS) e resíduo de antibiótico. As análises estatísticas foram realizadas para cada grupo e as médias foram comparadas pelo Teste de Tukey, utilizando o nível de significância crítico de 5% de probabilidade através do procedimento PROC GLM do programa SAS®. A maioria dos componentes diferiu estatisticamente para cada classe analisada. A ureia e a CCS foram os componentes que mantiveram as maiores diferenças e variações, provavelmente devido a grande variedade no perfil dos produtores, e também, no caso da CCS, na qual os valores observados sofreram grande variação de amplitude. A maioria dos componentes do leite apresentaram diferença estatística entre tipo de estrato, tipo de produtor, tipo de alimentação e tipo de tanque, mas a sua magnitude pode ser considerada de baixa importância e, provavelmente, pouco influencie na fisiologia e produtividade do animal. Portanto, concluiu-se que, apesar das pequenas variações encontradas nos componentes do leite fornecido a APASA, eles são influenciados pelos diferentes tipos de manejo alimentar, volume de leite produzido, bem como pelo tipo de produto

Indicadores de saúde auditiva em Minas Gerais : um estudo por macrorregião

OBJETIVO: Analisar a organização da Rede Estadual de Atenção à Saúde Auditiva em Minas Gerais, no ano de 2009, tendo como referência os indicadores de fluxo/atenção ao usuário, de gestão do sistema (metas) e configuração de procedimentos e equipes de referência. MÉTODOS: Estudo de abordagem quantitativa, analítico transversal, que considerou cinco variáveis centrais e nove variáveis complementares, para compreender a organização da Rede nas macrorregiões de saúde. Os dados foram obtidos no Sistema de Informação Ambulatorial e por meio de relatórios da Secretaria de Estado de Saúde de Minas Gerais. Foi realizada análise descritiva das variáveis e, para verificar a correlação entre elas, utilizou-se o Coeficiente de Correlação de Pearson e o teste t de Student. RESULTADOS: Observou-se, entre as macrorregiões, variação no comportamento dos indicadores analisados, sendo que alguns Serviços de Atenção à Saúde Auditiva (SASA) parecem assumir serviços de outras regiões. Em todo o Estado, o valor médio de sessões de terapia fonoaudiológica por paciente, com Aparelho de Amplificação Sonora Individual (AASI), nas macrorregiões, foi de 10. No entanto, a média de produção de terapia foi inferior à média de adaptação de AASI, na maioria das macrorregiões. A grande demanda de adaptação parece estar orientando a organização dos serviços, que tem privilegiado a adaptação e não o acompanhamento, por meio das sessões de terapia individual. CONCLUSÃO: Acredita-se que o maior desafio da Rede seja fortalecer a dimensão da longitudinalidade do cuidado, descentralizadamente, por meio, principalmente, do serviço de fonoaudiologia descentralizada, propiciando maior efetividade aos serviços

A single set of exhaustive exercise before local muscular endurance training improves quadriceps strength and endurance in young men

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of an additional set of exhaustive exercise before local muscular endurance (LME) training on maximal dynamic strength and endurance of quadriceps muscle in young men