Amicus curiae on the request for consultative opinion formulated by the American Commission on Human Rights about Differentiated Approaches Regarding Persons Deprived of Liberty

These are reasons for amicus curiae presented to the Inter-American Court of Human Rights by the Center for Studies in Human Rights Systems and the Clinic for Access to Justice and Education in the Prisons of the Federal University of Paraná, on the occasion of the Request for Advisory Opinion (OC) number 29 formulated by the American Commission of Humans to the Inter-American Court, on different approaches to the matter of persons deprived of their liberty. The play is part of the context of the pandemic of COVID-19, which heightened vulnerabilities and subjected the prison population as a whole to a framework of hyper vulnerability, given the sanitary measures that imply reduced rights and weakened means of enforcement. Still, it advances on other contexts of overlapping vulnerabilities, such as concerning transgender women, the LGBTQI + public, pregnant women, breastfeeding women, and those accompanied by children in prison. Finally, the absence of the OC about other vulnerabilities not explicitly listed by the request of the IACHR, such as persons with disabilities deprived of liberty, with special emphasis on visual impairments and cases of need for use of wheelchairs with special needs, should be addressed.Trata-se de razões de amicus curiae apresentadas à Corte Interamericana de Direitos Humanos pelo Núcleo de Estudos em Sistemas de Direitos Humanos e Clínica de Acesso à Justiça e Educação nas Prisões da Universidade Federal do Paraná, por ocasião da Solicitação de Opinião Consultiva (OC) número 29 formulada pela Comissão Americana de Humanos à Corte Interamericana, sobre enfoques diferenciados em matéria de pessoas privadas de liberdade. A peça parte do contexto da pandemia da COVID-19 que aguçou vulnerabilidades e sujeitou a população carcerária como um todo a um quadro de hipervulnerabilidade, diante das medidas sanitárias que implicam em redução de direitos e em fragilização dos meios de fiscalização. Ainda, avança sobre outros contextos de vulnerabilidades superpostas como em relação às mulheres transgênero, o público LGBTQI+, mulheres gestantes, lactantes e acompanhadas de crianças no cárcere. Por fim, ataca-se as ausências da solicitação de OC em relação à outras vulnerabilidades não elencadas explicitamente pela solicitação da CIDH, como é o caso de pessoas com deficiência privadas de liberdade, com especial ênfase à deficiência visual e aos casos de necessidade de uso de cadeiras de rodas que necessitam de cuidados específicos e inexistentes no sistema penitenciário

High anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibody seroconversion rates before the second wave in Manaus, Brazil, and the protective effect of social behaviour measures: results from the prospective DETECTCoV-19 cohort

Background: The city of Manaus, Brazil, has seen two collapses of the health system due to the COVID-19 pandemic. We report anti-SARS-CoV-2 nucleocapsid IgG antibody seroconversion rates and associated risk factors in Manaus residents before the second wave of the epidemic in Brazil. Methods: A convenience sample of adult (aged ≥18 years) residents of Manaus was recruited through online and university website advertising into the DETECTCoV-19 study cohort. The current analysis of seroconversion included a subgroup of DETECTCoV-19 participants who had at least two serum sample collections separated by at least 4 weeks between Aug 19 and Oct 2, 2020 (visit 1), and Oct 19 and Nov 27, 2020 (visit 2). Those who reported (or had no data on) having a COVID-19 diagnosis before visit 1, and who were positive for anti-SARS-CoV-2 nucleocapsid IgG antibodies at visit 1 were excluded. Using an in-house ELISA, the reactivity index (RI; calculated as the optical density ratio of the sample to the negative control) for serum anti-SARS-CoV-2 nucleocapsid IgG antibodies was measured at both visits. We calculated the incidence of seroconversion (defined as RI values ≤1·5 at visit 1 and ≥1·5 at visit 2, and a ratio >2 between the visit 2 and visit 1 RI values) during the study period, as well as incidence rate ratios (IRRs) through cluster-corrected and adjusted Poisson regression models to analyse associations between seroconversion and variables related to sociodemographic characteristics, health access, comorbidities, COVID-19 exposure, protective behaviours, and symptoms. Findings: 2496 DETECTCoV-19 cohort participants returned for a follow-up visit between Oct 19 and Nov 27, 2020, of whom 204 reported having COVID-19 before the first visit and 24 had no data regarding previous disease status. 559 participants were seropositive for anti-SARS-CoV-2 nucleocapsid IgG antibodies at baseline. Of the remaining 1709 participants who were seronegative at baseline, 71 did not meet the criteria for seroconversion and were excluded from the analyses. Among the remaining 1638 participants who were seronegative at baseline, 214 showed seroconversion at visit 2. The seroconversion incidence was 13·06% (95% CI 11·52–14·79) overall and 6·78% (5·61–8·10) for symptomatic seroconversion, over a median follow-up period of 57 days (IQR 54–61). 48·1% of seroconversion events were estimated to be asymptomatic. The sample had higher proportions of affluent and higher-educated people than those reported for the Manaus city population. In the fully adjusted and corrected model, risk factors for seroconversion before visit 2 were having a COVID-19 case in the household (IRR 1·49 [95% CI 1·21–1·83]), not wearing a mask during contact with a person with COVID-19 (1·25 [1·09–1·45]), relaxation of physical distancing (1·31 [1·05–1·64]), and having flu-like symptoms (1·79 [1·23–2·59]) or a COVID-19 diagnosis (3·57 [2·27–5·63]) between the first and second visits, whereas working remotely was associated with lower incidence (0·74 [0·56–0·97]). Interpretation: An intense infection transmission period preceded the second wave of COVID-19 in Manaus. Several modifiable behaviours increased the risk of seroconversion, including non-compliance with non-pharmaceutical interventions measures such as not wearing a mask during contact, relaxation of protective measures, and non-remote working. Increased testing in high-transmission areas is needed to provide timely information about ongoing transmission and aid appropriate implementation of transmission mitigation measures. Funding: Ministry of Education, Brazil; Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado do Amazonas; Pan American Health Organization (PAHO)/WHO.World Health OrganizationRevisión por pare

Mitochondrial DNA Alterations in Glioblastoma (GBM)

Glioblastoma (GBM) is an extremely aggressive tumor originating from neural stem cells of the central nervous system, which has high histopathological and genomic diversity. Mitochondria are cellular organelles associated with the regulation of cellular metabolism, redox signaling, energy generation, regulation of cell proliferation, and apoptosis. Accumulation of mutations in mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) leads to mitochondrial dysfunction that plays an important role in GBM pathogenesis, favoring abnormal energy and reactive oxygen species production and resistance to apoptosis and to chemotherapeutic agents. The present review summarizes the known mitochondrial DNA alterations related to GBM, their cellular and metabolic consequences, and their association with diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment

Genotyping and prevalence of Chlamydia trachomatis infection among women in Belém, Pará, northern Brazil

Ministério da Saúde. Secretaria de Vigilância em Saúde. Instituto Evandro Chagas. Laboratório de Infecções Respiratórias de Origem Bacteriana. Ananindeua, PA, Brasil.Universidade Federal do Pará. Instituto de Ciências Biológicas. Belém, PA, Brasil.Universidade Federal do Pará. Instituto de Ciências Biológicas. Belém, PA, Brasil.Introduction: Genital Chlamydia trachomatis infection is one of the most prevalent sexually transmitted diseases in women, and undetected cases of the disease are highly associated with long-term complications. Despite the high prevalence of infections in Brazil, very little is known about the distribution of C. trachomatis genovars. In this study, we determined the prevalence and genotypes of C. trachomatis in women treated at a public hospital in the Brazilian city of Belém, the capital of the state of Pará. Methodology: A total of 154 women were tested for chlamydial infection by PCR using specific primers for the C. trachomatiscryptic plasmid. Genotyping of positive samples was performed by sequencing the ompA gene and conducting further phylogenetic analysis. Results: Out of the 154 samples, 17 were found to be positive using C. trachomatis cryptic plasmid PCR. The overall prevalence of C. trachomatis infection was 11 per cent, with the highest prevalence observed in women between 16 and 20 years of age. Five genotypes were found to be associated with endocervical infection. Genotype F was most frequently found (37.5 per cent), followed by genotypes J (25 per cent), E (25 per cent), I (6.25 per cent), and D (6.25 per cent). Conclusions: This study emphasizes the relevance of C. trachomatis infection in the young female population of the Brazilian Amazon region. It also demonstrates the diversity of genotypes involved in genital infection in this population

Phylogenetic study of Class Armophorea (Alveolata, Ciliophora) based on 18S-rDNA data

The 18S rDNA phylogeny of Class Armophorea, a group of anaerobic ciliates, is proposed based on an analysis of 44 sequences (out of 195) retrieved from the NCBI/GenBank database. Emphasis was placed on the use of two nucleotide alignment criteria that involved variation in the gap-opening and gap-extension parameters and the use of rRNA secondary structure to orientate multiple-alignment. A sensitivity analysis of 76 data sets was run to assess the effect of variations in indel parameters on tree topologies. Bayesian inference, maximum likelihood and maximum parsimony phylogenetic analyses were used to explore how different analytic frameworks influenced the resulting hypotheses. A sensitivity analysis revealed that the relationships among higher taxa of the Intramacronucleata were dependent upon how indels were determined during multiple-alignment of nucleotides. The phylogenetic analyses rejected the monophyly of the Armophorea most of the time and consistently indicated that the Metopidae and Nyctotheridae were related to the Litostomatea. There was no consensus on the placement of the Caenomorphidae, which could be a sister group of the Metopidae + Nyctorheridae, or could have diverged at the base of the Spirotrichea branch or the Intramacronucleata tree

Description and phylogeny of Tetrakeronopsis silvanetoi gen. nov., sp. nov. (Hypotricha, Pseudokeronopsidae), a new benthic marine ciliate from Brazil.

Pseudokeronopsidae Borror & Wicklow, 1983 are biotechnologically important ciliate protists which produce toxic defense substances; however, their diversity is still little known in Brazil. In the present study, Tetrakeronopsis silvanetoi, a new genus and species of marine pseudokeronopsid hypotrichs is described from samples of water with bottom sediment collected from the coast of São Paulo state. Its phylogenetic affinities to the "core urostyloids" are hypothesized based on analyses of the 18S-rDNA marker, and a new subfamily, the Nothoholostichinae subfam. nov., is erected to name the monophylum composed of pseudokeronopsids in which the anterior corona is usually formed by four frontal cirri. In addition, the new combination Monocoronella longissima comb. nov. is proposed for Nothoholosticha longissima (Dragesco & Dragesco-Kernéis, 1986) Li et al., 2009

Description and molecular phylogeny of Paramecium grohmannae sp. nov. (Ciliophora, Peniculida) from a wastewater treatment plant in Brazil

A new morphological species of Paramecium Müller, 1773, was discovered in samples of water with activated sludge of a wastewater treatment plant in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. It is described based on light microscopy and its phylogenetic position hypothesized from 18S-rDNA analyses. Paramecium grohmannae sp. nov. is characterized by a unique combination of features. It is a counterclockwise rotating freshwater Paramecium with body outline intermediate between “aurelia” and “bursaria” forms, two contractile vacuoles, each with one excretion pore and usually nine collecting canals; oral opening slight below body equator; macronucleus ellipsoid to obovoid, measuring ~64 x 24 μm and located in anterior half of body; one (less frequently two) globular endosomal micronuclei ~5 μm in diameter with endosome ~2.5 μm. Phylogenetic analyses unambiguously place the new species within the P. multimicronucleatum complex

A new oligotrich (Ciliophora, Oligotrichia) from Argentina, with redefinition of Novistrombidium Song and Bradbury

A new oligotrich similar to Novistrombidium was discovered in plankton samples from an artificial tributary of the Salado River, Buenos Aires province, Argentina, in summer 2010. Propecingulum fistoleramalliei sp. n. has an obovate and anteriorly truncated body, with a conspicuous ventral furrow, is flattened ventrally, and has a prominent right apical protrusion. It temporarily attaches to the substratum by a posterior mucous thread. Rod-shaped extrusomes arranged equidistantly and insert directly above the girdle kinety. The macronucleus is globular to ellipsoidal. The contractile vacuole is located in the left, anterior quarter of the cell and the adoral zone is composed of 30–35 collar, 9–14 buccal, and two thigmotactic membranelles. The girdle kinety is dextrally spiraled and ventrally open; the ventral kinety is posterior to anterior end of the girdle kinety. The oral primordium develops posterior to the right thigmotactic membranelle and anterior the stripe of extrusomes above left, lateral portion of the girdle kinety. The SSUrDNA phylogeny confirms one more time that Novistrombidium is not monophyletic; consequently, we elevate the subgenus Propecingulum up to genus rank and redefine the genus Novistrombidium.Fil: Kuppers, Gabriela Cristina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Parque Centenario. Museo Argentino de Ciencias Naturales “Bernardino Rivadavia”; ArgentinaFil: da Silva Paiva, Thiago. Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro; BrasilFil: do Nascimento Borges, Bárbara. Universidade Federal do Pará; BrasilFil: Alfaro, Elisa Raquel. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Parque Centenario. Museo Argentino de Ciencias Naturales “Bernardino Rivadavia”; ArgentinaFil: Claps, Maria Cristina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - La Plata. Instituto de Limnología "Dr. Raúl A. Ringuelet". Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo. Instituto de Limnología; Argentin

Pisosterol induces G2/M cell cycle arrest and apoptosis via the ATM/ATR signaling pathway in human glioma cells

Ministério da Saúde. Secretaria de Vigilância em Saúde. Instituto Evandro Chagas. Laboratório de Cultura de Tecidos e Citogenética Ananindeua, PA, Brasil.Universidade Federal do Pará. Instituto de Ciências Biológicas. Laboratório de Citogenética Humana. Belém, PA, Brazil.Universidade Federal do Ceará. Departamento de Fisiologia e Farmacologia. Fortaleza, CE, Brazil.Universidade Federal do Pará. Instituto de Ciências Biológicas. Laboratório de Biologia Molecular Francisco Mauro Salzano. Belém, PA, Brazil.Universidade Federal do Pará. Instituto de Ciências Biológicas. Laboratório de Biologia Molecular Francisco Mauro Salzano. Belém, PA, Brazil.Universidade Federal do Pará. Faculdade de Ciências Naturais. Instituto de Ciências Exatas e Naturais. Belém, PA, Brazil.Background: Pisosterol, a triterpene derived from Pisolithus tinctorius, exhibits potential antitumor activity in various malignancies. However, the molecular mechanisms that mediate the pisosterol-specific effects on glioma cells remain unknown. Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the antitumoral effects of pisosterol on glioma cell lines. Methods: The 3-[4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl]-2,5-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide (MTT) and trypan blue exclusion assays were used to evaluate the effect of pisosterol on cell proliferation and viability in glioma cells. The effect of pisosterol on the distribution of the cells in cell cycle was performed by flow cytometry. The expression and methylation pattern of the promoter region of MYC, ATM, BCL2, BMI1, CASP3, CDK1, CDKN1A, CDKN2A, CDKN2B, CHEK1, MDM2, p14ARF and TP53 was analyzed by RT-qPCR, western blotting and bisulfite sequencing PCR (BSP-PCR). Results: Here, we reported that pisosterol markedly induced G2/M arrest and apoptosis and decreased the cell viability and proliferation potential of glioma cells in a dose-dependent manner by increasing the expression of ATM, CASP3, CDK1, CDKN1A, CDKN2A, CDKN2B, CHEK1, p14ARF and TP53 and decreasing the expression of MYC, BCL2, BMI1 and MDM2. Pisosterol also triggered both caspase-independent and caspase-dependent apoptotic pathways by regulating the expression of Bcl-2 and activating caspase-3 and p53. Conclusions: We, for the first time, confirmed that the ATM/ATR signaling pathway is a critical mechanism for G2/M arrest in pisosterol-induced glioma cell cycle arrest and suggest that this compound might be a promising anticancer candidate for further investigation