Ação Penal 937: o foro por prerrogativa de função e a judicialização da política

Tem-se como temática central a atuação do poder judiciário no Brasil, em especial, do Supremo Tribunal Federal em relação ao fenômeno da judicialização da política. Por meio do estudo de processo judicial, a Ação Penal 937 no Supremo Tribunal Federal, procura-se constatar o movimento ativista de juízes que ganha forçano Brasil e no mundo, desde o fim da segunda guerra mundial. Tal prática, que se justifica na efetivação de direitos humanos e utiliza a retórica neoconstitucionalista, fere a separação de poderes e ganha contornos evidentemente políticos

URIC ACID LEVELS CORRELATES WITH INFLAMMATORY MARKERS AND ADHESION MOLECULES IN HEMODIALYSIS PATIENTS

Elevated serum uric acid has been associated to a variety of cardiovascular disease states and with systemic inflammation. The aim of this study was to analyze the association between uric acid levels and inflammatory markers in hemodialysis (HD) patients. This cross-sectional study included 50HD patients (62% men, 54.3±12.6 yrs, BMI 24.4±4Kg/m2) and 21 healthy individuals (45% men, 50.7±15.7 yrs, BMI 25.5±4.0Kg/m2). Uric acid was measured using uricase-PAP method, inflammatory (TNF-α, IL-6 and CRP) and atherosclerosis markers (ICAM-1, VCAM-1, MCP-1 and PAI-1) were measured by a multiplexed particle-based flow cytometric assay. There was a positive correlation between serum uric acid and inflammatory markers, IL-6 (r=0.30, p=0.01), CRP (r=0.37, p=0.003), TNF-α (r=0.40, p=0.001) and adhesion molecules levels, ICAM-1 (r=0.53, p=0.0001), and VCAM-1 (r=0.45, p=0.0001)ParametersHD PatientsHealthy individualsCRP (mg/mL)0.32 ± 0.30*0.11 ± 0.12TNF-α (pg/mL)5.5 ± 2.1*2.4 ± 1.1IL-6 (pg/mL)4.1 ± 1.6*2.7 ± 0.4PAI-1 (ng/mL)7.0 ± 2.76.2 ± 2.1MCP-1 (pg/ml)47.6 ± 24.237.3 ± 19.0VCAM-1 (ng/mL)48.5 ± 8.5*23.8 ± 5.5ICAM-1 (ng/mL)20.5 ± 15.9*7.2 ± 1.2⁎p<0.05In conclusion, these original data suggest that uric acid may have a role in inflammation and atherosclerosis in HD patient

Tripping over emerging pathogens around the world: A phylogeographical approach for determining the epidemiology of Porcine circovirus-2 (PCV-2), considering global trading

AbstractPorcine circovirus-2 (PCV-2) is an emerging virus associated with a number of different syndromes in pigs known as Porcine Circovirus Associated Diseases (PCVAD). Since its identification and characterization in the early 1990s, PCV-2 has achieved a worldwide distribution, becoming endemic in most pig-producing countries, and is currently considered as the main cause of losses on pig farms. In this study, we analyzed the main routes of the spread of PCV-2 between pig-producing countries using phylogenetic and phylogeographical approaches. A search for PCV-2 genome sequences in GenBank was performed, and the 420 PCV-2 sequences obtained were grouped into haplotypes (group of sequences that showed 100% identity), based on the infinite sites model of genome evolution. A phylogenetic hypothesis was inferred by Bayesian Inference for the classification of viral strains and a haplotype network was constructed by Median Joining to predict the geographical distribution of and genealogical relationships between haplotypes. In order to establish an epidemiological and economic context in these analyses, we considered all information about PCV-2 sequences available in GenBank, including papers published on viral isolation, and live pig trading statistics available on the UN Comtrade database (http://comtrade.un.org/). In these analyses, we identified a strong correlation between the means of PCV-2 dispersal predicted by the haplotype network and the statistics on the international trading of live pigs. This correlation provides a new perspective on the epidemiology of PCV-2, highlighting the importance of the movement of animals around the world in the emergence of new pathogens, and showing the need for effective sanitary barriers when trading live animals

Rickettsia felis in Ctenocephalides spp. Fleas, Brazil

In June 2000, suspected cases of Brazilian spotted fever (BSF) occurred in Coronel Fabriciano Municipality, Minas Gerais State, Brazil. Pooled fleas collected near two fatal cases contained rickettsial DNA. The nucleotide sequence alignment of the 391-bp segment of the 17-kDa protein gene showed that the products were identical to each other and to the R. felis 17-kDa gene, confirming circulation of R. felis in Brazil

Rickettsiose do grupo da febre maculosa na Vila de Capoeirão, Itabira, Minas Gerais, Brasil

The present study investigated the infection by spotted fever rickettsia in an endemic area for Brazilian spotted fever (BSF; caused by Rickettsia rickettsii) in Minas Gerais State, Brazil. Human, canine and equine sera samples, and Amblyomma cajennense adult ticks collected in a rural area of Itabira City, Minas Gerais State were tested for rickettsial infection. Through Immunofluorescence Assay (IFA) we demonstrated the presence of antibodies anti-R. rickettsii in 8.2%, 81.3% and 100% of the human, canine and equine sera, respectively. None of the 356 tick specimens analyzed were positive for Rickettsia by the hemolymph test or Polymerase Chain Reaction technique (PCR) for the htrA and the gltA genes. Our serological results on horses and dogs (sentinels for BSF) appoint for the circulation of a SFG Rickettsia in the study area, however in a very low infection rate among the A. cajennense tick population.O presente estudo investigou a infecção por rickéttsias do grupo da febre maculosa (GFM) em área endêmica para febre maculosa brasileira (FMB; causada por Rickettsia rickettsii) no Estado de Minas Gerais, Brasil. Amostras de soros de humanos, cães e eqüídeos, e carrapatos Amblyomma cajennense adultos colhidos em um povoado rural em Itabira, Minas Gerais foram testados para infecção por Rickettsia. Pela Reação de Imunofluorescência Indireta (RIFI) foram detectados anticorpos anti-R. rickettsii em 8,2% dos soros humanos, 81,3% dos cães e em 100% dos eqüídeos. Nenhum dos 356 carrapatos se mostrou positivo para Rickettsia no teste de hemolinfa e na reação em cadeia pela polimerase (PCR) objetivando amplificar fragmentos de DNA dos genes htrA and the gltA. Os resultados sorológicos em eqüinos e cães (sentinelas para FMB) apontam para a circulação de uma rickéttsia do GFM na área do estudo, porém, numa freqüência de infecção muito baixa na população do carrapato A. cajennense

LA PRIMERA SONDA DE ELECTRONES DE MICROANÁLISIS DE RAYOS X DE LA COMPOSICIÓN ELEMENTAL DEL PRODUCTO LIOFILIZADO DE LATEX DE EUPHORBIA MILII VAR. HISLOPII Y SU IMPACTO EN EL MACHO DE SCHISTOSOMA MANSONI

El objetivo de este trabajo fue estudiar la composición elemental del látex liofilizado obtenido de Euphorbia milii var. hislopii (N.E.Br.) Ursch & Leandri) y el tegumento del macho adulto de Schistosoma mansoni Sambon, 1907 originado a partir cercarias previamente expuesta al látex. La composición y las concentraciones de 15 elementos se caracterizaron mediante microscopía electrónica de barrido (SEM) y la espectroscopía de dispersión de energía (EDS). El magnesio, potasio y sodio se encontraron en un alto porcentaje en peso en el látex liofilizado. Altos niveles de los elementos sodio, magnesio y nitrógeno se detectaron, respectivamente, en el control de los machos adultos de S. mansoni. La exposición de cercarias de S. mansoni al látex de E. milii cambió la composición elemental del parásito adulto, que mostró un mayor nivel de nitrógeno en lugar de sodio como se observó en los parásitos normales. Además, se compararon los elementos del grupo de control y de los gusanos adultos de las cercarias expuestas al látex y mostraron una disminución significativa de nitrógeno y un aumento de sodio, potasio y magnesio. El presente trabajo representa el primer análisis de la composición elemental del látex liofilizado de E. milii var. hislopii y su impacto en el macho de S. mansoni por la Sonda de microanálisis de Electrones de Rayos X

Amblyomma imitator Ticks as Vectors of Rickettsia rickettsii, Mexico

Real-time PCR of Amblyomma imitator tick egg masses obtained in Nuevo Leon State, Mexico, identified a Rickettsia species. Sequence analyses of 17-kD common antigen and outer membrane protein A and B gene fragments showed to it to be R. rickettsii, which suggested a potential new vector for this bacterium