Essential Oil of Brachylaena hutchinsii Hutch from Tanzania: Antimicrobial Activity and Composition

East and Central African Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences Vol.6(3) 2003: 61-6

Impaired RNA incorporation and dimerization in live attenuated leader-variants of SIV(mac239)

BACKGROUND: The 5' untranslated region (UTR) or leader sequence of simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV(mac239)) is multifunctional and harbors the regulatory elements for viral replication, persistence, gene translation, expression, and the packaging and dimerization of viral genomic RNA (vRNA). We have constructed a series of deletions in the SIV(mac239 )leader sequence in order to determine the involvement of this region in both the packaging and dimerization of viral genomic RNA. We also assessed the impact of these deletions upon viral infectiousness, replication kinetics and gene expression in cell lines and monkey peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC). RESULTS: Regions on both sides of the major splice donor (SD) were found to be necessary for the efficiency and specificity of viral genome packaging. However, stem-loop1 is critical for both RNA encapsidation and dimerization. Downstream elements between the splice donor and the initiation site of SIV-Gag have additive effects on RNA packaging and contribute to a lesser degree to RNA dimerization. The targeted disruption of structures on both sides of the SD also severely impacts viral infectiousness, gene expression and replication in both CEMx174 cells and rhesus PBMC. CONCLUSION: In the leader region of SIV(mac239), stem-loop1 functions as the primary determinant for both RNA encapsidation and dimerization. Downstream elements between the splice donor and the translational initiation site of SIV-Gag are classified as secondary determinants and play a role in dimerization. Collectively, these data signify a linkage between the primary encapsidation determinant of SIV(mac239 )and RNA dimerization

Community health nursing practices in contexts of poverty, uncertainty and unpredictability: a systematization of personal experiences

Several years of professional nursing practices, while living in the poorest neighbourhoods in the outlying areas of Brazil's Amazon region, have led the author to develop a better understanding of marginalized populations. Providing care to people with leprosy and sex workers in riverside communities has taken place in conditions of uncertainty, insecurity, unpredictability and institutional violence. The question raised is how we can develop community health nursing practices in this context. A systematization of personal experiences based on popular education is used and analyzed as a way of learning by obtaining scientific knowledge through critical analysis of field practices. Ties of solidarity and belonging developed in informal, mutual-help action groups are promising avenues for research and the development of knowledge in health promotion, prevention and community care and a necessary contribution to national public health programmers

A experiência do Programa Universidade Aberta e suas contribuições para a transformação social The Open University Program experience and its contributions to social transformation

Este artigo faz uma reflexão sobre o Programa Universidade Aberta, que vem se desenvolvendo há doze anos no Departamento de Saneamento e Saúde, da Escola Nacional de Saúde Pública/Fiocruz. O Programa se traduz como um movimento de discussão sobre as raízes da desigualdade social, buscando caminhos para minorá-la, com a sustentação do diálogo entre meio acadêmico e comunidades desfavorecidas socialmente. Utilizando-se da educação para a cidadania como instrumento de sensibilização e mobilização comunitária, incentivou a participação-cidadã, garantindo-lhes condições necessárias para ações pró-ativas na conquista e melhoria de serviços básicos e essenciais à manutenção da saúde e dignidade da vida. Os resultados obtidos pelo Universidade Aberta, na minimização dos problemas socioambientais do Complexo de Manguinhos, destacaram a sua metodologia de pesquisa orientada para a resolução de problemas - a pesquisa-ação. Sensibilizou, ainda, a direção da Escola Nacional de Saúde Pública Sérgio Arouca, constituindo-se um Programa oficial da Escola, representante do compromisso social da academia para com a sociedade. O artigo tem como objetivo fazer um relato analítico do Universidade Aberta, destacando sua trajetória, a metodologia adotada, seus principais resultados e avaliação.<br>This paper is a reflection on the Open University Program that has been developed for twelve years in the Sanitation and Health Department of the Public Health National School/ Fiocruz. The Program is translated as a discussion movement concerning the roots of social inequality, looking for ways to diminish it, through the dialogue between the academic board and the poor local communities. Since its beginning, the Program has motivated the processes of community participation, playing an important role in improving life quality and environment for many poor communities. Using education as an instrument of promoting citizenship and community mobilization, it has empowered the communities neglected by government attention, to take proactive actions to maintain their health and dignity. The well-known results obtained by the Open University Program in Manguinhos, have highlighted its methodology - the research-action -, calling the attention of different public and private institutions and NGOs. It has also sensitized the direction of the Public Health National School in order to change it into an official Program of the school, representing its social commitment to the society. This paper is an analytic report of the Open University, highlighting its path, adopted methodology, main results and evaluation