Comparative analyses of the complete genome sequences of Pierce's disease and citrus variegated chlorosis strains of Xylella fastidiosa

Xylella fastidiosa is a xylem-dwelling, insect-transmitted, gamma-proteobacterium that causes diseases in many plants, including grapevine, citrus, periwinkle, almond, oleander, and coffee. X. fastidiosa has an unusually broad host range, has an extensive geographical distribution throughout the American continent, and induces diverse disease phenotypes. Previous molecular analyses indicated three distinct groups of X.fastidiosa isolates that were expected to be genetically divergent. Here we report the genome sequence of X. fastidiosa (Temecula strain), isolated from a naturally infected grapevine with Pierce's disease (PD) in a wine-grape-growing region of California. Comparative analyses with a previously sequenced X.fastidiosa strain responsible for citrus variegated chlorosis (CVC) revealed that 98% of the PD X.fastidiosa Temecula genes are shared with the CVC X. fastidiosa strain 9a5c genes. Furthermore, the average amino acid identity of the open reading frames in the strains is 95.7%. Genomic differences are limited to phage-associated chromosomal rearrangements and deletions that also account for the strain-specific genes present in each genome. Genomic islands, one in each genome, were identified, and their presence in other X.fastidiosa strains was analyzed. We conclude that these two organisms have identical metabolic functions and are likely to use a common set of genes in plant colonization and pathogenesis, permitting convergence of functional genomic strategies.18531018102

Desatando a trama das redes assistenciais sobre drogas: uma revisão narrativa da literatura

Acalorados debates sobre determinados modelos de tratamento para usuários de drogas ocorrem no âmbito da academia, das políticas públicas, além da mídia. A rede assistencial sobre drogas é apresentada neste contexto como um importante mecanismo, mas sua construção torna-se um desafio. Assim, realizou-se uma análise crítica da literatura acadêmica acerca das redes assistenciais sobre drogas, na forma de uma revisão narrativa, visando levantar seus desafios e possibilidades de consolidação. Os resultados encontrados foram: a) uma escassez de estudos específicos sobre a rede assistencial sobre drogas; b) cobertura insuficiente e desintegrada frente à demanda de tratamento; c) necessidade de se repensar o papel dos Centros de Atenção Psicossocial para Álcool e outras Drogas, visando seu fortalecimento, expansão, melhoria estrutural e readequação de práticas; d) ausência de análises críticas sobre o processo de construção dos modelos assistenciais sobre drogas nos serviços públicos; e, e) responsabilidade do Estado em fornecer melhores alternativas ao panorama encontrado, avançando no fortalecimento das ações intersetoriais, articulação do cuidado e no aprimoramento das condições de trabalho

Position paper: The potential role of optical biopsy in the study and diagnosis of environmental enteric dysfunction

Environmental enteric dysfunction (EED) is a disease of the small intestine affecting children and adults in low and middle income countries. Arising as a consequence of repeated infections, gut inflammation results in impaired intestinal absorptive and barrier function, leading to poor nutrient uptake and ultimately to stunting and other developmental limitations. Progress towards new biomarkers and interventions for EED is hampered by the practical and ethical difficulties of cross-validation with the gold standard of biopsy and histology. Optical biopsy techniques — which can provide minimally invasive or noninvasive alternatives to biopsy — could offer other routes to validation and could potentially be used as point-of-care tests among the general population. This Consensus Statement identifies and reviews the most promising candidate optical biopsy technologies for applications in EED, critically assesses them against criteria identified for successful deployment in developing world settings, and proposes further lines of enquiry. Importantly, many of the techniques discussed could also be adapted to monitor the impaired intestinal barrier in other settings such as IBD, autoimmune enteropathies, coeliac disease, graft-versus-host disease, small intestinal transplantation or critical care

Sensitivity of the Cherenkov Telescope Array to a dark matter signal from the Galactic centre

We provide an updated assessment of the power of the Cherenkov Telescope Array (CTA) to search for thermally produced dark matter at the TeV scale, via the associated gamma-ray signal from pair-annihilating dark matter particles in the region around the Galactic centre. We find that CTA will open a new window of discovery potential, significantly extending the range of robustly testable models given a standard cuspy profile of the dark matter density distribution. Importantly, even for a cored profile, the projected sensitivity of CTA will be sufficient to probe various well-motivated models of thermally produced dark matter at the TeV scale. This is due to CTA's unprecedented sensitivity, angular and energy resolutions, and the planned observational strategy. The survey of the inner Galaxy will cover a much larger region than corresponding previous observational campaigns with imaging atmospheric Cherenkov telescopes. CTA will map with unprecedented precision the large-scale diffuse emission in high-energy gamma rays, constituting a background for dark matter searches for which we adopt state-of-the-art models based on current data. Throughout our analysis, we use up-to-date event reconstruction Monte Carlo tools developed by the CTA consortium, and pay special attention to quantifying the level of instrumental systematic uncertainties, as well as background template systematic errors, required to probe thermally produced dark matter at these energies

A saúde neonatal na perspectiva de atenção contínua à saúde da mulher e da criança La atención neonatal en la perspectiva de la atención continua a la salud de las mujeres y niños The neonatal care from the perspective of continuous attention to woman and child's health

O estudo é uma revisão narrativa de teses e dissertações concluídas no período de 2000 a 2009 produzidas pelo Grupo de Pesquisa Enfermagem Obstétrica e Neonatal e pelo Núcleo de Estudos e Pesquisa em Aleitamento Materno da Escola de Enfermagem da Universidade de São Paulo que focalizaram os fatores maternos e perinatais que repercutem na saúde neonatal. A produção científica evidencia alinhamento com as diretrizes estabelecidas pelos órgãos de saúde nacionais e internacionais para a promoção da saúde neonatal e infantil.<br>El estudio es una revisión de la literatura de tesis y disertaciones producidas en el periodo de 2000 hasta 2009 por el Grupo de Investigación de Enfermería Obstétrica y Neonatal y por el Centro de Estudios y Investigación en Lactancia Materna de la Escuela de Enfermería de la Universidad de São Paulo, que se centró en las repercusiones maternas y perinatales en la salud del recién nacidos. La producción científica se muestra de acuerdo con las directrices para promover la salud neonatal y infantil establecidas por los organismos de salud nacionales e internacionales.<br>The study is a literature review of theses and dissertations concluded from 2000 to 2009 developed by the Obstetric and Neonatal Nursing Research Group and Breastfeeding Center for Studies and Research of Nursing School, University of São Paulo, which focused on the maternal and perinatal impact on neonatal health. The scientific production shows agreement with the guidelines to promote neonatal and infant health established by national and international health agencies