Infecção por riquétsias em carrapatos de aves silvestres em duas ecorregiões da Argentina

Several tick-borne Rickettsia species are recognized human pathogens in Argentina. Here we evaluated rickettsial infection in ticks collected on passerine birds during 2011-2012 in two eco-regions of Argentina. The ticks were processed by molecular analysis through polymerase chain reaction (PCR) detection and DNA sequencing of fragments of two rickettsial genes, gltA and ompA. A total of 594 tick specimens (532 larvae and 62 nymphs), representing at least 4 species (Amblyomma tigrinum, Ixodes pararicinus, Haemaphysalis juxtakochi, Haemaphysalis leporispalustris), were evaluated. At least one A. tigrinum larva, collected on Coryphospingus cucullatus in Chaco Seco, was infected with Rickettsia parkeri, whereas at least 12 larvae and 1 nymph of I. pararicinus, collected from Troglodytes aedon, Turdus amaurochalinus, Turdus rufiventris, C. cucullatus and Zonotrichia capensis, were infected with an undescribed Rickettsia agent, genetically related to several rickettsial endosymbionts of ticks of the Ixodes ricinus complex. R. parkeri is a recognized human pathogen in several American countries including Argentina, where a recent study incriminated A. tigrinum as the potential vector of R. parkeri to humans. Birds could play an important role in dispersing R. parkeri-infected A. tigrinum ticks. Additionally, we report for the first time a rickettsial agent infecting I. pararicinus ticks.Algumas espécies de Rickettsia transmitidas por carrapatos são reconhecidos como patógenos humanos na Argentina. Este presente trabalho avaliou a infecção por Rickettsia em carrapatos coletados em aves passeriformes, durante 2011-2012, em duas ecorregiões da Argentina. Os carrapatos foram processados pela reação em cadeia da polimerase (PCR) e sequenciamento de DNA de dois genes de Rickettsia: gltA e ompA. Ao todo, 594 amostras de carrapatos (532 larvas e 62 ninfas), representando pelo menos 4 espécies (Amblyomma tigrinum, Ixodes pararicinus, Haemaphysalis juxtakochi, Haemaphysalis leporispalustris), foram avaliadas. Pelo menos uma larva de A. tigrinum, coletada de Coryphospingus cucullatus no Chaco Seco, estava infectada com Rickettsia parkeri, enquanto pelo menos 12 larvas e 1 ninfa de I. pararicinus, coletadas de Troglodytes aedon, Turdus amaurochalinus, Turdus rufiventris, C. cucullatus e Zonotrichia capensis estavam infectadas com Rickettsia sp., geneticamente relacionada a vários endossimbiontes riquetsiais de carrapatos do complexo Ixodes ricinus. R. parkeri é reconhecidamente um patógeno humano em alguns países americanos, incluindo a Argentina, onde um estudo recente incriminou A. tigrinum como um provável vetor. Aves poderiam desempenhar um papel importante na dispersão de carrapatos A. tigrinum infectados por R. parkeri. Em adição, relata-se pela primeira vez a infecção por Rickettsia em I. pararicinus.Fil: Flores, Fernando Sebastián. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Medicina. Instituto de Virología “Dr. J. M. Vanella”; ArgentinaFil: Borges Costa, Francisco. Universidade de Sao Paulo; BrasilFil: Nava, Santiago. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria. Centro Regional Santa Fe. Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Rafaela; ArgentinaFil: Diaz, Luis Adrian. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Córdoba. Instituto de Investigaciones Biológicas y Tecnológicas. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales. Instituto de Investigaciones Biológicas y Tecnológicas; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Medicina. Instituto de Virología “Dr. J. M. Vanella”; ArgentinaFil: Labruna, Marcelo Bahía. Universidade de Sao Paulo; Brasi

A survey for rickettsial agents on Rhipicephalus sanguineus (Ixodida, Ixodidae) ticks in Northeastern Brazil

No presente trabalho, foi pesquisada infecção riquetsial em amostras de sangue de 108 cães e 22 carrapatos Rhipicephalussanguineus (Ixodida, Ixodidae) coletados destes animais durante 2011 e 2012, em Patos, Estado da Paraíba, Nordestedo Brasil. As amostras de sangue foram examinadas pela reação de imunofluorescência indireta (RIFI) utilizando-seantígenos de seis isolados de Rickettsia do Brasil. Todos os 108 cães foram soronegativos para os antígenos de R.rickettsii, R. parkeri, R. amblyommii, R. felis, R. rhipicephali e R. bellii, sugerindo que a região estudada não é endêmicapara riquetsioses do grupo da febre maculosa. Dos 22 carrapatos R. sanguineus, R. felis foi detectada em um (4,5%)espécime por PCR do gene riquetsial gltA. São discutidas as possíveis implicações desse achado incomum na PCR.In this study, rickettsial infection was searched in 108 canine blood samples and 22 Rhipicephalus sanguineus (Ixodida,Ixodidae) ticks collected on these dogs during 2011 and 2012 in Patos municipality, state of Paraíba, northeasternBrazil. Blood samples were tested through indirect immunofluorescence assay (IFA) by using antigens of six Rickettsiaspecies isolates from Brazil. All 108 dogs tested seronegative for R. rickettsii, R. parkeri, R. amblyommii, R. felis, R.rhipicephali, and R. bellii antigens, suggesting a non-endemic status of the studied region for spotted fever ricketsiosis.Among 22 R. sanguineus ticks, R. felis was detected in one (4.5%) specimen by PCR targeting a portion of the rickettsialgltA gene. The possible implications of this unusual PCR finding are discussed

Infeção Genital por Chlamydia Trachomatis nos Adolescentes Portugueses

Adolescents (between 10 and 19 years old) are an age group with a high prevalence of sexually transmitted infections (STI), due to biological and socio-behavioural factors. In Portugal, adolescents show poor condom adherence, have multiple sexual partners, poor sex education and high reinfection rates. In this age group, genital infection by Chlamydia trachomatis is the most prevalent STI, whose asymptomatic course makes diagnosis and epidemiological control difficult. The aim of this study is to review the published data on prevalence of genital infection by Chlamydia trachomatis in Portuguese adolescents. In the Portuguese population studies, which are highly heterogeneous, a prevalence of between 2.23%-18.2% was found. Portuguese notification rates are lower than in other European countries. Moreover, national official data do not discriminate adolescents in their age ranges. Between 15-24 years old, 41 cases were identified in 2015 and 56 cases in 2016. According to the European Center for Disease Control, 116 and 167 cases from this age group were reported in Portugal in 2017 and 2018, respectively. Understanding the epidemiology of genital CT infection in Portuguese adolescents is almost impossible due to underdiagnosis, underreporting and non-isolation of adolescents in studied groups. A concerted effort at clinical and political level is therefore needed to devise an effective strategy to combat this infection in adolescents.Os adolescentes (entre os 10 e os 19 anos) são um grupo etário com elevada prevalência de infeções sexualmente transmissíveis (IST), devido aos seus fatores biológicos e socio-comportamentais. Em Portugal, os adolescentes revelam fraca adesão ao preservativo, têm múltiplos parceiros sexuais, deficiente educação sexual e altas taxas de reinfeção. Nesta faixa etária, a infeção genital por Chlamydia trachomatis é a IST mais prevalente, cujo curso assintomático dificulta o diagnóstico e controlo epidemiológico. Pretendeu-se rever os dados publicados de prevalência da infeção genital por Chlamydia trachomatis no grupo dos adolescentes portugueses. Nos estudos populacionais encontrados em Portugal, bastante heterogéneos entre si, verificou-se uma prevalência entre 2,23% e 18,2%. As taxas de notificação portuguesas são inferiores às dos restantes países europeus e os dados oficiais nacionais não discriminam a faixa etária dos adolescentes. Entre os 15-24 anos, foram notificados 41 casos em 2015 e 56 casos em 2016. Segundo o relatório do European Centre for Disease Control, foram notificados 116 e 167 casos na mesma faixa etária, em Portugal, em 2017 e 2018, respetivamente. A compreensão da epidemiologia da infeção genital por CT nos adolescentes portugueses é impossibilitada devido ao subdiagnóstico, à subnotificação e ao não isolamento dos adolescentes nos grupos de estudo. É assim necessário um esforço conjunto a nível clínico e político para que seja possível delinear uma estratégia eficaz no combate a esta infeção nos adolescentes

Impacts of climate change on the biogeography of three amnesic shellfish toxin producing diatom species

Harmful algal blooms (HABs) are considered one of the main risks for marine ecosystems and human health worldwide. Climate change is projected to induce significant changes in species geographic distribution, and, in this sense, it is paramount to accurately predict how it will affect toxin-producing microalgae. In this context, the present study was intended to project the potential biogeographical changes in habitat suitability and occurrence distribution of three key amnesic shellfish toxin (AST)-producing diatom species (i.e., Pseudo-nitzschia australis, P. seriata, and P. fraudulenta) under four different climate change scenarios (i.e., RCP-2.6, 4.5, 6.0, and 8.5) up to 2050 and 2100. For this purpose, we applied species distribution models (SDMs) using four abiotic predictors (i.e., sea surface temperature, salinity, current velocity, and bathymetry) in a MaxEnt framework. Overall, considerable contraction and potential extirpation were projected for all species at lower latitudes together with projected poleward expansions into higher latitudes, mainly in the northern hemisphere. The present study aims to contribute to the knowledge on the impacts of climate change on the biogeography of toxin-producing miinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Edgar Allan Poe na TV brasileira: domesticação e estrangeirização na tradução intersemiótica de A Máscara da Morte Rubra

A transposição de textos literários para o cinema e a TV é um fenômeno recorrente.  Nesse processo, várias estratégias tradutórias são usadas, dentre elas a domesticação e a estrangeirização. Neste trabalho, abordamos o uso dessas duas estratégias na tradução intersemiótica para a TV brasileira do conto “A Máscara da Morte Rubra”, de Edgar Allan Poe. Buscamos analisar de que modo elas estão presentes no texto traduzido para construir sentidos em um suporte semiótico diferente daquele em que o texto original foi publicado. Os principais resultados mostram que, embora usadas de forma desproporcional no texto de chegada, as duas estratégias colaboram para a aproximação entre textos e contextos de partida e chegada

Projecting future climate change-mediated impacts in Three Paralytic Shellfish Toxins-Producing dinoflagellate species

Simple Summary Harmful algal blooms present a particular risk for marine ecosystems and human health alike. In this sense, it is important to accurately predict how toxin-producing microalgae could be affected by future climate change. The present study applied species distribution models (SDMs) to project the potential changes in the habitat suitability and distribution of three key paralytic shellfish toxin (PST)-producing dinoflagellate species (i.e., Alexandrium catenella, A. minutum, and Gymnodinium catenatum), up to 2040/50 and 2090/2100, across four different greenhouse gas emission scenarios, and using four abiotic predictors (i.e., sea surface temperature, salinity, current velocity, and bathymetry). In general, considerable contractions were observed for all three species in the lower latitudes of their distribution, together with projected expansions into higher latitudes, particularly in the Northern Hemisphere. This study aims to entice further research on the future biogeographical impacts of climate change in toxin-producing microalgae species while, at the same time, helping to advise the correct environmental management of coastal habitats and ecosystems. Toxin-producing microalgae present a significant environmental risk for ecosystems and human societies when they reach concentrations that affect other aquatic organisms or human health. Harmful algal blooms (HAB) have been linked to mass wildlife die-offs and human food poisoning episodes, and climate change has the potential to alter the frequency, magnitude, and geographical extent of such events. Thus, a framework of species distribution models (SDMs), employing MaxEnt modeling, was used to project changes in habitat suitability and distribution of three key paralytic shellfish toxin (PST)-producing dinoflagellate species (i.e., Alexandrium catenella, A. minutum, and Gymnodinium catenatum), up to 2050 and 2100, across four representative concentration pathway scenarios (RCP-2.6, 4.5, 6.0, and 8.5; CMIP5). Despite slightly different responses at the regional level, the global habitat suitability has decreased for all the species, leading to an overall contraction in their tropical and sub-tropical ranges, while considerable expansions are projected in higher latitudes, particularly in the Northern Hemisphere, suggesting poleward distributional shifts. Such trends were exacerbated with increasing RCP severity. Yet, further research is required, with a greater assemblage of environmental predictors and improved occurrence datasets, to gain a more holistic understanding of the potential impacts of climate change on PST-producing species.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

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Extraction, selection and comparison of features for an effective automated computer-aided diagnosis of Parkinson's disease based on [123I]FP-CIT SPECT images

Purpose This work aimed to assess the potential of a set of features extracted from [I-123] FP-CIT SPECT brain images to be used in the computer-aided "in vivo" confirmation of dopaminergic degeneration and therefore to assist clinical decision to diagnose Parkinson's disease.Methods Seven features were computed from each brain hemisphere: five standard features related to uptake ratios on the striatum and two features related to the estimated volume and length of the striatal region with normal uptake. The features were tested on a dataset of 652 [I-123] FP-CIT SPECT brain images from the Parkinson's Progression Markers Initiative. The discrimination capacities of each feature individually and groups of features were assessed using three different machine learning techniques: support vector machines (SVM), k-nearest neighbors and logistic regression.Results Cross-validation results based on SVM have shown that, individually, the features that generated the highest accuracies were the length of the striatal region (96.5%), the putaminal binding potential (95.4%) and the striatal binding potential (93.9%) with no statistically significant differences among them. The highest classification accuracy was obtained using all features simultaneously (accuracy 97.9%, sensitivity 98% and specificity 97.6%). Generally, slightly better results were obtained using the SVM with no statistically significant difference to the other classifiers for most of the features.Conclusions The length of the striatal region uptake is clinically useful and highly valuable to confirm dopaminergic degeneration "in vivo" as an aid to the diagnosis of Parkinson's disease. It compares fairly well to the standard uptake ratio-based features, reaching, at least, similar accuracies and is easier to obtain automatically. Thus, we propose its day to day clinical use, jointly with the uptake ratio-based features, in the computer-aided diagnosis of dopaminergic degeneration in Parkinson's disease

THE BIBLIOMETRIC LAWS AND THE SCIENTIFIC PRODUCTION ON CAPITAL STRUCTURE IN BRAZILIAN JOURNALS

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