Environmental health : reflexions of the Brazilian Association of Post-Graduation in Collective Health - ABRASCO

O Brasil, apesar de sua extraordinária biodiversidade e do enorme potencial instalado para desenvolver ações integradas na temática do ambiente, não tem dado, do ponto de vista programático, a prioridade que o tema ambiente merece. A Associação Brasileira de Pós-Graduação em Saúde Coletiva-ABRASCO reconheceu a importância de organizar um Grupo Temático “Saúde e Ambiente” para, de maneira mais organizada, participar da luta pelo desenvolvimento sustentável, através da ação política no campo da saúde coletiva, em busca de ambientes saudáveis e da promoção da saúde. O objetivo principal deste Grupo Temático-GT foi contribuir para que o tema da saúde ambiental seja internalizado no campo da Saúde Coletiva. Método: O Grupo escolheu três eixos para discussão em uma oficina do V Congresso Brasileiro de Epidemiologia, em Curitiba, no ano de 2002. O resultado resultado do debate ocorrido foi apresentado segundo três eixos: identificação do campo teórico-conceitual em Saúde Ambiente; a política de saúde e ambiente; o caminho metodológico. A conclusão foi apresentada no formato de uma agenda do GT para o biênio 2002-2004. _______________________________________________________________________________________ ABSTRACTNot with standing its extraordinary biodiversity and enormous installed potential to develop actions integrated in to the topic of environmental health, Brazil has not given the environmental the priority the subject deserves from the programmatic, point of view. The Brazilian Association of Post-Graduation in Collective Health - ABRASCO recognized the importance of organizing a Thematic Group “Health and Environment” in order to, in a more organized fashion, participate in the struggle for sustainable development, through political action in collective health, oriented to wards health environments and health promotion. The main objective of this Thematic Group was to facilitate the subject of the environmental health to be internalized in to the field of the Collective Health. Method: The theme was debated in a workshop during the V Brazilian Congress of Epidemiology in Curitiba, in 2002. Results were presented according to three axes: 1- Identification of the theoretical-conceptual field in Environmental Health; 2- the politics of health and environment; 3- methodological route. The general conclusion was presented as an agenda for ABRASCO’s Thematic Group in Environmental Health for the biennial 2002-2004

Autoimmune and autoinflammatory mechanisms in uveitis

The eye, as currently viewed, is neither immunologically ignorant nor sequestered from the systemic environment. The eye utilises distinct immunoregulatory mechanisms to preserve tissue and cellular function in the face of immune-mediated insult; clinically, inflammation following such an insult is termed uveitis. The intra-ocular inflammation in uveitis may be clinically obvious as a result of infection (e.g. toxoplasma, herpes), but in the main infection, if any, remains covert. We now recognise that healthy tissues including the retina have regulatory mechanisms imparted by control of myeloid cells through receptors (e.g. CD200R) and soluble inhibitory factors (e.g. alpha-MSH), regulation of the blood retinal barrier, and active immune surveillance. Once homoeostasis has been disrupted and inflammation ensues, the mechanisms to regulate inflammation, including T cell apoptosis, generation of Treg cells, and myeloid cell suppression in situ, are less successful. Why inflammation becomes persistent remains unknown, but extrapolating from animal models, possibilities include differential trafficking of T cells from the retina, residency of CD8(+) T cells, and alterations of myeloid cell phenotype and function. Translating lessons learned from animal models to humans has been helped by system biology approaches and informatics, which suggest that diseased animals and people share similar changes in T cell phenotypes and monocyte function to date. Together the data infer a possible cryptic infectious drive in uveitis that unlocks and drives persistent autoimmune responses, or promotes further innate immune responses. Thus there may be many mechanisms in common with those observed in autoinflammatory disorders

Scans for signatures of selection in Russian cattle breed genomes reveal new candidate genes for environmental adaptation and acclimation

Domestication and selective breeding has resulted in over 1000 extant cattle breeds. Many of these breeds do not excel in important traits but are adapted to local environments. These adaptations are a valuable source of genetic material for efforts to improve commercial breeds. As a step toward this goal we identified candidate regions to be under selection in genomes of nine Russian native cattle breeds adapted to survive in harsh climates. After comparing our data to other breeds of European and Asian origins we found known and novel candidate genes that could potentially be related to domestication, economically important traits and environmental adaptations in cattle. The Russian cattle breed genomes contained regions under putative selection with genes that may be related to adaptations to harsh environments (e.g., AQP5, RAD50, and RETREG1). We found genomic signatures of selective sweeps near key genes related to economically important traits, such as the milk production (e.g., DGAT1, ABCG2), growth (e.g., XKR4), and reproduction (e.g., CSF2). Our data point to candidate genes which should be included in future studies attempting to identify genes to improve the extant breeds and facilitate generation of commercial breeds that fit better into the environments of Russia and other countries with similar climates

Acute hepatitis C virus infection assessment among chronic hemodialysis patients in the Southwest Parana State, Brazil

BACKGROUND: Chronic hemodialysis patients are at higher risk for acquiring hepatitis C virus (HCV). The prevalence varies among different countries and hemodialysis centers. Although guidelines for a comprehensive infection control program exist, the nosocomial transmission still accounts for the new cases of infection. The aim of this study was analyze the follow up of newly acquired acute hepatitis C cases, during the period from January 2002 to May 2005, in the Hemodialysis Center, located in the Southwest region of Parana State, Brazil and to analyze the effectiveness of the measures to restrain the appearance of new cases of acute hepatitis C. METHODS: Patients were analyzed monthly with anti-HCV tests and ALT measurements. Patients with ALT elevations were monitored for possible acute hepatitis C. RESULTS: During this period, 32 new cases were identified with acute hepatitis C virus infection. Blood screening showed variable ALT levels preceding the anti-HCV seroconversion. HCV RNA viremia by PCR analysis was intermittently and even negative in some cases. Ten out of 32 patients received 1 mcg/kg dose of pegylated interferon alfa-2b treatment for 24 weeks. All dialysis personnel were re-trained to strictly follow the regulations and recommendations regarding infection control, proper methods to clean and disinfect equipment were reviewed and HCV-positive patients were isolated. CONCLUSION: Laboratory tests results showed variable ALT preceding anti-HCV seroconversion and intermittent viremia. The applied recommendations contributed importantly to restrain the appearance of new cases of acute hepatitis C in this center and the last case was diagnosed in May 2004

The inventory of geological heritage of the state of São Paulo, Brazil: Methodological basis, results and perspectives

An inventory of geological sites based on solid and clear criteria is a first step for any geoconservation strategy. This paper describes the method used in the geoheritage inventory of the State of São Paulo, Brazil, and presents its main results. This inventory developed by the geoscientific community aimed to identify geosites with scientific value in the whole state, using a systematic approach. All 142 geosites representative of 11 geological frameworks were characterised and quantitatively evaluated according to their scientific value and risk of degradation, in order to establish priorities for their future management. An online database of the inventory is under construction, which will be available to be easily consulted and updated by the geoscientific community. All data were made available to the State Geological Institute as the backbone for the implementation of a future state geoconservation strategy.The authors acknowledge the Science Without Borders Programme, Process 075/2012, which supported this study and the São Paulo Research Foundation (FAPESP), Process 2011/17261-6. We also thanks C. Mazoca for his help with maps and figures.info:eu-repo/semantics/acceptedVersio