Typing of Enterococcus faecium by polymerase chain reaction and pulsed field gel electrophoresis

Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) with JB1 or REP consensus oligonucleotides and pulsed field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) were used to study genomic DNA extracted from 31 strains of enterococci. Eleven ATCC strains, representative of 11 species of Enterococcus, were initially tested by JB1-PCR, revealing that Enterococcus malodoratus and Enterococcus hirae presented identical banding patterns. Eight Enterococcus faecium isolates from Stanford University and 12 from São Paulo Hospital were studied by JB1-PCR, REP-PCR 1/2R and PFGE. Among the isolates from Stanford University, 5 genotypes were defined by JB1-PCR, 7 by REP-PCR 1/2R and 4 by PFGE. Among the isolates from São Paulo Hospital, 9 genotypes were identified by JB1-PCR, 6 by REP-PCR and 5 by PFGE. The three methods identified identical genotypes, but there was not complete agreement among them.Universidade Estadual de Maringá Centro de Ciências da Saúde Departamento de EnfermagemUniversidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP) Departamento de Doenças Infecciosas e ParasitáriasUNIFESP, Depto. de Doenças Infecciosas e ParasitáriasSciEL

Environmental permits and the mining enterprises desactivation in Sao Paulo State

Orientador: Hildebrando HerrmannDissertação (mestrado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Instituto de GeocienciasResumo: Este trabalho é focado no Estado de São Paulo, que possui uma grande quantidade de bens minerais utilizados principalmente na construção civil. Aborda aspectos desde a falta de regras legais que estabeleçam a devida capacitação aos agentes públicos para desenvolver seus trabalhos junto às empresas que exploram os recursos naturais, com seus reflexos nas decisões sobre o licenciamento ambiental, bem como a procura de uma melhor alternativa para o desenvolvimento de trabalhos junto às atividades minerarias para a minimização dos impactos ambientais. De início, as atividades desenvolvidas no Estado de São Paulo são caracterizadas conforme os bens produzidos, métodos de explotação e beneficiamento, impactos ambientais causados e propostas de medidas mitigadoras e um controle efetivo desses impactos. Depois disso, são estudados os deveres do empreendedor, bem como a obrigação de recuperação da área minerada e obtenção das autorizações necessárias para sua instalação e operação, onde é analisado o procedimento desenvolvido bem como seus aspectos legais, impactos ambientais e padrões de lançamento de poluentes no ambiente e manutenção da qualidade ambiental. Após, é discutido o encerramento da atividade, onde novos conflitos surgem, destacando-se as propostas de planos de fechamento, e casos de sucesso nesse sentido, abordados durante o desenvolvimento dos trabalhos, incluindo-se, também, a reabilitação e o uso futuro da área. Por fim, é proposto um novo procedimento para a análise dos pedidos de licenças ambientais, sua renovação, fechamento e recuperação de área degradada, cujos objetivos são os de evitar conflitos entre os órgãos responsáveis pela análise e concessão das licenças ambientais para o desenvolvimento das atividades minerais. As tarefas seriam desenvolvidas por um colegiado composto de agentes dos órgãos envolvidos, sendo que as decisões seriam tomadas em reunião agendada já na data da solicitação, onde os casos seriam discutidos e analisados. Este tipo de procedimento já é adotado para o licenciamento ambiental de empreendimentos habitacionais, onde o grupo se reúne e deve tomar as decisões e elaborar exigências em um curto espaço de tempo. Neste caso, observou-se que o tempo decorrido para a tomada de decisões foi menor, e que o procedimento na análise e elaboração de exigências foi mais eficienteAbstract: This study is focused on the mining activities in São Paulo State, which has a great amount of minerai goods used mainly in buildings. Since the lack of iegal rules that establish abilities for the public agents to develop their job joint the enterprises that explore natural resources, then its reflects in the decisions about giving permits and the search for the best alternative to develop works related to the mining activities and minimizations of environmental impacts. At this way, the start is given with the characterization of the activities with the goods that are produced, methods of extraction and processing, environmental impacts caused by them and proposals for the effective environmental impacts control. After that, the duties for the entrepreneur are studied, as well as the obligation in recover the mine area and obtain the legal permits for installation and operation, where is analyzed the procedure developed, the agencies involved as well as the legal aspects, environmental impacts and standards concerning to the discharge of the pollutants and environmental quality to be accomplished. Afterwards, the mine closure is discussed, where new conflicts are highlighted and new proposals of mine closure plans and success cases concerning these issues are studied, including rehabilitation and new uses for that places. At least, is proposed a new procedure which targets are avoid the conflicts between the agencies responsible for analyzing and giving the environmental permits to the mine extracting activities. The tasks would be developed by one group composed by agents from all the agencies involved, and the decisions would be make by all them at the same time, in a meeting where the cases would be discussed. This kind of procedure is already adopted when environmental permits for household undertakings are analyzed, and the group has to make a decision in a short period of time. Thus, the time for analysis and the achieve a decision in giving them an environmental permit, or not, is shorter than in the past, and the procedure became more efficientMestradoAdministração e Politica de Recursos MineraisMestre em Geociência

Impact of amoeba and scuticociliatidia infections on the aquaculture European sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax L.) in Portugal

In this work, a survey of sea bass, Dicentrarchus labrax, for amoebae and scuticociliatidia infections was carried out to evaluate their effects on the aquaculture of this fish species. The study was conducted in two different fish farms, one using seawater and the other brackish water. Infection with parasitic amoebae was found to be fairly high (prevalence: 43-73%), being more frequent in sea bass from the brackish water system. Although it was never found to cause outbreaks of disease or mortality in the surveyed fish, amoebic gill disease (AGD) histopathological signs, i.e., hyperplasia, secondary lamellae fusion and cavity formation (interlamellar vesicles), were observed in fish manifesting no macroscopic lesions. Furthermore, some evidence was found that amoebae affects the fish's general state of health and growth rate. These results indicate that cautious and detailed surveys to detect this sort of infection, and thus carefully plan its control, are fully justified. Compared with amoebic infection, the prevalence of scuticociliatosis was found to be low (7-13%). No outbreaks of disease or mortality were ever recorded, even when scuticociliatidia was present in turbot raised in the same water system, leading to serious outbreaks of disease and mortalities in that species. This suggests that sea bass is far more resistant than turbot to such infections, and if this is the case, the former fish may be a good farming alternative when scuticociliatidia is present

Difficult diagnosis of a neurogenic thoracic outlet syndrome and review of the current literature

Thoracic outlet syndrome (TOS) is an uncommon disorder, without a clear clinical presentation or a fully accepted definition. The patients usually present a set of symptoms arising from compression of the brachial plexus or subclavian vessels during their passage through the thorax, between the base of the cervical region and the axilla. The authors present a case of a 20 year old woman with sporadic paresthesia in the territory of C7-T1 nerve root. At the physical examination she had a positive Wright's test. The imaging studies revealed the presence of a right cervical rib. A partial rib resection was performed with exploration of the braquial plexus and at the current follow up; 24 months after the surgery, the patient is asymptomatic. Our objective is to present a case of TOS and to highlight the clinical-management and treatment challenges of this pathology.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Enabling sustainable food transitions in schools : a systemic approach

Purpose Recent reviews and reports have highlighted the need for integrated, context-specific efforts to enable sustainable food transitions. This study aimed to identify pathways to promote healthier and more environmentally friendly food practices in school contexts, with a focus on increased plant-based eating. Design/methodology/approach The study used a systemic approach with data collected from relevant stakeholders in an EU country (Portugal) at diverse levels of influence in the school meals system (i.e. proximal, intermediate, distal; from end-consumers to food providers, market actors, civil society organizations, and policy and decision-makers). Data from individual interviews (N = 33) were subjected to thematic analysis. Findings Meat-centric cultural perceptions of a 'proper meal' can be a socio-emotional barrier for sustainable food transitions in schools. Main pathways identified to unlock these transitions included: (1) Levering orientations toward ethical and environmentally beneficial consumption; (2) Improving and increasing the offer of plant-based meals; and (3) Mobilizing local communities and society. Originality/value The current findings suggest that promoting healthier and more environmentally friendly food practices in schools requires systemic, integrated approaches which focus on food consumption, food provision, and the broader political and sociocultural environment.Peer reviewe

De novo AML exhibits greater microenvironment dysregulation compared to AML with myelodysplasia-related changes

The interaction between the bone marrow microenvironment and malignant hematopoietic cells can result in the protection of leukemia cells from chemotherapy in both myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) and acute myeloid leukemia (AML). We, herein, characterized the changes in cytokine expression and the function of mesenchymal stromal cells (MSC) in patients with MDS, AML with myelodysplasia-related changes (MRC), a well-recognized clinical subtype of secondary AML, and de novo AML. We observed a significant inhibitory effect of MDS-MSC on T-lymphocyte proliferation and no significant differences in any of the cytokines tested. AML-MSC inhibited T-cell proliferation only at a very low MSC/T cell ratio. When compared to the control, AML-MRC-derived MSC presented a significant increase in IL6 expression, whereas de novo AML MSC presented a significant increase in the expression levels of VEGFA, CXCL12, RPGE2, IDO, IL1 beta, IL6 and IL32, followed by a decrease in IL10 expression. Furthermore, data indicate that IL-32 regulates stromal cell proliferation, has a chemotactic potential and participates in stromal cell crosstalk with leukemia cells, which could result in chemoresistance. Our results suggest that the differences between AML-MRC and de novo AML also extend into the leukemic stem cell niche and that IL-32 can participate in the regulation of the bone marrow cytokine milieu.Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Cientifico e Tecnologico (CNPq)Fundacao de Amparo a Pesquisa do Estado de Sao Paulo (FAPESP)Univ Estadual Campinas, Hematol & Transfus Med Ctr, Hemoctr Unicamp, Inst Nacl Ciencia & Tecnol Sangue, Sao Paulo, BrazilUniv Sao Paulo, Ribeirao Preto Med Sch, Dept Internal Med, Sao Paulo, BrazilUniv Fed Sao Paulo, Dept Biol Sci, Sao Paulo, BrazilFed Univ Vale do Sao Francisco, Paulo Afonso, BA, BrazilUniv Fed Sao Paulo, Dept Biol Sci, Sao Paulo, BrazilWeb of Scienc

Participation in Organizations B the Contribution to Academic Education using Social Intervention Methodologies

In the search for solutions that enhance the quality of life entrepreneurship stands out as the process of creating something different and with value having the entrepreneur as the main factor promoting the economic and social development of a country The university extension is an example of the changes occurring in the academic field corresponding to an educational and scientific process with a differentiated knowledge that transforms society relating academic and have experiences using theory and putting it into practice This article demonstrates the contribution of academic education using social intervention methodologies Thus the importance of entrepreneurship and social business for the economic and social development of local actors deprived of entrepreneurial opportunities promoted through the dynamics of university extensio

Physiological and Metabolic Responses of Marine Mussels Exposed to Toxic Cyanobacteria Microcystis aeruginosa and Chrysosporum ovalisporum

Toxic cyanobacterial blooms are a major contaminant in inland aquatic ecosystems. Furthermore, toxic blooms are carried downstream by rivers and waterways to estuarine and coastal ecosystems. Concerning marine and estuarine animal species, very little is known about how these species are affected by the exposure to freshwater cyanobacteria and cyanotoxins. So far, most of the knowledge has been gathered from freshwater bivalve molluscs. This work aimed to infer the sensitivity of the marine mussel Mytilus galloprovincialis to single as well as mixed toxic cyanobacterial cultures and the underlying molecular responses mediated by toxic cyanobacteria. For this purpose, a mussel exposure experiment was outlined with two toxic cyanobacteria species, Microcystis aeruginosa and Chrysosporum ovalisporum at 1 × 105 cells/mL, resembling a natural cyanobacteria bloom. The estimated amount of toxins produced by M. aeruginosa and C. ovalisporum were respectively 0.023 pg/cell of microcystin-LR (MC-LR) and 7.854 pg/cell of cylindrospermopsin (CYN). After 15 days of exposure to single and mixed cyanobacteria, a depuration phase followed, during which mussels were fed only non-toxic microalga Parachlorella kessleri. The results showed that the marine mussel is able to filter toxic cyanobacteria at a rate equal or higher than the non-toxic microalga P. kessleri. Filtration rates observed after 15 days of feeding toxic microalgae were 1773.04 mL/ind.h (for M. aeruginosa), 2151.83 mL/ind.h (for C. ovalisporum), 1673.29 mL/ind.h (for the mixture of the 2 cyanobacteria) and 2539.25 mL/ind.h (for the non-toxic P. kessleri). Filtering toxic microalgae in combination resulted in the accumulation of 14.17 ng/g dw MC-LR and 92.08 ng/g dw CYN. Other physiological and biochemical endpoints (dry weight, byssus production, total protein and glycogen) measured in this work did not change significantly in the groups exposed to toxic cyanobacteria with regard to control group, suggesting that mussels were not affected with the toxic microalgae. Nevertheless, proteomics revealed changes in metabolism of mussels related to diet, specially evident in those fed on combined cyanobacteria. Changes in metabolic pathways related with protein folding and stabilization, cytoskeleton structure, and gene transcription/translation were observed after exposure and feeding toxic cyanobacteria. These changes occur in vital metabolic processes and may contribute to protect mussels from toxic effects of the toxins MC-LR and CYNPortuguese Science Foundation and under the Projects MOREBIVALVES (PTDC/ASP-PES/31762/2017) and UID/Multi/04423/2013NORTE 2020, Portugal 2020 and the European Union through the ERDF, and by FCT. Moreover, Project AGL2015-64558-RMINECO/FEDER, UE, and the grant FPI (BES-2016–078773