Modelagem Fuzzy Aplicada à Análise da Paisagem: Uma proposta para o diagnóstico ambiental participativo

This paper aims to show the use of fuzzy logic as inference tool to decision support in analyzes of the landscape. For this, was created a mathematical model in order to express more realistically the environmental condition of the landscape. Through the construction of a environmental quality fuzzy index for the landscape, with emphasis on physical, biotic and social environments, as well as weighting criteria (severity, significance and magnitude), it was possible to articulate a method to evaluation harmful human actions to the environment, which are often subjectively treated, by the presence of uncertainty and personal considerations...Keywords: Landscape; Fuzzy; Jundiai-Mirim River. O presente artigo tem a finalidade de mostrar a utilização da Lógica Fuzzy como ferramenta de inferência no suporte à decisão em análises da paisagem. Para tanto, foi criado um modelo matemático visando expressar de forma mais realista a condição ambiental da paisagem. Por meio da construção de um índice fuzzy de qualidade ambiental para a paisagem, contemplando os meios físico, biótico e antrópico, bem como critérios de ponderação (severidade, significância e magnitude), foi possível articular um método de avaliação das ações antrópicas prejudiciais ao meio ambiente, que muitas vezes são tratadas de forma subjetiva, pela presença de incertezas e ponderações pessoais...Palavras-Chaves: Paisagem; Fuzzy; Rio Jundiai-Mirim

High seroprevalence of Leishmania infantum is linked to immune activation in people with HIV: a two-stage cross-sectional study in Bahia, Brazil

Visceral leishmaniasis is an opportunistic disease in HIV-1 infected individuals, unrecognized as a determining factor for AIDS diagnosis. The growing geographical overlap of HIV-1 and Leishmania infections is an emerging challenge worldwide, as co-infection increases morbidity and mortality for both infections. Here, we determined the prevalence of people living with HIV (PWH) with a previous or ongoing infection by Leishmania infantum and investigated the virological and immunological factors associated with co-infection. We adopted a two-stage cross-sectional cohort (CSC) design (CSC-I, n = 5,346 and CSC-II, n = 317) of treatment-naïve HIV-1-infected individuals in Bahia, Brazil. In CSC-I, samples collected between 1998 and 2013 were used for serological screening for leishmaniasis by an in-house Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) with SLA (Soluble Leishmania infantum Antigen), resulting in a prevalence of previous or ongoing infection of 16.27%. Next, 317 PWH were prospectively recruited from July 2014 to December 2015 with the collection of sociodemographic and clinical data. Serological validation by two different immunoassays confirmed a prevalence of 15.46 and 8.20% by anti-SLA, and anti-HSP70 serology, respectively, whereas 4.73% were double-positive (DP). Stratification of these 317 individuals in DP and double-negative (DN) revealed a significant reduction of CD4+ counts and CD4+/CD8+ ratios and a tendency of increased viral load in the DP group, as compared to DN. No statistical differences in HIV-1 subtype distribution were observed between the two groups. However, we found a significant increase of CXCL10 (p = 0.0076) and a tendency of increased CXCL9 (p = 0.061) in individuals with DP serology, demonstrating intensified immune activation in this group. These findings were corroborated at the transcriptome level in independent Leishmania- and HIV-1-infected cohorts (Swiss HIV Cohort and Piaui Northeast Brazil Cohort), indicating that CXCL10 transcripts are shared by the IFN-dominated immune activation gene signatures of both pathogens and positively correlated to viral load in untreated PWH. This study demonstrated a high prevalence of PWH with L. infantum seropositivity in Bahia, Brazil, linked to IFN-mediated immune activation and a significant decrease in CD4+ levels. Our results highlight the urgent need to increase awareness and define public health strategies for the management and prevention of HIV-1 and L. infantum co-infection

O Orfeu de carapinha rendido à musa de Guiné: a burlesca poética de Luiz Gama e o ideário de branqueamento racial no império do Brasil

The article has as its object of analysis Primeiras Trovas Burlescas de Getulino (1859), one of the pioneer works on anti-slavery literature in Brazilian literature, authored by Luiz Gama, black poet, egress of slavery and abolitionist leader. The aim is to discuss the way in which the poetry in question constructs the image of black ethnicity and dialogues with the discourse of racial inferiority and the population whitening thesis, in force during the brazilian Empire.O artigo tem como objeto de análise a obra Primeiras Trovas Burlescas de Getulino (1859), uma das pioneiras da literatura antiescravista nas letras brasileiras, de autoria de Luiz Gama, poeta negro, egresso da escravidão e líder abolicionista. Busca-se discutir a maneira como as poesias em questão constroem a imagem da etnia negra e dialogam com o discurso de inferioridade racial e a tese de branqueamento da população, vigentes no Brasil Império

Fatores associados à não adesão aos antirretrovirais em adultos com AIDS nos seis primeiros meses da terapia em Salvador, Bahia, Brasil

O controle da replica&#231;&#227;o viral &#233; essencial na terapia antirretroviral altamente potente (TARV) e a ades&#227;o ao tratamento &#233; o fundamento para esse controle. Fatores individuais e externos influenciam a ades&#227;o aos antirretrovirais (ARV). Estudo transversal para investigar fatores associados &#224; n&#227;o ades&#227;o &#224; TARV, em indiv&#237;duos com AIDS em Salvador, Bahia, Brasil, com idade &#8805; 13 anos e primeira prescri&#231;&#227;o em 2009. Dados coletados em prontu&#225;rios e registros da farm&#225;cia. Dos 216 pacientes, 65,3% eram homens; idade m&#233;dia 37,8 &#177; 9,5 anos, solteiros 67,9%; heterossexuais 64%; > 8 anos de estudo 65,3%, etilistas 61,5% e n&#227;o relatou tabagismo 75,1% ou uso de drogas 93,7%. Iniciaram a TARV com TCD4+ < 350 c&#233;lulas/mm3 94%, 61,8% sintom&#225;ticos e 68,4% apresentaram rea&#231;&#227;o adversa ao medicamento. Preval&#234;ncia de n&#227;o ades&#227;o 25%. Vari&#225;veis associadas: maior tempo entre o diagn&#243;stico de infec&#231;&#227;o pelo HIV e a AIDS (aOR = 3,9), rea&#231;&#227;o adversa ao medicamento (aOR = 2,4), idade menor que 34 anos (aOR = 2,2), menos que 8 anos de estudo (aOR = 2,2) e uso de drogas (aOR = 2,6). A alta taxa de n&#227;o ades&#227;o &#233; um problema importante nos seis primeiros meses da TARV

Genomic Detection of the Emerging, Highly Pathogenic HIV-1 Subtype D in Bahia, Northeast Brazil

(1) Background: The HIV subtype D is generally associated with a faster decline in CD4+ T cell counts, a higher viral load, and a faster progression to AIDS. However, it is still poorly characterized in Brazil. In this study, we used genomics and epidemiological data to investigate the transmission dynamics of HIV subtype D in the state of Bahia, Northeast Brazil. (2) Methods: To achieve this goal, we obtained four novel HIV-1 subtype D partial pol genome sequences using the Sanger method. To understand the emergence of this novel subtype in the state of Bahia, we used phylodynamic analysis on a dataset comprising 3704 pol genome sequences downloaded from the Los Alamos database. (3) Results: Our analysis revealed three branching patterns, indicating multiple introductions of the HIV-1 subtype D in Brazil from the late 1980s to the late 2000s and a single introduction event in the state of Bahia. Our data further suggest that these introductions most likely originated from European, Eastern African, Western African, and Southern African countries. (4) Conclusion: Understanding the distribution of HIV-1 viral strains and their temporal dynamics is crucial for monitoring the real-time evolution of circulating subtypes and recombinant forms, as well as for designing novel diagnostic and vaccination strategies. We advocate for a shift to active surveillance, to ensure adequate preparedness for future epidemics mediated by emerging viral strains

Table_2_High seroprevalence of Leishmania infantum is linked to immune activation in people with HIV: a two-stage cross-sectional study in Bahia, Brazil.XLSX

Visceral leishmaniasis is an opportunistic disease in HIV-1 infected individuals, unrecognized as a determining factor for AIDS diagnosis. The growing geographical overlap of HIV-1 and Leishmania infections is an emerging challenge worldwide, as co-infection increases morbidity and mortality for both infections. Here, we determined the prevalence of people living with HIV (PWH) with a previous or ongoing infection by Leishmania infantum and investigated the virological and immunological factors associated with co-infection. We adopted a two-stage cross-sectional cohort (CSC) design (CSC-I, n = 5,346 and CSC-II, n = 317) of treatment-naïve HIV-1-infected individuals in Bahia, Brazil. In CSC-I, samples collected between 1998 and 2013 were used for serological screening for leishmaniasis by an in-house Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) with SLA (Soluble Leishmania infantum Antigen), resulting in a prevalence of previous or ongoing infection of 16.27%. Next, 317 PWH were prospectively recruited from July 2014 to December 2015 with the collection of sociodemographic and clinical data. Serological validation by two different immunoassays confirmed a prevalence of 15.46 and 8.20% by anti-SLA, and anti-HSP70 serology, respectively, whereas 4.73% were double-positive (DP). Stratification of these 317 individuals in DP and double-negative (DN) revealed a significant reduction of CD4+ counts and CD4+/CD8+ ratios and a tendency of increased viral load in the DP group, as compared to DN. No statistical differences in HIV-1 subtype distribution were observed between the two groups. However, we found a significant increase of CXCL10 (p = 0.0076) and a tendency of increased CXCL9 (p = 0.061) in individuals with DP serology, demonstrating intensified immune activation in this group. These findings were corroborated at the transcriptome level in independent Leishmania- and HIV-1-infected cohorts (Swiss HIV Cohort and Piaui Northeast Brazil Cohort), indicating that CXCL10 transcripts are shared by the IFN-dominated immune activation gene signatures of both pathogens and positively correlated to viral load in untreated PWH. This study demonstrated a high prevalence of PWH with L. infantum seropositivity in Bahia, Brazil, linked to IFN-mediated immune activation and a significant decrease in CD4+ levels. Our results highlight the urgent need to increase awareness and define public health strategies for the management and prevention of HIV-1 and L. infantum co-infection.</p

Table_1_High seroprevalence of Leishmania infantum is linked to immune activation in people with HIV: a two-stage cross-sectional study in Bahia, Brazil.DOCX

Visceral leishmaniasis is an opportunistic disease in HIV-1 infected individuals, unrecognized as a determining factor for AIDS diagnosis. The growing geographical overlap of HIV-1 and Leishmania infections is an emerging challenge worldwide, as co-infection increases morbidity and mortality for both infections. Here, we determined the prevalence of people living with HIV (PWH) with a previous or ongoing infection by Leishmania infantum and investigated the virological and immunological factors associated with co-infection. We adopted a two-stage cross-sectional cohort (CSC) design (CSC-I, n = 5,346 and CSC-II, n = 317) of treatment-naïve HIV-1-infected individuals in Bahia, Brazil. In CSC-I, samples collected between 1998 and 2013 were used for serological screening for leishmaniasis by an in-house Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) with SLA (Soluble Leishmania infantum Antigen), resulting in a prevalence of previous or ongoing infection of 16.27%. Next, 317 PWH were prospectively recruited from July 2014 to December 2015 with the collection of sociodemographic and clinical data. Serological validation by two different immunoassays confirmed a prevalence of 15.46 and 8.20% by anti-SLA, and anti-HSP70 serology, respectively, whereas 4.73% were double-positive (DP). Stratification of these 317 individuals in DP and double-negative (DN) revealed a significant reduction of CD4+ counts and CD4+/CD8+ ratios and a tendency of increased viral load in the DP group, as compared to DN. No statistical differences in HIV-1 subtype distribution were observed between the two groups. However, we found a significant increase of CXCL10 (p = 0.0076) and a tendency of increased CXCL9 (p = 0.061) in individuals with DP serology, demonstrating intensified immune activation in this group. These findings were corroborated at the transcriptome level in independent Leishmania- and HIV-1-infected cohorts (Swiss HIV Cohort and Piaui Northeast Brazil Cohort), indicating that CXCL10 transcripts are shared by the IFN-dominated immune activation gene signatures of both pathogens and positively correlated to viral load in untreated PWH. This study demonstrated a high prevalence of PWH with L. infantum seropositivity in Bahia, Brazil, linked to IFN-mediated immune activation and a significant decrease in CD4+ levels. Our results highlight the urgent need to increase awareness and define public health strategies for the management and prevention of HIV-1 and L. infantum co-infection.</p