Anti-Anopheles darlingi saliva antibodies as marker of Plasmodium vivax infection and clinical immunity in the Brazilian Amazon

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Despite governmental and private efforts on providing malaria control, this disease continues to be a major health threat. Thus, innovative strategies are needed to reduce disease burden. The malaria vectors, through the injection of saliva into the host skin, play important role on disease transmission and may influence malaria morbidity. This study describes the humoral immune response against <it>Anopheles (An.) darlingi </it>saliva in volunteers from the Brazilian Amazon and addresses the association between levels of specific antibodies and clinical presentation of <it>Plasmodium (P.) vivax </it>infection.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Adult volunteers from communities in the Rondônia State, Brazil, were screened in order to assess the presence of <it>P. vivax </it>infection by light microscopy and nested PCR. Non-infected volunteers and individuals with symptomatic or symptomless infection were randomly selected and plasma collected. <it>An. darlingi </it>salivary gland sonicates (SGS) were prepared and used to measure anti-saliva antibody levels. Plasma interleukin (IL)-10 and interferon (IFN)-γ levels were also estimated and correlated to anti-SGS levels.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Individuals infected with <it>P. vivax </it>presented higher levels of anti-SGS than non-infected individuals and antibody levels could discriminate infection. Furthermore, anti-saliva antibody measurement was also useful to distinguish asymptomatic infection from non-infection, with a high likelihood ratio. Interestingly, individuals with asymptomatic parasitaemia presented higher titers of anti-SGS and lower IFN-γ/IL-10 ratio than symptomatic ones. In <it>P. vivax</it>-infected asymptomatic individuals, the IFN-γ/IL-10 ratio was inversely correlated to anti-SGS titers, although not for while in symptomatic volunteers.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>The estimation of anti-<it>An. darlingi </it>antibody levels can indicate the probable <it>P. vivax </it>infection status and also could serve as a marker of disease severity in this region of Brazilian Amazon.</p

Ministério Público e políticas de saúde: implicações de sua atuação resolutiva e demandista

Neste artigo, são analisadas as possibilidades de contribuição do Ministério Público em favor da efetividade do direito à saúde conforme o uso dos instrumentos de atuação judicial e extrajudicial. Levaram-se em conta as características das políticas de saúde brasileiras e os arranjos institucionais do SUS para examinar os efeitos das diferentes estratégias que vêm sendo utilizadas pelo órgão no desempenho de suas atribuições. Buscou-se, ainda, identificar as características da atuação do Ministério Público de Minas Gerais. Desenvolveu-se estudo interdisciplinar, partindo de revisão da literatura por meio de pesquisas às bases SciELO, Bireme e Capes e consulta a obras de referência. Para identificar a forma de atuação do Ministério Público de Minas Gerais, foram pesquisados os atos normativos da instituição que trataram sobre defesa da saúde publicados na imprensa oficial até 31/12/2012. Também foram examinados dados sobre procedimentos registrados entre 01/01/2008 e 31/12/2012. Constatou-se que a atuação extrajudicial do Ministério Público mostra-se mais adequada do que a judicial para lidar com a complexidade do direito à saúde e das políticas de saúde no Brasil. Identificou-se que o Ministério Público de Minas Gerais prioriza instrumentos de atuação extrajudicial e tem a judicialização como medida de exceção.In this article, we analyze the potential contributions of the Public Ministry to effectively promote the right to health according to the use of judicial and extrajudicial action instruments. The characteristics of Brazilian health policies and of Brazilian national public health system (SUS) institutional arrangements were considered to assess the effects of different strategies that have been used by the Public Ministry in the performance of its duties. Furthermore, this article aimed at identifying the performance features of the Public Ministry of Minas Gerais. An interdisciplinary study was undertaken using literature reviews through searches of SciELO, Bireme, and Capes databases and by consulting reference works. To identify the performance of the Public Ministry of Minas Gerais, the normative acts of the institution related to health protection, published in the official press until December 31, 2012, as well as data on procedures registered between January 1, 2008 and December 31, 2012 were examined. It was concluded that the extrajudicial role of the Public Ministry proves to be more appropriate than its judicial role to deal with the complexity of the right to health and health policies in Brazil. Moreover, the Public Ministry of Minas Gerais prioritizes extrajudicial instruments and uses legalization as an exceptional measure

Advanced maneuvers in neonatal resuscitation at a hospital in the amazon region: associated factors: Manobras avançadas de reanimação neonatal em um hospital da região amazônica: fatores associados

Objective: To analyze among newborns that required resuscitation the probability of chances between the need for advanced procedures and demographic and obstetric characteristics, use of substances and intercurrences during pregnancy. Methods: Descriptive and multivariate analytical study, carried out in a maternity hospital in the Amazon region. All medical records of newborns in 2018 were researched, and those with missing data and Cook’s distance &lt;0,20 were excluded. The remaining were divided by the intervention performed: positive pressure ventilation or advanced maneuvers (orotracheal intubation, direct laryngoscopy, cardiac massage, drugs or CPAP mask). The variables analyzed were demographic and obstetric characteristics, use of substances and intercurrences during pregnancy. Logistic regression was used to derive unadjusted and adjusted odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals. Results: 1611 infants went through resuscitation. Out of them, 217 were excluded, due to missing data and Cook’s distance &lt;0,20. 41,2% of the the remaining 1394 required advanced maneuvers. Adjusted odds ratio revealed significant association between needing advanced resuscitation and low gestational age (5 times higher chances), 5th minute Apgar &lt;7 (28 times higher chances), tobacco (9 times higher chances), small for gestational age (6 times higher chances), low birth weight (4-5 times higher chances), meconium (double chances), not specified gestational intercurrences (3 times higher chances) and absence of gestational diabetes (6 times higher chances). Conclusions: Prematurity, low birth weight, 5th minute Apgar &lt;7, small for gestational age, meconium and tobacco were associated with higher chances of advanced maneuvers

USE OF CASTOR OIL PLANT PIE FOR SOLID BIOFUEL PRODUCTION

The objective of this study was the characterization, analysis and compaction of residues from castor oil plant pie extraction to verify its potential as solid biofuel. The chemical analysis, the mechanical test and the gross calorific value had satisfactory results. With the extraction of residual oil of the material there was a decrease on the high heating value. The produced briquettes presented good longitudinal expansion as well as mechanical strenght, however the presence of residual oil had influence on their strenght. In conclusion, the castor oil plant pie possesses  energetic characteristics suitable for solid biofuel production, in addition it contributes with the reduction of industrial waste amount

Correlação entre a exposição a medicamentos e suplementos vitamínicos durante a gravidez e o risco de desenvolvimento de autismo na prole

Transtorno do Espectro Autista (TEA) é uma condição que afeta o desenvolvimento neurológico do indivíduo. Apesar de não haver a causa exata do autismo, tenta-se entender se seu aparecimento pode estar relacionado a fatores externos. Assim, a presente revisão integrativa tem como objetivo entender se o uso de medicamentos e suplementos vitamínicos durante a gravidez influencia o desenvolvimento de Transtorno de Espectro Autista (TEA) pela prole. Para isso, foram pesquisados artigos no Pubmed e na Biblioteca Virtual de Saúde considerando como critério de inclusão artigos disponíveis de forma gratuita e completa, artigos de ensaios clínicos, em idiomas português ou inglês e publicados nos últimos 10 anos. A partir da análise dos 18 artigos selecionados, conclui-se que os fármacos apresentados, por terem diferentes mecanismos de ação, posologia e composição, trouxeram relações controversas em relação ao risco de desenvolvimento de autismo. Dentre os que causam aumento, destacam-se: acetaminofeno, opióides, agonista do receptor beta 2 - adrenérgico, ritodrina e valproato. Dentre os que apresentaram resultados contraditórios: antibióticos. Dentre os que os artigos cujos resultados não permitiram chegar a conclusões definitivas: medicamentos relacionados ao sistema de neurotransmissores e antipsicóticos. E aqueles que não causam aumento ou diminuem o risco, tem-se, respectivamente, antidepressivos e suplementação multivitamínica/ácido fólico

Avaliação e tratamento de pessoas com incapacidade neuromotora: Projeto de extensão do curso de fisioterapia da UnB que aproxima a academia da comunidade onde a universidade está inserida.

O Projeto de Extensão “Avaliação e Tratamento de Pessoas com Incapacidade Neuromotora”, do Curso de Fisioterapia da UnB, é uma proposta que engloba ensino e pesquisa enquanto aproxima a academia e a comunidade onde o Campus está localizado. O projeto iniciou em 2014 tendo como objetivo principal proporcionar aos alunos do curso de fisioterapia e as pessoas moradoras de Ceilândia uma transformação quanto aos princípios humanistas que regem os cuidados em saúde e a prática da fisioterapia. O projeto acontece nos domicílios e nas salas de aula da Paróquia Nossa Senhora da Glória de Ceilândia Sul, terças e sextas-feiras, e conta com 02 professores doutores e 27 alunos extensionistas alocados desde os primeiros até os últimos semestres do fluxo curricular. Os professores e seus extensionistas atendem as demandas de todos os ciclos de vida nos níveis de média e alta complexidade nas áreas de Fisioterapia Neurofuncional, Fisioterapia Traumato-Ortopédica e Educação em Saúde. O objetivo deste artigo é mostrar como este projeto funciona do ponto de vista meto- dológico e apresentar um recorte do perfil epidemiológico quanto à idade, sexo, doenças e incapacidades mais prevalentes e valores de pressão arterial no período de março de 2014 a dezembro de 2015.&nbsp

Single channel approach for filtering electroencephalographic signals strongly contaminated with facial electromyography

Eliminating facial electromyographic (EMG) signal from the electroencephalogram (EEG) is crucial for the accuracy of applications such as brain computer interfaces (BCIs) and brain functionality measurement. Facial electromyography typically corrupts the electroencephalogram. Although it is possible to find in the literature a number of multi-channel approaches for filtering corrupted EEG, studies employing single-channel approaches are scarce. In this context, this study proposed a single-channel method for attenuating facial EMG noise from contaminated EEG. The architecture of the method allows for the evaluation and incorporation of multiple decomposition and adaptive filtering techniques. The decomposition method was responsible for generating EEG or EMG reference signals for the adaptive filtering stage. In this study, the decomposition techniques CiSSA, EMD, EEMD, EMD-PCA, SSA, and Wavelet were evaluated. The adaptive filtering methods RLS, Wiener, LMS, and NLMS were investigated. A time and frequency domain set of features were estimated from experimental signals to evaluate the performance of the single channel method. This set of characteristics permitted the characterization of the contamination of distinct facial muscles, namely Masseter, Frontalis, Zygomatic, Orbicularis Oris, and Orbicularis Oculi. Data were collected from ten healthy subjects executing an experimental protocol that introduced the necessary variability to evaluate the filtering performance. The largest level of contamination was produced by the Masseter muscle, as determined by statistical analysis of the set of features and visualization of topological maps. Regarding the decomposition method, the SSA method allowed for the generation of more suitable reference signals, whereas the RLS and NLMS methods were more suitable when the reference signal was derived from the EEG. In addition, the LMS and RLS methods were more appropriate when the reference signal was the EMG. This study has a number of practical implications, including the use of filtering techniques to reduce EEG contamination caused by the activation of facial muscles required by distinct types of studies. All the developed code, including examples, is available to facilitate a more accurate reproduction and improvement of the results of this study