Climate Change and Environmental Health in Undergraduate Health Degrees in Latin America

OBJECTIVE: Analyze the incorporation of climate change and environmental health courses in the curriculum grids of Medicine, Nursing, Nutrition and Clinical Psychology undergraduate courses in Latin American universities. METHODS: Descriptive and cross-sectional document review. Curriculum grids of the top ten Latin American universities were analyzed according to the rankings of QS Latin American University 2020, Times Higher Education World University 2020 and Academic Ranking of World Universities 2019. The presence of courses related to climate change and environmental health was sought in each curriculum grid. RESULTS: 104 of the 161 universities included in the study offered Medicine courses, 93 Nursing courses, 77 Nutrition courses and 118 Clinical Psychology courses. Most of the curriculum grids incorporated courses in public health and/or epidemiology (more than 70%); however, between 22% and 41% included courses on environmental health, and only one curriculum grid had a course on climate change in Medicine and Nursing (1%). CONCLUSIONS: Courses on climate change and environmental health have been scarcely introduced in the curriculum grids of the health field in Latin American universities. This could weaken the important role that health professionals play in providing health care to the population

Estudo de validade da escala South Oaks Gambling Screen junto a grupos distintos de jogadores brasileiros

OBJECTIVE: The main objective of this study was to assess the internal consistency and to perform a factor analysis of the Brazilian version of the SOGS - South Oaks Gambling Screen - scale, as well as its ability to discriminate between different profiles of gamblers. METHOD: Two hundred and seventeen subjects were enrolled in the study: 46 gamblers under treatment at the Gamblers Treatment Unit of PROAD - Program for Orientation and Attention of Dependent Persons- of the Federal University of São Paulo; 96 social gamblers and 75 subjects screened as pathological gamblers recruited at the local Jockey Club, video poker and bingo clubs. RESULTS: Differences in the score means of all three groups were statistically significant and were able to discriminate between social gamblers, pathological gamblers interviewed in a gambling site and the clinical sample. The internal consistency of the 20-item scale measured by Cronbach's alpha was 0.9304. Factor analysis resulted in a three-dimensional solution accounting for 58,6% of the total variance: a first factor composed mainly by questions related to the consequences of gambling; a second factor encompassing questions related to the gambling behavior of pathological gamblers; and a third and less expressive factor involving only two questions, probably a hybrid one of difficult interpretation. CONCLUSIONS: The Brazilian version of the SOGS was a useful screen to discriminate Brazilian pathological gamblers from social gamblers as well as to differentiate clinical pathological from non-clinical pathological gamblers, and to identify different levels of severity.OBJETIVOS: O objetivo desse estudo é avaliar a consistência interna e a dimensionalidade da versão da South Oaks Gambling Screen (SOGS) adaptada para uso em população brasileira e sua capacidade de discriminar diferentes tipos de jogadores. MÉTODO: O estudo envolveu 217 jogadores ¾ contatados no Jockey Clube de São Paulo, em casas de bingo e de vídeo pôquer ¾, sendo que 46 deles haviam procurado tratamento no Ambulatório de Jogo Patológico do Programa de Orientação e Atendimento a Dependentes da Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP).Entre eles 96 eram jogadores sociais e 75 eram classificados como prováveis jogadores patológicos. RESULTADOS: As diferenças das médias de pontuações das subamostras foram estatisticamente significantes, discriminando jogadores sociais e jogadores patológicos entrevistados em local de jogo e amostra clínica. A SOGS, em sua versão integral de 20 itens, apresentou consistência interna medida pelo modelo Alfa de Cronbach de 0,9304. A análise fatorial da estrutura da escala resultou em uma solução de três dimensões, respondendo por 58,6% da variabilidade total dos dados na amostra: um primeiro fator constituído preponderantemente por questões referentes a conseqüências do comportamento de jogar; um segundo fator reunindo predominantemente questões relativas ao próprio comportamento de jogar dos jogadores patológicos; e um terceiro fator, menos decisivo no conjunto e composto de apenas duas questões, parecendo ser um fator híbrido de difícil interpretação. CONCLUSÕES: A versão adaptada para o Brasil da SOGS mostrou-se um instrumento útil para discriminar jogadores brasileiros patológicos de jogadores não-patológicos, como também diferenciou os grupos clínico e não-clínico de jogadores patológicos, identificando graus distintos de gravidade.Federal University of São Paulo Department of Psychiatry Ambulatory of Pathological GamblingUniversity of São Paulo Institute of Psychology Department of Experimental PsychologyFederal University of São Paulo Department of PsychiatryUNIFESP, Department of Psychiatry Ambulatory of Pathological GamblingUNIFESP, Department of PsychiatrySciEL

Thermoreversible gels for the encapsulation of macrophages: evaluation of polymer type on rheology and cytocompatibility

Thermoresponsive polymers have become a highly sought-after “smart material” due to their ability to modify their physical characteristics due to temperature changes. This research aimed to determine the biocompatibility of specific thermoreversible gels for immunocompetent cell models containing ImmuPHAGETM, human alveolar macrophage-like cells. Four polymers were selected based on their transition temperatures, including three commercially available pharmaceutical excipients, namely poloxamer 407, soluplus, and methylcellulose. The fourth system, poly(N-isopropyl acrylamide)-b-poly(ethylene oxide)-b-poly(N-isopropyl acrylamide), was synthesised in-house. Initially, the phase behaviour of these four polymers was evaluated visually by warming the polymer solutions and determining the state of the solution by vial inversion. Subsequently, a combination of rheological measurements was employed to compare the properties of these thermoreversible gels in culture media. The physical characterisation was followed by conducting cytocompatibility tests using human alveolar macrophages to assess their suitability as a scaffold for cell culture in vitro and to determine the cell response to different culturing environments. The study concluded that methylcellulose is the most promising and cost-effective material worth further exploration as a responsive matrix for immune cell encapsulation. Keywords: Thermoresponsive, Thermogelling, Alveolar macrophages, Foamy macrophages, immunocompetent in vitro models

Autonomous quantum clocks: does thermodynamics limit our ability to measure time?

Time remains one of the least well understood concepts in physics, most notably in quantum mechanics. A central goal is to find the fundamental limits of measuring time. One of the main obstacles is the fact that time is not an observable and thus has to be measured indirectly. Here we explore these questions by introducing a model of time measurements that is complete and autonomous. Specifically, our autonomous quantum clock consists of a system out of thermal equilibrium --- a prerequisite for any system to function as a clock --- powered by minimal resources, namely two thermal baths at different temperatures. Through a detailed analysis of this specific clock model, we find that the laws of thermodynamics dictate a trade-off between the amount of dissipated heat and the clock's performance in terms of its accuracy and resolution. Our results furthermore imply that a fundamental entropy production is associated with the operation of any autonomous quantum clock, assuming that quantum machines cannot achieve perfect efficiency at finite power. More generally, autonomous clocks provide a natural framework for the exploration of fundamental questions about time in quantum theory and beyond

Colossal Pressure-Induced Softening in Scandium Fluoride

The counter-intuitive phenomenon of pressure-induced softening in materials is likely to be caused by the same dynamical behaviour that produces negative thermal expansion. Through a combination of molecular dynamics simulation on an idealised model and neutron diffraction at variable temperature and pressure, we show the existence of extraordinary and unprecedented pressure-induced softening in the negative thermal expansion material scandium fluoride, ScF$_3$, with values of the pressure-derivative of the bulk modulus $B$, $B^\prime = \partial B / \partial P$, reaching as low as $-40 \pm 1$

Expression of genes encoding extracellular matrix macromolecules and metalloproteinases in avian tibial dyschondroplasia

Avian tibial dyschondroplasia (TD) is a skeletal disease characterized by disruption of endochondral bone formation. The aim of this study was to determine the expression of extracellular matrix (ECM) macromolecules and ECM-degrading enzymes [matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs)] in the growth plates of normal and TD-affected 3-week-old broiler chicks (Cobb strain). Protein levels were analyzed by immunoblotting and gelatin zymography and gene expression by polymerase chain reaction. Expression of genes encoding the ECM macromolecules (collagen types II, IX, X and XI; and aggrecan) was not altered in dyschondroplasia; however, there was down-regulation of genes encoding MMP-9, MMP-13, MMP-10 and MMP-11 in addition to reduced amounts of MMP-2 and MMP-13 proteins. In contrast, there was up-regulation of genes encoding MMP-7 and the vascular endothelial growth factor. These findings suggest that the accumulation of cartilage associated with the disease may be the result of decreased proteolysis due to the down-regulation of MMPs and not to an increased production of ECM macromolecules

In situ formation of gold nanoparticles in polymer inclusion membrane: Application as platform in a label-free potentiometric immunosensor for Salmonella typhimurium detection

Polymeric ion selective electrodes are highly sensitive to changes in zero current ion flow and this offers a route to signal amplification in label-free potentiometric immunosensors. In this work, a label-free potentiometric immunosensor toward Salmonella typhimurium (ST) assembled in a home-made pipette-tip electrode is described. The signal-output amplification was implemented on a gold nanoparticle polymer inclusion membrane (AuNPs-PIM) which was used as sensing platform and for antibody immobilization. Additionally, a marker ion was used to detect the antibody-antigen binding event at the electrode surface. The immunosensor construction was performed in several steps: i) gold salt ions extraction in PVC membrane; ii) AuNPs formation using Na2EDTA as reduction agent; iii) antibody anti-Salmonella conjugation on AuNPs-PIM in pipette-tip electrodes. The potential shift observed in potentiometric measurements was derived simply from the blocking effect in the ionic flux caused by antigen-antibody conjugation, without no extra steps, mimetizing the ion-channel sensors. A detection limit of 6 cells mL-1 was attained. As proof-of-concept, recovery studies were performed in spiked commercial apple juice samples with success. Due to the simplicity of use, the appealing cost of equipment and sensor production and being able to provide a quick analytical response (less than 1 h for a complete assay, including sample preparation for analysis), this scheme represents a good prototype device for the detection of foodborne pathogens like ST or other immune-responsive bacteria.This work received financial support from the European Union (FEDER funds through COMPETE) and National Funds from Portugal; FCT-Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia through projects UID/QUI/50006/2013 and Norte-01-0145-FEDER-000011-RL1-QUALIFOOD. N.F.D Silva and M.F. Barroso are gratefully to FCT grant SFRH/BD/112414/2015 and SFRH/BPD/78845/2011, financed by POPH–QREN–Tipologia 4.1–Formação Avançada, subsidized by FSE and MCTES.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Mycolactone-dependent depletion of endothelial cell thrombomodulin is strongly associated with fibrin deposition in Buruli ulcer lesions

A well-known histopathological feature of diseased skin in Buruli ulcer (BU) is coagulative necrosis caused by the Mycobacterium ulcerans macrolide exotoxin mycolactone. Since the underlying mechanism is not known, we have investigated the effect of mycolactone on endothelial cells, focussing on the expression of surface anticoagulant molecules involved in the protein C anticoagulant pathway. Congenital deficiencies in this natural anticoagulant pathway are known to induce thrombotic complications such as purpura fulimans and spontaneous necrosis. Mycolactone profoundly decreased thrombomodulin (TM) expression on the surface of human dermal microvascular endothelial cells (HDMVEC) at doses as low as 2ng/ml and as early as 8hrs after exposure. TM activates protein C by altering thrombin's substrate specificity, and exposure of HDMVEC to mycolactone for 24 hours resulted in an almost complete loss of the cells' ability to produce activated protein C. Loss of TM was shown to be due to a previously described mechanism involving mycolactone-dependent blockade of Sec61 translocation that results in proteasome-dependent degradation of newly synthesised ER-transiting proteins. Indeed, depletion from cells determined by live-cell imaging of cells stably expressing a recombinant TM-GFP fusion protein occurred at the known turnover rate. In order to determine the relevance of these findings to BU disease, immunohistochemistry of punch biopsies from 40 BU lesions (31 ulcers, nine plaques) was performed. TM abundance was profoundly reduced in the subcutis of 78% of biopsies. Furthermore, it was confirmed that fibrin deposition is a common feature of BU lesions, particularly in the necrotic areas. These findings indicate that there is decreased ability to control thrombin generation in BU skin. Mycolactone's effects on normal endothelial cell function, including its ability to activate the protein C anticoagulant pathway are strongly associated with this. Fibrin-driven tisischemia could contribute to the development of the tissue necrosis seen in BU lesions