Awareness of Chagas disease and socioeconomic characteristics of Bolivian immigrants living in Sao Paulo, Brazil

In this study which is part of a research project on Chagas disease (CD) among Bolivian immigrants in Sao Paulo, we describe socioeconomic characteristics, knowledge of CD and implications for acess to health care. We applied a structured questionnaire to a sample of 472 Bolivian adults (> 18 years) living in Sao Paulo and enrolled at the Barra Funda School Health Center. Participants’ median age was 28.5 years, 75.0% were from the Bolivian department of La Paz, and >90% worked in the garment industry. Respondents had lived in Sao Paulo for a median of 5.8 years. Only 169 (35.8%) were familiar with CD, while roughly half (50.4%) had lived in natural materials houses in Bolivia, 225 (47.7%) indicated familiarity with the vector, 23.9% had seen the vector in their homes in Bolivia, and 6.4% reported having been bitten by a triatomine bug. Factors associated with awareness of CD were analyzed by chi square tests, and those with p values <0.25 were included in a multivariable logistic regression model. In the multivariable logistic regression analysis, having a relative with CD (OR=4.3, 95% CI=1.5-12.0), having lived in a house with mud or wood walls (OR=0.4, 95% CI=0.2-0.8), and having heard of the triatomine bug, or vinchuca, (OR=10.0, 95% CI=5.1-19.5) were significantly associated with awareness of CD. This study shows a low familiarity with CD among Bolivian migrants living in Sao Paulo, Brazil. Raising awareness of the disease through specific communication strategies should be an essential component of public health programs to reduce the burden of CD in this and other vulnerable populations

INTERAÇÃO DO LAPACHOL COM NANOPLATAFORMAS MICELARES DRUG DELIVERY

Este artigo contempla aspectos relacionados a capacidade de interação e monomerização do fármaco lapachol com os sistemas nanoestruturados micelares F127 e P123. Para isso, estudos prévios de agregação foram conduzidos para descrição da dinâmica agregacional do princípio ativo e sua influência nas propriedades espectroscópicas. A proposta deste trabalho é enriquecer o arsenal terapêutico atual com um novo formulado descrito pelo elevado potencial antimalárico, antitripanossômico, analgésico e antitinflamatório

Inhibitory effect of the essential oil of Curcuma longa L. and curcumin on aflatoxin production by Aspergillus flavus Link

AbstractAflatoxins are highly toxic, mutagenic, teratogenic and carcinogenic mycotoxins. Consumption of aflatoxin-contaminated food and commodities poses serious hazards to the health of humans and animals. Turmeric, Curcuma longa L., is a native plant of Southeast Asia and has antimicrobial, antioxidant and antifungal properties. This paper reports the antiaflatoxigenic activities of the essential oil of C. longa and curcumin. The medium tests were prepared with the oil of C. longa, and the curcumin standard at concentrations varied from 0.01% to 5.0%. All doses of the essential oil of the plant and the curcumin standard interfered with mycotoxin production. Both the essential oil and curcumin significantly inhibited the production of aflatoxins; the 0.5% level had a greater than 96% inhibitory effect. The levels of aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) production were 1.0 and 42.7μg/mL, respectively, for the samples treated with the essential oil of C. longa L. and curcumin at a concentration of 0.5%

Integrating forest-pasture: Spatial analysis and delineation of zones of litter production and nutrient return

This study aimed to quantify, describe, and identify plant litter production and nutrient accumulation zones in different forest-pasture integration (FPI) systems and forest strata of the Cerrado-Amazon transition on typical orthic Quartzarenic Neosol using spatial analysis, principal component analysis, and non-hierarchical fuzzy k-mean clustering logic techniques. The evaluations were performed at two FPI systems comprising a combination of Brachiaria brizantha cv. Marandu and thinned native vegetation with 50 and 75% (FPI-I and FPI-II, respectively) shade in an original thinned forest (NFI) and in an original intact forest (NF-II) with 80 and 95% shade, respectively. An area of 4,000 m² (40 x 100 m) that contained 32 sampling points arranged in a 4 x 25 m grid was demarcated for each treatment. Plant litter was collected using 32 collectors installed at equidistant points. Twelve nylon bags were placed on the soil surface at each point to evaluate the plant litter decomposition, totaling 384 bags per treatment. It was possible to quantify, describe, and define plant litter production and nutrient accumulation zones in different FPI systems and forest strata of the Cerrado-Amazon transition on orthic Quartzarenic Neosol using geostatistical analysis, principal components, and non-hierarchical fuzzy k-mean clustering logic procedures.</p

Spatial variation and area definition of nutrient extraction by Marandu grass biomass

O objetivo foi quantificar, descrever e identificar zonas de extração de nutrientes pela fitomassa da Brachiaria brazantha cv. Marandu em sistemas de integração floresta-pasto em região de transição Cerrado-Amazônia sobre Neossolo Quartzarênico Órtico típico, por meio de técnicas de geoestatística, de análise de componentes principais e da lógica de agrupamento não hierárquica de fuzzy k-médias. As avaliações foram realizadas em dois sistemas de integração floresta-pasto originários da associação de Brachiaria brizantha cv. Marandu e vegetação nativa raleada com 50% e 75% (IFP-I e IFP-II, respectivamente) de sombreamento e em pastagem de Brachiaria brizantha cv. Marandu em monocultivo. Para cada tratamento foi demarcada uma área de 4.000 m² (40 x 100 m) que continham 32 pontos de coleta dispostos em malha de 4 x 25 m. Em cada ponto previamente marcado nos tratamentos avaliados se estimou as taxas de alongamento de lâminas foliares, senescência foliar e de alongamento de colmo. Ao final de cada ciclo produtivo foram determinados nas lâminas foliares e no colmo os teores de nutrientes (N, P, K, Ca e Mg. A extração de nutrientes foi calculada em função das taxas de produção bruta de forragem, de acúmulo de forragem e de folhas. Zonas de extração de nutrientes minerais pela fitomassa da Brachiaria brizantha cv. Marandu são definidas utilizando-se técnicas de geoestatística, de análise de componentes principais e da lógica de agrupamento não hierárquica de fuzzy k-médias. Assim o uso desses procedimentos é viável na definição e delimitação de zonas homogêneas dentro e entre os sistemas de produção de gramínea estudados.The present study aimed to quantify, describe and identify areas of nutrient extraction by Brachiaria brizantha cv. Marandu biomass in integrated forest-pasture systems from a Cerrado-Amazon transition region with Typic Quartzipsamment soil by using geostatistical techniques, principal components analysis and non-hierarchical fuzzy k-means clustering. The evaluations were conducted in two integrated forest-pasture systems from an association with Brachiaria brizantha cv. Marandu and native vegetation thinned with 50% and 75% (integrated forest production-I (IFP-I) and IFP-II, respectively) shading and in Brachiaria brizantha cv. Marandu monoculture. For each treatment, an area of 4,000 m² (40 x 100 m) was demarcated containing 32 collection points arranged in a 4 x 25 m mesh. At each point, the rates of leaf elongation, senescence and stem elongation were estimated. At the end of each production cycle, the nutrient content (N, P, K, Ca and Mg) was determined in the leaf blades and stem. The nutrient uptake was calculated according to the rates of gross forage production, forage accumulation and leaf accumulation. The nutrient extraction zones of Brachiaria brizantha cv. Marandu biomass were defined using geostatistical techniques, principal components analysis and non-hierarchical fuzzy k-means clustering. Thus, the use of these procedures is feasible for the definition and delimitation of homogeneous zones within and between the pasture production systems studied