Overview of the organization of protease genes in the genome of Leishmania spp

Background: The genus Leishmania includes protozoan parasites that are able to infect an array of phlebotomine and vertebrate species. Proteases are related to the capacity of these parasites to infect and survive in their hosts and are therefore classified as virulence factors. Findings: By analyzing protease genes annotated in the genomes of four Leishmania spp [Leishmania (Leishmania) infantum, L. (L.) major, L. (L.) mexicana and L. (Viannia) braziliensis], these genes were found on every chromosome of these protozoa. Four protease classes were studied: metallo-, serine, cysteine and aspartic proteases. Metalloprotease genes predominate in the L. (V.) braziliensis genome, while in the other three species studied, cysteine protease genes prevail. Notably, cysteine and serine protease genes were found to be very abundant, as they were found on all chromosomes of the four studied species. In contrast, only three aspartic protease genes could be detected in these four species. Regarding gene conservation, a higher number of conserved alleles was observed for cysteine proteases (42 alleles), followed by metalloproteases (35 alleles) and serine proteases (15 alleles). Conclusions: The present study highlights substantial differences in the organization of protease genes among L. (L.) infantum, L. (L.) major, L. (L.) mexicana and L. (V.) braziliensis. We observed significant distinctions in many protease features, such as occurrence, quantity and conservation. These data indicate a great diversity of protease genes among Leishmania species, an aspect that may be related to their adaptations to the peculiarities of each microenvironment they inhabit, such as the gut of phlebotomines and the immune cells of vertebrate hosts

Influence of central obesity in estimating maximal oxygen uptake

OBJECTIVE: To assess the influence of central obesity on the magnitude of the error of estimate of maximal oxygen uptake in maximal cycling exercise testing. METHOD: A total of 1,715 adults (68% men) between 18-91 years of age underwent cardiopulmonary exercise testing using a progressive protocol to volitional fatigue. Subjects were stratified by central obesity into three quartile ranges: Q1, Q2-3 and Q4. Maximal oxygen uptake [mL.(kg.min)-1] was estimated by the attained maximal workload and body weight using gender- and population-specific equations. The error of estimate [mL.(kg.min)-1] and percent error between measured and estimated maximal oxygen uptake values were compared among obesity quartile ranges. RESULTS: The error of estimate and percent error differed (mean ± SD) for men (Q1=1.3±3.7 and 2.0±10.4; Q2-3=0.5±3.1 and -0.5±13.0; and Q4=-0.3±2.8 and -4.5±15.8 (

GEOPROCESSAMENTO APLICADO A CARACTERIZAÇÃO GEOAMBIENTAL DA BACIA HIDROGRÁFICA DO RIO DOCE – RN/BRASIL

O presente artigo teve como objetivo a caracterização geoambiental da Bacia Hidrográfica do Rio Doce (RN). Foi realizado o levantamento de dados primários e secundários para implementação de um Banco de Dados Geográficos (BDG) no Sistema de Informações Geográficas (SIG) QGIS Essen 2.14.10. Os usos da terra na bacia se correlacionam diretamente com as características do meio físico, pois, as áreas predominantes de pastagem e cultivo intermitente se dão em áreas de clima mais seco, enquanto cultivos permanentes, cana de açúcar e hortaliças predominam em áreas de clima mais úmido, com maior abundância de água e com maiores concentrações populacionais. O resultado é uma maior degradação ambiental na porção centro-leste da bacia, decorrente do uso e ocupação desordenada dessa porção da bacia

Vigilância epidemiológica do vírus do Nilo Ocidental no mundo e no Brasil: relevância da vigilância equina no contexto de saúde única

O vírus do Nilo Ocidental (WNV) é um flavivírus neuropatogênico transmitido por mosquito, mantido na natureza emum ciclo de transmissão zoonótica entre as aves e os mosquitos ornitofílicos, principalmente do gênero Culex. Até a décadade 1990, o WNV era considerado um arbovírus do mundo antigo, mas em 1999 surgiu nos Estados Unidos da Américae se espalhou rapidamente, tornando-se uma grande ameaça à saúde pública. O WNV se adaptou ao ciclo envolvendomosquitos e pássaros americanos e chegou à América Central e do Sul nos anos subsequentes. Em 2003, o Sistema Nacionalde Vigilância da Febre do Nilo Ocidental no Brasil foi criado com base na triagem sorológica de animais sentinelas evetores, conforme recomendado pela Organização Pan-Americana da Saúde (OPAS) e pela Organização Mundial daSaúde (OMS). Desde 2008, evidências sorológicas de infecção por WNV em equinos brasileiros têm sido relatadas e acirculação do WNV monitorada por meio de triagem sorológica de cavalos sentinelas, além da notificação de casos deencefalomielite. Os equinos são altamente suscetíveis ao WNV e surtos de doenças neurológicas geralmente precedemcasos humanos. Nesse sentido, a vigilância equina tem sido essencial para fornecer um alerta precoce às autoridades desaúde pública e animal em vários países, incluindo o Brasil. Isso demonstra a necessidade de programas de intervençãoem saúde pública e animal para alocar recursos e conscientizar os médicos veterinários sobre seu papel em processos devigilância humana que envolvam equinos. Nesta revisão, é discutida a importância da vigilância equina e dos médicosveterinários como linha de frente na vigilância humana no Brasil e no mundo, no contexto de saúde única.West Nile virus (WNV) is a neurovirulent mosquito-borne Flavivirus that is maintained in nature by a zoonotic transmissioncycle between avian hosts and ornithophilic mosquito vectors, mostly from the Culex genus. Until the 1990s, WNV wasconsidered to be an old-world arbovirus, but in 1999, WNV emerged in the United States (US) and spread rapidly, becoming amajor threat to public health. WNV adapted to the transmission cycle involving American mosquitoes and birds and reachedCentral and South America in subsequent years. In 2003, the National West Nile Fever Surveillance System was created in Brazilbased on serological screening of animals and sentinel vectors, as recommended by the Pan American Health Organization(PAHO) and the World Health Organization (WHO). Since 2008, serological evidence of WNV infection in Brazilian horseshas been reported, and the circulation of WNV has been monitored through the regular serological screening of sentinel horsesand reporting of encephalomyelitis cases. Horses are highly susceptible to WNV infection, and outbreaks of neurologicaldisease among horses often precede human cases. In this regard, equine surveillance has been essential in providing earlywarning to public and animal health authorities in several countries, including Brazil. This demonstrates the need for animaland public health intervention programs to allocate resources to make veterinarians aware of the role they can play in thehuman surveillance processes by monitoring horses. This review discusses the importance of equine surveillance and the gapthat veterinarians can fill on the front line in human surveillance, in Brazil and worldwide, in the context of “One Health