Programa Atividade Curricular de Extensão: Apoio técnico aos pescadores do manejo comunitário de pirarucu (Arapaima gigas) realizado em lagos de várzea na Ilha da Paciência, Iranduba - Amazonas

Community management of the pirarucu Arapaima gigas (Schinz, 1822) has proven to be an efficient strategy for the conservation of the species in the state of Amazonas. The objective of this work was to carry out and propose, through extension projects (PACEs), environmental education actions for children and training of fishermen from the Nossa Senhora de Fátima community, on Ilha da Paciência, Iranduba - Amazonas, in order to contribute to the strengthening of the productive chain of pirarucu management. Through the Extension Curricular Activity Program - PACEs, the following were approved: PACE - Fishing Knowledge: The art of Learning and Teaching, held in 2016, and PACE - Technical Support for fishermen handling the Arapaima gigas (Schinz, 1822), held in 2017. The environmental education workshop with the children was carried out through playful activities, while the lectures and short courses were carried out through expository, explanatory and practical classes. In total, six (6) activities were carried out with community residents: (1) environmental education workshop; (2) lectures and (3) short courses. As a result of the activities carried out, there was an exchange of traditional and scientific knowledge between the members involved, a feat that made it possible to improve and strengthen the productive chain of handling the Arapaima gigas pirarucu in the community of Nossa Senhora de Fátima (Ilha da Paciência), in the municipality from Iranduba – Amazonas. O manejo comunitário do pirarucu Arapaima gigas (Schinz, 1822) tem se mostrado uma estratégia eficiente para a conservação da espécie no estado do Amazonas. O objetivo deste trabalho foi realizar e propor através de projetos de extensão (PACEs), ações de educação ambiental para crianças e capacitação dos pescadores da comunidade Nossa Senhora de Fátima, na Ilha da Paciência, Iranduba – Amazonas, a fim de contribuir com o fortalecimento da cadeia produtiva do manejo do pirarucu. Através do Programa Atividade Curricular de Extensão – PACEs foram aprovados: o PACE - Pescando Conhecimento: A arte de Aprender e Ensinar, realizado em 2016, e o PACE – Apoio Técnico a pescadores do manejo do pirarucu Arapaima gigas (Schinz, 1822), realizado em 2017. A oficina de educação ambiental com as crianças foi realizada por meio de atividades lúdicas, enquanto que as palestras e minicursos foram realizados por meio de aulas expositivas, explicativas e práticas. Ao total foram realizadas seis (6) atividades com os moradores da comunidade: (1) oficina de educação ambiental; (2) palestras e (3) minicursos. Como resultado das atividades realizadas houve a troca de conhecimento tradicional e científico entre os membros envolvidos, feito este que possibilitou a melhoria e o fortalecimento da cadeia produtiva do manejo do pirarucu Arapaima gigas na comunidade Nossa Senhora de Fátima (Ilha da Paciência), no município de Iranduba – Amazonas

Output from VIP cells of the mammalian central clock regulates daily physiological rhythms

The suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) circadian clock is critical for optimising daily cycles in mammalian physiology and behaviour. The roles of the various SCN cell types in communicating timing information to downstream physiological systems remain incompletely understood, however. In particular, while vasoactive intestinal polypeptide (VIP) signalling is essential for SCN function and whole animal circadian rhythmicity, the specific contributions of VIP cell output to physiological control remains uncertain. Here we reveal a key role for SCN VIP cells in central clock output. Using multielectrode recording and optogenetic manipulations, we show that VIP neurons provide coordinated daily waves of GABAergic input to target cells across the paraventricular hypothalamus and ventral thalamus, supressing their activity during the mid to late day. Using chemogenetic manipulation, we further demonstrate specific roles for this circuitry in the daily control of heart rate and corticosterone secretion, collectively establishing SCN VIP cells as influential regulators of physiological timing

Spatial point analysis based on dengue surveys at household level in central Brazil

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Dengue virus (DENV) affects nonimunne human populations in tropical and subtropical regions. In the Americas, dengue has drastically increased in the last two decades and Brazil is considered one of the most affected countries. The high frequency of asymptomatic infection makes difficult to estimate prevalence of infection using registered cases and to locate high risk intra-urban area at population level. The goal of this spatial point analysis was to identify potential high-risk intra-urban areas of dengue, using data collected at household level from surveys.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Two household surveys took place in the city of Goiania (~1.1 million population), Central Brazil in the year 2001 and 2002. First survey screened 1,586 asymptomatic individuals older than 5 years of age. Second survey 2,906 asymptomatic volunteers, same age-groups, were selected by multistage sampling (census tracts; blocks; households) using available digital maps. Sera from participants were tested by dengue virus-specific IgM/IgG by EIA. A Generalized Additive Model (GAM) was used to detect the spatial varying risk over the region. Initially without any fixed covariates, to depict the overall risk map, followed by a model including the main covariates and the year, where the resulting maps show the risk associated with living place, controlled for the individual risk factors. This method has the advantage to generate smoothed risk factors maps, adjusted by socio-demographic covariates.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The prevalence of antibody against dengue infection was 37.3% (95%CI [35.5–39.1]) in the year 2002; 7.8% increase in one-year interval. The spatial variation in risk of dengue infection significantly changed when comparing 2001 with 2002, (ORadjusted = 1.35; p < 0.001), while controlling for potential confounders using GAM model. Also increasing age and low education levels were associated with dengue infection.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>This study showed spatial heterogeneity in the risk areas of dengue when using a spatial multivariate approach in a short time interval. Data from household surveys pointed out that low prevalence areas in 2001 surveys shifted to high-risk area in consecutive year. This mapping of dengue risks should give insights for control interventions in urban areas.</p

Spatial distribution of the risk of dengue fever in southeast Brazil, 2006-2007

Background: Many factors have been associated with circulation of the dengue fever virus and vector, although the dynamics of transmission are not yet fully understood. The aim of this work is to estimate the spatial distribution of the risk of dengue fever in an area of continuous dengue occurrence. Methods: This is a spatial population-based case-control study that analyzed 538 cases and 727 controls in one district of the municipality of Campinas, Sao Paulo, Brazil, from 2006-2007, considering socio-demographic, ecological, case severity, and household infestation variables. Information was collected by in-home interviews and inspection of living conditions in and around the homes studied. Cases were classified as mild or severe according to clinical data, and they were compared with controls through a multinomial logistic model. A generalized additive model was used in order to include space in a non-parametric fashion with cubic smoothing splines. Results: Variables associated with increased incidence of all dengue cases in the multiple binomial regression model were: higher larval density (odds ratio (OR) = 2.3 (95%CI: 2.0-2.7)), reports of mosquito bites during the day (OR = 1.8 (95%CI: 1.4-2.4)), the practice of water storage at home (OR = 2.5 (95%CI: 1.4, 4.3)), low frequency of garbage collection (OR = 2.6 (95%CI: 1.6-4.5)) and lack of basic sanitation (OR = 2.9 (95%CI: 1.8-4.9)). Staying at home during the day was protective against the disease (OR = 0.5 (95%CI: 0.3-0.6)). When cases were analyzed by categories (mild and severe) in the multinomial model, age and number of breeding sites more than 10 were significant only for the occurrence of severe cases (OR = 0.97, (95%CI: 0.96-0.99) and OR = 2.1 (95%CI: 1.2-3.5), respectively. Spatial distribution of risks of mild and severe dengue fever differed from each other in the 2006/2007 epidemic, in the study area. Conclusions: Age and presence of more than 10 breeding sites were significant only for severe cases. Other predictors of mild and severe cases were similar in the multiple models. The analyses of multinomial models and spatial distribution maps of dengue fever probabilities suggest an area-specific epidemic with varying clinical and demographic characteristics

Crowding: risk factor or protective factor for lower respiratory disease in young children?

BACKGROUND: To study the effects of household crowding upon the respiratory health of young children living in the city of São Paulo, Brazil. METHODS: Case-control study with children aged from 2 to 59 months living within the boundaries of the city of São Paulo. Cases were children recruited from 5 public hospitals in central São Paulo with an acute episode of lower respiratory disease. Children were classified into the following diagnostic categories: acute bronchitis, acute bronchiolitis, pneumonia, asthma, post-bronchiolitis wheezing and wheezing of uncertain aetiology. One control, crudely matched to each case with regard to age (<2, 2 years old or more), was selected among healthy children living in the neighborhood of the case. All buildings were surveyed for the presence of environmental contaminants, type of construction and building material. Plans of all homes, including measurements of floor area, height of walls, windows and solar orientation, was performed. Data were analysed using conditional logistic regression. RESULTS: A total of 313 pairs of children were studied. Over 70% of the cases had a primary or an associated diagnosis of a wheezing illness. Compared with controls, cases tended to live in smaller houses with less adequate sewage disposal. Cases and controls were similar with respect to the number of people and the number of children under five living in the household, as well the number of people sharing the child's bedroom. After controlling for potential confounders, no evidence of an association between number of persons sharing the child's bedroom and lower respiratory disease was identified when all cases were compared with their controls. However, when two categories of cases were distinguished (infections, asthma) and each category compared separately with their controls, crowding appeared to be associated with a 60% reduction in the incidence of asthma but with 2 1/2-fold increase in the incidence of lower respiratory tract infections (p = 0.001). CONCLUSION: Our findings suggest that household crowding places young children at risk of acute lower respiratory infection but may protect against asthma. This result is consistent with the hygiene hypothesis