A new heligmonellid species (Nematoda) from oligoryzomys nigripes (Rodentia: Sigmodontinae) in the Atlantic Forest, Brazil

Fil: Souza, Joyce G.R.. Laboratório de Biologia e Parasitologia de Mamíferos Silvestres Reservatórios. Instituto Oswaldo Cruz. FIOCRUZ. Rio de Janeiro; BrazilFil: Digiani, María Celina. División Zoología Invertebrados. Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo. Universidad Nacional de La Plata; ArgentinaFil: Simäes, Raquel O.. Curso de Pós-GraduaçÆo em Ciências Veterinária. Universidade Federal Rural do Rio de Janeir; BrazilFil: Luque, José L.. Departamento de Parasitologia Animal. Universidade Federal Rural do Rio de Janeiro; BrazilFil: Rodrigues-Silva, Rosangela. Laboratório de Helmintos Parasitos de Vertebrados. Instituto Oswaldo Cruz. FIOCRUZ; BrazilFil: Maldonado, Arnaldo. Laboratório de Biologia e Parasitologia de Mamíferos Silvestres Reservatórios. Instituto Oswaldo Cruz. FIOCRUZ. Rio de Janeiro; Brazi

Leukotriene B4 mediates γδ T lymphocyte migration in response to diverse stimuli

Peer Reviewedhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/141926/1/jlb0323.pd

Relato da experiência: implementação da metodologia Lean Healthcare no atendimento aos pacientes nas Unidades de Pronto-Atendimentos da Secretaria Municipal de saúde de Belo Horizonte: Projeto Menos Espera, Mais Saúde! / Experience report: implementation of the Lean Healthcare methodology in patient care at Emergency Departments of the Municipal Health Secretariat of Belo Horizonte: Less Waiting, More Health!

O artigo visa apresentar a experiência de implementação da metodologia “Lean” para o atendimento aos pacientes do Sistema Único de Saúde de Belo Horizonte (SUS-BH”) a fim de  melhorar o tempo-resposta, a qualidade e a eficiência dos atendimentos em urgência e emergência, por meio de pactuação de fluxos internos.  Trata-se de uma propsta que está na carta de projetos estratégicos da Secretaria Municipal de Saúde (SMSA). A melhoria da qualidade da assistência nas UPA’s está diretamente associada à aplicação de ferramentas de gestão de processos, com foco na eliminação dos desperdícios, por meio de um trabalho padronizado, treinamento contínuo e intervenção corretiva imediata frente às não conformidades encontradas.Tratando-se de pacientes em situações de urgência, o tempo é um dos principais recursos que deve ser mensurado cotidianamente, com o objetivo de oferecer ao doente uma intervenção médica ou assistencial, o mais breve possível. Apresentaremos nesse artigo, os resultados e experiências com a implantação do projeto “Menos espera, mais saúde” em algumas UPA’s de Belo Horizonte, com o uso de ferramentas Lean nos processos que tangem o atendimento ao usuário e o que identificamos como possibilidades de melhoria contínua, por meio da gestão à vista e intervenção frente aos indicadores de desempenho operacional. O projeto inovador e transformador “Menos espera, mais saúde” faz interface da gerência de urgência com outros setores da Secretaria municipal de saúde, no objetivo de atender a demanda do usuário, com qualidade, resolutilidade e segurança na espera pelo atendimento, otimizando a permanência desse usuário nas UPA’s de Belo Horizonte

Effect of biofunctionalized implant surface on osseointegration: a histomorphometric study in dogs

Among the different properties that influence bone apposition around implants, the chemical or biochemical composition of implant surface may interfere on its acceptance by the surrounding bone. The aim of this study was to investigate if a biofunctionalization of implant surface influences the bone apposition in a dog model and to compare it with other surfaces, such as a microstructured created by the grit-blasting/acid-etching process. Eight young adult male mongrel dogs had the bilateral mandibular premolars extracted and each one received 6 implants after 12 weeks, totaling 48 implants in the experiment. Four groups of implants were formed with the same microrough topography with or without some kind of biofunctionalization treatment. After histomorphometric analysis, it was observed that the modified microstructured surface with a "low concentration of the bioactive peptide" provided a higher adjacent bone density (54.6%) when compared to the other groups (microstructured + HA coating = 46.0%, microstructured only = 45.3% and microstructured + "high concentration of the bioactive peptide" = 40.7%), but this difference was not statistically significant. In conclusion, biofunctionalization of the implant surface might interfere in the bone apposition around implants, especially in terms of bone density. Different concentrations of bioactive peptide lead to different results.Entre as diferentes propriedades de uma superfície capazes de influenciar a deposição óssea ao redor de implantes, a composição química e bioquímica pode atuar no reconhecimento do tecido ósseo circundante. O presente trabalho investigou a influência da biofuncionalização de superfícies de implante na deposição óssea ao redor dos mesmos em um modelo animal, comparando-as com outras superfícies, como a microtexturizada obtida pelo processo de jateamento e ataque ácido. Metodologicamente, os pré-molares mandibulares bilaterais de 8 cães foram extraídos e após 12 semanas foram instalados 6 implantes em cada cão, constituindo uma amostra de 48 implantes. Dos 4 grupos experimentais de diferentes superfícies, todos continham a mesma microtopografia rugosa, porém possuindo ou não alguma biofuncionalização. A análise histomorfométrica revelou que a superfície microtexturizada modificada pela adição de baixa concentração peptídica obteve uma maior densidade óssea adjacente (54,6%) quando comparada aos outros grupos (microtexturizada + HA = 46%, somente microtexturizada = 45,3% e microtexturizada com adição de alta concentração peptídica = 40,7%), no entanto estas diferenças numéricas não foram estatisticamente significantes. Dentro deste contexto, conclui-se que a biofuncionalização da superfície de implantes pode interferir na aposição óssea, em particular na densidade óssea, e que diferentes concentrações peptídicas podem conduzir a diferentes resultados.FAPES

A localized outbreak of Chikungunya virus in Salvador, Bahia, Brazil

A localized Chikungunya virus (CHIKV; East/Central/South African genotype) outbreak (50 cases, 70% laboratory-confirmed; attack rate: 5.3 confirmed cases/100 people) occurred in a Salvador, Brazil neighborhood, between Apr-Jun/2017. Highly clustered cases in space and time, mostly along a single street, highlight an increased risk of CHIKV transmission among pockets of susceptible populations. This finding underscores the need for ongoing local level surveillance for arboviral outbreaks.Fil: Tauro, Laura Beatriz. Fundación Oswaldo Cruz; Brasil. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Nordeste. Instituto de Biología Subtropical. Instituto de Biología Subtropical - Nodo Puerto Iguazú | Universidad Nacional de Misiones. Instituto de Biología Subtropical. Instituto de Biología Subtropical - Nodo Puerto Iguazú; ArgentinaFil: Cardoso, Cristiane W.. Secretaria Municipal da Saúde de Salvador; BrasilFil: Souza, Raquel L.. Fundación Oswaldo Cruz; BrasilFil: Nascimento, Leile Cj. Fundación Oswaldo Cruz; BrasilFil: Santos, Daniela R Dos. Secretaria Municipal da Saúde de Salvador; BrasilFil: Campos, Gubio S.. Universidade Federal da Bahia; BrasilFil: Ferro Sardi, Silvia Natalia. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Universidade Federal da Bahia; BrasilFil: Reis, Olivete B Dos. Secretaria Municipal da Saúde de Salvador; BrasilFil: Reis, Mitermayer G.. Fundación Oswaldo Cruz; Brasil. Universidade Federal da Bahia; Brasil. University of Yale; Estados UnidosFil: Kitron, Uriel D.. Fundación Oswaldo Cruz; Brasil. University of Emory; Estados UnidosFil: Ribeiro, Guilherme S.. Universidade Federal da Bahia; Brasil. Fundación Oswaldo Cruz; Brasi

Assessment of toxicity of a biosurfactant from Candida sphaerica UCP 0995 cultivated with industrial residues in a bioreactor

Background: The aim of the present study was to propose a low-cost method for the production of a biosurfactant by the yeast Candida sphaerica and assess its toxicity and phytotoxicity. The medium was formulated with distilled water supplemented with residue from a soy oil refinery (5%) and corn steep liquor (2.5%) as substrates. These two products were the sources of carbon and nitrogen as well as mineral elements to encourage the growth of the microorganism and production of a biosurfactant. Results: The isolated biosurfactant yield was 6.364 g/l. The biosurfactant exhibited an excellent ability to reduce surface tension (26 mN/m) and demonstrated no toxicity against seeds of Brassica oleracea , Chicoria intybus and Solanum gilo or the micro crustacean Artemia salina employed as a bioindicator. The biosurfactant exhibited no antimicrobial activity against the fungi and bacteria tested. Conclusions: The promising results obtained in this study indicate the feasibility of producing biosurfactants from powerful non-toxic organic residues and their application in the bioremediation of contaminated soil and water

A Lagrangian Identification of the Main Sources of Moisture Affecting Northeastern Brazil during Its Pre-Rainy and Rainy Seasons

This work examines the sources of moisture affecting the semi-arid Brazilian Northeast (NEB) during its pre-rainy and rainy season (JFMAM) through a Lagrangian diagnosis method. The FLEXPART model identifies the humidity contributions to the moisture budget over a region through the continuous computation of changes in the specific humidity along back or forward trajectories up to 10 days period. The numerical experiments were done for the period that spans between 2000 and 2004 and results were aggregated on a monthly basis. Results show that besides a minor local recycling component, the vast majority of moisture reaching NEB area is originated in the south Atlantic basin and that the nearby wet Amazon basin bears almost no impact. Moreover, although the maximum precipitation in the “Poligono das Secas” region (PS) occurs in March and the maximum precipitation associated with air parcels emanating from the South Atlantic towards PS is observed along January to March, the highest moisture contribution from this oceanic region occurs slightly later (April). A dynamical analysis suggests that the maximum precipitation observed in the PS sector does not coincide with the maximum moisture supply probably due to the combined effect of the Walker and Hadley cells in inhibiting the rising motions over the region in the months following April

Biotinidase deficiency: Genotype-biochemical phenotype association in Brazilian patients

[EN] The association between the BTD genotype and biochemical phenotype [profound biotinidase deficiency (BD), partial BD or heterozygous activity] is not always consistent. This study aimed to investigate the genotype-biochemical phenotype association in patients with low biotinidase activity. Methods All exons, the 5'UTR and the promoter of the BTD gene were sequenced in 72 Brazilian individuals who exhibited low biotinidase activity. For each patient, the expected biochemical phenotype based on the known genotype was compared with the observed biochemical phenotype. Additional non-genetic factors that could affect the biotinidase activity were also analysed. Most individuals were identified by neonatal screening (n = 66/72). When consecutive results for the same patient were compared, age, prematurity and neonatal jaundice appeared to affect the level of biotinidase activity. The biochemical phenotype at the time of the second blood collection changed in 11/22 patients compared to results from the first sample. Three novel variants were found: c.1337T>C (p.L446P), c.1466A>G (p.N489S) and c.962G>A (p.W321*). Some patients with the same genotype presented different biochemical phenotypes. The expected and observed biochemical phenotypes agreed in 68.5% of cases (concordant patients). The non-coding variants c.-183G>A, c.-315A>G and c.-514C>T were present in heterozygosis in 5/17 discordant patients. In addition, c.- 183G>A and c.-514C>T were also present in 10/37 concordant patients. The variants found in the promoter region do not appear to have a strong impact on biotinidase activity. Since there is a disparity between the BTD genotype and biochemical phenotype, and biotinidase activity may be affected by both genetic and non-genetic factors, we suggest that the diagnosis of BD should be based on more than one measurement of plasma biotinidase activity. DNA analysis can be of additional relevance to differentiate between partial BD and heterozygosity.SIThis study received financial support from Fundo de Incentivo à Pesquisa e Eventos/Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre (FIPE-HCPA) for research materials and publication fee. Post Graduate Program in Genetics and Molecular Biology (Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul) funded the translation. ECN has a commercial affiliation (CTN Diagnósticos) which did not have any role or financial contribution to this research. TB have fellowship from the Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (Capes). FS had fellowship from the Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado do Rio Grande do Sul (FAPERGS). IVDS, MRSC and PASF have fellowships from the Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq). HB receives a research grant of Orphan Europe. The funders did no provide support in the form of salaries for any author, and did not have any additional role in the study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript. The specific roles of these authors are articulated in the ‘author contributions’ section

Critical points on growth curves in autoregressive and mixed models

Adjusting autoregressive and mixed models to growth data fits discontinuous functions, which makes it difficult to determine critical points. In this study we propose a new approach to determine the critical stability point of cattle growth using a first-order autoregressive model and a mixed model with random asymptote, using the deterministic portion of the models. Three functions were compared: logistic, Gompertz, and Richards. The Richards autoregressive model yielded the best fit, but the critical growth values were adjusted very early, and for this purpose the Gompertz model was more appropriate