More than 10,000 pre-Columbian earthworks are still hidden throughout Amazonia

Indigenous societies are known to have occupied the Amazon basin for more than 12,000 years, but the scale of their influence on Amazonian forests remains uncertain. We report the discovery, using LIDAR (light detection and ranging) information from across the basin, of 24 previously undetected pre-Columbian earthworks beneath the forest canopy. Modeled distribution and abundance of large-scale archaeological sites across Amazonia suggest that between 10,272 and 23,648 sites remain to be discovered and that most will be found in the southwest. We also identified 53 domesticated tree species significantly associated with earthwork occurrence probability, likely suggesting past management practices. Closed-canopy forests across Amazonia are likely to contain thousands of undiscovered archaeological sites around which pre-Columbian societies actively modified forests, a discovery that opens opportunities for better understanding the magnitude of ancient human influence on Amazonia and its current state

Prevalência e fatores associados à infecção pelo M. tuberculosis entre agentes comunitários de saúde

Submitted by Elizabete Silva ([email protected]) on 2014-11-13T19:55:20Z No. of bitstreams: 2 license_rdf: 23148 bytes, checksum: 9da0b6dfac957114c6a7714714b86306 (MD5) Dissertacao.Texto.Wesley.pdf: 2654898 bytes, checksum: 9d265c8a2686e5682ac6e19238d50851 (MD5)Approved for entry into archive by Elizabete Silva ([email protected]) on 2014-11-28T14:38:45Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 2 license_rdf: 23148 bytes, checksum: 9da0b6dfac957114c6a7714714b86306 (MD5) Dissertacao.Texto.Wesley.pdf: 2654898 bytes, checksum: 9d265c8a2686e5682ac6e19238d50851 (MD5)Made available in DSpace on 2014-11-28T14:38:45Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 2 license_rdf: 23148 bytes, checksum: 9da0b6dfac957114c6a7714714b86306 (MD5) Dissertacao.Texto.Wesley.pdf: 2654898 bytes, checksum: 9d265c8a2686e5682ac6e19238d50851 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2013Introdução: A tuberculose é uma doença milenar e que, ainda hoje, constitui grave problema de saúde pública em todo o mundo. Objetivo: Estimar a prevalência e os fatores associados à infecção latente pelo MTB entre Agentes Comunitários de Saúde atuantes na rede básica de saúde de Municípios prioritários para o controle de TB – Cuiabá/MT, Manaus/AM, Salvador/BA e Vitória/ES. Métodos: Estudo de corte transversal no qual os dados foram coletados através de questionário, composto de questões abertas e fechadas sobre características pessoais; informações a respeito da tuberculose; utilização de medidas preventivas, etc. Aplicou-se prova tuberculínica, com leitura após 48-72h por enfermeiros treinados, considerando como ponte de corte positivo 5 e 10 mm de enduração. A análise múltipla foi feita por meio de regressão logística hierarquica. Foram incluídas no modelo as variáveis que mostraram associação com desfecho com p<0,1. Permaneceram no modelo as variáveis independentes que mantiveram associação com desfecho após ajuste (p<0,05). Este estudo obteve aprovação do Comitê de Ética em Pesquisa com seres humanos do Centro de Ciências da Saúde da Universidade Federal do Espírito Santo, n° de registro CEP-07/2010 e das Secretarias Municipais de Saúde, por meio de uma Carta de Apresentação. Resultados: 322 Agentes Comunitários de Saúde (ACS) aceitaram participar voluntariamente do estudo por meio da assinatura do Termo de Consentimento Livre e Esclarecido. Destes, 10 não compareceram para leitura, sendo estes considerados como perdas, além do que um indivíduo foi excluído pelo fato do teste rápido para HIV ter resultado positivo, perfazendo uma amostra final de 311 participantes. Ainda em relação aos ACS triados, a positividade a Prova Tuberculínica, levando-se em consideração o ponto de corte ao teste de 10 mm e de 5 mm de enduração, foi de 37,30% (IC95%: 0,31-0,42) e de 57,88% (IC95%: 0,52-0,63), respectivamente.Conclusões: Faz-se necessário um programa de realização de Prova Tuberculínica, de rotina, combinado com intervenções para reduzir o risco de transmissão nosocomial, bem como a realização de outros estudos para avaliar a eficácia de novos testes para detecção de tuberculose latente.Introduction: Tuberculosis is a millenary illness that nowadays constitutes serious problem of public health in the whole world. In Brazil the proposal of decentralization of the actions to control this illness has been occurring and enhancing Communitarian Agents of Health Programs and Family Health as a useful strategy that contributes to control the endemic tuberculosis disease in the country. Objective: To estimate the prevalence and factors associated with latent infection with MTB among Community Health Workers working in primary health Municipalities priority for TB control - Cuiabá / MT, Manaus / AM, Salvador / BA and Vitória / ES. Methods: Cross-sectional study in which data were collected through a questionnaire with open and closed questions about personal characteristics, information about tuberculosis, use of preventive measures, etc.. Tuberculin test was applied, with readings after 48-72h by trained nurses, considering how cutting bridge positive 5 and 10 mm of induration. A multivariate analysis was performed using logistic regression. Were included in the model the variables associated with the outcome with p <0.1. Remained in the model the independent variables that remained associated with the outcome after adjustment (p <0.05). This study was approved by the Ethics Committee on Human Research of the Center for Health Sciences, Federal University of Espírito Santo, no registration CEP-07/2010 and Municipal Health, through a Letter of Introduction. Results: 322 Community Health Agents (ACS) agreed to participate voluntarily in the study by signing the consent form. Of these, 10 did not attend for reading, which are considered losses beyond what an individual was excluded because of rapid HIV testing be positive, resulting in a final sample of 311 participants. Also in relation to ACS screened, positive tuberculin test, taking into account the test cutoff of 10 mm and 5 mm of induration, was 37.30% (95% CI: 0.31 to 0.42) and 57.88% (95% CI: 0.52-0.63), respectively. Conclusions: It is necessary to carry out a program of tuberculin test, routine, combined with interventions to reduce the risk of nosocomial transmission, as well as further studies to evaluate the effectiveness of new tests for latent tuberculosis

Prevalência e fatores associados à infecção pelo Mycobacterium tuberculosis entre agentes comunitários de saúde no Brasil, usando-se a prova tuberculínica

Resumo Este artigo tem por objetivo determinar a prevalência e os fatores associados à infecção latente pelo Mycobacterium tuberculosis entre agentes comunitários de saúde (ACS), usando dois pontos de corte da prova tuberculínica 5mm e 10mm. Trata-se de estudo transversal, com dados coletados sobre sexo, idade, cicatriz de BCG, prova tuberculínica (PT) anterior, tempo que trabalha na profissão de ACS, atuar em unidade básica de saúde (UBS), ter tido contato intradomiciliar com tuberculose (TB), usar álcool, ser fumante e apresentar comorbidades. Para controle de variáveis de confusão e estimativa da medida de efeito (OR), foi empregada a regressão logística. Aplicou-se PT, com leitura após 48-72 horas. As prevalências foram de 57,88% e 37,3%, respectivamente, para 5mm e 10mm. Manteve-se associada à positividade para o ponto de corte de 10mm a condição de trabalhar em UBS com Programa de Controle de Tuberculose (PCT) implementado e já ter tido contato intradomiciliar com TB. Já para o ponto de corte de 5mm, trabalhar em UBS com PCT e implementado. São necessárias ações de conscientização nos municípios e fortalecimento das ações de educação permanente sobre a temática

Functional characterization of Cullin-1-RING ubiquitin ligase (CRL1) complex in Leishmania infantum.

Cullin-1-RING ubiquitin ligases (CRL1) or SCF1 (SKP1-CUL1-RBX1) E3 ubiquitin ligases are the largest and most extensively investigated class of E3 ligases in mammals that regulate fundamental processes, such as the cell cycle and proliferation. These enzymes are multiprotein complexes comprising SKP1, CUL1, RBX1, and an F-box protein that acts as a specificity factor by interacting with SKP1 through its F-box domain and recruiting substrates via other domains. E3 ligases are important players in the ubiquitination process, recognizing and transferring ubiquitin to substrates destined for degradation by proteasomes or processing by deubiquitinating enzymes. The ubiquitin-proteasome system (UPS) is the main regulator of intracellular proteolysis in eukaryotes and is required for parasites to alternate hosts in their life cycles, resulting in successful parasitism. Leishmania UPS is poorly investigated, and CRL1 in L. infantum, the causative agent of visceral leishmaniasis in Latin America, is yet to be described. Here, we show that the L. infantum genes LINF_110018100 (SKP1-like protein), LINF_240029100 (cullin-like protein-like protein), and LINF_210005300 (ring-box protein 1 -putative) form a LinfCRL1 complex structurally similar to the H. sapiens CRL1. Mass spectrometry analysis of the LinfSkp1 and LinfCul1 interactomes revealed proteins involved in several intracellular processes, including six F-box proteins known as F-box-like proteins (Flp) (data are available via ProteomeXchange with identifier PXD051961). The interaction of LinfFlp 1-6 with LinfSkp1 was confirmed, and using in vitro ubiquitination assays, we demonstrated the function of the LinfCRL1(Flp1) complex to transfer ubiquitin. We also found that LinfSKP1 and LinfRBX1 knockouts resulted in nonviable L. infantum lineages, whereas LinfCUL1 was involved in parasite growth and rosette formation. Finally, our results suggest that LinfCul1 regulates the S phase progression and possibly the transition between the late S to G2 phase in L. infantum. Thus, a new class of E3 ubiquitin ligases has been described in L. infantum with functions related to various parasitic processes that may serve as prospective targets for leishmaniasis treatment

NEOTROPICAL FRESHWATER FISHES: A dataset of occurrence and abundance of freshwater fishes in the Neotropics

The Neotropical region hosts 4225 freshwater fish species, ranking first among the world's most diverse regions for freshwater fishes. Our NEOTROPICAL FRESHWATER FISHES data set is the first to produce a large-scale Neotropical freshwater fish inventory, covering the entire Neotropical region from Mexico and the Caribbean in the north to the southern limits in Argentina, Paraguay, Chile, and Uruguay. We compiled 185,787 distribution records, with unique georeferenced coordinates, for the 4225 species, represented by occurrence and abundance data. The number of species for the most numerous orders are as follows: Characiformes (1289), Siluriformes (1384), Cichliformes (354), Cyprinodontiformes (245), and Gymnotiformes (135). The most recorded species was the characid Astyanax fasciatus (4696 records). We registered 116,802 distribution records for native species, compared to 1802 distribution records for nonnative species. The main aim of the NEOTROPICAL FRESHWATER FISHES data set was to make these occurrence and abundance data accessible for international researchers to develop ecological and macroecological studies, from local to regional scales, with focal fish species, families, or orders. We anticipate that the NEOTROPICAL FRESHWATER FISHES data set will be valuable for studies on a wide range of ecological processes, such as trophic cascades, fishery pressure, the effects of habitat loss and fragmentation, and the impacts of species invasion and climate change. There are no copyright restrictions on the data, and please cite this data paper when using the data in publications

Neotropical freshwater fisheries : A dataset of occurrence and abundance of freshwater fishes in the Neotropics

The Neotropical region hosts 4225 freshwater fish species, ranking first among the world's most diverse regions for freshwater fishes. Our NEOTROPICAL FRESHWATER FISHES data set is the first to produce a large-scale Neotropical freshwater fish inventory, covering the entire Neotropical region from Mexico and the Caribbean in the north to the southern limits in Argentina, Paraguay, Chile, and Uruguay. We compiled 185,787 distribution records, with unique georeferenced coordinates, for the 4225 species, represented by occurrence and abundance data. The number of species for the most numerous orders are as follows: Characiformes (1289), Siluriformes (1384), Cichliformes (354), Cyprinodontiformes (245), and Gymnotiformes (135). The most recorded species was the characid Astyanax fasciatus (4696 records). We registered 116,802 distribution records for native species, compared to 1802 distribution records for nonnative species. The main aim of the NEOTROPICAL FRESHWATER FISHES data set was to make these occurrence and abundance data accessible for international researchers to develop ecological and macroecological studies, from local to regional scales, with focal fish species, families, or orders. We anticipate that the NEOTROPICAL FRESHWATER FISHES data set will be valuable for studies on a wide range of ecological processes, such as trophic cascades, fishery pressure, the effects of habitat loss and fragmentation, and the impacts of species invasion and climate change. There are no copyright restrictions on the data, and please cite this data paper when using the data in publications