To date, we know that Caribbean Yellow Band Disease (CYBD) has direct effects on coral zooxanthel... more To date, we know that Caribbean Yellow Band Disease (CYBD) has direct effects on coral zooxanthellae and compromises detoxification mechanisms in the holobiont. However, little is known about the ability of diseased corals to recover after being exposed to xenobiotics. Because of this, we evaluated and to compared the detoxification response in healthy and diseased corals from <em>Orbicella faveolata</em> during and after exposure to Benzo (<em>a</em>) pyrene.
Objective. To assess scale-up of recommended tuberculosis (TB)/HIV activities in Guyana and to id... more Objective. To assess scale-up of recommended tuberculosis (TB)/HIV activities in Guyana and to identify specific strategies for further expansion. Methods. Medical records and clinic registers were reviewed at nine TB clinics and 10 HIV clinics. At TB clinics, data were collected on HIV testing and antiretroviral therapy (ART) for patients with TB/HIV; at HIV clinics, data were collected on intensified case finding (ICF), tuberculin skin test (TST) results, and provision of isoniazid preventive therapy (IPT). Results. At TB clinics, among 461 patients newly diagnosed with TB, 419 (90.9%) had a known HIV status and 121 (28.9%) were HIV-infected. Among the 63 patients with TB/HIV, 33 (52.4%) received ART. Among the 45 patients with TB/HIV for whom dates of HIV diagnosis were available, 38 (84.4%) individuals knew their HIV status prior to TB diagnosis. At HIV clinics, among 127 patients eligible to receive a TST, 87 (68.5%) received a TST, 66 (75.9%) had a TST result, seven (10.6%) ha...
Venezuelan oil exploration and exploitation activities have been taking place since the 18th cent... more Venezuelan oil exploration and exploitation activities have been taking place since the 18th century. These long-term activities are closely related to heavy metal contamination because of the increasing input of toxic pollutants. Variations in heavy metal concentrations can cause, among other things, changes in metal distribution patterns, alterations in biogeochemical cycles, and increments in environmental and biological risks. The need for a complete baseline on heavy metal concentrations along the Venezuelan coast is critical. For this reason, we present the concentrations, distribution, and degree of contamination of 9 heavy metals (barium, mercury, copper, nickel, chromium, cadmium, zinc, lead, and vanadium) in marine sediments along the Venezuelan coast. We used the enrichment factor, the geoaccumulation index, and the mean effects range median quotients to evaluate the degree of contamination, comparing areas with and without intervention. Our results indicate that higher c...
Abstract Microplastics (MP), plastic fragments whose diameter is less than 5 mm, are an emergent ... more Abstract Microplastics (MP), plastic fragments whose diameter is less than 5 mm, are an emergent pollutant in marine environments. Benthic organisms, such as corals, are at high risk of suffering toxic effects due to MP exposure. This study aims to evaluate the incorporation of polystyrene microparticles (PSm) on the reef building coral species Porites porites. PSm were synthesized employing the simple emulsion and solvent evaporation technique, obtaining round particles with a diameter of ≤ 5 μ m . P. porites fragments were exposed to four different PSm concentrations (1, 10, 100, 1000) mg/L over a period of 96 h. Histological techniques were used to evaluate PSm incorporation. No mortality was recorded during the bioassay. PSm incorporation in the gastrovascular cavity was evidenced in all of the tested concentrations. Additionally, in the highest PSm concentration (1000 mg/L), clusters were detected inside the gastrovascular tissue and mesenterial filaments. As complementary information, no statistically significant differences were found across PSm concentrations for catalase enzymatic activity and melanin content (PERMANOVA based on Euclidean distances) as a proxy of general exposure effects. This study found that P. porites is capable of ingesting microplastics, specifically polystyrene microspheres regardless of the tested concentrations, without presenting apparent toxic effects in a 96-hour exposure period. Moreover, it is shown that PSm can be incorporated inside the coral tissue. Further studies are needed to assess the potential toxic effects of MP ingestion with longer exposure times, as well as the possible mechanisms involved in MP recognition and incorporation.
Enfermedades infecciosas y microbiologia clinica (English ed.), 2020
Introduction: Because hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is curable in the majority of cases, the ... more Introduction: Because hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is curable in the majority of cases, the diagnosis of all infected patients has become a priority. In difficult-to-diagnose populations, simpler diagnostic methods are required such as the use of dried blood spots (DBS) as an alternative to blood drawn by venipuncture (VP). Before being able to include it as a HCV diagnostic detection method within the Spanish National Health System, the diagnostic accuracy of standard hospital equipment must be evaluated. Methodology: DBS samples were evaluated in vitro and in a field test after being processed in the Cobas 6800 system, establishing a correlation with the result by VP. Performance with different viral loads and intra-assay variability was compared. Results: In samples with a viral load of >3 log 10 IU/ml, viraemia was detected in all cases when at least two blood spot elutions were used (94 detections out of 95 spot elutions). The performance with 2 spots was lower in samples with <3 log 10 IU/ml (7/20). Correlation between VP and DBS viraemia was excellent (maximum with 2 spots, r 2 = 0.906, P < .001) with a coefficient of variation of 0.05%. In routine clinical practice with specimens from screened subjects (n = 61), excellent diagnostic accuracy was also observed. Conclusion: Viral load detection using DBS of at least two spots is a reliable method for HCV diagnosis. The standardisation of the method is feasible and our results support the incorporation of this diagnostic tool in Spain's Public Health System.
The present article analyzes the likelihood of multi-level environmental sanitation governance in... more The present article analyzes the likelihood of multi-level environmental sanitation governance in São Paulo Macrometropolis. After introducing the theoretical and methodological approaches, the article critically addresses the current situation faced by the water and sewage services, the trajectory of sanitation policy, the repartition of competences among federative entities and the normative structure. Next, it analyzes aspects related to horizontal and vertical integration, citizen participation and territory, as the basic variables taken into consideration to better understand the functioning of institutional arrangements of Córrego Limpo Program and the renewal of water granting of the Cantareira System. Given the historical inequality condition concerning access to sanitation services, it is urgent reasoning about the necessary institutional changes focusing on contributions to the accomplishment of more resilient, fair and democratic political practices.
Enfermedades Infecciosas y Microbiología Clínica, 2019
Resumen Introduccion La infeccion por el virus de la hepatitis C (VHC) es curable en la mayoria d... more Resumen Introduccion La infeccion por el virus de la hepatitis C (VHC) es curable en la mayoria de los casos tratados, siendo actualmente una prioridad diagnosticar a todos los infectados. Para ello se necesitan, especialmente en poblaciones de dificil diagnostico, metodos diagnosticos simples, como es el uso de muestras de gotas de sangre seca (GSS), como alternativa a la extraccion de sangre mediante venopuncion. Como paso previo para poder implantarlo como metodo diagnostico de deteccion de pacientes con VHC dentro del Sistema Nacional de Salud se precisa evaluar la precision diagnostica en equipos de uso hospitalario habitual. Metodologia Se evaluaron in vitro y en ensayo de campo muestras de GSS tras ser procesadas en el equipo Cobas 6800, estableciendo una correlacion con el resultado obtenido con sangre completa. Se realizaron pruebas de correlacion y de variabilidad intraensayo de la determinacion con sangre completa y GSS para cuantificar la carga viral del VHC. Resultados En muestras de sangre completa, con una carga viral ≥ 3 log10 UI/ml, se detecto viremia en todos los casos cuando se utilizaron eluciones de 2 gotas (94 detecciones de 95 eluciones de circulos). El rendimiento con 2 gotas fue menor en muestras con Conclusion La determinacion de la carga viral mediante GSS, procesando al menos 2 gotas, es un metodo fiable para el diagnostico de infeccion por el VHC. La estandarizacion del metodo es factible en nuestro equipo Cobas 6800 local, y nuestros resultados respaldan la incorporacion de esta herramienta diagnostica al Sistema Nacional de Salud para facilitar planes de microeliminacion.
Resumo A escala de planejamento regional está associada às transformações no âmbito econômico, no... more Resumo A escala de planejamento regional está associada às transformações no âmbito econômico, no qual a globalização e os processos de reescalonamento são fundamentais para se compreender o desenvolvimento desigual. Este artigo discute aspectos conceituais e empíricos dos processos de metropolização do espaço, a partir do estudo da Macrometrópole Paulista (MMP), tendo como referência teórica os conceitos de reterritorialização e de reescalonamento. Para tanto, caracterizamos o território macrometropolitano com o objetivo de verificar se os conceitos de reterritorialização e reescalonamento propostos por Neil Brenner para o contexto da União Européia podem ser aplicados ao quadro brasileiro, sobretudo para o caso de São Paulo e da MMP. Concluímos que a MMP é uma instituição estatal emergente, reescalonada para reterritorialização do capital.
The objective of this paper is to analyze two cases of environmental conflicts in the region of M... more The objective of this paper is to analyze two cases of environmental conflicts in the region of Macrometropolis Paulista related to territorial development on the installation of large logistics enterprises, seeing how they fit into the logic of planning and vision of the state as well as the reactions of civil society to impacts that such projects bring with them. In Latin America, the urbanization process from the second half of the twentieth century produced the formation of large cities such as São Paulo, Mexico City and Santiago, for example. From the 2000s, a new urban phenomenon has received attention of planners and researchers: the urban territorial expansion of the metropolis and the formation of this territory as a city-region. The question here is how this metropolitan expansion is related to natural resources and the tensions inherent in the contemporary production process space.
Objective Our objective was to systematically review the literature to evaluate the diagnostic ac... more Objective Our objective was to systematically review the literature to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of Histoplasma antigen tests in the context of advanced HIV disease, with a focus on lowand middle-income countries. Methods A systematic review of the published literature extracted data on comparator groups, type of histoplasmosis, HIV status, performance results, patient numbers, whether patients were
Cytochrome P450 was detected in the animal tissue of the scleractinian corals Siderastrea siderea... more Cytochrome P450 was detected in the animal tissue of the scleractinian corals Siderastrea siderea and Montastraea faveolata collected from a reef site on the west coast of Venezuela. The concentration of P450 in these species (0.4–2.1 nmol mg–1 of microsomal protein) was similar to the levels found in other marine invertebrates, but higher than previously reported for other organisms of the phylum Cnidaria. Maximum P450 content was detected in samples collected during the reproductive season of S. siderea. These results confirm the presence of a functional cytochrome P450 in two coral species. Its usefulness as a biomarker for environmental monitoring has to be further investigated.
RESUMO A vegetação é essencial à cidade e configura-se como uma oportunidade de interação da popu... more RESUMO A vegetação é essencial à cidade e configura-se como uma oportunidade de interação da população com elementos da natureza no meio urbano. Este artigo investiga os significados que são conferidos pela população à vegetação de parques urbanos. Empregando a abordagem qualitativa, a pesquisa ocorreu em três parques urbanos da cidade de Santo André, SP. A entrevista foi utilizada para a identificação, a descrição e a análise dos significados que os vivenciadores dos parques urbanos atribuem à vegetação. Os resultados sugerem que significados simbólicos são atribuídos à vegetação dos parques urbanos de Santo André. O estudo evidencia que a vegetação dos parques urbanos tem o potencial de engendrar a sensação de bem-estar em seus vivenciadores. A dimensão simbólica deve ser reconhecida e incorporada no planejamento e gestão das cidades.
This study evaluated pollution levels in water and sediments of Península de Paraguaná and relate... more This study evaluated pollution levels in water and sediments of Península de Paraguaná and related these levels with benthic macrofauna along a coastal area where the largest Venezuelan oil refineries have operated over the past 60 years. For this, the concentration of heavy metals, of hydrocarbon compounds and the community structure of the macrobenthos were examined at 20 sites distributed along 40 km of coastline for six consecutive years, which included windy and calm seasons. The spatial variability of organic and inorganic compounds showed considerably high coastal pollution along the study area, across both years and seasons. The southern sites, closest to the refineries, had consistently higher concentrations of heavy metals and organic compounds in water and sediments when compared to those in the north. The benthic community was dominated by polychaetes at all sites, seasons and years, and their abundance and distribution were significantly correlated with physical and che...
Healthy and diseased corals are threatened by different anthropogenic sources, such as pollution,... more Healthy and diseased corals are threatened by different anthropogenic sources, such as pollution, a problem expected to become more severe in the near future. Despite the fact that coastal pollution and coral diseases might represent a serious threat to coral reef health, there is a paucity of controlled experiments showing whether the response of diseased and healthy corals to xeno biotics differs. In this study, we exposed healthy and Caribbean yellow band disease (CYBD)affected Orbicella faveolata colonies to 3 sublethal concentrations of anthracene to test if enzymatic responses to this hydrocarbon were compromised in CYBD-affected tissues. For this, a 2factorial fully orthogonal design was used in a controlled laboratory bioassay, using tissue condition (2 levels: apparently healthy and diseased) and pollutant concentration (4 levels: experimental control, 10, 30 and 100 ppb concentration) as fixed factors. A permutation-based ANOVA (PERMANOVA) was used to test the effects of condition and concentration on the specific activity of 3 enzymatic biomarkers: catalase, glutathione S-transferase, and glutathione peroxidase. We found a significant interaction between the concentration of anthracene and the colony condition for catalase (Pseudo-F = 3.84, df = 3, p < 0.05) and glutathione S-transferase (Pseudo-F = 3.29, df = 3, p < 0.05). Moreover, our results indicated that the enzymatic response to anthracene in CYBDaffected tissues was compromised, as the activity of these enzymes decreased 3-to 4-fold compared to healthy tissues. These results suggest that under a potential scenario of increasing hydrocarbon coastal pollution, colonies of O. faveolata affected with CYBD might become more vulnerable to the deleterious effects of chemical pollution.
Western Pacific Surveillance and Response Journal, 2015
Introduction: Typhoon Haiyan caused thousands of deaths and catastrophic destruction, leaving man... more Introduction: Typhoon Haiyan caused thousands of deaths and catastrophic destruction, leaving many homeless in Region 8 of the Philippines. A team from the Philippine Field Epidemiology Training Program conducted a rapid health assessment survey of evacuation centres severely affected by Haiyan. Methods: A descriptive study was conducted whereby a convenience sample of evacuation centres were assessed on the number of toilets per evacuee, sanitation, drinking-water, food supply source and medical services. Results: Of the 20 evacuation centres assessed, none had a designated manager. Most were located in schools (70%) with the estimated number of evacuees ranging from 15 to 5000 per centre. Only four (20%) met the World Health Organization standard for number of toilets per evacuee; none of the large evacuation centres had even half the recommended number of toilets. All of the evacuation centres had available drinking-water. None of the evacuation centres had garbage collection, vector control activities or standby medical teams. Fourteen (70%) evacuation centres had onsite vaccination activities for measles, tetanus and polio virus. Many evacuation centres were overcrowded. Conclusion: Evacuation centres are needed in almost every disaster. They should be safely located and equipped with the required amenities. In disaster-prone areas such as the Philippines, schools and community centres should not be designated as evacuation centres unless they are equipped with adequate sanitation services.
Com o aparecimento do vírus da imunodeficiência humana (HIV) e da síndrome da imunodeficiência ad... more Com o aparecimento do vírus da imunodeficiência humana (HIV) e da síndrome da imunodeficiência adquirida (aids), uma nova entidade foi descrita: a leucoplasia pilosa oral (LPO), sendo considerada um importante marcador de desenvolvimento e prognóstico da síndrome. 1-4 A LPO é uma lesão branca causada pelo vírus Epstein-Barr (EBV), de superfície variando de plana a pilosa, não removível por raspagem. Localiza-se com maior freqüência nas bordas laterais da língua. 1,5,6,7 Na maioria dos casos não apresenta sintomatologia, sendo o tratamento desnecessário. 8-11 Os aspectos microscópicos incluem paraceratose, hiperplasia epitelial, acantose, papilomatose e alterações nucleares nos ceratinócitos (Cowdry A, núcleo em "vidro fosco" e núcleo "em colar") representativas do efeito citopático do EBV, também identificadas através de análise citopatológica, 5,12-15 tanto na forma clínica como na forma subclínica da lesão. 16,17 Sua prevalência em portadores do HIV tem sido estudada em vários países, e, com a implantação das novas terapias anti-retrovirais, os casos de LPO, assim como outras manifestações bucais, estão ocorrendo com menor freqüência. 18-20 REVISÃO DA LITERATURA Greenspan et al. 1 , em 1982, observaram uma lesão branca em borda de língua de pacientes masculinos homossexuais, portadores do vírus HIV, que desenvolveram aids alguns meses depois. Posteriormente, em 1984, descreveram esta lesão denominando-a
Durante las últimas décadas las anomalías térmicas han sido más frecuentes y severas en el Caribe... more Durante las últimas décadas las anomalías térmicas han sido más frecuentes y severas en el Caribe, quedando pocos arrecifes exentos de eventos masivos de blanqueamiento (EMB). En el Parque Nacional Los Roques, Venezuela, un archipiélago poco afectado previamente por EMB, la temperatura del agua a 5m de profundidad alcanzó 30,85°C en septiembre 2010, y fue >29,0°C entre mediados de agosto y la primera semana de noviembre en cuatro arrecifes. El 72% de 563 colonias de escleractinios estaban blanqueadas o pálidas para octubre de 2010, mientras que para febrero 2011, el 46% de las colonias aún estaban afectadas. Para febrero 2011, la cobertura béntica coralina promedio disminuyó de 45 a 31%. Además, los arrecifes mostraron una alta prevalencia (de hasta 16%) de enfermedad de banda negra en Octubre 2010, y de plaga blanca (11%) en Febrero 2011. Como consecuencia, es probable que la mortalidad coralina resulte mayor a la reportada acá. Sin embargo, Los Roques es poco afectado por pertu...
To date, we know that Caribbean Yellow Band Disease (CYBD) has direct effects on coral zooxanthel... more To date, we know that Caribbean Yellow Band Disease (CYBD) has direct effects on coral zooxanthellae and compromises detoxification mechanisms in the holobiont. However, little is known about the ability of diseased corals to recover after being exposed to xenobiotics. Because of this, we evaluated and to compared the detoxification response in healthy and diseased corals from <em>Orbicella faveolata</em> during and after exposure to Benzo (<em>a</em>) pyrene.
Objective. To assess scale-up of recommended tuberculosis (TB)/HIV activities in Guyana and to id... more Objective. To assess scale-up of recommended tuberculosis (TB)/HIV activities in Guyana and to identify specific strategies for further expansion. Methods. Medical records and clinic registers were reviewed at nine TB clinics and 10 HIV clinics. At TB clinics, data were collected on HIV testing and antiretroviral therapy (ART) for patients with TB/HIV; at HIV clinics, data were collected on intensified case finding (ICF), tuberculin skin test (TST) results, and provision of isoniazid preventive therapy (IPT). Results. At TB clinics, among 461 patients newly diagnosed with TB, 419 (90.9%) had a known HIV status and 121 (28.9%) were HIV-infected. Among the 63 patients with TB/HIV, 33 (52.4%) received ART. Among the 45 patients with TB/HIV for whom dates of HIV diagnosis were available, 38 (84.4%) individuals knew their HIV status prior to TB diagnosis. At HIV clinics, among 127 patients eligible to receive a TST, 87 (68.5%) received a TST, 66 (75.9%) had a TST result, seven (10.6%) ha...
Venezuelan oil exploration and exploitation activities have been taking place since the 18th cent... more Venezuelan oil exploration and exploitation activities have been taking place since the 18th century. These long-term activities are closely related to heavy metal contamination because of the increasing input of toxic pollutants. Variations in heavy metal concentrations can cause, among other things, changes in metal distribution patterns, alterations in biogeochemical cycles, and increments in environmental and biological risks. The need for a complete baseline on heavy metal concentrations along the Venezuelan coast is critical. For this reason, we present the concentrations, distribution, and degree of contamination of 9 heavy metals (barium, mercury, copper, nickel, chromium, cadmium, zinc, lead, and vanadium) in marine sediments along the Venezuelan coast. We used the enrichment factor, the geoaccumulation index, and the mean effects range median quotients to evaluate the degree of contamination, comparing areas with and without intervention. Our results indicate that higher c...
Abstract Microplastics (MP), plastic fragments whose diameter is less than 5 mm, are an emergent ... more Abstract Microplastics (MP), plastic fragments whose diameter is less than 5 mm, are an emergent pollutant in marine environments. Benthic organisms, such as corals, are at high risk of suffering toxic effects due to MP exposure. This study aims to evaluate the incorporation of polystyrene microparticles (PSm) on the reef building coral species Porites porites. PSm were synthesized employing the simple emulsion and solvent evaporation technique, obtaining round particles with a diameter of ≤ 5 μ m . P. porites fragments were exposed to four different PSm concentrations (1, 10, 100, 1000) mg/L over a period of 96 h. Histological techniques were used to evaluate PSm incorporation. No mortality was recorded during the bioassay. PSm incorporation in the gastrovascular cavity was evidenced in all of the tested concentrations. Additionally, in the highest PSm concentration (1000 mg/L), clusters were detected inside the gastrovascular tissue and mesenterial filaments. As complementary information, no statistically significant differences were found across PSm concentrations for catalase enzymatic activity and melanin content (PERMANOVA based on Euclidean distances) as a proxy of general exposure effects. This study found that P. porites is capable of ingesting microplastics, specifically polystyrene microspheres regardless of the tested concentrations, without presenting apparent toxic effects in a 96-hour exposure period. Moreover, it is shown that PSm can be incorporated inside the coral tissue. Further studies are needed to assess the potential toxic effects of MP ingestion with longer exposure times, as well as the possible mechanisms involved in MP recognition and incorporation.
Enfermedades infecciosas y microbiologia clinica (English ed.), 2020
Introduction: Because hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is curable in the majority of cases, the ... more Introduction: Because hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is curable in the majority of cases, the diagnosis of all infected patients has become a priority. In difficult-to-diagnose populations, simpler diagnostic methods are required such as the use of dried blood spots (DBS) as an alternative to blood drawn by venipuncture (VP). Before being able to include it as a HCV diagnostic detection method within the Spanish National Health System, the diagnostic accuracy of standard hospital equipment must be evaluated. Methodology: DBS samples were evaluated in vitro and in a field test after being processed in the Cobas 6800 system, establishing a correlation with the result by VP. Performance with different viral loads and intra-assay variability was compared. Results: In samples with a viral load of >3 log 10 IU/ml, viraemia was detected in all cases when at least two blood spot elutions were used (94 detections out of 95 spot elutions). The performance with 2 spots was lower in samples with <3 log 10 IU/ml (7/20). Correlation between VP and DBS viraemia was excellent (maximum with 2 spots, r 2 = 0.906, P < .001) with a coefficient of variation of 0.05%. In routine clinical practice with specimens from screened subjects (n = 61), excellent diagnostic accuracy was also observed. Conclusion: Viral load detection using DBS of at least two spots is a reliable method for HCV diagnosis. The standardisation of the method is feasible and our results support the incorporation of this diagnostic tool in Spain's Public Health System.
The present article analyzes the likelihood of multi-level environmental sanitation governance in... more The present article analyzes the likelihood of multi-level environmental sanitation governance in São Paulo Macrometropolis. After introducing the theoretical and methodological approaches, the article critically addresses the current situation faced by the water and sewage services, the trajectory of sanitation policy, the repartition of competences among federative entities and the normative structure. Next, it analyzes aspects related to horizontal and vertical integration, citizen participation and territory, as the basic variables taken into consideration to better understand the functioning of institutional arrangements of Córrego Limpo Program and the renewal of water granting of the Cantareira System. Given the historical inequality condition concerning access to sanitation services, it is urgent reasoning about the necessary institutional changes focusing on contributions to the accomplishment of more resilient, fair and democratic political practices.
Enfermedades Infecciosas y Microbiología Clínica, 2019
Resumen Introduccion La infeccion por el virus de la hepatitis C (VHC) es curable en la mayoria d... more Resumen Introduccion La infeccion por el virus de la hepatitis C (VHC) es curable en la mayoria de los casos tratados, siendo actualmente una prioridad diagnosticar a todos los infectados. Para ello se necesitan, especialmente en poblaciones de dificil diagnostico, metodos diagnosticos simples, como es el uso de muestras de gotas de sangre seca (GSS), como alternativa a la extraccion de sangre mediante venopuncion. Como paso previo para poder implantarlo como metodo diagnostico de deteccion de pacientes con VHC dentro del Sistema Nacional de Salud se precisa evaluar la precision diagnostica en equipos de uso hospitalario habitual. Metodologia Se evaluaron in vitro y en ensayo de campo muestras de GSS tras ser procesadas en el equipo Cobas 6800, estableciendo una correlacion con el resultado obtenido con sangre completa. Se realizaron pruebas de correlacion y de variabilidad intraensayo de la determinacion con sangre completa y GSS para cuantificar la carga viral del VHC. Resultados En muestras de sangre completa, con una carga viral ≥ 3 log10 UI/ml, se detecto viremia en todos los casos cuando se utilizaron eluciones de 2 gotas (94 detecciones de 95 eluciones de circulos). El rendimiento con 2 gotas fue menor en muestras con Conclusion La determinacion de la carga viral mediante GSS, procesando al menos 2 gotas, es un metodo fiable para el diagnostico de infeccion por el VHC. La estandarizacion del metodo es factible en nuestro equipo Cobas 6800 local, y nuestros resultados respaldan la incorporacion de esta herramienta diagnostica al Sistema Nacional de Salud para facilitar planes de microeliminacion.
Resumo A escala de planejamento regional está associada às transformações no âmbito econômico, no... more Resumo A escala de planejamento regional está associada às transformações no âmbito econômico, no qual a globalização e os processos de reescalonamento são fundamentais para se compreender o desenvolvimento desigual. Este artigo discute aspectos conceituais e empíricos dos processos de metropolização do espaço, a partir do estudo da Macrometrópole Paulista (MMP), tendo como referência teórica os conceitos de reterritorialização e de reescalonamento. Para tanto, caracterizamos o território macrometropolitano com o objetivo de verificar se os conceitos de reterritorialização e reescalonamento propostos por Neil Brenner para o contexto da União Européia podem ser aplicados ao quadro brasileiro, sobretudo para o caso de São Paulo e da MMP. Concluímos que a MMP é uma instituição estatal emergente, reescalonada para reterritorialização do capital.
The objective of this paper is to analyze two cases of environmental conflicts in the region of M... more The objective of this paper is to analyze two cases of environmental conflicts in the region of Macrometropolis Paulista related to territorial development on the installation of large logistics enterprises, seeing how they fit into the logic of planning and vision of the state as well as the reactions of civil society to impacts that such projects bring with them. In Latin America, the urbanization process from the second half of the twentieth century produced the formation of large cities such as São Paulo, Mexico City and Santiago, for example. From the 2000s, a new urban phenomenon has received attention of planners and researchers: the urban territorial expansion of the metropolis and the formation of this territory as a city-region. The question here is how this metropolitan expansion is related to natural resources and the tensions inherent in the contemporary production process space.
Objective Our objective was to systematically review the literature to evaluate the diagnostic ac... more Objective Our objective was to systematically review the literature to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of Histoplasma antigen tests in the context of advanced HIV disease, with a focus on lowand middle-income countries. Methods A systematic review of the published literature extracted data on comparator groups, type of histoplasmosis, HIV status, performance results, patient numbers, whether patients were
Cytochrome P450 was detected in the animal tissue of the scleractinian corals Siderastrea siderea... more Cytochrome P450 was detected in the animal tissue of the scleractinian corals Siderastrea siderea and Montastraea faveolata collected from a reef site on the west coast of Venezuela. The concentration of P450 in these species (0.4–2.1 nmol mg–1 of microsomal protein) was similar to the levels found in other marine invertebrates, but higher than previously reported for other organisms of the phylum Cnidaria. Maximum P450 content was detected in samples collected during the reproductive season of S. siderea. These results confirm the presence of a functional cytochrome P450 in two coral species. Its usefulness as a biomarker for environmental monitoring has to be further investigated.
RESUMO A vegetação é essencial à cidade e configura-se como uma oportunidade de interação da popu... more RESUMO A vegetação é essencial à cidade e configura-se como uma oportunidade de interação da população com elementos da natureza no meio urbano. Este artigo investiga os significados que são conferidos pela população à vegetação de parques urbanos. Empregando a abordagem qualitativa, a pesquisa ocorreu em três parques urbanos da cidade de Santo André, SP. A entrevista foi utilizada para a identificação, a descrição e a análise dos significados que os vivenciadores dos parques urbanos atribuem à vegetação. Os resultados sugerem que significados simbólicos são atribuídos à vegetação dos parques urbanos de Santo André. O estudo evidencia que a vegetação dos parques urbanos tem o potencial de engendrar a sensação de bem-estar em seus vivenciadores. A dimensão simbólica deve ser reconhecida e incorporada no planejamento e gestão das cidades.
This study evaluated pollution levels in water and sediments of Península de Paraguaná and relate... more This study evaluated pollution levels in water and sediments of Península de Paraguaná and related these levels with benthic macrofauna along a coastal area where the largest Venezuelan oil refineries have operated over the past 60 years. For this, the concentration of heavy metals, of hydrocarbon compounds and the community structure of the macrobenthos were examined at 20 sites distributed along 40 km of coastline for six consecutive years, which included windy and calm seasons. The spatial variability of organic and inorganic compounds showed considerably high coastal pollution along the study area, across both years and seasons. The southern sites, closest to the refineries, had consistently higher concentrations of heavy metals and organic compounds in water and sediments when compared to those in the north. The benthic community was dominated by polychaetes at all sites, seasons and years, and their abundance and distribution were significantly correlated with physical and che...
Healthy and diseased corals are threatened by different anthropogenic sources, such as pollution,... more Healthy and diseased corals are threatened by different anthropogenic sources, such as pollution, a problem expected to become more severe in the near future. Despite the fact that coastal pollution and coral diseases might represent a serious threat to coral reef health, there is a paucity of controlled experiments showing whether the response of diseased and healthy corals to xeno biotics differs. In this study, we exposed healthy and Caribbean yellow band disease (CYBD)affected Orbicella faveolata colonies to 3 sublethal concentrations of anthracene to test if enzymatic responses to this hydrocarbon were compromised in CYBD-affected tissues. For this, a 2factorial fully orthogonal design was used in a controlled laboratory bioassay, using tissue condition (2 levels: apparently healthy and diseased) and pollutant concentration (4 levels: experimental control, 10, 30 and 100 ppb concentration) as fixed factors. A permutation-based ANOVA (PERMANOVA) was used to test the effects of condition and concentration on the specific activity of 3 enzymatic biomarkers: catalase, glutathione S-transferase, and glutathione peroxidase. We found a significant interaction between the concentration of anthracene and the colony condition for catalase (Pseudo-F = 3.84, df = 3, p < 0.05) and glutathione S-transferase (Pseudo-F = 3.29, df = 3, p < 0.05). Moreover, our results indicated that the enzymatic response to anthracene in CYBDaffected tissues was compromised, as the activity of these enzymes decreased 3-to 4-fold compared to healthy tissues. These results suggest that under a potential scenario of increasing hydrocarbon coastal pollution, colonies of O. faveolata affected with CYBD might become more vulnerable to the deleterious effects of chemical pollution.
Western Pacific Surveillance and Response Journal, 2015
Introduction: Typhoon Haiyan caused thousands of deaths and catastrophic destruction, leaving man... more Introduction: Typhoon Haiyan caused thousands of deaths and catastrophic destruction, leaving many homeless in Region 8 of the Philippines. A team from the Philippine Field Epidemiology Training Program conducted a rapid health assessment survey of evacuation centres severely affected by Haiyan. Methods: A descriptive study was conducted whereby a convenience sample of evacuation centres were assessed on the number of toilets per evacuee, sanitation, drinking-water, food supply source and medical services. Results: Of the 20 evacuation centres assessed, none had a designated manager. Most were located in schools (70%) with the estimated number of evacuees ranging from 15 to 5000 per centre. Only four (20%) met the World Health Organization standard for number of toilets per evacuee; none of the large evacuation centres had even half the recommended number of toilets. All of the evacuation centres had available drinking-water. None of the evacuation centres had garbage collection, vector control activities or standby medical teams. Fourteen (70%) evacuation centres had onsite vaccination activities for measles, tetanus and polio virus. Many evacuation centres were overcrowded. Conclusion: Evacuation centres are needed in almost every disaster. They should be safely located and equipped with the required amenities. In disaster-prone areas such as the Philippines, schools and community centres should not be designated as evacuation centres unless they are equipped with adequate sanitation services.
Com o aparecimento do vírus da imunodeficiência humana (HIV) e da síndrome da imunodeficiência ad... more Com o aparecimento do vírus da imunodeficiência humana (HIV) e da síndrome da imunodeficiência adquirida (aids), uma nova entidade foi descrita: a leucoplasia pilosa oral (LPO), sendo considerada um importante marcador de desenvolvimento e prognóstico da síndrome. 1-4 A LPO é uma lesão branca causada pelo vírus Epstein-Barr (EBV), de superfície variando de plana a pilosa, não removível por raspagem. Localiza-se com maior freqüência nas bordas laterais da língua. 1,5,6,7 Na maioria dos casos não apresenta sintomatologia, sendo o tratamento desnecessário. 8-11 Os aspectos microscópicos incluem paraceratose, hiperplasia epitelial, acantose, papilomatose e alterações nucleares nos ceratinócitos (Cowdry A, núcleo em "vidro fosco" e núcleo "em colar") representativas do efeito citopático do EBV, também identificadas através de análise citopatológica, 5,12-15 tanto na forma clínica como na forma subclínica da lesão. 16,17 Sua prevalência em portadores do HIV tem sido estudada em vários países, e, com a implantação das novas terapias anti-retrovirais, os casos de LPO, assim como outras manifestações bucais, estão ocorrendo com menor freqüência. 18-20 REVISÃO DA LITERATURA Greenspan et al. 1 , em 1982, observaram uma lesão branca em borda de língua de pacientes masculinos homossexuais, portadores do vírus HIV, que desenvolveram aids alguns meses depois. Posteriormente, em 1984, descreveram esta lesão denominando-a
Durante las últimas décadas las anomalías térmicas han sido más frecuentes y severas en el Caribe... more Durante las últimas décadas las anomalías térmicas han sido más frecuentes y severas en el Caribe, quedando pocos arrecifes exentos de eventos masivos de blanqueamiento (EMB). En el Parque Nacional Los Roques, Venezuela, un archipiélago poco afectado previamente por EMB, la temperatura del agua a 5m de profundidad alcanzó 30,85°C en septiembre 2010, y fue >29,0°C entre mediados de agosto y la primera semana de noviembre en cuatro arrecifes. El 72% de 563 colonias de escleractinios estaban blanqueadas o pálidas para octubre de 2010, mientras que para febrero 2011, el 46% de las colonias aún estaban afectadas. Para febrero 2011, la cobertura béntica coralina promedio disminuyó de 45 a 31%. Además, los arrecifes mostraron una alta prevalencia (de hasta 16%) de enfermedad de banda negra en Octubre 2010, y de plaga blanca (11%) en Febrero 2011. Como consecuencia, es probable que la mortalidad coralina resulte mayor a la reportada acá. Sin embargo, Los Roques es poco afectado por pertu...
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