Analysis of petroleum biodegradation by a bacterial consortium isolated from worms of the polychaeta class (Annelida): Implications for NPK fertilizer supplementation.

Degradation of petroleum hydrocarbons using bacterial consortia may be a means of optimizing bioremediation techniques. In this study, bacterial strains were isolated from the digestive tract of polychaete worms and evaluated concerning the potential of the bacteria to degrade petroleum compounds (Acinetobacter sp., Bacillus sp., Pantoea sp. and Enterobacter sp.). The strains were separately screened regarding their potential to degrade oil after 24 h. The main experiment was carried out for 30 days with the addition of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium (NPK) after 15 days (Bact-NPK15) and 28 days (Bact-NPK28) and without NPK (Bact). The Bact treatment biomass remained stable until the 20th day of the experiment. C13-C40 n-alkanes were degraded with all treatments in the following order: Bact>Bact-NPK28>Bact-NPK15. Significant differences were observed between the controls and all treatments (p = 0.00031). Measurement of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) indicates a lower contribution of these compounds in the Bact-NPK28 treatment, although no significant difference between groups was observed. Bact-NPK28 was able to remove 40% of naphthalene, while Bact-NPK15 removed 20%; this effect was not observed in Bact. Higher hopane degradation levels were observed in Bact and, to a lesser extent, in Bact-NPK28. NPK application for 28 days mainly favored PAH degradation. The evaluated consortium thus exhibits potential in the bioremediation of petroleum-contaminated areas.

Enhancing diagnostic accuracy of multiple myeloma through ML-driven analysis of hematological slides: new dataset and identification model to support hematologists.

Multiple Myeloma (MM) is a hematological malignancy characterized by the clonal proliferation of plasma cells within the bone marrow. Diagnosing MM presents considerable challenges, involving the identification of plasma cells in cytology examinations on hematological slides. At present, this is still a time-consuming manual task and has high labor costs. These challenges have adverse implications, which rely heavily on medical professionals' expertise and experience. To tackle these challenges, we present an investigation using Artificial Intelligence, specifically a Machine Learning analysis of hematological slides with a Deep Neural Network (DNN), to support specialists during the process of diagnosing MM. In this sense, the contribution of this study is twofold: in addition to the trained model to diagnose MM, we also make available to the community a fully-curated hematological slide dataset with thousands of images of plasma cells. Taken together, the setup we established here is a framework that researchers and hospitals with limited resources can promptly use. Our contributions provide practical results that have been directly applied in the public health system in Brazil. Given the open-source nature of the project, we anticipate it will be used and extended to diagnose other malignancies.

Integrated assessment of mangrove sediments in the Camamu Bay (Bahia, Brazil).

Camamu Bay, an Environmentally Protected Area, may be affected by the pressures of tourism and oil exploration in the adjacent continental platform. The current quality of the mangrove sediments was evaluated by porewater bioassays using embryos of Crassostrea rhizophorae and by an analysis of benthic macrofauna and its relationships with organic compounds, trace metals and bioavailability. Porewater toxicity varied from low to moderate in the majority of the samples, and polychaetes dominated the benthos. The Grande Island sampling station (Station 1) presented more sandy sediments, differentiated macrobenthic assemblages and the highest metal concentrations in relation to other stations and guideline values, and it was the only station that indicated a possible bioavailability of metals. The origin of the metals (mainly barium) is most likely associated with the barite ore deposits located in the Grande and Pequena islands. These results may be useful for future assessment of the impact of oil exploration in the coastal region.

Increased capture of Aedes aegypti (Linnaeus, 1762) (Diptera: Culicidae) by removing one ADULTRAP component.

INTRODUCTION: Aedes aegypti is the main vector responsible for the transmission of numerous arboviruses. Adultrap® has been developed to catch these insects. METHODS: We tested the effectiveness of capturing adults with and without one of the components of Adultrap®. RESULTS: The mean number of insects caught by the original trap was 1.25 (standard deviation = 1.28), while the average obtained with the modified trap was 8.88 (standard deviation = 3.44). The medians were statistically different (p = 0.001) according to the Mann-Whitney test. CONCLUSIONS: The modification of Adultrap® increased the average catch of Ae. aegypti by up to seven times.

Increased capture of Aedes aegypti (Linnaeus, 1762) (Diptera: Culicidae) by removing one ADULTRAP component

Abstract INTRODUCTION: Aedes aegypti is the main vector responsible for the transmission of numerous arboviruses. Adultrap® has been developed to catch these insects. METHODS: We tested the effectiveness of capturing adults with and without one of the components of Adultrap®. RESULTS: The mean number of insects caught by the original trap was 1.25 (standard deviation = 1.28), while the average obtained with the modified trap was 8.88 (standard deviation = 3.44). The medians were statistically different (p = 0.001) according to the Mann-Whitney test. CONCLUSIONS: The modification of Adultrap® increased the average catch of Ae. aegypti by up to seven times.

Effects of different biomass drying and lipid extraction methods on algal lipid yield, fatty acid profile, and biodiesel quality.

Three lipid extraction methods of hexane Soxhlet (Sox-Hex), Halim (HIP), and Bligh and Dyer (BD) were applied on freeze-dried (FD) and oven-dried (OD) Chlorella vulgaris biomass to evaluate their effects on lipid yield, fatty acid profile, and algal biodiesel quality. Among these three methods, HIP was the preferred one for C. vulgaris lipid recovery considering both extraction efficiency and solvent toxicity. It had the highest lipid yields of 20.0 and 22.0% on FD and OD biomass, respectively, with corresponding neutral lipid yields of 14.8 and 12.7%. The lipid profiling analysis showed that palmitic, oleic, linoleic, and α-linolenic acids were the major fatty acids in the algal lipids, and there were no significant differences on the amount of these acids between different drying and extraction methods. Correlative models applied to the fatty acid profiles concluded that high contents of palmitic and oleic acids in algal lipids contributed to balancing the ratio of saturated and unsaturated fatty acids and led to a high-quality algal biodiesel.

Distribution and ecotoxicology of bioavailable metals and As in surface sediments of Paraguaçu estuary, Todos os Santos Bay, Brazil.

Surface sediments collected in the intertidal zone of Paraguaçu estuary in July, 2013, were analyzed for organic matter, nitrogen, phosphorus, grain size fractions and partial concentrations of 16 metals. The USEPA 3051A method and ICP-OES and CV-AAS techniques were chosen to metal analysis. Pollution indices (EF, Igeo and PIN) and a comparison with sediment quality guidelines (UET, ERL, ERM, TEL and PEL of NOAA) were conducted in order to evaluate the potential metal impacts over the area. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and Pearson correlation results showed the importance of organic matter content and the fine-grained fraction of sediments on the control of the bioavailable metals distribution. The Paraguaçu estuary already has anthropogenic enrichment relative to the background level, especially for Mn, whose values exceeded almost 30 times the background at one site (Mn: 1197.30 mg kg(-1)). However, metal levels are still below the reference values with the exception of Hg at one site (Hg: 0.25 mg kg(-1), exceeded TEL and ERL).

Comparison of two coproparasitological techniques for the detection of Platynosomum sp. infection in cats.

Platynosomum sp. is the etiologic agent of platynosomiasis, a hepatic disease that affects domestic cats. The parasite develops in the bile ducts and gallbladder, causing severe hepato-biliary disease. Considering the importance of the disease and the increase in the number of households with cats, the aim of this study was to compare two different techniques for the detection of the parasite's eggs and to assess the frequency of Platynosomum sp. infection in cats. Forty fecal samples from cats of different ages, from an animal shelter in the city of Salvador, Bahia State, Brazil, were subjected to two different techniques: a centrifugal fecal flotation procedure in Sheather's sugar solution and centrifugal sedimentation in formalin-ether solution. Positive results were found for 12.5% of the samples using the centrifugal fecal flotation assay, whereas all samples were negative when employing the centrifugal sedimentation test. The results suggest that this parasite can be found infecting cats in Salvador city and that centrifugal fecal flotation in sugar solution can be a more suitable detection of the parasite's eggs at fecal samples. Therefore, platynosomiasis must be included in the diseases to be studied routinely in domestic felids.

Subtidal benthic macroinfaunal assemblages in tropical estuaries: generality amongst highly variable gradients.

South American estuaries are frequently not included in the search for general ecological models and studies dealing with biological assemblages in estuaries frequently do not sample the entire salinity gradient. We sampled three tropical estuaries, two times each, on ten stations distributed along each system. Six replicates were collected in each station for the benthic macroinfauna and sediment samples for grain size and inorganic contaminant analyses. There were finer sediments at the lower than at the upper estuarine portions. There was a decrease in the diversity, at family level, from marine to freshwater and the differences on the structure of the benthic assemblages were mostly spatial. In spite of the many different characteristics of the three estuaries (e.g. catchment size, pollution levels, proximity with the inner continental shelf) several consistent patterns of benthic macrofauna distribution along these systems were still observed. It suggested a general empirical model regarding the distribution of different benthic invertebrates along tropical salinity gradients which can be tested in different estuaries around the world.

Relationship of metal content and bioavailability with benthic macrofauna in Camamu Bay (Bahia, Brazil).

Camamu Bay (Bahia, Brazil) is an Environmental Protected Area with mangroves of economic and ecological importance. The objective of this study was to elucidate, through the distribution of the benthic macrofauna and its relationships with trace metals and bioavailabilty, if the current quality of the mangrove sediments of Camamu Bay is acceptable for the protection of aquatic life. Seven sampling stations were selected as representative of the meso-littoral region of Camamu Bay. It was found 581 macrobenthic organisms distributed in 38 species. The highest values of metals occurred at stations located in areas that influenced by barite extraction, while the lowest concentrations were found in areas with relatively lower anthropogenic influence. Analysis of acid volatile sulphide and simultaneously extracted metals showed the occurrence of the ratio SEM/AVS >1, indicative of possible bioavailability of metals, at only one station. The results suggested that Camamu Bay is a nearly pristine area.

A saúde pública no Brasil / Public health in Brazil

O artigo apresenta uma análise retrospectiva dos últimos dez anos de governo federal e da saúde pública no Brasil. Inicialmente trabalha a história da construção do Sistema Único de Saúde (SUS) e seus principais protagonistas. Depois analisa o SUS, seus objetivos, funções, diretrizes e princípios. Finalmente, faz a análise do governo progressista brasileiro dos dez últimos anos em relação à saúde. Conclui pelo descumprimento contumaz da legislação e das diretrizes por que sempre propugnou em relação à saúde.

A inconstitucional administraçäo pós-constitucional do SUS através de normas operacionais / The unconstitutional post-constitutional administration of the Unified Health System by operational norms

É uma opiniäo de quem, seja por motivo de ofício e cargo público, seja por militância profissional no campo da saúde, acompanhou e acompanha os passos da reforma sanitária brasileira. Trata do desenho institucional do setor saúde, no interior da seguridade social, um das capítulos da Constituiçäo Federal; da lei 8.080 que constituiu os desdobramentos expressos na Constituiçäo; e analisa uma por uma as chamadas Normas Operacionais Básicas que foram criadas com a justificativa de dar seqüência, ou como o próprio nome indica, operar as transformaçöes previstas na Constituiçäo e na Lei Orgânica. Apresenta um olhar crítico que, possivelmente destoará da visäo de outros atores também engajados neste processo. Mas sua intençäo é incrementar o debate e contribuir para que, de uma vez por todas, a saúde seja considerada, no Brasil, direito de todos e dever do estado.

A implantaçäo do sistema único de saúde: nós críticos a nível estadual / The implantation of Unified Health System: critic points at state level

Aborda pontos críticos da implantaçäo do SUS (Sistema Unico de Saúde) após nove meses, no nível estadual (MC)

O caos no financiamento da saúde... no fundo do poço / The chaos in the health financing

As necessidades de saúde aumentaram, devido aos fatores: o crescimento populacional e aumento das necessidades básicas da população. A dupla causa teve consequências: descredenciamento de vários hospitais privados e filantrópicos, falta investimento, de manutenção preventiva, de manutenção corretiva, perda de pessoal em quantidade e qualidade, falta de estoque mínimo de material de consumo, falta de equipamentos não atualizados e não reparados

A doença da saúde tem cura / Health illness has cure

Análise da falência do atual sistema de saúde, observando que a saída da crise é cumprir a lei e implantar o Sistema Unico de Saúde (AMSB)

O momento atual do SUS: a ousadia de cumprir e fazer cumprir a lei / The present status of SUS: the courage to execute the law

Discute a implantaçäo do SUS, sugerindo sua concretizaçäo através da descentralizaçäo parcial, semiplena e plena, com ampliaçäo do nível de gerenciamento pelos municípios. Preconiza para cada fase um modelo de financiamento, onde os recursos säo utilizados de acordo com as prioridades locais. Defende um modelo assistencial mais resolutivo, social e tecnicamente aceito pela sociedade, e que possa ser sustentado pela economia do país (AMSB)

Avaliação de ações e serviços de saúde / Assessing Health Care Actions and Services

Neste artigo os autores pretendem fazer um levantamento conceitual do processo avaliativo sob o enfoque da saúde. Tratam da qualidade e seus vários componentes como o parâmetro da avaliação. Abordam os objetivos e etapas ou fases da avaliação. Classificam a avaliação e conceituam cada uma de suas vertentes: estrutura, conteúdo, processo, produto ou resultado e impacto. Terminam analisando modelos de avaliação como o de condições de eficiência, dos programas de saúde, a socioorganizativa, a clínica, a por traçadores, eventos-sentinela e de custos

O financiamento público federal do Sistema Unico de Saúde, 1988-2001 / Federal budget for health during the period from 1988 to 2001

Analisa o Financiamento Federal para a saúde no período de 1988 a 2001. A base da análise é a Legislaçäo Federal sobre o Direito à Saúde e aos preceitos sobre o financiamento deste direito. Diante do prescrito, analisa o ocorrido. Uma tentativa de estudo relacionando o diploma legal (virtual) e o diploma do acontecido (real). Historia os documentos e o ocorrido neste período. No final, as conclusöes säo tiradas orientadas por uma dezena de eixos. Desde a interpretaçäo do conceito de saúde para efeito do financiamento, a gratuidade do direito, as fontes de recursos, a obrigatoriedade dos repasses, a administraçäo dos recursos até outros aspectos mais genéricos. A partir da constataçäo de que neste período foram cometidas inúmeras ilegalidades säo feitas recomendaçöes relativas a cada uma delas com o intuito de corrigi-las ou compensá-las