Environmental Costs of Government-Sponsored Agrarian Settlements in Brazilian Amazonia

Brazil has presided over the most comprehensive agrarian reform frontier colonization program on Earth, in which ~1.2 million settlers have been translocated by successive governments since the 1970's, mostly into forested hinterlands of Brazilian Amazonia. These settlements encompass 5.3% of this ~5 million km2 region, but have contributed with 13.5% of all land conversion into agropastoral land uses. The Brazilian Federal Agrarian Agency (INCRA) has repeatedly claimed that deforestation in these areas largely predates the sanctioned arrival of new settlers. Here, we quantify rates of natural vegetation conversion across 1911 agrarian settlements allocated to 568 Amazonian counties and compare fire incidence and deforestation rates before and after the official occupation of settlements by migrant farmers. The timing and spatial distribution of deforestation and fires in our analysis provides irrefutable chronological and spatially explicit evidence of agropastoral conversion both inside and immediately outside agrarian settlements over the last decade. Deforestation rates are strongly related to local human population density and road access to regional markets. Agrarian settlements consistently accelerated rates of deforestation and fires, compared to neighboring areas outside settlements, but within the same counties. Relocated smallholders allocated to forest areas undoubtedly operate as pivotal agents of deforestation, and most of the forest clearance occurs in the aftermath of government-induced migration

Maior sobrevida em pacientes com marcadores imunogenéticos de rápida progressão para a AIDS: subsídios para a assistência de enfermagem

This study sought subsidies for improving nursing care programs for AIDS patients and aimed to verify the influence of changes in sexual behavior, including the adoption of safe sex practices, associated with the survival of AIDS patients with immunogenetic markers of rapid disease progression. 27 AIDS patients were interviewed, with genetic predisposition to rapid progression to AIDS. Genes were typified through the polymerase chain reaction. In spite of the presence of immunogenetic factors, associated with individual predisposition to a rapid evolution of the disease, changes in sexual behavior, including safe sex practices and antiretroviral therapy, may be related to greater survival. This suggests that counseling, detection of risk attitudes and health education, focusing on positive health behavior, are tools nursing must use with HIV-positive patients, with a view to better quality of life and greater survival among these individuals, even among those with genetic predisposition to rapid disease progression.Los autores buscan apoyo para el perfeccionamiento de programas de enfermería, orientados a pacientes con SIDA. La finalidad de este estudio fue la de verificar la influencia del comportamiento sexual en la supervivencia de pacientes con SIDA, portadores de genes asociados a la rápida progresión de la enfermedad. Fueron estudiados 27 pacientes con SIDA. Las tipificaciones de genes fueron realizadas por la reacción en cadena de la polimerasa. No obstante la presencia de factores inmunogenéticos, asociados a la predisposición individual a la rápida evolución de la enfermedad, cambios en el comportamiento sexual, con prácticas sexuales seguras y el uso de terapia antiretroviral, pueden estar relacionados con mayor supervivencia. La orientación, la detección de actitudes de riesgo y la educación de salud con enfoque en el comportamiento positivo de salud son herramientas que la enfermería debe utilizar con portadores del VIH, buscando la mejor calidad de vida y mayor supervivencia de esos individuos, incluso en aquellos que tienen predisposición genética a la rápida progresión de la enfermedad.Com enfoque em subsídios para o aperfeiçoamento de programas de enfermagem, direcionados a pacientes com aids, o presente estudo foi realizado com o objetivo de verificar a influência do comportamento sexual na sobrevida de pacientes com aids, portadores de genes associados à rápida progressão da doença. Foram entrevistados 27 pacientes com aids, geneticamente predispostos à rápida progressão da doença. As tipificações dos genes foram realizadas pela reação em cadeia da polimerase. Os resultados sugerem que, apesar da presença de fatores imunogenéticos, associados à predisposição individual para rápida evolução da doença, as mudanças do comportamento sexual, com adoção de práticas de sexo seguro, junto ao uso da terapia anti-retroviral, podem estar relacionadas com maior sobrevida. O aconselhamento, a detecção de atitudes de risco e a educação para saúde, enfocando o comportamento positivo de saúde, são ferramentas que a enfermagem deve utilizar a portadores do HIV, visando à melhor qualidade de vida e maior sobrevida desses indivíduos, mesmo naqueles geneticamente predispostos à rápida progressão da doença

Fauna used in popular medicine in Northeast Brazil

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Animal-based remedies constitute an integral part of Brazilian Traditional Medicine. Due to its long history, zootherapy has in fact become an integral part of folk medicine both in rural and urban areas of the country. In this paper we summarize current knowledge on zootherapeutic practices in Northeast of Brazil, based on information compiled from ethnobiological scientific literature.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>In order to examine the diversity of animals used in traditional medicine in Northeast of Brazil, all available references or reports of folk remedies based on animals sources were examined. 34 sources were analyzed. Only taxa that could be identified to species level were included in assessment of medicinal animal species. Scientific names provided in publications were updated.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The review revealed that at least 250 animal species (178 vertebrates and 72 invertebrates) are used for medicinal purposes in Northeast of Brazil. The inventoried species comprise 10 taxonomic categories and belong to 141 Families. The groups with the greatest number of species were fishes (n = 58), mammals (n = 47) and reptiles (n = 37). The zootherapeutical products are used for the treatment of different illnesses. The most widely treated condition were asthma, rheumatism and sore throat, conditions, which had a wide variety of animals to treat them with. Many animals were used for the treatment of multiple ailments. Beyond the use for treating human diseases, zootherapeutical resources are also used in ethnoveterinary medicine</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>The number of medicinal species catalogued was quite expressive and demonstrate the importance of zootherapy as alternative therapeutic in Northeast of Brazil. Although widely diffused throughout Brazil, zootherapeutic practices remain virtually unstudied. There is an urgent need to examine the ecological, cultural, social, and public health implications associated with fauna usage, including a full inventory of the animal species used for medicinal purposes and the socio-cultural context associated with their consumption.</p

RELATIONSHIP AMONG SENSITIVITY TO ADRENALINE, PLASMA-CORTICOSTERONE LEVEL, AND ESTROUS-CYCLE IN RATS

The dose-response curves to the chronotropic effect of adrenaline obtained in right atria isolated from female rats indicated an order of increasing sensitivity to adrenaline, at the pD(2) level, according to the estrous cycle, as follows: estrus I metestrus I diestrus I proestrus. Inhibition of neuronal and extraneuronal uptake shifted the dose-response curves to adrenaline to the left only in right atria isolated from rats during estrus or metestrus. Moreover, under these experimental conditions, right atria were subsensitive to adrenaline during proestrus, in contrast to metestrus. Plasma corticosterone levels were lower during estrus and higher at proestrus. There was a positive correlation between right atria sensitivity to adrenaline and plasma corticosterone levels and estrous cycle phases. Our results also suggest that in the rat right atria during proestrus, as opposed to the other phases of the estrous cycle, there was an endogenous inhibition of extraneuronal uptake together with some alteration at the adrenoceptor level and (or) at intracellular mechanisms beyond receptors.73560260

Avaliação de alunos e professores acerca do software "Sinais Vitais" Evaluación de estudiantes y profesores acerca del software "señales vitales" Evaluation of students and teachers concerning the "vital signs" software

Este artigo teve por objetivo levantar as opiniões de alunos e professores sobre o software "Sinais Vitais". O trabalho foi desenvolvido no Departamento de Enfermagem da Universidade Federal do Ceará. Trabalhou-se com um total de seis alunos e três professores, os quais foram submetidos a uma entrevista após a utilização do software. As entrevistas geraram dez categorias, as quais foram separadas em dois temas: Características que estimularam a utilização do software "Sinais Vitais" e Software educacionalmente correto. Concluiu-se que os professores valorizaram a correção do conteúdo, enquanto os alunos enfocaram mais a dinâmica do programa.<br>Este artículo tuvo por objetivo levantar las opiniones de alumnos y profesores sobre el software "Señales Vitales". El trabajo fue desarrollado en el Departamento de Enfermería de la Universidad Federal de Ceará. Se trabajó con un total de 6 alumnos y 3 profesores, los cuales fueron sometidos a una entrevista después de la utilización del software. Las entrevistas generaron 10 categorías, que fueron separadas en dos temas: Características que estimularon la utilización del software "Señales Vitales"; y software educativamente correcto. Se concluyó que los profesores valoraron la corrección del contenido, mientras que los alumnos enfocaron más la dinámica del programa.<br>This article had for objective to get students' and teacher's opinions about "Vital Signals" software. The investigation was developed in the Nursing Department of the Federal University of Ceará. The sample population was a total of 6 students and 3 teachers, who were submitted to an interview after using the software. The interviews generated 10 categories, which were separated in two themes: Features which stimulated the use of the "Vital Signals" software; and software educationally correct. The results showed that the teachers valued the correction of the content, while the students focused more on the dynamics of the program