Does land use and land cover affect adult communities of Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera and Trichoptera (EPT)? A systematic review with meta-analysis.

We conducted a systematic review to better understand this gap and analyzed i) in which global regions are studies usually conducted, ii) the taxon studied, iii) sampling methods and iv) how authors collaborated in these studies. We also tested the relationship between different types of land use and land cover and adult EPT communities using a meta-analysis. We searched for relevant articles on the website Web of Science, using specific words related to the subject. We found 454 papers and selected 31 of them for the scientometric analysis, as they were in accordance with our objectives, and eight for the meta-analysis. Among this subset, we observed that study areas and collaborations among authors were largely restricted to a few countries in Europe and North America. Most studies used the group Trichoptera, probably due to its diversity and the longevity of the adults compared to other groups. Light traps were the most common sampling method, most likely due to their efficiency in capturing flying insects with nocturnal habits. The greatest differences in adult EPT communities were found between open areas (moorland and prairie) and forest areas. This result indicated that the conversion of forest habitats into open areas negatively impacts adult EPT communities. Our systematic review can be an important tool to help researchers choose appropriate collection methods and taxonomic groups to work with in studies on impacts of land use change on adult EPT communities.

Anthropogenic and natural inputs of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in the sediment of three coastal systems of the Brazilian Amazon.

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) were measured in 32 surface sediment samples collected around three cities (Barcarena, Belém, and Santana) located on the coast of the Brazilian Amazon. The concentration of total PAHs ranged from lower than detection limit to 33,101 ng g-1 in a sample from Barcarena and was related to a large aluminum industrial complex and port activities. In Belém, which is the most populated area in the Amazon region, PAHs were probably derived from untreated sewage discharge and inputs from a large municipal landfill. Pyrogenic PAHs were predominant in both cities, with a smaller contribution of petrogenic PAHs. Low alkylated PAH levels may be associated with small boats and ship traffic. Santana had low total PAH concentrations, with a predominance of unusual alkylated PAHs, probably related to diagenetic transformations of organic matter in the sediment. In general, PAH concentrations in the samples were low and may reflect baseline levels for this Amazon estuarine system.

Paraparesia espástica por HTLV-I: 20 años después. A propósito de un caso / Spastic paraparesis by HTLV-I: 20 years later. About a case / Paraparesia espástica pelo HTLV-I: 20 anos depois. Sobre um caso

Resumen: Se describe un caso de paraparesia espástica asociada al retrovirus HTLV-I, en una paciente de 34 años, cuyo diagnóstico se realizó 17 años después del inicio de su enfermedad. El mismo se obtuvo mediante la determinación de anticuerpos en sangre y líquido cefalorraquídeo. En la literatura nacional existen solo dos casos publicados previamente. El objetivo de la presentación del caso es recordar las principales características epidemiológicas, clínicas y paraclínicas de dicha patología, así como restablecer la importancia de considerar al HTLV-Ia la hora de búsqueda etiológica de una mielopatía crónica, y mantener los controles en sangre de donantes y hemoderivados para eliminar una de las principales vías de contagio.

Abstract: A case of spastic paraparesis associated with HTLV-I retrovirus was described in a 34-year-old patient whose diagnosis was made 17 years after the onset of his disease. It was obtained by determining antibodies in blood and cerebrospinal fluid. In the national literature there are only two previously published cases. The objective of the presentation of the case is to recall the main epidemiological, clinical and paraclinical characteristics of said pathology, as well as to re-establish the importance of considering the HTLV-Ia the etiological search time of a chronic myelopathy, and to maintain the blood controls of donors and blood products to eliminate one of the main routes of infection.

Resumo: Um caso de paraparesia espástica associado a retrovírus HTLV-I foi descrito em um paciente de 34 anos cujo diagnóstico foi feito 17 anos após o início da doença. Foi obtido pela determinação de anticorpos no sangue e no líquido cefalorraquidiano. Na literatura nacional existem apenas dois casos publicados anteriormente. O objetivo da apresentação do caso é relembrar as principais características epidemiológicas, clínicas e paraclínicas da referida patologia, bem como restabelecer a importância de considerar o HTLV-Ia o tempo de busca etiológica de uma mielopatia crônica e manter o controle sanguíneo dos doadores. e hemoderivados para eliminar uma das principais vias de infecção.

Risk factors for hepatitis B and C in multi-transfused patients in Uruguay.

BACKGROUND: In spite of the progress made in the prevention of transfusion-transmitted infections over the last years, these still occur. It was considered that infection by hepatitis B (HBV) and C (HCV) viruses could be a major problem in Uruguay, especially among high-risk individuals, such as multi-transfused patients. OBJECTIVES: To assess the prevalence of HBV and HCV infection among multi-transfused Uruguayan patients and the impact of serological screening; to evaluate the role of number of transfusions and other potential risk factors for the acquisition of HBV and HCV infection. STUDY DESIGN: Cross-sectional study of HCV antibodies, HBV surface antigen (HBsAg) and HBV core antibodies (HBcAc) in 409 multi-transfused patients. RESULTS: Of 409 patients studied, 147 (35.9%) received blood products due to acute bleeding, 118 (28.9%) were hemato-oncological, 75 (18.3%) hemophiliacs, 64 (15.6%) were on hemodialysis and 5 (1.2%) suffered sickle cell anemia. Prevalence of HCV antibody was 12.7%. Of the HCV positive patients, 45 were hemophiliacs, for a prevalence rate of 60.0%. The prevalence rates for hemodialysis and acute bleeding patients were 6.3% and 2.0%, respectively. Prevalence of HBsAg was 1.0%; 16.6% of subjects were positive for HBcAc. The prevalence rates of HBcAc were 48.0%, 15.0% and 3.1% among hemophiliacs, acute bleeding and hemodialysis patients, respectively. There was a direct relationship between the number of products transfused and prevalence of both hepatitis C antibodies and HBcAc. Higher prevalence of HCV and HBcAc was observed among the group of patients who received transfusions before the systematic screening of blood donors. CONCLUSIONS: Exposure to blood transfusions was the main risk factor for HCV and HBV infection. The systematic serological screening of blood donors was highly effective in reducing transfusion transmitted infections.