Sediment Sampling in Estuarine Mudflats with an Aerial-Ground Robotic Team.

This paper presents a robotic team suited for bottom sediment sampling and retrieval in mudflats, targeting environmental monitoring tasks. The robotic team encompasses a four-wheel-steering ground vehicle, equipped with a drilling tool designed to be able to retain wet soil, and a multi-rotor aerial vehicle for dynamic aerial imagery acquisition. On-demand aerial imagery, properly fused on an aerial mosaic, is used by remote human operators for specifying the robotic mission and supervising its execution. This is crucial for the success of an environmental monitoring study, as often it depends on human expertise to ensure the statistical significance and accuracy of the sampling procedures. Although the literature is rich on environmental monitoring sampling procedures, in mudflats, there is a gap as regards including robotic elements. This paper closes this gap by also proposing a preliminary experimental protocol tailored to exploit the capabilities offered by the robotic system. Field trials in the south bank of the river Tagus' estuary show the ability of the robotic system to successfully extract and transport bottom sediment samples for offline analysis. The results also show the efficiency of the extraction and the benefits when compared to (conventional) human-based sampling.

Poor outcome of acute respiratory infection in young children with underlying health condition in Brazil.

OBJECTIVES: It is well established that respiratory viruses are an important cause of hospitalizations in young children worldwide, but data are limited on the contribution of specific viruses to severe illness in South America. We describe clinical and laboratory findings from prospective surveillance for acute respiratory infections at a tertiary hospital in São Paulo, Brazil. METHODS: We screened children < 2 years old with acute respiratory tract infections admitted to an urban tertiary hospital for respiratory viruses from March 2008 through February 2010, using polymerase chain reaction assays. RESULTS: Respiratory viruses were identified in 378 (53%) of the 715 samples analyzed. Respiratory syncytial virus was the most commonly identified virus (52%), followed by adenovirus (27%) and Human metapneumovirus (12%). More than one virus was identified in 19% of specimens. Almost half of the samples (46%) were from children with underlying health conditions. We demonstrated that compared to the previously healthy group, those with comorbidities had a worse outcome in terms of severity, with prolonged hospital stay and more need of intensive care. CONCLUSION: Identification of this high-risk population along with strategies for fast diagnosis might each help to reduce morbidity and mortality in this group.

Respiratory syncytial virus epidemic periods in an equatorial city of Brazil.

BACKGROUND: Characterization of the human respiratory syncytial virus (HRSV) season at the local level has important implications for appropriate decisions on the time period for administration of specific prophylaxis. OBJECTIVES: (1) To describe five consecutive epidemic periods of HRSV in an equatorial city of Brazil and (2) to show preliminary data on genomic diversity of circulating HRSV. PATIENTS/METHODS: Nasopharyngeal aspirates of 2885 children attending the emergency room and wards of a public hospital were collected and screened by indirect immunofluorescence for HRSV infections during five consecutive years (from January 2004 to December 2008). In addition, the genetic and antigenic variability of the HRSV strains isolated was evaluated by partial nucleotide sequencing of the protein G gene. RESULTS: HRSV was detected in 15·8% of the analyzed samples. HRSV seasons occurred in a restricted period of each year. The onset of each HRSV season was variable (February to May), but the end always occurred in July. From the 456 HRSV infections found, 86 cases with bronchiolitis were genotyped. Both HRSV subgroups (A and B) cocirculated during the five epidemic periods. The 58 HRSV-A strains grouped into two clades, GA2 and GA5. In respect of the HRSV-B strains, the 28 samples grouped into two clades: GB3 and BA. CONCLUSIONS: HRSV accounts for a substantial proportion of ARI in the study population. As in temperate countries, HRSV infections in this equatorial area of Brazil also cause seasonal yearly epidemics, and this has implications for prophylaxis strategies. The city of Fortaleza follows the same worldwide trend of circulation of genotypes of HRSV.

Primeiro surto de Cyclospora cayetanensis investigado no Brasil, ocorrido em 2000, no município de General Salgado (SP), e medidas de controle / First Cyclospora cayetanensis outbreak reported in Brazil occurred in 2000, in the General Salgado city (SP), and control measures

Cyclospora cayetanensis adquiriu importância por causar surtos e casos esporádicos de diarréia em todo o mundo, associados a alimentos. No Brasil, até 1999 nenhum surto de ciclosporíase havia sido registrado. O objetivo deste trabalho é apresentar os resultados da investigação do surto de Cyclospora cayetanensis ocorrido no período de setembro a dezembro de 2000, em General Salgado (SP), associado ao sistema de abastecimento público de água da cidade. Um estudo descritivo foi conduzido para identificar a fonte de transmissão, com entrevistas de pacientes, análise dos registros de diarréia dos anos anteriores, inspeções sanitárias dos sistemas de água e esgoto, exames laboratoriais de amostras de fezes dos pacientes, dos alimentos suspeitos e da água do sistema. Caso clínico compatível foi definido como o indivíduo com diarréia líquida e pelo menos mais três dos sintomas gastrintestinais, como náusea, vômito, flatulência, dor abdominal, perda de peso ou diarréia prolongada, residente em General Salgado durante o período do surto. Casos confirmados foram definidos como aqueles com oocistos típicos nas amostras de fezes. Amostras clínicas e de alimentos foram analisadas pelo Instituto Adolfo Lutz. Amostras de água foram testadas pelo CDC/Atlanta por técnica de PCR. Foram identificados 350 casos envolvidos no surto (taxa de incidência = 32,3 casos/1.000 habitantes), dos quais crianças menores de 4 anos constituíram o grupo mais afetado (taxa de incidência = 49,1 casos/1.000 habitantes). Dos 40 casos testados para bactéria, vírus e parasita dez foram positivos para Cyclospora cayetanensis. O sistema público de água era composto de 15 poços artesianos com infiltração de águas pluviais e esgoto. A água do poço de número 7 foi positiva para Cyclospora cayetanensis. Para controlar o surto, mudanças importantes foram necessárias no sistema de abastecimento público de água e esgoto. Medidas educacionais, monitoramento da diarréia aguda, testes laboratoriais...