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The bioaccumulation of nonessential elements (Al, As, Cd, & Pb) in shrimps and mussels from southeastern Brazil (21°S-23°S) were compared. The objective was to verify and confirm the differential responses of elemental assimilation at both the taxonomic and spatial level. Two hypotheses were predicted: i) shrimps have lower element concentrations than mussels, and ii) both shrimps and mussels from the highly polluted site have higher element concentrations. The results confirmed the first hypothesis. The intense filter feeding activity of mussels explains the taxonomic difference. The second hypothesis was not validated. Both shrimps and mussels from the highly polluted site (Guanabara Bay) have lower elemental concentrations than individuals from the less polluted site. This finding is explained by the large inputs of sewage that result in partially reducing conditions of the water and high sedimentation rates, maintaining elements buried in anoxic sediment and making them unavailable for biological uptake. To understand what drives the bioaccumulation of chemical elements in marine animals it is necessary to know the species feeding habits and physiology, and the habitat characteristics in each region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Web Summit is an annual technological event which takes place annually in November and has great worldwide impact. The event fits into the MICE (meetings, incentives, conventions and exhibitions) typology and has mega-event proportions, not only due to the number of participants but also in relation to its media coverage. The aim of this study is to analyse the participation of Web Summit participants in leisure activities outside the event, namely regarding entertainment and culture and heritage. It was also intended to know their perception of the city's brand image, according to the participants' age and the number of days they stay in the city. Design/methodology/approach: This investigation is anchored in a quantitative methodology. Data were collected during the four days of the event from a convenience sample of 410 participants. For this purpose, a 15-item questionnaire was used, specifically designed to meet the study's objectives, assessing three dimensions: entertainment, culture and heritage and brand image. Findings: Entertainment and culture and heritage positively influence tourists' perception of brand image. It was also possible to ascertain that the age of the tourists and their interest in culture and heritage are correlated. Finally, it was found that tourists' perception of entertainment varies depending on the number of days they stay in Lisbon. Research limitations/implications: The main limitation of the study is related to the fact that a convenience sample was used in a single destination, which does not allow generalization to other contexts. Therefore, it would be interesting to apply the study in other geographical and cultural contexts, particularly in Rio de Janeiro, where the event will also take place next year (2023).This research contributes to extending the reflection on the role that events play in the brand image of a tourist destination. This study also highlights the importance of understanding consumer behaviour in MICE typology events. Practical implications: The MICE sector plays an important role in the tourism industry as it constitutes a driving force of the global economy. Thus, it is considered that this research draws attention to the importance of the regions invested in this sector (e.g. expansion of facilities, ease of access to the site). Thus, in practical terms, the findings allow the authorities and the different stakeholders to better understand the impact of the event on the city's image and, at the same time, adapt the services according to the attendees' preferences. Social implications: Considering the results, the study may have an impact on the organization of tours and events related to local culture and heritage, particularly in old quarters, where there is a greater lack of resources and the standard of living of the inhabitants is more precarious. Originality/value: This research contributes to extending the reflection on the role that mega-events play in the brand image of a tourist destination. This study also highlights the importance of understanding the behaviour of consumers of different ages in events of the MICE typology, in leisure activities outside the event. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The helminth fauna of juvenile green sea turtles (Chelonia mydas Linnaeus, 1758) is still poorly known. Herein, we study the gastrointestinal helminths of 28 juvenile green sea turtles found stranded on the north coast of Rio de Janeiro state, Brazil. All turtles were infected showing a rich helminth fauna. In total, 14802 trematodes belonging to 30 species and 5 families including Micros-caphidiidae, Plagiorchiidae, Pronocephalidae, Hapalotrematidae, and Telorchiidae were recovered. An unidentified nematode specimens was also found. The mean intensity was 536 (95% CI = 362 – 853) (range: 1 – 2831), and the species richness was 7.86 (95% CI = 6.46 – 9.21) (range: 1 – 17). The coast of Rio de Janeiro state represents new locality records for Angiodictyum posterovitellatum, Microscaphidium aberrans, M. warui, Octangium hyphalum, O. sagitta, Enodiotrema reductum and Pleurogonius laterouterus. This study confirms that the green sea turtle harbors the richest helminth fauna among sea turtle species and provides useful information on the gastrointestinal helminths of a poorly known stage in the life cycle of this endangered chelonian. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Changes in the regulatory and legal framework for Brazil’s water and sanitation sector (Law 14,026, July 15, 2020) require competitive bidding for service contracts, even in cases where the provision of services was previously delegated to state-owned utilities under program contracts. The aim of this study was to identify the actors who benefited from these changes to the legislation and assess the social effectiveness of the privatization of water supply and sewerage services in the state of Rio de Janeiro by investigating the auction of services provided by the public utility CEDAE in four blocks comprising 35 municipalities in April 2021. We conducted an exploratory analysis of secondary data and used the systemic integration method to identify the main actors involved in the concession process and the role they played. It is concluded that federal, state, and municipal governments, the Brazilian Development Bank, and the concessionaires have gained from the concessions, while the percentage of low-income populations connected to the sewage collection or drainage network is lower and tariffs are higher in municipalities served by the private sector when compared to the municipalities encompassed by the auction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Background: X‐linked hypophosphatemic rickets (XLHR) is a rare genetic disease, often delayed in diagnosis due to the low degree of suspicion and limited access to sophisticated diagnostic tools that confirm the diagnosis, such as genetic testing. Methods: Through a cross‐sectional and observational study, 26 patients with a previously presumptive diagnosis of X‐linked hypophosphatemic rickets (based on clinical history, laboratory findings, and physical examination), were followed for approximately 12 months. During 12 months of follow‐up, only 16 patients underwent genetic testing and enrolled in the study. Previous data were analyzed, such as clinical history (e.g., gender, current age, age of clinical diagnosis, age of admission to hospital, family history, and previous orthopedic surgery), physical exam, imaging tests (e.g., radiological changes) and laboratory tests (e.g., tubular maximum reabsorption rate of phosphate to glomerular filtration rate, alkaline phosphatase, and phosphate levels) at the time of the patient's admission to IEDE and UFRJ, to corroborate and substantiate our research. These data were extracted from the medical records of the patients. Results: Among the 16 patients analyzed by molecular biology techniques, the new generation sequencing (NGS), using DNA samples from oral swabs, we obtained seven variants never previously described, which were verified by Sanger sequencing. Among the seven variants never previously described, the most common coding impact was the nonsense mutation. We found two frameshift, one intronic splicing variant, three nonsense, and one deletion splice junction loss. Among patients with new mutations who presented data in the medical record, 100% showed a reduction in TmP/GFR (average of 1.98 mg/dl), the most sensitive laboratory parameter at the time of diagnosis, as well as serum phosphorus (100% had hypophosphatemia on arrival at the referral hospitals––average of 2.4 mg/dl and median 2.3 mg/dl). We also performed NGS on three mothers of the patients with identified mutations. Among these mothers, only one tested negative for the mutation and no family history was reported as well. This mother had serum phosphate of 3.5 mg/dl (normal range: 2.5–4.5 mg/dl) at the time of genetic test collection. The others had a positive test, low serum phosphorus at the time of the molecular test, in addition to a positive family history. Conclusion: This study describes seven new variants in the PHEX gene and aims to increase the knowledge of the scientific community about the types of mutations involving this gene, increasing information on the genetic basis of this condition, enabling future considerations about genotype–phenotype correlation, in addition to diagnosis accurate and early. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Brazil has been severely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. The high numbers of confirmed cases and deaths have continued unabated since the first reported case, with no flattening or downward turn in the curve. In this context, healthcare workers have been exposed uninterruptedly to stress factors throughout a year of the pandemic. The study´s aim was to identify and analyze healthcare workers´ perceptions of their feelings and concerns that have surfaced in responding to the pandemic. Method: This was a cross-sectional online qualitative survey study of 554 healthcare personnel working in the state of Rio de Janeiro during the COVID-19 pandemic. Recruitment occurred from July 20 to September 30, 2020, using an online survey, preceded byfree informed consent term. Data were analyzed with the Iramuteq software. Results: Through a dendrogram, the words with the highest chi-square were highlighted and grouped into four classes: healthcare workers´ fear of falling ill to COVID-19 and infecting their family members; work/labor issues; feelings of powerlessness and need for public policies for government action; and fatigue and burnout in the pandemic. Each word class was also illustrated by a similarity tree. Conclusion: The study revealed healthcare workers´ exacerbated fear of infection and transmission of COVID-19 to their family members, besides financial losses and feelings of powerlessness and abandonment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Artisanal fishery is a high risk activity due to meteorologic conditions. • Vocabulary of the weather forecasts are inaccessible to the fishermen. • Fishermen use traditional knowledge to ensure safety. • Public policies are urgent for the safety of these professionals. Marine artisanal fishing is a risky activity due to the use of small vessels subjected to meteorological conditions. The aim of the present study is thus to investigate whether the language used by official Brazilian forecasting institutes is understood by artisanal fishermen in the northern area of the state of Rio de Janeiro, southeastern Brazil and to propose a better use of forecasts by the fishing community. From June to August 2018, we performed 80 interviews with artisanal fishermen by showing them a meteogram containing forecasting data of interest as well as visiting 18 vessels. Fishermen (97.5 %; n = 78) could not interpret the meteogram, probably due to the technical language used by the official institutes. On their websites, we identified 1) strengths – the use of ludic drawings (sun, clouds, and waves); 2) weaknesses – the use of graphics, tables and captions only understandable to highly educated participants; a unit of measurement (m/s) not used by fishermen; and captions and figures of reduced size, hindering their legibility among those with vision problems. Fishermen obtain forecasting data mainly from traditional knowledge (85 %; n = 68), and few vessels (n = 11) obtain these data via VHF radio (very high frequency). Public policies aimed at data distribution in accessible language must be implemented to contribute to fishermen's welfare. This approach can in turn prevent boat accidents and strengthen actions to find victims on the Brazilian coast and in other regions of the world. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Although high dose of antimony is the mainstay for treatment of American cutaneous leishmaniasis (ACL), ongoing major concerns remain over its toxicity. Whether or not low dose antimony regimens provide non-inferior effectiveness and lower toxicity has long been a question of dispute. Methods: A single-blind, non-inferiority, randomized controlled trial was conducted comparing high dose with low dose of antimony in subjects with ACL treated at a referral center in Rio de Janeiro, an endemic area of Leishmania (Viannia) braziliensis transmission. The primary outcome was clinical cure at 360 days of follow-up in the modified-intention-to-treat (mITT) and per-protocol (PP) populations. Non-inferiority margin was 15%. Secondary objectives included occurrence of epithelialization, adverse events and drug discontinuations. This study was registered in ClinicalTrials.gov: . Results: Overall, 72 patients were randomly assigned to one of the two treatment arms during October 2008 to July 2014. In mITT, clinical cure was observed in 77.8% of subjects in the low dose antimony group and 94.4% in the high dose antimony group after one series of treatment (risk difference 16.7%; 90% CI, 3.7–29.7). The results were confirmed in PP analysis, with 77.8% of subjects with clinical cure in the low dose antimony group and 97.1% in the high dose antimony group (risk difference 19.4%; 90% CI, 7.1–31.7). The upper limit of the confidence interval exceeded the 15% threshold and was also above zero supporting the hypothesis that low dose is inferior to high dose of antimony after one series of treatment. Nevertheless, more major adverse events, a greater number of adverse events and major adverse events per subject, and more drug discontinuations were observed in the high dose antimony group (all p<0.05). Interestingly, of all the subjects who were originally allocated to the low dose antimony group and were followed up after clinical failure, 85.7% achieved cure after a further treatment with local therapy or low dose of antimony. Conclusions: Compared with high dose, low dose of antimony was inferior at the pre-specified margin after one series of treatment of ACL, but was associated with a significantly lower toxicity. While high dose of antimony should remain the standard treatment for ACL, low dose antimony treatment might be preferred when toxicity is a primary concern. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Revista do Instituto de Medicina Tropical de São Paulo is the property of Instituto de Medicina Tropical de Sao Paulo and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Abstract: This study presents the ethnoecology of the crab Ucides cordatus Linnaeus, 1763 through the perception of traditional gatherers in a mangrove forest of northern Rio de Janeiro, south-eastern Brazil. The study also describes gathering techniques and assesses the development of traditional management actions. A total of 66 ethnographic interviews was performed, from which the gatherers' ability to correctly identify the target species and describe aspects of its biology, ecology and behavior was determined. The gatherers who collect U. cordatus in this mangrove forest are primarily female, and the techniques applied include the ‘redinha’ or net method, the ‘braceamento’ or arm method, and the ‘mão’ or hand method. Crab gatherers have developed a traditional management system based on selective gathering according to the sex and size of the animals and the establishment of fallow areas in the mangrove forest. This system facilitates the long-term sustainability of the gathering activity. The existence of a traditional management system in this crab-gathering activity illustrates the fact that traditional knowledge can be applied in the conservation process. Integration of traditional knowledge with scientific knowledge plays a critical role in the development and execution of management plans. This study established a network of relationships between research institutions, the Fishermen's Colony and the community. The acknowledgment of this traditional management system allowed the recognition of certain key individuals who will facilitate the elaboration of educational programs. These local actors can be community members who disseminate ideas and help with decisions related to fishery management. Traditional knowledge can help researchers to understand the environmental conflicts and interests of a community. The union of this knowledge with scientific information can provide support for defining conservation strategies and elaborating laws and thus might improve management plans. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Background: Disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC) is an acquired disorder characterized by the activation of intravascular coagulation and excessive fibrin formation. It always occurs in association with other clinical conditions, including parasitic diseases. DIC has been described as a unusual complication in human and canine visceral leishmaniasis. Case presentation: DIC was found in a seven-year-old male mongrel dog naturally infected by Leishmania (Leishmania) chagasi. Haemostasis parameters demonstrated changes in primary and secondary haemostasis and fibrinolysis. Conclusion: DIC is a unusual condition described in canine visceral leishmaniasis and it seems to be associated with several immunological and pathological mechanisms involved in the disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives:to evaluate the adequacy of action taken to control syphilis and HIV in prenatal health care at Brazilian National Health System units in the municipality of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Methods: a cross-sectional study was carried out in 2007 and 2008, involving interviews with 2353 pregnant women, analysis ofprenatal cards and data obtained from 102 health professionals. A logicaloperational model was drawn up to evaluate the adequacy of care, taking as a point of reference the care protocols used for the Brazilian Ministry of Health `s prenatal care and STD/AIDS programs. Adequacy was deemed to be fulfillment of 100% of the activities envisaged for each gestational age. Results: shortcomings were identified in the counseling of pregnant women, the provision of serum tests, the treatment of cases of syphilis and the approach ofpartners. Bivariate analysis showed that starting prenatal care late and having an inadequate number of consultations lowered the adequacy of all actions, with the exception of HI V counseling. Conclusions: problems with early initiation of prenatal care, ensuring the minimum number of consultations, adequately managing pregnant women and their partners and, above all, appropriate serum test results for syphilis and HIV are obstacles to improved control of vertical transmission of these diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

American tegumentary leishmaniasis (ATL) is an infectious disease that presents a wide spectrum of clinical manifestations making parasitological tests important for its diagnosis. Direct examination, although considered of low sensitivity is still employed mainly in areas with poor laboratory infrastructure. The aim of this study was to standardize the method of collecting and reading the scraping procedure and to then compare sensitivity of this procedure on two sites of the lesion (outer edge-OE and inner edge-IE) and of the imprint against the reference method (isolation in culture) in a group of 110 patients treated at a Referral Center in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. ATL diagnosis was confirmed in 40 patients (36.4%), 39 cases were caused by L. braziliensis and 1 by L. amazonensis. Imprint was positive in 28 patients and scraping in OE in 17 and in IE in 25 patients, resulting in sensitivity of 70%, 42.5%, and 62.5% respectively. When the three direct examinations were combined, sensitivity value attained 77.5%. Aspects related to ease and quality of the collected material, pain intensity and frequency of bleeding in the scraping procedure were also broached and discussed in this study. The parameters of accuracy presented indicate that the direct methods can be safely used in ATL diagnosis, principally in IE scraping, as it is easy to produce and the examination is not costly, which allows the procedure to be repeated at different moments which, in turn, increases the possibility of finding the parasite. Despite that the direct methods are technically widespread, they are not standardized and the parameters of accuracy are unknown. If we consider the high incidence of leishmaniasis in low-income areas, the implantation of standardized and selective methods would provide advances in the diagnosis of leishmaniasis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: In 2008, in the west zone of Rio de Janeiro municipality—Brazil, the leishmaniasis control program identified 155 dogs with titers ≥40 by Indirect ImmunoFluorescence (IIF) on blood collected onto filter paper. The objective of this study was to describe the laboratory test findings performed in dogs euthanized by the leishmaniasis program control of Rio de Janeiro municipality. Dogs were examined, subjected to euthanasia and collection of clinical specimens. Parasite isolation was obtained in 29 animals: Leishmania chagasi was isolated in 14 dogs; Leishmania braziliensis was isolated in five dogs; Trypanosoma caninum was obtained in seven animals and one dog had mixed infection (L. braziliensis and L. chagasi). By Polymerase Chain Reaction, seventeen animals were positive in intact skin fragments. In the serological reassessment of serum samples, 28% and 22% were positive for IIF and enzyme immunoassay, respectively. Ninety-one (59%) dogs were negative for all tests performed in this study. The findings indicate that the visceral leishmaniasis control program needs to be adjusted in order to avoid non-infected dogs from being removed or permit that dogs infected with L. chagasi to remain undetected in endemic areas. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Copyright of Revista do Instituto de Medicina Tropical de São Paulo is the property of Instituto de Medicina Tropical de Sao Paulo and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The present paper provides the first record of the brachyuran crab species as by-catch from shrimp fishery practices in northern Rio de Janeiro State, south-eastern Brazil (21°30'S-21°50'S). Monthly samples were collected from April 2006 to March 2007 along the coastal fishing ground, from 0 to 4 nautical miles offshore and from 10 to 15 m depth. Eight species and 6833 crab specimens were recorded: Arenaeus cribarius (N = 11), Callinectes ornatus (N = 5613), Cronius rubber (N = 16), Hepatus pudibundus (N = 523), Libinia ferreirae (N = 202), Persephona mediterranea (N = 1), P. punctata (N = 466) and Portunus spinimanus (N = 1). A seasonal pattern of the crabs' occurrence was not found. The catches per unit effort values of C. ornatus were significantly greater than the other crabs and its high number indicates a resident pattern along the coastal fishing ground in the study area. The by-caught specimens of C. ornatus can be used as bait in Balistidae (triggerfish) fishery practice by the local fishermen, but the other crab species are discarded after by-catch. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to characterize the biodiversity of the benthic invertebrate by-catch associated with the shrimp fishery at Farol de São Thomé harbour, northern Rio de Janeiro State, Brazil, in 2004, 11 monthly trawls were conducted using bottom trawl nets between 22°00'S and 22°20'S and from 3 to 5 nm from the shoreline. The analyzed data for each taxon and/or species include frequency of occurrence, numeric frequency, biomass, Index of Relative Importance, and abundance. In total, 27 benthic invertebrate species were recorded, including Porifera, Cnidaria, Mollusca, Annelida, Crustacea, Echinodermata, and Bryozoa. The most representative group was Crustacea, both in number of specimens (Petrochirus diogenes, Hepatus pudibundus, Callinectes ornatus) and in biomass (P. diogenes, H. pudibundus). In terms of the frequency of occurrence in the samples, 11 species (40.7%) were constant, 6 species (22.2%) were accessories, and 10 species (37.0%) were by-catch. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Incidental capture of sea turtles in fisheries is the main cause of sea turtle population decline worldwide. This study evaluated the interactions between fisheries and sea turtles based on the perceptions of fishers operating along the coast of Rio de Janeiro State, southeast Brazil. Between 2016 and 2018, 240 ethnographic interviews were conducted in ten fishing communities, and the indication of incidental captures of sea turtles was high (>75%). Chelonia mydas was the most-observed and most-captured turtle species in the fisheries. The types of fishing gear responsible for such captures were the gillnet, bottom trawl net and hooked line. Most of the fishers reported that it is not possible to avoid incidental captures but that the sea turtles do not die immediately. In general, fishers release the captured animals, regardless of their physical condition (alive, apparently dead or dead). The results demonstrate that both the dissemination of information and training are necessary for greater conservation and efficiency in the handling of sea turtles captured in fishing gear. [Display omitted] • Incidents involving sea turtles are common in fisheries in Rio de Janeiro State. • Chelonia mydas was the most reported species by fishers in Rio de Janeiro State. • Information and training for fishers is the key to sea turtle conservation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Stable isotopes of carbon (13C) and nitrogen (15N) are chemical markers used to trace the geographic origin of species targeted by commercial fisheries, helping in fishery management strategies. Considering the extension of Brazilian coastline, approaches for shrimp stock discrimination may assist local fisheries. This study characterizes the isotopic composition in natural stocks of the penaeid shrimps Xiphopenaeus kroyeri , Artemesia longinaris e Litopenaeus schmitti , targets of small-scale coastal fisheries in SE Brazil. Shrimps were obtained from six fishing ports located on Rio de Janeiro and Espírito Santo coastline (from 18°S to 23°S). δ13C-δ15N distinguished stocks from fishing ports and δ13C had higher variability when compared to δ15N, explaining most of the differences between stocks for all species. This study presents a participatory planning for local fishery management with stakeholders (fishers, public managers and researchers) working together. The planning aims to minimize possible conflicts between near fishing communities through the identification of fishery boundaries, maintaining the fishing territories, and to promote the fishery production from a particular community, valuing the local economy. The proposed actions can establish an identity to local fisheries and improve small-scale fisheries governance in SE Brazil. [Display omitted] • Isotopic composition of shrimp species is sensitive enough to distinguish stocks. • δ13C has higher variability compared to δ15N, explaining differences between stocks. • Tracing the origin of shrimp stocks may mitigate conflicts between fishing communities. • Establishing a local fishing identity increases the value of shrimp products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We describe the isolation of Leishmania (Viannia) braziliensis from two female cats with American cutaneous leishmaniasis in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The isolates were identified as L. (V.) braziliensis by isoenzyme electrophoresis. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Copyright of Revista do Instituto de Medicina Tropical de São Paulo is the property of Instituto de Medicina Tropical de Sao Paulo and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)