[CRCP units: a strategy to assess health risks in children in contaminated communitiesUnidades RISC: uma estratégia para avaliar os riscos de saúde na população infantil de comunidades contaminadas].

Humanitarian crises can occur in places affected by chemical, physical, biological, and social threats, especially when these threats interact with each other and cause a syndemic. In order to avoid crises in these places, it is necessary to introduce mitigation measures that we have framed as "humanitarian scenarios". Due to their nature, implementation of these interventions requires the creation of multidisciplinary operational groups with a work strategy that integrates them into the affected community.

A preliminary study on health impacts of Mexican mercury mining workers in a context of precarious employment.

Mercury mining is one of the main sources of mercury (Hg) release into the environment, causing serious impacts on human health and the environment. Workers in these mines are employed informally and precariously and therefore lack labor rights such as social security. The objective of the study is to make visible the exposure to environmental contaminants and the health of workers in mercury mines.

Ultrafast gas chromatography coupled to electronic nose to identify volatile biomarkers in exhaled breath from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease patients: A pilot study.

An analytical method to identify volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in the exhaled breath from patients with a diagnosis of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) using a ultrafast gas chromatography system equipped with an electronic nose detector (FGC eNose) has been developed. A prospective study was performed in 23 COPD patients and 33 healthy volunteers; exhalation breathing tests were performed with Tedlar bags. Each sample was analyzed by FCG eNose and the identification of VOCs was based on the Kovats index.

Mercury Mining in Mexico: I. Community Engagement to Improve Health Outcomes from Artisanal Mining.

Background: Mercury is an element that cannot be destroyed and is a global threat to human and environmental health. In Latin America and the Caribbean, artisanal and small-scale gold mining represents the main source of mercury emissions, releases, and consumption. However, another source of concern is the primary production of mercury.

The "CHILD" framework for the study of artisanal mercury mining communities.

In this paper, our group reports the use of a new framework in sites contaminated with mercury. This is significant because under the Minamata Convention on Mercury each Party shall endeavor to develop appropriate strategies for identifying and assessing sites contaminated by mercury or mercury compounds. This new approach, the "CHILD" framework has five steps: i) Community-based risk characterization; ii) Habilitation; iii) Intervention; iv) Laws and Regulation; and v) Development.

[Acute voluntary poisoning by carbamate].

Acute poisoning by organophosphate or carbamate is important to recognize since it can cause severe complications such as cardiorespiratory failure, coma, and even death in the absence of early management. Pharmacologically, the mode of action of these substances is based on an inhibition of cholinesterases; the clinical presentation therefore consists of a cholinergic syndrome. The typical clinical picture can be confirmed by the dosage of plasma cholinesterases.

[Community clinical toxicology].

In some Latin American countries acute intoxication is professionally managed by specialized physicians qualified in the area. Something similar occurs with work-related chronic intoxication in the formal sector. However, a different reality prevails for the assessment of chronic intoxication of environmental origin, since it is by definition more difficult to diagnose.

A genetic variation in the ADORA2A gene modifies age at onset in Huntington's disease.

Based on the pathophysiological role of adenosine A(2A) receptors in HD, we have evaluated the association of the 1976C/T single-nucleotide polymorphism in the ADORA2A gene (rs5751876) with residual age at onset (AAO) in HD. The study population consisted of 791 unrelated patients belonging to the Huntington French Speaking Network. The variability in AAO attributable to the CAG repeats number was calculated by linear regression using the log (AAO) as the dependent variable, and the respective rs5751876 genotypes as independent variables.

Association study of three polymorphisms of kinesin light-chain 1 gene with Alzheimer's disease.

The transport of amyloid precursor protein is mediated through its interaction with kinesin light-chain 1 (KNS2). We hypothesized that kinesin light-chain dysfunction might be involved in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease (AD). To assess the physiological relevance of an allelic variation in the KNS2 gene, the association analysis of three single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the 5'UTR or in intronic sequences of KNS2 gene were performed in 100 AD brain patients and in 103 controls.

3-D QSAR investigations of the inhibition of Leishmania major farnesyl pyrophosphate synthase by bisphosphonates.

We report the activities of 62 bisphosphonates as inhibitors of the Leishmania major mevalonate/isoprene biosynthesis pathway enzyme, farnesyl pyrophosphate synthase. The compounds investigated exhibit activities (IC(50) values) ranging from approximately 100 nM to approximately 80 microM (corresponding to K(i) values as low as 10 nM). The most active compounds were found to be zoledronate (whose single-crystal X-ray structure is reported), pyridinyl-ethane-1-hydroxy-1,1-bisphosphonates or picolyl aminomethylene bisphosphonates.

Farnesyl pyrophosphate synthase is an essential enzyme in Trypanosoma brucei. In vitro RNA interference and in vivo inhibition studies.

We report the cloning and sequencing of a gene encoding the farnesyl pyrophosphate synthase (FPPS) of Trypanosoma brucei. The protein (TbFPPS) is an attractive target for drug development because the growth of T. brucei has been shown to be inhibited by analogs of its substrates, the nitrogen containing bisphosphonates currently in use in bone resorption therapy.

Hydronium (cycloheptylammonio)methylene-1,1-bisphosphonate (hydronium incadronate).

The structure of the title compound, H(3)O(+).C(8)H(18)NO(6)P(2)(-), adopts a zwitterionic form containing an alkylammonium group, a hydronium ion, and two negatively charged phosphonate groups. The cycloheptyl side chain adopts a twist-chair conformation.

Activity of bisphosphonates against Trypanosoma brucei rhodesiense.

We report the results of a comparative molecular field analysis (CoMFA) investigation of the growth inhibition of the bloodstream form of Trypanosoma brucei rhodesiense trypomastigotes by bisphosphonates. A quantitative three-dimensional structure-activity relationship CoMFA model for a set of 26 bisphosphonates having a range of activity spanning approximately 3 orders of magnitude (minimum IC(50) = 220 nM; maximum IC(50) = 102 microM) yielded an R(2) value of 0.87 with a cross-validated R(2) value of 0.

Recognition of Lewis x derivatives present on mucins by flagellar components of Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

Pseudomonas aeruginosa binds to human respiratory mucins by mechanisms involving flagellar component-receptor interactions. The adhesion of P. aeruginosa strain PAK is mediated by the flagellar cap protein, FliD, without the involvement of flagellin.

Adhesion of Pseudomonas aeruginosa to respiratory mucins and expression of mucin-binding proteins are increased by limiting iron during growth.

The attachment of Pseudomonas aeruginosa to human respiratory mucus represents an important step in the development of lung infection, especially in cystic fibrosis. Local factors in the respiratory tract, such as osmolarity or iron concentration, might influence this colonization. In the present work, we have observed that overall levels of adhesion of two nonmucoid, nonpiliated strains of P.

Interactions between glycoconjugates from human respiratory airways and Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

Pseudomonas aeruginosa binds to different glycoconjugates in vitro. As six other bacteria, it binds to several glycolipids, mainly asialo GM1 and asialo GM2. Asialo GM1 has been reported to exist at the surface of cystic fibrosis cells.

Pseudomonas aeruginosa outer membrane adhesins for human respiratory mucus glycoproteins.

The attachment of Pseudomonas aeruginosa to human respiratory mucus represents an important step in the development of lung infection, especially in cases of cystic fibrosis. For this purpose, microtiter plate adhesion assays have been developed and have suggested that nonpilus adhesins of P. aeruginosa are the most important ones for binding to human respiratory mucins.

An attempt to evaluate lung aggression in monkey silicosis: hydrolases, peroxidase and antiproteases activities in serial bronchoalveolar lavages.

Exposure to silica can induce fibrosis and/or emphysema. Various factors such as proteases, other hydrolases and oxidants may be involved in the destruction of lung parenchyma. On the other hand, antiproteases play an important role in the protection of lung parenchyma against the action of proteases.

Identification of plasma proteins contained in bronchoalveolar fluid from Macacus cynomolgus.

1. Serial bronchoalveolar lavages (BAL) were performed on a subhuman primate (Macacus cynomolgus) in order to give an experimental model for silicosis. 2.

The effect of 4'-deoxypyridoxine on rat heart cell cultures under oxygen deficiency.

The purpose of this work was to study the consequences of an intracellular depletion of pyridoxal-phosphate (PLP) in rat heart cells in culture submitted to oxygen deficiency. Glucose (GLc) and 4'-deoxypyridoxine (DOP) effects were separately evaluated after 150 mn of partial oxygen deprivation (N2) with regard to enzyme leakage, beating rates, intracellular concentrations of PLP and the ratio glycogen phosphorylase activity (-5'-AMP/+5'-AMP). PLP concentrations were higher in the air-GLc group than in the air group.

Isozymes of creatine kinase in mammalian cell cultures.

Previous studies on the energy metabolism of rat myocardial cells in culture supported the hypothesis that the creatine-phosphocreatine-creatine kinase system plays an important role in the intracellular transport of energy from the mitochondria to the myofibrils and in the regulation of energy production coupled to energy utilization in this model system. Effective functional compartmentation of ATP could result from the binding of creatine kinase to cellular organelles (e.g.

[Optimal trypsin concentration for rat heart cell cultures].

Three concentrations (0.5, 1 and 2 per 1000, w/v) of a single batch of trypsin were compared regarding their influence on cultured cardiac cell of newborn rats. All three allowed to obtain cardiac cells in good conditions, as evidence by beating frequencies and [16-14C]-palmitate beta-oxidation.