Systems biology and OMIC data integration to understand gastrointestinal cancers.

Gastrointestinal (GI) cancers are a set of diverse diseases affecting many parts/ organs. The five most frequent GI cancer types are esophageal, gastric cancer (GC), liver cancer, pancreatic cancer, and colorectal cancer (CRC); together, they give rise to 5 million new cases and cause the death of 3.5 million people annually.

Trace metal levels in serum and urine of a population in southern Brazil.

This study aimed to evaluate serum and urine concentrations of several trace metals of a non-directly exposed population in southern Brazil and establish reference values. Serum and urine samples were obtained from 240 volunteers (175 males and 65 females, age ranging from 18 to 74 years old). Levels of arsenic, chromium, cobalt, copper, lead, nickel, manganese and zinc were determined by means of dynamic reaction cell inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (DRC-ICP-MS).

Karyotypic diversity among three species of the genus Astyanax (Characiformes: Characidae).

The group Incertae sedis within the Characidae family currently includes 88 genera, previously included in the subfamily Tetragonopterinae. Among them is the genus Astyanax comprising a group of species with similar morphology and widely distributed in the Neotropics. Thus, the present study aimed to analyze the karyotype diversity in Astyanax species from different watersheds by conventional Giemsa staining, C-banding and fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH rDNA 18S) probe.

Exposure to heavy metals due to pesticide use by vineyard farmers.

Objectives: To statistically analyze serum heavy metal levels in biological samples obtained from vineyard workers from southern Brazil and check for heavy metal exposure due to pesticide use.

Methods: Serum samples were obtained from 54 farmers and 108 healthy unexposed individuals. Samples from the same farmers were obtained at three different time points over a 1-year period.

[Training local teams as a strategy to institutionalize evaluation in the health system].

This article reports on the methodology used by the research team of the State University in Maringá in the Baseline Study in 20 municipalities in the States of Paraná and Santa Catarina, Brazil, with more than 100,000 inhabitants each, in the implementation of the Project for Expansion and Consolidation of the Family Health Strategy. Workshops to discuss the evaluation of programs, construction and application of research instruments, site visits to supervise activities in disseminating the program, and development of a database with the local and regional scientific output were carried out. There was an obvious sense of responsibility and commitment on the part of municipal and State representatives, the majority of whom immediately agreed to the activities.