Barriers to research in family medicine-interviews with Portuguese family physician researchers.

Background: There is a need for a deeper understanding of the barriers to research in family medicine (FM) and to consider the perceptions and perspectives of professionals. Our study aims to provide a strategic view for research capacity building in FM. We included the perspective of family physician researchers (FPR) on the existing barriers to investigation in this context.

Strategies for the Promotion of Primary Health Care Research in Portugal: A Qualitative Study.

Introduction: There are several barriers discouraging clinicians from undertaking research, including insufficient funding, lack of time, organizational issues and lack of support. The strengthening of research capacity is perceived from three levels: characteristics of the researcher, the environment, and organizational issues. To date, Portugal is lacking studies on this subject.

Sensors Network as an Added Value for the Characterization of Spatial and Temporal Air Quality Patterns at the Urban Scale.

Within the scope of the Aveiro STEAM City project, an air quality monitoring network was installed in the city of Aveiro (Portugal), to evaluate the potential of sensors to characterize spatial and temporal patterns of air quality in the city. The network consists of nine sensors stations with air quality sensors (PM10, PM2.5, NO, O and CO) and two meteorological stations, distributed within selected locations in the city of Aveiro.

Effects of sodium valproate on the chromatin of Triatoma infestans (Klug, 1834) (Hemiptera, Reduviidae) under in vitro culture conditions.

Sodium valproate (VPA) is a classic anticonvulsive, a histone deacetylase inhibitor, and a chromatin remodeling inducer. When injected into specimens of Triatoma infestans, a vector of Chagas disease, VPA affects the chromatin supraorganization of chromocenter heterochromatin in only a few cells of the Malpighian tubules. To test whether this result was explained by the inaccessibility of all of the organ's cells to the drug, we investigated the nuclear phenotypes and global acetylation of lysine 9 in histone H3 (H3K9ac) in Malpighian tubules cultivated in vitro for 1-24 h in the presence of 0.

Spatial Distribution of Heterochromatin Bodies in the Nuclei of (Klug).

Constitutive heterochromatin typically exhibits low gene density and is commonly found adjacent or close to the nuclear periphery, in contrast to transcriptionally active genes concentrated in the innermost nuclear region. In Triatoma infestans cells, conspicuous constitutive heterochromatin forms deeply stained structures named chromocenters. However, to the best of our knowledge, no information exists regarding whether these chromocenters acquire a precise topology in the cell nuclei or whether their 18S rDNA, which is important for ribosome function, faces the nuclear center preferentially.

Impact of harbour activities on local air quality: A review.

Several harbour activities cause negative environmental impacts in the harbours' surrounding areas, namely the degradation of air quality. This paper intends to comprehensively review the status of the air quality measured in harbour areas. The published studies show a limited number of available air quality monitoring data in harbours areas, mostly located in Europe (71%).

Assessment of source contribution to air quality in an urban area close to a harbor: Case-study in Porto, Portugal.

Several harbors, like the Port of Leixões (Porto, Portugal), are located near urban and industrial areas, places where residential urban areas, highways and the refinery industry coexist. The need for assessing the contribution of the port to the air quality in its vicinity around the port is the motivation for the present study. This contribution was investigated using a numerical modelling approach based on the web-based research screening tool C-PORT.

Histone acetylation and methylation marks in chromatin of Panstrongylus megistus (Hemiptera, Reduviidae).

Panstrongylus megistus, a potential vector of Chagas disease, currently occupies a wider geographic distribution in Brazil than Triatoma infestans, another member of the hemipteran Reduviidae family and a vector of the same disease. A small heterochromatic body (chromocenter) formed by the Y chromosome is evident in the somatic cells of P. megistus, differing in size and chromosome type contribution from the well-studied chromocenters present in T.

Genetic characterization of residual Triatoma infestans populations from Brazil by microsatellite.

In spite of long-term efforts to eliminate Triatoma infestans (Klug 1834) from Brazil, residual foci still persist in the states of Bahia and Rio Grande do Sul. Data on the genetic variability and structuring of these populations are however lacking. Using nine microsatellite loci, we characterized one residual T.

Histone epigenetic marks in heterochromatin and euchromatin of the Chagas' disease vector, Triatoma infestans.

Triatoma infestans, a vector of Chagas' disease, shows several particular cell biology characteristics, including the presence of conspicuous heterochromatic bodies (chromocenters) where DNA methylation has not been previously detected. Whether histone modifications contribute to the condensed state of these bodies has not yet been studied. Here, we investigated epigenetic modifications of histones H3 and H4 and presence of the non-histone heterochromatin protein (HP1-α) in the chromocenters and euchromatin of T.

Colonization of palm trees by Rhodnius neglectus and household and invasion in an urban area, Araçatuba, São Paulo State, Brazil.

The objective of this study is to report on the colonization of palm trees by Rhodnius neglectus, its invasion in an urban area, in Araçatuba - São Paulo, and the control and surveillance measures that have been put in place. Domiciliary triatomine searches occurred in apartments upon the inhabitants' notification. The collected insects were identified and examined for natural infection and food sources with a precipitin test.

Biological and molecular characterization of a Trypanosoma cruzi isolate obtained from Panstrongylus megistus captured in Sao Paulo State, Brazil.

An isolate of Trypanosoma cruzi obtained from P. megistus captured in the peridomicile area of a home in Santo Antonio do Jardim city in the State of Sao Paulo, denominated T. cruzi Mogi, was characterized biologically and molecularly.

[Autoimmune lymphoproliferative syndrome].

The Autoimmune Lymphoproliferative Syndrome (ALPS) is an impairment of lymphocyte apoptosis expressed by generalized non-malignant lymphoproliferation, lymphadenopathy and/or splenomegaly. This article describes a seven and 14 year old males. The first one was admitted at 3 years of age with fever, bicytopenia and generalized lymphadenopathy.

Contribution of AT-, GC-, and methylated cytidine-rich DNA to chromatin composition in Malpighian tubule cell nuclei of Panstrongylus megistus (Hemiptera, Reduviidae).

The Malpighian tubule cell nuclei of male Panstrongylus megistus, a vector of Chagas disease, contain one chromocenter, which is composed solely of the Y chromosome. Considering that different chromosomes contribute to the composition of chromocenters in different triatomini species, the aim of this study was to determine the contribution of AT-, GC-, and methylated cytidine-rich DNA in the chromocenter as well as in euchromatin of Malpighian tubule cell nuclei of P. megistus in comparison with published data for Triatoma infestans.

[Control Program of Chagas disease in São Paulo, Brazil: the control and surveillance of vector transmission].

The control of the vectors of Chagas' disease in the State of Sao Paulo are discussed, mainly those activities that led to the elimination of Triatoma infestans. Secondary factors that helped the control such as rural exodus are also analyzed. The article shows that since 1965 the control became a campaign with different phases due to the epidemiological situation, the acquired knowledge and the entomological surveillance.

Spatial distribution of AT- and GC-rich DNA within interphase cell nuclei of Triatoma infestans Klug.

Heterochromatin bodies in single- and multichromocentered interphase cell nuclei of Triatoma infestans, a vector of Chagas disease, have been suggested to contain AT-rich DNA, based on their positive response to Q-banding and Hoechst 33248 treatment. No information exists on whether GC-rich DNA is also present in these nuclei and whether it plays a role on chromatin condensation. Considering that methodologies more precise than those previously used to determine DNA base composition in situ are currently available, and that the spatial distribution of chromatin areas differing in composition in interphase cell nuclei of different species is a matter of interest, the localization of AT- and GC-rich DNA in T.

Severe megaloblastic anaemia in an infant.

Vitamin B(12) or cobalamin deficiency, a rare clinical entity in pediatric age, is found most exclusively in breastfed infants, whose mothers are strictly vegetarian non-supplemented or with pernicious anaemia. In this article, the authors describe a 10-month-old infant admitted for vomiting, refusal to eat and prostration. The infant was exclusively breastfed and difficulties in introduction of new foods were reported.

Incontinentia pigmenti in the neonatal period.

Incontinentia pigmenti (IP) is a rare multisystem disease, X linked dominant disorder. As all X linked dominant diseases, it is usually male-lethal. Female newborn admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit on the first day of life was diagnosed as having probable herpetic infection with vesicular skin lesions distributed on upper right limb and inferior limbs.

Characterization of antioxidant olive oil biophenols by spectroscopic methods.

Background: Olive oil contains numerous phenolic components with well-recognized health-beneficial activity. The major phenolic compounds present in olives and virgin olive oil-hydroxytyrosol, oleuropein and the oleuropein aglycones 3,4-DHPEA-EA and 3,4-DHPEA-EDA-as well as some of their metabolites were studied in the present work, regarding their main structural preferences. Vibrational spectroscopy (Raman) coupled to theoretical methods were used, aiming at fully characterizing the systems and therefore enabling their quick and reliable identification in food samples.

On an acute case of Chagas disease in a region under vector control in the state of São Paulo, Brazil.

No vector transmitted cases of Chagas disease had been notified in the state of São Paulo since the 1970s. However, in March, 2006, the death of a six-year-old boy from the municipality of Itaporanga was notified to the Center for Epidemiological Survey of the São Paulo State Health Secretariat: an autochthonous case of acute Chagas disease. The postmortem histopathological examination performed in the Hospital das Clínicas of the Botucatu School of Medicine confirmed the diagnosis.

[Analysis on the food source of Panstrongylus megistus (Hemiptera, Reduviidae, Triatominae) and its present importance as a vector for Trypanosoma cruzi, in the State of Minas Gerais].

Introduction: Investigation of the food source of triatomines helps in understanding the biology of these insects, and also helps to infer their importance in transmitting Trypanosoma cruzi to humans.

Methods: The present study aimed to use the precipitin reaction to record the food source of triatomines from 54 municipalities in the central-western region of the State of Minas Gerais, as well as their natural infection by flagellates similar to Trypanosoma cruzi.

Results: From July 2003 to March 2007, 416 insects were evaluated, all from the species Panstrongylus megistus.

[Infestation by triatomines in rural settlement and resettlement areas the Region of Pontal do Paranapanema, State of São Paulo].

This study had the aim of assessing the characteristics of triatomine infestation in human dwellings in rural settlement and resettlement areas with regard to the time when infestation began. We analyzed data relating to 48 triatomine surveys carried out in 105 settlement areas and six resettlement areas in the region of Pontal do Paranapanema between January 1984 and June 2005. Among the 16 surveys in settlement areas, seven (43.

[Triatoma tibiamaculata (Pinto, 1926): life table for nymphs, duration of adult forms and oviposition of females].

Under laboratory conditions, the authors analyzed the survival rate of nymphs, the minimum and maximum duration of each stage, the length of life of the winged forms and oviposition of the females. Two groups of 100 eggs each were monitored. In batch A, the specimens were reared in a single glass receptacle.

[Chagas' disease: triatomines notification of the São Paulo State during the 1990s].

The objective of this study was to analyze the surveillance of Chagas' disease in São Paulo State through notifications registered from 1990 to 1999. The information originated when notification of triatomines was announced by inhabitants and the established control program was followed. 20,563 triatomine notifications were received, showing a decrease over the years, with more accentuated decreases in the area of greatest frequency of Panstrongylus megistus.