Abstract Background Spotted fever is an acute infectious disease caused by bacteria of the genus Rickettsia and transmitted by ticks, which can lead to hospitalization and, eventually, death due to more severe conditions. Objective The purpose of this article was to describe the epidemiological scenario of the disease in the three federal states with the highest number of notifications and deaths due to the disease in Brazil between 2007 and 2016. Method A descriptive epidemiological study was carried out based on data from the investigation forms for the disease, with data being analyzed on demographic, geographic, environmental, and hospitalization, diagnosis, and outcome of cases in the study area. Results 953 cases of the disease were confirmed, mostly by laboratory criteria, with a higher prevalence being observed among men with an average age of 35 years, little related to the work environment, but largely related to the urban environment. Of the total confirmed cases, 64% of patients said that they had had some contact with ticks, as well as with dogs (36%), capybaras (20%), and horses (19%). Conclusion We believe that there are questions about the disease that were not elucidated in this article, however, creative approaches, validated and anchored in the association of different areas of knowledge can give good results if objectively applied in strategic health management actions.

Resumo Introdução A febre maculosa é uma doença infecciosa aguda causada por bactérias do gênero Rickettsia e transmitida por carrapatos que pode levar à hospitalização e, eventualmente, a óbito por causa de quadros mais graves. Objetivo O objetivo deste artigo foi descrever o cenário epidemiológico da doença nas três unidades federativas de maior número de notificações e óbitos pela doença no Brasil entre 2007 e 2016. Método Estudo epidemiológico descritivo com base nos dados das fichas de investigação para a doença, sendo analisados dados demográficos, geográficos, ambientais e de hospitalização, diagnóstico e desfecho dos casos na área de estudo. Resultados Foram confirmados 953 casos da doença, em sua maioria por critérios laboratoriais, sendo observada maior prevalência entre homens com idade média de 35 anos, pouco relacionados ao ambiente de trabalho, mas amplamente relacionados ao meio urbano. Do total de casos confirmados, 64% pacientes afirmaram ter tido algum contato com carrapato, assim como com cães (36%), capivaras (20%) e equinos (19%). Conclusão Existem questionamentos a respeito da doença que não foram elucidados neste artigo, entretanto abordagens criativas, validadas e ancoradas na associação de áreas de conhecimento distintas poderão dar bons resultados se objetivamente aplicadas em ações estratégicas da gestão da saúde.

Abstract Copaiba oil is a natural product used by Amazonian populations and recognized for its medicinal properties because it has significant antimicrobial activity for several pathogenic microorganisms. The present work aimed to evaluate and characterize the effect of natural oil produced by copaiba – Copaifera multijuga against multiresistant isolates of bubaline mastitis. The nitrocefin test was performed with isolates of Staphylococcus aureus from bubaline mastitis, which were 100% positive for beta-lactamase enzyme detection. Minimum Bactericidal Concentration (MBC) of 25% to 3.12% was obtained for Enterococcus faecalis and Escherichia coli and 50% and 25% for S. aureus, but Klebsiella pneumoniae and Bacillus subtilis were resistant. MBC with 12.5% and 6.25% oil were obtained for most multiresistant bubaline mastitis isolates from the states of Pernambuco, Ceará, Bahia and Alagoas. The results demonstrated the great potential of using copaiba natural oil in the treatment of buffalo mastitis.

<p>Studies employing a single protein nanopore as a molecular recognition element in the development of analytical devices - biosensors, spectrometers, DNA sequencing - have increased considerably in the last decade. Several studies show the potential of these bionanostructures for future stochastic biosensing technology. Stochastic biosensing is an approach that relies on the observation of individual binding events between analyte molecules and a single receptor. This approach is inherent to the organisms that use a single protein nanopore as a key element to start, manage and maintain the chemical and biophysical processes of living cells. Here, we discuss alpha-toxin as a bacterial exotoxin and prototype of a protein nanopore in real-time detection and characterization of molecules in aqueous systems.</p>

O objeto deste artigo é o serviço de perícia criminal e seu principal objetivo é argumentar que o enquadramento das atividades desenvolvidas pela perícia criminal como um processo de operações em serviço que ocorre em uma rede interorganizacional pode incrementar o valor da imparcialidade da Justiça Criminal entregue a seus principais destinatários. Tomando-se o serviço de perícia criminal em Minas Gerais como estudo de caso, analisou-se o valor a partir da perspectiva das consequências para os destinatários e dos recursos utilizados para produzi-las. Como resultado, obteve-se que a utilidade do serviço de perícia criminal é produzir a prova da materialidade do crime e vincular o autor à cena do crime e, assim, contribuir para a elucidação do delito. O valor do serviço foi definido considerando as condições de acesso para todos os envolvidos, principalmente para os segmentos excluídos da sociedade. Avaliou-se também a inclusão social que, no serviço de perícia criminal, traduz-se na investigação de delitos, sem que seja necessário submeter os suspeitos a constrangimentos. Concluiu-se que a perícia criminal é um meio para a realização do valor de imparcialidade da Justiça e as competências dos peritos constituem seu principal recurso. Este artigo permite refletir sobre as dificuldades de aplicar conceitos de gestão de serviços a uma organização pública com diversidade de públicos e com valor fluido e pouco definido, porém importante, como esta.

This paper addresses forensic science service, and its main goal is to argue that considering forensic science activities as a service operations process that takes place in an interorganizational network might increase the impartiality of the Criminal Justice system delivered to its main customers. The service in Minas Gerais/BRA State was taken as a case study. We analyzed the value of this service from the perspective of the customers and the necessary resources to deliver it. The results indicate that, as it is conceived, this service includes the production of evidences that link the suspect to the crime scene contributing to clarify an event. The value of the service necessarily takes into account that everyone has a right of access to justice, especially the excluded strata. It was also evaluated the dimension of social inclusion which, in this service, means to support crime investigation without being embarrassing or harassing suspects. We conclude that the Forensic Science service is a means to practice and improve the impartiality of Justice as a value and that the forensic scientist competence is the main resource to reach it. This paper encourages reflections about the difficulties of applying service management concepts to a public organization characterized by the diversity of customers and by its fluid and poorly defined, although important, value such as the Criminal Justice system.

The growing concern of environmental surveillance of the quality of hydric resources guides the development of research on management of residues generated in water treatment plants (WTP). Approximately 8.000 WTPs in Brazil operate without a treatment program of the residues, disposing these effluents in the environment. This work evaluated WTP discharges into watercourses by collecting superficial waters, sediments and benthic samples at the town of Registro, São Paulo State, Brazil. Even though superficial waters and benthic samples showed no further contamination, sediment analysis pointed out that aluminum deposits detected near sludge discharges may represent a potential risk to the environment.

The violence derived from crimes involving firearms represents one of the main concerns of society. For this reason modern techniques have emerged in forensic science to identify suspects at crime scenes. This work describes a methodology to identify residues present in the hands of suspect by using a high resolution inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry and collection procedure based on ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) solution as a complexing agent in moistened swabs. In order to distinguish real gunshot residues from others types of residues present in the hand of suspect, ternary ratio per cent diagrams were developed for antimony (Sb), barium (Ba) and lead (Pb) detected on the hands of volunteers, before and immediately after shooting tests, revealing a remarkable difference in both situations.

Resumo: A Faculdade de Medicina de Ribeirão Preto tem dispendido, ao longo do tempo, considerável esforço no sentido de discutir e reavaliar a estrutura curricular do curso de graduação em Medicina, com vistas ao seu aprimoramento. No presente trabalho são apresentadas as principais medidas institucionais decorrentes desse posicionamento, nos últimos dez anos, bem como os resultados obtidos através das estratégias adotadas. A análise crítica do processo permite a conclusão de que o investimento de tempo e trabalho, na tentativa de efetuar uma análise mais aprofundada da estrutura curricular da F.M.R.P. e sua possível reformulação, foi excessivamente grande em relação aos resultados práticos obtidos. Na opinião dos autores, as possíveis causas dessa situação poderiam advir de: 1) descrédito da Instituição (corpo docente e discente) em relação aos métodos e instrumentação utilizados até o momento; 2) descrédito da Instituição quanto às reais possibilidades e/ou necessidades de mudança na estrutura curricular; 3) subvalorização dos aspectos de ensino-aprendizagem no contexto geral das atividades docentes; 4) autonomia desfrutada pelos Departamentos ao propor seus programas de ensino-aprendizagem; e 5) a interação entre essas quatro possibilidades.

Summary: The Medical school of Ribeirão Preto of the University of São Paulo, since its beginning has been very much concerned about discussing and reevaluating the curricular structure of its graduation course, aiming at its refinement. In this paper, the main official enterprises originating from that concern during the last ten years are presented, as well as the results which were gathered through different strategies. A close analysis of this process as a whole leads us to the conclusion that the time and work invested in the attempt to study the Medical school curricular structure thoroughly and its eventual reshaping, were much too extensive in relation to the objective results which were obtained. In the authors opinion, the possible reasons for this outcome may have been the following: 1) a skeptical attitude of the school (teachers and students) toward the methodology and instruments which were used in this process; 2) a skeptical attitude of the school toward the real possibilities and/or necessities of reshaping its curricular structure; 3) a tendency to undervaluate the teaching-learning process within the general context of the university teaching activities; 4) an excess of autonomy of the individual Departments in proposing their teaching programs, and 5) an interaction of all of the above possibilities.