The yellow fever virus (YFV) epidemic that began in Dec 2016 in Brazil is the largest in decades. The recent discovery of YFV in Brazilian Aedes sp. vectors highlights the urgent need to monitor the risk of re-establishment of domestic YFV transmission in the Americas. We use a suite of epidemiological, spatial and genomic approaches to characterize YFV transmission. We show that the age-and sex-distribution of human cases in Brazil is characteristic of sylvatic transmission. Analysis of YFV cases combined with genomes generated locally using a new protocol reveals an early phase of sylvatic YFV transmission restricted to Minas Gerais, followed in late 2016 by a rise in viral spillover to humans, and the southwards spatial expansion of the epidemic towards previously YFV-free areas. Our results establish a framework for monitoring YFV transmission in real-time, contributing to the global strategy of eliminating future yellow fever epidemics.

Canine distemper is a systemic viral disease characterized by immunosuppression followed by secondary infections. Apoptosis is observed in several immunosuppressive diseases and its occurrence on canine distemper in vivo has not been published. In this study, the occurrence of apoptosis was determined in lymphoid tissues of thirteen naturally infected dogs and nine experimentally inoculated puppies. Healthy dogs were used as negative controls. Samples of lymph nodes, thymus, spleen and brain were collected for histopathological purposes. Sections, 5 microm thick, of retropharingeal lymph nodes were stained by HE, Shorr, Methyl Green-Pyronin and TUNEL reaction. Shorr stained sections were further evaluated by morphometry. Canine distemper virus nucleoprotein was detected by immunohistochemistry. Retropharingeal lymph nodes of naturally and experimentally infected dogs had more apoptotic cells per field than controls. In addition, DNA from thymus of infected dogs were more fragmented than controls. Therefore, apoptosis is increased in lymphoid depletion induced by canine distemper virus and consequently play a role in the immunosuppression seen in this disease.

This paper presents a multi-objective evolutionary algorithm based on decomposition (MOEA/D) to design broadband optimal Yagi-Uda antennas. A multi-objective problem is formulated to achieve maximum directivity, minimum voltage standing wave ratio and maximum front-to-back ratio. The algorithm was applied to the design of optimal 3 to 10 elements Yagi-Uda antennas, whose optimal Pareto fronts are provided in a single picture. The multi-objective problem is decomposed by Chebyshev decomposition, and it is solved by differential evolution (DE) and Gaussian mutation operators in order to provide a better approximation of the Pareto front. The results show that the implemented MOEA/D is efficient for designing Yagi-Uda antennas.

O acesso aos serviços de saneamento básico por parte da população da Região Metropolitana de Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brasil, vem sendo marcado por processos de segregação socioespacial e exclusão social. Tendo em vista o reconhecimento, em 2010, dos direitos humanos à água e ao esgotamento sanitário pela Organização das Nações Unidas, busca-se analisar o acesso adequado a estes serviços na Região Metropolitana de Belo Horizonte por meio do princípio da igualdade e não discriminação. Foram utilizados microdados provenientes dos censos demográficos do Instituto Brasileiro de Geografia e Estatística, anos de 2000 e 2010. Esses foram submetidos à análise estatística descritiva e comparativa, análise espacial e análise multivariada, buscando-se: dimensionar a universalização do acesso adequado aos serviços; analisar a dependência espacial entre os municípios no que se refere a tal acesso; identificar e caracterizar possível discriminação no acesso, por parte de determinados grupos populacionais. Os resultados permitiram observar: aumento na proporção de domicílios com o acesso adequado aos serviços de água e esgoto no período intercensitário; quase inexistência de associação espacial, demonstrando haver desigualdades entre os 34 municípios que compõem a Região Metropolitana de Belo Horizonte; desigualdades no acesso entre diferentes grupos populacionais - segundo situação do domicílio, renda, cor ou raça, sexo e escolaridade - em possível desacordo com o princípio da não discriminação.

No abstract

In the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, Targets 6.1 and 6.2 show, in their formulation, some alignment with the normative content of the human rights to water and sanitation (HRWS). However, the principle of equality and non-discrimination, which applies to all human rights, was not clearly incorporated into the indicators adopted to assess and monitor these targets. This paper contributes to bridging this gap by proposing two methodological strategies to address inequalities in analyses of access to water and sanitation services. The first consists in adjusting the indicators of access to these services according to inequality. The second proposes an assessment of intersecting forms of inequality. An application of these methods in Latin America and the Caribbean highlights significant regional heterogeneity and elevated inequality in access to services in the countries of this region. The methods demonstrate their potential in contributing to assessment and monitoring of the SDGs, but outdated or lacking data are obstacles to more in-depth analyses.

Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis equi is a Gram-positive pathogenic bacterium which affects a variety of hosts. Besides the great economic losses it causes to horse-breeders, this organism is also known to be an important infectious agent to cattle and buffaloes. As an outcome of the efforts in characterizing the molecular basis of its virulence, several complete genome sequences were made available in recent years, enabling the large-scale assessment of genes throughout distinct isolates. Meanwhile, the RNA-seq stood out as the technology of choice for comprehensive transcriptome studies, which may bring valuable information regarding active genomic regions, despite of the still impeditive associated costs. In an attempt to increase the use of generated reads per instrument run, by effectively eliminating unwanted rRNAs from total RNA samples without relying on any commercially available kits, we applied denaturing high-performance liquid chromatography (DHPLC) as an alternative method to assess the transcriptional profile of C. pseudotuberculosis. We have found that the DHPLC depletion method, allied to Ion Torrent sequencing, allows mapping of transcripts in a comprehensive way and identifying novel transcripts when a de novo approach is used. These data encourage us to use DHPLC in future transcriptional evaluations in C. pseudotuberculosis.

While there is a large volume of research discussing the role of internal migration in the transformation of the Brazilian national settlement system, past studies have shown conflicting tendencies towards population concentration and dispersion. This paper analyses the evolution of the spatial networks formed by migration flows and the changes in the direction of these flows since the 1980s. Network analysis methods proved to be a valuable tool to determine the degree of concentration in the Brazilian migration system, examine the overall changes in the topology or shape of the migration network and study its spatial manifestations over time. Results indicate a highly concentrated migration system (notably polarised by the Metropolitan Region of São Paulo) but also evidence of a multiplication of both places of migration origin and destination, increasing connectivity and reciprocity of flows, although the pace of these changes seems to be slowing down.