Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Celso H. L. Silva-Junior, Fabricio B. Silva, Barbara Maisonnave Arisi, Guilherme Mataveli, Ana C. M. Pessoa, Nathalia S. Carvalho, Joao B. C. Reis, Admo R. Silva Junior, Nathalia A. C. S. Motta, Paulo Vinicius Moreira e Silva, Francarlos Diniz Ribeiro, Juliana Siqueira-Gay, Ane Alencar, Sassan Saatchi, Luiz E. O. C. Aragao, Liana O. Anderson, Maycon Melo
Summary: Studies have shown that indigenous territories in the Brazilian Amazon are effective in reducing deforestation, fires, and carbon emissions. However, deforestation inside these territories has increased by 129% since 2013, accompanied by a rise in illegal mining areas. Deforestation in the Amazon biome has also become more severe in recent years, with a 195% increase from 2019 to 2021 compared to previous years. Additionally, a significant portion of CO2 emissions within these territories occurred in the last three years, highlighting the urgent need to address deforestation to mitigate climate impacts.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Ana C. Rorato, Maria Isabel S. Escada, Gilberto Camara, Michelle C. A. Picoli, Judith A. Verstegen
Summary: This study assesses the environmental vulnerability of Amazonian Indigenous Lands (ILs) in Brazil using the vulnerability framework of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). The results show a high vulnerability concentration in the Arc of Deforestation and South, and an increasing vulnerability in Para and Roraima states.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & POLICY
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Mayara Calixto da Silva, Rogerio Adas Ayres de Oliveira, Ana Claudia Santiago de Vasconcellos, Bruno Hojo Reboucas, Bruna Duarte Pinto, Marcelo de Oliveira Lima, Iracina Maura de Jesus, Daniel Escorsim Machado, Sandra Souza Hacon, Paulo Cesar Basta, Jamila Alessandra Perini
Summary: This study investigated the frequency of GSTP1 polymorphism and its effects on mercury levels and neurological symptoms in three Munduruku indigenous villages in the Brazilian Amazon. The results showed that the G allele frequency of GSTP1 gene differed significantly among the villages, and GG and GA genotypes were associated with lower mercury levels and abnormal somatosensory signs.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Sara Villen-Perez, Luisa Anaya-Valenzuela, Denis Conrado da Cruz, Philip M. Fearnside
Summary: The largest concentration of isolated indigenous peoples in the world is located in the indigenous lands of the Brazilian Legal Amazon. However, the survival and right to self-isolation of these societies are at risk due to the potential exploitation of their untouched territories. A recent bill proposes opening up indigenous lands to mining, and the threat posed by this to isolated indigenous groups and their territories has been assessed.
GLOBAL ENVIRONMENTAL CHANGE-HUMAN AND POLICY DIMENSIONS
(2022)
Article
Economics
Bruno Wichmann, Roberta Wichmann
Summary: This study examines the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on infant health in the Brazilian Amazon, specifically focusing on the ethnic differences between Indigenous and non-Indigenous populations. The findings suggest that Indigenous infants born during the pandemic are more likely to have very low birth weights, and Indigenous mothers face barriers in accessing proper prenatal care. Furthermore, the pandemic has led to a shift in medical resources from rural to urban areas, disproportionately benefiting non-Indigenous mothers.
ECONOMIC MODELLING
(2022)
Article
Environmental Studies
Katyanne Conceicao, Michel E. D. Chaves, Michelle C. A. Picoli, Alber H. Sanchez, Anderson R. Soares, Guilherme A. Mataveli, Daniel E. Silva, Joelma S. Costa, Gilberto Camara
Summary: The study revealed an ongoing deforestation process in the Brazilian Amazon region, driven by squatters and land grabbers who are rapidly developing in an illegal manner, hoping for future legalization through a land regularization law. This process seems to be promoted by Brazilian Federal Government rhetoric and mediated by local politicians, conveying a message of weak repression against invasions of public lands.
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Yuanwei Qin, Xiangming Xiao, Fang Liu, Fabio de Sa e Silva, Yosio Shimabukuro, Egidio Arai, Philip Martin Fearnside
Summary: Conflicts between forest conservation and socio-economic development in the Brazilian Legal Amazon have persisted for years. However, the effects of Indigenous territory and protected area status on deforestation in the region remain unclear. Our analysis of satellite images and forest area data shows that ITs and PAs cover a significant portion of the forested areas in the BLA and have contributed to a decrease in gross forest loss. However, recent weakening of Brazil's forest policies has led to a higher rate of forest loss in ITs and PAs compared to non-designated areas.
NATURE SUSTAINABILITY
(2023)
Article
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Paula Ferreira Salles, Daiana Souza Perce-da-Silva, Atila Duque Rossi, Luisa Riehl Raposo, Aina Danaisa Ramirez Ramirez, Otilio Machado Pereira Bastos, Lilian Rose Pratt-Riccio, Gustavo Capatti Cassiano, Andrea Regina Souza Baptista, Cynthia Chester Cardoso, Dalma Maria Banic, Ricardo Luiz Dantas Machado
Summary: The study found uneven distribution of CYP2D6 gene polymorphisms in individuals with Plasmodium vivax malaria in the Brazilian Amazon region, suggesting potential differences in individual responses to pharmacological treatment. Further investigations are needed to determine informative alleles for optimal drug dosing recommendations based on experimental pharmacogenetics.
FRONTIERS IN PHARMACOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Guilherme Mataveli, Michel Chaves, Joao Guerrero, Elton Vicente Escobar-Silva, Katyanne Conceicao, Gabriel de Oliveira
Summary: Conserving tropical forests like the Brazilian Legal Amazon is essential for the environment and climate future, but disturbances like increased deforestation and mining activities within Indigenous Lands are threatening their crucial role in addressing climate change. Utilizing datasets like MapBiomas enables monitoring of the status of Indigenous Lands and identification of emerging trends related to illegal activities, proving critical for legal authorities.
Article
Environmental Studies
Carlos Fabricio Assuncao da Silva, Mauricio Oliveira de Andrade, Alex Mota dos Santos, Silas Nogueira de Melo
Summary: This research evaluates the relationship between the official and unofficial road network and deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon within and around 332 indigenous lands from 2008 to 2021. The study uses infrastructural and environmental data. Regression models revealed active fires, illegal mining, and unofficial roads within ILs to be the drivers for deforestation. The general results indicated that for every 1 km of an additional unofficial route, deforestation increases by 0.036 km2. However, when analyzing the regression models for clusters, we concluded that only 45% of the lands are currently affected by road infrastructure.
TRANSPORTATION RESEARCH PART D-TRANSPORT AND ENVIRONMENT
(2023)
Article
Virology
Endrya do Socorro Foro Ramos, Wandercleyson Uchoa Abreu, Luis Reginaldo Ribeiro Rodrigues, Luis Fernando Marinho, Vanessa dos Santos Morais, Fabiola Villanova, Ramendra Pati Pandey, Emerson Luiz Lima Araujo, Xutao Deng, Eric Delwart, Antonio Charlys da Costa, Elcio Leal
Summary: A new CHPV, a recently characterized genus of the Parvoviridae family, was identified in bat samples in North Brazil. The sequences of this CHPV are likely a new species within the genus Chaphamaparvovirus, showing a high level of specificity between CHPV and its hosts.
Article
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Altair Seabra Farias, Joseir Saturnino Cristino, Felipe Murta, Jacqueline Sachett, Wuelton Monteiro
Summary: Conflicting attempts between indigenous caregivers trying to exercise their healing practices in hospitals have been recorded in the Brazilian Amazon. In this work, an interview with Baniwa indigenous anthropologist Francy Baniwa is presented, providing insights into the indigenous understanding of nature, the symbolic efficacy of indigenous medicine, and the importance of communication in a multicultural healthcare setting.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Jesem Douglas Yamall Orellana, Giovanna Gatica-Dominguez, Juliana dos Santos Vaz, Paulo Augusto Ribeiro Neves, Ana Claudia Santiago de Vasconcellos, Sandra de Souza Hacon, Paulo Cesar Basta
Summary: A study on Brazilian Yanomami children under 5 years old found high prevalence of stunting and association with short maternal height. Factors such as gestational malaria, child's place of birth, age group, caregiver, history of malaria, pneumonia, and malnutrition treatment were all significantly associated with stunting in children. The offspring of women with short stature were 1.22 times more likely to suffer from stunting compared to their counterparts.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH
(2021)
Article
Construction & Building Technology
Euler Santos Arruda Junior, Nallyton Tiago de Sales Braga, Marcio Santos Barata
Summary: The aim of this study was to assess the environmental impact of producing Limestone Calcined Clay Cements (LC3) using kaolinitic residues from the Brazilian Amazon. Six different LC3 mixtures were prepared and compared to commercially produced cements. Although the transportation of raw materials for LC3 cements significantly increased CO2 emissions, the LC3 cements showed reductions in energy demand and total CO2 emissions compared to commercial cements. The study highlights the environmental potential of LC3 cements in reducing pollutant emissions during cement production.
CASE STUDIES IN CONSTRUCTION MATERIALS
(2023)
Article
Microbiology
Pamela Carolina Koster, Antonio F. Malheiros, Jeffrey J. Shaw, Sooria Balasegaram, Alexander Prendergast, Heloise Lucaccioni, Luciana Melhoranca Moreira, Larissa M. S. Lemos, Alejandro Dashti, Begofia Bailo, Arlei Marcili, Herbert Sousa Soares, Solange Maria Gennari, Rafael Calero-Bernal, David Gonzalez-Barrio, David Carmena
Summary: Little information is available on the occurrence and genetic variability of the diarrhoea-causing enteric protozoan parasite Giardia duodenalis in indigenous communities in Brazil. This cross-sectional epidemiological survey found that G. duodenalis infection rates were positively linked to younger age and tribe in Tapirape people in the Brazilian Amazon. Children were the main group infected, showing high genetic diversity.
Article
Infectious Diseases
Roya Salehi, Ali Rostami, Hamed Mirjalali, Christen Rune Stensvold, Ali Haghighi
Summary: The study in Iran found multiple Blastocystis subtypes in farm animals, with ST1 and ST3 present in both human and non-human hosts, and ST2, ST5, ST6, and ST10 found exclusively in specific groups.
TRANSBOUNDARY AND EMERGING DISEASES
(2022)
Article
Immunology
Daniela Michlmayr, Luis Alves de Sousa, Luise Muller, Pikka Jokelainen, Steen Ethelberg, Lasse Skafte Vestergaard, Susanne Schjorring, Sarah Mikkelsen, Carl Widstrup Jensen, Lasse Dam Rasmussen, Christen Rune Stensvold
Summary: Enterocytozoon bieneusi was identified as the cause of a foodborne outbreak of diarrhea affecting >70 individuals. The outbreak was associated with consuming food from a workplace canteen, with symptoms including diarrhea, fatigue, and abdominal pain. The study highlights the importance of investigating E. bieneusi in foodborne outbreak investigations.
CLINICAL INFECTIOUS DISEASES
(2022)
Article
Microbiology
Christen Rune Stensvold, Brede Aksdal Sorland, Rebecca P. K. D. Berg, Lee O'Brien Andersen, Mark van der Giezen, Joanna L. Bowtell, Ayman A. El-Badry, Salem Belkessa, Ozgur Kurt, Henrik Vedel Nielsen
Summary: Using metabarcoding and bioinformatics analyses, differences were identified in stool microbiota diversity between Blastocystis-positive and Blastocystis-negative individuals. Blastocystis carriers showed higher alpha diversity and enrichment of Firmicutes and Bacteroidetes at the phylum level, while non-carriers showed enrichment of Proteobacteria. The presence of certain genera also differed between carriers and non-carriers. Blastocystis-positive stools appeared to have gut microbiomes associated with eubiosis, while Blastocystis-negative stools showed similarities to dysbiosis-related microbiomes.
Article
Immunology
Jovana Sadlova, Dominika Bacikova, Tomas Becvar, Barbora Vojtkova, Marion England, Jeffrey Shaw, Petr Volf
Summary: The vector competence of Lutzomyia longipalpis for Porcisia deanei was demonstrated, while it was not competent for Porcisia hertigi. Further studies are needed to evaluate the competence of other Neotropical vectors for these neglected parasites.
FRONTIERS IN CELLULAR AND INFECTION MICROBIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Microbiology
Christen Rune Stensvold, Kasandra Ascuna-Durand, Amal Chihi, Salem Belkessa, Ozgur Kurt, Ayman El-Badry, Mark van der Giezen, C. Graham Clark
Summary: In this study, the genetic diversity of Entamoeba coli and Entamoeba hartmanni was further investigated, revealing the existence of previously identified subtypes as well as a potentially new subtype. The subtypes showed varying degrees of genetic homogeneity and intrasubtype diversity. Additionally, substantial variation was found in E. hartmanni, but no links were found between subtype and geographical origin.
JOURNAL OF EUKARYOTIC MICROBIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Microbiology
Isbene Sanchez, Alejandro Dashti, Pamela C. Koster, Begona Bailo, Nuria Gonzalez, Janire Allende, Christen Rune Stensvold, David Carmena, David Gonzalez-Barrio
Summary: The enteric protozoan parasites Cryptosporidium spp., Giardia duodenalis, and Dientamoeba fragilis contribute to gastrointestinal illness in high-income countries, and a new multiplex real-time PCR assay has been developed to detect these pathogens with high sensitivity and specificity.
Article
Hematology
Christina Schjellerup Eickhardt-Dalboge, Anna Caecilia Ingham, Lee O'Brien Andersen, Henrik V. Nielsen, Kurt Fuursted, Christen Rune Stensvold, Morten Kranker Larsen, Lasse Kjaer, Sarah Friis Christensen, Trine Alma Knudsen, Vibe Skov, Christina Ellervik, Lars Ronn Olsen, Hans Carl Hasselbalch, Xiaohui Chen Nielsen, Jens Jorgen Elmer Christensen
Summary: Chronic inflammation is important in the development of PV and gut microbiota is believed to be associated with inflammation. The study found that PV patients have an abnormal gut microbiota compared to healthy controls.
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Ricardo Andrade Zampieri, Juliana Ide Aoki, Karl Erik Mueller, Jeffrey Jon Shaw, Lucile Maria Floeter-Winter
Summary: This study evaluated sampling protocols, storage procedures, and DNA purification methods for the detection and quantification of Leishmania spp. in different biological samples. The results showed that DNA extracted from samples preserved with the EDTA buffer solution produced higher amounts of target amplicons. Therefore, it is recommended to preserve samples from suspected cases of leishmaniasis in EDTA buffer solution.
AMERICAN JOURNAL OF TROPICAL MEDICINE AND HYGIENE
(2023)
Article
Infectious Diseases
Jose Ferreira Marinho-Junior, Juliana F. C. L. S. Monteiro, Ana Waleria Sales G. de Carvalho, Francisco Gomes de Carvalho, Milena de Paiva G. Cavalcanti, Jeffrey Shaw, Orin G. Courtenay, Sinval Pinto Brandao-Filho
Summary: This study quantified the infection status, contact potential, and infectiousness of naturally infected rodent populations in an endemic region of tegumentary leishmaniasis in northeast Brazil. The results showed that a collective assemblage of wild and synanthropic rodent species is an important wild reservoir of L. braziliensis, with N. squamipes and R. rattus probably playing a key role in transmission within and between habitat types and rodent species. The greatest risk of infection to rodents and humans is in peri domestic plantations.
PLOS NEGLECTED TROPICAL DISEASES
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Kristina Zahonova, Ross S. Low, Christopher J. Warren, Diego Cantoni, Emily K. Herman, Lyto Yiangou, Claudia A. Ribeiro, Yasinee Phanprasert, Ian R. Brown, Sonja Rueckert, Nicola L. Baker, Jan Tachezy, Emma L. Betts, Eleni Gentekaki, Mark van der Giezen, C. Graham Clark, Andrew P. Jackson, Joel B. Dacks, Anastasios D. Tsaousis
Summary: Blastocystis is a prevalent microbial eukaryote in the gut of humans and animals, but its role as a commensal or parasite is still debated. By studying Proteromonas lacertae, a close relative of Blastocystis, through genomic analysis, the evolution of Blastocystis from a canonical protist to a gut microbe has been examined in detail.
Article
Gastroenterology & Hepatology
Munkhtsetseg Banzragch, Kemal Sanli, Christen Rune Stensvold, Ozgur Kurt, Sule Ari
Summary: The microbiota composition of colonic cleansing fluid (CCF) collected during colonoscopy has been found to distinguish patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) from healthy controls, suggesting that CCF analysis can be an alternative strategy for early diagnosis and disease progression in IBD biomarker research.
SCANDINAVIAN JOURNAL OF GASTROENTEROLOGY
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Musamba Banza, Hilary Rutto, Tumisang Seodigeng
Summary: This study examined the kinetics of Copper (II) and Lead (II) leaching in EDTA acid. The impacts of various factors were investigated to improve leaching conditions and assess leaching kinetics. The results showed that increasing temperature, stirring speed, and acid concentration, as well as decreasing solid-liquid ratio and pH, enhanced the leaching of copper (II) and lead (II).
SOIL & SEDIMENT CONTAMINATION
(2023)
Editorial Material
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Tine Graakjaer Larsen, Jonas Kahler, Marianne Lebbad, Huma Aftab, Luise Mueller, Steen Ethelberg, Lihua Xiao, Christen Rune Stensvold
TRAVEL MEDICINE AND INFECTIOUS DISEASE
(2023)
Review
Microbiology
Christina Schjellerup Eickhardt-Dalboge, Anna Cacilia Ingham, Henrik V. Nielsen, Kurt Fuursted, Christen Rune Stensvold, Lee O'Brien Andersen, Morten Kranker Larsen, Lasse Kjaer, Sarah Friis Christensen, Trine Alma Knudsen, Vibe Skov, Christina Ellervik, Lars Ronn Olsen, Hans Carl Hasselbalch, Jens Jorgen Elmer Christensen, Xiaohui Chen Nielsen
Summary: This study investigates the gut microbiota in patients with essential thrombocythemia (ET) and found that they have higher richness and different bacterial composition compared to healthy controls. The relative abundance of certain bacteria within the Firmicutes phylum is lower in ET patients, including an important immunoregulative bacterium Faecalibacterium. These findings suggest a potential role of gut microbiota in immune dysregulation of ET patients.
MICROBIOLOGY SPECTRUM
(2023)
