DST Systems

About: DST Systems is a based out in . It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). The organization has 1341 authors who have published 1336 publications receiving 25018 citations.

[Sexual behavior and practices among men and women, Brazil 1998 and 2005]

Abstract: OBJECTIVE: To compare basic findings from two studies on sexual behavior and practices among women and men and their associations with sociodemographic characteristics of this population. METHODS: Data analyzed were obtained by a questionnaire applied to a probabilistic sample comprised of 3,423 people in 1998, and 5,040 people in 2005, all aged between 16 and 65 years, and living in urban areas of Brazil. Comparative analyses were performed by sex and year of research, and according to sociodemographic variables, using Pearson's chi-square test. RESULTS: The number of sexual partners in the year that preceded the interview decreased from 29.5% to 23.1% among men. Variability in sexual behavior and practices according to age, level of education, marital status, religion and place of residence, in addition to specific characteristics based on sex, was observed. There was also an increase in the proportion of women who began their sexual life in the 16-to-19-year age group and had completed up to elementary school, or lived in Southern Brazil. Moreover, it was observed an increase of sexual activity reported by women in the last year, and a decrease among men over 55 years of age, Protestant/Pentecostal, or separated/widowed. The proportion of men with more than one sexual partner in the last year decreased among those aged between 25 and 44 years or who have completed up to high-school. There was an increase in oral sex practice reported by women who are over 35 years of age or live in Northern/Northeastern Brazil. CONCLUSIONS: Comparative analysis from 1998 to 2005 suggested a tendency towards differences between women and men decreasing. This probably results from a pattern of change characterized by an increase in the frequency of female behavior investigated and a decrease in the frequency of male behavior.

Could depression be a new branch of MIA syndrome

Abstract: The aims of the present study were to determine the prevalence of depression in our dialysis patients, to detect the most powerful variables associated with depression, and to determine the role of depression in prediction of mortality. The prospective follow-up study of 128 patients (77 HD and 51 CAPD, 65 male, aged 53.8 +/- 13.5 years, dialysis duration 64.7 +/- 64.8 months) was carried out over 36 months. Depression by the Beck Depression Inventory-BDI-II score, laboratory parameters (hemoglobin, serum albumin and creatinine concentration), immunological status (cytokines and hsCRP), comorbidity by Index of Physical Impairment (IPI) and adequacy of dialysis by Kt/V were monitored. The overall prevalence of depression in the dialysis patients (BDI score > or = 14) was 45.3%, and 28.2%, respectively, for moderate and severe depression (BDI > or = 20). The most powerful variable associated with depression was IL-6, but associations with albumin, hemoglobin, creatinine and IPI score were also found. During the follow-up period 36 patients died, 7 patients left the cohort and 2 patients were transplanted. If IPI score was not included in the multivariate Cox analysis, the BDI score remained one of the best predictors of mortality along with albumin. In conclusion, because of the close association of depression with inflammation, malnutrition, and cardiovascular mortality, it could be speculated that depression is one branch of the MIA (malnutrition, inflammation, atherosclerosis) syndrome.

Discovery of the Canker Pathogen Chrysoporthe austroafricana on Native Syzygium spp. in South Africa.

Abstract: Heath, R. N., Gryzenhout, M., Roux, J., and Wingfield, M. J. 2006. Discovery of the canker pathogen Chrysoporthe austroafricana on native Syzygium spp. in South Africa. Plant Dis. 90:433-438. Chrysoporthe canker is one of the most important diseases of plantation-grown Eucalyptus spp. in tropical and subtropical regions worldwide. For many years, the disease was reported to be caused by the fungal pathogen Cryphonectria cubensis. Recent DNA-based studies have shown that the fungus in South Africa is not conspecific with Chr. cubensis and it was recently described in the new genus Chrysoporthe as Chrysoporthe austroafricana. Chr. austroafricana is known only from South Africa, where it causes severe cankers on Eucalyptus spp. and on ornamental Tibouchina trees, both of which have been introduced into South Africa. The origin of Chr. austroafricana is unknown, but it is possible that it expanded its host range from native trees related to Eucalyptus and Tibouchina spp. to these exotic hosts. Subsequent surveys of some indigenous South African Myrtales led to the discovery of fruiting structures resembling those of Chr. austroafricana on native Syzygium cordatum and S. guineense. The fungus from these Syzygium spp. was identified as Chr. austroafricana based on morphological characteristics and β-tubulin gene sequences. Pathogenicity trials showed that Chr. austroafricana is more virulent on exotic Eucalyptus spp. than on native S. cordatum. This study represents the first report of Chr. austroafricana from native hosts in South Africa and adds credence to the view that the fungus could be native to this country. Additional keywords: Diaporthales, forestry, Myrtales

Social Networks Shape the Transmission Dynamics of Hepatitis C Virus

Abstract: Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infects 170 million people worldwide, and is a major public health problem in Brazil, where over 1% of the population may be infected and where multiple viral genotypes co-circulate. Chronically infected individuals are both the source of transmission to others and are at risk for HCV-related diseases, such as liver cancer and cirrhosis. Before the adoption of anti-HCV control measures in blood banks, this virus was mainly transmitted via blood transfusion. Today, needle sharing among injecting drug users is the most common form of HCV transmission. Of particular importance is that HCV prevalence is growing in non-risk groups. Since there is no vaccine against HCV, it is important to determine the factors that control viral transmission in order to develop more efficient control measures. However, despite the health costs associated with HCV, the factors that determine the spread of virus at the epidemiological scale are often poorly understood. Here, we sequenced partial NS5b gene sequences sampled from blood samples collected from 591 patients in Sao Paulo state, Brazil. We show that different viral genotypes entered Sao Paulo at different times, grew at different rates, and are associated with different age groups and risk behaviors. In particular, subtype 1b is older and grew more slowly than subtypes 1a and 3a, and is associated with multiple age classes. In contrast, subtypes 1a and 3b are associated with younger people infected more recently, possibly with higher rates of sexual transmission. The transmission dynamics of HCV in Sao Paulo therefore vary by subtype and are determined by a combination of age, risk exposure and underlying social network. We conclude that social factors may play a key role in determining the rate and pattern of HCV spread, and should influence future intervention policies.