Universidade Federal de Rondônia

About: Universidade Federal de Rondônia is a education organization based out in Porto Velho, Brazil. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Snake venom. The organization has 2232 authors who have published 2614 publications receiving 18062 citations.

Recent and future environmental suitability to dengue fever in Brazil using species distribution model

Abstract: Background Dengue fever is a mosquito-borne disease that affects more than 2.5 billion people worldwide. Here, we used the dataset of municipality infestation level from the Brazilian Health Ministry with the aim of building vector distribution models to identify epidemiological hotspots. Methods Maxent software was used to predict the environmental suitability of the vector under current and 2050 climatic conditions. We built potential risk maps for current and future epidemiological scenarios in order to provide data for vector control planning. Results The results showed that the current epidemiological status is critical in the coastal region, with 80% of the population in risk areas and 30% in epidemiological outbreak areas. Our results also suggest that the area covered by the vector distribution in Brazil will decrease in future projections in the north, but will spread to the south. Conclusions The results may provide useful information for health agencies and policymakers in focusing efforts in epidemiological hotspots. Therefore, understanding the niche distribution dynamics of Aedes aegypti is an important step towards public health planning for vector control.

Poor psychometric scores of children living in isolated riverine and agrarian communities and fish–methylmercury exposure

Abstract: Because of heavy dependence on fish, Amazonian riparian communities are chronically exposed to high levels of methylmercury (MeHg). We studied fish-MeHg exposure (total hair-Hg, HHg) as a determinant of neurocognitive scores of children living in two geographically distant, culturally distinct and isolated poor communities of non-urban environments: Amazonian riverines (Riparians, n=38) of the Puruzinho Lake community in the Rio Madeira Basin and rural agrarians from Iuna, Espirito Santo (Agrarians, n=32). Nutritional status was estimated by anthropometry (Z-scores) and individual cognitive abilities were assessed by the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-III (WISC-III) and the Human Figure Drawings (HFD), both validated versions for Brazilian children. Anthropometric assessment showed slightly elevated Z-scores for the Agrarian children (not statistically significant) but median HHg concentrations were 14.4 and 0.25microgg(-1) respectively for Riparian and Agrarian children (p=0.000). Despite paradoxical MeHg exposures, both groups showed comparable HFD scores but very poor performance in WISC-III test battery; median of sum of WISC-III subtests scores (SigmaTOT) were 17.9 and 28.6 (p<0.000) for Riparian and Agrarian children, respectively (percentage scale). Spearman correlation between nutritional status (attained growth) and psychometric scores were statistically significant between height-for-age Z-score and Object Assembly subtest (r=0.269; p=0.043), SigmaTOT (r=0.319; p=0.016), Performance-IQ (r=0.311; p=0.019) and Perceptual Organization Index scores (r=0.302; p=0.023). In these isolated communities there are stronger determinants of neurocognitive poor performance than MeHg exposure. Global strategies for reducing human exposure to MeHg by curtailing fish consumption are unrealistic options for riverine subsistence populations and are not justifiable to prevent low cognitive scores.

Platinum metallization for MEMS application: focus on coating adhesion for biomedical applications.

Abstract: The adherence of Platinum thin film on Si/SiO 2 wafer was studies using Chromium, Titanium or Alumina (Cr, Ti, Al 2O 3) as interlayer. The adhesion of Pt is a fundamental property in different areas, for example in MEMS devices, which operate at high temperature conditions, as well as in biomedical applications, where the problem of adhesion of a Pt film to the substrate is known as a major challenge in several industrial applications health and in biomedical devices, such as for example in the stents. (1)(-) (4) We investigated the properties of Chromium, Titanium, and Alumina (Cr, Ti, and Al 2O 3) used as adhesion layers of Platinum (Pt) electrode. Thin films of Chromium, Titanium and Alumina were deposited on Silicon/Silicon dioxide (Si/SiO 2) wafer by electron beam. We introduced Al 2O 3 as a new adhesion layer to test the behavior of the Pt film at higher temperature using a ceramic adhesion thin film. Electric behaviors were measured for different annealing temperatures to know the performance for Cr/Pt, Ti/Pt, and Al 2O 3/Pt metallic film in the gas sensor application. All these metal layers showed a good adhesion onto Si/SiO 2 and also good Au wire bondability at room temperature, but for higher temperature than 400 °C the thin Cr/Pt and Ti/Pt films showed poor adhesion due to the atomic inter-diffusion between Platinum and the metal adhesion layers. (5) The proposed Al 2O 3/Pt ceramic-metal layers confirmed a better adherence for the higher temperatures tested.

The oldest species of didelphis (mammalia, marsupialia, didelphidae), from the late miocene of amazonia

Abstract: The oldest known species of the genus Didelphis (Mammalia, Marsupialia, Didelphidae) is described here. The holotype and only known specimen comes from the late Miocene deposits of the Solimoes Formation at Patos, Acre River, Brazil. The new species is one of only a few marsupials known from this assemblage. The new species differs from other known species by its smaller size, low mandibular ramus, smaller molars relative to premolars, and p3 with inflated crown. The last feature suggests more frugivorous habits than in other species of the genus.