Public health implications of particulate matter inside bus terminals in Sao Paulo, Brazil

Bacterial meningitis (BM) is a severe disease and still represents a serious public health problem with high rates of morbidity and mortality. The most common cases of BM around the world, mainly in Brazil, have been caused by Neisseria meningitidis, Streptococcus pneumoniae, and Haemophilus influenzae type b. Bacterial culture is the gold-standard technique for BM confirmation, but approximately 50% of suspected cases are not culture-confirmed, due to problems related to improper transportation and seeding or previous antibiotic treatment. Immunological methods present low sensitivity and have possibility of cross-reactions. Real time PCR (qPCR) is a molecular technique and has been successful used for BM diagnosis at Instituto Adolfo Lutz in São Paulo State, Brazil, since 2007. The incorporation of qPCR in the Public Health surveillance routine in our state resulted in diminishing 50% of undetermined BM cases. Our efforts are focused on qPCR implementation in the BM diagnostic routine throughout Brazil.

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SEROPREVALENCE OF CHAGASIC INFECTION IN YOUNG INDIVIDUALS IN A BLOOD CENTER IN THE STATE OF SAO PAULO, BRAZIL

Revista do Instituto de Medicina Tropical de São Paulo ◽

10.1590/s0036-46652013000400005 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 55 (4) ◽

pp. 245-250 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Elaine Cristina Navarro ◽

Renata Leme Goto ◽

Isabella Silva Ricoboni ◽

Jose Eduardo Corrente ◽

Rita Maria Saccomano Henriques ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Public Health ◽

Chagas Disease ◽

Blood Donors ◽

Public Health Problem ◽

Sao Paulo ◽

São Paulo ◽

Blood Center ◽

Negative Results ◽

Central Regions ◽

The City

SUMMARY This study aimed at estimating the number of cases of non-negative serological reactions to Chagas disease in blood donors at the Blood Center of Botucatu, São Paulo, Brazil, from 2003 to 2010 and at relating them to their cities of origin. Five hundred and seventy-four non-negative results for Chagas disease were evaluated. Of these, 371 (64.8%) were reagent, and 203 (35.4%) were inconclusive. The prevalence of Chagas disease in blood donors was 0.05%. There were, on average, 72 cases/year, and a prevalence of males was observed (64.8%). Forty-three (7.49%) individuals were 18 to 30 years old; 92 (16.02%) were 31 to 40; 147 (25.61%) 41 to 50, and 292 (50.87%) were older than 50 years. It was observed that 29.3% of females with reagent serology were at their fertile age (18 and 45 years). The majority of donors were originally from cities in the southwestern and central regions of São Paulo, but individuals from other states contributed with 20%. The provenance of most donors was the city of Botucatu/SP, followed by the city of Taquarituba/SP. Therefore, the profile of donors at this blood center favors the occurrence of a larger number of non-negative serological reactions. Although there has been a significant reduction in the number of new cases/year for this disease, it is still a public-health problem, and results suggest the need for new epidemiological assessments in the studied region.

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Physical-chemical characterization of the particulate matter inside two road tunnels in the São Paulo Metropolitan Area

Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics Discussions ◽

10.5194/acpd-13-20839-2013 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 13 (8) ◽

pp. 20839-20883 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

J. Brito ◽

L. V. Rizzo ◽

P. Herckes ◽

P. C. Vasconcellos ◽

S. E. S. Caumo ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Trace Elements ◽

Particulate Matter ◽

Real Time ◽

Metropolitan Area ◽

Single Scattering ◽

Sao Paulo ◽

Single Scattering Albedo ◽

Fuel Composition ◽

São Paulo ◽

Road Tunnels

Abstract. The notable increase in biofuel usage by the road transportation sector in Brazil during recent years has significantly altered the vehicular fuel composition. Consequently, many uncertainties are currently found in particulate matter vehicular emission profiles. In an effort to better characterize the emitted particulate matter, measurements of aerosol physical and chemical properties were undertaken inside two tunnels located in the São Paulo Metropolitan Area (SPMA). The tunnels show very distinct fleet profiles: in the Jânio Quadros (JQ) tunnel, the vast majority of the circulating fleet are Light Duty Vehicles (LDVs), fuelled on average with the same amount of ethanol as gasoline. In the Rodoanel (RA) tunnel, the particulate emission is dominated by Heavy Duty Vehicles (HDVs) fuelled with diesel (5% biodiesel). In the JQ tunnel, PM2.5 concentration was on average 52 μg m−3, with the largest contribution of Organic Mass (OM, 42%), followed by Elemental Carbon (EC, 17%) and Crustal elements (13%). Sulphate accounted for 7% of PM2.5 and the sum of other trace elements was 10%. In the RA tunnel, PM2.5 was on average 233 μg m−3, mostly composed of EC (52%) and OM (39%). Sulphate, crustal and the trace elements showed a minor contribution with 5%, 1% and 1%, respectively. The average OC:EC ratio in the JQ tunnel was 1.59 ± 0.09, indicating an important contribution of EC despite the high ethanol fraction in the fuel composition. In the RA tunnel, the OC:EC ratio was 0.49 ± 0.12, consistent with previous measurements of diesel fuelled HDVs. Besides bulk carbonaceous aerosol measurement, Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) were quantified. The sum of the PAHs concentration was 56 ± 5 ng m−3 and 45 ± 9 ng m−3 in the RA and JQ tunnel, respectively. In the JQ tunnel, Benzo(a)pyrene (BaP) ranged from 0.9 to 6.7 ng m−3 (0.02–0.1‰ of PM2.5) in the JQ tunnel whereas in the RA tunnel BaP ranged from 0.9 to 4.9 ng m−3 (0.004–0.02‰ of PM2.5), indicating an important relative contribution of LDVs emission to atmospheric BaP. Real-time measurements performed in both tunnels provided aerosol size distributions and optical properties. The average particle count yielded 73 000 cm−3 in the JQ tunnel and 366 000 cm−3 in the RA tunnel, with an average diameter of 48 nm in the former and 39 nm in the latter. Aerosol single scattering albedo, calculated from scattering and absorption observations in the JQ tunnel, showed a minimum value of 0.4 at the peak of the morning rush hour, reached 0.6 around noon and stabilized at 0.5 in the afternoon and evening. Such single scattering albedo range is close to other tunnel studies results, despite significant biofuel usage. Given the exceedingly high Black Carbon loadings in the RA tunnel, real time light absorption measurements were possible only in the JQ tunnel. Nevertheless, using EC measured from the filters a single scattering albedo of 0.32 for the RA tunnel has been estimated. The results presented here characterize particulate matter emitted from nearly 1 million vehicles fuelled with a considerable amount of biofuel, providing an unique experimental site worldwide.

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Police Case or Public Health Issue? Printed Journalism Frames on Crack Use in São Paulo

Brazilian Journalism Research ◽

10.25200/bjr.v13n3.2017.995 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 13 (3) ◽

pp. 162

Author(s):

Giulia Sbaraini Fontes ◽

Paulo Ferracioli

Keyword(s):

Public Health ◽

Public Safety ◽

Sao Paulo ◽

Point Of View ◽

Health Issue ◽

Public Health Issue ◽

São Paulo ◽

Safety Aspects ◽

Crack Use ◽

Sobre Todo

Based on Entman’s (1993) and Iyengar’s (1996) concepts , this article intends to identify the frames practiced by O Estado de São Paulo (OESP) and Folha de S. Paulo (FSP) for the crack issue during Gilberto Kassab’s (2009 to 2012) and Fernando Haddad’s administrations (2013 to 2016). For that, 120 texts were analyzed, with the hypothesis that the newspapers’ political positions are also translated in their information material - and, therefore, FSP and OESP would present different coverages. The results confirmed this hypothesis, since OESP addressed the issue from the health point of view in both periods, with emphasis on public safety during the second administration. In addition to the health issue, FSP has focused on public safety aspects in Kassab’s administration and economy in Haddad’s administration. Despite this, newspapers have brought similarities, such as the use of episodic frame in most of the texts.Partindo dos conceitos de Entman (1993) e Iyengar (1996), esse artigo pretende identificar quais os frames praticados por O Estado de S. Paulo (OESP) e Folha de S. Paulo (FSP) para a questão do crack durante as gestões de Gilberto Kassab (2009 a 2012) e de Fernando Haddad (2013 a 2016). Para tanto foram analisados 120 textos, com a hipótese de que as posições políticas dos jornais se traduzem, também, em seu material informativo – e, por isso, FSP e OESP apresentariam coberturas distintas. Os resultados confirmaram tal hipótese, pois OESP abordou o assunto sob a ótica da saúde nos dois períodos, com destaque para a segurança pública durante a segunda gestão. Já FSP enfocou, além da questão de saúde, aspectos de segurança pública na gestão Kassab e de economia na de Haddad. Apesar disso, os jornais trouxeram semelhanças, como o uso do frame episódico na maioria das matérias. Desde los conceptos de Entman (1993) y Iyengar (1996), este artículo tiene como objetivo identificar los enmarcamientos usados por O Estado de S. Paulo (OESP) y Folha de S. Paulo (FSP) para cestión de crack durante las administraciones de Gilberto Kassab (2009-2012) y Fernando Haddad (2013-2016). Por lo tanto, se analizaron 120 textos, con la hipótesis de que las posiciones políticas de los periódicos se traducen también en su material de información - y por lo tanto, FSP y OESP presentarían diferentes coberturas. Los resultados confirmaron esta hipótesis, ya que el OESP se acercó a la cuestión desde la perspectiva de la salud en ambos períodos, sobre todo para la seguridad pública durante el segundo término. Ya el FSP se centró, más allá del tema de la salud, los aspectos de seguridad pública en la gestión Kassab y economía en Haddad. Sin embargo, los periodicos trajeron similitudes, tales como el uso de enmarcamiento episódico en la mayoría de los textos.

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Computational Analysis of Simulated Images Generated in Public Health Centers in São Paulo - Brazil

IFMBE Proceedings - World Congress on Medical Physics and Biomedical Engineering, September 7 - 12, 2009, Munich, Germany ◽

10.1007/978-3-642-03879-2_52 ◽

2009 ◽

pp. 181-184

Author(s):

A. C. Patrocinio ◽

E. M. Ruberti Filha ◽

M. F. Angelo ◽

H. Schiabel ◽

R. B. Medeiros

Keyword(s):

Public Health ◽

Computational Analysis ◽

Sao Paulo ◽

Health Centers ◽

São Paulo ◽

Simulated Images

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Vasectomy within the public health services in Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil

International Nursing Review ◽

10.1111/j.1466-7657.2009.00761.x ◽

2010 ◽

Vol 57 (2) ◽

pp. 254-259 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

N.M. Marchi ◽

A.T. De Alvarenga ◽

M.J.D. Osis ◽

H.M. De Aguiar Godoy ◽

M.F. Simões e Silva Domeni ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Public Health ◽

Health Services ◽

Sao Paulo ◽

São Paulo ◽

Public Health Services ◽

The Public

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INTRODUCTION: SUSTAINING THE LIFE OF THE POLIS

Africa ◽

10.1017/s0001972013000430 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 83 (4) ◽

pp. 531-538 ◽

Cited By ~ 8

Author(s):

P. Wenzel Geissler ◽

Ann H. Kelly ◽

John Manton ◽

Ruth J. Prince ◽

Noémi Tousignant

Keyword(s):

Public Health ◽

Urban Space ◽

Spatial Relations ◽

Sao Paulo ◽

São Paulo ◽

The Public ◽

African Cities ◽

State Expenditure ◽

Social Geographies ◽

Civic Space

How are publics of protection and care defined in African cities today? The effects of globalization and neo-liberal policies on urban space are well documented. From London to São Paulo, denationalization, privatization, offshoring and cuts in state expenditure are creating enclaves and exclusions, resulting in fragmented, stratified social geographies (see Caldeira 2000; Ong 2006; Harvey 2006; Murray 2011). ‘Networked archipelagoes’, islands connected by transnational circulations of capital, displace other spatial relations and imaginaries. Spaces of encompassment, especially, such as ‘the nation’ or simply ‘society’ as defined by inclusion within a whole, lose practical value and intellectual purchase as referents of citizenship (Gupta and Ferguson 2002; Ferguson 2005). In African cities, where humanitarian, experimental or market logics dominate the distribution of sanitation and healthcare, this fragmentation is particularly stark (see, for example, Redfield 2006, 2012; Fassin 2007; Bredeloupet al. 2008; Nguyen 2012). Privilege and crisis interrupt older contiguities, delineating spaces and times of exception. The ‘public’ of health is defined by survival or consumption, obscuring the human as bearer of civic rights and responsibilities, as inhabitants of ‘objective’ material worlds ‘common to all of us’ (Arendt 1958: 52). Is it possible, under these conditions, to enact and imagine public health as a project of citizens, animated in civic space?

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