Exposing illegal hunting and wildlife depletion in the world's largest tropical country through social media data.

Globally, illegal sport hunting can threaten prey populations when unregulated. Due to its covert nature, illegal sport hunting poses challenges for data collection, hindering efforts to understand the full extent of its impacts. We gathered social media data to analyze patterns of illegal sport hunting and wildlife depletion across Brazil. We collected data for 2 years (2018-2020) across 5 Facebook groups containing posts depicting pictures of illegal sport hunting events of native fauna. We described and mapped these hunting events by detailing the number of hunters involved, the number of species, the mean body mass of individuals, and the number and biomass of individuals hunted per unit area, stratified by Brazilian biome. We also examined the effects of defaunation on hunting yield and composition via regression models, rank-abundance curves, and spatial interpolation. We detected 2046 illegal sport hunting posts portraying the hunting of 4658 animals (∼29 t of undressed meat) across all 27 states and 6 natural biomes of Brazil. Of 157 native species targeted by hunters, 19 are currently threatened with extinction. We estimated that 1414 hunters extracted 3251 kg/million km2. Some areas exhibited more pronounced wildlife depletion, in particular the Atlantic Forest and Caatinga biomes. In these areas, there was a shift from large mammals and reptiles to small birds as the main targeted taxa, and biomass extracted per hunting event and mean body mass across all taxonomic groups were lower than in other areas. Our results highlight that illegal sport hunting adds to the pressures of subsistence hunting and the wild meat trade on Brazil's wildlife populations. Enhanced surveillance efforts are needed to reduce illegal sport hunting levels and to develop well-managed sustainable sport hunting programs. These can support wildlife conservation and offer incentives for local communities to oversee designated sport hunting areas.

Exposición de la caza ilegal y la reducción de fauna en el país tropical más grande del mundo por medio de datos de las redes sociales Resumen En todo el mundo, la caza recreativa ilegal puede amenazar a las poblaciones de presas cuando no está regulada. Debido a su naturaleza encubierta, la caza recreativa ilegal plantea dificultades para la recopilación de datos, lo que dificulta la comprensión de su impacto. Recopilamos datos de redes sociales para analizar los patrones de caza recreativa ilegal y agotamiento de la vida silvestre en todo Brasil. Recopilamos datos durante 2 años (2018­2020) a través de cinco grupos de Facebook que contenían publicaciones que mostraban imágenes de eventos de caza recreativa ilegal de fauna nativa. Describimos y mapeamos estos eventos de caza detallando el número de cazadores involucrados, el número de especies, la masa corporal media de los individuos y el número y la biomasa de los individuos cazados por unidad de área, estratificados por bioma brasileño. También examinamos los efectos de la deforestación en el rendimiento y la composición de la caza mediante modelos de regresión, curvas de abundancia e interpolación espacial. Detectamos 2,046 puestos de caza recreativa ilegal que mostraban la caza de 4,658 animales (∼29 t de carne sin desollar) en los 27 estados y 6 biomas naturales de Brasil. De las 157 especies autóctonas objetivo de los cazadores, 18 están actualmente en peligro de extinción. Se calcula que 1,414 cazadores extrajeron 3,251 kg/millón de km2. Algunas zonas mostraron una defaunación más pronunciada, en particular los biomas de la Mata Atlántica y la Caatinga. En estas áreas, se produjo un cambio de grandes mamíferos y reptiles a pequeñas aves como principales taxones objetivo, y la biomasa extraída por evento de caza y la masa corporal media en todos los grupos taxonómicos fueron menores que en otras áreas. Nuestros resultados ponen de manifiesto que la caza recreativa ilegal se suma a las presiones de la caza de subsistencia y el comercio de carne salvaje sobre las poblaciones de fauna de Brasil. Es necesario intensificar los esfuerzos de vigilancia para reducir los niveles de caza recreativa ilegal y desarrollar programas de caza recreativa sostenibles y bien gestionados. Estos programas pueden contribuir a la conservación de la fauna y ofrecer incentivos a las comunidades locales para que supervisen las zonas designadas para la caza recreativa.

The impact of using pain scales by untrained students on the decision to provide analgesia to multiple species.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate if students without training assess pain similarly to an expert, and to compare indications for analgesic intervention based on student opinions versus scale scoring. STUDY DESIGN: Prospective, blind, randomized, cross-sectional study. ANIMALS: Video recordings of a bull, horse, cat, pig and sheep. METHODS: First-year veterinary medicine students assessed one video of a horse (n = 44) and one video of a bull (n = 39). Third-year veterinary medicine students assessed one video of a cat (n = 23) and one video of a pig (n = 21). Fourth-year animal science students (n = 16) assessed one video of a sheep. The species assessed by different student classes were determined randomly. Students were unaware of animal history or existing pain assessment and decided whether they would provide analgesia according to their opinion. They then scored each video using species-specific validated pain scales. Scores were compared with those of a board-certified anesthesiologist (expert). Chi-square test was used to compare students and expert. RESULTS: Students underestimated the expert's score by 8-20%, except for the horse. There was no difference between the analgesic indication according to the assessment of the expert (143/143, 100%) and students (141/143, 98.6%) considering the defined analgesic intervention threshold for each scale (p = 0.478). The indication for analgesic intervention according to students' opinion (116/143, 81.1%) was lower than that according to their scale scores (141/143, 98.6%) (p < 0.0001). CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Students tended to underestimate pain; however, they detected pain that requires analgesic intervention in animals similarly to an expert. The use of scales optimized the indication for providing analgesia when animals were experiencing pain that required analgesic intervention.

Deregulated immune cell recruitment orchestrated by c-MET impairs pulmonary inflammation and fibrosis.

BACKGROUND: Pulmonary fibrosis (PF) represents the pathologic end stage of several interstitial lung diseases (ILDs) associated with high morbidity and mortality rates. However, current treatments can only delay disease progression rather than provide a cure. The role of inflammation in PF progression is well-established, but new insights into immune regulation are fundamental for developing more efficient therapies. c-MET signaling has been implicated in the migratory capacity and effector functions of immune cells. Nevertheless, the role of this signaling pathway in the context of PF-associated lung diseases remains unexplored. METHODS: To determine the influence of c-MET in immune cells in the progression of pulmonary fibrosis, we used a conditional deletion of c-Met in immune cells. To induce pulmonary fibrosis mice were administered with bleomycin (BLM) intratracheally. Over the course of 21 days, mice were assessed for weight change, and after euthanasia at different timepoints, bronchoalveolar lavage fluid cells and lung tissue were assessed for inflammation and fibrosis. Furthermore, c-MET expression was assessed in cryobiopsy sections, bronchoalveolar lavage fluid cells samples and single cell RNA-sequencing dataset from human patients with distinct interstitial lung diseases. RESULTS: c-MET expression was induced in lung immune cells, specifically in T cells, interstitial macrophages, and neutrophils, during the inflammatory phase of BLM-induced PF mouse model. Deletion of c-Met in immune cells correlated with earlier weight recovery and improved survival of BLM-treated mice. Moreover, the deletion of c-Met in immune cells was associated with early recruitment of the immune cell populations, normally found to express c-MET, leading to a subsequent attenuation of the cytotoxic and proinflammatory environment. Consequently, the less extensive inflammatory response, possibly coupled with tissue repair, culminated in less exacerbated fibrotic lesions. Furthermore, c-MET expression was up-regulated in lung T cells from patients with fibrosing ILD, suggesting a potential involvement of c-MET in the development of fibrosing disease. CONCLUSIONS: These results highlight the critical contribution of c-MET signaling in immune cells to their enhanced uncontrolled recruitment and activation toward a proinflammatory and profibrotic phenotype, leading to the exacerbation of lung injury and consequent development of fibrosis.

Cytotoxic, acute oral toxicity, genotoxic and mutagenic assessment of the essential oil from fresh leaves of Croton argyrophyllus (Kunth.).

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Croton argyrophyllus Kunth., commonly known as "marmeleiro" or "cassetinga," is widely distributed in the Brazilian Northeast region. Its leaves and flowers are used in traditional medicine as tranquilizers to treat flu and headaches. AIM OF THE STUDY: This study was conducted to determine the chemical composition and toxicological safety of essential oil from C. argyrophyllus leaves using in vitro and in vivo models. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The chemical composition of the essential oil was determined using a gas chromatograph coupled to a mass spectrometer. Cytotoxicity was tested in the HeLa, HT-29, and MCF-7 cell lines derived from human cells (Homo sapiens) and Vero cell lines derived from monkeys (Cercopithecus aethiops) using the MTT method. Acute toxicity, genotoxicity. Mutagenicity tests were performed in Swiss mice (Mus musculus), which were administered essential oil orally in a single dose of 2000 mg/kg by gavage. RESULTS: The main components of the essential oil were p-mentha-2-en-1-ol, α-terpineol, ß-caryophyllene, and ß-elemene. The essential oil exhibited more than 90% cytotoxicity in all cell lines tested. No deaths or behavioral, hematological, or biochemical changes were observed in mice, revealing no acute toxicity. In genotoxic and mutagenic analyses, there was no increase in micronuclei in polychromatic erythrocytes or in the damage and index in the comet assay. CONCLUSIONS: The essential oil was cytotoxic towards the tested cell lines but did not exert toxic effects or promote DNA damage when administered orally at a single dose of 2000 mg/kg in mice.

Journalistic media and adolescents in the COVID-19 pandemic: a documental analysis / Mídia jornalística e os adolescentes na pandemia da COVID-19: uma análise documental

ABSTRACT Objective: To analyze how the journalistic media has described the issues of quality of life (QoL), physical activity (PA) and mental health (MH) of adolescents during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: This is a descriptive and qualitative study that used content analysis. Sixty-two journalistic publications were analyzed from a total of 8211 published by the most read newspapers in each Brazilian region between December 2019 and August 2021. Results: The results were grouped and evaluated in three categories: QoL (n=11), PA (n =9) and MH (n=42). In the analyzed period, the adolescents had more time of exposure to screens, contributing to an inadequate diet, a decrease in PA and impairments in QoL. According to the media publications, the pandemic has also contributed to an increase in anxiety, depression, loneliness and fear resulting from the mental and emotional disorganization caused by the abrupt change in routine. Social vulnerability was presented as an aggravating factor in this context. The journalistic media did not pay the necessary attention to adolescents regarding the negative consequences of the pandemic on QoL, PA and MH. Conclusions: The analyzed reports showed that the pandemic caused a decrease in social interaction, feelings of uncertainty, fear and the appearance/exacerbation of symptoms of anxiety, stress and depression. Social vulnerability was presented as another obstacle to be faced in this problem.

RESUMO Objetivo: Analisar como a mídia jornalística tem descrito as questões de qualidade de vida (QV), atividade física (AF) e saúde mental (SM) de adolescentes durante a pandemia da COVID-19. Métodos: Trata-se de um estudo descritivo e qualitativo que utilizou a análise de conteúdo. Foram analisadas 62 publicações jornalísticas do total de 8.211 veiculadas pelos jornais mais lidos de cada região brasileira entre dezembro de 2019 e agosto de 2021. Resultados: Os resultados foram agrupados e avaliados em três categorias: QV (n=11), AF (n=9) e SM (n=42). No período analisado as publicações jornalísticas sugerem que os adolescentes apresentaram maior tempo de exposição a telas, contribuindo para uma alimentação inadequada, diminuição da AF e prejuízos na QV. A pandemia também contribuiu com aumento da ansiedade, depressão, solidão e medo resultantes da desorganização mental e emocional causada pela mudança abrupta de rotina. A vulnerabilidade social apresentou-se como um fator agravante nesse contexto. As mídias jornalísticas não deram a atenção necessária aos adolescentes no que se refere às consequências negativas da pandemia na QV, AF e SM. Conclusões: As reportagens analisadas mostraram que a pandemia causou diminuição na interação social, sentimentos de incerteza, medo e o aparecimento/exacerbação de sintomas de ansiedade, estresse e depressão. A vulnerabilidade social apresentou-se como mais um obstáculo a ser enfrentado nesta problemática.

Ingestão dietética e risco cardiovascular em crianças e adolescentes após tratamento de câncer / Dietary intake and cardiovascular risk in children and adolescents after cancer treatment

Novos tratamentos contra o câncer elevaram a expectativa de vida de crianças e adolescentes, porém, estão associados ao excesso de peso e consequentemente ao risco cardiovascular. O objetivo deste estudo foi relacionar a ingestão dietética, o tempo de remissão do câncer com os índices antropométricos relacionados com o risco cardiovascular em crianças e adolescentes após tratamento de câncer. Estudo transversal realizado com crianças e adolescentes, ambos os sexos, acompanhados pela AVOSOS na cidade de Aracaju/SE. Os voluntários foram avaliados quanto aos aspectos clínicos, antropométricos (peso, estatura, circunferência da cintura [CC], índice de massa corporal e relação cintura/ estatura) e consumo alimentar pelo recordatório de 24 h. Testes de correlação de Pearson ou Spearman foram aplicados, sendo p<0,05 significativo. Foram avaliados 24 indivíduos (45,8% crianças e 54,2% adolescentes), média de idade de 11,6 ± 0,84 anos e tempo de remissão da doença de 26,2 ± 16,6 meses. Os tipos de cânceres relatados foram leucemia, de cabeça e pescoço, linfoma e outros tipos (33,3%, 25,0%, 25,0% e 16,7%, respectivamente). O excesso de peso/ obesidade, de gordura abdominal e risco aumentado para doença cardiovascular foi observado em 62,5%, 41,7% e 58,3% da amostra, respectivamente. A maioria dos participantes apresentou ingestão insuficiente de fibras (95,8%), cálcio (91,7%), ferro (66,7%) e potássio (100%). Correlação positiva foi observada entre CC com a caloria consumida (r=0,411, p=0,046) e ferro dietético (r=0,407, p=0,049). As demais variáveis analisadas não se correlacionaram. Crianças e adolescentes sobreviventes ao câncer apresentam aumento do risco cardiovascular e correlação positiva entre a CC e ingestão calórica e ferro dietético.

New cancer treatments have increased the life expectancy of children and adolescents, however, they are associated with excess weight and consequently with cardiovascular risk. The objective of this study was to relate dietary intake, cancer remission time with anthropometric indices related to cardiovascular risk in children and adolescents after cancer treatment. A cross-sectional study was carried out with children and adolescents, both sexes, monitored by AVOSOS in the city of Aracaju/SE. The volunteers were evaluated regarding clinical and anthropometric aspects (weight, height, waist circumference [WC], body mass index and waist/height ratio) and food consumption using a 24-hour recall. Pearson or Spearman correlation tests were applied, with p<0.05 being significant. 24 individuals were evaluated (45.8% children and 54.2% adolescents), mean age of 11.6 ± 0.84 years and disease remission time of 26.2 months. The types of cancers reported were leukemia, head and neck, lymphoma and other types (33.3%, 25.0%, 25.0% and 16.7%, respectively). Excess weight/obesity, abdominal fat and increased risk for cardiovascular disease were observed in 62.5%, 41.7% and 58.3% of the sample. The majority of participants had insufficient intake of fiber (95.8%), calcium (91.7%), iron (66.7%) and potassium (100%). A positive correlation was observed between WC and calories consumed (r=0.411, p=0.046) and dietary iron (r=0.407, p=0.049). The other variables analyzed were not correlated. Children and adolescents who survive cancer have an increased cardiovascular risk and a positive correlation between WC and caloric intake and dietary iron.

Conhecimento de universitários do sexo masculino sobre o hpv / Knowledge of male university students about hpv

Introdução: O papilomavírus humano, mais conhecido como HPV, é um vírus responsável por infectar peles e mucosas (oral, genital ou anal), podendo evoluir para um quadro cancerígeno, é caracterizado como uma infecção sexualmente transmissível, e seu principal meio de transmissão é o contato com a pele ou mucosa contaminada. Como ocorre na maioria das infecções de transmissão sexual, a literatura aponta que o homem é o principal elo na cadeia epidemiológica do HPV, atuando como "portador" ou "vetor" de tipos oncogênicos. Assim, é extremamente importante salientar que a população masculina, considerada o principal vetor de transmissão do HPV e apresentando alto índice de prevalência da infecção, seja informada sobre o HPV. Objetivo: Identificar o conhecimento de adultos jovens universitários do sexo masculino sobre o HPV. Material e Método: Estudo descritivo e exploratório com abordagem quantitativa. Pesquisa desenvolvida em um centro universitário de uma cidade do interior paulista. A coleta de dados foi realizada entre universitários do sexo masculino, adultos jovens com idade entre 18 e 20 anos e que estavam matriculados nos cursos de graduação deste centro universitário. A coleta de dados consistiu na apuração em um questionário virtual abrangendo questões sobre dados pessoais e questões fechadas sobre a temática abordada no estudo. Após a coleta foi realizada a análise percentual referente às respostas dadas pelos participantes. Resultados: Foi observado que a maioria dos participantes (75,4%) tinha conhecimento sobre o que é o HPV. Porém, os dados mostraram que nem todos que tinham esse conhecimento foram vacinados (60,2%). Em adição, os dados mostraram que a maioria (77,1%) apresentou conhecimento sobre a via de transmissão, mas nem todos (51,7%) apresentaram conhecimento sobre os sintomas que o HPV poderia causar. Conclusão: Apesar de a maioria dos indivíduos apresentarem conhecimento sobre o HPV, nota-se a importância de difundir conhecimentos sobre sinais e sintomas relacionados a esse vírus e as formas de proteção a fim de reduzir a taxa de transmissibilidade do mesmo

Introduction: The human papillomavirus, better known as HPV, is a virus responsible for infecting skin and mucous membranes (oral, genital or anal), which can develop into a cancerous condition. It is characterized as a sexually transmitted infection, and its main means of transmission is contact with contaminated skin or mucous membrane. As is the case with most sexually transmitted infections, the literature indicates that men are the main link in the HPV epidemiological chain, acting as a "carrier" or "vector" of oncogenic types. Therefore, it is extremely important to emphasize that the male population, considered the main vector of HPV transmission and presenting a high prevalence rate of infection, is informed about HPV. Objective: To identify the knowledge of young male university students about HPV. Material and Method: Descriptive and exploratory study with a quantitative approach. The research was developed in a university center located in a city in the country of São Paulo. Data collection was carried out among male university students, young adults aged between 18 and 20 years and who were enrolled in undergraduate courses at this university center. Data collection consisted of a virtual questionnaire covering questions about personal data and closed questions on the thematic of this study. After collection, a percentage analysis was performed between the responses given by the participants. Results: It was observed that most participants (75.4%) were aware of what HPV is. However, the data showed that not everyone who had this knowledge was vaccinated (60.2%). In addition, the data showed that the majority (77.1%) were aware of the transmission route, but not all (51.7%) were aware of the symptoms that HPV could cause. Conclusion: Although most individuals have knowledge about HPV, it is important to disseminate knowledge about signs and symptoms related to this virus and forms of protection in order to reduce its transmissibility rate

Introducción: El virus del papiloma humano, mejor conocido como HPV, es un virus responsable de infectar la piel y las mucosas (orales, genitales o anales), pudiendo convertirse en una condición cancerosa. HPV se caracteriza por ser una infección de transmisión sexual, y su principal vía de transmisión es el contacto con la piel o mucosas contaminadas. Como ocurre con la mayoría de las infecciones de transmisión sexual, la literatura señala que los hombres son el principal eslabón de la cadena epidemiológica del HPV, actuando como "portadores" o "vectores" de tipos oncogénicos. Por lo tanto, es de suma importancia enfatizar que la población masculina, considerada el principal vector de transmisión del HPV y que presenta una alta tasa de prevalencia de infección, esté informada sobre el HPV. Objetivo: Identificar el conocimiento de jóvenes universitarios varones sobre el HPV. Material y Método: Estudio descriptivo y exploratorio con enfoque cuantitativo. La investigación se desarrolló en un centro universitario ubicado en una ciudad del interior de São Paulo. La recolección de datos se realizó entre estudiantes universitarios del sexo masculino, adultos jóvenes con edades comprendidas entre 18 y 20 años y que cursaban cursos de pregrado en este centro universitario. La recolección de datos consistió en un cuestionario virtual que abarcó preguntas sobre datos personales y preguntas cerradas sobre el tema abordado en este estudio. Después de la recolección, se realizó un análisis porcentual de las respuestas dadas por los participantes. Resultados: Se observó que la mayoría de los participantes (75,4%) conocían qué es el HPV. Sin embargo, los datos mostraron que no todos los que tenían este conocimiento estaban vacunados (60,2%). Además, los datos mostraron que la mayoría (77,1%) conocía la vía de transmisión, pero no todos (51,7%) conocían los síntomas que podría causar el HPV. Conclusión: Aunque la mayoría de los individuos tiene conocimiento sobre el HPV, es importante difundir el conocimiento sobre los signos y síntomas relacionados con este virus y las formas de protección para reducir su tasa de transmisibilidad

Journalistic media and adolescents in the COVID-19 pandemic: a documental analysis.

OBJECTIVE: To analyze how the journalistic media has described the issues of quality of life (QoL), physical activity (PA) and mental health (MH) of adolescents during the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS: This is a descriptive and qualitative study that used content analysis. Sixty-two journalistic publications were analyzed from a total of 8211 published by the most read newspapers in each Brazilian region between December 2019 and August 2021. RESULTS: The results were grouped and evaluated in three categories: QoL (n=11), PA (n =9) and MH (n=42). In the analyzed period, the adolescents had more time of exposure to screens, contributing to an inadequate diet, a decrease in PA and impairments in QoL. According to the media publications, the pandemic has also contributed to an increase in anxiety, depression, loneliness and fear resulting from the mental and emotional disorganization caused by the abrupt change in routine. Social vulnerability was presented as an aggravating factor in this context. The journalistic media did not pay the necessary attention to adolescents regarding the negative consequences of the pandemic on QoL, PA and MH. CONCLUSIONS: The analyzed reports showed that the pandemic caused a decrease in social interaction, feelings of uncertainty, fear and the appearance/exacerbation of symptoms of anxiety, stress and depression. Social vulnerability was presented as another obstacle to be faced in this problem.

Saliva culture as a predictive indicator for current blood infections and antimicrobial resistance in the ICU setting.

Antimicrobial resistance is a worldwide health problem and patients in intensive care are more vulnerable, requiring strict control measures and early identification. Currently, clinical culture materials are used to identify the bacterial agent, but saliva culture is not validated, which has great clinical relevance because it participates in several pathophysiological processes. The aim of this study was to validate saliva culture in an intensive care unit environment, determining its diagnostic value for infection. For this purpose, the results of the 39-month surveillance cultures, from the database of a private hospital were evaluated. A total of 323 cultures were paired between saliva, tracheal secretions, blood and urine from patients who were hospitalized for more than 5 days. The search for correlations between the results was performed using the Spearman correlation test. Severity and evolution data were also correlated. It was possible to correlate the presence of Klebsiella spp. between blood culture and saliva culture in 25% of the results (r = 0.01) and the correlation between saliva and tracheal secretion was 33% (r = 0.33447) with p < 0.0001. In conclusion, saliva can be an excellent discriminator of systemic infections, and can be considered a useful culture in clinical practice.

Growth and Nutritional Biomarkers in Brazilian Infants with Cow's Milk Allergy at Diagnosis and 18-Month Follow-Up: A Prospective Cohort Study.

Purpose: This study aimed to describe the growth, body protein status, and micronutrient biomarkers of Brazilian infants with cow's milk allergy (CMPA) at baseline and at 18 months of follow-up in comparison with their healthy peers. Methods: Thirty infants with CMPA younger than six months of age were included in this longitudinal study, and their nutritional status was compared with that of 24 non-allergic age-matched children. Anthropometric measurements were used to assess growth, and blood and urine samples were analyzed for protein and micronutrient status. Mixed linear models adjusted for birth weight, socioeconomic status, infant feeding at baseline, weight-for-age, C-reactive protein, serum albumin, micronutrient dietary supplementation, and salt consumption were employed to evaluate the evolution of nutritional parameters throughout the follow-up period. Results: Overall, the mean age of the children at enrolment was 2.9 (standard deviation 1.7) months, and 29 children (53.7%) were male. Infants with CMPA showed a higher prevalence of functional iron depletion (transferrin saturation <20) (p=0.027), lower serum ferritin (p=0.009), and lower urinary iodine (p=0.034) levels than non-allergic children at baseline. Patients with CMPA showed a higher increment in weight-for-age and length-for-age over time than those in the control group (p<0.01). Mixed linear analyses showed a significantly lower increase in serum vitamin B12 (s-B12) (p=0.001) and urinary iodine (p<0.001) concentrations over time compared to the control group. Conclusion: Infants with CMPA on a cow's milk elimination diet had a higher weight and length at 18 months of follow-up but showed signs of inadequate iron, iodine, and B-12 vitamin status.

Nanoarchitected graphene/copper oxide nanoparticles/MoS2 ternary thin films as highly efficient electrodes for aqueous sodium-ion batteries.

Sodium-ion batteries (SIBs) operating in aqueous electrolyte are an emerging technology that promises to be safer, cheaper, more sustainable and more efficient than their lithium-based counterparts. One of the great challenges associated with this technology is the development of advanced materials with high specific capacity to be used as electrodes. Herein, we describe an ingenious strategy to prepare unprecedented tri-component nanoarchitected thin films with superior performance when applied as anodes in aqueous SIBs. Taking advantage of the broadness and versatility of the liquid-liquid interfacial route, three transparent nanocomposite films comprising graphene, molybdenum sulphide and copper oxide nanoparticles have been prepared. The samples were characterized using several techniques, and the results demonstrated that depending on the specific experimental strategy, different nanoarchitectures are achieved, resulting in different and improved properties. An astonishing capacity of 1377 mA h g-1 at 0.1 A g-1 and a degree of recovery of 100% were observed for the film in which the interactions among the components were optimized. This is among the highest capacity values reported in the literature and demonstrates the potential of these tri-component materials to be used as anodes in aqueous sodium-ion batteries.

Feline calicivirus and natural killer cells: A study of its relationship in chronic gingivostomatitis.

Background and Aims: Feline chronic gingivostomatitis (FCGS) is a frequent chronic inflammatory condition in the oral cavity with an etiopathogenesis not completely identified. This study aimed to contribute to the knowledge of FCGS by identifying the presence of feline calicivirus (FCV) antigens and natural killer (NK) cells and comparing them. Materials and Methods: Forty biopsies from the oral mucosa of cats diagnosed with chronic gingivostomatitis were subjected to immunohistochemical techniques to evaluate cells with FCV antigens and NK cells positive for CD56. Results: NK cells were identified in all samples, with an average of 725.3 ± 409.1 cells. Regarding FCV, it was identified in 18 out of 30 samples (60%), with a different number of cells with virus in between the analyzed cases. In all cases, the number of cells infected with FCV was lower than the number of NK cells present in the same samples, but there was no statistical association between them. Conclusion: This preliminary study shows that NK cells are present in gingivostomatitis lesions not exclusively caused by FCV-stimulus, as only 60% of all cases were positive for this virus, but other antigens should be considered in the etiology of FCGS.

Climate determines transmission hotspots of Polycystic Echinococcosis, a life-threatening zoonotic disease, across Pan-Amazonia.

Polycystic Echinococcosis (PE), a neglected life-threatening zoonotic disease caused by the cestode Echinococcus vogeli, is endemic in the Amazon. Despite being treatable, PE reaches a case fatality rate of around 29% due to late or missed diagnosis. PE is sustained in Pan-Amazonia by a complex sylvatic cycle. The hunting of its infected intermediate hosts (especially the lowland paca Cuniculus paca) enables the disease to further transmit to humans, when their viscera are improperly handled. In this study, we compiled a unique dataset of host occurrences (~86000 records) and disease infections (~400 cases) covering the entire Pan-Amazonia and employed different modeling and statistical tools to unveil the spatial distribution of PE's key animal hosts. Subsequently, we derived a set of ecological, environmental, climatic, and hunting covariates that potentially act as transmission risk factors and used them as predictors of two independent Maximum Entropy models, one for animal infections and one for human infections. Our findings indicate that temperature stability promotes the sylvatic circulation of the disease. Additionally, we show how El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) extreme events disrupt hunting patterns throughout Pan-Amazonia, ultimately affecting the probability of spillover. In a scenario where climate extremes are projected to intensify, climate change at regional level appears to be indirectly driving the spillover of E. vogeli. These results hold substantial implications for a wide range of zoonoses acquired at the wildlife-human interface for which transmission is related to the manipulation and consumption of wild meat, underscoring the pressing need for enhanced awareness and intervention strategies.

Hunting practices in southwestern Amazonia: a comparative study of techniques, modalities, and baits among urban and rural hunters.

BACKGROUND: Hunting is a vital means of obtaining animal in various human populations. Hunters rely on their knowledge of species ecology and behavior to develop and employ hunting techniques and increase their chances of success. The comparison of the hunting practices of different human societies can shed light on the sustainability of hunting and the impact it has on species' populations. In this study, we examine and compare the techniques, modalities, and baits used by urban and rural hunters in Rondônia, a state in southwestern Amazonia, Brazil. We expected that rural hunters would use these elements and have greater knowledge when compared to urban hunters. We also expect that the use of specific hunting techniques and modalities will have greater selectivity and specificity of capture for rural hunters and that this knowledge will differ between groups. METHODS: We conducted 106 semi-structured interviews with rural and urban hunters from October 2018 to February 2020. We analyzed the data using PERMANOVA and Network analyses to compare and contrast the hunting practices of each group. RESULTS: We recorded four main hunting techniques divided into ten modalities with three techniques and seven modalities being the preferred choices among hunters. Waiting for at a Fruit Tree was cited as the primary technique employed by hunters living in urban and rural areas indicated. While the techniques and modalities were similar among hunters, the composition of species targeted and baits used differed between groups. Our network approach showed that modularity in urban areas was numerically lower than in rural areas. All species had one to more techniques associated with their capture. CONCLUSIONS: Hunters living in urban and rural environments showed high similarity in their practices, probably due to sharing similar environments to hunt containing similar species, as well as targeting preferably the same species.

The Blood Concentration of Metallic Nanoparticles Is Related to Cognitive Performance in People with Multiple Sclerosis: An Exploratory Analysis.

The imbalance in the concentration of metallic nanoparticles has been demonstrated to play an important role in multiple sclerosis (MS), which may impact cognition. Biomarkers are needed to provide insights into the pathogenesis and diagnosis of MS. They can be used to gain a better understanding of cognitive decline in people with MS (pwMS). In this study, we investigated the relationship between the blood concentration of metallic nanoparticles (blood nanoparticles) and cognitive performance in pwMS. First, four mL blood samples, clinical characteristics, and cognitive performance were obtained from 21 pwMS. All participants had relapse-remitting MS, with a score of ≤4.5 points in the expanded disability status scale. They were relapse-free in the three previous months from the day of collection and had no orthopedic, muscular, cardiac, and cerebellar diseases. We quantified the following metallic nanoparticles: aluminum, chromium, copper, iron, magnesium, nickel, zinc, and total concentration. Cognitive performance was measured by mini-mental state examination (MMSE) and the symbol digit modalities test (SDMT). Pearson's and Spearman's correlation coefficients and stepwise linear regression were calculated to assess the relationship between cognitive performance and blood nanoparticles. We found that better performance in SDMT and MMSE was related to higher total blood nanoparticles (r = 0.40; p < 0.05). Also, better performance in cognitive processing speed and attention (SDMT) and mental state (MMSE) were related to higher blood iron (r = 0.44; p < 0.03) and zinc concentrations (r = 0.41; p < 0.05), respectively. The other metallic nanoparticles (aluminum, chromium, copper, magnesium, and nickel) did not show a significant relationship with the cognitive parameters (p > 0.05). Linear regression estimated a significant association between blood iron concentration and SDMT performance. In conclusion, blood nanoparticles are related to cognitive performance in pwMS. Our findings suggest that the blood concentration of metallic nanoparticles, particularly the iron concentration, is a promising biomarker for monitoring cognitive impairment in pwMS.

Telangiectatic Capillaries in Retinal Vascular Occlusions: Multimodal Imaging in a Case Series.

Introduction: To report a cases series of retinal vascular occlusions with telangiectatic capillaries (TelCaps) seen on indocyanine green angiography (ICGA) and multimodal imaging. Methods: In this case series, a new finding (TelCaps) was seen on clinical examination, fundus evaluation, fluorescein angiography, ICGA, and optical coherence tomography (OCT). Results: This series comprised 3 patients with TelCaps findings on ICGA after retinal vascular occlusions. The patients' ages ranged from 52 years to 71 years and the best-corrected visual acuity in the affected eye, from 20/25 to 20/80. Fundus evaluation showed small, hard exudates in the vascular termination close to the macula with a reduction of the foveal reflex. The OCT images showed marginal hyperreflectivity and inner hyporeflectivity that were suggestive of a TelCaps lesion, which was confirmed by hyperfluorescence in the late phase of ICGA. Conclusions: This study highlights the importance of performing multimodal imaging evaluation, including ICGA, in eyes with retinal vein occlusions for early identification and management of the associated lesions.

Avaliabilidade do Programa Descolado na prevenção do uso de drogas no contexto escolar / Evaluability of the Descolado Program in preventing drug use in the school context

RESUMO A prevenção do uso abusivo de álcool e drogas na adolescência tem se tornado um tema transversal nas políticas públicas e incentivado a construção de programas preventivos. Entretanto, ainda existe uma necessidade de avaliar o processo de implementação desses programas. O Estudo de Avaliabilidade (EA) é uma etapa de pré-avaliação e descreve de forma lógica como se dará o processo avaliativo. Este artigo tem como objetivo apresentar os resultados do EA do Programa Descolado - estratégia de prevenção do uso de álcool e outras drogas desenvolvida em escolas do município de Recife, Pernambuco. Trata-se de estudo avaliativo, de abordagem qualitativa, realizado por meio de pesquisa documental, entrevistas e reuniões com informantes-chave. Utilizou-se a técnica de consenso Delphi para análise dos modelos lógico da intervenção e teórico da avaliação. Os resultados demonstraram que o programa é avaliável, e a modelização permitiu melhor entendimento dos envolvidos sobre o programa. As equipes técnica e gestora refletiram criticamente sobre o programa, possibilitando ajustes nos objetivos, atividades e recursos desde o início do processo avaliativo. As perguntas avaliativas identificadas segundo componentes do Modelo Lógico podem nortear estudos subsequentes, tendo sinalizado a realização de uma avaliação de implantação - estudo de caso - do Programa Descolado.

ABSTRACT The abusive use of alcohol and drug prevention in adolescence has become a cross-cutting theme in policies and encouraged the construction of preventive programs. However, there is still a need to evaluate the implementation process of these programs. The Evaluability Study (EA) is a pre-assessment stage and describes the logical way in which the assessment process will take place. This article aims to present the results of the EA of Descolado Program - alcohol and other drug prevention strategy developed in schools in the city of Recife, Pernambuco. It is an evaluative study, with qualitative approach, carried out through documental research, interviews and meetings with key informants. The Delphi consensus technique was used to analyze intervention models and evaluation theory. The results showed that the program is evaluable, and the modeling allowed for better understanding about the program by those involved. The technical and management teams critically reflected on the program, enabling adjustments in objectives, activities and resources since the beginning of the evaluation process. The evaluation questions identified according to components of the Logic Model can guide subsequent studies, having signaled for an implementation evaluation - case study of the Descolado Program.

Central retinal artery occlusion with cilioretinal artery sparing secondary to COVID-19: Additional ocular complication.

We describe a 68-year-old female patient with unilateral central retinal artery occlusion (CRAO) with cilioretinal artery sparing post-coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infection. The patient presented with acute vision loss in the left eye 11 days after discharge from a severe COVID-19 infection, with altered D-dimer, C-reactive protein, and fibrinogen levels. The best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) in the left eye was 20/400; fundoscopic examination revealed diffuse pallor retina with a patent arterial branch from the optic disk to the fovea, confirmed by fluorescein angiography. CRAO with a cilioretinal artery sparing post-COVID-19 may be considered an additional ocular manifestation of the post-acute COVID-19 syndrome spectrum.

Perceptions of a Secure Cloud-Based Solution for Data Sharing During Acute Stroke Care: Qualitative Interview Study.

BACKGROUND: Acute stroke care demands fast procedures performed through the collaboration of multiple professionals across multiple organizations. Cloud computing and the wide adoption of electronic medical records (EMRs) enable health care systems to improve data availability and facilitate sharing among professionals. However, designing a secure and privacy-preserving EMR cloud-based application is challenging because it must dynamically control the access to the patient's EMR according to the needs for data during treatment. OBJECTIVE: We developed a prototype of a secure EMR cloud-based application. The application explores the security features offered by the eHealth cloud-based framework created by the Advanced Secure Cloud Encrypted Platform for Internationally Orchestrated Solutions in Health Care Horizon 2020 project. This study aimed to collect impressions, challenges, and improvements for the prototype when applied to the use case of secure data sharing among acute care teams during emergency treatment in the Netherlands. METHODS: We conducted 14 semistructured interviews with medical professionals with 4 prominent roles in acute care: emergency call centers, ambulance services, emergency hospitals, and general practitioner clinics. We used in-depth interviews to capture their perspectives about the application's design and functions and its use in a simulated acute care event. We used thematic analysis of interview transcripts. Participants were recruited until the collected data reached thematic saturation. RESULTS: The participants' perceptions and feedback are presented as 5 themes identified from the interviews: current challenges (theme 1), quality of the shared EMR data (theme 2), integrity and auditability of the EMR data (theme 3), usefulness and functionality of the application (theme 4), and trust and acceptance of the technology (theme 5). The results reinforced the current challenges in patient data sharing during acute stroke care. Moreover, from the user point of view, we expressed the challenges of adopting the Advanced Secure Cloud Encrypted Platform for Internationally Orchestrated Solutions in Health Care Acute Stroke Care application in a real scenario and provided suggestions for improving the proposed technology's acceptability. CONCLUSIONS: This study has endorsed a system that supports data sharing among acute care professionals with efficiency, but without compromising the security and privacy of the patient. This explorative study identified several significant barriers to and improvement opportunities for the future acceptance and adoption of the proposed system. Moreover, the study results highlight that the desired digital transformation should consider integrating the already existing systems instead of requesting migration to a new centralized system.

Amblyomma ticks in animal carcasses hunted in Mapinguari National Park, Western Amazon, Brazil: New records on species and host-parasite relationships.

Ticks are obligatory parasites and transmit several pathogens to animals and humans. This study aimed to report the parasitism of ticks on carcasses of animals hunted by hunters from communities near Mapinguari National Park, at the shared border of Amazonas and Rondonia states, northern Brazil. The ticks were collected from heads of carcasses of the following animals: South American tapir (Tapirus terrestris), collared peccary (Pecari tajacu) and long-nosed armadillo (Dasypus beniensis). Six Amblyomma tick species were identified: Amblyomma coelebs, Amblyomma naponense, Amblyomma latepunctatum, Amblyomma oblongoguttatum, Amblyomma scalpturatum, Amblyomma triste and Amblyomma spp. The most abundant tick species were A. oblongoguttatum and A. scalpturatum. DNA extraction and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) were performed on all ticks to test for the presence of rickettsial gltA gene fragments, but no amplification was observed. This study reports, for the first time, the parasitism of A. coelebs in the armadillo D. beniensis and the presence of A. triste in the states of Amazonas and Rondonia, updating the tick fauna to 24 and 39 species for these states, respectively.