Speciation in savanna birds in South America: The case of the Least Nighthawk Chordeiles pusillus (Aves: Caprimulgidae) in and out of the Amazon.

The Least Nighthawk Chordeiles pusillus is widespread wherever there are savannas in the South American tropics, often in isolated patches, such as white-sands savannas in the Amazon rainforest realm. Here, we investigate genetic relationships between populations of the Least Nighthawk to understand historical processes leading to its diversification and to determine dispersal routes between northern and southern savannas by way of three hypothesized dispersal corridors by comparing samples from white-sand savannas to samples from other savannas outside of the Amazon rainforest region. We use 32 mtDNA samples from the range of C. pusillus to infer a dated phylogeny. In a subset of 17 samples, we use shotgun sequences to infer a distance-based phylogeny and to estimate individual admixture proportions. We calculate gene flow and shared alleles between white-sand and non-Amazonian populations using the ABBA-BABA test (D statistics), and Principal Component Analysis (PCA) to examine genetic structure within and between lineages. Finally, we use species distribution modelling (SDM) of conditions during the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM), currently, and in the future (2050-2080) to predict potential species occurrence under a climate change scenario. Two main clades (estimated to have diverged around 1.07 million years ago) were recovered with mtDNA sequences and Single Nucleotide Polymorphism (SNPs) and were supported by NGSadmix and PCA: one in the Amazon basin white-sand savannas, the other in the non-Amazonian savannas. Possible allele sharing between these clades was indicated by the D-statistics between northern non-Amazonian populations and the white-sand savanna population, but this was not corroborated by the admixture analyses. Dispersal among northern non-Amazonian populations may have occurred in a dry corridor between the Guianan and the Brazilian Shield, which has since moved eastward. Our data suggest that the lineages separated well before the Last Glacial Maximum, consequently dispersal could have happened at any earlier time during similar climatic conditions. Subsequently, non-Amazonian lineages became more divergent among themselves, possibly connecting and dispersing across the mouth of the Amazon River across Marajó island during favourable climatic conditions in the Pleistocene.

Management of infantile hemangiomas-experience of a tertiary hospital.

The purpose of the study is to describe the experience of a multidisciplinary team in a tertiary hospital regarding the management of Infantile Hemangiomas (IH). The method employed is a retrospective analysis of patients with IH followed in a tertiary pediatric hospital between January 2010 and May 2022. A total of 393 IH were diagnosed (56.7% female), with a median age of 5 months (interquartile range (IQR), 3-10). Imaging investigation was necessary for diagnosis and for exclusion of other IH in 9.2% and 14.3%, respectively. Focal (74.0%) and superficial (59.7%) lesions were more frequent as was facial location (35.9%). Pre-treatment ulceration or hemorrhage occurred in 6.6%. At follow-up, 87.4% regressed partially and 12.6% completely; 2.7% relapsed. Propranolol was started in 30.0% of cases for a median period of 9 months (IQR, 6-12), mainly due to esthetic concerns (41.9%). Side effects occurred in 8.3% (sleep disturbance in 5.1%). Only 1.7% were refractory and 5.9% had a rebound effect. Eleven patients were treated with topical timolol and 41 underwent surgery. Patients that were treated with propranolol had more risk factors (p = 0.016) and presented deeper lesions (p < 0.001) with a larger diameter (p < 0.001); total IH regression was less frequent (p < 0.001). Since 2020, twice-daily dosage was more frequently prescribed than three times daily (p = 0.007) and inpatient initiation of propranolol decreased (p = 0.750), without significant difference in the incidence of adverse reactions, duration of treatment, and lesion evolution.  Conclusions: Our protocol proved to be safe and feasible in an outpatient setting and twice daily administration of propranolol was effective. The majority of IH showed at least partial regression. Early detection of high-risk IH is paramount and a multidisciplinary assessment by a specialized team is essential for adequate management. What is Known: • IH are the most common vascular tumors in childhood. Although the majority evolves favorably, treatment may be warranted in selected cases. • Early detection of high-risk IH is paramount, and a multidisciplinary assessment by a specialized team is essential for adequate management. What is New: • One-third of our sample was treated with propranolol. These patients had more risk factors and presented deeper lesions with a larger diameter, and tumor total regression was less frequent. • Our results reinforce safety and feasibility of propranolol initiation in an outpatient setting, including twice daily dosage.

Deontic signs increase control monitoring: evidence from a modified traffic flanker task.

Deontic norms are expected to impose individuals' control over their behavior. In this paper, we address such norms presented in traffic signs and test their influence over executive control functions. For Experiment 1, we develop a traffic flanker task in which the typical neutral arrows are replaced with traffic prohibition/obligation signs. Experiment 2 isolated the deontic aspect of the signs using simple arrows on red, blue, and green backgrounds and either primed them to be interpreted as traffic signs or as elements of a gaming console controller. Results in both studies show evidence of controlling context interferences more efficiently when dealing with deontic (traffic) signs than with simple arrows (Experiment 1) or with similar perceptive targets when primed with a deontic context than with a gaming context (Experiment 2). In both studies, obligation/blue signs mitigate flanker effects less than prohibition/red signs. Stimuli color affects the alertness of the cognitive system, with the color red being, by itself, a cue for increased control. Based on temporal analysis, we further discuss these results as evidence of an increase in proactive control that aims to prevent the occurrence of undesirable influence.

A standardised set of images for judgements of proportion.

In the present work, we present normative data for a set of 39 original clipart-style images that can be used as material in studies involving judgements of proportion. The original images are drawings that depict different day-to-day scenarios (e.g., lighted windows in a building; books on a shelf) and each has seven variants of different proportions (from 20% to 80%) belonging to different categories (discrete vs continuous; social vs non-social; natural vs artificial; stimuli physical dimensions; number of referents). Normative data for these images are presented in an interactive database (available at https://judgment-images-and-norms.shinyapps.io/estimates_interactive/ ), corresponding to the means of proportion estimates (in percentage form), the perceived ease of making such estimates, the perceived level of familiarity and liking for each image, and the relationships between these variables. In the paper, we analyse the data at an individual level, addressing how the latter judgements are related to the proportion estimates, how those estimates are related to objective proportions, and how these relationships are moderated by image category. The analyses presented in this paper aim to aid readers in selecting images that enable them to better address specific influences on proportional estimates or to control for those influences in their studies.

Two-year follow-up of children with congenital Zika syndrome: the evolution of clinical patterns.

The aim of the study was to describe neurological manifestations in children with congenital Zika syndrome (CZS) in the first 2 years of age. In this prospective observational study, children with CZS treated at a university hospital received a neurological assessment and were evaluated using two neurodevelopmental scales (the Denver II test and the assessment of gross motor development of the World Health Organization) by a pediatric neurologist on admission to the study and at 4, 8, 12, 18, and 24 months of age. The data collected were stored in Microsoft Excel version 14.6.3. Thirty-eight children (27 males and 11 females; a median age of 4.3 months (interquartile range (IQR): 1.6-11.4)) with CZS were evaluated. Irritability was present in 50% and 27% of the children at 8 months and 24 months, respectively. Axial hypertonia was highly prevalent at 4 months (77%), with a decrease to 50% at 24 months. At all ages, spastic tetraparesis was the most common motor abnormality (> 80%). Twenty-seven (71%) participants were diagnosed with epilepsy, and the median age at seizure onset was 6 months (IQR: 3.5-8). The most frequent types of seizures were focal seizures and spasms, with spasms being the most frequent in the first year of life (52%) and focal crises being the most frequent in the second year of life (50%).Conclusion: This study allowed observation of neurological abnormalities over time, the evolution of epileptic manifestations, and recognition of new patterns of clinical neurological abnormalities, helping clinicians to recognize CZS earlier, minimizing the impact of new outbreaks. What is Known: • Clinical patterns of SZC patients at pre-established ages or date of data collection • More frequent studies with data collection of clinical-radiological features of patient's over his first year of life What is New: • Comprehensive clinical neurological progression data regarding CZS in the first 2 years of life, recognizing patterns • Hypothesis including a new CZS spectrum with milder clinical-radiological features.

Techniques for in vivo assessment of myopathies in broiler chicken breasts using a biopsy as a support tool.

An experiment was conducted to validate non-invasive evaluation techniques as in vivo evaluation tools for the myopathies wooden breast and white striping that affect broilers, using biopsy as a support tool. It evaluated 30 Cobb 500® broiler chickens in a completely randomized design consisting of two sexes (males and females) and 15 replications per treatment. At 14, 21, 35, 42 and 49 days, the surface temperature of the birds' breasts was recorded using infrared thermography, analysis of fillet depth, and echogenicity by ultrasound imaging. All broiler chickens were sent for biopsy at 21, 35 and 42 days to collect a fragment of the pectoral muscle for descriptive morphological analyses of histological lesions and muscle fibre morphometry. Males had higher echogenicity values at 14, 21 and 42 days. There was no influence of bird sex on the occurrence of the wooden breast and white striping myopathies at 49 days of age in broilers selected and submitted to the biopsy protocol. There was a general trend of decreasing surface temperature for both sexes according to their age. Muscles with less area occupied with fibres had a lower surface temperature. It was concluded that ultrasonography with a 3.5 MHz transducer detects muscle changes after 28 days of age, which is consistent with the myopathic lesions studied. Infrared thermography is a potential method for detecting changes in breast temperature indicating myopathic lesions. A biopsy can be used as an auxiliary tool in the study of myopathies in broiler chicken breasts.RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS Detection of changes in the breast muscle after 28 days of age with ultrasonography.Changes in the surface temperature range of pectoral muscle with infrared thermography.Use of biopsy as a tool for early diagnostic evaluation in broiler myopathies.

Allele Phasing Greatly Improves the Phylogenetic Utility of Ultraconserved Elements.

Advances in high-throughput sequencing techniques now allow relatively easy and affordable sequencing of large portions of the genome, even for nonmodel organisms. Many phylogenetic studies reduce costs by focusing their sequencing efforts on a selected set of targeted loci, commonly enriched using sequence capture. The advantage of this approach is that it recovers a consistent set of loci, each with high sequencing depth, which leads to more confidence in the assembly of target sequences. High sequencing depth can also be used to identify phylogenetically informative allelic variation within sequenced individuals, but allele sequences are infrequently assembled in phylogenetic studies. Instead, many scientists perform their phylogenetic analyses using contig sequences which result from the de novo assembly of sequencing reads into contigs containing only canonical nucleobases, and this may reduce both statistical power and phylogenetic accuracy. Here, we develop an easy-to-use pipeline to recover allele sequences from sequence capture data, and we use simulated and empirical data to demonstrate the utility of integrating these allele sequences to analyses performed under the multispecies coalescent model. Our empirical analyses of ultraconserved element locus data collected from the South American hummingbird genus Topaza demonstrate that phased allele sequences carry sufficient phylogenetic information to infer the genetic structure, lineage divergence, and biogeographic history of a genus that diversified during the last 3 myr. The phylogenetic results support the recognition of two species and suggest a high rate of gene flow across large distances of rainforest habitats but rare admixture across the Amazon River. Our simulations provide evidence that analyzing allele sequences leads to more accurate estimates of tree topology and divergence times than the more common approach of using contig sequences.

Children Born to Mothers with Rash During Zika Virus Epidemic in Brazil: First 18 Months of Life.

OBJECTIVE: To better understand the clinical spectrum and course of congenital Zika syndrome (CZS) during the first 18 months of life of children whose mothers had rash during pregnancy. METHODS: This longitudinal observational study evaluated the clinical progress from birth until 18 months of life of children of mothers who developed rash during or up to 3 months before gestation. Maternal rash occurred from November 2015 to May 2017. The study subjects were divided into three groups: children whose mothers tested positive by RT-qPCR for Zika virus (ZIKV) (Group 1), children whose mothers tested negative by RT-qPCR for ZIKV (Group 2), and children whose mothers did not undergo any testing for ZIKV (Group 3) but tested negative for other congenital infections. RESULTS: Between April 2016 and July 2018, we studied 108 children: 43 in Group 1, 26 in Group 2 and 39 in Group 3. The majority of children were admitted into the study within 6 months of life. CZS was diagnosed in 26 children, equally distributed in Groups 1 and 3. Of 18 children with microcephaly, 6 were in Group 1 (1 postnatal) and 12 were in Group 3 (5 postnatal). Maternal rash frequency was 10 times higher during the first trimester than in the other trimesters (OR: 10.35; CI 95%: 3.52-30.41). CZS was diagnosed during the follow-up period in 14 (54%) cases. Developmental delays and motor abnormalities occurred in all children and persisted up to 18 months. Epilepsy occurred in 18 (69%) of the cases. CONCLUSIONS: Infants born of mothers exposed to ZIKV during pregnancy showed progression of developmental, motor and neurologic abnormalities even if they were born asymptomatic. Continued postnatal monitoring of such newborns is necessary to preclude disability-associated complications.

Evidence for mtDNA capture in the jacamar Galbula leucogastra/chalcothorax species-complex and insights on the evolution of white-sand ecosystems in the Amazon basin.

Jacamar species occur throughout Amazonia, with most species occupying forested habitats. One species-complex, Galbula leucogastra/chalcothorax, is associated to white sand ecosystems (WSE). Previous studies of WSE bird species recovered shallow genetic structure in mtDNA coupled with signs of gene flow among WSE patches. Here, we characterize diversification of the G. leucogastra/chalcothorax species-complex with dense sampling across its distribution using mitochondrial and genomic (Ultraconserved Elements, UCEs) DNA sequences. We performed concatenated likelihood and Bayesian analysis, as well as a species-tree analysis using ∗BEAST, to establish the phylogenetic relationships among populations. The mtDNA results recovered at least six geographically-structured lineages, with G. chalcothorax embedded within lineages of G. leucogastra. In contrast, both concatenated and species-tree analyses of UCE data recovered G. chalcothorax as sister to all G. leucogastra lineages. We hypothesize that the mitochondrial genome of one of the G. leucogastra lineage (Madeira) was captured into G. chalcothorax in the past. We discuss how WSE evolution and the coevolution of mtDNA and nuclear genes might have played a role in this apparently rare event.

Cultural competence in mental health nursing: validity and internal consistency of the Portuguese version of the multicultural mental health awareness scale-MMHAS.

BACKGROUND: Cultural competence is an essential component in rendering effective and culturally responsive services to culturally and ethnically diverse clients. Still, great difficulty exists in assessing the cultural competence of mental health nurses. There are no Portuguese validated measurement instruments to assess cultural competence in mental health nurses. This paper reports a study testing the reliability and validity of the Portuguese version of the Multicultural Mental Health Awareness Scale-MMHAS in a sample of Portuguese nurses. METHODS: Following a standard forward/backward translation into Portuguese, the adapted version of MMHAS, along with a sociodemographic questionnaire, were applied to a sample of 306 Portuguese nurses (299 males, 77 females; ages 21-68 years, M = 35.43, SD = 9.85 years). A psychometric research design was used with content and construct validity and reliability. Reliability was assessed using internal consistency and item-total correlations. Construct validity was determined using factor analysis. RESULTS: The factor analysis confirmed that the Portuguese version of MMHAS has a three-factor structure of multicultural competencies (Awareness, Knowledge, and Skills) explaining 59.51% of the total variance. Strong content validity and reliability correlations were demonstrated. The Portuguese version of MMHAS has a strong internal consistency, with a Cronbach's alpha of 0.958 for the total scale. CONCLUSIONS: The results supported the construct validity and reliability of the Portuguese version of MMHAS, proving that is a reliable and valid measure of multicultural counselling competencies in mental health nursing. The MMHAS Portuguese version can be used to evaluate the effectiveness of multicultural competency training programs in Portuguese-speaking mental health nurses. The scale can also be a useful in future studies of multicultural competencies in Portuguese-speaking nurses.

Hyponatremia in a Teenager: A Rare Diagnosis.

INTRODUCTION: Hyponatremia is a common electrolyte alteration which has the potential for significant morbidity and mortality. Endocrine disorders, such as primary hypothyroidism and adrenal insufficiency are uncommon causes of hyponatremia. We present the case of a teenager with symptomatic hyponatremia caused by a rare disorder. CASE: A 17-year-old boy was admitted to the emergency department with abdominal pain, nausea and vomiting, asthenia, and weight loss. He was in poor general condition, hypotensive, and he had dry mucous membranes and skin as well as mucosa hyperpigmentation. The laboratory findings showed severe hyponatremia, hyperkalemia, and renal dysfunction. The patient started inotropic support and antibiotics. Plasma cortisol and corticotropin levels allowed the diagnosis of primary adrenal insufficiency. He began replacement therapy with hydrocortisone and fludrocortisone, with gradual symptom resolution. An abdominal computed tomography scan showed adrenal hypoplasia. Findings for antiadrenal and antithyroid antibodies were positive, allowing the diagnosis of autoimmune polyglandular syndrome type II. DISCUSSION: Adrenal insufficiency is a rare disease, especially in children, and its clinical manifestations are due to glucocorticoid and mineralocorticoid deficiency. In most of the cases, symptoms are nonspecific, requiring a high index of clinical suspicion. If the diagnosis and treatment are delayed, acute adrenal insufficiency carries a high morbidity and mortality.

The effect of sex and genotype on growth performance, feed efficiency, and carcass traits of local sheep group Pantaneiro and Texel or Santa Inês crossbred finished on feedlot.

This study aimed to assess and compare the growth performance, feed efficiency, and carcass traits of Pantaneiro sheep and their Texel and Santa Inês crossbreds. Ninety-six lambs, fifty-one males, and forty-five females, with a mean weaning weight of 15.21 ± 1.25 kg and 78 ± 13 days of age, were slaughtered at a 32-kg body weight. The results showed better production efficiency from males compared with females. Texel-crossed lambs had a better growth performance than the other genotypes. The Texel × Pantaneiro lambs were more efficient with a better feedlot performance, higher ribeye muscle area, and better carcass characteristics with an adequate amount of fat cover. Pantaneiro lambs and their crosses with meat breeds could be useful in meat production systems under Savanna environmental conditions.

Meta-Analysis of Social Presence Effects on Stroop Task Performance.

In this paper, we conducted a meta-analytic review to examine the impact of social presence on individuals' performance on the Stroop task, shedding light on the cognitive processes underlying social facilitation. We followed PRISMA guidelines to identify and include 33 relevant studies in a multivariate random-effects meta-analysis. Our results show that social presence reliably modulates Stroop interference (a measure of cognitive control); specifically, participants exhibit lower Stroop interference when performing the task in the presence of others compared to performing it in isolation. We also found that the strength of the effect varies depending on the type of social presence: it is stronger with an attentive audience compared to an inattentive one, and null with an evaluative audience. Additionally, different features of the Stroop task itself moderate the effect; the effect is stronger for the classic version of the task compared to the semantic version, and for experiments that use mixed within-block trials compared to those with homogenous blocks. We also observed a negative relationship between the number of trials and the magnitude of the effect. Overall, these findings provide insights into the mechanisms by which the presence of others affects performance on the Stroop task, and how they align with social facilitation theories.

Dynamics of dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) and stable C isotope ratios (δ13CDIC) in a tropical watershed with diversified land use in São Paulo State, Brazil.

The fluvial transport of dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) is an important component of the global carbon cycle. Herein, we assessed the dynamics of DIC and the C stable isotopic composition (δ13CDIC) in a watershed with diversified land use in São Paulo State (Brazil), more specifically in the Sorocaba River basin (SRB) and considered the temporal and spatial scales. For this purpose, twelve fluvial samples at each sampling point (e.g., S1, S2, S3, S4 and S5) were collected in the SRB, from June 2009 to May 2010, which represented one complete hydrological cycle that included the extremes of the rainfall and discharge regimes. In addition, the δ13CDIC values were also characterized in the wet and dry season at all sampling points to verify their seasonal variability. The results reflected the seasonal variation in discharges, water temperatures, and electrical conductivities. Most of the DIC was transported in the wet season at all sampling points, where the less negative δ13CDIC values were characterized. The natural sources of DIC are associated with atmospheric/soil CO2 consumption. The anthropogenic impacts on both [DIC] and δ13CDIC are linked to untreated urban sewage that is discharged directly into the Sorocaba River, as well as to aquatic photosynthesis in the Itupararanga Reservoir. From 1970 to 2020, the modeling proposed in this study indicated that the annual flux of DIC (Friver) varied from 9.0 to 78.7 t km-2 a-1, confirming that the El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO) controlled Friver in the SRB, with higher and lower Friver values occurring during strong El Niño (EN) and La Niña (LN) years. The average Friver value was 20 t km-2 a-1, which is higher than those obtained in natural several temperate and tropical watersheds due to the influences of urban areas on [DIC] in the SRB.

Multilocus phylogeography of the Wedge-billed Woodcreeper Glyphorynchus spirurus (Aves, Furnariidae) in lowland Amazonia: widespread cryptic diversity and paraphyly reveal a complex diversification pattern.

Amazonian rivers function as important barriers to dispersal of Amazonian birds. Studying population genetics of lineages separated by rivers may help us to uncover the dynamics of biological diversification in the Amazon. We reconstructed the phylogeography of the Wedge-billed Woodcreeper, Glyphorynchus spirurus (Furnariidae) in the Amazon basin. Sampling included 134 individuals from 63 sites distributed in eight Amazonian areas of endemism separated by major Amazonian rivers. Nucleotide sequences were generated for five genes: two mtDNA genes (1047 bp for cyt b and 1002 bp for ND2) and three nuclear genes (647 bp from the sex-linked gene ACO, 319 bp from the intron of G3PDH, and 619 bp from intron 2 of MYO). In addition, 37 individuals were randomly selected from the Rondônia and Inambari areas of endemism for genomic fingerprinting, using five ISSR primers. Our results reveal allopatric and well-supported lineages within G. spirurus with high levels of genetic differentiation (p-distances 0.9-6.3%) across opposite banks of major Amazonian rivers. The multilocus phylogenetic reconstructions obtained reveal several incongruences with current subspecies taxonomy. Within currently recognized subspecies, we found high levels of both paraphyly and genetic differentiation, indicating deep divergences and strong isolation consistent with species-level differences. ISSR fingerprinting supports the existence of genetically differentiated populations on opposite sides of the Madeira River. Molecular dating suggests an initial vicariation event isolating populations from the Guiana center of endemism during the Late Miocene/Early Pliocene, while more recent events subdivided Brazilian Shield populations during the Lower Pleistocene.

Association of the leptin gene with carcass characteristics in Nellore cattle.

Advances in DNA technology have created biotechnological tools that can be used in animal selection and new strategies for increasing herd productivity and quality. The objective of the present work was to associate the genotypes of leptin gene exon 2 polymorphisms with productive traits in Nellore cattle. Blood was collected from Nellore males and PCR-RFLP reactions were performed with the restriction enzymes Cla I and Kpn 2I. The gene frequencies resulting from digestion by Cla I were 0.60 and 0.40 for allele A and T, respectively; the genotypic frequencies were AA = 0.20 and AT = 0.80. The gene frequencies from digestion by Kpn 2I were 0.81 for allele C and 0.194 for allele T; the genotypic frequencies were CC = 0.62 and CT = 0.38. The populations in both cases were not in Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium (p > 0.05), and the TT genotype was not found. Significant associations were noted between leptin gene exon 2 polymorphisms and five productive traits in Nellore cattle: carcass fat distribution, the intensity of red muscle coloration, pH, marbling, and post-slaughter fat thickness.

Carcass characteristics and qualitative attributes of pork from immunocastrated animals.

An investigation was carried out to assess the carcass characteristics and meat quality aspects of immunocastrated male pigs of medium genetic potential for lean meat deposition in carcass (53 to 55%). When the crossbred Large White x Landrace pigs (n = 45) were 70 days old, they were distributed in a totally randomized design in three treatments (castrated males, females and immunocastrated males) with three replicates of five animals. The pigs were slaughtered when they were 140 days old. Carcass temperature and pH were recorded twice, at 45 min and 24 h after slaughter. The carcasses were evaluated for hot and cold carcass yield, commercial cuts yield, length and depth, back fat thickness, loin eye area and lean meat percentage. The Longissimus dorsi muscle was extracted for analysis of color (L*, a*, b*), exudate loss, cooking loss and centesimal and sensorial analysis of the meat. There were no significant differences for the evaluated parameters between castrated males, immunocastrated males and females, except for backfat thickness between the 7th and 8th thoracic vertebra and the point P2 (lower for immunocastrated males) and carcass temperature at 45 min post slaughter (higher in immunocastrated males), however, this did not interfer with the rate of pH decrease post mortem and the meat quality. The results from this research did not indicate a benefit of immunocastration on carcass characteristics of pigs of medium genetic potential for lean meat deposition in carcass, when compared to surgical castration.