Teeth and alveolar bones as tracers of metals and radionuclides in inhabitants of a uranium region.

Biodosimetry can define risks in inhabitants of areas with potential contaminants, ensuring environmental protection and living conditions due to toxic and radioactive effects. This study aimed to evaluate metals and radionuclides in dental structures and alveolar bones in residents of a uranium area in Paraíba and Pernambuco, Brazil. Eighty-nine specimens were pulverized, fractionated, and chemically prepared for analysis by EDXRF, FAAS, and ICP-MS. Levels of Ca, Cu, Fe, Si, Mn, Ni, Pb, Sr, Ti, V, Zn, K, Mn, Th, and U were investigated. Higher concentrations were measured for Ca, with an average of 272,986.4 mg kg-1. Ni presented in lower concentrations, with an average of 30.4 mg kg-1. For U, concentrations ranged from 1.5 to 145.0 mg kg-1, with more than 27% of the samples above the reference value of 8.1 µg kg-1. For Th, almost 38% of the results were above the limit of 3.5 µg kg-1. In the bone spicules, the contents of U and Th ranged from 45.1 to 1451.2 µg kg-1 and from 7.5 to 78.4 µg kg-1, in this order. The levels of radionuclides were more expressive for the teeth collected in São José do Sabugi, suggesting contamination through food and water consumption. In the bone spicules, the levels of U were up to 179 times higher than the safety limit. The results indicate a possible risk of contamination with probable induced radiobiological effects.

Superior Gluteal Nerve Anatomy and Its Injuries: Aiming for a More Secure Surgical Approach of the Pelvic Region.

Because most of the recognized causes of superior gluteal nerve (SGN) injury are iatrogenic, detailed knowledge of the anatomy of the SGN is crucial to prevent its injury associated with surgical procedures. This study aims to describe the precise location of SGN or its branches at the greater sciatic foramen, measure the distances of these neural structures to palpable bony landmarks, and evaluate the possible correlation between these parameters and pelvis size. Twenty human cadaveric hemipelvises were studied. After dissection to expose the SGN or its branches at the greater sciatic foramen, the distances from these neural structures to the greater trochanter (GT), to the anterior superior iliac spine (ASIS), to the posterior superior iliac spine (PSIS), to the ischial tuberosity (IT), and to the greater sciatic notch apex were measured. We found that at the greater sciatic foramen, the SGN emerges as a common trunk in 75% of hemipelvises, and already divided in its superior and inferior branches in 25% of hemipelvises. When the SGN exits the pelvis as a common trunk, it does so, in most cases, in contact with the bone at the apex of the greater sciatic notch or superior to the level of the apex. The median distance from the SGN at the greater sciatic notch to the PSIS, ASIS, GT and IT is 7.6 cm, 10.9 cm, 7.5 cm and 10.8 cm, respectively. We found a positive correlation between some of the analyzed parameters and the size of the pelvis. The anatomical data of this study may serve as pivotal guides during orthopedic pelvic surgery, contributing to minimize SNG iatrogenic lesions with significant implications in the patient's quality of life.

Associação entre hipertensão arterial sistêmica e indicadores antropométricos em idosos do estudo brazuca / Association between systemic arterial hypertension and anthropometric indicators in the elderly in the brazuca study / Asociación entre hipertensión arterial sistémica y indicadores antropométricos en adultos mayores del estudio brazuca

Introdução:A Hipertensão Arterial Sistêmica é uma doença crônica que acometea maior parte idosos brasileiros, sendo uma das principais causas de mortes prematuras e incapacidades funcionais que causam complicações cardiovasculares e cerebrais, as quais podem estar associadas a diversos fatores predisponentes como a obesidade.Objetivo:Avaliar a associação entre hipertensão arterial sistêmica e indicadores antropométricos em idosos do estudo BrazucaNatal.Metodologia: Estudo transversal de base populacional com 191 idosos do município Natal-RN. Foram coletados dados sociodemográficos, econômicos e antropométricos (peso, estatura, perímetro da cintura e perímetro do quadril) e cálculo do Índice de Massa Corporal, Razão Cintura-Estatura e Razão Cintura Quadril. A hipertensão arterial foi auto referida. Os dados foram analisados pelo software SPSS versão 20.0. Teste t de Student foi utilizado para avaliar as diferenças entre médias das variáveis de acordo com o sexo e presença de hipertensão arterial. A associação entre a presença da doença e as variáveisfoi realizadapela Regressão de Poisson, comas razões de prevalência brutas e ajustadas e seus intervalos de confiança (95%).Resultados:A maioria dos idosos eram do sexo feminino (55%), com média de idade 69,48 anos (DP=7,38) e índice de massa corporalde 28,46 (DP=5,25), 59,4% possuíamexcesso de peso e 60,1% hipertensão. Ao comparar os sexos, registramos maiores médias de índice de massa corporal, perímetro do quadrile relação cintura estaturanas mulheres (p<0,05). Observamos maiores médias de idadee indicadores antropométricos entre os idosos com hipertensão (p<0,05). Constatamos que a presença de hipertensão estava associada a perímetro da cintura e índice de massa corporal no modelo bruto, mantendo-se apenas o perímetro da cinturano modelo ajustado. Conclusões:Indicadores antropométricos de fácil aplicação e baixo custo como o perímetroda cintura podeser eficientes para a detecção precoce da hipertensão arterial em idosos (AU).

Introduction:SystemicArterial Hypertension is a chronic disease that affects most Brazilian older adults and is one of the main causes of premature deaths and functional disabilities that cause cardiovascular and brain complications. Obesityis among the several predisposing factorsassociatedwithhypertension. Objective:To evaluate the association between SAHand anthropometric indicators in older adultsof the Brazuca Natal study.Methodology: Cross-sectional population-based study with 191 older adults in the city of Natal-RN.Sociodemographic, economic and anthropometric data (weight, height, waist circumference,and hip circumference),Body Mass Index, Waist-Height Ratio and Waist-Hip Ratio were collected. Hypertension was self-reported. Data were analyzed using the SPSS software, version 20.0. The Student's t-test was used to compare themeans of the variables according to sexand presence of hypertension. The association between the presence of the disease and the variables wasperformed by Poisson regression, with crude and adjusted prevalence ratios and respectiveconfidence intervals (95%).Results:The majority of the elderly were female (55%), with a mean age of 69.48 years (SD = 7.38) andBody Mass Indexof 28.46 (SD = 5.25), 59.4% were overweight and 60.1% had hypertension. Mean Body Mass Index, hip circumference and Waist-Height Ratiovalues were higher in women (p<0.05). The age and anthropometric indicators values were higher among the older adults with hypertension (p<0.05). We found that the presence of hypertension was associated with body weight and Body Mass Index,in the crude model and only with body weight in the adjusted model. Conclusions:Anthropometric indicators of easy application and lowcost such as waist circumference can be efficient todetect hypertension in older adults (AU).

Introducción:La Hipertensión Arterial Sistémica es una enfermedad crónica que afecta principalmente ancianos brasileños, siendo una de las principales causas de muertes prematuras ydiscapacidades funcionales que causan complicaciones cardiovasculares y cerebrales, las cuales pueden estar asociadas a diversos factores predisponentes como la obesidad. Objetivo:Evaluar la asociación entre la hipertensión arterial sistémica y los indicadores antropométricos en ancianos del estudio Brazuca Natal. Metodología:Estudio transversal de base poblacional con 191 ancianos del municipio Natal-RN. Se reconpilaron datos sociodemográficos, económicos y antropométricos (peso, estatura, perímetro de la cintura y perímetro de la cadera) y cálculo del Índice de Masa Corporal,Razón Cintura-Estatura y Razón Cintura Cadera. La hipertensión fue auto referida. Los datos fueron analizados por el software SPSSversión 20.0. Test t de Student fue realizado para evaluar las diferencias entre medias de las variables de acuerdo con el sexo y la presencia de hipertensión arterial. La asociación entre la presencia de la enfermedad y las variables fue realizada por la Regresión de Poisson, con las razones de prevalencia brutas y ayustadas y sus intervalos de confianza (95%). Resultados:La mayoría de los ancianos eran mujeres (55%), con una media de 69,48 años (DP= 7,38) y Índice de Masa Corporalde 28,46 (DP= 5,25), 59,4% poseían exceso de peso y 60,1% hipertensión. Observamos mayores medias de edady indicadores antropométricosentre los ancianos con hipertensión (p<0,05).Constatamos que la presencia de hipertensión estaba asociada al perímetro de la cinturae Índice de Masa Corporalen el modelo bruto, manteniendo solo el perímetro de la cinturaen el modelo ayustado. Conclusiones:Indicadores antropométricos de fácil aplicación y bajo costo como el perímetro de la cintura puede ser eficaz para la detección temprana de la hipertensión arterial en los ancianos (AU).

Radioanalytical models applied to the investigation of caesium signatures in sugar samples.

The presence of anthropogenic radioisotopes in the environment may be due to inappropriate discards, nuclear tests and accidents, which requires and justifies constant monitoring to ensure the safety of nuclear applications. The radiometric analysis is a necessary condition for exporting sugar for world consumption. The investigation of 134Cs and 137Cs in a sugar matrix is required to predict radiometric anomalies. This work aimed to standardise a semi-empirical radiometric model to characterise and quantify caesium isotopes in sugar. The research was carried out with high-resolution gamma spectrometry, a non-destructive method. The results were applied to the analysis of different types of sugar for export. The models allowed us to determine with excellent resolution the minimum quantifiable activities of 0.74 Bq kg-1 and 0.48 Bq kg-1 for 134Cs and 137Cs, respectively, which are lower than 600 Bq kg-1, reference values adopted by the EU for isotopes in food.

Ambiente alimentar e sua relação com insegurança alimentar e condições socioeconômicas / Food environment and its relationship with food insecurity and socioeconomic conditions

Introdução: O ambiente alimentar é o contexto físico, econômico, político e sociocultural em que cada consumidor se envolve com o sistema alimentar para adquirir, preparar e consumir alimentos. Esse ambiente envolve a disponibilidade, acessibilidade, conveniência, promoção, qualidade e sustentabilidade dos alimentos. O comprometimento desse acesso e disponibilidade aos alimentos saudáveis, em quantidades suficientes, caracteriza a insegurança alimentar. Objetivo: Analisar o ambiente alimentar e sua relação com a ocorrência de insegurança alimentar no domicílio e condições socioeconômicas. Método: Trata-se de um estudo de diferentes métodos. 1) Revisão sistemática sobre a relação entre ambientes alimentares e a insegurança alimentar, a partir de uma busca sistemática na literatura nas bases de dados PubMed, Web of Science, Science Direct, EMBASE e LILACS em janeiro de 2023. 2) Estudo ecológico com setores censitários da cidade de Natal-RN, a partir da identificação dos estabelecimentos de aquisição de alimentos, agrupados nas categorias de in natura ou minimamente processados, ultraprocessados ou mistos. Os desertos alimentares foram calculados pela densidade de estabelecimentos saudáveis dividido por 10 mil habitantes e classificados menor ou igual ao percentil 25. Os pântanos alimentares foram determinados a partir da densidade de estabelecimentos de aquisição de ultraprocessados por 10 mil habitantes e classificados com percentil maior que 25. Utilizamos dados socioeconômicos do Censo 2010. Regressão múltipla de Poisson foi utilizada para observar a relação da existência de desertos e pântanos alimentares com infraestrutura social. 3) Trata-se de um estudo transversal, de base populacional com dados individuais demográficos, socioeconômicos e de insegurança alimentar do Estudo Brazuca Natal e relação com os setores censitários classificados em desertos alimentares, pântanos alimentares, condições de socioeconômicas do setor e do domicílio. Resultados: Na revisão sistemática 22 artigos foram incluídos, 18 deles encontraram associação entre ambientes alimentares e a (in)segurança alimentar, sendo a maioria em países desenvolvidos, do Norte global. No estudo ecológico, foi identificado que 51,45% dos estabelecimentos de aquisição de alimentos da cidade eram do tipo ultraprocessados. Houve maior densidade de estabelecimentos de alimentos nas regiões com melhor condição socioeconômica. Os setores censitários classificados como deserto alimentar, foram associados com condições do domicílio e pior infraestrutura do setor. Enquanto os setores identificados como pântano alimentar, com uma melhor infraestrutura do setor. No estudo transversal, a insegurança alimentar foi encontrada em 42,3% dos entrevistados, associada a variáveis demográficas e socioeconômicas individuais e do setor. Os desertos e pântanos alimentares não apresentaram um padrão de distribuição espacial e não foram associados à insegurança alimentar. Conclusão: Existem iniquidades na distribuição dos diferentes estabelecimentos de aquisição de alimentos da cidade de Natal/RN, com predominância de pântanos alimentares. Dessa forma, são necessárias ações de melhoria de infraestrutura dos setores, descentralização no abastecimento de alimentos saudáveis e limitar a venda de alimentos ultraprocessados, com vistas a garantir escolhas alimentares saudáveis. É importante que novos estudos avaliem as diferentes dimensões do ambiente alimentar, para permitir uma melhor identificação dos fatores associados à insegurança alimentar em diferentes contextos socioeconômicos (AU).

Introduction: The food environment is the physical, economic, political and sociocultural context in which each consumer engages with the food system to acquire, prepare and consume food. This environment involves the availability, accessibility, convenience, promotion, quality and sustainability of food. Compromising access to and availability of healthy foods in sufficient quantities characterizes food insecurity. Objective: To analyze the food environment and its relationship with the occurrence of food insecurity at home and socioeconomic conditions. Method: It is a study of different methods. 1) Systematic review on the relationship between food environments and food insecurity, based on a systematic literature search in the PubMed, Web of Science, Science Direct, EMBASE and LILACS databases in January 2023. 2) Ecological study with census tracts of the city of Natal-RN, based on the identification of food acquisition establishments, grouped in the categories of in-natura or minimally processed, ultra-processed or mixed. Food deserts were calculated by the density of healthy establishments divided by 10,000 inhabitants and classified as less than or equal to the 25th percentile. We used socioeconomic data from the 2010 Census. Multiple Poisson regression was used to observe the relationship between the existence of food deserts and swamps and social infrastructure. 3) This is a cross-sectional, population-based study with individual demographic, socioeconomic and food insecurity data from the Brazuca Natal Study and the relationship with the census tracts classified into food deserts, food swamps, socioeconomic conditions in the sector and at home. Results: In the systematic review, 22 articles were included, 18 of which found an association between food environments and food (in)security, the majority being in developed countries, in the global North. In the ecological study, it was identified that 51.45% of the food acquisition establishments in the city were of the ultra-processed type. There was a higher density of food establishments in regions with better socioeconomic conditions. The census sectors classified as food deserts were associated with household conditions and worse infrastructure in the sector. While the sectors identified as a food swamp, with better infrastructure in the sector. In the cross-sectional study, food insecurity was found in 42.3% of respondents, associated with individual and sector demographic and socioeconomic variables. Deserts and food swamps did not show a spatial distribution pattern and were not associated with food insecurity. Conclusion: There are inequalities in the distribution of different food acquisition establishments in the city of Natal/RN, with a predominance of food swamps. Thus, actions are needed to improve the sectors' infrastructure, decentralize the supply of healthy foods and limit the sale of ultra-processed foods, with a view to ensuring healthy food choices. It is important that new studies assess the different dimensions of the food environment, to allow a better identification of factors associated with food insecurity in different socioeconomic contexts (AU).

Use of N-acetylcysteine as treatment adjuvant regulates immune response in visceral leishmaniasis: Pilot clinical trial and in vitro experiments.

This investigation aimed to assess the effect of N-acetylcysteine (NAC) as an adjuvant treatment to alleviate visceral leishmaniasis (VL). The present work includes both blinded randomized clinical intervention and experimental in vitro studies. The clinical trial included 60 patients with VL randomly allocated into two groups: a test group (n = 30) treated with meglumine antimoniate plus NAC (SbV + NAC) and a control group (n = 30) treated with meglumine antimoniate only (SbV). The primary outcome was clinical cure (absence of fever, spleen and liver sizes reduction, and hematological improvement) in 180 days. The cure rate did not differ between the groups; both groups had similar results in all readout indices. The immunological parameters of the patients treated with SbV + NAC showed higher sCD40L in sera during treatment, and the levels of sCD40L were negatively correlated with Interleukin-10 (IL-10) serum levels. In addition, data estimation showed a negative correlation between the sCD40L levels and the spleen size in patients with VL. For the in vitro experiments, peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) or PBMC-derived macrophages from healthy donors were exposed to soluble Leishmania antigen (SLA) or infected with stationary promastigotes of Leishmania infantum in the presence or absence of NAC. Results revealed that NAC treatment of SLA-stimulated PBMCs reduces the frequency of monocytes producing IL-10 and lowers the frequency of CD4+ and CD8+ T cells expressing (pro-)inflammatory cytokines. Together, these results suggest that NAC treatment may modulate the immune response in patients with VL, thus warranting additional investigations to support its case use as an adjuvant to antimony therapy for VL.

Itraconazole Amorphous Solid Dispersion Tablets: Formulation and Compaction Process Optimization Using Quality by Design Principles and Tools.

BCS Class II drugs, such as itraconazole (ITZ), exhibit poor solubility (1-4 ng/mL) and so require solubility enhancement. Therefore, ITZ and Kollidon® VA64 (KOL) amorphous solid dispersions (ASDs) were produced using hot-melt extrusion (HME) to improve ITZ's poor solubility. A novel strategy for tablet formulations using five inorganic salts was investigated (KCl, NaCl, KBr, KHCO3 and KH2PO4). These kosmotopric salts are thought to compete for water hydration near the polymer chain, hence, preventing polymer gelation and, therefore, facilitating disintegration and dissolution. Out of all the formulations, the KCl containing one demonstrated acceptable tensile strength (above 1.7 MPa), whilst providing a quick disintegration time (less than 15 min) and so was selected for further formulation development through a design of the experiment approach. Seven ITZ-KOL-ASD formulations with KCl were compacted using round and oblong punches. Round tablets were found to disintegrate under 20 min, whereas oblong tablets disintegrated within 10 min. The round tablets achieved over 80% ITZ release within 15 min, with six out of seven formulations achieving 100% ITZ release by 30 min. It was found that tablets comprising high levels of Avicel® pH 102 (30%) and low levels of KCl (5%) tend to fail the disintegration target due to the strong bonding capacity of Avicel® pH 102. The disintegration time and tensile strength responses were modeled to obtain design spaces (DSs) relevant to both round and oblong tablets. Within the DS, several formulations can be chosen, which meet the Quality Target Product Profile (QTPP) requirements for immediate-release round and oblong tablets and allow for flexibility to compact in different tablet shape to accommodate patients' needs. It was concluded that the use of inorganic salts, such as KCl, is the key to producing tablets of ITZ ASDs with fast disintegration and enhanced dissolution. Overall, ITZ-KOL-ASD tablet formulations, which meet the QTPP, were achieved in this study with the aid of Quality by Design (QbD) principles for formulation and compaction process development and optimization.

Avaliação do microambiente alimentar em estabelecimentos fornecedores de alimentos em um município do trairí do Rio Grande do Norte / Evaluation of the food microenvironment in establishments supplying foods in acity of Trairi ofRio Grande do Norte / Evaluación del microambiente alimentario en provedores de alimentos en unmunicipio de Trairi doRio Grande do Norte

Introdução:As pessoas passaram a consumir alimentos prontos e ultraprocessados cada vez mais e diminuíram o consumo de alimentos naturais. Consequentemente, têm aumentado o desenvolvimento de obesidade e outras doenças crônicas não transmissíveis. Esse processo de transição nutricional e epidemiológico tem sido influenciado pelo ambiente alimentar. Objetivo:avaliar o microambiente alimentar em mercados e restaurantes do município de Santa Cruz, Rio Grande do Norte. Metodologia:Trata-se deuma pesquisa transversal e descritiva, de abordagem quantitativa, realizada em 60 estabelecimentos comerciais fornecedores de alimentos naturais, industrializados e refeições prontas. Foram aplicados questionários, de acordo com a classificação do tipo deestabelecimento para verificação da disponibilidade, variedade, preço e qualidade de alimentos naturais e ultraprocessados. Resultados:A maior parte dos estabelecimentos participantes eram mercados locais ou de bairros, localizados no centro da cidade, evidenciando as desigualdades territoriais.Foi visto que a disponibilidade de frutas e hortaliças era inferior aos ultraprocessados. Os alimentos apresentaram qualidade satisfatória e os menores preços de frutas foram encontrados nos supermercados e mercadinhos, enquanto os das hortaliças na feira livre. Conclusões:ficou evidente a necessidade de políticas públicas de incentivo a descentralização do comércio de alimentos e o incentivo à venda de alimentos mais saudáveis e acessíveis física e financeiramente (AU).

Introduction:People have started to consume more and more ready-to-eat foods and have reduced their consumption of fruit and vegetables. Consequently, the prevalence of overweight and chronic non-communicable diseases have increased over the years. This dietary and epidemiological transition process has been influenced by the food environment in which they are inserted. Objective:to evaluate the food microenvironment in markets and restaurants in the city of Santa Cruz, Rio Grande do Norte.Methodology:This is a cross-sectional and descriptive research, with a quantitative approach, carried out in 60 commercial establishments supplying natural and processed foods and ready-to-eat meals. Questionnaires were applied, according to the classification of the type of establishment, to check the availability, variety, price and quality of natural and ultra-processed foods.Results:Most of the participating establishments were local or neighborhood markets,located in the downtown, highlighting territorial inequalities. It was noted that the availability of fruits and vegetables is lower than the ultra-processed foods. All foods showed satisfactory quality, and the lowest prices for fruits were found in supermarkets and grocery stores, while vegetables were found in the street market. Conclusions:the need for public policies to encourage the decentralization of the food trade and the incentive to sell healthier and more affordable foodsphysically and financially became evident (AU).

Introducción: Las personas pasaron a consumir alimentos listos y ultraprocessados cada vez más y disminuyeron el consumo de alimentos naturales. Consecuentemente, las prevalencias de sobrepeso y enfermedades crónicas no transmisibles han aumentado con los años. Este proceso de transición alimentaria y epidemiológica ha sido influenciado por el entorno alimentario en el que se encuentran. Objetivo: evaluar el microambiente alimentario en mercados y restaurantes del municipio de Santa Cruz, Rio Grande do Norte.Metodología: Se trata de una investigación transversal y descriptiva, de abordaje cuantitativo, realizada en 60 establecimientos comerciales proveedores de alimentos naturales, industrializados y comidas preparadas. Se aplicaron cuestionarios de acuerdo con la clasificación del tipo de establecimiento para verificar la disponibilidad, variedad, precio y calidad de los alimentos naturales y ultraprocesados. Resultados: La mayor parte de los establecimientos participantes eran mercados locales o de barrios, localizada en el centro de la ciudad, destacando las desigualdades territoriales. Se ha visto que la disponibilidad de frutas y hortalizas es inferior a los ultraprocesados. Los alimentos presentaron calidad satisfactoria y los menores precios de frutas fueron encontrados en los supermercados y mercadillos, mientras que las hortalizas en la feria libre.Conclusiones: quedó evidente la necesidad de políticas públicas de incentivo a la descentralización del comercio de alimentos y el incentivo a la venta de alimentos más saludablesy asequibles física y financieramente (AU).

Acid Enriched with Methanol: Formation of a Prebiotic Cluster in the Interstellar Medium.

Organic molecules are a potential source of prebiotic chemistry in the interstellar medium (ISM). Methanol (MetOH) is a very important source of more complex molecules. H3 O+ (aq) and Cl- (aq) are fundamental to living organisms and can be generated in the ISM from the dissociation of HCl with just four water molecules, yielding the (H3 O)+ (H2 O)3 Cl- ion-pair. Here, a detailed mechanism, based on density functional theory (DFT) and ab-initio (2nd order Mϕller-Plesset perturbation theory, MP2) calculations, is suggested for the substitution reactions of these water molecules by MetOH. The time required for formation of an appreciable amount of the product ((H3 O)+ (MetOH)3 Cl- ) can be only few years. Such reaction can take place in Sagittarius B2, where HCl, H2 O and MetOH have already been identified and it can be an important source for the formation of more complex prebiotic structures.

Influx of radioactive gas in norm occurrences in Northeastern Brazil.

Radon and progeny are potentially relevant in radioecological studies, as they contribute more than half of the exposure to environmental radiation. The investigation of 222Rn in internal environments of municipalities of Paraíba and Rio Grande do Norte in Brazil was carried out using passive dosimetry with α Espec-222, installed in environments selected by the history of natural radiative occurrences. The monitoring time was eight months to consider seasonal influence. Concentrations from 26.91 to 316.35 Bq m-3 were obtained, with a maximum effective dose of almost 8 mSv y-1. The influence on households exceeds, by almost 31%, the average obtained for occupational environments. The municipalities of Paraíba presented higher results for Rn, with an average of almost 176 Bq m-3 and an effective dose greater than 4 mSv y-1. The application of individual occupancy factors for home and work environments made it possible to combine the dosimetric models, making the scenario closer to the real exposure of individuals who work and reside in the same municipality, with a dosimetric response of 21.45% lower than the model used worldwide. The different scenarios applied allowed expanding the radiometry of the environments, generating a database that precedes studies of environmental and radioecological impacts, strengthening security and enabling new works to interpret public health problems in search of joint and shared solutions.

Risk survey for the population of Recife and neighboring cities due to the occurrence of radium in groundwater.

The Metropolitan Region of Recife and its surroundings are heavily exploited to capture water for public supply through tubular wells. However, a survey of the levels of natural radionuclides from these sources had never been carried out, even though part of this region contains a phosphate deposit that has a high concentration of natural uranium. In this context, this research aimed to identify 228Ra and 226Ra levels in groundwater in the coastal region of Pernambuco, Brazil. About 110 points (wells) of drinking water for public supply were identified and studies were carried out to estimate the level of ingestion and subsequent risk due to the presence of this radionuclide. The average concentration of combined radium was 104 mBq.L-1. For 228Ra an effective dose of 0.46, 0.11, 0.12 and 0.0276 mSv.y-1 for infants, children aged 1 and 10 and adults, respectively, were obtained. Although doses above those recommended by WHO were found, the equivalent dose and the induction of bone sarcoma did not indicate a risk to the population. Groundwater with higher dose values is influenced by local geology.

Marcadores do consumo de alimentos ultraprocessados em crianças de 06 a 23 meses no brasil, 2015 a 2018 / Markers of ultra-processed food consumption by Brazilian children aged 06 to 23months between the years of 2015 and 2018 / Marcadores de consumo de alimentos ultraprocessadosen niños de 06 a 23meses en Brasil, 2015 a 2018

Introdução:Os dois primeiros anos de vida da criança são de grande importância para a formação dos seus hábitos alimentares, predispondo ao desenvolvimento adequado e favorecendo a saúde a curto e longo prazo. Assim, a introdução de uma alimentação complementar adequada constitui-se como um fator fundamental para favorecer as escolhas alimentares apropriadas no futuro.Objetivo:Analisar os marcadores do consumo de alimentos ultraprocessados em crianças de 06 a 23meses no Brasil entre 2015 e 2018.Metodologia:Trata-se de um estudo ecológico de caráter descritivo. A coleta de dados foi proveniente de base de dados secundários do Sistema de Vigilância Alimentar e Nutricional, cuja população-alvo foram crianças com faixa etária entre 06 e 23meses de idade, abrangendo ambos os sexos e sem distinção de raça/cor. A análise de dados ocorreupor meiode estatística descritiva. Resultados:A região Sul se destacou com as maiores médias de consumo de biscoito recheado, doces ou guloseimas (34%), macarrão instantâneo, salgadinhos de pacote ou biscoitos salgados (21%) ehambúrguer e/ou embutidos (15%). Enquanto que a regiãoNorte apresentou a maior média de consumo de bebidas adoçadas (39%) e a região Nordeste se destacou com as menores médias de consumo desses alimentos. No Brasil, notou-se um consumo maior que 50% de alimentos ultraprocessados em quase todos os anos analisados no presente estudo e em quase todas as regiões e a classe mais consumida foi bebidas adoçadas.Conclusões:Conclui-se que há uma introdução precoce de alimentos ultraprocessados na alimentação de crianças na faixa etária estudada (AU).

Introduction:The first two years of a child's life are of great importance for the formation of their eating habits, predisposing the appropriate development and favoring health in the short and long term. Thus, the introduction of an adequate complementary feeding constitutes a fundamental factor for the person to favor appropriate food in the future. Objective:The authors seek to analyze the ultra-processed food consumption numbers in children aged 06 to 23months in Brazil between 2015 and 2018.Methodology:This paper is a descriptive ecological study. Data collection was taken from secondary databases of the Food and Nutrition Surveillance System and its target population was children aged between 06 and 23months of age, covering both sexes and without distinction of race or color. Data analysis was done through descriptive statistics.Results:The South region stood out with the highest average consumption of sandwich cookies, sweets or treats (34%), instant noodles, packaged snacks or savory cookies (21%) and hamburgers and/or sausages (15%). While. the North region had the highest average consumption of sugary drinks (39%) and the Northeast region stood out with the lowest average consumption of these foods. In Brazil, consumption of more than 50% of ultra-processed foods was observed in almost all years analyzed by the authors, and in almost all regions and the most consumed class was sweetened drinks. Conclusions: The authors observed that there is an early introduction of ultra-processed foods in the diet of children in the studied age group (AU).

Introducción:Los dos primeros años de vida de unniño son de gran importancia para la formación de sus hábitos alimentarios, predisponiéndolo a unadecuado desarrollo y favorecendo la salud a corto y largo plazo. Así, la correcta introducción de la alimentación complementaria es un factor fundamental para favorecer la elección de alimentos en el futuro. Objetivo: Analizar los marcadores de consumo de alimentos ultra procesado en niños de 06 a 23meses en Brasil entre 2015 y 2018. Metodología: Se trata de un estudio ecológico de carácter descriptivo de base de datos secundaria de la Alimentación y Sistema de Vigilancia Nutricional cuya población objetivo fueron los niños de entre 06 y 23meses de edad, abarcando ambos sexos y sin distinción de raza/color. Ocurrieron mediante estadística descriptiva. Resultados: La región Sur se destacó con el promedio más alto consumo de galletas rellenas, dulces o golosinas (34%), fideos instatáneos, botanas envasadas o galletas saladas (21%) y hamburguesas y/o embutidos (15%). Mientras, la región Norte tuvo el mayor consumo promedio de bebidas endulzadas (39%) y la región Nordeste se destacó con el menor consumo promedio de estos alimentos. Todos los años analizados en este estudio y en casi todas las regiones y la clase más consumida fue la de bebidas endulzadas.Conclusiones: Se concluye que existe una introducción temprana de alimentos ultra procesados en la dieta de los niños del grupo de edad estudiado (AU).

Water quality evaluation and dissolved organic matter characterization of a tropical hypereutrophic reservoir and its streams treated with Phoslock® and microbial bioremediation Enzilimp®.

Worldwide, freshwater environments are impacted by inputs of nutrients and dissolved organic matter from human activities. Yet, the recovery of aquatic systems is usually focused only on nutrient management. In our work, we presented the case of an urban and hypereutrophic environment (Pampulha reservoir, Belo Horizonte, Brazil) that receives discharges from several streams and was treated with lanthanum modified bentonite (Phoslock®) and microbial bioremediation (Enzilimp®). Our goals were to evaluate whether the treatment could improve the water quality and characterize the spatiotemporal variation of dissolved organic matter sources and indices according to absorbance and fluorescence measurements from the reservoir and streams post-application months (2018). In our results, the reservoir showed a relative decrease in its phosphorus concentration compared to data from before the treatment. On the other hand, carbon concentrations reached expressive values in the post-application months following a similar pattern found in the streams. Our data showed that the reservoir's high resistance in its hypereutrophic condition was related to the elevated loading of external inputs coming from the streams. The parallel factor analysis (PARAFAC) identified four main carbon sources, two of them being potential tracers of organic pollution in the Pampulha reservoir and watershed, together with absorbance and fluorescence indices. Our findings suggest that carbon parameters can be essential tools to provide adequate monitoring and optimization of water recovery attempts in complex, polluted environments.

Association between Hypertriglyceridemia and Disease Severity in Visceral Leishmaniasis.

Visceral leishmaniasis (VL) is a tropical disease endemic to Brazil. The clinical manifestations of the infection range from asymptomatic to severe. In VL, changes in lipid metabolism, such as hypocholesterolemia and hypertriglyceridemia, occur that are believed to be related to its progression and severity. This study investigated the associations between serum levels of cholesterol, triglycerides, and lipoproteins (high-density lipoprotein, low-density lipoprotein, and very low-density lipoprotein) with clinical and hematological parameters that predict severity in a case series of 83 VL patients. Severely ill patients had higher mean serum triglyceride levels than non-severely ill patients. There was a significant positive correlation between disease severity score and serum triglyceride levels, very low-density lipoprotein, international normalized ratio for prothrombin time test, total bilirubin, and age. An inverse correlation was detected between the disease severity score and mean platelet and neutrophil counts. Hypertriglyceridemia can be a prognostic indicator of severity in patients diagnosed with VL.

Desenvolvimento da Endocardite em Odontologia e Importância da Higiene Oral: Revisão de Literatura / Development of Endocarditis in Dentistry and the Importance of Oral Hygiene: Literature Review

A endocardite bacteriana (EB) apresenta-se como uma doença infecciosa que possui vários fatores etiológicos, dentre eles a constante presença de bactérias orais nessa patologia. Dada a presente relação e a relevância do assunto, é fundamental que o cirurgião-dentista aprofunde os conhecimentos a esse respeito. Em vista disso, o objetivo do estudo é realizar uma revisão de literatura sobre o mecanismo de desenvolvimento da EB e sua relação com a higiene oral. Foram realizadas pesquisas nas bases de dados PubMed, EMBASE e Biblioteca Virtual em Saúde (BVS), utilizando os descritores anteriormente selecionados das plataformas MeSH e DeCs. Após as buscas, foram selecionados 9 artigos para compor a revisão de literatura. Inicialmente foi realizada a análise de títulos e resumos, e, posteriormente, leitura na íntegra. Os achados mostram que a má higienização oral de indivíduos com desordens cardiovasculares pode se apresentar como um fator predisponente para o desenvolvimento da EB devido à interação dos microrganismos e mediadores pró-inflamatórios. Portanto, a compreensão de que a manutenção da higiene oral é fundamental para a redução do acúmulo e agregação microbiana e, consequentemente, EB, ressalta a importância de conhecer o assunto por parte de cirurgiões-dentistas, a fim de prevenir complicações e atuar preventivamente.

Bacterial endocarditis (BE) is an infectious disease with several etiological factors, including the constant presence of oral bacteria. Given this relationship and the relevance of the subject, it is essential that dentists deepen their knowledge on this matter. Thus, the aim of the study is to conduct a literature review on the mechanism of BE development and its relationship with oral hygiene. Searches were conducted in the PubMed, EMBASE and Biblioteca Virtual em Saúde (BVS) platforms, using the descriptors previously selected from the MeSH and DeCS platforms. After analyzing their titles and abstracts and then read in full, nine articles were selected for the literature review. The findings show that poor oral hygiene in individuals with cardiovascular disorders may be a predisposing factor for the development of BE, due to the interaction of microorganisms and pro-inflammatory mediators. Therefore, the understanding that maintenance of oral hygiene is essential to reduce microbial accumulation and aggregation and, consequently, BE, highlights the importance of dentists knowing the subject to prevent complications and act preventively.

Photochemistry of Monohydrated Chloromethane: Formation of Free and Hydrated Cl- and CH3+ Ions from a Solvent-Shared Semi-Ion-Pair.

The effect of water molecule on the excited states of CH3Cl(H2O), as compared to those of the isolated chloromethane, has been studied at the multireference configuration interaction with singles and doubles (MR-CISD), including extensivity corrections. Eight new Rydberg states are due to the water molecule but the common states of both systems are not severely altered. Potential energy curves of 23 singlet states along the C-Cl coordinate have also been computed at the MR-CISD level. The dissociation energy of the C-Cl bond decreases from ∼0.4 to 0.5 eV due to the water molecule. As for CH3Cl (de Medeiros, V. C., J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2016, 138, 272-280), a stable ion-pair has also been characterized. However, for CH3Cl(H2O), this ion-pair is better described as a solvent-shared semi-ion-pair, CH3+δ(H2O)Cl-δ. This species is connected with three ionic dissociation channels, with two being due to the water molecule. The presence of these new ionic channels, particularly the lowest energy one, [H3C-O]+ + Cl-, raises a very important question of atmospheric relevance: can the interaction of chloroalkanes with water decrease its deleterious effect on the ozone layer? Several potentially new competing dissociation channels are also studied. The latter results can help to set up the most important states to be included in nonadiabatic dynamic calculations to study how the yields of the ionic channels change due to the water molecule.

α Espec-222 as a variant to the radon monitoring method using a solid state nuclear track.

Radon is important in indoor radiometry, where radiological impact is relevant. The improvement of low-cost methods makes it possible to maximize the monitored areas. Thus, a simple and robust monitoring device based on SSNTD CR-39 was designed. Detector conditions were standardized to reduce operational errors and increase productivity. The calibration factor by the slope method allowed efficiency greater than 93%. The monitoring system is satisfactory in terms of operation and performance, suitable for a wide range of radon monitoring situations.

Performando a história de uma política pública à luz da ANTi-History / Interpretando la historia de una política pública a la luz de la antihistoria / Performing the history of public policy in the light of ANTi-History

Resumo Tendo como base construtos da abordagem da ANTi-History, o objetivo do estudo foi (re)montar as múltiplas versões históricas que performaram no tempo e no espaço o organizar artístico do Salão de Abril. O Salão de Abril é atualmente uma das principais políticas públicas direcionadas ao meio artístico da cidade de Fortaleza, contando com mais de 70 anos de existência. A metodologia de caráter histórico teve como fonte o levantamento de documentos e a compilação do arquivo da pesquisa. Na análise da escrita historiográfica foram identificadas 4 passagens históricas que evidenciaram as associações de diferentes atores em rede. Ressaltou-se o caráter político do organizar do Salão de Abril, ao apresentar alternativas das versões de um passado que reverbera, hoje, nas relações com os espaços da cidade e nos mecanismos de políticas públicas.

Resumen A partir de constructos del enfoque antihistoria, el objetivo del estudio fue (re)ensamblar las múltiples versiones históricas que actuaron en el tiempo y el espacio en la organización artística del Salón de Abril. El Salón de Abril es en la actualidad una de las principales políticas públicas orientadas al entorno artístico de la ciudad de Fortaleza, con más de 70 años de existencia. La metodología histórica se basó en la recolección de documentos y la compilación del archivo de investigación. En el análisis de la escritura historiográfica se identificaron 4 pasajes históricos que evidenciaron las asociaciones de diferentes actores de la red. Se enfatizó el carácter político de la organización del Salón de Abril, al presentar alternativas de las versiones de un pasado que reverbera, hoy, en las relaciones con los espacios de la ciudad y en los mecanismos de políticas públicas.

Abstract This study is based on constructs of the ANTi-History approach. It aims to (re)assemble the multiple historical versions that performed in time and space in the artistic organization of Salão de Abril, an art exhibition in the municipality of Fortaleza, Brazil. Salão de Abril is currently one of the main local public policies for arts, with more than 70 years of existence. The historical methodology was based on the collection of documents and the compilation of the research archive. In the analysis of historiographical writing, the study identified four historical passages showing associations of different actors in a network. The political character of the exhibition's organization was emphasized when presenting alternatives for the versions of a past that reverberate, today, in the relations with the spaces of the city and in the public policies mechanisms.