Ulva lactuca blooms through the eyes of fishers: Threats to vulnerable coastal communities.

Eutrophication intensifies Harmful Macroalgae Blooms (HMBs) in coastal environments, reducing habitat suitability for organisms and creating significant challenges for small-scale artisanal fishers. Leveraging fishers' memories, we analyzed over 20 years of data on Ulva lactuca blooms and their effects on fishing activities and fish resources in a tropical semi-arid region of Brazil. We estimated the timing, seasonality, and impacts of these bloom episodes on fish catches, fishing gears, and fishery revenues. Since 2010, blooms have become more frequent, particularly during dry seasons in shallow estuaries, likely exacerbated by nutrient enrichment, extended water residence time, and inadequate wastewater treatment. Net-based gear is particularly affected, with fish catches decreasing by up to sevenfold during bloom seasons, leading to income losses of approximately 50 %. Addressing eutrophication through active public policies on effluent treatment is crucial to mitigating economic impacts on vulnerable communities and managing future blooms, which are expected to worsen with climate change.

Complete Blood Count in Children With COVID-19: A Predictor of Disease Severity.

Blood count abnormalities are frequent in patients with severe COVID-19 disease and there is still a lack of information in pediatric complete blood count (CBC) results. Thus, this study aims to correlate the CBC in the emergency room of children with COVID-19 between 0 and 10 years old and the clinical severity of the disease. A retrospective cohort study was performed in children with COVID-19 who collected at the emergency room CBC, C-reactive protein (CRP), platelet to lymphocyte ratio (PLR), neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio (NLR), neutrophil to monocyte ratio (NMR), lymphocyte to neutrophil ratio (LNR), lymphocyte to monocyte ratio (LMR), monocyte to neutrophil ratio (MNR) and monocyte to lymphocyte ratio (MLR). In total, demographic data from 93 children with median age of 19 months (0.3-126), 60.2% males, were included. The main changes in the CBC were atypical lymphocytes (51.6%) and eosinopenia (49.5%). From 69 hospitalized children, 21 were considered severe. There was no association between age, gender, and CRP value with clinical severity. The presence of underlying disease was five times higher (odds ratio [OR] = 5.08) in patients who required hospitalization and a higher NLR value was 54% (OR = 1.54) more likely to occur. Eosinopenia was three times more frequent in inpatients with disease severity criteria (OR = 3.05). In conclusion, children younger than 10 years of age with COVID-19 have changes in the CBC collected in the emergency room, mainly atypical lymphocytes and eosinopenia. The presence of a comorbidity or a higher NLR increases the chance of hospitalization. In addition, eosinopenia was a predictor of severity in inpatient children due to COVID-19.

Participation and environment measure - children and youth: PEM-CY Brazil measurements properties.

BACKGROUND: Participation of children with disabilities is an indicator of social inclusion, health, and well-being, and its evaluation needs to be included in the clinical practice of rehabilitation professionals. OBJECTIVES: To investigate the measurement properties of the Participation and Environment Measure - Children and Youth Brazilian version (PEM-CY Brazil). METHODS: We used the PEM-CY to evaluate participation and environment of children with and without disabilities in the home, school, and community settings. Based on COSMIN guidelines, we analyzed two measurement properties: internal consistency for all domains using Cronbach's alpha; and construct (known-groups) validity, i.e., the degree to which instrument scores identify differences between groups. T-tests, Mann-Whitney, or Chi-square tests compared children with and without disabilities. RESULTS: 101 Brazilian children (mean age=9.31 years) with (n = 62) and without (n = 39) disabilities were included. Internal consistency ranged from appropriate (0.70) to excellent (0.95) for all domains in all settings, except for Resources in the environment of the home setting (0.53). Regarding construct validity, PEM-CY participation scores were significantly different between groups in most domains. Children with disabilities were significantly less involved and participated in a smaller number of activities in all settings, in comparison to those without disabilities. The PEM-CY scores in all settings of the environment were significantly higher in the group of children without disabilities. CONCLUSION: Preliminary support was provided for the internal consistency and construct (known-groups) validity of the PEM-CY Brazil to measure participation and the environment in the Brazilian context. The PEM-CY can therefore be used by rehabilitation professionals in Brazil.

Intervenções para promover o clima ético: revisão de escopo / Interventions to promote an ethical climate: a scoping review / Intervenciones para promover un clima ético: revisión de alcance

Resumo Esta revisão visa identificar e descrever intervenções realizadas para promover o clima ético em instituições de saúde. Foi feita revisão de escopo nas bases PubMed, Biblioteca Virtual em Saúde, EBSCOhost e Google Acadêmico, entre outubro e dezembro de 2022. Os dados foram analisados mediante síntese numérica e temática. Foram incluídos três estudos: dois quase-experimentais e um experimental. Médicos, enfermeiros e outros membros da equipe participaram da pesquisa. São descritas intervenções realizadas e resultados obtidos. As intervenções foram workshops, rodadas de ética e protocolo de ação precoce. A duração variou de duas semanas a seis meses. Houve diferença do clima ético para todos os participantes em um estudo; apenas para enfermeiros em outro; e não houve diferença em uma das pesquisas. Poucos artigos implementam e avaliam intervenções para promover o clima ético. Assim, são necessárias mais investigações que aprimorem conteúdo, didática e modos de avaliação em contextos variados e com diferentes profissionais.

Abstract This review aims to identify and describe interventions to promote an ethical climate in health institutions. Method: a scope review carried out on PubMed, Virtual Health Library, EBSCOhost, and Google Scholar from October to December 2022. Data were analyzed using numerical and thematic synthesis and included two quasi-experimental and one experimental studies. Physicians, nurses, and other team members participated in this review, which describes the carried out interventions and obtained results. The interventions included workshops, ethics rounds, and an early action protocol that lasted from two weeks to six months. This review found a difference in the ethical climate for all participants in one study, only for nurses in another study, and no significant differences in the last studies. Few studies implement and evaluate interventions to promote an ethical climate. More studies are needed to improve content, didactics, and assessment methods in different contexts with several professionals.

Resumen Esta revisión busca identificar y describir intervenciones para promover un clima ético en instituciones sanitarias. Se realizó una revisión de alcance en las bases de datos PubMed, Biblioteca Virtual en Salud, EBSCOhost y Google Scholar entre octubre y diciembre de 2022. Los datos se analizaron mediante síntesis numérica y temática. Se incluyeron tres estudios: dos cuasiexperimentales y uno experimental. Los participantes fueron médicos, enfermeros y otros miembros del equipo. Se describen las intervenciones y los resultados obtenidos. Las intervenciones fueron talleres, rondas de ética y protocolo de acción temprana, con una duración de dos semanas a seis meses. Un estudio reveló diferencia en el clima ético para todos los participantes; otro para solo los enfermeros; y un estudio no reportó diferencia. Pocos estudios evalúan intervenciones en esta materia. Se necesitan más estudios para mejorar los contenidos, la didáctica y los métodos de evaluación en diferentes contextos con distintos profesionales.

Role of ErbB and IL-1 signaling pathways in the dermonecrotic lesion induced by Loxosceles sphingomyelinases D.

Sphingomyelinase D (SMase D), the main toxic component of Loxosceles venom, has a well-documented role on dermonecrotic lesion triggered by envenomation with these species; however, the intracellular mechanisms involved in this event are still poorly known. Through differential transcriptomics of human keratinocytes treated with L. laeta or L. intermedia SMases D, we identified 323 DEGs, common to both treatments, as well as upregulation of molecules involved in the IL-1 and ErbB signaling. Since these pathways are related to inflammation and wound healing, respectively, we investigated the relative expression of some molecules related to these pathways by RT-qPCR and observed different expression profiles over time. Although, after 24 h of treatment, both SMases D induced similar modulation of these pathways in keratinocytes, L. intermedia SMase D induced earlier modulation compared to L. laeta SMase D treatment. Positive expression correlations of the molecules involved in the IL-1 signaling were also observed after SMases D treatment, confirming their inflammatory action. In addition, we detected higher relative expression of the inhibitor of the ErbB signaling pathway, ERRFI1, and positive correlations between this molecule and pro-inflammatory mediators after SMases D treatment. Thus, herein, we describe the cell pathways related to the exacerbation of inflammation and to the failure of the wound healing, highlighting the contribution of the IL-1 signaling pathway and the ERRFI1 for the development of cutaneous loxoscelism.

Fishers' multidimensional knowledge advances fisheries and aquatic science.

Fishers' Indigenous and local knowledge (ILK) has multidimensional contributions to improve fisheries and aquatic ecosystems science, ranging from algae to whales and including management, conservation, ecology, and impact assessment. The challenges are to sustain this knowledge, recognize its value, and to include ILK holders in resource management and decision-making.

Representações culturais sobre as ginásticas: o olhar de professores(as) da educação básica / Cultural representations about gymnastics: the perspective of basic education teachers / Representaciones culturales sobre la gimnasia: la visión de los profesores de educación básica

O presente artigo buscou analisar as representações culturais que professores(as) de Educação Física de um município de Minas Gerais atribuem às ginásticas. Para tanto, utilizou-se uma pesquisa de campo de cunho qualitativo, adotando um questionário com perguntas especialmente elaboradas para o estudo e a Análise Temática para tratamento dos dados. Os resultados indicam que os(as) professores(as) apresentam diversos discursos sobre as práticas gímnicas, compreendendo-as nas esferas da saúde, do esporte, da recreação, da arte e escolar. Tais leituras evidenciam uma aproximação com os campos de atuação da ginástica, o que demonstra que os sujeitos investigados reconhecem os múltiplos textos culturais produzidos sobre as ginásticas na sociedade atual.

This article sought to analyze the cultural representations that Physical Education teachers in a municipality in Minas Gerais attribute to gymnastics. For that, a qualitative field research was used, adopting a questionnaire with questions specially elaborated for the study and the Thematic Analysis for data treatment. The results indicate that the teachers present different discourses about gymnastics practices, understanding them in the spheres of health, sport, recreation, art and school. Such readings show an approximation with the fields of action of gymnastics, which demonstrates that the investigated subjects recognize the multiple cultural texts produced about gymnastics in today's society.

Este artículo buscó analizar las representaciones culturales que los profesores de Educación Física de un municipio de Minas Gerais atribuyen a la gimnasia. Para eso, se utilizó una investigación de campo cualitativa, adoptando un cuestionario con preguntas especialmente elaborado para el estudio y el Análisis Temático para el tratamiento de los datos. Los resultados indican que los profesores presentan diferentes discursos sobre las prácticas gimnásticas, entendiéndolas en los ámbitos de la salud, el deporte, la recreación, el arte y la escuela. Tales lecturas muestran una aproximación con los campos de acción de la gimnasia, lo que demuestra que los sujetos investigados reconocen los múltiples textos culturales producidos sobre la gimnasia en la sociedad actual.

Participação social e Atenção Primária em Saúde no Brasil: uma revisão de escopo / Social participation and Primary Health Care in Brazil: a scoping review

Resumo O presente artigo objetiva realizar uma revisão de escopo da literatura, com o intuito de compreender as experiências formais de participação social que tem sido desenvolvidas no contexto da Atenção Primária em Saúde (APS) no Brasil, desde a criação do Sistema Único de Saúde (SUS) até novembro de 2020. Foram realizadas pesquisas nas bases Lilacs, PubMed, PsycINFO e Sociological Abstracts, sendo achados 20 artigos abordando a participação social e a APS. Os resultados encontrados foram discutidos no que se refere ao perfil dos participantes e à competência para participar, ao processo de participar e à construção de ações participativas, além da centralidade da educação permanente como forma de fortalecer a participação social em saúde. A pesquisa revelou distintas experiências de participação social desenvolvidas nos territórios onde atua a APS, destacando-se as dificuldades enfrentadas no processo de implementação dos Conselhos Locais de Saúde (CLS). Sendo assim, discute-se que o fortalecimento da APS, principalmente do modelo Estratégia Saúde da Família (ESF), envolve, de modo dialético, a construção e qualificação dos espaços participativos, o que resultaria em uma estratégia central de defesa do SUS em um momento de recrudescimento das relações democráticas no país.

Abstract This article aimed to carry out a scoping review of the literature to understand the formal experiences of social participation that have been developed in the context of the Brazilian Primary Health Care (PHC), since the creation of the Brazilian National Health System (SUS) until November 2020. The databases LILACS, PubMed, PsycINFO, and Sociological Abstracts were searched, and 20 articles were included that described the social participation in the context of PHC. The results found were discussed regarding the profile of the participants and the competence to participate, the process of participation and the building of participatory actions, and the centrality of permanent education as a way to strengthen social participation in health. The research revealed distinct experiences of social participation developed in the territories where the PHC operates, highlighting the difficulties faced in the process of implementing the Local Health Councils (LHC). Thus, it is understood that strengthening the PHC, especially the Family Health Strategy (FHS) model, involves, in a dialectical way, the construction and the qualification of participatory spaces, which would result in a central strategy to defend the SUS at this time of resurgence of democratic relations in Brazil.

Coronamyia, a new genus of Neotropical Maruinini (Diptera, Psychodidae) with the description of four new species.

Coronamyia gen. nov., a new Neotropical genus of Psychodidae with records restricted to northeastern and southeastern Brazil is described, as well as four new species: C. paschoali sp. nov., C. santosi sp. nov., C. triangularis sp. nov., and C. trilobata sp. nov. The new genus is morphologically similar to Alepia Enderlein, 1937, but can be differentiated by the presence of a lightly sclerotized plate with long thin setae around the aedeagus, which is absent in Alepia. Coronamyia biapicalis comb. nov. is transferred from Alepia.

Lessons from bright-spots for advancing knowledge exchange at the interface of marine science and policy.

Evidence-informed decision-making is in increasing demand given growing pressures on marine environments. A way to facilitate this is by knowledge exchange among marine scientists and decision-makers. While many barriers are reported in the literature, there are also examples whereby research has successfully informed marine decision-making (i.e., 'bright-spots'). Here, we identify and analyze 25 bright-spots from a wide range of marine fields, contexts, and locations to provide insights into how to improve knowledge exchange at the interface of marine science and policy. Through qualitative surveys we investigate what initiated the bright-spots, their goals, and approaches to knowledge exchange. We also seek to identify what outcomes/impacts have been achieved, the enablers of success, and what lessons can be learnt to guide future knowledge exchange efforts. Results show that a diversity of approaches were used for knowledge exchange, from consultative engagement to genuine knowledge co-production. We show that diverse successes at the interface of marine science and policy are achievable and include impacts on policy, people, and governance. Such successes were enabled by factors related to the actors, processes, support, context, and timing. For example, the importance of involving diverse actors and managing positive relationships is a key lesson for success. However, enabling routine success will require: 1) transforming the ways in which we train scientists to include a greater focus on interpersonal skills, 2) institutionalizing and supporting knowledge exchange activities in organizational agendas, 3) conceptualizing and implementing broader research impact metrics, and 4) transforming funding mechanisms to focus on need-based interventions, impact planning, and an acknowledgement of the required time and effort that underpin knowledge exchange activities.

Empowering fisherwomen leaders helped reduce the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on fishing communities: Insights from Brazil.

Small-scale fishers in the developing world have been particularly affected by the COVID-19 pandemic given that they belong to one of the most socioeconomically vulnerable groups. In Brazil, one of the countries most affected by the pandemic, it was expected early on that the economy and wellbeing of fishers would be negatively impacted, yet fishers were expected to show some adaptive and coping mechanisms. To assess whether this was the case, 40 fishers, who are also leaders of fishing associations representing over 80 thousand fishers throughout the country, were interviewed. Results revealed that female leaders appraised the economic and health / wellbeing impacts to be harsher on fishers than men did. Moreover, fishers on the coast were found to be better able to adapt than those inland, although both had low levels of adaptive capacity. The nature of coping and adaptive mechanisms was also found to be different between locations. Whereas leaders from coastal associations stated that most of the adaptive responses occurred in the post-harvest sector (e.g., changes to the types of sales and changes to supply chain actors), leaders from inland communities stated that the changes that occurred related specifically to fishing (e.g., decrease in effort and changes in fishing grounds). These findings suggest that: 1) women may be better prepared to respond to COVID-19 because their appraisal may be more realistic than men, 2) the historic vulnerability of fishing communities may limit their adaptative capacity, and 3) coastal fishers have likely found ways to maintain part of their trade, contrary to inland fishers. Thus, to better help small-scale fisheries to cope with this particular pandemic or other large disruptive impacts, it would be recommended to invest in women in leadership roles while also guaranteeing that fishers have the minimal conditions to cope with and adapt to impacts. The latter can be done by assuring emergency cash transfers for the duration of the impact, as with the still ongoing pandemic, and investing in building fisher resilience for future shocks.

Ginástica para Todos e cultura popular: (re)conhecimento e valorização de manifestações populares / Gymnastics for all and popular culture: (re)cognizing and valuing regional manifestations / Gymnasia para todos y cultura popular: (re)conociendo y valorizando las manifestaciones regionales

Objetivo: analisaro conhecimento sobre cultura e manifestações populares regionais em um grupo de Ginástica para Todos (GPT) vinculado a uma extensão universitária que propôs dialogar com as referidas temáticas quando da composição de uma coreografia. Metodologia: aplicaram-se dois questionários com perguntas abertas e fechadas no início e término do semestre, aos 32 integrantes participantes do projeto que foram analisados por tabulação simples e Análise Temática. Resultados e discussão: sobre o conhecimento acerca das culturas populares regionais, os integrantes citaram 53 tipos de manifestações no questionário pré-projeto, sendo os locais onde tomaram conhecimento também variados (18). Após participação no projeto, esses números foram maiores: 71 manifestações das culturas populares regionais reconhecidas em 24 locais diferentes (aumento de 33% e 30% respectivamente). Comparativamente, o conceito de cultura popular incorporou questões pessoais, mas também amenizou a sua relação com a baixa condição socioeconômica. Conclusões: propostas de GPT podem promover espaços tanto para discussão sobre a diversidade da cultura regional, quanto para o fomento de experiências de produção e recepção (ativa) artística, auxiliando não só na disseminação cultural, mas também no processo de superação e autovalorização pelo caminho do fortalecimento da cultura.

Objectives:to analyzethe knowledge about culture and popular regional manifestations in a group of Gymnastics for All (GfA) linked to a university extension that proposed to dialogue with these themes when composing a choreography. Methodology:two questionnaires with open and closed questions were applied at the beginning and end of the semester, to the 32 members participating in the project, which were analyzed by simple tabulation and Thematic Analysis. Results and discussion: regarding knowledge about regional popular cultures, the members mentioned 53 types of manifestations in the pre-project questionnaire, and the places where they learned were also varied (18). After participating in the project, these numbers were higher: 71 manifestations of popular regional culturesrecognized in 24 different locations (increase of 33% and 30% respectively). Comparatively, the concept of popular culture incorporated personal issues, but also softened its relationship with low socioeconomic status. Conclusion: GfA proposals can promote spaces both for discussion about the diversity of regional culture and for the promotion of experiences of (active) artistic production and reception, helping not only in cultural dissemination, but also in the process of overcoming and self-appreciationthrough the path of strengthening of culture

Objetivo: analizarlos saberes sobre cultura y manifestaciones populares regionales en un grupo de Gimnasia para Todos (GPT) vinculado a una extensión universitaria que se proponía dialogar con estos temas al componer una coreografía. Metodología:se aplicaron dos cuestionarios con preguntas abiertas y cerradas al inicio y al final del semestre, a los 32 integrantes participantes del proyecto, los cuales fueron analizados mediante tabulación simple y Análisis Temática. Resultados y discusión: en cuanto al conocimiento sobre las culturas populares regionales, los integrantes mencionaron 53 tipos de manifestaciones en el cuestionario del anteproyecto, siendo también variados los lugares donde aprendieron (18). Luego de participar en el proyecto, estos números fueron mayores: 71 manifestaciones de culturas populares regionales reconocidas en 24 localidades diferentes (aumento del 33% y 30% respectivamente). Comparativamente, el concepto de cultura popular incorporó cuestiones personales, pero también suavizó su relación con el nivel socioeconómico bajo. Conclusión: las propuestas de GPT pueden promover espacios tanto para la discusión sobre la diversidad de la cultura regional como para la promoción de experiencias de producción y recepción artística (activa), ayudando no solo en la difusión cultural, sino también en el proceso de superación y autovaloración a través del camino de fortalecimiento de la cultura.

Comparative Evaluation of Immune Responses and Protection of Chitosan Nanoparticles and Oil-Emulsion Adjuvants in Avian Coronavirus Inactivated Vaccines in Chickens.

Efficient vaccines are the main strategy to control the avian coronavirus (AvCoV), although several drawbacks related to traditional attenuated and inactivated vaccines have been reported. These counterpoints highlight the importance of developing new alternative vaccines against AvCoV, especially those able to induce long-lasting immune responses. This study evaluated and compared two inactivated vaccines formulated with AvCoV BR-I variants, one composed of chitosan nanoparticles (AvCoV-CS) and the second by Montanide oily adjuvant (AvCoV-O). Both developed vaccines were administered in a single dose or associated with the traditional Mass attenuated vaccine. The AvCoV-CS vaccine administered alone or associated with the Mass vaccine was able to induce strong humoral and cell-mediated immune (CMI) responses and complete protection against IBV virulent infection, wherein single administration was characterized by high IgA antibody levels in the mucosa, whereas when associated with the Mass vaccine, the serum IgG antibody was predominantly observed. On the other hand, single administration of the oily vaccine presented poor humoral and CMI responses and consequently incomplete protection against virulent challenge, but when associated with the Mass vaccine, immune responses were developed, and complete protection against infection was observed. Both of our experimental vaccines were able to induce full protection against virulent IBV challenge. A single dose of AvCoV-CS vaccine was sufficient to achieve complete protection, while AvCoV-O required a previous priming by a Mass strain to complete the protection.

Sustainable-use protected areas catalyze enhanced livelihoods in rural Amazonia.

Finding new pathways for reconciling socioeconomic well-being and nature sustainability is critically important for contemporary societies, especially in tropical developing countries where sustaining local livelihoods often clashes with biodiversity conservation. Many projects aimed at reconciling the goals of biodiversity conservation and social aspirations within protected areas (PAs) have failed on one or both counts. Here, we investigate the social consequences of living either inside or outside sustainable-use PAs in the Brazilian Amazon, using data from more than 100 local communities along a 2,000-km section of a major Amazonian river. The PAs in this region are now widely viewed as conservation triumphs, having implemented community comanagement of fisheries and recovery of overexploited wildlife populations. We document clear differences in social welfare in communities inside and outside PAs. Specifically, communities inside PAs enjoy better access to health care, education, electricity, basic sanitation, and communication infrastructure. Moreover, living within a PA was the strongest predictor of household wealth, followed by cash-transfer programs and the number of people per household. These collective cobenefits clearly influence life satisfaction, with only 5% of all adult residents inside PAs aspiring to move to urban centers, compared with 58% of adults in unprotected areas. Our results clearly demonstrate that large-scale "win-win" conservation solutions are possible in tropical countries with limited financial and human resources and reinforce the need to genuinely empower local people in integrated conservation-development programs.

Thrombin Generation Assay and Hemostatic Profile for Elucidating Hypercoagulability in Endogenous Canine Hyperadrenocorticism.

Canine hyperadrenocorticism is a common endocrine disorder caused by chronic secretion of glucocorticoid, often associated with hypercoagulability and secondary thrombosis. The thrombin generation assay (TGA) evaluates hemostasis globally by measuring endogenous thrombin potential. We aimed to determine whether TGA is suitable for assessing hypercoagulability in dogs with endogenous hyperadrenocorticism (HAC), and to correlate TGA with coagulation markers including fibrinogen, antithrombin (AT), D-dimer, prothrombin time (PT) and activated partial thromboplastin time (aPTT), and with routine laboratory tests for elucidating prothrombotic mechanisms and evaluating their utility as hypercoagulability screening tests. Thrombin generation performed with high activator concentration showed significantly higher endogenous thrombin potential (ETP) (P = .0239) and peak thrombin (P = .0281) in Cushing patients. Fibrinogen (P = <.0001) and AT (P = .0444) activities were significantly higher in the HAC group, while those of PT (P = .0046) and aPTT (P = .0002) were lower. Basal cortisol levels correlated positively with fibrinogen (r = 0.4503; P = .0355) and negatively with AT activity (r = -0.4580; P = .0280). Fibrinogen and hematocrit values were inversely correlated (r = -0.4853; P = .0076). Our study confirmed the presence of higher thrombin generation in dogs with HAC. However, TGA performed with lower activator concentrations was unsuitable for detecting hypercoagulability. Higher AT and fibrinogen levels and lower aPTT activity were identified in dogs with HAC relative to controls suggesting a potential role for the combined use of these assays when assessing hypercoagulability in canine hyperadrenocorticism.

Social participation: the perspectives of adolescents with cerebral palsy and their mothers.

BACKGROUND: Social participation is a complex construct, thus different factors may facilitate or restrict engagement. Adolescents with Cerebral Palsy (CP) and their mothers often experience barriers in social participation. Therefore, they are frequently facing challenges in order to engage in meaningful activities, in different contexts. OBJECTIVE: We aimed at exploring the perspectives of mothers and adolescents with CP on their social participation. METHOD: This is a cross-sectional and exploratory study, with a qualitative design. Seven adolescents with CP, aged from 11 to17 years old and their mothers, participated in a semi-structured interview, in São Paulo, Brazil. Data from interviews were analyzed with the Collective Subject Discourse (CSD) technique. RESULTS: Mothers believed that their parenting practices contribute to the social participation of their children. Mothers revealed concerns about how to support the autonomy of their children and how to help them to establish meaningful and mature relationships. Adolescents with CP reported to engage in a range of social activities, with friends in different contexts, such as restaurants, cinema, concerts, parks and school. They also reported to appreciate social participation and to look for strategies in order to engage. CONCLUSIONS: This work can contribute to the understanding of social participation of adolescents with CP, under the perspective of these people and their mothers by allowing them to express their thoughts and voice their fears and limitations. Healthcare providers should adopt a lifespan approach to disabilities and recognize the unique challenges of adolescence in the life of both child and parents.

Contralesional Cathodal Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation Does Not Enhance Upper Limb Function in Subacute Stroke: A Pilot Randomized Clinical Trial.

Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) has the potential to improve upper limb motor outcomes after stroke. According to the assumption of interhemispheric inhibition, excessive inhibition from the motor cortex of the unaffected hemisphere to the motor cortex of the affected hemisphere may worsen upper limb motor recovery after stroke. We evaluated the effects of active cathodal tDCS of the primary motor cortex of the unaffected hemisphere (ctDCSM1UH) compared to sham, in subjects within 72 hours to 6 weeks post ischemic stroke. Cathodal tDCS was intended to inhibit the motor cortex of the unaffected hemisphere and hence decrease the inhibition from the unaffected to the affected hemisphere and enhance motor recovery. We hypothesized that motor recovery would be greater in the active than in the sham group. In addition, greater motor recovery in the active group might be associated with bigger improvements in measures in activity and participation in the active than in the sham group. We also explored, for the first time, changes in cognition and sleep after ctDCSM1UH. Thirty subjects were randomized to six sessions of either active or sham ctDCSM1UH as add-on interventions to rehabilitation. The NIH Stroke Scale (NIHSS), Fugl-Meyer Assessment of Motor Recovery after Stroke (FMA), Barthel Index (BI), Stroke Impact Scale (SIS), and Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) were assessed before, after treatment, and three months later. In the intent-to-treat (ITT) analysis, there were significant GROUP∗TIME interactions reflecting stronger gains in the sham group for scores in NIHSS, FMA, BI, MoCA, and four SIS domains. At three months post intervention, the sham group improved significantly compared to posttreatment in FMA, NIHSS, BI, and three SIS domains while no significant changes occurred in the active group. Also at three months, NIHSS improved significantly in the sham group and worsened significantly in the active group. FMA scores at baseline were higher in the active than in the sham group. After adjustment of analysis according to baseline scores, the between-group differences in FMA changes were no longer statistically significant. Finally, none of the between-group differences in changes in outcomes after treatment were considered clinically relevant. In conclusion, active CtDCSM1UH did not have beneficial effects, compared to sham. These results were consistent with other studies that applied comparable tDCS intensities/current densities or treated subjects with severe upper limb motor impairments during the first weeks post stroke. Dose-finding studies early after stroke are necessary before planning larger clinical trials.

Sphingomyelinase D Activity in Sicarius tropicus Venom: Toxic Potential and Clues to the Evolution of SMases D in the Sicariidae Family.

The spider family Sicariidae includes three genera, Hexophthalma, Sicarius and Loxosceles. The three genera share a common characteristic in their venoms: the presence of Sphingomyelinases D (SMase D). SMases D are considered the toxins that cause the main pathological effects of the Loxosceles venom, that is, those responsible for the development of loxoscelism. Some studies have shown that Sicarius spiders have less or undetectable SMase D activity in their venoms, when compared to Hexophthalma. In contrast, our group has shown that Sicarius ornatus, a Brazilian species, has active SMase D and toxic potential to envenomation. However, few species of Sicarius have been characterized for their toxic potential. In order to contribute to a better understanding about the toxicity of Sicarius venoms, the aim of this study was to characterize the toxic properties of male and female venoms from Sicarius tropicus and compare them with that from Loxosceles laeta, one of the most toxic Loxosceles venoms. We show here that S. tropicus venom presents active SMases D. However, regarding hemolysis development, it seems that these toxins in this species present different molecular mechanisms of action than that described for Loxosceles venoms, whereas it is similar to those present in bacteria containing SMase D. Besides, our results also suggest that, in addition to the interspecific differences, intraspecific variations in the venoms' composition may play a role in the toxic potential of venoms from Sicarius species.

What fisher diets reveal about fish stocks.

Tracking fish consumption could provide additional information on changes to fish stocks, one of the planet's main protein sources. We used data on seafood consumption in fishing villages in Brazil over time to test for changes in: species richness, diversity, and composition, fish size and trophic levels, consumption of endangered species, and functional diversity (namely, species with different behavioral and habitat preferences). Our results demonstrate the potential to include this additional data source to complement fisheries data, especially in data-poor countries. With respect to Brazil specifically, we identified a decrease in both the average trophic level and size of the species consumed. While the consumption of endangered species had always been low, most of these species changed over time, thereby suggesting that many, especially elasmobranchs, may have become rare on the plates. Although it may be hard to fully isolate cultural changes from biodiversity changes when it comes to analyzing consumption data, by examining diets it is possible to identify aspects worth investigating further, such as, whether the decrease in dietary trophic levels mirrors a decrease in environmental trophic levels. In places where fisheries data are either inexistent or limited, diet track surveys, such as household expenditure programs, can help trace the changes caused by fisheries in stocks and habitats.

Evaluation of Sensitivity in Specific Points of the Areola and Nipple of Patients Submitted to Reduction Mammoplasty With Periareolar Dermis Release: A Randomized Controlled Study.

BACKGROUND: To date, studies on periareolar dermis release have recorded the areola sensitivity as a mean. Despite being clinically reported by patients, specific points of the areola may present sensitivities not detected when researchers only consider mean values. OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to determine the pressure sensitivity at specific points of the nipple-areola complex and compare these values with the mean value measured in the areolas of patients undergoing reduction mammaplasty with periareolar dermis release. METHODS: This is a prospective, randomized controlled trial of 39 consecutive patients (78 breasts) who underwent surgery for treatment of breast hypertrophy; the same surgical technique was used for all patients. In each patient, 1 breast was assigned to a control group and the other to an experimental group. The periareolar dermis release was performed in the experimental group (39 breasts). Pressure sensitivity was tested with Semmes-Weinstein monofilaments on the papilla and at 4 specific points of the areola. The evaluations were conducted preoperatively and at 3 weeks, 6 weeks, and 1 year postoperatively. RESULTS: The group comparisons show a statistically significant difference in sensitivity at the medial point of the areola and in the papilla at 3 weeks postoperation. This difference disappeared in the 1-year evaluation. This recovery profile also occurs when areola sensitivity corresponds to a mean value. The sensitivity significantly decreased at the lower point of the areola up to 1 year postoperation in the control and experimental groups. CONCLUSIONS: The periareolar dermis release did not compromise the pressure sensitivity at the points evaluated in the nipple-areola complex. The mean areola sensitivity differed from the sensitivity at the lower point of the areola.