The Brazilian Cerrado is becoming hotter and drier.

The Brazilian Cerrado is a global biodiversity hotspot with notoriously high rates of native vegetation suppression and wildfires over the past three decades. As a result, climate change can already be detected at both local and regional scales. In this study, we used three different approaches based on independent datasets to investigate possible changes in the daytime and nighttime temperature and air humidity between the peak of the dry season and the beginning of the rainy season in the Brazilian Cerrado. Additionally, we evaluated the tendency of dew point depression, considering it as a proxy to assess impacts on biodiversity. Monthly increases of 2.2-4.0℃ in the maximum temperatures and 2.4-2.8℃ in the minimum temperatures between 1961 and 2019 were recorded, supported by all analyzed datasets which included direct observations, remote sensing, and modeling data. The warming raised the vapor pressure deficit, and although we recorded an upward trend in absolute humidity, relative humidity has reduced by ~15%. If these tendencies are maintained, gradual air warming will make nightly cooling insufficient to reach the dew point in the early hours of the night. Therefore, it will progressively reduce both the amount and duration of nocturnal dewfall, which is the main source of water for numerous plants and animal species of the Brazilian Cerrado during the dry season. Through several examples, we hypothesize that these climate changes can have a high impact on biodiversity and potentially cause ecosystems to collapse. We emphasize that the effects of temperature and humidity on Cerrado ecosystems cannot be neglected and should be further explored from a land use perspective.

Misogyny in Brazilian Federal Government Agencies for Science and High-Education.

The transformation of women's role in society has been systematically studied. Numerous authors point out that among the factors of extreme relevance to this fact, the main is the increased presence of women in the formal job market. Researches also reveal that the increase in quantity is not reflected equally in all productive sectors nor the egalitarian occupation of high hierarchical positions. The present study aimed to analyze how the presence of women, especially in leadership positions, has evolved at the Brazilian Federal Agency for the Support and Evaluation of Postgraduate Education (CAPES) and the National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq) over the last 20 years. For these analyzes, surveys were conducted in the people management systems of the Brazilian Federal Public Administration. The initial hypothesis was that female attendance had increased in both the total number of female servants and in management and auxiliary positions, known as DAS in Brazil; however, evidence shows that women reduced overall agency presence, especially in the number of female Analysts occupying DAS positions. These results indicate that the misogyny observed in the academic sphere of the Brazilian National Postgraduate and Science, Technology, and Innovation systems are replicated in the politic-bureaucratic sphere that manages and sponsors these systems.

Land-use and climate change risks in the Amazon and the need of a novel sustainable development paradigm.

For half a century, the process of economic integration of the Amazon has been based on intensive use of renewable and nonrenewable natural resources, which has brought significant basin-wide environmental alterations. The rural development in the Amazonia pushed the agricultural frontier swiftly, resulting in widespread land-cover change, but agriculture in the Amazon has been of low productivity and unsustainable. The loss of biodiversity and continued deforestation will lead to high risks of irreversible change of its tropical forests. It has been established by modeling studies that the Amazon may have two "tipping points," namely, temperature increase of 4 °C or deforestation exceeding 40% of the forest area. If transgressed, large-scale "savannization" of mostly southern and eastern Amazon may take place. The region has warmed about 1 °C over the last 60 y, and total deforestation is reaching 20% of the forested area. The recent significant reductions in deforestation-80% reduction in the Brazilian Amazon in the last decade-opens up opportunities for a novel sustainable development paradigm for the future of the Amazon. We argue for a new development paradigm-away from only attempting to reconcile maximizing conservation versus intensification of traditional agriculture and expansion of hydropower capacity-in which we research, develop, and scale a high-tech innovation approach that sees the Amazon as a global public good of biological assets that can enable the creation of innovative high-value products, services, and platforms through combining advanced digital, biological, and material technologies of the Fourth Industrial Revolution in progress.

ASSESSMENT OF THE ACCURACY OF THE RAPID TEST FOR THE DIAGNOSIS OF HELICOBACTER PYLORI IN PATIENTS THAT DIDN'T UNDERGO PREVIOUS ERADICATION THERAPY AND WHO WENT THROUGH ENDOSCOPY.

BACKGROUND: Helicobacter pylori infection is widely spread globally and is known to cause potentially serious diseases. Several diagnostic methods exist to identify and treat carriers of this bacterium. Serological tests for the diagnosis of infection are based on the detection of antibodies immunoglobulin G against H. pylori, a non-invasive, inexpensive, and easy-to-perform option. OBJECTIVE: This research aims to ascertain the accuracy of an immunochromatographic serological test to verify the feasibility of using this method in patients who have not undergone previous eradication therapy. METHODS: Rapid tests and questionnaires were applied to 53 patients that underwent upper digestive endoscopy with research for H. pylori between the period of September and October 2021. The results were compared with histopathology. RESULTS: In the rapid tests, seven positive and 46 negative results were obtained. When compared with the gold stan-dard, the following values were described: sensitivity 54.5%, specificity 97.6%, positive predictive value 85.7%, and negative predictive value 89.1%. CONCLUSION: In the present study, the immunochromatographic serological tests had an accuracy close to the values found in other similar studies. Therefore, it may be concluded that the rapid serological test remains a reasonable choice for screening large populations due to its low cost and ease of application, especially in those individuals who have not undergone previous treatment. BACKGROUND: • Helicobacter pylori infection can cause potentially serious diseases. BACKGROUND: • Serological tests are based on the detection of antibodies immunoglobulin G against Helicobacter pylori. BACKGROUND: • Serological tests for the diagnosis of Helicobacter pylori infection are low cost tools and have easy application. BACKGROUND: • Rapid serological test is a reasonable choice for screening large populations.

Long-term sustainability of the water-agriculture-energy nexus in Brazil's MATOPIBA region: A case study using system dynamics.

The global demand for agricultural commodities has driven extensive land conversion to agriculture in Brazil, especially in the MATOPIBA region. This area encompasses the Rio Grande Basin, a major tributary of the São Francisco Basin that is known for expanding intensive irrigated agriculture and hydropower generation. However, recent data reveal declining precipitation and aquifer recharge, potentially exacerbating ongoing water and land conflicts. This study investigates the long-term sustainability of agricultural expansion amid the worsening water scarcity using a system dynamics model. Findings suggest that rising costs and decreasing profits due to irrigation water shortages may hinder the expansion of irrigated land. By 2040, the irrigation demand may remain partly unmet, while downstream flow and baseflow could decrease. Additionally, agricultural expansion will significantly raise energy demand, posing a developmental challenge. We suggest that ensuring the sustainability of the Rio Grande Basin depends on improved water management and exploring alternative energy sources to address existing constraints.

Spatiotemporal data analysis with chronological networks.

The number of spatiotemporal data sets has increased rapidly in the last years, which demands robust and fast methods to extract information from this kind of data. Here, we propose a network-based model, called Chronnet, for spatiotemporal data analysis. The network construction process consists of dividing a geometric space into grid cells represented by nodes connected chronologically. Strong links in the network represent consecutive recurrent events between cells. The chronnet construction process is fast, making the model suitable to process large data sets. Using artificial and real data sets, we show how chronnets can capture data properties beyond simple statistics, like frequent patterns, spatial changes, outliers, and spatiotemporal clusters. Therefore, we conclude that chronnets represent a robust tool for the analysis of spatiotemporal data sets.

Avaliação da acurácia do teste rápido para diagnóstico de Helicobacter pylori em pacientes não submetidos à terapia de erradicação prévia sujeitados á endoscopia digestiva alta / Assessment of the accuracy of the rapid test for the diagnosis of helicobacter pylori in patients that didn't undergo previous eradication therapy and who went through endoscopy

ABSTRACT Background: Helicobacter pylori infection is widely spread globally and is known to cause potentially serious diseases. Several diagnostic methods exist to identify and treat carriers of this bacterium. Serological tests for the diagnosis of infection are based on the detection of antibodies immunoglobulin G against H. pylori, a non-invasive, inexpensive, and easy-to-perform option. Objective: This research aims to ascertain the accuracy of an immunochromatographic serological test to verify the feasibility of using this method in patients who have not undergone previous eradication therapy. Methods: Rapid tests and questionnaires were applied to 53 patients that underwent upper digestive endoscopy with research for H. pylori between the period of September and October 2021. The results were compared with histopathology. Results: In the rapid tests, seven positive and 46 negative results were obtained. When compared with the gold stan­dard, the following values were described: sensitivity 54.5%, specificity 97.6%, positive predictive value 85.7%, and negative predictive value 89.1%. Conclusion: In the present study, the immunochromatographic serological tests had an accuracy close to the values found in other similar studies. Therefore, it may be concluded that the rapid serological test remains a reasonable choice for screening large populations due to its low cost and ease of application, especially in those individuals who have not undergone previous treatment.

RESUMO Contexto: A infecção pelo Helicobacter pylori apresenta-se amplamente difundida globalmente e é comprovadamente causadora de patologias potencialmente graves. Diversos métodos diagnósticos existem com o propósito de identificar e tratar os portadores dessa bactéria. Testes sorológicos para diagnóstico da infecção se baseiam na detecção de anticorpos imunoglobulina G anti-H.pylori, sendo uma opção não-invasiva, barata e de fácil realização. Objetivo: O objetivo dessa pesquisa é determinar a acurácia de um teste sorológico imunocromatográfico para verificar a viabilidade do uso desse método em pacientes que não realizaram terapia de erradicação prévia. Métodos: Foram aplicados testes rápidos e questionários em 53 participantes que realizaram endoscopia digestiva alta com pesquisa de H. pylori entre o período de setembro e outubro de 2021. Os resultados foram comparados com a histopatologia. Resultados: Foram obtidos nos testes rápidos 7 resultados positivos e 46 negativos. Ao comparar com o padrão-ouro, os seguintes valores foram descritos: Sensibilidade 54,5%, especificidade 97,6%, valor preditivo positivo 85,7% e valor preditivo negativo 89,1%. No presente estudo, os testes sorológicos imunocromatográficos tiveram acurácia próxima aos valores encontrados em outros trabalhos semelhantes. Conclusão: Sendo assim, conclui-se que o teste rápido sorológico permanece como escolha razoável para screening de grandes populações devido ao seu baixo custo e facilidade de aplicação, especialmente naqueles indivíduos que não realizaram tratamento prévio.

II Brazilian consensus statement on endoscopic ultrasonography.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: At the time of its introduction in the early 80s, endoscopic ultrasonography (EUS) was indicated for diagnostic purposes. Recently, EUS has been employed to assist or to be the main platform of complex therapeutic interventions. METHODS: From a series of relevant new topics in the literature and based on the need to complement the I Brazilian consensus on EUS, twenty experienced endosonographers identified and reviewed the pertinent literature in databases. The quality of evidence, strength of recommendations, and level of consensus were graded and voted on. RESULTS: Consensus was reached for eight relevant topics: treatment of gastric varices, staging of nonsmall cell lung cancer, biliary drainage, tissue sampling of subepithelial lesions (SELs), treatment of pancreatic fluid collections, tissue sampling of pancreatic solid lesions, celiac neurolysis, and evaluation of the incidental pancreatic cysts. CONCLUSIONS: There is a high level of evidence for staging of nonsmall cell lung cancer; biopsy of SELs as the safest method; unilateral and bilateral injection techniques are equivalent for EUS-guided celiac neurolysis, and in patients with visible ganglia, celiac ganglia neurolysis appears to lead to better results. There is a moderate level of evidence for: yield of tissue sampling of pancreatic solid lesions is not influenced by the needle shape, gauge, or employed aspiration technique; EUS-guided and percutaneous biliary drainage present similar clinical success and adverse event rates; plastic and metallic stents are equivalent in the EUS-guided treatment of pancreatic pseudocyst. There is a low level of evidence in the routine use of EUS-guided treatment of gastric varices.

Extreme rainfall, vulnerability and risk: a continental-scale assessment for South America.

Extreme weather continues to preoccupy society as a formidable public safety concern bearing huge economic costs. While attention has focused on global climate change and how it could intensify key elements of the water cycle such as precipitation and river discharge, it is the conjunction of geophysical and socioeconomic forces that shapes human sensitivity and risks to weather extremes. We demonstrate here the use of high-resolution geophysical and population datasets together with documentary reports of rainfall-induced damage across South America over a multi-decadal, retrospective time domain (1960-2000). We define and map extreme precipitation hazard, exposure, affectedpopulations, vulnerability and risk, and use these variables to analyse the impact of floods as a water security issue. Geospatial experiments uncover major sources of risk from natural climate variability and population growth, with change in climate extremes bearing a minor role. While rural populations display greatest relative sensitivity to extreme rainfall, urban settings show the highest rates of increasing risk. In the coming decades, rapid urbanization will make South American cities the focal point of future climate threats but also an opportunity for reducing vulnerability, protecting lives and sustaining economic development through both traditional and ecosystem-based disaster risk management systems.

Perfil epidemiológico, achados endoscópicos e controle de qualidade das colonoscopias realizadas em uma clínica de gastroenterologia do município de Criciúma entre março e setembro de 2009 / Epidemiological profile, endoscopic findings and quality control of colonoscopies performed in a gastroenterology clinic in the city of Criciúma in the period between march and september 2009

Objetivo: descrever os achados endoscópicos e sua correlação epidemiológica, o índice de acesso ao ceco e a taxa de detecção de adenomas como descritores da finalidade dos exames praticados em uma clínica privada de Criciúma, SC. Métodos: foram analisados os laudos das colonoscopias realizadas na rotina de uma clínica de gastroenterologia, entre março e setembro de 2009, levando em consideração a faixa etária, o sexo, a raça, os achados endoscópicos, as indicações para a realização da colonoscopia, a qualidade do preparo intestinal e o índice de acesso ao ceco. Elaborou-se um estudo retrospectivo, do tipo descritivo, transversal e documental de abordagem quantitativa e qualitativa. Resultados: dos 303 exames incluídos no estudo, 198 pacientes eram do sexo feminino (65,3%) e a média de idade foi de 53,7 anos (12 a 86 anos). As indicações para a realização do exame foram: alteração do ritmo intestinal 92 (30,4%), sangramento intestinal 78 (25,7%) e dor abdominal 56 (18,5%). O índice de acesso ao ceco foi de 96,6%, detectou-se adenoma em 43,9% e neoplasia avançada em 3,4%. Conclusão: houve aumento da frequência de neoplasias (câncer avançado e pólipos) com o aumento da idade, com maior prevalência no sexo masculino. O índice de acesso ao ceco e a taxa de detecção de adenomas encontram-se de acordo com a literatura pesquisada.

Objective: to describe the endoscopic and their epidemiological correlation, the index of access to the cecum and the detection rate of adenomas as descriptors of the purpose of examinations performed in a private clinic of Criciuma - SC. Methods: we analyzed reports of colonoscopies performed in the routine of a gastroenterology clinic between March and June 2009, taking into account age, sex, race, endoscopic findings, the indications for colonoscopy, the preparation intestinal content and access to the cecum. Was conducted a retrospective, descriptive, transversal and documentation of quantitative and qualitative approach. Results: of 303 surveys included in the study 198 patients were female (65.3%) and the mean age was 53.7 years (12-86 years). The indications for the exam were: change of pace intestinal 92 (30.4%), intestinal bleeding 78 (25.7%) and abdominal pain 56 (18.5%). The index of access to the cecum was 96.6%, was detected in 43.9% adenoma and advanced neoplasia in 3.4%. Conclusion: increased frequency of neoplasms (cancer and advanced polyps) with increasing age, with higher prevalence in males. The index of access to the cecum and the detection rate of adenomas are in agreement with the literature.

Análise dos escores de gravidade como preditores na mortalidade em cirróticos hospitalizados / Evaluation of the prognostic scores to predict mortality in hospitalized cirrhotic patient

Introdução: Diversos índices têm sido propostos na avaliação da gravidade da doença hepática. Objetivo: Analisar os escores de Child-Turcote- Pugh (CTP), APACHE II, MELD e SOFA como índices prognósticos de mortalidade hospitalar em pacientes cirróticos. Metodologia: Foram avaliados prospectivamente todos os cirróticos que se internaram em enfermaria provenientes da emergência de um Hosputal Geral de Porto Alegre, em um período de 6 meses. Os escores CTP, MELD, APACHE II e SOFA foram registrados, bem como o desfecho (alta ou óbito). O nível de significância adotado foi de 5%. Resultados: Foram avaliados 61 cirróticos. Quarenta e três eram homens (70%). A média de idade foi de 54,7±11,7 anos. Álcool e/ou o vírus da hepatite C (HCV) foram responsáveis pela etiologia de 50 (82%) casos. Quanto ao CTP, houve 7 (32%) mortes naqueles CTP A ou B, e 11 (38%) naqueles C (p=0,27). A mediana do escore MELD foi de 15, sendo que houve 3 (11%) mortes naqueles com MELD < 15 e 15 (45%) naqueles com MELD ≥15 (p=0,02). A mediana do escore APACHE II foi de 9, sendo que houve 0 morte naqueles com índice < 9 e 18 (41%) naqueles com índice ≥9 (p<00,1). Em relação ao SOFA, a média foi de 3,6±1,8 naqueles vivos versus 5,6±2,6 naqueles que foram a óbito durante a internação (p=0,005). A mortalidade hospitalar foi de 29% (18 casos). Conclusões: Os escores MELD, APACHE II e SOFA se mostraram bons preditores de mortalidade em cirróticos hospitalizados, mas não a classificação de CTP.

Introduction: A number of indexes have historically been proposed to assess the severity of liver disease. Aim: To evaluate the Child-Turcote-Pugh (CTP), APACHE II, MELD and SOFA scores as prognostic indexes of in-hospital mortality among cirrhotic patients. Methods: This is a prospective analysis of all cirrhotic patients who were admitted to a general hospital of Porto Alegre in a period of 6 months. CTP, MELD, APACHE II and SOFA scores were analyzed, as well as the outcome (discharge or death). The level of significance was 5%. Results: A total of 61 cirrhotic patients were evaluated. Forty-three patients were males (70%) and the mean age was 54.7±11.7 years. Alcohol and/or hepatitis C virus (HCV) were the ethiological agents in 50 (82%) cases. Concerning CTP scores, there were 7 (32%) deaths among CTP A or B and 11 (38%) deaths among CTP C (p=0.27). The median for the MELD scores was 15, and there were 3 (11%) deaths among those with MELD < 15 and 15 (45%) deaths among those with MELD ≥15 (p=0.02). The median for the APACHE II scores was 9, and there were no deaths (0) among patients with indexes ≥9 (p<00.1). Concerning the SOFA, the mean was 3.6±1.8 among living patients versus 5.6±2.6 among those who progressed to death during the hospitalization (p=0.005). The overall in-hospital mortality rate was 29% (18 cases). Conclusions: MELD, APACHE II, and SOFA scores proved to be good predictors of mortality of hospitalized cirrhotic patients, but the CTP did not.