Natural tree shade increases milk stability of lactating dairy cows during the summer in the subtropics.

This research communication addresses the hypothesis that, during the summer in the subtropics, natural tree shade helps to improve milk functional characteristics such as stability and acidity. Sixteen Holstein lactating cows were enrolled. The study consisted of three periods (pre-stress, heat stress and post-stress) based on allocating grazing cows into two treatments (with and without access to shade during the Heat Stress period). Overall THI during the trial was (mean ± se) 76.0 ± 3.4. Access to shade prevented the heat stress-related decrease in milk stability both in the ethanol and in the coagulation time test, as well as maintained milk acidity within an acceptable range (14 to 18°D).

Permanent standard time is the optimal choice for health and safety: an American Academy of Sleep Medicine position statement.

The period of the year from spring to fall, when clocks in most parts of the United States are set one hour ahead of standard time, is called daylight saving time, and its beginning and ending dates and times are set by federal law. The human biological clock is regulated by the timing of light and darkness, which then dictates sleep and wake rhythms. In daily life, the timing of exposure to light is generally linked to the social clock. When the solar clock is misaligned with the social clock, desynchronization occurs between the internal circadian rhythm and the social clock. The yearly change between standard time and daylight saving time introduces this misalignment, which has been associated with risks to physical and mental health and safety, as well as risks to public health. In 2020, the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM) published a position statement advocating for the elimination of seasonal time changes, suggesting that evidence best supports the adoption of year-round standard time. This updated statement cites new evidence and support for permanent standard time. It is the position of the AASM that the United States should eliminate seasonal time changes in favor of permanent standard time, which aligns best with human circadian biology. Evidence supports the distinct benefits of standard time for health and safety, while also underscoring the potential harms that result from seasonal time changes to and from daylight saving time. CITATION: Rishi MA, Cheng JY, Strang AR, et al. Permanent standard time is the optimal choice for health and safety: an American Academy of Sleep Medicine position statement. J Clin Sleep Med. 2024;20(1):121-125.

Neuromuscular electrical stimulation for obstructive sleep apnoea: comparing adherence to active and sham therapy.

Background: Mild obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) is a common disorder associated with daytime sleepiness and impaired quality of life. Given that adherence to positive airway pressure (PAP) therapy in OSA is suboptimal, alternative strategies are needed particularly for patients with mild OSA. Daytime neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) of the tongue is a new therapeutic modality for mild OSA. The objective of this study was to determine if patients with mild OSA adhere to daytime NMES. Methods: A randomised, sham-controlled, double-masked controlled trial was conducted in 40 patients with mild OSA who received either high-intensity (active) or low-intensity (sham) NMES for 6 weeks. The primary end-point was adherence to therapy. Exploratory outcomes included the respiratory event index (REI) and the Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS) score. Results: More than 90% of participants in each arm were adherent to NMES. Exploratory analyses revealed a 32.7% (95% CI 15.5-49.9%) drop in the REI with active NMES, with no significant change in the REI with sham NMES. Improvements were larger in the supine than non-supine REI. Both the apnoea index and hypopnoea index improved with active NMES. Finally, the ESS score improved with active but not with sham NMES. Conclusions: Daytime NMES was well accepted, with a majority using it for the recommended period. NMES of the tongue use was associated with improvements in OSA severity and daytime sleepiness. Additional research is needed to define its role in the treatment armamentarium across the spectrum of OSA severity and in patients who are intolerant to PAP therapy.

Sleep-Disordered Breathing and Prevalent Hypertension in Men With and Without HIV.

BACKGROUND: Sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) is a known risk factor for hypertension. Despite the well-established link between HIV infection and hypertension, it remains to be determined whether HIV infection modifies the association between SDB and hypertension. SETTING: The Multicenter AIDS Cohort Study. METHODS: SDB was assessed using in-home polysomnography in 779 men (436 with and 343 without HIV). The apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) based on oxyhemoglobin desaturation threshold of ≥3% or arousal (AHI 3a ) and ≥4% (AHI 4 ) along with oxygen desaturation index (ODI) were used to quantify SDB severity. Hypertension was defined as a blood pressure ≥140/90 mm Hg, use of antihypertensive medication, or self-report of a clinical diagnosis. The associations between HIV, SDB, and hypertension were characterized using multivariable logistic regression. RESULTS: The prevalence of hypertension and SDB (AHI 3a ≥ 5 events/hr) was high, with estimates of 53.8% and 82.8%, respectively. Among men without SDB, HIV was independently associated with hypertension, with an adjusted odds ratio (OR) of 3.05 [95% confidence interval (CI): 1.33 to 7.01]. In men without HIV, SDB was associated with hypertension (OR: 2.93; 95% CI: 1.46 to 5.86). No significant increase in the odds of hypertension was noted in men with both HIV and SDB compared with men with either factor alone, with an OR of 3.24 (95% CI: 1.62 to 6.47). These results were consistent across different measures used to define SDB (AHI 3a , AHI 4 , ODI 3 , and ODI 4 ). CONCLUSIONS: Predictors of hypertension differed by HIV status. SDB was associated with hypertension in men without HIV, but not in men with HIV. Among men with HIV, SDB did not affect the odds of hypertension.

A transition to the American Academy of Sleep Medicine-recommended hypopnea definition in adults: initiatives of the Hypopnea Scoring Rule Task Force.

The American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM) recommends that hypopneas be identified using a definition that is based on a ≥ 30% decrease in airflow associated with a ≥ 3% reduction in the oxygen saturation or an arousal (H3A) for diagnosis of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) in adults. This conflicts with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services definition, which requires a ≥ 4% decrease in the oxygen saturation to identify a hypopnea (H4) and does not acknowledge arousals. In 2018, the AASM Board of Directors constituted a Hypopnea Scoring Rule Task Force with a mandate to "create a strategy for adoption and implementation of the AASM recommended adult hypopnea scoring criteria among members, payers and device manufacturers." The task force initiated several activities including a survey of AASM-accredited sleep facilities and discussions with polysomnography software vendors. Survey results indicated that most sleep facilities scored polysomnograms using only the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services definition. Vendors indicated that they could easily support dual scoring. Informal testing among task force members' sleep facilities confirmed there would be little additional work if dual scoring was performed. The task force convened several meetings of a working group of OSA content experts and interested parties, with the purpose of creating research recommendations to study the impact on relevant clinical outcomes using the different definitions of hypopnea. Several possible prospective and retrospective approaches were discussed with emphasis on the group of patients diagnosed with OSA based on an apnea-hypopnea index using H3A but not H4. Based on the deliberations of the working group, the Hypopnea Scoring Rule Task Force submitted recommendations to the AASM Foundation concerning research project strategies for potential grant funding. Further discussions within the Hypopnea Scoring Rule Task Force focused on developing advocacy initiatives among patient stakeholder groups to change payer policy. CITATION: Berry RB, Abreu AR, Krishnan V, Quan SF, Strollo PJ Jr, Malhotra RK. A transition to the American Academy of Sleep Medicine-recommended hypopnea definition in adults: initiatives of the Hypopnea Scoring Rule Task Force. J Clin Sleep Med. 2022;18(5):1419-1425.

A case of SARS-CoV-2 reinfection in a patient with obstructive sleep apnea managed with telemedicine.

The novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) has produced millions of infections and deaths worldwide. It is believed that adaptive immunity to the virus occurs although with variation in its pattern and duration. While uncommon, confirmed reinfection with the novel coronavirus has been reported. Telemedicine has emerged as a viable tool for the delivery of healthcare in lieu of in-person patient contact. The variable and occasionally rapid course of clinical disease raises safety concerns of using telemedicine in the clinical management of acute infection with the novel coronavirus. We present a case of novel coronavirus infection in an immunocompetent individual with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) who failed to manifest an adaptive immune response to acute infection and was subsequently reinfected. The case highlights the use of telemedicine in managing novel coronavirus respiratory disease and the potential role of OSA as a disease facilitator.

[Climate change, changes in productivity and health: complex interactions in the national literature]. / Mudanças climáticas, mudanças produtivas e saúde: complexas interações na literatura nacional.

This article reviews the scientific output published in national journals on the interactions that are established between the concepts of climate change, productive changes (including changes in land use) and human health in the last ten years (from 2008 to 2017), highlighting the theoretical-methodological trends of this output. To achieve this, a review of the literature was made from publications made available in the Scientific Electronic Library Online (SciELO) and the CAPES Journals Portal. The results obtained demonstrate the advances made in the last ten years by the interdisciplinary teams that dealt with the subject over the period analyzed. At the same time, this article identifies the research gaps that can be exploited in future research. In addition, a positive sophistication and refinement of analytical tools and instruments have been identified that are able to gather consistent information about a broad and complex reality characterized by the diversity of biomes, climatic scenarios and productive systems.

Este artigo caracteriza a produção científica divulgada em periódicos nacionais sobre as interações que se estabelecem entre os conceitos de mudanças climáticas, mudanças produtivas (incluídas as mudanças no uso do solo) e saúde humana, nos últimos dez anos (de 2008 a 2017), com destaque para as tendências teórico-metodológicas dessa produção. Para tanto, realizou-se uma revisão da literatura a partir de publicações disponibilizadas nas bases Scientific Electronic Library Online (SciELO) e Portal de Periódicos CAPES. Os resultados obtidos demonstraram os avanços experimentados nos últimos dez anos pelas equipes interdisciplinares que se debruçaram sobre o tema ao longo do período analisado, bem como permitem identificar lacunas de pesquisa que podem ser exploradas em investigações futuras. Adicionalmente, foi identificada uma positiva sofisticação e refinamento das ferramentas e instrumentos analíticos que se mostram capazes de reunir informações consistentes sobre uma realidade ampla e complexa, caracterizada pela diversidade dos biomas, cenários climáticos e sistemas produtivos.

How might non nutritional sucking protect from sudden infant death syndrome.

Epidemiology has identified an association between the use of pacifiers and protection from sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). The use of pacifiers for SIDS prevention fails to gain adoption partly because there is no widely accepted physiologic mechanism to explain the epidemiologic association. Additionally, the scientific literature available on pacifier use focuses largely on the probable adverse effects. We hypothesize that pacifier use and all other forms of non-nutritional sucking (specifically digit sucking, also known as thumb sucking) is a life saving defense mechanism meant to splint open and stabilize the collapsible portion of the upper airway in infants.The main objective of this review article is to propose a mechanism to explain how pacifiers might help prevent SIDS. If the medical community accepts this mechanism, it can help promote pacifier use by the public and potentially reduce the incidence of SIDS.

A survey of positive airway pressure therapy preparedness and outcomes following Hurricane Irma in patients with obstructive sleep apnea.

STUDY OBJECTIVES: Clinical benefit from positive pressure therapy is dependent on treatment adherence. Extreme weather events, such as floods, hurricanes, and tornadoes, can contribute to nonadherence by electricity loss and mandatory evacuation. We aimed to evaluate the concerns and behaviors of regular positive airway pressure users surrounding the extreme weather event Hurricane Irma. METHODS: A questionnaire on positive pressure concerns surrounding Hurricane Irma was completed by 117 patients with pre-hurricane objectively confirmed treatment adherence as defined by Medicare. Responses were tabulated to identify concerns and behavior in preparation for and after Hurricane Irma. Cloud-based monitoring, available on 50 (43%) cases, was used to determine the effect of self-reported electricity loss on treatment adherence before and after the storm. Quantitative use data pre- and post-Hurricane Irma was compared by t test with P < .05 considered statistically significant. RESULTS: Post-hurricane 78 (67%) patients were unable to use treatment with mean duration of 4.3 days. Of these, snoring, choking, and sleepiness were reported in 64%, 19%, and 42%, respectively. Loss of electricity was identified as the cause of missed treatment in 71 patients. In those with cloud monitoring, mean 14-day pre- and post-hurricane use differed by 8 minutes (P =.056). Cloud-monitored cases with loss of electricity had a decline in mean use of 33 minutes for the first 7 days post-hurricane. There was a trend towards increased use post-hurricane in those that retained electricity. Many patients expressed dissatisfaction with the availability of preparedness guidelines. CONCLUSIONS: Although common, loss of electricity was not the sole disruptor of positive pressure use after extreme weather events. Regular users of positive airway pressure experience both disruption in patterns of use and concerns regarding preparedness for extreme weather events.

Feasibility of shortening respiratory isolation with a single sputum nucleic acid amplification test.

RATIONALE: Serial smear analysis to guide respiratory isolation (RI) of patients with suspected tuberculosis (TB), the majority of whom will be found not to have TB, leads to expensive and unnecessary isolation, and may potentially result in decreased vigilance of subjects with respiratory compromise. OBJECTIVES: To compare the performance of a single first-sputum, Mycobacterium tuberculosis-specific nucleic acid amplification (NAA) test with three sputum smears for assessing the need for RI. METHODS: Prospective evaluation of 493 patients with suspected TB (74% HIV positive) admitted to RI in a major county hospital in the United States, who had at least three sputum smears and material available from the first sample for additional NAA testing. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Accuracy of the first sputum NAA result and serial smears for identifying patients with potentially infectious TB who truly require RI was determined. Forty-six patients (9.3%) had TB confirmed by culture. First-sputum NAA test detected all patients with TB who had a positive smear (n = 35), even when the first of the three specimens was smear negative. In addition, when compared with serial smears, the first-sputum NAA had a higher sensitivity (0.87; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.74-0.95) and specificity (1.0) in the detection of subjects with positive M. tuberculosis cultures (smear sensitivity, 0.76; 95% CI, 0.61-0.87; and specificity, 0.96; 95% CI, 0.94-0.98). CONCLUSIONS: A single first-sputum NAA testing can rapidly and accurately identify the subset of patients with suspected TB who require RI according to serial sputum smears. Its potential use to shorten RI time does not preclude the need to obtain subsequent specimens for culture.

Role of Obstructive Sleep Apnea in Cognitive Impairment.

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a prevalent sleep related breathing disorder characterized by repetitive collapse of the upper airways leading to intermittent hypoxia and sleep disruption. Clinically relevant neurocognitive, metabolic and cardiovascular disease often occurs in OSA. Systemic hypertension, coronary artery disease, type 2 diabetes mellitus, cerebral vascular infarctions and atrial fibrillation are among the most often cited conditions with causal connections to OSA. Emerging science suggest that untreated and undertreated OSA increases the risk of developing cognitive impairment, including vascular dementia and neurodegenerative disorders, like Alzheimer's disease. As with OSA, cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes mellitus, the incidence of dementia increases with age. Given our rapidly aging population, dementia prevalence will significantly increase. The aim of this treatise is to review current literature linking OSA to dementia and explore putative mechanisms by which OSA might facilitate the development and progression of dementia.

Is Obstructive Sleep Apnea Associated With Progressive Glaucomatous Optic Neuropathy?

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the relationship between obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) and glaucoma progression, and to examine the correlation between OSAS severity and rate of visual field (VF) loss. METHODS: Patients with concurrent diagnoses of open-angle glaucoma and OSAS between 2010 and 2016 were identified. Enrollment criteria consisted of glaucomatous optic neuropathy and VF loss, ≥5 reliable VFs, ≥2 years of follow-up, and polysomnography (PSG) within 12 months of final VF. PSG parameters including apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) and oxygen saturation (SpO2) were collected. Eyes were classified as "progressors" or "nonprogressors" based upon event analysis using Glaucoma Progression Analysis criteria. Two-tailed t test comparisons were performed, and correlations between rates of VF loss and PSG parameters were assessed. RESULTS: A total of 141 patients with OSAS and glaucoma were identified. Twenty-five patients (age 67.9±7.6 y) with OSAS (8 mild, 8 moderate, 9 severe) were enrolled. Eleven eyes (44%) were classified as progressors, and had more severe baseline VF loss (P=0.03). Progressors and nonprogressors had nonsignificantly different (P>0.05) age (69.9±8.7 vs. 66.4±6.6 y), follow-up (4.4±0.7 vs. 4.3±1.0 y), intraocular pressure (13.1±2.8 vs. 14.9±2.5 mm Hg), mean ocular perfusion pressure (49.7±5.5 vs. 48.8±9.0 mm Hg), AHI (31.3±18.6 vs. 26.4±24.0), body-mass index (27.8±5.5 vs. 28.8±5.6), and SpO2 (94.1±1.6% vs. 94.0±1.6%). AHI was not correlated with slopes of VF mean deviation (r, -0.271; P, 0.190) or pattern standard deviation (r, 0.211; P, 0.312), and no substantial increase in risk of progression was found with increase in AHI. CONCLUSIONS: This study does not support a relationship between OSAS and glaucomatous progression. No correlation was observed between OSAS severity and rate of VF loss.

Obstructive Sleep Apnea Phenotypes and Markers of Vascular Disease: A Review.

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a chronic and heterogeneous disorder that leads to early mortality, stroke, and cardiovascular disease (CVD). OSA is defined by the apnea-hypopnea index, which is an index of OSA severity that combines apneas (pauses in breathing) and hypopneas (partial obstructions in breathing) associated with hypoxemia. Yet, other sleep metrics (i.e., oxygen nadir, arousal frequency), along with clinical symptoms and molecular markers could be better predictors of stroke and CVD outcomes in OSA. The recent focus on personalized medical care introduces the possibility of a unique approach to the treatment of OSA based on its phenotypes, defined by pathophysiological mechanisms and/or clinical presentation. We summarized what is known about OSA and its phenotypes, and review the literature on factors or intermediate markers that could increase stroke risk and CVD in patients with OSA. The OSA phenotypes where divided across three different domains (1) clinical symptoms (i.e., daytime sleepiness), (2) genetic/molecular markers, and (3) experimental data-driven approach (e.g., cluster analysis). Finally, we further highlight gaps in the literature framing a research agenda.

Mudanças climáticas, mudanças produtivas e saúde: complexas interações na literatura nacional / Climate change, changes in productivity and health: complex interactions in the national literature

Resumo Este artigo caracteriza a produção científica divulgada em periódicos nacionais sobre as interações que se estabelecem entre os conceitos de mudanças climáticas, mudanças produtivas (incluídas as mudanças no uso do solo) e saúde humana, nos últimos dez anos (de 2008 a 2017), com destaque para as tendências teórico-metodológicas dessa produção. Para tanto, realizou-se uma revisão da literatura a partir de publicações disponibilizadas nas bases Scientific Electronic Library Online (SciELO) e Portal de Periódicos CAPES. Os resultados obtidos demonstraram os avanços experimentados nos últimos dez anos pelas equipes interdisciplinares que se debruçaram sobre o tema ao longo do período analisado, bem como permitem identificar lacunas de pesquisa que podem ser exploradas em investigações futuras. Adicionalmente, foi identificada uma positiva sofisticação e refinamento das ferramentas e instrumentos analíticos que se mostram capazes de reunir informações consistentes sobre uma realidade ampla e complexa, caracterizada pela diversidade dos biomas, cenários climáticos e sistemas produtivos.

Abstract This article reviews the scientific output published in national journals on the interactions that are established between the concepts of climate change, productive changes (including changes in land use) and human health in the last ten years (from 2008 to 2017), highlighting the theoretical-methodological trends of this output. To achieve this, a review of the literature was made from publications made available in the Scientific Electronic Library Online (SciELO) and the CAPES Journals Portal. The results obtained demonstrate the advances made in the last ten years by the interdisciplinary teams that dealt with the subject over the period analyzed. At the same time, this article identifies the research gaps that can be exploited in future research. In addition, a positive sophistication and refinement of analytical tools and instruments have been identified that are able to gather consistent information about a broad and complex reality characterized by the diversity of biomes, climatic scenarios and productive systems.

A interface entre saúde, mudanças climáticas e uso do solo no Brasil: uma análise da evolução da produção científica internacional entre 1990 e 2019 / The interface between health, climate change and land use in Brazil: analyzing the evolution of international scientific production between 1990 and 2019

Abstract O objetivo deste estudo é analisar a evolução da produção científica internacional sobre a interface entre saúde, mudanças climáticas e uso do solo nas últimas décadas, enfatizando a compreensão da saúde em seu sentido amplo, com destaque às dimensões ambientais, sociais e climáticas, a partir das publicações indexadas na base de dados Scopus. Para alcançar esse objetivo, aplicamos duas metodologias: (1) revisão sistemática da literatura internacional, do tipo descritivo-analítica, incorporando métodos qualitativos e quantitativos; e (2) análise de redes, partindo da categorização da dinâmica de palavras-chave com o uso do software VOSviewer. Aplicando filtros de busca na base de dados, resultaram 283 artigos, dos quais 162 representam a interface entre saúde e mudanças climáticas; 86, entre saúde e uso do solo; 13, entre uso do solo e mudanças climáticas; e, por fim, 22 representaram a intersecção dos três temas. Verifica-se aumento crescente no número de publicações na última década, com destaque aos anos de 2008, 2014 e 2018. Prevalece o uso de metodologias multivariadas, como modelagem de nicho ecológico, modelagem de nicho de entropia máxima, avaliação de ciclo de vida, análise de áreas sentinelas, análise de múltiplos resíduos, sensoriamento remoto e análise de regressão linear, dentre outras, que evidenciam a existência de múltiplos drivers e vulnerabilidades socioambientais ao tratar da relação entre mudanças climáticas, saúde e uso do solo. O maior desafio ao agregar variáveis climáticas, socioambientais e epidemiológicas é a disponibilidade de dados primários e secundários em escala municipal com abrangência nacional e série temporal mínima de 20 anos.

Resumo This bibliographic study analyzes the evolution of international scientific production concerning the interface between health, climate change and land use in the last decades, emphasizing the understanding of health in its broad sense, highlighting the environmental, social and climate dimensions by assessing publications indexed in the Scopus database. To achieve this objective, two methodologies were applied: (1) a descriptive-analytical systematic review of the international literature, incorporating qualitative and quantitative methods; (2) and network analysis based on the categorization of keyword dynamics using the application software VOSviewer. Applying search filters to the database resulted in 283 articles, where 162 articles represent the health and climate change interface, 86 represent the health and land use interface, 13 the land use and climate change interface, and the last 22 included all three. There has been a growing increase in the number of publications in the last decade, especially 2008, 2014 and 2018. The use of multivariate methodologies is prevalent, namely (i) ecological niche modeling; (ii) maximum entropy niche modeling; (iii) life cycle assessment; (iv) analysis of sentinel areas; (v) multiple residue analysis; (vi) remote sensing; (vii) linear regression analysis, among others, which show the existence of multiple drivers and vulnerabilities when dealing with the relation between climate change, health and land use. The biggest challenge in aggregating socioenvironmental, climatic and epidemiological variables is the availability of primary and secondary data on a municipal scale with national coverage and a time series of at least 20 years.

Transparência da informação pública no Brasil: uma análise da acessibilidade de Big Data para o estudo das interfaces entre mudanças climáticas, mudanças produtivas e saúde / Public information transparency in Brazil: an analysis of the accessibility of Big Data for the study of the interfaces between climate change, productive changes and health / Transparencia de la información pública en Brasil: un análisis de la accesibilidad de Big Data para el estudio de las interfaces entre cambios climáticos, cambios productivos y salud

A informação pública, garantida por lei no Brasil, é base para a geração de conhecimento adaptativo em situações adversas, como a extrema vulnerabilidade socioambiental e seus impactos na saúde humana. O presente artigo avalia a transparência da informação pública nas áreas de saúde humana (com foco no Sistema Único de Saúde ­ SUS), mudanças produtivas (uso do solo) e mudanças climáticas (chuva e temperatura), utilizando dados de 5.570 municípios brasileiros, ao longo dos últimos 20 anos. A experiência da construção de uma base nacional de dados (Data Lake) a partir de informações disponibilizadas em bases públicas (ou público-privadas) ­ DATASUS, MapBiomas, Instituto Nacional de Meteorologia (Inmet) e Hidroweb da Agência Nacional de Águas (ANA) ­ confirmou que, na prática, a acessibilidade da informação pública no Brasil apresenta entraves importantes. Incluímos recomendações sobre como ela pode ser aprimorada para tornar os direitos de acesso à informação uma realidade mais concreta para o cidadão brasileiro.

The transparency of public information, a right that is entitled by law in Brazil, is the basis to generate adaptive knowledge in adverse situations, such as extreme socio-environmental vulnerability and its impacts on human health. This article evaluates the transparency of public information in three areas ­ i) human health, focusing on the Sistema Único de Saúde ­ SUS (Unified Health System); ii) productive changes (land use indicators); and iii) climate changes (rain and temperature indicators) ­ using data from all the 5,570 Brazilian municipalities over the last 20 years. The experience of building a national database (Data Lake) from available information in public (or public-private) databases ­ DATASUS, MapBiomas, Instituto Nacional de Meteorologia ­ Inmet (National Institute of Meteorology), and Hidroweb of the Agência Nacional de Águas ­ ANA (National Water Agency) ­ confirmed that, in practice, the accessibility of public information in Brazil suffers from significant shortcomings. We include some recommendations for and how it could be improved so that the access rights to information becomes a more concrete reality for the Brazilian citizen.

La información pública, garantizada por ley en Brasil, es la base para la generación de conocimiento adaptativo en situaciones adversas, como la extrema vulnerabilidad socioambiental y sus impactos en la salud humana. Este artículo evalúa la transparencia de la información pública en las áreas de salud humana (dirigindo la atención hacia el Sistema Único de Saúde ­ SUS (Sistema Único de Salud), cambios productivos (uso del suelo) y cambios climáticos (lluvia y temperatura), con datos de los 5.570 municipios brasileños, durante los últimos 20 años. La experiencia de la construcción de una base nacional de datos (Data Lake) a partir de informaciones disponibles en bases públicas (o público-privadas) ­ DATASUS, MapBiomas, Instituto Nacional de Meteorología (Inmet) e Hidroweb de la Agência Nacional de Águas ­ ANA (Agencia Nacional de Aguas) ­ confirmó que, en la práctica, la accesibilidad de la información pública en Brasil presenta obstáculos importantes. Incluimos recomendaciones acerca de como la transparencia puede ser perfeccionada para hacer de los derechos de acceso a la información una realidad más concreta para el ciudadano brasileño.

Nutritional supplementation required by native Cerrado species development, in nursery / Exigência de suplementação nutricional no desenvolvimento de espécies nativas do Cerrado, em viveiro

The ecological restoration of Cerrado ecosystems involves challenges pertinent to the fertilization of the substrate for seedlings in nursery, which are often produced by a single type of substrate. However, habitat heterogeneity suggests that the species may have different nutritional requirements. The objective was to assess the effect of substrate fertilization and nutritional supplementation by leaf in developing seedlings of Kielmeyera coriacea Mart. & Zucc. Eugenia dysenterica (Mart.) and DC Handroanthus impetiginosus (Mart. ex DC.) Mattos. The experiment was implemented in a 3x3 factorial completely randomized design (three types of substrates x three levels of foliar fertilization), with ten replicates. The treatments were tested by analysis of variance. For K. coriacea and H. impetiginosus, it is recommended to use a substrate composed of Soil + Manure (2:1), for E. dysenterica, it is recommended to use the complete substrate. Foliar fertilization is not recommended for all species. Regarding the soil analysis, organic matter, phosphorus and calcium were determinants in the formation of fertility groups for each of the major components of the Principal Component Analysis.

A restauração ecológica dos ecossistemas do Cerrado envolve desafios pertinentes à fertilização do substrato para mudas em viveiro, sendo muitas vezes produzidas por um único tipo de substrado. A heterogeneidade de habitats, porém, indica que as espécies podem ter exigências nutricionais distintas. Objetivou-se, portanto, avaliar o efeito da fertilização do substrato e da suplementação nutricional via folha no desenvolvimento de mudas de Kielmeyera coriacea Mart. & Zucc., de Eugenia dysenterica (Mart.) DC e de Handroanthus impetiginosus (Mart. ex DC.) Mattos. O experimento foi implantado com a utilização de delineamento inteiramente casualizado, em esquema fatorial 3 x 3 (três tipos de substratos x três níveis de adubação foliar), com dez repetições. Os tratamentos foram submetidos a análise de variância. Para as espécies K. coriacea e H. impetiginosus recomenda-se utilizar substrato composto por Solo + Manure (2:1); já para a E. dysenterica, recomenda-se utilizar o substrato Completo, não se recomendando realizar a adubação foliar para todas as espécies. Em relação à análise do solo, a matéria orgânica, o fósforo e o cálcio foram determinantes na formação dos grupos de fertilidade para cada um dos principais componentes da Análise de Componentes Principais.

Sleep disordered breathing, insomnia symptoms, and sleep quality in a clinical cohort of U.S. Hispanics in south Florida.

STUDY OBJECTIVES: There is a paucity of information on the epidemiology of sleep disorders among US Hispanics. This study describes the frequency of sleep disordered breathing (SDB) risk, insomnia complaints, poor sleep quality, and daytime somnolence in a clinical cohort of ethnically diverse US Hispanics living in South Florida. METHODS: We explored the presence of sleep disorders in a cohort of Hispanics seen at primary care, pulmonary, and sleep clinics at the University of Miami and Miami Veterans Affair Medical Center. Participants completed validated questionnaires, evaluating risk of SDB, presence of insomnia symptoms, sleep quality, and daytime sleepiness. Polysomnography was completed on the majority of the sleep clinic participants. RESULTS: Participants (N = 282; 62% male; mean age 54 ± 15 years; mean BMI 31 ± 6 kg/m(2)) included Hispanics of Cuban, Puerto Rican, Central/South American, and Caribbean heritage. Excessive daytime sleepiness was noted by 45% of participants. Poor sleep quality was reported by 49%; 76% screened high risk for SDB, and 68% had insomnia symptoms. Sleep disorders were more commonly reported in sleep clinic participants; however, 54% of non-sleep clinic participants were high risk for SDB, 35% had insomnia complaints, 28% had poor sleep quality, and 18% reported daytime sleepiness. CONCLUSIONS: Sleep disorders (including SDB) are common in clinical samples of Hispanics in South Florida. These findings highlight the urgent need for linguistically relevant and culturally responsive screening, awareness and education programs in clinical sleep medicine among US Hispanics. CITATION: Shafazand S; Wallace DM; Vargas SS; Del Toro Y; Dib S; Abreu AR; Ramos A; Nolan B; Baldwin CM; Fleming L. Sleep disordered breathing, insomnia symptoms, and sleep quality in a clinical cohort of US Hispanics in South Florida. J Clin Sleep Med 2012;8(5):507-514.

How many polysomnograms must sleep fellows score before becoming proficient at scoring sleep?

OBJECTIVES: In the field of sleep medicine, there is a paucity of evidence-based curriculum development strategies in the literature. We chose to determine the number of polysomnograms (PSG) necessary to be scored by sleep fellows in order to reasonably approximate sleep scoring by a Diplomate of the American Board of Sleep Medicine (DABSM). DESIGN: The fifth PSG scored by two sleep fellows during the 12 consecutive months of training was chosen for analysis. A DABSM not involved in the training of fellows scored sleep on each of the selected PSG with replication of montage and filter settings. Epoch by epoch comparison of sleep stage scoring is described as the frequency of concordance between fellow and DABSM (f correct). MEASUREMENTS AND RESULTS: The mean (SD) f correct for all PSG for each fellow was 0.83 (0.06) and 0.83 (0.08) (p = 0.93). Concordance between sleep fellow and DABSM approached 0.8 after scoring between 20-30 PSG. This milestone was reached after the fourth month of training. F correct was highest for stage 2 sleep and REM sleep and most variable for slow wave sleep and stage 1 sleep. The variability in f correct for these stages was in part related to the relative paucity of these sleep stages. CONCLUSIONS: Scoring of sleep becomes reasonably proficient after scoring approximately 20-30 PSG and/or four months of dedicated sleep disorders training. A standard measure of concordance that corrects for epoch sample size may be helpful for use in future similar investigations.