The impact of a health promotion program on toddlers' socio-emotional development: a cluster randomized study.

BACKGROUND: The first 3 years of life are a critical period for the development of socio-emotional skills, highlighting the importance of socio-emotional development in early childhood. This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of a health promotion intervention program on the socio-emotional development of children aged 12 to 42 months during the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS: A total of 344 children from 15 childcare centers participated in this study, with six centers in the intervention group and nine in the control group. Childcare teachers in the intervention group received a 6-month training program aimed at promoting healthy lifestyles, including topics such as diet, sleep, physical activity, and sedentary behavior. Sociodemographic and anthropometric measures were assessed at baseline, and socio-emotional development was assessed using the Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development - Third Edition (Bayley-III) at baseline and post-intervention. RESULTS: After the intervention, a significant difference in socio-emotional development was observed between children with mothers of varying education levels. Specifically, children whose mothers had lower education levels demonstrated significantly greater socio-emotional development (B = 19.000, p = 0.028) compared to the control group. In contrast, there was no significant difference in socio-emotional development among children with mothers from higher education levels. CONCLUSION: These findings suggest that intervention programs for childcare teachers can effectively promote healthy socio-emotional development in children from socioeconomically disadvantaged backgrounds. Future intervention programs should consider tailoring their approaches to target disadvantaged populations. TRIAL REGISTRATION: This cluster randomized controlled trial was registered in the Clinical Trials database/platform on 09/09/2019 (number NCT04082247).

Artificial Intelligence Techniques for Automatic Detection of Peri-implant Marginal Bone Remodeling in Intraoral Radiographs.

Peri-implantitis can cause marginal bone remodeling around implants. The aim is to develop an automatic image processing approach based on two artificial intelligence (AI) techniques in intraoral (periapical and bitewing) radiographs to assist dentists in determining bone loss. The first is a deep learning (DL) object-detector (YOLOv3) to roughly identify (no exact localization is required) two objects: prosthesis (crown) and implant (screw). The second is an image understanding-based (IU) process to fine-tune lines on screw edges and to identify significant points (intensity bone changes, intersections between screw and crown). Distances between these points are used to compute bone loss. A total of 2920 radiographs were used for training (50%) and testing (50%) the DL process. The mAP@0.5 metric is used for performance evaluation of DL considering periapical/bitewing and screws/crowns in upper and lower jaws, with scores ranging from 0.537 to 0.898 (sufficient because DL only needs an approximation). The IU performance is assessed with 50% of the testing radiographs through the t test statistical method, obtaining p values of 0.0106 (line fitting) and 0.0213 (significant point detection). The IU performance is satisfactory, as these values are in accordance with the statistical average/standard deviation in pixels for line fitting (2.75/1.01) and for significant point detection (2.63/1.28) according to the expert criteria of dentists, who establish the ground-truth lines and significant points. In conclusion, AI methods have good prospects for automatic bone loss detection in intraoral radiographs to assist dental specialists in diagnosing peri-implantitis.

Extensive genomic reshuffling involved in the karyotype evolution of genus Cerradomys (Rodentia: Sigmodontinae: Oryzomyini).

Rodents of the genus Cerradomys belong to the tribe Oryzomyini and present high chromosome variability with diploid numbers ranging from 2n=46 to 60. Classical cytogenetics and fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) with telomeric and whole chromosome-specific probes of another Oryzomyini, Oligoryzomys moojeni (OMO), were used to assess the karyotype evolution of the genus. Results were integrated into a molecular phylogeny to infer the hypothetical direction of chromosome changes. The telomeric FISH showed signals in telomeres in species that diverged early in the phylogeny, plus interstitial telomeric signals (ITS) in some species from the most derived clades (C. langguthi, C. vivoi, C. goytaca, and C. subflavus). Chromosome painting revealed homology from 23 segments of C. maracajuensis and C. marinhus to 32 of C. vivoi. Extensive chromosome reorganization was responsible for karyotypic differences in closely related species. Major drivers for genomic reshuffling were in tandem and centric fusion, fission, paracentric and pericentric inversions or centromere repositioning. Chromosome evolution was associated with an increase and decrease in diploid number in different lineages and ITS indicate remnants of ancient telomeres. Cytogenetics results corroborates that C. goytaca is not a junior synonym of C. subflavus since the karyotypic differences found may lead to reproductive isolation.

An Appearance-Based Tracking Algorithm for Aerial Search and Rescue Purposes.

The automation of the Wilderness Search and Rescue (WiSAR) task aims for high levels of understanding of various scenery. In addition, working in unfriendly and complex environments may cause a time delay in the operation and consequently put human lives at stake. In order to address this problem, Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), which provide potential support to the conventional methods, are used. These vehicles are provided with reliable human detection and tracking algorithms; in order to be able to find and track the bodies of the victims in complex environments, and a robust control system to maintain safe distances from the detected bodies. In this paper, a human detection based on the color and depth data captured from onboard sensors is proposed. Moreover, the proposal of computing data association from the skeleton pose and a visual appearance measurement allows the tracking of multiple people with invariance to the scale, translation and rotation of the point of view with respect to the target objects. The system has been validated with real and simulation experiments, and the obtained results show the ability to track multiple individuals even after long-term disappearances. Furthermore, the simulations present the robustness of the implemented reactive control system as a promising tool for assisting the pilot to perform approaching maneuvers in a safe and smooth manner.

Study of a reactor model for enzymatic reactions in continuous mode coupled to an ultrasound bath for esters production.

The main objective of this work was to investigate the enzymatic production of ethyl esters in continuous mode coupled to an ultrasound bath. For esterification reactions soybean free fatty acids (FFA) and ethanol were used as substrates, and Novozym 435 and Lipozyme TL IM, as catalysts. The experimental system consisted of a packed bed glass reactor immersed in an ultrasound bath and the following variables were studied: ethanol to FFA molar ratio of 1:1, 1:3 and 1:6, substrates flow rate of 2.5 and 5 mL/min, at 65 °C and 132 W ultrasound power output. It was noticed that the excess alcohol favored the esterification reaction with the best conversions observed, 95%, at 6 min reaction for 1:6 FFA to ethanol molar ratio, 2.5 mL/min feeding flow rate. Increasing the substrates feeding flow rate decreased the conversion down to 87% and replacing the Novozym 435 by Lipozyme TL IM no satisfactory conversions were achieved. This type of reactor demonstrated good performance for ethyl esters production, opening promising perspectives for use in the production of other types of esters such as those aromatic and others with high value.

Resistance of Rice Varieties to the Stored-Product Insect, Sitophilus zeamais (Coleoptera: Curculionidae).

Four common Portuguese rice varieties--Thaibonnet, Gladio, Albatros, and Eurosis--were tested for their relative susceptibility to Sitophilus zeamais Motschulsky, a common pest of stored rice in Portugal and in tropical countries. Physical (moisture content, hardness, length, and width) and chemical (by attenuated total reflection-Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy) properties of rice kernels were measured. Insect bioassays measured median developmental time, Dobie's index of susceptibility, percentage of damaged grains and weight loss, and progeny developed. This was done for paddy, brown rice, and polished rice for each variety. There were small, but significant, differences in insect resistance among the varieties. However, it was different for paddy and polished rice. In paddy, these differences were correlated with hull damage, and Eurosis was the most susceptible variety. In polished rice, resistance was correlated with hardness, and Thaibonnet was the most susceptible variety. In general, paddy rice was more resistant to insect attack, followed by polished rice and then brown rice. Paddy kernels selected with undamaged hull were completely resistant to attack. Implications for IPM and breeding for resistant varieties are discussed.

Characterization of Tn3000, a Transposon Responsible for blaNDM-1 Dissemination among Enterobacteriaceae in Brazil, Nepal, Morocco, and India.

In Enterobacteriaceae, the blaNDM genes have been found in many different genetic contexts, and a wide diversity of plasmid scaffolds bearing those genes has been found. In August 2013, we identified NDM-1-producing Escherichia coli and Enterobacter hormaechei strains from a single rectal swab sample from a patient hospitalized in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, who had no history of travel abroad. Complete DNA sequencing using the Illumina platform and annotation of the two plasmids harboring the blaNDM-1 gene, one from each strain, showed that they belonged to incompatibility groups IncFIIK and IncX3 and harbored a novel transposon named Tn3000. Similar genetic structures have been identified among other isolates in Brazil but also on plasmids from other continents. Our findings suggest that the blaNDM-1 gene may be transmitted by Tn3000 in different parts of the world.

Phylogenetic relationships within Bothrops neuwiedi group (Serpentes, Squamata): geographically highly-structured lineages, evidence of introgressive hybridization and Neogene/Quaternary diversification.

Eight current species of snakes of the Bothrops neuwiedi group are widespread in South American open biomes from northeastern Brazil to southeastern Argentina. In this paper, 140 samples from 93 different localities were used to investigate species boundaries and to provide a hypothesis of phylogenetic relationships among the members of this group based on 1122bp of cyt b and ND4 from mitochondrial DNA and also investigate the patterns and processes occurring in the evolutionary history of the group. Combined data recovered the B. neuwiedi group as a highly supported monophyletic group in maximum parsimony, maximum likelihood and Bayesian analyses, as well as four major clades (Northeast I, Northeast II, East-West, West-South) highly-structured geographically. Monophyly was recovered only for B. pubescens. By contrast, B. diporus, B. lutzi, B. erythromelas, B. mattogrossensis, B. neuwiedi, B. marmoratus, and B. pauloensis, as currently defined on the basis of morphology, were polyphyletic. Sympatry, phenotypic intergrades and shared mtDNA haplotypes, mainly between B. marmoratus and B. pauloensis suggest recent introgressive hybridization and the possible occurrence of a narrow hybrid zone in Central Brazil. Our data suggest at least three candidate species: B. neuwiedi from Espinhaço Range, B. mattogrossensis (TM173) from Serra da Borda (MT) and B. diporus (PT3404) from Castro Barros, Argentina. Divergence estimates highlight the importance of Neogene events in the origin of B. neuwiedi group, and the origin of species and diversification of populations of the Neotropical fauna from open biomes during the Quaternary climate fluctuations. Data reported here represent a remarkable increase of the B. neuwiedi group sampling size, since representatives of all the current recognized species from a wide geographic range are included in this study, providing basic information for understanding the evolution and conservation of Neotropical biodiversity.

Health Literacy and Its Association with the Adoption of the Mediterranean Diet: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Health literacy (HL) is a crucial factor influencing health-related decisions, including dietary patterns. The Mediterranean diet is widely recognized as one of the healthiest eating patterns. This study aims to explore the association between HL levels among adults in socially vulnerable contexts and their adoption of the Mediterranean diet. Conducted as part of a cluster-randomized trial in primary schools, the research involved 557 parents of children aged 6 to 10 who consented to participate. HL was assessed using the HLS questionnaire, while adoption of the Mediterranean diet was evaluated using the MEDAS questionnaire. Participants also provided anthropometric and sociodemographic data via a questionnaire, from which BMI was calculated (weight/height2). Education level was categorized as higher education or lower and professional status was classified based on occupational categories. Generalized linear models and logistic regression were employed for analysis. The findings indicate a direct association between HL level and adoption of the Mediterranean diet (B = 0.022, 95% CI 0.010-0.035, p < 0.001), underscoring the influence of HL on dietary choices. Specifically, the healthcare dimension of HL emerges as pivotal in shaping dietary behaviors, particularly towards the Mediterranean diet. These results underscore the importance of policies and programs aimed at enhancing HL, especially among socially vulnerable populations. Prioritizing public health interventions to improve HL is critical for promoting better dietary decision-making.

The Role of Parental Adherence to the Mediterranean Diet and Family Time Together in Children's Weight Status: The BeE-School Project.

The family context has been associated with children's weight status. This study aims to investigate the association of parents' adherence to the Mediterranean diet and family time with the weight status of children. The research is part of BeE-school, a cluster-randomized trial implemented in primary schools located in socially vulnerable contexts. A total of 735 children (380 boys and 355 girls) aged 6 to 10 participated in the study. Anthropometrics were assessed during school time, and weight status was categorized, while parents self-reported sociodemographic variables, adherence to the Mediterranean diet (MEDAS questionnaire), and family time. Children from families with higher education levels whose parents have a high adherence to the Mediterranean diet have lower odds of overweight/obesity (odds ratio (OR) 0.301, 95% CI 0.143-0.634, p = 0.002). Also, children from families with lower education levels who have more time together with their family have lower odds of overweight/obesity (OR 0.731, 95% CI 0.573-0.934, p = 0.012). The family environment, mainly family time together and adherence to the Mediterranean diet, exerts a significant influence on children's weight status. Professionals working in children's health should consider the family when fostering health-promoting behaviors.

The good, the bad and the boa: An unexpected new species of a true boa revealed by morphological and molecular evidence.

Snakes of the genus Boa are outstanding elements of the New World biota with a broad sociological influence on pop culture. Historically, several taxa have been recognized in the past 300 years, being mostly described in the early days of binomial nomenclature. As a rule, these taxa were recognized based on a suite of phenotypic characters mainly those from the external morphology. However, there is a huge disagreement with respect to the current taxonomy and available molecular phylogenies. In order to reconcile both lines of evidence, we investigate the phylogenetic reconstruction (using mitochondrial and nuclear genes) of the genus in parallel to the detailed study of some phenotypic systems from a geographically representative sample of the cis-Andean mainland Boa constrictor. We used cyt-b only (744bp) from 73 samples, and cyt-b, ND4, NTF3, and ODC partial sequences (in a total of 2305 bp) from 35 samples, comprising nine currently recognized taxa (species or subspecies), to infer phylogenetic relationships of boas. Topologies recovered along all the analyses and genetic distances obtained allied to a unique combination of morphological traits (colouration, pholidosis, meristic, morphometric, and male genitalia features) allowed us to recognize B. constrictor lato sensu, B. nebulosa, B. occidentalis, B. orophias and a distinct lineage from the eastern coast of Brazil, which we describe here as a new species, diagnosing it from the previously recognized taxa. Finally, we discuss the minimally necessary changes in the taxonomy of Boa constrictor complex; the value of some usually disregarded phenotypic character system; and we highlight the urgency of continuing environmental policy to preserve one of the most impacted Brazilian hotspots, the Atlantic Forest, which represents an ecoregion full of endemism.

Sleep Disorders and Subjective Well-Being in Portuguese Adults: Evidence from a Representative Study.

Objective The quality and quantity of sleep affect people's well-being, as chronic sleep disorders are associated with social, physical, and psychological problems, as well as low self-reported life satisfaction. The present cross-sectional study examined the associations of sleep disorders with self-reported life satisfaction in Portuguese adults. Materials and Methods Data from a representative sample of the Portuguese population (14,341 participants, aged ≥ 18 years) extracted from the Sixth Portuguese National Health Survey was analyzed. Data on subjective well-being and sleep disorders was collected through a questionnaire, and multivariable regression models were performed to examine the associations between these variables, adjusted for potential confounders such as age, gender, level of schooling, degree of urbanization, and family income. Results Sleep disorders were negatively associated with self-reported life satisfaction. Having at least one sleep disturbance in the last two weeks was significantly associated with a 3-point decrease in life satisfaction: ß = -3.0 (95% confidence interval = -3.2--2.7). Discussion Among Portuguese adults, sleep disorders were associated with a decline in life satisfaction. The present study provides new evidence from a representative sample to support the promotion of good sleep hygiene intervention programs.

A remarkable autosomal heteromorphism in Pseudoryzomys simplex 2n = 56; FN = 54-55 (Rodentia, Sigmodontinae).

Pseudoryzomys simplex, the false rice rat, is a monotypic genus of the Oryzomyini tribe (Sigmodontinae) distributed in part of Bolivia, Paraguay, Argentina and Brazil. Its diploid number has been described as 56 acrocentric chromosomes decreasing in size and no karyotype figure has been depicted. Herein, we present karyotypic data on P. simplex, including chromosome banding and molecular fluorescent in situ hybridization using telomeric sequences and the whole X-chromosome of its sister clade Holochilus brasiliensis (HBR) as probes. A case of remarkable autosomal heteromorphism due to the presence of a whole heterochromatic arm leading to the variability of FN is reported, as well as the occurrence of regions of homology between the X and Y chromosomes (pseudoautosomal regions) after chromosome painting with the HBR X probe on P. simplex metaphases.

Is the association between sleep and socio-emotional development mediated by weight in toddlers aged 12 to 36 months?

Introduction: Childhood is an important stage for socio-emotional development. Understanding the associations of lifestyle habits with the healthy development of social and emotional skills is crucial for better interventions early in life. This study aims to analyze the association between sleep and socio-emotional development in toddlers aged 12 to 36 months and examine whether weight mediated these associations. Methods: This study is part of a cluster randomized controlled trial developed in Portuguese childcare centers. A sample of 344 children (176 females) enrolled in the study. Participants' anthropometrics were measured while at childcare centers using standardized procedures. Body mass index (BMI) was computed as the body weight/height2 (kg/m2) ratio. Sleep quality was collected with the Tayside Children's Sleep Questionnaire, a 10-item scale that evaluates the child's ability to initiate and maintain sleep. Two additional questions regarding sleep duration were added. Parental questionnaires assessed the child's sex and date of birth, socioeconomic status, and total energy intake (TEI). Motor (fine and gross) was assessed using Bayley-III scales and socio-emotional (SE) by the Greenspan Social-Emotional Growth Chart questionnaire. Linear regression models were used to examine the associations between sleep (duration and quality) and SE with adjustments for sex, age, BMI, mothers' education, motor development, and TEI. Mediation analysis was conducted using path analysis. Results: SE development was significantly associated with nighttime sleep duration even when adjusted for confounders (ß = 0.223; 95% CI: 0.001, 0.004 and ß = 0.168; 0.0003, 0.003; respectively). Sleep quality was not significantly associated with SE development, and the weight did not explain the associations between sleep and SE development. Conclusion: This study supports that sleep duration is directly associated with SE development in toddlers. From a public health perspective, sleep duration should be prioritized in intervention programs to improve socio-emotional development early in life.

Neurodevelopment and Dietary Intake in Toddlers-A Cross-Sectional Study from the Healthy Children 2021 Project.

Little is known about the potential associations between neurodevelopment, dietary diversity and food processing in the toddler period. This study aimed to estimate the association between these dietary quality dimensions and neurodevelopment in toddlers. Data for this cross-sectional analysis came from the Healthy Children 2021 project and included 212 toddlers (51.9% females, aged 12-36 months) from 15 Portuguese childcare centers. Neurodevelopment was assessed through Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development. Dietary intake was gathered by a two-day non-consecutive dietary recall. The food items were categorised with NOVA classification. Dietary diversity was explored through Minimum Dietary Diversity (MDD). Logistic regression models adjusted for potential confounders were performed. Girls with a higher energy contribution of unprocessed/minimally processed foods and with an above median MDD score had higher odds of achieving a higher neurodevelopment score (aOR:1.04; 95%CI 1.01; 1.08 and aOR:2.26; 95%CI 1.01; 5.06, respectively); no significant association was observed in boys. Our findings suggest that these dietary dimensions are associated with a higher neurodevelopment in toddler girls. This should be further studied as a possible early link between dietary factors and neurodevelopment. Promotion of healthy eating can be promising in improving neurocognitive development and might help to introduce public health recommendations for toddlers' nutrition.

Multifocal glioblastoma and hormone replacement therapy in a transgender female.

Background: Glioblastoma multiforme represents approximately 60% of all brain tumors in adults. This malignancy shows a high level of biological and genetic heterogeneity associated with exceptional aggressiveness, leading to poor patient survival. One of the less common presentations is the appearance of primary multifocal lesions, which are linked with a worse prognosis. Among the multiple triggering factors in glioma progression, the administration of sex steroids and their analogs has been studied, but their role remains unclear to date. Case Description: A 43-year-old transgender woman who has a personal pathological history of receiving intramuscular (IM) hormone treatment for 27 years based on algestone/estradiol 150 mg/10 mg/mL. Three months ago, the patient suddenly experienced hemiplegia and hemiparesis in her right lower extremity, followed by a myoclonic focal epileptic seizure, vertigo, and a right frontal headache with a visual analog scale of 10/10. Magnetic resonance imaging images revealed an intra-axial mass with poorly defined, heterogeneous borders, and thick borders with perilesional edema in the left parietal lobe, as well as a rounded hypodense image with well-defined walls in the right internal capsule. The tumor was resected, and samples were sent to the pathology department, which confirmed the diagnosis of wild-type glioblastoma. Conclusion: This report identifies prolonged use of steroid-based hormone replacement therapy as the only predisposing factor in the oncogenesis of multifocal glioblastoma. It is an example that highlights the importance for physicians not to consider pathologies related to the human immunodeficiency virus rather than neoplasms in transgender patients in view of progressive neurological deterioration.

Real-World Clinical Characterisation of Polycythaemia Vera Patients from a Prospective Registry in Portugal: Is Resistance to Hydroxyurea a Reality?

Patients with polycythaemia vera (PV) are at increased risk of thrombosis and haemorrhages. Although hydroxyurea (HU) has been the frontline therapy for patients at high risk of vascular complications, about 25% of patients develop resistance/intolerance to this therapy. The aim of this non-interventional, multicentre cohort study was to understand the clinical characteristics and HU treatment response of Portuguese PV patients. HU resistance/intolerance was defined according to adjusted European LeukemiaNet (ELN) criteria. In total, 134 PV patients with a mean (SD) disease duration of 4.8 (5.0) years were included and followed up for 2 years. At baseline, most patients were ≥60 years old (83.2%), at high risk for thrombotic events (87.2%), and receiving HU therapy (79.1%). A total of 10 thrombotic events and 8 haemorrhagic events were reported, resulting in a 5-year probability of thrombo-haemorrhagic events of 17.2%. Haematocrit (p = 0.007), haemoglobin (p = 0.012) and MPN10 symptom score (12.0 (11.6) vs. 10.3 (9.1); p = 0.041) decreased significantly at the 24-month visit compared to baseline. Overall, 75.9% of patients met at least one of the adjusted ELN criteria for HU resistance, and 14.4% of patients remained on HU throughout the study. The results from this real-world study may help identify the subset of patients at higher risk for disease sequelae who may benefit from earlier second-line treatment.

Assessment of Physicochemical Parameters in Two Winegrapes Varieties after Foliar Application of ZnSO4 and ZnO.

One-third of the world's population is suffering from "hidden hunger" due to micronutrient deficiency. Zinc is acquired through diet, leading its deficiency to the development of disorders such as retarded growth, anorexia, infections, and hypogeusia. Accordingly, this study aimed to develop an agronomic workflow for Zn biofortification on two red winegrapes varieties (cv. Castelão and Syrah) and determine the physicochemical implications for winemaking. Both varieties produced in Setúbal (Portugal) were submitted to four foliar applications of ZnSO4 or ZnO (900 and 1350 g ha-1, respectively), during the production cycle. At harvest, Zn biofortification reached a 4.3- and 2.3-fold increase with ZnO 1350 g ha-1 in Castelão and Syrah, respectively (although, with ZnSO4 1350 g ha-1 both varieties revealed an increase in Zn concentration). On a physiological basis, lower values of NDVI were found in the biofortified grapes, although not reflected in photosynthetic parameters with cv. Syrah shows even a potential benefit with the use of Zn fertilizers. Regarding physical and chemical parameters (density, total soluble solids, dry weight, and color), relative to the control no significant changes in both varieties were observed, being suitable for winemaking. It was concluded that ZnSO4 and ZnO foliar fertilization efficiently increased Zn concentration on both varieties without a negative impact on quality, but cv. Castelão showed a better index of Zn biofortification and pointed to a potentially higher quality for winemaking.

Species limits and recent diversification of Cerradomys (Sigmodontinae: Oryzomyini) during the Pleistocene.

Cerradomys is a genus of the tribe Oryzomyini with eight species currently recognized, and a controversial taxonomy. These species are mainly distributed in the South America dry diagonal, but some species extend into Atlantic Forest, reaching the coastal sandy plains known as Restingas. This study aimed to address species limits and patterns of diversification of Cerradomys species. For this purpose, we performed cytogenetic and molecular analyses (phylogeny, coalescent species delimitation, barcoding, and divergence times estimation) using multiple mitochondrial and nuclear markers on a comprehensive sampling, representing all nominal taxa reported so far. Chromosomal information was a robust marker recognizing eight Cerradomys species. Reciprocal monophyly was recovered for all the species, except for C. subflavus. These results together with coalescent analyses recovered eight species as the most congruent species delimitation scenario for the genus (mean C tax : 0.72). Divergence time estimates revealed that Cerradomys' diversification occurred about 1.32 million years ago (Mya) during the Pleistocene. Although our results conservatively support the eight Cerradomys species described so far, different lines of evidence suggest that C. langguthi and C. subflavus could potentially be species-complexes. We discussed this scenario in the light of multiple evolutionary processes within and between species and populations, since Cerradomys comprises a species group with recent diversification affected by Pleistocene climatic changes and by the complex biogeographic history of South America dry diagonal. This work supports that the diversity of Cerradomys is underestimated and reiterates that interdisciplinary approaches are mandatory to identify small rodent species properly, and to unhide cryptic species.

An analysis of prognostic factors in a cohort of low-grade gliomas and degree of consistency between RTOG and EORTC scores.

Due to their rarity and heterogeneity and despite the introduction of molecular features in the current WHO classification, clinical criteria such as those from the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) and the Radiation Therapy Oncology Group (RTOG) are still being used to make treatment decisions in low-grade gliomas (LGG). Patients with diffuse low-grade glioma treated at our institution between 2002 and 2018 were analyzed, retrieving and assessing the degree of consistency between the EORTC and RTOG criteria, as well as the isocitrate dehydrogenase 1 and 2 (IDH) gene mutational status. Likewise, multivariate analyses were performed to ascertain the superiority of any of the factors over the others. One hundred and two patients were included. The degree of consistency between the RTOG and EORTC criteria was 71.6% (K = 0.426; p = 0.0001). Notably, 51.7% of those assigned to low risk by the EORTC were classified as high risk according to the RTOG classification. In multivariate analysis, only complete resection, age > 40 years, size and IDH mutation status were independently correlated with OS. When the RTOG and EORTC scores were entered into the model, only the EORTC model was independently associated with mortality. The degree of consistency between the EORT and RTOG criteria is low. Therefore, there is a need to integrate clinical-molecular scores to improve treatment decisions in LGG.