Casos e óbitos por COVID-19 e tabagismo nas capitais e regiões brasileiras: estudo ecológico / COVID-19 cases and deaths and smoking in Brazilian capitals and regions: an ecological study / Casos y muertes por COVID-19 y tabaquismo en las capitales y regiones Brasileñas: estudio ecológico

Objetivo: Analisar a relação entre casos e óbitos por COVID-19 e o percentual de tabagistas nas capitais e regiões do Brasil. Métodos: Realizou-se estudo ecológico nas regiões brasileiras do número de casos e óbitos por COVID-19, de março a dezembro de 2020, e a prevalência de tabagismo em 2019, a partir dos bancos de dados do Painel Coronavírus da Secretaria de Vigilância em Saúde e do Sistema de Vigilância de Fatores de Risco e Proteção para Doenças Crônicas por Inquérito Telefônico (VIGITEL ­ 2019). Com informações extraídas em janeiro de 2021, calcularam-se os coeficientes de incidência e mortalidade por COVID-19 por capital brasileira e região, bem como se utilizou a correlação de Pearson para verificar a relação entre as variáveis do estudo. Adotou-se nível de significância de 5%. Resultados: Análises bivariadas mostraram correlações positivas entre tabagistas do sexo feminino e coeficiente de incidência de COVID-19 nas capitais da região do Centro-Oeste (r=0,957; p=0,043), e entre fumantes do sexo masculino e coeficiente de mortalidade de COVID-19 nas capitais do Nordeste (r=0,706; p=0,034). Conclusão: O tabagismo teve impacto na incidência de casos e óbitos por COVID-19 em diversas capitais brasileiras, alertando que o fumo pode ser fator de predisposição e agravamento do estado clínico dos pacientes.

Objective: To analyze the relationship between COVID-19 cases and deaths and the percentage of smokers in the capitals and regions of Brazil. Methods: An ecological study was carried out in the Brazilian regions to assess the number of cases and deaths by COVID-19 from March to December 2020 and the prevalence of smoking in 2019 based on the Coronavirus Panel databases of the Health Surveillance Secretariat and the System for Surveillance of Risk and Protective Factors for Chronic Diseases by Telephone-based Survey (Vigilância de Fatores de Risco e Proteção para Doenças Crônicas por Inquérito Telefônico - VIGITEL ­ 2019). With information extracted in January 2021, the COVID-19 incidence and mortality coefficients were calculated by Brazilian capital and region and Pearson's correlation was used to verify the relationship between the study variables. A significance level of 5% was adopted. Results: Bivariate analyses showed positive correlations between female smokers and COVID-19 incidence coefficient in capitals of the Midwest region (r=0.957; p=0.043), and between male smokers and COVID-19 mortality coefficient in the capitals of the Northeast (r=0.706; p=0.034). Conclusion: Smoking had an impact on the incidence of COVID-19 cases and deaths in several Brazilian capitals, which warns that smoking can be a predisposing factor and worsen the clinical status of patients.

Objetivo: Analizar la relación entre casos y muertes por COVID-19 y el porcentaje de tabaquistas en las capitales y regiones del Brasil. Métodos: Fue realizado estudio ecológico en las regiones brasileñas del número de casos y muertes por COVID-19, de marzo a diciembre de 2020, y la prevalencia de tabaquismo en 2019, a partir de bases de datos del Panel Coronavirus de la Secretaria de Vigilancia en Salud y del Sistema de Vigilancia de Factores de Riesgo y Protección para Enfermedades Crónicas por Encuesta Telefónica (VIGITEL ­ 2019). Con informaciones extraídas en enero de 2021, se calcularon los coeficientes de incidencia y mortandad por COVID-19 por capital brasileña y región, también se utilizó la correlación de Pearson para verificar la relación entre las variables del estudio. Fue adoptado nivel de significancia de 5%. Resultados: Los análisis bivariados mostraron correlaciones positivas entre tabaquistas del sexo femenino y coeficiente de incidencia de COVID-19 en las capitales de la región del Centro-Oeste (r=0,957; p=0,043), y entre fumadores del sexo masculino y coeficiente de mortandad de COVID-19 en las capitales del Nordeste (r=0,706; p=0,034). Conclusión: El tabaquismo tuvo impacto en la incidencia de casos y muertes por COVID-19 en diversas capitales brasileñas, advirtiendo que el humo puede ser factor de predisposición y agravamiento del estado clínico de los pacientes.

Two new species of Nealiolus Mason (Hymenoptera, Braconidae, Brachistinae) reared from pest weevils (Coleoptera, Curculionidae).

Here, we present the first two South American species of Nealiolus Mason (Hymenoptera, Braconidae), both reared from weevils damaging plants of economic value: Nealiolus chayohtli Wengrat Shimbori sp. n. on Phymatophosus squameus feeding in stems of Sechium edule (chayote), and Nealiolus jaboticaba Shimbori Wengrat sp. n. on Conotrachelus sp. in fruits of Plinia cauliflora (jaboticaba). This parasitoid genus is poorly studied, despite its potential importance as a biological control agent of several pest weevils (Curculionidae), including the cotton boll weevil. With the addition of the two new species, nine species of Nealiolus are known, three of them occurring in the Neotropical region. We also present an identification key to species of Nealiolus and DNA barcoding information for the new species.

Evolution of Vocal Diversity through Morphological Adaptation without Vocal Learning or Complex Neural Control.

The evolution of complex behavior is driven by the interplay of morphological specializations and neuromuscular control mechanisms [1-3], and it is often difficult to tease apart their respective contributions. Avian vocal learning and associated neural adaptations are thought to have played a major role in bird diversification [4-8], whereas functional significance of substantial morphological diversity of the vocal organ remains largely unexplored. Within the most species-rich order, Passeriformes, "tracheophones" are a suboscine group that, unlike their oscine sister taxon, does not exhibit vocal learning [9] and is thought to phonate with tracheal membranes [10, 11] instead of the two independent sources found in other passerines [12-14]. Here we show tracheophones possess three sound sources, two oscine-like labial pairs and the unique tracheal membranes, which collectively represent the largest described number of sound sources for a vocal organ. Birds with experimentally disabled tracheal membranes were still able to phonate. Instead of the main sound source, the tracheal membranes constitute a morphological specialization, which, through interaction with bronchial labia, contributes to different acoustic features such as spectral complexity, amplitude modulation, and enhanced sound amplitude. In contrast, these same features arise in oscines from neuromuscular control of two labial sources [15-17]. These findings are supported by a modeling approach and provide a clear example for how a morphological adaptation of the tracheophone vocal organ can generate specific, complex sound features. Morphological specialization therefore constitutes an alternative path in the evolution of acoustic diversity to that of oscine vocal learning and complex neural control.

Cross-sectional, descriptive study of Chagas disease among citizens of Bolivian origin living in Munich, Germany.

PURPOSE: Chagas disease (CD) has become a global health issue mainly due to migration. Germany lacks surveillance data and is home to a large Latin American immigrant population. Recognising that Bolivia is the country with the highest CD prevalence in Latin America, this cross-sectional, descriptive pilot study investigated CD and associated factors among citizens of Bolivian origin living in Munich, Germany. METHODS: Participants completed a questionnaire in order to collect socioeconomic and health-related data. In addition, serology was performed. In case of positive serological tests, PCR diagnostic and clinical staging together with disease management was initiated. Qualitative research was conducted to identify personal and community barriers as well as strategies to increase CD awareness among the population at risk. RESULTS: Between June 2013 and June 2014, 43 people from Bolivia (or descendants) were enrolled. A total of 9.3% (4/43), of whom two women were of childbearing age, tested seropositive (ELISA and IFAT), and one also by PCR. For 2/4 positive participants, clinical evaluation was performed and the indeterminate form of CD was diagnosed. Knowledge about CD symptoms and ways of transmission were completely absent among 55.8% (24/43, 2/4 with CD) and 30.2% (13/43, 1/4 with CD) of participants, respectively. A total of 27.9% (12/43, 0/4 with CD) of participants had donated blood prior to the study, whereas 62.8% (27/43, 3/4 with CD) were motivated to donate blood in the future. The qualitative research identified lack of knowledge as well as stigma and fears related to CD. CONCLUSIONS: Despite the small number of participants, the prevalence of CD as well as the potential risk of non-vectorial transmission was alarming. Campaigns adapted for Latin American migrants as well as control strategies should be developed and put in place in order to prevent non-vectorial transmission and actively detect cases of CD in Germany.

[Neurodevelopment in patients with retinopathy of prematurity treated with intravitreal bevacizumab. Case series]. / Neurodesarrollo en pacientes con retinopatía del prematuro tratados con bevacizumab intravítreo. Serie de casos.

BACKGROUND: Retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) is an eye disease caused by an alteration in retinal vasculogenesis that may lead to partial or complete vision loss with a harmful impact in terms of neurodevelopment. The purpose of the present study was to determine the neurodevelopment in patients with type i retinopathy of prematurity treated with intravitreal bevacizumab. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Case series. The inclusion criteria were: patients with type I ROP treated with a dose of 0.625mg/0.025ml of intravitreal bevacizumab. Demographic data and comorbidities were documented. Neurodevelopment was evaluated with the screening test of the Bayley Scale of Infant Development (BSID) in all patients between 11 and 28 weeks of age. RESULTS: Seven patients were included in the study. Four patients showed normal neurodevelopment according to the overall scores of the BSID scale. The distribution of high risk for neurodevelopmental delay in the different areas evaluated were as follows: 3 patients presented it in the cognitive area, one in the receptive communication area, one in the expressive area, one in the fine motor skills and 3 patients in the gross motor skills area. CONCLUSIONS: In these case series, the majority of patients treated with intravitreal bevacizumab for ROP showed normal neurodevelopment scores.