Pervasive gaps in Amazonian ecological research

Biodiversity loss is one of the main challenges of our time,1,2 and attempts to address it require a clear un derstanding of how ecological communities respond to environmental change across time and space.3,4 While the increasing availability of global databases on ecological communities has advanced our knowledge of biodiversity sensitivity to environmental changes,5–7 vast areas of the tropics remain understudied.8–11 In the American tropics, Amazonia stands out as the world’s most diverse rainforest and the primary source of Neotropical biodiversity,12 but it remains among the least known forests in America and is often underrepre sented in biodiversity databases.13–15 To worsen this situation, human-induced modifications16,17 may elim inate pieces of the Amazon’s biodiversity puzzle before we can use them to understand how ecological com munities are responding. To increase generalization and applicability of biodiversity knowledge,18,19 it is thus crucial to reduce biases in ecological research, particularly in regions projected to face the most pronounced environmental changes. We integrate ecological community metadata of 7,694 sampling sites for multiple or ganism groups in a machine learning model framework to map the research probability across the Brazilian Amazonia, while identifying the region’s vulnerability to environmental change. 15%–18% of the most ne glected areas in ecological research are expected to experience severe climate or land use changes by 2050. This means that unless we take immediate action, we will not be able to establish their current status, much less monitor how it is changing and what is being lostinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Pervasive gaps in Amazonian ecological research

Biodiversity loss is one of the main challenges of our time,1,2 and attempts to address it require a clear understanding of how ecological communities respond to environmental change across time and space.3,4 While the increasing availability of global databases on ecological communities has advanced our knowledge of biodiversity sensitivity to environmental changes,5,6,7 vast areas of the tropics remain understudied.8,9,10,11 In the American tropics, Amazonia stands out as the world's most diverse rainforest and the primary source of Neotropical biodiversity,12 but it remains among the least known forests in America and is often underrepresented in biodiversity databases.13,14,15 To worsen this situation, human-induced modifications16,17 may eliminate pieces of the Amazon's biodiversity puzzle before we can use them to understand how ecological communities are responding. To increase generalization and applicability of biodiversity knowledge,18,19 it is thus crucial to reduce biases in ecological research, particularly in regions projected to face the most pronounced environmental changes. We integrate ecological community metadata of 7,694 sampling sites for multiple organism groups in a machine learning model framework to map the research probability across the Brazilian Amazonia, while identifying the region's vulnerability to environmental change. 15%–18% of the most neglected areas in ecological research are expected to experience severe climate or land use changes by 2050. This means that unless we take immediate action, we will not be able to establish their current status, much less monitor how it is changing and what is being lost

Cardiopatia chagásica crônica causando insuficiência cardíaca congestiva na infância: estudo clínico e histopatológico de um caso, com ênfase para as lesões dos sistemas excito-condutor e nervoso autônomo intracardíaco

Descreve-se caso de cardiopatia chagásica em menino de nove anos, natural e procedente do sulde Goiás, que desenvolveu insuficiência cardíaca congestiva quatro meses antes do óbito. As reações sorológicaspara doença de Chagas eram reagentes, epositivo o xenodiagnóstico. Os eletrocardiogramas mostraram taquicardia sinusal, extra-sístoles ventriculares e supraventriculares, hemibloqueio anterior esquerdo, bloqueio completo do ramo direito e sinais de sobrecarga de câmaras. O exame ecocardiográfico evidenciou dilatação de câmaras com hipocontratilidade difusa. O quadro se agravou progressivamente, complicando-se por vários episódios pneumônicos, o último dos quais provocou o óbito. A necrópsia, verificou-se, no coração, inflama ção crônica dos três folhetos, com miocardite crônica fibrosante predominando no septo interventricular e no ventrículo esquerdo. As estruturas componentes do sistema excito-condutor mostraram processoflogístico crônico, essencialmente exsudativo, ora discreto, ora moderado. No sistema nervoso autônomo intracardíaco constataram-se focos esparsos de discreta periganglionite crônica, e raros fenômenos degenerativos dos neurônios sem despopulação neuronal.<br>A case of decompensated chagasic cardiopathy in a nine-year-old boy from the south of the State of Goiás, is described. He developed congestive heart failure four months before death. The sorological reaction for Chagas ' disease and the xenodiagnosis were positive. Electrocardiograms showed sinusal tachycardia, ventricular and supraventricular extrasystoles, left anterior hemiblock, complete right bundle branch block and signs of chambers overload. The echocardiogram demonstraded chamber dilatation with diffuse hypocontractility. He presented a downhill course complicated with several pneumonic episodes, the last one just before death. At necropsy, the heart, exhibited a chronicpancarditis with fibrosing chronic myocarditis involving mainly the interventricular septum and left ventricle. The heart conduction system showed slight to moderate exsudative, inflammatory changes. Scattered foci of slight chronic periganglionitis and rare degenerative phenomena of ganglionar cells were found in intracardiac autonomic nervous, without neuronal depopulation

Cell therapy in Chagas cardiomyopathy (Chagas arm of the multicenter randomized trial of cell therapy in cardiopathies study): a multicenter randomized trial

Santos, Ricardo Ribeiro dos; Soares, Milena Botelho Pereira “Documento produzido em parceria ou por autor vinculado à Fiocruz, mas não consta à informação no documento”.Submitted by Ana Maria Fiscina Sampaio ([email protected]) on 2017-06-20T14:11:49Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Ribeiro SR Cell therapy in chagas....pdf: 818580 bytes, checksum: 1a0717f394e0ba0c45f0f5ff7fbfd663 (MD5)Approved for entry into archive by Ana Maria Fiscina Sampaio ([email protected]) on 2017-06-20T14:29:16Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 Ribeiro SR Cell therapy in chagas....pdf: 818580 bytes, checksum: 1a0717f394e0ba0c45f0f5ff7fbfd663 (MD5)Made available in DSpace on 2017-06-20T14:29:16Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Ribeiro SR Cell therapy in chagas....pdf: 818580 bytes, checksum: 1a0717f394e0ba0c45f0f5ff7fbfd663 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2012Hospital San Rafael. Salvador, BA, BrasilHospital das Clínicas de Goiania. Gioania, GO, BrasilHospital Santa Izabel. Salvador, BA, BrasilInstituto de Moléstias Cardiovasculares. São José do Rio Preto, SP, BrasilHospital do Coração Anis Rassi. Goiania, GO, BrasilInstituto Nacional de Cardiologia. Rio de Janeiro, RJ, BrasilHospital Sírio-Libanes. São Paulo, SP, BrasilPontifícia Universidade Católica do Paraná. Curitiba, PR, BrasilPronto Socorro Cardiológico de Pernambuco. Recife, PE, BrasilInstituto Nacional de Cardiologia. Rio de Janeiro, RJ, BrasilHospital San Rafael. Salvador, BA, BrasilInstituto Nacional de Cardiologia. Rio de Janeiro, RJ, BrasilPrevious studies suggested that transplantation of autologous bone marrow-derived mononuclear cells (BMNCs) improves heart function in chronic chagasic cardiomyopathy. We report the results of the first randomized trial of BMNC therapy in chronic chagasic cardiomyopathy. Methods and Results—Patients 18 to 75 years of age with chronic chagasic cardiomyopathy, New York Heart Association class II to IV heart failure, left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) 35%, and optimized therapy were randomized to intracoronary injection of autologous BMNCs or placebo. The primary end point was the difference in LVEF from baseline to 6 and 12 months after treatment between groups. Analysis was by intention to treat and powered to detect an absolute between-group difference of 5%. Between July 2005 and October 2009, 234 patients were enrolled. Two patients abandoned the study and 49 were excluded because of protocol violation. The remaining 183 patients, 93 in the placebo group and 90 in the BMNC group, had a trimmed mean age of 52.4 years (range, 50.8–54.0 years) and LVEF of 26.1% (range, 25.1%–27.1%) at baseline. Median number of injected BMNCs was 2.20 108 (range, 1.40–3.50 108). Change in LVEF did not differ significantly between treatment groups: trimmed mean change in LVEF at 6 months, 3.0 (1.3– 4.8) for BMNCs and 2.5 (0.6–4.5) for placebo (P 0.519); change in LVEF at 12 months, 3.5 (1.5–5.5) for BMNCs and 3.7 (1.5– 6.0) for placebo (P 0.850). Left ventricular systolic and diastolic volumes, New York Heart Association functional class, Minnesota quality-of-life questionnaire, brain natriuretic peptide concentrations, and 6-minute walking test did also not differ between groups. Conclusion—Intracoronary injection of autologous BMNCs does not improve left ventricular function or quality of life in patients with chronic chagasic cardiomyopath

Biomarkers and Echocardiographic Predictors of Cardiovascular Outcome in Patients With Chronic Chagas Disease

Background Chagas disease (CD) presents an ominous prognosis. The predictive value of biomarkers and new echocardiogram parameters in adjusted models have not been well studied. Methods and Results There were 361 patients with chronic CD (57.6% men, 61±11 years of age, clinical forms: indeterminate 27.1%, cardiac 56.6%, digestive 3.6%, cardiodigestive 12.7%) included in this single‐center, observational, prospective longitudinal study. Echocardiographic evaluation included strain analyses of left atrial, left ventricular (LV), and right ventricular and 3‐dimensional analyses of left atrial and LV volumes. Biomarkers included cardiac troponin I, brain natriuretic peptide, transforming growth factor β1, tumor necrosis factor, matrix metalloproteinases, and Trypanosoma cruzi polymerase chain reaction. The studied end point was a composite of CD‐related mortality, heart transplant, hospital admission due to worsening heart failure, or new cardiac device insertion. Event‐free survival was analyzed by multivariable regression analyses adjusted for competing risks. P values <0.05 were considered significant. The composite event occurred in 79 patients after 4.9±2.0 years follow‐up. LV end‐diastolic volume (hazard ratio [HR], 1.01 [95% CI, 1.00–1.02]; P=0.02), peak negative global atrial strain (HR, 1.08 [95% CI, 1.00–1.17]; P=0.04), LV global circumferential strain (HR, 1.12 [95% CI, 1.04–1.21]; P=0.003), LV torsion (HR, 0.55 [95% CI, 0.35–0.81]; P=0.003), brain natriuretic peptide (HR, 2.03 [95% CI, 1.23–3.34]; P=0.005), and positive T cruzi polymerase chain reaction (HR, 1.80 [95% CI, 1.12–2.91]; P=0.01) were end point predictors independent from age, sex, 2‐dimensional echocardiographic indexes, hypertension, previous cardiac device, and CD cardiac form. Conclusions Two‐dimensional strain‐ and 3‐dimensional‐derived parameters, brain natriuretic peptide, and positive T cruzi polymerase chain reaction can be useful for prediction of CD cardiovascular events

Efficacy of eugenol and the methanolic extract of condalia buxifolia during the transport of the silver catfish rhamdia quelen

This study evaluated extracts of Condalia buxifolia as anesthetics for the silver catfish Rhamdia quelen. The effectiveness of eugenol and of the methanolic extract (ME) of C. buxifolia during the transport of this species was also assessed. Fish of two different weights (1.50±0.02 g and 165.70±22.50 g) were transferred to aquaria containing water with the C. buxifolia ME or with fractions obtained from the ME, such as the n-hexane, dichloromethane, ethyl acetate, n-butane and aqueous fractions, at concentrations from 0-300 μL L-1. The C. buxifolia ME in the 0.5-120 μL L-1 range caused only light sedation, and the fractions did not have an effect on the fish. In the second experiment, another group of fish was transported for 12 h in 15 plastic bags. The fish were divided into five groups: control, 1 or 2.5 μL L-1 eugenol and 25 or 50 μL L-1 C. buxifolia ME. The non-ionized ammonia levels were lower at the end of transport in the groups with the compounds than in that with water alone. Moreover, both compounds decreased the Na+, Cl-, and K+ net effluxes; therefore, their addition to the water during transport is advisable because they reduce fish mortality and ion loss.Este estudo investigou extratos de Condalia buxifolia como anestésico para jundiá Rhamdia quelen, e também a eficiência do eugenol e do extrato metanólico (EM) de C. buxifolia para utilização durante o transporte dessa espécie. Peixes de dois diferentes pesos (1,50±0,02 g e 165,70±22,50 g) foram transferidos para aquários contendo água com o EM de C. buxifolia ou frações obtidas a partir do EM (n-hexano, acetato de diclorometano, etil n- butano e aquoso, em concentrações na faixa de 0 - 300 μL L-1. O EM de C. buxifolia em concentrações na faixa de 0,5 - 120 μL L-1 causou somente uma sedação leve e as frações não tiveram efeito. No segundo experimento outro grupo de peixes foi transportado por 12 h em 15 sacos plásticos divididos em cinco tratamentos: controle, 1 ou 2,5 μL L-1 de eugenol e 25 ou 50 μL L-1 de EM de C. buxifolia. Os níveis de amônia nãoionizada foram menores nos tratamentos com ambos compostos em relação à água (controle). Além disso, ambos compostos diminuíram os efluxos líquidos de Na+, Cl- e K+ e, portanto, sua adição na água de transporte é aconselhável, pois reduzem a mortalidade e a perda de íons dos peixes