Diagnóstico tardio de Transtorno do Espectro Autista e seus impactos sociais e clínicos

Este artigo buscou, por meio de uma revisão narrativa de literatura, descrever os fatores associados ao diagnóstico tardio do Transtorno do Espectro Autista (TEA) e a repercussão social e clínica deste atraso na população adulta. O autismo é definido como um distúrbio complexo de desenvolvimento comportamental, com diversas etiologias e manifestações de gravidade diferentes. Devido a esses e outros fatores, o diagnóstico do transtorno é um processo complicado, o que leva muitas vezes a uma detecção tardia. A realização do diagnóstico precoce do TEA é importante pois favorece a orientação e aceitação dos pais e a implantação de medidas intervencionistas precoces, que auxiliam na diminuição das consequências do transtorno, sendo que o menor tempo para adoção dessas medidas relaciona-se a um melhor prognóstico. Dessa forma, a detecção tardia desencadeia inúmeros prejuízos cognitivos e maior incidência de transtornos de humor e ansiedade. Portanto, devido aos impactos negativos de um diagnóstico tardio, reforça-se a importância do desenvolvimento de novos métodos para detecção precoce associados a maior capacitação profissional, a fim de tornar o diagnóstico mais eficiente, melhorando o prognóstico e fornecendo maior qualidade de vida ao indivíduo

Preparation and characterisation of polymer microparticles with varying morphologies with application in drug delivery

Polymer-based particles of varied porosity, roughness and morphology have been prepared by many different methods towards biomedical applications. One of their most important applications is as degradable and targeted drug delivery systems, with reduced toxicity and side effects compared to their solid counterparts. Polymeric carriers loaded with chemotherapeutic agents have been applied in the treatment of glioblastoma (brain cancer, GBM) in an attempt to overcome the systemic toxicity, low drug solubility and poor efficacy of current treatments. In this work, polymeric microparticles (MPs) of poly(lactide) (PLA) and poly (lactide-co-glycolide) (PLGA) of various controlled morphologies have been developed with the capability to deliver a sustained release system loaded with cancer therapeutics against GBM cell proliferation and growth. In experimental Chapter 2 a family of different porous polymeric microparticles with controlled size were produced via single emulsion processing, incorporating a porogen. The produced porous PLA and PLGA particles were determined to be in the size range 34 to 320 m and exhibited homogeneous pore distribution throughout their particle structures. Particles encapsulated with dye exhibited encapsulation efficiency (EE) up to 21.6 + 5.4%, whereas particles encapsulated with drug exhibited EE up to 56 + 41%. Highly porous PLA particles (particle type C in this work) encapsulated with sodium chloride methotrexate and non-porous PLA particles (particle type A) and non-porous PLGA particles (particle type A’) encapsulated with docetaxel showed a significant difference in terms of therapeutic release in comparison to the other morphologies due the difference in the particle morphology and hydrophicility of the drug entrapped in the polymeric matrix(p>0.05). Particles alone and free drug were subsequently tested in vitro to test their toxicity at 24h. Particles alone exhibited a lack of toxicity and drugs alone showed a limited specificity for GBM cells (U87 cell line). The multi-therapy paste formulations including therapy 2 (PLGA MPs, PLGA-PEG matrix and DTX) and therapy 5 (PLA MPS and ETP, PLGA-PEG matrix and DTX) showed a significant difference when compared with control 1(PLA MPs alone), control 2 (PLGA MPs alone) and control 3 (PLGA-PEG matrix alone) over the 30-day investigation period (p<0.0001). In experimental Chapter 3, polymeric tablets were developed by mixing spherical PLA and PLGA MPs with non-spherical PLGA/polyethylene glycol (PEG) particles to achieve controlled and sustained release, and prolong the treatment against U87 cells. Mid porous PLA particles (particle type B) loaded with Nile Blue (NB) showed significant difference compared to non-porous PLA particles (particle type A), non-porous PLGA particles (particle type A’) and mid porous PLGA particles (particle type B’) (p<0.0001). Furthermore, these PLA and PLGA particles mentioned above exhibited controlled and sustained release over time, whereas the PLGA-PEG matrix exhibited burst release. U87 cells were subsequently treated with therapy 5 (tablet formulations), which demonstrated continuous reduction in cell viability over a 30-day period (p<0.0001). In conclusion, it is shown that polymeric MPs varying in their morphology have different surface areas and degradation rates, strongly influenced by the level of particle porosity. The release rate of active components is correlated with polymeric matrix composition and drug hydrophobicity. Porous polymeric carriers are a useful strategy for the controlled sustained release of active components such as chemotherapeutic drugs promoted by the slow release of dye and drugs. The development of polymeric paste and tablets herein prolonged the drug release from a PLGA-PEG matrix. Importantly, the tablet formulations (therapy 5) developed in this work can potentially control the proliferation and growth of U87 cells

Preparation and characterisation of polymer microparticles with varying morphologies with application in drug delivery

Polymer-based particles of varied porosity, roughness and morphology have been prepared by many different methods towards biomedical applications. One of their most important applications is as degradable and targeted drug delivery systems, with reduced toxicity and side effects compared to their solid counterparts. Polymeric carriers loaded with chemotherapeutic agents have been applied in the treatment of glioblastoma (brain cancer, GBM) in an attempt to overcome the systemic toxicity, low drug solubility and poor efficacy of current treatments. In this work, polymeric microparticles (MPs) of poly(lactide) (PLA) and poly (lactide-co-glycolide) (PLGA) of various controlled morphologies have been developed with the capability to deliver a sustained release system loaded with cancer therapeutics against GBM cell proliferation and growth. In experimental Chapter 2 a family of different porous polymeric microparticles with controlled size were produced via single emulsion processing, incorporating a porogen. The produced porous PLA and PLGA particles were determined to be in the size range 34 to 320 m and exhibited homogeneous pore distribution throughout their particle structures. Particles encapsulated with dye exhibited encapsulation efficiency (EE) up to 21.6 + 5.4%, whereas particles encapsulated with drug exhibited EE up to 56 + 41%. Highly porous PLA particles (particle type C in this work) encapsulated with sodium chloride methotrexate and non-porous PLA particles (particle type A) and non-porous PLGA particles (particle type A’) encapsulated with docetaxel showed a significant difference in terms of therapeutic release in comparison to the other morphologies due the difference in the particle morphology and hydrophicility of the drug entrapped in the polymeric matrix(p>0.05). Particles alone and free drug were subsequently tested in vitro to test their toxicity at 24h. Particles alone exhibited a lack of toxicity and drugs alone showed a limited specificity for GBM cells (U87 cell line). The multi-therapy paste formulations including therapy 2 (PLGA MPs, PLGA-PEG matrix and DTX) and therapy 5 (PLA MPS and ETP, PLGA-PEG matrix and DTX) showed a significant difference when compared with control 1(PLA MPs alone), control 2 (PLGA MPs alone) and control 3 (PLGA-PEG matrix alone) over the 30-day investigation period (p<0.0001). In experimental Chapter 3, polymeric tablets were developed by mixing spherical PLA and PLGA MPs with non-spherical PLGA/polyethylene glycol (PEG) particles to achieve controlled and sustained release, and prolong the treatment against U87 cells. Mid porous PLA particles (particle type B) loaded with Nile Blue (NB) showed significant difference compared to non-porous PLA particles (particle type A), non-porous PLGA particles (particle type A’) and mid porous PLGA particles (particle type B’) (p<0.0001). Furthermore, these PLA and PLGA particles mentioned above exhibited controlled and sustained release over time, whereas the PLGA-PEG matrix exhibited burst release. U87 cells were subsequently treated with therapy 5 (tablet formulations), which demonstrated continuous reduction in cell viability over a 30-day period (p<0.0001). In conclusion, it is shown that polymeric MPs varying in their morphology have different surface areas and degradation rates, strongly influenced by the level of particle porosity. The release rate of active components is correlated with polymeric matrix composition and drug hydrophobicity. Porous polymeric carriers are a useful strategy for the controlled sustained release of active components such as chemotherapeutic drugs promoted by the slow release of dye and drugs. The development of polymeric paste and tablets herein prolonged the drug release from a PLGA-PEG matrix. Importantly, the tablet formulations (therapy 5) developed in this work can potentially control the proliferation and growth of U87 cells

NEOTROPICAL ALIEN MAMMALS: a data set of occurrence and abundance of alien mammals in the Neotropics

Biological invasion is one of the main threats to native biodiversity. For a species to become invasive, it must be voluntarily or involuntarily introduced by humans into a nonnative habitat. Mammals were among first taxa to be introduced worldwide for game, meat, and labor, yet the number of species introduced in the Neotropics remains unknown. In this data set, we make available occurrence and abundance data on mammal species that (1) transposed a geographical barrier and (2) were voluntarily or involuntarily introduced by humans into the Neotropics. Our data set is composed of 73,738 historical and current georeferenced records on alien mammal species of which around 96% correspond to occurrence data on 77 species belonging to eight orders and 26 families. Data cover 26 continental countries in the Neotropics, ranging from Mexico and its frontier regions (southern Florida and coastal-central Florida in the southeast United States) to Argentina, Paraguay, Chile, and Uruguay, and the 13 countries of Caribbean islands. Our data set also includes neotropical species (e.g., Callithrix sp., Myocastor coypus, Nasua nasua) considered alien in particular areas of Neotropics. The most numerous species in terms of records are from Bos sp. (n = 37,782), Sus scrofa (n = 6,730), and Canis familiaris (n = 10,084); 17 species were represented by only one record (e.g., Syncerus caffer, Cervus timorensis, Cervus unicolor, Canis latrans). Primates have the highest number of species in the data set (n = 20 species), partly because of uncertainties regarding taxonomic identification of the genera Callithrix, which includes the species Callithrix aurita, Callithrix flaviceps, Callithrix geoffroyi, Callithrix jacchus, Callithrix kuhlii, Callithrix penicillata, and their hybrids. This unique data set will be a valuable source of information on invasion risk assessments, biodiversity redistribution and conservation-related research. There are no copyright restrictions. Please cite this data paper when using the data in publications. We also request that researchers and teachers inform us on how they are using the data

NEOTROPICAL CARNIVORES: a data set on carnivore distribution in the Neotropics

Mammalian carnivores are considered a key group in maintaining ecological health and can indicate potential ecological integrity in landscapes where they occur. Carnivores also hold high conservation value and their habitat requirements can guide management and conservation plans. The order Carnivora has 84 species from 8 families in the Neotropical region: Canidae; Felidae; Mephitidae; Mustelidae; Otariidae; Phocidae; Procyonidae; and Ursidae. Herein, we include published and unpublished data on native terrestrial Neotropical carnivores (Canidae; Felidae; Mephitidae; Mustelidae; Procyonidae; and Ursidae). NEOTROPICAL CARNIVORES is a publicly available data set that includes 99,605 data entries from 35,511 unique georeferenced coordinates. Detection/non-detection and quantitative data were obtained from 1818 to 2018 by researchers, governmental agencies, non-governmental organizations, and private consultants. Data were collected using several methods including camera trapping, museum collections, roadkill, line transect, and opportunistic records. Literature (peer-reviewed and grey literature) from Portuguese, Spanish and English were incorporated in this compilation. Most of the data set consists of detection data entries (n = 79,343; 79.7%) but also includes non-detection data (n = 20,262; 20.3%). Of those, 43.3% also include count data (n = 43,151). The information available in NEOTROPICAL CARNIVORES will contribute to macroecological, ecological, and conservation questions in multiple spatio-temporal perspectives. As carnivores play key roles in trophic interactions, a better understanding of their distribution and habitat requirements are essential to establish conservation management plans and safeguard the future ecological health of Neotropical ecosystems. Our data paper, combined with other large-scale data sets, has great potential to clarify species distribution and related ecological processes within the Neotropics. There are no copyright restrictions and no restriction for using data from this data paper, as long as the data paper is cited as the source of the information used. We also request that users inform us of how they intend to use the data

Brazilian Flora 2020: Leveraging the power of a collaborative scientific network

International audienceThe shortage of reliable primary taxonomic data limits the description of biological taxa and the understanding of biodiversity patterns and processes, complicating biogeographical, ecological, and evolutionary studies. This deficit creates a significant taxonomic impediment to biodiversity research and conservation planning. The taxonomic impediment and the biodiversity crisis are widely recognized, highlighting the urgent need for reliable taxonomic data. Over the past decade, numerous countries worldwide have devoted considerable effort to Target 1 of the Global Strategy for Plant Conservation (GSPC), which called for the preparation of a working list of all known plant species by 2010 and an online world Flora by 2020. Brazil is a megadiverse country, home to more of the world's known plant species than any other country. Despite that, Flora Brasiliensis, concluded in 1906, was the last comprehensive treatment of the Brazilian flora. The lack of accurate estimates of the number of species of algae, fungi, and plants occurring in Brazil contributes to the prevailing taxonomic impediment and delays progress towards the GSPC targets. Over the past 12 years, a legion of taxonomists motivated to meet Target 1 of the GSPC, worked together to gather and integrate knowledge on the algal, plant, and fungal diversity of Brazil. Overall, a team of about 980 taxonomists joined efforts in a highly collaborative project that used cybertaxonomy to prepare an updated Flora of Brazil, showing the power of scientific collaboration to reach ambitious goals. This paper presents an overview of the Brazilian Flora 2020 and provides taxonomic and spatial updates on the algae, fungi, and plants found in one of the world's most biodiverse countries. We further identify collection gaps and summarize future goals that extend beyond 2020. Our results show that Brazil is home to 46,975 native species of algae, fungi, and plants, of which 19,669 are endemic to the country. The data compiled to date suggests that the Atlantic Rainforest might be the most diverse Brazilian domain for all plant groups except gymnosperms, which are most diverse in the Amazon. However, scientific knowledge of Brazilian diversity is still unequally distributed, with the Atlantic Rainforest and the Cerrado being the most intensively sampled and studied biomes in the country. In times of “scientific reductionism”, with botanical and mycological sciences suffering pervasive depreciation in recent decades, the first online Flora of Brazil 2020 significantly enhanced the quality and quantity of taxonomic data available for algae, fungi, and plants from Brazil. This project also made all the information freely available online, providing a firm foundation for future research and for the management, conservation, and sustainable use of the Brazilian funga and flora