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

Estudo preliminar sobre a qualidade de vida de médicos e enfermeiros intensivistas pediátricos e neonatais Estudio preliminar sobre la calidad de vida de médicos y enfermeros intensivistas pediátricos y neonatales Preliminary study about qualify of life of physicians and nurses working in pediatric and neonatal intensive care units

Comparar a Qualidade de Vida (QV) de médicos e enfermeiros que trabalham em UTI Pediátrica (PED) e Neonatal (NEO) e, também, avaliar se há diferença entre a QV na mesma categoria profissional, mas diferindo de acordo com a unidade de trabalho. Estudo descritivo com 37 médicos e 20 enfermeiros. O WHOQOL-100 foi utilizado. Médicos da PED diferiram estatisticamente no domínio VI (p=0,003), quando comparados com médicos da NEO. Médicos e enfermeiros da PED apresentaram diferença estatística significante no domínio V (p < 0,01), e médicos e enfermeiros da NEO apresentaram diferença estatística significante no domínio VI (p=0,05). A avaliação da QV de médicos e enfermeiros intensivistas pediátricos e neonatais mostrou-se abaixo dos escores encontrados na literatura científica, quando comparados com estudos que avaliaram pacientes com dores crônicas e com prejuízos na saúde mental, evidenciando a ocorrência de estresse ocupacional.<br>Comparar la Calidad de Vida (QV) de médicos y enfermeros que trabajan en UTI Pediátrica (PED) y neonatal (NEO) y, también evaluar si existe diferencia entre la QV en la misma categoría profesional, aunque variando de acuerdo con la unidad de trabajo. Estudio descriptivo con 37 médicos y 20 enfermeros. Fue utilizado el WHOQOL-100. Los médicos de PED diferían estadísticamente en el dominio VI (p=0,003) en comparación con los médicos de NEO. Médicos y enfermeros de PED presentaron una diferencia estadística significativa en el dominio V (p<0,01) y médicos y enfermeros de NEO presentaron diferencias estadísticas significativas en el dominio VI (p=0,05). La evaluación de la QV de médicos y enfermeros intensivistas pediátricos y neonatales se mostró por debajo de los puntajes observados en la literatura científica, al ser comparados con estudios que evaluaron pacientes con dolores crónicos y con problemas de salud mental, evidenciando la existencia de estrés ocupacional.<br>Compare the Quality of Life (QL) of doctors and nurses who work in Pediatric (PED) and Neonatal (NEO) Intensive Care Units, and to evaluate whether there are differences between the QL in the same job category, but differing according to the work unit. This descriptive study was performed with 37 physicians and 20 nurses. The WHOQOL100 was used. Physicians from the PED differ statistically in the field VI (p=0.003) compared with physicians from the NEO. Physicians and nurses from the PED showed a statistically significant difference in field V (p<0.01), while physicians and nurses from the NEO showed a statistically significant difference in field VI (p=0.05). The QL assessment of physicians and nurses working in pediatric and neonatal intensive care units was below the scores found in scientific literature, compared to studies that evaluated patients with chronic pain and mental health disorders, indicating the occurrence of occupational stress

Estimulação tátil-cinestésica: uma integração entre pele e sistema endócrino? Tactile-kinesthetic stimulation: integration between skin and endocrine system?

Apresenta-se uma revisão da literatura sobre os aspectos neuroendócrinos da pele e as conseqüências da estimulação tátil-cinestésica sobre o córtex adrenal. Os artigos foram identificados a partir das bases de dados MEDLINE e LILACS, usando as palavras-chave "córtex supra-renal", "pele", "massagem", "lactentes", "glicocorticóide" e "ritmo circadiano". O período pesquisado foi de 1990 a 2003. Foram também consultados artigos de destaque publicados antes desse período. Estudos reconhecem o hipotálamo, a hipófise e a glândula adrenal como órgãos dinâmicos durante o desenvolvimento fetal e neonatal, e que respostas de estresse estão presentes ao nascer. A maioria dos estudos revisados, utilizando a estimulação tátil-cinestésica, seja em humanos ou animais, evidencia a capacidade da pele em metabolizar, coordenar e organizar estímulos externos, procurando manter a homeostase interna e externa, demonstrando a interação entre sistema neuroendócrino e a pele. A estimulação tátil-cinestésica parece ter um efeito sobre a reatividade hormonal, porém essa questão merece uma investigação mais aprofundada.<br>A literature review on skin neuroendocrine aspects and the consequences of the tactile- kinesthetic stimulation on the adrenal cortex are presented. The articles were identified through MEDLINE and LILACS data bases, using the keywords "suprarenal cortex", "skin", "massage", "infants", "glucocorticoid" and "circadian rhythm". Single articles published between 1990 and 2003 were considered, as well as outstanding ones prior to this period. Studies recognize that the hypothalamus, the pituitary and the adrenal gland are dynamic organs during fetal and neonatal development, and that stress responses are active at birth. Most of the studies reviewed, using tactile-kinesthetic stimulation, both in humans and animals, confirm skin's ability to metabolize, coordinate and organize external stimuli, attempting to maintain both external and internal homeostasis, demonstrating an interaction between the neuroendocrine system and tactile stimulation. Tactile-kinesthetic stimulation seems to have an effect on hormonal reactivity, although the issue demands further investigation