EFEITOS DO FOGO SOBRE ALGUMAS VARIÁVEIS MICROMETEOROLÓGICAS EM UMA FLORESTA DE BRACATINGA (Mimosa scabrella, Benth.), NO MUNICÍPIO DE COLOMBO, PR

O sistema agroflorestal da bracatinga utiliza queima após o corte e retirada da madeira, dando lugar à semeadura de espécies agrícolas. A queima controlada altera a temperatura do ar e do solo. A mudança de refletividade da superfície é mais rápida que dos reflorestamentos próximos. A transformação das folhas e galhos secos em cinza após a queima, faz com que haja mudanças do albedo, alterando o balanço energético. Os resultados mostram temperaturas do ar de 600ºC por 20-40 segundos a 1 cm do solo e de 100 a 300°C a 60 e 160cm do solo, respectivamente, durante 1 minuto. Temperaturas de 100ºC ao nível do solo residiram por mais de 3 minutos. A temperatura do solo não foi afetada a 2,5cm de profundidade. Durante a queima, a temperatura se elevou em 1ºC. O albedo de 0,24 antes da queima, passou para 0,21 logo após a queima. Após 60 dias, o albedo voltou a 0,24 devido a recomposição da vegetação. FIRE EFECTS ON SOME MICROMETEOROLOGICAL VARIABLES IN A BRACATINGA (Mimosa scabrella, Benth.) FOREST, COLOMBO, PR Abstract The bracatinga agriculture-forest systems adopted by farmers consists on burning the residues after woods harvesting prior to sowing the crops. This procedure is repeated each 6 to 8 years in the same area. The prescribed burning changes air and soil temperatures. Changes in reflectivity are faster then in the surrounding forest areas. Transforming leaves and branches into ashes after burning changes the albedo of the surface, altering the energetic balance. Results showed air temperatures of 600°C during 20 to 40 seconds, 1cm above the soil surface, and 100 to 300°C at 60 and 160cm above the soil surface, during 1 minute. Temperatures over 100°C on the soil surface were observed for more than 3 minutes. Soil temperature was not affected at 2.5cm depth; during burning, the temperature raised only 1ºC. The surface albedo that was 0,24 before the burning changed to 0,21 after burning and returned to 0.24 sixty days after the burning due to the vegetation regeneration

Design and baseline characteristics of the finerenone in reducing cardiovascular mortality and morbidity in diabetic kidney disease trial

Background: Among people with diabetes, those with kidney disease have exceptionally high rates of cardiovascular (CV) morbidity and mortality and progression of their underlying kidney disease. Finerenone is a novel, nonsteroidal, selective mineralocorticoid receptor antagonist that has shown to reduce albuminuria in type 2 diabetes (T2D) patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) while revealing only a low risk of hyperkalemia. However, the effect of finerenone on CV and renal outcomes has not yet been investigated in long-term trials. Patients and Methods: The Finerenone in Reducing CV Mortality and Morbidity in Diabetic Kidney Disease (FIGARO-DKD) trial aims to assess the efficacy and safety of finerenone compared to placebo at reducing clinically important CV and renal outcomes in T2D patients with CKD. FIGARO-DKD is a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-group, event-driven trial running in 47 countries with an expected duration of approximately 6 years. FIGARO-DKD randomized 7,437 patients with an estimated glomerular filtration rate >= 25 mL/min/1.73 m(2) and albuminuria (urinary albumin-to-creatinine ratio >= 30 to <= 5,000 mg/g). The study has at least 90% power to detect a 20% reduction in the risk of the primary outcome (overall two-sided significance level alpha = 0.05), the composite of time to first occurrence of CV death, nonfatal myocardial infarction, nonfatal stroke, or hospitalization for heart failure. Conclusions: FIGARO-DKD will determine whether an optimally treated cohort of T2D patients with CKD at high risk of CV and renal events will experience cardiorenal benefits with the addition of finerenone to their treatment regimen. Trial Registration: EudraCT number: 2015-000950-39; ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT02545049

Gastric cryptosporidiosis as a clue for the diagnosis of the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome Criptosporidiose gástrica como pista para o diagnóstico da síndrome da imunodeficiência adquirida

Cryptosporidium parvum has been detected with increasing frequency in the gastrointestinal tract, but involvement of the stomach is rarely reported. Whenever found in the histologic examination of the gastrointestinal mucosa, it should raise the suspicion of an immunocompromised host. We report a case of Cryptosporidium-associated erosive gastritis in a 64-year-old woman, who was found later to have the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome. Gastroduodenoendoscopy and biopsy of the gastric mucosa played an invaluable role in the diagnosis of cryptosporidiosis and to disclose the underlying immunodeficiency state<br>Infecções oportunistas do trato gastrointestinal constituem ameaça à população crescente de portadores de imunossupressão. O comprometimento do estômago por Cryptosporidium é incomum. Quando identificado no exame histopatológico da mucosa gástrica, é mandatória a investigação do estado imunológico do hospedeiro. São apresentados os dados clinicopatológicos e endoscópicos de uma paciente de 64 anos com gastrite erosiva associada à infecção por Cryptosporidium. O encontro deste agente oportunista no exame histopatológico da mucosa gástrica foi fundamental para esclarecer a doença de base da paciente, que era a síndrome da imunodeficiência adquirida

Expectations for the Development of Health Technology Assessment in Brazil

The implementation of health technology assessment (HTA) in emerging countries depends on the characteristics of the health care system and the needs of public health care. The objective of this survey was to investigate experts' expectations for the development of HTA in Brazil and to derive measures to strengthen the impact of HTA in Brazil on health care decisions. Based on a scoping literature review, a questionnaire was developed proposing eight theses for seven domains of HTA: (i) capacity building, (ii) public involvement, (iii) role of cost-effectiveness analysis (CEA), (iv) institutional framework, (v) scope of HTA studies, (vi) methodology of HTA, and (vii) HTA as the basis for jurisdiction. Thirty experts responded in full to the survey and agreed to five of the eight theses proposed. Experts suggested several measures to promote HTA within the scope of each domain, thus addressing capacity building related to HTA, availability, and reliability of population data, and legal endowment of the HTA system. Finally, HTA processes in Brazil should also address public health issues (e.g., appraisal of interventions directed at chronic diseases)