Estado nutricional e programa bolsa família no semiárido mineiro: um estudo longitudinal/ Nutritional status and the bolsa família program in minas gerais : a longitudinal study

Introduction: The nutritional status during child growth is the measure that best defines the child's health, and further, it is an indicator of economic inequality. To improve the food and nutritional status, social programs, such as the Bolsa Família Program (BFP), have been enforced in Brazil with the objective of increasing the income of families with a low socioeconomic status.Objective: This study aimed to verify the association between enrollment in this program and the nutritional status of adolescents living in the city of Berilo who were evaluated in the preschool phase in 2004 and reassessed in 2016.Methods: The nutritional status was evaluated based on the height and body mass index according to the age. Statistical analysis was conducted using the Chi-square test of homogeneity, and the final model was analyzed using the logistic regression method. Results: There was an association between the access of the participants to the BFP and the socioeconomic condition of the household. On comparing the nutritional status of the children between 2004 and 2016, it was verified that the incidence of malnutrition decreased from 13.0% to 1.5% and that of being overweight increased from 5.1% to 17.8%; however, these changes were not associated with enrollment in the program.Conclusion: The nutritional status of the adolescents assessed improved between 2004 and 2016, regardless of enrollment in BFP.Introduction: The nutritional status during child growth is the measure that best defines the child's health, and further, it is an indicator of economic inequality. To improve the food and nutritional status, social programs, such as the Bolsa Família Program (BFP), have been enforced in Brazil with the objective of increasing the income of families with a low socioeconomic status. Objective: This study aimed to verify the association between enrollment in this program and the nutritional status of adolescents living in the city of Berilo who were evaluated in the preschool phase in 2004 and reassessed in 2016. Methods: The nutritional status was evaluated based on the height and body mass index according to the age. Statistical analysis was conducted using the Chi-square test of homogeneity, and the final model was analyzed using the logistic regression method. Results: There was an association between the access of the participants to the BFP and the socioeconomic condition of the household. On comparing the nutritional status of the children between 2004 and 2016, it was verified that the incidence of malnutrition decreased from 13.0% to 1.5% and that of being overweight increased from 5.1% to 17.8%; however, these changes were not associated with enrollment in the program. Conclusion: The nutritional status of the adolescents assessed improved between 2004 and 2016, regardless of enrollment in BFP

A SARS-CoV-2 Negative Antigen Rapid Diagnostic in RT-qPCR Positive Samples Correlates With a Low Likelihood of Infectious Viruses in the Nasopharynx

Severe acute respiratory syndrome-related coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) transmission occurs even among fully vaccinated individuals; thus, prompt identification of infected patients is central to control viral circulation. Antigen rapid diagnostic tests (Ag-RDTs) are highly specific, but sensitivity is variable. Discordant RT-qPCR vs. Ag-RDT results are reported, raising the question of whether negative Ag-RDT in positive RT-qPCR samples could imply the absence of infectious viruses. To study the relationship between negative Ag-RDT results with virological, molecular, and serological parameters, we selected a cross-sectional and a follow-up dataset and analyzed virus culture, subgenomic RNA quantification, and sequencing to determine infectious viruses and mutations. We demonstrated that RT-qPCR positive while SARS-CoV-2 Ag-RDT negative discordant results correlate with the absence of infectious virus in nasopharyngeal samples. A decrease in sgRNA detection together with an expected increase in detectable anti-S and anti-N IgGs was also verified in these samples. The data clearly demonstrate that a negative Ag-RDT sample is less likely to harbor infectious SARS-CoV-2 and, consequently, has a lower transmissible potential

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

Rationale, study design, and analysis plan of the Alveolar Recruitment for ARDS Trial (ART): Study protocol for a randomized controlled trial

Background: Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) is associated with high in-hospital mortality. Alveolar recruitment followed by ventilation at optimal titrated PEEP may reduce ventilator-induced lung injury and improve oxygenation in patients with ARDS, but the effects on mortality and other clinical outcomes remain unknown. This article reports the rationale, study design, and analysis plan of the Alveolar Recruitment for ARDS Trial (ART). Methods/Design: ART is a pragmatic, multicenter, randomized (concealed), controlled trial, which aims to determine if maximum stepwise alveolar recruitment associated with PEEP titration is able to increase 28-day survival in patients with ARDS compared to conventional treatment (ARDSNet strategy). We will enroll adult patients with ARDS of less than 72 h duration. The intervention group will receive an alveolar recruitment maneuver, with stepwise increases of PEEP achieving 45 cmH(2)O and peak pressure of 60 cmH2O, followed by ventilation with optimal PEEP titrated according to the static compliance of the respiratory system. In the control group, mechanical ventilation will follow a conventional protocol (ARDSNet). In both groups, we will use controlled volume mode with low tidal volumes (4 to 6 mL/kg of predicted body weight) and targeting plateau pressure <= 30 cmH2O. The primary outcome is 28-day survival, and the secondary outcomes are: length of ICU stay; length of hospital stay; pneumothorax requiring chest tube during first 7 days; barotrauma during first 7 days; mechanical ventilation-free days from days 1 to 28; ICU, in-hospital, and 6-month survival. ART is an event-guided trial planned to last until 520 events (deaths within 28 days) are observed. These events allow detection of a hazard ratio of 0.75, with 90% power and two-tailed type I error of 5%. All analysis will follow the intention-to-treat principle. Discussion: If the ART strategy with maximum recruitment and PEEP titration improves 28-day survival, this will represent a notable advance to the care of ARDS patients. Conversely, if the ART strategy is similar or inferior to the current evidence-based strategy (ARDSNet), this should also change current practice as many institutions routinely employ recruitment maneuvers and set PEEP levels according to some titration method.Hospital do Coracao (HCor) as part of the Program 'Hospitais de Excelencia a Servico do SUS (PROADI-SUS)'Brazilian Ministry of Healt

Fibrinogen binds to nontoxigenic and toxigenic Corynebacterium diphtheriae strains

The production of fibrinous exudates may play an important role in determining the outcome of bacterial infection. Although pseudomembrane formation is a characteristic feature of diphtheria, little is known about the fibrinogen (Fbn)-binding properties of Corynebacterium diphtheriae strains and the influence of the gene that codes for diphtheria toxin (tox gene) in this process. In this study we demonstrated the ability of C. diphtheriae strains to bind to Fbn and to convert Fbn to fibrin. Bacterial interaction with rabbit plasma was evaluated by both slide and tube tests. Interaction of microorganisms with human Fbn was evaluated by both enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and fluorescein isothiocyanate-conjugated (FITC) Fbn binding assays. Nontoxigenic and toxigenic strains formed bacterial aggregates in the presence of plasma in the slide tests. The ability to convert Fbn to a loose web of fibrin in the plasma solution in the tube tests appeared to be a common characteristic of the species, including strains that do not carry the tox gene. Fbn binding to C. diphtheriae strains occurred at varying intensities, as demonstrated by the FITC-Fbn and ELISA binding assays. Our data suggest that the capacity to bind to Fbn and to convert Fbn to fibrin may play a role in pseudomembrane formation and act as virulence determinants of both nontoxigenic and toxigenic strains

Ingestive behaviour of Nelore bulls fed with a GrowSafe system and its relation to the thermal environment

<p>The demand for food, especially of animal origin, is increasing every year. On the other hand, it is believed that climate changes will have impacts on livestock production, especially in tropical regions. Therefore, the development and improvement of livestock production systems is crucial. Thus, the objective of this study was to relate the ingestive behavior of Nellore cattle reared in confinement and fed with a GrowSafe System with measures of the thermal environment. Fifty Nelore bulls, with an average age of 21 months were distributed into two paddocks. The behavioural categories (resting while standing, resting while lying, ruminating while standing, ruminating while lying, eating at feedbunk and feedbunk intention) and meteorological variables (dry and wet bulb temperatures, wind speed [v] and black globe temperature [Tg] were evaluated. The Temperature and Humidity Index (THI), Equivalent Temperature Index (ETI), Black Globe humidity Index (BGHI) and Heat Load Index (HLI) were calculated. Observations were divided into two periods (morning and afternoon) and the study was divided into the following schedules: 1 = 07 hours to 08 hours; 2 = 08 hours: 30 minutes to 09 hours 30 minutes; 3 = 13 hours: 45 minutes to 14 hours: 45 minutes; 4 = 15 hours: 30 minutes to 16 hours: 30 minutes and 5 = 17 hours: 15 minutes to 18 hours: 15 minutes. Pearson's simple correlation between ingestive behavior and thermal environment measurements was performed. There was a positive and moderate correlation between animals eating at feedbunk and air temperature (Ta). Ruminating while standing showed moderate and negative correlation with Ta and Tg, being moderate and positive with relative humidity (Ur). Ruminating while lying correlated moderately and positively with HLI. There was a moderate and negative correlation between the resting while standing activity and the variables Tg, v, BGHI and HLI, while resting while lying had a moderate and positive correlation with Tg and HLI. It is concluded that the thermal environment can affect the ingestive behavior of confined Nellore bulls fed through a GrowSafe System during winter time at Uberlândia, MG.</p