ASSOCIATION BETWEEN FOOD CONSUMPTION AS PREDICTOR OF CARDIOVASCULAR RISK AND WAIST CIRCUMFERENCE INCREASE IN TEENAGERS

Introduction: the eating habits of young people have changed significantly over the last few decades. Teenagers tend to have less than desirable intake of fruits, vegetables, dairy products and wholegrain products, and higher intake of foods high in saturated and trans fats, leading to increased waist circumference and consequent increased risk of cardiovascular disease. Objective: to analyse the relationship between dietary intake as predictor of and increased abdominal circumference in teenagers. Methods: a cross-sectional study was conducted in a sample of 818 teenagers aged between 10 and 14 years, of both genders, enrolled in state public schools in the metropolitan region of Vitória, Espirito Santo, Brazil, from August 2012 to October 2013. Waist circumference (WC) measurements were carried out in duplicate and the arithmetic mean was calculated. The dietary intake was identified from a simplified food questionnaire containing foods whose consumption is high or that present excessive risk of coronary heart disease in teenagers. The statistical analysis was done through Pearson’s chi-squared test. Results: a proportion of 55.9% of the sample had an adequate food intake, 15.6% a high intake and 28.5% an excessive intake. Among teenagers who had an adequate, high and excessive dietary intake, 5.6% (N = 46), 1.1% (N = 9) and 2.6% (N = 21) had increased WC, respectively. The result of the chi-squared test indicated no association between dietary intake as predictor of cardiovascular risk and WC, p-value = 0.576. Conclusion: there was no association between dietary intake presenting cardiovascular risk and increased waist circumference

Lipid profile in schoolchildren in Vitória – Brazil

Introduction: The growing prevalence of obesity is currently considered the most important nutritional disorder. It is characterized, according to the World Health Organization (WHO) as a worldwide epidemic in developing and developed countries. In an associated form, there is an increasing prevalence of dyslipidaemia. Aiming to improve the current situation and prevent the progression of the epidemic, the American Academy of Pediatrics recently reinforced the need for cholesterol screening in overweight children older than two years. Objective: To determine overweight and lipid profi le in children aged between six and nine years. Methods: A descriptive, cross-sectional study with children from Vitoria, ES. For nutritional classifi cation the Z-score > + 1 SD body mass index-for-age (according to WHO / 2007) was used; for the lipid profi le the Atherosclerosis Prevention Guidelines in Childhood were used. Anthropometric measurements (weight, height, waist circumference and triceps skinfold thickness) followed the standard techniques described by WHO. Data were organized and analysed using SPSS, version 8.5 and calculated the absolute, relative and mean (SD) frequencies and the association between overweight, lipid profile and other variables is adopted as signifi cant when p < 0.05. Results: The sample comprised a total of 511 children of both sexes (46.7% male), with a mean age of 101.6 ± 11.1 months. Overweight was found in 197 (38.5%) children: overweight in 71 (13.9%) and obesity in 126 (24.6%). Total cholesterol was elevated in 167 (32.7%) as were high LDL-C (136–27%). High triglycerides were found in 21 participants (4.1%). Signifi cant association was found between waist circumference and high levels of triglycerides (p = 0.019) and HDL-C (p = 0.033). Conclusion: Excess weight of the sample investigated is considered high and its health effects are important, with an increased total cholesterol greater than 32%. The high levels of HDL-C are protectivefactors for coronary heart disease, although the lipid profi le had been changed

Growth and nutritional status of adolescents of public education system

Introduction: The prevalence of obesity in children and adults has increased worldwide exponentially over the past two decades, becoming an important issue of global public health. Objective: To describe the growth and nutritional status of adolescents of  public schools. Methods: Epidemiological, cross-sectional study, a representative sample of students aged 10 to 14 years of the public schools of the Metropolitan Region of Grande Vitória (MRGV), State of Espírito Santo, Brazil. Data on gender, age, skin colour/race, pubertal stage, socioeconomic class, weight and height were obtained. In the nutritional evaluation, the Height/Age (H/A) and Body Mass Index/Age (BMI/A) indexes, in z-score, of the WHO reference (2007) were considered. For statistical analysis, we used the Qui-square test and Student's t test (Mann-Whitney test for non-normal distribution), and significance level of p <0.05. Study approved by the Institutional Research Ethics Committee. Results: There were assessed 818 adolescents, with average age of 12.8 ± 1.1 years, female predominance (58.3%), mixed skin colour/race (41.7%), post-pubertal stage (53, 4%) and socioeconomic class C (59.5%). It was identified very low stature in 0.4% and low stature in 1.8% of adolescents. Overweight was diagnosed in 227 (27.7%) students, represented by overweight (18.7%), obesity (8.4%) and severe obesity (0.6%); While 0.2% presented severe thinness and 2.7% thinness.  The mean z-score of girls' height (p = 0.024) was higher than the WHO reference, as well as the BMI z-score of girls (p = 0.0001) and boys (p = 0.0002). Conclusion: Adolescents of public schools of MRGV achieve adequate growth, even higher, on average, proposed by WHO (2007). However, they also present a high prevalence of overweight, indicating that the region is at an advanced stage of nutritional transition

Catálogo Taxonômico da Fauna do Brasil: setting the baseline knowledge on the animal diversity in Brazil

The limited temporal completeness and taxonomic accuracy of species lists, made available in a traditional manner in scientific publications, has always represented a problem. These lists are invariably limited to a few taxonomic groups and do not represent up-to-date knowledge of all species and classifications. In this context, the Brazilian megadiverse fauna is no exception, and the Catálogo Taxonômico da Fauna do Brasil (CTFB) (http://fauna.jbrj.gov.br/), made public in 2015, represents a database on biodiversity anchored on a list of valid and expertly recognized scientific names of animals in Brazil. The CTFB is updated in near real time by a team of more than 800 specialists. By January 1, 2024, the CTFB compiled 133,691 nominal species, with 125,138 that were considered valid. Most of the valid species were arthropods (82.3%, with more than 102,000 species) and chordates (7.69%, with over 11,000 species). These taxa were followed by a cluster composed of Mollusca (3,567 species), Platyhelminthes (2,292 species), Annelida (1,833 species), and Nematoda (1,447 species). All remaining groups had less than 1,000 species reported in Brazil, with Cnidaria (831 species), Porifera (628 species), Rotifera (606 species), and Bryozoa (520 species) representing those with more than 500 species. Analysis of the CTFB database can facilitate and direct efforts towards the discovery of new species in Brazil, but it is also fundamental in providing the best available list of valid nominal species to users, including those in science, health, conservation efforts, and any initiative involving animals. The importance of the CTFB is evidenced by the elevated number of citations in the scientific literature in diverse areas of biology, law, anthropology, education, forensic science, and veterinary science, among others

Portal de periódicos da capes: uso por pós-graduandos da faculdade de medicina

Descreve-se o uso do Portal de Periódicos da Capes pelos 258 alunos matriculados na pós-graduação stricto sensu da Faculdade de Medicina da UFMG, aos quais foi enviado um e-mail/formulário. Responderam a pesquisa 62 (27%) pós-graduandos. Sobre a utilização do Portal da Capes, verificou-se que 57 (91,9%) usam para fazer pesquisas, 29 (46,8%) destes com frequência semanal. Conhecem o novo Portal 71%. Em relação às bases de dados, 50 alunos (80,7%) conhecem de três a seis bases, dentre as quais a Pubmed aparece em 100% das respostas. Em relação a treinamentos oferecidos pela Capes, 71% nunca participaram, e destes 88,7% gostariam de participar. Estes resultados mostram o uso frequente do Portal de Periódicos da Capes pelos pós-graduandose a necessidade de constantes treinamentos

Lipid profile in schoolchildren in Vitória – Brazil

Introduction: The growing prevalence of obesity is currently considered the most important nutritional disorder. It is characterized, according to the World Health Organization (WHO) as a worldwide epidemic in developing and developed countries. In an associated form, there is an increasing prevalence of dyslipidaemia. Aiming to improve the current situation and prevent the progression of the epidemic, the American Academy of Pediatrics recently reinforced the need for cholesterol screening in overweight children older than two years. Objective: To determine overweight and lipid profi le in children aged between six and nine years. Methods: A descriptive, cross-sectional study with children from Vitoria, ES. For nutritional classifi cation the Z-score > + 1 SD body mass index-for-age (according to WHO / 2007) was used; for the lipid profi le the Atherosclerosis Prevention Guidelines in Childhood were used. Anthropometric measurements (weight, height, waist circumference and triceps skinfold thickness) followed the standard techniques described by WHO. Data were organized and analysed using SPSS, version 8.5 and calculated the absolute, relative and mean (SD) frequencies and the association between overweight, lipid profile and other variables is adopted as signifi cant when p < 0.05. Results: The sample comprised a total of 511 children of both sexes (46.7% male), with a mean age of 101.6 ± 11.1 months. Overweight was found in 197 (38.5%) children: overweight in 71 (13.9%) and obesity in 126 (24.6%). Total cholesterol was elevated in 167 (32.7%) as were high LDL-C (136–27%). High triglycerides were found in 21 participants (4.1%). Signifi cant association was found between waist circumference and high levels of triglycerides (p = 0.019) and HDL-C (p = 0.033). Conclusion: Excess weight of the sample investigated is considered high and its health effects are important, with an increased total cholesterol greater than 32%. The high levels of HDL-C are protectivefactors for coronary heart disease, although the lipid profi le had been changed

NEOTROPICAL XENARTHRANS: a data set of occurrence of xenarthran species in the Neotropics

Xenarthrans—anteaters, sloths, and armadillos—have essential functions for ecosystem maintenance, such as insect control and nutrient cycling, playing key roles as ecosystem engineers. Because of habitat loss and fragmentation, hunting pressure, and conflicts with domestic dogs, these species have been threatened locally, regionally, or even across their full distribution ranges. The Neotropics harbor 21 species of armadillos, 10 anteaters, and 6 sloths. Our data set includes the families Chlamyphoridae (13), Dasypodidae (7), Myrmecophagidae (3), Bradypodidae (4), and Megalonychidae (2). We have no occurrence data on Dasypus pilosus (Dasypodidae). Regarding Cyclopedidae, until recently, only one species was recognized, but new genetic studies have revealed that the group is represented by seven species. In this data paper, we compiled a total of 42,528 records of 31 species, represented by occurrence and quantitative data, totaling 24,847 unique georeferenced records. The geographic range is from the southern United States, Mexico, and Caribbean countries at the northern portion of the Neotropics, to the austral distribution in Argentina, Paraguay, Chile, and Uruguay. Regarding anteaters, Myrmecophaga tridactyla has the most records (n = 5,941), and Cyclopes sp. have the fewest (n = 240). The armadillo species with the most data is Dasypus novemcinctus (n = 11,588), and the fewest data are recorded for Calyptophractus retusus (n = 33). With regard to sloth species, Bradypus variegatus has the most records (n = 962), and Bradypus pygmaeus has the fewest (n = 12). Our main objective with Neotropical Xenarthrans is to make occurrence and quantitative data available to facilitate more ecological research, particularly if we integrate the xenarthran data with other data sets of Neotropical Series that will become available very soon (i.e., Neotropical Carnivores, Neotropical Invasive Mammals, and Neotropical Hunters and Dogs). Therefore, studies on trophic cascades, hunting pressure, habitat loss, fragmentation effects, species invasion, and climate change effects will be possible with the Neotropical Xenarthrans data set. Please cite this data paper when using its data in publications. We also request that researchers and teachers inform us of how they are using these data