The Role of Macrolides in Noncystic Fibrosis Bronchiectasis

Objective. The present study aims at reviewing the main publications on the use of macrolides as immunomodulators in patients with noncystic fibrosis bronchiectasis. Source of Data. The Medline database was our source of data for this research carried out until June 2011, using the key words: macrolides and bronchiectasis, while searching for original articles and reviews. Summary of Data. Seven clinical studies that evaluated the action of the macrolides in patients with bronchiectasis were found. There was the sputum volume, reduction in pulmonary exacerbation frequency, and in the use of antimicrobial treatment, in addition to pulmonary function improvement. Conclusions. Anti-inflammatory action and immunomodulatory effects can be attributed to macrolides when administered in low doses and on the long term. This use has been well established both in diffuse panbronchiolitis and in cystic fibrosis. Evidence indicates possible benefits in bronchiectasis. Future studies are needed, though, to establish the ideal dose and treatment duration and to understand the implications in the generation of microbial resistance

Tetralogia de Fallot no Brasil: compreendendo a existência

Introduction: Tetralogy of Fallot involves four specific heart problems. Firstly, there is pulmonary stenosis, characterized by the narrowing of the pathway that carries blood from the heart to the lungs, hindering blood flow. Right ventricular hypertrophy is another characteristic, where the muscle of the right ventricle of the heart becomes thicker due to increased workload caused by pulmonary stenosis. Methodology: The present study adopted a descriptive epidemiological approach with the aim of analyzing cases of Tetralogy of Fallot among live births in Brazil from 2012 to 2021. Data collection utilized the Live Birth Information System (SINASC), made available by DATASUS. Results: In the group of individuals born with Tetralogy of Fallot, the analysis of variables reveals valuable information about demographic characteristics and perinatal conditions. Regarding the "Race/Ethnicity" variable, out of the 943 cases registered, 588 (62.35%) were classified as white, 51 (5.41%) as black, 10 (1.06%) as yellow, 267 (28.31%) as brown, and 27 (2.86%) had race/ethnicity recorded as unknown. Conclusion: A profound understanding of congenital heart diseases not only saves lives but also significantly improves the quality of life for affected individuals.Introdução: A Tetralogia de Fallot envolve quatro problemas cardíacos específicos. Em primeiro lugar, há a estenose pulmonar, caracterizada pelo estreitamento da via que conduz o sangue do coração para os pulmões, dificultando o fluxo sanguíneo. A hipertrofia ventricular direita é outra característica, onde o músculo do ventrículo direito do coração torna-se mais espesso devido ao aumento da carga de trabalho provocado pela estenose pulmonar. Metodologia: O presente estudo adotou uma abordagem epidemiológica descritiva com o objetivo de analisar os casos de Tetralogia de Fallot entre os nascidos vivos no Brasil no período de 2012 a 2021. Para a coleta de dados, utilizou-se o Sistema de Informações sobre Nascidos Vivos (SINASC), disponibilizado pelo DATASUS Resultado: No grupo de nascidos com Tetralogia de Fallot, a análise das variáveis revela informações valiosas sobre características demográficas e condições perinatais. Em relação à variável "Cor/Raça", dos 943 casos registrados, 588 (62,35%) eram classificados como brancos, 51 (5,41%) como pretos, 10 (1,06%) como amarelos, 267 (28,31%) como pardos, e 27 (2,86%) tiveram a cor/raça registrada como ignorada Conclusão: A compreensão profunda das cardiopatias congênitas não apenas salva vidas, mas também melhora significativamente a qualidade de vida dos indivíduos afetados

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

Characterisation of microbial attack on archaeological bone

As part of an EU funded project to investigate the factors influencing bone preservation in the archaeological record, more than 250 bones from 41 archaeological sites in five countries spanning four climatic regions were studied for diagenetic alteration. Sites were selected to cover a range of environmental conditions and archaeological contexts. Microscopic and physical (mercury intrusion porosimetry) analyses of these bones revealed that the majority (68%) had suffered microbial attack. Furthermore, significant differences were found between animal and human bone in both the state of preservation and the type of microbial attack present. These differences in preservation might result from differences in early taphonomy of the bones. © 2003 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved