The effect of water molecules on paraquat salts: from physicochemical properties to environmental impact in the Brazilian Cerrado

Introduction: The green revolution model that is followed in the Brazilian Cerrado is dependent on mechanization, chemical fertilization for soil dressing and correction, and the use of herbicides. Paraquat is a methyl viologen herbicide marketed as bipyridylium dichloride salts and used (in low doses) to combat weeds in their post-emergence stage. It is a non-selective pesticide that causes the peroxidation of the lipids that make up the cell membrane, and when it comes into contact with foliage, it results in the death of the plant.Methods: The effect of water molecules co-crystallized in Paraquat salt structures was analyzed in anhydrous, dihydrate, and trihydrate forms to understand those physicochemical properties in its redox activity. The frontier molecular orbitals were also carried out using DFT to obtain the chemical reactivity of the bipyridylium cation. Finally, the supramolecular arrangements were evaluated to analyze the physicochemical stability and acquire insights on superoxide anions.Results and discussion: The electronic structure indicated that the BP cation presents an acidic character due to its low ELUMO value, while the salt has a more basic character due to its high EHOMO value. For this reason, the BP ion is more susceptible to reduction during the weeds’ photosynthesis process. During the process of plant photosynthesis, PQ is reduced to form a stable radical cation. In the supramolecular arrangement, the presence of water molecules increases the number of strong H-bonds, while the weak/moderate H-bonds are stabilized. PQ’s toxic effects are observed in wildlife, domesticated animals, human populations, and ecosystems. The influence of PQ on the terrestrial environment is limited because of the soil adsorption capacity associated with good agricultural practices. The current use of good agricultural practices in the Cerrado seems not to prevent the environmental impacts of herbicides like PQ because it aims for the expansion and profitability of large-scale farming based on input-intensive practices instead of sustainable agriculture processes

Cartilha ilustrada como instrumento de educação ambiental

Trabalho apresentado no II Congresso Nacional do PROJETO RONDON, realizado em Florianópolis, SC, no período de 23 a 25 de setembro de 2015 - Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina.A urgência em preservar os recursos naturais cresce cada vez mais. Há a necessidade de se pensar globalmente e buscar agir localmente para que assim consigamos reduzir os impactos ambientais que nos atingem diretamente. Com esse pensamento em mente, surgiu a oportunidade de utilizar uma alternativa para atrair o interesse e incentivar a ação da população através de uma forma simples e atrativa, buscando a conscientização e educação ambiental como ferramentas para a redução de impactos antrópicos apenas com simples práticas domésticas. Colocando em foco a educação infantil, trabalhando o reaproveitamento e reciclagem de materiais, visando a preservação de matéria prima e informações sobre preservação e recuperação de áreas degradadas e matas ciliares, através do formato de história em quadrinhos e usando linguagem acessível. A cartilha ambiental foi elaborada em forma de revista em quadrinhos, buscando introduzir informalmente a cartilha à população da região São Bento do Tocantins. A distribuição do material ocorreu em palestras, escolas e encerramento da operação na cidade, através de abordagens. Os 2.000 exemplares foram produzidos e distribuídos, esperando alcançar um público aproximado de 5.000 pessoas. A cidade de São Bento do Tocantins não possui saneamento básico adequado, utilizam de lixão, boa parte da população relatou que não fazem separação dos resíduos, não utilizam de coleta seletiva e possuem fossa negra para disposição do esgoto doméstico. O Rio São Bento, que banha a cidade, encontra-se com sua margem degradada pela erosão e desmate da vegetação. Através da viagem precursora foi possível identificar tais situações para trabalhar com a população. Com depoimentos coletados, as cartilhas já foram trabalhadas em salas de aula da cidade. Tendo em mente que educação ambiental é um tema que deve ser abordado sempre e que seus resultados na maioria das vezes podem ser percebidos apenas a longo prazo, a resposta que obtivemos da população foi positiva, uma vez que recebemos depoimentos dos professores que utilizaram a cartilha em sala de aula indicando que o material foi muito bem recebido pelos alunos e de fácil abordagem

Tapping into non-English-language science for the conservation of global biodiversity.

The widely held assumption that any important scientific information would be available in English underlies the underuse of non-English-language science across disciplines. However, non-English-language science is expected to bring unique and valuable scientific information, especially in disciplines where the evidence is patchy, and for emergent issues where synthesising available evidence is an urgent challenge. Yet such contribution of non-English-language science to scientific communities and the application of science is rarely quantified. Here, we show that non-English-language studies provide crucial evidence for informing global biodiversity conservation. By screening 419,679 peer-reviewed papers in 16 languages, we identified 1,234 non-English-language studies providing evidence on the effectiveness of biodiversity conservation interventions, compared to 4,412 English-language studies identified with the same criteria. Relevant non-English-language studies are being published at an increasing rate in 6 out of the 12 languages where there were a sufficient number of relevant studies. Incorporating non-English-language studies can expand the geographical coverage (i.e., the number of 2° × 2° grid cells with relevant studies) of English-language evidence by 12% to 25%, especially in biodiverse regions, and taxonomic coverage (i.e., the number of species covered by the relevant studies) by 5% to 32%, although they do tend to be based on less robust study designs. Our results show that synthesising non-English-language studies is key to overcoming the widespread lack of local, context-dependent evidence and facilitating evidence-based conservation globally. We urge wider disciplines to rigorously reassess the untapped potential of non-English-language science in informing decisions to address other global challenges. Please see the Supporting information files for Alternative Language Abstracts

Allergic Rhinitis and its Impact on Asthma (ARIA) Phase 4 (2018) : Change management in allergic rhinitis and asthma multimorbidity using mobile technology

Allergic Rhinitis and its Impact on Asthma (ARIA) has evolved from a guideline by using the best approach to integrated care pathways using mobile technology in patients with allergic rhinitis (AR) and asthma multimorbidity. The proposed next phase of ARIA is change management, with the aim of providing an active and healthy life to patients with rhinitis and to those with asthma multimorbidity across the lifecycle irrespective of their sex or socioeconomic status to reduce health and social inequities incurred by the disease. ARIA has followed the 8-step model of Kotter to assess and implement the effect of rhinitis on asthma multimorbidity and to propose multimorbid guidelines. A second change management strategy is proposed by ARIA Phase 4 to increase self-medication and shared decision making in rhinitis and asthma multimorbidity. An innovation of ARIA has been the development and validation of information technology evidence-based tools (Mobile Airways Sentinel Network [MASK]) that can inform patient decisions on the basis of a self-care plan proposed by the health care professional.Peer reviewe

The impact of surgical delay on resectability of colorectal cancer: An international prospective cohort study

AIM: The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has provided a unique opportunity to explore the impact of surgical delays on cancer resectability. This study aimed to compare resectability for colorectal cancer patients undergoing delayed versus non-delayed surgery. METHODS: This was an international prospective cohort study of consecutive colorectal cancer patients with a decision for curative surgery (January-April 2020). Surgical delay was defined as an operation taking place more than 4 weeks after treatment decision, in a patient who did not receive neoadjuvant therapy. A subgroup analysis explored the effects of delay in elective patients only. The impact of longer delays was explored in a sensitivity analysis. The primary outcome was complete resection, defined as curative resection with an R0 margin. RESULTS: Overall, 5453 patients from 304 hospitals in 47 countries were included, of whom 6.6% (358/5453) did not receive their planned operation. Of the 4304 operated patients without neoadjuvant therapy, 40.5% (1744/4304) were delayed beyond 4 weeks. Delayed patients were more likely to be older, men, more comorbid, have higher body mass index and have rectal cancer and early stage disease. Delayed patients had higher unadjusted rates of complete resection (93.7% vs. 91.9%, P = 0.032) and lower rates of emergency surgery (4.5% vs. 22.5%, P < 0.001). After adjustment, delay was not associated with a lower rate of complete resection (OR 1.18, 95% CI 0.90-1.55, P = 0.224), which was consistent in elective patients only (OR 0.94, 95% CI 0.69-1.27, P = 0.672). Longer delays were not associated with poorer outcomes. CONCLUSION: One in 15 colorectal cancer patients did not receive their planned operation during the first wave of COVID-19. Surgical delay did not appear to compromise resectability, raising the hypothesis that any reduction in long-term survival attributable to delays is likely to be due to micro-metastatic disease

Cross-sectional analysis of students and school workers reveals a high number of asymptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infections during school reopening in Brazilian cities

Brazil experienced one of the most prolonged periods of school closures, and reopening could have exposed students to high rates of SARS-CoV-2 infection. However, the infection status of students and school workers at the time of the reopening of schools located in Brazilian cities is unknown. Here we evaluated viral carriage by RT-PCR and seroprevalence of anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies (IgM and IgG) by immunochromatography in 2259 individuals (1139 students and 1120 school workers) from 28 schools in 28 Brazilian cities. We collected the samples within 30 days after public schools reopened and before the start of vaccination campaigns. Most students (n = 421) and school workers (n = 446) had active (qRT-PCR + IgM− IgG− or qRT-PCR + IgM + IgG−/+) SARS-CoV-2 infection. Regression analysis indicated a strong association between the infection status of students and school workers. Furthermore, while 45% (n = 515) of the students and 37% (n = 415) of the school workers were neither antigen nor antibody positive in laboratory tests, 16% of the participants (169 students and 193 school workers) were oligosymptomatic, including those reinfected. These individuals presented mild symptoms such as headache, sore throat, and cough. Notably, most of the individuals were asymptomatic (83.9%). These results indicate that many SARS-CoV-2 infections in Brazilian cities during school reopening were asymptomatic. Thus, our study highlights the need to promote a coordinated public health effort to guarantee a safe educational environment while avoiding exacerbating pre-existent social inequalities in Brazil, reducing social, mental, and economic losses for students, school workers, and their families