O Uso do Questionário como Ferramenta Metodológica: potencialidades e desafios

Introduction: A questionnaire is a set of questions, which follow a logical sequence, about variables and circumstances that one wants to measure or describe in scientific research. Objective: To carry out a literature review to investigate the use of the questionnaire as a methodological tool with a view to its potentialities and challenges in the academic field. Material and Method: This is a bibliographic review in the Google Scholar database and in the Virtual Health Library (VHL) from 2005 to 2023. The inclusion criteria were articles published in English and Portuguese; full articles available in full; approach to the central theme of the research. Literature Review: Historically, questionnaires have been the predominant option for collecting information and in recent decades, there has been a decrease in response rates and an increase in technological development and use of the internet, which has driven the emergence and adoption of online questionnaires. Final Considerations:Regarding the use of the questionnaire, it should be noted that it offers benefits such as greater geographic reach, convenience and automation and challenges related to the response rate and representativeness of the sample, in addition to offering different options according to the needs of the researcher as well as the identification, recognition and validation of authors and their scientific contributions.Introdução: Um questionário é um conjunto de perguntas, que obedecem uma sequência lógica, sobre variáveis e circunstâncias que se deseja medir ou descrever em uma pesquisa científica. Objetivo: Realizar uma revisão de literatura com o intuito de investigar o uso do questionário como ferramenta metodológica com vistas para suas potencialidades e desafios no âmbito acadêmico. Material e Método: Trata-se de uma revisão bibliográfica no banco de dados Google Acadêmico e na Biblioteca Virtual de Saúde (BVS) do período 2005 a 2023. Os critérios de inclusão foram: artigos publicados nos idiomas inglês e português; artigos completos e disponíveis na íntegra; abordagem do tema central da pesquisa. Revisão de Literatura: Historicamente, os questionários têm sido a opção predominante para a coleta de informações e nas últimas décadas, tem-se observado uma diminuição nas taxas de resposta e um aumento no desenvolvimento tecnológico e na utilização da internet, o que tem impulsionado o surgimento e a adoção dos questionários online. Considerações Finais: Em relação ao uso de questionário, destaca-se que ele oferece benefícios como maior alcance geográfico, conveniência e automatização e desafios relacionados à taxa de resposta e representatividade da amostra, além de oferecer diferentes opções de acordo com as necessidades da pesquisa. &nbsp

Oropharyngeal morphological aspects of Arapaima gigas (Schinz, 1822)

The study of the functional anatomy of the digestive system of fish, in particular the oropharyngeal cavity, is of great importance because it allows inferences about the feeding habit, mechanisms of capture, selection, and processing of food carried out by different species. Thus, the aim of this study was to describe the anatomical adaptations of the oropharyngeal cavity of the pirarucu (Arapaima gigas Schinz, 1822) using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) techniques. The oropharyngeal cavity of six specimens of pirarucu was collected in juvenile phase, from Aquaculture Research Center at the Universidade Federal de Rondônia (UNIR), created for commercial purposes. The anatomical pieces were fixed in 10% buffered formalin and processed for SEM analysis. Anatomically, the oropharyngeal cavity of the pirarucu is composed of five pairs of branchial arches, apical portion of the tongue, floor of the tongue, lower pharyngeal area, and upper pharyngeal plate. In SEM, we observed that the mucosa of the apex of the tongue and the upper pharyngeal roof have a smooth texture and are covered by squamous cells with numerous small openings scattered over the surface. The portions of the floor of the tongue and the lower pharyngeal area, on the other hand, have adaptations in the form of a projectile and numerous sensory papillae, giving a rough texture to the region. Thus, the oropharyngeal cavity of pirarucu is adapted for the capture, apprehension, and swallowing of its prey, with signs of carnivory

Effect of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor and angiotensin receptor blocker initiation on organ support-free days in patients hospitalized with COVID-19

IMPORTANCE Overactivation of the renin-angiotensin system (RAS) may contribute to poor clinical outcomes in patients with COVID-19. Objective To determine whether angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor or angiotensin receptor blocker (ARB) initiation improves outcomes in patients hospitalized for COVID-19. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS In an ongoing, adaptive platform randomized clinical trial, 721 critically ill and 58 non–critically ill hospitalized adults were randomized to receive an RAS inhibitor or control between March 16, 2021, and February 25, 2022, at 69 sites in 7 countries (final follow-up on June 1, 2022). INTERVENTIONS Patients were randomized to receive open-label initiation of an ACE inhibitor (n = 257), ARB (n = 248), ARB in combination with DMX-200 (a chemokine receptor-2 inhibitor; n = 10), or no RAS inhibitor (control; n = 264) for up to 10 days. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES The primary outcome was organ support–free days, a composite of hospital survival and days alive without cardiovascular or respiratory organ support through 21 days. The primary analysis was a bayesian cumulative logistic model. Odds ratios (ORs) greater than 1 represent improved outcomes. RESULTS On February 25, 2022, enrollment was discontinued due to safety concerns. Among 679 critically ill patients with available primary outcome data, the median age was 56 years and 239 participants (35.2%) were women. Median (IQR) organ support–free days among critically ill patients was 10 (–1 to 16) in the ACE inhibitor group (n = 231), 8 (–1 to 17) in the ARB group (n = 217), and 12 (0 to 17) in the control group (n = 231) (median adjusted odds ratios of 0.77 [95% bayesian credible interval, 0.58-1.06] for improvement for ACE inhibitor and 0.76 [95% credible interval, 0.56-1.05] for ARB compared with control). The posterior probabilities that ACE inhibitors and ARBs worsened organ support–free days compared with control were 94.9% and 95.4%, respectively. Hospital survival occurred in 166 of 231 critically ill participants (71.9%) in the ACE inhibitor group, 152 of 217 (70.0%) in the ARB group, and 182 of 231 (78.8%) in the control group (posterior probabilities that ACE inhibitor and ARB worsened hospital survival compared with control were 95.3% and 98.1%, respectively). CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE In this trial, among critically ill adults with COVID-19, initiation of an ACE inhibitor or ARB did not improve, and likely worsened, clinical outcomes. TRIAL REGISTRATION ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT0273570

Macro, micromorphological and histological aspects of the intestine pirarucu Arapaima gigas (SCHINZ, 1822) (Osteoglossiformes: Arapaimidae)

Currently, the fish farming with Arapaima gigas has suffered from technological obstacles in the fields of reproduction, health and nutrition, making it necessary to know the morphology of its structures, so that it can advance in more technified research in scope of production in Rondônia state, as well as in aquaculture nutrition and health. Therefore, the aimed is to characterize the macro and microscopic morphology of posterior digestive system of A. gigas. The intestine of six specimens A. gigas in ideal slaughter size was analyzed. The analyzes were performed using light-sheet microscopy (LM) and scanning electron (SEM) techniques. The intestine basically showes similar histological characteristics in three analyzed portions (proximal, middle and distal). Same type of simple columnar epithelium with goblet cells was evidenced, with subtle variations in pattern of villi in each segment, and in number of goblet cells. In the rectum, the amount of goblet cells and evident longitudinal villi was expressive. Macroscopic anatomy and histology of the intestine A. gigas analyzed showes characteristics of adaptation to cultivation, according to their diet and habitat. The intestinal mucosa can divided into three distinct portions: proximal, middle and final intestine, in addition to the rectum and anus. In the pyloric cecum, the folds are slightly higher and poorly branched. The rectum, compared to the midgut, showed a higher occurrence of goblet cells in the mucosa. This increase in goblet cells observed in the posterior portion may related to the assimilation of ions and fluids that occur at this location

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