Do Circadian Preferences Influence the Sleep Patterns of Night Shift Drivers?

Objective: the objective of this study was to analyze the effect of individual circadian preferences of drivers with fixed night work schedules on sleep patterns. Subjects and Methods: A total of 123 professional drivers, 32 indifferent preference drivers and 91 morning preference drivers of an intermunicipality and interstate bus transportation company were evaluated. All drivers underwent polysomnographic recordings after their shifts. Furthermore, they filled out a questionnaire that contained sociodemographic and health questions. the Home and Ostberg questionnaire was used to assess the subjects' morningness-eveningness preference. Results: the mean age was 42.54 +/- 6.98 years and 82 (66.66%) of the drivers had worked for = 15 years. A significant effect on rapid eye movement (REM) was observed in the morning preference drivers. They showed an increased sleep latency and an REM sleep percentage of 5% of the total REM time. This reveals a significant effect on sleep architecture associated with work time. Conclusion: the drivers reported that morning preference had a significant effect on their sleep pattern indicating less REM sleep and longer REM sleep latency in the morning preference group. Thus, it is important to evaluate interactions between individual aspects of health and other parameters, such as sleep quality and work organizational factors, to promote night shift workers' health and well-being. (C) 2013 S. Karger AG, BaselUniversidade Federal de São PauloAssociação Fundo de Incentivo à PesquisaCentro Multidisciplinar em Sonolencia e Acidentes (CEMSA)/Fundo de Incentivo a Pesquisa (AFIP)Centro de Estudo em Psicobiologia e Exercicio (CEPE)Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)Associacao Fundo Incent Pesquisa, Ctr Multidisciplinar Sonolencia & Acidentes, São Paulo, BrazilUniversidade Federal de São Paulo, São Paulo, BrazilUNESP, Univ Estadual Paulista Julio de Mesquita Fillho, Assis, BrazilUniv Estadual Campinas, Fac Ciencias Aplicadas, Limeira, BrazilUniversidade Federal de São Paulo, São Paulo, BrazilWeb of Scienc

The MHC Gene Region of Murine Hosts Influences the Differential Tissue Tropism of Infecting Trypanosoma cruzi Strains

We have previously demonstrated that both parasite genetic variability and host genetic background were important in determining the differential tissue distribution of the Col1.7G2 and JG T. cruzi monoclonal strains after artificial infections in mice. We observed that the JG strain was most prevalent in hearts of mouse lineages with the MHC haplotype H-2d (BALB/c and DBA2), while Col1.7G2 was predominant in hearts from C57BL/6 mice, which have the H-2b haplotype. To assess whether the MHC gene region indeed influenced tissue tropism of T. cruzi, we used the same two parasite strains to infect C57BL/6 (H-2b) and C57BLKS/J (H-2d) mice; the latter strain results from the introgression of DBA2 MHC region into the C57BL/6 background. We also performed ex vivo infections of cardiac explants from four congenic mice lineages with the H-2b and H-2d haplotypes arranged in two different genetic backgrounds: C57BLKS/J (H-2d) versus C57BL/6 (H-2b) and BALB/c (H-2d) versus BALB/B10-H2b (H-2b). In agreement with our former observations, Col1.7G2 was predominant in hearts from C57BL/6 mice (H-2b), but we observed a clear predominance of the JG strain in hearts from C57BLKS/J animals (H-2d). In the ex vivo experiments Col1.7G2 also prevailed in explants from H-2b animals while no predominance of any of the strains was observed in H-2d mice explants, regardless of the genetic background. These observations clearly demonstrate that the MHC region influences the differential tissue distribution pattern of infecting T. cruzi strains, which by its turn may be in a human infection the determinant for the clinical forms of the Chagas disease

Addressing the challenges posed by energy poverty in Latin American countries

Many of the energy systems functioning across the developing world are poorly designed and largely inadequate to meet a country's commercial and domestic energy needs. This is especially so in Latin America, where poverty trends have been exacerbated by limited access to energy, which could be used towards supporting industrial and small-scale commercial activities. This has characterised the widespread trend of energy poverty. This phenomenon poses a major barrier towards achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and addressing climate change, since lack of access to reliable energy generation systems hinders the development of economic activities and limits the comfort of living conditions. This paper reports on a study aimed at catering to a better understanding of the challenges related to energy poverty in Latin America and identifying some of the tools that may be deployed to address them. The methodological procedures used were bibliometric analysis and survey. The main findings of this research evidence that reducing energy poverty in Latin American countries is crucial to alleviating household costs since a considerable part of family income is used to pay the energy needs. Less use of coal, greater access to electricity—including those from renewable generation—as well as the use of technologies and programs subsidized by governments would significantly contribute to increasing the Latin American citizens' quality of life and achieving the SDGs

Worldwide trends in underweight and obesity from 1990 to 2022: a pooled analysis of 3663 population-representative studies with 222 million children, adolescents, and adults

Background Underweight and obesity are associated with adverse health outcomes throughout the life course. We estimated the individual and combined prevalence of underweight or thinness and obesity, and their changes, from 1990 to 2022 for adults and school-aged children and adolescents in 200 countries and territories. Methods We used data from 3663 population-based studies with 222 million participants that measured height and weight in representative samples of the general population. We used a Bayesian hierarchical model to estimate trends in the prevalence of different BMI categories, separately for adults (age ≥20 years) and school-aged children and adolescents (age 5–19 years), from 1990 to 2022 for 200 countries and territories. For adults, we report the individual and combined prevalence of underweight (BMI <18·5 kg/m2) and obesity (BMI ≥30 kg/m2). For schoolaged children and adolescents, we report thinness (BMI <2 SD below the median of the WHO growth reference) and obesity (BMI >2 SD above the median). Findings From 1990 to 2022, the combined prevalence of underweight and obesity in adults decreased in 11 countries (6%) for women and 17 (9%) for men with a posterior probability of at least 0·80 that the observed changes were true decreases. The combined prevalence increased in 162 countries (81%) for women and 140 countries (70%) for men with a posterior probability of at least 0·80. In 2022, the combined prevalence of underweight and obesity was highest in island nations in the Caribbean and Polynesia and Micronesia, and countries in the Middle East and north Africa. Obesity prevalence was higher than underweight with posterior probability of at least 0·80 in 177 countries (89%) for women and 145 (73%) for men in 2022, whereas the converse was true in 16 countries (8%) for women, and 39 (20%) for men. From 1990 to 2022, the combined prevalence of thinness and obesity decreased among girls in five countries (3%) and among boys in 15 countries (8%) with a posterior probability of at least 0·80, and increased among girls in 140 countries (70%) and boys in 137 countries (69%) with a posterior probability of at least 0·80. The countries with highest combined prevalence of thinness and obesity in school-aged children and adolescents in 2022 were in Polynesia and Micronesia and the Caribbean for both sexes, and Chile and Qatar for boys. Combined prevalence was also high in some countries in south Asia, such as India and Pakistan, where thinness remained prevalent despite having declined. In 2022, obesity in school-aged children and adolescents was more prevalent than thinness with a posterior probability of at least 0·80 among girls in 133 countries (67%) and boys in 125 countries (63%), whereas the converse was true in 35 countries (18%) and 42 countries (21%), respectively. In almost all countries for both adults and school-aged children and adolescents, the increases in double burden were driven by increases in obesity, and decreases in double burden by declining underweight or thinness. Interpretation The combined burden of underweight and obesity has increased in most countries, driven by an increase in obesity, while underweight and thinness remain prevalent in south Asia and parts of Africa. A healthy nutrition transition that enhances access to nutritious foods is needed to address the remaining burden of underweight while curbing and reversing the increase in obesit

ATLANTIC EPIPHYTES: a data set of vascular and non-vascular epiphyte plants and lichens from the Atlantic Forest

Epiphytes are hyper-diverse and one of the frequently undervalued life forms in plant surveys and biodiversity inventories. Epiphytes of the Atlantic Forest, one of the most endangered ecosystems in the world, have high endemism and radiated recently in the Pliocene. We aimed to (1) compile an extensive Atlantic Forest data set on vascular, non-vascular plants (including hemiepiphytes), and lichen epiphyte species occurrence and abundance; (2) describe the epiphyte distribution in the Atlantic Forest, in order to indicate future sampling efforts. Our work presents the first epiphyte data set with information on abundance and occurrence of epiphyte phorophyte species. All data compiled here come from three main sources provided by the authors: published sources (comprising peer-reviewed articles, books, and theses), unpublished data, and herbarium data. We compiled a data set composed of 2,095 species, from 89,270 holo/hemiepiphyte records, in the Atlantic Forest of Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay, and Uruguay, recorded from 1824 to early 2018. Most of the records were from qualitative data (occurrence only, 88%), well distributed throughout the Atlantic Forest. For quantitative records, the most common sampling method was individual trees (71%), followed by plot sampling (19%), and transect sampling (10%). Angiosperms (81%) were the most frequently registered group, and Bromeliaceae and Orchidaceae were the families with the greatest number of records (27,272 and 21,945, respectively). Ferns and Lycophytes presented fewer records than Angiosperms, and Polypodiaceae were the most recorded family, and more concentrated in the Southern and Southeastern regions. Data on non-vascular plants and lichens were scarce, with a few disjunct records concentrated in the Northeastern region of the Atlantic Forest. For all non-vascular plant records, Lejeuneaceae, a family of liverworts, was the most recorded family. We hope that our effort to organize scattered epiphyte data help advance the knowledge of epiphyte ecology, as well as our understanding of macroecological and biogeographical patterns in the Atlantic Forest. No copyright restrictions are associated with the data set. Please cite this Ecology Data Paper if the data are used in publication and teaching events. © 2019 The Authors. Ecology © 2019 The Ecological Society of Americ

Effect of flooding on survival and initial growth of Ocotea pulchella (Nees) Mez. seedlings in semi-controlled light conditions

Taking into account the occurrence of Ocotea pulchella in areas subjected to periodic flooding, this work aimed to evaluate the survival and initial development of Ocotea pulchella seedlings (2 months old) and juveniles (9 months old) in response to waterlogging under different light regimes by varying both light quantity and light quality, in order to test for possible flood tolerance of the species as affected by light conditions. Three levels of soil moisture (field capacity, mean flooding - only for seedlings - and full flooding) and four light treatments (full sun, neutral shade, far red enriched shading and neutral plus far red) were tested. The survival of seedlings and juveniles during one year was relatively high, whereas growth was negatively affected by full sun and flooding. Seedling growth was inhibited by soil waterlogging whatever the light condition, whereas plant growth at field capacity and mean fl ooding was similar. Flooding also inhibited the growth of juveniles, and that response was practically not affected by the light regimes. The results suggest that Ocotea pulchella seedlings can survive in the understory, even in areas subject to fl ooding, forming a slow-growth seedling bank. The species seems to tolerate relatively long-term soil waterlogging when kept out of direct sunlight. Otherwise, responses of waterlogged plants to shading seem to be aff ected by irradiance and light quality

Predictive validity analysis of six reference equations for the 6-minute walk test in healthy Brazilian men: a cross-sectional study

Background: The six-minute walk test (6MWT) is an important tool for evaluating functional capacity and exercise tolerance. The reference equations for the 6MWT in healthy subjects were established on the basis of American and European populations, but reference equations have been proposed with different variables for the Brazilian population. Objective: To analyze the predictive validity of six reference equations for the six-minute walking distance (6MWD) in healthy adult men. Methods: We evaluated 103 individuals in relation to level of physical activity (IPAQ), respiratory symptoms (MRC), handgrip strength, and 6MWD test. The data were submitted to a normality test, then the Bland-Altman agreement test was used to compare individual 6MWD values with that expected for each equation. Results: The subjects were active, with a mean age of 34.12 (SD = 8.88) years and no respiratory symptoms. The mean of the 6MWD was 663.43 (SD = 93.01) m. The 6MWD's predicted values came closest to the walked distance covered by Britto et al.'s equation (using BMI) of 647.62 (SD = 38.62) m. Conclusions: The equation proposed by Britto et al. using body mass index (BMI) was the closest to the 6MWD for the individuals studied and could be widely used as a reference tool during the 6MWT in healthy Brazilian men. (C) 2017 Associacao Brasileira de Pesquisa e Pos-Graduacao em Fisioterapia. Published by Elsevier Editora Ltda. All rights reserved.Univ Cidade São Paulo UNICID, Masters Program Phys Therapy, São Paulo, SP, BrazilUniv Cidade São Paulo UNICID, Doctoral Program Phys Therapy, São Paulo, SP, BrazilUniv Fed São Paulo UNIFESP, Disciplina Pneumol, São Paulo, BrazilUniv Fed São Paulo UNIFESP, Disciplina Pneumol, São Paulo, BrazilWeb of Scienc

Adaptações crônicas sobre a função pulmonar em indivíduos infectados pela leishmaniose visceral

Introdução: Apesar de escassas, as principais alterações cardiopulmonares verificadas durante a infecção com Leishmaniose Visceral (LV) se referem a alterações histológicas e imunológicas e poucos relatos de repercussões funcionais. Objetivo: Verificar e analisar a existência de adaptações crônicas na função pulmonar de indivíduos assintomáticos previamente infectados pela LV. Materiais e métodos: Trata-se de um estudo do tipo transversal descritivo, para o qual foram selecionados todos os indivíduos que contraíram LV em Parnaíba (Piauí, Brasil) entre 2007 e 2010 de acordo com informações do Setor de Epidemiologia do município. De um total de 20 indivíduos com confirmação parasitológica de LV, foram avaliados nove com idades entre 18 e 62 anos entre setembro e outubro de 2011. Excluíram-se indivíduos que não apresentaram diagnóstico parasitológico de LV, doenças ou sintomas cardiorrespiratórios recentes, usuários crônicos de drogas ilícitas e gestantes. Foram realizadas medidas antropométricas e testes de espirometria e de manovacuometria conforme specificações da American Thoracic Society / European Respiratory Society (ATS/ERS). Para comparação das médias dos valores medidos e preditos foi realizado Teste t Student para dados dependentes. O nível de significância adotado foi p elt; 0,05. Resultados: A Capacidade Vital Forçada (CVF) (3,8 ± 0,9 vs. 4,2 ± 0,8 L) e o Volume Expiratório Forçado no primeiro segundo (VEF1) (3,3 ± 0,7 vs. 3,5 ± 0,7 L) foram estatisticamente menores do que os valores medidos (p elt; 0,01). A relação VEF1/CVF (87,6 vs. 84,4%) foi maior nos valores medidos (p = 0,08). Conclusão: Apesar de o número de indivíduos avaliados ser pequeno, os dados indicam que a infecção por LV parece desenvolver adaptações crônicas sobre o sistema respiratório, resultando em volumes pulmonares significativamente diminuídos e uma tendência a padrões respiratórios restritivos