Chagas Cardiomiopathy: The Potential of Diastolic Dysfunction and Brain Natriuretic Peptide in the Early Identification of Cardiac Damage

Chagas disease remains a major cause of morbidity and mortality in several countries of Latin America and has become a potential public health problem in countries where the disease is not endemic as a result of migration flows. Cardiac involvement represents the main cause of mortality, but its diagnosis is still based on nonspecific criteria with poor sensitivity. Early identification of patients with cardiac damage is desirable, since early treatment may improve prognosis. Diastolic dysfunction and elevated brain natriuretic peptide levels are present in different cardiomyopathies and in advanced phases of Chagas disease. However, there are scarce data about the role of these parameters in earlier forms of the disease. We conducted a study to assess the diastolic function, regional systolic abnormalities and brain natriuretic peptide levels in the different forms of Chagas disease. The main finding of our investigation is that diastolic dysfunction occurs before any cardiac dilatation or motion abnormality. In addition, BNP levels identify patients with diastolic dysfunction and Chagas disease with high specificity. The results reported in this study could help to early diagnose myocardial involvement and better stratify patients with Chagas disease

Practices in primary health care oriented toward the harmful consumption of drugs

Objective To analyze the practices of primary care focused on the harmful consumption of drugs. Method This is a qualitative study, developed with a dialectical-critical approach. Data collection was carried out through semi-structured interviews with 10 employees of a basic health unit (UBS). Results The demands are not accepted, and if they go beyond the barriers shaped by the historical absence of health care practices for drug users and moralistic and preconceived ideologies, they are not reinterpreted as health needs; practices that meet these demands and go beyond the barriers are poor; the functionalist approach, which explains drug use as a disease and considers drug users as deviants, supports the few existing practices. Conclusion primary health care is mistakenly focused on addiction; it lacks structural elements of the production process in health and internal dynamics of the working processes that would foster the development of collective practices

Gaps in terrestrial soundscape research : it’s time to focus on tropical wildlife

There has been a body of research examining the sounds produced in landscapes. These sounds are commonly defined as soundscapes, however, the term is often used in different contexts. To understand the various meanings attributed to soundscapes, we identified how soundscapes are represented in the scientific literature and identified current knowledge gaps in soundscape research focusing on terrestrial environments. We conducted a quantitative review of published papers with the keyword soundscape available at Web of Science and Scopus databases. A total of 1309 abstracts and a subset of about 5% (N = 68) complete papers and reviews published from 1985 to 2017 were read and analysed, identifying types of sound, types of environment and focal species studied, as well as study regions and climates. By identifying the current focus of research, we also identified gaps and research opportunities. Research was biased towards temperate regions, terrestrial environments, and the impacts on humans in urban areas. Although most of the world’s biodiversity is concentrated in tropical wilderness areas, these regions had fewer studies attributed to them. Given the importance of tropical landscapes for biodiversity conservation, we strongly suggest that more research should be undertaken in the tropics, with a particular focus on wildlife in these regions. Furthermore, soundscape research (methods and tools) should increasingly target the anthropogenic impacts on wildlife, including behavioural and physiological changes, alongside the current focus on human-sound interactions and the approach used by bioacoustics methods

Metasomatic aureoles of highly mobile elements related to evolved granitic aplite-pegmatites from Fregeneda–Almendra (Spain–Portugal)

&lt;p&gt;Granitic pegmatites represent an important source of numerous critical raw materials, and subsequently, the exploration of new deposits has become a crucial objective in the energy transition towards green technologies. Systematic studies of geochemical aureoles related to late-Variscan Lithium-Cesium-Tantalum (LCT) pegmatites at the Fregeneda&amp;#8211;Almendra Pegmatite Field (Central Iberian Zone; Iberian Massif), have provided valuable information to consider in mineral exploration. Due to the relative homogeneity of host psammitic and pelitic metasediments (SiO&lt;sub&gt;2&lt;/sub&gt;/Al&lt;sub&gt;2&lt;/sub&gt;O&lt;sub&gt;3&lt;/sub&gt; of 2.57&amp;#8211;5.59 wt.%, and Fe&lt;sub&gt;2&lt;/sub&gt;O&lt;sub&gt;3&lt;/sub&gt;&lt;sup&gt;t&lt;/sup&gt;/K&lt;sub&gt;2&lt;/sub&gt;O values of 0.24 to 4.19 wt.%), it has been possible to establish an ideal composition for the country rocks to assess the chemical behavior of some key elements associated to the studied LCT pegmatites.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;The performed geochemical modelling (based on Gresens&amp;#8217; (1967) equation) shows that the intrusion of evolved aplite-pegmatites (Li-mica- and spodumene-bearing) produced an enrichment in the host rocks of several elements defined as highly mobile (F, B, Li, Rb, Cs, Sn, Be and Tl) in comparison with the determined immobile elements (Si, Al and Ti). Calculated gains and losses of such highly mobile elements display exponential decreasing trends according to the distance from the pegmatitic dyke, with Li and Cs reaching furthest from the dykes (first evidence of anomalous contents starting at distances of 4&amp;#8211;5 times the thickness of the dyke). In terms of mineral exploration, the extent of such aureoles associated with potentially economically interesting dykes may be traceable by different small-footprint exploration tools as remote sensing, X-Ray Fluorescence, or Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS).&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Gresens, R. L. (1967). Composition&amp;#8211;volume relationships of metasomatism. Chemical Geology 2, 47&amp;#8211;55.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Financial support: European Commission&amp;#8217;s Horizon 2020 Innovation Programme [grant agreement No 869274, project GREENPEG: New Exploration Tools for European Pegmatite Green-Tech Resources]&lt;/p&gt;</jats:p