Clinical-epidemiological characteristics and temporal trend of new cases of grade 2 disability leprosy in the state of Maranhão, Brazil, 2011- 2020

Abstract Objective: to describe the clinical and epidemiological characteristics of new cases of grade 2 disability leprosy and to analyze its trend in the state of Maranhão, from 2011 to 2020. Methods: this was a descriptive cross-sectional and ecological time-series study, using data from the Notifiable Health Conditions Information System. A descriptive analysis of the event was carried out according to the sociodemographic and clinical-laboratory characteristics of the cases. The temporal trend of event incidence was analyzed using Prais-Winsten regression. Results: of the 2,147 cases, 71.5% were male, 48.9% had up to 8 years of schooling, 66.5% were of mixed race/color, 95.5% had the multibacillary form, 58.8% were borderline, 32.3% had negative bacilloscopy at diagnosis. There was a stationary trend in the state and a falling trend in the São Luís Health Region (annual percentage change = -64.4%; 95% confidence interval: -73.7;-51.9). Conclusion: incidence trend was stable in the state of Maranhão and falling in São Luís

Fatores de risco e distribuição espacial dos óbitos por COVID-19: revisão integrativa

Background and objectives: understanding the clinical-epidemiological and environmental factors related to deaths due to COVID-19 and their distribution in space can serve as subsidies to direct and implement more effective health actions for vulnerable populations. Thus, the objective was to synthesize the scientific evidence related to risk factors and spatial distribution of deaths due to COVID-19 in the world. Content: this is an integrative literature review, and the following guiding question emerged: what is the scientific evidence related to risk factors and spatial distribution of deaths due to COVID-19 in the world? Searches were carried out in the Scientific Electronic Library Online (SciELO) and the Scopus, Web of Science and National Library of Medicine (PubMed) databases in June 2021. Original studies in Portuguese, English or Spanish, without time frame, excluding studies with a specific age group or with an audience with specific comorbidity, were used. A total of 25 studies were included, with findings in different scenarios around the world. Factors such as age, sex, pre-existing diseases were associated with deaths due to COVID-19, which had a heterogeneous spatial distribution and occurred in environmental, socioeconomic and geographic conditions peculiar to these territories. Conclusion: age equal to or greater than 60 years, males, cardiovascular diseases, diabetes mellitus and geographic areas with greater environmental pollution, greater population density and precarious sanitary conditions influenced the mortality of COVID-19.Justificación y objetivos: comprender los factores clínico-epidemiológicos y ambientales relacionados con las muertes por COVID-19 y su distribución en el espacio puede servir como subsidio para orientar e implementar acciones de salud más efectivas para poblaciones vulnerables. Así, el objetivo fue sintetizar la evidencia científica relacionada con los factores de riesgo y la distribución espacial de las muertes por COVID-19 en el mundo. Contenido: se trata de una revisión integradora de literatura, donde se formuló la siguiente pregunta orientadora: ¿cuál es la evidencia científica relacionada con los factores de riesgo y distribución espacial de las muertes por COVID-19 en el mundo? Las búsquedas se realizaron en la Scientific Electronic Library Online (SciELO) y en las bases de datos Scopus, Web of Science y National Library of Medicine (PubMed) en junio de 2021. Se consideraron estudios originales, en portugués, inglés o español, sin marco de tiempo, excluyendo estudios con un grupo de edad específico o con una audiencia con comorbilidad específica. Se incluyeron 25 estudios, con hallazgos en diferentes escenarios alrededor del mundo. Factores, como la edad, el sexo, las enfermedades preexistentes se asociaron a las muertes por COVID-19, que tenían una distribución espacial heterogénea y se produjo en condiciones ambientales, socioeconómicas y geográficas propias de estos territorios. Conclusión: la edad igual o mayor a 60 años, el género masculino, las enfermedades cardiovasculares, la diabetes mellitus y las zonas geográficas con mayor contaminación ambiental, mayor densidad poblacional y malas condiciones sanitarias influyeron en la mortalidad por COVID-19.Justificativa e objetivos: a compreensão sobre os fatores clínico–epidemiológicos e ambientais relacionados aos óbitos por COVID-19 e sua distribuição no espaço podem servir de subsídios para direcionar e implementar ações de saúde mais eficazes às populações vulneráveis. Desse modo, objetivou-se sintetizar as evidências científicas relacionadas aos fatores de risco e distribuição espacial dos óbitos por COVID-19 no mundo. Conteúdo: trata-se de uma revisão integrativa da literatura, formulando-se a seguinte questão norteadora: quais as evidências científicas relacionadas aos fatores de risco e distribuição espacial dos óbitos por COVID-19 no mundo? Realizaram-se buscas na biblioteca Scientific Eletronic Library Online (SciELO) e nas bases de dados Scopus, Web of Science e National Library of Medicine (PubMed) em junho de 2021. Foram considerados estudos originais, nos idiomas português, inglês ou espanhol, sem recorte temporal, sendo excluídos estudos com grupo específico de idade ou com público com comorbidade específica. Foram incluídos 25 estudos, com achados em distintos cenários pelo mundo. Fatores, como idade, sexo e doenças pré-existentes, estiveram associados aos óbitos por COVID-19, que apresentaram distribuição espacial heterogênea e ocorreram em condições ambientais, socioeconômicas e geográficas peculiares desses territórios. Conclusão: idade igual ou maior que 60 anos, sexo masculino, doenças cardiovasculares, diabetes mellitus e áreas geográficas com maior poluição ambiental, maior densidade populacional e precárias condições sanitárias influenciaram na mortalidade da COVID-19

Geotecnologias aplicadas em estudos epidemiológicos sobre os casos de covid-19: revisão narrativa

Background and objectives: the applied geotechnologies are essential in helping the development of epidemiological studies that aim to identify and distribute health events in specific populations and territories, in addition to verifying the factors that influence the occurrence of these events, intending to apply the evidence in strategies of disease planning and control as in the covid-19 pandemic. This study aimed to present the scientific evidence that has been produced on geotechnologies applied in epidemiological studies on cases of covid-19. Methods: this is a descriptive narrative literature review (NLR). To guide the study, the following research question was elaborated: what has been studied about applied geotechnologies in epidemiological research on covid-19 cases? The search was carried out in October 2021, using the descriptors Geographic Information Systems AND Covid-19 OR SARS-CoV-2 AND Epidemiology AND Spatial Analysis, in Virtual Health Library, Scopus, Web of Science, Portal CAPES. Complementarily, a search was carried out for epidemiological bulletins and booklets on the Brazilian Ministry of Health website. Results: nineteen sources of information were selected that fit the objectives for the discussion construction, with three categories of analysis being listed: Geotechnology application; Information management; Challenges of epidemiological studies that use secondary data. Conclusion: geotechnology use in epidemiological studies on covid-19 in identifying areas at risk for the infection spread was such remarkable.Justificación y objetivos: la aplicación de geotecnologías es importante para ayudar al desarrollo de estudios epidemiológicos que tengan como objetivo identificar y distribuir eventos de salud en poblaciones y territorios específicos, además de verificar los factores que influyen en la ocurrencia de estos eventos, buscando aplicar evidencia en estrategias de planificación y control de enfermedades como la pandemia de covid-19. El objetivo de este estudio es presentar la evidencia científica que se ha estudiado sobre geotecnologías aplicadas en estudios epidemiológicos sobre casos de covid-19. Métodos: se trata de una revisión de literatura narrativa (RLN) de carácter descriptivo. Para orientar el estudio se elaboró la pregunta de investigación: ¿qué se ha producido sobre las geotecnologías aplicadas en estudios epidemiológicos sobre casos de covid-19? La búsqueda se realizó en octubre de 2021, utilizando los descriptores Geographic Information Systems AND Covid-19 OR SARS-CoV-2 AND Epidemiology AND Spatial Analysis, en la Biblioteca Virtual en Salud, Scopus, Web of Science, Portal CAPES. Complementariamente, se realizó una búsqueda de boletines y folletos epidemiológicos en el sitio web del Ministerio de Salud de Brasil. Resultados: fueron seleccionadas 19 fuentes de información que se ajustan a los objetivos para la construcción de la discusión, siendo enumeradas tres categorías de análisis: Aplicación de geotecnologías; Gestión de la información; Desafíos de los estudios epidemiológicos utilizando datos secundarios. Conclusión: se destacó el uso de geotecnologías en estudios epidemiológicos sobre covid-19 en la identificación de áreas de riesgo para la propagación de la infección.Justificativa e objetivos: a aplicação de geotecnologias é importante no auxílio do desenvolvimento de estudos epidemiológicos que visam identificar e distribuir eventos de saúde em populações e territórios específicos, além de verificar os fatores que influenciam na ocorrência desses eventos, com vistas à aplicação das evidências nas estratégias de planejamento e controle de doenças, como na pandemia de covid-19. Assim, o estudo objetivou apresentar as evidências científicas que vêm sendo produzidas sobre as geotecnologias aplicadas em estudos epidemiológicos sobre os casos de covid-19. Métodos: trata-se de uma revisão narrativa da literatura (RNL) de cunho descritivo. Para nortear o estudo, foi elaborada a seguinte pergunta de pesquisa: o que tem sido produzido sobre as geotecnologias aplicadas em estudos epidemiológicos sobre os casos de covid-19? A busca foi realizada em outubro de 2021, com emprego dos descritores Geographic Information Systems AND Covid-19 OR SARS-CoV-2 AND Epidemiology AND Spatial Analysis na Biblioteca Virtual de Saúde, Scopus, Web of Science, Portal CAPES. De forma complementar, foi realizada busca por boletins epidemiológicos e cartilhas no site do Ministério da Saúde do Brasil. Resultados: foram selecionadas 19 fontes de informação que se enquadravam nos objetivos para construção da discussão, sendo elencadas três categorias de análise: Aplicação das geotecnologias; Gestão da informação; Desafios dos estudos epidemiológicos que utilizam dados secundários. Conclusão: evidenciou-se o uso das geotecnologias em estudos epidemiológicos sobre a covid-19 na identificação de áreas de risco para a disseminação da infecção

Određivanje fizikalno-kemijskih svojstava, stabilnosti i citotoksičnosti plavog bojila dobivenog iz ploda jague (Genipa americana L.)

Research background. The current commercial scenario indicates an increase in the demand for natural dyes. Compared to synthetic dyes, natural ones have the advantage of being sustainable, making them of great interest for the food and cosmetic industries. The development of new natural dyes is necessary, as well as the carrying out of complementary research regarding the existing ones. Experimental approach. The present study aims to characterize the physicochemical and biological characteristics of the dye obtained from dehydrated endocarp of the genipap (Genipa americana) fruit, as well as perform the relevant stability and cytotoxicity tests. The chemical characterization was performed by HPLC-MS/MS analyses. The stability studies were carried out by spectrophotometry and cytotoxicity assays using cell culture and fluorometric methods. Results and conclusions. After dehydration and milling of the fruit endocarp, water was added to the obtained powder (in the ratio 4:1) to extract the dye. Five compounds were elucidated using HPLC-MS/MS and confirmed the presence of the geniposide as its main compound. With the X-ray diffraction and electron microscopy analysis, we characterised the obtained powder as being amorphous and of porous structure with a variable size. The thermogravimetric analysis indicated a maximum loss of 61% mass after exposure to a temperature range from 240 to 760 °C. The obtained blue dye was stable in the absence of light, at room temperature and had neutral pH. In the cytotoxicity assay, (95.0±1.3) % of viable human fibroblasts were observed after exposure to this dye. The genipap fruit can be a viable alternative to produce a natural blue dye, since it is easy to obtain and has very low toxicity in food, pharmaceutical or cosmetic products. Novelty and scientific contribution. This study demonstrates for the first time the physicochemical and biological properties of a natural blue dye from G. americana fruit.Pozadina istraživanja. Na tržištu se povećala potražnja za prirodnim bojilima. Njihova je prednost nad sintetičkima ta da potječu iz održivih izvora, pa su od velikog interesa za prehrambenu i kozmetičku industriju. Stoga je bitno razvijati nova prirodna bojila, te dodatno ispitati postojeća. Eksperimentalni pristup. Svrha je ovoga rada bila ispitati fizikalno-kemijska i biološka svojstva bojila dobivenog ektrakcijom dehidriranog endokarpa ploda biljke jagua (Genipa americana), te testirati njegovu stabilnosti i citotoksičnost. Kemijska svojstva određena su spregnutim sustavom visokodjelotvorne tekućinske kromatografije i tandemne spektrometrije masa (HPLC-MS/MS). Stabilnost je ispitana spektrofotometrijom, a citotoksičnost pomoću staničnih kultura i fluorometrijom. Rezultati i zaključci. Nakon dehidriranja i meljave endokarpa jague, za ekstrakciju bojila dobiveni je prah pomiješan s 20 % vode. Metodom HPLC-MS/MS detektirano je pet spojeva, te je potvrđena prisutnost genipozida kao glavnog sastojka. Rendgenskom difrakcijom i elektronskom mikroskopijom struktura dobivenog praha okarakterizirana je kao amorfna i porozna, s česticama različitih veličina. Termogravimetrijskom je analizom utvrđen gubitak od 61 % mase praha nakon izlaganja temperaturama između 240 i 760 °C. Dobiveno je bojilo bilo stabilno u mraku, pri sobnoj temperaturi i neutralnoj pH-vrijednosti. U testu citotoksičnosti utvrđena je stopa preživljavanja fibroblasta od (95,0±1,3) % nakon njihovog izlaganja bojilu. Stoga je zaključeno da plod voćke jagua može poslužiti kao izvor prirodnog bojila za primjenu u prehrambenoj, farmaceutskoj i kozmetičkoj industriji, jer se jednostavno dobiva i ima vrlo malu toksičnost. Novina i znanstveni doprinos. U ovom su radu po prvi put opisana fizikalno-kemijska i biološka svojstva prirodnog bojila dobivenog iz ploda voćke G. americana

Deaths by tuberculosis in a priority city for disease control in the Brazilian Northeast: sociodemographic-operational characteristics and vulnerable territories.

Introduction: Incorporating spatial approaches into epidemiological research is a challenge in public health research. The goal in this study was to analyze the spatial distribution of cases of deaths by tuberculosis in Imperatriz – MA (Brazil) and to characterize these events according to sociodemographic and operational characteristics. Methods: In this ecological study, all deaths from tuberculosis as the primary cause registered in the Mortality Information System from 2005 to 2014 were considered. The research variables were subject to descriptive analysis, point density analysis (Kernel Intensity Estimation) and area analysis. Results: Fifty cases of deaths by TB were identified, particularly the pulmonary clinical form. Male patients were predominant, with a median age of 59 years, mulatto race/color, single, who had finished secondary education. Most deaths happened at the hospital, with medical care before death and without autopsy. Most events happened at the hospital, with medical care delivery by an assistant physician and without autopsy. The point density revealed heterogeneity in the spatial distribution of the deaths, with rates of up to 2.33 deaths/km2. The area analysis by census sector presented age standardized mortality rates of 0.00 to 4.00 deaths/100,000 inhabitants-year. Conclusion: The results contributed to the knowledge on the spatial distribution of cases of deaths by Tuberculosis and their characteristics in the research scenario. The importance of space is highlighted as a methodological alternative to support the planning, monitoring and assessment of health actions, targeting interventions to the control of the disease in vulnerable territories. Keywords: Tuberculosis; Health Information Systems; Mortality; Spatial analysis

Pervasive gaps in Amazonian ecological research

Biodiversity loss is one of the main challenges of our time,1,2 and attempts to address it require a clear un derstanding of how ecological communities respond to environmental change across time and space.3,4 While the increasing availability of global databases on ecological communities has advanced our knowledge of biodiversity sensitivity to environmental changes,5–7 vast areas of the tropics remain understudied.8–11 In the American tropics, Amazonia stands out as the world’s most diverse rainforest and the primary source of Neotropical biodiversity,12 but it remains among the least known forests in America and is often underrepre sented in biodiversity databases.13–15 To worsen this situation, human-induced modifications16,17 may elim inate pieces of the Amazon’s biodiversity puzzle before we can use them to understand how ecological com munities are responding. To increase generalization and applicability of biodiversity knowledge,18,19 it is thus crucial to reduce biases in ecological research, particularly in regions projected to face the most pronounced environmental changes. We integrate ecological community metadata of 7,694 sampling sites for multiple or ganism groups in a machine learning model framework to map the research probability across the Brazilian Amazonia, while identifying the region’s vulnerability to environmental change. 15%–18% of the most ne glected areas in ecological research are expected to experience severe climate or land use changes by 2050. This means that unless we take immediate action, we will not be able to establish their current status, much less monitor how it is changing and what is being lostinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Pervasive gaps in Amazonian ecological research

Biodiversity loss is one of the main challenges of our time,1,2 and attempts to address it require a clear understanding of how ecological communities respond to environmental change across time and space.3,4 While the increasing availability of global databases on ecological communities has advanced our knowledge of biodiversity sensitivity to environmental changes,5,6,7 vast areas of the tropics remain understudied.8,9,10,11 In the American tropics, Amazonia stands out as the world's most diverse rainforest and the primary source of Neotropical biodiversity,12 but it remains among the least known forests in America and is often underrepresented in biodiversity databases.13,14,15 To worsen this situation, human-induced modifications16,17 may eliminate pieces of the Amazon's biodiversity puzzle before we can use them to understand how ecological communities are responding. To increase generalization and applicability of biodiversity knowledge,18,19 it is thus crucial to reduce biases in ecological research, particularly in regions projected to face the most pronounced environmental changes. We integrate ecological community metadata of 7,694 sampling sites for multiple organism groups in a machine learning model framework to map the research probability across the Brazilian Amazonia, while identifying the region's vulnerability to environmental change. 15%–18% of the most neglected areas in ecological research are expected to experience severe climate or land use changes by 2050. This means that unless we take immediate action, we will not be able to establish their current status, much less monitor how it is changing and what is being lost

Brazilian Flora 2020: Leveraging the power of a collaborative scientific network

International audienceThe shortage of reliable primary taxonomic data limits the description of biological taxa and the understanding of biodiversity patterns and processes, complicating biogeographical, ecological, and evolutionary studies. This deficit creates a significant taxonomic impediment to biodiversity research and conservation planning. The taxonomic impediment and the biodiversity crisis are widely recognized, highlighting the urgent need for reliable taxonomic data. Over the past decade, numerous countries worldwide have devoted considerable effort to Target 1 of the Global Strategy for Plant Conservation (GSPC), which called for the preparation of a working list of all known plant species by 2010 and an online world Flora by 2020. Brazil is a megadiverse country, home to more of the world's known plant species than any other country. Despite that, Flora Brasiliensis, concluded in 1906, was the last comprehensive treatment of the Brazilian flora. The lack of accurate estimates of the number of species of algae, fungi, and plants occurring in Brazil contributes to the prevailing taxonomic impediment and delays progress towards the GSPC targets. Over the past 12 years, a legion of taxonomists motivated to meet Target 1 of the GSPC, worked together to gather and integrate knowledge on the algal, plant, and fungal diversity of Brazil. Overall, a team of about 980 taxonomists joined efforts in a highly collaborative project that used cybertaxonomy to prepare an updated Flora of Brazil, showing the power of scientific collaboration to reach ambitious goals. This paper presents an overview of the Brazilian Flora 2020 and provides taxonomic and spatial updates on the algae, fungi, and plants found in one of the world's most biodiverse countries. We further identify collection gaps and summarize future goals that extend beyond 2020. Our results show that Brazil is home to 46,975 native species of algae, fungi, and plants, of which 19,669 are endemic to the country. The data compiled to date suggests that the Atlantic Rainforest might be the most diverse Brazilian domain for all plant groups except gymnosperms, which are most diverse in the Amazon. However, scientific knowledge of Brazilian diversity is still unequally distributed, with the Atlantic Rainforest and the Cerrado being the most intensively sampled and studied biomes in the country. In times of “scientific reductionism”, with botanical and mycological sciences suffering pervasive depreciation in recent decades, the first online Flora of Brazil 2020 significantly enhanced the quality and quantity of taxonomic data available for algae, fungi, and plants from Brazil. This project also made all the information freely available online, providing a firm foundation for future research and for the management, conservation, and sustainable use of the Brazilian funga and flora