Rising rural body-mass index is the main driver of the global obesity epidemic in adults

Body-mass index (BMI) has increased steadily in most countries in parallel with a rise in the proportion of the population who live in cities(.)(1,2) This has led to a widely reported view that urbanization is one of the most important drivers of the global rise in obesity(3-6). Here we use 2,009 population-based studies, with measurements of height and weight in more than 112 million adults, to report national, regional and global trends in mean BMI segregated by place of residence (a rural or urban area) from 1985 to 2017. We show that, contrary to the dominant paradigm, more than 55% of the global rise in mean BMI from 1985 to 2017-and more than 80% in some low- and middle-income regions-was due to increases in BMI in rural areas. This large contribution stems from the fact that, with the exception of women in sub-Saharan Africa, BMI is increasing at the same rate or faster in rural areas than in cities in low- and middle-income regions. These trends have in turn resulted in a closing-and in some countries reversal-of the gap in BMI between urban and rural areas in low- and middle-income countries, especially for women. In high-income and industrialized countries, we noted a persistently higher rural BMI, especially for women. There is an urgent need for an integrated approach to rural nutrition that enhances financial and physical access to healthy foods, to avoid replacing the rural undernutrition disadvantage in poor countries with a more general malnutrition disadvantage that entails excessive consumption of low-quality calories.Peer reviewe

Biologia molecular aplicada à hanseníase: estudo de parâmetros genéticos e epigenéticos em uma amostra do estado do Pará

Leprosy is caused by Mycobacterium leprae and patients can be grouped in Paucibacillary and Multibacillary. Alternatively, according by Ridley-Jopling (1966), using immune-hystogical criteria, grouped in two distinct pole: (i) Tuberculóide (TT); and (ii) lepromatous (LL), and your intermediaries. Independently these classification, the disease can be affected by molecules that modulates immune response, like genes that encode these molecules, and by small RNA (micro-RNA), wich regulated these genes, thus these study can improve the knowledge about the mechanism of response to infectious process, as well as enable the identification of new possibles biomarkers to assist diagnosis in leprosy. The objective of this study was to investigate eight INDEL polymorphisms on genes CYP19A1, NFKβ1, IL1α, CASP8, UGT1A1, PAR1, CYP2E1, and IL4, to identify possible susceptibility markers of leprosy and evaluate the influence of genetic ancestry on disease risk. Besides was performed the first genome wide miRNA profiling of Leprosy by next generation sequencing (NGS), assessing and describing the expression standard in leprosy. Our study shows that the NFKβ1, CASP8, PAR1, IL4 and CYP19A1 genes are possible markers for the susceptibility to development of leprosy and the severe clinical form MB. Moreover, after correcting for population structure within an admixture population, the results show that different levels of ethnic group composition can generate different OR rates for leprosy susceptibility. The differential expression profile from tissue samples reveal 67 miRNAs differentially expression, with 43 down and 24 upregulated and from blood sample were found a total of 10 miRNAs differentially expression with 9 down and one upregulated. Moreover was performed in silico target analysis and detect the genes (IL1β, IL6, IL8, IL12, TLR2, TLR4, IL17RB, IFNGR1, TGFBR1, NFκβ, família SMAD, STAT3, CASP8, CYP19A1, BCL-2, in others) involved on pathological of leprosy. Lastly, was showed for the first time the genome wide microRNA of leprosy.CAPES - Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível SuperiorCNPq - Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e TecnológicoA hanseníase é causada pelo Mycobacterium leprae e os indivíduos acometidos pela hanseníase podem ser classificados, em Paucibacilares e Multibacilares. Alternativamente, segundo Ridley-Jopling (1966), com base em critérios clínicos e imuno-hitológicos em outros dois pólos: (i) o pólo Tuberculóide (TT); e (ii) pólo Lepromatoso (LL), e seus intermediários. Independente de sua classificação, este espectro parecer ser inflluenciado por moléculas moduladoras da resposta imune, como os genes que codificam estes mediadores, e por um grupo de pequenos RNAs (microRNAs) que são responsáveis pela regulação destes genes, portanto essas investigações podem adensar o conhecimento sobre o mecanismo de resposta ao processo infecsioso, assim como possibilitar a identificação de novos biomarcadores no auxilio ao diagnóstico da hanseníase. O objetivo foi investigar oito polimorfismos do tipo INDEL nos genes CYP19A1, NFKβ1, IL1α, CASP8, UGT1A1, PAR1, CYP2E1, e IL4, para identificar possíveis marcadores de susceptibilidade e a influência da ancestria genética neste risco, além disso foi realizado o primeiro miRnoma da hanseníase por sequenciamento massivo em plataforma de alto desempenho, afim de elucidar o perfil epigenético presente na hanseníase. Nosso estudo revelou que os genes NFΚβ1, CASP8, PAR1 e IL4, são potenciais marcadores de susceptibilidade para a hanseníase, enquanto que NFΚβ1, CASP8, PAR1 e CYP19A1 são potenciais marcadores da forma clínica multibacilar. Adicionalmente, a análise da ancestralidade genômica mostrou que a contribuição Européia elevou o risco ao desenvolvimento da doença, enquanto a contribuição Africana aumentou proteção. No que diz respeito a análise diferencial do perfil de expressão dos microRNAs de pacientes com hanseníase, por meio da análise de biopsias de pele, revelaram-se 67 miRNAs diferencialmente expressos, dos quais 43 apresentavam um padrão de expressão downregulated e 24 upregulated. Quando analisamos amostras de sangue desses mesmos pacientes, observaram-se 10 miRNAs diferencialmente expressos, dos quais 9 com padrão de expressão downregulated e 1 upregulated. Os alvos pesquisados, em análise in silico, a partir desses resultados sugeriu os genes (IL1β, IL6, IL8, IL12, TLR2, TLR4, IL17RB, IFNGR1, TGFBR1, NFκβ, família SMAD, STAT3, CASP8, CYP19A1, BCL-2, entre outros) como envolvidos na patologia da hanseníase. Por fim, monstrou-se pela primeira vez o perfil de microRNAs em genome wide da Hanseníase

CDH1 mutations in gastric cancer patients from northern Brazil identified by Next- Generation Sequencing (NGS)

Gastric cancer is considered to be the fifth highest incident tumor worldwide and the third leading cause of cancer deaths. Developing regions report a higher number of sporadic cases, but there are only a few local studies related to hereditary cases of gastric cancer in Brazil to confirm this fact. CDH1 germline mutations have been described both in familial and sporadic cases, but there is only one recent molecular description of individuals from Brazil. In this study we performed Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) to assess CDH1 germline mutations in individuals who match the clinical criteria for Hereditary Diffuse Gastric Cancer (HDGC), or who exhibit very early diagnosis of gastric cancer. Among five probands we detected CDH1 germline mutations in two cases (40%). The mutation c.1023T > G was found in a HDGC family and the mutation c.1849G > A, which is nearly exclusive to African populations, was found in an early-onset case of gastric adenocarcinoma. The mutations described highlight the existence of gastric cancer cases caused by CDH1 germline mutations in northern Brazil, although such information is frequently ignored due to the existence of a large number of environmental factors locally. Our report represent the first CDH1 mutations in HDGC described from Brazil by an NGS platform

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

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

Geoeconomic variations in epidemiology, ventilation management, and outcomes in invasively ventilated intensive care unit patients without acute respiratory distress syndrome: a pooled analysis of four observational studies

Background: Geoeconomic variations in epidemiology, the practice of ventilation, and outcome in invasively ventilated intensive care unit (ICU) patients without acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) remain unexplored. In this analysis we aim to address these gaps using individual patient data of four large observational studies. Methods: In this pooled analysis we harmonised individual patient data from the ERICC, LUNG SAFE, PRoVENT, and PRoVENT-iMiC prospective observational studies, which were conducted from June, 2011, to December, 2018, in 534 ICUs in 54 countries. We used the 2016 World Bank classification to define two geoeconomic regions: middle-income countries (MICs) and high-income countries (HICs). ARDS was defined according to the Berlin criteria. Descriptive statistics were used to compare patients in MICs versus HICs. The primary outcome was the use of low tidal volume ventilation (LTVV) for the first 3 days of mechanical ventilation. Secondary outcomes were key ventilation parameters (tidal volume size, positive end-expiratory pressure, fraction of inspired oxygen, peak pressure, plateau pressure, driving pressure, and respiratory rate), patient characteristics, the risk for and actual development of acute respiratory distress syndrome after the first day of ventilation, duration of ventilation, ICU length of stay, and ICU mortality. Findings: Of the 7608 patients included in the original studies, this analysis included 3852 patients without ARDS, of whom 2345 were from MICs and 1507 were from HICs. Patients in MICs were younger, shorter and with a slightly lower body-mass index, more often had diabetes and active cancer, but less often chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and heart failure than patients from HICs. Sequential organ failure assessment scores were similar in MICs and HICs. Use of LTVV in MICs and HICs was comparable (42·4% vs 44·2%; absolute difference -1·69 [-9·58 to 6·11] p=0·67; data available in 3174 [82%] of 3852 patients). The median applied positive end expiratory pressure was lower in MICs than in HICs (5 [IQR 5-8] vs 6 [5-8] cm H2O; p=0·0011). ICU mortality was higher in MICs than in HICs (30·5% vs 19·9%; p=0·0004; adjusted effect 16·41% [95% CI 9·52-23·52]; p<0·0001) and was inversely associated with gross domestic product (adjusted odds ratio for a US$10 000 increase per capita 0·80 [95% CI 0·75-0·86]; p<0·0001). Interpretation: Despite similar disease severity and ventilation management, ICU mortality in patients without ARDS is higher in MICs than in HICs, with a strong association with country-level economic status