"Floresta é o nome do mundo", de Ursula K. Le Guin: um romance de alegoria etnográfica

RESUMO (RESENHA): GUIN, Ursula K. Le. Floresta é o nome do mundo. São Paulo: Morro Branco, 2020. 158 p. Tradução de Heci Regina Candiani.  ABSTRACT (REVIEW): GUIN, Ursula K. Le. Floresta é o nome do mundo. São Paulo: Morro Branco, 2020. 158 p. Tradução de Heci Regina Candiani

Adding 6 months of androgen deprivation therapy to postoperative radiotherapy for prostate cancer: a comparison of short-course versus no androgen deprivation therapy in the RADICALS-HD randomised controlled trial

Background Previous evidence indicates that adjuvant, short-course androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) improves metastasis-free survival when given with primary radiotherapy for intermediate-risk and high-risk localised prostate cancer. However, the value of ADT with postoperative radiotherapy after radical prostatectomy is unclear. Methods RADICALS-HD was an international randomised controlled trial to test the efficacy of ADT used in combination with postoperative radiotherapy for prostate cancer. Key eligibility criteria were indication for radiotherapy after radical prostatectomy for prostate cancer, prostate-specific antigen less than 5 ng/mL, absence of metastatic disease, and written consent. Participants were randomly assigned (1:1) to radiotherapy alone (no ADT) or radiotherapy with 6 months of ADT (short-course ADT), using monthly subcutaneous gonadotropin-releasing hormone analogue injections, daily oral bicalutamide monotherapy 150 mg, or monthly subcutaneous degarelix. Randomisation was done centrally through minimisation with a random element, stratified by Gleason score, positive margins, radiotherapy timing, planned radiotherapy schedule, and planned type of ADT, in a computerised system. The allocated treatment was not masked. The primary outcome measure was metastasis-free survival, defined as distant metastasis arising from prostate cancer or death from any cause. Standard survival analysis methods were used, accounting for randomisation stratification factors. The trial had 80% power with two-sided α of 5% to detect an absolute increase in 10-year metastasis-free survival from 80% to 86% (hazard ratio [HR] 0·67). Analyses followed the intention-to-treat principle. The trial is registered with the ISRCTN registry, ISRCTN40814031, and ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT00541047. Findings Between Nov 22, 2007, and June 29, 2015, 1480 patients (median age 66 years [IQR 61–69]) were randomly assigned to receive no ADT (n=737) or short-course ADT (n=743) in addition to postoperative radiotherapy at 121 centres in Canada, Denmark, Ireland, and the UK. With a median follow-up of 9·0 years (IQR 7·1–10·1), metastasis-free survival events were reported for 268 participants (142 in the no ADT group and 126 in the short-course ADT group; HR 0·886 [95% CI 0·688–1·140], p=0·35). 10-year metastasis-free survival was 79·2% (95% CI 75·4–82·5) in the no ADT group and 80·4% (76·6–83·6) in the short-course ADT group. Toxicity of grade 3 or higher was reported for 121 (17%) of 737 participants in the no ADT group and 100 (14%) of 743 in the short-course ADT group (p=0·15), with no treatment-related deaths. Interpretation Metastatic disease is uncommon following postoperative bed radiotherapy after radical prostatectomy. Adding 6 months of ADT to this radiotherapy did not improve metastasis-free survival compared with no ADT. These findings do not support the use of short-course ADT with postoperative radiotherapy in this patient population

Duration of androgen deprivation therapy with postoperative radiotherapy for prostate cancer: a comparison of long-course versus short-course androgen deprivation therapy in the RADICALS-HD randomised trial

Background Previous evidence supports androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) with primary radiotherapy as initial treatment for intermediate-risk and high-risk localised prostate cancer. However, the use and optimal duration of ADT with postoperative radiotherapy after radical prostatectomy remains uncertain. Methods RADICALS-HD was a randomised controlled trial of ADT duration within the RADICALS protocol. Here, we report on the comparison of short-course versus long-course ADT. Key eligibility criteria were indication for radiotherapy after previous radical prostatectomy for prostate cancer, prostate-specific antigen less than 5 ng/mL, absence of metastatic disease, and written consent. Participants were randomly assigned (1:1) to add 6 months of ADT (short-course ADT) or 24 months of ADT (long-course ADT) to radiotherapy, using subcutaneous gonadotrophin-releasing hormone analogue (monthly in the short-course ADT group and 3-monthly in the long-course ADT group), daily oral bicalutamide monotherapy 150 mg, or monthly subcutaneous degarelix. Randomisation was done centrally through minimisation with a random element, stratified by Gleason score, positive margins, radiotherapy timing, planned radiotherapy schedule, and planned type of ADT, in a computerised system. The allocated treatment was not masked. The primary outcome measure was metastasis-free survival, defined as metastasis arising from prostate cancer or death from any cause. The comparison had more than 80% power with two-sided α of 5% to detect an absolute increase in 10-year metastasis-free survival from 75% to 81% (hazard ratio [HR] 0·72). Standard time-to-event analyses were used. Analyses followed intention-to-treat principle. The trial is registered with the ISRCTN registry, ISRCTN40814031, and ClinicalTrials.gov , NCT00541047 . Findings Between Jan 30, 2008, and July 7, 2015, 1523 patients (median age 65 years, IQR 60–69) were randomly assigned to receive short-course ADT (n=761) or long-course ADT (n=762) in addition to postoperative radiotherapy at 138 centres in Canada, Denmark, Ireland, and the UK. With a median follow-up of 8·9 years (7·0–10·0), 313 metastasis-free survival events were reported overall (174 in the short-course ADT group and 139 in the long-course ADT group; HR 0·773 [95% CI 0·612–0·975]; p=0·029). 10-year metastasis-free survival was 71·9% (95% CI 67·6–75·7) in the short-course ADT group and 78·1% (74·2–81·5) in the long-course ADT group. Toxicity of grade 3 or higher was reported for 105 (14%) of 753 participants in the short-course ADT group and 142 (19%) of 757 participants in the long-course ADT group (p=0·025), with no treatment-related deaths. Interpretation Compared with adding 6 months of ADT, adding 24 months of ADT improved metastasis-free survival in people receiving postoperative radiotherapy. For individuals who can accept the additional duration of adverse effects, long-course ADT should be offered with postoperative radiotherapy. Funding Cancer Research UK, UK Research and Innovation (formerly Medical Research Council), and Canadian Cancer Society

The real and the imaginary: science fiction literature for teaching environmental issues

A literatura de ficção científica vem sendo considerada como metodologia para o ensino de Ciências já há certo tempo, dessa forma, o pressuposto do desenvolvimento desta pesquisa foi estudar a literatura de ficção científica como embasamento para novas perspectivas metodológicas para o ensino de ciências ambientais, considerando que futuros professores e professoras podem refletir sobre como esta literatura apoia a superação da forma fragmentada de trabalhar as questões ambientais na escola, especialmente em Ciências e Biologia, e promove a conscientização sobre a crise ambiental que vivemos hoje. Estudos sobre o uso de narrativas de ficção científica no ensino destacam a contextualização, sensibilização e motivação despertadas entre os alunos e alunas. Assim, o objetivo geral desta pesquisa foi analisar como os licenciandos e licenciandas em Ciências Biológicas de uma universidade pública do interior paulista entendem a inserção da literatura de ficção científica para o ensino de questões ambientais, avaliando, por meio da participação em um clube do livro, da elaboração de sequências didáticas e de entrevistas semiestruturadas, de que forma essa compreensão sobre a ficção científica e seu emprego no ensino articula-se a uma prática pedagógica para a conscientização ambiental. Observou-se que os licenciandos e licenciandas participantes já eram, em sua maioria, leitores ou leitoras de ficção para fruição e que retomaram este hábito. Este dado é relevante pelo fato de estes(as) jovens estarem em um curso que prioriza a formação científica e racional. Eles e elas foram capazes de incluir a literatura de ficção científica ao planejamento de aulas, em metodologia diversificada para o ensino de questões ambientais em sequências didáticas para aulas das ciências. A necessidade de conscientização sobre a crise ambiental, com mudança de valores e atitudes, foi ressaltada nas falas, mas não nas sequências didáticas. Portanto, a literatura de ficção científica atuou na construção de suas próprias práticas docentes de maneira que estes licenciandos e licenciandas pensaram criticamente a crise ambiental no Clube do Livro e terão condições de construir uma docência criativa e comprometida com a transformação da realidade, tendo sempre em vista a possibilidade de articular a literatura de ficção científica aos conteúdos científicos na escola.Science fiction literature has been considered as a methodology for science teaching for some time. Thus, the assumption of this research development was to study the science fiction literature as a basis for new methodological perspectives for teaching of environmental sciences in particular, considering that future teachers may reflect on how this literature supports the overcoming of the fragmented way of working environmental issues in school, especially in Science and Biology, so that they develop a professionalism committed to raising awareness about the environmental crisis we live in today, since the teaching and learning of environmental sciences are benefited by the contextualization, awareness and motivation to learn when provided by science fiction narratives. Therefore, the general objective of this research was to analyze how Biological Science undergraduates from a public university in the interior of São Paulo understand the insertion of science fiction literature for teaching environmental issues, evaluating, through participation in a book club, development of didactic sequences and semi-structured interviews, how this understanding of science fiction and its use in teaching is linked to a pedagogical practice for environmental awareness. It was observed that the Learning Community formed by the participating undergraduate students is mostly made up of fiction readers who are at the final level of initial teacher training; they were able to appropriate the understanding of science fiction literature as an effective methodology for teaching science and environmental issues and also to think about the construction of their own teaching practices articulated to particular visions of teaching and detached from the traditional teaching approach, besides being able to think critically about the role they may come to play in Education

Gamma Radiation Sterilization Dose of Adult Males in Asian Tiger Mosquito Pupae

The pathogen-carrying tiger mosquito, Aedes albopictus, has spread from the Western Pacific and Southeast Asia to Europe, Africa, the Middle East, North and South America, and the Caribbean. This species of mosquito transmits arboviral infections, such as yellow fever, chikungunya, dengue, zika, and several encephalitides. The objective of this research was to provide a radiation dose inducing sterilization in adult male Ae. albopictus in the pupal stage. A cobalt-60 source of gamma radiation at a dose rate of 381 Gy/h was used. The pupae were irradiated with doses of 0 (control), 20, 30, 40, 50, and 60 Gy. Each treatment had a total of five replications using 60 pupae. After irradiation, the different phases of Ae. albopictus development (egg, larva, pupa, and adult) in the F1 generation were observed daily. Parameters such as viability, fertility, longevity, and mortality were recorded. The results from these studies showed that a dose of 60 Gy was necessary to sterilize 100% of the male Ae. albopictus pupae