Psychometric properties of Broad Autism Phenotype Questionnaire Brazilian Version (BAPQ-Br)

O Broad Autism Phenotype Questionnaire (BAPQ) é um instrumento que foi desenvolvido especialmente para avaliar traços de autismo em adultos da população em geral. É fácil de ser administrado, confiável e eficiente. Este estudo teve como objetivo avaliar as qualidades psicométricas da escala de autorrelato da versão brasileira do referido instrumento (BAPQ-Br). A investigação das propriedades psicométricas da BAPQ-Br foi realizada por meio de análise fatorial exploratória, de consistência interna e da comparação entre grupos clínicos e não clínicos. Encontrou-se adequada consistência interna, em todos os fatores e na escala total. A extração dos fatores indicou três agrupamentos teoricamente consistentes com o estudo original, sendo que os itens dos fatores Interesse social e Rigidez se mantiveram todos nos mesmos domínios em ambas as versões (original e brasileira). Porém, 5 itens do fator Linguagem Pragmática apresentaram carga fatorial superior no fator Interesse Social. Foram identificadas diferenças significativas entre os pais de crianças com Transtorno do Espectro do Autismo (TEA) e pais de crianças com síndrome de Down nos fatores Interesse Social, Linguagem Pragmática e no escore total e entre pais de crianças com TEA e pais de crianças com desenvolvimento típico no fator Interesse Social. O BAPQ-Br é um instrumento de rastreamento para fenótipo ampliado do autismo que poderá contribuir com o desenvolvimento de estudos epidemiológicos em nosso meio. Estes resultados são promissores, porém, novos estudos são necessários para continuar as pesquisas sobre as evidências de validade da BAPQ-Br. Palavras-chave: fenótipo ampliado do autismo; análise fatorial exploratória; validade de testes.The Broad Autism Phenotype Questionnaire (BAPQ) is an instrument that was speci?cally developed to assess autistic traits in adults of general population. It is reliable, efficient, and easy to administer. The objective of this study was to evaluate psychometric properties of self-report scale of the Brazilian version of this instrument (BAPQ-Br). The psychometric properties investigation of the BAPQ-Br was performed through exploratory factor analysis, internal consistency, and comparison between clinical and nonclinical groups. Adequate internal consistency was found in all factors and in the total scale. The extraction of factors indicated three-component structure theoretically consistent with the original study, and the items of Aloof and Rigidity factors have been kept in the same domains in both versions (original and Brazilian). However, 5 items of Pragmatic Language factor presented higher factorial load on Aloof factor. Parents of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) had significant higher scores on Aloof, Pragmatic Language factors and total scores, than parents of children with Down syndrome, and significant higher scores on Aloof factor than parents of typically developing children. The BAPQ-Br is a screening tool for broad autism phenotype which may contribute to the development of epidemiological studies in our field of activity. These results are promising. However, further studies are needed to continue the research on the validity evidences of the BAPQ-Br. Keywords: broad autism phenotype; exploratory factor analysis; test validity

Socioeconomic factors associated with the perception and attitude of consumers toward traced meat in Contagem, Minas Gerais, Brazil

The aim of this study was to analyze knowledge related to bovine traceability and to profile the perception and attitude of consumers toward traced beef in Contagem, Minas Gerais, Brazil; in addition to verifying which socioeconomic factors are related to purchasing decisions regarding traced meat. The variables were described and a multiple model Generalized Estimating Equations (GEE) logistic regression was elaborated to identify possible associations between the socio-economic characteristics of consumers and the key attributes of meat that influence their decision to purchase it. Data were accumulated through interviews of 400 consumers in April 2012. The presence of the stamp of the Brazilian Federal Inspection Service (SIF) on the product was the attribute that most influenced the consumers’ purchasing decisions. The majority of the interviewed people had never heard about beef traceability. Among those who had heard about it, most were willing to pay more for traced meat. However, there are disadvantages associated with traceability, mainly in relation to increased meat price. Consumers with higher levels of education and income had a better understanding of this type of certification; moreover, higher monthly incomes were associated with greater consumer willingness to pay more for traced meat

Feasibility of SBRT for hepatocellular carcinoma in Brazil — a prospective pilot study

BACKGROUND: The aim of the study was to evaluate the feasibility and safety of stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) for the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma in Brazil. SBRT is an evolving treatment in HCC patients not candidates to other local therapies. Its adoption in clinical practice has been heterogeneous, with lack of data on its generalizability in the Brazilian population. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We conducted a prospective pilot study involving HCC patients after failure or ineligibility for transarterial chemoembolization. Patients received SBRT 30 to 50 Gy in 5 fractions using an isotoxic prescription approach. This study is registered at clinicaltrials.gov NCT02221778. RESULTS: From Nov 2014 through Aug 2019, 26 patients received SBRT with 40 Gy median dose. Underlying liver disease was hepatitis C, hepatitis B and alcohol-related in, respectively, 50%, 23% and 19% of patients. Median lesion size was 3.8 cm (range, 1.5–10 cm), and 46% had multiple lesions. Thirty-two percent had tumor vascular thrombosis; median pretreatment alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) was 171.7 ng/mL (range, 4.2–5,494 ng/mL). 1y-local progression-free survival (PFS) was 86% (95% CI: 61% to 95%), with higher local control in doses ≥ 45Gy (p = 0.037; HR = 0.12). 1y-liver PFS, distant PFS and OS were, respectively, 52%, 77% and 79%. Objective response was seen in 89% of patients, with 3 months post-SBRT median AFP of 12 ng/mL (2.4–637 ng/mL). There were no grade 3 or 4 clinical toxicities. Grade 3 or 4 laboratory toxicities occurred in 27% of patients. CONCLUSION: SBRT is feasible and safe in patients unresponsive or ineligible for TACE in Brazil. Our study suggests doses > 45Gy yields better local control

Amazonian plant natural products:perspectives for discovery of new antimalarial drug leads

Plasmodium falciparum and P. vivax malaria parasites are now resistant, or showing signs of resistance, to most drugs used in therapy. Novel chemical entities that exhibit new mechanisms of antiplasmodial action are needed. New antimalarials that block transmission of Plasmodium spp. from humans to Anopheles mosquito vectors are key to malaria eradication efforts. Although P. vivax causes a considerable number of malaria cases, its importance has for long been neglected. Vivax malaria can cause severe manifestations and death; hence there is a need for P. vivax-directed research. Plants used in traditional medicine, namely Artemisia annua and Cinchona spp. are the sources of the antimalarial natural products artemisinin and quinine, respectively. Based on these compounds, semi-synthetic artemisinin-derivatives and synthetic quinoline antimalarials have been developed and are the most important drugs in the current therapeutic arsenal for combating malaria. In the Amazon region, where P. vivax predominates, there is a local tradition of using plant-derived preparations to treat malaria. Here, we review the current P. falciparum and P. vivax drug-sensitivity assays, focusing on challenges and perspectives of drug discovery for P. vivax, including tests against hypnozoites. We also present the latest findings of our group and others on the antiplasmodial and antimalarial chemical components from Amazonian plants that may be potential drug leads against malaria

Restauro do Casarão Gastão da Cunha, São João del Rei, Minas Gerais, Brasil

O trabalho expõe o processo para a elaboração do projeto de restauração, ainda em andamento, do Casarão que pertenceu ao Embaixador Gastão da Cunha, em São João Del Rei/MG. Esta edificação tem proteção por tombamento individual desde o ano de 1938 situada nas franjas da igreja de São Francisco de Assis. A sua inserção à rua Dr. Balbino da Cunha nº190 é imponente e se destaca no conjunto urbano pela marcação das janelas e composição dos elementos da fachada frontal. O Casarão vinculado à linguagem colonial encontra?se em estado de conservação precário, mesmo que com os seus componentes construtivos originais e, neste sentido, o principal objetivo deste trabalho é encaminhar ações que possibilitem a sensibilização da comunidade para a necessidade imediata da restauração deste patrimônio cultural. O processo tornou necessárias pesquisas de campo e em acervos para que fossem discutidas as premissas relevantes ao projeto, tendo em vista o entendimento do estado de conservação atual da edificação e a sua valorização junto à comunidade. Esta atividade se coloca de maneira relevante como uma ação que envolve ensino, pesquisa e extensão do NPE URBANISMOMG da Universidade Federal de Juiz de Fora, nas interlocuções com o Laboratório de Arquitetura e Urbanismo Social (LAUS) da Universidade Federal de São João Del Rei. Agradecimentos ao apoio da FAPEMIG e do CNPQ, bem como dos Ministérios da Cultura e das Cidades

Restauro do Casarão Gastão da Cunha, São João del Rei, Minas Gerais, Brasil

O trabalho expõe o processo para a elaboração do projeto de restauração, ainda em andamento, do Casarão que pertenceu ao Embaixador Gastão da Cunha, em São João Del Rei/MG. Esta edificação tem proteção por tombamento individual desde o ano de 1938 situada nas franjas da igreja de São Francisco de Assis. A sua inserção à rua Dr. Balbino da Cunha nº190 é imponente e se destaca no conjunto urbano pela marcação das janelas e composição dos elementos da fachada frontal. O Casarão vinculado à linguagem colonial encontra?se em estado de conservação precário, mesmo que com os seus componentes construtivos originais e, neste sentido, o principal objetivo deste trabalho é encaminhar ações que possibilitem a sensibilização da comunidade para a necessidade imediata da restauração deste patrimônio cultural. O processo tornou necessárias pesquisas de campo e em acervos para que fossem discutidas as premissas relevantes ao projeto, tendo em vista o entendimento do estado de conservação atual da edificação e a sua valorização junto à comunidade. Esta atividade se coloca de maneira relevante como uma ação que envolve ensino, pesquisa e extensão do NPE URBANISMOMG da Universidade Federal de Juiz de Fora, nas interlocuções com o Laboratório de Arquitetura e Urbanismo Social (LAUS) da Universidade Federal de São João Del Rei. Agradecimentos ao apoio da FAPEMIG e do CNPQ, bem como dos Ministérios da Cultura e das Cidades

MAMMALS IN PORTUGAL : A data set of terrestrial, volant, and marine mammal occurrences in P ortugal

Mammals are threatened worldwide, with 26% of all species being includedin the IUCN threatened categories. This overall pattern is primarily associatedwith habitat loss or degradation, and human persecution for terrestrial mam-mals, and pollution, open net fishing, climate change, and prey depletion formarine mammals. Mammals play a key role in maintaining ecosystems func-tionality and resilience, and therefore information on their distribution is cru-cial to delineate and support conservation actions. MAMMALS INPORTUGAL is a publicly available data set compiling unpublishedgeoreferenced occurrence records of 92 terrestrial, volant, and marine mam-mals in mainland Portugal and archipelagos of the Azores and Madeira thatincludes 105,026 data entries between 1873 and 2021 (72% of the data occur-ring in 2000 and 2021). The methods used to collect the data were: live obser-vations/captures (43%), sign surveys (35%), camera trapping (16%),bioacoustics surveys (4%) and radiotracking, and inquiries that represent lessthan 1% of the records. The data set includes 13 types of records: (1) burrowsjsoil moundsjtunnel, (2) capture, (3) colony, (4) dead animaljhairjskullsjjaws, (5) genetic confirmation, (6) inquiries, (7) observation of live animal (8),observation in shelters, (9) photo trappingjvideo, (10) predators dietjpelletsjpine cones/nuts, (11) scatjtrackjditch, (12) telemetry and (13) vocalizationjecholocation. The spatial uncertainty of most records ranges between 0 and100 m (76%). Rodentia (n=31,573) has the highest number of records followedby Chiroptera (n=18,857), Carnivora (n=18,594), Lagomorpha (n=17,496),Cetartiodactyla (n=11,568) and Eulipotyphla (n=7008). The data setincludes records of species classified by the IUCN as threatened(e.g.,Oryctolagus cuniculus[n=12,159],Monachus monachus[n=1,512],andLynx pardinus[n=197]). We believe that this data set may stimulate thepublication of other European countries data sets that would certainly contrib-ute to ecology and conservation-related research, and therefore assisting onthe development of more accurate and tailored conservation managementstrategies for each species. There are no copyright restrictions; please cite thisdata paper when the data are used in publications.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio