“Serum ferritin – a nutritional marker for Anorexia Nervosa?”

Introduction: A new marker that correlates with nutritional recovery in Anorexia Nervosa would be of great value. Our study aimed to analyse the influence of Body Mass Index variations on serum ferritin levels in adolescents with Anorexia Nervosa followed up in a specialised consultation. Methods: We conducted a retrospective, observational, single-centre study in adolescents with Anorexia Nervosa evaluated between 2011 and 2019. Serum ferritin values ​​at baseline and during follow-up were analysed, together with the corresponding Body Mass Index (BMI) and Z-Score values. Further analytical data such as hematological and inflammatory markers were recorded. Results: The study included 53 adolescents with Anorexia Nervosa. Patients were found to have higher initial serum ferritin levels compared to the last, under treatment, assessed values (p<0.001). There was a significant increase in BMI and BMI Z-Score during follow-up (p<0.001), reflecting nutritional recovery. Analysing the variation of these values, we found a negative linear association between the variation of serum ferritin and the variation of BMI Z-Score (ß -0.1; R2 0,39; p<0,001). In analysing the change of BMI Z-Score and serum ferritin as a function of time, a linear regression model was used (ß -0,39; R2 0,12; p <0,001), showing that the quicker the recovery of BMI Z-Score, the faster the decrease in ferritin value. None of the patients presented anaemia, and in most cases, the other inflammatory markers remained normal. Conclusion: Serum ferritin could be of value in the evaluation of patients with Anorexia Nervosa in the absence of other diseases, in particular when other markers of malnutrition are normal

Ketogenic diet for refractory childhood epilepsy: beyond seizures control, the experience of a portuguese pediatric centre

Ketogenic diet is a low carbohydrate diet, which can be used as a treatment for refractory childhood epilepsy. The first aim of this study was to evaluate its efficacy, in patients receiving ketogenic diet for at least three months, on epilepsy control, behaviour and awareness. The secondary aims were to evaluate the variation in the number of antiepileptic drugs, reasons for discontinuing the diet and adverse effects.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

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

Growing knowledge: an overview of Seed Plant diversity in Brazil

Abstract An updated inventory of Brazilian seed plants is presented and offers important insights into the country's biodiversity. This work started in 2010, with the publication of the Plants and Fungi Catalogue, and has been updated since by more than 430 specialists working online. Brazil is home to 32,086 native Angiosperms and 23 native Gymnosperms, showing an increase of 3% in its species richness in relation to 2010. The Amazon Rainforest is the richest Brazilian biome for Gymnosperms, while the Atlantic Rainforest is the richest one for Angiosperms. There was a considerable increment in the number of species and endemism rates for biomes, except for the Amazon that showed a decrease of 2.5% of recorded endemics. However, well over half of Brazillian seed plant species (57.4%) is endemic to this territory. The proportion of life-forms varies among different biomes: trees are more expressive in the Amazon and Atlantic Rainforest biomes while herbs predominate in the Pampa, and lianas are more expressive in the Amazon, Atlantic Rainforest, and Pantanal. This compilation serves not only to quantify Brazilian biodiversity, but also to highlight areas where there information is lacking and to provide a framework for the challenge faced in conserving Brazil's unique and diverse flora