Expansão da agricultura orgânica e os desafios enfrentados por produtores brasileiros na produção e exportação de orgânicos

A agricultura orgânica baseia-se no uso de métodos de cultivos ecológicos, alternativos à agricultura convencional, com o intuito de preservar o meio ambiente. A expansão do mercado mundial de produtos orgânicos decorreu da preocupação com a degradação ambiental e com a segurança do alimento. Entretanto, os produtores orgânicos brasileiros enfrentam desafios tanto no processo produtivo quanto para acessarem o mercado internacional orgânico. Neste contexto, o objetivo deste estudo foi analisar a evolução da produção orgânica e os desafios para produção e exportação dos produtos orgânicos brasileiros, particularmente para o mercado europeu. Para analisar a evolução da produção orgânica foram coletados dados do Instituto Brasileiro de Geografia e Estatística (IBGE), Ministério da Agricultura, Pecuária e Abastecimento (MAPA) e Research Institute of Organic Agriculture (FiBL) sobre a área agropecuária, número de estabelecimentos e de produtores, vendas no varejo, consumo per capita e exportações. Os dados disponíveis mostraram o crescimento contínuo da produção orgânica mundial entre 2000 e 2018. A análise do comércio mundial de orgânicos foi realizada por meio do Modelo Gravitacional. A equação gravitacional estimada utilizou como variável dependente as exportações mundiais de orgânicos. Já as variáveis independentes foram: o Produto Interno Bruto (PIB) e a população dos países exportadores de orgânicos, o PIB e a população da América do Norte e União Europeia, além da área agrícola destinada à produção orgânica tanto dos países exportadores quanto da América do Norte e União Europeia. De acordo com o resultado do modelo, as variáveis determinantes das exportações de orgânicos foram o PIB dos países exportadores, bem como o PIB, a população e a área agrícola orgânica da América do Norte e da União Europeia. Além disso, também foram realizadas entrevistas com agricultores familiares orgânicos brasileiros a fim de investigar os desafios que estes produtores tem encontrado na produção e comercialização de orgânicos. Eles responderam questões relacionadas à produção de orgânicos, aos desafios enfrentados, à importância das políticas públicas para o setor, à certificação e ao acesso ao mercado europeu. Em relação às dificuldades na produção, mencionaram fatores como alto custo e burocracia da certificação, falta de pagamento diferenciado pelo produto orgânico e indisponibilidade de insumos orgânicos. Já em relação aos desafios para exportação para o mercado orgânico europeu, relataram problemas como a falta de conhecimento do processo de exportação, dificuldade na obtenção da certificação orgânica europeia, falta de conhecimento da legislação orgânica europeia e do mercado europeu, bem como a escala de produção para exportação. Os produtores entrevistados consideram as políticas públicas importantes para o desenvolvimento da agricultura orgânica no Brasil, mas que necessitam ser aprimoradas para atender as necessidades dos produtores familiares orgânicos

Identification of circulating miRNA profiles that distinguish malignant pleural mesothelioma from lung adenocarcinoma

Accurate diagnosis of malignant pleura mesothelioma (MPM) is challenging. Differential diagnosis of MPM versus lung adenocarcinoma (AD) is particularly difficult, yet clinically important since the two neoplasias call for different treatment approaches. Circulating miRNA-profiling to identify miRNAs that can be used to distinguish MPM from AD has not been reported. We conducted a wide screening study of miRNA profiles in serum pools of MPM patients (N = 11), AD patients (N = 36), and healthy subjects (N = 45) to identify non-invasive biomarkers for differential diagnosis of MPM and AD, using deep sequencing. Sequencing detected up to 300 known miRNAs and up to 25 novel miRNAs species in the serum samples. Among known miRNAs, 7 were upregulated in MPM and 12 were upregulated in AD compared to healthy controls. Of these, eight were distinctive for AD and three were unique for MPM. Direct comparison of the miRNA profiles for MPM and AD revealed differences in miRNA levels that could be useful for differential diagnosis. No differentially expressed novel miRNAs were found. Further bioinformatics analysis indicated that three upregulated miRNAs in MPM are associated with the p38 pathway. There are unique alterations in serum miRNAs in MPM and AD compared to healthy controls, as well as differences between MPM and AD profiles. Differing miRNA levels between MPM and AD may be useful for differential diagnosis. A potential association to p38 pathway of three upregulated miRNAs in MPM was revealed

Aromaticity in cyanuric acid

This study analyzes the aromatic nature of cyanuric acid (hexahydrotriazine) and some of its derivatives, in terms of aromatic stabilization energy (ASE) and electronic behavior. The simplest molecule (C3N3O3H3) is the most aromatic item out of the entire set, but some of the others also display aromatic character. The structure of all the rings is analyzed considering their molecular orbitals as well as studying the inductive effect

Characteristics and Outcomes in Patients With COVID-19 and Acute Ischemic Stroke: The Global COVID-19 Stroke Registry

Recent case-series of small size implied a pathophysiological association between coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and severe large-vessel acute ischemic stroke. Given that severe strokes are typically associated with poor prognosis and can be very efficiently treated with recanalization techniques, confirmation of this putative association is urgently warranted in a large representative patient cohort to alert stroke clinicians, and inform pre- and in-hospital acute stroke patient pathways. We pooled all consecutive patients hospitalized with laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 and acute ischemic stroke in 28 sites from 16 countries. To assess whether stroke severity and outcomes (assessed at discharge or at the latest assessment for those patients still hospitalized) in patients with acute ischemic stroke are different between patients with COVID-19 and non-COVID-19, we performed 1:1 propensity score matching analyses of our COVID-19 patients with non-COVID-19 patients registered in the Acute Stroke Registry and Analysis of Lausanne Registry between 2003 and 2019. Between January 27, 2020, and May 19, 2020, 174 patients (median age 71.2 years; 37.9% females) with COVID-19 and acute ischemic stroke were hospitalized (median of 12 patients per site). The median National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale was 10 (interquartile range [IQR], 4-18). In the 1:1 matched sample of 336 patients with COVID-19 and non-COVID-19, the median National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale was higher in patients with COVID-19 (10 [IQR, 4-18] versus 6 [IQR, 3-14]), P=0.03; (odds ratio, 1.69 [95% CI, 1.08-2.65] for higher National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale score). There were 48 (27.6%) deaths, of which 22 were attributed to COVID-19 and 26 to stroke. Among 96 survivors with available information about disability status, 49 (51%) had severe disability at discharge. In the propensity score-matched population (n=330), patients with COVID-19 had higher risk for severe disability (median mRS 4 [IQR, 2-6] versus 2 [IQR, 1-4], P<0.001) and death (odds ratio, 4.3 [95% CI, 2.22-8.30]) compared with patients without COVID-19. Our findings suggest that COVID-19 associated ischemic strokes are more severe with worse functional outcome and higher mortality than non-COVID-19 ischemic strokes

Characteristics and Outcomes in Patients With COVID-19 and Acute Ischemic Stroke: The Global COVID-19 Stroke Registry.

Recent case-series of small size implied a pathophysiological association between coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and severe large-vessel acute ischemic stroke. Given that severe strokes are typically associated with poor prognosis and can be very efficiently treated with recanalization techniques, confirmation of this putative association is urgently warranted in a large representative patient cohort to alert stroke clinicians, and inform pre- and in-hospital acute stroke patient pathways. We pooled all consecutive patients hospitalized with laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 and acute ischemic stroke in 28 sites from 16 countries. To assess whether stroke severity and outcomes (assessed at discharge or at the latest assessment for those patients still hospitalized) in patients with acute ischemic stroke are different between patients with COVID-19 and non-COVID-19, we performed 1:1 propensity score matching analyses of our COVID-19 patients with non-COVID-19 patients registered in the Acute Stroke Registry and Analysis of Lausanne Registry between 2003 and 2019. Between January 27, 2020, and May 19, 2020, 174 patients (median age 71.2 years; 37.9% females) with COVID-19 and acute ischemic stroke were hospitalized (median of 12 patients per site). The median National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale was 10 (interquartile range [IQR], 4-18). In the 1:1 matched sample of 336 patients with COVID-19 and non-COVID-19, the median National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale was higher in patients with COVID-19 (10 [IQR, 4-18] versus 6 [IQR, 3-14]), P=0.03; (odds ratio, 1.69 [95% CI, 1.08-2.65] for higher National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale score). There were 48 (27.6%) deaths, of which 22 were attributed to COVID-19 and 26 to stroke. Among 96 survivors with available information about disability status, 49 (51%) had severe disability at discharge. In the propensity score-matched population (n=330), patients with COVID-19 had higher risk for severe disability (median mRS 4 [IQR, 2-6] versus 2 [IQR, 1-4], P&lt;0.001) and death (odds ratio, 4.3 [95% CI, 2.22-8.30]) compared with patients without COVID-19. Our findings suggest that COVID-19 associated ischemic strokes are more severe with worse functional outcome and higher mortality than non-COVID-19 ischemic strokes