Avaliação nutricional em pacientes hospitalizados em um Centro de Oncohematologia Pediátrica no nordeste do Brasil

Pediatric patients undergoing antineoplastic treatment require linear growth and weight gain for adequate development, but malnutrition is a major obstacle. Malnutrition can negatively impact the prognosis of these patients, highlighting the importance of using more sensitive nutritional assessment parameters to detect and prevent nutritional complications. The aim of this study was to use different parameters to characterize the nutritional status of children and adolescents admitted to a reference pediatric hematology/oncology center in the Northeast of Brazil. Nutritional assessment was performed using body mass index (BMI) and height for age, along with measurements of arm circumference (AC), triceps skinfold thickness (TSF), and mid-upper arm muscle circumference (MUAC). The sample was predominantly composed of male patients, with a mean age of 9.88 (± 5.37) years. The most common diagnosis was leukemia. Gastrointestinal symptoms were observed in 71.88% of the sample, even without direct association with nutritional status. Malnutrition rates were higher when assessed by body composition parameters, such as TSF (46.88%), followed by AC (37.5%) and MUAC (25.00%), compared to BMI/A (10.94%). Most children and adolescents had adequate height for age (92.19%). In conclusion, the results of this study suggest that the use of arm anthropometry can be a relevant tool in nutritional assessment in children and adolescents undergoing antineoplastic treatment, as it can provide more accurate and direct measures of body composition and nutritional status, allowing for early identification of malnutrition and implementation of appropriate interventions.Pacientes pediátricos em tratamento antineoplásico requerem crescimento linear e ganho de peso para um desenvolvimento adequado, mas a desnutrição representa um obstáculo. A desnutrição pode impactar negativamente o prognóstico desses pacientes, destacando a importância da utilização de parâmetros de avaliação nutricional mais sensíveis para detectar e prevenir complicações nutricionais. O objetivo deste estudo foi utilizar diferentes parâmetros para caracterizar o estado nutricional de crianças e adolescentes internados em um centro de oncohematologia pediátrica de referência no Nordeste do Brasil. A avaliação nutricional foi realizada utilizando o índice de massa corporal e estatura para idade, juntamente com a medição da circunferência do braço, prega cutânea tricipital e circunferência muscular do braço. A amostra foi predominantemente composta por pacientes do sexo masculino, com idade média de 9,88 (± 5,37) anos. O diagnóstico mais comum foi a leucemia. Os sintomas gastrointestinais foram observados em 71,88% da amostra, mesmo sem associação direta com o estado nutricional. Os percentuais de desnutrição foram mais elevados quando avaliados por meio dos parâmetros de composição corporal, como PCT (46,88%), seguido por CB (37,5%) e CMB (25,00%), em comparação com o IMC/I (10,94%). A maioria das crianças e adolescentes apresentou estatura adequada para idade (92,19%). Conclui-se que os resultados encontrados neste estudo indicam que a utilização da antropometria do braço pode ser uma ferramenta relevante na avaliação nutricional em crianças e adolescentes em tratamento antineoplásico, no qual pode oferecer medidas mais precisas e diretas da composição corporal e do estado nutricional, permitindo a identificação precoce da desnutrição e a implementação de intervenções adequadas.

Effects of chronic food stress on morphometry and expression of nuclear organizing regions in the adult rats hippocampus Chronic food stress on morphometry and expression of agnor in the rats hippocampus / Efeitos do estresse alimentar crônico na morfometria e expressão das regiões de organização nuclear nos ratos adultos hipocampo Testemunho crônico de alimentação sobre morfometria e expressão do agnor no hippocampus das taxas

The aim of this study was to verify the immediate and late effects of chronic food stress on the expression of Nuclear Organizing Regions (NORs) in hippocampal neurons. Twenty Wistar rats were separated into two groups: test (n = 10) and control (n = 10). Food stress started from the 60th day of life and lasted for a month. After this time the animals were anesthetized, euthanized and had their hippocampus dissected. The obtained hippocampus were histologically processed, stained by the HE technique for morphological description and by the AgNOR technique for NOR analysis. From each image the total number of neurons, the number of neurons with NOR in Dispersion (NND), the total number of NORs (NNOR), and then performed a ratio of NNOR by the total number of neurons to obtain the number Of NOR by neuron (NNN). Of the analyzed variants, the number of neurons was higher (p <0.001) in the stressed group (41.98 ± 17), when compared with the control group (33.57 ± 14). In addition, NND was also higher in the stressed group (4.523 ± 4.04) than the control group (1.4 ± 2.20) with p <0.001. Thus, we have that chronic food stress increases the number of granular neurons in the hippocampus in rats as well as increases the number of NOR in dispersion. 

Síndrome de DiGeorge: um relato de caso: DiGeorge's Syndrome: a case report

O presente artigo objetivou apresentar o caso clínico de uma paciente pediátrica diagnosticada com a síndrome de DiGeorge e que foi admitida no setor de Cardiologia Pediátrica para correção de malformação cardíaca. Este trabalho se trata de um estudo descritivo, do tipo relato de caso, que visou analisar as principais manifestações desse distúrbio genético, bem como suas abordagens diagnósticas e terapêuticas. A criança foi submetida à correção de defeito cardíaco característico da anomalia e evoluiu com parada cardiorrespiratória, prontamente revertida, e com crise convulsiva no pós-operatório. A anomalia possui espectro clínico diverso, com repercussões que impactam sobremaneira no equilíbrio eletrolítico e nos sistemas imunológico e cardiovascular, exigindo reconhecimento em tempo hábil e a adoção de condutas assertivas para reduzir a morbidade do portador

Detection of SARS-CoV-2 RNA on public surfaces in a densely populated urban area of Brazil: a potential tool for monitoring the circulation of infected patients

The world is experiencing the worst global health crisis in recent decades since December/2019 due to a new pandemic coronavirus. The COVID-19 disease, caused by SARS-CoV-2, has resulted in more than 30 million cases and 950 thousand deaths worldwide as of September 21, 2020. Determining the extent of the virus on public surfaces is critical for understanding the potential risk of infection in these areas. In this study, we investigated the presence of SARS-CoV-2 RNA on public surfaces in a densely populated urban area in Brazil. Forty-nine of 933 samples tested positive (5.25%) for SARS-CoV-2 RNA, including samples collected from distinct material surfaces, including metal and concrete, and distinct places, mainly around hospital care units and public squares. Our data indicated the contamination of public surfaces by SARS-CoV-2, suggesting the circulation of infected patients and the risk of infection for the population. Constant monitoring of the virus in urban areas is required as a strategy to fight the pandemic and prevent further infections

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