Relationship between vitamin D deficiency and psychophysiological variables: a systematic review of the literature

Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin that plays a role not only in calcium homeostasis, but also in several other functions, including cell growth and immune functions, and is considered a neurosteroid. Vitamin D deficiency is highly prevalent worldwide and has been suggested to be associated with an increased risk of emotional disorders. Therefore, the association between vitamin D levels and psychophysiological disorders, such as depression, anxiety, and mood, has been investigated. To list these variables, a bibliographical literature research was conducted in the MEDLINE/PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, Science Direct and PsycINFO databases, between November and December 2020, with no year limits of publication. The studies involved humans aged between 18 and 59 years without associated diseases. This review presents evidence of the main variables involved in this association, main tools used to verify these variables, and methods used to verify circulating vitamin D levels in populations. Most studies have indicated that the main psychophysiological variables involved with vitamin D levels are depression and anxiety followed by mood, and an association has been observed between increased serum vitamin D levels and reduction in symptoms of depression, anxiety, and mood, and there is a heterogeneity of methods for assessing vitamin D. More studies are clearly needed to improve our understanding of their role in modulating the psychophysiological aspects of vitamin D levels

Effect of Metabolic Syndrome on Parkinson’s Disease: A Systematic Review

Evidence shows that metabolic syndrome (MS) is associated with a greater risk of developing Parkinson’s disease (PD) because of the increase in oxidative stress levels along with other factors such as neuroinflammation and mitochondrial dysfunction. However, because some studies have reported that MS is associated with a lower risk of PD, the relationship between MS and PD should be investigated. This study aimed to investigate the effect of MS on PD. Two authors searched five electronic databases, namely, MEDLINE, PubMed, Scopus, PsycINFO, Web of Science, and Science Direct, for relevant articles between September and October 2020. After screening the title and abstract of all articles, 34 articles were selected for full-text review. Finally, 11 articles meeting the eligibility criteria were included in the study. The quality of articles was critically evaluated using the Joanna Briggs Institute. Overall, we evaluated data from 23,586,349 individuals (including healthy individuals, with MS and PD) aged 30 years or more. In cohort studies, the follow-up period varied between 2 and 30 years. MS contributed considerably to the increase in the incidence of PD. In addition, obesity, a component of MS, alone can increase the probability of developing neurodegenerative diseases. However, despite few studies on MS and PD, changes in cognitive function and more rapid progression of PD disease has been documented in patients with MS using methods commonly used in research

Perception of the level of physical activity of university professors during the isolation of COVID-19 / Percepção do nível de atividade física dos professores universitários durante o isolamento da COVID-19

COVID-19 is characterized by a severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), caused by the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus, which started in China, in Wuhan, spreading throughout the world in an advanced way and has become a global health emergency, affecting 216 countries. The most recent number of confirmed cases of COVID- 19 is> 23.3 million worldwide, including> 806.4 confirmed deaths, as well as having forced> 4 billion people to be confined to their homes. In Brazil, more than 3.5 million people have been infected, with a total of more than 114,250 confirmed deaths today. On January 30, 2020, WHO notified COVID-19 as the sixth international public health emergency. The uncertainty of not knowing when the pandemic will end can affect people's physical health and can lead to other associated symptoms. The objective of the study was to investigate the consequences that social isolation can cause in aspects of physical activity in teachers of all undergraduate courses at the Centro Universitário Escritor Osman da Costa Lins - UNIFACOL, in Vitória de Santo Antão-PE. A cross-sectional study was carried out. Data collection took place through online questionnaires containing sociodemographic information and levels of physical activity. There were 115 participants, of which 57.4% were male and 42.6% female. Regarding the level of physical activity, there was a statistically significant difference between the sexes in moderate-intensity and walking. And during the pandemic, there were more active women and more sedentary men

Propriedades da Alcachofra com Ênfase na Composição Nutricional/Properties of Artichoke with Emphasis on Nutritional Composition

O uso de plantas medicinais consiste em uma das mais antigas formas de prática medicinal utilizada tanto, para o tratamento quanto, para a cura e prevenção de doenças. Dentre as plantas medicinais de maior relevância, a alcachofra (Cynara scolymus L.) tem recebido destaque, devido aos seus efeitos benéficos sob a saúde humana. Diante disso, o objetivo do estudo foi identificar as propriedades da alcachofra com ênfase na composição nutricional. Para isso, foi realizada uma revisão narrativa através da busca em bancos de dados eletrônicos acerca das propriedades da alcachofra. As bases de dados consultadas foram: Scientific Electronic Library Online (SciELO), Biblioteca Virtual em Saúde (BVS) e outras Revistas Eletrônicas de Saúde, com dimensão temporal entre 2001 e 2018, nos idiomas português e inglês. Pode-se verificar com os dados obtidos, que a alcachofra atua com benefícios frente a doenças hepáticas, saúde intestinal, diabetes, apetite e hipercolesterolemia e suas propriedades bioativas estão associadas diretamente a sua composição química

Phylogenetic relationships of the New World titi monkeys (Callicebus): First appraisal of taxonomy based on molecular evidence

Background: Titi monkeys, Callicebus, comprise the most species-rich primate genus-34 species are currently recognised, five of them described since 2005. The lack of molecular data for titi monkeys has meant that little is known of their phylogenetic relationships and divergence times. To clarify their evolutionary history, we assembled a large molecular dataset by sequencing 20 nuclear and two mitochondrial loci for 15 species, including representatives from all recognised species groups. Phylogenetic relationships were inferred using concatenated maximum likelihood and Bayesian analyses, allowing us to evaluate the current taxonomic hypothesis for the genus. Results: Our results show four distinct Callicebus clades, for the most part concordant with the currently recognised morphological species-groups-the torquatus group, the personatus group, the donacophilus group, and the moloch group. The cupreus and moloch groups are not monophyletic, and all species of the formerly recognized cupreus group are reassigned to the moloch group. Two of the major divergence events are dated to the Miocene. The torquatus group, the oldest radiation, diverged c. 11 Ma; and the Atlantic forest personatus group split from the ancestor of all donacophilus and moloch species at 9-8 Ma. There is little molecular evidence for the separation of Callicebus caligatus and C. dubius, and we suggest that C. dubius should be considered a junior synonym of a polymorphic C. caligatus. Conclusions: Considering molecular, morphological and biogeographic evidence, we propose a new genus level taxonomy for titi monkeys: Cheracebus n. gen. in the Orinoco, Negro and upper Amazon basins (torquatus group), Callicebus Thomas, 1903, in the Atlantic Forest (personatus group), and Plecturocebus n. gen. in the Amazon basin and Chaco region (donacophilus and moloch groups). © 2016 Byrne et al

Dismantling Brazil's science threatens global biodiversity heritage

In the middle of a political and fiscal crisis, the Brazilian government is applying successive budget cuts, including in science funding. Recent cuts radically affect research programs on biodiversity that are crucial components for the design and monitoring of public policies for nature conservation and sustainable development. We analyze the consequences of such cuts on the Research Program on Biodiversity (PPBio), the largest biodiversity research network in Brazil (626 researchers, nine networks in all Brazilian biomes). Brazil holds a substantial part of the world's biodiversity and of tropical forests that play a significant role for regional and global climate stability. If underfunding is maintained, the dismantling of the Brazilian PPBio will have consequences that go beyond biodiversity knowledge itself but affect society as a whole. Brazil will likely fail to reach the National Targets for Biodiversity 2011–2020, and it will be difficult to fulfill the restoration target of the Brazilian NDC and to advance with the sustainable development goals. © 2017 Associação Brasileira de Ciência Ecológica e Conservaçã