Pervasive gaps in Amazonian ecological research

Biodiversity loss is one of the main challenges of our time,1,2 and attempts to address it require a clear un derstanding of how ecological communities respond to environmental change across time and space.3,4 While the increasing availability of global databases on ecological communities has advanced our knowledge of biodiversity sensitivity to environmental changes,5–7 vast areas of the tropics remain understudied.8–11 In the American tropics, Amazonia stands out as the world’s most diverse rainforest and the primary source of Neotropical biodiversity,12 but it remains among the least known forests in America and is often underrepre sented in biodiversity databases.13–15 To worsen this situation, human-induced modifications16,17 may elim inate pieces of the Amazon’s biodiversity puzzle before we can use them to understand how ecological com munities are responding. To increase generalization and applicability of biodiversity knowledge,18,19 it is thus crucial to reduce biases in ecological research, particularly in regions projected to face the most pronounced environmental changes. We integrate ecological community metadata of 7,694 sampling sites for multiple or ganism groups in a machine learning model framework to map the research probability across the Brazilian Amazonia, while identifying the region’s vulnerability to environmental change. 15%–18% of the most ne glected areas in ecological research are expected to experience severe climate or land use changes by 2050. This means that unless we take immediate action, we will not be able to establish their current status, much less monitor how it is changing and what is being lostinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Worldwide trends in underweight and obesity from 1990 to 2022: a pooled analysis of 3663 population-representative studies with 222 million children, adolescents, and adults

Background Underweight and obesity are associated with adverse health outcomes throughout the life course. We estimated the individual and combined prevalence of underweight or thinness and obesity, and their changes, from 1990 to 2022 for adults and school-aged children and adolescents in 200 countries and territories. Methods We used data from 3663 population-based studies with 222 million participants that measured height and weight in representative samples of the general population. We used a Bayesian hierarchical model to estimate trends in the prevalence of different BMI categories, separately for adults (age ≥20 years) and school-aged children and adolescents (age 5–19 years), from 1990 to 2022 for 200 countries and territories. For adults, we report the individual and combined prevalence of underweight (BMI <18·5 kg/m2) and obesity (BMI ≥30 kg/m2). For schoolaged children and adolescents, we report thinness (BMI <2 SD below the median of the WHO growth reference) and obesity (BMI >2 SD above the median). Findings From 1990 to 2022, the combined prevalence of underweight and obesity in adults decreased in 11 countries (6%) for women and 17 (9%) for men with a posterior probability of at least 0·80 that the observed changes were true decreases. The combined prevalence increased in 162 countries (81%) for women and 140 countries (70%) for men with a posterior probability of at least 0·80. In 2022, the combined prevalence of underweight and obesity was highest in island nations in the Caribbean and Polynesia and Micronesia, and countries in the Middle East and north Africa. Obesity prevalence was higher than underweight with posterior probability of at least 0·80 in 177 countries (89%) for women and 145 (73%) for men in 2022, whereas the converse was true in 16 countries (8%) for women, and 39 (20%) for men. From 1990 to 2022, the combined prevalence of thinness and obesity decreased among girls in five countries (3%) and among boys in 15 countries (8%) with a posterior probability of at least 0·80, and increased among girls in 140 countries (70%) and boys in 137 countries (69%) with a posterior probability of at least 0·80. The countries with highest combined prevalence of thinness and obesity in school-aged children and adolescents in 2022 were in Polynesia and Micronesia and the Caribbean for both sexes, and Chile and Qatar for boys. Combined prevalence was also high in some countries in south Asia, such as India and Pakistan, where thinness remained prevalent despite having declined. In 2022, obesity in school-aged children and adolescents was more prevalent than thinness with a posterior probability of at least 0·80 among girls in 133 countries (67%) and boys in 125 countries (63%), whereas the converse was true in 35 countries (18%) and 42 countries (21%), respectively. In almost all countries for both adults and school-aged children and adolescents, the increases in double burden were driven by increases in obesity, and decreases in double burden by declining underweight or thinness. Interpretation The combined burden of underweight and obesity has increased in most countries, driven by an increase in obesity, while underweight and thinness remain prevalent in south Asia and parts of Africa. A healthy nutrition transition that enhances access to nutritious foods is needed to address the remaining burden of underweight while curbing and reversing the increase in obesit

Pervasive gaps in Amazonian ecological research

Biodiversity loss is one of the main challenges of our time,1,2 and attempts to address it require a clear understanding of how ecological communities respond to environmental change across time and space.3,4 While the increasing availability of global databases on ecological communities has advanced our knowledge of biodiversity sensitivity to environmental changes,5,6,7 vast areas of the tropics remain understudied.8,9,10,11 In the American tropics, Amazonia stands out as the world's most diverse rainforest and the primary source of Neotropical biodiversity,12 but it remains among the least known forests in America and is often underrepresented in biodiversity databases.13,14,15 To worsen this situation, human-induced modifications16,17 may eliminate pieces of the Amazon's biodiversity puzzle before we can use them to understand how ecological communities are responding. To increase generalization and applicability of biodiversity knowledge,18,19 it is thus crucial to reduce biases in ecological research, particularly in regions projected to face the most pronounced environmental changes. We integrate ecological community metadata of 7,694 sampling sites for multiple organism groups in a machine learning model framework to map the research probability across the Brazilian Amazonia, while identifying the region's vulnerability to environmental change. 15%–18% of the most neglected areas in ecological research are expected to experience severe climate or land use changes by 2050. This means that unless we take immediate action, we will not be able to establish their current status, much less monitor how it is changing and what is being lost

Pervasive gaps in Amazonian ecological research

Biodiversity loss is one of the main challenges of our time,1,2 and attempts to address it require a clear understanding of how ecological communities respond to environmental change across time and space.3,4 While the increasing availability of global databases on ecological communities has advanced our knowledge of biodiversity sensitivity to environmental changes,5,6,7 vast areas of the tropics remain understudied.8,9,10,11 In the American tropics, Amazonia stands out as the world's most diverse rainforest and the primary source of Neotropical biodiversity,12 but it remains among the least known forests in America and is often underrepresented in biodiversity databases.13,14,15 To worsen this situation, human-induced modifications16,17 may eliminate pieces of the Amazon's biodiversity puzzle before we can use them to understand how ecological communities are responding. To increase generalization and applicability of biodiversity knowledge,18,19 it is thus crucial to reduce biases in ecological research, particularly in regions projected to face the most pronounced environmental changes. We integrate ecological community metadata of 7,694 sampling sites for multiple organism groups in a machine learning model framework to map the research probability across the Brazilian Amazonia, while identifying the region's vulnerability to environmental change. 15%–18% of the most neglected areas in ecological research are expected to experience severe climate or land use changes by 2050. This means that unless we take immediate action, we will not be able to establish their current status, much less monitor how it is changing and what is being lost

Assessment of the effects of human activities on the coastal system of Ubatuba (SP) through environmental modeling

A região de Ubatuba, sendo polo de atração turística, sofre influência das atividades humanas que modificam algumas características dos corpos de água, devido ao aporte de dejetos humanos, à descarga de poluentes e ao intenso tráfego de embarcações. O objetivo desse trabalho foi avaliar os efeitos das ações antrópicas sobre o sistema costeiro de Ubatuba por meio do estudo dos processos de transporte e difusão de poluentes, através de modelos que descrevem os mecanismos e as reações envolvidas na dispersão de hidrocarbonetos de petróleo (HPAs) e indicadores microbiológicos (coliformes termotolerantes e enterococos) na água do mar. Foram utilizados os módulos do sistema de modelagem ambiental Delft3D. O módulo hidrodinâmico foi implementado em uma grade numérica cobrindo a plataforma continental adjacente ao litoral norte de São Paulo. Da análise e validação dos resultados do módulo hidrodinâmico, concluiu-se que o modelo reproduziu satisfatoriamente a circulação marinha na região (valores de Skill entre 0,67 e 1,00). A associação dos dados de poluição com os resultados da hidrodinâmica permitiu estudar os mecanismos de dispersão dos poluentes nas enseadas do Flamengo e das Palmas através do módulo de qualidade da água. A concentração de coliformes calculada pelo modelo atingiu o máximo de 1850 NMP/100mL na Enseada do Flamengo, no verão; no caso dos HPAs, o teor máximo foi de 0,92 µg/L. As partes internas da Enseada do Flamengo têm a circulação da água reduzida, bem como a dispersão de poluentes. Os resultados sugerem que os teores de HPAs tiveram menor decaimento ao longo do tempo, o que se deve, provavelmente, às características da região, como baixo hidrodinamismo e baixo teor de nutrientes, que dificultam os processos de degradação de hidrocarbonetos. Por outro lado, os resultados indicaram um decaimento considerável na densidade de bactérias. As taxas de mortalidade de coliformes termotolerantes tiveram alta correlação linear positiva com a salinidade e temperatura (r = 0,94 e r = 0,99, respectivamente) e as taxas de mortalidade devido à radiação solar apresentaram uma boa contribuição na taxa de mortalidade geral. Na Enseada das Palmas, a máxima densidade de enterococos estimada pelo modelo foi de 1,21 UFC/100mL, no verão. Simulações de dispersão de enterococos mostraram que as regiões mais internas da enseada possuem correntes fracas que não favorecem uma grande dispersão de poluentes para fora da enseada. Os enterococos não tiveram sua taxa de mortalidade correlacionada com a salinidade (r = -0,02), porém a temperatura (r = 0,75) e a radiação solar parecem ter grande influência no seu decaimento. Com exceção do ponto no Saco da Ribeira, que apresentou concentrações de coliformes acima de 1000 NMP/100mL, em geral, as águas mantiveram condições adequadas de balneabilidade nas duas enseadas. Pode-se afirmar que o sistema de correntes na área de estudo, determinado pela geomorfologia da região, não confere alta capacidade de diluição e dispersão de efluentes nas enseadas. Todavia, a circulação marinha atuante e os processos envolvidos no decaimento dos poluentes são suficientes para difundir e diminuir suas concentrações ao longo das enseadas. Concluiu-se que a modelagem ambiental reproduziu de maneira satisfatória os processos envolvidos no transporte e na difusão de poluentes na água do mar, contribuindo com os estudos sobre os efeitos das atividades humanas no sistema costeiro de Ubatuba.The region of Ubatuba, being a place of tourist attraction, is influenced by human activities that modify some features of water bodies due to the dumping of sewage, the discharge of pollutants and heavy boat traffic. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of human activities on the coastal system of Ubatuba through the study of transport processes and diffusion of pollutants, through models that describe the mechanisms and reactions involved in the dispersion of petroleum hydrocarbon (PAHs) and microbiological indicators (thermotolerant coliforms and enterococci) in seawater. The modules of the environmental modeling system Delft3D were used in the study. The hydrodynamic module was implemented in a numerical grid covering the continental shelf adjacent to the north coast of São Paulo. From the analysis and validation of the results of the hydrodynamic module, it was concluded that the model satisfactorily reproduced the marine circulation in the region (Skill values between 0,67 and 1,00).The association of pollution data with the results of hydrodynamic allowed studying the pollutant dispersion mechanisms in Flamengo Bay and in Palmas Bay through the water quality module. The concentration of coliform calculated by the model reached the maximum of 1850 MPN/100mL in the Flamengo Bay, in summer; in the case of PAHs, the maximum level was 0,92 µg/L. The internal parts of the Flamengo Bay have the circulation of water reduced as well as the dispersion of pollutants. The results suggest that the PAHs concentrations were less decay over time, which is probably due to the regional characteristics, such as low hydrodynamic and low nutrient content, which hamper the hydrocarbon degradation processes. On the other hand, the results indicate a considerable decay in bacterial density. Thermotolerant coliform mortality rates had high positive correlation with salinity and temperature (r = 0,94 e r = 0,99, respectively), and the mortality rates due to solar radiation had a good contribution to the overall mortality rate. In the Palmas Bay, the maximum enterococci density estimated by the model was 1,21 CFU/100mL in the summer. Enterococci dispersion simulations showed that the internal regions of the bay have weak currents that do not contribute to a large dispersion of pollutants out of the bay. Enterococci have not had their mortality rate correlated with salinity (r = - 0,02), but the temperature (r = 0,75) and solar radiation seem to have large influence on its decay. With the exception of the point at the Saco da Ribeira, which obtained coliform concentrations above 1000 NMP/100mL, in general, the waters maintained suitable conditions for bathing in the two bays. It can be said that the current system in the study area, determined by the geomorphology of the region, does not provide high capacity for dilution and dispersion of effluents in the bays. However, the marine circulation and the processes involved in the decay of the pollutants are enough to spread and reduce their concentrations along the bays. It was concluded that environmental modeling reproduced satisfactorily the processes involved in the transport and diffusion of pollutants in seawater, contributing to the studies on the effects of human activities on the coastal system of Ubatuba

Influência de fatores ambientais na distribuição do plâncton na plataforma interna de Ubatuba, Brasil

With the general objective of evaluating the spatiotemporal distribution of plankton under different environmental conditions, governed by physical processes, on the inner shelf off Ubatuba (SP), Brazil, considering more detailed vertical and spatial resolutions, three independent studies were carried out. These studies are presented throughout this thesis in the form of scientific articles, in chapters II to IV. In chapter II, the occurrence of thin layers of phytoplankton and their temporal evolution were investigated over two days of observations in February/2019. Chapter III analyzed seasonal (winter/summer) and short-term variation (hours) in the plankton abundance and distribution and their relationship with hydrodynamic conditions, based on observations carried out in July/2018 and January/2019. In chapter IV the influence of environmental conditions on the abundance and vertical and horizontal distributions of the Synechococcus, Prochlorococcus, picoeukaryotes, and nanoeukaryotes populations was evaluated, comparing different scenarios obtained in December/2018 and January/2019. Overall, the data collection relied on field observation techniques at fixed and spatial stations, continuous high-resolution profilings with optical and acoustic sensors, in addition to discrete sample collection for analysis in laboratory. The abundance of the main plankton groups, from autotrophic microorganisms to mesozooplankton, was estimated using an in situ imaging system and flow cytometry (pico-nanoplankton). The general results suggest that the wind is the primary forcing of the variability in the plankton abundance and vertical and horizontal distribution in the coastal zone of Ubatuba, driving submesoscale phenomena related to the intrusion and retreat of the South Atlantic Central Water along the inner shelf and vertical mixing processes in events of change in the wind pattern, especially when associated with frontal systems. The present thesis makes an original contribution to the knowledge about the influence of physical processes on plankton distribution in high spatio-temporal resolution in a subtropical coastal ecosystem.Com o objetivo geral de avaliar a distribuição espaço-temporal do plâncton em diferentes condições ambientais, governadas por processos físicos, na plataforma interna de Ubatuba (SP), considerando resoluções verticais e espaciais detalhadas, foram conduzidos três estudos independentes, que são apresentados ao longo desta tese na forma de artigos científicos, nos capítulos II a IV. No capítulo II, a ocorrência de camadas finas de fitoplâncton e sua evolução temporal foram investigadas ao longo de dois dias de observações em fevereiro/2019. No capítulo III foram analisadas as variações sazonais (entre inverno e verão) e de curto prazo (horas) na abundância e distribuição do plâncton e sua relação com condições hidrodinâmicas, a partir de observações realizadas em julho/2018 e janeiro/2019. No capítulo IV avaliou-se a influência das condições ambientais na abundância e distribuição vertical e horizontal das populações de Synechococcus, Prochlorococcus, pico- e nanoeucariotos, comparando diferentes cenários obtidos em dezembro/2018 e janeiro/2019. No geral, o levantamento de dados contou com técnicas de observação em campo em estações fixas e espaciais, perfilagens contínuas com sensores ópticos e acústicos de alta-resolução, além de coletas discretas de amostras para análise em laboratório. A abundância dos principais grupos que compõem o plâncton, de microrganismos autotróficos ao mesozooplâncton, foi estimada usando um sistema de imageamento in situ e citometria de fluxo (pico-nanoplâncton). Os resultados gerais sugerem que o vento é a principal forçante das variabilidades na abundância e distribuição vertical e horizontal do plâncton na zona costeira de Ubatuba, impulsionando fenômenos de submesoscala relacionados à intrusão e retração da Água Central do Atlântico Sul ao longo da plataforma interna, e processos de mistura vertical em eventos de mudança no padrão dos ventos, principalmente quando associados a sistemas frontais. A presente tese traz uma contribuição original ao conhecimento sobre a influência de processos físicos na distribuição do plâncton em alta resolução espaço-temporal em um ecossistema costeiro subtropical

Interação toracoabdominal e sua relação com os fatores de risco biológico em recém-nascidos prematuros

The objective of this study was to assess the participation of thoracoabdominal muscles in breathing and its relationship with clinical risk factors in preterm newborns (PTNBs). This is a multicenter, cross-sectional study conducted in two neonatal intermediate care units with PTNBs between 26 and 35 weeks of age, hemodynamically stable, who used oxygen or ventilatory support during hospital stay. The lateral movements of the thorax were filmed for 2 minutes and the videos were quantitatively evaluated by a researcher blinded to sample data using the MATLAB Software for assessing thoracoabdominal participation patterns. Data for the maximum, minimum and mean values of the participation of the thorax and abdomen were expressed graphically in cm2. The Pearson correlation coefficient was used to assess the correlation between neonatal variables and mobility. We evaluated 2,080 frames of 26 newborns with an average gestational age of 31 weeks ±2.34. The greater the age and weight, the greater the participation of the thorax in breathing (r=0.55, p=0.001); and the longer the hospital stay, the lower the thoracic participation (r=-0.40, p=0.04). The participation of the abdomen increases according to the increase in the number of days of oxygen use (r=0.33, p=0.001) and decreases with higher age and weight (r=-0.41, p=0.001). The thoracoabdominal participation pattern is directly related to gestational age and weight. Prolonged use of oxygen and the length of hospital stay adversely affect the respiratory pattern, since increasing abdominal participation in respiratory biomechanics may increase energy expenditure.El presente estudio tuvo como objetivo evaluar la participación toracoabdominal durante la respiración y su relación con los factores de riesgo clínico en recién nacidos prematuros (RNPT). Este es un estudio transversal, multicéntrico, realizado en dos unidades de cuidados intermedios neonatales con RNPT entre 26-35 semanas, hemodinámicamente estables, que utilizaron oxígeno o soporte ventilatorio durante la hospitalización. El movimiento lateral del tronco se filmó durante 2 minutos, y un investigador a ciegas sobre los datos de la muestra evaluó los videos por medio del software MATLAB® para la interpretación cuantitativa de la participación toracoabdominal. Los datos se reprodujeron gráficamente en cm2 representando los valores máximos, mínimos y promedio de la participación del tórax y el abdomen. El coeficiente de Pearson se utilizó para evaluar la correlación entre las variables neonatales con la movilidad. Se evaluaron 2.080 frames de 26 RNPT con una edad gestacional promedio de 31 semanas ±2,34. Cuanto mayor es la edad y el peso, mayor es la participación del tórax en la respiración (r=0,55; p=0,001), y cuanto más largo es el tiempo de hospitalización, menor será su participación (r=-0,40; p=0,04). La participación del abdomen aumenta conforme aumenta la cantidad de días utilizando oxígeno (r=0,33; p=0,001) y disminuye con el aumento de la edad y el peso (r=-0,41; p=0,001). La participación toracoabdominal está directamente relacionada con la edad gestacional y el peso. Como factores externos, el uso prolongado de oxígeno y el tiempo de hospitalización afectan negativamente al patrón de respiración, ya que el aumento de la participación abdominal durante la biomecánica respiratoria puede representar un gasto de energía.O objetivo do estudo foi avaliar a participação toracoabdominal durante a respiração e sua relação com os fatores de risco clínicos em recém-nascidos prematuros (RNPT). Trata-se de um estudo multicêntrico, transversal, realizado em duas unidades de cuidado intermediário neonatal com RNPT entre 26-35 semanas, estáveis hemodinamicamente, que fizeram uso de oxigênio ou suporte ventilatório durante a fase da internação. O movimento lateral do tronco foi filmado por 2 minutos e os vídeos foram avaliados no software MATLAB® para interpretação quantitativa da participação toracoabdominal, por um pesquisador cego sobre os dados da amostra. Os dados foram expressos graficamente em cm2 representando os valores máximos, mínimos e médios da participação de tórax e abdômen. O coeficiente de Pearson foi usado para avaliar a correlação entre as variáveis neonatais com a mobilidade. Foram avaliados 2.080 frames de 26 RNPT com idade gestacional média de 31 semanas ±2,34. Quanto maior a idade e o peso, maior a participação do tórax na respiração (r=0,55; p=0,001); e quanto maior o tempo de internação, menor é a sua participação (r=-0,40; p=0,04). A participação do abdômen aumenta de acordo com o aumento do número de dias em uso de oxigênio (r=0,33; p=0,001) e diminui com o aumento da idade e do peso (r=-0,41; p=0,001). A participação toracoabdominal tem relação direta com a idade gestacional e o peso. Como fatores externos, o uso prolongado de oxigênio e o tempo de internação interferem negativamente no padrão respiratório, uma vez que o aumento da participação abdominal durante a biomecânica respiratória pode representar um gasto energétic