TIME SERIES ANALYSIS OF LAND USE AND OCCUPATION IN PERMANENT PRESERVATION AREAS OF THE PARAÍBA RIVER BASIN

Any alteration caused in riparian areas of hydrographic basins directly causes changes in the dynamics of rivers, lakes, and urban areas with the elements of energy flow, dissolved material and sediments. Better planning, management and protection of natural resources in the areas of a river basin require knowledge of the characteristics of water courses, vegetation and land use and occupation. The present work aimed to analyze a time series of land use and occupation data in Permanent Preservation Areas (PPAs) of the Paraíba River Basin according to the precepts of the Brazilian Forest Code and with the aid of geoprocessing tools and the Pettitt test and Mann-Kendall test statistics. The Pettitt test showed a temporal change in the average natural cover starting in 2007, with an increase of 4.2%. Based on the Mann-Kendall test, there was a downward trend in the cover of riparian forests in 36.72% of the PPAs, prevailing over PPAs with upward trends, in the period from 1985 to 2006, demonstrating greater degradation of riparian forest areas during this period, mainly in the Middle and Lower Paraíba River regions. For the period from 2006 to 2020, there was a significant change in areas with upward trends in land with natural cover (28.31%), with an increase of 12.5% compared to the previous period. 

ANÁLISE DAS SÉRIES TEMPORAIS DE USO E OCUPAÇÃO DA TERRA EM ÁREAS DE PRESERVAÇÃO PERMANENTE (APP) DA BACIA DO RIO PARAÍBA

É imprescindível entender que qualquer alteração causada nas áreas ciliares das bacias hidrográficas provoca mudanças diretamente na dinâmica dos rios, lagos, áreas urbanas com os elementos de fluxo de energia, material dissolvido e sedimentos. Assim, para melhor planejamento, gestão e proteção dos recursos naturais existentes nas áreas de uma bacia hidrográfica, faz-se necessário conhecer as características dos cursos d’água, vegetação e uso e ocupação da terra. O presente trabalho tem como objetivo analisar a série temporal dos dados de uso e ocupação da terra em Áreas de Preservação Permanente (APP) na Bacia Hidrográfica do Rio Paraíba, segundo os preceitos do Código Florestal brasileiro e com auxílio das ferramentas de geoprocessamento e das metodologias estatísticas do Teste de Pettitt e Teste de Mann-Kendall. O teste Pettitt apresentou uma mudança temporal na média de cobertura natural a partir do ano de 2007, com aumento de 4,2%. A partir do teste de Mann-Kendall, notou-se que houve tendência de decrescimento das matas ciliares em 36,72% das APPs analisadas, superior à área que apresentou crescimento, demonstrando maior degradação das matas ciliares no período de 1985 a 2006, principalmente nas regiões do Médio e Baixo Curso do Rio Paraíba. Para o período de 2006 a 2020, há mudança significativa nas áreas com tendência de crescimento de coberturas naturais (28,31%), incremento de 12,5% se comparado ao período anterior

Educação e Aprendizado no Ensino Remoto Emergencial: um Relato de Caso da Percepção dos Alunos na Pandemia de Covid-19

The objective of this study was to base discussions based on the student’s perception of teaching strategies, in addition to considering aspects of access to technologies and alternative teaching material provided to students. During the pandemic, access to the planned academic content was prepared to review notebooks in the first two months of the 2020’s calendar academic year, for the technical high school. A total of 135 students were assisted, and information was collected regarding study conditions considering the material offered by the institution. We’ve sent the quiz by email, WhatsApp, and social networks. The quiz contained questions about access to electronic devices/internet, housing, student interaction with the material, experiences, and W of the new content transfer model, and information about the assimilation process. The data obtained were analyzed using descriptive statistics. More than 80% of interviewees lived in the city's urban area and had access to the Internet using their cell phones. However, only 60% studied and carried out the activities. The biggest difficulty observed was in carrying out studies in the technical area, which involved calculations, mainly due to the absence of the teacher. Despite the obstacles, more than 65% of the students suggested the permanence of the material. The use of the review notebook was a satisfactory teaching strategy to mitigate, in an emergency way, the damage caused by the suspension of classroom classes due to the pandemic.   Keywords: Education in the Amazon. e-learning.  High school. Technical education. Objetivou-se com este estudo embasar discussões com base na percepção dos alunos sobre estratégias de ensino, além de considerar aspectos do acesso a tecnologias e ao material alternativo de ensino fornecido aos alunos. Para possibilitar o acesso ao conteúdo letivo previsto, durante a pandemia, foram elaborados cadernos de revisão no primeiro bimestre do ano letivo de 2020, no nível médio técnico. Foram atendidos 135 estudantes, realizou-se a coleta de informações referente às condições de estudo diante do material oferecido pela instituição. Enviamos o questionário via e-mail, WhatsApp e redes sociais. O questionário continha perguntas sobre o acesso a dispositivos eletrônicos/internet, moradia, interação dos alunos com o material, experiências e percepções no novo modelo de repasse de conteúdo, e informações sobre o processo de assimilação. Os dados obtidos foram analisados através de estatística descritiva. Mais de 80% dos entrevistados residiam na zona urbana da cidade e tinham acesso à internet pelo celular próprio. Contudo, apenas 60% estudaram e realizaram as atividades. A maior dificuldade observada foi na execução dos estudos na área técnica e que envolviam cálculos, principalmente devido à ausência do professor. Apesar dos entraves, mais de 65% dos alunos sugeriram a permanência do material. A utilização do caderno de revisão foi uma estratégia de ensino satisfatória para mitigar, de forma emergencial, os prejuízos ocasionados pela suspensão das aulas na modalidade presencial devido à pandemia.   Palavras-chave: Educação na Amazônia. Ensino médio. Ensino técnico.  

Mulheres submetidas à cirurgia bariátrica: um estudo reflexivo sobre os cuidados reprodutivos e psicossociais / Women undergoing bariatric surgery: a reflective study on reproductive and psychosocial care

Este estudo objetivou desenvolver uma reflexão teórico-crítica a respeito de informações na literatura sobre os cuidados reprodutivos e psicossociais com as mulheres submetidas à cirurgia bariátrica. Os descritores: Obesidade, Cirurgia bariátrica; Saúde reprodutiva; Depressão; Qualidade de vida e seus sinônimos foram utilizados nas bases de dados Medline, Lilacs, Google Scholar, Cochrane e Pubmed para buscar artigos relacionados com a temática. No estudo discute-se a cirurgia bariátrica e os seus aspectos epidemiológicos e psicossociais, considerando a sua relação com a fertilidade, sexualidade, gestação e contracepção, ressaltando-se o uso do sistema intrauterino liberador de levonorgestrel. A gestação é contraindicada nos primeiros meses após a cirurgia, portanto, mulheres no menacme devem receber orientações pré operatórias sobre contracepção segura, que ao mesmo tempo interfira minimamente sobre a perda de peso, função sexual e estado psicosocial, além de atuar no controle da anemia ferropriva e colaborar para a compensação de suas comorbidades. Portanto, a mulher submetida a cirurgia bariátrica precisa de atendimento na sua integralidade, pois após o procedimento cirúrgico a usuária possui várias carências, necessitando de uma assistência de qualidade e resoluta que contemple os fatores relacionados a saúde reprodutiva, a sexualidade e os aspectos psicossociais

Activity of scorpion venom-derived antifungal peptides against planktonic cells of Candida spp. and Cryptococcus neoformans and Candida albicans Biofilms

The incidence of fungal infections has been increasing in the last decades, while the number of available antifungal classes remains the same. The natural and acquired resistance of some fungal species to available therapies, associated with the high toxicity of these drugs on the present scenario and makes an imperative of the search for new, more efficient and less toxic therapeutic choices. Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are a potential class of antimicrobial drugs consisting of evolutionarily conserved multifunctional molecules with both microbicidal and immunomodulatory properties being part of the innate immune response of diverse organisms. In this study, we evaluated 11 scorpion-venom derived non-disulfide-bridged peptides against Cryptococcus neoformans and Candida spp., which are important human pathogens. Seven of them, including two novel molecules, showed activity against both genera with minimum inhibitory concentration values ranging from 3.12 to 200 μM and an analogous activity against Candida albicans biofilms. Most of the peptides presented low hemolytic and cytotoxic activity against mammalian cells. Modifications in the primary peptide sequence, as revealed by in silico and circular dichroism analyses of the most promising peptides, underscored the importance of cationicity for their antimicrobial activity as well as the amphipathicity of these molecules and their tendency to form alpha helices. This is the first report of scorpion-derived AMPs against C. neoformans and our results underline the potential of scorpion venom as a source of antimicrobials. Further characterization of their mechanism of action, followed by molecular optimization to decrease their cytotoxicity and increase antimicrobial activity, is needed to fully clarify their real potential as antifungals

Murine Dendritic Cells Transcriptional Modulation upon Paracoccidioides brasiliensis Infection

Limited information is available regarding the modulation of genes involved in the innate host response to Paracoccidioides brasiliensis, the etiologic agent of paracoccidioidomycosis. Therefore, we sought to characterize, for the first time, the transcriptional profile of murine bone marrow-derived dendritic cells (DCs) at an early stage following their initial interaction with P. brasiliensis. DCs connect innate and adaptive immunity by recognizing invading pathogens and determining the type of effector T-cell that mediates an immune response. Gene expression profiles were analyzed using microarray and validated using real-time RT-PCR and protein secretion studies. A total of 299 genes were differentially expressed, many of which are involved in immunity, signal transduction, transcription and apoptosis. Genes encoding the cytokines IL-12 and TNF-α, along with the chemokines CCL22, CCL27 and CXCL10, were up-regulated, suggesting that P. brasiliensis induces a potent proinflammatory response in DCs. In contrast, pattern recognition receptor (PRR)-encoding genes, particularly those related to Toll-like receptors, were down-regulated or unchanged. This result prompted us to evaluate the expression profiles of dectin-1 and mannose receptor, two other important fungal PRRs that were not included in the microarray target cDNA sequences. Unlike the mannose receptor, the dectin-1 receptor gene was significantly induced, suggesting that this β-glucan receptor participates in the recognition of P. brasiliensis. We also used a receptor inhibition assay to evaluate the roles of these receptors in coordinating the expression of several immune-related genes in DCs upon fungal exposure. Altogether, our results provide an initial characterization of early host responses to P. brasiliensis and a basis for better understanding the infectious process of this important neglected pathogen

Clonal chromosomal mosaicism and loss of chromosome Y in elderly men increase vulnerability for SARS-CoV-2

The pandemic caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2, COVID-19) had an estimated overall case fatality ratio of 1.38% (pre-vaccination), being 53% higher in males and increasing exponentially with age. Among 9578 individuals diagnosed with COVID-19 in the SCOURGE study, we found 133 cases (1.42%) with detectable clonal mosaicism for chromosome alterations (mCA) and 226 males (5.08%) with acquired loss of chromosome Y (LOY). Individuals with clonal mosaic events (mCA and/or LOY) showed a 54% increase in the risk of COVID-19 lethality. LOY is associated with transcriptomic biomarkers of immune dysfunction, pro-coagulation activity and cardiovascular risk. Interferon-induced genes involved in the initial immune response to SARS-CoV-2 are also down-regulated in LOY. Thus, mCA and LOY underlie at least part of the sex-biased severity and mortality of COVID-19 in aging patients. Given its potential therapeutic and prognostic relevance, evaluation of clonal mosaicism should be implemented as biomarker of COVID-19 severity in elderly people. Among 9578 individuals diagnosed with COVID-19 in the SCOURGE study, individuals with clonal mosaic events (clonal mosaicism for chromosome alterations and/or loss of chromosome Y) showed an increased risk of COVID-19 lethality

The impact of surgical delay on resectability of colorectal cancer: An international prospective cohort study

AIM: The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has provided a unique opportunity to explore the impact of surgical delays on cancer resectability. This study aimed to compare resectability for colorectal cancer patients undergoing delayed versus non-delayed surgery. METHODS: This was an international prospective cohort study of consecutive colorectal cancer patients with a decision for curative surgery (January-April 2020). Surgical delay was defined as an operation taking place more than 4 weeks after treatment decision, in a patient who did not receive neoadjuvant therapy. A subgroup analysis explored the effects of delay in elective patients only. The impact of longer delays was explored in a sensitivity analysis. The primary outcome was complete resection, defined as curative resection with an R0 margin. RESULTS: Overall, 5453 patients from 304 hospitals in 47 countries were included, of whom 6.6% (358/5453) did not receive their planned operation. Of the 4304 operated patients without neoadjuvant therapy, 40.5% (1744/4304) were delayed beyond 4 weeks. Delayed patients were more likely to be older, men, more comorbid, have higher body mass index and have rectal cancer and early stage disease. Delayed patients had higher unadjusted rates of complete resection (93.7% vs. 91.9%, P = 0.032) and lower rates of emergency surgery (4.5% vs. 22.5%, P < 0.001). After adjustment, delay was not associated with a lower rate of complete resection (OR 1.18, 95% CI 0.90-1.55, P = 0.224), which was consistent in elective patients only (OR 0.94, 95% CI 0.69-1.27, P = 0.672). Longer delays were not associated with poorer outcomes. CONCLUSION: One in 15 colorectal cancer patients did not receive their planned operation during the first wave of COVID-19. Surgical delay did not appear to compromise resectability, raising the hypothesis that any reduction in long-term survival attributable to delays is likely to be due to micro-metastatic disease

Generalidades sobre o quadro clínico da Rinossinusite: uma revisão narrativa de literatura: Generalities about the clinical picture of Rhinosinusitis: a narrative literature reviewv

A rinossinusite é um processo inflamatório da mucosa dos seios paranasais e da cavidade nasal. O sistema nasossinusal é responsável pelo balanço adequado entre a fabricação e o clearence de muco nas cavidades paranasais. A fisiologia deste é de vital importância para a proteção das vias aéreas superiores. No advém, determinados fatores podem acarretar um desbalanço nesse complexo, consequentemente um processo inflamatório. Qualquer fator que altere a drenagem, seja por obstrução, maior produção ou espessamento do muco, como processo infecciosos ou alérgicos, haverá uma impactação de secreções e a facilitação de colonização bacteriana, dando início ao processo infeccioso. A identificação da inflamação do nariz e seios paranasais é basicamente clínica. A suspeição desta ocorre através da manifestação de dois ou mais sintomatologias. As quais são o bloqueio ou obstrução nasal, a descarga nasal, pressão ou dor facial e redução ou perda do olfato. De modo geral, é essencial à prevenção básica das rinossinusites agudas é barrar a infecção viral. O suporte inclui medidas gerais de higiene, alimentação e hidratação, imunização para o combate de vírus respiratórios , administração de fármacos para turbinar o sistema imune se necessário