High anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibody seroconversion rates before the second wave in Manaus, Brazil, and the protective effect of social behaviour measures: results from the prospective DETECTCoV-19 cohort

Background: The city of Manaus, Brazil, has seen two collapses of the health system due to the COVID-19 pandemic. We report anti-SARS-CoV-2 nucleocapsid IgG antibody seroconversion rates and associated risk factors in Manaus residents before the second wave of the epidemic in Brazil. Methods: A convenience sample of adult (aged ≥18 years) residents of Manaus was recruited through online and university website advertising into the DETECTCoV-19 study cohort. The current analysis of seroconversion included a subgroup of DETECTCoV-19 participants who had at least two serum sample collections separated by at least 4 weeks between Aug 19 and Oct 2, 2020 (visit 1), and Oct 19 and Nov 27, 2020 (visit 2). Those who reported (or had no data on) having a COVID-19 diagnosis before visit 1, and who were positive for anti-SARS-CoV-2 nucleocapsid IgG antibodies at visit 1 were excluded. Using an in-house ELISA, the reactivity index (RI; calculated as the optical density ratio of the sample to the negative control) for serum anti-SARS-CoV-2 nucleocapsid IgG antibodies was measured at both visits. We calculated the incidence of seroconversion (defined as RI values ≤1·5 at visit 1 and ≥1·5 at visit 2, and a ratio >2 between the visit 2 and visit 1 RI values) during the study period, as well as incidence rate ratios (IRRs) through cluster-corrected and adjusted Poisson regression models to analyse associations between seroconversion and variables related to sociodemographic characteristics, health access, comorbidities, COVID-19 exposure, protective behaviours, and symptoms. Findings: 2496 DETECTCoV-19 cohort participants returned for a follow-up visit between Oct 19 and Nov 27, 2020, of whom 204 reported having COVID-19 before the first visit and 24 had no data regarding previous disease status. 559 participants were seropositive for anti-SARS-CoV-2 nucleocapsid IgG antibodies at baseline. Of the remaining 1709 participants who were seronegative at baseline, 71 did not meet the criteria for seroconversion and were excluded from the analyses. Among the remaining 1638 participants who were seronegative at baseline, 214 showed seroconversion at visit 2. The seroconversion incidence was 13·06% (95% CI 11·52–14·79) overall and 6·78% (5·61–8·10) for symptomatic seroconversion, over a median follow-up period of 57 days (IQR 54–61). 48·1% of seroconversion events were estimated to be asymptomatic. The sample had higher proportions of affluent and higher-educated people than those reported for the Manaus city population. In the fully adjusted and corrected model, risk factors for seroconversion before visit 2 were having a COVID-19 case in the household (IRR 1·49 [95% CI 1·21–1·83]), not wearing a mask during contact with a person with COVID-19 (1·25 [1·09–1·45]), relaxation of physical distancing (1·31 [1·05–1·64]), and having flu-like symptoms (1·79 [1·23–2·59]) or a COVID-19 diagnosis (3·57 [2·27–5·63]) between the first and second visits, whereas working remotely was associated with lower incidence (0·74 [0·56–0·97]). Interpretation: An intense infection transmission period preceded the second wave of COVID-19 in Manaus. Several modifiable behaviours increased the risk of seroconversion, including non-compliance with non-pharmaceutical interventions measures such as not wearing a mask during contact, relaxation of protective measures, and non-remote working. Increased testing in high-transmission areas is needed to provide timely information about ongoing transmission and aid appropriate implementation of transmission mitigation measures. Funding: Ministry of Education, Brazil; Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado do Amazonas; Pan American Health Organization (PAHO)/WHO.World Health OrganizationRevisión por pare

Eficácia dos Protocolos de Suporte Avançado de Vida no Atendimento Pré-Hospitalar de Parada Cardiorrespiratória: Uma Revisão Integrativa

This article presents an integrative review on the effectiveness of Advanced Life Support (ALS) protocols in the pre-hospital management of cardiac arrest. The research was conducted by analyzing nine studies selected from electronic databases, published between 2018 and 2023. The results indicate that the standardization of ALS practices, according to the American Heart Association (AHA) guidelines, significantly increases the rates of return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC) and survival to hospital discharge. Additionally, continuous education and regular training of healthcare professionals are crucial for the effectiveness of pre-hospital care. Adequate infrastructure and availability of resources are also determinants for the success of ALS interventions. The integration of educational technologies and technological advancements in the training of healthcare professionals proved to be a promising strategy to improve the application of protocols. This study contributes to the field of pre-hospital resuscitation by providing a comprehensive overview of the factors influencing the effectiveness of ALS protocols, highlighting the need for a multifaceted approach that combines standardization, continuous education, adequate resources, and technological innovations.Este artigo apresenta uma revisão integrativa sobre a eficácia dos protocolos de Suporte Avançado de Vida (SAV) no atendimento pré-hospitalar de parada cardiorrespiratória (PCR). A pesquisa foi conduzida através da análise de nove estudos selecionados em bases de dados eletrônicas, publicados entre 2018 e 2023. Os resultados indicam que a padronização das práticas de SAV, conforme as diretrizes da American Heart Association (AHA), aumenta significativamente as taxas de retorno da circulação espontânea (RCE) e a sobrevivência até a alta hospitalar. Além disso, a educação continuada e o treinamento regular dos profissionais de saúde são cruciais para a eficácia do atendimento pré-hospitalar. A infraestrutura adequada e a disponibilidade de recursos também são determinantes para o sucesso das intervenções de SAV. A integração de tecnologias educacionais e avanços tecnológicos na formação dos profissionais de saúde mostrou-se uma estratégia promissora para melhorar a aplicação dos protocolos. Este estudo contribui para o campo da ressuscitação pré-hospitalar ao fornecer uma visão abrangente sobre os fatores que influenciam a eficácia dos protocolos de SAV, destacando a necessidade de uma abordagem multifacetada que combine padronização, educação contínua recursos adequados e inovações tecnológicas

Catálogo Taxonômico da Fauna do Brasil: setting the baseline knowledge on the animal diversity in Brazil

The limited temporal completeness and taxonomic accuracy of species lists, made available in a traditional manner in scientific publications, has always represented a problem. These lists are invariably limited to a few taxonomic groups and do not represent up-to-date knowledge of all species and classifications. In this context, the Brazilian megadiverse fauna is no exception, and the Catálogo Taxonômico da Fauna do Brasil (CTFB) (http://fauna.jbrj.gov.br/), made public in 2015, represents a database on biodiversity anchored on a list of valid and expertly recognized scientific names of animals in Brazil. The CTFB is updated in near real time by a team of more than 800 specialists. By January 1, 2024, the CTFB compiled 133,691 nominal species, with 125,138 that were considered valid. Most of the valid species were arthropods (82.3%, with more than 102,000 species) and chordates (7.69%, with over 11,000 species). These taxa were followed by a cluster composed of Mollusca (3,567 species), Platyhelminthes (2,292 species), Annelida (1,833 species), and Nematoda (1,447 species). All remaining groups had less than 1,000 species reported in Brazil, with Cnidaria (831 species), Porifera (628 species), Rotifera (606 species), and Bryozoa (520 species) representing those with more than 500 species. Analysis of the CTFB database can facilitate and direct efforts towards the discovery of new species in Brazil, but it is also fundamental in providing the best available list of valid nominal species to users, including those in science, health, conservation efforts, and any initiative involving animals. The importance of the CTFB is evidenced by the elevated number of citations in the scientific literature in diverse areas of biology, law, anthropology, education, forensic science, and veterinary science, among others

More than 10,000 pre-Columbian earthworks are still hidden throughout Amazonia

Indigenous societies are known to have occupied the Amazon basin for more than 12,000 years, but the scale of their influence on Amazonian forests remains uncertain. We report the discovery, using LIDAR (light detection and ranging) information from across the basin, of 24 previously undetected pre-Columbian earthworks beneath the forest canopy. Modeled distribution and abundance of large-scale archaeological sites across Amazonia suggest that between 10,272 and 23,648 sites remain to be discovered and that most will be found in the southwest. We also identified 53 domesticated tree species significantly associated with earthwork occurrence probability, likely suggesting past management practices. Closed-canopy forests across Amazonia are likely to contain thousands of undiscovered archaeological sites around which pre-Columbian societies actively modified forests, a discovery that opens opportunities for better understanding the magnitude of ancient human influence on Amazonia and its current state

ATLANTIC EPIPHYTES: a data set of vascular and non-vascular epiphyte plants and lichens from the Atlantic Forest

Epiphytes are hyper-diverse and one of the frequently undervalued life forms in plant surveys and biodiversity inventories. Epiphytes of the Atlantic Forest, one of the most endangered ecosystems in the world, have high endemism and radiated recently in the Pliocene. We aimed to (1) compile an extensive Atlantic Forest data set on vascular, non-vascular plants (including hemiepiphytes), and lichen epiphyte species occurrence and abundance; (2) describe the epiphyte distribution in the Atlantic Forest, in order to indicate future sampling efforts. Our work presents the first epiphyte data set with information on abundance and occurrence of epiphyte phorophyte species. All data compiled here come from three main sources provided by the authors: published sources (comprising peer-reviewed articles, books, and theses), unpublished data, and herbarium data. We compiled a data set composed of 2,095 species, from 89,270 holo/hemiepiphyte records, in the Atlantic Forest of Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay, and Uruguay, recorded from 1824 to early 2018. Most of the records were from qualitative data (occurrence only, 88%), well distributed throughout the Atlantic Forest. For quantitative records, the most common sampling method was individual trees (71%), followed by plot sampling (19%), and transect sampling (10%). Angiosperms (81%) were the most frequently registered group, and Bromeliaceae and Orchidaceae were the families with the greatest number of records (27,272 and 21,945, respectively). Ferns and Lycophytes presented fewer records than Angiosperms, and Polypodiaceae were the most recorded family, and more concentrated in the Southern and Southeastern regions. Data on non-vascular plants and lichens were scarce, with a few disjunct records concentrated in the Northeastern region of the Atlantic Forest. For all non-vascular plant records, Lejeuneaceae, a family of liverworts, was the most recorded family. We hope that our effort to organize scattered epiphyte data help advance the knowledge of epiphyte ecology, as well as our understanding of macroecological and biogeographical patterns in the Atlantic Forest. No copyright restrictions are associated with the data set. Please cite this Ecology Data Paper if the data are used in publication and teaching events. © 2019 The Authors. Ecology © 2019 The Ecological Society of Americ

JOGOS DIGITAIS PARA O DESENVOLVIMENTO DA HABILIDADE ESPACIAL: UMA REVISÃO DA LITERATURA INTERNACIONAL

A contextualização das tecnologias educacionais é importante para entender as implicações desses recursos nos processos de aprendizagem e desenvolvimento humano. Dentre essas tecnologias, os jogos podem ser recursos importantes para o desenvolvimento cognitivo, oferecendo oportunidades para o meio educacional. Assim, este trabalho tem como objetivo realizar uma revisão da literatura sobre a utilização dos jogos digitais no desenvolvimento de habilidades cognitivas, especificamente nas habilidades espaciais. A pesquisa foi realizada utilizando a ferramenta de busca da Thomson Reuters, que buscou artigos em revistas internacionais indexadas, publicados entre os anos de 2010 e 2015. Os resultados apresentam um cenário da relação jogos digitais e desenvolvimento de habilidades espaciais. Além disso, a revisão aborda elementos que poderão conduzir novos estudos e trazer novas propostas de tecnologia educacional. Palavras-chave: Jogos digitais. Habilidades espaciais. Tecnologia educacional

Purification, partial characterization and immobilization of a mannose-specific lectin from seeds of Dioclea lasiophylla Mart.

Lectin from the seeds of Dioclea lasiophylla (DlyL) was purified in a single step by affinity chromatography on a Sephadex (R) G-50 column. DlyL strongly agglutinated rabbit erythrocytes and was inhibited by monosaccharides (D-mannose and alpha-methyl-D-mannoside) and glycoproteins (ovalbumin and fetuin). Similar to other Diocleinae lectins, DlyL has three chains, alpha, beta and gamma, with mass of 25,569 +/- 2, 12,998 +/- 1 and 12,588 +/- 1 Da, respectively, and has no disulfide bonds. The hemagglutinating activity of DlyL was optimal in pH 8.0, stable at a temperature of 70 degrees C and decreased in EDTA solution, indicating that lectin activity is dependent on divalent metals. DlyL exhibited low toxicity on Artemia sp. nauplii, but this effect was dependent on the concentration of lectin in solution. DlyL immobilized on cyanogen bromide-activated Sepharose (R) 4B bound 0.917 mg of ovalbumin per cycle, showing the ability to become a tool for glycoproteomics studies

Predicting acute renal failure in Bothrops snakebite patients in a tertiary reference center, Western Brazilian Amazon.

Acute Kidney Injury (AKI) is the main systemic complication and cause of death in viperid envenomation. Although there are hypotheses for the development of AKI, the mechanisms involved are still not established. The aim of this study was to evaluate the clinical-laboratorial-epidemiological factors associated with AKI in victims of Bothrops sp envenomation. This is an observational study carried out at the Fundação de Medicina Tropical Dr. Heitor Vieira Dourado. AKI was defined according to the guidelines of the Acute Kidney Injury Network (AKIN). Among the 186 patients evaluated, AKI was observed in 24 (12.9%) after 48 hours of admission. Stage I was present in 17 (70.8%) patients, II in 3 (12.5%) and III in 4 (16.7%). Epidemiological characterization showed predominance of men, occurrence in rural areas, aged between 16-60 years, feet as the most affected anatomical region, and time to medical assistance less than 3 hours. Hypertension and diabetes were the comorbidities identified. Most of the accidents were classified as moderate, and clinical manifestations included severe pain, mild edema, local bleeding and headache. Laboratory results showed blood uncoagulability, hypofibrinogenemia, leukocytosis, increase of creatine kinase, and high lactate dehydrogenase levels. Multivariate analysis showed an association with high LDH levels [AOR = 1.01 (95% CI = 1.01-1.01, p<0.002)], local bleeding [AOR = 0.13 (95%CI = 0.027-0.59, p<0.009)], and the presence of comorbidities [AOR = 60.96 (95%CI = 9.69-383.30; p<0.000)]. Herein, laboratory markers such as high LDH levels along with local bleeding and comorbidities may aid in the diagnosis of AKI

Anti-inflammatory and anti-necrotic effects of lectins from Canavalia ensiformis and Canavalia brasiliensis in experimental acute pancreatitis

Lectins isolated from Canavalia ensiformis (ConA) and Canavalia brasiliensis (ConBr) are promising molecules to prevent cell death. Acute pancreatitis, characterized by acinar cell necrosis and inflammation, presents significant morbidity and mortality. This study has investigated the effects of ConA and ConBr in experimental acute pancreatitis and pancreatic acinar cell death induced by bile acid. Pancreatitis was induced by retrograde pancreatic ductal injection of 3% sodium taurocholate (Na-TC) in male Swiss mice. ConA or ConBr (0.1, 1 or 10 mg/kg) were intravenously applied to mice 1 h and 12 h after induction. After 24 h, the severity of pancreatitis was evaluated by serum amylase and lipase, histopathological changes and myeloperoxidase assay. Pancreatic acinar cells were incubated with ConA (200 µg/ml) or ConBr (200 µg/ml) and taurolithocholic acid 3-sulfate (TLCS; 500 µM). Necrosis and changes in mitochondrial membrane potential (ΔѰm) were detected by fluorescence confocal microscopy. Treatment (post-insult) with ConA and ConBr decreased pancreatic damage caused by retrograde injection of Na-TC in mice, reducing pancreatic neutrophil infiltration, edema and necrosis. In addition, ConA and ConBr decreased pancreatic acinar cell necrosis and depolarization of ΔѰm caused by TLCS. The inhibition of necrosis was prevented by the lectin domain blockade. In conclusion, ConA and ConBr markedly inhibited in vitro and in vivo damage, effects partly dependent on the interaction with mannose residues on acinar cells. These data support the potential application of these proteins for treatment of acute pancreatitis