Self-similar patterns from abiotic decarboxylation metabolism through chemically oscillating reactions: a prebiotic model for the origin of life

The origin of life must have included an abiotic stage of carbon redox reactions that involved electron transport chains and the production of lifelike patterns. Chemically oscillating reactions (COR) are abiotic, spontaneous, out-of-equilibrium, and redox reactions that involve the decarboxylation of carboxylic acids with strong oxidants and strong acids to produce CO2 and characteristic self-similar patterns. Those patterns have circular concentricity, radial geometries, characteristic circular twins, colour gradients, cavity structures, and branching to parallel alignment. We propose that COR played a role during the prebiotic cycling of carboxylic acids, furthering the new model for geology where COR can also explain the patterns of diagenetic spheroids in sediments. The patterns of COR in Petri dishes are first considered and compared to those observed in some eukaryotic lifeforms. The molecular structures and functions of reactants in COR are then compared to key biological metabolic processes. We conclude that the newly recognised similarities in compositions and patterns warrant future research to better investigate the role of halogens in biochemistry; COR in life-forms, including in humans; and the COR-stage of prebiotic carbon cycling on other planets, such as Mars

LE FORT I OSTEOTOMY AS A SURGICAL APPROACH TO REMOVE A JUVENILE OSSIFYING FIBROMA IN THE MAXILLARY SINUS: PEDIATRIC CASE REPORT

Ossifying fibroma (OF) is a well-defined benign neoplasm formed by different fibrocellular tissue and mineralized material. The OF clinical presentation is commonly an asymptomatic slow-growing swelling, mainly affecting the posterior mandibular region. Radiographically, this condition is characterized as a well-defined lesion with radiopaque and radiolucent areas. Histopathology shows dense cellular fibrous stroma and characteristic spheroidal calcifications called psammoma bodies. Regarding pediatric patients, the Juvenile Ossifying Fibroma (JOF) is an uncommon benign fibro‑osseous lesion with fast growth that impacts the facial skeleton, as it has a high-frequency potential. It occurs in early life, and approximately 79% are diagnosed before the age of 15 years. It affects both genders equally, and the maxilla is more involved compared to the mandible, there are cases also discovered in the orbit and skull. Surgical intervention to remove the tumor is the treatment of choice. The article presents a case of a pediatric patient who had the diagnosis of Juvenile Ossifying Fibroma and was submitted to surgical removal. The Le-Fort I Osteotomy approach proved to be safe, as it allows direct access to the base of the skull, allows good visualization and tumor exposure, and also allows easy tumor manipulation and curettage, enabling the preservation of facial aesthetics.Ossifying fibroma (OF) is a well-defined benign neoplasm formed by different fibrocellular tissue and mineralized material. The OF clinical presentation is commonly an asymptomatic slow-growing swelling, mainly affecting the posterior mandibular region. Radiographically, this condition is characterized as a well-defined lesion with radiopaque and radiolucent areas. Histopathology shows dense cellular fibrous stroma and characteristic spheroidal calcifications called psammoma bodies. Regarding pediatric patients, the Juvenile Ossifying Fibroma (JOF) is an uncommon benign fibro‑osseous lesion with fast growth that impacts the facial skeleton, as it has a high-frequency potential. It occurs in early life, and approximately 79% are diagnosed before the age of 15 years. It affects both genders equally, and the maxilla is more involved compared to the mandible, there are cases also discovered in the orbit and skull. Surgical intervention to remove the tumor is the treatment of choice. The article presents a case of a pediatric patient who had the diagnosis of Juvenile Ossifying Fibroma and was submitted to surgical removal. The Le-Fort I Osteotomy approach proved to be safe, as it allows direct access to the base of the skull, allows good visualization and tumor exposure, and also allows easy tumor manipulation and curettage, enabling the preservation of facial aesthetics

MANEJO DE CRISES DE ANSIEDADE E PÂNICO EM CRIANÇAS E ADOLESCENTES: CONDIÇÕES MULTIFATORIAIS

The objective of this article is to explore the nuances and strategies in managing anxiety and panic attacks in children and adolescents, recognizing the multifactorial conditions involved. It seeks to offer insights and practical guidance for healthcare professionals, parents and educators in addressing these complexities in the pediatric context. Methodology: Several academic platforms were explored, such as PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science and Scielo, during the research. The key terms "anxiety crisis", "panic syndrome", "children" and "adolescents" were used. The PICO (Population; Intervention; Comparison; Outcome) approach was used to improve the search, delimiting the target population, the interventions studied, comparisons when relevant and the outcomes of interest. Results: The study highlights the need for personalized approaches in the management of anxiety and panic attacks in children and adolescents, considering the diversity of factors involved. Interventions adapted to individual peculiarities and an in-depth understanding of multifactorial conditions are essential to promote a positive impact on the emotional well-being of these young people. Conclusion: A sensitive and ethical approach to the diagnosis and treatment of panic syndrome in children and adolescents, considering cultural factors, is essential to promote effective and patient-centered interventions, ensuring well-being and respecting individual complexities.O objetivo deste artigo é explorar as nuances e estratégias no manejo de crises de ansiedade e pânico em crianças e adolescentes, reconhecendo as condições multifatoriais envolvidas. Busca-se oferecer insights e orientações práticas para profissionais de saúde, pais e educadores na abordagem dessas complexidades no contexto pediátrico. Metodologia:  Foram exploradas várias plataformas acadêmicas, como PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science e Scielo, durante a pesquisa. Os termos-chave "crise de ansiedade", "síndrome do pânico", "crianças" e "adolescentes" foram utilizados. A abordagem PICO (População; Intervenção; Comparação; Outcome) foi empregada para aprimorar a busca, delimitando a população-alvo, as intervenções estudadas, comparações quando relevantes e os desfechos de interesse. Resultados: O estudo destaca a necessidade de abordagens personalizadas no manejo de crises de ansiedade e pânico em crianças e adolescentes, considerando a diversidade de fatores envolvidos. Intervenções adaptadas às peculiaridades individuais e uma compreensão aprofundada das condições multifatoriais são fundamentais para promover um impacto positivo no bem-estar emocional desses jovens. Conclusão: A abordagem sensível e ética no diagnóstico e tratamento da síndrome do pânico em crianças e adolescentes, considerando fatores culturais, é essencial para promover intervenções eficazes e centradas no paciente, garantindo o bem-estar e respeitando as complexidades individuais

NEOTROPICAL XENARTHRANS: a data set of occurrence of xenarthran species in the Neotropics

Xenarthrans – anteaters, sloths, and armadillos – have essential functions for ecosystem maintenance, such as insect control and nutrient cycling, playing key roles as ecosystem engineers. Because of habitat loss and fragmentation, hunting pressure, and conflicts with 24 domestic dogs, these species have been threatened locally, regionally, or even across their full distribution ranges. The Neotropics harbor 21 species of armadillos, ten anteaters, and six sloths. Our dataset includes the families Chlamyphoridae (13), Dasypodidae (7), Myrmecophagidae (3), Bradypodidae (4), and Megalonychidae (2). We have no occurrence data on Dasypus pilosus (Dasypodidae). Regarding Cyclopedidae, until recently, only one species was recognized, but new genetic studies have revealed that the group is represented by seven species. In this data-paper, we compiled a total of 42,528 records of 31 species, represented by occurrence and quantitative data, totaling 24,847 unique georeferenced records. The geographic range is from the south of the USA, Mexico, and Caribbean countries at the northern portion of the Neotropics, to its austral distribution in Argentina, Paraguay, Chile, and Uruguay. Regarding anteaters, Myrmecophaga tridactyla has the most records (n=5,941), and Cyclopes sp. has the fewest (n=240). The armadillo species with the most data is Dasypus novemcinctus (n=11,588), and the least recorded for Calyptophractus retusus (n=33). With regards to sloth species, Bradypus variegatus has the most records (n=962), and Bradypus pygmaeus has the fewest (n=12). Our main objective with Neotropical Xenarthrans is to make occurrence and quantitative data available to facilitate more ecological research, particularly if we integrate the xenarthran data with other datasets of Neotropical Series which will become available very soon (i.e. Neotropical Carnivores, Neotropical Invasive Mammals, and Neotropical Hunters and Dogs). Therefore, studies on trophic cascades, hunting pressure, habitat loss, fragmentation effects, species invasion, and climate change effects will be possible with the Neotropical Xenarthrans dataset

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

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

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