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Objectives: Mid-regional pro-adrenomedullin (MR-proADM) and monocyte CD169 (CD169) are valuable prognostic indicators of severe COVID-19. Methods: We assessed the predictive ability of a single measurement of MR-proADM and CD169 at emergency department (ED) admission to forecast in-hospital and 60-day mortality in adult COVID-19 patients. We analyzed clinical and laboratory data, with in-hospital mortality as the primary endpoint and 60-day mortality as the secondary endpoint. We examined associations with clinical and laboratory variables through univariate and multivariate analyses. Results: Data from 382 patients over 14 months were analyzed. Significant predictors of in-hospital mortality included age ⩾ 70 years (hazard ratio [HR] 8.1; 95% confidence interval [CI] 2.2-29.5), CD169 ratio ⩾ 20 (HR: 2.4; 95%CI: 1.6-5.6), MR-proADM ⩾ 1.1 mmol/L (HR: 5.1; 95%CI: 1.7-15.6), the need for invasive mechanical ventilation (HR: 6.8; 95%CI: 2.4-19.1), and active cancer (HR: 5.2; 95%CI: 1.8-15.2). For 60-day mortality, only elevated MR-proADM levels showed predictive value (HR: 6.7; 95%CI: 1.7-25.0), while high serologic titer was protective (HR: 0.4; 95%CI: 0.1-0.9). Conclusion: A single MR-proADM and CD169 measurement upon ED admission has prognostic value for in-hospital mortality, with MR-proADM also predicting 60-day mortality.

Refractoriness to standard first-line therapy in immune thrombocytopenia (ITP) should foster additional diagnostic work-up to exclude hematological clonal disease, mostly myelodysplatic syndrome (MDS) or clonal cytopenia of unknown significance (CCUS), which may present with isolated thrombocytopenia of immune or non-immune origin. We herein report on a patient who showed a transient leukoerythroblastic reaction (LEB) associated with bone marrow myelofibrosis upon rompilostim treatment, challenging a diagnosis of primary ITP and requiring additional investigations. RUNX-1-mutated myelodysplastic syndrome was eventually diagnosed. Even though LEB and marrow fibrosis have already been rarely reported during romiplostim treatment for ITP, this is the first case to our knowledge in which a background clonal hematopoiesis was diagnosed and deemed potentially involved in the abnormal response to this thrombopoietin receptor agonist (TPO-RA).

O “Repórter Júnior” é uma secção da revista infantil portuguesa Visão Júnior, na qual as crianças podem entrevistar uma figura pública à sua escolha, fazendo as questões que desejar. Este artigo tem como objetivo averiguar como as crianças aproveitam esta experiência para exprimirem as suas visões de mundo, pois entende-se que as perguntas expõem os seus interesses, gostos e modos de perceber a realidade que as cerca. Por meio da análise de conteúdo, investigaram-se as secções publicadas entre 2022 e 2023. Como resultados, verifica-se, entre os repórteres juniores, uma predominância de meninas, particularmente nos distritos de Lisboa e Porto. Além disso, nas perguntas realizadas pelas crianças, nota-se o interesse pelo sucesso no mundo do trabalho, o que indica que os preceitos neoliberais de individualismo e desempenho também fazem parte das preocupações da infância.

Ditches are widespread and common elements of the agricultural landscape. Although they can provide habitats for aquatic biodiversity, their ecosystem integrity and processes are generally limited or even unknown due to anthropogenic pressures and the paucity of studies on this type of aquatic ecosystem. This study aimed to enhance the knowledge on the biodiversity, ecosystem attributes and ecological status of agricultural ditches by analyzing the macroinvertebrate communities of six different ditches and those of the main river in the same area. While negligible differences in taxonomic richness were observed, macroinvertebrate community composition significantly varied among sites as a function of the heterogeneous habitat conditions. These compositional differences strongly affected the relative abundance of functional feeding groups among sites and their derived ecosystem attributes. Moreover, the ecological status assessment depicted different scenarios depending on the biomonitoring indices applied. By means of a multifaceted, but still poorly adopted, analysis of the macroinvertebrate community, ranging from the taxonomic and functional diversity to ecosystem attributes and biomonitoring indices, the results obtained in this study offer useful information on the ecology of agricultural ditches with potential insights to improving their management.

Abstract Background Adult, nymph, and larval Rhipicephalus sanguineus sensu lato infest dogs and thrive in premises including homes and kennels. Ticks emerge from hiding to seek and attach to dogs, engorge, then leave their hosts to hide then molt or oviposit. This study evaluated the effect of either external or systemic canine treatment on R. sanguineus s.l. populations in premises. Methods Thirty-two dogs in eight kennels were divided into three groups; one group (eight dogs in two kennels) served as untreated controls; one group (12 dogs in three kennels) received oral fluralaner (25–56 mg/kg); and one group (12 dogs in three kennels) received topical flumethrin/imidacloprid impregnated collars. Treatments were administered once on day 0. Prior to treatment, R. sanguineus s.l. infestations were established in kennels holding dogs, by placing ticks every 2 weeks from day −84 through day −14. Kennel surfaces (walls and floors) were smooth except for uniform “hideouts” to permit precise off-host tick counting. Results Control dog kennel mean tick counts (all life stages) increased from 737 ticks/kennel at day −7 to 2213 at day 63 when all control kennel dogs were acaricide-treated as a humane endpoint. Kennels housing dogs subsequently treated with systemic fluralaner had a mean of 637 counted ticks/kennel on study day −7 (7 days before treatment). One fluralaner treatment eliminated all premises ticks (100% reduction) by day 70, and these kennels remained tick-free through study completion (day 84). Kennels housing dogs subsequently treated with an external imidacloprid/flumethrin collar had a mean of 614 counted ticks/kennel at study day −7. Collar treatment reduced counts by 90% on day 63, with kennel tick counts climbing after this and ending the study with a 75% reduction. Systemic fluralaner treatment was significantly (P = 0.003) more effective at reducing engorged adult female tick counts than external imidacloprid/flumethrin treatment. Conclusions Fluralaner treatment eliminated off-host R. sanguineus life stages in infested kennels by day 70 following treatment and was significantly more effective than imidacloprid/flumethrin collar treatment in reducing the premises population of engorged female ticks. Imidacloprid/flumethrin treatment did not eliminate premises tick populations, with populations increasing before the study end. Graphical Abstract

Kikuchi–Fujimoto disease (KFD) is a rare, benign lymphoproliferative disease of uncertain origin that can mimic other inflammatory or clonal lymphoproliferative disorders. Given the lack of available blood biomarkers, diagnosis is based on the biopsy of an affected lymph node. In recent years, evidence has been mounting that a dysregulated type I INF innate immune response plays a pivotal role in the pathogenesis of the disease and might be a future therapeutic target. Nonetheless, laboratory assays measuring the expression of interferon alpha (INFα) and INF-stimulated genes (ISGs) are cumbersome and not widely available, limiting their use in clinical and translational research and encouraging the use of more convenient surrogate markers. In this study, a rapid flow cytometry assay detected increased levels of expression of CD169 (Siglec-1), an INFα-induced surface protein involved in innate immunity regulation, on circulating monocytes from two patients with KFD. Our results are in line with previous experiences and set the stage for a more extended investigation into the use of this assay in exploring the pathophysiology of KFD.

Este artigo tem o objetivo de investigar como parte do público leitor do portal de notícias UOL enxerga ações políticas de crianças que buscam posicionar-se e defender causas publicamente. Temos como foco dois episódios específicos: a tentativa de censura na Bienal do Livro do Rio de Janeiro, em 2019, pelo então prefeito da cidade, Marcelo Crivella, levando uma criança de oito anos a expressar seu repúdio pela atitude do político; a ameaça de morte a uma criança colombiana de 11 anos, em janeiro de 2021, por pedir um melhor acesso à internet para o ensino à distância durante a pandemia do Covid-19. A pesquisa se volta à análise de comentários gerados pelas reportagens selecionadas, seguindo a metodologia da análise de conteúdo. Como resultados, nota-se a incapacidade de parte da sociedade em crer que o jovem possa agir na esfera pública e uma clara divisão entre os temas que podem ou não ser abordados pelas crianças.

Com as redes sociais, vê-se o fortalecimento da presença de influenciadores digitais e das novas formas de consumo de informação de moda por eles alavancadas. Este trabalho busca investigar o modo de percepção do público sobre a moda a partir da presença dessas figuras, e identificar indícios de sua influência no processo de construção de subjetividades. Para tanto, o trabalho analisa o conteúdo dos comentários no perfil do Instagram de Camila Coutinho, uma das principais influenciadoras digitais de moda do Brasil, e de sua página, Garotas Estúpidas, que tem origem no blog de moda criado por ela em 2006. Como resultado, vê-se que as influenciadoras digitais e seu personalismo nem sempre contribuem para que a discussão profunda sobre a moda como sistema reflexivo e modo de se posicionar no mundo se dissemine no meio digital.

Introdução: A obesidade, considerada atualmente como um importante problema de saúde pública, decorre de múltiplos fatores, e as ações tanto de prevenção como de intervenções são de extrema complexidade. Objetivo: A presente investigação tem como objetivo analisar a percepção dos pais ou responsáveis de crianças e adolescentes, em relação à obesidade e como vivenciam o cuidado. Materiais e Métodos: Estudo qualitativo a partir de 30 entrevistas com pais ou responsáveis de crianças e adolescentes portadores de obesidade, que frequentam um Centro de Atendimento de Obesidade Infantil de uma cidade de médio porte do interior paulista. A análise foi realizada por meio da técnica de análise temática. A coleta de dados ocorreu no período de agosto a dezembro de 2020. Resultados e discussão: A maioria das crianças e adolescentes encontra-se na faixa etária de 5 a 10 anos e é portadora de obesidade grave. A maioria dos participantes do estudo foram as mães. Na análise, identificou-se as temáticas: dificuldades para lidar com a alimentação; os sentimentos das mães/responsáveis; problemas da criança ou adolescente relacionados à obesidade; tentativas de mudanças de hábitos; e efeitos da pandemia. O grau de obesidade das crianças e adolescentes encontrados no presente estudo leva a pensar que a procura por ajuda ocorre nos casos extremos. Conclusão: Os pais ou responsáveis conseguem perceber os riscos e as consequências da obesidade; entretanto, deparam-se com grandes dificuldades na implementação dos cuidados. As vivências com a obesidade infantil revestem-se de sofrimento, tanto para os pais ou responsáveis como para as crianças.

ABSTRACT The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of either a limited forage intake or concentrate supplementation prior to the adaptation to high-concentrate diets on dry matter intake, ruminal pH, bacteria, and protozoa of Nellore cattle. The experiment was designed as a two 3×3 Latin square, and six cannulated Nellore steers were used. Each experimental period was composed by three feeding phases: pre-adaptation (14 days), adaptation (12 days), and finishing (seven days) diet, in a total of 33 days per period. The steers were assigned to one of three pre-adaptation dietary treatments: control (Tifton hay fed ad libitum + mineral supplement), restriction (Tifton hay fed at 1.4% of BW + mineral supplement), and concentrate (Tifton hay fed ad libitum + 0.5% of BW of a mix of concentrate feedstuffs and mineral supplement). The adaptation period consisted of two adaptation diets, which contained 72 and 79% concentrate for six days each. The finishing diet contained 86% concentrate. During the pre-adaptation phase, restricted cattle had higher pH than concentrate-fed cattle. There was a reduction in M. elsdenii relative population in cattle from either restriction or concentrate groups. During adaptation and finishing phases, cattle from concentrate group had smaller F. succinogenes populations compared with the control group. The previous nutritional backgrounds impact ruminal microbiota during adaptation and finishing phases without causing any negative effect on ruminal pH. Feeding concentrate prior to the adaptation positively impacted the transition to high-concentrate diets and promoted increased dry matter intake.

Este trabalho tem o objetivo de investigar como adolescentes de 14 e 15 anos, de Campinas (SP), consomem informação e reagem a certas representações da adolescência propagadas pela imprensa. Para isso, realizamos dois grupos focais, envolvendo dez jovens de uma escola da área periférica da cidade, de classe trabalhadora. Nos resultados, reafirma-se, como a literatura vem mostrando, que os adolescentes compreendem as notícias de forma mais es-tendida, denominando assim a informação vinda de perfis em redes sociais, pois ali encon-tram temáticas de seus interesses. Percebe-se ainda que os entrevistados não concordam com as representações de sua fase de vida construídas pelo jornalismo, mas não as discutem com família e amigos. Isso se dá por uma certa indiferença em relação à imprensa, ainda que compreendam que tais abordagens interfiram no modo como são tratados pela sociedade.

Background: Prior studies suggest that childhood maltreatment is associated with altered hippocampal volume. However, longitudinal studies are currently scarce, making it difficult to determine how alterations in hippocampal volume evolve over time. The current study examined the relationship between childhood maltreatment and hippocampal volumetric development across childhood and adolescence in a community sample. Methods: In this longitudinal study, a community sample of 795 participants underwent brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in three waves spanning ages 6–21 years. Childhood maltreatment was assessed using parent-report and children´s self-report at baseline (6–12 years old). Mixed models were used to examine the relationship between childhood maltreatment and hippocampal volume across time. Results: The quadratic term of age was significantly associated with both right and left hippocampal volume development. High exposure to childhood maltreatment was associated with reduced offset of right hippocampal volume and persistent reduced volume throughout adolescence. Critically, the relationship between childhood maltreatment and reduced right hippocampal volume remained significant after adjusting for the presence of any depressive disorder during late childhood and adolescence and hippocampal volume polygenic risk scores. Time-by-CM and Sex-by-CM interactions were not statistically significant. Conclusions: The present study showed that childhood maltreatment is associated with persistent reduction of hippocampal volume in children and adolescents, even after adjusting for the presence of major depressive disorder and genetic determinants of hippocampal structure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a common influencing factor in the environment, temperature greatly influences the fish that live in the water all their life. The essential economic fish Chinese tongue sole (Cynoglossus semilaevis), a benthic fish, will experience both physiological and behavioral changes due to increases in temperature. The brain, as the central hub of fish and a crucial regulatory organ, is particularly sensitive to temperature changes and will be affected. However, previous research has mainly concentrated on the impact of temperature on the gonads of C. semilaevis. Instead, our study examines the brain using transcriptomics to investigate specific genes and pathways that can quickly respond to temperature changes. The fish were subjected to various periods of heat stress (1 h, 2 h, 3 h, and 5 h) before extracting the brain for transcriptome analysis. After conducting transcriptomic analyses, we identified distinct genes and pathways in males and females. The pathways were mainly related to cortisol synthesis and secretion, neuroactive ligand–receptor interactions, TGF beta signaling pathway, and JAK/STAT signaling pathway, while the genes included the HSP family, tshr, c-fos, c-jun, cxcr4, camk2b, and igf2. Our study offers valuable insights into the regulation mechanisms of the brain’s response to temperature stress.

A pandemia da covid-19 modificou as rotinas produtivas em várias áreas e também no jornalismo, já que repórteres e editores passaram a trabalhar em home office, entrevistando fontes que estavam nas mesmas condições. Em algumas gravações televisivas, crianças, filhos de profissionais que estavam sendo ouvidos, interferiram na cena, desestruturando a fachada (GOFFMAN, 2006) esperada para os sujeitos envolvidos naquela situação de comunicação. Alguns desses casos foram noticiados pelo portal UOL, provocando a reação do público por meio de comentários. Neste trabalho, buscamos compreender os sentidos sobre a infância que podem ser percebidos nessas mensagens, com base nas demandas instauradas pelo chamado “capitalismo afetivo” (ILLOUZ, 2011).

Cryopreservation and transplantation of spermatogonial stem cells (SSCs) offer new possibilities in the conservation of valuable genetic resources. Therefore, the present study developed a cryopreservation method for whole testicular tissue and for spermatogonial stem cells of jundia catfish (Rhamdia quelen) and developed an enriched germ cell transplantation of jundia catfish into depleted common carp (Cyprinus carpio) testes. Our findings from whole testes indicate that the cryoprotectants MeOH (1.3 M), DMSO (1.4 M), and EG (1.4 M) resulted in high cell viability rates of 67%, 62%, and 51.5%, respectively. Notably, in the case of enriched post-thaw SSCs, DMSO exhibited the highest cell viability at 27%, followed by EG at 16% and MeOH at 7%. Additionally, we observed the successful colonization and proliferation of jundia germ cells within the recipient gonads of common carp following transplantation. Notably, Sertoli cells were identified in the recipient gonads, providing support to the stained donor germ cells and indicated the formation of cysts. Our data suggest that cryopreserving entire testicular tissue presents a viable alternative to cryopreserving isolated testicular cells, and the spermatogonial cells isolated from testes of jundia retained transplantability characteristics. Nonetheless, more investigations are required to reach the goal of functional gamete and to assess the effectiveness of transplantation using these cryopreserved tissues. Taken together, proper cryopreservation methodology and transplantation technology could aid the preservation practice of fish genetic resources.

The identification of sex chromosomes is fundamental for exploring the mechanism and evolution of sex determination. Platichthys stellatus, a species exhibiting clear sexual dimorphism and homomorphic chromosome pairs, has received limited research concerning its sex determination mechanisms. Clarifying the sex chromosome of P. stellatus will enhance our understanding of sex chromosome evolution in Pleuronectiformes. This study employed whole-genome resequencing to investigate the sex chromosome and sex determination system in P. stellatus. Notably, Chr23 was identified as the sex chromosome in P. stellatus, with the sex-determining region (SDR) occupying 48.1% of the chromosome and featuring an XX/XY system. Sex chromosome turnover was observed within Pleuronectiformes, with P. stellatus, Verasper variegatus, and Hippoglossus hippoglossus sharing a common ancestral karyotype. No inversions were detected within the SDR of P. stellatus, although chromosomal rearrangements between sex chromosomes and autosomes were identified. Additionally, a sex-specific marker for P. stellatus was ascertained, enabling genetic sex identification, with significant implications for improving breeding programs and aquaculture practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ditches are widespread and common elements of the agricultural landscape. Although they can provide habitats for aquatic biodiversity, their ecosystem integrity and processes are generally limited or even unknown due to anthropogenic pressures and the paucity of studies on this type of aquatic ecosystem. This study aimed to enhance the knowledge on the biodiversity, ecosystem attributes and ecological status of agricultural ditches by analyzing the macroinvertebrate communities of six different ditches and those of the main river in the same area. While negligible differences in taxonomic richness were observed, macroinvertebrate community composition significantly varied among sites as a function of the heterogeneous habitat conditions. These compositional differences strongly affected the relative abundance of functional feeding groups among sites and their derived ecosystem attributes. Moreover, the ecological status assessment depicted different scenarios depending on the biomonitoring indices applied. By means of a multifaceted, but still poorly adopted, analysis of the macroinvertebrate community, ranging from the taxonomic and functional diversity to ecosystem attributes and biomonitoring indices, the results obtained in this study offer useful information on the ecology of agricultural ditches with potential insights to improving their management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Refractoriness to standard first-line therapy in immune thrombocytopenia (ITP) should foster additional diagnostic work-up to exclude hematological clonal disease, mostly myelodysplatic syndrome (MDS) or clonal cytopenia of unknown significance (CCUS), which may present with isolated thrombocytopenia of immune or non-immune origin. We herein report on a patient who showed a transient leukoerythroblastic reaction (LEB) associated with bone marrow myelofibrosis upon rompilostim treatment, challenging a diagnosis of primary ITP and requiring additional investigations. RUNX-1-mutated myelodysplastic syndrome was eventually diagnosed. Even though LEB and marrow fibrosis have already been rarely reported during romiplostim treatment for ITP, this is the first case to our knowledge in which a background clonal hematopoiesis was diagnosed and deemed potentially involved in the abnormal response to this thrombopoietin receptor agonist (TPO-RA). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The lack of female participation in antipsychotic trials for schizophrenia poses an important issue regarding its applicability, with direct and real-life repercussions to clinical practice. Here, our aim is to systematically review the sampling sex bias among randomized clinical trials (RCTs) of second-generation antipsychotics—namely risperidone, olanzapine, quetiapine, ziprasidone, and aripiprazole—as an update to a previous 2005 review. We searched MEDLINE and the Cochrane database for studies published through 7 September 2020 that assessed adult samples of at least 50 subjects with a diagnosis of schizophrenia, schizophrenia spectrum disorder, or broad psychosis, in order to investigate the percentage of women recruited and associated factors. Our review included 148 RCTs, published from 1993 to 2020, encompassing 43,961 subjects. Overall, the mean proportion of women was 34%, but only 17 trials included 50% or more females. Younger samples, studies conducted in North America, pharmaceutical funding and presence of specific exclusion criteria for women (i.e., pregnancy, breast-feeding or lack of reliable contraceptive) were associated with a lower prevalence of women in the trials. Considering the possible different effects of antipsychotics in both sexes, and our lack of knowledge on the subject due to sampling bias, it is imperative to expand actions aimed at bridging this gap.

Produzido pelo grupo de comunicação Brasil de Fato, o Radinho BdF é um podcast semanal, de cerca 30 minutos, voltado às crianças e aos seus cuidadores. Produzido desde abril de 2020, o formato aborda um tema como reportagem principal, além de trazer brincadeiras, con-tação de histórias, músicas e receitas. Este trabalho apresenta os desdobramentos de uma pro-posta de pesquisa-ação na produção do programa: por meio de um processo de assessoria, es-tabeleceram-se debates semanais com uma das realizadoras, com propostas de novas aborda-gens e rotinas produtivas, além de medidas de auxílio na obtenção de fontes. Como resulta-dos, notou-se uma inflexão no direcionamento do programa, com a inclusão de mais vozes de crianças, ressaltando seu protagonismo na construção do podcast.

Abstract Prochilodus lineatus is a species of migratory fish widely distributed in the Paraná River basin, found mainly in the Grande, Pardo and Mogi-Guaçu rivers located in a well-developed region of the state of São Paulo. This study analyzes the genetic diversity and population structure in shoals of P. lineatus based on temporal analysis of specimens sampled over the years 2003, 2005, 2006, 2009, 2010, and 2015 in the Mogi-Guaçu River, São Paulo, at the region of Cachoeira de Emas. Genetic analysis performed using the D-Loop and seven microsatellite marker revealed significant genetic variability in all sampled groups. Moderate levels of structuring between groups were identified with the microsatellite markers (Fst = 0.14), while the mitochondrial marker did not reveal patterns of genetic structuring (Fst = 0.01). The genetic variability fluctuated over time, characterizing patterns of structuring among the analyzed samples. The occurrence of environmental alterations resulting in increased mortality rates, as well as changes in the water level in the ecosystem, among other factors, could determine changes in the reproductive behavior of species. The lack of favorable environmental conditions for reproduction in the basin, as reflected by tests of population bottlenecks, could have resulted in the differentiation of populations of P. lineatus over time.

Abstract Objective The present article aims to evaluate the impact of testosterone treatment on the expansion of visceral, subcutaneous and intramedullary adipose tissue of ovariectomized rats and the visceral and subcutaneous fat expression of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPARs) gamma. Methods In total 48 female Wistar rats were castrated and randomly divided into 6 treatment groups: group E2 was submitted to estradiol 5 μg/day; group T, to testosterone 5 μg/day; group E2+ T, to estradiol 5 μg/day + testosterone 5 μg/day; group TT, to testosterone 30 μg/day; group E2+ TT, to estradiol 5 μg/day+ testosterone 30 μg/day; and placebo was administered to group P. After 5 weeks, the rats were euthanized, the inguinal and visceral adipose tissues were harvested, weighted, and had their PPAR gamma expression evaluated by reverse transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RTqPCR). The right femurs were harvested and histologically prepared to performthe number count of the intramedullary adipocytes. Results The expansion of visceral fat tissue was much higher in the TT group when compared with other treated groups (p < 0.001). The TT group also showed a higher expansion of inguinal fat (p < 0.01), and groups E2 +T and E2+ TT presented lower growth compared to the P group (p < 0.01). The number of femur intramedullary adipocytes only showed significant differences between groups TT and E2 + TT (p < 0.05). The expression of PPAR gamma showed no differences among the groups. Conclusion The use of testosterone in high doses leads to an important expansion in both visceral and inguinal adipose tissues. Association with estradiol exerts an expansion-repressive effect on the visceral and inguinal adipose tissues.

ABSTRACT Objective: To evaluate the effects of combining topiramate, bupropion and naltrexone in obesity-induced rats on their weight and subcutaneous adipose tissue. Methods: A total of 40 male Wistar rats were induced to obesity for 8 weeks and the animals were divided into 8 groups: Ctr - control, G0 - Sham, G1 - oral saline solution (1.0mL/day), G2 - topiramate (20.0mg/kg) and bupropion (5.0mg/kg), G3 - naltrexone (20.0mg/kg), G4 - topiramate (20.0mg/kg), G5 - bupropion (5.0mg/kg) and G6 - topiramate (20.0mg/kg), bupropion (5.0mg/kg) and naltrexone (20.0mg/kg). During the experiment, all animals were weighed weekly. After 30 days of treatment animals were euthanized and their skin fragments were processed and stained with hematoxylin and eosin for morphological, morphometric and biochemical analyzes. Results: The only group that presented a decrease in the volume of subcutaneous adipose tissue was G3, but this decrease was not significant when compared with the other groups. The G4, the G5 and the G6 presented increased adipose tissue volume. Data showed that until the eighth week all animals increased their weight by approximately 50%. After treatment animals of all groups, except G3, increased their weight from 4% to 9% approximately. The G3 was the only group that lost weight, but this decrease was not significant. Conclusion: The medicines studied were not efficient in reducing weight in obese rats. However, it should be considered that 30-day treatment period is not enough to observe the stronger effects of these drugs.

In vertebrates, thyroid hormones are critical players in controlling different physiological processes such as development, growth, metabolism among others. There is evidence in mammals that thyroid hormones are also an important component of the hormonal system that controls reproduction, although studies in fish remain poorly investigated. Here, we tested this hypothesis by investigating the effects of methimazole-induced hypothyroidism on the testicular function in adult zebrafish. Treatment of fish with methimazole, in vivo, significantly altered zebrafish spermatogenesis by inhibiting cell differentiation and meiosis, as well as decreasing the relative number of spermatozoa. The observed impairment of spermatogenesis by methimazole was correlated with significant changes in transcript levels for several genes implicated in the control of reproduction. Using an in vitro approach, we also demonstrated that in addition to affecting the components of the brain-pituitary-peripheral axis, T3 (triiodothyronine) also exerts direct action on the testis. These results reinforce the hypothesis that thyroid hormones are an essential element of multifactorial control of reproduction and testicular function in zebrafish and possibly other vertebrate species.

Different strategies focused on mitigating, remedying, or preventing the intensification of environmental issues have been adopted by several institutions, organizations, governments, media, among others. One of these strategies lies on environmental advertising campaigns based on creative and eye-catching advertisements aimed to promoting the environmental cause. However, the literature lacks studies focused on investigating how efficient these campaigns are in achieving their goals, as well as how individuals interpret/understand them. Thus, the aim of the current study is to carry out the systemic assessment of different environmental advertisements by taking into consideration their linguistic features and specific contents, the emotional reactions they induce in different individuals and the way the target audience interprets/understands them. In order to do so, 367 advertisements were evaluated, and 350 volunteers responded to an online questionnaire that enabled assessing individuals' reactions and how they interpreted them. Data have shown great diversity of advertisements; whose features elicit different reactions in the public. Advertisements focused on exploiting strong images aroused melancholic and fearful feelings in individuals. Subjective or more robust linguistic resources did not make it easier for the public to understand them and advertisements focused on exploring environmental issues in a more pleasant and creative way were able to rise greater public interest in them. To the best of our knowledge, the current study is pioneer in conducting a comprehensive assessment of environmental advertisements worldwide in order to indicate how they can help improving environmental education, as well as to encouraging greater population engagement to environmental causes.

The impacts of anthropogenic activities they affect biotic and abiotic factors in charge of ecosystem balance. Therefore, different didactic-pedagogical resources and activities for environmental education (EE) in schools have been suggested; however, approaches aimed at early school years are scarce in the literature. Thus, the general objective of the present study is to evaluate the feasibility of using cartoons as support material for EE activities performed in elementary school environment. We analyzed 196 episodes of “The Tom and Jerry Show”, “Mickey Mouse Clubhouse” and “Masha and the Bear”, 55h16min of analysis, in total. Forty-one (41) episodes had the potential to be explored in EE activities due to their plots and scenes. These episodes address contexts linked to themes related to some environmental theme. Students of elementary school, who participated in the EE activity, assumingly acquired knowledge about different general environmental issues and about the Cerrado biome after they participated in the proposed activity. Therefore, the current outcomes have confirmed the hypothesis that cartoon can be used as didactic-pedagogical support material for of EE activities aimed at children.

Este artigo apresenta dados de uma pesquisa quantitativa realizada com cerca de 150 leitores do jornal infantojuvenil brasileiro Joca, durante a pandemia da Covid-19, em 2020. Trata-se de um veículo destinado a crianças e adolescentes, dedicado à cobertura generalista de atualidades, e que passou a circular em versão digital mais amplamente na quarentena. O objetivo da pesquisa foi investigar o consumo de conteúdo jornalístico pelas crianças durante o isolamento social. Por meio do levantamento realizado, notou-se a importância da mediação do professor (mas não dos pais) para a leitura do jornal durante a quarentena, ainda que o consumo autônomo também ocorra em um terço dos casos. Além disso, quase 60% dos respondentes disseram que, na pandemia, veem ou escutam mais notícias (mesmo que não direcionadas a eles), para acompanhar o noticiário ou para saber mais sobre a doença.

Damming and impoundment are among the main flow-related alterations in rivers worldwide. However, compared to the highland river sections where the impacts associated with dams have been largely studied, still scarce evidence is available in scientific literature for large, lowland rivers. In this study, the ecological effects of a hydropower dam in the Po River (Italy) on the taxonomic and functional responses of benthic macroinvertebrates were examined by comparing one station upstream of the dam with one downstream station over a six-year period. Weak and not significant differences were observed for taxon richness, abundance and community composition. By contrast, community-level proportion of macroinvertebrates associated with water velocity increased during medium and high flow condition and decreased during low flow condition in downstream stations. Such differences were also mirrored by the Flow-T index, that is a biomonitoring index recently developed to assess hydraulic conditions in rivers. Results of this study support the adoption of stressor-specific metrics in river biomonitoring.