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Objective: To determine the prevalence of neonatal dermatological findings and analyze whether there is an association between these findings and neonatal and pregnancy characteristics and seasonality. Methods: Newborns from three maternity hospitals in a Brazilian capital city were randomly selected to undergo dermatological assessment by dermatologists. Results: 2938 neonates aged up to three days of life were randomly selected, of whom 309 were excluded due to Intensive Care Unit admission. Of the 2530 assessed neonates, 49.6% were Caucasians, 50.5% were males, 57.6% were born by vaginal delivery, and 92.5% of the mothers received prenatal care. Some dermatological finding was observed in 95.8% of neonates; of these, 88.6% had transient neonatal skin conditions, 42.6% had congenital birthmarks, 26.8% had some benign neonatal pustulosis, 2% had lesions secondary to trauma (including scratches), 0.5% had skin malformations, and 0.1% had an infectious disease. The most prevalent dermatological findings were: lanugo, which was observed in 38.9% of the newborns, sebaceous hyperplasia (35%), dermal melanocytosis (24.61%), skin desquamation (23.3%), erythema toxicum neonatorum (23%), salmon patch (20.4%), skin erythema (19%), genital hyperpigmentation (18.4%), eyelid edema (17.4%), milia (17.3%), genital hypertrophy (12%), and skin xerosis (10.9%). Conclusions: Dermatological findings are frequent during the first days of life and some of them characterize the newborn's skin. Mixed‐race newborns and those whose mothers had some gestational risk factor had more dermatological findings. The gestational age, newborn's ethnicity, gender, Apgar at the first and fifth minutes of life, type of delivery, and seasonality influenced the presence of specific neonatal dermatological findings.

Objective: To determine the prevalence of neonatal dermatological findings and analyze whether there is an association between these findings and neonatal and pregnancy characteristics and seasonality. Methods: Newborns from three maternity hospitals in a Brazilian capital city were randomly selected to undergo dermatological assessment by dermatologists. Results: 2938 neonates aged up to three days of life were randomly selected, of whom 309 were excluded due to Intensive Care Unit admission. Of the 2530 assessed neonates, 49.6% were Caucasians, 50.5% were males, 57.6% were born by vaginal delivery, and 92.5% of the mothers received prenatal care. Some dermatological finding was observed in 95.8% of neonates; of these, 88.6% had transient neonatal skin conditions, 42.6% had congenital birthmarks, 26.8% had some benign neonatal pustulosis, 2% had lesions secondary to trauma (including scratches), 0.5% had skin malformations, and 0.1% had an infectious disease. The most prevalent dermatological findings were: lanugo, which was observed in 38.9% of the newborns, sebaceous hyperplasia (35%), dermal melanocytosis (24.61%), skin desquamation (23.3%), erythema toxicum neonatorum (23%), salmon patch (20.4%), skin erythema (19%), genital hyperpigmentation (18.4%), eyelid edema (17.4%), milia (17.3%), genital hypertrophy (12%), and skin xerosis (10.9%). Conclusions: Dermatological findings are frequent during the first days of life and some of them characterize the newborn's skin. Mixed-race newborns and those whose mothers had some gestational risk factor had more dermatological findings. The gestational age, newborn's ethnicity, gender, Apgar at the first and fifth minutes of life, type of delivery, and seasonality influenced the presence of specific neonatal dermatological findings. Resumo: Objetivo: Verificar a prevalência dos achados dermatológicos nos primeiros dias de vida e analisar se há associação com características neonatais, gestacionais e sazonalidade. Métodos: Recém-nascidos de três maternidades de uma capital brasileira foram selecionados aleatoriamente para serem submetidos ao exame dermatológico realizado por dermatologistas. Resultados: Foram selecionados aleatoriamente 2839 neonatos com até 72 horas de vida, 309 foram excluídos por terem sido admitidos em Unidade de Tratamento Intensivo. Dos 2530 neonatos examinados 49,6% eram da raça branca e 50,5% do sexo masculino. Foi observado algum achado dermatológico em 95,8% dos recém-nascidos; destes, 88,6% tinham lesões cutâneas transitórias neonatal, 42,6% marca de nascimento, 26,8% tinham pustulose benigna neonatal, 2% lesões secundárias ao trauma, 0,5% malformação cutânea e 0,1% doença infecciosa. O achado dermatológico mais frequente foi o lanugo, que foi observado em 38,9% dos neonatos, seguido pela hiperplasia de glândulas sebáceas (35%), melanocitose dérmica (24,6%), descamação da pele (23,3%), eritema tóxico neonatal (23%), mancha salmão (20,4%), eritema da pele (19%), hiperpigmentação da genitália (18,4%), edema palpebral (17,4%), cistos de mília (17,3%), hipertrofia da genitália (12%) e xerose cutânea (10,9%). Conclusões: Os achados dermatológicos são frequentemente identificados nos primeiros dias de vida e muitos deles caracterizam a pele do recém-nascido. Os neonatos pardos e aqueles cujas mães apresentavam algum fator de risco gestacional tiveram mais achados dermatológicos. A idade gestacional, a etnia do neonato, o gênero, o índice de Apgar, o tipo de parto e a sazonalidade influenciaram na presença de manifestações cutâneas específicas. Keywords: Newborn, Neonatology, Child health services, Child health, Infant care, Skin manifestations, Palavras-chave: Recém-nascido, Neonatologia, Serviços de saúde da criança, Saúde da criança, Cuidado do lactente, Manifestações cutâneas

ABSTRACT Charcoal fines are co-products of the wood carbonization process, unwanted because they reduce the gravimetric yield of the main product, charcoal. It can be produced due to the carbonization process, during the storage and transport of charcoal. Pelletizing charcoal fines increases the energy density of this material, producing a homogeneous fuel with lower moisture content, enabling burning in equipment with high energy efficiency, in addition to desirable properties in energy products such as high fixed carbon content and low moisture content. This study evaluated the effect of moisture content and drying time on the production of black pellets from charcoal fines bound with rice starch (Oryza sativa) on the physicochemical and mechanical characteristics. Black pellets were produced using two proportions of water (10 or 20%) and a drying time of 4 or 6 hours. Black pellets were evaluated for their proximate analysis, elemental composition, moisture content, size, apparent density, calorific value and energy density. The addition of water did not affect the content of volatile matter, ash, and fixed carbon, while the treatment with addition of 20% water and four hours of drying showed a higher moisture content (3.34%). The addition of water allowed for better heat conduction and particle arrangement, producing pellets with a durability greater than 98%. The better arrangement promoted by the addition of 20% water also increased the density of the pellets, resulting in greater energy density. Black pellets can be considered an alternative for residential heating, with T3 treatment (20% - 4h) with a high energy density and better performance in terms of desirable properties for use and commercialization according to the standard EN 14961-6.

ABSTRACT Wood from planted forests is the main input in the charcoal production chain. However, the heterogeneity of charcoal, in terms of its physical, chemical and mechanical properties, and the low yield in production processes is among the main problems faced by industries. To select the best clones for the production of charcoal for steelmaking, the objective of this work was to evaluate the properties of wood, in addition to the yield and quality of charcoal from different genotypes of Eucalyptus and Corymbia. Five clones of Eucalyptus spp., 8 years old and one of Corymbia torelliana x Corymbia citriodora, 4 years old were studied. In the wood were determined the basic density, structural chemical composition, thermogravimetric analysis (TG/DTG), crystallinity index and higher heating value. Carbonizations were carried out in a muffle oven, with a total time of 270 minutes, starting at 150°C and ending at 450°C. The gravimetric yield, apparent density, higher heating value and proximate analysis of charcoal were determined. The wood basic density varied between 477 and 652 kg/m3, with the highest value observed for the Eucalyptus cloeziana clone. This clone also had the highest total lignin content (32.6%), the highest charcoal yield (36.3%) and charcoal with the highest apparent density (466 kg/m3). The two clones of Eucalyptus urophylla had the highest heating value for charcoal, whose mean was 7545 kcal/kg. The clone of Corymbia torelliana x Corymbia citriodora, having an apparent density greater than 500 kg/m3 at 4 years of age, stood out in terms of productivity. All evaluated clones have potential for charcoal production, however, the Eucalyptus cloeziana clone stood out positively, being the most suitable for charcoal production.

Abstract Objective: To determine the prevalence of neonatal dermatological findings and analyze whether there is an association between these findings and neonatal and pregnancy characteristics and seasonality. Methods: Newborns from three maternity hospitals in a Brazilian capital city were randomly selected to undergo dermatological assessment by dermatologists. Results: 2938 neonates aged up to three days of life were randomly selected, of whom 309 were excluded due to Intensive Care Unit admission. Of the 2530 assessed neonates, 49.6% were Caucasians, 50.5% were males, 57.6% were born by vaginal delivery, and 92.5% of the mothers received prenatal care. Some dermatological finding was observed in 95.8% of neonates; of these, 88.6% had transient neonatal skin conditions, 42.6% had congenital birthmarks, 26.8% had some benign neonatal pustulosis, 2% had lesions secondary to trauma (including scratches), 0.5% had skin malformations, and 0.1% had an infectious disease. The most prevalent dermatological findings were: lanugo, which was observed in 38.9% of the newborns, sebaceous hyperplasia (35%), dermal melanocytosis (24.61%), skin desquamation (23.3%), erythema toxicum neonatorum (23%), salmon patch (20.4%), skin erythema (19%), genital hyperpigmentation (18.4%), eyelid edema (17.4%), milia (17.3%), genital hypertrophy (12%), and skin xerosis (10.9%). Conclusions: Dermatological findings are frequent during the first days of life and some of them characterize the newborn's skin. Mixed-race newborns and those whose mothers had some gestational risk factor had more dermatological findings. The gestational age, newborn's ethnicity, gender, Apgar at the first and fifth minutes of life, type of delivery, and seasonality influenced the presence of specific neonatal dermatological findings.

Abstract: BACKGROUND: Psoriasis is a chronic and prevalent disease, and the associated pruritus is a common, difficult-to-control symptom. The mediators involved in psoriatic pruritus have not been fully established. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate associations between the number of mast cells in psoriatic lesions and the intensity of pruritus. METHODS: 29 patients with plaque psoriasis were recruited. In all participants, Psoriasis Area and Severity Index and Body Surface Area were assessed. A questionnaire was administered to obtain clinical information and the Dermatology Life Quality Index. Pruritus was assessed using a visual analog scale and skin biopsies were performed for staining with Giemsa and Immunohistochemistry with C-Kit. RESULTS: Pruritus was observed in 91.3% of our patients. Median VAS was 6 (p25-75: 2-8). The immunohistochemical method revealed a mean of 11.32 mast cells/field and Giemsa staining revealed a mean of 6.72 mast cells/field. There was no correlation between the intensity of pruritus and mast cell count, neither in Immunohistochemistry (p = 0.15; rho = -0.27) nor in Giemsa (p = 0.16; rho = -0.27). Pruritus did not impact on the Dermatology Life Quality Index (p = 0.51; rho = -0.13). STUDY LIMITATIONS: The small sample size may be considered the main limitation of our study. CONCLUSIONS: Although mast cells are mediators of pruritus in many cutaneous diseases, our findings support that psoriatic pruritus is a complex disorder with multifactorial, complex pathophysiology, involving pruritogenic mediators others than mast cells.

Pyrolysis is a promising technology for thermal conversion of lignocellulosic biomass into a higher added value fuel. The aim of this study was to analyze the potential of four agroforestry biomass to produce energy as a raw material or as a bio-coal. In this study, slow pyrolysis was conducted in three final temperatures to evaluate the bio-coal production of four agroforestry biomasses widely available in Brazil. The biomass used was sugarcane bagasse (Saccharum sp.), bamboo (Dendrocalamus giganteus), straw bean (Phaseolus vulgaris) and eucalypts wood chips (Eucalyptus sp.). In the first part was presented the raw biomasses proprieties, such as lignin, carbon, hydrogen and ash content. In the second part was showed the bio-coal proprieties, such as, gravimetric and fixed carbon yield, fixed carbon and ash content. These bio-coal results were showed as a function of final temperature of pyrolysis. The best energy indicators for bio-coal production, such as fixed carbon yield, high heating value, was found in the bamboo and eucalypts. The bagasse and straw bean biomasses possess high concentrations of ash and low lignin content when compared with the other biomasses assessed and are less suitable to produce bio-coal.

Basal cell carcinoma is a local, invasive epidermal neoplasia, the most common type of which is nodular basal cell carcinoma. The objective of the present study was to evaluate the occurrence of basal cell carcinoma, characterizing its distribution in accordance with patients' age, gender, the site of the lesion and its histopathological characteristics. Anatomopathology reports of cases of basal cell carcinoma diagnosed in Criciúma, Santa Catarina, Brazil between June 2005 and June 2007 were analyzed. A descriptive, observational, cross-sectional study was conducted. The majority of patients were females over 40 years of age. Most of the tumors were of the nodular type and were situated on the face. There was ulceration in 27.5%, infiltration in 24.5% and invasion of the deep dermis in 61.8%. Local data must be evaluated in order to emphasize the importance of early diagnosis.O carcinoma basocelular é uma neoplasia epidérmica invasiva local, cujo tipo mais frequente é nódulo-ulcerativo. O objetivo foi estudar a ocorrência de CBC, caracterizando sua distribuição segundo idade, sexo, localização e características histopatológicas. Analisaram-se laudos anatomopatológicos de CBC, diagnosticados em Criciúma/SC, entre junho de 2005 e junho de 2007. Elaborou-se um estudo descritivo, observacional e transversal. Predominou após os 40 anos, no sexo feminino, do tipo nodular e localizado na face. Houve ulceração em 27,5%, infiltração em 24,5%, invasão de derme profunda em 61,8%, entre outros. É necessário conhecer dados locais para reforçar a importância do diagnóstico precoce.