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The Rio Doce Hydrographic Basin (RDB) was once covered by magnificent tropical forest, which remained untouched by Europeans for three centuries after the arrival of the Portuguese colonists in the Brazilian coast in 1500. Nevertheless, a dramatic change in land use occurred throughout the entire RDB after the turn of the 19th century. Currently, the RDB is one of the most degraded regions in southeastern Brazil and, recently, it was the scenario of the worst environmental disaster in Brazilian history. In this series of papers, we aim to construct a baseline biodiversity assessment that documents the changes in bird communities within the RDB throughout the last two centuries. In this first part, we present the history of the RDB landscape, its explorers, and their collections based on an extensive literature review and museum data. Early biological surveys in the RDB only started at the beginning of the 19th century and were conducted mostly by German and French naturalists. During the first eight decades of ornithological exploration, foreign field naturalists conducted expeditions to the RDB and collected hundreds of bird specimens. Unfortunately, labelling and curatorial procedures were often poor and despite the prodigious efforts of those naturalists, results obtained were often meagre. The second phase of exploration occurred from the 1900s to the 1960s and was dominated by expeditions conducted by Brazilian natural history museums. During this phase, labelling and curatorial procedures improved considerably and the material collected significantly advanced our knowledge about the RDB avifauna The third phase occurred from the 1970s to the first decade of the 21st century, when collection of specimens decreased sharply and the research activity slowly shifted from museums to universities, with a focus on ecology and natural history. We are now in a fourth, more pluralistic phase, in which research continues to be done by universities, Brazilian natural history museums have resumed their collection activity, and birdwatching has emerged as a popular activity in Brazil, producing a tremendous amount of data in a short period of time.

Objective: To describe the evolution and evaluation of protocol-based multidisciplinary quality improvement (QI) in women undergoing cesarean hysterectomy for radiologically suspected and pathologically confirmed placenta accreta spectrum (PAS) disorders., Methods: A single-center, retrospective cohort study was conducted of all patients undergoing cesarean hysterectomy for PAS disorders between March 2009 and June 2018. Two distinct periods were defined to compare outcomes: 2009-2011 (initial period) and 2017-2018 (current period). Primary outcomes included blood loss and administration of blood products. Secondary outcomes included perioperative levels of hemoglobin, adverse events and complications, time to mobilization, and length of hospitalization., Results: Among the 105 consecutive patients identified, there were 26 in the initial period and 32 in the current period. With the implementation of all QI care bundles, median estimated surgical blood loss halved from 2000 ml in the initial period to 1000 ml in the current period, and fewer patients required allogenic blood transfusion (61.5% vs 25%). Patients in the current period demonstrated improved postoperative levels of hemoglobin compared to those in the initial period (101 g/L vs 89 g/L) and had a shorter median postoperative hospital stay (3 days vs 5 days)., Conclusion: These results support the implementation of a multifaceted QI and patient care initiative for women with PAS disorders., (© 2021 International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics.)

The nomenclatural history of three species described by Vieillot based on the descriptions of Félix de Azara is examined. Adherent to the Principle of Priority under the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature, old available names and senior synonyms are identified for the thraupid Uniform Finch Haplospiza plumbea (Vieillot, 1818a); tyrannid Tropical Pewee Contopus sylvestris (Vieillot, 1816); and tityrid White-winged Becard Pachyramphus cyanocephalus (Vieillot, 1816). These names were based respectively on Azara's Number 111 "Pico de punzón obscuro aplomado", Number 168 "Tachurí obscurito mayor" and Number 217 "Batará obscuro y negro". It is recommended that these names should all be suppressed as nomina oblita in the interests of stability.

The Curl-crested Aracari Pteroglossus beauharnaesii Wagler, 1832 is one of the most remarkable species in the family Ramphastidae. Among other distinctive plumage traits, its modified curly, shiny black crown feathers are unique in the family and are modified to an extent not found in any other living bird species (Brush 1967; Short & Horne 2002). The crown feathers, along with the distinct white throat, were considered sufficient justification in the past to include the species in the monotypic genus Beauharnaisius Bonaparte; however, molecular studies have shown that it is embedded within the genus Pteroglossus Illiger, sister to P. bitorquatus (Hackett & Lehn 1997; Eberhard & Bermingham 2005; Pereira & Wajntal 2008). It is a southern Amazonian species, occurring in the lowlands of northern Peru, north and central Bolivia and western and central Amazonian Brazil, south of the Marañon-Solimões-Amazonas rivers (Short & Horne 2002).

Introduction: Albumin is considered an important extracellular antioxidant molecule. hypoalbuminemia is a strong and independent predictor of mortality in patients on hemodialysis. The present study evaluated the relation between hypoalbuminemia and oxidative stress by comparing superoxide dismutase activity, lipid peroxidation and antioxidant micronutrient consumption in chronic renal failure patients., Methods: A case-control study was carried out with 64 patients of both sexes aged 18 to 59 years. The patients with hypoalbuminemia (ALB < 3,5 g/dL) were defined as case (n = 26) and control (n = 38) those with ALB ≥ 3.5 g/dL.Determinations of activity superoxide dismutase (SOD)and nitric oxide production by the contraction of nitrite in erythrocytes, concentration of malondialdehyde (MDA)in plasma, lipid profile and micronutrient antioxidants intake were performed. For comparisons between groups,the Student t test was used. Possible associations between variables were tested using the chi-square test and Pearson correlation test., Results: Consumption of copper was significantly lower(p < 0.05) in the group with hypoalbuminemia. There was a positive correlation between the concentrations of albumin and intake copper (r = 0.280). Negative correlation was found between albumin and MDA concentrations., Conclusion: Hypoalbuminemia is associated with increased lipid peroxidation, and can contribute to oxidative stress in chronic renal failure patients. Additionally, patients with chronic renal disease undergoing hemodialysis evaluated in this study had reduced consumption of cooper., (Copyright AULA MEDICA EDICIONES 2014. Published by AULA MEDICA. All rights reserved.)

Background: The assessment of the benefit-risk of medicines needs careful consideration concerning their patterns of utilization. Systems for the monitoring of medicines consumption have been established in many European countries, and several international groups have identified and described them. No other compilation of European working groups has been published. As part of the PROTECT project, as a first step in searching for European data sources on the consumption of five selected groups of medicines, we aimed to identify and describe the main characteristics of the existing collaborative European working groups., Findings: Google and bibliographic searches (PubMed) of articles containing information on databases and other sources of drug consumption data were conducted. For each working group the main characteristics were recorded.Nineteen selected groups were identified, focusing on: a) general drug utilisation (DU) research (EuroDURG, CNC, ISPE'S SIG-DUR, EURO-MED-STAT, PIPERSKA Group, NorPEN, ENCePP, DURQUIM), b) specific DU research: b.1) antimicrobial drugs (ARPAC, ESAC, ARPEC, ESGAP, HAPPY AUDIT), b.2) cardiovascular disease (ARITMO, EUROASPIRE), b.3) paediatrics (TEDDY), and b.4) mental health/central nervous system effects (ESEMeD, DRUID, TUPP/EUPoMMe). Information on their aims, methods and activities is presented., Conclusions: We assembled and updated information on European working groups in DU research and in the utilisation of five selected groups of drugs for the PROTECT project. This information should be useful for academic researchers, regulatory and health authorities, and pharmaceutical companies conducting and interpreting post-authorisation and safety studies. European health authorities should encourage national research and collaborations in this important field for public health.

Indirect composite restorations may require repair during clinical service. This study evaluated the shear bond strength of direct composite repairs in indirect composites after four surface treatment procedures. Cylinders of three indirect composites (n = 10 per group) received the following surface treatment: sandpaper finishing (control group), 50 microm aluminum oxide sandblasting, 50 microm aluminum oxide sandblasting (plus 10% fluoridric acid etching), and 30 microm silaned silicon sandblasting. Repair procedure was simulated with the application of an adhesive agent and packing of a direct composite. After storage for one hour in relative humidity and 23 hours in distilled water at 37 degrees C, the specimens were tested for shear bond strength using a universal testing machine at a crosshead speed of 0.5 mm/min. Groups treated with aluminum oxide sandblasting or CoJet Sand had the highest mean values of shear bond strength with no statistically significant difference between the two techniques.

Purpose: To assess, in vitro, the tensile bond strength to dentin of the following adhesive systems: Single Bond (3M), One Coat Bond (Coltène), Clearfil Liner Bond 2 V (Kuraray) and Etch & Prime 3.0 (Degussa)., Materials and Methods: Thirty third molars, extracted according to therapeutic indication, were used. The roots were removed at the cement-enamel junction level and the crowns were sectioned in a mesial-distal direction, obtaining buccal and lingual halves. The dental portions were included in self-cured acrylic resin, abraded on a lathe under water spray and polished to 400 and 600 grit. The adhesive systems were applied on dentin according to manufacturers' instructions and resin-based composite (Z100) cones were bonded. For each adhesive system, 15 specimens were prepared, stored in distilled water at 37 degrees C during 24 hrs and submitted to tensile bond strength tests on a universal testing machine (EMIC DL-2000) at a crosshead speed of 0.5 mm/min., Results: The mean tensile bond strength to dentin (MPa +/- SD) were statistically different (ANOVA, Tukey's tests, P < or = 0.01, shown by asterisks) from each other: (1) Clearfil Liner Bond 2 V* = 24.8 +/- 3.3; (2) One Coat Bond** = 20.4 +/- 2.0; (3) Single Bond** = 18.1 +/- 2.4; (4) Etch & Prime 3.0*** = 5.8 +/- 2.4.