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Background: Children and adolescents with obesity have altered serum copper (Cu) and zinc (Zn) levels, which are associated with oxidative stress, inflammation, and health outcomes. The inclusion of cashew nuts in an adequate diet may provide health benefits and help improve the mineral status of individuals with obesity. Objective: To evaluate the effects of cashew nut consumption on biomarkers of Cu and Zn status in adolescents with obesity. Methods: This was a randomized controlled trial conducted in adolescents. The participants were divided into a control group (CON) and a cashew nut group (CASN). The CASN group received 30 g/day of roasted cashew nuts for 12 weeks, and both groups received nutritional counseling during the study. Anthropometric, dietary, and biochemical parameters (Zn, Cu, and superoxide dismutase (SOD)) were assessed at the baseline and at the end of the study. Association tests, within-group and between-group mean comparisons, and analyses of variation between study periods (Δ T12-T0) were performed. Results: The sample consisted of 81 adolescents who completed the intervention period, resulting in 54 in the CASN group and 27 in the CON group. After the intervention, the CASN group presented a decrease in plasma Cu (p = 0.004) and an increase in SOD (p = 0.030). Both groups showed an increase in plasma Zn (p < 0.050) and a decrease in the Cu/Zn ratio (p < 0.001). CASN had a negative effect on the Cu concentration, which was significantly different from that of CON (p = 0.004). Conclusions: The consumption of cashew nuts for 12 weeks reduced plasma Cu levels in adolescents with obesity. Nutritional counseling may have contributed to the increase in plasma Zn levels in all the study participants.

Tropical forests are often located in dicult-to-access areas, which make high-quality forest structure information dicult and expensive to obtain by traditional field-based approaches. LiDAR (acronym for Light Detection And Ranging) data have been used throughout the world to produce time-ecient and wall-to-wall structural parameter estimates for monitoring in native and commercial forests. In this study, we compare products and aboveground biomass (AGB) estimations from LiDAR data acquired using an aircraft-borne system in 2015 and data collected by the unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV)-based GatorEye Unmanned Flying Laboratory in 2017 for ten forest inventory plots located in the Chico Mendes Extractive Reserve in Acre state, southwestern Brazilian Amazon. The LiDAR products were similar and comparable among the two platforms and sensors. Principal dierences between derived products resulted from the GatorEye system flying lower and slower and having increased returns per second than the aircraft, resulting in a much higher point density overall (11.3 1.8 vs. 381.2 58 pts/m2). Dierences in ground point density, however, were much smaller among the systems, due to the larger pulse area and increased number of returns per pulse of the aircraft system, with the GatorEye showing an approximately 50% higher ground point density (0.27 0.09 vs. 0.42 0.09). The LiDAR models produced by both sensors presented similar results for digital elevation models and estimated AGB. Our results validate the ability for UAV-borne LiDAR sensors to accurately quantify AGB in dense high-leaf-area tropical forests in the Amazon. We also highlight new possibilities using the dense point clouds of UAV-borne systems for analyses of detailed crown structure and leaf area density distribution of the forest interior.

This study investigated the pattern distribution of fires in the Brazilian Amazon and their relationship with deforested areas from 2003 to 2022. The primary objective was to analyze fire spots’ spatial and temporal variation. First, we examine whether open vegetation (non-forest areas) in the Amazon exhibit a higher density of fire spots than forested areas. Second, we analyze how the density of fire spots in deforested areas varies with the time elapsed since deforestation. Using recent fire monitoring data and satellite imagery, the study employed statistical techniques to reveal significant patterns and trends. Our findings indicate that fire spot density is associated with deforestation in forested lands; however, this relationship does not hold for non-forest ecosystems. Fire spots are more frequent in years with higher deforestation rates, exhibiting similar trends in both forested and non-forested areas. Nevertheless, fire spot density is generally higher in originally forested lands subjected to anthropogenic activities compared to non-forest areas experiencing similar disturbances. In contrast, fires are more common in non-forest ecosystems with minimal or no disturbance compared to forested areas. Additionally, we observe variations in fire spot density over time in deforested areas, with higher densities occurring in the year the forest was cleared. In non-forest vegetation, the frequency of fires is similar in natural and anthropized areas, but both are lower compared to areas where vegetation has been recently suppressed. This study enhances our understanding of the environmental impacts of deforestation and provides valuable insights for formulating management and conservation policies in the Amazon.

Background The translational research approach aims to accelerate the innovation process. In the healthcare sector, this process is highly regulated and requires a broad set of skills. This study with researchers from Brazilian institutions aimed to identify the knowledge, skills, and structures that permeate the process of translating research into medical devices and to what extent they are present in Brazilian research groups working in the area. Methods A structured questionnaire was applied in which the characteristics of the participants and the level of mastery in each skill were analyzed. Fisher’s exact test was performed to verify the association between the percentages of knowledge and importance. Pearson’s Chi-square test was also performed to verify the association between the sum of knowledge, categorized by the median, and the characteristics of the questionnaire participants. Finally, an exploratory factor analysis (EFA) was performed to validate the questionnaire construct. Results One hundred two researchers working in the area of health innovation in Brazil, especially in the medical devices segment, answered the questionnaire. These researchers come from different regions of the country and work in several areas of knowledge, such as engineers (28%), doctors (12%), information technology and connectivity professionals (11%), pharmacists (8%), nurses (7%), and other formations (34%). The research revealed that a small number of these researchers have a good level of knowledge in human factors engineering and usability (23%), in patent legislation and asset management (24%), in pre-clinical and clinical trials (29%), in business plans (30%) and in the requirements of the technology incorporation process in the SUS (31%). The results reveal significant learning gaps and institutional deficiencies in essential skills and structures for translational medical device research. Conclusion Understanding the necessary skills and gaps to be filled can contribute to the adoption of institutional strategies and the formulation of public policies capable of promoting more effective results for the Brazilian health system.

Background Failure-to-rescue refers to the rate of failure amongst healthcare teams in reversing complications that occur during a patient’s hospitalization. This study aimed to investigate the failure-to-rescue rate following coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG). Methods Cross-sectional cohort study of the multicenter database “ Registro Paulista de Cirurgia Cardiovascular II” (REPLICCAR II), which includes data from nine reference centers for cardiac surgery in São Paulo State. The study population included patients > 18 years of age who had undergone primary and isolated CABG surgery between 2017 and 2019 in Brazil. The outcome measured was failure-to-rescue (including death and the development of postoperative complications: prolonged ventilation time, stroke, reoperation, and kidney injury). The study used the Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS) risk score to calculate the expected complication rates. Results Out of the 3964 patients, 439 developed one or more of the analyzed complications, and out of those, 94 died (2.37% of the full sample). The standardized mortality ratio (SMR) for patients who developed one complication was 8.84% (10.7%/1.21%), whereas those with two combinations of complications had an SMR of 32.34% (53.68%/1.66%) and three complications had an SMR of 42.02% (50%/1.19%). However, patients who progressed without the analyzed complications had an SMR of 0.95% (0.74%/0.80%). Conclusion The REPLICCAR II database revealed a failure-to-rescue rate of 21.41% (94/439), and the SMR increased progressively according to the greater number of complications. Our findings emphasize the need to measure the impact of early diagnosis and effective hospital team response by parameterizing the risk of expected death after severe complications. Trial registration The REPLICCAR Registry and The Statewide Quality Improvement Initiative, ID NCT05363696.