Blum Vestena, Carla Luciane y Marques de Souza, Fábio. Educação ambiental em foco
El tratamiento del tema medioambiental es de suma importancia para la ciencia y las distintas formas de conocimiento, muy especialmente para la educación. Vivimos en un mundo cada vez más afectado por el cambio climático y sus consecuencias, siendo la mitigación y la adaptación los procesos más recurrentes para seguir adelante. En tales procesos, la educación juega un papel insoslayable, pues proporciona las herramientas para la concienciación y el aprovechamiento racional de los recursos naturales. Educação ambiental em foco ofrece aporta una visión orientada a “informar, sensibilizar y transformar a la sociedad actual”, profundamente agredida por la cultura consumista de los recursos naturales no renovables y que reduce cada vez más la calidad de vida de las personas, sobre todo de las más empobrecidas.
Efrain Bámaca-López, Maribel Deicy Villota Enríquez
http://clivajes.uv.mx/index.php/Clivajes/article/view/2529/4411
BLVector: Fast BLAST-Like Algorithm for Manycore CPU With Vectorization
Proteins, benchmarking, database search, pairwise alignment, parallel algorithm
New High-Performance Computing architectures have been recently developed for commercial central processing unit (CPU). Yet, that has not improved the execution time of widely used bioinformatics applications, like BLAST+. This is due to a lack of optimization between the bases of the existing algorithms and the internals of the hardware that allows taking full advantage of the available CPU cores. To optimize the new architectures, algorithms must be revised and redesigned; usually rewritten from scratch. BLVector adapts the high-level concepts of BLAST+ to the x86 architectures with AVX-512, to harness their capabilities. A deep comprehensive study has been carried out to optimize the approach, with a significant reduction in time execution. BLVector reduces the execution time of BLAST+ when aligning up to mid-size protein sequences (∼750 amino acids). The gain in real scenario cases is 3.2-fold. When applied to longer proteins, BLVector consumes more time than BLAST+, but retrieves a much larger set of results. BLVector and BLAST+ are fine-tuned heuristics. Therefore, the relevant results returned by both are the same, although they behave differently specially when performing alignments with low scores. Hence, they can be considered complementary bioinformatics tools.
Sergio Gálvez, Federico Agostini, Javier Caselli, Pilar Hernandez, Gabriel Dorado
BOALA POMPE: CRITERII DE DIAGNOSTIC ŞI TRATAMENT
Boala Pompe este o afecţiune neuromusculară rară, cu transmitere autosomal recesivă, datorată unui defi citenzimatic lizozomal de acid alfa glucozidază (GAA) care determină acumularea de glicogen în ţesuturi.Forma cu debut precoce, în perioada de sugar, este cea mai severă şi se manifestă prin hipotonie şicardiomiopatie cu deces în primii ani de viaţă. Diagnosticul poate fi confi rmat printr-o evaluare cantitativă a activităţii enzimei GAA la nivelul fi broblaştilor, prin biopsie musculară sau cutanată. Acestă metodă se realizează prin proceduri invazive, iar rezultatele se obţin după câteva săptămâni, ceea ce întârzie diagnosticul. În ultimii ani s-a dezvoltat o nouă tehnică de diagnostic care cercetează activitatea enzimatică pe mostre de sânge uscat, care nu este invazivă şi care permite diagnosticul precoce al bolii Pompe.Tratamentul constă în terapie de substituţie enzimatică cu alglucozidază alfa, care modifi că evoluţia naturalăa bolii, la pacienţii cu debut infantil prelungind supravieţuirea, iar la cei cu debut tardiv îmbunătăţind distanţa parcursă în mers şi stabilizând funcţia pulmonară.
Georgeta Diaconu, Ioana Grigore, M. Burlea
Body Composition Findings by Computed Tomography in SARS-CoV-2 Patients: Increased Risk of Muscle Wasting in Obesity
CT scan, Lean, fat, Diagnostic Imaging, Body composition, liver attenuation
Obesity is a characteristic of COVID-19 patients and the risk of malnutrition can be underestimated due to excess of fat: a paradoxical danger. Long ICU hospitalization exposes patients to a high risk of wasting and loss of lean body mass. The complex management precludes the detection of anthropometric parameters for the definition and monitoring of the nutritional status. The use of imaging diagnostics for body composition could help to recognize and treat patients at increased risk of wasting with targeted pathways. COVID-19 patients admitted to the ICU underwent computed tomography within 24 hours and about 20 days later, to evaluate the parameters of the body and liver composition. The main results were the loss of the lean mass index and a greater increase in liver attenuation in obese subjects. These could be co-caused by COVID-19, prolonged bed rest, the complex medical nutritional therapy, and the starting condition of low-grade inflammation of the obese. The assessment of nutritional status, with body composition applied to imaging diagnostics and metabolic profiles in COVID-19, will assist in prescribing appropriate medical nutritional therapy. This will reduce recovery times and complications caused by frailty.
Pierpaolo Correale, Sebastiano Macheda, Lorenzo Romano, Paola Gualtieri, Carmela Falcone, Pietro Arciello, Nicola Polimeni, Antonino De Lorenzo
Body Mass Index and Prognosis of COVID-19 Infection. A Systematic Review
covid-19, SARS-CoV-2, obesity, risk factor, body mass index
A better understanding of the SARS-CoV-2 virus behavior and possible risk factors implicated in poor outcome has become an urgent need. We performed a systematic review in order to investigate a possible association between body weight and prognosis among patients diagnosed with COVID-19. We searched in Cochrane Library, EMBASE, MEDLINE, WHO-Global Literature on Coronavirus Disease, OpenGrey, and Medrxiv. We used the ROBINS-I tool or Cross-Sectional/Prevalence Study Quality tool from AHRQ, to evaluate the methodological quality of included studies. Nine studies (two prospective cohorts, four retrospective cohorts and three cross-sectional) were included and assessed the relationship between obesity and COVID-19 prognosis. Risk of bias of the included studies ranged from moderate to critical. Clinical and methodological heterogeneity among them precluded meta-analyses. Most of the included studies showed some degree of association to: (a) higher BMI and worse clinical presentation and (b) obesity and need of hospitalization. The results were inconsistent about the impact of obesity on mortality. Based on limited methodological quality studies, obesity seems to predict poor clinical evolution in patients with COVID-19. Further studies with appropriate prospective design are needed to reduce the uncertainty on this evidence.
Karina Colombera Peres, Rachel Riera, Rachel Riera, Ana Luiza Cabrera Martimbianco, Ana Luiza Cabrera Martimbianco, Laura Sterian Ward, Lucas Leite Cunha, Lucas Leite Cunha
Diseases of the endocrine glands. Clinical endocrinology
Body Temperature Monitoring and SARS Fever Hotline, Taiwan
hotlines, telephone hot lines, severe acute respiratory syndrome, SARS, Taiwan, Asia
In Taiwan, a temperature-monitoring campaign and hotline for severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) fever were implemented in June 2003. Among 1,966 calls, fever was recorded in 19% (n = 378); 18 persons at high risk for SARS were identified. In a cross-sectional telephone survey, 95% (n = 1,060) of households knew about the campaign and 7 households reported fever.
S. Cornelia Kaydos-Daniels, Babatunde Olowokure, Hong-Jen Chang, Rachel S. Barwick, Jou-Fang Deng, Ming-Liang Lee, Steve Hsu-Sung Kuo, Ih-Jen Su, Kow-Tong Chen, Susan A. Maloney
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Infectious and parasitic diseases, Medicine
Bofedales: high altitude peatlands of the central Andes Bofedales: turberas de alta montaña de los Andes centrales
América del Sur, Andes centrales, Central Andes, Peatlands, South America, altiplano, arid grasslands, estepa árida, turberas
There is an exceptional group of alpine peatlands in the world situated in the arid grasslands of the central Andes. The peatlands in northern Chile occur in the most arid part of their range. Members of the Juncaceae are the primary peat-forming plant species. Fresh and mildly saline groundwaters originate from glaciers, snowmelt and rain are the water sources for the northern Chile peatlands. Paleoecological investigations suggest that some peatlands are recent features of the landscape having developed within the last three thousand years or less. These peatlands are unique, extremely fragile water features sensitive to climate changes and human disturbances such as regional mining activity. Much more work is required to develop scientifically based sound management and conservation programs for the rare plants and animals that live in them and to ensure the future livelihoods of the indigenous peoples who depend on themExiste un grupo excepcional de turberas (bofedales) de alta montaña en el mundo situados en la estepa árida de los Andes centrales. Los bofedales en el norte de Chile están presentes en la parte más árida de su rango. Las principales especies de plantas responsables de la formación de turba corresponden a miembros de Juncaceae. El agua fresca y medianamente salina de los bofedales proviene de agua subterránea asociada a riachuelos proveniente de glaciares, derretimiento de nieve y lluvia. Investigaciones paleoecológicas sugieren que algunos bofedales son integrantes recientes del paisaje, habiéndose desarrollado durante los últimos tres mil años o menos. Estos bofedales son entidades únicas, extremadamente frágiles por su dependencia del agua, sensibles a los cambios climáticos y vulnerables a la alteración humana tal como la actividad minera en la región. Se requiere mucho más trabajo para desarrollar programas de manejo y conservación, con sólidas bases científicas, de las plantas y animales que viven en ellos, y para asegurar la capacidad futura de pastoreo de la cual dependen los pueblos indígenas
FRANCISCO A SQUEO, BARRY G WARNER, RAMÓN ARAVENA, DIANA ESPINOZA
Dossier Comunicación y Drogas. En Bolivia, la industria de la coca es un importante factor en su balanza de pagos. Esta nueva transnacional es una preocupación constante de países consumidores de dorga como Estados Unidos. Pero sus esfuerzos son vanos frente a esta próspera agroindustria clandestina, que pretende convertirse en directriz de la economía de ese país. ¡Y también de los comunicadores!
Centro Internacional de Estudios Superiores de Comunicación para América Latina (CIESPAL)
http://revistachasqui.org/index.php/chasqui/article/view/3029
Bolsonaro e a COVID-19: e daí? “o Brazil tá matando o Brasil”, “do Brasil, SOS ao Brasil”, “chora a nossa pátria, mãe gentil...”
Editorial crítico-analítico da situação político-social do país, denunciando os movimentos autoritários que o (des)governo bolsonaro vem implementando em plena pandemia de coronavirus, na direção de uma tentantiva de quebra do estado de direito. Trás reflexões sobre a educação e a educação física em tempos de Covid-19, bem como aponta questões sobre temas a serem considerados na realidade pós-pandemia.
Giovani de Lorenzi Pires, Mauricio Roberto da Silva, Rogerio Santos Pereira, Paula Bianchi
Book review: The reality of environmental refugees or displaced people
Reviewed books:Castillo, Jesús M.Migraciones ambientales: Huyendo de la crisis ecológica en el siglo xxi. Virus editorial, 2011. 110 págs.Solà Pardell, OriolDesplazados Medioambientales: Una nueva realidadUniversidad de Deusto, DeustoDigital, 2012. 116 págs.Rodier, ClaireEl negocio de la xenofobia: ¿Para qué sirven los controles migratorios? Clave intelectual, 2013. 147 págs.
Barcelona Centre for International Affairs (CIDOB)