Rio De Janeiro City Research Articles

Medium- and large-sized mammals from Estação Biológica Fiocruz Mata Atlântica, Rio de Janeiro, south-eastern Brazil.

The Pedra Branca Forest is in a highly urbanised region of the central portion of Rio de Janeiro City and comprises the largest urban forest in the world (> 12,000 ha). The local flora and fauna are protected by three conservation units and the Estação Biológica Fiocruz Mata Atlântica (EFMA), which comprises 462 hectares on the east side of the remnant. The local biodiversity is still little known compared to other Atlantic Forest remnants from the Rio de Janeiro State. Here, we provide results of a survey of medium- and large-sized terrestrial mammals from the EFMA. In addition, we analysed the distribution of this fauna along three habitat types defined as Peridomicile, Transitional Forest and Forest Core. Sampling was performed from 2017 to 2020 and comprised a camera-trap survey, interviews with residents and local workers and occasional records. Results include occurrence records for 16 autochthonous and one allochthonous (Callithrix sp.) wild mammals, which are distributed into 14 families and seven orders, in addition to the presence of free-ranging domestic dogs and cats. Four species are in some category of threat of extinction at national or global levels. Amongst them, Leontopithecusrosalia (first record for the Rio de Janeiro City in more than a century) and Leopardusguttulus are classified as Vulnerable by IUCN. Most wild native species were registered in the three habitat types, but with differences in the frequency of records. Our results indicate that the presence of domestic dogs and cats influenced the species composition in each area, with Nasuanasua, Dasyproctaleporina and Didelphisaurita less frequent in places where domestic dogs and cats are more frequent. This is the first systematic effort to understand the occurrence and distribution of mid- and large-sized mammals in the Pedra Branca Forest.

Extreme rainfall events in the Rio de Janeiro city (Brazil): description and a numerical sensitivity case study

Extreme rainfall events in the Rio de Janeiro city (Brazil): description and a numerical sensitivity case study

Ontogeny and Early Steps of the Calcification Process in Coralline Algae Lithophyllum corallinae (Florideophyceae, Rhodophyta)

Coralline algae (Rhodophyta, Florideophyceae) are one of the most abundant organisms in the hard-bottom marine photic zone where they provide settlement substrates, structure and shelter on rocky substrates. Coralline algae also play important roles in tropical reefs, both cementing corals together and producing substantial amounts of calcium carbonate. The ecological roles of coralline algae in the marine environment are related to the biomineralization process that occurs in the cell walls. Currently, this group of algae is receiving renewed attention from researchers from different fields, especially due to possible effects of climate changes over its magnesium calcite skeleton. Despite this renewed attention, we still have poor information regarding the first steps of coralline algae ontogeny and calcification. The aim of this study was to describe the earlier steps ofLithophyllum corallinaedevelopment and its calcification process. Algae were collected at Vermelha Beach, Rio de Janeiro city. Adult crusts released spores that settled over microscope slides. The germinating spores were analyzed by Polarizing Light Microscopy, Scanning Electron Microscopy, Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy, Transmission Electron Microscopy and Atomic Force Microscopy. Results showed that cell walls mineralization begins at third spore cell division (8 cells specimen), evidenced by changes in light polarization, elemental composition and hardness, restricted to the cell walls of the innermost part of the developing spore. Nanopores in calcite crystals structure were identified, evidencing macromolecules occlusion, a feature especially important to prevent calcite skeleton cracking in high-energy environments. The beginning of this process could be related to spore size, availability of organic matrix and energy from photosynthesis. All the analysis also confirmed the lack of calcification in the cell walls of the outermost part of the germinating spore, which allows the growth of the individual; but mainly indicates a high level of control in coralline algae mineralization process, representing a relevant information in future studies on coralline algae calcification, including those testing climate changes scenarios.

A Poisson-multinomial spatial model for simultaneous outbreaks with application to arboviral diseases.

Dengue, Zika, and chikungunya are arboviral diseases (AVD) transmitted mainly by Aedes aegypti. Rio de Janeiro city, Brazil, has been endemic for dengue for over 30 years, and experienced the first joint epidemic of the three diseases between 2015-2016. They present similar symptoms and only a small proportion of cases are laboratory-confirmed. These facts lead to potential misdiagnosis and, consequently, uncertainty in the registration of the cases. We have available the number of cases of each disease for the neighborhoods of Rio de Janeiro. We propose a Poisson model for the total number of cases of Aedes-borne diseases and, conditioned on the total, we assume a multinomial model for the allocation of the number of cases of each of the diseases across the neighborhoods. This provides simultaneously the estimation of the associations of the relative risk of the total cases of AVD with environmental and socioeconomic variables; and the estimation of the probability of presence of each disease as a function of available covariates. Our findings suggest that a one standard deviation increase in the social development index decreases the relative risk of the total cases of AVD by 28%. Neighborhoods with smaller proportion of green area had greater odds of having chikungunya in comparison to dengue and Zika. A one standard deviation increase in population density decreases the odds of a neighborhood having Zika instead of dengue by 18% but increases the odds of chikungunya in comparison to dengue by 18% and by 43% in comparison to Zika.

Suicide prevention actions carried out by an academic psychiatry service in Rio de janeiro city

IntroductionDescription of a structured work of primary prevention, based on a survey of the prevalence of suicidal behavior in the Brazilian population throughout life, performed by an academic service of psychiatry and chemical dependence. We describe a survey of the probability of suicide attempt in an academic internment service focused on psychiatry and drug addiction in the city of Rio de Janeiro.ObjectivesRaise awareness of the need to call for help and 24-hour distress hotline phone outreach. Calculate a possible demand for mental health services to patients with severe suicidal behavior aiming at the necessary equipment to attend this population.MethodsClarification actions through the press, development of a suicide prevention lecture program given in schools, surveillance cameras, military institutions, companies and laws, promotion of public events with music, activities, distribution of t-shirts, booklets and leaflets.Using the mental health care implementation system: identifying the patient, raising their needs and available resources, breaking resistance, advocating and treating, we raised in this institution that from January 01, 2019 to September 01, 2019, 137 patients were hospitalized with a serious suicide attempt.ResultsAccording to a survey of the prevalence of suicidal behavior in the Brazilian population over the course of life, where out of 100 patients, 17 had suicidal thoughts, 5 planned, 3 attempted suicide and 1 was treated in the emergency room.ConclusionsThe suicide prevention program has been very successful as the press promotes of the telephone number for immediate relief. His survey highlighted the need to create a specific suicide treatment and prevention program.DisclosureNo significant relationships.

Structuring of specialized treatment applied to people with suicidea ttemptin an academic psychiatric service in Rio de Janeiro city

IntroductionDescription of a specialized treatment program for people attempting suicide in an academic health service focused on psychiatry and drug addiction in the city of Rio de Janeiro.ObjectivesDescribe actions developed to treat suicidal behavior.MethodsBased on a survey of the prevalence of suicidal behavior in the Brazilian population over a lifetime, reaching a total of 12,000 cases per year of the Brazilian population, this academic service of psychiatry and drug addiction established the following actions for hospitalized patients: 24-hour surveillance, reduced access to methods of committing suicide (forks and knives removal, shoelaces and ropes removal), strengthening the GVV (Life Valuation Group), strengthening the Cognitive Behavior Therapy application groups, conducting group dynamics, lectures, art therapy and physical activities.Results Of 370 patients admitted to this service from January 1st, 2019 to September 1st, 2019, 137 had suicidal behavior and only 2 died.ConclusionsOf these two cases, one abandoned treatment and the other occurred during the treatment period.DisclosureNo significant relationships.

Optimisation of the conditions of dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction for environmentally friendly determination of bisphenols and benzophenone in complex water matrices by LC-MS/MS

Due to well-known risks to human and environmental health, the increasing presence of several micropollutants even in very low concentrations in environmental matrices requires sustainable and advanced analytical methods to expand monitoring programs, particularly for water quality control. The objective of this study was to optimise the conditions of the dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction (DLLME) for a combined group of emerging micropollutants (bisphenol A, bisphenol S, bisphenol F, bisphenol AF and benzophenone) in complex water matrices. Ten variables were chosen as the most important for DLLME procedure and the Design of Experiments (DoE) approach was applied to find the most relevant variables and optimise the DLLME procedure. The optimised DLLME was then, applied to real complex water samples including raw and treated wastewaters and surface water in Rio de Janeiro city, Brazil, and the extracted samples were analysed by ultra-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS). The variables vortex mixing time (VMT), Dispersive Solvent Volume (DSV) and Extractor Solvent Volume (ESV) are the most important among the variables evaluated. The recovery efficiencies ranged from 60 to 120% after optimisation the amounts of target compounds found in the five real aqueous matrices varied from 0.005 to 150 μg L-1. The association of optimised DLLME with the UPLC-MS/MS met the validation requirements adopted and generated analytical results of high quality. The advantages of this extraction technique include reduction of cost per analysis; low volume of samples and low volume of solvent required; no need to use cartridges; reduction of waste generation. The method is, therefore, suitable to process large numbers of samples, particularly in countries with limited budgets for environmental monitoring.

Food promotion in supermarket promotional circulars: an analysis of the cover and internal content

Objective. To analyze food promotion on the cover and inside pages of supermarkets circulars. Methods. Promotional circulars data were collected from five supermarket chains in Rio de Janeiro (Brazil) in August 2019. Food was categorized according to the NOVA classification: fresh food or minimally-processed food (FF/MPF), processed culinary ingredients, processed food, and ultra-processed food (UPF). The density of the food groups on the cover and inside pages of circulars was calculated, and the comparison was performed using paired T-test or paired Wilcoxon test, depending on the normality and homogeneity of the data distribution. Results. A total of 59 circulars were analyzed and 7665 foods were identified, of which 55.6% UPF and 27.7% FF/MPF. FF/MPF are more present on the cover while the UPF are more present on the inside pages of the circulars. Conclusion. The cover of circulars does not reflect the entire contents. On the cover, foods with better nutritional profile are more present than inside of the circulars. It is necessary to develop government programs that regulate the promotion of foods in supermarkets circulars.

Culex Flavivirus Isolation from Naturally Infected Mosquitoes Trapped at Rio de Janeiro City, Brazil.

Simple SummaryThe Flavivirus genus groups a wide range of species capable of infecting vertebrates and invertebrates, both terrestrial and aquatic. According to phylogenetic analyses, the flavivirus genomes cluster into three main branches; the first one containing viruses that infect vertebrates, also called arboviruses; the second called arbovirus-affiliated insect-specific flaviviruses or dual-host insect-specific flaviviruses (dISF), that preserve genomic similarity with arboviruses, but its replication is apparently restricted to invertebrates and insect-specific classical flaviviruses (ISF), with infection restricted to invertebrates. Culex Flavivirus (CxFV) is a classical insect-specific virus, which has aroused interest after the first indication that it can produce in nature superinfection exclusion of viruses of medical interest such as West Nile. Despite the detection of CxFV in different regions, CxFV ecology and the influence of co-circulation of arboviruses remains poorly understood. Therefore, our primary goals are to observe the occurrence of CxFV infection in mosquitoes trapped in an urban area of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, characterize the virus circulation, and provide isolates. A prospective study was carried out for eight months on the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro campus trapping adult mosquitoes. The CxFV minimum infection rates were determined in this period, and the virus isolation process is fully described. Samples from this study were grouped into genotype 2, along with CxFV sequences from Latin America and Africa.Culex Flavivirus (CxFV) is a classical insect-specific virus, which has aroused interest after the first indication that it can produce in nature superinfection exclusion of viruses of medical interest such as West Nile. Despite the detection of CxFV in different regions, CxFV ecology and the influence of co-circulation of arboviruses remains poorly understood. Therefore, our primary goals are to observe the occurrence of CxFV infection in mosquitoes trapped in an urban area of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, characterize the virus circulating, and provide isolates. A prospective study was carried out for eight months on the campus of the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, trapping adult mosquitoes. The CxFV minimum infection rates were determined in this period, and the virus isolation process is fully described. Samples from this study were grouped into genotype 2, along with CxFV sequences from Latin America and Africa.

Impact of COVID-19 In-hospital Mortality in Chagas Disease Patients.

The COVID-19 virus infection caused by the new SARS-CoV-2 was first identified in Rio de Janeiro (RJ), Brazil, in March 2020. Until the end of 2021, 504,399 COVID-19 cases were confirmed in RJ, and the total death toll reached 68,347. The Evandro Chagas National Institute of Infectious Diseases from Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (INI-Fiocruz) is a referral center for treatment and research of several infectious diseases, including COVID-19 and Chagas disease (CD). The present study aimed to evaluate the impact of COVID-19 on in-hospital mortality of patients with CD during the COVID-19 pandemic period. This observational, retrospective, longitudinal study evaluated all patients with CD hospitalized at INI-Fiocruz from May 1, 2020, to November 30, 2021. One hundred ten hospitalizations from 81 patients with CD (58% women; 68 ± 11 years) were evaluated. Death was the study's main outcome, which occurred in 20 cases. The mixed-effects logistic regression was performed with the following variables to test whether patients admitted to the hospital with a COVID-19 diagnosis would be more likely to die than those admitted with other diagnoses: admission diagnosis, sex, age, COVID-19 vaccination status, CD clinical classification, and the number of comorbidities. Results from multiple logistic regression analysis showed a higher risk of in-hospital mortality in patients diagnosed with COVID-19 (OR 6.37; 95% CI 1.78–22.86) compared to other causes of admissions. In conclusion, COVID-19 infection had a significant impact on the mortality risk of INI-Fiocruz CD patients, accounting for one-third of deaths overall. COVID-19 presented the highest percentage of death significantly higher than those admitted due to other causes during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Evaluation of homeopathy effects associated with conventional periodontal therapy in randomized treatment of diabetic and non-diabetic patients with periodontitis

Introduction: Periodontitis and Diabetes Mellitus type 2 (DMII) are chronic diseases treated by conventional practices and traditional medicine. In many cases, when conventional medicine cannot offer a satisfactory treatment, increases the demand for alternative therapies in chronic conditions. The aim of this study randomized was to compare and evaluate for one year clinical and serologic parameters the effects of homeopathy as an adjunct of conventional periodontal therapy in individual with periodontitis and DMII. Materials and Methods: 85 individuals, of both genders, between 35 and 70 years old, participated in this randomized study, which 70 were eligible in Institute of Endocrinology and Diabetes of Rio de Janeiro-Brazil. They were divided into two groups G-1: individuals with periodontitis without systemic conditions and G-2: individuals with periodontitis and DMII. Both groups received homeopathic treatment and were evaluated in clinical and laboratorial examinations. The medication used was chosen based on the similarity principle, following the Berberis 6CH protocol (2 tablets, 2 times a day for 45 days), Mercurius Solubilis / Belladona / Hepar Sulfur - 6CH (2 tablets, 3 times a day for 15 days) and a Pyrogenium 200CH biotherapeutic (single weekly dose, 2 weeks). Medications are prescribed in diluted low concentration doses for all signs and symptoms, while biotherapy is used for chronic stimulation Results: Both groups showed significant improvements throughout the study, clinical and laboratorial, at 1 year baseline: reductions in total cholesterol, triglycerides, glucose, glycated hemoglobin, uric acid and CPR. Statistical and descriptive analyzes were performed. The data obtained after laboratory analysis were tabulated and then submitted to the SPSS 17.0 software for Windows (SPSS Inc., Chicago, IL) and significance level with p <0.05. For most of parameters, G-1 performed better than G-2 (p<0.05). Conclusion: After 1 year follow-up this clinical trial suggest that homeopathy therapy, as an adjunct of periondontal treatment, improves local and systemic parameters and can provide better health condition.

Water reuse in industries: analysis of opportunities in the Paraíba do Sul river basin, a case study in Presidente Vargas Plant, Brazil.

In recent years, the demand for clean water has been growing all over the world despite the different threats posed, including increasing pollution, increasing deforestation and climate change. Industrial activity is the second largest consumer of water, so highly industrialized regions are more susceptible to water stress. In this sense, reuse strategies have been progressively discussed and used around the world; however, in Brazil there is still place for many advances, whether due to lack of incentives, cultural issues in society, or poor regulation of the subject. The objective of this work was to carry out a diagnosis of raw water uptake by industries in one Hydrographic Region of the state of Rio de Janeiro and to propose a discussion on the adoption of water reuse practices for non-potable purposes from the use of treated effluents. A survey of the theoretical framework on the subject was carried out, as well as an analysis of sustainability indicators and reports of the companies, including the current licensing processes of large undertakings consuming water resources. With this study, it was possible to obtain the average cost of implementing a water reuse unit for an industry in the state of Rio de Janeiro-Brazil, which, despite still being expensive, has a strong tendency to use due to world water shortages. Finally, it was concluded that the state of Rio de Janeiro has a threat of water scarcity that could be aggravated in the coming years, if measures and investments in supply alternatives are not adopted (water reuse), and improvement in all stages of water management water resources.

Femtosecond laser-assisted in situ keratomileusis with topography-guided or asphericity-adjusted derived data: a comparative contralateral eye study

BackgroundWavefront-optimized laser-assisted in situ keratomileusis (LASIK) ablation is the most commonly performed procedure in refractive surgery, but new technologies have become available. Our goal was to compare topography-guided (Contoura) and asphericity-guided (Custom-Q) customized ablation treatments for the correction of myopia with or without astigmatism.MethodsThis prospective, randomized, double-blind, contralateral eye study included 60 eyes of 30 patients with myopia or myopic astigmatism requiring femtosecond LASIK (FemtoLASIK) treatment. For each patient, one eye was randomized to undergo Contoura treatment, and the other underwent Custom-Q abaltion. Uncorrected distance visual acuity (UDVA), corrected distance visual acuity (CDVA), manifest refractive spherical equivalent (MRSE), sphere (SPH), cylinder (CYL), 6.0-mm total corneal aberration root mean square (RMS), coma (COMA), trefoil (TREF), and spherical aberration (SA) were measured and analysed after a 1-year follow-up.ResultsThe UDVA was − 0.08 ± 0.06 logMAR in Contoura eyes and − 0.08 ± 0.05 logMAR in Custom-Q eyes (p = 0.309) after 12 months. Twenty-five eyes (83%) in the Contoura group and twenty-six eyes (87%) in the Custom-Q group had a UDVA of 20/16 at the end of 12 months, and 100% of eyes in both groups reached a UDVA of 20/25 or better. Ninety and 100% of eyes in the Contoura and Custom-Q groups, respectively, achieved a residual CYL ≤0.50 D (p = 0.237). No statistically significant difference was observed between the surgical techniques in the preoperative to 1-year postoperative changes for any of the parameters evaluated (MRSE, CYL, RMS, DEF, COMA, TREF, and SA).ConclusionsThe Contoura and Custom-Q techniques yielded excellent visual and refractive results, but the evidence did not reveal any clear differences between these two methods after 1 year of follow-up.Trial registrationReBEC - Registro Brasileiro de Ensaios Clínicos [Internet]: Rio de Janeiro (RJ): Instituto de Informação Científica e Tecnológica em Saúde (Brazil); 2010 -. Identifier RBR-8rs5kt Myopia and Astigmatism Topography-guided Refractive Surgery by Contoura Method Versus Customized by Asphericity in Contralateral Eyes: A prospective Double blind Randomized Study. Available from https://ensaiosclinicos.gov.br/rg/RBR-8rs5ktDate of registration: 02/03/2020 (dd/mm/yyyy).CAAE:96778718.9.0000.5192.Issuing authority: Plataforma Brasil.CEP:2.979.279.Issuing authority: HUOC.

The Role of COVID-19 Vaccinal Status in Admitted Children during OMICRON Variant Circulation in Rio de Janeiro, City-Preliminary Report.

Objective: To evaluate COVID-19 vaccination status in admitted children in 2020–2021 and during the OMICRON variant circulation (2022), a period when children older than 12 years of age had received two doses of COVID-19 vaccines. Design: An observational retrospective study. Patients with confirmed COVID-19 were compared in two different periods: 2020–2021 when adolescents aged 12–18 years had not received the complete COVID-19 vaccine, and 2022 when children older than 12 years had received the complete Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine scheme. Setting: Two pediatric hospitals in Rio de Janeiro city. Patients: Children aged < 18 years with confirmed COVID-19. Intervention: None. Main outcome: Vaccination status for COVID-19 on admission. Results: In total, 300 patients were admitted with confirmed COVID-19 (240 in 2020–2021 and 60 in 2022). The distribution of patients according to the age-groups was: 0–2 years (33.3% in 2020–2021 and 53.4% in 2022), 2–5 years (21.7% in 2020–2021 and 10% in 2022), 5–11 years (29.2% in 2020–2021 and 28.3% in 2022), and 12–18 years (15.8% in 2020–2021 and 8.3% in 2022) (p = 0.076). The median length of stay was six days in 2020–2021 and six days in 2022 (p = 0.423). We verified six deaths in the first analysis period and one death in the second one (p = 0.894). Of the 60 children admitted in 2022, 58 (96.7%) did not receive the complete COVID-19 vaccine scheme available. Conclusions: We verified in a “real-world condition” the ability of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine to prevent hospitalization in children over 12 years of age.

Thermal and Catalytic Pyrolysis of Urban Plastic Waste: Modified Mordenite and ZSM-5 Zeolites

Zeolites have been successfully applied as catalysts in the pyrolysis of plastics to obtain valuable lower molecular weight hydrocarbon compounds. In the present work, mordenite was directly synthesized and chemically modified from commercial mordenite to increase pore volume. For the first time, the performance of these mordenites was compared with that of an alkali-treated ZSM-5 as catalysts for assisting the pyrolysis of simulated urban plastic waste. The investigated zeolites were: (i) as-supplied synthetic ZSM-5 (ZSM-5/AS); (ii) 0.2 M NaOH treated ZSM-5 (ZSM-5/02); (iii) as-supplied mordenite (MOR/AS); (iv) 0.2 M NaOH treated mordenite (MOR/02); and (v) synthetic lab-developed mordenite (MOR/SD). The modified and synthesized zeolites were individually applied as catalysts in the 700 °C pyrolyzes of combined polyethylene, polypropylene, and polystyrene wastes in a mixture simulating most plastics found in Rio de Janeiro (Brazil) city garbage composition. X-ray diffraction revealed crystallite sizes of all zeolites in a nanometric range from 17 to 43 nm. Textural analysis disclosed the alkali-treated ZSM-5/02 with a superior external surface area, 153 m²/g, and mesopore volume equal to 0.253 cm3/g. Lower values were obtained by MOR/02 (39 m²/g and 0.072 cm3/g). The pyrolysis of the plastic mixture with ZSM-5/02 presented a lower initial degradation temperature, 387 °C, followed by MOR/02, with 417 °C. The ZSM-5/02 catalyst obtained the highest conversion in the pyrolysis of the plastic mixture, totaling 49.2%. However, pyrolysis assisted by the MOR/02 catalyst showed the largest fraction (81.5%) of light hydrocarbons.

Antimicrobial consumption in pediatric intensive care units during the first year of COVID-19 pandemic / Consumo antimicrobiano em unidades de cuidados intensivos pediátricos durante o primeiro ano da pandemia de COVID-19

Introduction: The absence of standardized treatment for critical children admitted in pediatric intensive care units (PICUs) with COVID could lead to an increase in antimicrobial consumption, as indirect effect. Aim: To describe trends of antimicrobial consumption in two PICUs before and during the COVID pandemic year. Methods: We did a retrospective study in children admitted in two PICUs of Rio de Janeiro city, between March 2019 and March 2021. The first year represented the pre-pandemic period and the last one the pandemic period. Trends of antimicrobial consumption were measured by days of therapy (DOT/1000 patient-days) and analyzed by linear regression for antibiotics, antivirals and antifungals Results: Number of patients-days in the PICU 1 was 3495 in the pre-pandemic period and 3600 in the pandemic period. The overall DOT/1000 PD of antibiotics, antivirals and antifungal was 15,308.1, 942.8 and 1,691.1, respectively in the pre-pandemic period and 13,481.5, 1,335.4 and 1,243.7, respectively in pandemic period. It was verified trend of reduction of antibiotic and antifungals and increase in antivirals consumption. Number of patients-days in the PICU 2 was 5029 in the pre-pandemic period and 4557 in the pandemic period and the overall DOT/1000 PD of antibiotics, antivirals and antifungal was 16,668.5, 1,385 and 1,966.7, respectively in the pre-pandemic period and 10,896.5, 830.7 and 677.3 in pandemic period. It was verified trend of reduction of antibiotic, antivirals and antifungals consumption. Conclusion: Trends of antimicrobial consumption reduction were verified for antibiotics and antifungals in two PICUs and reduction for antiviral in one of them

Trends of COVID-19 pediatric admissions number during the first 24 weeks of COVID-19 vaccination in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil / Tendências do número de admissões pediátricas da COVID-19 durante as primeiras 24 semanas de vacinação da COVID-19 no Rio de Janeiro, Brasil

Objective: To describe trends of COVID-19 pediatric admissions number during the first 24 weeks of COVID-19 vaccination. Design: A retrospective study was conducted in children (0-18 years), admitted in two pediatric hospitals of Rio de Janeiro city, between January 17 and July 3, 2021 with confirmed COVID-19 by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction or serological tests. Trends of COVID-19 pediatric admissions number during the first 24 weeks of COVID-19 vaccination in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil and the pre-vaccine period were measured by linear regression. Participants: Children admitted in pediatric hospitals in Rio de Janeiro, city, Brazil Results: The number of total admitted patients (with all diseases) were 5340 during the pre-vaccine period, being 94 (1.8%) of them with confirmed COVID-19, and 4182 children admitted during the vaccine period, with 86 confirmed COVID-19 patients (2.1 %) (p=0.29). Media of cases admitted per/week were 2.02 in pre-vaccine period and 3.6 during the first 24 weeks of COVID vaccination (p=0.009). One death was reported in the pre-vaccine period and four in the vaccine period (p=0.14). Trends of increase in the number of admitted cases were verified both in the pre-vaccine period as in the vaccine period, being more expressive in the last one. Conclusion: There was trend of increase in number of children admitted with confirmed COVID-19 during the first 24 weeks of COVID-vaccination in Rio de Janeiro, city. Considering that few people were fully vaccinated, reducing of number of admitted children with confirmed COVID-19 was not verified.

Cover Picture: Structural Concrete 2/2022

The cover image is based on the Research Article Finite element numerical simulation of a cable-stayed bridge construction through the progressive cantilever method by Igor Hoffman et al., https://doi.org/10.1002/suco.202100662 The Bridge of Knowledge (Ponte do Saber) is in Rio de Janeiro City (Brazil). It was designed by Alexandre Shan and was opened to traffic in February 2012. The structural project was carried out by V.Garambone.

Identification of the profile of volatile compounds in commercial kombucha added with hibiscus (Hibiscus rosa-sinensis) / Identificação do perfil de compostos voláteis em kombucha comercial adicionado de hibisco (Hibiscus rosa-sinensis)

Kombucha is a fermented drink from a symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeasts (SCOBY) and has been consumed due to its sensory and antioxidant characteristics that provide several health benefits, in addition to scientific evidence showing that there are variations in the chemistry of these kombucha. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the profile of volatile compounds from kombucha commercials using the GC-MS-SPME technique. Five kombucha samples from commercial points on Rio de Janeiro City were analyzed. The profile of volatile compounds was evaluated using the SPME technique using a PDMS/DVB/CAR triple fiber. Volatiles were identified by comparing their mass spectra with a NIST and IRL. The results indicated that the profile of volatile compounds analyzed was constituted by nine classes of compounds, namely, esters, ketones, carboxylic acids, alcohols, aldehydes, amines, hydrocarbons, lactones and terpenes. Among them, the esters were the majority, ranging from 20.0 to 28.0 %, it was also possible to observe that 2-Octenal was the most abundant compound in all samples, ranging from 52.7 to 63.0 %. Thus, it is seen that the profile of volatile compounds in kombucha is found by a complex mixture of compounds belonging to different classes and which have the esters as the most representative due to the fermentation process that occurs during the production of kombucha.

The starting dates of COVID-19 multiple waves.

The severe acute respiratory syndrome of coronavirus 2 spread globally very quickly, causing great concern at the international level due to the severity of the associated respiratory disease, the so-called COVID-19. Considering Rio de Janeiro city (Brazil) as an example, the first diagnosis of this disease occurred in March 2020, but the exact moment when the local spread of the virus started is uncertain as the Brazilian epidemiological surveillance system was not widely prepared to detect suspected cases of COVID-19 at that time. Improvements in this surveillance system occurred over the pandemic, but due to the complex nature of the disease transmission process, specifying the exact moment of emergence of new community contagion outbreaks is a complicated task. This work aims to propose a general methodology to determine possible start dates for the multiple community outbreaks of COVID-19, using for this purpose a parametric statistical approach that combines surveillance data, nonlinear regression, and information criteria to obtain a statistical model capable of describing the multiple waves of contagion observed. The dynamics of COVID-19 in the city of Rio de Janeiro is taken as a case study, and the results suggest that the original strain of the virus was already circulating in Rio de Janeiro city as early as late February 2020, probably being massively disseminated in the population during the carnival festivities.