Time-Dependent Effective Hamiltonians for Light-Matter Interactions.

In this paper, we present a systematic approach to building useful time-dependent effective Hamiltonians in molecular quantum electrodynamics. The method is based on considering part of the system as an open quantum system and choosing a convenient unitary transformation based on the evolution operator. We illustrate our formalism by obtaining four Hamiltonians, each suitable to a different class of applications. We show that we may treat several effects of molecular quantum electrodynamics with a direct first-order perturbation theory. In addition, our effective Hamiltonians shed light on interesting physical aspects that are not explicit when employing more standard approaches. As applications, we discuss three examples: two-photon spontaneous emission, resonance energy transfer, and dispersion interactions.

Ecotoxicological Consequences of Urbanization: A Multi-Biomarker Approach to Assessing Sewage Treatment Plant Effects on Free-Living Birds.

Birds are good bioindicators of disturbance in the environment. They are present in different habitats and trophic levels. In addition, rapid urbanization has led birds to use cities as shelter and for seeking food resources. Sewage treatment plants (STPs) are suitable locations for free-living birds within cities. However, few studies address the impacts of emerging pollutants from sewage treatment plants on wild birds. In this sense, the aim of this study was to analyze the genotoxic, mutagenic, and immunological impacts from metal and pollutant exposure on free-living birds collected at a STP. For comparison, birds were collected in a preserved environment, the Silvania National Forest (FLONA). To achieve this, we used non-destructive biomarkers sensitive to environmental changes. Birds were collected in both environments using mist nets. After collection, birds were weighed, measured, species-identified, and released. Blood was collected for comet assay, micronucleus test, and leukocyte profile, while feathers were collected for metal concentration analysis. Water physicochemical parameters were measured at both sites, and water samples were collected for metal analysis. Our results demonstrated that birds collected at the STP exhibit a higher frequency of genotoxic damage and erythrocyte abnormalities, and increased immune response compared to FLONA birds. Traces of potentially toxic metals, such as Hg and As, were found in the birds feathers from both environments, raising concerns about metal contamination in both environments. Trophic guilds appear to respond similarly to exposure. The parameters and metals found in the water reflect environmental characteristics and may be influencing pollutant availability. Finally, despite the advancement of our findings, studies linking these damages to detrimental effects on behavior and reproduction are encouraged.

Genetic Mutations and Mitochondrial Redox Signaling as Modulating Factors in Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy: A Scoping Review.

Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) is a heart condition characterized by cellular and metabolic dysfunction, with mitochondrial dysfunction playing a crucial role. Although the direct relationship between genetic mutations and mitochondrial dysfunction remains unclear, targeting mitochondrial dysfunction presents promising opportunities for treatment, as there are currently no effective treatments available for HCM. This review adhered to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis Extension for Scoping Reviews guidelines. Searches were conducted in databases such as PubMed, Embase, and Scopus up to September 2023 using "MESH terms". Bibliographic references from pertinent articles were also included. Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) is influenced by ionic homeostasis, cardiac tissue remodeling, metabolic balance, genetic mutations, reactive oxygen species regulation, and mitochondrial dysfunction. The latter is a common factor regardless of the cause and is linked to intracellular calcium handling, energetic and oxidative stress, and HCM-induced hypertrophy. Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy treatments focus on symptom management and complication prevention. Targeted therapeutic approaches, such as improving mitochondrial bioenergetics, are being explored. This includes coenzyme Q and elamipretide therapies and metabolic strategies like therapeutic ketosis. Understanding the biomolecular, genetic, and mitochondrial mechanisms underlying HCM is crucial for developing new therapeutic modalities.

Can Salvinia auriculata bioremediate the toxic effects of Fipronil 800wg on the tadpoles of Dendropsophus minutus?

Worldwide, the indiscriminate and escalating application of pesticides has led to extensive impacts on both the environment and non-target organisms. Phytoremediation, which employs plants to decontaminate environments, is a potential strategy for the mitigation of this damage. The present study assessed the phytoremedial potential of Salvinia auriculata, an aquatic macrophyte known to be effective for the removal of environmental contaminants. In the laboratory, Dendropsophus minutus tadpoles were exposed to different concentrations (0.035, 0.1, 1.0, and 1.5 mg/l) of the commercial insecticide Fipronil 800wg in two treatments - (i) simple exposure for 96 h, and (ii) exposure for 168 h in aquariums containing S. auriculata. In the first experiment, a mortality rate of 33.3 % was recorded at the highest Fipronil concentration (1.5 mg/l), and genotoxic parameters increased at all concentrations except 0.035 mg/L, in comparison with the control. In the second experiment, phytoremediation occurred at all the concentrations tested, with lower frequencies of cells with micronuclei, and binucleated, anucleated, and pyknotic nuclei being observed, in comparison with the first experiment. These findings highlight the potential effectiveness of S. auriculata for the phytoremediation of environments contaminated by pesticides and contribute to the understanding of the benefits of this approach for the protection and preservation of aquatic biodiversity.

Atrial Fibrillation in Critically Ill Patients: Incidence and Outcomes.

BACKGROUND: Atrial fibrillation (AF), either chronic or new onset, is common in critically ill patients. Its epidemiology and relationship with clinical outcomes are poorly known. OBJECTIVE: To understand the burden of AF in patients admitted to the ICU and its impact on patients' outcomes. METHODS: This is a single-center, retrospective cohort study evaluating all patients with AF admitted to a non-cardiac intensive care unit over the course of 54 months. Clinical outcomes were evaluated in the short (hospital discharge) and long term (two-year follow-up). The hazard ratio (HR) with 95% CI was computed for the whole population as well as for propensity score-matched patients, with or without AF. RESULTS: A total of 1357 patients were screened (59.1% male), with a mean age of 75 ± 15.2 years, length of intensive care unit stay of 4.7 ± 5.1 days, and hospital mortality of 26%. A diagnosis of AF was found in 215 patients (15.8%), 142 of whom had chronic AF. The hospital all-cause mortality was similar in patients with chronic or new-onset AF (31% vs. 28.8%, p = 0.779). Patients with AF had higher in-hospital, one-year, and two-year crude mortality (30.2% vs. 22.9%, p = 0.024; 47.9% vs. 35.3%, p = 0.001; 52.6% vs. 38.4%, p < 0.001). However, after propensity score matching (N = 213), this difference was no longer significant for in-hospital mortality (OR: 1.17; 95% CI: 0.77-1.79), one-year mortality (OR: 1.38; 95% CI: 0.94-2.03), or two-year mortality (OR: 1.30; 95% CI: 0.89-1.90). CONCLUSIONS: In ICU patients, the prevalence of AF, either chronic or new-onset, was 15.8%, and these patients had higher crude mortality. However, after adjustment for age and severity on admission, no significant differences were found in the short- and long-term mortality.

Mitochondrion genomes of seven species of the endangered genus Sporophila (Passeriformes: Thraupidae).

We announce the mitochondrial genomes of seven species of the genus Sporophila (S. bouvreuil, S. iberaensis, S. melanogaster, S. minuta, S. nigrorufa, S. pileata, and S. ruficollis) which were validated by comparative genomic and phylogenetic analysis with related species. The mitochondrial genomes of seven passerines of the genus Sporophila were assembled (three complete and four nearly complete genomes) and were validated by reconstructing phylogenetic relations within Thraupidae. The complete mitogenomes ranged from 16,781 bp in S. ruficollis to 16,791 bp in S. minuta. We identified a conserved genome composition within all mitogenomes with 13 protein-coding genes, 22 tRNAs and two rRNAs. We observed a bias in the nucleotide composition and six mutational hotspots in Sporophila mitogenomes. Our mitogenome-based phylogenetic tree has S. minuta, S. maximiliani and S. nigricollis as sister species of the remaining species in the genus. We present new mitogenome sequences for seven Sporophila species, providing new genomic resources that may be useful for research on the evolution, comparative genetics, and conservation of this threatened group.

Multipole Approach to the Dynamical Casimir Effect with Finite-Size Scatterers.

A mirror subjected to a fast mechanical oscillation emits photons out of the quantum vacuum-a phenomenon known as the dynamical Casimir effect (DCE). The mirror is usually treated as an infinite metallic surface. Here, we show that, in realistic experimental conditions (mirror size and oscillation frequency), this assumption is inadequate and drastically overestimates the DCE radiation. Taking the opposite limit, we use instead the dipolar approximation to obtain a simpler and more realistic treatment of DCE for macroscopic bodies. Our approach is inspired by a microscopic theory of DCE, which is extended to the macroscopic realm by a suitable effective Hamiltonian description of moving anisotropic scatterers. We illustrate the benefits of our approach by considering the DCE from macroscopic bodies of different geometries.

Influence of the addition of nanohydroxyapatite to scaffolds on proliferation and differentiation of human mesenchymal stem cells: a systematic review of in vitro studies.

One of the main challenges of tissue engineering in dentistry is to replace bone and dental tissues with strategies or techniques that simulate physiological tissue repair conditions. This systematic review of in vitro studies aimed to evaluate the influence of the addition of nanohydroxyapatite (NHap) to scaffolds on cell proliferation and osteogenic and odontogenic differentiation of human mesenchymal stem cells. In vitro studies on human stem cells that proliferated and differentiated into odontogenic and osteogenic cells in scaffolds containing NHap were included in this study. Searches in PubMed/MEDLINE, Scopus, Web of Science, OpenGrey, ProQuest, and Cochrane Library electronic databases were performed. The total of 333 articles was found across all databases. After reading and analyzing titles and abstracts, 8 articles were selected for full reading and extraction of qualitative data. Results showed that despite the large variability in scaffold composition, NHap-containing scaffolds promoted high rates of cell proliferation, increased alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity during short culture periods, and induced differentiation, as evidenced by the high expression of genes involved in osteogenesis and odontogenesis. However, further studies with greater standardization regarding NHap concentration, type of scaffolds, and evaluation period are needed to observe possible interference of these criteria in the action of NHap on the proliferation and differentiation of human stem cells.

Chemical, ecotoxicological, cytotoxic, and mutagenic evaluation of gelling agents used in the production of 70% alcohol gel.

With COVID-19, there has been an increase in the use of gelling agents for hand sanitizer production, and as a result, the release of this product into wastewater could induce impacts and adverse reactions in living organisms. Thus, ecotoxicological and cytotoxicological assessments of gelling agents with test organisms from different trophic levels are necessary to assess their environmental safety. For this, seven cellulose-based gelling agents and a polyacrylic acid derivative (C940) were selected for tests with Artemia salina. The most toxic agent was tested on Allium cepa to assess cytotoxicity. The volatile compounds of the gelling agents were analyzed. Cellulose-based gelling agents were not considered toxic according to their LC50, but C940 presented moderate toxicity to A. salina and cytotoxicity to Allium cepa, but without mutagenicity. In addition, C940 contained cyclohexane as a volatile compound. Thus, cellulose-based gelling agents are better environmental options than carbomer for 70% alcohol gel sanitizer.

Aprendizagem sobre teleconsulta: representações de um grupo de alunos de um curso de Medicina / Learning about teleconsultation: representations of a group of Medical students / Aprendizaje sobre teleconsulta: representaciones de un grupo de alumnos de un curso de Medicina

Com o avançar da tecnologia, passou a fazer parte da graduação médica atual o aprendizado em teleconsultas. Esta pesquisa apresenta as representações de um grupo de alunos de um curso de Medicina localizado na capital do estado de São Paulo sobre suas experiências com a realização de teleconsultas síncronas supervisionadas durante estágio realizado em um ambulatório-escola, durante o segundo semestre de 2021. Trata-se de pesquisa qualitativa que utilizou o software IRaMuTeQ® e "Análise do Conteúdo". Esses educandos pontuam entraves para a utilização das teleconsultas, destacando preocupações com a humanização, segurança da pessoa atendida e qualidade da consulta, mas visualizam potencialidades tais como a facilidade de acesso e a comodidade. Reconhecem a importância da prática durante sua Graduação em um mundo cada vez mais tecnológico, mas trazem inquietações relacionadas à perda do exame físico e à mercantilização da Medicina.

With the progress of technology, teleconsultation has become part of medical degree courses. This article presents the representations of a group of medical students from a university in the capital of the state of São Paulo regarding their experiences with supervised synchronous teleconsultations during an internship in a teaching clinic in the second semester of 2021. We conducted a qualitative study using the software IRaMuTeQ® and content analysis. The students highlighted barriers to the use of teleconsultation, emphasizing concerns with humanization, patient safety and consultation quality, but also perceived strengths such as ease of access and convenience. They recognize the importance of practice on the degree course in an ever more technological world, but raise concerns about the lack of physical examination and the commodification of medicine.

Con el avance de la tecnología, el aprendizaje en teleconsultas pasó a formar parte de la graduación médica actual. Esta investigación presenta las representaciones de un grupo de alumnos de un curso de medicina localizado en la capital del estado de São Paulo sobre sus experiencias con la realización de teleconsultas sincronizadas supervisadas durante una pasantía realizada en un ambulatorio escuela, durante el segundo trimestre de 2021. Se traba de una investigación cualitativa que utilizó el software IRaMuTeQ® y Análisis de Contenido. Estos alumnos puntúan obstáculos para la utilización de las teleconsultas, destacando preocupaciones con la humanización, seguridad de la persona atendida y calidad de la consulta, pero visualizan potencialidades tales como la facilidad de acceso y la comodidad. Reconocen la importancia de la práctica durante su graduación en un mundo cada vez más tecnológico, pero presentan inquietudes relacionadas a la pérdida del examen físico y a la mercantilización de la medicina.

Influence of the addition of nanohydroxyapatite to scaffolds on proliferation and differentiation of human mesenchymal stem cells: a systematic review of in vitro studies

One of the main challenges of tissue engineering in dentistry is to replace bone and dental tissues with strategies or techniques that simulate physiological tissue repair conditions. This systematic review of in vitro studies aimed to evaluate the influence of the addition of nanohydroxyapatite (NHap) to scaffolds on cell proliferation and osteogenic and odontogenic differentiation of human mesenchymal stem cells. In vitro studies on human stem cells that proliferated and differentiated into odontogenic and osteogenic cells in scaffolds containing NHap were included in this study. Searches in PubMed/MEDLINE, Scopus, Web of Science, OpenGrey, ProQuest, and Cochrane Library electronic databases were performed. The total of 333 articles was found across all databases. After reading and analyzing titles and abstracts, 8 articles were selected for full reading and extraction of qualitative data. Results showed that despite the large variability in scaffold composition, NHap-containing scaffolds promoted high rates of cell proliferation, increased alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity during short culture periods, and induced differentiation, as evidenced by the high expression of genes involved in osteogenesis and odontogenesis. However, further studies with greater standardization regarding NHap concentration, type of scaffolds, and evaluation period are needed to observe possible interference of these criteria in the action of NHap on the proliferation and differentiation of human stem cells.

Multi-taxon trends and the application of genotoxic biomarkers in the analysis of effluents from sewage treatment plant.

Sewage is a significant source of many contaminants, and the effectiveness of sewage treatment plants (STPs) is fundamental to ensure that the effluents produced by these plants have a minimal impact on aquatic environments and guarantee their long-term sustainability. The present study is based on a global scientometric survey of the published research on the application of genotoxicity biomarkers for the analysis of the effects of the contaminants found in the effluents and residues produced by STPs. The literature search focused on the Web of Science and Scopus databases. Research trends were investigated based on the year of publication of each study, the country in which it was developed, the type(s) of genotoxic assay applied, the model organism(s), the type of study (experimental or field study), the physicochemical parameters analyzed, and the principal findings of the genotoxic assays. A total of 134 papers, published between 1988 and April 2023, were selected for analysis. The studies were conducted in a total of 33 different countries, but primarily in Brazil, China, Germany. These studies employed 16 biomarkers to assess genotoxicity, of which, the micronucleus test was the most used. The studies reported on a number of genotoxic substances, such as pollutants, including pesticides, microplastics, metals, and drugs. The data produced by these studies provide important insights into the genotoxic effect of the xenobiotic agents found in STP effluents, which are capable of damaging the DNA of a range of different organisms.

PREVALÊNCIA E FATORES DE RISCOS ASSOCIADOS À HIPERTENSÃO ARTERIAL EM IDOSOS HOSPITALIZADOS / PREVALENCE AND RISK FACTORS ASSOCIATED WITH HYPERTENSION IN HOSPITALIZED ELDERLY

Introdução: A hipertensão é o principal fator contribuidor para todas as causas de morte e invalidez. Alterações fisiopatológicas em razão do envelhecimento justificam alta incidência da hipertensão no idoso. Objetivo: Verificar a prevalência e fatores associados a hipertensão em idosos hospitalizados. Método: Estudo transversal, quantitativo, realizado com 233 idosos em hospital de ensino brasileiro de grande porte. Dados sociodemográficos/clínicos e hábitos de vida foram coletados. Análise bivariada e regressão logística foram realizadas, sendo considerado significativo p<0,05. Resultados: A média de idade foi 70,9±8,1anos, com prevalência do sexo masculino (63,1%), brancos (62,2%) e hipertensos (67%). Idade ≥80anos (OR:3,965, IC 95%:1,430- 10,995) e diabetes (OR:4,196, IC 95%:1,968-8,946) foram significativos para ocorrência de hipertensão. Conclusão: Indivíduos muito idosos e diabetes foram fatores significativos para hipertensão em idosos hospitalizados.

Introduction: Hypertension is the main contributing factor to all causes of death and disability. Pathophysiological changes due to aging justify a high incidence of hypertension in the elderly. Objective: To verify the prevalence and factors associated with hypertension in hospitalized elderly. Method: Cross-sectional, quantitative study conducted with 233 elderly people in a large Brazilian teaching hospital. Sociodemographic/clinical data and lifestyle habits were collected. Bivariate analysis and logistic regression were performed, and p<0.05 was considered significant. Results: The mean age was 70.9±8.1 years, with prevalence of males (63.1%), whites (62.2%) and hypertensive (67%). Age ≥80 years (OR:3.965, 95% CI:1.430-10.995) and diabetes (OR:4.196, 95% CI:1.968-8.946) were significant for the occurrence of hypertension. Conclusion: Very elderly individuals and diabetes were significant factors for hypertension in hospitalized elderly.

Working conditions and mental health of community health workers in the COVID-19 pandemic. / Condições de trabalho e saúde mental de agentes comunitários de saúde na pandemia de COVID-19.

This study examined the prevalence of anxiety and depression associated with Community Health Workers' (CHWs') working conditions in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. This cross-sectional study was carried out in the north of Minas Gerais, Brazil by applying a questionnaire addressing sociodemographic conditions, command of technologies and working conditions during the pandemic, as well as the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory and the Patient Health Questionnare-9 (PHQ-9). Descriptive and multiple Poisson regression analyses were performed with robust variance, to a 5% level of significance (p < 0.05) for the final model. A total of 1,220 CHWs from 36 municipalities participated in the study. Prevalences were 41.8% and 31.6% for anxiety and depression, respectively, while 22.5% of the group displayed symptoms of both conditions. Being female, up to 40 years old, having more than 500 users registered for monitoring, and inadequate supply of personal protective equipment were associated with anxiety and depression among the CHWs. Prevalence of anxiety and depression was high among CHWs during the pandemic and working conditions figured prominently among the associated factors.

O objetivo deste estudo foi analisar a prevalência de ansiedade e depressão associada às condições de trabalho dos agentes comunitários de saúde (ACS) no contexto da pandemia de COVID-19. Estudo transversal, realizado no norte de Minas Gerais. Foi aplicado um questionário que abordava condições sociodemográficas, domínio de tecnologias e condições de trabalho durante a pandemia, além do Inventário de Ansiedade Traço-Estado e do Patient Health Questionnare-9 (PHQ-9). Foram realizadas análises descritivas e de regressão múltipla de Poisson com variância robusta, considerando um nível de significância de 5% (p < 0,05) para o modelo final. Participaram do estudo 1.220 ACS de 36 municípios. A prevalência foi de 41,8% e 31,6% para ansiedade e depressão, respectivamente, e 22,5% para ambas as condições. O sexo feminino, idade até 40 anos, ter mais de 500 usuários cadastrados para acompanhamento e oferta inadequada de equipamentos de proteção individual estiveram associados à ansiedade e à depressão. Registrouse uma elevada prevalência de ansiedade e depressão entre ACS no período da pandemia, com destaque para as condições de trabalho entre os fatores associados.

Dental aesthetic perception of patients submitted to activated charcoal-based bleaching agents: A randomized clinical trial.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effects of activated charcoal-based products used in two presentation forms (powder or toothpaste), compared to 10 % carbamide peroxide and conventional toothpaste on aesthetic perception and psychosocial impact before and after treatment. METHODS: Fifty-six participants were divided into 4 experimental groups (n = 14). Activated charcoal-based powder (PW); Activated charcoal-based dentifrice (AC); Conventional fluoride toothpaste (CD) and 10 % carbamide peroxide (CP). All products were used for 14 days. Psychosocial impact on dental esthetics (PIDAQ), oral health impact profile (OHIP- Esthetics) and orofacial esthetics scale (OES) questionnaires were applied before and after treatment. Descriptive and exploratory data analyses were performed and analyzed using linear mixed models for repeated measures over time considering significance level of α = 0.05. RESULTS: For PIDAQ, the CP group showed significant decrease in psychological impact, aesthetic perception domains and overall score, while in the PW group, there was only a significant decrease in the psychological impact domain. Decrease in OHIP was observed for the functional limitation domain scores for treatments with CP and PW, in the psychological discomfort domain, decrease was observed for all groups, while for the OES questionnaire, significant increase in the color domain was observed for the CP group. CONCLUSION: Activated charcoal-based products showed lower scores in all questionnaires when compared with carbamide peroxide; thus, charcoal-based products promoted lower impact on quality of life and aesthetic perception. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: In this randomized clinical trial, charcoal-based OTC products had inferior quality of life and aesthetic perception results compared to conventional carbamide peroxide bleaching.

Sustainable Applications of Nanopropolis to Combat Foodborne Illnesses.

Propolis has numerous biological properties and technological potential, but its low solubility in water makes its use quite difficult. With the advent of nanotechnology, better formulations with propolis, such as nanopropolis, can be achieved to improve its properties. Nanopropolis is a natural nanomaterial with several applications, including in the maintenance of food quality. Food safety is a global public health concern since food matrices are highly susceptible to contamination of various natures, leading to food loss and transmission of harmful foodborne illness. Due to their smaller size, propolis nanoparticles are more readily absorbed by the body and have higher antibacterial and antifungal activities than common propolis. This review aims to understand whether using propolis with nanotechnology can help preserve food and prevent foodborne illness. Nanotechnology applied to propolis formulations proved to be effective against pathogenic microorganisms of industrial interest, making it possible to solve problems of outbreaks that can occur through food.

FT-MIR-ATR Associated with Chemometrics Methods: A Preliminary Analysis of Deterioration State of Brazil Nut Oil.

Brazil nut oil is highly valued in the food, cosmetic, chemical, and pharmaceutical industries, as well as other sectors of the economy. This work aims to use the Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) technique associated with partial least squares regression (PLSR) and principal component analysis (PCA) to demonstrate that these methods can be used in a prior and rapid analysis in quality control. Natural oils were extracted and stored for chemical analysis. PCA presented two groups regarding the state of degradation, subdivided into super-degraded and partially degraded groups in 99.88% of the explained variance. The applied PLS reported an acidity index (AI) prediction model with root mean square error of calibration (RMSEC) = 1.8564, root mean square error of cross-validation (REMSECV) = 4.2641, root mean square error of prediction (RMSEP) = 2.1491, R2cal (calibration correlation coefficient) equal to 0.9679, R2val (validation correlation coefficient) equal to 0.8474, and R2pred (prediction correlation coefficient) equal to 0, 8468. The peroxide index (PI) prediction model showed RMSEC = 0.0005, REMSECV = 0.0016, RMSEP = 0.00079, calibration R2 equal to 0.9670, cross-validation R2 equal to 0.7149, and R2 of prediction equal to 0.9099. The physical-chemical analyses identified that five samples fit in the food sector and the others fit in other sectors of the economy. In this way, the preliminary monitoring of the state of degradation was reported, and the prediction models of the peroxide and acidity indexes in Brazil nut oil for quality control were determined.

Condições de trabalho e saúde mental de agentes comunitários de saúde na pandemia de COVID-19 / Working conditions and mental health of community health workers in the COVID-19 pandemic

Resumo O objetivo deste estudo foi analisar a prevalência de ansiedade e depressão associada às condições de trabalho dos agentes comunitários de saúde (ACS) no contexto da pandemia de COVID-19. Estudo transversal, realizado no norte de Minas Gerais. Foi aplicado um questionário que abordava condições sociodemográficas, domínio de tecnologias e condições de trabalho durante a pandemia, além do Inventário de Ansiedade Traço-Estado e do Patient Health Questionnare-9 (PHQ-9). Foram realizadas análises descritivas e de regressão múltipla de Poisson com variância robusta, considerando um nível de significância de 5% (p < 0,05) para o modelo final. Participaram do estudo 1.220 ACS de 36 municípios. A prevalência foi de 41,8% e 31,6% para ansiedade e depressão, respectivamente, e 22,5% para ambas as condições. O sexo feminino, idade até 40 anos, ter mais de 500 usuários cadastrados para acompanhamento e oferta inadequada de equipamentos de proteção individual estiveram associados à ansiedade e à depressão. Registrouse uma elevada prevalência de ansiedade e depressão entre ACS no período da pandemia, com destaque para as condições de trabalho entre os fatores associados.

Abstract This study examined the prevalence of anxiety and depression associated with Community Health Workers' (CHWs') working conditions in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. This cross-sectional study was carried out in the north of Minas Gerais, Brazil by applying a questionnaire addressing sociodemographic conditions, command of technologies and working conditions during the pandemic, as well as the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory and the Patient Health Questionnare-9 (PHQ-9). Descriptive and multiple Poisson regression analyses were performed with robust variance, to a 5% level of significance (p < 0.05) for the final model. A total of 1,220 CHWs from 36 municipalities participated in the study. Prevalences were 41.8% and 31.6% for anxiety and depression, respectively, while 22.5% of the group displayed symptoms of both conditions. Being female, up to 40 years old, having more than 500 users registered for monitoring, and inadequate supply of personal protective equipment were associated with anxiety and depression among the CHWs. Prevalence of anxiety and depression was high among CHWs during the pandemic and working conditions figured prominently among the associated factors.

Parenting of mothers of children in early childhood during the COVID-19 pandemic: qualitative research.

OBJECTIVES: to understand practices of mothers of children in early childhood who live in contexts of poverty in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS: an exploratory, descriptive and qualitative study. Participants were selected in the community context, composing an intentional sample to be collected through semi-structured online interviews. Data were analyzed inductively and anchored in the Bioecological Model of Human Development. RESULTS: eight mothers participated in the research. Mothers highlighted pleasure in taking care of their children, although they were overloaded with activities and comprehensive care at the time of the pandemic. Children, in mothers' perception, showed a higher frequency of challenging behaviors, which may be related to negative parenting practices, such as punishment and physical violence. FINAL CONSIDERATIONS: interventions to support parenting become urgent in the face of changes brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic in families living in a context of poverty.

Genotoxic and mutagenic evaluation in Eisenia foetida annelids exposed to iron ore tailings from the region of Brumadinho, MG, Brazil.

Soils that have a disproportion of metallic elements due to anthropic activities endanger the terrestrial fauna. This study evaluated whether earthworms (Eisenia foetida) exposed to ore tailings from Brumadinho region presented a higher frequency of genotoxic and mutagenic damages than annelids from a reference area (control). The animals were exposed to substrates containing 0%, 25%, 50%, 75%, and 100% iron mining waste. The results indicated increased DNA damage (p < 0.05), detected by the comet assay at 25% and 50%. There was a three-fold increase in micronuclei in animals on the substrates with the highest concentrations (75% and 100%) [F = 3.095; p = 0.02]. The earthworms lost weight as the percentage of mining waste increased. We concluded that E. foetida presented DNA damage in the contaminated soils of Brumadinho. However, more research is fundamental, once the environmental disaster in Brumadinho was one of the biggest mining catastrophe in Brazil.