Construction and validation of a risk prediction model for soldiers with frostbite in northeast China: a cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: One of the challenges of physical training in extreme condition is frostbite, especially in Northeast China. In this study, we aimed to construct a risk prediction model for frostbite among soldiers in Northeast China, and verify its effect. METHODS: 698 participants were selected via convenience sampling from Northeast China from December 2021 to January 2022 (winter). They were randomly divided into a training set (N = 479) and a testing set (N = 202) in a ratio of 7:3. All participants completed a researcher-made questionnaire on frostbite. The prediction model was constructed through the use of Logistic regression analysis, which was used to predict the independent risk factors for frostbite formation and screen significant indicators. The model's performance was assessed using the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve and decision curve analysis (DCA) to evaluate the prediction efficiency and goodness of fit. RESULTS: The incidence of frostbite in the training set was 19.83% (95 people), all of which were first-degree frostbite. Among them, frostbite in multiple parts was the most common (58.95%), followed by singular body parts like hands (24.21%), ears (11.58%) and feet (5.26%). Single factor logistic regression analyses showed that ambient temperature, ambient wind speed, outdoor stationary time, stationary status, and history of frostbite are independent risk factors that affect the occurrence of frostbite. Furthermore, we constructed the frostbite risk prediction model for soldiers in the northeastern region of China. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) for the risk of frostbite in the training set and testing set was 0.816 (95% CI, 0.770 ~ 0.862) and 0.787 (95% CI, 0.713 ~ 0.860), respectively. The Hosmer-Lemeshow test of the model showed χ2 = 11.328 and P = 0.184 (> 0.05). The DCA curve indicated that most of the clinical net benefits of the model are greater than 0, demonstrating good clinical usefulness. CONCLUSION: The constructed frostbite prediction model can effectively identify soldiers with a higher risk of frostbite. It provided theoretical support for commanders to take preventive measures to reduce the incidence of frostbite among soldiers and was of great clinical guiding significance.

An integrated FoodNet in North East India: fostering one health approach to fortify public health.

BACKGROUND: Food safety is a critical factor in promoting public health and nutrition, especially in developing countries like India, which experience several foodborne disease outbreaks, often with multidrug-resistant pathogens. Therefore, implementing regular surveillance of enteric pathogens in the human-animal-environment interface is necessary to reduce the disease burden in the country. OBJECTIVE: To establish a network of laboratories for the identification of major food and waterborne pathogens prevailing in the northeast region of India through integrated surveillance of animal, food, human, and environment and investigate the antimicrobial susceptibility pattern of the pathogens of public health significance. METHODS: The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has identified FoodNet laboratories; based on their geographical location, inclination to undertake the study, preparedness, proficiency, and adherence to quality assurance procedures, through an 8-step process to systematically expand to cover the Northeastern Region (NER) with comprehensive diagnostic capacities for foodborne pathogens and diarrhea outbreak investigations. Network initiated in the NER given the unique food habits of the ethnic population. FINDINGS: This surveillance network for foodborne enteric pathogens was established in Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Tripura, and Sikkim, and expanded to other four states, i.e., Manipur, Mizoram, Meghalaya, and Nagaland, thereby covering the entire NER by including nine medical and three veterinary centers. All these centers are strengthened with periodic training, technical support, funding, capacity building, quality assurance, monitoring, centralized digital data management, and website development. RESULTS: The ICMR-FoodNet will generate NER-specific data with close to real-time reporting of foodborne disease and outbreaks, and facilitate the updating of food safety management protocols, policy reforms, and public health outbreak response. During 2020-2023, 13,981 food samples were tested and the detection of enteric pathogens ranged from 3 to 4%. In clinical samples, the detection rate of the pathogens was high in the diarrheal stools (8.9%) when 3,107 samples were tested. Thirteen outbreaks were investigated during the study period. CONCLUSION: Foodborne diseases and outbreaks are a neglected subject. Given the frequent outbreaks leading to the deaths of children, it is crucial to generate robust data through well-established surveillance networks so that a strong food safety policy can be developed for better public health.

Mortalidade por covid-19 na região nordeste do brasil entre 2020 e 2021: um estudo ecológico / Mortality from COVID-19 in the Northeast region of Brazil between 2020 and 2021: an ecological study / Mortalidad por COVID-19 en la región Nordeste de Brasil entre 2020 y 2021: un estudio ecológico

Introdução:A pandemia do COVID-19 foi responsável por um número significativo de mortes em todo o mundo. No Brasil, o país atingiu o terceiro lugar no ranking mundial em número de casos, em um curto período de tempo. A região nordeste por sua vez apresenta altas taxas de incidência e mortalidade. Objetivo:Analisar a mortalidade por COVID-19 na região Nordeste do Brasil entre os anos de 2020 e 2021. Metodologia:Trata-se de um estudo ecológico, retrospectivo com abordagem quantitativa, utilizando dados secundários, disponíveis no Portal de Transparência do Registro Civil, considerando os registros das Semanas Epidemiológicas (SE). Foram incluídas as variáveis: quantidade de óbitos, sexo, faixa etária, estados e semana epidemiológica. Resultados:Observou-se a ocorrência de dois picos acentuados de óbito durante as SE 18ª e 30ª e 7ª e 25, nos anos de 2020 e 2021, respectivamente. O estado do Ceará manteve os maiores índices nas duas curvas, seguido da Paraíba e Sergipe. Quanto a faixa etária, a população idosa foi mais acometida e prevaleceu os óbitos entre sexo masculino. Conclusões:Os dados mostraram a magnitude da pandemia na região nordeste, fornecendo informações para subsidiar possíveis medidas sanitárias pelas autoridades competentes (AU).

Introduction:The pandemic of COVID-19 was responsible for a significant number of deaths worldwide. In Brazil, the country reached the third place in the world ranking in number of cases in a short period of time. The northeast region in turn has high incidence and mortality rates. Objective:To analyze the mortality from COVID-19 in the Northeast region of Brazil between the years 2020 and 2021. Methodology:This is an ecological, retrospective study with a quantitative approach, using secondary data available at the Civil Registry Transparency Portal, considering the records of the Epidemiological Weeks (SE). The variables were included: quantity of deaths, sex, age group, states and epidemiological week. Results: It was observed the occurrence of two sharp peaks of deaths during the SE 18th and 30th and 7th and 25th, in the years 2020 and 2021, respectively. The state of Cearamaintained the highest rates in the two curves, followed by Paraiba and Sergipe. As for the age bracket, the elderly population was more affected and male deaths prevailed.Conclusions:The data showed the magnitude of the pandemic in the northeast region, providing information to support possible health measures by the competent authorities (AU).

Introducción: La pandemia de COVID-19 fue responsable de un importante número de muertes en todo el mundo. En Brasil, el país alcanzó el tercer puesto del ranking mundial en número de casos en un corto periodo de tiempo. A su vez, la región del noreste presenta altas tasas de incidencia y mortalidad.Objetivo: Analizar la mortalidad por COVID-19 en la región Nordeste de Brasil entre los años 2020 y 2021. Metodología: Se trata de un estudio ecológico, retrospectivo con abordaje cuantitativo, utilizando datos secundarios, disponibles en el Portal de Transparencia del Registro Civil, considerando los registros de las Semanas Epidemiológicas (SE). Se incluyeron las variables: cantidad de muertes, género, grupo de edad, estados y semana epidemiológica. Resultados: Se observó la ocurrencia de dos picos agudos de muertes durante los días 18 y 30 y 7 y 25 de la SE, en los años 2020 y 2021, respectivamente. El estado de Ceará mantuvo las tasas más altas en las curvas, seguido de Paraíba y Sergipe. En cuanto al grupo de edad, la población anciana estaba más afectada y predominaban las muertes de hombres. Conclusiones: Los datos mostraron la magnitud de la pandemia en la región noreste, proporcionando información paraapoyar posibles medidas sanitarias por parte de las autoridades competentes (AU).

Prevalence and epidemiological aspects of Chikungunya fever in states of the Northeast region of Brazil: A systematic review.

Chikungunya fever is a disease caused by the Chikungunya virus (CHIKV), which is transmitted through the bite of infected female hematophagous mosquitoes of the genus Aedes (Diptera: Culicidae). In the Americas, the first autochthonous cases of the disease were recorded in 2013. A year later, in 2014, the first records of the disease were acquired locally in Brazil, in the states of Bahia and Amapá. The present study aimed to carry out a systematic review of the literature on the prevalence and epidemiological aspects of Chikungunya fever in states of the Northeast region of Brazil, between the years 2018 to 2022. This study was registered in the Open Science Framework (OSF) and in the International Prospective Register of Systemactic Reviews (PROSPERO) and followed the recommendations of the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA). The searches were carried out in the scientific electronic databases Literatura Latino-Americana e do Caribe em Ciências da Saúde (LILACS), U. S. National Library of Medicine (PubMed) and Scientific Electronic Library Online (SciELO), using descriptors cataloged in Descritores em Ciências da Saúde (DeCS) and Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) in Portuguese, English and Spanish. Gray literature was also searched by accessing Google Scholar to search for additional publications not captured in the selected electronic databases. Of the 19 studies included in the present systematic review, seven referred to the state of Ceará. Most cases of Chikungunya fever corresponded to the female gender (ranging from 7.5% to 100.0%), to the age group younger than 60 years (84.2%), to literate individuals (93.3%), belonging to the non-white race/color (95.21%) and blacks (100.0%), and residents of the urban area (range from 51.95% to 100.0%). As for laboratory characteristics, most notifications were diagnosed using clinical-epidemiological criteria (ranging from 71.21% to 90.35%). The epidemiological information about Chikungunya fever in the Northeast region of Brazil presented in this systematic review is useful to better understand the characteristics of the disease introduction process in the country. To this end, prevention and control strategies must be adopted, especially in the Northeast, as this region is most responsible for the number of cases of the disease in the country.

LEAq - Laboratório de Entomologia Aquática "Prof. Claudio Gilberto Froehlich" and the task of facing the biodiversity knowledge deficits on Caddisflies (Trichoptera), Bahia, Brazil

ABSTRACT Insects are fundamental to biodiversity conservation in almost all ecosystems, and their population decline, and extinction directly result from environmental impacts. These facts are aggravated by the lack of knowledge of insect biodiversity, the so-called biodiversity deficits, especially the Linnean and Wallacean shortfalls. In freshwater ecosystems, biodiversity loss is higher among aquatic insects, and caddisflies comprise one of the most vulnerable orders. In this way, research focusing on describing new caddisfly species and understanding their distribution ranges will increase knowledge of caddisfly biodiversity. In the past 14 years, the team from the Laboratório de Entomologia Aquática "Prof. Dr. Claudio Gilberto Froehlich" (LEAq, Universidade Federal da Bahia, Brazil) and collaborators have been addressing these issues, resulting in 55 described species of caddisflies. Taxa in other insect orders have also received attention and an additional 16 species have been described (eight mayflies, four stoneflies, four neuropteran spongillaflies, and antlions). Here, eight caddisfly species are described and illustrated (Atopsyche froehlichi sp. nov., Austrotinodes zeferina sp. nov., Cernotina kariri sp. nov., Neoathripsodes froehlichi sp. nov., Notalina claudiofroehlichi sp. nov., Oecetis marcus sp. nov., Phylloicus froehlichi sp. nov., and Polycentropus claudioi sp. nov.), five of them in honor of LEAq's patron. In addition, new distributional data are presented for 10 known species. A checklist of the caddisfly fauna of Bahia state is also presented, with 138 species, around 75% and 30% of them recorded and described by the LEAq team, respectively. Currently, for caddisflies, Bahia is the fifth most species-rich state in Brazil, and the first in the Brazilian Northeast region.

Phycological exploration of the global biodiversity hotspots of Northeast India: discovery of a new species of soil-dwelling cyanobacteria, Desikacharya kailashaharensis sp. nov.

A soil-dwelling cyanobacterial strain (KLS-BP-3A_PS), has been isolated from the biodiversity rich Northeast region of India and characterized using a polyphasic approach. The strain was collected from a field covered with grass, near a stream from the Unakoti district of Tripura. Upon culturing in the laboratory, initial studies indicated the strain to be showing typical Nostoc or Nostoc-like morphology. Subsequently, 16S rRNA gene phylogenetic analyses using Neighbour joining, Maximum-likelihood, and Bayesian inference methods gave a distinct and stable positioning of the strain inside the genus Desikacharya. Upon recovery of the full-length operon of the 16S-23S ITS region with both tRNAs (tRNAIle and tRNAAla), the folded secondary structures revealed unique patterns of the D1-D1', V2, Box-B, and V3 regions of the strain KLS-BP-3A_PS as compared to phylogenetically related species of the genus Desikacharya. The total evidence approach indicated conclusively that the strain under investigation is a new species of the genus Desikacharya, which we describe as Desikacharya kailashaharensis in accordance with the International Code of Nomenclature for algae, fungi, and plants. Further, 16S rRNA gene phylogeny and evaluation of the 16S-23S ITS operons along with implying a re-examination of the family level affiliation of Desikacharya as well its generic limits may be in order. Notably, this study brings into focus the very less explored Northeast region of India which shares two global biodiversity hotspots in the world.

Weather integrated malaria prediction system using Bayesian structural time series model for northeast states of India.

Malaria is an endemic disease in India and targeted to eliminate by the year 2030. The present study is aimed at understanding the epidemiological patterns of malaria transmission dynamics in Assam and Arunachal Pradesh followed by the development of a malaria prediction model using monthly climate factors. A total of 144,055 cases in Assam during 2011-2018 and 42,970 cases in Arunachal Pradesh were reported during the 2011-2019 period observed, and Plasmodium falciparum (74.5%) was the most predominant parasite in Assam, whereas Plasmodium vivax (66%) in Arunachal Pradesh. Malaria transmission showed a strong seasonal variation where most of the cases were reported during the monsoon period (Assam, 51.9%, and Arunachal Pradesh, 53.6%). Similarly, the malaria incidence was highest in the male population in both states (Asam, 55.75%, and Arunachal Pradesh, 51.43%), and the disease risk is also higher among the > 15 years age group (Assam, 61.7%, and Arunachal Pradesh, 67.9%). To predict the malaria incidence, Bayesian structural time series (BSTS) and Seasonal Auto-Regressive Integrated Moving Average with eXogenous factors (SARIMAX) models were implemented. A statistically significant association between malaria cases and climate variables was observed. The most influencing climate factors are found to be maximum and mean temperature with a 6-month lag, and it showed a negative association with malaria incidence. The BSTS model has shown superior performance on the optimal auto-correlated dataset (OAD) which contains auto-correlated malaria cases, cross-correlated climate variables besides malaria cases in both Assam (RMSE, 0.106; MAE, 0.089; and SMAPE, 19.2%) and Arunachal Pradesh (RMSE, 0.128; MAE, 0.122; and SMAPE, 22.6%) than the SARIMAX model. The findings suggest that the predictive performance of the BSTS model is outperformed, and it may be helpful for ongoing intervention strategies by governmental and nongovernmental agencies in the northeast region to combat the disease effectively.

Considering economic-environmental joint benefits of water-land resources allocation for supporting sustainable agricultural system development in northeastern China.

Water and land are crucial natural resources for agricultural development. It is necessary to allocate water and land resources effectively in order to achieve the maximum economic profits and the minimum environmental costs. In this research, an inexact two-stage fractional programming model was developed for the allocation of water and land resources, which is integrated interval-parameters (IPP), two-stage stochastic programming (TSP), fractional programming (FP). This model could optimally allocate water and land resources at the same time under the scenario of the maximum economic profit and the minimum environmental cost; it was proved to be beneficial in (1) dealing with the conflicts between economic development and environmental protection and give insights in trade-off among the agricultural system; (2) allocating water and land resources for five crops under multiple flow level simultaneously; and (3) describing the uncertain inputs as interval-parameters to reduce model uncertainties. The developed model was applied to the northeast region of China. The optimal allocation schemes of water and land resources, the maximum economic profits, and the minimum environmental costs were obtained. The results showed that economic profits in the agricultural system in the northeast region of China would not definitely be connected with the allocation of water and land resources, and solid waste pollution would bear the largest environmental cost. The developed model could help decision-makers to get a deeper understanding of the agricultural system and manage water and land resources in an efficient and environment-friendly way.

Cross-sectional survey for sheep leptospirosis in the northeast region of Brazil.

Sheep farming has shown expressive growth, even in the Northeast region of Brazil, with rainfall below expectations in the last decade. This growth has been observed not only in the number of herds, but also in the number of properties involved in sheep farming. Although expressive, the production of small ruminants still presents low levels of performance, mainly due to the occurrence of diseases, which constitute an obstacle to this activity. The aim of this study was to determine the factors associated with the seroprevalence of leptospirosis in sheep in Northeastern Brazil. Blood samples were collected from 3438 sheep in 190 herds from 48 municipalities, belonging to the states of Ceará, Paraíba, Piauí, Rio Grande do Norte and Sergipe. Serological diagnosis was performed using the microscopic agglutination test (MAT). In 76.3 % (95 % CI = 69.79-81.81) of the herds there was at least one animal seropositive for at least one of the Leptospira spp. serogroups and 14.94 % (95 %CI = 13.8-16.18) of the animals were seropositive. The state of Paraíba had the highest herd (95.7 %) and animal (26.6 %) prevalences, followed by Ceará (93.9 % and 23.7 %, respectively). The most frequent serogroups were Autumnalis (18.68 %), Australis (17.9 %) and Pyrogenes (15.18 %). There was no association between the studied variables and the herd-level prevalence of leptospirosis. High herd and animal-level seroprevalences was found for sheep leptospirosis in the semiarid region of Northeastern Brazil, and there is a need to implement control and prevention measures, such as quarantine, serology, vaccination and adequate treatment, in addition to the introduction of proven healthy animals, mainly in the states of Paraíba and Ceará, aiming to reduce the prevalence of disease.

Depression among patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus: Evidence from the Northeast region of Vietnam.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Herein, we aim to examine the prevalence of depression in type 2 diabetic patients at a provincial general hospital located in the Northeast region of Vietnam and to explore its relationship with some sociodemographic, lifestyle and medical history characteristics. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This was a single-centre cross-sectional descriptive study. The patients of both sexes who were at the age of 18 years or above, were treated at our institution and were diagnosed with type 2 diabetes mellitus, previously or during the study period. A total of 220 patients were included in the study. RESULTS: Depression prevalence was 32.27% according to ICD-10. The severity of depression was categorized as mild in 77.46% patients, moderate in 19.72% patients and severe in 2.82% patients. The odds of depression was 0.18 (95%CI 0.05-0.69, p = 0.012) less for those known as the upper social class compared with those in lower social class. Those who were not on insulin treatment had significantly higher odds of depression than those on treatment with insulin (OR 2.06, 95%CI: 1.01-4.21). Individuals on treatment without oral diabetes drugs had higher odd of depression compared to those being treated with oral diabetes drugs (OR 2.77, 95%CI: 1.14-6.73). Also, hypertension was an increasing contributor to the depression prevalence (OR 2.32, 95%CI: 1.10-4.90). CONCLUSIONS: A high prevalence of depression among type 2 diabetic patients was documented. Only significant factors for depression were lower social class, co-morbid hypertension and none of the insulin treatment or oral diabetes drugs.

High herd-level seroprevalence and associated factors for bovine leukemia virus in the semi-arid Paraíba state, Northeast Region of Brazil.

Epidemiological surveys that investigate infectious diseases such as enzootic bovine leukosis (EBL) are important. Furthermore, estimating the prevalence of such infectious diseases and associated factors is key to assess the disease impact and design control programs. In this study, we identified a high herd-level seroprevalence of EBL in cattle from the semi-arid Paraíba state, Northeast Region of Brazil, using a planned cross-sectional survey. Herd-level and animal-level prevalence were estimated using a two-stage random sampling survey. In total, 2067 cows aged ≥24 months from 400 herds were sampled. An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was used to detect specific antibodies directed to the bovine leukosis virus gp51 antigen in both individual and pooled sera. The herd-level and animal-level prevalence was 23.4 % (95 % CI = 19.2-28.1 %) and 10.8 % (95 % CI = 7.5 %-15.3 %), respectively. There were no significant clusters of positive herds (within a radius of 2 km). The factors associated with herd-level prevalence were the exclusive use of hand milking (prevalence ratio [PR] = 1.88), herd size (PR = 1.005), artificial insemination (PR = 2.03), purchase of animals in the previous year (PR = 1.87), and peri-urban farms (PR = 2.09). Prevention measures should be applied at the herd-level, particularly for farms located in peri-urban areas, focusing on good hygiene in hand milking, robust practices and standards for artificial insemination, and serological testing of animals prior to purchase.

The Brazilian drought monitoring in a multi-annual perspective.

Droughts, which consist of natural and transient water deficits, endanger the water, food, and energy security of ecosystems. An effective drought preparedness strategy must focus on mitigating socioeconomic vulnerabilities to the phenomenon. In this context, the article aims to analyze the multi-annual characteristic of droughts in the Northeast region of Brazil. The study identifies each pixel under a spatial-temporal perspective of the phenomenon's severity, based on data from the Drought Monitor, providing a multi-annual and cumulative view of the extreme event. The approach aggregates a series of spatial-temporal drought severity data in a single product with clusters of monthly data referring to 5 years of outputs from the Drought Monitor. The results reveal that from July 2014 to June 2019, over 75% of the Northeast region of Brazil (NEB) area registers exceptional drought for, at least, 1 month along the 5 years. This result means impacts on water supply and crops that correspond respectively to the water dams collapsing volumes and widespread agricultural losses. Despite the natural recurrence and constancy of drought phenomena in the region, water management policies have often based the building of disproportionate and costly water infrastructure works. Cumulative multi-annual analysis of the outputs of drought monitoring can be an early warning system for water basins, regions, or municipalities, notably those who usually live with recurrent highly severe droughts, and remain neglected upon a remarkable vulnerability. This approach also supports proactive and preventive drought management instead of the usual emergency crisis management model.

Case report: the use of the AWIN welfare assessment protocol to monitor a group of abandoned donkeys / Estudo de caso: o uso do protocolo AWIN de avaliação de bem-estar para monitorar um grupo de jumentos abandonados

The objective of this study was to reach a diagnosis of the living conditions of abandoned donkeys kept in a restricted farm area through the assessment of their welfare level utilizing the AWIN protocol as a methodological tool. These animals were supposed to be sent to slaughter, but after the activity was temporarily banned, they were abandoned by traders. The protocol of welfare assessment was associated with general environmental and sanitary conditions. Information regarding the mortality rates was also gathered. According to the welfare assessment results, the living conditions of these animals were acceptable in some areas, despite the insufficient shade and shelter, a 3-month food restriction period, and a mortality rate of over 70%. These results demonstrate that welfare assessment protocols must be adapted to crises and databases for welfare indicators in diverse conditions must be created.(AU)

O objetivo deste estudo foi formular um diagnóstico das condições de vida de jumentos abandonados mantidos em uma área restrita de uma propriedade através da avaliação de seu nível de bem-estar, utilizando o protocolo AWIN como ferramenta metodológica. Estes animais seriam destinados ao abate, porém, depois da suspensão temporária da atividade, foram abandonados pelos proprietários. O protocolo de avaliação de bem-estar foi associado às condições ambientais e sanitárias gerais. Informações sobre os índices de mortalidade também foram coletadas. De acordo com os resultados da avaliação de bem-estar, as condições de vida destes animais estavam aceitáveis em algumas áreas, embora não houvesse sombreamento e abrigo suficientes, um período de restrição alimentar de 3 meses e um índice de mortalidade acima de 70%. Estes resultados demonstram que protocolos de avaliação de bem-estar devem ser adaptados a situações de crise, e bancos de dados para indicadores de bem-estar em condições diversas devem ser criados.(AU)

Automated delineation of cancer service areas in northeast region of the United States: A network optimization approach.

OBJECTIVE: Derivation of service areas is an important methodology for evaluating healthcare variation, which can be refined to more robust, condition-specific, and empirically-based automated regions, using cancer service areas as an exemplar. DATA SOURCES/STUDY SETTING: Medicare claims (2014-2015) for the nine-state Northeast region were used to develop a ZIP-code-level origin-destination matrix for cancer services (surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation). This population-based study followed a utilization-based approach to delineate cancer service areas (CSAs) to develop and test an improved methodology for small area analyses. DATA COLLECTION/EXTRACTION METHODS: Using the cancer service origin-destination matrix, we estimated travel time between all ZIP-code pairs, and applied a community detection method to delineate CSAs, which were tested for localization, modularity, and compactness, and compared to existing service areas. PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Delineating 17 CSAs in the Northeast yielded optimal parameters, with a mean localization index (LI) of 0.88 (min: 0.60, max: 0.98), compared to the 43 Hospital Referral Regions (HRR) in the region (mean LI: 0.68; min: 0.18, max: 0.97). Modularity and compactness were similarly improved for CSAs vs. HRRs. CONCLUSIONS: Deriving cancer-specific service areas with an automated algorithm that uses empirical and network methods showed improved performance on geographic measures compared to more general, hospital-based service areas.

Catalogue of type specimens of Insecta (Arthropoda: Hexapoda) deposited in the entomological collection of the Museum of Zoology of Universidade Estadual de Feira de Santana, Brazil.

This contribution is an update catalogue of the type specimens of Insecta deposited in the entomological collection Prof. Johann Becker of the Museum of Zoology of Universidade Estadual de Feira de Santana, Bahia, Brazil. A list of 206 holtypes and 1,430 paratypes of 23 families, 73 genera, and 244 species allocated in 12 orders. Lectotype and paralectotypes of Bitoma palmarum Bondar, 1940 were designated. Diptera present the highest number of types on the collection, with 161 holotypes and 1,324 paratypes.

Stream macroalgal flora from Parnaíba River Basin, Brazil: reducing Wallacean shortfall / Flora de macroalgas de riachos da Bacia Hidrográfica do Rio Parnaíba, Brasil: reduzindo o déficit Wallaceano

Abstract: The global biodiversity loss is a consensus. The biodiversity conservations shortfalls make conservation of biological diversity even more challenging. For many taxa, the knowledge about their distributions is deficient, and this is called the Wallacean shortfall. This situation is no different within algae biodiversity, especially in Brazil. There is still an enormous inequity of sample effort, as is the case of the Parnaíba River Basin (Northeast region), which had only 10 algal species in published (the lowest number of algal species reported among the main Brazilian basins). The present work had the objective of increasing the knowledge of algal flora in Brazil by conducting a taxonomic study of the stream macroalgal species of the Parnaíba River Basin. The sampling of macroalgae was carried out in 21 segments of streams from the Middle and Lower Parnaíba Basin, in the Piauí and Maranhão states. Macroalgae were manually removed and preserved in 4% formaldehyde. Environmental characteristics of each segment were measured in order to describe the sampling sites. The taxonomic survey of the macroalgal communities resulted in the identification of 38 taxa in total, of which 32 at a specific level; three vegetative groups; two sporophytic stages of red algae and one unidentified species. Among the 38 species recorded, 37 are new records for the Parnaíba River Basin. Following the same pattern, 23 species are new records for the Brazilian Northeast region, and Microcoleus lacustris represented the first report in Brazil. Despite the fact that it remains the Brazilian basin with the lowest number of algal species documented, this study contributed to the increase of almost five times the number of species sampled in the Parnaíba River Basin (from only 10 to 47 species). These data reinforce that the differences presented in algal diversity in the Brazilian regions are more related to the sampling effort than other factors (e.g. environmental characteristics, geographic distribution, biomes, among others). In addition, this survey illustrates not only the group's lack of information in the region but also shows the importance of this type of study as a tool for expanding the knowledge about biodiversity and its conservation.

Resumo: A perda de biodiversidade é um consenso. Os déficits de conservação tornam a conservação da diversidade biológica ainda mais desafiadora. Para muitos táxons, o conhecimento sobre suas distribuições é escasso, o que é chamado de Déficit Wallaceano. Essa situação não é diferente quando tratamos da biodiversidade de algas, especialmente no Brasil. Ainda há uma enorme desigualdade no esforço amostral, como é o caso da Bacia Hidrográfica do Rio Parnaíba (região Nordeste), a qual possui apenas 10 espécies de algas (o menor número de espécies de algas dentre as principais bacias brasileiras). O presente trabalho teve como objetivo aumentar o conhecimento da flora algal no Brasil, através da realização de um estudo taxonômico das espécies de macroalgas de riachos da Bacia do Rio Parnaíba. A amostragem das macroalgas foi realizada em 21 segmentos de riachos das Bacias do Médio e Baixo Parnaíba, nos estados do Piauí e Maranhão. As macroalgas foram removidas manualmente e preservadas em formaldeído 4%. Características ambientais de cada segmento foram tomadas com o intuito de descrever a área de estudo. A pesquisa taxonômica das comunidades de macroalgas resultou na identificação de 38 táxons no total, nos quais 32 em nível específico; três grupos vegetativos; dois estágios esporofíticos de algas vermelhas e uma espécie não identificada. Dentre as 38 espécies, 37 delas são novos registros para a Bacia do Rio Parnaíba. Seguindo o mesmo padrão, 23 espécies são novos registros para a região Nordeste, e Microcoleus lacustris representou o primeiro registro para o Brasil. Apesar do fato de permanecer como a bacia brasileira com o menor número de espécies de algas documentadas, este trabalho contribuiu para o aumento de quase cinco vezes o número de espécies amostradas na Bacia do Rio Parnaíba (de apenas 10 para 47 espécies). Estes dados reforçam que as diferenças apresentadas na diversidade algal nas regiões brasileiras estão mais relacionadas com o esforço amostral do que com outros fatores (e.g. características ambientais, distribuição geográfica, biomas, entre outros). Além disso, este trabalho ilustra não só a falta de informação do grupo na região, mas também mostra a importância deste tipo de estudo como ferramenta para expandir o conhecimento sobre a biodiversidade e conservação.

[Impacts of adaptive measures to climate changes on climatic potential productivity of maize in northeast China.] / 东北地区玉米适应气候变化措施对生产潜力的影响.

To understand how would the maize production in northeast China adapt to climate change, we adopted two strategies, inclduing using stress resistant varieties and delayed sowing date, combined with the daily meteorological data of RCP4.5 scenario and RCP8.5 scenario from 2010 to 2099 simulated by regional climatic model, to analyze the changes of climatic potential productivity of maize under different climate change scenarios. The results showed that in 2010-2099, the spatial characteristics of climatic potential productivity of maize in northeast China decreased from southeast to northwest. The climatic potential productivity of maize under RCP4.5 scenario was higher than that under RCP8.5 scenario, while years with the lowest values under RCP8.5 scenario was more than that under RCP4.5 scenario. The climatic potential productivity for stress resistant varieties of maize was higher than the original varieties. Under RCP4.5 scenario, the heat resistant variety had higher productivity. Under RCP8.5 scenario, the drought resistant variety performed better. The variety with both heat and drought resistance characters achieved the highest productivity under both scenarios. Under RCP4.5 scenario, yield increased with postponed sowing, with 30-40 days delay achieving the highest yield. Under RCP8.5 scenario, yield reduction occurred in some areas. Such a result indicated that the appropriate delay in sowing is conducive to improve the maize productivity, with differences among regions.

Urban-Dwelling Community Members' Views on Biomedical Research Engagement.

In this study, we explore community members' overall understanding and experience with biomedical research engagement. We conducted a qualitative analysis to explore a concept that emerged but was not specifically addressed in a pre-existing dataset obtained using four focus group sessions with 30 urban-dwelling community members. Transcripts were read in an iterative process, and an emergent content analysis was performed. Five main themes were identified: (a) engaging in research to contribute to personal or greater good, (b) hierarchy of trust, (c) the importance of disclosure and transparency, (d) practical barriers to research engagement, and (e) fear of research procedures. Community members view research engagement as a collaborative process whereby community members and researchers are involved in all stages of the investigation. Focusing on research engagement, and not merely participation, may enhance community knowledge of the research process and advance scientific knowledge.

Mecoptera (Insecta) do estado do Maranhão: chave para identificação das espécies e descrição da fêmea de Bittacus latreillei(Collucci & Amorim) / Mecoptera (Insecta) from Maranhão state: identification key for species and description of the female of Bittacus latreillei (Collucci & Amorim)

Coletas recentes no estado do Maranhão indicaram que os mecópteros parecem ser abundantes neste estado. Foram estudadas 55 espécimes de quatro espécies: Bittacus diversinervis Souza Lopes & Mangabeira, 1942, B. femoralis Klug, 1836, B. latreillei (Collucci & Amorim, 2000) e Issikiella araguaiensis Penny & Arias, 1983. A maioria dos indivíduos foi coletada entre os meses de outubro e fevereiro, período chuvoso no Maranhão. Uma chave de identificação para essas espécies e a descrição da fêmea de B. latreillei são apresentadas.

Recent field collections in Maranhão state, Brazil, indicate that the mecopterans seem to be abundant in this state. 55 specimens of four species were studied: Bittacus diversinervis Souza Lopes & Mangabeira, 1942, B. femoralis Klug, 1836, B. latreillei (Collucci & Amorim, 2000) and Issikiella araguaiensis Penny & Arias, 1983. Most of the specimens were collected between October and February, the rainy season in Maranhão. An identification key for these species and the description of the female of B. latreillei are presented.