Influences on COVID-19 Vaccine Adherence among Pregnant Women: The Role of Internet Access and Pre-Vaccination Emotions.

INTRODUCTION: The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic brought about global uncertainties and fears, escalating the dissemination of fake news. This study aims to analyze the impact of fake news on COVID-19 vaccine adherence among pregnant women, providing crucial insights for effective communication strategies during the pandemic. METHODS: A cross-sectional, exploratory study was conducted with 113 pregnant women under care at a Women's Health Reference Center. Data analysis included relative frequency and odds ratio to assess the relationship between sociodemographic and behavioral variables regarding vaccination. RESULTS: In the behavioral context of vaccination, internet access shows a significant association with decision-making, influencing vaccine refusal due to online information. Nuances in the odds ratios results highlight the complexity of vaccine hesitancy, emphasizing the importance of information quality. Pre-vaccination sentiments include stress (87.61%), fear (50.44%), and anxiety (40.7%), indicating the need for sensitive communication strategies. DISCUSSION: Results revealed that pregnant women with higher education tend to adhere more to vaccination. Exposure to news about vaccine inefficacy had a subtle association with hesitancy, while finding secure sources was negatively associated with hesitancy. The behavioral complexity in the relationship between online information access and vaccination decision underscores the need for effective communication strategies. CONCLUSIONS: In the face of this challenging scenario, proactive strategies, such as developing specific campaigns for pregnant women, are essential. These should provide clear information, debunk myths, and address doubts. A user-centered approach, understanding their needs, is crucial. Furthermore, ensuring information quality and promoting secure sources are fundamental measures to strengthen trust in vaccination and enhance long-term public health.

Serological investigation of vaccine-induced antibodies for measles, rubella, and yellow fever viruses in children vertically exposed to Zika virus or with down syndrome.

Background: Vaccination schedules, as well as their effectiveness and contraindications, need to be evaluated regularly, especially in specific situations. Congenital Zika Syndrome (CZS) is a severe condition that results in extensive functional and neurological impairment of fetuses and newborns due to Zika virus tropism for fetal neural progenitor cells. Down Syndrome (DS) is the leading genetic cause of intellectual disability. The immune impairment in DS has already been described, but little is known about the immune response of CZS children. Thus, CZS and DS are specific conditions that can be considered for a reassessment of the available immunizations. Here, we carried out serological analyses of attenuated vaccines-induced antibodies for measles, rubella, and yellow fever viruses in children aged 2-7, grouped into asymptomatic controls, DS children, and CZS children. Methods: Plasma samples were taken, and vaccination records were compiled during clinical follow-up. Enzymatic immunoassays for quantifying anti-measles and anti-rubella IgG were performed to assess the response to the Measles, Mumps, and Rubella (MMR) vaccine. Plaque Reduction Neutralization Test (PRNT) was performed to investigate neutralizing antibodies in response to the Brazilian vaccine strain of yellow fever (YF-17DD). Results: We highlight similar levels of anti-measles IgG and neutralizing antibodies for YF-17DD among CZS, DS, and asymptomatic children, although low positivity of measles data was seen in the three groups. In DS children, the 2-4-year-old group had an increased level of anti-measles IgG compared to the older group of children aged five to seven years. Lower anti-rubella IgG levels were observed in CZS and DS children compared to asymptomatic children. For anti-rubella IgG, the good performance of vaccination in asymptomatic children is due to younger ones rather than older ones. Conclusions: There were no reports of adverse events after the use of the MMR and YF-17DD indicating that CZS and DS could continue to receive these vaccines, but our data draws attention to the necessity of monitoring the vaccination response in CZS and DS children over time and the possible need to adhere to national measles vaccination campaigns. Scientific research needs to continue to help develop appropriate CZS and DS health guidelines.

Impact of ocean warming on a coral reef fish learning and memory.

Tropical ectotherms are highly sensitive to environmental warming, especially coral reef fishes, which are negatively impacted by an increase of a few degrees in ocean temperature. However, much of our understanding on the thermal sensitivity of reef fish is focused on a few traits (e.g., metabolism, reproduction) and we currently lack knowledge on warming effects on cognition, which may endanger decision-making and survival. Here, we investigated the effects of warming on learning and memory in a damselfish species, Acanthochromis polyacanthus. Fish were held at 28-28.5 °C (control group), 30-30.5 °C (moderate warming group) or 31.5-32 °C (high warming group) for 2 weeks, and then trained to associate a blue tag (cue) to the presence of a conspecific (reward). Following 20 training trials (5 days), fish were tested for associative learning (on the following day) and memory storage (after a 5-days interval). The control group A. polyacanthus showed learning of the task and memory retention after five days, but increasing water temperature impaired learning and memory. A thorough understanding of the effects of heat stress, cognition, and fitness is urgently required because cognition may be a key factor determining animals' performance in the predicted scenario of climate changes. Knowing how different species respond to warming can lead to better predictions of future community dynamics, and because it is species specific, it could pinpoint vulnerable/resilience species.

Sound stimulus effects on dusky damselfish behavior and cognition.

Anthropogenic noises are widespread and affect marine wildlife. Despite the growing knowledge on noise pollution in the marine environment, its effects on fish cognition are scarce. Here, we investigated the effects of sound exposure on anxiety-like behavior and memory retention on dusky damselfish Stegastes fuscus. The animals were trained in a conditioned place aversion task, and exposed to two daily sessions of music at intensities of 60-70 dBA or 90-100 dBA, while the control group was kept at 42-46 dBA (no music) for five days. After that, fish were tested in the novel tank paradigm and tested for the memory of the aversive task. In the novel tank, animals exposed to sound spent more time still and decreased the distance from the bottom of the tank. Animals also spent more time on the aversive side of the conditioning tank. These results suggest that anthropogenic noise applied through high-intensity music can increase anxiety and decrease memory retention in S. fuscus, suggesting the deleterious potential of noise for reef species.

Damselfish face climate change: Impact of temperature and habitat structure on agonistic behavior.

Oceans absorb a huge part of the atmospheric heat, leading to the rise in water temperature. Reefs are among the most affected ecosystems, where the complex behavioral repertoire of fishes is usually an indicator of environmental impacts. Here, we examined whether temperature (28 and 34°C) and habitat complexity (high and low) interact to affect the agonistic behavior (mirror test) of the dusky damselfish (Stegastes fuscus), a key species in Brazilian reefs because of its gardening capacity and territorial behavior. Higher temperatures altered basal behavior in both high and low-complexity conditions. Fish kept at 28°C under the high-complexity condition were more aggressive than those at a higher temperature (34°C) and in a low-complexity condition, which also exhibited lower dispersion. Our data show that changes in behavior of coral reef fish is associated to fluctuations in environmental conditions. Thus, it is important to implement management or conservation strategies that could mitigate global change effects.

Memory retention of appetitive and aversive conditioning in the damselfish Stegastes fuscus.

We compared the memory of damselfish Stegastes fuscus in an aversive and appetitive conditioning task. Fish were trained to associate the sides of the tank that corresponded to the presence of a positive (conspecific presence) or negative (electroshock) stimulus. After two conditioning sessions, they were tested for learning. The fish conditioned to the stimulus were then re-tested for memory retention after 5, 10 or 15 days. Both the positive and negative rewards were associated with a specific side of the tank, indicating learning ability. Additionally, in both contexts, S. fuscus stored the information learned and showed similar behavioural patterns after 5, 10 and 15 days, suggesting long-lasting memory. For the ecological context, long lasting memories of social encounters outcomes and negative experiences of threatening situations may confer advantages that ultimately affect fishes' fitness.

The zebrafish world of colors and shapes: preference and discrimination.

Natural environment imposes many challenges to animals, which have to use cognitive abilities to cope with and exploit it to enhance their fitness. Since zebrafish is a well-established model for cognitive studies and high-throughput screening for drugs and diseases that affect cognition, we tested their ability for ambient color preference and 3D objects discrimination to establish a protocol for memory evaluation. For the color preference test, zebrafish were observed in a multiple-chamber tank with different environmental color options. Zebrafish showed preference for blue and green, and avoided yellow and red. For the 3D objects discrimination, zebrafish were allowed to explore two equal objects and then observed in a one-trial test in which a new color, size, or shape of the object was presented. Zebrafish showed discrimination for color, shape, and color+shape combined, but not size. These results imply that zebrafish seem to use some categorical system to discriminate items, and distracters affect their ability for discrimination. The type of variables available (color and shape) may favor zebrafish objects perception and facilitate discrimination processing. We suggest that this easy and simple memory test could serve as a useful screening tool for cognitive dysfunction and neurotoxicological studies.

Participação da Terapia Ocupacional na equipe do Programa de Seguimento de Prematuros Egressos de UTINs / The participation of Occupational Therapy in a team from the monitoring Program of Premature Infants Discharged from NICUs

The Occupational Therapy course of the Federal University of Santa Maria (UFSM) was created in 2009. Since then, its faculty has sought the inclusion in the three lines (primary, secondary and tertiary) of health care services. Within the university premises, there is a University Hospital (HUSM) that offers services in several complexities. The Pediatric Clinic, which holds the Monitoring Program of Premature Infants discharged from Neonatal Intensive Care Units (NICU), is among them. This service was created at government level and implemented in hospitals that are considered regional references to monitor premature infants discharged from NICUs. The significant increase in the number of infants who survive prematurity initiated the need for continuous monitoring, because infants are still considered at risk even after hospital discharge. This paper aims to present a descriptive report of the experience participation of the occupational therapist together with the team and the population that is attended in the Monitoring Program of Premature Infants discharged from the NICU of the HUSM. The report is contextualized by the proposal description of the Monitoring Program implanted at the HUSM, presenting the protocols defined by the assessment team, as follows: Bayley Scale of Infant Development, Denver DevelopmentalScreening Test II, and Clinical Indicators of Risk for Child Development. After that, it presents the process of inclusion of the occupational therapist in the Monitoring. Finally, some considerations are highlighted in relation to the contribution of the occupational therapist to the team and the population attended.

O curso de Terapia Ocupacional da Universidade Federal de Santa Maria (UFSM) foi criado em 2009 e, desde então, seu corpo docente vem buscando a inserção em serviços de atenção à saúde. A UFSM tem dentro de sua estrutura o Hospital Universitário (HUSM), que oferece serviços das mais variadas complexidades. Dentre eles está o Ambulatório de Pediatria, que possui o Programa de Seguimento de Prematuros Egressos de Unidades de Tratamento Intensivo Neonatal (UTINs). Esse serviço foi criado, em nível governamental, e implantado em hospitais que são considerados referência regional para acompanhar bebês prematuros que recebem alta das UTINs. O aumento considerável de bebês que sobrevivem à prematuridade desencadeou a necessidade de um contínuo acompanhamento, pois mesmo com a alta hospitalar eles seguem sendo considerados de risco. Este artigo tem por objetivo apresentar um relato descritivo da experiência de participação do terapeuta ocupacional junto à equipe e à população atendida no Programa de Seguimento de Prematuros Egressos de UTINs do Hospital Universitário de Santa Maria. O relato é contextualizado pela descrição da proposta do programa de seguimento implantado no HUSM, apresentando os protocolos definidos pela equipe para avaliação, que foram: Bayley Scale of Infant Development, Teste de Triagem de Desenvolvimento de Denver II e Indicadores Clínicos de Risco para o Desenvolvimento Infantil. Em seguida apresenta-se o processo de inserção do terapeuta ocupacional no programa de seguimento e, finalmente, são destacadas algumas considerações sobre a contribuição do terapeuta ocupacional junto à equipe e à população atendida.

Participação da Terapia Ocupacional na equipe do Programa de Seguimento de Prematuros Egressos de UTINs / The participation of Occupational Therapy in a team from the monitoring Program of Premature Infants Discharged from NICUs

The Occupational Therapy course of the Federal University of Santa Maria (UFSM) was created in 2009. Since then, its faculty has sought the inclusion in the three lines (primary, secondary and tertiary) of health care services. Within the university premises, there is a University Hospital (HUSM) that offers services in several complexities. The Pediatric Clinic, which holds the Monitoring Program of Premature Infants discharged from Neonatal Intensive Care Units (NICU), is among them. This service was created at government level and implemented in hospitals that are considered regional references to monitor premature infants discharged from NICUs. The significant increase in the number of infants who survive prematurity initiated the need for continuous monitoring, because infants are still considered at risk even after hospital discharge. This paper aims to present a descriptive report of the experience participation of the occupational therapist together with the team and the population that is attended in the Monitoring Program of Premature Infants discharged from the NICU of the HUSM. The report is contextualized by the proposal description of the Monitoring Program implanted at the HUSM, presenting the protocols defined by the assessment team, as follows: Bayley Scale of Infant Development, Denver DevelopmentalScreening Test II, and Clinical Indicators of Risk for Child Development. After that, it presents the process of inclusion of the occupational therapist in the Monitoring. Finally, some considerations are highlighted in relation to the contribution of the occupational therapist to the team and the population attended.(AU)

O curso de Terapia Ocupacional da Universidade Federal de Santa Maria (UFSM) foi criado em 2009 e, desde então, seu corpo docente vem buscando a inserção em serviços de atenção à saúde. A UFSM tem dentro de sua estrutura o Hospital Universitário (HUSM), que oferece serviços das mais variadas complexidades. Dentre eles está o Ambulatório de Pediatria, que possui o Programa de Seguimento de Prematuros Egressos de Unidades de Tratamento Intensivo Neonatal (UTINs). Esse serviço foi criado, em nível governamental, e implantado em hospitais que são considerados referência regional para acompanhar bebês prematuros que recebem alta das UTINs. O aumento considerável de bebês que sobrevivem à prematuridade desencadeou a necessidade de um contínuo acompanhamento, pois mesmo com a alta hospitalar eles seguem sendo considerados de risco. Este artigo tem por objetivo apresentar um relato descritivo da experiência de participação do terapeuta ocupacional junto à equipe e à população atendida no Programa de Seguimento de Prematuros Egressos de UTINs do Hospital Universitário de Santa Maria. O relato é contextualizado pela descrição da proposta do programa de seguimento implantado no HUSM, apresentando os protocolos definidos pela equipe para avaliação, que foram: Bayley Scale of Infant Development, Teste de Triagem de Desenvolvimento de Denver II e Indicadores Clínicos de Risco para o Desenvolvimento Infantil. Em seguida apresenta-se o processo de inserção do terapeuta ocupacional no programa de seguimento e, finalmente, são destacadas algumas considerações sobre a contribuição do terapeuta ocupacional junto à equipe e à população atendida.(AU)