Social and biological determinants of iron deficiency anemia

This cross-sectional study aimed to identify the social and biological determinants of anemia in children enrolled in the Brazilian Income Transfer Program (PBF). The study evaluated 446 children (69.1% of the total enrolled) ranging from 6 to 84 months of age, of whom 262 were receiving the income transfer (60.2% of the beneficiaries) and 184 were not (87.6% of the non-beneficiaries). Testing for anemia was performed with the Hemocue portable hemoglobinometer, and the cutoff points were set at 11.0 and 11.5g/dL, according to age bracket. The data were analyzed using Poisson hierarchical regression with robust variance for multivariate analysis. There was no difference in the anemia prevalence rates between the beneficiary and non-beneficiary groups. Risk factors for anemia were low paternal schooling, cesarean birth, consumption of untreated water, stunting, and age less than 24 months. Prevalence of anemia in the group of non-beneficiary children under two years of age was significantly higher than in the beneficiary group in the same age bracket, suggesting the importance of the PBF income transfer for preventing anemia in children.Neste estudo transversal, objetivou-se conhecer a determinação social e biológica da anemia em crianças cadastradas no Programa Bolsa Família (PBF). Foram avaliadas 446 crianças (69,1% do total cadastrado) com idade entre 6 e 84 meses, sendo que 262 (60,2%) recebiam o benefício, e 184 (87,6%) não recebiam. O teste de anemia foi realizado com o hemoglobinômetro portátil Hemocue, e os pontos de corte adotados foram 11,0 e 11,5g/dL, segundo a faixa etária. Utilizou-se regressão de Poisson hierarquizada com variância robusta para análise multivariada. Não houve diferença entre as prevalências de anemia entre os grupos beneficiários e não-beneficiários. Os fatores de risco para essa carência foram baixa escolaridade paterna, parto cesariano, consumo de água sem tratamento, baixa estatura e idade inferior a 24 meses. A prevalência de anemia no grupo de crianças menores de dois anos não-beneficiárias foi significantemente maior do que no grupo beneficiário de mesma idade, o que sugere a importância do benefício do PBF no combate à anemia em crianças

Effects of melatonin on behavioral dopaminergic supersensitivity

This study examines the effects of melatonin on dopaminergic supersensitivity induced by long-term treatment with haloperidol in rats. Enhancements of spontaneous general activity in an open-field and of stereotyped behavior induced by apomorphine after abrupt withdrawal from long-term treatment with haloperidol were used as experimental parameters for dopaminergic supersensitivity. Experiment 1 was conducted to investigate the effects of melatonin on the development of dopaminergic supersensitivity, and experiment 2 was conducted to investigate the effects of melatonin on the development as well as on expression of dopaminergic supersensitivity. Rats of both experiments were long-term treated with saline or haloperidol concomitant to saline or melatonin. in experiment 1 behavioral observations were performed after abrupt withdrawal from long-term treatment. in experiment 2 behavioral observations were performed 1 hour after an acute injection of saline or melatonin, administered after the abrupt withdrawal from long-term treatment. Both behavioral parameters used showed the development of central dopaminergic supersensitivity in rats treated with haloperidol since 24 hours after abrupt withdrawal. Concomitant treatment with melatonin intensified haloperidol-induced dopaminergic supersensitivity, observed 72 hours after withdrawal. Melatonin treatment per se also induced behavioral supersensitivity evaluated by both open-field and stereotyped behaviors, although it was more fugacious than that presented by haloperidol. Acute treatment with melatonin reverted the enhancement of the haloperidol-induced dopaminergic supersensitivity produced by concomitant long-term treatment with melatonin, as well as melatonin-induced dopaminergic supersensitivity per se. Our results support previous evidence of antidopaminergic effects of melatonin and demonstrate that repeated administration of this hormone modifies the plasticity of behaviors mediated by central dopaminergic systems. (C) 2003 Elsevier Science Inc. All rights reserved.Universidade Federal de São Paulo, Escola Paulista Med, Dept Pharmacol, BR-04023062 São Paulo, BrazilUniversidade Federal de São Paulo, Escola Paulista Med, Dept Pharmacol, BR-04023062 São Paulo, BrazilWeb of Scienc

Nightly patterns of calling activity in anuran assemblages of the Cerrado, Brazil

Anurans living in species-rich assemblages may experience acoustic niche overlap. To deal with potential masking interference during reproductive activity, species can present acoustic partitioning based on differences in calling period. Studies addressing this question in tropical assemblages have mainly focused on the seasonal scale, and little is known about nightly variation in calling. Here, we reported on phenology and abundance of five tropical anuran assemblages at both seasonal and daily scale and tested the effects of temperature and relative humidity on calling activity patterns of 19 species. Based on 420 hourly acoustic surveys, an overall peak of calling activity in between the first and fourth hour after sunset was identified by Rayleigh’s circular test, with a gradual decrease until sunrise. This nightly pattern was followed by most of the species in the assemblages and similarly observed for species presence and abundance of calling males. The acoustic niche overlap was greater than expected by chance within the assemblages, while no pattern of coincidence or segregation was found for the syntopic congeneric species (Dendropsophus, Boana and Leptodactylus). Moreover, the calling activity of the assemblages, measured as richness and diversity of calling species, was negatively influenced by air and water temperature and positively by relative humidity. Thus, climatic variables act as driver factors to determine calling activity and reproduction of anurans at daily scale. The absence of a segregation pattern at the assembly or genus levels in the calling activity over time indicates that the use of the acoustic temporal niche is not a limiting resource for Cerrado anurans.VG would like to thank the Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior – Brazil (CAPES) for doctoral fellowship, and RPB thanks the Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq 308204/2013-1) for research productivity fellowship. VG was supported by CAPES/PROCAD-AM 1701/2018 (Grant No. 88887.374100/2019-00). DL was supported by a Global Marie S. Curie Fellowship (EAVESTROP-661408) granted by the European Commission (Program H2020) and a post-doctoral grant (2016-T2/AMB-1722, Atracción de Talento Investigador, Spain) provided by the Comunidad de Madrid and acknowledges a research project (CGL2017-88764-R, MINECO/AEI/FEDER, Spain) by the Ministerio de Economía, Industria y Competitividad. This paper is developed in the context of National Institutes for Science and Technology (INCT) in Ecology, Evolution and Biodiversity Conservation, supported by MCTIC/CNPq (Proc. 465610/2014-5) and FAPEG (Proc. 201810267000023)