In animal models the evaluation of myocardial infarct size in vivo and its relation to the actual lesion found post mortem is still a challenge. The purpose of the current study was to address if the conventional electrocardiogram (ECG) and/or echocardiogram (ECHO) could be used to adequately predict the size of the infarct in rats. Wistar rats were infarcted by left coronary ligation and then ECG, ECHO and histopathology were performed at 1, 7 and 28 days after surgery. Correlation between infarct size by histology and Q wave amplitude in lead L1 was only found when ECGs were performed one day post-surgery. Left ventricular diastolic and systolic dimensions correlated with infarct size by ECHO on day 7 post-infarction. On days 7 and 28 post-infarction, ejection indexes estimated by M-mode also correlated with infarct size. In summary we show that conventional ECG and ECHO methods can be used to estimate infarct size in rats. Our data suggest that the 7-day interval is actually the most accurate for estimation of infarct size by ECHO.

We describe the occurrence of bone-like formations in the left ventricular wall of infarcted rats treated or not with bone marrow cells injected systemically or locally into the myocardium. The incidence of ectopic calcification in hearts has been reported in rare cases in children with infarcts without previous coronary artery disease. Recently, ventricular calcification has been correlated with unselected bone marrow cell transplantation into infarcted rat hearts. Echocardiographic analysis of large infarction in rats frequently reveals the presence of echogenic structures in the left ventricular wall, sometimes projecting to the lumen of the chamber. The histological examination of these echogenic structures exhibited bone, cartilage, and marrow-like formations extending from the collagen-rich matrix of the ventricle wall. Microanalytical techniques verified the presence of hydroxyapatite in the mineral phase. Ossification was found in 25 out of 30 hearts evaluated 90 days postinfarct, being observed in 14 out of 17 animals submitted to cell therapy and in 11 out of 13 infarcted rats not submitted to cell therapy. Our study indicates that chondro-osteogenic differentiation can take place in the pathological rat heart independent of animal treatment with marrow cells.

Colonization projects and the consolidation of commodities production made ranching and agriculture one of the main economic activities in Rondônia (RO). Simultaneously to this process, there was an increase in the consumption of pesticides, resulting in risks to human health and the environment. Based on datasets of different origins, this article analyzed the spatial distribution of pesticide commercialization in the different health regions of the state of Rondônia (RO), between 2015 and 2019. We used data from the Rondônia State Pesticide Trade Inspection System (Sistema de Fiscalização do Comércio de Agrotóxicos do Estado de Rondônia – SIAFRO), managed by the Agrosilvopastoral Health Defense Agency of the State of Rondônia (Agência de Defesa Sanitária Agrosilvopastoril do Estado de Rondônia – IDARON); the Phytosanitary Pesticides System (Sistema de Agrotóxicos Fitossanitários – AGROFIT), the National Health Surveillance Agency (Agência Nacional de Vigilância Sanitária – ANVISA), the Brazilian Institue of the Environment and Renewable Natural Resources (Instituto Brasileiro do Meio Ambiente e dos Recursos Naturais Renováveis – IBAMA) and of the IBGE Automatic Recovery System of the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (Sistema IBGE de Recuperação Automática do Instituto Brasileiro de Geografia e Estatística – SIDRA/IBGE). The consolidation of these data contributed to the analysis and presentation of the spatial distribution of the average amount of pesticides sold by health regions in RO and the main active ingredients sold, their use classification and quantity applied to each culture. We conclude that the production of commodities such as soy, corn, coffee, and pasture are the main drivers of pesticide commercialization in the study region. The main  marketed active ingredients suggest potential risks to public health and the environment. In addition, the present safety criteria regarding pesticides, especially in Brazil, are outdated and lead to public health and environmental vulnerability.

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

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