Avoidable disasters are both saddening and baffling. In 2022, 159 people, mostly in their 20s, and 30s were crushed to death in Itaewon’s narrow alleyway amid South Korea’s first pandemic-restrictions-free Halloween celebration. What is particularly sobering about this tragedy is that although many people called police hotlines as crowds became cramped and static, their calls went unheeded for hours. Rather than order independent investigations into the catastrophe (as of January 2024), the President of South Korea at the time focused on superficial issues such as asking the public to refer to the disaster as an “accident” (which it was not, it was an avoidable disaster) and the casualties as “the dead” (who are casualties indeed, instead of victims of a preventable tragedy). In this paper, we examine how officials’ complacency about public health and safety dangers, ineffective disaster prevention, and preparedness systems, as well as the government’s chronic lack of prioritization of public health and safety may have contributed to the disaster. Furthermore, we discuss the importance of creating integrated public health and safety protection systems to prevent similar tragedies from happening.

One third of all patients that comitted suicide attended Mental Health Services in the year that preceded their suicide (1/5 in the previous month) and 50-70% of all specialists and 40-50% of Psychiatry residents experience at least one case during their clinical practice. In fact, 97% of all therapists assume a patient's suicide as their strongest fear. All available studies describe a patient's suicide as an emotional, often traumatic, experience for the therapist. Our study aimed to assess and describe the impact of a patient suicide in their therapist in a sample of portuguese psychiatrists, both specialists and residents, focusing in their emotional responses. An annonimous questionnaire was emailed to all psychiatrist working in the Centre of Portugal (area of Coimbra). Included questions regarding socio-demographic information of the therapist, years of practice, sociodemographic data regarding the patient and context of suicidal behaviour, and ten different emotional responses assessing both its intensity and duration. Deadline for accepting replies is 30th November 2013. We hope to finish analysing all data by the end of January 2013 and be ready to present by February 2013.

The colours of natural and synthetic beryl (ideally Be3Al2Si6O18) have been attributed either tothe presence of chromophore ions partially replacing Al and/or Be (Cr3+, Fe2+/3+, Mn2+) or to the occurrence of colour centres related to the presence of multi-atomic groups. However, no full explanation has been proposed for the blue colour in natural beryl gemstones (aquamarine) despite it being well established that bluish-green synthetic aquamarines containing Fe turn blue when heated for 1 h at 400°C.

A X-ray absorption near-edge spectroscopy (XANES) study at the Fe K-edge was performed on blue beryl crystals from Licungo pegmatite (Mozambique) to ascertain the speciation state of this colouring element, reported in blue sapphire (ideally Al2O3) as a mixture of Fe2+ and Fe3+ in octahedral coordination. The general trend of the spectra is the same when synchrotron radiation (SR) impinges along the c axis of the hexagonal crystal, as well as along the a axis with c vertical. Conversely, a shoulder in the absorption edge is noticed when the incident beam is perpendicular to c, with this axis horizontal in the polarization plane of the SR beam, a reverse in the relative intensities of the two post-edge features is simultaneously observed. Pre-edge features accounting for Fe speciation (valence plus coordination) are identical in all three situations. Considering previous approaches which account for polarization, an explanation is suggested for the special effects observed on the Fe K-edge XANES spectra of analysed blue beryl crystals. Ideas on the origin of the blue colour of this mineral are also presented.

Bisphenol-A (BPA) is a widely used endocrine-disrupting chemical. Prenatal exposure to BPA is known to affect birth weight, but its impact on the cardiovascular system has not been studied in detail. In this study, we investigated the effects of prenatal BPA treatment and its interaction with postnatal overfeeding on the cardiovascular system. Pregnant sheep were given daily subcutaneous injections of corn oil (control) or BPA (0.5 mg/kg/day in corn oil) from day 30 to day 90 of gestation. A subset of female offspring of these dams were overfed to increase body weight to ~30% over that of normal fed controls. Cardiovascular function was assessed using non-invasive echocardiography and cuff blood pressure (BP) monitoring at 21 months of age. Ventricular tissue was analyzed for gene expression of cardiac markers of hypertrophy and collagen at the end of the observation period. Prenatal BPA exposure had no significant effect on BP or morphometric measures. However, it increased atrial natriuretic peptide gene expression in the ventricles and reduced collagen expression in the right ventricle. Overfeeding produced a marked increase in body weight and BP. There were compensatory increases in left ventricular area and internal diameter. Prenatal BPA treatment produced a significant increase in interventricular septal thickness when animals were overfed. However, it appeared to block the increase in BP and left ventricular area caused by overfeeding. Taken together, these results suggest that prenatal BPA produces intrinsic changes in the heart that are capable of modulating morphological and functional parameters when animals become obese in later life.

This study aimed to evaluate in vitro and in vivo trypanocidal activity of free and nanoencapsulated curcumin against Trypanosoma evansi. In vitro efficacy of free curcumin (CURC) and curcumin-loaded in lipid-core nanocapsules (C-LNCs) was evaluated to verify their lethal effect on T. evansi. To perform the in vivo tests, T. evansi-infected animals were treated with CURC (10 and 100 mg kg−1, intraperitoneally [i.p.]) and C-LNCs (10 mg kg−1, i.p.) during 6 days, with the results showing that these treatments significantly attenuated the parasitaemia. Infected untreated rats showed protein peroxidation and an increase of nitrites/nitrates, whereas animals treated with curcumin showed a reduction on these variables. As a result, the activity of antioxidant enzymes (superoxide dismutase and catalase) differs between groups (P<0·05). Infected animals and treated with CURC exhibited a reduction in the levels of alanine aminotransferase and creatinine, when compared with the positive control group. The use of curcumin in vitro resulted in a better parasitaemia control, an antioxidant activity and a protective effect on liver and kidney functions of T. evansi-infected adult male Wistar rats.

Convergence in the use of resources may occur between distantly related organisms. A major ecological resource in which members of various taxa may be interested is a cavity for nesting. A variety of social hymenopterans and vertebrates may nest within tree cavities in tropical ecosystems. We used 241 nest-boxes placed in seven Kenyan localities to investigate the use of nesting cavities by members of distant taxa and discuss whether interaction between them is a potential factor shaping cavity-nester communities in tropical regions. The nest-boxes were occupied by social insects (ants, bees and wasps) (30.1% of nest-boxes in April–May and 33.1% in September–October) and vertebrates (birds and mammals) (20% and 7.7%, respectively). Hymenopterans were more abundant in forest boxes (36.2% of nest-boxes occupied in April–May and 37% in September–October), whereas savannas had lower figures (21.7% and 31.3%, respectively). Among vertebrates, most occupants of nest-boxes in savanna were birds (17.8% of nest-boxes occupied vs. 8% in mammals), while mammals predominated in forests (4.9% of the nest-boxes occupied vs. 0.3% in birds). Spatial and temporal patterns of occupation highlight the potential that interaction between distant taxa may have on the access to nesting cavities. More nest-boxes remained unoccupied in forested areas than in savanna areas suggesting that a shorter supply of nesting sites in the savanna may be a source of competition. The simultaneous occupation of a nest-box by two different taxa was exceptional, also supporting the hypothesized inter-taxon competition.

Prenatal testosterone (T) excess leads to reproductive dysfunctions in sheep with obesity exaggerating such defects. Developmental studies found ovarian reserve is similar in control and prenatal T sheep at fetal day 140, with prenatal T females showing increased follicular recruitment and persistence at 10 months of age (postpubertal). This study tested whether prenatal T sheep show accelerated depletion prepubertally and whether depletion of ovarian reserve would explain loss of cyclicity in prenatal T females and its amplification by postnatal obesity. Stereological examinations were performed at 5 (prepubertal, control and prenatal T) and 21 months of age (control, prenatal T and prenatal T obese, following estrus synchronization). Obesity was induced by overfeeding from weaning. At 5 months, prenatal T females had 46% less primordial follicles than controls (P < 0.01), supportive of increased follicular depletion. Depletion rate was slower and a higher percentage of growing follicles was present in 21-month compared with 5-month-old prenatal T females (P < 0.01). Postnatal obesity did not exaggerate the impact of prenatal T on follicular recruitment indicating that compounding effects of obesity on loss of cyclicity females is not due to depletion of ovarian reserve. Assessment of follicular dynamics across several time points during the reproductive lifespan (this and earlier study combined) provides evidence supportive of a shift in follicular dynamics in prenatal T females from one of accelerated follicular depletion initiated before puberty to stockpiling of growing follicles after puberty, a time point critical in the development of the polycystic ovary syndrome phenotype.

The northern Galician rias provide important economic and social services from fisheries, shellfish harvesting and recreational activities. Consequently, these rias have been included in the Nature 2000 Network as a Special Conservation Zone. The aims of this study were to describe the meiofauna spatial structure in terms of diversity and abundance of major taxa, as well as its relationship with the environmental characteristics in the Ria de Foz nature reserve. For this aim, environmental gradients and distribution patterns of intertidal meiobenthic communities at the Ria de Foz nature reserve were studied using multivariate methods. Ria de Foz showed to be a complex transitional habitat with significant changes in its environment along the estuarine gradient. An abundant and rich meiofauna community was reported at Ria de Foz. A total of 21 higher taxa of meiofauna were found. The most common taxa were nematodes, copepods, ostracods and turbellarians. Three clear different meiobenthic communities were defined. These three communities showed a clear spatial distribution pattern along the estuarine gradient. Moreover, a high degree of similarity between distribution patterns of meiobenthic communities and previously studied macrobenthic communities was found. Regarding the role of environmental factors shaping meiobenthic community distribution patterns distance to the river mouth was the environmental variable that best explained meiobenthic community structure and distribution. Therefore, changes on hydrodynamics that affect environmental factors related to the estuarine gradient will change the distribution pattern and diversity of benthic communities. This work provides the first information about meiobenthos diversity and structure in the Ria de Foz nature reserve and should be useful for future management and conservation plans on this and other similar protected areas.

Chagas' disease is a debilitating but comparatively neglected illness that affects about 15 million people. There is an urgent need to develop new, more effective, and less-toxic compounds. In this study, we assessed the in vitro anti-trypanosomal activity of the sesquiterpene elatol from the Brazilian red seaweed Laurencia dendroidea. We used electron microscopy to evaluate the effect of elatol on the morphology and ultrastructure of the parasite. Elatol showed a dose-dependent effect against the epimastigote, trypomastigote, and amastigote forms, with IC50 values of 45·4, 1·38, and 1·01 μm, respectively. Observation of treated intracellular amastigotes by light microscopy demonstrated a total elimination of the infection at a dose of 3·0 μm. In addition, the compound did not affect the red blood cells, and the CC50 value for LLCMK2 cells was 27·0 μm. Transmission and scanning electron micrographs showed aberrant-shaped cells and breaks in the plasma membrane, prominent swollen mitochondria, and extensive formation of cytoplasmic vacuoles in all the forms. This is the first report of the anti-trypanosomal effect of the sesquiterpene elatol.

This paper aims to describe the nutritional status of Caboclo adolescents living in two areas of the Amazon Basin. Two cross-sectional studies, the first in the dry and the second in the wet season, were carried out in two Amazonian ecosystems: the forest and black water ecosystem, and the floodplain and white water ecosystem. Measurements of weight, stature, arm circumference and triceps, subscapular and suprailiac skinfolds were performed on 247 adolescents (10–19 years of age). Nutritional status was classified using body mass index according to international criteria and the prevalence of underweight and overweight was estimated. Linear mixed effects models were used with the anthropometric measurements as dependent variables and time interval, place of residence, sex, age and stature variation as independent variables. During the wet season, the prevalence of overweight among girls was higher in the forest (42%) than in the floodplain (9%). Longitudinal linear regression models showed that the arm circumference measurement was influenced both by seasonality and location, revealing that the increment between dry and wet seasons was less pronounced in the floodplain. At the time of the study, overweight already constituted a major public health concern among girls living in the forest area. In order to develop adequate public health policies for this important segment of the Amazon population further studies are necessary to investigate the role of environment and seasonality on the growth and nutritional status of adolescents.

In order to optimize the occulting process of a Lyot coronagraph and to provide a high dynamic range imaging, a new kind of occulting disk has been developed at the National Observatory ofRio de Janeiro. A mercury (Hg) drop glued onto an optical window by molecular cohesion and compressed by a pellicle film is used as the occulting disk. The minimum of the superficial tension potential function provides an optical precision (lambda/100) of the toric free surface of the mercury. This process provides a size control for the adaptation to the seeing conditions and to the apparent diameter of a resolved object, and in the case of adaptive optics, to the Airy diameter fraction needed. The occultation is a three dimensional process near the focal plane on the toric free surface that provides an apodization of the occultation. The Hg-Mask coronagraph has been projected for astrometric observations of faint satellites near to Jovian planets and works since 2000 at the 1.6 m telescope of the Pico dos Dias Observatory (OPD - Brazil).

This paper reports on the international PHESAT95 campaign of observations of the Saturnian events coordinated by Bureau des longitudes. Thanks to CCD or photometric receptors, accurate astrometric data can be get from the observation of the eclipses by Saturn and mutual events of the Saturnian satellites. These events occur from 1994 to 1996 and we give our first results.