Abstract We carried out an exploratory study of the association between exposure to violence, intelligence, and executive functions in Brazilian preadolescents. The study included 56 participants (31 males) aged 8 to 14 years old (mean = 11.3, SD = 1.0). We administered neuropsychological tests to evaluate executive functions and the Juvenile Victimization Questionnaire (JVQ) to evaluate exposure to violence. We used the following neuropsychological instruments: Wechsler Abbreviated Scale of Intelligence (WASI), Stroop Color-Word Interference task, digits subtest of the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children, and an N-back task. We generated a composite score from neuropsychological test scores and investigated the association of that score, and individual test scores, with exposure to violence and socioeconomic status (SES). Results suggest, first, that exposure to violence is associated with a 0.5-point lower intelligence quotient score for every reported victimization event in the Juvenile Victimization Questionnaire. Results also show that the digits backward subtest scores showed a significant negative correlation with exposure to violence (JVQ; rho = -0.29, p < 0.05); both analyses were adjusted for the level of schooling of parents or guardians, which was also found to be significantly associated with lower intelligence quotient scores. We discuss results in the light of the existing literature on the effects of exposure to violence on adolescent development, and the amounting evidence that suggests an association of exposure to violence, and of victimization, with tests that evaluate constructs of executive functions. The study struggled with low compliance from participants, and we underscore the challenges of carrying out empirical studies aimed at better understanding the development of underrepresented youths, such as those from Central and Latin America.

ABSTRACT Acute scrotum syndrome is a surgical emergency, which if an adequate evolution is not made and there are delays in the diagnosis, the patient can have irreversible damage in the testicular viability. The Clinical Practice Guidelines on acute scrotum syndrome is presented with the aim of updating the subject and providing a care and teaching instrument in the pediatric surgery services of the country. Several diseases can be the cause of the onset of acute scrotum syndrome, including testicular torsion, testicular hydatid torsion, and orchiepididymitis. The fundamental symptom is testicular pain and usually requires surgical treatment. The timely treatment of these patients avoids complications such as the need for orchiectomy, sterility, and that way the patient is more quickly reincorporated into his social activity.

RESUMEN El síndrome de escroto agudo es una urgencia quirúrgica, que si no se hace una evolución adecuada y existen demoras en el diagnostico puede el paciente tener daños irreversibles en la viabilidad testicular. Se presenta la Guía de Práctica Clínica sobre el síndrome de escroto agudo con el objetivo de hacer una actualización sobre el tema y proporcionar un instrumento asistencial y docente en los servicios de cirugía pediátrica del país. Varias enfermedades pueden ser la causa de aparición del síndrome de escroto agudo, entre ellas, la torsión testicular, la torsión de hidátides testiculares y la orquiepididimitis. El síntoma fundamental es el dolor testicular y requiere generalmente tratamiento quirúrgico. El tratamiento oportuno de estos pacientes evita complicaciones como la necesidad de orquiectomia, la esterilidad y reincorpora más rápidamente al paciente a su actividad social.

Resumo: O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar a qualidade do solo de florestas nativas, reflorestamento de eucalipto, pastagem, sistemas de integração lavoura-pecuária e plantio direto, correlacionando a diversidade morfológica de colêmbolos com propriedades físicas e químicas do solo. Amostras de colêmbolos foram coletadas de solos do planalto sul do Estado de Santa Catarina no Brasil, durante o inverno e o verão, usando armadilhas de queda, em grade amostral de 3 × 3. A morfotipagem dos colêmbolos consistiu na observação de cinco características e para cada uma foi atribuído um valor parcial do índice eco-morfológico para a obtenção do Índice de Qualidade do Solo modificado. As avaliações foram da abundância e diversidade de morfotipos e de atributos físicos (umidade do solo, densidade do solo, bioporos, microporosidade e macroporosidade) e químicos do solo (pH em água, relação cálcio/magnésio e carbono orgânico total), descrevendo os resultados por análises de variância e multivariada. A abundância e a diversidade de colêmbolos foram influenciadas pelos diferentes sistemas de uso do solo. Maior índice de qualidade do solo foi determinado em floresta nativa seguida de reflorestamento de eucalipto, pastagem, plantio direto e integração lavoura-pecuária, no inverno. Além disso, encontrou-se maior índice de qualidade do solo em floresta nativa seguida de integração lavoura-pecuária, reflorestamento de eucalipto, plantio direto e pastagem, no verão. Portanto, o índice de qualidade do solo pode ser avaliado pelas características morfológicas de colêmbolos em correlação com as propriedades físicas e químicas, como razão cálcio/magnésio, teores de carbono orgânico total, bioporos, macroporosidade, microporosidade, umidade do solo, densidade do solo e pH.

Abstract: The aim of this work was to evaluate the soil quality of native forest, eucalyptus plantations, pasture, integrated crop-livestock, and no-tillage systems, correlating the morphological diversity of springtails with physical and chemical soil properties. Springtail samples were captured from soils of the southern plateau of the State of Santa Catarina in Brazil, during winter and summer, by using Pitfall traps, using a 3 × 3 point grid. The morphotyping of springtails consisted of the observation of five traits and for each one a partial value of the eco-morphological index was assigned to obtain the modified Soil Quality Index. A correlation of the morphotype abundance and diversity with physical (soil moisture, bulk density, biopores, microporosity, and macroporosity) and chemical (pH in water, calcium/magnesium ratio and total organic carbon content) soil properties was studied, describing all results by variance and multivariate analyses. The springtail abundance and diversity were influenced by the different land use systems. Higher soil quality index was determined in native forest followed by eucalyptus plantations, pasture, no-tillage system and integrated crop-livestock, in the winter. Moreover, higher soil quality index was found in native forest followed by integrated crop-livestock, eucalyptus plantations, no-tillage system and pasture, in the summer. Therefore, the quality index of a soil can be evaluated by the springtail morphological traits in correlation with the physical and chemical properties such as calcium/magnesium ratio, total organic carbon contents, biopores, macroporosity, microporosity, soil moisture, bulky density and pH.

Objetivo: evaluar la influencia del tabaquismo femenino, activo y pasivo, sobre los resultados de la fertilización in vitro (FIV) de mujeres fumadoras. Diseño: estudio de cohorte. Materiales y métodos: ciento diecinueve (119) parejas fueron sometidas a FIV, en primerintento, cuya indicación fue el factor tubario, fueron divididos en 3 grupos: mujeres no fumadoras (n=81), mujeres fumadoras pasivas (n=15) y mujeres fumadoras verdaderas (n=23). Los resultados de laboratorio de la FIV fueron analizados en separado. Resultados: las mujeres fumadoras tuvieron un bajo índice de fertilización (40,7%) y mala calidad embrionaria (70,6%) en comparación con las no fumadoras (59,1% y 82,5%) y las fumadoras pasivas (67,4% y 87,9%) (p<0,05). No se ha encontrado diferencia en el numero de oocitos Conclusiones: los resultados indican que el éxito de la FIV puede estar afectado negativamente en las fumadoras, donde el índice de fertilización es menor y la calidad embrionaria peor.

Objective: to evaluate the influence of female cigarette smoking on laboratory results of in-vitro fertilization (IVF). Design: cohort study. Patients and methods: a total of 119 infertile couples, who were submitted to the first cycle of IVF due to tubal factor, were divided in three groups: non-smokers women (n=81), passive smokers women (n=15) and active smokers women (n=23). The laboratorial results of IVF were analyzed among the sub-groups. Results: women who smoked had a lower fertilization rate (40.7 %) and a worse embryo quality (70.6%) than the non-smokers (59% and 81.3%) and the passive smokers (67.4% and 87.9%) (p<0.05). There were no significant differences on the number of oocytes retrieved and embryo cleavage rate between the different groups. Conclusions: the results of this study indicate that the success of IVF can be affected negatively in the smoker women, due to smaller fertilization rate and the worse embryonic quality.