Most of what is known about the seasonal variation in suicide rate originates from studies conducted in the northern hemisphere; very few studies have been done in the southern hemisphere. The purpose of the present study was to explore the possibility that in Brazil, the seasonal variation of suicides is a function of photoperiod. This was accomplished by analyzing monthly suicide data for a 12 yr period (1979 to 1990), within latitudes ranging from 2 degrees N to 33 degrees S. Single cosinor analyses with periods of 12 or 6 months were applied to time series of monthly total and suicidal deaths, separated by gender and state. Significant spring or early summer peaks of suicide were found only in the south of Brazil for both men and women, except for the latter in one state. These peaks did not coincide with those found for total deaths, which occurred in the autumn or winter in all areas. No significant six-month period was found. In the present study, the chance of a suicide was typically 10-17% higher during the peak period than during the other months of the year. Although this moderate seasonal effect might not be sufficient to justify planning large scale prophylactic interventions, those dealing with patients who have suicide ideation should be aware of this high risk time.

Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is a complex condition comprising a ‘clustering’ of components representing cardiometabolic risk factors for heart disease and diabetes; its prevalence rate is high and consequences serious. Evidence suggests that light exposure patterns and misalignment of circadian rhythms might contribute to MetS etiology by impacting energy metabolism and glucose regulation. We hypothesised that individuals with MetS would show disrupted circadian and sleep parameters alongside differences in light exposure profiles. We investigated this using data from a cohort study in Brazil. Data from 103 individuals from the Baependi Heart Cohort Study aged between 50 and 70 were analysed. Motor activity and light exposure were measured using wrist-worn actigraphy devices. Cardiometabolic data were used to calculate the number of MetS components present in each participant, and participants grouped as MetS/non-MetS according to standard guidelines. Between-group comparisons were made for the actigraphy measures; additionally, correlation analyses were conducted. Motor activity and circadian profiles showed no differences between groups. However, the MetS group presented lower light exposure during the day and higher light exposure at night. Correlation analyses, including all participants, showed that greater daytime light exposure and greater light exposure difference between day and night were associated with reduced MetS risk (a lower number of MetS components). Also, the light exposure difference between day and night correlated with body mass index across all participants. The observed results suggest a direct association between light exposure and MetS which appears to not be attributable to disruptions in circadian activity rhythm nor to sleep parameters. This link between light exposure patterns and MetS risk could inform possible prevention strategies.

Objective: To test if individuals having height-for-age z scores between -2 and -1 present higher body fat percentage and, therefore, should not be categorized as having normal nutritional status. Methods: The study involved 96 individuals (52 boys and 44 girls); 57% of whom had already attained puberty. Body composition was analyzed by dual energy X-ray absorptiometry. Results: The percentage of abdominal body fat in pre-pubertal stunted girls was higher (27.4%; p = 0.01) in comparison with their non-stunted counterparts (20.6%). Similar differences in abdominal fat content (%) were observed for pubertal stunted and non-stunted girls and boys (37.6 and 29.8%, respectively, p = 0.01; 24.6 and 15.7%, p = 0.01, respectively). The percentages of total body fat percent in pre-pubertal stunted girls and pubertal stunted boys (29.9 and 24.5%, p = 0.03; 26.3 and 18.1%, p = 0.01, respectively) were higher than those of their non-stunted counterparts. Non-stunted groups showed lower waist circumferences. Conclusion: Adolescents with mild stunting exhibit alterations in body composition indicating increased risk of metabolic diseases.

INTRODUCTION/OBJECTIVES: Controlled-release lithium formulations were developed to minimize elevated blood peaks, related to side-effects and intoxications. However, there is little information about the bioavailability of the only controlled-release lithium formulation available in Brazil. The objective of this study was to compare the bioavailability of controlled-release and immediate-release lithium formulations, after single and multiple doses. METHODS: Twelve healthy volunteers received 900 mg of immediate-release or controlled-release lithium carbonate in single or multiple doses during 9 days. After single dose administration, the following parameters were analyzed for each formulation: maximum lithium concentration (Cmax); time to reach Cmax (t max); area under the curve of serum concentration versus time (AUC0-12 and AUC0-¥) and the elimination half-life (t1/2 elim.). After multiple doses, Cmax; t max; AUC0-12; mean (Cmean) and minimum drug concentration (Cmin) and degree of fluctuation (DF) were analyzed. A 90% confidence interval (90%CI) for the ratio between the AUCs for each formulation was constructed. RESULTS/DISCUSSION: Following single dose, the two formulations were bioequivalent; however, they were not after multiple doses. This fact could be a consequence of methodological limitations of lithium level's measurements since, following single dose, these levels could not be detected at time periods 24 and 48h in many volunteers, compromising the calculation of t1/2 elim ,and consequently of the AUC0-¥ and the 90%CI to the ratio of these areas. Therefore, the bioequivalence found after single dose may be an unreliable result.

Fictional datasets, for testing and learning purposes, composed of basic/measurable and computed variables of the Munich Chronotype Questionnaire (MCTQ) standard, shift, and micro versions. The *.csv files represent the raw data and *.rda files the processed data. This data was created by randomized sampling and by manual insertions of special cases. You can find it in the mctq R package. Its purpose is to demonstrate common cases and data issues that researchers may find in their MCTQ data, in addition to be a suggested data structure for MCTQ data. To learn more about the Munich Chronotype Questionnaire (MCTQ), see Roenneberg, Wirz-Justice, & Merrow (2003), Roenneberg, Allebrandt, Merrow, & Vetter (2012), Roenneberg et al. (2015), and Roenneberg, Pilz, Zerbini, & Winnebeck (2019). To know about different MCTQ versions, see Juda, Vetter, & Roenneberg (2013) and Ghotbi et al. (2020). If you're curious about the the variable computations and want to have access to the full questionnaire, see The Worldwide Experimental Platform (n.d.). See the full documentation of each dataset at: std_mctq, micro_mctq, and shift_mctq.