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This study aimed to evaluate the prevalence of anxiety, depression and drug adherence in teachers in the Covid-19 pandemic. This is a descriptive research with quantitative and transversal approach. The sample consisted of 19 teachers, aged 38 to 56 years of the state public network of the city of Montes Claros -MG. In 68.4% of those evaluated there were no symptoms of anxiety, 89.5% did not report any level of depression, as 89.5% of those investigated said they did not use medicines, except those of usual use, already used even before the pandemic, unrelated to the present research. At the end, it can be inferred that there was a low or no prevalence of anxiety, depression and drug adherence in the sample studied, not discarding, however, the need to implement an educational policy that prioritizes and closely monitors the mental health of educators.
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The use of saliva directly in RT-PCR reactions may be interesting, particularly in screenings for the detection of DNA/RNA of pathogens, due to the advantages of time and costs. However, its use faces some difficulties that essentially result from the saliva being a matrix with a variable composition and which contains inhibitors of the polymerization reaction. Saliva samples obtained from healthy donors were spiked with SARS-CoV-2 RNA and 3 viral targets were detected by RT-PCR. This work was considered exempt from review by an institutional ethical review board, because it comprises use of completely anonymized specimens obtained voluntarily and informed. The efficiency of RT-PCR reactions was calculated in the presence of variable amounts of saliva and the effect of saliva pre-treatment on the performance of each reaction was also analysed. It was found that saliva has no significant influence on the mean efficiency of each individual reaction, affecting mainly the beginning of the exponential phase of amplification, resulting in a significant increase in Ct values. This effect which is target dependent, presents a highly between-person variability (DELTACt = 0.93 to 11.36) and affects RNA/DNA detection and the limit-of-detection, but can be partly reversed by a treatment of saliva prior to the reaction. The work presented contributes to a better understanding of the advantages and limitations of using saliva directly in RT-PCR. This work was supported by ProjectNORTE-01-0145- FEDER-072545- SAICTCOVID/72545/2020 and was the result of the projects: UIDB/05937/2020 and UIDP/05937/2020- Centre for Research and Development in Agrifood Systems and Sustainability-funded by national funds, through FCT-Fundacao para a Ciencia e a Tecnologia.Copyright © 2023 The American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc.
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Introduction: The health care offered to children and adolescents with cancer has been expanded, giving space to orthothanasia and palliative care, with a comprehensive look at the subject facing the threat to the continuity of life, as well as challenging professionals to access issues related to grief. Objective(s): In order to explore this reality, this study intended to analyze how professionals experience grieving processes in the exercise of palliative care in pediatric oncology. Method(s): A qualitative research was conducted with the participation of 23 health professionals working in palliative oncology and pediatric care, who responded to a semi-structured interview script, whose analyses were performed with the support of the IRaMuTeQ (Interface de R pour les Analyses Multidimensionnelles de Textes et de Questionnaires) software. Result(s): The results were organized in four classes: in class 1, the specificities of the treatment of children with cancer and other aspects related to chronic illness are portrayed;class 2 shows that health trainings do not prepare professionals to deal with death and with patients with no possibility of cure, and these professionals have (pre-) concepts about palliative care;class 3 highlights the principles of palliative care and other factors of the work in this therapy;and class 4 deals with the bonds formed by professionals and their grieving experiences. Conclusion(s): Cure must not be a requirement for the provision of care in relation to children with cancer that can benefit from the adoption of palliative care therapy and the validation of the sensitivity of professionals.Copyright © 2023, Universidad Compultense Madrid. All rights reserved.
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Objective: To analyze and compare COVID-19 patient characteristics, clinical management and outcomes between the peak and plateau periods of the first pandemic wave in Portugal. Methods: This was a multicentric ambispective cohort study including consecutive severe COVID-19 patients between March and August 2020 from 16 Portuguese intensive care units. The peak and plateau periods, respectively, weeks 10 - 16 and 17 - 34, were defined. Results: Five hundred forty-one adult patients with a median age of 65 [57 - 74] years, mostly male (71.2%), were included. There were no significant differences in median age (p = 0.3), Simplified Acute Physiology Score II (40 versus 39;p = 0.8), partial arterial oxygen pressure/fraction of inspired oxygen ratio (139 versus 136;p = 0.6), antibiotic therapy (57% versus 64%;p = 0.2) at admission, or 28-day mortality (24.4% versus 22.8%;p = 0.7) between the peak and plateau periods. During the peak period, patients had fewer comorbidities (1 [0 - 3] versus 2 [0 - 5];p = 0.002) and presented a higher use of vasopressors (47% versus 36%;p < 0.001) and invasive mechanical ventilation (58.1 versus 49.2%;p < 0.001) at admission, prone positioning (45% versus 36%;p = 0.04), and hydroxychloroquine (59% versus 10%;p < 0.001) and lopinavir/ ritonavir (41% versus 10%;p < 0.001) prescriptions. However, a greater use of high-flow nasal cannulas (5% versus 16%, p < 0.001) on admission, remdesivir (0.3% versus 15%;p < 0.001) and corticosteroid (29% versus 52%, p < 0.001) therapy, and a shorter ICU length of stay (12 days versus 8, p < 0.001) were observed during the plateau. Conclusion: There were significant changes in patient comorbidities, intensive care unit therapies and length of stay between the peak and plateau periods of the first COVID-19 wave. © 2023 Associacao de Medicina Intensiva Brasileira - AMIB. All rights reserved.
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Due to the whole context of pandemic and its social impacts, a fragile situation in public health is faced, and may not only cause physical illness, but especially mental suffering, which has a high chance of occurring in the general population and persisting with post-pandemic psychological symptoms. The study aimed to understand feelings and perceptions experienced by dependent UHS users affected by Coronavirus, as well as the sequelae resulting from the process of illness and cure of the virus. This is descriptive, exploratory study type with a qualitative approach. The collection was carried out in the municipality of Guarabira, PB, with 20 dependent UHS users, who were affected by COVID-19, and who had been cured for at least 1 month. Users were invited to participate in the research through social networks. The interviews were guided by the data collection instrument and conducted remotely, using digital audio and video platforms. The age range of the interviewees ranged from 20 to 63 years, and 17 (85%) were females and 3 (15%) were males. Most females had completed higher education and were single. Feelings such as fear, anxiety, anguish, and loneliness, and the presence of sequelae after the cure of COVID-19 were identified. These feelings were clearly exposed in the interviewees' statements and the most prevalent feeling was fear. The study allowed for the identification of feelings harmful to the mental health of the participants. Through the reports, the presence of important sequelae after the cure of COVID-19 was also identified. © 2022 Centro Universitario Sao Camilo. All rights reserved.
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Objetivos: Sabe-se que os tumores neuroectodermicos primitivos (PNETs) sao tumores raros envolvendo o sistema nervoso central, ossos ou tecidos moles, com pico de incidencia na adolescencia. O PNET e um tumor extremamente agressivo cuja sobrevida livre de doenca em 2 a 3 anos varia de 25 a 60%. Cerca de 30% dos pacientes apresentam metastase no momento do diagnostico. O prognostico varia de acordo com sitio acometido e a extensao da doenca ao diagnostico. O objetivo e relatar um caso raro de PNET, avaliado pela hematologia, com hipotese diagnostica inicial de leucemia aguda. Materiais e metodos: Coleta dos dados clinicos da paciente nas Unidades de Clinica Medica e Hematologia do HUCAM, bem como o levantamento em prontuario dos resultados de provas laboratoriais e exames especializados. Resultado: Paciente do sexo feminino, 19 anos, admitida no hospital com plaquetopenia grave. A paciente relatava mialgia, cefaleia e calafrios que iniciaram apos a terceira dose da vacinacao para Covid, evoluindo 2 dias apos com o surgimento de equimoses em membros e metrorragia. Ao exame fisico apresentava-se levemente palida, afebril, com sangramento cutaneo, sem linfonodomegalias perifericas ou visceromegalia. Os exames iniciais revelaram uma anemia normocitica (Hb-10.5g/dl), leucocitos-8200/mm3, plaquetopenia (12000/mm3), aumento de desidrogenase latica (DHL-4550), beta HCG negativo. A morfologia inicial do sangue periferico nao revelou alteracoes leucocitarias, porem o mielograma mostrou uma infiltracao intensa da medula ossea por celulas com caracteristicas imaturas, compativel com celulas blasticas. A imunofenotipagem estas celulas eram negativas para CD45, e para os marcadores de linhagens mieloide, linfoides B e T, e celulas dendriticas, e positivas para CD56. O diagnostico final foi de um tumor neuroectodermico primitivo com base na histopatologia da biopsia de medula. Discussao: Apresentamos o caso de uma paciente jovem com o diagnostico de PNET avancado, com manifestacoes hemorragicas cutaneo-mucosas de evolucao aguda, associado a plaquetopenia grave e infiltracao da medula ossea por celulas imaturas com caracteristicas blasticas, que faziam suspeitar fortemente de uma leucemia aguda, portanto, uma apresentacao atipica para um tumor solido raro e de comportamento agressivo, cujo diagnostico so foi possivel atraves de exames especializados. Conclusao: O diagnostico de certas neoplasias pode ser desafiador devido a sua rara incidencia e, por vezes, apresentacao clinica atipica, que pode simular outras doencas. O envolvimento primario do sangue periferico e da medula ossea suscita a avaliacao inicial do hematologista que, com base nos conhecimentos clinico e laboratorial, e capaz de estabelecer um raciocinio amplo e diferencial, cuja confirmacao requer o conhecimento de um especialista experiente para diagnostico assertivo e precoce. Copyright © 2022
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The covid-19 pandemic accelerated many digital transformations in Brazil and the world, and one of them was online shopping, which already had an upward trend in revenue and grew even more from 2020 onwards due to the social isolation actions as a way as how to contain the spread of coronavirus. This above-expected increase directly impacted the value and time delivery of online purchases. It is relevant, in this moment of advanced vaccination and return of presidential economic activities, to study whether the dynamics of online shopping tend to remain constant. To characterize the online purchase behavior of Brazilian consumers throughout the pandemic and their intentions of online shopping in the post-pandemic future, as well as their perceptions about the shipping prices and delivery time, questionnaires, were applied to e-shoppers from Brazil. Information was collected regarding the profile of the sample, the isolation situation in the face of the pandemic, the online purchase behavior during the period, and their perceptions about the freight changes. The results indicate that part of the changes in online shopping that occurred during the period of the covid-19 pandemic should remain in the post-pandemic scenario. They also indicate that there is a perception that the shipping prices has increased and that the delivery time has decreased during this period. © 2022, The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG.
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Introduction: COVID-19 is an infectious disease caused by coronavirus-2 associated with severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS-CoV-2). Although most infected individual sare asymptomatic, a proportion of patients with COVID-19 develop severe disease with multiple organ damage. Aim: The present study aimed to correlate autoimmune diseases with the mechanisms triggered by SARS-CoV-2 infection. Methodology: The Center for Biotechnology Information (PubMed) and the Scientific Electronic Library Online (SciELO) databases were used for this study. As inclusion criteria, articles arising from the correlation of autoimmune diseases with COVID-19 were selected. Development: Studies have elucidated that SARS-CoV-2 can disrupt self-tolerance and trigger immune responses through cross-reactivity with host cells, culminating in the production of autoantibodies, and consequently, the development of autoimmune diseases. However, the risk of infection and prognosis of COVID-19 in patients with autoimmune diseases remains controversial, and further studies are needed to understand the complexity of the correlation between the virus and the onset of these diseases.
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The Covid-19 pandemic in Chile was declared as such in March 2020. As a result, the Ministry of Education compiled guidelines to provide continuity to the formative processes, through which the concept of remote learning emerged. This research paper aims at identifying academic satisfaction of pedagogy students in a higher education institution (HEI) regarding learning in the virtual mode in the pandemic context. A quantitative, non-experimental, cross-sectional methodology was used. The sample consisted of 337 students in 6 pedagogical courses at an HEI in the Araucanía region to whom a questionnaire on satisfaction with virtual teaching was administered. Results indicated that student satisfaction was low regarding the way content was handled and evaluation mechanisms used in the virtual mode. However, high satisfaction was shown in the items corresponding to teacher-student interaction. In addition, we found no statistically significant differences in the items related to the fulfillment of expectations and learning achieved in the virtual mode, either by gender, level of study, program, or academic performance. Finally, there was high dissatisfaction with virtual teaching during the present academic cycle. We recommend the systematic evaluation of the indicators of educational quality, mainly linked to the treatment of the content, the evaluation mechanisms used, and the teacher-student interaction channels, since they improve the academic performance of HEIs. © Authors.
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The COVID-19 let sequelae not only in the respiratory system but also in several other systems, for instance in the skeletal muscle and in the immune response. This study evaluated the effects of 12 weeks of pulmonary rehabilitation (PR), constituted by aerobic (30 minutes of treadmill training at 75% of maximum heart rate) and resistance training (30 minutes at 75% of 1 maximum repetition) on 33 moderate and severe post-COVID-19 patients. The results demonstrated that PR effectively improved lung function, denoted by improved FVC (p<0.02), FEV1 (p<0.02), FEV1/FVC (p<0.01), MEF25% (p<0.006), MEF50% (p<0.03), and MEF75% (p<0.02). PR also improved lung mechanics, denoted by improved respiratory impedance (Z5hz, p<0.03);respiratory reactance (X5Hz, p<0.01), resistance of the whole respiratory systems (R5Hz, p<0.03), central airway resistance (RCentral, p<0.03), and peripheral airway resistance (RPeripheral, p<0.02). In addition, PR improved peripheral muscle strength denoted by increased right (p<0.02) and left (p<0.01) hand grip strength and the respiratory muscle strength, denoted by increased maximum inspiratory pressure (p<0.02) and maximum expiratory pressure (p<0.03). Of note, PR reduced pulmonary (breath condensate) inflammation, as observed by reduced levels of the pro-inflammatory cytokine IL-1beta (p<0.0001), IL-6 (p<0.0001), while increased the levels of the anti-inflammatory cytokine IL- 1RA (p<0.0004) and IL-10 (p<0.003), beyond to increase the levels of the cytokines with anti-viral properties, IFN-gamma (p<0.0002) and IFN-beta (p<0.008). Such response was also observed in the serum, as denoted by reduced levels of pro-inflammatory IL-1beta (p<0.006), and IL-6 (p<0.01), while increased the levels of anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-1RA (p<0.0001), and IL-10 (p<0.0001). PR also increased the serum levels of the cytokines with anti-viral properties, IFN-gamma (p<0.02) and IFN-beta (p<0.001). In conclusion, PR reveals to be beneficial for post-COVID-19 patients, mitigating the sequelae observed in the respiratory system, skeletal muscle and in the immune response.
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Over the years, the scientific community has sought improvements in the life quality of patients diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease (AD). Synaptic loss and neuronal death observed in the regions responsible for cognitive functions represent an irreversible progressive disease that is clinically characterized by impaired cognitive and functional abilities, along with behavioral symptoms. Currently, image and body fluid biomarkers can provide early dementia diagnostic, being it the best way to slow the disease's progression. The first signs of AD development are still complex, the existence of individual genetic and phenotypic characteristics about the disease makes it difficult to standardize studies on the subject. The answer seems to be related between Aß and tau proteins. Aß deposition in the medial parietal cortex appears to be the initial stage of AD, but it does not have a strong correlation with neurodegeneration. The strongest link between symptoms occurs with tau aggregation, which antecede Aß deposits in the medial temporal lobe, however, the protein can be found in cognitively healthy older people. The answer to the question may lie in some catalytic effect between both proteins. Amid so many doubts, Aducanumab was approved, which raised controversies and results intense debate in the scientific field. Abnormal singling of some blood biomarkers produced by adipocytes under high lipogenesis, such as TNFα, leptin, and interleukin-6, demonstrate to be linked to neuroinflammation worsens, diabetes, and also severe cases of COVID-19, howsoever, under higher lipolysis, seem to have therapeutic anti-inflammatory effects in the brain, which has increasingly contributed to the understanding of AD. In addition, the relationship of severe clinical complications caused by Sars-CoV-2 viral infection and AD, go beyond the term "risk group" and may be related to the development of dementia long-term. Thus, this review summarized the current emerging pharmacotherapies, alternative treatments, and nanotechnology applied in clinical trials, discussing relevant points that may contribute to a more accurate look.
Subject(s)
Alzheimer Disease , COVID-19 Drug Treatment , Aged , Alzheimer Disease/genetics , Amyloid beta-Peptides/metabolism , Biomarkers , Humans , Positron-Emission Tomography , SARS-CoV-2 , tau Proteins/metabolismABSTRACT
Cognitive engagement (CE) is a prerequisite for students' meaningful learning. The present text analyses the student's CE in a proposal based on the Flipped Classroom (FC) model, in distance education (DE). The proposal was implemented through an action-research cycle in Portuguese secondary schools during the Covid-19 pandemic. It combined asynchronous and synchronous lessons divided into teacher-led activities (TLA) and student-centred activities (SCA). To understand the influence of the design of the activities in the student's CE and the impact of the proposal on the students' academic performances, the students' discourses, perceptions, and knowledge assessment tests were analysed. The results showed higher levels of student CE in ACA, as it allowed for a more active role for the students in knowledge construction, greater facilitation from the teacher and peer learning. The results of the students' academic performance were higher in DE than in face-to-face teaching. This may be associated with the CE indicators (positive self-perceptions, self-efficacy, and content understanding) identified in the students' perceptions. However, the same analysis also identified several aspects that need improvement to enhance the FC model in DE. © 2022 Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais. All rights reserved.
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Part of the world’s population is nutrient deficient, a phenomenon known as hidden hunger. Poor eating conditions cause this deficiency, leading to illnesses and recovery difficulties. Malnourished patients are more easily affected by Covid-19 and have a difficult recovery after the illness. An effective food choice has the price and nutritional value of food products as the most relevant factors, with the price being the most relevant, considering the context of countries such as Brazil. Thus, having identified a scenario in which the access and food price mainly cause malnutrition. This work proposes an architecture, called Nutri’n Price, to recommend high nutritional foods with low costs. The architecture encompasses a network of ontologies, inference algorithms, information retrieval and collaborative filtering techniques to recommend the best foods according to nutrient choice, price, and user contextual information. A prototype of a mobile application was developed to evaluate the feasibility of the proposed architecture. © 2022, The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG.
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Purpose - The purpose of this study was to assess knowledge, attitudes and behaviors about COVID-19 among Portuguese higher education students. Design/methodology/approach - In May 2020, all students from a Portuguese University were invited to participate in completing an online questionnaire. A total of 262 students participated. COVID-19 related knowledge, attitudes toward COVID-19 and preventive behaviors were assessed. Differences between outcomes and sociodemographics were analyzed through independent t-tests and the ANOVA. A generalized linear model was calculated to determine the predictive variables of preventive behaviors. Findings - Students revealed good knowledge about COVID-19, correctly answering 13.06 (SD = 1.25) questions in a total of 14 and favorable attitudes toward preventive behaviors (M = 32.73, SD = 2.88). Students reported always engaging in, on average, 5.81 (SD = 2.61) of the 12 behavior analyzed. Females presented higher levels of knowledge, more positive attitudes and engaged in more preventive behaviors than males. Being a bachelor's (Exp (beta) = 8.213, 95% CI: 1.791-37.670, p < 0.01) or a master's degree student (Exp (beta) = 7.568, 95% CI: 1.598-35.835, p < 0.05) and having positive attitudes toward preventive behavior of COVID-19 predicted the adoption of those preventive behavior (Exp (beta) = 1.340, 95% CI: 1.189-1.510,p < 0.001). Originality/value - This study provides useful data to plan health education programs about COVID-19 among higher education students. The continuous investment by universities in preventive campaigns is essential to promote good preventive behaviors in the next academic year.
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This chapter aims to describe a research work in a real context, focusing on small industries and why they must become more digital, in order to create new and innovative business models and remain competitive in a post-COVID-19 scenario. It also aims to present the challenges small industries will face as a result of the digital revolution ahead, why they should reinvent their business models to be more prepared in the future, and why they should use the pandemic scenario as a lever to make this change faster and more agile. A qualitative methodology is used based on document analysis of use-case information collected from KFactory, a technological consulting startup that works with small industries and helps them identify opportunities and benefits in adopting Industry 4.0. The authors hope that the KFactory case study can contribute to a better understanding of how industries can benefit from technology to improve their production methods, adapt to a post-pandemic scenario, and engage in the new digital revolution. © 2021, IGI Global.
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With the unexpected arrival of the COVID-19 pandemic, countries worldwide were forced to take measures to curb its transmission. Mobility restrictions policies were the primary preventive measures applied around the globe. In addition to reducing the disease spread, they resulted in air quality changes in urbanized areas. In this sense, this study aimed to investigate how the mobility restrictions imposed by public policies impacted the air quality in Brazil during the COVID-19 2020 outbreak. Therefore, air quality (CO, NO2, PM10, PM2.5, and O-3) and urban mobility datasets available in five populous Brazilian states (Sao Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Espirito Santo, Parana, and Rio Grande do Sul) were analyzed. Variations in air pollutant concentrations were verified by comparing the period during mobility restrictions (2020) and the average concentrations found before the restrictions (2015-2019). In addition, spatial assessment of changes was evaluated using tropospheric NO2 column densities from the TROPOMI. Although there was no national regulation regarding mobility restrictions, the results show that the reduction in urban mobility was similar for all the analyzed states. Following the mobility behavior, reducing air pollutant concentrations were significant for the first 30 days of restrictions. During this period, the most substantial reductions were observed for CO in the State of Rio Grande do Sul (-53%), NO2 in Rio de Janeiro (-34%), and PM10 in Espirito Santo (-23%). The exception was observed for O-3, which followed the world trend of increasing concentrations (e.g., 40% increase in Parana). Spatially, it was possible to evidence that large urban centers (with a large vehicle fleet) were the ones that showed the most significant reduction in NO2. However, when analyzing longer periods (over 90 days), there is a trend towards an increase in the concentrations of primary pollutants and a consequent reduction in O-3, reflecting the significant increase in mobility rates.