Ecofriendly aminochalcogenation of alkenes: a green alternative to obtain compounds with potential anti-SARS-CoV-2 activity

Here, we report a solvent- and metal-free methodology for the aminochalcogenation of alkenes, using molecular iodine as a catalyst, DMSO as a stoichiometric oxidant, and different nucleophiles under microwave irradiation. This ecofriendly approach provided the desired products with good to excellent yields in just 20 minutes. In addition, twenty compounds obtained by this methodology were referred for evaluation of potential antiviral activity against the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2. Two of the evaluated compounds (named 4d and 5b) showed potent antiviral activity, with a low cytotoxic profile resulting in a promising selectivity index.Copyright © 2023 The Royal Society of Chemistry.

A Framework for Assessing Higher Education Courses Employability

The 4th Industrial Revolution is causing profound and accelerated changes to work, bringing new opportunities and challenges as new technologies impact practically all occupations. The transformations in the labor market were accelerated even more due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In the scenario where old careers cease to exist, and new occupations are being created, Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) need to be prepared to educate professionals capable of getting and keeping qualified jobs. To do so, HEIs need tools to evaluate their undergraduate courses in the face of the changing demands of the labor market. We propose a novel approach to employability from the perspective of HEIs, creating a framework- called Higher Education Courses Employability (HECE). The framework can help HEI decision-makers to make decisions based on employability data. The framework allows for mitigating the reported gap between the theory taught in HEIs and the labor market demands. We evaluated the HECE framework as useful and relevant by HEI decision-makers and Employability experts from Brazil, a continental country with great social differences between and within its regions, and where the unemployment and underemployment rates demonstrate the mismatch between the labor market demands and the undergraduate course's curricula. The applicability of HECE in different Brazillian regions provides evidence that we can apply the framework in most contexts. This study provides tools to facilitate the implementation of the framework by HEIs. The evaluators reported the innovative nature of the approach of this research. © 2013 IEEE.

Effect of Cytokine Adsorption on Mortality: A Meta-Analysis

Background: Cytokine adsorption using the CytoSorb device had been proposed to be beneficial in various clinical settings including sepsis, ARDS, hyperinflammatory syndromes, cardiac surgery or recovery after cardiac arrest. The aim of this analysis was to provide evidence for the efficacy of the CytoSorb device with regard to mortality in these settings. Method(s): We searched Medline, Cochrane Library database and used the database provided by CytosorbentsTM. Central Register of Controlled Trials and clinicaltrials. gov for randomized, controlled studies (01.1.2010-28.2.22). We considered randomized controlled trials and observational studies with a control group. The longest reported mortality (30 days-, hospital- or ICU-mortality) was defined as primary endpoint. For analyzing the data we computed risk ratios and 95%-confidence intervals and used DerSimonian and Lairds random effects model (R 4.1). We analysed all studies together and separated in the subgroups sepsis, cardiac surgery, SARS-CoV-2 infection, recovery from cardiac arrest, other severe illness. The meta-analysis was registered in advance (PROSPERO: CRD42022290334). Result(s): Of initial 1249 publications, 37 trials were found eligible, in total including 1256 patients treated with CytoSorb and 1230 controls. Concerning the primary endpoint mortality Cytosorb did not show a positive effect in all studies together 1.10 [0.92;1.33] RR [95%-CI], in sepsis 1.03 [0.81;1.31], CPB surgery 0.85 [0.51;1.44], severe illness 1.05 [0.79;1.39], SARS-CoV-2 1.58 [0.50;4.94], and recovery from cardiac arrest 1.22 [1.02;1.46] (figure). Likewise we did not find significant difference in ICU length of stay, lactate levels, or norepinephrine after treatment. Conclusion(s): To date there is no evidence for a positive effect of the CytoSorb adsorber on mortality across a bunch of indications that justifies its widespread use in intensive care medicine. (Table Presented).

Impacts of the Covid-19 Pandemic on the Education of Young People and Adults in Rio De Janeiro's Municipal Network

This article aims to reflect the impacts caused by the Covid-19 pandemic on Youth and Adult Education (EJA), in the municipal education network of Rio de Janeiro, faced with the new challenges experienced in the modality caused by the closure of schools and the realization of school activities mediated by digital technologies. This is the result of the exploratory research, conducted between May and June 2020, whose data procedure was done through interviews with five teachers of the modality and with the subgerent of the Education Management of SME-RJ. The data indicate the inconsistency of remote education for the modality, given the little relation of students with technology, low internet access, precarious housing conditions and the need of students -workers and bosses.

Sleeping environment and sleep patterns of university students during the covid-19 pandemic

Introduction: The social distancing imposed by the Covid-19 pandemic caused changes in routines and affected the biological rhythm, especially among young adults. Objective: To identify the sleeping environment and sleep patterns of students at a Public University located in the Midwest region of Brazil during the Covid-19 pandemic. Methods: Crosssectional study with sample derived from the project: mental health, nutritional care and sleep pattern of the university community during the covid-19 pandemic, conducted with university students of both genders who answered an online questionnaire about the sleeping environment and sleep patterns collected in 2021. Results: 106 students participated in the study, with a higher prevalence of females, 71.1% (95%CI 62.3-80.2) sleep alone and in a noisy dormitory, at room temperature without controlled air conditioning and use electronics at bedtime, 49.1% (95%CI 38.7-58.5) use electronic devices with an average duration of 01h07, 61.3% (95%CI 51.9-69.8) of these students reported having fragmented sleep, 45.3% (95%CI 35.8-54.7) with occurrence at least once a night. Conclusion: The Covid-19 pandemic negatively impacted the sleep patterns and the sleeping environment, considered alarming for this vulnerable populace.

Chronotype, food structure and anthropometric profile of university students during the Covid-19 pandemic

Introduction: The pandemic imposed the need for social distancing with a consequent modification of the work and study routines, which in turn led to numerous changes. Circadian desynchronization, changes in food consumption from omission of meals to nutritionally insufficient food intake, especially during the gym, where students report little time for self-care. Objective: To identify the chronotype, anthropometric profile and dietary structure of students at a public university located in the Midwest region of Brazil during the Covid-19 pandemic. Methods: Cross-sectional study with sample comes from the project mental health, nutritional care and standard of sleep in the university community during the covid-19 pandemic, carried out with university students who answered the online questionnaire to identify the chronotype Morningness- Eveningness Questionnaire, validated version for Brazilian population, and self-reported questions about food structure and anthropometric profile. Results: 106 students participated in the study, 33% (95%CI 23.6-41.5) often had less than three meals a day, 30% (95%CI 21.7-38.3) omitted breakfast and 22% (95%CI 12.5-31.9) do not have meals in appropriate places, 30.2% (95%CI 21.7-39.6) reported discomfort after meals, 40.6% (95%CI 32.1-50.9) have excess weight and 71.1% (95%CI 63.2-80.2) had weight gain in the last three months. About chronotype, 25.5% (95%CI 15.1-31.1) have classified as evening, 43.3% of them often skipping breakfast and 25.5% (95%CI 17,9 - 34.0) do not have class schedules compatible with chronotype. Conclusion: The high prevalence found of alterations in anthropometric profile and in food structure allow the planning of actions aimed at better synchronization of circadian rhythm and prevention of damage to health and better academic performance of these young people.

HISTOPLASMOSE MEDULAR REFRATÁRIA AO TRATAMENTO: RELATO DE CASO

Objetivo: Relatar um caso de histoplasmose com acometimento medular em um Hospital Universitário no Sul do Brasil. Descrição do caso: Masculino, 39 anos, trabalhador rural. Histórico de internação em dezembro de 2020 para investigação de pancitopenia, hepatoesplenomegalia, febre e perda ponderal, sendo diagnosticado com histoplasmose pulmonar e medular e iniciado o uso de Itraconazol 200 mg 2x/dia. Evoluiu com melhora clínica, exames de março de 2021 traziam hemoglobina 11,6;leucócitos 2.150;plaquetas 86 mil;bilirrubinas totais 0,91. Em abril, é admitido no pronto socorro por quadro de icterícia, astenia, hemoptise e epistaxe iniciado há 4 dias. Constatou-se hemoglobina 6,5;leucócitos 1.620;plaquetas 5 mil, proteína C reativa > 12 mg/dl, DHL 707 U/L, bilirrubina total 16 mg/dL. Sorologias negativas. Tomografia de tórax exibiu extensas opacidades com atenuação em vidro fosco, bilaterais e com distribuição predominantemente central associadas a leve espessamento liso dos septos interlobulares, sendo sugestivo de processo infeccioso/inflamatório. Teste PCR para Covid-19 negativo. Tomografia de abdome com esplenomegalia de 28 cm e áreas hipodensas sem realce ao contraste, bem como líquido subcapsular, as quais poderiam representar áreas de infarto esplênico por degeneração líquida/necrose. Linfonodomegalias junto à veia porta com 1,8 cm e na cadeia paracaval direita com 1,6 cm. Prosseguiu-se investigação com mielograma, cujo laudo mostrou série vermelha com precursores eritroides sem displasia, normocelular;série branca hipercelular, sem excesso de formas jovens, com pelo menos 5 macrófagos com grânulos citoplasmáticos sugestivos de causa infecciosa ativados com sinais de hematofagocitose;e megacariócitos presentes sem displasias. Foi considerada a hipótese de histoplasmose aguda persistente. Iniciado Anfotericina B lipídica e realizado suporte transfusional. Posteriormente, pesquisa de anticorpos anti-Histoplasma capsulatum resultou positivo para banda M, e anatomopatológico evidenciou medula óssea acentuadamente hipercelular, com população celular de aparência histiocitária e citoplasma amplo e claro, por vezes contendo elementos hematopoiéticos fagocitados, sem formação de granulomas. Apesar da otimização das medidas terapêuticas, houve evolução para óbito. Discussão e conclusão: A histoplasmose é uma doença granulomatosa sistêmica causada pelo Histoplasma capsulatum, que, em imunocompetentes, costuma ser autolimitada e assintomática, com evolução satisfatória. Todavia, alguns pacientes desenvolvem a forma disseminada progressiva, que ocorre em 1:2.000 pacientes com infecção aguda. Para indivíduos sem acometimento do sistema nervoso central, o tratamento é feito com anfotericina B ou um derivado azólico, como o itraconazol. Neste caso, como o paciente apresentava doença grave, optou-se pela anfotericina B, que erradica a fungemia e atinge níveis séricos terapêuticos com rapidez. O descalonamento para itraconazol pode ser realizado se condições clínicas favoráveis. A literatura sugere que o tratamento por um ano é capaz de reduzir recaídas, mas é possível estendê-lo por mais tempo na presença de imunossupressão irreversível. Se não houver boa tolerância farmacológica, tem-se como opções fluconazol, posaconazol ou voriconazol.

DIAGNÓSTICO HEMATOLÓGICO EM PACIENTE INTERNADO POR COVID-19 COM SINTOMAS NEUROPSIQUIATRICOS

Introdução: Anemias carenciais são patologias de alta prevalência dentre as doenças da série vermelha, o qual a Deficiência de Vitamina B12 se destaca na sua pluralidade de sintomas clínicos. Objetivos: Relatar caso de paciente internada por Covid-19 com quadro clínico grave de anemia, paraparesia e psicose por Deficiência de B12. Relato de caso: Paciente sexo Feminino, 45 anos, sem comorbidades prévias, internada em junho/2021 em enfermaria Covid-19 devido sintomas respiratórios altos com teste Rápido sorológico por método imunocromatográfico positivo. Iniciou há 08 meses quadro progressivo de astenia, parestesia de membros inferiores, evoluindo progressivamente para paraparesia, associado nos últimos 02 meses com quadro de embotamento, alucinações visuais e sonoras, déficit cognitivo e retenção urinária. Em hemograma prévio a internação apresenta resultado: HB 6,0. Ht 17,9%, VCM 111,9. HCM 37,5;CHCM 37,5;RDW 18,5%;Leucócitos: 2800;BAST: 2%;SEGMEN: 40%;LINF 56%;EOSI 1%;MONO: 1%;PLAQ 149.000;DHL 1.920U/L;PCR 12,7. FERRITINA 339 ALT: 23, AST: 31. MAGNÉSIO 1,7. SÓDIO 146. POTASSIO 4,5;FOSFORO 3,49;CALCIO TOTAL: 8,61;CLORO: 98;UREIA 25. CREAT 0,46. Foi solicitado dosagem de VIT B12 e ácido fólico, demonstrado seguintes resultados: Acido fólico sérico >20 ng/mL. Vitamina B12 sérica: < 50,00 pg/mL. Foi iniciado reposição na primeira semana com Cobalamina 15.000ui divididas em 03 doses em dias alternados, posteriormente com 5.000ui/semana. Sua resposta ao tratamento na primeira semana foi a normalização da contagem de plaquetas e de leucócitos (177.000 e 5050 respectivamente), melhora dos sintomas psiquiátricos e neuro cognitivo, e breve melhora da parestesia e paraparesia de membros inferiores. A paciente foi encaminhada para Endoscopia Digestiva Alta e Ressonância Magnética de Coluna Lombossacra em sua alta da enfermaria Covid-19 para investigação etiológica Discussão: Diante do contexto da Pandemia Covid-19, a investigação de sinais e sintomas clínicos não compatíveis com a infecção em uma internação, torna-se importante para o atendimento integral ao paciente, reconhecendo e investigando diagnósticos diferenciais que podem coexistir. Em meio aos sintomas psiquiátricos e neurológicos, a investigação de Deficiência de Vitamina B12 entra como importante hipótese diagnóstica diante de alterações hematológicas associado ao quadro clínico. Conclusão: no contexto da Pandemia, vários diagnósticos podem ser elucidados em meio a coexistência de infecção por Covid-19.

CONTRADICTIONS OF YOUTH AND ADULT EDUCATION IN TIMES OF REMOTE EDUCATION

The aim of this article is to analyze the potentialities and limits of pedagogic practices mediated by digital technologies, in current context in which the world coexists with Covid-19, that prevented, beyond other daily activities, that the schools have continued the school year of 2020 and have begun the school year of 2021. The present study is centered in the Youth and Adult Education (YAE), in Elementary and High levels, under the hypotheses that the students of the YAE are who have higher difficulties of adaptation to the newest teaching and learning practices with technologic interface, due the low ability of the most students in the usage of electronic equipment and absence of access to internet. This research has a qualitative-quantitative approach, which methodologically used questionnaire, answered by 79 teachers, through digital formulary. The main conclusions of the study point to low adhesion of the YAE students to digital platforms and remote activities, and the necessity of the public politics and teacher training to invest in education mediated by technology as an extra resource in teaching and learning process and in the warranty of the right to education for all. It also signals how teachers and students are experiencing this pandemic context and the teachers expectatives about YAE in after-pandemic period.

MITIGATING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC: A PORTRAIT OF THE EXPERIENCE FROM THE LUSOPHONE WORLD

This article aims to provide a reflection on the World Health Organization sponsored Project: "Responsibility for Public Health in the Lusophone World: Doing Justice In and Beyond the Covid Emergency". This initiative was designed to gather experiences and data regarding the preparedness and response to the SARS-CoV-2 Pandemic in Angola, Brazil, Mozambique, Portugal and the Macao Special Administrative Region. Launched in November 2020, it combines the in-depth analysis of the most recent legislation and bibliography on the matter with data obtained through a Questionnaire, addressed to a significant number of participants (from healthcare workers to academics and non-government organisations (NGOs), of which there were 41 respondents), which aims to gather different experiences and analyse ethical difficulties, identified in the response to the Pandemic.

Sentiment Analysis During the COVID-19 Pandemic as a Tool for Exploring Psychosocial Expression in Cyberspace

This work presents the Brazilian population’s Sentiment Analysis during the COVID-19 pandemic, using Robert Plutchik’s wheel of emotions classifications. The study ended by checking the application feasibility regarding the monitoring of social media while exploring the psychosocial expression of cyberspace. After data preparation, there were assessed the best results and the supervised learning algorithms. Real data was the source for this work, with near 150,000 tweets, between March and October 2020. A total of 4491 tweets were manually labeled for training and test classification, in a proportion of 75% being used for training and 25% for testing. The results showed a precision of up to 0.78, having a recall between 0.56 and 0.82 and f1-score ranging from 0.57 to 0.80. Considering the results of populational sentiments, varying minimally on tweets, given the presence of COVID, while citing the Brazilian Army, no causal relationship has been demonstrated between the general sentiments of the public in Brazil and that related to the Brazilian Army. © 2021, Associacao Iberica de Sistemas e Tecnologias de Informacao. All rights reserved.

Increased alcohol consumption during COVID-19 pandemic is projected to increase alcohol-related liver disease: A modeling study

Background: Studies have reported increases in alcohol consumption and hospital admissions for alcohol-related liver disease (ALD) during coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic in 2020. Our aim was to project the effect of increased alcohol consumption during COVID-19 on longterm ALD and mortality in the United States. Methods: We extended a previously developed mathematical model that simulated the natural history of ALD in US adults by accounting for current age- and sex-based drinking rates as collected by the National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions (NESARC), changes in drinking patterns in the US population from NESARC-III data, and fibrosis progression rates for drinkers of varying levels from published studies. We calibrated unknown progression probabilities to reproduce the observed trends in initiation of alcohol consumption, and deaths from cirrhosis associated with ALD in the US from 2012 to 2018. The model accounted for competing causes of mortality, both related and unrelated to alcohol use. We modeled short- and long-term outcomes of current drinking patterns during COVID-19 (status quo) using survey data of changes in alcohol consumption in a nationally representative sample between February and April 2020. We compared these outcomes with a counter-factual scenario wherein no COVID-19 would have occurred and drinking patterns did not change. Reported outcomes are for individuals aged 18-65. Results: Increases in alcohol consumption during 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic are estimated to result in 8,200 (95% uncertainty interval [UI] 7,700-8,700) additional ALD-related deaths, 17,100 (16,100-18,200) cases of decompensated cirrhosis and 1,100 (1,100-1,200) cases of HCC between 2020 and 2040. In the short term-between 2020 and 2023- alcohol consumption changes due to COVID-19 is projected to result in 100 (100-200) additional deaths and 2,200 (2,200-2,300) decompensated cirrhosis cases. Conclusion: Our study raises the important risk of the near- and long-term impact of alcohol-related liver disease. A short-term increase in alcohol consumption during the COVID-19 pandemic can substantially increase long-term ALD-related morbidity and mortality. Furthermore, short-term increases in consumption are associated with both an immediate increase in mortality and morbidity. Our findings highlight the need for individuals and policymakers to make informed decisions to mitigate the impact of high-risk alcohol drinking in the US.

Performing Virtual Events during COVID-19 Pandemics: The case of the Startups Fair and Hackathon for New Educational Technologies in the Campo das Vertentes Region in Brazil

The COVID-19 pandemic brought harsh social restrictions as part of the strategy to deal with the situation, which also required innovation to quickly adapt and keep providing substitutes through digital solutions. In response to this emergency, the local entrepreneurship ecosystem of São João del-Rei, Brazil, spent a great effort to tackle this new reality. This article presents the experience of performing virtual events to foster innovation and raise awareness of the local entrepreneurship culture. The first event was developed under the hackathon format, aiming to encourage the local community to propose technological innovation by developing solutions to assist distance learning in universities and high schools. The other event was a virtual fair presenting local startups to the audience, besides providing online courses related to entrepreneurship and new digital technologies. It is worth noting that those events were organized by a strategic coalition following the triple helix model of innovation, gathering universities, industry, and government. The results achieved through those events reinforce the importance of having an organized local strategic coalition to provide a fast response to social emergencies and provide better adaptation capability to society by creating innovations based on digital entrepreneurship. © 2021 ACM.

The Time for Parenteral Nutrition is Now: 12 Months Caring for Patients with Severe COVID-19

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has brought new challenges to adequate nutrition, especially in critically ill patients. Physicians caring for these patients face great difficulties, including a different pathophysiology compared with other diseases, inadequately trained personnel, pressure from the media and family members, logistical and economic obstacles, and lack of robust medical evidence. Although the literature on COVID-19 is still limited, evidence demonstrates the need to reevaluate the use of effective nutritional support in this unprecedented, challenging clinical context. Supplemental parenteral nutrition must be considered due to the energy expenditure from COVID-19, the difficulty in achieving protein and energy goals in patients under enteral nutrition in prone position, and the worsened gastroparesis related to high doses of sedative/neuromuscular blocking agents.