COVID-19 in maternal, perinatal and neonatal mortality in four locations in Bogota. Descriptive study

BACKGROUND // The multiple effects of the COVID-19 pandemic are beginning to be seen from the alteration of vital statistics figures. This is summarized in changes in the usual causes of death and excess attributable mortality, which can finally be seen in structural changes in the populations of the countries. For this reason, this research was created with the objective of determining the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on maternal, perinatal and neonatal mortality in four locations in Bogota D.C. (Colombia).METHODS // A retrospective longitudinal investigation was carried out in which 217,419 mortality data were analyzed in the towns of Kennedy, Fontibon, Bosa and Puente Aranda in the city of Bogota -Colombia that occurred between the years 2018 to 2021, of which maternal (54), perinatal (1,370) and neonatal (483) deaths in order to identify a history of SARS-CoV-2 infection that could be related to the excess mortality associated with COVID-19. The data were collected from the open records of vital statistics of the National Statistics Department (DANE), where they were analyzed from frequency measures or central tendency and dispersion according to the types of variables. The specific mortality indicators related to maternal, perinatal and neonatal death events were calculated.RESULTS // A decrease in perinatal and neonatal mortality was evidenced since 2020, which was associated with the progressive de-crease in pregnancies in those same years;Additionally, a considerable increase in maternal deaths was observed for 2021 compared to the other years analyzed. The proportion of maternal deaths in 2020 and 2021 by 10% and 17%, respectively, were attributed to COVID-19.CONCLUSIONS // It is observed that the trend of maternal mortality is related to the increase in mortality from COVID-19, maternal deaths associated with COVID-19 occurred specifically in the zonal planning units that registered more than 160 cases of COVID-19 for the year 2021.

Antiviral compounds from seaweeds: An overview

The interest in macroalgae has been growing worldwide in the recent years, due to the new discoveries regarding the numerous health benefits they provide to consumers, namely anti-viral, antibacterial, and anti-inflammatory properties that enhance resistance and ability to combat disease to consumers, granted by algae's bioactive molecules. In the light of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, there is a renewed need to find cures, treatments or novel means to create immunity in the population against not only to the recently emerging severe acute respiratory syndrome-related coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) but also to other viruses, in order to allow world populations to safely recover daily life routines. The aim of this chapter is to report the research and developments of possible treatments against virus, based on seaweed's bioactive compounds, from the first stage of development up to commercial products. © The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2022. All rights reserved.

Analysis of Naturalistic Driving Events in Honolulu (Pre-COVID)

Dashboard cameras and sensors were installed in 233 taxi vans in Honolulu, Hawaii. They produced many hours of naturalistic driving data (NDD) between fall 2019 and spring 2020 in the form of 20 s recorded events. The study achieved its objectives to (1) collect data from naturalistic driving events where driving maneuvers caused acceleration or deceleration in any direction of 0.5g or higher, (2) develop a database suitable for statistical analysis, (3) derive basic statistics for all variables, and (4) investigate correlations between variables. The database included a total of 402 harsh events, of which were 398 near-crashes and 4 were crashes. Several variables such as road, environmental, driver, and vehicle characteristics were coded for each event. The installation of an NDD system by the taxi company proved to be a successful tool for coaching drivers, and for providing statistically significant insights into traffic safety factors relating to near-miss events, such as wider expressways come with a higher risk for near rear-end events;urban roads without parking lower the risk of near rear-end events;light traffic density significantly reduces the risk of rear-end events on freeways;and, mobile phone usage has a positive and significant coefficient that increases the risk of highway rear-end events.

[COVID-19 in maternal, perinatal and neonatal mortality in four locations in Bogota. Descriptive study.]

OBJECTIVE: The multiple effects of the COVID-19 pandemic are beginning to be seen from the alteration of vital statistics figures. This is summarized in changes in the usual causes of death and excess attributable mortality, which can finally be seen in structural changes in the populations of the countries. For this reason, this research was created with the objective of determining the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on maternal, perinatal and neonatal mortality in four locations in Bogota D.C. (Colombia). METHODS: A retrospective longitudinal investigation was carried out in which 217,419 mortality data were analyzed in the towns of Kennedy, Fontibon, Bosa and Puente Aranda in the city of Bogota - Colombia that occurred between the years 2018 to 2021, of which maternal (54), perinatal (1,370) and neonatal (483) deaths in order to identify a history of SARS-CoV-2 infection that could be related to the excess mortality associated with COVID-19. The data were collected from the open records of vital statistics of the National Statistics Department (DANE), where they were analyzed from frequency measures or central tendency and dispersion according to the types of variables. The specific mortality indicators related to maternal, perinatal and neonatal death events were calculated. RESULTS: A decrease in perinatal and neonatal mortality was evidenced since 2020, which was associated with the progressive decrease in pregnancies in those same years;Additionally, a considerable increase in maternal deaths was observed for 2021 compared to the other years analyzed. The proportion of maternal deaths in 2020 and 2021 by 10% and 17%, respectively, were attributed to COVID-19. CONCLUSIONS: It is observed that the trend of maternal mortality is related to the increase in mortality from COVID-19, maternal deaths associated with COVID-19 occurred specifically in the zonal planning units that registered more than 160 cases of COVID-19 for the year 2021.

History and Global Status of the New Coronavirus Covid-2019 and Aspects of Previous Infections of SARS-CoV and MERS-CoV: A Systematic Review

Introduction: Coronaviruses (CoV) is a diverse group of viruses that has been described in the literature since 1960, SARS, MERS, and the most recent SARS-CoV-2. This new virus is causing a worldwide pandemic outbreak in the first half of 2020, thousands of deaths, and a signifi-cant economic crisis. Objective(s): Due to this new context, the present study aimed to conduct a systematic study review of the new Coronavirus's global status (COVID-2019) and its aspects compared to the previous SARS-CoV infections MERS-CoV. Method(s): The study was conducted from January to September 2020, 89 clinical cases were sub-mitted to further analysis, and 77 studies were selected for systematic review under the PRISMA guidelines. Conclusion(s): In some countries, the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic appears to be out of control. In case of suspicion, tests are essential to identify the early stages of infection. If necessary, patients need to go into quarantine, and other public health measures should be taken following the World Health Organization guidelines. Advanced support is needed to identify and isolate infected patients, espe-cially vaccines and medicines that help control the virus and the epidemiological situation in each country. These measures are expected to reduce the rate of new cases of SARS-CoV-2.Copyright © 2021 Bentham Science Publishers.

Application of machine learning to cluster hotel booking curves for hotel demand forecasting

Accurate demand forecasting is integral for data-driven revenue management decisions of hotels, but an unprecedented demand environment caused by COVID-19 pandemic has made the forecasting process more difficult. This study aims to propose a new approach for daily hotel demand forecasting by using clusters of stay dates generated from historical booking data. This new approach is fundamentally different from traditional forecasting approaches for hotels that assume the booking curves and patterns tend to be similar during the trailing period approach. In this study, historical booking curves are clustered by a machine learning algorithm using an auto-regressive manner and the additive pickup model is used to forecast daily occupancy up to 8 weeks. The efficacy of a new forecasting approach is tested using real hotel booking data of three hotels and results show that forecasts of hotel demand are more accurate when they are generated at cluster-level for all forecasting horizons. © 2023 Elsevier Ltd

Exploring the direct and indirect effect of trust in leadership and perceived organisational support on turnover intentions

Currently, employee retention is a critical aspect of people management, especially in the context of pandemics or post-pandemics, where job insecurity and job destruction challenge workers' trust in leadership and organisational support. Using survey data treated with structural equation models, this study explores, in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, the direct and indirect effects on turnover intentions of trust in leadership and perceived organisational support, using the mediating effect of job satisfaction. The results reveal that job satisfaction and perceived organisational support have a negative impact on turnover intention, but less that what was expected. The results obtained in the context of COVID-19 delivers important insights related to changes of employees' perceptions, their relations with the organisation and its impact in the turnover intention. © 2022 Inderscience Enterprises Ltd.

High-yield, one-pot upcycling of polyethylene and polypropylene waste into blue-emissive carbon dots

The COVID-19 pandemic has led to unprecedented demand for single-use plastics such as plastic bags and surgical masks. Plastics are resistant to natural degradation and are a global environmental pollution problem, threatening the environment and human health. Finding suitable ways to convert plastic waste into valuable materials is crucial to mitigate these effects. Herein, we report a facile, single-step, and organic solvent-free hydrothermal process to convert polyethylene-based plastic bags and polypropylene-based surgical masks into carbon dots with a 96% production yield. The produced CDs are soluble in aqueous and various organic solvents, show excitation-dependent emission consistent with their size of 1-8 nm and exhibit thermal and photostability. We further show how this oxidative degradation approach can upcycle contaminated plastics with organic waste, which is a major challenge with plastic recycling. Finally, we demonstrate a potential use case of CDs as anticounterfeiting agents using fluorescent, stretchable films of CD-doped polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS). This synthesis method is a cost-effective, easy-to-implement, highly scalable, and contamination-resistant approach to upcycle plastic waste. © 2023 The Royal Society of Chemistry.

Does historical data still matter for demand forecasting in uncertain and turbulent times? An extension of the additive pickup time series method for SME hotels

Demand forecast accuracy is critical for hotels to operate their properties efficiently and profitably. The COVID-19 pandemic is a massive challenge for hotel demand forecasting due to the relevance of historical data. Therefore, the aims of this study are twofold: to present an extension of the additive pickup method using time series and moving averages;and to test the model using the real reservation data of a hotel in Italy during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study shows that historical data are still useful for a SME hotel amid substantial demand uncertainty caused by COVID-19. Empirical results suggest that the proposed method performs better than the classical one, particularly for longer forecasting horizons and for periods when the hotel is not fully occupied. © 2023, The Author(s).

Last year challenge of Nuclear Medicine: medical radioisotopes supply

Aim/Introduction: 99mTc is used in about 80% of the convencional diagnostic nuclear imaging procedures and represent yearly approximately 30 million examinations/year worldwide a year in diagnostic tests in hospitals, among others by oncology, cardiology and neurology.The production of radiopharmaceuticals for use in Nuclear Medicine has a complex system. It involves carefully calculated production schedules that take into account supply, demand and many logistical operations.The aim of this study is to show how our nuclear medicine department manage the impact of the shortly 99Mo supply chain and consequently, in the 99mTc availability and other radiopharmaceuticals produced in nuclear reactora. Material(s) and Method(s): European nuclear medicine organizations had just pay attention to how the COVID-19 pandemic might affect different parts of the 99Mo supply chain when had to dealt again faced with a new problem;the shortness 99Mo production. There are only five nuclear reactors involved in the production of 99Mo on industrial scale. These aging reactors are subject to unscheduled shutdowns and longer maintenance periods making the 99Mo supply chain vulnerable. In the last few months at our nuclear medicine department we had to reinvent ourselves so as not to completely stop carrying out the previously scheduled exams and therapies. Result(s): The use of technetium generators in Europe represents about 17% - 25% of the worldwide consumption of 99Mo, representing 30,000 exams per day and about 1.1 million doses per month. The main consequences at the IPO-Porto was;Delays in diagnosis/staging, rescheduling exams, change of surgery dates (Sentinel Ganglion and Myocardial Perfusion Cardiacs), weeks of overbooking, delay in follow-up of Glomerular Filtration Rate in pre- or post-transplant patients, postponement of 131I Therapies, Scintigraphy and Whole Body Scintigraphy in patients who were already in hypothyroidism. we had to reinvent the use of 99mTc generators, change exams appointments times, reagroup exams types by defined days and other radiopharmaceutical management tools that were not commonly used. Conclusion(s): Approximately 2/3 of scheduled exams were postponed and we had to deal with weekly and daily stock updates. Our department suggest some measures and procedures that could help with future 99Mo shortages, in order to be ready in future situations and to avoid shortness of production: the creation of a centralized European radiopharmacy system, European policies to encourage long-term investment, homogenization of marketing specifications in the Member States, solid databases of radiopharmaceuticals used/ available in Europe and encouraging cooperation between other countries outside the European Union.

The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on accounting information systems and organizations' performance

This paper empirically examines the impact of COVID-19 on accounting information systems and organizations' performance. It follows a quantitative approach. For data collection, an online questionnaire was developed and tested. The final version of the questionnaire was applied to the 2556 largest companies in Portugal. The 3 research hypotheses under study were tested with 101 valid answers. The results reveal a high rate of implementation of accounting and performance measurement instruments during the COVID-19 pandemic. Regarding the dynamics of the updates of organizations' performance measurement systems, the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic was confirmed and described as primarily positive. In turn, the performance of the companies was negatively impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. This study contributes to a better understanding of the role of accounting and performance instruments in organizations under a high level of organizational uncertainty. Copyright © 2023 by Author/s and Licensed by IADITI.

Last year challenge of Nuclear Medicine: medical radioisotopes supply

Aim/Introduction: 99mTc is used in about 80% of the convencional diagnostic nuclear imaging procedures and represent yearly approximately 30 million examinations/year worldwide a year in diagnostic tests in hospitals, among others by oncology, cardiology and neurology.The production of radiopharmaceuticals for use in Nuclear Medicine has a complex system. It involves carefully calculated production schedules that take into account supply, demand and many logistical operations.The aim of this study is to show how our nuclear medicine department manage the impact of the shortly 99Mo supply chain and consequently, in the 99mTc availability and other radiopharmaceuticals produced in nuclear reactora. Material(s) and Method(s): European nuclear medicine organizations had just pay attention to how the COVID-19 pandemic might affect different parts of the 99Mo supply chain when had to dealt again faced with a new problem;the shortness 99Mo production. There are only five nuclear reactors involved in the production of 99Mo on industrial scale. These aging reactors are subject to unscheduled shutdowns and longer maintenance periods making the 99Mo supply chain vulnerable. In the last few months at our nuclear medicine department we had to reinvent ourselves so as not to completely stop carrying out the previously scheduled exams and therapies. Result(s): The use of technetium generators in Europe represents about 17% - 25% of the worldwide consumption of 99Mo, representing 30,000 exams per day and about 1.1 million doses per month. The main consequences at the IPO-Porto was;Delays in diagnosis/staging, rescheduling exams, change of surgery dates (Sentinel Ganglion and Myocardial Perfusion Cardiacs), weeks of overbooking, delay in follow-up of Glomerular Filtration Rate in pre- or post-transplant patients, postponement of 131I Therapies, Scintigraphy and Whole Body Scintigraphy in patients who were already in hypothyroidism. we had to reinvent the use of 99mTc generators, change exams appointments times, reagroup exams types by defined days and other radiopharmaceutical management tools that were not commonly used. Conclusion(s): Approximately 2/3 of scheduled exams were postponed and we had to deal with weekly and daily stock updates. Our department suggest some measures and procedures that could help with future 99Mo shortages, in order to be ready in future situations and to avoid shortness of production: the creation of a centralized European radiopharmacy system, European policies to encourage long-term investment, homogenization of marketing specifications in the Member States, solid databases of radiopharmaceuticals used/ available in Europe and encouraging cooperation between other countries outside the European Union.

Exploring the direct and indirect effect of trust in leadership and perceived organisational support on turnover intentions

Currently, employee retention is a critical aspect of people management, especially in the context of pandemics or post-pandemics, where job insecurity and job destruction challenge workers' trust in leadership and organisational support. Using survey data treated with structural equation models, this study explores, in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, the direct and indirect effects on turnover intentions of trust in leadership and perceived organisational support, using the mediating effect of job satisfaction. The results reveal that job satisfaction and perceived organisational support have a negative impact on turnover intention, but less that what was expected. The results obtained in the context of COVID-19 delivers important insights related to changes of employees' perceptions, their relations with the organisation and its impact in the turnover intention.

Relacao Entre O Indice Rdw, Gravidade E Mortalidade De Pacientes Internados Com Covid-19 No Municipio De Uberaba-Mg

Objetivo: Avaliar os indices RDW de pacientes hospitalizados por COVID-19 no municipio de Uberaba-MG e estabelecer uma relacao com a gravidade e mortalidade durante o periodo de internacao. Material e Metodos: Este estudo foi aprovado pelo Comite de Etica em Pesquisa do Hospital de Clinicas da Universidade Federal do Triangulo Mineiro (CAAE ndegree 31328220.8.0000.8667). Foram levantados os dados epidemiologicos de 337 pacientes que estiveram internados em 3 unidades hospitalares do municipio de Uberaba-MG no periodo de maio de 2020 a junho de 2021. Foram coletados os seguintes dados: idade, sexo e desfecho. A classificacao de gravidade foi estabelecida de acordo com os criterios determinados no COVID-19 Clinical Management Living Guidance - World Health Organization, 2021. Os dados coletados foram compilados em uma planilha no programa Excel e posteriormente analisados por meio do programa GraphPad Prism© versao 8.4.3. A variavel continua foi descrita por media+/-desvio padrao. As variaveis quantitativas foram descritas por meio dos testes: Kolmogorov-Smirnov para verificacao da normalidade e as comparacoes entre os grupos por meio dos testes Mann-Whitney e Kruskal-Wallis. Os resultados foram considerados significativos quando p < 0,05. Resultados: Dos 337 pacientes analisados, 61,2% eram homens com idade media de 58,2 anos (DP +/- 15,6). Em relacao ao desfecho foi observado um aumento estatisticamente significante do indice RDW (p < 0,0001) no grupo que de pacientes que foram a obito (mediana 14,71%) quando comparado ao grupo que teve alta (mediana 13,32%). Quanto a gravidade foi verificado um aumento estatisticamente significante do indice RDW (p < 0,0001) de acordo com a gravidade do caso, quanto mais grave maior o indice. Foram observadas diferencas estatisticas entre os grupos leve e grave (p < 0,0001) e moderado e grave (p < 0,0001). As pacientes do sexo feminino tinham em media 60,8 anos (DP +/- 18) e corresponderam a 38,8% dos casos analisados. Em relacao ao desfecho foi observado um aumento significativo do indice RDW (p < 0,0001) no grupo de pacientes que foram a obito (mediana 14,56%) comprado ao grupo de pacientes que tiveram alta (mediana 13,63%). Em relacao a gravidade tambem foi visto um aumento do indice RDW em casos moderados e graves (p<0,001). Foram observadas diferencas significativas entre os grupos leve e grave (p < 0,05) e moderado e grave (p < 0,05). Discussao: O indice RDW tem sido apontado como um potencial marcador prognostico e de desfecho no curso da COVID-19. Ja foi demonstrado um aumento do indice RDW em pacientes com doencas infecciosas graves. Esse estudo demonstrou o aumento dos indices RDW em pacientes homens e mulheres conforme a progressao da gravidade. Os casos moderados, graves e os pacientes que foram a obito, independente do sexo, demonstraram maiores indices. Conclusao: O indice RDW tem grande potencial como marcador prognostico e de monitoramento do curso da evolucao da COVID-19 em pacientes de ambos os sexos, pois quanto maior o indice RDW maiores as chances de severidade e obito. Copyright © 2022

Perfil Clinico-Epidemiologico De Individuos Com Covid-19 Atendidos Em Unidades Hospitalares Do Municipio De Uberaba - Mg

Objetivo: Descrever o perfil clinico-epidemiologico de pacientes com COVID-19 atendidos em hospitais de Uberaba - MG. Material e Metodos: Trabalho aprovado pelo Comite de Etica em Pesquisa do Hospital de Clinicas da Universidade Federal do Triangulo Mineiro (CAAE ndegree 31328220.8.0000.8667). Foram coletados dados de 371 individuos com COVID-19, atendidos entre maio/2020 e junho/2021. As variaveis analisadas foram: genero, idade, sintomatologia, comorbidades, medicamentos e desfecho (alta/obito). Utilizou-se o programa SPSS, versao 20.0 para o tratamento dos dados coletados. Considerou-se estatisticamente significantes valores de p < 0,05. Resultados: Dentre os 371 pacientes, 39,9% eram mulheres e 60,1%, homens. Os sintomas predominantes foram dispneia (70%), tosse (60%) e febre (50%). Acerca das comorbidades, HAS (44,6% M e 49,8% H), DM (29% M e 24,7% H) e obesidade (16,2% M e 12,1% H) foram as mais prevalentes. Os medicamentos mais utilizados foram heparina (87,2% M e 86,1% H) e corticoide (81,1% M e 80,7% H). Houve pior desfecho entre os pacientes mais velhos;sendo a presenca de comorbidades e o tempo de internacao significativamente maiores para homens que foram a obito se comparados aos que receberam alta (p = 0,004 e p = 0,002, respectivamente). Discussao: No presente estudo, houve um predominio de pacientes do sexo masculino, o que diverge de um estudo realizado no estado de Pernambuco, que relatou um predominio do sexo feminino. Por outro lado, esse mesmo estudo aponta achados semelhantes aos nossos em relacao aos sintomas apresentados pelos pacientes, como dispneia, tosse e febre sendo os mais frequentes nos dois estudos, demonstrando um comportamento semelhante da sintomatologia da doenca no Brasil. Alem disso, a literatura tambem vem demonstrando que a presenca de comorbidades, em especial HAS e DM, sao importantes fatores de risco para o agravamento e pior prognostico em individuos com COVID-19. No presente trabalho, a prevalencia de comorbidades foi maior no grupo de individuos do sexo masculino que foram a obito e observamos maior incidencia de hipertensao, diabetes e obesidade em toda a nossa casuistica, corroborando os dados da literatura. No tocante a medicacao, foi observado o uso de heparina e corticoide, independentemente da gravidade. Estudos demonstram que o tratamento com corticosteroides reduz o risco de morte em pacientes graves, incluindo aqueles em ventilacao mecanica. Em relacao a heparina, um ensaio clinico demonstrou que o farmaco reduz o risco de mortes por complicacoes da doenca, se administrada aos primeiros sinais de insuficiencia respiratoria. Conclusao: Conclui-se que a idade mais avancada e comorbidades previas estao relacionadas a um pior prognostico em individuos infectados pelo SARS-CoV-2 na amostra analisada. Copyright © 2022

Investigacao Do Gene Nr3c1 Em Pacientes Com Covid-19

Objetivo: O presente trabalho tem por objetivo investigar o gene NR3C1, que codifica os receptores de Glicocorticoide (GCs), em individuos com COVID-19. Material e Metodos: Foram analisadas 58 amostras de pacientes com COVID-19, atendidos em hospitais do municipio de Uberaba - MG entre maio de 2020 a junho de 2021. Este projeto foi aprovado pelo Comite de Etica em Pesquisa do Hospital de Clinicas da Universidade Federal do Triangulo Mineiro e todos os participantes assinaram o Termo de Consentimento Livre e Esclarecido. A amostra foi agrupada de acordo com o desfecho (alta ou obito) e gravidade da doenca (leve, moderada ou grave). A determinacao de gravidade dos casos foi realizada segundo os criterios estabelecidos no Manual de Manejo Clinico da COVID-19 da Organizacao Mundial de Saude. Foram coletados um tubo de 04 mL de sangue periferico na admissao do paciente e a quantificacao relativa do gene NR3C1 foi realizada por PCR em tempo real, utilizando o equipamento 7500 (Applied BiosystemsTM). O gene ACTB foi utilizado como controle endogeno. Os dados quantitativos foram submetidos ao teste de normalidade de Kolmogorov-Smirnov e as comparacoes estatisticas entre dois grupos realizadas com emprego do teste de Mann-Whitney. A significancia estatistica foi definida como p<0,05. Resultados: A idade mediana dos pacientes foi de 64,5 anos (min. 29, max. 100 anos). Dos 58 pacientes analisados, 26 eram mulheres e 32 homens. Em relacao ao desfecho, 31 obtiveram alta (17 mulheres 14 homens) e 27 evoluiram para obito (9 mulheres e 18 homens). Em relacao a gravidade, 13 pacientes tiveram quadro clinico leve (07 mulheres e 06 homens), 16 moderado (08 mulheres e 08 homens) e 29 grave (11 mulheres e 18 homens). Nao foi observada diferenca estatisticamente significativa na expressao do gene NR3C1 quanto ao desfecho ou gravidade (p=0,49 e p=0,25, respectivamente). Discussao: Acredita-se que a genetica humana tenha um importante papel na determinacao da resposta clinica ao SARS-CoV-2, no entanto, o estabelecimento dos mecanismos geneticos envolvidos na suscetibilidade ou resistencia a infeccao ainda nao sao completamente conhecidos. Os GCs inibem rapidamente a transcricao de citocinas pro-inflamatorias, como a IL-6. Essa citocina, por sua vez, esta envolvida num fenomeno denominado "tempestade de citocinas", em que ha uma exacerbacao da resposta imunologica. Na COVID-19 as manifestacoes de doenca grave e morte nao se apresentam exclusivamente pelos danos induzidos pelo virus nos pulmoes, mas tambem devido aos niveis elevados de citocinas, particularmente IL-6, que podem ser inibidas por GCs. Apesar do presente estudo nao ter observado diferenca na expressao do gene NR3C1 em relacao ao desfecho e gravidade, os receptores de GCs tem importante desempenho na supressao da "tempestade de citocinas". Alem disso, ja foi demonstrado que o uso de glicocorticoides em doses baixas e medias por ate oito dias e seguro e benefico para pacientes com COVID-19 grave. Conclusao: O presente estudo conclui que nao ha relacao entre a expressao do gene NR3C1 com o agravamento ou pior desfecho em pacientes com COVID-19. Copyright © 2022

Assessment of the Influence of Prf1 and Gzmb Genes in Relation to Severity and Outcome in Patients with Covid-19

Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the role of genes encoding perforin (PRF1) and granzyme B (GZMB) in SARS-CoV-2 infection. Material(s) and Method(s): This is a cohort study in which the expression of the PRF1 and GZMB genes was quantified by qPCR, as well as the investigation of the rs35947132 and rs885822 polymorphisms in the PRF1 gene in 86 patients with COVID-19 treated in hospitals from Uberaba/MG, Brazil. Result(s): Patients who died had significantly lower PRF1 gene expression than those who survived. As for the severity of the disease, the expression was significantly lower of both genes in those patients with more severe clinical conditions. Characteristics such as sex, age and presence of comorbidities did not show differences in the expression of the PRF1 gene. Regarding the presence of polymorphisms, no differences were observed in relation to the parameters evaluated, such as outcome, severity, sex, age and presence of comorbidities, indicating that these alterations do not seem to directly influence these aspects. Despite this, it was observed that those who were homozygous for the rs885822 polymorphism had higher expression of the PRF1 gene when compared to patients with heterozygous or homozygous wild-type alleles. Discussion(s): The difference in the expression of the perforin gene regarding the outcome and severity may be due to greater activation of lymphocytes and consequently an increase in the expression of these genes, leading to a better prognosis. It is necessary to investigate whether patients who died and those who developed more severe manifestations of the disease have some immune deficiency related to cytotoxic lymphocytes. When it comes to the analysis of polymorphisms, the results found to differ from the literature, which considers that the presence of the rs35947132 polymorphism is more prevalent in patients with severe forms of COVID-19. The literature demonstrates that individuals with the polymorphic allele rs35947132 express less perforin, but the studies analyzed were performed using different techniques. A limitation of the present study is the sample size. We believe that the increase in the number of cases evaluated can provide us with a better understanding of this topic. Regarding the rs885822 polymorphism, the higher expression of the perforin gene contradicts the initial hypothesis of the work. However, one of the possible explanations for this fact would be the existence of other polymorphisms in linkage unbalance that trigger an increase in the expression of the PRF1 gene. Conclusion(s): The present study concludes that the PRF1 gene was less expressed in patients with more severe COVID-19 and in those who died. Furthermore, in the analysis of perforin gene variants presence, no association was observed between the polymorphisms and the severity or outcome of individuals with COVID-19. Copyright © 2022

Health and well-being of the Portuguese citizens: impacts of the COVID-19

Aims: COVID-19 pandemic place unprecedented pressure on societies and healthcare systems around the world. Over the last year, measures imposed in almost all countries dealing with the pandemic are sending the entire world into an extensive crisis and thus into a deep global recession.Since the outbreak began, many European countries have faced three/four waves of pandemic. Portugal has dealt with three waves (March/April'2020;October/November'2020;January/February'2021), the third being the deadliest one. The purpose of this article is to provide evidence on the impact of the COVID-19 on HRQoL and well being(W-B) of Portuguese citizens. It aims to (i) characterize these outcomes during the COVID-19 pandemic;(ii) compare them to pre-COVID-19 Portuguese population;and (iii) identify the social determinants that may affect these outcomes during the COVID-19 pandemic. Method(s): This study used data from a survey that collected data on HRQoL, W-B, satisfaction with life, economic and labour impacts, access to healthcare, mental and physical health, amongst others. The survey was implemented by telephone to a representative random sample of 1255 respondents from the general adult Portuguese population, stratified by gender, age group and region. Data was collected during the end of the second national lockdown. Result(s): Looking at health and access to healthcare, 4% of citizens had their surgeries postponed or cancelled because of COVID-19, more than a quarter had medical appointments or complementary exams postponed or cancelled with 7% over 65 years old with surgeries cancelled or postponed and 32% medical appointments.COVID-19 pandemic also impacted negatively the HRQoL of citizens, especially in the first lockdown. Half of the respondents reported feeling nervous, anxious, or on edge, about 45% of citizens felt sad or depressed. sleeping problems were reported for almost 39% of citizens, and loneliness is reported by 29.3% of citizens. For about 70-85% of citizens, these feelings were more so than before the pandemic. Citizens with fair/strong economic stability were the most economically affected by the pandemic. Conclusion(s): We provided evidence on the impact of COVID-19 on health and W-B of Portuguese citizens. Their health was worse than before the pandemic and the access to healthcare was highly affected.

Health public crisis impact on non-life insurance: the case of COVID-19

The insurance industry plays a crucial role in developing a country’s economy, thus becoming one of the main focuses when studying the possible impacts of the current public health crisis. Accordingly, the main objective of this study is to investigate the COVID-19 impact on non-life insurance profitability of the Portuguese insurance sector. This study also intends to assess the explaining factors of insurance companies’ profitability on the period between 2004/2020. The methodology implemented was a multiple linear regression, using a panel data model with random effects. The sample consists of a total of 238 observations from 14 non-life insurers over 17 years. The results revealed that COVID-19 positively impacted the profitability of the insurance companies presented. However, this impact was only significant on the return on assets. Furthermore, the results showed an inverse and meaningful relationship between the profitability ratios and the variables leverage and loss ratio. Copyright © 2022 Inderscience Enterprises Ltd.

Decreased DNase activity in severe COVID-19 correlates with increased circulating NET burden C. Martens1

Background: COVID-19 represents a perfect storm for release of neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) and resultant pathology from immunothrombosis. Levels of NETs in circulation are regulated by endogenous plasma DNases, which have been shown to be reduced in various diseases including myocardial infarction and sepsis. We previously reported elevated NET biomarkers in admission samples from our first wave study cohort. Aim(s): To characterize DNase activity and biomarkers of released NETs in the context of COVID-19 immunothrombosis. Method(s): With ethical permission and informed consent, we prospectively collected citrated platelet-poor plasma samples from patients admitted to the COVID ward (55 patients) or intensive care unit (216 patients) from March 2020-December 2021 as part of the COntAGIouS trial at UZ Leuven in Belgium (NCT04327750), with special attention paid to sample preparation and storage to preserve NET fragments and DNase activity. Consecutive samples were obtained within 48 hours of admission, between days 6-8, and upon hospital or ICU discharge. Analysis was batch-performed for MPO, MPO-DNA, PF4, sP-selectin, citrullinated histones, DNase activity, VWF:Ag, and FVIII:Ag levels. Result(s): In ICU patients, MPO, VWF, sP-selectin, and NET biomarkers were elevated throughout hospitalization, peaking at day 6-8 after admission, whereas PF4 and FVIII remained highly elevated through the time of ICU discharge. DNase activity was decreased in admission samples, normalized at day 6-8, and strongly increased at the time of discharge, indicating a potential compensatory mechanism. DNase activity was negatively correlated with MPO-DNA values (r = -0.29, p = 0.0013). sPselectin and NET levels were significantly higher in admission samples for patients who experienced a thrombotic event in the period during hospitalization, including pulmonary embolism, DVT, myocardial infarction, and/or stroke. Conclusion(s): Elevated NET levels and decreased DNase activity in plasma are correlated in severe COVID-19, together with elevated markers of thrombotic risk. Approaches to restore DNase activity in plasma may be beneficial in COVID-19-associated immunothrombosis.