The re-parameterized inverse Gaussian regression to model length of stay of COVID-19 patients in the public health care system of Piracicaba, Brazil.

Among the models applied to analyze survival data, a standout is the inverse Gaussian distribution, which belongs to the class of models to analyze positive asymmetric data. However, the variance of this distribution depends on two parameters, which prevents establishing a functional relation with a linear predictor when the assumption of constant variance does not hold. In this context, the aim of this paper is to re-parameterize the inverse Gaussian distribution to enable establishing an association between a linear predictor and the variance. We propose deviance residuals to verify the model assumptions. Some simulations indicate that the distribution of these residuals approaches the standard normal distribution and the mean squared errors of the estimators are small for large samples. Further, we fit the new model to hospitalization times of COVID-19 patients in Piracicaba (Brazil) which indicates that men spend more time hospitalized than women, and this pattern is more pronounced for individuals older than 60 years. The re-parameterized inverse Gaussian model proved to be a good alternative to analyze censored data with non-constant variance.

Reducing the risk of indoor transmission of SARS-CoV-2 using UV-C disinfection

In this work, SARS-CoV-2 infectivity after UV-C exposure of porous and non-porous surfaces was assessed under controlled environment conditions. The irradiance of a setup of UV-C lamps, placed indoors was studied in detail as a function of the geometry and the distance to the surface. In the presence of living beings, the external UV-C lamps are turned off, and the UV-C lamps mounted inside the disinfection chamber are kept active, allowing a continuous air disinfection and a decreased risk of indoor transmission. © 2022 17th International Conference on Indoor Air Quality and Climate, INDOOR AIR 2022. All rights reserved.

Analysis of 70% Alcohol and Impurities: Analytical Methods, Quality Control, Health Risks and Legislation

In March 2020, COVID-19 was declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization, which led to a series of recommendations regarding personal hygiene, among which, the use of alcohol 70% as hand sanitizers. Due to the great demand for this product, it became scarce and the regulatory agencies made the legislation for production by some industries, manipulation pharmacies, and laboratories more flexible. This situation promoted the commercialization of alcohol-based products within concentrations outside of the limits, compromising their efficiency. Therefore, this is important that these products are submitted to rigorous quality control to avoid harm issues to human health. However, ANVISA does not specify an official method for monitoring alcohol 70%, especially when impurities are present. Within this context, the present work aims to present the use of the classic technique, such as the gas chromatography, as well some alternative analytical methods applied to alcohol 70% determination, taking into account literature reports published in the last two pandemic years.

Online Health Education for Patients with Kidney Disease in the Covid-19 Pandemic: A Renal Health Instagram Analysis

Introduction: Patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) have a higher risk for infection caused by the new coronavirus (COVID-19). The COVID-19 pandemic and social isolation contributed to the adaptation to new health promotion and education tools, including virtual methods. The aim of this study is to analyze the guidelines made through the Renal Health profile on Instagram during the COVID-19 pandemic to patients with CKD. Method(s): This is a quantitative, descriptive study, with the analysis of posts, comments and likes, carried out on the Renal Health (@renal_health) Instagram profile, an educational project based in Brazil, initiated as part of an ISN Clinical Research Program Project, which addresses kidney health, from February 2020 to May 2022, during the COVID-19 pandemic. Result(s): Currently, the Renal Health Instagram profile (https://www.instagram.com/renal_health/) has 1333 publications and more than 10,000 followers. It is a profile administered by a nurse, a nephrologist and a team of public health researchers at the University of Fortaleza, Brazil. A total of 106 posts about COVID-19 were analyzed, covering news about the pandemic, guidelines on prevention and vaccination, association between COVID-19, CKD and transplantation, among others. There were 13,815 likes and 1,068 comments. The most liked post (n = 696) was a photo with a news item: "InCor discharges Covid patient with transplanted lung". Among the comments, it was possible to observe several compliments, reports of patients with CKD and kidney transplants, as well as doubts, which were answered by the team that maintains the profile. The most commented post was also a news item: "Hospital denies transplant to unvaccinated patients", with 146 comments. Conclusion(s): The general population's interest in the association between COVID-19 and kidney disease is evident. It is important to point out the role of the profile as an online educational tool that helps in clarifying doubts about the new coronavirus, in addition to acting as an easy and practical way to acquire knowledge from reliable sources, regarding the risks that patients with kidney diseases have when contracting the virus, as well as many other relevant subjects, always emphasizing the relevance of preventive measures, including vaccination. From the study, it is noticeable that, during the pandemic, there were a large number of clarified doubts, as well as positive feedbacks about the platform. Therefore, the Renal Health profile proved to be an important health education mechanism during the pandemic. No conflict of interestCopyright © 2023

Endothelial Biomarkers in Critically Ill Patients with Covid-19: Potential Predictors of the Need for Dialysis

Introduction: Endothelial dysfunction and coagulopathy have been reported as the basis of severe Acute Kidney Injury (AKI) associated with COVID-19. Endothelial biomarkers can detect kidney damage early and allow the adoption of efficient measures to prevent the progression of the disease and its complications. This finding could facilitate the follow-up of patients at higher risk, as well as provide early diagnosis strategies and promote the rational use of resources. The aim of this study is to assess the role of vascular biomarkers to predict the need for hemodialysis in critically ill patients with COVID-19. Method(s): This is a prospective study with 58 patients critically ill due to COVID-19 infection admitted to a tertiary hospital in Fortaleza, Northeast Brazil, from 2020 to 2021. General laboratory tests and vascular biomarkers such as VCAM-1, Syndecan-1, ACE-2, ICAM-1, Angiopoietin-1 and Angiopoietin-2 were quantified on admission to the intensive care unit (ICU). Result(s): There was a 40% mortality rate. VCAM and the Ang-2/Ang-1 ratio at ICU admission were associated with the need for hemodialysis. Vascular biomarkers (VCAM-1, Syndecan-1, angiopoietin-2/anogiopoietin-1 ratio) and thrombocytopenia were predictors of dialysis, and their cutoff values were useful to stratify patients with worse prognosis in the Kaplan-Meier analysis. In the cox multivariate regression analysis with models adjusted according to the presence or absence of platelets, VCAM-1 [O.R. 1.13 (95% CI: 1.01 - 1.27);p=0.034] was an independent predictor of dialysis in all models, and the Ang-2/Ang-1 ratio [O.R. 4.87 (95% C.I.: 1.732 - 13.719);p=0.003] was associated with the need for dialysis in the model without platelet input. Conclusion(s): Vascular biomarkers, mainly VCAM-1 and Ang-2/Ang-1 ratio, and coagulation disorders showed important predictive value for the need for hemodialysis in critically ill patients with COVID-19. No conflict of interestCopyright © 2023

Excess mortality associated with COVID-19 in Brazil: 2020-2021.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate excess mortality in Brazil from January 2020 to April 2021, according to the primary causes of death registered in the Brazilian Mortality Information System (MIS). METHODS: Cross-sectional study with data extracted from the MIS. Excess deaths were examined by the primary cause of death according to 11 grouped causes. Autoregressive models used mortality data from 2015 to 2019 to predict expected deaths from January 2020 to April 2021. Excess deaths were calculated as the difference between the observed and the expected number of deaths. RESULTS: Total excess deaths of 370 055 were observed in the studied period, corresponding to a ratio of observed to expected of 1.14 in 2020 and 1.40 in 2021. Excess deaths were seen in three groups: symptoms, signs and abnormal clinical and laboratory findings, not elsewhere classified; other diseases of the respiratory system and coronavirus infection, unspecified site. CONCLUSIONS: The excess mortality in Brazil in these 16 months was 1.20 times greater than the previous year. The increase in not elsewhere classified causes and causes of death associated to COVID-19 indicate caution about the negative balance for some causes. Furthermore, the inequalities of mortality reporting systems in low- and middle-income countries in relation to underestimation of mortality still need to be addressed.

Biological activities of endophytic fungi isolated from Annona muricata Linnaeus: a systematic review.

This systematic review integrates the data available in the literature regarding the biological activities of the extracts of endophytic fungi isolated from Annona muricata and their secondary metabolites. The search was performed using four electronic databases, and studies' quality was evaluated using an adapted assessment tool. The initial database search yielded 436 results; ten studies were selected for inclusion. The leaf was the most studied part of the plant (in nine studies); Periconia sp. was the most tested fungus (n = 4); the most evaluated biological activity was anticancer (n = 6), followed by antiviral (n = 3). Antibacterial, antifungal, and antioxidant activities were also tested. Terpenoids or terpenoid hybrid compounds were the most abundant chemical metabolites. Phenolic compounds, esters, alkaloids, saturated and unsaturated fatty acids, aromatic compounds, and peptides were also reported. The selected studies highlighted the biotechnological potentiality of the endophytic fungi extracts from A. muricata. Consequently, it can be considered a promising source of biological compounds with antioxidant effects and active against different microorganisms and cancer cells. Further research is needed involving different plant tissues, other microorganisms, such as SARS-CoV-2, and different cancer cells.

Social vulnerability and access to food in times of a COVID-19 pandemic: a study in a community in Salvador - Bahia

The social vulnerability and the feeding privation are considered old problems in the country, accentuated in the last years by the political and health crises, reverberating on individuals and families lives, experienced in many different ways. In the face of scarcity and uncertainty, many strategies are adopted to maintain the subsistence. This study aimed to analyze the feeding changes and the survival strategies adopted during the COVID-19 pandemic, in the Cabula community, previously a quilombo, in Salvador-BA. It is a qualitative approach study, conducted by semi-structured interviews with residents of the territory. The information was organized and analyzed according to speeches from 8 interviewed people. Were identified three categories to analyze, including the feeding changes and strategies in face of vulnerability status;the food insecurity and the consumption of ultra processed food;and the understandings about the social support during the pandemic. In such a way, the present study evidenced feeding modifications adopted in social vulnerability context, accentuated by the COVID-19 pandemic, especially in a traditional community. From the speeches, new expressions of food insecurity were observed, as well as the socio-cultural mischaracterization of eating, due to subsistence. The community networks of support takes an important role on the access to food, but brings conflicting feelings, given the absence of a culture of rights. More than guaranteeing the food, it is necessary that the State to keep the rights to exist as social, cultural and ethnic beings.

Effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on food habits

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is an infectious disease that affects the human respiratory system. To reduce the risk of contamination, social isolation was determined, but with people in residences, the effects on eating habits can occur. Thus, the objective of this work was to carry out research on the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on the population's eating habits. This is a cross-sectional study carried out in Brazil through an online questionnaire that refers to sociodemographic characteristics and changes in lifestyles, knowledge about food safety, eating habits and the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic. The survey resulted in a total of 120 people to compare eating habits before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. Of the participants, 71.1% of people increased the preparation of their own meals in their homes during the pandemic. And regarding the frequency of consumption in restaurants, 59.7% of respondents did not consume in restaurants before and during the pandemic. Regarding the frequency of consumption of processed foods such as biscuits and bread, the daily consumption increased to 38.6% during the pandemic. From this comparison, it can be seen that the eating habits of the majority of the population assessed underwent changes, some positive and some negative. It is concluded that there were changes in the population's eating habits during the pandemic, with a greater increase in the consumption of processed foods and meals prepared in their own homes.

The impacts of Covid-19 on the supermarket sector in Brasilia

This article aims to understand how supermarket chains in Brasília (DF) faced the covid-19 pandemic and which strategies were used to adapt to changes in trade and consumption. The methodology of the study consisted in a selection of the ten largest supermarket chains in number of stores of the Supermarket Association of Brasília (ABRAS). At the beginning of the pandemic with the closing of free fairs and public markets, the population was compelled to consume in supermarkets. In response, retail chains have invested massively in increasing e-commerce and ominicality. It was verified in Brasilia the incentive to purchase on the websites and in own applications concomitantly with the inauguration of physical stores. Another measure was the renovation and modernization of stores with the provision of service and delivery services. The research concludes that the hybrid character of the physical and the digital demonstrates the centrality of the spatialities of consumption complexified with the advent of the pandemic opening the possibility of new research agendas whose participation in geography becomes fundamental. © 2022, Universidade Federal de Goias. All rights reserved.

Obesity Aggravates Ischemia-Reperfusion Injury (IRI)-Induced AKI in Mice

Background: Obesity, which is becoming increasingly common worldwide, is known to be associated with cardiovascular disease and progression of chronic kidney disease, due to inappropriate activation of the renin-angiotensin system. Many angiotensin II effects are dependent on AT1 stimulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS). In COVID-19 patients, overweight and obesity are associated with acute respiratory distress syndrome and AKI. Although obesity increases oxidative stress, endothelial dysfunction and inflammation, its effect on IRI-induced AKI is unknown. We hypothesized that obesity would aggravate renal IRI in mice. Method(s): We fed mice a high-fat or standard diet (45 and 10 kcal% fat, respectively) for 8 weeks. Some then underwent bilateral 30-min clamping of the kidney hila and subsequent reperfusion (groups: obese, normal, obese+IRI and normal+IRI). All studies were performed 48 h after IRI. Data are mean+/-SEM. Result(s): Body weight (g) was 33+/-1.7, 32+/-0.7, 27+/-1.4 and 26+/-0.9 in the obese, obese+IRI, normal and normal+IRI groups, respectively (P<0.001). Mortality was 42% and 25% in the obese+IRI and normal+IRI groups, respectively (P <0.05);there were no deaths in the non-IRI groups. Serum glucose and cholesterol did not differ among the groups. Creatinine clearance (mL/min/100g BW) was 0.20+/-0.05 and 0.20+/-0.07 in the obese+IRI and normal+IRI groups, respectively, vs. 0.34+/-0.06 and 0.40+/-0.08 in the obese and normal groups, respectively. Renal p65 protein expression (%) was 127+/-4.8 in the obese+IRI group, vs. 100+/-4.1, 92.5+/-4.8 and 107+/-3.7, respectively, in the normal, obese and normal+IRI groups (P<0.05). Conclusion(s): In obese individuals with AKI, ROS could be a therapeutic target (FAPESP, NWO).

SAFETY AND EFFICACY OF THYMIC PEPTIDES IN THE TREATMENT OF HOSPITALIZED COVID-19 PATIENTS IN HONDURAS.

Coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) active cases continue to demand the development of safe and effective treatments. This is the first clinical trial to evaluate the safety and efficacy of oral thymic peptides. ; We conducted a nonrandomized phase 2 trial with a historic control group to evaluate the safety and efficacy of a daily 250-mg oral dose of thymic peptides in the treatment of hospitalized Covid-19 patients. Comparisons based on standard care from registry data were performed after propensity score matching. The primary outcomes were survival, time to recovery, and number of participants with treatment-related adverse events or side effects by day 20. ; A total of 44 patients were analyzed in this study: 22 in the thymic peptide group and 22 in the standard care group. There were no deaths in the intervention group compared to 24% mortality in standard care by day 20 (log-rank P=0.02). Kaplan-Meier analysis showed a significantly shorter time to recovery by day 20 in the thymic peptide group than in the standard care group (median, 6 days vs. 12 days; hazard ratio for recovery, 2.75 [95% confidence interval, 1.34 to 5.62]; log-rank P=0.002). No side effects or adverse events were reported. ; In patients hospitalized with Covid-19, the use of thymic peptides resulted in no side effects, adverse events, or deaths by day 20. Compared with the registry data, a significantly shorter time to recovery and mortality reduction were measured.

Flipped Classroom and Digital Technologies: Didactic Possibility for Science Teaching in an Active Methodology Proposal

In this text, we presented some analyzes and reflections on a Didactic Sequence developed with 25 high school students from a federal public institution, located in the Brazilian Midwest, during the period of Remote Education are presented. We opted for an adaptation of the Flipped Classroom (SAI, in Portuguese), alternating asynchronous moments in the Virtual Learning Environment with synchronous moments, through Google Meet. We work on dialogic strategies, aiming at student protagonism, based on forums and questions about the relationship between the veracity of information and scientific criteria. The students were instructed to seek reasons for the news broadcast referring to the new Coronavirus, Sars-Cov-2. From the research carried out, it was possible to infer that the structured didactic sequence allowed the creation of spaces for dialogicity, triggering actions of clash of ideas, refuting and arguing unreliable information and also enabling academic production (for example, some presentations to other students), on the part of students.

The potential of drug delivery nanosystems to treat COVID-19

The current COVID-19 pandemic demands the rapid development of vaccines and the rapid evaluation of drugs to combat SARS-CoV-2. The urgency of the former ended up in the rapid approval of several vaccines under an emergency use. Despite this, for the latter there is still limited information that successfully demonstrates the efficacy of a particular drug against SARS-CoV-2. Therefore this chapter is intended to summarize antiviral drugs with activity against enveloped viruses (including SARS-CoV-2) that have been further evaluated as cargo of DDS (drug delivery systems). To the best of our knowledge, drugs with activity against SARS-CoV-2 have not been evaluated as part of DDS. The activity of some drugs against COVID-19 has been demonstrated with experiments or computational studies. The antiviral drugs presented are chloroquine, ivermectin, lopinavir/ritonavir, ribavirin, and sofosbuvir. Small interfering RNA (siRNA) is also presented since several DDS carrying siRNA have been evaluated against enveloped viruses. Dexamethasone is a special case that is also presented here as antiinflammatory agent since it is currently used in the treatment of COVID-19. The materials used to produce DDS are diverse and include gelatin, poly(l-lactide), poly(lactic acid), poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid), liposomes, mesoporous silica, and chitosan. © 2022 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Microfluidic-based biosensor for SARS-CoV-2 antibodies

This chapter addresses the basis for designing, prototyping, and developing a biosensing platform to support the control of the current global pandemic caused by the COVID-19 disease using an acoustic-based biosensor able to detect and quantify the IgM-and-IgG-specific antibodies against the spike protein (S) receptor-binding domain (RBD) from the SARS-CoV-2 virus, analyzing patient serum samples. The antibody detection technique is a well-known indicator if the patient has been in contact with the virus and is considered the only valid test in asymptomatic patients. This chapter includes a description of required actuators, fluidics, and electronics to perform an automatic immunoassay. The established measurement format for the present biodetection platform was a direct immunoassay, using IgM/IgG antibodies in a serological sample, which comes in contact with the spike RBD domain immobilized on a Quartz Crystal Microbalance (QCM) surface. The biodetection platform can detect and quantify IgM+IgG antibodies in a concentration of 2.53μg L−1 and 17.88μg L−1, respectively. Moreover, the calculated sensitivity (I50) was 27.69μg L−1. The aforementioned analytical parameters are comparable with reports in which a QCM acoustic transducer was employed as an immunosensor for biosensing applications. © 2022 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Impacts of Shift Work, Intervention Strategies, and COVID-19: The Workers’ Perspective

Shift work can have several impacts not only on the health and family and social life of the workers, but also at the organizational level. The literature has revealed that shifts involving night work and/or periods that are highly valued from a family and social point of view, such as weekends, are the most disruptive. In this paper, the results of an open-ended question about the experience of working in shifts and the impact that COVID-19 had on the lives of workers, at the time of data collection, have been presented and discussed. For that, the answers of 123 shift workers (98 involving nights and 25 without involving nights) were compared with the answers of 33 day workers. Negative impacts of working hours on health, family life as well as at the organizational level were reported mostly by shift workers. Reduction in working hours, teleworking, or flexible working hours were presented as some of the main strategies to reduce the effects of working hours. Finally, from the perspective of workers, COVID-19 has resulted in greater workload and greater work demands as well as causing family and health problems. © 2023, The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG.

Prevalence of Burnout in Physiotherapists During COVID-19: A Systematic Review

Burnout is characterized by emotional exhaustion and is caused by excessive and prolonged stress related to working conditions. Objective: to assess the prevalence of burnout in physiotherapists during the pandemic COVID-19. Methodology: a computerized search of articles published between December 2019 and July 30, 2021, in the PubMed, Academic Search Complete, MEDLINE, CINAHL Plus, and Web of Science databases and in the Google Scholar search engine was conducted to identify studies of burnout in physiotherapists during the COVID-19 pandemic. Results: 4 studies were included in this review, involving 684 physiotherapists. The studies analysed the number of participants, the characteristics of the sample, the assessment tool, intervention domain, and main outcomes. During the COVID-19 pandemic, physiotherapists exhibited moderate to high rates of burnout symptoms. Conclusion: results suggest that burnout symptoms during the COVID-19 pandemic are prominent among physiotherapists working directly with patients. The current results show moderate to high burnout symptom rates, which have increased compared to data published prior to the pandemic. © 2023, The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG.

Classification of Chest X-ray Images to Diagnose Covid-19 using Deep Learning Techniques

The new coronavirus pandemic has brought disruption to the world. One of the significant dilemmas to be solved by countries, especially in underdeveloped countries like Brazil, is the lack of mass testing for the population. An alternative to these tests is detecting the disease through the analysis of radiographic images. To process different types of images automatically, we employed deep learning algorithms to achieve success in recognizing different diagnostics. This work aims to train a deep learning model capable of automatically recognizing the Covid-19 diagnosis through radiographic images. Comparing images of coronavirus, healthy lung, and bacterial and viral pneumonia, we obtained a result with 94% accuracy.

SCHOOL WHEN THERE’S NO SCHOOL: THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC FROM THE CHILDREN’S POINTS OF VIEW

This article discusses the meanings of school for children between 8 and 12 years old amid class suspension over the COVID-19 pandemic. The comprehension of the children’s points of view is based on the recognition of their rights and their ability to participate in social life, as demonstrated by childhood studies in the social sciences. We analyze survey data collected from 2.021 children in Belo Horizonte Metropolitan Region (Brazil). Results indicate that children understand school as a place which has a wide range of functions, among which learning, care, and sociability are included. © 2022, Centro de Estudos Educacao e Sociedade - CEDES. All rights reserved.