Personal characteristics related to engagement before and during the COVID-19 pandemic

Personal resources influence professionals' relationships with their work and impact their engagement. Thus, we investigated whether the relationships between personality traits and meaningful work with engagement showed differences before and during the pandemic. The sample comprised 963 professionals with 828 participants, with a mean age of 35.5 years (SD = 10.7 years) before the COVID-19 pandemic, and 135 professionals with a mean age of 42.1 years (SD = 8.1 years) during the pandemic. The participants' personality traits, meaningful work, and work engagement were assessed. Differences in the relationships between personal resources and engagement were investigated through network analysis. No significant differences were observed in the relationships investigated before and during the pandemic. Significant work was related to personality traits and played a central role in the network, evidencing its importance in promoting engagement at work. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved) (Portuguese) Os recursos pessoais influenciam nas relacoes dos profissionais com seu trabalho e impactam no seu engajamento. Desta forma, este estudo teve como objetivo investigar se as relacoes entre os tracos de personalidade e o trabalho significativo com o engajamento apresentavam diferencas antes e durante a pandemia. A amostra compreendeu 963 profissionais, sendo 828 participantes, com idade media 35,5 anos (DP = 10,7 anos) antes da pandemia da COVID-19 e 135 profissionais, com idade media 42,1 anos (DP = 8,1 anos) durante a pandemia. Foram avaliados os tracos de personalidade, trabalho significativo e engajamento no trabalho dos participantes. As diferencas nas relacoes entre os recursos pessoais com o engajamento foram investigadas por meio da analise de redes. Nao foram observadas diferencas significativas nas relacoes investigadas antes e durante a pandemia. O trabalho significativo esteve relacionado aos tracos de personalidade e desempenhou papel central na rede, evidenciando sua importancia na promocao do engajamento no trabalho. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved) (Spanish) Los recursos personales influyen en las relaciones de los profesionales con su trabajo e impactan en su compromiso. De esta forma, investigamos si las relaciones entre rasgos de personalidad y trabajo significativo con engagement presentaban diferencias antes y durante la pandemia. La muestra estuvo compuesta por 963 profesionales, con 828 participantes, con una edad media de 35,5 anos (DE = 10,7 anos) antes de la pandemia de COVID-19 y 135 profesionales, con una edad media de 42,1 anos (DE = 8,1 anos) durante la pandemia. Se evaluaron los rasgos de personalidad de los participantes, el trabajo significativo y el compromiso laboral. Se investigaron las diferencias en las relaciones entre los recursos personales y el compromiso mediante el analisis de redes. No se observaron diferencias significativas en las relaciones investigadas antes y durante la pandemia. El trabajo significativo se relaciono con los rasgos de personalidad y jugo un papel central en la red, evidenciando su importancia en la promocion del compromiso en el trabajo. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)

Personal Characteristics Related to Engagement Before and During the COVID-19 Pandemic / Características Pessoais Relacionadas ao Engajamento Antes e Durante a Pandemia de COVID-19 / Características Personales Relacionados con el Engagement Antes y Durante la Pandemia de COVID-19

Abstract Personal resources influence professionals' relationships with their work and impact their engagement. Thus, we investigated whether the relationships between personality traits and meaningful work with engagement showed differences before and during the pandemic. The sample comprised 963 professionals with 828 participants, with a mean age of 35.5 years (SD = 10.7 years) before the COVID-19 pandemic, and 135 professionals with a mean age of 42.1 years (SD = 8.1 years) during the pandemic. The participants' personality traits, meaningful work, and work engagement were assessed. Differences in the relationships between personal resources and engagement were investigated through network analysis. No significant differences were observed in the relationships investigated before and during the pandemic. Significant work was related to personality traits and played a central role in the network, evidencing its importance in promoting engagement at work.

Resumo Os recursos pessoais influenciam nas relações dos profissionais com seu trabalho e impactam no seu engajamento. Desta forma, este estudo teve como objetivo investigar se as relações entre os traços de personalidade e o trabalho significativo com o engajamento apresentavam diferenças antes e durante a pandemia. A amostra compreendeu 963 profissionais, sendo 828 participantes, com idade média 35,5 anos (DP = 10,7 anos) antes da pandemia da COVID-19 e 135 profissionais, com idade média 42,1 anos (DP = 8,1 anos) durante a pandemia. Foram avaliados os traços de personalidade, trabalho significativo e engajamento no trabalho dos participantes. As diferenças nas relações entre os recursos pessoais com o engajamento foram investigadas por meio da análise de redes. Não foram observadas diferenças significativas nas relações investigadas antes e durante a pandemia. O trabalho significativo esteve relacionado aos traços de personalidade e desempenhou papel central na rede, evidenciando sua importância na promoção do engajamento no trabalho.

Resumen Los recursos personales influyen en las relaciones de los profesionales con su trabajo e impactan en su compromiso. De esta forma, investigamos si las relaciones entre rasgos de personalidad y trabajo significativo con engagement presentaban diferencias antes y durante la pandemia. La muestra estuvo compuesta por 963 profesionales, con 828 participantes, con una edad media de 35,5 años (DE = 10,7 años) antes de la pandemia de COVID-19 y 135 profesionales, con una edad media de 42,1 años (DE = 8,1 años) durante la pandemia. Se evaluaron los rasgos de personalidad de los participantes, el trabajo significativo y el compromiso laboral. Se investigaron las diferencias en las relaciones entre los recursos personales y el compromiso mediante el análisis de redes. No se observaron diferencias significativas en las relaciones investigadas antes y durante la pandemia. El trabajo significativo se relacionó con los rasgos de personalidad y jugó un papel central en la red, evidenciando su importancia en la promoción del compromiso en el trabajo.

Are home-based exercises effective to reduce blood pressure in hypertensive adults? A systematic review.

Sedentarism and chronic non-communicable diseases have been a worldwide health problem that is drastically exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic social impacts. Home-based exercises are widely encouraged during social isolation to counterbalance the physical inactive impacts. Although, in the context of hypertension, are home-based exercises effective in blood pressure controlling? Our objective is to conduct a systematic review of high-quality controlled trials comparing the possible effects of different types of home-based exercises in hypertensive patients. The literature search was carried out in three scientific databases: Medline, Europe PMC, and Lilacs. Articles were included following three criteria: analyzing the effect of home-based exercise programs on blood pressure in treated and untreated hypertensive patients; exercises must perform at home and on the frequency, intensity, time, and type (FITT) principle, and the articles were published in English. From the qualitative analysis of 27 original trials screened through 451 identified studies, the main results are the following: 1) both endurance, isometric strength, and respiratory home-based exercise programs were efficient to decrease blood pressure in hypertensive patients; 2) differences in methodological approaches regarding FITT components, distinct blood pressure values at baseline and specific underlying mechanisms must be considered as a potential bias of each home-based interventions. In conclusion, endurance, isometric strength, and breathing home-based programs seems to be effective to reduce blood pressure in hypertensive patients. However, further randomized controlled trials and mechanistic studies must be performing to guide evidence-based recommendations of home-based exercises as antihypertensive therapy.

Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Elective and Emergency Surgical Procedures in a University Hospital.

OBJECTIVE: to assess the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on abdominal wall hernia repair surgeries and cholecystectomy in a referral center hospital. METHODS: a retrospective, observational, cross-sectional study carried out at Hospital Universitário Evangélico Mackenzie (HUEM), in Curitiba, Paraná, Brazil. Data obtained through electronic medical records of patients who underwent cholecystectomy and abdominal wall hernia repair from March to December 2019 and 2020 at HUEM were included. Data were analyzed using Pearsons Chi-Square test and analysis of variance (ANOVA). RESULTS: a total of 743 medical records were analyzed, with a 63.16% drop in the total number of surgeries in 2020. There was a 91.67% increase in the number of ICU admissions in 2020, as well as a 70% increase in average length of stay. A greater number of complications was observed (in 2020, 27% had complications, while in 2019 this figure was 18.8%) and an increase in mortality (in 2019, this rate was 1.3% and in 2020, 6.5%). There were 6 cases of COVID-19 in 2020, so that of these, 5 patients died. CONCLUSION: during the COVID-19 pandemic, an important reduction in the number of abdominal wall hernia repair surgeries and cholecystectomy was observed. In addition, there was a statistically significant increase in postoperative complications, mortality rate and length of stay in 2020.

Acute Hemorrhagic Leukoencephalopathy Triggered by COVID-19 Infection

Background: This study represents an additional case of a rare entity and complication of COVID-19. Purpose: To further describe COVID’s association with acute hemorrhagic leukoencephalopathy (AHL), a variant of acute disseminated encephalomyelitis. Besides, subsequent neuropsychological evaluation is described. Methods: The present case report describes clinical, laboratory, radiological, and electroencephalographic characteristics of AHL triggered by COVID-19, in addition to outcomes in the neuropsychological findings. Results: Radiologic findings of demyelinating lesions in supratentorial white matter permeated by multiple hemorrhagic foci supported the diagnostic of AHL, reinforced by clinical improvement after corticosteroid therapy. Conclusions: There are few similar cases previously reported, and this case highlights the early diagnosis and prompt treatment looking forward to better outcomes in AHL. Further studies are needed to elucidate the involved pathophysiological mechanisms.

A pandemic recap: lessons we have learned.

On January 2020, the WHO Director General declared that the outbreak constitutes a Public Health Emergency of International Concern. The world has faced a worldwide spread crisis and is still dealing with it. The present paper represents a white paper concerning the tough lessons we have learned from the COVID-19 pandemic. Thus, an international and heterogenous multidisciplinary panel of very differentiated people would like to share global experiences and lessons with all interested and especially those responsible for future healthcare decision making. With the present paper, international and heterogenous multidisciplinary panel of very differentiated people would like to share global experiences and lessons with all interested and especially those responsible for future healthcare decision making.

Probiotics in Prevention and Treatment of COVID-19: Current Perspective and Future Prospects.

Saving lives and flattening the curve are the foremost priorities during the ongoing pandemic spread of SARS-CoV-2. Developing cutting-edge technology and collating available evidence would support frontline health teams. Nutritional adequacy improves general health and immunity to prevent and assuage infections. This review aims to outline the potential role of probiotics in fighting the COVID-19 by covering recent evidence on the association between microbiota, probiotics, and COVID-19, the role of probiotics as an immune-modulator and antiviral agent. The high basic reproduction number (R0) of SARS-CoV-2, absence of conclusive remedies, and the pleiotropic effect of probiotics in fighting influenza and other coronaviruses together favour probiotics supplements. However, further support from preclinical and clinical studies and reviews outlining the role of probiotics in COVID-19 are critical. Results are awaited from many ongoing clinical trials investigating the benefits of probiotics in COVID-19.