Trifluridine-tipiracil plus bevacizumab versus trifluridine-tipiracil monotherapy for chemorefractory metastatic colorectal cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Colorectal cancer is the leading cause of cancer death worldwide. The first and second lines of treatment for metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) include chemotherapy based on 5-fluorouracil. However, treatment following progression on the first and second line is still unclear. We searched PubMed, Scopus, Cochrane, and Web of Science databases for studies investigating the use of trifluridine-tipiracil with bevacizumab versus trifluridine-tipiracil alone for mCRC. We used RStudio version 4.2.3; and we considered p < 0.05 significant. Seven studies and 1,182 patients were included - 602 (51%) received trifluridine-tipiracil plus bevacizumab. Compared with control, the progression-free survival (PFS) (HR 0.52; 95% CI 0.42-0.63; p < 0.001) and overall survival (OS) (HR 0.61; 95% CI 0.52-0.70; p < 0.001) were significantly higher with bevacizumab. The objective response rate (ORR) (RR 3.14; 95% CI 1.51-6.51; p = 0.002) and disease control rate (DCR) (RR 1.66; 95% CI 1.28-2.16; p = 0.0001) favored the intervention. Regarding adverse events, the intervention had a higher rate of neutropenia (RR 1.38; 95% CI 1.19-1.59; p = 0.00001), whereas the monotherapy group had a higher risk of anemia (RR 0.60; 95% CI 0.44-0.82; p = 0.001). Our results support that the addition of bevacizumab is associated with a significant benefit in PFS, OS, ORR and DCR.

Notified cases of mpox in the city of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil: a descriptive study, 2022.

OBJECTIVE: To describe the profile of cases of mpox in the city of Rio de Janeiro between June and November 2022. METHODS: This was a descriptive study of secondary data obtained from mpox notification forms. Socioeconomic, clinical and spatial data were analyzed. RESULTS: Of the 928 cases, 93.7% were male, 85.0% cisgender male, 65.6% homosexual, 41.8% between 30 and 39 years old, and 41.0% were of White race/skin color. A total of 34.5% had immunosuppression due to illness, and 41.9% reported their HIV status as being positive. The most prevalent signs and symptoms were: skin lesions (96.6%), especially with multiple manifestations (67.8%) in the genital region (46.1%), in addition to fever (58.3%), adenomegaly (43.3%) and headache (38.7%). Most notifications occurred in public services (81.3%) and in hospital care (51.3%). CONCLUSION: The study revealed high incidence of mpox, especially among young, cisgender and homosexual men. Most cases were mild, with genital lesions, progressing to cure without hospitalization. Person-to-person transmission was predominant.

Five years after the collapse of the Fundão Dam: lessons from temporal monitoring of chemistry and acute toxicity.

In November 2015, the Fundão Dam break released millions of tons of metal-rich tailings into the Doce River Basin (DRB), causing catastrophic damage and potential ecological effects that reached the Atlantic Ocean. This study aimed to evaluate the geochemistry and toxicity of water and sediments collected in the DRB from 2015 to 2019 and to determine the spatial and temporal trends. Water and sediment samples were analyzed for metals and As by inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES), and acute toxicity for Daphnia similis or D. magna. Results were explored using geochemical indices and correlation analyzes. Overall, higher concentrations of metals and As in water and sediments were observed immediately after dam breakage, but the levels exhibited a decreasing trend over time, although the levels of some elements such as As and Mn remained high in the upper DRB. The geochemical indices indicated mostly low to moderate contamination, and the enrichment factor (EF) demonstrated a higher enrichment of Mn in the upper DRB. Acute toxicity to water fleas (D. similis and D. magna) was occasionally observed in waters and sediments, but the reference samples were toxic, and the short-term effects were not correlated with metals and As. Overall, the results showed limited bioavailability of metals and As and a decreasing trend in their concentrations, indicating an ongoing recovery process in DRB. These results are important to decision-making regarding the disaster and actions for environmental restoration.

Multiple biomarkers in pufferfish as a proxy of environmental health in brazilian marine protected areas.

Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) are designed to conserve biodiversity and vulnerable ecosystems. This study aimed to assess the environmental quality of three Brazilian MPAs, based on the integrated analysis of biomarkers in pufferfish. The MPAs are differentiated by the degree of anthropogenic influences. The Barra do Una Estuary sustainable reserve (JUR) is a reference area due to its low levels of contamination and species diversity. The Cananéia Estuarine System (CAN) has been recognized as a biosphere reserve by UNESCO, as well as a Ramsar wetland. This MPA was influenced by upstream mining activities, resulting in the introduction of metals in the estuarine waters and the discharge of untreated urban sewage. The São Vicente estuary (SSV) lacks proper sanitation infrastructure. All collections were conducted during winter season, and, after collection, the animals were euthanized, their soft tissues were removed, and multiple biomarkers were analyzed in the gills and liver, as biometric, genotoxic, biochemical, and morphological. A one-factor multivariate analysis was applied to evaluate the differences between the data sets, and the matrices were analyzed using PERMANOVA to evaluate the "estuary" factor. The results were integrated using PCA with a 0.4 cut value and an Enhanced Integrated Biomarker Response (EIBR) was calculated. PCA was correlated with biochemical, genotoxic, and morphological biomarkers. In general, SVV differed from CAN and JUR as shown by both univariate and multivariate analyses. SVV also showed the highest EIBR, followed by CAN. Organisms from SSV showed greater gill pathology, elevated AChE activity and lipoperoxidation (LPO), and micronuclei frequency. CAN present intermediate EIBR, with severe pathologies in the liver. CAN seems to present an intermediate environmental quality between SSV and JUR indicating the importance of the existence of MPAs for environmental conservation and the need to monitor such areas, to maintain their suitable environmental quality.

Has the Rio Doce "time bomb" been defused? Using a weight-of-evidence approach to determine sediment quality.

The Fundão mine tailings dam rupture of 2015, in the Rio Doce basin, Brazil, resulted in the deposition of tailings downstream of the dam. It has yet to be determined if metals associated with the tailings have contributed toxicity to organisms, burying a time bomb that could be ticking. Currently the data on toxicity to benthic and aquatic organisms have not been assessed sufficiently to allow an informed assessment using an approach based on weight-of-evidence. This study was conducted to ascertain if sediments at "hot spots" that received Fundão tailings reflected elevated concentrations of metals and if these concentrations were sufficient to result in toxicity to freshwater organisms. The lines-of-evidence considered included assessing metals concentrations in relation to sediment quality criteria, establishing biogeochemical characterizations, completing an evaluation of potential metal release upon resuspension to provide information on bioavailability, and identifying acute and chronic toxicity effects using sensitive native species for waters (water flea, Daphnia similis) and sediments (burrowing midge larvae, Chironomus sancticaroli). Only porewater concentrations of iron and manganese exceeded Brazilian surface water criteria, whereas most trace elements exhibited no enrichment or elevated environmental indexes. The concentrations of bioavailable metals were assessed to be low, and metal concentrations did not increase in the overlying water upon resuspension; rather, they decreased through time. Toxicity testing in resuspended waters and bulk sediments resulted in no acute or chronic toxicity to either benthic or aquatic species. The low metal bioavailability and absence of toxicity of the tailings-enriched sediments was attributed to the strong binding and rapid removal of potentially toxic metal ions caused by oxyhydroxides and particles in the presence of iron-rich particulates. The findings of these sediment hot-spot studies indicate the Fundão dam release of tailings more than six years ago is not causing the current release of toxic concentrations of metals into the freshwaters of the Rio Doce. Integr Environ Assess Manag 2024;20:148-158. © 2023 The Authors. Integrated Environmental Assessment and Management published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of Society of Environmental Toxicology & Chemistry (SETAC).

Notified cases of mpox in the city of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil: a descriptive study, 2022 / Casos notificados de mpox en la ciudad de Río de Janeiro, Brasil: estudio descriptivo, 2022 / Casos notificados de mpox na cidade do Rio de Janeiro, Brasil: estudo descritivo, 2022

ABSTRACT Objective To describe the profile of cases of mpox in the city of Rio de Janeiro between June and November 2022. Methods This was a descriptive study of secondary data obtained from mpox notification forms. Socioeconomic, clinical and spatial data were analyzed. Results Of the 928 cases, 93.7% were male, 85.0% cisgender male, 65.6% homosexual, 41.8% between 30 and 39 years old, and 41.0% were of White race/skin color. A total of 34.5% had immunosuppression due to illness, and 41.9% reported their HIV status as being positive. The most prevalent signs and symptoms were: skin lesions (96.6%), especially with multiple manifestations (67.8%) in the genital region (46.1%), in addition to fever (58.3%), adenomegaly (43.3%) and headache (38.7%). Most notifications occurred in public services (81.3%) and in hospital care (51.3%). Conclusion The study revealed high incidence of mpox, especially among young, cisgender and homosexual men. Most cases were mild, with genital lesions, progressing to cure without hospitalization. Person-to-person transmission was predominant.

RESUMEN Objetivo Describir el perfil de los casos de mpox en la ciudad de Río de Janeiro entre junio y noviembre de 2022. Métodos Estudio descriptivo de datos secundarios de los formularios de notificación de mpox. Se analizaron datos socioeconómicos, clínicos y espaciales. Resultados De los 928 casos, 93,7% eran hombres, 65,6% homosexuales, 41% blanca, y 41,8% de 30 a 39 años. Estaban inmunocomprometidos debido a una enfermedad 34,5%, y 41,9% reportaron serología positiva para virus de inmunodeficiencia humana. Signos y síntomas más prevalentes fueron: lesiones cutáneas (96,6%), con manifestaciones múltiples (67,8%) y en la región genital (46,1%), además de fiebre (58,3%), adenomegalia (43,3%) y cefalea (38,7%). Mayoría de las notificaciones ocurrieron en la red pública (81,3%) y atención hospitalaria (51,3%). Conclusión El estudio reveló alta incidencia de mpox, especialmente entre hombres jóvenes, cisgénero y homosexuales. Mayoría de los casos tuvieron una presentación leve, progresando hasta la curación sin hospitalización.

RESUMO Objetivo Descrever o perfil dos casos de mpox na cidade do Rio de Janeiro, entre junho e novembro de 2022. Métodos Estudo descritivo de dados secundários das fichas de notificação de mpox. Foram analisados dados socioeconômicos, clínicos e espaciais. Resultados Dos 928 casos, 93,7% foram do sexo masculino, 85,0% homem cisgênero, 65,6% homossexual, 41,8% entre 30 e 39 anos e 41,0% brancos. Apresentavam imunodepressão por doença 34,5%, e 41,9% informaram sorologia positiva prévia para vírus da imunodeficiência humana. Os sinais e sintomas mais prevalentes foram: lesões cutâneas (96,6%), especialmente com manifestações múltiplas (67,8%) e em região genital (46,1%), além de febre (58,3%), adenomegalia (43,3%) e cefaleia (38,7%). A maioria das notificações ocorreu na rede pública (81,3%) e na atenção hospitalar (51,3%). Conclusão O estudo revelou maior incidência de mpox entre homens cisgênero, autodeclarados de cor branca e homossexual. A maioria dos casos teve apresentação leve evoluindo para cura sem hospitalização.

A hybrid linear discriminant analysis and genetic algorithm to create a linear model of aging when performing motor tasks through inertial sensors positioned on the hand and forearm.

BACKGROUND: During the aging process, cognitive functions and performance of the muscular and neural system show signs of decline, thus making the elderly more susceptible to disease and death. These alterations, which occur with advanced age, affect functional performance in both the lower and upper members, and consequently human motor functions. Objective measurements are important tools to help understand and characterize the dysfunctions and limitations that occur due to neuromuscular changes related to advancing age. Therefore, the objective of this study is to attest to the difference between groups of young and old individuals through manual movements and whether the combination of features can produce a linear correlation concerning the different age groups. METHODS: This study counted on 99 participants, these were divided into 8 groups, which were grouped by age. The data collection was performed using inertial sensors (positioned on the back of the hand and on the back of the forearm). Firstly, the participants were divided into groups of young and elderly to verify if the groups could be distinguished through the features alone. Following this, the features were combined using the linear discriminant analysis (LDA), which gave rise to a singular feature called the LDA-value that aided in verifying the correlation between the different age ranges and the LDA-value. RESULTS: The results demonstrated that 125 features are able to distinguish the difference between the groups of young and elderly individuals. The use of the LDA-value allows for the obtaining of a linear model of the changes that occur with aging in the performance of tasks in line with advancing age, the correlation obtained, using Pearson's coefficient, was 0.86. CONCLUSION: When we compare only the young and elderly groups, the results indicate that there is a difference in the way tasks are performed between young and elderly individuals. When the 8 groups were analyzed, the linear correlation obtained was strong, with the LDA-value being effective in obtaining a linear correlation of the eight groups, demonstrating that although the features alone do not demonstrate gradual changes as a function of age, their combination established these changes.

A Glow before Darkness: Toxicity of Glitter Particles to Marine Invertebrates.

Glitter particles are considered a model of microplastics, which are used in a wide range of products. In this study, we evaluated the toxicity of two types of glitter (green and white, with distinct chemical compositions) dispersions on the embryonic development of the sea urchins Echinometra lucunte, Arbacia lixula, and the mussel Perna perna. The Toxicity Identification and Evaluation (TIE) approach was used to identify possible chemicals related to toxicity. Glitter dispersions were prepared using 0.05% ethanol. The tested dispersions ranged from 50 to 500 mg/L. The white glitter was composed of a vinyl chloride-methyl acrylate copolymer. The effective concentrations of green glitter to 50% embryos (EC50) were 246.1 (235.8-256.4) mg/L to A. lixula, 23.0 (20.2-25.8) mg/L to P. perna and 105.9 (61.2-150.2) mg/L, whereas the EC50 of white glitter to E. lucunter was 272.2 (261.5-282.9) mg/L. The EC50 for P. perna could not be calculated; however, the lowest effect concentration was 10 mg/L-that was the lowest concentration tested. The filtered suspension of green glitter had Ag levels exceeding the legal standards for marine waters. TIE showed that metals, volatiles, and oxidant compounds contribute to toxicity. The results showed that glitter may adversely affect marine organisms; however, further studies are necessary to determine its environmental risks.

Predicting lifespan-extending chemical compounds for C. elegans with machine learning and biologically interpretable features.

Recently, there has been a growing interest in the development of pharmacological interventions targeting ageing, as well as in the use of machine learning for analysing ageing-related data. In this work, we use machine learning methods to analyse data from DrugAge, a database of chemical compounds (including drugs) modulating lifespan in model organisms. To this end, we created four types of datasets for predicting whether or not a compound extends the lifespan of C. elegans (the most frequent model organism in DrugAge), using four different types of predictive biological features, based on: compound-protein interactions, interactions between compounds and proteins encoded by ageing-related genes, and two types of terms annotated for proteins targeted by the compounds, namely Gene Ontology (GO) terms and physiology terms from the WormBase's Phenotype Ontology. To analyse these datasets, we used a combination of feature selection methods in a data pre-processing phase and the well-established random forest algorithm for learning predictive models from the selected features. In addition, we interpreted the most important features in the two best models in light of the biology of ageing. One noteworthy feature was the GO term "Glutathione metabolic process", which plays an important role in cellular redox homeostasis and detoxification. We also predicted the most promising novel compounds for extending lifespan from a list of previously unlabelled compounds. These include nitroprusside, which is used as an antihypertensive medication. Overall, our work opens avenues for future work in employing machine learning to predict novel life-extending compounds.

Settleable atmospheric particulate matter harms a marine invertebrate: Integrating chemical and biological damage in a bivalve model.

Some atmospheric pollutants may affect aquatic ecosystems after settling, generating contamination, bioaccumulation, and threats to aquatic species. Metallurgical processes result in the emission of settleable atmospheric particulate matter (SePM), including metals and metalloids, along with rare earth elements (REE) that are considered emerging contaminants. We report the 30-day exposure of brown mussels (Perna perna) to SePM collected in a metallurgical area of southeast Brazil close to estuarine ecosystems, followed by a 30-day clearance period, to evaluate the toxic potential of SePM to this model mollusk. The bioaccumulation of 28 elements identified in SePM and the sublethal effects were evaluated. REEs were found in SePM (Ce, Y, and La). Significant bioaccumulation of eight metals (Fe, Ni, Cu, Zn, Rb, Sr, Cd, and Ba) was found in the bivalves and correlates with the cytotoxicity and genotoxicity, showing a dose-dependent mode and suggesting a pre-pathological condition that could lead to ecological disturbances over time. Conversely, the unchanged lipid-peroxidation level after SePM exposure could indicate the effectiveness of the antioxidant system in protecting gills and digestive glands. The clearance period was not enough to successfully reverse the negative effects observed. So far, the current results enhance the comprehension of the negative role of SePM on metal bioaccumulation and metal-induced toxicity to aquatic biota. Thus, this report adds innovative findings on the role of SePM in aquatic pollution in coastal areas affected by atmospheric pollution, which should be relevant for future public policies to verify and control the environmental pollution.

Improvement of Color and Oxidative Stabilities in Nellore Bull Dark Meat in High-Oxygen Package by Lactate and Rosemary Oil Extract.

This study aimed to improve the color and oxidative stabilities of dark Nellore bull steaks with greater-than-normal ultimate pH (pHu) by the injection (8% raw wet weight basis) of a solution with L-lactate (2.5%), phosphate (0.3%) and rosemary extract (0.06%), with further packaging in high oxygen atmosphere (HiOx MAP). Longissimus lumborum muscles from pasture-fed Nellore bulls were divided into three pHu ranges: normal (<5.80), intermediate (5.81-6.19), and high (≥6.2). Muscles were then halved, with sections were randomly assigned to non-enhanced (C, n = 6/pHu range) or injected (E, n = 6/pHu range) groups, at 72 h postmortem. Each section was cut into 2 cm-slices, which were HiOx-packed and then stored for 5 days (dark) and displayed for 9 days (fluorescent lighting) at 2 °C. Higher pHu steaks exhibited greater a*, b*, h*, C* and surface oxymyoglobin and lower surface deoxymyoglobin and oxygen consumption compared to those of normal pHu between days 0 and 5 (p < 0.05). Over the time, normal-pHu muscles showed oxidative protection (lower TBARS and greater metmyoglobin reducing ability values, p < 0.05) in enhanced-steaks. Therefore, enhancement and HiOx MAP seem to produce greater-than-normal pHu Nellore bull steaks with a preferable color and quality, even after display time.

Association of Anxiety and Depressive Symptoms in Patients with Adhesive Capsulitis.

Objective The present study aimed to assess the association between anxiety and depression symptoms in patients with adhesive capsulitis. Methods This was a cross-sectional study carried out in a single center from a tertiary hospital with patients presenting with secondary adhesive capsulitis. The control group did not have shoulder disease, thyroid disease, anxiety, and/or depression. The instrument used was the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS). An analysis of covariance compared HADS scores between groups. The significance level was 5%. Results The final sample consisted of 17 patients (case group) and 27 (control group). The Shapiro-Wilk test revealed normal distribution ( p > 0.05). A HADS score > 0.70 (Cronbach alpha) was reliable and presented good internal consistency. Patients with adhesive capsulitis reported "doubtful" (average/standard deviation = 8.88/4.50) "anxious symptoms" ( p = 0.019) but no "depressive symptoms" (average/standard deviation = 6.41/3.69), despite p = 0.015. Conclusion There is a "doubtful" positive association between anxiety symptoms and adhesive capsulitis but a negative association with depressive symptoms.

Association of Anxiety and Depressive Symptoms in Patients with Adhesive Capsulitis / Associação de sintomas ansiosos e depressivos em pacientes com capsulite adesiva

Abstract Objective The present study aimed to assess the association between anxiety and depression symptoms in patients with adhesive capsulitis. Methods This was a cross-sectional study carried out in a single center from a tertiary hospital with patients presenting with secondary adhesive capsulitis. The control group did not have shoulder disease, thyroid disease, anxiety, and/or depression. The instrument used was the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS). An analysis of covariance compared HADS scores between groups. The significance level was 5%. Results The final sample consisted of 17 patients (case group) and 27 (control group). The Shapiro-Wilk test revealed normal distribution (p> 0.05). A HADS score > 0.70 (Cronbach alpha) was reliable and presented good internal consistency. Patients with adhesive capsulitis reported "doubtful" (average/standard deviation = 8.88/4.50) "anxious symptoms" (p= 0.019) but no "depressive symptoms" (average/standard deviation = 6.41/3.69), despite p= 0.015. Conclusion There is a "doubtful" positive association between anxiety symptoms and adhesive capsulitis but a negative association with depressive symptoms.

Resumo Objetivo Avaliar a associação entre sintomas ansiosos e depressivos em pacientes com capsulite adesiva. Métodos Trata-se de um estudo transversal realizado em centro único de um hospital terciário com pacientes portadores de capsulite adesiva secundária. O grupo controle não apresentava doença do ombro, tireoidopatias e nem ansiedade e/ou depressão. O instrumento utilizado foi a escala hospitalar de ansiedade e depressão. A análise da covariância foi utilizada para comparação dos escores do Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS, na sigla em inglês) entre os grupos. O nível de significância foi de 5%. Resultados A amostra final foi de 17 pacientes (caso) e 27 (controle). Os dados amostrais apresentaram distribuição normal por meio do teste de Shapiro-Wilk (p> 0,05). A instrumento HADS com pontuação > 0,70 (alfa de Cronbach) se mostrou confiável e com boa consistência interna. Os pacientes com capsulite adesiva, no quesito "sintomas ansiosos" (p= 0,019), relataram sintomas no patamar de "duvidosos" (média/desvio padrão = 8,88/4,50). Eles não apresentaram "sintomas depressivos" (média/desvio padrão = 6,41/3,69), apesar do p= 0,015. Conclusão Existe uma associação positiva "duvidosa" entre sintomas ansiosos e capsulite adesiva, mas negativa para sintomas depressivos.

Phylodynamic analysis of SARS-CoV-2 spread in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, highlights how metropolitan areas act as dispersal hubs for new variants.

During the first semester of 2021, all of Brazil has suffered an intense wave of COVID-19 associated with the Gamma variant. In July, the first cases of Delta variant were detected in the state of Rio de Janeiro. In this work, we have employed phylodynamic methods to analyse more than 1 600 genomic sequences of Delta variant collected until September in Rio de Janeiro to reconstruct how this variant has surpassed Gamma and dispersed throughout the state. After the introduction of Delta, it has initially spread mostly in the homonymous city of Rio de Janeiro, the most populous of the state. In a second stage, dispersal occurred to mid- and long-range cities, which acted as new close-range hubs for spread. We observed that the substitution of Gamma by Delta was possibly caused by its higher viral load, a proxy for transmissibility. This variant turnover prompted a new surge in cases, but with lower lethality than was observed during the peak caused by Gamma. We reason that high vaccination rates in the state of Rio de Janeiro were possibly what prevented a higher number of deaths.

Emergence of Within-Host SARS-CoV-2 Recombinant Genome After Coinfection by Gamma and Delta Variants: A Case Report.

In this study, we report the first case of intra-host SARS-CoV-2 recombination during a coinfection by the variants of concern (VOC) AY.33 (Delta) and P.1 (Gamma) supported by sequencing reads harboring a mosaic of lineage-defining mutations. By using next-generation sequencing reads intersecting regions that simultaneously overlap lineage-defining mutations from Gamma and Delta, we were able to identify a total of six recombinant regions across the SARS-CoV-2 genome within a sample. Four of them mapped in the spike gene and two in the nucleocapsid gene. We detected mosaic reads harboring a combination of lineage-defining mutations from each VOC. To our knowledge, this is the first report of intra-host RNA-RNA recombination between two lineages of SARS-CoV-2, which can represent a threat to public health management during the COVID-19 pandemic due to the possibility of the emergence of viruses with recombinant phenotypes.

UCEasy: A software package for automating and simplifying the analysis of ultraconserved elements (UCEs).

BACKGROUND: The use of Ultraconserved Elements (UCEs) as genetic markers in phylogenomics has become popular and has provided promising results. Although UCE data can be easily obtained from targeted enriched sequencing, the protocol for in silico analysis of UCEs consist of the execution of heterogeneous and complex tools, a challenge for scientists without training in bioinformatics. Developing tools with the adoption of best practices in research software can lessen this problem by improving the execution of computational experiments, thus promoting better reproducibility. NEW INFORMATION: We present UCEasy, an easy-to-install and easy-to-use software package with a simple command line interface that facilitates the computational analysis of UCEs from sequencing samples, following the best practices of research software. UCEasy is a wrapper that standardises, automates and simplifies the quality control of raw reads, assembly and extraction and alignment of UCEs, generating at the end a data matrix with different levels of completeness that can be used to infer phylogenetic trees. We demonstrate the functionalities of UCEasy by reproducing the published results of phylogenomic studies of the bird genus Turdus (Aves) and of Adephaga families (Coleoptera) containing genomic datasets to efficiently extract UCEs.

Turnover of SARS-CoV-2 Lineages Shaped the Pandemic and Enabled the Emergence of New Variants in the State of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

In the present study, we provide a retrospective genomic epidemiology analysis of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic in the state of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. We gathered publicly available data from GISAID and sequenced 1927 new genomes sampled periodically from March 2021 to June 2021 from 91 out of the 92 cities of the state. Our results showed that the pandemic was characterized by three different phases driven by a successive replacement of lineages. Interestingly, we noticed that viral supercarriers accounted for the overwhelming majority of the circulating virus (>90%) among symptomatic individuals in the state. Moreover, SARS-CoV-2 genomic surveillance also revealed the emergence and spread of two new variants (P.5 and P.1.2), firstly reported in this study. Our findings provided important lessons learned from the different epidemiological aspects of the SARS-CoV-2 dynamic in Rio de Janeiro. Altogether, this might have a strong potential to shape future decisions aiming to improve public health management and understanding mechanisms underlying virus dispersion.

Chemical Contents of Disposed Light Sticks Affect the Physiology of Rocky Crab Pachygrapsus transversus and Gray Shrimps Litopennaeus vanammei.

Light-sticks shine resulting from a chemiluminescent reaction between two components kept separate by a glass ampoule. Light-stick baits are discarded in the ocean after being used in longline fishing. The traditional Brazilian community of Costa dos Coqueiros, Brazil, uses the discarded light-sticks chemical contents found on beaches as medicine for rheumatism and mycoses. This study assessed the effects that light-sticks (chemical contents) have on Pachygrapsus transversus and Litopennaeus vanammei. Assays of metabolic changes involved rates of ammonia excretion and oxygen consumption. The EC50-60 min to juveniles and adults P. transversus were 0.0004% and 0.0046%, respectively; and L. vanammei revealed a susceptible species: EC50-60 min of 0.0006% for oxygen uptake and 0.0072% for ammonia excretion, and also was observed a hormesis effect in the ammonia excretion. Light-stick contents could promote significant metabolic changes in rocky crabs and gray shrimp. Educational actions are needed that make the population aware of and avoid the dangerous misuse of the light-sticks.

Clinical analysis of patients with low back pain in the emergency department / Análise clínica de pacientes com dor lombar no departamento de emergência / Análisis clínico de pacientes con dolor lumbar en el departamento de emergencia

ABSTRACT Objective To describe the daily practice in an emergency service and to provide relevant data for future studies about the treatment of low back pain from the perspective of emergency medicine. Methods Analysis of hospital records and review of medical records. Results 2,434 patients were attended between January 1 and December 31, 2017 with the complaint of low back pain. Radiographs of the spine were performed in 15.7% of patients and computerized tomography scans in 7.6%. Eighty-five patients required hospitalization, with a mean hospital stay of 8.3 days. The rate of use was 52.7% for tricyclic or antiepileptic drugs and 12% for strong opioids among hospitalized patients. Conclusions A high prevalence of low back complaints was observed in the emergency care service (4.6% of total emergency room visits during the year), with low hospitalization potential. The rates of hospitalization and tomographic examinations were higher than those observed in similar studies, with a lower proportion of radiograph and strong opioid use as compared with the same studies. The paucity of national and international data for more in-depth comparisons makes clear the need for further studies and development of new recommendations specifically targeting this subset of patients. Level of evidence IV; Prognostic studies.

RESUMO Objetivo Descrever a prática diária em um serviço de pronto atendimento e produzir dados relevantes para estudos futuros relacionados com tratamento da dor lombar na perspectiva da medicina de emergência. Métodos Análise dos registros hospitalares e revisão de prontuários. Resultados Foram realizados 2.434 atendimentos entre 1º de janeiro e 31 de dezembro de 2017 com a queixa de dor lombar. Foram realizadas radiografias da coluna em 15,7% dos pacientes e tomografias computadorizadas em 7,6%. Oitenta e cinco pacientes precisaram de internação hospitalar, com tempo médio de internação de 8,3 dias. A taxa de utilização de antidepressivos tricíclicos ou antiepilépticos foi de 52,7% para os pacientes internados e a de opioides fortes foi de 12%. Conclusões Observou-se uma alta taxa de prevalência de queixa de dor lombar no serviço de pronto atendimento (4,6% do total de atendimentos do pronto-socorro durante o ano), com baixo potencial de internação. A taxa de internação e realização de exames tomográficos foi maior que a observada em estudos semelhantes, com uma menor proporção de uso de radiografias e opioides fortes em comparação com os mesmos estudos. A escassez de dados nacionais e internacionais para comparações mais profundas torna clara a necessidade de estudos adicionais e desenvolvimento de novas recomendações, visando especificamente esse subgrupo de pacientes. Nível de evidência IV; Estudos prognósticos.

RESUMEN Objetivo Describir la práctica diaria en un servicio de atención rápida y producir datos relevantes para estudios futuros relacionados con tratamiento del dolor lumbar en la perspectiva de la medicina de emergencia. Métodos Análisis de los registros hospitalarios y revisión de historiales. Resultados Se realizaron 2.434 atendimientos entre el 1 de enero y el 31 de diciembre de 2017 con la queja de dolor lumbar. Fueron realizadas radiografías de la columna en el 15,7% de los pacientes y tomografías computarizadas en el 7,6%. Ochenta y cinco pacientes precisaron internación hospitalaria, con tiempo promedio de internación de 8,3 días. La tasa de uso de antidepresivos tricíclicos o antiepilépticos fue del 52,7% para los pacientes internados y la de opioides fuertes fue del 12%. Conclusiones Se observó una alta tasa de prevalencia de queja de dolor lumbar en el servicio de atención rápida (4,6% del total de atenciones de primeros auxilios durante el año), con bajo potencial de internación. La tasa de internación y realización de exámenes tomográficos fue mayor que la observada en estudios semejantes, con una menor proporción de uso de radiografías y opioides fuertes en comparación con los mismos estudios. La escasez de datos nacionales e internacionales para comparaciones más profundas hace clara la necesidad de estudios adicionales y el desarrollo de nuevas recomendaciones, dirigidas específicamente a este subgrupo de pacientes. Nivel de evidencia IV; Estudios pronósticos.