Staining blindly: an update on coloring techniques for fecal smears in parasitology: a scoping review.

Dye application for parasite highlighting in the Ova and Parasite exam is a common practice in parasitology diagnosis. Methods: A scoping review investigated how staining solutions interact with parasite structures. After screening 1334 papers, 35 met eligibility criteria. Results: Differentiating background from foreground in the fecal smear under light microscopy is the core of the research on this topic. Refractivity, unevenness of staining, size and temperature were explored to enhance staining protocols. Cryptosporidium spp. and Microsporidia were the main studied species. Conclusion: Studies on diagnostic efficacy outperform those that elucidate the physical-chemical interaction between dyes and parasites. An alternative approach involves technicians using computational tools to reduce subjectivity in fecal smear interpretation, deviating from conventional methods.

What is this article about? Coloring parasites during fecal exams has been widely used to find parasites in human feces. We searched for articles that could help us to answer the question: 'How do dyes give color to parasites?'. Then, we filtered the information from a total of 1334 articles to 35. What were the results? Cryptosporidium spp. and Microsporidia are microbes that can be seen only through a microscope. Researchers were interested in these two species in the last 40 years. Differentiating parasites from dirt on a glass slide is the main problem researchers are trying to solve. The way the light goes through parasites under a microscope, variation of staining, size and temperature of dyes have been explored to identify what gives better results in coloring protocols. What do the results of the study mean? Little is known about the chemical interaction between dyes and parasites. On the other hand, there are many studies on how good coloring methods are and comparing protocols. An alternative to the conventional approaches in staining parasites is the use of computational tools to reduce doubt in the exam interpretation by technicians.

Supervised exercise therapy program vs non-supervised exercise therapy program after distal radius fracture: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: It is an updated systematic review with meta-analysis that compared supervised exercise therapy (SET) vs non-supervised exercise therapy (NSET) programs for patients with distal radius fracture. PURPOSE: The purpose of this systematic review is to appraise the current literature to determine if SET program is more effective than a NSET program for pain relief, improvement of range of movement, function and grip strength, both in the short or medium term for patients following distal radius fractures. STUDY DESIGN: Systematic review. METHODS: The following electronic databases were searched: Medline/Pubmed, PEDro, Cinahl, Embase, CENTRAL, and Lilacs. PICOT strategy was used for trial selection. The searches were conducted on August 22, 2021, and May 26, 2022. Two researchers performed an independent search for papers from the references of the chosen trials. Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development and Evaluations (GRADE) was used for assessing the quality of evidence. RESULTS: The search strategy identified 2786 potentially eligible studies and 15 studies met our inclusion criteria. The results did not show that the SET program was more effective than the NSET program for all outcomes, in both terms for patients after distal radius fractures. GRADE showed that all analyses presented very low-quality evidence. CONCLUSIONS: Even the results showing there was no difference between the two programs analyzed, the available evidence for randomized controlled trials was insufficient to support these results.

Toward automating the diagnosis of gastrointestinal parasites in cats and dogs.

Diagnosing gastrointestinal parasites by microscopy slide examination often leads to human interpretation errors, which may occur due to fatigue, lack of training and infrastructure, presence of artifacts (e.g., various types of cells, algae, yeasts), and other reasons. We have investigated the stages in automating the process to cope with the interpretation errors. This work presents advances in two stages focused on gastrointestinal parasites of cats and dogs: a new parasitological processing technique, named TF-Test VetPet, and a microscopy image analysis pipeline based on deep learning methods. TF-Test VetPet improves image quality by reducing cluttering (i.e., eliminating artifacts), which favors automated image analysis. The proposed pipeline can identify three species of parasites in cats and five in dogs, distinguishing them from fecal impurities with an average accuracy of 98,6%. We also make available the two datasets with images of parasites of dogs and cats, which were obtained by processing fecal smears with temporary staining using TF-Test VetPet.

To troll or not to troll: Young adults' anti-social behaviour on social media.

BACKGROUND: Online anti-social behaviour is on the rise, reducing the perceived benefits of social media in society and causing a number of negative outcomes. This research focuses on the factors associated with young adults being perpetrators of anti-social behaviour when using social media. METHOD: Based on an online survey of university students in Canada (n = 359), we used PLS-SEM to create a model and test the associations between four factors (online disinhibition, motivations for cyber-aggression, self-esteem, and empathy) and the likelihood of being a perpetrator of online anti-social behaviour. RESULTS: The model shows positive associations between two appetitive motives for cyber-aggression (namely recreation and reward) and being a perpetrator. This finding indicates that young adults engage in online anti-social behaviour for fun and social approval. The model also shows a negative association between cognitive empathy and being a perpetrator, which indicates that perpetrators may be engaging in online anti-social behaviour because they do not understand how their targets feel.

Effects of hypertonic solutions on two species of human intestinal parasites during fecal examination.

Aim: Ova and parasite examination by flotation requires hypertonic solutions, which can damage the egg and cyst membranes, leading to false negatives. The authors investigated the harmful effects of ZnSO4 and C12H22O11 solutions on the ova and parasite examination. Materials & methods: The authors processed samples using the Three Fecal Test technique. Aliquots were floated in different pH levels, temperatures and solution densities. Results: Densities above 1.12 g/ml led structures to collapse after 6-10 min. pH neutralization of the ZnSO4 solution did not prevent the parasites from changing. Conclusion: All structures were altered when standard methods were performed. To delay collapse, the parasite floating under 5 °C is highly desirable.

Fecal exams require solutions that can damage the intestinal parasite's shape. This is bad for diagnosis. The authors investigated the harmful effects of these solutions on fecal exams. The authors processed samples using a technique called the Three Fecal Test. Fecal samples were floated in different conditions, including neutral and acidic solutions, high and low temperatures and varying densities of chemical solutions. Densities above 1.12 g/ml altered the structures of parasites. Neutral solutions did not prevent the structures from changing. The structures of all parasites were altered when the usual techniques were performed. Thus, the techniques for diagnosing intestinal parasites in feces must be improved. Temperatures under 5 °C are the best for preventing the destruction of parasite membranes.

Pain paths among post-COVID-19 condition subjects: A prospective cross-sectional study with in-person evaluation.

BACKGROUND: New-onset chronic pain has been acknowledged as part of the post-COVID-19 condition. However, available fine-grained data about its clinical phenotype, trajectories and main associated characteristics remain scarce. We described the distinct temporal evolutions of post-COVID-19 pain and their epidemiological and phenotypical features. METHODS: A prospective cross-sectional study enrolled post-COVID-19 condition patients (i.e. who had persisting COVID-19-related symptoms over 30 days since their first positive laboratory test), whose COVID-19 diagnosis had been supported by RT-PCR of oral/nasopharyngeal swab or serology. They underwent in-person evaluations with a structured interview, pain and quality-of-life-related questionnaires and thorough physical examination. Chronic pain (CP) and probable neuropathic pain (NP) were defined according to IASP criteria. RESULTS: The present study included 226 individuals, 177 (78.3%) of whom presented over 3 months since their first COVID-19 symptom. New-onset pain occurred in 170 (75.2%) participants and was chronic in 116 (68.2%). A chronic course was associated with COVID-19-related hospitalization, new-onset fatigue, lower cognitive performance, motor and thermal sensory deficits, mood and sleep impairments and overall lower quality-of-life levels. Probable NP occurred in only 7.6% new-onset pain patients, and was associated with pain chronification, new-onset fatigue, motor and thermal sensory deficits, mechanical allodynia and lower rates of SARS-CoV-2 vaccination. Previous CP was reported by 86 (38.1%) individuals and had aggravated after the infection in 66 (76.7%) of them, which was associated with orthostatic hypotension. CONCLUSIONS: Post-COVID pain phenomena follow different paths, which are associated with specific clinical and epidemiological features, and possibly distinct underlying mechanisms, prognostic and therapeutic implications. SIGNIFICANCE: COVID-19-related pain usually follows a chronic course and is non-neuropathic. Its possible courses and phenotypes are associated with distinct clinical and epidemiological features. This suggests differing underlying mechanisms, which may have significant prognostic and therapeutic implications.

Predicting the evolution of COVID-19 mortality risk: A Recurrent Neural Network approach.

Background: In December 2020, the COVID-19 disease was confirmed in 1,665,775 patients and caused 45,784 deaths in Spain. At that time, health decision support systems were identified as crucial against the pandemic. Methods: This study applies Deep Learning techniques for mortality prediction of COVID-19 patients. Two datasets with clinical information were used. They included 2,307 and 3,870 COVID-19 infected patients admitted to two Spanish hospitals. Firstly, we built a sequence of temporal events gathering all the clinical information for each patient, comparing different data representation methods. Next, we used the sequences to train a Recurrent Neural Network (RNN) model with an attention mechanism exploring interpretability. We conducted an extensive hyperparameter search and cross-validation. Finally, we ensembled the resulting RNNs to enhance sensitivity. Results: We assessed the performance of our models by averaging the performance across all the days in the sequences. Additionally, we evaluated day-by-day predictions starting from both the hospital admission day and the outcome day. We compared our models with two strong baselines, Support Vector Classifier and Random Forest, and in all cases our models were superior. Furthermore, we implemented an ensemble model that substantially increased the system's sensitivity while producing more stable predictions. Conclusions: We have shown the feasibility of our approach to predicting the clinical outcome of patients. The result is an RNN-based model that can support decision-making in healthcare systems aiming at interpretability. The system is robust enough to deal with real-world data and can overcome the problems derived from the sparsity and heterogeneity of data.

Minor red blood cell antigen phenotyping of athletes sampled in international competitions.

Blood transfusion is performed by cheating athletes to rapidly increase oxygen delivery to exercise muscles and enhance their performance. This method is banned by the World Anti-doping Agency (WADA). Heterologous or allogenic blood transfusion happens when blood from a different person is transfused. The method used to detect this type of doping is based on flow cytometry, by identifying variations in blood group minor antigens present on the red blood cells' surface. Transfusion practices have regained interest since the introduction of human recombinant erythropoietin detection method. It has been reported that the number of occurrences of two athletes sharing an identical phenotype in the same sport was five times higher than the theoretical populational probability. The present work describes the prevalence of 10 erythrocytes surface antigens in a population of 261 athletes from all five continents. The matching phenotype per sport is also described.

Trayectorias del dolor en sujetos con afección post-COVID-19: estudio prospectivo y transversal con evaluación presencial / Pain paths among post-COVID-19 condition subjects: a prospective cross-sectional study with in-person evaluation

Antecedentes: El dolor crónico de nueva aparición se considera que forma parte de la condición o afección post-COVID-19. Sin embargo, los datos detallados existentes sobre el fenotipo clínico, las trayectorias y las principales características asociadas siguen siendo escasos. Describimos las distintas evoluciones temporales del dolor post-COVID-19 y sus rasgos epidemiológicos y fenotípicos. Métodos: Estudio prospectivo y transversal de pacientes con afección post-COVID-19 (es decir, con síntomas persistentes relacionados con la COVID-19 durante 30 días desde la primera prueba positiva de laboratorio) cuyo diagnóstico de COVID-19 estuviera basado en la RT-PCR de un frotis oral/nasofaríngeo o una serología. Se sometieron a evaluaciones presenciales mediante una entrevista estructurada, cuestionarios de dolor y calidad de vida y una exploración física exhaustiva. El dolor crónico (DC) y el dolor neuropático (DN) probablemente se definieron conforme a los criterios IASP.Resultados: El presente estudio incluyó 226 individuos, 177 (78,3 %) de los cuales se presentaron pasados más de 3 meses desde el primer síntoma de COVID-19. Tenían dolor de nueva aparición 170 (75,2 %) de los participantes y dolor crónico 116 (68,2 %). El curso crónico se asociaba a hospitalización por COVID-19, fatiga de nueva aparición, menor rendimiento cognitivo, déficits motores y sensitivos térmicos, alteraciones del ánimo y el sueño, y niveles generalmente inferiores de calidad de vida. El DN probable afectaba a solo el 7,6 % de los pacientes con dolor de nueva aparición y se asociaba a cronificación del dolor, fatiga de nueva aparición, déficits motores y de sensación térmica, alodinia mecánica y tasas menores de vacunación frente al SARS-CoV-2. Referían DC previo 86 (38,1 %) individuos, y este había empeorado tras la infección en 66 (76,7 %) de ellos, lo que se asociaba a hipotensión ortostática...(AU)

Background: New-onset chronic pain has been acknowledged as part of the post-COVID-19 condition. However, available fine-grained data about its clinical phenotype, trajectories and main associated characteristics remain scarce. We described the distinct temporal evolutions of post-COVID-19 pain and their epidemiological and phenotypical features.Methods: A prospective cross-sectional study enrolled post-COVID-19 condition patients (i.e. who had persisting COVID-19-related symptoms over 30 days since their first positive laboratory test), whose COVID-19 diagnosis had been supported by RT-PCR of oral/nasopharyngeal swab or serology. They underwent in-person evaluations with a structured interview, pain and quality-of-life-related questionnaires and thorough physical examination. Chronic pain (CP) and probable neuropathic pain (NP) were defined according to IASP criteria.Results: The present study included 226 individuals, 177 (78.3 %) of whom presented over 3 months since their first COVID-19 symptom. Newonset pain occurred in 170 (75.2 %) participants and was chronic in 116 (68.2 %). A chronic course was associated with COVID-19-related hospitalization, new-onset fatigue, lower cognitive performance, motor and thermal sensory deficits, mood and sleep impairments and overall lower quality-of-life levels. Probable NP occurred in only 7.6 % new-onset pain patients, and was associated with pain chronification, new-onset fatigue, motor and thermal sensory deficits, mechanical allodynia and lower rates of SARSCoV-2 vaccination. Previous CP was reported by 86 (38.1 %) individuals and had aggravated after the infection in 66 (76.7 %) of them, which was associated with orthostatic hypotension.Conclusions: Post-COVID pain phenomena follow different paths, which are associated with specific clinical and epidemiological features, and possibly distinct underlying mechanisms, prognostic and therapeutic implications...(AU)

TF-Test techniques for the laboratory diagnosis of gastrointestinal parasites of humans and animals

Intestinal parasites inhabit the intestinal tract of humans and animals, causing damages whose severity depends on several factors related to the parasite and the host. Immunocompromised individuals are more likely to develop severe forms of parasitic infestation. The diagnosis of the gastrointestinal parasitosis is mainly performed by the examination of the feces, which consists of the direct visualization and identification of the parasites eliminated through the feces. These tests are generally low sensitive and the microscope slides contain a large number of impurities, which can impair the result of the diagnosis. In order to improve the diagnostic accuracy, a new parasitological technique called Three Fecal Test (TF­Test) was developed. To further improve its diagnostic accuracy, few modifications of the original protocols have been made with the years. In this study the performance of these new techniques to detect gastrointestinal parasites in human and animal fecal samples was described and discussed in relation to the performance of other conventional coprological tests. It could be concluded that the TF­Test conventional and modified can be used for the diagnosis of several human and animal parasites, with satisfactory results.

Physical structure and supplies for hand hygiene in the CCU of a public hospital / Estrutura física e insumos destinados à higienização das mãos no CTI de um hospital público / Estructura física e insumos destinados a la higienización de manos en la UCI de un hospital público

Background and Objectives: healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) are a serious public health problem worldwide. They occur mainly in Critical Care Units (CCUs), where physical structure and supplies do not favor hand hygiene (HH) compliance among health professionals. Thus, the present study aimed to describe and assess the physical structure and supplies for HH practice in a CCU of a public cancer hospital in the North region, Pará, Brazil. Methods: this is a descriptive, observational and cross-sectional study with a quantitative approach. Data were collected through a questionnaire based on the Guide to the Implementation of the World Health Organization (WHO) Multimodal Hand Hygiene Improvement Strategy. Results: the study identified that there were 17 functioning beds and 6 interdicted, in addition to 11 sinks on site, but only 5 had liquid soap and paper towels, all with water. Ten alcohol dispensers were identified, but only 7 were functioning and replenished. None of the professionals found had a pocket alcoholic bottle. Conclusion: the study concluded that the physical structure and supplies found in the investigated CCU are partially adequate for carrying out hand disinfection. However, improvements in these structures must be implemented as well as periodic audits and permanent health education activities, aiming to remind professionals about HH practice correctly.(AU)

Justificativas e objetivos: as infecções relacionadas à assistência a saúde (IRAS) são um grave problema de saúde pública mundial. Ocorrem principalmente nos Centros de Terapia Intensiva (CTI), onde a estrutura física e insumos não favorecem a adesão da higienização das mãos (HM) entre os profissionais de saúde. Dessa forma, o presente estudo teve como objetivo descrever e avaliar a estrutura física e de insumos destinados à prática de HM em um CTI de um hospital público oncológico da região Norte, Pará, Brasil. Métodos: trata-se de um estudo descritivo, observacional e transversal com abordagem quantitativa. Os dados foram coletados através de um questionário baseado no Guia para a Implementação da Estratégia Multimodal da Organização Mundial da Saúde (OMS) para a Melhoria da Higiene das Mãos. Resultados: o estudo identificou que existiam 17 leitos funcionantes e 6 interditados, além de 11 pias no local, porém apenas 5 possuíam sabão líquido e papel toalha, todas com água. Foram identificados 10 dispensadores de álcool, porém apenas 7 estavam funcionantes e reabastecidos. Nenhum dos profissionais encontrados possuíam frasco alcoólico de bolso. Conclusão: o estudo concluiu que a estrutura física e os insumos encontrados no CTI investigado estão parcialmente adequados para a realização da prática de desinfecção das mãos. Contudo, devem ser implementadas melhorias nessas estruturas, bem como auditorias periódicas e atividades de educação permanente em saúde, visando relembrar os profissionais sobre a prática de HM de forma correta.(AU)

Justificación y objetivos: las infecciones asociadas a la atención de la salud (IAAS) son un grave problema de salud pública a nivel mundial. Ocurren principalmente en Unidades de Cuidados Intensivos (UCI), donde la estructura física y los suministros no favorecen la adherencia a la higiene de manos (HM) entre los profesionales de la salud. Así, el presente estudio tuvo como objetivo describir y evaluar la estructura física y los insumos para la práctica de la HM en una UCI de un hospital oncológico público de la región Norte de Pará, Brasil. Métodos: se trata de un estudio descriptivo, observacional, transversal con enfoque cuantitativo. Los datos fueron recolectados a través de un cuestionario basado en la Guía para la Implementación de la Estrategia Multimodal para la Mejora de la Higiene de Manos de la Organización Mundial de la Salud (OMS). Resultados: el estudio identificó que había 17 camas en funcionamiento y 6 intervenidas, además de 11 lavabos en el lugar, pero solo 5 tenían jabón líquido y toallas de papel, todas con agua. Se identificaron 10 dispensadores de alcohol, pero solo 7 funcionaban y se reponían. Ninguno de los profesionales encontrados tenía una botella de alcohol de bolsillo. Conclusión: el estudio concluyó que la estructura física y los insumos encontrados en la UCI investigada son parcialmente adecuados para la realización de la práctica de desinfección de manos. Sin embargo, se deben implementar mejoras en estas estructuras, así como auditorías periódicas y actividades de educación continua en salud, con el objetivo de recordar a los profesionales sobre la práctica correcta de HM.(AU)

Detection of intestinal parasites in human faecal samples using dissolved air flotation.

OBJECTIVE: Ova and parasite (O&P) examination is recommended for the laboratory diagnosis of agents causing parasitic infections; however, this exam requires scientific and technological improvements to enhance its diagnostic validity. Dissolved air flotation (DAF) is an efficient technical principle separating suspended solids in a liquid medium. We aimed to develop and validate a new procedure for intestinal parasite detection with DAF. METHODS: In this study, we collected samples from 500 volunteers, screened them by direct examination, and transferred the material to tubes using the Three Faecal Test (TF-Test) for triplicate DAF tests. We evaluated physical-chemical parameters and DAF prototype components through quantifying parasites recovered from floated and non-floated regions of the flotation column. The DAF operation protocol was validated with the gold standard results. RESULTS: The 10% saturated volume proportion and cationic surfactant showed regularity and high parasite recovery (80%). Modifications of the needle device did not influence parasite recovery (p > 0.05). Sensitivity, specificity, accuracy and kappa agreement obtained with the DAF protocol were 91%, 100%, 93% and substantial (k = 0.64), respectively. CONCLUSION: The DAF principle could be used to process faecal samples in routine laboratory exams, enabling intestinal parasite detection.

How coordinated link sharing behavior and partisans' narrative framing fan the spread of COVID-19 misinformation and conspiracy theories.

This study examines the presence and role of Coordinated Link Sharing Behavior (CLSB) on Facebook around the "America's Frontline Doctors" press conference, and the promotion of several unproven conspiracy theories including the false assertion that hydroxychloroquine is a "cure" for COVID-19 by Dr. Stella Immanuel, one of the doctors who took part in the press conference. We collected 7,737 public Facebook posts mentioning Stella Immanuel using CrowdTangle and then applied the specialized program CooRnet to detect CLSB among Facebook public pages, groups and verified profiles. Finally, we used a mixed-method approach consisting of both network and content analysis to examine the nature and scope of the detected CLSB. Our analysis shows how Facebook accounts engaged in CLSB to fuel the spread of misinformation. We identified a coalition of Facebook accounts that engaged in CLSB to promote COVID-19 related misinformation. This coalition included US-based pro-Trump, QAnon, and anti-vaccination accounts. In addition, we identified Facebook accounts that engaged in CLSB in other countries, such as Brazil and France, that primarily promoted hydroxychloroquine, and some accounts in African countries that criticized the government's pandemic response in their countries.

Clinical prediction models for mortality in patients with covid-19: external validation and individual participant data meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVE: To externally validate various prognostic models and scoring rules for predicting short term mortality in patients admitted to hospital for covid-19. DESIGN: Two stage individual participant data meta-analysis. SETTING: Secondary and tertiary care. PARTICIPANTS: 46 914 patients across 18 countries, admitted to a hospital with polymerase chain reaction confirmed covid-19 from November 2019 to April 2021. DATA SOURCES: Multiple (clustered) cohorts in Brazil, Belgium, China, Czech Republic, Egypt, France, Iran, Israel, Italy, Mexico, Netherlands, Portugal, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Spain, Sweden, United Kingdom, and United States previously identified by a living systematic review of covid-19 prediction models published in The BMJ, and through PROSPERO, reference checking, and expert knowledge. MODEL SELECTION AND ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA: Prognostic models identified by the living systematic review and through contacting experts. A priori models were excluded that had a high risk of bias in the participant domain of PROBAST (prediction model study risk of bias assessment tool) or for which the applicability was deemed poor. METHODS: Eight prognostic models with diverse predictors were identified and validated. A two stage individual participant data meta-analysis was performed of the estimated model concordance (C) statistic, calibration slope, calibration-in-the-large, and observed to expected ratio (O:E) across the included clusters. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: 30 day mortality or in-hospital mortality. RESULTS: Datasets included 27 clusters from 18 different countries and contained data on 46 914patients. The pooled estimates ranged from 0.67 to 0.80 (C statistic), 0.22 to 1.22 (calibration slope), and 0.18 to 2.59 (O:E ratio) and were prone to substantial between study heterogeneity. The 4C Mortality Score by Knight et al (pooled C statistic 0.80, 95% confidence interval 0.75 to 0.84, 95% prediction interval 0.72 to 0.86) and clinical model by Wang et al (0.77, 0.73 to 0.80, 0.63 to 0.87) had the highest discriminative ability. On average, 29% fewer deaths were observed than predicted by the 4C Mortality Score (pooled O:E 0.71, 95% confidence interval 0.45 to 1.11, 95% prediction interval 0.21 to 2.39), 35% fewer than predicted by the Wang clinical model (0.65, 0.52 to 0.82, 0.23 to 1.89), and 4% fewer than predicted by Xie et al's model (0.96, 0.59 to 1.55, 0.21 to 4.28). CONCLUSION: The prognostic value of the included models varied greatly between the data sources. Although the Knight 4C Mortality Score and Wang clinical model appeared most promising, recalibration (intercept and slope updates) is needed before implementation in routine care.

Communication regarding the article "An efficient primary screening COVID-19 by serum Raman spectroscopy".

When performing computational modeling and machine learning experiments, it is imperative to follow a protocol that minimizes bias. In this communication, we share our concerns regarding the article "An efficient primary screening COVID-19 by serum Raman spectroscopy" published in this journal. We consider that the authors may have inadvertently biased their results by not guaranteeing complete independence of test samples from the training data. We corroborate our point by reproducing the experiment with the available data, showing that if full independence of the test set was ensured, the reported results should be lower. We ask the authors to provide more information regarding their article, as well as making available all code used to generate their results. Our experiments are available at https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.14124356.

Non-invasive insular stimulation for peripheral neuropathic pain: Influence of target or symptom?

OBJECTIVES: The posterior-superior insula (PSI) has been shown to be a safe and potentially effective target for neuromodulation in peripheral neuropathic pain (PNP) in humans and animal models. However, it remains unknown whether there is a measurable responder profile to PSI stimulation. Two factors were hypothesized to influence the response of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) of the PSI: differences in rTMS target (discrete subregions of the PSI) or PNP phenotype. METHODS: This is a secondary analysis from a randomized, double-blind, sham-controlled, cross-over trial assessing PSI-rTMS in PNP (N = 31, 5 days rTMS) (10.1016/j.neucli.2021.06.003). Active PSI-rTMS true responders (>50% pain reduction from baseline after active but not after sham series of treatment) were compared with not true responders, to determine whether they differed with respect to 1) rTMS neuro-navigational target coordinates, and/or 2) specific neuropathic pain symptom inventory (NPSI) clusters (pinpointed pain, evoked pain, and deep pain) at baseline. RESULTS: Mean rTMS target coordinates did not differ between true (n = 45.1%) and not true responders (p = 0.436 for X, p = 0.120 for Y, and p = 0.116 for Z). The Euclidian distance between true and not true responders was 4.04 mm. When comparing differences in responders between NPSI clusters, no participant within the evoked pain cluster was a true responder (p = 0.024). CONCLUSION: Response to PSI-rTMS may depend on pain cluster subtype rather than on differences in targeting within the PSI.

A escalada neoconservadora e a agenda antigênero: o caso da participação do Brasil na Cúpula Demográfica de Budapeste / Neoconservative escalation and the anti-gender agenda: the case of Brazil's participation in the Budapest Demographic Summit / Escalada neoconservadora y agenda antigénero: el caso de la participación de Brasil en la Cumbre Demográfica de Budapest

Este artigo busca analisar o significado da participação do Brasil na III Cúpula Demográfica de Budapeste. Esse encontro é derivado de uma série de eventos que ocorrem desde 2015, a partir da ascensão do governo de extrema-direita de Viktor Orbán. Com o objetivo de pensar o enfrentamento ao declínio populacional, a partir de estratégias anti-imigração e pró-família, o evento vem se posicionando como um contraponto às conferências da ONU. Enquanto percurso metodológico, partimos de pesquisa on-line e documental no site dos organizadores da cúpula e do governo brasileiro para, posteriormente, utilizarmos a análise crítica do discurso (ACD) para o pronunciamento da ministra Damares Alves durante o evento, com reflexão a partir dos estudos feministas pós-estruturalistas. O que se apura é uma inflexão do Brasil à agenda neoconservadora e antigênero, se associando a países de extrema-direita, fundamentalistas e contrários à defesa de direitos humanos. O discurso proferido instrumentaliza noções demográficas para camuflar suas perspectivas ideológicas em relação ao gênero, emprestando ares de discurso científico aos ataques aos direitos sexuais e reprodutivos e às noções de família não tradicionais.

This article seeks to analyze the significance of Brazil's participation in the 3rd Budapest Demographic Summit. This meeting follows a series of events that have taken place since 2015, through the rise of Viktor Orbán's extreme right-wing administration. Seeking to tackle population decline, based on anti-immigration and pro-family strategies, the event has been positioning itself as a counterpoint to the UN Conferences. To that end, we began an online and documentary research on the website of Summit organizers and the Brazilian government, followed by a Critical Discourse Analysis (ACD) of the speech by Minister Damares Alves during the event, with reflections from post-structuralist feminist studies. A clear inflection to the global neoconservative and anti-gender agenda is observed in Brazil through the association with far-right countries, opposed to the defense of Human Rights, and fundamentalists. The speech included instrumentalized demographic notions used to camouflage ideological perspectives in relation to gender and launch attacks on sexual and reproductive rights and to non-traditional notions of family disguised as scientific discourse.

Este artículo busca analizar el significado de la participación de Brasil en la III Cumbre Demográfica de Budapest. Esta reunión deriva de una serie de eventos que han tenido lugar desde 2015, con el surgimiento del gobierno de extrema derecha de Viktor Orbán. Con el objetivo de pensar en enfrentar el declive de la población, basado en estrategias antiinmigración y profamilia, el evento se ha posicionado como un contrapunto a las conferencias de la ONU. Como camino metodológico, comenzamos con una investigación documental y en línea en el sitio web de los organizadores de la cumbre y del gobierno brasileño, para luego utilizar el análisis crítico del discurso para la declaración de la ministra Damares Alves durante el evento, con la reflexión de los estudios feministas posestructuralistas. Lo que está claro es una inflexión de Brasil hacia la agenda global neoconservadora y antigénero, para la que se asocia con países de extrema derecha, fundamentalistas y opuestos a la defensa de los derechos humanos. El discurso analizado instrumentaliza las nociones demográficas para camuflar sus perspectivas ideológicas en relación con el género, y les da un aire de discurso científico a los ataques a los derechos sexuales y reproductivos y a las nociones no tradicionales de familia.

Analysis of goal scoring patterns and match outcome during the Intercontinental Beach Soccer Cup Dubai 2019

Abstract Aim: To characterize the goal-scoring patterns and investigate the goal process on match outcome during the Intercontinental Beach Soccer Cup Dubai 2019. Methods: A set of 35 goal-scoring patterns were grouped into nine macro-categories: Match-period, Court-zone, Set-play, Open-play, Touching by players before the goal, Offensive method, Goalkeeper-line, Number of passes before the goal, and Ball trajectory. Match outcome in regular time was considered the matches resulting in a loss (n=16), draw (n=8), or win (n=16). The offensive sequences that resulted in the goal were analyzed in all 20 matches during the competition (n=138 goals). Results: The most goals were scored in Open-play (69%), during the 2nd and 3rd periods (36% for each), near to goal (Zone 4; 50%), preceded by 1-touch (67%) and 0-pass (29%), using positional attack (46%), without goalkeeper-line (68%), and with high-ball trajectory (51%). In addition, won matches presented a higher number of goals in Zone 4, 1-touch, Counterattack, 4v4 goal-successful, Receiving pass, Sand-touch, and High-ball compared to draw and loss matches (p<0.001−0.03; Effect Size [ES]=1.24−2.58, large). Conclusion: In summary, winning teams scored their goals mainly in open-play situations and without a goalkeeper-line, using counterattacks to achieve zones near the opponent's goals, and implementing a direct offensive style. In addition, goals scored were usually preceded by 1-touch, both through high-ball and sand-touch ball trajectory. Coaches and practitioners may consider these goal processes to train prescription and deep understanding of the process to goal in elite Beach soccer.

Automated Diagnostics: Advances in the Diagnosis of Intestinal Parasitic Infections in Humans and Animals.

The increasingly close proximity between people and animals is of great concern for public health, given the risk of exposure to infectious diseases transmitted through animals, which are carriers of more than 60 zoonotic agents. These diseases, which are included in the list of Neglected Tropical Diseases, cause losses in countries with tropical and subtropical climates, and in regions with temperate climates. Indeed, they affect more than a billion people around the world, a large proportion of which are infected by one or more parasitic helminths, causing annual losses of billions of dollars. Several studies are being conducted in search for differentiated, more sensitive diagnostics with fewer errors. These studies, which involve the automated examination of intestinal parasites, still face challenges that must be overcome in order to ensure the proper identification of parasites. This includes a protocol that allows for elimination of most of the debris in samples, satisfactory staining of parasite structures, and a robust image database. Our objective here is therefore to offer a critical description of the techniques currently in use for the automated diagnosis of intestinal parasites in fecal samples, as well as advances in these techniques.