Publications by authors named "Coutinho E"

Introduction: Conventional three-lead ambulatory electrocardiogram recording (3L-AECG) is used for the quantitative diagnosis of arrhythmias. However, the lack of crucial information, such as QRS morphology and orientation, renders the 3L-AECG incomplete for planning electrophysiological interventions. The 12-lead AECG (12L-AECG) merges the temporal resolution 3L-AECG with the spatial resolution of the standard electrocardiogram (S-ECG).

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  • Puberty marks a key transition to reproductive capability and is driven by the activation of gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) neurons, with kisspeptin neurons likely playing a role in this activation.
  • Researchers selectively removed arcuate kisspeptin neurons (KNDy neurons) in juvenile mice to study their influence on the timing of puberty, finding that their absence led to delayed puberty and lower hormone levels.
  • The study concluded that while most KNDy neurons are critical for the timing of puberty onset, a smaller subset is sufficient for normal GnRH pulse timing, and full KNDy neuron functionality is not necessary for generating the LH surge in females.
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Background: Severe psychomotor agitation and aggression often require immediate pharmacological intervention, but clear evidence-based recommendations for choosing among the multiple options are lacking. To address this gap, we plan a systematic review and individual-participant-data network meta-analysis to investigate their comparative effectiveness in real-world emergency settings with increased precision.

Methods: We will include randomized controlled trials investigating intramuscular or intravenous pharmacological interventions, as monotherapy or in combination, in adults with severe psychomotor agitation irrespective of the underlying diagnosis and requiring rapid tranquilization in general or psychiatric emergency settings.

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Study Question: Do hyperactive kisspeptin neurons contribute to abnormally high LH secretion and downstream hyperandrogenemia in polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS)-like conditions and can inhibition of kisspeptin neurons rescue such endocrine impairments?

Summary Answer: Targeted inhibition of endogenous kisspeptin neuron activity in a mouse model of PCOS reduced the abnormally hyperactive LH pulse secretion and hyperandrogenemia to healthy control levels.

What Is Known Already: PCOS is a reproductive disorder characterized by hyperandrogenemia, anovulation, and/or polycystic ovaries, along with a hallmark feature of abnormal LH hyper-pulsatility, but the mechanisms underlying the endocrine impairments remain unclear. A chronic letrozole (LET; aromatase inhibitor) mouse model recapitulates PCOS phenotypes, including polycystic ovaries, anovulation, high testosterone, and hyperactive LH pulses.

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  • The review looks at how well eHealth programs help premature babies and their parents go from the hospital to home after NICU care.
  • Parents have found these programs helpful because they make caring for their babies easier and boost their confidence.
  • The review will check many studies to compare how these eHealth programs affect parents' feelings and their babies' health and development.
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The natural antimicrobial properties of essential oils (EOs) have contributed to the battle against multidrug-resistant microorganisms by providing new ways to develop more effective antibiotic agents. In this study, we investigated the chemical composition of Ocotea diospyrifolia essential oil (OdOE) and its antimicrobial properties combined with amikacin (AMK). Through gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GCMS) analysis, the primary constituents of OdOE were identified as α-bisabolol (45.

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Cumulative trauma is usually devastating and can lead to severe psychological consequences, including posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Exposure to various types of traumas, particularly during childhood, can be even more deleterious than the sheer number of events experienced. This epidemiological study is the first to investigate the impact of discrete childhood traumatic exposure on the risk of developing lifetime PTSD in a representative sample of the general population of the two biggest Brazilian cities.

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  • Asthmatic children have higher levels of pro-inflammatory and pro-fibrotic mediators, leading to increased airway resistance and impaired lung function compared to non-asthmatic children.
  • A study involving 78 children (39 asthmatic and 39 non-asthmatic) revealed significant differences in immune response and respiratory mechanics, with asthmatic children showing a marked increase in various blood cells and specific inflammatory factors.
  • The research suggests that using impulse oscillometry can effectively measure airway resistance in asthmatic children, highlighting its importance in assessing and managing asthma severity.
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The placenta is a membrane that separates the fetus from the maternal circulation, and in addition to protecting the fetus, plays a key role in fetal growth and development. With increasing drug use in pregnancy, it is imperative that reliable models of estimating placental permeability and safety be established. In vitro methods and animal models such as rodent placenta are limited in application since the species-specific nature of the placenta prevents meaningful extrapolations to humans.

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Objective: Medication non-adherence is frequently reported in patients with major depressive disorder (MDD). The objective of this review is to consolidate data on the prevalence of non-adherence to antidepressant in MDD.

Methods: A systematic review with meta-analysis was performed according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guideline and the protocol was registered in PROSPERO under the number CRD42021199987.

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Cilia are microtubule-based sensory organelles present in a number of eukaryotic cells. Mutations in the genes encoding ciliary proteins cause ciliopathies in humans. A-kinase anchoring proteins (AKAPs) tether ciliary signaling proteins such as protein kinase A (PKA).

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Internet-delivered cognitive-behavioral therapy (I-CBT) is effective in treating post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms, offering enhanced accessibility and cost-effectiveness. However, it's important to note that these technologies may not be suitable for all age groups. Therefore, we conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to determine if the effectiveness of I-CBT in treating PTSD varies based on the patients' mean age.

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Background And Purpose: Acute encephalitis is associated with psychiatric symptoms. Despite this, the extent of mental health problems following encephalitis has not been systematically reported.

Methods: We recruited adults who had been diagnosed with encephalitis of any aetiology to complete a web-based questionnaire.

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  • The study focuses on measuring handgrip strength and the prevalence of dynapenia (weakness) among older adults in different regions of Brazil, aiming to understand how these factors relate to disabilities in daily activities, depression, and executive dysfunction.
  • Data was collected from over 8,800 non-institutionalized Brazilians aged 50 and older, revealing that dynapenia is most common in the North and Northeast regions, with notable overlaps with disabilities and mental health issues.
  • Results indicated significant regional disparities, showing worse health indicators in the North and Northeast, where nearly half of those with executive dysfunction also had dynapenia, while lower overlaps were found in the South.
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HTLV-1-associated myelopathy/tropical spastic paraparesis (HAM/TSP) is a chronic disabling disease. However, there is a lack of an adequate and specific health measurement instrument validated and with good performance to assess their degree of physical disability. This led us to carry out this study and to evaluate the performance of Fiocruz's National Institute of Infectious Diseases (IDS) disability scale, a specific instrument for HAM/TSP.

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Music composition is a complex field that is difficult to automate because the computational definition of what is good or aesthetically pleasing is vague and subjective. Many neural network-based methods have been applied in the past, but they lack consistency and in most cases, their outputs fail to impress. The most common issues include excessive repetition and a lack of style and structure, which are hallmarks of artificial compositions.

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Major challenges in current cancer chemotherapy include drug resistance, low efficacy and non-selectivity, resulting in undesirable side effects. In this study, we demonstrate a solution to these challenges that involves a dual targeting approach for tumors that overexpress CD44 receptors. The approach employs a nano-formulation (tHAC-MTX nano assembly), fabricated from hyaluronic acid (HA), the natural ligand for CD44, conjugated with methotrexate (MTX) and complexed with the thermoresponsive polymer 6-O-carboxymethylchitosan (6-OCMC) graft poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) [6-OCMC-g-PNIPAAm].

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Cancer, the second leading cause of death worldwide, is a major health problem. Chemotherapy, radiation therapy and surgery are current treatments for cancer. Most anticancer drugs have severe toxic effects and are required to be administered in cycles to reduce toxicity and prevent resistance.

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Introduction: Other than for agreement that own mother's milk is the optimum feed, nutritional practice for very preterm babies varies widely. As part of the development of a randomised controlled trial to address preterm nutrition uncertainties, and with the help of the European Foundation for the Care of Newborn Infants (EFCNI), we sought the views of parents across Europe.

Methods: We held two roundtable discussions about the proposed trial, inviting the participation of parents and preterm adults through EFCNI.

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Background And Aims: Familial hypercholesterolemia (FH) variants are associated with higher atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease risk (ASCVD) even when compared with other forms of severe hypercholesterolemia, especially in young people. Lipid lowering therapies (LLT) may change hypercholesterolemia natural history. This study aimed at evaluating factors associated with occurrence of ASCVD in old severe hypercholesterolemics diagnosed or not with FH and undergoing LLT.

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To assess sexual desire in patients with treatment-resistant depression (TRD). Baseline data were analyzed from an ongoing cohort study at an outpatient clinic specializing in TRD treatment in Brazil. The cohort comprised consecutive patients with the diagnosis of TRD who sought treatment at this center between November 2015 and January 2021.

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Classic pharmacological studies suggested that endogenous dynorphin-KOR signaling is important for reproductive neuroendocrine regulation. With the seminal discovery of an interconnected network of hypothalamic arcuate neurons co-expressing kisspeptin, neurokinin B, and dynorphin (KNDy neurons), the KNDy hypothesis was developed to explain how gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) and luteinizing hormone (LH) pulses are generated. Key to this hypothesis is dynorphin released from KNDy neurons acting in a paracrine manner on other KNDy neurons via kappa opioid receptor (KOR) signaling to terminate neural "pulse" events.

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Background: Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a prevalent and disabling multisystem disorder, with significant physical and psychiatric morbidity and poor quality of life (QOL). Although peritraumatic reactions - tonic immobility and dissociation - are established predictors of PTSD severity and development, there is a dearth of investigation assessing the impact of peritraumatic reactions on QOL of PTSD patients. Quality of life has become increasingly important in health care and research as a reliable outcome measure.

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