Publications by authors named "Couto M"

As cholinergic innervation is a major contributor to increased vagal tone and mucus secretion, inhaled long-acting muscarinic antagonists (LAMA) are a pillar for the treatment of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and asthma. By blocking the muscarinic receptors expressed in the lung, LAMA improve lung function and reduce exacerbations in asthma patients who remained poorly controlled despite treatment with inhaled corticosteroids and long-acting β2 agonists. Asthma guidelines recommend LAMA as a third controller to be added on before the initiation of biologicals.

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Objectives: Providing care for injured children is challenging in resource-poor settings. While checklists can assess local capacities and guide the setting of priorities for improvement, key insights can be gained from consultation with locally practising clinicians. This study aimed to highlight barriers to and facilitators of the delivery of paediatric injury care experienced by clinicians from hospitals at different levels of care in Maputo, Mozambique.

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Objective: Vaccine hesitancy is a relevant driver of backslides in immunization rates globally. Myths and misinformation are key contributors to vaccine hesitancy. We aimed to investigate associations between beliefs in popular vaccine myths and vaccine incompleteness.

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Glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonists exhibit beneficial cardiovascular effects. However, the renal effects of different doses of liraglutide in an essential hypertension model have not yet been investigated. SHR female rats were treated for 30 days, twice a day, with saline (control) or liraglutide at low (0.

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The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of dietary supplementation with Citrus sinensis (L.) Osbeck essential oil on the growth, immune system, and resistance to Aeromonas hydrophila infection in Colossoma macropomum fingerlings. The experiment was conducted with five treatments (control diet, Tween80 diet, and diets supplemented with 200, 400, and 800 mg L of C.

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The E3 ubiquitin ligase Smurf1 catalyzes the ubiquitination and proteasomal degradation of several protein substrates related to inflammatory responses and antiviral signaling. This study investigated the role of Smurf1 in modulating inflammation induced by Betacoronavirus infection. Bone marrow-derived macrophages (BMDMs) from C57BL/6 (wild-type) or Smurf1-deficient () mice were infected with MHV-A59 to evaluate the inflammatory response in vitro.

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Article Synopsis
  • The study aims to compare the social and HIV vulnerability of adolescents from sexual minorities who started pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) at community-based organizations (COs) versus a traditional health service in São Paulo.
  • It found that adolescents at COs had quicker access to PrEP and generally faced lower housing development indicators, indicating higher social vulnerability.
  • Despite being more socially vulnerable, adolescents from COs did not exhibit higher-risk sexual behaviors compared to those using traditional services, suggesting that COs improve access without increasing risk.
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Objective: This study aims to provide theoretical and methodological tools to assist in producing thematic analyses guided by an intersectional approach in empirically-based qualitative health studies. It argues that combining an intersectional perspective with thematic analysis can update the latter-which is quite popular in qualitative health investigations-regarding meaningful discussions about multiple and interconnected patterns of privilege and oppression that operate structurally and institutionally, producing experiences of relative disadvantage in individuals according to their gender, race/ethnicity, class, sexuality, generation, among other positions.

Methods: Based on an article that analyzed qualitative empirical data from a longitudinal demonstrative study on pre-exposure prophylaxis for HIV (PrEP) in adolescents and young people aged 15 to 19 years in two Brazilian capitals, this study discusses the limitations, challenges, and potentialities of the theoretical and methodological efforts undertaken by those authors.

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Article Synopsis
  • The study explores the awareness and perceptions of event-driven pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) among young men who have sex with men (MSM) and transgender communities in Brazil.
  • Interviews with 50 participants aged 15-19 revealed that most were unfamiliar with event-driven PrEP, expressing doubts about its effectiveness and safety until educated about its benefits.
  • Despite recognizing the advantages of flexible use in relation to their sexual practices, participants identified challenges such as the unpredictability of sexual encounters and timing of medication dosages.
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Article Synopsis
  • - The study aimed to explore how transsexual, travesti women, and non-binary or gender-fluid individuals (TGWT+) perceive and experience health services concerning pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) before and during the COVID-19 pandemic.
  • - Through 45 semi-structured interviews in São Paulo, researchers found that TGWT+ individuals redefined their struggles and health care practices, highlighting the ongoing challenges posed by both the HIV epidemic and the pandemic.
  • - The research suggests that TGWT+ individuals actively engage with health services in meaningful ways, and emphasizes the need for more nuanced studies to enhance prevention and care strategies during health crises.
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Objective: To analyze the impact of intersecting systems of oppression on the continuum of PrEP care among adolescent gays, bisexuals, and other men who have sex with men (aGBMSM), and to examine how health professionals (HP) identify and address these challenges to provide sexual health care and HIV prevention.

Methods: This qualitative exploratory study was part of a cohort research project involving aGBMSM, travesties, and transgender women (aTrTW) using PrEP. Data analyzed consisted of 16 interviews with aGBMSM and eight with health professionals (HPs) in São Paulo study site.

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Background: Vaccine hesitancy is a concerning public health issue, further amplified during the COVID-19 pandemic. Social media is an important player in this context, promoting the dissemination of both information and misinformation. Qualitative studies analyzing the meaning of social media contents in correlation with epidemiological data are scarce, and could aid our understanding of social media's impact on vaccine hesitancy.

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Aim: Congenital Zika Virus Syndrome (CZS) presents notable hurdles to neurodevelopment, with language development emerging as a crucial aspect. This study investigates sleep patterns and language skills in children with CZS, aiming to explore the potential synchronization of sleep development with their neurodevelopment.

Method: We studied cross-sectionally 135 children with CZS aged 0 to 48 months, investigating sleep using the BISQ Questionnaire.

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Cartilage defects trigger post-traumatic inflammation, leading to a catabolic metabolism in chondrocytes and exacerbating cartilage degradation. Current treatments aim to relieve pain but fail to target the inflammatory process underlying osteoarthritis (OA) progression. Here, a human cartilage microtissue (HCM) nanoenabled with ibuprofen-loaded poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) nanoparticles (ibu-PLGA NPs) is 4D-bioprinted to locally mitigate inflammation and impair nerve sprouting.

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This study evaluated the growth performance and parasite load of angelfish juveniles Pterophyllum scalare kept at different stocking densities using two rearing systems. The experiment was conducted in a factorial design (4x2) with four stocking densities (0.1, 0.

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Purpose: To assess the presence of mandibular canal bifurcation (BMC) and classify these variations by correlating findings with sex, age and facial skeletal pattern, measurements were made, including height, width, and distance from bifurcation to anatomical cortical bones.

Methods: BMC was identified in cone beam CT exams of 301 patients and classified according to its origin, location, direction, configuration and ending. The height and width of the MC before and after the bifurcation; height and width of the BMC; and distance from BMC to alveolar (C1), buccal (C2), lingual (C3) and basal (C4) bone cortices were measured.

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Aim: To evaluate the prevalence and types of sleep problems and their correlations with melatonin content and behavior in Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) children.

Method: Sleep in ADHD children and typically developing children (TD) aged 6-14 was assessed by the Sleep Disorders Scale for Children (SDSC) and actigraphy, salivary melatonin quantified by ELISA, and behavior was analyzed using the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire.

Results: ADHD children showed a higher frequency of sleep disturbances, higher sleep latency, and lower sleep efficiency than in the TD group.

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Aims: Ischaemic heart disease remains a significant cause of mortality globally. A pharmacological agent that protects cardiac mitochondria against oxygen deprivation injuries is welcome in therapy against acute myocardial infarction. Here, we evaluate the effect of large-conductance Ca-activated K channels (BKCa) activator, Compound Z, in isolated mitochondria under hypoxia and reoxygenation.

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Herein, we have showed the photophysical properties of favipiravir and its 6-substituted analogues. Also, we interpreted the origin of fluorescence of favipiravir and its 6-substituted analogues as a function of tautomerism modulation in ground and excited states. Favipiravir, the 6-fluorine derivative, showed the best photophysical profile, exhibiting a dominant emission wavelength of 430 nm, a high quantum yield (Q.

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The present article aims to bridge the gaps or deepen the debate to discuss the relationship between homoparenthood and health. This essay is anchored in specific literature. We seek to work on the following questions throughout the text: (i) How is the central theme of this discussion historically outlined? (ii) How does homoparenthood appear in scientific health production in general? (iii) What sociopolitical dimensions emerge around homoparenthood-health relationships? and (iv) What are the limitations and possibilities for exercising reproductive rights between same-sex couples? Among the conclusions, we underscore the challenge of facing the strangeness of homoparenthood against the idea of the so-called called "normal" family based on heteronormative logic.

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Article Synopsis
  • The study aimed to compare proliferative (PLN) and membranous (MLN) lupus nephritis (LN) in terms of clinical presentation and long-term health outcomes, focusing on predictors for chronic kidney disease (CKD).
  • A multicenter observational approach involved analyzing data from 260 patients with biopsy-confirmed PLN, MLN, and mixed LN, and used Cox regression to identify CKD predictors over an average follow-up of 8 years.
  • Results indicated that MLN patients generally had better kidney function, with lower serum creatinine and more normalized complement levels, while an estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) of 75 mL/min/1.73 m2 after one year was the strongest
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Objectives: The aim of this study was to evaluate, using cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT), the relationship of persistent foramen tympanicum (PFT) with degenerative changes in the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) and the presence of pneumatized glenoid fossae and articular eminences.

Method: Two experienced oral and maxillofacial radiologists evaluated 510 CBCT scans, from which 94 patients were divided into two groups: G1-patients with PFT and G2-control group. The location of the PFT, presence, or absence of degenerative TMJ changes and morphology were evaluated.

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