Panoramic snapshot of serum soluble mediator interplay in pregnant women with convalescent COVID-19: an exploratory study.

Introduction: SARS-CoV-2 infection during pregnancy can induce changes in the maternal immune response, with effects on pregnancy outcome and offspring. This is a cross-sectional observational study designed to characterize the immunological status of pregnant women with convalescent COVID-19 at distinct pregnancy trimesters. The study focused on providing a clear snapshot of the interplay among serum soluble mediators.

The efficacy and safety of zolpidem and zopiclone to treat insomnia in Alzheimer's disease: a randomized, triple-blind, placebo-controlled trial.

No prior studies have evaluated the efficacy and safety of zolpidem and zopiclone to treat insomnia of demented patients. This randomized, triple-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial used these drugs to treat patients with probable, late onset Alzheimer's dementia (AD) (DSM V and NINCDS-ADRDA criteria) exhibiting insomnia (DSM V criteria and nocturnal NPI scores ≥ 2). Actigraphic records were performed for 7 days at baseline and for 14 days during the treatment period in 62 patients aged 80.

Pregnancy Outcomes and Child Development Effects of SARS-CoV-2 Infection (PROUDEST Trial): Protocol for a Multicenter, Prospective Cohort Study.

Background: A growing body of evidence suggests that SARS-COV-2 infection during pregnancy may affect maternal-fetal outcomes and possibly result in implications for the long-term development of SARS-CoV-2-exposed children.

Objective: The PROUDEST (Pregnancy Outcomes and Child Development Effects of SARS-CoV-2 Infection Study) is a multicenter, prospective cohort study designed to elucidate the repercussions of COVID-19 for the global health of mothers and their children.

Methods: The PROUDEST trial comprises 2 prospective, sequential substudies.

Molecular and Cellular Biomarkers of COVID-19 Prognosis: Protocol for the Prospective Cohort TARGET Study.

Background: Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, the world's attention has been focused on better understanding the relation between the human host and the SARS-CoV-2 virus, as its action has led to hundreds of thousands of deaths.

Objective: In this context, we decided to study certain consequences of the abundant cytokine release over the innate and adaptive immune systems, inflammation, and hemostasis, comparing mild and severe forms of COVID-19.

Methods: To accomplish these aims, we will analyze demographic characteristics, biochemical tests, immune biomarkers, leukocyte phenotyping, immunoglobulin profile, hormonal release (cortisol and prolactin), gene expression, thromboelastometry, neutralizing antibodies, metabolic profile, and neutrophil function (reactive oxygen species production, neutrophil extracellular trap production, phagocytosis, migration, gene expression, and proteomics).

Mental Health and Burnout Syndrome Among Postgraduate Students in Medical and Multidisciplinary Residencies During the COVID-19 Pandemic in Brazil: Protocol for a Prospective Cohort Study.

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has led to high levels of physical, psychological, and social stress among health care professionals, including postgraduate students in medical and multidisciplinary residencies. This stress is associated with the intense fear of occupational exposure to SARS-CoV-2, the virus known to cause COVID-19. These professionals are at risk of developing physical and mental illnesses not only due to the infection but also due to prolonged exposure to multidimensional stress and continued work overload.

Stereoselective synthesis and preliminary evaluation of new D-3-heteroarylcarbonylalanines as ligands of the NMDA receptor.

New N-heteroarylcarbonylalanines of the D-series were stereoselectively prepared from enoates derived from D-mannitol. These compounds were active in binding and functional assays of the NMDA sub-type of glutamate receptors. A pyridine derivative inhibited MK801 binding, protected neurons from excitotoxic damage and blocked NMDA-induced currents in neurons.

Taurine prevents the neurotoxicity of beta-amyloid and glutamate receptor agonists: activation of GABA receptors and possible implications for Alzheimer's disease and other neurological disorders.

Alzheimer's disease (AD) and several other neurological disorders have been linked to the overactivation of glutamatergic transmission and excitotoxicity as a common pathway of neuronal injury. The beta-amyloid peptide (Abeta) is centrally related to the pathogenesis of AD, and previous reports have demonstrated that the blockade of glutamate receptors prevents Abeta-induced neuronal death. We show that taurine, a beta-amino acid found at high concentrations in the brain, protects chick retinal neurons in culture against the neurotoxicity of Abeta and glutamate receptor agonists.

Evidence for the presence of glutamatergic receptors in adult Schistosoma mansoni.

Several studies have suggested that L-glutamate is a putative neurotransmitter in helminths. The present study investigated the presence of non-N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) ionotropic receptors for glutamate in four subcellular fractions from adult male Schistosoma mansoni. Low-affinity (K(d)=221+/-80 nM) binding sites for [3H]kainic acid (KA) were detected in the heterogeneous (P(1)) fraction, which contains pieces of unbroken worm tissues, tegument, nuclei, and some vesicles.