Identifying Gaps and Barriers in Alzheimer's Disease and Related Dementia Research and Management in Low- and Middle-Income Countries: A Survey of Health Professionals and Researchers.

Background: The significant increase in Alzheimer's disease and related dementia prevalence is a global health crisis, acutely impacting low- and lower-middle and upper-middle-income countries (LLMICs/UMICs).

Objective: The objective of this study is to identify key barriers and gaps in dementia care and research in LLMICs and UMICs.

Methods: We conducted an international, cross-sectional survey among clinicians and healthcare professionals (n = 249 in 34 countries) across LLMICs and UMICs, exploring patient demographics, use of clinical diagnosis, dementia evaluation, screening/evaluation tools, and care and treatment.

ELISA with recombinant antigen Lb6H validated for the diagnosis of American tegumentary leishmaniasis.

American tegumentary leishmaniasis (ATL) diagnosis is an open question, and the search for a solution is urgent. The available tests that detect the etiological agent of the infection are specific for ATL diagnosis. However, they present disadvantages, such as low sensitivity and the need for invasive procedures to obtain the samples.

Chronic Chagas Cardiomyopathy in the Brazilian Amazon region: clinical characteristics and regional distinctiveness.

Objectives: This study aims to provide a comprehensive analysis of clinical and epidemiological data related to Chronic Chagas Cardiomyopathy (CCC) in the Amazon region of Brazil.

Methods: A review of observational, retrospective, and cross-sectional studies related to Chagas Disease in the Amazon region of Brazil was conducted, and a case series addressing CCC in patients treated at the FMT-HVD outpatient clinic, a reference center for Chagas disease in Brazil, was carried out.

Results: Clinical characteristics of 55 patients from the Amazon region with CCC were described.

Ciprofloxacin-Induced Peripheral Neuropathy: A Case Report.

Introduction: Fluoroquinolones, a class of antibiotics, are commonly employed in the treatment of a wide array of bacterial infections. Recognized for their effectiveness against a broad spectrum of pathogens, fluoroquinolones have played a pivotal role in managing conditions like urinary tract infections and respiratory diseases. Nevertheless, their usage is not without contention due to their association with a variety of adverse effects, including tendon rupture and the less frequently reported issue of peripheral neuropathy.

Pre- and post-surgical evaluation of the impact on Hansen disease sequealae patients' quality of life submitted to orthopedic surgery for closure of chronic plantar ulcers.

Introduction: Leprosy is a chronic infectious disease that still persists as a public health problem in Brazil. Plantar ulcers are serious complications due to leprosy neuropathy and intensify the isolation and stigma of these individuals. The difficulty in closing these lesions associated with the fetid odor negatively impact the quality of life of people with these lesions.

Dementia Attributable Healthcare Utilizations in the Caribbean versus United States.

Background: Despite the high burden of Alzheimer's disease and other dementias among the Hispanic population worldwide, little is known about how dementia affects healthcare utilizations among this population outside of the US, in particular among those in the Caribbean region.

Objective: This study examines healthcare utilization associated with Alzheimer's disease and other dementias among older adults in the Caribbean as compared to the US.

Methods: We conducted harmonized analyses of two population-based surveys, the 10/66 Dementia Group Research data collected in Dominican Republic, Cuba, and Puerto Rico, and the US-based Health and Retirement Study.

Epidemiological clinical profile and closure of chronic plantar ulcers in patients with leprosy sequelae undergoing orthopedic surgery in a municipality in western Amazon.

Introduction: Chronic plantar ulcers in leprosy are lesions resulting from motor and sensory alterations caused by Mycobacterium leprae. They are lesions refractory to conventional dressings and present high recurrence rates.

Objective: To evaluate the epidemiological clinical profile of patients with chronic plantar ulcers associated with bony prominences in the lesion bed and to evaluate the efficacy of orthopedic surgical treatment of these lesions.

Immunogenicity Characterization of COVID-19 Vaccines: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

Introduction: Immunogenicity has emerged as a challenge in the development of vaccines against coronavirus disease of 2019 (COVID-19). Immunogenicity is a determinant of the efficacy and safety of vaccines. This systematic review and associated meta-analysis summarized and characterized the immunogenicity of COVID-19 vaccines in randomized controlled trials (RCTs).

Acute micro-outbreak of Chagas disease in the southeastern Amazon: a report of five cases.

Background: Chagas disease is gaining importance in the Brazilian Amazon region as a differential diagnosis of febrile syndrome. The most recent microoutbreak occurred in Ipixuna, in Amazonas state.

Methods: An epidemiological survey was conducted using parasitological and serological tests, and electrocardiographic analysis.

Cardiology co-management of rheumatoid arthritis patients with coronary artery disease as an intervention reduces hospitalization rates and adverse event occurrence.

Introduction: Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a systemic autoimmune disease with important cardiovascular (CV) implications. CV disease represents over half of RA patient deaths and causes significant morbidity. CV manifestations in RA can be complex, raising concerns for adequate patient management and provider-dependent roles.

Clinical-therapeutic follow-up of patients with American cutaneous leishmaniasis caused by different Leishmania spp. in Brazil.

American cutaneous leishmaniasis (ACL) may present different clinical manifestations, immune and therapeutic responses, depending on the Leishmania species, as well as inoculum size and factors inherent to the affected individual. Thus, the aim of this study was to carry out clinical-therapeutic follow-up of Brazilian patients with ACL caused by different Leishmania species. Between 2015 and 2018, patients with ACL from Amazonas and Pernambuco states (Brazil) were submitted to blood collection before and after treatment.

Myocardial Injury in Patients With Acute and Subacute Chagas Disease in the Brazilian Amazon Using Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance.

Background Chagas disease is a neglected tropical disease that is still considered a global health emergency. In the Amazon region, most of the reports are of acute cases that are associated with oral transmission. This study aimed to evaluate myocardial injury in patients with acute Chagas disease before and after treatment.

Social characterization of COVID-19 in the state of Amazonas, Brazil.

Objectives: To compare the number of deaths that occurred in the state of Amazonas and in Brazil, from March 16 to August 20 2020, using the variables skin color, sex, place of death, age group and association with COVID-19, and secondly, to verify whether between 2019 and 2020, in the period from March 16 to August 20, there was a significant change in the number of deaths from diseases not associated with COVID-19.

Methods: We searched the databases of the Brazilian public agency "Transparency Portal" for the data on deaths that occurred in the state of Amazonas and Brazil in the period from March 16 to August 20, 2019 and 2020. The absolute frequencies and percentages of the variables studied were used for statistical analysis.

Raman, TEM, EELS, and Magnetic Studies of a Magnetically Reduced Graphene Oxide Nanohybrid following Exposure to Biomarkers.

A ternary nanocomposite made of nanomaghemite, nanoanatase, and graphene oxide has been successfully synthesized using an inorganic coprecipitation approach, and it has been systematically investigated by X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, and different spectrocopic techniques (electron energy loss, µ-Raman, and Fe Mössbauer) after interaction with an effluent containing individuals. Specifically, the influence of the nanocomposite over the carapace, administered in two doses (0.5 mg mL and 1 mg mL), has been characterized using µ-Raman spectroscopy before and after laser burning protocols, producing information about the physicochemical interaction with the biomarker.

A Case of Acquired Hemophilia A in a Patient with Exposure to COVID-19.

Acquired Hemophilia A (AHA) is a very rare autoimmune condition involving immune-mediated depletion of Factor VIII, resulting in spontaneous hemorrhage. Failure to recognize AHA as a possible etiology of hemorrhage can result in delayed diagnosis and treatment. The COVID-19 pandemic has given rise to several hematologic conditions and complications, with a rare manifestation being Acquired Hemophilia A (AHA).

Addressing the disparities in dementia risk, early detection and care in Latino populations: Highlights from the second Latinos & Alzheimer's Symposium.

The Alzheimer's Association hosted the second Latinos & Alzheimer's Symposium in May 2021. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the meeting was held online over 2 days, with virtual presentations, discussions, mentoring sessions, and posters. The Latino population in the United States is projected to have the steepest increase in Alzheimer's disease (AD) in the next 40 years, compared to other ethnic groups.

Strain and Grain Size Determination of CeO and TiO Nanoparticles: Comparing Integral Breadth Methods versus Rietveld, μ-Raman, and TEM.

Various crystallite size estimation methods were used to analyze X-ray diffractograms of spherical cerium dioxide and titanium dioxide anatase nanoparticles aiming to evaluate their reliability and limitations. The microstructural parameters were estimated from several integral breadth methods such as Scherrer, Monshi, Williamson-Hall, and their variants: (i) uniform deformation model, (ii) uniform strain deformation model, and (iii) uniform deformation energy density model. We also employed the size-strain plot and Halder-Wagner method.

Revisiting the Determination of the Valence Band Maximum and Defect Formation in Halide Perovskites for Solar Cells: Insights from Highly Sensitive Near-UV Photoemission Spectroscopy.

Using advanced near-UV photoemission spectroscopy (PES) in constant final state mode (CFSYS) with a very high dynamic range, we investigate the triple-cation lead halide perovskite Cs(MAFA)Pb(IBr) and gain detailed insights into the density of occupied states (DOS) in the valence band and band gap. A valence band model is established which includes the parabolic valence band edge and an exponentially decaying band tail in a single equation. This allows us to precisely determine two valence band maxima (VBM) at different -vectors in the angle-integrated spectra, where the highest one, resulting from the VBM at the -point in the Brillouin zone, is found between -1.

Impact of El Niño on the dynamics of American cutaneous leishmaniasis in a municipality in the western Amazon.

Vector-borne diseases are some of the leading public health problems in the tropics, and their association with climatic anomalies is well known. The current study aimed to evaluate the trend of American cutaneous leishmaniasis cases in the municipality of Manaus, Amazonas-Brazil, and its relationship with climatic extremes (ENSO). The study was carried out using a series of secondary data from notifications on the occurrence of several American cutaneous leishmaniasis cases in the municipality of Manaus between 1990 and 2017 obtained through the Sistema de Informação de Agravos de Notificação.

Treatment of tegumentary leishmaniasis in two hemodialysis patients with end-stage renal disease using two series of pentamidine.

In this study, we present two cases of cutaneous leishmaniasis in patients with end-stage renal disease, who were treated solely with intramuscular pentamidine. In such cases, treatment implies a fine line between therapeutic efficacy and toxicity. This is suggestive of a knowledge gap; however, findings indicate that this is still the fastest and safest alternative to the treatment with antimonials.

Implantable cardioverter-defibrillator prevents sudden death in patients with Chagas cardiomyopathy in the Brazilian Amazon.

Chagas disease (CD), with approximately 10,000 deaths annually, has become a worldwide health problem. Approximately 35% of cases may show cardiac manifestations such as arrhythmias and/or conduction disorders, heart failure, thromboembolic accidents, and sudden death. The Amazon region has long been considered a non-endemic area for CD; however, in the last decades, with an increase in the number of acute and chronic cases, disease evolution has received greater attention.