The effect of plant-derived polyphenols on the immune system during aging: a systematic review.

Objective: Polyphenols are organic compounds with diverse biological activities such as anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects, making them important candidates for the development of anti-aging drugs. In this systematic review, we aimed to answer the question: can plant-derived polyphenols have an immunomodulatory effect in experimental models of aging?

Methods: We systematically searched Web of Science, MEDLINE/Pubmed, and Embase to select articles using the following combinations of terms and synonyms: polyphenols, phenols, senescence, aging, and immune. The selected articles were evaluated for reporting quality and risk-of-bias according to standard guidelines.

Effects of high-definition transcranial direct current stimulation combined with inspiratory muscle training for treating respiratory sequelae of long COVID: A case series.

Introduction: Long COVID occurs when numerous symptoms begin 3 weeks after acute infection and last for 12 months or more. High-definition transcranial direct current stimulation (HD-tDCS) has been tested in patients with COVID-19; however, previous studies did not investigate the HD-tDCS use combined with inspiratory muscle training (IMT) for respiratory sequelae of long COVID.

Case Presentation: Six individuals (four women and two men) aged between 29 and 71 years and presenting with respiratory sequelae of long COVID were included.

Dual-step pharmacological intervention for traumatic-like memories: implications from D-cycloserine and cannabidiol or clonidine in male and female rats.

Rationale: Therapeutic approaches to mitigating traumatic memories have often faced resistance. Exploring safe reconsolidation blockers, drugs capable of reducing the emotional valence of the memory upon brief retrieval and reactivation, emerges as a promising pharmacological strategy. Towards this objective, preclinical investigations should focus on aversive memories resulting in maladaptive outcomes and consider sex-related differences to enhance their translatability.

Ayahuasca-enhanced extinction of fear behaviour: Role of infralimbic cortex 5-HT and 5-HT receptors.

Background And Purpose: Ayahuasca (AYA) is a botanical psychedelic with promising results in observational and small clinical trials for depression, trauma and drug use disorders. Its psychoactive effects primarily stem from N,N-dimethyltryptamine (DMT). However, there is a lack of research on how and where AYA acts in the brain.

κ-Carrageenan/sericin polymer matrix modified with different crosslinking agents and thermal crosslinking: Improved release profile of mefenamic acid.

The crosslinking of the polymer matrix with compatible macromolecules results in a three-dimensional network structure that offers an enhancement in the controlled release properties of the material. In this sense, this work aimed to improve the release profile of mefenamic acid (MAC) through crosslinking strategies. κ-Carrageenan/sericin crosslinked blend was obtained by covalent and thermal crosslinking and the different formulations were characterized.

Lipid profile and risk of cardiovascular disease in adult transgender men receiving cross-sex hormone therapy: a systematic review.

Context: A recent US national survey of the health status of the male transgender population has raised awareness about the little-studied relationship between testosterone hormone therapy in transgender men and cardiovascular outcomes.

Objective: The aim of this systematic review was to assess the relationship between cross-sex hormone therapy in transgender men and lipid profiles and cardiovascular risk.

Data Sources: The PubMed, SciELO, SpringerLink, and EBSCOhost databases were searched up to March 2021 for studies assessing the association between cross-sex hormone therapy and the incidence of outcomes related to cardiovascular disease in transgender men over 18 years of age .

Long-Circulating and Fusogenic Liposomes Loaded with Paclitaxel and Doxorubicin: Effect of Excipient, Freezing, and Freeze-Drying on Quality Attributes.

Unlabelled: Liposomes can increase plasma half-life, enhance targeting, and diminish the side-effects of loaded drugs. On the downside, physical and chemical instabilities of dispersions often result in a reduced lifespan, which limits their availability on the market. Solid formulations obtained by freeze-drying can immobilize vesicles and provide extended shelf life.

COVID-19 vaccination, incidence, and mortality rates among indigenous populations compared to the general population in Brazil: Describing trends over time.

Background: Chronic social and health inequities faced by indigenous peoples in Brazil foretell the detrimental impact of COVID-19.

Methods: We use de-identified, publicly available data from the Ministry of Health from March/2020 - December/2021 to describe vaccination coverage, cumulative incidence, and cumulative mortality rates due to COVID-19 among indigenous peoples. We also compare vaccination coverage among indigenous peoples with that reported for older adults, who were simultaneously included as a priority group in the vaccination strategy.

Curcumin encapsulation in nanostructures for cancer therapy: A 10-year overview.

Curcumin (CUR) is a phenolic compound present in some herbs, including Curcuma longa Linn. (turmeric rhizome), with a high bioactive capacity and characteristic yellow color. It is mainly used as a spice, although it has been found that CUR has interesting pharmaceutical properties, acting as a natural antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, and antitumoral agent.

Leprosy surveillance study in a highly endemic Brazilian area using leprosy specific serologic tests and IFNγ whole blood assay.

This surveillance study evaluated leprosy-serologic tests and the IFNγ whole-blood-assay/WBA as adjunct diagnostic tools. Previously diagnosed leprosy index cases, intradomiciliary, peridomiciliary contacts from a Brazilian endemic area were enrolled during domiciliary visits. Physical evaluation was performed by trained nurses and leprosy diagnosis confirmed by expert dermatologist.

Geochemical evaluation of bottom sediments affected by historic mining and the rupture of the Fundão dam, Brazil.

The rupture of the Fundão dam released about 39 million m of tailings into the Rio Doce/Brazil. The sediment load increase in the affected rivers has become a concern. As such, this article provides recent information about the region.

Level of Insight in Patients With Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder: An Exploratory Comparative Study Between Patients With "Good Insight" and "Poor Insight".

Insight may be defined as the ability to perceive and evaluate external reality and to separate it from its subjective aspects. It also refers to the ability to self-assess difficulties and personal qualities. Insight may be a predictor of success in the treatment of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), so that individuals with poor insight tend to become refractory to treatment.

Dengue in pregnant women: characterization of cases in Brazil, 2007-2015.

Objective: to characterize the probable cases of dengue in pregnant women reported in Brazil, from 2007 to 2015.

Methods: descriptive study of sociodemographic, epidemiological, clinical and laboratory characteristics, with data from the Information System for Notifiable Diseases (Sinan).

Results: the annual incidence of dengue in pregnant women ranged from 3.

Symptomatic dengue infection during pregnancy and livebirth outcomes in Brazil, 2007-13: a retrospective observational cohort study.

Background: Dengue is a major public health challenge in Brazil. We assessed the relationship between symptomatic dengue infection during pregnancy and adverse birth outcomes in the country between 2007 and 2013.

Methods: We did a retrospective observational cohort study using information reported in the Brazilian national reportable disease information system (SINAN) and the livebirth information system (SINASC) databases.

Periodontal Disease and Body Weight Assessment in Children.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to assess body weight and periodontal disease development in obese and normal weight children.

Methods: Eighty-eight 5- to 10-year-old children participated in this study. Periodontal measurements included the visible plaque index (VPI), community periodontal index (CPI), and bleeding on probing (BOP).

Influence of environmental and anthropogenic factors at the bottom sediments in a Doce River tributary in Brazil.

In developing countries, it is uncommon to find watersheds that have been the object of detailed environmental studies. It makes the assessment of the magnitude of environmental impacts and pollution of these sites difficult. This research demonstrated ways to understand the dynamics of river bottom sediments contamination, even for watersheds with a lack of environmental data.

Nanostructures for protein drug delivery.

Use of nanoscale devices as carriers for drugs and imaging agents has been extensively investigated and successful examples can already be found in therapy. In parallel, recombinant DNA technology together with molecular biology has opened up numerous possibilities for the large-scale production of many proteins of pharmaceutical interest, reflecting in the exponentially growing number of drugs of biotechnological origin. When we consider protein drugs, however, there are specific criteria to take into account to select adequate nanostructured systems as drug carriers.

Human airway epithelial cell responses to Neisseria lactamica and purified porin via Toll-like receptor 2-dependent signaling.

The human airway epithelium is constantly exposed to microbial products from colonizing organisms. Regulation of Toll-like receptor (TLR) expression and specific interactions with bacterial ligands is thought to mitigate exacerbation of inflammatory processes induced by the commensal flora in these cells. The genus Neisseria comprises pathogenic and commensal organisms that colonize the human nasopharynx.

[Prevalence of infection due to HTLV-1 in remnant quilombos in Central Brazil].

This study aimed to determine the prevalence of HTLV-1 infection among remnant black quilombo communities in Central Brazil. A total of 1,837 individuals were evaluated, among whom nine were HTLV-1/2 seropositive according to ELISA. All of them were positive for HTLV-1 by means of Western blot and/or PCR, thus resulting in a prevalence of 0.

Prevalence of hepatitis A virus infection in Afro-Brazilian isolated communities in Central Brazil.

To investigate hepatitis A virus (HAV) infection rates among isolated African-descendant communities in Central Brazil, 947 subjects were interviewed about demographic characteristics in all 12 isolated Afro-descendant communities existing in the state of Mato Grosso do Sul, Central Brazil, between March 2002 and November 2003. Blood samples were collected and sera were tested for HAV antibodies (total and IgM anti-HAV) by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The overall prevalence of HAV infection was 75.