Efficacy of Ivermectin, Chloroquine/Hydroxychloroquine, and Azithromycin in Managing COVID-19: A Systematic Review of Phase III Clinical Trials.

During the coronavirus disease (COVID)-19 pandemic several drugs were used to manage the patients mainly those with a severe phenotype. Potential drugs were used off-label and major concerns arose from their applicability to managing the health crisis highlighting the importance of clinical trials. In this context, we described the mechanisms of the three repurposed drugs [Ivermectin-antiparasitic drug, Chloroquine/Hydroxychloroquine-antimalarial drugs, and Azithromycin-antimicrobial drug]; and, based on this description, the study evaluated the clinical efficacy of those drugs published in clinical trials.

Dengue outbreaks in Brazil and Latin America: the new and continuing challenges.

Objectives: To compare the number of suspected cases, severe cases, and deaths of dengue in 2023 and 2024 in Brazil and Latin America; and to describe its epidemiological profile.

Design: Observational study.

Methods: The data regarding dengue was retrieved from the Brazilian Ministry of Health website.

Comparing the World Psychiatric Association and European Psychiatric Association Codes of Ethics: Discrepancies and shared grounds.

Background: Codes of ethics provide guidance to address ethical challenges encountered in clinical practice. The harmonization of global, regional, and national codes of ethics is important to avoid gaps and discrepancies.

Methods: We compare the European Psychiatric Association (EPA) and the World Psychiatric Association (WPA) Codes of Ethics, addressing main key points, similarities, and divergences.

Overview of the Indigenous health of the Yanomami ethnic group in Brazil: A Public Health Emergency.

Introduction: The Indigenous population of the Yanomami ethnic group in Brazil is currently facing a public health emergency due to the high number of deaths, mainly of children. Taking that into consideration, this study aims to analyze this crisis impact on the health of this population in the period between 2018 and 2022.

Methods: The data presented were collected from the report called Yanomami Mission ("Missão Yanomami") published by the Brazilian Ministry of Health and, from it, a descriptive analysis of the Indigenous individuals' health was carried out for (i) the geographical distribution; ii) the number of deaths; (iii) the child death rate; (iv) the deaths of Indigenous individuals from preventable causes; (v) the causes of preventable diseases related to hygiene and basic sanitation, and the distribution of diarrheal diseases according to age groups; (vi) evaluation of the nutritional classification; vii) the percentage (%) of the complete vaccination scheme, and (viii) the coverage of prenatal appointments of Indigenous pregnant women.

Effectiveness of influenza vaccination against coronavirus disease (COVID)-19 outcomes in hospitalized individuals in Brazil: an epidemiological study.

Objectives: This study aimed to evaluate the impact of the flu vaccination on the mortality of hospitalized individuals with coronavirus disease (COVID)-19 in Brazil.

Study Design: A retrospective cohort study was conducted based on epidemiological data released by the Brazilian Ministry of Health.

Methods: An observational study was performed using epidemiological data available at OpenDataSUS.

COVID-19 in Brazil: a 3-year update.

Three years into the coronavirus disease (COVID)-19 pandemic and the world is still struggling with the aftermath of this global health crisis. In Brazil, we are witnessing serious economic, health, social, and political problems. The rapid spread of the virus in our country was the result of a shortage of vaccines and the lack of an effective national campaign to identify and report cases.

Epidemiological Profile of Hospitalized Patients with Cystic Fibrosis in Brazil Due to Severe Acute Respiratory Infection during the COVID-19 Pandemic and a Systematic Review of Worldwide COVID-19 in Those with Cystic Fibrosis.

Since the onset of the coronavirus disease, COVID-19 pandemic, concern arose for those who might be at higher risk of a worse COVID-19 prognosis, such as those with cystic fibrosis (CF). In this context, we evaluated the features of hospitalized patients with CF due to severe acute respiratory infection (SARI) in Brazil and we also performed a systematic review including all the studies published from the beginning of the first case of COVID-19 (17 November 2019) to the date of this search (23 May 2022) which included, concomitantly, patients with CF and COVID-19 in the worldwide population. In our Brazilian data, we evaluated the period from December 2019 to March 2022, and we included 33 demographical and clinical patients' features.

Hospitalized patients with X-linked disease and infected with SARS-CoV-2 in Brazil: A serial case report from the first two years of the pandemic.

We described the characteristics of 18 patients with coronavirus disease (COVID)-19 and X-linked disorders in a cohort of 2,066,678 Brazilian patients hospitalized due to COVID-19. The patients were diagnosed with Hemophilia B (one patient), Klinefelter syndrome [eight patients- three deaths occurred, one unrelated to Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection], and Turner syndrome (nine patients- two patients died). Half of the patients with X-linked disorders and COVID-19 (9/18) were male, the age varied from 1 to 71 years, and most patients were White (9/12; six patients had missing data).

Cognitive Impairment after Post-Acute COVID-19 Infection: A Systematic Review of the Literature.

The present study aims to provide a critical overview of the literature on the relationships between post-acute COVID-19 infection and cognitive impairment, highlighting the limitations and confounding factors. A systematic search of articles published from 1 January 2020 to 1 July 2022 was performed in PubMed/Medline. We followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines.

Profile of coronavirus disease enlightened asthma as a protective factor against death: An epidemiology study from Brazil during the pandemic.

Introduction: The possibility that asthma is not a risk factor for the worst outcomes due to coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is encouraged. The increase in Th2 response dominance can downregulate the late phase of hyperinflammation, which is typically the hallmark of more severe respiratory viral infections, alongside lower angiotensin-converting enzyme receptors in patients with asthma due to chronic inflammation. Few studies associated asthma diagnosis and COVID-19 outcomes.

Tailoring Multifunctional and Lightweight Hierarchical Hybrid Graphene Nanoplatelet and Glass Fiber Composites.

In this work, hybrid polypropylene (PP)-based composites reinforced with graphene nanoplatelets (GnPs) and glass fiber (GF) were fabricated by injection molding to elucidate how the hybrid approach can produce synergistic effects capable of achieving properties and functionalities not possible in biphasic composites. Synergism between the reinforcements translated to improved mechanical performance, which was attributed to the chemically and/or electrostatically assembled hierarchical structure that facilitates load transfer at the interface while simultaneously tailoring the crystalline microstructure of the matrix by inducing transcrystallization and β-crystal formation. It was demonstrated that there exists an optimal concentration of 0.

Characterization of Clinical Features of Hospitalized Patients Due to the SARS-CoV-2 Infection in the Absence of Comorbidities Regarding the Sex: An Epidemiological Study of the First Year of the Pandemic in Brazil.

The male sex, due to the presence of genetic, immunological, hormonal, social, and environmental factors, is associated with higher severity and death in Coronavirus Disease (COVID)-19. We conducted an epidemiological study to characterize the COVID-19 clinical profile, severity, and outcome according to sex in patients with the severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) due to the fact of this disease. We carried out an epidemiological analysis using epidemiological data made available by the OpenDataSUS, which stores information about SARS in Brazil.

Characterization of demographic data, clinical signs, comorbidities, and outcomes according to the race in hospitalized individuals with COVID-19 in Brazil: An observational study.

Background: Brazil is a multiracial country with five major official races: White, Black, individuals with multiracial backgrounds, Asian, and Indigenous. Brazil is also one of the epicentres of the Coronavirus Disease (COVID)-19 pandemic. Thus, we evaluated how the races of the Brazilian population contribute to the outcomes in hospitalized individuals with COVID-19, and we also described the clinical profile of the five official Brazilian races.

Epidemiologic Profile of Severe Acute Respiratory Infection in Brazil During the COVID-19 Pandemic: An Epidemiological Study.

Background: The COVID-19 is a significant public health issue, and monitoring confirmed cases and deaths is an essential epidemiologic tool. We evaluated the features in Brazilian hospitalized patients due to severe acute respiratory infection (SARI) during the COVID-19 pandemic in Brazil. We grouped the patients into the following categories: Influenza virus infection (G1), other respiratory viruses' infection (G2), other known etiologic agents (G3), SARS-CoV-2 infection (patients with COVID-19, G4), and undefined etiological agent (G5).

Controlling stereocomplex crystal morphology in poly(lactide) through chain alignment.

The incorporation of poly(d-lactide) (PDLA) to form stereocomplex crystallites (SCs) within a poly(l-lactide) (PLLA) matrix is among the most effective strategies in overcoming PLLA's numerous drawbacks. However, high concentrations of PDLA (>3 wt%) are required to improve PLLA's crystallization kinetics and melt strength, which is undesirable owing to PDLA's high cost. In this study, we use chain alignment as a levier to tune stereocomplex superstructure morphology to overcome these limitations.

Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome by SARS-CoV-2 Infection or Other Etiologic Agents Among Brazilian Indigenous Population: An Observational Study from the First Year of Coronavirus Disease (COVID)-19 Pandemic.

Background: Indigenous peoples are vulnerable to pandemics, including to the coronavirus disease (COVID)-19, since it causes high mortality and specially, the loss of elderly Indigenous individuals.

Methods: The epidemiological data of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) by SARS-CoV-2 infection or other etiologic agents (OEA) among Brazilian Indigenous peoples during the first year of COVID-19 pandemic was obtained from a Brazilian Ministry of Health open-access database to perform an observational study. Considering only Indigenous individuals diagnosed with SARS by COVID-19, the epidemiology data were also evaluated as risk of death.

Modeling hepatitis C virus kinetics during liver transplantation reveals the role of the liver in virus clearance.

While the liver, specifically hepatocytes, are widely accepted as the main source of hepatitis C virus (HCV) production, the role of the liver/hepatocytes in clearance of circulating HCV remains unknown. Frequent HCV kinetic data were recorded and mathematically modeled from five liver transplant patients throughout the anhepatic (absence of liver) phase and for 4 hr post-reperfusion. During the anhepatic phase, HCV remained at pre-anhepatic levels ( = 3) or declined ( = 2) with ~1 hr.

Impact of the WHO FCTC over the first decade: a global evidence review prepared for the Impact Assessment Expert Group.

Objective: To present findings of a narrative review on the implementation and effectiveness of 17 Articles of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) during the Treaty's first decade.

Data Sources: Published reports on global FCTC implementation; searches of four databases through June 2016; hand-search of publications/online resources; tobacco control experts.

Study Selection: WHO Convention Secretariat global progress reports (2010, 2012, 2014); 2015 WHO report on the global tobacco epidemic; studies of social, behavioural, health, economic and/or environmental impacts of FCTC policies.

Modeling HCV cure after an ultra-short duration of therapy with direct acting agents.

Background: Cases of sustained-virological response (SVR or cure) after an ultra-short duration (≤27 days) of direct-acting antiviral (DAA)-based therapy, despite HCV being detected at end of treatment (EOT), have been reported. Established HCV mathematical models that predict the treatment duration required to achieve cure do not take into account the possibility that the infectivity of virus produced during treatment might be reduced. The aim of this study was to develop a new mathematical model that considers the fundamental and critical concept that HCV RNA in serum represents both infectious virus (V) and non-infectious virus (V) in order to explain the observation of cure with ultrashort DAA therapy.

Perceived acceptability of female smoking in China.

Background: Female smoking prevalence in China is very low but may rise with increased tobacco marketing towards women and changing norms. However, little is known about current perceptions of women smoking in China.

Objective: This study sought to examine smokers' and non-smokers' perceived acceptability of female smoking and how it changed over time in China.

Structural characterization of new deoxycytidine kinase inhibitors rationalizes the affinity-determining moieties of the molecules.

Deoxycytidine kinase (dCK) is a key enzyme in the nucleoside salvage pathway that is also required for the activation of several anticancer and antiviral nucleoside analog prodrugs. Additionally, dCK has been implicated in immune disorders and has been found to be overexpressed in several cancers. To allow the probing and modulation of dCK activity, a new class of small-molecule inhibitors of the enzyme were developed.

Comparing the experience of regret and its predictors among smokers in four Asian countries: findings from the ITC surveys in Thailand, South Korea, Malaysia, and China.

Introduction: Nearly all smokers in high-income Western countries report that they regret smoking (Fong, G. T., Hammond, D.