The Effect of Isometric Handgrip Training With and Without Blood Flow Restriction on Changes in Resting Blood Pressure.

To investigate the effects of high-intensity contractions and low-intensity contractions with and without blood flow restriction on changes in blood pressure and hemodynamic parameters. A total of 179 participants (18-35 years) were randomly assigned to one of three training groups that exercised 3 times per week for six weeks or a non-exercise control group. The groups are as follows: 1) Control [CON,  = 44]; 2) completed 4 sets of two-minute isometric contractions at 30% maximal voluntary contraction [LI,  = 47]; 3) completed 4 sets of two-minute isometric contractions at 30% maximal voluntary contraction with a 12 cm cuff inflated to 50% of arterial occlusion pressure [LI+BFR,  = 41]; or 4) completed 4 maximal isometric contractions lasting 5 seconds [MAX,  = 47].

Challenges in congenital heart disease in the Amazon region countries: A scoping review.

Introduction: This study aimed to systematically analyze and describe the main challenges of congenital heart diseases (CHDs) in the countries in the Amazon region.

Methods: The methodology followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews checklist utilizing the Medline, Embase, Lilacs, and Google Scholar databases. The inclusion criteria were articles addressing any topic involving CHD in the Amazon region.

Efficacy of Chitosan-N-Arginine Chitosomes in mRNA Delivery and Cell Viability Enhancement.

Cationic lipid-based carriers are recognized for their ability to complex with mRNA and effectively deliver the mRNA for vaccination and therapeutic purposes. However, the significant cytotoxicity of these carriers often restricts their practical application. In the present study, polymer-lipid hybrid nanoparticles, termed chitosomes, incorporating chitosan-N-arginine (CSA) with the DOTAP cationic lipid and the DOPE helper lipid, were synthesized and evaluated.

Blood Pressure Control and Clinical Outcomes After Renal Denervation Through Irrigated Catheter Radiofrequency Ablation in Patients with Resistant Hypertension: A Case Series with Up to 10 Years of Follow-Up.

Introduction: The long-term efficacy of renal denervation (RDN) has not been extensively documented.

Aim: To describe the long-term follow-up of patients after RDN.

Methods: We evaluated patients with resistant hypertension (RH) who underwent RDN with irrigated catheter from 2012 to 2014 at a single centre.

Mindfulness and trial-based cognitive therapy for the psychological well-being in the judiciary: A controlled and randomized study protocol.

Introduction: The judiciary sector faces high absenteeism due to mental health issues, yet applying effective therapies like mindfulness and trial-based cognitive therapy (TBCT) remains unexplored.

Objectives: Develop and apply Mindfulness-Integrated Trial-Based Cognitive Therapy (M-TBCT) in the judiciary to assess its acceptability, feasibility, and efficacy in enhancing psychological well-being and reducing depression, anxiety, and improving self-care.

Methods: Conduct a controlled, randomized study in two phases: Phase 1 involves a pilot study to structure the M-TBCT protocol and test its acceptability and feasibility in the judiciary ( = 30); Phase 2, an efficacy trial with 90 participants, comparing M-TBCT to a waitlist.

Surgery and the first 8000 days of life: a review.

The first 8000 days of life, from birth to adulthood, encompasses critical phases that shape a child's health and development. While global health efforts have focused on the first 1000 days, the next 7000 days (ages 2-21) are equally vital, especially concerning the unmet burden of surgical conditions in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Approximately 1.

Larvicidal activity of terpenes and their derivatives against Aedes aegypti: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Aedes aegypti (Diptera: Culicidae) is the primary arthropod vector responsible for the transmission of dengue, which is present in more than one hundred countries. The application of synthetic larvicides is one of the most common strategies used for dengue control, but their prolonged use can cause larvicide resistance or tolerance, environmental damage, and have toxic effects on human and animal health. Thus, faced with this problem, there have been increasing efforts to find alternative larvicides against Ae.

Effects of multidisciplinary therapy on energy balance, inflammation, and metabolic diseases in adolescents with obesity: A narrative review.

Obesity is a consequence of multiple factors, including genetics, lifestyle and nutritional choices, physical activity, sleep duration, screen time, and mood disorders. These behavioral elements can impair the regulation of energy balance and obesity management that link obesity to a constellation of chronic conditions that lead to a high prevalence of cardiometabolic risk factors, metabolic syndrome, and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. Multidisciplinary therapy is defined as an approach delivered by a multidisciplinary-trained health team covering at least two components of behavior, physical activity/exercise, dietary habits, and/or psychological counseling associated with clinical interventions.

The effects of an educational intervention on women's contraceptive preferences in the immediate postpartum period: A cross-sectional study.

Objectives: To assess postpartum women's contraceptive preferences and the impact of an educational intervention on these preferences, identifying factors motivating method choices.

Method: This cross-sectional quantitative study included women within 48 h after delivery in a public Brazilian hospital. Participants were asked about their contraceptive preferences before and after an educational intervention, which aimed to inform women about the importance of early postpartum contraception, available methods, mechanisms of action, effectiveness, proper use, and side effects.

Patient satisfaction with synchronous telehealth care after strabismus surgery.

Background: To measure patient satisfaction with synchronous telehealth care, we administered the Telemedicine Satisfaction Questionnaire (TSQ) to assess the quality of care provided, its similarity to face-to-face meetings, and patients' perception of the interaction.

Methods: The Portuguese version of the TSQ was administered during 2022 to patients who received postoperative synchronous telehealth care after strabismus surgery in Curitiba, Brazil, from 2020 to 2022. The interval between the questionnaire application and teleconsultation ranged from 2 to 22 months after the telehealth encounter.

Morphodynamics drive the transport and accumulation of anthropogenic microparticles in tropical coastal depositional systems in southeastern Brazil.

A significant limitation in current coastal pollution research is that microplastics (<5 mm) comprise only a fraction of all anthropogenic microparticles (AMP, <5 mm) scale residues. Comprehensive AMP assessments, including those comprising semisynthetic, and modified natural compositions, are lacking. For instance, the accumulation of AMP in different coastal morphological features within a depositional system remains poorly known, fueling long-lasting debates about the distribution process of microparticles.

The Emergence of Cat-Transmitted Sporotrichosis Driven by Sporothrix brasiliensis in Piauí, Brazil.

Introduction: In Brazil, the emergence of feline sporotrichosis, a neglected subcutaneous mycosis primarily transmitted by cats and caused by the fungus Sporothrix brasiliensis, has been monitored via molecular tools. This approach underscores the geographic expansion of this disease and highlights the critical role of molecular surveillance in understanding its epidemiology and guiding public health interventions.

Methods: We investigated three domestic cats (Felis catus) with multiple skin lesions in Picos, Piauí, Brazil.

Development of qualified items for nursing education assessment: The progress testing experience.

Aim: To analyze the psychometric characteristics of items in the nursing inter-institutional progress testing for the years 2019, 2021, 2022 and 2023.

Background: Progress testing is a validated method for evaluating professional undergraduate education, aimed at identifying knowledge gain in a continuous and progressive manner, with potential benefits for nursing education. However, for its results to be useful, the evaluation items used in the test must have good psychometric performance.

Fibroepithelial polyp in the urethra: Diagnostic challenges and endoscopic treatment outcomes.

Fibroepithelial polyps (FEPs) are rare benign tumors that can occur in the urinary tract and are especially uncommon in the urethra. This report presents a case of a young man with obstructive symptoms caused by a urethral polyp, which was treated endoscopically. Fibroepithelial polyps can be a cause of urethral stenosis in young men and may also be encountered during the treatment of other causes of urethral narrowing.

Infection and pulmonary vascular diseases consortium: United against a global health challenge.

Leveraging the potential of virtual platforms in the post-COVID-19 era, the Infection and Pulmonary Vascular Diseases Consortium (iPVDc), with the support of the Pulmonary Vascular Research Institute (PVRI), launched a globally accessible educational program to highlight top-notch research on inflammation and infectious diseases affecting the lung vasculature. This innovative virtual series has already successfully brought together distinguished investigators across five continents - Asia, Europe, South and North America, and Africa. Moreover, these open global forums have contributed to a comprehensive understanding of the complex interplay among immunology, inflammation, infection, and cardiopulmonary health, especially concerning pulmonary hypertension and related pulmonary disorders.

Optimizing Surgical Outcomes: A Case Series on BREAST-V for Treating Breast Asymmetries.

Background: Breast asymmetry occurs when there is a discrepancy in the shape, volume, or positioning of the breasts. Various factors, including unequal development of breast buds, endocrine disorders, chest wall deformities, and surgical or posttraumatic sequelae, can contribute to this condition. Although breast asymmetry is common, clinically severe cases are rare and often require surgical correction because of potential postural, aesthetic, and psychological issues.

Relationship between blood pressure variability and blood pressure phenotypes: a home blood pressure monitoring study.

Objective: Home blood pressure (BP) variability (BPV) and BP phenotypes such as white-coat hypertension (WCH), white-coat uncontrolled hypertension (WUCH), masked hypertension (MH) and masked uncontrolled hypertension (MUCH) are predictors of adverse cardiovascular events. This study compared home BPV across BP phenotypes built from abnormal office BP (OBP) and home BP monitoring (HBPM) thresholds defined by three distinct societies [European Society of Hypertension (ESH): OBP ≥ 140/90 mmHg and HBPM ≥ 135/85 mmHg; American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association (ACC/AHA): OBP and HBPM ≥ 130/80 mmHg and Brazilian Society of Cardiology (BSC): OBP ≥ 140/90 mmHg and HBPM ≥ 130/80 mmHg].

Methods: This cross-sectional study evaluated 51 194 treated (37% men, age = 61 ± 15 years) and 56 100 untreated (41% men, age = 54 ± 16 years) individuals from 1045 Brazilian centers who underwent OBP and HBPM measurements.

CTK-like syndrome: Corneal opacity and flattening following sequential intracorneal ring implantation and corneal cross-linking.

Purpose: This is a case report of a 31-year-old male patient presenting progressive and markedly asymmetric keratoconus treated with sequential intracorneal ring segment (ICRS) implantation followed by accelerated corneal cross-linking (CXL).

Observations: The follow-up after the last procedure revealed a thin, opacified cornea with an unexpected massive flattening of up to 20.3 D.