Case report: Additional grounds for tighter regulation? A case series of five women with zolpidem dependence from a Brazilian women-specific substance use disorder outpatient service.

Objective: This study presents a case series of five women with zolpidem dependence treated at the Drug Dependent Women Treatment Center (PROMUD), one of the first women-specific substance use disorder outpatient services in Latin America.

Methods: This was an retrospective review of medical records of patients with a diagnosis of zolpidem dependence at the Institute of Psychiatry of Clinics Hospital of University of São Paulo between December 2021 and December 2023. Description of the cases followed the Case Report Statement, Checklist and Guidelines (CARE).

Automatic segmentation of cardiac structures can change the way we evaluate dose limits for radiotherapy in the left breast.

Purpose: Radiotherapy is a crucial part of breast cancer treatment. Precision in dose assessment is essential to minimize side effects. Traditionally, anatomical structures are delineated manually, a time-consuming process subject to variability.

Effects of paclitaxel and methotrexate associated with cholesterol-rich nanoemulsions on ischemia-reperfusion injury after unilateral lung transplantation in rats.

Currently, the barrier to successful lung transplantation is ischemia and reperfusion injury, which can lead to the development of bronchiolitis obliterans. Paclitaxel and methotrexate are drugs known to inhibit cell proliferation and have anti-inflammatory effects, and the association of these drugs with cholesterol-rich nanoparticles has been shown to be beneficial in the treatment of other transplanted organs. Thirty-three male Sprague Dawley rats were divided into 3 groups: Basal group, no intervention; Control group, received only nanoparticles; Drug group, paclitaxel and methotrexate treatment.

Intra- and Inter-Rater Reliability, Measurement Error and Criteria and Convergent Validities of the Dualpex Plus for the Vaginal Manometry of Pelvic Floor Muscles in Women With Urinary Incontinence.

Objective: To test the Intra- and inter-rater reliability, measurement error and criteria and convergent validities of the Dualpex Plus (DP) for vaginal manometry in women with urinary incontinence (UI).

Design: This is a clinimetric properties study.

Setting: University Hospital in Brazil.

Left ventricle remodeling by CMR in treated patients with primary aldosteronism and primary systemic arterial hypertension.

Background: Increased cardiac after load and multiple non-hemodynamic stimuli implicate in adverse left ventricular remodeling (LVR). This is particularly identifiable in treatment-resistant and secondary hypertension contexts, like primary hyperaldosteronism (PA), however little data exists on post-treatment residual LVR in these individuals.

Methods: Cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) with T1 mapping were performed in 14 patients with treated PA matched with 15 treated patients with primary hypertension (PH) and 15 healthy individuals.

Blood-Based Biomarkers for Identifying Disease Activity in AQP4-IgG-Positive Neuromyelitis Optica Spectrum Disorder.

Importance: The temporal dynamics of serum glial fibrillary acidic protein (sGFAP) and serum neurofilament light chain (sNfL) as biomarkers of disease activity for neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD) remain underexplored.

Objective: To determine optimal timing for assessing sGFAP and sNfL, establish cutoff values differentiating between attacks and remissions in NMOSD, and evaluate these findings across independent cohorts.

Design, Setting, And Participants: This retrospective, longitudinal, multicenter cohort study was conducted among patients with aquaporin-4 antibody (AQP4-IgG)-positive NMOSD.

Neurofilament Light Chain as a Discriminator of Disease Activity Status in MOG Antibody-Associated Disease.

Background And Objectives: In patients with myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein (MOG) antibody-associated disease (MOGAD), acute disease activity is generally identified through medical history, neurologic examination, and imaging. However, these may be insufficient for detecting disease activity in specific conditions. This study aimed to investigate the dynamics of serum neurofilament light chain (sNfL) and serum glial fibrillary acidic protein (sGFAP) after clinical attacks and to assess their utility in discriminating attacks from remission in patients with MOGAD.

Win Ratio approach for the composite outcome of postoperative pulmonary complications: Secondary analysis of a harmonised and pooled database of three randomised clinical trials.

Background: The win ratio analysis method might provide new insight on the impact of positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP) on clinical outcomes.

Objective: The aim is to re-analyse the results of the 'Re-evaluation of the effects of high PEEP with recruitment manoeuvres vs. low PEEP without recruitment manoeuvres during general anaesthesia for surgery' (REPEAT) study using the win ratio analysis.

Lack of association between revision ACL reconstruction and preoperative, intraoperative and post-operative factors at primary ACL reconstruction in children and adolescents.

Purpose: To evaluate factors associated with revision anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACLR) within 5 years of primary ACLR in children and adolescents.

Methods: Children and adolescents (age <20 years at surgery) who underwent primary hamstring tendon ACLR at the Capio Artro Clinic, Stockholm, Sweden, between January 2005 and December 2018 were identified. Revision ACLR within 5 years of primary ACLR was captured in the Swedish National Knee Ligament Registry.

HBV, HCV and HIV among inmates in Latin America and the Caribbean: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Objectives: Hepatitis B virus (HBV), hepatitis C virus (HCV) and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) affect 340 million people worldwide and have a high impact on vulnerable populations. The aim of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to estimate the prevalence of these infections among inmates in Latin America and the Caribbean.

Methods: Searches were conducted in Medline, Embase, LILACS and Web of Science databases on 17 May 2024, without time or language restriction, according to PRISMA guidelines.

Risk of mycobacterial infections in a cohort of silicosis patients with autoimmune rheumatic diseases.

Objective: To evaluate the incidence rates of mycobacterial infections in silicosis patients with systemic autoimmune rheumatic disease (ARD).

Methods: This was a retrospective cohort of silicosis patients between January of 1999 and December of 2023. We compared the incidence of tuberculosis and nontuberculous mycobacterial disease (NTM) in patients with silicosis with and without ARD.

Comparison of the mechanisms of DNA damage following photoexcitation and chemiexcitation.

In this review, we compare the mechanisms and consequences of electronic excitation of DNA via photon absorption or photosensitization, as well as by chemically induced generation of excited states. The absorption of UV radiation by DNA is known to produce cyclobutane pyrimidine dimers (CPDs) and thymine pyrimidone photoproducts. Photosensitizers are known to enable such transformations using UV-A and visible light by generating triplet species able to transfer energy to DNA.

Cholangiocarcinoma in Latin America: a multicentre observational study alerts on ethnic disparities in tumour presentation and outcomes.

Background: Cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) represents a global health challenge, with rising incidence and mortality rates. This study aimed to elucidate the clinical course and practices of CCA in Latin America.

Methods: This observational cohort study investigated individuals diagnosed with CCA between 2010 and 2023 at five referral centres across Latin America.

The burden, clinical features and outcomes of SARS-CoV-2, Influenza and co-infections during concurrently out-of-season outbreaks in Brazil.

Objectives: Little is known about the burden and the clinical presentation and prognosis of individuals with Influenza and SARS-CoV-2 during concurrent outbreaks. We aimed to describe the burden, clinical characteristics and outcomes of hospitalized adults during the Influenza A/H3N2 and Omicron outbreaks in Brazil.

Study Design: Cross-sectional analysis of national surveillance data.

Effects of probiotic supplementation on the anthropometric nutritional status of patients with type 2 Diabetes mellitus: A systematic review and meta-analysis protocol.

Background: Diabetes mellitus (DM) is characterized by hyperglycemia due to insufficient insulin production or utilization. Previous studies have shown a relationship between the gut microbiota and DM, driving interest in probiotic supplementation to modulate the microbiota and glucose metabolism in patients with DM, although the exact mechanisms remain unclear. Probiotics can influence metabolic factors and improve the composition of the microbiota, possibly helping to reduce weight in patients with DM.

Body dysmorphic disorder.

Body dysmorphic disorder (BDD) is an obsessive-compulsive disorder-related psychiatric condition characterized by an intense preoccupation with perceived physical flaws that are not observable by others. BDD affects ~2% of the adult population but is underdiagnosed, partly owing to limited clinician awareness, and undertreated, partly due to limited access to treatment. Research on the aetiology of BDD is scarce but likely involves an interplay between genetic and environmental factors.

Bone Erosions and Systemic Bone Loss on HR-pQCT in Men With Tophaceous Gout.

Aims: Gout, a prevalent inflammatory arthropathy, predominantly affects males and arises from persistent hyperuricemia, resulting in monosodium urate crystal deposition. Hyperuricemia is associated with comorbidities, exacerbating patient morbidity. Conflicting literature exists regarding uric acid's impact on bone mineral density (BMD), with potential proinflammatory effects in gout patients.

Association of potassium disorders with the mode of death and etiology in patients with chronic heart failure: the INCOR-HF study.

Observational studies suggest a U-shaped association between serum potassium (K⁺) levels and mortality in patients with chronic heart failure (CHF). However, the mode of death in patients with HF and K⁺ disorders remains speculative. To investigate the association between potassium disorders and the mode of death in patients with CHF.

Serotype-Specific Dengue Virus IgG Assay Using EDIII-Based Recombinant Proteins and Its Application in an Endemic Population in Northeast Brazil.

Dengue is the most prevalent arboviral disease globally, with Brazil currently experiencing a significant rise in cases. Dengue virus (DENV) typically co-circulates with other clinically and antigenically similar flaviviruses, such as Zika virus (ZIKV). The clinical diagnosis is difficult and accurate serological analysis represents an unmet challenge.

Abbreviated versions of the insomnia severity index to screen for comorbid insomnia among obstructive sleep apnea patients.

Study Objectives: The comorbidity of insomnia and obstructive sleep apnea (COMISA) is common and associated with adverse clinical consequences. While insomnia is often underdiagnosed among individuals with OSA, the identification of insomnia among these individuals may lead to improved medical care. Our objective was to assess the performance of two simplified tools (insomnia severity index-2 (ISI-2) and ISI-3) to identify insomnia among individuals with OSA.