Functional impairment in COPD can be predicted using genomic-derived data.

Objective: Reduced functional capacity and muscle weakness are two major contributors to functional impairment in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The underlying causes of functional impairment are poorly understood and, therefore, we sought to investigate the contribution of genetic factors.

Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional analysis of sociodemographic, clinical and genetic information of people with COPD.

Association between ACE (I/D) polymorphism and physical performance in Brazilian handballers.

This study investigated the association between the ACE (I/D) polymorphism and strength phenotypes in Brazilian male handball players, considering their playing position. A total of 105 male junior handball players and 92 controls were evaluated. The ACE I/D polymorphism was genotyped by conventional PCR followed by electrophoresis in agarose gel.

Cost-effectiveness of robotic compared with laparoscopic rectal resection. Results from the Spanish prospective national trial ROBOCOSTES.

Objective: The costs related to robotic surgery are known to be greater than those associated with laparoscopy. However, the potential for better outcomes of the former could lead to a cost-effectiveness advantage. The aim of this study is therefore to highlight the difference in cost-effectiveness between robotic and laparoscopic rectal resection.

Oral Regimens for Rifampin-Resistant, Fluoroquinolone-Susceptible Tuberculosis.

Background: For decades, poor treatment options and low-quality evidence plagued care for patients with rifampin-resistant tuberculosis. The advent of new drugs to treat tuberculosis and enhanced funding now permit randomized, controlled trials of shortened-duration, all-oral treatments for rifampin-resistant tuberculosis.

Methods: We conducted a phase 3, multinational, open-label, randomized, controlled noninferiority trial to compare standard therapy for treatment of fluoroquinolone-susceptible, rifampin-resistant tuberculosis with five 9-month oral regimens that included various combinations of bedaquiline (B), delamanid (D), linezolid (L), levofloxacin (Lfx) or moxifloxacin (M), clofazimine (C), and pyrazinamide (Z).

Donor-derived Cryptococcus gattii complex infection after liver transplantation.

Cryptococcal disease is the third most common invasive fungal infection in solid organ transplant recipients and is associated with high-morbidity and -mortality rates. Donor-derived Cryptococcus spp. infection typically manifests within the first month post-procedure and has historically been caused by C.

Coordination of care in health systems for users with diabetes and hypertension: a scoping review.

Objective: to map the available evidence on the characteristics of care coordination between Primary Health Care and Specialized Outpatient Care for users with diabetes and hypertension.

Method: this is a scoping review with 40 articles as the final sample, evaluated by means of Content Analysis, of the thematic-categorical type, with the aid of a technological tool.

Results: care coordination was defined by means of eight categories: information and communication, integration of care, improvement and quality, care management, care sharing, fundamental attribute, health professionals and health service users, with the results of the articles concentrating mainly on four categories, with information and communication standing out, followed by the category of care management and the category of care sharing, in parallel with improvement and quality.

[Men who have sex with men negotiating pleasure and prevention through HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis].

Prophylaxis based on antiretrovirals, such as pre-exposure prophylaxis to HIV (PrEP), has the potential to protect the populations most vulnerable to infection, which renews optimism for controlling the HIV epidemic. Against this backdrop, the aim of this article is to analyze the perceptions, negotiations and tensions surrounding the use of PrEP by men who have sex with men (MSM). This is a qualitative cross-section of a multicenter study, analyzing semi-structured interviews with 18 users of specialized HIV/AIDS healthcare facilities in the city of São Paulo/SP.

Statistical analysis plan for hemodynamic phenotype-based, capillary refill time-targeted resuscitation in early septic shock: the ANDROMEDA-SHOCK-2 randomized clinical trial.

Background: ANDROMEDA-SHOCK 2 is an international, multicenter, randomized controlled trial comparing hemodynamic phenotype-based, capillary refill time-targeted resuscitation in early septic shock to standard care resuscitation to test the hypothesis that the former is associated with lower morbidity and mortality in terms of hierarchal analysis of outcomes.

Objective: To report the statistical plan for the ANDROMEDA--SHOCK 2 randomized clinical trial.

Methods: We briefly describe the trial design, patients, methods of randomization, interventions, outcomes, and sample size.

Prioritizing questions and topics for the development of guidelines and consensus-based recommendations supported by ILAE: A scoping review and proposal of prioritization criteria.

Clinical practice guidelines (CPGs) and consensus-based recommendations (CBRs) require considerable effort, collaboration, and time-all within the constraints of finite resources. Professional societies, such as the International League Against Epilepsy (ILAE), must prioritize what topics and questions to address. Implementing evidence-based care remains a crucial challenge in clinical practice.

Assessment of safety and effectiveness after percutaneous closure for decannulation of Veno-Arterial Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Introduction: Veno-Arterial Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation (VA-ECMO) has emerged as a crucial component of critical care medicine, mainly as a lifesaving intervention for patients experiencing refractory cardiac arrest and respiratory failure.

Background: In the past, VA-ECMO decannulation was surgical and often associated with a high rate of periprocedural complications, such as surgical site infection, bleeding, and patient mobilization costs. To reduce the rate of these adverse events, many percutaneous techniques utilizing suture-mediated closing devices have been adopted.

The phase I RELEASE clinical trial to evaluate the safety of NK cells in COVID-19.

The severity of COVID 19 symptoms has a direct correlation with lymphopenia, affecting natural killer (NK) cells. SARS-CoV-2 specific "memory" NK cells obtained from convalescent donors can be used as cell immunotherapy. In 2022 a phase I, dose-escalation, single center clinical trial was conducted to evaluate the safety and feasibility of the infusion of CD3/CD56 NK cells against moderate/severe cases of COVID-19 (NCT04578210).

Subclavian Artery Aneurysm Rupture: A Case Report.

Subclavian artery aneurysm is an extremely rare condition with potentially life-threatening complications, including rupture and embolization. This condition is generally the result of atherosclerosis, medial degeneration, trauma, or infection. We report the case of an 83-year-old man who developed hemoptysis due to the rupture of a saccular aneurysm at the origin of the left subclavian artery.

A rare case of lipomatous ganglioneuroma of the adrenal gland.

Lipomatous ganglioneuroma's are exceedingly rare benign tumours. They originate from the neuroepithelium along the sympathetic ganglia. These rare tumours have been reported generally in the posterior mediastinum and retroperitoneum.

Circulating endothelial progenitor cells and inflammatory markers in type 1 diabetes after an acute session of aerobic exercise.

Objective: To determine circulating endothelial progenitor cells (EPC) counts and levels of inflammatory markers in individuals with and without type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) in response to an intense aerobic exercise session.

Subjects And Methods: In total, 15 adult men with T1DM and 15 healthy individuals underwent a 30-minute aerobic exercise session on a cycle ergometer at 60% of the peak heart rate. The EPC count (CD45/CD34/KDR), tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) and interleukin 6 (IL-6) levels were measured before and 60 minutes after the session.

Association between the aromatase () gene variant rs10046 and cardiovascular risk in postmenopausal women.

Objective: To assess the genotypic and allelic distribution of the rs10046 polymorphism in the gene and evaluate whether this aromatase gene variant is associated with cardiovascular risk in postmenopausal women.

Materials And Methods: This cross-sectional study analyzed repository-stored samples from 370 postmenopausal women aged 44-72 years. Clinical, metabolic, and hormonal data were collected.

Prevalence of psoriatic arthritis in Italy: insights from the multicentric MAPSI study.

Introduction: Psoriatic arthritis (PsA) is a chronic inflammatory arthropathy associated with cutaneous psoriasis (PsO), first defined by Moll and Wright. Initially perceived as relatively benign, PsA is now recognized for its chronic, progressive, and destructive nature, significantly impacting patients' quality of life, similar to Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA). Globally, PsA represents about 20% of cases in early arthritis clinics, posing diagnostic and management challenges.

Predisposing Factors of Progression from Refractory Status Epilepticus to Super-Refractory Status Epilepticus in ICU-Admitted Patients: Multicenter Retrospective Cohort Study in a Resource-Limited Setting.

Background: Super-refractory status epilepticus (SRSE) is an extremely serious neurological emergency. Risk factors and mechanisms involved in transition from refractory status epilepticus (RSE) to SRSE are insufficiently studied.

Methods: This was a multicenter retrospective cohort study of consecutive patients diagnosed and treated for RSE at two reference hospital over 5 years in Ecuador.

Prognostic significance of cytokine dysregulation in critically ill COVID-19 patients.

Background: Understanding the immunopathogenesis of COVID-19 has yielded valuable insights into predicting adverse outcomes-particularly mortality. However, significant gaps persist in our comprehension of the complex interplay among the proposed pathophysiological mechanisms. Here, we aim to investigate the immunological factors associated with mortality in critically ill, unvaccinated COVID-19 patients admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU).

Efficacy of a multicomponent nature-based intervention on well-being and environmental engagement: A randomized clinical trial.

Background: Nature-based interventions (NBIs) benefit human well-being, but clinical trials comparing different NBIs in various natural environments are scarce.

Objective: To evaluate the efficacy of a multicomponent nature-based intervention (MNBI) in comparison to control group (classical forest bathing).

Primary Outcome: well-being; Secondary outcomes: vitality, happiness, connection, and engagement with nature across urban, peri-urban, and rural areas.

Factors associated with the presence of Candida spp. in the oral and tracheobronchial secretions of patients admitted to an adult intensive care unit.

to verify factors associated with the presence of Candida spp. in oral and tracheobronchial secretions of 135 patients admitted to an adult ICU, general of the Santa Casa de Caridade, of Diamantina, Minas Gerais, Brazil. Oral samples showed significant differences between colonized and non-colonized patients in the variables age (p < 0.

Generation, establishment and characterization of three pluripotent stem cell lines (CVTTHi002-A, CVTTHi003-A and CVTTHi004-A) from primary testicular somatic cells isolated from two prepuberal and one peripuberal Klinefelter Syndrome (47 XXY) patients.

Klinefelter Syndrome (KS) is an aneuploid genetic condition in males characterized by at least one additional copy of the X chromosome. Due to fibrotic degeneration of the testis, these patients suffer infertility in the future. The pathogenic mechanism by which this occurs is still not well known.

Risk Factors for Viral Coinfections in Blood Donors in Bahia, Brazil.

Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), Human T Lymphotropic Virus (HTLV), Hepatitis B Virus (HBV) and Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) coinfection may lead to disease progression or worsen its clinical presentation. Viral coinfections screening during blood donation is critical. To identify risk factors for coinfection among blood donors, we assessed the blood donations at the Fundação de Hematologia e Hemoterapia da Bahia, from 2008 to 2017.

Ivory Vertebra Phenomenon as a Sign of Metastatic Dissemination in Pancreatobiliary Neoplasia: A Case Report and Literature Review.

The bone tissue is a specialised connective tissue composed of several components that undergo constant remodelling. The balance between bone deposition and resorption is essential for maintaining a healthy bone structure. In case of a disruption in this remodelling process, which can lead to an imbalance between bone deposition and resorption, an increase in the opacity of a vertebral body may be observed in imaging studies, resulting in what is known as the "ivory vertebra sign".

Community-based model for management and follow-up by non-physician healthcare workers to improve awareness, treatment, and control of hypertension: The COTRACO study protocol.

Introduction: Cardiovascular diseases are the leading cause of death and morbidity worldwide, with a significantly higher burden in low- and middle-income countries. Hypertension, a major risk factor for cardiovascular morbidity and mortality, remains under-diagnosed and poorly controlled, especially in regions such as Latin America. The HOPE-4 study demonstrated that the involvement of non-physician health workers (NPHWs), the use of standardized treatment algorithms, the provision of free antihypertensive drugs and home follow-up can significantly improve hypertension control and reduce cardiovascular risk, as demonstrated in Colombia and Malaysia.