Serum biomarkers associated with SARS-CoV-2 severity

Immunity with SARS-CoV-2 infection during the acute phase is not sufficiently well understood to differentiate mild from severe cases and identify prognostic markers. We evaluated the immune response profile using a total of 71 biomarkers in sera from patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection, confirmed by RT-PCR and controls. We correlated biological marker levels with negative control (C) asymptomatic (A), nonhospitalized (mild cases-M), and hospitalized (severe cases-S) groups. Among angiogenesis markers, we identified biomarkers that were more frequently elevated in severe cases when compared to the other groups (C, A, and M). Among cardiovascular diseases, there were biomarkers with differences between the groups, with D-dimer, GDF-15, and sICAM-1 higher in the S group. The levels of the biomarkers Myoglobin and P-Selectin were lower among patients in group M compared to those in groups S and A. Important differences in cytokines and chemokines according to the clinical course were identified. Severe cases presented altered levels when compared to group C. This study helps to characterize biological markers related to angiogenesis, growth factors, heart disease, and cytokine/chemokine production in individuals infected with SARS-CoV-2, offering prognostic signatures and a basis for understanding the biological factors in disease severity

Qualea grandiflora, a Brazilian Cerrado medicinal plant presents an important antiulcer activity

Qualea grandiflora is one of the species widely used in folk medicine to treat gastric ulcers in Cerrado of the central region of Brazil. The hydroalcoholic extract of bark (HE) of Qualea grandiflora was investigated for their ability to prevent and heal lesions in the gastric mucosa. The oral administration of HE exhibited antiulcer activity decreasing the ulcerative index induced by HCl/ethanol solution, indomethacin/bethanechol and stress. In the Shay model, results showed that HE (p.o.) only reduced the severity of gastric lesions without effects on pH, gastric acidity or volume. When given by intraduodenal route, HE changed the pH, but did not modify the other parameters of the gastric juice. These data were in accordance with those obtained when HE was administered orally for 14 days after gastric ulcers were induced by acetic acid in rats. HE presented healing process in subacute gastric ulcer induced by acetic acid in rats. Moreover, histological examinations showed the simple columnar epithelium, lamina propria with simple branched tubular glandules with dilated lumen and large amounts of mucus secretion. Phytochemical investigation of HE led to the detection of terpenes, steroids, saponins, phenolic compounds and tannins in this extract, which may be involved in the observed activity. (c) 2005 Elsevier B.V.. All rights reserved

Uso dos recursos de Internet na Enfermagem: uma revisão Uso de los recursos de la Internet en la Enfermería: una revisión Use of Internet resources in Nursing: a review

Os recursos do sistema Internet estão cada vez mais popularizados em todas as áreas das atividades humanas na sociedade. Este artigo teve como objetivo identificar e descrever as principais modalidades de utilização da Internet pela enfermagem nas áreas de Educação, Assistência e Pesquisa. Trata-se de um estudo bibliográfico cuja fonte de dados foi a base de dados MEDLINE, usando-se expressões de pesquisa pertinentes às áreas enfocadas. Dos trabalhos referidos, 63 artigos foram selecionados. A principal utilização na área de Educação é o desenvolvimento de aplicações para promover ensino à distância; na área de Educação ao Paciente é a disponibilização de informação de saúde; na área de Assistência são as aplicações que oferecem protocolos assistenciais para promover a prática baseada em evidências e na área de Pesquisa é a coleta de dados on-line. Conclui-se que a enfermagem vem utilizando satisfatoriamente os recursos do sistema Internet e, isto tem contribuído para o próprio desenvolvimento da profissão.<br>Los recursos del sistema Internet son amplamente popularizados en la mayoria de las actividades humanas en la sociedad. Esto artículo objectiva identificar y describir las principales modalidades de utilización de la Internet por la enfermería en las areas de Educación, Asistencia y Pesquisa. Es un estudio de revisión bibliográfica cuya fuente de datos fue la base de datos MEDLINE, usandose descriptores pertinentes a las areas enfocadas. De los trabajos referidos, 63 articulos fueran selecionados. La principal utilización en la area de Educación es el desarrollo de aplicaciones para promover la educacion a distancia; en la area de Educación al Paciente es la disponibilización de información de salud; en la area de Asistencia son las aplicaciones con protocolos asistenciales para promover la practica basada en evidencias y en la area de Pesquisa es la recolecta de datos online. Se ha concluyido que la enfermería utiliza satisfactoriamente los recursos del sistema Internet y esto ha contribuido para el proprio desarrollo de la profesión.<br>Resources of Internet system are widely popularized in most of all human activities in the society. This paper aims to identify and to describe major modalities of Internet utilization in nursing areas of Education, Care, and Research. This is a bibliographic review which data source was MEDLINE database, using pertinent descriptors for the focused areas. From referred publications, it was selected 63 articles. Major utilization in Education area is the development of applications to promote distance education; in Patient Education area is the development of applications to make health information available; in Care area are the applications to make care protocols available to promote evidence-based practice, and in Research area is online data collection. It was concluded that nursing is using Internet resources in a satisfactory way, and it has contributed for the profession evolution