Epidemiology of COVID-19 in the State of Sergipe/Brazil and Its Relationship with Social Indicators

A pandemic is capable of generating a great impact, not only from the point of view of health, but also socioeconomically. In March 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared that a new pandemic situation had arisen, due to the SARS-CoV-2 virus, whose probable origin was zoonotic. The largest number of cases of this disease is concentrated in the United States of America (USA), India, and Brazil. The mortality rate is estimated at 3.4%, but regional differences may exist, and places with a high demographic density have become true epicentres and may be related to higher rates of transmission. In addition to the above, lower human development indexes (HDI) can be related to worse outcomes, especially in the North and Northeast regions of Brazil since they are the least developed places. The Northeast region is the second-most-affected place in the number of COVID-19 cases in Brazil. An analytical observational study of an ecological type was carried out from April to October 2020 to assess the epidemiological situation of COVID-19 in the state of Sergipe and specifically to analyse the incidence of cases and deaths resulting from COVID-19 in the different health regions of the state of Sergipe, in relation to the values of the HDI and demographic density. During the study period, 84,325 cases of COVID-19 were identified, in which 2205 resulted in death. In most of the regions studied, there was a positive association between the number of cases and deaths and the greater the demographic density, but there was no increase in the risk of becoming ill, nor of dying the lower the HDI. Large and crowded cities are places of greatest vulnerability to illness, due to their greater capacity of transmitting the virus; however, further studies are needed to identify other factors that are decisive in the outcomes of this new disease.This research received no external funding.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Stir bar-sorptive extraction, solid phase extraction and liquid-liquid extraction for levetiracetam determination in human plasma: comparing recovery rates

Levetiracetam (LEV), an antiepileptic drug (AED) with favorable pharmacokinetic profile, is increasingly being used in clinical practice, although information on its metabolism and disposition are still being generated. Therefore a simple, robust and fast liquid-liquid extraction (LLE) followed by high-performance liquid chromatography method is described that could be used for both pharmacokinetic and therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM) purposes. Moreover, recovery rates of LEV in plasma were compared among LLE, stir bar-sorptive extraction (SBSE), and solid-phase extraction (SPE). Solvent extraction with dichloromethane yielded a plasma residue free from usual interferences such as commonly co-prescribed AEDs, and recoveries around 90% (LLE), 60% (SPE) and 10% (SBSE). Separation was obtained using reverse phase Select B column with ultraviolet detection (235 nm). Mobile phase consisted of methanol:sodium acetate buffer 0.125 M pH 4.4 (20:80, v/v). The method was linear over a range of 2.8-220.0 µg mL-1. The intra- and inter-assay precision and accuracy were studied at three concentrations; relative standard deviation was less than 10%. The limit of quantification was 2.8 µg mL-1. This robust method was successfully applied to analyze plasma samples from patients with epilepsy and therefore might be used for pharmacokinetic and TDM purposes.</p

The complete genome sequence of Chromobacterium violaceum reveals remarkable and exploitable bacterial adaptability

Chromobacterium violaceum is one of millions of species of free-living microorganisms that populate the soil and water in the extant areas of tropical biodiversity around the world. Its complete genome sequence reveals (i) extensive alternative pathways for energy generation, (ii) ≈500 ORFs for transport-related proteins, (iii) complex and extensive systems for stress adaptation and motility, and (iv) wide-spread utilization of quorum sensing for control of inducible systems, all of which underpin the versatility and adaptability of the organism. The genome also contains extensive but incomplete arrays of ORFs coding for proteins associated with mammalian pathogenicity, possibly involved in the occasional but often fatal cases of human C. violaceum infection. There is, in addition, a series of previously unknown but important enzymes and secondary metabolites including paraquat-inducible proteins, drug and heavy-metal-resistance proteins, multiple chitinases, and proteins for the detoxification of xenobiotics that may have biotechnological applications

Preliminary study of the molluscicidal and larvicidal properties of some essential oils and phytochemicals from medicinal plants

This study aimed to evaluate the molluscicidal and larvicidal activity of some essential oils and phytochemicals from medicinal plants. Molluscicide and larvicidal activity were determined by, respectively, the lethality bioassays using Artemia salina Leach. Artemiidae and Aedes aegypti L. Culicidae larvae. Essential oils from Eugenia uniflora L. Myrtaceae, Laurus nobilis L. Lauraceae, Origanum vulgare L. Lamiaceae and the phytochemicals α-pinene and eugenol presented citotoxicity toward Artemia salina with CL50 values between 9.59 and 253.43 μL/mL. Essential oils from E. uniflora, M. piperita, O. vulgare and R. officinalis showed embryotoxicity on Aedes aegypti larvae with a viability inhibition between 40 and 100%. These results show the bioactivity of the assayed essential oils and phytochemicals and, partially, justify their insertion in further evaluation in order to establish a safe exploitation of their biological potentiality

Doença arterial coronária no climatério e exclusão social Coronary artery disease in climacteric and social exclusion

A Doença Arterial Coronária (DAC) é uma doença multifatorial e muitos dos fatores de risco para o seu desenvolvimento (ligados aos aspectos biológicos) já foram estudados e devidamente mensurados em sua importância. Os determinantes sociais dessa doença, responsável pelo maior número de mortes na cidade de São Paulo, foram pouco estudados e sua importância, negligenciada. No Brasil, as pesquisas sobre o tema são ainda incipientes e a importância da DAC, em mulheres, continua sendo subestimada, mesmo quando os dados estatísticos mostram que ela vem crescendo. As mulheres, hoje, vivem mais e, portanto, têm a possibilidade de enfrentar a doença e ainda de sobreviverem muitos anos após a menopausa, trazendo esse fato um grande impacto social. Nosso objetivo, nessa pesquisa, de caráter descritivo, foi estabelecer uma relação entre o perfil socioeconômico e cultural e os indicadores de exclusão social, encontrados em mulheres após a menopausa e com DAC, em tratamento no ambulatório de Coronariopatias do Instituto Dante Pazzanese de Cardiologia. Os resultados podem nos ajudar a entender melhor a doença e as necessidades das pacientes diante das várias formas de exclusão social que vivenciam em seu cotidiano e apontar medidas mais eficazes para programas de prevenção secundária. O diálogo entre as diferentes áreas de conhecimento, como a Medicina, a História e o Serviço Social, estabelecido para a análise dos resultados, trouxe uma compreensão abrangente dos fenômenos estudados trazendo à luz aspectos da exclusão social e discriminação de gênero, vivenciados pelas pacientes até então desconhecidos e, portanto, não valorizados pela equipe multidisciplinar.<br>Coronary Artery Disease (CAD) is a multifactorial disease and many of the risk factors for its development, linked to biological aspects, have been well studied and their importance measured. On the other hand, the study of the social determinants of this disease (that is responsible for the highest number of deaths in the city of São Paulo) has been neglected. This is an area of great importance and social impact especially in developing countries. Women, in particular, are living longer now, and they may face the disease and survive many years after menopause. In Brazil, research about this theme is in its early phases and the importance of CAD in women still is underestimated, even when statistical data show that it has been increasing. This descriptive research aimed to establish the relationship between the socio-economic-cultural profile and social exclusion indicators in women after menopause and with CAD in treatment at the Coronary Diseases clinic of Instituto Dante Pazzanese de Cardiologia. The results could help us to better understand the disease and the patients' needs and point out effective actions to guide secondary prevention programs. The dialog between different areas of knowledge, such as Medicine, History, and Social Work, enabled a broad understanding of the studied phenomena, bringing to light social exclusion and gender discrimination aspects experienced by the patients that, till that time, had not been known and valued by the multidisciplinary team