Impact of the Health Gym Program on hospital admissions for stroke in the state of Pernambuco, Brazil

This study aimed to evaluate the impact of the Health Gym Program (HGP) on hospital admissions for stroke in the state of Pernambuco, Brazil. This policy impact evaluation used a quasi-experimental approach consisting of a difference-in-differences estimator, weighted by propensity score matching to deal with potential confounding variables. The study comprised socioeconomic, demographic, and epidemiological data from official Brazilian databases from 2010 to 2019. The treatment group was composed of the 134 municipalities that implemented the HGP since 2011. The 51 municipalities that did not were allocated to the comparison group. The nearest neighbor algorithm (N5) was used to pair treatment and comparison group municipalities and create the weights to evaluate the average treatment effect on the treated (ATT) in the difference-in-differences estimator. In 2010, 2,771 people were hospitalized for stroke (0.51% of all hospitalizations) and in 2019, 11,542 (2%). Municipalities that implemented the HGP had 18.37% fewer hospitalizations than their counterparts in the comparison group. The program’s impact in reducing hospitalization rates was incrementally greater among men (ATT: -0.1932) and those aged 71 to 80 years (ATT: -0.1911). All results were statistically significant at the 5% level. The HGP reduced hospitalization for stroke in several population groups, but primarily in those whose underlying prevalence of stroke is highest, reinforcing the importance of public investments in health promotion policies designed to encourage lifestyle changes.Resumo: O estudo teve como objetivo avaliar o impacto do Programa Academia da Saúde (PAS) nas internações hospitalares por acidente vascular cerebral (AVC) no Estado de Pernambuco, Brasil. Esta avaliação de impacto das políticas utilizou uma abordagem quase-experimental que consiste em um estimador de diferença-em-diferenças, ponderado pelo pareamento por escore de propensão para lidar com possíveis fatores de confusão. O estudo foi composto por dados socioeconômicos, demográficos e epidemiológicos de bases de dados oficiais brasileiras entre os anos de 2010 e 2019. O grupo de tratamento foi composto pelos 134 municípios que implantaram o PAS a partir de 2011, e os 51 municípios que não implantaram foram alocados no grupo de comparação. O algoritmo do vizinho mais próximo (N5) foi utilizado para emparelhar os municípios tratados e comparar aos municípios do grupo controle, criando os pesos que foram utilizados para avaliar o efeito médio do tratamento sobre o tratado (ATT) no estimador de diferença- -em-diferenças. Houve 2.771 internações por AVC em 2010 (0,51% de todas as internações) e 11.542 (2%) em 2019. Os municípios que implementaram o PAS tiveram 18,37% menos internações em comparação com seus homólogos no grupo de comparação. O impacto do programa na redução das taxas de internação foi maior entre os homens (ATT: -0,1932) e naqueles com idade entre 71 e 80 anos (ATT: -0,1911). Todos os resultados foram estatisticamente significativos em um nível de 5%. O PAS reduziu a hospitalização por AVC em vários grupos populacionais, mas principalmente naqueles em que a prevalência subjacente de AVC é mais alta, reforçando a importância dos investimentos públicos em políticas de promoção da saúde destinadas a estimular mudanças nos estilos de vida. Avaliação de Programas e Projetos de Saúde; Doença Crônica; Promoção da Saúde; Pontuação de Propensão; Acidente Vascular CerebralResumen: El objetivo de este trabajo es evaluar el impacto del Programa Academia de la Salud (PAS) en los ingresos hospitalarios por accidente cerebrovascular (ACV) en el estado de Pernambuco, Brasil. Esta evaluación del impacto de la política utilizó un enfoque cuasi-experimental que consiste en un estimador de diferencias en diferencias, ponderado por el emparejamiento de puntuación de propensión para hacer frente a posibles factores de confusión. El estudio incluyó datos socioeconómicos, demográficos y epidemiológicos de bases de datos oficiales brasileñas de 2010 a 2019. El grupo de tratamiento se compuso de los 134 municipios que implementaron el PAS a partir de 2011 y los 51 municipios que no lo hicieron se asignaron al grupo de comparación. Se utilizó el algoritmo del vecino más próximo (N5) para emparejar los municipios tratados y los del grupo de comparación y crear las ponderaciones que se emplearon para evaluar el efecto medio del tratamiento sobre los tratados (ATT) en el estimador de diferencias en diferencias. Hubo 2.771 hospitalizaciones por ACV en 2010 (0,51% de todas las hospitalizaciones) y 11.542 (2%) en 2019. Los municipios que aplicaron el PAS tuvieron un 18,37% menos de hospitalizaciones en comparación con sus homólogos del grupo de comparación. El impacto del programa en la reducción de las tasas de hospitalización fue gradualmente mayor entre los hombres (ATT: -0,1932) y entre las personas de 71 a 80 años (ATT: -0,1911). Todos los resultados fueron estadísticamente significativos al nivel del 5%. El PAS redujo la hospitalización por ACV en varios grupos de población, pero principalmente en aquellos en los que la prevalencia subyacente de ACV es mayor, lo que refuerza la importancia de las inversiones públicas en políticas de promoción de la salud diseñadas para impulsar cambios en los estilos de vida. Evaluación de Programas y Proyectos de Salud; Enfermedad Crónica; Promoción de la Salud; Puntaje de Propensión; Accidente CerebrovascularPernambuco State Foundation for the Support of Science and Technology (FACEPE), and the Brazilian National Research Council (CNPq)

Expected Performance of the ATLAS Experiment - Detector, Trigger and Physics

A detailed study is presented of the expected performance of the ATLAS detector. The reconstruction of tracks, leptons, photons, missing energy and jets is investigated, together with the performance of b-tagging and the trigger. The physics potential for a variety of interesting physics processes, within the Standard Model and beyond, is examined. The study comprises a series of notes based on simulations of the detector and physics processes, with particular emphasis given to the data expected from the first years of operation of the LHC at CERN

Mouse models of neurodegenerative disease: preclinical imaging and neurovascular component.

Neurodegenerative diseases represent great challenges for basic science and clinical medicine because of their prevalence, pathologies, lack of mechanism-based treatments, and impacts on individuals. Translational research might contribute to the study of neurodegenerative diseases. The mouse has become a key model for studying disease mechanisms that might recapitulate in part some aspects of the corresponding human diseases. Neurode- generative disorders are very complicated and multifacto- rial. This has to be taken in account when testing drugs. Most of the drugs screening in mice are very di cult to be interpretated and often useless. Mouse models could be condiderated a ‘pathway models’, rather than as models for the whole complicated construct that makes a human disease. Non-invasive in vivo imaging in mice has gained increasing interest in preclinical research in the last years thanks to the availability of high-resolution single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT), positron emission tomography (PET), high eld Magnetic resonance, Optical Imaging scanners and of highly speci c contrast agents. Behavioral test are useful tool to characterize di erent ani- mal models of neurodegenerative pathology. Furthermore, many authors have observed vascular pathological features associated to the di erent neurodegenerative disorders. Aim of this review is to focus on the di erent existing animal models of neurodegenerative disorders, describe behavioral tests and preclinical imaging techniques used for diagnose and describe the vascular pathological features associated to these diseases

Global patient outcomes after elective surgery: prospective cohort study in 27 low-, middle- and high-income countries.

BACKGROUND: As global initiatives increase patient access to surgical treatments, there remains a need to understand the adverse effects of surgery and define appropriate levels of perioperative care. METHODS: We designed a prospective international 7-day cohort study of outcomes following elective adult inpatient surgery in 27 countries. The primary outcome was in-hospital complications. Secondary outcomes were death following a complication (failure to rescue) and death in hospital. Process measures were admission to critical care immediately after surgery or to treat a complication and duration of hospital stay. A single definition of critical care was used for all countries. RESULTS: A total of 474 hospitals in 19 high-, 7 middle- and 1 low-income country were included in the primary analysis. Data included 44 814 patients with a median hospital stay of 4 (range 2-7) days. A total of 7508 patients (16.8%) developed one or more postoperative complication and 207 died (0.5%). The overall mortality among patients who developed complications was 2.8%. Mortality following complications ranged from 2.4% for pulmonary embolism to 43.9% for cardiac arrest. A total of 4360 (9.7%) patients were admitted to a critical care unit as routine immediately after surgery, of whom 2198 (50.4%) developed a complication, with 105 (2.4%) deaths. A total of 1233 patients (16.4%) were admitted to a critical care unit to treat complications, with 119 (9.7%) deaths. Despite lower baseline risk, outcomes were similar in low- and middle-income compared with high-income countries. CONCLUSIONS: Poor patient outcomes are common after inpatient surgery. Global initiatives to increase access to surgical treatments should also address the need for safe perioperative care. STUDY REGISTRATION: ISRCTN5181700

Mortality and pulmonary complications in patients undergoing surgery with perioperative SARS-CoV-2 infection: an international cohort study

Background: The impact of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) on postoperative recovery needs to be understood to inform clinical decision making during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. This study reports 30-day mortality and pulmonary complication rates in patients with perioperative SARS-CoV-2 infection. Methods: This international, multicentre, cohort study at 235 hospitals in 24 countries included all patients undergoing surgery who had SARS-CoV-2 infection confirmed within 7 days before or 30 days after surgery. The primary outcome measure was 30-day postoperative mortality and was assessed in all enrolled patients. The main secondary outcome measure was pulmonary complications, defined as pneumonia, acute respiratory distress syndrome, or unexpected postoperative ventilation. Findings: This analysis includes 1128 patients who had surgery between Jan 1 and March 31, 2020, of whom 835 (74·0%) had emergency surgery and 280 (24·8%) had elective surgery. SARS-CoV-2 infection was confirmed preoperatively in 294 (26·1%) patients. 30-day mortality was 23·8% (268 of 1128). Pulmonary complications occurred in 577 (51·2%) of 1128 patients; 30-day mortality in these patients was 38·0% (219 of 577), accounting for 81·7% (219 of 268) of all deaths. In adjusted analyses, 30-day mortality was associated with male sex (odds ratio 1·75 [95% CI 1·28–2·40], p\textless0·0001), age 70 years or older versus younger than 70 years (2·30 [1·65–3·22], p\textless0·0001), American Society of Anesthesiologists grades 3–5 versus grades 1–2 (2·35 [1·57–3·53], p\textless0·0001), malignant versus benign or obstetric diagnosis (1·55 [1·01–2·39], p=0·046), emergency versus elective surgery (1·67 [1·06–2·63], p=0·026), and major versus minor surgery (1·52 [1·01–2·31], p=0·047). Interpretation: Postoperative pulmonary complications occur in half of patients with perioperative SARS-CoV-2 infection and are associated with high mortality. Thresholds for surgery during the COVID-19 pandemic should be higher than during normal practice, particularly in men aged 70 years and older. Consideration should be given for postponing non-urgent procedures and promoting non-operative treatment to delay or avoid the need for surgery. Funding: National Institute for Health Research (NIHR), Association of Coloproctology of Great Britain and Ireland, Bowel and Cancer Research, Bowel Disease Research Foundation, Association of Upper Gastrointestinal Surgeons, British Association of Surgical Oncology, British Gynaecological Cancer Society, European Society of Coloproctology, NIHR Academy, Sarcoma UK, Vascular Society for Great Britain and Ireland, and Yorkshire Cancer Research