Previous BCG vaccination is associated with less severe clinical progression of COVID-19

Background: BCG vaccination, originally used to prevent tuberculosis, is known to “train” the immune system to improve defence against viral respiratory infections. We investigated whether a previous BCG vaccination is associated with less severe clinical progression of COVID-19./ Methods: A case-control study comparing the proportion with a BCG vaccine scar (indicating previous vaccination) in cases and controls presenting with COVID-19 to health units in Brazil. Cases were subjects with severe COVID-19 (O2 saturation < 90%, severe respiratory effort, severe pneumonia, severe acute respiratory syndrome, sepsis, and septic shock). Controls had COVID-19 not meeting the definition of “severe” above. Unconditional regression was used to estimate vaccine protection against clinical progression to severe disease, with strict control for age, comorbidity, sex, educational level, race/colour, and municipality. Internal matching and conditional regression were used for sensitivity analysis./ Results: BCG was associated with high protection against COVID-19 clinical progression, over 87% (95% CI 74–93%) in subjects aged 60 or less and 35% (95% CI − 44–71%) in older subjects./ Conclusions: This protection may be relevant for public health in settings where COVID-19 vaccine coverage is still low and may have implications for research to identify vaccine candidates for COVID-19 that are broadly protective against mortality from future variants. Further research into the immunomodulatory effects of BCG may inform COVID-19 therapeutic research.

Anticancer and Immunomodulatory Benefits of Taro (Colocasia esculenta) Corms, an Underexploited Tuber Crop

Taro corms contain valuable bioactive molecules effective against cancer and cancer-related risk factors, such as carcinogens and biological agents, several pathophysiological conditions, including oxidative stress and inflammation, while controlling metabolic dysfunctions and boosting the immunological response. Such broad effects are achieved by the taro health-influencing compounds displaying antitumoral, antimutagenic, immunomodulatory, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, anti-hyperglycemic, and anti-hyperlipidemic activities. Taro bioactivities are attributed to the combination of tarin, taro-4-I polysaccharide, taro polysaccharides 1 and 2 (TPS-1 and TPS-2), A-1/B-2 &alpha;-amylase inhibitors, monogalactosyldiacylglycerols (MGDGs), digalactosyldiacylglycerols (DGDGs), polyphenols, and nonphenolic antioxidants. Most of these compounds have been purified and successfully challenged in vitro and in vivo, proving their involvement in the aforementioned activities. Although these health-promoting effects have been recognized since ancient times, as well as other valuable features of taro for food profit, such as hypo-allergenicity, gluten-free, and carbohydrates with medium-glycemic index, taro crop remains underexploited. The popularization of taro intake should be considered a dietary intervention strategy to be applied to improve the overall health status of the organism and as supportive therapy to manage tumorigenesis

Endoscopic treatment of the posterior ankle impingement syndrome on amateur and professional athletes

To determine whether professional and amateur athletes showed differences in ankle function when treated with endoscopic technique for posterior ankle impingement syndrome, to verify the impact of the presence of associated lesions in clinical evolution and to assess time to return to sport (we hypothesize that time will be the only difference between groups). Thirty-two athletes with a diagnosis of posterior impingement syndrome underwent surgery endoscopically. The American Orthopaedics Foot and Ankle Society (AOFAS) scale was used to compare functional results between amateur (15) and professional athletes (17). The satisfaction, time to return to sport, operative time, intraoperative findings and complications were evaluated, and the presence of associated injuries interfering in these results was verified. The preoperative AOFAS score range for the professional group was 62.9 +/- A 14 preoperatively and 92.3 +/- A 7.7 postoperatively, and for the amateur group was 67.9 +/- A 19.7 and 94 +/- A 9.3. The satisfaction was excellent or good in 94 % of all cases and fair in 6 %. The average time of surgery was 48.3 + 25 min. Bone involvement was present in 100 % of cases and complications in three cases. Time to return to sports was similar (n.s.) in both groups, and the mean time was 15.6 +/- A 13.7 and 16.3 +/- A 9 weeks, respectively. No significant difference regarding functional results and time to return to sports between professionals and amateur athletes operated was found. Athletes showed mainly good and excellent results and low complication rate. The presence of associated injuries did not significantly influence the results. With these results, the high-level athlete can better programme their surgeries so they can fully recover and perform better in the most important competitions. Level III2441396140

Studies of Synchrotron (SμXRF) of fluid ore minerals detected in uraniferous mineralization, ferriferous and epithermal deposits

O método de análise não-destrutivo denominado Microfluorescência de Raios X. (µSXRF, radiação Sincrotron) tem sido utilizado recentemente em laboratórios de luz Sincrotron de vários países para identificar e, em situações especiais, quantificar elementos menores, maiores e traços em inclusões fluidas. Com esse intuito, a estação de µSXRF do LNLS (Laboratório Nacional de Luz Sincrotron, Campinas) foi utilizada para desenvolver estudos composicionais de inclusões fluidas em minerais transparentes (quartzo, adulária, esmeralda, piroxê- nio) de diferentes jazidas minerais e minérios opacos de Ag e Fe.Synchrotron radiation micro X-ray fluorescence (SμXRF) analysis is a non-destructive method that can be used to identify, and in special cases, to quantify major, minor, and trace elements present in fluid inclusions. In spite of the relevant results, this technique has been used only in a few studies, which, moreover, are mostly focused on either synthetic or natural fluid inclusions in transparent minerals. To investigate fluid inclusions in transparent and opaque minerals, the synchrotron radiation X-ray microprobe station from the μSXRF fluorescence beamline at the LNLS-Campinas was used. This analytical method has been proven to be efficient in the chemical characterization of the fluid inclusions constituents of some transparent (quartz, adularia, emerald, etc.) and opaque minerals (pyrargyrite and hematite).Universidad Nacional de La Plat