Adults at high-risk of severe coronavirus disease-2019 (Covid-19) in Brazil

OBJECTIVE: To estimate the proportion and total number of the general adult population who may be at higher risk of severe Covid-19 in Brazil. METHODS: We included 51,770 participants from a nationally representative, household-based health survey (PNS) conducted in Brazil. We estimated the proportion and number of adults (≥ 18 years) at risk of severe Covid-19 by sex, educational level, race/ethnicity, and state based on the presence of one or more of the following risk factors: age ≥ 65 years or medical diagnosis of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, hypertension, chronic respiratory disease, cancer, stroke, chronic kidney disease and moderate to severe asthma, smoking status, and obesity. RESULTS: Adults at risk of severe Covid-19 in Brazil varied from 34.0% (53 million) to 54.5% (86 million) nationwide. Less-educated adults present a 2-fold higher prevalence of risk factors compared to university graduated. We found no differences by sex and race/ethnicity. São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Minas Gerais, and Rio Grande do Sul were the most vulnerable states in absolute and relative terms of adults at risk. CONCLUSIONS: Proportion and total number of adults at risk of severe Covid-19 are high in Brazil, with wide variation across states and adult subgroups. These findings should be considered while designing and implementing prevention measures in Brazil. We argue that these results support broad social isolation measures, particularly when testing capacity for SARS-CoV-2 is limited

Growth and dry matter production in sugarcane varieties grown under full irrigation

A análise de crescimento é considerada o método padrão para medir a produtividade biológica em espécies vegetais. Neste contexto objetivou-se avaliar, em onze variedades de cana-de-açúcar (SP79-1011, RB813804, RB863129, RB872552, RB943365, RB72454, RB763710, SP78-4764, SP81-3250, RB867515, RB92579) cultivadas sob irrigação plena, o crescimento e a produção de matéria seca no ciclo de cana planta. O experimento foi instalado em condições de campo no município de Carpina, PE. Utilizou-se o delineamento estatístico de blocos ao acaso, com quatro repetições. A análise de crescimento correspondeu à quantificação dos números de perfilhos e à, na mensuração da altura e diâmetro dos colmos, avaliados mensalmente em onze períodos de cultivo, os quais se estenderam dos 60 aos 360 dias após o plantio (DAP). A produção de matéria seca foi quantificada a partir dos 120 DAP, com intervalos de amostragem a cada dois meses. Observou-se que as variedades RB92579 e SP81-3250 apresentaram o maior perfilhamento e produção de matéria seca e as variedades RB813804 e RB72454 às maiores médias de altura, enquanto as variedades RB867515 e RB72454 obtiveram os maiores diâmetros do colmo.Growth analysis is considered as a standard method for measuring the biological productivity of plant species. The objective of this research was to evaluate the growth and dry matter production of eleven sugarcane varieties (SP79-1011, RB813804, RB863129, RB872552, RB943365, RB72454, RB763710, SP78-4764, SP81-3250, RB867515, RB92579), grown under full irrigation, in the planted cane cycle. The experiment was conducted in field conditions in the municipality of Carpina, PE. A randomized block design with four replications was used. The varieties' growth analysis was represented by the quantification of the tillers numbers, stalk height and diameter, measured monthly, in eleven periods of cultivation that extended from 60 to 360 days after planting (DAP). The dry matter production was measured from 120 DAP, with sampling intervals of every two months. It was observed that, at 360 DAP, the RB92579 and SP81-3250 varieties showed the highest tillering and dry matter production. The RB813804 and RB72454 varieties had the highest average for height, while the RB72454 and RB867515 varieties presented the largest stalk diameters

Ingestive Behaviour of Steers in Native Pastures in Southern Brazil

The Campos biome, particularly its native pastures, is the main resource for livestock production in southern Brazil (Boldrini, 1997). It has a huge floristic diversity in which more than 400 grass and 150 legume species are found. These pastures are very heterogeneous with horizontal as well as vertical structure. Hodgson (1985) stressed the importance of sward structure upon diet selection, emphasizing the difficulties animals could have to access all pasture layers in temperate pastures. This experiment investigates how variation in herbage allowance along the growing season influences the ingestive behaviour of steers

Cross preferences and genetic diversity of Psidium interspecific hybrids through morphoagronomic traits and resistance to Meloidogyne enterolobii

Abstract The introgression of M. enterolobii resistance-related genes in guava breeding programs can be compromised by incompatibility among Psidium species. This study aimed to evaluate the female parent preference and genetic diversity of Psidium interspecific hybrids using morphoagronomic traits and resistance to M. enterolobii. There were evaluated cross successes and germination from crosses between accesses of P. cattleyanum, P. guineense and P. guajava and the genetic diversity by Ward-MLM method of hybrids according to descriptors developed for the genus. Crosses were more successful when P. cattleyanum was the female parent. Germination was more successful in crosses involving P. cattleyanum and P. guajava. Four groups were formed. The group IV clustered the most resistant genotypes, composed by genotypes of P. cattleyanum x P. guineense, while the group II was the most susceptible. The groups I and III grouped some genotypes of P. cattleyanum x P. guajava with low levels of susceptibility. There are preferences of female parent species among crosses. Some individuals of groups I and III can be used as source of resistance genes for the breeding program, due the presence of favorable alleles inherited from guava parent. The high susceptibility leads to reduction in root development

A novel vasoactive proline-rich oligopeptide from the skin secretion of the frog Brachycephalus ephippium.

Proline-rich oligopeptides (PROs) are a large family which comprises the bradykinin-potentiating peptides (BPPs). They inhibit the activity of the angiotensin I-converting enzyme (ACE) and have a typical pyroglutamyl (Pyr)/proline-rich structure at the N- and C-terminus, respectively. Furthermore, PROs decrease blood pressure in animals. In the present study, the isolation and biological characterization of a novel vasoactive BPP isolated from the skin secretion of the frog Brachycephalus ephippium is described. This new PRO, termed BPP-Brachy, has the primary structure WPPPKVSP and the amidated form termed BPPBrachyNH2 inhibits efficiently ACE in rat serum. In silico molecular modeling and docking studies suggest that BPP-BrachyNH2 is capable of forming a hydrogen bond network as well as multiple van der Waals interactions with the rat ACE, which blocks the access of the substrate to the C-domain active site. Moreover, in rat thoracic aorta BPP-BrachyNH2 induces potent endothelium-dependent vasodilatation with similar magnitude as captopril. In DAF-FM DA-loaded aortic cross sections examined by confocal microscopy, BPP-BrachyNH2 was found to increase the release of nitric oxide (NO). Moreover, BPP-BrachyNH2 was devoid of toxicity in endothelial and smooth muscle cell cultures. In conclusion, the peptide BPP-BrachyNH2 has a novel sequence being the first BPP isolated from the skin secretion of the Brachycephalidae family. This opens for exploring amphibians as a source of new biomolecules. The BPP-BrachyNH2 is devoid of cytotoxicity and elicits endothelium-dependent vasodilatation mediated by NO. These findings open for the possibility of potential application of these peptides in the treatment of endothelial dysfunction and cardiovascular diseases

Hepatitis C in Brazil: lessons learned with boceprevir and telaprevir

In 2012, the first-generation protease inhibitors telaprevir (TVR) and boceprevir (BOC) were introduced in the Brazilian health system for treatment of chronic hepatitis C, after their approval by the National Committee for Health Technology Incorporation (CONITEC). However, these medicines were discontinued in 2015. The short period of use in therapy and their high cost require a discussion about the consequences for patients and for the health system of the early incorporation of new therapies. The article presents a qualitative analysis of the incorporation process of both medications in Brazil and the results of a multicenter study that included patients treated with BOC or TVR between January 2011 and December 2015 in five Brazilian cities. The study included 855 patients (BOC: n=247) and (TVR: n=608). The document analysis showed that CONITEC’s decision to incorporate BOC and TVR was based on results of phase III clinical trials that compared sustained virologic response (SVR) rates of patients treated with BOC and TVR with rates of those that received placebo. However, these studies included a low percentage of cirrhotic patients. The SVR rates observed in this multicenter study were worse than clinical trials pointed out (BOC: 45.6%; TVR: 51.8%), but similar to those achieved with previously adopted therapies. The discontinuation rate due to adverse events was (BOC: 15.4%; TVR: 12.7%). Based on these unsatisfactory results, the study brings a discussion that goes beyond the therapy outcomes, exploring the incorporation of these high-cost medicines and the related decision-making process, contributing to future decisions in medicine policies and in the treatment of chronic hepatitis C