Stable isotopic analysis of atmospheric methane by infrared spectroscopy by use of diode laser difference-frequency generation

An infrared absorption spectrometer has been constructed to measure the stable isotopic composition of atmospheric methane samples. The spectrometer employs periodically poled lithium niobate to generate 15 μW of tunable difference-frequency radiation from two near-infrared diode lasers that probe the ν3 rotational-vibrational band of methane at 3.4 μm. To enhance the signal, methane is extracted from 25 l of air by use of a cryogenic chromatographic column and is expanded into the multipass cell for analysis. A measurement precision of 12‰ is demonstrated for both δ13C and δD

Effects of Dexmedetomidine-Fentanyl Infusion on Blood Pressure and Heart Rate during Cardiac Surgery in Children

Background. The purpose of this study was to access the effects of dexmedetomidine-fentanyl infusion on blood pressure (BP) and heart rate (HR) before surgical stimulation, on their changes to skin incision, and on isoflurane requirement during cardiac surgery in children. Methods. This study had a prospective, randomized, and open-label design. Thirty-two children aged 1 month to 10 years undergoing surgery for repair congenital heart disease (CHD) with CPB were randomly allocated into two groups: group MDZ received midazolam 0.2 mg·kg−1·h−1 and group DEX received dexmedetomidine 1 μg·kg−1·h−1 during the first hour followed by half of these rates of infusions thereafter. Both group received fentanyl 10 μg·kg−1, midazolam 0.2 mg·kg−1 and vecuronium 0.2 mg·kg−1 for induction. These same doses of fentanyl and vecuronium were infused during the first hour then reduced to half. The infusions started after induction and maintained until the end of surgery. Isoflurane was given briefly to control hyperdynamic response to skin incision and sternotomy. Results. In both groups, systolic blood pressure (sBP) and heart rate (HR) decreased significantly after one hour of infusion of the anesthetic solutions, but there were significantly less increase in diastolic blood pressure, sBP, and HR, and less patients required isoflurane supplementation to skin incision in the patients of the DEX group. Discussion. Dexmedetomidine infusion without a bolus appears to be an effective adjunct to fentanyl anesthesia in control of hemodynamic responses to surgery for repair of CHD in children

Mortalidade por COVID-19 em hospitais públicos e privados de Florianópolis/SC

Introduction: The access to COVID-19 hospital treatment is important to mitigate the impact caused by socioeconomic issues in the treatment of the disease. Objective: To analyze the difference between public and private hospital care in mortality due to COVID-19 in Florianópolis/SC, Brazil. Methods: Historical cohort with confirmed patient data with notification made between February 22nd 2020 and November 9th 2020 in hospitals in the city. Data were provided by the Municipal Health Secretariat. In order to control the socioeconomic factors that could simultaneously influence the search for the type of hospital and mortality, a double-robustness approach was used. In the first stage, pairing of notified individuals in public and private hospitals was carried out by genetic algorithm, using sample replacement. In the second stage, the probability of death was estimated, conditioned by the type of hospital (public or private), symptoms, comorbidities, socioeconomic factors, age, age squared, sex, race / skin color and month of symptom onset using a logistic regression. Finally, the difference between the densities of probability of death of the two hospital types was analyzed. Results: Data from 2,497 people, 1,244 from public hospitals and 1,253 from private hospitals were analyzed. The conditional probability of death assuming that all patients were notified in public hospitals was 0.0010 (95% CI 0.0001; 0.0046) and if all were notified in private hospitals it was 0.0009 (95% CI 0.0001; 0.0039). The difference between the two probabilities was -0,0002 (95% CI -0.0013; 0.0005). Conclusion: The probability of death from COVID-19 was similar among patients seen in public and private hospitals during the period studied.Introdução: O acesso ao tratamento hospitalar da COVID-19 é importante para amenizar o impacto causado pelas questões socioeconômicas no tratamento da doença. Objetivo: Analisar diferença da atenção hospitalar pública ou privada na mortalidade por COVID-19 em Florianópolis/SC. Métodos: Coorte histórica com dados de pacientes confirmados com notificação realizada entre 22 de fevereiro de 2020 e 09 de novembro de 2020 em hospitais da cidade. Os dados foram fornecidos pela Secretaria Municipal de Saúde. Para controlar os fatores socioeconômicos que poderiam influenciar simultaneamente a busca do tipo de estabelecimento hospitalar e a mortalidade, utilizou-se abordagem de dupla-robustez. Na primeira etapa realizou-se pareamento de indivíduos notificados em hospitais públicos e privados por algoritmo genético. Na segunda etapa, estimou-se a probabilidade de óbito condicionada ao tipo de hospital (público ou privado), aos sintomas, comorbidades, fatores socioeconômicos, idade, idade ao quadrado, sexo, raça/cor da pele e mês do início dos sintomas por meio de regressão logística. Analisou-se, por fim, a diferença entre as densidades de probabilidade de óbito dos dois tipos hospitalares. Resultados: Foram analisados dados de 2.497 pessoas, 1.244 de hospitais públicos e 1.253 de privados. A probabilidade condicional de óbito assumindo que todos os pacientes fossem notificados em hospitais públicos foi de 0,0010 (IC 95% 0,0001; 0,0046) e se todos fossem notificados em hospitais privados foi de 0,0009 (IC 95% 0,0001; 0,0039). A diferença entre as duas probabilidades foi de -0,0002 (IC 95% -0,0013; 0,0005). Conclusão: A probabilidade de óbito por COVID-19 mostrou-se semelhante entre pacientes atendidos em hospitais públicos e privados no período estudado

INCLUSÃO DE COMPLEXO ENZIMÁTICO SSF EM RAÇÕES PARA JUVENIS DE TAMBACU

Objetivou-se com este trabalho avaliar o efeito da inclusão de diferentes níveis de um complexo enzimático SSF, adicionados na forma “on top” após a extrusão em rações para tambacu. Foram avaliados os parâmetros de desempenho: peso, ganho de peso, conversão alimentar, sobrevivência, comprimento total, biomassa, ganho em biomassa e comprimento padrão. O experimento foi composto por seis tratamentos sendo eles: 0, 200, 400, 600, 800, 1000 ppm de SSF/ton de ração, em um delineamento inteiramente casualizado com quatro repetições. Cada aquário continha dez peixes, totalizando 240 animais, com peso médio inicial 0,42 ± 0,015g.  Os peixes foram alimentados quatro vezes ao dia (8, 11, 14 e 17 horas), até a saciedade evitando sobras de alimento, durante 56 dias. Os resultados foram avaliados utilizando-se regressão em nível de significância de 0,05 de probabilidade. Percebeu-se que inclusão de 600 ppm de SSF “on top”  proporcionou melhores índices de conversão alimentar. Não foram observadas tendências em sobrevivência, peso final, ganho de peso, comprimento total, biomassa final, ganho em biomassa e comprimento padrão. Portanto, recomenda-se a inclusão “on top” de 600 ppm de SSF em rações para tambacus

Seroprevalence of IgG and IgM anti-SARS-CoV-2 among voluntary blood donors in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Background: In Brazil, mathematical models for deriving estimates and projections of COVID-19 cases have been developed without data on asymptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infection. We estimated the seroprevalence of antibodies to SARS-CoV-2 among blood donors in the State of Rio de Janeiro. Methods: Data were collected on 2,857 blood donors from April 14 to 27, 2020. We report the crude prevalence of antibodies to SARS-CoV-2, the weighted prevalence by the total state population, and adjusted prevalence estimates for test sensitivity and specificity. To establish the correlates of SARS-CoV-2 prevalence, we used logistic regression models. The analysis included period and site of blood collection, sociodemographic characteristics, and place of residence. Results: The proportion of SARS-Cov-2 positive tests without any adjustment was 4.0% (95% CI 3.3-4.7%), and the weighted prevalence was 3.8% (95% CI 3.1-4.5%). Further adjustment by test sensitivity and specificity produced lower estimates, 3.6% (95% CI 2.7-4.4%) and 3.3% (95% CI 2.6-4.1%), respectively. The variable most significantly associated with the crude prevalence was the period of blood collection: the later the period, the higher the prevalence. Regarding socio-demographic characteristics, the younger the blood donors, the higher the prevalence, and the lower the educational level, the higher the odds of a positive SARS-Cov-2 antibody. Similar results were found for the weighted prevalence. Discussion: Although our findings resulted from a convenience sample, they match some basic premises: the increasing trend over time, since the epidemic curve in the state is still on the rise; the higher prevalence among the youngest who are more likely to circulate; and the higher prevalence among the less educated as they have more difficulties in following the social distancing recommendations. Despite the study limitations, it is possible to infer that protective levels of natural herd immunity to SARS-CoV-2 are far from being reached in Rio de Janeiro

Preditores de problemas relacionados ao uso de substâncias psicoativas entre usuários em tratamento psicossocial

Objetivo: analisar os preditores de problemas relacionados ao uso de substâncias psicoativas entre usuários de um Centro de Atenção Psicossocial Álcool e Drogas. Método: estudo transversal de abordagem quantitativa realizado com 200 usuários de um Centro de Atenção Psicossocial Álcool e Drogas do interior paulista. Os dados foram coletados por meio de um questionário sociodemográfico e do instrumento denominado Avaliação Global de Necessidades Individuais - Triagem Curta. Realizou-se análise descritiva e regressão linear múltipla de mínimos quadrados ordinários, em busca de preditores para a variação no escore da escala. Resultados: o perfil dos usuários foi de 84% do sexo masculino, com idade média de 38,97 anos, brancos (85%), vivendo com familiares (43,5%) e com vínculo de trabalho informal (53%). Os preditores de gravidade dos problemas relacionados ao uso de substâncias foram: problemas de internalização e externalização, crime e violência, escolaridade e padrão de uso. Com relação a escala total, os preditores foram: sexo feminino, idade, situação de rua e padrão de uso. Conclusão: os preditores analisados apontam para fatores biopsicossociais que devem ser considerados no processo de cuidado desta população. Tais resultados destacam a necessidade de uma abordagem interdisciplinar, interprofissional e intersetorial, que pode ser norteada pelo projeto terapêutico singular

Combining the pharmacophore features of coumarins and 1,4-substituted 1,2,3-triazoles to design new acetylcholinesterase inhibitors : fast and easy generation of 4-methylcoumarins/1,2,3-triazoles conjugates via Click Chemistry

Coumarins are a large class of compounds that display a range of interesting biological properties, being considered privileged structures because of the ability of their 2H-chromen-2-one nuclei to bind to multiple pharmacological targets. We hypothesized that the linkage of a second pharmacophore nucleus to the 2H-chromen-2-one core, the 1,2,3-triazole moiety, would entail more selective and pharmacologically active coumarins. Therefore, we describe the synthesis of fourteen 4-methylcoumarins/1,4-substituted 1,2,3-triazole conjugates, which were predicted by in silico methods to inhibit acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and proved to be moderate in vitro inhibitors of this enzyme. Molecular docking simulations suggest that the most active of these compounds has a putative binding mode similar to donepezil, both occupying the peripheral anionic site of AChE, which is associated with the secondary noncholinergic functions of the enzyme. This highlights the potential of this series for further optimization in the search of new coumarins for the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease