In 2019, the Coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) virus was identified, also defined as novel coronavirus or severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2. The Corona VIrus Disease (COVID-19) pandemic ...generated several changes in society in 2020 as a result of its rapid spread in humans. The main symptoms are high fever (greater than or equal to 37.8 degreesC), dry cough, dyspnea, upper respiratory symptoms, myalgia, fatigue and diarrhea in the most uncommon cases. Considering the emergency situation caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and the effects attributed to it, rehabilitation professionals have a fundamental role in the functional recovery of patients, independence and improvement of quality of life. This is a systematic review of the literature, with the aim of discussing the main findings on physical therapy management in functional changes in post-COVID-19 patients. Pubmed, Scielo, Sciencedirect, BVS and PEDro databases were used. The terms MESH/DECs used for the searches were: Rehabilitation, Physical Therapy Modalities, Covid-19, Post-acute Syndromes COVID-19 and Physical Fitness, the keywords were also used: rehabilitation, physiotherapy, Covid-19, post- acute syndrome COVID-19 and functional capacity. To cross the terms, Boolean operators (AND and OR) were used. Randomized trials, recommendations, quasi-randomized or prospective controlled trials, reports, guidelines, and field updates were included. As for the selected population, studies were included in individuals of both sexes, with no age restriction, that evaluated physiotherapeutic interventions in patients who had COVID-19. Literature reviews, case studies, conferences, abstracts of articles published in conference proceedings and letters to the editor were excluded from the research. To measure methodological quality, the PEDro scale was used.Searches for articles were performed restricting the period of publication between the years 2019 to 2022. The electronic search strategy identified a total of 364 records from the selected databases. After screening for duplicates, 14 articles were excluded, followed by screening by titles and abstracts, another 298 articles were excluded, of these 47 potentially relevant records were submitted to full text review and of these 5 randomized clinical trials were included in this review. In view of the findings of this study, it can be concluded that physical therapy rehabilitation should continue after hospital discharge, with the aim of improving physical performance and activities of daily living (ADL) in post-COVID-19 patients.
Celotno besedilo
Dostopno za:
DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
Next-generation sequencing (NGS) allows sequencing of a high number of nucleotides in a short time frame at an affordable cost. While this technology has been widely implemented, there are no ...recommendations from scientific societies about its use in oncology practice. The European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) is proposing three levels of recommendations for the use of NGS. Based on the current evidence, ESMO recommends routine use of NGS on tumour samples in advanced non-squamous non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC), prostate cancers, ovarian cancers and cholangiocarcinoma. In these tumours, large multigene panels could be used if they add acceptable extra cost compared with small panels. In colon cancers, NGS could be an alternative to PCR. In addition, based on the KN158 trial and considering that patients with endometrial and small-cell lung cancers should have broad access to anti-programmed cell death 1 (anti-PD1) antibodies, it is recommended to test tumour mutational burden (TMB) in cervical cancers, well- and moderately-differentiated neuroendocrine tumours, salivary cancers, thyroid cancers and vulvar cancers, as TMB-high predicted response to pembrolizumab in these cancers.
Outside the indications of multigene panels, and considering that the use of large panels of genes could lead to few clinically meaningful responders, ESMO acknowledges that a patient and a doctor could decide together to order a large panel of genes, pending no extra cost for the public health care system and if the patient is informed about the low likelihood of benefit. ESMO recommends that the use of off-label drugs matched to genomics is done only if an access programme and a procedure of decision has been developed at the national or regional level. Finally, ESMO recommends that clinical research centres develop multigene sequencing as a tool to screen patients eligible for clinical trials and to accelerate drug development, and prospectively capture the data that could further inform how to optimise the use of this technology.
•ESMO recommends the use of tumour multigene NGS in NSCLC, cholangiocarcinoma, prostate and ovarian cancers.•It is recommended to test TMB in well- and moderately-differentiated neuroendocrine tumours (NETs), cervical, salivary, thyroid and vulvar cancers.•Academic research centres should perform multigene NGS as part of their missions to enable access to innovative treatments.•A large panel of genes could be ordered, considering the benefit for the patient and the cost for the public health care system.
Urban tourist beach ecosystems provide the essential service of recreation. These ecosystems also support critical ecological functions where biodiversity conservation is not usually a priority. The ...sudden lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic created a unique opportunity to evaluate the effects of human absence in these urban-coastal ecosystems. This study examined bioindicators from 29 urban tourist beaches in seven Latin-American countries and assesses their response to lockdown about some relevant anthropogenic stressors such as pollution, noise, human activities, and user density. The presence of animals and plants, as well as the intensity of stressors, were assessed through a standardized protocol during lockdown conditions. Additionally, the environmental conditions of the beaches before and during lockdown were qualitatively compared using multivariate non-parametric statistics. We found notable positive changes in biological components and a clear decrease in human stressors on almost all the beaches. Dune vegetation increased on most sites. Similarly, high burrow densities of ghost crabs were observed on beaches, except those where cleaning activity persisted. Because of the lockdown, there was an exceptionally low frequency of beach users, which in turn reduced litter, noise and unnatural odors. The observed patterns suggest that tourist beaches can be restored to natural settings relatively quickly. We propose several indicators to measure changes in beaches once lockdown is relaxed. Adequate conservation strategies will render the recreational service of tourist beaches more environmental-friendly.
Display omitted
•Data collected on fieldworks was registered in a dedicated survey format on the virtual platform Kobo Toolbox linked to the Kobo Collect App•An overall increase of presence and activity of most bioindicators was observed mainly ghost crabs and dune vegetation•Anthropogenic stressors such as noise, odor, litter, user density and activities decreased remarkably during COVID-19 lockdown•The similarity patterns in the qualitative assessment of the beaches were significantly different between the conditions before/during the lockdown (ANOSIM, R = 0.875, p < 0.0001)
Bovine serum albumin (BSA) is highly water soluble and binds drugs or inorganic substances noncovalently for their effective delivery to various affected areas of the body. Due to the well-defined ...structure of the protein, containing charged amino acids, albumin nanoparticles (NPs) may allow electrostatic adsorption of negatively or positively charged molecules, such that substantial amounts of drug can be incorporated within the particle, due to different albumin-binding sites. During the synthesis procedure, pH changes significantly. This variation modifies the net charge on the surface of the protein, varying the size and behavior of NPs as the drug delivery system. In this study, the synthesis of BSA NPs, by a desolvation process, was studied with salicylic acid (SA) as the active agent. SA and salicylates are components of various plants and have been used for medication with anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, and antifungal properties. However, when administered orally to adults (usual dose provided by the manufacturer), there is 50% decomposition of salicylates. Thus, there has been a search for some time to develop new systems to improve the bioavailability of SA and salicylates in the human body. Taking this into account, during synthesis, the pH was varied (5.4, 7.4, and 9) to evaluate its influence on the size and release of SA of the formed NPs. The samples were analyzed using field-emission scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, Fourier transform infrared, zeta potential, and dynamic light scattering. Through fluorescence, it was possible to analyze the release of SA in vitro in phosphate-buffered saline solution. The results of chemical morphology characterization and in vitro release studies indicated the potential use of these NPs as drug carriers in biological systems requiring a fast release of SA.
The iconic caged shape of fullerenes gives rise to a series of unique chemical and physical properties; hence a deeper understanding of the attractive and repulsive forces between two buckyballs can ...bring detrimental information about the structural stability of such complexes, providing significant data applicable for several studies. The potential energy curves for the interaction of multiple van der Waals buckyball complexes with increasing mass were theoretically obtained within the DFT framework at ωB97xD/6-31G(d) compound model. These potential energy curves were employed to estimate the spectroscopic constants and the lifetime of the fullerene complexes with the Discrete Variable Representation and with the Dunham approaches. It was revealed that both methods are compatible in determining the rovibrational structure of the dimers and that they are genuinely stable, i.e., long-lived complexes. To further inquire into the nature of such interaction, Bader's QTAIM approach was applied. QTAIM descriptors indicate that the interactions of these closed-shell systems are dominated by weak van der Waals forces. This non-covalent interaction character was confirmed by the RDG analysis scheme. Indirectly, QTAIM also allowed us to confirm the stability of the non-covalent bonded fullerene dimers. Our lifetime calculations have shown that the studied dimers are stable for more than 1 ps, which increases accordingly with the number of carbon atoms.
The higher heating value (HHV) is an important parameter to indicate the energetic potential of biomass from different sources. Bomb calorimeter is the standard to obtain this data; however, in the ...absence of this equipment, estimative through proximate analysis aided with multiple regression formulas is an acceptable alternative. Still, this is a time-consuming technique and highly dependable of operator skills. In this context, thermogravimetric analysis has been used to obtain proximate analysis results with higher precision and demanding a small amount of samples. Here, a simple and effective method to estimate HHV from data obtained by thermogravimetric analysis using different sources of biomass is presented. The proposed method showed to be more accurate to estimate HHV than proximate analysis laboratory procedure. Greater correlation was observed between the HHV values obtained from calorimeter–thermogravimetry than the ones obtained from calorimeter–proximate analysis. Multiple regression analysis indicated that fixed carbon and ashes have an inverse influence over HHV, while the former is responsible for high calorific value and the latter affects energy release. Finally, the proposed method showed to be fast and accurate to estimate HHV of biochar samples and should be easily adaptable to other studies that require fast assessment of calorific value from biochar.
Autosomal recessive (AR) CARD9 (caspase recruitment domain-containing protein 9) deficiency underlies invasive infections by fungi of the ascomycete phylum in previously healthy individuals at almost ...any age. Although CARD9 is expressed mostly by myeloid cells, the cellular basis of fungal infections in patients with inherited CARD9 deficiency is unclear. Therapy for fungal infections is challenging, with at least 20% premature mortality. We report two unrelated patients from Brazil and Morocco with AR CARD9 deficiency, both successfully treated with hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). From childhood onward, the patients had invasive dermatophytic disease, which persisted or recurred despite multiple courses of antifungal treatment. Sanger sequencing identified homozygous missense CARD9 variants at the same residue,
c.302G>T
(p.R101L) in the Brazilian patient and
c.301C>T
(p.R101C) in the Moroccan patient. At the ages of 25 and 44 years, respectively, they received a HSCT. The first patient received a HLA-matched HSCT from his CARD9-mutated heterozygous sister. There was 100% donor chimerism at D + 100. The other patient received a T cell–depleted haploidentical HSCT from his CARD9-mutated heterozygous brother. A second HSCT from the same donor was performed due to severe amegakaryocytic thrombocytopenia despite achieving full donor chimerism (100%). At last follow-up, more than 3 years after HSCT, both patients have achieved complete clinical remission and stopped antifungal therapy. HSCT might be a life-saving therapeutic option in patients with AR CARD9 deficiency. This observation strongly suggests that the pathogenesis of fungal infections in these patients is largely due to the disruption of leukocyte-mediated CARD9 immunity.
Aims/hypothesis
A high-fat dietary intake induces obesity and subclinical inflammation, which play important roles in insulin resistance. Recent studies have suggested that increased concentrations ...of circulating lipopolysaccharide (LPS), promoted by changes in intestinal permeability, may have a pivotal role in insulin resistance. Thus, we investigated the effect of gut microbiota modulation on insulin resistance and macrophage infiltration.
Methods
Swiss mice were submitted to a high-fat diet with antibiotics or pair-feeding for 8 weeks. Metagenome analyses were performed on DNA samples from mouse faeces. Blood was collected to determine levels of glucose, insulin, LPS, cytokines and acetate. Liver, muscle and adipose tissue proteins were analysed by western blotting. In addition, liver and adipose tissue were analysed, blinded, using histology and immunohistochemistry.
Results
Antibiotic treatment greatly modified the gut microbiota, reducing levels of Bacteroidetes and Firmicutes, overall bacterial count and circulating LPS levels. This modulation reduced levels of fasting glucose, insulin, TNF-α and IL-6; reduced activation of toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4), c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK), inhibitor of κ light polypeptide gene enhancer in B cells, kinase β (IKKβ) and phosphorylated IRS-1 Ser307; and consequently improved glucose tolerance and insulin tolerance and action in metabolically active tissues. In addition, there was an increase in portal levels of circulating acetate, which probably contributed to an increase in 5′-AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) phosphorylation in mice. We observed a striking reduction in crown-like structures (CLS) and F4/80
+
macrophage cells in the adipose tissue of antibiotic-treated mice.
Conclusions/interpretation
These results suggest that modulation of gut microbiota in obesity can improve insulin signalling and glucose tolerance by reducing circulating LPS levels and inflammatory signalling. Modulation also appears to increase levels of circulating acetate, which activates AMPK and finally leads to reduced macrophage infiltration.
Metal–air batteries, such as Li–air, may be the key for large‐scale energy storage as they have the highest energy density among all electrochemical devices. However, these devices suffer from ...irreversible side reactions leading to battery failure, especially when ambient air is used as the O2 source, so a deep understanding over the surface chemistry evolution is imperative for building better devices. Herein, a multi‐scale (nano‐micro) FTIR analysis is made over the electrode surface during cell discharge employing synchrotron infrared nanospectroscopy (SINS) for the first time, to track the chemical composition changes at the nanoscale which are successfully correlated with in operando micro‐FTIR characterization. The in situ results reveal homogeneous product distribution from the nano to the micro scale, and that the discharge rate does not interfere in chemical composition. In operando micro‐FTIR shows the atmosphere dependency over Li products formation; the presence of HCOO– species occurring due to CO2 electroreduction in water, LiOH and Li2CO3, are also detected and even the lowest concentration of CO2 and H2O affects the O2 reactions. Finally, evidence of the Li2O2 reaction with DMSO forming DMSO2 after just 140 s of cell discharge shows this new technique's relevance in aiding the search for stable electrolytes.
For the first time, multi‐scale FTIR (micro‐nano) is used to investigate Li–Air battery discharge product formation under a real atmosphere (CO2 + O2 + H2O). A triple‐phase zone analysis reveals the same products in both scales despite a significant difference in the discharge rate. Also, after only 140 s of discharge, electrolyte decomposition is shown by the reaction with Li2O2.
The global increase in drug consumption exposes the growing need to develop new systems for the detection, capture, and treatment of bioactive molecules. Carbamazepine is one instance of such ...contaminants at the top of the ranking commonly found in sewage treatment systems. This work, therefore, presents a theoretical study of fullerene C
and its derivatives with substitutional doping with B, Al, Ga, Si, Ge, N and P, for the detection and capture of carbamazepine is aqueous medium. Solvation effects were included by means of the Polarizable Continuum Solvent method. The results indicate that doped fullerenes are sensitive for the detection of carbamazepine both in gaseous and aquatic environments. Investigation on the intermolecular interactions between the drug and the fullerene molecule were carried out, allowing the characterization of the interactions responsible for stabilizing the adsorption of carbamazepine to the fullerenes. The theoretical survey revealed that fullerenes doped with Al, Ga, Si and Ge chemically adsorb carbamazepine whereas for the case of fullerenes doped with other heteroatoms physisorption is responsible for the molecular recognition. Relying on DFT calculations, the fullerene derivatives C
Al, C
Si and C
Ga are the most suitable to act both as a sensor and to uptake carbamazepine in aquatic environments.
PDF
