The book is an analysis of how neurological disorders and the people involved are portrayed in films and documentaries, and the author's goal is to explore “whether film from a neurologic perspective ...can provide insight and debate”. The considerable toll of neurological disorders on patients and their families, and the general public's interest about the inner workings of the human brain, might explain why neurological topics are increasingly portrayed in the media. Later chapters expand on films that illustrate core neurology topics, addressing neurological signs and symptoms and major neurological disorders, such as stroke and Alzheimer's disease.
Given the crucial role of oxygen carriers in advancing chemical looping (CL) technology, the innovation of this study lies in the evaluation of inexpensive and readily available materials, ...specifically iron ores (Carajás iron ore, CRJ) and residues from the steel industry in Brazil mill scale residual (MSR), iron spill residue (ISR), as yet unexplored oxygen carriers in this process. These materials were analyzed for their chemical composition, crystalline structure, and redox properties during reactivity testing on a thermogravimetric analyzer. Among all the materials, CRJ, MSR, and ISR exhibited the highest conversions with H2 fuel gas. Notably, CRJ displayed a higher oxygen transport capacity (R oc = 3.92) and a higher Rate Index with CH4 (RICH4 = 13,94%/min and RIair = 12,01%/min). Consequently, this material was selected for testing in the discontinuous fluidized bed reactor under CL conditions, evaluating gaseous product distribution, mass loss rates due to attrition, particle agglomeration, and carbon deposition. CRJ demonstrated excellent fuel conversion and reactivity with H2 (H2 > CO > CH4), and the conversion increased with temperature, reaching complete combustion in the initial period of reduction at 950 °C, achieving X red = 0.113 and X ox = 0.155, indicating complete regeneration. There was no carbon deposition, low attrition loss, and a stable lifetime of 15,000 h. It also maintained reactivity under hydrogen gas without agglomeration or defluidization issues. The findings of this study carry substantial implications for upscaling CL processes utilizing low-cost materials with promising attributes.
The objective of this study was to identify the health conditions considered potential risk factors for severe Covid-19 and analyze its association with the BMI of elderly people living in Long-Term ...Care Facilities (LTCF). This is a descriptive and cross-sectional study, with a quantitative approach, carried out in eight LTCF in the Metropolitan Region of Natal, Rio Grande do Norte, with a population of 267 elderly people, between the months of February and December 2018. The Elderly Health Handbook was used to collect data on sociodemographic, health and risk factors. The Pearson's Chi-square test and odds ratio were used for the analysis. A higher frequency of low weight was observed in elderly people with cognitive impairment (24.6%), and overweight in those hypertensive (23.3%) and diabetics (12.9%). BMI was associated with the age group of 80 years or over, hypertension and diabetes (p = 0.013; p < 0.001; p = 0.001). Hypertensive elderly people were more likely to have low weight when compared to non-hypertensive individuals (RC = 3.6; 95% CI 1.5-8.6). The institutionalized elderly individuals present health conditions that may contribute to the occurrence of adverse outcomes in case of infection by Covid-19. The importance of protective measures for this population must be reinforced, in view of the devastating action of this disease in these institutions.
In this paper, we provide a retrospective cohort study with patients that have been hospitalized for general or intensive care unit admission due to COVID-19, between March 3 and July 29, 2020, in ...the state of Bahia, Brazil. We aim to correlate those patients' demographics, symptoms and comorbidities, with the risk of mortality from COVID-19, length of hospital stay, and time from diagnosis to definitive outcome. On the basis of a dataset provided by the Health Secretary of the State of Bahia, we selected 3,896 hospitalized patients from a total of 154,868 COVID-19 patients that included non-hospitalized patients and patients with invalid registration in the dataset. Then, we statistically analyzed whether there was a significant correlation between the patient record data and the COVID-19 pandemic, and our main findings reinforced by the use of a multivariable logistic regression were that older age (Odds Ratio OR = 1.03, 95% Confidence Interval CI = 1.03-1.04, p-value (p) <0.001), an initial symptom of shortness of breath (OR = 1.88, 95% CI = 1.60-2.20, p < 0.001), and the presence of comorbidities, mainly chronic kidney disease (OR = 2.41, 95% CI = 1.67-3.48, p < 0.001) are related to an increased risk of mortality from COVID-19. On the other hand, sore throat (OR = 0.74, 95% CI = 0.58-0.95, p = 0.02) and length of hospital stay (OR = 0.96, 95% CI = 0.58-0.95, p < 0.001) are more related to a reduced risk of mortality from COVID-19. Moreover, a multivariable linear regression conducted with statistically significant variables (p < 0.05) showed that age (OR = 0.97, 95% CI = 0.95-0.98, p < 0.001) and time from diagnosis to definitive outcome (OR = 1.67, 95% CI = 1.64-1.71, p < 0.001) are associated with the length of hospital stay.
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, experienced a severe dengue fever epidemic in 2008. This was the worst epidemic ever, characterized by a sharp increase in case-fatality rate, mainly among younger ...individuals. A combination of factors, such as climate, mosquito abundance, buildup of the susceptible population, or viral evolution, could explain the severity of this epidemic. The main objective of this study is to model the spatial patterns of dengue seroprevalence in three neighborhoods with different socioeconomic profiles in Rio de Janeiro. As blood sampling coincided with the peak of dengue transmission, we were also able to identify recent dengue infections and visually relate them to Aedes aegypti spatial distribution abundance. We analyzed individual and spatial factors associated with seroprevalence using Generalized Additive Model (GAM).
Three neighborhoods were investigated: a central urban neighborhood, and two isolated areas characterized as a slum and a suburban area. Weekly mosquito collections started in September 2006 and continued until March 2008. In each study area, 40 adult traps and 40 egg traps were installed in a random sample of premises, and two infestation indexes calculated: mean adult density and mean egg density. Sera from individuals living in the three neighborhoods were collected before the 2008 epidemic (July through November 2007) and during the epidemic (February through April 2008). Sera were tested for DENV-reactive IgM, IgG, Nested RT-PCR, and Real Time RT-PCR. From the before-after epidemics paired data, we described seroprevalence, recent dengue infections (asymptomatic or not), and seroconversion. Recent dengue infection varied from 1.3% to 14.1% among study areas. The highest IgM seropositivity occurred in the slum, where mosquito abundance was the lowest, but household conditions were the best for promoting contact between hosts and vectors. By fitting spatial GAM we found dengue seroprevalence hotspots located at the entrances of the two isolated communities, which are commercial activity areas with high human movement. No association between recent dengue infection and household's high mosquito abundance was observed in this sample.
This study contributes to better understanding the dynamics of dengue in Rio de Janeiro by assessing the relationship between dengue seroprevalence, recent dengue infection, and vector density. In conclusion, the variation in spatial seroprevalence patterns inside the neighborhoods, with significantly higher risk patches close to the areas with large human movement, suggests that humans may be responsible for virus inflow to small neighborhoods in Rio de Janeiro. Surveillance guidelines should be further discussed, considering these findings, particularly the spatial patterns for both human and mosquito populations.
The Toca das Onças cave is one of the most important Quaternary mammal deposits of Brazil. Two different hypotheses have been proposed to explain the preservation mode of its skeletal remains: either ...the animals climbed down into the cave, or it could have functioned as a natural trap. Evaluation of pathological modifications on three articulated vertebrae of a single adult giant ground sloth Eremotherium laurillardi reveals a particular type of bone fracture caused by compressive force on the vertebral column, which split the vertebral bodies in the sagittal plane. This diagnosis suggests that the animal accidentally fell into the cave, in accordance with the second hypothesis proposed to the incorporation mode of skeletal remains into the cave.
The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of azilsartan (AZT) on bone loss, inflammation, and the expression of matrix metallo proteinases (MMPs), receptor activator of nuclear factor κB ...ligand (RANKL), receptor activator of nuclear factor κB (RANK), osteoprotegerin (OPG), cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), and cathepsin K in periodontal tissue in a rat model of ligature-induced periodontitis.
Male Wistar albino rats were randomly divided into 5 groups of 10 rats each: (1) nonligated, water; (2) ligated, water; (3) ligated, 1 mg/kg AZT; (4) ligated, 5 mg/kg AZT; and (5) ligated, 10 mg/kg AZT. All groups were treated with saline or AZT for 10 days. Periodontal tissues were analyzed by histopathology and immunohistochemical detection of MMP-2, MMP-9, COX-2, RANKL, RANK, OPG, and cathepsin K. Levels of IL-1β, IL-10, TNF-α, myeloperoxidase (MPO), and glutathione (GSH) were determined by ELISA.
Treatment with 5 mg/kg AZT resulted in reduced MPO (p<0.05) and IL-1β (p<0.05), increased levels of IL-10 (p<0.05), and reduced expression of MMP-2, MMP-9, COX-2, RANK, RANKL, cathepsin K, and increased expression of OPG.
These findings reveal that AZT increases anti-inflammatory cytokines and GSH and decreases bone loss in ligature-induced periodontitis in rats.
The first inspection led to the arrest of a (fictional) murderer; the second “coup” triggered a series of events that would ultimately expose the relationship between Parkinson's disease and DiGeorge ...syndrome.Brainspotting covers many aspects of Lees’ professional life, such as his internship at Le Salpêtrière hospital under François Lhermitte and the lingering aura of Charcot. Brainspotting is a vibrant testimony of Lees’ love for clinical neurology, the value of observation in a world of randomised trials, and a melancholic battle cry against hasty, profit-driven, virtual, touchless, “scan-negative” medicine. The book reminds us that the art of clinical neurology allows for remarkable discoveries nearly everywhere, provided that our senses remain open and clear.
The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence of Temporomandibular Disorders (TMD) in subjects with skeletal class II dentofacial deformity referred for orthognathic surgery, as well as to ...elucidate its association with sociodemographic and psychosocial features.
This was a cross-sectional study using the Research Diagnostic Criteria for Temporomandibular Disorders. The sample comprised class II skeletal patients referred to an Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery center in the Brazilian Northeast.
Seventy-three subjects were enrolled and completed the data collection, which consisted of a physical examination according to Axis I of the Research Diagnostic Criteria for Temporomandibular Disorders and facial analysis. Women represented 82.2% of the sample. Among the assessed subjects, 68.5% were already undergoing orthodontic treatment, and the mean overjet of patients was 6.97 mm. The prevalence of TMD in this sample was 46.6%, with muscular disorders being the most common. Patients with an anteroposterior discrepancy greater than 7 mm showed a higher occurrence of TMD (p = 0.017).
This study demonstrated a high prevalence of TMD in skeletal class II patients referred for orthognathic surgery, especially in those with a pronounced overjet, being Group I (muscular disorders) and Group III (degenerative disorders) the most prevalent.
The contamination of coastal environments by metallurgical wastes involves multiple biogeochemical processes; accordingly, understanding metal behavior and risk evaluation of contaminated areas, such ...as Sepetiba Bay (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil), remains challenging. This study coupled Zn isotopic analyses with sequential extractions (BCR) to investigate the mechanisms of Zn transfer between legacy electroplating waste and the main environments in Sepetiba Bay. This metallurgical waste showed a light bulk isotopic signature (δ66/64ZnbulkJMC = +0.30 ± 0.01‰, 2 s, n = 3) that was not distinct from the lithogenic geochemical baseline, but was different from signature of mangrove sediment considered as anthropogenic end member (δ66/64ZnJMC = +0.86 ± 0.15‰) in a previous isotopic study in this area. Zn isotopic compositions of sediment samples (ranging from +0.20 to +0.98‰) throughout the bay fit a mixing model involving multiple sources, consistent with previous studies. In the metallurgic zone, the exchangeable/carbonate fraction (ZnF1) exhibited high Zn concentrations (ZnF1 = 9840 μg g−1) and a heavy isotopic composition (δ66/64ZnF1JMC = +1.10 ± 0.01‰). This finding showed that, in some cases, the bulk isotopic signature of waste is not the most relevant criterion for evaluating trace metal dispersion in the environment. Indeed, based on the BCR, it was observed that part of the anthropogenic metallurgical Zn was redistributed from the exchangeable/carbonate fraction in the waste to the surrounding mangrove sediment. Then, this contaminated sediment with heavy δ66/64Zn values was exported to other coastal environments. In Sepetiba Bay, contaminated sediments revealed a large concentration of ZnF1 fraction (up to 400 μg g−1) with a heavy Zn isotopic signature. This signature also matched the Zn isotopic signature of oysters in Sepetiba Bay reported by other studies; hence, measurement of the isotopic exchangeable/carbonate fraction has important implications for tracing the transfer of anthropogenic Zn to biota.
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•Anthropogenic Zn biogeochemistry in aquatic systems is complex.•Zn redistribution from electroplating wastes in mangrove sediment was investigated.•Geochemical processes in the mangrove promoted Zn isotope redistribution.•Isotope data allowed tracing transfer of anthropogenic Zn from waste to biota.•Most of anthropogenic Zn occurs in sediment as exchangeable/carbonates.
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