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Protein-protein interaction (PPI) networks have been found to be power-law-distributed, \ie, in observed PPI networks, the fraction of nodes with degree koften follows a power law (PL) distribution \(k^{-\alpha}\). It has been hypothesized that, during evolution, this property has emerged due to proteins encoded by paralogs copying the interaction partners of the proteins encoded by the duplicated genes. However, the experimental procedures used to detect PPIs are known to be heavily affected by technical and study bias. For instance, proteins known to be involved in cancer are often heavily overstudied and proteins used as baits in large scale experiments such as yeast two-hybrid (Y2H) or affinity purification-mass spectrometry (AP-MS) tend to have many false-positive interaction partner. This raises the question whether PL distributions in observed PPI networks could be explained by these biases alone. Here, we address this question using statistical analyses of the degree distributions of 1,427 observed PPI networks of controlled provenance as well as simulation studies. Our results indicate that study bias and technical bias can indeed largely explain the fact that observed PPI networks tend to be PL-distributed. This implies that it is problematic to derive hypotheses about the degree distribution and emergence of the true biological interactome from the PL distributions in observed PPI networks.

Protein-protein interaction (PPI) networks have been found to be power-law-distributed, \ie, in observed PPI networks, the fraction of nodes with degree koften follows a power law (PL) distribution \(k^{-\alpha}\). It has been hypothesized that, during evolution, this property has emerged due to proteins encoded by paralogs copying the interaction partners of the proteins encoded by the duplicated genes. However, the experimental procedures used to detect PPIs are known to be heavily affected by technical and study bias. For instance, proteins known to be involved in cancer are often heavily overstudied and proteins used as baits in large scale experiments such as yeast two-hybrid (Y2H) or affinity purification-mass spectrometry (AP-MS) tend to have many false-positive interaction partner. This raises the question whether PL distributions in observed PPI networks could be explained by these biases alone. Here, we address this question using statistical analyses of the degree distributions of 1,427 observed PPI networks of controlled provenance as well as simulation studies. Our results indicate that study bias and technical bias can indeed largely explain the fact that observed PPI networks tend to be PL-distributed. This implies that it is problematic to derive hypotheses about the degree distribution and emergence of the true biological interactome from the PL distributions in observed PPI networks.

This paper presents an application of the Experimental Acoustic Modal Analysis (AMA) on a vintage 10 M Conn tenor saxophone. This technique originates from the traditional Modal Analysis which is commonly adopted to determine the dynamic behaviour of solid structures. The methodology is based on the measurement of Frequency Response Functions (FRFs) as a ratio of the acoustic pressure, measured by means of a set of microphones positioned along the saxophone body, and the volume velocity produced by an acoustic source and measured at the instrument input. The microphones are housed on the stripped saxophone keys by means of tailored three-dimensional printed adapters. The AMA makes use of the FRFs to extract modal parameters, such as resonance frequencies, loss factors, and mode shapes. These parameters pertain to the cavity modes of the saxophone passive resonator. The analysis has been performed for three different notes (B[Formula: see text], B, and C) and for two registers of the instrument in order to show the potential of the technique. Moreover, the influence of the mouthpiece volume on the cavity modes has been shown. The information obtained by AMA can find useful application in the validation of analytical or numerical models of this kind of musical instruments.

The study aims to investigate at a physiological and molecular level the root absorption of nitrogen (N) during the annual cycle of grapevine. The study was performed on potted Pinot Gris plants grafted on Kober 5BB and grown for two consecutive years in a semi-controlled environment (Northeast, Italy). The study compared the response of plants N-fertilized in spring (T1), or in spring and in post-harvest (T2) or no-N fertilized (C). Results showed that under our climate conditions nitrate was taken up by the grapevines when applied both in spring or in spring and post-harvest. The nitrate acquisition in T1 roots is mediated at molecular and physiological level by a higher activation of high-affinity nitrate-transport system to take up nitrate in comparison to no-fertilized plants. Comparing the two N fertilization managements, the dynamic of nitrate uptake rates showed different patterns with an overall late response of High-Affinity Transport System when the application of part of N-fertilization was delayed to post-harvest (T2) in comparison to T1. Nevertheless, during the 2 years of the trial the fractionation of N fertilization applied in spring and post-harvest did not negatively affect the yield and quality parameters of vines. An increase of N concentration in T2 roots after two consecutive growing seasons may suggest that the fractionation can lead to beneficial effects on long period. Results of this work contribute to improve the comprehension of N acquisition in grapevine in order to optimize the use of N inputs in vineyard.

In the present work, antibacterial composite bone cement was designed by introducing a bioactive and antibacterial glass into a commercial formulation. The effect of glass particles’ addition on the curing parameters of the polymeric matrix was evaluated; moreover, the influence of the glass particle size on the glass dispersion, compressive and bending strength, bioactivity, and antibacterial effect was estimated. The results evidence a delay in the polymerization kinetics of the composite cement, which nevertheless complies with the requirements of the ISO standard. Morphological characterization provides evidence of good dispersion of the glass in the polymeric matrix and its exposition on the cement surface. The different glass grain sizes do not affect the composites’ bioactivity and compressive strength, while a slight reduction in bending strength was observed for samples containing glass powders with greater dimensions. The size of the glass particles also appears to have an effect on the antibacterial properties, since the composites containing larger glass particles do not produce an inhibition halo towards the S. aureus strain. The obtained results demonstrate that, by carefully tailoring the glass amount and size, a multifunctional device for artificial joint fixing, temporary prostheses, or spinal surgery can be obtained.

Ultrafast laser texturing allows the generation of micro- and nanostructures on steel substrates. Laser-ablated textures show a wide range of structure geometries, from the micro to the nanoscale, which can enable plastic product functionalization. Polymer processing technologies are used to replicate mold textures on a large manufacturing scale. To enable new product functionalities, developing novel texture geometries is critical. The laser-ablated texture dimensions are primarily linked to the laser light properties, such as the laser wavelength, thus limiting the achievable structure shapes. This work uses ultrafast laser to manufacture textures in air and water environments. The effect of the different mediums on structures formation is characterized. The irradiation is performed over a wide range of fluence values. The texture geometry and characteristics are evaluated by scanning electron microscopy. For decreasing fluence values, the structures transitioned from micro bumps, to LIPSS, to nanostructures, regardless of the irradiation environment. Conversely, structure morphology is affected by the irradiation environment. The LIPSS pitch is lower for the underwater environment due to the change in the laser angle of incidence, which changes with the refraction index ratio of the air and water. A novel nano-lamellae texture was generated when irradiating the steel surface underwater at relatively low fluence. The dynamics of different LIPSS generations are discussed, considering the irradiation medium’s optical, thermal, and physical properties.

Summary We present ROBUST-Web which implements our recently presented ROBUST disease module mining algorithm in a user-friendly web application. ROBUST-Web features seamless downstream disease module exploration via integrated gene set enrichment analysis, tissue expression annotation, and visualization of drug-protein and disease-gene links. Moreover, ROBUST-Web includes bias-aware edge costs for the underlying Steiner tree model as a new algorithmic feature, which allow to correct for study bias in protein-protein interaction networks and further improves the robustness of the computed modules. Availability and implementation Web application: https://robust-web.net. Source code of web application and Python package with new bias-aware edge costs: https://github.com/bionetslab/robust-web, https://github.com/bionetslab/robust_bias_aware. Supplementary information Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.

Texturing can be used to functionalize the surface of plastic parts and, in particular, to modify the interaction with fluids. Wetting functionalization can be used for microfluidics, medical devices, scaffolds, and more. In this research, hierarchical textures were generated on steel mold inserts using femtosecond laser ablation to transfer on plastic parts surface via injection molding. Different textures were designed to study the effects of various hierarchical geometries on the wetting behavior. The textures are designed to create wetting functionalization while avoiding high aspect ratio features, which are complex to replicate and difficult to manufacture at scale. Nano-scale ripples were generated over the micro-scale texture by creating laser-induced periodic surface structures. The textured molds were then replicated by micro-injection molding using polypropylene and poly(methyl methacrylate). The static wetting behavior was investigated on steel inserts and molded parts and compared to the theoretical values obtained from the Cassie–Baxter and Wenzel models. The experimental results showed correlations between texture design, injection molding replication, and wetting properties. The wetting behavior on the polypropylene parts followed the Cassie–Baxter model, while for PMMA, a composite wetting state of Cassie–Baxter and Wenzel was observed.

Resumo Fundamento: Revisões sistemáticas anteriores não identificaram benefício do uso da hidroxicloroquina ou da cloroquina em pacientes com COVID-19 não hospitalizados. Após a publicação dessas revisões, os resultados do COPE, o maior ensaio clínico randomizado até hoje, tornaram-se disponíveis. Objetivos: Conduzir uma revisão sistemática e metanálise de ensaios clínicos randomizados (ECRs) para sintetizar as evidências sobre a eficácia e a segurança da hidroxicloroquina e da cloroquina em pacientes com COVID-19 não hospitalizados em comparação a controle ou tratamento padrão. Métodos: As buscas foram conduzidas nos bancos de dados PubMed, Embase, The Cochrane Library e ClinicalTrials.gov, e complementadas por busca manual. Foram realizadas metanálises diretas e avaliações de risco de viés e certeza da evidência, incluindo análise do tamanho ótimo da informação (OIS, optimal information size). Um nível de significância de 0,05 foi adotado na metanálise. PROSPERO: CRD42021265427. Resultados: Oito ECRs com 3219 participantes foram incluídos. As taxas de internação por COVID-19 e de eventos adversos não foram significativamente diferentes entre hidroxicloroquina (5,6% e 5,1%) e controle (7,4% e 20,4%) [risco relativo (RR) 0,77, intervalo de confiança 95% (IC95%), 0,57-1,04, I2: 0%; RR 1,78, IC95% 0,90; 3,52, I2: 93%, respectivamente)]. O OIS (7880) não foi alcançado para hospitalização por COVID-19, independentemente da simulação para a taxa de evento e redução do RR estimados. Conclusão: A evidência de muito baixa qualidade indicou falta de benefício com hidroxicloroquina em prevenir internações por COVID-19. Apesar de ser a revisão sistemática com o maior número de participantes incluídos, o OIS, considerando a resposta à infecção anterior à vacinação, não foi atingido. Abstract Background: Previous systematic reviews have identified no benefit of hydroxychloroquine and chloroquine in non-hospitalized COVID-19 patients. After publication of these reviews, the results of COPE, the largest randomized trial conducted to date, became available. Objectives: To conduct a systematic review and meta-analyses of randomized clinical trials (RCTs) to synthesize the evidence on the efficacy and safety of hydroxychloroquine and chloroquine for non-hospitalized COVID-19 patients compared to placebo or standard of care. Methods: Searches were conducted in PubMed, Embase, The Cochrane Library, and ClinicalTrials.gov complemented by manual search. Pairwise meta-analyses, risk of bias, and evidence certainty assessments were conducted, including optimal information size analysis (OIS). A level of significance of 0.05 was adopted in the meta-analysis. PROSPERO: CRD42021265427. Results: Eight RCTs with 3,219 participants were included. COVID-19 hospitalization and any adverse events rates were not significantly different between hydroxychloroquine (5.6% and 35.1%) and control (7.4% and 20.4%) (risk ratio, RR, 0.77, 95% confidence interval, CI, 0.57-1.04, I2: 0%; RR 1.78, 95%-CI 0.90; 3.52, I2: 93%, respectively). The OIS (7,880) was not reached for COVID-19 hospitalization, independently of the simulation for anticipated event rate and RR reduction estimate. Conclusion: Evidence of very low certainty showed lack of benefit with hydroxychloroquine in preventing COVID-19 hospitalizations. Despite being the systematic review with the largest number of participants included, the OIS, considering pre-vaccination response to infection, has not yet been reached.

BackgroundTo assess the ability of the 2021 European Academy of Neurology/Peripheral Nerve Society (EAN/PNS) clinical criteria for chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyradiculoneuropathy (CIDP) to include within their classification the whole spectrum of clinical heterogeneity of the disease and to define the clinical characteristics of the unclassifiable clinical forms.MethodsThe 2021 EAN/PNS clinical criteria for CIDP were applied to 329 patients fulfilling the electrodiagnostic (and in some cases also the supportive) criteria for the diagnosis of CIDP. Clinical characteristics were reviewed for each patient not strictly fulfilling the clinical criteria (‘unclassifiable’).ResultsAt study inclusion, 124 (37.5%) patients had an unclassifiable clinical presentation, including 110 (89%) with a typical CIDP-like clinical phenotype in whom some segments of the four limbs were unaffected by weakness (‘incomplete typical CIDP’), 10 (8%) with a mild distal, symmetric, sensory or sensorimotor polyneuropathy confined to the lower limbs with cranial nerve involvement (‘cranial nerve predominant CIDP’) and 4 (1%) with a symmetric sensorimotor polyneuropathy limited to the proximal and distal areas of the lower limbs (‘paraparetic CIDP’). Eighty-one (65%) patients maintained an unclassifiable presentation during the entire disease follow-up while 13 patients progressed to typical CIDP. Patients with the unclassifiable clinical forms compared with patients with typical CIDP had a milder form of CIDP, while there was no difference in the distribution patterns of demyelination.ConclusionsA proportion of patients with CIDP do not strictly fulfil the 2021 EAN/PNS clinical criteria for diagnosis. These unclassifiable clinical phenotypes may pose diagnostic challenges and thus deserve more attention in clinical practice and research.

Protein-protein interaction (PPI) networks have been found to be power-law-distributed, i. e., in observed PPI networks, the fraction of nodes with degreekoften follows a power-law (PL) distributionk-α. The emergence of this property is typically explained by evolutionary or functional considerations. However, the experimental procedures used to detect PPIs are known to be heavily affected by technical and study bias. For instance, proteins known to be involved in cancer are often heavily overstudied and proteins used as baits in large-scale experiments tend to have many false-positive interaction partners. This raises the question whether PL distributions in observed PPI networks could be explained by these biases alone. Here, we address this question using statistical analyses of the degree distributions of 1000s of observed PPI networks of controlled provenance as well as simulation studies. Our results indicate that study bias and technical bias can indeed largely explain the fact that observed PPI networks tend to be PL-distributed. This implies that it is problematic to derive hypotheses about the degree distribution and emergence of the true biological interactome from the PL distributions in observed PPI networks.

SEM RESUMO

Context: An emergency medical nurse is a health professional who operates at a very high level in the field of emergencies. The nurses of the critical area departments of the Territorial Emergency Department currently operate in the Sardinian helicopter rescue service. The effectiveness of the treatment that these nurses administer can be attributed to the quality of the previous and recurrent training that this unit must undergo. Objective: This study’s aim was to investigate the role of civil and military helicopter nurses in the context of Italian medical aid. Methods: A qualitative study, with a phenomenological approach, was conducted by interviewing 15 emergency medical nurses, using detailed recordings and transcripts. These findings were then compared to understand how nurses work outside their department of origin, how their training has influenced their ability to establish themselves outside it, and thus their ability to become part of a context considered to be of the highest level. Participants and research context: The personnel interviewed in this study were those who were working in the helibases of Cagliari, Olbia, and Alghero. The limitations of this study are linked to the impossibility of obtaining an internship at a company, because, at the time of the study, an agreement between the university and the Areus company was not active. Ethical considerations: Participation in this research was completely voluntary. In fact, the participants could cease participating at any time. Results: This study revealed issues related to training, preparation, motivation to carry out the role held, nursing autonomy, the willingness to collaborate between the various rescue organizations, the use of the helicopter rescue service, and possible improvements for this service. Conclusions: civil air rescue nurses can deepen their knowledge by examining the work of military air rescue nurses, because, although the operational contexts are different, some techniques used in a hostile environment are also applicable to civilian environments. By doing so, nurses could become independent team leaders for all intents and purposes, managing their own training, preparation, and technical skills.

To map explicit screening tools to identify potentially inappropriate medication (PIMs), and the characteristics and limitations of these tools. Including PIMs-interactions, therapeutic alternatives and the clinical management of PIMs.A systematic scoping review was conducted in PubMed and Scopus (until May 2021). The number of PIMs listed as essential drugs was identified in Model List of Essential Medicines by the World Health Organization (WHO) and National List of Essential Medicines (Brazil). In addition to reporting the therapeutic alternatives and clinical management proposed by explicit screening tools to identify PIMs, we suggested our own alternatives for the PIMs most frequently reported.Fifty-eight tools reported 614 PIMs and 747 PIMs-interactions. Limited overlap between the tools was observed: 123 (69.1%) of 178 therapeutic alternatives proposed by the tools were considered inappropriate by other tools, and 222 (36.1%) of the 614 PIMs identified were named as being inappropriate only once. Only 21 tools were developed by a Delphi panel technique associated with systematic review. The PIMs listed as essential medication in Brazil and by the WHO were 30.6% and 23.3% of the total reported, respectively. For the most-cited PIMs, such as non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, tricyclic antidepressants and benzodiazepines, we suggested the use of non-opioid and opioid analgesics; agomelatine, bupropion or moclobemide; and melatonin, respectively.The next stages in the development of explicit screening tools to identify PIMs include achieving more consensus between them and improving their applicability across countries. Further, it is recommended that tools include PIMs risks and advice on therapeutic alternatives.

Objective To estimate the prevalence of inadequate vitamin D level and its associated factors for women of childbearing age in Brazil. Methods A systematic reviewwas conducted (last updatedMay 2020).Meta-analyses were performed using the inverse-variance for fixed models with summary proportion calculation by Freeman-Tukey double arcsine. Reporting and methodological quality were assessed using the Joanna Briggs Institute tool for prevalence studies. Results Our review identified 31 studies, comprising 4,006 participants. All the studies had at least one weakness, mainly due to the use of convenience sampling and small sample size. The overall prevalence of vitamin D deficiency, insufficiency, and both deficiency and insufficiency were 35% (confidence interval, 95%CI: 34-37%), 42% (95%CI: 41-44%), and 72% (95%CI: 71-74%), respectively. Conclusion Although the magnitude of the prevalence of inadequate levels of vitamin D is uncertain, the evidence suggests that presence of vitamin D deficiency or insufficiency in women of reproductive age can cause moderate to severe problems. Resumo Objetivo Estimar a prevalência de níveis inadequados de vitamina D e seus fatores associados para mulheres em idade fértil no Brasil. Métodos Uma revisão sistemática foi realizada (última atualização em maio de 2020). As meta-análises foram realizadas usando o inverso da variância para o modelo fixo com cálculo de proporção sumarizada por transformação arco-seno duplo de Freeman-Tukey. A qualidade metodológica e de reporte foi avaliada usando a ferramenta do Joanna Briggs Institute para estudos de prevalência. Resultados Nossa revisão identificou 31 estudos, compreendendo 4.006 participantes. Todos os estudos apresentaram pelo menos uma limitação, principalmente devido ao uso de amostra de conveniência e tamanho amostral pequeno. As prevalências gerais de deficiência, insuficiência e deficiência de vitamina D foram 35% (intervalo de confiança, IC 95%: 34-37%), 42% (IC 95%: 41-44%) e 72% (IC 95%: 71-74%), respectivamente. Conclusão Embora a magnitude da prevalência de níveis inadequados de vitamina D seja incerta, a evidência sugere que presença de deficiência ou insuficiência de vitamina D em mulheres em idade reprodutiva pode causar problemas moderados a graves.

En una visión ulterior, el ser humano ¿será capaz de capitalizar todos los adelantos científicos y tecnológicos? ¿Podrá aplicarla correctamente o derivara en contra de la humanidad? Aquí indefectiblemente debemos acercarnos a los valores éticos y morales que tiñen de colores el progreso de la ciencia. Diversos epistemólogos, filósofos han compartido manuscritos sobre el crecimiento del conocimiento en múltiples áreas científicas y la ética con la que se ven aplicados los mismos. En este trabajo se busca generar una reflexión de como el ser humano en función a la sociedad en la que existe, es capaz de razonar o madurar los cambios asociados a la ciencia y tecnología en función a los elementos que le fueron dados en la comunidad donde se produjo su desarrollo cognitivo. Comprender la forma en que el ser humano aplica la ciencia; para generar avances tecnológicos que mejoren la calidad de vida y para explorar nuevos mundos de conocimiento.

Background Meta-analyses of clinical pharmacy services are frequently criticized for restricted data transparency and reproducibility. Objectives To describe the methodological characteristics of meta-analyses of pharmacist-led medication reviews, to identify the elements that limit their replicability and robustness, and to propose recommendations for an appropriate conduction and reporting. Methods A meta-research study was conducted. Systematic searches of the PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science databases were performed to identify meta-analyses of pharmacist services. Meta-analyses assessing the effect of pharmacist-led medication reviews were selected for data extraction, analysis and replication. Two replication exercises were performed for the two most common outcomes: (i) considering the data provided by authors to construct the meta-analysis and (ii) considering the raw data available in the primary studies included. Prediction intervals (PI), fragility index (FI), and number needed to treat (NNT) were also calculated for each replicated meta-analysis. Results Nine studies reporting meta-analyses about pharmacist-led medication review were found comprising 30 different outcomes. Eleven meta-analyses, including six for hospital admission and five for mortality, were replicated. In five meta-analyses, the pooled effect sizes of the replicated meta-analyses differed from the original ones. Only four meta-analyses mentioned the statistical method used. Other meta-analytic parameters (e.g., q-value, tau2) were omitted in all studies. In nine meta-analyses, the data from primary studies had been incorrectly extracted for at least one variable. The PI demonstrated that the uncertainty intervals of the effect sizes were always underestimated by the authors. NNTs showed wide intervals, ranging from benefit to harm, in almost all meta-analyses. Nine recommendations to facilitate the replication of a meta-analysis were proposed: providing all original data needed to build the analysis; informing about the imputed data or data obtained from different sources; performing sensitivity analyses for imputed or unpublished data; inform about all the statistical methods used; providing all statistical results; and reporting the PI, FI and NNT. Conclusion Errors in data extraction and poor reporting of meta-analytic parameters are common in the pharmacy literature. We proposed nine recommendations to enhance data reproducibility and interpretability. Journal editors and peer reviewers should ensure that authors strictly comply with minimum standards for conduction and reporting of meta-analyses.

We report on the realization of Distributed Feedback (DFB) lasing by a high-resolution reflection grating integrated in a Photomobile Polymer (PMP) film. The grating is recorded in a recently developed holographic mixture basically containing halolakanes/acrylates and a fluorescent dye molecule (Rhodamine 6G). The PMP-mixture is placed around the grating spot and a subsequent curing/photo-polymerization process is promoted by UV-irradiation. Such a process brings to the simultaneous formation of the PMP-film and the covalent link of the PMP-film to the DFB-grating area (PMP-DFB system). The PMP-DFB allows lasing action when optically pumped with a nano-pulsed green laser source. Moreover, under a low-power light-irradiation the PMP-DFB bends inducing a spatial readdressing of the DFB-laser emission. This device is the first example of a light-controlled direction of a DFB laser emission. It could represent a novel disruptive optical technology in many fields of Science, making feasible the approach to free standing and light-controllable lasers.

Introdução: Infecções por patógenos resistentes a antimicrobianos impactam na morbimortalidade, conduta clínica e custos da doença. A Organização Mundial de Saúde elencou bactérias resistentes relevantes globalmente, pelo impacto na saúde pública; dentre as quais estão as bactérias gram-negativas resistentes a carbapenêmicos (CRGNB), os enterococos resistentes à vancomicina (VRE) e o Staphylococcus aureus resistente à meticilina (MRSA). Objetivos: Objetivou-se compilar os custos da infecção por MRSA, VRE ou CRGNB, em pacientes adultos internados em unidades de cuidado crítico (UCC), tendo como modelo o Complexo Hospital de Clínicas da Universidade Federal do Paraná (CHC-UFPR). Métodos: Para avaliação do custo da doença, os cálculos da terapia farmacológica (TF) foram realizados com base no “Guia de uso racional de antimicrobianos: diretrizes de uso e prevenção de infecções” do CHC-UFPR. Para medicamentos com dose dependente do peso definiu-se 70kg. A perspectiva considerada foi a do Sistema Único de Saúde (SUS) e, portanto, os valores dos medicamentos foram extraídos da lista da Câmara de Regulação do Mercado de Medicamentos 04/19, considerando o preço máximo de venda ao governo e imposto sobre circulação de mercadorias e serviços de 18%; valores das técnicas diagnósticas (Metodologia: convencional) foram extraídos do sistema de gerenciamento da tabela de procedimentos, medicamentos, órteses, próteses e materiais especiais do SUS, 04/19; preços dos materiais médico-hospitalares utilizados na administração do medicamento e no diagnóstico, foram coletados no banco de preços em saúde, período 10/18 a 04/19. Contabilizou-se o custo da diária hospitalar do paciente em UCC, incluindo custos diretos, utilizando dados de 2018 do CHC-UFPR. Resultados: O diagnóstico somou custo médio de R$43,60 (min. 37,48 – máx. 49,71), independente da etiologia. O valor médio da diária hospitalar totalizou R$1353,73 (753,79- 2033,25). O agente causal e foco da infecção levam a variações na TF, refletindo nos custos. Em infecções por MRSA o preço médio diário da TF de escolha foi de R$97,94 (65,50-129,92) (infecção de corrente sanguínea – ICS, de partes moles, osteoarticular, pneumonia – PNM ou endocardite) e R$146,91(98,25-194,88) (sistema nervoso central – SNC). Infecções por VRE apresentaram preço médio diário da TF desde R$307,48 (300,82-323,50) (infecção intra-abdominal – IIA, manutenção) a R$460,11 (450,60-482,77) (IIA, dose de ataque). A TF diária de infecções por CRGNB apresentaram valores mais distintos: R$19,99 (8,96-32,94) para infecção do trato urinário e R$1.456,17 (804,29-2172,44) para ICS, IIA, do SNC ou PNM. Conclusão: Os dados compilados ilustram o alto custo de infecções por MRSA, VRE e CRGNB em pacientes adultos críticos. Tais custos impactam no orçamento público, salientando a importância de alternativas para minimizar o custo dessas infecções; como técnicas de diagnóstico rápidas, a fim de adequar a terapia e evitar a disseminação dos patógenos.

O presente estudo teve como objetivo comparar a composição físico-química, de compostos bioativos e o potencial antioxidante presente nas folhas de batata-doce comum (cultivar Rubissol) e biofortificada (cultivar Beauregard). Os resultados médios das análises físico-químicas indicaram percentuais expressivos de proteínas nas folhas da batata-doce comum (28,98%) e da batata-doce biofortificada (28,41%) e, em relação às concentrações de carotenoides totais, flavonoides, antocianinas, compostos fenólicos, além da atividade antioxidante, foram observados níveis médios mais elevados na cultivar Beauregard e diferença significativa (p

Matching-adjusted indirect comparison (MAIC) studies are a particular type of indirect comparison which use propensity score weighting to adjust different populations and enhance comparability. This kind of analysis has been employed in submissions of health technology assessments in the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) in the United Kingdom, and recently, in the National Supplementary Health Agency (ANS) in Brazil. Theoretically, this kind of indirect comparison can only be applied when standard methods of indirect comparison are likely to produce imprecise relative treatment effects (e.g., in network metanalysis with very sparse data or when we might anticipate effect modifiers influence the estimate). However, there can be a lack of confidence in its estimates when MAIC studies are poorly reported. Additionally, there is the question of which estimate is more trustworthy when they are inconsistent amongst different indirect comparison techniques. Objective: To map the main characteristics, concepts and methodology aspects form MAIC studies used in the evaluation of the effectiveness and safety of pharmacological therapies in the field of oncology.

Made available in DSpace on 2022-05-01T11:23:34Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2021-01-01 Ministério da Ciência, Tecnologia, Inovações e Comunicações Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES) Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP) Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq) BACKGROUND: Despite the several options available for supplements containing vitamins C and E, evidence regarding the prevalence of deficiency or insufficiency of these vitamins is weak. OBJECTIVES: To estimate the prevalence of deficiency or insufficiency of vitamins C and E and associated factors among women of childbearing age, in Brazil. DESIGN AND SETTING: Systematic review and meta-analysis conducted at a Brazilian public university. METHODS: A search from index inception until May 2020 was conducted. Meta-analyses were performed using inverse variance for fixed models, with summary proportions calculation using Freeman-Tukey dou-ble arcsine (base case). Reporting and methodological quality were assessed using the Joanna Briggs Institute tool for prevalence studies. RESULTS: Our review identified 12 studies, comprising 1,316 participants, especially breastfeeding wom-en. There was at least one quality weakness in all studies, mainly regarding sampling method (i.e. conve-nience sampling) and small sample size. The prevalence of vitamin C deficiency ranged from 0% to 40%. Only vitamin E deficiency was synthetized in meta-analyses, with mean prevalences of 6% regardless of the alpha-tocopherol cutoff in plasma, and 5% and 16% for cutoffs of

A presente resenha refere-se ao capítulo Desurbanismo: um manual rápido de destruição de cidades de autoria do Prof. Dr. Lucas Figueiredo e publicado no livro Urbanidades. Versa sobre algumas tendências desurbanas observadas em cidades brasileiras e suas possíveis consequências a longo prazo. O desurbanismo citado pelo autor, nada mais é, do que o inverso do urbanismo e pode ser considerado como uma estratégia de destruição de cidades. As tendências desurbanas apresentadas acabam por inviabilizar modos de vida, devendo ser evitadas ou solucionadas para o planejamento urbano adequado das cidades e consequentemente o desenvolvimento social.

In this work, we test the effectiveness of using highly transparent holographic phase reflection and transmission volume gratings based on multifunctional acrylates as linear compression and rotation sensors. The gratings are recorded in a holographic mixture based on multi-reticulated acrylate and haloalkanes. To activate the photo-polymerization process, we used a mixture of 6-oxocamphore and rhodamine 6G. The mixture is a simplified version of the mixture used in previous works and shows some interesting features mainly in connection with the different roles played by the rhodamine 6G dye at different writing wavelengths λ = 532 nm and λ = 460 nm. Regarding reflection gratings, the maximum achieved diffraction efficiency is ≈50% and their use as linear compression sensors produces a shift in the reflection peak of 2 nm. Following the removal of compression, the grating slowly returns to the initial state. Regarding transmission gratings, the maximum achieved diffraction efficiency is ≈45% and they demonstrate very high sensitivity to even small rotations in a free-standing configuration.

Este é o segundo de dois artigos, em que se discorre sobre o contexto em que as análises de sensibilidade probabilísticas devem ser realizadas (parte I) e a execução da análise de sensibilidade probabilística no Microsoft Excel (parte II). Nesse artigo expõe-se de maneira lúdica o racional como transformar um modelo determinístico em probabilístico, como organizar um modelo de avaliação econômica no Microsoft Excel, focando na construção de uma análise de sensibilidade probabilística no mesmo programa. Dentre os diversos programas existentes utilizados para o desenvolvimento desses estudos, o Microsoft Excel permite maior transparência e versatilidade para a criação de modelos econômicos em saúde. Os resultados obtidos pela análise de sensibilidade probabilística são sumarizados em forma de tabela, gráfico de dispersão representando o plano de custo-efetividade e, por fim, pela curva de aceitabilidade de custo-efetividade. Essa última evidência a probabilidade de uma determinada tecnologia ser a mais custo-efetiva de acordo com o limiar ou disposição a pagar da perspectiva do estudo.

In the present work, an antibacterial composite bone cement is designed introducing a bioactive and antibacterial glass into a commercial formulation. The effect of glass particles insertion on the curing parameters is evaluated; moreover, the influence of the glass particle size (S. aureus strain. The obtained results demonstrate that, by carefully tailoring the glass amount and size, a multifunctional device for the artificial joints fixing, temporary prostheses or spinal surgery can be obtained.

Este é o primeiro de dois artigos, em que se discorre sobre o contexto em que as análises de sensibilidade devem ser realizadas (parte I) e a execução da análise de sensibilidade probabilística no Microsoft Excel (parte II). A análise de custo-efetividade (ACE) e suas variantes são metodologias de análise econômica completa, que apresentam um grau de incerteza inerente à construção de modelos de decisão analítica. Assim, é fundamental demonstrar a adequação e robustez dos resultados obtidos por meio da análise de sensibilidade. Dois métodos de análise de sensibilidade são amplamente utilizados em estudos de ACE: I - análise univariada determinística, que avalia um parâmetro por vez do modelo matemático, alterando o seu valor dentro de um intervalo pré-especificado, e II - análise de sensibilidade probabilística, que é capaz de levar em conta todos os parâmetros do modelo de uma única vez, respeitando a distribuição estatística que corresponde à natureza de cada parâmetro. Nesse primeiro artigo, descrevemos o conceito de análise de sensibilidade probabilística de maneira pragmática no contexto dos estudos de custo-efetividade e ilustramos o racional por trás das duas principais curvas de distribuição estatística utilizadas na farmacoeconomia, curvas Gama e Beta, e como calcular os seus hiperparâmetros

This study aimed to carry out the physical–chemical characterization, assess the functional potential and sensory analysis of bread made with 2.10, 5, 7.1 and 10% of caja-manga peel flour (Spondias cytherea Sonn.; CMPF), using a mixture experimental design. CMPF showed high antioxidant activity and content of phenolic compounds (PCs). Breads showed a reduction in PC content due to the baking process; however, it still maintained a fraction of them, in greater quantity in breads containing CMPF. In general, the formulations showed good scores for sensory acceptability, with emphasis on formulations with lower addition of CMPF, being flavor and texture the most influential attributes. Formulations containing from 5 to 10% of CMPF (presented higher correlation for physical–chemical variables and PCs) differed from those containing from 0.0 to 2.10% of CMPF (presented higher correlation for texture variables), through principal component (PCA) and hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA). Therefore, the addition of CMPF in breads, especially to a concentration of 5%, is an effective alternative for using fruit residue, obtaining a product with antioxidant potential, which contributes to the popularization of caja-manga consumption.

Introduction: The contribution of fluid temperature to the effect of crystalloid fluid bolus therapy (FBT) in post-cardiac surgery patients is unknown. We evaluated the hemodynamic effects of FBT with fluid warmed to 40°C (warm FBT) versus room-temperature fluid. Methods: In this single centre prospective before-and-after study, we evaluated the effects of 500 ml of warm versus room-temperature compound sodium lactate administered over 15% of baseline immediately after FBT and effect dissipation if the CI returned to 10% increase and dissipation as return to Results: Hypotension (56%) and low CI (40%) typically triggered FBT. Temperature decreased >0.3°C in 13 (52%) patients after room-temperature FBT versus 0 (0%) after warm FBT (p 2, p = 0.01). However, dissipation was more common after room-temperature versus warm FBT (9/16 [56%] versus 1/11 [9%], p = 0.02). Conclusion: In postoperative cardiac surgery patients, warm FBT preserved core temperature and induced smaller but more sustained CI increases among responders. Fluid temperature appears to impact both core temperature and the duration of CI response.

Made available in DSpace on 2021-06-25T10:55:23Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2021-01-01 Introduction: Considering the need for effective postmarketing surveillance of disease-modifying therapies (DMTs) in multiple sclerosis (MS), we analyzed the potential of the spontaneous reports for safety signal detection, verifying the completeness of the reports in the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS). Methods: All reports with DMTs for MS considered the primary suspect cause of ADRs and registered between January 2004 and June 2019 were selected. The vigiGrade completeness score was applied and reports with a score greater than 0.80 were considered well documented. Descriptive statistical analysis and comparisons of well-documented reports by DMTs were performed. Results: A total of 297,926 reports were analyzed. The lowest completeness rates were observed for type of report (13.5%), dose (62.7%), and time from treatment start to the ADR (79.0%). Overall, 80.8% of reports were classified as well documented and those related to natalizumab had the highest proportion (92.4%, p