Unleashing Fungicidal Forces: Exploring the Synergistic Power of Amphotericin B-Loaded Nanoparticles and Monoclonal Antibodies.

Fungal infections cause 1.7 million deaths annually, which can be attributed not only to fungus-specific factors, such as antifungal resistance and biofilm formation, but also to drug-related challenges. In this study, the potential of Amphotericin (AmB) loaded polymeric nanoparticles (AmB-NPs) combined with murine monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) (i.e., CC5 and DD11) was investigated as a strategy to overcome these challenges. To achieve this goal, AmB-NPs were prepared by nanoprecipitation using different polymers (polycaprolactone (PCL) and poly(D,L-lactide) (PLA)), followed by comprehensive characterization of their physicochemical properties and in vitro biological performance. The results revealed that AmB-loaded NPs exhibited no cytotoxicity toward mammalian cells (baby hamster kidney cells-BHK and human monocyte cells-THP-1). Conversely, both AmB-NPs demonstrated a cytotoxic effect against C. albicans, C. neoformans, and H. capsulatum throughout the entire evaluated range (from 10 µg/mL to 0.1 µg/mL), with a significant MIC of up to 0.031 µg/mL. Moreover, the combination of AmB-NPs with mAbs markedly intensified antifungal activity, resulting in a synergistic effect that was two to four times greater than that of AmB-NPs alone. These findings suggest that the combination of AmB-NPs with mAbs could be a promising new treatment for fungal infections that is potentially more effective and less toxic than current antifungal treatments.

Immunization against covid-19 and mortality in hospitalized patients: a retrospective cohort.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effectiveness of vaccines developed against covid-19 in reducing mortality in people hospitalized with severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) caused by SARS-CoV-2. METHODS: This is a retrospective cohort that evaluated risk factors and the effectiveness of the two-dose vaccination schedule in reducing the mortality of people hospitalized for covid-19 in the state of Paraíba from February to November 2021. The explanatory variables were vaccination status, presence of comorbidities, socioeconomic and demographic characteristics. Descriptive analyses and bivariate and multivariable logistic regression were performed. RESULTS: Most hospitalizations and deaths occurred until May 2021. The percentage of patients with a complete vaccination schedule was similar across patients admitted to public and private hospitals and higher in residents of less developed municipalities. Multivariable analysis demonstrated that women (OR = 0.896; 95%CI 0.830-0.967) and people admitted to private hospitals (OR = 0.756; 95%CI 0.679-0.842) were less likely to die. Presence of any comorbidity (OR = 1.627; 95%CI 1.500-1.765) and age ≥ 80 years (OR = 7.426; 95%CI 6.309-8.741) were risk factors for death. Patients with complete vaccination schedule at the time of admission were 41.7% less likely to die (OR = 0.583; 95% CI 0.501-0.679) from covid-19 in the adjusted analysis, as compared to unvaccinated patients. CONCLUSIONS: The study reveals that immunization was effective in reducing the likelihood of death from covid-19. The results suggest that greater vaccination coverage in the first half of 2021 would prevent thousands of deaths in the country.

Experimental mmWave WiGig-based backhaul network dataset.

The wireless backhaul has emerged as an attractive alternative to traditional fiber backhaul for 5G technology, offering greater flexibility and cost-effectiveness thanks to the availability of high bandwidths capable of achieving fiber-like data rates. However, the millimeter-wave-based (mmWave) protocols, namely IEEE 802.11ad and later IEEE 802.11ay, suffer from a high susceptibility to obstruction, which only allows correct operation under Line-of-Sight conditions (LOS). Any sudden obstructions can significantly reduce the maximum achievable throughput, leading to delays exceeding acceptable limits for critical applications, and may even culminate in link failure in certain circumstances. Therefore, it is essential to assess how different types and durations of obstructions impact different network OSI layers to determine the feasibility of mmWave. WiGig-based technologies for wireless backhaul scenarios. This article describes a dataset collected from an experimental IEEE 802.11ad backhaul network, mmWave-based mesh network at 60 GHz, deployed in an outdoor environment. The data contains multi-layer information, including MAC, PHY, and network data, which provides valuable insights into the WiGig network behavior under three distinct scenarios. These scenarios include normal operation, long-term blocked scenario, and short-term blocked scenario, based on the type and duration of the blockage event crossing the LOS path. The dataset presents an extensive PHY, MAC and transport layer measurement campaign for an outdoor WiGig network, and thus it is a valuable resource for researchers and professionals interested in understanding the behavior and performance of real-life mmWave-based WiGig networks aimed for 5G backhauling.

Spatiotemporal trends in COVID-19 vaccine sentiments on a social media platform and correlations with reported vaccine coverage.

Objective: To assess spatiotemporal trends in, and determinants of, the acceptance of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination globally, as expressed on the social media platform X (formerly Twitter). Methods: We collected over 13 million posts on the platform regarding COVID-19 vaccination made between November 2020 and March 2022 in 90 languages. Multilingual deep learning XLM-RoBERTa models annotated all posts using an annotation framework after being fine-tuned on 8125 manually annotated, English-language posts. The annotation results were used to assess spatiotemporal trends in COVID-19 vaccine acceptance and confidence as expressed by platform users in 135 countries and territories. We identified associations between spatiotemporal trends in vaccine acceptance and country-level characteristics and public policies by using univariate and multivariate regression analysis. Findings: A greater proportion of platform users in the World Health Organization's South-East Asia, Eastern Mediterranean and Western Pacific Regions expressed vaccine acceptance than users in the rest of the world. Countries in which a greater proportion of platform users expressed vaccine acceptance had higher COVID-19 vaccine coverage rates. Trust in government was also associated with greater vaccine acceptance. Internationally, vaccine acceptance and confidence declined among platform users as: (i) vaccination eligibility was extended to adolescents; (ii) vaccine supplies became sufficient; (iii) nonpharmaceutical interventions were relaxed; and (iv) global reports on adverse events following vaccination appeared. Conclusion: Social media listening could provide an effective and expeditious means of informing public health policies during pandemics, and could supplement existing public health surveillance approaches in addressing global health issues.

Immunization against covid-19 and mortality in hospitalized patients: a retrospective cohort / Imunização contra covid-19 e mortalidade em pacientes hospitalizados: coorte retrospectiva

ABSTRACT OBJECTIVE To evaluate the effectiveness of vaccines developed against covid-19 in reducing mortality in people hospitalized with severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) caused by SARS-CoV-2. METHODS This is a retrospective cohort that evaluated risk factors and the effectiveness of the two-dose vaccination schedule in reducing the mortality of people hospitalized for covid-19 in the state of Paraíba from February to November 2021. The explanatory variables were vaccination status, presence of comorbidities, socioeconomic and demographic characteristics. Descriptive analyses and bivariate and multivariable logistic regression were performed. RESULTS Most hospitalizations and deaths occurred until May 2021. The percentage of patients with a complete vaccination schedule was similar across patients admitted to public and private hospitals and higher in residents of less developed municipalities. Multivariable analysis demonstrated that women (OR = 0.896; 95%CI 0.830-0.967) and people admitted to private hospitals (OR = 0.756; 95%CI 0.679-0.842) were less likely to die. Presence of any comorbidity (OR = 1.627; 95%CI 1.500-1.765) and age ≥ 80 years (OR = 7.426; 95%CI 6.309-8.741) were risk factors for death. Patients with complete vaccination schedule at the time of admission were 41.7% less likely to die (OR = 0.583; 95% CI 0.501-0.679) from covid-19 in the adjusted analysis, as compared to unvaccinated patients. CONCLUSIONS The study reveals that immunization was effective in reducing the likelihood of death from covid-19. The results suggest that greater vaccination coverage in the first half of 2021 would prevent thousands of deaths in the country.

RESUMO OBJETIVO Avaliar a efetividade das vacinas desenvolvidas contra a covid-19 na redução da mortalidade em pessoas internadas com síndrome respiratória aguda grave (SRAG) causada pelo SARS-CoV-2. MÉTODOS Trata-se de uma coorte retrospectiva que avaliou fatores de riscos e a efetividade do esquema vacinal com duas doses na redução da mortalidade de pessoas internadas por covid-19 no estado da Paraíba entre fevereiro e novembro de 2021. As variáveis explicativas foram situação vacinal, presença de comorbidades, características socioeconômicas e demográficas. Foram realizadas análises descritivas e regressão logística bivariada e multivariável. RESULTADOS A maior parte das internações e óbitos ocorreram até maio de 2021. O percentual de pacientes com esquema vacinal completo foi similar entre pacientes internados em hospitais públicos e privados e superior em residentes de municípios com menor desenvolvimento. A análise multivariável demonstrou que mulheres (OR = 0,896; IC95% 0,830-0,967) e pessoas internadas em hospitais privados (OR = 0,756; IC95% 0,679-0,842) apresentaram menor chance de morte. A presença de alguma comorbidade (OR = 1,627; IC95% 1,500-1,765) e idade ≥ 80 anos (OR = 7,426; IC95% 6,309-8,741) foram fatores de risco de óbito. Pacientes com esquema vacinal completo no momento da internação apresentaram uma chance 41,7% menor de morte (OR = 0,583; IC95% 0,501-0,679) por covid-19 na análise ajustada, quando comparados com pacientes não vacinados. CONCLUSÕES O estudo revela que a imunização foi efetiva na redução da chance de óbito por covid-19. Os resultados sugerem que uma maior cobertura vacinal no primeiro semestre de 2021 evitaria milhares de mortes no país.

Habilidades de comunicação clínica: análise da autoavaliação dos residentes de medicina de família e comunidade / Clinical communication skills: analysis of the self-assessment of family medicine residents

Resumo Introdução: O conhecimento das habilidades de comunicação clínica é primordial para o adequado exercício da medicina de família e comunidade (MFC), visto que um dos princípios da especialidade advém da relação médico-pessoa. A comunicação assertiva é uma competência clínica básica que deve ser aprendida, sobretudo, durante a residência médica. Não se trata de uma característica inata, perpassa um processo de conhecer, aplicar e dominar, necessitando, portanto, de avaliações. Objetivo: Este estudo teve como objetivo avaliar a percepção dos médicos residentes de MFC em relação às suas habilidades de comunicação. Método: Trata-se de um estudo quantitativo, descritivo e transversal. O cenário de estudo foi o conjunto de programas de residência de MFC do município de João Pessoa, na Paraíba. A coleta de dados foi feita a partir de um questionário on-line, disponível para preenchimento de setembro a novembro de 2022. Utilizamos para a construção do questionário o instrumento A Consulta em 7 Passos. Desenvolvemos escores denominados índice de desempenho geral (IDg), índice de desempenho por passo da consulta (IDp) e índice de desempenho por item (IDitem). Na análise estatística, utilizamos o teste t para amostras independentes. Resultado: O IDg médio foi de 72,0%. Os residentes tiveram o maior índice de IDp no passo 5 da consulta (81,7%), seguido pelos passos 2 (77,6%), 3 (76,1%) e 6 (75,9%). Os menores desempenhos foram nos passos 4 (68,9%), 7 (63,7%) e 1 (63,3%). Não houve significância estatística quanto ao desempenho quando se compararam sexo, ano de residência e programa. Conclusão: Os residentes de MFC avaliam positivamente suas habilidades de comunicação. Entretanto, ainda há o que aprimorar, como fomentar momentos crítico-reflexivos sobre os fenômenos subjetivos que ocorrem na consulta. Destarte, a utilização do instrumento A Consulta em 7 Passos se revelou, no presente estudo, como uma ferramenta importante no processo de formação e avaliação da comunicação clínica durante a residência.

Abstract Introduction: Knowledge of clinical communication skills is essential for the proper practice of Family Medicine, since one of the principles of the specialty treats the doctor-person relationship as fundamental. Good communication is a basic clinical competence and must be learned, above all, during medical residency. Communication is not an innate characteristic, but a process of self-knowledge, therefore requiring self-assessments. Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the perception of Family Medicine residents doctors in relation to their communication skills. Method: This is a quantitative, descriptive and cross-sectional study. The study setting was the set of Family Medicine Residency Programs in the city of João Pessoa, Paraíba. Data collection was performed using an online questionnaire, available to be completed from September to November 2022. We used the instrument A consulta em 7 passos (7-step consultation) to construct the questionnaire. We developed scores called overall performance index (IDg), query step performance index (IDp) and item performance index (IDitem). In the statistical analysis, we used the t test for independent samples. Result: The average overall performance index (IDg) was 72.0%. Residents had the highest IDp rate in step 5 of the consultation (81.7%), followed by step 2 (77.6%), step 3 (76.1%) and step 6 (75.9% ). While residents had the lowest performances in descending order in steps 4 (68.9%), 7 (63.7%) and 1 (63.3%). There was no statistical significance between sexes, year of residency and residency program. Conclusion: MFC residents positively evaluate their communication skills. However, there is still room forto improvement in how to encourage critical-reflective moments about the subjective phenomena that occur in the consultation. Furthermore, the use of a consulta em 7 passos is an important tool in the training and evaluation process in residency.

Recent trends in vaccine coverage and confidence: A cause for concern.

Declining trends in vaccine confidence come at a time when routine immunization coverage for children has slumped to a decades-long low. With some of the largest losses in confidence experienced among young adults, this is a concerning trend with the potential for long-term implications. This article reflects on recent research examining the levels and trends of vaccine confidence over time and across the globe, the drivers influencing confidence, and the role of the COVID-19 pandemic in shaping confidence today. Timely examination of the causes and consequences of waning vaccine confidence and critical evaluation of COVID-19 response measures will prove vital in mitigating additional losses in vaccine confidence and uptake while contributing to building resilience in the face of future health crises.

Educational Strategies to Reduce Physician Shortages in Underserved Areas: A Systematic Review.

The shortage of physicians in rural and underserved areas is an obstacle to the implementation of Universal Health Coverage (UHC). We carried out a systematic review to analyze the effectiveness of initiatives in medical education aimed to increase the supply of physicians in rural or underserved areas. We searched for studies published between 1999 and 2019 in six databases, following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. Interventional or observational controlled studies were defined as inclusion criteria. A total of 955 relevant unique records were selected for inclusion, which resulted in the identification of 17 articles for analysis. The admission of students from rural areas associated with a rural curriculum represented 52.95% of the interventions. Medical practice after graduation in rural or underserved areas was the most evaluated outcome, representing 12 publications (70.59%). Participants of these educational initiatives were more likely to work in rural or underserved areas or to choose family medicine, with significant differences between the groups in 82.35% of the studies. Educational strategies in undergraduate and medical residencies are effective. However, it is necessary to expand these interventions to ensure the supply of physicians in rural or urban underserved areas.

Impact of educational policies on access to health care in Brazil: A cross-sectional study.

INTRODUCTION: Various initiatives to improve access to health care have been implemented internationally. In Brazil, this has included policies intended to expand access to higher education for underrepresented socio-economic groups. These measures have reduced inequalities in access to medical education, but it is not known whether they influence career choices. We examine the effect of these educational policies on physician practice patterns in primary care and/or in medically underserved areas. METHODS: This is a cross-sectional study that analysed the association between affirmative educational policies and the career choices of physicians who graduated between 2010 and 2015. Multivariate binary regression analysis was used to evaluate the impact of affirmative educational policies on physician career choices, including primary care practice, practice in cities with ≤20 000 inhabitants, and practice in less developed municipalities 4 years after graduation. RESULTS: We identified the practice patterns of 65 304 (82.8%) physicians 4 years after their graduation. Most physicians included in our analysis were female (54.5%), aged ≤27 years (72.4%), born in developed cities and studied in private medical schools. Physicians admitted to medical school based on racial or social access policies were more likely to practice in municipalities with fewer than 20 000 inhabitants (odds ratio [OR]: 1.64; 1.36-1.98) and in primary care (OR: 1.55; 1.35-1.53). Physicians who benefited from scholarships for under-represented socio-economic groups were more likely to practice in small cities (OR: 1.24; 1.07-1.43) and primary care (OR: 1.23; 1.11-1.37). The provision of financial aid also improved the likelihood of practice in primary care and underserved areas. Graduation from medical schools located in smaller cities was associated with practice in municipalities ≤20 000 inhabitants and primary care. CONCLUSIONS: Our results demonstrated that educational policies implemented in the Brazilian context are effective in reducing inequities in physician distribution and led to an increase in the number of physicians practicing in primary care.

Teleatendimento para COVID-19 em um Sistema Municipal de Saúde

A pandemia de COVID-19 gerou desafios para os sistemas de saúde ao redor do mundo, os quais precisaram buscar novas estratégias para responder as necessidades de saúde. Objetivo: analisar as características dos atendimentos realizados pela Central de Teleatendimento à COVID-19 da Secretaria Municipal de João Pessoa. Métodos: Estudo descritivo que utiliza metodologia quantitativa para analisar as características dos atendimentos realizados na central entre os meses de março de 2020 e abril de 2021. Resultados: Foram realizados 24.831 atendimentos, sendo 14.912 (60,05%) para esclarecimento de dúvidas e 9.919 (39,95%) para avaliação clínica. Os sintomas mais frequentes foram cefaleia (72,53%), tosse (70,39%) e febre (68,58%). Dentre os usuários, 91,11% preencheram critérios clínicos para síndrome gripal e 28,64% apresentaram pelo menos uma comorbidade. Conclusão: A Central de Telemedicina possibilitou a redução da demanda de atendimentos em serviços de urgência. Ademais, demonstrou a possibilidade de integração entre ações assistenciais, educacionais e de vigilância à saúde, oportunizando o surgimento de novos arranjos assistenciais que podem ser utilizados para outros agravos.

Evolution of Quorum Sensing in Pseudomonas aeruginosa Can Occur via Loss of Function and Regulon Modulation.

Pseudomonas aeruginosa populations evolving in cystic fibrosis lungs, animal hosts, natural environments and in vitro undergo extensive genetic adaption and diversification. A common mutational target is the quorum sensing (QS) system, a three-unit regulatory system that controls the expression of virulence factors and secreted public goods. Three evolutionary scenarios have been advocated to explain selection for QS mutants: (i) disuse of the regulon, (ii) cheating through the exploitation of public goods, or (ii) modulation of the QS regulon. Here, we examine these scenarios by studying a set of 61 QS mutants from an experimental evolution study. We observed nonsynonymous mutations in all three QS systems: Las, Rhl, and Pseudomonas Quinolone Signal (PQS). The majority of the Las mutants had large deletions of the Las regulon, resulting in loss of QS function and the inability to produce QS-regulated traits, thus supporting the first or second scenarios. Conversely, phenotypic and gene expression analyses of Rhl mutants support network modulation (third scenario), as these mutants overexpressed the Las and Rhl receptors and showed an altered QS-regulated trait production profile. PQS mutants also showed patterns of regulon modulation leading to strain diversification and phenotypic tradeoffs, where the upregulation of certain QS traits is associated with the downregulation of others. Overall, our results indicate that mutations in the different QS systems lead to diverging effects on the QS trait profile in P. aeruginosa populations. These mutations might not only affect the plasticity and diversity of evolved populations but could also impact bacterial fitness and virulence in infections. IMPORTANCE Pseudomonas aeruginosa uses quorum sensing (QS), a three-unit multilayered network, to coordinate expression of traits required for growth and virulence in the context of infections. Despite its importance for bacterial fitness, the QS regulon appears to be a common mutational target during long-term adaptation of P. aeruginosa in the host, natural environments, and experimental evolutions. This raises questions of why such an important regulatory system is under selection and how mutations change the profile of QS-regulated traits. Here, we examine a set of 61 experimentally evolved QS mutants to address these questions. We found that mutations involving the master regulator, LasR, resulted in an almost complete breakdown of QS, while mutations in RhlR and PqsR resulted in modulations of the regulon, where both the regulon structure and the QS-regulated trait profile changed. Our work reveals that natural selection drives diversification in QS activity patterns in evolving populations.

Effects of GRIN2B , GRIA1 , and BDNF Polymorphisms on the Therapeutic Action of Ketamine and Esketamine in Treatment-Resistant Depression Patients: Secondary Analysis From a Randomized Clinical Trial.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to evaluate the effect of genetic variants in glutamate ionotropic receptor N-methyl- d -aspartate type subunit 2B ( GRIN2B ), glutamate ionotropic receptor α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic acid type subunit 1 ( GRIA1 ), and brain-derived neurotrophic factor ( BDNF ) genes on therapeutic response, remission, and total Montgomery-Åsberg Depression Rating Scale scores after treatment with ketamine or esketamine in treatment-resistant depression (TRD) patients. METHODS: Participants (N = 60) are from a double-blind, randomized, noninferiority clinical trial comparing single-dose intravenous ketamine (0.5 mg/kg) to esketamine (0.25 mg/kg) for TRD. Montgomery-Åsberg Depression Rating Scale was applied at baseline, 24 hours, 72 hours, and 7 days postinfusion to assess depressive symptoms. Blood samples were collected to evaluate single nucleotide polymorphisms rs1805502 ( GRIN2B ), rs1994862 ( GRIA1 ), and rs6265 ( BDNF ). RESULTS: There was no association between rs1805502, rs1994862, or rs6265 polymorphisms and antidepressant response ( P = 0.909, P = 0.776, and P = 0.482, respectively), remission P = 0.790, P = 0.086, and P = 0.669), or Montgomery-Åsberg Depression Rating Scale scores at each time point ( P = 0.907, P = 0.552, and P = 0.778). CONCLUSIONS: We found no association between the studied single nucleotide polymorphisms (rs6265, rs1805502, and rs1994862) and ketamine's therapeutic action in TRD patients. Further studies with larger samples are needed to clarify the utility of these genes of interest as predictors for antidepressant treatment.

Políticas de ampliação do acesso ao ensino superior e mudança no perfil de egressos de medicina no Brasil: um estudo transversal / Policies for expanding access to higher education and changing the profile of medical graduates in Brazil: a cross-sectional study

Resumo Este estudo avalia o impacto de políticas de ampliação do acesso ao ensino superior na redução de iniquidades no perfil dos egressos de cursos médicos no Brasil. Estudo transversal que utiliza dados do Censo da Educação Superior de 2018. Foram realizadas análises para identificar associação entre ser beneficiário da Lei de Cotas, do Programa Universidade para Todos ou do Fundo de Financiamento Estudantil e três marcadores: nascimento em município de pequeno porte, ser não-branco ou ter cursado ensino médio em escola pública. Realizamos análises utilizando teste de qui-quadrado de Pearson e análise multivariada através de regressão de Poisson. Houve associação significativa entre ser beneficiário destas políticas e ser egresso não branco, ter nascido em município de pequeno porte e ser egresso de escola pública no ensino médio. Todas as políticas apresentaram resultados de Razões de Prevalências (RP) ajustadas superiores a um e com significância estatística. A Lei de Cotas foi a política mais efetiva com RP=1,92 para ser egresso não-branco, RP=6,66 para ter estudado ensino médio em escola pública e RP=1,08 para ter nascido em município de pequeno porte. Apesar destes resultados, estes grupos continuam sub-representados nos cursos médicos e na composição da força de trabalho.

Abstract This study assesses the effectiveness of policies to expand access to higher education in reducing inequities in the profile of graduates from medical courses in Brazil. This work consists of a cross-sectional study using data from the 2018 Higher Education Census. Analyses were carried out to identify the association between being a beneficiary of the Quota Law, the University for All Program, or the Student Financing Fund and three markers: born in a small-sized municipality, being non-white, or having attended high school in a public school. Analyses were performed using Pearson's chi-square test, and multivariate analysis was conducted using Poisson regression. A significant association was found between being a beneficiary of these policies and being a non-white graduate, who was born in a small town and who had studied in a public high school. All policies presented adjusted Prevalence Ratio (PR), which demonstrated an association with statistical significance. The Quota Law was the most effective policy, with RP=1.92 for non-white graduates, RP=6.66 for having studied in a public high school, and RP=1.08 for being born in a small town. Despite these results, these groups remain underrepresented in medical courses and in the workforce.

Policies for expanding access to higher education and changing the profile of medical graduates in Brazil: a cross-sectional study. / Políticas de ampliação do acesso ao ensino superior e mudança no perfil de egressos de medicina no Brasil: um estudo transversal.

This study assesses the effectiveness of policies to expand access to higher education in reducing inequities in the profile of graduates from medical courses in Brazil. This work consists of a cross-sectional study using data from the 2018 Higher Education Census. Analyses were carried out to identify the association between being a beneficiary of the Quota Law, the University for All Program, or the Student Financing Fund and three markers: born in a small-sized municipality, being non-white, or having attended high school in a public school. Analyses were performed using Pearson's chi-square test, and multivariate analysis was conducted using Poisson regression. A significant association was found between being a beneficiary of these policies and being a non-white graduate, who was born in a small town and who had studied in a public high school. All policies presented adjusted Prevalence Ratio (PR), which demonstrated an association with statistical significance. The Quota Law was the most effective policy, with RP=1.92 for non-white graduates, RP=6.66 for having studied in a public high school, and RP=1.08 for being born in a small town. Despite these results, these groups remain underrepresented in medical courses and in the workforce.

Este estudo avalia o impacto de políticas de ampliação do acesso ao ensino superior na redução de iniquidades no perfil dos egressos de cursos médicos no Brasil. Estudo transversal que utiliza dados do Censo da Educação Superior de 2018. Foram realizadas análises para identificar associação entre ser beneficiário da Lei de Cotas, do Programa Universidade para Todos ou do Fundo de Financiamento Estudantil e três marcadores: nascimento em município de pequeno porte, ser não-branco ou ter cursado ensino médio em escola pública. Realizamos análises utilizando teste de qui-quadrado de Pearson e análise multivariada através de regressão de Poisson. Houve associação significativa entre ser beneficiário destas políticas e ser egresso não branco, ter nascido em município de pequeno porte e ser egresso de escola pública no ensino médio. Todas as políticas apresentaram resultados de Razões de Prevalências (RP) ajustadas superiores a um e com significância estatística. A Lei de Cotas foi a política mais efetiva com RP=1,92 para ser egresso não-branco, RP=6,66 para ter estudado ensino médio em escola pública e RP=1,08 para ter nascido em município de pequeno porte. Apesar destes resultados, estes grupos continuam sub-representados nos cursos médicos e na composição da força de trabalho.

A Fair Channel Hopping Scheme for LoRa Networks with Multiple Single-Channel Gateways.

LoRa is one of the most prominent LPWAN technologies due to its suitable characteristics for supporting large-scale IoT networks, as it offers long-range communications at low power consumption. The latter is granted mainly because end-nodes transmit directly to the gateways and no energy is spent in multi-hop transmissions. LoRaWAN gateways can successfully receive simultaneous transmissions on multiple channels. However, such gateways can be costly when compared to simpler single-channel LoRa transceivers, and at the same time they are configured to operate with pure-ALOHA, the well-known and fragile channel access scheme used in LoRaWAN. This work presents a fair, control-based channel hopping-based medium access scheme for LoRa networks with multiple single-channel gateways. Compared with the pure-ALOHA used in LoRaWAN, the protocol proposed here achieves higher goodput and fairness levels because each device can choose its most appropriate channel to transmit at a higher rate and spending less energy. Several simulation results considering different network densities and different numbers of single-channel LoRa gateways show that our proposal is able to achieve a packet delivery ratio (PDR) of around 18% for a network size of 2000 end-nodes and one gateway, and a PDR of almost 50% when four LoRa gateways are considered, compared to 2% and 6%, respectively, achieved by the pure-ALOHA approach.

Effects of the economic recession on suicide mortality in Brazil: interrupted time series analysis.

OBJECTIVES: to analyze trends in suicide rates in Brazil in the period before and after the start of the economic recession. METHODS: interrupted time series research using national suicide data recorded in the period between 2012 and 2017 with socioeconomic subgroups analyses. Quasi-Poisson regression model was employed to analyze trends in seasonally adjusted data. RESULTS: there was an abrupt increase in the risk of suicide after economic recession in the population with less education (12.5%; RR = 1.125; 95%CI: 1.027; 1.232) and in the South Region (17.7%; 1.044; 1.328). After an abrupt reduction, there was a progressive increase in risk for the black and brown population and for those with higher education. In most other population strata, there was a progressive increase in the risk of suicide. CONCLUSIONS: the Brazilian economic recession caused different effects on suicide rates, considering social strata, which requires health strategies and policies that are sensitive to the most vulnerable populations.

Regional myocardial sympathetic denervation precedes the development of left ventricular systolic dysfunction in chronic Chagas' cardiomyopathy.

BACKGROUND: Regional myocardial sympathetic denervation is a conspicuous and early disorder in patients with chronic Chagas' cardiomyopathy (CCC), potentially associated to the progression of myocardial dysfunction OBJECTIVE: To evaluate in a longitudinal study the association between the presence and the progression of regional myocardial sympathetic denervation with the deterioration of global and segmental left ventricular dysfunction in CCC. METHODS: 18 patients with CCC were submitted at initial evaluation and after 5.5 years to rest myocardial scintigraphy with 123Iodo-metaiodobenzylguanidine and 99mTc-sestamibi and to two-dimensional echocardiography to assess myocardial sympathetic denervation, extent of fibrosis, and the left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) and wall motion abnormalities. RESULTS: In the follow-up evaluation, compared to the initial one, we observed a significant decrease in LVEF (56 ± 11 to 49% ± 12; P = .01) and increased summed defects scores in the myocardial innervation scintigraphy (15 ± 10 to 20 ± 9; P < .01). The presence of regional myocardial sympathetic denervation in ventricular regions of viable non-fibrotic myocardium presented an odds ratio of 4.25 for the development of new wall motion abnormalities (P = .001). CONCLUSION: Regional and global myocardial sympathetic denervation is a progressive derangement in CCC. In addition, the regional denervation is topographically associated with areas of future development of regional systolic dysfunction in patients with CCC.

Siderophores drive invasion dynamics in bacterial communities through their dual role as public good versus public bad.

Microbial invasions can compromise ecosystem services and spur dysbiosis and disease in hosts. Nevertheless, the mechanisms determining invasion outcomes often remain unclear. Here, we examine the role of iron-scavenging siderophores in driving invasions of Pseudomonas aeruginosa into resident communities of environmental pseudomonads. Siderophores can be 'public goods' by delivering iron to individuals possessing matching receptors; but they can also be 'public bads' by withholding iron from competitors lacking these receptors. Accordingly, siderophores should either promote or impede invasion, depending on their effects on invader and resident growth. Using supernatant feeding and invasion assays, we show that invasion success indeed increased when the invader could use its siderophores to inhibit (public bad) rather than stimulate (public good) resident growth. Conversely, invasion success decreased the more the invader was inhibited by the residents' siderophores. Our findings identify siderophores as a major driver of invasion dynamics in bacterial communities under iron-limited conditions.