Clinical and Epidemiological Assessment of Children and Adolescents Hospitalized with SARS-CoV-2 in the Pre-Amazon Region.

INTRODUCTION: SARS-CoV-2 infection usually presents similarly to other respiratory viral pathogens. Children and adolescents do not present as a group that is highly affected by the disease, having low infection rates. However, limited publications are associated with the findings of pneumonia in pediatric patients with COVID-19. OBJECTIVE: To analyze the clinical and epidemiological aspects of children and adolescents hospitalized with SARS-CoV-2 in a pre-Amazon region. METHODS: A retrospective study, carried out in four public hospitals in São Luís, Brazil where medical records of children and adolescents aged from 0 to 13 years, of both sexes, with clinical diagnosis of community-acquired pneumonia were evaluated from March 2020 to March 2021. RESULTS: Almost 40.0% of children were aged between 1 year and 5 years. Of the 128 children who had SARS-CoV-2, 3 are of indigenous ethnicity. Additionally, 78.6% of the children had fever and there was no significant difference between COVID-19 patients and those of other respiratory viruses. Eighteen patients had chronic neurological disease, which is the most common comorbidity observed in patients with coronavirus infection. Ground glass opacity attenuation was observed in 24.8% of children and adolescents with COVID-19. Anemia and increased inflammatory response markers were related to SARS-CoV-2 infection. More than 90.0% of patients admitted to hospital, regardless of etiology, were treated with antibiotics. Eighteen patients died. Pediatric multisystem inflammatory syndrome (PMIS) was diagnosed in 17 patients. CONCLUSIONS: SARS-CoV-2 in children and adolescents is mild, but the condition of patients with PMIS is more serious, with an increase in inflammatory biomarkers which can lead to death. Therefore, rapid diagnosis and differentiation of agents causing respiratory diseases are necessary for better therapeutic decision making, since the results of this study make us question the excessive use of antibiotics without meeting well-defined clinical-epidemiological criteria.

High Incidence of Respiratory Syncytial Virus in Children with Community-Acquired Pneumonia from a City in the Brazilian Pre-Amazon Region.

INTRODUCTION: Although fewer children have been affected by the severe form of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) continues to be the leading global cause of child hospitalizations and deaths. AIM: This study investigated the incidence of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) as well its subtypes (RSV A and B), adenovirus (ADV), rhinovirus (HRV), metapneumovirus (HMPV), coronavirus (NL63, OC43, 229E and HKU1), parainfluenza virus subtypes (PI1, PI2 and PI3), bocavirus and influenza A and B viruses (FluA and FluB) in children diagnosed with CAP during the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS: A total of 200 children with clinically confirmed CAP were initially recruited, of whom 107 had negative qPCR results for SARS-CoV-2 and were included in this study. Viral subtypes were identified using a real-time polymerase chain reaction in the nasopharyngeal swab samples. RESULTS: Viruses were identified in 69.2% of the patients. RSV infections were the most frequently identified (65.4%), with type RSV B being the most prevalent (63.5%). In addition, HCoV 229E and HRV were detected in 6.5% and 3.7% of the patients, respectively. RSV type B was associated with severe acute respiratory infection (ARI) and a younger age (less than 24 months). CONCLUSIONS: New strategies for preventing and treating viral respiratory infections, particularly RSV infections, are necessary.

Carnauba wax nanoemulsion applied as an edible coating on fresh tomato for postharvest quality evaluation.

Edible coatings to extend the shelf life and preserve the quality of fruit and vegetables are highly demanded nowadays. Recently, plant-based edible coatings have gained importance in the context of sustainability, which in combination with suitable top-down process can render "greener" nanoemulsions with optimized properties. Herein we developed a carnauba wax nanoemulsion (CWN) by using a high-pressure processing to be applied as an edible coating for fruit and vegetables. The as-developed nanoemulsion properties were compared to conventional carnauba wax emulsion (CWM), where CWN showed particle size diameter of 44 nm and narrow distribution, while CWM displayed larger particles and wider size distribution (from 200 to 1700 nm). For assessment of the postharvest quality, cv. 'Debora' tomatoes, employed here as a model, were coated with CWN or CWM, at concentrations of 9 and 18%, and then compared to uncoated fruit during storage at 23 °C for 15 days. Evaluation of fruit quality, including sugar, acids, pH, water vapor loss, firmness, gloss, color, ethylene and respiratory activity, were assessed at every 3 days, while sensory test were carried out at the end of storage. Uncoated tomatoes presented the highest water loss values, meanwhile, firmness, ethylene, and respiratory activity were not largely modified by the coatings during storage. Tomatoes coated with the CWN exhibited the highest instrumental gloss and were preferred by consumers in sensory evaluations, indicating the potential of the as-developed carnauba wax green nanoemulsion for postharvest applications.

Synthesis of structured lipids containing behenic acid from fully hydrogenated Crambe abyssinica oil by enzymatic interesterification.

Low-calorie structured lipids (SLs) rich in behenic and oleic acids were produced by enzymatic (EI) and chemical interesterification (CI) of high oleic sunflower oil and fully hydrogenated Crambe abyssinica oil in proportions of 60:40, 50:50, 40:60 and 30:70 (w/w), respectively. The immobilized lipase from Thermomyces lanuginosus (Lipozyme TL IM) was used for 3 h at 70 °C at a dosage of 7% (w/w) free of organic solvents. The original blend (BE) and the reaction products were evaluated for their fatty acid (FA) and triacylglycerols (TAG) compositions, solid fat contents, thermal analysis, regiospecific distribution of the FA, microstructure and polymorphism. The tendency was towards a reduction in the C52, C54, C60, C62 and C64 TAG contents and an increase in the C56, C58 e C66 TAG contents, therefore the solid fat content was reduced. There was lower acyl migration at the sn-2 position of the TAGs in EI as compared to CI in all the blends ratios. Needle-like crystals were predominant in the IE while large symmetrical spherulites were observed in the BE. Reduction in the mean crystal diameter was observed in all the blends, in addition to modifications of the crystal morphology. X-ray diffraction analysis showed a predominance of the ß' form crystals in both the IE and CI. The SLs were produced for application in the food industry as bakery/confectionery fats in the proportions of 60:40/50:50 and as additive in the crystallization of lipids in the proportions of 40:60/30:70.

Comparison of the regiospecific distribution from triacylglycerols after chemical and enzymatic interesterification of high oleic sunflower oil and fully hydrogenated high oleic sunflower oil blend by carbon-13 nuclear magnetic resonance.

The nutritional and organoleptic attributes of oils can proceed via interesterification of oils blends catalyzed by enzymes or chemicals. Enzymatic interesterification processes are preferred due the regiospecific outcome. Traditionally, monitoring of distribution of fatty acids (FA) in glycerol backbone is performed by enzymatic and chromatographic methods that are time-consuming, involving a series of chemical manipulations employing large volumes of organic solvents. Alternatively, carbon-13 nuclear magnetic resonance ((13)C NMR) is a fast and reliable technique that could be applied to determine the saturated and unsaturated FA distribution of the triacylglycerols (TAGs) present in high oleic sunflower oil (SO) and fully hydrogenated high oleic sunflower oil (HSO) blends and their interesterification products. The enzymatic interesterification was conducted employing the immobilized lipase from Thermomyces lanuginosus (Lipozyme TL IM), the results show that the process was not completely regiospecific at sn-1,3 positions, due to the spontaneous acyl migration from position sn-2 to sn-1,3.

Endothelial activation by platelets from sickle cell anemia patients.

Sickle cell anemia (SCA) is associated with a hypercoagulable state. Increased platelet activation is reported in SCA and SCA platelets may present augmented adhesion to the vascular endothelium, potentially contributing to the vaso-occlusive process. We sought to observe the effects of platelets (PLTs) from healthy control (CON) individuals and SCA individuals on endothelial activation, in vitro. Human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC) were cultured, in the presence, or not, of washed PLTs from CON or steady-state SCA individuals. Supernatants were reserved for cytokine quantification, and endothelial adhesion molecules (EAM) were analyzed by flow cytometry; gene expressions of ICAM1 and genes of the NF-κB pathway were analyzed by qPCR. SCA PLTs were found to be more inflammatory, displaying increased adhesive properties, an increased production of IL-1ß and a tendency towards elevated expressions of P-selectin and activated αIIbß3. Following culture in the presence of SCA PLTs, HUVEC presented significant augmentations in the expressions of the EAM, ICAM-1 and E-selectin, as well as increased IL-8 production and increased ICAM1 and NFKB1 (encodes p50 subunit of NF-κB) gene expressions. Interestingly, transwell inserts abolished the effects of SCA PLTs on EAM expression. Furthermore, an inhibitor of the NF-κB pathway, BAY 11-7082, also prevented the induction of EAM expression on the HUVEC surface by SCA PLTs. In conclusion, we find further evidence to indicate that platelets circulate in an activated state in sickle cell disease and are capable of stimulating endothelial cell activation. This effect appears to be mediated by direct contact, or even adhesion, between the platelets and endothelial cells and via NFκB-dependent signaling. As such, activated platelets in SCD may contribute to endothelial activation and, therefore, to the vaso-occlusive process. Results provide further evidence to support the use of anti-platelet approaches in association with other therapies for SCD.