Anticandida and antibiofilm activities of extract from Schinopsis brasiliensis Engl. against Candida spp.

The pathogenic nature of infections caused by Candida spp. underscores the necessity for novel therapeutic agents. Extracts of Schinopsis brasilienses Engl are \ a promising source of agents with antifungal effects. This study aimed to assess the antifungal potential of the leaf extract of S. brasilienses. The antifungal activity was evaluated by determining the minimum inhibitory concentrations and fungicide concentrations (MIC and MFC). The antibiofilm potential was assessed by counting colony-forming units/mL. The study examined the inhibition kinetics of fungal growth and potential synergism between gallic acid or the extract and nystatin using the Checkerboard method. Cytotoxicity was evaluated through the MTT assay. The extract exhibited antifungal effect against all tested strains, with MIC and MFC ranging from 31.25-250 µg/mL. Gallic acid, the main isolated compound, displayed a MIC of 2000 µg/mL. The extract of S. brasilienses at 31.25 µg/mL inhibited the formation of biofilm by C. albicans and significantly reduced the mass of mature biofilm after 24 and 48 h (p < 0. 05). At a concentration of 125 µg/mL, the extract demonstrated significant inhibition of fungal growth after 6 hours. The combination of gallic acid or extract with nystatin did not exhibit synergistic or antagonistic effect. Furthermore, the extract did not induce cytotoxicity to a human cell line. The extract of S. brasiliensis demonstrates antifungal activity against Candida, generally exhibiting fungicidal action and capacity to inhibit biofilm formation as well as reduce mature biofilms. Additionally, the extract showed low cytotoxicity to human cells.

Manifestation and sociodemographic microdata of Brazil's Unified Health System Ombudsman.

OBJECTIVES: This article presents the process of extraction and treatment of two datasets from the General Ombudsman of the Brazilian Unified Health System (OUVSUS). The resulting datasets allow the analysis of manifestation characteristics and sociodemographic profile of the citizens that performed these manifestations. DATA DESCRIPTION: The first dataset depicts the characteristics of the manifestations registered by the General Ombudsman. Each row represents an individual manifestation and contains information such as the registration date, classification, input channel, and subject, among others. The second dataset is constituted of sociodemographic information for each citizen that performed a manifestation, and characteristics such as sexual orientation, race, age, and geographic location of the citizen are presented, among others.

Anticandida and antibiofilm activities of extract from Schinopsis brasiliensis Engl. against Candida spp

Abstract The pathogenic nature of infections caused by Candida spp. underscores the necessity for novel therapeutic agents. Extracts of Schinopsis brasilienses Engl are / a promising source of agents with antifungal effects. This study aimed to assess the antifungal potential of the leaf extract of S. brasilienses. The antifungal activity was evaluated by determining the minimum inhibitory concentrations and fungicide concentrations (MIC and MFC). The antibiofilm potential was assessed by counting colony-forming units/mL. The study examined the inhibition kinetics of fungal growth and potential synergism between gallic acid or the extract and nystatin using the Checkerboard method. Cytotoxicity was evaluated through the MTT assay. The extract exhibited antifungal effect against all tested strains, with MIC and MFC ranging from 31.25-250 μg/mL. Gallic acid, the main isolated compound, displayed a MIC of 2000 μg/mL. The extract of S. brasilienses at 31.25 μg/mL inhibited the formation of biofilm by C. albicans and significantly reduced the mass of mature biofilm after 24 and 48 h (p < 0. 05). At a concentration of 125 μg/mL, the extract demonstrated significant inhibition of fungal growth after 6 hours. The combination of gallic acid or extract with nystatin did not exhibit synergistic or antagonistic effect. Furthermore, the extract did not induce cytotoxicity to a human cell line. The extract of S. brasiliensis demonstrates antifungal activity against Candida, generally exhibiting fungicidal action and capacity to inhibit biofilm formation as well as reduce mature biofilms. Additionally, the extract showed low cytotoxicity to human cells.

Lessons learned from investigating patients' and physiotherapists' perspectives on the design of a telerehabilitation platform.

PURPOSE: Home self-rehabilitation exercises for musculoskeletal conditions are a valuable complement to rehabilitation plans. Telerehabilitation systems using artificial intelligence can provide reliable solutions and empower patients by providing them with guidance and motivating them to engage in rehabilitation plans and activities. This study aims to understand the patient's and physiotherapist's perspective on the requirements of effective face-to-face physiotherapy sessions to inspire the design of a telerehabilitation platform to be used in home settings. METHODS: The authors used an ethnography-informed approach through observation and semi-structured interviews with patients (n = 13) and physiotherapists (n = 10) in two outpatient rehabilitation clinics. The AEIOU framework was used to structure and analyse the observation. Thematic analysis was used to code and analyse the data collected from the observations and the interviews. RESULTS: Patients' and physiotherapists' perspectives emphasise the need for exercise instruction clarity, evolution monitoring, and feedback. In the absence of the physiotherapist, in home settings, patients feel insecure and fear execution difficulties and limited exercise instructions, while physiotherapists struggle with controlling patients' home exercise performance. Telerehabilitation is seen as an opportunity to move further into home self-rehabilitation programs. CONCLUSIONS: Besides home exercise monitoring and guidance, telerehabilitation platforms must allow personalization and effective communication between patients and physiotherapists.

This work makes three important contributions, in which it extends existing research:Presents insights into the requirements of effective remote physiotherapy sessions;Highlights the challenges and concerns of patients and physiotherapists regarding telerehabilitation;Provides guidance for developing telerehabilitation platforms.

Neurocognitive function in children with cochlear implants and hearing aids: a systematic review.

Purpose: To systematically review the existing literature that examines the relationship between cognition, hearing, and language in children using cochlear implants and hearing aids. Method: The review has been registered in Prospero (Registration: CRD 42020203974). The review was based on the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis and examined the scientific literature in VHL, MEDLINE, CINAHL, Scopus, WOS, and Embase. It included original observational studies in children using hearing aids and/or cochlear implants who underwent cognitive and auditory and/or language tests. Data were extracted from the studies and their level of evidence was graded with the Oxford Center for Evidence-Based Medicine: Levels of Evidence. Meta-analysis could not be performed due to data heterogeneity. Outcomes are described in narrative and tables synthesis. Results: The systematic search and subsequent full-text evaluation identified 21 studies, conducted in 10 different countries. Altogether, their samples comprised 1,098 individuals, aged 0.16-12.6 years. The studies assessed the following cognitive domains: memory, nonverbal cognition, reasoning, attention, executive functions, language, perceptual-motor function, visuoconstructive ability, processing speed, and phonological processing/phonological memory. Children with hearing loss using cochlear implants and hearing aids scored significantly lower in many cognitive functions than normal hearing (NH) children. Neurocognitive functions were correlated with hearing and language outcomes. Conclusion: Many cognitive tools were used to assess cognitive function in children with hearing devices. Results suggest that children with cochlear implants and hearing aids have cognitive deficits; these outcomes are mainly correlated with vocabulary. This study highlights the need to understand children's cognitive function and increase the knowledge of the relationship between cognition, language, and hearing in children using cochlear implants and hearing aids.

A comprehensive integrated dataset on Brazilian health facilities: from 2005 to 2021.

OBJECTIVES: The National Registry of Healthcare Facilities is a system with the registry of every healthcare facility in Brazil with information on the capacity building and healthcare workforce regarding its public or private nature. Despite being publicly available, it can only be accessed in separated disjoint tables, with different primary units of analysis. The objective is to offer an interoperable dataset containing monthly data from 2005 to 2021 with information on healthcare facilities, including their physical and human resources, services and teams, enriched with municipal information. DATA DESCRIPTION: Database with historical data and geographic information for each health facility in Brazil. It is composed by 5 distinct tables, organized according to combinations of time, space, and types of resources, services and teams. This database opens up a range of possibilities for research topics, from case studies in a single health facility and period, analysis of a group of health facilities with characteristics of interest, to a broader study using the entire dataset and aggregated data by municipality. Furthermore, the fact that there is a row for each health facility/month/year facilitates the integration with other datasets from the Brazilian healthcare system. In addition to being a potential object of study in the health area, the dataset is also convenient in data science, especially for studies focused on time series.

Dataset on infant mortality rates in Brazil.

OBJECTIVES: Surveillance of infant and fetal deaths is of paramount importance in thinking about government strategies to reduce these rates, provide greater visibility of these mortality figures in the country, enable the adoption of prevention measures, as well as contribute to a better record of deaths. DATA DESCRIPTION: The dataset comprises fetal, neonatal, early neonatal, late neonatal, and perinatal Mortality Rates of Brazilian municipalities with their respective information, between 2010 to 2020, aggregated by epidemiological week.

E-liquid alters oral epithelial cell function to promote epithelial to mesenchymal transition and invasiveness in preclinical oral squamous cell carcinoma.

The gaining popularity of tobacco and nicotine delivery products, such as electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) being perceived as relatively safe is of a medical concern. The long-term safety of these new products remains uncertain for oral health. In this study, in vitro effects of e-liquid were assessed in a panel of normal oral epithelium cell lines (NOE and HMK), oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) human cell lines (CAL27 and HSC3), and a mouse oral cancer cell line (AT84) using cell proliferation, survival/cell death, and cell invasion assays. In addition, signaling pathways underlying the pro-invasive activity of e-cigarettes were evaluated by gene and protein expression analysis. We demonstrated that e-liquid promotes proliferation and anchorage-independent growth of OSCC and induces morphological changes associated with enhanced motility and invasive phenotypes. Furthermore, e-liquid-exposed cells express significantly reduced cell viability, regardless of e-cigarette flavour content. At the gene expression level, e-liquid induces changes in gene expression consistent with epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT) revealed by reduced expression of cell epithelial markers such as E-cadherin and enhanced expression of mesenchymal proteins like vimentin and B-catenin seen both in OSCC cell lines and normal oral epithelium cells. In summary, the ability of e-liquid to induce proliferative and invasive properties along the activation of the EMT process can contribute to the development of tumorigenesis in normal epithelial cells and promote aggressive phenotype in pre-existing oral malignant cells.

Responses Triggered by the Immune System in Hypertensive Conditions and Repercussions on Target Organ Damage: A Review.

BACKGROUND: Hypertension is a chronic, multifactorial clinical condition characterized by sustained high blood pressure levels. It is often associated with functional-structural alterations of target organs, which include heart, brain, kidneys, and vasculature. OBJECTIVE: This study highlights the recent correlation between the immune system and hypertension and its repercussions on target-organ damage. METHODS: The descriptors used for the search of the study were "hypertension", "immunity", and "target organs". The methodology of the study followed the main recommendations of the PRISMA statement. RESULTS: The damage to the vasculature arises mainly from the migration of T cells and monocytes that become pro-inflammatory in the adventitia, releasing TNF-α, IFN-γ, and IL-17, which induce endothelial damage and hinder vascular relaxation. In the renal context, the inflammatory process associated with hypertension culminates in renal invasion by leukocytes, which contribute to the injury of this organ by mechanisms of intense sympathetic stimulation, activation of the reninangiotensin system, sodium retention, and aggravation of oxidative stress. In the cardiac context, hypertension increases the expression of pro-inflammatory elements, such as B, T, and NK cells, in addition to the secretion of IFN-γ, IL-17, IL-23, and TNF-α from angiotensin II, reactive oxygen species, and aldosterone. This pro-inflammatory action is also involved in brain damage through SphK1. In view of the above, the participation of the immune system in hypertension-induced injuries seems to be unequivocal. CONCLUSION: Therefore, understanding the multifactorial mechanisms related to hypertension will certainly allow for more efficient interventions in this condition, preventing target organ damage.

COVID-19 e a adaptação ao ensino remoto emergencial: revisão de escopo / COVID-19 and the adaptation to emergency remote teaching: a scoping review

Objetivo: Mapear o conhecimento sobre os principais desafios e as possíveis oportunidades advindas do ensino remoto emergencial durante a pandemia da COVID-19 sob a perspectiva de docentes e discentes dos cursos de ensino superior das áreas de Ciências da Saúde. Método: Trata-se de uma revisão de escopo pautada nas reco-mendações do The Joanna Briggs Institute. Foram realizadas buscas em duas bases de dados a fim de identificar estudos primários publicados em português, inglês e espanhol, entre os anos de 2020 e 2021, das quais foram identificadas 15 publicações que abordavam o ensino remoto emergencial em cursos de ensino superior da área de saúde. Resultados: Das publicações analisadas, 73,3% eram estudos transversais. Sete dos estudos tiveram os discentes como grupo de estudo, quatro abordaram a perspectiva docente, e três trouxeram a percepção conjunta de discentes e docentes. Os principais desafios identificados foram: o cumprimento das atividades de prática clínica, o distanciamento e menor interação entre pares, aumento da carga de trabalho, dificuldade/disparidade no acesso à internet e problemas técnicos, presença de distratores dificultando foco e motivação, dificuldade de manter aten-ção nesta modalidade de ensino, qualidade do ensino, baixa adesão dos discentes, insatisfação com as atividades em grupo e dificuldades em relação ao uso do dispositivo. Como oportunidades, a flexibilidade das aulas, o uso de tecnologias interativas, economia de tempo, melhoria de interação entre os discentes e docentes, possibilidades de cooperação vencidas pela barreira física. Conclusão: Do ponto de vista de discentes e docentes, existiram inúme-ros desafios sociais, tecnológicos (acesso e conhecimento) e pedagógicos. No entanto, este contexto também trou-xe novas oportunidades, que devem ser refletidas e analisadas pela comunidade acadêmica como pontos positivos, e incorporadas estrategicamente a fim de transformar o sistema educacional. (AU)

Objective: To map the knowledge of the main challenges and possible opportunities in emergency remote teaching during the COVID-19 pandemic from the perspective of higher education health science professors and students. Method: This scoping review was based on the recommendations of the Joanna Briggs Institute. The search was conducted in two databases to identify primary studies published in Portuguese, English, or Spanish in 2020 and 2021; 15 publications that approached emergency remote teaching in higher education programs in the field of health were identified. Results: Of the analyzed publications, 73.3% were cross-sectional studies. Seven studies comprised students in the study group; four addressed professors' perspectives; and three analyzed both students' and professors' perceptions. The following main challenges were identified: carrying out practical clinical activities, peer distancing and less interaction, increased workload, Internet access difficulties/disparities and technical problems, presence of distractors hindering focus and motivation, attention difficulties in this teaching modality, quality of teaching, low student adherence, dissatisfaction with group activities, and difficulties using devices. The opportunities included class flexibility, interactive technology use, time saving, improved student-professor interaction, cooperation possibilities otherwise impossible due to physical barriers. Conclusion: From the students' and professors' standpoint, there were countless social, technological (access and knowledge), and pedagogical challenges. On the other hand, this context also provided new opportunities, which the academic community must consider and analyze as positive aspects incorporated strategically to transform the educational system. (AU)

Salivary hormone concentrations and technical-tactical performance indicators in beach volleyball: Preliminary evidence.

The present study aimed to investigate (i) differences in salivary testosterone and cortisol concentrations before, during, and after simulated beach volleyball match, depending on match outcome (winning vs. losing); (ii) the relationship between technical-tactical performance indicators in beach volleyball and salivary hormonal concentrations (i.e., testosterone, cortisol). We hypothesized (i) salivary testosterone concentrations would be greater in winners and salivary cortisol would be lower; (ii) testosterone would associate with positive technical-tactical performance and cortisol would associate with negative technical-tactical performance. Sixteen athletes participated in the study and were grouped according to the result of a simulated game (winners: n = 8; losers: n = 8). Salivary hormone concentration of testosterone and cortisol were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (pre-match, post first set, and post-match), and the coefficient of performance and efficiency were used as technical-tactical performance indicators. Regarding testosterone, there was a large effect size for match outcome after the first set (i.e., Winner vs. Losers) and a moderate effect size for the time in winners (pre-match vs. post-match). Regarding cortisol, there was a moderate effect size of time in losers only (pre-match vs. post-match). Moreover, cortisol pre-match was negatively correlated with the offensive performance (attack performance coefficient: r = -0.541; p = 0.030; attack efficiency: r = -0.568; p = 0.022). In conclusion, the effect of match outcome on testosterone and cortisol levels was moderate in winners and losers, respectively. Moreover, resting cortisol concentration appears to be related to a diminished attack technical-tactical performance. However, larger confirmatory studies are required to confirm these data to corroborate winning increases testosterone levels and/or reduces cortisol in a sporting setting.

Comparison of sampling designs from the two editions of the Brazilian National Health Survey, 2013 and 2019.

Our objective is to describe the differences in the sampling plans of the two editions of the Brazilian National Health Survey (PNS 2013 and 2019) and to evaluate how the changes affected the coefficient of variation (CV) and the design effect (Deff) of some estimated indicators. Variables from different parts of the questionnaire were analyzed to cover proportions with different magnitudes. The prevalence of obesity was included in the analysis since anthropometry measurement in the 2019 survey was performed in a subsample. The value of the point estimate, CV, and the Deff were calculated for each indicator, considering the stratification of the primary sampling units, the weighting of the sampling units, and the clustering effect. The CV and the Deff were lower in the 2019 estimates for most indicators. Concerning the questionnaire indicators of all household members, the Deffs were high and reached values greater than 18 for having a health insurance plan. Regarding the indicators of the individual questionnaire, for the prevalence of obesity, the Deff ranged from 2.7 to 4.2, in 2013, and from 2.7 to 10.2, in 2019. The prevalence of hypertension and diabetes per Federative Unit had a higher CV and lower Deff. Expanding the sample size to meet the diverse health objectives and the high Deff are significant challenges for developing probabilistic household-based national survey. New probabilistic sampling strategies should be considered to reduce costs and clustering effects.

Identification of R-Spondin Gene Signature Predictive of Metastatic Progression in BRAFV600E-Positive Papillary Thyroid Cancer.

Papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) is the most common malignancy of the thyroid gland and early stages are curable. However, a subset of PTCs shows an unusually aggressive phenotype with extensive lymph node metastasis and higher incidence of locoregional recurrence. In this study, we investigated a large cohort of PTC cases with an unusual aggressive phenotype using a high-throughput RNA sequencing (RNA-Seq) to identify differentially regulated genes associated with metastatic PTC. All metastatic PTC with mutated BRAF (V600E) but not BRAF wild-type expressed an up-regulation of R-Spondin Protein 4 (RSPO4) concomitant with an upregulation of genes involved in focal adhesion and cell-extracellular matrix signaling. Further immunohistochemistry validation confirmed the upregulation of these target genes in metastatic PTC cases. Preclinical studies using established PTC cell lines support that RSPO4 overexpression is associated with BRAF V600E mutation and is a critical upstream event that promote activation of kinases of focal adhesion signaling known to drive cancer cell locomotion and invasion. This finding opens up the potential of co-targeting B-Raf, RSPO and focal adhesion proteins as a pharmacological approach for aggressive BRAF V600E PTC.

Comparison of sampling designs from the two editions of the Brazilian National Health Survey, 2013 and 2019 / Comparação de desenhos amostrais das duas edições da Pesquisa Nacional de Saúde, 2013 e 2019 / Comparación entre diseños muestrales de las dos ediciones de la Encuesta Nacional de Salud Brasil, 2013 y 2019

Our objective is to describe the differences in the sampling plans of the two editions of the Brazilian National Health Survey (PNS 2013 and 2019) and to evaluate how the changes affected the coefficient of variation (CV) and the design effect (Deff) of some estimated indicators. Variables from different parts of the questionnaire were analyzed to cover proportions with different magnitudes. The prevalence of obesity was included in the analysis since anthropometry measurement in the 2019 survey was performed in a subsample. The value of the point estimate, CV, and the Deff were calculated for each indicator, considering the stratification of the primary sampling units, the weighting of the sampling units, and the clustering effect. The CV and the Deff were lower in the 2019 estimates for most indicators. Concerning the questionnaire indicators of all household members, the Deffs were high and reached values greater than 18 for having a health insurance plan. Regarding the indicators of the individual questionnaire, for the prevalence of obesity, the Deff ranged from 2.7 to 4.2, in 2013, and from 2.7 to 10.2, in 2019. The prevalence of hypertension and diabetes per Federative Unit had a higher CV and lower Deff. Expanding the sample size to meet the diverse health objectives and the high Deff are significant challenges for developing probabilistic household-based national survey. New probabilistic sampling strategies should be considered to reduce costs and clustering effects.

Nosso objetivo é descrever as diferenças nos desenhos amostrais das duas edições da Pesquisa Nacional de Saúde (PNS 2013 e 2019) e avaliar como suas mudanças afetaram o coeficiente de variação (CV) e o efeito do desenho (Deff) de alguns dos indicadores avaliados. Variáveis de diferentes partes do questionário foram analisadas para avaliar proporções com diferentes magnitudes. A prevalência de obesidade foi incluída na análise uma vez que a medição de antropometria na pesquisa de 2019 foi realizada em uma subamostra. Os valores do estimador pontual, CV e Deff foram calculados para cada indicador considerando a estratificação das unidades amostrais primárias, a ponderação das unidades amostrais, e o efeito do agrupamento. Para a maioria dos indicadores, CV e Deff foram menores nas estimativas de 2019. Em relação aos indicadores para todos os membros familiares, Deffs foram elevados e atingiram valores superiores a 18 para a posse de um plano de saúde. Quanto aos indicadores no questionário individual, Deff variou de 2,7 a 4,2 em 2013 e de 2,7 a 10,2 em 2019 para a prevalência de obesidade. A prevalência de hipertensão arterial e diabetes por Unidade Federativa apresentou CV maior e Deff menor. A expansão do tamanho da amostra para atender aos diversos objetivos de saúde e Deff altos são desafios expressivos para o desenvolvimento de uma pesquisa nacional domiciliar probabilística. Novas estratégias de amostragem probabilística devem ser consideradas para reduzir custos e efeitos do agrupamento.

Nuestro objetivo es describir las diferencias en los diseños muestrales de las dos ediciones de la Encuesta Nacional de Salud (PNS 2013 y 2019) y evaluar cómo sus cambios afectaron el coeficiente de variación (CV) y el efecto de diseño (Deff) de algunos de los indicadores evaluados. Se analizaron variables de diferentes partes del cuestionario para evaluar proporciones con diferentes magnitudes. La prevalencia de obesidad se incluyó en el análisis, ya que la medición de la antropometría en la encuesta de 2019 se realizó en una submuestra. Los valores del estimador puntual, CV y Deff se calcularon para cada indicador considerando la estratificación de las unidades de muestreo primarias, la ponderación de las unidades de muestreo y el efecto de agrupamiento. Para la mayoría de los indicadores, CV y Deff fueron más bajos en las estimaciones de 2019. En cuanto a los indicadores para todos los miembros de la familia, los Deff fueron altos y alcanzaron valores superiores a 18 por tener un plan de salud. En cuanto a los indicadores del cuestionario individual, Deff osciló entre 2,7 y 4,2 en 2013, y entre 2,7 y 10,2 en 2019 para la prevalencia de obesidad. La prevalencia de hipertensión arterial y diabetes por Unidad Federativa tuvo mayor CV y menor Deff. Un mayor tamaño de la muestra para cumplir con los diversos objetivos de salud y un alto valor de Deff son desafíos importantes para el desarrollo de una encuesta nacional domiciliar probabilística. Se deben considerar nuevas estrategias de muestreo probabilístico para reducir los costos y efectos de agrupamiento.

Chitosan/PCL nanoparticles can improve anti-neoplastic activity of 5-fluorouracil in head and neck cancer through autophagy activation.

Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC), a prevalent cancer worldwide, has a high incidence of loco-regional dissemination, frequent recurrence, and lower 5-year survival rates. Current gold standard treatments for advanced HNSCC rely primarily on radiotherapy and chemotherapy but with limited efficacy and significant side effects. In this study, we characterized a novel 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) carrier composed of chitosan solution (CS) and polycaprolactone (PCL) microparticles (MPs) in HNSCC preclinical models. The designed MPs were evaluated for their size, morphology, drug entrapment efficiency (EE%) and in vitro drug release profile. The anti-cancer activity of 5-FU-loaded particles was assessed in HNSCC human cell lines (CAL27 and HSC3) and in a preclinical mouse model (AT84) utilizing cell proliferation and survival, cell motility, and autophagy endpoints. The results demonstrated a 38.57 % in 5-FU entrapment efficiency associated with reduced 5-FU in vitro release up to 96 h post-exposure. Furthermore, CS-decorated PCL MPs were able to promote a significant inhibition of cancer cell proliferation based on the metabolic and colony formation assays, in comparison to controls. In contrast, CS-decorated PCL MPs did not influence the pharmacological efficacy of 5-FU to inhibit in vitro cancer cell migration. Last, cell protein analysis revealed a significant increase of autophagy and cell death evaluated by LC3-II expression and PARP1 cleavage, respectively. In summary, these results support the potential utility of CS-decorated PCL MPs as an effective 5-FU-delivery carrier to improve HNSCC therapeutic management.

Neonatal mortality rates in Brazilian municipalities: from 1996 to 2017.

OBJECTIVES: Neonatal mortality is a global public health problem, and the efforts to reduce child mortality is one of the goals of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, launched in 2015 by the United Nations. The availability of historical neonatal mortality rates (NMR) data in Brazilian municipalities is crucial to evaluate trends at local, regional and national level, identifying gaps and vulnerable territories. Therefore, the objective of this article is to offer an integrated dataset containing monthly data in a historical series from 1996 to 2017 with information on all births, neonatal deaths, and NMR (total, early and late components) enriched with information related to the municipality. DATA DESCRIPTION: It is a dataset of historical data with information on the number of births, the number of neonatal deaths, the neonatal mortality rate (including early and late), and geographic information for each month (between January 1996 and December 2017) and Brazilian municipality.

Single-Joint Exercise Results in Higher Hypertrophy of Elbow Flexors Than Multijoint Exercise.

ABSTRACT: Mannarino, P, Matta, T, Lima, J, Simão, R, and Freitas de Salles, B. Single-Joint Exercise Results in Higher Hypertrophy of Elbow Flexors Than Multijoint Exercise. J Strength Cond Res 35(10): 2677-2681, 2021-Recent data suggest that single-joint exercises are unnecessary to maximize the resistance training (RT) results in novice to advanced individuals. However, the present literature is still inconsistent on this topic and controversy arises. The aim of this study was to compare the effects of the unilateral dumbbell row (DR) (multiple-joint) vs. unilateral biceps curl (BC) (single-joint) exercises on strength and elbow flexors muscle thickness (MT). Ten untrained men were assigned to an 8-week RT program for elbow flexors, one arm performing DR and the other performing BC in a within-subject design. After a familiarization, pretraining MT was measured using an ultrasound (US) technique, and strength was tested using 10 repetition maximum (10RM) tests. After pretesting, 8 weeks of RT (4-6 sets, 8-12 repetitions to concentric failure, 2 sessions per week) was performed. Post-testing was conducted in the same order as pretesting 48 and 72 hours after the last session. Single-joint BC exercise resulted in higher hypertrophy of elbow flexors (11.06%) than the DR (5.16%) multijoint exercise after 8 weeks of RT (p = 0.009). The 10RM improvement was higher for DR in DR-trained arm, whereas 10RM for BC was higher in BC-trained arm. The single-joint exercise resulted in higher hypertrophy of the elbow flexors than multijoint exercise after 8 weeks of RT, whereas strength improvements were greater in accordance with specificity of RT exercise. Therefore, in RT prescription for elbow flexors hypertrophy, single-joint exercises such as BC should be emphasized.

Effectiveness of Core-Shell Nanofibers Incorporating Amphotericin B by Solution Blow Spinning Against Leishmania and Candida Species.

The aim of this study was to develop polymeric nanofibers for controlled administration of Amphotericin B (AmpB), using the solution centrifugation technique, characterizing its microstructural and physical properties, release rate, and activity against Leishmania and Candida species. The core-shell nanofibers incorporated with AmpB were synthesized by Solution Blow Spinning (SBS) and characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), differential scanning calorimetry, X-Ray diffraction, and drug release assay. In vitro leishmanicidal and antifungal activity were also evaluated. Fibrous membranes with uniform morphology and smooth surfaces were produced. The intensity of the diffraction peaks becomes slightly more pronounced, assuming the increased crystallization in PLA/PEG at high AmpB loadings. Drug release occurred and the solutions with nanofibers to encourage greater incorporation of AmpB showed a higher concentration. In the results of the experiment with promastigotes, the wells treated with nanofibers containing concentrations of AmpB at 0.25, 0.5, and 1%, did not have any viable cells, similar to the positive control. Various concentrations of AmpB improved the inhibition of fungal growth. The delivery system based on PLA/PEG nanofibers was properly developed for AmpB, presenting a controlled release and a successful encapsulation, as well as antifungal and antileishmanial activity.

Nanoparticle-Based Chemotherapy Formulations for Head and Neck Cancer: A Systematic Review and Perspectives.

Head and neck cancer (HNC) is a complex and heterogeneous disease associated with high mortality and morbidity worldwide. Standard therapeutic management of advanced HNC, which is based on radiotherapy often combined with chemotherapy, has been hampered by severe long-term side effects. To overcome these side effects, tumor-selective nanoparticles have been exploited as a potential drug delivery system to improve HNC therapy. A combination of MEDLINE, EMBASE, Cochrane Oral Health Group's Trials Register, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL) and ClinicalTrials.gov from inception up to June 2020 was used for this systematic review. A total of 1747 published manuscripts were reviewed and nine relevant references were retrieved for analysis, while eight of them were eligible for meta-analysis. Based on these studies, the level of evidence about the efficacy of nanoformulation for HNC therapy on tumor response and adverse side effects (SAE) was low. Even though basic research studies have revealed a greater promise of nanomaterial to improve the outcome of cancer therapy, none of them were translated into clinical benefits for HNC patients. This systematic review summarized and discussed the recent progress in the development of targeted nanoparticle approaches for HNC management, and open-up new avenues for future perspectives.