Obesity is considered a serious public health problem, as an epidemic disease with major global repercussions that is associated with the development of other chronic conditions such as hypertension, diabetes, and cardiovascular diseases. The current study examines the distribution of adult obesity in different countries using a beta regression model. This is a descriptive ecological study with a quantitative and inferential approach and a focus on beta regression analysis. Application of this method used a set of real data from public sources on adult obesity in 78 countries in 2014. Descriptive data analysis showed that 50% of the countries showed adult obesity prevalence greater than 20%. In addition, analysis of the distribution of prevalence by country showed lower adult obesity levels in countries of Asia and Africa. Meanwhile, higher values were found in countries of the Americas and Europe. Boxplot analysis also evidenced a possible difference in the proportion of obese adults between the Americas and Europe on one side and Africa and Asia on the other. Adjustment of the beta regression model with varying dispersion and 5% significance identified mean annual per capita alcohol intake, percentage of insufficient physical activity, percentage of the population living in urban areas, and life expectancy as variables associated with adult obesity.

IIntroduction: Garlic has a wide range of actions, including antibacterial, antiviral, antifungal, antiprotozoal and anthelmintic actions. This antiparasitic activity has been attributed to allicin, which is the main constituent of garlic. The present study aimed to investigate the in vitro activity of allicin on the tegument of adult Schistosoma mansoni worms using scanning electron microscopy. Methods: Swiss Webster mice were infected with S. mansoni cercariae (100 per mouse) and sacrificed 50 days later to acquire the adult worms. These worms were collected by perfusion and placed in RPMI medium 1,640 at 37°C before transferring to RPMI media containing 0 (control), 5, 10, 15 and 20mg/mL of allicin, where they were incubated for 2h. The worms were fixed in 2.5% glutaraldehyde solution, washed twice, post-fixed in osmium tetroxide, washed twice and then dehydrated with ascending grades of ethanol. The samples were air-dried, mounted on stubs, gold coated in an ion sputtering unit and viewed using a scanning electron microscope. Results: A concentration of 5mg/mL caused wrinkling in the tegument; a concentration of 10mg/ mL resulted in changes to tubercles and loss or modification of spines. With 15 and 20mg/mL increasing damage to the tegument could be seen, such as vesicle formation and the presence of ulcers. Conclusions: These findings demonstrate the effect of allicin on adult S. mansoni worms and indicate that most of the changes occur at concentrations greater than that normally indicated for treatment.

Intestinal parasites - helminths and protozoa - are cosmopolitan diseases which are most prevalent in tropical regions. Patients with diagnoses of autoimmune rheumatic diseases have, due to the underlying disease or its treatment, an increased risk of occurrence of severe manifestations of intestinal parasites. Although the prevalence of these parasitic infections is very high in our environment, not always is the rheumatologist attentive to the need for investigation and treatment of helminthiasis and protozooses before the use of immunomodulatory, immunosuppressive therapies, and of biological drugs that are modifiers of the course of the disease. In this document, the Brazilian Society of Rheumatology establishes general recommendations on the diagnosis and treatment of intestinal parasitic infections in Brazil in patients with autoimmune rheumatic diseases, highlighting rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus and spondyloarthritis.

Phenolic compounds, among them isopropyl caffeate, possess antioxidant potential, but not without toxicity and/or adverse effects. The present study aimed to evaluate the antioxidant activity and toxicity of isopropyl caffeate through in silico, in vitro and in vivo testing. The results showed that isopropyl caffeate presents no significant theoretical risk of toxicity, with likely moderate bioactivity: GPCR binding, ion channel modulation, nuclear receptor binding, and enzyme inhibition. Isopropyl caffeate induced hemolysis only at the concentrations of 500 and 1000 μg/ml. We observed types A and O erythrocyte protection from osmotic stress, no oxidation of erythrocytes, and even sequestrator and antioxidant behavior. However, moderate toxicity, according to the classification of GHS, was demonstrated through depressant effects on the central nervous system, though there was no influence on water and food consumption or on weight gain, and it did present possible hepatoprotection. We conclude that the effects induced by isopropyl caffeate are due to its antioxidant activity, capable of preventing production of free radicals and oxidative stress, a promising molecule with pharmacological potential.

RESUMO Este artigo tem por objetivo identificar os fatores que influenciam a eficiência na aplicação dos recursos destinados à Atenção Básica nos municípios brasileiros. Para isso, utilizou-se o modelo de regressão beta inflacionado, uma vez que a variável dependente apresenta valores no intervalo (0,1]. De acordo com os resultados, o índice Firjan de desenvolvimento municipal na saúde e serviços de saneamento básico são fatores que influenciam positivamente a eficiência média na Atenção Básica de um município. Por outro lado, o gasto per capita de um município, em Atenção Básica, exerce efeito negativo na eficiência média.

Objective: To determine the prevalence of spondyloarthritis (SpA) in the Caucasian population of Terceira Island, Azores. Methods: Study subjects were recruited from people over the age of 50 years from one half of the island of Terceira (n=24 561). Seventy eight men and 78 women from each five year age group were selected, giving a total of 468 men and 468 women available for study, of whom 490 agreed to take part. These subjects were assessed by dorsal, lumbar, and pelvic radiography. Radiological sacroiliitis was identified in eight patients on whom sacroiliac computed tomography scans were performed. HLA class I typing by polymerase chain reaction with sequencespecific primers was carried out in seven cases. Results: SpA was present in eight subjects (1.6%, 95% CI 0.8 to 2.7%), including seven men (2.7%) and one woman (0.4%). Three (1.2% ) male patients with definite ankylosing spondylitis were HLA-B27 positive. Only one person had a previous diagnosis of SpA. Conclusion: These data complement previous studies in European countries on SpA prevalence and establish an estimate of the overall prevalence of SpA in a southern European population.

OBJECTIVE:To evaluate the prevalence of burnout syndrome (BS) in physicians working during the COVID-19 pandemic in Paraíba and to investigate the association between BS and the sociodemographic and labor variables of these professionals.METHODS: This was a cross-sectional study including physicians who were active during the pandemic in Paraíba, whether they were on the front line (group 1) or not (group 2). Sociodemographic and labor variables were collected, and the Maslach Burnout Inventory-Human Services Survey (MBI-HSS) questionnaire was applied.RESULTS: A total of 126 physicians were included, including 82 who were on the front line. Among the professionals with results compatible with BS, 85.5% were in group 1, compared with 14.5% in group 2, and this difference was statistically significant. At the 5% level, the variables associated with BS were age (24-33 years), not having children, working on the front line, working in the COVID-19 ICU, being on duty, and having contracted COVID-19. CONCLUSIONS: This case series found a positive association between the development of BS and medical action on the front line of the COVID-19 pandemic in Paraíba.

O uso de plantas para tratamento de muitas enfermidades vem do conhecimento de antepassados e se propaga ao longo dos anos, mostrando ser uma boa alternativa, principalmente para aqueles que possuem poucos recursos financeiros. Dentre as doenças tratadas encontram-se as parasitoses que são a causa de mais de 200 mil mortes por ano. Esta revisão sistemática pesquisou, na literatura, quais espécies vegetais são usadas por diferentes comunidades do mundo para o tratamento de parasitoses. Para isso foram utilizados os bancos de dados primários: PubMed, SciELO e LILACS. Os termos usados na busca encontraram-se na língua inglesa, associados com o operador booleano AND: “parasitic diseases” AND “plants medicinal”. Encontrando-se 853 publicações, sendo posteriormente aplicados critérios de inclusão e exclusão, selecionando ao todo 9 artigos.  Foram verificadas 67 espécies de 42 famílias, na qual a família Leguminosae foi a mais citada pela população, e as espécies vegetais mais usadas foram Azadirachta indicam, Euphorbia abyssinica e Mangifera indica, com destaque para a primeira. A malária foi a que teve maior número de plantas medicinais para o seu tratamento. Apesar do desenvolvimento de fármacos, observa-se que a medicina tradicional não caiu em desuso, buscando incentivar estudos científicos que garantam a eficácia terapêutica destas plantas medicinais.