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AbstractBackgroundAimMethodsResultsConclusion\nSHORT CONDENSATIONIn low- and middle-income countries, pregnancy in adolescence represents an important public health issue. Rates of early pregnancy have significant social and economic consequences that extend beyond the individual sphere, impacting public/governmental budgets.To estimate the cost implications of early pregnancies from the perspective of the Brazilian Unified Public Health System.This retrospective secondary data analysis focuses on assessing direct hospital costs. The study cohort comprises adolescents and young adults who underwent prenatal care at a reference maternity hospital between January and December 2021. Individual procedure costs were extracted from hospital records and converted into monetary values using the Brazilian Federal Fee. The sample size for each group was determined based on preliminary data collected during a pilot study. Descriptive analyses presented costs stratified by age groups. To estimate budgetary impacts and sensitivity we used national live birth incidence rates.The mean cost per case of adolescent pregnancy was US$ 704.92 (SD: 1,707.74) and for adult pregnancy was US$ 592.40 (SD: 941.43). The cost of hospital admission accounted for 61% of the total cost of adolescent pregnancies. The annual budget impact of pregnancies among women under 30 years was estimated at US$ 1 billion, with 239 million coming from women under 20 years old.Pregnancy in adolescence may lead to a significant annual budget impact, representing 24% of costs attributed to pregnancies among women under 30 years. Costs related to hospital admissions and complications represent a substantial share of the total costs of adolescent pregnancy.Rates of early pregnancy have significant social and economic consequences that extend beyond the individual sphere, impacting public/governmental budgets. This article provides the annual impact of adolescent pregnancy on public health in Brazil, which amounts to US$ 239 million. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Little is known about the role of seaweed extracts in modulating the growth and the essential oil production in geranium [Pelargonium graveolens (L.) Herit]. Hence, this work aimed to evaluate the effects of Ascophylum nodosum (AN) and Solieria chordalis (SC) extracts on biometric, biochemical and phytochemical parameters in geranium plants. The experiment was conducted at greenhouse conditions, and seaweed extracts were applied by foliar pulverization. The obtained results revealed that seaweed extracts enhanced vegetative growth, directing it towards the production of a greater number of leaves at the expense of plant height and ramifications. Additionally, chlorophyll b, total soluble sugars and essential oil yield were increased due to seaweed extracts. The main constituents of volatile oil such as Linalool, Citronellol and iso-Menthone were not changed by seaweed extract treatments, with exception of Geraniol content which were slight reduced in SC treated plants. These results suggested that seaweed extracts may be used as an eco-friendly alternative to modulate growth and productivity of geranium. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We aimed to evaluate the influence of different types of wheelchair seats on paraplegic individuals' postural control using a maximum anterior reaching test. Balance evaluations during 50, 75, and 90% of each individual's maximum reach in the forward direction using two different cushions on seat (one foam and one gel) and a no-cushion condition were carried out on 11 individuals with a spinal cord injury (SCI) and six individuals without SCI. Trunk anterior displacement and the time spent to perform the test were assessed. No differences were found for the three types of seats in terms of trunk anterior displacement and the time spent to perform the test when intragroup comparisons were made in both groups (P greater than 0.05). The intergroup comparison showed that body displacement was less prominent and the time spent to perform the test was more prolonged for individuals with SCI (P less than 0.05), which suggests a postural control deficit. The seat type did not affect the ability of the postural control system to maintain balance during the forward-reaching task. (Contains 1 table and 2 figures.)

ABSTRACT Purpose: Propolis biological effects are mainly attributed to its polyphenolic constituents such as flavonoids and phenolic acids that were recently described in the chemical composition of an extract of [...]

Abstract Background Altered immune function during ageing results in increased production of nitric oxide (NO) and other inflammatory mediators. Recently, we have reported that NO production was inhibited by naturally-occurring proteasome inhibitors (quercetin, δ-tocotrienol, and riboflavin) in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated RAW264.7 cells, and thioglycolate-elicited peritoneal macrophages from C57BL/6 mice. In a continuous effort to find more potent, non-toxic, commercially available, naturally-occurring proteasome inhibitors that suppress inflammation, the present study was carried out to describe the inhibition of NF-κB activation and NO, TNF-α, IL-6, IL-1β, and iNOS expression by trans-resveratrol, trans-pterostilbene, morin hydrate, and nicotinic acid in LPS-induced RAW 264.7 cells and thioglycolate-elicited peritoneal macrophages from C57BL/6 and BALB/c mice. Results The present results indicate that resveratrol, pterostilbene, and morin hydrate caused significant inhibition (>70% to 90%; P 40%; P 60%; P 40%; P P Conclusions The present results clearly demonstrate that resveratrol and pterostilbene are particularly potent proteasome inhibitors that suppress expression of genes, and production of inflammatory products in LPS-stimulated RAW 264.7 cells, and macrophages from C57BL/6 and BALB/c mice. Resveratrol and pterostilbene which are present in grapes, blueberries, and red wine, have been implicated as contributing factors to the lower incidence of cardiovascular disease in the French population, despite their relatively high dietary fat intake. Consequently, it appears likely that the beneficial nutritional effects of resveratrol and pterostilbene are due at least in part, to their ability to inhibit NF-κB activation by the proteasome, thereby suppressing activation of pro-inflammatory cytokines and iNOS genes, resulting in decreased secretion of TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-6, and NO levels, in response to inflammatory stimuli. This is the first report demonstrating that resveratrol and pterostilbene act as proteasome inhibitors, thus providing a mechanism for their anti-inflammatory effects.