Nutritional status and functional capacity of hospitalized elderly

Background: The nutritional status of the aging individual results from a complex interaction between personal and environmental factors. A disease influences and is influenced by the nutritional status and the functional capacity of the individual. We asses the relationship between nutritional status and indicators of functional capacity among recently hospitalized elderly in a general hospital.Methods: A cross-sectional study was done with 240 elderly (women, n = 127 and men, n = 113) hospitalized in a hospital that provides care for the public and private healthcare systems. The nutritional status was classified by the MNA (Mini Nutritional Assessment) into: malnourished, risk of malnutrition and without malnutrition (adequate). The functional autonomy indicators were obtained by the self-reported Instrumental Activity of Daily Living (IADL) and Activity of Daily Living (ADL) questionnaire. The chi-square test was used to compare the proportions and the level of significance was 5%.Results: Among the assessed elderly, 33.8% were classified as adequate regarding nutritional status; 37.1% were classified as being at risk of malnutrition and 29.1% were classified as malnourished. All the IADL and ADL variables assessed were significantly more deteriorated among the malnourished individuals. Among the ADL variables, eating partial (42.9%) or complete (12.9%) dependence was found in more than half of the malnourished elderly, in 13.4% of those at risk of malnutrition and in 2.5% of those without malnutrition.Conclusion: There is an interrelationship between the nutritional status of the elderly and reduced functional capacity

Functional characterization of two defensin isoforms of the hard tick Ixodes ricinus

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The immune system of ticks is stimulated to produce many pharmacologically active molecules during feeding and especially during pathogen invasion. The family of cationic peptides - defensins - represents a specific group of antimicrobial compounds with six conserved cysteine residues in a molecule.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Two isoforms of the defensin gene <it>(def1 </it>and <it>def2</it>) were identified in the European tick <it>Ixodes ricinus</it>. Expression of both genes was induced in different tick organs by a blood feeding or pathogen injection. We have tested the ability of synthetic peptides def1 and def2 to inhibit the growth or directly kill several pathogens. The antimicrobial activities (expressed as minimal inhibition concentration and minimal bactericidal concentration values) against Gram positive bacteria were confirmed, while Gram negative bacteria, yeast, Tick Borne Encephalitis and West Nile Viruses were shown to be insensitive. In addition to antimicrobial activities, the hemolysis effect of def1 and def2 on human erythrocytes was also established.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Although there is nothing known about the realistic concentration of defensins in <it>I. ricinus </it>tick body, these results suggest that defensins play an important role in defence against different pathogens. Moreover this is a first report of a one amino acid substitution in a defensins molecule and its impact on antimicrobial activity.</p

Isolation, Cloning and Structural Characterisation of Boophilin, a Multifunctional Kunitz-Type Proteinase Inhibitor from the Cattle Tick

Inhibitors of coagulation factors from blood-feeding animals display a wide variety of structural motifs and inhibition mechanisms. We have isolated a novel inhibitor from the cattle tick Boophilus microplus, one of the most widespread parasites of farm animals. The inhibitor, which we have termed boophilin, has been cloned and overexpressed in Escherichia coli. Mature boophilin is composed of two canonical Kunitz-type domains, and inhibits not only the major procoagulant enzyme, thrombin, but in addition, and by contrast to all other previously characterised natural thrombin inhibitors, significantly interferes with the proteolytic activity of other serine proteinases such as trypsin and plasmin. The crystal structure of the bovine α-thrombin·boophilin complex, refined at 2.35 Å resolution reveals a non-canonical binding mode to the proteinase. The N-terminal region of the mature inhibitor, Q16-R17-N18, binds in a parallel manner across the active site of the proteinase, with the guanidinium group of R17 anchored in the S1 pocket, while the C-terminal Kunitz domain is negatively charged and docks into the basic exosite I of thrombin. This binding mode resembles the previously characterised thrombin inhibitor, ornithodorin which, unlike boophilin, is composed of two distorted Kunitz modules. Unexpectedly, both boophilin domains adopt markedly different orientations when compared to those of ornithodorin, in its complex with thrombin. The N-terminal boophilin domain rotates 9° and is displaced by 6 Å, while the C-terminal domain rotates almost 6° accompanied by a 3 Å displacement. The reactive-site loop of the N-terminal Kunitz domain of boophilin with its P1 residue, K31, is fully solvent exposed and could thus bind a second trypsin-like proteinase without sterical restraints. This finding explains the formation of a ternary thrombin·boophilin·trypsin complex, and suggests a mechanism for prothrombinase inhibition in vivo

Is vaccination against hepatitis B a reality among Primary Health Care workers?

OBJECTIVE: To verify the prevalence and factors associated with vaccination against hepatitis B among Primary Health Care workers in Montes Claros/MG. METHOD: A cross-sectional, analytic study was undertaken. Data were collected through a form, which contained sociodemographic, occupational, general health and behavioral variables. Associations were investigated through bivariate analysis and Poisson's multivariate regression, using SPSS 17.0. RESULTS: 95.5% answered the question about vaccination; 47.5% did not complete the vaccination scheme. The prevalence of vaccinated professionals was lower among older workers, who were hired, did not participate in occupational health updates and consumed alcohol. Prevalence levels were higher among professionals with more years of education and who reported contact with piercing and cutting instruments . CONCLUSIONS: Professional education, knowledge and perception of infection risks are important determinants of the vaccination scheme. Instability at work may lead to negligence and negligent behaviors may repeat themselves. The characterization of professionals who did not get vaccinated will direct educative actions in occupational health

Estudo preliminar sobre a qualidade de vida de médicos e enfermeiros intensivistas pediátricos e neonatais Estudio preliminar sobre la calidad de vida de médicos y enfermeros intensivistas pediátricos y neonatales Preliminary study about qualify of life of physicians and nurses working in pediatric and neonatal intensive care units

Comparar a Qualidade de Vida (QV) de médicos e enfermeiros que trabalham em UTI Pediátrica (PED) e Neonatal (NEO) e, também, avaliar se há diferença entre a QV na mesma categoria profissional, mas diferindo de acordo com a unidade de trabalho. Estudo descritivo com 37 médicos e 20 enfermeiros. O WHOQOL-100 foi utilizado. Médicos da PED diferiram estatisticamente no domínio VI (p=0,003), quando comparados com médicos da NEO. Médicos e enfermeiros da PED apresentaram diferença estatística significante no domínio V (p < 0,01), e médicos e enfermeiros da NEO apresentaram diferença estatística significante no domínio VI (p=0,05). A avaliação da QV de médicos e enfermeiros intensivistas pediátricos e neonatais mostrou-se abaixo dos escores encontrados na literatura científica, quando comparados com estudos que avaliaram pacientes com dores crônicas e com prejuízos na saúde mental, evidenciando a ocorrência de estresse ocupacional.<br>Comparar la Calidad de Vida (QV) de médicos y enfermeros que trabajan en UTI Pediátrica (PED) y neonatal (NEO) y, también evaluar si existe diferencia entre la QV en la misma categoría profesional, aunque variando de acuerdo con la unidad de trabajo. Estudio descriptivo con 37 médicos y 20 enfermeros. Fue utilizado el WHOQOL-100. Los médicos de PED diferían estadísticamente en el dominio VI (p=0,003) en comparación con los médicos de NEO. Médicos y enfermeros de PED presentaron una diferencia estadística significativa en el dominio V (p<0,01) y médicos y enfermeros de NEO presentaron diferencias estadísticas significativas en el dominio VI (p=0,05). La evaluación de la QV de médicos y enfermeros intensivistas pediátricos y neonatales se mostró por debajo de los puntajes observados en la literatura científica, al ser comparados con estudios que evaluaron pacientes con dolores crónicos y con problemas de salud mental, evidenciando la existencia de estrés ocupacional.<br>Compare the Quality of Life (QL) of doctors and nurses who work in Pediatric (PED) and Neonatal (NEO) Intensive Care Units, and to evaluate whether there are differences between the QL in the same job category, but differing according to the work unit. This descriptive study was performed with 37 physicians and 20 nurses. The WHOQOL100 was used. Physicians from the PED differ statistically in the field VI (p=0.003) compared with physicians from the NEO. Physicians and nurses from the PED showed a statistically significant difference in field V (p<0.01), while physicians and nurses from the NEO showed a statistically significant difference in field VI (p=0.05). The QL assessment of physicians and nurses working in pediatric and neonatal intensive care units was below the scores found in scientific literature, compared to studies that evaluated patients with chronic pain and mental health disorders, indicating the occurrence of occupational stress

Neotropical Lispe (Diptera: Muscidae): notes, redescriptions and key to species

Fogaça, João M., de Carvalho, Claudio J. B. (2018): Neotropical Lispe (Diptera: Muscidae): notes, redescriptions and key to species. Journal of Natural History 52 (33-34): 2147-2184, DOI: 10.1080/00222933.2018.1515380, URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/00222933.2018.151538