Bone Mineral Density in Severely Obese Women: Health Risk and Health Protective Risk Factors in Three Different Bone Sites

Factors associated with bone mineral density (BMD) are poorly known in severely obese individuals i.e., a body mass index (BMI) > 35 kg/m^{2}. The objectives of this study were to describe the bone health profile of severely obese Brazilian women, to identify the health risk and health protective factors for BMD in this group and to assess whether these factors vary according to three different bone sites. BMD was assessed using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA). This study analyzed baseline data from 104 women who had an average BMI of 43.7 ± 4.5 kg/m^{2} and presented the following BMD status: 1.283 ± 0.094 g/cm2 for total body, 1.062 ± 0.159 g/cm^{2} for vertebral column and 1.195 ± 0.134 g/cm2 for hip. They took part in the “Effect of nutritional intervention and olive oil in severe obesity” randomized clinical trial (DieTBra Trial). The risk factors negatively associated with lower BMD were age ≥50 years for the three bone sites i.e., total body, vertebral column and hip. Smoking for total body BMD (p = 0.045); BMI ≥ 50kg/m^{2} for vertebral column and hip; menopause for hip; high C-reactive protein (CRP) levels (p = 0.049), insufficient zinc (p = 0.010) and previous fracture for vertebral column (p = 0.007). The protective factors positively associated with BMD were physical activity (≥150 min/week (p = 0.001)) for hip; type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM2) (p < 0.0001) total body and adequate vitamin D levels from food consumption (p = 0.039) for vertebral column. A BMI ≥ 50 kg/m^{2} was a risk factor for lower BMD. The findings showed that protective and risk factors varied by bone site. The original study is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov. (protocol number: NCT02463435)

Reflexiones sobre el papel de la contextualización en la enseñanza de ciencias

La importancia de la contextualización y de la discusión del papel de la ciencia en el desarrollo social y económico es innegable para la enseñanza de las ciencias. Sin embargo, esto no debe significar una negligencia ni del conocimiento teórico ni de las estrategias que forman parte de su construcción y aplicación. Así, se dibuja un peligroso cuadro cuando se asume la contextualización como el único y primordial objetivo de la educación científica. Este artículo presenta un estudio realizado con 15 alumnos del último año de la carrera en Docencia de Química, cuyos resultados evidencian una preocupante «supervaloración» de lo cotidiano en detrimento de otros aspectos igualmente importantes del conocimiento químico

Estudo sobre lubrificação em rolamentos e desenvolvimento de um tribômetro método reichert

O estudo se destina a abordagem das possíveis falhas em elementos de máquinas (rolamentos) fabricados em AISI 52100 e seus principais mecanismos de desgaste sendo adesão, abrasão, corrosão e fadiga. Serão apresentados os principais tipos de lubrificantes, dando ênfase nos óleos e graxas quanto a suas características físico-químicas e seus principais aditivos. Para viabilidade do estudo foi desenvolvido um dispositivo que realizou ensaios em um mesmo lubrificante de viscosidade 15W4-50 com períodos de utilização distintos sendo estes 1000, 2000 e 3000 km, desta forma foi possível medir o rompimento da película de lubrificação em função da pressão  exercida  pelo  dispositivo  e  sendo  assim  exemplificar  de  maneira  efetiva  os  efeitos danosos aos elementos de máquinas em função da má gestão da lubrificação

Extraction and Fractionation of Pigments from Saccharina latissima (Linnaeus, 2006) Using an Ionic Liquid plus Oil plus Water System

There is a strong industrial interest in the development of greener and more sustainable processes based on the use of renewable resources, and a biorefinery based on marine resources, such as macroalgae, stands as a major opportunity toward that end. In this work, Saccharina latissima (Linnaeus), a brown macroalga, was used as a source of pigments to develop an integrated platform that is able to promote the extraction and separation of chlorophyll and fucoxanthin in one single step. The process was studied, and its operational conditions were optimized with yields of extraction of chlorophyll and fucoxanthin of 4.93 ± 0.22 mgchl·gdry biomass–1 and 1956 ± 84 μgfuco·gdry biomass–1, respectively. These results were achieved with extraction systems composed of 84% of an aqueous solution of a tensioactive phosphonium-based ionic liquid (IL) at 350 mM + 16% of sunflower oil, during 40 min, using a solid–liquid ratio of 0.017 gdry biomass·mLsolvent–1. After the separation of both aqueous IL-rich and oil-rich phases, the IL content in both phases was investigated, the oil phase being free of IL. Envisioning the industrial potential of the process developed in this work, the recovery of the IL from the aqueous IL-rich phase of the initial system was attempted by a back-extraction using organic solvents immiscible in water, being shown that 82% of the IL can be recovered and reused in new cycles of extraction. The environmental and economic impacts of the final process proposed for the extraction and fractionation of chlorophyll and fucoxanthin were evaluated. Different scenarios were considered, but summing up the main results, the solvents’ recycling allowed better results, proving the economic and environmental viability of the overall process

A avaliação perceptiva de atributos paralinguísticos e extralinguísticos na fala de uma comunidade de prática

Este trabalho tem como objetivo investigar as impressões causadas, pelo falar de sujeitos de uma comunidade de prática caiçara, em grupos de ouvintes de três localidades diversas, por meio da aplicação de um questionário de diferencial semântico, o qual contém descritores referentes a atributos paralinguísticos e extralinguísticos: psicológicos, sociais, culturais, físicos e econômicos. Trata-se de uma pesquisa de natureza sociofonética perceptiva que compreende uma tarefa de produção e uma de percepção e utiliza o método de análise estatística multidimensional. Os resultados indicam que a fala da comunidade caiçara não causou nenhuma estranheza ou incompreensão, mas foi considerada pouco agradável pelos juízes de todas as localidades. Com base nas variáveis estatisticamente significantes, os caiçaras, a partir da percepção da sua maneira de falar, foram julgados como pessoas que exercem trabalhos manuais, apresentam situação financeira baixa e são ingênuos, simplórios e humildes

The Use of Stereoscopy in a Neurosurgery Training Virtual Environment

Published in Presence: Teleoperators and Virtual EnvironmentsWe have previously investigated the effectiveness of a custom built virtual environment in assisting training of a ventriculostomy procedure, which is a commonly performed procedure by a neurosurgeon and a core task for trainee surgeons. The training tool (called VCath) was initially developed as a low fidelity app for a tablet platform to provide easy access and availability to trainees. Subsequently we have developed a high fidelity version of VCath that uses a stereoscopic display to immerse the trainee in the virtual environment. This paper reports on two studies that have been carried out to compare the low and high fidelity versions of VCath, particularly to assess the value of stereoscopy. Study 1 was conducted at the second annual boot camp organized for all year one trainees in neurosurgery in the UK. Study 2 was performed on lay people, with no surgical experience. Our hypothesis was that using stereoscopy in the training task would be beneficial. Results from Study 1 demonstrated that performance improved for both the control group and the group trained with the tablet version of VCath. The group trained on the high fidelity version of VCath with a stereoscopic display showed no performance improvement. The indication is that our hypothesis is false. In Study 2, six different conditions were investigated that covered the use of training with VCath on a tablet, a mono display at two different sizes, a stereo display at two different sizes, and a control group who received no training. Results from this study with lay people show that stereoscopy can make a significant improvement to the accuracy of needle placement. The possible reasons for these results and the apparent contradiction between the two studies are discussed