Avaliação da fadiga e da qualidade de vida de pacientes com câncer colorretal em quimioterapia

Objetivo: Avaliar a fadiga e a qualidade de vida relacionada à saúde de pacientes com câncer colorretal em quimioterapia.Método:estudo descritivo, realizado com 69 pacientes entre janeiro a setembro/2019, em um hospital público de Minas Gerais. Instrumentos utilizados: questionário sociodemográfico e clínico, Quality of Life Questionnaire-Core30 e Escala de Fadiga de Piper, analisados segundo medidas de frequência, média e desvio padrão pelo softwarePSPP.Resultados: A maioria era mulheres, acima de 60 anos, casadas, aposentadas, donas de casa, com médio nível de escolaridade. Os escores de estado geral de saúde, das funções social, física, emocional e desempenho de papel foram considerados satisfatórios (médias 50-70), da função cognitiva foi boa (média>70); sintomas mais prevalentes foram perda de apetite, fadiga, dor e insônia. Quanto à fadiga, todas as dimensões tiveram média <4, considerado fadiga leve.Conclusão: A qualidade de vida apresentou escores satisfatórios e a fadiga foi classificada como leve nos pacientes em quimioterapia. Palavras-chave: Neoplasias colorretais. Qualidade de vida. Fadiga. Tratamentofarmacológico

Fructooligosaccharides production from agro-wastes as alternative low-cost source

Background The prebiotic properties of fructooligosaccharides (FOS) are well documented. The high demand of functional food by the food, pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries have lead researchers to explore new and more feasible processes to produce FOS. Not only economical substrates are being exploited to reduce costs, but also, seeking to attend a global problem, the excessive generation of agro-industrial wastes that are polluting the earth, which are not being completely exploited, have been a concern. Scope and approach The purpose of this review is to present a concise (but wide-ranging) appraisal on the latest advances in fructooligosaccharides production from agro-wastes, as alternative low-cost source. Emphasis is placed on the examination, analysis and discussion of the prospects for using different agro-industrial waste bioresources for the production of FOS and FOS-producing enzymes. Key findings and conclusions The food, agro-industrial and forestry industries generate large volumes of waste, that are mainly composed of complex carbohydrates and crude proteins, that can be useful as nutrients for microbial growth, and enzymes or other metabolites production. Agro-industrial wastes are discarded, and its accumulation generates a severe environmental impact. The development of value-added processes using agro-industrial wastes is very attractive and becomes an environmentally friendly waste management method.Authors thank to National Council of Science and Technology (CONACYT, México) for the financial support (CVU 860996) given to the Master Program in Food Science and Technology offered by the Autonomous University of Coahuila, Mexico. This study was also supported by the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology under the scope of the strategic funding of UID/BIO/04469/2019 unit and BioTecNorte operation (NORTE-01-0145-FEDER-000004) funded by the European Regional Development Fund under the scope of Norte2020 - Programa Operacional Regional do Norte also, Project ColOsH02/SAICT/2017(POCI-01-0145-FEDER-030071).info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Língua Brasileira de Sinais na formação de servidores públicos municipais de uma cidade do interior paulista

This article aimed to analyze the effects of a training course in Libras on a group of civil servants from different municipal sectors in a city in the interior of São Paulo, with a view to providing them with basic know ledge to offer a more qualified service to the deaf and mitigate the communicative barriers between them. It had as participants 37 public servants, in a work load of 30 hours counting on the presence of hearing professionals specialized in the are a and two deaf fluent in Libras. An initial questionnaire was applied to meet the demands of the employees and a final one on the self-assessment of their learning’s and expectations. The results showed that the majority considered the course of great importance and felt more prepared to offer the deaf a better quality of care, but there were also those who answered that they still felt a certain in security, requiring more time of practice and study to establish greater communication for mutual understanding. Regarding the training received, it was considered defective and in accordance with the importance of learning that language, at least basically, not only for in-service communication, but for social inclusion, high lighting the relationship established between theory and practice, at all times. , which provided a more critical and reflective training on the acquired knowledge. In the face of social inclusion, it is necessary to carry out training courses in Libras, since the linguistic condition of the deaf is carried out in the form of visual-spatial transmission instead of oral-auditory as in other people.Resumo: O presente artigo teve por objetivo analisar os efeitos de um curso de formação em Libras a um grupo de servidores públicos de diferentes setores municipais de uma cidade do interior paulista, com vistas a dotá-los de conhecimentosbásicos para oferecer um atendimento mais qualificado aos surdos e atenuar as barreiras comunicativas entre ambos. Teve como participantes 37 servidores públicos, numa carga horária de 30 horascontando com a presença de profissionais ouvintes especializados na área e dois surdos fluentes em Libras. Aplicou-se um questionário inicial para atender às demandas dos servidores e um final sobre a autoavaliação de seus aprendizados e expectativas. Os resultados mostraram que a maioriaconsiderou o curso de grande importância e se sentiu mais preparada para oferecer aos surdos um atendimento de melhor qualidade, mas, também, houve aqueles que responderam ainda sentir certa insegurança, requerendo um maior tempo de prática e estudo para estabelecer uma comunicação de maior alcance para compreensão mútua. Em relação à formação recebida, esta foi considerada eficaz e em conformidade à importância de aprender essa língua, ao menos basicamente, não só para a comunicação em serviço, mas para a inclusão social destacando a relação estabelecida entre teoria e prática, em todos os instantes, o que proporcionou uma formação mais crítica e reflexiva sobre os conhecimentos adquiridos. Frente à inclusão social, faz-se necessário a realização de cursos de formação em Libras, uma vez que a condição linguística do surdo se realiza na modalidade de transmissão visual-espacial em vez de oral-auditiva como nas demais pessoas

Multidrug-resistant Escherichia coli and Salmonella spp. in pigs slaughtered for human consumption, a potential source for Humans?

Objective: To assess the role of pig reservoir as potential transmission vehicle of Salmonella spp. and E. coli to humans, in order to understand the epidemiology and population structure of these zoonotic agents in Portugal.This work was developed within the scope of the strategic project “ResisCampyOH”, supported by FMV-ULHT in 2022-2023.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Comparative insight upon chitosan solution and chitosan nanoparticles application on the phenolic content, antioxidant and antimicrobial activities of individual grape components of Sousão variety

Chitosan, a natural polysaccharide, has been previously proposed as an elicitor in plants to prevent pathogen infections. The present study aimed to analyze the e ect of chitosan solution and chitosan nanoparticles treatment applied on the grapevine variety Sousão with respect to the phenolic composition, antioxidant potential and antibacterial activity of its individual grape components. Grapevine plants of selected lines were sprayed with chitosan solution and chitosan nanoparticles, and ethanolic extracts of stems, seeds and skins were prepared from grapevines treated and not treated with chitosan. Total phenolic, anthocyanin and tannin contents were studied, and the identification of the individual phenolic compounds was performed by HPLC-DAD. The antimicrobial susceptibility method was performed using the Kirby-Bauer disc di usion method against multidrug-resistant bacteria. Overall, there was small increase in the concentration of phenolic compounds, antioxidant and antimicrobial activities in grape components treated with chitosan solution. Seed extracts showed the highest antioxidant and antimicrobial activities. The studied individual components obtained from chitosan-treated grapevines could represent an added value due to the increased antioxidant and antibacterial potentials. The phenolic compounds found in components may be used in food and pharmaceutical industries as natural food preservers and antibiotic adjuvants.This research was founded by the Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades (Spain, Project RTI2018-098267-R-C33) and the Junta de Castilla y León (Consejería de Educación, Spain, Project LE164G18). This work was supported by the Associate Laboratory for Green Chemistry-LAQV which is financed by national funds from FCT/MCTES (UID/QUI/50006/2019). Vanessa Silva is grateful to FCT (Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia) for her PhD grant SFRH/BD/137947/2018.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Are Food Producing animals a source of multidrug-resistant E. coli and Salmonella spp.?

Objectives: To assess the role of food-producing animals as potential transmission vehicles of Salmonella spp. and E. coli to Humans, in order to understand the epidemiology and population structure of these zoonotic agents in Portugal.Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Lusófona University, Research projects_ 2022_ ResisCampyOHN/

The impact of demographic and clinical characteristics on diabetic painful neuropathy

Introduction: Diabetic neuropathy (DN) is one of the most devastating complications of diabetes mellitus; however, in contrast to other countries, there are no scientific studies in Portugal evaluating the impact of demographic and clinical characteristics of this pathological entity. The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of gender, metabolic control, age of diabetic patients, as well as time of disease progression, the appearance of complaints related to neuropathic pain. Material and methods: A multicentre study with a non-probabilistic, convenience sample of 359 patients was performed employing the quantitative method, using the Statistical Package for Social Science 24 software. The p-value of p < 0.05 was defined to consider a result statistically significant. The Spearman correlation coefficient (r) was determined to determine the relationship between categorical variables. Results: There was no statistically significant difference in the prevalence of DN between genders (p = 0.633 and r = 0.025). There was a statistically significant relationship between the value of HbA1c and DN, with p = 0.010 and r = 0.136. There is a relationship between age and complaints of neuropathic pain, with p = 0.034 and r = 0.112. The variable, time of disease progression, is also correlated with the appearance of complaints of neuropathic pain with p = 0.020 and r = 0.112. Conclusion: The prevalence of neuropathic pain in subjects with diabetes is not negligible and is associated with modifiable risk factors that can be identified, possibly modified and prevented. The correct approach for these patients, which involves screening and early treatment, is decisive improving functionality and quality of life.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Euphol, a tetracyclic triterpene, from Euphorbia tirucalli induces autophagy and sensitizes temozolomide cytotoxicity on glioblastoma cells

Glioblastoma (GBM) is the most frequent and aggressive type of brain tumor. There are limited therapeutic options for GBM so that new and effective agents are urgently needed. Euphol is a tetracyclic triterpene alcohol, and it is the main constituent of the sap of the medicinal plant Euphorbia tirucalli. We previously identified anti-cancer activity in euphol based on the cytotoxicity screening of 73 human cancer cells. We now expand the toxicological screening of the inhibitory effect and bioactivity of euphol using two additional glioma primary cultures. Euphol exposure showed similar cytotoxicity against primary glioma cultures compared to commercial glioma cells. Euphol has concentration-dependent cytotoxic effects on cancer cell lines, with more than a five-fold difference in the IC50 values in some cell lines. Euphol treatment had a higher selective cytotoxicity index (0.64-3.36) than temozolomide (0.11-1.13) and reduced both proliferation and cell motility. However, no effect was found on cell cycle distribution, invasion and colony formation. Importantly, the expression of the autophagy-associated protein LC3-II and acidic vesicular organelle formation were markedly increased, with Bafilomycin A1 potentiating cytotoxicity. Finally, euphol also exhibited antitumoral and antiangiogenic activity in vivo, using the chicken chorioallantoic membrane assay, with synergistic temozolomide interactions in most cell lines. In conclusion, euphol exerted in vitro and in vivo cytotoxicity against glioma cells, through several cancer pathways, including the activation of autophagy-associated cell death. These findings provide experimental support for further development of euphol as a novel therapeutic agent for GBM, either alone or in combination chemotherapy.The work was supported by the Amazonia Fitomedicamentos (FITO05/2012) Ltda. and Barretos Cancer Hospital, all from Brazil