Aging and functionality of the institutionalized elderly people of Alto Alentejo: Contributions to the diagnosis of the situation

The loss of functionality in aging process is a concern nowadays. We proposed to perform the diagnosis of the functionality of institutionalized elderly people in Portalegre city. We developed a quantitative, descriptive and transversal study with the application of three evaluation instruments (Elderly Nursing Core Set, Mini-Mental State Examination and Blessed Dementia Scale (BDS)). The sample consisted of 89 elderly people, with an average age of 86.6 years-old, most of them are female (71.9%), widowed (77,5%) and illiterate (51.7%). The average of years of institutionalization was 3.5. 45.3% showed cognitive deterioration, and 50% showed moderate to severe deficits on the BDS. It was also found that 7% of the older people had low weight and 79.4% were overweight. It was also found that 7% of them had low weight and 79.4% were overweight. 37% reported they have pain and more than 52% presented moderate to complete disability in daily life activities such as walking, washing, caring for body parts, excretion processes and dressing. However, less than 26% presented some deficiency in eating. Regarding environmental factors 88% of the elderly people reported having some kind of support from family and friends. We concluded that the sample presents functional deficits, including considered cognitive deficiencies, requiring intervention. Considering that the evaluation presented here was made before the pandemic period caused by Covid-19, it is important to re-evaluate this sample after the restrictions of social conviviality to assess the effect of the pandemic on functionality and rethink the model of care for the institutionalized elderly people

Being and Nature. The Aesthetic Ecocentrism

This article aims to understand how design aesthetics can actively contribute to a more sustainable and resilient society. The methodology uses a tripartite analysis: literature review, case studies, and analysis of historical context. The literature review was supported by an analysis of the philosophy of aesthetics and sustainability, case studies through examples of the ideals of ecocentric aesthetics and historical research as an ethnographic observation of the emergence of activism and its socio-artistic repercussions. Ecocentric aesthetics is based on constructing an aesthetic language through sustainability, using “ugliness” to overcome social alienation by identifying beauty as the aesthetics of reception (mercantile pressure). Propose through formal innovation, an activist role escaping the social functionalization of hyper-industrially, promoting a more conscious and accessible society, and a new language and knowledge that promotes resilience and preservation of life

Produção de cervejas especiais adicionadas de extratos solúveis de ervas nativas com propriedades antioxidantes

Orientador : Prof. Dr. Júlio C. de CarvalhoCoorientadores : Soccol, Carlos Ricardo, Profa. Dra. Adriane B. Pedroni MedeirosDissertação (mestrado) - Universidade Federal do Paraná, Setor de Tecnologia, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Engenharia de Bioprocessos e Biotecnologia. Defesa: Curitiba, 27/04/2016Inclui referências : f. 55-62Resumo: O conhecimento popular brasileiro de botânica lista diversas ervas utilizadas para a produção de chás e também no tratamento de enfermidades, onde muitas delas com uma sabor diferenciado. São exemplos destas ervas o chá mate (Ilex paraguariensis St. Hil); carqueja (Baccharis trimera); chapéu-de-couro (Echinodorus grandiflorus); macela (Achryrocline satureioides); picão-preto (Bidens pilosa). Nesse estudo, as ervas foram adicionadas a cerveja do tipo ale em diferentes etapas do processo de produção de modo a obter uma bebida com características sensoriais diferenciadas e elevada atividade antioxidante. Diferentes métodos foram selecionados para mensurar a capacidade antioxidante, como o método de Folin-Ciocalteu, CUPRAC (Cupric Reducing Antioxidant Capacity) e ORAC (Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity). A erva que apresentou a maior capacidade antioxidante segundo os métodos CUPRAC e ORAC foi o Echinodorus grandiflorus, seguido da Achryrocline satureioides. Palavras-chave: Cerveja, Antioxidante, ORAC, CUPRAC, Folin-ciocalteu, Ilex paraguariensis, Baccharis trimera, Echinodorus grandiflorus, Bidens pilosa, Achryrocline satureioidesAbstract: The common knowledge of Brazilian botanicals lists a great diversity of herbs utilized as infusion for the treatment of common diseases or for beverages, many of these with distinc sensory characteristics. Herbs as Mate tea (Ilex paraguariensis St. Hill), carqueja (Baccharis trimera), chapéu-de-couro (Echinodorus grandiflorus), macela (Achryrocline satureioides) picão-preto (Bidens pilosa). In this study, the herbs were added to beer at different stages of the production process in order to develop a beverage with desirable sensory characteristic and high antioxidant capacity. Different methods were selected for the evaluation of the antioxidant capacity, methods as Folin-Ciocalteu, CUPRAC (Cupric Reducing Antioxidant Capacity) and ORAC (Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity). The herb that presented the most antioxidant capacity according to the CUPRAC and ORAC methods was Echinodorus grandiflorus, followed by Achryrocline satureioides. Key-words: Beer, Antioxidant, ORAC, CUPRAC, Folin-ciocalteu, Ilex paraguariensis, Baccharis trimera, Echinodorus grandiflorus, Bidens pilosa, Achryrocline satureioide

Resolution of inflammation: Mechanisms and opportunity for drug development

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Accountability em parcerias público-privadas: espaços para avanços em unidades hospitalares sob gestão direta e em regime de parceria

Este trabalho buscou identificar diferenças entre as práticas promotoras de accountability adotadas no âmbito de uma Secretaria Estadual de Saúde (SES) para uma unidade hospitalar em regime de Parceria Público-Privada (PPP) e para uma Unidade Hospitalar da Administração Direta (UHAD). Estudos recentes têm demonstrado a necessidade de pesquisas relacionadas à accountability de organismos híbridos, como as PPPs. Estudou-se o caso de uma PPP do setor saúde em comparação com uma UHAD mediante a aplicação de entrevistas e consultas a documentos de domínio público, recorrendo-se à análise de conteúdo. Como diferenças detectadas, destacam-se às relacionadas com a implantação da PPP, caracterizadas por avanços diante da fixação de metas, do monitoramento instituído e da promoção da transparência, embora tais avanços apontem para a accountability de resultado em detrimento da accountability de processo. Apresentam-se, ainda, oportunidades de pesquisa envolvendo a promoção da accountability na implantação de novos modelos de governança no setor público brasileiro

Aqua regia extractable selenium concentrations of some Scottish topsoils measured by ICP-MS and the relationship with mineral and organic soil components

The definitive version is available at www3.interscience.wiley.com.Peer reviewedPreprin

Switching cell penetrating and CXCR4-binding activities of nanoscale-organized arginine-rich peptides

Arginine-rich protein motifs have been described as potent cell-penetrating peptides (CPPs) but also as rather specific ligands of the cell surface chemokine receptor CXCR4, involved in the infection by the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Polyarginines are commonly used to functionalize nanoscale vehicles for gene therapy and drug delivery, aimed to enhance cell penetrability of the therapeutic cargo. However, under which conditions these peptides do act as either unspecific or specific ligands is unknown. We have here explored the cell penetrability of differently charged polyarginines in two alternative presentations, namely as unassembled fusion proteins or assembled in multimeric protein nanoparticles. By this, we have observed that arginine-rich peptides switch between receptor-mediated and receptor-independent mechanisms of cell penetration. The relative weight of these activities is determined by the electrostatic charge of the construct and the oligomerization status of the nanoscale material, both regulatable by conventional protein engineering approaches.Peer ReviewedPostprint (author's final draft

EVOLUÇÃO ANUAL DA QUALIDADE DO LEITE CRU DE TANQUES INDIVIDUAIS E COMUNITÁRIOS DO VALE DO RIO DOCE (MG)

A qualidade do leite produzido nas propriedades rurais reflete o manejo nutricional, higiênico e sanitário dos animais. Portanto, o objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar a qualidade de leites crus refrigerados estocados em tanques individuais e comunitários de propriedades rurais do Vale do Rio Doce (MG), ao longo do ano. Nos anos de 2010 a 2012, amostras de leite de 109 tanques comunitários e 115 individuais foram analisadas mensalmente quanto aos teores de proteína, gordura, sólidos totais, CCS e contagem bacteriana. Observou-se que os teores de gordura, proteína e sólidos totais dos leites, tanto de tanques individuais quanto comunitários, variam significativamente (p<0,05) ao longo do ano, sendo que os maiores teores e contagens foram observados em épocas de maiores precipitações de chuvas e temperaturas. Leites de tanques comunitários apresentam predominantemente maiores contagens bacterianas que leites de tanques individuais ao longo do ano. Todas as médias mensais dos parâmetros avaliados se enquadram aos parâmetros legais estabelecidos pela legislação brasileira, exceto as médias de contagem bacteriana. É necessário rever falhas durante as práticas de ordenha e limpeza do ambiente dos animais