Oral health strategies: surveying the present to plan the future of community-based learning

Introduction: Oral health literacy relates to the capacity of individuals to acquire, understand and to act upon oral health information to make appropriate health decisions. This scientific review’s main goal is to analyze the strategies that improve oral health literacy within the community, specifically oriented to a community-based learning model focused on the most vulnerable risk groups in society. Materials and Methods: The current review is based on the literature on oral health literacy within community-based learning strategies. The present review selected scientific studies by searching MEDLINE and related databases, such as Web of Science and PUBMED, and by consulting existing bibliographies. Results: Based on the application of the inclusion criteria to the abstracts, 45 publications were retrieved which explicitly dealt with the definitions of oral health literacy, community-based learning, and service learning. Several studies have demonstrated that health consumers with low health literacy fail to understand the available health information. Therefore, innovative oral health literacy strategies should be undertaken. Service learning is an example of an educational approach where the student learns specific soft skills in the classroom and collaborates directly with an agency or institution and engages in reflection activities to deepen their understanding of what is being taught. Conclusions: One of the main strategies used to incorporate the oral health professional in social responsibility and direct contact in the community is through experiencing community-based learning projects. The future graduate must be an educator capable of educating patients in order to themselves acquire high-level skills in oral health literacy.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Heart rate variability analysis for the identification of the preictal interval in patients with drug-resistant epilepsy

Electrocardiogram (ECG) recordings, lasting hours before epileptic seizures, have been studied in the search for evidence of the existence of a preictal interval that follows a normal ECG trace and precedes the seizure's clinical manifestation. The preictal interval has not yet been clinically parametrized. Furthermore, the duration of this interval varies for seizures both among patients and from the same patient. In this study, we performed a heart rate variability (HRV) analysis to investigate the discriminative power of the features of HRV in the identification of the preictal interval. HRV information extracted from the linear time and frequency domains as well as from nonlinear dynamics were analysed. We inspected data from 238 temporal lobe seizures recorded from 41 patients with drug-resistant epilepsy from the EPILEPSIAE database. Unsupervised methods were applied to the HRV feature dataset, thus leading to a new perspective in preictal interval characterization. Distinguishable preictal behaviour was exhibited by 41% of the seizures and 90% of the patients. Half of the preictal intervals were identified in the 40 min before seizure onset. The results demonstrate the potential of applying clustering methods to HRV features to deepen the current understanding of the preictal state.FCT: CISUC -UID/CEC/00326/2020/ SFRH/BD/147862/2019info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Lactancia materna exclusiva y factores asociados a su interrupción temprana : estudio comparativo entre 1999 y 2008

OBJETIVO: Analisar os indicadores do aleitamento materno exclusivo (AME) do Hospital Universitário de Brasília (HUB) nos anos de 1999 e 2008 e identificar fatores associados a sua interrupção precoce MÉTODOS: Estudo retrospectivo transversal com análise de prontuários de crianças atendidas nos anos 1999 e 2008 no Ambulatório de Pediatria, Crescimento e Desenvolvimento do HUB. A duração do AME foi dicotomizada em até quatro meses e quatro meses ou mais, estimando as razões de prevalência para o desmame precoce (AME<4 meses), utilizando-se um modelo de regressão de Poisson com variância robusta e o teste não paramétrico de Mann-Whitney para comparação do tempo de AME nos anos estudados. RESULTADOS: Foi analisado um total de 2.173 pacientes, 1.443 referentes ao ano de 1999 e 730 referentes ao ano de 2008. Observou-se um incremento de 110,7 para 123,6 dias na duração do AME de 2008 em relação a 1999 (p<0,0001). O desmame precoce foi 12,6% maior em mães com até sete anos de estudo do que em mães com 11 ou mais anos de estudo (p<0,05). Os demais fatores analisados não mostraram relação estatística com o desmame precoce. CONCLUSÕES: Assim como o encontrado nas capitais brasileiras e Distrito Federal, verificou-se incremento no que diz respeito à duração do AME, associado positivamente ao nível educacional materno mais elevado. Convém ressaltar, porém, que a duração observada no estudo ainda se encontra abaixo dos 180 dias recomendados pela Organização Mundial de Saúde.OBJECTIVE: To analyze the indicators of exclusive breastfeeding (EB) in Brasilia's University Hospital (BUH) during a 10-year interval and to verify associated factors to early weaning. METHODS: A retrospective cross-sectional study was conducted by chart review of children attending the Pediatric Clinic during 1999 and 2008. The duration of exclusive breastfeeding was categorized at four months and four months or more. Prevalence ratios for early weaning (EB<4 months) were estimated with a model of Poisson regression and robust variance. Non-parametric Mann-Whitney test was used to compare the exclusive breastfeeding duration in the studied years. RESULTS: Among 2,173 patients, 1,443 in 1999 and 730 in 2008. There was an increase from 110.7 to 123.6 days in the duration of EB. A significant association between maternal education and early weaning was shown, with a 12.6% higher prevalence in mothers with less than eight years of schooling compared to those with 11 or more years. No other associations were found in the study. CONCLUSIONS: Similarly to what was found in Brazilian capitals and Brasilia, there was an increase in the length of exclusive breastfeeding related to mother educational level. Nevertheless, the duration exclusive breastfeeding is still below the threshold of 180 days recommended by the World Health Organization.OBJETIVO: Analizar los indicadores de lactancia materna exclusiva (LME) del Hospital Universitario de Brasília (HUB) los años de 1999 y 2008 e identificar factores asociados a su interrupción temprana. MÉTODOS: Estudio retrospectivo transversal con análisis de prontuarios de niños atendidos en los años de 1999 y 2008 en el Ambulatorio de Pediatría, Crecimiento y Desarrollo del HUB. La duración del LME fue dicotomizada en hasta cuatro meses y cuatro meses o más, estimando las razones de prevalencia para el desmame precoz (LME<4 meses), utilizando un modelo de regresión de Poisson con variancia robusta y la prueba no paramétrica de Mann-Whitney para comparación del tiempo de LME en los años estudiados. RESULTADOS: Se analizó un total de 2.173 pacientes, siendo 1.443 referentes al año de 1999 y 730 al año de 2008. Se observó un incremento del 110,7 para 123,6 días en la duración del LME de 2008 respecto a 1999 (p<0,0001). El desmame temprano fue el 12,6% superior en madres con hasta siete años de estudio que en madres con 11 o más años de estudio (p<0,05). Los demás factores analizados no mostraron relación estadísticamente significativa con desmame temprano. CONCLUSIONES: Así como encontrado en las capitales brasileñas y Distrito Federal, se verificó incremento en lo que se refiere a la duración del LME, asociado positivamente al nivel educacional materno más elevado. Conviene subrayar, sin embargo, que la duración observada en el estudio todavía es inferior a los 180 días recomendados por la Organización Mundial de Salud

Procuring infrastructure for international sporting events: mapping the field for IPACS and beyond

This article presents the results of a study of infrastructure procurement for international sporting events. The objective was to map both the institutional frameworks and the procedures and governance mechanisms. We were concerned only with the acquisition process and not with prior decisions on whether to host events, what to procure (such as the number and siting of stadiums) or subsequent maintenance. The aim was to provide information relevant to studying the implementation of procurement objectives and the risks to attaining those objectives and to lay the foundations for further work. The study originated in work by the authors in collaboration with the OECD to assist the International Partnership Against Corruption in Sport (IPACS) in managing integrity risks, but also provides a map that can facilitate future study of other issues, such as sustainability. The study sought to map procurement for key sport-specific infrastructure (such as stadiums and swimming pools) and a sample of other infrastructure (sport-specific, sport-related – such as athlete accommodation – and/or other infrastructure procured for the event (such as transport facilities) for 14 international events. It covered events of various sizes and types in the ten-year period to 2018, using public sources. Study data from the first ten projects above was used as the basis for the 2019 IPACS report on procurement standards and risk management in procuring infrastructure for sporting events (IPACS report). That report analysed the aggregate data to identify and analyse integrity risks and make concrete proposals for mitigating them. This article supplements the IPACS report by giving more information on the methodology; providing data from four additional projects, which offer further evidence and insights; and presenting the key information through a project-based, as well as aggregate, approach, to place it in context

Measurement of the cosmic ray spectrum above 4×10184{\times}10^{18} eV using inclined events detected with the Pierre Auger Observatory

A measurement of the cosmic-ray spectrum for energies exceeding $4{\times}10^{18}$ eV is presented, which is based on the analysis of showers with zenith angles greater than $60^{\circ}$ detected with the Pierre Auger Observatory between 1 January 2004 and 31 December 2013. The measured spectrum confirms a flux suppression at the highest energies. Above $5.3{\times}10^{18}$ eV, the "ankle", the flux can be described by a power law $E^{-\gamma}$ with index $\gamma=2.70 \pm 0.02 \,\text{(stat)} \pm 0.1\,\text{(sys)}$ followed by a smooth suppression region. For the energy ($E_\text{s}$) at which the spectral flux has fallen to one-half of its extrapolated value in the absence of suppression, we find $E_\text{s}=(5.12\pm0.25\,\text{(stat)}^{+1.0}_{-1.2}\,\text{(sys)}){\times}10^{19}$ eV.Comment: Replaced with published version. Added journal reference and DO

Energy Estimation of Cosmic Rays with the Engineering Radio Array of the Pierre Auger Observatory

The Auger Engineering Radio Array (AERA) is part of the Pierre Auger Observatory and is used to detect the radio emission of cosmic-ray air showers. These observations are compared to the data of the surface detector stations of the Observatory, which provide well-calibrated information on the cosmic-ray energies and arrival directions. The response of the radio stations in the 30 to 80 MHz regime has been thoroughly calibrated to enable the reconstruction of the incoming electric field. For the latter, the energy deposit per area is determined from the radio pulses at each observer position and is interpolated using a two-dimensional function that takes into account signal asymmetries due to interference between the geomagnetic and charge-excess emission components. The spatial integral over the signal distribution gives a direct measurement of the energy transferred from the primary cosmic ray into radio emission in the AERA frequency range. We measure 15.8 MeV of radiation energy for a 1 EeV air shower arriving perpendicularly to the geomagnetic field. This radiation energy -- corrected for geometrical effects -- is used as a cosmic-ray energy estimator. Performing an absolute energy calibration against the surface-detector information, we observe that this radio-energy estimator scales quadratically with the cosmic-ray energy as expected for coherent emission. We find an energy resolution of the radio reconstruction of 22% for the data set and 17% for a high-quality subset containing only events with at least five radio stations with signal.Comment: Replaced with published version. Added journal reference and DO

Measurement of the Radiation Energy in the Radio Signal of Extensive Air Showers as a Universal Estimator of Cosmic-Ray Energy

We measure the energy emitted by extensive air showers in the form of radio emission in the frequency range from 30 to 80 MHz. Exploiting the accurate energy scale of the Pierre Auger Observatory, we obtain a radiation energy of 15.8 \pm 0.7 (stat) \pm 6.7 (sys) MeV for cosmic rays with an energy of 1 EeV arriving perpendicularly to a geomagnetic field of 0.24 G, scaling quadratically with the cosmic-ray energy. A comparison with predictions from state-of-the-art first-principle calculations shows agreement with our measurement. The radiation energy provides direct access to the calorimetric energy in the electromagnetic cascade of extensive air showers. Comparison with our result thus allows the direct calibration of any cosmic-ray radio detector against the well-established energy scale of the Pierre Auger Observatory.Comment: Replaced with published version. Added journal reference and DOI. Supplemental material in the ancillary file

In vitro Metabolism of Grandisin, a Lignan with Anti-chagasic Activity

Tetrahydrofuran lignans represent a well-known group of phenolic compounds capable of acting as antiparasitic agents. In the search for new medicines for the treatment of Chagas disease, one promising compound is grandisin which has shown significant activity on trypomastigote forms of Trypanosoma cruzi. In this work, the in vitro metabolism of grandisin was studied in the pig cecum model and by biomimetic phase I reactions, aiming at an ensuing a preclinical pharmacokinetic investigation. Although grandisin exhibited no metabolization by the pig microbiota, one putative metabolite was formed in a biomimetic model using Jacobsen catalyst. The putative metabolite was tested against T. cruzi revealing loss of activity in comparison to grandisin.FINEPFINEPFAPESPFAPESPCAPESCAPESCNPqCNP