Effect of a Semisolid Formulation of Linum usitatissimum L. (Linseed) Oil on the Repair of Skin Wounds

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of a semisolid formulation of linseed oil, SSFLO (1%, 5%, or 10%) or in natura linseed oil on skin wounds of rats. We used wound models, incisional and excisional, to evaluate, respectively, the contraction/reepithelialization of the wound and resistance to mechanical traction. The groups (n = 6) treated with SSFLO (1% or 5%) began the process of reepithelialization, to a significant extent (P < .05), on the sixth day, when compared to the petroleum jelly control group. On 14th day for the groups treated with SSFLO (1% or 5%), 100% reepithelialization was found, while in the petroleum jelly control group, this was only 33.33%. Our study showed that topical administration of SSFLO (1% or 5%) in excisional wounds allowed reepithelialization in 100% of treated animals. Therefore, a therapeutic potential of linseed oil, when used at low concentrations in the solid pharmaceutical formulations, is suggested for the process of dermal repair

Análise de custos em unidade de Medicina Tradicional, Complementar e Integrativa no Brasil

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the costs of a specialized service in Traditional Complementary and Integrative Medicines (TCIM) in Northeast Brazil to provide data on the cost linked to the implementation and maintenance of services of this nature and to identify the average cost per user for the Unified Health System. METHODS: This is a partial, descriptive, quantitative economic assessment, which used secondary data, later grouped in Microsoft Excel spreadsheets. The method used to analyze such costs was absorption costing, from which the service was divided into three costing centers: productive, administrative and auxiliary. RESULTS: A fter a nalyzing t he d ata, t he t otal c ost o f t he s ervice i n 2 014 w as e stimated a t R$1,270,015.70, with a proportion of 79.69$ 36.79, considering the total of 34,521 users in individual and collective practices. CONCLUSIONS: The service has a cost per user compatible with a specialized service; however, TCIM offers a comprehensive and holistic approach, which can have a positive impact on quality of life.OBJETIVO: Analisar os custos de um serviço especializado em Medicinas Tradicionais Complementares e Integrativas (MTCI) no Nordeste brasileiro, com o intuito de fornecer dados sobre o custo atrelado à implantação e manutenção de serviços dessa natureza e identificar o custo médio por usuário para o Sistema Único de Saúde. MÉTODOS: Trata-se de uma avaliação econômica do tipo parcial, com caráter descritivo, de natureza quantitativa, que utilizou dados secundários, posteriormente agrupados em planilhas do Microsoft Excel. O método utilizado para analisar tais custos foi o de custeio por absorção, a partir do qual o serviço foi dividido em três centros de custeio: produtivo, administrativo e auxiliar. RESULTADOS: Após a análise dos dados, o custo total do serviço em 2014 foi estimado em R$1.270.015,70, com proporção de 79,69$ 36,79, considerando o total de 34.521 usuários em práticas individuais e coletivas. CONCLUSÕES: O serviço apresenta um custo por usuário compatível com um serviço especializado, contudo, as MTCI oferecem abordagem compreensiva e holística, as quais podem impactar de forma positiva a qualidade de vida

Pneumonia adquirida na comunidade: aspectos etiopatogênicos, métodos diagnósticos e condutas terapêuticas

A pneumonia adquirida na comunidade (PAC) consiste em uma infecção pulmonar aguda infecciosa que acomete indivíduos fora do ambiente hospitalar ou de demais centros de saúde. Etiologicamente, sabe-se que a PAC pode ser causada por vírus, bactérias ou fungos, estando associada a uma ampla gama de microrganismos patogênicos, o que caracteriza a sua apresentação como típica ou atípica. Em virtude da sua variedade etiológica, a epidemiologia é variada e a incidência depende de diversos fatores. Sua patogênese envolve uma complexa interação entre os agentes etiológicos, os fatores imunes do hospedeiro e os fatores ambientais. Todavia, sabe-se que decorre da microaspiração dos patógenos, os quais atingem as vias aéreas inferiores e desencadeiam uma resposta inflamatória exuberante, levando à consolidação pulmonar, o que compromete a eficiência da troca gasosa alveolar. As manifestações clínicas decorrentes da PAC são amplas e variam de paciente para paciente e conforme a apresentação e gravidade da doença. Contudo, a sintomatologia clássica cursa com dispneia, tosse produtiva e febre. No que tange ao diagnóstico, este é, frequentemente, clínico, baseado na história de evolução da doença e no exame físico. Comumente, utiliza-se métodos para confirmação diagnóstica, como exames laboratoriais e exames de imagem, em especial a radiografia de tórax. Tais exames ajudam coletivamente a confirmar a presença de uma pneumonia, avaliando sua gravidade e, em alguns casos, identificando o patógeno causador, o que aumenta as chances de sucesso terapêutico. Ademais, escores de gravidade da doença são, usualmente, utilizados, como o Pneumonia Severity Index (PSI) e o CURB-65, os quais auxiliam na determinação do nível em que o tratamento será realizado, considerando que pode ser ambulatorial ou hospitalar. O manejo terapêutico é imprescindível, a fim de evitar evolução do quadro e piora progressiva da função pulmonar, o qual é realizado com esquemas antimicrobianos, a depender da suspeita do agente etiológico, da gravidade do quadro e das comorbidades de cada paciente

NEOTROPICAL CARNIVORES: a data set on carnivore distribution in the Neotropics

Mammalian carnivores are considered a key group in maintaining ecological health and can indicate potential ecological integrity in landscapes where they occur. Carnivores also hold high conservation value and their habitat requirements can guide management and conservation plans. The order Carnivora has 84 species from 8 families in the Neotropical region: Canidae; Felidae; Mephitidae; Mustelidae; Otariidae; Phocidae; Procyonidae; and Ursidae. Herein, we include published and unpublished data on native terrestrial Neotropical carnivores (Canidae; Felidae; Mephitidae; Mustelidae; Procyonidae; and Ursidae). NEOTROPICAL CARNIVORES is a publicly available data set that includes 99,605 data entries from 35,511 unique georeferenced coordinates. Detection/non-detection and quantitative data were obtained from 1818 to 2018 by researchers, governmental agencies, non-governmental organizations, and private consultants. Data were collected using several methods including camera trapping, museum collections, roadkill, line transect, and opportunistic records. Literature (peer-reviewed and grey literature) from Portuguese, Spanish and English were incorporated in this compilation. Most of the data set consists of detection data entries (n = 79,343; 79.7%) but also includes non-detection data (n = 20,262; 20.3%). Of those, 43.3% also include count data (n = 43,151). The information available in NEOTROPICAL CARNIVORES will contribute to macroecological, ecological, and conservation questions in multiple spatio-temporal perspectives. As carnivores play key roles in trophic interactions, a better understanding of their distribution and habitat requirements are essential to establish conservation management plans and safeguard the future ecological health of Neotropical ecosystems. Our data paper, combined with other large-scale data sets, has great potential to clarify species distribution and related ecological processes within the Neotropics. There are no copyright restrictions and no restriction for using data from this data paper, as long as the data paper is cited as the source of the information used. We also request that users inform us of how they intend to use the data

Characterisation of microbial attack on archaeological bone

As part of an EU funded project to investigate the factors influencing bone preservation in the archaeological record, more than 250 bones from 41 archaeological sites in five countries spanning four climatic regions were studied for diagenetic alteration. Sites were selected to cover a range of environmental conditions and archaeological contexts. Microscopic and physical (mercury intrusion porosimetry) analyses of these bones revealed that the majority (68%) had suffered microbial attack. Furthermore, significant differences were found between animal and human bone in both the state of preservation and the type of microbial attack present. These differences in preservation might result from differences in early taphonomy of the bones. © 2003 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved