Osteoporosis and Falls: Problems Overlooked by the Portuguese Medical Community

Introdução: A prevalência da osteoporose continua a aumentar, aumentando a morbimortalidade associada às fraturas osteoporóticas, na maioria resultantes de queda, sendo a fratura do fémur proximal a de maior impacto socioeconómico. O nosso objetivo foi caracterizar uma amostra da população hospitalar com fratura do fémur proximal quanto a medidas preventivas e terapêuticas da osteoporose e quedas. Material e Métodos: Realizámos um estudo transversal retrospetivo em mulheres com idade mínima de 65 anos e fratura recente do fémur proximal internadas num serviço de Ortopedia, durante um ano, através de questionário desenvolvido para o efeito e consulta do processo clínico. Resultados: Avaliámos 100 doentes, a maioria com fratura decorrente de queda, no domicílio, durante o dia e em piso regular; 76% das doentes tinha antecedentes de queda e 42% história prévia de fratura osteoporótica. Considerando os critérios para instituição terapêutica apenas 5,3% da amostra se encontrava medicada. Verificou-se a existência de uma associação estatisticamente significativa entre a ocorrência de quedas e as fraturas osteoporóticas bem como com a implementação de medidas de prevenção do risco de queda. Conclusão: os resultados corroboram a importância das quedas e das fraturas osteoporóticas na saúde. Tendo por base a literatura, os custos diretos estimados com esta amostra serão de 1,34 M€ no primeiro ano pós-fratura. Considerando a taxa mínima de cobertura terapêutica e o potencial de redução de risco fraturário estabelecido, conclui-se que um tratamento adequado poderia reduzir estes valores em, no mínimo, 40%-45%.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

DO PALCO DAS (IN)DIFERENÇAS AOS BASTIDORES DA PÓS-MODERNIDADE: TEORIA HISTÓRICA E PRÁTICAS CONTEMPORÂNEAS

RESUMO: Na conturbada esteira epistemológica contemporânea, o presente ensaio crítico tem por objetivo problematizar o discurso de pesquisadores acadêmicos que se sustentam no pensamento relativista pós-moderno em seu estado mais dissimulado e radical. Na sua estrutura, o trabalho contextualiza historicamente o campo "pós" à luz das ideias de Perry Anderson. Num segundo momento, apresenta relatos vivenciados em distintas universidades brasileiras, sendo os quais iluminados e discutidos, essencialmente, pelas teorias de Terry Eagleton e David Harvey. Em síntese, argumenta-se na conclusão que as teorizações radicais "pós-modernas" tendem a se afastar da ideia de "respeito às diferenças", ao fomentar as desconstruções epistemológicas que encaminham teorias, práticas e valores, na direção de uma homogeneização "carismática", mas niilista e superficial

Phenobot - Intelligent photonics for molecular phenotyping in Precision Viticulture

The Phenobot platform is comprised by an autonomous robot, instrumentation, artificial intelligence, and digital twin diagnosis at the molecular level, marking the transition from pure data-driven to knowledge-driven agriculture 4.0, towards a physiology-based approach to precision viticulture. Such is achieved by measuring the plant metabolome ‘in vivo' and 'in situ', using spectroscopy and artificial intelligence for quantifying metabolites, e.g.: i. grapes: chlorophylls a and b, pheophytins a and b, anthocyanins, carotenoids, malic and tartaric acids, glucose and fructose; ii. foliage: chlorophylls a and b, pheophytins a and b, anthocyanins, carotenoids, nitrogen, phosphorous, potassium, sugars, and leaf water potential; and iii. soil nutrients (NPK). The geo-referenced metabolic information of each plant (organs and tissues) is the basis of multi-scaled analysis: i. geo-referenced metabolic maps of vineyards at the macroscopic field level, and ii. genome-scale 'in-silico' digital twin model for inferential physiology (phenotype state) and omics diagnosis at the molecular and cellular levels (transcription, enzyme efficiency, and metabolic fluxes). Genome-scale 'in-silico' Vitis vinifera numerical network relationships and fluxes comprise the scientific knowledge about the plant's physiological response to external stimuli, being the comparable mechanisms between laboratory and field experimentation - providing a causal and interpretable relationship to a complex system subjected to external spurious interactions (e.g., soil, climate, and ecosystem) scrambling pure data-driven approaches. This new approach identifies the molecular and cellular targets for managing plant physiology under different stress conditions, enabling new sustainable agricultural practices and bridging agriculture with plant biotechnology, towards faster innovations (e.g. biostimulants, anti-microbial compounds/mechanisms, nutrition, and water management). Phenobot is a project under the Portuguese emblematic initiative in Agriculture 4.0, part of the Recovery and Resilience Plan (Ref. PRR: 190 Ref. 09/C05-i03/2021 – PRR-C05-i03-I-000134)

Relation between oral health and nutritional condition in the elderly

Oral health is a prerequisite for a good chewing function, which may have an impact on food choices and nutritional well-being. OBJECTIVE: This study was designed to evaluate the relationship between oral health status and nutritional status in the elderly. MATERIAL AND METHODS: In this cross-sectional study, 33 elderly people from the Group for the Elderly Interdisciplinary Geriatrics and Gerontology Program, at Fluminense Federal University, Niteroi, RJ, Brazil, completed a questionnaire to collect information on socioeconomic status, eating habits, physical activity and health habits, undertook a clinical oral examination, blood test, and anthropometric measurements, and were allocated into groups according to age. The oral health status was assessed using the index for decayed, missing and filled teeth (DMFT). The nutritional status was assessed using hemoglobin, hematocrit and albumin concentrations in blood, anthropometric values and the body mass index. RESULTS: Tooth loss was the biggest nuisance to the elderly subjects (57.6%), followed by the use of dentures (30.3%) and ill-fitting dentures (33.3%). 66.6% of patients had difficulty in chewing, and 54.5% reported this to be due to prostheses and 13.6% to the absence of teeth. A significant correlation was found between DMFT and the value of suprailiac skinfold thickness (rho=0.380, p=0.029). CONCLUSION: The results support the temporal association between tooth loss and detrimental changes in anthropometry, which could contribute to increased risk of developing chronic diseases

Glutamine dipeptide supplementation improves clinical responses in patients with diabetic foot syndrome

ABSTRACT The effect of glutamine dipeptide (GDP) supplementation in patients with diabetic foot syndrome was evaluated. A total of 22 patients took part in the study. GDP was supplied in 10 g sachets, and was dissolved in water immediately before use, with ingestion once a day, after lunch or after dinner (20 g/day) over a period of 30 days. Quantification of foot insensitive areas, oxidative stress, blood cytokines, and biochemical, hematological and toxicological parameters was performed before and after GDP supplementation. We observed an increase in blood levels of interferon-&#945; (P=0.023), interferon-&#947; (P=0.038), interleukin-4 (P=0.003), interleukin-6 (P=0.0025), interleukin-7 (P=0.028), interleukin-12 p40 (P=0.017), interleukin-13 (P=0.001), leukocytes (P=0.037), eosinophils (P=0.049), and typical lymphocytes (P<0.001) due to GDP administration. In addition, we observed a reduced number (P=0.048) of insensitive areas on the foot, and reduction (P=0.047) of fasting hyperglycemia. Patients also showed increased blood high density lipoprotein (P<0.01) and protein thiol groups (P=0.004). These favorable results were associated with the absence of renal and hepatic toxicity. These results are of clinical relevance, since supplementation with GDP over 30 days improved clinical responses in patients with diabetic foot syndrome