Desafios ‘práticos e reflexivos’ para os cursos de graduação em terapia ocupacional em tempos de pandemia

The COVID-19 pandemic has conduced to the adoption of measures that bring about changes in the routine and organization of work in universities. The virtual environments have been considered as vectors for undergraduate courses during pandemic addressing, and it’s necessary to produce reflection for this new context. The Rede Nacional de Ensino e Pesquisa em Terapia Ocupacional – RENETO (Brazilian Occupational Therapy Education and Research Association), Brazil, attentive to the issues involved in the formation and production of knowledge in the field, has been searching with peers for ways to carry out a complex reading of reality and, from this, create and implement strategies to be able to deal with the demands imposed, respecting the regionalities in which the undergraduate courses are running on. Thus, based on a survey carried out with the coordinators of Occupational Therapy courses, which aimed to understand how the undergraduate courses have adhered or not to teaching through digital platforms, this paper intends to reflect on decision making about pedagogical, ethical and political dimensions in the scope of academic activities not only in the context of pandemic, but also considering the projections of the new reality imposed by the pandemic. However, there is still a somewhat disjointed scenario in the area and realities significantly different, between public and private institutions.A pandemia de COVID-19 tem provocado a adoção de medidas que ocasionam a mudança na rotina e na organização do trabalho das universidades. Os ambientes virtuais vêm se apresentando como vetores para os cursos de graduação durante o enfrentamento da pandemia, sendo necessário produzir reflexões para este novo contexto. A Rede Nacional de Ensino e Pesquisa em Terapia Ocupacional – RENETO, Brasil, atenta as questões implicadas com a formação e produção de conhecimento da área, vem buscando junto aos pares maneiras de realizar uma leitura complexa da realidade e, a partir desta, criar e implementar estratégias que deem conta de atender as demandas impostas, respeitando as regionalidades em que os cursos de graduação estão inseridos. Assim, a partir de um levantamento realizado junto às coordenações de cursos de graduação em Terapia Ocupacional, a fim de compreender como os cursos de graduação têm aderido ou não à oferta de ensino por meio de plataformas digitais, o presente trabalho pretende refletir acerca das tomadas de decisões pedagógicas, éticas e políticas no âmbito das diversas atividades acadêmicas, não apenas no contexto do enfrentamento da pandemia, como também nas projeções da nova realidade imposta por esta problemática. Contudo, observa-se ainda um cenário um tanto desarticulado na área, entre instituições significativamente diferentes, públicas e privadas

Sepsis Impairs Thyroid Hormone Signaling and Mitochondrial Function in the Mouse Diaphragm

Background: Sepsis can cause the nonthyroidal illness syndrome (NTIS), resulting in perturbed thyroid hormone (TH) signaling and reduced thyroxine (T4) levels. TH is a major regulator of muscle function, via its influence on mitochondria. This study aimed at evaluating the relationship between TH signaling, mitochondrial function, and the antioxidant defense system in the diaphragms of septic mice. Methods: Male C57Bl/6 mice were divided into two groups: cecal ligation and puncture (CLP) and sham. Twenty-four hours after surgery, plasma, diaphragms, and livers were collected. TH metabolism and responses were analyzed by measuring messenger RNA (mRNA) expression of Dio1 in the liver, and Thra, Thrb, Dio2, Slc16a10, and Slc16a2 (encodes MCT 10 and 8), in the diaphragm. T4 plasma levels were measured by radioimmunoassay. Damage to diaphragm mitochondria was assessed by electron microscopy and real-time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR), and function with oxygraphy. The diaphragm antioxidative defense system was examined by qPCR, analyzing superoxide dismutase (SOD) 1 (Sod1), mitochondrial superoxide dismutase (SOD 2; Sod2), extracellular superoxide dismutase (SOD 3; Sod3), glutathione peroxidase 1 (Gpx1), and catalase (Cat) expression. The effect of TH replacement was tested by treating the mice with T4 and triiodothyronine (T3) (CLP+TH) after surgery. Results: CLP mice presented reduced total plasma T4 concentrations, downregulated Dio1, and upregulated Il1b mRNA expression in the liver. CLP mice also displayed downregulated Thra, Thrb, Slc16a10, and Slc16a2 expression in the diaphragm, suggesting that TH signaling was compromised. The expression of Ppargc1a (encoding PGC1a) was downregulated, which correlated with the decrease in the number of total mitochondria, increase in the percentage of injured mitochondria, downregulation of respiratory chain complex 2 and 3 mRNA expression, and reduced maximal respiration. In addition, septic animals presented a three-fold increase in Ucp3 and G6pdh expression; downregulated Sod3, Gpx1, and Cat expression; and upregulated Sod2 expression, potentially due to elevated reactive oxygen species levels. The mitochondrial number and the percentage of injured mitochondrial were similar between sham and CLP+TH mice. Conclusions: Sepsis induced responses consistent with NTIS, resulted in mitochondrial damage and functional impairment, and modulated the expression of key antioxidant enzymes in the diaphragm. Thus, impaired diaphragm function during sepsis seems to involve altered local TH signaling, mitochondrial dysfunction, and oxidative stress defense