The Oxidative state of LDL is the major determinant of anti/prooxidant effect of coffee on Cu²⁺ catalysed peroxidation

Antioxidants exert contrasting effect on low density lipoprotein (LDL) oxidation catalysed by metals, acting as pro-oxidants under select in vitro conditions. Through our study on the effect of coffee on LDL oxidation, we identified the parameters governing this phenomenon, contributing to the comprehension of its mechanism and discovering significant implications for correct alimentary recommendations. By measuring conjugated diene formation, we have analysed the quantitative and qualitative effects exerted by an extract of roasted coffee on LDL oxidation triggered by copper sulphate. When the relative effects of different coffee concentrations were plotted against the lag time (LT) of control LDL (C-LDL), the apparently random experimental data arranged in sensible patterns: by increasing the LT the antioxidant activity of coffee decreased progressively to become prooxidant. The critical LT, at which coffee switches from antioxidant to prooxidant, increased by increasing coffee concentration. Also the contrasting results obtained following a delayed addition of coffee to the assay, arranged in a simple pattern when referred to the LT of C-LDL: the prooxidant effect decreased to become antioxidant as the LT of C-LDL increased. The dependence of coffee effect on the LT of C-LDL was influenced by LDL but not by metal catalyst concentration. These novel findings point to the oxidative state of LDL as a major parameter controlling the anti/prooxidant effect of coffee and suggest the LT of C-LDL as a potent analytical tool to express experimental data when studying the action exerted by a compound on LDL oxidation

Biological Evaluation Of Pldla Polymer Synthesized As Construct On Bone Tissue Engineering Application

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)In bone tissue engineering, cell-scaffold constructs are used to stimulate complete, functional tissue replacement that does not occur naturally in critical-size defects. In this report, we describe the application potential of poly (L-co-D,L lactic acid)-PLDLA 70/30, synthesized in house as constructs loaded with osteoblast-like cells on bone tissue engineering. In vitro biological results show that the porogen leached PLDLA scaffolds are cytocompatible with osteoblast cells, able to stimulate significant cells growth during the first 14 days of culture, during which the morphology and cell behavior of osteoblasts cultured on the scaffolds were monitored by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). In vivo, PLDLA constructs were implanted in 5 mm bilateral critical-size defects created in rat-calvariae and then evaluated histologically 8 and 12 weeks after implantation. The histological results showed that PLDLA constructs supported the growth of new tissue, with a degradation rate close to that of native bone formation and decrease of inflammatory response over time of implantation. These data provide evidences that the synthesized PLDLA polymer has application potential as construct for bone tissue engineering.192300307Fundacao de Amparo a Pesquisa do Estado de Sao Paulo (FAPESP) [2012/12081-2]National Institute of Science and Technology in Biofabrication (INCT-Biofabris)Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP

O Projeto Intersetorial de prevenção à reincidência e enfrentamento da violência doméstica e familiar na cidade de Castro, Estado do Paraná, na perspectiva do profissional da advocacia / The Intersectoral Project to Prevent Recidivism and Coping with Domestic and Family Violence in the City of Castro, State of Paraná, from the Perspective of the Professional

O presente resumo tem por objetivo apresentar Projeto Intersetorial de prevenção à reincidência e enfrentamento da violência doméstica e familiar da cidade de Castro, na perspectiva do profissional da advocacia, nos Centros de Referência Especializado de Assistência Social (CREAS), demonstrando em que contexto foi desenvolvimento e está sendo executado. Ademais, buscou-se demonstrar a crescente procura de atendimentos de mulheres em situação de violência ocorridos no ano de 2018, com paralelo dos atendimentos registrados no primeiro semestre do ano de 2019 pelos dois CREAS da cidade. O Projeto Intersetorial é uma política pública, fazem parte da coordenação: a Secretaria Municipal da Família e Desenvolvimento Social, o Poder Judiciário e o Ministério Público Estadual. A execução é realizada por equipe interdisciplinar dos CREAS (Advogado, Assistente Social, Psicólogo, Orientador Social e Coordenação). Tem parcerias com órgãos do município, tais como: representantes das secretarias municipais de saúde e segurança pública, Ministério Público, Poder Judiciário, Polícias Civil e Militar, Sociedade Civil e acadêmico(a)s de Serviço Social, Pedagogia e Psicologia. Sua finalidade é cumprir o contido no artigo 8º, inciso VI da Lei nº 11.340/2006, e atender os(as) autores(a) de violência doméstica ou familiar. As discussões serão expostas neste resumo, por meio da utilização de metodologias como a bibliográfica, a partir de autores como Saffioti (2004), Teles e Melo (2002) e documental, para assim apresentar os resultados obtidos

Child and adolescent mental health and education: bibliometric analysis of Brazilian and international scientific production (1968-2014)

International documents point out the importance of awareness strategies and health and education care for children and adolescents with psychological distress. This study aimed to identify and characterize articles that establish the interface between mental health and education in children and adolescents in both Brazilian and international scientific literature in both national and international scientific literature. The methodology adopted was the bibliometric analysis, and data sources were drawn from databases named Lilacs and Medline. We analyzed 43 articles published between 1968 and 2014. The results indicated that the current decade brings together most of the studies, and the international character of regulations in the field of education and mental health may have stimulated this research agenda. With a predominance of quantitative approaches, the articles were published by researchers of the Americas, Europe, Asia, Africa and Oceania. These studies contribute to an interdisciplinary discussion on the topic of health and education of children and adolescents in psychological distress

Neuromuscular magnetic stimulation counteracts muscle decline in ALS patients: results of a randomized, double-blind, controlled study

The aim of the study was to verify whether neuromuscular magnetic stimulation (NMMS) improves muscle function in spinal-onset amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) patients. Twenty-two ALS patients were randomized in two groups to receive, daily for two weeks, NMMS in right or left arm (referred to as real-NMMS, rNMMS), and sham NMMS (sNMMS) in the opposite arm. All the patients underwent a median nerve conduction (compound muscle action potential, CMAP) study and a clinical examination that included a handgrip strength test and an evaluation of upper limb muscle strength by means of the Medical Research Council Muscle Scale (MRC). Muscle biopsy was then performed bilaterally on the flexor carpi radialis muscle to monitor morpho-functional parameters and molecular changes. Patients and physicians who performed examinations were blinded to the side of real intervention. The primary outcome was the change in the muscle strength in upper arms. The secondary outcomes were the change from baseline in the CMAP amplitudes, in the nicotinic ACh currents, in the expression levels of a selected panel of genes involved in muscle growth and atrophy, and in histomorphometric parameters of ALS muscle fibers. The Repeated Measures (RM) ANOVA with a Greenhouse-Geisser correction (sphericity not assumed) showed a significant effect [F(3, 63) = 5.907, p < 0.01] of rNMMS on MRC scale at the flexor carpi radialis muscle, thus demonstrating that the rNMMS significantly improves muscle strength in flexor muscles in the forearm. Secondary outcomes showed that the improvement observed in rNMMS-treated muscles was associated to counteracting muscle atrophy, down-modulating the proteolysis, and increasing the efficacy of nicotinic ACh receptors (AChRs). We did not observe any significant difference in pre- and post-stimulation CMAP amplitudes, evoked by median nerve stimulation. This suggests that the improvement in muscle strength observed in the stimulated arm is unlikely related to reinnervation. The real and sham treatments were well tolerated without evident side effects. Although promising, this is a proof of concept study, without an immediate clinical translation, that requires further clinical validation

Comparison of MICE and Etest with CLSI Agar Dilution for Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing against Oxacillin-Resistant Staphylococcus spp.

Objective: the main objective of this study was to comparatively evaluate the performance of M. I. C. E. and Etest methodologies to that of agar dilution for determining the antimicrobial susceptibility profile of oxacillin-resistant Staphylococcus spp.Methods: A total of 100 oxacillin-resistant Staphylococcus spp. isolates were collected from hospitalized patients at a teaching hospital. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing for vancomycin, teicoplanin and linezolid was performed using the reference CLSI agar dilution method (2009), Etest and M. I. C. E. methodologies. the MIC values were interpreted according to CLSI susceptibility breakpoints and compared by regression analysis.Results: in general, the essential agreement (+/- 1-log(2)) between M. I. C. E. and CLSI agar dilution was 93.0%, 84.0% and 77.0% for linezolid, teicoplanin and vancomycin, respectively. Essential agreement rates between M. I. C. E. and Etest were excellent (>90.0%) for all antibiotics tested. Both strips (M. I. C. E. and Etest) yielded two very major errors for linezolid. Unacceptable minor rates were observed for teicoplanin against CoNS and for vancomycin against S. aureus.Conclusions: According to our results, linezolid and teicoplanin MICs against all staphylococci and S. aureus, respectively, were more accurately predicted by M. I. C. E. strips. However, the Etest showed better performance than M. I. C. E. for predicting vancomycin MICs against all staphylococci. Thus, microbiologists must be aware of the different performance of commercially available gradient strips against staphylococci.Thermo Fisher Scientific, São Paulo, BrazilConselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)Universidade Federal de São Paulo, Lab Alerta, Disciplina Infectol, São Paulo, BrazilUniversidade Federal de São Paulo, Hosp São Paulo, Lab Cent, São Paulo, BrazilUniversidade Federal de São Paulo, Lab Alerta, Disciplina Infectol, São Paulo, BrazilUniversidade Federal de São Paulo, Hosp São Paulo, Lab Cent, São Paulo, BrazilCNPq: 307816/2009-5Web of Scienc

A SÍNDROME DE DOWN EM DIFERENTES CONTEXTOS: IDENTIFICANDO ASSOCIAÇÕES E PROGRAMAS

To consider the difference is to identify that people have their own strengths and weaknesses, and these should not be fully emphasized. From this point of view, the following question arises: how has work with people with Down syndrome been occurring in the main associations/institutions in the contexts of Spain, Brazil, and the United States? The objective of this study was to present and discuss actions and programs of the main associations/institutions that Brazil, Spain, and the United States treat people with Down syndrome, in order to identify how these people are considered in these programs. This theoretical essay is characterized by a bibliographic review of works made available on the Internet, such as Google Books and Google Scholar. Other databases were consulted, such as the National Down Syndrome Society of the United States, Down España Magazine, and the APAES Message Magazine. The data indicate that in Brazil a large concentration of Non Government Organizations (NOGs) was identified, as well as the Associação Nacional de Pais e Amigos dos Excepcionais (APAE). In Spain, the Down España Federation took place, which counts with 83 associations. In the USA we observed the National Down Syndrome Society that has in its interior 350 groups of affiliates around the country. Keyworks: Down Syndrome. Educational Programs. Contexts.Considerar a diferença é identificar que as pessoas têm suas próprias potencialidades e fragilidades, sendo que essas não deveriam ser totalmente enfatizadas. Sob esta ótica surge a seguinte indagação: como o trabalho com pessoas com a síndrome de Down vem ocorrendo nas principais associações/instituições nos contextos da Espanha, do Brasil e dos Estados Unidos? Objetiva-se, então, a apresentação e discussão de ações e programas das principais associações/instituições que nesses países atendem pessoas com síndrome de Down, visando identificar como essas pessoas são consideradas nesses programas. Este ensaio teórico caracteriza-se por uma revisão bibliográfica de trabalhos disponibilizados na internet, tais como: o Google Books e o Google Acadêmico. Outros bancos de dados foram consultados, tais como: a Sociedade Nacional de Síndrome de Down dos Estados Unidos, a Revista Down España e a Revista Mensagem das APAES. Os dados apontam que, no Brasil, identificou-se uma grande concentração de ONGs, assim como também a Associação Nacional de Pais e Amigos dos Excepcionais (APAE). Na Espanha verificou-se a Federação Down España, que conta ao todo com 83 associações aderidas. Nos EUA, observou-se a National Down Syndrome Society, que possui em seu interior 350 grupos de afiliados ao redor do país. Palavras-chaves: Síndrome de Down. Programas Educacionais. Diferentes Contextos

Current preventive policies and practices against Vaccine-Preventable Diseases and tuberculosis targeted for workers from hospitals of the Sardinia Region, Italy

Introduction: Health care Workers are exposed to infectious diseases more than the general population. Many of these infections are preventable by vaccination. The objective in this study is to investigate whether, how, and which vaccination underwent Sardinia Health Care Workers (HCWs) and the variability of policies in different Hospital Health Managements of the whole region. Methods: In March 2013, we enrolled the Hospital Health Management of all the 32 Sardinia hospitals. We investigate on immunity against vaccine-preventable diseases and education campaigns about recommended vaccinations for HCWs. Flu, hepatitis B, measles-mumps-rubella, varicella and tuberculosis were the objects of our research. Results: In most of the hospitals, influenza vaccination coverage among HCWs is less than 6%. Hepatitis B antibody assay was performed in all the respondent hospitals but only 14 had available data as collected electronically. Most of the hospitals did not perform serological tests for the evaluation of antibodies against Varicella, Measles, Mumps and Rubella in their HCWs. In 30 hospitals Mantoux test was replaced or integrated by âin vitroâ test for health surveillance protocols. Conclusions: This method produced a large amount of data in small time and at a low cost. Sending back data to respective Hospital Health Management (HHM) we took a step towards greater awareness of the issue of biological risks of HCWs and of vaccine coverage