Adverse drug reaction in HIV-infected people treated with HAART in Maringá, Southern Brazil

Purpose: To assess the knowledge of adverse drug reactions (ADRs) among HIV-infected patients on prolonged treatment with highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) at a public health facility in Maringá, Southern Brazil.Methods: A retrospective and prospective analysis of laboratory results and clinical epidemiological characteristics was conducted among 220 HIV-infected patients treated with HAART between January 2010 and December 2013, at a public health care and treatment center in Maringá, Southern Brazil. The immunological and virological profiles of participants were evaluated.Results: The mean age of antiretroviral therapy (ART) participants was 44.3 ± 10.8 years and there was no substantial age difference between males and females. The mean of the first and last CD4+ T count were 550 ± 309 cells/μL and 642 ± 372 cells/μL, respectively. Similarly, the first and last mean viral load were 14,476 ± 58,067 copies/mL and 20,828 ± 106,028 copies/mL, respectively. The therapeutic regimen was either two nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NRTIs) and one protease inhibitor (PI) in 102 (46.4 %) patients, or two NRTIs and one non-nucleoside reverse inhibitor (NNRTI) in 79 (35.9 %). Gastrointestinal disorders (25.9 %), hypertension (25.4 %), and neuropsychiatric symptoms (18.2 %) were the most common clinical ADRs. The most common laboratory-based ADRs were anemia (48.8 %), hypertriglyceridemia (47.3 %), hypercholesterolemia (36.1 %) and hyperglycemia (22.6 %).Conclusion: The results demonstrate a high incidence of ADRs in HIV-patients treated with HAART, which should be monitored closely during follow-up therapy.Keywords: HIV, AIDS, Highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART), Adverse drug reactio

From nearly zero energy buildings (NZEB) to positive energy buildings (PEB): The next challenge - The most recent European trends with some notes on the energy analysis of a forerunner PEB example

Abstract The European energy policies introduced the Nearly Zero Energy Building (NZEB) objective (Directive, 2010/31/EU and 2018/844/UE) to stimulate the energy transition of the construction sector. EU programs, specifically "Horizon 2020", promote the NZEB design and also its evolution, namely the Positive Energy Building (PEB) model. Based on the most recent developments, a critical review of the main actions of the European Union towards the development of the NZEB and PEB design models has been conducted. Some considerations on advanced materials and technologies (PCM, VIP, smart glass, integrated photovoltaic systems) have also been added. Finally, a case study is presented (single-family residential NZEB) to show how a careful and integrated design of the building envelope and systems not only allows to obtain an almost total coverage of the energy consumption by renewable sources, but also to generate an energy surplus that could be shared with urban grids (PEB potential)

Experiencia en el Bachillerato Popular Villa Soldati: entrecruzamientos entre la pedagogía de Paulo Freire y el feminismo.

Through this communication we want to realize the validity of the legacy of the teacher Paulo Freire in the field of popular education resignified in light of the contributions of feminism. Without wanting to force different theoretical frameworks, we have found points of encounter between both, based on the critical reading of social reality.A través de esta comunicación queremos dar cuenta de la vigencia del legado del maestro Paulo Freire en el campo de la educación popular resignificado a la luz de los aportes del feminismo. Sin ánimo de querer forzar marcos teóricos diferentes, hemos hallado puntos de encuentro entre ambos, a partir de la lectura crítica de la realidad social

Experiencia en el Bachillerato Popular Villa Soldati: entrecruzamientos entre la pedagogía de Paulo Freire y el feminismo

Through this communication we want to realize the validity of the legacy of the teacher Paulo Freire in the field of popular education resignified in light of the contributions of feminism. Without wanting to force different theoretical frameworks, we have found points of encounter between both, based on the critical reading of social reality.A través de esta comunicación queremos dar cuenta de la vigencia del legado del maestro Paulo Freire en el campo de la educación popular resignificado a la luz de los aportes del feminismo. Sin ánimo de querer forzar marcos teóricos diferentes, hemos hallado puntos de encuentro entre ambos, a partir de la lectura crítica de la realidad social

High Performance Liquid Chromatography Method for the Determination of Anethole in Rat Plasma

Purpose: To identify and quantify anethole in the essential oil of fruits of Illicium verum Hook (star anise) and in vivo in rat plasma using reverse-phase liquid chromatography.Methods: Anethole was identified in the essential oil of the fruits of Star anise and determined by gas chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (GC-MS), nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), ultraviolet visible spectrophotometry (UV-VIS). A simple, sensitive and validated high performance liguid chromatography (HPLC) technique with UV-VIS detection method was developed for the determination of the compound in rat plasma using: methanol-water (85:15, v/v) as mobile phase at a flow rate of 0.2 ml/min Hypersil ODS Thermo (150 mm x 2.1 mm x 3.0 μM) as column with wavelength detection at 259 nm.Results: GC determination showed that anethole in the essential oil of star anise exhibited a retention time of 21.02 min. The validation results for anethole in plasma were satisfactory, with coefficient of determination (R2) of 0.9945 and relative standard deviation of < 3 %. HPLC run time of 4 min with a retention time of 2.73 min was the faster method to determine anethole when compared to a previously reported method which had a run time of 15 min.Conclusion: Anethole in the essential oil of Illicium verum Hook can be identified and determined by GC-MS, NMR and UV-VIS, and a superior HPLC method has been developed for the determination of the compound in rat plasma.Keywords: Anethole, High performance liguid chromatography, Star anise, Essential oil, Rat plasma, Illicium verum Hook

Suppression of HIV-1 viral load after multiple changes in high active antiretroviral therapy: A case report

High active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) can reduce plasma viremia to levels below the limit of detection, leading to adequate immune recovery and clinical stability in most HIV-1-infected patients. However, the virus persists in reservoirs, and free virions can be found in the plasma. We report here the case of an HIV-infected patient diagnosed in 1999, who exhibited good adherence to medication and HAART efficacy after multiple protocol changes. In this study, we describe the clinical features, chronological changes in HIV viral load and CD4+ T-cell count, and treatment outcomes of multiple combinations of antiretrovirals (ARV).The patient presented cycles of viral load during treatment ranging from undetectable, low, and intermediate HIV-1 RNA levels, to levels above the limits of quantification. A therapeutic regimen intensified with raltegravir (RAL) promoted constant depletion of HIV viral load and an increase in CD4+ T-cells. The report shows that enhanced HAART efficacy using RAL can reduce HIV viral load.Keywords: HAART, HIV, Viral load, Antiretroviral therapy, Raltegravi

Effect of Carvacrol on Salmonella Saintpaul Biofilms on Stainless Steel Surface

Purpose: To evaluate the effect of carvacrol against Salmonella Saintpaul biofilms on stainless steel surface.Methods: The effects of carvacrol on planktonic cells were evaluated by determining the minimum inhibitory concentration and minimal bactericidal concentration. The action of carvacrol on Salmonella Saintpaul biofilms on stainless steel surface was evaluated on established biofilm and on biofilm formation by counting the number of bacterial cells that adhered to the surface using scanning electron microscopy.Results: The antimicrobial activity of carvacrol in planktonic cells of Salmonella Saintpaul was observed. The highest inhibitory effect of carvacrol was observed on biofilm formation at different subinhibitory concentrations.Conclusion: Carvacrol reduced the number of bacterial cells that adhered to stainless steel surface, making it a potential compound for Salmonella Saintpaul control.Keywords: Salmonella spp, Biofilm, Planktonic cells, Carvacrol, Stainless stee

Pharmaceutical Care Program for the rational use of drugs in the elderly Users of a Basic Health Unit in the São Paulo State, Brazil

Este trabalho objetivou avaliar o impacto de um Programa de Atenção Farmacêutica no uso racional de medicamentos, por idosos atendidos em uma Unidade Básica de Saúde no Centro-oeste de São Paulo, Brasil. Para isso foi realizado um estudo prospectivo com 106 pacientes com idade igual ou superior a 60 anos. Os dados obtidos mostraram que o Programa de Atenção Farmacêutica desenvolvido promoveu redução significativa no número de medicamentos utilizados por paciente, na prática da automedicação, no uso de medicamentos potencialmente inapropriados (PIM) para idosos, segundo o critério de Beers e no número de problemas relacionados a medicamentos (PRM), proporcionando aumento na prescrição de itens constantes da lista de medicamentos essenciais da Organização Mundial de Saúde (OMS) e da Relação Nacional de Medicamentos Essenciais (Rename). Os resultados permitiram concluir que a implantação do Programa de Atenção Farmacêutica promoveu grande melhoria no uso racional de medicamentos.In this study it was evaluated the impact of a pharmaceutical care program about the rational use of drugs by elderly in Basic Health Unit of a Center-West city in São Paulo state, Brazil. The prospective study was carried out in 106 elderly patients aged over than 60 years. The data obtained showed that the pharmaceutical care program promoted a significant decrease in the following parameters: the number of drugs used per patient, the self-medication practice, the use of potentially inappropriate medication (PIM) and the drug-related problems (DRP). Indeed, it was observed an increased of prescribed drugs concerned to the recommended essential medicines list of WHO and RENAME. We concluded that the pharmaceutical care program promoted an improvement in the rational use of drugs.Colegio de Farmacéuticos de la Provincia de Buenos Aire