Colonic transit in children and adolescents with chronic constipation

AbstractObjectiveThe aim of this study was to assess clinical features and colonic transit patterns in Brazilian children with refractory constipation.MethodsFrom 2010 to 2013, 79 constipated patients received follow-up care in a tertiary hospital. Of these patients, 28 (aged 8–14 years) were refractory to conventional therapy and underwent a simplified visual method of nuclear colonic transit study, by ingestion of a liquid meal containing 9.25MBq/kg of 99mTc-phytate. Abdominal static images were taken immediately and at two, six, 24, 30, and 48h after ingestion for qualitative analysis of the radio marker progression through the colon.ResultsTwo patterns of colonic transit were found: slow colonic transit (SCT, n=14), when images at 48h showed a larger part of the tracer remained in proximal and transverse colon, and distal retention (DR, n=14), when after 30h, the radio isotope passed the transverse colon and was retained in the rectosigmoid up to 48h. The SCT and DR group included, respectively, nine and ten males; median ages in the nuclear study of 11 and 10 years, p=0.207; median duration of constipation of seven and six years, p=0.599. Constipation appearing during first year age (p=0.04) and report of soft stools (p=0.02) were more common in SCT patients. Palpable abdominal fecal impaction was found only in DR group. Appendicostomy for antegrade continence enema was successful in 4/12 (30%) of SCT patients (median follow-up: 2.4 years).ConclusionNuclear transit study distinguished two colonic dysmotility patterns and was useful for guiding refractory patients to specific therapies

Ionization and scintillation response of high-pressure xenon gas to alpha particles

High-pressure xenon gas is an attractive detection medium for a variety of applications in fundamental and applied physics. In this paper we study the ionization and scintillation detection properties of xenon gas at 10 bar pressure. For this purpose, we use a source of alpha particles in the NEXT-DEMO time projection chamber, the large scale prototype of the NEXT-100 neutrinoless double beta decay experiment, in three different drift electric field configurations. We measure the ionization electron drift velocity and longitudinal diffusion, and compare our results to expectations based on available electron scattering cross sections on pure xenon. In addition, two types of measurements addressing the connection between the ionization and scintillation yields are performed. On the one hand we observe, for the first time in xenon gas, large event-by-event correlated fluctuations between the ionization and scintillation signals, similar to that already observed in liquid xenon. On the other hand, we study the field dependence of the average scintillation and ionization yields. Both types of measurements may shed light on the mechanism of electron-ion recombination in xenon gas for highly-ionizing particles. Finally, by comparing the response of alpha particles and electrons in NEXT-DEMO, we find no evidence for quenching of the primary scintillation light produced by alpha particles in the xenon gas

Análise da atividade e gasto fisiológico dos catadores de resíduos sólidos: a percepção da terapia ocupacional

The world’s transformation in the market has been causing changes in the working class. As those changes have come, the market calls for a high capacity from the workers. Due to that, the unemployment rate has increased and induced a new type of class worker: the Recyclable Material Collectors. In this job, the role of the collector is to return the materials to their commodity chain, and to accomplish this, two methods of collecting are used: one with a truck and the other with a manual collector car. This is one type of occupation which has an extenuating work time, where the worker is exposed to a high ergonomic risk. This study, which was labored from a quantitative and qualitative approach to exploratory method and field research, is intended to compare which collecting technique can be less weariness to the worker. To the purpose of comparison of the physiological work weight, the participants used the Polar FT7 frequency counter, which generated, in graphic form, the performance of the collector in both methods. According to the values presented, was concluded that three of the four participants had a higher physiological weariness by using the manual car collecting approach, concluding that this method is the one that brings most effort to the worker. Considering the results obtained in this research, it was possible to observe that the use of the manual car causes a higher damage to the health of the recyclable material collector.A transformação no mundo do trabalho tem causado mudanças no perfil da classe trabalhadora. Cada vez mais, o mercado de trabalho requer exigências e, como decorrência disso, a taxa de desemprego aumentou e fez surgir uma nova profissão, a de Catadores de Materiais Recicláveis. A função do catador é a de devolver os materiais à sua cadeia produtiva e, para isso, existem dois métodos de coleta: com o caminhão e com o carro manual de coleta. Essa é uma profissão que possui jornadas de trabalho extenuantes, nas quais o trabalhador está exposto a riscos ergonômicos. Esse estudo foi elaborado a partir de uma abordagem quantitativa e qualitativa de método explorátorio e pesquisa de campo; pretende comparar qual método de coleta causa menos desgaste ao trabalhador. Para fins de comparação da carga fisiológica do trabalho, os participantes utilizaram o frequencímetro Polar FT7 que gerou, em forma de gráfico, o desempenho do catador em ambos os métodos de coleta. De acordo com os valores expostos, avaliou-se que, dos 4 participantes, 3 apresentaram um maior desgaste fisiológico no método de coleta com o carro manual, sendo esta a forma pela qual o trabalhador realiza mais esforços. Considerando os resultados obtidos nessa pesquisa, foi possível observar que o uso do carro manual de coleta causa um maior prejuízo à saúde do catador de materiais recicláveis

Transitions of cardio-metabolic risk factors in the Americas between 1980 and 2014

Describing the prevalence and trends of cardiometabolic risk factors that are associated with non-communicable diseases (NCDs) is crucial for monitoring progress, planning prevention, and providing evidence to support policy efforts. We aimed to analyse the transition in body-mass index (BMI), obesity, blood pressure, raised blood pressure, and diabetes in the Americas, between 1980 and 2014