Epidemiologic studies about association of mental disorders and metabolic syndrome

CONTEXTO: A síndrome metabólica (SM) é um transtorno de alta prevalência na população geral. Estudos que demonstram haver associação positiva entre doenças mentais e diabetes melito e a constatação dos efeitos adversos metabólicos dos psicofármacos levantam a hipótese de que a prevalência seja ainda maior em pacientes psiquiátricos. OBJETIVO: O objetivo desta revisão é avaliar os estudos epidemiológicos sobre a associação entre os transtornos mentais e a SM ou seus componentes. MÉTODOS: Foi realizada busca nas bases Medline e Lilacs, com a inclusão no estudo de artigos que apresentaram dados epidemiológicos sobre SM ou seus componentes em populações psiquiátricas. RESULTADOS: Indivíduos com esquizofrenia ou transtornos esquizoafetivos apresentaram prevalência de SM variando entre 28,4% e 62,5%; um estudo com indivíduos esquizofrênicos mais jovens apresentou prevalência menor, de 19,4%, porém 3,7 vezes maior que a do grupo-controle. Um estudo avaliou pacientes com transtorno afetivo bipolar e verificou prevalência de 30%. Prevalência elevada foi encontrada em mulheres com história de depressão, mas não em homens. CONCLUSÃO: A prevalência de SM é elevada em pacientes com esquizofrenia e transtornos esquizoafetivos e em mulheres com história de depressão.BACKGROUND: Metabolic syndrome (MS) is a very prevalent condition. Studies that show a positive association between mental diseases and diabetes mellitus and the existence of adverse metabolic effects caused by psychotropic drugs allow the presumption that the occurrence of MS is even greater in psychiatric patients. OBJECTIVE: The objective of this review is to assess the epidemiological studies about the relationship between MS or its components and mental disorders. METHODS: Research was carried out at Medline and Lilacs, searching for articles which presented epidemiological data on the prevalence or incidence of MS and its components in psychiatric populations. RESULTS: Schizophrenic patients or with schizoaffective disorder demonstrated an increased prevalence of MS, between 28,4% and 62,5%; one study, with younger schizophrenic patients, showed a prevalence of 19,4%, however 3.7 times higher than the controls. One study with patients with bipolar disorder showed a prevalence of 30%. Increased prevalence of MS was found in women with a history of depression, but not in men. CONCLUSION: The prevalence of MS is high in patients with schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorder, and in women with a history of depression

Ciência, técnica e pensamento em Heidegger

Este trabalho abordará a Ciência moderna e a técnica vistas sob a perspectiva de Martin Heidegger. Pretende-se demonstrar que o tratamento conferido pelo autor a tais questões se mostra coerente com a questão central de seu pensamento, qual seja, o sentido do ser. Portanto, o presente artigo tem como objetivo a exegese dos textos nos quais Heidegger trata sobre a Ciência moderna e a técnica diretamente, que se intitulam: “A questão da técnica” e “Ciência e pensamento do sentido”, destacando a presença do questionamento  ontológico também em tais obras.

Associações entre déficits cognitivos e qualidade de vida na esquizofrenia

CONTEXTO: A Qualidade de Vida (QV) constitui valiosa forma de avaliação do impacto de doenças na vida diária e favorece intervenções mais efetivas sob uma perspectiva biopsicossocial. OBJETIVOS: Este artigo procura analisar criticamente os dados disponíveis sobre as relações entre QV e cognição na esquizofrenia. MÉTODOS: Foi realizada uma pesquisa na base de dados PubMed e Lilacs com os descritores de assunto "schizophrenia" e "cognition disorder" ou "cognition" e "quality of life" ou "outcome assessment". RESULTADOS: Dos 27 artigos selecionados que estudavam a relação entre cognição e QV medida por meio de escalas, 20 mostraram associações. Essas foram mais importantes nos estudos que utilizaram escalas de QV administrada por pesquisador, em comparação com escalas de autoavaliação. CONCLUSÃO: A associação entre cognição e QV é mais evidente nos estudos que utilizaram medidas de QV feitas por pesquisadores do que naqueles que utilizaram autoavaliações. A avaliação cognitiva é importante não somente como parâmetro determinante de QV dos pacientes, mas também auxilia na interpretação das escalas de QV, sendo as autoavaliações mais adequadas em pacientes com menor prejuízo cognitivo.BACKGROUND: The Quality of Life (QoL) is a valuable way of assessing the impact of diseases in daily life and favors more effective interventions under a biopsychosocial perspective. OBJECTIVES: This article aimed to critically analyze the available data on the relationship between QoL and cognitive function in schizophrenia. METHODS: We performed a search in PubMed and Lilacs databases with the terms "schizophrenia" and "cognition disorder" or "cognition" and "quality of life" or "outcome assessment". RESULTS: From the 27 selected articles that studied the relationship between cognition and QoL measured by scales, 20 articles showed associations. The association was more robust in studies using scales administered by a researcher, compared to self-report scales. DISCUSSION: The cognitive assessment is important not only as a parameter for determining QoL of patients, but also as a factor to be taken into account when analyzing the data obtained by self-report QoL scales

Predicting and modeling genotype-phenotype associations in yeast metabolic networks

Over the last 15 years, several genome-scale metabolic models (GSSMs) of Saccharomyces cerevisiae were reconstructed and published. The in silico representation of the interaction network between all the system components is carried out to predict the physiological behavior of a microorganism, under different environmental and genetic perturbations. However, gene knockout predictions are usually assessed and validated using merely gene essentiality data. Saccharomyces Genome Database (SGD) [1] is a powerful web-accessible resource that comprises functional structured information of budding yeast genes. SGD contains information about over 180 different observed types of phenotypes of which nearly 10% can be predicted using GSMMs. These data can provide an additional layer for curation and validation of metabolic models, as well as contribute to model improvements and to gain insights into yeast physiology. In this study we have assessed the predictive accuracy of GSSMs based on singlegene deletions, by comparing experimental data present in SGD with computational simulations. Since the phenotypical behavior upon a gene deletion depends on the strain background, media and other environmental conditions, we performed a thoroughly characterization and (re)curation of the in vivo experiments to closely mimic these evidences in silico. Nearly 3000 different phenotypic reported cases were evaluated using two different constraint-based approaches (pFBA [2] and LMOMA [3]), which allow a direct association between genetic data and metabolic fluxes. In parallel, a Jupyter Notebook platform was also developed, aiming to serve as a possible validation tool for new yeast GSMMs, using the curated SGD-based dataset. We observed that, despite all the recent efforts and advances in the reconstruction and annotation of GSMMs, there is still a lot of opportunities for improvements in the models predictive ability. Most of the observed mismatches result from structural issues in network reconstructions or due to the lack of regulatory information. To address these issues, several strategies were investigated, including changes in gene-protein-reaction associations and reversibility of reactions in the network, aside from the formulation of a new biomass equation, based on the experimental determination of its macromolecular composition, to which several cofactors, that surprisingly had not been represented in the original biomass reaction, were also added. For example, this last modification led to significant improvements in the prediction of auxotroph-inducing mutations and lethal knockouts, which should enable us to more effectively engineer yeast as a cell factory

Victimization of the mentally ill

BACKGROUND: Individuals with serious mental illnesses constitute a group particularly vulnerable to victimization. This major susceptibility to violent crimes is due to the impairment of their cognitive functions and to the living conditions of these individuals. OBJECTIVES: This paper aimed to perform a systematic review of the literature about the occurrence and factors associated with victimization in this population, in addition to evaluate the national literature about the subject. METHODS: Publications that assessed the prevalence of victimization in individuals with serious mental illness were analyzed. Medline (1966 to February 2013) and Lilacs (1982 to February 2013) databases were searched. Separate searches were conducted for the keywords "mental illness", "psychiatric disorder(s)", "mental disorder(s)", "schizophrenia", "psychosis", "psychotic", "depression", "bipolar", combined with each of the following keywords: "victimization", "victimisation", "sexual abuse", "physical abuse". RESULTS: Twenty papers were found. There were no publications on the topic in national and Latin-American literature. Although they present differences in methodology, in the concept of victimization and in sociodemographic and clinic variables, the studies showed that patients with serious mental disorders present higher risk of victimization if compared to the general population. The main factors associated with victimization were substance use, young age, severe symptomatology, recent history of violence perpetration, criminal history, male gender, and homelessness. DISCUSSION: Individuals with serious mental illnesses show high rates of victimization. The theme deserves to be studied in our midst.CONTEXTO: Os indivíduos portadores de doenças mentais graves constituem um grupo particularmente vulnerável à vitimização. Essa maior suscetibilidade a crimes violentos deve-se ao comprometimento de suas funções cognitivas e às condições de vida desses indivíduos. OBJETIVOS: Este trabalho teve como objetivos realizar revisão sistemática sobre a ocorrência e fatores associados à vitimização nessa população, além de avaliar a literatura nacional acerca do tema. MÉTODOS: Foram analisadas publicações que avaliaram a prevalência de vitimização em portadores de doença mental grave. Foram consultadas as bases de dados Medline (1966 a fevereiro de 2013) e Lilacs (1982 a fevereiro de 2013). Pesquisas separadas foram realizadas para os termos descritores: "mental illness", "psychiatric disorder(s)", "mental disorder(s)", "schizophrenia", "psychosis", "psychotic", "depression", "bipolar", combinados com os seguintes termos: "victimization", "victimisation", "sexual abuse", "physical abuse". RESULTADOS: Foram encontrados 20 estudos. Não houve publicações sobre o assunto na literatura nacional e latino-americana. Apesar de apresentarem diferenças na metodologia, no conceito de vitimização e nas variáveis sociodemográficas e clínicas, os estudos evidenciaram que os pacientes com transtornos mentais graves apresentam maior risco de vitimização se comparados à população em geral. Os principais fatores associados à vitimização foram uso de substâncias, idade jovem, sintomatologia grave, história recente de perpetração de violência, passado criminal, sexo masculino e ausência de moradia fixa. CONCLUSÃO: Os portadores de transtorno mental grave apresentam elevadas taxas de vitimização. O tema merece ser estudado em nosso meio

Impulsividade e acidentes de trânsito

BACKGROUND: Injuries due to road traffic accidents are a major public health problem as well as one of the main causes of death among young males aged 15 to 44 years. OBJECTIVES: This paper reviews the relation between impulsiveness and risk driving behavior and between impulsiveness and traffic accidents. METHODS: Bibliographic review. Sources: MedLine (1966 to 2006), Cochrane databases, LILACS, Desastres, PsycINFO and CAPES theses archive. RESULTS: In total, 11 original studies (n=3806). Association between impulsiveness and speeding for the thrill (02 articles), impulsiveness and driver violations (03 articles) and impulsiveness traffic road accidents (03 articles). CONCLUSIONS: The impulsiveness is associated to the risky driving behavior, "run for thrill" and "traffic violations". The association between impulsiveness and accident proness is controversal.CONTEXTO: As lesões por acidentes de trânsito são um problema de saúde pública e constituem uma das principais causa mortis de adultos jovens no mundo. OBJETIVO: Revisar resultados relevantes sobre a relação entre impulsividade e comportamentos de risco e acidentes de trânsito. MÉTODO: O levantamento bibliográfico foi realizado nas bases MedLine, LILACS, Desastres, Cochrane Lybrary, no banco de teses da CAPES e PsycINFO, compreendendo o período de 1966 a 2006. RESULTADOS: Dos 11 estudos originais encontrados ("n" de 3806 indivíduos), seis abordaram a associação entre impulsividade e comportamento de risco no trânsito e cinco trataram da impulsividade e acidentes de trânsito. A associação entre impulsividade e correr por aventura foi observada em dois estudos e a correlação entre impulsividade e infrações em três. No desfecho acidentes, três autores mostraram associação e dois não. CONCLUSÕES: A impulsividade está associada ao comportamento de risco no trânsito, correr por aventura e infrações. A associação entre impulsividade e mais envolvimento em acidentes é controversa

Effect of betamethasone and diclofenac sodium on serum and tissue concentration of amoxicillin: in vivo study in rats

OBJECTIVE: Antimicrobial agents in combination with anti-inflammatory drugs have been usually prescribed in both Medicine and Dentistry. However, few scientific reports support this clinical practice. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of betamethasone and diclofenac sodium on serum and tissue concentration of amoxicillin in rats. METHODS: Four polyurethane sponges were implanted in the back skin of 48 rats. After seven days the animals were divided into 6 groups (n=8). Group 1: amoxicillin (25 mg/kg); G2: diclofenac sodium (2.5 mg/kg); G3: betamethasone (0.1 mg/kg); G4: diclofenac sodium and amoxicillin; G5: betamethasone and amoxicillin; and G6: 0.9% sodium chloride solution (1.0 mL - control group). All drugs were administered in a single dose. After 90 minutes, the granulomatous tissues of each animal were surgically removed and weighed. Blood was collected from cervical plexus, centrifuged and 10µL of serum was placed on paper discs. In order to estimate amoxicillin concentration, serum and granulomatous tissues were separately submitted to microbiological assay, which used 10(8)cfu/mL of Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 25923 (penicillin-susceptible strain). After incubation (18 hours, 37ºC) the inhibition zones were measured and compared to a regression curve. RESULTS: No inhibition zones were observed for groups 2, 3 and 6. Tissue and serum concentrations of both G1 (4.14µg/g and 2.06µg/mL, respectively) and G5 (3.87µg/g and 1.70µg/mL, respectively) showed statistically significant differences (Kruskal-Wallis, p;0.05). CONCLUSION: Considering single doses, betamethasone did not interfere with amoxicillin levels but diclofenac sodium reduced both tissue and serum levels of amoxicillin in rats.OBJETIVO: A prescrição de antimicrobianos associados a antiinflamatórios é uma prática comum em odontologia, embora na maioria das vezes não haja justificativa para tal conduta. O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar, em um estudo in vivo em ratos, os efeitos da betametasona e do diclofenaco sódico nas concentrações sérica e tecidual da amoxicilina. MÉTODOS: Foram utilizados 48 ratos Wistar machos (6 grupos, n=8), com idade de 60 dias. Esponjas de PVC (policlorovinil) foram implantadas em quatro pontos no dorso de cada animal. Após sete dias, foram administrados por via intragástrica ou intramuscular: Grupo 1: amoxicilina (25 mg/kg); G2: diclofenaco sódico (2,5 mg/kg/i.m.); G3: betametasona (0,1 mg/kg/i.m.); G4: diclofenaco sódico e amoxicilina; G5: betametasona e amoxicilina; e G6: solução de cloreto de sódio a 0,9% (1,0 mL - grupo controle). Após 90 minutos, foram colhidos 2 tecidos granulomatosos e amostras séricas de cada animal e colocados em meios de cultura inoculados com 10(8) ufc/mL de Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 25923. Os halos de inibição foram medidos após 18 horas de incubação (37ºC), e através do teste microbiológico foram obtidas as concentrações séricas e teciduais da amoxicilina. RESULTADOS: Não foram observados halos de inibição para os grupos 2, 3 e 6. As concentrações séricas e teciduais de G1 (4,14µg/g e 2,06µg/mL, respectivamente) e G5 (3,87µg/g e 1,70µg/mL, respectivamente) demonstraram diferenças estatisticamente significantes (Kruskal-Wallis, p;0,05). CONCLUSÃO: Considerando uma dose única, a betametasona não interferiu nas concentrações sérica e tecidual de amoxicilina, enquanto o diclofenaco sódico reduziu as concentrações sérica e tecidual de amoxicilina em ratos

Viral infections and depression

OBJETIVO: A associação entre depressão e viroses é estudada há quase dois séculos, com resultados conflitantes. O objetivo deste trabalho é fazer uma análise crítica dos estudos existentes na literatura sobre essa relação. MÉTODOS: A pesquisa bibliográfica utilizou as fontes eletrônicas de busca MEDLINE e LILACS (1966 a agosto 2005). As referências dos artigos foram utilizadas como fonte adicional de consulta. RESULTADOS: Foram abordados os trabalhos que trataram da associação entre depressão e os vírus HIV, HCV, EBV, influenza, HSV, HBV, HAV, BDV e HTLV. A relação entre HIV e depressão mostrou-se bem documentada na literatura. Existem indícios de que a prevalência desse transtorno nos indivíduos infectados pelo HIV seja maior que a encontrada nos soronegativos. Além disso, estudos constataram que a depressão está associada a pior prognóstico da infecção. Quanto à associação entre HCV e depressão, os trabalhos sugeriram maior prevalência desse transtorno psiquiátrico nos portadores do HCV comparados à população geral. Não existem evidências científicas suficientes para dar suporte à relação entre os demais vírus e depressão. CONCLUSÃO: As associações mais bem fundamentadas foram aquelas entre depressão e os vírus HIV e HCV. A relação entre as demais viroses e depressão precisa ser mais bem estudada, e trabalhos com delineamento adequado se fazem necessários.OBJECTIVE: The association between depression and viruses has been evaluated for almost two centuries now, with conflicting results. The objective of the present study is to perform a critical review of published studies in the literature about this relationship. METHODS: Databases MEDLINE and LILACS were searched between 1966 and 2005 (until August). The references of the articles were used as additional source of data. RESULTS: Studies about the link between depression and infection with viruses HIV, HCV, EBV, influenza, HSV, HBV, HAV, BDV and HTLV were analyzed. The association between HIV and depression was well documented in literature. There are evidences that the prevalence of this disorder in HIV-infected individuals is greater than that found in seronegatives. Moreover, studies concluded that depression is associated with a worse course of infection. Regarding the link between HCV and depression, studies suggested a greater prevalence of this psychiatric disorder in HCV-infected people compared with general population. There is not enough scientific evidence to support the association between other viruses and depression. CONCLUSION: The best-studied relationships were those between depression and viruses HIV and HCV. Regarding the association of other viruses with depression, more research is needed

Characterization of Effluents Generated During the Cleaning of Expansion Tanks Used to Store Raw Milk in Brazil / Caracterização dos Efluentes Gerados Durante a Limpeza dos Tanques de Expansão Usados para Armazenar Leite Cru no Brasil

The objective of this study was to characterize the effluents generated during the cleaning of the expansion tanks used to store raw milk in Brazil. Fifteen expansion tanks were chosen and three samples collected from each tank, as well as measuring the temperature and volume. The biological oxygen demand (BOD), chemical oxygen demand (COD), acidity, pH, alkalinity, total phosphorus, nitrogen, fats and oils, hardness, turbidity and total dissolved solids were determined. The statistical design adopted was completely at random and the Scott-Knott test was adopted to compare the means that differed significantly according to the F test. The multivariate data analysis was also carried out and studied by the principal component analysis (PCA) and the grouping analysis for similarity, as represented by a dendogram. The effluents were not treated and some of them (26.7%) were discharged into water courses. The concentrations of the organic matter indicators and the results of the physicochemical analyses of the expansion tank washing effluents showed that the majority of the variables were above the legal standards established by Brazilian legislation. Thus an adequate destiny for these effluents is required. The PCA showed that the variables with the greatest influence on the characteristics of the expansion tank effluents were related to the COD and nitrogen concentrations. A total of 88% of similarity was found between the effluents of the 15 tanks. According to the concentrations obtained for the phosphorus, nitrogen, COD and BOD of the effluents, they could be treated by the wetlands systems.The objective of this study was to characterize the effluents generated during the cleaning of the expansion tanks used to store raw milk in Brazil. Fifteen expansion tanks were chosen and three samples collected from each tank, as well as measuring the temperature and volume. The biological oxygen demand (BOD), chemical oxygen demand (COD), acidity, pH, alkalinity, total phosphorus, nitrogen, fats and oils, hardness, turbidity and total dissolved solids were determined. The statistical design adopted was completely at random and the Scott-Knott test was adopted to compare the means that differed significantly according to the F test. The multivariate data analysis was also carried out and studied by the principal component analysis (PCA) and the grouping analysis for similarity, as represented by a dendogram. The effluents were not treated and some of them (26.7%) were discharged into water courses. The concentrations of the organic matter indicators and the results of the physicochemical analyses of the expansion tank washing effluents showed that the majority of the variables were above the legal standards established by Brazilian legislation. Thus an adequate destiny for these effluents is required. The PCA showed that the variables with the greatest influence on the characteristics of the expansion tank effluents were related to the COD and nitrogen concentrations. A total of 88% of similarity was found between the effluents of the 15 tanks. According to the concentrations obtained for the phosphorus, nitrogen, COD and BOD of the effluents, they could be treated by the wetlands systems

Liquid-liquid equilibria in aqueous two-phase ethanol/salt systems at different temperatures and their application to anthocyanins extraction

Abstract Aqueous two-phase systems (ATPS) are formed by mixtures of chemical species that, under certain conditions, separate into two immiscible phases, with water as the major component in global terms and, at lower concentrations, polymers, salts, ionic liquids and alcohols, depending on the system type. Different parameters influence ATPS equilibrium such as temperature, alcohol carbon chain size, salt type, pH, etc. The present work aimed to obtain the binodal curves for ATPS made up of ethanol, sodium citrate/ammonium sulfate and water at different temperatures (15, 25 and 35 °C) as well as to evaluate the potential of the ethanol/ammonium sulfate system in anthocyanins partition. The results showed that the increase in temperature did not alter the biphasic region in the temperature range investigated, not influencing the formation of phases. Nonlinear equations were satisfactorily fitted to binodal curves data, except for sodium citrate-containing ATPS at 15 °C. Higher concentration of the overall mixture resulted in longer tie-line of ammonium sulphate-containing ATPS. Higher values of partition coefficient and recovery yield of Syzygium cumini fruit anthocyanins were obtained at longer tie-lines