Complaints identified in children and teenagers assisted by a Pediatric Psychology service of a university hospital

The present work is a descriptive study presenting a characterization of complaints identified in children and teenagers (N=62) assisted by the Pediatric Psychology service of a university hospital. A survey of socio-demographic indicators of the children and teenagers, as well as of their caregivers, was carried out. A descriptive statistical analysis regarding the care that was given was accomplished, considering items such as the origins of the population, provided directions, and the most frequent complaints (primary and secondary). It was verified that some findings corroborate the previous literature, such as the high number of boys seeking the service, the rate of treatment abandonment, and similar kinds of complaints. An excessive use of coercive practices by parents was also observed, which points to the domestic violence issue. These findings were preliminary and may contribute to the implementation of a more structured Pediatric Psychology service, as well as subsidize further research using correlational statistical analyses.Este estudo descritivo apresenta a caracterização das queixas identificadas na clientela infanto-juvenil (N=62) atendida pelo serviço de Psicologia Pediátrica de um hospital universitário. Fez-se um levantamento de indicadores sócio-demográficos tanto das crianças e adolescentes como de seus cuidadores; realizou-se ainda uma análise estatística descritiva acerca dos atendimentos conduzidos, considerando-se itens como procedência da população, encaminhamentos realizados e queixas (principais e secundárias) mais freqüentes. Verificou-se que alguns achados corroboram a literatura, como o elevado número de meninos que buscam o atendimento, o índice de desistência e tipos similares de queixas. Observou-se ainda um uso demasiado de práticas parentais coercitivas, que apontam para a questão da violência doméstica. Estes achados foram iniciais e podem contribuir para a implementação de um serviço de Psicologia Pediátrica mais estruturado, assim como subsidiar pesquisas posteriores que utilizem análises estatísticas correlacionais

Plasma Cytokine Profile in Tropical Endomyocardial Fibrosis: Predominance of TNF-a, IL-4 and IL-10

Background: the participation of immune/inflammatory mechanisms in the pathogenesis of tropical endomyocardial fibrosis (EMF) has been suggested by the finding of early blood and myocardial eosinophilia. However, the inflammatory activation status of late-stage EMF patients is still unknown.Methodology/Principal findings: We evaluated pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokine levels in plasma samples from late stage EMF patients. Cytokine levels of Tumor Necrosis Factor (TNF)-alpha, Interferon (IFN)-gamma, Interleukin (IL)-2, IL-4, IL-6, and IL-10 were assayed in plasma samples from 27 EMF patients and compared with those of healthy control subjects. All EMF patients displayed detectable plasma levels of at least one of the cytokines tested. We found that TNF-alpha, IL-6, IL-4, and IL-10 were each detected in at least 74% of tested sera, and plasma levels of IL-10, IL-4, and TNF-alpha were significantly higher than those of controls. Plasma levels of such cytokines positively correlated with each other.Conclusions/Significance: the mixed pro-and anti-inflammatory/Th2circulating cytokine profile in EMF is consistent with the presence of a persistent inflammatory stimulus. On the other hand, the detection of increased levels of TNF-alpha may be secondary to the cardiovascular involvement observed in these patients, whereas IL-4 and IL-10 may have been upregulated as a homeostatic mechanism to buffer both production and deleterious cardiovascular effects of pro-inflammatory cytokines. Further studies might establish whether these findings play a role in disease pathogenesis.Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)Univ São Paulo, Sch Med, Inst Heart InCor, Immunol Lab, São Paulo, BrazilUniv São Paulo, Sch Med, Div Clin Immunol & Allergy, São Paulo, BrazilUniv São Paulo, Sch Med, Inst Heart InCor, Cardiomyopathy Unit, São Paulo, BrazilProSangue Fdn, São Paulo, BrazilInst Investigat Immunol, INCT, São Paulo, BrazilUniversidade Federal de São Paulo, Dept Microbiol Immunol & Parasitol, Div Immunol, São Paulo, BrazilUniversidade Federal de São Paulo, Dept Microbiol Immunol & Parasitol, Div Immunol, São Paulo, BrazilWeb of Scienc

Utilização do processamento digital de imagens no monitoramento de estações de tratamento de efluentes

Neste trabalho é proposto um procedimento para reconhecimento semi-automático das espécies de protozoários por análise de imagem. Este programa (ProtoRec v.2) foi em seguida utilizado para estudar a evolução da microfauna durante períodos de transição (paragem e arranque da estação). Os resultados obtidos foram satisfatórios em relação ao reconhecimento das espécies pelo programa e o acompanhamento da estação permitiu-nos verificar a degradação e envelhecimento da lama e o aparecimento de protozoários que evidenciam tal fato

The role of adjuvants in therapeutic protection against paracoccidioidomycosis after immunization with the P10 peptide

Paracoccidioidomycosis (PCM), a common chronic mycosis in Latin America, is a granulomatous systemic disease caused by the thermo-dimorphic fungus Paracoccidioides brasiliensis. The glycoprotein gp43 is the main antigen target of P. brasiliensis and a 15-mer internal peptide (QTLIAIHTLAIRYAN), known as P10, defines a major CD4+-specific T cell epitope. Previous results have indicated that, besides having a preventive role in conventional immunizations prior to challenge with the fungus, protective anti-fungal effects can be induced in P. brasiliensis-infected mice treated with P10 administered with complete Freund’s adjuvant (CFA). The peptide elicits an IFN-γ-dependent Th1 immune response and is the main candidate for effective immunotherapy of patients with PCM, as an adjunctive approach to conventional chemotherapy. In the present study we tested the therapeutic effects of P10 combined with different adjuvants [aluminum hydroxide, CFA, flagellin, and the cationic lipid dioctadecyl-dimethylammonium bromide (DODAB)] in BALB/c mice previously infected with the P. brasiliensis Pb18 strain. Significant reductions in the number of colony forming units of the fungus were detected in lungs of mice immunized with P10 associated with the different adjuvants 52 days after infection. Mice treated with DODAB and P10, followed by mice treated with P10 and flagellin, showed the most prominent effects as demonstrated by the lowest numbers of viable yeast cells as well as reductions in granuloma formation and fibrosis. Concomitantly, secretion of IFN-γ and TNF-α, in contrast to interleukin (IL)-4 and IL-10, was enhanced in the lungs of mice immunized with P10 in combination with the tested adjuvants, with the best results observed in mice treated with P10 and DODAB. In conclusion, the present results demonstrate that the co-administration of the synthetic P10 peptide with several adjuvants, particularly DODAB, have significant therapeutic effects in experimental PCM

De espectador à produtor de imagens: seguindo pistas do trabalho com stop motion na Educação

Este artigo apresenta o resultado de experiências com a técnica de animação em stop motion em cursos de formação de professores. As potencialidades da utilização da técnica em contexto educacional são analisadas à luz dos trabalhos de Walter Benjamin, Roland Barthes, Vanessa Schwartz e Jeannene M. Przybyski, entre outros, sobre fotografia, cinema e a imagem na modernidade. São discutidos o surgimento da figura do espectador na modernidade e os impactos da fotografia na subjetividade, na percepção do tempo e da realidade, bem como os conceitos benjaminianos de inconsciente ótico, montagem e imagem dialética. O trabalho discute como a utilização da técnica do stop motion pode favorecer a passagem dos sujeitos da condição de espectadores para a de produtores de imagens, permitindo outra compreensão e tomada de consciência dos usos e sentidos das imagens na cultura contemporânea e em contexto digital, bem como outras experiências de tempo e subjetivação na educação

Preservation of chocolate muffins with Lemon Balm, Oregano, and Rosemary extracts

Muffins are snacks made from flour and chocolate and preserved with synthetic additives. Following consumer trends, the search for natural food additives has gained traction. Plants such as rosemary, lemon balm, and oregano were analyzed following an optimization of ultrasound assisted extraction, screened for their antioxidant and antimicrobial activity and incorporated in chocolate muffins, comparing them to synthetic preservatives over the course of 8 days. The nutritional profile, organic and fatty acids, soluble sugars, texture profile, external color and digital imaging of the muffin pores were analyzed. Slight changes were sought for the muffins incorporated with the natural extracts. By means of linear discriminant analysis, rosemary extract was considered the most promising extract to preserve the muffins due to its similarity to potassium sorbate, showing no changes in the muffins it was incorporated in, although it showed a lower amount of phenolic compounds when compared to lemon balm.This research was funded by the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT) and the FEDER-Interreg España-Portugal programme for financial support through the project TRANSCoLAB 0612_TRANS_CO_LAB_2_. The authors are grateful to the Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT, Portugal) for financial support through national funds FCT/MCTES to the CIMO (UIDB/00690/2020). L.B. and R.C.C. also thank the national funding by FCT—Foundation for Science and Technology, through the institutional scientific employment program-contract for their contracts and, M.C., S.H. and J.P. to the national funding by FCT—Foundation for Science and Technology, through the individual scientific employment program-contracts (CEECIND/00831/2018, CEECIND/03040/2017 and CEECIND/01011/2018). The authors are also grateful to FEDER-Interreg España-Portugal programme for financial support through the project TRANSCoLAB 0612_TRANS_CO_LAB_2_. M.C.P. and J.M.U. contributed in the same manner for this manuscript.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

LC‐HRMS for the Identification of β‐Carboline and Canthinone Alkaloids Isolated from Natural Sources

β-carboline and canthinone alkaloids are widely distributed in the Angiosperms. Due to their diverse biological activities, the structures of these alkaloids have been used as important models for the synthesis of novel therapeutic drugs. Combining high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with high-resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS) has provided a valuable tool in the analysis of these alkaloids in, for example, plants, insects, marine creatures, human tissues and body fluids. In this review, we summarized the main β-carboline and canthinone alkaloids studied by liquid chromatography high-resolution mass spectrometry (LC-HRMS) associated with mass analyzers, molecular weight information, mass fragmentation and biological activities, presenting an overview of increasing interest for carboline alkaloids study by LC-HRMS