Dry Dosage Forms of Add-Value Bioactive Phenolic Compounds by Supercritical CO2-Assisted Spray-Drying

PTDC/BII-BIO/30884/2017—POCI-01-0145-FEDER-030884 PD/00184/2012-PDQSEvery year, grapevine pruning produces huge amounts of residue, 90% of which are from vine shoots. These are a rich source of natural antioxidants, mostly phenolic compounds, which, when properly extracted, can give rise to added-value products. However, their lack of solubility in aqueous media and high susceptibility to thermal and oxidative degradation highly limit their bioavailability. Encapsulation in suitable carriers may have a positive impact on their bioavailability and bioactivity. Previous data on vine-shoot extraction have identified gallic acid (GA) and resveratrol (RSV) as the main phenolic compounds. In this work, model dry powder formulations (DPFs) of GA and RSV using hydroxypropyl cellulose (HPC) as carriers were developed using Supercritical CO2-Assisted Spray Drying (SASD). A 32 full factorial Design of Experiments investigated the solid and ethanol contents to ascertain process yield, particle size, span, and encapsulation efficiency. Amorphous powder yields above 60%, and encapsulation efficiencies up to 100% were achieved, representing excellent performances. SASD has proven to be an efficient encapsulation technique for these phenolic compounds, preserving their antioxidation potential after three months in storage with average EC50 values of 30.6 µg/mL for GA–DPFs and 149.4 µg/mL for RSV–DPF as assessed by the scavenging capacity of the DPPH radical.publishersversionpublishe

Application of a person-centered prescription model improves pharmacotherapeutic indicators and reduces costs associated with pharmacological treatment in hospitalized older patients at the end of life

[EN] Objective: This study sought to investigate whether applying an adapted person-centered prescription (PCP) model reduces the total regular medications in older people admitted in a subacute hospital at the end of life (EOL), improving pharmacotherapeutic indicators and reducing the expense associated with pharmacological treatment. Design: Randomized controlled trial. The trial was registered with ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT05454644). Setting: A subacute hospital in Basque Country, Spain. Subjects: Adults ≥65 years (n = 114) who were admitted to a geriatric convalescence unit and required palliative care. Intervention: The adapted PCP model consisted of a systematic four-step process conducted by geriatricians and clinical pharmacists. Relative to the original model, this adapted model entails a protocol for the tools and assessments to be conducted on people identified as being at the EOL. Measurements: After applying the adapted PCP model, the mean change in the number of regular drugs, STOPPFrail (Screening Tool of Older Persons' Prescriptions in Frail adults with limited life expectancy) criteria, drug burden index (DBI), drug-drug interactions, medication regimen complexity index (MRCI) and 28-days medication cost of chronic prescriptions between admission and discharge was analyzed. All patients were followed for 3 months after hospital discharge to measure the intervention's effectiveness over time on pharmacotherapeutic variables and the cost of chronic medical prescriptions. Results: The number of regular prescribed medications at baseline was 9.0 ± 3.2 in the intervention group and 8.2 ± 3.5 in the control group. The mean change in the number of regular prescriptions at discharge was -1.74 in the intervention group and -0.07 in the control group (mean difference = 1.67 ± 0.57; p = 0.007). Applying a PCP model reduced all measured criteria compared with pre-admission (p < 0.05). At discharge, the mean change in 28-days medication cost was significantly lower in the intervention group compared with the control group (-34.91€ vs. -0.36€; p < 0.004). Conclusion: Applying a PCP model improves pharmacotherapeutic indicators and reduces the costs associated with pharmacological treatment in hospitalized geriatric patients at the EOL, continuing for 3 months after hospital discharge. Future studies must investigate continuity in the transition between hospital care and primary care so that these new care models are offered transversally and not in isolation.S

Efeito da duração da impregnação em parafina do material histológico na marcação imunohistoquímica

A impregnação é uma importante etapa da técnica histológica que consiste em embeber o material histológico previamente fixado, desidratado e diafanizado no meio de inclusão (e.g. parafina). Sabendo que é importante analisar os efeitos da exposição dos tecidos a temperaturas superiores a 60ºC por longos períodos de tempo, de modo a evitar danos nos antigénios, tomou-se, como objetivo deste trabalho, estudar os efeitos da duração da impregnação na técnica imunohistoquímica (IHQ). Selecionaram-se 10 amostras de apêndice íleo-cecal humano fixadas em Formol a 10% Neutro Tamponado das quais se recolheram 30 fragmentos que foram submetidos a processamento histológico com recurso a parafina a 64ºC, com durações de 30, 60 e 300 minutos no processador Tissue-Tek® Xpress® 120x. A IHQ foi efetuada pelo método de polímero indireto recorrendo aos soros primários anti: CD79α; Citoqueratinas (clone MNF116); proteína S100 e Ki-67. Os resultados foram observados microscopicamente e classificados numa escala 0-100, segundo os parâmetros preservação morfológica celular, quantidade de estruturas marcadas, intensidade de marcação, fundo e marcação inespecífica. No tratamento estatístico recorreu-se ao teste não paramétrico de Kruskal-Wallis (alfa=0,05). Os casos submetidos a 30 minutos de impregnação obtiveram classificações que se caracterizam por um par média/desvio padrão de 89,58/10,45, enquanto os de 60 minutos obtiveram 90,57/9,85 e os de 300 minutos obtiveram 89,94/10,84. O teste de Kruskal-Wallis demonstrou que não existe qualquer evidência estatística de diferenças entre as durações estudadas. Este resultado contraria o publicado por outros autores que encontraram diferenças após 1 e 8 horas de impregnação. No entanto, estes autores não recorreram a recuperação antigénica otimizada na técnica de IHQ, o que pode ter condicionado os resultados obtidos. Conclui-se que, para os anticorpos analisados, não existem diferenças na qualidade da imunomarcação consoante a duração da impregnação, de 30 minutos até 5 horas.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

El trabajo metodológico en la implementación de la disciplina Estomatología General Integral

Introducción: el trabajo metodológico en la carrera Estomatología, permite centrar la atención en contenidos fundamentales para el logro de objetivos básicos que aseguran adecuada secuencia lógica y pedagógica, orientando la preparación del estudiante para la identificación y solución de problemas de salud en su escenario fundamental de formación.  Objetivo: argumentar la importancia del trabajo metodológico para el perfeccionamiento de la formación integral del estomatólogo. Método: el análisis realizado se sustentó en el enfoque dialéctico materialista por su carácter integrador y orientador del sistema de métodos teóricos, empíricos y estadísticos, teniendo en cuenta los criterios de los sujetos participantes y las consideraciones relativas al objetivo declarado. Resultados: se explica el carácter rector del trabajo metodológico del colectivo de la disciplina principal integradora: Estomatología Integral en la formación del modelo del profesional, determinando sus particularidades desde el enfoque epistemológico de la interrelación entre componentes didácticos e invariantes funcionales de la dimensión administrativa del proceso docente educativo. Conclusiones: el trabajo metodológico del colectivo de la disciplina Estomatología integral, representó un cambio en la interpretación de la función del docente ante circunstancias y necesidades novedosas y posibilitó el tránsito de una competencia pedagógica-didáctica a una competencia estratégica-especificadora que se encuadra en la dinámica de cambios del currículo flexible que sostiene el tránsito a Planes D

Determinants influencing distance learning at health technology higher education institutions in Portugal

POAT-01-6177-FEDER-000047FCT_UIDB/05608/2020. FCT_UIDP/05608/2020.introducing distance learning within higher education institutions (HEIs) is a key societal issue, especially in the health sector, due to its in vivo learning nature. Public policies play an important role in these digital environments. This study aims to identify the determinants influencing national public policies that foster digital learning transformation in Health HEIs in Portugal. A prospective survey, using the structural analysis of Godet’s method, is conducted, and data are gathered from different health sector stakeholders. Despite the efforts to increase digital literacy and funding for digital learning in HEIs, a weak strategy and implementation of a national plan for distance learning in Health HEIs are still prevalent. The driver to success is grounded on national and international cooperation between health professionals, hospitals, and HEIs through transferability processes of innovative practices.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Os Lusíadas de Luís de Camões comentados por D. Marcos de S. Lourenço

info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

DESAMPARO APRENDIDO E COMPORTAMENTO SUPERSTICIOSO: UMA INVESTIGAÇÃO DOS EFEITOS DE CONTIGUIDADE E DE CONTINGÊNCIA

Response-independent environmental events have produced different results in humans: some studies reveal the development of superstitious behavior while others report learned helplessness. This research investigated the role of the time interval between the presentation of a stimulus and the subjects’ responses in producing these effects. Four groups of participants (n = 10) were exposed to two phases. In the first phase, an aversive auditory stimulus was presented and the response-contingent group could escape from it, while the yoked response-noncontingent group could not. The response-noncontingent group was exposed to inescapable sounds of 5s in all the trials, while the delayed response-contingent group could avoid the sounds. However, this avoiding response triggered a delay, which, in the response-contingent group, was determined by the time interval between the end of the stimulus and the prior response. The control group (n = 10) was given only to the second phase, in which all the participants could turn off the sounds. The results indicate that the time interval between the environmental event and the prior response seems to play an important role both in the selection and maintenance of the behavior in the first phase and in the production of learned helplessness in the second phase.Keywords: contiguity, contingency, superstitious behavior, learned helplessness.A apresentação de eventos ambientais independente das respostas tem produzido diferentes resultados com humanos: alguns estudos mostram o desenvolvimento de comportamento supersticioso; outros, o de desamparo aprendido. O objetivo da pesquisa foi investigar o papel do intervalo entre a apresentação do estímulo e as respostas dos sujeitos na produção desses efeitos. Para quatro grupos de participantes (n = 10), houve duas fases. Na primeira, os participantes do grupo contingente podiam fugir de um estímulo sonoro aversivo; os do grupo acoplado não contingente foram expostos aos mesmos sons, mas não podiam desligá-los; o grupo não contingente foi submetido a sons incontroláveis de 5 s em todas as tentativas; o grupo contingente com atraso podia escapar dos sons, mas a emissão da resposta de fuga iniciava um atraso, determinado pelo intervalo entre o término do som e a resposta precedente, para o grupo não contingente. O grupo controle (n = 10) foi submetido apenas à segunda fase, na qual todos os participantes podiam desligar os sons. Os resultados obtidos mostraram que o intervalo de tempo entre a alteração ambiental e a resposta precedente parece desempenhar um papel importante tanto na seleção e na manutenção do comportamento na primeira fase quanto na produção de desamparo aprendido na segunda fase.Palavras-chave: contiguidade, contingência, comportamento supersticioso, desamparo aprendido

Seizures, electroencephalographic abnormalities, and outcome of ischemic stroke patients

© 2017 The Authors. Epilepsia Open published by Wiley Periodicals Inc. on behalf of International League Against Epilepsy. This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs License, which permits use and distribution in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited, the use is non-commercial, and no modifications or adaptations are made.Objective: Seizures and electroencephalographic (EEG) abnormalities have been associated with unfavorable stroke functional outcome. However, this association may depend on clinical and imaging stroke severity. We set out to analyze whether epileptic seizures and early EEG abnormalities are predictors of stroke outcome after adjustment for age and clinical/imaging infarct severity. Methods: A prospective study was made on consecutive and previously independent acute stroke patients with a National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) score ≥ 4 on admission and an acute anterior circulation ischemic lesion on brain imaging. All patients underwent standardized clinical and diagnostic assessment during admission and after discharge, and were followed for 12 months. Video-EEG (<60 min) was performed in the first 72 h. The Alberta Stroke Program Early CT Score quantified middle cerebral artery infarct size. The outcomes in this study were an unfavorable functional outcome (modified Rankin Scale [mRS] ≥ 3) and death (mRS = 6) at discharge and 12 months after stroke. Results: Unfavorable outcome at discharge was independently associated with NIHSS score (p = 0.001), EEG background activity slowing (p < 0.001), and asymmetry (p < 0.001). Unfavorable outcome 1 year after stroke was independently associated with age (p = 0.001), NIHSS score (p < 0.001), remote symptomatic seizures (p = 0.046), EEG background activity slowing (p < 0.001), and asymmetry (p < 0.001). Death in the first year after stroke was independently associated with age (p = 0.028), NIHSS score (p = 0.001), acute symptomatic seizures (p = 0.015), and EEG suppression (p = 0.019). Significance: Acute symptomatic seizures were independent predictors of vital outcome and remote symptomatic seizures of functional outcome in the first year after stroke. Therefore, their recognition and prevention strategies may be clinically relevant. Early EEG abnormalities were independent predictors and comparable to age and early clinical/imaging infarct severity in stroke functional outcome discrimination, reflecting the concept that EEG is a sensitive and robust method in the functional assessment of the brain.This work was supported by the 2012 Research Grant in Cerebrovascular Diseases (C.B.; scientific promoter: Sociedade Portuguesa do AVC; sponsor: Tecnifar).info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Identification of viable myocardium in patients with chronic coronary artery disease and left ventricular dysfunction: role of MRI.

Nineteen patients (16 men and 3 women, mean age 51 years) with previous anterior myocardial infarction and severe stenosis (&gt; or = 90%) of the left anterior descending coronary artery were studied by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) without and with contrast media to verify the capability of MRI in identifying viable myocardium in areas of severe systolic dysfunction. In corresponding left ventricular segments, a comparison was made between regional signal intensities (SI) determined on MRI images before and 4, 8, 12, and 30 minutes after administration of paramagnetic contrast media (gadolinium diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid, 0.4 mmol/kg intravenously) and metabolic parameters determined by iodine 123 phenylpentadecanoic acid (IPPA) scintigraphy. The SI and the time of maximum postcontrast enhancement were analyzed by dividing the left ventricle into 11 segments. Each segment was classified as normal (group 1, n = 116), hibernating (group 2, n = 50), or necrotic (group 3, n = 43) on the basis of the IPPA washout rate (&gt; 30%, 10% to 30%, and &lt; 10%, respectively). Regional SI demonstrated significant differences in absolute values at 12 minutes (group 3: 1.62 +/- 0.58 vs group 1: 1.32 +/- 0.52, p &lt; 0.01, and vs group 2: 1.34 +/- 0.48, p &lt; 0.05) and at 30 minutes (group 3: 1.71 +/- 0.47 vs group 1: 1.21 +/- 0.55, p &lt; 0.01, and vs group 2: 1.49 +/- 0.57, p &lt; 0.05) and in temporal distribution. These results suggest that MRI has a potential role in differentiating viable from necrotic myocardium in patients with chronic severe systolic dysfunction