Knowledge and attitude towards the gradual reduction of salt in bread – an online survey

Aim: Assess knowledge and attitude towards the gradual reduction of salt in bread and the potential impact on eating habits of children (6-18 years) and their families, as part as a Health Impact Assessment pilot study.N/

Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy in Retinal Arterial Occlusion: Epidemiology, Clinical Approach, and Visual Outcomes

PURPOSE: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) in patients with acute retinal artery occlusion (RAO). Secondarily, to analyse the epidemiology and the clinical approach. METHODS: Retrospective study of 13 patients submitted to HBOT between 2013 and 2018. The analysed parameters consisted of: systemic history, time between symptoms onset and treatment, initial approach, number of HBOT sessions, complications of HBOT and best corrected visual acuity-BCVA (of the total sample, central RAO-CRAO-group, and branch RAO-BRAO group). RESULTS: Arterial hypertension was the most prevalent systemic risk factor (53.8%). Initial therapies were 100% normobaric oxygen administration, topical and oral hypotensive medication, eye massage and aspirin. CRAO was observed in 69.2% and BRAO in 30.8% of the cases, with clinically significant visual improvement (a decrease in logMAR of 0.3) in 55.5% and 75%, respectively. Time between symptoms onset and treatment had a median of 9 hours. The median number of HBOT sessions was 7, without complications. CONCLUSIONS: HBOT provide BCVA improvement in patients with RAO, when it is performed in an early time after the symptom onset. It seems to be an effective and safe therapeutic option for a pathology that still remains without approved treatment.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Congenital bilateral perisylvian syndrome: familial occurrence, clinical and psycholinguistic aspects correlated with MRI

Congenital bilateral perisylvian syndrome (CBPS) is frequently caused by polymicrogyria (PMG). The aim of this study was to correlate the clinical and psycholinguistic aspects with neuroradiological data of patients with CBPS. Thirty-one patients were studied. We performed a clinical investigation of the patients and their families, including MRI scanning, neuropsychological tests and language evaluation. The statistical analysis showed that: a) prenatal events are associated with the non-familial type of PMG; b) diffuse PMG is associated with pseudobulbar signs, as opposed to BPPP; c) motor deficit is associated with diffuse PMG; d) epilepsy is equally present in patients with both familial or non-familial PMG, but is more frequently seen in patients with diffuse PMG; e) dyslexia and SLI can be a feature of both the diffuse or BPPP, and either familial or sporadic cases of PMG. The severity of clinical manifestations in CBPS is correlated with the extent of cortical involvement. Most patients with CBPS have a history of speech delay or language difficulties and no epilepsy. Dyslexia can be found in patients with PMG393139145COORDENAÇÃO DE APERFEIÇOAMENTO DE PESSOAL DE NÍVEL SUPERIOR - CAPESFUNDAÇÃO DE AMPARO À PESQUISA DO ESTADO DE SÃO PAULO - FAPES

[perisylvian Syndrome: Report Of One Brazilian Family With Focus On The Genetic Mode Of Inheritance And Clinical Spectrum].

Perisylvian syndrome (PS) refers to a variety of clinical manifestations associated with lesions in the perisylvian or opercular region. Acquired lesions such as cerebrovascular diseases or virus encephalitis and congenital lesions such as polymicrogyria (PMG) may be implied as etiological factors. The onset of the PS may occur in early childhood. The aim of this study was to report one family with PS in order to draw attention to this rarely diagnosed entity. Our family has five affected patients, three children and two male adults. All of them had developmental language disorder. Epilepsy, motor deficit and pseudobulbar signs (such as drooling) were detected in one child who had diffuse PMG along the Sylvian fissure. Subtle clinical manifestations correlated with either subtle MRI findings or normal MRI. Most reported families provide evidence suggestive of X-linked transmission. However, the most likely mode of inheritance in our family is autosomal dominant, since a male to male transmission was documented.63459-6

Structurally Related Monoterpenes p-Cymene, Carvacrol and Thymol Isolated from Essential Oil from Leaves of Lippia sidoides Cham. (Verbenaceae) Protect Mice against Elastase-Induced Emphysema

Background: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is characterized by irreversible airflow obstruction and inflammation. Natural products, such as monoterpenes, displayed anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant activities and can be used as a source of new compounds to COPD treatment. Our aim was to evaluate, in an elastase-induced pulmonary emphysema in mice, the effects of and underlying mechanisms of three related natural monoterpenes (p-cymene, carvacrol and thymol) isolated from essential oil from leaves Lippia sidoides Cham. (Verbenaceae). Methods: Mices received porcine pancreatic elastase (PPE) and were treated with p-cymene, carvacrol, thymol or vehicle 30 min later and again on 7th, 14th and 28th days. Lung inflammatory profile and histological sections were evaluated. Results: In the elastase-instilled animals, the tested monoterpenes reduced alveolar enlargement, macrophages and the levels of IL-1 beta, IL-6, IL-8 and IL-17 in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF), and collagen fibers, MMP-9 and p-65-NF-kappa B-positive cells in lung parenchyma (p < 0.05). All treatments attenuated levels of 8-iso-PGF2 alpha but only thymol was able to reduced exhaled nitric oxide (p < 0.05). Conclusion: Monoterpenes p-cymene, carvacrol and thymol reduced lung emphysema and inflammation in mice. No significant differences among the three monoterpenes treatments were found, suggesting that the presence of hydroxyl group in the molecular structure of thymol and carvacrol do not play a central role in the anti-inflammatory effects.Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)Laboratorio de Investigacao Medica, Hospital das Clinicas, Faculdade de Medicina, University of Sao Paulo (LIM)Univ Fed Sao Paulo, Dept Biol Sci, BR-09913030 Diadema, BrazilUniv Sao Paulo, Sch Med, Dept Med, BR-01246903 Sao Paulo, SP, BrazilUniv Fed Sao Paulo, Dept Exact Sci & Earth, BR-09913030 Diadema, BrazilFed Univ ABC, Ctr Nat Sci & Humanities, BR-09606045 Santo Andre, SP, BrazilUniv Fed Sao Paulo, Dept Biosci, Campus Baixada Santista, BR-11015020 Santos, SP, BrazilDepartment of Biological Science, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, Diadema 09913-030, BrazilDepartment of Exact Science and Earth, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, Diadema 09913-030, BrazilDepartment of Bioscience, Federal University of São Paulo, Campus Baixada Santista, Santos 11015-020, SP, BrazilCNPq: 300546/2012-2CNPq: 304465/2012-7CNPq: 476877/2012-1CNPq: 306278/2015-4FAPESP: 2011/51739-0FAPESP: 2013/02881-4FAPESP: 2008/55359-5FAPESP: 2015/11936-2FAPESP: 2014/25689-4LIM: LIM20Web of Scienc

Health Impact Assessment: Uma Ferramenta de Apoio à Adoção de Políticas Saudáveis na Área da Alimentação

Introdução: O Health Impact Assessment (HIA) combina procedimentos e métodos que avaliam potenciais impactes de projetos, programas ou politicas na saúde e a sua distribuição nas populações. Visa informar e melhorar o processo de tomada de decisão baseada na melhor evidência disponível. Devidamente integrado nos processos de planeamento estratégico, o HIA pode contribuir para a implementação de “Políticas Saudáveis”, tal como definido num dos quatro eixos do Plano Nacional de Saúde. É, assim, um instrumento importante para a concretização de uma abordagem integrada da Saúde em todas as políticas. Objetivo: Desenvolver competências técnicas na área do HIA numa perspetiva de learning by doing, através da capacitação de profissionais de saúde e de outros setores.N/

Encapsulation of Nanostructures in a Dielectric Matrix Providing Optical Enhancement in Ultrathin Solar Cells

The incorporation of nanostructures in optoelectronic devices for enhancing their optical performance is widely studied. However, several problems related to the processing complexity and the low performance of the nanostructures have hindered such actions in real-life devices. Herein, a novel way of introducing gold nanoparticles in a solar cell structure is proposed in which the nanostructures are encapsulated with a dielectric layer, shielding them from high temperatures and harsh growth processing conditions of the remaining device. Through optical simulations, an enhancement of the effective optical path length of approximately four times the nominal thickness of the absorber layer is verified with the new architecture. Furthermore, the proposed concept in a Cu(In,Ga)Se2 solar cell device is demonstrated, where the short-circuit current density is increased by 17.4%. The novel structure presented in this work is achieved by combining a bottom-up chemical approach of depositing the nanostructures with a top-down photolithographic process, which allows for an electrical contact.This work was funded in part by the Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT) under Grants IF/00133/2015, PD/BD/142780/2018 and SFRH/BD/ 146776/2019. The authors also want to acknowledge the European Union’s Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation Programme through the ARCIGS-M project under Grant 720887, the Special Research Fund (BOF) of Hasselt University, the FCT through the project NovaCell (PTDC/CTM-CTM/28075/ 2017), and InovSolarCells (PTDC/FISMAC/29696/2017) co-funded by FCT and the ERDF through COMPETE2020. The authors also want to acknowledge Sandra Maya for the production of images used in this work.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Socioeconomic Inequalities in the Prevalence of Nine Established Cardiovascular Risk Factors in a Southern European Population

The evaluation of the gender-specific prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors across socioeconomic position (SEP) categories may unravel mechanisms involved in the development of coronary heart disease. Using a sample of 1704 community dwellers of a Portuguese urban center aged 40 years or older, assessed in 1999–2003, we quantified the age-standardized prevalence of nine established cardiovascular risk factors (diabetes mellitus, hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, smoking, sedentariness, abdominal obesity, poor diet, excessive alcohol intake and depression) across SEP and gender categories. Data on individual education and occupation were collected by questionnaire and used to characterize SEP. The prevalence of seven out of nine well-established risk factors was higher in men. Among women, the prevalence of most of the studied risk factors was higher in lower SEP groups. The main exception was smoking, which increased with education and occupation levels. Among men, socioeconomic gradients were less clear, but lower SEP was associated with a higher prevalence of diabetes, excessive alcohol intake and depression in a graded mode. The historical cultural beliefs and practices captured throughout the lifecourse frame the wide socioeconomic gradients discernible in our study conducted in an unequal European developed population. While men were more exposed to most risk factors, the clearer associations between SEP and risk factors among women support that their adoption of particular healthy behaviors is more dependent on material and symbolic conditions. To fully address the issue of health inequalities, interventions within the health systems should be complemented with population-based policies specifically designed to reduce socioeconomic gradients