Agostinho: a fé tem olhos próprios

This article is a commentary on a text of St Augustine entitled De fide rerum quae non videntur, which is a sermon motivated by the misconceptions or even mistakes of those who do not profess the Christian faith. The text was probably written between 420-425 A.D., a time conducive to strengthening of faith in invisible things, given the historical horizon that heralded the decline of the Roman Empire. In the composition of the text, in line with the proper style of a sermon, there are eight brief parts. Without losing cohesion with regard to the main theme, Augustine concludes that faith has its own eyes capable of seeing – and allowing us to believe in – invisible things. Recebido: 30/12/2019Aceito: 30/12/2019Trata-se de um comentário ao texto de santo Agostinho intitulado De fide rerum quae non videntur, na verdade, um sermão motivado pelos equívocos ou mesmo os enganos daqueles que não professavam a fé cristã. Provavelmente o texto foi escrito entre 420-425, tempo propício para fortalecer a fé nas coisas invisíveis, tendo em vista o horizonte que anunciava o declínio do Império Romano. Na composição do texto, em consonância com o estilo próprio de um sermão, são oito breves partes. Sem perder a coesão em torno do tema principal, Agostinho pode concluir que a fé tem olhos próprios capazes de ver – e de nos permitir crer – nas coisas invisíveis. Recebido: 30/12/2019Aceito: 30/12/201

Jaspers lê Agostinho: possibilidades de leitura sobre o homem e sobre Deus

Pretende-se apresentar a possibilidade de leitura e denominador comum entre Agostinho e Jaspers em suas respectivas obras Confissões e Introdução ao Pensamento Filosófico. Apesar de pertencerem a épocas diversas, tanto em um pensador quanto em outro há marcas de uma antropologia filosófica, que procura compreender o ser humano a partir de uma certa inquietação frente a simesmo e ao universo existencial. Desses textos vale a pena evidenciar aqueles trechos que se referem à condição humana e ao lugar da filosofia no mundo. Dois pensadores de tamanha grandeza e densidade podem mapear nossas idéias e traçar a geografia da nossa alma, que anda tão desconcertada. Em tempos tão modernos, resgatar a validade da Filosofia em autores considerados ‘antigos’pode parecer ultrapassado, fora de moda. Mas a intenção filosófica, compartilhadapelos dois pensadores, só reitera o caráter universal da filosofia,mediatizada pela razão em busca do mais verdadeiro,em qualquer tempo

Iron Absorption following a Single Oral Dose of Ferrous Sulfate or Ferric Gluconate in Patients with Gastrectomy

Background: Iron deficiency anemia frequently occurs in gastrectomized patients. Methods: Serum iron levels following the ingestion of a single oral dose of 105 mg elemental iron, taken as ferrous sulfate (FeS) or ferric gluconate (FeG), have been evaluated in 20 gastrectomized patients (and 20 controls). All subjects participated on 2 different test days, 1 month apart: they took a single dose of 105 mg elemental iron as FeS or FeG after a night of fasting. Serum iron concentrations at baseline, 30, 60, 120 and 180 min after the oral dose administration were measured. Results: In patients and controls receiving FeG, serum iron levels did not significantly change. After oral ingestion of FeS, patients' serum iron levels gradually increased. The increase in serum iron levels was 148 and 168% at 120 and 180 min in patients (p < 0.0001 for both evaluations), whilst in controls, it was 216% at 120 min and 234% at 180 min, i.e. significantly higher than in gastrectomized patients (p < 0.001 for both evaluations). Conclusions: In gastrectomized patients, a single oral dose of FeS shows a significant increase in iron serum concentration, albeit lower than in controls. Further studies on a larger sample of patients will be necessary to confirm these results

Object use affects motor planning in infant prehension

The purpose of this study was to investigate the factors underlying the ability to plan object-oriented grasping movements in the first two years of life. In particular, we were interested in evaluating the relationship between manual motor planning, object use and infant-parent interaction. In order to achieve this aim, grasping behaviors of nineteen healthy infants, aged nine to 25 months, were examined during naturalistic play sessions with a standard set of toys. Our main finding was that, regardless of age, infants perform a better manual planning when they use an object in a functional rather than non-functional way, suggesting that the planning of an action also depends on knowing the functional properties of an object. In addition, we found that the ability to use objects in a functional way was strongly affected by infant-parent interaction. Thus, level of object use and environmental role must be taken into account in order to understand the development of manual motor planning

Evaluation of Hypocaloric Diet with Protein Supplementation in Middle-Aged Sarcopenic Obese Women: A Pilot Study

Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of a nutritional program, which is characterized by a different modulation of proteins, in adult patients with sarcopenic obesity. Methods: We studied 18 obese women aged 41-74 years. Obesity was diagnosed as fat mass > 34.8% and sarcopenia was defined when lean body mass was Results: Weight significantly decreased in both groups. Women with high-protein diet preserved lean body mass compared to low-calorie diet and improved significantly muscle strength; SPPB score did not change in both groups. SF-36 test showed a significant change for general health after 4 months in group B. Conclusions: In our study, sarcopenic obese patients with high-protein diet showed an improvement in muscle strength. Furthermore, dietary protein enrichment may represent a protection from the risk of sarcopenia following a hypocaloric diet

Resting energy expenditure in adult patients with Crohn's disease.

SummaryBackground & aimsCrohn's disease (CD) is a chronic intestinal disorder of unknown etiology involving any section of the gastrointestinal tract often associated with protein-energy malnutrition (PEM). Increased resting energy expenditure (REE) unmatched by adequate dietary intake is amongst the pathogenetic mechanisms proposed for PEM. Aim of this study was to evaluate REE in CD patients receiving or not immuno-suppressive therapy as compared to controls.Methods36 CD patients (22 M and 14 F, age range 18–55 years) clinically stable and without complications since at least 6 month were studied. REE was evaluated by indirect calorimetry and body composition by BIA. Full biochemistry was performed. Patients were divided into two groups: Group 1 (G1 = 12 patients) without and Group 2 (G2 = 24 patients) with immuno-suppressive therapy.ResultsThe two groups were similar for age, height and BMI whereas significantly differed for weight (G1 vs G2: 56.9 ± 7.44 vs 62.3 ± 8.34 kg), fat free mass (FFM: 40.4 ± 5.73 vs 48.2 ± 7.06 kg), fat mass (FM: 17.0 ± 3.55 vs 13.9 ± 5.54 kg) and phase angle (PA: 5.6 ± 1.4 vs 6.5 ± 1.0°). Serum inflammation parameters were significantly higher in G1 than in G2: hs-PCR: 7.76 ± 14.2 vs 7.16 ± 13.4 mg/dl; alfa 2-protein: 11.7 ± 3.69 vs 9.74 ± 2.08 mg/dl; fibrinogen: 424 ± 174 vs 334 ± 118 mg/dl (p < 0.05). REE was higher in G2 vs G1: 1383 ± 267 vs 1582 ± 253kcal/die (p < 0.05) both in men: 1579 ± 314 vs 1640 ± 203 and women: 1267 ± 140 vs 1380 ± 132. Nevertheless, when corrected for FFM, REE resulted higher in G1 than G2 (34.8 ± 4.89 vs 33.0 ± 4.35 kcal/kg, p < 0.05) group, also higher compared to our, age and sex matched, control population (REE/FFM: 30.9 ± 4.5 kcal/kg).ConclusionsOur preliminary results show that REE when adjusted for FFM is increased in clinically stable CD patients and mildly reduced by immunosuppressive therapy possibly through a direct action on inflammation and on body composition characteristics

The Oral Microbiota Changes in Orthodontic Patients and Effects on Oral Health: An Overview

Nowadays, there is a considerable interest to study the biological and microbiological changes that accompany orthodontic treatment. Growing knowledge on oral microbiota allows, day after day, to identify and characterize the microbial arrangements specifically associated with oral and extra-oral conditions. The aim of the present work is to highlight any further correlations between orthodontic appliances and the qualitative and quantitative modifications of the oral microbiota, such as predisposing factors for the onset of caries, periodontal diseases, and other infections, which can impact the oral and systemic health of the orthodontic patients. When compared with subjects without orthodontic appliances, orthodontic patients reported significant qualitative and quantitative differences in supra- and subgingival plaque during the entire treatment period. Certain components of fixed appliances (mainly bonded molar brackets, ceramic brackets, and elastomeric ligatures) showed high risks of periodontal disease and tooth decay for patients. An unclear prevalence of Candida spp. and the paucity of studies on viruses and protozoas in the oral microbiota of orthodontic patients need to be further investigated. The evidence emerging from this study could guide clinicians in modulating the timing of controls and enhance patient motivation to prevent the formation of mature plaque, thus reducing the risks of oral-plaque-related diseases

Use Of PRP In Severe Bone Defects

Aim of the study is to demonstrate the influence of using growth factors in bone regeneration in advanced implantology cases, such as severe bone defects that involve maxillary sinus. The preliminary study of complex cases through CT scan and computerized implant software, it’s crucial for an accurate preoperative evaluation of the anatomic limitations and facilitates preoperative planning of therapeutic strategy. This two case reports present clinical and radiographic results obtained using PRP in combination with bone grafting materials which lead to a faster and predictable bone healing, allowing a time and cost effectiveness implant-prosthetic rehabilitation