No association between periodontal disease and GHQ-12 in a Brazilian Police population

Objectives: We attempt to investigate a possible association between periodontal disease (PD) and mental disorders (MD) in a population of Brazilian Police. Study Method: From a total study population consisting of 803 policemen, 345 police officers were obtained by a sample calculation using the finite population correction who were randomly selected in Montes Claros, Minas Gerais, Brazil. Patients who had been prescribed steroids or those diagnosed with diabetes and cardiovascular diseases were excluded from this study. The General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12) was used to assess mental disorders. Odds ratios (ORs) for periodontal diseases severity and their respective 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were estimated. The risk of advanced scores in Clinical Attachment Level (CAL) and Community Periodontal Index (CPI) were estimated using Poisson Regression analyses. Results: Only smoking and age were associated with severity in CAL and CPI index. No relation between MD and PD was observed even in different positions within the police department. Conclusions: It was not observed relation between GHQ 12 and the incidence of Periodontal Disease in a Brazi-lian Police population. Classical factors like age and smoking, however, were associated with CAL and CPI index higher scores in this population. © Medicina Oral S. L

Self-regulated learning perception of undergraduate dental students during the COVID-19 pandemic : a nationwide survey in Brazil

This study aimed to evaluate the perception of self-regulated learning of Brazilian undergraduate dental students during the COVID-19 pandemic. Material and Methods: A nationwide cross-sectional survey was conducted. Data were collected in

Como ajudar uma pessoa dependente de drogas

Cartilha que esclarece a Nova Política Nacional sobre DrogasNo Brasil, estima-se que pelo menos 28 milhões de pessoas tenham um familiar dependente químico (II LENAD FAMÍLIA, 2014). As famílias, por sua vez, não medem esforços para ajudar o ente a tratar-se e lidar com sua dependência. Porém, o desgaste emocional e as consequências negativas do uso de drogas levam os familiares a situações de conflito, na maioria das vezes, por falta de novas habilidades e estratégias para oferecer uma ajuda eficaz. Este manual contempla uma série de procedimentos e orientações que representam novos caminhos para auxiliar casos de dificuldades entre os dependentes químicos e seus familiares. São eles: comunicação assertiva, prática de mindfulness (atenção plena) e a regulação emocional (equilíbrio emocional). Os procedimentos são validados pela literatura científica, que descreve os benefícios da intervenção por meio do mindfulness para o tratamento do uso de substâncias (KORECKI, 2020), bem como são reconhecidos pela UNODOC (2020), que considera a regulação emocional e as habilidades parentais como formas de prevenção ao uso de drogas. Desejo que as informações apresentadas aqui possam ser úteis para a construção de um novo relacionamento entre a família e o dependente, que tanto precisa de seu apoio.Brasil. Ministério da Cidadania. Secretaria Nacional de Cuidados e Prevenção às Droga

Comparison between potential risk factors for cardiovascular disease in people living with HIV/AIDS in areas of Brazil

Introduction: Coronary heart disease and its risk factors depend on genetic characteristics, behaviors, and habits, all of which vary in different regions. The use of antiretroviral therapy (ARV) has increased the survival of people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA), who begin to present mortality indicators similar to the general population. This study aimed to compare the prevalence of factors potentially associated with coronary heart disease in three cohorts of PLWHA from three different regions of Brazil. Methodology: The study population was composed of participants of the cohorts of Pernambuco, Goiás, and Rio Grande do Sul states. In these sites, adult patients attending reference centers for treatment of HIV/AIDS were consecutively enrolled. Results: Pernambuco and Goiás had a higher proportion of males and of individuals with high-risk high-density lipoprotein (HDL). Pernambuco also had a greater proportion of individuals with hypertension, elevated triglycerides, and CD4 counts below 200 cells/mm3. Lower education was more frequent in Rio Grande do Sul, and the use of cocaine was higher in this state. Conclusions: The results confirm the importance of risk factors for coronary heart disease in PLHIV and highlight differences in the three cohorts. Specific measures against smoking and sedentary lifestyle, avoidance of advanced stages of immunosuppression, and appropriate treatment of dyslipidemia and dysglicemia are urgently needed to cope with the disease in Brazil

Dactinomycin induces complete remission associated with nucleolar stress response in relapsed/refractory NPM1-mutated AML

Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) with mutated NPM1 accounts for one-third of newly diagnosed AML. Despite recent advances, treatment of relapsed/refractory NPM1-mutated AML remains challenging, with the majority of patients eventually dying due to disease progression. Moreover, the prognosis is particularly poor in elderly and unfit patients, mainly because they cannot receive intensive treatment. Therefore, alternative treatment strategies are needed. Dactinomycin is a low-cost chemotherapeutic agent, which has been anecdotally reported to induce remission in NPM1-mutated patients, although its mechanism of action remains unclear. Here, we describe the results of a single-center phase 2 pilot study investigating the safety and efficacy of single-agent dactinomycin in relapsed/refractory NPM1-mutated adult AML patients, demonstrating that this drug can induce complete responses and is relatively well tolerated. We also provide evidence that the activity of dactinomycin associates with nucleolar stress both in vitro and in vivo in patients. Finally, we show that low-dose dactinomycin generates more efficient stress response in cells expressing NPM1 mutant compared to wild-type cells, suggesting that NPM1-mutated AML may be more sensitive to nucleolar stress. In conclusion, we establish that dactinomycin is a potential therapeutic alternative in relapsed/refractory NPM1-mutated AML that deserves further investigation in larger clinical studies

HOXA1 is overexpressed in oral squamous cell carcinomas and its expression is correlated with poor prognosis

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>HOX genes encode homeodomain-containing transcription factors involved in the regulation of cellular proliferation and differentiation during embryogenesis. However, members of this family demonstrated oncogenic properties in some malignancies. The present study investigated whether genes of the HOXA cluster play a role in oral cancer.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>In order to identify differentially expressed HOXA genes, duplex RT-PCR in oral samples from healthy mucosa and squamous cell carcinoma was used. The effects of HOXA1 on proliferation, apoptosis, adhesion, invasion, epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and anchorage-independent growth were assessed in cells with up- and down-regulation of HOXA1. Immunohistochemical analysis using a tissue microarray (TMA) containing 127 oral squamous cell carcinomas (OSCC) was performed to determine the prognostic role of HOXA1 expression.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>We showed that transcripts of HOXA genes are more abundant in OSCC than in healthy oral mucosa. In particular, HOXA1, which has been described as one of the HOX members that plays an important role in tumorigenesis, was significantly more expressed in OSCCs compared to healthy oral mucosas. Further analysis demonstrated that overexpression of HOXA1 in HaCAT human epithelial cells promotes proliferation, whereas downregulation of HOXA1 in human OSCC cells (SCC9 cells) decreases it. Enforced HOXA1 expression in HaCAT cells was not capable of modulating other events related to tumorigenesis, including apoptosis, adhesion, invasion, EMT and anchorage-independent growth. A high number of HOXA1-positive cells was significantly associated with T stage, N stage, tumor differentiation and proliferative potential of the tumors, and was predictive of poor survival. In multivariate analysis, HOXA1 was an independent prognostic factor for OSCC patients (HR: 2.68; 95% CI: 1.59-2.97; p = 0.026).</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Our findings indicate that HOXA1 may contribute to oral carcinogenesis by increasing tumor cell proliferation, and suggest that HOXA1 expression might be helpful as a prognostic marker for patients with OSCC.</p

Risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection among front-line healthcare workers in Northeast Brazil : a respondent-driven sampling approach

Objectives We assessed the prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 infection, personal protective equipment (PPE) shortages and occurrence of biological accidents among front-line healthcare workers (HCW). Design, setting and participants Using respondent-driven sampling, the study recruited distinct categories of HCW attending suspected or confirmed patients with COVID-19 from May 2020 to February 2021, in the Recife metropolitan area, Northeast Brazil. Outcome measures The criterion to assess SARS-CoV-2 infection among HCW was a positive self-reported PCR test. Results We analysed 1525 HCW: 527 physicians, 471 registered nurses, 263 nursing assistants and 264 physical therapists. Women predominated in all categories (81.1%; 95% CI: 77.8% to 84.1%). Nurses were older with more comorbidities (hypertension and overweight/obesity) than the other staff. The overall prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 infection was 61.8% (95% CI: 55.7% to 67.5%) after adjustment for the cluster random effect, weighted by network, and the reference population size. Risk factors for a positive RT-PCR test were being a nursing assistant (OR adjusted: 2.56; 95% CI: 1.42 to 4.61), not always using all recommended PPE while assisting patients with COVID-19 (OR adj: 2.15; 95% CI: 1.02 to 4.53) and reporting a splash of biological fluid/respiratory secretion in the eyes (OR adj: 3.37; 95% CI: 1.10 to 10.34). Conclusions This study shows the high frequency of SARS-CoV2 infection among HCW presumably due to workplace exposures. In our setting, nursing assistant comprised the most vulnerable category. Our findings highlight the need for improving healthcare facility environments, specific training and supervision to cope with public health emergencies

Perfil dos pesquisadores da área de odontologia no Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Pesquisadores brasileiros têm demonstrado aumento na produção científica associada à publicação de trabalhos na literatura corrente. O objetivo desse estudo foi compreender o perfil de pesquisadores brasileiros voltados para a odontologia com bolsas de produtividade concedidas pelo Conselho Nacional de Pesquisa (CNPq). Para revelar o perfil, 132 Currículos Lattes de pesquisadores, durante 2003 a 2005, foram cuidadosamente analisados, e variáveis como gênero, classificação no CNPq (1A a 1D, 2), instituição de origem, tempo de doutorado, artigos publicados com o respectivo Qualis, livros e capítulos de livros, orientações de mestrado e doutorado e áreas de atuação foram catalogados. O perfil geral foi formado por homens (64,39%), classificação classe 2 (42,42%), concentrados em instituições do Estado de São Paulo (85,6%), com 10 a 15 anos de doutorado (32.57 %), publicando em periódicos Qualis A Internacional e Qualis B Nacional. A produção de livros ou capítulos de livros, orientações de mestrados ou doutorados foram heterogêneas. A visão geral revelou uma produção consistente associada a grupos de pesquisadores consolidados