ESCALAS DE AVALIAÇÃO DE RISCO PARA QUEDA: REVISÃO INTEGRATIVA DA LITERATURA

Objetivo: caracterizar e qualificar escalas de avaliação de risco de quedas validadas para emprego entre pacientes adultos hospitalizados. Método: revisão integrativa da literatura que incluiu investigações desenvolvidas entre pacientes hospitalizados com idade igual ou superior a 18 anos, consultadas as bases de dados LILACS, PubMed, CINAHL e Embase. Resultados: localizaram-se 319 artigos, dos quais 9 foram incluídos nesta revisão. A maioria das escalas foi criada entre os anos de 1989 e 1999, para avaliação de riscos entre adultos e idosos. Os domínios mobilidade (88,8%), história de queda (88,8%), estado mental (66,6%), incontinência (77,7%), uso de medicamentos (66,6%) e déficit sensorial (55,5%) foram mais frequentemente empregados. Quatro escalas (44,4%) apresentaram resultados de testes para avaliação de propriedades psicométricas. Conclusão: as escalas encontradas na literatura científica não apresentaram consenso entre os domínios para predição de quedas e a maioria não foi submetida à avaliação das propriedades psicométricas recomendadas.Descritores: Acidentes por Quedas. Avaliação em Enfermagem. Técnicas, Medidas, Equipamentos de Medição. Adulto. Enfermagem

Whiteflies Provide Honeydew to Camponotus ants Without Receiving Reciprocal Favor

The notion that tending ants provide protection to honeydew-producing hemipterans is widely accepted. Nevertheless, there have been debates about whether or not this protection can always disrupt the biological control of hemipterans. Although various hemipteran species interact with tending ants, most studies have focused on the mutualism between ants and aphids.  Woolly whitefly Aleurothrixus floccosus (Maskell) is an important pest of citrus whose nymphs are frequently tended by ants such as Camponotus. However, it is unknown whether or not ants in this genus can disrupt biological control of woolly whitefly by protecting this pest’s nymphs from natural enemies. We investigated the impact of Camponotus ants on the biological control of woolly whitefly in the field by excluding or allowing the access of ants to whitefly nymph colonies in different tangerine trees. Furthermore, in a laboratory study we also assessed the behavior of Camponotus ants in response to woolly whitefly’s common predator cues (visual and scent).  In summary, this field-laboratory study suggests that there is no mutualism between tending Camponotus ants and the whitefly A. floccosus; rather it indicates commensalism as an alternative interaction. Interactions as this may provide more benefits for the host plant, whereby Camponotus ants can reduce sooty mold by removing honeydew from the leaves and favor pest biological control by leaving the whiteflies unprotected

MIGRATE: mobile device virtualisation through state transfer

Delegation of processing tasks to the network has moved from cloud-based schemes to edge computing solutions where nearby servers process requests in a timely manner. Virtualisation technologies have recently given data cloud and network providers the required flexibility to offer such on-demand resources. However, the maintenance of close computing resources presents a challenge when the served devices are on the move. In this case, if processing continuity is desired, a transference of processing resources and task state should be committed to maintain the service to end devices. The solution here presented, MIGRATE, proposes the concept of virtual mobile devices (vMDs) implemented as Virtual Functions (VxF) and acting as virtual representatives of physical processing devices. vMDs are instantiated at the edge of the access network, following a Multi-Access Edge Computing (MEC) approach, and move across different virtualisation domains. MIGRATE provides seamless and efficient transference of these software entities to follow the real location of mobile devices and continue supporting their physical counterparts. Software Defined Networks and Management and Operation functions are exploited to “migrate” vMDs to new virtualisation domains by forwarding data flows to the former domain until the new one is prepared, while a distributed data base avoids the transference of data. The solution has been deployed in a reference vehicular scenario at the Institute of Telecommunications Aveiro premises within the 5GINFIRE European project. In particular, the system has been evaluated under different virtualisation domains to study the operation of the migration approach in a vehicular monitoring scenario. The results validate the system from the application viewpoint with a Web monitoring tool, and the migration of the digital twin provided as VxF is analysed attending to the modification of data flows, indicating a seamless transition between virtualisation domains in a timely manner.publishe

Exercise alters liver mitochondria phospholipidomic profile and mitochondrial activity in non-alcoholic steatohepatitis

Mitochondrial membrane lipid composition is a critical factor in non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). Exercise is the most prescribed therapeutic strategy against NASH and a potential modulator of lipidmembrane. Thus, we aimed to analyze whether physical exercise exerted preventive (voluntary physical activity - VPA) and therapeutic (endurance training - ET) effect on NASH-induced mitochondrial membrane changes. Sprague-Dawley rats (n = 36) were divided into standard-diet sedentary (SS, n = 12),standard-diet VPA (SVPA, n = 6), high-fat diet sedentary (HS, n = 12) and high-fat diet VPA (HVPA, n = 6). After 9 weeks of diet-specific feeding, half of SS and HS group were engaged in an ET program for 8 weeks/5 day/week/1 h/day (SET, HET). Liver mitochondria were isolated for oxygen consumption and transmembrane-electric potential (Δψ) assays. Mitochondrial phospholipid classes and fatty acids were quantified through thin layer chromatography and gas chromatography, respectively, while cardiolipin(CL), phosphatidylcholine (PC) phosphatidylethanolamine (PE) and phosphatidylinositol (PI) molecular profile was determined by electrospray mass spectrometry. In parallel with histological signs of NASH,high-fat diet decreased PI, CL and PC/PE ratio, whereas PE and phosphatidic acid content increased insedentary animals (HS vs. SS). Moreover, a decrease in linolelaidic, monounsaturated fatty acids content and an increase in saturated fatty acids (SFAS) were observed. Along with phospholipidomic alterations,HS animals showed a decrease in respiratory control ratio (RCR), Δψ and FCCP-induced uncoupling respiration (HS vs. SS). Both phospholipidomic (PC/PE, SFAS) and mitochondrial respiratory alterations were counteracted by exercise interventions. Exercise used as preventive (VPA) or therapeutic (ET) strategies preserved liver mitochondrial phospholipidomic profile and maintained mitochondrial function in a model of NASH

O Ensino Religioso no estado laico brasileiro: perfilação e formação docente

Este artigo destinou-se a investigar as noções político-religiosas que alicerçam a educação brasileira, em meio ao Estado laico, e suas interferências perante ao perfil formativo do professor de ensino religioso, a fim de compreender quais as disposições didático-metodológicas e científicas devem ser assumidas para com este componente curricular. Por meio de um estudo bibliográfico, ratificados por autores como Chehoud (2017), Bueno (1998), Mazzuoli (2009) e (2015), e outros. Com fulcro na Constituição Federal (BRASIL, 1988), dentre outros documentos, percebemos que o atual contexto de equívocos na docência em ensino religioso é diretamente proporcional com a histórica construção sócio-educacional brasileira, alicerçada por matrizes político-religiosas.

Previous BCG vaccination is associated with less severe clinical progression of COVID-19

Background: BCG vaccination, originally used to prevent tuberculosis, is known to “train” the immune system to improve defence against viral respiratory infections. We investigated whether a previous BCG vaccination is associated with less severe clinical progression of COVID-19./ Methods: A case-control study comparing the proportion with a BCG vaccine scar (indicating previous vaccination) in cases and controls presenting with COVID-19 to health units in Brazil. Cases were subjects with severe COVID-19 (O2 saturation < 90%, severe respiratory effort, severe pneumonia, severe acute respiratory syndrome, sepsis, and septic shock). Controls had COVID-19 not meeting the definition of “severe” above. Unconditional regression was used to estimate vaccine protection against clinical progression to severe disease, with strict control for age, comorbidity, sex, educational level, race/colour, and municipality. Internal matching and conditional regression were used for sensitivity analysis./ Results: BCG was associated with high protection against COVID-19 clinical progression, over 87% (95% CI 74–93%) in subjects aged 60 or less and 35% (95% CI − 44–71%) in older subjects./ Conclusions: This protection may be relevant for public health in settings where COVID-19 vaccine coverage is still low and may have implications for research to identify vaccine candidates for COVID-19 that are broadly protective against mortality from future variants. Further research into the immunomodulatory effects of BCG may inform COVID-19 therapeutic research.

AVALIAÇÃO DOS EFEITOS DAS ISOFLAVONAS DE SOJA EM RATAS COM HIPOESTROGENISMO INDUZIDO

O climatério é o período da vida feminina no qual o organismo sofre mudanças no metabolismo decorrentes da queda estrogênica, resultando em efeitos sobre os principais sistemas, influenciando na qualidade de vida e comportamento da mulher. Para tratamento, se utiliza a reposição hormonal de estrógeno. Contudo, essa opção tem trazido muitos efeitos colaterais, inclusive o desenvolvimento de neoplasias. Como alternativa a aliviar tais efeitos, têm sido utilizados fitoestrógenos, pois exercem ação agonista do hormônio em seus receptores sem causar os efeitos colaterais indesejados. Este trabalho tem como objetivo avaliar os efeitos das isoflavonas de soja sobre o útero, consumo alimentar, peso corporal e ciclo estral de ratas ooforectomizadas. Foram utilizadas ratas wistar submetidas à ooforectomia e por 90 dias foram tratadas diariamente de acordo com o grupo de estudo: ooforectomizadas tratadas com placebo,ooforectomizadas tratadas com isoflavonas de soja, ooforectomizadas tratadas com benzoato de estradiol e grupo falso-operado. As ratas tratadas com isoflavonas de soja tiveram o ciclo estral regular semelhante ao grupo falso-operado. Porém, apresentaram perda ponderal similar ao grupo do tratamento hormonal.Palavras-chave: Isoflavonas. Útero. Ratas. Hormonal.EVALUATION OF THE EFFECTS OF SOY ISOFLAVONES IN RATS WITH INDUCED HYPOESTROGENISMAbstract: The climacteric is the period of life in which the female body goes through changes in metabolism following a strogenic fall resulting in effects on the major systems influencing the quality of life and behavior of women. For treatment is used estrogen replacement therapy. Yet it has brought many side effects,including cancer development. As an alternative to alleviate such effects, phytoestrogens have been used because exert hormone agonist to its receptors without causing unwanted side effects. This study aims to evaluate the effects of soy isoflavones on the uterus, food intake, body weight and estrous cycle in ovariectomized rats. We used Wistar rats underwent oophorectomy and were treated for 90 days daily according to the study group: ovariectomized and treated with placebo, ovariectomized treated with soy isoflavones, ovariectomized and treated with estradiol benzoate and false-operated group. The rats treated with soy isoflavones had regular estrous cycle similar to the false-operated group. However, showed similar weight loss to the group of hormone treatment.Keywords: Isoflavones. Uterus. Rats. Hormone.EVALUACIÓN DE LOS EFECTOS DE LAS ISOFLAVONAS DE SOJA EN RATAS CON HIPOESTROGENISMO INDUCIDAResumen: El climaterio es el período de la vida en la que el cuerpo de la mujer pasa por cambios en el metabolismo como consecuencia de una caída estrogénica y afectando los sistemas principales que influyen en la calidad de vida y comportamiento de la mujer. Como tratamiento se emplea la terapia de reemplazo de estrógeno. Sin embargo, esto ha traído muchos efectos secundarios, incluyendo el desarrollo de cáncer. Como una alternativa para aliviar esas consecuencias han sido utilizados fitoestrógenos, los cuales ejercen una acción agonistas del hormonio en sus receptores, sin causar efectos secundarios no deseados. Este estudio tiene como objetivo evaluar los efectos de las isoflavonas de la soja en el útero, en la ingestión de alimentos, en el peso corporal y en el ciclo estral en ratas ovariectomizadas. Se utilizaron ratas Wistar que se sometieron a ovariectomización y fueron tratadas diariamente durante 90 días de acuerdo con el grupo de estudio: ovariectomizadas y tratadas con el placebo, ovariectomizadas tratadas con isoflavonas de soja, ovariectomizadas y tratadas con benzoato de estradiol y el grupo de falso-operado. Las ratas tratadas con isoflavonas de soja con presentaron un ciclo estral regular de manera semejante al grupo de falso-operado. Sin embargo, mostraron una pérdida de peso similar al grupo de tratamiento hormonal.Palabras clave: Isoflavonas. Útero. Ratas. Hormonal

D13.2 Techniques and performance analysis on energy- and bandwidth-efficient communications and networking

Deliverable D13.2 del projecte europeu NEWCOM#The report presents the status of the research work of the various Joint Research Activities (JRA) in WP1.3 and the results that were developed up to the second year of the project. For each activity there is a description, an illustration of the adherence to and relevance with the identified fundamental open issues, a short presentation of the main results, and a roadmap for the future joint research. In the Annex, for each JRA, the main technical details on specific scientific activities are described in detail.Peer ReviewedPostprint (published version