INTERNACIONALIZAÇÃO E INTEGRAÇÃO ACADÊMICA: RELATO DE EXPERIÊNCIA DA PARTICIPAÇÃO DE ESTUDANTES ESTRANGEIRAS EM PESQUISA SOBRE EDUCAÇÃO E SAÚDE PRISIONAL

The internationalization of higher education is a relevant movement for the development of education, research, and extension. This phenomenon is characterized by global interconnectedness in terms of promoting the formation of professionals capable of working in different cultural contexts. Internationalization can take different forms, one of which is student mobility programs that promote cultural and scientific exchanges through study abroad experiences. Objective: To describe the experience of students from the University of Santa Cruz do Sul (UNISC) in receiving and accompanying exchange students from Belgium and Norway. Method: This is an experiential report of the activities carried out over a period of four weeks, between July and August 2022, when two foreign students were received at UNISC. The activities were shared among members of the International Federation of Medical Students' Associations in Brazil and the Center for Studies and Research on the Prison System. Results: Open lectures were delivered by Brazilian students, faculty members, and the visiting students on healthcare systems, public health policies, and prison systems in the countries involved. In addition, visits were made to local prisons for oral swab collection for hepatitis C testing, analysis of biological samples, support for COVID-19 diagnosis at TecnoUnisc, and visits to other research and extension projects. Conclusion: The partnership between research and extension projects proved to be an incentive for promoting academic activities and student mobility, providing unique opportunities for sharing information and international experiences.A internacionalização do ensino superior é um movimento relevante para o desenvolvimento da educação, da pesquisa e da extensão. Esse fenômeno é caracterizado pela interconexão global no que diz respeito ao impulsionamento da formação de profissionais capazes de atuar em diferentes contextos culturais. A internacionalização pode assumir diferentes formas, sendo uma delas os programas de mobilização estudantil, que promovem trocas culturais e científicas em processos de intercâmbio. Objetivo: Descrever a experiência vivenciada por estudantes da Universidade de Santa Cruz do Sul (UNISC) na recepção e acompanhamento de intercambistas da Bélgica e Noruega. Método: Relato de experiência das atividades desenvolvidas durante 4 semanas, compreendidas entre julho e agosto de 2022, período em que foram recebidas na UNISC duas estudantes estrangeiras. As atividades foram compartilhadas entre os membros da Federação Internacional das Associações dos Estudantes de Medicina do Brasil e do Núcleo de Estudos e Pesquisas com Foco no Sistema Prisional. Resultados: Foram realizadas aulas abertas apresentadas por estudantes e docentes brasileiros e, também, pelas visitantes sobre sistemas de saúde, políticas públicas de saúde e sistemas prisionais dos países envolvidos. Ainda, foram realizadas visitas aos presídios da região para a coleta de swabs orais para testagem de hepatite C, análise de amostras biológicas, apoio à realização do diagnóstico da covid-19 no TecnoUnisc e visita a outros projetos de pesquisa e extensão. Conclusão: A parceria entre projetos de pesquisa e de extensão mostrou-se um incentivo à promoção de atividades acadêmicas mobilização estudantil, proporcionando oportunidades únicas de compartilhamento de informações e vivências internacionais

Effects of an 18-week exercise programme started early during breast cancer treatment: a randomised controlled trial

Background: Exercise started shortly after breast cancer diagnosis might prevent or diminish fatigue complaints. The Physical Activity during Cancer Treatment (PACT) study was designed to primarily examine the effects of an 18-week exercise intervention, offered in the daily clinical practice setting and starting within 6 weeks after diagnosis, on preventing an increase in fatigue. Methods: This multi-centre controlled trial randomly assigned 204 breast cancer patients to usual care (n = 102) or supervised aerobic and resistance exercise (n = 102). By design, all patients received chemotherapy between baseline and 18 weeks. Fatigue (i.e., primary outcome at 18 weeks), quality of life, anxiety, depression, and physical fitness were measured at 18 and 36 weeks. Results: Intention-to-treat mixed linear model analyses showed that physical fatigue increased significantly less during cancer treatment in the intervention group compared to control (mean between-group differences at 18 weeks: -1.3; 95 % CI -2.5 to -0.1; effect size -0.30). Results for general fatigue were comparable but did not reach statistical significance (-1.0, 95% CI -2.1; 0.1; effect size -0.23). At 18 weeks, submaximal cardiorespiratory fitness and several muscle strength tests (leg extension and flexion) were significantly higher in the intervention group compared to control, whereas peak oxygen uptake did not differ between groups. At 36 weeks these differences were no longer statistically significant. Quality of life outcomes favoured the exercise group but were not significantly different between groups. Conclusions: A supervised 18-week exercise programme offered early in routine care during adjuvant breast cancer treatment showed positive effects on physical fatigue, submaximal cardiorespiratory fitness, and muscle strength. Exercise early during treatment of breast cancer can be recommended. At 36 weeks, these effects were no longer statistically significant. This might have been caused by the control participants' high physical activity levels during follow-up

Obesity, inflammatory markers, and endometrial cancer risk: a prospective case–control study

Obesity, a major risk factor for endometrial cancer, is a low-grade inflammatory state characterized by elevated concentrations of cytokines and acute phase reactants. The current study had two aims: first to investigate the associations of C-reactive protein (CRP), interleukin 6 (IL6), and IL1 receptor antagonist (IL1Ra) with endometrial cancer risk and second to examine to which extent these markers can influence the association between obesity and endometrial cancer. We conducted a case–control study, nested within the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition, which comprised 305 incident cases of endometrial cancer and 574 matched controls. CRP, IL6, and IL1Ra were measured in prospectively collected blood specimens by immunoassays. Data were analyzed using conditional logistic regression. All statistical tests were two-sided, and P values <0.05 were considered statistically significant. We observed a significant increase in risk of endometrial cancer with elevated levels of CRP (odds ratio (OR) for top versus bottom quartile: 1.58, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.03–2.41, Ptrend=0.02), IL6 (OR for top versus bottom quartile: 1.66, 95% CI: 1.08–2.54, Ptrend=0.008), and IL1Ra (OR for top versus bottom quartile: 1.82, 95% CI: 1.22–2.73, Ptrend=0.004). After adjustment for body mass index (BMI), the estimates were strongly reduced and became non-significant. The association between BMI and endometrial cancer was also substantially attenuated (∼10–20%) after adjustment for inflammatory markers, even when the effects of C-peptide or estrone had already been taken into account. We provided epidemiological evidence that chronic inflammation might mediate the association between obesity and endometrial cancer and that endometrial carcinogenesis could be promoted by an inflammatory milieu

The Influence of Hormonal Factors on the Risk of Developing Cervical Cancer and Pre-Cancer: Results from the EPIC Cohort

Background: In addition to HPV, high parity and hormonal contraceptives have been associated with cervical cancer (CC). However, most of the evidence comes from retrospective case-control studies. The aim of this study is to prospectively evaluate associations between hormonal factors and risk of developing cervical intraepithelial neoplasia grade 3 (CIN3)/carcinoma in situ (CIS) and invasive cervical cancer (ICC). Methods and Findings: We followed a cohort of 308,036 women recruited in the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC) Study. At enrollment, participants completed a questionnaire and provided serum. After a 9-year median follow-up, 261 ICC and 804 CIN3/CIS cases were reported. In a nested case-control study, the sera from 609 cases and 1,218 matched controls were tested for L1 antibodies against HPV types 11,16,18,31,33,35,45, 52,58, and antibodies against Chlamydia trachomatis and Human herpesvirus 2. Multivariate analyses were performed to estimate hazard ratios (HR), odds ratios (OR) and corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CI). The cohort analysis showed that number of fullterm pregnancies was positively associated with CIN3/CIS risk (p-trend = 0.03). Duration of oral contraceptives use was associated with a significantly increased risk of both CIN3/CIS and ICC (HR = 1.6 and HR = 1.8 respectively for >= 15 years versus never use). Ever use of menopausal hormone therapy was associated with a reduced risk of ICC (HR = 0.5, 95% CI: 0.4-0.8). A non-significant reduced risk of ICC with ever use of intrauterine devices (IUD) was found in the nested case-control analysis (OR = 0.6). Analyses restricted to all cases and HPV seropositive controls yielded similar results, revealing a significant inverse association with IUD for combined CIN3/CIS and ICC (OR = 0.7). Conclusions: Even though HPV is the necessary cause of CC, our results suggest that several hormonal factors are risk factors for cervical carcinogenesis. Adherence to current cervical cancer screening guidelines should minimize the increased risk of CC associated with these hormonal risk factors

Physical activity and risk of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis in a prospective cohort study

Previous case-control studies have suggested a possible increased risk of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) with physical activity (PA), but this association has never been studied in prospective cohort studies. We therefore assessed the association between PA and risk of death from ALS in the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition. A total of 472,100 individuals were included in the analysis, yielding 219 ALS deaths. At recruitment, information on PA was collected thorough standardised questionnaires. Total PA was expressed by the Cambridge Physical Activity Index (CPAI) and analysed in relation to ALS mortality, using Cox hazard models. Interactions with age, sex, and anthropometric measures were assessed. Total PA was weakly inversely associated with ALS mortality with a borderline statistically significant trend across categories (p = 0.042), with those physically active being 33 % less likely to die from ALS compared to those inactive: HR = 0.67 (95 % CI 0.42-1.06). Anthropometric measures, sex, and age did not modify the association with CPAI. The present study shows a slightly decreased-not increased like in case-control studies-risk of dying from ALS in those with high levels of total PA at enrolment. This association does not appear confounded by age, gender, anthropometry, smoking, and education. Ours was the first prospective cohort study on ALS and physical activity.Peer reviewe

Long-term cellular immunity of vaccines for Zaire Ebola Virus Diseases

Recent Ebola outbreaks underscore the importance of continuous prevention and disease control efforts. Authorized vaccines include Merck’s Ervebo (rVSV-ZEBOV) and Johnson & Johnson’s two-dose combination (Ad26.ZEBOV/MVA-BN-Filo). Here, in a five-year follow-up of the PREVAC randomized trial (NCT02876328), we report the results of the immunology ancillary study of the trial. The primary endpoint is to evaluate long-term memory T-cell responses induced by three vaccine regimens: Ad26–MVA, rVSV, and rVSV–booster. Polyfunctional EBOV-specific CD4+ T-cell responses increase after Ad26 priming and are further boosted by MVA, whereas minimal responses are observed in the rVSV groups, declining after one year. In-vitro expansion for eight days show sustained EBOV-specific T-cell responses for up to 60 months post-prime vaccination with both Ad26-MVA and rVSV, with no decline. Cytokine production analysis identify shared biomarkers between the Ad26-MVA and rVSV groups. In secondary endpoint, we observed an elevation of pro-inflammatory cytokines at Day 7 in the rVSV group. Finally, we establish a correlation between EBOV-specific T-cell responses and anti-EBOV IgG responses. Our findings can guide booster vaccination recommendations and help identify populations likely to benefit from revaccination

Longitudinal changes in weight in relation to smoking cessation in participants of the EPIC-PANACEA study

PURPOSE: We assessed the association between smoking cessation and prospective weight change in the European population of the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition-Physical Activity, Nutrition, Alcohol, Cessation of smoking, Eating out of home And obesity (EPIC-PANACEA) project. METHODS: The study involved more than 300,000 healthy volunteers, recruited between 1992 and 2000 in 9 European countries, who provided data on anthropometry and smoking habits at baseline and after a follow-up of 5years on average. Adjusted mixed-effects linear regression models were used to obtain sex-specific summary estimates of the association between the change in smoking status and the annual change in weight. RESULTS: Smoking cessation tends to be followed by weight gain; when compared to stable smokers, annual weight gain was higher in men (0.44kg (95%CI: 0.36; 0.52)) and women (0.46kg (95%CI: 0.41; 0.52)) who stopped smoking during follow-up. When smokers who stopped smoking at least 1year before recruitment were compared to never smokers, no major differences in annual weight gain were observed. The excess weight gain following smoking cessation appears to mainly occur in the first years following the cessation. CONCLUSIONS: When considering the benefits of smoking cessation, such findings strengthen the need for promoting cessation offering information on weight gain control and support to weight-concerned smokers in order to remove a barrier to quitting

Effects of an Exercise Program in Colon Cancer Patients Undergoing Chemotherapy

PURPOSE: Fatigue is a common problem among colon cancer patients and typically increases during chemotherapy. Exercise during chemotherapy might have beneficial effects on fatigue. To investigate the short- and long-term effects of an exercise program in colon cancer patients during adjuvant treatment, the Physical Activity during Cancer Treatment (PACT) study was conducted. METHODS: In this multicenter randomized controlled trial, 33 colon cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy (21 men and 12 women) were randomly assigned to either a group receiving an 18-week supervised exercise program (n=17) or to usual care (n=16). The primary outcome was fatigue as measured by the Multidimensional Fatigue Inventory (MFI) and the Fatigue Quality List (FQL). Secondary outcomes were quality of life, physical fitness, anxiety, depression, body weight and chemotherapy completion rate. Outcome assessment took place at baseline, post-intervention (18 weeks) and at 36 weeks. RESULTS: Intention-to-treat mixed linear model analyses showed that patients in the intervention group experienced significantly less physical fatigue at 18 weeks and general fatigue at 36 weeks (mean between group differences: -3.2, 95% CI -6.2; -0.2, effect size (ES)=-0.9 and -2.7, 95% CI -5.2; -0.1, ES=-0.8 respectively), and reported higher physical functioning (12.3, 95% CI 3.3; 21.4, ES=1.0) compared to patients in the usual care group. CONCLUSION: The PACT trial shows that an 18-week supervised exercise program in colon cancer patients during chemotherapy is safe and feasible. The intervention significantly reduced physical fatigue at 18 weeks and general fatigue at 36 weeks. Considering the number of patients included in the present study, replication in a larger study population is required

Effects of an 18-week exercise programme started early during breast cancer treatment: a randomised controlled trial

Background: Exercise started shortly after breast cancer diagnosis might prevent or diminish fatigue complaints. The Physical Activity during Cancer Treatment (PACT) study was designed to primarily examine the effects of an 18-week exercise intervention, offered in the daily clinical practice setting and starting within 6 weeks after diagnosis, on preventing an increase in fatigue. Methods: This multi-centre controlled trial randomly assigned 204 breast cancer patients to usual care (n = 102) or supervised aerobic and resistance exercise (n = 102). By design, all patients received chemotherapy between baseline and 18 weeks. Fatigue (i.e., primary outcome at 18 weeks), quality of life, anxiety, depression, and physical fitness were measured at 18 and 36 weeks. Results: Intention-to-treat mixed linear model analyses showed that physical fatigue increased significantly less during cancer treatment in the intervention group compared to control (mean between-group differences at 18 weeks: -1.3; 95 % CI -2.5 to -0.1; effect size -0.30). Results for general fatigue were comparable but did not reach statistical significance (-1.0, 95% CI -2.1; 0.1; effect size -0.23). At 18 weeks, submaximal cardiorespiratory fitness and several muscle strength tests (leg extension and flexion) were significantly higher in the intervention group compared to control, whereas peak oxygen uptake did not differ between groups. At 36 weeks these differences were no longer statistically significant. Quality of life outcomes favoured the exercise group but were not significantly different between groups. Conclusions: A supervised 18-week exercise programme offered early in routine care during adjuvant breast cancer treatment showed positive effects on physical fatigue, submaximal cardiorespiratory fitness, and muscle strength. Exercise early during treatment of breast cancer can be recommended. At 36 weeks, these effects were no longer statistically significant. This might have been caused by the control participants' high physical activity levels during follow-up

Plasma phospholipid long-chain n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids and body weight change.

Journal Article; Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't;OBJECTIVE We investigated the association between the proportion of long-chain n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) in plasma phospholipids from blood samples drawn at enrollment and subsequent change in body weight. Sex, age, and BMI were considered as potential effect modifiers. METHOD A total of 1,998 women and men participating in the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC) were followed for a median of 4.9 years. The associations between the proportion of plasma phospholipid long-chain n-3 PUFA and change in weight were investigated using mixed-effect linear regression. RESULTS The proportion of long-chain n-3 PUFA was not associated with change in weight. Among all participants, the 1-year weight change was -0.7 g per 1% point higher long-chain n-3 PUFA level (95% confidence interval: -20.7 to 19.3). The results when stratified by sex, age, or BMI groups were not systematically different. CONCLUSION The results of this study suggest that the proportion of long-chain n-3 PUFA in plasma phospholipids is not associated with subsequent change in body weight within the range of exposure in the general population.This work is part of the project Physical Activity, Nutrition, Alcohol, Cessation of Smoking, Eating out of Home and Obesity (PANACEA), which is supported by the European Union in the framework of the Public Health Programmme (Contract 2005328). The work was further supported by the European Commission: Public Health and Consumer Protection Directorate 1993–2004; Research Directorate-General 2005; Ligue contre le Cancer, Société 3M, Mutuelle Générale de l’Education Nationale, Institut National de la Santé de la Recherche Médicale (INSERM) (France); German Cancer Aid, German Cancer Research Center, Federal Ministry of Education and Research (Germany); Danish Cancer Society (Denmark); ISCIII (RETICC RD06/0020) of the Spanish Ministry of Health, the participating regional governments and institutions (Spain); Cancer Research UK, Medical Research Council, Stroke Association, British Heart Foundation, Department of Health, Food Standards Agency, The Wellcome Trust (UK); Greek Ministry of Health, Greek Ministry of Education, Hellenic Ministry of Health, Stavros Niarchos Foundation, and the Hellenic Health Foundation (Greece); Italian Association for Research on Cancer, National Research Council (Italy); Dutch Ministry of Public Health, Welfare and Sports, Dutch Ministry of Health, Dutch Prevention Funds, LK Research Funds, Dutch Zorg Onderzoek Nederland (ZON), World Cancer Research Fund (WCRF) (The Netherlands); and Swedish Cancer Society, Swedish Scientific Council, Regional Government of Skane and Västerbotten (Sweden). This work is also part of the project Hepatic and Adipose Tissue and Functions in the Metabolic Syndrome (HEPADIP, www.hepadip.org), which is supported by the European Commission as an Integrated Project under the 6th Framework Programme (Contract LSHM-CT-2005-018734) and part of the research program of the Danish Obesity Research Centre (DanORC, www.danorc.dk), which is supported by the Danish Council for Strategic Research (Contract 2101-06-0005).Ye