Aspectos morfoanatômicos, reprodutivos e moleculares do gênero Lithophyllum (Lithophylloideae, Corallinales, Rhodophyta) do sul do Brasil

Dissertação (mestrado) - Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Centro de Ciências Biológicas, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biologia Vegetal, Florianópolis, 2011As algas calcárias do Filo Rhodophyta, apresentam como principal característica a impregnação de carbonato nas paredes celulares, e por este motivo são necessárias técnicas diferenciadas para estudos anatômicos destas algas. Apesar do aprimoramento recente na caracterização do referido grupo, a ausência de um padrão metodológico que se observa nos estudos realizados para este grupo, demonstra que ainda existe demanda por metodologias alternativas que subsidiem a taxonomia do grupo. O uso de ferramentas moleculares é uma alternativa informativa dentro deste contexto, e vem sendo cada vez mais utilizada, aliada a características morfoanatômicas, para determinar a posição sistemática de gêneros, espécies e subespécies. Este trabalho teve por objetivo principal descrever os representantes do gênero Lithophyllum no meso e infralitoral do Sul do Brasil, com base em dados morfoanatômicos aliados a dados moleculares. As análises foram realizadas a partir de espécimes coletados em 5 pontos do litoral do Sul do Brasil. O estudo morfoanatômico foi realizado em microscópio óptico e microscópio eletrônico de varredura. Os estudos moleculares se basearam em sequências de DNA dos marcadores UPA, cox1 e SSU rDNA, sendo que para cada marcador foram geradas análises de Distância e Máxima Parcimônia, e para o último foram realizadas além destas, a análise bayesiana. Através de estudo morfoanatômico comparativo, foram identificadas duas entidades taxonômicas, Lithophyllum margaritae (Hariot) Heydrich, e Lithophyllum sp.1, e os dados moleculares corroboraram com a identificação dos referidos táxons. Os marcadores moleculares UPA e cox1 se mostraram eficientes na separação de entidades taxonômicas de um mesmo gênero, demonstrando serem estes marcadores adequados para utilização como "DNA barcoding". Os dados obtidos neste estudo representam um avanço na taxonomia das algas calcárias não articuladas no Brasil, que pela primeira vez baseou-se em características moleculares aliadas a características morfoanatômicas

The Spatial Distribution of Ankle Muscles Activity Discriminates Aged from Young Subjects during Standing

During standing, age-related differences in the activation of ankle muscles have been reported from surface electromyograms (EMGs) sampled locally. Given though activity seems to distribute unevenly within ankle muscles, the local sampling of surface EMGs may provide a biased view on how often and how much elderly and young individuals activate these muscles during standing. This study aimed therefore at sampling EMGs from multiple regions of individual ankle muscles to evaluate whether the distribution of muscle activity differs between aged and young subjects during standing. Thirteen young and eleven aged, healthy subjects were tested. Surface EMGs were sampled at multiple skin locations from tibialis anterior, soleus and medial and lateral gastrocnemius muscles while subjects stood at ease. The root mean square amplitude of EMGs was considered to estimate the duration, the degree of activity and the size of the region where muscle activity was detected. Our main findings revealed the medial gastrocnemius was active for longer periods in aged (interquartile interval; 74.1-98.2%) than young (44.9-81.9%) individuals (P = 0.02). Similarly, while tibialis anterior was rarely active in young (0.7-4.4%), in elderly subjects (2.6-82.5%) it was often recruited (P = 0.01). Moreover, EMGs with relatively higher amplitude were detected over a significantly wider proximo-distal region of medial gastrocnemius in aged (29.4-45.6%) than young (20.1-31.3%) subjects (P = 0.04). These results indicate the duration and the size of active muscle volume, as quantified from the spatial distribution of surface EMGs, may discriminate aged from young individuals during standing; elderlies seem to rely more heavily on the active loading of ankle muscles to control their standing posture than young individuals. Most importantly, current results suggest different conclusions on the active control of standing posture may be drawn depending on the skin location from where EMGs are collected, in particular for the medial gastrocnemius

EMG Signs of Motor Units’ Enlargement in Stroke Survivors

The degeneration of lower motoneurons has often been reported in stroke survivors, with possible collateral reinnervation from the surviving motoneurons to the denervated muscle fibers. Under this assumption, a stroke would be expected to increase the size of motor units in paretic muscles. We indirectly address this issue with electrical stimulation and surface electromyography, asking whether stroke leads to greater variations in the amplitude of M waves elicited in paretic muscles than in contralateral, non-paretic muscles. Current pulses at progressively greater intensities were applied to the musculocutaneous nerve, stimulating motoneurons supplying the biceps brachii of eight stroke patients. The size of increases in the amplitude of M waves elicited consecutively, hereafter defined as increments, was considered to evaluate changes in the innervation ratio of biceps brachii motor units following stroke. Our findings showed that patients presented significantly (p = 0.016) greater increments in muscles of paretic than in non-paretic limbs. This result corroborates the notion that collateral reinnervation takes place after stroke, enlarging motor units’ size and the magnitude of the muscle responses. Therefore, the non-invasive analysis proposed here may be useful for health professionals to assess disease progression by tracking for neuromuscular changes likely associated with clinical outcomes in stroke survivors, such as in the muscles’ strength

Molecular and Morphological Diversity of Lithothamnion spp. (Hapalidiales, Rhodophyta) from Deepwater Rhodolith Beds in the Northwestern Gulf of Mexico

In the Northwestern Gulf of Mexico (NWGMx), subtidal rhodolith beds offshore Louisiana at 45–80 m depth harbor a diverse community of uncharacterized non-geniculate coralline algae including both biogenic and autogenic rhodoliths and other encrusting taxa. Identifying specimens to their correct genus and species is an ongoing process because many available names remain to be validated by comparison to type specimens. Here, comparative DNA sequencing ( psb A, UPA, and COI) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) are used to assess the molecular and morphological diversity of the rhodolith-forming specimens belonging to the generic concept of Lithothamnion . Phylogenetic and species delimitation analyses of the newly generated sequences from recently dredged specimens at Ewing and Sackett Banks offshore Louisiana reveal the presence of at least six species of Lithothamnion , whose generic placement is confirmed by SEM images of features considered characteristic for the genus. More broadly, our analyses indicate at least eight Lithothamnion species are found in the Gulf of Mexico. Phylogenetic analyses of single ( psb A and COI) and concatenated markers ( psb A, COI and UPA) show that Lithothamnion is polyphyletic

Imidazolium salt and dielectric barrier discharge plasma treatment to enhance the conductivity of fabrics impregnated with pedot:PSS

Conductive textiles are a class of materials with a growing interest due to their potential applications in medical, healthcare, comfort, protective clothing, and sportswear sectors. They can be used for the development of smart textiles able to answer to different external stimuli such as thermal, mechanical, chemical, electrical, magnetic, and optical. The complex poly (3,4-ethylene dioxythiophene):polystyrene sulfonate (PEDOT:PSS) is the most explored polymer to prepare conductive textiles. Dopants can be introduced to add or remove electrons from the backbone of PEDOT:PSS, resulting in increased conductivity. Salts such as 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium octyl sulphate (IZ) may promote ionic interactions with PEDOT:PSS, stimulating a microstructure reorganization. Moreover, the dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) plasma treatment has been shown to improve the adhesion of coatings by modifying the surface roughness, surface chemistry, and hydrophilicity of the fabrics. In this work, untreated and DBD plasma-treated polyester (PES) fabrics were impregnated with PEDOT:PSS with and without the addition of imidazolium salt (0.2M) as a dopant. Using the IZ, it was possible to adapt the textile materials into resistors, where the applied current converted electrical energy into heat. The developed textiles can be used to produce heating garments

Abordagem terapêutica multidisciplinar para o tratamento de dores orofaciais: Uma revisão de literatura / Multidisciplinary therapeutic approach for the treatment of orofacial pain: A literature review

A dor orofacial é, por definição, uma condição dolorosa relacionada a tecidos moles e mineralizados da cavidade oral e da face. É comum no ambiente de atenção primária à saúde, na qual a disfunção temporomandibular (DTM) representa uma de suas principais causas. Sendo de etiologia multifatorial, a DTM pode ser causada por fatores psicológicos, por traumas e parafunções, e por fatores relacionados à patologia articular. Com isso, uma equipe multidisciplinar que, na maioria das vezes, será composta por cirurgiões-dentistas, fisioterapeutas e psicólogos, faz-se necessária para o tratamento da DTM. O objetivo deste trabalho é revisar a literatura acerca dos tratamentos para dores orofaciais em uma abordagem multidisciplinar, enfatizando as terapias com placa oclusal, fisioterapia, agulhamento seco, acupuntura, laserterapia de baixo nível, prescrição medicamentosa e psicologia clínica. Para tanto, foi realizada uma busca eletrônica na base de dados PubMed, utilizando os seguintes descritores em inglês:  facial pain, combined modality therapy e temporomandibular joint disorders. Foram incluídos estudos clínicos que relataram tratamentos de dores orofaciais, bem como ensaios clínicos randomizados e relatos de casos envolvendo esse assunto publicados no período de 2015 a 2020. Após a leitura de títulos e resumos, foram selecionados 12 artigos. Em suma, os artigos demonstraram a eficácia dos tratamentos para dores orofaciais, principalmente quando configurados em uma abordagem terapêutica multidisciplinar

Survival time among patients who were diagnosed with tuberculosis, the precocious deaths and associated factors in southern Brazil

Background: A diagnosis of tuberculosis (TB) does not mean that the disease will be treated successfully, since death may occur even among those who are known to the health services. Here, we aimed to analyze patient survival time from the diagnosis of TB to death, precocious deaths, and associated factors in southern Brazil. Methods: We conducted a longitudinal study with patients who were diagnosed with TB and who died due to the disease between 2008 and 2015 in southern Brazil. The starting point for measuring survival time was the patient’s diagnosis date. Techniques for survival analysis were employed, including the Kaplan-Meier test and Cox’s regression. A mixed-effect model was applied for identifying the associated factors to precocious deaths. Hazard ratio (HR) and odds ratio (OR) with 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) were estimated. We defined p value <0.05 as statistically significant for all statistics applied. Results: One hundred forty-six patients were included in the survival analysis, observing a median survival time of 23.5 days. We observed that alcoholism (HR=1.55, 95% CI=1.04-2.30) and being male (HR=6.49, 95% CI=1.03-2.68) were associated with death. The chance of precocious death within 60 days was 10.48 times greater than the chance of early death within 30 days. Conclusion: Most of the deaths occurred within 2 months after the diagnosis, during the intensive phase of the treatment. The use of alcohol and gender were associated with death, revealing inequality between men and women. This study advanced knowledge regarding the vulnerability associated with mortality. These findings must be addressed to fill a gap in the care cascades for active TB and ensure equity in health.publishersversionpublishe

O papel do enfermeiro no tratamento dos transtornos alimentares: Revisão integrativa.

Eating disorders are worrying pathologies that are related to eating behavior and the main eating disorders are: anorexia and bulimia. The treatment of these eating disorders contains a great challenge for nurses, because it is important that they have knowledge and dedication to treatments, where the prognosis is given due to an early diagnosis. The study proposed to develop a review about eating disorders, emphasizing the role of nursing. Having as objective the importance of nursing in the treatment of patients with eating disorders. This is a study carried out through a bibliographical survey, with the purpose of performing an integrative review in the following databases: LILACS, BVS-BIREME, MEDLINE and BDENF. In this context, the present study found that it is fundamental that nurses first need to recognize the severity of the problem before establishing strategies so that those affected by eating disorders do not need to resort to hospital services when the condition is already critical and that nurses are able to guide and conduct high quality and efficient clinical follow-up to patients and their families, focusing on establishing bonds of trust, emotional support and guidance on the pathology and its physical consequences.Os transtornos alimentares são patologias preocupantes, que estão relacionados ao comportamento alimentar e os principais transtornos alimentares são: anorexia e a bulimia. O tratamento desses transtornos alimentares contém um grande desafio para o enfermeiro, pois é importante que o mesmo possua conhecimentos e se dedique diante dos tratamentos, onde o prognóstico se dá em razão um diagnóstico precoce. O estudo se propôs a desenvolver uma revisão sobre transtornos alimentares, dando ênfase ao papel da enfermagem. Tendo como objetivo a importância da enfermagem frente ao tratamento de pacientes com transtornos alimentares. Tratando de um estudo realizado por meio de levantamento bibliográfico, com o propósito de realizar uma revisão integrativa nas bases de dados: LILACS, BVS-BIREME, MEDLINE E BDENF como critérios de inclusão foram utilizados artigos disponíveis na íntegra, em idioma português, inglês e espanhol e como critérios de exclusão artigos que não abordaram a temática estudada. Neste contexto o presente estudo constatou que é fundamental que os enfermeiros precisaram em primeiro lugar reconhecer a gravidade do problema antes de estabelecer estratégias para que aqueles acometidos pelos transtornos alimentares não precisassem recorrer aos serviços hospitalares quando o quadro já se encontra crítico e que o enfermeiro esteja apto para orientar e conduzir o acompanhamento clínico de alta qualidade e eficiência ao paciente e seus familiares, com foco no estabelecimento de vínculos de confiança, suporte emocional e orientação sobre patologia e suas consequências físicas

Patologias atuais: a compulsão e a sociedade dos excessos: Current pathologies: compulsion and the society of excesses

O artigo em tela tem por objetivo analisar os aspectos biopsicossociais da conduta compulsiva de consumo. Propõe-se a apresentar os elementos psicológicos contidos nesse comportamento, além de verificar quais são os resultados decorrentes dessa compulsão. O consumo compulsivo, também chamado de oniomania, é um transtorno causado pela ansiedade despertada pela necessidade de comprar e saciada, somente, quando é materializada a aquisição daquilo que se deseja comprar. O estudo em questão pode ser classificado como sendo de cunho bibliográfico, a partir da análise de documentos publicados em forma de artigos científicos e livros em formato digital

Safety and efficacy of the ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 vaccine (AZD1222) against SARS-CoV-2: an interim analysis of four randomised controlled trials in Brazil, South Africa, and the UK.

BACKGROUND: A safe and efficacious vaccine against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), if deployed with high coverage, could contribute to the control of the COVID-19 pandemic. We evaluated the safety and efficacy of the ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 vaccine in a pooled interim analysis of four trials. METHODS: This analysis includes data from four ongoing blinded, randomised, controlled trials done across the UK, Brazil, and South Africa. Participants aged 18 years and older were randomly assigned (1:1) to ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 vaccine or control (meningococcal group A, C, W, and Y conjugate vaccine or saline). Participants in the ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 group received two doses containing 5 × 1010 viral particles (standard dose; SD/SD cohort); a subset in the UK trial received a half dose as their first dose (low dose) and a standard dose as their second dose (LD/SD cohort). The primary efficacy analysis included symptomatic COVID-19 in seronegative participants with a nucleic acid amplification test-positive swab more than 14 days after a second dose of vaccine. Participants were analysed according to treatment received, with data cutoff on Nov 4, 2020. Vaccine efficacy was calculated as 1 - relative risk derived from a robust Poisson regression model adjusted for age. Studies are registered at ISRCTN89951424 and ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT04324606, NCT04400838, and NCT04444674. FINDINGS: Between April 23 and Nov 4, 2020, 23 848 participants were enrolled and 11 636 participants (7548 in the UK, 4088 in Brazil) were included in the interim primary efficacy analysis. In participants who received two standard doses, vaccine efficacy was 62·1% (95% CI 41·0-75·7; 27 [0·6%] of 4440 in the ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 group vs71 [1·6%] of 4455 in the control group) and in participants who received a low dose followed by a standard dose, efficacy was 90·0% (67·4-97·0; three [0·2%] of 1367 vs 30 [2·2%] of 1374; pinteraction=0·010). Overall vaccine efficacy across both groups was 70·4% (95·8% CI 54·8-80·6; 30 [0·5%] of 5807 vs 101 [1·7%] of 5829). From 21 days after the first dose, there were ten cases hospitalised for COVID-19, all in the control arm; two were classified as severe COVID-19, including one death. There were 74 341 person-months of safety follow-up (median 3·4 months, IQR 1·3-4·8): 175 severe adverse events occurred in 168 participants, 84 events in the ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 group and 91 in the control group. Three events were classified as possibly related to a vaccine: one in the ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 group, one in the control group, and one in a participant who remains masked to group allocation. INTERPRETATION: ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 has an acceptable safety profile and has been found to be efficacious against symptomatic COVID-19 in this interim analysis of ongoing clinical trials. FUNDING: UK Research and Innovation, National Institutes for Health Research (NIHR), Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Lemann Foundation, Rede D'Or, Brava and Telles Foundation, NIHR Oxford Biomedical Research Centre, Thames Valley and South Midland's NIHR Clinical Research Network, and AstraZeneca