THE INFLUENCE OF COLD IN PROPRIOCEPTION OF THE NORMAL KNEE JOINT

The objective of this study was to determine whether the therapeutic use of cold, affects proprioception when applied to the knee joint. Cryotherapy decreases sensory and motor nerve conduction velocities, which are necessary for a normal proprioceptive acuity. Normal proprioceptive acuity is necessary in order to avoid injuries of the musculoskelectal system. Sixty-four healthy volunteers, aged 18-25, moderately active men and women were recruited from a large sample of University students. Subjects were randomly assigned to either the control or the experimental group. The subjects of the experimental group were subjected to 20 min of temperature at constant (5ºC), with an ice application to the knee joint. The results showed that cold does not affect the joint position sense in a normal knee

Validity Of Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis To Estimation Fat-free Mass In The Army Cadets

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis (BIA) is a fast, practical, non-invasive, and frequently used method for fat-free mass (FFM) estimation. The aims of this study were to validate predictive equations of BIA to FFM estimation in Army cadets and to develop and validate a specific BIA equation for this population. Methods: A total of 396 males, Brazilian Army cadets, aged 17-24 years were included. The study used eight published predictive BIA equations, a specific equation in FFM estimation, and dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) as a reference method. Student's t-test (for paired sample), linear regression analysis, and Bland-Altman method were used to test the validity of the BIA equations. Results: Predictive BIA equations showed significant differences in FFM compared to DXA (p < 0.05) and large limits of agreement by Bland-Altman. Predictive BIA equations explained 68% to 88% of FFM variance. Specific BIA equations showed no significant differences in FFM, compared to DXA values. Conclusion: Published BIA predictive equations showed poor accuracy in this sample. The specific BIA equations, developed in this study, demonstrated validity for this sample, although should be used with caution in samples with a large range of FFM.83Coordination for the Improvement of Higher Education Personnel-CAPES [23001.000422/98-30]Sao Paulo Research Foundation-FAPESP [2011/23460-1]Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP

Instrumentos e critérios de avaliação utilizados pelos professores de educação física nos anos finais do ensino fundamental

This qualitative research aimed to identify, analyze and discuss the process of evaluation in scholar Physical Education from the instruments and criteria used by six Physical Education teachers of the final years of Elementary School, belonging to the municipal system education, from a city of Vale do Taquari/RS/Brazil. The most used evaluation is the formative. Regarding the instruments the use of theoretical test prevails. Concerning to the criteria stand out the participation, interest and use of appropriate clothing. Teachers criticize the lack of legitimacy of the conducted evaluation since Physical Education by itself can’t fail a student.En esta investigación cualitativa el objetivo es identificar, analizar y discutir el proceso de evaluación en la Educación Física escolar a partir de las herramientas y criterios utilizados por seis profesores de Educación Física de los años finales de la Enseñanza Primaria de la red municipal de una ciudad del Vale do Taquari/ RS/Brasil. La evaluación formativa es la más empleada. A respecto de las herramientas prevalece el uso del examen teórico. Cuanto a los criterios se destaca la participación, el interés y el uso de ropas adecuadas. Los profesores critican a la falta de legitimidad de la evaluación realizada, una vez que la asignatura de Educación Física sola no consigue suspender a un alumno.Esta pesquisa qualitativa objetivou identificar, analisar e discutir o processo de avaliação na Educação Física escolar a partir dos instrumentos e critérios utilizados por seis professores de Educação Física dos Anos Finais do Ensino Fundamental da rede municipal de um município do Vale do Taquari/RS/Brasil. A avaliação formativa é a mais utilizada. Em relação aos instrumentos prevalece o uso da prova teórica. Quanto aos critérios destacam-se a participação, o interesse e o uso de roupas adequadas. Os professores criticam a falta de legitimidade da avaliação realizada uma vez que a disciplina de Educação Física sozinha não consegue reprovar um aluno

CXCL12 N-terminal end is sufficient to induce chemotaxis and proliferation of neural stem/progenitor cells

Neural stem/progenitor cells (NSC) respond to injury after brain injuries secreting IL-1, IL-6, TNF-alpha, IL-4 and IL-10, as well as chemokine members of the CC and CXC ligand families. CXCL12 is one of the chemokines secreted at an injury site and is known to attract NSC-derived neuroblasts, cells that express CXCL12 receptor, CXCR4. Activation of CXCR4 by CXCL12 depends on two domains located at the N-terminal of the chemokine. in the present work we aimed to investigate if the N-terminal end of CXCL12, where CXCR4 binding and activation domains are located, was sufficient to induce NSC-derived neuroblast chemotaxis. Our data show that a synthetic peptide analogous to the first 21 amino acids of the N-terminal end of CXCL12, named PepC-C (KPVSLSYRCPCRFFESHIARA), is able to promote chemotaxis of neuroblasts in vivo, and stimulate chemotaxis and proliferation of CXCR4+ cells in vitro, without affecting NSC fate. We also show that PepC-C upregulates CXCL12 expression in vivo and in vitro. We suggest the N-terminal end of CXCL12 is responsible for a positive feedback loop to maintain a gradient of CXCL12 that attracts neuroblasts from the subventricular zone into an injury site. (C) 2013 the Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)Universidade Federal de São Paulo, Escola Paulista Med, Dept Biochem, São Paulo, BrazilUniversidade Federal de São Paulo, Neurobiol Lab, São Paulo, BrazilUniversidade Federal de São Paulo, Escola Paulista Med, Dept Physiol, São Paulo, BrazilUniversidade Federal de São Paulo, Escola Paulista Med, Dept Biophys, São Paulo, BrazilUniversidade Federal de São Paulo, Escola Paulista Med, Dept Biochem, São Paulo, BrazilUniversidade Federal de São Paulo, Neurobiol Lab, São Paulo, BrazilUniversidade Federal de São Paulo, Escola Paulista Med, Dept Physiol, São Paulo, BrazilUniversidade Federal de São Paulo, Escola Paulista Med, Dept Biophys, São Paulo, BrazilFAPESP: 2005/04061-8FAPESP: 2012/00652-5CNPq: 573909/2008-3]Web of Scienc

Resíduos de serviços de saúde: uma reflexão sobre seu gerenciamento e os riscos associados/ Health services waste: a reflection on its management and the associated risks

Os resíduos de serviços de saúde (RSS), geralmente são de natureza infecciosas e podem conter uma variedade de microrganismos patogênicos. Quando descartados de forma inadequada causam danos ao meio ambiente e à saúde humana. A solução desse problema eliminaria ameaças diretas e indiretas à saúde de mais da metade da população mundial. A gestão dos RSS vem ganhando persistentemente reconhecimento, desse modo, é relevante a conscientização e reflexão a respeito da problemática dos resíduos, seu impacto no meio ambiente e os riscos inerentes à saúde da população. O presente trabalho trata-se de uma reflexão teórica sobre os impactos desses resíduos no meio ambiente e na saúde humana. O manejo dos resíduos de serviços de saúde apresenta algumas falhas, o que aumenta consideravelmente o potencial de risco desses resíduos à natureza, sendo assim, necessário investimentos no âmbito de educação ambiental, a construção e implantação de políticas, mudanças comportamentais sustentáveis e atenção ao meio ambiente. Os profissionais de saúde demonstram um conhecimento fragilizado sobre os resíduos, levando a uma quebra de etapas e normatização do processo, possibilitando assim um impacto ambiental ao con­taminar solo, ar e água, proporcionando riscos aos humanos e aos recursos naturais

REGIÃO FRONTEIRIÇA E EPIDEMIOLOGIA: ESTUDO DA ESPOROTRICOSE E SUA RELAÇÃO NA DINÂMICA DA FRONTEIRA BRASIL-BOLÍVIA

Fronteiras são espaços de permanências, e de passagens de diversas ordens: econômica, social, cultural, sanitárias, de circulação atmosférica, dentre outros. Em razão da especificidade das áreas fronteiriças e por se caracterizarem como regiões estratégicas para o controle de agravos, o desenvolvimento de políticas e ações direcionadas para essas regiões ganham caráter crucial nos programas de saúde de qualquer país. O artigo apresenta a discussão da epidemiologia em saúde, tendo como enfoque a esporotricose em área de fronteira, a fim de observar e avaliar o papel da proximidade entre os dois países e sua possível interferência no ciclo da doença

TRPA1 receptor stimulation by hydrogen peroxide is critical to trigger hyperalgesia and inflammation in a model of acute gout

AbstractAcute gout attacks produce severe joint pain and inflammation associated with monosodium urate (MSU) crystals leading to oxidative stress production. The transient potential receptor ankyrin 1 (TRPA1) is expressed by a subpopulation of peptidergic nociceptors and, via its activation by endogenous reactive oxygen species, including hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), contributes to pain and neurogenic inflammation. The aim of this study was to investigate the role of TRPA1 in hyperalgesia and inflammation in a model of acute gout attack in rodents. Inflammatory parameters and mechanical hyperalgesia were measured in male Wistar rats and in wild-type (Trpa1+/+) or TRPA1-deficient (Trpa1−/−) male mice. Animals received intra-articular (ia, ankle) injection of MSU. The role of TRPA1 was assessed by receptor antagonism, gene deletion or expression, sensory fiber defunctionalization, and calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) release. We found that nociceptor defunctionalization, TRPA1 antagonist treatment (via ia or oral administration), and Trpa1 gene ablation abated hyperalgesia and inflammatory responses (edema, H2O2 generation, interleukin-1β release, and neutrophil infiltration) induced by ia MSU injection. In addition, we showed that MSU evoked generation of H2O2 in synovial tissue, which stimulated TRPA1 producing CGRP release and plasma protein extravasation. The MSU-elicited responses were also reduced by the H2O2-detoxifying enzyme catalase and the reducing agent dithiothreitol. TRPA1 activation by MSU challenge-generated H2O2 mediates the entire inflammatory response in an acute gout attack rodent model, thus strengthening the role of the TRPA1 receptor and H2O2 production as potential targets for treatment of acute gout attacks

Improving the Specificity of Plasmodium falciparum Malaria Diagnosis in High-Transmission Settings with a Two-Step Rapid Diagnostic Test and Microscopy Algorithm

ABSTRACT Poor specificity may negatively impact rapid diagnostic test (RDT)-based diagnostic strategies for malaria. We performed real-time PCR on a subset of subjects who had undergone diagnostic testing with a multiple-antigen (histidine-rich protein 2 and pan -lactate dehydrogenase pLDH [HRP2/pLDH]) RDT and microscopy. We determined the sensitivity and specificity of the RDT in comparison to results of PCR for the detection of Plasmodium falciparum malaria. We developed and evaluated a two-step algorithm utilizing the multiple-antigen RDT to screen patients, followed by confirmatory microscopy for those individuals with HRP2-positive (HRP2 + )/pLDH-negative (pLDH − ) results. In total, dried blood spots (DBS) were collected from 276 individuals. There were 124 (44.9%) individuals with an HRP2 + /pLDH + result, 94 (34.1%) with an HRP2 + /pLDH − result, and 58 (21%) with a negative RDT result. The sensitivity and specificity of the RDT compared to results with real-time PCR were 99.4% (95% confidence interval [CI], 95.9 to 100.0%) and 46.7% (95% CI, 37.7 to 55.9%), respectively. Of the 94 HRP2 + /pLDH − results, only 32 (34.0%) and 35 (37.2%) were positive by microscopy and PCR, respectively. The sensitivity and specificity of the two-step algorithm compared to results with real-time PCR were 95.5% (95% CI, 90.5 to 98.0%) and 91.0% (95% CI, 84.1 to 95.2), respectively. HRP2 antigen bands demonstrated poor specificity for the diagnosis of malaria compared to that of real-time PCR in a high-transmission setting. The most likely explanation for this finding is the persistence of HRP2 antigenemia following treatment of an acute infection. The two-step diagnostic algorithm utilizing microscopy as a confirmatory test for indeterminate HRP2 + /pLDH − results showed significantly improved specificity with little loss of sensitivity in a high-transmission setting

A PERCEPÇÃO DOS COLABORADORES EM RELAÇÃO AO PROCESSO DE TREINAMENTO E DESENVOLVIMENTO: UM ESTUDO DE CASO.

Este estudo tem por objetivo verificar a percepção dos colaboradores de uma multinacional sobre o processo de treinamento e desenvolvimento. Para tanto, foi aplicado um questionário em uma amostra aleatória de 101 colaboradores da área de produção e gerentes de setor. Depois de realizada a coleta dos dados, foi feita uma análise quantitativa dos dados. Os resultados demonstraram que a maior necessidade de treinamento, segundo os colaboradores, está relacionada ao trabalho em equipe. Percebe-se também que, os colaboradores se consideram preparados para exercer outra função, e os que dizem não estar preparados sentem a necessidade de receber treinamentos ligados à liderança e trabalho em equipe