Unsupervised Learning Applied to the Stratification of Preterm Birth Risk in Brazil with Socioeconomic Data

The authors wish to acknowledge the financial support of the CoordenacAo de Aperfeicoamento de Pessoal de Nivel Superior (CAPES) for their financial support.Preterm birth (PTB) is a phenomenon that brings risks and challenges for the survival of the newborn child. Despite many advances in research, not all the causes of PTB are already clear. It is understood that PTB risk is multi-factorial and can also be associated with socioeconomic factors. Thereby, this article seeks to use unsupervised learning techniques to stratify PTB risk in Brazil using only socioeconomic data. Through the use of datasets made publicly available by the Federal Government of Brazil, a new dataset was generated with municipality-level socioeconomic data and a PTB occurrence rate. This dataset was processed using various unsupervised learning techniques, such as k-means, principal component analysis (PCA), and density-based spatial clustering of applications with noise (DBSCAN). After validation, four clusters with high levels of PTB occurrence were discovered, as well as three with low levels. The clusters with high PTB were comprised mostly of municipalities with lower levels of education, worse quality of public services—such as basic sanitation and garbage collection—and a less white population. The regional distribution of the clusters was also observed, with clusters of high PTB located mostly in the North and Northeast regions of Brazil. The results indicate a positive influence of the quality of life and the offer of public services on the reduction in PTB risk.Coordenacao de Aperfeicoamento de Pessoal de Nivel Superior (CAPES

Development and Characterization of Aloe vera Mucilaginous-Based Hydrogels for Psoriasis Treatment

The Aloe vera (L.) Burman f. pulp extract (AE), obtained from the inner parts of Aloe vera leaves, is rich in polysaccharides, including glucomannans, acemannans, pectic compounds, cellulose, and hemicelluloses; acemannan and glucomannan are considered the two main components responsible for most of the plant’s therapeutical properties. Besides having anti-inflammatory activity, these polysaccharides accelerate wound healing and promote skin regeneration, thus they can be utilized in healing products. The objective of this study was to develop Aloe vera mucilaginousbased hydrogels for topical use in psoriasis treatment. The hydrogels were prepared with 80% w/w of A. vera mucilaginous gel, evaluating two distinct polymers as the gelling agent: 1% carbopol 940 (FC1 and FC2) or 2% hydroxyethylcellulose (FH3 and FH4). FC1, FC2, FH3 and FH4 were evaluated for their organoleptic characteristics, rheological properties, pH and glucomannan content. Polysaccharide fractions (PFs) were extracted from the AE and used as a group of chemical markers and characterized by infrared (IR) spectroscopy and 1H nuclear magnetic resonance (1H NMR). The quantification of these markers in the raw material (AE) and in the hydrogels was carried out using spectrophotometric techniques in the UV-VIS region. The hydrogels-based hydroxyethylcellulose (FH3 and FH4) had glucomannan contents of 6.76 and 4.01 mg/g, respectively. Formulations with carbopol, FC1 and FC2, had glucomannan contents of 8.69 and 9.17 mg/g, respectively, an ideal pH for application on psoriasis, in addition to good spreadability and pseudoplastic and thixotropic behavior. Considering these results, hydrogel FC1 was evaluated for its keratolytic activity in a murine model of hyperkeratinization. For that, 0.5 mL of test formulations FC1 and FPC (0.05% clobetasol propionate cream) were topically applied to the proximal region of adult rats daily for 13 days. After euthanasia, approximately 2.5 cm of the proximal portion of each animal’s tail was cut and placed in 10% buffered formalin. Then, each tail fragment was processed and stained with hematoxylin and eosin (HE), and the results obtained from the histological sections indicated a 61% reduction in stratum corneum for animals treated with the A. vera hydrogel (FC1G) and 66% for animals treated with clobetasol propionate (PCG), compared to the group of animals that did not receive treatment (WTG). This study led to the conclusion that compared to the classic treatment (clobetasol propionate), the 80% A. vera hydrogel showed no significant difference, being effective in controlling hyperkeratinization

Clays as Vehicles for Drug Photostability

This research was financially supported by Junta de Andalucia, under the project reference PT18 RT 3786.Clay minerals are often used due to their high adsorption capacity, which has sparked interest in their biological applications to stabilize drugs and pharmaceutical products. This research aims to summarize information about the stability of drugs, cosmetics, dermocosmetics, and pharmaceutical compounds incorporated in the structure of different clay minerals. The databases used to search the articles were Web of Science, Scopus, PubMed, and Science Direct. Photostabilization of these compounds is reviewed and its importance demonstrated. For biological applications, the increase in solubility and bioavailability of clay minerals has proven useful for them as drug carriers. While their natural abundance, low toxicity, and accessible cost have contributed to classical applications of clay minerals, a wide range of interesting new applications may be facilitated, mainly through incorporating different organic molecules. The search for new functional materials is promising to challenge research on clay minerals in biological or biotechnological approaches.Junta de Andalucia PT18 RT 378

Investigation into Brazilian Palygorskite for Its Potential Use as Pharmaceutical Excipient: Perspectives and Applications

Palygorskite is an aluminum and magnesium silicate characterized by its fibrous morphology, providing it with great versatility in industrial applications, including pharmaceuticals. Although most of the reserves are in the United States, in recent years occurrences of commercially exploited deposits in Brazil have been recorded, mainly in the country’s northeast region. This has motivated this study, which analyzes raw Brazilian palygorskite compared to a commercial sample (Pharmasorb® colloidal) to demonstrate its pharmaceutical potential. The chemical and mineral composition of the samples were evaluated for surface properties, granulometry, morphology, crystallography, thermal analysis, and spectroscopy. Raw palygorskite presented 67% purity, against 74% for Pharmasorb® colloidal. The percentage purity relates to the presence of contaminants, mainly carbonates and quartz (harmless under conventional conditions of pharmaceutical use). Furthermore, it was possible to confirm the chemical composition of these phyllosilicates, formed primarily of silicon, aluminum, and magnesium oxides. The crystallographic and spectroscopic profiles were consistent in both samples, showing characteristic peaks for palygorskite (2θ = 8.3°) and bands attributed to fibrous phyllosilicates below 1200 cm−1, respectively. The thermal analysis allowed the identification of the main events of palygorskite, with slight differences between the evaluated samples: loss of water adsorbed onto the surface (~85 °C), removal of water contained in the channels (~200 °C), coordinated water loss (~475 °C), and, finally, the dehydroxylation (>620 °C). The physicochemical characteristics of raw palygorskite align with pharmacopeial specifications, exhibiting a high specific surface area (122 m2/g), moderately negative charge (−13.1 mV), and compliance with the required limits for heavy metals and arsenic. These favorable technical attributes indicate promising prospects for its use as a pharmaceutical ingredient in the production of medicines and cosmetics.CAPES, grant number 88887.131333/2016-0

Hybrid Lipid/Clay Carrier Systems Containing Annatto Oil for Topical Formulations

Financial support for this research was provided by the Coordination of Improvement of Higher-Level Personnel-Brazil (CAPES)-02817/09. RMB and FNR acknowledge fellowships from National Council for Scientific and Technological Development CNPq (Brazil). This research also was financially supported by Junta de Andalucia, under the project reference PT18 RT 3786.Nanocomposites formed by clay and lipid carriers (NLCs) show a high potential for providing controlled release and specific delivery of bioactive molecules and have recently gained attention in the pharmaceutical sector due to their ability to transport hydrophilic and hydrophobic drugs. Recent studies have recognized the biological activity of the oil of Bixa orellana L. (AO) with regards to its healing, antioxidant, antibacterial, and anti-leishmanial properties. Therefore, the purpose of this study is the preparation and characterization of hybrid systems based on lipid nanocarriers and laponite for the delivery of AO. NLCs were prepared by the fusion-emulsification method, using cetyl palmitate (CP) or myristyl myristate (MM), AO, and Poloxamer 188. The morphology, hydrodynamic diameters, zeta potential (ZP), polydispersity index (PDI), thermal analysis, X-ray diffraction analysis (XRD), viscosity behavior, and cytotoxicity testing of the hybrid systems were performed. The thermal study and X-ray diffraction analyses (XRD) revealed polymorphic structural changes compatible with the amorphization of the material. Rheological assays highlighted a typical pseudoplastic behavior in all systems (MM and CP with LAP). The hybrid systems’ morphology, size diameters, and PDIs were similar, preset spherical and monodisperse structures ( 200 nm; <0.3), without significant change up to sixty days. The ZP values differed from each other, becoming higher with increasing AO concentration. XEDS spectra and elemental X-ray maps show peaks of lipids (organic components, C and O) and inorganic components O, Mg, and Si. All samples showed cell viability above 60%. The results indicated a stable, biocompatible hybrid system that can be an alternative for topical application.Coordenacao de Aperfeicoamento de Pessoal de Nivel Superior (CAPES) 02817/09Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Cientifico e Tecnologico (CNPQ)Junta de Andalucia PT18 RT 378

EPISTEMOLOGIA DA COMPETITIVIDADE E A SUGESTÃO DE UM NOVO CONCEITO

O presente estudo realiza um resgate hist&oacute;rico dos principais conceitos de competitividade na grande &aacute;rea da administra&ccedil;&atilde;o percorrendo desde os estudos da firma at&eacute; as primeiras formas e os termos j&aacute; estabelecidos. Para tanto, realizou-se uma pesquisa te&oacute;rica de car&aacute;ter qualitativo, utilizando como meio de coleta de dados a pesquisa bibliogr&aacute;fica, restrita a livros e artigos acad&ecirc;micos, dos principais autores da &aacute;rea. Os dados foram analisados, sumarizados e categorizados buscando se compreender a composi&ccedil;&atilde;o l&oacute;gica da defini&ccedil;&atilde;o que se tenta alcan&ccedil;ar. Ao final, sugere-se a cria&ccedil;&atilde;o de um novo conceito para: &ldquo;estrat&eacute;gia competitiva&rdquo; e &ldquo;competitividade&rdquo;, mediante a aglutina&ccedil;&atilde;o de termos e defini&ccedil;&otilde;es retiradas dos principais autores da &aacute;rea, por meio de constructos observados no resgate hist&oacute;rico realizado. A contribui&ccedil;&atilde;o deste trabalho est&aacute; em demonstrar que a teoria j&aacute; publicada sobre o tema pode se complementar na constru&ccedil;&atilde;o de um conceito abrangente para nortear futuras pesquisas e decis&otilde;es organizacionais

ANALYSIS OF THE PSYCHIATRIC HOSPITALIZATIONS THROUGH THE SUS IN PIAUÍ, BRAZIL, FROM 2008 TO 2020

Objective: to analyze the behavior of data referring to psychiatric hospitalizations in Piauí between 2008 and 2020.Method: an ecological study conducted with secondary data referring to psychiatric hospitalizations between 2008 and 2020 in Piauí, obtained from the Hospital Information System/DATASUS. Descriptive and linear regression analyses were performed.Results: a total of 40,608 psychiatric hospitalizations were found. The main causes were schizophrenia (17,877) and mood disorders (8,239). Mental retardation and schizophrenia presented higher costs and mean hospitalization times. A reduction in the number of hospitalization was recorded from 2009 to 2012 and there was increase between 2016 and 2019, regardless of age and gender. Hospitalizations were more frequent among adults (94.4%) and men (62.4%).Conclusion: the reduction in the number of psychiatric hospitalizations in Piauí from 2009 to 2012 coincides with the closing of the state's psychiatric hospital and with the strengthening of the Psychosocial Care Network. The data reflect previous mental health policies and allow planning health strategies

The Decision-Making Process For Nutritional Support in Palliative Care According to Bioethics: An Integrative Literature Review / Tomada de Decisão Para Suporte Nutricional nos Cuidados Paliativos à Luz da Bioética: Revisão Integrativa

Objetivo: Investigar a produção científica acerca da tomada de decisão para suporte nutricional (SN) em cuidados paliativos (CP) à luz da bioética. Métodos: Revisão integrativa da literatura, com coleta de dados em maio de 2009, nas bases de dados MEDLINE/PubMed, LILACS, SciELO e BVS-Bireme. Resultados: após análise dos 14 estudos selecionados, considerou-se três temáticas: (I) Princípios da bioética no contexto da nutrição; (II) Nutrição como dilema bioético; (III) Abordagens para a resolução de dilemas bioéticos em nutrição. Conclusão: para tomada de decisão no SN em pacientes em CP, o foco deve ser o cuidado centrado no paciente sob os pilares da autonomia, beneficência, não maleficência e justiça. O respeito à autonomia garante ao paciente que ele receba o tratamento conforme o seu desejo; e o respeito aos princípios da beneficência e da não maleficência oportunizam cuidados aos pacientes que visem à qualidade de vida e à manutenção da dignidade humana