Ponto de corte para o WHOQOL-bref como preditor de qualidade de vida de idosos

OBJECTIVE To propose a cut-off for the World Health Organization Quality of Life-Bref (WHOQOL-bref) as a predictor of quality of life in older adults.METHODS Cross-sectional study with 391 older adults registered in the Northwest Health District in Belo Horizonte, MG, Southeastern Brazil, between October 8, 2010 and May 23, 2011. The older adults’ quality of life was measured using the WHOQOL-bref. The analysis was rationalized by outlining two extreme and simultaneous groups according to perceived quality of life and satisfaction with health (quality of life good/satisfactory – good or very good self-reported quality of life and being satisfied or very satisfied with health – G5; and poor/very poor quality of life – poor or very poor self-reported quality of life and feeling dissatisfied or very dissatisfied with health – G6). A Receiver-Operating Characteristic curve (ROC) was created to assess the diagnostic ability of different cut-off points of the WHOQOL-bref.RESULTS ROC curve analysis indicated a critical value 60 as the optimal cut-off point for assessing perceived quality of life and satisfaction with health. The area under the curve was 0.758, with a sensitivity of 76.8% and specificity of 63.8% for a cut-off of ≥ 60 for overall quality of life (G5) and sensitivity 95.0% and specificity of 54.4% for a cut-off of < 60 for overall quality of life (G6).CONCLUSIONS Diagnostic interpretation of the ROC curve revealed that cut-off < 60 for overall quality of life obtained excellent sensitivity and negative predictive value for tracking older adults with probable worse quality of life and dissatisfied with health.OBJETIVO Estimar o ponto de corte para o World Health Organization Quality of Life-Bref (WHOQOL-bref) como preditor da qualidade de vida de idosos.MÉTODOS Estudo transversal com 391 idosos registrados no Distrito Sanitário Noroeste, Belo Horizonte, MG, de 8 de outubro de 2010 a 23 de maio de 2011. O instrumento WHOQOL-bref foi utilizado para avaliação da qualidade de vida dos idosos. A análise foi racionalizada por meio da definição de dois grupos extremos e simultâneos em relação à percepção da qualidade de vida e satisfação com a saúde (qualidade de vida boa/satisfeito – autorrelato de qualidade de vida boa ou muito boa e se sentem satisfeitos ou muito satisfeitos com sua saúde – G5; e qualidade de vida ruim/insatisfeito – autorrelato de qualidade de vida ruim ou muito ruim e se sentem insatisfeitos ou muito insatisfeitos com sua saúde – G6). A curva Receiver-Operating Characteristic (ROC) foi construída para avaliar a capacidade diagnóstica de diferentes pontos de corte do instrumento WHOQOL-bref.RESULTADOS A análise da curva ROC indicou valor crítico 60 como o melhor ponto de corte para avaliação da percepção de qualidade de vida e satisfação com a saúde. A área sob a curva foi 0,758, com sensibilidade de 76,8% e especificidade de 63,8% para o ponto de corte de qualidade de vida geral ≥ 60 (G5); e sensibilidade de 95,0% e especificidade de 54,4% para o ponto de corte de qualidade de vida geral < 60 (G6).CONCLUSÕES O ponto de corte qualidade de vida geral < 60 obteve excelente sensibilidade e valor preditivo negativo para rastreamento de idosos com provável pior qualidade de vida e insatisfação com a saúde

Cryopreservation of achenes of caju-de-árvore-docerrado (Anacardium othonianum Rizz)

The aim of the present study was to determine the water content limit for the cryopreservation of cajude-árvore-do-Cerrado (Anacardium othonianum Rizz) achenes and assess the effect of the thawing method on their performance. Achenes were dried in silica gel until water contents of 14, 12, 8 and 4% w.b. (wet basis) were reached and then were stored in cryogenic cylinders in direct contact with liquid nitrogen (-196°C) for 20 days; then, the achenes were subjected to slow, fast and microwave thawing. After thawing, the achenes underwent physiological evaluation and vigor tests. The water content limit for the cryopreservation of A. othonianum Rizz achenes was determined to be between 14 and 12% w.b. Water contents of less than 12% reduced the physiological quality and vigor of the achenes. The thawing method used did not affect the viability of the achenes for most features assessed; however, when thawed in a microwave, the achenes exhibited poorer performance, especially those that had 8% water content.Keywords: Preservation, desiccation, cryogeny, liquid nitrogenAfrican Journal of Biotechnology Vol. 12(22), pp. 3537-354

A NUMERICAL ANALYSIS OF THE CORRELATION BETWEEN THE MECHANICAL BEHAVIOR OF BURIED PIPES AND THE RELATIVE STIFFNESS OF THE SOIL-PIPE SYSTEM

To avoid the economic and environmental lost caused by failing buried pipes, it is a&nbsp;must to predict the mechanical behaviour of the soil-pipe system. That is because different&nbsp;stiffness between the pipe and its surrounding soil leads to different deformations. The&nbsp;objective of this research is to correlate deformation and failure of buried pipes with the soilpipe&nbsp;relative stiffness. To achieve a reliable level of precision, a finite element methods&nbsp;analysis was carried out assisted by the software Abaqus. Different physical and mechanical parameters of both pipe and soil were tested on the FEM software in order to find the desired&nbsp;correlation. When discretizing the soil, an adaptive mesh was necessary. Thus, regions with&nbsp;differently sized elements were created where discontinuity was found to be high. By&nbsp;computing the results of this study, two points were observed. First, ratios of relative stiffness&nbsp;lesser than 1% have a failure controlled by the pipe since external forces are resisted by this structure. Second, a correlation between deformation/failure and relative stiffness of the&nbsp;system was established. Therefore, this research presents a simple and reliable approach in&nbsp;analyzing the failure mode of buried pipes

The isolation and characterization of endophytic microorganisms from Hyptis marrubioides Epling roots

Endophytic microorganisms asymptomatically colonize healthy plant tissues and may be related to the plant's resistance to attack by pathogens or even to the synthesis of secondary metabolites. The present study was aimed at isolating and characterizing endophytic strains from the root system of Hyptis marrubioides. Coarse and fine root fragments were collected for diaphanization and surface disinfection to isolate endophytes. After 10 days of incubation, we obtained the colonization rate (CR) of the fragments and the endophytic were purified and maintained in culture medium. The bacteria were partially characterized using Gram stain and a catalase test. Fungi were identified by distinguishing between reproductive structures using a microculture technique. While observing diaphanized root fragments, we found arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) and dark septate endophytic (DSE) fungi in the fine and coarse roots of H. marrubioides. The endophytic CR was more significant in coarse root fragments. In both types of roots, the percentage of bacteria was higher than the percentage of fungi. Gram positive and catalase-positive bacteria accounted for the majority of bacterial isolates, which were predominantly bacilli. Of all the fungal isolates, the majority had sporulating mycelium, which mainly consisted of fungi from the genus Penicillium, Fusarium, Trichoderma and Papulaspora.Keywords: Bacteria, fungus, Lamiaceae, root syste

PHENOLOGY OF Anacardium occidentale (ANACARDIACEAE) AND ITS RELATIONSHIP WITH CLIMATIC FACTORS

Phenology of Anacardium occidentale (Anacardiaceae) and its relationship with climatic factor. Anacardium occidentale (Anacardiaceae) is a species of great economic importance for central-west Brazil and few studies have been published on its phenology. This study aimed to describe the reproductive phenology of an A. occidentale population in Montes Claros de Goiás, state of Goiás, Brazil. The following phenophases were recorded monthly in 20 A. occidentale individuals between June 2012 and July 2015: flower bud, anthesis, underripe fruit, and ripe fruit. Data were analyzed using the Fournier index, presence-absence method, Spearman correlation, and circular statistics. Flowering and fruiting were synchronous in the dry season and the two events ended with the onset of the rains, resulting in a negative significant correlation between flowering and rainfall (rs = −0,73) and a positive significant correlation between fruiting and temperature (rs= 0,7). All reproductive events showed a seasonal pattern

Establishment of Eucalyptus grandis W. Hill ex Maiden in vitro using commercial products for seed treatment

Given the current demand for timber from forest species, there is a need to develop new strategies for the mass propagation of eucalyptus. Therefore, this study aimed to determine the effect of different doses of Standak Top® and CoMo Raiz® on the establishment of Eucalyptus grandis W. Hill ex Maiden from seeds in vitro. The experimental design was completely randomized in a 4 × 3 + 1 factorial arrangement (four concentrations: 1, 2, 3, and 4 mL L-1 of the commercial products Standak Top®, CoMo Raiz®, a mixture of both, and a control treatment) with 20 replicates. The following characteristics were evaluated: Contamination level, shoot length, and the number of leaves. No contamination was observed for the different doses of Standak Top®. Additions of 1 to 3 mL L-1 of Standak Top® to the culture media yielded the greatest shoot length, and the additions of 2 to 3 mL L-1 yielded the greatest number of leaves. Mixing Standak Top® and CoMo Raiz® did not significantly enhance the measured characteristics.Keywords: Standak Top®, CoMo Raiz®, tissue culture, asepsis, culture mediaAfrican Journal of Biotechnology Vol. 12(25), pp. 3963-396

Alternative tube caps on in vitro growth of Orbignya oleifera Burret.: An Arecaceae native cerrado domain

The babassu (Orbignya oleifera Burret) is a palm that contains oilseeds whose biomass can be used for biofuel production. Due to difficulties in germinating the species, in vitro cultivation techniques are sought as a viable alternative to expand studies on germination. The objective of this study was to evaluate different types of tube caps for in vitro growth of babassu seedlings. Thus, zygotic embryos were inoculated in tubes containing MS medium with a 50% salt concentration, which were sealed with diferent caps, a cotton plug, plastic cap, PVC film and plastic cap with PVC film. During the in vitro culture, the mean length of seedlings, the formation of the cotyledon petiole and root, as well as oxidation of the explants were evaluated. The cotton plug exhibited a positive effect on the initial steps of in vitro cultivation, which promoted more vigorous plants with greater mean lengths; however, its effect decreased as the cultivation time increased. The cotton plug is an alternative and eight-fold less expensive than a conventional plug, which favors early in vitro growth of O. oleifera Burret.Key words: Babassu, Goiás Cerrado, tissue culture

In vitro germination and growth of babassu (orbygnia phalerata Mart.) embryos subjected to different drying temperatures

The aim of this study was to evaluate the physiological quality of babassu (Orbygnia phalerata Mart.) embryos in relation to drying rate. The fruits were kept in a dry chamber with forced air circulation at 57 ± 2°C and 37 ± 2°C for 0, 6 and 11 days. An interaction between the drying time and temperature on water loss was not observed. Fruits dried at 37 ± 2°C failed to achieve the same water content values as those dried at 57 ± 2°C. Embryos dehydrated at 37 ± 2°C remained viable even after 11 days of drying, while embryos dehydrated at 57 ± 2°C were dead after 6 days of drying. Germination percentages above 67% were obtained for all times at drying 37°C, even for seeds with 9% water content, which highlights a possible orthodox behavior. Under the experimental conditions of the present study, drying embryos at 57 ± 2°C decreased the percentage and speed of germination as well as the initial growth of seedlings.Keywords: Arecaceae, desiccation tolerance, orthodox seed

ANALYSIS OF THE INFLUENCE OF STATIC STRETCHING AND ECCENTRIC TRAINING ON FLEXIBILITY OF HAMSTRING MUSCLES

Previous studies have investigated the efficacy of stretching exercises and eccentric training in hamstring flexibility. The objective of this study was to comparatively investigate the efficacy of eccentric training and static stretching in flexibility gain, using a different eccentric training protocol. This study included 13 individuals having on average 23.15±1.72 years of age. The subjects were trained 3 times a week for 6 weeks and a pre- post- comparative analysis was conducted. It was observed that both static stretching and eccentric training resulted in the same non-significant gains in hamstring muscle flexibility. Probably eccentric training is a better training strategy for being able not only to increasing flexibility but for being able to increase strength and protect against muscle damage

O Uso das Tecnologias na Democratização da Informação em Saúde

Com o avanço tecnológico, faz-se necessário posicionamento estratégico das organizações da área da saúde na incorporação dos recursos da informática e da informação, bem como a escolha de ferramentas capazes de trazer benefícios para a tomada de decisão. Portanto, o Departamento de Gestão da Tecnologia da Informação (DGTI) tem como objetivo apresentar a contribuição da ferramenta Business Inteligence (BI) para a Secretaria Estadual de Saúde do Rio Grande do Sul. A incorporação dessa tecnologia agregou na melhoria dos processos de trabalho em saúde, resultando em integração e articulação de sistemas em um único repositório de informações. Conclui-se que a gestão da informação aumentou a competência profissional no âmbito da avaliação, monitoramento e planejamento, iniciando uma cultura pautada na avaliação dos dados coletados, processados e disponibilizados para subsidiar a tomada de decisão