A influência do estilo de aprendizagem no desempenho escolar e a percepção sobre interdisciplinaridade de discentes de uma escola pública profissionalizante

The knowledge of the students' learning style makes it possible to adjust the methodology adopted by teachers considering that diversity and flexibility are aspects to be observed in the teaching-learning process and in the formation of conscious citizens. In addition, interdisciplinarity connects different disciplines, arousing the interest of students. The aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of the learning style on school performance and the contribution of interdisciplinarity in the teaching process, according to students' perception. Two instruments were applied, one questionnaire to determine the learning style of students and their Biology and Physics teachers and other, on the Likert scale, to assess the perception of interdisciplinarity after applying a didactic sequence on biophysics of breathing. 32 students from a 2nd grade class at a public professional school and Biology and Physics teachers were evaluated. It was observed that general learning style of the class is sensory/visual/active and reflective/sequential and coincides with that of these teachers, corroborating for a good school performance. However, in the group of students who were recovering in the first stage of the school year, half have a preference for the global pole, which is at variance with the learning style of their teachers, who are sequential. Possibly, this disagreement had some impact on the learning of these students. It was also found that, in the students' perception, interdisciplinary activities, practical in special, facilitate the understanding of a content. These findings allow a reflection on how the teachers' daily practice can contribute to learning.O conhecimento do estilo de aprendizagem dos estudantes possibilita ajustar a metodologia adotada pelos docentes, considerando-se que a diversidade e a flexibilidade são aspectos a serem observados no processo ensino-aprendizado e na formação de cidadãos conscientes. Somado a isso, a interdisciplinaridade conecta disciplinas distintas despertando o interesse dos estudantes. O objetivo deste estudo foi avaliar a influência do estilo de aprendizagem no desempenho escolar e a contribuição da interdisciplinaridade no processo de ensino, conforme a percepção dos discentes. Foram aplicados dois instrumentos, sendo um questionário para determinação do estilo de aprendizagem dos discentes e de seus professores de Biologia e Física e outro, na escala de Likert, para avaliar a percepção sobre interdisciplinaridade após aplicação de uma sequência didática sobre biofísica da respiração. Foram avaliados 32 discentes de uma turma de 2a série de uma escola pública profissionalizante e os docentes das disciplinas de Biologia e Física. Foi observado que o estilo de aprendizagem geral da turma é, predominantemente, sensorial/visual/ativo e reflexivo/sequencial e coincide com o desses professores, corroborando para um bom desempenho escolar. Entretanto, no grupo de discentes que ficou em recuperação na primeira etapa do ano letivo, metade tem preferência pelo polo global, o que é discordante do estilo de aprendizagem de seus professores, que são sequenciais. Possivelmente, essa discordância teve algum impacto no aprendizado desses estudantes. Também foi verificado que, na percepção dos estudantes, as atividades interdisciplinares, especialmente práticas, facilitam a compreensão de um conteúdo. Esses achados permitem uma reflexão sobre como a prática cotidiana dos professores pode contribuir para o aprendizado.

Nutritional profile of patients hospitalized in an intensive care unit.

Pacientes internados em unidade de terapia intensiva (UTI) s?o mais propensos ?s perdas cal?rico-proteicas durante sua perman?ncia, o que interfere significativamente na recupera??o e consequentemente demora para a alta hospitalar, bem como aumento da taxa de mortalidade. Para isso, a literatura disp?e de v?rios m?todos e ferramentas de avalia??o do estado nutricional para identificar pacientes em risco nutricional ou desnutridos.Patients admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) are more prone to caloric-protein losses during their stay, which significantly impairs recovery and consequently delays in hospital discharge, as well as an increase in the mortality rate. For this, the literature has several methods and tools for assessing nutritional status to identify patients at nutritional or malnourished risk

Bacterial vaginosis: prevalence, risk profile and association with sexually transmitted infections

Background and Objectives: Bacterial vaginosis (BV) is the most common cause of vaginal discharge in the world. The study aimed to estimate the prevalence and to identify risk factors associated with bacterial vaginosis. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in Ouro Preto, Brazil, between February and December 2017. Three hundred and forty-one women aged 18 years or older, users of the Brazilian Unified Health System, participated in this study. Women who used oral or topical antibiotics in the four weeks prior to the sample collection and women who had undergone a total hysterectomy were excluded from the study. After signing the Informed Consent Form and filling out a questionnaire containing sociodemographic, behavioral and sexual data, the participants were directed to the collection room, where the nurse collected the samples for the preventive examination of the cervix and also two vaginal swabs. Vaginal swabs and cervical samples were analyzed for cytological abnormalities and BV using Gram staining and cytology. Pathogens causing sexually transmitted infections (STIs) were identified by Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR). For the analysis of the data, statistical package STATA version 10.0 was used. This study was approved by the Research Ethics Committee of the Federal University of Ouro Preto (UFOP). Results: During the study, 341 women were evaluated. The prevalence of BV using Gram staining (32.5% [CI95% 27.7=37.7%]) and cytology (27.7% [CI95% 23.0=32.8%]) was similar, however, the sensitivity of cytology was lower (77.8%). Risk factors associated with BV were smoking (IRR 1.5[CI95%: 1.1 = 2.1]), use of an intrauterine device (IRR 2.8 [CI95%: 1.2 = 6.5]), and past medical history of BV (IRR 1.5 [CI95%: 1.1 = 2.1]). Correlation between the presence of BV and Trichomonas vaginalis (TV) infection (r=0.24) was observed. Conclusion: The prevalence of BV was affected by life habits and was prevalent in women with TV. Thus, behavioral and social prevention approaches to women with diverse risk profiles may help mitigate TV/BV prevalence and recurrence of BV

Estudio descriptivo sobre la leishmaniasis tegumentaria americana en el área urbana del Municipio de Governador Valadares, Estado de Minas Gerais, Brasil

Para entender os padrões de emergência e re-emergência da leishmaniose tegumentar americana (LTA), foram avaliados os perfis clínico e epidemiológico e a distribuição espacial da doença entre 2001 e 2006 em uma área endêmica situada no vale do Rio Doce, no nordeste do Estado de Minas Gerais, Brasil. O número de casos notificados aumentou de seis, no primeiro ano, para 111 no último ano do período estudado. Os casos da doença predominaram na área urbana (75,9%) e atingiram igualmente homens e mulheres em todas as faixas etárias. A transmissão de LTA ocorreu dentro de residências e em áreas vizinhas, com o maior número de casos registrados oriundo de áreas pobres, sobretudo as localizadas às margens do Rio Doce, sem uma infraestrutura sanitária adequada. O diagnóstico baseou-se em critérios clínicos e no teste de Montenegro. A maioria dos pacientes apresentou a forma cutânea da LTA. O tratamento de primeira linha abrangeu a utilização de drogas antimoniais pentavalentes (99,1%), que foram responsáveis pela cura de > 75% dos pacientes. A incidência da LTA variou entre 11,38 e 15,99 casos por 100.000 habitantes, valor alto em comparação com a média nacional. Medidas urgentes, incluindo a melhoria de técnicas de diagnóstico nas unidades de saúde locais, a conscientização de crianças em idade escolar e a motivação da população em geral, são necessárias para reduzir a transmissão da doença e controlá-la. ____________________________________________________________________________________ ABSTRACTTo understand the emergence and re-emergence pattern of American tegumentary leishmaniasis (ATL), the clinical and epidemiological profiles and the spatial distribution of the disease were evaluated between 2001 and 2006 in an endemic area located in the Rio Doce valley in the north-eastern part of the Minas Gerais State, Brazil. The number of reported cases increased from six in the first year to 111 in the last year during this period. Disease cases predominated in the urban area (75.9%) and affected males and females equally in all age groups. The transmission of ATL occurred within dwellings and the surrounding areas, with the largest number of reported cases originating from poor areas, particularly those located on the margins of the Rio Doce lacking suitable sanitary infrastructure. Diagnosis was based on clinical criteria and the Montenegro skin test, with most patients (93.8%) exhibiting the cutaneous form of ATL. First-line treatment involved administration of pentavalent antimonial drugs (99.1%), and these provided a cure for > 75% of patients. The prevalence of ATL varied between 11.38 and 15.99 cases per 100,000 inhabitants, which is high in comparison with the national average. Urgent measures, including improved means of diagnosis at the local health units, education of schoolchildren and motivation of the general population, are required to decrease transmission and control the disease. ____________________________________________________________________________________ RESUMENPara entender los estándares de emergencia y reemergencia de la leishmaniasis tegumentaria americana (LTA), se evaluaron los perfiles clínico y epidemiológico y la distribución espacial de la enfermedad entre 2001 y 2006, en una área endémica situada en el valle del Rio Doce, al noreste del Estado de Minas Gerais, Brasil. El número de casos notificados aumentó de seis, el primer año, para 111 el último año del período estudiado. Los casos de la enfermedad predominaron en el área urbana (75,9%) y atacaron igualmente a hombres y mujeres en todas las franjas etarias. La transmisión de LTA ocurrió dentro de las casas y en áreas vecinas, con el mayor número de casos registrados originarios de áreas pobres, sobre todo de las localizadas a los márgenes del Rio Doce, sin una infraestructura sanitaria adecuada. El diagnóstico se basó en criterios clínicos y en la prueba de Montenegro. La mayoría de los pacientes presentó la forma cutánea de la LTA. El tratamiento de primera línea involucró la utilización de drogas antimoniales pentavalentes (99,1%), que fueron responsables por la cura de > 75% de los pacientes. La incidencia de la LTA varió entre 11,38 y 15,99 casos por 100.000 habitantes, valor alto en comparación con el promedio nacional. Medidas urgentes, incluyendo la mejoría de técnicas de diagnóstico en las unidades de salud locales, la concienciación de niños en edad escolar y la motivación de la población en general, se hacen necesarias para reducir la transmisión de la enfermedad y controlarla

Immunotherapy and immunochemotherapy in visceral leishmaniasis : promising treatments for this neglected disease.

Leishmaniasis has several clinical forms: self-healing or chronic cutaneous leishmaniasis or post-kala-azar dermal leishmaniasis; mucosal leishmaniasis; visceral leishmaniasis (VL), which is fatal if left untreated.The epidemiology and clinical features of VL vary greatly due to the interaction of multiple factors including parasite strains, vectors, host genetics, and the environment. Human immunodeficiency virus infection augments the severity of VL increasing the risk of developing active disease by 100?2320 times. An effective vaccine for humans is not yet available. Resistance to chemotherapy is a growing problem in many regions, and the costs associated with drug identification and development, make commercial production for leishmaniasis, unattractive.The toxicity of currently drugs, their long treatment course, and limited efficacy are significant concerns. For cutaneous disease, many studies have shown promising results with immunotherapy/immunochemotherapy, aimed to modulate and activate the immune response to obtain a therapeutic cure. Nowadays, the focus of many groups centers on treating canine VL by using vaccines and immunomodulators with or without chemotherapy. In human disease, the use of cytokines like interferon-g associated with pentavalent antimonials demonstrated promising results in patients that did not respond to conventional treatment. In mice, immunomodulation based on monoclonal antibodies to remove endogenous immunosuppressive cytokines (interleukin-10) or block their receptors, antigen-pulsed syngeneic dendritic cells, or biological products like Pam3Cys (TLR ligand) has already been shown as a prospective treatment of the disease. This review addresses VL treatment, particularly immunotherapy and/or immunochemotherapy as an alternative to conventional drug treatment in experimental models, canine VL, and human disease

Spatial and temporal trends of visceral leishmaniasis by mesoregion in a southeastern state of Brazil, 2002-2013.

This article presents the spatial and temporal distribution of visceral leishmaniasis (VL) in Minas Gerais State and identifies the greater risk areas of transmission. This study is both timely and substantive because Minas Gerais is an important Brazilian state in the number of cases of visceral leishmaniasis. The results showed that during the 12-year time series the VL had a heterogeneous spatial and temporal distribution in the state of Minas Gerais. Among the 12 existing mesoregions, six (Central Mineira, Jequitinhonha, Metropolitan area of Belo Horizonte, Northwest of Minas, North of Minas, and Vale do Rio Doce) were responsible for the expansion and maintenance of VL in the state. Among them, the Vale do Rio Doce and Jequitinhonha mesoregions presented a considerable increase in the incidence rates of the disease in the last period. In the other six mesoregions only sporadic cases of the disease were reported during the study period. The results of in this study may contribute to a better understanding the dynamic of the disease in Minas Gerais. Also these findings can provide subsidies to assist the actions of the control program of VL

Spatiotemporal dynamics and risk estimates of COVID-19 epidemic in Minas Gerais State: analysis of an expanding process

COVID-19 is an infectious disease caused by the recently discovered coronavirus SARS-Cov-2. The disease became pandemic affecting many countries globally, including Brazil. Considering the expansion process and particularities during the initial stages of the epidemic, we aimed to analyze the spatial and spatiotemporal patterns of COVID-19 occurrence and to identify priority risk areas in Minas Gerais State, Southeast Brazil. An ecological study was performed considering all data from human cases of COVID-19 confirmed from the epidemiological week (EW) 11 (March 08, 2020) to EW 26 (June 27, 2020). Crude and smoothed incidence rates were used to analyze the distribution of disease patterns based on global and local indicators of spatial association and space-time risk assessment. Positive spatial autocorrelation and spatial dependence were found. Our results suggest that the metropolitan region of the State capital Belo Horizonte (MRBH) and Vale do Rio Doce mesoregions, as major epidemic foci in the beginning of the expansion process, have had important influence on the dispersion of SARS-CoV-2 in Minas Gerais State. Triangulo Mineiro/Alto Paranaiba region presented the highest risk of infection. In addition, six statistically significant spatiotemporal clusters were identified in the State, three at high risk and three at low risk. Our findings contribute to a greater understanding of the space-time disease dynamic and discuss strategies for identification of priority areas for COVID-19 surveillance and control

Effectiveness of the Brazilian Visceral Leishmaniasis Surveillance and Control Programme in reducing the prevalence and incidence of Leishmania infantum infection.

Background Control strategies adopted by the Brazilian Visceral Leishmaniasis Surveillance and Control Programme (VLSCP) include identifying and culling seropositive infected dogs, early diagnosis and treatment of human cases, chemical control of the vector and population awareness. This study evaluated the effectiveness of the VLSCP on the prevalence and incidence rates of Leishmania infantum in children residing in areas under different VLSCP intervention times. Methods A quasi-experimental epidemiological study with a panel (two cross-sectional) and a concurrent cohort was performed in three areas of Belo Horizonte, southeast Brazil. The first cross-sectional study (I) was carried out with 1875 children, 478 of which were enrolled in the cohort study. In the second cross-sectional study (II), 413 additional children were included, totalizing 891 children. Laboratory diagnosis was performed by ELISA-rK39. Analyses included multilevel logistic and Poisson regression models. Results The incidence rates of L. infantum infection were: 14.4% in the area where VLSCP intervention was initiated in 2006 (AI2006); 21.1% in the area where intervention was initiated in 2008 (AI2008); and 11.6% in the area where intervention was initiated in 2010 (AI2010 - control area). A follow-up period of 24 months showed that the persons-time incidence rates in AI2006, AI2008, and AI2010 were: 6.2/100, 10/100, and 5.6/100 persons/24 months, respectively. The final prevalence rates of infection (cross-sectional II - in 2012), compared to the initial rates (cross-sectional I - in 2010), increased 83.7% in AI2006, 74.1% in AI2008, and decreased 5% in AI2010. Analysis of the effectiveness revealed that children residing in AI2008 are more likely to be infected (OR = 1.84; 95% CI: 1.06-3.23) and present a higher risk of infection (IRR = 1.76; 95% CI: 1.05-2.95) compared to those in AI2010. No statistically significant differences were observed in asymptomatic infection (OR and IRR) in AI2006 compared to AI2010. Conclusions The VLSCP was not effective at controlling L. infantum infection in areas where interventions had respectively been carried out for six and four years. However, it is unclear what the consequences in terms of human infection and diseases would be in the absence of the VLSCP. Efforts to improve the effectiveness of control measures remain a necessary priority

Worldwide COVID-19 spreading explained: traveling numbers as a primary driver for the pandemic.

The spread of SARS-CoV-2 and the distribution of cases worldwide followed no clear biogeographic, climatic, or cultural trend. Conversely, the internationally busiest cities in all countries tended to be the hardest hit, suggesting a basic, mathematically neutral pattern of the new coronavirus early dissemination. We tested whether the number of flight passengers per time and the number of international frontiers could explain the number of cases of COVID-19 worldwide by a stepwise regression. Analysis were taken by 22 May 2020, a period when one would claim that early patterns of the pandemic establishment were still detectable, despite of community transmission in various places. The number of passengers arriving in a country and the number of international borders explained significantly 49% of the variance in the distribution of the number of cases of COVID-19, and number of passengers explained significantly 14.2% of data variance for cases per million inhabitants. Ecological neutral theory may explain a considerable part of the early distribution of SARS-CoV-2 and should be taken into consideration to define preventive international actions before a next pandemic

A multicentric evaluation of the recombinant Leishmania infantum antigen-based immunochromatographic assay for the serodiagnosis of canine visceral leishmaniasis.

Background: Visceral leishmaniasis (VL) is a serious public health challenge in Brazil and dogs are considered to be the main urban reservoir of the causative agent. The culling of animals to control VL in some countries makes the accurate diagnosis of canine VL (CVL) essential. Recombinant antigens rLci1A and rLci2B were selected from a cDNA library of Leishmania infantum amastigotes due to their strong potential as candidates in diagnostic testing for CVL. The present multicentric study aimed to evaluate the sensitivity of a prototype test using these antigens (DPPrLci1A/rLci2B) against 154 sera obtained from symptomatic dogs within three endemic areas of VL in Brazil. The specificity was evaluated using 40 serum samples from negative dogs and dogs infected with other pathogens. Sensitivity and specificity rates of DPP rLci1A/rLci2B prototype were compared to rates from other diagnostic tests currently in use by the Brazilian Ministry of Health, including DPP?LVC, EIE?LVC. Findings: DPP rLci1A/rLci2B prototype offered similar performance to that offered by DPP?LVC rapid test, as follows: sensitivity of 87% (CI 81?91) and 88% (CI 82?93) and specificity of 100% (CI 91?100) and 97% (CI 87?100), respectively for DPP rLci1A/rLci2B and DPP?LVC. When results of these two tests were considered concomitantly, sensitivity increased to 93.5% (CI 89?96). Conclusions: The recombinant antigens rLci1A and rLci2B represent promising candidates for use in a multi-antigen rapid test for CVL. The inclusion of novel antigens to the DPP rLci1A/rLci2B prototype model could offer additionally enhanced sensitivity to detect animals infected by L. infantum