Therapeutic DNA Vaccines: The Final Step for Success

Therapeutic DNA vaccines are mostly plasmidic constructs containing a strong promoter that allows in situ transcription and translation of one or many encoded proteins/antigens to induce protective cellular and humoral immune responses against different pathogenic organisms [1–5]. Currently, at least 114 open clinical studies are recruiting patients for distinct clinical phases using a DNAvaccine approach

Mandible metastasis of small cell lung cancer mimicking a residual cyst

Small cell lung carcinoma (SCLC) is an uncommon tumor characterized by an aggressive behavior with early metastasis, usually to the contralateral lung, liver, brain, and bones. There are only five cases of this particular tumor metastasizing to the oral cavity described in the English literature. We present the case of metastatic SCLC in the mandible with radiographic findings resembling a residual cyst. A 66-year-old man with previous diagnosis and treatment for a SCLC was referred to the Stomatology Department with a history of persistent pain in the mandible 1 year after the inferior right pre-molar tooth extraction. The radiographic exam showed a well-delimited radiolucent area on that extracted tooth’s region resembling a residual cyst. Biopsy was performed yielding the diagnosis of metastatic SCLC. The patient was referred to the clinical oncologist for chemotherapy. Although uncommon, this tumor should be included in the differential diagnosis of jawbone lesions, particularly when the patient presents a previous diagnosis of SCL

Caracterização da microbiota associada a formigas capturadas em ambiente hospitalar

RESUMO: Inúmeros veículos de transmissão de microrganismos são conhecidos e tem seu papel na cadeia de infecção bem esclarecido dentro da comunidade científica, como os ratos, piolhos, pulgas e os mosquitos. Entretanto, formigas são vetores pouco considerados como fonte de infecção, mas possuem a mesma importância, principalmente quando se fala de infecção hospitalar. Diversos pesquisadores já demonstraram que esses artrópodes realizam simbiose com bactérias, sendo, portanto, vetores mecânicos destas. A partir disso, infecções nosocomiais se tornam possíveis em consequência do fato de as formigas circularem livremente pelas instalações hospitalares, entrando em contato com material infectado e logo depois com pacientes, medicamentos, aparelhos e utensílios, sala de Unidade de Terapia Intensiva (UTI), entre outros, disseminando os microrganismos patogênicos. O objetivo deste trabalho é analisar quais microrganismos potencialmente patogênicos são carreados nos corpos de formigas em dois hospitais da cidade de Anápolis – Goiás. O estudo será realizado a partir da captura das formigas em tubos de ensaio, após essa etapa será realizado o isolamento e identificação de bactérias no laboratório de microbiologia da UniEvangélica. As bactérias isoladas, então, serão submetidas ao teste de antibiograma por difusão em disco. Assim, pretende-se contribuir para o reconhecimento do mecanismo vetorial mediado por formigas em ambiente hospitalar e identificar a relação entre os microrganismos carreados e seu comportamento frente ao tratamento antibiótico padrão, além de fornecer respaldo científico para elaboração de novos procedimentos de segurança por controle de vetores em ambiente hospitalar. &nbsp

Coma e outros estados de consciência

As alterações do nível de consciência podem variar entre dois extremos, desde uma desorientação têmporo-espacial até um estado de coma profundo. Na prática clínica é extremamente comum o médico se deparar frente a um paciente com alteração do nível de consciência. Em hospitais gerais, estudos indicam o alcoolismo, o traumatismo cranioencefálico e as doenças cardiovasculares como as principais causas de coma (82%). O médico deve saber reconhecer as principais causas de alteração da consciência, seus diagnósticos diferenciais, identificar o paciente grave e tratar as possíveis alterações emergenciais que possam levar aum dano neurológico secundário. Nesta revisão destacamos os principais pontos no exame neurológico para determinar as diferentes alterações do nível de consciência.The alterations of the level of conscience can vary among two ends, from a mental confusion to a state of deep coma. In clinical practice it is extremely common apatient with alteration of the level of conscience without diagnosis. In general hospitals, studies indicate that the alcoholism, the brain trauma and the cardiovascular diseases are the main causes of coma (82%). Its necessary know how to recognize the main causes of unconsciousness of and their differential diagnosis, aimed to identify the severe ill patient and to treat the possible emergency states that take to a secondary neurological damage. In this revision, we emphasized the key points in the neurological exam to determine the different alterations ofthe level of consciousness

Meanings of internal marketing built by the nurses of a brazilian university hospital / Significados de marketing interno para enfermeiros de um hospital universitário brasileiro

Objetivo: conhecer os significados de marketing interno para enfermeiras de um hospital universitário brasileiro na perspectiva do interacionismo simbólico. Metodologia: entrevistas qualitativas foram realizadas com dez enfermeiras, nas quais apresentava-se um conceito prévio de marketing interno. Resultados: a análise das falas foi organizada na categoria “construindo significados de marketing interno”, com os temas: (1) o agir frente ao símbolo marketing interno e o significado estratégico, (2) o marketing interno e o significado motivacional, e (3) qualidade do cuidado como produto do marketing interno. Foi elaborado também um mapa conceitual com os significados produzidos.  Conclusão: o marketing interno mostrou-se aplicável para o contexto de enfermagem, com significados relacionados à qualidade assistencial, por meio da motivação e satisfação dos colaboradores, voltando-os para as metas organizacionais. Enfermeiros líderes podem utilizar o marketing interno para atrair e reter recursos humanos de enfermagem, e melhorar a qualidade e o desempenho da organização

Meanings of internal marketing built by the nurses of a brazilian university hospital / Significados de marketing interno para enfermeiros de um hospital universitário brasileiro

Objetivo: conhecer os significados de marketing interno para enfermeiras de um hospital universitário brasileiro na perspectiva do interacionismo simbólico. Metodologia: entrevistas qualitativas foram realizadas com dez enfermeiras, nas quais apresentava-se um conceito prévio de marketing interno. Resultados: a análise das falas foi organizada na categoria “construindo significados de marketing interno”, com os temas: (1) o agir frente ao símbolo marketing interno e o significado estratégico, (2) o marketing interno e o significado motivacional, e (3) qualidade do cuidado como produto do marketing interno. Foi elaborado também um mapa conceitual com os significados produzidos.  Conclusão: o marketing interno mostrou-se aplicável para o contexto de enfermagem, com significados relacionados à qualidade assistencial, por meio da motivação e satisfação dos colaboradores, voltando-os para as metas organizacionais. Enfermeiros líderes podem utilizar o marketing interno para atrair e reter recursos humanos de enfermagem, e melhorar a qualidade e o desempenho da organização

Analysis of realistic simulation as an educational tool in the academic and professional contexts of nursing

Nursing education and training based on content and technicality has undergone a process over the years mainly with the proposal of national curriculum guidelines to implement changes in the curriculum and the insertion of new teaching methodologies by educational institutions. Thus, realistic simulation is born with the proposal to actively teach students and promote the development of numerous skills and competences. Objective: to analyze evidence of the use and effectiveness of realistic simulation as an active method of teaching and learning in nursing in the academic and professional context. Methodology: Integrative review, carried out on the databases: Cochrane, ERIC, Medline, Science Direct and PubMed. The descriptors were selected based on the list of Health Sciences Descriptors - DeCS / MeSH were: Nursing, Active learning, simulation training, matching the search terms, using the Boolean operator AND. Results: The final sample resulted in 37 articles. It was possible to observe that the simulation helps in critical thinking, reasoning, clinical judgment, leadership, autonomy and decision-making favoring patient care and that it can be performed in different formats, such as virtual simulation, clinical case simulators, simulation with games and room simulation with simulated scenario. The introduction of this methodology in educational institutions ended up being a limitation found, in addition to the need for technologies and training for teachers. Conclusion: From the results of this study, it is concluded that realistic simulation is a method capable of preparing students and professionals to meet health needs

Physiological Adaptations to Life in Space: An Update

The historic flight of cosmonaut Yuri Alekeseyevich Gagarin, in 1961, established the need for research regarding the physiological adaptations of the human body when exposed to the space environment. Since then, several morpho-functional transformations – varying between normal and pathological – have been identified within the organisms of astronauts subjected to the extremely disparate environments of the cosmos, consequently, comprehension and preparation of these transformations becomes essential,considering the possibilities (1) of returning to the Moon and (2) of initiating the trip to Mars. Accordingly, the purpose of this article – conceived as a narrative literature review – is to present the main aspects of the physiological modifications within the human body due to the extraterrestrial environment, with emphasis on cardiovascular, renal, hydroelectrolytic, hematological, immunological, respiratory, neurological, psychological, sensory, gastrointestinal, endocrine, musculoskeletal, integumentary, and genetic adaptations

Use of Wild Type or Recombinant Lactic Acid Bacteria as an Alternative Treatment for Gastrointestinal Inflammatory Diseases: A Focus on Inflammatory Bowel Diseases and Mucositis

The human gastrointestinal tract (GIT) is highly colonized by bacterial communities, which live in a symbiotic relationship with the host in normal conditions. It has been shown that a dysfunctional interaction between the intestinal microbiota and the host immune system, known as dysbiosis, is a very important factor responsible for the development of different inflammatory conditions of the GIT, such as the idiopathic inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD), a complex and multifactorial disorder of the GIT. Dysbiosis has also been implicated in the pathogenesis of other GIT inflammatory diseases such as mucositis usually caused as an adverse effect of chemotherapy. As both diseases have become a great clinical problem, many research groups have been focusing on developing new strategies for the treatment of IBD and mucositis. In this review, we show that lactic acid bacteria (LAB) have been capable in preventing and treating both disorders in animal models, suggesting they may be ready for clinical trials. In addition, we present the most current studies on the use of wild type or genetically engineered LAB strains designed to express anti-inflammatory proteins as a promising strategy in the treatment of IBD and mucositis

A summary of the Brazilian Paraná Basin Ordovician

The study of the Ordovician of Paraná Basin culminated on the three-fold lithostratigraphic subdivision of the Rio Ivaí Group as follows: Alto Garças, Iapó and Vila Maria formations. The history of deposition of these rocks is linked to the transition from a marine fluvial environment into the glacial diamictites and shales with dropstones, overlain by post-glacial transgressive shales, siltstones and sandstones. The OrdovicianâSilurian transition is marked by a glacial and an extinction event that impacted the marine diversity of life and the permanence of the first land plants. At least three sections, designated as the sections 1, 2 and 3 below, had their sedimentary facies, taphonomy, organic carbon content and thermal maturation analysed as well as their macro- and microfossil assemblages recognized. All studied sections were productive for macro- and microfossils, although the section 1 has limited occurrence and lower preservation of palynomorphs. The greatest fossil diversity was recovered from the section 2. To date, the diversity recovered from the OrdovicianâSilurian of the Paraná Basin comprises 12 fossil groups, namely ostracods, brachiopods, bivalves, gastropods, cryptospores, fungi, acritarchs, chitinozoans, prasinophyte algae, scole­codonts, a possible graptolite and, more recently, a trilobite of the order Dalmanitidae. 51 species of palynomorphs of terrestrial and marine origin were recognized. This is the highest diversity reported from the glacialâpostglacial transition in the OrdovicianâSilurian boundary interval of Brazil. 18 species of cryptospores, acritarchs and fungi occur in the basal diamictites (the Iapó Formation) as well as the discinoid Kosoidea australis. In the upper part of these diamictites, the palynomorph assemblage comprises 26 taxa, most of which persist also in the postglacial shales. Still, in the shales with dropstones of the Iapó Formation, brachiopods (K. australis, infaunal lingulids, ?Palaeoglossa and rhynchonelliformeans), endemic ostracods such as Satiellina paranaensis and pyritized specimens of a widely common Hirnantian index species Harpabollia harparum occur together with indeterminable ostracod species. At least two different species of bivalve mollusks were also found as well as a gastropod species (Bucanellasp.). Observing the palynomorph assemblage, it was possible to record also chitinozoans restricted to the lowermost portion of the Vila Maria Formation. This part of the formation was observed in the outcrops 2 and 3 and contains postglacial chitinozoan assemblages that are not younger than the earliest Rhuddanian. Some centimeters above this interval but still in the lower part of the Vila Maria Formation, the occurrence of Spinachitina debbajae followed by Spinachitina silurica refer to the Silurian in the Paraná Basin. In the section 1, the recovery of a trilobite thorax configures the oldest record of this group in Brazil and shows that this ancient sea was also thriving with life even after the glaciation-related Hirnantian extinction event