Controle instrucional e relaxamento como preparo psicológico pré-cirúrgico para portadores de cardiopatia / Instructional control and relaxation procedure as psychological preparation for pre-surgery patients with heart disease

Avaliou-se um preparo pré-cirúrgico baseado em instrução e relaxamento na evolução clínica e comportamento de pacientes submetidos à cirurgia cardíaca em hospital geral no interior do Paraná. Vinte pacientes com idade entre 51 e 73 anos, com condição socioeconômica de baixa a média-alta, foram distribuídos aleatoriamente em grupo experimental e controle. O grupo experimental participou de uma sessão de instrução e outra de relaxamento antes da cirurgia e o grupo-controle recebeu o preparo padrão realizado pelo hospital. Os efeitos da intervenção foram avaliados por nível de cortisol sanguíneo, Inventário de Ansiedade de Beck, comportamento na Unidade de Terapia Intensiva e evolução clínica. Foram encontradas diferenças estatísticas significantes entre o grupo experimental e o grupo-controle em relação ao comportamento menos agitado na Unidade de Terapia Intensiva, nível de cortisol sanguíneo antes da cirurgia, decréscimo no grau de ansiedade intragrupo e evolução clínica. Conclui-se que a intervenção parece ter produzido efeito positivo no comportamento e na evolução clínica do paciente.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of preoperative preparation based on instruction and relaxation in the clinical evolution and the behavior of patients undergoing cardiac surgery, in a general hospital in the state of Paraná. Twenty patients aged between 51 and 73, with a socio-economic status between low and medium-high, were randomly divided into experimental and control groups. The experimental group participated in one session of instruction and another of relaxation before surgery and the control group received standard preparation performed by the hospital. Intervention effects were evaluated by blood cortisol level, Beck Anxiety Inventory, patient behavior in the Intensive Care Unit and the clinical outcome. We found statistically significant differences between the experimental group and the control group in terms of less agitated behavior in the Intensive Care Unit, blood cortisol level before surgery, a decrease in the degree of anxiety and intra-group clinical outcomes. The intervention appears to have produced positive effects on behavior and clinical outcomes.

Purification of microbial (beta)-galactosidase from Kluyveromyces fragilis by bioaffinity partitioning

This work investigated the partitioning of (beta)-galactosidase from "Kluyveromyces fragilis" in aqueous two-phase systems (ATPS) by bioaffinity. PEG 4000 was chemically activated with thresyl chloride, and the biospecific ligand p-aminophenyl 1-thio-(beta)-D-galactopyranoside (APGP) was attached to the activated PEG 4000. A new two-step method for extraction and purification of the enzyme (beta)-galactosidase from "Kluyveromyces fragilis" was developed. In the first step, a system composed of 6(per cent) PEG 4000-APGP and 8(per cent) dextran 505 was used, where (beta)-galactosidase was strongly partitioned to the top phase (K = 2.330). In the second step, a system formed of 13(per cent) Peg-APGP and 9(per cent) phosphate salt was used to revert the value of the partition coefficient of (beta)-galactosidase (K = 2.0E-5) in order to provide the purification and recovery of 39(per cent) of the enzyme in the bottom salt-rich phase

Risk factors for oral cancer in Brazil: a case-control study

A case-control study of risk factors for carcinomas of the tongue, gum, floor, and other specified parts of the mouth was conduced in three metropolitan areas in Brazil; Säo Paulo (Southeast), Curitiba (South), and Goiânia (Central-West). We analyzed information on demographics, occupational history, environmental exposures, tabacco smoking and alcohol drinking habits, diet, oral and other health characteristics obtained from interviews with 232 cases and 464 hospital non-cancer controls matched on 5-year age group, sex hospital catchment area, and trimester of admission. Tobacco and alcohol consuption were the strongest risk factors irrespective of the anatomical site. The adjusted relative risks (RR) for ever vs. never smokers were: 6.3, 13.9, and 7.00, for industrial-brand cigarrettes, pipe and hand-rolled cigarrettes, respectively. A strong correlation was seen between number of pack-years and risk. The RR for the heaviest vs. the lowest consumption categories (>100 vs. <1 pack-years) was 14.8 Risk levels generally decreased to that of never smokers after 10 years since smoking cessation. The risk associated with alcohol was mostly evident for wine (cancer of the tongue) and "cachaça" (all sites), a hard liquor distilled from sugar cane. Other important risk factors were "chimarräo" drinking (a type of mate), use of a wood stove for cooking, and frequent consumption of charcoal-grilled meat and manioc. Oral hygiene chacarcteristics represented correlates of disease risk