Promoting healthy eating without plastics: An ethical practice in primary care

Effective clinical interventions to engage in new habits remain a challenge despite intense research. One such strategy is to include the environmental issue of plastic packaging from ultra-processed food in nutrition recommendations. It expands the notion of health, contributing to engaging in healthy eating behaviors, in addition to being an ethical practice for health professionals. It brings co-benefits for both the environment and individual health through motivational incentives of less individual pollution, contributing to healthier food systems. Primary health professionals should be prepared to deal with risks of plastics and waste reduction strategies in their practice.

Post-COVID-19 functional status scale: Cross-cultural adaptation and measurement properties of the Brazilian Portuguese version.

BACKGROUND: The Post-COVID-19 Functional Status (PCFS) scale was created to assess the functional status of patients after hospital discharge due to COVID-19. OBJECTIVE: To perform cross-cultural adaptation of the PCFS Scale and Manual into Brazilian Portuguese and evaluate its measurement properties in patients post-COVID-19. METHODS: For the cross-cultural adaptation, independent translations and back-translations were performed. This was followed by a pre-test, with analysis of the Content Validity Index (CVI), and preparation of the final version, after evaluating the measurement properties. Spearman's correlation between the PCFS and the WHO Disability Classification Scheme (WHODAS 2.0) was used for convergent validity. Weighted Kappa (wκ) was used for test-retest and interobserver reliability for PCFS scores and Kappa (κ) for PCFS items. Internal consistency was assessed using Cronbach's alpha. Only patients with post-discharge COVID-19 were evaluated through video-conferencing platforms. RESULTS: The CVI was 0.75-0.83 for comprehension and 0.83-0.84 for the language of the self-administered questionnaire and the structured interview version. For measurement properties, 63 patients were evaluated, 68% male, 51.50 (12.60) years, 12.28 (7.62) days of hospitalization. For the convergent validity, a strong correlation was found (r = 0.73; p<0.01). The test-retest (wκ=0.54) and interobserver (wκ=0.43) reliability was moderate and the item-by-item analyzes ranged from fair to substantial (κ=0.25-0.66) and weak to substantial (κ=0.07-0.79). Internal consistency was excellent (0.85). CONCLUSION: The final PCFS in Brazilian Portuguese showed adequate content validity, reliability, internal consistency, and convergent validity for the functional assessment of patients after hospital discharge due to COVID-19.

Health and safety in paid domestic work: what does the COVID 19 pandemic reveal?

Reproductive labor, whether paid or unpaid, is gradually occupying different places of interest in research, not only in Brazil but worldwide. Brazil, specifically, has had a historical delay in acknowledging and regulating such work as an occupation, which occurred only in 2013 with the 72nd Amendment to the Constitution and in 2015 with Complementary Law 150, after decades of struggle by these workers. This delay also reverberates in the near absence of discussion about the occupational health and safety of this profession. The purpose of this essay is to reflect on the vulnerability of occupational health of paid domestic workers in the Brazilian context and on discussions about the "indispensability" of such work during the COVID 19 pandemic. Support for these reflections is based on theories of the sexual division of labor in the context of reproductive labor, specifically paid domestic work. We consider the socio-historical-cultural conditions of domestic workers, which concentrate structural elements of an exclusionary society with disparate social inequalities: racism, gender, class, and education. There is an urgent need to standardize these aspects both from a technical point of view, such as through surveys of risks, provision of collective and personal protective equipment, establishment of causal links, and reporting of occupational accidents; and from the standpoint of socio-historical-cultural hazards that involve the profession. We conclude by discussing challenges faced in addressing the deep, harmful scars that exist in our society.

Immunotherapy using PD-1/PDL-1 inhibitors in metastatic triple-negative breast cancer: A systematic review.

Breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in women and is one of the leading causes of death from cancer in women worldwide. Despite the significant benefits of using conventional chemotherapy in the treatment of breast cancer, one of its subtypes, the triple-negative breast cancer, is still a challenge in clinical practice. Recent studies have been investigating the role of the immune system in breast cancer and the development of immunotherapy. Although recently the use of atezolizumab, an anti-PD-L1 monoclonal antibody, combined with chemotherapy was approved, an important step in the treatment of patients with triple-negative metastatic breast cancer, the use of immunotherapy to treat breast tumors remains a major challenge. In this systematic literature review, following PRISMA guidelines, we searched for clinical trials using immunotherapy in the treatment of metastatic triple-negative breast cancer published until March 2020 in the databases EMBASE, PubMed and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), with no language restrictions. We did not contact the authors of the clinical trials to obtain additional information. Two researchers independently collected the data and assessed the quality of this study. The literature shows that immunotherapy with anti-PD-1/PD-L1 agents is emerging as a new treatment option in breast cancer. On the other hand, when compared to other types of cancer in which several agents have already been approved, the research is still in its infancy. The use of anti-PD-1/PD-L1 agents as monotherapy revealed encouraging results in the metastatic setting, especially when administered in the early course of the disease, although combination strategies with chemotherapy appear to increase its efficacy. The main limitation of this study is the approach of cancer only in advanced stages.

Cross-scanner and cross-protocol multi-shell diffusion MRI data harmonization: Algorithms and results.

Cross-scanner and cross-protocol variability of diffusion magnetic resonance imaging (dMRI) data are known to be major obstacles in multi-site clinical studies since they limit the ability to aggregate dMRI data and derived measures. Computational algorithms that harmonize the data and minimize such variability are critical to reliably combine datasets acquired from different scanners and/or protocols, thus improving the statistical power and sensitivity of multi-site studies. Different computational approaches have been proposed to harmonize diffusion MRI data or remove scanner-specific differences. To date, these methods have mostly been developed for or evaluated on single b-value diffusion MRI data. In this work, we present the evaluation results of 19 algorithms that are developed to harmonize the cross-scanner and cross-protocol variability of multi-shell diffusion MRI using a benchmark database. The proposed algorithms rely on various signal representation approaches and computational tools, such as rotational invariant spherical harmonics, deep neural networks and hybrid biophysical and statistical approaches. The benchmark database consists of data acquired from the same subjects on two scanners with different maximum gradient strength (80 and 300 â€‹mT/m) and with two protocols. We evaluated the performance of these algorithms for mapping multi-shell diffusion MRI data across scanners and across protocols using several state-of-the-art imaging measures. The results show that data harmonization algorithms can reduce the cross-scanner and cross-protocol variabilities to a similar level as scan-rescan variability using the same scanner and protocol. In particular, the LinearRISH algorithm based on adaptive linear mapping of rotational invariant spherical harmonics features yields the lowest variability for our data in predicting the fractional anisotropy (FA), mean diffusivity (MD), mean kurtosis (MK) and the rotationally invariant spherical harmonic (RISH) features. But other algorithms, such as DIAMOND, SHResNet, DIQT, CMResNet show further improvement in harmonizing the return-to-origin probability (RTOP). The performance of different approaches provides useful guidelines on data harmonization in future multi-site studies.

Unmet needs in multiple myeloma in Brazil from physicians' perspective ­ barriers in quality of life and disease management / Necessidades não atendidas em mieloma múltiplo no Brasil sob a perspectiva de médicos ­ barreiras na qualidade de vida e manejo da doença

Objective: There is an increasing trend of the overall survival rates of multiple myeloma (MM) patients over the years, increasing the necessity to improve their quality of life and attenuate unmet medical needs. Therefore, this study aims to explore and describe unmet medical needs and barriers in Brazilian MM patients, based on physicians' perspective. Methods: A questionnaire with 41 questions was developed to collect information regarding clinical characteristics, unmet medical needs and barriers for the diagnosis and treatment of MM in Brazil. After physicians' responses, a panel discussion with all the participants was had in order to collect additional data and validate physicians' responses. Results: Participants had a mean of 18 years of professional experience and attended to mean of thirty MM patients per month. MM patients treated by these physicians had a median time of disease of 7.5 months when initiating treatment in the public sector, and 2.5 months in the private sector. In both systems, the majority of patients referred were from general practitioners. Peripheral neuropathy was the most common adverse event reported with higher impact on patients' adherence and QoL. Conclusion: There are several challenges as to unmet medical needs, especially when comparing the private and public healthcare systems in Brazil. According to physicians, providing access to basic diagnostic procedures and adopting educational measures for both physicians and patients would help to minimize barriers in the current scenario of MM management in Brazil.

Objetivo: Existe uma tendência no aumento das taxas de sobrevida global de pacientes de mieloma múltiplo (MM) ao longo dos anos, aumentando a necessidade de melhorar sua qualidade de vida e atenuar as necessidades médicas não atendidas na área. Desta forma, o objetivo deste estudo explorar e descrever as necessidades médicas não atendidas e as barreiras em pacientes brasileiros de MM, a partir da perspectiva de médicos. Métodos: Um questionário com 41 questões foi desenvolvido para coletar dados sobre as características clínicas, necessidades médicas não atendidas e barreiras no diagnóstico e tratamento de MM no Brasil. Depois de coletar a resposta dos médicos, uma discussão em forma de painel com todos os participantes foi realizada para coletar dados adicionais validar as respostas do questionário. Resultados: Os participantes tinham, em média, 18 anos de experiência profissional, atendendo-se no total uma média de 30 pacientes de MM por mês. Os pacientes de MM atendidos por esses médicos no sistema público apresentam em média 7,5 meses de doença ao iniciar o tratamento, enquanto no sistema privado apresentavam 2,5 meses. Em ambos os sistemas, a maioria dos pacientes foi referenciada por clínicos gerais. Neuropatia periférica foi o evento adverso mais frequentemente reportado pelos médicos, com maior impacto na adesão ao tratamento e na qualidade de vida. Conclusão: Existem diversos desafios relativos às necessidades médicas não atendidas, especialmente ao comparar os sistemas público e privado no Brasil. De acordo com os participantes, o acesso aos procedimentos diagnósticos básicos e a adoção de medidas de educação médica e de pacientes minimizariam as barreiras importantes no cenário brasileiro atual.

O desafio conceitual do trabalho doméstico à psicologia do trabalho / The conceptual challenge of domestic work to work psychology

Discute-se, neste artigo, o patrimônio conceitual da Psicologia do Trabalho à análise do trabalho reprodutivo (doméstico). Através dos conceitos da Psicodinâmica do Trabalho, da Ergonomia e da Teoria da Divisão Sexual do Trabalho, evidencia-se a realização de um trabalho com prescrições informais, imprecisas, subentendidas e com enorme variabilidade. O trabalho é mobilizado por uma inteligência da prática, pelo uso dos saberes e sagacidades do corpo no cumprimento das tarefas designadas diariamente às empregadas domésticas. Ressalta-se, aqui, a premência da sistematização e da normatização das condições de trabalho, especialmente sobre os níveis de riscos e instrumental de trabalho e de proteção.(AU)

This article discusses the conceptual heritage of work psychology through the analysis of domestic work. Through the concept of work psychodynamics, ergonomics and the theory of work sexual division, it can been shown that work is carried out with informal, inaccurate, implied prescriptions and enormous variability. Work is marshalled by intelligent practice, by knowledge and the body´s sagacity while carrying out daily tasks assigned to domestic servants. It is worth noting the urgency for systemization and normalization of working conditions especially regarding risk levels, instrumentation and health and safety.(AU)

Intervenções nutricionais na promoção da perda de peso: faseolamina - revisão sistemática com metanálise e alimentos com possíveis benefícios - revisão sistemática para construção de tecnologia educacional / Nutritional interventions in weight loss promotion: phaseolamine - systematic review with meta-analysis and foods with possible benefits - systematic review for building educational technology

A obesidade é uma doença crônica não transmissível e considerada epidemia mundial com prevalência alarmante. Está associada à morbimortalidade e é fator de risco para doença cardiovascular (DCV), diabetes mellitus tipo 2 (DM2), hipertensão arterial sistêmica(HAS), dislipidemias, osteoartrite e alguns tipos de câncer. As Diretrizes Brasileiras de Obesidade 2009/2010 da Associação Brasileira para o Estudo da Obesidade e da Síndrome Metabólica referem ser pequeno o número de estudos que comprovem os efeitos termogênicos, anorexígenos ou redutores de peso de suplementos nutricionais de cafeína e capsaicina e mencionam poucos alimentos. No entanto a mídia cita rotineiramente vários alimentos como tratamento consolidado para perda de peso, sem que existam evidências científicas que suportem esta indicação. Com o objetivo de elaborar uma tecnologia educacional para indivíduos obesos de um hospital universitário, com esclarecimento sobre intervenções nutricionais efetivas para promoção da perda de peso foram conduzidas duas revisões sistemáticas. A busca de referências foi feita nas Bases eletrônicas ­ Pubmed, Cochrane Central de Ensaios Clínicos, Cinhal e Lilacs. Uma das revisões incluiu metanálise de ensaios clínicos randomizados sobre a utilização da faseolamina na promoção de perda ponderal e redução de massa gorda. A outra revisão incluiu apenas revisões sistemáticas com metanálise avaliando a efetividade de alimentos ou substâncias extraídas destes na promoção da perda de peso. Na metanálise foram incluídos 5 ensaios clínicos. A perda ponderal foi maior e estatisticamente significativa com a utilização da faseolamina -1,70Kg (IC de -2,44 a -0,97) e também a redução de massa gorda foi superior e estatisticamente significativa nos pacientes tratados com faseolamina -1,85Kg (IC de -2,49 a -1,21). Na outra revisão sistemática foram incluídos 7 artigos ,4 sobre chá verde ( na forma de infusão ou como suplemento), 2 sobre pimenta vermelha ( nos alimentos ou como suplemento) e 1 sobre peixes fonte de ômega 3 ou suplemento de ômega 3. De acordo com o resultado da metanálise, o uso da faseolamina promove perda ponderal e de massa gorda em pacientes obesos e com sobrepeso. A utilização da faseolamina é alternativa auxiliar no tratamento da obesidade. Considerando a revisão sistemática, a utilização de peixes fonte de ômega 3 pode auxiliar a perda de peso, assim como o consumo de pimenta vermelha em dosagem de pelo menos 2mg/dia de capsaicina antes das refeições. O consumo de chá verde não promoveu perda de peso clinicamente relevante. O presente estudo levou a elaboração de uma tecnologia educacional descrita como uma cartilha, para ser utilizada na educação em saúde da população obesa, com orientações no tratamento da obesidade e foi intitulada "Perda de Peso: Alimentos e Fitoterápicos que realmente podem ajudar você"

Obesity is a chronic nontransmissible disease that is considered a worldwide epidemic with alarming prevalence. It is associated with morbidity and mortality and is a risk factor for cardiovascular disease (CVD), diabetes mellitus type 2 (DM2), systemic hypertension (SHT), dyslipidemias, osteoarthritis and some types of cancer. Brazilian Obesity Guidelines 2009/2010 of the Brazilian Association for the Study of Obesity and Metabolic Syndrome report that there is a scarcity of studies that confirm the thermogenic, anorexigenic and weight reducing effects of nutritional supplements of caffeine and capsaicin and mention few food items. However, the media routinely cites a number of foods as treatment for weight loss, with no scientific evidence to support these allegations. Two systematic reviews were conducted to create an educational technology for obese individuals from a university hospital, with information about effective nutritional interventions that promote weight loss. The search for references was carried out in the following electronic databases: Pubmed, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, Cinhal and Lilacs. One of the reviews included meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials on the use of phaseolamin to promote weight loss and a reduction in fat mass. The other review involved only systematic reviews with meta-analysis, assessing the effectiveness of foods or substances extracted from them in the promotion of weight loss. Meta-analysis included 5 clinical trials. Weight loss was greater and statistically significant with the use of phaseolamin -1.70Kg (CI between -2.44 and -0.97) and the reduction in fat mass was higher and statistically significant in patients treated with phaseolamin -1.85Kg (CI between -2.49 and -1.21). The other systematic review involved 7 articles, 4 on green tea (in the form of infusion or a supplement), 2 on red pepper (in food or as supplement) and 1 on omega-rich fish or omega 3 supplement. According to the results of meta-analysis, the use of phaseolamin promotes weight and fat mass loss in obese and overweight patients. The use of phaseolamin is an auxiliary alternative in the treatment of obesity. The systematic review revealed that the use of omega 3-rich fish can contribute to weight loss, as well as consuming red pepper in a dose of at least 2mg/dia of capsaicin before meals. Green tea intake did not promote clinically relevant weight loss. The present study led to the creation of an educational technology in the form of a booklet, to be used in health education for obese individuals, with orientation regarding the treatment of obesity, and entitled "Weight Loss: Foods and Phytotherapics that can really help you"

Non-Alpine thyroid angiosarcoma.

INTRODUCTION: Angiosarcoma is a very rare entity of soft tissue neoplasm with an aggressive and destructive biological behavior. Thyroid angiosarcoma is usually reported in Alpine regions, with only exceptionally rare cases arising in non-mountainous areas. In the Alpine regions it constitutes 2-10% of all malignant thyroid tumors. PRESENTATION OF CASE: We report a case of a thyroid non-Alpine angiosarcoma in a 71-year-old female with a 10 years old multinodular goiter. The cervical mass underwent rapid growth in the last year, and she was referred for surgical treatment. A 15cm mass was found on the right side of the neck invading adjacent tissues and displacing the trachea without obvious invasion of this organ. Fine needle aspiration cytology showed "carcinoma". Lung metastasis were present. Although difficult, total thyroidectomy was possible with resection of an esophageal implant. Post-operatively, she had respiratory failure that eventually recovered, but, on 39th post-operative day, she died of violent hemoptysis, probably due to invasion by mediastinal metastasis. DISCUSSION: A clear distinction between angiosarcoma and anaplastic carcinoma of the thyroid is considerably difficult, despite treatments and prognosis are practically the same. However, in recent years, a thyroid malignancy exhibiting phenotypical features of endothelial differentiation was described. Keratin positivity cannot be reported as necessarily indicative of epithelial differentiation. CONCLUSION: Optimal treatment for thyroid angiosarcoma remains unclear, not only because the prognosis is poor, despite multimodal therapeutic efforts, but also because it is a very rare entity.

Estrogens induce malpighian metaplasia of the endocervical junction in female rats immunohistochemistry study.

Immature female Wistar rats were treated with 1 mg of estradiol benzoate for 6 days. The injections were started on the 20th day of age; the animals were autopsied every 3 days after the last injection until the age of 45 days. Islets of hyperplastic cells and metaplasia area were seen in the endocervix in the majority of the animals autopsied. We have the expression of cytokeratin polypeptides in reserve cells, in areas exhibiting reserve cell hyperplasia and squamous metaplasia, using a panel of monoclonal cytokeratin antibodies. The reserve cells were positive for antibodies directed against stratified squamous epithelia, type cytokeratins No. 5, 13 and 17. In addition, hyperplastic cells revealed the presence of cytokeratins No. 7, 8, 18 and 19, specific for simple epithelia, but in a variable manner. The Squamous metaplasia cells exhibited cytokeratins No. 13, 18 and 19, but only weakly reactive. Our observations indicate that estrogen-induced endocervix metaplasia results from a transformation of reserve cells towards an epidermoid type epithelium. Hyperplasia would be the intermediate step in the mechanism of induced cervical metaplasia. This transformation is accompanied by the loss of cytoplasmic keratin proteins and the acquisition of new high molecular weight keratin proteins, specific for stratified squamous epithelia. The basal or reserve cells of the cervix can proliferate to produce regions of squamous cell metaplasia. It appears to be a direct effect of estrogen stimulation. Immunohistochemical staining for different molecular weight keratin proteins may be helpful in the evaluation of reserve cell differentiation.