Soursop (Annona muricata) Properties and Perspectives for Integral Valorization.

The increased international interest in the properties of soursop (Annona muricata) alerts us to the sustainability of productive chain by-products, which are rich in phytochemicals and other properties justifying their industrial application in addition to reducing the environmental impact and generating income. Chemical characteristics of soursop by-products are widely known in the scientific community; this fruit has several therapeutic effects, especially its leaves, enabling it to be used by the pharmaceutical industry. Damaged and non-standard fruits (due to falling and crushing) (30-50%), seeds (3-8.5%), peels (7-20%), and leaves, although they constitute discarded waste, can be considered as by-products. There are other less cited parts of the plant that also have phytochemical components, such as the columella and the epidermis of the stem and root. Tropical countries are examples of producers where soursop is marketed as fresh fruit or frozen pulp, and the valorization of all parts of the fruit could represent important environmental and economic perspectives. Based on the chemical composition of the fruit as well as its by-products and leaves, this work discusses proposals for the valorization of these materials. Soursop powder, bioactive compounds, oil, biochar, biodiesel, bio-oil, and other products based on published studies are presented in this work, offering new ideas for opportunities for the regions and consumers that produce soursop.

Spatio-temporal evolution of mortality in Cape Verde: 1995-2018.

Located in West Africa, Cabo Verde is a low income country, with significant gains in health indicators. Mortality is an important demographic factor. Its analysis provides essential statistical data for the design, implementation and evaluation of public health programs. The propose of this work is to analyze the spatio-temporal evolution of mortality in Cabo Verde between 1995 to 2018. This is an observational, quantitative study that performs demographic analysis of mortality data from the Ministry of Health of Cabo Verde. Specific mortality rates from standardized causes were calculated considering the population of the country as a reference in the year 2010 and also the standardized rate for all causes on each island, aiming at comparing the islands. During the period under analysis, the number of deaths in men was always higher than that of women. The main causes of death were diseases of the circulatory system and with a higher incidence in women. São Nicolau, Brava, and Santo Antão islands have mortality rates, higher than the national level (2010-2018). The main cause of premature death in women as identified as diseases of the circulatory system, while in men it is injuries, trauma, poisoning and external causes. There was a 72% decrease in the mortality rate due to unclassified symptoms and clinical signs, and an increase in respiratory diseases and tumours. With the exception of diseases of the circulatory system, mortality rates in men are higher than in women for all the considered causes. A decrease in specific mortality rates by age group is expected for both sexes, with a greater gain in men in the younger age groups. With these data, it is intended to alert health decision-makers about the best strategies to be defined in the reduction of mortality in the country.

Camu-camu [Myrciaria dubia (HBK) McVaugh]: A review of properties and proposals of products for integral valorization of raw material.

This review aims to evaluate the production and processing chain of camu-camu (Myrciaria dubia), giving suggestions to maximize the valorization of raw materials, demonstrating new product possibilities from processing to distribution and highlighting the suggested contributions. It is clear that despite the camu-camu pulp has important properties, a large part of its raw material, considered waste (around 50%) and formed by important bioactive compounds, can give rise to new products, such as bioactive extracts to be used by pharmaceutical, chemical and food industries, ingredients for bakery products, dairy and several others sectors, which constitutes opportunities, in addition to contributing to the reduction of agro-industrial waste and the preservation of the environment.

Igualdade, equidade e justiça na saúde à luz da bioética / Equality, equity, and justice in health in the light of bioethics / Igualdad, equidad y justicia en la salud a la luz de la bioética

Resumo A Declaração Universal sobre Bioética e Direitos Humanos viabilizou a reflexão sobre temas que ultrapassam a relação biomédica e abrangem questões sociais, sanitárias e ambientais, como exclusão social, vulnerabilidade, pobreza e discriminação. Este artigo tem como escopo refletir sobre conceitos de igualdade, justiça e equidade, como definidos pela Declaração, e sua aplicabilidade na solução dos problemas de saúde no Brasil. A partir da revisão bibliográfica foram retomados tanto autores clássicos (Platão e Aristóteles) como contemporâneos (Amartya Sen, John Rawls, Paulo Fortes e Fermin Schramm). O estudo propõe a equidade como princípio para a leitura crítica das políticas e serviços de saúde, instrumentalizando cidadãos e cidadãs para agir com responsabilidade social.

Abstract The Universal Declaration on Bioethics and Human Rights enabled the reflection on themes that go beyond purely biomedical concerns and address social, health and environmental topics such as social exclusion, vulnerability, poverty, and discrimination. This article aims to reflect on the concepts of equality, justice, and equity, as defined by the Declaration , and their applicability in solving health problems in Brazil. From a bibliographic review, both classic (Plato and Aristotle) and contemporary (Amartya Sen, John Rawls, Paulo Fortes and Fermin Schramm) authors were addressed. The study proposes equity as a principle for critically understanding health policies and services, helping citizens to act with social responsibility.

Resumen La Declaración Universal sobre Bioética y Derechos Humanos posibilitó la reflexión sobre temas que sobrepasan la relación biomédica y que envuelven cuestiones sociales, sanitarias y ambientales, como la exclusión social, la vulnerabilidad, la pobreza y la discriminación. Este artículo tiene como objetivo reflexionar sobre los conceptos de la igualdad, la justicia y la equidad según se definen en la Declaración, así como su aplicabilidad para la solución de los problemas de la salud en Brasil. A partir de una revisión bibliográfica, se recuperaron tanto a autores clásicos (Platón y Aristóteles) como contemporáneos (Amartya Sen, John Rawls, Paulo Fortes y Fermin Schramm). El estudio propone la equidad como principio para la lectura crítica de las políticas y servicios de salud y como medio de proporcionar herramientas a los ciudadanos y ciudadanas para que actúen con responsabilidad social.

Neurocognitive profiles in adolescents and young adults with congenital heart disease.

INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES: The objectives of this study were to assess the neuropsychological performance (NP) of adolescents and young adults with congenital heart disease (CHD), comparing them with a group of healthy controls, to determine whether there are different neurocognitive phenotypes in CHD, and to identify their relation to sociodemographic, neonatal, clinical and psychological adjustment variables. METHODS: A total of 217 CHD patients (116 male, aged 15.73±2.68 years) and 80 controls (35 male, age 16.76±2.22 years) underwent an extensive neuropsychological assessment and analysis of psychological adjustment. RESULTS: CHD patients had significantly poorer NP than healthy controls in all neurocognitive domains. Three different phenotypes of NP in CHD patients were identified: non-impaired (NI), moderately impaired (MI) and globally impaired (GI). They differed in all dimensions of NP. The GI cluster showed fewer years of schooling (p=0.025) and lower neonatal indicators such as head circumference (p=0.019), 1-min Apgar score (p=0.006), birth weight (p=0.05) and length (p=0.034) than the NI cluster. In the MI and GI clusters, there were more cyanotic forms of disease, including tetralogy of Fallot and transposition of the great arteries. The GI cluster presented more difficulties with psychological adjustment, including social (p=0.038), attention (p=0.001) and aggressive (p=0.003) problems. CONCLUSIONS: CHD patients have poorer NP than controls. NP in the CHD group can be classified in three clusters that reflect different levels of neuropsychological functioning, which is sensitive to social, neonatal and psychological adjustment variables.

Bioética de intervenção e pedagogia da libertação: aproximações possíveis / Bioética de intervención y pedagogia de la liberación: aproximaciones posibles / Intervention bioethics and pedagogy for liberation: possible approaches

O texto analisa uma aproximação entre a bioética de intervenção - abordagem teórica proposta na Cátedra Unesco de Bioética da Universidade de Brasília - e a pedagogia da libertação, teoria emancipadora desenvolvida pelo educador brasileiro Paulo Freire. Essas perspectivas foram selecionadas porque se propõem a atuar em contextos de desigualdade social, comprometidas com as dimensões sociopolíticas nos campos da bioética e da ética, respectivamente. Ao assumir a defesa intransigente das populações vulneráveis, "oprimidas" ou excluídas, instrumentalizam o debate ético, denunciando as desigualdades e defendendo um mundo com mais qualidade de vida e justiça social. Ao ressaltar o caráter ético-político que perpassa as duas teorias, o estudo conclui que ambas apontam a solidariedade como veículo de intervenção e mobilização, o que possibilita sua utilização conjunta e somatória como ferramenta teórico-metodológica na luta pelo respeito à dignidade humana e aos direitos humanos universais...

El artículo analiza una aproximación de bioética de intervención - enfoque teórico propuesto en la Cátedra Unesco de Bioética de la Universidad de Brasilia - y la pedagogía de la liberación, teoría emancipadora desarrollada por el educador brasileño Paulo Freire. Estas perspectivas han sido seleccionadas porque proponen actuar en contextos de desigualdad social, comprometidas con las dimensiones sociopolíticas en los ámbitos de la bioética y de la ética, respectivamente. Al tomar la defensa intransigente de las poblaciones vulnerables, "oprimidas" o excluidas, instrumentalizan el debate ético, denunciando las desigualdades y defendiendo un mundo con más calidad de vida y justicia social. Al resaltar el carácter ético/político que permea las dos teorías, el estudio concluye que ambas muestran la solidaridad como un vehículo para la intervención y la movilización, lo que permite su uso conjunto y en los totales como herramienta teórica y metodológica en la lucha por el respeto a la dignidad humana y a los derechos humanos universales...

The text analyzes an approximation between intervention bioethics - theoretical approach proposed in the Cátedra Unesco de Bioética at the University of Brasília - and the pedagogy for liberation, an emancipatory theory which was developed by the Brazilian educator Paulo Freire. These perspectives were selected due to the fact that they intend to act in social inequalities contexts, committed to the socio-political dimensions in the fields of bioethics and ethics, respectively. When assuming the intransigent defense of vulnerable, "oppressed" or excluded people, the ethical debate is created, denouncing inequalities and advocating a world with better quality of life and social justice. When highlighting the ethical/political character which intersects both theories, the study concludes that they point to solidarity as a mobilization and intervention tool, what enables their joint use as a theoretic-methodological tool in the fight for the respect to the human being dignity and to the universal human rights...

Pre-employment medical testing in Brazil: ethical challenges.

Pre-employment medical tests, considered to be a practice within the subspecialty of occupational medicine, are ordered by physicians on behalf of employers. Candidates for a job may be rejected if they are found to suffer from a condition that can be worsened by the job, or one that may put other workers at risk. As the physician who orders pre-employment tests is chosen by the employer, pre-employment tests can violate both the autonomy and the privacy of the individual. This paper discusses ethical conflicts inherent in pre-employment medical testing.

Indisciplina e resistência: uma descrição fenomenológica

O presente trabalho é uma reflexão sobre a indisciplina na escola e sua associação com a resistência, a partir da observação direta de uma sala de aula onde se concentram os 'indisciplinados'e as falas de mais oito adolescentes de outras turmas, também protagonista desse fenômeno. Este estudo se propõe a lançar luz sobre as vivências desses alunos, intuindo a forma como eles significam suas experiências escolares, e, especificamente, o sentido atribuido por esses atores ao fenômeno indisciplina, bem como seus efeitos nas diversas relações estabelecidas no cenário escolar.Nessa perspectiva, a indisciplina se manifestou como um fenômeno complexo da qual a disciplina é parte constitutiva, pois se revelou, nesse caso, como uma forma de expressão do aluno dito indisciplinado, um dos indicadores da sua capacidade consciente de resistir às condições impostas pelo poder hierárquico e, portanto, abre a possibilidade de, mesmo submetidos, os alunos encontrarem meios de potencializar suas ações e, embora provisoriamente, sentirem-se protagonistas das suas vidas, e, particularmente, dos acontecimentos escolares.O método utilizado foi o fenomenológico que, associado à etnografia, possibilitou-me, atravéz do contato direto e constante com o dia a dia escolar, descrever situações relacionadas ao fenômeno pesquisado, além de previlegiar os pontos de vista dos alunos, através do reforço analitico dos momentos-chave de suas falas. Assim, a escola, segundo eles, e de acordo com Foucault, devido ao seu carater disciplinador, tem como objetivo o adestratamento continuo, tornando-se submissos e dóceis; para isso, tende a ignorar as suas reivindicações, o que intensifica, cada véz mais, os conflitos nos espaços escolares. De forma geral, os alunos referem-se à escola como um local marcado pela diferença de tratamento, que previlegia os alunos adaptados e banaliza o sofrimento dos indisciplinados; a indisciplina, portanto, deve ser entendida como uma das formas desses últimos expressarem seu desejo de inclusão ativa nos processos de aprendizagem(AU)