Preliminary Studies of Acute Cadmium Administration Effects on the Calcium-Activated Potassium (SKCa and BKCa) Channels and Na+/K+-ATPase Activity in Isolated Aortic Rings of Rats.

Cadmium is an environmental pollutant closely linked with cardiovascular diseases that seems to involve endothelium dysfunction and reduced nitric oxide (NO) bioavailability. Knowing that NO causes dilatation through the activation of potassium channels and Na+/K+-ATPase, we aimed to determine whether acute cadmium administration (10 µM) alters the participation of K+ channels, voltage-activated calcium channel, and Na+/K+-ATPase activity in vascular function of isolated aortic rings of rats. Cadmium did not modify the acetylcholine-induced relaxation. After L-NAME addition, the relaxation induced by acetylcholine was abolished in presence or absence of cadmium, suggesting that acutely, this metal did not change NO release. However, tetraethylammonium (a nonselective K+ channels blocker) reduced acetylcholine-induced relaxation but this effect was lower in the preparations with cadmium, suggesting a decrease of K+ channels function in acetylcholine response after cadmium incubation. Apamin (a selective blocker of small Ca2+-activated K+ channels-SKCa), iberiotoxin (a selective blocker of large-conductance Ca2+-activated K+ channels-BKCa), and verapamil (a blocker of calcium channel) reduced the endothelium-dependent relaxation only in the absence of cadmium. Finally, cadmium decreases Na+/K+-ATPase activity. Our results provide evidence that the cadmium acute incubation unaffected the calcium-activated potassium channels (SKCa and BKCa) and voltage-calcium channels on the acetylcholine vasodilatation. In addition, acute cadmium incubation seems to reduce the Na+/K+-ATPase activity.

Scored Patient-Generated Subjective Global Assessment: risk identification and need for nutritional intervention in cancer patients at hospital admission / Escore da avaliação subjetiva global produzida pelo próprio paciente: Identificação do risco e necessidade de intervenção nutricional em pacientes com câncer na admissão hospitalar

Background: Malnutrition is one of the most common nutritional disorders in cancer patients, making early diagnosis and nutritional intervention necessary to minimize or prevent undesirable outcomes. Objective: To identify nutritional status and the need for nutritional intervention in cancer patients according to Patient-Generated Subjective Global Assessment (PG-SGA) and the scored PG-SGA at hospital admission, and to verify the association of the scored PG-SGA with objective methods of nutritional assessment Methods: A cross-sectional study was carried out in a university hospital with adult and elderly cancer patients of both sexes. Conventional anthropometric variables, body mass index, and PG-SGA within 48 hours of hospital admission were evaluated. The data were evaluated by Fisher's Exact test, ANOVA, Pearson's correlation, and multiple linear regression. Results: Of the 70 patients evaluated, 64 (95.7%) presented some degree of malnutrition according to PG-SGA. The total scored PG-SGA showed that 60 (91.4%) of patients had nutritional intervention (≥ 4 points) and 43 (61.4%) had nutritional risk (≥ 9 points). The scored PG-SGA was associated with objective variables of nutritional status. Conclusion: PG-SGA was able to efficiently identify malnutrition in its different stages, as well as the need for nutritional intervention at hospital admission. The PG-SGA score was associated with objective methods of nutritional assessment. PG-SGA and its score should be included in the initial evaluation of cancer patients, because they allow different evaluations in a single instrument

Introducción:La desnutrición es uno de los trastornos nutricionales más comunes en pacientes con cáncer, lo que hace que el diagnóstico precoz y la intervención nutricional adecuada sean fundamentales para minimizar o prevenir resultados indeseables. Objetivo: Identificar la presencia de desnutrición y la necesidad de intervención nutricional en pacientes con cáncer según Valoración Global Subjetiva Generada por el Paciente (VGS-GP) y su puntuación en la admisión hospitalaria, y verificar la asociación del score de la VGS-GP con métodos objetivos de la evaluación nutricional. Métodos: Estudio transversal, realizado en un hospital universitario, con pacientes oncológicos, adultos y ancianos, de ambos sexos. Se evaluaron las variables antropométricas convencionales y el índice de masa corporal aplicados a VGS-GP en hasta 48 horas de la admisión hospitalaria. Los datos se evaluaron por la prueba Exacta de Fisher, ANOVA, Correlación de Pearson y regresión lineal múltiple. Resultados: De los 70 pacientes evaluados, 67 (el 95.7%), presentaron algún grado de desnutrición según la VGS-GP. La puntuación total de la VGS-GP mostró que el 91.4% (60 pacientes) presentó la necesidad de intervención nutricional (≥ 4 puntos) y que el 61.4% (43 pacientes) presentó el riesgo nutricional (≥ 9 puntos). La puntuación de la VGS-GP se asoció con variables objetivas del estado nutricional. Conclusión: La VGS-GP y su puntuación fueron capaces de identificar de manera eficiente la desnutrición en sus diferentes etapas y la necesidad de intervención nutricional en la admisión hospitalaria. La puntuación de la VGS-GP se asoció a métodos objetivos de la evaluación nutricional. La VGS-GP y su puntuación deben ser incluidos en la evaluación inicial de los pacientes con cáncer al permitir diferentes evaluaciones en un único instrumento

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Boas práticas na manipulação de alimentos em restaurantes comerciais self service / Good practices in food handling in self service commercial restaurants

Nas últimas décadas, houve aumento do consumo de alimentos fora do domicílio, o que ocasionou a expansão do número de Unidades Produtoras de Refeições (UPR). Entretanto, esses estabelecimentos comerciais nem sempre possuem condições higienicossanitárias compatíveis com as atividades que executam. Assim, com o intuito de assegurar a qualidade do alimento e consequentemente a saúde do consumidor, uma das formas para atingir esse objetivo é a aplicação das boas práticas na manipulação dos alimentos. Objetivou-se com este trabalho avaliar as condições higienicossanitárias em restaurantes comerciais do tipo self service. A avaliação foi realizada por meio da aplicação de uma lista de verificação de boas práticas em restaurantes comerciais, baseada na RDC 216/2004, de forma a verificar as possíveis não conformidades e/ou conformidades nestes estabelecimentos. Foram avaliados sete restaurantes do tipo localizados no município de Vila Velha - ES. Mediante a avaliação, 14,30% dos estabelecimentos foram classificados como Grupo 1; 42,85% foram classificados como Grupo 2 e 42,85% como Grupo 3. As principais inadequações observadas estavam relacionadas às condições das edificações, instalações, manipulação, armazenamento e exposição dos alimentos. Dessa forma, ações corretivas são essenciais para garantir qualidade das refeições e segurança dos usuários deste serviço.

In recent decades, there has been increased consumption of food away from home, which led to the expansion of the number of Food Services (FS). However, these shops do not always have hygienic and sanitary conditions compatible with the activities. Thus, in order to ensure the food quality and thus the consumers health, one of the ways to achieve this goal is the implementation of best practices of food handling to reduce these risks. The aim of this study was to evaluate the hygienic sanitary conditions in commercial restaurants self service. The evaluation was performed by applying a best practice checklist in commercial restaurants, based in the RDC 216/2004 in order to check the possible non compliance and/or compliance in these establishments. They describe seven types of restaurants located in the municipality of Vila Velha-ES. By assessing, 14.30% of the establishments were classified as Group 1, 42.85% were classified as Group 2 and 42.85% as Group 3. The main inadequacies observed were related to the conditions of the buildings, facilities, handling, storage and exposure of the food. Thus, corrective actions are essential to ensure quality of the meals and safety of users of this service.