Mitochondrial ncRNA LDL-805 declines in alveolar epithelial type 2 cells of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease patients.

Rationale: We showed that levels of a murine mitochondrial noncoding RNA, mito-ncR-LDL805 , increase in alveolar epithelial type 2 cells exposed to extracts from cigarette smoke. The transcripts translocate to the nucleus, upregulating nucleus-encoded mitochondrial genes and mitochondrial bioenergetics. This response is lost after chronic exposure to smoke in a mouse model of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Objectives: To determine if mito-ncR-LDL805 plays a role in human disease, this study aimed to (i) identify the human homologue, (ii) test if the smoke-induced response occurs in human cells, (ii) determine causality between the subcellular localization of the transcript and increased mitochondrial bioenergetics, and (iii) analyze mito-ncR-LDL805 transcript levels in samples from patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Methods: Levels and subcellular localization of the human homologue identified from an RNA transcript library were assessed in human alveolar epithelial type 2 cells exposed to smoke extract. Lipid nanoparticles were used for nucleus-targeted delivery of mito-ncR-LDL805 transcripts. Analyses included in situ hybridization, quantitative PCR, cell growth, and Seahorse mitochondrial bioenergetics assays. Measurements and Main Results: The levels of human homologue transiently increased and the transcripts translocated to the nuclei in human cells exposed to smoke extract. Targeted nuclear delivery of transcripts increased mitochondrial bioenergetics. Alveolar cells from humans with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease had reduced levels of the mito-ncR-LDL805 . Conclusions: mito-ncR-LDL805 mediates mitochondrial bioenergetics in murine and human alveolar epithelial type 2 cells in response to cigarette smoke exposure, but this response is likely lost in diseases associated with chronic smoking, such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, due to its diminished levels. Impact: This study describes a novel mechanism by which epithelial cells in the lungs adapt to the mitochondrial stress triggered by exposure to cigarette smoke. We show that a noncoding RNA in mitochondria is upregulated and translocated to the nuclei of alveolar epithelial type 2 cells to trigger expression of genes that restore mitochondrial bioenergetics. Mitochondria function and levels of the noncoding RNA decrease under conditions that lead to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, suggesting that the mitochondrial noncoding RNA can serve as potential therapeutic target to restore function to halt disease progression.

Changes in plant communities and soil attributes in the "Cousteau's whale bone skeleton" tourist attraction area in Keller Peninsula after 48 years.

Ice-free areas of Antarctica represent an important study region that helps us understand how human activity affects plant communities and soil properties. The goal of this study was to determine the changes in plant composition and soil properties around a whale bone skeleton (WB) near Ferraz Station, King George Island, Antarctica from 1972 to 2020 (48 years). The WB was assembled in 1972 by Jacques-Yves Cousteau and his team. It is located in a large moss field and visited by many tourists. We studied the plant composition and development based on historical and recent photographs and phytosociological studies from 1986 to 2020. The soil was sampled in February 2009 to determine general properties. The results showed that human activity surrounding the WB directly affected the plant community composition and soil properties. The Syntrichia cushions were positively affected by the calcium deposits from bone dissolution. The principal component analysis revealed that mineralization of the bones increased soil nutrient assembly. A strong phosphatization process was observed in the WB area, similar to that in ornithogenic soils. The WB on the marine terrace enhanced soil fertility and changed the plant community.

The diversity and structure of plant communities in the maritime Antarctic is shaped by southern giant petrel's (Macronectes giganteus) breeding activities.

Southern giant petrels (Macronectes giganteus) are found in the Antarctic. They build their nests with rock fragments, disturbing large areas during incubation and chick feeding periods; however, their impact on vegetation is unknown. Thus, we aimed to evaluate the effect of Petrel nests and associated breeding activities on the diversity and structure of cryptogam communities of Stinker Point, Elephant Island. We selected 13 nests in February and March 2012 and continue the monitoring in 2018. The area of direct influence of breeding activities was photographed to calculate plant community coverage. The results demonstrated that species richness, community coverage and composition, and beta diversity showed significant differences between active and inactive nests. The linear mixed-effect models revealed that the positive effect of nest area mainly caused variation in community coverage, but had a negative effect on beta diversity. Sphaerophorus globosus (lichen) grew around the inactive nests, sometimes forming a ring up to 1 m in diameter. This ring was then surrounded by the Chorisodontium acyphyllum moss colonized by S. globosus, and a final ring of Sanionia uncinata, colonized by the same lichen. Recently constructed nests are generally surrounded by Prasiola crispa and Sanionia uncinata carpets.

Effect of Foot Reflexology Protocol on Premenstrual Syndrome Symptoms in Nursing Students: a Pre-Post Pilot Study.

BACKGROUND: Premenstrual syndrome is a highly prevalent cyclical disorder among women of childbearing age which interferes with daily activities, mood, and quality of life. PURPOSE: To evaluate the effects of a foot reflexology protocol on relieving premenstrual syndrome symptoms in nursing students. SETTING: Nursing School, São Paulo University, Brazil. PARTICIPANTS: A convenience sample of 17 nursing students, diagnosed with moderate-to-severe premenstrual syndrome as assessed by the Premenstrual Symptoms Screening Tool (PSST). RESEARCH DESIGN: A pre-post pilot intervention study. INTERVENTION: The intervention consisted of eight reflexology sessions lasting 30 minutes for eight weeks. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: Evaluation of the participants by the PSST applied at the beginning and at the end of the study. RESULTS: The participants had an average age of 21.7 (±2.6) years, ranging from 19 to 28 years; all were single, and most were in the third year of the course (58.8%); 75.6% lived with their family; 82.4% do not use contraceptives; 64.7% reported regular menstrual flow with an average duration of 5.1 (±1.1) days, and an average menstrual cycle interval of 29.3 (±4.9) days. The intervention significantly reduced the premenstrual symptoms assessed by the PSST (p<.017) with a pre-post difference of 10.2 points in the overall score, and the items score decreased between 1.2 to 3.4 for difficulty concentrating, insomnia, hypersomnia, feeling overwhelmed, muscle/ joint pain, bloating, weight gain; and between 3.5 to 5.2 to anger/irritability, anxiety/ tension, tearful, depressed mood, decreased interest in daily activities, fatigue, overeating, and breast tenderness. There was a significant decrease regarding the functional impact of premenstrual symptoms domain in the overall score with a pre-post difference of 10.7, and between 1.7 and 3.0 for all of the items (p<.04), except for the item "your home responsibilities". CONCLUSION: Foot reflexology has shown promising results in reducing premenstrual syndrome symptoms.

Pseudo Asynchronous Level Crossing adc for ecg Signal Acquisition.

A new pseudo asynchronous level crossing analogue-to-digital converter (adc) architecture targeted for low-power, implantable, long-term biomedical sensing applications is presented. In contrast to most of the existing asynchronous level crossing adc designs, the proposed design has no digital-to-analogue converter (dac) and no continuous time comparators. Instead, the proposed architecture uses an analogue memory cell and dynamic comparators. The architecture retains the signal activity dependent sampling operation by generating events only when the input signal is changing. The architecture offers the advantages of smaller chip area, energy saving and fewer analogue system components. Beside lower energy consumption the use of dynamic comparators results in a more robust performance in noise conditions. Moreover, dynamic comparators make interfacing the asynchronous level crossing system to synchronous processing blocks simpler. The proposed adc was implemented in [Formula: see text] complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (cmos) technology, the hardware occupies a chip area of 0.0372 mm2 and operates from a supply voltage of [Formula: see text] to [Formula: see text]. The adc's power consumption is as low as 0.6 µW with signal bandwidth from [Formula: see text] to [Formula: see text] and achieves an equivalent number of bits (enob) of up to 8 bits.

Recognition memory and DNA damage in undernourished young rats.

This study evaluated the recognition memory and the levels of DNA damage (blood and hippocampus) in undernourished young Wistar rats. The experiment was conducted along 14-week with rodents divided in control group (CG, n=8) and undernourished group (UG, n=12) which was submitted to caloric restriction. Nutritional status for undernutrition was defined by Body Mass Index (BMI) ≤0.45g/cm2 and by weighting the organs/tissue (liver, spleen, intestine, peritoneal fat, kidney and encephalon). The Novel Object Recognition Test assessed recognition memory and the Comet Assay evaluated the levels of DNA damage. Student t test, 2-way ANOVA and Pearson's correlation analysis were used and the significance level was of p<0.05. The UG showed lower BMI and organ/tissue weights than CG (p<0.001). In short-term memory, the recognition rate was higher in the UG (p<0.05), only after 4 weeks. In the long-term memory, again recognition rate was higher in the UG than the CG, after 4 weeks (p<0.001) and 14 weeks (p<0.01). The UG showed decreased levels of DNA damage in the blood (p<0.01) and increased levels in the hippocampus (p<0.01). We concluded in this study that the undernutrition by caloric restriction did not cause impairment in recognition memory, however induced DNA damage in the hippocampus.

Bufferless Compression of Asynchronously Sampled ECG Signals in Cubic Hermitian Vector Space.

Asynchronous level crossing sampling analog-to-digital converters (ADCs) are known to be more energy efficient and produce fewer samples than their equidistantly sampling counterparts. However, as the required threshold voltage is lowered, the number of samples and, in turn, the data rate and the energy consumed by the overall system increases. In this paper, we present a cubic Hermitian vector-based technique for online compression of asynchronously sampled electrocardiogram signals. The proposed method is computationally efficient data compression. The algorithm has complexity O(n), thus well suited for asynchronous ADCs. Our algorithm requires no data buffering, maintaining the energy advantage of asynchronous ADCs. The proposed method of compression has a compression ratio of up to 90% with achievable percentage root-mean-square difference ratios as a low as 0.97. The algorithm preserves the superior feature-to-feature timing accuracy of asynchronously sampled signals. These advantages are achieved in a computationally efficient manner since algorithm boundary parameters for the signals are extracted a priori.

An optimized lead system for long-term esophageal electrocardiography.

Long-term electrocardiography (ECG) featuring adequate atrial and ventricular signal quality is highly desirable. Routinely used surface leads are limited in atrial signal sensitivity and recording capability impeding complete ECG delineation, i.e. in the presence of supraventricular arrhythmias. Long-term esophageal ECG might overcome these limitations but requires a dedicated lead system and recorder design. To this end, we analysed multiple-lead esophageal ECGs with respect to signal quality by describing the ECG waves as a function of the insertion level, interelectrode distance, electrode shape and amplifier's input range. The results derived from clinical data show that two bipolar esophageal leads, an atrial lead with short (15 mm) interelectrode distance and a ventricular lead with long (80 mm) interelectrode distance provide non-inferior ventricular signal strength and superior atrial signal strength compared to standard surface lead II. High atrial signal slope in particular is observed with the atrial esophageal lead. The proposed esophageal lead system in combination with an increased recorder input range of ±20 mV minimizes signal loss due to excessive electrode motion typically observed in esophageal ECGs. The design proposal might help to standardize long-term esophageal ECG registrations and facilitate novel ECG classification systems based on the independent detection of ventricular and atrial electrical activity.

Autoexame de mamas e oncocitologia em trabalhadoras de saúde de Londrina ­ Paraná / Breast self-examination and oncocytology in healthcare workers of Londrina - Paraná / Autoexamen de las mamas y oncocitología en trabajadoras de salud de Londrina - Paraná

No Brasil, o câncer de mama é a segunda neoplasia mais comum entre as mulheres, vindo a seguir o câncer uterino. Sua detecção precoce é imprescindível para cura. O objetivo deste estudo, que é de caráter descritivo, transversal e quantitativo, foi analisar a prática do autoexame de mamas e da oncocitologia entre trabalhadoras de duas unidades básicas de saúde de Londrina-Paraná. Para isso elaborou-se um questionário referente aos dados sociodemográficos e à prática do autoexame das mamas e oncocitologia, com 21 questões objetivas, o qual foi aplicado a 68 trabalhadoras de saúde, em setembro de 2010. Associações estatísticas foram avaliadas através do teste qui-quadrado, quando cabível, com níveis de significância de 5%. Os resultados mostraram predominância de mulheres casadas, com 11 a 15 anos de estudo. Das entrevistadas, 85% sabiam realizar o autoexame, porém 48,52% raramente o faziam e 14,07% nunca o tinham feito. Quanto à oncocitologia, 54,41% tinham-no realizado havia menos de um ano, 27,94% entre 1 e 3 anos. Esquecimento, falta de atenção à saúde, falta de tempo e vergonha foram fatores encontrados para a não realização desses exames. Como essas profissionais têm a função de educar e de promover a saúde, a sugestão é que se ofereçam cursos de capacitação e campanhas educativas voltadas a essas trabalhadoras.

In Brazil, breast cancer is the second most common neoplasm among women followed by cervical cancer and its early detection is essential for healing. The aim of this study was to examine the practice of breast self-examination and oncocytology among healthcare workers of two Basic Health Units in Londrina-Paraná. This is a descriptive, cross-sectional, quantitative study. A questionnaire with 21 objective questions was prepared regarding sociodemographic data and practice of self-examination and oncocytology in which it was applied to 68 healthcare workers throughout September 2010. Whenever it was required, statistical associations were evaluated through the Chi-square test (p ≤ 0.05). The results showed a predominance of married women with 11 to 15 years of education. From those interviewed, 85% knew how to do breast self-examination. Yet, 48.52% of workers rarely performed it and 14.07% never did it. When it comes to oncocytology, 54.41% had had it less than one year before, 27.94% between 1 and 3 years before. Negligence, lack of attention to their health, lack of time and embarrassment were reasons for not to be submitted to the examinations. Since these professionals have an educational and of health promotion function, the suggestion would be to offer training courses and educational campaigns focused on them.

En Brasil, el cáncer de mama es la segunda neoplasia más común entre las mujeres, seguido del cáncer uterino, y su detección precoz es esencial para la cura. El objetivo de este estudio fue analizar la práctica del autoexamen de mamas y de la oncocitología entre trabajadoras de dos Unidades Básicas de Salud en Londrina-Paraná. Se trata de un estudio descriptivo, transversal, cuantitativo. Se preparó un cuestionario referente a los datos sociodemográficos y la práctica del autoexamen de las mamas y oncocitología con 21 preguntas objetivas, aplicado a 68 trabajadoras de salud en septiembre de 2010. Las asociaciones estadísticas fueron evaluadas, cuando posible, a través de la prueba chi-cuadrado, con niveles de significancia de 5%. Los resultados mostraron un predominio de mujeres casadas, con 11 a 15 años de estudio. De las entrevistadas, el 85% sabía realizar el autoexamen, sin embargo el 48,52% raramente lo realizaba y 14,07% nunca lo realizó. En cuanto a la oncocitología, un 54,41% lo había realizado a menos de un año y 27,94% entre 1 y 3 años. El olvido, la falta de atención a la salud, la falta de tiempo y la vergüenza fueron factores encontrados para la no realización de estos exámenes. Debido a que estas profesionales tengan función educativa y de promoción a la salud, la sugerencia es para que se ofrezcan cursos de capacitación y campañas educativas dirigidas a estas trabajadoras.

The effects of topical isoflavones on postmenopausal skin: double-blind and randomized clinical trial of efficacy.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of estrogen and isoflavones on postmenopausal skin morphological parameters. STUDY DESIGN: A randomized, double-blind, estrogen-controlled trial was performed on postmenopausal women treated in the Gynecology Department of the Federal University of São Paulo. This study was designed to analyze the effects of topical administration of estradiol and isoflavones on facial skin for 24 weeks. The participants were divided into two groups: G1-17-betaestradiol 0.01% (n=18) and G2-isoflavones 40% (genistein 4%, n=18). Skin biopsies were performed on each patient before and after the treatment. The skin samples were processed for histological analysis, stained with haematoxylin and eosin, and examined using light microscopy. RESULTS: After 24 weeks of treatment, the estradiol group had a significant increase in skin parameters analyzed compared to the isoflavone group and to the baseline measurements: epidermal thickness (a 75% increase in the estrogen group and 20% in the isoflavone group), number of dermal papillae (a rise of 125% with estrogen, no significant gain with isoflavones), fibroblasts (a 123% accretion with estradiol, no significant gain with isoflavones), and vessels (a 77% increase with estrogen and 36% with isoflavones). CONCLUSION: Our data suggest that estrogens may have a stronger effect on histomorphometrical parameters than isoflavones.

"Slowed right down": Insights into the use of alcohol from research with Aboriginal Australians living with HIV.

OBJECTIVE: To describe the role that alcohol plays in the lives of Aboriginal people living with HIV in Western Australia. METHODS: Semi-structured interviews were conducted between February and September 2003 with 20 Aboriginal people who were HIV-positive; almost half the total number of Aboriginal people known to be living with HIV in Western Australia at that time. The main purpose of the study was to document their experiences of living with HIV and aspects of health service delivery. RESULTS: Drinking emerged as a key theme in the majority of interviews. Alcohol had a major role in disinhibition and risk-taking behaviour of both the participants and those they socialized with. It was perceived as a commodity, a way of altering reality, and a pathway through which social connection was maintained and was central to the common narratives of loss, chaos and transformation. Post-diagnosis, alcohol helped with disclosure and temporary blunting of distress as a result of the HIV diagnosis. It also contributed to a lack of capacity to comply with anti-retroviral therapy although narratives also included personal growth and restoration of physical health. CONCLUSIONS: Effective strategies to reduce risk of STIs and HIV and prevent other health problems need to address substance use issues but this also requires amelioration of the structural inequalities that make minority groups vulnerable.

"If it wasn't for OTDs, there would be no AMS": overseas-trained doctors working in rural and remote Aboriginal health settings.

Australian-trained doctors are often reluctant to work in rural and remote areas and overseas-trained doctors (OTDs) are recruited to practise in many rural Aboriginal medical services. This paper focuses on recent research carried out in Australia to analyse factors affecting OTDs' professional, cultural and social integration and examine their training and support needs. Ten case studies were conducted throughout Australia with OTDs, which also included interviews with spouses/partners, professional colleagues, co-workers, and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community members associated with the health service. Key themes emerging from the data across all informants included the need to better address recruitment, orientation and cross-cultural issues; the importance of effective communication and building community and institutional relationships, both with the local health service and the broader medical establishment.

A experiência grupal em uma pesquisa interventiva / Group work in an interventive survey

Nosso objetivo é apresentar a análise de uma experiência grupal em uma pesquisa interventiva com professores de uma escola pública. Iniciamos com um estudo histórico da forma de abordagem grupal, acompanhando o movimento do grupo de pesquisa no decorrer do processo de busca de uma perspectiva significativa de trabalho. Discutimos a forma utilizada na experiência em pauta, apresentando exemplos de situações que ocorreram ao longo do processo para clarificar o movimento vivido pelo grupo de participantes. No final apontamos alguns aspectos que facilitam a realização da pesquisa interventiva em contextos institucionais.

The objective of this work is to present an analysis of a group work experience in an interventive survey involving public school teachers. A historical study of the concept of group work approach was initially presented following the research group movement while searching for a significant perspective of work. We discuss the format used in the experience, presenting examples of situations that had occurred throughout the process to clarify the movement of the group of participants. Finally, we point some aspects that help accomplish this type of survey within institutional contexts.

A experiência grupal em uma pesquisa interventiva / Group work in an interventive survey

Nosso objetivo é apresentar a análise de uma experiência grupal em uma pesquisa interventiva com professores de uma escola pública. Iniciamos com um estudo histórico da forma de abordagem grupal, acompanhando o movimento do grupo de pesquisa no decorrer do processo de busca de uma perspectiva significativa de trabalho. Discutimos a forma utilizada na experiência em pauta, apresentando exemplos de situações que ocorreram ao longo do processo para clarificar o movimento vivido pelo grupo de participantes. No final apontamos alguns aspectos que facilitam a realização da pesquisa interventiva em contextos institucionais(AU)

The objective of this work is to present an analysis of a group work experience in an interventive survey involving public school teachers. A historical study of the concept of group work approach was initially presented following the research group movement while searching for a significant perspective of work. We discuss the format used in the experience, presenting examples of situations that had occurred throughout the process to clarify the movement of the group of participants. Finally, we point some aspects that help accomplish this type of survey within institutional contexts(AU)

Coexistence of halloysite and kaolinite: a study on the genesis of kaolin clays of Campo Alegre Basin, Santa Catarina State, Brazil

Kaolin at Campo Alegre Basin, Santa Catarina State, Brazil was formed from alteration of volcanic acid rocks. Halloysite clays dominate the clay fraction of the matrix of the kaolin body, whereas a poorly crystalline kaolinite is abundant in veins. Some primary blocky structures have high amounts of illite, in one mine, but in general, only low contents of illite-smectite, illite, chlorite-vermiculite, vermiculite and quartz were identified in the clay fraction of the samples. Toward the top of the mines, hematite and lepidocrocite appear in horizontal red and ochre colored levels and the amount of kaolinite increases compared to halloysite. The vertical zoning of alteration levels, the changes in mineralogy, the positive correlation between depth and Cation Exchange Capacity of the clays, the preservation of different types of rock textures in the kaolin bodies, the dominant tube morphology of the halloysite clays indicate a supergene genesis for the deposits. Criteria to distinguish between supergene and hypogene kaolin are discussed. Transmission Electron Microscopy of the cross sections of halloysite tubes showed polygonal forms that are ascribed to be transitional between kaolinite and halloysite. It is proposed that some of the kaolinite of these deposits be inherited from the dehydration of halloysite tubes.

O caolim da Bacia de Campo Alegre, Estado de Santa Catarina, Brasil, formou-se da alteração de rochas vulcânicas ácidas. A haloisita predomina na fração argila da matriz do corpo de caolim, enquanto a caolinita, de baixa cristalinidade, é abundante nos veios. Algumas estruturas em blocos, primários, têm altos teores de ilita em uma mina, mas no geral, somente foram identificadas, na fração argila das amostras, baixas quantidades de ilita-esmectita, ilita, clorita-vermiculita, vermiculita e quartzo. Em direção ao topo das minas aparecem hematita e lepidocrocita em níveis vermelhos e ocres e as quantidades de caolinita aumentam, se comparadas às de haloisita. O zoneamento vertical dos níveis de alteração, as mudanças mineralógicas, a correlação positiva entre profundidade e Capacidade de Troca de Cátions das argilas, a preservação de diferentes tipos de textura de rochas nos corpos de caolim e o predomínio da morfologia tubular da haloisita indicam uma origem supergênica para os depósitos. São discutidos critérios para distinguir entre caolins supergênicos e hipogênicos. A Microscopia Eletrônica de Transmissão das secções transversais dos tubos de haloisita mostrou formas poligonais que são atribuídas a transições entre caolinita e haloisita. Propõe-se que algumas das caolinitas destes depósitos sejam herdadas da desidratação de tubos de haloisita.

Perinatal HIV transmission and pregnancy outcomes in indigenous women in Western Australia.

BACKGROUND: Implementation of obstetric and neonatal interventions has reduced mother to child transmission of HIV. Health outcomes for Aboriginal people are often worse than for non-Aboriginal people; was this the case for HIV infection in pregnancy? AIMS: To compare the management and outcomes of pregnancy in Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal HIV-positive women in Western Australia (WA). METHODS: A retrospective study of all pregnancies delivered in WA to HIV-infected women from 1991 until 2005. Managed pregnancies were compared in Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal women. Outcome measures were HIV status of the babies, birthweight, rates of caesarean delivery and perinatal mortality. RESULTS: Fifty-six pregnancies occurred in 41 HIV-infected women resulting in 54 live births. Of the 41 women, 16 (39%) were Aboriginal. In regard to birthweight, perinatal mortality, rates of caesarean section and rates of HIV perinatal transmission, there was no significant difference between babies born to Aboriginal and those born to non-Aboriginal mothers. In contrast, of the eight pregnancies, with no contact with the multidisciplinary team, five babies (63%) were infected with HIV (2% vs 63%P = 0.001). There was no case of perinatal HIV infection in 22 pregnancies of the Aboriginal women that received care through the multidisciplinary team; perinatally acquired HIV occurred in the first pregnancy of one of these women before she was aware of her status when she was not managed by the team. CONCLUSIONS: Similar outcomes can be achieved in both HIV-positive Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal women, through intensive, culturally appropriate, multidisciplinary care and without elective caesarean delivery.

Effects of topical estradiol on the facial skin collagen of postmenopausal women under oral hormone therapy: a pilot study.

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the dermal collagen of 15 postmenopausal women who had being treated with systemic estrogen replacement before and after using topical a 0.01% estrogen treatment. METHODS: Fifteen patients were included in this clinical trial using the systemic estrogen therapy for at least 1 year (minimum and maximum lengths of therapy were 13 and 40 months, respectively). A facial punch was performed in the preauricular area for collecting samples before and after the 16 weeks of treatment. Blood samples were also collected for estradiol level determination. The morphometric determination of epithelial and dermal thickness as well as dermal collagen were measured using a suitable software. The paired Student's t-test was used for statistical analysis. RESULTS: The epithelial and dermal thickness enhanced after the topic estrogen therapy (P<0.01). The amount of collagen significantly increased after 16 weeks of treatment (P<0.001). The estrogen levels did not significant increase after the topical therapy (P > or = 0.05). CONCLUSION: Our data suggested that topical estrogen associated to systemic estrogen therapy seems to increase the expression of skin collagen amount, which may prove to be beneficial for the postmenopausal facial skin.

Acolhimento e inclusão: da clínica ao acompanhamento escolar de um sujeito com Síndrome de Down / Acceptance and inclusion: from clinical to school follow up of a patient with Down syndrome

Neste artigo, visa-se discutir a transformação no manejo clínico e escolar ocorrido no trabalho multidiscipinar realizado com uma criança com Síndrome de Down. Trata-se de um estudo de caso de um paciente acompanhado desde os 11 meses de idade em clínica fonoaudiológica particular. As referências teóricas utilizadas foram a teoria da constituição da pessoa de D. Winnicott e as concepções de linguagem de M. Bakhtin, que, juntas, permitiram que os pesquisadores assumissem uma posição na coleta e análise dos dados, que provieram fundamentalmente dos registros de reuniões de equipe realizadas durante os anos de 2003 e 2004. O paciente em questão desenvolveu efetivamente a comunicação por meio da escrita, quando se integrou ao grupo de crianças de sua série escolar. A escrita adquiriu uma função em seu cotidiano, o que permitiu ao paciente sentir-se respeitado em suas particularidades e participar da construção de seu conhecimento. O diálogo estabelecido entre os profissionais, a família e a criança favoreceu a criação de situações de comunicação em um ambiente acolhedor da diversidade, fundamental em um processo de inclusão

Avaliação higiênico-sanitária de estabelecimentos da rede Fast Food no Município de São Paulo / Evaluation of the hygienic sanitary of establishments Fast Food in the city of São Paulo

Foram classificados alguns pontos comerciais da rede fast food, com o intuito de avaliar a relação existente entre a classificação higiênico-sanitária e algumas características sociais e econômicas de estabelecimentos alimentícios, gerando informações adicionais para os cursos fornecidos para manipuladores de alimentos. No período de julho a agosto de 2004 foram escolhidos aleatoriamente dez shopping centers do Município de São Paulo, sendo que foram visitados cinco estabelecimentos fast food de cada shopping e realizadas entrevistas com 2 funcionários, totalizando uma amostra de 50 estabelecimentos e 100 funcionários. Vinte e oito por cento (14/50) dos estabelecimentos foram classificados como baixo risco sanitário e setenta e dois por cento (36/50) de médio risco sanitário. Não houve associação significativa (P>0,05) entre as variáveis do questionário dos funcionários com a classificação higiênico-sanitária dos estabelecimentos concluindo-se que não há um fator específico que determine o nível sanitário de um estabelecimento, mas sim um conjunto de fatores, que são influenciados principalmente pelo poder econômico e comprometimento gerencial do estabelecimento.