Sports Stars Brazil in children with autism spectrum disorder: A feasibility randomized controlled trial protocol.

BACKGROUND: Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) children have lower levels of participation in recreational and sporting activities when compared to their peers. Participation has been defined based on the Family of Participation-Related Constructs (fPRC) which defines participation as including both attendance and involvement, with sense of self, preferences and activity competence related to a child's participation. Modified sports interventions such as Sports Stars can act on physical literacy and some of the fPRCs components. This study aims to assess the feasibility of the Sports Stars Brazil intervention for children with ASD. METHODS: This study will be conducted with 36 participants with ASD aged 6 to 12 years old following the CONSORT for pilot and feasibility recommendation. Participants will be randomly allocated into two groups. Intervention group will receive eight, weekly Sports Stars sessions. Each session will include of sports-focused gross motor activity training, confidence building, sports-education and teamwork development. Study assessments will occur at baseline, immediately post-intervention and 20-weeks post-randomization. First, we will assess process feasibility measures: recruitment, assessment completion, adherence, adverse events and satisfaction. Second, we will investigate the scientific feasibility of the intervention by estimating the effect size and variance at the level of achievement sports-related activity and physical activity participation goals (Goal Attainment Scaling), activity competence (Ignite Challenge, Test of Gross Motor Development-second edition, Physical Literacy Profile Questionnaire, Pediatric Disability Assessment Inventory-Computer Adaptive Test-PEDI-CAT-mobility, 10×5 Sprint Test and Muscle Power Sprint Test), sense of self (PEDI-CAT-responsibility), and overall participation at home, school and community, (Participation and Environment Measure for children and young people, PEM-CY). DISCUSSION: The results of this feasibility study will inform which components are critical to planning and preparing a future RCT study, aiming to ensure that the RCT will be feasible, rigorous and justifiable. TRIAL REGISTRATION: The trial was registered with the Brazilian Registry of Clinical Trials database (ID: RBR-9d5kyq4) on June 15, 2022.

O lazer da pessoa com deficiência física em Belo Horizonte: um estudo preliminar / The leisure of the person with physical disability in Belo Horizonte: a preliminary study

O objetivo dessa pesquisa foi compreender as formas pelas quais as pessoas com deficiência física se engajam em atividades de Esporte e Lazer na cidade de Belo Horizonte (MG). Participaram deste estudo qualitativo transversal 10 pessoas com deficiência física, cadeirantes, selecionadas pelo método de bola de neve. Os participantes foram entrevistados e as entrevistas analisadas por meio da construção interpretativa e dialógica das falas. Os resultados apontam que pessoas com deficiência física, em Belo Horizonte, enfrentam diversas barreiras para participar de atividades de lazer. Podemos concluir que a deficiência não está ligada apenas a atributos físicos da pessoa, mas também diz respeito ao meio ao qual ela está inserida. Os resultados podem ser úteis para avaliação e criação de políticas públicas de Esporte e Lazer, a fim de questionar e aprofundar o conhecimento sobre o tema com uma perspectiva regional e nacional.

The objective of this research were to understand the ways in which people with physical disabilities engage in Sports and Leisure activities in the city of Belo Horizonte (MG). Participants of this qualitative cross-sectional study included 10 people with physical disabilities, wheelchair users, selected by the snowball method. The participants were interviewed and the interviews analyzed through the interpretative and dialogical construction of the speeches. The results indicate that people with physical disabilities, in Belo Horizonte, face several barriers to participate in leisure activities. We can conclude that the deficiency is not only related to the physical attributes of the people, but also refers to the environment in which they are inserted. The results can be useful for evaluation and creation of public policies of Sports and Leisure, in order to question and to deepen the knowledge on the subject through a regional and national perspective.

Contributions for classification of platelet rich plasma - proposal of a new classification: MARSPILL.

Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) has emerged as a significant therapy used in medical conditions with heterogeneous results. There are some important classifications to try to standardize the PRP procedure. The aim of this report is to describe PRP contents studying celular and molecular components, and also propose a new classification for PRP. The main focus is on mononuclear cells, which comprise progenitor cells and monocytes. In addition, there are important variables related to PRP application incorporated in this study, which are the harvest method, activation, red blood cells, number of spins, image guidance, leukocytes number and light activation. The other focus is the discussion about progenitor cells presence on peripherial blood which are interesting due to neovasculogenesis and proliferation. The function of monocytes (in tissue-macrophages) are discussed here and also its plasticity, a potential property for regenerative medicine treatments.

Electrospun polyurethane membranes for Tissue Engineering applications.

Tissue Engineering proposes, among other things, tissue regeneration using scaffolds integrated with biological molecules, growth factors or cells for such regeneration. In this research, polyurethane membranes were prepared using the electrospinning technique in order to obtain membranes to be applied in Tissue Engineering, such as epithelial, drug delivery or cardiac applications. The influence of fibers on the structure and morphology of the membranes was studied using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), the structure was evaluated by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), and the thermal stability was analyzed by thermogravimetry analysis (TGA). In vitro cells attachment and proliferation was investigated by SEM, and in vitro cell viability was studied by 3-(4,5-dimethyl-2-thiazolyl)-2,5-diphenyl-2H-tetrazolium bromide (MTT) assays and Live/Dead® assays. It was found that the membranes present an homogeneous morphology, high porosity, high surface area/volume ratio, it was also observed a random fiber network. The thermal analysis showed that the membrane degradation started at 254°C. In vitro evaluation of fibroblasts cells showed that fibroblasts spread over the membrane surface after 24, 48 and 72h of culture. This study supports the investigation of electrospun polyurethane membranes as biocompatible scaffolds for Tissue Engineering applications and provides some guidelines for improved biomaterials with desired properties.

The crosslinking degree controls the mechanical, rheological, and swelling properties of hyaluronic acid microparticles.

Viscosupplements, used for treating joint and cartilage diseases, restore the rheological properties of synovial fluid, regulate joint homeostasis and act as scaffolds for cell growth and tissue regeneration. Most viscosupplements are hydrogels composed of hyaluronic acid (HA) microparticles suspended in fluid HA. These microparticles are crosslinked with chemicals to assure their stability against enzyme degradation and to prolong the action of the viscosupplement. However, the crosslinking also modifies the mechanical, swelling and rheological properties of the HA microparticle hydrogels, with consequences on the effectiveness of the application. The aim of this study is to correlate the crosslinking degree (CD) with these properties to achieve modulation of HA/DVS microparticles through CD control. Because divinyl sulfone (DVS) is the usual crosslinker of HA in viscosupplements, we examined the effects of CD by preparing HA microparticles at 1:1, 2:1, 3:1, and 5:1 HA/DVS mass ratios. The CD was calculated from inductively coupled plasma spectrometry data. HA microparticles were previously sized to a mean diameter of 87.5 µm. Higher CD increased the viscoelasticity and the extrusion force and reduced the swelling of the HA microparticle hydrogels, which also showed Newtonian pseudoplastic behavior and were classified as covalent weak. The hydrogels were not cytotoxic to fibroblasts according to an MTT (3-[4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl]-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide) assay.

Relevant aspects of centrifugation step in the preparation of platelet-rich plasma.

Introduction. Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP) is rich in growth factors, playing important role in tissue healing. The wide variation of reported protocols for preparation of PRP leads to variable compositions, which induce different biological responses and prevent results comparison. This study aims to highlight relevant aspects of the centrifugation step to obtain reproducible results and overall quality. Material and Methods. Samples of blood were collected from 20 healthy donors that have signed free informed consent. Two centrifugation steps (spins) were analyzed for the influence of centrifugal acceleration, time, processed volume, and platelet gradient. The Pure Platelet-Rich Plasma (P-PRP) was characterized as platelet concentration, integrity, and viability (sP-selectin measurement). Results. Lower centrifugal accelerations favour platelet separation. The processing of 3.5 mL of blood at 100 ×g for 10 min (1st spin), 400 ×g for 10 min (2nd spin), withdrawing 2/3 of remnant plasma, promoted high platelet recovery (70-80%) and concentration (5x) maintaining platelet integrity and viability. The recovery of platelets was reduced for a larger WB volume (8.5 mL) processed. Conclusion. Centrifugal acceleration, time, WB processed volume, and minimization of the platelet gradient before sampling are relevant aspects to ensure reproducible compositions within the autologous nature of PRP.

Prediction and modulation of platelet recovery by discontinuous centrifugation of whole blood for the preparation of pure platelet-rich plasma.

The aim of this study was to describe the behavior of the separation of red blood cells (RBCs) by discontinuous centrifugation (DC) of whole blood to modulate and control the platelet recovery in the preparation of pure platelet-rich plasma (P-PRP). P-PRP is a platelet-rich plasma (PRP) in which the white blood cell layer is not included. To achieve this goal, an analytical model was derived that takes into account the packing of RBCs and predicts the behavior of platelet and plasma recovery efficiencies (PtPlRE) based on the volume of whole blood, the hematocrit, and the volume of supernatant, as a function of the operating variables, centrifugal acceleration, and time. The model was derived from the basic equation of DC, which originates from the equilibrium balance of forces on a particle, and included the addition of one factor that corrected the terminal velocity of RBCs and was also correlated to the PtPlRE in the supernatant. This factor was the ratio between the fractional volume concentrations of plasma and RBCs in the centrifugation pellet after centrifugation. The model was validated and the variability of the data was determined using experimental data from 10 healthy donors in the age range of 25-35 years. The predicted behavior for the packing of RBCs and the PtPlRE was consistent with the behavior seen in the experimental data. Thus, the PtPlRE could be modulated and controlled through centrifugal acceleration, time, and hematocrit. Use of this model based on a physical description of events is the first step of a reliable standardization of PRP preparations.

Transtorno do desenvolvimento da coordenação e senso de auto-eficácia: implicações para a prática da terapia ocupacional / Developmental coordination disorder and sense of self-efficacy: implications for occupational therapy's practice

No transtorno do desenvolvimento da coordenação há um prejuízo acentuado no desenvolvimento das habilidades motoras (grossas e/ou finas) de crianças, com impacto na participação em atividades típicas da infância. As conseqüências do transtorno também incluem restrição na interação social e baixo senso de auto-eficácia. Terapeutas ocupacionais, embora habilitados a avaliar e tratar crianças com esse perfil, aparentam desconhecer a importância do senso de auto-eficácia, assim como seus instrumentos de avaliação. Desta forma, o objetivo desta revisão é apontar a relação entre o desempenho motor e o senso de eficácia de crianças com TDC em idade escolar, bem como suas possíveis implicações para a prática da Terapia Ocupacional...

Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD) is characterized by a marked deficit in the development of children's motor skills (gross and/or fine), with impact in the participation in typical activities of the childhood. Consequences of the disorder include restriction in social interaction and low sense of self-efficacy. Although occupational therapists are able to evaluate and treat children with this profile, they don't seem to know the importance of the sense of self-efficacy, as well as its assessment tools. In this way, this review points to the relation between the motor performance and the sense of efficacy of children with DCD in school age, as well as its possible implications for Occupational Therapy's practice...