Elderly online: Effects of a digital inclusion program in cognitive performance

There is little empirical data about the impact of digital inclusion on cognition among older adults. This paper aimed at investigating the effects of a digital inclusion program in the cognitive performance of older individuals who participated in a computer learning workshop named ""Idosos On-Line`` (Elderly Online). Forty-two aged individuals participated in the research study: 22 completed the computer training workshop and 20 constituted the control group. All subjects answered a sociodemographic questionnaire and completed the Addenbrooke`s cognitive examination, revised (ACE-R), which examines five cognitive domains: orientation and attention, memory, verbal fluency, language, and visuo-spatial skills. It was noted that the experimental group`s cognitive performance significantly improved after the program, particularly in the language and memory domains, when compared to the control group. These findings suggest that the acquisition of new knowledge and the use of a new tool, that makes it possible to access the Internet, may bring gains to cognition. (C) 2010 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

ALFABETIZAÇÃO DIGITAL: proposição de parâmetros metodológicos em competência informacional

Much has been discussed about Digital Literacy, but it is quite obscure the identification of the skills required to develop such process. This study was done towards an integration of the Digital Literacy process to the specific informational skills a person may dominate, search, retrieve and use information efficiently, in its professional, academic or personal life. The main objective of this work is to propose methodological parameters for training in informational skills. Otherwise, the specific objectives are associated to the supposition and identification of the desired skills of the Digital Literacy program participants. The methodological procedures applied to the research are of exploratory character, and to do so two tools are used: the literature research and case studies. Besides having the methodology in structured information competence, the study points out to the fact that the country is too far from what is desired concerning development and employment of Digital Literacy programs consistent enough to support the teaching and learning of searching, recovering and using of information by the participants. Therefore, it is essential to create programs that provide not only machinery, but motivate individuals to develop informational skills to help in the learning process.

Cardiovascular prevention in HIV patients: Results from a successful intervention program

Objectives: To analyze the effect of a prevention program oil the estimated cardiovascular risk calculated by three risk scores. Methods: We prospectively evaluated 87 HIV+ patients with elevated cardiovascular risk estimation. Framirigham (FIRS), PROCAM and National Cholesterol Education Program (ATP-III) were applied. Cardiovascular risk was defined as elevated if >10%. All patients received non-pharmacological (diet, exercise, smoking cessation) and, when appropriate, pharmacological therapy. Results: Mean age was 52 years, 92% were male, 39.1% were smokers, 70.1% had hypertension, 18.4% had diabetes. All patients were under HAART, 56.3% were receiving protease inhibitors (131). After 6 months, intervention was associated to significant changes oil triglycerides (298 242 and 206 +/- 135 mg/dL, p<0.05), total-cholesterol (224 +/- 47 and 189 +/- 38 mg/dL, p<0.001). LDL-cholesterol (129 +/- 44 and 109 +/- 30 mg/dL,p<0.001). Frequencies of patients with elevated cardiac risk before and 6 months after intervention were 92% x 27.6% (p < 0.0001), 80.5% x 50.6% (p < 0.0002), and 25.3% x 14.9% (p = 0.12), for FIRS, ATP III and PROCAM, respectively. Conclusions: An intervention Program focused on reduction of traditional risk factors was able to decrease the frequency of patients with HIV infection and elevated cardiovascular risk estimation. FIRS showed greater sensitivity than the other scores. (C) 2008 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Importância do fonoaudiólogo no acompanhamento de indivíduos com hipotireoidismo congênito

TEMA: o hipotireoidismo congênito é uma alteração metabólica que traz conseqüência graves para indivíduos não tratados e mesmo as crianças que realizam o tratamento podem apresentar distúrbios do desenvolvimento. O Programa Nacional de Triagem Neonatal, instituído pelo Ministério da Saúde, prevê o acompanhamento longitudinal de indivíduos com equipe multidisciplinar. Entretanto, a Fonoaudiologia não é incluída nesta equipe. Deste modo, considerando a ocorrência de distúrbios da comunicação nestes indivíduos, realizou-se levantamento bibliográfico nas bases de dados Lilacs, MedLine e PubMed, no período de 1987 a 2007, referente às alterações em habilidades do desenvolvimento decorrentes do hipotireoidismo congênito. OBJETIVO: verificar, na literatura científica, presença de alterações do desenvolvimento em indivíduos com hipotireoidismo congênito e refletir sobre a importância da atuação fonoaudiológica, em conjunto com equipe multidisciplinar especializada, no acompanhamento dos mesmos. CONCLUSÃO: a literatura relata alterações nas habilidades do desenvolvimento (motoras, cognitivas, lingüísticas e de autocuidados) e destaca que crianças com hipotireoidismo congênito são de risco para alterações no desenvolvimento lingüístico e, portanto, necessitam do acompanhamento longitudinal do desenvolvimento comunicativo. Torna-se evidente a importância da atuação do fonoaudiólogo nos Programas de Triagem Neonatal credenciados pelo Ministério da Saúde. Ressalta-se ainda a necessidade de investigações referentes às outras alterações metabólicas contempladas nestes programas, nas quais o fonoaudiólogo pode atuar de modo a prevenir, habilitar e reabilitar os distúrbios da comunicação, contribuindo para o trabalho em equipe, promovendo saúde nesta população.

Quantificação de tecido conjuntivo do músculo cardíaco em equinos de tração através de técnicas histoquímicas e morfométricas

Os cardiomiócitos são sustentados e inseridos em um esqueleto de tecido conjuntivo, este possui distribuição desigual de acordo com as propriedades das distintas regiões em que se encontra. O propósito deste estudo foi quantificar a proporção de tecido conjuntivo em relação à disposição de cardiomiócitos dos ventrículos direito e esquerdo e no septo interventricular do miocárdio de seis equinos subnutridos, adultos, sendo quatro machos e duas fêmeas, sem raça definida e utilizados para tração. Com auxílio de paquímetro eletrônico digital, avaliou-se a altura do ventrículo esquerdo, a largura do coração, assim como sua circunferência, as espessuras das paredes livres dos ventrículos e do septo interventricular. Os fragmentos relativos ao terço médio do septo interventricular e das paredes livres dos ventrículos foram submetidos à técnica histológica convencional. Os blocos foram cortados com espessura de 5µm e corados com Picrosirius Red, Tricromo de Gomori e Tricromo de Azan para evidenciação do tecido conjuntivo. As lâminas foram analisadas com uso do microscópio óptico digital acoplado ao programa de análise de imagens Image-Pro Plus®. A proporção média de tecido conjuntivo no ventrículo esquerdo foi de 6,1±3,7%, no septo interventricular foi obtida a média de 6,8±3,6% e no ventrículo direito a média foi de 6,1±3,1%. Ao aplicarmos teste H de Kruskal-Wallis, verificamos que ocorreu diferença estatística entre os diferentes corantes utilizados em relação às regiões avaliadas. No teste de correlação de Pearson, não foi encontrado padrão de correlação entre a espessura das regiões analisadas e a proporção de tecido conjuntivo.

Prevalence of Metabolic Syndrome in Japanese-Brazilians According to Specific Definitions for Ethnicity

Background: The American Heart Association/National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (AHA/NHLBI), revising the National Cholesterol Evaluation Program for Adult Treatment Panel III (NCEP ATP III), and the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) have proposed definitions of metabolic syndrome that take into account waist circumference thresholds according to ethnicity. In this study we estimated the prevalence of metabolic syndrome in a Japanese-Brazilian population using NCEP definitions for Westerners (NCEPwe) and Asians (NCEPas), and IDF for Japanese (IDF). Methods: A total of 650 Japanese-Brazilians living in a developed Brazilian city and aged 30-88 years were included. Results: Metabolic syndrome prevalence according to NCEPwe, NCEPas, and IDF was, respectively, 46.5%, 56.5%, and 48.3%. Only 43.5% of subjects did not have metabolic syndrome by any of the 3 definitions, and 38.3% fulfilled metabolic syndrome criteria for all 3 definitions. Ten percent of subjects were positive for metabolic syndrome based on NCEPas and IDF, but not for NCEPwe. Because IDF requires abdominal obesity as a criterion, the frequency of subjects without metabolic syndrome according to IDF, but with metabolic syndrome by NCEPwe and NCEPas was 8.2%. Conclusions: Independent of the metabolic syndrome definition, Japanese-Brazilians present an elevated metabolic syndrome prevalence, which was higher when using NCEP criteria for Asians, followed by the IDF definition for Japanese.

Phase-disorder-induced double resonance of neuronal activity

It is well known that resonance can be induced by external noise or diversity. Here we show that resonance can be induced even by a phase disorder in coupled excitable neurons with subthreshold activity. In contrast to the case of identical phase, we find that phase disorder plays an active role in enhancing neuronal activity. We also uncover that the presence of phase disorder can induce a double resonance phenomenon: phase disorder and coupling strength both can enhance neuronal firing activity. A physical theory is formulated to help understand the mechanism behind this double resonance phenomenon.

Testing the interaction between dark energy and dark matter via the latest observations

Cosmological analyses based on currently available observations are unable to rule out a sizeable coupling between dark energy and dark matter. However, the signature of the coupling is not easy to grasp, since the coupling is degenerate with other cosmological parameters, such as the dark energy equation of state and the dark matter abundance. We discuss possible ways to break such degeneracy. Based on the perturbation formalism, we carry out the global fitting by using the latest observational data and get a tight constraint on the interaction between dark sectors. We find that the appropriate interaction can alleviate the coincidence problem.

Density functional theory and ab initio molecular dynamics study of NO adsorption on Pd(111) and Pt(111) surfaces

The origin of the unique geometry for nitric oxide (NO) adsorption on Pd(111) and Pt(111) surfaces as well as the effect of temperature were studied by density functional theory calculations and ab initio molecular dynamics at finite temperature. We found that at low coverage, the adsorption geometry is determined by electronic interactions, depending sensitively on the adsorption sites and coverages, and the effect of temperature on geometries is significant. At coverage of 0.25 monolayer (ML), adsorbed NO at hollow sites prefer an upright configuration, while NO adsorbed at top sites prefer a tilting configuration. With increase in the coverage up to 0.50 ML, the enhanced steric repulsion lead to the tilting of hollow NO. We found that the tilting was enhanced by the thermal effects. At coverage of 0.75 ML with p(2 x 2)-3NO(fcc+hcp+top) structure, we found that there was no preferential orientation for tilted top NO. The interplay of the orbital hybridization, thermal effects, steric repulsion, and their effects on the adsorption geometries were highlighted at the end.

Theory of nitride oxide adsorption on transition metal (111) surfaces: a first-principles investigation

In this work, we report a density functional theory study of nitric oxide (NO) adsorption on close-packed transition metal (TM) Rh(111), Ir(111), Pd(111) and Pt(111) surfaces in terms of adsorption sites, binding mechanism and charge transfer at a coverage of Theta(NO) = 0.25, 0.50, 0.75 monolayer (ML). Based on our study, an unified picture for the interaction between NO and TM(111) and site preference is established, and valuable insights are obtained. At low coverage (0.25 ML), we find that the interaction of NO/TM(111) is determined by an electron donation and back-donation process via the interplay between NO 5 sigma/2 pi* and TM d-bands. The extent of the donation and back-donation depends critically on the coordination number (adsorption sites) and TM d-band filling, and plays an essential role for NO adsorption on TM surfaces. DFT calculations shows that for TMs with high d-band filling such as Pd and Pt, hollow-site NO is energetically the most favorable, and top-site NO prefers to tilt away from the normal direction. While for TMs with low d-band filling (Rh and Ir), top-site NO perpendicular to the surfaces is energetically most favorable. Electronic structure analysis show that irrespective of the TM and adsorption site, there is a net charge transfer from the substrate to the adsorbate due to overwhelming back-donation from the TM substrate to the adsorbed NO molecules. The adsorption-induced change of the work function with respect to bare surfaces and dipole moment is however site dependent, and the work function increases for hollow-site NO, but decreases for top-site NO, because of differences in the charge redistribution. The interplay between the energetics, lateral interaction and charge transfer, which is element dependent, rationalizes the structural evolution of NO adsorption on TM(111) surfaces in the submonolayer regime.

Reaching C-Reactive Protein and Low-Density Lipoprotein Cholesterol Goals in Dyslipidemic Patients (from the Lipid Treatment Assessment Project [L-TAP] 2)

The purpose of the present substudy of the Lipid Treatment Assessment Project 2 was to assess dual C-reactive protein (CRP) and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol goal attainment across a spectrum of low-, moderate-, and high-risk patients with dyslipidemia in 8 countries in North America, Latin America, Europe, and Asia. Of the 9,518 patients studied overall, 45% were women, 64% had hypertension, 31% had diabetes, 14% were current smokers, 60% were high risk, and 79% were taking a statin. The median CRP level was 1.5 mg/L (interquartile range 0.2 to 2.8). On multivariate analysis, higher CRP levels were associated with older age, female gender, hypertension, current smoking, greater body mass index, larger waist circumference, LDL cholesterol level, and triglyceride/high-density lipoprotein cholesterol ratio. In contrast, being from Asia or taking a statin was associated with lower levels. Across all risk groups, 59% of patients attained the CRP target of <2 mg/L, and 33% had <1 mg/L. Overall, 44% of patients attained both their National Cholesterol Education Program Adult Treatment Panel III LDL cholesterol target and a CRP level of <2 mg/L, but only 26% attained their LDL cholesterol target and a CRP level of <1 mg/L. In the very high-risk group with coronary heart disease and >= 2 risk factors, only 19% attained both their LDL cholesterol goal and a CRP level of <2 mg/L and 12% their LDL cholesterol goal and a CRP level of <1 mg/L. In conclusion, with current treatment, most dyslipidemic patients do not reach the dual CRP and LDL cholesterol goals. Smoking cessation, weight reduction, and the greater use of more potent statins at higher doses might be able to improve these outcomes. (C) 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. (Am J Cardiol 2011;107:1639-1643)

Lipid goals among patients with diabetes or metabolic syndrome: Lipid Treatment Assessment Project (L-TAP) 2

Objective: This analysis of the Lipid Treatment Assessment Project 2 population compared lipid goal attainment by diabetes and metabolic syndrome status. Research design and methods: Dyslipidaemic patients aged >= 20 years on stable lipid lowering therapy had their lipid levels determined once during enrolment at investigation sites in nine countries between September 2006 and April 2007. Achievement of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol success, triglycerides < 150 mg/dl (1.7 mmol/l), and high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol success (> 40 mg/dl [1.0 mmol/l] in men or > 50 mg/dl [1.3 mmol/l] in women) was compared using logistic regression. Results: A total of 9955 patients were evaluated. Patients with diabetes, compared with those without diabetes, had lower achievement of LDL cholesterol goals (according to National Cholesterol Education Program Adult Treatment Panel [NCEP ATP] III guidelines; 67% vs. 75%), triglycerides < 150 mg/dl (55% vs. 64%), and HDL cholesterol success (61% vs. 74%; p < 0.0001 for all comparisons). The significantly lower lipid goal attainment in patients with diabetes was consistent across participating world regions. Patients with metabolic syndrome, compared with those without metabolic syndrome, had lower achievement of NCEP ATP III LDL cholesterol goals (69% vs. 76%), triglycerides < 150 mg/dl (36% vs. 83%), and HDL cholesterol success (49% vs. 89%; p < 0.0001 for all comparisons). As the number of metabolic syndrome components increased, lipid success rates progressively decreased (p < 0.0001 for LDL cholesterol success, triglycerides < 150 mg/dl, and HDL cholesterol success). Conclusions: This analysis indicates that despite their increased cardiovascular risk, patients with diabetes or metabolic syndrome remain undertreated.

The imprint of the interaction between dark sectors in galaxy clusters

Based on perturbation theory, we study the dynamics of how dark matter and dark energy in the collapsing system approach dynamical equilibrium when they are in interaction. We find that the interaction between dark sectors cannot ensure the dark energy to fully cluster along with dark matter. When dark energy does not trace dark matter, we present a new treatment on studying the structure formation in the spherical collapsing system. Furthermore we examine the cluster number counts dependence on the interaction between dark sectors and analyze how dark energy inhomogeneities affect cluster abundances. It is shown that cluster number counts can provide specific signature of dark sectors interaction and dark energy inhomogeneities.

Reproducibility, reliability and validity of measurements obtained from Cecile3 digital models

The aim of this study was to determine the reproducibility, reliability and validity of measurements in digital models compared to plaster models. Fifteen pairs of plaster models were obtained from orthodontic patients with permanent dentition before treatment. These were digitized to be evaluated with the program Cécile3 v2.554.2 beta. Two examiners measured three times the mesiodistal width of all the teeth present, intercanine, interpremolar and intermolar distances, overjet and overbite. The plaster models were measured using a digital vernier. The t-Student test for paired samples and interclass correlation coefficient (ICC) were used for statistical analysis. The ICC of the digital models were 0.84 ± 0.15 (intra-examiner) and 0.80 ± 0.19 (inter-examiner). The average mean difference of the digital models was 0.23 ± 0.14 and 0.24 ± 0.11 for each examiner, respectively. When the two types of measurements were compared, the values obtained from the digital models were lower than those obtained from the plaster models (p < 0.05), although the differences were considered clinically insignificant (differences < 0.1 mm). The Cécile digital models are a clinically acceptable alternative for use in Orthodontics.

Students' collective knowledge construction in the virtual learning environment ""ToLigado - your school interactive newspaper""

Introduction. The ToLigado Project - Your School Interactive Newspaper is an interactive virtual learning environment conceived, developed, implemented and supported by researchers at the School of the Future Research Laboratory of the University of Sao Paulo, Brazil. Method. This virtual learning environment aims to motivate trans-disciplinary research among public school students and teachers in 2,931 schools equipped with Internet-access computer rooms. Within this virtual community, students produce collective multimedia research documents that are immediately published in the portal. The project also aims to increase students' autonomy for research, collaborative work and Web authorship. Main sections of the portal are presented and described. Results. Partial results of the first two years' implementation are presented and indicate a strong motivation among students to produce knowledge despite the fragile hardware and software infrastructure at the time. Discussion. In this new environment, students should be seen as 'knowledge architects' and teachers as facilitators, or 'curiosity managers'. The ToLigado portal may constitute a repository for future studies regarding student attitudes in virtual learning environments, students' behaviour as 'authors', Web authorship involving collective knowledge production, teachers' behaviour as facilitators, and virtual learning environments as digital repositories of students' knowledge construction and social capital in virtual learning communities.