Use of Medicines Among a Brazilian Elderly Sample: A Cross-sectional Study

Background: The use of multiple medicines is very frequent among the elderly, allowing them to perceive more often adverse side effects from drugs and present undesirable drug interactions.Methods: This article presents a cross-sectional survey about the use of medicines among 300 elderly Brazilians, equally divided into institutionalized and community-dwelling groups.Results: The average daily intake of medicines is 3.2 among institutionalized elderly, a higher (p < 0.001) number when compared with community-dwelling elderly, who takes an average of 1.8 medicines daily. The most commonly used medications are antihypertensives (58.0%), diuretics (23.0%), nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (22.7%), supplements (21.7%), antidiabetics (16.3%), and antiulcerants (14.0%). Antiulcerants, diuretics, supplements, and central nervous system drugs are more frequently used by institutionalized than by community-dwelling elderly.Conclusion: In this Brazilian elderly sample, the most widely used medicines were antihypertensives, diuretics, and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, and institutionalized used more medications than community-dwelling elderly. Copyright (C) 2011, Taiwan Society of Geriatric Emergency & Critical Care Medicine. Published by Elsevier Taiwan LLC. All rights reserved.

Effects of neuromuscular electrical stimulation, laser therapy and LED therapy on the masticatory system and the impact on sleep variables in cerebral palsy patients: a randomized, five arms clinical trial

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Combined D0 measurements constraining the CP-violating phase and width difference in the B-s(0) system

We combine the D0 measurement of the width difference between the light and heavy B-s(0) mass eigenstates and of the CP-violating mixing phase determined from the time-dependent angular distributions in the B-s(0)-> J/psi phi decays along with the charge asymmetry in semileptonic decays also measured with the D0 detector. With the additional constraint from the world average of the flavor-specific B-s(0) lifetime, we obtain Delta Gamma(s)equivalent to(Gamma(L)-Gamma(H))=0.13 +/- 0.09 ps(-1) and vertical bar phi(s)vertical bar=0.70(-0.47)(+0.39) or Delta Gamma(s)=-0.13 +/- 0.09 ps(-1) and vertical bar phi(s)vertical bar=2.44(-0.39)(+0.47). The data sample corresponds to an integrated luminosity of 1.1 fb(-1) accumulated with the D0 detector at the Fermilab Tevatron Collider.

Lifetime difference and CP-violating phase in the B-s(0) system

From an analysis of the decay B-s(0)-> J/psi phi, we obtain the width difference between the light and heavy mass eigenstates Delta Gamma equivalent to(Gamma(L)-Gamma(H))=0.17 +/- 0.09(stat)+/- 0.02(syst) ps(-1) and the CP-violating phase phi(s)=-0.79 +/- 0.56(stat)(-0.01)(+0.14)(syst). Under the hypothesis of no CP violation (phi(s)equivalent to 0), we obtain 1/Gamma=tau/(B-s(0))=1.52 +/- 0.08(stat)(-0.03)(+0.01)(syst) ps and Delta Gamma=0.12(-0.10)(+0.08)(stat)+/- 0.02(syst) ps(-1). The data sample corresponds to an integrated luminosity of about 1.1 fb(-1) accumulated with the D0 detector at the Fermilab Tevatron collider. This is the first direct measurement of the CP-violating mixing phase in the B-s(0) system.

Phase-Locked loops lock-in range in Frequency Modulated-Atomic Force Microscope nonlinear control system

Since the mid 1980s the Atomic Force Microscope is one the most powerful tools to perform surface investigation, and since 1995 Non-Contact AFM achieved true atomic resolution. The Frequency-Modulated Atomic Force Microscope (FM-AFM) operates in the dynamic mode, which means that the control system of the FM-AFM must force the micro-cantilever to oscillate with constant amplitude and frequency. However, tip-sample interaction forces cause modulations in the microcantilever motion. A Phase-Locked loop (PLL) is used to demodulate the tip-sample interaction forces from the microcantilever motion. The demodulated signal is used as the feedback signal to the control system, and to generate both topographic and dissipation images. As a consequence, a proper design of the PLL is vital to the FM-AFM performance. In this work, using bifurcation analysis, the lock-in range of the PLL is determined as a function of the frequency shift (Q) of the microcantilever and of the other design parameters, providing a technique to properly design the PLL in the FM-AFM system. (C) 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Evaluation and Application of TS-FF-AAS System Using Ceramic Tube as Atomization Cell for Tin Determination in Canned Foods

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Behavioral and biological correlates of medicine use in type 2 diabetic patients attended by Brazilian public healthcare system

A relação entre atividade física e consumo de medicamentos não é clara. Assim, o objetivo do estudo foi investigar a relação entre nível de atividade física e uso de medicamentosem diabéticos tipo 2 atendidos pelo Sistema Único de Saúde. A amostra foi composta por 121 diabéticos do tipo 2 de ambos os sexos atendidos pelos sistema público de saúde. Gordura corporal (antropometria e bioimpedância elétrica), atividade física (Questionário de Baecke) e uso de medicamentos (15 dias prévios a avaliação) foram avaliados. Houve relação entre uso de medicamentos e sexo (r = 0.18; p = 0.045), índice de massa corporal (r = 0.22; p = 0.012), circunferência de cintura (r = 0.19; p = 0.029), percentual de gordura (r = 0.21; p = 0.016), idade (r = 0.23; p = 0.009) e atividade física (r = -0.22; p = 0.012). A regressão linear incluiu no modelo apenas idade (β = 0.718; p = 0.057), IMC BMI (β = 0.057; p = 0.022) e atividade física (β = -0.176; p = 0.044) no modelo multivariado. Conclui-se que a prática de atividade física diminui uso de medicamentos independente da idade e obesidade.

Optimization of orthodontic treatment using the Centrex System to retract anterior teeth

INTRODUÇÃO: a Ortodontia passa, atualmente, por um momento de importantes inovações e grande efervescência criativa. Somente para citar algumas mudanças introduzidas ou aprimoradas nos últimos anos, nós podemos relembrar a popularização dos braquetes autoligáveis e o surgimento da ancoragem absoluta com a utilização de implantes ortodônticos. No final da década de 1990, a adoção dos mini-implantes como ancoragem permitiu uma mudança de paradigma que tem influenciado até mesmo a forma de pensar a mecânica ortodôntica. A imbricação das especialidades de Ortodontia e Implantodontia, cujo início se deu com os preparos ortodônticos para posterior inserção de implantes protéticos, floresceu com o uso de implantes palatinos e, posteriormente, com a introdução de mini-implantes. O aprimoramento da técnica de inserção de mini-implantes com a introdução de parafusos autoperfurantes tem permitido, inclusive, o requinte do ortodontista concentrar em suas mãos o planejamento e a colocação dessa preciosa peça de ancoragem. Levando em consideração a versatilidade de posicionamento desses pequenos parafusos, foi desenvolvido um conceito que possibilita a construção de linhas de ação de força que buscam otimizar o planejamento e a previsibilidade da movimentação ortodôntica. OBJETIVO: apresentar alguns resultados clínicos de tratamentos conduzidos com o uso de um sistema de tratamento ortodôntico, o Centrex System, que aproxima a linha de ação da força do centro de resistência das unidades a serem movimentadas. O caminho trilhado até o seu desenvolvimento, cuja teoria mecânica foi apresentada anteriormente nesse periódico, será detalhado para uma melhor compreensão de seu funcionamento.

A pH optode based on thymol blue: application to determination of CO2 using flow injection analysis system

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Agarose gel electrophoresis of cerebrospinal fluid proteins of dogs after sample concentration using a membrane microconcentrator technique

Background: Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) is produced in the cerebral ventricles through ultrafiltration of plasma and active transport mechanisms. Evaluation of proteins in CSF may provide important information about the production of immunoglobulins within the central nervous system as well as possible disturbances in the blood-brain barrier. Objective: the objective of this study was to measure the concentration and fractions of protein in CSF samples using a membrane microconcentrator technique followed by electrophoresis, and to compare the protein fractions obtained with those in serum. Methods: CSF samples from 3 healthy dogs and 3 dogs with canine distemper virus infection were concentrated using a membrane microconcentrator having a 0.5 to 30,000 d nominal molecular weight limit (Ultrafree, Millipore, Billerica, MA, USA). Protein concentration was determined before and after concentration. Agarose gel electrophoresis was done on concentrated CSF samples, serum, and serial dilutions of one of the CSF samples. Results: Electrophoretic bands were clearly identified in densitometer tracings in CSF samples with protein concentrations as low as 1.3 g/dL. The higher CSF protein concentration in dogs with distemper was mainly the result of increased albumin concentration. Conclusion: the microconcentrating method used in this study enables characterization of the main protein fractions in CSF by routine electrophoresis and may be useful for interpreting the underlying cause of changes in CSF protein concentrations

Comparative procedures for the sample decomposition of rocks used in organic agriculture and the determination of Cu, Fe, Mn, and Zn by FAAS

The aim of this work was to develop an appropriate sample preparation procedure for the flame atomic absorption spectrometry determination of Cu, Fe, Mn, and, Zn in rocks used in organic agriculture as a source of macro- and micronutrients.Six different procedures were evaluated and are classified into three groups: (a) pressure digestion system with Teflon bombs, (b) conventional wet digestion in a digester heating block, and (c) closed microwave system with pressure and temperature control.Two standard reference materials and two commercial samples were analyzed. It was found that the closed microwave system required low reagent consumption, less time, and resulted in low contamination.

The influence of yttrium on a typical SnO2 varistor system: Microstructural and electrical features

The influence of yttrium oxide, Y2O3, on the microstructure development of the SnO(2)center dot Co(3)O(4)center dot Nb2O5 typical varistor system was studied with scanning (SEM) and transmission (TEM) electron microscopies. The different phases present in the studied samples were characterized through XRD, EDS and selected area diffraction patterns (SAD). Particles of Co2SnO4 were observed with TEM in every sample, whereas clusters of the pyrochlore phase T2Sn2O7 were observed with SEM in samples with 0.05, 0.10 and 0.25 mol% of Y2O3. The higher non-linearity (a = 16) was achieved with the addition of 0.05 mol% of Y2O3. The influence of the secondary phases on the electrical properties is also addressed in this work. (c) 2005 Published by Elsevier B.V.

A flow-injection-ICP system sequential multielemental analysis with simultaneously mercury(II) preconcentration step

A flow-injection system for multielemental analysis with a mercury(II) preconcentration step using a resin Chelite-S(R)(Serva Feinbiochemica Heidelberg, Part No. 41709) packed minicolumn by inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectroscopy is described. A mercury reductive elution procedure with a mixture of SnCl2/HCl was used, which allows use of 6 mol/L HCl solution instead of concentrated hydrochoric acid. The main parameters related to ICP operation, such as radio frequency power (950-1750 W), auxiliary argon flow (0.0-1.5 L/min) and spray chamber nebulizer pressure (15-35 psi), were studied. Optimization of the FIA system was reached by defining the best eluent carrier stream (1.4-2.8 mL/min), Hgdegrees carrier stream (10-40 mL min(-1)), loading time (0.5-4.0 min), sample flow rate (1.25-10.0 mL/min), temperature of reactor gas liquid separator (GLS) (25-75 degreesC) and eluent volume (50-350 muL). Throughput is around 30 samples per hour for analytical solutions within the range 50-2500 ng Hg(II)/L. Results from certified material showed good precision (RSD < 3%, n = 12) and no statistical difference was observed for real samples analyzed by AAS and by the proposed system.

Blue cooperative luminescence properties in Yb3+ doped GeO2-PbO-Bi2O3 vitreous system for the production of thin films

Germanate glasses are of interest for optoelectronic applications because they combine high mechanical strength, high chemical durability and temperature stability with a large transmission window (400 to 4500 nm) and high refractive index (2.0). GeO2-PbO-Bi2O3 glasses doped with Y-b(3+) were fabricated by melting powders in a crucible and then pouring them in a brass mold. Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy showed that the glass composition has a high spatial uniformity and that the Yb concentration in the solid sample is proportional to the Yb concentration in the melt, what was confirmed by absorption measurements. Intense blue emission at 507 nm was observed, corresponding to half of the wavelength of the near infrared region (NIR) emission; besides, a decay lifetime of 0.25 ms was measured and this corresponds to half of the decay lifetime in the infrared region; these are very strong indications of the presence of blue cooperative luminescence. Larger targets have been produced to be sputtered, resulting in thin films for three dimensional (3D) display and waveguide applications. (c) 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Role of oxygen vacancies in the magnetic and dielectric properties of the high-dielectric-constant system CaCu3Ti4O12: An electron-spin resonance study

We report experiments of electron spin resonance (ESR) of Cu2+ in polycrystalline samples of CaCu3Ti4O12 post-annealed in different atmospheres. After being synthesized by solid state reaction, pellets of CaCu3Ti4O12 were annealed for 24 h at 1000 degrees C under air, Ar or O-2. Our temperature dependent ESR data revealed for all samples nearly temperature independent g value (2.15(1)) and linewidth for T > T-N approximate to 25 K. However, the values of ESR linewidth are strongly affected by the oxygen content in the sample. For instance, argon post-annealed samples show a much larger linewidth than the O-2 or air post-annealed samples. We attribute this broadening to an increase of the dipolar homogeneous broadening of the Cu2+ ESR lines due to the presence of oxygen vacancies which induce an S=1/2 spin inside the TiO6 octahedra. Correlation between a systematic dependence of the ESR linewidth on the oxygen content and the high dielectric constant of these materials is addressed. Also, ESR, magnetic susceptibility, and specific heat data for a single crystal of CaCu3Ti4O12 and for polycrystals of CdCu3Ti4O12 are reported.