PURPOSE: To assess the histological response of damaged osteochondral tissue in the femoral condyles of rabbits after repairing the wounds with sugar cane biopolymer gel - compared to the control group. METHODS: The study investigated 16 New Zealand rabbits, at 90, 120 and 180 days after surgery. In all the animals, a lesion of 3.2 mm in diameter and 4 mm deep was induced in each right and left femoral condyle. Each animal has provided both knees, divided into medial and lateral condyle, resulting in 64 samples. 32 knees were divided into two groups: Right knee, medial and lateral condyles, filled with biopolymer; Left knee, medial and lateral condyles, unfilled. The anatomical specimens were removed, and subjected to histological techniques and morphometric and statistical analysis. RESULTS: In all the periods of the group under study an inflammatory reaction mediated by giant cells and mononuclear cells was found, while in the control group there was early healing produced by fibroblasts and few mononuclear cells with statistical significance between groups. CONCLUSION: The biopolymer gel caused an inflammatory reaction mediated by giant cells and mononuclear cells while the control group there was cicatrization mediated by fibroblasts.

OBJETIVO: Detectar a população idosa com declínio cognitivo e funcional moradora da região abrangida por uma unidade básica de saúde UBS em Belo Horizonte-MG, descrever seu perfil sociodemográfico e avaliar a presença de cuidador familiar. MÉTODO: Estudo transversal a partir de pesquisa do Programa de Educação pelo Trabalho em Saúde PET-Saúde, na Linha de Cuidados de Saúde do Idoso. Do total da amostra, foram selecionados para análise idosos com escore do Miniexame do Estado Mental MEEM menor que 18, totalizando 91 indivíduos. As variáveis sociodemográficas analisadas foram idade, gênero, renda, escolaridade, morar sozinho e ter cuidador familiar. Também foi analisada a força de preensão manual. RESULTADOS: 25% dos idosos entrevistados apresentaram MEEM menor que 18. Destes, 80% eram mulheres; as idades variaram entre 60 e 96 anos; 12% moravam sozinhos; 85% não tinham cuidador familiar. No geral, apresentaram baixos graus de instrução e renda; 52,31% dos que foram submetidos à medida de força de preensão manual podem ser considerados pré-frágeis. CONCLUSÃO: A maioria dos idosos deste estudo não possui cuidador familiar, além disso, há idosos com déficit cognitivo e funcional morando sozinhos.

OBJECTIVE: Detect elderly with cognitive and functional decline living in the area covered by a basic health unit BHU in Belo Horizonte-MG, Brazil, describe their profile and assess the presence of family caregivers. METHOD: Cross-sectional study from research of Programa de Educação pelo Trabalho em Saúde PET-Saúde, in the área of Elderly Health Care. From the whole sample, were selected for analysis elderly individuals with Mini-Mental State Examination MMSE less than 18, totaling 91 individuals. We analyzed age, gender, income, education, grip strength, living alone and having family caregiver. RESULTS: 25% of the subjects interviewed had MMSE less than 18. Among these, 80% were women, ages ranged between 60 and 96 years, 12% lived alone, 85% had no family caregiver. Overall, they had low levels of education and income; 52.31% of those who underwent handgrip strength measurement can be considered pre-frail. CONCLUSION: Most elderly in this study do not have family caregivers, in addition, there are elderly with cognitive and functional deficits living alone.

O presente artigo busca discutir uma conexão teórica entre os temas necessidades de informação e competência informacional. Dois construtos teóricos são apresentados de forma a expressar as semelhanças identificadas entre as dimensões das necessidades de informação e das competências, possibilitando o estabelecimento de uma ligação teórica em um terceiro construto. Repercussões dessa conexão teórica são aventadas, considerando-se que o reconhecimento de necessidades de informação pode corresponder, na prática, ao desenvolvimento de competências informacionais que possam atendê-las. Dessa forma, poder-se-ia proporcionar empowerment aos usuários de informação, no sentido de que fossem capazes de atender a suas próprias necessidades de informação desenvolvendo eles próprios as competências para tal.

This paper intends to discuss a theoretical connection between information needs and information competencies. Two theoretical models are presented to express the similarities identified between the dimensions and elements of information needs and competencies. A third model presents a possibility of connection. Aspects of possible issues following this theoretical construction are discussed, considering that the recognition of information needs may result, practically speaking, on the development of informational competencies to fulfill these needs. In this way, information users could be empowered; in the sense that they would be able to fulfill their own information needs developing themselves suitable information competency.

Busca-se definir um tipo de competência específica denominada competência informacional. Esse tipo de competência não está ligado exclusivamente aos profissionais de informação, ele é necessário a qualquer atividade profissional, especialmente, em atividades baseadas intensivamente em informação. Um dos objetivos da identificação dessa competência seria avaliar a efetividade de atividades informacionais efetuadas por profissionais não previamente preparados para o trabalho com a informação, permitindo propor melhorias de desempenho para esses profissionais com base nas competências próprias aos profissionais de informação. Conclui-se que o desenvolvimento de competências informacionais pode tornar mais efetivo o trabalho de qualquer profissional no tocante às tarefas ligadas à informação, principalmente em atividades intensivas em informação.

The purpose of this paper is to reach a concept of a specific kind of competency known as informational competency. This competency does not have to be exclusively linked to those professionals that are traditionally called information workers. It might be necessary in any professional activity and it is specially needed in those activities that are intensively based on information work. One of the purposes is to identify this kind of competency in order to evaluate the effectiveness of the informational activity of the workers that are not professionally prepared to deal with information tasks, allowing improvements on the performance of these workers based on the competencies of the informational workers. The conclusion is that the development of the informational competencies can make any kind of professional more effective with reference to informational tasks, mainly when these tasks are intensively based on information.

Nitric oxide (NO) is an important effector molecule involved in immune regulation and defense. NO produced by cytokine-activated macrophages was reported to be cytotoxic against the helminth Schistosoma mansoni. Identification and characterization of S. mansoni antigens that can provide protective immunity is crucial for understanding the complex immunoregulatory events that modulate the immune response in schistosomiasis. It is, then, essential to have available defined, purified parasite antigens. Previous work by our laboratory identified a fraction of S. mansoni soluble adult worm antigenic preparation (SWAP), named PIII, able to elicit significant in vitro cell proliferation and at the same time lower in vitro and in vivo granuloma formation when compared either to SEA (soluble egg antigen) or to SWAP. In the present work we report the effect of different in vivo trials with mice on their spleen cells ability to produce NO. We demonstrate that PIII-immunization is able to significantly increase NO production by spleen cells after in vitro stimulation with LPS. These data suggest a possible role for NO on the protective immunity induced by PIII.