Abstract Background Acute myocardial infarction (AMI), with and without ST-segment elevation (STEMI and NSTEMI, respectively), is the principal cause of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality in Brazil and around the world. Modifiable risk factors (RF) and quality of life (QOL) may correlate with the type of AMI. Objective To evaluate the influence of QOL and RF on the type of AMI and in-hospital cardiovascular events in STEMI and NSTEMI patients. Methods This was an observational, cross-sectional study. Patients with AMI attending four referral hospitals (three private and one public) for cardiovascular disease treatment were assessed for QOL using the Brazilian version of the 36-item short form survey. A p < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results We evaluated 480 volunteers; 51% were treated in one of the private hospitals. In total, 55.6% presented with STEMI, and 44.4% with NSTEMI. Patients from the public hospital were 8.56 times more likely to have STEMI compared to those from the private hospitals. There was a higher prevalence of smokers in STEMI (p < 0.028) patients. QOL was not associated with the type of AMI. A negative patient perception of the physical health and pain domains was observed. Although a significant difference between the physical and the mental health domains was not observed, individual domains were correlated with some in-hospital outcomes. Conclusion There was a higher prevalence of smokers among individuals with STEMI. Domains of QOL showed a statistically significant relationship with the occurrence of in-hospital cardiovascular events, with no difference between the types of AMI.

SUMMARY: Previous studies from our group described the consequences of using ethanol on penile erection. Nevertheless, the molecular mechanisms surrounding microRNAs, apoptosis process and their relationship with erectile dysfunction associated with alcohol consumption are still poorly understood. The objective of this analysis was to evaluate the mechanism of apoptosis by the expression of AIF and PARP, as well as their regulatory microRNAs: miR-145, miR-210 and miR-486, in the corpus cavernosum of rats submitted to a semivoluntary alcoholism model. For this study 24 Wistar rats were divided into two groups: control (C) and treated with 20 % ethanol (A) for seven weeks. The corpus cavernosum samples were prepared for immunohistochemical analysis of AIF and PARP protein expression, and microRNAs miR-145, miR-210, miR-486 gene expression in cavernous tissue was performed by real time PCR. The immunohistochemical analysis showed little nuclear positive labeling for the protein PARP and AIF in the corpus cavernosum of control and ethanol treated animals. After analysis of miR-145, -210 and -486 microRNA expression in the 12 animals studied, no results were found with significant statistical difference between the control and alcoholized groups. The expression of AIF and PARP and their regulatory microRNAs involved in apoptotic process (miR-145, miR-210 and miR-486) were not altered in the corpus cavernosum of rats submitted to semivoluntary alcoholism.

RESUMEN: Estudios previos de nuestro grupo describieron las consecuencias del uso de etanol en la erección del pene. Sin embargo, los mecanismos moleculares que rodean a los microARN, el proceso de apoptosis y su relación con la disfunción eréctil asociada con el consumo de alcohol aún no se conocen bien. El objetivo de este análisis fue evaluar el mecanismo de apoptosis mediante la expresión de AIF y PARP, así como sus microARN reguladores: miR-145, miR-210 y miR-486, en el cuerpo cavernoso de ratas sometidas a un modelo de alcoholismo semivoluntario. Se dividieron 24 ratas Wistar en dos grupos: control (C) grupo de ratas tratadas con etanol al 20 % (A) durante siete semanas. Las muestras del cuerpo cavernoso se prepararon para el análisis inmunohistoquímico de la expresión de la proteína AIF y PARP, y la expresión del gen microRNAs miR-145, miR-210, miR-486 en tejido cavernoso se realizó por PCR en tiempo real. El análisis inmunohistoquímico mostró escaso etiquetado nuclear positivo para la proteína PARP y AIF en el cuerpo cavernoso de los animales de control y tratados con etanol. Después del análisis de la expresión de microARN miR-145, -210 y -486 no se encontraron resultados con diferencias estadísticas significativas entre los grupos control y alcoholizados. La expresión de AIF y PARP y sus microARN reguladores involucrados en el proceso apoptótico (miR-145, miR-210 y miR-486) no se alteraron en el cuerpo cavernoso de las ratas sometidas a alcoholismo semivoluntario.

RESUMO Este artigo apresenta resultados da pesquisa “Letramentos em comunidades rurais: práticas sociais de leitura e de escrita em situações escolares e não escolares”, realizada de 2015 a 2017, que investigou como formas de sociabilidade e circuitos comunicativos presentes no cotidiano de jovens do campo constituem-se em práticas sociais de uso da leitura e de escrita. Inicialmente, justifica-se o uso da palavra letramentos no plural, e caracteriza-se o contexto da pesquisa, qual seja, a Escola Família Agroecológica de Araçuaí, no Vale do Jequitinhonha, em Minas Gerais, Brasil. As análises se apoiam nos Novos Estudos do Letramento (STREET, 2014) e a metodologia pressupõe uma abordagem qualitativa de perspectiva etnográfica (HEATH; STREET, 2008) em que os estudantes foram colaboradores na produção de vídeos sobre temáticas relativas às suas comunidades. Adotou-se, assim, a produção de vídeos como estratégia metodológica para se chegar a letramentos envolvidos nas ações coletivas do processo. Os resultados apontaram que o uso/não uso das tecnologias digitais não se sustenta como um fator de diferenciação entre jovens do campo e jovens da cidade, rompendo definitivamente com a ideia de que as comunidades rurais são espaços sociais de ausência de práticas de letramento ou desconetadas do mundo virtual, o que evidencia que a escola deve ampliar os seus conceitos de letramento, não só pluralizando as práticas, mas, principalmente, incorporando-as como elemento constitutivo de seu projeto de ensino e de aprendizagem.

ABSTRACT This article presents the results of the research study, “Literacies in rural communities: social practices of reading and writing in school and non-school situations”, conducted from 2015 to 2017. This study investigated how forms of sociability and communicative circuits in the daily lives of the rural youth constitute social practices of reading and writing. Initially, the use of the word “literacies” in the plural is justified. The context for this research is the Araçuaí Family Agroecological School in Vale do Jequitinhonha, Minas Gerais, Brazil. Analyses are based in the New Literacy Studies (STREET, 2014) and the methodology assumes a qualitative approach from an ethnographic perspective (HEATH; STREET, 2008) in which students collaborated in the production of videos with themes related to their communities. Video production was adopted as a methodological strategy to achieve literacies involved in the collective actions of the process. The results show that the use/non-use of digital technologies does not stand as a factor of differentiation between rural youth and urban youth, definitively breaking with the idea that rural communities are social spaces that lack literacy practices or that are disconnected from the virtual world, which shows that schools should broaden their concepts of literacy, not only by pluralizing practices, but mainly by incorporating them as a constitutive element of their teaching and learning project.

Abstract Purpose To evaluate the effects of alcohol exposure and diabetes on apoptotic process in the corpus cavernosum. Methods Forty eight male Wistar rats were divided into four groups: control, diabetic, alcoholic and diabetic-alcoholic. Samples of the corpus cavernosum were prepared to study protein expression of apoptotic genes (Caspases-3 and 9) by immunohistochemistry and Real-Time PCR. Results The immunoreactivity of Caspases-3 and -9 was diffuse and higher in the treated groups though there was no significant difference between the experimental groups, only when compared with the control group. An increase was observed in the gene expression of Caspases-9 in the diabetic and ethanol-diabetic groups when compared with control and ethanol groups. Conclusions The association of these factors (ethanol and diabetes) probably can affect the apoptosis mechanism in lesions of the cavernous tissue in the rat penis. Both gene and protein expression of Caspase-9 in diabetic and ethanol-diabetic groups suggest the involvement of the apoptosis cascade from this study model.

Resumo: O objetivo deste trabalho foi comparar o desempenho das equações não lineares de Gompertz, logística e a de von Bertalanffy, para descrever a curva de crescimento de suínos machos imunocastrados, desde o nascimento até atingirem 140 kg de massa corporal. O erro-padrão, o número de iterações, o quadrado médio do erro e o coeficiente de determinação foram comparados entre os modelos. A equação logística e a de von Bertalanffy não estimam com precisão as massas inicial e de abate. A equação de Gompertz apresenta maior confiabilidade e é, portanto, a mais adequada para descrever a curva de crescimento de suínos imunocastrados, desde o nascimento até a obtenção de140 kg de massa corporal.

Abstract: The objective of this work was to compare the performance of the nonlinear Gompertz, logistic, and von Bertalanffy equations, to describe the growth curve of immunocastrated male pigs from birth until reaching 140 kg body weight. Standard error, number of iterations, mean square of the error, and coefficient of determination were compared between the models. The logistic and von Bertalanffy equations do not accurately estimate the initial and slaughter weights. The Gompertz equation shows the highest reliability and is, therefore, the most suitable one to describe the growth curve of immunocastrated pigs from birth until 140 kg body weight is reached.

Abstract Purpose To evaluate the effect of chronic alcoholism on morphometry and apoptosis mechanism and correlate with miRNA-21 expression in the corpus cavernosum of rats. Methods Twenty-four rats were divided into two experimental groups: Control (C) and Alcoholic group (A). After two weeks of an adaptive phase, rats from group A received only ethanol solution (20%) during 7 weeks. The morphometric and caspase-3 immunohistochemistry analysis were performed in the corpus cavernosum. The miRNA-21 expression was analyzed in blood and cavernous tissue. Results Chronic ethanol consumption decreased cavernosal smooth muscle area of alcoholic rats. The protein expression of caspase 3 in the corpus cavernosum was higher in A compared to the C group. There was no difference in the expression of miRNA-21 in serum and cavernous tissue between the groups. Conclusion Chronic ethanol consumption reduced smooth muscle area and increased caspase 3 in the corpus cavernosum of rats, without altered serum and cavernosal miR-21 gene expression.

Resumo Fundamento: A síndrome coronariana aguda (SCA) é responsável por elevados números de admissões e readmissões hospitalares, os quais estão associados ao aumento dos custos para o paciente e para o sistema de saúde, bem como à elevação nas taxas de mortalidade hospitalar. Objetivo: Investigar a reinternação entre pacientes com SCA e seus determinantes. Métodos: Trata-se de uma coorte retrospectiva de pacientes de ambos os sexos, adultos e idosos, diagnosticados com SCA. Foram avaliados, a partir dos registros dos hospitais locais públicos e privados de referência em cardiologia, a ocorrência de reinternação em até 1 ano após internação por SCA, o tempo entre as admissões e o uso de medicamentos no momento da reinternação. As variáveis categóricas foram associadas por meio do teste qui-quadrado, ou pelo teste exato de Fisher. Regressão logística múltipla foi utilizada para avaliar as variáveis preditoras da reinternação. Adotou-se como critério de significância estatística um valor de p < 0,05. Resultados: A ocorrência de reinternações foi de 21,46% (n = 115), e o período médio entre as internações foi de 122,74 (DP 112,14) dias. Os pacientes avaliados eram, em sua maioria, do sexo masculino (64,0%), com média de idade de 63,15 anos (DP 12,26). Sete por cento apresentaram óbito como prognóstico da reinternação, e 68,7% tiveram mais de uma reinternação em 1 ano. As causas cardiovasculares, entre elas a recorrência da SCA, foram as mais prevalentes entre as reinternações hospitalares. A assistência privada e o diagnóstico de insuficiência cardíaca congestiva (ICC) foram associados a reinternação após a regressão logística múltipla. Conclusão: Conclui-se que a SCA foi a principal causa de reinternação, sendo mais prevalente entre os usuários da rede suplementar de saúde. As reinternações associaram-se ao diagnóstico prévio de ICC e ao tipo de assitência à saúde.

Abstract Background: Acute coronary syndrome (ACS) is responsible for high rates of hospital admission and readmission, which are associated with increased costs for the patient and the health system, and increased in-hospital mortality rates. Objective: To evaluate readmission in patients with ACS and its determinants. Methods: This was a retrospective cohort study of adult and elderly patients with ACS, readmitted to public and private referral cardiology hospitals within one year after the first hospitalization for ACS. The occurrence of readmissions, the time elapsed from the first to the second admission, and the use of medications at admission were collected from the medical records. Associations between categorical variables were evaluated by the chi-square test or the Fisher's exact test. Multiple logistic regression was used to evaluate predictors for readmissions. A p < 0.05 was set as statistically significant. Results: Readmission rate was 21.5% (n = 115) and mean time between admissions was 122.7 ± 112.1 days. The patients were mostly men (64.0%), mean age of 63.15 ± 12.3 years. Among readmitted patients, 7% had a prognosis of "death", and 68.7% were readmitted more than once within a one-year period. The main reasons of readmission were cardiovascular diseases including ACS. Private health care and the diagnosis of congestive heart failure were associated with multiple logistic regression. Conclusion: ACS was the main cause of readmission, with higher prevalence among users of supplemental health care. Readmissions were associated with previous diagnosis of congestive heart failure and the type of health care provided.

Abstract Purpose: To evaluate the expression of endothelial and inducible NOS in addition to the miRNA-27b in the corpus cavernosum and peripheral blood of healthy rats, diabetic rats, alcoholic rats and rats with both pathologies. Methods: Forty eight Wistar rats were divided into four groups: control (C), alcoholic (A), diabetic (D) and alcoholic-diabetic (AD). Samples of the corpus cavernosum were prepared to study protein expressions of eNOS and iNOS by immunohistochemistry and expression of miRNA-27b in the corpus cavernosum and peripheral blood. Results: Immunohistochemistry for eNOS and iNOS showed an increase in cavernosal smooth muscle cells in the alcoholic, diabetic and alcoholic-diabetic groups when compared with the control group. Similarly, the mRNA levels for eNOS were increased in cavernosal smooth muscle (CSM) in the alcoholic, diabetic and alcoholic-diabetic groups and miRNA-27b were decreased in CSM in the alcoholic, diabetic and alcoholic-diabetic groups. Conclusion: The major new finding of our study was an impairment of relaxation of cavernosal smooth muscle in alcoholic, diabetic, and alcoholic-diabetic rats that involved a decrease in the nitric oxide pathway by endothelium-dependent mechanisms accompanied by a change in the corpus cavernosum contractile sensitivity.

The prevalence of occult hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection was investigated in 149 hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) negative injecting drug users (IDUs) in the Central-West Region of Brazil. Of these individuals, 19 were positive for HBV DNA, resulting in an occult HBV infection prevalence of 12.7% (19/149); six of these 19 individuals had anti-HBV core and/or anti-HBV surface antibodies and 13 were negative for HBV markers. All IDUs with occult hepatitis B reported sexual and/or parenteral risk behaviours. All HBV DNA-positive samples were successfully genotyped. Genotype D was the most common (17/19), followed by genotype A (2/19). These findings reveal a high prevalence of occult HBV infection and the predominance of genotype D among IDUs in Brazil's Central-West Region.

Natural Rubber Latex (NRL) can be used successfully in controlled release drug delivery due to their excellent matrix forming properties. Recently, NRL has shown to stimulate angiogenesis, cellular adhesion and the formation of extracellular matrix, promoting the replacement and regeneration of tissue. A dermatological delivery system comprising a topically acceptable, inert support impregnated with a metronidazole (MET) solution was developed. MET 2-(2- methyl- 5-nitro- 1H- imidazol- 1-yl) ethanol, has been widely used for the treatment of protozoa and anaerobic bacterial infections. MET is a nitroimidazole anti-infective medication used mainly in the treatment of infections caused by susceptible organisms, particularly anaerobic bacteria and protozoa. In a previous study, we have tested NRL as an occlusive membrane for GBR with promising results. One possible way to decrease the inflammatory process, it was incorporated the MET in NRL. MET was incorporated into the NRL, by mixing it in solution for in vitro protein delivery experiments. The solutions of latex and MET were polymerized at different temperatures, from -100 to 40 °C, in order to control the membrane morphology. SEM microscopy analysis showed that the number, size and distribution of pores in NRL membranes varied depending on polymerization temperature, as well as its overall morphology. Results demonstrated that the best drug-delivery system was the membrane polymerized at -100 °C, which does release 77,1% of its MET content for up 310 hours.