Pulmonary rehabilitation (PR) improves physical capacity and health quality in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). However, the effect of exercise on oxidative stress markers in COPD patients is only partially known. This study was designed to evaluate the oxidative stress response to long-term exercise in patients with COPD enrolled in a PR program. Fifteen COPD patients (FEV1 < 60%), age between 50 and 60 years, ex-smokers, were separated in two groups: exercise-trained (n=8) and sedentary group (n=7). Exercise consisted of an 8-week conditioning program using a cycle ergometer (three times a week, 1h session). An endurance test (60% of maximal load in an incremental cycle test) was performed before and after PR. Blood samples were obtained at baseline and immediately after each endurance test. We measured the index of lipid peroxidation, thiobarbituric acid reactive species (TBARS), total radical-trapping antioxidant parameter (TRAP) and xanthine oxidase (XO) activity. TRAP was significantly different between the exercise-trained group and sedentary group of COPD patients. Baseline TBARS values were increased after the exercise training program but decreased after the endurance test. XO decrease after effort in the trained and untrained groups. The results suggest that patients with COPD are characterized by increased systemic and pulmonary oxidative stress markers both at rest as well as induced by cardiopulmonary exercise test and that PR program was associated with decreased systemic exercise-induced oxidative damage.

Dietary factors were the most associated with asthma in this study. Besides rhinoconjunctivitis, consumption of stuffed biscuits and fried snacks (foods with high content of saturated fat) three or more times per week were independently associated with asthma as aggravating factors, while the consumption of fruits three or more times per week was associated with asthma as protective factor. Interventions acting on these factors may decrease the occurrence of asthma in this population.

Prevalence of rhinitis among 6 and 7-year old students in fortaleza rev assoc med Bras 2014; 60(4):357-364 357Original articlePrevalence of rhinitis among 6 and 7-year old students in Fortaleza Conclusion: the prevalence of rhinitis symptoms and associated morbidity among 6-7-year old schoolchildren in Fortaleza was above the Brazilian average, with predominance among private school students, without difference between genders. It was observed that rhinitis was underdiagnosed in this population.

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OBJECTIVE: To describe the prevalences of asthma and rhinitis in adolescents (13-14 years of age) in the city of Fortaleza, Brazil, in 2010, comparing the results with those obtained in a prevalence survey conducted in 2006-2007. METHODS: This was a cross-sectional study involving probabilistic samples of 3,015 and 3,020 adolescents in surveys conducted in 2006-2007 and 2010, respectively. The International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood protocol was used on both occasions. RESULTS: Comparing the two periods, there were no significant differences regarding cumulative wheezing, active asthma, four or more wheezing attacks within the last year, sleep disturbed by wheezing more than one night per week, and speech-limiting wheezing. The prevalences of exercise-induced wheezing, dry cough at night, and physician-diagnosed asthma were significantly higher in 2010 than in the 2006-2007 period (p < 0.01 for all). The prevalence of physician-diagnosed rhinitis was significantly lower in 2010 (p = 0.01), whereas there were no significant differences between the two periods regarding cumulative rhinitis, current rhinitis, and rhinoconjunctivitis. In both periods, dry cough at night, current rhinitis, and rhinoconjunctivitis were significantly more prevalent in females than in males (p < 0.01 for all). Also in both periods, active asthma, current rhinitis, and rhinoconjunctivitis were more prevalent in private school students than in public school students (p < 0.01 for all). CONCLUSIONS: Our data show that the prevalences of asthma and rhinitis symptoms remain high among 13- and 14-year-olds in Fortaleza, predominantly among females and private school students.

Desde o final de 2019, o mundo assistiu ao nascimento de uma doença causada por um novo coronavírus (severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2-Sars-CoV-2) que rapidamente extrapolou as fronteiras da China, onde foi diagnosticado o primeiro caso em 12 de dezembro 1. A doença pelo coronavírus, denominada Covid-19, alastrou-se rapidamente por todos os continentes, sendo caracterizada como pandemia pela Organização Mundial da Saúde em 11 de março de 2020 2. A chegada ao Brasil, no final de fevereiro de 2020, coincidiu com o Carnaval, período de grande aglomeração e deslocamento de pessoas. Foram desencadeadas várias ações para contenção da disseminação do vírus por meio da redução do contato interpessoal, levando a medidas sanitárias de restrição de circulação de pessoas, o que culminou em março com o fechamento das instituições de ensino em todo o território nacional por um período prolongado e a determinação de isolamento social na maioria dos estados. Até o momento não se tem a real dimensão do impacto das medidas implantadas para garantir segurança nas atividades de ensinoaprendizagem, em especial nos cenários de prática dos serviços de saúde. Em 17 de março de 2020, o Ministério da Educação autorizou a substituição das aulas presenciais por aulas em meios digitais, mediante a Portaria nº 343, prorrogada até 31 de dezembro de 2020 pela Portaria nº 544, de 16 de junho de 2020 3. A Medida Provisória nº 934, publicada em 1º de abril de 2020, estabeleceu normas excepcionais sobre o ano letivo da educação básica e do ensino superior em decorrência da pandemia 4 , transformada na Lei nº 14.040, de 14 de agosto de 2020 5. Se um estudante de ensino médio em 2020 se tornasse médico daqui a dez anos e indagasse um professor acerca de como foi a sua experiência na época da Covid, uma resposta plausível seria a que segue. Por um tempo, quase tudo parou. Apenas os serviços essenciais e principalmente os serviços de saúde continuaram funcionando. Nos hospitais, os atendimentos eletivos foram suspensos, abrindo espaço para receber um número crescente de pessoas contaminadas pelo novo coronavírus, com graus variados de acometimento. Doença nova, sem série histórica para guiar diagnóstico e tratamento, com prognóstico desconhecido. Doença com espectro de acometimento amplo e desconhecido, variando do assintomático ao óbito em poucas horas, em que a cada dia a curva de aprendizagem era deslocada quase de forma exponencial, da mesma forma que o cômputo do crescente número de casos. Doença com testes diagnósticos pouco específicos e sensíveis e sem um tratamento comprovadamente eficiente para combate ao vírus. Muita especulação científica (e até contraditória), com inúmeros artigos publicados a cada dia e necessidade de retratação pública de duas grandes e renomadas revistas por publicações de resultados de tratamentos promissores com conclusões precipitadas, que depois foram refutados. Foi um tempo de suspensão das atividades de ensino presenciais, em todo o país, da educação infantil à pós-graduação, cedendo espaço para o en...

Casualties and damages from earthquakes, which cannot be predicted, occur too often. Effective engineering of buildings using seismic‐resistant design is the primary method of mitigating these adverse effects. In this context, it is important to model the seismic excitation. It is known that because of the random characteristics of the phenomenon, it is difficult to elaborate such a model; therefore, numerous studies have been developed to fill some gaps and to improve the existing models in the literature. Based on this assumption, the present article has the objective of collaborating with these studies, proposing a numerical model for the simultaneous generation of the three components of seismic acceleration. The model was developed in the MATLAB (see Data and Resources) program and uses an evolutionary optimization method to determine the appropriate parameters of amplitude and frequency, of a relatively simple mathematical model, that allows generate the three components of seismic acceleration with predetermined characteristics (i.e., peak ground acceleration, duration of strong motion, and frequency content). The results show that the elaborated model is suitable for generation of the three components of seismic acceleration, which allows us to conclude that the model can be used for seismic engineering purposes.

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