a b s t r a c tProgressive and irreversible cognitive impairments affect the ability of people with dementia to communicate and interact with caregivers. This places a burden on caregivers to initiate and manage interactions to the extent that they may avoid all but essential communication. CIRCA is an interactive, multimedia touch screen system that contains a wide range of stimuli to prompt reminiscing. The intention is that people with dementia and caregivers will explore CIRCA together, using the recollections sparked by the media as the basis for conversations. This paper reports an evaluation of the utility of CIRCA looking particularly at whether CIRCA can meet the needs of both people with dementia and caregivers to engage in mutually satisfying interactions. The findings confirm that people with dementia can use the touch screen system and that the contents prompt them to reminisce. The system also supports caregivers to interact with people with dementia as more equal participants in the conversation. The results suggest that interacting with the touch screen system is engaging and enjoyable for people with dementia and caregivers alike and provides a supportive interaction environment that positively benefits their relationships.

Rationale  Disuse colitis is frequent in our country and the most effective treatment is high cost and there is a need for effective and low cost therapy. Objective  To evaluate the efficacy of Baccharis dracunculifolia (field rosemary) in the treatment of exclusion colitis in rats. Method  Eighteen Wistar rats were anesthetized and submitted to colostomy; they were then distributed into two groups: Control Group, receiving intrarectal saline infusion (n = 8) and Group BD receiving intrarectal infusion of Baccharis dracunculifolia extract (n = 10); after 21 days of treatment they were euthanized, the intestinal segment excluded from intestinal transit was resected and submitted to histopathological study, classifying the degree of inflammation and degree of vascular congestion from 0 to 3. Results  Mean inflammation was 2.7 in Control Group versus 2.1 in BD Group (p = 0.049), while mean vascular congestion was 2.3 and 2, respectively, in Control and BD groups (p = 0.1642). Conclusion  Intra-rectal infusion of Baccharis dracunculifolia extract significantly minimized the inflammatory process in the exclusion colitis of rats submitted to colostomy, without altering the degree of vascular congestion.

Background: Diversion colitis is still very common in our country, since the stoma creation is a common practice especially in situations of trauma. needing treatment for this condition. Aim: To evaluate the therapeutic effect of rectal infusion of Curcuma longa (turmeric) in the excluded intestinal segment of rats. Method: Eighteen Wistar rats were used and submitted to colostomy: control group (n=8) under rectal saline infusion and group CL, receiving intra-rectal infusion of Curcuma longa extract (n=10). After 21 days of treatment they were submitted to euthanasia; the intestinal segment excluded from intestinal transit was resected and sent to histopathological evaluation, classifying the degree of inflammation and of vascular congestion. Results: The average of inflammation was 2.7 in the control group vs. 2.6 in the CL group (p=0.3125), while the mean vascular congestion was 2.3 and 2.1, respectively, in the control and CL groups (p=0.1642). Conclusion: Intra-rectal infusion of Curcuma longa extract was not able to minimize the inflammatory process or vascular congestion in the diversion colitis of rats subjected to colostomy.

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