Background. An individual with diabetes mellitus (DM) has an approximately 25% risk of developing ulcerations and/or destruction of the feet’s soft tissues. These wounds represent approximately 20% of all causes of hospitalizations due to DM. Objective. To identify the factors for the development of diabetic foot ulceration (DFU) among individuals treated by the Brazilian public health system. Methods. This cross-sectional study was conducted on individuals with diabetes mellitus, aged above 18 years, of both sexes, and during July-October 2018 within a public healthcare unit in Brazil. All participants were assessed based on their socioeconomic, behavioral, and clinical characteristics, along with vascular and neurological evaluations. All participants were also classified according to the classification of risk of developing DFU, in accordance with the International Working Group on the Diabetic Foot (IWGDF). Statistical analyses were conducted using the chi-squared test, chi-squared test for trend, and Fisher’s exact test, with a significance level of 5% (p<0.05). Results. The study consisted of 85 individuals. The DFU condition was prevalent in 10.6% of the participants. Adopting the classification proposed by IWGDF, observed risks for stratification categories 0, 1, 2, and 3 were 28.2%, 29.4%, 23.5%, and 8.2%, respectively. A statistically significant (p<0.05) association was observed between the development of DFU and the following variables: time since the diagnosis of diabetes and the appearance of the nails, humidity, and deformations on the feet. Conclusion. The present study found an elevated predominance of DM patients in the Brazilian public health system (SUS) featuring cutaneous alterations that may lead to ulcers; these individuals had elevated risks of developing DFU. Furthermore, it was revealed that the feet of patients were not physically examined during treatment.

Introduction: We developed and tested a new system for inducing the healing of diabetic foot ulcers. The system relies on the regenerative properties of its two components: an insole with a sheet of natural latex and a device that contains a matrix of light emitting diodes with wavelength of 635 nm. Methods: The electronic and latex based devices were developed, and a four weeks test was performed in one control group (CG) of five ulcers and one experimental group (EG) of eight ulcers. The CG was treated with a standard approach, based on a silver-releasing foam dressing, and the EG was treated with the system under test. For each ulcer, an index for quantifying the percentage ulcer recovery, named CRU(%), has been calculated; a CRU(%) = 0% means no healing, and a CRU(%) = 100% means total healing. Results: There were statistically significant increases of CRU(%) of 51.8% (p = 0.022), for the CG, and of 78.4% (p < 0.001), for the EG. The increase in the EG was higher than the increase in the CG, and the difference was statistically significant (p < 0.001). The results showed that the proposed method had, for these particular sets of ulcers, faster healing rates, than for the standard method. Conclusion: The results hint that the proposed method seems promising as a future treatment method. However, the technique must undergo further testing before it can be considered for extensive clinical applications.

Wound healing is a perfectly coordinated cascade of cellular, molecular, and biochemical events which interact in tissue reconstitution. Chronic diseases such as pressure ulcers (PU) and diabetes mellitus (DM) are considered risk factors for wound healing. Patients with such diseases often have higher sepsis, infection, and complication rates, since they have revascularization inhibition and low growth factor expression. Thus, latex biomembrane (LBM), a biocompatible material, derived from the latex of the rubber tree (Hevea brasiliensis) appears to create tendencies as an angiogenic-inducing tissue healing agent and as biomaterial, resulting from its structural qualities and its low cost when compared to conventional treatments. Therefore, this work aims at summarizing the results, experiments, and scientific findings that certify or recommend the use of LBM as a new technique to be applied effectively in the treatment of wounds. An integrative review was held in the BIREME, LILACS, Burns, MEDLINE, PubMed, and SciELO databases, from 2000 to 2016, using the following descriptors: “healing,” “diabetes mellitus,” “wounds,” and “latex membrane.” As a result, 600 experiments (out of 612) presented satisfactory results; however, 33% of the cases received explicit recommendations, 11% required more studies on the subjects, and 1% was denied. On the other hand, half of the studies did not expressly endorse its use, despite presenting satisfactory results. The LBM was characterized as a good therapeutic alternative in cases of wounds, including chronic diseases, such as diabetes mellitus and PU, due to its relevant potential for wound healing stimulation, acceleration of cell tissue mending and revascularization, or the reestablishment of angiogenic functions (creation of new blood vessels). The LBM was also confirmed to be safe as a biocompatible material whose structural qualities (elasticity, adaptability, impermeability, and possibility of suture), devoid of toxicity, allowed interaction between tissues and presented no hypersensitivity inducer and no antimicrobial effect.

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RESUMO Este é um estudo de caso que objetivou analisar, na perspectiva da saúde coletiva, o processo de desenvolvimento do equipamento médico para o tratamento do pé diabético realizado pela parceria entre o Ministério da Saúde (MS) e a Universidade de Brasília (UnB) no período de dezembro de 2016 a janeiro de 2019. A análise observou o comportamento do grupo de pesquisa responsável pela produção da tecnologia dura mediante as dificuldades em transformar a pesquisa em um produto com viés mercadológico capaz de ser assimilado na cobertura do Sistema Único de Saúde (SUS), concomitantemente à participação da saúde coletiva na superação de alguns entraves. Utilizou-se como estudo de caso a parceria entre o MS e a UnB apoiado no modelo de investigação qualitativa com ênfase em processos metodológicos de tipologia mista, mas com prioridade aos métodos de observação participante cuja unidade de análise está vinculada à saúde coletiva. Os resultados observados evidenciaram que a contribuição da saúde coletiva na produção da tecnologia dura minimizou lacunas para a provável transformação da ideia em produto assimilável pelo SUS. A participação da saúde coletiva diminuiu os espaços entre as áreas do conhecimento envolvidas, aproximando a universidade da iniciativa privada e dos órgãos reguladores.

Radiofrequency ablation (RFA) is a treatment for liver tumors with advantages over the traditional treatment of surgical resection. This procedure has the shortest recovery time in early stage tumors. The objective of this study is to parameterize the impedance curve of the RFA procedure in an ex vivo model by defining seven parameters (t1/2, tminimum, tend, Zinitial, Z1/2, Zminimum and Zend). Based on these parameters, three performance indices are defined: one to identify the magnitude of impedance curve asymmetry (δ), one Drop ratio (DR) describing the percentage of impedance decrease until the minimum impedance point is reached, and Ascent Ratio (AR) describing the magnitude of increase in impedance from the minimum impedance point to its maximum point. Fifty ablations were performed in a bovine ex vivo model to measure and evaluate the proposed parameters and performance index. The results show that the groups had an average δ of 29.02%, DR of 22.41%, and AR of 545.33% for RFA without the use of saline or deionized solutions. The saline solution and deionized water-cooled groups indicated the correlation of performance indices δ, DR, and AR with the obtained final ablation volume. Therefore, by controlling these parameters and indices, lower recurrence is achieved.

The ophthalmic dysfunction amblyopia, commonly known as lazy eye, is characterized by decreased vision in one eye due to improper development in childhood. The aim of this study was to obtain and characterize natural rubber membranes and to assess their utility as an eye film capable of altering the passage of light. The latex membranes were produced using the Van Gogh method and the deposition technique and were analyzed by physical and chemical methods to determine the properties of latex in natura and of natural rubber membranes. The materials were characterized by X-ray diffractometry, scanning electron microscopy, thermogravimetry, differential scanning calorimetry, analysis of water sorption and light crossing analysis. We report here a new approach to the treatment of patients with amblyopia using latex membranes.

Translational research means different things to different people, but it seems important to almost everyone. Steven Woolf 1(211). THE TRANSLATION OF THE ACHIEVEMENTS FROM BASIC SCIENCE into everyday clinical practice remains an important issue in contemporary health, and is addressed through the new subject of translational research, which aims to bridge the gap between basic research and its application in health. At first, it connected bench (basic) to bed research (clinical applications), which is also known as benchside-to-bedside research 2. The definition of translational research has evolved over time, ceasing to be a field linked to clinical research, with perspectives that were mainly focused on the development of new health technologies. There is an emerging consensus on four perspectives that comprise different stages of translational research in their broad scope based on their different purposes. The first phase involves processes that bring the ideas and the discoveries of basic research at an early stage to their application in human beings. The second phase involves the establishment of efficacy in humans and clinical guidelines for the incorporation of the clinical knowledge into practice in health systems and services. The third phase focuses mainly on implementation research and the dissemination of the application of knowledge. The fourth phase focuses on results on patients and population effectiveness, as well as equity-related issues, in order to verify whether the expected effects of technologies introduced into the health system were different across population groups. Currently, the European Society for Translational Medicine defines a broader scope for translational research as: an interdisciplinary branch of biomedical research supported by three pillars: bench, bed, and community research, whose goal is to combine subjects, resources, knowledge, and techniques, in order to promote advances in prevention, diagnosis, and therapies, aiming to significantly improve the global health system 3. The extension of the concept to health systems seems so obvious that one wonders why translational research has only recently caught the attention of health policy managers 4. The field of translational research encompasses laboratory studies, clinical demands, public health and health management, policies, and economics. It is crucial in the evolution of contemporary biomedical science, and its interventions follow political-economic, ethical-social, and educational-scientific approaches. Translational research may progress by reorganizing academic teams translationally. New translation-oriented academic positions are urgently needed 1. One of the reasons for the distance between basic research and its applications may lie in the increasing compartmentalization of science. Basic research, which seeks to discover the underlying principles of the natural world, is fundamentally different from applied research, which seeks to find ways to influence or control the world. Basic and applied research