Clinical and radiographic outcomes of a two-piece ceramic implant: one year results from a prospective clinical trial.

OBJECTIVE: To describe the clinical and radiographic performance and survival rate of a new two-piece ceramic implant system after at least 12 months of follow-up. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Sixty-five implants were placed and followed up for at least 12 months (12.3 ± 1.5), in 50 patients. The implants were installed both in fresh extraction sockets and in healed sites and received provisional restoration when the clinical insertion torque was greater than 35Ncm. The primary results describe the survival rate of these implants. Clinical performance was evaluated through the evaluation of the Pink Esthetic Score (PES) and the degree of satisfaction of the patients. Bone loss was measured through radiographic measurements of the marginal bone loss in the mesial (MBLM) and distal (MBLD) sites. RESULTS: The survival rate was 98.5%. The average MBLM was 0.24 mm (± 0.53) and the MBLD was 0.27 mm (± 0.57). A statistical difference was observed only when comparing immediate implants with delayed ones (MBLM - p = 0.046 and MBLD - p = 0.028) and when they received immediate provisionalization or not (MBLM - p = 0.009 and MBLD - p = 0.040). The PES before the intervention (T0) was 13.4 (± 0.8) and the PES at T2 (12-month follow-up) was 12.9 (± 1.5) (p = 1.14). CONCLUSION: The new two-piece ceramic implant used in the present study showed predictable and reliable results, similar to those found with titanium implants after one year of follow-up. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: These implants can be used as an alternative to titanium implants in terms of the marginal bone loss and the degree of patient satisfaction.

Silk fibroin-derived electrospun materials for biomedical applications: A review.

Electrospinning is a versatile technique for fabricating polymeric fibers with diameters ranging from micro- to nanoscale, exhibiting multiple morphologies and arrangements. By combining silk fibroin (SF) with synthetic and/or natural polymers, electrospun materials with outstanding biological, chemical, electrical, physical, mechanical, and optical properties can be achieved, fulfilling the evolving biomedical demands. This review highlights the remarkable versatility of SF-derived electrospun materials, specifically focusing on their application in tissue regeneration (including cartilage, cornea, nerves, blood vessels, bones, and skin), disease treatment (such as cancer and diabetes), and the development of controlled drug delivery systems. Additionally, we explore the potential future trends in utilizing these nanofibrous materials for creating intelligent biomaterials, incorporating biosensors and wearable sensors for monitoring human health, and also discuss the bottlenecks for its widespread use. This comprehensive overview illuminates the significant impact and exciting prospects of SF-derived electrospun materials in advancing biomedical research and applications.

Space-time patterns and drivers of migrant bird communities in coastal Piauí State, Brazil

Introduction: Migration is a natural phenomenon that includes annual movements of many bird species in response to seasonal cycles. With approximately one third of all living bird species, South America has an important avifauna, and many migrants land in Brazil at stopping points and wintering sites. Objective: To identify associations between migrant birds and coastal vegetation, and environmental influence of on migration. Methods: At 10 points along the coast of Piauí State, Brazil, we made visual censuses and mist net captures, between April 2009 and February 2016. Results: We identified 82 migrant bird species (13 orders; 28 families) that represented 41 intracontinental migrating species, 26 northern visiting species, 14 nomad species and one vagrant species. The richness peaks were at the beginning and end of both dry and rainy seasons, matching insolation and atmospheric pressure. There were spatial pattern differences among vegetation complexes. Chrysolampis mosquitus is an indicator of caatinga vegetation, Numenius phaeopus of wetland, Charadrius collaris of non-flooding fields, Rostrhamus sociabilis of forest-grassland transition, and Columbina picui of orchards. Despite differences in number and species composition within vegetation types, the temporal pattern in species richness was similar among flooded fields, non-flooded fields, and transition grassland categories. Conclusions: Migrant birds occupy specific environments during their permanence along the coast of Piauí State, with richness matching insolation and atmospheric pressure.

Introducción: La migración es un fenómeno natural que incluye los movimientos anuales de muchas especies de aves en respuesta a los ciclos estacionales. Con aproximadamente un tercio de todas las especies de aves conocidas, América del Sur tiene una avifauna importante y muchas aves migratorias tienen puntos de parada e invernada en Brasil. Objetivo: Identificar asociaciones entre las aves migratorias y la vegetación costera, y la influencia del medio ambiente en la migración. Métodos: En 10 puntos a lo largo de la costa del Estado de Piauí, Brasil, realizamos censos visuales y capturas con redes de niebla, entre abril 2009 y febrero 2016. Resultados: Identificamos 82 especies de aves migratorias (13 órdenes; 28 familias) que representaron 41 especies migratorias intracontinentales, 26 especies visitantes del norte, 14 especies nómadas y una especie vagante. Los picos de riqueza se dieron al principio y al final de las estaciones seca y lluviosa, coincidiendo con la insolación y la presión atmosférica. Hubo diferencias en el patrón espacial entre los complejos de vegetación. Chrysolampis mosquitus es un indicador de vegetación de caatinga, Numenius phaeopus de humedales, Charadrius collaris de campos que no se inundan, Rostrhamus sociabilis de transición bosque-pastizales y Columbina picui de huertos. A pesar de las diferencias en el número y composición de especies dentro de los tipos de vegetación, el patrón temporal en la riqueza de especies fue similar entre las categorías de campos inundados, campos no inundados y pastizales de transición. Conclusiones: Las aves migratorias ocupan ambientes específicos durante su permanencia a lo largo de la costa del estado de Piauí, con una riqueza acorde con la insolación y la presión atmosférica.

Patient-specific modeling for guided rehabilitation of stroke patients: the BrainX3 use-case.

BrainX3 is an interactive neuroinformatics platform that has been thoughtfully designed to support neuroscientists and clinicians with the visualization, analysis, and simulation of human neuroimaging, electrophysiological data, and brain models. The platform is intended to facilitate research and clinical use cases, with a focus on personalized medicine diagnostics, prognostics, and intervention decisions. BrainX3 is designed to provide an intuitive user experience and is equipped to handle different data types and 3D visualizations. To enhance patient-based analysis, and in keeping with the principles of personalized medicine, we propose a framework that can assist clinicians in identifying lesions and making patient-specific intervention decisions. To this end, we are developing an AI-based model for lesion identification, along with a mapping of tract information. By leveraging the patient's lesion information, we can gain valuable insights into the structural damage caused by the lesion. Furthermore, constraining whole-brain models with patient-specific disconnection masks can allow for the detection of mesoscale excitatory-inhibitory imbalances that cause disruptions in macroscale network properties. Finally, such information has the potential to guide neuromodulation approaches, assisting in the choice of candidate targets for stimulation techniques such as Transcranial Ultrasound Stimulation (TUS), which modulate E-I balance, potentiating cortical reorganization and the restoration of the dynamics and functionality disrupted due to the lesion.

Recent Progress in Stimuli-Responsive Antimicrobial Electrospun Nanofibers.

Electrospun nanofibrous membranes have garnered significant attention in antimicrobial applications, owing to their intricate three-dimensional network that confers an interconnected porous structure, high specific surface area, and tunable physicochemical properties, as well as their notable capacity for loading and sustained release of antimicrobial agents. Tailoring polymer or hybrid-based nanofibrous membranes with stimuli-responsive characteristics further enhances their versatility, enabling them to exhibit broad-spectrum or specific activity against diverse microorganisms. In this review, we elucidate the pivotal advancements achieved in the realm of stimuli-responsive antimicrobial electrospun nanofibers operating by light, temperature, pH, humidity, and electric field, among others. We provide a concise introduction to the strategies employed to design smart electrospun nanofibers with antimicrobial properties. The core section of our review spotlights recent progress in electrospun nanofiber-based systems triggered by single- and multi-stimuli. Within each stimulus category, we explore recent examples of nanofibers based on different polymers and antimicrobial agents. Finally, we delve into the constraints and future directions of stimuli-responsive nanofibrous materials, paving the way for their wider application spectrum and catalyzing progress toward industrial utilization.

Redefining stroke rehabilitation: Mobilizing the embodied goal-oriented brain.

Advancements in stroke rehabilitation remain limited and call for a reorientation. Based on recent results, this study proposes a network-centric perspective on stroke, positing that it not only causes localized deficits but also affects the brain's intricate network of networks, transiting it into a pathological state. Translating these system-level insights into interventions requires brain theory, and the Distributed Adaptive Control (DAC) theory offers such a framework. When applied in the rehabilitation gaming system, these principles demonstrate superior results over conventional methods. This impact stems from activating extensive brain networks, particularly the executive control network, focused motor learning, and maintaining excitatory-inhibitory balance, which is essential for neural repair and functional reorganization. The analysis stresses uniting preclinical and clinical research and placing the architecture of the embodied volitional brain at the centre of rehabilitation approaches.

Zwitterionic "Solutions" for Reversible CO2 Capture.

The zwitterions resulting from the covalent attachment of 3- or 4-hydroxy benzene to the 1,3-dimethylimidazolium cation represent basic compounds (pKa of 8.68 and 8.99 in aqueous solutions, respectively) that chemisorb in aqueous solutions 0.58 mol/mol of carbon dioxide at 1.3 bar (absolute) and 40 °C. Equimolar amounts of chemisorbed CO2 in these solutions are obtained at 10 bar and 40 °C. Chemisorption takes place through the formation of bicarbonate in the aqueous solution using imidazolium-containing phenolate. CO2 is liberated by simple pressure relief and heating, regenerating the base. The enthalpy of absorption was estimated to be -38 kJ/mol, which is about 30 % lower than the enthalpy of industrially employed aqueous solutions of MDEA (estimated at -53 kJ/mol using the same experimental apparatus). The physisorption of CO2 becomes relevant at higher pressures (>10 bar) in these aqueous solutions. Combined physio- and chemisorption of up to 1.3 mol/mol at 40 bar and 40 °C can be attained with these aqueous zwitterionic solutions that are thermally stable and can be recycled at least 20 times.

Single laboratory evaluation of umbilical cord blood units processing methodologies for banking.

OBJECTIVE: To compare the efficiency of 3 different processing methods (Sepax, AutoXpress [AXP], and manual processing with hydroxyethyl starch [HES] sedimentation) used at Stemlab during a 10-year period. METHODS: Historical data were compiled and the analytical results obtained for the 3 different methods were compared. RESULTS: The manual processing (HES) method yielded the highest level of total nucleated cell recovery after processing, and the AXP system yielded the highest CD34+ cell number. The red blood cell reduction was also significantly higher with the HES method. Also, HES showed comparable results to Toticyte technology for umbilical cord blood (UCB) processing. CONCLUSION: These results show that the HES method is as effective as automated technologies for UCB volume reduction; hence, it is a suitable methodology for private and public UCB banks. The HES method also proved to be superior to Toticyte technology for medical applications, with higher recovery yields of total nucleated cells after thawing and equivalent CD34+ cell recovery and functionality.

Multiscale effects of excitatory-inhibitory homeostasis in lesioned cortical networks: A computational study.

Stroke-related disruptions in functional connectivity (FC) often spread beyond lesioned areas and, given the localized nature of lesions, it is unclear how the recovery of FC is orchestrated on a global scale. Since recovery is accompanied by long-term changes in excitability, we propose excitatory-inhibitory (E-I) homeostasis as a driving mechanism. We present a large-scale model of the neocortex, with synaptic scaling of local inhibition, showing how E-I homeostasis can drive the post-lesion restoration of FC and linking it to changes in excitability. We show that functional networks could reorganize to recover disrupted modularity and small-worldness, but not network dynamics, suggesting the need to consider forms of plasticity beyond synaptic scaling of inhibition. On average, we observed widespread increases in excitability, with the emergence of complex lesion-dependent patterns related to biomarkers of relevant side effects of stroke, such as epilepsy, depression and chronic pain. In summary, our results show that the effects of E-I homeostasis extend beyond local E-I balance, driving the restoration of global properties of FC, and relating to post-stroke symptomatology. Therefore, we suggest the framework of E-I homeostasis as a relevant theoretical foundation for the study of stroke recovery and for understanding the emergence of meaningful features of FC from local dynamics.

An Experimental Analysis on Multicepstral Projection Representation Strategies for Dysphonia Detection.

Biometrics-based authentication has become the most well-established form of user recognition in systems that demand a certain level of security. For example, the most commonplace social activities stand out, such as access to the work environment or to one's own bank account. Among all biometrics, voice receives special attention due to factors such as ease of collection, the low cost of reading devices, and the high quantity of literature and software packages available for use. However, these biometrics may have the ability to represent the individual impaired by the phenomenon known as dysphonia, which consists of a change in the sound signal due to some disease that acts on the vocal apparatus. As a consequence, for example, a user with the flu may not be properly authenticated by the recognition system. Therefore, it is important that automatic voice dysphonia detection techniques be developed. In this work, we propose a new framework based on the representation of the voice signal by the multiple projection of cepstral coefficients to promote the detection of dysphonic alterations in the voice through machine learning techniques. Most of the best-known cepstral coefficient extraction techniques in the literature are mapped and analyzed separately and together with measures related to the fundamental frequency of the voice signal, and its representation capacity is evaluated on three classifiers. Finally, the experiments on a subset of the Saarbruecken Voice Database prove the effectiveness of the proposed material in detecting the presence of dysphonia in the voice.

Multi-modal and multi-model interrogation of large-scale functional brain networks.

Existing whole-brain models are generally tailored to the modelling of a particular data modality (e.g., fMRI or MEG/EEG). We propose that despite the differing aspects of neural activity each modality captures, they originate from shared network dynamics. Building on the universal principles of self-organising delay-coupled nonlinear systems, we aim to link distinct features of brain activity - captured across modalities - to the dynamics unfolding on a macroscopic structural connectome. To jointly predict connectivity, spatiotemporal and transient features of distinct signal modalities, we consider two large-scale models - the Stuart Landau and Wilson and Cowan models - which generate short-lived 40 Hz oscillations with varying levels of realism. To this end, we measure features of functional connectivity and metastable oscillatory modes (MOMs) in fMRI and MEG signals - and compare them against simulated data. We show that both models can represent MEG functional connectivity (FC), functional connectivity dynamics (FCD) and generate MOMs to a comparable degree. This is achieved by adjusting the global coupling and mean conduction time delay and, in the WC model, through the inclusion of balance between excitation and inhibition. For both models, the omission of delays dramatically decreased the performance. For fMRI, the SL model performed worse for FCD and MOMs, highlighting the importance of balanced dynamics for the emergence of spatiotemporal and transient patterns of ultra-slow dynamics. Notably, optimal working points varied across modalities and no model was able to achieve a correlation with empirical FC higher than 0.4 across modalities for the same set of parameters. Nonetheless, both displayed the emergence of FC patterns that extended beyond the constraints of the anatomical structure. Finally, we show that both models can generate MOMs with empirical-like properties such as size (number of brain regions engaging in a mode) and duration (continuous time interval during which a mode appears). Our results demonstrate the emergence of static and dynamic properties of neural activity at different timescales from networks of delay-coupled oscillators at 40 Hz. Given the higher dependence of simulated FC on the underlying structural connectivity, we suggest that mesoscale heterogeneities in neural circuitry may be critical for the emergence of parallel cross-modal functional networks and should be accounted for in future modelling endeavours.

Umbilical-Cord-Derived Mesenchymal Stromal Cells Modulate 26 Out of 41 T Cell Subsets from Systemic Sclerosis Patients.

Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is an immune-mediated disease wherein T cells are particularly implicated, presenting a poor prognosis and limited therapeutic options. Thus, mesenchymal-stem/stromal-cell (MSC)-based therapies can be of great benefit to SSc patients given their immunomodulatory, anti-fibrotic, and pro-angiogenic potential, which is associated with low toxicity. In this study, peripheral blood mononuclear cells from healthy individuals (HC, n = 6) and SSc patients (n = 9) were co-cultured with MSCs in order to assess how MSCs affected the activation and polarization of 58 different T cell subsets, including Th1, Th17, and Treg. It was found that MSCs downregulated the activation of 26 out of the 41 T cell subsets identified within CD4+, CD8+, CD4+CD8+, CD4-CD8-, and γδ T cells in SSc patients (HC: 29/42) and affected the polarization of 13 out of 58 T cell subsets in SSc patients (HC: 22/64). Interestingly, SSc patients displayed some T cell subsets with an increased activation status and MSCs were able to downregulate all of them. This study provides a wide-ranging perspective of how MSCs affect T cells, including minor subsets. The ability to inhibit the activation and modulate the polarization of several T cell subsets, including those implicated in SSc's pathogenesis, further supports the potential of MSC-based therapies to regulate T cells in a disease whose onset/development may be due to immune system's malfunction.

In vitro and in silico antibacterial evaluation of coumarin derivatives against MDR strains of Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli.

The increase in antibiotic resistance rates has attracted the interest of researchers for antibacterial compounds capable of potentiating the activity of conventional antibiotics. Coumarin derivatives have been reported to develop effective antibacterials with possible new mechanisms of action for treating infectious diseases caused by bacteria with a profile of drug resistance. In this context, the aim of the present study we have now prepared one variety of new synthetic coumarins evaluating the pharmacokinetic and chemical similarity in silico, their antimicrobial activity against Staphylococcus aureus (ATCC 25923) and Escherichia coli (ATCC 25922), and potential for the modulation of antibiotic resistance against Staphylococcus aureus (SA10) and Escherichia coli (EC06) clinical isolate bacteria by in vitro assay. The antibacterial activity and antibiotic-enhancing properties were evaluated by the broth microdilution method and pharmacokinetically characterized according to the Lipinsk rule of 5 and had their similarity analyzed in databases such as ChemBL and CAS SciFinder. The results demonstrated that only compound C13 showed significant antibacterial activity (MIC ≤256 µg/mL), and all other coumarins did not display relevant antibacterial activity (MIC ≥1024 µg/mL). However, they did modulate the antibiotics activities to norfloxacin and gentamicin, except, compound C11 to norfloxacin against Staphylococcus aureus (SA10). The in silico properties prediction and drug-likeness results demonstrated that all coumarins presented a good drug-likeness score with no violations and promising in silico pharmacokinetic profiles showing that they have the potential to be developed into an oral drug. The results indicate that the coumarin derivatives showed good in vitro antibacterial activity. These new coumarin derivatives also demonstrated the capacity to modulate antibiotic resistance with potential synergy action for current antimicrobials assayed, as antibiotic adjuvants, to reduce the emergence of antimicrobial resistance.

Photobiological effect of eugenol-derived 3-benzoylcoumarin associated with led lights against MDR microorganisms.

The problem of antibiotic resistance by bacteria threatens human health. Therefore, studies in this area seek alternatives to circumvent it. The study with coumarins and eugenol has already proven that these classes of compounds act against bacteria. In this same aspect, exposure to LED also shows a bactericidal effect. Seeking a possible enhancement of this effect, the present work studied coumarins derived from eugenol in association with LED to investigate the bactericidal effect. Four compounds were tested. For this, minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) and modulation with three antibiotics against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus bacteria were determined. To test the behavior of the activity against exposure to LED, the plates were exposed for 20 min to blue light, 415 nm and then incubated at 37°C for 24 h. For control, duplicates were made, and one of them did not undergo this exposure. C1 exhibited better activity against S. aureus, as synergism prevailed under the conditions tested. C3 and C4 were promising against E. coli as they showed synergism in association with the three antibiotics both with and without LED exposure. Thus, the compounds showed bactericidal activity, and LED was shown to enhance synergism.

Hypothermic Preservation of Adipose-Derived Mesenchymal Stromal Cells as a Viable Solution for the Storage and Distribution of Cell Therapy Products.

Cell and gene therapies (CGT) have reached new therapeutic targets but have noticeably high prices. Solutions to reduce production costs might be found in CGT storage and transportation since they typically involve cryopreservation, which is a heavily burdened process. Encapsulation at hypothermic temperatures (e.g., 2-8 °C) could be a feasible alternative. Adipose tissue-derived mesenchymal stromal cells (MSC(AT)) expanded using fetal bovine serum (FBS)- (MSC-FBS) or human platelet lysate (HPL)-supplemented mediums (MSC-HPL) were encapsulated in alginate beads for 30 min, 5 days, and 12 days. After bead release, cell recovery and viability were determined to assess encapsulation performance. MSC identity was verified by flow cytometry, and a set of assays was performed to evaluate functionality. MSC(AT) were able to survive encapsulated for a standard transportation period of 5 days, with recovery values of 56 ± 5% for MSC-FBS and 77 ± 6% for MSC-HPL (which is a negligible drop compared to earlier timepoints). Importantly, MSC function did not suffer from encapsulation, with recovered cells showing robust differentiation potential, expression of immunomodulatory molecules, and hematopoietic support capacity. MSC(AT) encapsulation was proven possible for a remarkable 12 day period. There is currently no solution to completely replace cryopreservation in CGT logistics and supply chain, although encapsulation has shown potential to act as a serious competitor.

From mechanisms to markers: novel noninvasive EEG proxy markers of the neural excitation and inhibition system in humans.

Brain function is a product of the balance between excitatory and inhibitory (E/I) brain activity. Variation in the regulation of this activity is thought to give rise to normal variation in human traits, and disruptions are thought to potentially underlie a spectrum of neuropsychiatric conditions (e.g., Autism, Schizophrenia, Downs' Syndrome, intellectual disability). Hypotheses related to E/I dysfunction have the potential to provide cross-diagnostic explanations and to combine genetic and neurological evidence that exists within and between psychiatric conditions. However, the hypothesis has been difficult to test because: (1) it lacks specificity-an E/I dysfunction could pertain to any level in the neural system- neurotransmitters, single neurons/receptors, local networks of neurons, or global brain balance - most researchers do not define the level at which they are examining E/I function; (2) We lack validated methods for assessing E/I function at any of these neural levels in humans. As a result, it has not been possible to reliably or robustly test the E/I hypothesis of psychiatric disorders in a large cohort or longitudinal patient studies. Currently available, in vivo markers of E/I in humans either carry significant risks (e.g., deep brain electrode recordings or using Positron Emission Tomography (PET) with radioactive tracers) and/or are highly restrictive (e.g., limited spatial extent for Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) and Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy (MRS). More recently, a range of novel Electroencephalography (EEG) features has been described, which could serve as proxy markers for E/I at a given level of inference. Thus, in this perspective review, we survey the theories and experimental evidence underlying 6 novel EEG markers and their biological underpinnings at a specific neural level. These cheap-to-record and scalable proxy markers may offer clinical utility for identifying subgroups within and between diagnostic categories, thus directing more tailored sub-grouping and, therefore, treatment strategies. However, we argue that studies in clinical populations are premature. To maximize the potential of prospective EEG markers, we first need to understand the link between underlying E/I mechanisms and measurement techniques.

Preparation and characterization of sequilhos-type biscuits added with almond flour of Acrocomia intumescens.

Acrocomia intumescens ("macaúba") is a species that during processing generates a large amount of waste. The use of this residue for the production of flour for incorporation into food products is a way to minimize the cost and nutritionally enrich the final product. This work aimed to develop and analyze, in terms of physico-chemical and microbiological properties, cookies with macaúba almond cake residual flour. Sequilhos formulations were obtained using three different proportions of flour (2, 4 and 6%). The analysis of the flour allowed to find 4.29% of moisture, 1.13% of acidity, 5.33 of pH, 44.46% of carbohydrates, 28.74% of lipids, 20.06% of proteins and 2.45% of ash. In the analysis of the sequilhos formulations, the following values were found: moisture (5.03 to 8.13%), acidity (0.10 to 0.14%), pH (5.52 to 5.93), carbohydrates (67.17 to 73.37%), lipids (18.77 to 31.77%), proteins (0.85 to 1.92%), ash (0.83 to 0.94%) and total energy value (137.57 to 172,50 Kcal/100g). In microbiological analyzes it was highlighted that the sequilhos presented adequate sanitary conditions. The results indicate almond flour as an ingredient to be incorporated in the preparation of sequilhos, which in turn, presented satisfactory physico-chemical properties and microbiological results.

Gestão da educação de enfermeiros da Estratégia Saúde da Família / Education management of nurses of the Family Health Strategy / Gestión de la educación de enfermeros de la Estrategia Salud de la Familia

Objetivo: identificar as características do desenvolvimento profissional, as necessidades de educação permanente e as qualificações mais importantes vivenciadas pelos enfermeiros. Método: estudo transversal, descritivo e exploratório, do tipo estudo de caso, realizado entre julho e setembro de 2019, com 64 enfermeiros. A coleta ocorreu por meio de um questionário, adaptado ao Google Forms®e analisados utilizando software R COMPLETAR. Resultados: 60,9% dos enfermeiros participaram de eventos científicos; 37,5% utilizam de jornais e revistas como principal fonte de leitura; 62,5% acessam a internet com frequência, sendo as redes sociais pessoais as mais utilizadas (45,3%). Nos últimos doze meses, 56,2% afirmaram que participaram de aprimoramento técnico-científico. Entre aquelesque não participaram, o principal motivo foi a distância (20,3%). Dentre as qualificações mais importantes realizadas, estão temas relacionados àsaúde pública e da família (39%), citadas por 18,1% como necessidade.Conclusão: os enfermeiros da Estratégia Saúde da Família demonstraram grande envolvimento com atividades de aprimoramento técnico-científico e/ou qualificação profissional, com destaquepara a participação em eventos científicos na área da Enfermagem. Há uma forte influência da prática laboral no processo de qualificação profissional.

Objective:to identify the characteristics of professional development, continuing education needs, and the most important qualifications experienced by nurses. Method:cross-sectional, descriptive and exploratory study, case study type, conducted between July and September 2019, with 64 nurses. The collection occurred through a questionnaire, adapted to Google Forms® and analyzed using R COMPLETAR software. Results:60.9% ofnurses participated in scientific events; 37.5% use newspapers and magazines as their main source of reading; 62.5% access the internet frequently, with personal social networks being the most accessed (45.3%). In the last twelve months, 56.2% said they had participated in technical-scientific improvement. Of those who did not participate, the main reason was distance (20.3%). Among the most important qualifications taken, there are themes related to public and family health (39%), cited by 18.1% as a need. Conclusion:the nurses of the Family Health Strategy demonstrated great involvement with activities of technical-scientific improvement and/or professional qualification, highlighting the participation in scientific events in the Nursing area. There is astrong influence of work practice in the process of professional qualification.

Objetivo:identificar las características del desarrollo profesional, las necesidades de educación continua y las calificaciones más importantes experimentadas por los enfermeros. Método:transversal, descriptivo y exploratorio, del tipo estudio de caso, realizado entre julio y septiembre de 2019, con 64 enfermeros. La recogida se realizó a través de un cuestionario, adaptado a Google Forms® y analizado mediante el software R COMPLETAR. Resultados:60,9% de los enfermeros participaron en eventos científicos; el37,5% utiliza diarios y revistas como principal fuente de lectura; El 62,5% accede a internet con frecuencia, siendo las redes sociales personales las más accedidas (45,3%). En los últimos doce meses, el 56,2% afirmó haber participado en la mejora técnico-científica. De los que no participaron, el principal motivo fue la distancia (20,3%). Entre las más importantes capacitaciones realizadas están temas relacionados con la salud pública y de la familia (39%), citados por el 18,1% como necesidad. Conclusión:los enfermeros de la Estrategia Salud de la Familia mostraron gran involucramiento con actividades de superación técnico-científica y/o calificación profesional, con énfasis en la participación en eventos científicos en el área de Enfermería. Hay una fuerte influencia de la práctica laboral en el proceso de calificación profesional.

Development, characterization and in vivo evaluation of the ointment containing hyaluronic acid for potential wound healing applications.

Wound healing is a complex biological process. In this context, hyaluronic acid (HA) plays an important role in all phases of wound healing, from inflammation to the remodelling process. Nevertheless, its presence in adults decreases by 50% compared to newborns, which drastically reduces tissue regeneration. In this sense, this work presented a new method of extracting HA from chicken combs, as well as the development and in vivo evaluation of an ointment composed of vaseline, lanolin and HA 1% (w/w) for wound healing. The rheological analysis showed that the ointment containing HA has a viscoelastic behaviour. The in vivo test showed on the 7th day that the group treated with the ointment containing HA had a wound area of 0.07 cm2 against 0.09 cm2 of the ointment without HA (vaseline, and lanolin). On the other hand, the groups treated with the HA ointment had a higher mean percentage of collagen and better healing on the 14th day. The results of this paper indicate that the new method used to obtain HA is feasible, low-cost, and easy to obtain. Furthermore, the HA containing ointment improved wound healing. Therefore, the obtained ointment has great potential for use as an effective biomaterial in wound healing.