Effects of chemotherapy treatment on muscle strength indicators, functional capacity and biopsychosocial aspects of women with breast cancer.

Evidences on the effects of chemotherapy treatment cycles on measures of muscle, mental state, social and cognitive performance are scarce. The objective of this study was to analyze the effects of chemotherapy cycles on muscle strength and activation, functional capacity, quality of life, fatigue and anxiety of women with breast cancer. Therefore, twenty-two women divided into a treatment group (n = 10; 46.6 ± 9.6 years) and control group (n = 12; 51.6 ± 7.0 years) participated in the study. Analysis of muscle performance, quality of life, fatigue and anxiety after the 2nd and 4th cycle of chemotherapy with anthracyclines were performed in women with breast cancer (TRA) and compared to healthy women (CTR). Two-way ANOVA was used to compare the variance of the means and the significance level was set as P≤0.05. The results showed Differences in the muscular activation of the vastus mediallis between the groups at post time (P = 0.038), as well as in the sit and stand test in the baseline (P<0.001) and post moment (P<0.001). Functional capacity performance was different between baseline (P<0.001) and post-time (P<0.001) groups. Additionally, the TRA group worsened the quality of life in the domains of functional capacity (P<0.001) and limitation of physical aspects (P = 0.002), besides presenting negative changes in fatigue. Thus, anthracycline chemotherapy cycles reduce muscular performance and affect biopsychosocial variables in women with breast cancer.

Circuit training reduces cardiometabolic risk factors in women / El entrenamiento en circuito reduce los factores de riesgo cardiometabólico en mujeres / Treinamento em circuito reduz os fatores de risco cardiometabólicos em mulheres

ABSTRACT Introduction Combined training is more effective than an isolated modality in reducing cardiometabolic risk indicators. Objective To evaluate the effect of circuit training volume on anthropometric and biochemical risk indicators for cardiometabolic diseases in overweight women. Methods Thirty-two participants underwent 24 weeks of circuit training with free weights combined with aerobic exercise. The training volume during the 24 weeks was used to distribute the women into moderate-volume physical activity (MVA), low-volume physical activity (LVA) and control (CON) groups. Anthropometric indices (body mass, body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC), waist-hip ratio (WHR)), blood glucose, insulin, insulin resistance (HOMA-IR), total cholesterol (TC), triglycerides, HDL-c, and LDL-c were evaluated at the beginning of the program and after 12 and 24 weeks. Results There was no interaction between training volume and time for any of the variables studied, but the intervention time influenced body mass (p=0.013) and BMI (p=0.012), and there was a tendency for participation time to reduce body mass (p=0.063) and BMI (p=0.062) after six months of intervention. The volume of the physical activity affected HDL-c (p=0.037), being significant (p=0.030) in the comparison between the MVA and CON groups. Additionally, there was a downward trend in HDL-c after six months of intervention (p=0.073), with a smaller reduction observed in the MVA group, indicating a protective role of moderate physical activity in the reduction of this lipid fraction. The association between physical activity volume and participation time resulted in a clinical improvement in total cholesterol (χ2 = 5.453, p = 0.02), with a higher probability of reaching clinically adequate values in the MVA group (OR = 0.126; 95%CI 0.019 - 0.827). Conclusion Training volume improved cardiometabolic risk factors in overweight women. Level of evidence II; Therapeutic Studies - Investigating the Results of Treatment.

RESUMEN Introducción El entrenamiento combinado es más eficiente que la modalidad aislada en indicadores de riesgo cardiometabólico. Objetivo Evaluar el efecto del volumen de entrenamiento en circuito sobre indicadores antropométricos y bioquímicos con riesgo de enfermedades cardiometabólicas en mujeres con sobrepeso. Métodos Treinta y dos participantes se sometieron a 24 semanas de entrenamiento en circuito con pesos libres combinados con ejercicio aeróbico. El volumen de entrenamiento durante las 24 semanas se utilizó para distribuir a las mujeres en los grupos: actividad física de volumen moderado (AVM), actividad física de volumen bajo (AVB) y control (CON). Se evaluaron los índices antropométricos masa corporal, índice de masa corporal (IMC), circunferencia de la cintura (CC), relación cintura-cadera (RCC), glucemia, insulina, resistencia a la insulina (HOMA-IR), colesterol total (CT), triglicéridos, HDL-c y LDL-c al inicio del programa y después de las semanas 12 y 24. Resultados No hubo interacción entre el volumen y el tiempo de entrenamiento para ninguna de las variables estudiadas, pero el tiempo de intervención influyó en la masa corporal (p=0,013) y en el IMC (p=0,012), y el tiempo de participación tendió a reducir la masa corporal (p=0,063) y el IMC (p=0,062), después de seis meses de intervención. El volumen de actividad física afectó al HDL-c (p =0,037), siendo significativo (p=0,030) en la comparación entre AVM y CON. Además, hubo una tendencia a la reducción del HDL-c después de seis meses de intervención (p=0,073), observándose la menor reducción en AVM, lo que indica el papel protector de la actividad física de volumen moderado en la reducción de esta fracción lipídica. La actividad física y el tiempo de participación mostraron una mejora clínica en colesterol total (χ2 = 5,453, p = 0,02), con mayor probabilidad de alcanzar valores clínicamente adecuados de AVM (OR = 0,126; IC95% 0,019 - 0,827). Conclusión El volumen de entrenamiento atenuó los factores de riesgo cardiometabólico en mujeres con sobrepeso. Nivel de Evidencia II; Estudios terapéuticos: investigación de los resultados del tratamiento.

ABSTRACT Introdução O treinamento combinado é mais eficiente do que a modalidade isolada com relação aos indicadores de risco cardiometabólico. Objetivos Avaliar o efeito do volume de treinamento em circuito sobre indicadores antropométricos e bioquímicos com risco de doenças cardiometabólicas em mulheres com excesso de peso. Métodos Trinta e duas participantes foram submetidas a 24 semanas de treinamento em circuito, com pesos livres combinados com exercício aeróbico. O volume de treinamento durante as 24 semanas foi utilizado para distribuir as mulheres nos grupos: atividade física de volume moderado (AVM), atividade física de baixo volume (AVB) e controle (CON). Os índices antropométricos massa corporal, índice de massa corporal (IMC), circunferência de cintura (CC), relação cintura-quadril (RCQ), glicemia, insulina, resistência à insulina (HOMA-IR), colesterol total (CT), triglicerídeos, HDL-c e LDL-c, foram avaliados no início do programa e depois de 12 e 24 semanas. Resultados Não houve interação entre o volume de treinamento e o tempo para nenhuma das variáveis estudadas, mas o tempo de intervenção influenciou a massa corporal (p = 0,013) e o IMC (p = 0,012), e o tempo de participação tendeu a reduzir a massa corporal (p = 0,063) e o IMC (p = 0,062), depois de seis meses de intervenção. O volume de atividade física afetou o HDL-c (p = 0,037), sendo significativo (p = 0,030) na comparação entre AVM e CON. Adicionalmente, verificou-se tendência de redução HDL-c depois seis meses de intervenção (p = 0,073), sendo a menor redução observada no AVM, que indica o papel protetor de atividade física de volume moderado na redução dessa fração lipídica. A associação entre o volume de atividade física e o tempo de participação mostrou melhora clínica do colesterol total (χ2= 5,453, p = 0,02), com maior probabilidade de atingir valores clinicamente adequados de AVM (OR = 0,126; IC de 95% 0,019 - 0,827). Conclusão O volume de treinamento atenuou os fatores de risco cardiometabólico em mulheres com excesso de peso. Nível de evidência II; Estudos terapêuticos - Investigação dos resultados do tratamento.

Comparison of the emissions and performance of ethanol-added diesel-biodiesel blends in a compression ignition engine with those of pure diesel.

In this study, a biodiesel was produced from blending vegetable and animal sources with diesel and diesel-ethanol using a motor-generator set to evaluate its performance and emission characteristics. Fifteen and twenty percent of animal-vegetable biodiesel were added to each diesel-ethanol blend. A motor-generator test was conducted for each mixture; each sample was subjected to resistive loads from 2 to 5 kW with six repetitions. The physicochemical properties met the national standard guidelines, while the best specific fuel consumption (SFC) was observed for the 15% biodiesel-1% ethanol (B15E1) blend at the load of 5 kW with 327.069 g kW-1 h-1, followed by diesel (334.875 g kW-1 h-1). The exhaust gas temperature behaved differently depending on the ethanol concentration; it was lower when the concentration of added ethanol was higher. The NO emissions decreased while the SO2 emissions increased as the ethanol concentration increased.

Is Expanded HIV Testing Associated with Earlier HIV Diagnosis? Results from an HIV Clinic in Guatemala City.

BACKGROUND: Most patients in Guatemala are diagnosed with advanced HIV disease. Patients that present late in the disease process may miss the morbidity and mortality benefits associated with early treatment and may unknowingly spread HIV to others. RESEARCH QUESTIONS: We examined trends in HIV detection and levels of immunosuppression at diagnosis from 2005 -2012 to determine if expanded HIV testing was associated with earlier detection of HIV. SETTING: This study was conducted at the Clínica Familiar Luis Ángel García (CFLAG), a major HIV center associated with one of Guatemala's two national hospitals. HIV testing expanded rapidly after 2007 due to grants from the Global Fund which allowed for routine prenatal testing. METHODS: This study examined existing hospital and clinic databases from to evaluate results from HIV tests performed, and baseline CD4 cells/mm(3) on all patients newly diagnosed with HIV infection from 2005 to 2012. RESULTS: We found a decline in the number of HIV positive tests over the study period despite an increase in the total number of tests performed. Sixty-two percent of HIV infected individuals had AIDS at diagnosis. We observed a decrease in median CD4 cells/mm(3) among the prenatal testees and no change in non-prenatal testees. DISCUSSION: Expanded HIV counseling and testing services in our clinic did not result in earlier HIV diagnosis.

Bajo peso al nacimiento y dificultad respiratoria en el Centro Médico UCE / Low birth weight and respiratory distress in the Centro Medico UCE

El bajo peso al nacer constituye una de las causas que aumentan el índice de morbilidad y de mortalidad en la población infantil. Se realizó una investigación en el citado centro hospitalario privado durante el período marzo '87 - marzo '88, en el cual se analizaron dos (2) grupos de recién nacidos, uno de bajo peso y el otro de peso adecuado. Establecimos la incidencia y morbilidad de los trastornos respiratorios revelándose que el 46% de los niños de bajo peso sufrieron características propias de los trastornos respiratorios