Does the Mediterranean Dietary Pattern Promote Lower Sodium Urinary Excretion in Children?

An adequate sodium intake is related to various health benefits. Parallelly, the Mediterranean diet (MD) is a dietary pattern known for its many positive impacts on health. Nonetheless, the association between adherence to the MD and sodium urinary excretion is scarce, even more in children. This study aimed to assess the association between MD adherence and the excretion of sodium, as a proxy of intake. This cross-sectional analysis comprised 295 children (46.8% females, aged 7-11 years, mean age: 8.53 ± 0.73 years) from 20 schools within Porto, Portugal. MD adherence was evaluated utilizing the alternate Mediterranean score (aMED). Higher scores denote a healthier dietary pattern (0-8). Sodium excretion was estimated by 24-h urine collection. The association between adherence to MD and Na excretion was estimated by logistic regression, adjusting for confounders. Children in the higher sodium excretion group had a higher intake of legumes, a higher body mass index and parents with lower education levels compared to children in the lower sodium excretion group. In logistic regression analysis, sodium urinary excretion was not associated with higher MD adherence, even after adjustment for confounders. High MD adherence could not be associated with lower sodium excretion in children.

Mediterranean Diet and Airway Inflammation in School-Aged Children.

There seems to exist an intricate relationship between airway inflammation, body mass index (BMI), and diet. The intake of specific foods or food groups has been suggested to suppress the oxidative stress and inflammatory processes that characterize airway inflammation, but little is known about dietary patterns and their complex interplay with BMI and airway inflammation. Therefore, this cross-sectional study aimed to explore the association between adherence to the Mediterranean diet (MD), a characteristic European diet, and levels of airway inflammation in school-aged children, taking into account their BMI. This cross-sectional analysis comprised 660 children: 49.1% females, 7-12 years old. Adherence to the MD was assessed through the alternate Mediterranean score (aMED). Higher scores represent a healthier diet (0-8). Airway inflammation was assessed measuring exhaled fractional nitric oxide (eNO). Two categories of BMI were considered: non-overweight/non-obese (p < 85th) and overweight/obese (p ≥ 85th). The associations between diet and airway inflammation were estimated using logistic regression models. Higher scores of the aMED were associated with decreased odds of having eNO ≥ 35 ppb, but only in non-overweight/non-obese children (OR = 0.77; 95% CI, 0.61-0.97). For overweight/obese children, the previous association was not significant (OR = 1.57, 95% CI, 0.88-2.79). Our findings suggest that adherence to the MD is associated with lower levels of airway inflammation among non-overweight/non-obese children.

Polyhexamethylene guanidine hydrochloride as promising active ingredient for oral antiseptic products to eliminate microorganisms threatening the health of endangered wild cats: a comparative study with chlorhexidine digluconate.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the antimicrobial efficacy of polyhexamethylene hydrochloride guanidine (PHMGH) compared to chlorhexidine digluconate (CLX) for use as an oral antiseptic during dental procedures in wild cats. This research is crucial due to limited information on the diversity of oral microorganisms in wild cats and the detrimental local and systemic effects of oral diseases, which highlights the importance of improving prevention and treatment strategies. Samples were collected from the oral cavities of four Puma concolor, one Panthera onca, and one Panthera leo, and the number of colony-forming units per milliliter (CFU/mL) was counted and semi-automatically identified. The antimicrobial susceptibility profile of bacterial isolates was determined using minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC), minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC), and time-kill kinetics of PHMGH and CLX. A total of 16 bacterial isolates were identified, consisting of six Gram-positive and 10 Gram-negative. PHMGH displayed MIC and MBC from 0.24 to 125.00 µg/mL, lower than those of CLX against three isolates. Time-kill kinetics showed that PHMGH reduced the microbial load by over 90% for all microorganisms within 30 min, whereas CLX did not. Only two Gram-positive isolates exposed to the polymer showed incomplete elimination after 60 min of contact. The results could aid in the development of effective prevention and treatment strategies for oral diseases in large felids. PHMGH showed promising potential at low concentrations and short contact times compared to the commercial product CLX, making it a possible active ingredient in oral antiseptic products for veterinary use in the future.

The effects of different metal posts, cements, and exposure parameters on cone-beam computed tomography artifacts.

Purpose: This study assessed the intensity of artifacts produced by 2 metal posts, 2 cements, and different exposure parameters using 2 cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) units. Materials and Methods: The sample was composed of 20 single-rooted premolars, divided into 4 groups: Ni-Cr/zinc phosphate, Ni-Cr/resin cement, Ag-Pd/zinc phosphate, and Ag-Pd/resin cement. Samples were scanned before and after post insertion and cementation using a CS9000 3D scanner with 4 exposure parameters (85/90 kV and 6.3/10 mA) and an i-CAT scanner with 120 kV and 5 mA. The presence of artifacts was assessed subjectively by 2 observers and objectively by a trained observer using ImageJ software. The Mann-Whitney, Wilcoxon, weighted kappa, and chi-square tests were used to assess data at a 95% confidence level (α<0.05). Results: In the subjective analyses, AgPd presented more hypodense and hyperdense lines than NiCr (P<0.05), and more hypodense halos were found using i-CAT (P<0.05) than using CS9000 3D. More hypodense halos, hypodense lines, and hyperdense lines were observed at 10 mA than at 6.3 mA (P<0.05). More hypodense halos were observed at 85 kV than at 90 kV (P<0.05). CS9000 3D presented more hypodense and hyperdense lines than i-CAT (P<0.05). In the objective analyses, AgPd presented higher percentages of hyperdense and hypodense artifacts than NiCr (P<0.05). Zinc phosphate cement presented higher hyperdense artifact percentages on CS9000 3D scans (P<0.05). CS9000 3D presented higher artifact percentages than i-CAT (P<0.05). Conclusion: High-atomic-number alloys, higher tube current, and lower tube voltage may increase the artifacts present in CBCT images.

Linking dietary intake, circadian biomarkers, and clock genes on obesity: A study protocol.

Background: The prevalence of obesity continues to rise, and although this is a complex disease, the screening is made simply with the value of the Body Mass Index. This index only considers weight and height, being limited in portraying the multiple existing obesity phenotypes. The characterization of the chronotype and circadian system as an innovative phenotype of a patient's form of obesity is gaining increasing importance for the development of novel and pinpointed nutritional interventions. Objective: The present study is a prospective observational controlled study conducted in Portugal, aiming to characterize the chronotype and determine its relation to the phenotype and dietary patterns of patients with obesity and healthy participants. Methods: Adults with obesity (study group) and healthy adults (control group), aged between 18 and 75, will be enrolled in this study. Data will be collected to characterize the chronotype, dietary intake, and sleep quality through validated questionnaires. Body composition will also be assessed, and blood samples will be collected to quantify circadian and metabolic biomarkers. Discussion: This study is expected to contribute to a better understanding of the impact of obesity and dietary intake on circadian biomarkers and, therefore, increase scientific evidence to help future therapeutic interventions based on chronobiology, with a particular focus on nutritional interventions.

Urinary Hydration Biomarkers and Water Sources in Older Adults with Neurocognitive Disorder.

The risk of dehydration in older adults with neurocognitive disorder (NCD) is controversial. The purpose of this study was to assess hydration status, its determinants, and water intake sources in older adults with NCD. A sample of 30 participants (≥60 years) was included. Sociodemographic, clinical data and one 24-h urine sample were collected. Urinary osmolality, sodium, potassium, volume, and creatinine were quantified. Inadequate hydration status corresponded to urine osmolality > 500 mOsm/Kg, or a negative Free Water Reserve (FWR). Two 24-h food recalls were used to assess dietary intake and water sources. The adequacy of total water intake (TWI) was estimated according to EFSA. The contribution of food and beverages to TWI was calculated, and their associations with the urinary osmolality median were tested. Of the total number of participants, 30% were classified as having inadequate hydration status, with no differences between sexes. Regarding TWI, 68.4% of women and 77.8% of men did not reach the reference values. Water (23%), followed by soup (17%), contributed the most to TWI, while vegetables (2%) and alcoholic/other beverages (3%) contributed the least. According to the median urinary osmolality, there was no significant difference in sociodemographic/clinical characteristics. It is critical not to overlook hydration in this vulnerable population.

Multidimensional Health Impact of Multicomponent Exercise and Sustainable Healthy Diet Interventions in the Elderly (MED-E): Study Protocol.

Data concerning the combined effect of diet and exercise interventions on overall health in the elderly are scarce. The MED-E project's primary aim is to assess the effect of the different 3-month sustainable healthy diet (SHD) and multicomponent training (MT) interventions on several health outcomes in the elderly. A quasi-experimental study assigned older adults into four groups: (1) SHD, (2) MT, (3) SHD + MT, or (4) control group (CG). The SHD intervention included a weekly offer of a mixed food supply and individual and group nutritional sessions on the principles of an SHD. The MT groups were submitted to 50-min exercise sessions three times a week. The primary outcomes were blood biomarkers and metabolic profile alterations that were assessed pre- and post-intervention. Additionally, data on dietary intake and nutritional adequacy, physical fitness, body composition and anthropometry, cognitive function, quality of life, and geographical data were assessed at the same time points. The MED-E project's study protocol and future results will add to knowledge about the importance and beneficial contribution of combined SHD and MT interventions on healthy ageing policies.

Clinical profile and quality of life in climacteric women.

BACKGROUND: The Quality of Life in climacteric women is intrinsically related to signs and symptoms influenced by the decrease of estrogen and psychosocial factors linked to the natural aging process. Thus, this study aimed to trace the sociodemographic and clinical profiles of climacteric women working at the State University of Rio Grande do Norte (UERN) and evaluate their Quality of Life. METHODS: It is a descriptive, exploratory, and quantitative study. The population consisted of female workers from UERN, aging between 40 and 65 years. The total sample consisted of 63 women who answered the forms. Data collection was completely online, which allowed the women to have free choice to choose the most appropriate time to answer the questions. RESULTS: The majority of the participants were older than 50 years (53.97%, n = 34), were married or in a stable union (55.56%, n = 35), and lived in Mossoró-RN (82.53%, n = 52). Regarding skin color, white and brown women had the same percentage of 44.44% (n = 28). The pain, general health status, and vitality domains evidence the predominance of poor quality of life in the SF-36 questionnaire. Regarding the level of satisfaction with their current health status, 4.76% (n = 3) stated that they fit the level considered excellent, 44.44% (n = 28) very good, 46, 03% (n = 29) were good, and 4.77% (n = 3) stated unsatisfied with their current health status. The intensity of symptoms related to estrogen deficiency established by the Kupperman menopause index is as Mild 55.56% (n = 35), moderate 41.27% (n = 26), and severe 3.17% (n = 2). CONCLUSIONS: The occurrence of symptoms and perception of these symptoms differs from woman to woman, to a greater or lesser extent. These findings emphasize the need for qualified and individualized care for the needs of these women in health services and the development of applicable solutions for solving problems based on each woman profile.

Targeted Isolation of Anti-inflammatory Lignans from Justicia aequilabris by Molecular Networking Approach.

Herein, the isolation of secondary metabolites from the aerial parts of Justicia aequilabris guided by HPLC-MSn and molecular networking analyses is reported. Twenty-two known compounds were dereplicated. Three new lignans (aequilabrines A-C (1-3)) and three known compounds (lariciresinol-4'-O-ß-glucose (4), roseoside (5), and allantoin (6)) were obtained. The anti-inflammatory activity of compounds 1-3 was evaluated in vitro by inhibiting the nitric oxide production (NO) and pro-inflammatory activity on the cytokine IL-1ß. Compounds 2 and 3 showed significant inhibitory activity against NO production, with IC50 values of 9.1 and 7.3 µM, respectively. The maximum inhibition of IL-1ß production was 23.5% (1), 27.3% (2), and 32.5% (3).

mHealth Applications to Monitor Lifestyle Behaviors and Circadian Rhythm in Clinical Settings: Current Perspective and Future Directions.

Metabolic diseases are a global rising health burden, mainly due to the deleterious interaction of current lifestyles with the underlying biology of these diseases. Daily habits and behaviors, such as diet, sleep, and physical exercise impact the whole-body circadian system through the synchronization of the peripheral body clocks that contribute to metabolic homeostasis. The disruption of this system may promote the development of metabolic diseases, including obesity and diabetes, emphasizing the importance of assessing and monitoring variables that affect circadian rhythms. Advances in technology are generating innovative resources and tools for health care management and patient monitoring, particularly important for chronic conditions. The use of mobile health technologies, known as mHealth, is increasing and these approaches are contributing to aiding both patients and healthcare professionals in disease management and education. The mHealth solutions allow continuous monitoring of patients, sharing relevant information and data with physicians and other healthcare professionals and accessing education resources to support informed decisions. Thus, if properly used, these tools empower patients and help them to adopt healthier lifestyles. This article aims to give an overview of the influence of circadian rhythms disruption and lifestyle habits in the progression of metabolic diseases while also reviewing some of the mobile applications available to monitor lifestyle behaviors and individual chronobiology. Herein is also described the design and development of the NutriClock system, an mHealth solution developed by our team to monitor these variables.

Effects of photobiomodulation on re-epithelialization of burn wound: protocol for a randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Burns are a global public health problem and cause approximately 180,000 deaths annually, mainly in low- and middle-income countries. Topical antibiotics and occlusive dressing are standard treatments for burns not requiring a skin graft. However, physiotherapy has low-cost phototherapeutic and electrophysical resources (e.g., light-emitting diode [LED]) that may accelerate burn healing. This study aims to compare the re-epithelialization rate of second-degree burns, pain, pruritus, skin temperature, quality of wound healing, and scar quality and mobility among individuals undergoing treatment with red LED, infrared LED, and simulated photobiomodulation. METHODS: This is a double-blinded, three-arm parallel-group, randomized controlled superiority trial. Individuals of both sexes, aged over 18 years, and with second-degree burns will be included. The sample will be divided into three groups of 13 individuals: two will receive LED therapy (red or infrared) and one placebo. Pain, pruritus, skin temperature, and wound size will be assessed daily. Interventions will take place until complete healing, when scar mobility and quality will be evaluated. Data will be presented as mean and 95% confidence interval and analyzed using mixed linear models. DISCUSSION: This randomized controlled trial has minimal risk of bias and intends to identify the ideal type, procedures, and doses of photobiomodulation to heal burns, which are not standardized in clinical practice. Positive results will allow the implementation of the technique in burn and wound guidelines. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Brazilian Clinical Trials Registry (ReBEC) RBR-8bfznx6 . Registered on October 13, 2021.

Metabolic Effects of an Oral Glucose Tolerance Test Compared to the Mixed Meal Tolerance Tests: A Narrative Review.

The oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) is recommended for assessing abnormalities in glucose homeostasis. Recognised as the gold standard test for diagnosing diabetes, the OGTT provides useful information about glucose tolerance. However, it does not replicate the process of absorption and digestion of complex foods, such as that which occurs with a mixed meal tolerance test (MMTT), an alternative that is still not well explored in the diagnosis of metabolic alterations. The MMTT could be an asset in detecting glucose homeostasis disorders, including diabetes since it has more similarities to the common dietary pattern, allowing early detection of subtle changes in metabolic homeostasis in response to combined nutrients. This alternative has the advantage of being more tolerable and pleasant to patients since it induces a more gradual increase in blood glucose, thus reducing the risk of rebound hypoglycemia and other related complications. The present article reviewed the clinical data available regarding the possibility of screening or diagnosing altered glucose homeostasis, including type 2 diabetes mellitus, with the MMTT.

AlergiaPT: A Portuguese media campaign to inspire people with allergies to make a positive change in their life.

Allergic diseases comprise a significant cause of morbidity worldwide and a substantial burden on the health and medical systems of both developed and emerging economies. Although highly prevalent, relatively severe, and largely impactful on the quality of life of patients, allergic diseases are commonly trivialized. Increasing awareness of the relevance of allergic diseases as a major public health problem might lead to an improved acknowledgment by governments and health authorities. Based on the positive impact that media campaigns might have on health-related behaviors, as well as the large use of social media by different types of users, social media might be used as a powerful tool for spreading awareness and education even more effective than traditional face-to-face communication. Therefore, we aimed to develop a social media-based communication program, the AlergiaPT, reaching all stakeholders, to increase the awareness of allergic diseases tackling the causes, prevention, control, and economic impact. The AlergiaPT will provide user-generated and interactive content toward engagement, include both long-form and short-form video productions toward education, as well as stories and time-sensitive content toward empowerment. It will be targeted to all populations, engaging different stakeholders. Contents will address the 5 campaign goals: i) allergy health is promoted; ii) tolerance is actively reinforced, and avoidance reduced; iii) treatment control and guided self-management of patients of asthma, rhinitis, food allergy, and atopic eczema are strengthened; iv) recognition and treatment of severe allergy and anaphylaxis are improved, and v) indoor air quality is promoted. Engagement on the campaign will be promoted through stepwise educational takeaways meetings using different social media, and targeting all audience groups, by promoting the organization of resources for common goals and the involvement of social media to improve public awareness. The impact of AlergiaPT will be assessed through google analytics.

Quality-of-life self-assessment, risk of dysphagia, and swallowing disorders in COVID-19 inpatients / Autoavaliação da qualidade de vida, risco para disfagia e alteração de deglutição em pacientes internados com COVID-19

ABSTRACT Purpose: to identify the impact of swallowing changes and dysphagia complaints on quality-of-life and eating self-assessments of COVID-19 inpatients. Methods: the study comprised 54 COVID-19 inpatients above 18 years old, whose swallowing was clinically assessed by a speech-language-hearing therapist. They were classified regarding food intake (with the FOIS scale) and degree of dysphagia. They also filled out a sample characterization questionnaire and the SWAL-QOL and EAT-10 protocols. Results: the respiratory condition led to worse quality-of-life self-assessment Fatigue results, oral food intake and dysphagia severity classifications. Females had worse quality-of-life self-assessment Burden and Food selection scores. Swallowing complaints were associated with worse eating self-assessments. Patients at risk of dysphagia had worse quality-of-life self-assessments in five out of the 11 domains, worse oral food intake levels, and worse dysphagia severity. Conclusion: COVID-19 inpatients commonly have swallowing complaints and are at risk of dysphagia, with worse quality-of-life self-assessment, lower oral food intake classification, and worse dysphagia severity rating.

RESUMO Objetivos: identificar o impacto de alterações na deglutição e queixa de disfagia na autoavaliação da qualidade de vida e na autoavaliação da alimentação de pacientes internados com COVID-19. Métodos: participaram do estudo 54 indivíduos acima de 18 anos com COVID-19 internados, submetidos à avaliação clínica da deglutição por fonoaudiólogo, classificados em relação à ingestão alimentar pela escala FOIS e grau da disfagia, que preencheram um questionário de caracterização da amostra e os protocolos SWAL-QOL e EAT-10. Resultados: a condição respiratória determinou piores resultados na autoavaliação da qualidade de vida no domínio Fadiga, na definição da ingesta de alimentos via oral e na classificação da gravidade da disfagia. Indivíduos do gênero feminino apresentaram pior autoavaliação da qualidade de vida nos domínios Deglutição como um fardo e Seleção do alimento. Houve associação entre queixa de deglutição e pior autoavaliação da alimentação. Pacientes em risco para disfagia apresentaram pior autoavaliação da qualidade de vida em cinco dos 11 domínios, pior nível de ingesta de alimentos via oral e pior gravidade da disfagia. Conclusão: pacientes internados com COVID-19 comumente apresentam queixas de deglutição e encontram-se em risco para disfagia, apresentando pior autoavaliação da qualidade de vida, menor nível em classificação da escala de ingesta de alimentos via oral e pior classificação da gravidade da disfagia.

Recent Studies on Neglected Drug Design.

BACKGROUND: Neglected diseases require special attention when looking for new therapeutic alternatives, as these are diseases of extreme complexity and severity that affect populations belonging to lower social classes who lack access to basic rights, such as sanitation. INTRODUCTION: Among the alternatives available for obtaining new drugs is Medicinal Chemistry, which is responsible for the discovery, identification, invention, and preparation of prototypes. In this perspective, the present work aims to make a bibliographic review on the recent studies of Medicinal Chemistry applied to neglected diseases. METHODS: A literature review was carried out by searching the "Web of Sciences" database, including recent articles published on the Neglected Drug Design. RESULTS: In general, it was noticed that the most studied neglected diseases corresponded to Chagas disease and leishmaniasis, with studies on organic synthesis, optimization of structures, and molecular hybrids being the most used strategies. It is also worth mentioning the growing number of computationally developed studies, providing speed and optimization of costs in the procurement process. CONCLUSION: The CADD approach and organic synthesis studies, when applied in the area of Medicinal Chemistry, have proven to be important in the research and discovery of drugs for Neglected Diseases, both in terms of planning the experimental methodology used to obtain it and in the selection of compounds with higher activity potential.

Parental practices, preferences, skills and attitudes on food consumption of pre-school children: Results from Nutriscience Project.

The association between family environment and child's eating behaviors is well established but a multidimensional approach to study this relation is lacking. This study aimed to assess the proprieties of a questionnaire created to evaluate parental practices, preferences, skills and attitudes regarding fruit and vegetables (F&V), sugar and salt. Participants (n = 714) were families of pre-school children (aged 2-6 years old) of the Nutriscience Project-a web-based gamification program-who answered a questionnaire assessing socio-demographic characteristics, nutrition knowledge, and a scale evaluating parental practices, preferences, skills and attitudes, at the baseline of the project. Exploratory factorial analysis was applied to the scale: 21 items and 5 factors were extracted (52.4% of explained variance) with a Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin (KMO) value of 0.770: 1. Modelling/active promotion of F&V consumption (α = 0.73), 2. Skills for choosing/preparing healthy food (α = 0.75), 3. Food preferences and satiety perception (α = 0.70), 4. Awareness regarding sugar/salt intake (α = 0.61), 5. Allowance regarding F&V consumption (α = 0.55). Kruskal-Wallis and Mann-Whitney tests were conducted to compare factors according to socio-demographic characteristics. Higher scores for parental modelling and active promotion of F&V consumption were observed in older parents, those with higher nutrition knowledge and who reported to live without income difficulties. Regarding food preferences, higher scores were observed in mothers, with higher nutrition knowledge and from higher educated groups. Higher awareness regarding salt and sugar consumption were observed in older parents, with higher education, higher nutrition knowledge and with female children. Older parents and with female children also registered higher scores of skills for choosing/preparing healthy food. The scale showed satisfactory proprieties and may contribute to assess family food environment using a multidimensional approach. It also highlighted the importance of considering socio-demographic characteristics in interventions to promote healthy eating.

Indicadores de desempenho na Estratégia Saúde da Família / Performance indicators in the Family Health Strategy / Indicadores de desempeño en la Estrategia de Salud Familiar

Objetivo: analisar a evolução de desempenho de indicadores da variável 3 das equipes de Saúde da Família, na Área Programática 3.1. Método: trata-se de um estudo quantitativo, descritivo. Compôsse a população da pesquisa por todas as Unidades de Saúde de Atenção Primária com equipes de saúde da família. Informa-se que os dados foram coletados por meio do Prontuário Eletrônico do Paciente e analisados posteriormente associados a variáveis independentes. Resultados: verificouse que dois entre dez grupos de indicadores de desempenho apresentaram evolução positiva, acompanhamento de crianças menor de dois anos e acompanhamento de uma gestante. Observou-se que, das quatro variáveis explicativas, somente as equipes com residência de Enfermagem em Saúde da Família apresentaram significância para o alcance do desempenho. Conclusão: evidencia-se, por meio da análise, que poucas equipes conseguiram atingir um desempenho satisfatório nos indicadores. Utiliza-se, em diversos países, o incentivo financeiro às equipes como forma de analisar o cuidado prestado e o seu processo de trabalho. Notou-se, no entanto, que, para a sua plena implementação, são necessários um maior foco na qualidade dos sistemas de informação e novos processos de gestão nos quais a autonomia das equipes de saúde no processo de contratualização dos indicadores seja incentivada.(AU)

Objective: to analyze the performance evolution of indicators of variable 3 of Family Health teams, in Program Area 3.1. Method: it is a quantitative, descriptive study. The research population was composed by all the Primary Care Health Units with family health teams. It is informed that the data was collected through the Electronic Patient Record and later analyzed associated to independent variables. Results: it was found that two out of ten groups of performance indicators showed positive evolution, follow-up of children under two years old and follow-up of a pregnant woman. It was observed that, of the four explanatory variables, only the teams with Family Health Nursing residency presented significance for the achievement of performance. Conclusion: it is evident from the analysis that few teams were able to achieve a satisfactory performance in the indicators. In several countries, financial incentives are used to analyze the care given to the teams and their work process. However, it was observed that, for full implementation, it is necessary to focus more on the quality of information systems and new management processes in which the autonomy of health teams in the process of contracting indicators is encouraged. (AU)

Objetivo: analizar la evolución del desempeño de los indicadores de la variable 3 de los equipos de Salud de la Familia, en el Área Programática 3.1. Método: se trata de un estudio cualitativo descriptivo. La población de investigación estuvo compuesta por todas las Unidades de Salud de Atención Primaria con equipos de salud de la familia. Se informa que los datos fueron recolectados a través del Registro Electrónico del Paciente y posteriormente analizados asociados a variables independientes. Resultados: se verificó que dos de cada diez grupos de indicadores de desempeño mostraron evolución positiva, seguimiento de niños menores de dos años y seguimiento de una gestante. Se observó que, de las cuatro variables explicativas, solo los equipos con residencia en Enfermería de Salud de la Familia mostraron significancia para el logro del desempeño. Conclusión: se evidencia, a través del análisis, que pocos equipos lograron alcanzar un desempeño satisfactorio en los indicadores. En varios países, los incentivos económicos para los equipos se utilizan como una forma de analizar la atención brindada y su proceso de trabajo. Sin embargo, se señaló que, para su plena implementación, es necesario un mayor enfoque en la calidad de los sistemas de información y nuevos procesos de gestión en los que se incentive la autonomía de los equipos de salud en el proceso de contratación de indicadores. (AU)

Virtual Screening of Natural Products Database.

Constant research on natural products has generated, over time, a large number of compounds with the potential to be evaluated in several biological tests and subsequently have been cataloged in databases that allow other researchers to perform virtual screenings of activity in various biological systems. This considerably reduces the time for the development of new drugs. This review describes the main databases of natural products available for searching bioactive compounds. It also describes the main features of virtual screening strategies for the identification of molecules with the potential to be used as new drugs. In addition, a search was made in the Web of Science database, using the search term "Virtual screening of natural products databases" from 2003 to 2018. The search criterion resulted in 230 articles, which had their abstracts evaluated with pertinence to the criteria required for this work, which are: a) be a research article; b) performing a virtual screening on databases of natural products or containing natural products; and c) works that identified drug candidate molecules. Based on these criteria, the bibliographic review on the topic was excluded. After this analysis, 104 works were selected for this review. We selected relevant papers describing the potential drug candidates that were distributed in 15 classes, of which the anticancer, antibacterial and anti-inflammatory hits were the most abundant. The works showing efforts to search for new molecules against various other diseases in distinct biological systems were also described. In this way, this work shows an overview of several methodologies and we hope they can help and inspire the development of new research to improve people's quality of life.

Computer-assisted discovery of compounds with insecticidal activity against Musca domestica and Mythimna separata.

Pesticides are used to control and combat insects and pests in the agricultural sector, households, and public health programs. The frequent and disorderly use of these pesticides may lead to variety of undesired effects. Therefore, natural products have many advantages over to synthetic compounds to be used as insecticides. The goal of this study was to find natural products with insecticidal potential against Musca domestica and Mythimna separata. To achieve this goal, we developed predictive QSAR models using MuDRA, PLS, and RF approaches and performed virtual screening of 117 natural products. As a result of QSAR modeling, we formulated the recommendations regarding physico-chemical characteristics for promising compounds active against Musca domestica and Mythimna separata. Homology models were successfully built for both species and molecular docking of QSAR hits vs known insecticides allowed us to prioritize twenty-two compounds against Musca domestica and six against Mythimna separata. Our results suggest that pimarane diterpenes, abietanes diterpenes, dimeric diterpenes and scopadulane diterpenes obtained from aerial parts of species of the genus Calceolaria (Calceolariaceae: Scrophulariaceae) can be considered as potential insecticidal.

Virtual screening and assessment of anticancer potential of selenium-based compounds against HL-60 and MCF7 cells.

Aim: Selenium-based compounds have antitumor potential. We used a ligand-based virtual screening analysis to identify selenoglycolicamides with potential antitumor activity. Results & Conclusion: Compounds 3, 6, 7 and 8 were selected for in vitro cytotoxicity tests against various cell lines, according to spectrophotometry results. Compound 3 presented the best cytotoxicity results against a promyelocytic leukemia line (HL-60) and was able to induce cell death at a frequency similar to that observed for doxorubicin. The docking study showed that compound 3 has good interaction energies with the targets caspase-3, 7 and 8, which are components of the apoptotic pathway. These results suggested that selenium has significant pharmacological potential for the selective targeting of tumor cells, inducing molecular and cellular events that culminate in tumor cell death.