Knowledge of dentistry students on bisphosphonate-related osteonecrosis of the jaw / Conhecimento de alunos do curso de Odontologia sobre osteonecrose dos maxilares relacionada ao uso de bisfosfonatos

Objective: Bisphosphonates are anti-resorptive drugs used in the control and treatment of calcium and bone metabolism disorders. Despite their high clinical efficacy, these drugs have been associated with bisphosphonate-related osteonecrosis of the jaw. The goal of this study is to evaluate the knowledge of final year undergraduate dentistry students on bisphosphonate-related osteonecrosis of the jaw. Material and Methods: A sample of 100 students from private institutions in the state of São Paulo was invited to complete a questionnaire relating to bisphosphonates and the risk factors associated with the development of osteonecrosis of the jaws. Results: 66% of the students did not recognize any bisphosphonate (p=0.0019) and 79% did not recognize their trademark names (p<0.0001). 60% of the students recognized osteonecrosis of the jaws as a side effect of bisphosphonates (p<0.0001) and 56% identified at least one risk factor associated with the drug that may contribute to the side effect (p<0.0001). 66% of the students stated that their course did not provide any lectures on the topic (p<0.0001). Conclusion: The knowledge of dentistry students about bisphosphonates and bisphosphonate-related osteonecrosis of the jaw is variable. This may be related to an inadequate discussion of this topic during their undergraduate studies(AU)

Objetivo: Os bisfosfonatos são medicamentos antirreabsortivos utilizados no controle e tratamento de desordens do cálcio e do metabolismo ósseo. Apesar da elevada eficácia clínica, a terapia com estes medicamentos tem sido associada a uma importante complicação denominada de osteonecrose dos maxilares relacionada ao uso de bisfosfonatos. O objetivo deste estudo é avaliar conhecimento sobre a osteonecrose dos maxilares relacionada ao uso de bisfosfonatos entre os alunos do último ano do curso de graduação de Odontologia. Material e Métodos: Uma amostra de 100 alunos de instituições privadas do estado de São Paulo foi convidada a responder um questionário sobre as principais informações dos bisfosfonatos e fatores de risco associados com o desenvolvimento da osteonecrose dos maxilares. Resultados: Os 100 questionários foram respondidos: 66% dos estudantes não reconheceram algum bisfosfonato (p=0,0019), 79% não reconheceram seus nomes de marcas comerciais (p<0,0001); 60% dos alunos reconheceram a osteonecrose dos maxilares como um efeito colateral dos bisfosfonatos (p<0,0001) e 56% apontaram pelo menos um fator de risco associado com o medicamento que pode causar o desenvolvimento do efeito colateral (p<0,0001); 66% dos estudantes afirmaram que o curso não forneceu alguma aula abordando esta temática (p<0.0001). Conclusão: O grau de conhecimento dos alunos de Odontologia sobre bisfosfonatos e osteonecrose dos maxilares relacionada ao uso de bisfosfonatos é variável e está relacionado com a pouca discussão deste tema durante a graduação(AU)

Memorization of daily routines by children with Down syndrome assisted by a playful virtual environment.

A child with Down syndrome, like any other child, may benefit from interacting with memory stimuli, but needs additional support and help. The use of special teaching methods, which add playfulness and use of the computer, can enhance the memory processes of these children. In this work, we present the virtual environment "Nossa Vida (Our Life)", which was developed to assist children with Down syndrome to memorize action sequences of their daily routine. A daily routine memorization test (DRMT), consisting of a weekly reminder of typical daily routines completed by the children and parents, was performed before (pre-test) and after (post-test) the intervention. The work involved a multidisciplinary team and assessed the effectiveness of the test performed by 30 children with Down syndrome from APAE, a special education school for children with intellectual disabilities in São Paulo, Brazil. The children were separated into two groups (Experimental - GE and Control - GC) with homogeneity and normality of the data. Two hypotheses were tested in this study: H0 and H1, where: H0 = There is no statistical difference between memorizing daily tasks between individuals with Down syndrome who used our ludic virtual environment and those who used the conventional memory method.H1 = There is a difference between the group of subjects with Down Syndrome who used our virtual game environment and the group that did not use it in relation to memorizing the daily task. This produces t = -14.98 and p <0.0001, with H1 being accepted. The results showed that the EG presented significance in relation to the CG and the evolution mean of the children in the EG was 81.82% higher. According to experts (psychologist and pedagogue) from APAE and parents, the playful activities implemented in this virtual environment have been of great interest to children, who had fun, tested hypotheses and questioned them about the sequences of actions performed in their routine daily.

AACVOX: mobile application for augmentative alternative communication to help people with speech disorder and motor impairment

AbstractIntroduction: Communication is a fundamental element for the development of human beings, promoting their coexistence in society. However, changes in muscle tone, associated with cerebral palsy (CP), among other conditions, cause phono-articulatory dysfunctions hindering speech capabilities. Although there are resources for augmentative and alternative communication (AAC), most of them do not completely satisfy the needs of individuals with motor impairment. Therefore, this study proposes a tool based on mobile technology for AAC, which can be adapted to the characteristics of the motor limitations of CP users. Methods Mobile system development was conducted employing user-centered design and development methods. Functions were developed allowing the communication of phrases through pictographic resources and a mechanism of speech synthesis, that can be customized according to specific communication needs. To validate this system, 20 CP volunteers with speech difficulties and motor impairment were recruited from two institutions in the State of São Paulo, Brazil. They operated the system following a pre-defined test protocol, and they answered a system usability scale (SUS) questionnaire, to rate the ease of learning, memorization, efficiency, occurrence of runtime errors, and the level of user satisfaction. Results The results showed a score of 85.85 ± 2.28 above the average SUS scale, for each one of the quality components assessed by the volunteers. Conclusion The developed software is user-friendly, representing a new option for AAC, and is customized according to the communication needs of people with speech disorder and motor impairment.

[Virtual environment: assistance in nursing care for the deaf based on the protocol of primary care]. / Ambiente virtual: auxílio ao atendememto de enfermagem para surdos com base no protocol de Atenção Básica.

OBJECTIVE: Presenting a Virtual Environment (VE) based on the Protocol of Treatment of Hypertension and Diabetes Mellitus type 2, used in Primary Care for evaluation of dietary habits in nursing consultations. METHOD: An experimental study applied by two nurses and a nurse manager, in a sample of 30 deaf patients aged between 30 and 60 years. The environment was built in Visual Basic NET and offered eight screens about feeding containing food pictures, videos in Libras (Brazilian sign language) and audio. The analysis of the VE was done through questionnaires applied to patients and professionals by the Poisson statistical test. RESULTS: The VE shows the possible diagnostics in red, yellow, green and blue colors, depending on the degree of patients' need. CONCLUSION: The environment obtained excellent acceptance by patients and nurses, allowing great interaction between them, even without an interpreter. The time in consultation was reduced to 15 minutes, with the preservation of patient privacy.

Virtual Environment: assistance in nursing care for the deaf based on the protocol of Primary Care / Ambiente virtual: apoyo al servicio de enfermería para los sordos basado en el protocolo de atención básica / Ambiente virtual: auxílio ao atendimento de enfermagem para surdos com base no protocolo de atenção básica

Objective: Presenting a Virtual Environment (VE) based on the Protocol of Treatment of Hypertension and Diabetes Mellitus type 2, used in Primary Care for evaluation of dietary habits in nursing consultations. Method: An experimental study applied by two nurses and a nurse manager, in a sample of 30 deaf patients aged between 30 and 60 years. The environment was built in Visual Basic NET and offered eight screens about feeding containing food pictures, videos in Libras (Brazilian sign language) and audio. The analysis of the VE was done through questionnaires applied to patients and professionals by the Poisson statistical test. Results: The VE shows the possible diagnostics in red, yellow, green and blue colors, depending on the degree of patients’ need. Conclusion: The environment obtained excellent acceptance by patients and nurses, allowing great interaction between them, even without an interpreter. The time in consultation was reduced to 15 minutes, with the preservation of patient privacy.

Objetivo: Presentar un Ambiente Virtual (AV) basado en el Protocolo de Tratamiento de la Hipertensión Arterial y de la Diabetes Mellitus tipo 2 aplicado en la Atención Básica, en la evaluación de los hábitos alimentarios en la consulta de enfermería. Método: Estudio experimental aplicado por dos enfermeros y un gestor en una muestra de 30 pacientes sordos entre 30 y 60 años. El ambiente se desarrolló en Visual Basic Net. Éste ofreció ocho cuadros con preguntas sobre la alimentación del paciente que contenían figuras de alimentos, videos en lenguaje de señas y audio. El análisis del AV fue realizado por medio de la prueba estadística de Poisson de los cuestionarios aplicados a los pacientes y profesionales. Resultados: Al final del procedimiento, el ambiente presenta el posible diagnóstico con un mensaje en la pantalla en color rojo, amarillo, verde o azul, dependiendo del grado de necesidad del paciente. Conclusión: El ambiente obtuvo una excelente aceptación por parte de los pacientes y enfermeros, posibilitando una óptima interacción entre estos, incluso sin un intérprete. La consulta se redujo a 15 minutos, con la mantención de la privacidad del paciente.

Objetivo: Apresentar um Ambiente Virtual (AV), baseado no Protocolo de Tratamento da Hipertensão Arterial e do Diabetes Mellitus tipo 2, aplicado na Atenção Básica, em avaliação de hábitos alimentares na consulta de enfermagem. Método: Estudo experimental aplicado por dois enfermeiros e um gestor, em uma amostra de 30 pacientes surdos com idade entre 30 e 60 anos. Construído em Visual Basic Net, o ambiente ofereceu oito telas sobre alimentação contendo figuras alimentícias, vídeos em libras e áudio. A análise do AV foi feita em questionários aplicados aos pacientes e profissionais por meio do teste estatístico Poisson. Resultados: Apresenta o possível diagnóstico nas cores vermelha, amarela, verde e azul, dependendo do grau de necessidade do paciente. Conclusão: O ambiente obteve excelente aceitação pelos pacientes e enfermeiros, possibilitando ótima interação entre eles, mesmo sem intérprete. A consulta foi reduzida para 15 minutos, com a preservação da privacidade do paciente.




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Effect of a virtual environment on the development of mathematical skills in children with dyscalculia.

In this study, we show the effectiveness of a virtual environment comprising 18 computer games that cover mathematics topics in a playful setting and that can be executed on the Internet with the possibility of player interaction through chat. An arithmetic pre-test contained in the Scholastic Performance Test was administered to 300 children between 7 and 10 years old, including 162 males and 138 females, in the second grade of primary school. Twenty-six children whose scores showed a low level of mathematical knowledge were chosen and randomly divided into the control (CG) and experimental (EG) groups. The EG participated to the virtual environment and the CG participated in reinforcement using traditional teaching methods. Both groups took a post-test in which the Scholastic Performance Test (SPT) was given again. A statistical analysis of the results using the Student's t-test showed a significant learning improvement for the EG and no improvement for the CG (p≤0.05). The virtual environment allows the students to integrate thought, feeling and action, thus motivating the children to learn and contributing to their intellectual development.

Development and Validation of a Virtual Environment to Evaluate the Capacity in Executing the Safety Procedures in Recreational Scuba Diving.

BACKGROUND: Recreational scuba diving courses have safety procedures in their curriculum to be followed in case of emergencies. However, the actual diving is often performed months after the training. Because these procedures are counterinstinctive, when emergencies occur the divers in panic cannot follow them. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Thus a virtual environment was developed, presenting several emergency situations that may occur during a recreational dive. It used an Intel(®) (Santa Clara, CA) Core™2 Duo (1.66 GHz, 1 GB RAM) PC and Adobe (San Jose, CA) Fireworks and Adobe Flash 8 for animation and programming. The procedures to be followed were the standards of the Association of Dive Schools. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: This research found that the performance of divers on a questionnaire on diving safety procedures is very different than in the virtual environment.