Characterisation of Patients With Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) From an Urban Municipality in the Northern Region of Portugal: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Background Pulmonary rehabilitation (PR) is formally indicated to all COPD patients in groups B and E. It positively impacts dyspnoea, health-related quality of life and exercise tolerance, reducing admissions among people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) who have had a recent exacerbation and symptoms of anxiety and depression. There is limited access to PR programmes in Portugal, partially due to insufficient resources or referrals. This study aims to characterise COPD patients and assess whether they have criteria for PR programmes. Data from this study may provide strategic information for healthcare organisations to differentiate and innovate their response to COPD patients. Methodology A cross-sectional study was conducted in an urban municipality in the northern region of Portugal. The sample was randomly extracted from the national primary electronic health records. The sample size (n = 339) was determined considering the population of COPD patients in this region (N = 2818), a 95% confidence level and a margin of error of 5%. Results In this population, the prevalence of COPD is 1.8%. Furthermore, in this sample, 40% (n = 136) of people diagnosed with COPD have a formal indication to participate in PR programmes, although only 14.2% (n = 48) of these patients had access to PR. Conclusion COPD is probably underdiagnosed in this Portuguese region. Most COPD patients have eligibility criteria to be offered PR programmes, although most of them do not benefit from this vital treatment. Investing in community and home-based programmes may increase PR access, reducing acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (AECOPD) admissions.

Effectiveness of a home-based pulmonary rehabilitation maintenance programme: the Rehab2Life study protocol.

Pulmonary rehabilitation (PR) is the bedrock of non-pharmacological treatment for people with COPD. Nonetheless, it is well described in the literature that unless the patient changes his behaviour, the benefits of PR programmes will decline in six to twelve months after finishing the programme. Therefore, maintenance programmes can address the problem of PR programmes' effect loss over time.Community care units can provide multidisciplinary care in the current Portuguese primary health care context. These units have an interdisciplinary team that aims to develop competencies in COPD patients to self-manage the disease.This study aims to test the effectiveness of a 12-month home-based PR programme (Rehab2Life) compared to usual care through a single-blind randomised controlled trial with two parallel groups. The Rehab2Life programme includes two distinct phases. The first is an 8-week PR programme delivered to both groups, and the second is a PR maintenance programme delivered to the intervention group after the initial eight weeks. The control group receive the usual care and regular appointments. The primary outcome is functional capacity, and secondary outcomes are dyspnea, Health-Related Quality of Life (HRQoL), number of exacerbations, symptoms burden, anxiety and depression symptoms, and physical activity.We expect to observe that the home-based PR programme brings clinically relevant benefits to the participants at the end of the first eight weeks and that, at 12 months after the maintenance phase of the programme, benefits are less dissipated than in the control group. We expect to identify the characteristics of the patients who benefit the most from home-based programmes.The trial was registered on 7 April 2022 at ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT05315505).

Biomineralization inspired engineering of nanobiomaterials promoting bone repair.

A biomineralization processes is disclosed for engineering nanomaterials that support bone repair. The material was fabricated through a hot press process using electrospun poly(lactic acid) (PLA) matrix covered with hybrid composites of carbon nanotubes/graphene nanoribbons (GNR) and nanohydroxyapatite (nHA). Various scaffolds were devised [nHA/PLA, PLA/GNR, and PLA/nHA/GNR (1 and 3%)] and their structure and morphology characterized through Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), and Atomic force microscope (AFM). Moreover, thorough biocompatibility and toxicity studies were performed. Here, in vivo studies on toxicity and cytotoxicity were conducted in aqueous dispersions of the biomaterials at concentrations of 30, 60, and 120 µg/mL using the Allium cepa test. Further toxicity studies were performed through hemolysis toxicity tests and genotoxicity tests evaluating the damage index and damage frequencies of DNAs through comet assays with samples of the animals' peripheral blood, marrow, and liver. Additionally, the regenerative activity of the scaffolds was analyzed by measuring the cortical tibiae of rats oophorectomized implanted with the biomaterials. Biochemical analyzes [glutamic pyruvic transaminase (GPT), glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase (GOT), urea, calcium, phosphorus, and alkaline phosphatase (ALP)] were also performed on blood samples. The results suggested a toxicity and cytotoxicity level for the GNR biomaterials at a concentration of 60 and 120 µg/mL, but non-toxicity and cytotoxicity for the 30 µg/mL concentration. The scaffolds obtained at a concentration of 0.3 mg/cm2 were not toxic in the hemolysis test and demonstrated no cytotoxicity, genotoxicity, and mutagenicity in the blood, marrow, and liver analyzes of the animals, corroborating data from the biochemical markers of GPT, GOT, and urea. Tissue regeneration was performed in all groups and was more pronounced in the group containing the combination of nHA/GNR (3%), which is consistent with the data obtained for the calcium, serum phosphorus, and ALP concentrations. Consequently, the study indicates that the engineered nanobiomaterial is a promising candidate for bone tissue repair and regenerative applications. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE: The scientific contribution of this study is the engineering of a synthetic hybrid biomaterial, in nanoscale by a pressing and heating process. A biodegradable polymeric matrix was covered on both sides with a carbonated hybrid bioceramic/graphene nanoribbons (GNR), which has hydrophilic characteristics, with chemical elements stoichiometrically similar to bone mineral composition. The nanomaterial displayed promising bone regeneration ability, which is the first example to be used in an osteoporotic animal model. Moreover, detailed biocompatibility and toxicity studies were performed on the nanomaterials and their compositions, which is of great interest for the scientific community.

Development of a low-cost electrochemical sensor based on babassu mesocarp (Orbignya phalerata) immobilized on a flexible gold electrode for applications in sensors for 5-fluorouracil chemotherapeutics.

There are increasing concerns regarding the risks arising from the contamination of manipulators of antineoplastic drugs promoted by occupational exposure or even in the dosage of drugs. The present work proposes the use of an electrochemical sensor based on a biopolymer extracted from the babassu coconut (Orbignya phalerata) for the determination of an antineoplastic 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) drug as an alternative for the monitoring of these drugs. In order to reduce the cost of this sensor, a flexible gold electrode (FEAu) is proposed. The surface modification of FEAu was performed with the deposition of a casting film of the biopolymer extracted from the babassu mesocarp (BM) and modified with phthalic anhydride (BMPA). The electrochemical activity of the modified electrode was characterized by cyclic voltammetry (CV), and its morphology was observed by atomic force microscopy (AFM). The FEAu/BMPA showed a high sensitivity (8.8 µA/µmol/L) and low limit of detection (0.34 µmol/L) for the 5-FU drug in an acid medium. Electrochemical sensors developed from the babassu mesocarp may be a viable alternative for the monitoring of the 5-FU antineoplastic in pharmaceutical formulations, because in addition to being sensitive to this drug, they are constructed of a natural polymer, renewable, and abundant in nature. Graphical abstract ᅟ.

Effect of kinesio taping on jumping and balance in athletes: a crossover randomized controlled trial.

The purpose of this crossover randomized controlled trial was to verify the effect of Kinesio Taping (KT) applied to the triceps surae with the aim to improve muscle performance during vertical jump (VJ), horizontal jump (HJ), and dynamic balance (DB) in healthy college athletes. The participants were 20 athletes (11 men) who competed in 4 different sports modalities (track and field, handball, volleyball, and soccer). Participants had a mean age of 22.3 ± 3.3 years, mean height of 1.74 ± 0.08 m, and mean body mass of 67.8 ± 10.1 kg. The intervention consisted of applying KT from the origin of the triceps surae to its insertion with the purpose of increasing muscle performance, and the placebo consisted of applying tape with nonelastic properties. There were no significant differences between KT and placebo conditions for height (m) in VJ (KT, 0.18 ± 0.06; placebo, 0.17 ± 0.06; p = 0.14), distance (m) in HJ (KT, 1.48 ± 0.3; placebo, 1.47 ± 0.3; p = 0.40), and DB in distance reached (m) in the star excursion balance test, normalized by lower limb length (anterior: KT, 90.0 ± 6.7; placebo, 89.5 ± 7.5; p = 0.56; posterolateral: KT, 92.5 ± 7.5; placebo, 93.2 ± 5.8; p = 0.52; posteromedial: KT, 98.3 ± 6.7; placebo, 98.7 ± 7.4; p = 0.69). The KT technique was not found to be useful in improving performance in some sports-related movements in healthy college athletes; therefore, KT applied to the triceps surae should not be considered by athletes when the sole reason of the application is to increase performance during jumping and balance.

Natural gum-assisted phthalocyanine immobilization in electroactive nanocomposites: physicochemical characterization and sensing applications.

Natural gums have been traditionally applied in cosmetics and the food industry, mainly as emulsification agents. Due to their biodegradability and excellent mechanical properties, new technological applications have been proposed involving their use with conventional polymers forming blends and composites. In this study, we take advantage of the polyelectrolyte character exhibited by the natural gum ChichA (Sterculia striata), extracted in the Northeastern region of Brazil, to produce electroactive nanocomposites. The nanocomposites were fabricated in the form of ultrathin films by combining a metallic phthalocyanine (nickel tetrasulfonated phthalocyanine, NiTsPc) and the ChichA gum in a tetralayer architecture, in conjunction with conventional polyelectrolytes. The presence of the gum led to an efficient adsorption of the phthalocyanine and enhanced the electrochemical response of the films. Upon combining the electrochemical and UV-vis absorption data, energy diagrams of the ChichA/NiTsPc-based system were obtained. Furthermore, modified electrodes based on gum/phthalocyanine films were able to detect dopamine at concentrations as low as 10-5 M.