Heat tolerance in Brazilian hair sheep

Luiza Seixas,Cristiano Barros de Melo,Candice Bergmann Tanure,Vanessa Peripolli,Concepta McManus 아세아·태평양축산학회 2017 Animal Bioscience Vol.30 No.4

Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate heat tolerance using heat tolerance indices, physiological, physical, thermographic, and hematological parameters in Santa Ines and Morada Nova sheep breeds in the Federal District, Brazil. Methods: Twenty-six adult hair sheep, one and a half years old, from two genetic groups (Santa Ines: 12 males and 4 females; Morada Nova: 7 males and 3 females) were used and data (rectal temperature, respiratory rate, heart rate, skin temperatures; hematological parameters) were collected during three consecutive days, twice a day (morning and afternoon), with a total of six repetitions. Also physical parameters (biometric measurements, skin and hair traits) and heat tolerance indices (temperature-humidity index, Iberia and Benezra) were evaluated. The analyses included analyses of variance, correlation, and principal components with a significance level of 5%. Results: The environmental indices, in general, indicate a situation of thermal discomfort for the animals during the afternoon. Breed significantly influenced (p<0.001) physiological and physical characteristics of skin, hair, biometric measurements and Iberia and Benezra heat tolerance indices. Santa Ines animals were bigger and had longer, greater number and darker hair, thicker skin, greater respiratory rate and Benezra index and lower Iberia index compared with Morada Nova breed. Conclusion: Although both breeds can be considered adapted to the environmental conditions of the region, Morada Nova breed is most suitable for farming in the Midwest region. The positive correlation found between the thermographic temperatures and physiological parameters indicates that this technique can be used to evaluate thermal comfort. Also, it has the advantage that animals do not have to be handled, which favors animal welfare.

Pediatric Liver Transplantation: Caregivers' Quality of Life

Tavares, Ana Paula Bastos,Seixas, Lucas Belem Pessoa de Melo Guerra,Jayme, Caren Lopes Wanderlei,Porta, Gilda,Seixas, Renata Belem Pessoa de Melo,Carvalho, Elisa de The Korean Society of Pediatric Gastroenterology 2022 Pediatric gastroenterology, hepatology & nutrition Vol.25 No.6

Purpose: The survival rate of pediatric patients undergoing liver transplantation has increased considerably. Despite this, the period after transplantation is still complex and poses several challenges to the recipient's family, which is responsible for care management. Recently, more attention has been paid to the impact of this complex procedure on the quality of life of caregivers. Hence, this study is aimed at assessing the quality of life of caregivers of patients who have undergone liver transplantation and the aspects that influence it. Methods: This was an observational and cross-sectional study. From November 2020 to January 2021, short-form-36 questionnaires and additional questions were given to the main caregivers of children and adolescents who underwent pediatric liver transplantation. Results: Thirty-eight questionnaires were completed and the results revealed a lower quality of life in comparison to Brazilian standards, primarily in the mental domains (41.8±14.1 vs. 51.1±2.8; p<0.001). It did not show a significant association with socioeconomic or transplant-related factors, but it did show a negative impact on parents' perception of the child's health. Parents who reported worse health status for their children had a lower mental quality of life (44.1±13.8 vs. 33.3±12.6; p<0.05). Conclusion: The caregivers of transplanted children have a lower quality of life than those of the local population. Psychological assistance should be routinely provided to parents for long-term follow-up to mitigate potential negative effects on the transplanted child's care.

Quality of Life in Children and Adolescents with Inflammatory Bowel Disease: Impact and Predictive Factors

Silva, Larissa Caetano,Seixas, Renata B.P. Melo,de Carvalho, Elisa The Korean Society of Pediatric Gastroenterology 2020 Pediatric gastroenterology, hepatology & nutrition Vol.23 No.3

Purpose: Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) in children and adolescents is associated with high morbidity and possibly has a significant negative impact on their quality of life. This study aimed to evaluate the quality of life of children and adolescents with IBD and define the variables that impact these individuals. Methods: We administered the Pediatric Quality of Life Questionnaire (PedsQL) to 35 children and adolescents diagnosed with IBD and with available quantitative data from clinical records on epidemiology, clinical evolution, complementary tests, medical interventions, and disease activity. Data were evaluated according to the IBD type and compared with a control group of healthy children. Results: The study group showed a significantly lower PedsQL score than the control group (p<0.01). Significant factors contributing to poor overall quality of life included female sex, Crohn's disease, surgery, and food restrictions. Symptoms such as diarrhea and the fear of using public toilets were associated with low physical scores. Feeling sick had a negative impact on the emotional PedsQL scores. Patients with a fear of using public toilets, anthropometric scores below the 3rd percentile, and greater disease activity scored lower in the social domain. Regarding school and psychosocial evaluations, younger children with symptom onset after the age of 2 years had lower scores than younger children with symptom onset before the age of 2 years. Conclusion: IBD negatively affects the quality of life of children and adolescents based on its impact on the physical, emotional, social, and psychosocial statuses of these patients.

Quality of Life in Children and Adolescents with Inflammatory Bowel Disease: Impact and Predictive Factors

Larissa Caetano Silva,Renata B.P. Melo Seixas,Elisa de Carvalho 대한소아소화기영양학회 2020 Pediatric gastroenterology, hepatology & nutrition Vol.23 No.3

Purpose: Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) in children and adolescents is associated with high morbidity and possibly has a significant negative impact on their quality of life. This study aimed to evaluate the quality of life of children and adolescents with IBD and define the variables that impact these individuals. Methods: We administered the Pediatric Quality of Life Questionnaire (PedsQL) to 35 children and adolescents diagnosed with IBD and with available quantitative data from clinical records on epidemiology, clinical evolution, complementary tests, medical interventions, and disease activity. Data were evaluated according to the IBD type and compared with a control group of healthy children. Results: The study group showed a significantly lower PedsQL score than the control group (p<0.01). Significant factors contributing to poor overall quality of life included female sex, Crohn's disease, surgery, and food restrictions. Symptoms such as diarrhea and the fear of using public toilets were associated with low physical scores. Feeling sick had a negative impact on the emotional PedsQL scores. Patients with a fear of using public toilets, anthropometric scores below the 3rd percentile, and greater disease activity scored lower in the social domain. Regarding school and psychosocial evaluations, younger children with symptom onset after the age of 2 years had lower scores than younger children with symptom onset before the age of 2 years. Conclusion: IBD negatively affects the quality of life of children and adolescents based on its impact on the physical, emotional, social, and psychosocial statuses of these patients.

Geodetic monitoring on onshore wind towers: Analysis of vertical and horizontal movements and tower tilt

Canto, Luiz Filipe C.,de Seixas, Andrea Techno-Press 2021 Structural monitoring and maintenance Vol.8 No.4

The objective of this work was to develop a methodology for geodetic monitoring on onshore wind towers, to ascertain the existence of displacements from object points located in the tower and at the foundation's base. The geodesic auscultation was carried out in the Gravatá 01 and 02 wind towers of the Eólica Gravatá wind farm, located in the Brazilian municipality of Gravatá-PE, using a stable Measurement Reference System. To verify the existence of displacements, pins were implanted, with semi-spherical surfaces, at the bases of the towers being monitored, measured by means of high-precision geometric leveling and around the Gravatá 02 tower, concrete landmarks, iron rods and reflective sheets were implanted, observed using geodetic/topographic methods: GNSS survey, transverse with forced centering, three-dimensional irradiation, edge measurement method and trigonometric leveling of unilateral views. It was found that in the Gravatá 02 tower the average rays of the circular sections of the transverse welds (ST) were 1.8431 m ± 0.0005 m (ST01) and 1.6994 m ± 0.0268 m of ST22, where, 01 and 22 represent the serial number of the transverse welds along the tower. The average calculation of the deflection between the coordinates of the center of the circular section of the ST22 and the vertical reference alignment of the ST1 was 0°2'39.22" ± 2.83" in the Northwest direction and an average linear difference of 0.0878 m ± 0.0078 m. The top deflection angle was 0°8'44.88" and a linear difference of ± 0.2590 m, defined from a non-linear function adjusted by Least Squares Method (LSM).

Influence of viscous effects on numerical prediction of motions of SWATH vessels in waves

Brizzolara, Stefano,Bonfiglio, Luca,Medeiros, Joao Seixas De Techno-Press 2013 Ocean systems engineering Vol.3 No.3

The accurate prediction of motion in waves of a marine vehicle is essential to assess the maximum sea state vs. operational requirements. This is particularly true for small crafts, such as Autonomous Surface Vessels (ASV). Two different numerical methods to predict motions of a SWATH-ASV are considered: an inviscid strip theory initially developed at MIT for catamarans and then adapted for SWATHs and new a hybrid strip theory, based on the numerical solution of the radiation forces by an unsteady viscous, non-linear free surface flow solver. Motion predictions obtained by the viscous flow method are critically discussed against those obtained by potential flow strip theory. Effects of viscosity are analyzed by comparison of sectional added mass and damping calculated at different frequencies and for different sections, RAOs and motions response in irregular waves at zero speed. Some relevant conclusions can be drawn from this study: influence of viscosity is definitely non negligible for SWATH vessels like the one presented: amplitude of the pitch and heave motions predicted at the resonance frequency differ of 20% respectively and 50%; in this respect, the hybrid method with fully non-linear, viscous free surface calculation of the radiation forces turns out to be a very valuable tool to improve the accuracy of traditional strip theories, without the burden of long computational times requested by fully viscous time domain three dimensional simulations.

The Development and Psychometric Evaluation of the Survey of Obstructive Sleep Apnea Functional Health Literacy

Robbins Rebecca,Hays Ron D.,Calderón José Luís,Seixas Azizi,Garcia Valerie Newsome,Chung Alicia,Jean-Louis Girardin 대한수면학회 2021 sleep medicine research Vol.12 No.1

Background and Objective Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a highly prevalent disorder that disparately affects racial/ethnic minorities. OSA functional health literacy can contribute to health disparities. Documenting poor OSA functional health literacy is needed to inform research agendas, policy, and advocacy efforts. The objective of this study is to develop a scale for measuring OSA functional health literacy among diverse audiences and a variety of reading levels and to ascertain its reliability and validity. Methods Development of the 18-item Survey of OSA Functional Health Literacy (SOFHL) was guided by literature review and input from experts. A convenience sample of persons enrolled in a clinical trial completed the survey (n = 194). Factor analysis was used to identify the number of dimensions in the SOFHL and their relationship to other domains that are relevant to OSA functional health literacy. Internal consistency reliability (alpha) was estimated for the SOFHL scales and correlations with educational attainment and income computed. Results All respondents were Black and 29% reported average household income less than $10000 USD. Confirmatory factor analysis provided support for two dimensions: OSA general knowledge (alpha = 0.81) and OSA self-management efficacy (alpha = 0.71). OSA general knowledge was significantly correlated with education (r = 0.41) and income (r = 0.21), and OSA self-management efficacy was significantly correlated with education (r = 0.19) and less depression (r = -0.18). Conclusions Higher educational attainment and socioeconomic status were associated with better OSA functional health literacy. These results provide preliminary support for the SOFHL, a measure that can be used to assess OSA functional health literacy.

Unraveling the swine genome: implications for human health.

Schook, Lawrence B,Collares, Tiago V,Darfour-Oduro, Kwame A,De, Arun Kumar,Rund, Laurie A,Schachtschneider, Kyle M,Seixas, Fabiana K Annual Reviews 2015 Annual review of animal biosciences Vol.3 No.-

<P>The pig was first used in biomedical research in ancient Greece and over the past few decades has quickly grown into an important biomedical research tool. Pigs have genetic and physiological traits similar to humans, which make them one of the most useful and versatile animal models. Owing to these similarities, data generated from porcine models are more likely to lead to viable human treatments than those from murine work. In addition, the similarity in size and physiology to humans allows pigs to be used for many experimental approaches not feasible in mice. Research areas that employ pigs range from neonatal development to translational models for cancer therapy. Increasing numbers of porcine models are being developed since the release of the swine genome sequence, and the development of additional porcine genomic and epigenetic resources will further their use in biomedical research.</P>

Effects of the Intake of Sesame Seeds (Sesamum indicum L.) and Derivatives on Oxidative Stress: A Systematic Review

Luciana de Almeida Vittori Gouveia,Carolina Alves Cardoso,Glaucia Maria Moraes de Oliveira,Glorimar Rosa,Annie Seixas Bello Moreira 한국식품영양과학회 2016 Journal of medicinal food Vol.19 No.4

This study is aimed at assessing the scientific evidence on the effect of the intake of sesame seeds and derivatives on oxidative stress of individuals with systemic hypertension, dyslipidemia, and type 2 diabetes mellitus. A systematic review was conducted in seven databases (Lilacs, PubMed, ISI Web of Knowledge, Cochrane Library, Scopus, Trip Database, and Scielo) from September 2013 to January 2014. Clinical trials on the intake of sesame seeds and derivatives assessing the outcomes related to oxidative stress were retrieved. The risk of bias in the results of the studies selected was assessed according to the criteria of the Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Interventions. This review included seven clinical trials showing that the intake of sesame resulted in the increase in enzymatic and nonenzymatic antioxidants, as well as in a reduction in oxidative stress markers. This was mainly observed with the use of sesame oil for hypertensive individuals during 2 months and black sesame meal capsules for prehypertensive individuals during four weeks. Most studies involved a small number of participants, sample size being considered a limiting factor for this review. In addition, a significant heterogeneity was observed in the type of population studied and the type of sesame and derivatives used, as well as their amount. The follow-up time was considered a limiting factor, because it varied in the different studies. The high risk of randomization and blinding biases found in the studies assessed determines lower scientific evidence of the results. Despite the limitations and biases identified in this systematic review, sesame showed relevant effects on oxidative stress, suggesting it could increase the antioxidant capacity.

Cystic Fibrosis: Clinical Phenotypes in Children and Adolescents

Ana Luiza Melo dos Santos,Helen de Melo Santos,Marina Bettiol Nogueira,Hugo Tadashi Oshiro Távora,Maria de Lourdes Jaborandy Paim da Cunha,Renata Belém Pessoa de Melo Seixas,Luciana de Freitas Velloso 대한소아소화기영양학회 2018 Pediatric gastroenterology, hepatology & nutrition Vol.21 No.4

Purpose: The objective of this study was to describe the clinical phenotypes of children and adolescents with cystic fibrosis (CF); and to assess the role of pancreatic insufficiency and neonatal screening in diagnosis.Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted, which included 77 patients attending a reference center of CF between 2014 and 2016. Epidemiological data, anthropometric measurements, and the presence of pulmonary, pancreatic, gastrointestinal and hepatobiliary manifestations were evaluated based on clinical data and complementary examinations.Results: Of the 77 patients, 51.9% were male, with a median age of 147 months (7.0-297.0 months), and the majority showed adequate nutritional status. The most common phenotype was pulmonary (92.2%), followed by pancreatic (87.0%), with pancreatic insufficiency in most cases. Gastrointestinal manifestation occurred in 46.8%, with constipation being the more common factor. Hepatobiliary disease occurred in 62.3% of patients. The group with pancreatic insufficiency was diagnosed earlier (5.0 months) when compared to the group with sufficiency (84.0 months) (p=0.01). The age of diagnosis was reduced following implementation of neonatal screening protocols for CF (6.0 months before vs. 3.0 months after, p=0.02).Conclusion: The pulmonary phenotype was the most common, although extrapulmonary manifestations were frequent and clinically relevant, and should mandate early detection and treatment. Neonatal screening for CF led to earlier diagnosis in patients with pancreatic failure, and therefore, should be adopted universally.