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Introduction: Medical schools focus on a traditional curriculum in which the student is not the center of the process. This has led to the emergence of active methodologies such as Case-Based Collaborative Learning (CBCL). Aim: The aim of this study was to clarify medical students' perceptions of the use of the CBCL active methodology in the Human Physiology course. Material and methods: This was a qualitative study carried out with 20 medical students studying physiology at a medical school. The students carried out a preliminary study with the material provided by the teacher. In the classroom, they formed small groups and the teacher opened a clinical case on the topic of the lesson and the CBCL session began to discuss it. The whole process was mediated by the teacher. The content analysis proposed by Bardin was used to analyze the information. Results: As a result, it was possible to understand that medical students perceive that active methodologies favor the integration of knowledge, that they are student-centered and that they are a positive experience. Compared to other methodologies, students report better performance and participation, and highlight the difficulty of concentrating when using traditional methodologies. Conclusion: They also point out that the methodology allows for constructive debate, contributing to the development of teamwork and therefore to greater student learning, which are the advantages related to the CBCL's active methodology according to the students. As disadvantages, they highlighted the fear of overload and the lack of commitment of some students. Resumen: Introducción: Las facultades de medicina se centran en un plan de estudios tradicional en el que el estudiante no es el centro del proceso. Esto ha llevado a la aparición de metodologías activas como el Aprendizaje Colaborativo Basado en Casos (CBCL). Objetivo: El objetivo de este estudio fue clarificar las percepciones de los estudiantes de medicina sobre el uso de la metodología activa CBCL en el curso de Fisiología Humana. Material y métodos: Se trata de un estudio cualitativo llevado a cabo con 20 estudiantes de fisiología en una facultad de medicina. Los alumnos realizaron un estudio previo con el material proporcionado por el profesor. En el aula, formaban pequeños grupos y el profesor abría un caso clínico sobre el tema de la lección y se iniciaba la sesión de CBCL para discutirlo. Todo el proceso estuvo mediado por el profesor. Para analizar la información se utilizó el análisis de contenido propuesto por Bardin. Resultados: Como resultado, se pudo entender que los estudiantes de medicina perciben que las metodologías activas favorecen la integración de conocimientos, que están centradas en el estudiante y que son una experiencia positiva. En comparación con otras metodologías, los estudiantes señalan un mejor rendimiento y participación, y destacan la dificultad de concentración cuando se utilizan metodologías tradicionales. Conclusión: También señalan que la metodología permite el debate constructivo, contribuyendo al desarrollo del trabajo en equipo y por tanto a un mayor aprendizaje del alumno, que son las ventajas relacionadas con la metodología activa del CBCL según los alumnos. Como desventajas, destacaron el miedo a la sobrecarga y la falta de compromiso de algunos alumnos.

Objective: The prevalence of food allergies (FA) has increased worldwide over the last few decades. Milk, eggs, and peanuts are among the most common allergens and can cause anaphylaxis. Therefore, we aimed to identify biomarkers that could predict the persistence and/or severity of IgE-mediated allergies to milk, eggs, and peanuts via a systematic review. Methods: This systematic review proceeded according to a protocol registered in the International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews. Two independent authors extracted studies of interest from PubMed, SciELO, EMBASE, Scopus, and Ebsco databases and assessed their quality using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale. Results: We selected 14 articles describing 1,398 patients. Among eight identified biomarkers, total IgE, specific IgE (sIgE), and IgG4 were the most often cited biomarkers of persistent allergies to milk, eggs, and peanuts. Skin prick tests, endpoint tests, and sIgE cutoff levels may predict positive responses to challenges with these foods. The basophil activation test is a biomarker for the severity and/or threshold of allergic reactions to milk and peanuts. Conclusion: Only a few publications identified possible prognostic indicators of the persistence or severity of FA and outcomes of oral food challenges, indicating that more accessible biomarkers are needed to determine the likelihood of having a severe food allergic reaction.

La calidad de vida es un concepto integral que incluye ideales de salud, bienestar psicológico, relaciones sociales y condiciones ambientales. La Calidad de Vida de los Estudiantes de Medicina (CVEM) se ha convertido en un tema notorio en la última década, incluso en la comunidad científica. Se han señalado crecientes índices de ansiedad, depresión, estrés y consumo de drogas relacionados con el estilo de vida universitario. El objetivo de este trabajo fue resaltar la efectividad de las intervenciones utilizadas para mejorar el CVEM. Se adoptó el método de revisión sistemática para realizar el estudio. Todas las etapas de la revisión siguieron la guía PRISMA. Se utilizaron las palabras de búsqueda "Medical Student" y "Quality of Life" en las bases de datos: PubMed, ERIC, EMBASE y Scopus. Se incluyeron artículos de los últimos diez años que habían evaluado una intervención para mejorar las puntuaciones del CVEM. Se incluyeron diez estudios alta calidad según MERSQI, que cumplió con los criterios de elegibilidad La mitad de los estudios evaluados CVEM utilizando el instrumento WHOQOL-BREF Las intervenciones o valoraciones encontradas fueron: ejercicios de relajación, resiliencia y ambiente educativo, apoyo social recibido, actividad física, protocolo unificado para el tratamiento de trastornos emocionales, mindfulness y cambio curricular, destacando la efectividad de tres estudios que trajeron como intervenciones: ejercicios de relajación, resiliencia en un ambiente educativo, apoyo social e implementación de un protocolo unificado para el tratamiento de los trastornos emocionales. mostrar formas en las que las escuelas de medicina pueden mejorar CVEM.

Abstract Parkin, a protein encoded by PRKN, discovered in the context of Parkinson’s disease, controls proteasomal degradation by protein ubiquitination and acts on cell cycle control and mitochondrial homeostasis, among other cellular processes. Parkin has been also implicated in several carcinomas, melanoma and leukemia. In the neoplastic setting, reduced parkin level usually indicates poorer prognosis. Some authors have described the associations between parkin and gliomas. Gliomas are a heterogeneous group of tumors that arise in the central nervous system, astrocytomas being the most common. The aim of this systematic review is to evaluate how parkin behaves in gliomas and the molecular pathways associated in this interaction. A search was conducted in PubMed, EBSCO and Scopus and 8 published articles were identified as eligible studies. The studies were categorized in three groups, according to their main emphasis: PRKN mutation patterns detected in gliomas, parkin effects on tumor growth and survival rates, and molecular interactions between parkin and other proteins. The studies showed higher PRKN mutation rates and lower parkin expression in high grade gliomas. Patients with higher parkin expression had better overall survival. Besides, different molecular pathways associated with parkin were described, some of them regarded as potential therapeutic targets.

C. brachyspora, a widespread dematiaceous fungus, was evaluated in this study to optimize the production of exopolysaccharides (CB-EPS). Optimization was performed using response surface methodology, and the best production yielded 75.05% of total sugar at pH 7.4, with 0.1% urea, after 197 h. The obtained CB-EPS showed typical signals of polysaccharides, which was confirmed by FT-IR and NMR. The HPSEC analysis indicated a polydisperse polymer, showing a non-uniform peak, with an average molar mass (Mw) of 24,470 g/mol. The major monosaccharide was glucose (63.9 Mol%), followed by mannose (19.7 Mol%), and galactose (16.4 Mol%). Methylation analysis encountered derivatives that indicated the presence of a β-d-glucan and a highly branched glucogalactomannan. CB-EPS was tested on murine macrophages to verify its immunoactivity, and the treated cells were able to produce TNF-α, IL-6, and IL-10. However, the cells did not produce superoxide anions or nitric oxide nor stimulated phagocytosis. The results demonstrated an indirect antimicrobial activity of macrophages by stimulating cytokines, showing another biotech applicability for the exopolysaccharides produced by C. brachyspora.

Liquidambar styraciflua L. is an aromatic species, popularly used in traditional Chinese medicine to treat diarrhea, dysentery, coughs, and skin sores. The present study was designed to investigate the chemical composition and biological potential of extracts obtained from the fruits of this plant. For the chemical evaluation, it was used mainly liquid and gas chromatography, plus NMR, and colorimetric methods. The aqueous extract (EA) originated two other fractions: an aqueous (P-EA) and an ethanolic (S-EA). The three extracts were composed of proteins, phenolic compounds, and carbohydrates in different proportions. The analyses showed that the polysaccharide extract (P-EA) contained pectic polysaccharides, such as acetylated and methyl esterified homogalacturonans together with arabinogalactan, while the fraction S-EA presented phenolic acids and terpenes such as gallic acid, protocathecuic acid, liquidambaric acid, combretastatin, and atractyloside A. EA, P-EA, and S-EA showed antioxidant activity, with IC50 values of 4.64 µg/mL, 16.45 µg/mL, and 3.67 µg/mL, respectively. The cytotoxicity followed the sequence S-EA > EA > P-EA, demonstrating that the toxic compounds were separated from the non-toxic ones by ethanol precipitation. While the fraction S-EA is very toxic to any cell line, the fraction P-EA is a promising candidate for studies against cancer due to its high toxicity to tumoral cells and low toxicity to normal cells.

Introdução: Os trihalometanos (THM) constituem um grupo de subprodutos gerados pela desinfecção da água por meio da cloração. Desde a primeira vez em que foram reportados, em 1974, são alvos de estudos que buscam estabelecer uma relação positiva entre a exposição dos humanos a esses compostos e o desenvolvimento de câncer. Objetivo: Revisão da literatura cientifica disponível sobre a presença de THM na água e sua relação com o desenvolvimento do câncer de bexiga. Método: Levantamento bibliográfico da revisão feito nas bases de dados ScienceDirect e PubMeb. Os descritores utilizados foram ‘‘trihalomethane’’, ‘‘disinfection by-products’’ e ‘‘bladder cancer’’ dos Descritores em Ciências da Saúde (DeCS) da Biblioteca Virtual em Saúde. Os artigos selecionados foram publicados nos últimos cinco anos. Resultados: A amostra final desta revisão foi constituída por 31 artigos, sendo a maioria deles publicados em jornais e revistas sobre meio ambiente. Analisaram-se estudos descritivos, metanálises e outros estudos individuais com delineamento experimental, encontrando uma associação positiva, mas controversa, entre os THM e o câncer, associada a diferentes mecanismos. A relação mais consistente tem sido entre a exposição crônica e o câncer de bexiga. Conclusão: Os estudos reconhecem que existem riscos significativos a saúde relacionados aos THM, no entanto, evidencias que esclareçam os mecanismos de ação e o papel que outros fatores de risco possuem, juntamente com os THM, ainda permanecem incertas.

Toxoplasmosis is a cosmopolite disease caused by the protozoan parasite, Toxoplasma gondii. The infection may be contracted through the ingestion of raw or undercooked meat or unpasteurised milk, organ transplants, blood transfusion, through the placenta in vertical transmission or by direct contact with the faeces of infected felids or even through the ingestion of sporulated oocysts in water or food. In immunocompetent individuals, it is generally asymptomatic. However, in patients with various degrees of immunodeficiency and in pregnant women, it may cause severe sequelae and can be fatal. In pregnant women, the prenatal diagnosis should be made as early as possible, so that therapy may be applied to reduce parasitemia and avoid transplacental infection. Despite the high prevalence of infected individuals around the world (20 - 90%), in some European Union countries, such as France and Austria, the average incidence of foetal toxoplasmosis was reduced from 40% to 7% by means of specific programs. In Brazil, seroprevalence may vary between 40% and > 80% (South/Southeast - North/Centre-West/Northeast), reflecting a significant disparity between the public health policies and resources applied in the different regions of the country and the human development index (HDI) of each of them. The lack of consistent and periodical data on seroprevalence per region makes it difficult to understand the significance of this infection and to plan specific public health policies and strategies. Also important is the fact that Hemotherapy Units are not required to screen blood components for toxoplasmosis, not even for immunocompromised patients and pregnant women, or organ transplants. Regarding basic and clinical research, toxoplasmosis is not a priority if compared to the allocation of government funds and incentives to other tropical illnesses, such as: Chagas disease, Leishmaniasis, Dengue fever. There are also few study groups in Brazil that focus in this basic area, for genomics and proteomics studies of T. gondii strains – for the design of new methods of diagnosis, antiparasitic drugs and a vaccine model for humans and animals. This article reviews the historical, taxonomic and epidemiologic aspects, diagnosis methods, treatment and technical-scientific aspects of Toxoplasma gondii and toxoplasmosis in the Brazilian context.

Toxoplasmosis is a cosmopolite disease caused by the protozoan parasite, Toxoplasma gondii. The infection may be contracted through the ingestion of raw or undercooked meat or unpasteurised milk, organ transplants, blood transfusion, through the placenta in vertical transmission or by direct contact with the faeces of infected felids or even through the ingestion of sporulated oocysts in water or food. In immunocompetent individuals, it is generally asymptomatic. However, in patients with various degrees of immunodeficiency and in pregnant women, it may cause severe sequelae and can be fatal. In pregnant women, the prenatal diagnosis should be made as early as possible, so that therapy may be applied to reduce parasitemia and avoid transplacental infection. Despite the high prevalence of infected individuals around the world (20 - 90%), in some European Union countries, such as France and Austria, the average incidence of foetal toxoplasmosis was reduced from 40% to 7% by means of specific programs. In Brazil, seroprevalence may vary between 40% and > 80% (South/Southeast - North/Centre-West/Northeast), reflecting a significant disparity between the public health policies and resources applied in the different regions of the country and the human development index (HDI) of each of them. The lack of consistent and periodical data on seroprevalence per region makes it difficult to understand the significance of this infection and to plan specific public health policies and strategies. Also important is the fact that Hemotherapy Units are not required to screen blood components for toxoplasmosis, not even for immunocompromised patients and pregnant women, or organ transplants. Regarding basic and clinical research, toxoplasmosis is not a priority if compared to the allocation of government funds and incentives to other tropical illnesses, such as: Chagas disease, Leishmaniasis, Dengue fever. There are also few study groups in Brazil that focus in this basic area, for genomics and proteomics studies of T. gondii strains – for the design of new methods of diagnosis, antiparasitic drugs and a vaccine model for humans and animals. This article reviews the historical, taxonomic and epidemiologic aspects, diagnosis methods, treatment and technical-scientific aspects of Toxoplasma gondii and toxoplasmosis in the Brazilian context.

O projeto Ensino, Saúde e Desenvolvimento: rede de saberes e práticas foi uma proposição conjunta inicialmente de professores e pesquisadores da Faculdades Pequeno Príncipe, da Universidade Estadual de Londrina, da Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina e posteriormente da Universidade Estadual de Maringá e da Universidade Federal de Alagoas. O objetivo deste relato é uma autoavaliação, buscando analisar os resultados alcançados com um olhar crítico na busca de alternativas que levassem a maiores avanços. A avaliação foi dividida em tópicos: Contexto e problemática; A construção do projeto: seus a(u)tores e históricos envolvidos; Ousadia número 1: ensino, saúde e desenvolvimento; Ousadia número 2: rede de saberes e práticas; O desenvolvimento do projeto: avanços e recuos; Lições aprendidas; e Perspectivas. Os autores reconhecem a pertinência da iniciativa do Ministério da Saúde e da Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (Capes) e se posicionam para a continuidade do Programa Pró-Ensino na Saúde.