Liane Nanci Rotta

Objetivo: Relatar a experiência do Projeto Bê-á-bá Digital (UFCSPA) na promoção do letramento digital de pessoas idosas por meio da associação entre metodologia pedagógica estruturada e produção audiovisual como ferramenta de apoio ao acesso a direitos fundamentais. Métodos: Relato de experiência de natureza qualitativa e intervencionista, fundamentado nos pressupostos da Gerontecnologia. As ações ocorrem em organizações da sociedade civil parceiras nos municípios de Porto Alegre/RS e Manaus/AM, com pessoas idosas (≥60 anos). A intervenção consiste em oficinas presenciais semanais conduzidas por estudantes universitários, com metodologias ativas, mediação intergeracional e produção de conteúdos audiovisuais. Os dados foram registrados por meio de diários de campo e registros audiovisuais, com consentimento dos participantes. Resultados: Os registros qualitativos sugerem avanços em autonomia técnica (videochamadas, acesso a exames online, aplicativos bancários e de transporte), além de percepções de maior autoconfiança, redução da dependência digital e ampliação da participação social. Observou-se também potencial contribuição para o acesso mediado a recursos relacionados à saúde, comunicação e cidadania. Conclusão: O letramento digital, associado a metodologia estruturada e recursos audiovisuais, mostra-se uma estratégia promissora de inclusão digital e social de pessoas idosas, com potencial para favorecer autonomia e participação social.

Objective: to assess the knowledge and willingness to donate blood among postgraduate students in health sciences in Brazil. Methods: An online self-administered questionnaire was conducted to collect sociodemographic data, knowledge about blood donation (stages and requirements), and students' predisposition to donate. Results: out of 110 participating students, 56% had donated blood previously and 90% expressed willingness to donate. Professional experience in hemotherapy and self-perceived adequate knowledge were independent factors associated with satisfactory knowledge. Conclusion: most postgraduate students in health sciences in Brazil demonstrated predisposition to donate blood, with 56% having donated previously and 90% expressing interest. Professional experience in hemotherapy and perceived knowledge of donation requirements were associated with better understanding. These findings underscore the importance of hemotherapy education in encouraging blood donation among students, contributing to strategies aimed at increasing the number of donors and ensuring a safe blood supply.

Objectives: To evaluate urinalysis parameters useful for identifying mixed cultures in urine culture using an automated urinary particle analyzer to assess quality indicators (QIs) for urine sample contamination. Methods: A retrospective observational cross-sectional study was conducted with 2,527 urine samples from patients of a quaternary hospital in Brazil. Urine samples were processed simultaneously in Sysmex UF-5000 flow cytometry analyzer (urinalysis) and MALDI-TOF (culture). Results: For all samples, a cutoff of 123.8 bacteria/µL was established to discriminate culture-negative specimens. ROC curve indicated the following cutoffs for females and males, respectively: 193.65 and 23.55 bacteria/µL, and 21.35 and 5.05 squamous epithelial cells (SEC)/µL, with the latter two related to scenarios of sample contamination/colonization through mixed cultures. Performing univariate logistic regression, we found a 2.78 (CI95 %: 2.12–3.65) times higher chance of probable mixed culture when SEC values were above the cutoffs for each sex, and 6.91(CI95 %: 4.56–10.47) times for bacteria. For multivariate logistic regression, the OR values were 1.62 (CI95 %: 1.21–2.15) and 5.82 (CI95 %: 3.77–8.98), respectively. Conclusions: The fluorescent flow cytometry analyzers could efficiently identify urinary bacteria counts associated with contamination/colonization scenarios using the cutoffs of 21.35 SEC/µL for women and 5.05 SEC/µL for men. The cutoffs for bacteria/µL (193.65 for females and 23.55 for males) indicated that the presence of bacteria in male samples may be more associated with urinary tract infections (UTIs), while in female samples, it may be associated with either UTIs or contamination/colonization scenarios. This makes the analyzer a helpful tool as QI of sample contamination in urine cultures.

Patients with COVID-19 can develop excessive inflammation in the brain and consequent neurological complications. The aim of this study was to evaluate the inflammatory, endothelial and brain injury markers in hospitalized COVID-19 patients and compare those with or without neurological symptoms. A total of 30 intensive care unit (ICU) COVID-19 patients were allocated into COVID-19 (without neurological symptoms) or neuro-COVID-19 (with neurological symptoms) groups. Patients with respiratory infection symptoms but negative for COVID-19 were included as a control group. Peripheral blood samples were collected at hospital admission (T1) (controls and ICU patients) and during hospitalization (T2: last 72 h before hospital discharge or in-hospital death) (ICU COVID-19 patients) to analyze inflammatory markers. Higher ICAM-1, CCL26 and VEGF at T1 were identified in both COVID-19 groups compared with control. Neuro-COVID-19 patients presented lower systemic BDNF levels compared with the control group and increased S100B compared with the control and COVID-19 groups. BDNF levels in survivors were lower in the neuro-COVID-19 group compared to the COVID-19 group, while S100B were higher, regardless of the outcome. In addition, all COVID‐19 patients presented increased ICAM-1 and CCL26 levels over the hospitalization period (T2 > T1). Furthermore, S100B, ICAM-1, CCL26 and VEGF levels increased in relation to T1 in neuro-COVID-19 patients, with S100B and CCL26 being significantly higher in relation to the COVID-19 group. In conclusion, high levels of brain injury biomarkers were found in patients with neuro-COVID-19, indicating neuroinflammatory and consequent brain injury in the last 72 h of hospitalization.

Ratios between the blood cells are indirect measures of the imbalance in the pro-inflammatory status observed in carcinogenesis and have been proposed as accessible and feasible biomarkers to predict cancer prognosis. We aim to evaluate the prognostic significance of neutrophil/lymphocyte (NLR), monocyte/lymphocyte (MLR), and platelet/lymphocyte (PLR) ratios in Brazilian patients with luminal breast cancer (LBC) treated with tamoxifen. A retrospective cohort of 72 operable LBC patients. Preoperative leukocyte and platelet absolute values permitted to calculate NLR, MLR, and PLR. Area under curve (ROC) determined the cutoff value associated with relapse and death. Univariate and multivariate analyses were used to assess the relationship of the platelet and PLR to disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS). Lower DFS was associated with >297 × 10³/mm³ (54 vs. 60.9 months in 279 × 10³/mm³ are related to higher OS (p = 0.03). Univariate analysis revealed that platelet concentration was associated with DFS (p = 0.04) and OS (p = 0.04), but not as an independent factor (HR = 1.31, 95%CI: 0.42–4.07, p = 0.65) and OS (HR = 1.64, 95%CI: 0.28–9.52, p = 0.58). Both univariate (p = 0.01) and multivariate analysis revealed that PLR < 191.5 was a significant independent predictor of higher OS/better prognosis (HR = 16.16, 95%CI: 2.83–109.25, p = 0.00). Pretreatment platelet indices (absolute count and PLR) are prognosis predictors in LBC patients. Platelet > 279 × 10³/mm³ and PRL < 191.5 was associated with a higher OS, with the PRL being an independent predictor of higher OS.

Objectives Given the complex pathology of sickle cell anemia (SCA) and low adherence to hydroxyurea (HU) treatment, there is a need to seek parameters that identify recent changes in patient status. The advanced clinical parameters (ACPs) allow an early analysis of hematopoiesis. We aimed to draw the demographic profile of non-adherent SCA patients and to verify the use of ACPs as a measure of HU treatment adherence. Method In a cross-sectional study, we divided 83 SCA subjects treated with HU into Children (= 12 years old). Their hemogram with the ACPs, electronic medical charts and pharmacy claim data were analyzed. Results Non-adherent >= 12 years old patients had significantly increased WBC, absolute neutrophil, lymphocyte, monocyte, and basophil counts, RBC, RET, RDW, and PLT, and significantly decreased MCV and MCH. Subjects in the adolescent/adult group with IG dagger >= 0.035 cells/mm(3) had the RR for non-adherence increased by 4.6 times (p = .014), and the systemic immune inflammation index (SII) of non-adherent patients was also significantly higher (p = .042). Conclusion IG dagger presents clinical utility in early identification of non-adherence to HU, especially when combined with other parameters, suggesting the evaluation of ACPs in laboratory routine, as they can be easily implemented.