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Background: Prescribing physical exercise as part of the clinical treatment of cancer patients has become an important strategy in the therapeutic arsenal available in the main health centers specialized in neoplastic diseases, but there is still uncertainty regarding the role of regular physical activity in modifying oxidative stress markers and antioxidants, as high levels of oxidative stress can lead to the development of carcinogens. Therefore, we assessed the effect of physical activity versus absence of physical activity on markers of oxidative stress and antioxidants in cancer patients., Methods: We looked for randomized controlled trials that included adult with any type of cancer performing some physical activity and compared them to a control group of cancer patients with no physical activity. The outcomes of interest collected were markers of oxidative stress and antioxidants. Six databases were used for the search (EMBASE, The Cochrane Library (CENTRAL), US National Library of Medicine (PubMed), Physiotherapy Evidence Database (PEDro), Cumulative Index of Nursing and Allied Health (CINAHL) and SPORTDiscus via EBSCO) until January 31st, 2024., Results: In the end, 7 randomized controlled clinical trials were included, totaling 573 participants. It was possible to conduct a meta-analysis with demonstrated that physical activity potentially increases the antioxidant marker Trolox, Taoc, Gpx, (SMD = 1.23, CI: 0.13 to 2.34). However, these findings were classified as having very low to moderate GRADE evidence., Conclusion: Cancer patients who participated in physical activity programs may have exhibited an increased concentration of antioxidants. Although the overall quality of the evidence in the studies was very low, these findings represent an important field of research that should be guided by studies with more participants and homogeneous methods of analysis of oxidant stress and antioxidant markers., Trial Registration: PROSPERO CRD42021257815., Competing Interests: Declarations. Ethics approval and consent to participate: Not applicable. Consent for publication: Not applicable. Competing interests: The authors declare no competing interests., (© 2025. The Author(s).)

Background: Frailty is associated with an increased susceptibility to functional decline, impairment, hospitalization, and mortality among the older adults. However, the potential reversibility of frailty lies in identifying modifiable factors that could prevent, mitigate, or interrupt its progression. While there is a suggestion that sleep disorders may increase the risk of frailty and impairment, the risk stratification of this relationship remains inconclusive., Objective: Stratify the risk of frailty and impairment and investigate potential connections with sleep quality, excessive daytime sleepiness, and the risk of obstructive sleep apnea in older adults dwelling in the community., Methods: This was a quantitative cross-sectional investigation. Frailty risk and impairment were stratified using the Frail Non-disabled Questionnaire (for impairment) and the FRAIL Scale (for Frailty). The assessment of excessive daytime sleepiness, sleep quality, and the risk of obstructive sleep apnea involved the employment of the Epworth Sleepiness Scale, Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, and the STOP-BANG questionnaire, respectively., Results: A total of 109 older adults living in the urban area (86 %, p = 0.010), females (61 %; p = 0.030), median age 68 (64-75) years, with overweight (36 %, p < 0.010) and self-identified as belonging to other racial or ethnic categories (71 %, p < 0.010). According to the impairment assessment, 32 % of participants were classified as disable (p < 0.01). Conversely, as per the frailty evaluation, 33 % were pre-frail and 25 % were identified as frail. Additionally, a substantial proportion experienced poor sleep quality (80 %, p = 0.010), exhibited a moderate risk of obstructive sleep apnea (49 %, p < 0.010), and showed no signs of excessive daytime sleepiness (62 %, p < 0.010). There was a modest correlation between frailty and impairment with poor sleep quality (rho = 0.39; p < 0.001) and the risk of obstructive sleep apnea (rho = 0.26; p = 0.000). However, the was no significant relationship was observed between frailty and impairment and excessive daytime sleepiness (rho = 0.04; p = 0.660). Similarly, a modest correlation was observed between sleep quality (rho = 0.33; p < 0.001), the risk of obstructive sleep apnea (rho = 0.27; p = 0.001), and frailty. Conversely, no correlation was found with excessive daytime sleepiness (rho = 0.05; p = 0.590). Also, the poor sleep quality and the risk of obstructive sleep apnea explain 14 % of the risk of frailty in the population of community-dwelling older adults (r 2  = 0.14; p = 0.04)., Conclusion: This study reveals a modest risk of frailty and impairment with sleep quality and the risk of obstructive sleep apnea, but not with excessive daytime sleepiness in community-dwelling older adults., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest There are no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Breast cancer is the most prevalent malignant neoplasm and the leading cause cancer of death among women globally. In Brazil, survival rates vary according to the region and few studies have been conducted on breast cancer survival in less developed areas, such as the Amazon region. The aim of this study was to analyze the five-year survival rate and prognostic factors in women treated for breast cancer in the city of Belém in northern Brazil. A retrospective hospital-based cohort study was conducted (2007-2013). Sociodemographic, clinical/tumor, and treatment variables were obtained from the records at the Ophir Loyola Hospital. Survival analysis involved the Kaplan-Meier statistical method and Cox regression analysis was performed. The significance level was 5% (p <0.05). A total of 1,430 cases were analyzed. Mean survival time was 51.71 (± 17.22) months, with an estimated overall survival of 79.4%. In the multivariate analysis, referral from the public health care system, advanced clinical stage, lymph node involvement and metastasis were associated with worse prognosis and lower survival rate. Radiotherapy and hormone therapy were associated with increased survival. These findings can contribute to the development of regional strategies for early detection of breast cancer, reducing the incidence and mortality rates and increasing survival time., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist., (Copyright: © 2022 Cruz et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.)

Background: Specific muscle activation (SMA) is a commonly used treatment for people with low back pain (LBP) however there is variability in systematic reviews to date on effectiveness. This may be because of the use of eligibility criteria incongruent with original descriptions of the SMA approach., Purpose: The purpose of this study was to determine the effectiveness of SMA on improving activity limitation, pain, work participation or recurrence for people with LBP., Study Design: Systematic review METHODS: Computer databases were searched for randomised controlled trials (RCTs) published in English up to September 6, 2019. Eligibility criteria were chosen to ensure all clinically relevant RCTs were included and trials of poorly defined or executed SMA excluded. Outcomes for activity limitation, pain, work participation or recurrence were extracted., Results: Twenty-eight RCTs were included in this review with 18 being considered high quality. GRADE quality assessment revealed low to high quality evidence that SMA was more effective than exercise, conservative medical management, multi-modal physiotherapy, placebo, advice and minimal intervention., Conclusions: This systematic review is the first to evaluate the effectiveness of SMA in accordance with the original clinical descriptions. We found significant evidence supporting the effectiveness of SMA for the treatment of LBP. Where significant results were demonstrated, the between-group differences were in many comparisons clinically important based on contemporary definitions and an effect size of 0.5 or more. Practitioners should consider SMA as a treatment component in their patients with LBP., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Human papillomavirus (HPV) infection is recognized as the most common sexually transmitted disease in the world, and there is a consensus on its role in the etiology of preneoplastic epithelial changes in the cervix. Through the process of lipid peroxidation, oxidative stress is found in the course of premalignant and malignant changes. Moreover, the level of physical activity can exert an influence on markers of oxidative stress, lowering the serum levels of these markers. Objective . To determine the relationship between levels of malondialdehyde (MDA) and the level of physical activity in women with squamous intraepithelial lesion (SIL) of the cervix. Methods . A cross-sectional study was conducted with 46 women participating in a cervical cancer control program. The women had been submitted to the cytopathological exam and were divided into two groups: 18 with SIL and 28 controls. MDA concentrations were determined, and the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ) was administered on the same day as the gynecological appointment (prior to the Papanicolaou test). Results . The SIL group had higher MDA levels than the control group (mean: 47.63 ± 9.57 vs. 9.32 ± 4.79, respectively) and a lower IPAQ score (median: 713.5 vs. 1875, respectively). A weak correlation was found between the MDA level and IPAQ score ( r 2 = -0.34, p = 0.018). Conclusion . The women with SIL had higher levels of oxidative stress and were less physically active than the women in the control group. These findings suggest that physical exercise exerts an influence on markers of oxidative stress in the development of intraepithelial squamous lesions., Competing Interests: The authors declare that there are no conflicts of interest related to this study., (Copyright © 2019 Saul Rassy Carneiro et al.)

Cervical cancer (CC) is the most common type of cancer in women and is the third leading cause of death in most developing countries, causing more than 288,000 deaths in women worldwide each year. The most favourable survival rate is in developed countries, since CC mortality has recently declined in those countries. The purpose of this study was to determine the survival rate and associated factors of CC patients at a reference hospital in the Amazon region. The patient sample included records of 339 patients with cervical cancer who had been hospitalized in Belém, Pará, Brazil from January 2005 to December 2010; the socioeconomic and clinical data were collected between June and September 2016. A survival rate of approximately 84% was observed, and it was found that disease stage (p <0.01), metastasis (p <0.01) and readmission (p <0.01) had significant influences on patient outcome. The impact of these factors on the general survival rate was higher in the Amazon region compared with other regions of Brazil, and the primary survival factors were associated with earlier stages of the disease. However, more national studies are needed on this subject. Our findings may contribute to the development of regional strategies for the prevention of cervical cancer, a reduction in its incidence and mortality rate, an increase in survival time and an improvement in the quality of life of these women.

OBJECTIVE To analyze the prevalence and factors associated with smoking abstinence among patients who were treated in a reference unit for smoking cessation. METHODS This cross-sectional study examined the medical records of 532 patients treated in a reference unit for smoking cessation in Belém, PA, Northern Brazil, between January 2010 and June 2012. Sociodemographic variables and those related to smoking history and treatment were analyzed. Statistical significance was set at p < 0.05. RESULTS The mean age of the participants was 50 years; 57.0% of the patients were women. The mean tobacco load was 30 packs/year, and the mean smoking duration was approximately 32 years. Most patients remained in treatment for four months. The rate of smoking abstinence was 75.0%. Regression analysis indicated that maintenance therapy, absence of relapse triggers, and lower chemical dependence were significantly associated with smoking cessation. CONCLUSIONS The smoking abstinence rate observed was 75.0%. The cessation process was associated with several aspects, including the degree of chemical dependence, symptoms of withdrawal, and period of patient follow-up in a multidisciplinary treatment program. Studies of this nature contribute to the collection of consistent epidemiological data and are essential for the implementation of effective smoking prevention and cessation strategies.

The aim of this study was to determine the frequency of isolation of Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans (Aa) in 100 patients with chronic periodontitis, 14 patients with aggressive periodontitis, 142 pre-school children with gingivitis and 134 periodontally healthy subjects. Samples of subgingival plaque were taken using sterilized paper points introduced into periodontal pockets or gingival crevice for 60 seconds and inoculated on TSBV agar, which was incubated under anaerobiosis at 37 degrees C, for 4 days. Microbial identification was performed through biochemical methods and morphocellular and morphocolonial analysis. Aa was detected in 40.3% of healthy subjects, 68% of patients with chronic periodontitis, 92.86% of patients with aggressive periodontitis and 40.14% of children with gingivitis. The rate of recovery of Aa in the tested human groups proved to be higher than previously reported and in agreement with participation of this facultative anaerobe as a member of native microbiota of the periodontium and its relation with aggressive and chronic periodontitis in Brazil.

We reviewed current knowledge about cumulative and differential consequences of general anesthesia, surgery and hospitalization upon cognitive, academic, emotional and sociobehavioral development in children. Our strategy was to search the databases Pub Med and PsycINFO for all articles published between 1990 and May 2002. Based on the abstracts, we included all articles that related in any way to our subject of interest. Analysis of the articles showed preoperative anxiety as the main contributing factor to perioperative negative developmental effects. These were generally limited in duration and reversible. Research in this area tries to investigate predictors of increased anxiety, as well as the efficacy of different interventional programs for reduction of preoperative anxiety. We found no studies attempting to differentiate the relative influences of 'anesthetic stress', 'surgical stress' and 'hospitalization stress' on 'negative outcomes', 'areas of development affected' or 'duration of effects'. There are very few studies on academic and cognitive consequences. There is a need for more research in this area to provide useful guidelines for clinicians, to identify risk situations and to prevent negative outcomes.

Background: The application of Er:YAG laser irradiation, approved in 1997 to be used on dental hard tissues, has been investigated for periodontal therapy. The aim of this study was to analyze the biocompatibility of root surfaces treated by Er:YAG laser., Methods: Adhesion and growth of cultured human gingival fibroblasts on root surfaces treated by either irradiation with Er:YAG laser or curet were compared. Thirty single-rooted teeth extracted because of periodontal disease were used. Calculus deposits on all experimental surfaces were removed, and the teeth were divided into three groups according to the applied treatment: group A, root planing with Gracey curet no. 3/4; group B, two irradiations with laser (60 mJ/pulse, 10 Hz; 10" each with 10-second interval, 3 J/cm2); group C, two irradiations with laser (100 mJ/pulse, 10 Hz; 10" each with 10-second interval, 5 J/cm2). Fragments (5 mm x 6 mm) were obtained from the experimental surfaces. Then, 1 x 10(3) cells were seeded on the top of each fragment. One, 2, and 3 days after seeding the specimens were prepared for scanning electron microscopy analysis, and the cells on the electronmicrographs were counted. The data obtained in triplicate were statistically compared by the Kruskall-Wallis test complemented by the Dunn test (P < or = 0.05)., Results: Human gingival fibroblasts adhered to and grew on all treated surfaces. Group B presented a significantly higher cell count than did the other two groups at days 1 and 2. Three days after seeding the cultured fibroblasts of groups A and B reached total confluence. The cell count of group B was significantly higher than that of group C., Conclusion: The surfaces treated with 60 mJ/pulse Er:YAG laser irradiation promoted faster adhesion and growth than surfaces treated with either root planing or 100 mJ/pulse Er:YAG laser irradiation.

The zone between plaque and attached periodontal tissues on chronic periodontitis-affected teeth was examined by a combined macroscopic and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) approach. Examined were 27 teeth with chronic periodontitis (chronic periodontitis-affected group) and three healthy teeth with no evidence of periodontal disease (control group). Both groups were collected immediately after extraction, fixed in 2% glutaraldehyde, and post-fixed in 1% osmium tetroxide. Then, teeth were macroscopically examined to identify their stained zones. Teeth were dehydrated, critical-point dried, gold coated, and examined in an SEM. Both healthy and chronic periodontitis-affected teeth showed a very similar staining pattern on their surfaces. An unstained band with a belt-like appearance was observed around the teeth, delimited by two osmium-stained zones. Some weakly stained areas were frequently observed inside the unstained band. The SEM examination showed four different regions in both groups. These regions appeared in the following coronoapical sequence: dental plaque, plaque-free zone, junctional epithelium, and attached periodontal tissues. A dental cuticle covering the cementum surface from the plaque border to the junctional epithelium was detected on chronic periodontitis-affected teeth. Some aspects of this particular zone may be involved in the pathogenesis of inflammatory periodontal disease and therefore may have some influence on treatment for chronic periodontitis-affected teeth.

A novel signal-processing scheme is presented for two-mode fiber in-line interferometric sensors in which frequency shifters are used as directional couplers that provide mode coupling to form an interferometer and simultaneously transfer the optical phase shift to the interference signal at the beat frequency (a few kilohertz to hundreds of kilohertz). The phase shift can be read directly by using a two-channel lock-in amplifier or a time-interval counter. Several sensing regions can be cascaded in a single strand of fiber, and cross talk between them is below -34 dB.