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Background The COVID-19 pandemic has led to abrupt restrictions of lile-space mobility. The impact of shelter-in-place orders on older adults’ health and well-being is still unclear. Objective To investigate the relationship between life-space mobility and quality of life (QoL) in older adults with and without frailty during the COVID-19 pandemic. Design Multicenter prospective cohort study based on structured telephone interviews. Setting Four geriatric outpatient clinics in the metropolitan area of Sao Paulo, Brazil. Participants 557 community-dwelling adults aged 60 years and older. Measurements The Life-Space Assessment was used to measure community mobility before and during the COVID-19 pandemic, and a previously validated decrease of ≥ 5 points defined restricted life-space mobility. Frailty was assessed through the FRAIL (fatigue, resistance, ambulation, illnesses, and loss of weight) scale. The impact of shelter-in-place orders on QoL was evaluated with the question «How is the COVID-19 pandemic affecting your QoL?», to which participants could respond «not at all», «to some extent», or «to a great extent». We used ordinal logistic regressions to investigate the relationship between restricted life-space mobility and impact on QoL, adjusting our analyses for demographics, frailty, comorbidities, cognition, functionality, loneliness, depression, and anxiety. We explored whether frailty modified the association between life-space mobility and impact on QoL. Results Participants were on average 80±8 years old, 65% were women, and 33% were frail. The COVID-19 quarantine led to a restriction of community mobility in 79% of participants and affected the QoL for 77% of participants. We found that restricted life-space mobility was associated with impact on QoL in older adults during the pandemic, although frailty modified the magnitude of the association (P-value for interaction=0.03). Frail participants who experienced restricted life-space mobility had twice the odds of reporting an impact on QoL when compared with non-frail individuals, with respective adjusted odds ratios of 4.20 (95% CI=2.36–7.50) and 2.18 (95% CI=1.33–3.58). Conclusion Older adults experienced substantial decreases in life-space mobility during the COVID-19 pandemic, and this unexpected change impacted their QoL. Providers should be particularly watchful for the consequences of abrupt life-space restrictions on frail individuals. Electronic Supplementary Material Supplementary material is available in the online version of this article at 10.1007/s12603-020-1532-z.

O objetivo do presente estudo foi adaptar a Escala de Conectividade Social (SCS) para o português brasileiro e avaliar suas propriedades psicométricas. Um levantamento de dados foi realizado com 222 participantes. Eles responderam à SCS, o Positive and Negative Affective Schedule (PANAS), o Índice de Religião da Duke University (DUREL), duas medidas pictóricas de conectividade social e um questionário sociodemográfico. A solução original de um fator foi apoiada pelos dados. O escore derivado da SCS esteve significativamente associado com as outras medidas nas direções esperadas. Os resultados descritos no presente estudo são favoráveis quanto à consistência interna e à evidência de validade dos escores da SCS. O estudo oferece três medidas de conectividade social que poderão ser usadas para investigar os impactos da conectividade social na cognição, comportamento e saúde dos brasileiros. The goal of the present study was to adapt the social connectedness scale (SCS) to Brazilian Portuguese and evaluate its psychometric properties. A survey was conducted with 222 participants. They answered the SCS, the positive and negative affective schedule (PANAS), the Duke University Religion Index (DUREL), two pictorial measures of social connectedness, and a socio-demographic questionnaire. The original one factor solution was supported by the data. The SCS-derived score was significantly associated with the other measures in the expected directions. The results described in the present study are favorable regarding the internal consistency and evidence of validity of SCS scores. The study offers three social connectedness measures that can be used to investigate the impacts of social connectedness on cognition, behavior and health of Brazilians. El objetivo del presente estudio fue adaptar la escala de conectividad social (SCS) para el portugués brasileño y evaluar sus propiedades psicométricas. Se realizó una encuesta de datos con 222 participantes. La muestra respondió al SCS, el positive and negative affective schedule (PANAS), el Índice de Religión de la Universidad de Duke (DUREL), dos medidas pictóricas de conectividad social, además de un cuestionario sociodemográfico. La solución original de un factor fue respaldada por los datos. Los resultados derivados de la SCS se asociaron significativamente con las otras medidas en las direcciones esperadas. Los resultados descritos en el presente estudio son favorables con respecto a la consistencia interna y la evidencia de validez de los escores de la SCS. El estudio ofrece tres medidas de conectividad social que se pueden utilizar para investigar los impactos de la conectividad social en la cognición, el comportamiento y la salud de los brasileños.

As ilhas de calor urbanas (ICU) são umas das alterações climáticas mais evidentes em decorrência ao processo de urbanização, este fenômeno já pode ser constatado na cidade de Belém através de outros estudos, e este trabalho corrobora essa existência através da elaboração de mapa termal a partir de dados obtidos por imagem de sensoriamento remoto, mais precisamente do satélite Landsat 8. A presente pesquisa propõe a aplicação do sistema denominado “Zonas Climáticas Locais” (LCZ), com o objetivo de enquadrá-las em áreas de maior e menor temperaturas, e relacionar a morfologia urbana com o clima da cidade e a formação de ICUs.

The problem of voltage magnitude control, based on dispatching reactive power, consists in defining the adjustments that must be applied to synchronous generators to bring the voltages of the load buses whose magnitudes are violated within a suitable value range. The utilities usually determine the sequence of adjustments and sent to the selected control device to correct voltage magnitude violations, which makes the use of data communication technologies a necessity to enable this operation. In this context, this work proposes an application of a communication infrastructure for the control of voltage magnitude in transmission power systems. The adjustments in the voltage magnitude of control devices and the sequence of their execution are determined in the Control Manager utilizing two linear sensitivity-based methodologies and, then, transmitted via a WiMAX (Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access) network to Control Nodes, which in turn are connected to synchronous generators or condensers. NS-3 (Network Simulator 3) is used to simulate the 118-bus IEEE transmission test system with voltage magnitude violations. The results display an operating scenario that presents voltage violation and the applied communication infrastructure ensures that the sequence of adjustments are forwarded to the control points in order to bring the system state to the appropriate voltage magnitude ranges. The communication infrastructure WiMAX simulated in the NS-3 ensures that the sequence of adjustments are forwarded to the control points in appropriate delay and demonstrates the applicability of WiMAX technology for the control voltage magnitude. At last, to validate the proposed approach, in this paper we present the voltage magnitude in generators and load buses, as well as the availability, the delay and the volume of data transmitted by the WiMAX network as the adjustments in control variables, are executed.

Foram utilizadas 22 novilhas, 11 da raça Holandesas e 11 da Guzerá, com peso vivo (PV) inicial de 189kg. Após o abate inicial de seis animais de cada raça, outros dois grupos, cinco animais de cada raça, passaram a receber dieta à base de feno de Tifton 85 (Cynodon spp.), milho, farelo de soja e mistura mineral, para ganho diário de 1kg de peso vivo (PV). O abate final ocorreu após ganho de peso de 100kg. Durante os dois abates, todos os tecidos foram pesados e amostrados, retirando-se como amostra representativa da carcaça entre a nona e a décima primeira costela para determinação dos conteúdos corporais de Ca, P, Mg, Na e K. Determinaram-se a composição corporal e as exigências nutricionais desses minerais para ganho de 1kg de PV. Houve decréscimo na concentração dos cinco macrominerais no peso de corpo vazio e no peso ganho com a elevação do PV. Não houve diferença entre as raças quanto às exigências nutricionais dos macrominerais. As exigências dietéticas totais de Ca, P, Mg, Na e K para animais de 200kg de PV foram de 11,57; 5,97; 0,36; 1,30 e 0,86g/dia, respectivamente. Twenty-two heifers, 11 Holstein and 11 Guzera, with initial live weight (LW) of 189kg were used in this study. Six animals of each breed were slaughtered (treatment R), and two groups of five animals of each breed were fed ad libitum diet of Tifton 85 (Cynodon spp.) hay, ground corn, soybean meal and mixture minerals, for a daily gain of 1kg. The animals were slaughtered after reaching weight gain of 100kg. All tissues were weighted and representative samples were taken from the ninth to eleventh rib, and analyzed for body contents of Ca, P, Mg, Na and K. The body composition and the mineral requirements for a 1kg LW daily weight gain were determined. Decreases in the concentration of macrominerals in the empty body weight and in carcass weight gain were related to LW increased. No differences among breeds for macrominerals were observed. The Ca, P, Mg, Na and K dietary requirements for animals of 200kg of LW were 11.57; 5.97; 0.36; 1.30 and 0.86g/day, respectively.

To evaluate the clinical efficacy of etofibrate in primary hyperlipidemia in patients from clinical centers representative of all main Brazilian cities.One thousand, nine hundred and fourty three hyperlipidemic patients were submitted to diet and drug treatment with etofibrate (500 mg/day) for eight weeks. The data b WAS analyzed as to changes in the lipoprotein profile, as well as the side effects.There was an important reduction in total cholesterol (19.88%), triglycerides (29.59%), LDL-c (14.89%) and VLDL-c (14.54%) concentration. There was a significant increase in HDL-c (18.14%). Adverse effects were observed in 8.5% of the patients, without major clinical relevance, however, in 1.44% the treatment had to be interrupted.Administration of etofibrate promoted positive changes in all parameters of the lipid and lipoprotein profile, thus reducing the risk of atherosclerotic disease, without significant side effects in the great majority of sample studied.

To evaluate modifications on lipid profile, fibrinogen and platelet aggregation induced by etofibrate.Twenty-one adult patients were studied. They all had primary hyperlipidemia and had already been on the AHA step I diet and placebo. Etofibrate (500mg/day) was administered for 60 days in the active phase, when lipid parameters, fibrinogen and platelet aggregation were measured.The % significant reductions were: total cholesterol (-9.50%), LDL-cholesterol (-7.88%), triglycerides (-19.07%), total cholesterol/HDL-cholesterol(-11.90%), LDL-cholesterol/HDL-cholesterol (-10.20%), fibrinogen (-12.79%), platelet aggregation with adrenaline (-24.02%), with ADP 1 mumol (-30.13%), and ADP 3 mumol (-24.51%).The beneficial effects of etofibrate were observed not only on the lipid profile but also on the thrombogenic parameters measured by fibrinogen and platelet aggregation.

It was reviewed a series of 2860 cerebral computed tomography (CCT) in order to compare the main reasons at referral to investigation with the CCT results and the costs with normal and abnormal CCT. It was also studied the age and sex of the patients. Data were collected from one out of three diagnostic centers in Salvador, Brasil, for a three years period. The 2860 CCT exclude all investigation carried out for the follow-up of a previously diagnosed abnormality. CCT abnormalities were detected in 1152 (40.3%). The following reasons showed the highest proportion of abnormal CCT, for males and females respectively: demential syndrome (91.7 and 83.3%); cerebrovascular accidents (85.1 and 73.6%); infectious and parasitary diseases (76.5 and 78.6%); tumors (65.8 and 55.4%); and head injuries, 63.6% for males. In the female group, 65.0% of the CCT were normal, in a range of 65.0 to 80.0% for the age groups under 54 years old. In the male group, the highest proportion of normal CCT was found in the age groups: 25-34 (68.4%),15 (62.9%) and 35-44 (62.7%). The most common reasons for normal CCT for males and females were: headache (81.3 and 87.5%); dizziness/vertigo (79.3 and 78.6%); seizures (67.3 and 70.0%); psychomotor deficiency (72.0 and 67.7%) and "endocrine disorders", 75.0% for each sex. The highest proportion of normal CCT (65.3%) was requested by medical "convenios". The cost with normal CCT reached US$565,225 and with the abnormal ones, US$381,247. Costs with normal CCT were 2.2 higher for medical "convenios" as compared to those of the National Institute of Security requests and 2.8 more than those of private medicine.