Ana Cláudia F. Vieira

Nutritional assessment of iron status and anemia in children under 5 years old at public daycare centers.

OBJECTIVES To assess nutritional iron status and anemia prevalence in children less than 5 years old at public daycare centers in the city of Recife, PE, Brazil. METHODS A cross-sectional study, with a systematic random sampling of 162 children aged 6 to 59 months. Nutritional iron status was assessed in terms of body iron reserves (serum ferritin), transferrinemia (serum iron, total iron binding capacity, and transferrin saturation %), erythropoiesis (free erythrocyte protoporphyrin) and hemoglobin production (hemoglobin). RESULTS The prevalence of anemia (hemoglobin < 11.0 g/dL) was 55.6% (95%CI 47.3-63.5), evidence was found of depleted iron stocks (serum ferritin < 12.0 ng/mL) in 30.8% (95%CI 22.9-39.3), low transferrinemia levels (transferrin saturation % < 16) in 60.1% (95%CI 51.7-68.0) and deficient erythropoiesis (free erythrocyte protoporphyrin > 40 micromol/mol heme) in 69.6% (95%CI 61.0-77.1) of the children. Iron parameters were not correlated with sex (p > 0.05). However, children < 24 months exhibited lower hemoglobin concentrations (p < 0.00) and higher levels of free erythrocyte protoporphyrin (p < 0.000) and total iron binding capacity (p < 0.001) when compared with children > 24 months. The significant correlation observed between reserves, transferrinemia and erythropoiesis is a finding that is compatible with the expected lifecycle of iron in the body. CONCLUSIONS Iron deficiency and anemia appear to be an important public health problem among children less than 5 years old at public daycare centers in Recife. Therefore, effective actions aimed at the prevention and control of this deficiency are strongly recommended in this ecological context.

Avaliação do estado nutricional de ferro e anemia em crianças menores de 5 anos de creches públicas

OBJECTIVE: To assess nutritional iron status and anemia prevalence in children less than 5 years old at public daycare centers in the city of Recife, PE, Brazil. METHODS: A cross-sectional study, with a systematic random sampling of 162 children aged 6 to 59 months. Nutritional iron status was assessed in terms of body iron reserves (serum ferritin), transferrinemia (serum iron, total iron binding capacity, and transferrin saturation %), erythropoiesis (free erythrocyte protoporphyrin) and hemoglobin production (hemoglobin). RESULTS: The prevalence of anemia (hemoglobin 40 µmol/mol heme) in 69.6% (95%CI 61.0-77.1) of the children. Iron parameters were not correlated with sex (p > 0.05). However, children 24 months. The significant correlation observed between reserves, transferrinemia and erythropoiesis is a finding that is compatible with the expected lifecycle of iron in the body. CONCLUSIONS: Iron deficiency and anemia appear to be an important public health problem among children less than 5 years old at public daycare centers in Recife. Therefore, effective actions aimed at the prevention and control of this deficiency are strongly recommended in this ecological context.

Analyzing On-Line Collaborative Dialogues: The OXEnTCHÊ–Chat

Internet-based virtual learning environments allow participants to refine their knowledge by interacting with their peers. Besides, they offer ways to escape from the isolation seen in the CAI and ITS systems. However, simply allowing participants to interact is not enough to eliminate the isolation feeling and to motivate students. Recent research in Computer Supported Collaborative Learning has been investigating ways to minor the above problems. This paper presents the OXEnTCHE–Chat, a chat tool coupled with an automatic dialogue classifier which analyses on-line interaction and provides just-in-time feedback to both instructors and learners. Feedback is provided through reports, which can be user-specific or about the whole dialogue. The tool also counts on a chatterbot, which plays the role of an automatic coordinator. The implemented prototype of OXEnTCHE–Chat has been evaluated and the obtained results are very satisfactory.

Silenciosa conveniência: mulheres e Aids

The article is built after an outlook from the field of analysis of social policies within Brazils Unified Health System (SUS), focusing health policies for women and AIDS control policies in order to interpret womens vulnerabilities in the context of HIV and AIDS. It identifies the limits as well as prevention and care strategies adopted by SUS to fight HIV/AIDS, with the adoption of the ideology of the minimal state. The document research conducted in Brazil is a study on how the feminist movement, notably the Feminist Health Network, engaged with the AIDS epidemic through a revision and analysis of their position papers, minutes and other documents, including public policies. This was done from a historical and critical perspective, covering the period from 1992 to 2008. The study interprets the strategic choices of the feminist health movement from the womens health policy and the HIV/AIDS policy. This papers perspective is that the meanings of feminist action against the AIDS epidemic are beyond the health field. It exposed progress and limits of feminism against the AIDS epidemic inside a neoliberal capitalist state logic based on patriarchal norms.

Potenciais evocados audotivos de longa latências: um estudo de caso de afasia de expressão

PURPOSE: to report the test results for evoked potential auditory of long latency (PEALL) and the language evaluation of a patient with aphasia. METHODS: a man volunteer that suffered a cortical injury in the left frontal area for 20 months took part in a speech therapy for 4 months and was submitted to PEALL examination in the pre and post treatment. RESULTS: the evaluation of the language showed 64.94% of hits with regards to the total of points, showing better performance in the activity of understanding/expression as for the verbal language, however, with more difficulty in organizing the written language. As for the evaluation of N2, a delay was observed in the right cerebral hemisphere (HR) and left hemisphere (HL). The amplitude of N2 diminished in both hemispheres. The latency of P3 was delayed in HL. For the amplitude P3, one observed increased values in HL. The improvement observed in the components N2 and P3 in the examination after treatment, is possibly due to influence of stimulation of speech exercises. CONCLUSION: these results suggest the importance of speech therapy in individuals with aphasia and the examination of PEALL in the follow-up of clinical evolution.