The periodontal disease during pregnancy triggers an exacerbated immune response with high local and systemic concentrations of inflammatory markers. To investigate the repercussion of periodontal disease (PD) in the pregnant woman health and the complications during pregnancy and delivery, as well as negative outcomes for the newborn (as infections, prematurity, low birth weight and fetal growth restriction). Retrospective cohort study, based on medical records of 142 pregnant women assisted at a prenatal service of usual risk between 2012–2014, with a dental evaluation for PD. Maternal variables, along with labor and newborn variables, were analyzed. The newborns were stratified into two groups: offspring of mothers with PD (subdivided into Severe Periodontal Disease—SPD) and offspring of mothers without PD. Each outcome was adjusted by a multiple logistic regression model, with significance for p-value <0.05, considering all potential confounding factors. Among women diagnosed with SPD, the odds ratio for vulvovaginitis was 3.45 times greater (OR = 3.45, p-value = 0.050) and 5.59 times higher for premature rupture of membranes (OR = 5.59; p-value = 0.017). For neonates, the chance of fetal growth restriction was 11.53 times higher for pregnant women with SPD (OR = 11.53, p = 0.041). The periodontal disease increased the chance of neonatal and maternal negative outcomes, being the fetal growth restriction, vulvovaginitis and premature rupture of the membrane (PROM) the main results driven by the presence of Severe Periodontal Disease.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of two low-dose combined oral contraceptives on bone metabolism in adolescents for one year. This was a quasi-experimental study. The adolescents were divided into three groups: oral contraceptives 1 (n=42) (20μg EE/150μg desogestrel), oral contraceptives 2 (n=66) (30μg EE/3mg drospirenone), and a control group (n=70). Adolescents underwent anthropometric assessment and densitometry (dual-energy X-ray). Bone age and bone formation markers (osteocalcin and bone alkaline phosphatase) were evaluated. The oral contraceptives users were evaluated again after 12 months. Linear regression analysis was used to indirectly study the effect of each additional year of chronological age on anthropometric and densitometric variables as well as on bone markers in the control group. At study entry, no significant differences were observed between the oral contraceptives 1, oral contraceptives 2, and controls in the analyzed variables. Linear regression analysis showed an increase in bone mineral density and bone mineral content for each additional year. There was a significant reduction in bone alkaline phosphatase levels; no significant difference was observed for osteocalcin in control individuals. Comparison of dual-energy X-ray variables at baseline and after one year showed no significant differences in the oral contraceptives 1 or oral contraceptives 2 groups. A significant reduction in bone alkaline phosphatase and osteocalcin levels was observed in both the oral contraceptives 1 and oral contraceptives 2 groups. Adolescent women gain peak bone mass during this phase of life. Two low-dose combined oral hormonal contraceptives were associated with lower bone gain and lower bone formation markers than in untreated controls.

Introduction: The beneficial effects of physical exercise on functional capacity and inflammatory response are well-known in cardiovascular diseases; however, studies on sickle cell disease (SCD) are limited. It was hypothesized that physical exercise may exert a favorable effect on the inflammatory response of SCD patients, contributing to an improved quality of life. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of a regular physical exercise program on the anti-inflammatory responses in SCD patients. Methods: A non-randomized clinical trial was conducted in adult SCD patients. The patients were divided into two groups: 1—Exercise Group, which received a physical exercise program three times a week for 8 weeks, and; 2—Control Group, with routine physical activities. All patients underwent the following procedures initially and after eight weeks of protocol: clinical evaluation, physical evaluation, laboratory evaluation, quality of life evaluation, and echocardiographic evaluation. Statistical analysis: Comparisons between groups were made using Student’s t-test, Mann–Whitney test, chi-square test, or Fisher’s exact test. Spearman’s correlation coefficient was calculated. The significance level was set at p < 0.05. Results: There was no significant difference in inflammatory response between the Control and Exercise Groups. The Exercise Group showed an improvement in peak VO₂ values (p < 0.001), an increase in the distance walked (p < 0.001), an improvement in the limitation domain due to the physical aspects of the 36-Item Short Form Health Survey (SF-36) quality of life questionnaire (p = 0.022), and an increase in physical activity related to leisure (p < 0.001) and walking (p = 0.024) in the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ). There was a negative correlation between IL-6 values and distance walked on the treadmill (correlation coefficient −0.444, p = 0.020) and the estimated peak VO₂ values (correlation coefficient −0.480; p = 0.013) in SCD patients in both groups. Conclusions: The aerobic exercise program did not change the inflammatory response profile of SCD patients, nor did it show unfavorable effects on the parameters evaluated, and patients with lower functional capacity were those with the highest levels of IL-6.

Objective: to identify and compare factors associated with profile, intentions, motivations, and barriers to entrepreneurial behavior of nursing students from Brazil and Chile. Methods: this cross-sectional study was carried out between March and September 2018 including 889 nursing students. A form was used to assess the socio-demographic profile, professional claims, entrepreneurial intentions and motivations. Statistical analysis used Chi-Square and Fisher’s Exact tests, with a 5% significance level, and a simple logistic regression model. Results: there are significant differences between countries in the profile of students and in the motivations studied, but not in professional pretensions and entrepreneurial intentions. Lack of education on the subject reveals itself as an important barrier to entrepreneurship. Conclusion: given the lack of teaching entrepreneurship in undergraduate nursing courses and the characteristics inherent to students, education must be appropriate to different cultures to prepare future professionals for other areas of practice.

Objective: investigate the influence of health literacy on the assessment of COVID-19 threat to health and the intention not to be vaccinated among Brazilian adolescents. Method: cross-sectional study with 526 Brazilian adolescents aged 14 to 19 years. Socioeconomic aspects, health-disease profile, health literacy, health threat by COVID-19 and intention not to be vaccinated were analyzed by bivariate association and multiple linear regression with Poisson response. Results: higher health literacy score (p=0.010), cardiovascular disease (p=0.006), lower income (p=0.000), and living in the North region (p=0.007) were factors that contributed to feeling more threatened by COVID-19. Health literacy did not influence the intention not to be vaccinated (p=0.091), whose prevalence was lower among adolescents in the Southeast region when compared to those in the North region (p=0.010), among those who attended higher education (p=0,049) and those with higher income (p=0.000). Conclusion: health literacy influenced the perception of COVID-19 threat, but not the intention not to be vaccinated. Assessment of COVID-19 threat to health and prevalence of the intention not to be vaccinated were influenced by the region of residence, income, and education, which reinforces the importance of social determinants of health in this context.

Patients with peripheral facial paralysis (PFP) have some degree of recovery. The aim of this study was to evaluate prognostic factors and physical therapy modalities associated with functional recovery in patients with PFP. This is a cohort study with 33 patients. We collected the following variables of patients who underwent treatment at the rehabilitation center: age, sex, risk factors, affected side, degree of facial paralysis (House-Brackmann scale), start of rehabilitation, and therapy modality (kinesiotherapy only; kinesiotherapy with excitomotor electrotherapy; and kinesiotherapy with excitomotor electrotherapy and photobiomodulation therapy). The outcomes were: degree of facial movement (House-Brackmann) and face scale applied 90 days after treatment. Degree of PFP was associated with functional recovery (RR=0.51, 95% CI: 0.51-0.98; p=0.036). The facial movement was associated with the time to start rehabilitation (r=−0.37; p=0.033). Lower facial comfort was observed among women, worse ocular comfort was associated with diabetes mellitus, worse tear control with prior PFP, and worse social function with the degree of PFP. Our results indicate that the all modalities present in this study showed the same result in PFP. Recovery of PFP was associated with degree of nerve dysfunction, the length of time to onset of rehabilitation, female sex, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, and previous PFP, all of which were associated with worse outcomes on the face scale.