Quality of life in patients with dysphagia after radiation and chemotherapy treatment for head and neck tumors

Objective: The aim of this study is to analyze subjectively, using the SWAL-QOL questionnaire, swallowing dys function and associated factors after treatment with radiotherapy and chemotherapy in patients treated for head and neck cancer. Material and Methods: This is a cross-sectional study, based on the selection of patients with tumors of the head and neck area, treated with radiotherapy with or without chemotherapy during the years 2000 to 2006 at the Oncology Institute of Juiz de Fora. The data were analyzed using SPSS 15.0 software, and were evaluated using the chisquare test to compare differences in proportions between groups. The statistical significance level was set at 5%. Results: It was observed that with respect to foods of solid consistency, there was a statistically significant difference for mouth tumors (p<0.01), with a tendency in this group to use softer foods, easier to chew (stews, boiled vegtables, creamy soups, canned fruit). With reference to the domains of the SWAL-QOL, the location of the tumor in the mouth was statistically associated with the lowest quality of life in the symptoms domain (p<0.05). The female gender variable was associated with the lowest perceived quality of life in several domains, namely swallowing (p=0.02); fatigue (p=0.008); symptoms (p=0.009). Age (split below and above 60 years) was not associated with differences in perceived quality of life in any domain. Conclusion: Tumor in the mouth and the total dose of radiation in the superior fossa were associated with the lowest quality of life in the symptoms domain. The female gender variable was associated with the lowest perceived quality of life in several domains This study shows that speech therapy should maintain a presence in the teams, to then guide the rehabilitation of organic dysphonia and mechanical dysphagia possibly afflicting patients after cancer treatment with radiation therapy and chemotherapy

Quality of life and voice after radiotherapy: speech therapy repercussions

BACKGROUND: radiotherapy for head and neck cancer has been important for disease control, both as neo-adjuvant and concomitant to chemotherapy. 5-year survival rates after larynx cancer have increased, justifying the efforts towards rehabilitation of patients` communication and highlighting the importance of the speech-language pathologist in the radiotherapy team. New scientific and therapeutic breakthroughs have turned organ preservation into a strong ally in head and neck cancer treatment. PURPOSE: to show the speech-language-related sequelae, such as changes in vocal and life quality, related to treatment for head and neck tumors, especially those arising after radiotherapy. CONCLUSION: many acute and chronic sequelae, such as hoarseness, odinophagy and aphony, involving difficulties in oral communication and/or swallowing in patients after neck and head radiotherapy treatment, interfering with communication, swallowing, and life quality of patients in a direct manner. The professionals involved with the treatment of this cancer, with the speech-language pathologist among them, through the knowledge on the treatment and its therapeutic weaknesses that jeopardize the vocal quality and life quality of those patients, seek to contribute in the recovery process in order to minimize damages caused by the disease and improving the individual's health condition.TEMA: o tratamento radioterápico do câncer de cabeça e pescoço tem mostrado resultados importantes no controle da doença quando neoadjuvante ou mesmo concomitante à quimioterapia. Pesquisas apontam um aumento da sobrevida após 5 anos de tratamento do câncer de laringe, o que torna necessário e justifica os esforços realizados na reabilitação da comunicação dos pacientes, e destaca a presença do profissional de Fonoaudiologia na equipe de radioterapia. OBJETIVO: descrever as seqüelas com repercussão fonoaudiológica, tais como alterações na qualidade vocal e na qualidade de vida, associadas ao tratamento proposto para tumores de cabeça e pescoço, em especial aquelas originadas após a radioterapia. CONCLUSÃO: Várias seqüelas, agudas e crônicas, como rouquidão, odinofagia e afonia, que envolvem dificuldades na comunicação oral e/ou deglutição dos pacientes após o tratamento radioterápico em cabeça e pescoço, interfere de maneira direta na comunicação, deglutição e qualidade de vida dos pacientes. Os profissionais envolvidos no tratamento desse câncer, dentre eles o fonoaudiólogo, através do conhecimento sobre o tratamento e as fragilidades terapêuticas que comprometem a qualidade vocal e qualidade de vida desses pacientes, busca contribuir no processo de recuperação minimizando os danos causados pela doença e melhorando a condição de saúde do indivíduo

Análise da qualidade de vida dos pacientes com câncer de laringe em hospital de referência na região Sudeste do Brasil

-OBJETIVO: estimar a qualidade de vida e fatores a ela associados de uma amostra de pacientes portadores de tumor laríngeo, na região Sudeste do Brasil. MÉTODO: amostra constituída por 60 pacientes em tratamento para o câncer de laringe em 2 Hospitais do município de Juiz de Fora, estado de Minas Gerais (Brasil), cidade polo regional e referência para tratamento de cânceres de cabeça e pescoço na região sudeste do Brasil. Com a aplicação do questionário Functional Assessment Cancer Therapy- Head&Neck , foram coletados os dados e submetidos à análises bivariada e multivariada, para atestar a implicação das variáveis na qualidade de vida dos pacientes de instituições de atenção terciária para tratamento de câncer. RESULTADOS: na análise bivariada, foram significantes as variáveis: sexo; anos de escolaridade; análise do tratamento recebido; acompanhamento fonoaudiológico e nutricional. Após a análise multivariada, ainda demonstraram associação independente: análise do tratamento recebido, tratamento fonoaudiológico e nutricional. CONCLUSÕES: a qualidade de vida dos pacientes envolvidos no estudo pode ser avaliada como satisfatória, sendo influenciada pelo bem-estar físico e funcional. O questionário Functional Assessment Cancer Therapy- Head&Neck, específico para cabeça e pescoço, mostrou que além dos fatores socioeconômicos e clínico-funcionais, os sociodemográficos também estão ligados à qualidade de vida dos portadores de câncer de laringe. Foi demonstrada também a importância do tratamento reabilitador fonoaudiológico e nutricional no ganho da qualidade de vida dos pacientes

The impact of the metabotropic glutamate receptor and other gene family interaction networks on autism.

International audienceAlthough multiple reports show that defective genetic networks underlie the aetiology of autism, few have translated into pharmacotherapeutic opportunities. Since drugs compete with endogenous small molecules for protein binding, many successful drugs target large gene families with multiple drug binding sites. Here we search for defective gene family interaction networks (GFINs) in 6,742 patients with the ASDs relative to 12,544 neurologically normal controls, to find potentially druggable genetic targets. We find significant enrichment of structural defects (P≤2.40E-09, 1.8-fold enrichment) in the metabotropic glutamate receptor (GRM) GFIN, previously observed to impact attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and schizophrenia. Also, the MXD-MYC-MAX network of genes, previously implicated in cancer, is significantly enriched (P≤3.83E-23, 2.5-fold enrichment), as is the calmodulin 1 (CALM1) gene interaction network (P≤4.16E-04, 14.4-fold enrichment), which regulates voltage-independent calcium-activated action potentials at the neuronal synapse. We find that multiple defective gene family interactions underlie autism, presenting new translational opportunities to explore for therapeutic interventions

Photography-based taxonomy is inadequate, unnecessary, and potentially harmful for biological sciences

The question whether taxonomic descriptions naming new animal species without type specimen(s) deposited in collections should be accepted for publication by scientific journals and allowed by the Code has already been discussed in Zootaxa (Dubois & Nemésio 2007; Donegan 2008, 2009; Nemésio 2009a–b; Dubois 2009; Gentile & Snell 2009; Minelli 2009; Cianferoni & Bartolozzi 2016; Amorim et al. 2016). This question was again raised in a letter supported by 35 signatories published in the journal Nature (Pape et al. 2016) on 15 September 2016. On 25 September 2016, the following rebuttal (strictly limited to 300 words as per the editorial rules of Nature) was submitted to Nature, which on 18 October 2016 refused to publish it. As we think this problem is a very important one for zoological taxonomy, this text is published here exactly as submitted to Nature, followed by the list of the 493 taxonomists and collection-based researchers who signed it in the short time span from 20 September to 6 October 2016

Supernova 2018cuf : a type iip supernova with a slow fall from plateau

We present multiband photometry and spectroscopy of SN 2018cuf, a Type IIP ("P"for plateau) supernova (SN) discovered by the Distance Less Than 40 Mpc Survey within 24 hr of explosion. SN 2018cuf appears to be a typical SN IIP, with an absolute V-band magnitude of -16.73 ± 0.32 at maximum and a decline rate of 0.21 ± 0.05 mag/50 days during the plateau phase. The distance of the object was constrained to be 41.8 ± 5.7 Mpc by using the expanding photosphere method. We used spectroscopic and photometric observations from the first year after the explosion to constrain the progenitor of SN 2018cuf using both hydrodynamic light-curve modeling and late-time spectroscopic modeling. The progenitor of SN 2018cuf was most likely a red supergiant of about 14.5 Me that produced 0.04 ± 0.01 Me 56Ni during the explosion. We also found ∼0.07 Me of circumstellar material (CSM) around the progenitor is needed to fit the early light curves, where the CSM may originate from presupernova outbursts. During the plateau phase, high-velocity features at ∼11,000 km s-1 were detected in both the optical and near-infrared spectra, supporting the possibility that the ejecta were interacting with some CSM. A very shallow slope during the postplateau phase was also observed, and it is likely due to a low degree of nickel mixing or the relatively high nickel mass in the SN.Fil: Dong, Yize. University of California at Davis; Estados UnidosFil: Valenti, S.. University of California at Davis; Estados UnidosFil: Bostroem, K. A.. University of California at Davis; Estados UnidosFil: Sand, D. J.. University of Arizona; Estados UnidosFil: Andrews, Jennifer E.. University of Arizona; Estados UnidosFil: Galbany, Lluís. Universidad de Granada; EspañaFil: Jha, Saurabh W.. State University of New Jersey; Estados UnidosFil: Eweis, Youssef. State University of New Jersey; Estados UnidosFil: Kwok, Lindsey. State University of New Jersey; Estados UnidosFil: Hsiao, Eric. Florida State University; Estados UnidosFil: Davis, Scott. Florida State University; Estados UnidosFil: Brown, Peter J.. Texas A&M University; Estados UnidosFil: Kuncarayakti, H.. University of Turku; FinlandiaFil: Maeda, Keiichi. Kyoto University; JapónFil: Rho, Jeonghee. SETI Institute; Estados UnidosFil: Amaro, R. C.. University of Arizona; Estados UnidosFil: Anderson, J. P.. European Southern Observatory Chile; ChileFil: Arcavi, Iair. Universitat Tel Aviv; IsraelFil: Burke, Jamison. University of California; Estados UnidosFil: Dastidar, Raya. Aryabhatta Research Institute of observational sciences; IndiaFil: Folatelli, Gaston. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - La Plata. Instituto de Astrofísica La Plata. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Astronómicas y Geofísicas. Instituto de Astrofísica La Plata; ArgentinaFil: Haislip, Joshua. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill; Estados UnidosFil: Hiramatsu, Daichi. University of California; Estados UnidosFil: Hosseinzadeh, Griffin. Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics; Estados UnidosFil: Howell, D. Andrew. University of California; Estados UnidosFil: Jencson, J.. University of Arizona; Estados UnidosFil: Kouprianov, Vladimir. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill; Estados UnidosFil: Lundquist, M.. University of Arizona; Estados UnidosFil: Lyman, J. D.. University of Warwick; Reino UnidoFil: McCully, Curtis. University of California; Estados Unido

Social and moral psychology of COVID-19 across 69 countries

The COVID-19 pandemic has afected all domains of human life, including the economic and social fabric of societies. One of the central strategies for managing public health throughout the pandemic has been through persuasive messaging and collective behaviour change. To help scholars better understand the social and moral psychology behind public health behaviour, we present a dataset comprising of 51,404 individuals from 69 countries. This dataset was collected for the International Collaboration on Social & Moral Psychology of COVID-19 project (ICSMP COVID-19). This social science survey invited participants around the world to complete a series of moral and psychological measures and public health attitudes about COVID-19 during an early phase of the COVID-19 pandemic (between April and June 2020). The survey included seven broad categories of questions: COVID-19 beliefs and compliance behaviours; identity and social attitudes; ideology; health and well-being; moral beliefs and motivation; personality traits; and demographic variables. We report both raw and cleaned data, along with all survey materials, data visualisations, and psychometric evaluations of key variables.publishedVersio

National identity predicts public health support during a global pandemic

Changing collective behaviour and supporting non-pharmaceutical interventions is an important component in mitigating virus transmission during a pandemic. In a large international collaboration (Study 1, N = 49,968 across 67 countries), we investigated self-reported factors associated with public health behaviours (e.g., spatial distancing and stricter hygiene) and endorsed public policy interventions (e.g., closing bars and restaurants) during the early stage of the COVID-19 pandemic (April-May 2020). Respondents who reported identifying more strongly with their nation consistently reported greater engagement in public health behaviours and support for public health policies. Results were similar for representative and non-representative national samples. Study 2 (N = 42 countries) conceptually replicated the central finding using aggregate indices of national identity (obtained using the World Values Survey) and a measure of actual behaviour change during the pandemic (obtained from Google mobility reports). Higher levels of national identification prior to the pandemic predicted lower mobility during the early stage of the pandemic (r = -0.40). We discuss the potential implications of links between national identity, leadership, and public health for managing COVID-19 and future pandemics

Psicología social y moral de COVID-19 en 69 países

La pandemia de COVID-19 ha afectado a todos los ámbitos de la vida humana, incluido el tejido económico y social de las sociedades. Una de las estrategias centrales para gestionar la salud pública a lo largo de la pandemia ha sido el envío de mensajes persuasivos y el cambio de comportamiento colectivo. Para ayudar a los estudiosos a comprender mejor la psicología social y moral que subyace al comportamiento en materia de salud pública, presentamos un conjunto de datos compuesto por 51.404 individuos de 69 países. Este conjunto de datos se recopiló para el proyecto de la Colaboración Internacional en Psicología Social y Moral de COVID-19 (ICSMP COVID-19). Esta encuesta de ciencias sociales invitó a participantes de todo el mundo a completar una serie de medidas morales y psicológicas y actitudes de salud pública sobre COVID-19 durante una fase temprana de la pandemia de COVID-19 (entre abril y junio de 2020). La encuesta incluía siete grandes categorías de preguntas: Creencias sobre COVID-19 y conductas de cumplimiento; identidad y actitudes sociales; ideología; salud y bienestar; creencias morales y motivación; rasgos de personalidad; y variables demográficas. Presentamos los datos brutos y depurados, junto con todos los materiales de la encuesta, las visualizaciones de los datos y las evaluaciones psicométricas de las variables clave.The COVID-19 pandemic has affected all domains of human life, including the economic and social fabric of societies. One of the central strategies for managing public health throughout the pandemic has been through persuasive messaging and collective behaviour change. To help scholars better understand the social and moral psychology behind public health behaviour, we present a dataset comprising of 51,404 individuals from 69 countries. This dataset was collected for the International Collaboration on Social & Moral Psychology of COVID-19 project (ICSMP COVID-19). This social science survey invited participants around the world to complete a series of moral and psychological measures and public health attitudes about COVID-19 during an early phase of the COVID-19 pandemic (between April and June 2020). The survey included seven broad categories of questions: COVID-19 beliefs and compliance behaviours; identity and social attitudes; ideology; health and well-being; moral beliefs and motivation; personality traits; and demographic variables. We report both raw and cleaned data, along with all survey materials, data visualisations, and psychometric evaluations of key variables