Androgen deficiency in women

As evidências sugerem que a deficiência androgênica na mulher exibe como principal manifestação clínica a disfunção sexual, especialmente a queda da libido. Entretanto, outros fatores podem também estar implicados na gênese da disfunção sexual, como o relacionamento interpessoal, os estressores sociais, o sedentarismo e o próprio fator masculino. A prevalência da disfunção sexual feminina oscila entre 9 por cento e 43 por cento e recentemente muitos estudos têm mostrado que a reposição com androgênios não só melhora o desempenho sexual, mas também os distúrbios do humor e sintomas vasomotores. Por isso, o profissional de saúde deve sempre incluir no diagnóstico diferencial da disfunção sexual a Síndrome de Deficiência Androgênica, mesmo em mulheres com concentrações séricas normais de estrogênios. O presente artigo tem como objetivo revisar os aspectos práticos da Síndrome de Deficiência Androgênica, enfocando especialmente o diagnóstico e tratamento. Para tanto, nos valemos da análise de 105 artigos publicados em revistas indexadas no PUBMED nos últimos 51 anos (até maio de 2010), incluindo consensos e opiniões de especialistas. Como conclusão, a Síndrome de Deficiência Androgênica na mulher é negligenciada, existindo ainda muitas controvérsias quanto ao seu diagnóstico e terapêutica, especialmente no tocante à escolha do androgênio, a via de administração e o tempo de duração de usoThe evidences suggest that androgen deficiency in women induces sexual dysfunction as the main clinical manifestation, especially reduction of libido. However, other factors may be involved in the disease genesis, such as interpersonal relationships, social stressors, sedentarism and the partner. Prevalence of sexual problems among women ranges from nine to 43% and, recently, many studies have reported that androgens are beneficial not only for the sexual function of women, but for mood disorders and vasomotor symptoms. That is why the physician should include androgen deficiency syndrome as differential diagnosis, even in women with adequate levels of estrogen. Our goal was to present practical aspects of this disease, emphasizing diagnosis and focusing on treatment. This survey covered all the publications indexed in PUBMED in the last 51 years ending May 2010, including consensus and expert opinions; 105 articles were identified. We conclude that the syndrome of androgen deficiency in women is overlooked in clinical practice. There is controversy in literature regarding diagnosis and treatment including choice of drug, route of administration and time of applicatio

Three-dimensional anatomy of the ostrich (Struthio camelus) knee joint

The three-dimensional anatomy of the ostrich (Struthio camelus) knee (femorotibial, femorofibular, and femoropatellar) joint has scarcely been studied, and could elucidate certain mechanobiological properties of sesamoid bones. The adult ostrich is unique in that it has double patellae, while another similar ratite bird, the emu, has none. Understanding why these patellae form and what purpose they may serve is dually important for future studies on ratites as well as for understanding the mechanobiological characteristics of sesamoid bone development. For this purpose, we present a three-dimensional anatomical study of the ostrich knee joint, detailing osteology, ligaments and menisci, and myology. We have identified seven muscles which connect to the two patellae and compare our findings to past descriptions. These descriptions can be used to further study the biomechanical loading and implications of the double patella in the ostrich

Desenvolvimento de pastilhas vitrificadas para revestimento a partir de argila branca

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Effectiveness Analysis of Biomedical Dynamometers used to evaluate palmar gripping force and forceps gripping in Leprosy Carriers

Leprosy is a chronic and infectious disease, transmissible, which causes neural lesions in which its investigation is mandatory in Brazil because it causes decreased thermal sensitivity, touch and pain, but mainly causes loss of muscle strength in the feet and hands giving the disease a great disabling power. Therefore, this disease is of health concern and control policies have been concerned with early diagnosis and treatment of affected individuals, requiring objective, sensitive and reliable methods of measurement. Therefore, this research proposed to analyze the effectiveness of biomedical dynamometers in the measurement of handgrip strength and forceps grasping force in the hand of leprosy patients. In this context, a systematic literature review was performed considering publications in Portuguese and English from 1993 to 2019, due to the lack of qualitative research publications in recent years related to the measurement of the effects of leprosy. The results of the study showed that the dynamometers surveyed have the potential to be used as tools to measure effects and support the diagnosis of leprosy. These meters have important features such as non-invasive, easily reproduced and good accuracy, contributing to objective assessment and early diagnosis of the professional, favoring the treatment of affected patients. In addition, through this literature review, it is possible to observe the importance of handgrip strength measurement, because the delay in diagnosis and consequently in treatment generates severe physical disabilities in the hands, which are evident due to the radial, median and ulnar nerves generating limitation to perform activities and decreased work capacity

Renewable Energy Communities in Rural Areas: A Hybrid GIS-MCDM Approach for Agrivoltaic Systems Site Selection

Given the environmental challenges, developing efficient methodologies for renewable energy systems is essential. Renewable Energy Communities (RECs) promote collective participation in photovoltaic systems, optimising self-consumption and reducing grid dependence. Agrivoltaics combine solar energy production with agricultural activity on the same land, improving land use efficiency and supporting energy and food production. This study uses Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and Multi-Criteria Decision Making (MCDM) techniques to create a strategic framework for selecting agrivoltaics sites. The methodology integrates data layers, including topography, infrastructure, and environmental factors. Criteria are weighted using subjective (Best-Worst Method) and objective (Entropy Method) approaches, and the TOPSIS method ranks sites by suitability. An ABC analysis categorises these sites into high, moderate, and low suitability based on TOPSIS scores. The case study demonstrates the approach's effectiveness, with significant land areas identified as highly suitable for agrivoltaic development due to factors like flat terrain, proximity to infrastructure, and regulatory compliance. This work contributes to the strategic sizing of agrivoltaics, facilitating novel REC initiatives that connect rural and urban areas

Evaluation of functional capabilities in children with Down Syndrome

Introduction: Down Syndrome (DS) is a chromosomal abnormality characterized by mental retardation of varying degrees and is one of the most commonly found chromosomal aberrations, presenting motor delay such as muscular hypotonic, balance disorders, motor coordination and gait changes. Objective: To evaluate the functional capabilities in children with Down syndrome through the Pediatric Evaluation of Disability Inventory (PEDI). Methods: 20 children of both sexes, 10 with normal motor development (Control group) and 10 with Down syndrome. The functional capabilities were evaluated by PEDI (part I: functional capabilities, part II and III: caregiver assistance and change in environment) through interviews with caregivers. Results: Significant differences were observed in Part I, regarding functional capabilities in self-care (p = 0.0007), mobility (p = 0.0007) and social function (p = 0.0002), and in Part II, regarding caregiver assistance, the domains of self-care and mobility had p <0.0001 and p = 0.001. In Part III, changes in environment were more frequent when related to Down group. Conclusion: The Down syndrome group has lower functional performance in both functional capabilities and caregiver assistance, when compared to control group. However, it is clear that this questionnaire provides subsidies to make an early stimulation treatment in order to perform daily skills with the least possible help from their caregivers

Biomedical Mechatronic Dynamometer to Support the Evaluation of the Effects of Leprosy Through the Palmar Holding Strenght and the Tweezer Holding Strenght

The hand can suffer the effects of several diseases among the most serious, leprosy stands out, which is considered infectious and can generate loss of muscle strength, atrophy, deformity and physical, mental and social disability. For the World Health Organization (WHO) and also doctors and physiotherapists, it is necessary to evaluate the diseases in an objective, reliable and early manner in order to propose appropriate treatment and follow their evolution. This research proposed a biomedical mechatronic dynamometer in order to support the evaluation of the effects of leprosy by means of palmar grip strength and grip strength of tweezers performed by hand. The experimental research was developed at the Federal University of Mato Grosso do Sul and consisted first of all in the survey of the demands of the health area in relation to the biomedical dynamometer being consulted the following databases: Medical Literature Analysis and Retrieval System Online (Medline); US National Library of Medicine National Institutes of Health (PUBMED) e Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE). The mechatronic biomedical dynamometer consisted of three fundamental parts: mechanical structure, electronic signal conditioning circuitry and digital information processing. The mechanical structure was designed to withstand a strenght of up to 700 N, developed in brass because this metal has low cost, has less mass and also because it is easier to machine than steel. The oval shape of the structure contains two lateral and thin regions that measure 2 cm thick, 3 cm wide each and aim to concentrate mechanical stresses in order to sensitize the strain sensor consisting of the four linear strain gages, model N2A-XX-S5262P-350/E4 and nominal resistance of 350 Ω, from the company Micro-Measurements, which showed accuracy of 98%. The mechanical structure also has a stainless-steel support that measures 1 cm thick and 3 cm wide located at the bottom and on which was glued a cushion to support the palm of the hand. This support can be replaced by other models that also contain a cushion that considers the presence of injuries or deformities in the hand. The mechanical structure also has a upper support that also measures 1 cm thick and 3 cm wide, to which four pressure sensors developed with rosette strain gages model N2K-XX-S5294R-350/DP/E4 with a nominal resistance of 350 Ω, from the company Micro-Measurements, were fixed and which showed an accuracy of 99.5%. The deformation sensor is stimulated by the application of palmar grip strenght while the pressure sensors are stimulated by the realization of index, middle, annular and minimum finger gripping strenght. In addition, these sensors are connected to Wheatstone Bridges whose feeds and also the responses are processed by five signal conditioning circuits developed with operational amplifiers LF 356, OPA 27 and OP27 GP of the company Burr-Brown, whose structure consists of voltage oscillator, amplifier, band pass filter, buffer and peak detector that generates DC voltage that feeds the data acquisition board. The answers on this board are sent to the Inspiron 15 3000 microcomputer from Dell, which has installed Labview software from National Instruments, which processes the information, stores, plotts the palmar grip strenght and pinch grip strenght graphs and can also send the information over the Internet. This research has the potential to obtain accurate information on the effects of leprosy in the hand that can support the evaluation, diagnosis of health professionals, follow up the evolution of the disease and the treatment adopted

Fatores de influência na contratação de personal trainers em duas cidades da Serra Gaúcha – percepção dos clientes

O objetivo desta pesquisa foi o de verificar quais são os fatores de influência na contratação do personal trainer em duas cidades da Serra Gaúcha na percepção dos clientes. Este estudo se caracteriza por ser quantitativo, descritivo e transversal. Para isso foi aplicado um questionário para 60 pessoas, com vinte e uma perguntas elaboradas pelos pesquisadores. O questionário foi disponibilizado de forma digital, através do Google Forms. Os dados foram analisados por meio de estatística descritiva, apresentando os resultados em tabelas. Os resultados apontaram que os principais fatores responsáveis pela contratação do serviço de personal trainer são uma melhor segurança e orientação durante os exercícios físicos, estética e melhora na saúde. [resumo fornecido pelo autor]The objective of this research was to verify what were the influencing factors in hiring personal trainers in two cities in Serra Gaúcha on customer perception. This study is characterized by being quantitative, descriptive and cross-sectional. For this, a questionnaire was administered to 60 people, with twenty-one questions prepared by the researchers. The questionnaire was made available digitally, through Google Forms. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, presenting the results in graphs and tables. The results showed that the main factors responsible for hiring the personal trainer service are better safety and guidance during physical exercises, aesthetics and improved health. [resumo fornecido pelo autor

A influência do alinhamento marginal na correção do sorriso gengival: um relato de caso

A procura por procedimentos estéticos no campo odontológico tem crescido demasiadamente nos últimos anos. Um sorriso harmônico e perfeito pode ser alçando quando forem respeitados os três pilares do sorriso: dentes, lábios e gengiva. A assimetria gengival e o sorriso gengival são uma das queixas mais rotineiras entre os pacientes que se encontram insatisfeitos com seu sorriso, podendo influir negativamente na vida social, nas relações pessoais e profissionais. Portanto, o presente trabalho teve como objetivo relatar um caso clínico de assimetria gengival nos dentes anterossuperiores associado a presença de sorriso gengival, proporcionando a correção por meio do aumento de coroa clínica com a técnica minimamente invasiva, “Flapless”. Apresenação do caso: Paciente procurou atendimento na Clínica Odontológica do Centro Universitário da Serra Gaúcha – FSG, tendo como queixa principal a grande exposição e desnível gengival ao sorrir, ocasionado insatisfação estética. O tratamento oferecido ao paciente foi a correção através do aumento de coroa clínica fazendo uso da técnica minimamente invasiva, “Flapless”. A partir do relato de caso clínico é possível concluir que por meio da técnica minimamente invasiva, “Flapless”, quando bem planejada e executada, é possível obter os resultados desejados, devolvendo harmonia e uma estética satisfatória, sem a necessidade de associação de outras modalidades de tratamento