Objective
To assess the effect of a cocoa and unripe banana flour beverage (UBF) on fecal short‐chain fatty acids (SCFA), gastrointestinal symptoms, fecal characteristics and inflammation, in ...overweight women with abdominal adiposity.
METHODS
This prospective, double‐blinded, randomized clinical trial involved 60 female volunteers aged between 20 and 50 years. One group received a cocoa beverage (n = 30) and one group received a cocoa and UBF beverage (n = 30), for 6 weeks. Intestinal microbiota was indirectly assessed by consistency, shape, and color of feces, determination of fecal SCFA, and gastrointestinal symptoms.
RESULTS
Both beverages increased the production of propionic acid (p < .05) and decreased gastrointestinal symptoms (p < .05). The cocoa beverage decreased indigestion (p < .05) and the pro‐inflammatory cytokine, IL‐17.
CONCLUSION
Cocoa and cocoa with UBF beverages decreased the symptoms of dyspepsia, improved gastrointestinal symptoms, and increased production of propionic acid, favoring healthy intestinal microbiota. Only the cocoa beverage showed an anti‐inflammatory effect.
Practical applications
Unripe banana flour and cocoa have been widely used to decrease cardiovascular risk, by improving inflammatory parameters and gastrointestinal symptoms. However, the interaction between these two food ingredients and the implication of their interaction on human health remains unknown. Important health benefits may be achieved by assessing the synergism or antagonism of functional foods, particularly when they coexist in the same product. This study aims to attract the interest of the scientific community to conduct more studies on functional bioavailability. Both unripe banana flour and cocoa can have therapeutic potential but it may not be a good idea to associate them. This article provides relevant information to the scientific and broader community regarding the preparation of these foods, to maximize their health benefits on a daily basis, and, additionally, offers the food industry valuable knowledge that can be used to develop healthier food products.
The evolution in user interfaces has shown a trend in the use of tangible interfaces, especially those that promote a sensory experience. The use of this type of resource is interesting in different ...contexts, among which are the scenarios where the sensory aspect is decisive for interaction, such as in the use of assistive technologies. This study aims to present the results of a research project, which had the main goal to promote the play of children with Cerebral Palsy (CP), using a multisensory device as the main element in games proposed at children with CP. CP refers to a series of clinical syndromes characterized by motor disorders and permanent postural changes that may or may not be associated with cognitive dysfunction and speech disorders. Due to the restricted motor condition, involvement in games and play becomes difficult for children with CP. The challenge is to address the use of assistive technologies, through a multisensory robotic device, in the development of interactive games for children with PC. The use of a robotic device allows the manipulation of the ball remotely, which is useful for children with physical disabilities, proving to be a feasible alternative to promote playing children with CP.
Digital social networks are contemporary infocommunicational spaces that are influencing the social and economic development of territories as they link people, companies and services, offering tools ...for communication, storage, information distribution and sharing of knowledge and resources. Simultaneously, the mobility and the personalization of services give mobile platforms a viable and timelyalternative for the promotion of community-based initiatives, keeping consumers always online and allowing them to identify nearby locations and services in real-time. This study presents the prototyping process of a mobile digital platform that aims to promote territorial innovation, specifying its phases, from the initial stage of the platform concept to the stage of development of a medium-fidelity prototype. Both features and interaction modalities of the platform are discussed due to its innovative potential and the possible benefits as a path to promote the hypermediation process between several agents of the communities and towards the promotion of territorial innovation.
Display omitted
•SP originates by partial fusion of the septum primum and septum secundum.•SP may be a site of thrombus formation.•SP may predispose to thromboembolic events.
Novos paradigmas e novas realidades insurgem na sociedade humana nos dias atuais, caracterizando uma sociedade que questiona sua cultura de segregação, vislumbrando novos caminhos na inclusão social ...de pessoas com paralisia cerebral. Este cenário incentiva as pesquisas científicas, contribuindo para a evolução de recursos tecnológicos disponíveis. Neste sentido, a importância das Tecnologias de Informação e Comunicação pode ser percebida em um contexto no qual, não só a informação apresenta papel de destaque, como também as formas de acesso à mesma. O objetivo deste artigo é refletir, à luz dos Paradigmas Tecnológico e da Complexidade, sobre a acessibilidade das pessoas com paralisia cerebral à informação, através do uso das Tecnologias de Informação e Comunicação, apontando os desafios e benefícios inerentes às soluções tecnológicas na construção de uma sociedade igualitária. Tais recursos tecnológicos podem ser considerados Tecnologias Assistivas, uma vez que promovem a acessibilidade de pessoas com paralisias cerebral através das interfaces de utilizador, as quais apresentam-se relevante para a análise proposta no presente documento.
Digital media can provide an important contribution to the development of local communities by creating digital environments that facilitate the sharing of information, dissemination of knowledge and ...construction of organizational learning. Digital media can also promote interaction and collaboration processes among different regional agents, fostering a continuous flow of territorial based innovation. The study reported in this paper was carried out within the research activities of the (REMOVED) project, aiming to deepen the knowledge about the conditions that influence the dynamics of community-led territorial based innovation in the Centro Region of Portugal, focusing on the areas of Tourism, Health, and Wellness. As part of this project, a mobile application is being designed, aiming to strengthen the relationship among agents of local communities/entities and to promote mediation mechanisms among all stakeholders in the process of territorial based innovation. This paper presents the main concepts underlying the development of the REMOVED digital platform and the outcomes from a usability evaluation of the platform mobile app prototype. The first section discusses the most relevant topics that this paper covers. In the second section, an overview of the state of the art in the field of digital media used to promote territory-based innovation is presented. The third section describes the concept of the REMOVED digital platform and the main features of the prototype/mobile app. The fourth section addresses the methodology adopted for the evaluation of the prototype and the fifth exhibits the main outcomes of this process. Finally, the sixth and final section present the main conclusions about the potential of the REMOVED platform, and current and future research activities.
Aquatic environments contaminated by industrial effluents and urban sewage present as common characteristic the release of xenobiotics complex mixture that potentially affects important aspects ...related with physiological aspects in fish. In the present work, fish specimens, Astyanax aff. fasciatus and Oreochromis niloticus, were used to evaluate the anthropogenic impact in two lakes (Lake Park and Cedeteg) situated in Guarapuava City, southern of Brazil. The occurrence of morphological changes in gills and liver associated with somatic indexes (Hepatosomatic - HSI and Condition Factor - CF) were used as biomarkers, and two reference sites were used. According to the results, individuals from both studied sites presented morphological damages in gills (aneurysms, hyperplasia, lamellar fusion and neoplasia) and liver (necrosis and leukocyte infiltration). The lesion indexes for liver and gills studied in both lakes were significantly impacted when compared with reference sites, but individuals from Lake Park were more affected. The HSI in both species was not different, but the CF in A. fasciatus decreased in both studied sites. These results suggest that the morphological findings found in the present study were developed due to the urban sewage release, reinforcing the importance of histopathological investigation in biomonitoring programs to evaluate the water quality and environmental assessment.
Submitted by Clebson Anjos (clebson.leandro54@gmail.com) on 2016-02-16T20:22:30Z;
No. of bitstreams: 1;
arquivototal.pdf: 21178283 bytes, checksum: de1f2aeea6d4ad44a59c9bc08873a839 (MD5)
Made ...available in DSpace on 2016-02-16T20:22:30Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1;
arquivototal.pdf: 21178283 bytes, checksum: de1f2aeea6d4ad44a59c9bc08873a839 (MD5);
Previous issue date: 2015-06-15
Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior - CAPES
The evolution in user interfaces has shown a strong trend in the use of tangible interfaces, in particular the tangible interfaces that promote a sensorial experience. The use of this type of resource can be interesting in different contexts, with the focus on scenarios where the sensory aspect is crucial to the interaction, as the performance of Assistive Technologies (AT). The purpose of this study is to investigate the effects of using multi-sensory devices for promoting the interaction in games for children with Cerebral Palsy (CP). CP refers to a series of clinical syndromes characterized by motor disorders and permanent postural changes which may or may not be associated with cognitive impairment and speech disorders. Because of the restricted motor condition, it is difficult the conduction of games for children with CP. This way, a motor delay can result in low play performance. This project is designed to approach the use of assistive technologies for providing a interactive game for children with CP. AT is used in order to provide independence and autonomy to people who show any dysfunction. For achieve the multi-sensory goal we are using a robotic ball called Sphero. The use of a robotic device enables to manipulate the ball remotely. This feature is very useful for children with physical disabilities. This way, Sphero was used as a part of the game, improving the movement sensations of the users. This study took place in the Department of Occupational Therapy at Federal University of Paraíba, where we offer a immersive games experience in a Occupational Therapy intevention.
A evolução nas interfaces de usuário tem mostrado uma forte tendência na utilização de interfaces tangíveis, em especial, as interfaces tangíveis que promovem uma experiência sensorial. A utilização desse tipo de recurso pode ser interessante em diferentes contextos, onde se destacam os cenários onde o aspecto sensorial é determinante para a interação, como a atuação das tecnologias assistivas. O objetivo deste estudo foi promover o brincar de crianças com Paralisia Cerebral (PC), a partir da utilização de um dispositivo multi-sensorial como elemento principal em jogos voltados para crianças com PC. A PC refere-se a uma série de síndromes clínicas caracterizadas por desordens motoras e alterações posturais;
permanentes que podem ou não estar associadas com disfunção cognitiva e distúrbios da fala.;
Devido à restrita condição motora, o envolvimento em jogos e brincadeiras se torna difícil para crianças com PC. Nosso desafio é abordar o uso de tecnologias assistivas através da utilização de um dispositivo multi-sensorial no desenvolvimento de um jogo interativo para crianças com PC. O dispositivo multi-sensorial utilizado é uma bola robótica chamada Sphero. O uso de um dispositivo robótico permite manipular a bola remotamente, o que torna este recurso útil para crianças com deficiências físicas. Este estudo será realizado na clínica-escola de terapia ocupacional da Universidade Federal da Paraíba, onde iremos oferecer uma experiência de jogos interativos em intervenções de terapia ocupacional. Serão utilizados instrumentos para a avaliação e caracterização do paciente, bem como para a reavaliação após a intervenção. Serão feitas análises dos escores obtidos em cada instrumento avaliativo, de forma a detectar possíveis ganhos após a utilização do dispositivo multi-sensorial.
PDF
