Universidade de Pernambuco

About: Universidade de Pernambuco is a education organization based out in Recife, Brazil. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Artificial neural network. The organization has 6147 authors who have published 6948 publications receiving 73648 citations.

Bisphosphonates can reduce bone hunger after parathyroidectomy in patients with primary hyperparathyroidism and osteitis fibrosa cystica.

Abstract: OBJECTIVE: To assess the effect of bisphosphonates on post-parathyroidectomy hypocalcemia in patients with osteitis fibrosa cystica. METHODS: Review of the medical records of six patients using bisphosphonates preoperatively. RESULTS: Mean age was 35.6 ± 10.5 years; serum calcium = 13.51 + 0.87 mg/dL; iPTH = 1,389 + 609 pg/mL. The mean value of urine deoxypyridinoline (UDPD) of three patients was 131 ± 183 nmol/mmol Cr, and of C-telopeptide (CTX), 2,253 ± 1,587 pg/mL. The mean values of bone densitometry (T score) were as follows: 0.673 ± 0.150 g/cm2 (-4.42 ± 1.23) in lumbar spine (L2-L4); 0.456 ± 0.149 g/cm2 (-5.58 ± 1.79) in the femoral neck; and 0.316 ± 0.055 g/cm2 (-5.85 ± 0.53) in radius 33. Patient 1 received oral alendronate, 30 mg/day for four weeks; his calcium decreased from 14 to 11.6 mg/dL, and his UDPD from 342 to 160 nmol/mmol Cr. Patient 2 received oral alendronate, 20 mg/day for six weeks; his calcium decreased from 14 to 11.0 mg/dL and his UDPD from 28.8 to 14 nmol/mmol Cr. Patient 3 received intravenous pamidronate, 90 mg prior to surgery. Patient 4 received oral alendronate, 140 mg/week for six weeks; her calcium decreased from 13.7 to 12.3 mg/dL and her CTX from 2,160 to 1,340 pg/mL. Patient 5 received oral alendronate, 140 mg/ week for six weeks; her calcium levels dropped from 14.3 to 14.1 mg/dL; her CTX did not change. Patient 6 received ibandronate, 150 mg, ten days prior to surgery; his CTX reduced by 62%. No patient developed severe hypocalcemia in the first postoperative week. One year after surgery, the mean gain in bone mineral density was 40% ± 29% in L2-L4, 86 ± 39% in the femoral neck, and 22% ± 11% in radius 33. CONCLUSION: The preoperative use of bisphosphonates seems to attenuate bone hunger without preventing a significant increase in bone mass in the follow-up of parathyroidectomy.

A systematic literature review on general parameter control for evolutionary and swarm-based algorithms

Abstract: This paper presents a systematic literature review on general parameter control for evolutionary and swarm-based algorithms. General methods can be applied to any algorithm, parameter or problem, in contrast to methods that are tailored to specific applications. In this literature review, a total of 4449 studies were retrieved by the search engines and only 50 of them were selected to the extraction phase. Finally, only 15 were fully analyzed and discussed. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first literature review on such a field and one of the very few systematic reviews on parameter adjustment for those algorithms.

Factors associated with burnout syndrome in medical residents of a university hospital.

Abstract: Summary Objective: To determine the prevalence of burnout syndrome among resident physicians of various specialties and to evaluate associated factors. Method: The Maslach Burnout Inventory questionnaire and a sociodemographic questionnaire were used to evaluate factors associated with the syndrome. Burnout was defined as the association of high emotional exhaustion, depersonalization and low professional achievement. Multivariate analysis was performed after adjustment of the Poisson model with the identification of risk factors and calculation of prevalence ratios (PR). Of the 250 resident physicians registered with Hospital das Clinicas of Pernambuco, 129 participated in the study. Results: In the three domains that characterize burnout syndrome, we found a low level of professional achievement in 94.6% of resident physicians interviewed, a high level of depersonalization in 31.8%, and 59.7% with a high level of emotional exhaustion. The prevalence of burnout was 27.9%. Having suffered a stressful event in the last six months (PR: 8.10; 95CI 1.2-57.2) and being a student of surgical specialty (PR: 1.99; 95CI 1.2-3.3) were independently associated with burnout. Conclusion: The prevalence of burnout found in resident physicians is in accordance with previous Brazilian studies. Residents of surgical specialties and those who suffered some stressful event were identified as susceptible in this study. The early identification of risk factors is fundamental for the implementation of preventive measures against burnout syndrome.

Gestantes portadoras de HIV/AIDS: aspectos psicológicos sobre a prevenção da transmissão vertical

Abstract: Pregnant with HIV/AIDS: Psychological aspects related to the vertical transmission prevention. Gestation, in general, emotionally influences in women’s life and, more intensively, when it’s associated to a compromising clinical situation of the child’s health, as in the possibility of a HIV vertical transmission. In this context, the current study aimed the investigation of the subjective meanings of the pregnant women who carry the HIV and that have been subjected to actions to prevent the vertical transmission. For that, a transversal, descriptive and exploratory – with a qualitative approach – investigation was used. In that investigation, according to the saturation of the content, 12 pregnant women participated. The results demonstrated that the pregnant women have difficulty to adhere the antiretroviral medications, reluctancy to accept the possible indication of a c-section and frustration, fulfilled with feelings of guilt due o the impossibility of breastfeeding their child. It was observed, therefore, the necessity of socio-emotional support actions that must be developed by the health professionals, mainly the psychologists, in order to cope with vertical transmission.

Burnout among Family Healthcare physicians: the challenge of transformation in the workplace

Abstract: The scope of this paper is to understand how conflicts with the institution and disagreements regarding team members'attributions are interpreted by Family Healthcare physicians from the burnout perspective. Qualitative research was conducted with 24 doctors in Recife between August 2005 and November 2006 based on management evaluation (geographic access, conflicts within the team, between teams and the District, between the team and the community and public violence in the area), and four teams were selected in each of the six Health Districts. Semi-structured interviews were then conducted. An enormous discrepancy between the expectations of physicians and the reality of the workplace was detected. They reject the institutional consultation priority and demands for productivity. They suffer from what they consider loss of professional identity, with nurses attributions questioning the historic essence of their practice. There is discredit concerning change and a desire to abandon the profession, especially amongst those with the highest expectations concerning conversion of the model. A broad set of elements was detected that favor simultaneous exhaustion and professional inefficiency and provoke negative attitudes, stressing the need for promoting health in the workplace.