Publications by authors named "Mariana Avila"

Article Synopsis
  • This study evaluated methods for extracting carotenoid-rich microbial oil (CRMO) from Rhodotorula mucilaginosa using renewable agro-industrial by-products to create oleogels with carnauba wax (CW).
  • The Bligh and Dyer extraction method was chosen for its ability to maintain color stability, resulting in CRMO with a total carotenoid content of 41.1 µg/g and lipids at 23.8%.
  • The research highlights the potential of CRMO-based oleogels as fat replacers in food, aiming to reduce trans fatty acids and enhance the protection of bioactive compounds.
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The aim of this study is to describe a protocol for evaluating the effects of transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) on pain following breast augmentation surgery. Fifty-four women will be randomly allocated into two groups: active TENS and placebo. Pain will be assessed at rest and during movement, before and immediately after TENS application.

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Objectives: To develop the Dysmenorrhea-related Impact on Functioning Scale (DIFS) to assess the impact of dysmenorrhea on functioning in cisgender women and transgender men and to evaluate its measurement properties.

Methods: Mixed and online design study conducted with adolescents and adult cisgender women and transgender men with dysmenorrhea. We developed the DIFS based on the International Classification of Functioning, Disability, and Health.

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Spores from the fungus are commonly found on Azorean pastures. When consumed by cattle along with the grass, these spores cause health issues in the cattle, resulting in animal suffering and financial losses. For approximately two years, we monitored meteorological parameters using weather stations and collected and analyzed grass samples in a laboratory to control for the presence of spores.

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Different nonpharmacological strategies are adopted to decrease primary dysmenorrhea (PD)-related pain. The present study aimed to verify women's use of nonpharmacological methods for pain and compare them with evidence from the literature. A two-step study was conducted, comprising an online survey with 9144 women to assess nonpharmacological strategies for relieving PD-related pain, and a literature review on PubMed of verify the evidence of nonpharmacological methods.

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Article Synopsis
  • The study aimed to evaluate how photobiomodulation (PBM) combined with an aerobic exercise program (AEP) affects pain levels and quality of life in women with fibromyalgia (FM).
  • A total of 51 women were divided into four groups, with different combinations of active PBM, placebo PBM, and aerobic exercises, conducted over 12 weeks.
  • Results showed significant improvements in pain and quality of life within the treated groups, but no significant differences between the groups, suggesting more research is needed to optimize PBM parameters for FM treatment.
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Background: The Dysmenorrhea Symptom Interference (DSI) scale is a reliable, valid, and responsive tool to assess the interference of menstrual pain in the physical, mental, and social activities of women.

Objective: To translate and cross-culturally adapt the DSI scale into Brazilian-Portuguese (DSI-BrPt) and investigate the measurement properties of this version in on- and off-menses versions.

Methods: The original (United States) scale was translated and culturally adapted following existing guidelines.

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Background: Dysmenorrhea, or menstrual pain, is a subjective experience, and can only be assessed by patient-reported outcomes. These instruments should be reliable, valid and responsive.

Aim: To identify and critically appraise the available evidence for the measurement properties of specific patient-reported outcome measures used for dysmenorrhea.

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Soil organic matter is closely linked to the quality of Agroecosystems and directly influences the agricultural production and the environmental conditions. Understanding of soil organic matter dynamics in agroforestry systems requires studies with a temporal focus, since the changes in its chemical composition tend to follow a gradual behavior. The aim of this study was to investigate the dynamics of changes in stocks and chemical composition of soil organic matter under agroforestry, using systems in different stages of vegetation succession.

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Objective: Dysmenorrhea is the pain related to menstruation; to screen for the symptoms, a working ability, location, intensity of days of pain, and dysmenorrhea (WaLIDD) score was created. The purpose of this work was to culturally adapt and assess the measurement properties of the WaLIDD score for dysmenorrhea in Brazilian women.

Methods: In this cross-sectional online study, we evaluated women with and without dysmenorrhea.

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Introduction: Non-adherence to medication severely affects chronic disease control.

Aim: To assess whether a multi-component intervention implemented at the public primary care level in Argentina improves adherence to antihypertensive medication and helps to reduce blood pressure (BP) levels in uncontrolled hypertensive patients.

Methods: A before-and-after study was conducted in five public primary care clinics located in the city of Almirante Brown, Argentina.

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Introduction: Cupping therapy is a widely used technique in Brazilian physical therapy for the treatment of musculoskeletal disorders. However, there is limited scientific evidence to support its effectiveness.

Objective: To investigate the profile, training, clinical practice, and scientific updates of Brazilian Physical Therapists who use cupping therapy as a therapeutic resource for musculoskeletal disorders.

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Purpose: Menstrual characteristics can affect a woman's productivity at work and college, but studies in a general population of adult women are scarce. In addition, it is important to know which menstrual symptoms are most associated with presenteeism in women to promote specific health actions. The present study aimed to assess menstrual symptoms associated with presenteeism in adult women.

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Article Synopsis
  • The study aims to explore the internal structure of the Tampa Scale for Kinesiophobia (TSK) specifically for Brazilian patients suffering from chronic neck pain, as current literature lacks such analysis.
  • Researchers included 335 Brazilian participants with chronic neck pain and analyzed various structures of the TSK using confirmatory factor analysis, ultimately identifying a suitable structure consisting of 2 domains and 9 items.
  • The final TSK structure demonstrated good reliability and validity, indicating a strong correlation between kinesiophobia measures and pain-related factors, while also noting redundancies in certain items that were subsequently removed.
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Background: Primary dysmenorrhea (PD) is an etiological cyclic pelvic pain related to the menstrual period; it can negatively impact women's quality of life and productivity. The aim of the present study was to estimate the prevalence of PD and analyze associated symptoms in Brazilian women.

Methods: An online cross-sectional study was carried out in Brazil, with a structured questionnaire regarding dysmenorrhea and associated symptoms.

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Background: Spinal manipulative therapy (SMT) demonstrates small effects on pain intensity in low back pain. Combining SMT with a psychosocial intervention like pain neuroscience education (PNE) could promote additional effect.

Objectives: To evaluate the additional effect of PNE when combined to SMT on pain intensity and low back pain-related disability in patients with chronic low back pain (CLBP).

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The aim of this study is to investigate if telerehabilitation is just as effective as the same face-to-face exercise program in patients with chronic neck pain (NP). 140 participants will participate in this non-inferiority randomized controlled trial. Primary outcomes will be pain intensity and disability, and secondary outcomes will be kinesiophobia, catastrophizing, fear avoidance beliefs, anxiety and depression symptoms, self-efficacy for pain and global perceived effect.

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Background: Fibromyalgia guidelines indicate that exercise is critical in the management of fibromyalgia, and there is evidence that patients with fibromyalgia can perform resistance training at moderate and high intensities. However, despite the biological plausibility that progression of intensity provides greater benefit to individuals, no studies have compared different intensities (progressive versus constant intensities) of the same exercise in this population.

Objective: To compare the effect of 24 sessions of resistance training (progressive vs.

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Background: Chronic non-specific neck pain (CNNP) is a prevalent musculoskeletal disorder known for its significant disability and economic burden, ranking second only to low back pain in musculoskeletal conditions. Physical therapy offers effective interventions for CNNP, including low-level laser therapy (LLLT). High-intensity laser therapy (HILT) is a recent treatment for musculoskeletal pain, but studies that support its use in CNNP are limited.

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Background Primary dysmenorrhea (PD) refers to the occurrence of painful menstrual cramps without pathological involvement of the pelvic organs, with considerable morbidity and high prevalence among females of reproductive age. Objective The objective of this study is to present and test the efficacy of an innovative method of interactive transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (iTENS) for PD. Methods and materials This study is a single-blind controlled clinical trial.

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Article Synopsis
  • The study aimed to identify various biopsychosocial factors affecting social support, self-care, and knowledge about fibromyalgia in affected patients through a cross-sectional analysis.
  • Ten predictive models were developed to evaluate different variables, such as schooling, ethnicity, pain locations, and social relationships, in relation to scores from three assessment tools.
  • Findings revealed that factors like schooling, ethnicity, and social support accounted for significant portions of variance in knowledge and self-care regarding fibromyalgia, emphasizing the need for incorporating these variables in future research.
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Objective: To describe the development of a virtual educational booklet for self-care promotion of postmenopausal women with osteoporosis during the COVID-19 pandemics.

Method: This methodological study was conducted in three steps: bibliographic search, development of virtual educational booklet by 12 evaluators and ten representatives of the target audience. A questionnaire adapted from the literature was used to evaluate the educational booklet.

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Background: As with fibromyalgia, several musculoskeletal disorders are characterized by chronic pain, raising a clinical question - do the instruments used to assess fibromyalgia symptoms according to ACR criteria (ACR criteria) generate similar scores in other chronic musculoskeletal pain?

Objective: To compare the symptoms among fibromyalgia and other chronic musculoskeletal pain. Additionally, we also compared the most researched outcomes in fibromyalgia (i.e.

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Background: There is an association of dysmenorrhea with human functioning and disability. However, no patient-reported outcome measure has been developed to assess this construct in women with dysmenorrhea. WHODAS 2.

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Purpose: To compare functional and clinical variables of women with fibromyalgia (American College of Rheumatology [ACR] criteria) vs women diagnosed by doctors and women with knee osteoarthritis (KOA).

Methods: This is a cross-sectional study. We used clinical measures, namely, Widespread Pain Index (WPI), Symptom Severity Scale (SSS), Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire-Revised (FIQ-R), Numerical Pain Rating Scale (NPRS), Central Sensitization Inventory (CSI), Pain-Related Catastrophizing Thoughts Scale (PCTS), and functional measures, such as Sit-to-Stand (STS) test, and Timed Up and Go (TUG) test.

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