RESUMOA Aprendizagem Baseada em Problemas (ABP), introduzida no ensino de Ciências da Saúde na McMaster University, Canadá, em 1969, é uma proposta pedagógica que consiste no ensino centrado no estudante e baseado na solução de problemas, reais ou simulados. Os alunos, para solucionar esse problema, recorrem aos conhecimentos prévios, discutem, estudam, adquirem e integram os novos conhecimentos. Essa integração, aliada à aplicação prática, facilita a retenção do conhecimento. Portanto, a ABP valoriza, além do conteúdo a ser aprendido, a forma como ocorre o aprendizado, reforçando o papel ativo do aluno neste processo, permitindo que ele aprenda como aprender. A ABP oferece diversas vantagens, como o desenvolvimento da autonomia, a interdisciplinaridade, a indissociabilidade entre teoria e práti-ca, o desenvolvimento do raciocínio crítico e de habilidades de comunicação, e a educação permanente. Porém, para a sua utilização são necessários investimentos em recursos humanos e materiais, além de um programa de capacitação de professores e alunos bem estruturado, que devem sempre ser considerados antes de sua implementação. Palavras

Background Optical coherence tomography (OCT) allows tissue histologic-like evaluation, but without tissue fixation or staining. We investigated OCT images from tissues obtained at thyroid and parathyroid surgeries to provide a preliminary assessment as to whether these images contain sufficient information for recognition and differentiation of normal neck tissues. Methods Normal tissues were obtained from patients undergoing surgical treatment. Two new-generation OCT systems, including optical frequency domain imaging (OFDI) and μOCT, were compared to representative hematoxylin-eosin histology. Results Thyroid, fat, muscle, lymph nodes, and parathyroid tissues were evaluated. Histologic-like microscopic characteristics sufficient for tissue type identification was realized using both systems for all tissue types examined. Conclusion This pilot study demonstrated that new-generation OCT systems are capable of recognizing and differentiating neck tissues encountered during thyroid and parathyroid surgeries. Further advances in OCT miniaturization and development of sterile intraoperative probe formats may allow OCT to offer an intraoperative “optical biopsy” without fixation, staining, or tissue resection.

Dietary restriction (DR) reduces adiposity and improves metabolism in patients with one or more symptoms of metabolic syndrome. Nonetheless, it remains elusive whether the benefits of DR in humans are mediated by calorie or nutrient restriction. This study was conducted to determine whether isocaloric dietary protein restriction is sufficient to confer the beneficial effects of dietary restriction in patients with metabolic syndrome. We performed a prospective, randomized controlled dietary intervention under constant nutritional and medical supervision. Twenty-one individuals diagnosed with metabolic syndrome were randomly assigned for caloric restriction (CR; n = 11, diet of 5941 ± 686 KJ per day) or isocaloric dietary protein restriction (PR; n = 10, diet of 8409 ± 2360 KJ per day) and followed for 27 days. Like CR, PR promoted weight loss due to a reduction in adiposity, which was associated with reductions in blood glucose, lipid levels, and blood pressure. More strikingly, both CR and PR improved insulin sensitivity by 62.3% and 93.2%, respectively, after treatment. Fecal microbiome diversity was not affected by the interventions. Adipose tissue bulk RNA-Seq data revealed minor changes elicited by the interventions. After PR, terms related to leukocyte proliferation were enriched among the upregulated genes. Protein restriction is sufficient to confer almost the same clinical outcomes as calorie restriction without the need for a reduction in calorie intake. The isocaloric characteristic of the PR intervention makes this approach a more attractive and less drastic dietary strategy in clinical settings and has more significant potential to be used as adjuvant therapy for people with metabolic syndrome.