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BACKGROUND: Sedentary behavior has been associated with musculoskeletal pain in school teachers. However, our hypothesis is that physical activity practice could mitigate this association. AIM: The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship of musculoskeletal pain with high screen-based sedentary behavior among public school teachers and whether physical activity could mitigate this relationship. METHOD: A sample of 246 teachers from 13 public schools were assessed (45.0 ± 10.4 years, 76.0% of women). Musculoskeletal pain was assessed using the Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire, screen-based sedentary behavior was measured considering the sum of screen time in television, computer, and smartphone/tablet, and physical activity using the Baecke habitual physical activity questionnaire. Binary logistic regression was used to verify the associations between high screen-based sedentary behavior and musculoskeletal pain in school teachers (Model 1-unadjusted; Model 2-adjusted by age, sex, and socioeconomic status; Model 3-variables of Model 2 + adjusted by physical activity). RESULTS: High screen-based sedentary behavior was associated with pain in neck (odds ratio = 2.09; 95%confidence interval = 1.08-4.04), upper back (odds ratio = 2.21; 95%confidence interval = 1.07-4.56), and low back (odds ratio = 1.91; 95%confidence interval = 1.00-3.65). However, after inserting the variables, including physical activity, these associations were mitigated. CONCLUSIONS: High screen-based sedentary behavior was associated with musculoskeletal pain in public school teachers. However, this relationship was mitigated after the inclusion of confounding variables, including physical activity.

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A new hybrid bionanomaterial composed of zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) and chitosan was constructed after enzymatic immobilization of papain for biomedical applications. In this work, we report the preparation and characterization steps of this bionanomaterial and its biocompatibility in vitro. The properties of the immobilized papain system were investigated by transmission electron microscopy, zeta potential, DLS, UV-vis absorption spectroscopy, FTIR spectroscopy, and X-ray diffraction. The prepared bionanomaterial exhibited a nanotriangular structure with a size of 150 nm and maintained the proteolytic activity of papain. In vitro analyses demonstrated that the immobilized papain system decreased the activation of phagocytic cells but did not induce toxicity. Based on the results obtained, we suggest that the novel bionanomaterial has great potential in biomedical applications in diseases such as psoriasis and wounds.

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BACKGROUND: Teachers perform repetitive movements all day, which can cause pain in body regions. This article analyzes the association of pain with sleep quality in this population. OBJECTIVE: The objective of the study was to analyze the relationship of musculoskeletal pain and sleep quality in teachers from public schools. METHODS: The sample consisted of 242 teachers, selected in a random process. Musculoskeletal pain and sleep quality were evaluated by using a questionnaire. The association between sleep quality and musculoskeletal pain was evaluated using the chi-square test. The magnitude of the associations was verified by Binary Logistic Regression, adjusted by sex, age, BMI, and socioeconomic status. RESULTS: Teachers with poor sleep quality presented higher body mass index (BMI) values when compared to teachers with good sleep quality (27.9 vs 26.0, p = 0.012). Teachers with poor sleep quality were approximately twice as likely to report thoracic pain (OR = 2.16[95% CI = 1.12-4.16]), wrist pain (OR = 3.28[95% CI = 1.18-9.07]), low back pain (OR = 3.09[95% CI = 1.29-7.41]), and ankle/foot pain (OR = 2.83[95% CI = 1.32-6.08]). CONCLUSIONS: Teachers with poor sleep quality were approximately twice as likely to present pain in several body parts. Our findings revealed that poor sleep quality was significantly associated with musculoskeletal pain in Brazilian teachers of public schools, regardless of confounding factors.

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Chitosan microcapsules containing limonene essential oil as active ingredient were prepared by coacervation using three different concentrations of NaOH (0.50, 1.00, 1.45 wt%) and fixed concentrations of chitosan and surfactant of 0.50 wt%. The produced microcapsules were fully characterized in their morphology and chemical composition, and the kinetic release analysis of the active ingredient was evaluated after deposition in a non-woven cellulose fabric. The concentration of 1.00 and 1.45 wt% clearly show the best results in terms of dimension and shape of the microcapsules as well as in the volatility results. However, at the concentration of 1 wt% a higher number of microcapsules were produced as confirmed by FTIR and EDS analysis. Free microcapsules are spherical in size with disperse diameters between 2 and 12 μm. Immobilized microcapsules showed sizes from 4 to 7 μm, a rough surface and loss of spherical shape with pore formation in the chitosan walls. SEM analysis confirms that at higher NaOH concentrations, the larger the size of the microcapsules. This technique shows that by tuning NaOH concentration it is possible to efficiently control the release rate of encapsulated active agents demonstrating great potential as insect repellent for textiles.