Role of common mental and physical disorders in partial disability around the world

Background Mental and physical disorders are associated with total disability, but their effects on days with partial disability (i.e. the ability to perform some, but not full-role, functioning in daily life) are not well understood. Aims To estimate individual (i.e. the consequences for an individual with a disorder) and societal effects (i.e. the avoidable partial disability in the society due to disorders) of mental and physical disorders on days with partial disability around the world. Method Respondents from 26 nationally representative samples (n=61 259, age 18+) were interviewed regarding mental and physical disorders, and day-to-day functioning. The Composite International Diagnostic Interview, version 3.0 (CIDI 3.0) was used to assess mental disorders; partial disability (expressed in full day equivalents) was assessed with the World Health Organization Disability Assessment Schedule in the CIDI 3.0. Results Respondents with disorders reported about 1.58 additional disability days per month compared with respondents without disorders. At the individual level, mental disorders (especially post-traumatic stress disorder, depression and bipolar disorder) yielded a higher number of days with disability than physical disorders. At the societal level, the population attributable risk proportion due to physical and mental disorders was 49% and 15% respectively. Conclusions Mental and physical disorders have a considerable impact on partial disability, at both the individual and at the societal level. Physical disorders yielded higher effects on partial disability than mental disorders.

Effect of a low-level laser on bone regeneration after rapid maxillary expansion

Introduction: In this study, we evaluated the effects of a low-level laser on bone regeneration in rapid maxillary expansion procedures. Methods: Twenty-seven children, aged 8 to 12 years, took part in the experiment, with a mean age of 10.2 years, divided into 2 groups: the laser group (n=14), in which rapid maxillary expansion was performed in conjunction with laser use, and the no-laser group (n=13), with rapid maxillary expansion only. The activation protocol of the expansion screw was 1 full turn on the first day and a half turn daily until achieving overcorrection. The laser type used was a laser diode (TWIN Laser; MMOptics, Sao Carlos, Brazil), according to the following protocol: 780 nm wavelength, 40 mW power, and 10 J/cm(2) density at 10 points located around the midpalatal suture. The application stages were 1 (days 1-5 of activation), 2 (at screw locking, on 3 consecutive days), 3, 4, and 5 (7, 14, and 21 days after stage 2). Occlusal radiographs of the maxilla were taken with the aid of an aluminum scale ruler as a densitometry reference at different times: T1 (initial), T2 (day of locking), T3 (3-5 days after T2), T4 (30 days after T3), and T5 (60 days after T4). The radiographs were digitized and submitted to imaging software (Image Tool; UTHSCSA, San Antonio, Tex) to measure the optic density of the previously selected areas. To perform the statistical test, analysis of covariance was used, with the time for the evaluated stage as the covariable. In all tests, a significance level of 5% (P<0.05) was adopted. Results: From the evaluation of bone density, the results showed that the laser improved the opening of the midpalatal suture and accelerated the bone regeneration process. Conclusions: The low-level laser, associated with rapid maxillary expansion, provided efficient opening of the midpalatal suture and influenced the bone regeneration process of the suture, accelerating healing. (Am J Orthod Dentofacial Orthop 2012;141:444-50)

Molecular phylogeny and morphometric analyses reveal deep divergence between Amazonia and Atlantic Forest species of Dendrophryniscus

Dendrophryniscus is an early diverging clade of bufonids represented by few small-bodied species distributed in Amazonia and the Atlantic Forest. We used mitochondrial (414 bp of 12S, 575 bp of 16S genes) and nuclear DNA (785 bp of RAG-1) to investigate phylogenetic relationships and the timing of diversification within the genus. These molecular data were gathered from 23 specimens from 19 populations, including eight out of the 10 nominal species of the genus as well as Rhinella boulengeri. Analyses also included sequences of representatives of 18 other bufonid genera that were publically available. We also examined morphological characters to analyze differences within Dendrophryniscus. We found deep genetic divergence between an Amazonian and an Atlantic Forest clade, dating back to Eocene. Morphological data corroborate this distinction. We thus propose to assign the Amazonian species to a new genus, Amazonella. The species currently named R. boulengeri, which has been previously assigned to the genus Rhamphophryne, is shown to be closely related to Dendrophryniscus species. Our findings illustrate cryptic trends in bufonid morphological evolution, and point to a deep history of persistence and diversification within the Amazonian and Atlantic rainforests. We discuss our results in light of available paleoecological data and the biogeographic patterns observed in other similarly distributed groups. (C) 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Distribution and molecular characterization of hepatitis C virus (HCV) genotypes in patients with chronic infection from Pernambuco State, Brazil

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is a public health problem throughout the world and 3% of the world population is infected with this virus. It is estimated that 3-4 millions individuals are being infected every year. It has been estimated that around 1.5% of Brazilian population is anti-HCV positive and the Northeast region showed the highest prevalence in Brazil. The aim of this study was to characterize HCV genotypes circulating in Pernambuco State (PE), Brazil, located in the Northeast region of the country. This study included 85 anti-HCV positive patients followed up between 2004 and 2011. For genotyping, a 380bp fragment of HCV RNA in the NS5B region was amplified by nested PCR. Phylogenetic analysis was conducted using Bayesian Markov chain Monte Carlo simulation (MCMC) using BEAST v.1.5.3. From 85 samples, 63 (74.1%) positive to NS5B fragment were successfully sequenced. Subtype 1b was the most prevalent in this population (42-66.7%), followed by 3a (16-25.4%), 1a (4-6.3%) and 2b (1-1.6%). Twelve (63.1%) and seven (36.9%) patients with HCV and schistosomiasis were infected with subtypes 1b and 3a, respectively. Brazil is a large country with many different population backgrounds; a large variation in the frequencies of HCV genotypes is predictable throughout its territory. This study reports HCV genotypes from Pernambuco State where subtype 1b was found to be the most prevalent. Phylogenetic analysis suggests the presence of the different HCV strains circulating within this population. (C) 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

TNF blockers show distinct patterns of immune response to the pandemic influenza A H1N1 vaccine in inflammatory arthritis patients

Methods. One hundred and twenty patients (RA, n = 41; AS, n = 57; PsA, n = 22) on anti-TNF agents (monoclonal, n = 94; soluble receptor, n = 26) were compared with 116 inflammatory arthritis patients under DMARDs and 117 healthy controls. Seroprotection, seroconversion (SC), geometric mean titre, factor increase in geometric mean titre and adverse events were evaluated 21 days after vaccination. Results. After immunization, SC rates (58.2% vs 74.3%, P = 0.017) were significantly lower in SpA patients receiving anti-TNF therapy, whereas no difference was observed in RA patients receiving this therapy compared with healthy controls (P = 0.067). SpA patients receiving mAbs (infliximab/adalimumab) had a significantly lower SC rate compared with healthy controls (51.6% vs 74.3%, P = 0.002) or those on DMARDs (51.6% vs 74.7%, P = 0.005), whereas no difference was observed for patients on etanercept (86.7% vs 74.3%, P = 0.091). Further analysis of non-seroconverting and seroconverting SpA patients revealed that the former group had a higher mean age (P = 0.003), a higher frequency of anti-TNF (P = 0.031) and mAbs (P = 0.001) and a lower frequency of MTX (P = 0.028). In multivariate logistic regression, only older age (P = 0.015) and mAb treatment (P = 0.023) remained significant factors for non-SC in SpA patients. Conclusion. This study revealed a distinct disease pattern of immune response to the pandemic influenza vaccine in inflammatory arthritis patients receiving anti-TNF agents, illustrated by a reduced immunogenicity solely in SpA patients using mAbs. Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov, ext-link-type="uri" xlink:href="www.clinicaltrials.gov" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">www.clinicaltrials.gov, NCT01151644.

Limitations in activities of people affected by leprosy after completing multidrug therapy: application of the SALSA scale

Objectives: To identify people affected by leprosy with impairments after completing multidrug therapy for leprosy, and to assess their limitations in conducting daily activities by applying the Screening of Activity Limitation and Safety Awareness (SALSA) scale. Methods: A cross-sectional study was performed of all residents of a medium-sized city who were treated for leprosy from 1998 to 2006. A specific questionnaire was applied to obtain general and clinical data and the SALSA scale was used to assess limitations in activities. Impairments were assessed using the 'World Health Organization leprosy disability grading system' (WHO-DG). Findings: Of the 335 people affected by leprosy treated in the period, 223 (62.1%) were located and interviewed. A total of 51.6% were female with a mean age of 54 years (SD +/- 15.72) and 67.9% had up to 6 years formal education. The borderline form predominated among interviewees (39.9%) and 54.3% suffer from associated diseases with hypertension (29.1%) and diabetes (10.3%) being the most common. Pain was reported by 54.7% of interviewees. By multiple logistic regression analysis, associations were found between limitations in activities and being female (P < 0.025), family income <= 3 minimum wages (P-value < 0.003), reports of major lesions (P-value < 0.004), pain (P-value < 0.001), associated diseases (P-value < 0.023) and the WHO-DG (P-value < 0.001). Disabilities, as identified using the WHO-DG, were less common (32%) than limitations in activities as evaluated by the SALSA scale (57.8%). Conclusion: Limitations in activities proved to be common in people affected by leprosy and were. associated with low income, being female, reported major lesions, disability, disease and pain.

Aberrant transcript produced by a splice donor site deletion in the TECTA gene is associated with autosomal dominant deafness in a Brazilian family

We ascertained a Brazilian family with nine individuals affected by autosomal dominant nonsyndromic sensorineural hearing loss. The bilateral hearing loss affected mainly mid-high frequencies, was apparently stable with an early onset. Microsatellites close to the DFNA8/DFNA12 locus, which harbors the TECTA gene, showed significant multipoint lod scores (32) close to marker D11S4107. Sequencing of the exons and exon-intron boundaries of the TECTA gene in one affected subject revealed the deletion c.5383 + 5delGTGA in the 5' end of intron 16, that includes the last two bases of the donor splice site consensus sequence. This mutation segregates with deafness within the family. To date, 33 different TECTA mutations associated with autossomal dominant hearing loss have been described. Among them is the mutation reported herein, first described by Hildebrand et al. (2011) in a UK family. The audioprofiles from the UK and Brazilian families were similar. In order to investigate the transcripts produced by the mutated allele, we performed cDNA analysis of a lymphoblastoid cell line from an affected heterozygote with the c.5383 + 5delGTGA and a noncarrier from the same family. The analysis allowed us to identify an aberrant transcript with skipping of exon 16, without affecting the reading frame. One of the dominant TECTA mutations already described, a synonymous substitution in exon 16 (c.5331 G<A), was also shown to affect splicing resulting in an aberrant transcript lacking exon 16. Despite the difference in the DNA level, both the synonymous substitution in exon 16 (c.5331 G<A) and the mutation described herein affect splicing of exon 16, leading to its skipping. At the protein level they would have the same effect, an in-frame deletion of 37 amino-acids (p.S1758Y/G1759_N1795del) probably leading to an impaired function of the ZP domain. Thus, like the TECTA missense mutations associated with dominant hearing loss, the c5383 + 5delGTGA mutation does not have an inactivating effect on the protein. (C) 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

THE APPLICABILITY OF AURICULOTHERAPY WITH NEEDLES OR SEEDS TO REDUCE STRESS IN NURSING PROFESSIONALS

This clinical randomized trial was performed with the objective to evaluate the stress levels of the nursing staff of a hospital and analyze the effectiveness of auriculotherapy with needles and seeds. The 75 participants with mean (44/58.7%) and high (31/41.3%) scores according to the Stress Symptoms List were divided into groups (control, needles, and seeds), who received eight sessions on the Shenmen, Kidney and Brainstem points and were evaluated at the baseline, fourth and eighth sessions and on the 15-day follow-up session. The analysis of variance (ANOVA) showed significant differences among the groups at the third assessment (F=3.963/P=0.023) and follow-up (F=6.136/P=0.003). These differences occurred between the control and needle groups. The 'seeds' and needles groups both showed differences (p < 0.05) at the second assessment when compared within the same group. In conclusion, auriculotherapy reduced the stress in the nursing staff, with needles showing better results than seeds for high scores, maintaining the effects for 15 days.

Twelve-month clinical outcomes after coronary stenting with the Genous Bio-engineered R Stent in patients with a bifurcation lesion: from the e-HEALING (Healthy Endothelial Accelerated Lining Inhibits Neointimal Growth) registry

Background The e-Healthy Endothelial Accelerated Lining Inhibits Neointimal Growth (e-HEALING) registry was designed to capture clinical data on the use of the endothelial progenitor cell capture stent (ECS) in routine clinical practice. In this analysis, we investigated the 12-month clinical outcomes in patients treated with an ECS for a bifurcation lesion. Methods The worldwide, prospective, nonrandomized e-HEALING registry aimed to enrol 5000 patients treated for coronary artery disease with one or more ECS between October 2005 and October 2007. Clinical follow-up was obtained at 1, 6, and 12 months. The primary endpoint was target vessel failure (TVF), defined as the composite of cardiac death, myocardial infarction, and target vessel revascularization at 12 months. Results A total of 573 patients were treated for at least one bifurcation lesion and were assessed in the current analysis. Baseline characteristics showed a median age of 65 years; 21% were diabetic patients and 36% had unstable angina. A total of 63% of the bifurcation lesions were located in the left artery descending and the mean stent length was 20.7 +/- 12.6 mm. At 12 months, TVF was 12.7% and target lesion revascularization was 7.5%. Definite or probable stent thrombosis occurred in 1.7% of the patients. Moreover, one or more stents per lesion [hazard ratio (HR): 2.79, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.60-4.86, P < 0.001], predilatation (HR: 0.39, 95% CI: 0.17-0.87, P = 0.023), and lesions located in the right coronary artery (HR: 4.56, 95% CI: 1.07-19.5, P = 0.041) were independent predictors of TVF. Conclusion In the e-HEALING registry, coronary bifurcation stenting with the ECS results in favorable clinical outcomes and low incidences of repeat revascularization and stent thrombosis. Coron Artery Dis 23:201-207 (C) 2012 Wolters Kluwer Health vertical bar Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.

Hydroxychloroquine reduces low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels in systemic lupus erythematosus: a longitudinal evaluation of the lipid-lowering effect

The influence of antimalarials on lipids in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) has been identified in several studies but not in many prospective cohorts. The aim of this study was to longitudinally determine the effect of antimalarials on the lipoprotein profile in SLE. Patients and methods: Fasting total cholesterol (TC), triglycerides (TG), high-density lipoprotein (HDL) and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL) plasma levels were determined at entry and after 3 months of hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) treatment in a longitudinal evaluation of 24 patients with SLE. Results: a significant decrease in TC (198 +/- 33.7 vs. 183 +/- 30.3 mg/dl, p = 0.023) and LDL levels (117 +/- 31.3 vs. 101 +/- 26.2 mg/dl, p = 0.023) were detected after the 3 months of HCQ therapy. The reduction of 7.6% in TC (p = 0.055) and 13.7% in LDL levels (p = 0.036) determined a significant decrease in the frequency of dyslipidemia (26% vs. 12.5%, p = 0.013) after HCQ therapy. Conclusion: This longitudinal study demonstrated the beneficial effect of antimalarials on lipids in SLE since this therapy induced a reduction of atherogenic lipoproteins. Lupus (2012) 21, 1178-1182.

Vascular dementia: Different forms of vessel disorders contribute to the development of dementia in the elderly brain

The diagnosis of vascular dementia (VaD) describes a group of various vessel disorders with different types of vascular lesions that finally contribute to the development of dementia. Most common forms of VaD in the elderly brain are subcortical vascular encephalopathy, strategic infarct dementia, and the multi infarct encephalopathy. Hereditary forms of VaD are rare. Most common is the cerebral autosomal dominant arteriopathy with subcortical infarcts and leukoencephalopathy (CADASIL). Sporadic forms of VaD are caused by degenerative vessel disorders such as atherosclerosis, small vessel disease (SVD) including small vessel arteriosclerosis, arteriolosclerosis, and lipohyalinosis, and cerebral amyloid angiopathy (CAA). Less frequently inflammatory vessel disorders and tumor-associated vessel lesions (e. g. angiocentric T-cell or angiotropic large cell lymphoma) can cause symptoms of dementia. Here, we review and discuss the impact of vessel disorders to distinct vascular brain tissue lesions and to the development of dementia in elderly individuals. The impact of coexisting neurodegenerative pathology in the elderly brain to VaD as well as the correlation between SVD and CAA expansion in the brain parenchyma with that of Alzheimer's disease (AD)-related pathology is highlighted. We conclude that "pure" VaD is rare and most frequently caused by infarctions. However, there is a significant contribution of vascular lesions and vessel pathology to the development of dementia that may go beyond tissue damage due to vascular lesions. Insufficient blood blow and alterations of the perivascular drainage mechanisms of the brain may also lead to a reduced protein clearance from extracellular space and subsequent increase of proteins in the brain parenchyma, such as the amyloid beta-protein, and foster, thereby, the development of AD-related neurodegeneration. As such, it seems to be important for clinical practice to consider treatment of potentially coexisting AD pathology in cognitively impaired patients with vascular lesions. (C) 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

A knapsack problem as a tool to solve the production planning problem in small foundries

According to recent research carried out in the foundry sector, one of the most important concerns of the industries is to improve their production planning. A foundry production plan involves two dependent stages: (1) determining the alloys to be merged and (2) determining the lots that will be produced. The purpose of this study is to draw up plans of minimum production cost for the lot-sizing problem for small foundries. As suggested in the literature, the proposed heuristic addresses the problem stages in a hierarchical way. Firstly, the alloys are determined and, subsequently, the items that are produced from them. In this study, a knapsack problem as a tool to determine the items to be produced from furnace loading was proposed. Moreover, we proposed a genetic algorithm to explore some possible sets of alloys and to determine the production planning for a small foundry. Our method attempts to overcome the difficulties in finding good production planning presented by the method proposed in the literature. The computational experiments show that the proposed methods presented better results than the literature. Furthermore, the proposed methods do not need commercial software, which is favorable for small foundries. (C) 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Is the poly (methylene blue)-modified glassy carbon electrode an adequate electrode for the simple detection of thiols and amino acid-based molecules?

This paper describes the preparation, characterization, and use of poly (methylene blue) (PMB)-modified glassy carbon electrodes (GCE) (GCE-PMB) in the detection of the thiols L-cysteine (L-CySH) and N-acetyl cysteine (Acy), and the herbicide glyphosate (GLYP) in pH 5.3 aqueous solution. The polymer film prepared by electropolymerization showed different characteristics such as robustness, stability, and redox properties satisfactorily. The surface coverage concentration (Gamma) of PMB was found to be 7.90 x 10(-9) - mol cm(-2). Moreover, we observed strong adhesion of the polymer film to the electrode surface. The results using GCE-PMB as a sensor indicated that this modified electrode exhibited electrocatalytic activity toward the detection of thiols and glyphosate in 0.1 mol L-1 KO (pH 5.3). Meanwhile, strong adsorption of the analytes on the GCE-PMB electrodes was also observed. Otherwise, using a low concentration (1 x 10(-4) mol L-1) of L-cysteine and N-acetyl cysteine and 8.9 x 10(-6) mol L-1 of glyphosate, separately, it was possible to observe a well-defined electrochemical response, thus providing an opportunity to further understand the applicability of PMB as a sensor for amino acid-based molecules. (C) 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Thyroid hormones are involved in 5 '-nucleotidase modulation in soluble fraction of cardiac tissue

Aims: To investigate the role of TH (thyroid hormones) in 5'-nucleotidase activity and expression in cardiac soluble fraction (SF). Main methods: Male Wistar rats received daily injections of 14 (10, 25 or 50 mu g T4/100 g body weight) for 14 days to develop a hyperthyroidism condition. Thyroidectomy was performed in other animals to mimic hypothyroidism, and 14 days after surgery they were submitted to TH replacement therapy. Key findings: T4 reduced the 5'-nucleotidase activity (T4-25. P<0.05 and 14-50, P<0.01) in the SF. Conversely, hypothyroidism significantly increased the 5'-nucleotidase activity in this fraction (P<0.001) and TH replacement therapy reversed the latter result (P<0.001 compared to hypothyroid group). The analysis of protein expression in the SF showed that 5'-nucleotidase was more expressed in hypothyroid than in the control group and that the phosphorylated state of PKC observed in this condition may contribute to a possible mechanism of 5'-nucleotidase modulation by thyroid status. Significance: Taken together, these data reveal that TH can influence adenosine production by modulating 5'-nucleotidase activity and expression, which may contribute to the cardioprotective effect and the maintenance of cardiac function under TH privation. (C) 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

mu(1)- and 5-HT1-dependent mechanisms in the anterior pretectal nucleus mediate the antinociceptive effects of retrosplenial cortex stimulation in rats

Aim: This study examines if injection of cobalt chloride (CoCl2) or antagonists of muscarinic cholinergic (atropine), mu(1)-opioid (naloxonazine) or 5-HT1 serotonergic (methiothepin) receptors into the dorsal or ventral portions of the anterior pretectal nucleus (APtN) alters the antinociceptive effects of stimulating the retrosplenial cortex (RSC) in rats. Main method: Changes in the nociceptive threshold were evaluated using the tail flick or incision pain tests in rats that were electrically stimulated at the RSC after the injection of saline, CoCl2 (1 mM, 0.10 mu L) or antagonists into the dorsal or ventral APtN. Key findings: The injection of CoCl2, naloxonazine (5 mu g/0.10 mu L) or methiothepin (3 mu g/0.10 mu L) into the dorsal APtN reduced the stimulation-produced antinociception from the RSC in the rat tail flick test. Reduction of incision pain was observed following stimulation of the RSC after the injection of the same substances into the ventral APtN. The injection of atropine (10 ng/0.10 mu L) or ketanserine (5 mu g/0.10 mu L) into the dorsal or ventral APtN was ineffective against the antinociception resulting from RSC stimulation. Significance: mu(1)-opioid- and 5-HT1-expressing neurons and cell processes in dorsal and ventral APtN are both implicated in the mediation of stimulation-produced antinociception from the RSC in the rat tail flick and incision pain tests, respectively. (c) 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.