Cardiovascular risk in Japanese-Brazilian subjects

Objective: To evaluate the prevalence of risk factors for cardiovascular disease in Japanese-Brazilian subjects. Subjects and methods: One hundred thirty-one residents of the Mombuca community were studied. Statistical analysis was based on the X-2 test, Fisher's Exact test, Student's t test, and ANOVA, at a 5% significance level. Results: The average age was 56.7 years-old; 76.3% had dyslipidemia, 24.4% pre-diabetes (PDM), 10.7% type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), 46.6% hypertension, 52.7% abdominal obesity, and 35.8% metabolic syndrome (MS). There were significant correlations between HOMA-IR and MS diagnosis and obesity, while HOMA-beta levels were decreased in T2DM and PDM. The ankle-brachial index was positive for peripheral artery disease in 22.3% of the individuals. Electrocardiograms did not show increased evidence of myocardial ischemia. Conclusion: Subjects of this community are exposed to major cardiovascular risk factors, namely high prevalence of MS diagnoses and increased HOMA-IR. Arq Bras Endocrinol Metab. 2012; 56(9): 608-13

Carbohydrate supplementation increases intramyocellular lipid stores in elite runners

The objective was to determine the effects of carbohydrate (CHO) supplementation on exercise-induced hormone responses and post-training intramyocellular lipid stores (IMCL). Twenty-four elite male athletes (28.0 +/- 1.2 years) were randomized to receive CHO (maltodextrin solution) or zero energy placebo solution (control group). The high-intensity running protocol consisted of 10 x 800 m at 100% of the best 3000-m speed (Vm3 km) and 2 x 1000 m maximal bouts in the morning and a submaximal 10-km continuous easy running in the afternoon of day 9. IMCL concentrations were assessed by H-1-MRS before (-day 9) and after training (day 9) in soleus (SO) and tibialis anterior (TA) muscles. Blood hormones were also measured before, during, and post-exercise. The percent change (Delta%) in TA-IMCL was higher in the CHO group (47.9 +/- 24.5 IMCL/Cr) than in the control group (-1.7 +/- 13.1, respectively) (P=.04). Insulin concentrations were higher in the CHO group post-intermittent running compared to control (P=.02). Circulating levels of free fatty acids and GH were lower in the CHO group (P>.01). The decline in performance in the 2nd 1000-m bout was also attenuated in this group compared to control (P<.001 and P=.0035, respectively). The hormonal milieu (higher insulin and lower GH levels) in the CHO group, together with unchanged free fatty acid levels, probably contributed to the increased IMCL stores. This greater energy storage capacity may have improved post-exercise recovery and thus prevented performance deterioration. (C) 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

NEW RECORDS OF ANOPHELES HOMUNCULUS IN CENTRAL AND SERRA DO MAR BIODIVERSITY CORRIDORS OF THE ATLANTIC FOREST, BRAZIL

Two new records of Anopheles homunculus in the eastern part of the Atlantic Forest are reported. This species was found for the first time in Barra do Ouro district, Maquine municipality, Rio Grande do Sul state, located in the southern limit of the Atlantic Forest. The 2nd new record was in the Serra Bonita Reserve, Camacan municipality, southeast Bahia state. These records extend the geographical distribution of An. homunculus, suggesting that the species may be widely distributed in coastal areas of the Atlantic Forest. It is hypothesized that the disjunct distribution of the species may be caused by inadequate sampling, and also difficulties in species identification based only on female external characteristics. Species identification was based on morphological characters of the male, larva, and pupa, and corroborated by DNA sequence analyses, employing data from both 2nd internal transcribed spacer of nuclear ribosomal DNA and of mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I.

Massage application for occupational low back pain in nursing staff

This is a clinical trial which aims to evaluate the efficiency of massage in the reduction of occupational low back pain, and its influence on the performance of work and life activities for the nursing team. The sample consisted of 18 employees who received seven to eight sessions after their work period. From the Numerical Pain Rating Scale, significant improvements were found between the 3rd and 1st evaluations (p=0.000) and between the 3rd and 2nd (p=0.004), using the Wilcoxon test. Regarding the Oswestry Disability Index, the paired t test showed a statistical difference (p=0.02) between the baseline, with a mean of 21.33% and the second evaluation (18.78%), which was also seen between the second and third evaluation (16.67%). The score for the Handling and Transfer Risk Evaluation Scale was 18 points (medium risk). It is concluded that massage was effective in reducing occupational low back pain, and provided improvement in activities of work and life. Clinical Trials Identifier: NCT01315197.

A multicenter, multinational analysis of mitomycin C in refractory metastatic colorectal cancer

Background: A considerable number of metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) patients who progress on standard treatment with 5-fluorouracil (5FU), oxaliplatin, irinotecan and monoclonal antibodies, still have adequate performance status and desire further treatment. Mitomycin C (MMC) has been widely used in this context, and despite good tolerability, there are doubts regarding its true benefit. Methods: In order to assess the activity of MMC in the refractory mCRC setting, we retrospectively evaluated 109 heavily pre-treated patients who received MMC as single agent or in combination for mCRC at three different institutions in two countries. Results: Median patient's age was 54 years old, 57% were male and 94% had performance status ECOG 0 or 1. MMC was used in second line in 11%, third line in 38% and fourth line or beyond in 51% of patients. 58% received MMC combinations, mainly with capecitabine. Grade 3 or 4 toxicity was observed in 5% of patients and 6% required dose reductions. Median time to treatment failure (TTF) was 1.7 months with MMC and 3.6 months on the regimen prior to MMC, with a ratio between these TTF below 1 in 82% of patients. Median survival was only 4.5 months (95% confidence interval (CI) of 3.48-5.56). Conclusions: This retrospective data represent the largest reported series of unselected refractory mCRC patients treated with MMC. The median survival of 4.5 months is similar to the survival expected for best supportive care. This lack of activity strongly suggests that MMC should not be routinely used in refractory mCRC. (C) 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The generator coordinate method in the unrestricted Hartree-Fock formalism

The generator coordinate method was implemented in the unrestricted Hartree-Fock formalism. Weight functions were built from Gaussian generator functions for 1s, 2s, and 2p orbitals of carbon and oxygen atoms. These weight functions show a similar behavior to those found in the generator coordinate restricted Hartree-Fock method, i.e., they are smooth, continuous, and tend to zero in the limits of integration. Moreover, the weight functions obtained are different for spin-up and spin-down electrons what is a result from spin polarization. (C) 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Quantum Chem, 2012

Equid herpesvirus type-1 exhibits neurotropism and neurovirulence in a mouse model

Intranasal inoculation of equid herpesvirus type-1 (EHV-1) Brazilian strains A4/72 and A9/92 induced an acute and lethal infection in four different inbred mouse strains. Clinical and neurological signs appeared between the 2nd and 3rd day post inoculation (dpi) and included weight loss, ruffled fur, a hunched posture, crouching in corners, nasal and ocular discharges, dyspnoea, dehydration and increased salivation. These signs were followed by increased reactivity to external stimulation, seizures, recumbency and death. The virus was recovered consistently from the brain and viscera of all mice with neurological signs. Histopathological changes consisted of leptomeningitis, focal haemorrhage, ventriculitis, neuronal degeneration and necrosis, neuronophagia, non-suppurative inflammation, multifocal gliosis and perivascular infiltration of polymorphonuclear and mononuclear cells. Immunohistochemical examination demonstrated that EHV-1 strains A4/72 and A9/92 replicated in neurons of the olfactory bulb, the cortex and the hippocampus. In contrast, mice inoculated with the EHV-1 Brazilian strain A3/97 showed neither weight loss nor apparent clinical or neurological signs; however, the virus was recovered consistently from their lungs at 3 dpi. These three EHV-1 strains showed distinct degrees of virulence and tissue tropism in mice. EHV-1 strains A4/72 and A9/92 exhibited a high degree of central nervous system tropism with neuroinvasion and neurovirulence. EHV-1 strain A3/97 was not neurovirulent despite being detected in the brains of infected BALB/c nude mice. These findings indicate that several inbred mouse strains are susceptible to neuropathogenic EHV-1 strains and should be useful models for studying the pathogenesis and mechanisms contributing to EHV-induced myeloencephalopathy in horses. (C) 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

DNA - novel nanomaterial for applications in photonics and in electronics

Functionalization with surfactants and with active molecules of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA), thin film processing as well as their nonlinear optical and electrical properties are reviewed and discussed. On the basis of a quantum three level model, we show that the anomalous concentration variation of cubic susceptibility chi((3))(-3 omega; omega, omega, omega) in thin films of DNA-CTMA complexes doped with Disperse Red 1 chromophore can be explained by the concentration variation of two-photon resonance contribution. We show also that the DNA complexes, plasticized with glycerol and adequately doped can be processed into self standing conducting membranes with a high electrical conductivity. The measured ionic conductivity at room temperature, depending on dopant used and its concentration, is in the range of 3.5 x 10(-4)-10(-5) S/cm and increases linearly as a function of temperature, reaching 10(-3) S/cm at 358 K for the most conducting sample, obeying predominantly the Arrhenius law. Practical applications of DNA complexes are also described and discussed. (C) 2012 Academie des sciences. Published by Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Optical third harmonic generation in the magnetic semiconductor EuSe

Third harmonic generation (THG) has been studied in europium selenide EuSe in the vicinity of the band gap at 2.1-2.6 eV and at higher energies up to 3.7 eV. EuSe is amagnetic semiconductor crystalizing in centrosymmetric structure of rock-salt type with the point group m3m. For this symmetry the crystallographic and magnetic-field-induced THG nonlinearities are allowed in the electric-dipole approximation. Using temperature, magnetic field, and rotational anisotropy measurements, the crystallographic and magnetic-field-induced contributions to THG were unambiguously separated. Strong resonant magnetic-field-induced THG signals were measured at energies in the range of 2.1-2.6 eV and 3.1-3.6 eV for which we assign to transitions from 4 f(7) to 4 f(6)5d(1) bands, namely involving 5d(t(2g)) and 5d(e(g)) states.

AURICULOTHERAPY EFFECTIVENESS IN THE REDUCTION OF ANXIETY IN NURSING STUDENTS

The objective of this single-blinded randomized controlled trial was to assess anxiety levels in nursing school students of the Beneficencia Portuguesa Hospital (Sao Paulo) and the effectiveness of auriculotherapy in the reduction of these levels. The Trait-Anxiety Inventory State was applied at the beginning of the study, after 8 and 12 sessions, and at follow-up (15 days). The sample was comprised of 71 students divided into 3 groups: control without intervention (25), auriculotherapy (24), and placebo (22). The analysis of variance (ANOVA) showed statistically significant differences post hoc between the control and auriculotherapy groups at 2nd (p=0.000), 3rd (p=0.012) and 4th assessments (p=0.005), and between placebo and control groups at 2nd assessment (p=0.003). Auriculotherapy with Shenmen and Brain Stem points was more effective (20.97%) than sham points (13.74%) for reduction of anxiety levels in Nursing students, but studies with more representative samples are recommended.

Second-trimester soft markers: relation to first-trimester nuchal translucency in unaffected pregnancies

Objective Genetic sonography following first-trimester combined screening appears to increase substantially detection rates for Down syndrome but it relies on the unproved assumption of independence between these tests. In this study we aimed to investigate the relationship between first-trimester nuchal translucency (NT) and a series of second-trimester soft markers and structural defects in unaffected pregnancies. Methods NT measurement in the first trimester was followed by second-trimester scan (18 to 23 + 6 weeks) including examination for three categorical markers (intracardiac echogenic foci, hyperechogenic bowel and structural defects) and measurement of nasal bone length, nuchal-fold thickness, femur length, humerus length, renal pelvis diameter and prenasal thickness. All continuous variables were expressed in multiples of the median (MoM) for gestation and correlation coefficients between log-transformed NT and second-trimester variables were calculated. In addition, frequencies of soft markers and structural defects in cases with increased NT were compared to those with normal NT, using MoM cut-offs. Results In a dataset of 1970 cases, NT was significantly correlated (P < 0.05) with all second-trimester continuous variables, the correlation being strongest for nuchal-fold thickness (r = 0.10). There was a higher frequency of cases with second-trimester nuchal-fold thickness above the 97.5th centile (10.7 vs. 2.2%) and hyperechogenic bowel (2.4 vs. 0.1%) in cases with increased NT. Conclusions Straightforward reassessment of risk using likelihood ratios derived from the second-trimester genetic sonogram might lead to inaccurate estimates. Multivariate models using continuous second-trimester variables might be preferable in sequential screening strategies. Copyright. 2012 ISUOG. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Differences in Evolution of Children with Non-severe Acute Lower Respiratory Tract Infection With and Without Radiographically Diagnosed Pneumonia

Objective: To identify differences in the evolution of children with non-severe acute lower respiratory tract infection between those with and without radiographically diagnosed pneumonia. Design: Prospective cohort study. Setting: A public university pediatric hospital in Salvador, Northeast Brazil. Patients: Children aged 2-59 months. Methods: By active surveillance, the pneumonia cases were prospectively identified in a 2-year period. Each case was followed-up for changes in various clinical symptoms and signs. Demographic, clinical and radiographic data were recorded in standardized forms. Exclusion was due to antibiotic use in the previous 48 hours, signs of severe disease, refusal to give informed consent, underlying chronic illness, hospitalization in the previous 7 days or amoxicillin allergy. Chest X-ray (CXR) was later read by at least 2 independent pediatric radiologists. Main Outcome Measures: Radiographic diagnosed pneumonia based on agreed detection of pulmonary infiltrate or pleural effusion in 2 assessments. Results: A total of 382 patients receiving amoxicillin were studied, of whom, 372 (97.4%) had concordant radiographic diagnosis which was pneumonia (52%), normal CXR (41%). and others (7%). By multivariate analysis, age (OR=1.03; 95% CI: 1.02-1.05), disease >= 5days (OR = 1.04; 95% CI: 1.001-1.08), reduced pulmonary expansion (OR = 3.3; 95% CI: 1.4-8.0), absence of wheezing (OR = 0.5; 95% CI: 0.3-0.9), crackles on admission (OR = 2.0; 95% CI: 1.2-3.5), inability to drink on day 1 (OR = 4.2; 95% CI: 1.05-17.3), consolidation percussion sign (OR = 7.0; 95% CI: 1.5-32.3), tachypnea (OR = 2.0; 95% CI: 1.09-3.6) and fever (OR = 3.6; 95% CI: 1.4-9.4) on day 2 were independently associated with pneumonia. The highest positive predictive value was at the 2nd day of evolution for tachypnea (71.0%) and fever (81.1%). Conclusion: Persistence of fever or tachypnea up to the second day of amoxicillin treatment is predictive of radiographically diagnosed pneumonia among children with non-severe lower respiratory tract diseases.

Evaluation of CA-125 and soluble CD-23 in patients with pelvic endometriosis: a case-control study

Objective: To evaluate serum concentrations of CA-125 and soluble CD-23 and to correlate them with clinical symptoms, localization and stage of pelvic endometriosis and histological classification of the disease. Methods: Blood samples were collected from 44 women with endometriosis and 58 without endometriosis, during the first three days (1st sample) and during the 7th, 8th and 9th day (2nd sample) of the menstrual cycle. Measurements of CA-125 and soluble CD-23 were performed by ELISA. Mann-Whitney U test was used for age, pain evaluations (visual analog scale) and biomarkers concentrations. Results: Serum levels Of CA-125 were higher in endometriosis patients when compared to the control group during both periods of the menstrual cycle evaluated in the study. This marker was also elevated in women with chronic pelvic pain, deep dyspareunia (2nd sample), dysmenorrhea (both samples) and painful defecation during the menstrual flow (2nd sample). CA-125 concentration was higher in advanced stages of the disease in both samples and also in women with ovarian endometrioma. Concerning CD-23, no statistically significant differences were observed between groups. Conclusion: The concentrations of CA-125 were higher in patients with endometriosis than in patients without the disease. No significantly differences were observed for soluble CD-23 levels between groups.

Molting dynamics and juvenile hormone titer profiles in the nymphal stages of a lower termite, Cryptotermes secundus (Kalotermitidae) - signatures of developmental plasticity

Termites are social cockroaches and this sociality is founded on a high plasticity during development. Three molting types (progressive, stationary and regressive molts) are fundamental to achieve plasticity during alate/sexual development, and they make termites a major challenge to any model on endocrine regulation in insect development. As the endocrine signatures underpinning this plasticity are barely understood, we studied the developmental dynamics and their underlying juvenile hormone OH) titers in a wood-dwelling termite. Cryptotermes secundus, which is characterized by an ancestral life style of living in dead wood and individuals being totipotent in development. The following general pattern elements could be identified during winged sexual development (i) regressive molts were accompanied by longer intermolt periods than other molting types, (ii) JH titers decreased gradually during the developmental transition from larva (immatures without wing buds), to nymph (immatures with wing buds), to winged adult, (iii) in all nymphal stages, the JH titer rose before the next molt and dropped thereafter within the first week, (iv) considerable variation in JH titers occurred in the midphase of the molting cycle of the 2nd and 3rd nymphal instar, inferring that this variation may reflect the underlying endocrine signature of each of the three molting types, (v) the 4th nymphal instar, the shortest of all, seems to be a switch point in development, as nymphs in this stage mainly developed progressively. When comparing these patterns with endocrine signatures seen in cockroaches, the developmental program of Cryprotermes can be interpreted as a co-option and repetitive use of hormonal dynamics of the post dorsal-closure phase of cockroach embryonic development. (C) 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All tights reserved.

Judiciary as the last resort to protect children and adolescents: intersectoral actions, investment in human resources, and structuring of services

This study aimed to identify the work developed by the Judiciary to prevent sexual violence against children and adolescents within the family. The approach to social representations in a cultural perspective was used. The field study consisted in the 1st and 2nd Court of Crimes against Children and Adolescents, at the State Supreme Court of Pernambuco, Brazil. Participant observation, semi-structured interviews, and focus group with 17 subjects were the techniques for data collection, analyzed through the interpretation of meanings, allowing the identification of the category "The Judiciary as the ultimate level" and the following subcategories: "The public policies to prevent violence" and "The structure and dynamics of Courts". This study allows the visualization of the Judiciary's limitations with regard to the full protection and absolute priority, and that the work along with the victims demands investments in structure and human resources.