Functional capacity and assistance from the caregiver during daily activities in Brazilian children with cerebral palsy

Background: Cerebral Palsy (CP) presents changes in posture and movement as a core characteristic, which requires multiprofessional clinical treatments during childrens habilitation or rehabilitation. Besides clinical treatment, it is fundamental that professionals use evaluation systems to quantify the difficulties presented to the individual and their families in their daily lives. We aimed to investigate the functional capacity of individuals with CP and the amount of assistance required by the caregiver in day-to-day activities. Methods. Twenty patients with CP, six-year-old on average, were evaluated. The Pediatric Evaluation Inventory of Incapacities was used (PEDI - Pediatric Evaluation Disability Inventory), a system adapted for Brazil that evaluates child's dysfunction in three 3 dimensions: self-care, mobility and social function. To compare the three areas, repeated measures analysis of variance (ANOVA) were used. Results: We found the following results regarding the functional capacity of children: self-care, 27.4%, ±17.5; mobility, 25.8%, ±33.3 and social function, 36.3%, ±27.7. The results of the demand of aid from the caregiver according to each dimension were: self-care, 9.7%, ±19.9; mobility, 14.1%, ± 20.9 and social function, 19.8%, ±26.1. Conclusion: We indicated that there was no difference between the performance of the subjects in areas of self-care, mobility and social function considering the functional skills and assistance required by the caregiver. © 2013 Monteiro et al; licensee BioMed Central Ltd.

Effects of resistance training on the performance of activities of daily living in patients with Alzheimer's disease

Aim: The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of resistance training in activities of daily living performance in Alzheimer's disease (AD) patients. Methods: An exploratory and longitudinal study, lasting for 16weeks, with the participation of 34 patients divided equally in: the training group (TG), who participated in a resistance training protocol (three sets of 20 repetitions in five exercises); and the social gathering group (SGG), who participated in a social interaction protocol (i.e. group dynamics, writing and reading activities). Results: We observed significant differences between the groups in moving around the house, climbing stairs, standing up from the floor and putting on socks tests. Conclusion: This study showed that resistance training improves agility, lower limb strength, balance and flexibility in AD patients, while SGG protocol is important to improve the agility. © 2012 Japan Geriatrics Society.

Effect of a multimodal exercise program on sleep disturbances and instrumental activities of daily living performance on Parkinson's and Alzheimer's disease patients

Aim: To assess the contribution of a multimodal exercise program on the sleep disturbances (SD) and on the performance of instrumental activities daily living (IADL) in patients with clinical diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease (AD) and Parkinson's disease patients (PD). Methods: A total of 42 consecutive patients (23 training group, 19 control group) with PD and 35 demented patients with AD (19 trained group, 16 control group) were recruited. Participants in both training groups carried out three 1-h sessions per week of a multimodal exercise program for 6 months. The Pfeffer Questionnaire for Instrumental Activities and the Mini-Sleep Questionnaire were used to assess the effects of the program on IADL and SD respectively. Results: Two-way ancova showed interactions in IADL and SD. Significant improvements were observed for these variables in both intervention groups, and maintenance or worsening was observed in control groups. The analysis of effect size showed these improvements. Conclusion: The present study results show that a mild to moderate intensity of multimodal physical exercises carried out on a regular basis over 6 months can contribute to reducing IADL deficits and attenuating SD. © 2013 Japan Geriatrics Society.

A randomized clinical trial of high volume peritoneal dialysis versus extended daily hemodialysis for acute kidney injury patients

Background: Acute kidney injury (AKI) requiring dialysis in critically ill patients is associated with an in-hospital mortality rate of 50-80 %. Extended daily hemodialysis (EHD) and high volume peritoneal dialysis (HVPD) have emerged as alternative modalities. Methods: A double-center, randomized, controlled trial was conducted comparing EHD versus HVPD for the treatment for AKI in the intensive care unit (ICU). Four hundred and seven patients were randomized and 143 patients were analyzed. Principal outcome measure was hospital mortality, and secondary end points were recovery of renal function and metabolic and fluid control. Results: There was no difference between the two groups in relation to median ICU stay [11 (5.7-20) vs. 9 (5.7-19)], recovery of kidney function (26.9 vs. 29.6 %, p = 0.11), need for chronic dialysis (9.7 vs. 6.5 %, p = 0.23), and hospital mortality (63.4 vs. 63.9 %, p = 0.94). The groups were different in metabolic and fluid control. Blood urea nitrogen (BUN), creatinine, and bicarbonate levels were stabilized faster in EHD group than in HVPD group. Delivered Kt/V and ultrafiltration were higher in EHD group. Despite randomization, there were significant differences between the groups in some covariates, including age, pre-dialysis BUN, and creatinine levels, biased in favor of the EHD. Using logistic regression to adjust for the imbalances in group assignment, the odds of death associated with HVPD was 1.4 (95 % CI 0.7-2.4, p = 0.19). A detailed investigation of the randomization process failed to explain the marked differences in patient assignment. Conclusions: Despite faster metabolic control and higher dialysis dose and ultrafiltration with EHD, this study provides no evidence of a survival benefit of EHD compared with HVPD. The limitations of this study were that the results were not presented according to the intention to treat and it did not control other supportive management strategies as nutrition support and timing of dialysis initiation that might influence outcomes in AKI. © 2012 Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht.

Toxic effects of daily applications of 10% carbamide peroxide on odontoblast-like MDPC-23 cells

Background. Tooth bleaching has been widely studied, mainly due to the possible undesirable effects that can be caused by this esthetic procedure. The cytotoxicity of the bleaching agents and its components to pulp cells has been demonstrated in several researches. The aim of this study was to evaluate the toxic effects of successive applications of 10% carbamide peroxide (CP) gel on odontoblast-like cells. Materials and methods. Enamel-dentin discs obtained from bovine incisors were adapted to artificial pulp chambers (APCs). The groups were formed as follows: G1: Without treatment (control group); G2: 10% carbamide peroxide, CP (five applications/one per day); G3: 10% CP (one unique application); and G4: 35% hydrogen peroxide, HP (three applications of 15 min each). After treatment, cell metabolism (MTT), alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity and plasma membrane damage (flow cytometry) were analyzed. Results. Reductions in cell metabolism and alkaline phosphatase activity along with severe damage of the cytoplasmic membrane were noted in G2. In G3, no damage was observed, compared to the control group. Intermediary values of toxicity were obtained after 35% HP application. Conclusion. It can be concluded that one application of 10% CP did not cause toxic effects in odontoblast-like cells, but the successive application of this product promoted severe cytotoxic effects. The daily application of the bleaching agents, such as used in the at-home bleaching technique, can increase the damages caused by this treatment to the dental pulp cells. © 2013 Informa Healthcare.

Influence of seasonal changes in daily activity and annual life cycle of Geotrigona mombuca (Hymenoptera, Apidae) in a Cerrado habitat, São Paulo, Brazil

The foraging activity of Geotrigona mombuca Smith, 1863 was studied under natural conditions aiming to verify the influence of seasonal changes on daily flight activity and annual cycle of the colony. Daily flight activity was monitored for a year based on the observation and counting of foragers leaving and entering the hive, as well as the kind of material transported and meteorological factors such as day time, temperature and relative humidity. The influence of seasonal changes was evidenced by alterations on daily rhythm of flight activity and by differences on transportation of food resources, building material and garbage. These data indicate that forager behavior is related to daily microclimate conditions and it is synchronized with the requirements of colony annual cycle, which determines an intense pollen collection in the summer. Thus, the recomposition of the intranidal population in spring and summer can be ensured, which is characterized both for a higher intensity of flight activity and increase in garbage and resin transport, as well as the swarming process in the spring. In this way, an action targeting the preservation or management of the species in a natural environment should consider that survival and reproduction of the colony depends greatly on the amount of available pollen in late winter.

Extended Daily Dialysis in Acute Kidney Injury Patients: Metabolic and Fluid Control and Risk Factors for Death

Intermittent hemodialysis (IHD) and continuous renal replacement therapies (CRRT) are used as Acute Kidney Injury (AKI) therapy and have certain advantages and disadvantages. Extended daily dialysis (EDD) has emerged as an alternative to CRRT in the management of hemodynamically unstable AKI patients, mainly in developed countries.Objectives: We hypothesized that EDD is a safe option for AKI treatment and aimed to describe metabolic and fluid control of AKI patients undergoing EDD and identify complications and risk factors associated with death.Study Selection: This is an observational and retrospective study describing introduction of EDD at our institution. A total of 231 hemodynamically unstable AKI patients (noradrenalin dose between 0.3 and 1.0 ucg/kg/min) were assigned to 1367 EDD session. EDD consisted of 6-8 h of HD 6 days a week, with blood flow of 200 ml/min, dialysate flows of 300 ml/min.Data Synthesis: Mean age was 60.6 +/- 15.8 years, 97.4% of patients were in the intensive care unit, and sepsis was the main etiology of AKI (76.2). BUN and creatinine levels stabilized after four sessions at around 38 and 2.4 mg/dl, respectively. Fluid balance decreased progressively and stabilized around zero after five sessions. Weekly delivered Kt/V was 5.94 +/- 0.7. Hypotension and filter clotting occurred in 47.5 and 12.4% of treatment session, respectively. Regarding AKI outcome, 22.5% of patients presented renal function recovery, 5.6% of patients remained on dialysis after 30 days, and 71.9% of patients died. Age and focus abdominal sepsis were identified as risk factors for death. Urine output and negative fluid balance were identified as protective factors.Conclusions: EDD is effective for AKI patients, allowing adequate metabolic and fluid control. Age, focus abdominal sepsis, and lower urine output as well as positive fluid balance after two EDD sessions were associated significantly with death.

Genome-wide association study for feedlot average daily gain in Nellore cattle (Bos indicus)

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Influence of Abiotic Factors and Floral Resource Availability on Daily Foraging Activity of Bees

In this study, the daily and seasonal influences of abiotic factors and the amount of floral resources on the foraging frequency of bees were determined. The experiments were performed, during 12 consecutive months, in the main floral sources used by bees in a secondary forest fragment. The foraging frequency of each bee species on flowers of each plant was recorded for 20-min periods, every hour. To verify whether the foraging activity is influenced by abiotic factors, Pearson's correlation analysis and linear regression tests were performed for the dominant bee species. Temperature and luminosity were the two main abiotic factors regulating foraging activities of bees. A positive correlation was found between the foraging frequency of most bees and these two variables. Conversely, the foraging activity was influenced neither by the relative humidity nor by the wind speed. The activity of each species depends on a combination of factors that include not only abiotic variables, but also the amount of floral resources available during the day, body size, and behavior of each visitor. After a certain period of the day, the scarcity of floral resources produced by most plants can stimulate the bees to forage in the flowers early in subsequent days, which may occur before the period in which the abiotic conditions are really favorable.

Dialysis complications in AKI patients treated with extended daily dialysis: is the duration of therapy important?

This trial aimed to compare the dialysis complications occurring during different durations of extended daily dialysis (EDD) sessions in critically ill AKI patients. We included patients older than 18 years with AKI associated with sepsis admitted to the intensive care unit and using noradrenaline dose ranging from 0.3 to 0.7 mu g/kg/min. Patients were divided into two groups randomly: in G1, 6 h sessions were performed and, in G2, 10 h sessions were performed. Seventy-five patients were treated with 195 EDD sessions for 18 consecutive months. The prevalence of hypotension, filter clotting, hypokalaemia, and hypophosphataemia was 82.6, 25.3, 20, and 10.6%, respectively. G1 and G2 were similar in male predominance and SOFA. There was no significant difference between the two groups in hypotension, filter clotting, hypokalaemia, and hypophosphataemia. However, the group treated with sessions of 10 hours showed higher refractory to clinical measures for hypotension and dialysis sessions were interrupted more often. Metabolic control and fluid balance were similar between G1 and G2. In conclusion, intradialysis hypotension was common in AKI patients treated with EDD. There was no difference in the prevalence of dialysis complications in patients undergoing different durations of EDD.

Daily photosynthesis, water relations, and ion concentrations of uuonymus irrigated with treated wastewater

Euonymus japonica Thunb. (euonymus) plants were submitted for 9 months to two irrigation treatments using water from different sources: a control (C) water with electrical conductivity (EC) less than 1.2 dS.m(-1) and reclaimed wastewater (RW) with EC approximate to 4 dS.m(-1). At the end of the experiment, no differences in the total dry weight were observed between treatments, whereas the leaf dry mass increased (to the detriment of the root part in RW plants). Throughout the day, the stem water potential (Psi(stem)) of the RW plants was lower than in C, whereas stomatal conductance (g(S)) was slightly reduced in RW from 0800 HR to 1200 HR, but no significant variation in photosynthesis (P-n) or energy conversion efficiency (F'(v)/F'(m)) in photosystem II was detected through the effect of salinity. Gas exchange and fluorescence showed a tendency to increase after midday in plants treated with RW. The photosynthetic behavior and fluorescence of RW plants may have been related to the nitrogen and chlorophyll content of the leaves, confirming the resistance of the photosynthetic mechanism to salinity in this species in these conditions. The toxic effects produced by high concentrations of boron (B), sodium (Na+) and chloride (Cl-) were offset by the effect of other ions like magnesium (Mg2+), potassium (K+), and phosphorus (P) in plants irrigated with RW, thus improving their physiological status without decreasing their ornamental value.

Oral impacts on the daily performance of Brazilians assessed using a sociodental approach: analyses of national data

The aim of this study was to analyze the relationship between oral diseases and their impact on the daily performance of adult and elderly Brazilians, verify the association of oral diseases with socioeconomic and demographic features, and compare the standard estimate of need with the sociodental assessment of these same needs. The authors evaluated data from 17,398 Brazilians aged between 35-44 years and 65-74 years, taken from the cross-sectional Brazilian Oral Health Survey (Saúde Bucal Brasil - SBBrasil). Regression models were applied to assess associations among impacts on daily performance and income, schooling, gender, region, use of dental services, health perception and dental disease status. McNemar’s test was applied to compare standard versus impact-related estimates of need. The prevalence ratio of these impacts was associated with the sociodemographic versus health perceptions (p < 0.001) of adults and the elderly. Adults also had impacts associated with loss of periodontal attachment (p < 0.001). The prevalence of normative needs was 95.39% for adults and 99.76% for the elderly, whereas the impact-related estimate of need was 50.92% and 43.71%, respectively. The impacted-related approach had a statistically significant association with the normative estimate of need (p < 0.001). This study showed a relationship between oral impact on daily performance of adults and educational level. Sociodemographic features were also related to the impacts on both adults and the elderly, and to health perception. The impacts among the adults were related to the loss of periodontal attachment. In addition, the authors found a sizable difference between the standard versus the sociodental approach, in that the sociodental assessment needs were lower than the needs identified by the standard estimate of need.

Prediction of genomic-enabled breeding values and genome-wide association study for feedlot average daily weight gain in Nelore cattle

Pós-graduação em Genética e Melhoramento Animal - FCAV

Antidepressant treatment decreases daily salt intake and prevents heart dysfunction following subchronic aortic regurgitation in rats

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Spatial distribution of the daily precipitation concentration index in Algeria

In this paper, the spatial and temporal distribution of the daily precipitation concentration index (CI) in Algeria (south Mediterranean Sea) has been assessed. CI is an index related to the rainfall intensity and erosive capacity; therefore, this index is of great interest for studies on torrential rainfall and floods. Forty-two daily rainfall series based on high-quality and fairly regular rainfall records for the period from 1970 to 2008 were used. The daily precipitation CI results allowed the identification of three climate zones: the northern country, characterized by coastal regions with CI values between 0.59 and 0.63; the highlands, with values between 0.57 and 0.62, except for the region of Biskra (CI = 0.70); and the southern region of the country, with high rainfall concentrations with values between 0.62 and 0.69.