Bioelectrical impedance with different equations versus deuterium oxide dilution method for the inference of body composition in healthy older persons

There is no consensus regarding the accuracy of bioimpedance for the determination of body composition in older persons. This study aimed to compare the assessment of lean body mass of healthy older volunteers obtained by the deuterium dilution method (reference) with those obtained by two frequently used bioelectrical impedance formulas and one formula specifically developed for a Latin-American population. A cross-sectional study. Twenty one volunteers were studied, 12 women, with mean age 72 +/- 6.7 years. Urban community, Ribeiro Preto, Brazil. Fat free mass was determined, simultaneously, by the deuterium dilution method and bioelectrical impedance; results were compared. In bioelectrical impedance, body composition was calculated by the formulas of Deuremberg, Lukaski and Bolonchuck and Valencia et al. Lean body mass of the studied volunteers, as determined by bioelectrical impedance was 37.8 +/- 9.2 kg by the application of the Lukaski e Bolonchuk formula, 37.4 +/- 9.3 kg (Deuremberg) and 43.2 +/- 8.9 kg (Valencia et. al.). The results were significantly correlated to those obtained by the deuterium dilution method (41.6 +/- 9.3 Kg), with r=0.963, 0.932 and 0.971, respectively. Lean body mass obtained by the Valencia formula was the most accurate. In this study, lean body mass of older persons obtained by the bioelectrical impedance method showed good correlation with the values obtained by the deuterium dilution method. The formula of Valencia et al., developed for a Latin-American population, showed the best accuracy.

Clinical and sociodemographic factors in a sample of older subjects experiencing depressive symptoms

Objectives This study aims to determine the frequency of clinically significant depressive symptoms (CSDS) in a community sample of older Brazilians and to examine their relationship with sociodemographic factors, cognitive and functional impairment (CFI), and medical illness. Methods A total of 1145 subjects aged 60?years or older living in the City of Ribeirao Preto, State of Sao Paulo, Brazil, were interviewed. The following instruments were used: a 10-item scale for screening of depressive symptoms in older people, the mini mental state examination, the Fuld Object Memory Evaluation, the Informant Questionnaire on Cognitive Decline in the Elderly, the Bayer Activities of Daily Living Scale, and a sociodemographic and clinical questionnaire. Results The frequency of CSDS was 15.7%. Logistic regression analysis indicated that being previously depressed, having CFI, having lower level of education, using psychotropics, and not engaging in physical exercise were related to CSDS. On the other hand, being a woman, older, medically ill, employed, or married was not associated with CSDS. Conclusions Consistent with previous reports, lower education, lack of physical activity, and CFI were significantly associated with higher frequencies of CSDS. Further investigations are necessary to clarify the occurrence of depression and possible modifiable factors in developing countries such as Brazil. Copyright (C) 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Orthorexia nervosa behavior in a sample of Brazilian dietitians assessed by the Portuguese version of ORTO-15

BACKGROUND: Orthorexia nervosa (ON) is described as an obsessive pathological behavior characterized by a strong preoccupation with healthy eating and the avoidance of foods or ingredients considered unhealthy by the subject. Although it is still not officially recognized as an eating disorder, previous studies have discussed its frequency in some groups and a fifteen-question test (ORTO-15) was developed elsewhere to assess ON behavior. OBJECTIVE: The present study aimed to evaluate ON behavior in a sample of Brazilian dietitians after testing the psychometric properties of the Portuguese version of ORTO-15. METHODS: A total of 392 dietitians answered an online version of the test. The answers were analyzed regarding ON tendency, according with the scoring grid proposed by its authors. Exploratory factor analysis was performed and internal consistency was assessed. RESULTS: It was found that three questions of the test presented loadings lower than 0.5. The 12 remaining question formed 3 factors with internal consistency of -0.51, 0.63 and 0.47. The answers of the participants to these questions revealed a tendency to orthorexic behavior, mainly regarding aspects such as: making food choices conditioned by worry about health status, evaluating food rather from nutritional quality than from its taste, believing that consuming healthy food may improve appearance, discrediting the influence of mood on eating behavior and banning food choices considered by them as eating transgressions. CONCLUSION: There is no evidence of the validity and reliability of the ORTO-15 with the initial psychometric evaluation performed. Further analyses are needed. Nevertheless, it was possible to observe a high frequency of orthorexic behavior among the studied Brazilian dietitians. However, additional studies are needed to completely understand dietitians behavior toward ON. (Eat. Weight Disord. 17: e29-c35, 2012). (C) 2012, Editrice Kurtis

Coping Style and Depressive Symptomatology during Pregnancy in a Private Setting Sample

Aim: to evaluate the association of antenatal depressive symptomatology (AD) with life events and coping styles, the hypothesis was that certain coping strategies are associated to depressive symptomatology. Methods: we performed a cross sectional study of 312 women attending a private clinic in the city of Osasco, Sao Paulo from 27/05/1998 to 13/05/2002. The following instruments were used: Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), Holmes and Rahe Schedule of Recent Events (SSRS), Folkman and Lazarus Ways of Coping Questionnaire and questionnaire with social-demographic and obstetric data. Inclusion criteria: women with 110 past history of depression, psychiatric treatment, alcohol or drug abuse and no clinical-obstetrical complications. Odds ratios and 95% CI were used to examine the association between AD (according to BDI) and exposures variables. Hypothesis testing was done with chi(2) tests and a p value < .05. Results: AD occurred in 21.1% of pregnant women. By the univariate analyses, education, number of pregnancies, previous abortion, husband income, situation of marriage and score of SSRS were associated with AD. All coping styles were associated with AD, except seeking support and positive reappraisal. By the multivariate analyses, four coping styles were kept in the final model: confront (p = .039), accepting responsibility (p < .001), escape-avoidance (p = .002), problem-solving (p = .005). Conclusions: AD was highly prevalent and was associated with maladaptive coping styles.

Stigma toward schizophrenia: do all psychiatrists behave the same? Latent profile analysis of a national sample of psychiatrists in Brazil

Background: An important issue concerning the worldwide fight against stigma is the evaluation of psychiatrists’ beliefs and attitudes toward schizophrenia and mental illness in general. However, there is as yet no consensus on this matter in the literature, and results vary according to the stigma dimension assessed and to the cultural background of the sample. The aim of this investigation was to search for profiles of stigmatizing beliefs related to schizophrenia in a national sample of psychiatrists in Brazil. Methods: A sample of 1414 psychiatrists were recruited from among those attending the 2009 Brazilian Congress of Psychiatry. A questionnaire was applied in face-to-face interviews. The questionnaire addressed four stigma dimensions, all in reference to individuals with schizophrenia: stereotypes, restrictions, perceived prejudice and social distance. Stigma item scores were included in latent profile analyses; the resulting profiles were entered into multinomial logistic regression models with sociodemographics, in order to identify significant correlates. Results: Three profiles were identified. The “no stigma” subjects (n = 337) characterized individuals with schizophrenia in a positive light, disagreed with restrictions, and displayed a low level of social distance. The “unobtrusive stigma” subjects (n = 471) were significantly younger and displayed the lowest level of social distance, although most of them agreed with involuntary admission and demonstrated a high level of perceived prejudice. The “great stigma” subjects (n = 606) negatively stereotyped individuals with schizophrenia, agreed with restrictions and scored the highest on the perceived prejudice and social distance dimensions. In comparison with the first two profiles, this last profile comprised a significantly larger number of individuals who were in frequent contact with a family member suffering from a psychiatric disorder, as well as comprising more individuals who had no such family member. Conclusions: Our study not only provides additional data related to an under-researched area but also reveals that psychiatrists are a heterogeneous group regarding stigma toward schizophrenia. The presence of different stigma profiles should be evaluated in further studies; this could enable anti-stigma initiatives to be specifically designed to effectively target the stigmatizing group.

Impact of diabetes mellitus on arterial stiffness in a representative sample of an urban Brazilian population

Background Independent of other cardiovascular (CV) risk factors, increased arterial stiffness has been established as a predictor of morbidity and mortality. The main aim of this study was to investigate the impact of diabetes on arterial stiffness in a representative sample of an urban Brazilian population plus Amerindians. Methods A total of 1,415 individuals from the general population were randomly selected plus 588 Amerindians from a native community in Brazil. In addition, a sub-sample of 380 individuals from the general population had 5-year follow-up data. Pulse wave velocity (PWV) was measured with a non-invasive automatic device (Complior, Colson; Garges les Gonesses, France) and increased arterial stiffness was defined as PWV ≥ 12 m/s. Results In the overall group, diabetic individuals had higher frequencies of increased arterial stiffness and hypertension. They also had higher values of PWV, body mass index, total cholesterol, triglycerides, systolic and diastolic blood pressures compared to non-diabetic individuals (p < 0.01). In an analysis stratified by hypertension, PWV values and increased arterial stiffness frequency were higher in diabetic individuals in both groups (hypertensive and non-hypertensive) (p < 0.05). Furthermore, higher risk for increased arterial stiffness was observed in the diabetic individuals from the overall group (OR = 2.27; CI = 1.47-3.52, p < 0.001) and from the hypertensive group (OR = 2.70; CI = 1.58-4.75, p < 0.001), adjusted for covariates. Regarding the ethnic stratification, diabetic individuals from Amerindian, White, and Mulatto (mixed-race) groups had higher PWV values and a greater frequency of increased arterial stiffness compared to non-diabetic individuals. Both diabetic and non-diabetic individuals had higher PWV values after 5 years. There was no significant difference in the 5-year PWV progression in diabetic compared to non-diabetic individuals. Conclusions These results confirm, in a sample of Brazilian population, that the presence of diabetes is associated with increased arterial stiffness and it may contribute in part to increased cardiovascular risk in diabetic patients.

Taxonomical study on a sample of pulmonates from Santa Maria da Vitória, Bahia, Brazil, with description of a new genus and four new species (Mollusca: Orthalicidae and Megalobulimidae)

A sample of Pulmonata collected in Santa Maria da Vitória, interior of Bahia, Brazil, in Caatinga semi-arid environment, is studied taxonomically. From the five species, four are revealed as new, including a new genus. The new taxa are the Bulimulidae (1) Kora corallina gen. et sp. n. characterized by the elongated shell with aperture somewhat dislocated from the shell axis, and an oblique tooth in middle level of inner lip; (2) Spixia coltrorum, mainly characterized by an uneven spire, delicate sculpture and peristome with 4 equidistant teeth; (3) Anostoma tessa, mainly characterized by a broad spire and well-developed anal canal; and the Megalobulimidae (4) Megalobulimus amandus, mainly characterized by pointed protoconch sculptured by dense quantity of axial cords. Rhinus suturalis is the only previously known species, but its geographic distribution is expanded southwards to Bahia state. A discussion with respect to necessity for improving the study on the malacofauna from the interior region of the Brazilian Northeast and the importance for preservation of the Caatinga biome is also provided.

Isotope determination of sulfur by mass spectrometry in soil samples

Sulphur plays an essential role in plants and is one of the main nutrients in several metabolic processes. It has four stable isotopes (32S, 33S, 34S, and 36S) with a natural abundance of 95.00, 0.76, 4.22, and 0.014 in atom %, respectively. A method for isotopic determination of S by isotope-ratio mass spectrometry (IRMS) in soil samples is proposed. The procedure involves the oxidation of organic S to sulphate (S-SO4(2-)), which was determined by dry combustion with alkaline oxidizing agents. The total S-SO4(2-) concentration was determined by turbidimetry and the results showed that the conversion process was adequate. To produce gaseous SO2 gas, BaSO4 was thermally decomposed in a vacuum system at 900 ºC in the presence of NaPO3. The isotope determination of S (atom % 34S atoms) was carried out by isotope ratio mass spectrometry (IRMS). In this work, the labeled material (K2(34)SO4) was used to validate the method of isotopic determination of S; the results were precise and accurate, showing the viability of the proposed method.

BDNF gene polymorphism, cognition and symptom severity in a Brazilian population-based sample of first-episode psychosis subjects

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the influence of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) gene variations on cognitive performance and clinical symptomatology in first-episode psychosis (FEP). METHODS: We performed BDNF val66met variant genotyping, cognitive testing (verbal fluency and digit spans) and assessments of symptom severity (as assessed with the PANSS) in a population-based sample of FEP patients (77 with schizophreniform psychosis and 53 with affective psychoses) and 191 neighboring healthy controls. RESULTS: There was no difference in the proportion of Met allele carriers between FEP patients and controls, and no significant influence of BDNF genotype on cognitive test scores in either of the psychosis groups. A decreased severity of negative symptoms was found in FEP subjects that carried a Met allele, and this finding reached significance for the subgroup with affective psychoses (p < 0.01, ANOVA). CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that, in FEP, the BDNF gene Val66Met polymorphism does not exert a pervasive influence on cognitive functioning but may modulate the severity of negative symptoms.

Gender differences in drinking patterns and alcohol-related problems in a community sample in São Paulo, Brazil

OBJECTIVE: To investigate drinking patterns and gender differences in alcohol-related problems in a Brazilian population, with an emphasis on the frequency of heavy drinking. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted with a probability adult household sample (n = 1,464) in the city of São Paulo, Brazil. Alcohol intake and ICD-10 psychopathology diagnoses were assessed with the Composite International Diagnostic Interview 1.1. The analyses focused on the prevalence and determinants of 12-month nonheavy drinking, heavy episodic drinking (4-5 drinks per occasion), and heavy and frequent drinking (heavy drinking at least 3 times/week), as well as associated alcohol-related problems according to drinking patterns and gender. RESULTS: Nearly 22% (32.4% women, 8.7% men) of the subjects were lifetime abstainers, 60.3% were non-heavy drinkers, and 17.5% reported heavy drinking in a 12-month period (26.3% men, 10.9% women). Subjects with the highest frequency of heavy drinking reported the most problems. Among subjects who did not engage in heavy drinking, men reported more problems than did women. A gender convergence in the amount of problems was observed when considering heavy drinking patterns. Heavy and frequent drinkers were twice as likely as abstainers to present lifetime depressive disorders. Lifetime nicotine dependence was associated with all drinking patterns. Heavy and frequent drinking was not restricted to young ages. CONCLUSIONS: Heavy and frequent episodic drinking was strongly associated with problems in a community sample from the largest city in Latin America. Prevention policies should target this drinking pattern, independent of age or gender. These findings warrant continued research on risky drinking behavior, particularly among persistent heavy drinkers at the non-dependent level.

Dilution and dispersión of Gran Canaria desalinitation plant brine discharge: influence on seagrass meadows and potential corrective measures

Programa de doctorado en oceanografía

A spectroscopic and photometric study of stellar populations in a sample of clusters in the Magellanic Clouds

This Ph.D. Thesis has been carried out in the framework of a long-term and large project devoted to describe the main photometric, chemical, evolutionary and integrated properties of a representative sample of Large and Small Magellanic Cloud (LMC and SMC respectively) clusters. The globular clusters system of these two Irregular galaxies provides a rich resource for investigating stellar and chemical evolution and to obtain a detailed view of the star formation history and chemical enrichment of the Clouds. The results discussed here are based on the analysis of high-resolution photometric and spectroscopic datasets obtained by using the last generation of imagers and spectrographs. The principal aims of this project are summarized as follows: • The study of the AGB and RGB sequences in a sample of MC clusters, through the analysis of a wide near-infrared photometric database, including 33 Magellanic globulars obtained in three observing runs with the near-infrared camera SOFI@NTT (ESO, La Silla). • The study of the chemical properties of a sample of MCs clusters, by using optical and near-infrared high-resolution spectra. 3 observing runs have been secured to our group to observe 9 LMC clusters (with ages between 100 Myr and 13 Gyr) with the optical high-resolution spectrograph FLAMES@VLT (ESO, Paranal) and 4 very young (<30 Myr) clusters (3 in the LMC and 1 in the SMC) with the near-infrared high-resolution spectrograph CRIRES@VLT. • The study of the photometric properties of the main evolutive sequences in optical Color- Magnitude Diagrams (CMD) obtained by using HST archive data, with the final aim of dating several clusters via the comparison between the observed CMDs and theoretical isochrones. The determination of the age of a stellar population requires an accurate measure of the Main Sequence (MS) Turn-Off (TO) luminosity and the knowledge of the distance modulus, reddening and overall metallicity. For this purpose, we limited the study of the age just to the clusters already observed with high-resolution spectroscopy, in order to date only clusters with accurate estimates of the overall metallicity.

Indagine sulla presenza di Helicobacter pullorum in allevamenti avicoli italiani

From September 2005 to December 2006, in order to define the prevalence of Helicobacter pullorum in broiler chickens, laying hens and turkey, a total of 365 caecum contents of animals reared in 76 different farms were collected at the slaughterhouse. A caecum content of a ostrich was also sampled. In addition, with the aim of investigating the occurrence of H. pullorum in humans, 151 faeces were collected at the Sant’Orsola-Malpighi University Hospital of Bologna from patients suffering of gastroenteritis. A modified Steele–McDermott membrane filter method was used. Gram-negative curved rod bacteria were preliminary identified as H. pullorum by a PCR assay based on 16S rRNA, then subjected to a RFLP-PCR assay to distinguish between H. pullorum and H. canadensis. One isolate from each farm was randomly selected for phenotypic characterization by biochemical methods and 1D SDSPAGE analysis of whole cell proteins profiles. Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) for seven different antibiotics were also determined by agar dilution method. Moreover, to examine the intraspecific genomic variability, two strains isolated from 17 different farms were submitted to genotyping by Pulse-Field Gel Electrophoresis (PFGE). In order to assess the molecular basis of fluorquinolone resistance in H. pullorum, gyrA of H. pullorum CIP 104787T was sequenced and nucleotide sequences of the Quinolone Resistance Determining Region (QRDR) of a total of 18 poultry isolates, with different MIC values for ciprofloxacin and nalidixic acid, were compared. According to the PCR and PCR-RFLP results, 306 out of 366 animals examined were positive for H. pullorum (83,6%) and 96,1% of farms resulted infected. All positive samples showed a high number of colonies (>50) phenotipically consistent with H. pullorum on the first isolation media, which suggests that this microrganism, when present, colonizes the poultry caecum at an elevate load. No human sample resulted positive for H. pullorum. The 1D SDS-PAGE whole protein profile analysis showed high similarity among the 74 isolates tested and with the type strain H. pullorum CIP 104787T. Regarding the MIC values, a monomodal distribution was found for ampicillin, chloramphenicol, gentamicin and nalidixic acid, whereas a bimodal trend was noticed for erythromycin, ciprofloxacin and tetracycline (indicating an acquired resistance for these antibiotics). Applying the breakpoints indicated by the CSLI, we may assume that all the H. pullorum tested are sensitive only to gentamicin. The intraspecific genomic variability observed in this study confirm that this species don’t have a clonal population structure, as motioned by other autors. The 2490 bp gyrA gene of H. pullorum CIP104787T with an Open Reading Frame (ORF) encoding a polypeptide of 829 amino acids was for the first time sequenced and characterized. All ciprofloxacin resistant poultry isolates showed ACA®ATA (Thr®Ile) substitution at codon 84 of gyrA corresponding to codons of gyrA 86, 87 and 83 of the Campylobacter jejuni, H. pylori and Escherichia coli, respectively. This substitution was functionally confirmed to be associated with the ciprofloxacin resistant phenotype of poultry isolates. This is the first report of isolation of H. pullorum in turkey and in ostrich, indicating that poultry species are the reservoir of this potential zoonotic microorganisms. In order to understand the potential role as food-borne human pathogen of H. pullorum, further studies must be carried on.

Entwicklung eines Verfahrens zur Ultraspurenbestimmung der Platingruppenelemente in Umwelt- und geologischen Proben mit einem ICP-QMS unter Verwendung der Isotopenverdünnungsanalyse sowie geeigneter Separationstechniken

ZusammenfassungSchwerpunkt dieser Arbeit war die Verfahrensentwicklung zur Ultraspurenbestimmung der Platingruppenelemente (PGE) in Umwelt- und geologischen Proben unter Verwendung der massenspektrometrischen Isotopenverdünnungsanalyse mit anschließender Bestimmung an einem Quadrupol ICP-MS (ICP-QMSIVA). Geeignete Separationstechniken in der Probenaufbereitung, um die PGE von der Matrix der untersuchten Proben zu trennen, stellten eine richtige und präzise Bestimmung der Ultraspuren an einem Quadrupol ICP-MS sicher.Das Verfahren konnte anhand von geologischen Referenzmaterialien aus Kanada sichergestellt werden. Gerade die Wiederholungsbestimmungen der verschiedenen Referenzmaterialien unter Verwendung des ICP-QMSIVA Verfahrens sind beispiellos und in dieser Form noch nicht in der Literatur beschrieben. Durch systematische Messungen konnten Richtigkeit und Präzision des Verfahrens bestätigt werden und die Inhomogenität des Referenzmaterials UMT-1 bezüglich Pt bewiesen werden. Das in dieser Arbeit entwickelte Verfahren zur Ultraspurenbestimmung der PGE mit ICP-QMSIVA wurde im Rahmen des Projektes 'Production and certification of a road dust reference material for platinum, palladium and rhodium (PGEs) in automative catalytic converters (PACEPAC)' der Europäischen Union zur Zertifizierung von zwei Referenzmaterialien für Umweltproben eingesetzt. Hierbei wurde bei der Zertifizierung ('intercomparison round') eine sehr gute Übereinstimmung der Ergebnisse mit dem gewichteten Mittelwert der Ergebnisse für Pd und Pt mit den übrigen teilnehmenden Laboratorien festgestellt. Die mit der hier entwickelten Methode erhaltenen Ergebnisse wurden ohne Ausnahme für alle gemessenen Elemente zur Zertifizierung herangezogen. Damit leistete die vorliegende Arbeit einen erheblichen Beitrag zum erfolgreichen Abschluß dieses Projekts. Den Erwartungen hinsichtlich Richtigkeit und Reproduzierbarkeit des entwickelten Verfahrens wurde somit voll entsprochen. Erneut konnte die große Bedeutung der Isotopenverdünnungstechnik für die Zertifizierung von Referenzmaterialien aufgezeigt werden, da mit dieser Technik bei sachgerechtem Einsatz Ergebnisse hoher Richtigkeit erzielt werden. Durch vergleichende Messungen mit der NiS-Dokimasie und NAA, die in einer Kooperation mit dem Kernchemischen Institut der Universität Mainz durchgeführt wurden, und dem hier verwendeten Verfahren, konnten übereinstimmende Daten, hinsichtlich der Abnahme der Konzentrationen von Pd und Pt in Abhängigkeit von der Entfernung zu einer Autobahn, erzielt werden. Diese Arbeit und die Forschungsergebnisse, die mit der anerkannten NAA erzielt wurden, zeigen, daß die PGE durch Katalysatoren von Automobilen überwiegend metallisch emittiert werden. Der anthropogene Eintrag der PGE in die Umwelt kann mit dem ICP-QMSIVA Verfahren weiterhin sehr gut verfolgt werden.