Validation of the Duke Religion Index: DUREL (Portuguese Version)

The purpose of the current study was to examine the psychometric properties of the Portuguese version of the Duke Religion Index (PDUREL) in a community setting. PDUREL was translated and adapted for administration to 383 individuals from a population-based study of low-income community-dwelling adults. The PDUREL intrinsic subscale and total scores demonstrated high internal consistency (alphas ranging from 0.733 for the total scale score to 0.758 for the intrinsic subscale). Correlations among the DUREL subscales were also examined for evidence of discriminant validity. Correlations were ranging from 0.36 to 0.46, indicating significant overlap between the scales without marked redundancy. PDUREL is a reliable and valid scale. The availability of a comprehensive, but brief measure of religiousness can help to study the role of religiousness in health by researchers from countries that speak the Portuguese language.

Research Training Program: Duke University and Brazilian Society of Cardiology

Background: Research coaching program focuses on the development of abilities and scientific reasoning. For health professionals, it may be useful to increase both the number and quality of projects and manuscripts. Objective: To evaluate the initial results and implementation methodology of the Research and Innovation Coaching Program of the Research on Research group of Duke University in the Brazilian Society of Cardiology. Methods: The program works on two bases: training and coaching. Training is done online and addresses contents on research ideas, literature search, scientific writing and statistics. After training, coaching favors the establishment of a collaboration between researchers and centers by means of a network of contacts. The present study describes the implementation and initial results in reference to the years 2011-2012. Results: In 2011, 24 centers received training, which consisted of online meetings, study and practice of the contents addressed. In January 2012, a new format was implemented with the objective of reaching more researchers. In six months, 52 researchers were allocated. In all, 20 manuscripts were published and 49 more were written and await submission and/or publication. Additionally, five research funding proposals have been elaborated. Conclusion: The number of manuscripts and funding proposals achieved the objectives initially proposed. However, the main results of this type of initiative should be measured in the long term, because the consolidation of the national production of high-quality research is a virtuous cycle that feeds itself back and expands over time. (Arq Bras Cardiol 2012;99(6):1075-1081)

Cross-cultural adaptation and psychometric properties of the Brazilian-Portuguese version of the Duke Anticoagulation Satisfaction Scale

Aim. The aim of this study was to evaluate the internal reliability and validity of the BrazilianPortuguese version of Duke Anticoagulation Satisfaction Scale (DASS) among cardiovascular patients. Background. Oral anticoagulation is widely used to prevent and treat thromboembolic events in several conditions, especially in cardiovascular diseases; however, this therapy can induce dissatisfaction and reduce the quality of life. Design. Methodological and cross-sectional research design. Methods. The cultural adaptation of the DASS included the translation and back-translation, discussions with healthcare professionals and patients to ensure conceptual equivalence, semantic evaluation and instrument pretest. The BrazilianPortuguese version of the DASS was tested among subjects followed in a university hospital anticoagulation outpatient clinic. The psychometric properties were assessed by construct validity (convergent, known groups and dimensionality) and internal consistency/reliability (Cronbachs alpha). Results. A total of 180 subjects under oral anticoagulation formed the baseline validation population. DASS total score and SF-36 domain correlations were moderate for General health (r = -0.47, p < 0.01), Vitality (r = -0.44, p < 0.01) and Mental health (r = -0.42, p < 0.01) (convergent). Age and length on oral anticoagulation therapy (in years) were weakly correlated with total DASS score and most of the subscales, except Limitation (r = -0.375, p < 0.01) (Known groups). The Cronbachs alpha coefficient was 0.79 for the total scale, and it ranged from 0.76 (hassles and burdens)0.46 (psychological impact) among the domains, confirming the internal consistency reliability. Conclusions. The BrazilianPortuguese version of the DASS has shown levels of reliability and validity comparable with the original English version. Relevance to clinical practice. Healthcare practitioners and researchers need internationally validated measurement tools to compare outcomes of interventions in clinical management and research tools in oral anticoagulation therapy.

Seroprevalence of Taenia saginata cysticercosis in the federal state of Lower Saxony in Germany

Based on ELISA results from randomly selected serum samples taken from 128 cattle from different administrative and urban districts in the federal state of Lower Saxony in Germany a seroprevalence estimate of Taenia saginata cysticercosis in this area was derived. This estimate was subsequently used to calculate the sample size required in an epidemiological study to determine the actual prevalence of this infection in the cattle population (n = 2 604 767) in this federal state. The sample size was calculated as 1518 and the samples were collected according to the distribution of cattle among the 48 administrative and urban districts in Lower Saxony. The samples were tested with an evaluated antibody ELISA. The results showed a positive antibody titre rate of 8.83% from the total tested samples.

Iodine-129: Sample preparation, quality control and analyses of pre-nuclear materials and of natural waters from Lower Saxony, Germany

Sample preparation procedures for AMS measurements of 129I and 127I in environmental materials and some methodological aspects of quality assurance are discussed. Measurements from analyses of some pre-nuclear soil and thyroid gland samples and of a systematic investigation of natural waters in Lower Saxony, Germany, are described. Although the up-to-now lowest 129I/127I ratios in soils and thyroid glands were observed, they are still suspect to contamination since they are significantly higher than the pre-nuclear equilibrium ratio in the marine hydrosphere. A survey on all available 129I/127I isotopic ratios in precipitation shows a dramatic increase until the middle of the 1980s and a stabilization since 1987 at high isotopic ratios of about (3.6–8.3)×10−7. In surface waters, ratios of (57–380)×10−10 are measured while shallow ground waters show with ratios of (1.3–200)×10−10 significantly lower values with a much larger spread. The data for 129I in soils and in precipitation are used to estimate pre-nuclear and modern 129I deposition densities.

The Sicilian coinage of Henry VI - mint attributions reconsidered

The Sicilian Coinage of the Hohenstaufen has been studied since the 17th century. Today, with the splendid Medieval European Coinage 14 at our hands, scholars are still struggling when it comes to mint attributions for Henry’s Sicilian denari and taris: Palermo or Messina? Palermo and Messina? The coin finds from Monte Iato (PA) may shed light on this old problem: by starting from one coin type alone and examining the different subtypes and variants, we can catch a glimpse of the way coinage was organised in Sicily at the end of the 12th century.