Psoriasis: correlation between severity index (PASI) and quality of life index (DLQI) in patients assessed before and after systemic treatment

BACKGROUND: Psoriasis is a chronic inflammatory disease of the skin that affects patients of all ages and both genders. The impact of the disease on quality of life is greater among patients with moderate to severe psoriasis. OBJECTIVE: to establish a correlation between the psoriasis area and severity index (PASI) and the Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI) based on a quality of life questionnaire adapted to the Brazilian context for patients with plaque psoriasis before and after systemic treatment. METHODS: This was a cross-sectional, descriptive study of psoriasis patients who did not undergo treatment or who manifested clinical activity of the disease. Patients were evaluated according to the PASI and the quality of life questionnaire adapted to the Brazilian context before and 60 days after systemic treatment. RESULTS: Thirty-five patients participated in the study. Twenty-six were men, with a mean age of 46 years. There was no correlation between the PASI and the quality of life questionnaire adapted to the Brazilian context, but there was a correlation between the PASI and some items of the quality of life questionnaire adapted to the Brazilian context, such as jobs involving public contact. CONCLUSION: The non-correlation between the PASI and the quality of life questionnaire adapted to the Brazilian context in this work may be associated with a history of chronic disease, which implies greater acceptance of the illness, or may be related to the low income and social status of the patients studied. The correlation observed among patients with careers involving public contact suggests that some professions are more impacted by the disease. It may be necessary to adapt the quality of life questionnaire to patients with a low income and cultural and social limitations. The small sample size (n=35 patients) and the short follow-up period of 60 days were some of the limitations of this work.

Proposal to utilize simplified Swensen protocol in diagnosis of isolated pulmonary nodule

Background: The problem of diagnosing whether a solitary pulmonary nodule is benign or malignant is even greater in developing countries due to a higher prevalence of infectious diseases. These infections generate a large number of patients who are generally asymptomatic and with a pulmonary nodule that cannot be accurately defined as having benign or malignant etiology.Purpose: To verify the percentages of benign versus malignant non-calcified nodules, the length of time after contrast agent injection is spiral computed tomography (CT) most sensitive and specific, and whether three postcontrast phases are necessary.Material and Methods: We studied 23 patients with solitary pulmonary nodules identified on chest radiographs or CT. Spiral scans were obtained with Swensen protocol, but at 3, 4, and 5 min after contrast injection onset. Nodules were classified as benign or malignant by histopathological examination or by an absence or presence of growth after 2 years of follow-up CT.Results: Of the 23 patients studied, 18 (78.2%) showed a final diagnosis of benign and five (21.7%) malignant nodules. Despite the small sample size, we obtained results similar to those of Swensen et al., with 80.0% sensitivity, 55.5% specificity, and 60.8% accuracy. Four minutes gave the greatest mean enhancement in both malignant and benign lesions.Conclusion: Small non-calcified benign nodules were much more frequent than malignant nodules. The best time for dynamic contrast-enhanced CT density analysis was 4 min postcontrast. As well as saving time and money, this simplified Swensen protocol with only precontrast and 4 min postcontrast phases also reduces patient exposure to ionizing radiation.

Methodological Difficulties of Conducting Agroecological Studies from a Statistical Perspective

Statistical methods for analyzing agroecological data might not be able to help agroecologists to solve all of the current problems concerning crop and animal husbandry, but such methods could well help them assess, tackle, and resolve several agroecological issues in a more reliable and accurate manner. Therefore, our goal in this article is to discuss the importance of statistical tools for alternative agronomic approaches, because alternative approaches, such as organic farming, should not only be promoted by encouraging farmers to deploy agroecological techniques, but also by providing agroecologists with robust analyses based on rigorous statistical procedures.

Tamanho da amostra foliar para avaliação do estado nutricional e índice SPAD de capim-elefante irrigado para corte

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

Safety performance models for urban intersections in Brazil

This paper presents a modeling effort for developing safety performance models (SPM) for urban intersections for three major Brazilian cities. The proposed methodology for calibrating SPM has been divided into the following steps: defining the safety study objective, choosing predictive variables and sample size, data acquisition, defining model expression and model parameters and model evaluation. Among the predictive variables explored in the calibration phase were exposure variables (AADT), number of lanes, number of approaches and central median status. SPMs were obtained for three cities: Fortaleza, Belo Horizonte and Brasilia. The SPM developed for signalized intersections in Fortaleza and Belo Horizonte had the same structure and the most significant independent variables, which were AADT entering the intersection and number of lanes, and in addition, the coefficient of the best models were in the same range of values. For Brasilia, because of the sample size, the signalized and unsignalized intersections were grouped, and the AADT was split in minor and major approaches, which were the most significant variables. This paper also evaluated SPM transferability to other jurisdiction. The SPM for signalized intersections from Fortaleza and Belo Horizonte have been recalibrated (in terms of the COx) to the city of Porto Alegre. The models were adjusted following the Highway Safety Manual (HSM) calibration procedure and yielded C-x of 0.65 and 2.06 for Fortaleza and Belo Horizonte SPM respectively. This paper showed the experience and future challenges toward the initiatives on development of SPMs in Brazil, that can serve as a guide for other countries that are in the same stage in this subject. (C) 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Gene expression profiling in leiomyosarcomas and undifferentiated pleomorphic sarcomas: SRC as a new diagnostic marker

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

SEQUENTIAL SAMPLING AND MICROSATELLITES FOR EVALUATION OF THE GENETIC QUALITY IN CORN SEEDS LOTS

In the seed production system, genetic purity is one of the fundamental requirements for its commercialization. The present work had the goal of determined the sample size for genetic purity evaluation, in order to protect the seed consumer and the producer and to evaluate the sensitivity of microsatellite technique for discriminating hybrids from their respective relatives and for detecting mixtures when they are present in small amounts in the samples. For the sequential sampling, hybrid seeds were marked and mixed in with the seed lots, simulating the following levels of contamination: 0.25, 0.5, 1.0, 2.0, 4.0, and 6.0%. After this, groups of 40 seeds were taken in sequence, up to a maximum of 400 seeds, with the objective of determining the quantity of seeds necessary to detect the percentage of mixture mentioned above. The sensitivity of microsatellite technique was evaluated by mixing different proportions of DNA from the hybrids with their respective seed lines. For the level of mixture was higher than 1:8 (1P1:8P2; 8P1:1P2), the sensitivity of the marker in detecting different proportions of the mixture varied according to the primer used. In terms of the sequential sampling, it was verified that in order to detect mixture levels higher than 1% within the seed lot- with a risk level for both the producer and the consumer of 0.05- the size of the necessary sample was smaller than the size needed for the fixed sample size. This also made it possible to reduce costs, making it possible to use microsatellites to certify the genetic purity of corn seeds lots.

Polimorfismo do gene IL6 candidato à predisposição à rotura prematura de membranas pré-termo e ao trabalho de parto pré-termo

Introduction: Preterm Labor (PTL) and Preterm Premature Rupture of Membranes (PPROM) cause severe complications for both mother and fetus. Among the risk factors associated with preterm labor and PPROM, genetic predisposition has been gaining importance. However, the association between polymorphic genes and the pathogenesis of PTL and PPROM remains elusive. A better understanding of the genetic mechanisms underlying these adverse pregnancy outcomes may enable the identification of high risk patients and allow new approaches to minimize the deleterious effects of prematurity. Aim: To determine the association between maternal IL-6 polymorphism gene and the occurrence of PTL and PPROM. Patients and Methods: The study included 109 patients with prior history of PL and/or PPROM that delivered prematurely at the Obstetrical Unit Care of Botucatu Medical School, UNESP between 2003 and 2012. The control group consisted of 68 patients that delivered at term, matched to the case group by age, ethnicity, and sex of the newborn. Oral swabs (Cath-AllTM – Epicentre Biotechnologies) were collected for analysis of genetic polymorphisms by PCR. Statistical tests were performed to compare genotype, clinical and socio-demographic data from the groups. A p-value of <0.05 was considered significant. Results: The sociodemographic characteristics in both groups were homogeneously distributed. The frequency of the polymorphic allele C, associated with less production of IL-6, and therefore thought to be protective against PTL and PPROM, was 32,5% in the study group and 30,9% in the control group, without statistically significant differences. Conclusion: Considering the sample size included in this study, the frequency of the mutated allele is similar in pregnant women who delivered at term and gestational complications as PTL and PPROM

Comparando a eficácia da manta térmica com método de aquecimento passivo na prevenção de hipotermia

Hypothermia is a common phenomenon in the perioperative period, and it affects 60 to 90% of patients submitted to anesthetic-surgical procedures. In order to minimize its incidence, warming methods are used. Such methods can be passive, such as orthopedic cotton, sheets and blankets, or active, such as warm-air blankets and thermal mattresses. In this scenario, the present study aimed at comparing two warming methods used in the intraoperative period. Patients submitted to abdominal surgery in the specialties of gynecology and gastric surgery from August to September 2010 were included in the study. After randomization, they were divided into two groups: one using a thermal blanket (group I) and one using orthopedic cotton (group II). At last, 9 patients were included. The variables for each question were considered according to occurrence frequency. Comparison between groups was performed by Student’s t test. With the purpose to analyze whether there was an association, the chi-square test or Fisher’s Exact test was used. Whenever it was applicable for multiple comparisons, Tukey’s test was utilized; p values < 0.05 were considered to be statistically significant for analysis. The sample comprised 6 males and 3 females submitted to gynecological and gastric surgeries. Their mean age was 48 years for group I and 46.2 years for group II. A predominance of general anesthesia was observed. The time of permanence in the operating room ranged from 80 to 360 minutes. With regard to warming parenteral solutions, the procedure was performed on 5 patients, and infusion of warm solution into the abdominal cavity was performed on 50% of the sample. Concerning the warming method used, 5 patients used a thermal blanket. In view of the results presented, it was not possible to conclude which warming method should be used due to sample size

Condições de saúde bucal das gestantes atendidas na atenção primária do município de Botucatu-SP e seu conhecimento sobre a inportãncia da saúde bucal na gestação

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

In vitro comparison of the force degradation of orthodontic intraoral elastics from different compositions

The synthetic intermaxillary elastic emerged as an alternative for clinical use in patients with latex sensitivity. However, there are disagreements about this elastic protocol use according to the force degradation. The aim of this study was to evaluate, in vitro, the forces generated by latex and synthetic elastics over time. Material and methods: Sample size of 840 elastics were used (420 latex and 420 synthetic), delivering medium strength (Dental Morelli®) with internal diameter of 1/8", 3/16", 1/4" and 5/16". The elastics were randomly divided into 7 groups according to the time of the force measuring and immersed into distilled water at 37°C. To measure the force in each group, the elastics were stretched in six progressive increases of 100% of its internal diameter with the aid of a testing machine Emic and measured up to 72 hours. Data were analyzed with SPSS 16.0, using one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA). Results: Immediate force level of synthetic elastics was statistically higher than latex elastics in all strains, for the same size. However, the latex elastics mean forceslightly decreased over time, while the synthetic elastics presented an abrupt decrease. Conclusion: In view of these findings, Sudanese homemade alcoholic beverages cause oral epithelial atypical changes, which lead to oral precancerous and cancerous lesions. OEFC is a useful procedure for detection and assessment of oral ET.

In vitro comparison of the force degradation of orthodontic intramural elastic from different compositions

Introduction and Objective: The synthetic intermaxillary elastic emerged as an alternative for clinical use in patients with latex sensitivity. However, there are disagreements about this elastic protocol use according to the force degradation. The aim of this study was to evaluate, in vitro, the forces generated by latex and synthetic elastics over time. Material and methods: Sample size of 840 elastics were used (420 latex and 420 synthetic), delivering medium strength (Dental Morelli®) with internal diameter of 1/8”, 3/16”, 1/4” and 5/16”. The elastics were randomly divided into 7 groups according to the time of the force measuring and immersed into distilled water at 37°C. To measure the force in each group, the elastics were stretched in six progressive increases of 100% of its internal diameter with the aid of a testing machine Emic and measured up to 72 hours. Data were analyzed with SPSS 16.0, using one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA). Results: Immediate force level of synthetic elastics was statistically higher than latex elastics in all strains, for the same size. However, the latex elastics mean force slightly decreased over time, while the synthetic elastics presented an abrupt decrease. Conclusion: The synthetic elastic presented severe force degradation, jeopardizing the cost-benefit ratio, which indicates a higher replacement frequency. The latex elastic showed better mechanical performance in comparison to synthetic ones.

Outpatient versus inpatient treatment for acute pulmonary embolism

Background: Pulmonary embolism (PE) is a common life-threatening cardiovascular condition, with an incidence of 23 to 69 new cases per 100,000 people per year. Outpatient treatment instead of traditional inpatient treatment in selected non-high-risk patients with acute PE might provide several advantages, such as reduction of hospitalizations, substantial cost saving and an improvement in health-related quality of life. Objectives: To compare the efficacy and safety of outpatient versus inpatient treatment for acute PE for the outcomes of all-cause and PE-related mortality; bleeding; and adverse events such as hemodynamic instability, recurrence of PE and patients'satisfaction.Search methodsThe Cochrane Peripheral Vascular Diseases Group Trials Search Co-ordinator (TSC) searched the Specialised Register (last searched October 2014) and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL; 2014, Issue 9). The TSC also searched clinical trials databases. The review authors searched LILACS (last searched November 2014). Selection criteria: Randomized controlled trials of outpatient versus inpatient treatment in people diagnosed with acute PE. Data collection and analysis: Two review authors selected relevant trials, assessed methodological quality, and extracted and analyzed data. Main results: We included one study, involving 339 participants. We ranked the quality of the evidence as very low due to not blinding the outcome assessors, the small number of events with imprecision in the confidential interval (CI), the small sample size and it was not possible to verify publication bias. For all outcomes, the CIs were wide and included clinically significant treatment effects in both directions: short-term mortality (30 days) (RR 0.33, 95% CI 0.01 to 7.98, P = 0.49), long-term mortality (90 days) (RR 0.98, 95% CI 0.06 to 15.58, P = 0.99), major bleeding at 14 days (RR 4.91, 95% CI 0.24 to 101.57, P = 0.30) and 90 days (RR 6.88, 95% CI 0.36 to 134.14, P = 0.20), recurrent PE within 90 days (RR 2.95, 95% CI 0.12 to 71.85, P = 0.51) and participant satisfaction (RR 0.97, 95% CI 0.92 to 1.03, P = 0.30). PE-related mortality, minor bleeding, and adverse course such as hemodynamic instability and compliance were not assessed by the single included study. Authors' conclusions: Current very low quality evidence from one published randomized controlled trial did not provide sufficient evidence to assess the efficacy and safety of outpatient versus inpatient treatment for acute PE in overall mortality, bleeding and recurrence of PE adequately. Further well-conducted research is required before informed practice decisions can be made.

Influence of soil texture in the recovery of Toxocara canis eggs by a flotation method

In epidemiological surveys, the evaluation of soil contamination by Toxocara canis eggs requires a quick and easy method for the isolation of parasite eggs from soil samples. The efficiency of flotation methods is influenced by sample size, soil texture, degree of soil contamination, pretreatment, flotation solutions and time of flotation. This investigation was designed to evaluate the influence of soil texture in the recovery of T. canis eggs with the centrifugal flotation technique of Dada (Dada, B.J.O., 1979. A new technique for the recovery of Toxocara eggs from soil. J. Helminthol., 53: 141-144). Four types of soil (clay silt, sandy, silty clay and sand) were artificially contaminated with T. canis eggs (200 eggs per gram). Zinc sulphate (specific gravity 1.20) and sodium dichromate (specific gravity 1.35) were used as flotation solutions. Twenty replicated examinations were performed for each type of soil and flotation solution. There was a statistically significant difference in the results depending on soil type. The highest recovery percentages were observed in soils rich in sand (62.5% for sand and 38.0% for sandy soil). Differences were also observed with different flotation solutions. Sodium dichromate solution was more efficient for recovering T. canis eggs, regardless of the soil texture. © 1994.

Genetic diversity strategy for the management and use of rubber genetic resources: more than 1,000 wild and cultivated accessions in a 100-genotype core collection

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