What attributes do patients prefer in a family physician? A cross-sectional study in a northern region of Portugal

Objectives: To determine which modifiable and non-modifiable attributes patients prefer in a family physician, as well as to analyse participants’ characteristics associated with their choices. Design: Cross-sectional study. Setting: Family healthcare units (FHU) in the city of Braga and Barcelos (Northern Portugal). Participants: Adults aged 18 years or more, enrolled in the selected FHU. Main outcome measures: The preferred attributes were assessed with a questionnaire delivered in the FHU. These attributes included gender, age and nationality and the importance of being Portuguese, of greeting with a handshake, of welcoming in the waiting area, of using an identification badge and of wearing a white coat. Results: A total of 556 questionnaires were included in the analysis; 66% and 58% of the participants had no preference for the gender or age of the family physician, respectively. Using a multinomial logistic regression, male participants were 3.8 times more likely to have a preference for a male physician than having no preference, in comparison to female participants (OR 3.864, 95% CI 1.96 to 7.61). More than 69% of the participants considered greeting with a handshake, using an identification badge and wearing a white coat important or very important. There was a statistically significant association between being Portuguese and the major importance given to the use of an identification badge (β=0.68, 95% CI 0.23 to 1.12). Conclusions: Our data show that modifiable attributes of the family physician (greeting, presence of an identification badge and wearing a white coat) are important for patients. Potential changes in family physician attitude in consultation could ultimately affect patient–physician relationship.The authors have not declared a specific grant for this research from any funding agency in the public, commercial or not-for-profit sectors

Dynamics of early establishment of SARS-CoV-2 VOC Omicron lineages in Minas Gerais, Brazil

Brazil is one of the nations most affected by Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). The introduction and establishment of new virus variants can be related to an increase in cases and fatalities. The emergence of Omicron, the most modified SARS-CoV-2 variant, caused alarm for the public health of Brazil. In this study, we examined the effects of the Omicron introduction in Minas Gerais (MG), the second-most populous state of Brazil. A total of 430 Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) samples from November 2021 to June 2022 from Belo Horizonte (BH) city were sequenced. These newly sequenced genomes comprise 72% of all previously available SARS-CoV-2 genomes for the city. Evolutionary analysis of novel viral genomes reveals that a great diversity of Omicron sublineages have circulated in BH, a pattern in-keeping with observations across Brazil more generally. Bayesian phylogeographic reconstructions indicate that this diversity is a product of a large number of international and national importations. As observed previously, São Paulo state is shown as a significant hub for viral spread throughout the country, contributing to around 70% of all viral Omicron introductions detected in MG

Conditional expression explains molecular evolution of social genes in a microbe

Conflict is thought to play a critical role in the evolution of social interactions by promoting diversity or driving accelerated evolution. However, despite our sophisticated understanding of how conflict shapes social traits, we have limited knowledge of how it impacts molecular evolution across the underlying social genes. Here we address this problem by analyzing the genome-wide impact of social interactions using genome sequences from 67 Dictyostelium discoideum strains. We find that social genes tend to exhibit enhanced polymorphism and accelerated evolution. However, these patterns are not consistent with conflict driven processes, but instead reflect relaxed purifying selection. This pattern is most likely explained by the conditional nature of social interactions, whereby selection on genes expressed only in social interactions is diluted by generations of inactivity. This dilution of selection by inactivity enhances the role of drift, leading to increased polymorphism and accelerated evolution, which we call the Red King process

A fluidic device for the controlled formation and real-time monitoring of soft membranes self-assembled at liquid interfaces

The work was supported by the European Research Council Starting Grant (STROFUNSCAFF) and the Marie Curie Career Integration Grant (BIOMORPH). L.B. acknowledges fnancial support from the European Community through grant no. 618335 ‘FlowMat: Flow and Capillarity in Materials Science’ and ERC Starting Grant FLEXNANOFLOW no. 715475. Te authors thank Karla E. Inostroza-Brito for the constructive support in this work

Renal Involvement in Leptospirosis: The Effect of Glycolipoprotein on Renal Water Absorption

on vasopressin (Vp) action in the guinea pig inner medullary collecting duct (IMCD). Copenhageni, GLPc, n = 5); Group II, IMCD from normal guinea-pigs in the presence of GLPc (GLPc group, n = 54); Group III, IMCD from injected animals with GLPc ip (n = 8). (GLPp, non pathogenic, 250 µg) did not alter Vp action. In Group III, GLPc (250 µg) injected intraperitoneally produced a decrease of about 20% in IMCD Aquaporin 2 expression.The IMCD Pf decrease caused by GLP is evidence, at least in part, towards explaining the urinary concentrating incapacity observed in infected guinea-pigs

Exercise inhibits the effects of smoke-induced COPD involving modulation of STAT3

Purpose . Evaluate the participation of STAT3 in the e ff ects of aerobic exercise (AE) in a model of smoke-induced COPD. Methods . C57Bl/6 male mice were divided into control, Exe, COPD, and COPD+Exe groups. Smoke were administered during 90 days. Treadmill aerobic training begun on day 61 until day 90. Pulmonary in fl ammation, systemic in fl ammation, the level of lung emphysema, and the airway remodeling were evaluated. Analysis of integral and phosphorylated expression of STAT3 by airway epithelial cells, peribronchial leukocytes, and parenchymal leukocytes was performed. Results . AE inhibited smoke-induced accumulation of total cells ( p <0 001 ), lymphocytes ( p <0 001 ), and neutrophils ( p <0 001 ) in BAL, as well as BAL levels of IL- 1 β ( p <0 001 ), CXCL1 ( p <0 001 ), IL-17 ( p <0 001 ), and TNF- α ( p <0 05 ), while increased the levels of IL-10 ( p <0 001 ). AE also inhibited smoke-induced increases in total leukocytes ( p <0 001 ), neutrophils ( p <0 05 ), lymphocytes ( p <0 001 ), and monocytes ( p <0 01 ) in blood, as well as serum levels of IL-1 β ( p <0 01 ), CXCL1 ( p <0 01 ), IL-17 ( p <0 05 ), and TNF- α ( p <0 01 ), while increased the levels of IL-10 ( p <0 001 ). AE reduced smoke-induced emphysema ( p <0 001 ) and collagen fi ber accumulation in the airways ( p <0 001 ). AE reduced smoke-induced STAT3 and phospho-STAT3 expression in airway epithelial cells ( p <0 001 ), peribronchial leukocytes ( p <0 001 ), and parenchymal leukocytes ( p <0 001 ). Conclusions .AE reduces smoke-induced COPD phenotype involving STAT3