Racial/ethnic heterogeneity in associations of blood pressure and incident cardiovascular disease by functional status in a prospective cohort: the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis.

OBJECTIVES:Research has demonstrated that the association between high blood pressure and outcomes is attenuated among older adults with functional limitations, compared with healthier elders. However, it is not known whether these patterns vary by racial/ethnic group. We evaluated race/ethnicity-specific patterns of effect modification in the association between blood pressure and incident cardiovascular disease (CVD) by functional status. SETTING:We used data from the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (2002-2004, with an average of 8.8 years of follow-up for incident CVD). We assessed effect modification of systolic blood pressure and cardiovascular outcomes by self-reported physical limitations and by age. PARTICIPANTS:The study included 6117 participants (aged 46 to 87; 40% white, 27% black, 22% Hispanic and 12% Chinese) who did not have CVD at the second study examination (when self-reported physical limitations were assessed). OUTCOME MEASURES:Incident CVD was defined as an incident myocardial infarction, coronary revascularisation, resuscitated cardiac arrest, angina, stroke (fatal or non-fatal) or death from CVD. RESULTS:We observed weaker associations between systolic blood pressure (SBP) and CVD among white adults with physical limitations (incident rate ratio (IRR) per 10 mm Hg higher SBP: 1.09 (95% CI 0.99 to 1.20)) than those without physical limitations (IRR 1.29 (1.19, 1.40); P value for interaction <0.01). We found a similar pattern among black adults. Poor precision among the estimates for Hispanic or Chinese participants limited the findings in these groups. The attenuated associations were consistent across both multiplicative and additive scales, though physical limitations showed clearer patterns than age on an additive scale. CONCLUSION:Attenuated associations between high blood pressure and incident CVD were observed for blacks and whites with poor function, though small sample sizes remain a limitation for identifying differences among Hispanic or Chinese participants. Identifying the characteristics that distinguish those in whom higher SBP is associated with less risk of morbidity or mortality may inform our understanding of the consequences of hypertension among older adults

Contextual Conditions of Ecological Consumerism: A Food-Purchasing Survey

This study seeks to develop an ecological consumption measure based on the Rasch model. At the same time, it also intends to detect contextual conditions that constrain specific food purchases recognized as environmentally significant behaviors. Moreover, it provides information about the environmental impact and consequences of the behaviors that constitute the proposed measure. Questionnaire data from 547 Swiss residents are used to test three classes of contextual conditions: consumer’s socioeconomic characteristics, consumer’s living circumstances, and store characteristics. With differential performance probabilities as the source of information to detect effective contextual influences on ecological behavior, the findings suggest that ecological consumption is rather susceptible to store and household characteristics but not to socioeconomic features. Furthermore, the conditions under consideration are not uniformly supporting or inhibiting. Instead, they appear to inhibit some behaviors while facilitating others

Elaboração de cartilha educativa para orientar autocuidado aos portadores de úlcera venosa: experiência da extensão na promoção em saúde

Anais do 35º Seminário de Extensão Universitária da Região Sul - Área temática: saúdeA úlcera venosa é o tipo de lesão de perna que mais acomete indivíduos com mais de 60 anos, sendo as recidivas frequentes. O objetivo desta extensão foi elaborar uma Cartilha Educativa para orientar o autocuidado e promover a educação em saúde entre usuários com úlcera venosa. Para a elaboração foi realizada busca na literatura de conceitos e cuidados para as úlceras venosas. Após, foi estabelecida uma conversa com os usuários portadores destas lesões, em Centro Especializado em Feridas em Porto Alegre - RS, sobre quais os cuidados eles consideravam prioritários. Na sequência, a cartilha foi validada por enfermeiros do serviço, pois esse material será adotado em práticas educativas com usuários. A cartilha foi confeccionada de forma explicativa, com linguagem clara e objetiva, em formato de livreto, incluindo tópicos nas categorias: conceito de úlceras venosas; quem possui maior predisposição para ter úlceras venosas; problemas que dificultam a cicatrização da lesão; o que eu, que tenho úlcera venosa, posso fazer para ajudar na melhora e cicatrização da lesão. A iniciativa buscou promover o envolvimento dos usuários com úlcera venosa no seu autocuidado, de forma a implantar a promoção à saúde. A elaboração e disponibilização de Cartilha Educativa pode ser uma ferramenta relevante para favorecer a comunicação entre enfermeiro, usuário e familiares, com fornecimento de informações acessíveis, simples e úteis que instrumentalizem para o autocuidado e incentivem a participação ativa no processo de cuidado da lesã

Sistema integrado de desalación por energías renovables sin emisión de salmuera

Los efectos medioambientales son uno de los principales problemas de las instalaciones de desalación de agua de modo masivo. Para alcanzar el objetivo ideal de evitar la descarga de salmuera de rechazo en la desalación de agua de mar, la sal debe ser completamente separada del agua, obteniéndola como un producto secundario de valor económico. Si además no se desea aumentar las emisiones de CO2, la energía necesaria debe extraerse de una combinación de fuentes renovables. Este trabajo presenta un análisis de un esquema integrado de desalación consistente en dos subsistemas secuenciales: una planta de destilación multiefecto (MED) y un ciclo evaporativo por compresión mecánica de vapor (CMV). La energía se obtiene de varias turbinas eólicas y de un campo de colectores solares. El sistema diseñado produce 100 m3/h de agua dulce con total separación de la sal y el agua. El consumo energético estimado es de 2.362 Kwt-h por el sistema MED y 1.944 Kwe-h por el CMV. Al utilizar energías renovables la reducción de emisiones de CO2 a la atmósfera al año es de 8.957 Tn debidas al consumo eléctrico y 6.584 Tn al consumo térmico. Se ha realizado un estudio preliminar de la inversión, la amortización y los costes de explotación del sistema completo. Teniendo en cuenta los precios de la venta de la energía producida y de la sal, el precio del agua sería de 0,59 €/m3. Con una subvención inicial del 35%, se podría reducir a 0,41 €/m3

Mixed infections with Chlamydia and porcine epidemic diarrhea virus - a new in vitro model of chlamydial persistence

BACKGROUND: Chlamydiae induce persistent infections, which have been associated with a wide range of chronic diseases in humans and animals. Mixed infections with Chlamydia and porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV) may result in generation of persistent chlamydial infections. To test this hypothesis, an in vitro model of dual infection with cell culture-adapted PEDV and Chlamydia abortus or Chlamydia pecorum in Vero cells was established. RESULTS: Infected cultures were investigated by immunofluorescence (IF), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and re-infection experiments. By IF, Chlamydia-infected cells showed normal inclusions after 39 hpi. Dual infections with Chlamydia abortus revealed a heterogenous mix of inclusion types including small inclusions consisting of aberrant bodies (ABs), medium-sized inclusions consisting of ABs and reticulate bodies and normal inclusions. Only aberrant inclusions were observable in dual infection experiments with Chlamydia pecorum and PEDV. TEM examinations of mixed infections with Chlamydia abortus and Chlamydia pecorum revealed aberrant chlamydial inclusions containing reticulate-like, pleomorphic ABs, which were up to 2 microm in diameter. No re-differentiation into elementary bodies (EBs) was detected. In re-infection experiments, co-infected cells produced fewer EBs than monoinfected cells. CONCLUSIONS: In the present study we confirm that PEDV co-infection alters the developmental cycle of member species of the family Chlamydiaceae, in a similar manner to other well-described persistence induction methods. Interestingly, this effect appears to be partially species-specific as Chlamydia pecorum appears more sensitive to PEDV co-infection than Chlamydia abortus, as evidenced by TEM and IF observations of a homogenous population of aberrant inclusions in PEDV - Chlamydia pecorum co-infections

Laboratoire de démographie historique – LDH

Wolfgang Kaiser, directeur d’étudesMarie-Carmen Smyrnelis, ingénieur de rechercheIsik Tamdogan, chargée de recherche au CNRS Proximité et distance dans la vie urbaine Le séminaire a réuni des étudiants de master de l’Université Paris-I et des doctorants, postdoctorants et chercheurs de l’EHESS et d’autres institutions. Il a été consacré au thème « Proximité et distance dans la vie urbaine ». La ville est considérée par les sociologues comme une machine d’inclusion et de synchronisation qui pe..

Laboratoire de démographie historique – LDH

Wolfgang Kaiser, directeur d’étudesMarie-Carmen Smyrnelis, ingénieur de rechercheIsik Tamdogan, chargée de recherche au CNRS Proximité et distance dans la vie urbaine Le séminaire a réuni des étudiants de master de l’Université Paris-I et des doctorants, postdoctorants et chercheurs de l’EHESS et d’autres institutions. Il a été consacré au thème « Proximité et distance dans la vie urbaine ». La ville est considérée par les sociologues comme une machine d’inclusion et de synchronisation qui pe..

Bone marrow-derived multipotent mesenchymal stromal cells from horses after euthanasia

Abstract Allogeneic equine multipotent mesenchymal stromal cells (eMSCs) have been proposed for use in regenerative therapies in veterinary medicine. A source of allogeneic eMSCs might be the bone marrow from euthanized horses. The purpose of this study was to compare in vitro characteristics of equine bone marrow derived eMSC (eBM-MSCs) from euthanized horses (eut-MSCs) and from narcotized horses (nar-MSCs). Eut-MSCs and nar-MSCs showed typical eMSC marker profiles (positive: CD44, CD90; negative: CD11a/CD18 and MHCII) and possessed tri-lineage differentiation characteristics. Although CD105 and MHCI expression varied, no differences were detected between eut-MSCs and nar-MSCs. Proliferation characteristics did not differ between eut-MSCs and nar-MSCs, but age dependent decrease in proliferation and increase in MHCI expression was detected. These results suggest the possible use of eut-MSCs for therapeutic applications and production of commercial available eBM-MSC products

Ovine Enzootic Abortion (OEA): a comparison of antibody responses in vaccinated and naturally-infected swiss sheep over a two year period

Background Prevention and control of ovine enzootic abortion (OEA) can be achieved by application of a live vaccine. In this study, five sheep flocks with different vaccination and infection status were serologically tested using a competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (cELISA) specific for Chlamydophila (Cp.) abortus over a two-year time period. Results Sheep in Flock A with recent OEA history had high antibody values after vaccination similar to Flock C with natural Cp. abortus infections. In contrast, OEA serology negative sheep (Flock E) showed individual animal-specific immunoreactions after vaccination. Antibody levels of vaccinated ewes in Flock B ranged from negative to positive two and three years after vaccination, respectively. Positive antibody values in the negative control Flock D (without OEA or vaccination) are probably due to asymptomatic intestinal infections with Cp. abortus. Excretion of the attenuated strain of Cp. abortus used in the live vaccine through the eye was not observed in vaccinated animals of Flock E. Conclusion The findings of our study indicate that, using serology, no distinction can be made between vaccinated and naturally infected sheep. As a result, confirmation of a negative OEA status in vaccinated animals by serology cannot be determined