Fractal correlation property of heart rate variability in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

Background: It was reported that autonomic nervous system function is altered in subjects with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). We evaluated short-and long-term fractal exponents of heart rate variability (HRV) in COPD subjects.Patients and methods: We analyzed data from 30 volunteers, who were divided into two groups according to spirometric values: COPD (n = 15) and control (n = 15). for analysis of HRV indices, HRV was recorded beat by beat with the volunteers in the supine position for 30 minutes. We analyzed the linear indices in the time (SDNN [standard deviation of normal to normal] and RMSSD [root-mean square of differences]) and frequency domains (low frequency [LF], high frequency [HF], and LF/HF), and the short-and long-term fractal exponents were obtained by detrended fluctuation analysis. We considered P < 0.05 to be a significant difference.Results: COPD patients presented reduced levels of all linear exponents and decreased short-term fractal exponent (alpha-1: 0.899 +/- 0.18 versus 1.025 +/- 0.09, P = 0.026). There was no significant difference between COPD and control groups in alpha-2 and alpha-1/alpha-2 ratio.Conclusion: COPD subjects present reduced short-term fractal correlation properties of HRV, which indicates that this index can be used for risk stratification, assessment of systemic disease manifestations, and therapeutic procedures to monitor those patients.Fundação para o Desenvolvimento da UNESP (FUNDUNESP)Univ Estadual Paulista, Fac Ciencias & Tecnol, Dept Fisioterapia, São Paulo, BrazilUniversidade Federal de São Paulo, Disciplina Cardiol, Dept Med, São Paulo, BrazilFac Med Sao Jose do Rio Preto, Dept Cardiol & Cirurgia Cardiovasc, São Paulo, BrazilUniv Estadual Londrina, Lab Pesquisa Fisioterapia Pulm, Dept Fisioterapia, Londrina, BrazilFac Med ABC, Dept Morfol & Fisiol, Santo Andre, BrazilUniversidade Federal de São Paulo, Disciplina Cardiol, Dept Med, São Paulo, BrazilFUNDUNESP: 00704/08 - DFPWeb of Scienc

MEDICINES WASTE POLICIES AND THE POPULATION KNOWLEDGE IN BRAZIL

Objective: To investigate the degree of knowledge of the patients enrolled in the Unified Health System of the Medicine School of ABC (Faculdade de Medicina do ABC) regarding the proper use and disposal of medicaments. Methods: Participants were recruited for convenience, during their medical appointments at the clinic of the Medical School of ABC (Santo André, Sao Paulo, Brazil) in the period from 04 August to 30 September 2014. Data collection was conducted through a self-administered poll designed specifically for the purpose of this study, which consisted of 25 questions multiple choice about socioeconomic issues and the subject disposal of drugs, consumption and environmental pollution. Results: We selected the 140 patients’ polls. Most of them is of white ethnicity (58%) and female (58%). Level of education: 31% have completed secondary education (31%) or incomplete graduation (19%). Most of the participants (76%) buy drugs without a prescription, and most families (76%) seek understanding by reading the labels. 71.43% reported knowing that incorrect disposal of drugs could contaminate the environment, but 78% reported never having seen or received information about these. After using, 22.15% maintains the medication at home for future use, 55% of subjects reported improper disposal sites and 13% are delivered in health care institutions. Conclusion: Our study has showed that most participants inappropriately use and dispose of drugs, even though they know they can contaminate the environment

Anti-Hypertensive Drugs Have Different Effects on Ventricular Hypertrophy Regression

OBJECTIVES: There is a direct relationship between the regression of left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) and a decreased risk of mortality. This investigation aimed to describe the effects of anti-hypertensive drugs on cardiac hypertrophy through a meta-analysis of the literature. METHODS: The Medline (via PubMed), Lilacs and Scielo databases were searched using the subject keywords cardiac hypertrophy, antihypertensive and mortality. We aimed to analyze the effect of anti-hypertensive drugs on ventricle hypertrophy. RESULTS: The main drugs we described were enalapril, verapamil, nifedipine, indapamina, losartan, angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors and atenolol. These drugs are usually used in follow up programs, however, the studies we investigated used different protocols. Enalapril (angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor) and verapamil (Ca++ channel blocker) caused hypertrophy to regress in LVH rats. The effects of enalapril and nifedipine (Ca++ channel blocker) were similar. Indapamina (diuretic) had a stronger effect than enalapril, and losartan (angiotensin II receptor type 1 (AT1) receptor antagonist) produced better results than atenolol (selective &#946;1 receptor antagonist) with respect to LVH regression. CONCLUSION: The anti-hypertensive drugs induced various degrees of hypertrophic regression

A 46,XX testicular disorder of sex development caused by a Wilms’ tumour Factorâ 1 (WT1) pathogenic variant

Peer Reviewedhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/146930/1/cge13459_am.pdfhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/146930/2/cge13459.pd

Molecular Genetic Variability, Population Structure and Mating System in Tropical Forages

Microsatellite (SSR) markers were developed for the following tropical forage species, using accessions available from the plant genetic resources (PGR) collections held by EMBRAPA (Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation): Brachiaria brizantha, B. humidicola, Panicum maximum, Paspalum spp., Stylosanthes capitata, S. guianensis, S. macrocephala, Calopogonium mucunoides and Centrosema spp. The markers were used to analyse population structure and genetic diversity, evolution and origin of the genetic variability in the centre of origin, mating systems and genetic resources in EMBRAPA’s germplasm bank. The results shed light on the amount of genetic variation within and between populations, revealed the need in some cases for further plant collection to adequately represent the species in PGR collections, allowed us to assemble core collections (subsets of the total collections) that should contain most of the available diversity and (in the case of the legumes) showed the need to avoid unwanted outcrossing when regenerating conserved material. The data will allow plant breeders to better select accessions for hybrid production, discriminate between genotypes and use marker-assisted selection in breeding programs. Our results will also underpin the construction of genetic maps, mapping of genes of agronomic interest and numerous other studies on genetic variability, population structure, gene flow and reproductive systems for the tropical forage species studied in this work

The Developmental Competence of Oocytes Retrieved from The Leading Follicle in Controlled Ovarian Stimulated Cycles

Abstract Background: This study compares the developmental capacity of gametes retrieved from the largest follicle with small follicles of a cohort in controlled ovarian stimulated cycles