Caracterizacao do consumo de sal entre hipertensos segundo fatores sociodemograficos e clinicos

OBJECTIVE: to evaluate the relationship between the behaviors of salt consumption and socio-demographic and clinical variables. METHOD: sodium consumption was evaluated using the methods: self-reporting (considering 3 different behaviors related to salt consumption), 24- hr dietary recall, discretionary salt, food frequency questionnaire, estimation of total sodium intake and 24-hr urinary excretion of sodium (n=108). RESULTS: elevated salt intake according to the different measurements of consumption of the nutrient was associated with the variables: male sex, low level of schooling and monthly income, being Caucasian, and being professionally inactive; and with the clinical variables: elevated Body Mass Index, tensional levels, ventricular hypertrophy and the number of medications used. CONCLUSION: the data obtained shows a heterogenous association between the different behaviors related to salt consumption and the socio-demographic and clinical variables. This data can be used to optimize the directing of educational activities with a view to reducing salt consumption among hypertensives.OBJETIVO: evaluar la relación entre los comportamientos de consumo de sal y variables sociodemográficas y clínicas. MÉTODO: el consumo de sodio fue evaluado según los métodos: de autorrelato (objetivando 3 diferentes comportamientos relacionados al consumo de sal), recordatorio de 24h, sal per cápita, cuestionario de frecuencia alimentaria, estimativa de consumo total de sodio y excreción urinaria de sodio (n=108). RESULTADOS: el consumo elevado de sal según las diferentes medidas de consumo del nutriente fue asociado a las variables: sexo masculino, bajo nivel de escolaridad y de renta mensual, color blanco, inactividad profesional y a las variables clínicas: Índice de Masa Corporal elevada, niveles de tensión, indicadores de hipertrofia ventricular y número de medicaciones utilizadas. CONCLUSIÓN: los datos obtenidos muestran una asociación heterogénea entre los diferentes comportamientos relacionados al consumo de sal y a las variables sociodemográficas y clínicas. Estos datos pueden ser utilizados para optimizar la orientación de las actividades educativas objetivando la reducción del consumo de sal entre hipertensos.OBJETIVO: avaliar a relação entre os comportamentos de consumo de sal e variáveis sociodemográficas e clínicas. MÉTODO: o consumo de sódio foi avaliado segundo os métodos: de autorrelato (visando 3 diferentes comportamentos relacionados ao consumo de sal), recordatório de 24h, sal per capita, questionário de frequência alimentar, estimativa de consumo total de sódio e excreção urinária de sódio (n=108). RESULTADOS: o consumo elevado de sal, segundo as diferentes medidas de consumo do nutriente foi associado às variáveis: sexo masculino, baixo nível de escolaridade e de renda mensal, cor branca, inatividade profissional e às variáveis clínicas: índice de massa corpórea elevada, níveis tensionais, indicadores de hipertrofia ventricular e número de medicações utilizadas. CONCLUSÃO: os dados obtidos mostram uma associação heterogênea entre os diferentes comportamentos relacionados ao consumo de sal e às variáveis sociodemográficas e clínicas. Esses dados podem ser utilizados para otimizar o direcionamento das atividades educativas, visando a redução do consumo de sal entre hipertensos

Mitochondrial genome sequence analysis: A custom bioinformatics pipeline substantially improves Affymetrix MitoChip v2.0 call rate and accuracy

BACKGROUND: Mitochondrial genome sequence analysis is critical to the diagnostic evaluation of mitochondrial disease. Existing methodologies differ widely in throughput, complexity, cost efficiency, and sensitivity of heteroplasmy detection. Affymetrix MitoChip v2.0, which uses a sequencing-by-genotyping technology, allows potentially accurate and high-throughput sequencing of the entire human mitochondrial genome to be completed in a cost-effective fashion. However, the relatively low call rate achieved using existing software tools has limited the wide adoption of this platform for either clinical or research applications. Here, we report the design and development of a custom bioinformatics software pipeline that achieves a much improved call rate and accuracy for the Affymetrix MitoChip v2.0 platform. We used this custom pipeline to analyze MitoChip v2.0 data from 24 DNA samples representing a broad range of tissue types (18 whole blood, 3 skeletal muscle, 3 cell lines), mutations (a 5.8 kilobase pair deletion and 6 known heteroplasmic mutations), and haplogroup origins. All results were compared to those obtained by at least one other mitochondrial DNA sequence analysis method, including Sanger sequencing, denaturing HPLC-based heteroduplex analysis, and/or the Illumina Genome Analyzer II next generation sequencing platform. RESULTS: An average call rate of 99.75% was achieved across all samples with our custom pipeline. Comparison of calls for 15 samples characterized previously by Sanger sequencing revealed a total of 29 discordant calls, which translates to an estimated 0.012% for the base call error rate. We successfully identified 4 known heteroplasmic mutations and 24 other potential heteroplasmic mutations across 20 samples that passed quality control. CONCLUSIONS: Affymetrix MitoChip v2.0 analysis using our optimized MitoChip Filtering Protocol (MFP) bioinformatics pipeline now offers the high sensitivity and accuracy needed for reliable, high-throughput and cost-efficient whole mitochondrial genome sequencing. This approach provides a viable alternative of potential utility for both clinical diagnostic and research applications to traditional Sanger and other emerging sequencing technologies for whole mitochondrial genome analysis

SARS-CoV-2 infection and replication in human gastric organoids

COVID-19 typically manifests as a respiratory illness, but several clinical reports have described gastrointestinal symptoms. This is particularly true in children in whom gastrointestinal symptoms are frequent and viral shedding outlasts viral clearance from the respiratory system. These observations raise the question of whether the virus can replicate within the stomach. Here we generate gastric organoids from fetal, pediatric, and adult biopsies as in vitro models of SARS-CoV-2 infection. To facilitate infection, we induce reverse polarity in the gastric organoids. We find that the pediatric and late fetal gastric organoids are susceptible to infection with SARS-CoV-2, while viral replication is significantly lower in undifferentiated organoids of early fetal and adult origin. We demonstrate that adult gastric organoids are more susceptible to infection following differentiation. We perform transcriptomic analysis to reveal a moderate innate antiviral response and a lack of differentially expressed genes belonging to the interferon family. Collectively, we show that the virus can efficiently infect the gastric epithelium, suggesting that the stomach might have an active role in fecal-oral SARS-CoV-2 transmission.Several clinical reports have described gastrointestinal symptoms for COVID-19, though whether the virus can replicate within the stomach remains unclear. Here the authors generate gastric organoids from human biopsies and show that the virus can efficiently infect gastric epithelium, suggesting that the stomach might have an active role in fecal-oral transmission

Ultrasonography of the shoulder: asymptomatic findings from working-age women in the general population

[Purpose] The aim of this study was to estimate the prevalence of abnormal shoulder ultrasonographic findings in a sample of asymptomatic women. [Subjects and Methods] A secondary analysis of a cross-sectional study was performed. We recruited 305 women (aged 18–56 years). All the subjects had a structured interview screening for self-reported symptoms and underwent a shoulder ultrasonographic examination, in which both shoulders were examined. The radiologist was blinded to the clinical history of the participants. All detectable shoulder abnormalities were collected. [Results] Of the subjects, 228 (74.75%) were asymptomatic at both shoulders, and 456 asymptomatic shoulders were analyzed. Lack of uniformity (supraspinatus, infraspinatus, subscapularis, and biceps brachii long head) was found in 28 shoulders (6.14%), 19 (4.17%) on the dominant side and 9 (1.97%) on the non-dominant side. Tendinosis (supraspinatus, infraspinatus, subscapularis, and biceps brachii long head) was found in 19 shoulders (5.32%), 12 (2.63%) on the dominant side and 7 (1.53%) on the non-dominant side. Calcification and other abnormal findings were reported. [Conclusion] The most common abnormalities were calcifications within the rotator-cuff tendons and humeral head geodes; other degenerative findings were less commo

Sensory Profile of Children and Adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorder and Tip-Toe Behavior: Results of an Observational Pilot Study

Atypical sensory processing is frequently reported in persons with autism spectrum disorders (ASD), and it is one of the described diagnostic criteria for ASD. There is also mounting literature supporting the presence of motor impairments in individuals with ASD. Among these motor signs, tip-toe behavior (TTB) is a possible clinical finding, but its etiology is not clearly understood. It is suggested that TTB in ASD could be a sign of a sensory modulation impairment, but evidence is lacking and controversial. The main aim of this pilot study is to explore sensory features in a sample (4 females; 28 males) of children and adolescents with ASD (age range: 7–18). All participants also presented Intellectual Disability. Participants were divided in two groups, matched for age and gender, on the basis of the presence or absence of TTB (16 ASD TTB group vs. 16 ASD NO-TTB group) and then evaluated by using the Short Sensory Profile. We found that both ASD groups tend to significantly present sensory-related behavioral symptoms, but ASD TTB individuals more frequently showed the specific pattern of “under responsive/seeks sensation” than ASD NO-TTB individuals. These preliminary findings support that sensory-motor features might be taken into consideration when rehabilitation for TTB in children and adolescents with ASD is necessary

Assistance for the development of open competitions in the municipality of Colonia Caroya, Córdoba, Argentina

This report contributes to leave a precedent of a technical assistance between a public university and a municipal government for the development of public tenders process. The important contribution that public universities can make to the modernization and professionalization of public administration and in particular to ensure transparency in the process of entering Public Administration is demonstrated. For the formation of the evaluators courts where took into account criteria of suitability, publicity, transparency, pluralism and independence from any interference which would infringe equal opportunities for the candidates during the selection process. Thus, a qualified professional for each court was proposed by IIFAP and the remaining two members of the court were municipal councilors seeking a balance between different political forces. In addition, the whole process was attended by an observer member of the Municipal Workers' Union and a member observer of the executive branch to ensure transparency. Results shows that a total of twenty seven citizens were registered but only eighteen participates of the process (representing 66.6%) and five candidates (27.7%) failed the first test of the process

Behavioural and emotional features of brain-damaged patients with abnormal social space boundaries

Introduction: The Interpersonal space (IPS) is the area surrounding the body that works as a defensive zone, and it is considered personal or private(1). The extension of this “comfort” space is flexible and modulable both by social and biological factors. These factors also include empathic abilities and personality traits such as impulsivity and behavioral regulation. It is commonly recognized that acquired brain lesions may lead to personality changes(2). Here we examine the alteration of the IPS in patients with acquired brain damage, and its association with empathy and behavior and personality changes featuring the frontal lobe syndrome. Methods: We measured IPS and empathic abilities in a group of patients (N=11) with acquired brain damage of traumatic or stroke aetiology and in a control group of age-matched healthy participants (N=40). IPS was assessed with the “stop-distance” paradigm, while cognitive and af ective emphatic abilities were assessed with the Interpersonal Reactivity Index (IRI). Moreover, in brain-damaged patients personality and behavioral changes were assessed through the Frontal Behavioral Index administered to patients’ caregivers. Noteworthy, patients’ selection was based on a clinical diagnosis of frontal lobe syndrome. Lesion size and its location were also analyzed. Results: Although the extension of the IPS in brain-damaged patients was overall comparable to that of controls, single case analyses showed that 2 out of 11 patients presented an enlargement of the IPS, which was associated with behavioral symptoms such as apathy, inattention, and emotional flatness. On the other hand, patients who showed a total loss of space boundaries exhibited impulsivity and inappropriateness. Our results also highlighted an overall reduction of empathic abilities in brain-damaged patients, as compared to healthy controls. Further single case analyses unveiled that the same patients exhibiting an IPS alteration have lower empathy. Patients exhibiting an alteration of IPS and empathy had brain lesions involving mostly frontal and temporal lobes. Discussion:The present study of ers a novel insight on the interplay between social space extension, personality traits and empathy: patients with brain damages causing clinical symptoms of frontal lobe syndrome may also present an alteration of IPS boundaries, along with behavioural dysregulation and empathic impairments. These findings support the view that the boundaries of the social, interpersonal, space are linked to empathy and behavioural regulation, likely sharing a common neural network

Characterization of salt consumption among hypertensives according to socio-demographic and clinical factors

OBJECTIVE: to evaluate the relationship between the behaviors of salt consumption and socio-demographic and clinical variables. METHOD: sodium consumption was evaluated using the methods: self-reporting (considering 3 different behaviors related to salt consumption), 24- hr dietary recall, discretionary salt, food frequency questionnaire, estimation of total sodium intake and 24-hr urinary excretion of sodium (n=108). RESULTS: elevated salt intake according to the different measurements of consumption of the nutrient was associated with the variables: male sex, low level of schooling and monthly income, being Caucasian, and being professionally inactive; and with the clinical variables: elevated Body Mass Index, tensional levels, ventricular hypertrophy and the number of medications used. CONCLUSION: the data obtained shows a heterogenous association between the different behaviors related to salt consumption and the socio-demographic and clinical variables. This data can be used to optimize the directing of educational activities with a view to reducing salt consumption among hypertensives