Partner support, social-cognitive variables and their role in adherence to self-monitoring of blood glucose in type 2 diabetes

In Portugal, diabetes affects 11.7% of the population, of whom about 90% have type 2 diabetes. Patients and their partners are affected and the latter have a direct impact on patients’ adaptation to diabetes. A large proportion of patients, at diagnosis, have to readjust their daily routines in order to integrate self-care behaviours related to diabetes. The goal of this study was to analyse the relationship among partner support, social-cognitive variables about self-monitoring of blood glucose (SMBG) (intentions, attitudes, subjective norms, perceived behaviour control, action planning and coping planning), adherence and glycaemic control in type 2 diabetes patients, diagnosed in the past 12 months. A total of 179 people with diabetes participated in the study. The instruments used were: Multidimensional Diabetes Questionnaire; Revised Summary of Diabetes Self-Care Activities Scale; and Planned Behavior Questionnaire – Self-Monitoring of Blood Glucose. Glycaemic control was assessed by HbA1c. The perception of positive support from partners and intention to perform SMBG predicted adherence to SMBG. Furthermore, positive support mediated the relationship between intention and adherence to SMBG. Positive and negative partner support were positively associated with intention, action and coping planning and adherence to SMBG. Good metabolic control was negatively associated with negative support. The results show the importance of partners’ support and social-cognitive variables, regarding self-monitoring of blood glucose, on patients’ adherenceFundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia (FCT

Design of double-walled carbon nanotubes for biomedical applications

Double-walled carbon nanotubes (DWNTs) prepared by catalytic chemical vapour deposition were functionalized in such a way that they were optimally designed as a nano-vector for the delivery of small interfering RNA (siRNA), which is of great interest for biomedical research and drug development. DWNTs were initially oxidized and coated with a polypeptide (Poly(Lys:Phe)), which was then conjugated to thiol-modified siRNA using a heterobifunctional cross-linker. The obtained oxDWNT–siRNA was characterized by Raman spectroscopy inside and outside a biological environment (mammalian cells). Uptake of the custom designed nanotubes was not associated with detectable biochemical perturbations in cultured cells, but transfection of cells with DWNTs loaded with siRNA targeting the green fluorescent protein (GFP) gene, serving as a model system, as well as with therapeutic siRNA targeting the survivin gene, led to a significant gene silencing effect, and in the latter case a resulting apoptotic effect in cancer cells

Hysteroscopy and pain: what risk factors should we consider in office hysteroscopy? are there really any?

Background: Office hysteroscopy is the gold standard in abnormal uterine bleeding and an indispensable tool in modern gynecology. It is becoming increasingly popular leading to examinations and even operations without anesthesia as it is accurate, cheap and well tolerated. However, pain is still a limitation. The objective of the study was to determine if pain perception is linked to clinical predictors and how well they correlate with pain score.Methods: Prospective observational trial enrolled one hundred and four women; four cases were excluded. One hundred cases were included and analyzed. Selection criteria: patients scheduled for Office Hysteroscopy who accepted to participate and had no contraindication for procedure.Results: A ten centimeter visual analogue scale was used for pain evaluation. Presumed variables such as menopause, pelvic pain, previous cesarean section and cervical surgery, and body mass index were analyzed by ordered regression using standard statistical software tools.Conclusions: Correlation between predictive factors and pain reporting showed no significance (p>0.05) except for body mass index which was found to significantly correlate to discomfort (p<0.05)

Quironomídeos (diptera: insecta) da ilha das Flores

XIII Expedição Científica do Departamento de Biologia - Flores e Corvo 2007.O presente trabalho surge no âmbito da XIII Expedição Científica às Ilhas das Flores e Corvo, organizada pelo Departamento de Biologia da Universidade dos Açores, onde durante este evento foram amostrados diferentes habitats dulciaquícolas que possibilitou a actualização da lista de espécies de Quironomídeos para a ilha das Flores. Foram adicionados 7 novos registos para as Flores e um novo género para o Arquipélago

Macrófitos da Ilha das Flores

XIII Expedição Científica do Departamento de Biologia - Flores e Corvo 2007.As ribeiras e lagoas das ilhas das Flores e Corvo foram prospectadas para a realização de um levantamento de macrófitos durante a Expedição às Ilhas das Flores e Corvo/2007 do Departamento de Biologia. Foram identificadas 43 espécies, 35 nas Flores e 13 no Corvo, das quais 15 são novos registos para o Arquipélago e 3 foram encontradas pela primeira vez no grupo ocidental. No entanto, a riqueza específica encontrada é baixa, comparativamente a sistemas equivalentes na Europa Continental

Evaluation Of Osteoporosis Using Ultrasound

We have developed an equipment using ultrasound transducers to help in the diagnosis of osteoporosis. The equipment consists of an X-Y axes displacement system controlled by a microcomputer and uses two ultrasound transducers in opposite sides to inspect the calcaneus region of the patient. We have used two pairs of transducers with 500 kHz and 1 MHz central frequencies. Each pair of transducers was fixed in the X-Y displacement system submerged in a small water tank with a support for the foot of the patient. The transmitter was excited with pulses of 400-600 kHz or 800-1200 kHz and the ultrasound waves propagating through the bone in the calcaneus region are received by the opposite transducer, amplified and acquired in a digital oscilloscope. The data are transferred to the microcomputer and the ultrasound attenuation and the ultrasound transmission velocity are determined. The system was tested in patients, selected from a group that had already been diagnosed using a DEXA equipment. The results showed that there is a decrease in the ultrasound transmission velocity and the ultrasound attenuation in osteoporotic patients when compared to healthy patients of the same sex and age group. The conclusion is that ultrasound attenuation and the transmission velocity in the calcaneus region may be used as parameters in the evaluation of osteoporosis using our new system.398227828

Ultrasonic Doppler Blood Flowmeter For Extracorporeal Circulation

In cardiac surgeries it is frequently necessary to carry out interventions in internal heart structures, and where the blood circulation and oxygenation are made by artificial ways, out of the patient's body, in a procedure known as extracorporeal circulation (EC). During this procedure, one of the most important parameters, and that demands constant monitoring, is the blood flow. In this work, an ultrasonic pulsed Doppler blood flowmeter, to be used in an extracorporeal circulation system, was developed. It was used a 2 MHz ultrasonic transducer, measuring flows from 0 to 5 liters/min, coupled externally to the EC arterial line destined to adults perfusion (diameter of 9.53 mm). The experimental results using the developed flowmeter indicated a maximum deviation of 3.5% of full scale, whilst the blood flow estimator based in the rotation speed of the peristaltic pump presented deviations greater than 20% of full scale. This ultrasonic flowmeter supplies the results in a continuous and trustworthy way, and it does not present the limitations found in those flowmeters based in other transduction methods. Moreover, due to the fact of not being in contact with the blood, it is not disposable and it does not need sterilization, reducing operational costs and facilitating its use.397844845

Trans-sialidase delivered as a naked DNA vaccine elicits an immunological response similar to a Trypanosoma cruzi infection

Trypanosoma cruzi, the protozoan parasite that causes Chagas' disease, does not synthesize sialic acid, but expresses a trans-sialidase (TS) that catalyzes the transfer of sialic acid from host glycoconjugates to the parasite surface. Here, we review studies that characterize the immune response to the catalytic domain of the enzyme in humans during Chagas' disease or in mice following immunization with the TS gene. In both cases, there are antibodies that strongly inhibit the enzymatic activity and generation of interferon-g-producing T cells.Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP)Instituto Dante Pazzanese de Cardiologia do Estado de São PauloUNIFESPSciEL

Quantification of alpha-amanitin in biological samples by HPLC using simultaneous UV- diode array and electrochemical detection

α-Amanitin is a natural bicyclic octapeptide, from the family of amatoxins, present in the deadly mushroom species Amanita phalloides. The toxicological and clinical interests raised by this toxin, require highly sensitive, accurate and reproducible quantification methods for pharmacokinetic studies. In the present work, a high-performance liquid chromatographic (HPLC) method with in-line connected diode-array (DAD) and electrochemical (EC) detection was developed and validated to quantify α-amanitin in biological samples (namely liver and kidney). Sample pre-treatment consisted of a simple and unique deproteinization step with 5% perchloric acid followed by centrifuga tion at 16,000. ×g, 4. °C, for 20. min. The high recovery found for α-amanitin (≥96.8%) makes this procedure suitable for extracting α-amanitin from liver and kidney homogenates. The resulting supernatant was collected and injected into the HPLC. Mobile phase was composed by 20% methanol in 50. mM citric acid, and 0.46. mM octanessulfonic acid, adjusted to pH 5.5. The chromatographic runs took less than 22. min and no significant endogenous interferences were observed at the α-amanitin retention time. Calibration curves were linear with regression coefficients higher than 0.994. The overall inter- and intra-assay precision did not exceed 15.3%.The present method has low interferences with simple and fast processing steps, being a suitable procedure to support in vivo toxicokinetic studies involving α-amanitin. In fact, the validated method was successfully applied to quantify α-amanitin in biological samples following intraperitoneal α-amanitin administration to rats. Moreover, human plasma was also used as matrix and the purposed method was adequate for detection of α-amanitin in that matrix. The results clearly indicate that the proposed method is suitable to investigate the pharmacokinetic and tissue distribution of α-amanitin. Additionally, the method will be very useful in the development of novel and potent antidotes against amatoxins poisoning and to improve the knowledge of α-amanitin toxicity.This work received financial support from the European Union (FEDER funds through COMPETE) and National Funds (FCT, Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia) through project Pest- C/EQB/LA0006/2013. Juliana Garcia and Vera Marisa Costa thank FCT - Foundation for Science and Technology - for their PhD grant (SFRH/BD/74979/ 2010 ) and Post-doc grant (SFRH/BPD/63746/2009), respectively.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio