Effect of insulin glargine on cardiovascular risk analysed by mean HRV

Type 2 diabetes mellitus is an insidious disease that is increasingly present in geriatric population [1]. The greatest difficulty is represented by glycaemic control in geriatric patients often not very compliant with diet therapy and drug therapy. A new insulin glargine 300 units/ml formulation seems im- prove patient compliance due to the lower volume of insulin to be injected and improved glycaemic control over 24 hours. The HRV signal, derived from digital electrocardiographic recording, is the simplest and most imme- diate analysis that consists in calculating some temporal parameters [2]. HRV is a simple statistics derived from beat-beat intervals of sinus origin expressed as units of time in milliseconds. Data in the literature indicate that a decrease in HRV, measured with time domain analysis, denotes a worse prognosis and/or an increased risk of mortality in patients with heart disease, especially in the elderly ones

Low dose of Rotigotine in post-stroke patients with vascular parkinsonism and obstructive sleep apnoea syndrome, effects on quality of life and rehabilitation therapy

Stroke is a frequent cause of disability in U.S.A. (200.000/ year). Aim: The aim of this study is to underline the effect of low dose of Rotigotine patches 2 mg/24 h, a complete dopamine agonist with continuous dopaminergic stimulation through the transdermal administration, in elderly with recent stroke and vascular Parkinsonism about quality of life and adherence to rehabilitation therapy. Methods: We have enrolled 6 elderly patients (3 males and 3 females, range age 60 – 95 years) with recent ischemic and vascular Parkinsonism. We have evaluated quality of life and cognitive function with UPDRS part III, MMSE, ADL, IADL and Morinsky Scale. At the same time we have evaluated the adherence to therapy and timing of rehabilitation therapy before and post-administration of Rotigotine 2 mg/24 hours. Conclusion: In conclusion, Rotigotine could be a new useful approach in the treatment of elderly patients with recent ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke correlated with vascular Parkinsonism which can lead to an akinesia with the need to start rehabilitation therapy. Our preliminary data gives comfortable results but, at this time, we have enrolled only few patients to give conclusive results

Spatial patterns and interactions of dominant tree species in an Amazon tropical rainforest.

Knowledge of spatial patterns and interactions of tree species allows for understanding the ecological processes of spatiotemporal structures of tropical forests, becoming essential for the establishment of strategies for the conservation and management of their resources in the long term. The aim of this study was to investigate the spatial patterns and interactions of Astronium lecointei, Dinizia excelsa and Peltogyne paniculata, three dominant timber tree species in the Jamari National Forest, Rondônia, Brazilian Amazon. The Kernel estimator was used aiming to verify the possible influence of first-order factors on species distributions. Inhomogeneous K-functions were applied to analyze species spatial patterns and interactions by means of second-order factors. Univariate analyses revealed different scale-dependent spatial patterns for the species. Aggregation related to ecological characteristics, such as habitat preference and dispersal limitation, was verified for A. lecointei and P. paniculata. D. excelsa presented a random spatial pattern, explained by specific features of its establishment, such as the need for clearings due to light requirements. Interspecific associations were evidenced by bivariate analyses, in which spatial attraction of species resulted from the same preference for microhabitats and the repulsion was a result of niche segregation

Contribución al conocimiento ficológico y calidad de agua de la laguna La Arocena (pcia. de La Pampa, Argentina)

This work is part of an overall project that includes the study of the dynamics of algae in aquatic ecosystems in the province of La Pampa (Argentina). The aim of this contribution is to cite the species recorded for the Arocena and determine the saprobic and water quality of the lake. From October 2006 to August 2007 these were seasonal sampled in the Arocena shallow lake (Maracó Department), La Pampa. The samples were collected at six prefixed sites with phytoplankton net opening of 25 microns mesh. The physico-chemical variables (T °C, pH, conductivity, nitrites, nitrates, dissolved oxygen, among others) were obtained using portable sensors and subsequent laboratory techniques. These parameters provided an autecological characterization of the species studied and some of them extended the range of tolerance to the literature. Of all the species listed (251), 40% were Chlorophyceae, 32% Bacillariophyceae, 22% Cyanophyceae, Euglenophyceae 3.5% and 2.5% remaining Chrysophyceae, Xanthophyceae, Cryptophyceae and Dinophyceae. The determined state was β mesosaprobic and the water quality was α mesosaprobic.Instituto de Limnología "Raúl A. Ringuelet

Contribución al conocimiento ficológico y calidad de agua de la laguna La Arocena (pcia. de La Pampa, Argentina)

This work is part of an overall project that includes the study of the dynamics of algae in aquatic ecosystems in the province of La Pampa (Argentina). The aim of this contribution is to cite the species recorded for the Arocena and determine the saprobic and water quality of the lake. From October 2006 to August 2007 these were seasonal sampled in the Arocena shallow lake (Maracó Department), La Pampa. The samples were collected at six prefixed sites with phytoplankton net opening of 25 microns mesh. The physico-chemical variables (T °C, pH, conductivity, nitrites, nitrates, dissolved oxygen, among others) were obtained using portable sensors and subsequent laboratory techniques. These parameters provided an autecological characterization of the species studied and some of them extended the range of tolerance to the literature. Of all the species listed (251), 40% were Chlorophyceae, 32% Bacillariophyceae, 22% Cyanophyceae, Euglenophyceae 3.5% and 2.5% remaining Chrysophyceae, Xanthophyceae, Cryptophyceae and Dinophyceae. The determined state was β mesosaprobic and the water quality was α mesosaprobic.Instituto de Limnología "Raúl A. Ringuelet

Evaluation of management of patients with chronic degenerative diseases in a primary health clinic

The efficacy of health actions, related to arterial hypertension and used as a strategy to decrease morbi-mortality due to cardiovascular diseases, in accordance with the "risk approach" and carried out in a Primary Health Care Clinic is assessed. These actions are based on the detection of arterial hypertension in the adult population attended at the Clinic and on the control of blood pressure levels in hypertensive individuals in which other known risk factors continue to be controlled, as well as on further treatment of eventual complications. Data relating to the 3,793 patients who were attended at least once by doctors of the adult sector of a training health-center located in S. Paulo county (Brazil) during the period from June 1990 to May 1991, inclusive, were evaluated. This evaluation was made according to each diagnosis undertaken as well as to the concentration of each type of consultation whether occasional, or follow-up. Of these 3,793 patients analysed, 839 presented arterial hypertension and/or diabetes, and were grouped into four categories: the exclusively hypertensive, the hipertensive with other associated chronic diseases (except diabetes), the diabetic and the diabetic with arterial hypertension. The results of this study brougth the following aspects to light: 1) The low coverage of hypertensive individuals and diabetics being attended by the health service when only the population attended by the health service is taken into consideration. 2) The incidence of patients diagnosed as hypertensive in occasional consultations who did not return to the health service for medical follow-up indicates the difficulties involved in attracting such individuals permanently. This loss is due to both the non-appearance of patients at the consultations programmed for their follow-up as well the lack of the follow-up program on the part of the health service. 3) With regard to these that fulfilled the follow-up program, the concentration of medical consultations and the concentration of absences presented satisfactory proportions, compatible with the proposal of quartely medical consultations. 4) The category of exclusively hypertensive individuals presented a lower concentration of attendance at consultations and a higher proportion of absences per consultation planned than did the others categories. Finally, the limitations of the actions based on the risk approach for the control of Chronic Degenerative Diseases are discussed.Avalia-se o desempenho de ações de saúde desenvolvidas em uma unidade básica de saúde, relativas ao controle da hipertensão arterial sistêmica (HAS) enquanto estratégia de redução de morbi-mortalidadc por doença cardiovascular baseada no "enfoque de risco". Estas ações estruturam-se a partir da detecção da hipertensão arterial na população adulta atendida no serviço e do controle dos níveis pressóricos nos indivíduos portadores de HAS, incluindo outros fatores de risco conhecidos, bem como tratamento de eventuais complicações. Analisaram-se 3.793 usuários que compareceram pelo menos uma vez à consulta médica no serviço de Assistência ao Adulto de um Centro de Saúde-Escola, do Município de São Paulo (Brasil), no período de 1º de junho de 1990 a 31 de maio de 1991. Para cada um dos usuários foram considerados os diagnósticos realizados, bem como a concentração de cada modalidade de consulta realizada (pronto-atendimento e consulta agendada). Destes, 839 eram portadores de hipertensão arterial e/ou diabete e foram agrupados em quatro categorias: os exclusivamente hipertensos, os hipertensos com outra doença crônica associada (exceto diabete), os diabéticos e os diabéticos com hipertensão arterial. Os resultados deste estudo mostraram: 1) baixa cobertura de indivíduos hipertensos e diabéticos em atendimento no serviço, quando se considera a população atendida pelo Centro de Saúde; 2) a existência de pacientes diagnosticados como hipertensos em consultas de pronto-atendimento, que não retornaram ao Centro de Saúde para seguimento médico programático, apontando para dificuldades na captação efetiva destes indivíduos. Esta "perda" deveu-se tanto a faltas dos pacientes às consultas agendadas para seu seguimento quanto ao não agendamento de consultas de seguimento por parte do serviço; 3) para os pacientes que aderiram ao seguimento, a concentração de consultas médicas e a concentração de faltas apresentaram números compatíveis com a proposta de agendamento trimestral; 4) a categoria dos exclusivamente hipertensos apresentou, quando comparada com as demais, menor concentração de consultas e maior proporção de faltas por consulta agendada. Discutem-se os limites das ações baseadas no "enfoque de risco" para controle de doenças crónico-degenerativas em população

Racial Group Membership Is Associated to Gaze-Mediated Orienting in Italy

Viewing a face with averted gaze results in a spatial shift of attention in the corresponding direction, a phenomenon defined as gaze-mediated orienting. In the present paper, we investigated whether this effect is influenced by social factors. Across three experiments, White and Black participants were presented with faces of White and Black individuals. A modified spatial cueing paradigm was used in which a peripheral target stimulus requiring a discrimination response was preceded by a noninformative gaze cue. Results showed that Black participants shifted attention to the averted gaze of both ingroup and outgroup faces, whereas White participants selectively shifted attention only in response to individuals of their same group. Interestingly, the modulatory effect of social factors was context-dependent and emerged only when group membership was situationally salient to participants. It was hypothesized that differences in the relative social status of the two groups might account for the observed asymmetry between White and Black participants. A final experiment ruled out an alternative explanation based on differences in perceptual familiarity with the face stimuli. Overall, these findings strengthen the idea that gaze-mediated orienting is a socially-connoted phenomenon