Caraterização e adesão à terapêutica farmacológica em diabéticos do Nordeste de Portugal

IA Diabetes mellitus é uma doença crónica com uma prevalência preocupante. A OMS indica que o número de indivíduos diabéticos quadruplicou entre 1980 e 2014 com valores de prevalência em adultos de 4,7% e 8,5% nesses anos, respetivamente. Objetivos: Determinar a prevalência de diferentes tipos de diabetes e a frequência do controlo glicémico, identificar mudanças nos hábitos de vida, caraterizar e determinar a adesão à terapêutica farmacológica. Materiais e Métodos: Foi desenvolvido um estudo descritivo-correlacional e transversal em 202 adultos diabéticos da região de Trás-os-Montes. A recolha de dados foi efetuada sob a forma de entrevista, através da aplicação de um questionário e da escala MAT (Medida de Adesão à Terapêutica) validada para a população portuguesa. Resultados: Dos 202 diabéticos, 73,8% apresentavam diabetes do tipo 2 enquanto 26,2% diabetes do tipo 1. 43,6% considera ter uma qualidade de vida “nem boa nem má” e 37,1% “boa” sendo que 52% responderam que teriam uma melhor qualidade de vida se não tivessem diabetes. Em relação ao controlo da doença, a maioria faz controlo glicémico diariamente (38,1%) e semanalmente (23,8%). Relativamente à mudança de estilos de vida, 89,6% dos participantes considera ser importante para controlar a diabetes, embora nem todos indiquem ter modificado hábitos de alimentação (60,4%) e de atividade física (33,7%) após o diagnóstico da doença. Os fármacos mais utilizados pelos diabéticos forma a metformina (46%) e a insulina (38%) tendo sido o uso de incretinomiméticos inibidores da Dipeptidil peptidase IV (DPP-4) mais baixo (13,9%). Deste novos fármacos, os mais usados foram associação de metformina com vildagliptina. Relativamente a este novo grupo de fármacos, 50% dos utilizadores indica que consegue controlar mais facilmente as glicémias, sendo que a maioria se encontra satisfeita com esta nova terapia. A prevalência de adesão à terapêutica farmacológica é elevada neste grupo de diabéticos (92,6%) tendo sido obtido um score de 5.67±0.49 (escala entre 1-6, em que médias menores que 5 pontos se consideram “não adesão”). Neste estudo, os fatores associados à adesão foram o género e a frequência do controlo glicémico. O género feminino é mais aderente e os diabéticos que controlam a glicémia pelo menos uma vez ao dia são mais aderentes que os que a controlam semanalmente. Discussão e Conclusões: Embora a adesão à terapêutica farmacológica e seja fundamental para o controlo da diabetes, a mudança de estilos de vida e o controlo da glicémia, são vistos pelos diabéticos como importantes fatores. Em conclusão, a majoria dos diabéticos adere à terapêutica farmacológica que consiste sobretudo em metformina e insulina.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Characterization of knowledge and consumption of acetylsalicylic acid in users of community pharmacies

Acetylsalicylic acid (ASA) is one of the drugs most used by the Portuguese population for its anti-inflammatory, analgesic, antipyretic and antiplatelet effect. Thus, this study aimed to characterize the knowledge and the consumption pattern of ASA in users of community pharmacies of three locations in the district of Porto. The investigation was achieved by application of a questionnaire to 390 users of community pharmacies of three locations in the district of Porto (Lousada, Paços de Ferreira e Porto). The dosage of ASA most known and consumed was of 500mg (28.2 and 53%, respectively). Individuals considered having a level of knowledge "Reasonable" about this substance (47.8%). As regards the frequency of use, the most reported by respondents was once per year (48.3%), and time-consuming 1 to 3 days (37.8%). A considerable percentage of respondents indicating that ASA was prescribed by the doctor (36.4%) and on his own initiative (36.4%). The main reasons of use of AAS are flu (41.2%), pain head (40%) and fever (10.7%), have been noted adverse effects in 4.1% of consumers. It was found that the level of knowledge is higher in middle age (40-60 years) (p = 0.220) and in individuals with qualifications of 6-9th year. The present study denotes the existence of gaps of consistent, coherent and updated information about ASA drug

Fluorescence characteristics and photoinhibition in saplings of manwood on clear days and under overcast conditions

High irradiance may reduce the productivity of tropical plants by exacerbating photoinhibition of photosynthesis, particularly in the case of shade-adapted plants. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of cloud cover on the fluorescence characteristics and photoinhibition on saplings of manwood (Minquartia guianensis Aubl.). Three-year-old saplings were exposed to full irradiance either on clear days (10, 45 and 90 min) or under overcast conditions (120, 180, and 420 min). Changes in the population of functional photosystem II (PSII), the initial (F o) and maximum fluorescences (F m), and the F v/F m ratio (maximum potential quantum yield of PSII) were monitored after plant exposure to full irradiance and during recovery (within 48 h) at low light intensity. Although photoinhibition of PSII (F v/F m) was determined by the number of photons reaching the leaf surface (photon fluence), cloudiness tended to reduce the photoinhibitory effect of irradiance. F o increased with fluence on cloudy days and was unaffected by irradiance on clear days, except for a sharp rise during the first 10 min of exposure to full sunlight. For a given photon fluence, F m was lower on clear days. Recovery from photoinhibition was similar in both light environments. Although photon fluence is the preponderant factor determining the extent of photoinhibition, cloudiness might alleviate the photoinhibitory effect of irradiance

Polymer electrolytes for electrochromic devices

Polymer electrolytes are currently the focus of much attention as potential electrolytes in electrochemical devices such as batteries, display devices and sensors. Generically, solid polymer electrolytes (SPEs) are mixtures of salts with soft polar polymers. SPEs have many advantages including high energy density, no risk of leakage, no issues related to the presence of solvent, wide electrochemical stability windows, simplified processability and light weight. With the goal of developing a new family of environmentally friendly multifunctional biohybrid materials displaying high ionic conductivity we have produced in the present work, flexible films based on different polymers or hybrids incorporating different salts. The polymer electrolytes studied here have been characterized by means of Differential Scanning Calorimetry, Thermogravimetric Analysis, X-ray diffraction, Polarized Optical Microscopy, complex impedance spectroscopy and cyclic voltammetry. An evaluation of the performance of the sample with the highest conductivity as electrolyte in all solid-state ECDs was performed

Bacterioplankton Community Shifts during a Spring Bloom of Aphanizomenon gracile and Sphaerospermopsis aphanizomenoides at a Temperate Shallow Lake

Climate change is enhancing the frequency of cyanobacterial blooms not only during summer but also in spring and autumn, leading to increased ecological impacts. The bacterioplankton community composition (BCC), in particular, is deeply affected by these blooms, although at the same time BCC can also play important roles in blooms’ dynamics. However, more information is still needed regarding BCC during species-specific cyanobacterial blooms. The goal of this study was to assess BCC succession in a hypereutrophic shallow lake (Vela Lake, Portugal) during a warm spring using a metagenomic approach to provide a glimpse of the changes these communities experience during the dominance of Aphanizomenon-like bloom-forming species. BCC shifts were studied using 16S rRNA gene metabarcoding and multivariate analyses. A total of 875 operational taxonomic units (OTUs) were retrieved from samples. In early spring, the dominant taxa belonged to Proteobacteria (mainly Alphaproteobacteria—Rickettsiales) and Bacteroidetes (Saprospirales, Flavobacteriales and Sphingobacteriales). However, at the end of May, a bloom co-dominated by cyanobacterial populations of Aphanizomenon gracile, Sphaerospermopsis aphanizomenoides and Synechococcus sp. developed and persisted until the end of spring. This led to a major BCC shift favouring the prevalence of Alphaproteobacteria (Rickettsiales and also Rhizobiales, Caulobacteriales and Rhodospirillales) and Bacteroidetes (Saprospirales, followed by Flavobacteriales and Sphingobacteriales). These results contribute to the knowledge of BCC dynamics during species-specific cyanobacterial blooms, showing that BCC is strongly affected (directly or indirectly) by Aphanizomenon-Sphaerospermopsis blooms.publishe

Fisetin derivatives exhibit enhanced anti-inflammatory activity and modulation of endoplasmic reticulum stress

Fisetin (FST) is a dietary flavonol that is known to possess multiple relevant bioactivities, raising the question of its potential health benefits and even its use in novel pharmacological approaches. To attain this prospect, some limitations to this molecule, namely its poor bioavailability and solubility, must be addressed. Inflammation and endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress are often hand in hand in the context of chronic disease. Both are activated upon perceived disturbances in homeostasis but can be deleterious when intensely or chronically activated. We have synthesized a set of FST derivatives trying to improve the biological properties of the parent molecule. These new molecules were tested along with the original compound for their ability to mitigate the activation of these signaling pathways. FST has proven to be effective against the onset of inflammation, reducing NF-κB activation, cytokine release, inflammasome activation and ROS generation, as well as decreasing the activation of the unfolded protein response (UPR). Some of the tested derivatives are also described as new caspase-1 inhibitors, being also capable of reducing pro-inflammatory cytokines and ER stress markers.(undefined

Temporal and Sex-Linked Protein Expression Dynamics in a Familial Model of Alzheimer\u27s Disease

Mouse models of Alzheimer\u27s disease (AD) show progression through stages reflective of human pathology. Proteomics identification of temporal and sex-linked factors driving AD-related pathways can be used to dissect initiating and propagating events of AD stages to develop biomarkers or design interventions. In the present study, we conducted label-free proteome measurements of mouse hippocampus tissue with variables of time (3, 6, and 9 months), genetic background (5XFAD versus WT), and sex (equal males and females). These time points are associated with well-defined phenotypes with respect to the following: Aβ42 plaque deposition, memory deficits, and neuronal loss, allowing correlation of proteome-based molecular signatures with the mouse model stages. Our data show 5XFAD mice exhibit increases in known human AD biomarkers as amyloid-beta peptide, APOE, GFAP, and ITM2B are upregulated across all time points/stages. At the same time, 23 proteins are here newly associated with Alzheimer\u27s pathology as they are also dysregulated in 5XFAD mice. At a pathways level, the 5XFAD-specific upregulated proteins are significantly enriched for DNA damage and stress-induced senescence at 3-month only, while at 6-month, the AD-specific proteome signature is altered and significantly enriched for membrane trafficking and vesicle-mediated transport protein annotations. By 9-month, AD-specific dysregulation is also characterized by significant neuroinflammation with innate immune system, platelet activation, and hyperreactive astrocyte-related enrichments. Aside from these temporal changes, analysis of sex-linked differences in proteome signatures uncovered novel sex and ADassociated proteins. Pathway analysis revealed sexlinked differences in the 5XFAD model to be involved in the regulation of well-known human AD-related processes of amyloid fibril formation, wound healing, lysosome biogenesis, and DNA damage. Verification of the discovery results by Western blot and parallel reaction monitoring confirm the fundamental conclusions of the study and poise the 5XFAD model for further use as a molecular tool for understanding AD

Formation and stability of oil-in-water nanoemulsions containing rice bran oil: in vitro and in vivo assessments

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Nanoemulsions have practical application in a multitude of commercial areas, such as the chemical, pharmaceutical and cosmetic industries. Cosmetic industries use rice bran oil in sunscreen formulations, anti ageing products and in treatments for skin diseases. The aim of this study was to create rice bran oil nanoemulsions using low energy emulsification methods and to evaluate their physical stability, irritation potential and moisturising activity on volunteers with normal and diseased skin types.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The nanoemulsion developed by this phase diagram method was composed of 10% rice bran oil, 10% surfactants sorbitan oleate/PEG-30 castor oil, 0.05% antioxidant and 0.50% preservatives formulated in distilled water. The nanoemulsion was stable over the time course of this study. <it>In vitro </it>assays showed that this formulation has a low irritation potential, and when applied to human skin during <it>in vivo </it>studies, the nanoemulsion improved the skin's moisture and maintained normal skin pH values.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>The results of irritation potential studies and <it>in vivo </it>assessments indicate that this nanoemulsion has potential to be a useful tool to treat skin diseases, such as atopic dermatitis and psoriasis.</p

Production of lipid rich-extracts from Chlorella vulgaris using ohmic heating

Microalgae biomass is a promising raw material for several bioproducts suitable for food, energy and pharmaceutical industries. The aim of the present work was to optimize the extraction of bioactive compounds from Chlorella vulgaris using Ohmic Heating (OH). A rotatable central composite design for two factors was used to assess the effects of temperature and solvent (% ethanol in water) on lipid extraction yields and fatty acid profile. OH extraction experiments were powered by low-frequency (50 Hz) and high-frequency (25 kHz) to identify the presence of non-thermal effects and its influence on composition and bioactive properties of the generated extracts. Lipid extraction using OH was successfully optimized with the best extraction conditions found at 70 ºC for 5 min using 88 % ethanol as a solvent. No effect on the application of the electrical frequencies was observed. These conditions allowed to recover up to 87 % of lipids from biomass, polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) accounting for 43 % of the extracted lipids against 26 % of saturated fatty acids (SFAs). The fatty acid profile reveals that C16:2, C16:3, C18:2 and C18:3 correspond to the PUFAs extracted from Chlorella vulgaris. Regarding lipid extraction yields OH was statistically equivalent to conventional heating (COV); however, in terms of heating kinetics, OH reaches the required extraction temperature 5 times faster than COV. Results showed that OH has potential to be applied as a treatment for the production of Chlorella vulgaris PUFAs richextracts providing high recovery yields with reduced treatment times and less energy consumption.This study was supported by: the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT) under the scope of the strategic funding of UIDB/04469/2020 unit and project OH2O – PTDC/EQU-EQU/029145/2017; by FEDER funds through COMPETE2020 – Programa Operacional Competitividade e Internacionalização (POCI) under the scope of Project Algavalor (POCI-01-0247-FEDER-035234; LISBOA-01-0247-FEDER-035234; ALG-01-0247-FEDER-035234) and OH2O (POCI-01-0145-FEDER-029145); AgriFood XXI R & D & I project, operation number NORTE-01-0145-FEDER-000041, co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund (FEDER) through NORTE 2020 (Northern Regional Operational Program 2014/2020). Ricardo N. Pereira acknowledge FCT for its Assistant Research contract obtained under CEEC Individual 2017. Leandro Madureira acknowledges FCT for its PhD fellowship (SFRH/BD/151474/2021) obtained under MIT Portugal Programinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Monocarboxylate transporters 1 and 4 are associated with CD147 in cervical carcinoma

Due to the highly glycolytic metabolism of solid tumours, there is an increased acid production, however, cells are able to maintain physiological pH through plasma membrane efflux of the accumulating protons. Acid efflux through MCTs (monocarboxylate transporters) constitutes one of the most important mechanisms involved in tumour intracellular pH maintenance. Still, the molecular mechanisms underlying the regulation of these proteins are not fully understood. We aimed to evaluate the association between CD147 (MCT1 and MCT4 chaperone) and MCT expression in cervical cancer lesions and the clinico-pathological significance of CD147 expression, alone and in combination with MCTs. The series included 83 biopsy samples of precursor lesions and surgical specimens of 126 invasive carcinomas. Analysis of CD147 expression was performed by immunohistochemistry. CD147 expression was higher in squamous and adenocarcinoma tissues than in the non-neoplastic counterparts and, importantly, both MCT1 and MCT4 were more frequently expressed in CD147 positive cases. Additionally, co-expression of CD147 with MCT1 was associated with lymph-node and/or distant metastases in adenocarcinomas. Our results show a close association between CD147 and MCT1 and MCT4 expressions in human cervical cancer and provided evidence for a prognostic value of CD147 and MCT1 co-expression.CP received a PhD fellowship from Fundacao para a Ciencia e Tecnologia (SFRH/BD/27465/2006)