Cultural adaptation and validation of the Kidney Disease and Quality of Life - Short Form (KDQOL-SF 1.3) in Brazil

The objective of the present study was to translate the Kidney Disease Quality of Life - Short Form (KDQOL-SF 1.3) questionnaire into Portuguese to adapt it culturally and validate it for the Brazilian population. The KDQOL-SF was translated into Portuguese and back-translated twice into English. Patient difficulties in understanding the questionnaire were evaluated by a panel of experts and solved. Measurement properties such as reliability and validity were determined by applying the questionnaire to 94 end-stage renal disease patients on chronic dialysis. The Nottingham Health Profile Questionnaire, the Karnofsky Performance Scale and the Kidney Disease Questionnaire were administered to test validity. Some activities included in the original instrument were considered to be incompatible with the activities usually performed by the Brazilian population and were replaced. The mean scores for the 19 components of the KDQOL-SF questionnaire in Portuguese ranged from 22 to 91. The components Social support and Dialysis staff encouragement had the highest scores (86.7 and 90.8, respectively). The test-retest reliability and the inter-observer reliability of the instrument were evaluated by the intraclass correlation coefficient. The coefficients for both reliability tests were statistically significant for all scales of the KDQOL-SF (P < 0.001), ranging from 0.492 to 0.936 for test-retest reliability and from 0.337 to 0.994 for inter-observer reliability. The Cronbach's alpha coefficient was higher than 0.80 for most of components. The Portuguese version of the KDQOL-SF questionnaire proved to be valid and reliable for the evaluation of quality of life of Brazilian patients with end-stage renal disease on chronic dialysis.Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP) Escola Paulista de Medicina Departamento de MedicinaUNIFESP, EPM, Depto. de MedicinaSciEL

Impacto da identificação do ponto anatômico e do erro padrão de mensuração na análise cefalométrica utilizando um modelo de simulação matemática

Objective: To assess, using a mathematical simulation model, the participation of each coordinate involved in the formation of cephalometric angles and to determine the extent to which errors in the identification of cephalometric landmarks can, individually and collectively, influence the measurement of these angles. Material and Methods: The reference values and standard errors of 13 landmarks obtained from the analysis of 30 cephalograms were used. For each landmark, 1000 observations were simulated using the Monte Carlo method. On the basis of linear regression models, equations designed to estimate measurement errors due to landmark identification errors were obtained and analysed. Results: The coordinates most involved in the formation of the angles SNA, SNB, ANB, FMA, PPL, DFC, and AEF were Ny, Ny, Ax, Goy, Poy, Poy, and Ptmx, respectively, and the standard measurement errors for these angles were 1.2, 0.9, 0.8, 1.6, 1.5, 1.5, and 1.4, respectively. Conclusion: The standard measurement error of the angle depends on the geometric impact coefficient and the standard error of the coordinates involved in the formation of the angles, and the geometric impact coefficient varies according to the angle analysed.Objetivos: Avaliar, empregando um modelo matemático de simulação, a participação de cada coordenada envolvida na formação de ângulos cefalométricos, assim como determinar a extensão da influência dos erros na identificação dos pontos cefalométricos, individual e coletivamente, na mensuração destes ângulos. Materiais e métodos: Foram utilizados os valores de referência e os erros padrão de 13 pontos anatômicos obtidos a partir da análise de 30 cefalogramas. Para cada ponto anatômico, foram simuladas 1000 observações utilizando o método de Monte Carlo. Com base em modelos de regressão linear, foram obtidas e analisadas equações destinadas a estimar os erros de medição devido a erros na identificação dos pontos cefalométricos. Resultados: As coordenadas mais envolvidas na formação dos ângulos SNA, SNB, ANB, FMA, PPL, DFC, e AEF foram Ny, Ny, Ax, Goy, Poy, Poy, e Ptmx, respectivamente, e os erros padrão de mensuração destes ângulos foram 1,2; 0,9; 0,8; 1,6; 1,5; 1,5 e 1,4, respectivamente. Conclusões: O erro padrão de mensuração de cada ângulo cefalométrico depende do coeficiente de impacto geométrico e do erro padrão das coordenadas dos pontos anatômicos envolvidos na formação dos mesmos, sendo que o coeficiente de impacto geométrico varia de acordo com o ângulo analisado

Correlation between cephalometric data and severity of sleep apnea

AbstractIntroductionObstructive sleep apnea syndrome has a high prevalence among adults. Cephalo- metric variables can be a valuable method for evaluating patients with this syndrome.ObjectiveTo correlate cephalometric data with the apnea-hypopnea sleep index.MethodsWe performed a retrospective and cross-sectional study that analyzed the cephalo- metric data of patients followed in the Sleep Disorders Outpatient Clinic of the Discipline of Otorhinolaryngology of a university hospital, from June 2007 to May 2012.ResultsNinety-six patients were included, 45 men, and 51 women, with a mean age of 50.3 years. A total of 11 patients had snoring, 20 had mild apnea, 26 had moderate apnea, and 39 had severe apnea. The distance from the hyoid bone to the mandibular plane was the only variable that showed a statistically significant correlation with the apnea-hypopnea index.ConclusionCephalometric variables are useful tools for the understanding of obstructive sleep apnea syndrome. The distance from the hyoid bone to the mandibular plane showed a statisti- cally significant correlation with the apnea-hypopnea index

The Barretos Cancer Hospital Animal Facility: implementation and results of a dedicated platform for preclinical oncology models

The Barretos Cancer Hospital Animal Facility (BCHAF) is a unique facility in Brazil exclusively dedicated to working with animal models for cancer research. In this article, we briefly present our modern facility and the main experiments performed, focusing on mutant strains of mice (PTCH-knockout and ApcMin mice), xenograft models, and patient-derived xenografts (PDXs). Our results show the progress and challenges in establishing these models and the need for having an appropriate representation of our cancer population to better understand tumor biology and to identify cancer biomarkers, which could be putatively targeted, allowing for personalized therapy.This study was funded by the Public Ministry of Labor Campinas (Research, Prevention and Education of Occupational Cancer) and by Pio XII Foundation, Barretos Cancer Hospital internal funds, Grant Number: 13/2021

Síndrome compartimental após extravasamento de contraste: Compartment syndrome after contrast extravasation

Introdução: A síndrome compartimental decorrente do extravasamento de contraste pode ter diversas complicações, merecendo atenção para que seja evitada ou uma vez instaurada, tratada. Apresentação do caso: Paciente do sexo feminino, 65 anos de idade, ex-tabagista, hipertensa e portadora de doença aterosclerótico vascular periférica, em uso de Losartana e AAS. Sofreu queda sobre membro superior esquerdo e foi submetida à Tomografia Computadorizada com contraste iodado que extravasou ocasionando náusea, episódios de vômito e dor, edema, parestesia e prurido local, sendo diagnosticada com síndrome compartimental e tratada com fasciotomia. Discussão: A síndrome compartimental decorre do aumento da pressão em um compartimento osteofascial fechado, diversas podem ser as etiologias da compressão dentre elas o extravasamento de contraste iodado usado em Tomografias Computadorizadas, provocando de alterações cutâneas e comprometendo elementos vasculares, nervos e músculos levando a prejuízo tecidual, demandando intervenção rápida para diminuir a extensão dos agravos através da Fasciotomia associada a aspiração do contraste. Conclusão: A Síndrome compartimental causada por extravasamento de contraste iodado pode ter desfechos locais e sistêmicos severos, assim que feito seu diagnóstico deve ter abordagem definitiva o quanto antes para minimizar suas complicações

Síndrome de Patau: Patau syndrome

Introdução: A Síndrome de Patau, ou trissomia do 13, é um distúrbio autossômico. A principal causa dessa síndrome é a não disjunção do cromossomo 13 durante a primeira divisão meiótica e sua incidência é cerca de 1:20.000 a 25.000. Apresentação do caso: Paciente do sexo feminino,37 anos de idade, natural e procedente de Goiânia/Go,casada e dona de casa.G3P2A0C0 com 33 semanas e 2 dias de gestação.Admitida no hospital das Clínicas de Goiânia com quadro de sangramento vaginal em pequena quantidade e dor em baixo ventre há 2 horas.Negou comorbidades, tabagismo, etilismo e uso de drogas ilícitas. Discussão: A Síndrome de Patau está relacionada a várias malformações, sendo as principais do trato gastrointestinal, sistema nervoso central e cardiopatias. Certas anomalias ou malformações são incompatíveis com a vida, mas alguns casos de trissomia parcial do cromossomo 13 podem ter sobrevida mais longa. Portadores dessa anomalia costumam vir a óbito devido a complicações cardiorrespiratórias. A idade materna avançada é o principal fator de risco. O diagnóstico dessa síndrome pode ser feito por ultrassom obstétrico de qualidade. Conclusão: Logo, nota-se que é primordial que as mulheres realizem o pré-natal adequado. E caso apresentem os fatores de risco é importante o aconselhamento genético pré-natal e pré-concepcional para que a mulher e o feto tenham a assistência adequada

Pervasive gaps in Amazonian ecological research

Biodiversity loss is one of the main challenges of our time,1,2 and attempts to address it require a clear un derstanding of how ecological communities respond to environmental change across time and space.3,4 While the increasing availability of global databases on ecological communities has advanced our knowledge of biodiversity sensitivity to environmental changes,5–7 vast areas of the tropics remain understudied.8–11 In the American tropics, Amazonia stands out as the world’s most diverse rainforest and the primary source of Neotropical biodiversity,12 but it remains among the least known forests in America and is often underrepre sented in biodiversity databases.13–15 To worsen this situation, human-induced modifications16,17 may elim inate pieces of the Amazon’s biodiversity puzzle before we can use them to understand how ecological com munities are responding. To increase generalization and applicability of biodiversity knowledge,18,19 it is thus crucial to reduce biases in ecological research, particularly in regions projected to face the most pronounced environmental changes. We integrate ecological community metadata of 7,694 sampling sites for multiple or ganism groups in a machine learning model framework to map the research probability across the Brazilian Amazonia, while identifying the region’s vulnerability to environmental change. 15%–18% of the most ne glected areas in ecological research are expected to experience severe climate or land use changes by 2050. This means that unless we take immediate action, we will not be able to establish their current status, much less monitor how it is changing and what is being lostinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio