Aspects Related to Venous Ulcer Healing and its Influence on Quality of Life

Nowadays, the varicose ulcers (VUs) are one of the most worrying leg ulcers and are an important global health problem, with high costs related to the treatment and its complications. Moreover, the quality of life (QOL) of the patient could be affected by pain, sleep disorders, functional impairment, depression, and isolation. The VU patient care is complex, and it is necessary to know the aspects that contribute to the healing process for developing effective strategies. The members of the multidisciplinary health team should identify sociodemographic, clinical, and care aspects that interfere in tissue repair and therefore impacting the QOL. Self-efficacy, adherence to treatment, and self-esteem are other important aspects also related to healing and QOL, with implications for health care and the multidisciplinary team. To sum up, the use of multidisciplinary protocols allows the systematization of care for people with VUs in order to standardize therapeutic interventions with the aim to decrease the healing process time and, as a consequence, to improve the QOL

Effective interaction between helical bio-molecules

The effective interaction between two parallel strands of helical bio-molecules, such as deoxyribose nucleic acids (DNA), is calculated using computer simulations of the "primitive" model of electrolytes. In particular we study a simple model for B-DNA incorporating explicitly its charge pattern as a double-helix structure. The effective force and the effective torque exerted onto the molecules depend on the central distance and on the relative orientation. The contributions of nonlinear screening by monovalent counterions to these forces and torques are analyzed and calculated for different salt concentrations. As a result, we find that the sign of the force depends sensitively on the relative orientation. For intermolecular distances smaller than $6\AA$ it can be both attractive and repulsive. Furthermore we report a nonmonotonic behaviour of the effective force for increasing salt concentration. Both features cannot be described within linear screening theories. For large distances, on the other hand, the results agree with linear screening theories provided the charge of the bio-molecules is suitably renormalized.Comment: 18 pages, 18 figures included in text, 100 bibliog

Depression and quality of life in Brazilian and Portuguese older people communities

We aimed to compare the association of depression with aspects of quality of life (QoL) among older people users of primary health care (PHC) living in Brazil and Portugal. We carried out an observational, cross-sectional and comparative study with a quantitative approach in the PHC scope in Brazil and Portugal, where we obtained a nonrandom sample of 150 participants aged 65 years or older (100 Brazilians and 50 Portuguese). We used the socioeconomic and health data questionnaire, the Medical Outcomes Short-Form Health Survey QoL (SF-36) questionnaire and the Beck Inventory. Among the socioeconomic profiles, most were females aged between 65 and 80 years in both countries. There was a significant difference between groups in the income variable, with 100.0% of Portuguese people earning up to 1 minimum wage (P value 50.0) within the categorical variables of “absent” and “mild” depression. The Emotional role functioning, Physical role functioning, Physical functioning, Mental health, Total score domains and the Mental health and Physical health summary measures stood out with this behavior in Brazil and in Portugal, where these latter 2 presented moderate to strong correlation values (ρ > 0.400) in Portugal. Greater associations of depression on QoL were revealed in Portugal than in Brazil. Among their most expressive associations, the Physical role functioning (odds ratio [OR] = 4.776; 95.0% confidence interval [CI]: 2.41–9.43), Physical functioning (OR = 3.037; 95.0% CI: 3.037), Vitality (OR = 6.000; 95.0% CI: 1.56–23.07) and Total score (OR = 3.727; 95.0% CI: 2.24–6.17) domains and the Mental health summary measure (OR = 3.870; 95.0% CI: 2.13–7.02) stood out. Aspects related to the emotional, physical, functional and mental health components stood out. The association and correlation with depression were more expressive in Portugal compared to Brazil. However, similar results were obtained in Brazil but with less relevance

Oviposition by the riceinfesting weevil, Oryzophagus oryzae (Costa Lima, 1936) (Coleoptera, Curculionidae): influence of water depth and host-plant characteristics

Following characterization of the egg-laying site, oviposition site selection by the rice-infesting weevil Oryzophagus oryzae (Costa Lima, 1936) (Coleoptera, Curculionidae) was studied in relation to water depth, age and density of rice in outdoor tanks. Experimental units consisted of plastic pots that were filled with different soil amounts to obtain the desired water depths in the tanks. Most eggs were laid in the submerged portions of the leaf sheath within the leaves’ internal air space (aerenchyma). Oviposition rates increased linearly from 10.9 to 54.5 eggs per plant with an increase in water depth from 0 to 12 cm. There was a significant interaction between water depth and host plant age, and tiller density. In water varying from 4 to 12 cm deep, females oviposited significantly more eggs on 60-day old plants (average > 75 eggs per plant) than on 15-day old plants (average < 30 eggs per plant). Oviposition was negligible on 105 and 150-day old plants. Oviposition rates increased with tiller density in the 4-12 cm water depth interval. The dataindicate that females oviposit preferentially on tillering rice plants in relatively deep water, and that egg density is directly related to the number of tillers per plant

Leaf selection and daily variation on feeding and oviposition of Gratiana spadicea (Klug) (Coleoptera, Chrysomelidae, Cassidinae)

Gratiana spadicea(Klug) (Coleoptera, Chrysomelidae) is a monophagous beetle that feeds only on leaves of Solanum sisymbriifolium Lamarck (Solanaceae). We determined the portions of S. sisymbriifolium leaves that are used by the adults as feeding and oviposition sites. Daily variation on larval and adult feeding frequency, and on oviposition, was also registered under laboratory conditions (25oC; 70+10% rh). Larvae and adults were fed with S. sisymbriifolium leaves during photo (14 hours) and scotophase (10 hours). At the end of each phase, it was measured the leaf area they ate and registered position of their feeding marks on leaves. The oothecae were counted and noted, regarding their position on the leaf blade. Larvae and adults of G. spadicea showed feeding activity during photo and scotophase. Oviposition was restricted to photophase. Females leaf consumption rates were greater than those of the males. Adult feeding marks were most frequent on leaf margins. Oothecae were most frequently found near the central vein of the abaxial leaf surface. Daily ingestion rates grew exponentially through the larval stage; fifth instar ingested more than 60% of the total amount of food consumed by the larval stage. The possible adaptive mechanisms involved in such feeding and oviposition patterns are discussed

Conspecific mimics and low host plant availability reduce egg laying by Heliconius erato phyllis (Fabricius) (Lepidoptera, Nymphalidae)

Oviposition response of Heliconius erato phyllis (Fabricius, 1775) (Lepidoptera, Nymphalidae) to variation in host plant availability, Passiflora suberosa Linnaeus (Passifloraceae), and to presence of conspecific eggs and larvae was determined through choice experiments performed under insectary conditions. Freeze dried, painted eggs and larvae were used as mimics for testing presence of conspecific effects. Females laid more eggs on intact P. suberosa shoots without conspecifics than on those with H. erato phyllis egg and first instar mimics in both simultaneous and sequential choice trials. Oviposition response to variation in host plant availability was determined through no-choice trials, under host plant densities varying from 0.3 to 8.3 plants per female. Number of eggs laid per plant decreased exponentially with an increase in plant availability. On the contrary, daily oviposition rates (eggs /female/day) increased with an increase in plant number, and levelled off when the number of plants available for oviposition was greater than potential fecundity of females. Thus, it is inferred from the results that females assess egg and larval load and prefer to lay eggs on shoots free from conspecifics. It is also inferred that they are able to recognize plant abundance and are unwilling to lay more than one egg per shoot even when host availability is scarce, as judged by reduction in daily oviposition rates under low host plant number. The consequences of laying isolated eggs on P. suberosa shoots are discussed from the viewpoint of intraspecific competition in the larval stage of H. erato phyllis