Preface - Robotics and Well-Being

It is a fact that the well-being of any life form must correspond to the iterative or hopefully continuous satisfaction of the basic needs dictated by its internal states along an existential time line. Common to all life forms and primordial will be hose & nbsp;..

Stressors in anaesthesiology: development and validation of a new questionnaire: A cross-sectional study of Portuguese anaesthesiologists

BACKGROUND: Stress in anaesthesiologists is a common and multifactorial problem related to patients, colleagues and organisations. The consequences of stress include depression, work-home conflicts and burnout. Reduction in stress can be achieved by reducing the number and magnitude of stressors or by increasing resilience strategies. OBJECTIVES: We have created the self-reporting 'Stress Questionnaire in Anaesthesiologists' (SQA), to qualify the sources of stress in anaesthesiologists' professional lives, and measure the level of associated stress. Our study aimed to develop and validate the SQA using exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses. Construct validity was assessed through correlations between SQA and negative psychological outcomes as well as by comparing perception of stress among different known groups. DESIGN: A questionnaire-based cross-sectional, correlational, observational study. SETTINGS: The study was conducted between January 2014 and December 2014, throughout different anaesthesia departments in Portuguese hospitals. Data collection was from a representative subset at one specific time point. PARTICIPANTS: A sample of 710 anaesthesia specialists and residents from Portugal. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The primary outcome measure was to identify specific stressors in anaesthesiologists. Secondary outcome was the association between stressors and burnout, depression symptoms, anxiety, stress, rumination, satisfaction with life and functional impairment. RESULTS: The exploratory analysis showed the SQA is a tri-dimensional instrument and confirmatory analysis showed the tri-dimensional structure presented good model fit. The three dimensions of SQA correlated positively with other stress measures and burnout, but negatively with satisfaction with life. CONCLUSION: SQA is a well adjusted measure for assessing stressors in anaesthesia physicians and includes clinical, organisational and team stress factors. Results showed that the SQA is a robust and reliable instrument.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Finite-size scaling considerations on the ground state microcanonical temperature in entropic sampling simulations

In this work we discuss the behavior of the microcanonical temperature $\frac{\partial S(E)}{\partial E}$ obtained by means of numerical entropic sampling studies. It is observed that in almost all cases the slope of the logarithm of the density of states $S(E)$ is not infinite in the ground state, since as expected it should be directly related to the inverse temperature $\frac{1}{T}$. Here we show that these finite slopes are in fact due to finite-size effects and we propose an analytic expression $a\ln(bL)$ for the behavior of $\frac{\varDelta S}{\varDelta E}$ when $L\rightarrow\infty$. To test this idea we use three distinct two-dimensional square lattice models presenting second-order phase transitions. We calculated by exact means the parameters $a$ and $b$ for the two-states Ising model and for the $q=3$ and $4$ states Potts model and compared with the results obtained by entropic sampling simulations. We found an excellent agreement between exact and numerical values. We argue that this new set of parameters $a$ and $b$ represents an interesting novel issue of investigation in entropic sampling studies for different models

Insights Into the Effects of Mucosal Epithelial and Innate Immune Dysfunction in Older People on Host Interactions With Streptococcus pneumoniae

In humans, nasopharyngeal carriage of Streptococcus pneumoniae is common and although primarily asymptomatic, is a pre-requisite for pneumonia and invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD). Together, these kill over 500,000 people over the age of 70 years worldwide every year. Pneumococcal conjugate vaccines have been largely successful in reducing IPD in young children and have had considerable indirect impact in protection of older people in industrialized country settings (herd immunity). However, serotype replacement continues to threaten vulnerable populations, particularly older people in whom direct vaccine efficacy is reduced. The early control of pneumococcal colonization at the mucosal surface is mediated through a complex array of epithelial and innate immune cell interactions. Older people often display a state of chronic inflammation, which is associated with an increased mortality risk and has been termed ‘Inflammageing’. In this review, we discuss the contribution of an altered microbiome, the impact of inflammageing on human epithelial and innate immunity to S. pneumoniae, and how the resulting dysregulation may affect the outcome of pneumococcal infection in older individuals. We describe the impact of the pneumococcal vaccine and highlight potential research approaches which may improve our understanding of respiratory mucosal immunity during pneumococcal colonization in older individuals

Critical evaluation of proteomic protocols for passion fruit (Passiflora edulis Sims) leaves, a crop with juice market benefits

Passion fruit grows practically all over Brazilian territory; its production is largely destined to juice industry and expanding to overseas markets. The suitability of four protein extraction protocols for plant proteome was  investigated to determine the best choice for studies concerning passion fruit leaf proteins. Trichloroacetic acid (TCA)/acetone extraction; isoelectric  focusing (IEF) buffer extraction; phenol (Phe) extraction and Phe-SDS extraction were tested. The Phe method produced the best results, showing higher reproducibility of resolved protein spots and clearer 2D gel  background staining. In comparison, the Phe-SDS method presented fewer spots and lower reproducibility. The TCA/acetone method produced the fewest identifiable spots and the IEF buffer produced the poorest results,displaying fewer reproducibly detected spots, more vertical streaks and darker 2D staining. Selected spots, obtained with Phe method, were identified by spectrometric analysis (MALDI-TOF-TOF) to exemplify the viability to perform more comprehensive proteomic studies with passion fruit leaves and, therefore increase information about stress-related and developmental responses in this fruit crop.Key words: Passion fruit, proteomic, protein extraction, juice industry

Influence of the different “patient global assessment” formulations on disease activity score by different indices in rheumatoid arthritis

© 2018, International League of Associations for Rheumatology (ILAR). Patient global assessment (PGA) is included in almost all rheumatoid arthritis (RA) composite disease activity indices and definitions of remission. However, different PGA formulations exist and are used interchangeably in research and clinical practice. We investigated how five different PGA formulations used in four disease indices affect the remission rates. This was an ancillary analysis of data from a cross-sectional study in patients with RA. The data comprised the following: 28-joint counts, C-reactive protein, and five PGA formulations. Remission rate variation was assessed using five PGA formulations in each index (ACR/EULAR Boolean, CDAI, SDAI, and DAS28-CRP). PGA agreement was assessed by the following: Pearson’s correlation; Bland-Altman plots; paired samples t test; and establishing the proportion of patients who scored (i) all formulations within an interval of 20mm and (ii) each formulation ≤ 10mm. This analysis included 191 patients. PGA formulations presented good correlations (≥ 0.65), but Bland-Altman plots showed clinically significant differences, which were statistically confirmed by comparison of means. Just over a half (51.8%) of patients scored all PGA formulations within a 20-mm interval. The proportion of those scoring ≤ 10mm varied from 11.5 to 16.2%. When different formulations of PGA were used in each index, remission differences of up to 4.7, 4.7, 6.3, and 5.2% were observed. When formulations were used in their respective indices, as validated, the remission rates were similar (13.1, 13.6, 14.1, and 18.3%). Using PGA formulations interchangeably may have implications in the assessment of disease activity and in the attainment of remission, and this can impact upon management decisions

Long-Term weight loss and metabolic syndrome remission after bariatric surgery: The effect of sex, age, metabolic parameters and surgical technique-a 4-year follow-up study

Introduction: Bariatric surgery is an effective treatment for morbid obesity and its metabolic related comorbidities. However, the literature reports inconsistent results regarding weight loss (WL) and the resolution of comorbidities associated with obesity. Objective: We aim to evaluate long-Term differences in WL between different surgical techniques and the impact of each surgical technique on metabolic parameters (type 2 diabetes mellitus [T2DM], dyslipidemia,hypertension, and metabolic syndrome). We also aim to evaluate the effect of baseline clinical characteristics in WL and in the evolution of metabolic syndrome (MetS) components. Our hypothesis is that different types of surgery have different effects on WL and the prevalence of comorbidities over time. Methods: We retrospectively evaluated WL and metabolic parameter remission (T2DM, dyslipidemia, hypertension, and MetS) during 4 years in 1,837 morbidly obese patients (females, 85%; age, 42.5 ± 10.6 years; BMI, 44.0 ± 5.8) who underwent bariatric surgery (Roux-en-Y gastric bypass [RYGB], laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy [LSG], and laparoscopic adjustable gastric band [LAGB]). Results: The mean percentage of WL for RYGB, LSG, and LAGB was, respectively, 32.9 ± 8.7, 29.8 ± 9.8, and 16.2 ± 9.6 at 12 months and 30.6 ± 9.1, 22.7 ± 10.0, and 15.8 ± 10.8 at 48 months (p < 0.001), even after adjustment for baseline weight, BMI, age, and sex (p < 0.001). Women had more WL during the first 36 months (p = 0.013 and 0.007 at 12 and 36 months, respectively) and older patients had less WL compared to younger ones (p <0.001), except at 48 months. Patients with T2DM had less WL than those without diabetes after adjustment (sex, age, and surgical technique) during the same period. Patients with hypertension had less WL at 12 months (p = 0.009) and MetS at 24 months (p = 0.020) compared to those without these comorbidities. There was no significant difference regarding the presence of dyslipidemia in WL. The RYGB group showed better results for MetS resolution. Conclusion:During the 4-year follow-up, RYGB was the surgical procedure that caused the highest WL and MetS resolution

Polyomavirus Nephropathy: Ten-Year Experience

BACKGROUND: Polyomavirus nephropathy (BKVN) is an important cause of chronic allograft dysfunction (CAD). Recipient determinants (male sex, white race, and older age), deceased donation, high-dose immunosuppression, diabetes, delayed graft function (DGF), cytomegalovirus infection, and acute rejection (AR) are risk factors. Reducing immunosuppression is the best strategy in BKVN. The objective of our study was to evaluate CAD progression after therapeutic strategies in BKVN and risk factors for graft loss (GL). METHODS: Retrospective analysis of 23 biopsies, from patients with CAD and histological evidence of BKVN, conducted over a period of 10 years. Glomerular filtration rate was <30 mL/min in 16 patients at the time of the BKVN diagnosis. RESULTS: BKVN was histologically diagnosed in 23 recipients (19 men, 4 women). All patients were white, with age of 51.2 ± 12.1 years (6 patients, age >60 years), and 22 had a deceased donor. Diabetes affected 4 patients, DGF occurred in 3, cytomegalovirus infection in 2, and AR in 15. All patients were medicated with calcineurin inhibitors (CNI) (95.7% tacrolimus) and corticoids, and 16 also received an antimetabolite. One year after antimetabolite reduction/discontinuation and/or CNI reduction/switching and/or antiviral agents, graft function was decreased in 11 patients, increased/stabilized in 10, and unknown in 2. GL occurred in 9 patients. Older age (hazard ratio, 1.76; 95% confidence interval, 0.94-3.28) and DGF (hazard ratio, 2.60; 95% confidence interval, 0.54-12.64) were the main risk factors for GL. The lower GFR at the time of the BKVN diagnosis was associated with an increased risk of initiation of dialysis. CONCLUSIONS: GL occurred in 39.1% of patients with BKVN and DGF; older age and lower GFR at the time of diagnosis were important risk factors. Early diagnosis of BKVN is essential to prevent GL.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio