The association of positive psychological factors with work ability one year after myocardial infarction

Background Positive psychological factors like optimism, resilience and self-efficacy may facilitate successful adjustment after hospitalization for myocardial infarction (MI) and treatment with percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), including return to work. Objective To examine whether positive psychological factors (optimism, resilience, and self-efficacy) predict work ability one year after PCI for MI. Methods Patients treated with PCI and with paid employment were included and completed questionnaires at 1 and 12 months post PCI discharge. Patients filled out the LOT-R optimism scale, the dispositional resilience scale (DRS-15), and the Cardiac Self-efficacy Scale (CSE) at 1-month, and the work ability index (WAI) at 1-year follow-up. Hierarchical linear regression models were used. Sensitivity analysis was performed for the acuteness of the PCI treatment. Results In total, 323 patients (14% women; mean age 59.5 ± 6.8y; 74% acute PCI) completed both surveys. At 1-year follow-up, resilience (β = 0.152, p = 0.009) and cardiac self-efficacy (β = 0.273, p < 0.001), but not optimism (β = 0.044, p = 0.432), were associated with work ability at 1 year, irrespective of cardiac history, or sex. Age (β = −0.158, p = 0.002) and comorbidity index (β = −0.104, p = 0.044) were significant covariates. Sensitivity analysis revealed that in patients receiving an elective Conclusion Resilience and cardiac self-efficacy were independently associated with work ability 1 year post PCI, whereas optimism was not. Identification and support of patients low in cardiac self-efficacy and resilience may contribute to improved restoration of work ability post PCI

Mass production of Bacillus subtilis and Trichoderma viride for the control of Phyllosticta citricarpa (Teleomorph: Guignardia citricarpa).

The work was aimed at studying the production of cells and metabolites of Bacilius subtilis (ACB-69) and of Trichoderma viride conidia (ACB-14) on different substrates, since they can potentially control Phyllosticta citricarpa. Our results showed that the medium consisting of cotton meal added of hydrolized protein provided the highest yield of B. subtiiis cells (2.44 x IO9 cells/mL), after the culture had been incubated for three days. This liquid substrate also provided conditions for the bacterium to produce thermostable metabolites, in sufficient amounts to inhibit the plant pathogen's micelial growth. The production of B. subtilis under the solid fermentation system performed better on the brewers rice substrate; the number of bactéria; cells decreased as the substrate concentration increased. In general, the liquid medium yielded a higher amount of B. subtilis than the solid medium. With regard to the large scale production of T. viride, it was verified that the substrates tested had a low spore production; the best substrate among those tested (com cob + hydrolized protein) only yielded 2.17 x IO6 conidia/mL. O objetivo foi estudar a produção de células e de metabólitos de Bacillus subtilis (ACB-69) e de conídios de Trichoderma viride (ACB-14) em diferentes substratos, pois apresentam potencial para o controle de Phyllosticta citricarpa. O meio constituído de farelo de algodão acrescido de proteína hidrolisada foi o que proporcionou maior produção de células de B. subtilis (2,4 x 109 células/mL), após três dias de incubação da cultura. Esse substrato líquido também propiciou condições para que a bactéria produzisse metabólitos termoestáveis e, em quantidades suficientes para inibir o crescimento micelial do fitopatógeno. A produção de B. subtilis pelo sistema de fermentação sólida foi melhor no substrato quirera de arroz sendo que o número de células da bactéria diminuiu à medida que aumentou a concentração do substrato. De um modo geral, o meio líquido foi superior ao sólido para a produção de B. subtilis. Com relação à produção de T. viride, verificou-se que os substratos testados apresentaram baixa produção de esporos, sendo que o melhor substrato testado (sabugo de milho + proteína hidrolisada) produziu apenas 2,2 x 106 conídios/mL

Counter-Regulation of Interleukin-1α (IL-1α) and IL-1 Receptor Antagonist in Murine Keratinocytes

Interleukin-1α (IL-1α) is a potent proinflammatory cytokine constitutively expressed by keratinocytes, which also synthesize a specific inhibitor of IL-1 activity, intracellular IL-1 receptor antagonist (IL-1ra). Although homeostatic regulation of the IL-1 system in keratinocytes has long been suspected, there is currently little evidence for this. To explore this issue, the PAM212 murine keratinocyte cell line was exposed to increasing concentrations of either IL-1α or IL-1ra and the opposing ligand was assessed by ELISA. Release of IL-1ra was induced following stimulation by murine IL-1α in a concentration-dependent manner and, conversely, IL-1ra stimulation increased IL-1α release. To determine whether a similar homeostatic circuit operates in vivo, epidermis from transgenic mice in which overexpression of IL-1α or IL-1ra was targeted to keratinocytes was analyzed. Epidermal sheets derived from IL-1α transgenic mice released eight times more IL-1ra than those from wild-type mice following ex vivo culture and similarly, IL-1α release was increased 3–4-fold in epidermal sheets derived from IL-1ra transgenic epidermis, Use of specific neutralizing antibodies against type I and type II IL-1 receptors indicated that the counter-regulation mechanism is mediated extracellularly through the type I IL-1 receptor alone. Taken together, these observations provide the first demonstration of mutual counter-regulation of IL-1 receptor ligands in keratinocytes

Effect of tissue fit on corneal shape after transplantation

Postkeratoplasty astigmatism is now a major problem preventing visual recovery. Certain postopertive topographic characteristics are felt to be dictated by the fit of the donor corneal button in its recipient bed. Deficient tissue at the wound is predicted to contribute to the location of the steep meridian and excess tissue to the location of the flat meridian. In an eight-cat sample using our Fit Assessment Method and Photogrammetric Index Method, the authors tested the relationship between button fit in recipient bed and resulting corneal curvature at approximately 42, 161, and 289 postoperative days. Corneal symmetry improved between the first and second postoperative periods. Deficient tissue led to steepened curvature and ample tissue to flattened curvature in the first measurement period. When buttons fit poorly, deficient tissue led to steepness in the first postoperative period, but led to flattened curvature 90 deg away from the deficient tissue meridian in the second and third periods. The relationship between ample tissue and flattest postoperative curvature did not depend on the magnitude of button-bed disparity in any period. Corneal elasticity appeared to influence the way tissue disparity affected postoperative topography. Our findings support Troutman's balloon mode. When there was a large amount of uncompensated tissue disparity, the tissue deficiency exerted a force that shortened the translimbal chord. This produced both steepened curvature parallel to this chord soon after surgery and flattened curvature at 90 deg to the chord in the stable postoperative cornea

A new photogrammetric method for quantifying corneal topography

Attempts to describe normal corneal shape and to represent corneal topography by an array of discrete points have limited usefulness. A quantitative photogrammetric method that produces indices to describe corneal shape was developed. Four indices depict the departure of keratographic rings from circularity, and two indices express the trends and consistencies of all the rings from one keratograph. This photogrammetric index method (PIM) was evaluated against established measurement techniques. Values for the six indices were computed for groups (10 corneas each) of symmetrical, regularly astigmatic, and keratoconic corneas that had been defined by keratometry and clinical criteria. Predictions of the differences among groups were formulated for each index based on group descriptions and anticipated manual tracing and/or digitization error. Parametric and nonparametric tests of significance supported most predictions. The asymmetry of irregularly astigmatic keratoconic corneas, the variability of their orthogonal principal meridians, and an increasing symmetry toward their peripheries were documented clearly. The circularity of symmetrical group rings and the ellipticity of regularly astigmatic group rings were also evident. Preliminary norms are offered to illustrate the usefulness of the PIM in defining groups of corneas with the same histories and in classifying individual corneas

Bifurcations and stability of gap solitons in periodic potentials

We analyze the existence, stability, and internal modes of gap solitons in nonlinear periodic systems described by the nonlinear Schrodinger equation with a sinusoidal potential, such as photonic crystals, waveguide arrays, optically-induced photonic lattices, and Bose-Einstein condensates loaded onto an optical lattice. We study bifurcations of gap solitons from the band edges of the Floquet-Bloch spectrum, and show that gap solitons can appear near all lower or upper band edges of the spectrum, for focusing or defocusing nonlinearity, respectively. We show that, in general, two types of gap solitons can bifurcate from each band edge, and one of those two is always unstable. A gap soliton corresponding to a given band edge is shown to possess a number of internal modes that bifurcate from all band edges of the same polarity. We demonstrate that stability of gap solitons is determined by location of the internal modes with respect to the spectral bands of the inverted spectrum and, when they overlap, complex eigenvalues give rise to oscillatory instabilities of gap solitons.Comment: 18 pages, 11 figures; updated bibliograph

Produção de agentes de biocontrole de guignardia citricarpa, agente causal da mancha preta dos frutos cítricos.

O trabalho teve por objetivo estudar a produção de células e de metabólitos de Bacilius subtilis (ACB-69) em diferentes substratos por meio de dois sistemas de fermentação: liquida e sólida. Adicionalmente, foi estudada a produção de conídios de Trichoderma viride (ACB-14) em diversos meios sólidos com diferentes fontes de carbono e nitrogênio. Esses agentes de biocontrole apresentam potencial para o controle de Guignardia citricarpa. Os resultados mostraram que o meio constituído de farelo de algodão acrescido de proteína hidrolisada foi o que proporcionou maior produção de células bacterianas, após três dias de incubação da cultura. Tal substrato também propiciou condições para que a bactéria produzisse metabólitos termoestáveis e, em quantidades suficientes para inibir o crescimento do fitopatógeno. A produção de B. subtilis pelo sistema de fermentação sólida foi melhor no substrato quirela de arroz sendo que, o número de células da bactéria diminuiu à medida que aumentou a concentração do substrato. Com relação à produção de T. viride, verificou-se que o melhor substrato foi sabugo de milho, acrescentado de proteína hidrolizada, como fonte de nitrogênio