One-year follow-up of blood-retinal barrier and retinal thickness alterations in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus and mild nonproliferative retinopathy

OBJECTIVE: To examine the 1-year alterations of the blood-retinal barrier and changes in retinal thickness occurring in the macular region in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus and mild nonproliferative retinopathy. METHODS: We classified 12 eyes of 12 patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus and mild nonproliferative retinopathy by 7-field stereoscopic fundus photography, levels 20 and 35 of Wisconsin grading, and examined them 3 times, at 6-month intervals, by fluorescein angiography, retinal leakage analyzer (RLA) (modified confocal scanning laser ophthalmoscope), and retinal thickness analyzer. The maps of retinal leakage and retinal thickness were aligned and integrated into one image. Data from the group of individuals with diabetes were compared with those from a healthy control population (n = 14; mean age, 48 years; age range, 42-55 years) to establish reference maps for the RLA and the retinal thickness analyzer. RESULTS: Areas of abnormally increased fluorescein sodium leakage and increased thickness were detected in all eyes examined at baseline. The sites of increased fluorescein leakage reached values as high as 483% above normal, but in 10 of the total 36 examinations performed, fluorescein leakage returned to normal levels. A statistically significant correlation was found between changes in hemoglobin A(1c) values and variations in percentage of abnormal fluorescein leakage between the 6- and 12-month examinations (P<.001). When comparing the RLA-leaking sites among the 3 examinations, a good correlation was seen among the location of these sites of maximum leakage, but there was a clear fluctuation in the percentage of increases. A correlation was noted between the location of the RLA-leaking sites and the location of areas of increased retinal thickness in subsequent examinations, either 6 or 12 months later. Microaneurysms showed relatively little leakage and leaked progressively less in successive examinations. CONCLUSIONS: The dominant alteration in the retina of patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus and mild nonproliferative retinopathy is the presence of RLA-leaking sites, indicating spotty retinal vascular damage characterized by alteration of the blood-retinal barrier. This damage appears to be reversible and directly associated with variations in glycemic metabolic control. Retinal edema appears to develop mainly as a result of retinal vascular leakage

Characterization of the students of a nursing course regarding the consumption of licit and illicit drugs

Se trata de un estudio cuantitativo, descriptivo y transversal que buscó caracterizar el uso de drogas entre estudiantes del segundo año de la carrera de Licenciatura en Enfermería. Se aplicó un cuestionario autoadministrado a 119 estudiantes, el que se dividió en información: general, sociodemográfica, económica, personal, familiar, sociocultural y, sobre el consumo de drogas. El estudio evidenció que los estudiantes poseen factores protectores para la prevención del consumo o el avance del uso problemático de drogas; pero, por otro lado poseen también factores de riesgo importantes que deben ser tomados en cuenta en programas de prevención, por ejemplo: estilos de vida no saludables, consumo de drogas de personas cercanas a ellos (familiares, amigos o compañeros). A pesar de que el alcohol y tabaco ocupan el primer lugar de consumo, tanto en el entorno inmediato del grupo de estudiantes seleccionados como en el ámbito nacional, ellos no lo consideran un problema tan grande si comparado con las drogas ilícitas.Trata-se de estudo quantitativo, descritivo e transversal que buscou caracterizar o uso de drogas entre estudantes de segundo ano de Licenciatura de Enfermagem. Aplicou-se questionário autoadministrado a 119 estudantes, contendo informações gerais, sociodemográficas, econômicas, pessoais, familiares, socioculturais e sobre o consumo de drogas. O estudo evidenciou que os estudantes possuem fatores protetores para a prevenção do consumo ou avanço ao uso problemático de drogas, embora possuam também fatores de risco importantes como estilos de vida não saudáveis e consumo de drogas de pessoas próximas (familiares, amigos e companheiros). Além disso, ficou evidente que o perfil de consumo de drogas tanto lícitas como ilícitas é similar ao que se observa no cenário nacional e internacional. Importante destacar que, apesar do consumo de álcool e tabaco ocupar o primeiro lugar, tanto para os estudantes selecionados como em nível nacional, eles não o consideram problema tão grande comparado com drogas ilícitas.The aim of this quantitative, descriptive, transversal study was to characterize drug use among students in the second year of the Nursing Degree course. The sample of 119 students answered a questionnaire divided into: general information, sociodemographic, economic, personal, familiar, sociocultural and drug usage. The study showed that students possess factors that protect them from drug usage and the acquisition of drug habits; but that they also have risk factors which must be taken into consideration in prevention programs, such as unhealthy life styles or drug abusage in people close to them (family, friends or classmates). We found that the profile of drugs used, containing both legal and illegal drugs, was similar to those in the national and international context. It is important to emphasize that even though the consumption of alcohol and tobacco occupy the highest places, in the student environment as well as nationally, these are not considered as problematic as the illegal drugs

Drug use among students of the Faculty of Medical Sciences of the National Autonomous University of Nicaragua, Leon, Nicaragua

Se busco caracterizar a estudiantes de la Facultad de Ciencias Médicas de la UNAN León y su relación con drogas licitas e ilícitas, mediante un estudio descriptivo transversal realizado en el año 2008 en la Ciudad de León, en Nicaragua. Se utilizó un cuestionario anónimo autoaplicado SAMSHA (Substance Abuse and Mental Health) adaptado a la realidad Nicaragüense, el que fue respondido por un total de 954 estudiantes entre 17 y 35 años, de ambos sexos, de las carreras profesionales de dicha facultad. Encontrándose 52,6% de uso de alcohol, 25,3% de Tabaco, 48,7% de Medicamentos y 2,6% de Cocaína. Se propone profundizar este tema con nuevos estudios para poder dirigir mejor las acciones de intervención.Os objetivos desta pesquisa foram a busca pela caracterização de estudantes da Faculdade de Ciências Medicas da UNAN, em León, e sua relação com drogas licitas e ilícitas, mediante estudo descritivo transversal, realizado no ano 2008, na Cidade de León, Nicarágua. Utilizou-se questionário autoaplicado SAMSHA (Substance Abuse and Mental Health) sem identificação dos sujeitos, adaptado à realidade nicaraguense, o qual foi respondido por 954 estudantes, entre 17 e 35 anos, de ambos os sexos, das carreiras profissionais dessa faculdade. Encontrou-se, como resultados, 52,6% de uso de álcool, 25,3% de tabaco, 48,7% de medicamentos e 2,6% de cocaína. Propõe-se aprofundar a temática em questão, com novos estudos, para melhor dirigir as ações de intervenção no contexto universitário.The aim of this study was to characterize the relationships of students of the Faculty of Medical Sciences of UNAN León, with licit and illicit drugs. This was accomplished by means of a traversal, descriptive study carried out in the year 2008 in the City of León, Nicaragua. The SAMSHA (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration) questionnaire, adapted for the Nicaraguan context, was applied anonymously. The questionnaire was completed by a total of 954 students, between 17 and 35 years old, of both sexes. It was found that 52.6% of the students used alcohol, 25.3% tobacco, 48.7% medication and 2.6% cocaine. It is necessary to develop other studies to guide prevention and intervention in the university context

Progression of retinopathy and alteration of the blood-retinal barrier in patients with type 2 diabetes: a 7-year prospective follow-up study

BACKGROUND: The study was carried out to evaluate the correlation between blood-retinal barrier (BRB) permeability and the progression of diabetic retinopathy (DR), defined by development of "need for photocoagulation", over a 7-year period by means of vitreous fluorometry (VF). METHODS: Forty type 2 diabetic patients with minimal or no retinopathy, aged 40-65 years (mean 53.9 + 7.3 years), were followed up prospectively for 7 years. Investigations including standard ophthalmological examination, fundus photography, fluorescein angiography and VF were performed at entry and 1, 4, 5 and 7 years later. Only one eye per patient was included in the study. Need for photocoagulation was based on Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Study protocols and decided by the attending ophthalmologist. RESULTS: After 7 years of follow-up a total of 22 of the 40 eyes had received photocoagulation. The eyes that needed photocoagulation were those that had higher VF values at the entry of the study and showed higher rates of deterioration (initial values 5.1 + 1.9 vs 2.8 + 1.5 x 10(-6) min-1, P < 0.001; annual increase in leakage for the first year, 1.5 + 0.8 vs 0.5 + 1.0 x 10(-6) min-1, P < 0.001,). The eyes that did not need photocoagulation during the 7 years of follow-up showed stable VF readings (-0.1 + 1.2 x 10(-6) min-1, difference between initial values and 7 years later). CONCLUSIONS: Abnormally high VF values and their rapid increase over time are good indicators of progression and worsening of the retinopathy in diabetes type 2

Wideband dual sphere detector of gravitational waves

We present the concept of a sensitive AND broadband resonant mass gravitational wave detector. A massive sphere is suspended inside a second hollow one. Short, high-finesse Fabry-Perot optical cavities read out the differential displacements of the two spheres as their quadrupole modes are excited. At cryogenic temperatures one approaches the Standard Quantum Limit for broadband operation with reasonable choices for the cavity finesses and the intracavity light power. A molybdenum detector of overall size of 2 m, would reach spectral strain sensitivities of 2x10^-23/Sqrt{Hz} between 1000 Hz and 3000 Hz.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figures. Changed content. To appear in Phys. Rev. Let

Physical activity barriers and team cohesiveness of Angeles City volleyball players during the pandemic

Physical activity barriers, particularly for the volleyball players of Angeles City, are one of the elements that hinder team cohesiveness for all athletes during this pandemic. According to research, there are many areas where the pandemic influences physical activity and team cohesiveness. The purpose of this study is to ascertain whether physical activity barriers have a direct impact on volleyball players' ability to work together as a team. Based on related literature on how it affects physical activity barriers, an online Cross-Sectional, Descriptive-Survey research was conducted on the volleyball players around Angeles City. Respondents were chosen based on specific qualities and criteria and provided unbiased selection. In analyzing the data, the pandemic practices and communication are the areas that impact the volleyball players in the middle of the pandemic. The findings showed that physical activity barriers have no association with the team cohesiveness of the volleyball player. It is suggested to the trainers, coaches, school administrators, and players that they can apply the findings of this study to their training amidst this pandemic. For further validation, the same research is needed to identify the other areas or factors that affect physical activity barriers to team cohesiveness

Characterization of bacterial communities associated with Brassica napus L. growing on a Zn-contaminated soil and their effects on root growth

peerreview_statement: The publishing and review policy for this title is described in its Aims & Scope. aims_and_scope_url: http://www.tandfonline.com/action/journalInformation?show=aimsScope&journalCode=bijp20The attached document is the author's final accepted/submitted version of the journal article. You are advised to consult the publisher's version if you wish to cite from it

Some remarks on a new exotic spacetime for time travel by free fall

This work is essentially a review of a new spacetime model with closed causal curves, recently presented in another paper (Class. Quantum Grav. \textbf{35}(16) (2018), 165003). The spacetime at issue is topologically trivial, free of curvature singularities, and even time and space orientable. Besides summarizing previous results on causal geodesics, tidal accelerations and violations of the energy conditions, here redshift/blueshift effects and the Hawking-Ellis classification of the stress-energy tensor are examined.Comment: 17 pages, 9 figures. Submitted as a contribution to the proceedings of "DOMOSCHOOL - International Alpine School of Mathematics and Physics, Domodossola 2018". Possible text overlaps with my previous work arXiv:1803.08214, of which this is essentially a review. Additional results concerning redshift/blueshift effects and the classification of the stress-energy tensor are presented her

Análise da evolução dos transtornos mentais e comportamentais ao longo das revisões da Classificação Internacional de Doenças

Este estudio tuvo por objetivo describir la creación y la evolución de tres categorías diagnósticas del capítulo V de la Clasificación Internacional de Enfermedades-CID, denominadas en CID-10: 1) Trastornos de humor, 2) Esquizofrenia y 3) Trastornos mentales y comportamentales debido al uso de substancias psicoactivas, desde la sexta revisión a la décima (actual). Fueron descritos los cambios de esas categorías entre CID, los cambios de códigos y cuantificado el número de agrupamientos, categorías y subcategorías. Se observaron cambios significativos, incorporaciones de nuevas definiciones y redefiniciones. Se concluyó que las alteraciones ocurridas acompañaron la trayectoria de las enfermedades y trastornos psiquiátricos que fueron cargados de expresiones que remeten preconcepto y exclusión, destacándose además de la expansión del número de categorías, el mejoramiento en el contenido del capítulo V