Association between physical activity levels and polypharmacy in hypertensive patients

Background: exercise reduces medication usage in hypertensive people. However, different domains of physical activity (PA) have not been studied in order to analyze their relationship with the use of multiple medications, known as polypharmacy. Purpose: To examine the association between PA in different domains (leisure-time, locomotion and occupational) and polypharmacy in hypertensive patients. Methods: This is a cross-sectional study carried out with 190 hypertensive patients. Polypharmacy was defined as simultaneous use of three or more drugs. The PA domains were the independent variables: Locomotion PA (LPA), Leisure Time PA (LTPA) and Occupational PA (OPA). The multiple logistic regression was performed to analyze the associations. The Mann Whitney test determined whether medications usage differ according to each domain of PA. Results: The total number of drugs used ranged from 0 to 7, which represents an average of 2.35 (±1.6) drugs per person. Scores of LTPA (OR: 3.25; CI95%:1.61-6.54) and LPA (OR: 2.15; CI95%:1.09-4.25) were inversely associated with polypharmacy in hypertensive patients, in the multiple logistic regression analysis (controlled by BMI, chronic diseases, smoking, alcohol consumption and skin color). Conclusions: lower PA in leisure time and locomotion were associated with polypharmacy in hypertensive peopleIntrodução: o exercício reduz o uso de medicamentos em indivíduos hipertensos. Contudo, diferentes domínios de atividade física (AF) não têm sido estudados no intuito de analisar suas relações com o uso de múltiplos medicamentos, conhecido como polifarmácia. Objetivo: analisar a associação entre AF em diferentes domínios (tempo livre, locomoção e ocupação) e polifarmácia em indivíduos hipertensos. Métodos: trata-se de um estudo transversal realizado com 190 hipertensos. Polifarmácia foi definida como o uso simultâneo de três ou mais drogas. As variáveis independentes foram os domínios de AF: Locomoção (AFL); Tempo Livre (AFTL) e Ocupacional (AFO). A regressão logística múltipla foi empregada para analisar as associações. O teste de Mann Whitney foi empregado para comparar se a média de medicamentos usados diferia entre domínios de AF. Resultados: o número total de drogas usadas variou de 0 a 7, com média de 2.35 (±1.6) por pessoa. Escores de AFTL (OR: 3.25; IC95%: 1.61-6.54) e AFL (OR: 2.15; IC95%: 1.09-4.25) foram inversamente associadas à polifarmácia em hipertensos (controlado por IMC, número de doenças crônicas, fumo, consumo de álcool e cor da pele). Conclusão: menor AF no tempo livre e de locomoção foi associada à polifarmácia em indivíduos hipertenso

Pattern of care and effectiveness of treatment for glioblastoma patients in the real world: Results from a prospective population-based registry. Could survival differ in a high-volume center?

BACKGROUND: As yet, no population-based prospective studies have been conducted to investigate the incidence and clinical outcome of glioblastoma (GBM) or the diffusion and impact of the current standard therapeutic approach in newly diagnosed patients younger than aged 70 years. METHODS: Data on all new cases of primary brain tumors observed from January 1, 2009, to December 31, 2010, in adults residing within the Emilia-Romagna region were recorded in a prospective registry in the Project of Emilia Romagna on Neuro-Oncology (PERNO). Based on the data from this registry, a prospective evaluation was made of the treatment efficacy and outcome in GBM patients. RESULTS: Two hundred sixty-seven GBM patients (median age, 64 y; range, 29-84 y) were enrolled. The median overall survival (OS) was 10.7 months (95% CI, 9.2-12.4). The 139 patients 64aged 70 years who were given standard temozolomide treatment concomitant with and adjuvant to radiotherapy had a median OS of 16.4 months (95% CI, 14.0-18.5). With multivariate analysis, OS correlated significantly with KPS (HR = 0.458; 95% CI, 0.248-0.847; P = .0127), MGMT methylation status (HR = 0.612; 95% CI, 0.388-0.966; P = .0350), and treatment received in a high versus low-volume center (HR = 0.56; 95% CI, 0.328-0.986; P = .0446). CONCLUSIONS: The median OS following standard temozolomide treatment concurrent with and adjuvant to radiotherapy given to (72.8% of) patients aged 6470 years is consistent with findings reported from randomized phase III trials. The volume and expertise of the treatment center should be further investigated as a prognostic factor

Genetic diversity of NS5A protein from hepatitis C virus genotype 3a and its relationship to therapy response

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The quasispecies nature of HCV may have important implications for viral persistence, pathogenicity and resistance to antiviral agents. The variability of one of the viral proteins, NS5A, is believed to be related to the response to IFN therapy, the standard treatment for infection. In this study we analyzed the quasispecies composition of NS5A protein in patients infected with HCV genotype 3a, before IFN therapy.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Viral RNA was isolated from samples of 12 patients: four sustained virological responders (SVR), four non-responders (NR), and four end-of-treatment responders (ETR). cDNA was synthesized, the NS5A region was amplified and the fragments obtained were cloned. Fifteen clones from each patient were sequenced with eight primers, generating 179 contigs.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Higher values for substitution (either synonymous or non-synonymous) and for distance were found in the SVR group. However, the NR group showed relatively more non-synonymous mutations than the other groups, owing to the higher values of dN/dS in complete NS5A and most specific regions. Overall, NS5A protein is undergoing purifying selection, since all dN/dS ratios values are below 0.5.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Our study provides an overview of the genetic variability of complete NS5A protein in HCV genotype 3a.</p

25th annual computational neuroscience meeting: CNS-2016

The same neuron may play different functional roles in the neural circuits to which it belongs. For example, neurons in the Tritonia pedal ganglia may participate in variable phases of the swim motor rhythms [1]. While such neuronal functional variability is likely to play a major role the delivery of the functionality of neural systems, it is difficult to study it in most nervous systems. We work on the pyloric rhythm network of the crustacean stomatogastric ganglion (STG) [2]. Typically network models of the STG treat neurons of the same functional type as a single model neuron (e.g. PD neurons), assuming the same conductance parameters for these neurons and implying their synchronous firing [3, 4]. However, simultaneous recording of PD neurons shows differences between the timings of spikes of these neurons. This may indicate functional variability of these neurons. Here we modelled separately the two PD neurons of the STG in a multi-neuron model of the pyloric network. Our neuron models comply with known correlations between conductance parameters of ionic currents. Our results reproduce the experimental finding of increasing spike time distance between spikes originating from the two model PD neurons during their synchronised burst phase. The PD neuron with the larger calcium conductance generates its spikes before the other PD neuron. Larger potassium conductance values in the follower neuron imply longer delays between spikes, see Fig. 17.Neuromodulators change the conductance parameters of neurons and maintain the ratios of these parameters [5]. Our results show that such changes may shift the individual contribution of two PD neurons to the PD-phase of the pyloric rhythm altering their functionality within this rhythm. Our work paves the way towards an accessible experimental and computational framework for the analysis of the mechanisms and impact of functional variability of neurons within the neural circuits to which they belong

Modifiable and non-modifiable factors related to HPV infection and cervical abnormalities in women at high risk: a cross-sectional analysis from the Valhidate Study

Abstract: Migrant women, and women infected with HIV, are at enhanced risk of cervical HPV infection and HPV-related cancers. We investigated factors that can reduce these risks through public health preventive and screening interventions. We compared prevalence and risk factors for cervical HPV infection/lesions in women with HIV-infection (HIW) and migrant women (RMW) with a control group of resident women (SPW) who were enrolled in the study for the eVALuation and monitoring of HPV Infections and relATEd cervical diseases in high-risk women (VALHIDATE). Among 3093 evaluable women, age-standardized HPV prevalence was 36.3% (95%CI: 28.1–44.4) in HIW, 21.6% (95%CI: 15.7–27.5) in RMW, and 14.3% (95%CI: 12.5–16.1) in SPW. Adjusted prevalence of HPV infection was 2.07 times higher among HIW (95%CI: 1.75–2.45), and 1.45 times higher among RMW (95%CI: 1.17–1.80) than in SPW. Prevalence-ratios of SIL and HG-SIL were 2.67 (95%CI: 2.06–3.45) and 2.82 (95%CI: 1.28–6.20), respectively, in HIW compared to controls. A multivariate log-binomial regression model showed modifiable risk factors associated with HPV infection/lesion to have different patterns among groups. Specific public-health intervention, including health and sexual-health education, safe-sex procedures, and improvements to screening programmes, could favorably affect these highly vulnerable women