School-based health education intervention to increase knowledge on rheumatic heart disease: the provar study

Introduction: Rheumatic Heart Disease (RHD) remains an important cause of morbidity and mortality in Brazil and other low- and middle-income countries (LMIC). Lack of public awareness of the causes and prevention of RHD limit the efficacy of primary and secondaryprevention programs. Objectives: To evaluate the efficacy of knowledge transfer that results from a structured public-school educational program on RHD. Methods: A prospective, cohort study was conducted over 8 months (9/2014-4/2015) in 6 randomly selected low-income public schools in Belo Horizonte, Brazil. All enrolled and present students received education. A nurse and an imaging technician utilized 2 custom educational curriculums, targeting children in grades 6 - 11 (aged 11-17). Pre-tests, taken immediately prior to educational curriculum queried students’ knowledge of the causes, prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of RHD. Post-tests, 1-3 weeks following education assessed the efficacy of knowledge transfer and retention. Results: Education was delivered to 3700 students. Of these, 1176 were randomly selected to participate in pre- and post-testing including 404 (34%) in 6th/7th grades (G1), 511 (44%) in 8th/9th (G2), and 261 (22%) of in 10th/11th grades (G3). The mean interval between pre and post-tests was 1010 days. Prior to the intervention, general knowledge regarding RHD was universally low (median score 46.7%, 40.0-60.0). Children in higher grades (G3) knew more about RHD than those in lower grades (60% vs. 43.3% G1/46.7% G2), p<0.001.Children showed significant gains in the post-test, raising the median score by 20% (60%, 40.0-73.3). Again, children in higher grades showed higher overall scores (73.3%, 60.0-80.0 G3; 60%, 40.0-73.3 G2; 53.3%, 33.3-66.7 G1), p<0.001. However, the percent increase was similar between groups (6.9% G1, 7.9% G2, 8.5% G3), p¼0.53. Conclusion: School-based RHD education resulted in consistent but modest gains in knowledge. Novel educational techniques and use of technology to engage young learners may lead to improved knowledge gains and retention. Further studies are needed to determine if increased knowledge leads to behavioral changes that could decrease theburden of RHD in LMIC

Avaliação da migração das células progenitoras após terapia da tendinite equina

Cell therapy has been used with promising results in the treatment of equine tendinitis. However, there are still doubts about the persistence and behavior of these cells implanted in the injured tissue and their migration to other inflamed sites. The aim of this study was to evaluate the labeling of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) with nanocrystals before and after implantation in experimental tendinitis of the superficial digital flexor tendon (SDFT) of horses, observing the migration possibility of MSCs marked to another lesion, performed on the contralateral limb of the same animal. An experimental lesion was induced in SDFT in both forelimbs of five horses, and after seven days autologous MSCs labeled with Qtracker(r) 655 were implanted in one member of the animals. Tendon biopsy was performed for subsequent histopathological evaluation using fluorescence microscopy seven days after the implant. Cell viability test was also performed before and after incubation with the cell labeling kit. MSCs labeled and injected into the tendon tissue maintained their fluorescence seven days after their implantation and there was no migration to the contralateral limb. The use of nanocrystals for labeling MSCs was effective because it does not alter cell viability and remains active during the experimental period.A terapia celular vem sendo utilizada com resultados promissores no tratamento da tendinite equina, entretanto ainda existem dúvidas quanto à persistência e ao comportamento dessas células quando implantadas no local da lesão, e quanto à sua migração para outros focos inflamatórios. O objetivo deste estudo foi avaliar a marcação das células-tronco mesenquimais (CTMs) com nanocristal antes e após o implante em lesões tendíneas experimentais do tendão flexor digital superficial (TFDS) de equinos, bem como observar a possibilidade de migração das CTMs marcadas para outro foco de lesão, o membro contralateral do mesmo animal. Para isso, foi realizada a indução de lesão experimental no TFDS em ambos os membros torácicos de cinco equinos e, após sete dias, foram implantadas as CTMs autólogas marcadas com o nanocristal Qtracker 655 em um dos membros dos animais. Após sete dias do implante, foi realizada a biópsia tendínea para posterior avaliação histopatológica, utilizando-se microscopia com fluorescência. Também foi realizado o teste de viabilidade celular antes e após a incubação com o nanocristal. As CTMs marcadas e injetadas no tecido tendíneo mantiveram sua fluorescência sete dias após seu implante, e não ocorreu migração para o membro contralateral. O uso do nanocristal para a marcação das CTMs derivadas da medula óssea equina mostrou-se efetivo pelo fato de essa nanopartícula não ter alterado a viabilidade celular e por ela ter permanecido ativa durante o período implantado.Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)Universidade Estadual Paulista FMVZUniversidade Estadual Paulista FMV

Justify your alpha

Benjamin et al. proposed changing the conventional “statistical significance” threshold (i.e.,the alpha level) from p ≤ .05 to p ≤ .005 for all novel claims with relatively low prior odds. They provided two arguments for why lowering the significance threshold would “immediately improve the reproducibility of scientific research.” First, a p-value near .05provides weak evidence for the alternative hypothesis. Second, under certain assumptions, an alpha of .05 leads to high false positive report probabilities (FPRP2 ; the probability that a significant finding is a false positive

Plasma rico em plaquetas no tratamento de lesões condrais articulares induzidas experimentalmente em equinos: avaliação clínica, macroscópica, histológica e histoquímica

Estudou-se a eficácia do plasma rico em plaquetas (PRP) no tratamento de lesões condrais articulares, experimentalmente induzidas em equinos. Para isso, foi induzida uma lesão condral, na tróclea medial femoral dos dois membros pélvicos de quatro animais. Após 30 dias da indução, as oito articulações foram divididas em dois grupos. Os animais do grupo 1 receberam o tratamento intralesional e intra-articular com PRP, e os do grupo 2 foram tratados apenas com solução fisiológica. As avaliações clínicas, constituídas de exames de claudicação e análises do líquido sinovial, foram realizadas antes da indução da lesão - tempo zero -, quinzenalmente, até 120 dias e aos 150 dias. Avaliações macroscópicas, histológicas e histoquímicas foram realizadas no tempo zero e aos 150 dias. Os equinos do grupo 1 apresentaram melhora do grau de claudicação em relação aos do grupo 2. Os exames macroscópicos, histológicos e histoquímicos revelaram melhor tecido de reparação igualmente no grupo 1. Concluiu-se que a administração de PRP apresentou efeitos benéficos no tratamento de lesões condrais experimentais de equinos