Cross-cultural validity of the Animated Activity Questionnaire for patients with hip and knee osteoarthritis: a comparison between the Netherlands and Brazil

Background: The Animated Activity Questionnaire (AAQ) was developed in the Netherlands to assess activity limitations in individuals with hip/knee osteoarthritis (HKOA). The AAQ is easy to implement and minimizes the disadvantages of questionnaires and performance-based tests by closely mimicking real-life situations. The AAQ has already been cross-culturally validated in six other countries. Objective: To assess the cross-cultural validity, the construct validity, the reliability of the AAQ in a Brazilian sample of individuals with HKOA, and the influence of formal education on the construct validity of the AAQ. Methods: The Brazilian sample (N = 200), mean age 64.4 years, completed the AAQ and the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Index (WOMAC). A subgroup of participants performed physical function tests and completed the AAQ twice with a one-week interval. The Dutch sample (N = 279) was included to examine Differential Item Functioning (DIF) between the scores obtained in the Netherlands and Brazil. For this purpose, ordinal regression analyses were used to evaluate whether individuals with the same level of activity limitations from the two countries (the Dutch as the reference group) scored similarly in each AAQ item. To evaluate the construct validity, correlation coefficients were calculated between the AAQ, the WOMAC domains, and the performance-based tests. To evaluate reliability, the Cronbach's alpha coeffi-cient, the intraclass correlation coefficient, and the standard error of measurement (SEM) were calculated. Results: The AAQ showed significant correlations with all the WOMAC domains and performance -based tests (rho=0.46-0.77). The AAQ showed high internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha=0.94), excellent test-retest reliability (ICC2,1 = 0.98), and small SEM (2.25). Comparing to the scores from the Netherlands, the AAQ showed DIF in two items, however, they did not impact on the total AAQ score (rho=0.99). Conclusion: Overall, the AAQ showed adequate cross-cultural validity, construct validity, and reliability, which enables its use in Brazil and international/multicenter studies. (c) 2021 Associacao Brasileira de Pesquisa e Pos-Graduacao em Fisioterapia. Published by Elsevier Espana, S.L.U. All rights reserved.Orthopaedics, Trauma Surgery and Rehabilitatio

Embryonic dormancy in seeds of Bactris gasipaes Kunth (peach-palm)

Bactris gasipaes is a domesticated palm whose fruits are of great importance for the Amazonian people and whose heart of palm is also receiving economic interest in other brazilian and Latin America regions. The aim of this study was verify embryonic dormancy and its correlation with first cataphyll emergence in B. gasipaes seeds collected from four plants at Manaus city and four others at Coari city, both in the Amazonas state, Brazil. After extraction and cleaning, some of the seeds (4 replications of 25 per plant) were sown in a seedbed with a sawdust and sand mixture as substrate, and embryos (4 replications of 10 per plant), after extraction, were inoculated into half strength Murashige and Skoog cultures. Were used 100 seeds and 40 embryo per treatment. Whole seed and embryo germination varied between the different source plants and locations, with the greatest difference observed for the emergence of first cataphyll from seeds in the seedbed. For the most part of variables, results of seed and embryo were positively associated, namely, as one went up the other also, and vice versa. These results suggesting that, at least in part, seed dormancy in Bactris gasipaes is associated with embryonic dormancy. © 2017, Associacao Brasileira de Tecnologia de Sementes. All rights reserved

Cohort profile: Zoe 2.0—a community-based genetic epidemiologic study of early childhood oral health

Early childhood caries (ECC) is an aggressive form of dental caries occurring in the first five years of life. Despite its prevalence and consequences, little progress has been made in its prevention and even less is known about individuals’ susceptibility or genomic risk factors. The genome-wide association study (GWAS) of ECC (“ZOE 2.0”) is a community-based, multi-ethnic, cross-sectional, genetic epidemiologic study seeking to address this knowledge gap. This paper describes the study’s design, the cohort’s demographic profile, data domains, and key oral health outcomes. Between 2016 and 2019, the study enrolled 8059 3–5-year-old children attending public preschools in North Carolina, United States. Participants resided in 86 of the state’s 100 counties and racial/ethnic minorities predominated—for example, 48% (n = 3872) were African American, 22% white, and 20% (n = 1611) were Hispanic/Latino. Seventy-nine percent (n = 6404) of participants underwent clinical dental examinations yielding ECC outcome measures—ECC (defined at the established caries lesion threshold) prevalence was 54% and the mean number of decayed, missing, filled surfaces due to caries was eight. Nearly all (98%) examined children provided sufficient DNA from saliva for genotyping. The cohort’s community-based nature and rich data offer excellent opportunities for addressing important clinical, epidemiologic, and biological questions in early childhood

IL-1β dominates the promucin secretory cytokine profile in cystic fibrosis

Cystic fibrosis (CF) lung disease is characterized by early and persistent mucus accumulation and neutrophilic inflammation in the distal airways. Identification of the factors in CF mucopurulent secretions that perpetuate CF mucoinflammation may provide strategies for novel CF pharmacotherapies. We show that IL-1β, with IL-1α, dominated the mucin prosecretory activities of supernatants of airway mucopurulent secretions (SAMS). Like SAMS, IL-1β alone induced MUC5B and MUC5AC protein secretion and mucus hyperconcentration in CF human bronchial epithelial (HBE) cells. Mechanistically, IL-1β induced the sterile α motif-pointed domain containing ETS transcription factor (SPDEF) and downstream endoplasmic reticulum to nucleus signaling 2 (ERN2) to upregulate mucin gene expression. Increased mRNA levels of IL1B, SPDEF, and ERN2 were associated with increased MUC5B and MUC5AC expression in the distal airways of excised CF lungs. Administration of an IL-1 receptor antagonist (IL-1Ra) blocked SAMS-induced expression of mucins and proinflammatory mediators in CF HBE cells. In conclusion, IL-1α and IL-1β are upstream components of a signaling pathway, including IL-1R1 and downstream SPDEF and ERN2, that generate a positive feedback cycle capable of producing persistent mucus hyperconcentration and IL-1α and/or IL-1β-mediated neutrophilic inflammation in the absence of infection in CF airways. Targeting this pathway therapeutically may ameliorate mucus obstruction and inflammation-induced structural damage in young CF children