2,089 research outputs found
The five-point Likert scale for dyspnea can properly assess the degree of pulmonary congestion and predict adverse events in heart failure outpatients
OBJECTIVES: Proper assessment of dyspnea is important in patients with heart failure. Our aim was to evaluate the use of the 5-point Likert scale for dyspnea to assess the degree of pulmonary congestion and to determine the prognostic value of this scale for predicting adverse events in heart failure outpatients. METHODS: We undertook a prospective study of outpatients with moderate to severe heart failure. The 5-point Likert scale was applied during regular outpatient visits, along with clinical assessments. Lung ultrasound with â„15 B-lines and an amino-terminal portion of pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) level >;1000 pg/mL were used as a reference for pulmonary congestion. The patients were then assessed every 30 days during follow-up to identify adverse clinical outcomes. RESULTS: We included 58 patients (65.5% male, age 43.5±11 years) with a mean left ventricular ejection fraction of 27±6%. In total, 29.3% of these patients had heart failure with ischemic etiology. Additionally, pulmonary congestion, as diagnosed by lung ultrasound, was present in 58% of patients. A higher degree of dyspnea (3 or 4 points on the 5-point Likert scale) was significantly correlated with a higher number of B-lines (pâ=â0.016). Patients stratified into Likertâ=â3-4 were at increased risk of admission compared with those in class 1-2 after adjusting for age, left ventricular ejection fraction, New York Heart Association functional class and levels of NT-proBNP >;1000 pg/mL (HRâ=â4.9, 95% CI 1.33-18.64, pâ=â0.017). CONCLUSION: In our series, higher baseline scores on the 5-point Likert scale were related to pulmonary congestion and were independently associated with adverse events during follow-up. This simple clinical tool can help to identify patients who are more likely to decompensate and whose treatment should be intensified
Physico-chemical characterization of inclusion complex between hydroxymethylnitrofurazone and hydroxypropyl-beta-cyclodextrin
Hydroxymethylnitrofurazone (NFOH) is a prodrug that is active against Trypanosoma cruzi. It however presents low solubility and high toxicity. Hydroxypropyl-beta-cyclodextrin (HP-beta-CD) can be used as a drug-delivery system for NFOH modifying its physico-chemical properties. The aim of this work is to characterize the inclusion complex between NFOH and HP-beta-CD. The rate of NFOH release decreases after complexation and thermodynamic parameters from the solubility isotherm studies revealed that a stable complex is formed (deltaGÂș= 1.7 kJ/mol). This study focuses on the physico-chemical characterization of a drug-delivery formulation that comes out as a potentially new therapeutic option for Chagas disease treatment.FAPESPCoordenacao de Aperfeicoamento de Pessoal de Nivel Superior (CAPES
Speciesâspecific transpiration responses to intermediate disturbance in a northern hardwood forest
Intermediate disturbances shape forest structure and composition, which may in turn alter carbon, nitrogen, and water cycling. We used a largeâscale experiment in a forest in northern lower Michigan where we prescribed an intermediate disturbance by stem girdling all canopyâdominant early successional trees to simulate an accelerated ageârelated senescence associated with natural succession. Using 3 years of eddy covariance and sap flux measurements in the disturbed area and an adjacent control plot, we analyzed disturbanceâinduced changes to plot level and speciesâspecific transpiration and stomatal conductance. We found transpiration to be ~15% lower in disturbed plots than in unmanipulated control plots. However, speciesâspecific responses to changes in microclimate varied. While red oak and white pine showed increases in stomatal conductance during postdisturbance (62.5 and 132.2%, respectively), red maple reduced stomatal conductance by 36.8%. We used the hysteresis between sap flux and vapor pressure deficit to quantify diurnal hydraulic stress incurred by each species in both plots. Red oak, a ring porous anisohydric species, demonstrated the largest mean relative hysteresis, while red maple, bigtooth aspen, and paper birch, all diffuse porous species, had the lowest relative hysteresis. We employed the PenmanâMonteith model for LE to demonstrate that these speciesâspecific responses to disturbance are not well captured using current modeling strategies and that accounting for changes to leaf area index and plot microclimate are insufficient to fully describe the effects of disturbance on transpiration.Key PointsPlot level scaling of evaporation from sap flux evaluated with eddy fluxDisturbance changes intradaily transpiration dynamicsHydraulic strategy causes speciesâspecific transpiration differencesPeer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/110637/1/jgrg20315.pd
Determinação de fĂłsforo biodisponĂvel em raçÔes de peixes utilizando extração assistida por ultra-som e espectrofotometria no visĂvel
The aim of the present work was to develop and optimize a method for determination of bioavailable phosphorus in samples of feces and fish feed using ultrasound extraction and subsequent quantification by visible spectrophotometry. Using as extractor solution HNO3 0.50 mol L-1, the great conditions of extraction established were: sample mass - 100 mg, samples granulometry - < 60 ”m, sonification time - five cycles of 40 s and ultrasound potency - 136 W. The proposed method was applied in studies of digestibility of this nutrient in different feeds used in diets of juvenile of Nile tilapia
Global Relationships Between River Width, Slope, Catchment Area, Meander Wavelength, Sinuosity, and Discharge
Physico-chemical characterization of inclusion complex between hydroxymethylnitrofurazone and hydroxypropyl-b-cyclodextrin
Hydroxymethylnitrofurazone (NFOH) is a prodrug that is active against Trypanosoma cruzi. It however presents low solubility and high toxicity. Hydroxypropyl-b-cyclodextrin (HP-b-CD) can be used as a drug-delivery system for NFOH modifying its physico-chemical properties. The aim of this work is to characterize the inclusion complex between NFOH and HP-b-CD. The rate of NFOH release decreases after complexation and thermodynamic parameters from the solubility isotherm studies revealed that a stable complex is formed (DGÂș= 1.7 kJ/mol). This study focuses on the physico-chemical characterization of a drug-delivery formulation that comes out as a potentially new therapeutic option for Chagas disease treatment312290295COORDENAĂĂO DE APERFEIĂOAMENTO DE PESSOAL DE NĂVEL SUPERIOR - CAPESFUNDAĂĂO DE AMPARO Ă PESQUISA DO ESTADO DE SĂO PAULO - FAPESP00019-08-0305/03045-9; 04/02091-4; 06/00787-
Experimento para quantificar a eficiĂȘncia de aspersĂŁo de lĂquidos: aplicação em distribuidores espinha de peixe
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