Evaluation of effectiveness of an art-based museum intervention in reducing loneliness among older adults (ArtGran): a quasi-experimental study.

OBJECTIVES: Loneliness is a public health issue among older adults. We designed an intervention offering 10 sessions with diverse artistic methods (ArtGran). This study assessed the effectiveness of ArtGran in reducing loneliness and its negative effects on health in community-dwelling older adults in 2022 in Barcelona. STUDY DESIGN: Quasi-experimental study, with an intervention group (IG) and a comparison group (CG). METHODS: The sample included residents aged ≥70 years from 6 selected neighbourhoods of Barcelona. In each neighbourhood, an IG and a CG was formed with participants who reported loneliness and without special mobility needs. The participants were referred from primary care centres, social services, and community health centres. We included 138 participants (IG = 63, CG = 75). We collected data on loneliness, quality of life (QoL-5D), mood, and self-perceived health before and after the intervention through validated questionnaires. To assess the effect of the intervention, we built Poisson models with robust variance and linear regression models. RESULTS: At the end of the intervention, participants in the IG were more likely than those in the CG to be able to perform their usual activities without problems (adjusted prevalence ratio [aPR] = 1.22; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.02-1.45). Compared with the CG, participants in the IG attending more than half of the sessions had lower levels of loneliness (aPR = 1.36; 95%CI: 1.07-1.73), a better ability to perform their usual activities (aPR [95%CI] = 1.24 [1.05-1.48]), and higher happiness scores (ß = 0.73; P = 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: The effectiveness of the intervention was more pronounced when participants had high attendance. Our results suggest that high attendance of the ArtGran program was helpful in shielding older individuals from loneliness, fostering positive moods, and preserving their functional status.

Dietary changes and food habits: social and clinical determinants in a cohort of women diagnosed with breast cancer in Barcelona (DAMA cohort).

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to analyze the influence of social determinants on changes in dietary habits before and after diagnosis of breast cancer in women (Barcelona, 2003-2013). METHODS: We performed a cohort study with 2,235 women diagnosed with breast cancer. The information was obtained from an ad hoc questionnaire based on recommendations from the Spanish Society of Community Nutrition. We conducted a descriptive bivariate analysis and fit logistic regression models. The dependent variable was the change in dietary habits (food groups) and the independent variables were a selection of social and clinical variables (age, social class, cohabitation, years since diagnosis, history of replaces, and treatment with chemotherapy). RESULTS: While 5.8% of women followed a healthy diet (consumption of vegetables, fruits, farinaceous, lean meat, and seafood) before diagnosis, 9.5% did so after diagnosis. We observed statistically significant changes in consumption of all food groups (p < 0.001) after diagnosis. The greatest change in consumption patterns was observed in women aged < 50 years and those from non-manual classes (high classes) [e.g., legume consumption: OR<50 years/>65 years = 2.9 (95% CI 1.78-4.81); ORnon-manual/manual = 2.5 (95% CI 1.38-4.36)]. The occurrence of relapses and chemotherapy was associated with greater changes in dietary habits. CONCLUSION: Women with breast cancer change their eating habits after diagnosis, and these changes are conditioned by social and clinical determinants.

Island effect in the shell phenotypic plasticity of an intertidal gastropod.

The pattern of shell shape variation in populations of the top shell, Phorcus sauciatus from Madeira Island (NE Atlantic) was analysed as a function of substrate type and wave exposure, using geometric morphometrics. We hypothesized that P. sauciatus shows morphological variations to inhabit contrasting environments. Highly significant differences in shell shape were found depending on both substrate type and coastal exposure. The most marked differences were found between exposed and sheltered environments. Rounded shells in exposed environments may be explained by physiological reasons, since larger muscles are needed to ensure attachment to substrate in areas subject to harsh conditions. On the other side, conically-shaped shells may accommodate a larger body but with a smaller foot, an adaptation to sheltered environments. Slight shape variations were also observed among substrates, mostly in the degree of differentiation of some whorls. Differences could be related to a particular use of habitat and/or to the degree of exposure to water current. These results suggest that P. sauciatus is locally adapted to varying coastal hydrodynamics and may be considered as a good model in studies on adaptations of fauna to certain climate change effects.

Cancer-related fatigue and its determinants in a cohort of women with breast cancer: the DAMA Cohort.

Cancer-related fatigue (CRF) is one of the most prolonged discomforts suffered by people who have had cancer. Seventy-eight to ninety-six percent of cancer patients experience fatigue, especially while undergoing treatment. CRF is related to insomnia, anxiety, depression, and also varies depending on age. However, little is known about the factors contributing to CRF and better understanding of determinants of CRF makes it easier to identify early patients at risk and in designing intervention planning. The aim of this study was to assess the influence of precipitating factors (diagnosis of breast cancer and other clinical aspects) and perpetuating factors (social network, quality of life, mental disorders) on the presence of chronic fatigue in women from our cultural context, by social class each other determinants. METHODS: It was carried out a mixed cohort study (prospective and retrospective) using a convenience sample of women diagnosed with breast cancer. The information sources were data from the Brief Fatigue Inventory questionnaire and hospital medical records. The dependent variable was fatigue and the independent variables were age, social class, time since diagnoses, cohabitation, comorbidity, relapse, body mass index, mental health (anxiety and depression), social network, social support, and quality of life. RESULTS: Seventy-two percent of the women in the DAMA cohort reported moderate to severe fatigue. Risk of suffering from severe fatigue was greatest among individuals with low social class, those aged under 50 years, those with chronic disorders who had relapsed, and those with symptoms of anxiety and depression. In our study, CRF did not appear to be related to the stage of the cancer at diagnosis, or to the time since diagnosis. CONCLUSIONS: CRF is an element that the professionals responsible for the control and monitoring of women should take into account as another element to be taken into consideration.

Minoxidil for patchy alopecia areata: systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Alopecia areata (AA) is a complex immune and polygenic inflammatory disease that causes hair loss on some or all areas of the body; extent, severity and progression vary widely among individuals. Alopecia areata, considered one of the most frequently occurring immune diseases, affects 0.2% of the world population at any given time. Uncertainty prevails about the most appropriate intervention for AA. The aim is to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of over 80 interventions for AA, including minoxidil - one of the most promising interventions for patchy AA in children and adults of both sexes. MATERIAL AND METHODS: An extensive search was conducted of international medical literature involving randomized clinical trials (RCTs) of AA interventions. RCTs were evaluated qualitatively and quantitatively according to the previously published protocol and for seven specific outcomes. RESULTS: The meta-analysis involving 5% minoxidil vs. placebo presented a significant difference in favor of 5% minoxidil with the moderate quality of evidence in children and adults with patchy AA (RR 8.37 [3.16-22.14], 95% CI). No severe adverse event was reported. CONCLUSIONS: Treatment of patchy AA with 5% minoxidil proved effective, and clinically and statistically safe in studies with limited sample size; quality of evidence was moderate. Further studies with sound methodological quality, more participants and outcome observations lasting longer than 6 months are needed to address remaining uncertainties.

Anxiety and depression in women with breast cancer: Social and clinical determinants and influence of the social network and social support (DAMA cohort).

BACKGROUND: Anxiety and depression are the most prevalent mental health pathologies among women with breast cancer. Social, clinical and contextual variables may influence emotional stress among women with breast cancer. The aim of this work is to study anxiety and depression in a cohort of women diagnosed with breast cancer between 2003 and 2013 in Barcelona. We evaluate social and clinical determinants. METHODS: We performed a mixed cohort study (prospective and retrospective) using a convenience sample of women diagnosed with breast cancer. The information sources were the Hospital Anxiety and Depression questionnaire and hospital medical records. Dependent variables were anxiety and depression; independent variables were social class, age, employment status, tumour stage at diagnosis, time since diagnosis, social network and social support. We performed a descriptive analysis, a bivariate analysis, and a multivariate logistic regression analysis. RESULTS: A total of 1086 (48.6%) women had some degree of anxiety-related problem. As for depression. In the case of depression, 225 (15%) women had some degree of depression-related problem. Low emotional support and social isolation were clear risk factors for having more anxiety and depression. Low social class was also a risk factor, and age also played a role. DISCUSSION: Our results show that women long period of cancer survival have high prevalences of anxiety than depression, and this prevalence of anxiety is higher than the general population. In addition, we found inequalities between social classes and the isolation and social support are worse too in low social class.

Vertical zonation and functional diversity of fish assemblages revealed by ROV videos at oil platforms in The Gulf.

An assessment of vertical distribution, diel migration, taxonomic and functional diversity of fishes was carried out at offshore platforms in The (Arabian-Iranian-Persian) Gulf. Video footage was recorded at the Al Shaheen oil field between 2007 and 2014 using a remotely operated vehicle (ROV). A total of 12 822 individual fishes, from 83 taxonomic groups were recorded around the platforms. All the species identified are considered native to The Gulf, although Cyclichthys orbicularis and Lutjanus indicus were recorded for the first time in Qatari waters. Several trends were uncovered in the vertical distribution of the fish community; most species were observed between 20 and 50 m depth and fish abundance decreased towards the bottom, with the highest abundances recorded in the upper layers, i.e. down to 40 m depth. Vertical variation in fish diversity, however, was generally not accompanied by differences in vertical movements. Carnivores and invertivores were the dominant trophic groups, being found at each depth range from surface to seabed. The functional indices showed no significant differences between water depths or diel cycles. The study demonstrates that oil platforms represent a hotspot of fish diversity and interesting sites for studying fish communities, abundance and behaviour.

[Perception of healthcare professionals on the Breast Cancer Screening Programme in Barcelona]. / Percepción de los profesionales de salud sobre el Programa de Detección Precoz del Cáncer de Mama en Barcelona.

OBJECTIVE: A good communication plan is vital for optimal results in any screening programme. The objective of this study was to assess the knowledge, involvement and opinion of health professionals regarding the Breast Cancer Screening Programme in Barcelona in 2008. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A cross-sectional study using an anonymous and self-administered questionnaire. The study population (N = 960) were health professionals from Primary Health-care (PH), Programs for Sexual and Reproductive Health (PSRH), and Community Pharmacies (CP). The dependent variables were: knowledge of the Programme, professional involvement and opinion of the Programme. The independent variables were: sex, age, qualifications, employment status, and health team. A descriptive and bivariate analysis was performed. Using multivariate logistic regression models adjusted for age, an Odds Ratios (OR) were obtained along with the 95% confidence intervals (CI 95%). RESULTS: PSRH professionals know the target population better; 80.2% versus 26.1% PH, and 14.0% CP, respectively. Professional involvement was related to the health care team (ORCP/PH: 0.32, CI 95%: 0.22-0.43) being observed more in PH. The opinion on the Programme in reducing breast cancer mortality was similar in the three teams (61.6% PH, 59.3% PSRH, and 56.5% CP). CONCLUSIONS: Healthcare professionals are unaware of some aspects of Programme, such as age range or periodicity. There is great professional involvement and belief that the Programme has helped disseminate information and knowledge on the early detection of breast cancer.

Treatment for agenesis of maxillary lateral incisors: a systematic review.

OBJECTIVES: To compare the efficacy and safety of three orthodontic treatment modalities for agenesis of maxillary lateral incisors: 1) closing the space with the reshaped canine substituting the lateral incisor, 2) opening the space with placement of a conventional fixed bridge, and 3) opening the space with placement of a single-unit implant and an implant-supported crown. SETTING: Brazilian Cochrane Center and Universidade Federal de São Paulo, Brazil. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The following databases were investigated: Cochrane Register of Controlled Trials (Edition 12, 2011), EMBASE (from 1974 to December 2011), MEDLINE (from 1965 to December 2011), LILACS (from 1966 to November 2011), and Odontology Brazilian Bibliography Database (from 1966 to November 2011). Conference abstracts, main Brazilian dissertations and theses databases, and reference lists were handsearched. This systematic review included randomized or quasi-randomized controlled trials (RCTs) including women aged 15 years or over and men aged 21 years or over who received one of the interventions stated above. Two observers independently evaluated all the studies regarding eligibility criteria and assessed the risk of bias of included studies. RESULTS: No studies were included in the review as no RCTs were found. Most of the evidence comes from case reports and narrative reviews on case reports and from three studies with a single post-intervention evaluation and non-comparable control groups with high risk of bias. CONCLUSIONS: There is no scientific evidence for any of the three most common types of treatment for agenesis of the maxillary lateral incisors. RCTs into this issue are still necessary.

Health services and the treatment of immigrants: data on service use, interpreting services and immigrant staff members in services across Europe.

BACKGROUND: The number of immigrants using health services has increased across Europe. For assessing and improving the quality of care provided for immigrants, information is required on how many immigrants use services, what interpreting services are provided and whether staff members are from immigrant groups. METHODS: Structured interviews were conducted with 15 health services (9 primary care, 3 emergency departments, 3 mental health) located in areas with high immigrant populations in each of 16 European countries (n=240). Responses were collected on the availability of data on service use by immigrant patients, the provision of interpreting services and immigrant staff members. RESULTS: Data on service use by immigrants were recorded by only 15% of services. More than 40% of services did not provide any form of interpreting service and 54% of the services reported having no immigrant staff. Mental health services were more likely to use direct interpreting services, and both mental health and emergency services were more likely to have immigrant staff members. DISCUSSION: For assessing and improving the quality of care provided for immigrants, there is a need to improve the availability of data on service use by immigrants in health services throughout Europe and to provide more consistent access to interpreting services.

Arbitrary-order corrections for finite-time drift and diffusion coefficients.

We address a standard class of diffusion processes with linear drift and quadratic diffusion coefficients. These contributions to dynamic equations can be directly drawn from data time series. However, real data are constrained to finite sampling rates and therefore it is crucial to establish a suitable mathematical description of the required finite-time corrections. Based on Itô-Taylor expansions, we present the exact corrections to the finite-time drift and diffusion coefficients. These results allow to reconstruct the real hidden coefficients from the empirical estimates. We also derive higher-order finite-time expressions for the third and fourth conditional moments that furnish extra theoretical checks for this class of diffusion models. The analytical predictions are compared with the numerical outcomes of representative artificial time series.

[Diagnosis and therapeutical management offered to rheumatoid arthritis patients in Brazil--rheumatologists' answers from an assessment questionnaire]. / Conduta no diagnóstico e tratamento dos pacientes com artrite reumatóide no Brasil--respostas dos médicos a um questionário de avaliação.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to evaluate in relation to diagnosis and treatment for Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) patients Brazilian population, and compare the management offered to patients who are followed up in the public and private sectors. MATERIAL AND METHODS: An electronic questionnaire was sent to 650 rheumatologists, members of the Brazilian Rheumatology Society (SBR) and who were attending adult RA patients in the public and/or private sector, who had a contact e-mail address available in the SBR register and agreed to take part in the survey. RESULTS: The rheumatologists estimated that 51.7% of the patients had had their disease diagnosed and of these, 56.1% were undergoing treatment. It was also estimated that 53.9% of the RA patients that was under treatment were being followed up by rheumatologists. The mean time interval estimated by the rheumatologists, between the appearance of the first symptoms of RA and the diagnosis made by a doctor, was greater among the patients who sought attendance in public services (1.8 years). There was no difference in clinical and radiographic assessment measures between the two types of service, with the exception of the application of HAQ, which was used more in public services. The principal drug association reported in both types of services was methotrexate and chloroquine. The rate of usage of associations between biological agents and methotrexate ranged from 6 to 8%. The main treatment-related difficulties were: access to the health system (public services) and cost of medication (private services). CONCLUSION: Approximately 50% of RA patients are being diagnosed and half of these are under treatment. There was no great difference in attendance within the public and private systems for these patients, whereas the main difficulty for the public system was access to attendance, for the private system it was the cost of the medication.

[Glucose metabolism alterations and follow-up study of a non-diabetic adult population]. / Alteraciones del metabolismo de la glucosa y estudio de seguimiento de una población adulta no diabética.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the appearance of type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM2) and impaired fasting glucose (IFG) at five years of follow-up in a known non-diabetic population. DESIGN: nested case control studies (case s-control into a cohort) developed in two stages: 1) identification and characterization of the cohort and 2) follow-up. STUDY POPULATION: representative sample of a non-diabetic population between 40 and 75 years old attended in a Primary Health Center. IDENTIFICATION: 326 persons, 2.1% of whom were diagnosed of previously unknown DM2 and 7.3% of IFG. Insulin resistance (IR) was higher in patients with IFG and pancreatic function of beta cells (PFBC) was higher in the population without glucose metabolism alteration. FOLLOW-UP: 121 persons, 9.7 % of whom evolved to DM2 (all with IFG). IFG proportion at the end of the follow-up was 23.96%. CONCLUSIONS: At 5 years of follow-up, more than 1/3 of the population studied developed DM2 or IFG. These diagnoses were related with IR and PFBC.

Cytotoxic proteins combined with prodigiosin obtained from Serratia marcescens have both broad and selective cytotoxic activity on tumor cells.

Cytotoxic proteins and prodigiosin obtained from Serratia marcescens strains are known to induce tumor cell death, nevertheless its combination has not been studied. In this paper we evaluate the combined effects of these molecules in a panel of tumor cell lines. The results showed a marked inhibitory effect on the growth of tumor cell lines derived from tumors (i.e., melanoma) which are highly resistant to conventional anticancer drugs, while normal cells were less sensitive than tumor cells. TUNEL (TdT-mediated dUTP nick end labeling) and electrophoresis of HEp-2 cell DNA treated with MG2327 preparation [containing the P50 protein belonging to the serralysins and prodigiosin, from S. marcescens CMIB4202] showed a pattern of DNA fragments typically associated with apoptosis. Interestingly, prodigiosin enhanced by 1.6-fold the cytotoxic effect of P50 when acting in combination on HEp-2 cells. The broad cytotoxic activity of the combination on tumor cells as well as its selectivity open new frontiers in cancer therapy.

Additive-multiplicative stochastic models of financial mean-reverting processes.

We investigate a generalized stochastic model with the property known as mean reversion, that is, the tendency to relax towards a historical reference level. Besides this property, the dynamics is driven by multiplicative and additive Wiener processes. While the former is modulated by the internal behavior of the system, the latter is purely exogenous. We focus on the stochastic dynamics of volatilities, but our model may also be suitable for other financial random variables exhibiting the mean reversion property. The generalized model contains, as particular cases, many early approaches in the literature of volatilities or, more generally, of mean-reverting financial processes. We analyze the long-time probability density function associated to the model defined through an Itô-Langevin equation. We obtain a rich spectrum of shapes for the probability function according to the model parameters. We show that additive-multiplicative processes provide realistic models to describe empirical distributions, for the whole range of data.

Thrombotic pulmonary arteriopathy in polycythemia vera.

Pulmonary infarction and hemorrhage are important differential diagnoses in pulmonary coin lesions, especially in patients with underlying hematologic malignancies. We report a 58-year-old female patient suffering from polycythemia vera presenting with multiple pulmonary coin lesions. Open lung biopsy and subsequent histologic investigations showed organized pulmonary infarction and primary pulmonary thrombotic arteriopathy. Although histologic features are non-contributory in distinguishing organized thrombosis from organized thromboembolism, the clinical setting and localization of the lesions suggest that in the present case the vascular lesions are due to organized thrombosis.

Abnormal pattern of tyrosine phosphorylation in unstimulated peripheral blood T lymphocytes from patients with systemic lupus erythematosus.

Previous reports have shown abnormal responses mediated via the TCR/CD3 pathway in T lymphocytes from systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients. Recently, we and others have reported augmented TCR/CD3-mediated responses in lupus T cells. It is possible that the pattern of downstream biochemical signals triggered by TCR/CD3 ligation may be altered in T lymphocytes from patients with SLE, thus leading to abnormal distal cell responses. In this paper we have examined the phosphorylation of proteins on tyrosine residues in peripheral blood T lymphocytes from a group of SLE patients and controls. We found a lower frequency of constitutively tyrosine-phosphorylated 119- and 113-kDa substrates and an enhanced frequency of tyrosine-phosphorylated 66- and 25-kDa proteins in unstimulated cultures of SLE T lymphocytes, suggesting an altered pattern of tyrosine phosphorylation in T cells from patients in vivo. Additionally, the protein tyrosine phosphatase (PTP) activity of CD45 immunoprecipitates was lower in unstimulated lupus T cells and was enhanced after stimulation via the CD3 pathway in lupus but not control T lymphocytes. The present results seem to suggest abnormal regulation of in-vivo tyrosine phosphorylation in T cells from patients with SLE.

[Hydatid cyst in the hepatic hilum causing a cavernous transformation in the portal vein]. / Quiste hidatídico en el hilio hepático: causa de una transformación cavernomatosa de la vena porta.

Portal cavernomatosis consists in the substitution of the portal vein by many fine, twisting venules leading to the liver. This phenomenon is produced as a consequence of anterior thrombosis of the portal vein and is associated with chronic pancreatitis, cancer of the pancreas, intraabdominal sepsis and cholelithiasis. The symptomatology may be nul or present as obstructive jaundice or portal hypertension. Diagnosis is made by Doppler echography. The treatment is portal shunt when symptomatology is produced. In patients with cholelithiasis requiring surgery, the shunt is advised prior to biliary surgery since perioperative hemorrhage, if present, may be incoercible as in the case herein described. We present a 84-year-old woman with portal cavernomatosis the etiology of which was a hydatidic cyst located in the hepatic bifurcation and treated with mebendazol 10 years previously. This etiology has not been previously reported.

[The oldest pharmacy in Lisbon: São Vicente de Fora]. / La farmàcia més antiga de Lisboa: São Vicente de Fora.

This work describe an exposition placed in Lisboa, at the São Vicente de Fora monastery during december 1994. The visit of the minster Pharmacy (rebuilded following the pattern of 17th century) was the most interesting thing. We can also remark the two first portuguese pharmacopoeias written by an augustine friar (pharmacist and administrator of this Pharmacy during several years).