Correlation between the range of motion of the tibiotarsal joint and blood circulation in the lower limbs in diabetic individuals

SUMMARY OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to evaluate the relationship between the range of motion and lower-limb hemodynamic indices in the tibiotarsal joint of individuals with diabetic neuropathy. METHODS: Twenty volunteers of both sexes, with a mean age of 61.45±7.05 years, were diagnosed with type 2 diabetes mellitus and diabetic peripheral neuropathy. Arterial blood flow was assessed using Doppler ultrasound, and the variables such as average velocity, pulsatility index, and resistivity index were also evaluated. A range of dorsiflexion and plantar flexion joint movements were assessed using digital goniometry before and after exercise. Data distribution was assessed using the Shapiro-Wilk test, followed by Pearson's correlation for normal data and Spearman's correlation for non-normal data, in order to verify the association between variables. RESULTS: A moderate correlation was found between dorsiflexion and pulse rate on two occasions before (rs=0.497) and after initial evaluation (rs=0.511). A low correlation was found between plantar flexion and mean velocity (rs=-0.357), pulsatility index (rs=0.439), and resistivity index (rs=0.328); dorsiflexion and mean velocity (rs=0.374), pulse rate (rs=0.332), and resistance index (rs=0.327) before evaluation, and peak (rs=0.346) was observed after the evaluation of blood circulation. CONCLUSION: There is a correlation between the range of motion of the tibiotarsal joint and the blood circulation of diabetics, ranging from moderate to poor for the different variables evaluated.

Use of computational intelligence in the genetic divergence of colored cotton plants

The objective of this work was to analyze the genetic diversity using conventional methods and artificial neural networks among 12 colored fiber cotton genotypes, using technological characteristics of the fiber and productivity in terms of cottonseed and cotton fiber yield. The experiment was conducted in an experimental area located at Fazenda Capim Branco, belonging to the Federal University of Uberlândia, in the city of Uberlândia, Minas Gerais. Twelve genotypes of colored fiber cotton were evaluated, 10 from the Cotton Genetic Improvement Program (PROMALG): UFUJP - 01, UFUJP - 02, UFUJP - 05, UFUJP - 08, UFUJP - 09, UFUJP - 10, UFUJP - 11, UFUJP - 13, UFUJP - 16, UFUJP - 17 and two commercial cultivars: BRS Rubi (RC) and BRS Topázio (TC). The experimental design used was complete randomized block (CRB) with three replications. The following evaluations were carried out at full maturation: yield of cottonseed (kg ha-1) and the technological characteristics, which include, fiber length, micronaire, maturation, length uniformity, short fiber index, elongation and strength, using the HVI (High volume instrument) device. Genetic dissimilarity was measured using the generalized Mahalanobis distance and after obtaining the dissimilarity matrix, the genotypes were grouped using a hierarchical clustering method (UPGMA). A discriminant analysis and the Kohonen Self-Organizing Map (SOM) by Artificial Neural Networks (ANN's) were performed through computational intelligence. SOM was able to detect differences and organize the similarities between accesses in a more coherent way, forming a larger number of groups, when compared to the method that uses the Mahalanobis matrix. It was also more accurate than the discriminant analysis, since it made it possible to differentiate groups more coherently when comparing their phenotypic behavior. The methods that use computational intelligence proved to be more efficient in detecting similarity, with Kohonen's Self-Organizing Map being the most adequate to classify and group cotton genotypes.

Health-related quality of life associated with diabetic retinopathy in patients at a public primary care service in southern Brazil

ABSTRACT Objective This study aimed to establish the utility values of different health states associated with diabetic retinopathy in a Brazilian sample to provide input to model-based economic evaluations. Subjects and methods This cross-sectional study was performed in a sample of patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2D) who underwent teleophthalmology screening at a primary care service from 2014 to 2016. Five diabetic retinopathy health states were defined: absent, non-sight-threatening, sight-threatening, and bilateral blindness. Utility values were estimated using the Brazilian EuroQol five dimensions (EQ-5D) tariffs. Descriptive statistics were calculated. Analysis of covariance was performed to adjust the utility values for potential confounders. Results The study included 206 patients. The mean (± standard deviation [SD]) utility value was 0.765 ± 0.19 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.740-0.790). The adjusted mean utility value was 0.748 (95% CI, 0.698-0.798) in patients without diabetic retinopathy, 0.752 (95% CI, 0.679-0.825) in those with non-sight-threatening state, 0.628 (95% CI, 0.521-0.736) in those with sight-threatening state, and 0.355 (95% CI, 0.105-0.606) in those with bilateral blindness. A significant utility decrement was found between patients without diabetic retinopathy and those with a sight-threatening health state (0.748 vs. 0.628, respectively, p = 0.04). Conclusions The findings suggest that a later diabetic retinopathy health state is associated with a decrement in utility value compared with the absence of retinopathy in patients with T2D. The results may be useful as preliminary input to model-based economic evaluations. Further research is needed to investigate the impact of diabetic retinopathy on health-related quality of life in a sample more representative of the Brazilian population.

Atuação do gerontólogo em atividades no programa de universidade aberta à terceira idade / Role of gerontologist in activities in open university program for third age

Esse estudo teve como objetivo apresentar as possibilidades de atuação do Bacharel em Gerontologia - Gerontólogo, nas atividades de educação permanente por meio da Gerontologia educacional. Foi conduzida revisão bibliográfica não sistemática da literatura. A revisão indicou que o cenário de atuação do Gerontólogo nas Universidades Abertas à Terceira Idade envolve desde a criação, supervisão, planejamento e condução de programas para promoção da saúde, até a avaliação das atividades, com a finalidade de assegurar que elas preparem as pessoas para seu próprio envelhecimento e para a aposentadoria, com metodologia apropriada ao contexto cultural e econômico do público-alvo,incentivando o seu empoderamento e a sua participação social. A atuação nas UnATI solicita um olhar para a Gerontologia Educacional, que vem ajudar a construir a velhice, oferecendo ao idoso a oportunidade de mudar o rumo de sua vida e redirecionar suas ações com liberdade de escolha.

This study aimed to present the possibilities of action of BA in Gerontology-gerontologist, in the activities of continuing education through the Educational Gerontology. We conducted a non systematic literature review. This review indicated that the scene of action of the gerontologist in Open Universities of the Third Age involves since the creation, oversight, planning and conducting programs to promote health, to review the activities, in order to ensure that they prepare people for their own aging and retirement, with appropriate methodology to economic and cultural context of the target audience, encouraging empowerment and social participation. The acting in UnATI requests a look at the Educational Gerontology, which is helping to build the old age, giving the elderly the opportunity to change the course of your life and redirect your actions with freedom of choice.