Psychosocial Factors Associated with Self-Management in Patients with Diabetes.

Despite the significant advances in research on diabetes, relatively few researchers have examined the theoretical and empirical usefulness of explanatory models that contribute to self-management of the disease. In response to the theoretical and empirical approaches related to this topic, the objective of this research was to assess a hypothetical model to explain self-management behavior in patients with type II diabetes through structural equation modeling in a population of users of the services of the State Health Department of Tamaulipas, Mexico. The study used a cross-sectional and explanatory design. The sample was intentional. A total of 183 patients with a diabetes diagnosis completed a sociodemographic data questionnaire, the Partners in Health Scale, the Duke-UNC-11, the Family Apgar, the Self-Efficacy Scale, the Personal Health Questionnaire and the Physical Activity Scale. The results indicated that the hypothetical model was improved by excluding the exercise variable. The appropriate model was used to determine the effects of depression, social support, self-efficacy, family functioning, years of formal education and years with a diagnosis on self-management. The goodness-of-fit indices (GFIs) were good, i.e., χ2/gl = 0.89 (p = 0.529), root mean square error of approximation (RMSEA) = 0.000, and comparative fit index (CFI) = 1.000, with an acceptable degree of parsimony (PNFI = 0.409 and PGFI = 317). The model explained 33.6% of the variance. Therefore, this model represents an important advance in knowledge concerning self-management and provides empirical and theoretical evidence, particularly for the Mexican or Latino population.

Facile Gram-Scale Synthesis of NiO Nanoflowers for Highly Selective and Sensitive Electrocatalytic Detection of Hydrazine.

The design and development of efficient and electrocatalytic sensitive nickel oxide nanomaterials have attracted attention as they are considered cost-effective, stable, and abundant electrocatalytic sensors. However, although innumerable electrocatalysts have been reported, their large-scale production with the same activity and sensitivity remains challenging. In this study, we report a simple protocol for the gram-scale synthesis of uniform NiO nanoflowers (approximately 1.75 g) via a hydrothermal method for highly selective and sensitive electrocatalytic detection of hydrazine. The resultant material was characterized by scanning electron microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and X-ray diffraction. For the production of the modified electrode, NiO nanoflowers were dispersed in Nafion and drop-cast onto the surface of a glassy carbon electrode (NiO NF/GCE). By cyclic voltammetry, it was possible to observe the excellent performance of the modified electrode toward hydrazine oxidation in alkaline media, providing an oxidation overpotential of only +0.08 V vs Ag/AgCl. In these conditions, the peak current response increased linearly with hydrazine concentration ranging from 0.99 to 98.13 µmol L-1. The electrocatalytic sensor showed a high sensitivity value of 0.10866 µA L µmol-1. The limits of detection and quantification were 0.026 and 0.0898 µmol L-1, respectively. Considering these results, NiO nanoflowers can be regarded as promising surfaces for the electrochemical determination of hydrazine, providing interesting features to explore in the electrocatalytic sensor field.

Temperature-resilient solid-state organic artificial synapses for neuromorphic computing.

Devices with tunable resistance are highly sought after for neuromorphic computing. Conventional resistive memories, however, suffer from nonlinear and asymmetric resistance tuning and excessive write noise, degrading artificial neural network (ANN) accelerator performance. Emerging electrochemical random-access memories (ECRAMs) display write linearity, which enables substantially faster ANN training by array programing in parallel. However, state-of-the-art ECRAMs have not yet demonstrated stable and efficient operation at temperatures required for packaged electronic devices (~90°C). Here, we show that (semi)conducting polymers combined with ion gel electrolyte films enable solid-state ECRAMs with stable and nearly temperature-independent operation up to 90°C. These ECRAMs show linear resistance tuning over a >2× dynamic range, 20-nanosecond switching, submicrosecond write-read cycling, low noise, and low-voltage (±1 volt) and low-energy (~80 femtojoules per write) operation combined with excellent endurance (>109 write-read operations at 90°C). Demonstration of these high-performance ECRAMs is a fundamental step toward their implementation in hardware ANNs.

Phytochemical characterization of the Ziziphus joazeiro Mart. metabolites by UPLC-QTOF and antifungal activity evaluation.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the antifungal and modulatory potential of the Ziziphus joazeiro bark and leaf extracts, both in isolation and in association with fluconazole, against resistant species from the Candida genus. Antifungal assays were used to determine the half maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) of the extract in isolation and in combination with fluconazole using the broth microdilution method and spectrophotometric readings, followed by verification of the minimum fungicidal concentration by solid medium subculture. According to the cell viability curve, both extracts inhibited fungal growth in a concentration dependent manner, in addition to showing inhibitory concentrations similar to fluconazole. However, the extracts behaved in a fungistatic manner with minimum inhibitory concentration > 8.19 mg/mL and IC50 values ranging from 0.450 mg/mL to 9 mg/mL. The minimum inhibitory concentration for both extracts decreased when in combination with fluconazole, with the AEL standing out against Candida albicans URM 4387, displaying an IC50 equal to that of fluconazole (0.002 mg/mL). Nevertheless, fluconazole antagonism was observed against the tested strains. Overall, the evaluation of both extracts against Candida spp. presented inhibitory concentration values greater than fluconazole. Moreover, despite these being chemically complex crude extracts, they did demonstrate antifungal effects and properties that concur with their ethno-biological aspect.

Analysis of the influence of low birth weight on the time of eruption of dental caries in children in early childhood.

OBJECTIVE: To estimate the time, in days, from the beginning of the monitoring until the occurrence of dental caries and its association with low birth weight in early childhood. METHODS: This longitudinal study, dynamic cohort type with a study population of 1,109 children from public, private, and philanthropic daycares in Salvador, Bahia. The independent variables considered were sociodemographic, perinatal, and behavioral, such as the type of breastfeeding. Survival analysis was used to estimate the time for the development of caries with the Kaplan-Meier method. The Cox Regression was used on the multivariate analysis to assess the association with low birth weight (LBW). RESULTS: Out of the total of 1,109 children, 419 developed the disease and the median time to the occurrence of caries was approximately 18 months. District of origin, type of daycare, age, skin color, maternal education, family income, living in a home with less than four rooms, breastfeeding habits, the presence of biofilm and of active white spot, and previous caries experience were identified as potential determinants of the time until the occurrence of caries. It was found a positive association between LBW and the time to the development of caries in both the not adjusted (RF = 1.21, 95 percent CI 0.88-1.65) and adjusted model (adjusted RF = 1.52, 95 percent CI 1.01-2.28). CONCLUSION: LBW was associated with dental caries.

Pesquisa de anticorpos IgM contra tubo digestivo do verme para prognóstico da esquistossomose mansônica / Detection of IgM antibodies to worm gut: associated antigen for immunodiagnosis of Shistosomiasis mansoni

A pesquisa de anticorpos de classe IgM contra antígenos de natureza polissacarídica associados ao epitélio digestivo do S. mansoni, pela reaçåo de imunofluorescência em cortes de vermes parafinados, foi avaliada para fins diagnósticos da esquistossomose mansônica. Foram estudadas amostras de soro de 90 pacientes, 40 com forma aguda e 50 com forma crônica de esquistossomose, além de 60 nåo esquistossomóticos, 15 normais e 45 com outras afecçöes. Anticorpos IgM foram detectados em todos os pacientes de forma aguda, exceto um, e em 92 por cento daqueles com forma crônica. Falsos resultados positivos foram observados em 3 por cento das amostras incluídas neste estudo

Importância das Plantas ornamentais dos aquários como veículos de propagação de vetores de Shistosoma mansoni / The importance of ornamental plants of aquária as vehicles of Shistosoma mansoni vectors propagation

Em 1970, Corrêa et alii comprovaram a Biomphalaria straminea em São Paulo, através do dos peixes provenientes do Amazonas e Ceará, que foram colocados em tanques de criação em Barra Bonita e Americana em São Paulo. Este fato e a introdução, na Austrália, de vetores de Shistosoma mansoni através da importação de aquários de Hong-Kong, levaram os autores a pesquisar aquários comercializados na cidade de São Paulo, Brasil. Os peixes ornamentais desta pesquisa provêm do exteriorm do Norte e do Nordeste do Brasil e as plantas aquáticas, de várias regiões do país. Foram visitadas onze lojas do ramo e, em nove, foi comprovada a existência de vetores de S. mansoni; B. tenagophila , em três. Em face da permanente imigração de nordestinos para o Estado de São Paulo, e da atual expansão da esquistossomose mansoni avulta o interesse no encontro de novos mecanismos de dispersão de planorbídeos, a exigir adequadas medidas de vigilância epidemiológica.