Quality of diabetes follow-up care and hospital admissions.

Diabetes may lead to severe complications. For this reason, disease prevention and improvement of medical follow-up represent major public health issues. The aim of this study was to measure the impact of adherence to French follow-up guidelines on hospitalization of people with diabetes. We used insurance claims data from the years 2010 to 2013 collected for 52,027 people aged over 18, affiliated to a French social security provider and treated for diabetes. We estimated panel data models to explore the association between adherence to guidelines and different measures of hospitalization, controlling for socioeconomic characteristics, diabetes treatment and density of medical supply. The results show that adherence to four guidelines was associated with a significant decrease in hospital admissions, up to approximatively 30% for patients monitored for a complete lipid profile or microalbuminuria during the year. In addition, our analyses confirmed the strong protective effect of income and a significant positive correlation with good supply of hospital care. In conclusion, good adherence to French diabetes guidelines seems to be in line with the prevention of health events, notably complications, that could necessitate hospitalization.

Does thermal time for germination vary among populations of a tree legume (Peltophorum dubium)? / O tempo térmico para germinação varia entre populações de uma leguminosa arbórea (Peltophorum dubium)?

Abstract Few works report the use of degree-days (DD) – used in crops to predict events and schedule management activities – to describe the germination of tropical trees. The cardinal temperatures (base, optimum and ceiling temperature) for germination of the species may vary depending on the seed provenance. Peltophorum dubium (Spreng.) Taub. is an early successional leguminous tree widely distributed in South America, often occurring as cultivated or naturalized trees, thus considered to be a good example for testing DD model in tree species. The main objective of this study was to describe the seed germination response of different populations of P. dubium as function of DD accumulation during germination assays in semi-controlled (fluctuating temperatures) conditions. Germination assays with manually scarified seeds sown in aluminum sheet trays filled with a composed substrate were performed under greenhouse conditions at different times. Three methods were employed in order to describe the accumulation of thermal time throughout the assays and, considering the seed lot and sowing time, a trapezoid area method was relatively more effective in describing the germination. The germination curves of P. dubium seeds from different populations, expressed in degree-days estimated directly from temperature records schedules, tend to be more clustered suggesting little variation among thermal time requirements in different seed provenances. Otherwise, the thermal time requirement can vary depending on the time of sowing, and any increase in DD requirement when the assays were performed under higher mean temperatures can be related to a thermal effect on the germination of scarified seeds.

Resumo O uso de graus-dia – utilizado em espécies cultivadas para predizer eventos e planejar ações de manejo – é reportado em poucos trabalhos para descrever a germinação de árvores tropicais. As temperaturas cardeais (base, ótima e teto) para germinação de uma espécie pode variar de acordo com a procedência das sementes. Peltophorum dubium (Spreng.) Taub. é uma leguminosa arbórea de sucessão inicial amplamente distribuída na América do Sul, podendo ocorrer como espécie cultivada ou naturalizada, sendo considerada um bom exemplo para testar modelos de graus-dia em espécie arbórea. O principal objetivo deste estudo foi descrever a resposta da germinação das sementes de diferentes populações de P. dubium como função do acúmulo de graus-dia durante ensaios em condições semi-controladas (flutuação térmica). Testes de germinação com sementes escarificadas manualmente e semeadas em bandejas de alumínio contendo substrato foram realizados sob condições de casa de vegetação em diferentes épocas do ano. Três métodos foram utilizados para descrever o acúmulo de tempo térmico nos ensaios e, considerando o lote das sementes e a época da semeadura, o método da área do trapézio foi relativamente mais eficaz em descrever a germinação. As curvas de germinação de sementes de P. dubium provenientes de diferentes populações, expressas em graus-dia estimados diretamente por meio do registro programado das temperaturas, tendem a ser mais agrupadas sugerindo pouca variação no requerimento de tempo térmico entre as diferentes procedências das sementes. Por outro lado, o requisito de tempo térmico pode variar de acordo com a época de semeadura e um incremento nos graus-dia exigidos quando os ensaios foram realizados sob temperaturas médias mais elevadas pode estar relacionado e um efeito térmico na germinação de sementes escarificadas.

Does thermal time for germination vary among populations of a tree legume (Peltophorum dubium)?

Few works report the use of degree-days (DD) - used in crops to predict events and schedule management activities - to describe the germination of tropical trees. The cardinal temperatures (base, optimum and ceiling temperature) for germination of the species may vary depending on the seed provenance. Peltophorum dubium (Spreng.) Taub. is an early successional leguminous tree widely distributed in South America, often occurring as cultivated or naturalized trees, thus considered to be a good example for testing DD model in tree species. The main objective of this study was to describe the seed germination response of different populations of P. dubium as function of DD accumulation during germination assays in semi-controlled (fluctuating temperatures) conditions. Germination assays with manually scarified seeds sown in aluminum sheet trays filled with a composed substrate were performed under greenhouse conditions at different times. Three methods were employed in order to describe the accumulation of thermal time throughout the assays and, considering the seed lot and sowing time, a trapezoid area method was relatively more effective in describing the germination. The germination curves of P. dubium seeds from different populations, expressed in degree-days estimated directly from temperature records schedules, tend to be more clustered suggesting little variation among thermal time requirements in different seed provenances. Otherwise, the thermal time requirement can vary depending on the time of sowing, and any increase in DD requirement when the assays were performed under higher mean temperatures can be related to a thermal effect on the germination of scarified seeds.

Influence of oily vehicles on fetal testis and lipid profile of rats exposed to di-butyl phthalate.

It has been hypothesized that oils containing high levels of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids, such as canola and fish oil, could counteract some of the adverse effects induced by phthalates. In the present study, the influence of different oily vehicles on di-butyl phthalate (DBP)-induced testicular toxicity and lipid profile was investigated. Pregnant Wistar rats were treated by oral gavage from gestation days 13 to 20 with DBP (500 mg/kg/day) diluted in three different vehicles: corn, canola or fish oil. Male fetuses were analyzed on gestation day 20. DBP exposure lowered intratesticular testosterone levels and anogenital distance, regardless of the vehicle used. The percentage of seminiferous cords containing multinucleated gonocytes and cord diameter was increased in DBP-exposed groups, compared with vehicle controls, with no difference between the three DBP-exposed groups. Clustering of Leydig cells was seen in all DBP groups. Lipid profile indicated that administration of canola and fish oil can increase the content of omega-3 fatty acids in rat testis. However, content of omega-3 was diminished in DBP-treated groups. Overall, our results indicate that different oily vehicles did not alter fetal rat testicular toxicity induced by a high DBP dose.

The effect of cyanide compounds, fluorides, aluminum, and inorganic oxides present in spent pot liner on germination and root tip cells of Lactuca sativa.

SPL (spent pot liner) is a solid waste produced by the aluminum industry. This waste has a highly variable composition, consisting of cyanides, fluorides, organics, and metals. The aim of this work was to study the effect of SPL on root tips of Lactuca sativa using current plant bioassays. We observed a decrease in the germination rate with increasing concentrations of SPL. In addition, SPL was found to reduce root growth, which is correlated with a decrease in the mitotic index. Nevertheless, we noticed a significant enhancement in the percentage of stickiness, c-metaphase, anaphase bridges, and laggard chromosomes in dividing cells and also an increase in the number of cells with condensed nuclei. Moreover, SPL was found to alter the root tip surface, resulting in a reduction in the amount of root hair. These results demonstrate that SPL is a toxic agent that leads to cell damage and disturbance.

Cytogenetic alterations induced by SPL (spent potliners) in meristematic cells of plant bioassays.

Spent potliners (SPL) is solid waste generated by the aluminum industry during the manufacture of aluminum metal. Information on the cytotoxicity effect of SPL is necessary to facilitate understanding of their action on organisms and to subsidize environmentally correct solutions. Thus, the aim of the present investigation is to compare the effect of SPL on meristematic cells of Allium cepa and Zea mays and also to discuss the mechanisms of SPL cytotoxicity involved. A strong inhibition on root growth in higher SPL concentrations has been observed in both A. cepa and Z. mays. For cytogenetic analysis, the results showed a reduction of mitotic index and increase of different abnormalities as the SPL concentration increased. We observed bridges, chromosome fragments, stickiness, multipolar anaphase, later segregation and cell death. In general, it was possible to observe an increase of different abnormalities as the SPL concentration increased. It is obvious from the results of the present investigation that SPL is cytotoxic on meristematic cells of plant tests (A. cepa and Z. mays).

[Arterial pressure and race. A study in pauper children attending schools in an urban strip in Lisbon]. / Pressão arterial e raça. Um estudo em crianças pobres de escolas duma franja urbana de Lisboa.

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether race is a factor of blood pressure levels in school-age children of similar social status, and to investigate other potential determinants of the levels of blood pressure. DESIGN: Inquiry in schools of the suburbs of Lisbon. SETTING: Three schools, four medical observers (general practitioners with school-health functions). SUBJECTS: Three hundred ninety seven children, aged 6-14 years, both sexes, 296 being white and 101 non-white. INTERVENTIONS: Inquiry to the following individual characteristics--sex, age, race, birthplace, type of housing, house availability of water, electricity and waste water, type of transportation to school, number of cohabitans, family income, school marks. Individual determination of systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP), heart rate (HR), weight and height. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Blood pressure values were cross-analyzed with all the determined variables, and the virtual correlations were checked. Main results as follows: Race does not influence either SBP or DBP. In this age group, sex does not influence blood pressure values. The used markers of socioeconomical status have equally no influence on blood pressure. Age has only a significant repercussion on SBP. No significant correlation was found between height and blood pressure. Body weight, however, influence either SBP or DBP. SBP was found to be lower in the second of two successive measurements, and the difference increases with age. CONCLUSIONS: In this school-aged biracial population, body weight seems to be the major factor of blood pressure levels, in the sense-bigger weight, higher SBP and DBP.

Vaccination of day-old broilers against infectious bronchitis: effect of vaccine strain and route of administration.

Nine groups of 10 one-day-old broiler chicks were vaccinated by eye-drop, coarse spray, or intratracheal instillation with combined Newcastle disease-infectious bronchitis live vaccines containing the Massachusetts (Mass) 41, Holland 120, or Connecticut 46 strain of infectious bronchitis virus (IBV). Chickens vaccinated with Mass-41 or Holland 120 were protected against challenge with a Mass strain administered at 4 weeks of age. When immunity to the disease was evaluated by virus recovery, detection of IBV by fluorescent antibody, evaluation of ciliary activity, histopathology, and virus-neutralization titers, the group vaccinated with Connecticut 46 did not show protection. Vaccination at 1 day of age resulted in an antibody response and increased resistance to challenge with Mass-41, regardless of vaccination route.

Evaluation of ciliary movement in tracheal rings to assess immunity against infectious bronchitis virus.

Chickens vaccinated at one and 14 days of age with a live vaccine containing the Massachusetts and Connecticut strains of infectious bronchitis virus were protected against challenge with a Massachusetts strain administered at 5 weeks of age. The virus recovery method in which tracheal swabs taken 4 days post-challenge were used to inoculate chicken embryos was compared with the method based on ciliary activity in tracheal explants. The results showed that evaluation of ciliary activity effectively measured immunity to infectious bronchitis virus. Serological results obtained in a microneutralization test using chicken embryo kidney cells correlated with the immune status of the birds as well as with the alpha neutralization results obtained using chicken embryos.