Qualitative and quantitative protease activity tests based on protein degradation in three-dimensional structures.

The pattern of the activity of proteases is related to distinct physiological states of living organisms. Often activity changes of a certain protease can be assigned to a specific disease. Hence, they are useful biomarkers and a simple and fast determination method of their activity could be a valuable tool for the efficient monitoring of numerous diseases. Here, two different methods for the qualitative and quantitative determination of protease activity are demonstrated using the model system of proteinase K. The first test system is based on a protein-modified and colored 3D silica structure that changes color when exposed to the enzyme. This method has also been used for the detection of matrix metallo-protease 2 (MMP2) with gelatine as protease substrate on the plates. The second detection system uses the decrease in the voltammetric signal of a cytochrome c/DNA multilayer electrode after incubation with a protease to quantitatively determine its proteolytic activity. While activities down to 0.15 U/ml can be detected with the first method, the second one provides detection limits of about 0.03U/ml (for proteinase K.) The functionality of both systems can be demonstrated and ways for further enhancement of sensitivity have been elucidated.

Reference values for biochemical tests during pregnancy: analysis of the PRECAREbio Cohort and correlation with precarious status.

OBJECTIVE: To establish normal current values of various biochemical parameters during pregnancy in the northern area of Paris (France) in a subgroup from the PreCARE cohort and to study their changes according to the term of pregnancy, and to determine the influence of maternal precarity. DESIGN: The PreCAREbio cohort of pregnant women was defined in the PreCARE study, a multicenter cohort study. SETTING: Participants completed detailed questionnaires at enrolment and immediately postpartum. Data were collected prospectively. 26 biochemical parameters were longitudinally assessed. POPULATION: All women registered to deliver or who delivered at one of the four participating university hospitals in Paris between October 2010 and November 2011 were eligible for study inclusion (n=10,419). METHODS: We studied 26 biochemical markers during pregnancy and the influence of maternal social deprivation. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Baseline values for 26 biochemical markers and their changes according to the term of pregnancy, and the influence of maternal social deprivation on these biochemical markers. RESULTS: 386 patients with 1733 blood samples recruited in one of the four centers in the PreCARE cohort were included. Baseline concentrations (median, 2.5th and 97.5th percentile) for each marker and did not differ at the different time points. Mean concentrations of each biochemical marker did not differ between socially deprived women and non-socially deprived women. CONCLUSIONS: We have established normal values for 26 biochemical parameters during pregnancy. We have also shown no difference in these values between socially deprived and non- socially deprived women.

Is the effect of cognitive behaviour therapy for chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) moderated by the presence of comorbid depressive symptoms? A meta-analysis of three treatment delivery formats.

OBJECTIVE: Cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT) for fatigue in chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) leads to a significant reduction of fatigue and disability and is available in different treatment delivery formats, i.e. internet-based, individual face-to-face and group face-to-face. The aim of this study was to investigate whether moderation of the effects of CBT by clinically relevant depressive symptoms varies between CBT delivery formats. METHODS: Data from six randomised controlled trials (n = 1084 patients) were pooled. Moderation of clinically relevant depressive symptoms (Brief Depression Inventory for Primary Care) in different treatment formats on fatigue severity (Checklist Individual Strength, subscale fatigue severity), functional impairment (Sickness Impact Profile-8) and physical functioning (Short Form-36, subscale physical functioning) was investigated using linear mixed model analyses and interaction tests. Differences in percentages of patients no longer severely fatigued post-CBT were studied by calculating relative risks. RESULTS: The moderator effect of depressive symptoms on fatigue severity varied by delivery format. In internet-based CBT, ME/CFS patients with depressive symptoms showed less reduction in fatigue, and were more often still severely fatigued post-treatment than patients without depressive symptoms. In individual and group face-to-face CBT, no significant difference in treatment effect on fatigue severity was found between patients with and without depressive symptoms. No moderation was found for the other outcomes. CONCLUSION: In internet-based CBT, ME/CFS patients with comorbid depressive symptoms benefit less, making face-to-face CBT currently the first-choice delivery format for these patients. Internet-based CBT should be further developed to improve its effectiveness for ME/CFS patients with depressive symptoms.

Japanese value set for the EORTC QLU-C10D: A multi-attribute utility instrument based on the EORTC QLQ-C30 cancer-specific quality-of-life questionnaire.

PURPOSE: This study aimed to develop a Japanese value set for the EORTC QLU-C10D, a multi-attribute utility measure derived from the cancer-specific health-related quality-of-life (HRQL) questionnaire, the EORTC QLQ-C30. The QLU-C10D contains ten HRQL dimensions: physical, role, social and emotional functioning, pain, fatigue, sleep, appetite, nausea, and bowel problems. METHODS: Quota sampling of a Japanese online panel was used to achieve representativeness of the Japanese general population by sex and age (≥ 18 years). The valuation method was an online discrete choice experiment. Each participant considered 16 choice pairs, randomly assigned from 960 choice pairs. Each pair included two QLU-C10D health states and life expectancy. Data were analyzed using conditional logistic regression, parameterized to fit the quality-adjusted life-year framework. Preference weights were calculated as the ratio of each dimension-level coefficient to the coefficient for life expectancy. RESULTS: A total of 2809 eligible panel members consented, 2662/2809 (95%) completed at least one choice pair, and 2435/2662 (91%) completed all choice pairs. Within dimensions, preference weights were generally monotonic. Physical functioning, role functioning, and pain were associated with the largest utility weights. Intermediate utility weights were associated with social functioning and nausea; the remaining symptoms and emotional functioning were associated with smaller utility decrements. The value of the worst health state was - 0.221, lower than that seen in most other existing QLU-C10D country-specific value sets. CONCLUSIONS: The Japan-specific QLU-C10D value set is suitable for evaluating the cost and utility of oncology treatments for Japanese health technology assessment and decision-making.

Cluster analysis of long COVID symptoms for deciphering a syndrome and its long-term consequence.

The long-term symptoms of COVID-19 are the subject of public and scientific discussions. Understanding how those long COVID symptoms co-occur in clusters of syndromes may indicate the pathogenic mechanisms of long COVID. Our study objective was to cluster the different long COVID symptoms. We included persons who had a COVID-19 and assessed long-term symptoms (at least 4 weeks after first symptoms). Hierarchical clustering was applied to the symptoms as well as to the participants based on the Euclidean distance h of the log-values of the answers on symptom severity. The distribution of clusters within our cohort is shown in a heat map.From September 2021 to November 2023, 2371 persons with persisting long COVID symptoms participated in the study. Self-assessed long COVID symptoms were assigned to three symptom clusters. Cluster A unites rheumatological and neurological symptoms, cluster B includes neuro-psychological symptoms together with cardiorespiratory symptoms, and a third cluster C shows an association of general infection signs, dermatological and otology symptoms. A high proportion of the participants (n = 1424) showed symptoms of all three clusters. Clustering of long COVID symptoms reveals similarities to the symptomatology of already described syndromes such as the Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS) or rheumatological autoinflammatory diseases. Further research may identify serological parameters or clinical risk factors associated with the shown clusters and might improve our understanding of long COVID as a systemic disease. Furthermore, multimodal treatments can be developed and scaled for symptom clusters and associated impairments.

Serotonin Receptors in Myocardial Infarction: Friend or Foe?

Acute myocardial infarction (AMI) is one of the leading causes of death worldwide and treatment costs pose a major burden on the global health care system. Despite the variety of treatment options, individual recovery can be still poor and the mortality rate, especially in the first few years after the event, remains high. Therefore, intense research is currently focused on identifying novel target molecules to improve the outcome following AMI. One of the potentially interesting targets is the serotonergic system (5-HT system), not at least because of its connection to mental disorders. It is known that patients suffering from AMI have an increased risk of developing depression and vice versa. This implicates that the 5-HT system can be affected in response to AMI and might thus represent a target structure for patients' treatment. This review aims to highlight the importance of the 5-HT system after AMI by describing the role of individual serotonin receptors (5-HTR) in the regulation of physiological and pathophysiological responses. It particularly focuses on the signaling pathways of the serotonin receptors 1, 2, 4, and 7, which are expressed in the cardiovascular system, during disease onset, and the following remodeling process. This overview also emphasizes the importance of the 5-HT system in AMI etiology and highlights 5-HTRs as potential treatment targets.

Posición subjetiva ante la conducta de fumar / Subjective position regarding smoking behavior

El tabaquismo es una enfermedad adictiva sostenida por una triple dependencia: química, psicológica y social. La práctica clínica de la cesación tabáquica (CT) sugiere que todo fumador tiene una posición subjetiva sobre el acto de fumar, un conjunto de ideas que influye sobre la conducta de fumar en sí. Identificar esa posición permitiría realizar intervenciones adaptadas y personales que hagan más efectivo el proceso de dejar de fumar. Objetivos. El estudio introduce y analiza tres conceptos como teoría sobre la conducta de fumar: posición de orgullo auténtico (POA), posición de orgullo hubrístico (POH) y posición nostálgica (PN), los cuales son base del instrumento de evaluación elaborado para esta investigación. El estudio es el primer paso hacia la validación de un instrumento de 45 ítems que permita identificar las tres posiciones subjetivas. Metodología. Participaron 863 residentes en Argentina en población general por encuesta digital. Se aplicaron pruebas paramétricas para el análisis de datos con el programa Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS v 16.0), estableciendo el grado de significación estadística en p<0,05. La encuesta incluyó tres secciones. La primera recoge datos sociodemográficos, la segunda realiza un cribado de las categorías sobre el acto de fumar establecidas por la OMS y la tercera la conforma el instrumento de evaluación elaborado ad hoc para los objetivos del estudio. Resultados. Se encontró que la POA representa una fortaleza en el proceso de la CT, incrementa las posibilidades de éxito potenciando la capacidad de mantenerse sin fumar a largo plazo (p=0,000) y aumenando la disposición de dejar de fumar (p=0,000). La posiciones de orgullo hubrístico (POH) y nostálgica (PN) actúan dificultando el proceso de dejar de fumar (p=0,002/p=0,000; respectivamente) y facilitan la recaída (p=0,000/p=0,000; respectivamente) (AU)

Smoking is an addictive illness sustained by a triple factor: chemical, psychological and social. Clinical practice of Smoking Cessation programs (SC) suggests that every smoker has a subjective position on smoking, a set of ideas that is related to the act of smoking. Identifying that position would facilitate creating personalized and more effective interventions for quitting smoking. Objectives. The study introduces and analyzes three concepts as a theory about the behavior of smoking: position of authentic pride (POA), position of hubristic pride (POH) and nostalgic position (PN). To this purpose, a 45-item instrument has been developed to evaluate the three constructs and analyze the hypothesis proposed by the theory. The study is the first step towards the validation of an assessment instrument that allows identifying the three subjective positions. Methodology. 863 argentine residents gathered from general population participated through digital survey. Parametric tests were applied for data analysis using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS v16.0). The degree of statistical significance was set at p<0.05. The survey included three sections. The first collects demographic data. The second carries out a screening of categories regarding the act of smoking established by the WHO. The third section composes the assessment instrument, made ad hoc for the objectives of the study. Results. We found the POA represents a strength in the SC process, increases the chances of success in quitting by augmenting the power to abstain form smoking in the long-term (p=0.000) and increasing the willingness to quit (p=0.000). On the contrary, the positions of hubristic pride (POH) and nostalgic pride (PN) were found to hamper the process of quitting (POH: p=0.002 / PN: p=0.000), and facilitate relapse (POH: p=0.000 / PN: p=0.000) (AU)

Potencialidades fitoquímicas do melão (Cucumis melo L. ) na região Noroeste do Rio Grande do Sul - Brasil / Phytochemical potentialities of melon (Cucumis melo L. ) in the northwest region of Rio Grande do Sul - Brazil

O melão (Cucumis melo L.) é uma fruta muito apreciada por suas qualidades e sua produção vem crescendo e ganhando espaço no mercado nacional e internacional. Em regiões como o Noroeste do Rio Grande do Sul, destaca-se como uma nova alternativa de renda para vários agricultores. Neste contexto, o presente trabalho teve como objetivo analisar o potencial fitoquímico de alguns cultivares de melão da região Noroeste do Rio Grande do Sul. A análise fitoquímica utilizando como farmacógeno as folhas, foi realizada para a verificação da presença de metabólitos secundários, tais como: saponinas, cumarinas, cardiotônicos, cianogenéticos, alcalóides, taninos, antraquinonas, flavonoides, e óleos voláteis. Também foi avaliado o teor de suco a partir dos frutos. Dentre os cinco cultivares analisados, Gaúcho, Imperial, Hy Mark, Magelan, e Cantaloupe, o cultivar Gaucho apresentou a maior variedade em metabólitos secundários. Na avaliação do teor de suco a cultivar Magelan se destacou em comparação às demais cultivares testadas.

The melon (Cucumis melo L.) is a fruit highly appreciated for its qualities and its production has been growing and gaining space in the national and in the international market. In regions like the northwest of Rio Grande do Sul - Brazil, it stands out as a new income alternative for farmers. In this context, this study aimed to analyze the phytochemical potential of some melon cultivars in the northwest region of Rio Grande do Sul. The phytochemical analysis, using the leaves as pharmacogen, was performed to verify the presence of secondary metabolites such as saponins, coumarins, cardiac glycosides, cyanogenetic glicosides, alkaloids, tannins, anthraquinones, flavonoids and volatile oils. The juice content from the fruits was also evaluated. Among the five analyzed cultivars, Gaucho, Imperial, Hy Mark, Magelan and Cantaloupe, cultivar Gaucho had the greatest variety of secondary metabolites. In the assessment of the juice content, cultivar Magelan was superior compared to the remaining tested cultivars.

Tratamento cirúrgico extra-auricular da luxação congênita de cotovelo em cães

O artigo não apresenta resumo.

Calculo de placas por el metodo de elementos finitos utilizando el elemento rectangular R-16

La esencia fundamental del metodo de los elementos finitos es la posibilidad de poder substiutir una estructura continua por un conjunto de elementos estructurales. En la tesis se analisa los elementos finitos, la una mejor comprension se plantea la siguiente tematica: Metodo de los elementos, formulacion directa de las caracteristicas dse los elementos finitos, generalizacion al conjunto de elementos. Placas, relaciones deformacion-desplazamiento en teoria de placas, elemento rectangular R-16. Programa automatico, consideraciones generales sobre el rpograma elaborado. Aplicaciones, ejemplo de una placa cuadrada simplemente apoyada con carga concentrada y con carga distribuida. Apendices, obtencion de las funciones de interpolacion, explicacion de la matriz de rigidez (R-16).

Participación popular en la atención sanitaria primaria en un área rural de Cuba, 1978 / People participation in primary sanitary care in a Cuban rural area during 1978

Se estudian, en el contexto de un trabajo comparativo financiado por el Ministerio de Cooperación Técnica Internacional de Holanda, once proyectos de atención médica primaria en cuatro países latinoamericanos. Se incluye a Cuba porque se consideró el país que mejores resultados ha obtenido en este tipo de atención, además de ofrecer elementos nuevos sobre la participación de la comunidad organizada en las tareas de salud. Se describen características de la atención médica primaria en un área de salud rural del país y se identifican funciones de las organizaciones de masa y Poder Popular en esta modalidad de atención a la salud, para lo cual se utilizó un método descriptivo cualitativo regido por determinados principios metodológicos (AU)