Cross-cultural adaptation and validation of the Portuguese version of the Living with Asthma Questionnaire.

OBJECTIVE: To translate and culturally adapt the Living with Asthma Questionnaire (LWAQ) to the Portuguese language and to test its reliability and validity. METHODS: The Portuguese version of this disease-specific health-related quality of life measure was obtained with forward/backward translations, consensus panels and a pre-test. The Portuguese LWAQ and Medical Outcomes Study - 36 item Short Form (SF-36) questionnaires, and a form for the characteristics of the patients were administered to 61 subjects with asthma. RESULTS: Reliability of LWAQ scores was good with Cronbach's alpha coefficients ranging from 0.70 to 0.97 [with the exception of "preoccupation" (0.62) construct, and "sleep" (0.67) and "effects on others" (0.47) domains] and intraclass correlation coefficients between 0.86 and 0.99. Construct validity was supported by the confirmation of predefined hypotheses involving expected significant correlations between LWAQ total, constructs and domains, and SF-36 dimensions with similar content. CONCLUSION: The Portuguese LWAQ exhibited suitable psychometric properties, in terms of internal consistency, reproducibility and construct validity.

Interaction of lipid bodies with other cell organelles in the maturing pollen of Magnolia x soulangeana (Magnoliaceae).

The pollen grain maturation in Magnolia x soulangeana was studied ultrastructurally and cytochemically using both the light and transmission electron microscope. Emphasis was given on the storage lipid bodies of the vegetative cell (VC) and their interaction with other cell organelles. Stereological analysis of electron micrographs was performed to evaluate the variation in volume density (V(V)), surface density, and surface-to-volume ratio (S/V) of various cell organelles during pollen maturation. The size and numerical density of the lipid bodies, and their frequency of association with other cell organelles, were also determined. It was noted that during pollen ontogeny and maturation, the lipid bodies changed their pattern of distribution in the VC cytoplasm, which may be a good marker for the succeeding stages of pollen development. Also, the size, osmiophily, and V(V) of the lipid bodies were progressively reduced during pollen maturation whereas the S/V was significantly increased. This seems to indicate that the lipid bodies are mobilized in part during this period of pollen maturation. In particular, the intermediate and mature pollen showed a high percentage of lipid bodies establishing a physical contact with either glyoxysomes, either protein storage vacuoles, or small vesicles presumably originated from dictyosomes. This physical contact was found in both the chemically fixed and rapid freeze-fixed pollen indicating that it is neither artifactual nor casual. On the basis of this intimate association with other cell organelles and the morphometric analysis performed, we suggest that the mobilization of lipid bodies is likely mediated not only by glyoxysomes but also by other catabolic pathways involving the interaction of lipid bodies with either protein storage vacuoles or small Golgi vesicles.

[Endoprosthesis in the treatment of severe abdominal angina]. / Endoprótese no tratamento de angina abdominal grave.

The endovascular treatment (percutaneous transluminal angioplasty and stent placement) is an option to surgical treatment in patients with abdominal angor, with good results by a less invasive way. A case of a patient with superior mesenteric artery occlusion and severe stenosis of celiac axis is presented that was treated by endovascular treatment and stenting, with resolution of the abdominal angor.