The intestinal proteome of diabetic and control children is enriched with different microbial and host proteins.

In this study, the intestinal microbial proteome of children with established type 1 diabetes (T1D) was compared with the proteome of healthy children (Control) with the aim to identify differences in the activity of the intestinal microbiota that not only will contribute to a deeper knowledge of the functionality of the gut in these children but also may provide new approaches to improve the control of the disease. Faecal protein extracts collected from three T1D children (aged 9.3±0.6 years) and three Control children (aged 9.3±1.5 years) were analysed using a combination of 2D gel electrophoresis and spectral counting. The results evidenced markedly differences between the intestinal proteome of T1D children and the Control. The T1D microbial intestinal proteome was enriched with proteins of clostridial cluster XVa and cluster IV and Bacteroides. In contrast, the Control proteome was enriched with bifidobacterial proteins. In both groups, proteins with moonlight function were observed. Human proteins also distinguished the two groups with T1D children depleted in exocrine pancreatic enzymes.

Nutrition and Physical Activity Interventions for Childhood Obesity: Lessons Learned.

This article describes field experiences while implementing nutrition and physical activity education in a public junior high school in Puerto Rico (PR). Participants were classified as overweight or at risk based on body mass index (BMI). Dietary intake and weight were collected. Changes in dietary intake assessed from baseline to end of school year did not show statistical significance. The reduction in BMI Z-scores was modest at 4 months and was not observed at the end of the program. Future studies are warranted to integrate parents and behavioral theories and to evaluate food in the environment to successfully address childhood obesity.

[Return of the sick at home: importance of the level of dependency and family support]. / Regresso do doente ao domicílio: importancia do nível de dependência e do apoio familiar.

INTRODUCTION: Although aging is not synonymous with illness and dependency, the process enhances the progressive limitation of the capabilities of the individual to meet daily living activities with autonomy, leading to greater need for informal and / or formal support. OBJECTIVES: To identify the functional independence of the participants and their relation to the socio demographic, clinical, housing and social support variables;to assess the difficulties of informal caregivers in care when returning home. METHOD: We opted for a triangulated methodology (quantitative and qualitative) following a descriptive-correlational path, using for this purpose a non-probabilistic sample of convenience consisting of 50 patients admitted in the Centro Hospitalar Tondela - Viseu, EPE, and their informal caregivers. The measuring instruments used were the Barthel Index and a semi-structured interview. RESULTS: The participants are mostly male, with an average age of 73.7 years, married, residing in rural areas. Their qualifications are the 1st cycle of basic education (four years of Primary School) and have a predominance of cerebrovascular diseases. They show moderate dependence at discharge, preferably returning to their own home. Functional independence is significantly influenced by age, educational attainment, place of residence after admission, housing adaptation and formal support. The informal caregiveris mainly the female spouse and daughters, presenting as main difficulties, employment, lack of support andtechnical assistance, the existence of architectural barriers and caregiver overload. CONCLUSIONS: The inexistent of the caregiver's profile, their absence or inability to care was predictive of institutionalization.

Clinical Practice Experiences Using a Professional Diabetes Management Ecosystem During COVID.

BACKGROUND: Challenges of patient care in diabetes were exacerbated by COVID, undermining the ability of patients to engage in-person with health care professionals (HCPs). To combat this, there has been accelerated adoption of telemedicine to support patient and provider connectivity. METHODS: We collated survey information regarding telemedicine from 21 European clinical institutions. Health care professionals joined virtual meetings focusing on the OneTouch Reveal (OTR) ecosystem and its utility for conducting telemedicine. Selected HCPs provided clinical case studies to explain how the OTR ecosystem supported patient care. RESULTS: Remote consultations increased by nearly 50% in 21 European clinics during the pandemic (Belgium [24%], Iberia [65%], Germany [34%], Italy [54%]). In all, 52% of people with diabetes using OTR app to connect remotely with HCPs had type 1 diabetes and 48% had type 2 diabetes. Remote connection methods included telephone (60%), email (19%), video chat (10%), text only (3%), or a mix of these methods (8%). Health care professionals usually reviewed patient data during consultations (45%) rather than before consultations (25%). Fifty-five percent of HCPs indicated digital ecosystems like OTR ecosystem would become their standard of care for diabetes management. In-depth conversations with HCPs provided a deeper understanding of how a digital ecosystem integrated into clinical practice and population management. In addition, five patient case studies using OTR ecosystem were provided by a selection of our HCPs. CONCLUSION: Diabetes management solutions, such as OTR ecosystem, supported telemedicine during the pandemic and will continue to play a valuable role in patient care beyond the pandemic.

CYP27A1 expression in gilthead sea bream (Sparus auratus, L.): effects of calcitriol and parathyroid hormone-related protein.

Little is known about vitamin D metabolism in fishes. Several reports have shown hydroxylase activities in various organs to produce vitamin D metabolites, but the enzymes involved have not been isolated or characterized. We isolated and characterized a renal mitochondrial hydroxylase, CYP27A1, that governs vitamin D metabolism in gilthead sea bream, Sparus auratus. The enzyme is highly expressed in kidney and to a far lesser extent in liver. When treated with 25-hydroxy vitamin D or calcitriol, the kidney responded differentially and time dependently with CYP27A1 mRNA expression levels. This response substantiates a role for CYP27A1 in fish vitamin D metabolism. This notion is strengthened by upregulation of CYP27A1 in sea bream treated with parathyroid hormone-related protein (PTHrP), and suggests an original role for PTHrP in calcitriol-regulated processes n fish similar to the role of PTH in mammalian vitamin D-dependent processes.

Cultural adaptations in data collection: field experiences.

We assessed the data collection phase of a study that examines the substance using and other health behaviors of a cohort of 160 dyads of Latino mothers and daughters living in South Florida (N=320), by conducting a focus group with the study's interviewers. The objective of the focus group was to assess the appropriateness of the questionnaire utilized in the Latino Women's Study, and identify potential barriers and challenges that may be encountered when conducting research with Latino women in the United States. The results from this focus provide useful insight into the practice of cultural adaptations in research studies, and illustrate the need for employing culturally-informed interviewers and for devising well-adapted questionnaires in studies with Latino women.

Emociones en la vida del grupo: porque los grupos también sienten / Emotions in the life of the group: because groups also feel

Este estudio tuvo por objeto central examinar en qué medida las cuatro etapas de desarrollo de grupo propuestas por el modelo de Lourenço y Miguez (Miguez y Lourenço 2001) difieren entre sí con respecto a las emociones expresadas, falseadas y suprimidas. Bajo un punto de vista experimental, se examinó también si los grupos difieren en el grado de convergencia emocional en función de la etapa de desarrollo donde se encuentran. Se recurrió a la aplicación de dos cuestionarios –PDE (Miguez y Lourenço 2001) y PJAWSN (Ramalhoet al. 2008)– a un total de 71 equipos de trabajo, centrando el análisis de los datos en nivel del grupo. Los resultados obtenidos a través del análisis de variancia (ANOVA) muestran que: a) grupos en la 2ª etapa de desarrollo tienden a expresar más emociones negativas que grupos en la 3ª etapa y menos emociones positivas que en el 4º nivel; y que, b) grupos en la 1ª etapa tienden a suprimir más emociones queen la 4ª etapa. En cuanto al falseamiento de emociones y convergencias emocionales no fueron encontradas diferencias estadísticamente significativas. En general, se concluye que la manifestación de emociones positivas y negativas se altera a lo largo del trayecto evolutivo de los grupos, y que es en la 1ª etapa de desarrollo que los grupos tienden a suprimir más emociones.

This study aimed at examining the extent to which the four stages of group development proposed by the model of Lourenço and Miguez (Miguez and Lourenço 2001) differ with regard to expressed, faked and suppressed emotions. Under an experimental point ofview, it was also examined whether the groups differ in the degree of emotional convergence as a function of the stage of development they are in. Two questionnaires were applied –PDE (Miguez and Lourenço 2001) and PJAWSN (Ramalho et al. 2008)– to a total of 71 work teams, focusing data analysis at group level. The resultsobtained through analysis of variance (ANOVA) show that, a) groups in the second stage of development tend to express more negative emotions than groups in the third stage and less positive emotions than in the fourth level and that, b)the groups in the first stage tend to suppress more emotions than in the fourth stage. As the faking ofemotions and emotional convergence differences no statistically significant differences were found. In general, it is concluded that the expression of positive and negative emotions is altered along the evolutionary path of the groups and that it is in the first stage of development where groups tend to suppress more emotions.

Independência funcional e regresso ao domicílio: variável chave para a enfermagem de reabilitação / Functional independence and returning home: a key variable for rehabilitation nursing

Introdução: Embora o envelhecimento não seja sinónimo de doença e dependência, o seu processo potencia a limitação progressiva das capacidades do indivíduo, para satisfazer as Actividades de Vida Diária com autonomia, conduzindo a maiores necessidades de apoio informal e/ou formal. Objectivos: identificar em que medida as variáveis sócio ­ demográficas, clínicas, habitacionais e de suporte social influenciam a independência funcional no regresso do idoso ao seu meio sócio ­ familiar. Método: Optámos por uma metodologia triangulada, seguindo uma via descritivo-correlacional, utilizando para o efeito uma amostra não probabilística por conveniência, constituída por 50 doentes internados num Serviço do Hospital São Teotónio, E.P.E. - Viseu, e seus cuidadores informais. O instrumento de medida utilizado foi uma entrevista semi-estruturada e o Índice de Barthel Resultados: A população estudada é maioritariamente masculina, com uma média de idades de 73,7 anos, casada, residente em meio rural. Tem como habilitações o 1º ciclo de estudos e predomínio de doenças cérebro-vasculares. Apresenta dependência moderada no momento da alta, regressando preferencialmente ao domicílio próprio. As variáveis que influenciaram significativamente a independência funcional são: a idade, habilitações literárias, local de residência após o internamento, a adaptação habitacional e o apoio formal. Conclusões: Não obstante a pouca relevância do perfil do cuidador, a sua inexistência ou impossibilidade no cuidar foi preditiva de institucionalização. O presente estudo poderá então ser mais um contributo no desenvolvimento de estratégias de sensibilização/acção com vista ao sucesso de um plano de reintegração sócio-familiar.

Introduction: Although aging is not synonymous with illness and dependency, the process enhances the progressive limitation of the capabilities of the individual to meet daily living activities independently, leading to greater need for informal and / or formal support. Objectives: To identify the extent to which socio - demographic, clinical, housing and social support influence the functional independence of the elderly in return for their socio - familiar environment. Method: We chose a triangulated methodology, following a descriptive­correlational route, using for this purpose a non-probabilistic sample for convenience, consisting of 50 patients admitted in Service Hospital S. Teotónio, E.P.E. - Viseu and their caregivers. The measuring instrument used was a semi-structured interview and the Barthel Index. Results: The studied population is mostly male, with an average age of 73.7 years old, married, residing in rural areas. Their qualifications are the 1st cycle of studies (four years of Primary School) and have a predominance of cerebrovascular diseases. Shows moderate dependence at discharge, preferably returning to their own home. The variables that significantly influenced the functional independence are: age, qualifications, place of residence after the internment, housing adaptation and formal support. Conclusions: Despite the limited relevance of the caregiver's profile, their absence or inability to care was predictive of institutionalization. This study could then be a further contribution in the development of awareness strategies / actions for the success of a plan of socio-familiar reintegration.