Health literacy and diabetic retinopathy

Health literacy (HL) is defined as a cognitive and social skill that determines the motivation and ability of individuals to understand and use information to promote and maintain proper health. Inadequate HL has been associated with worse outcomes in diabetes control, poor self-care, and higher hospitalization rates for some chronic diseases. We hypothesized that HL influences the prevalence of diabetic retinopathy (DR) among individuals with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and that inadequate glycemic control would mediate this association. This was a cross-sectional study carried out with 288 participants of the "Brazilian Diabetes Study" cohort. Inclusion criteria were people diagnosed with T2DM aged between 40 and 70 years and ability to read and write. In the adequate HL group, DR was found in 16.5% of participants and in the inadequate HL group, it was found in 32.8% (P=0.0081). Individuals with inadequate HL had a higher risk of having DR, and this association was still statistically significant after adjusting for HbA1c, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, systolic blood pressure, and diastolic blood pressure. In conclusion, HL is related to DR without the mediation of classical clinical variables.

Hambúrgueres de aparas de jacaré-do-pantanal (Caiman yacare) submetidos a diferentes técnicas de defumação / Hamburguers from pantanal caiman meat (Caiman yacare) subjected to different smoking techniques

Avaliaram-se hambúrgueres de aparas de jacaré-do-pantanal (Caiman yacare) quanto à composição centesimal, cor e análise sensorial. O delineamento foi inteiramente ao acaso, em três tratamentos: T1= sem defumação; T2= defumação a quente e T3= defumação líquida, e nove repetições. As aparas foram moídas e condimentadas para o hambúrguer. Os hambúrgueres para defumação a quente foram colocados no defumador 60 min a 60ºC com gerador de fumaça por fricção. Foi pulverizada fumaça líquida, sobre os produtos (T3), e estes foram colocados em desidratador por 60 min a 60ºC. Houve diferença significativa quanto à composição centesimal entre os hambúrgueres defumados, T2 = 43,1% e T3 = 60,9%, e verificou-se menor teor de umidade em relação aos sem defumação, 73,3%. A proteína, 39,9%, e as cinzas, 6,1%, foram mais altas nos defumados a quente. Os hambúrgueres defumados a quente apresentaram menor luminosidade, 42,05, e maiores valores do croma a*, 14,65, e b*, 28,57, em relação aos demais tratamentos. As variáveis sensoriais foram significativas para sabor, textura e aceitação geral. Os produtos defumados a quente apresentaram a pior aceitação. Concluiu-se que a defumação a quente proporciona produtos com menor teor de umidade, com pigmentação mais intensa, porém menos aceitos pelos provadores.

Hamburgers made from minced meat of Pantanal caiman (Caiman yacare) were evaluated for their centesimal composition, color and sensory perception. The experiment was structured in a completely randomized design with three treatments (T1 = no smoke; T2 = smoked with hot smoke and T3 = smoked with liquid smoke), with nine repetitions each. The meat was minced and seasoned for the hamburgers. The hamburgers destined to hot smoking were placed in the smoker (60 min at 60ºC) with smoke generated through friction. The liquid smoke was sprayed in the samples (T3), next they were placed in dehydrators (60 min at 60ºC). There was a significant difference in centesimal composition, the smoked hamburgers (T2 = 43.1% and T3 = 60.9%) presenting significantly less moisture than non-smoked products (73.3%). Protein (39.9%) and ash (6.1%) were higher for the hot-smoked samples. The hot-smoked hamburgers had less luminosity (42.05) and higher values of chroma a* (14.65) and b* (28.57) than the other treatments. The sensorial parameters evaluated were significant for flavor, texture and general acceptance. The hot-smoked products had the worst acceptance. It was concluded that the hot smoke provided products with less moisture and higher pigmentation, but with less acceptance from the judges.

Gastric emptying of water in children with severe functional fecal retention

The objective of this study was to evaluate gastric emptying (GE) in pediatric patients with functional constipation. GE delay has been reported in adults with functional constipation. Gastric emptying studies were performed in 22 children with chronic constipation, fecal retention and fecal incontinence, while presenting fecal retention and after resuming regular bowel movements. Patients (18 boys, median age: 10 years; range: 7.2 to 12.7 years) were evaluated in a tertiary pediatric gastroenterology clinic. Gastric half-emptying time of water (reference range: 12 ± 3 min) was measured using a radionuclide technique immediately after first patient evaluation, when they presented fecal impaction (GE1), and when they achieved regular bowel movements (GE2), 12 ± 5 weeks after GE1. At study admission, 21 patients had reported dyspeptic symptoms, which were completely relieved after resuming regular bowel movements. Medians (and interquartile ranges) for GE1 and GE2 were not significantly different [27.0 (16) and 27.5 (21) min, respectively (P = 0.10)]. Delayed GE seems to be a common feature among children with chronic constipation and fecal retention. Resuming satisfactory bowel function and improvement in dyspeptic symptoms did not result in normalization of GE data.

Clinical and cardiovascular alterations produced by scorpion envenomation in dogs

Scorpionism is a common problem that occurs in tropical and subtropical countries and assumes great medical-sanitary importance due to its fatal effect on sensitive individuals, being able to lead children and aged people to death. The envenomation lethal potential is responsible for the serious cardiopulmonary alterations the scorpion toxin produces in its victims. The present research evaluated the effects of Tityus serrulatus venom on dogs, using two distinct doses: a dose that simulates natural envenomation (0.4 mg/total dose), and an experimental dose (0.25 mg/kg). General clinical signs were observed at different moments after envenomation, and specific data related to the cardiopulmonary system were evaluated by systemic arterial pressure measurement, CK-MB enzymatic activity dosage, and radiographic, electrocardiographic and echocardiographic examinations. Results demonstrated that the scorpion venom, in experimental doses, was able to cause acute and reversible cardiac injury in few days, and, in the dose that simulated natural accident, it produced clinical signs of light envenomation, such as local pain, hyperesthesia, sialorrhea, vomiting, diarrhea, sneeze and prostration.

The use of indices for evaluating the periphytic community in two kinds of substrate in Imboassica Lagoon, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Biological indices based on the biomass (dry weight, ash content, and chlorophyll-a) of the periphyton in a natural (submersed leaves of Typha domingensis Pers) and in an artificial (plastic hoses) substrate were compared, in experiments performed in summer and winter, in two sampling stations of Imboassica Lagoon, Macaé, Rio de Janeiro. The periphytic community exhibited low biomass at the beginning and end of the experiments, and moderate biomass in the intermediate period of the experiment, whatever the kind of substrate, sampling station, and season. In both seasons, there was a spatial variation regarding the degree of trophy of the periphyton, due to the difference of nutrient availability among the sampling stations. The alternation of inorganic and organic periphyton, as well as of their heterotrophic, hetero-autotrophic, auto-heterotrophic and, autotrophic character was due to changes in the abiotic factors of the sampling periods. The Lakatos index proved more sensitive than the Autotrophic Index to variations in the composition of the periphytic community

Development according to pubertal stage in Brazilian children and adolescents with short-term diabetes

The anthropometric status and metabolic control of 51 recently diagnosed Brazilian schoolchildren with type 1 diabetes (DM1), during the first 5 years of the disease, were compared with those of normal children (60 girls and 132 boys) belonging to the same environmental condition and pubertal stage. Metabolic control was evaluated on the basis of fasting plasma glucose (FPG) and HbA1c levels. The criteria of the National Center for Health Statistics were used for anthropometric evaluation. FPG (205 + or - 51 mg/dl for girls vs 200 + or - 34 mg/dl for boys) and percent above upper normal limit of median HbA1c (1.8 percent for girls vs 2.5 percent for boys with diabetes) were not significantly different during follow-up. The Z-score of the last height evaluation was lower in the girls' group (-0.14 vs -0.53, P<0.05). By forward stepwise analysis, the Z-score of the initial height was statistically significant as a determinant factor for height at the end of the study in both girls and boys with DM1. The Z-score of weight at last evaluation was not different from that at diagnosis in either sex. However, analysis according to pubertal stage showed a tendency to a weight increase in the girls. The weight recovery and height loss in girls with DM1 follows the trend of the normal Brazilian population

A proposito de um caso de difteria. / Apropos of a diphtheria case

Os autores apresentam um caso de difteria em crianca de tres anos de idade, aparentemente nao vacinada. Sao apresentados dados epidemiologicos referentes a essa doenca validos para o Estado de Sao Paulo, bem como, sao feitas consideracoes quanto ao estado imunitario de crianca vacinada

Reuniao anatomo-clinica do Instituto da Crianca. / Anatomo-clinical meeting of the Instituto da Crianca

Os autores descrevem o caso de uma crianca de 3 anos e 8 meses de idade com sinais e sintomas de hipertensao portal. A necropsia revelou ser a causa uma doenca veno-oclusiva hepatica com comprometimentos, em extensao, das veias supra-hepaticas. A crianca faleceu 7 meses apos a internacao. E comentado o diagnostico diferencial com a Sindrome de Budd-Chiari, bem como os aspectos rediologicos dos quadros com hipertensao portal

Production of protein from the thermotolerant fungus Phanerochaete chrysosporium, using the brown juice from a protein extract of cassava leaves as substrat.

O fungo termotolerante Phanerochaete chrysosporium foi cultivado em residuo do processo de extracao de proteinas foliares de mandioca, puro ou reforcado com sais, a 45 graus C. A producao maxima de biomassa de obtida em 40 horas, foi sensivelmente igual nos dois casos e baixa, por falta de um substrato importante. O acrescimo dos sais de Hofsten aumentou o teor em proteinas da biomassa e influiu no perfil de aminoacidos dessas proteinas