Efectividad del Decálogo de prevención cardiovascular en diabéticos / Effectiveness of a Decalogue for cardiovascular prevention in diabetics

INTRODUCCIÓN: Evaluar la efectividad en conocimiento, percepción de control y mejora del riesgo cardiovascular (RCV) mediante la entrega de un Decálogo visual. MATERIAL Y MÉTODOS: Ensayo clínico de intervención educativa, no farmacológico, con grupo control paralelo, aleatorizado, evaluado a ciegas, en pacientes diabéticos tipo 2, realizado en Atención Primaria de Salud. Ambos grupos recibieron una intervención educativa sobre RCV y su grado de control, y el de intervención además un Decálogo visual con los factores de RCV modificables que reflejaba visualmente su grado de control. Incluimos 50 pacientes en cada grupo para detectar una mejora del conocimiento multifactorial del RCV del 50%. Todos los pacientes recibieron un recuerdo telefónico a los 2 meses, evaluando enmascaradamente el conocimiento y la percepción de control del RCV, y al cabo de 6 meses se evaluó de nuevo presencialmente el conocimiento y el control real del RCV. RESULTADOS: Seleccionamos 51 hombres y 49 mujeres, de 62,9 años de edad media, 9,2 años de evolución y escaso nivel educativo (32% sin estudios y 52% estudios primarios). Basalmente, el conocimiento, la percepción y el control del RCV fueron del 55,0, 80,4 y 65,9%, respectivamente. A los 2 meses, el conocimiento aumentó en el grupo del Decálogo un 16,5% más que en el grupo de educación convencional (73,6% vs. 63,2%; p < 0,05); la percepción sobreestimada de control mejoró un 34,5% en el total de la muestra (p < 0,001) sin diferencias entre grupos, aunque mejoró más la concordancia en el grupo del Decálogo. A los 6 meses aumentó el conocimiento globalmente en un 25,6% (p < 0,001), desapareciendo las diferencias iniciales entre grupos. El control final del RCV aumentó globalmente y en el grupo del Decálogo en un 6,4% (p < 0,005) y un 9,4% (p < 0,001), respectivamente. El riesgo SCORE disminuyó significativamente de forma global y en ambos grupos, sin diferencias entre ambos. CONCLUSIONES: La intervención educativa mejora globalmente el conocimiento, la percepción y el control del RCV. El Decálogo de RCV incrementa rápidamente el conocimiento y disminuye la falsa percepción subjetiva de control del RCV, aunque el beneficio se equipara a los 6 meses si las intervenciones educativas persisten

INTRODUCTION: To assess the effects of a visual Decalogue aid on the degree of knowledge, control perception and improvement in cardiovascular risk factors (CVRF). MATERIAL AND METHODS: A Primary care randomised non-pharmacological trial of an educational intervention with a parallel control group, and blind evaluation in type 2 diabetic patients. Both groups received an educational intervention on the management of CVRF. The intervention group also received a visual Decalogue aid that showed the level of control patients have over the modifiable CVRF. A total of 50 patients were included in each group in order to identify an improvement of 50% in the multifactorial knowledge of CVRF. All patients received a reminder telephone call at 2 months, with masked evaluation of knowledge and CVRF control perception. In a 6 months visit the level of knowledge and real control of CVRF were re-evaluated. RESULTS: The study included 51 males and 49 females, with mean age of 62.9 years, a mean disease duration of 9.2 years, and low educational level. The level of knowledge, control perception, and real control at baseline was 55%, 80.4%, and 65.9%, respectively. After 2 months the level of knowledge in the Decalogue group increased by 16.5% more than in the conventional education group (73.6% vs. 63.2%; P < .05) and the overestimated control perception improved by 34.5% (P < .001) with no differences between groups, although concordance was better in the Decalogue group. At 6 months there was an overall increase 25.6% (P < .001) in the level of knowledge, with the previous difference between groups levelling off. The final CVRF control improved overall and in the Decalogue group by 6.4% (P < .005) and 9.4% (P < .001), respectively. The SCORE risk significantly decreased overall with no differences between groups. CONCLUSIONS: The educational intervention improves the overall level of knowledge, perception and control of CVRF. The CVRF Decalogue quickly increases the level of knowledge, and decreases the false subjective risk control perception. The benefit, however, becomes equal at 6 months with ongoing education interventions

[Effectiveness of a Decalogue for cardiovascular prevention in diabetics]. / Efectividad del Decálogo de prevención cardiovascular en diabéticos.

INTRODUCTION: To assess the effects of a visual Decalogue aid on the degree of knowledge, control perception and improvement in cardiovascular risk factors (CVRF). MATERIAL AND METHODS: A Primary care randomised non-pharmacological trial of an educational intervention with a parallel control group, and blind evaluation in type 2 diabetic patients. Both groups received an educational intervention on the management of CVRF. The intervention group also received a visual Decalogue aid that showed the level of control patients have over the modifiable CVRF. A total of 50 patients were included in each group in order to identify an improvement of 50% in the multifactorial knowledge of CVRF. All patients received a reminder telephone call at 2 months, with masked evaluation of knowledge and CVRF control perception. In a 6 months visit the level of knowledge and real control of CVRF were re-evaluated. RESULTS: The study included 51 males and 49 females, with mean age of 62.9 years, a mean disease duration of 9.2 years, and low educational level. The level of knowledge, control perception, and real control at baseline was 55%, 80.4%, and 65.9%, respectively. After 2 months the level of knowledge in the Decalogue group increased by 16.5% more than in the conventional education group (73.6% vs. 63.2%; P<.05) and the overestimated control perception improved by 34.5% (P<.001) with no differences between groups, although concordance was better in the Decalogue group. At 6 months there was an overall increase 25.6% (P<.001) in the level of knowledge, with the previous difference between groups levelling off. The final CVRF control improved overall and in the Decalogue group by 6.4% (P<.005) and 9.4% (P<.001), respectively. The SCORE risk significantly decreased overall with no differences between groups. CONCLUSIONS: The educational intervention improves the overall level of knowledge, perception and control of CVRF. The CVRF Decalogue quickly increases the level of knowledge, and decreases the false subjective risk control perception. The benefit, however, becomes equal at 6 months with ongoing education interventions.

Transcriptome analysis and molecular marker discovery in Solanum incanum and S. aethiopicum, two close relatives of the common eggplant (Solanum melongena) with interest for breeding.

BACKGROUND: Solanum incanum is a close wild relative of S. melongena with high contents of bioactive phenolics and drought tolerance. S. aethiopicum is a cultivated African eggplant cross-compatible with S. melongena. Despite their great interest in S. melongena breeding programs, the genomic resources for these species are scarce. RESULTS: RNA-Seq was performed with NGS from pooled RNA of young leaf, floral bud and young fruit tissues, generating more than one hundred millions raw reads per species. The transcriptomes were assembled in 83,905 unigenes for S. incanum and in 87,084 unigenes for S. aethiopicum with an average length of 696 and 722 bp, respectively. The unigenes were structurally and functionally annotated based on comparison with public databases by using bioinformatic tools. The single nucleotide variant calling analysis (SNPs and INDELs) was performed by mapping our S. incanum and S. aethiopicum reads, as well as reads from S. melongena and S. torvum available on NCBI database (National Center for Biotechnology Information), against the eggplant genome. Both intraspecific and interspecific polymorphisms were identified and subsets of molecular markers were created for all species combinations. 36 SNVs were selected for validation in the S. incanum and S. aethiopicum accessions and 96 % were correctly amplified confirming the polymorphisms. In addition, 976 and 1,278 SSRs were identified in S. incanum and S. aethiopicum transcriptomes respectively, and a set of them were validated. CONCLUSIONS: This work provides a broad insight into gene sequences and allelic variation in S. incanum and S. aethiopicum. This work is a first step toward better understanding of target genes involved in metabolic pathways relevant for eggplant breeding. The molecular markers detected in this study could be used across all the eggplant genepool, which is of interest for breeding programs as well as to perform marker-trait association and QTL analysis studies.

Rapid Biosynthesis of Silver Nanoparticles Using Pepino (Solanum muricatum) Leaf Extract and Their Cytotoxicity on HeLa Cells.

Within nanotechnology, gold and silver nanostructures have unique physical, chemical, and electronic properties [1,2], which make them suitable for a number of applications. Moreover, biosynthetic methods are considered to be a safer alternative to conventional physicochemical procedures for both the environmental and biomedical applications, due to their eco-friendly nature and the avoidance of toxic chemicals in the synthesis. For this reason, employing bio routes in the synthesis of functionalized silver nanoparticles (FAgNP) have gained importance recently in this field. In the present study, we report the rapid synthesis of FAgNP through the extract of pepino (Solanum muricatum) leaves and employing microwave oven irradiation. The core-shell globular morphology and characterization of the different shaped and sized FAgNP, with a core of 20-50 nm of diameter is established using the UV-Visible spectroscopy (UV-vis), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and Zeta potential and dynamic light scanning (DLS) studies. Moreover, cytotoxic studies employing HeLa (human cervix carcinoma) cells were undertaken to understand FAgNP interactions with cells. HeLa cells showed significant dose dependent antiproliferative activity in the presence of FAgNP at relatively low concentrations. The calculated IC50 value was 37.5 µg/mL, similar to others obtained for FAgNPs against HeLa cells.

Conventional and phenomics characterization provides insight into the diversity and relationships of hypervariable scarlet (Solanum aethiopicum L.) and gboma (S. macrocarpon L.) eggplant complexes.

Scarlet (Solanum aethiopicum) and gboma (S. macrocarpon) eggplants are major vegetable crops in sub-Saharan Africa. Together with their respective wild ancestors (S. anguivi and S. dasyphyllum) and intermediate cultivated-wild forms they constitute the so-called scarlet and gboma eggplant complexes. We used conventional descriptors and the high-throughput phenomics tool Tomato Analyzer for characterizing 63 accessions of the scarlet eggplant complex, including the four S. aethiopicum cultivar groups (Aculeatum, Gilo, Kumba, and Shum), Intermediate S. aethiopicum-S. anguivi forms, and S. anguivi, and 12 cultivated and wild accessions of the gboma eggplant complex. A large diversity was found between both complexes, showing that they are very well differentiated from each other. Within the scarlet eggplant complex, many significant differences were also found among cultivar groups, but more differences were found for fruit traits evaluated with Tomato Analyzer than with conventional descriptors. In particular, Tomato Analyzer phenomics characterization was useful for distinguishing small fruited groups (Shum, Intermediate, and S. anguivi), as well as groups for which few or no significant differences were observed for plant traits. Multivariate principal components analysis (PCA) separated well all groups, except the Intermediate group which plotted between S. anguivi and small fruited S. aethiopicum accessions. For the gboma eggplant complex, S. dasyphyllum was clearly distinguished from S. macrocarpon and an important diversity was found in the latter. The results have shown that both complexes are hypervariable and have provided insight into their diversity and relationships. The information obtained has important implications for the conservation and management of genetic resources as well as for the selection and breeding of both scarlet and gboma eggplants.

[Psychosocial correlates of the adherence to antirretroviral treatment of men in Penitentiary Center of Barcelona]. / Correlatos psicosociales de la adhesión al tratamiento antirretroviral en el Centro Penitenciario de hombres de Barcelona.

OBJECTIVE: to assess therapeutic adherence to HAART amongst HIV positive inmates and its likely relationship with sets of different variables. MATERIALS AND METHODS: longitudinal study carried out at the Men's Prison of Barcelona (Centro Penitenciario de Hombres de Barcelona). The prison data base, a semi-structured interview assessing socio-penal, demographic and clinical variables as well as treatment characteristics, and questionnaires on beliefs and emotional states were used. Adherence at the beginning of the study, and then after three and six months was also assessed. RESULTS: inmates presented with low levels of social support, and showed moderate agreement regarding care received from medical and health personnel. They considered the level of treatment complexity to be high and gave moderate relevance to treatment side effects. They presented high agreement with the potential benefits of continuing with the treatment and showed moderate perception of the severity of the illness. They also showed high levels of self efficacy where treatment monitoring was concerned. The emotional variables showed low blood pressure, depression, anger and fatigue. Adherence to antiretroviral treatment did not vary throughout the study period. Socio-cognitive variables that correlated with adherence at different times of the study were self efficacy, perceived benefits, treatment complexity and side effects. Emotional states that correlated with adherence were depression and fatigue. DISCUSSION: the relationship between self efficacy and adherence is frequently mentioned in studies on the prediction of HAART adherence. The relationship between the two factors of fatigue and sadness/depression and adherence was expected.

Correlatos psicosociales de la adhesión al tratamiento antirretroviral en el Centro Penitenciariode hombres de Barcelona / Psychosocial correlates of the adherence to antirretroviral treatment of men in penitentiary center of Barcelona

Objetivo: Evaluar la adhesión terapéutica al TARGA de los pacientes reclusos con VIH y su relación con diferentes tiposde variables. Material y Método: Estudio longitudinal, realizado en el Centro Penitenciario de Hombres de Barcelona.Se utilizaron las bases de datos del centro, una entrevista semiestructurada, que valoraba variables sociodemográficas,penales/penitenciarias, clínicas y características del tratamiento, así como cuestionarios sobre creencias y estados emocionales.También se evaluó la adhesión al inicio del estudio, a los tres y a los seis meses.Resultados: Los internos presentaron un bajo apoyo social; un acuerdo medio respecto de los cuidados recibidos por elpersonal médico y sanitario; consideraron la complejidad del tratamiento como alta y concedieron una moderada relevanciaa los efectos secundarios; presentaron un elevado acuerdo respecto a los beneficios que les podían reportar seguir el tratamiento,una percepción moderada sobre la severidad de la enfermedad y manifestaron una elevada autoeficacia en el seguimientodel tratamiento. Respecto a las variables emocionales mostraron una baja tensión, depresión, cólera y fatiga. La adhesióna los antirretrovirales desde el inicio al final del estudio no ha variado a lo largo del estudio. Las variables socio-cognitivasque correlacionaron con la adhesión en los diferentes momentos del estudio son la autoeficacia, los beneficiospercibidos, la complejidad del tratamiento y los efectos secundarios. Los estados emocionales que correlacionaban con la adhesióneran la depresión y la fatiga. Discusión: La relación entre autoeficacia y adhesión es un resultado repetido en los estudiossobre la predicción de la adhesión al TARGA. Las relaciones de la fatiga y de la tristeza/depresión con la adhesiónson del tipo esperado (AU)

Objective: to assess therapeutic adherence to HAART amongst HIV positive inmates and its likely relationship with setsof different variables.Materials and Methods: longitudinal study carried out at the Men’s Prison of Barcelona (Centro Penitenciario de Hombresde Barcelona). The prison data base, a semi-structured interview assessing socio-penal, demographic and clinical variablesas well as treatment characteristics, and questionnaires on beliefs and emotional states were used. Adherence at the beginningof the study, and then after three and six months was also assessed.Results: inmates presented with low levels of social support, and showed moderate agreement regarding care receivedfrom medical and health personnel. They considered the level of treatment complexity to be high and gave moderate relevanceto treatment side effects. They presented high agreement with the potential benefits of continuing with the treatmentand showed moderate perception of the severity of the illness. They also showed high levels of self efficacy where treatmentmonitoring was concerned. The emotional variables showed low blood pressure, depression, anger and fatigue. Adherence to antiretroviral treatment did not vary throughout the study period. Socio-cognitive variables that correlated with adherenceat different times of the study were self efficacy, perceived benefits, treatment complexity and side effects. Emotionalstates that correlated with adherence were depression and fatigue.Discussion: the relationship between self efficacy and adherence is frequently mentioned in studies on the prediction ofHAART adherence. The relationship between the two factors of fatigue and sadness/depression and adherence was expected (AU)

Correlatos psicosociales de la adhesión al tratamiento antirretroviral en el Centro Penitenciario de hombres de Barcelona / Psychosocial correlates of the adherence to antirretroviral treatment of men in penitentiary center of Barcelona

Objetivo: Evaluar la adhesión terapéutica al TARGA de los pacientes reclusos con VIH y su relación con diferentes tiposde variables. Material y Método: Estudio longitudinal, realizado en el Centro Penitenciario de Hombres de Barcelona.Se utilizaron las bases de datos del centro, una entrevista semiestructurada, que valoraba variables sociodemográficas,penales/penitenciarias, clínicas y características del tratamiento, así como cuestionarios sobre creencias y estados emocionales.También se evaluó la adhesión al inicio del estudio, a los tres y a los seis meses.Resultados: Los internos presentaron un bajo apoyo social; un acuerdo medio respecto de los cuidados recibidos por elpersonal médico y sanitario; consideraron la complejidad del tratamiento como alta y concedieron una moderada relevanciaa los efectos secundarios; presentaron un elevado acuerdo respecto a los beneficios que les podían reportar seguir el tratamiento,una percepción moderada sobre la severidad de la enfermedad y manifestaron una elevada autoeficacia en el seguimientodel tratamiento. Respecto a las variables emocionales mostraron una baja tensión, depresión, cólera y fatiga. La adhesióna los antirretrovirales desde el inicio al final del estudio no ha variado a lo largo del estudio. Las variables socio-cognitivasque correlacionaron con la adhesión en los diferentes momentos del estudio son la autoeficacia, los beneficiospercibidos, la complejidad del tratamiento y los efectos secundarios. Los estados emocionales que correlacionaban con la adhesióneran la depresión y la fatiga. Discusión: La relación entre autoeficacia y adhesión es un resultado repetido en los estudiossobre la predicción de la adhesión al TARGA. Las relaciones de la fatiga y de la tristeza/depresión con la adhesiónson del tipo esperado (AU)

Objective: to assess therapeutic adherence to HAART amongst HIV positive inmates and its likely relationship with setsof different variables.Materials and Methods: longitudinal study carried out at the Men’s Prison of Barcelona (Centro Penitenciario de Hombresde Barcelona). The prison data base, a semi-structured interview assessing socio-penal, demographic and clinical variablesas well as treatment characteristics, and questionnaires on beliefs and emotional states were used. Adherence at the beginningof the study, and then after three and six months was also assessed.Results: inmates presented with low levels of social support, and showed moderate agreement regarding care receivedfrom medical and health personnel. They considered the level of treatment complexity to be high and gave moderate relevanceto treatment side effects. They presented high agreement with the potential benefits of continuing with the treatmentand showed moderate perception of the severity of the illness. They also showed high levels of self efficacy where treatmentmonitoring was concerned. The emotional variables showed low blood pressure, depression, anger and fatigue. Adherence24 to antiretroviral treatment did not vary throughout the study period. Socio-cognitive variables that correlated with adherenceat different times of the study were self efficacy, perceived benefits, treatment complexity and side effects. Emotionalstates that correlated with adherence were depression and fatigue.Discussion: the relationship between self efficacy and adherence is frequently mentioned in studies on the prediction ofHAART adherence. The relationship between the two factors of fatigue and sadness/depression and adherence was expected (AU)

MR features of longitudinal tears of the peroneus brevis tendon.

OBJECTIVE: Our objective is to describe the characteristic MR imaging features of longitudinal tears of the peroneus brevis tendon and to describe pathologic conditions and normal variants that are associated with these tears which may require surgical intervention at the time of primary tendon repair. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed 10 MR images of asymptomatic volunteers and 31 MR images of 27 patients with evidence of longitudinal splits of the peroneus brevis tendon. Seven of these cases were surgically proven. In addition, we assessed five pathologic conditions and normal variants: lateral collateral ligamentous tears; injuries to the superior peroneal retinaculum; low-lying muscle belly of the peroneus brevis tendon; peroneus quartus muscle; and convex, flat, or irregular retromalleolar groove. RESULTS: In the patient's group, we saw longitudinal splits as clefts and an irregularity of the contour of the peroneus brevis tendon with (71%) and without (29%) signal changes on proton density-weighted and T2-weighted MR imaging sequences. Divisions of the split tendon assumed a characteristic C-shaped configuration that partly enveloped the peroneus longus tendon. Fifteen cases revealed other pathologic conditions and normal variants known to be associated with or to predispose to tears of the peroneus brevis tendon. These include ankle ligamentous tears (n = 3); abnormal superior peroneal retinaculum (n = 4); low-lying muscle belly of the peroneus brevis tendon (n = 1); peroneus quartus muscle (n = 2); and convex, flat, or irregular retromalleolar groove (n = 15). MR imaging revealed tears in all patients with surgical proof (n = 7). CONCLUSION: MR imaging is a useful technique for revealing longitudinal tears of the peroneus brevis tendon as well as showing anatomic and pathologic factors associated with or predisposed to tears.

[Familial aggregation of lipid and lipoprotein levels: the Cuenca study]. / Agregación familiar de las concentraciones plasmáticas de lípidos y lipoproteínas: estudio de Cuenca.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to assess the familial aggregation of lipid levels in schoolchildren of Cuenca city, Spain. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: A cross sectional study was made including 307 both sexes schoolchildren 9-12 years old recruited in three schools of Cuenca city, and 346 of their parents. Sociodemographics variables, weight, height, body mass index, systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure and fasting plasma total cholesterol, LDL-C, HDL-C and triglyceride concentrations were determined. RESULTS: Father-daughter and mother-daughter Spearman rank correlations coefficients in total cholesterol and LDL-C levels showed values ranging from 0.34 to 0.42 (p < 0.01). Correlation coefficients between both parents and between parents and sons were not significant. By stepwise multiple regression analysis it was found that parents' total cholesterol levels explained almost 30% of cholesterol variability in daughters and 10% in sons. This proportion was about 25% for LDL-C in daughters and was not significant in sons. Parent-children aggregation of HLD-C and triglycerides was weak. CONCLUSIONS: Parent-daughter aggregation of lipid and lipoprotein levels was stronger than parent-son, which has been evidenced mainly in total cholesterol and LDL-C. It has been found no evidence of relation between parents.