Comparison of the international normalized ratio levels obtained by portable coagulometer and laboratory in a clinic specializing in oral anticoagulation.

INTRODUCTION: Therapy with Vitamin K antagonists (VKA) is effective in reducing thromboembolic events in various diseases. There are limitations however, which limit clinical handling and maintaining INR within therapeutic range. Studies have shown that portable coagulometers, when compared to laboratory tests, are more practical and provide better patient adherence and involvement toward treatment which results in better INR control. This study aimed to evaluate laboratory obtained INR results compared to two different portable coagulometers. METHODS: A prospective study which monitored 1009 patients using VKA in the Anticoagulation Clinic at the Institute Dante Pazzanese of Cardiology in São Paulo between July and September 2012. Patient INR values were obtained by the laboratory through venipuncture and then compared to INR values obtained by capillary puncture from two different portable coagulometers. RESULTS: Overall, 1009 patients were included in the study; among these, 520 (51.5%) are male with average age of 59.6 years (13-91). The more common indications were atrial fibrillation (49.9%) and mechanical prosthesis (33.7%). The correlation coefficient was of 0.95 with and 0.88 with INRatio PT Monitor(®) compared to laboratory. In patients with INR < 2 (lower than therapeutic range), the coefficient was 0.92 and 0.81 for CoaguChek XS plus(®) and INRatio PT Monitor(®) respectively. In patients within therapeutic range (INR 2-3), the coefficient was 0.86 with CoaguChek XS Plus(®) and 0.76 with INRatio PT Monitor(®) . For INR above therapeutic range (INR > 3.0) the correlation was 0.80 with CoaguChek XS Plus(®) and 0.54 with INRatio PT Monitor(®) . As for concordance between methods, the intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC) were slightly smaller than those previously stated (ICC = 0.899 with CoaguChek XS Plus(®) and ICC = 0.716 with INRatio PT Monitor(®) ). CONCLUSION: The use of portable coagulometers was comparable to laboratory tests and better correlation coefficients were observed with CoaguChek XS Plus(®) and in patients with INR lower or within therapeutic range. Portable coagulometers proved to be a useful and reliable tool for INR control in patients using VKA.

Comparison of the international normalized ratio levels obtainedby portable coagulometer and laboratory in a clinic specializing inoral anticoagulation

Therapy with Vitamin K antagonists (VKA) is effectivein reducing thromboembolic events in various diseases. There arelimitations however, which limit clinical handling and maintainingINR within therapeutic range. Studies have shown that portable coagulometers,when compared to laboratory tests, are more practicaland provide better patient adherence and involvement towardtreatment which results in better INR control. This study aimed toevaluate laboratory obtained INR results compared to two differentportable coagulometers.Methods: A prospective study which monitored 1009 patients usingVKA in the Anticoagulation Clinic at the Institute Dante Pazzaneseof Cardiology in S~ao Paulo between July and September 2012.Patient INR values were obtained by the laboratory through venipunctureand then compared to INR values obtained by capillarypuncture from two different portable coagulometers.Results: Overall, 1009 patients were included in the study; amongthese, 520 (51.5%) are male with average age of 59.6 years (13–91). The more common indications were atrial fibrillation (49.9%)and mechanical prosthesis (33.7%). The correlation coefficient wasof 0.95 with and 0.88 with INRatio PT Monitor compared to laboratory.In patients with INR 3.0) the correlation was 0.80 with CoaguChek XSPlus and 0.54 with INRatio PT Monitor ...

Relación entre los Niveles de Fibrinógeno e Insulina con los Parámetros que Definen al Síndrome Metabólico / Relationship between Insulin levels with Fibrinogen and parameters defining the Metabolic Syndrome

Metabolic syndrome is a combination of risk factors that increase an individual's chance of developing ischemic cardiovascular diseases which are the leading cause of death worldwide. In a number of metabolic syndrome abnormalities such as impaired secretion of acute phase reactants and certain hormones, such as the case of fibrinogen and insulin respectively. In this research fibrinogen levels were correlated with insulin and the factors that define the metabolic syndrome according to NCEP- ATP III in a population from the Municipality Francisco Linares Alcántara aged 35 and 60, the sample consisted of 30 patients and 29 controls. Was made comparison of means of anthropometric parameters and biochemical testing using the Wilcoxon signed ranks with a statistical significance (p < 0.05) and Spearman correlation analysis between insulin and fibrinogen levels with anthropometric and biochemical parameters studied was made it was found that patients had higher BMI, glucose , triglycerides, VLDL-C , insulin and fibrinogen compared to controls. Furthermore, the latter showed the highest HDL-C value compared with patients . On the other hand there was a positive association between insulin levels with BMI and glycemic variables . There was a negative association between levels of fibrinogen and LDL cholesterol variables in patients. No association between insulin levels and fibrinogen was found.

El síndrome metabólico es la conjunción de factores de riesgo en un individuo que aumentan su probabilidad de padecer enfermedades cardiovasculares isquémicas las cuales constituyen la primera causa de muerte a nivel mundial. En el síndrome metabólico se desencadenan una serie de anomalías como ejemplo alteración en la secreción de reactantes de fase aguda y de ciertas hormonas, como el caso del fibrinógeno y la insulina respectivamente. En esta investigación se correlacionaron los niveles de fibrinógeno y la insulina con los factores que definen al síndrome metabólico según la NCEP-ATP III en una población procedente del Municipio Francisco Linares Alcántara en edades comprendidas entre 35 y 60 años. La muestra estaba conformada entre 30 pacientes y 29 controles. Se hizo comparación de medias de los parámetros antropométricos y bioquímicos utilizando la prueba de los rangos con signo de Wilcoxon con una significancia estadística de (p<0,05). De igual modo se realizó análisis de correlación de Spearman entre los niveles de Insulina y fibrinógeno con los parámetros antropométricos y bioquímicos estudiados se encontró que los pacientes tenían más elevado el IMC, glicemia, triglicéridos, VLDLc, insulina y fibrinógeno con respecto a los controles. Además, estos últimos presentaron el valor de HDLc más elevado comparado con el de los pacientes. Por otro lado hubo asociación positiva entre los niveles de insulina con las variables IMC y glicemia. Hubo asociación negativa entre los niveles de fibrinógeno con las variables colesterol y LDLc en los pacientes. No se encontró asociación entre los niveles de insulina y fibrinógeno.

Decrease in oxidative stress and histological changes induced by physical exercise calibrated in rats with osteoarthritis induced by monosodium iodoacetate.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of impact exercise on the joint cartilage of rats with osteoarthritis (OA) induced by monosodium iodoacetate (MIA). METHODS: Eighteen male rats were divided into three groups of six animals each: control, OA, and OA plus exercise (OAE). The OAE group trained on a treadmill for 8 weeks. Afterward, the right joints of the animals were washed with saline solution and joint lavage was used for biochemical analyses of myeloperoxidase (MPO) and enzyme superoxide dismutase (SOD) activities and total thiol content. The same limb provided samples of the articular capsule for analyses of MPO activity and total thiol content. The left joint was used for histological analysis. RESULTS: Our results indicate that MPO activity was increased in both OA groups in the lavage as well as the articular capsule, regardless of exercise status. SOD activity was increased in animals with OA, especially in the animals that had run on the treadmill. On the other hand, thiol content in the articular capsule and joint lavage decreased in the OA group, while the OAE group had values similar to those of the control group. The histological data indicate that animals that were submitted to running exercise showed a higher preservation rate of proteoglycan content in the superficial and intermediate areas of the joint cartilage. CONCLUSION: Our results show that physical training contributes to the preservation of joint cartilage in animals with OA and to increase the defense mechanism against oxidative stress.

Molecular phylogeny of the New World monkeys (Platyrrhini, primates) based on two unlinked nuclear genes: IRBP intron 1 and epsilon-globin sequences.

Nuclear sequences of the 1.8 kilobase (kb) long intron 1 of the interstitial retinol-binding protein gene (IRBP), previously determined for 11 of the 16 extant genera of New World monkeys (superfamily Ceboidea, infraorder Platyrrhini), have now been determined for the remaining 5 genera. The maximum parsimony trees found, first with IRBP sequences alone and then with tandemly combined IRBP and epsilon-globin gene sequences from the same species, supported a provisional cladistic classification with the following clusters. Subtribes Callitrichina (Callithrix, Cebuella), Callimiconina (Callimico), Leontopithecina (Leontopithecus) and Saguina (Saguinus) constitute subfamily Callitrichinae, and subfamilies Callitrichinae, Aotinae (Aotus), and Cebinae (Cebus, Saimiri) constitute family Cebidae. Subtribes Chiropotina (Chiropotes, Cacajao) and Pitheciina (Pithecia) constitute tribe Pitheciini; and tribes Pitheciini and Callicebini (Callicebus) constitute subfamily Pitheciinae. Subtribes Brachytelina (Brachyteles, Lagothrix) and Atelina (Ateles) constitute tribe Atelini, and tribes Atelini and Alouattini (Alouatta) constitute subfamily Atelinae. The parsimony results were equivocal as to whether Pitheciinae should be grouped with Atelinae in family Atelidae or have its own family Pitheciidae. The cladistic groupings of extant ceboids were also examined by different stochastic evolutionary models that employed the same stochastic process of nucleotide substitutions but alternative putative phylogenetic trees on which the nucleotide substitutions occurred. Each model, i.e., each different tree, predicted a different multinomial distribution of nucleotide character patterns for the contemporary sequences. The predicted distributions that were closest to the actual observed distributions identified the best fitting trees. The cladistic relationships depicted in these best fitting trees agreed in almost all cases with those depicted in the maximum parsimony trees.

The alliance between feminists and researchers. Meeting women's unmet needs.

PIP: There are four reasons why it is important to build an alliance between women activists and scientists in order to improve the quality of life for women throughout the world. First of all, feminists, such as Margaret Sanger, create the social climate that supports research and counteracts negative influences. Feminists can also mobilize against the indifference with which policy-makers consider population policies. This alliance can also increase the ultimate effectiveness of the range of technologies developed because women's health advocates can draw attention to realities of women's lives and thus contribute to improvement of research and development strategies. Finally, feminists can help scientists create conditions for the implementation of high ethical standards which bridge the gap in sophistication between researchers and subjects, achieve true informed consent, fight against a paternalistic hierarchical approach, and improve the adequacy of screening and follow-up. Collaboration among women and scientists can be enhanced by improving mutual understanding through improved dialogue and by fostering a willingness to share decision-making power. In two areas, improved dialogue has not yet produced significant shifts in priority. First of all, the scientific community has failed to respond to demands for better protection against sexually transmitted diseases and HIV/AIDS. Secondly, women's concerns about the delivery of services have not yet been taken seriously. Systemic, long-lasting, and provider-dependent methods of contraception still receive the greatest attention despite serious quality of care issues and potential abuse. Such methods may also increase the vulnerability of women to infection. The difficulties posed by forging the alliance between women and scientists, however, should not deter meeting the challenge.^ieng

Coat color and biochemical variation in Amazonian wild populations of Alouatta belzebul.

A comparative study of 13 blood genetic systems and pelage color variation was performed in four wild populations of Alouatta belzebul. The animals from the west bank of the Tocantins River showed less color variation than those from the east bank, as well as less than those from Tocantins Island. The blood genetic markers, however, revealed an opposite pattern of variation. A previously undescribed morphological variant (completely red) was observed in one specimen of the east bank, where pelage color of the local population varied from completely black to completely red. Levels of heterozygosity and inter- and intralocus variances for the blood systems are compared with those observed in five other species of New World primates.

Chromosome studies on Dasypus, Euphractus and Cabassous genera (Edentata: Dasypodidae).

The somatic and meiotic chromosomes of twenty specimens of the Dasypodidae were studied. The wild specimens belonged to the genera Cabassous, Euphractus and Dasypus. The karyotype of D. novemcinctus showed a diploid chromosome number of 64, although some variation was observed in one specimen where 2n was 65, due to a supernumerary chromosome, and another had a dimorphic pair. D. septemcinctus also had a diploid chromosome number of 64, and showed two variant types due to pericentric inversions and/or centric fusions. E. sexcinctus and C. unicinctus had diploid chromosome numbers of 58 and 50, respectively. These species did not show variant chromosome types, and this was confirmed in meiotic studies. Analysis of the meiotic epithelium of species of Dasypus including the analysis of the synaptonemal complex in pachytene nuclei, showed similar findings to those commonly reported in mammalian meiosis, especially in relation to pairing and formation of the sex bivalent. The evolutionary implications of the chromosome changes in relation to organic evolution are discussed.

[On research concerning abortion in Latin America and studies on women]. / As pesquisas sobre o aborto na America Latina e os estudos de mulher.

"Research on abortion is important for the Latin American women's movements. Rates of illegal abortion seem quite high. Cuba is the only country where abortion is legal. Policies on abortion are closely related to attitudes towards sexuality and women. Contraception has, in addition to health and economic costs, social and psychological costs, therefore unwanted pregnancies are the normal results of behavior that follows a certain rationality. Consequences of abortion depend on a woman's integration in her social network. The Latin American scene has two main differences from industrialized countries: mass poverty and the influence of the Catholic Church. Conditions of poverty affect less the motivation for abortion and more the conditions of its use." (SUMMARY IN ENG)

Genetic variability in a natural population of Cebus apella paraguayanus (Cebidae, primates)

Foram estudadas 17 proteínas séricas e eritrocitárias em uma populaçäo natural de Cebus apella paraguayanus. Apenas o locus da GPI mostrou poliformismo (GPI*1 = 89% and GPI*2 = 11%). Uma análise comparativa das estimativas de variabilidade genética dentre os primatas mostrou que C. a paraguayanus (P = 5.9%; H = 1.1%) apresenta níveis de variaçäo genética comparáveis a Alouatta palliata e Leontopithecus rosalia, duas outras espécies do Novo Mundo

[Travelling together: an experience in sex education in the area surrounding Sao Paulo]. / Caminhando juntas: uma experiencia em educacao sexual na perifera de Sao Paulo.

PIP: This study describes group discussions of female sexuality held in a Sao Paulo Mothers' Club for the purpose of educating participants and producing educational pamphlets for publication. The participant research methodology is an attempt to integrate feminism with academic practice; the research is to be used to improve the condition of the research subjects and the research process itself is seen as educational. Participants were 8-15 low-income housewives 25-33 years old, with low level reading skills. In a series of discussion meetings, topics of interest identified included the physiology of the human body, sex education of children, and methods of contraception. Drafts of pamphlets and illustrations were presented for the immediate feedback of the group. Additional topics included the role of women in the family and society, women's rights, traditional class beliefs and myths about sexuality, medical care and examinations, and self-examination. 5 pamphlets and an accompanying manual for their use were produced for distribution to women's groups throughout Brazil. These include: Understanding Our Body; Do I want to be a Mother?; When Children Ask Certain Things; A gynecological Exam; and Much Pleasure.^ieng

The meiotic chromosomes of Cebus apella (Cebidae, Platyrrhini)

An analysis of the meiotic chromosomes of Cebus apella (Cebidae, Platyrrhini) has allowed for the visualization of constitutive heterochromatic regions throughout the meiotic cycle and has permitted the identification of four chromosomes in the first and the second divisions. In pachytene nuclei, and in pachytene spreads where synaptonemal complexes were visible, one heterochromatic region was frequently unpaired. No chiasmata were found in heterochromatic regions, and there was no evidence of chiasma terminalization. The role of heterochromatin in homologous pairing and its relationship to chiasma position and number in meiotic configurations were discussed. A comparison was made between bivalent 9 in C. apella and bivalent 21 in man, based on the interspecific homologies between these chromosomes. A similar comparison was made between the Algerian and Asian hedgehogs, where marked differences in the content of constitutive heterochromatin occur in two chromosome pairs.