Combination of Tele-Cardiology Tools for Cardiovascular Risk Stratification in Primary Care: Data from the PROVAR+ Study.

Background: Tele-cardiology tools are valuable strategies to improve risk stratification.

Objective: We aimed to evaluate the accuracy of tele-electrocardiography (ECG) to predict abnormalities in screening echocardiography (echo) in primary care (PC).

Methods: In 17 months, 6 health providers at 16 PC units were trained on simplified handheld echo protocols.

Age-Related Changes of the Synucleins Profile in the Mouse Retina.

Alpha-synuclein (aSyn) plays a central role in Parkinson's disease (PD) and has been extensively studied in the brain. This protein is part of the synuclein family, which is also composed of beta-synuclein (bSyn) and gamma-synuclein (gSyn). In addition to its neurotoxic role, synucleins have important functions in the nervous system, modulating synaptic transmission.

Graphene Biosensors-A Molecular Approach.

Graphene is the material elected to study molecules and monolayers at the molecular scale due to its chemical stability and electrical properties. The invention of scanning tunneling microscopy has deepened our knowledge on molecular systems through imaging at an atomic resolution, and new possibilities have been investigated at this scale. Interest on studies on biomolecules has been demonstrated due to the possibility of mimicking biological systems, providing several applications in nanomedicine: drug delivery systems, biosensors, nanostructured scaffolds, and biodevices.

Graphene Oxide Thin Films with Drug Delivery Function.

Graphene oxide has been used in different fields of nanomedicine as a manager of drug delivery due to its inherent physical and chemical properties that allow its use in thin films with biomedical applications. Several studies demonstrated its efficacy in the control of the amount and the timely delivery of drugs when it is incorporated in multilayer films. It has been demonstrated that oxide graphene layers are able to work as drug delivery or just to delay consecutive drug dosage, allowing the operation of time-controlled systems.

Deinstitutionalization and autonomy: outcomes from a Brazilian mental health policy.

Therapeutic Residential Services (SRT, in Portuguese) are structures implemented in the context of the Brazilian Psychiatric Reform (BPR), which aims to support psychiatric deinstitutionalization. This paper compares residents of SRTs in two cities in Brazil, analyzing the relationship among the deinstitutionalization strategies and the different types of autonomy they produce. Nineteen individuals from two cities (referred to as Paulo Delgado - PB and Franco Basaglia - FB) participated in this study.

Correlation between hyperglycemia and glycated albumin with retinopathy of prematurity.

To determine the association between hyperglycemia, glycated albumin (GlyA) and retinopathy of prematurity (ROP). Prospective study of all infants under ROP screening from March 2017 to July 2019. All demographic, clinical and laboratory data were collected.

Polyphenol Metabolite Pyrogallol--Sulfate Decreases Microglial Activation and VEGF in Retinal Pigment Epithelium Cells and Diabetic Mouse Retina.

(Poly)phenol-derived metabolites are small molecules resulting from (poly)phenol metabolization after ingestion that can be found in circulation. In the last decade, studies on the impact of (poly)phenol properties in health and cellular metabolism accumulated evidence that (poly)phenols are beneficial against human diseases. Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is characterized by inflammation and neovascularization and targeting these is of therapeutic interest.

Applicability and validation of the Reaction to Tests Scale (RTT) in a sample of Portuguese medical students.

Background: Test anxiety is a crucial factor in determining academic outcomes, and it may lead to poor cognitive performance, academic underachievement, and psychological distress, interfering specifically with their ability to think and perform during tests. The main objective of this study was to explore the applicability and psychometric properties of a Portuguese version of the Reactions to Tests scale (RTT) in a sample of medical students.

Method: A sample of 672 medical students completed the RTT.

Development of strategies to modulate gene expression of angiogenesis-related molecules in the retina.

Intravitreal anti-vascular endothelial growth factor agents are the gold standard treatment of ocular neovascular diseases. However, their short-term efficacy implies frequent intravitreal injections. Gene therapy has the ability to provide longer duration of the therapeutic effect.

AGREEMENT BETWEEN CLINICAL AND ANATOMOPATHOLOGICAL DIAGNOSES IN PEDIATRIC INTENSIVE CARE.

Objective: Although autopsy is deemed the gold standard for diagnosis, its performance has been decreasing while adverse events have been increasing, of which 17% consist in diagnostic errors. The purpose of this study was to estimate the prevalence of diagnostic errors based on anatomopathological diagnosis in a Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU).

Methods: This is a cross-sectional, retrospective study on 31patients who died between 2004 and 2014.

Human-derived NLS enhance the gene transfer efficiency of chitosan.

Nuclear import is considered as one of the major limitations for non-viral gene delivery systems and the incorporation of nuclear localization signals (NLS) that mediate nuclear intake can be used as a strategy to enhance internalization of exogenous DNA. In this work, human-derived endogenous NLS peptides based on insulin growth factor binding proteins (IGFBP), namely IGFBP-3 and IGFBP-5, were tested for their ability to improve nuclear translocation of genetic material by non-viral vectors. Several strategies were tested to determine their effect on chitosan mediated transfection efficiency: co-administration with polyplexes, co-complexation at the time of polyplex formation, and covalent ligation to chitosan.

Dual-Acting Antiangiogenic Gene Therapy Reduces Inflammation and Regresses Neovascularization in Diabetic Mouse Retina.

Intravitreal injections of anti-vascular endothelial growth factor drugs have become the gold standard treatment for diabetic retinopathy (DR). However, several patients are classified as non-responders or poor responders to treatment. Therefore, it is essential to study alternative target molecules.

PlGF silencing combined with PEDF overexpression: Modeling RPE secretion as potential therapy for retinal neovascularization.

Ocular neovascularization is a defining feature of several blinding diseases. We have previously described the effectiveness of long-term pigment epithelium-derived factor (PEDF) expression in the retina of diabetic mice in ameliorating some diabetic retinopathy hallmarks. In this study, we aimed to investigate if the antiangiogenic potential of PEDF overexpression was enhanced in combination with placental growth factor (PlGF) silencing.

Temporal profile of flavor enhancers MAG, MSG, GMP, and IMP, and their ability to enhance salty taste, in different reductions of sodium chloride.

We evaluated the temporal profile of the flavor enhancers monosodium glutamate (MSG), disodium inosinate (IMP), disodium guanylate (GMP), and monoammonium glutamate (MAG). We also evaluated the ability of these flavor enhancers to enhance salty taste in solutions containing different reductions of sodium chloride. Four experiments were conducted using Central Composite Rotational Design (CCRD) with focus on two objectives: concentration of flavor enhancers (0% to 1%) and reduction of sodium chloride content (0% to 100%).

Dysregulation of trophic factors contributes to diabetic retinopathy in the Ins2 mouse.

Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is considered as a diabetes-related complication that can lead to severe visual impairments. By 2030, it is expected that 1 in 5 adults will suffer from the disease. Suitable animal models for chronic DR are essential for a better understanding of the pathophysiology and to further develop new treatments.

Polycaprolactone/Gelatin Nanofiber Membranes Containing EGCG-Loaded Liposomes and Their Potential Use for Skin Regeneration.

Polymeric scaffolds incorporating plant-derived compounds, produced by electrospinning, have attracted attention in the field of skin tissue engineering. This study evaluates the sustained antioxidant activity of polycaprolactone (PCL)/gelatin nanofibers prepared by electrospinning and incorporating loaded liposomes of epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG), a strong antibacterial and antioxidant molecule found in green tea, that significantly accelerates the wound-healing process. The morphology and the structural properties of the membranes were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and FTIR spectroscopy.

Self-Assembled Multilayer Films for Time-Controlled Ocular Drug Delivery.

The patient's compliance on the therapeutics to treat glaucoma is significantly low contributing for a fast evolution of the disease. This article presents an autonomous system with controlled release using an alpha2-adrenergic receptor agonist, brimonidine, usually used to treat glaucoma. More specifically, biocompatible and layer-by-layer drug delivery films containing monolayers with brimonidine encapsulated in polymer-β-cyclodextrin were prepared with the objective to obtain a system able to release precise amounts of drug at specific times.

Accuracy and Psychometric Properties of the Brazilian Version of the Montreal Cognitive Assessment as a Brief Screening Tool for Mild Cognitive Impairment and Alzheimer's Disease in the Initial Stages in the Elderly.

Objective: To evaluate the applicability and the psychometric properties of Montreal Cognitive Assessment Brazilian Version (MoCA-BR) in the elderly, as well as comparing its accuracy as a tracking test for mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and mild Alzheimer's disease (AD) with the accuracy of Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE).

Method: A transversal study was performed in 4 reference medical centers that care for the elderly. In all, 229 elderly participated in the study.

Optimal Cutoff Scores for Dementia and Mild Cognitive Impairment in the Brazilian Version of the Montreal Cognitive Assessment among the Elderly.

Objective: To propose cutoff scores for the Brazilian version of the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA-BR) stratified by education in order to detect mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and mild Alzheimer's disease (AD) in the elderly.

Method: A transversal study in health centers was performed on 159 elderly people with 4-12 years of education and 70 of their peers with over 12 years of schooling. The MoCA-BR cutoff scores for screening cognitive impairment were determined based on an ROC curve analysis.

Altered bone microarchitecture in a type 1 diabetes mouse model Ins2.

Type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) has been associated to several cartilage and bone alterations including growth retardation, increased fracture risk, and bone loss. To determine the effect of long term diabetes on bone we used adult and aging Ins2 mice that developed T1DM around 3-4 weeks after birth. Both Ins2 and wild-type (WT) mice were analyzed at 4, 6, and 12 months to assess bone parameters such as femur length, growth plate thickness and number of mature and preapoptotic chondrocytes.

Insights on the intracellular trafficking of PDMAEMA gene therapy vectors.

It is known that an efficient gene therapy vector must overcome several steps to be able to express the gene of interest: (I) enter the cell by crossing the cell membrane; (II) escape the endo-lysosomal degradation pathway; (III) release the genetic material; (IV) traffic through the cytoplasm and enter the nucleus; and last (V), enable gene expression to synthetize the protein of interest. In recent years, we and others have demonstrated the potential of poly(2‑(N,N'‑dimethylamino)ethylmethacrylate) (PDMAEMA) as a gene therapy vehicle. Further optimization of gene transfer efficiency requires the understanding of the intracellular pathway of PDMAEMA.

Molecular biology tools for the study and therapy of PDE6β mutations.

Gene therapy has the potential for treating retinal diseases, and we have been developing delivery vehicles and expression vectors for this purpose. In this short communication, we describe the generation of tools for both in vitro studies of the disease mechanism and for in vivo testing of therapeutic approaches. We have cloned the PDE6β gene and also recreated the same mutation present in the rd10 mouse using an optimized plasmid vector.

The role of the retinal pigment epithelium and Müller cells secretome in neovascular retinal pathologies.

Secreted trophic factors are key to maintain the structural and functional integrity of the retina, as they regulate cellular pathways responsible for survival, function, and response to injury. Nevertheless, these same factors can also be involved in retinal pathologies, as a consequence of the impairment of the secretory function of cells. The cells considered as major contributors to the retinal secretome are the retinal pigmented epithelium (RPE) and Müller cells.