A multicenter study using positive deviance for improving hand hygiene compliance.

Background: Positive deviance (PD) can be a strategy for the improvement of hand hygiene (HH) compliance.

Methods: This study was conducted in 8 intensive care units and 1 ward at 7 tertiary care, private, and public hospitals. Phase 1 was a 3-month baseline period (from August to October 2011) in which HH counts were performed by observers using iPods (iScrub program).

Multiple haemangiomas, diaphragmatic eventration and Beckwith-Wiedemann syndrome: an unusual association.

A 6-month-old girl with Beckwith-Wiedemann syndrome, multiple haemangiomas (axillary, laryngeal, pulmonary and hepatic) and diaphragmatic eventration was reported. All tumours responded to treatment with propranolol. The surgical correction of diaphragmatic eventration was crucial to a better outcome.

A literature review on cardiovascular risk in human immunodeficiency virus-infected patients: implications for clinical management.

Introduction: In recent years, there has been growing concern about an increasing rate of cardiovascular diseases in human immunodeficiency virus-infected patients, which could be associated with side effects of highly active antiretroviral therapy. It is likely that the metabolic disorders related to anti-human immunodeficiency virus treatment will eventually translate into a increased cardiovascular risk in patients submitted to such regimens.

Objective: To evaluate if human immunodeficiency virus-infected patients receiving highly active antiretroviral therapy are at higher risk of cardiovascular diseases than human immunodeficiency virus infected patients not receiving highly active antiretroviral therapy, or the general population.

Circulating cell-free DNA in serum as a biomarker of colorectal cancer.

Aims: The aim of this study was to report circulating cell-free DNA using ALU247 and ALU247/ALU115 biomarkers in serum of operated and non-operated patients with colorectal cancer (CRC).

Methods: To undertake this, 90 blood samples were collected, including 30 samples from healthy volunteers; 27 samples from CRC non-operated patients and 33 samples from CRC-operated patients. Circulating cell-free DNA was verified through quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR) using ALU115 and ALU247 primers.

Effects of Pilates exercises on health-related quality of life in individuals with juvenile idiopathic arthritis.

Objective: To determine the effects of Pilates exercises on health-related quality of life (HRQOL) in individuals with juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA).

Design: Randomized, prospective, single-blind trial.

Setting: Outpatient clinic of pediatric rheumatology and the rehabilitation department.

Characterization of a hexameric exo-acting GH51 α-l-arabinofuranosidase from the mesophilic Bacillus subtilis.

α-l-Arabinofuranosidases (α-l-Abfases, EC 3.2.1.

Peripheral blood pressure by Dinamap and central blood pressure by applanation tonometry in outpatient general practice.

Introduction: Central blood pressure (CBP) is the pressure exerted by the blood column at any given moment on the aortic and carotid artery walls, which is a close proxy for the blood pressure inside the brain and the heart, and is thus a better marker of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality than peripheral blood pressure (PBP).

Objective: To assess how the augmentation index (AI), peripheral pulse pressure (pPP), central pulse pressure (cPP) and subendocardial viability ratio (SEVR) vary in hypertensive patients according to level of control of CBP and PBP.

Methods: We performed an observational, cross-sectional study in a convenience sample from a general practice in Central Portugal over a period of four days in May 2010.

Support system for decision making in the identification of risk for body dysmorphic disorder: a fuzzy model.

Purpose: To develop a fuzzy linguistic model to quantify the level of distress of patients seeking cosmetic surgery. Body dysmorphic disorder (BDD) is a mental condition related to body image relatively common among cosmetic surgery patients; it is difficult to diagnose and is a significant cause of morbidity and mortality. Fuzzy cognitive maps are an efficient tool based on human knowledge and experience that can handle uncertainty in identifying or grading BDD symptoms and the degree of body image dissatisfaction.

Electroconvulsive therapy use in adolescents: a systematic review.

Background: Considered as a moment of psychological vulnerability, adolescence is remarkably a risky period for the development of psychopathologies, when the choice of the correct therapeutic approach is crucial for achieving remission. One of the researched therapies in this case is electroconvulsive therapy (ECT). The present study reviews the recent and classical aspects regarding ECT use in adolescents.

The image of care delivery by public health nurses as disseminated in Revista da Semana (1929).

Objective: to analyze the images of Public Health Nurses in care delivery to society, disseminated by the Revista da Semana, in 1929.

Method: historical-semiotic study. The documents used were images, to which an analysis matrix was applied, including fashion and body language literature, besides others to address the study object.

Sexuality after breast reconstruction post mastectomy.

Background: Sexual dysfunction is a medical condition that can lead to relationship issues as well as depression and has a somatoform basis. It is estimated to affect 49 % of Brazilian women. Studies have shown that both cancer diagnosis and its surgical treatment (mastectomy) affect women psychologically and can lead to psychiatric disorders.

Impact of acute kidney injury exposure period among liver transplantation patients.

Background: Acute kidney injury is a common complication of liver transplantation. In this single-centre retrospective observational study, we investigated the impact of acute kidney disease on liver recipient survival.

Methods: The study population consisted of patients who underwent a liver engraftment between January 2002 and November 2006, at a single transplantation centre in São Paulo, Brazil.

Pain and quality of life in patients undergoing radiotherapy for spinal metastatic disease treatment.

Background: Radiotherapy is an important tool in the control of pain in patients with spinal metastatic disease. We aimed to evaluate pain and of quality of life of patients with spinal metastatic disease undergoing radiotherapy with supportive treatment.

Methods: The study enrolled 30 patients.

Driving factors of the communities of phytophagous and predatory mites in a physic nut plantation and spontaneous plants associated.

Seasonal changes in climate and plant diversity are known to affect the population dynamics of both pests and natural enemies within agroecosystems. In Brazil, spontaneous plants are usually tolerated in small-scale physic nut plantations over the year, which in turn may mediate interactions between pests and natural enemies within this agroecosystem. Here, we aimed to access the influence of seasonal variation of abiotic (temperature, relative humidity and rainfall) and biotic (diversity of spontaneous plants, overall richness and density of mites) factors on the communities of phytophagous and predatory mites found in a physic nut plantation and its associated spontaneous plants.

The nucleolar protein Viriato/Nol12 is required for the growth and differentiation progression activities of the Dpp pathway during Drosophila eye development.

Drosophila Decapentaplegic (Dpp), a member of the BMP2/4 class of the TGF-βs, is required for organ growth, patterning and differentiation. However, much remains to be understood about the mechanisms acting downstream of these multiple roles. Here we investigate this issue during the development of the Drosophila eye.

Short and long-term effects of pandemic unadjuvanted influenza A(H1N1)pdm09 vaccine on clinical manifestations and autoantibody profile in primary Sjögren's syndrome.

Despite WHO recommendations about the A/California/7/2009/H1N1-like virus vaccination, studies evaluating its possible influence on clinical manifestations and autoantibody profile in primary Sjögren's syndrome (SS) are scarce. The aim of this study was to evaluate the possible influence of the unadjuvanted A/California/7/2009/H1N1-like virus vaccination on clinical manifestations and autoantibody profile in SS in the short/long-term. Thirty-six SS patients (The American-European Consensus Group Criteria, 2002) and 36 healthy controls with comparable mean age and gender were evaluated before and 21-days after this vaccination regarding seroprotection/seroconversion, factor increase in geometric mean titer (FI-GMT) and side effects.

Entropy of polydisperse chains: solution on the Husimi lattice.

We consider the entropy of polydisperse chains placed on a lattice. In particular, we study a model for equilibrium polymerization, where the polydispersity is determined by two activities, for internal and endpoint monomers of a chain. We solve the problem exactly on a Husimi lattice built with squares and with arbitrary coordination number, obtaining an expression for the entropy as a function of the density of monomers and mean molecular weight of the chains.

A pilot study of the duodenal-jejunal bypass liner in low body mass index type 2 diabetes.

Context: The duodenal-jejunal bypass liner (DJBL) is a device that mimics the intestinal portion of gastric bypass surgery and has been shown to improve glucose metabolism rapidly in obese subjects with type 2 diabetes (T2DM).

Objective: To assess the safety of the DJBL and to evaluate its potential to affect glycemic control beneficially in subjects with T2DM who were not morbidly obese.

Patients And Design: Adult men and women with T2DM of ≤ 10 years' duration with hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) ≥ 7.

Digit ratio (2D:4D) in newborns: influences of prenatal testosterone and maternal environment.

Introduction: The 2D:4D digit ratio is sexually-dimorphic, probably due to testosterone action through the perinatal period. We characterize the 2D:4D ratio in newborn (NB) infants, in between the pre- and postnatal surges of testosterone, and relate it to the mother's 2D:4D and to testosterone levels in the amniotic fluid (AF).

Subjects And Methods: Testosterone was assayed in samples of maternal plasma and AF collected at amniocentesis.

Gastric plication for morbid obesity: a systematic review.

Background: Gastric plication is a new bariatric procedure. Controversies exist regarding this emerging surgery. We herein present a comprehensive review of the literature regarding gastric plication approach.

EBV reactivation serological profile in primary Sjögren's syndrome: an underlying trigger of active articular involvement?

Antibody to Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) early antigen diffuse (anti-EA-D) is associated with viral replication. However, their possible associations with clinical/therapeutic features in primary Sjögren's syndrome (pSS) were not established. We evaluated 100 pSS patients (American-European Criteria) and 89 age/gender/ethnicity-matched healthy controls.

Patients' satisfaction with immediate breast reconstruction with a latissimus dorsi musculocutaneous flap.

Immediate breast reconstruction with a latissimus dorsi musculocutaneous (LDM) flap is still not much reported, particularly in studies of patients' views. The aim of this study was to assess the level of patients' satisfaction with the technique. All patients (n = 257) who had had a mastectomy and immediate breast reconstruction with a LDM flap at a single hospital between January 1999 and December 2005 were identified, and 196 patients free of recurrence were included.

Antifungal activity, toxicity and chemical composition of the essential oil of Coriandrum sativum L. fruits.

The aims of this study were to test the antifungal activity, toxicity and chemical composition of essential oil from C. sativum L. fruits.

Lupus anticoagulant: a marker for stroke and venous thrombosis in primary Sjögren's syndrome.

Antiphospholipid antibodies (aPL) and antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) have been described in primary Sjögren's syndrome (pSS) with controversial findings regarding aPL prevalence and their association with thrombotic events. We evaluated 100 consecutive pSS patients (American-European criteria) and 89 age-gender-ethnicity-matched healthy controls for IgG/IgM anticardiolipin (aCL), IgG/IgM anti-beta2-glycoprotein-I (aβ2GPI), and lupus anticoagulant (LA) (positivity according to APS Sydney's criteria). Clinical analysis followed standardized interview and physical examination assessing thrombotic and nonthrombotic APS manifestations and thrombosis risk factors.