Epigenetic Mechanisms Modulated by Glucocorticoids With a Focus on Cushing Syndrome.

In Cushing syndrome (CS), prolonged exposure to high cortisol levels results in a wide range of devastating effects causing multisystem morbidity. Despite the efficacy of treatment leading to disease remission and clinical improvement, hypercortisolism-induced complications may persist. Since glucocorticoids use the epigenetic machinery as a mechanism of action to modulate gene expression, the persistence of some comorbidities may be mediated by hypercortisolism-induced long-lasting epigenetic changes.

Early cumulative risk and outcomes in adolescence and adulthood: The role of executive function and behavioral regulation.

This study examined the extent to which early cumulative risk predicts a range of behavioral and psychological outcomes (i.e., depression, future orientation, risky behavior, educational attainment, and socioeconomic outcomes) measured at ages 15 and 26 and whether executive function (EF) and/or behavioral regulation mediated and/or moderated these associations.

Corrigendum: Moving beyond dosage and adherence: a protocol for capturing dimensions of active child engagement as a measure of fidelity for social-emotional learning interventions.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.

Implementation and maintenance of an enhanced pulmonary rehabilitation program in a single centre: An implementation study.

Background: Pulmonary rehabilitation (PR) has major benefits for patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). An enhanced PR program was developed with a self-management education intervention. The objective of our study was to evaluate the implementation of the enhanced PR program into a single centre.

Executive functions and play.

Executive functions and play have been researched separately over the last few decades. Only recently has the association between the two constructs received more attention. Thus, a Special Issue on this association is timely.

Moving beyond dosage and adherence: A protocol for capturing dimensions of active child engagement as a measure of fidelity for social-emotional learning interventions.

Social-emotional competencies are important for school-readiness and can be supported through social-emotional learning (SEL) interventions in the preschool years. However, past research has demonstrated mixed efficacy of early SEL interventions across varied samples, highlighting a need to unpack the black box of which early interventions work, under what conditions, and for whom. In the present article we discuss the critical implementation component of active child engagement in an intervention as a potential point of disconnect between the intervention as designed and as implemented.

Energy expenditure per minute in different activities and body positions and its association with the classification as physically active or inactive in daily life in individuals with COPD.

To describe and compare energy expenditure (EE)/minute walking and in different body postures in individuals with COPD; and to investigate if EE/minute walking is a predictor of their classification as physically active or inactive. Physical activity (PA) in daily life was objectively assessed using two PA monitors for 7 days and data were analyzed on a minute-by-minute basis. Predominant minutes were separated into walking, standing, sitting, and reclined, and EE/minute (a reflection of PA intensity) was then calculated in each of these four activities and postures.

Effects of pollution on dormant-stage banks of cladocerans and rotifers in a large tropical reservoir.

Here, we describe the abundance and composition of the dormant-stage banks of cladocerans and rotifers at two locations in a tropical reservoir (Furnas Reservoir, Minas Gerais, Brazil) that are subject to different anthropogenic impacts. We hypothesized that at the site that received sewage, the density of resting eggs would be higher, but the species richness would be lower. Sediment samples were collected monthly at the two sampling stations.

Awareness of hypoglycemia and spectral analysis of heart rate variability in type 1 diabetes.

Aims: To investigate the relationship of unawareness of hypoglycemia with spectral analysis of heart rate variability (HRV) and clinical variables in type 1 diabetes (T1D) individuals.

Methods: Participants with type 1 diabetes mellitus (type 1 diabetes) were prospectively assessed for hypoglycemia awareness using the Pedersen-Bjergaard method and were classified as normal hypoglycemia awareness, impaired hypoglycemia awareness and hypoglycemia unawareness. Indices of HRV in frequency domain were evaluated and Ewing tests were used for the diagnosis of cardiovascular autonomic neuropathy (CAN).

Are the Effects of High-Intensity Exercise Training Different in Patients with COPD Versus COPD+Asthma Overlap?

Purpose: This study aimed to investigate whether patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) presenting asthma overlap (ACO) benefit similarly in comparison to patients with only COPD after a 12-week high-intensity exercise training (ET) program.

Methods: Subjects with a diagnosis of COPD alone or ACO were evaluated and compared before and after a high-intensity ET program composed of walking and cycling plus strengthening exercises of the upper and lower limbs (3 days/week, 3 months, 36 sessions). Assessments included spirometry, bioelectrical impedance, 6-min walk test (6MWT), London Chest Activity of Daily Living Scale (LCADL), Hospital anxiety and depression Scale, modified Medical Research Council Scale (mMRC), Saint George Respiratory Questionnaire (SGRQ), and respiratory and peripheral muscle strength [manovacuometry and 1-repetition maximum test (quadriceps femoris, biceps and triceps brachialis), respectively].

Functional Status of Patients with COPD Assessed by London Chest Activity of Daily Living Scale: Gender Association and Validity of a Cutoff Point.

Purpose: Whether the difference in the impact of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) on the functional status of men and women stems from clinical distinctions or to the measuring instrument used is unclear. Like most instruments for assessing functional limitation in COPD, the interpretation of the results of the London Chest Activity of Daily Living (LCADL) scale is limited because a lack of a valid cutoff point to this scale. For that, this study sought to compare the functional status between men and women with COPD; and propose a cutoff point for LCADL capable of discriminating the prognosis of these individuals.

A breath of fresh air: Validity and reliability of a Portuguese version of the Multidimensional Dyspnea Profile for patients with COPD.

Aim: To provide a Portuguese version of the Multidimensional Dyspnea Profile (MDP), investigating its validity and reliability in Brazilian patients with COPD.

Methods: This was a cross-sectional study for translation and linguist validation of the Portuguese MDP version for patients with COPD. The process occurred according to the protocol of Mapi Research Trust, Lyon, France.

Cluster analysis identifying patients with COPD at high risk of 2-year all-cause mortality.

The objective of the article is to identify clusters of patients with COPD according to factors known to be associated with mortality and to verify whether clusters' assignment is associated with 2-year mortality. Patients ( n = 141) were evaluated by bioelectrical impedance, maximal inspiratory pressure (MIP), one-repetition maximum test of the quadriceps femoris (1RMQF) and BODE index (body mass index; airflow obstruction (spirometry); dyspnea (modified Medical Research Council scale); and exercise capacity (6-minute walk test (6MWT) distance). Vital status was retrospectively checked 2 years after the assessments, and time to death was quantified for those deceased in this period.

Multitask protocols to evaluate activities of daily living performance in people with COPD: a systematic review.

People with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) present symptoms such as dyspnea and fatigue, which hinder their performance in activities of daily living (ADL). A few multitask protocols have been developed to assess ADL performance in this population, although measurement properties of such protocols were not yet systematically reviewed. Areas covered: Studies were included if an assessment of the ability to perform ADL was conducted in people with COPD using a (objective) performance-based protocol.

Londrina Activities of Daily Living Protocol: Reproducibility, Validity, and Reference Values in Physically Independent Adults Age 50 Years and Older.

Background: It is important to assess activities of daily living (ADL) in older adults due to impairment of independence and quality of life. However, there is no objective and standardized protocol available to assess this outcome. Thus, the aim of this study was to verify the reproducibility and validity of a new protocol for ADL assessment applied in physically independent adults age ≥50 y, the Londrina ADL protocol, and to establish an equation to predict reference values of the Londrina ADL protocol.

Methods for selection of Daphnia resting eggs: the influence of manual decapsulation and sodium hypoclorite solution on hatching rates.

Cladocerans are able to produce resting eggs inside a protective resistant capsule, the ephippium, that difficults the visualization of the resting eggs, because of the dark pigmentation. Therefore, before hatching experiments, methods to verify viable resting eggs in ephippia must be considered. This study aimed to evaluate the number of eggs per ephippium of Daphnia from two tropical aquatic ecosystems and the efficiency of some methods for decapsulating resting eggs.

Can microcystins affect zooplankton structure community in tropical eutrophic reservoirs?

The aim of our study was to assess whether cyanotoxins (microcystins) can affect the composition of the zooplankton community, leading to domination of microzooplankton forms (protozoans and rotifers). Temporal variations in concentrations of microcystins and zooplankton biomass were analyzed in three eutrophic reservoirs in the semi-arid northeast region of Brazil. The concentration of microcystins in water proved to be correlated with the cyanobacterial biovolume, indicating the contributions from colonial forms such as Microcystis in the production of cyanotoxins.

High temperatures and absence of light affect the hatching of resting eggs of Daphnia in the tropics.

Temperature and light are acknowledged as important factors for hatching of resting eggs. The knowledge of how they affect hatching rates of this type of egg is important for the comprehension of the consequences of warming waters in recolonization of aquatic ecosystems dependent on dormant populations. This study aimed at comparing the influence of different temperature and light conditions on hatching rates of Daphnia ambigua andDaphnia laevis resting eggs from tropical environments.

GOLD B-C-D groups or GOLD II-III-IV grades: Which one better reflects the functionality of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease?

The aim of this article is to investigate which global initiative for chronic obstructive lung disease (GOLD) classification (B-C-D or II-III-IV) better reflects the functionality of patients with moderate to very severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Ninety patients with COPD were classified according to the GOLD B-C-D and II-III-IV classifications. Functionality was assessed by different outcomes: 6-min walk test (6MWT), activities of daily living (ADL) (London Chest ADL Scale), and daily life activity/inactivity variables assessed by activity monitoring (SenseWear armband, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA).

The use of botulinum toxin-A in the management of neck and anterior chest wall flushing: pilot study.

Idiopathic neck and chest wall flushing could cause disabling effects on patients' quality of life. We aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of botulinum toxin-A (BTA) in the management of idiopathic neck and chest wall flushing. This was a pilot prospective clinical study of patients with severe idiopathic neck and anterior chest wall flushing.

Flexural strength of four adhesive fixed dental prostheses of composite resin reinforced with glass fiber.

Purpose: To evaluate the flexural strength of two fixed dental prosthesis (FDP) designs simulating frameworks of adhesive fixed partial prostheses, reinforced or not by glass fiber.

Materials And Methods: Forty specimens, made with composite resin, were divided into 4 groups according to the framework design and the presence of fiber reinforcement: A1 - occlusal support; A2: occlusal support + glass fiber; B1: occlusal and proximal supports; B2: occlusal and proximal supports + glass fiber. The specimens were subjected to the three-point bending test, and the data were submitted to two-way ANOVA and Tukey's test (5%).

Venous aneurysm of the dorsal venous arch: a case with an unusual etiology.

Isolated venous aneurysms of the foot are rare. We report a case of venous aneurysm of the dorsal venous arch of the foot with an unusual traumatic etiology. This is a case report of a female patient with a gradually enlarging swelling on the dorsum of her foot located over the pressure area of her sandal straps.

'Biological restoration': total crown anterior.

Restorative odontology is in constant evolution and is constantly seeking more aesthetic solutions to attend to demands from patients in search of the perfect smile. The case study presented herein refers to the aesthetic and functional recuperation of dental element 21, through the use of a dental fragment obtained through an extracted tooth, a technique known as 'Biological Restoration'. The results obtained, which were highly satisfactory, lead one to conclude that this technique can be considered as an alternative to all others and can be carried out successfully, quickly, and inexpensively.

Tissue factor expression in the symptomatic carotid plaque.

Background: The aims of this study were to identify that the differences in the natural history of patients with symptomatic and asymptomatic carotid stenosis may be reflected in differences in the expression of procoagulant protein factors.

Methods: Carotid artery plaques were obtained from 33 symptomatic and 4 asymptomatic patients with internal carotid artery stenosis of greater than 70%. These plaques were stained with monoclonal antibody against human tissue factor.