alpha-Thalassemia 2, 3.7 kb deletion and hemoglobin AC heterozygosity in pregnancy: a molecular and hematological analysis

alpha-Thalassemia is a synthesis hemoglobinopathy with a worldwide distribution. alpha-thalassemia-23.7kb (alpha-Thal23.7kb) was investigated by PCR and standard hematologic analysis techniques in 106 pregnant women - 53 heterozygous for hemoglobin (Hb) A and C (AC) and 53 homozygous for the normal Hb A (AA) with similar ages and race ancestry. Eleven (21%) of AC women were alpha-Thal23.7kb heterozygous and 1 (2%) was homozygous, while 12 AA women (23%) were heterozygous. In the AA group, the MCV differed among those with normal alpha genes and those with alpha-Thal23.7kb (P = 0.031). Statistical analysis of AC group patients with normal alpha genes and alpha-Thal23.7kb carriers showed differences in MCV (P = 0.001); MCH (P = 0.003) and Hb C concentrations (P = 0.011). Analysis of AA and AC group patients with normal alpha genes showed differences in RBC (P = 0.033), Hb concentration (P = 0.003) and MCHC (P < 0.0001). There were no statistically significant differences for any hematologic parameters between AC and AA group patients with the alpha-Thal23.7kb genotype. The AC alpha-Thal23.7kb homozygous women had low hematologic parameters. Serum ferritin levels were normal among the groups studied. These results emphasize the importance of diagnosis and follow-up of patients with hemoglobinopathy carriers during pregnancy in order to administer adequate therapy and avoid further complications for mothers and newborns.     

Aerobic fitness effects in fibromyalgia

OBJECTIVE: To compare 2 exercise modalities, aerobic fitness training and stretching exercises, in patients with fibromyalgia (FM) in relation to function, pain, quality of life, depression, and anxiety, and to correlate the cardiorespiratory fitness gain with symptom improvement. METHODS: Seventy-six women with FM between 18 and 60 years old were randomized to either an aerobic program or stretching program, for 20 weeks. They were evaluated at the beginning of the program and after 10 and 20 weeks in relation to the improvement of aerobic fitness, flexibility, function, Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire (FIQ), Short-form Health Survey (SF-36), and depression and anxiety levels. Ventilatory anaerobic threshold (VT) and maximum oxygen uptake (VO2max) were determined by expired gas analyses. RESULTS: Aerobic exercise was superior to stretching in relation to VO2 max, VT, function, depression, pain, and the emotional aspects and mental health domains of SF-36. Patients in the stretching group showed no improvement in depression, "role emotional," and "mental health." No association was noted between improvement in aerobic fitness as measured by VT and the improvement of pain, function, or scores in FIQ and SF-36. CONCLUSION: Our results confirm that aerobic exercise is beneficial to patients with FM, but the cardiorespiratory fitness gain is not related to improvement of FM symptoms.     

Oral myiasis by screwworm Cochliomyia hominivorax

We report a rare case of periodontal myiasis by New World screwworm Cochliomyia hominivorax, an obligatory larval parasite, in a 66-year-old woman. The myiasis occurred in the anterior upper jaw associated with a pre-existent generalised periodontitis. About 40 larvae were removed from the lesion. One week later the periodontal tissues were healing normally and the patient was referred to a periodontist. As all of the larvae were in the last stage, they were probably deposited 5-7 days before.     

Determination of potassium ions in pharmaceutical samples by FIA using a potentiometric electrode based on ionophore nonactin occluded in EVA membrane

A simple and rapid method was developed for the K(+) ions determination employing a flow injection system using a flow-through electrode based on the naturally-occurring antibiotic ionophore nonactin occluded in a polymeric membrane. The nonactin ionophore was trapped in poly(ethylene-co-vinyl acetate) (EVA) matrix (40% w/w in vinyl acetate) and dispersed on the surface of a graphite-epoxy tubular electrode. The plasticizer-free all-solid-state potassium-selective electrode showed a linear response for K(+) concentrations between 5.0 x 10(-5) and 5.0x10(-2) M (r=0.9995) with a near-Nernstian slope of 51.5 mV per decade, when Tris-HCl buffer (pH 7.0;0,1 M) was employed as a carrier. The potentiometric-FIA system allows an analytical frequency of 120 samples per hour with a precision of 3.6%. The relative standard deviations (R.S.D.) for K(+) determination in pharmaceuticals samples, without any previous treatment, were lower than 4.0%, comparable to those obtained by flame photometry. Ammonium is the main analytical interference and the electrode response time was 5 s at 25 degrees C. The useful lifetime of the tubular sensor is longer than 3 months in continuous use.     

The epidemiology of erectile dysfunction and its correlates in men with chronic renal failure on hemodialysis in Londrina,southern Brazil

Erectile dysfunction (ED) is a common condition in aging men, but little is known about the prevalence of ED in some specific groups of patients such as those with end-stage renal disease (ESRD). A cross-sectional study was conducted to determine the prevalence of ED in ESRD patients undergoing hemodialysis in two clinics of Londrina, Brazil. The prevalence and severity of ED were assessed using the International Index of Erectile Function and a single global question. The dependence of ED on independent variables was evaluated by logistic regression. Some degree of ED was found in 86.4% of our sample (n=118). Complete ED was reported by 25.4% of subjects, moderate ED by 35.4%, and minimal ED by 24.6%. Subjects < 50 y old had a prevalence of moderate/complete ED of 52.6%, whereas in men > or = 50 y old, it was 70.5%. Age, diabetes, and low income were significantly associated with ED. Although highly prevalent, only a low percentage of uremic ESRD patients on hemodialysis were being treated for ED. Our data suggest that ED is related to uremia and other comorbid conditions that often accompany ESRD.     

Holistic approach to the term "person" in an empirical study: a critical analysis

The study analyzes the semantic and the structure of the term "person" (women with HIV), by means of an holistic approach based on the Roy Adaptation Model (Veritivity) and on Heidegger's Phenomenology (Dasein). This research was extracted of Nursing Science and Philosophy of Science literature, through the technique of indirect documentation, using the model of theoretical analysis developed by Chinn & Kramer, through which the following aspects were analyzed: objectivity, simplicity, generality, accessibility and importance of person and holism concepts in the empirical study Nutritional adaptation of women living with HIV: a pilot study, published in the journal Holistic Nursing Practice, in 1997. Critically, the interpretation of the term "person" was a result of the understanding of "being" as an ontical-ontological being, as a form of true perception of the sense of being (person), as an alive universal structure in an anthropological and social world, in which women with HIV can adapt to the new lifestyle and receive integral care provided by nursing, mainly with respect to the nutritional aspect.