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Poly (2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate-methacrylamide) hydrogels were synthesized by radical copolymerization in aqueos solution at 60 °C using potassium persulfate as iniciator and two levels of concentration of N,N'-methylenebisacrylamide as crosslinking agent in the feed mixture. The swelling process of copolymers prepared with 10, 25, 40, 60, 75 and 90 % of HEMA was followed gravimetrically in water at 37 °C. The diffusion coefficients were determined according to the Fick law for the first stages (smaller than 30 min) of swelling. For higher stages (bigger than 30 min) it was found that the Schott model (second order) could fit this process. It was demostrated that the composition of the copolymer system and the crosslinking degree are the causes of the swelling process and the diffusion of the penetrating agent into the gel. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

HIV is a worldwide public health issue affecting millions of individuals, and people living with HIV (PLWH) are often affected by depression. Nonetheless, exercise can prevent and treat depression among PLWH. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of exercise on depression symptoms in PLWH. Using a prospective single-arm trial, a semi-supervised community-based exercise intervention was offered 3 times/week for 12 weeks to PLWH (n = 52; age: 49 ± 6 years; HIV diagnosis: 19 ± 15 years). Participants were divided into compliant (≥1 exercise session/week) and non-compliant (<1 exercise session/week) groups according to their attendance in the intervention. Depression symptoms were assessed using the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), and the change in BDI from baseline to post-intervention was assessed with an analysis of covariance, adjusted for demographics. The post-intervention BDI score was significantly lower (p = 0.027) for the compliant group compared to the non-compliant group, and the rate of improvement from moderate/severe symptoms of depression to minimal symptoms of depression was four times greater in the compliant group. In conclusion, a community-based exercise program may be effective in reducing depression symptoms among PLWH.

Background: Blood groups in dogs are designated as dog erythrocyte antigen (DEA) 1.1, 1.2, 3, 4, 5, 7, and Dal. There is limited information about the frequency of different antigens in Greyhound dogs, despite their frequent use as blood donors., Objectives: The aims of this study were to determine the frequencies of DEA 1.1, 1.2, 3, 4, 5, and 7 in Greyhounds, to compare the frequencies with those of non-Greyhound dogs, and to evaluate the presence of naturally occurring anti-DEA antibodies., Methods: Blood was collected from 206 Greyhound and 66 non-Greyhound dogs being screened as potential blood donors. Blood-typing was performed at Animal Blood Resources International by tube agglutination utilizing polyclonal anti-DEA antibodies., Results: Of the Greyhound dogs, 27/206 (13.1%) were positive for DEA 1.1, and this frequency was significantly lower (P<.0001) than for non-Greyhound dogs of which 40/66 (60.6%) were DEA 1.1-positive. The frequency of positivity for both DEA 1.1 and 1.2 was also lower in Greyhounds (P<.0001). There were no significant differences between Greyhounds and non-Greyhounds for DEA 1.2, 3, 4, 5, or 7. All 137 dogs (113 Greyhounds and 24 non-Greyhounds) that were evaluated for naturally occurring anti-DEA antibodies in serum were negative. A higher percentage of Greyhound dogs (57.3%, 118/206) were considered "universal donors" (negative for all DEAs except DEA 4) compared with non-Greyhound dogs (28%, 13/46)., Conclusion: The frequency of positivity for DEA 1.1 in our population of Greyhounds was significantly lower than previously reported for dogs. Furthermore, a large majority of Greyhounds met the criteria for universal donors., (©2010 American Society for Veterinary Clinical Pathology.)

The research problem was: what are the effects of preparation for mastectomy/hysterectomy on women's self-care behaviors during the immediate post-operative period, and 1 month after surgery? Study subjects were 60 women, 30 mastectomy and 30 hysterectomy, equally divided into an experimental and control group. The independent variable, structured teaching, was administered by a nurse clinician before and after surgery. The dependent variable, self-care, during the immediate post-operative period, was defined as the performance of three ambulation tasks on day 1. Five additional exercises were rated for the mastectomy group on day 1 and four on day 2. Task performance was rated on three criteria: time interval, amount of prompting and amount of assistance required for the first complete performance (as demonstrated and practiced pre-operatively) of each exercise. During the clinic phase, 1 month post-surgery, self-care was the score obtained on a Self-Care Rating Scale, obtained by patient report and based on the discharge planning content. Findings showed that for the in-hospital phase, patients in the group given pre-operative instructions performed at a significantly higher level. They required neither prompting nor assistance in the initiation and completion of ambulation tasks compared to the uninstructed group. Most patients in the uninstructed group did not initiate nor complete the tasks despite prompting and physical assistance from the nurse. For the clinic phase, both the instructed post-mastectomy and post-hysterectomy groups performed self-care activities at home significantly better than and more frequently than the uninstructed groups.