Biomedical subjects

B M Pinto

Publications and source records attributed to B M Pinto.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

PubMed1999

Use of a phenyl 1-selenogalactofuranoside as a glycosyl donor for the synthesis of galactofuranosyl-containing disaccharides.

The use of acetylated phenyl 1-seleno-beta-D-galactofuranoside as a glycosyl donor for the synthesis of protected D-Galf-beta-(1-->3)-alpha-D-Manp as its methyl or ethylthio glycoside has been demonstrated. Activation of the selenoglycoside over a thioglycoside acceptor by NIS/TfOH is extremely selective and gives the ethylthio disaccharide in 91% yield. The parent disaccharide is found as a terminal and branched unit in the lipopeptidophosphoglycan oligosaccharides of the protozoan Trypanosoma cruzi, the causative agent of Chagas' disease.

Animals↗

PubMed1999

Changes in self-efficacy and decisional balance for exercise among obese women in a weight management program.

OBJECTIVE: To assess changes in eating and exercise self-efficacy and decisional balance for exercise in an obese population enrolled in a multi-disciplinary weight management program. RESEARCH METHOD AND PROCEDURES: Thirty-two obese women were assessed at entry and after 12 weeks of treatment. RESULTS: Participants showed 15% mean weight loss after 12 weeks of treatment. Mean minutes of self-reported exercise increased by 229%. Participants demonstrated significant improvements in self-efficacy for both eating and exercise and health parameters but not in decisional balance for exercise adoption. DISCUSSION: These results may have implications for the practitioner in that self-efficacy changes occur during successful weight loss, but decisional balance for exercise may not change until individuals enter maintenance. These results imply that practitioners may be advised to shift from confidence building to relapse prevention early on in treatment, and that focusing on strengthening the pros of exercise and reducing the cons of exercise may need to remain constant during treatment.

Adult↗

PubMed1999

Novel structures in galactoglucomannans of the lichens Cladonia substellata and Cladonia ibitipocae: significance as chemotypes.

The galactoglucomannans of two species of the lichen genus Cladonia, C. substellata and C. ibitipocae, were compared. They were homogeneous on gel-filtration chromatography and structurally related, having (1-->6)-linked alpha-D-mannopyranosyl main-chains, but were substituted in different patterns by alpha- and beta-D-galacto-, beta-D-gluco- and alpha-D-mannopyranosyl groups. The C-1 portions of their 13C-NMR spectra are typical of the lichen species and indicate differences between the two polysaccharides. Partial acetolysis of the galactoglucomannan from C. substellata gave rise to oligosaccharides and three were identified, namely alpha-D-Manp-(1-->3)-alpha beta-D-Galp, alpha-D-Manp-(1-->2)-alpha beta-D-Manp and alpha-D-Manp-(1-->2)-[beta-D-Glcp-(1-->4)]-alpha beta-D-Manp, whereas only the latter two were obtained from that of C ibitipocae. Methylation and Smith degradation data confirmed these results. Whereas the mannobiose represents a common structure in lichen heteropolysaccharides, it is the first time that the other oligosaccharides have been isolated from those of lichens.

Carbohydrate Conformation↗

PubMed1998

Efficacy of an individualized, motivationally-tailored physical activity intervention.

This study compared the efficacy of two low-cost interventions for physical activity adoption. Sedentary (N = 194) adults recruited through newspaper advertisements were randomized to receive either a motivationally-matched, individually-tailored intervention (IT) or a standard self-help intervention (ST). Assessments and interventions were delivered by repeated mailings at baseline, one, three, and six months. Participants were assessed regarding current physical activity behavior, motivational readiness to adopt regular physical activity, and psychological constructs associated with physical activity participation (e.g. self-efficacy, decisional balance). Repeated measures analyses of variance (ANOVAs) revealed significant increases in physical activity participation between baseline and six months for both groups with a significantly greater increase among IT participants. The IT group outperformed the ST group on all primary outcome measures: (a) minutes of physical activity per week, (b) reaching Centers for Disease Control and American College of Sports Medicine (CDC/ACSM) recommended minimum physical activity criteria, and (c) achieving the Action stage of motivational readiness for physical activity adoption. Both groups showed significant improvement between baseline and six months on the psychological constructs associated with physical activity adoption (e.g. self-efficacy), with no significant differences observed between the treatment groups. Utilizing computer expert systems and self-help manuals to provide individually-tailored, motivationally-matched interventions appears to be an effective, low-cost approach for enhancing physical activity participation in the community.

Adult↗

PubMed1998

Synthesis and NMR analysis of 13C-labeled oligosaccharides corresponding to the major glycolipid from Mycobacterium leprae.

An improved synthesis of propyl 4-O-(3,6-di-O-methyl- beta-D-glucopyranosyl)-2,3-di-O-methyl-alpha-L-rhamnopyranoside, a disaccharide corresponding to the phenolic glycolipid of Mycobacterium leprae using a trichloroacetimidate as a glycosyl donor is described. The synthetic strategy is also applied to the preparation of three corresponding disaccharide analogues containing 13C-labeled methyl groups. The preparation of the trisaccharide, propyl 2-O-[4-O-(3,6-di-O-methyl-beta-D-glucopyranosyl)-2,3-di-O-methyl-alpha-L - rhamnopyranosyl]-3-O-methyl-alpha-L-rhamnopyranoside is also reported. The di- and tri-saccharides were characterized by 1H and 13C NMR spectroscopy.

Antigens, Bacterial↗

PubMed1998

Acceptability and feasibility of physician-based activity counseling. The PAL project.

BACKGROUND: The continued prevalence of sedentary behavior in older adults underscores the need for physical activity promotion. Physician-delivered activity counseling may be an important avenue of promoting physical activity for these individuals. The Physically Active for Life (PAL) project was a randomized study of the effects of brief physician counseling plus follow-up on physical activity behaviors in older adults. METHOD: Twelve practices were randomized to the intervention group and 12 to standard care. Physicians in the intervention group participated in a 1-hour training session and received support materials for exercise counseling. Pre-assessment and post-assessment of self-reported exercise counseling behaviors and confidence in providing exercise counseling were obtained from physicians in the study. Patient evaluations of the exercise counseling and support materials were also obtained. RESULTS: Results showed that physicians favorably endorsed the training and the support materials, and reported adherence to delivery of the intervention protocol. Comparisons between the two groups showed significant improvements in confidence for intervention-group physicians, but no significant changes in physician reports of exercise counseling provided to all patients. Patients reported satisfaction with the exercise counseling and support materials. CONCLUSIONS: Physicians and patients indicated the PAL project offered an acceptable and feasible approach to promote physical activity in older adults.

Adult↗

PubMed1998

Longitudinal changes in college students' exercise participation.

A 4-page questionnaire was mailed to 708 randomly selected 1st-year university students to assess changes in the students' exercise behavior from the 1st year of college to the 2nd year. The questionnaire assessed student demographics and participation in vigorous and moderate exercise over the preceding 7 days. Three hundred thirty-two students responded. A year later, a similar questionnaire was mailed to the same 332 students; responses were obtained from 242 students. Although no changes in reported exercise participation were found in the group as a whole, subgroups of students who either increased or decreased exercise participation were identified. Implications for exercise intervention programs among college students are presented.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1997

Exploring the basis of peptide-carbohydrate crossreactivity: evidence for discrimination by peptides between closely related anti-carbohydrate antibodies.

To investigate the molecular basis of antigenic mimicry by peptides, we studied a panel of closely related mAbs directed against the cell-wall polysaccharide of group A Streptococcus. These antibodies have restricted V-gene usage, indicating a shared mechanism of binding to a single epitope. Epitope mapping studies using synthetic fragments of the cell-wall polysaccharide supported this conclusion. All of the mAbs isolated crossreactive peptides from a panel of phage-displayed libraries, and competition studies indicated that many of the peptides bind at or near the carbohydrate binding site. Surprisingly, the peptides isolated by each mAb fell into distinct consensus-sequence groups that discriminated between the mAbs, and in general, the peptides bound only to the mAbs used for their isolation. Similar results were obtained with polyclonal antibodies directed against synthetic oligosaccharide fragments of the streptococcal cell-wall polysaccharide. Thus, the peptides appear to be specific for their isolating antibodies and are not recognized by the same mechanism as their carbohydrate counterparts.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

PubMed1997

Minority women and tobacco: implications for smoking cessation interventions.

Quitting smoking is the single most important preventive health behavior a woman can perform to significantly reduce her chances of morbidity and premature mortality. Minority women are an extremely important population to target for smoking cessation intervention. Rates and risk factors for cardiovascular diseases and cancer are markedly higher among women of certain minority groups. In addition, smoking prevalence rates in women of some ethnic groups are elevated relative to the majority population of women, and specific groups have displayed slower rates of decline in smoking. Furthermore, minority women tend to have less access and appear to be less responsive to smoking cessation programs aimed at the majority culture. Thus, consideration of the practical and cultural needs of ethnic minority women is imperative when designing smoking intervention programs. This article describes the smoking behaviors of African-American, American Indian and Native Alaskan, Asian and Pacific Islander, and Hispanic women smokers, in order to gain a greater understanding of the treatment needs of these women. Information on prevalence rates and smoking patterns, barriers to quitting, and findings from intervention studies within each population are reviewed as well as recommendations for smoking cessation treatment.

Female↗

PubMed1997

Use of a phenyl 1-selenogalactofuranoside as a glycosyl donor for the synthesis of galactofuranosyl-containing disaccharides.

Animals↗

PubMed1997

Predictors of exercise adherence following participation in a cardiac rehabilitation program.

Patients who participate in cardiac rehabilitation programs (CRP) experience significant improvements in quality of life, rehospatilization rates, and mortality associated with cardiovascular disease. The potential efficacy of CRP is limited however, by significant program dropout rates and poor patient adherence to prescribed exercise regimens following rehabilitation. Recently, models of motivational readiness for behavior change, such as the Transtheoretical Model, have been applied to understanding the process of exercise adoption and maintenance. Interventions based on this dynamic model of behavior change have produced significant improvement in adherence to exercise in community and worksite populations. This study investigates the applicability of this model to this special population. Sixty-two men and women completed measures of motivational readiness, self-efficacy, and decisional balance for exercise adoption upon entry into a 12-week cardiac rehabilitation program at posttreatment and at a 3-month follow-up. Patients made significant gains during CRP in time spent exercising and self-efficacy, but not in utilization of the cognitive processes or in the perceived benefits of exercising. Exercise maintenance at follow-up was differentially associated with self-efficacy, decisional balance and use of behavioral processes at posttreatment. Motivation-based models of exercise adoption may provide insights regarding the adoption and maintenance of regular physical activity in cardiac rehabilitation populations.

Journal Article↗

PubMed1997

Physician-delivered physical activity counseling.

Explore the source record for details and available documents.

Counseling↗

PubMed1997

Exercise in weight management.

Exercise is integral to successful weight loss and maintenance. When talking to patients about exercise, consider their readiness, and address the barriers that prevent exercise. Physicians can help those patients who already exercise by encouraging them to continue and helping them anticipate, and recover from, lapses. Providing resource material to patients on behavioral strategies for exercise adoption and weight management can supplement the physician's efforts. Overall, patients need to hear that any regular exercise, be it step-aerobics, walking, or taking the stairs, will benefit them.

Exercise↗

PubMed1996

Efficient, convergent syntheses of oligosaccharide allyl glycosides corresponding to the Streptococcus group A cell-wall polysaccharide.

Convergent syntheses of di-, tri, tetra-, penta-, and hexa-saccharide allyl glycosides corresponding to the beta-hemolytic Streptococcus Group A cell-wall polysaccharide are described. The strategy relies on the preparation of related di- and tri-saccharide building blocks: beta-D-Glc pNAc-(1-3)-alpha-L-Rhap and alpha-L-Rhap-(1-2)-[(beta-D-Glc p NAc-(1-3)]-alpha-L-Rhap, which could be used either as glycosyl donors or acceptors in subsequent glycosylation reactions. The protecting groups were chosen to allow the selective removal of the allyl aglycon to access the intermediate glycosyl donors but also to allow their own removal without affecting the allyl group. The allyl group was intended for use in conjugation of the oligosaccharides to soluble protein carriers or solid supports for the preparation of antigens and immunoadsorbents, respectively.

Allyl Compounds↗

PubMed1996

Structure and dynamics of oligosaccharides: NMR and modeling studies.

Recent advances in the conformational analysis of oligosaccharides have focused on protein-bound oligosaccharides, glycopeptides, and glycoproteins, as well as on the conformational dynamics about glycosidic linkages. Significant progress has been made possible by dramatic improvements in NMR techniques and advances in computational chemistry and technology. Transferred nuclear Overhauser effects have been used to infer the conformations of carbohydrate ligands bound to protein receptors such as antibodies, lectins and enzymes. The increased use of combined NMR spectroscopic and computational protocols has resulted in insights into the dynamics of glycan chains.

Animals↗

PubMed1996

Preparations of antigens and immunoadsorbents corresponding to the Streptococcus group A cell-wall polysaccharide.

The allyl glycosides of a tri-, penta- and hexasaccharide corresponding to the Streptococcus Group A cell-wall polysaccharide were coupled to solid or soluble supports to give immunoaffinity columns and neoglycoproteins, respectively. Cysteamine hydrochloride was added to the allyl glycosides and the resulting cysteamine adducts were used for subsequent coupling to linkers via the amine functionality. The tri- and penta-saccharide cysteamine adducts were coupled directly to the azalactone-derivatized 3M Emphase Biosupport Medium AB 1 to yield two affinity columns. The penta- and hexa- saccharides were coupled to bovine serum albumin or ovalbumin via the conjugate addition of the epsilon-amino groups of lysines on the proteins with the N-acryloylated sugars or the oligosaccharide-squarate adducts, derived in turn from the cysteamine adducts. The efficiency of the above methods is compared.

Antigens↗

PubMed1996

Theories and techniques for promoting physical activity behaviours.

The primary goal of this article is to review theoretical models utilised in designing physical activity interventions for healthy adults. Physical activity offers numerous benefits for improved physical and psychological health. However, the majority of the population is sedentary and therefore at increased risk for morbidity and mortality. Many techniques have been developed for intervening with physical activity behaviours, some of which are based on theoretical models. While some of these models show more promise than others, no model is sufficient to thoroughly explain exercise behaviours or how to best intervene. In the final section, recommendations for future research are presented, and promising areas of development in physical activity interventions are discussed. This is not an exhaustive review of theoretical models but rather focuses on models most commonly applied to physical activity.

Adult↗

PubMed1995

Conformational analysis of oligosaccharides corresponding to the cell-wall polysaccharide of the Streptococcus group A by Metropolis Monte Carlo simulations.

Metropolis Monte Carlo simulations have been performed on four substructures from the cell-wall polysaccharide antigen of Streptococcus group A to explore the conformational behaviour of these compounds. The compounds examined are the trisaccharide, propyl 3-O-(2-acetamido-2-deoxy-beta-D-glucopyranosyl)-2-O-(alpha-L-rhamnopyranosyl)- alpha-L-rhamnopyranoside, 1, the tetrasaccharide, propyl 3-O-(3-O-(2-acetamido-2-deoxy-beta-D- glucopyranosyl)-2-O-(alpha-L-rhamnopyranosyl)-alpha-L-rhamnopyranosyl)-alpha-L- rhamnopyranoside, 2, the hexasaccharide, propyl 3-O-(2-O-(3-O-(3-O-(2-acetamido-2-deoxy-beta-D-glucopyranosyl)-alpha-L- rhamnopyranosyl)-alpha-L-rhamnopyranosyl)-3-O-(2-acetamido-2-deoxy-beta-D- glucopyranosyl)-alpha-L-rhamnopyranosyl)-alpha-L-rhamnopyranoside, 3, and the hexasaccharide, propyl 3-O-(2-acetamido-2-deoxy-beta-D-glucopyranosyl)-2-O-(3-O-(3-O-(2-acetamido-2- deoxy-beta-D-glucopyranosyl)-2-O-(alpha-L-rhamnopyranosyl)-alpha-L- rhamnopyranosyl)-alpha-L-rhamnopyranosyl)-alpha-L-rhamnopyranoside, 4. In general, the conformational flexibility of similar glycosidic linkages in different compounds is comparable. However, in a few cases, small differences in the conformations available to these linkages in different structural environments could be detected. Interestingly, a second conformation found for the beta-D-GlcNAc-(1-->3)-alpha-L-Rha linkage in three of the compounds was not populated in the hexasaccharide 4. Furthermore, a conformational locale of the alpha-L-Rha-(1-->3)-alpha-L-Rha linkage found to be populated in the trisaccharide 1, tetrasaccharide 2, and hexasaccharide 4 is negligibly populated in the hexasaccharide 3. Ensemble averaged proton-proton distances compare favourably with experimental average distances obtained from NMR spectroscopy. The trisaccharide branch point in the hexasaccharides is shown to be a highly defined conformational feature. The same unit has been found to be one of the crucial elements recognized by anti-Group A Streptococcus antibodies, a result that has implications for the design of improved immunodiagnostics and vaccines.

Carbohydrate Conformation↗