Simulação de ejeções de massa coronal

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Corsini, M. A.; Silva, A. V. R.

2003-08-01

Ejeções de massa coronal (EMC) são bolhas gigantes de gás permeadas por campos magnéticos que são ejetadas do Sol durante um período de várias horas. Caso estas ejeções atinjam a Terra, geralmente, causam uma série de distúrbios às comunicações de longa distância e navegação, além de danos a satélites e transformadores. Portanto, é desejável que sejamos capazes de prever quando estas ejeções atingirão a Terra. Para tanto, é necessário um bom entendimento dos mecanismos causadores das ejeções e, principalmente, de como se dá a propagação das EMC e sua interação com o vento solar que permeia o meio interplanetário. Nesse sentido foi desenvolvido um programa computacional para resolver as equações MHD (Magneto-Hidro-Dinâmica) que regem a evolução das EMC. Primeiramente foram estabelecidas as condições necessárias para descrever o vento solar, no estado estacionário, que permeia todo o meio interplanetário. Num primeiro momento, resolveu-se o sistema de equações para o caso do vento isotérmico, conhecida como a solução de Parker, a fim de testarmos o modelo. Então, foi considerado o caso do vento solar com temperatura variável no meio interplanetário. Este resultado foi utilizado como a base de nosso sistema em seu instante inicial. Posteriormente foram feitas as considerações necessárias para descrever a propagação da Ejeção de Massa Coronal. As EMC foram simuladas como um aumento de densidade e temperatura local na coroa solar. A órbita e a posição da Terra foram incluídas no sistema. Os dados gerados possibilitaram uma análise da evolução da EMC pelo meio interplanetário até encontrar-se com a Terra. Os perfis de densidade e temperatura a 1 Unidade Astronômica são comparados com os dados de satélites reportados na literatura.

HLA genes in Madeira Island (Portugal) inferred from sequence-based typing: footprints from different origins.

PubMed

Spínola, Hélder; Bruges-Armas, Jácome; Mora, Marian Gantes; Middleton, Derek; Brehm, António

2006-04-01

Human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-A, HLA-B, and HLA-DRB1 polymorphisms were examined in Madeira Island populations. The data was obtained at high-resolution level, using sequence-based typing (SBT). The most frequent alleles at each loci were: A*020101 (24.6%), B*5101 (9.7%), B*440201 (9.2%), and DRB1*070101 (15.7%). The predominant three-loci haplotypes in Madeira were A*020101-B*510101-DRB1*130101 (2.7%) and A*010101-B*0801-DRB1*030101 (2.4%), previously found in north and central Portugal. The present study corroborates historical sources and other genetic studies that say Madeira were populated not only by Europeans, mostly Portuguese, but also sub-Saharan Africans due to slave trade. Comparison with other populations shows that Madeira experienced a stronger African influence due to slave trade than Portugal mainland and even the Azores archipelago. Despite this African genetic input, haplotype and allele frequencies were predominantly from European origin, mostly common to mainland Portugal.

Pseudoaneurisma de aorta abdominal como complicação de pancreatite crônica: relato de caso

PubMed Central

Barbosa, Eduardo Carvalho Horta; Nóbrega, Leonardo Pires de Sá; Rodrigues, Daniel Augusto de Souza; Cunha, Josué Rafael Ferreira; Kalume, Claudio Eluan

2017-01-01

Resumo A pancreatite crônica é uma enfermidade associada a diversas complicações vasculares, como pseudocisto hemorrágico, trombose do sistema venoso portal e formações varicosas e pseudoaneurismáticas. O pseudoaneurisma de aorta abdominal secundário à pancreatite crônica é uma complicação rara, de difícil suspeição clínica, que requer tratamento complexo. A fisiopatologia dessa condição envolve a corrosão enzimática tecidual após a liberação e ativação de enzimas exócrinas proteolíticas das células acinares do pâncreas. O presente estudo relata o caso de um paciente de 52 anos, etilista crônico, internado com dor abdominal difusa, cuja propedêutica revelou se tratar de um pseudoaneurisma em aorta infrarrenal. Optou-se pelo tratamento cirúrgico convencional, levando-se em consideração a idade, as condições clínicas do paciente e a disponibilidade de endopróteses compatíveis com o diâmetro da aorta. PMID:29930654

New species and new records of bryozoans from shallow waters of Madeira Island.

PubMed

Souto, Javier; Kaufmann, Manfred J; Canning-Clode, João

2015-03-03

Two new species of bryozoans encrusting subtidal rocks are described from the shallow waters of Madeira Island. We describe one cyclostome, Favosipora purpurea sp. nov., which represents the first record of this genus in the Atlantic Ocean, and one cheilostome, Rhynchozoon papuliferum sp. nov. In addition, one species, Beania maxilladentata, is recorded for the first time outside of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Six other species previously recorded in Madeira are redescribed to provide new data and SEM images.

Imported dengue virus serotype 1 from Madeira to Finland 2012.

PubMed

Huhtamo, E; Korhonen, Em; Vapalahti, O

2013-02-21

Imported dengue cases originating from the Madeiran outbreak are increasingly reported. In 2012 five Finnish travellers returning from Madeira were diagnosed with dengue fever. Viral sequence data was obtained from two patients. The partial C-preM sequences (399 and 396 bp respectively) were found similar to that of an autochthonous case from Madeira. The partial E-gene sequence (933 bp) which was identical among the two patients grouped phylogenetically with South American strains of dengue virus serotype 1.

A dependence modelling study of extreme rainfall in Madeira Island

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gouveia-Reis, Délia; Guerreiro Lopes, Luiz; Mendonça, Sandra

2016-08-01

The dependence between variables plays a central role in multivariate extremes. In this paper, spatial dependence of Madeira Island's rainfall data is addressed within an extreme value copula approach through an analysis of maximum annual data. The impact of altitude, slope orientation, distance between rain gauge stations and distance from the stations to the sea are investigated for two different periods of time. The results obtained highlight the influence of the island's complex topography on the spatial distribution of extreme rainfall in Madeira Island.

Besnoitia in a palaearctic lizard (Lacerta dugesii) from Madeira.

PubMed

Frank, W; Frenkel, J K

1981-01-01

Besnoitia cysts in the heart of a lizard (Lacerta dugesii) from the islands of Madeira are the first record of besnoitiosis in a poikilothermic animal in the Old World. The size of the cysts corresponds to those found in lizard genera (Basiliscus and Ameiva) from Panama which belong to B. darlingi. Up to now nothing is known concerning the life cycle of this species from Madeira but it seems possible that cats function as definitive hosts as well as in the other species.

Doença cística adventicial da artéria poplítea: relato de caso

PubMed Central

de Oliveira, Julio Cesar Peclat; Barreto, Fernando Tebet Ramos; Souza, Diogo Di Battista de Abreu e; Fonseca, João Marcos Fonseca e; Chimelli, Bernardo de Castro Abi Ramia; Peclat, Ana Paula Rolim Maia; Marques, Marcos Arêas; Fiorelli, Stenio Karlos Alvim

2018-01-01

Resumo A doença cística adventicial da artéria poplítea é uma doença pouco frequente, que deve ser considerada no diagnóstico diferencial de pacientes jovens com claudicação intermitente e sem fatores de risco para doença arterial periférica aterosclerótica. Apresentamos um caso de claudicação intermitente de membros inferiores em paciente masculino de 51 anos no qual essa doença foi diagnosticada. Foi submetido a ressecção do segmento de artéria comprometido e interposição de safena autóloga ipsilateral. Discutimos alternativas diagnósticas e terapêuticas. PMID:29930682

Patterns of genic diversity and structure in a species undergoing rapid chromosomal radiation: an allozyme analysis of house mice from the Madeira archipelago.

PubMed

Britton-Davidian, J; Catalan, J; Lopez, J; Ganem, G; Nunes, A C; Ramalhinho, M G; Auffray, J C; Searle, J B; Mathias, M L

2007-10-01

The chromosomal radiation of the house mouse in the island of Madeira most likely involved a human-mediated colonization event followed by within-island geographical isolation and recurrent episodes of genetic drift. The genetic signature of such processes was assessed by an allozyme analysis of the chromosomal races from Madeira. No trace of a decrease in diversity was observed suggesting the possibility of large founder or bottleneck sizes, multiple introductions and/or a high post-colonization expansion rate. The Madeira populations were more closely related to those of Portugal than to other continental regions, in agreement with the documented human colonization of the island. Such a Portuguese origin contrasts with a study indicating a north European source of the mitochondrial haplotypes present in the Madeira mice. This apparent discrepancy may be resolved if not one but two colonization events took place, an initial north European introduction followed by a later one from Portugal. Asymmetrical reproduction between these mice would have resulted in a maternal north European signature with a nuclear Portuguese genome. The extensive chromosomal divergence of the races in Madeira is expected to contribute to their genic divergence. However, there was no significant correlation between chromosomal and allozyme distances. This low apparent chromosomal impact on genic differentiation may be related to the short time since the onset of karyotypic divergence, as the strength of the chromosomal barrier will become significant only at later stages.

Revision of Gymnotus (Gymnotiformes: Gymnotidae) from the Upper Madeira Basin of Bolivia and Peru, with descriptions of two new species.

PubMed

Craig, Jack M; Correa-roldÁn, Vanessa; Ortega, HernÁn; Crampton, William G R; Albert, James S

2018-04-20

Banded Knifefishes (Gymnotus, Gymnotidae) comprise the most species-rich genus of Neotropical electric fishes, with 41 species currently described from throughout the humid Neotropics, from Mexico to Argentina. Despite substantial alpha-taxonomic work in recent years, the diversity of Gymnotus in some regions remains poorly understood. Here we describe the Gymnotus fauna of the Upper Madeira basin of Bolivia and Peru from examination of more than 240 adult specimens. Species are delimited and described using body proportions (traditional morphometrics), fin-ray, squamation and laterosensory-pore counts (meristics), quantitative shape differences (geometric morphometrics), osteological traits, and color patterns. Comparisons of standardized linear measures as well as multivariate statistical methods validate the presence in the Upper Madeira basin of three previously described species, two with wide-spread geographic distributions throughout Greater Amazonia (G. carapo and G. coropinae), and one (G. chaviro) endemic to southwestern Amazonia. We also diagnose and describe two new species that are endemic to the Upper Madeira basin: G. eyra n. sp., morphologically most similar to G. mamiraua from lowland Amazonia, and G. riberalta n. sp., morphologically most similar to G. pantanal from the Paraguay-Paraná basin. The five Gymnotus species from the Upper Madeira basin are not monophyletic, each species being more closely related to a different species from another region; i.e. the Gymnotus species from the Upper Madeira represents a polyphyletic assemblage. These descriptions to 43 the number of valid Gymnotus species.

Alpha-1-antitrypsin deficiency in Madeira (Portugal): the highest prevalence in the world.

PubMed

Spínola, Carla; Bruges-Armas, Jácome; Pereira, Conceição; Brehm, António; Spínola, Hélder

2009-10-01

Alpha-1-antitrypsin (AAT) deficiency is a common genetic disease which affects both lung and liver. Early diagnosis can help asymptomatic patients to adjust their lifestyle choices in order to reduce the risk of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD). The determination of this genetic deficiency prevalence in Madeira Island (Portugal) population is important to clarify susceptibility and define the relevance of performing genetic tests for AAT on individuals at risk for COPD. Two hundred samples of unrelated individuals from Madeira Island were genotyped for the two most common AAT deficiency alleles, PI*S and PI*Z, using Polymerase Chain Reaction-Mediated Site-Directed Mutagenesis. Our results show one of the highest frequencies for both mutations when compared to any already studied population in the world. In fact, PI*S mutation has the highest prevalence (18%), and PI*Z mutation (2.5%) was the third highest worldwide. The frequency of AAT deficiency genotypes in Madeira (PI*ZZ, PI*SS, and PI*SZ) is estimated to be the highest in the world: 41 per 1000. This high prevalence of AAT deficiency on Madeira Island reveals an increased genetic susceptibility to COPD and suggests a routine genetic testing for individuals at risk.

Twelve invertebrate and eight fish species new to the marine fauna of Madeira, and a discussion of the zoogeography of the area

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wirtz, Peter

1998-06-01

The benthic ctenophore Vallicula multiformis, a large undescribed flatworm species of the genus Pseudoceros, the prosobranch gastropod Tonna maculosa, the opisthobranch gastropods Placida cf. dendritica, Caloria elegans, Aeolidiella sanguinea, Janolus cristatus, the decapod Balssia gasti, the sea urchin Schizaster canaliferus and the tunicates Clavelina lepadiformis, Clavelina dellavallei and Pycnoclavella taureanensis are recorded from Madeira for the first time. This is the first record of a platyctenid ctenophore in the eastern Atlantic. The teleost fishes Pomatoschistus pictus, Vaneaugobius canariensis, Chromogobius sp., Nerophis ophidion, Hippocampus hippocampus, Acanthocybium solandri, Sphyraena viridensis and Sphyraena barracuda are recorded from Madeira for the first time. The presence of the sea-hare Aplysia dactylomela at Madeira is confirmed; the species has increased tremendously in abundance in the last four years. The crocodile fish Grammoplites gruveli can occasionally be found in the mantle cavity of cuttlefish ( Sepia officinalis) sold at the fish market of Funchal, but does not originate from Madeiran waters. An analysis of 100 new records from the coastal fauna of Madeira shows that, while predominantly of lusitanian, mediterranean and mauritanian affinity, Madeira’s shallow water fauna contains a large component of tropical species.

Como os Alunos do Ensino Médio da Rede Estadual de São Paulo obtém Conhecimentos Astronômicos?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

da Cunha, W. S.; Voelzke, M. R.; Amaral, L. H.

2005-08-01

Atualmente vivencia-se um mundo globalizado onde os computadores e a internet permitiram um acesso rápido e seguro a todo tipo de informação e conhecimento. O presente trabalho visa analisar a maneira pela qual alunos de segundo grau da rede estadual da cidade de São Paulo obtiveram, caso tenham, conhecimentos básicos de astronomia quanto aos fenômenos celestes que os rodeiam, tais como a sucessão dos dias e das estações do ano, além de questioná~los sobre fatos genéricos tais como: o que vem a ser o Sol, o Big Bang, o que ocasionou a extinção dos dinossauros. Para tanto foi elaborado um formulário constando de questões de múltipla escolha, o qual foi aplicado no primeiro colegial diurno da Escola Estadual Guilherme de Almeida. Num espaço amostral de 44 alunos constatou-se que 41% dos alunos adquiriram seus conhecimentos astronômicos na escola e 59% através da mídia em geral. Neste mesmo espaço amostral apenas 11% dos alunos usaram computadores na escola, 41% na residência, 5% no trabalho e 43% não utilizaram. O presente estudo revelou também que para 50% dos alunos o professor jamais utilizou um programa de computador a respeito de astronomia ou fez alguma apresentação sobre o tema. Embora em sua fase inicial este estudo revela claramente que a maioria dos alunos não obtém na escola seus conhecimentos astronômicos, estes provém de fontes não especificamente didático-pedagógicas tais como filmes e revistas populares que não raramente geram conhecimentos incompletos e em muitos casos inclusive falhos.

Molecular epidemiology suggests Venezuela as the origin of the dengue outbreak in Madeira, Portugal in 2012-2013.

PubMed

Franco, L; Pagan, I; Serre Del Cor, N; Schunk, M; Neumayr, A; Molero, F; Potente, A; Hatz, C; Wilder-Smith, A; Sánchez-Seco, M P; Tenorio, A

2015-07-01

An explosive epidemic occurred in Madeira Island (Portugal) from October 2012 to February 2013. Published data showed that dengue virus type 1 introduced from South America was the incriminated virus. We aim to determine the origin of the strain introduced to Madeira by travellers returning to Europe. Using phylogeographic analysis and complete envelope sequences we have demonstrated that the most probable origin of the strain is Venezuela. Copyright © 2015 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Temporal and spatial distribution of young Brachyplatystoma spp. (Siluriformes: Pimelodidae) along the rapids stretch of the Madeira River (Brazil) before the construction of two hydroelectric dams.

PubMed

Cella-Ribeiro, A; Assakawa, L F; Torrente-Vilara, G; Zuanon, J; Leite, R G; Doria, C; Duponchelle, F

2015-04-01

Monthly (April 2009 to May 2010) bottom-trawl sampling for Brachyplatystoma species along the rapids stretch of the Madeira River in Brazil revealed that Brachyplatystoma rousseauxii larvae and juveniles were present in low abundances in all areas and during all hydrological periods. The presence of larvae and juveniles throughout the hydrological cycle suggests asynchronous spawning in the headwaters of the Madeira River. © 2015 The Fisheries Society of the British Isles.

Latitudinal patterns in the life-history traits of three isolated Atlantic populations of the deep-water shrimp Plesionika edwardsii (Decapoda, Pandalidae)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

González, José A.; Pajuelo, José G.; Triay-Portella, Raül; Ruiz-Díaz, Raquel; Delgado, João; Góis, Ana R.; Martins, Albertino

2016-11-01

Patterns in the life-history traits of the pandalid shrimp Plesionika edwardsii are studied for the first time in three isolated Atlantic populations (Madeira, Canaries and Cape Verde Islands) to gain an understanding of their latitudinal variations. The maximum carapace size of the populations studied, as well as the maximum weight, showed clear latitudinal patterns. The patterns observed may be a consequence of the temperature experienced by shrimps during development, 1.37 ° C higher in the Canaries and 5.96 ° C higher in the Cape Verde Islands than in Madeira. These temperature differences among populations may have induced phenotypic plasticity because the observed final body size decreased as the temperature increased. A latitudinal north-south pattern was also observed in the maximum size of ovigerous females, with larger sizes found in the Madeira area and lower sizes observed in the Cape Verde Islands. A similar pattern was observed in the brood size and maximum egg size. Females of P. edwardsii produced smaller eggs in the Cape Verde Islands than did those at the higher latitude in Madeira. P. edwardsii was larger at sexual maturity in Madeira than in the Cape Verde Islands. The relative size at sexual maturity is not affected by latitude or environmental factors and is the same in the three areas studied, varying slightly between 0.568 and 0.585. P. edwardsii had a long reproductive season with ovigerous females observed all year round, although latitudinal variations were observed. Seasonally, there were more ovigerous females in spring and summer in Madeira and from winter to summer in the Cape Verde Islands. P. edwardsii showed a latitudinal pattern in size, with asymptotic size and growth rate showing a latitudinal compensation gradient as a result of an increased growth performance in the Madeira population compared to that of the Cape Verde Islands.

Spatial distribution of Madeira Island Laurisilva endemic spiders (Arachnida: Araneae)

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Abstract Madeira island presents a unique spider diversity with a high number of endemic species, many of which are still poorly known. A recent biodiversity survey on the terrestrial arthropods of the native forest, Laurisilva, provided a large set of standardized samples from various patches throughout the island. Out of the fifty two species recorded, approximately 33.3% are Madeiran endemics, many of which had not been collected since their original description. Two new species to science are reported – Ceratinopsis n. sp. and Theridion n. sp. – and the first records of Poeciloneta variegata (Blackwall, 1841) and Tetragnatha intermedia Kulczynski, 1891 are reported for the first time for Madeira island. Considerations on species richness and abundance from different Laurisilva locations are presented, together with distribution maps for endemic species. These results contribute to a better understanding of spider diversity patterns and endemic species distribution in the native forest of Madeira island. PMID:24855443

Upper crustal structure of Madeira Island revealed from ambient noise tomography

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Matos, Catarina; Silveira, Graça; Matias, Luís; Caldeira, Rita; Ribeiro, M. Luísa; Dias, Nuno A.; Krüger, Frank; Bento dos Santos, Telmo

2015-06-01

We present the first image of the Madeira upper crustal structure, using ambient seismic noise tomography. 16 months of ambient noise, recorded in a dense network of 26 seismometers deployed across Madeira, allowed reconstructing Rayleigh wave Green's functions between receivers. Dispersion analysis was performed in the short period band from 1.0 to 4.0 s. Group velocity measurements were regionalized to obtain 2D tomographic images, with a lateral resolution of 2.0 km in central Madeira. Afterwards, the dispersion curves, extracted from each cell of the 2D group velocity maps, were inverted as a function of depth to obtain a 3D shear wave velocity model of the upper crust, from the surface to a depth of 2.0 km. The obtained 3D velocity model reveals features throughout the island that correlates well with surface geology and island evolution.

Detection of Anaplasma phagocytophilum DNA in Ixodes Ticks (Acari: Ixodidae) from Madeira Island and Setúbal District, Mainland Portugal

PubMed Central

Santos-Silva, Maria Margarida; Almeida, Victor Carlos; Bacellar, Fátima; Dumler, John Stephen

2004-01-01

A total of 278 Ixodes ticks, collected from Madeira Island and Setúbal District, mainland Portugal, were examined by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for the presence of Anaplasma phagocytophilum. Six (4%) of 142 Ixodes ricinus nymphs collected in Madeira Island and 1 nymph and 1 male (2%) of 93 I. ventalloi collected in Setúbal District tested positive for A. phagocytophilum msp2 genes or rrs. Infection was not detected among 43 I. ricinus on mainland Portugal. All PCR products were confirmed by nucleotide sequencing to be identical or to be most closely related to A. phagocytophilum. To our knowledge, this is the first evidence of A. phagocytophilum in ticks from Setúbal District, mainland Portugal, and the first documentation of Anaplasma infection in I. ventalloi. Moreover, these findings confirm the persistence of A. phagocytophilum in Madeira Island's I. ricinus. PMID:15498168

Detection of Anaplasma phagocytophilum DNA in Ixodes ticks (Acari: Ixodidae) from Madeira Island and Setubal District, mainland Portugal.

PubMed

Santos, Ana Sofia; Santos-Silva, Maria Margarida; Almeida, Victor Carlos; Bacellar, Fátima; Dumler, John Stephen

2004-09-01

A total of 278 Ixodes ticks, collected from Madeira Island and Setubal District, mainland Portugal, were examined by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for the presence of Anaplasma phagocytophilum. Six (4%) of 142 Ixodes ricinus nymphs collected in Madeira Island and 1 nymph and 1 male (2%) of 93 I. ventalloi collected in Setubal District tested positive for A. phagocytophilum msp2 genes or rrs. Infection was not detected among 43 I. ricinus on mainland Portugal. All PCR products were confirmed by nucleotide sequencing to be identical or to be most closely related to A. phagocytophilum. To our knowledge, this is the first evidence of A. phagocytophilum in ticks from Setubal District, mainland Portugal, and the first documentation of Anaplasma infection in I. ventalloi. Moreover, these findings confirm the persistence of A. phagocytophilum in Madeira Island's I. ricinus.

Sexual performance of mass reared and wild Mediterranean fruit flies (Diptera: Tephritidae) from various origins of the Madeira Islands

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Pereira, R.; Silva, N.; Quintal, C.

The success of Mediterranean fruit fly (medfly) Ceratitis capitata (Wiedemann) control programs integrating the sterile insect technique (SIT) is based on the capacity of released the sterile males to compete in the field for mates. The Islands of Madeira are composed of 2 populated islands (Madeira and Porto Santo) where the medfly is present. To evaluate the compatibility and sexual performance of sterile flies we conducted a series of field cage tests. At same time, the process of laboratory domestication was evaluated. 3 wild populations, one semi-wild strain, and 1 mass reared strain were evaluated: the wild populations of (1)more » Madeira Island (north coast), (2) Madeira Island (south coast), and (3) Porto Santo Island; (4) the semi-wild population after 7 to 10 generations of domestication in the laboratory (respectively, for first and second experiment); and (5) the genetic sexing strain in use at Madeira medfly facility (VIENNA 7mix2000). Field cage experiments showed that populations of all origins are mostly compatible. There were no significant differences among wild populations in sexual competitiveness. Semi-wild and mass-reared males performed significantly poorer in both experiments than wild males in achieving matings with wild females. The study indicates that there is no significant isolation among strains tested, although mating performance is reduced in mass-reared and semi-wild flies after 7 to 10 generations in the laboratory. (author) [Spanish] El exito de los programas de control de la mosca mediterranea de la fruta (Ceratitis capitata (Wiedemann) que integran la tecnica del insecto esteril (TIE) esta basado en la capacidad de machos esteriles para competir en el campo por sus parejas. Las Islas de Madeira consisten de 2 islas pobladas (Madeira y Porto Santo) donde la mosca mediterranea de la fruta esta presente. Para evaluar la compatibilidad y el funcionamiento sexual de moscas esteriles nosotros realizamos una serie de pruebas de jaula en el campo. Al mismo tiempo, el proceso de la domesticacion en el laboratorio fue evaluado. Tres poblaciones naturales, una poblacion semi-natural y una poblacion criada en masa fueron evaluadas: las poblaciones natural de (1) Isla de Madeira (costa norte), (2) Isla de Madeira (costa sur) y (3) Isla de Porto Santo; (4) una poblacion semi-natural despues de 7 a 10 generaciones de domesticacion en el laboratorio (respectivamente, para el primero y segundo experimento); y (5) la raza para separar sexos geneticamente que es usada en el laboratorio de la mosca mediterranea de Madeira (VIENNA 7mix2000). Los experimentos usando jaulas en el campo mostraron que las poblaciones de diferentes origines fueron en su mayor parte compatibles. No hubo diferencias significativas en la capacidad para competir sexualmente entre las poblaciones naturales. Los machos semi-naturales y los machos criados en masa mostraron un desempeno significativamente bajo en ambos experimentos que los machos naturales en el logro de copula con las hembras naturales. Este estudio indica que no hay un aislamiento significativo entre las razas probadas, aunque el desempeno en el apareamiento fue reducido en las moscas criadas en masa y semi-naturales despues de 7 a 10 generaciones en el laboratorio. (author)« less

Systematic account of new Porifera (Demospongiae) records from the oceanic Island of Madeira (NE Atlantic).

PubMed

Pestana, Rosa; Ribeiro, ClÁudia; Boury-Esnault, Nicole; Biscoito, Manuel

2018-03-28

Few surveys on benthic fauna have been performed on the island of Madeira (Alves et al. 2003 and references therein), and the first sponge specimens were collected opportunistically (Johnson 1863, 1899; Topsent 1904, 1928). Porifera can be considered one of the least studied phyla in the Madeira archipelago, within the Lusitanian province. This is not the case for other regions as the Mediterranean (Boury-Esnault 1971 and references therein), Alboran Sea (Carballo 1994), Canary Islands (Cruz 2002), and the Azores (Topsent 1904; Boury-Esnault Lopes 1985; Xavier 2009), where sponges have been more thoroughly studied.

Distribution of polymorphisms IL4-590 C/T and IL4 RP2 in the human populations of Madeira, Azores, Portugal, Cape Verde and Guinea-Bissau.

PubMed

Berenguer, Anabela G; Câmara, Rita A; Brehm, António D; Oliveira, Susana; Fernandes, Ana T

2012-01-01

The IL4 gene is located on chromosome 5q23.3-31.2. Polymorphisms within this cytokine gene, like the derivative allele T of IL4-590, have been reported as being associated to elevated IgE serum levels and asthma. In the present work, the allelic and genotypic frequency of the IL4-590 and IL4 RP2 polymorphisms was carried out in 599 individuals from Madeira, Azores, Portugal mainland, Cape Verde and Guinea-Bissau and in a sample of 101 asthmatics from Madeira population. In all populations the polymorphisms were in LD and presented a significant dissimilar allelic and genotypic distribution (p<0.05) except between mainland Portugal and Madeira when compared to Azores. Significant differences regarding both loci were found between Madeira population and the group of asthmatics. Genotype 183183TT frequency is higher for African populations while 253253CC prevails in Caucasian populations. The existence of a Hardy-Weinberg Disequilibrium in Guinea-Bissau population not observed in neutral markers leads to the hypothesis of natural selection occurring in these loci probably associated to a rapid population growth an hypothesis strengthened by neutral STRs D5S818 and CSF1PO gene diversity.

Distribution of polymorphisms IL4-590 C/T and IL4 RP2 in the human populations of Madeira, Azores, Portugal, Cape Verde and Guinea-Bissau

PubMed Central

Berenguer, Anabela G; Câmara, Rita A; Brehm, António D; Oliveira, Susana; Fernandes, Ana T

2012-01-01

The IL4 gene is located on chromosome 5q23.3-31.2. Polymorphisms within this cytokine gene, like the derivative allele T of IL4-590, have been reported as being associated to elevated IgE serum levels and asthma. In the present work, the allelic and genotypic frequency of the IL4-590 and IL4 RP2 polymorphisms was carried out in 599 individuals from Madeira, Azores, Portugal mainland, Cape Verde and Guinea-Bissau and in a sample of 101 asthmatics from Madeira population. In all populations the polymorphisms were in LD and presented a significant dissimilar allelic and genotypic distribution (p<0.05) except between mainland Portugal and Madeira when compared to Azores. Significant differences regarding both loci were found between Madeira population and the group of asthmatics. Genotype 183183TT frequency is higher for African populations while 253253CC prevails in Caucasian populations. The existence of a Hardy-Weinberg Disequilibrium in Guinea-Bissau population not observed in neutral markers leads to the hypothesis of natural selection occurring in these loci probably associated to a rapid population growth an hypothesis strengthened by neutral STRs D5S818 and CSF1PO gene diversity. PMID:22724055

Freshwater shrimps (Macrobrachium depressimanum and Macrobrachium jelskii) as biomonitors of Hg availability in the Madeira River Basin, Western Amazon.

PubMed

Galvão, R C F; Holanda, I B B; De Carvalho, D P; Almeida, R; Souza, C M M; Lacerda, L D; Bastos, W R

2018-01-10

Total mercury (THg) concentrations measured in two freshwater shrimp species (Macrobrachium depressimanum and Macrobrachium jelskii) showed a relationship with the location of artisanal and small-scale gold mining (ASGM) from the Madeira River Basin, Western Amazon. Between August 2009 and May 2010, 212 shrimp samples were collected in the confluence of the Madeira River with three of its tributaries (Western Amazon). THg concentration was quantified in the exoskeleton, hepatopancreas and muscle tissue of the shrimps by cold vapor atomic absorption spectrophotometry. There were no significant differences between the two shrimp species when samples came from the Madeira River, but Hg concentrations were significantly lower in a tributary outside the influence of the gold mining area. Average THg concentrations were higher in the hepatopancreas (up to 160.0 ng g -1 ) and lower in the exoskeleton and muscle tissue (10.0-35.0 ng g -1 and < 0.9-42.0 ng g -1 , respectively). Freshwater shrimps from the Madeira River respond to local environmental levels of Hg and can be considered as biomonitors for environmental Hg at this spatial scale. These organisms are important for moving Hg up food webs including those that harbor economic significant fish species and thus enhancing human exposure.

76 FR 72383 - Atlantic Highly Migratory Species; Atlantic Shark Management Measures

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-11-23

... 57709), to 5 p.m. on March 31, 2012. ADDRESSES: Workshops will be held in Madeira Beach, FL; Cocoa Beach... Ave., Cocoa Beach, FL 32931. December 13, 2011 5-8 p.m Gulf Beaches Public 200 Municipal Dr., Madeira...

Giant gastric lipossarcoma: case report and review of the literature.

PubMed

Matone, Jacques; Okazaki, Samuel; Maccapani, Gabriel Naman; Amancio, Thiago Trolez; Filippi, Renée Zon; Macedo, Antonio Luiz de Vasconcellos

2016-01-01

Liposarcoma is one of the most common soft tissue sarcomas in adults, occurring in 15 to 20% of all patients with sarcoma. Primary liposarcoma of the stomach is rare. We report a case of patient with giant gastric liposarcoma who underwent surgery after a gastrointestinal bleeding. Preoperative hystopathological diagnosis was not established, even after three biopsy attempts. We discuss differential diagnosis, genetic causes, diagnosis strategies and treatment. RESUMO O lipossarcoma é um tipo comum de sarcomas em adultos, com incidência entre 15 e 20% entre os sarcomas. No entanto, o acometimento do estômago é raro. Relatamos um caso de um lipossarcoma primário gástrico gigante com apresentação clínica de hemorragia digestiva. Foi submetido a tratamento cirúrgico sem diagnóstico definitivo, apesar de três biópsias realizadas. Revisamos diagnósticos diferenciais, influência genética e estratégias diagnósticas e terapêuticas.

Vínculos sobre um modelo de quartessência de Chaplygin usando observações do satélite chandra da fração de massa de gás em aglomerados de galáxias

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

de Souza, R. S.

2003-08-01

Observações de Supernovas do tipo Ia mostram que a expansão do Universo está acelerando. Segundo as equações de Einstein uma componente com pressão negativa (energia escura) é necessária para explicar a aceleração cósmica. Além da energia escura é usualmente admitido que no Universo há também uma matéria exótica com pressão zero, que é chamada de matéria escura. Essa componente possui um papel fundamental na formação de estruturas no Universo. Recentemente tem se explorado a possibilidade de que matéria e energia escura poderiam ser unificadas através de uma única componente, que tem sido denominada de quartessência. Um exemplo de fluido com essas características é o Gás de Chaplygin Generalizado, que possui uma equação de estado da forma p = -A/ra. Inicialmente consideramos o caso especial a = 1 (gás de Chaplygin) e vinculamos parâmetros do modelo utilizando observações em raios-X do satélite Chandra da fração de massa de gás em aglomerados de galáxias. Uma comparação dos vínculos obtidos com esse teste com outros testes, tais como supernovas e idade do Universo, mostra que esse teste é bastante restritivo. Exibiremos ainda resultados para o caso em que a curvatura é nula e o parâmetro a está compreendido no intervalo -1 < a 1.

Recent transmission of drug-resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis in a prison population in southern Brazil.

PubMed

Reis, Ana Julia; David, Simone Maria Martini de; Nunes, Luciana de Souza; Valim, Andreia Rosane de Moura; Possuelo, Lia Gonçalves

2016-01-01

We conducted a cross-sectional, retrospective study, characterized by classical and molecular epidemiology, involving M. tuberculosis isolates from a regional prison in southern Brazil. Between January of 2011 and August of 2014, 379 prisoners underwent sputum smear microscopy and culture; 53 (13.9%) were diagnosed with active tuberculosis. Of those, 8 (22.9%) presented with isoniazid-resistant tuberculosis. Strain genotyping was carried out by 15-locus mycobacterial interspersed repetitive unit-variable-number tandem-repeat analysis; 68.6% of the patients were distributed into five clusters, and 87.5% of the resistant cases were in the same cluster. The frequency of drug-resistant tuberculosis cases and the rate of recent transmission were high. Our data suggest the need to implement an effective tuberculosis control program within the prison system. RESUMO Estudo transversal, retrospectivo, com isolados de M. tuberculosis de pacientes de um presídio regional no sul do Brasil, caracterizado através de epidemiologia clássica e molecular. Entre janeiro de 2011 e agosto de 2014, 379 detentos foram submetidos a baciloscopia e cultura, sendo 53 (13,9%) diagnosticados com tuberculose ativa. Desses, 8 (22,9%) apresentavam tuberculose resistente a isoniazida. A genotipagem das cepas foi realizada por 15-locus mycobacterial interspersed repetitive units-variable number of tandem repeat analysis; 68,6% dos pacientes estavam distribuídos em cinco clusters, e 87,5% dos casos resistentes estavam em um mesmo cluster. Verificou-se uma frequência elevada de casos de resistência e alta taxa de transmissão recente. Estes dados sugerem a necessidade da implantação de um programa efetivo de controle da tuberculose no sistema prisional.

Spatial distribution of tuberculosis in a municipality in the interior of São Paulo, 2008-2013.

PubMed

Fusco, Alcione Pereira Biffi; Arcêncio, Ricardo Alexandre; Yamamura, Mellina; Palha, Pedro Fredemir; Reis, Amanda Alessandra Dos; Alecrim, Tatiana Ferraz de Araújo; Protti, Simone Teresinha

2017-06-05

to describe the epidemiological clinical profile of tuberculosis and analyze the spatial distribution of cases in a municipality in the state of São Paulo. descriptive and ecological study of cases of tuberculosis through the records in an information system. Descriptive statistics were used to calculate central tendency (mean) and chi-square test, with Yates correction or Fisher exact test, when necessary. The Kernel technique was also used to calculate the occurrence densities of tuberculosis cases, using a radius of 1000 meters. Type I error was set at 5%. 299 cases of tuberculosis were identified, with 290 (96.98%) being geocoded. The majority of these were male (n = 212; 70.91%), median age 40 years, and the pulmonary clinical form was predominant (n = 244, 81.60%). The distribution occurred in a non-random manner, observing important areas of the municipality with a higher density of cases of the disease. the study evidenced an epidemiological profile of tuberculosis cases similar to those in the literature; however, their distribution does not occur in a random manner, pointing to specific population groups that require greater management and planning of health services for the control of tuberculosis. caracterizar o perfil clínico epidemiológico da tuberculose (TB) e analisar a distribuição espacial dos casos em município paulista. estudo descritivo e ecológico dos casos de tuberculose registrados em um sistema de informação. Recorreu-se à estatística descritiva com cálculo de medidas de tendência central (média) e aplicação do teste qui-quadrado, com correção de Yates ou teste exato de Fisher, quando necessários. Aplicou-se ainda a técnica de Kernel para o cálculo das densidades de ocorrência dos casos da TB, utilizando um raio de 1000 metros. Fixou-se o erro tipo I em 5%. identificou-se 299 casos de TB, sendo geocodificados 290 (96,98%). A maioria destes foi do sexo masculino (n=212; 70,91%), idade mediana 40 anos, sendo a forma clínica pulmonar predominante (n=244; 81,60%). A distribuição ocorreu de forma não aleatória, observando-se áreas importantes do município com maior densidade de casos da doença. o estudo evidenciou perfil epidemiológico dos casos de tuberculose semelhante ao da literatura, no entanto, a distribuição dos mesmos não ocorre de forma aleatória, apontando grupos específicos da população que necessitam de maior gestão e planejamento dos serviços de saúde para o controle da tuberculose. caracterizar el perfil epidemiológico clínico de tuberculosis y analizar la distribución espacial de casos en un municipio paulista. Estudio descriptivo y ecológico de casos de tuberculosis registrados en un sistema de información. Se utilizó estadística descriptiva con medidas de tendencia central (media) y aplicación de chi-cuadrado, con correlación de Yates o prueba exacta de Fisher según necesidad. Para el calcular la densidad en la ocurrencia de casos de tuberculosis, se aplicó la técnica uniforme Kernel utilizando una distancia de 1000 metros. El error de tipo I fue fijado en 5%. Se identificaron 299 casos de tuberculosis, siendo geocodificados 290 (96.98%). La mayoría de los casos fueron de sexo masculino (n=212; 70,91%), con edad mediana de 40 años, siendo la forma pulmonar la más predominante (n=244; 81,60%). La distribución de casos fue forma no aleatoria, identificando áreas del municipio con mayor densidad de casos con esta patología. el perfil epidemiológico de casos de tuberculosis observado fue similar a lo observado en la literatura, aunque la distribución de estos no ocurre de manera aleatoria, identificando grupos específicos de la población los cuales requieren de mayores gestión y planificación en los servicios de salud para el control de la tuberculosis.

Dissecção aórtica de tipo B de Stanford: relato de caso e revisão de literatura

PubMed Central

Michaelis, Wilson; Santos, Antônio Lacerda; Yokohama, Rogério Akira; Andretta, Marianne Ariely; Delazari, Mariana Vieira; Vieira, Luciano; Seguro, Erick Fernando; Sarquis, Lucas Mansano

2017-01-01

Resumo O complexo tratamento de dissecção da aorta ainda apresenta controvérsias devido à gravidade do caso e à necessidade de individualização da terapêutica. A gravidade relaciona-se ao difícil diagnóstico pelas queixas inespecíficas e pelas graves complicações inerentes à evolução da doença (ruptura aórtica, síndrome de má perfusão, dissecção retrógrada, dor ou hipertensão refratária). Este relato apresenta um homem de 61 anos, tabagista e hipertenso mal controlado, que evoluiu para dissecção aórtica de tipo B de Stanford. Foi abordado através de técnica endovascular com uso de endoprótese com stent para tratamento do caso após falha do tratamento medicamentoso. O tratamento endovascular mostrou-se uma ferramenta eficaz para o tratamento definitivo, com boa taxa de sobrevida ao final do primeiro ano após o procedimento.

Effects of herbal ointment containing the leaf extracts of Madeira vine (Anredera cordifolia (Ten.) Steenis) for burn wound healing process on albino rats.

PubMed

Yuniarti, Wiwik Misaco; Lukiswanto, Bambang Sektiari

2017-07-01

Skin burn is a health problem that requires fast and accurate treatment. If not well-treated, the burn will cause various damaging conditions for the patient. The leaf extract of Madeira vine ( Anredera cordifolia (Ten.) Steenis), or popularly known as Binahong in Indonesia, has been used to treat various diseases. The purpose of this research is to determine the effects of leaf extracts of Madeira vine ( A. cordifolia (Ten.) Steenis) on skin burn healing process in rats as an animal model. In this research, there were four treatment groups: G0, G1, G2, and G3, each consisting of five rats. All these rats were given skin burns, using hot metal plates. Then, sulfadiazine was given to G0, 2.5% leaf extract of Madeira vine was given to G1, 5% extract was given to G2, and 10% extract was given to G3, for straight 14 days topically, 3 times a day. At the end of the treatment period, skin excisions were conducted, and histopathological examination was carried out. Microscopic observation on the wound healing process on the collagen deposition, polymorphonuclear infiltration, angiogenesis, and fibrosis showed that G2 had a significant difference with G0, G1, and G3 (p<0.05), while group G0 was significantly different from G1 and G3 (p<0.05). The better burn healing process on G2 allegedly because of the activity of flavonoid, saponin, and tannin, contained in the Madeira vine, which have the antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antibacterial effects. The ointment from the 5% leaf extract of Madeira vine ( A. cordifolia (Ten.) Steenis) has been proven to be effective to be used for topical burn therapy.

A reassessment of the suspended sediment load in the Madeira River basin from the Andes of Peru and Bolivia to the Amazon River in Brazil, based on 10 years of data from the HYBAM monitoring programme

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vauchel, Philippe; Santini, William; Guyot, Jean Loup; Moquet, Jean Sébastien; Martinez, Jean Michel; Espinoza, Jhan Carlo; Baby, Patrice; Fuertes, Oscar; Noriega, Luis; Puita, Oscar; Sondag, Francis; Fraizy, Pascal; Armijos, Elisa; Cochonneau, Gérard; Timouk, Franck; de Oliveira, Eurides; Filizola, Naziano; Molina, Jorge; Ronchail, Josyane

2017-10-01

The Madeira River is the second largest tributary of the Amazon River. It contributes approximately 13% of the Amazon River flow and it may contribute up to 50% of its sediment discharge to the Atlantic Ocean. Until now, the suspended sediment load of the Madeira River was not well known and was estimated in a broad range from 240 to 715 Mt yr-1. Since 2002, the HYBAM international network developed a new monitoring programme specially designed to provide more reliable data than in previous intents. It is based on the continuous monitoring of a set of 11 gauging stations in the Madeira River watershed from the Andes piedmont to the confluence with the Amazon River, and discrete sampling of the suspended sediment concentration every 7 or 10 days. This paper presents the results of the suspended sediment data obtained in the Madeira drainage basin during 2002-2011. The Madeira River suspended sediment load is estimated at 430 Mt yr-1 near its confluence with the Amazon River. The average production of the Madeira River Andean catchment is estimated at 640 Mt yr-1 (±30%), the corresponding sediment yield for the Andes is estimated at 3000 t km-2 yr-1 (±30%), and the average denudation rate is estimated at 1.20 mm yr-1 (±30%). Contrary to previous results that had mentioned high sedimentation rates in the Beni River floodplain, we detected no measurable sedimentation process in this part of the basin. On the Mamoré River basin, we observed heavy sediment deposition of approximately 210 Mt yr-1 that seem to confirm previous studies. But while these studies mentioned heavy sedimentation in the floodplain, we showed that sediment deposition occurred mainly in the Andean piedmont and immediate foreland in rivers (Parapeti, Grande, Pirai, Yapacani, Chimoré, Chaparé, Secure, Maniqui) with discharges that are not sufficiently large to transport their sediment load downstream in the lowlands.

Contourite drift off Madeira Island (Northeast Atlantic) and implications to Cenozoic bottom-current circulation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Roque, Cristina; Hernández-Molina, F. Javier; Madureira, Pedro; Quartau, Rui; Magalhães, Vitor; Carrara, Gabriela; Santos de Campos, Aldino; Brandão, Filipe; Tomás Vázquez, Juan; Somoza, Luis

2017-04-01

During the last decades several works have been carried out on the morphosedimentary processes driven by bottom-currents in several continental margins and abyssal plains worldwide. However these processes still remain poorly understood on deep-water settings and particularly around oceanic islands. This study is focused on the offshore of Madeira Island (Portugal), which is located in the Northeast Atlantic at about 700 km west of NW Africa. The interpretation of a newly acquired dataset, composed of multibeam bathymetry, Parasound echosounder profiles and multichannel seismic reflection profiles, allowed to identify a giant (about 385 km long and over than 175 km wide) plastered contourite drift, called the "Madeira Drift", developing along the lower slope of the Madeira plateau. It formed on top of a major erosional unconformity that truncates the underlying pelagic deposits, which drape over faulted blocks of Cretaceous oceanic crust. The Madeira Drift is composed of three main regional seismic units showing a predominant aggradational stacking pattern, without evidence of major lateral migration thought time. Its internal configuration indicates that it was build-up by a northwards flowing deep bottom current. These characteristics suggests that an almost persistent and stable water mass has been responsible for its edification trough time. While the precise age of this contourite drift is undetermined, some chronostratigraphic constraints can be determined based upon published works regarding seafloor magnetic anomalies (e.g. Bird et al., 2007), DSDP Site 136drilling data (Hayes et al., 1978). Attending to this, we propose that the possible onset of Madeira Drift must have occurred after Late Cretaceous, within the tertiary period, and quite probably in the Late Eocene / Eocene-Oligocene transition. Based on them is commonly accepted that an enhanced proto-Antarctic Bottom Water (AABW) started to circulate at that time we considered this water mass as the best candidate for the build-up of Madeira Drift. Thus, the Madeira drift represents an exceptional sedimentary record in this sector of the Northeast Atlantic for the earliest phases of the proto-AABW water mass circulation. References: Bird, D.E., Hall, S.A., Burke, K., Casey, J.F., Sawyer, D.S. 2007. Early Central Atlantic Ocean seafloor spreading history. Geosphere, 3, 282-298. doi: 10.1130/GES00047.1 Hayes, D.E., Pimm, A.C., Beckmann, J.P., Benson, W.E., Berger, W.H., Roth, P.H., Supko,P.R., von Rad, U. (1978). Initial Reports, Site 136. doi:10.2973/dsdp.proc.14.1972

Lexical Link Analysis (LLA) Application: Improving Web Service to Defense Acquisition Visibility Environment

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-09-30

and Knowledge Management (IC3K), Madeira , Portugal. Girvan, M., & Newman, M. E. J. (2002). Community structure in social and biological networks...Trident Warrior 08 exercise. In KDIR, Madeira , Portugal, INSTICC Press. Zhao, Y., Gallup, S.P., & MacKinnon, D.J. (2010). Towards real-time program

From Madeira to the Sandwich Islands: The Story of a Portuguese Family in Hawaii.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gouveia, Anna Martins; Araujo, Margaret F.

In this picture story, a woman describes her family's migration from the Portuguese island of Madeira to Hawaii and the process of acculturation that she and her family went througn while retaining aspects of their cultural background. Many photographs are included. (EB)

Three cases of imported dengue virus infection from Madeira to Belgium, 2012.

PubMed

Cnops, Lieselotte; Franco, Leticia; Van Meensel, Britt; Van den Ende, Jef; Paz Sanchez-Seco, Maria; Van Esbroeck, Marjan

2014-01-01

We report three laboratory-confirmed dengue virus (DENV) infections imported to Belgium by travelers returning from Madeira (Portugal). Despite the use of a mosquito-repellent spray as reported by two patients, the infection could not be prevented. Diagnosis was made by antigen detection and real-time reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) in two cases and by serology 1 month after onset of symptoms in a third one. The responsible virus was identified as DENV serotype 1, American/African genotype (genotype V). The close relationship to isolates from Colombia supports the previous findings that a South American strain originated the outbreak in Madeira in 2012. © 2014 International Society of Travel Medicine.

An outbreak of salmonellosis amongst holidaymakers in Madeira, July 1988.

PubMed

Smyth, B; McCann, R; Stewart, D

1989-04-01

In July 1988, 20 of 49 tourists from Northern Ireland became ill with gastrointestinal symptoms while on holiday in Madeira and four were admitted to hospital. Salmonella enteritidis was subsequently isolated from eight members of the party. Epidemiological investigations implicated fried and/or scrambled eggs as the vehicle of infection.

An outbreak of salmonellosis amongst holidaymakers in Madeira, July 1988.

PubMed Central

Smyth, B.; McCann, R.; Stewart, D.

1989-01-01

In July 1988, 20 of 49 tourists from Northern Ireland became ill with gastrointestinal symptoms while on holiday in Madeira and four were admitted to hospital. Salmonella enteritidis was subsequently isolated from eight members of the party. Epidemiological investigations implicated fried and/or scrambled eggs as the vehicle of infection. PMID:2773169

Deadly Fires Engulfing Madeira (Anaglyph)

Atmospheric Science Data Center

2016-12-30

... so that north is to the left in order to enable stereo vision (the red lens must be placed over your left eye). The island of Madeira ... in 3D shows that the main body of clouds is indeed very low, while the smoke plume is much higher at the source, dropping lower as it ...

Madeira-a tourist destination for asthma sufferers.

PubMed

Camacho, Irene; Grinn-Gofroń, Agnieszka; Camacho, Roberto; Berenguer, Pedro; Sadyś, Magdalena

2016-11-01

Madeira Island is a famous tourist destination due to its natural and climatic values. Taking into account optimal weather conditions, flora richness and access to various substrates facilitating fungal growth, we hypothesised a very high risk of elevated fungal spore and pollen grain concentrations in the air of Funchal, the capital of Madeira. Concentration levels of the most allergenic taxa were measured from 2003 to 2009, using a 7-day volumetric air sampler, followed by microscopy analysis. Dependence of bioaerosols on the weather conditions and land use were assessed using spatial and statistical tools. Obtained results were re-visited by a comparison with hospital admission data recorded at the Dr. Nélio Mendonça Hospital in Funchal. Our results showed that despite propitious climatic conditions, overall pollen grain and fungal spore concentrations in the air were very low and did not exceed any clinically established threshold values. Pollen and spore peak concentrations also did not match with asthma outbreaks in the winter. Identification of places that are "free" from biological air pollution over the summer, such as Madeira Island, is very important from the allergic point of view.

Effects of herbal ointment containing the leaf extracts of Madeira vine (Anredera cordifolia (Ten.) Steenis) for burn wound healing process on albino rats

PubMed Central

Yuniarti, Wiwik Misaco; Lukiswanto, Bambang Sektiari

2017-01-01

Aim: Skin burn is a health problem that requires fast and accurate treatment. If not well-treated, the burn will cause various damaging conditions for the patient. The leaf extract of Madeira vine (Anredera cordifolia (Ten.) Steenis), or popularly known as Binahong in Indonesia, has been used to treat various diseases. The purpose of this research is to determine the effects of leaf extracts of Madeira vine (A. cordifolia (Ten.) Steenis) on skin burn healing process in rats as an animal model. Materials and Methods: In this research, there were four treatment groups: G0, G1, G2, and G3, each consisting of five rats. All these rats were given skin burns, using hot metal plates. Then, sulfadiazine was given to G0, 2.5% leaf extract of Madeira vine was given to G1, 5% extract was given to G2, and 10% extract was given to G3, for straight 14 days topically, 3 times a day. At the end of the treatment period, skin excisions were conducted, and histopathological examination was carried out. Result: Microscopic observation on the wound healing process on the collagen deposition, polymorphonuclear infiltration, angiogenesis, and fibrosis showed that G2 had a significant difference with G0, G1, and G3 (p<0.05), while group G0 was significantly different from G1 and G3 (p<0.05). The better burn healing process on G2 allegedly because of the activity of flavonoid, saponin, and tannin, contained in the Madeira vine, which have the antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antibacterial effects. Conclusion: The ointment from the 5% leaf extract of Madeira vine (A. cordifolia (Ten.) Steenis) has been proven to be effective to be used for topical burn therapy. PMID:28831227

Morphosedimentary dynamics of the Madeira River in Brazil

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bonthius, C.; Latrubesse, E. M.; Abad, J. D.

2012-12-01

The Madeira River, the largest tributary of the Amazon River in terms of water discharge, offers an opportunity to investigate extrinsic and intrinsic controls on channel morphology and pattern. With an average annual discharge of approximately 32,000 m3/s, the Madeira River is a mega-river with a unique anabranching channel pattern, a specific stream power of approximately 20 W/m2, and a width-depth ratio that ranges between 30 and 64 (Latrubesse 2008). Not only of interest for its size and discharge, the Madeira River is also a critical ecological component of the overall Amazon Basin. As the greatest contributor of sediment to the Amazon fluvial system, the Madeira River transports approximately 330 tons/km2 annually, which is about half of the Amazon River's total sediment output (Latrubesse et al 2005). This poster presents analyses of the morphology of the Madeira River and of data collected from a field campaign carried out in summer 2011 on a stretch between Porto Velho and Humaitá in Brazil. Using historical radar and satellite imagery of consistent spatial and temporal resolution, the stability and morphology of in-channel landforms are assessed and quantified. Stretches characterized by vegetated islands demonstrated overall stability; these features were temporally persistent and showed little, if any, change in area over a period of forty years. Sand bars, or un-vegetated sediment, are highly mutable features with numbers that vary between nine and twenty-seven in a same single stretch over time. The main channel also demonstrated stability in its morphology, while the presence and activation of secondary channels varied. Velocity maps and an analysis of secondary currents are presented from data collected from bathymetric surveys and an Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler (ADCP) from Porto Velho and Humaitá. Hydraulic factors in two complex and geologically controlled river reaches, a mainly meandering reach with a tendency to anabranch and a purely anabranching reach, are compared, offering insight into the roles of these intrinsic variables in the fluvial system. Sediment samples collected during the field campaign were analyzed for grain size composition. Connections between median grain size (d50), hydraulic variables, and channel morphology are discussed in context of the resulting channel pattern. These analyses also shed light on differences that exist between the Madeira River and other large fluvial systems. Currently endangered by impoundment with hydroelectric projects expected to be fully operational by January of 2013, the Madeira River is a mega-river that faces irreversible change due to human impact. As a result, the collection and analysis of data of current baseline conditions is of timely and necessary importance to assess geomorphologic and hydrologic changes in the fluvial system, model the river's behavior under a variety of natural and anthropogenic conditions, and inform management plans for the Madeira River and Amazon River basins. References Latrubesse, E.M. 2008. Patterns of anabranching channels: the ultimate end-member adjustment of mega-rivers. Geomorphology, 101, pp. 130-145. Latrubesse, E.M., Stevaux, J.C. and Sinha, R. 2005. Tropical Rivers. Geomorphology, 70, pp. 187-206.

Doença cística da adventícia na veia basílica: relato de caso

PubMed Central

Vasconcelos, Rafael Sampaio; Cherubim, Cesar Augusto; França, Felipe Mavignier Pereira; D'allacqua, Eduardo de Lucca; Dalio, Marcelo Bellini; Joviliano, Edwaldo Edner

2016-01-01

Resumo A doença cística da adventícia é uma entidade rara que acomete principalmente a artéria poplítea. A ocorrência em veias é muito rara, e sua etiologia é desconhecida. Clinicamente, apresenta-se como isquemia, trombose ou dor a depender do território acometido. Apresentamos o caso de um paciente masculino jovem referindo nódulo no braço esquerdo. A angiorressonância magnética do membro mostrou lesão cística em contato com a veia basílica, com conteúdo homogêneo e sem realce pós-contraste. Foi realizada ressecção da lesão em bloco com o segmento venoso envolvido. O estudo anatomopatológico foi sugestivo de cisto de adventícia de veia basílica.

A new long-snouted species of Corydoras Lacépède, 1803 (Siluriformes: Callichthyidae) from the rio Madeira basin.

PubMed

Tencatt, Luiz Fernando Caserta; Ohara, Willian Massaharu

2016-07-28

A new species of Corydoras is described from the rio Aripuanã, rio Madeira basin, Mato Grosso State, Brazil. The new species can be distinguished from its congeners by the presence of the following features: long mesethmoid, with anterior tip well developed, conspicuously larger than 50% of bone length; posterior margin of dorsal-fin spine with serrations directed towards tip of spine; one to two longitudinal black stripes on flanks; absence of a black blotch across the eyes (mask); absence of a large black blotch on dorsal fin; and transversal black bars on caudal fin. Comments on endemism in interfluvial region between Madeira and Tapajós rivers are briefly discussed.

Origin of the chromosomal radiation of Madeiran house mice: a microsatellite analysis of metacentric chromosomes

PubMed Central

Förster, D W; Mathias, M L; Britton-Davidian, J; Searle, J B

2013-01-01

Chromosome races of Mus musculus domesticus are characterised by particular sets of metacentric chromosomes formed by Robertsonian fusions and whole-arm reciprocal translocations. The Atlantic island of Madeira is inhabited by six chromosome races of house mice with 6–9 pairs of metacentric chromosomes. Three of these races are characterised by the metacentric 3.8 also found elsewhere in the distribution of M. m. domesticus, including Denmark and Spain. We investigated the possibility that metacentric 3.8 was introduced to Madeira during the initial colonisation, as this could have ‘seeded' the cascade of chromosomal mutation that is the basis of the extraordinary chromosomal radiation observed on the island. Variation at 24 microsatellite loci mapping to three different chromosomal regions (proximal, interstitial and distal) of mouse chromosomes 3 and 8 was investigated in 179 mice from Madeira, Denmark, Portugal, Spain, Italy and Scotland. Analyses of microsatellite loci closely linked to the centromeres of these chromosomes (‘proximal loci') do not support a common evolutionary origin of metacentric 3.8 among Madeiran, Danish and Spanish mouse populations. Our results suggest that Madeiran mice are genetically more similar to standard karyotype mice from Portugal than to metacentric mice from elsewhere. There is expected to be an interruption to gene flow between hybridising metacentric races on Madeira, particularly in the chromosomal regions close to the rearrangement breakpoints. Consistent with this, relating to differentiation involving chromosomes 3 and 8 on Madeira, we found greater genetic structure among races for proximal than interstitial or distal loci. PMID:23232832

The emergence of volcanic oceanic islands on a slow-moving plate: The example of Madeira Island, NE Atlantic

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ramalho, Ricardo S.; Brum da Silveira, António; Fonseca, Paulo E.; Madeira, José; Cosca, Michael; Cachão, Mário; Fonseca, Maria M.; Prada, Susana N.

2015-02-01

The transition from seamount to oceanic island typically involves surtseyan volcanism. However, the geological record at many islands in the NE Atlantic—all located within the slow-moving Nubian plate—does not exhibit evidence for an emergent surtseyan phase but rather an erosive unconformity between the submarine basement and the overlying subaerial shield sequences. This suggests that the transition between seamount and island may frequently occur by a relative fall of sea level through uplift, eustatic changes, or a combination of both, and may not involve summit volcanism. In this study, we explore the consequences for island evolutionary models using Madeira Island (Portugal) as a case study. We have examined the geologic record at Madeira using a combination of detailed fieldwork, biostratigraphy, and 40Ar/39Ar geochronology in order to document the mode, timing, and duration of edifice emergence above sea level. Our study confirms that Madeira's subaerial shield volcano was built upon the eroded remains of an uplifted seamount, with shallow marine sediments found between the two eruptive sequences and presently located at 320-430 m above sea level. This study reveals that Madeira emerged around 7.0-5.6 Ma essentially through an uplift process and before volcanic activity resumed to form the subaerial shield volcano. Basal intrusions are a likely uplift mechanism, and their emplacement is possibly enhanced by the slow motion of the Nubian plate relative to the source of partial melting. Alternating uplift and subsidence episodes suggest that island edifice growth may be governed by competing dominantly volcanic and dominantly intrusive processes.

The emergence of volcanic oceanic islands on a slow-moving plate: The example of Madeira Island, NE Atlantic

USGS Publications Warehouse

Ramalho, Ricardo; da Silveira, António Brum; Fonseca, Paulo; Madeira, Jose; Cosca, Michael A.; Cachão, Mário; Fonseca, Maria M.; Prada, Susana

2015-01-01

The transition from seamount to oceanic island typically involves surtseyan volcanism. However, the geological record at many islands in the NE Atlantic—all located within the slow-moving Nubian plate—does not exhibit evidence for an emergent surtseyan phase but rather an erosive unconformity between the submarine basement and the overlying subaerial shield sequences. This suggests that the transition between seamount and island may frequently occur by a relative fall of sea level through uplift, eustatic changes, or a combination of both, and may not involve summit volcanism. In this study, we explore the consequences for island evolutionary models using Madeira Island (Portugal) as a case study. We have examined the geologic record at Madeira using a combination of detailed fieldwork, biostratigraphy, and 40Ar/39Ar geochronology in order to document the mode, timing, and duration of edifice emergence above sea level. Our study confirms that Madeira's subaerial shield volcano was built upon the eroded remains of an uplifted seamount, with shallow marine sediments found between the two eruptive sequences and presently located at 320–430 m above sea level. This study reveals that Madeira emerged around 7.0–5.6 Ma essentially through an uplift process and before volcanic activity resumed to form the subaerial shield volcano. Basal intrusions are a likely uplift mechanism, and their emplacement is possibly enhanced by the slow motion of the Nubian plate relative to the source of partial melting. Alternating uplift and subsidence episodes suggest that island edifice growth may be governed by competing dominantly volcanic and dominantly intrusive processes.

The 2012 Madeira dengue outbreak: epidemiological determinants and future epidemic potential.

PubMed

Lourenço, José; Recker, Mario

2014-08-01

Dengue, a vector-borne viral disease of increasing global importance, is classically associated with tropical and sub-tropical regions around the world. Urbanisation, globalisation and climate trends, however, are facilitating the geographic spread of its mosquito vectors, thereby increasing the risk of the virus establishing itself in previously unaffected areas and causing large-scale epidemics. On 3 October 2012, two autochthonous dengue infections were reported within the Autonomous Region of Madeira, Portugal. During the following seven months, this first 'European' dengue outbreak caused more than 2000 local cases and 81 exported cases to mainland Europe. Here, using an ento-epidemiological mathematical framework, we estimate that the introduction of dengue to Madeira occurred around a month before the first official cases, during the period of maximum influx of airline travel, and that the naturally declining temperatures of autumn were the determining factor for the outbreak's demise in early December 2012. Using key estimates, together with local climate data, we further propose that there is little support for dengue endemicity on this island, but a high potential for future epidemic outbreaks when seeded between May and August-a period when detection of imported cases is crucial for Madeira's public health planning.

Radiocarbon evidence for the presence of mice on Madeira Island (North Atlantic) one millennium ago.

PubMed

Rando, Juan Carlos; Pieper, Harald; Alcover, Josep Antoni

2014-04-07

Owing to the catastrophic extinction events that occurred following the Holocene arrival of alien species, extant oceanic island biotas are a mixture of recently incorporated alien fauna and remnants of the original fauna. Knowledge of the Late Quaternary pristine island faunas and a reliable chronology of the earliest presence of alien species on each archipelago are critical in understanding the magnitude and tempo of Quaternary island extinctions. Until now, two successive waves of human arrivals have been identified in the North Atlantic Macaronesian archipelagos (Azores, Madeira, Selvagens, Canary and Cape Verde Islands): 'aboriginal', which is limited to the Canary Islands around two millennia ago, and 'colonial', from the fourteenth century onwards. New surveys in Ponta de São Lourenço (Madeira Island) have allowed us to obtain and date ancient bones of mice. The date obtained (1033 ± 28 BP) documents the earliest evidence for the presence of mice on the island. This date extends the time frame in which the most significant ecological changes occurred on the island. It also suggests that humans could have reached Madeira before 1036 cal AD, around four centuries before Portugal officially took possession of the island.

Prevalence of H63D, S65C, and C282Y hereditary hemochromatosis gene variants in Madeira Island (Portugal).

PubMed

Spínola, Carla; Brehm, António; Spínola, Hélder

2011-01-01

Hereditary HFE Hemochromatosis is an inherited disorder of iron metabolism that results from mutations in the HFE gene. Almost all patients with hereditary hemochromatosis show a C282Y mutation in homozygosity or in compound heterozygosity with H63D. Also, the mutation S65C has been shown to be associated to a milder iron overload. Since allele and genotype frequencies of these three variants of the HFE gene vary between populations, the determination of their prevalence in Madeira Island will clarify the population susceptibility to hereditary hemochromatosis. One hundred and fifty-four samples from Madeira Island were genotyped for the three most common HFE gene mutations, H63D, C282Y, and S65C, by polymerase chain reaction followed by restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis. Results have shown a prevalence of 20.5%, 0.33%, and 1% for H63D, C282Y, and S65C, respectively. Accordingly to our estimates, both genotypes associated to hereditary hemochromatosis, C282Y homozygotes and C282/H63D compound heterozygotes, could be present in Madeira Island population in 1,648 individuals, which represents 0.65% of the total population.

The 2012 Madeira Dengue Outbreak: Epidemiological Determinants and Future Epidemic Potential

PubMed Central

Lourenço, José; Recker, Mario

2014-01-01

Dengue, a vector-borne viral disease of increasing global importance, is classically associated with tropical and sub-tropical regions around the world. Urbanisation, globalisation and climate trends, however, are facilitating the geographic spread of its mosquito vectors, thereby increasing the risk of the virus establishing itself in previously unaffected areas and causing large-scale epidemics. On 3 October 2012, two autochthonous dengue infections were reported within the Autonomous Region of Madeira, Portugal. During the following seven months, this first ‘European’ dengue outbreak caused more than 2000 local cases and 81 exported cases to mainland Europe. Here, using an ento-epidemiological mathematical framework, we estimate that the introduction of dengue to Madeira occurred around a month before the first official cases, during the period of maximum influx of airline travel, and that the naturally declining temperatures of autumn were the determining factor for the outbreak's demise in early December 2012. Using key estimates, together with local climate data, we further propose that there is little support for dengue endemicity on this island, but a high potential for future epidemic outbreaks when seeded between May and August—a period when detection of imported cases is crucial for Madeira's public health planning. PMID:25144749

Helminth parasites of the oceanic horse mackerel Trachurus picturatus Bowdich 1825 (Pisces: Carangidae) from Madeira Island, Atlantic Ocean, Portugal.

PubMed

Costa, G; Melo-Moreira, E; Pinheiro de Carvalho, M A A

2012-09-01

The helminth parasite fauna of the oceanic horse mackerel Trachurus picturatus Bowdich 1825, caught off the Madeira Islands was composed of six different taxa. Prevalence and abundance of larval Anisakis sp. (Nematoda: Anisakidae) and Nybelinia lingualis (Trypanorhyncha: Tentaculariidae), the most common parasite taxa, were 24.3%, 0.9 and 37.9%, 0.7, respectively. Bolbosoma vasculosum (Acanthocephala: Polymorphidae) and the monogeneans Heteraxinoides atlanticus (Monogenea: Heteraxinidae) and Pseudaxine trachuri (Monogenea: Gastrocotylidae) were comparatively rare. The depauperate helminth fauna of the oceanic horse mackerel at Madeira compared to other geographical regions of the north-eastern Atlantic, namely the Azores banks and the West African coast, may be attributed to the paucity of nutrients off oceanic islands and to a low density of the fish population.

Natural infection of Culex theileri (Diptera: Culicidae) with Dirofilaria immitis (Nematoda: Filarioidea) on Madeira Island, Portugal.

PubMed

Santa-Ana, Marta; Khadem, Manhaz; Capela, Ruben

2006-01-01

Field and laboratory studies were performed to verify whether Culex theileri Theobald functions as a natural vector of Dirofilaria immitis (Leidy) on Madeira Island, Portugal. CO2-baited light traps (EVS traps) were use to sample mosquitoes monthly basis between February 2002 and February 2003 in the area of Quebradas (Funchal). Three mosquito species were captured, including 58 Culex pipiens L., 790 Cx. theileri, and three Culiseta longiareolata (Macquart). Only C. theileri tested positive for D. immitis. The presence of this filarial worm was detected by direct observation, infectivity assay dissection technique, and polymerase chain reaction methods. Infected mosquitoes were recovered in October and December 2002 and January 2003. These data provide evidence that Cx. theileri could be the main vector of D. immitis in Funchal, Madeira.

Thirty Years of Music and Drama Education in the Madeira Island: Facing Future Challenges

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mota, Graça; Abreu, Liliana

2014-01-01

In this paper we give an overview of relevant findings of a three years long case study that was carried out in the Madeira Island, Portugal. It addresses a thirty years old project in music and drama education in primary schools, which involves all children within the school curriculum, but also in extra-curriculum activities. The study used…

The Contribution of Vocational Training to Employment, Job-Related Skills and Productivity: Evidence from Madeira

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Budria, Santiago; Telhado-Pereira, Pedro

2009-01-01

In this paper, we analyse the transition to the labor market of participants in vocational training in Madeira in Portugal. The analysis is in two stages. First, we investigate how the employment status at different dates (1 month, 1 year, and 2 years after the completion of the training program) depends on relevant variables, such as age, gender,…

Music and Drama in Primary Schools in the Madeira Island--Narratives of Ownership and Leadership

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mota, Graça; Araújo, Maria Jose

2013-01-01

A three-year-case study funded by the Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT) from the Portuguese Ministry of Science, Technology and Higher Education was designed to study a 30-year project of music and drama in primary schools in Madeira. This article reports on the narratives of the three main figures in the project as they elaborate on its…

Efficacy of Isaria fumosorosea Wize (Hypocreales: Cordycipitaceae) on the leaf phylloplane over time for controlling Madeira mealybug nymphs preshipping

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The efficacy of Isaria fumosorosea (= PFR 97®) on the leaf phylloplane over time for controlling Madeira mealybug nymphs before shipping plant products was assessed under laboratory conditions. Hibiscus leaves were dipped into beakers filled with 0, 1, 2, 4, 8, and 10 g of PFR 97® / L of water and t...

Courtship behavior of different wild strains of Ceratitis Capitata (Diptera: Tephritidae)

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Briceno, D.; Eberhard, W.; Vilardi, J.

This study documents differences in the courtship behavior of wild strains of Ceratitis capitata (Wiedemann) from Madeira (Portugal), Hawaii (U.S.A.), Costa Rica, and Patagonia (Argentina). Some traits showed large variations and others substantial overlaps. The angle at which the male faced toward the female at the moment of transition from continuous wing vibration and intermittent buzzing changed very little during the course of courtship in all strains, but males from Madeira tended to face more directly toward the female than other males. Females tended to look more, and more directly, toward the males as courtship progressed in all strains. Themore » distance between male and female tended to decrease as courtship proceeded in all strains, but the distances at which males initiated continuous vibration, intermittent buzzing, and jumped onto the female were relatively less variable between strains, except for the strain from Costa Rica. Flies of Madeira courted for longer and the male moved his head and buzzed his wings longer than the other strains. (author) [Spanish] Este estudio documenta diferencias en el comportamiento de cortejo de cepas silvestres de Ceratitis capitata (Wied.) provenientes de Madeira (Portugal), Hawaii (Estados Unidos de Norte America), Costa Rica y Patagonia (Argentina). Algunas caracteristicas mostraron grandes variaciones y traslape substancial. Los angulos a los cuales los machos miraron hacia las hembras cambiaron muy poco en el momento de la transicion de la vibracion continua al zumbido intermitente durante el curso del cortejo en todo las cepas, pero los machos de Madeira tendieron a enfrentar mas directamente a la hembra que otros machos. Los angulos de las hembras disminuyeron claramente durante el cortejo en todas las cepas. La distancia entre el macho y la hembra tendio a disminuir conforme el cortejo continuaba en todas las cepas, pero las distancias a las cuales los machos iniciaron la vibracion continua, el zumbido intermitente, y el salto sobre la hembra eran relativamente menos variables entre cepas excepto la cepa de Costa Rica. Moscas de Madeira cortejaron mas tiempo y el macho moviosu cabeza y zumbaba sus alas mas prolongadamente que las otras cepas. (author)« less

Parasites of skipjack, Katsuwonus pelamis, from Madeira, Eastern Atlantic.

PubMed

Hermida, Margarida; Cavaleiro, Bárbara; Gouveia, Lídia; Saraiva, Aurélia

2018-04-01

Skipjack tuna, Katsuwonus pelamis, is a tropical species of economic importance for fisheries around the world. It occurs seasonally in subtropical waters around Madeira archipelago, in the warmer months. In this study, a parasitological analysis was carried out on a sample of 30 skipjack caught near Madeira Island. A total of 24 parasite taxa were found in this sample. The skipjack parasite community detected was characterized by a wide diversity of parasites, with a predominance of adult didymozoid trematodes, and high prevalences of Tentacularia coryphaenae cestode larvae and Anisakis sp. larvae. Microhabitat distribution of gill parasites was assessed for the most prevalent species, and correlations between parasite abundance and various host features such as size, condition, and fat content were investigated. Parasite taxa which might be useful as biological tags in future studies of skipjack migrations in the Eastern Atlantic were selected.

Proceedings of the International Association for Development of the Information Society (IADIS) International Conference on Mobile Learning (11th, Madeira, Portugal, March 14-16, 2015)

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sánchez, Inmaculada Arnedillo, Ed.; Isaías, Pedro, Ed.

2015-01-01

These proceedings contain the papers and posters of the 11th International Conference on Mobile Learning 2015, which was organised by the International Association for Development of the Information Society, in Madeira, Portugal, March 14-16, 2015. The Mobile Learning 2015 Conference seeks to provide a forum for the presentation and discussion of…

The influence of changes in lifestyle and mercury exposure in riverine populations of the Madeira River (Amazon Basin) near a hydroelectric project.

PubMed

Hacon, Sandra S; Dórea, José G; Fonseca, Márlon de F; Oliveira, Beatriz A; Mourão, Dennys S; Ruiz, Claudia M V; Gonçalves, Rodrigo A; Mariani, Carolina F; Bastos, Wanderley R

2014-02-26

In the Amazon Basin, naturally occurring methylmercury bioaccumulates in fish, which is a key source of protein consumed by riverine populations. The hydroelectric power-plant project at Santo Antônio Falls allows us to compare the Hg exposure of riverine populations sparsely distributed on both sides of the Madeira river before the area is to be flooded. From 2009 to 2011, we concluded a population survey of the area (N = 2,008; representing circa 80% of community residents) that estimated fish consumption and mercury exposure of riverine populations with different degrees of lifestyle related to fish consumption. Fish samples from the Madeira river (N = 1,615) and 110 species were analyzed for Hg. Hair-Hg was significantly lower (p < 0.001) in less isolated communities near to the capital of Porto Velho (median 2.32 ppm) than in subsistence communities in the Cuniã Lake, 180 km from Porto Velho city (median 6.3 ppm). Fish Hg concentrations ranged from 0.01 to 6.06 µg/g, depending on fish size and feeding behavior. Currently available fish in the Madeira river show a wide variability in Hg concentrations. Despite cultural similarities, riparians showed hair-Hg distribution patterns that reflect changes in fish-eating habits driven by subsistence characteristics.

Embolização arterial superseletiva para tratamento de angiomiolipoma em paciente com rim único

PubMed Central

Góes, Adenauer Marinho de Oliveira; Jeha, Salim Abdon Haber; Salgado, José Rui Couto

2016-01-01

Resumo Os autores relatam o caso de uma paciente jovem previamente submetida a nefrectomia direita por apresentar angiomiolipomas renais (AMLRs) e portadora de dois volumosos angiomiolipomas no rim esquerdo remanescente. A paciente foi encaminhada pelo urologista para tratamento endovascular. Realizou-se embolização superseletiva de um dos tumores, localizado no polo renal inferior e em situação subcapsular; apesar de várias tentativas, não foi obtido um cateterismo seletivo suficiente para embolizar o segundo angiomiolipoma (localizado no polo renal superior) sem que um volume considerável de parênquima renal adjacente sofresse isquemia. O procedimento e a recuperação da paciente transcorreram sem complicações. A paciente recebeu alta no primeiro pós-operatório e vem sendo acompanhada ambulatorialmente há 9 meses sem intercorrências. É feita uma breve revisão sobre indicações, aspectos técnicos e complicações do tratamento endovascular dos AMLRs, além de serem discutidas vantagens dessa técnica quando comparada à ressecção cirúrgica dos tumores. PMID:29930580

Discos de acresção em sistemas Be-X

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lopes de Oliveira, R.; Janot-Pacheco, E.

2003-08-01

Alguns fenômenos de outbursts em Be-X sugerem a existência, mesmo que temporária, de um disco de acresção quando da passagem do objeto compacto pelo periastro orbital. Neste trabalho avaliamos a possibilidade de formação do disco de acresção em sistemas Be+estrela de neutrons e Be+anã branca, e a influência da excentricidade orbital na ocorrência deste fenômeno. Utilizamos a expressão analítica para o momento angular específico da matéria constituinte de um meio em expansão lenta, como é o caso do disco circunstelar das estrelas Be, proposta por Wang(1981), sob a condição básica de que o raio de circularização deva ser maior do que o raio de Alfvén. Concluímos que existe um limite para o período orbital do sistema acima do qual não é possível a formação do disco de acresção, e que este valor aumenta para sistemas com excentricidade orbital maior.

Trombose venosa profunda e vírus chicungunha

PubMed Central

Marques, Marcos Arêas; Adami de Sá, Fernanda Penza; Lupi, Otília; Brasil, Patricia; von Ristow, Arno

2017-01-01

Resumo Algumas infecções virais sistêmicas podem estar relacionadas ao desenvolvimento de trombose venosa profunda e/ou embolia pulmonar. Essa associação já está bem descrita em pacientes com infeções pelo vírus da imunodeficiência humana (HIV), hepatite C ou influenza. Recentemente introduzido no continente americano, o vírus chicungunha, agente etiológico da febre de chicungunha, ainda não tem essa relação bem sedimentada, mas com o aumento progressivo de sua incidência e pelo fato dessa infecção causar, muitas vezes, uma restrição severa da locomoção por poliartralgia e uma possível lesão endotelial direta, casos de tromboembolismo venoso podem começar a ser descritos. Neste relato de caso, descrevemos um paciente que desenvolveu trombose de veia poplítea direita durante internação para tratamento de febre por infecção por vírus chicungunha e poliartralgia severa. PMID:29930626

The blowflies of the Madeira Archipelago: species diversity, distribution and identification (Diptera, Calliphoridae s. l.)

PubMed Central

Prado e Castro, Catarina; Szpila, Krzysztof; Martínez-Sánchez, Anabel; Rego; Silva, Isamberto; Serrano, Artur R.M.; Boieiro, Mário

2016-01-01

Abstract Knowledge on the taxonomic diversity and distribution of blowflies from the Madeira Archipelago is updated. New and interesting findings are reported for poorly studied islands and islets of this archipelago, together with a brief analysis of the diversity of Macaronesian Calliphoridae s. l. Seven blowfly species were collected during this study, including the first records of Calliphora vicina Robineau-Desvoidy, 1830, Chrysomya albiceps (Wiedemann, 1819), Lucilia sericata (Meigen, 1826), Pollenia rudis (Fabricius, 1794) and Stomorhina lunata (Fabricius, 1805) from Porto Santo, and of Calliphora vicina, Lucilia sericata and Stomorhina lunata from Desertas Islands. The presence of Calliphora loewi Enderlein, 1903 in Madeira Laurisilva forest is discussed and its first instar larva is redescribed, revealing important differences in relation to its original description. An identification key to the adult Madeiran blowflies is provided for the first time. PMID:27917052

Hafnium Isotopic Variations in Central Atlantic Intraplate Volcanism

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Geldmacher, J.; Hanan, B. B.; Hoernle, K.; Blichert-Toft, J.

2008-12-01

Although one of the geochemically best investigated volcanic regions on Earth, almost no Hf isotopic data have been published from the broad belt of intraplate seamounts and islands in the East Atlantic between 25° and 36° N. This study presents 176Hf/177Hf ratios from 61 representative samples from the Canary, Selvagen and Madeira Islands and nearby large seamounts, encompassing the full range of different evolutionary stages and geochemical endmembers. The majority of samples have mafic, mainly basaltic compositions with Mg-numbers within or near the range of magmas in equilibrium with mantle olivine (68-75). No correlation was found between Mg-number and 176Hf/177Hf ratios in the data set. In comparison to observed Nd isotope variations published for this volcanic province (6 ɛNd units), 176Hf/177Hf ratios span a larger range (14 ɛHf units). Samples from the Madeira archipelago have the most radiogenic compositions (176Hf/177Hfm= 0.283132-0.283335), widely overlapping the field for central Atlantic N-MORB. They form a relatively narrow, elongated trend (stretching over >6 ɛHf units) between a radiogenic MORB-like endmember and a composition located on the Nd-Hf mantle array. In contrast, all Canary Islands samples plot below the mantle array (176Hf/177Hfm = 0.282943-0.283067) and, despite being from an archipelago that stretches over a much larger geographic area, form a much denser cluster with less compositional variation (~4 ɛHf units). All samples from the seamounts NE of the Canaries, proposed to belong to the same Canary hotspot track (e.g. Geldmacher et al., 2001, JVGR 111; Geldmacher et al., 2005, EPSL 237), fall within the Hf isotopic range of this cluster. The cluster largely overlaps the composition of the proposed common mantle endmember 'C' (Hanan and Graham, 1996, Science 272) but spans a space between a more radiogenic (depleted) composition and a HIMU-type endmember. Although samples of Seine and Unicorn seamounts, attributed to the Madeira hotspot track, show less radiogenic Hf and Nd isotope ratios than Madeira, their isotopic compositions lie along an extension of the Madeira trend in plots of Hf versus Sr, Nd, Pb isotopes. The new Hf isotope ratios confirm the existence of at least two geochemically distinct volcanic provinces (Canary and Madeira) in the East Atlantic as previously proposed.

Aedes aegypti on Madeira Island (Portugal): genetic variation of a recently introduced dengue vector

PubMed Central

Seixas, Gonçalo; Salgueiro, Patrícia; Silva, Ana Clara; Campos, Melina; Spenassatto, Carine; Reyes-Lugo, Matías; Novo, Maria Teresa; Ribolla, Paulo Eduardo Martins; Pinto, João Pedro Soares da Silva; Sousa, Carla Alexandra

2013-01-01

The increasing population of Aedes aegypti mosquitoes on Madeira Island (Portugal) resulted in the first autochthonous dengue outbreak, which occurred in October 2012. Our study establishes the first genetic evaluation based on the mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) genes [cytochrome oxidase subunit I (COI) and NADH dehydrogenase subunit 4 (ND4)] and knockdown resistance ( kdr ) mutations exploring the colonisation history and the genetic diversity of this insular vector population. We included mosquito populations from Brazil and Venezuela in the analysis as putative geographic sources. The Ae. aegypti population from Madeira showed extremely low mtDNA genetic variability, with a single haplotype for COI and ND4. We also detected the presence of two important kdr mutations and the quasi-fixation of one of these mutations (F1534C). These results are consistent with a unique recent founder event that occurred on the island of Ae. aegypti mosquitoes that carry kdr mutations associated with insecticide resistance. Finally, we also report the presence of the F1534C kdr mutation in the Brazil and Venezuela populations. To our knowledge, this is the first time this mutation has been found in South American Ae. aegypti mosquitoes. Given the present risk of Ae. aegypti re-invading continental Europe from Madeira and the recent dengue outbreaks on the island, this information is important to plan surveillance and control measures. PMID:24473797

Aedes aegypti on Madeira Island (Portugal): genetic variation of a recently introduced dengue vector.

PubMed

Seixas, Gonçalo; Salgueiro, Patrícia; Silva, Ana Clara; Campos, Melina; Spenassatto, Carine; Reyes-Lugo, Matías; Novo, Maria Teresa; Ribolla, Paulo Eduardo Martins; Silva Pinto, João Pedro Soares da; Sousa, Carla Alexandra

2013-01-01

The increasing population of Aedes aegypti mosquitoes on Madeira Island (Portugal) resulted in the first autochthonous dengue outbreak, which occurred in October 2012. Our study establishes the first genetic evaluation based on the mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) genes [cytochrome oxidase subunit I (COI) and NADH dehydrogenase subunit 4 (ND4)] and knockdown resistance (kdr) mutations exploring the colonisation history and the genetic diversity of this insular vector population. We included mosquito populations from Brazil and Venezuela in the analysis as putative geographic sources. The Ae. aegypti population from Madeira showed extremely low mtDNA genetic variability, with a single haplotype for COI and ND4. We also detected the presence of two important kdr mutations and the quasi-fixation of one of these mutations (F1534C). These results are consistent with a unique recent founder event that occurred on the island of Ae. aegypti mosquitoes that carry kdr mutations associated with insecticide resistance. Finally, we also report the presence of the F1534C kdr mutation in the Brazil and Venezuela populations. To our knowledge, this is the first time this mutation has been found in South American Ae. aegypti mosquitoes. Given the present risk of Ae. aegypti re-invading continental Europe from Madeira and the recent dengue outbreaks on the island, this information is important to plan surveillance and control measures.

The Influence of Changes in Lifestyle and Mercury Exposure in Riverine Populations of the Madeira River (Amazon Basin) near a Hydroelectric Project

PubMed Central

Hacon, Sandra S.; Dórea, José G.; Fonseca, Márlon de F.; Oliveira, Beatriz A.; Mourão, Dennys S.; Ruiz, Claudia M. V.; Gonçalves, Rodrigo A.; Mariani, Carolina F.; Bastos, Wanderley R.

2014-01-01

In the Amazon Basin, naturally occurring methylmercury bioaccumulates in fish, which is a key source of protein consumed by riverine populations. The hydroelectric power-plant project at Santo Antônio Falls allows us to compare the Hg exposure of riverine populations sparsely distributed on both sides of the Madeira river before the area is to be flooded. From 2009 to 2011, we concluded a population survey of the area (N = 2,008; representing circa 80% of community residents) that estimated fish consumption and mercury exposure of riverine populations with different degrees of lifestyle related to fish consumption. Fish samples from the Madeira river (N = 1,615) and 110 species were analyzed for Hg. Hair-Hg was significantly lower (p < 0.001) in less isolated communities near to the capital of Porto Velho (median 2.32 ppm) than in subsistence communities in the Cuniã Lake, 180 km from Porto Velho city (median 6.3 ppm). Fish Hg concentrations ranged from 0.01 to 6.06 µg/g, depending on fish size and feeding behavior. Currently available fish in the Madeira river show a wide variability in Hg concentrations. Despite cultural similarities, riparians showed hair-Hg distribution patterns that reflect changes in fish-eating habits driven by subsistence characteristics. PMID:24577285

Ongoing outbreak of dengue type 1 in the Autonomous Region of Madeira, Portugal: preliminary report.

PubMed

Sousa, C A; Clairouin, M; Seixas, G; Viveiros, B; Novo, M T; Silva, A C; Escoval, M T; Economopoulou, A

2012-12-06

Following the identification of two autochthonous cases of dengue type 1 on 3 October 2012, an outbreak of dengue fever has been reported in Madeira, Portugal. As of 25 November, 1,891 cases have been detected on the island where the vector Aedes aegypti had been established in some areas since 2005. This event represents the first epidemic of dengue fever in Europe since 1928 and concerted control measures have been initiated by local health authorities.

HLA-DQA1 and HLA-DQB1 allele diversity and its extended haplotypes in Madeira Island (Portugal).

PubMed

Spínola, H; Lemos, A; Couto, A R; Parreira, B; Soares, M; Dutra, I; Bruges-Armas, J; Brehm, A

2017-02-01

This study shows, for the first time, high-resolution allele frequencies of HLA-DQA1 loci in Madeira Island (Portugal) and allows us to better understand and refine present knowledge on DQB1 variation, with the identification of several alleles not previously reported in this population. Estimates on haplotype profile, involving HLA-A, HLA-B, HLA-DRB1, HLA-DQA1 and HLA-DQB1, are also reported. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Sex-structure, depth distribution, intermoult period and reproductive pattern of the deep-sea red crab Chaceon affinis (Brachyura, Geryonidae) in two populations in the north-eastern Atlantic

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Biscoito, Manuel; Freitas, Mafalda; Pajuelo, José G.; Triay-Portella, Raül; Santana, José I.; Costa, Ana L.; Delgado, João; González, José A.

2015-01-01

This work investigated the biology of Chaceon affinis in two isolated populations of the Atlantic Ocean, including depth distribution, sexual structure, reproductive patterns and intermoult period. Males were larger and heavier than females. Mean size decreased with depth for both males and females. The highest abundance was found at 600-799 m of depth for males and at 800-999 m depth stratum for females. The highest abundance of ovigerous females was found at the 800-999 m depth stratum. Of the different ovaries' colour or colour shades recorded, only six categories were histologically characterized. The presence of spermatophores in the spermatheca of females in carapace stages II and III suggests that spermatophores are viable and used during the intermoult period. The size at sexual maturity in females was estimated at 104.4-104.7 mm carapace width (CW) in Madeira, and 109.3-110.5 mm CW in the Canary Islands. Only three categories of testes were identified. Mature testes consisted in a large mass, with highly coiled vasa deferentia visible to the naked eye. The size at sexual maturity in males was estimated at 113.8 mm CW in Madeira and 118.9 mm CW in the Canaries. The relative growth of males showed significant changes along the ontogeny and size at which allometric growth changes, as an indicator of morphometric maturity, occurred between 103.2 and 103.6 mm CW in Madeira and between 111.4 and 113.1 mm CW in the Canaries. In females, size at which allometric growth changes was found for maximum width of fifth abdominal somite (AS5W) at 98.2 mm CW in Madeira and 103.0 mm CW in the Canaries. The size at maturity obtained for C. affinis indicates that the minimum landing size (MLS) should not be set smaller than 125 mm CW in Madeira and 130 mm CW in the Canaries. This conservative MLS, higher than length at functional maturity, would safeguard immature individuals until they reach the size at which they can contribute to the reproductive capacity of the population. Ovigerous females were observed from October to April in Madeira, and in all months in the Canaries. Moreover, the observation of berried females in the last developmental stage in all quarters of the year suggests that gonad maturation and release of larvae are asynchronous throughout the spawning season. A total of 138 crabs with CW between 96 and 154 mm were tagged off Madeira. Of these, nine were recovered in the same area, more than 900 days after tagging. Eight of the recaptures were females with a wide range of CW confirming intermoult periods exceeding three years with expected growth per moult of less than 20 mm CW.

Volatile profile of Madeira wines submitted to traditional accelerated ageing.

PubMed

Pereira, Vanda; Cacho, Juan; Marques, José C

2014-11-01

The evolution of monovarietal fortified Madeira wines forced-aged by traditional thermal processing (estufagem) were studied in terms of volatiles. SPE extracts were analysed by GC-MS before and after heating at 45 °C for 3 months (standard) and at 70 °C for 1 month (overheating). One hundred and ninety volatile compounds were identified, 53 of which were only encountered in baked wines. Most chemical families increased after standard heating, especially furans and esters, up to 61 and 3-fold, respectively. On the contrary, alcohols, acetates and fatty acids decreased after heating. Varietal aromas, such as Malvasia's monoterpenic alcohols were not detected after baking. The accelerated ageing favoured the development of some volatiles previously reported as typical aromas of finest Madeira wines, particularly phenylacetaldeyde, β-damascenone and 5-ethoxymethylfurfural. Additionally, ethyl butyrate, ethyl 2-methylbutyrate, ethyl caproate, ethyl isovalerate, guaiacol, 5-hydroxymethylfurfural and γ-decalactone were also found as potential contributors to the global aroma of baked wines. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Minimal barcode distance between two water mite species from Madeira Island: a cautionary tale.

PubMed

García-Jiménez, Ricardo; Horreo, Jose Luis; Valdecasas, Antonio G

2017-06-01

In this work, we compare morphological and molecular data in their ability to distinguish between species of water mites (Acari, Prostigmata, Hydrachnidia). We have focused on the two species of the genus Lebertia inhabiting the island of Madeira. While traditional morphological traits were initially sufficient to distinguish between these two species, the molecular data were more dependable on the kind of analysis carried out. Single arbitrary genetic distance (e.g. a K2P distance below 2%) may lead to the conclusion that the specimens under study belong to the same species. Analysing the same specimens with the coalescent model has proved the evolutionary independence of both Lebertia clades in Madeira. Furthermore, multi-rate Poisson Tree Process analysis confirmed both lineages as independent species. Our results agree with previous studies warning of the dangers of rigid species delimitation based on arbitrary molecular distances. In addition, the importance of different molecular data approaches for correct species delimitation in water mites is highlighted.

Nutritional and phytochemical composition of Annona cherimola Mill. fruits and by-products: Potential health benefits.

PubMed

Albuquerque, Tânia Gonçalves; Santos, Filipa; Sanches-Silva, Ana; Beatriz Oliveira, M; Bento, Ana Cristina; Costa, Helena S

2016-02-15

Annona cherimola Mill., commonly known as cherimoya, is a tropical fruit well known due to its tasty flavour. In the present study the antioxidant activity of pulp, peel and seeds of four cultivars from A. cherimola Mill. from Madeira Island (Madeira, Funchal, Perry Vidal and Mateus II) was analysed. Moreover, nutritional composition (proximates and vitamins) and bioactive compounds content were determined. The peel of Madeira cultivar showed the highest antioxidant capacity, with an EC50 of 0.97mg/mL, and total flavonoids (44.7 epicatechin equivalents/100g). The most abundant carotenoid was lutein, with values ranging from 129 to 232μg/100g. The highest l-ascorbic acid content (4.41mg/100g) was found in the peel of Perry Vidal cultivar. These results highlight A. cherimola Mill. antioxidant properties, especially in its by-products and encourage their application in cosmetic, pharmaceutical and food processing industries, as added value natural extracts. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Insecticide resistance is mediated by multiple mechanisms in recently introduced Aedes aegypti from Madeira Island (Portugal).

PubMed

Seixas, Gonçalo; Grigoraki, Linda; Weetman, David; Vicente, José Luís; Silva, Ana Clara; Pinto, João; Vontas, John; Sousa, Carla Alexandra

2017-07-01

Aedes aegypti is a major mosquito vector of arboviruses, including dengue, chikungunya and Zika. In 2005, Ae. aegypti was identified for the first time in Madeira Island. Despite an initial insecticide-based vector control program, the species expanded throughout the Southern coast of the island, suggesting the presence of insecticide resistance. Here, we characterized the insecticide resistance status and the underlying mechanisms of two populations of Ae. aegypti from Madeira Island, Funchal and Paúl do Mar. WHO susceptibility bioassays indicated resistance to cyfluthrin, permethrin, fenitrothion and bendiocarb. Use of synergists significantly increased mortality rates, and biochemical assays indicated elevated activities of detoxification enzymes, suggesting the importance of metabolic resistance. Microarray-based transcriptome analysis detected significant upregulation in both populations of nine cytochrome P450 oxidase genes (including four known pyrethroid metabolizing enzymes), the organophosphate metabolizer CCEae3a, Glutathione-S-transferases, and multiple putative cuticle proteins. Genotyping of knockdown resistance loci linked to pyrethroid resistance revealed fixation of the 1534C mutation, and presence with moderate frequencies of the V1016I mutation in each population. Significant resistance to three major insecticide classes (pyrethroid, carbamate and organophosphate) is present in Ae. aegypti from Madeira Island, and appears to be mediated by multiple mechanisms. Implementation of appropriate resistance management strategies including rotation of insecticides with alternative modes of action, and methods other than chemical-based vector control are strongly advised to delay or reverse the spread of resistance and achieve efficient control.

Busca de estruturas em grandes escalas em altos redshifts

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Boris, N. V.; Sodré, L., Jr.; Cypriano, E.

2003-08-01

A busca por estruturas em grandes escalas (aglomerados de galáxias, por exemplo) é um ativo tópico de pesquisas hoje em dia, pois a detecção de um único aglomerado em altos redshifts pode por vínculos fortes sobre os modelos cosmológicos. Neste projeto estamos fazendo uma busca de estruturas distantes em campos contendo pares de quasares próximos entre si em z Â3 0.9. Os pares de quasares foram extraídos do catálogo de Véron-Cetty & Véron (2001) e estão sendo observados com os telescópios: 2,2m da University of Hawaii (UH), 2,5m do Observatório de Las Campanas e com o GEMINI. Apresentamos aqui a análise preliminar de um par de quasares observado nos filtros i'(7800 Å) e z'(9500 Å) com o GEMINI. A cor (i'-z') mostrou-se útil para detectar objetos "early-type" em redshifts menores que 1.1. No estudo do par 131046+0006/J131055+0008, com redshift ~ 0.9, o uso deste método possibilitou a detecção de sete objetos candidatos a galáxias "early-type". Num mapa da distribuição projetada dos objetos para 22 < i' < 25 observou-se que estas galáxias estão localizadas próximas a um dos quasares e há indícios de que estejam aglomeradas dentro de um área de ~ 6 arcmin2. Se esse for o caso, estes objetos seriam membros de uma estrutura em grande escala. Um outro argumento em favor dessa hipótese é que eles obedecem uma relação do tipo Kormendy (raio equivalente X brilho superficial dentro desse raio), como a apresentada pelas galáxias elípticas em z = 0.

Clinical presentation and laboratory findings for the first autochthonous cases of dengue fever in Madeira island, Portugal, October 2012.

PubMed

Alves, M J; Fernandes, P L; Amaro, F; Osório, H; Luz, T; Parreira, P; Andrade, G; Zé-Zé, L; Zeller, H

2013-02-07

An outbreak of dengue fever in Madeira island was reported in 2012. Clinical and laboratory findings of the first two laboratory-confirmed autochthonous cases are reported. Both cases had fever (≥38 °C) and petechial rash. Symptoms also included myalgia, asthenia, nausea, vomiting, anorexia, diffuse abdominal pain, and diarrhoea. The two cases were confirmed by serology and one tested positive for a dengue viral sequence. Dengue virus serotype DEN-1 was identified with probable Central or South American origin.

Rare case of nephrotic syndrome: Schimke syndrome.

PubMed

Pedrosa, Anna Kelly Krislane de Vasconcelos; Torres, Luiz Fernando Oliveira; Silva, Ana Corina Brainer Amorim da; Dantas, Adrianna Barros Leal; Zuntini, Káthia Liliane da Cunha Ribeiro; Aguiar, Lia Cordeiro Bastos

2016-01-01

Schimke syndrome corresponds to dysplasia of bone and immunity, associated with progressive renal disease secondary to nephrotic syndrome cortico-resistant, with possible other abnormalities such as hypothyroidism and blond marrow aplasia. It is a rare genetic disorder, with few reports in the literature. The most frequent renal involvement is nephrotic syndrome with focal segmental glomerulosclerosis and progressive renal failure. The objective of this study was to report a case of Schimke syndrome, diagnostic investigation and management of the case. Resumo A síndrome Schimke corresponde à displasia imuno-óssea, associada à doença renal progressiva secundária à síndrome nefrótica córtico-resistente, podendo haver outras anormalidades como hipotireoidismo e aplasia de medula óssea. Trata-se de uma patologia genética rara, com poucos relatos na literatura. O acometimento renal mais frequente é uma síndrome nefrótica por glomeruloesclerose segmentar e focal e falência renal progressiva. O objetivo deste estudo foi relatar um caso de síndrome de Schimke, investigação diagnóstica e condução do caso.

BIODEGRADABLE BILIARY STENTS: A NEW APPROACH FOR THE MANAGEMENT OF HEPATICOJEJUNOSTOMY STRICTURES FOLLOWING BILE DUCT INJURY. PROSPECTIVE STUDY.

PubMed

Giménez, Mariano E; Palermo, Mariano; Houghton, Eduardo; Acquafresca, Pablo; Finger, Caetano; Verde, Juan M; Cúneo, Jorge Cardoso

2016-01-01

Once a biliary injury has occurred, repair is done by a hepaticojejunostomy. The most common procedure is to perform a dilatation with balloon with a success of 70 %. Success rates range using biodegradable stents is from 85% to 95%. Biodegradable biliary stents should change the treatment of this complication. To investigate the use of biodegradable stents in a group of patients with hepaticojejunonostomy strictures. In a prospective study 16 biodegradable stents were placed in 13 patients with hepaticojejunostomy strictures secondary to bile duct repair of a biliary surgical injury. Average age was 38.7 years (23-67), nine were female and four male. All cases had a percutaneous drainage before at the time of biodegradable stent placement. In one case, temporary haemobilia was present requiring blood transfusion. In another, pain after stent placement required intravenous medication. In the other 11 patients, hospital discharge was the next morning following stent placement. During the patient´s follow-up, none presented symptoms during the first nine months. One patient presented significant alkaline phosphatase elevation and stricture recurrence was confirmed. One case had recurrence of cholangitis 11 months after the stent placement. 84.6% continued asymptomatic with a mean follow-up of 20 months. The placement of biodegradable stents is a safe and feasible technique. Was not observed strictures caused by the stent or its degradation. It could substitute balloon dilation in strictures of hepaticojejunostomy. Uma vez que lesão biliar ocorreu, o reparo é feito por hepaticojejunostomia. O procedimento mais comum é efetuar dilatação com balão com sucesso de 70%. As taxas de sucesso utilizando stents biodegradáveis ​​é de 85% a 95%. Stents biliares biodegradáveis ​​devem mudar o tratamento desta complicação. Investigar o uso de stents biodegradáveis em um grupo de pacientes com estenose hepaticojejunal. Em estudo prospectivo 16 stents biodegradáveis ​​foram colocados em 13 pacientes com estenose de hepaticojejunostomia secundárias usados para reparação do ductos biliares de lesão cirúrgica. A média de idade foi de 38,7 anos (23-67), nove pacientes eram homens e quatro mulheres. Todos os casos tiveram drenagem percutânea antes do momento da colocação de stent biodegradável. Em um caso, haemobilia temporária estava presente com necessidade de transfusão de sangue. Em outro, dor após a colocação do stent necessitou de medicação intravenosa. Nos outros 11 pacientes, alta hospitalar foi na manhã seguinte após o procedimento. Durante o seguimento, nenhum apresentou sintomas durante os primeiros nove meses. Um paciente apresentou significativa elevação da fosfatase alcalina por recidiva da estenose. Um caso teve recorrência de colangite 11 meses após a colocação do stent. Continuaram assintomáticos 84,6% com média de acompanhamento de 20 meses. A colocação de stents biodegradáveis ​​é técnica segura e viável. Não foram observadas restrições causadas pelo stent ou pela sua degradação. Stent pode substituir dilatação com balão na estenose de hepaticojejunostomia.

BicPAMS: software for biological data analysis with pattern-based biclustering.

PubMed

Henriques, Rui; Ferreira, Francisco L; Madeira, Sara C

2017-02-02

Biclustering has been largely applied for the unsupervised analysis of biological data, being recognised today as a key technique to discover putative modules in both expression data (subsets of genes correlated in subsets of conditions) and network data (groups of coherently interconnected biological entities). However, given its computational complexity, only recent breakthroughs on pattern-based biclustering enabled efficient searches without the restrictions that state-of-the-art biclustering algorithms place on the structure and homogeneity of biclusters. As a result, pattern-based biclustering provides the unprecedented opportunity to discover non-trivial yet meaningful biological modules with putative functions, whose coherency and tolerance to noise can be tuned and made problem-specific. To enable the effective use of pattern-based biclustering by the scientific community, we developed BicPAMS (Biclustering based on PAttern Mining Software), a software that: 1) makes available state-of-the-art pattern-based biclustering algorithms (BicPAM (Henriques and Madeira, Alg Mol Biol 9:27, 2014), BicNET (Henriques and Madeira, Alg Mol Biol 11:23, 2016), BicSPAM (Henriques and Madeira, BMC Bioinforma 15:130, 2014), BiC2PAM (Henriques and Madeira, Alg Mol Biol 11:1-30, 2016), BiP (Henriques and Madeira, IEEE/ACM Trans Comput Biol Bioinforma, 2015), DeBi (Serin and Vingron, AMB 6:1-12, 2011) and BiModule (Okada et al., IPSJ Trans Bioinf 48(SIG5):39-48, 2007)); 2) consistently integrates their dispersed contributions; 3) further explores additional accuracy and efficiency gains; and 4) makes available graphical and application programming interfaces. Results on both synthetic and real data confirm the relevance of BicPAMS for biological data analysis, highlighting its essential role for the discovery of putative modules with non-trivial yet biologically significant functions from expression and network data. BicPAMS is the first biclustering tool offering the possibility to: 1) parametrically customize the structure, coherency and quality of biclusters; 2) analyze large-scale biological networks; and 3) tackle the restrictive assumptions placed by state-of-the-art biclustering algorithms. These contributions are shown to be key for an adequate, complete and user-assisted unsupervised analysis of biological data. BicPAMS and its tutorial available in http://www.bicpams.com .

Splenic artery aneurysm.

PubMed

Tcbc-Rj, Rui Antônio Ferreira; Ferreira, Myriam Christina Lopes; Ferreira, Daniel Antônio Lopes; Ferreira, André Gustavo Lopes; Ramos, Flávia Oliveira

2016-01-01

Splenic artery aneurysms - the most common visceral artery aneurysms - are found most often in multiparous women and in patients with portal hypertension. Indications for treatment of splenic artery aneurysm or pseudoaneurysm include specific symptoms, female gender and childbearing age, presence of portal hypertension, planned liver transplantation, a pseudoaneurysm of any size, and an aneurysm with a diameter of more than 2.5cm. Historically, the treatment of splenic artery aneurysm has been surgical ligation of the splenic artery, ligation of the aneurysm, or aneurysmectomy with or without splenectomy, depending on the aneurysm location. There are other percutaneous interventional techniques. The authors present a case of a splenic artery aneurysm in a 51-year-old woman, detected incidentally. RESUMO Aneurismas da artéria esplênica - os aneurismas arteriais viscerais mais comuns - são encontrados mais frequentemente em mulheres multíparas e em pacientes com hipertensão portal. As indicações para o seu tratamento incluem sintomas específicos, sexo feminino e idade fértil, presença de hipertensão portal, paciente em fila de transplante hepático, um pseudoaneurisma de qualquer tamanho, e um aneurisma com um diâmetro superior a 2,5cm. Historicamente, o tratamento do aneurisma da artéria esplênica tem sido a ligadura cirúrgica da artéria esplênica, a ligadura do aneurisma ou a aneurismectomia, com ou sem esplenectomia, dependendo do local do aneurisma. Existem outras técnicas intervencionistas percutâneas. Os autores apresentam o caso de um aneurisma de artéria esplênica em uma mulher de 51 anos de idade, diagnosticado incidentalmente.

Insecticide resistance is mediated by multiple mechanisms in recently introduced Aedes aegypti from Madeira Island (Portugal)

PubMed Central

Seixas, Gonçalo; Grigoraki, Linda; Weetman, David; Vicente, José Luís; Silva, Ana Clara; Pinto, João; Vontas, John

2017-01-01

Background Aedes aegypti is a major mosquito vector of arboviruses, including dengue, chikungunya and Zika. In 2005, Ae. aegypti was identified for the first time in Madeira Island. Despite an initial insecticide-based vector control program, the species expanded throughout the Southern coast of the island, suggesting the presence of insecticide resistance. Here, we characterized the insecticide resistance status and the underlying mechanisms of two populations of Ae. aegypti from Madeira Island, Funchal and Paúl do Mar. Methodology/Principal findings WHO susceptibility bioassays indicated resistance to cyfluthrin, permethrin, fenitrothion and bendiocarb. Use of synergists significantly increased mortality rates, and biochemical assays indicated elevated activities of detoxification enzymes, suggesting the importance of metabolic resistance. Microarray-based transcriptome analysis detected significant upregulation in both populations of nine cytochrome P450 oxidase genes (including four known pyrethroid metabolizing enzymes), the organophosphate metabolizer CCEae3a, Glutathione-S-transferases, and multiple putative cuticle proteins. Genotyping of knockdown resistance loci linked to pyrethroid resistance revealed fixation of the 1534C mutation, and presence with moderate frequencies of the V1016I mutation in each population. Conclusions/Significance Significant resistance to three major insecticide classes (pyrethroid, carbamate and organophosphate) is present in Ae. aegypti from Madeira Island, and appears to be mediated by multiple mechanisms. Implementation of appropriate resistance management strategies including rotation of insecticides with alternative modes of action, and methods other than chemical-based vector control are strongly advised to delay or reverse the spread of resistance and achieve efficient control. PMID:28742096

The peopling of Madeira Archipelago (Portugal) according to HLA genes.

PubMed

Arnaiz-Villena, A; Reguera, R; Ferri, A; Barbolla, L; Abd-El-Fatah-Khalil, S; Bakhtiyarova, N; Millan, P; Moscoso, J; Mafalda, A; Serrano-Vela, J I

2009-02-01

The Madeira-Porto Santo Archipelago was officially colonized in 1420 by Portuguese settlers. Its importance in Columbus' information for the American discovery and for slave traffic across the Atlantic is unquestionable. Thus, a complex peopling may have given rise to a present-day high admixture of ethnicities according to HLA genes. A sample of 173 healthy unrelated Madeirans was analysed and compared with 6986 HLA chromosomes from other worldwide populations. Genetic distances, neighbour-joining dendrograms and correspondence analyses were used for comparisons. Southern European, North African (including Canary Islands), Jewish and Mediterranean typical HLA alleles were found and genetic distances from Madeirans to these populations were the closest ones. In addition A*24-B*65-DRB1*0102-DQB1*0501 and A*68-B*08-DRB1*0301-DQB1*0201 haplotypes were newly found in Madeira and not found in any other population. Jewish-Armenian-Middle East haplotype (A*33-B*65-DRB1*0102-DQB1*0501) is one of the most common haplotypes; this haplotype is also present in Spaniards and North Africans. Quantitatively, Portuguese, North Africans (Algerians), Spaniards and Canary Islanders (in this order) are the most important parental populations to Madeirans. Results are discussed on the basis of the recorded historical peopling which does not show a noticeable African gene input in present-day Madeiran population according to our data; one of the closest related populations found is the Canary Islanders, suggesting that Guanche (Canary Islands first inhabitants) slaves gene flow is still noticed at present, both in Madeira and in Canary Islands populations.

Helminth component community of the loggerhead sea turtle, Caretta caretta, from Madeira Archipelago, Portugal.

PubMed

Valente, Ana Luisa; Delgado, Cláudia; Moreira, Cláudia; Ferreira, Sandra; Dellinger, Thomas; Pinheiro de Carvalho, Miguel A A; Costa, Graça

2009-02-01

The helminth fauna of pelagic-stage loggerhead sea turtles, Caretta caretta, is still poorly known. Here, we describe the helminth-component community of healthy, free-ranging juvenile loggerhead sea turtles captured in the waters around Madeira Island, Portugal. Fifty-seven were used in this study. The esophagus, stomach, intestine, liver, gallbladder, spleen, kidneys, trachea, bronchi, urinary bladder, heart, left and right aortas, and coelomic cavity were macroscopically inspected; organs and tissues were removed and washed through a sieve. A search for parasites was made using a stereoscopic microscope; recovered parasites were fixed and stored in 70% alcohol until staining and identification. Prevalence, mean intensity, and mean abundance values were recorded. In total, 156 parasite specimens belonging to 9 species were found: nematodes included Anisakis simplex s.l. (larvae) and an unidentified species; digenetic trematodes present were Enodiotrema megachondrus, Rhytidodes gelatinosus, Pyelosomum renicapite, and Calycodes anthos; acanthocephalans included Bolbosoma vasculosum and Rhadinorhynchus pristis; a single cestode, Nybelinia sp., was present. Parasite infections were found to have both low prevalences and intensities. Possible reasons for this include the oligotrophic conditions of the pelagic habitat around Madeira; a 'dilution effect' because of the vastness of the area; and the small size, and thus ingestion rate, of the turtles. Results are discussed in terms of the various turtle populations that may use the waters surrounding Madeira. This work provides valuable information on the parasite fauna of a poorly known stage in the life of loggerhead sea turtles, thereby filling a fundamental gap with regard to features of the parasite fauna in this species.

INVESTIGATION OF PARTIAL VOLUME EFFECT IN DIFFERENT PET/CT SYSTEMS: A COMPARISON OF RESULTS USING THE MADEIRA PHANTOM AND THE NEMA NU-2 2001 PHANTOM.

PubMed

Chipiga, L; Sydoff, M; Zvonova, I; Bernhardsson, C

2016-06-01

Positron emission tomography combined with computed tomography (PET/CT) is a quantitative technique used for diagnosing various diseases and for monitoring treatment response for different types of tumours. However, the accuracy of the data is limited by the spatial resolution of the system. In addition, the so-called partial volume effect (PVE) causes a blurring of image structures, which in turn may cause an underestimation of activity of a structure with high-activity content. In this study, a new phantom, MADEIRA (Minimising Activity and Dose with Enhanced Image quality by Radiopharmaceutical Administrations) for activity quantification in PET and single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) was used to investigate the influence on the PVE by lesion size and tumour-to-background activity concentration ratio (TBR) in four different PET/CT systems. These measurements were compared with data from measurements with the NEMA NU-2 2001 phantom. The results with the MADEIRA phantom showed that the activity concentration (AC) values were closest to the true values at low ratios of TBR (<10) and reduced to 50 % of the actual AC values at high TBR (30-35). For all scanners, recovery of true values became closer to 1 with an increasing diameter of the lesion. The MADEIRA phantom showed good agreement with the results obtained from measurements with the NEMA NU-2 2001 phantom but allows for a wider range of possibilities in measuring image quality parameters. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Molecular insights into the colonization and chromosomal diversification of Madeiran house mice.

PubMed

Förster, D W; Gündüz, I; Nunes, A C; Gabriel, S; Ramalhinho, M G; Mathias, M L; Britton-Davidian, J; Searle, J B

2009-11-01

The colonization history of Madeiran house mice was investigated by analysing the complete mitochondrial (mt) D-loop sequences of 156 mice from the island of Madeira and mainland Portugal, extending on previous studies. The numbers of mtDNA haplotypes from Madeira and mainland Portugal were substantially increased (17 and 14 new haplotypes respectively), and phylogenetic analysis confirmed the previously reported link between the Madeiran archipelago and northern Europe. Sequence analysis revealed the presence of four mtDNA lineages in mainland Portugal, of which one was particularly common and widespread (termed the 'Portugal Main Clade'). There was no support for population bottlenecks during the formation of the six Robertsonian chromosome races on the island of Madeira, and D-loop sequence variation was not found to be structured according to karyotype. The colonization time of the Madeiran archipelago by Mus musculus domesticus was approached using two molecular dating methods (mismatch distribution and Bayesian skyline plot). Time estimates based on D-loop sequence variation at mainland sites (including previously published data from France and Turkey) were evaluated in the context of the zooarchaeological record of M. m. domesticus. A range of values for mutation rate (mu) and number of mouse generations per year was considered in these analyses because of the uncertainty surrounding these two parameters. The colonization of Portugal and Madeira by house mice is discussed in the context of the best-supported parameter values. In keeping with recent studies, our results suggest that mutation rate estimates based on interspecific divergence lead to gross overestimates concerning the timing of recent within-species events.

Evaluation of forest fire on Madeira Island using Sentinel-2A MSI imagery

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Navarro, Gabriel; Caballero, Isabel; Silva, Gustavo; Parra, Pedro-Cecilio; Vázquez, Águeda; Caldeira, Rui

2017-06-01

A forest fire started on August 8th, 2016 in several places on Madeira Island causing damage and casualties. As of August 10th the local media had reported the death of three people, over 200 people injured, over 950 habitants evacuated, and 50 houses damaged. This study presents the preliminary results of the assessment of several spectral indices to evaluate the burn severity of Madeira fires during August 2016. These spectral indices were calculated using the new European satellite Sentinel-2A launched in June 2015. The study confirmed the advantages of several spectral indices such as Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), Green Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (GNDVI), Normalized Burn Ratio (NBR) and Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVIreXn) using red-edge spectral bands to assess the post-fire conditions. Results showed high correlation between NDVI, GNDVI, NBR and NDVIre1n spectral indices and the analysis performed by Copernicus Emergency Management Service (EMSR175), considered as the reference truth. Regarding the red-edge spectral indices, the NDVIre1n (using band B5, 705 nm) presented better results compared with B6 (740 nm) and B7 (783 nm) bands. These preliminary results allow us to assume that Sentinel-2 will be a valuable tool for post-fire monitoring. In the future, the two twin Sentinel-2 satellites will offer global coverage of the Madeira Archipelago every five days, therefore allowing the simultaneous study of the evolution of the burnt area and reforestation information with high spatial (up to 10 m) and temporal resolution (5 days).

Madeira—a tourist destination for asthma sufferers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Camacho, Irene; Grinn-Gofroń, Agnieszka; Camacho, Roberto; Berenguer, Pedro; Sadyś, Magdalena

2016-11-01

Madeira Island is a famous tourist destination due to its natural and climatic values. Taking into account optimal weather conditions, flora richness and access to various substrates facilitating fungal growth, we hypothesised a very high risk of elevated fungal spore and pollen grain concentrations in the air of Funchal, the capital of Madeira. Concentration levels of the most allergenic taxa were measured from 2003 to 2009, using a 7-day volumetric air sampler, followed by microscopy analysis. Dependence of bioaerosols on the weather conditions and land use were assessed using spatial and statistical tools. Obtained results were re-visited by a comparison with hospital admission data recorded at the Dr. Nélio Mendonça Hospital in Funchal. Our results showed that despite propitious climatic conditions, overall pollen grain and fungal spore concentrations in the air were very low and did not exceed any clinically established threshold values. Pollen and spore peak concentrations also did not match with asthma outbreaks in the winter. Identification of places that are "free" from biological air pollution over the summer, such as Madeira Island, is very important from the allergic point of view.

Distribution of Hatschekia pagellibogneravei (Copepoda: Hatschekiidae) on the gills of Pagellus bogaraveo (Teleostei: Sparidae) from Madeira, Portugal.

PubMed

Hermida, Margarida; Cruz, Cristina; Saraiva, Aurélia

2012-06-01

A population of the gill parasite Hatschekia pagellibogneravei (Hesse, 1878) was studied on one of its sparid fish hosts, the blackspot seabream, Pagellus bogaraveo (Brünnich), off the coast of Madeira Island, Portugal, northeast Atlantic. Very high infection levels of this copepod were detected, with no significant seasonal differences. Abundance was negatively correlated with fish size. There were significant differences in the distribution of this copepod among the gill arches of the host, which seem to be best explained by differences in water flow within the gill habitat.

Metamorphic Formation of Extraterrestrial Portlandite in the Sutter's Mill Meteorite (SM3)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Haberle, C. W.; Garvie, L. A.; Domanik, K. J.; Christensen, P. R.

2013-12-01

The Sutter's Mill meteorite fell on April 22nd, 2012. Only three small stones (totaling 14.6 g) were collected before heavy rains fell over the fall site, one of which (SM3, 5.0 g) was obtained by Arizona State University's Center for Meteorite Studies. Bulk powder X-ray diffraction (XRD) investigation of seven stones shows that SM3, 6, 8 and 9 are olivine-rich and SM38, 41 and 65 are clay-rich [Garvie 2013]. The olivine-rich stones are largely anhydrous, with mass losses of ~3 wt%, as measured by thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). SM3 also contains Fe-sulfides, magnetite, oldhamite, and minor enstatite. Reflected-light observations show a heterogeneous distribution of clasts, chondrules, sulfides and bluish-white grains embedded in a dark, fine-grained matrix. Three visually prominent bluish-white mineral grains were identified for study: Grain 1, 100 um surrounded by matrix; Grain 2, 200 x 100 um with a rim of ferrous olivine; and Grain 3, 350 x 150 um surrounded by a thick rim of microcrystalline Fe-Ni sulfides. Wavelength dispersive spectrometry (WDS) data of these grains are dominated by Ca and O exhibiting a 1:2 Ca:O ratio, with minor Cl and S. Secondary ion mass spectroscopy (SIMS) reveals abundant H. Compositional maps show an even distribution of Ca across the grains, with enrichments of S at the rims. The chemical data of these grains is consistent with portlandite, Ca(OH)2. This is the first indigenous report of meteoritic portlandite. Portlandite can form through the thermal decomposition of CaCO3 or via the carbothermic reduction of CaSO4 to CaO. CaCO3 decomposes to CO2 and CaO at temperatures >840° C. Carbothermic reduction of CaSO4 to CaO can occur at temperatures >700° C. Both reactions produce CaO which can then easily hydrate to Ca(OH)2, with a likely source of H from dehydroxylation of pre-existing serpentines. Dehydroxylation of serpentine occurs between 550° and 800° C with complete dehydration to olivine >800° C [Ivanova 2010, Gualtieri 2012]. Given the anhydrous nature of SM3, generation of Ca(OH)2 through the thermal decomposition of CaCO3 is unlikely as the dehydroxylation of serpentine would be complete and a source of H would be absent. A more likely mechanism for the formation of Ca(OH)2 in SM3 is the carbothermic reduction of precursor CaSO4 using CO and CO2 evolved from carbon, which is present within C-type chondrites. These data suggest that SM3 experienced temperatures as high as 700° C. Understanding the formation of Ca(OH)2 provides new insights into thermal processing of carbonaceous chondrites.

New 40Ar / 39Ar age and geochemical data from seamounts in the Canary and Madeira volcanic provinces: Support for the mantle plume hypothesis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Geldmacher, J.; Hoernle, K.; Bogaard, P. v. d.; Duggen, S.; Werner, R.

2005-08-01

The role of mantle plumes in the formation of intraplate volcanic islands and seamount chains is being increasingly questioned. Particular examples are the abundant and somewhat irregularly distributed island and seamount volcanoes off the coast of northwest Africa. New 40Ar / 39Ar ages and Sr-Nd-Pb isotope geochemistry of volcanic rocks from seamounts northeast of the Madeira Islands (Seine and Unicorn) and northeast of the Canary Islands (Dacia and Anika), however, provide support for the plume hypothesis. The oldest ages of shield stage volcanism from Canary and Madeira volcanic provinces confirm progressions of increasing age to the northeast. Average volcanic age progression of ∼1.2 cm/a is consistent with rotation of the African plate at an angular velocity of ∼0.20° ± 0.05 /Ma around a common Euler pole at approximately 56° N, 45° W computed for the period of 0-35 Ma. A Euler pole at 35° N, 45° W is calculated for the time interval of 35-64 Ma. The isotope geochemistry further confirms that the Madeira and Canary provinces are derived from different sources, consistent with distinct plumes having formed each volcanic group. Conventional hotspot models, however, cannot easily explain the up to 40 m.y. long volcanic history at single volcanic centers, long gaps in volcanic activity, and the irregular distribution of islands and seamounts in the Canary province. A possible explanation could involve interaction of the Canary mantle plume with small-scale upper mantle processes such as edge-driven convection. Juxtaposition of plume and non-plume volcanism could also account for observed inconsistencies of the classical hotspot concept in other volcanic areas.

(210)Pb and compositional data of sediments from Rondonian lakes, Madeira River basin, Brazil.

PubMed

Bonotto, Daniel Marcos; Vergotti, Marcelo

2015-05-01

Gold exploration has been intensive in Brazilian Amazon over the last 40 years, where the use of mercury as an amalgam has caused abnormal Hg concentrations in water bodies. Special attention has been directed to Madeira River due to fact it is a major tributary of Amazon River and that since 1986, gold exploration has been officially permitted along a 350km sector of the river. The (21)(0)Pb method has been used to date sediments taken from nine lakes situated in Madeira River basin, Rondônia State, and to verify where anthropogenic Hg might exist due to gold exploitation in Madeira River. Activity profiles of excess (21)(0)Pb determined in the sediment cores provided a means to evaluate the sedimentation rates using a Constant Flux: Constant Sedimentation (CF:CS) and Constant Rate of Supply (CRS) of unsupported/excess (21)(0)Pb models. A significant relationship was found between the CF:CS sedimentation rates and the mean values of the CRS sedimentation rates (Pearson correlation coefficient r=0.59). Chemical data were also determined in the sediments for identifying possible relationships with Hg occurring in the area. Significant values were found in statistical correlation tests realized among the Hg, major oxides and Total Organic Carbon (TOC) content in the sediments. The TOC increased in the sediment cores accompanied by a loss on ignition (LOI) increment, whereas silica decreased following a specific surface area raising associated to the TOC increase. The CRS model always provided ages within the permitted range of the (21)(0)Pb-method in the studied lakes, whereas the CF:CS model predicted two values above 140 years. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

DDT AND ITS METABOLITES IN BREAST MILK FROM THE MADEIRA RIVER BASIN IN THE AMAZON, BRAZIL

PubMed Central

Azeredo, Antonio; Torres, João P. M.; de Freitas Fonseca, Márlon; Britto, José Lailson; Bastos, Wanderley Rodrigues; Azevedo e Silva, Cláudio E.; Cavalcanti, Giselle; Meire, Rodrigo Ornellas; Sarcinelli, Paula N.; Claudio, Luz; Markowitz, Steven; Malm, Olaf

2008-01-01

Until the 1990’s the 1,1,1-trichloro-bis-2,2′-(4chlorophenyl) ethane (DDT) was sprayed in the walls of the house in the along the Madeira River basin, Brazilian Amazon, a region well known by its large number of malaria cases. In the 1910, the relate of Oswaldo Cruz about health conditions in Madeira River region describes the presence of malaria in rates ranging until 100% of infected people in some localities. Data available in the literature points to the DDT contamination in fishes captured in Madeira River region. Fish is the major source of dietary protein to this people. DDT tends to accumulate in lipid rich tissues being eliminated by different events, including lactation. Considering the importance of the breast milk to the children feeding, the associated risks of DDT exposure via breast milk intake to children must be assessed. This is the main objective of this work: to analyse the presence of the p,p′-DDT and its metabolites p,p′-DDE and p,p′-DDD in 69 human milk samples and to estimate the intake of DDT and its metabolite in terms of total DDT (total DDT = p,p′-DDE+ p,p′-DDD+ p,p′-DDT). All sample showed contamination with DDT and its metabolites ranging from 25.4 to 9361.9 ng of total DDT / g of lipid (median=369.6 ng of total DDT / g of lipid) and 8.7 % of the Estimated Daily Intake (EDI), in terms of total DDT, was higher than the Acceptable Daily Intake proposed by the WHO. Key words: DDT, breast milk, children, organochlorine pesticide, fish. PMID:18495200

Spatial Factors Play a Major Role as Determinants of Endemic Ground Beetle Beta Diversity of Madeira Island Laurisilva

PubMed Central

Boieiro, Mário; Carvalho, José C.; Cardoso, Pedro; Aguiar, Carlos A. S.; Rego, Carla; de Faria e Silva, Israel; Amorim, Isabel R.; Pereira, Fernando; Azevedo, Eduardo B.; Borges, Paulo A. V.; Serrano, Artur R. M.

2013-01-01

The development in recent years of new beta diversity analytical approaches highlighted valuable information on the different processes structuring ecological communities. A crucial development for the understanding of beta diversity patterns was also its differentiation in two components: species turnover and richness differences. In this study, we evaluate beta diversity patterns of ground beetles from 26 sites in Madeira Island distributed throughout Laurisilva – a relict forest restricted to the Macaronesian archipelagos. We assess how the two components of ground beetle beta diversity (βrepl – species turnover and βrich - species richness differences) relate with differences in climate, geography, landscape composition matrix, woody plant species richness and soil characteristics and the relative importance of the effects of these variables at different spatial scales. We sampled 1025 specimens from 31 species, most of which are endemic to Madeira Island. A spatially explicit analysis was used to evaluate the contribution of pure environmental, pure spatial and environmental spatially structured effects on variation in ground beetle species richness and composition. Variation partitioning showed that 31.9% of species turnover (βrepl) and 40.7% of species richness variation (βrich) could be explained by the environmental and spatial variables. However, different environmental variables controlled the two types of beta diversity: βrepl was influenced by climate, disturbance and soil organic matter content whilst βrich was controlled by altitude and slope. Furthermore, spatial variables, represented through Moran’s eigenvector maps, played a significant role in explaining both βrepl and βrich, suggesting that both dispersal ability and Madeira Island complex orography are crucial for the understanding of beta diversity patterns in this group of beetles. PMID:23724065

Landslide Tsunami Hazard in Madeira Island, NE Atlantic - Numerical Simulation of the 4 March 1930 Tsunami

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Omira, R.; Baptista, M. A.; Quartau, R.; Ramalho, M. I.

2017-12-01

Madeira, the main Island of the Madeira Archipelago with an area of 728 km2, is a North East Atlantic volcanic Island highly susceptible to cliff instability. Historical records contain accounts of a number of mass-wasting events along the Island, namely in 1969, 1804, 1929 and 1930. Collapses of cliffs are major hazards in oceanic Islands as they involve relatively large volumes of material, generating fast running debris avalanches, and even cause destructive tsunamis when entering the sea. On March 4th, 1930, a sector of the Cape Girão cliff, located in the southern shore of Madeira Island, collapsed into the sea and generated an 8 m tsunami wave height. The landslide-induced tsunami propagated along Madeirás south coast and flooded the Vigário beach, 200-300 m of inundation extent, causing 20 casualties. In this study, we investigate the 1930 subaerial landslide-induced tsunami and its impact on the nearest coasts using numerical modelling. We first reconstruct the pre-event morphology of the area, and then simulate the initial movement of the sliding mass, the propagation of the tsunami wave and the inundation of the coast. We use a multi-layer numerical model, in which the lower layer represents the deformable slide, assumed to be a visco-plastic fluid, and bounded above by air, in the subaerial motion phase, and by seawater governed by shallow water equations. The results of the simulation are compared with the historical descriptions of the event to calibrate the numerical model and evaluate the coastal impact of a similar event in present-day coastline configuration of the Island. This work is supported by FCT- project UID/GEO/50019/2013 - Instituto Dom Luiz and by TROYO project.

Estudo de soluções locais e cosmológicas em teorias do tipo tensor-escalar

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Silva E Costa, S.

2003-08-01

Teorias do tipo tensor-escalar são a mais simples extensão possí vel da Relatividade Geral. Nessas teorias, cujo modelo padrão é a teoria de Brans-Dicke, a curvatura do espaço-tempo, descrita por componentes tensoriais, aparece acoplada a um campo escalar que, de certo modo, representa uma variação na constante de acoplamento da gravitação. Tais teorias apresentam soluções locais e cosmológicas que, em determinados limites, recaem nas apresentadas pela Relatividade Geral, mas que em outros limites trazem novidades, tais como conseqüências observacionais da evolução de flutuações primordiais distintas daquelas previstas pela Relatividade Geral (ver, por ex., Nagata et al., PRD 66, p. 103510 (2002)). Graças a esta possibilidade de trazer à luz novidades em relação à gravitação, teorias do tipo tensor-escalar podem ser vistas como um interessante campo alternativo de pesquisas para soluções dos problemas de massa faltante (ou escura) e/ou energia escura. Seguindo tal linha, este trabalho, ainda em sua fase inicial, apresenta soluções gerais de teorias do tipo tensor-escalar para diversas situações, verificando-se em que consiste a divergência dessas soluções dos casos tradicionais possí veis na Relatividade Geral. Como exemplos das soluções aqui apresentadas pode-se destacar uma expressão geral para diferentes soluções cosmológicas englobando diferentes tipos de matéria (representados por diferentes equações de estado), e a expressão para uma solução local representando um buraco negro com rotação, similar à solução de Kerr da Relatividade Geral. Por fim, é importante ressaltar que, embora aqui apresentem-se poucos resultados novos, na literatura sobre o assunto a maior parte das soluções apresentadas limita-se a uns poucos casos especí ficos, tal como soluções cosmológicas apenas com curvatura nula, e que mesmo as soluções disponí veis são, em geral, pouco divulgadas e, portanto, pouco conhecidas, e é tal situação que este trabalho busca, em parte, reverter.

Transferências orbitais dentro do modelo quase bicircular no sistema Terra-Lua-Sol

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Corrêa, A. A.; de Almeida Prado, A. F. B.; Stuchi, T. J.; Beaugé, C.

2003-08-01

O problema quase bicircular planar consiste na determinação da dinâmica de um corpo, de massa desprezível, que se move sob o campo gravitacional de três corpos. No caso estudado, o quarto corpo é considerado um satélite artificial e os demais são a Terra, a Lua e o Sol, formando o sistema de três corpos. Este modelo permite a construção de uma hamiltoniana similar a do problema restrito de três corpos (PRTC), incluindo termos periódicos não autônomos, provenientes da presença do Sol, portanto pode ser entendido como uma perturbação ao PRTC. Suas órbitas periódicas aparecem isoladas e possuem o mesmo período solar. Os pontos de equilíbrio colineares possuem o mesmo caráter de estabilidade linear dos pontos lagrangianos (L1, L2 e L3) do PRTC, sendo do tipo sela x centro x centro, instável na direção x e estáveis nas direções y e z. As órbitas periódicas tridimensionais ao redor do ponto colinear é chamada órbita Halo. O objetivo deste trabalho é determinar órbitas de transferências de baixo consumo de combustível para um veículo espacial partindo de uma órbita de estacionamento ao redor da Terra em direção a uma órbita Halo do ponto L1, situado entre a Terra e Lua. Esta tarefa pode ser transformada no problema de valor de contorno: dado um ponto inicial na órbita de estacionamento, um ponto final na órbita halo e o tempo de transferência, deseja-se obter a trajetória que liga estes dois pontos e que minimize os incrementos de velocidade do veículo. Essas transferências são realizadas baseadas no método de Lambert e analisadas de modo a fornecer um baixo consumo. Posteriormente, é feita uma comparação de consumo com as órbitas de transferência equivalentes do PRTC.

New species of Bryozoa from Madeira associated with rhodoliths.

PubMed

Souto, Javier; Reverter-Gil, Oscar; Ostrovsky, Andrew N

2014-05-12

Four new species of cheilostomate Bryozoa encrusting rhodoliths on Maërl beds are described from material collected at a single locality at Madeira Island. These are Coronellina atlantica n. sp., Hippothoa muripinnata n. sp., Chorizopora rosaria n. sp. and Hippoporella maderensis n. sp. A species of Schizomavella is left in open nomenclature. The genus Coronellina is transferred from the family Calescharidae and assigned to Microporidae. The close similarity of C. atlantica n. sp., a non-opesiulate species with deep depressions, to Coronellina fagei with opesiules, implies that the generally accepted evolutionary sequence from non-opesiulate to opesiulate species might not be the rule.

Detection of Borrelia lusitaniae, Rickettsia sp. IRS3, Rickettsia monacensis, and Anaplasma phagocytophilum in Ixodes ricinus collected in Madeira Island, Portugal.

PubMed

de Carvalho, Isabel Lopes; Milhano, Natacha; Santos, Ana Sofia; Almeida, Victor; Barros, Silvia C; De Sousa, Rita; Núncio, Maria Sofia

2008-08-01

A total of 300 Ixodes ricinus ticks were tested by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for the presence of Borrelia spp., Rickettsia spp., and Anaplasma phagocytophilum. Sequence analysis demonstrated 8 (2.7%) ticks infected with B. lusitaniae, 60 (20%) with Rickettsia spp., and 1 (0.3%) with A. phagocytophilum. Seven (2.3%) ticks were coinfected with B. lusitaniae and Rickettsia spp., 2 (0.6%) with R. monacensis, and 5 (1.7%) with Rickettsia sp. IRS3. The results of this study suggest simultaneous transmission of multiple tick-borne agents on Madeira Island, Portugal.

Multilocus analysis of nucleotide variation in Drosophila madeirensis, an endemic species of the Laurisilva forest in Madeira.

PubMed

Khadem, M; Munté, A; Camacho, R; Aguadé, M; Segarra, C

2012-04-01

Drosophila madeirensis is an endemic species of Madeira that inhabits the island Laurisilva forest. Nucleotide variation in D. madeirensis is analysed in six genomic regions and compared to that previously reported for the same regions in Drosophila subobscura, an abundant species in the Palearctic region that is closely related to D. madeirensis. The gene regions analysed are distributed along the O(3) inversion. The O(3) arrangement is monomorphic in D. madeirensis, and it was present in ancestral populations of D. subobscura but went extinct in this species after the origin of the derived O(ST) and O(3+4) arrangements. Levels of nucleotide polymorphism in D. madeirensis are similar to those present in the O(ST) and O(3+4) arrangements of D. subobscura, and the frequency spectrum is skewed towards rare variants. Purifying selection against deleterious nonsynonymous mutations is less effective in D. madeirensis. Although D. madeirensis and D. subobscura coexist at present in Madeira, no clear evidence of introgression was detected in the studied regions. © 2012 The Authors. Journal of Evolutionary Biology © 2012 European Society For Evolutionary Biology.

Species, subspecies, or color morphs? Reconsidering the taxonomy of Callicebus Thomas, 1903 in the Purus-Madeira interfluvium.

PubMed

Serrano-Villavicencio, José Eduardo; Vendramel, Rafaela Lumi; Siniciato Terra Garbino, Guilherme

2017-01-01

There have been recent disagreements as to how many taxa of titi monkeys, genus Callicebus, occur in the region between the Purus and Madeira rivers in western Brazilian Amazonia. Three parapatric taxa were proposed for the area: Callicebus caligatus, Callicebus stephennashi, and Callicebus dubius, but the latter has recently been considered a synonym of C. caligatus, even though both form monophyletic groups and are morphologically distinct. We analyzed the geographic variation in the pelage of Callicebus occurring between the Madeira and Purus rivers and concluded that the phenotypes attributed to C. caligatus and C. dubius are not individual morphs, but rather well-marked and geographically restricted varieties. For this reason, we classify Callicebus caligatus as a polytypic species with two subspecies: Callicebus caligatus caligatus and Callicebus caligatus dubius. This classification is corroborated by molecular evidence as well. The morphological and distributional data indicate that Callicebus stephennashi is a hybrid form of C. c. caligatus and C. c. dubius, due to the presence of intermediate characters. Therefore, until more precise locality records are provided and further evidence is presented, we consider Callicebus stephennashi to be a homonym of the two parental forms.

Tuberculosis recurrence in a priority city in the state of São Paulo, Brazil.

PubMed

Vieira, Amadeu Antonio; Leite, Danila Torres; Adreoni, Solange

2017-01-01

To describe cases of tuberculosis recurrence (TBR), stratified by temporal classification (early or late TBR), and to identify possible predictors of such recurrence. This was an analytical retrospective observational epidemiological study involving a cohort of 963 new cases of pulmonary tuberculosis, reported and treated via the Tuberculosis Control Program in the city of Carapicuíba, Brazil. The study period was from 2000 to 2010. All of the pulmonary tuberculosis patients who successfully completed the treatment (with or without confirmation of cure) were selected and followed until December 31, 2012. Of the 963 cases, TBR occurred in 47 (4.88%). The mean time between the first and second tuberculosis episodes was 36.12 months. Of the 47 TBR cases, 16 (34.04%) occurred within the first 18 months after the completion of the initial treatment (early TBR) and 31 (65.96%) occurred thereafter (late TBR). There were statistically significant differences between the early and late TBR groups only regarding level of education (≤ 3 vs. > 3 years of schooling; p < 0.004) and weight gain at completion of the initial treatment (1.78 kg vs. 5.31 kg; p < 0.045)-not regarding any of the other variables studied. A low level of education might translate to poor treatment adherence, which impedes the killing of bacilli and facilitates their survival in a latent state, making it appear as if the treatment was effective. Minimal or no weight gain at completion of the initial treatment might be a reliable biomarker to be used by health care facilities that provide tuberculosis treatment. Descrever os casos de recorrência de tuberculose (RTB) e identificar possíveis preditores segundo a classificação RTB recente ou tardia. Estudo epidemiológico observacional analítico retrospectivo a partir de uma coorte de 963 casos novos de tuberculose pulmonar notificados e tratados no Programa de Controle de Tuberculose de Carapicuíba (SP). O período de estudo foi de 2000 a 2010. Todos os casos novos de tuberculose pulmonar que completaram com sucesso o tratamento (com ou sem cura confirmada) foram selecionados e seguidos até 31 de dezembro de 2012. Dos 963 casos, RTB ocorreu em 47 (4,88%). O tempo médio transcorrido até o segundo episódio foi de 36,12 meses. Dos 47 casos de RTB, 16 (34,04%) ocorreram em até 18 meses da alta do primeiro tratamento (RTB recente), e 31 (65,96%) ocorreram após 18 meses (RTB tardia). Entre as variáveis investigadas, somente houve diferenças significativas entre os grupos RTB recente e tardia em relação ao ganho de peso na alta do primeiro tratamento (1,78 kg vs. 5,31 kg; p < 0,045) e nível de escolaridade (≤ 3 vs. > 3 anos de estudo; p < 0,004). A baixa escolaridade pode indicar uma menor adesão ao tratamento, dificultando a esterilização dos bacilos e facilitando sua sobrevivência em forma dormente, o que mascara a efetividade do tratamento. A ausência ou um reduzido aumento de peso na alta do tratamento poderá servir como um marcador biológico que pode ser utilizado pelos serviços de saúde que realizam o tratamento de tuberculose.

Espectroscopia de candidatos a remanescentes de aglomerados abertos

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pavani, D. B.; Bica, E.; Ahumada, A. V.; Clariá, J. J.

2003-08-01

A pesquisa sobre remanescentes de aglomerados abertos tem despertado grande interesse. Seguindo esta tendência encontramos estudos teóricos e observacionais. Os primeiros baseiam-se em simulações numéricas buscando determinar fração de binárias e distâncias galatocêntricas, tempo de vida e conteúdo estelar. Estes estão relacionados à função inicial de massa e densidade de estrelas, ou seja, se ricos ou pobremente povoados, compactos ou esparsos. No caso observacional procuram-se identificar os remanescentes considerando-se que trazem estas assinaturas de seus percursores. No presente estudo empregamos espectroscopia para analisar oito concentrações pobremente povoadas, previamente classificadas como aglomerados abertos, sendo sete compactas e uma esparsa. As observações foram obtidas através do telescópio de 2,15 m do CASLEO em San Juan, Argentina, em turnos entre 2001 e 2003. Utilizamos uma câmara CCD contendo um chip Tektronics de 1024X1024 pixeis aliado a um espectrógrafo REOSC. O domínio espectral vai de 3700 a 7000 Å. As reduções foram realizadas no Observatório Astronômico de Córdoba (Argentina) usando pacotes IRAF padrões. Determinamos idades, avermelhamentos e tipos espectrais através de comparações com biblioteca de estrelas e de aglomerados. Em alguns casos nossos espectros estavam dominados por estrelas individuais às quais determinamos seus tipos espectrais. Aos oito objetos adicionamos mais cinco da literatura recente analisados via espectro ou diagrama cor-magnitude. O histograma resultante contém idades típicas entre 0.5 e 3 Ganos. Considerando que predominantemente estes objetos encontram-se na vizinhança solar e, portanto, não cruzaram muitas vezes o plano Galático esperamos que a diferença no tempo necessário para dissolução destes prováveis remanescentes seja em função de diferentes massas iniciais.

Endohelminth parasites of the leafscale gulper shark, Centrophorus squamosus (Bonnaterre, 1788) (Squaliformes:Centrophoridae) off Madeira Archipelago.

PubMed

Costa, Graça; Chada, Tomás; Melo-Moreira, Egberto; Cavallero, Serena; D'Amelio, Stefano

2014-06-01

The endohelminth parasite fauna of a deep water shark, the leafscale gulper shark, Centrophorus squamosus, examined from Madeiran waters, from September 2009 to January 2010, consisted of larval and juvenile cestodes of two orders, namely Trypanorhyncha and Tetraphyllidea, and L3 stages of Anisakis spp. Infection with Anisakis spp. could be due to the shark's opportunistic feeding on squids and black-scabbard fish, Aphanopus carbo, which is heavily parasitized by Anisakis spp. in Madeira waters. The occurrence of larval and juvenile cestodes only, in this shark, suggests that the leafscale gulper shark features as a paratenic or a dead-end host for the parasites.

A new diminutive species of Allobates Zimmermann and Zimmermann, 1988 (Anura, Aromobatidae) from the northwestern Rio Madeira-Rio Tapajós interfluve, Amazonas, Brazil.

PubMed

Simões, Pedro Ivo; Sturaro, Marcelo José; Peloso, Pedro Luís Vieira; Lima, Albertina P

2013-01-30

We describe Allobates grillisimilis from the northwestern region of the Rio Madeira-Rio Tapajós interfluve, state of Am-azonas, Brazil. The new taxon is characterized by its small snout-to-vent length (12.8-16.0 mm, the smallest among known Allobates), by the color pattern of adults (surfaces of throat, chest and abdomen unpigmented), by morphological traits of larvae (a single row of very elongate papillae on posterior labium), and by its distinctive advertisement call, formed by trills of short pulses emitted in a variable number. We also provide notes on reproductive behavior of the new species.

Mosquito abundance and behavior in the influence area of the hydroelectric complex on the Madeira River, Western Amazon, Brazil.

PubMed

Cruz, Rafael Mesquita Bastos; Gil, Luiz Herman Soares; de Almeida e Silva, Alexandre; da Silva Araújo, Maisa; Katsuragawa, Tony Hiroshi

2009-11-01

Malaria is currently highly prevalent and restricted to the north of Brazil, and its dynamics are severely affected by human environmental changes, such as the large dam construction recently approved by the Brazilian Government in Rondônia. We studied the mosquito fauna and behavior before hydroelectric construction. Mosquitoes were captured by human landing catches on the riversides of the Madeira River in Porto Velho, Rondônia. A total of 3121 mosquitoes from eight different genera were collected; only Mansonia and Anopheles darlingi were found in all 21 collection sites throughout the night. These results suggest that the riverines of the study area are exposed to malaria.

Wrapped in flames: Corydoras hephaestus, a new remarkably colored species from the Rio Madeira basin (Teleostei: Callichthyidae).

PubMed

Ohara, Willian Massaharu; Tencatt, Luiz F C; Britto, Marcelo R

2016-09-26

A new species of Corydoras is described from the upper Rio Machado, Rio Madeira basin, Rondônia State, Brazil. The new species can be distinguished from its congeners by the absence of contact between the posterior process of the parieto-supraoccipital and the nuchal plate; a ventral laminar expansion of the infraorbital 1 conspicuously developed; and the posterior margin of the pectoral-fin spine with serrations along almost of its entire length, only lacking in the distal portion. Additionally, Corydoras hephaestus possesses dorsal and pectoral spines short, and exhibits an unusual color pattern in life. The conservation status of the new species and other endemic species are briefly commented.

The Meladema Laporte, 1835 (Coleoptera, Dytiscidae) of the Sahara Desert.

PubMed

Ribera, Ignacio; Bilton, David T; Cardoso, Anabela

2018-03-20

Meladema Laporte, 1835 is a genus of large diving beetles, found in the Western Palaearctic, from the Canary Islands and Madeira to western Turkey (Bilton Ribera 2017). The genus currently contains four species: the widespread M. coriacea Laporte, 1835, distributed from the Canary Islands to Turkey and ranging from southern France and the central Balkans south to the central Sahara, two Atlantic Island endemics, M. imbricata (Wollaston, 1871) from the western Canary Islands and M. lanio (Fabricius, 1775) from the main island of Madeira, and a fourth, recently described species, M. lepidoptera Bilton Ribera, 2017 from the Tyrrhenian Islands (Corsica, Sardinia, Elba, Montecristo) and parts of the Italian mainland (Bilton Ribera 2017).

Risk factors for postpartum urinary incontinence.

PubMed

Leroy, Lígia da Silva; Lúcio, Adélia; Lopes, Maria Helena Baena de Moraes

2016-04-01

To investigate the risk factors for postpartum urinary incontinence (UI) and its characteristics. This was a case-control study with 344 puerperal women (77 cases and 267 controls) with up to 90 days postpartum. In a single session, participants were given a questionnaire with sociodemographic and clinical data and two others that assessed urine leakage, leakage situations, and type of UI. Stress UI was present in 45.5% of the women, incidents of urine leakage several times a day in 44.2%, of which 71.4% were in small amounts and 57.1% when coughing or sneezing. In 70.1% of cases, UI began during pregnancy and remained through the postpartum period. After running a binary logistic regression model, the following factors remained in the final model: UI during pregnancy (OR 12.82, CI 95% 6.94 - 23.81, p<0.0001), multiparity (OR 2.26, CI 95% 1.22 - 4.19, p=0.009), gestational age at birth greater or equal to 37 weeks (OR 2.52, CI 95% 1.16 - 5.46, p=0.02) and constipation (OR 1.94, CI 95% 1.05 - 5.46, p=0.035). Most often, UI first appeared during pregnancy and remained through the postpartum period. Urinary incontinence during pregnancy, multiparity, gestational age at birth greater or equal to 37 weeks, and constipation were presented as risk factors. In the studied group, stress UI was more frequent. Investigar os fatores de risco para a incontinência urinária (IU) no puerpério e as suas características. Trata-se de estudo caso-controle com 344 puérperas (77 casos e 267 controles), com até 90 dias pós-parto. Foi aplicado, em um único momento, um questionário para os dados sociodemográficos e clínicos, e dois outros para avaliar a perda urinária, situações de perda e o tipo de IU. Apresentaram IU de esforço 45,5%, perda urinária diversas vezes ao dia 44,2%, sendo 71,4% em pequena quantidade e 57,1% ao tossir ou espirrar. Em 70,1% dos casos a IU iniciou-se na gestação e permaneceu no puerpério. Ao ajustar-se um modelo de regressão logística binária, apenas IU na gestação (OR 12,82, IC 95% 6,94 - 23,81, p<0,0001), multiparidade (OR 2,26, IC 95% 1,22 - 4,19, p=0,009), idade gestacional no parto maior ou igual a 37 semanas (OR 2,52, IC 95% 1,16 - 5,46, p=0,02) e constipação (OR 1,94, IC 95% 1,05 - 5,46, p=0,035) permaneceram no modelo final. A IU iniciou-se frequentemente na gestação e permaneceu no puerpério. A presença de IU na gestação, multiparidade, idade gestacional no parto maior ou igual a 37 semanas e constipação foram fatores de risco. No grupo estudado a IU de esforço foi a mais frequente.

Short-term secular change in height, body mass and Tanner-Whitehouse 3 skeletal maturity of Madeira youth, Portugal.

PubMed

Freitas, Duarte; Malina, Robert M; Maia, José; Lefevre, Johan; Stasinopoulos, Mikis; Gouveia, Élvio; Claessens, Albrecht; Thomis, Martine; Lausen, Berthold

2012-05-01

Secular trends in height and weight are reasonably well documented in Europe. Corresponding observations for skeletal maturation are lacking. To assess secular trends in height, body mass and skeletal maturity of Portuguese children and adolescents and to provide updated reference values for skeletal maturity scores (SMSs). Data for 2856 children and adolescents of 4-17 years, 1412 boys and 1444 girls, from The 'Madeira Growth Study' (MGS; 1996-1998) and from the'Healthy Growth of Madeira Children Study' (CRES; 2006) were used. Height and body mass were measured. Skeletal maturity was assessed with the Tanner-Whitehouse 2 and 3 methods. Children from CRES were taller and heavier than peers from MGS. Differences in height reached 5.8 cm in boys and 5.5 cm in girls. RUS SMSs did not differ consistently between surveys boys, while higher RUS scores were observed in CRES girls. Adult RUS SMSs for MGS and CRES combined were attained at 15.8 years in boys and 14.8 years in girls. Corresponding ages for adult Carpal SMSs were 14.4 and 14.0, respectively. The short-term trends for height and mass were not entirely consistent with the trends in RUS and Carpal SMSs and SAs.

Potential for the usage of information technologies and communications (ITC) in the teaching and practice of nurses in Madeira.

PubMed

Henriques de Jesus, E; Correia Martins, M C

1998-01-01

The propose of this communication is to describe the present nursing situation in Madeira (RAM) and its potentialities for the utilisation of the Information Technologies and Communications (I.T.C.) in educational and in clinical practice. RAM has its own Regional Health System and is developing a Health Information System, a Nursing Education System which conglobates a Baccalaureate Nursing School and a Licentiate's degree Nursing School which graduates almost the totality of the nurses who work here in Madeira, a Health Professional Education Department, common to the different organisations and a Regional Nursing Research Group constituted by elements representing the several organisations of health and which has been developing Research Education and dynamize Research Projects in nursing practice. The Nursing Schools in addition to the Health Organisation, use the Nursing Theoretical Models and the Nursing Process since 1990 Referring to the utilisation of the ITC in Education and in the Clinical Practice, despite the school curricula include informatics subjects, nurse's knowledge and opportunities of utilisation are still too incipient. Nevertheless, the present reform of the baccalaureate course curriculum as well as the aims and strategies of the Nursing Research Group and training strategies will provide positive changes.

Earth Observation taken by the Expedition 20 crew

NASA Image and Video Library

2009-10-06

ISS020-E-047807 (6 Oct. 2009) --- Thunderstorms on the Brazilian horizon are featured in this image photographed by an Expedition 20 crew member on the International Space Station. A picturesque line of thunderstorms and numerous circular cloud patterns filled the view as the station crew members looked out at the limb and atmosphere (blue line on the horizon) of Earth. This region displayed in the photograph (top) includes an unstable, active atmosphere forming a large area of cumulonimbus clouds in various stages of development. The crew was looking west southwestward from the Amazon Basin, along the Rio Madeira, toward Bolivia when the image was taken. The distinctive circular patterns of the clouds in this view are likely caused by the aging of thunderstorms. Such ring structures often form during the final stages of a storm?s development as their centers collapse. Sunglint is visible on the waters of the Rio Madeira and Lago Acara in the Amazon Basin. Widespread haze over the basin gives the reflected light an orange hue. The Rio Madeira flows northward and joins the Amazon River on its path to the Atlantic Ocean. Scientists believe that a large smoke plume near the bottom center of the image may explain one source of the haze.

The Madeira Archipelago As a Significant Source of Marine-Derived Actinomycete Diversity with Anticancer and Antimicrobial Potential

PubMed Central

Prieto-Davó, Alejandra; Dias, Tiago; Gomes, Sofia E.; Rodrigues, Sara; Parera-Valadez, Yessica; Borralho, Pedro M.; Pereira, Florbela; Rodrigues, Cecilia M. P.; Santos-Sanches, Ilda; Gaudêncio, Susana P.

2016-01-01

Marine-derived actinomycetes have demonstrated an ability to produce novel compounds with medically relevant biological activity. Studying the diversity and biogeographical patterns of marine actinomycetes offers an opportunity to identify genera that are under environmental pressures, which may drive adaptations that yield specific biosynthetic capabilities. The present study describes research efforts to explore regions of the Atlantic Ocean, specifically around the Madeira Archipelago, where knowledge of the indigenous actinomycete diversity is scarce. A total of 400 actinomycetes were isolated, sequenced, and screened for antimicrobial and anticancer activities. The three most abundant genera identified were Streptomyces, Actinomadura, and Micromonospora. Phylogenetic analyses of the marine OTUs isolated indicated that the Madeira Archipelago is a new source of actinomycetes adapted to life in the ocean. Phylogenetic differences between offshore (>100 m from shore) and nearshore (< 100 m from shore) populations illustrates the importance of sampling offshore in order to isolate new and diverse bacterial strains. Novel phylotypes from chemically rich marine actinomycete groups like MAR4 and the genus Salinispora were isolated. Anticancer and antimicrobial assays identified Streptomyces, Micromonospora, and Salinispora as the most biologically active genera. This study illustrates the importance of bioprospecting efforts at unexplored regions of the ocean to recover bacterial strains with the potential to produce novel and interesting chemistry. PMID:27774089

On efeito do achatamento nos pontos de equilíbrio e na dinâmica de sistemas coorbitais

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mourão, D. C.; Winter, O. C.; Yokoyama, T.

2003-08-01

Neste trabalho analisamos o efeito do achatamento do corpo principal nos pontos de equilíbrio lagrangianos e na configuração de órbitas girino-ferradura. Enfatizamos os sistemas coorbitais de satélites de Saturno, pois se encontram em relativa proximidade com o planeta, em que o efeito do achatamento se torna mais evidente. O estudo é dividido em três etapas independentes. Na primeira fase analisamos as equações de movimento do problema restrito de três corpos considerando o efeito do achatamento, e através do balanceamento de forças buscamos a nova configuração dos pontos de equilíbrio lagrangianos. Concluímos, nesta etapa, que os pontos de equilíbrio estáveis apresentam um pequeno deslocamento definido pelo parâmetro de achatamento, não podendo ser mais representados por triângulos eqüiláteros. Aplicamos este resultado aos satélites coorbitais de Tetis e Dione, encontrando as posições de equilíbrio levemente deslocadas em relação ao caso sem achatamento. Na segunda fase visamos o sistema Saturno-Jano-Epimeteu, que por se tratar de um sistema de massas comparáveis, optamos por desenvolver as equações de Yoder et al (Icarus 53, pág 431-443, 1983), que permitem determinar os pontos de equilíbrio e a amplitude de oscilação angular das órbitas girino-ferradura para o problema não-restrito de três corpos, porém, no nosso estudo consideramos o efeito do achatamento do corpo principal nestas equações. Encontramos que a distância angular entre satélites, quando em posição de equilíbrio estável, diminui quanto maior for o parâmetro de achatamento do corpo principal. Além disso, a órbita de transição girino-ferradura possui largura angular menor em relação ao caso sem achatamento. Por fim, realizamos integrações numéricas para os casos reais de coorbitais de Saturno comparando com os resultados analíticos. Nestas integrações simulamos diversas órbitas girino-ferradura com diferentes parâmetros de achatamento, utilizando condições iniciais corrigidas para a presença do achatamento.

A comparative analysis of terrestrial arthropod assemblages from a relict forest unveils historical extinctions and colonization differences between two oceanic islands

PubMed Central

Matthews, Thomas J.; Rego, Carla; Crespo, Luis; Aguiar, Carlos A. S.; Cardoso, Pedro; Rigal, François; Silva, Isamberto; Pereira, Fernando; Borges, Paulo A. V.; Serrano, Artur R. M.

2018-01-01

During the last few centuries oceanic island biodiversity has been drastically modified by human-mediated activities. These changes have led to the increased homogenization of island biota and to a high number of extinctions lending support to the recognition of oceanic islands as major threatspots worldwide. Here, we investigate the impact of habitat changes on the spider and ground beetle assemblages of the native forests of Madeira (Madeira archipelago) and Terceira (Azores archipelago) and evaluate its effects on the relative contribution of rare endemics and introduced species to island biodiversity patterns. We found that the native laurel forest of Madeira supported higher species richness of spiders and ground beetles compared with Terceira, including a much larger proportion of indigenous species, particularly endemics. In Terceira, introduced species are well-represented in both terrestrial arthropod taxa and seem to thrive in native forests as shown by the analysis of species abundance distributions (SAD) and occupancy frequency distributions (OFD). Low abundance range-restricted species in Terceira are mostly introduced species dispersing from neighbouring man-made habitats while in Madeira a large number of true rare endemic species can still be found in the native laurel forest. Further, our comparative analysis shows striking differences in species richness and composition that are due to the geographical and geological particularities of the two islands, but also seem to reflect the differences in the severity of human-mediated impacts between them. The high proportion of introduced species, the virtual absence of rare native species and the finding that the SADs and OFDs of introduced species match the pattern of native species in Terceira suggest the role of man as an important driver of species diversity in oceanic islands and add evidence for an extensive and severe human-induced species loss in the native forests of Terceira. PMID:29694360

Precipitation in Madeira island and atmospheric rivers in the winter seasons

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Couto, Flavio T.; Salgado, Rui; João Costa, Maria; Prior, Victor

2016-04-01

This study aims to analyse the distribution of the daily accumulated precipitation in the Madeira's highlands over a 10-year period, as well as the main characteristics associated with atmospheric rivers (ARs) affecting the island during 10 winter seasons, and their impact in the rainfall amounts recorded near the mountain crest in the south-eastern part of the island. The period between September 2002 and November 2012 is considered for the analysis. The ARs have been identified from the total precipitable water vapour field extracted from the Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS). The AIRS observations were downloaded for a domain covering large part of the North Atlantic Ocean. The precipitable water vapour field from the European Centre for Medium-range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) analysis was also used aiming to support the AIRS data when there was no satellite information over the island. The daily accumulated precipitation at surface showed generally drier summers, while the highest accumulated precipitation are recorded mainly during the winter, although some significant events may occur also in autumn and spring seasons. The patterns of the precipitable water vapour field when ARs reach the island were investigated, and even if great part of the atmospheric rivers reaches the island in a dissipation stage, some rivers are heavy enough to reach the Madeira Island. In this situation, the water vapour transport could be observed in two main configurations and transporting significant water vapour amounts toward the Madeira from the tropical region. This study lead to conclude that the atmospheric rivers, when associated to high values of precipitable water vapour over the island can provide favourable conditions to the development of precipitation, sometimes associated with high amounts. However, it was also found that many cases of high to extreme accumulated precipitation at the surface were not associated to this kind of moisture transport.

A comparative analysis of terrestrial arthropod assemblages from a relict forest unveils historical extinctions and colonization differences between two oceanic islands.

PubMed

Boieiro, Mário; Matthews, Thomas J; Rego, Carla; Crespo, Luis; Aguiar, Carlos A S; Cardoso, Pedro; Rigal, François; Silva, Isamberto; Pereira, Fernando; Borges, Paulo A V; Serrano, Artur R M

2018-01-01

During the last few centuries oceanic island biodiversity has been drastically modified by human-mediated activities. These changes have led to the increased homogenization of island biota and to a high number of extinctions lending support to the recognition of oceanic islands as major threatspots worldwide. Here, we investigate the impact of habitat changes on the spider and ground beetle assemblages of the native forests of Madeira (Madeira archipelago) and Terceira (Azores archipelago) and evaluate its effects on the relative contribution of rare endemics and introduced species to island biodiversity patterns. We found that the native laurel forest of Madeira supported higher species richness of spiders and ground beetles compared with Terceira, including a much larger proportion of indigenous species, particularly endemics. In Terceira, introduced species are well-represented in both terrestrial arthropod taxa and seem to thrive in native forests as shown by the analysis of species abundance distributions (SAD) and occupancy frequency distributions (OFD). Low abundance range-restricted species in Terceira are mostly introduced species dispersing from neighbouring man-made habitats while in Madeira a large number of true rare endemic species can still be found in the native laurel forest. Further, our comparative analysis shows striking differences in species richness and composition that are due to the geographical and geological particularities of the two islands, but also seem to reflect the differences in the severity of human-mediated impacts between them. The high proportion of introduced species, the virtual absence of rare native species and the finding that the SADs and OFDs of introduced species match the pattern of native species in Terceira suggest the role of man as an important driver of species diversity in oceanic islands and add evidence for an extensive and severe human-induced species loss in the native forests of Terceira.

Sr and Nd isotopes of suspended sediments from rivers of the Amazon basin

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hatting, Karina; Santos, Roberto V.; Sondag, Francis

2014-05-01

The Rb-Sr and Sm-Nd isotopic systems are important tools to constrain the provenance of sediment load in river systems. This study presents the isotopic composition of Sr and Nd isotopes and major and minor elements in suspended sediments from the Marañón-Solimões, Amazonas and Beni-Madeira rivers. The data were used to constrain the source region of the sediments and to better understand the main seasonal and spatial transport processes within the basin based on the variations of the chemical and isotopic signals. They also allow establishing a relationship between sediment concentrations and flow rate values. The study presents data collected during a hydrological year between 2009 and 2010. The Marañón-Solimões River presents low Sr isotopic values (0.7090-0.7186), broad EpslonNd(0) range (-15.17 to -8.09) and Nd model (TDM) ages varying from 0.99 to 1.81 Ga. Sources of sediments to the Marañón-Solimões River include recent volcanic rocks in northern Peru and Ecuador, as well as rocks with long crustal residence time and carbonates from the Marañón Basin, Peru. The Beni-Madeira River has more radiogenic Sr isotope values (0.7255-0.7403), more negative EpslonNd(0) values (-20.46 to -10.47), and older Nd isotope model ages (from 1.40 to 2.35 Ga) when compared to the Marañón-Solimões River. These isotope data were related to the erosion of Paleozoic and Cenozoic foreland basins that are filled with Precambrian sediments derived from the Amazonian Craton. These basins are located in Bolivian Subandina Zone. The Amazon River presents intermediate isotopic values when compared to those found in the Marañón-Solimões and Beni-Madeira rivers. Its Sr isotope ratios range between 0.7193 and 0.7290, and its EpslonNd(0) values varies between -11.09 and -9.51. The Nd isotope model ages of the suspended sediments vary between 1.28 and 1.77 Ga. Concentrations of soluble and insoluble elements indicate a more intense weathering activity in sediments of the Beni-Madeira River. This river has a larger difference in the Sr isotopic composition between the diluted and solid phases, which has been assigned to the high level of weathering of its sediment source area. In the Beni-Madeira River sub-basin dominates weathering of silicate rocks, while in the Marañón-Solimões River sub-basin there also weathering of carbonate and evaporitic rocks.

Reproductive and feeding spatial dynamics of the black scabbardfish, Aphanopus carbo Lowe, 1839, in NE Atlantic inferred from fatty acid and stable isotope analyses

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Farias, Inês; Figueiredo, Ivone; Janeiro, Ana Isabel; Bandarra, Narcisa Maria; Batista, Irineu; Morales-Nin, Beatriz

2014-07-01

The black scabbardfish (Aphanopus carbo) is a benthopelagic species widely distributed across the NE Atlantic, where it is admitted to perform a clockwise migration throughout its life cycle stimulated by feeding and reproduction. To overcome the limitations of direct observation of this species, fatty acids profile (FA) and δ15N and δ13C stable isotopes (SI) were analyzed in the muscle tissue of the black scabbardfish and related with diet and maturity. Specimens were collected in four geographic areas in the NE Atlantic: Iceland, the west of the British Isles, mainland Portugal, and Madeira. For all areas, the FA profile was related with the different phases of the reproductive cycle and with diet, whereas the SI were related with diet, environmental characteristics, such as latitude and depth, and particulate organic matter (POM). Stomach content of black scabbardfish caught off mainland Portugal was analyzed and the most frequent prey item identified was the lophogastrid crustacean Gnathophausia zoea, followed by the cephalopod Mastigotheutis spp. and the teleost Rouleina maderensis. For specimens from Iceland and the west of the British Isles, monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA) were the most important FA, followed by polyunsaturated (PUFA) and saturated FA (SFA), whereas for specimens from mainland Portugal and from Madeira the sequences were PUFA>MUFA>SFA and PUFA>SFA>MUFA, respectively. Immature specimens from the first three areas were found to be accumulating oleic acid which is an intermediate product of the metabolic pathway that transforms SFA to MUFA and these into PUFA. Specimens caught off Madeira were mature and showed a significant prevalence of ARA and DHA which are PUFA with an important role in reproduction. δ15N was significantly higher in the muscle of black scabbardfish from Madeira, whereas δ13C was significantly lower in specimens from Iceland. The low isotopic ratios as well as the prevalence of certain fatty acid trophic markers (FATM) connected specimens from Iceland with small prey. Results indicated that the spatial differences in physiological aspects of this species are related with diet and prey availability in Madeira, mainland Portugal, and the west of the British Isles, as well as variations in the baseline values of the primary production that are related with latitude and depth, mainly in Iceland. The allometric effect of each area's size ranges over δ15N supports the existence of ontogenic differences in the black scabbardfish's diet. This diet is typical of mobile benthopelagic predators that are opportunistic feeders.

Hypertriglyceridemia: Is there a role for prophylactic apheresis? A case report.

PubMed

Francisco, Ana Rita; Gonçalves, Inês; Veiga, Fátima; Pedro, Mónica Mendes; Pinto, Fausto J; Brito, Dulce

2016-01-01

Severe hypertriglyceridemia has been consistently associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease and other complications, namely acute pancreatitis. We report a case of a 64 year-old woman with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy and metabolic syndrome with triglyceride level of 3260 mg/dL. Plasma exchange was performed with simultaneous medical treatment to achieve a rapid and effective lowering of triglycerides in order to prevent clinical complications. After three plasmapheresis sessions a marked reduction in triglyceride and total cholesterol levels was observed. Several cases have shown the importance of plasmapheresis in the treatment of acute pancreatitis. We intend to demonstrate the applicability of this technique as primary prophylaxis in the presence of extremely high serum triglyceridemia levels. Resumo A hipertrigliceridemia grave tem sido associada de forma consistente ao aumento do risco cardiovascular e a outras complicações, nomeadamente, pancreatite aguda. Descrevemos um caso de uma mulher de 64 anos, com miocardiopatia hipertrófica e síndrome metabólica com valor sérico de triglicerídeos de 3260 mg/dL. Foi efectuada plasmaferese e optimizado o tratamento médico para alcançar uma redução rápida e efectiva dos níveis dos triglicerídeos, prevenindo complicações clínicas. Após três sessões de plasmaferese, verificou-se uma redução marcada dos triglicerídeos e do colesterol total. Existem alguns casos descritos na literatura demonstrado a importância da plasmaferese no tratamento da pancreatite aguda em contexto de hipertrigliceridemia grave. Os autores pretendem com este caso demonstrar a aplicabilidade desta técnica em contexto de prevenção primária em doentes com níveis de triglicerídeos extremamente aumentados.

Species conservation profiles of endemic spiders (Araneae) from Madeira and Selvagens archipelagos, Portugal.

PubMed

Cardoso, Pedro; Crespo, Luís C; Silva, Isamberto; Borges, Paulo Av; Boieiro, Mário

2017-01-01

The North Atlantic archipelagos of Madeira and Selvagens present a unique biological diversity including, presently, 56 endemic spider species. Several recent projects provide valuable information on their distribution across most islands and habitats. To date, the only endemic spider assessed according to the IUCN Red List criteria is Hogna ingens. The objective of this paper is to assess all remaining endemic species and advise on possible future conservation actions critical for the survival of endangered species. Seven species were found to have a continuing decline in either range or population size. Their decline can be mostly attributed to habitat destruction or degradation, invasive plant species that reduce quality of habitat, forest fires at high mountain regions and possible competition for resources from invasive congeners. The tetragnathid M. barreti is considered as possibly extinct due to the suspected impact of a competing species. Although most endemic spiders from the Madeira and Selvagens archipelagos have relatively low extinction risk due to the good condition and protection of the laurisilva forests where many live, there are a number of species requiring urgent attention and protection measures. These include all cave and mountain-restricted species as well as those threatened by competing congeners or invasive plants. Extending current protected areas, restoring original habitats of threatened species and the control of invasive taxa should remain a priority for species survival.

Species conservation profiles of endemic spiders (Araneae) from Madeira and Selvagens archipelagos, Portugal

PubMed Central

Crespo, Luís C; Silva, Isamberto; Borges, Paulo AV; Boieiro, Mário

2017-01-01

Abstract Background The North Atlantic archipelagos of Madeira and Selvagens present a unique biological diversity including, presently, 56 endemic spider species. Several recent projects provide valuable information on their distribution across most islands and habitats. To date, the only endemic spider assessed according to the IUCN Red List criteria is Hogna ingens. The objective of this paper is to assess all remaining endemic species and advise on possible future conservation actions critical for the survival of endangered species. New information Seven species were found to have a continuing decline in either range or population size. Their decline can be mostly attributed to habitat destruction or degradation, invasive plant species that reduce quality of habitat, forest fires at high mountain regions and possible competition for resources from invasive congeners. The tetragnathid M. barreti is considered as possibly extinct due to the suspected impact of a competing species. Although most endemic spiders from the Madeira and Selvagens archipelagos have relatively low extinction risk due to the good condition and protection of the laurisilva forests where many live, there are a number of species requiring urgent attention and protection measures. These include all cave and mountain-restricted species as well as those threatened by competing congeners or invasive plants. Extending current protected areas, restoring original habitats of threatened species and the control of invasive taxa should remain a priority for species survival. PMID:29104441

Sclerochronological study of a dog cockle (Glycymeris glycymeris L.) population from the Madeira Islands

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Németh, Alexandra; Kern, Zoltán

2017-04-01

The use of the annual increments in the shell of the abundant dog cockle (Glycymeris glycymeris L.) in sclerochronological studies has been demonstrated to be a valid method to reconstruct oceanographic variability in the North Atlantic region [1,2]. However, the sclerochronological potential of the species has not been investigated at the southern limit of its distribution, at the southern North East Atlantic. Therefore the first aim of our study was to analyse growth patterns of G. glycymeris specimens collected around the Madeira Islands to understand which environmental variable has the strongest limiting effect on their growth. The second aim was to find out whether G. glycymeris could be used to build chronologies for sea surface temperature (SST) reconstruction for the region. In 2013 a group of dead shells were collected near the Desertas Islands, Madeira, at 80-300 m water depth range, together with two living specimens. The live collected shells were relatively young (<37 years) while the dead shells proved to have much higher ontogenetic ages (up to 164 years). All groups showed similar ontogenetic trends, however, the average growth rate in the shallower environment was higher in the first four years of their life compared to the deeper collection sites. Subsets of the Madeira (n=18) samples could be collected into a robust chronology: between 1950 and 2000 the value of the expressed population signal EPS was found to be higher than 0.8. In this time interval their composite chronology exhibited negative correlation (r=-0.6, p<0.1.) with the averaged February-May SST fields around Madeira. At the same time, it correlated positively (r>0.8) with the averaged February satellite derived Chlorophyll (Chl) concentrations in the region, although this data was available only between 1998 and 2012. Our results suggest that the relationship between shell growth of G. glycymeris and SST is complex and not direct. In contrast with the northern populations the low water temperature was not a limiting environmental factor for the shells. Chl concentration of the surface water around the Madeira Islands usually exhibits a maximum in February or March (spring phytoplankton bloom) when vertical mixing is the most intensive and SST is the lowest during the year. This could explain the negative correlation between the shell growth and SST. The vertical mixing, timing and the intensity of the blooms are controlled by regional atmospheric patterns, such as the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) [3]. [1] Brocas, W.M., Reynolds, D.J., Butler, P.G., Richardson, C.A., Scourse, J.D., Ridgway, I.D., Ramsay, K., 2013. The dog cockle, Glycymeris glycymeris (L.), a new annually resolved sclerochronological archive for the Irish Sea. Paleogeogr. Paleoclimatol. Palaeoecol. 373, 133-140. [2] Reynolds, D.J., Butler, P.G., Williams, S.M., Scourse, J.D., Richardson, C.A., Wanamaker, A.D., Austin, W.E.N., Cage, A.G., 2013. A multiproxy reconstruction of Hebridean (NW Scotland) spring sea surface temperatures between AD 1805 and 2010. Paleogeogr. Paleoclimatol. Paleoecol. 386, 275-285. [3] Bashmachnikov, I., Belonenko, T.V., Koldunov, A.V., 2013 Intra-annual and interannual non-stationary cycles of chlorophyll concentration in the Northeast Atlantic. Remote Sens. of Environ. 137, 55-68.

Sunny Side Up

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Murphy, Jim

1976-01-01

Energy conservation high on the client's priority list led to a solar collector roof for the new science building at the Madeira School, located in the Virginia suburbs of Washington, D.C. (Author/MLF)

Using stable isotopes to characterize groundwater recharge sources in the volcanic island of Madeira, Portugal

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Prada, Susana; Cruz, J. Virgílio; Figueira, Celso

2016-05-01

The hydrogeology of volcanic islands remains poorly understood, despite the fact that populations that live on them rely on groundwater as a primary water source. This situation is exacerbated by their complex structure, geological heterogeneity, and sometimes active volcanic processes that hamper easy analysis of their hydrogeological dynamics. Stable isotope analysis is a powerful tool that has been used to assess groundwater dynamics in complex terrains. In this work, stable isotopes are used to better understand the hydrogeology of Madeira Island and provide a case-study that can serve as a basis for groundwater studies in other similar settings. The stable isotopic composition (δ18O and δ2H) of rain at the main recharge areas of the island is determined, as well as the sources and altitudes of recharge of several springs, groundwater in tunnels and wells. The water in tunnels was found to be recharged almost exclusively by rain in the deforested high plateaus, whilst several springs associated with shallow perched aquifers are recharged from rain and cloud water interception by the vegetated slopes. Nevertheless some springs thought to be sourced from deep perched aquifers, recharge in the central plateaus, and their isotopic composition is similar to the water in the tunnels. Recharge occurs primarily during autumn and winter, as evidenced by the springs and tunnels Water Lines (WL). The groundwater in wells appears to originate from runoff from rain that falls along the slopes that infiltrates near the streams' mouths, where the wells are located. This is evident by the evaporation line along which the wells plot. Irrigation water is also a possible source of recharge. The data is compatible with the hydrogeological conceptual model of Madeira. This work also shows the importance of cloud water interception as a net contributor to groundwater recharge, at least in the perched aquifers that feed numerous springs. As the amount of rainfall is expected to decrease until the end of the century and water supply to become scarcer, cloud water interception might become an increasingly important aspect of Madeira Island hydrology.

Gravitational, erosional and sedimentary processes on volcanic ocean islands: Insights from the submarine morphology of Madeira archipelago

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Quartau, R.; Ramalho, R.; Madeira, J.; Santos, R.; Rodrigues, A.; Roque, C.; Carrara, G.; da Silveira, A. B.

2017-12-01

In this work we report detailed observations of high-resolution bathymetric and backscatter mosaics of Madeira archipelago covering from the nearshore to the deep sea and relate them with the physical and geological setting of the islands. Our observations reveal that the submarine flanks of the archipelago are deeply dissected by large landslide scars and that most of them have involved subaerial material. Below the shelf break, landslide chutes develop downslope forming poorly defined depositional lobes. Around the islands, a large tributary system composed of gullies and channels develop where no significant rocky/ridge outcrops are present. This system is likely formed by turbidity currents that are triggered by hyperpicnal flows in Madeira or by storm-induced offshore sediment transport on Porto Santo and Desertas islands. At the lower part of the flanks (-3000 to -4300 m), where seafloor gradients decrease to 0.5º-3º, several scour and sediment wave fields are present, with the former normally occurring upslope of the latter. Sediment waves are often associated with the depositional lobes of the landslides but also occur offshore poorly-developed tributary systems. Sediment wave fields and scours are mostly absent on areas where the tributary systems are well developed and/or are dominated by rocky outcrops. Our study suggests that scours and sediment wave fields are probably formed by turbidity currents that suffer hydraulic jumps where the seafloor gradients are significantly reduced and where the currents become unconfined. The largest scours were found in areas without upslope channel systems and independently of wave fields, although also related to unconfined turbidity currents. Our observations show that tributary systems are better developed in prominent and rainy islands such as Madeira. On low and dry islands such as Porto Santo and Desertas, these are poorly developed and unconfined turbidite currents favour the development of scours and sediment wave fields. AcknowledgmentsThis work is funded by FCT-Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia through the PLATMAR project (PTDC/GEO-GEO/0051/2014)

Temporal Trends and Hydrological Controls of Fisheries Production in the Madeira River (Brazil)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kaplan, D. A.; Lima, M. A.; Doria, C.

2016-12-01

Amazonian river systems are characterized by a strongly seasonal flood pulse and important hydrologic effects have been observed in the dynamics of fish stocks and fishing yields. Changes in the Amazon's freshwater ecosystems from hydropower development will have a cascade of physical, ecological, and social effects and impacts on fish and fisheries are expected to be potentially irreversible. In this work we investigate shared trends and causal factors driving fish catch in the Madeira River (a major tributary of the Amazon) before dam construction to derive relationships between catch and natural hydrologic dynamics. We applied Dynamic Factor Analysis to investigate dynamics in fish catch across ten commercially important fish species in the Madeira River using daily fish landings data including species and total weight and daily hydrological data obtained from the Brazilian Geological Service. Total annual catch averaged over the 18-yr period (1990-2007) was 849 tons yr-1. Species with the highest catch included curimatã, dourada/filhote and pacu, highlighting the importance of medium and long-distance migratory species for fisheries production. We found a four-trend dynamic factor model (DFM) to best fit the observed data, assessed using the Akaike Information Criteria. Model goodness of fit was fair (R2=0.51) but highly variable across species (0.16 ≤ R2 ≤ 0.95). Fitted trends exhibited strong and regular year-to-year variation representative of the seasonal hydrologic pulsing observed on the Madeira River. Next, we considered 11 candidate explanatory time series and found the best DFM used four explanatory variables and only one common trend. While the model fit with explanatory variables was lower (R2=0.31) it removed much reliance on unknown common trends. The most important explanatory variable in this model was maximum water level followed by days flooded, river flow of the previous year and increment. We found unique responses to hydrological variations across the ten species, suggesting that dam operating rules need to closely mimic natural hydrologic regime in order to maintain the dynamics of these ecosystems. Future multidisciplinary analyses to understand the complex social-ecological effects of dams are needed to improve management practices and support sustainable livelihoods.

Estudo de cavidade reentrante supercondutora a ser utilizada nos transdutores paramétricos do detector brasileiro de ondas gravitacionais Mario Schenberg

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ribeiro, K. L.; Furtado, S. R.; Aguiar, O. D.; Frajuca, C.

2003-08-01

Cavidades reentrantes de nióbio vêm sendo utilizadas pelo grupo Australiano nos transdutores eletromecânicos paramétricos do detector de ondas gravitacionais Niobè. Esses transdutores paramétricos são ativados por um sinal AC na faixa de microondas (banda X), que é modulado pelo sinal mecânico da vibração da antena esférica, com a variação de um parâmetro, que, no caso, é a capacitância da cavidade. Nós estudamos esse tipo de cavidade, com o objetivo de transformá-la de reentrante aberta para reentrante fechada, de forma a utilizá-la nos transdutores paramétricos do detector brasileiro Mario Schenberg. O desempenho do transdutor depende de alguns parâmetros da cavidade, como a sua Figura de Mérito (Q elétrico) e o seu acoplamento elétrico com o circuito externo. Neste trabalho mostramos a medida do Q elétrico como função do acoplamento, do acabamento superficial interno e do vazamento de microondas da cavidade, e mostramos o desempenho esperado para o detector Mario Schenberg usando uma cavidade supercondutora reentrante fechada de nióbio.

Identification, rearing, and distribution of stick insects of Madeira Island: An example of raising biodiversity awareness

PubMed Central

Aguiar, António M. F.; Pombo, Dora Aguin; Gonçalves, Ysabel M.

2014-01-01

Abstract Two species of stick insects are currently known to be present in the Macaronesian archipelagos: Clonopsis gallica (Charpentier) (Phasmatodea: Bacillidae) on the Canary Islands and in the Azores and Carausius morosus (Sinéty) (Phasmatidae) in the Azores. Here, we provide the first reliable records of the presence and distribution of C. gallica and C. morosus on Madeira Island. Egg and adult stages are briefly described along with some notes on the life history of these species in captivity. Data on islandwide distribution are based on specimens donated by the public in response to an article published in a daily newspaper. This method of data collection raised great popular interest in stick insects. The role of newspapers as a means of communicating awareness in biodiversity issues is discussed. PMID:25373196

Growth trends in boys and girls (10-17 years-old) from autonomous region of Madeira, Portugal between 1996-1998 and 2007-2009.

PubMed

Sousa, B; Oliveira, B M P M; de Almeida, M D V

2012-01-01

Growth trends have never been studied in adolescents of the Autonomous Region of Madeira, Portugal. To analyse growth trends in weight, height, body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC), mid-upper arm circumference (MUAC) and triceps skin-fold thickness (TST) of adolescents (10-17 years old) of the Autonomous Region of Madeira between 1996-1998 and 2007-2009. A cross-sectional study was carried out between 2007-2009, including 4314 adolescents, 2237 girls and 2077 boys (10-17 years old). To study secular growth trends, data were compared with a sample from 1996-1998, comparing the means for each anthropometric variable by age and sex using the independent-sample t-test. An average increase was found in weight of 5.8 kg in boys and 6.3 kg in girls; in height of 3.0 cm in boys and 3.7 cm in girls; in BMI of 1.5 kg/m(2) in boys and 1.7 kg/m(2) in girls; in WC a difference of 5.6 cm and 4.9 cm for boys and girls, respectively, and for MUAC a difference of 2.7 cm in boys and 2.0 cm in girls. No differences were found in TST in boys, but in girls an increase of 1.2 mm was observed. A general increase in anthropometric measurements, more marked in weight, BMI, WC and MUAC and at younger ages, was observed.

Pleuroparenchymal fibroelastosis: report of two cases in Brazil.

PubMed

Gomes, Paula Silva; Shiang, Christina; Szarf, Gilberto; Coletta, Ester Nei Aparecida Martins; Pereira, Carlos Alberto de Castro

2017-01-01

Pleuroparenchymal fibroelastosis (PPFE) is a rare lung disease. It can be idiopathic or associated with any one of various conditions. To our knowledge, this is the first report of two cases of PPFE in Brazil. Our first patient presented with pleural and subpleural fibrosis in the upper lobes; a spiculated nodule in the left upper lobe; and a mild reticular pattern in the lower lobes. Surgical lung biopsy revealed PPFE in the upper lobes, including the nodule, and unclassified interstitial pneumonia in the left lower lobe. Our second patient had a history of exposure to domestic birds, indicating a risk of hypersensitivity pneumonitis, and presented with advanced lung disease, predominantly in the upper lobes, together with subpleural fibrosis.That patient underwent lung transplantation. In the explant specimen, PPFE and granulomas were identified, suggesting hypersensitivity pneumonitis as an associated cause. RESUMO A fibroelastose pleuroparenquimatosa (FEPP) é uma doença pulmonar rara, podendo ser idiopática ou associada a diversas condições. Pelo que sabemos, este é o primeiro relato de dois casos de FEPP no Brasil. Nosso primeiro paciente apresentava fibrose pleural e subpleural nos lobos superiores, um nódulo espiculado no lobo superior esquerdo e um padrão reticular discreto nos lobos inferiores. A biópsia pulmonar cirúrgica demonstrou FEPP nos lobos superiores, incluindo no nódulo, e pneumonia intersticial não classificada no lobo inferior esquerdo. Nosso segundo paciente tinha história de exposição a aves domésticas, indicando um risco de pneumonite de hipersensibilidade, e doença pulmonar avançada predominando em lobos superiores, com fibrose subpleural. Esse paciente foi submetido a transplante pulmonar. No espécime do explante, FEPP e granulomas foram identificados, sugerindo pneumonite de hipersensibilidade como causa associada.

A importância da poeira e ondas de Alfvén na estabilidade de nuvens moleculares anãs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Falceta-Gonçalves, D.; de Juli, M. C.; Jatenco-Pereira, V.

2003-08-01

Nuvens moleculares anãs se apresentam dinamicamente estáveis, embora possuam massas muito maiores que a massa de Jeans. Por este motivo, a estabilidade destes objetos não pode ser explicada considerando-se apenas a pressão térmica. Campos magnéticos, aproximadamente uniformes e de ~mG, exercem um termo extra de pressão que sustenta a nuvem, mas somente na direção perpendicular às linhas de campo. Para a direção paralela, ondas de Alfvén geradas por turbulências no meio, por exemplo, têm sido utilizadas. Estas, sendo supostamente fracamente amortecidas, poderiam sustentar a nuvem nesta direção. Entretanto, estes meios contêm grandes quantidades de poeira carregada eletricamente. Estes grãos de poeira possuem frequências cíclotron, que podem entrar em ressonância com as ondas. Neste trabalho calculamos os efeitos que o amortecimento cíclotron da poeira teriam na propagação da onda, e consequentemente na estabilidade da nuvem. Considerando um fluxo de ondas, com um dado espectro de frequências, e uma população de grãos de poeira, com distribuição de tamanho observada, foi possível mostrar que o amortecimento é eficiente em uma larga banda de frequências. Neste caso as ondas seriam rapidamente amortecidas gerando pequenas condensações de alta densidade, e não poderiam ser utilizadas para explicar a estabilidade de uma nuvem inteira. Desta forma, rotação e turbulência seriam candidatos alternativos para garantir a estabilidade destes objetos.

Precessão do jato de 3C120: simulações hidrodinâmicas 3D

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Caproni, A.; de Gouveia dal Pino, E. M.; Abraham, Z.; Raga, A. C.

2003-08-01

Observações com técnicas de interferometria com longa linha de base têm mostrado a existência de um jato relativístico com componentes superluminais na região central de 3C 120. Estas componentes são ejetadas em distintas direções no plano do céu e com diferentes velocidades aparentes. Estas características foram interpretadas em trabalhos anteriores como efeitos da precessão do jato relativístico. Neste trabalho, realizamos simulações tri-dimensionais do jato de 3C 120 utilizando os parâmetros de precessão determinados em trabalhos anteriores e variando as características iniciais do jato e meio ambiente, tais como densidade numérica e temperatura. Todas as simulações foram feitas com o código hidrodinâmico YGUAZÚ-A, assumindo-se um jato adiabático descrito por uma equação de estado relativística. Pelo fato de estarmos utilizando um código hidrodinâmico, nós assumimos que a intensidade do campo magnético e a distribuição de partículas, necessários para se calcular a emissão sincrotron, são proporcionais à pressão hidrodinâmica. Comparação entre dois cenários distintos, nos quais o material do jato é ejetado com velocidade constante (jato contínuo) e com velocidade modulada por um padrão sinusoidal no tempo (jato intermitente), é apresentada e discutida. Para jatos que apresentam fenômenos de precessão e intermitência, com amplitude de variação na velocidade de injeção maior que dez por cento da velocidade média de injeção, a hipótese balística, controlada pela intermitencia, é mais provável. Por outro lado, para jatos com precessão mas sem intermitência (ou com amplitude de variabilidade em velocidade mais baixa que no caso anterior), o efeito da precessão na morfologia do jato não é desprezível. Portanto, de um modo geral, ambos efeitos (precessão e movimentos balísticos) devem estar concorrendo para afetar a morfologia dos jatos superluminais.

Tratamento endovascular de aneurisma de tronco braquiocefálico em paciente com síndrome de Ehlers-Danlos tipo IV

PubMed Central

Belczak, Sergio Quilici; Klajner, Rafael Kogan; Ogawa, Lara Cote; Lucato, Laís Leite; Zeque, Bruna Stecca; de Macedo, Felipe Basso; da Silva, Ingredy Tavares; Atihe, Luís Felipe

2016-01-01

Resumo A síndrome de Ehlers-Danlos é uma doença genética que acarreta alteração na síntese de colágeno, causando extrema fragilidade do tecido conjuntivo. Tal fragilidade predispõe a uma série de doenças vasculares, como dissecções, aneurismas e pseudoaneurismas. Os autores relatam o histórico de um indivíduo de 19 anos com aneurisma de tronco braquiocefálico que foi submetido ao tratamento endovascular com implante de stents revestidos. O caso evoluiu com complicação do sítio de punção, que também foi tratada em caráter de emergência pela técnica endovascular com o implante de stent revestido.

Care production for tuberculosis cases:analysis according to the elements of the Chronic Care Model.

PubMed

Silva, Daiane Medeiros da; Farias, Hérika Brito Gomes de; Villa, Tereza Cristina Scatena; Sá, Lenilde Duarte de; Brunello, Maria Eugênia Firmino; Nogueira, Jordana de Almeida

2016-04-01

To analyze the care provided to tuberculosis cases in primary health care services according to the elements of the Chronic Care Model. Cross-sectional study conducted in a capital city of the northeastern region of Brazil involving 83 Family Health Strategy professionals.A structured tool adapted to tuberculosis-related care in Brazil was applied.Analysis was based on the development of indicators with capacity to produce care varying between limited and optimum. The organization of care for tuberculosis and supported self-care presented reasonable capacity.In the coordination with the community, the presence of the community agent presented optimum capacity.Partnership with organizations of the community and involvement of experts presented limited capacity.The qualification of professionals, the system for scheduling and monitoring tuberculosis in the community, and the clinical information system presented basic capacity. The capacity of the primary health care services to produce tuberculosis-related care according to the elements of the Chronic Care Model is still limited.Overcoming the fragmentation of care and prioritizing a systemic operation between actions and services of the health care network remains as a major challenge. Analisar,segundo os elementos doChronicCareModel,a produção do cuidado aos casos de tuberculose nos serviços de Atenção Primária à Saúde. Estudo transversal, realizado em capital do nordeste brasileiro, envolvendo 83 profissionais da Estratégia Saúde da Família. Aplicou-se um instrumento estruturado, adaptado para atenção à tuberculose no Brasil. A análise pautou-se na construção de indicadores, cujacapacidade para produção de cuidados variou entre limitada a ótima. A organização da atenção à tuberculose e o autocuidado apoiado apresentaram capacidade razoável. Na articulação com a comunidade, a presençadoagente comunitário de saúde apresentou capacidade ótima. A parceria com organizações da comunidade e o envolvimento de especialistas obtiveram capacidade limitada. A capacitação dos profissionais, o sistema de agendamento e monitoramento da tuberculose na comunidade e o sistema de informação clínica alcançaram capacidade básica. A capacidade dos serviços da Atenção Primária à Saúde para produção do cuidado aos casos de tuberculose,segundo os elementos doChronicCareModel,ainda é limitada.Superar a fragmentação do cuidado e priorizar um funcionamento sistêmico entre ações e serviços da rede de atenção à saúde é ainda um grande desafio.

Gravitational, erosional and depositional processes on volcanic ocean islands: Insights from the submarine morphology of Madeira Archipelago

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Quartau, Rui; Ramalho, Ricardo S.; Madeira, José; Santos, Rúben; Rodrigues, Aurora; Roque, Cristina; Carrara, Gabriela; Brum da Silveira, António

2018-01-01

The submarine flanks of volcanic ocean islands are shaped by a variety of physical processes. Whilst volcanic constructional processes are relatively well understood, the gravitational, erosional and depositional processes that lead to the establishment of large submarine tributary systems are still poorly comprehended. Until recently, few studies have offered a comprehensive source-to-sink approach, linking subaerial morphology with near-shore shelf, slope and far-field abyssal features. In particular, few studies have addressed how different aspects of the subaerial part of the system (island height, climate, volcanic activity, wave regime, etc.) may influence submarine flank morphologies. We use multibeam bathymetric and backscatter mosaics of an entire archipelago - Madeira - to investigate the development of their submarine flanks. Crucially, this dataset extends from the nearshore to the deep sea, allowing a solid correlation between submarine morphologies with the physical and geological setting of the islands. In this study we also established a comparison with other island settings, which allowed us to further explore the wider implications of the observations. The submarine flanks of the Madeira Archipelago are deeply dissected by large landslides, most of which also affected the subaerial edifices. Below the shelf break, landslide chutes extend downslope forming poorly defined depositional lobes. Around the islands, a large tributary system composed of gullies and channels has formed where no significant rocky/ridge outcrops are present. In Madeira Island these were likely generated by turbidity currents that originated as hyperpycnal flows, whilst on Porto Santo and Desertas their origin is attributed to storm-induced offshore sediment transport. At the lower part of the flanks (-3000 to -4300 m), where seafloor gradients decrease to 0.5°-3°, several scour and sediment wave fields are present, with the former normally occurring upslope of the latter. Sediment waves are often associated with the depositional lobes of the landslides but also occur offshore poorly-developed tributary systems. Sediment wave fields and scours are mostly absent in areas where the tributary systems are well developed and/or are dominated by rocky outcrops. This suggests that scours and sediment wave fields are probably generated by turbidity currents, which experience hydraulic jumps where seafloor gradients are significantly reduced and where the currents become unconfined. The largest scours were found in areas without upslope channel systems and where wave fields are absent, and are also interpreted to have formed from unconfined turbidity currents. Our observations show that tributary systems are better developed in taller and rainy islands such as Madeira. On low-lying and dry islands such as Porto Santo and Desertas, tributary systems are poorly developed with unconfined turbidite currents favouring the development of scours and sediment wave fields. These observations provide a more comprehensive understanding of which factors control the gravitational, erosional, and depositional features shaping the submarine flanks of volcanic ocean islands.

Automated object-based classification of rain-induced landslides with VHR multispectral images in Madeira Island

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Heleno, S.; Matias, M.; Pina, P.; Sousa, A. J.

2015-09-01

A method for semi-automatic landslide detection, with the ability to separate source and run-out areas, is presented in this paper. It combines object-based image analysis and a Support Vector Machine classifier on a GeoEye-1 multispectral image, sensed 3 days after the major damaging landslide event that occurred in Madeira island (20 February 2010), with a pre-event LIDAR Digital Elevation Model. The testing is developed in a 15 km2-wide study area, where 95 % of the landslides scars are detected by this supervised approach. The classifier presents a good performance in the delineation of the overall landslide area. In addition, fair results are achieved in the separation of the source from the run-out landslide areas, although in less illuminated slopes this discrimination is less effective than in sunnier east facing-slopes.

Madeirasquilla tuerkayi, a new genus and species of mantis shrimps from Madeira Island, eastern Atlantic (Crustacea: Stomatopoda: Nannosquillidae).

PubMed

ĎuriŠ, ZdenĚk

2018-03-22

Madeirasquilla tuerkayi is described as a new genus and species of the nannosquillid mantis shrimps (Stomatopoda) based on a single specimen collected from Madeira, eastern Atlantic. That specimen is remarkable by a combination of the following morphological characters: rostral plate with three sharp anterior projections; antennal protopod with two mesial and one ventral papillae; cornea subglobular; raptorial claw dactylus with 11 or 12 teeth, and with acute proximal tooth on outer margin; pleonite 6 with strong posterolateral spine and two posteriorly directed sternal spines; telson bearing smooth shield-like dorsal prominence with acute median spine posteriorly; four pairs of fixed primary teeth posteriorly on the telson; outer primary spine of uropodal protopod longer than inner primary spine. The separate position of the new genus is supported also by molecular comparison. A key to the genera of the family Nannosquillidae is proposed.

On the type locality of Sorubim trigonocephalus Miranda-Ribeiro, 1920 (Siluriformes: Pimelodidae).

PubMed

Ohara, Willian Massaharu; Neuhaus, Emanuel Bruno

2016-07-11

Sorubim trigonocephalus was described in 1920 by Alípio de Miranda Ribeiro, based on a single specimen collected in a locality identified as "Porto Velho", during the "Comissão das Linhas Telegráficas Estratégicas de Mato Grosso ao Amazonas" (more commonly known as Rondon Commission). Given that the type locality is Porto Velho, the species has been referred to the Madeira River basin (Lundberg & Littmann, 2003; Littmann, 2007; Eschmeyer et al., 2016). Nevertheless, after its description, no additional specimens were collected in the Madeira basin despite several ichthyological expeditions undertaken to the area (Santos, 1996; Camargo & Giarrizzo, 2007; Rapp Py-Daniel et al., 2007; Perin et al., 2007; Pedroza et al., 2012; Casatti et al., 2013; Queiroz et al., 2013a), some of them including region of Porto Velho (Fowler, 1913; Araújo et al., 2009; Torrente-Vilara et al., 2011; Queiroz et al., 2013b).

Wake Response to an Ocean-Feedback Mechanism: Madeira Island Case Study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Caldeira, Rui M. A.; Tomé, Ricardo

2013-08-01

We focus on an island wake episode that occurred in the Madeira Archipelago region of the north-east Atlantic at 32.5° N, 17° W. The Weather Research and Forecasting numerical model was used in a (one-way) downscaling mode, considering initial and boundary conditions from the European Centre for Medium-range Weather Forecasts system. The current literature emphasizes adiabatic effects on the dynamical aspects of atmospheric wakes. Changes in mountain height and consequently its relation to the atmospheric inversion layer should explain the shift in wake regimes, from a `strong-wake' to `weak-wake' scenario. Nevertheless, changes in sea-surface temperature variability in the lee of an island can induce similar regime shifts because of exposure to stronger solar radiation. Increase in evaporation contributes to the enhancement of convection and thus to the uplift of the stratified atmospheric layer above the critical height, with subsequent internal gravity wave activity.

A new species of Scinax from the Purus-Madeira interfluve, Brazilian Amazonia (Anura, Hylidae).

PubMed

Ferrão, Miquéias; Moravec, Jiří; de Fraga, Rafael; de Almeida, Alexandre Pinheiro; Kaefer, Igor Luis; Lima, Albertina Pimentel

2017-01-01

A new tree frog species of the genus Scinax from the interfluve between the Purus and Madeira rivers, Brazilian Amazonia, is described and illustrated. The new species is diagnosed by medium body size, snout truncate in dorsal view, ulnar and tarsal tubercles absent, nuptial pads poorly developed, skin on dorsum shagreen, dorsum light brown with dark brown spots and markings, white groin with black spots, anterior and posterior surfaces of thighs black, and iris bright orange. The advertisement call consists of a single short note, with 16-18 pulses and dominant frequency at 1572-1594 Hz. Tadpoles are characterized by body ovoid in dorsal view and triangular in lateral view, tail higher than body, oral disc located anteroventrally and laterally emarginated, dorsum of body uniformly grey-brown with dark brown eye-snout stripe in preservative, fins translucent with small to large irregular diffuse dark brown spots.

A new species of Scinax from the Purus-Madeira interfluve, Brazilian Amazonia (Anura, Hylidae)

PubMed Central

Ferrão, Miquéias; Moravec, Jiří; de Fraga, Rafael; de Almeida, Alexandre Pinheiro; Kaefer, Igor Luis; Lima, Albertina Pimentel

2017-01-01

Abstract A new tree frog species of the genus Scinax from the interfluve between the Purus and Madeira rivers, Brazilian Amazonia, is described and illustrated. The new species is diagnosed by medium body size, snout truncate in dorsal view, ulnar and tarsal tubercles absent, nuptial pads poorly developed, skin on dorsum shagreen, dorsum light brown with dark brown spots and markings, white groin with black spots, anterior and posterior surfaces of thighs black, and iris bright orange. The advertisement call consists of a single short note, with 16−18 pulses and dominant frequency at 1572−1594 Hz. Tadpoles are characterized by body ovoid in dorsal view and triangular in lateral view, tail higher than body, oral disc located anteroventrally and laterally emarginated, dorsum of body uniformly grey-brown with dark brown eye-snout stripe in preservative, fins translucent with small to large irregular diffuse dark brown spots. PMID:29118625

Source area and seasonal variation of dissolved Sr isotope composition in rivers of the Amazon basin

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Santos, Roberto V.; Sondag, Francis; Cochonneau, Gerard; Lagane, Christelle; Brunet, Pierre; Hattingh, Karina; Chaves, Jeane G. S.

2014-05-01

We present dissolved Sr isotope data collected over 8 years from three main river systems from the Amazon Basin: Beni-Madeira, Solimões, Amazon, and Negro. The data show large 87Sr/86Sr ratio variations that were correlated with the water discharge and geology of the source areas of the suspended sediments. The Beni-Madeira system displays a high average 87Sr/86Sr ratio and large 87Sr/86Sr fluctuations during the hydrological cycle. This large average value and fluctuations were related to the presence of Precambrian rocks and Ordovician sediments in the source area of the suspended sediment of the river. In contrast, the Solimões system displays a narrow range of Sr isotope ratio variations and an average value close to 0.709. This river drains mostly Phanerozoic rocks of northern Peru and Ecuador that are characterized by low Sr isotope ratios. Despite draining areas underlain by Precambrian rocks and having high 87Sr/86Sr ratios, such rivers as the Negro and Tapajós play a minor role in the total Sr budget of the Amazon Basin. The isotopic fluctuations in the Beni-Madeira River were observed to propagate downstream at least as far as Óbidos, in the Amazon River. This signal is characterized by an inverse relationship between the concentration of elemental Sr and its isotopic ratios. During the raining season there is an increase in Sr isotopic ratio accompanied by a decrease in elemental Sr concentration. During the dry season, the Sr isotopic ration decreases and the elemental Sr concentration increases.

Farm It Out. An Interview with Steve Kramer.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

School Planning and Management, 1996

1996-01-01

Assistant Superintendent Steve Kramer explains that the primary objective of privatization in Madeira (Ohio) schools was to create more time for administrators to spend on educational issues. Transportation, food service, and custodial services are run by private companies. (MLF)

Emplacement and deformation of the A-type Madeira granite (Amazonian Craton, Brazil)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Siachoque, Astrid; Salazar, Carlos Alejandro; Trindade, Ricardo

2017-04-01

The Madeira granite is one of the Paleoproterozoic (1.82 Ga) A-type granite intrusions in the Amazonian Craton. It is elongated in the NE-SW direction and is composed of four facies. Classical structural techniques and the anisotropy of magnetic susceptibility (AMS) method were applied to the study of its internal fabric. Magnetic susceptibility measurements, thermomagnetic curves, remanent coercivity spectra, optical microscopy and SEM (scanning electron microscopy) analyses were carried out on the earlier and later facies of the Madeira granite: the rapakivi granite (RG) and the albite granite (AG) respectively. The last one is subdivided into the border albite granite (BAG) and the core albite granite (CAG) subfacies. AMS fabric pattern is controlled by pure magnetite in all facies, despite significant amounts of hematite in the BAG subfacies. Microstructural observations show that in almost all sites, magnetic fabric correlates to magmatic state fabrics that are defined by a weak NE-SW orientation of mafic and felsic silicates. However, strain mechanisms in both subfacies of AG also exhibit evidence for solid-state deformation at high to moderate temperatures. Pegmatite dyke, strike slip fault (SFA-B-C), hydrothermal vein, normal fault (F1-2) and joint (J) structures were observed and their orientation and kinematics is consistent with the magmatic and solid-state structures. Dykes, SFA-C and F1, are usually orientated along the N70°E/40°N plane, which is nearly parallel to the strike of AMS and magmatic foliations. In contrast, veins, SFB, F2 and some J are oriented perpendicular to the N70°E trend. Kinematic analysis in these structures shows evidence for a dextral sense of movement in the system in the brittle regime. The coherent structural pattern for the three facies of Madeira granite suggests that the different facies form a nested pluton. The coherence in orientation and kinematics from magmatic to high-temperature solid-state, and into the brittle regime indicates the continuity in the stress regime from the last magmatic stages until the complete cooling of the pluton, likely along a NE-SW dextral corridor related to the regional deformation in the Uatumã-Anauá Domain of the Amazonian Craton.

Deadly Fires Engulfing Madeira seen by NASA MISR

NASA Image and Video Library

2016-08-12

A wildfire spread to the capital city of Funchal on the island of Madeira, an autonomous region of Portugal, over the nighttime hours of Tuesday, Aug. 9, 2016, with three deaths reported and hundreds of others hospitalized. Several homes and a luxury hotel have burned, and a thousand people have been evacuated. The three fatalities are reported to be elderly people who were unable to escape when their homes caught fire. The fire ignited Monday, Aug. 8, after several weeks of scorching temperatures topping 95 degrees Fahrenheit and very dry weather. The entire island is only 30 miles (48 kilometers) from end to end, which naturally makes protecting the island's 270,000 residents and many tourists more difficult. The MISR (Multi-angle Imaging SpectroRadiometer) instrument aboard NASA's Terra satellite passed directly over the island of Madeira on Wednesday, Aug. 10, 2016. The left image is a true-color image taken by MISR's 60-degree forward-pointing camera. This oblique view gives a better view of the smoke than a downward-pointing view. The island of Madeira is the only land within the field of view, and the smoke from the wildfire is being blown to the southwest. The city of Funchal is located on the southeastern coast of the island. MISR's nine cameras, each viewing Earth at a different angle, can be used to determine the height of clouds and smoke above the surface in much the same way that our two eyes, pointing in slightly different directions, give us depth perception. The right-hand image shows MISR's publically available standard cloud top height product. These data show that the main body of clouds is indeed very low, less than 0.6 miles (1 kilometer) above sea level, while the smoke plume is about 1.9 miles (3 kilometers) high at the source, dropping lower as it is blown to the southwest. A stereo "anaglyph" of this scene is also available at PIA20886. As can be seen from both the MISR height product and the 3D anaglyph, the isolated clouds to the south are much higher than either the low clouds or the plume. Interestingly, the low clouds drop to almost sea level and then die out near where the smoke is present. These data were acquired during Terra orbit 88524. http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA20887

Uma análise do fenômeno “alternância de línguas” na fala de bilíngues intermodais (Libras e Português)

PubMed Central

de Sousa, Aline Nunes; de Quadros, Ronice Müller

2013-01-01

Um interessante fenômeno lingüístico presente nas interações das pessoas bilíngues é a alternância de línguas. Neste trabalho, estamos investigando a alternância entre a língua portuguesa oral e a língua de sinais brasileira – Libras, numa mesma cadeia enunciativa, com o objetivo de identificar e analisar o uso dessa alternância na fala de uma criança e de um adulto (ambos ouvintes, filhos de pais surdos), interagindo em uma situação de bilinguismo intermodal, com interlocutores surdos e ouvintes. A alternância de línguas, nesse caso, ocorre quando se para de falar em português e se alterna para sinalizar. O presente trabalho se caracteriza como um estudo inicial, com análise qualitativa de dados. Fazem parte do nosso corpus nove sessões de interações em Libras e em português oral, gravadas em vídeo, que fazem parte do Projeto Desenvolvimento Bilíngue Bimodal da UFSC. Os dados revelam que as características da alternância de línguas pelo adulto e pela criança parecem ter semelhanças e diferenças. O sujeito adulto parece ter feito um uso da alternância mais preocupado com o curso da interação. A criança, por sua vez, não parece tê-la usado com propósitos pragmáticos específicos. Quanto à extensão das alternâncias, pode-se perceber que tanto a criança quanto o adulto utilizaram enunciados maiores do que uma única palavra isolada. O papel dos interlocutores parece ter sido decisivo nas interações aqui investigadas – especialmente nas do adulto, já que a criança ainda está em processo de tomada de consciência do papel do interlocutor na interação. PMID:24379831

Cosmoeducação: uma proposta para o ensino de astronomia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Medeiros, L. A. L.; Jafelice, L. C.

2003-08-01

Entende-se por cosmoeducação o desenvolvimento vivencial da unidade homem-cosmo. Este conceito é norteado pela psicologia transpessoal, que estuda o ser humano em sua totalidade, onde suas relações ecológicas e cósmicas são de grande importância. Constata-se uma necessidade latente no ser humano moderno em resgatar uma relação holística com o Universo. Neste trabalho exploramos meios de cultivar a consciência de que o ser humano constitui parte integrante do cosmo e se relaciona com este com o objetivo de promover em si uma percepção ambiental mais ampla. Nossa hipótese de trabalho inicial foi que o ensino de conteúdos básicos em astronomia realizado através de uma abordagem holística, que incorpore práticas vivenciais correlacionadas àqueles conteúdos, pode despertar no indivíduo sua identidade cósmica. O método que utilizamos é o fenomenológico e o universo desta pesquisa é um grupo de estudantes da disciplina de Astronomia (Curso de Licenciatura em Geografia/UFRN), onde realizamos observação participante, entrevistas, depoimentos e as práticas vivenciais mencionadas. Neste caso estamos desenvolvendo e adaptando exercícios de algumas técnicas terapêuticas de psicologia transpessoal, que um de nós (LALM) tem aplicado no contexto clínico, para trabalhar aspectos cognitivos envolvidos naquele processo de conscientização cósmica. Resultados parciais claramente referendam a hipótese inicial. Um resultado a destacar é fruto de uma dinâmica de representação corporal interiorizada do eclipse lunar, envolvendo um pequeno grupo daqueles estudantes, na qual conteúdos míticos afloraram de maneira espontânea e contundente para todos, sugerindo ressonância, ou pelo menos isomorfismo, entre o macro e o microcosmo. Este e outros resultados são discutidos em detalhe neste trabalho. (PPGECNM/UFRN; PRONEX/FINEP; NUPA/USP; Temáticos/FAPESP).

Tão perto de casa, tão longe de nós: etnografia das novas margens no centro da urbe

PubMed Central

Fernandes, Por Luís

2011-01-01

Philippe Bourgois é, desde 2007, “Richard Perry University professor” no Departamento de Antropologia e de Medicina Familiar e de Práticas Comunitárias na Universidade da Pensilvânia. Esteve durante largos anos ligado ao Departamento de Antropologia, História e Medicina Social da Universidade da Califórnia, São Francisco. A publicação, em 1995, de In Search of Respect: Selling Crack in El Barrio1 projectaria o seu nome muito para além dos Estados Unidos: uma etnografia no coração porto-riquenho do Harlem, em torno dos actores e dos ambientes da venda de crack. Seguir-se-ia um longo trabalho de terreno em acampamentos de dependentes de heroína em São Francisco, orientando o seu trabalho para as formas mais radicais da pobreza e da marginalidade nos EUA. É deste trabalho de terreno que sai o seu último livro, Righteous Dopefiend2. Em Junho de 2007 esteve em Lisboa para participar na 3.a edição do “Ethnografeast”. Foi então que aproveitámos a oportunidade para ouvir um percurso invulgar contado pelo próprio: uma longa conversa no Hotel Zurique, cujo nome só vem ao caso por evocar o país onde passou uma parte da infância. PMID:22013286

Deadly Fires Engulfing Madeira

Atmospheric Science Data Center

2016-12-30

... temperatures topping 95 degrees Fahrenheit and very dry weather. The entire island is only 30 miles (48 kilometers) from end to end, ... D.C. The Terra spacecraft is managed by NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Maryland. The MISR data were obtained from the ...

Surgical site infection in patients submitted to heart transplantation.

PubMed

Rodrigues, Jussara Aparecida Souza do Nascimento; Ferretti-Rebustini, Renata Eloah de Lucena; Poveda, Vanessa de Brito

2016-08-29

to analyze the occurrence and predisposing factors for surgical site infection in patients submitted to heart transplantation, evaluating the relationship between cases of infections and the variables related to the patient and the surgical procedure. retrospective cohort study, with review of the medical records of patients older than 18 years submitted to heart transplantation. The correlation between variables was evaluated by using Fisher's exact test and Mann-Whitney-Wilcoxon test. the sample consisted of 86 patients, predominantly men, with severe systemic disease, submitted to extensive preoperative hospitalizations. Signs of surgical site infection were observed in 9.3% of transplanted patients, with five (62.5%) superficial incisional, two (25%) deep and one (12.5%) case of organ/space infection. There was no statistically significant association between the variables related to the patient and the surgery. there was no association between the studied variables and the cases of surgical site infection, possibly due to the small number of cases of infection observed in the sample investigated. analisar a ocorrência e os fatores predisponentes para infecção de sítio cirúrgico em pacientes submetidos a transplante cardíaco e verificar a relação entre os casos de infecção e as variáveis referentes ao paciente e ao procedimento cirúrgico. estudo de coorte retrospectivo, com exame dos prontuários médicos de pacientes maiores de 18 anos, submetidos a transplante cardíaco. A correlação entre variáveis foi realizada por meio dos testes exato de Fischer e de Mann-Whitney-Wilcoxon. a amostra foi constituída por 86 pacientes, predominantemente homens, com doença sistêmica grave, submetidos a internações pré-operatórias extensas. Apresentaram sinais de infecção do sítio cirúrgico 9,3% dos transplantados, sendo cinco (62,5%) incisionais superficiais, duas (25%) profundas e um (12,5%) caso de infecção de órgão/espaço. Não houve associação estatisticamente significante entre as variáveis relacionadas ao paciente e ao procedimento cirúrgico. não houve associação entre as variáveis estudadas e os casos de infecção do sítio cirúrgico, possivelmente relacionado ao pequeno número de casos de infecção presentes na amostra investigada. analizar la incidencia y los factores predisponentes para la infección del sitio quirúrgico en pacientes sometidos a trasplante cardíaco, evaluando la relación entre los casos de infección y las variables relacionadas al paciente y al procedimiento quirúrgico. estudio retrospectivo de cohortes, con una revisión de las historias clínicas de los pacientes mayores de 18 años, sometidos a trasplante cardíaco. La correlación entre las variables se evaluó mediante la prueba exacta de Fisher y la prueba de Mann-Whitney-Wilcoxon. la muestra quedó conformada por 86 pacientes, predominantemente hombres, con enfermedad sistémica grave, sometidos a extensas hospitalizaciones preoperatorias. Se observó la infección del sitio quirúrgico en el 9,3% de los pacientes trasplantados, con cinco (62,5%) infecciones incisionales superficiales, dos (25%) profundas y un (12,5%) caso de infección órgano/espacio. No hubo asociación estadísticamente significativa entre las variables relacionadas al paciente y a la cirugía. no hubo asociación entre las variables estudiadas y los casos de infección del sitio quirúrgico, posiblemente debido al pequeño número de casos de infección observados en la muestra investigada.

Study of different atmospheric environments associated to storms development in the Madeira Island

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Couto, Flavio Tiago do

The study aims to improve the understanding about different atmospheric environments leading to the development of storms associated with heavy precipitation in Madeira Island. For this purpose, four main goals have been considered: 1) To document the synoptic and mesoscale environments associated with heavy precipitation. 2) To characterize surface precipitation patterns that affected the island during some periods of significant accumulated precipitation using numerical modelling. 3) To study the relationship between surface precipitation patterns and mesoscale environments. 4) To highlight how the PhD findings obtained in the first three goals can be translated into an operational forecast context. Concerning the large scale environment, precipitation over the island was favoured by weather systems (e.g, mesoscale convective systems and low pressure systems), as well as by the meridional transport of high amount of moisture from a structure denominated as “Atmospheric River”. The tropical origin of this moisture is underscored, however, their impact on the precipitation in Madeira was not so high during the 10 winter seasons [2002 - 2012] studied. The main factor triggering heavy precipitation events over the island is related to the local orography. The steep terrain favours orographically-induced stationary precipitation over the highlands, although maximum of precipitation at coastal region may be produced by localized blocking effect. These orographic precipitating systems presented different structures, associated with shallow and deep convection. Essentially, the study shows that the combination of airflow dynamics, moist content, and orography is the major mechanism that produces precipitation over the island. These factors together with the event duration act to define the regions of excessive precipitation. Finally, the study highlights two useful points for the operational sector, regarding the meridional water vapour transport and local effects causing significant precipitation over the Island.

Climate Change in Small Islands

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tomé, Ricardo; Miranda, Pedro M. A.; Brito de Azevedo, Eduardo; Teixeira, Miguel A. C.

2014-05-01

Isolated islands are especially vulnerable to climate change. But their climate is generally not well reproduced in GCMs, due to their small size and complex topography. Here, results from a new generation of climate models, forced by scenarios RCP8.5 and RCP4.5 of greenhouse gases and atmospheric aerosol concentrations, established by the IPCC for its fifth report, are used to characterize the climate of the islands of Azores and Madeira, and its response to the ongoing global warming. The methodology developed here uses the new global model EC-Earth, data from ERA-Interim reanalysis and results from an extensive set of simulations with the WRF research model, using, for the first time, a dynamic approach for the regionalization of global fields at sufficiently fine resolutions, in which the effect of topographical complexity is explicitly represented. The results reviewed here suggest increases in temperature above 1C in the middle of the XXI century in Azores and Madeira, reaching values higher than 2.5C at the end of the century, accompanied by a reduction in the annual rainfall of around 10% in the Azores, which could reach 30% in Madeira. These changes are large enough to justify much broader impacts on island ecosystems and the human population. The results show the advantage of using the proposed methodology, in particular for an adequate representation of the precipitation regime in islands with complex topography, even suggesting the need for higher resolutions in future work. The WRF results are also compared against two different downscaling techniques using an air mass transformation model and a modified version of the upslope precipitation model of Smith and Barstad (2005).

Chemodiversity of dissolved organic matter in the Amazon Basin

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gonsior, Michael; Valle, Juliana; Schmitt-Kopplin, Philippe; Hertkorn, Norbert; Bastviken, David; Luek, Jenna; Harir, Mourad; Bastos, Wanderley; Enrich-Prast, Alex

2016-07-01

Regions in the Amazon Basin have been associated with specific biogeochemical processes, but a detailed chemical classification of the abundant and ubiquitous dissolved organic matter (DOM), beyond specific indicator compounds and bulk measurements, has not yet been established. We sampled water from different locations in the Negro, Madeira/Jamari and Tapajós River areas to characterize the molecular DOM composition and distribution. Ultrahigh-resolution Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry (FT-ICR-MS) combined with excitation emission matrix (EEM) fluorescence spectroscopy and parallel factor analysis (PARAFAC) revealed a large proportion of ubiquitous DOM but also unique area-specific molecular signatures. Unique to the DOM of the Rio Negro area was the large abundance of high molecular weight, diverse hydrogen-deficient and highly oxidized molecular ions deviating from known lignin or tannin compositions, indicating substantial oxidative processing of these ultimately plant-derived polyphenols indicative of these black waters. In contrast, unique signatures in the Madeira/Jamari area were defined by presumably labile sulfur- and nitrogen-containing molecules in this white water river system. Waters from the Tapajós main stem did not show any substantial unique molecular signatures relative to those present in the Rio Madeira and Rio Negro, which implied a lower organic molecular complexity in this clear water tributary, even after mixing with the main stem of the Amazon River. Beside ubiquitous DOM at average H / C and O / C elemental ratios, a distinct and significant unique DOM pool prevailed in the black, white and clear water areas that were also highly correlated with EEM-PARAFAC components and define the frameworks for primary production and other aspects of aquatic life.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Moore, Thomas W.; Quach, Tu-Thach; Detry, Richard Joseph

Complex Adaptive Systems of Systems, or CASoS, are vastly complex ecological, sociological, economic and/or technical systems which we must understand to design a secure future for the nation and the world. Perturbations/disruptions in CASoS have the potential for far-reaching effects due to pervasive interdependencies and attendant vulnerabilities to cascades in associated systems. Phoenix was initiated to address this high-impact problem space as engineers. Our overarching goals are maximizing security, maximizing health, and minimizing risk. We design interventions, or problem solutions, that influence CASoS to achieve specific aspirations. Through application to real-world problems, Phoenix is evolving the principles and discipline ofmore » CASoS Engineering while growing a community of practice and the CASoS engineers to populate it. Both grounded in reality and working to extend our understanding and control of that reality, Phoenix is at the same time a solution within a CASoS and a CASoS itself.« less

Complex Adaptive Systems of Systems (CASoS) engineering and foundations for global design.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Brodsky, Nancy S.; Finley, Patrick D.; Beyeler, Walter Eugene

2012-01-01

Complex Adaptive Systems of Systems, or CASoS, are vastly complex ecological, sociological, economic and/or technical systems which must be recognized and reckoned with to design a secure future for the nation and the world. Design within CASoS requires the fostering of a new discipline, CASoS Engineering, and the building of capability to support it. Towards this primary objective, we created the Phoenix Pilot as a crucible from which systemization of the new discipline could emerge. Using a wide range of applications, Phoenix has begun building both theoretical foundations and capability for: the integration of Applications to continuously build common understandingmore » and capability; a Framework for defining problems, designing and testing solutions, and actualizing these solutions within the CASoS of interest; and an engineering Environment required for 'the doing' of CASoS Engineering. In a secondary objective, we applied CASoS Engineering principles to begin to build a foundation for design in context of Global CASoS« less

Association of the protein tyrosine phosphatase non-receptor 22 polymorphism (PTPN22) with endometriosis: a meta-analysis.

PubMed

Pabalan, Noel; Jarjanazi, Hamdi; Christofolini, Denise Maria; Bianco, Bianca; Barbosa, Caio Parente

2017-01-01

To evaluate PTPN22 C1858T polymorphism and the risk of endometriosis. A meta-analysis of 10 published case-control studies (from four articles), with a total sample of 971 cases and 1,181 controls, was performed. We estimated risk (odds ratio and 95% confidence intervals) of endometriosis associations with the C1858T polymorphism. A significant increased risk in all genetic models of the variant T allele with endometriosis (odds ratio: 3.14-5.55; p<0.00001-0.002) was found. The analysis without the study whose controls deviated from the Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium exacerbated these effects in the homozygous and recessive models (odds ratio: 7.19-9.45; p<0.00001-0.0002). In the Italian subgroup, a significant risk association was found in the homozygous and recessive models (odds ratio: 8.72-11.12; p=0.002). The associations observed between PTPN22 (C1858T) and the risk of endometriosis suggest this polymorphism might be a useful susceptibility marker for this disease. Avaliar o polimorfismo PTPN22 C1858T e o risco de endometriose. Foi realizada uma metanálise de 10 estudos caso-controle publicados (a partir de quatro artigos), com uma amostra total de 971 casos e 1.181 controles. O risco da associação da endometriose com o polimorfismo C1858T foi estimado em razão de chance e intervalo de confiança de 95%. Observou-se um aumento de risco significativo em todos os modelos genéticos com o alelo variante T e a endometriose (razão de chance: 3,14-5,55; p<0,00001-0,002). A análise sem incluir o estudo, em que os controles não estavam em equilíbrio de Hardy-Weinberg, mostrou aumento significativo nos modelos homozigotos e recessivos (razão de chance: 7,19-9,45; p<0,00001-0,0002). No subgrupo italiano, uma associação significativa foi encontrada considerando os modelos homozigoto e recessivo (razão de chance: 8,72-11,12; p=0,002). As associações observadas entre PTPN22 (C1858T) e o risco de endometriose sugerem que este polimorfismo pode ser um marcador de suscetibilidade para a endometriose.

Blood biochemistry reference values for wild juvenile loggerhead sea turtles (Caretta caretta) from Madeira archipelago.

PubMed

Delgado, Cláudia; Valente, Ana; Quaresma, Isabel; Costa, Margarida; Dellinger, Thomas

2011-07-01

Standard biochemical parameters were determined in wild juvenile loggerhead sea turtles Caretta caretta living offshore Madeira Island, northeast Atlantic. We analyzed the influence of age, sex, sea surface temperature, and body condition index on biochemical parameters including uric acid, total bilirubin, total cholesterol, creatinine kinase (CK), glucose, total protein, urea nitrogen, lactate dehydrogenase, aspartate aminotranspherase (AST), gamma-glutamyl transferase (GGT), albumin, alkaline phosphatase (ALP), sodium (NA), potassium (K), chloride, calcium, phosphorus, and magnesium. Significant positive correlations were found between turtle body size and total cholesterol, total protein, and albumin. Total protein and the enzymes AST and CK were lower than reported levels in adults. Calcium levels were lower than those reported in adult or captive turtles, but similar to wild juveniles from Australian waters, and were interpreted as normal for this age category. These data may be useful to evaluate the health status of stranded or injured animals and to improve veterinary care at rehabilitation centers.

Identification, rearing, and distribution of stick insects of Madeira Island: an example of raising biodiversity awareness.

PubMed

Aguiar, António M F; Pombo, Dora Aguin; Gonçalves, Ysabel M

2014-04-10

Two species of stick insects are currently known to be present in the Macaronesian archipelagos: Clonopsis gallica (Charpentier) (Phasmatodea: Bacillidae) on the Canary Islands and in the Azores and Carausius morosus (Sinéty) (Phasmatidae) in the Azores. Here, we provide the first reliable records of the presence and distribution of C. gallica and C. morosus on Madeira Island. Egg and adult stages are briefly described along with some notes on the life history of these species in captivity. Data on islandwide distribution are based on specimens donated by the public in response to an article published in a daily newspaper. This method of data collection raised great popular interest in stick insects. The role of newspapers as a means of communicating awareness in biodiversity issues is discussed. This is an open access paper. We use the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 license that permits unrestricted use, provided that the paper is properly attributed.

Antioxidant polyphenols of Madeira sorrel (Rumex maderensis): How do they survive to in vitro simulated gastrointestinal digestion?

PubMed

Spínola, Vítor; Llorent-Martínez, Eulogio J; Castilho, Paula C

2018-09-01

In this work, we report the phytochemical profile and antioxidant activity of different morphological parts of Rumex maderensis Lowe (Polygonaceae), a wild leafy-vegetable growing in Madeira Island (Portugal). Methanol extracts from leaves, flowers, and stems were submitted to high-performance liquid chromatography with mass spectrometry detection to obtain the phytochemical profile, which allowed the identification of 86 polyphenols (about 70% C- and O-flavonoids) and 9 non-phenolic compounds. In vitro antioxidant activities were measured against ABTS, DPPH, nitric oxide and superoxide free radicals. Then, the samples were subjected to an in vitro digestion, observing a decrease of about 50% in both the content of phenolics and the antioxidant activity. However, relevant antioxidant capacity was still observed after the simulated digestion. Therefore, this study supports the consumption of R. maderensis as an interesting foodstuff and a dietary source of antioxidant phytochemicals that survive the gastrointestinal digestion process. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Semiautomated object-based classification of rain-induced landslides with VHR multispectral images on Madeira Island

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Heleno, Sandra; Matias, Magda; Pina, Pedro; Sousa, António Jorge

2016-04-01

A method for semiautomated landslide detection and mapping, with the ability to separate source and run-out areas, is presented in this paper. It combines object-based image analysis and a support vector machine classifier and is tested using a GeoEye-1 multispectral image, sensed 3 days after a major damaging landslide event that occurred on Madeira Island (20 February 2010), and a pre-event lidar digital terrain model. The testing is developed in a 15 km2 wide study area, where 95 % of the number of landslides scars are detected by this supervised approach. The classifier presents a good performance in the delineation of the overall landslide area, with commission errors below 26 % and omission errors below 24 %. In addition, fair results are achieved in the separation of the source from the run-out landslide areas, although in less illuminated slopes this discrimination is less effective than in sunnier, east-facing slopes.

Antioxidant Capacity, Cytotoxicity and Antimycobacterial Activity of Madeira Archipelago Endemic Helichrysum Dietary and Medicinal Plants.

PubMed

Gouveia-Figueira, Sandra C; Gouveia, Carla A; Carvalho, Maria J; Rodrigues, Ana I; Nording, Malin L; Castilho, Paula C

2014-10-31

The potential bioactivity of dietary and medicinal endemic Helichrysum plants from Madeira Archipelago was explored, for the first time, in order to supply new information for the general consumer. In vitro antioxidant properties were investigated using DPPH, ABTS(•+), FRAP and β-Carotene assays, and the total phenolic content (TPC) and total flavonoid content (TFC) were also determined. Although the results generally showed a large variation among the three analyzed plants, the methanolic extracts showed the highest antioxidant capacity. Exception is made for H. devium n-hexane extract that showed good radical scavenger capacity associated to compounds with good reducing properties. In the Artemia salina toxicity assay and antimycobaterial activity, H. devium was the most potent plant with the lowest LD50 at 216.7 ± 10.4 and MIC ≤ 50 μg·mL(-1). Chemometric evaluation (Principal Component Analysis-PCA) showed close interdependence between the ABTS, TPC and TFC methods and allowed to group H. devium samples.

Antioxidant Capacity, Cytotoxicity and Antimycobacterial Activity of Madeira Archipelago Endemic Helichrysum Dietary and Medicinal Plants

PubMed Central

Gouveia-Figueira, Sandra C.; Gouveia, Carla A.; Carvalho, Maria J.; Rodrigues, Ana I.; Nording, Malin L.; Castilho, Paula C.

2014-01-01

The potential bioactivity of dietary and medicinal endemic Helichrysum plants from Madeira Archipelago was explored, for the first time, in order to supply new information for the general consumer. In vitro antioxidant properties were investigated using DPPH, ABTS•+, FRAP and β-Carotene assays, and the total phenolic content (TPC) and total flavonoid content (TFC) were also determined. Although the results generally showed a large variation among the three analyzed plants, the methanolic extracts showed the highest antioxidant capacity. Exception is made for H. devium n-hexane extract that showed good radical scavenger capacity associated to compounds with good reducing properties. In the Artemia salina toxicity assay and antimycobaterial activity, H. devium was the most potent plant with the lowest LD50 at 216.7 ± 10.4 and MIC ≤ 50 μg·mL−1. Chemometric evaluation (Principal Component Analysis—PCA) showed close interdependence between the ABTS, TPC and TFC methods and allowed to group H. devium samples. PMID:26785236

Determinants of infant mortality in the Jequitinhonha Valley and in the North and Northeast regions of Brazil.

PubMed

Leal, Maria do Carmo; Bittencourt, Sonia Duarte de Azevedo; Torres, Raquel Maria Cardoso; Niquini, Roberta Pereira; Souza, Paulo Roberto Borges de

2017-03-02

This study aims to identify the social and demographic determinants, in addition to the determinants of reproductive health and use of health services, associated with infant mortality in small and medium-sized cities of the North, Northeast and Southeast regions of Brazil. This is a case-control study with 803 cases of death of children under one year and 1,969 live births (controls), whose mothers lived in the selected cities in 2008. The lists of the names of cases and controls were extracted from the Sistema de Informação sobre Mortalidade (SIM - Mortality Information System) and the Sistema de Informação sobre Nascidos Vivos (SINASC - Live Birth Information System) and supplemented by data obtained by the research of "active search of death and birth". Data was collected in the household using a semi-structured questionnaire, and the analysis was carried out using multiple logistic regression. The final model indicates that the following items are positively and significantly associated with infant mortality: family working in agriculture, mother having a history of fetal and infant losses, no prenatal or inadequate prenatal, and not being associated to the maternity hospital during the prenatal period. We have observed significant interactions to explain the occurrence of infant mortality between race and socioeconomic score and between high-risk pregnancy and pilgrimage for childbirth. The excessive number of home deliveries and pilgrimage for childbirth indicates flaws in the line of maternity care and a lack of collaboration between the levels of outpatient and hospital care. The study reinforces the need for an integrated management of the health care networks, leveraging the capabilities of cities in meeting the needs of pregnancy, delivery and birth with quality. Identificar os determinantes sociais, demográficos, da saúde reprodutiva e de utilização dos serviços de saúde associados ao óbito infantil em municípios de pequeno e médio porte das regiões Norte, Nordeste e Sudeste do Brasil. Trata-se de um estudo caso-controle com 803 casos de óbito de menores de um ano e 1.969 nascidos vivos (controles), cujas mães residiam em 2008 nos municípios selecionados. As listas nominais dos casos e do controles foram extraídas do Sistema de Informação sobre Mortalidade e do Sistema de Informação sobre Nascidos Vivos e completadas por dados obtidos pela pesquisa de "busca ativa de óbito e nascimento". A coleta de dados foi realizada em domicílio por meio de questionário semiestruturado, e a análise, por meio de regressão logística múltipla. O modelo final indicou que estão associadas positivamente e significativamente ao óbito infantil: a família trabalhar na agricultura, a mãe ter tido história de perdas fetais e infantis, não ter feito pré-natal ou ter tido um pré-natal inadequado e não estar vinculada à maternidade durante o pré-natal. Foram observadas interações significativas para explicar a ocorrência do óbito infantil entre cor de pele e escore socioeconômico e entre gestação classificada como de risco e peregrinação para o parto. O número excessivo de partos domiciliares e de peregrinação para o parto indica falhas na linha de cuidado da gestante e desarticulação entre os níveis de atenção ambulatorial e hospitalar. O estudo reforça a necessidade de uma gestão integrada das redes de atenção à saúde, potencializando as capacidades municipais em atender, com qualidade, à gestação, ao parto e ao nascimento.

Geographic spread of Strumigenys silvestrii (Hymenoptera: formicidae: dacetine)

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Strumigenys silvestrii is a tiny dacetine ant (Hymenoptera: Formicidae: Dacetini), apparently from South America, that has spread to the southern US and the West Indies. Strumigenys silvestrii has recently been found for the first time in the Old World, from the island of Madeira, mainland Portugal,...

Structure and origin of the J Anomaly Ridge, western North Atlantic Ocean

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tucholke, Brian E.; Ludwig, William J.

1982-11-01

The J Anomaly Ridge is a structural ridge or step in oceanic basement that extends southwest from the eastern end of the Grand Banks. It lies beneath the J magnetic anomaly at the young end (M-4 to M-0) of the M series magnetic anomalies. Its structural counterpart beneath the J anomaly in the eastern Atlantic is the Madeira-Tore Rise, but this feature has been overprinted by post-middle Cretaceous deformation and volcanism. In order to study the origin and evolution of the J Anomaly Ridge-Madeira-Tore Rise system, we obtained seismic refraction and multichannel reflection profiles across the J Anomaly Ridge near 39°N latitude. The western ridge flank consists of a series of crustal blocks downdropped along west-dipping normal faults, but the eastern slope to younger crust is gentle and relatively unfaulted. The western flank also is subparallel to seafloor isochrons, becoming younger to the south. Anomalously smooth basement caps the ridge crest, and it locally exhibits internal, eastward-dipping reflectors similar in configuration to those within subaerially emplaced basalt flows on Iceland. When isostatically corrected for sediment load, the northern part of the J Anomaly Ridge has basement depths about 1400 m shallower than in our study area, and deep sea drilling has shown that the northern ridge was subaerially exposed during the middle Cretaceous. We suggest that most of the system originated under subaerial conditions at the time of late-stage rifting between the adjacent Grand Banks and Iberia. The excess magma required to form the ridge may have been vented from a mantle plume beneath the Grand Banks-Iberia rift zone and channelled southward beneath the rift axis of the abutting Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Resulting edifice-building volcanism constructed the ridge system between anomalies M-4 and M-0, moving southward along the ridge axis at about 50 mm/yr. About M-0 time, when true drift began between Iberia and the Grand Banks, this southward venting rapidly declined. The results were rapid return of the spreading axis to normal elevations, division of the ridge system into the separate J Anomaly Ridge and Madeira-Tore Rise, and unusually fast subsidence of at least parts of these ridges to depths that presently are near normal. This proposed origin and evolutionary sequence for the J Anomaly Ridge-Madeira-Tore Rise system closely matches events of uplift and unconformity development on the adjacent Grand Banks.

Variação temporal do gradiente radial de o/h a partir de uma amostra de nebulosas planetárias

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Maciel, W. J.; Costa, R. D. D.; Uchida, M. M. M.

2003-08-01

Gradientes radiais de abundância são observados no disco de nossa Galáxia e também em outras galáxias espirais. No caso da Galáxia, o principal problema relativo aos gradientes é sua variação temporal, que constitui um dos principais vínculos aos modelos de evolução química da Galáxia. As nebulosas planetárias são particularmente interessantes no estudo dos gradientes e suas variações, tanto espaciais como temporais. São objetos brilhantes, podendo ser observadas a grandes distâncias, e têm abundâncias relativamente precisas de diversos elementos químicos. Além disso, sendo originadas de estrelas com massas entre 0.8 e 8 massas solares na sequência principal, incluem objetos com idades e populações diferentes, o que as torna especialmente interessantes ao estudo da variação temporal dos gradientes. Neste trabalho, apresentamos resultados recentes sobre a variação temporal do gradiente de O/H a partir de uma amostra contendo cerca de 200 nebulosas, para as quais obtivemos distâncias por métodos estatísticos. As abundâncias foram parcialmente obtidas a partir de observações em Itajubá e La Silla, sendo as restantes obtidas da literatura. Os resultados mostram, pela primeira vez, evidências de um achatamento do gradiente de O/H, de -0.11 dex/kpc para -0.06 dex/kpc nos últimos 9 giga-anos ou de -0.08 dex/kpc para -0.06 dex/kpc nos últimos 5 giga-anos. Esses valores apresentam um bom acordo com alguns modelos recentes para a evolução química da Galáxia. (FAPESP/CNPq)

STRATEGIES IN SEARCH FOR INTERNATIONAL PARTNERSHIPS.

PubMed

Freitas, Denise de

2015-01-01

Internationalization is the process which integrates universal, intercultural or global dimension in a program, in this case, postgraduate. It can be understood as the process of increasing participation in international operations. To offer design and motivational logistics on how to run a process of international scientific relationship. It is necessary to develop several different aspects to be reached internationalization: to know the fundamentals of internationalization; to have international vision; to promote strategy for internationalization; to know the characteristics of an institutional center of internationalization; and to understand the institutional advantages of internationalization. Internationalization is essential to aerate the Brazilian postgraduate and not mischaracterize or weakens the process. On the contrary, it contributes to increase its vitality and capacity for innovation. Today is not possible to imagine science without internationalization. A internacionalização é o processo no qual se integra dimensão universal, intercultural ou global em um programa, no caso, de pós-graduação. Ela pode ser compreendida como o processo de participação crescente em operações internacionais. Apresentar concepção logística e motivacional de como executar um processo de relações científicas internacionais. É necessário o desenvolvimento de vários e diferentes aspectos para ser alcançada a internacionalização: conhecer os grandes eixos da internacionalização; ter visão internacional; promover estratégia para a internacionalização; saber das características de um centro institucional de internacionalização; e conhecer as vantagens institucionais da internacionalização. A internacionalização é imprescindível para arejar a pós-graduação brasileira e não a descaracteriza, menospreza ou enfraquece. Ao contrário, contribui para aumentar sua vitalidade e capacidade de inovação. Na atualidade não dá para imaginar a ciência sem internacionalização.

Life-cycle optimization model for distributed generation in buildings

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Safaei, Amir

O setor da construcao e responsavel por uma grande parte do consumo de energia e emissoes na Uniao Europeia. A Geracao Distribuida (GD) de energia, nomeadamente atraves de sistemas de cogeracao e tecnologias solares, representa um papel importante no futuro energetico deste setor. A otimizacao do funcionamento dos sistemas de cogeracao e uma tarefa complexa, devido as diversas variaveis em jogo, designadamente: os diferentes tipos de necessidades energeticas (eletricidade, aquecimento e arrefecimento), os precos dinamicos dos combustiveis (gas natural) e da eletricidade, e os custos fixos e variaveis dos diferentes sistemas de GD. Tal torna-se mais complexo considerando a natureza flutuante das tecnologias solares termicas e fotovoltaicas. Ao mesmo tempo, a liberalizacao do mercado da eletricidade permite exportar para a rede, a electricidade gerada localmente. Adicionalmente, a operacao estrategica de um sistema de GD deve atender aos quadros politicos nacionais, se tiver como objetivo beneficiar de tais regimes. Alem disso, considerando os elevados impactes ambientais do setor da construcao, qualquer avaliacao energetica de edificios rigorosa deve tambem integrar aspetos ambientais, utilizando uma abordagem de Ciclo de Vida (CV). Uma avaliacao de Ciclo de Vida (ACV) completa de um sistema de GD deve incluir as fases relativas a operacao e construcao do sistema, bem como os impactes associados a producao dos combustiveis. Foram analisadas as emissoes da producao de GN, as quais variam de acordo com a origem, tipo (convencional ou nao-convencional), e estado (na forma de GN Liquefeito (GNL) ou gas). Do mesmo modo, o impacte dos sistemas solares e afetado pela meteorologia e radiacao solar, de acordo com a sua localizacao geografica. Sendo assim, uma avaliacao adequada dos sistemas de GD exige um modelo de ACV adequado a localizacao geografica (Portugal), integrando tambem a producao de combustivel (GN), tendo em conta as suas diferentes fontes de abastecimento. O principal objetivo desta tese de doutoramento foi desenvolver um modelo para otimizar o desenho e operacao de sistemas de GD para o setor da construcao de edificios comerciais em Portugal, considerando os respetivos Impactes de Ciclo de Vida (IAVC) e Custos de Ciclo de Vida (CCV), de modo a satisfazer as necessidades energeticas do edificio. Tres tipos de tecnologias de cogeracao (Micro-Turbinas, Motores de combustao interna, e Celulas combustiveis de Oxido solido), e dois tipos de tecnologias de energia solar, solar termica e fotovoltaica, constituem os sistemas de GD que sao acoplados aos sistemas convencionais. Foi desenvolvido um modelo de CV, tendo em conta todos os impactes relacionados com a construcao e operacao dos sistemas de energia, bem como os processos a montante relacionados com a producao do GN. Em particular, o mix de GN consumido em Portugal em 2011 foi identificado (60% da Nigeria, 40% da Argelia) e os impactes relativos a cada uma das vias de abastecimento foram avaliados separadamente para quatro categorias de impacte ambiental: Consumo de Energia Primaria (CEP), Gases com Efeito de Estufa (GEE), acidificacao, e eutrofizacao. Devido a importancia das emissoes de GEE na formulacao de politicas, foi tambem realizada uma analise de incerteza as emissoes de GEE do GN fornecido a Portugal. Foi desenvolvido um modelo matematico, em linguagem de Programacao General Algebraic Modeling System (GAMS), que utiliza os resultados da ACV dos sistemas de energia e as suas implicacoes economicas para minimizar o CCV e IACV ao longo de um horizonte de planeamento definido pelo decisor. Foram derivadas fronteiras otimas de Pareto, representando as relacoes entre o tipo de IACV (CEP, GEE, acidificacao, eutrofizacao) e CCV decorrentes da satisfacao das necessidades energeticas do edificio. Para aumentar a robustez do modelo, dada a incerteza dos precos dos combustiveis (GN e eletricidade), foi desenvolvido um modelo de custos robusto para os sistemas de GD, que e menos afetado por perturbacoes relativas aos custos de combustivel. A aplicacao do modelo proposto foi testada num caso de estudo real, um edificio comercial localizado na cidade de Coimbra, em Portugal.

Severe maternal morbidity: a case-control study in Maranhao, Brazil

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background Maternal mortality and morbidity are among the top public health priorities in Brazil, being quite high, especially among the most disadvantage women. A case control study was developed to identify risk factors for severe maternal morbidity in Sao Luis, one of the poorest Brazilian State Capitals. Methods The case–control study was carried out between 01/03/2009 and 28/02/2010 in two public high-risk maternities facilities and in two intensive care units (ICUs) for referral of obstetric cases. All cases hospitalized due to complications during gestation period, childbirth or up to 42 days of puerperium and who fulfilled any of Mantel's and/or Waterstone's criteria were identified. Two controls per case were randomly selected among patients of the same clinics discharged for other reasons. Data were obtained through a structured interview as well as from medical charts and prenatal cards and included sociodemographic variables, clinical and obstetric histories, behavioral factors and exposure to stress factors during pregnancy, pre-natal assistance and obstetric complication and childbirth care. Results In the final model of the unconditional logistic regression analysis, being older than 35 years (OR=3.11; 95% CI:1.53-6.31), previous hypertension (OR=2.52; 95% CI:1.09-5.80), history of abortion (OR=1.61; 95% CI:0.97-2.68), 4–5 pre-natal consultations (OR=1.78; 95% CI:1.05-3.01) and 1–3 pre-natal consultations (OR=1.89; 95% CI:1.03-3.49) were independently associated with severe maternal morbidity. Conclusions The results corroborate the importance of reproductive healthcare, of identifying a high-risk pregnancy and of a qualified and complete prenatal care to prevent severe morbid events. Resumo Introdução A mortalidade e morbidade maternas estão entre os tópicos prioritários da Saúde Pública brasileira, especialmente na população de menor nível socioeconômico. Um estudo caso-controle foi desenvolvido para identificar os fatores de risco para morbidade materna grave em São Luís, capital de um dos estados mais pobres do Brasil. Método Estudo caso-controle realizado em duas maternidades públicas de alto risco e duas UTIs de referência aos casos obstétricos entre 01/03/2009 e 28/02/2010. Foram incluídas todas as pacientes internadas por complicação do período grávido-puerperal e que preenchiam os critérios de Waterstone e/ou Mantel para morbidade materna grave. Foram selecionados para cada caso, dois controles por sorteio aleatório dentre as pacientes internadas no mesmo período e mesma maternidade que o caso. As informações de domínio sociodemográfico, clínico, obstétrico, comportamental, exposição a eventos estressores na gestação, assistência ao pré-natal, intercorrências obstétricas e atenção ao parto, foram obtidas por meio de entrevista estruturada. As variáveis foram analisadas por modelo de regressão logística múltipla não condicional, baseado em modelo hierarquizado a priori. Resultados Foram identificados como fatores de risco para morbidade materna grave: idade >35 anos (OR=3,11; IC 95%:1,53-6,31), hipertensão prévia à gestação (OR=2,52; IC 95%:1,09-5,80), antecedente de aborto (OR=1,61; IC 95%:0,97-2,68), ter realizado 4–5 consultas pré-natais (OR=1,78; IC 95%:1,05-3,01) ou 1–3 consultas (OR=1,89; IC 95%:1,03-3,49). Conclusão Os resultados do estudo corroboram a importância da assistência à saúde reprodutiva e o pré-natal completo e qualificado na prevenção de eventos mórbidos graves durante o ciclo grávido-puerperal. PMID:23399443

MANAGEMENT OF ACUTE SEVERE ULCERATIVE COLITIS: A CLINICAL UPDATE.

PubMed

Sobrado, Carlos Walter; Sobrado, Lucas Faraco

2016-01-01

Acute severe colitis is a potentially lethal medical emergency and, even today, its treatment remains a challenge for clinicians and surgeons. Intravenous corticoid therapy, which was introduced into the therapeutic arsenal in the 1950s, continues to be the first-line treatment and, for patients who are refractory to this, the rescue therapy may consist of clinical measures or emergency colectomy. To evaluate the indications for and results from drug rescue therapy (cyclosporine, infliximab and tacrolimus), and to suggest a practical guide for clinical approaches. The literature was reviewed using the Medline/PubMed, Cochrane library and SciELO databases, and additional information from institutional websites of interest, by cross-correlating the following keywords: acute severe colitis, fulminating colitis and treatment. Treatments for acute severe colitis have avoided colectomy in 60-70% of the cases, provided that they have been started early on, with multidisciplinary follow-up. Despite the adverse effects of intravenous cyclosporine, this drug has been indicated in cases of greater severity with an imminent risk of colectomy, because of its fast action, short half-life and absence of increased risk of surgical complications. Therapy using infliximab has been reserved for less severe cases and those in which immunosuppressants are being or have been used (AZA/6-MP). Indication of biological agents has recently been favored because of their ease of therapeutic use, their good short and medium-term results, the possibility of maintenance therapy and also their action as a "bridge" for immunosuppressant action (AZA/6-MP). Colectomy has been reserved for cases in which there is still no response five to seven days after rescue therapy and in cases of complications (toxic megacolon, profuse hemorrhage and perforation). Patients with a good response to rescue therapy who do not undergo emergency operations should be considered for maintenance therapy using azathioprine. A surgical procedure is indicated for selected cases. A colite aguda grave é emergência médica, potencialmente letal e o seu tratamento permanece ainda nos dias de hoje um desafio para o clínico e cirurgião. A corticoterapia intravenosa introduzida no arsenal terapêutico na década de 50 permanece como primeira linha de tratamento, e nos pacientes refratários a tal medida, a terapia de resgate pode ser com medidas clínicas ou colectomia de urgência. Avaliar os resultados da terapia de resgate medicamentosa (ciclosporina, infliximabe e tracolimus), suas indicações e resultados, e sugerir um guia prático para abordagem clínica. Foi realizada revisão na literatura utilizando as bases Medline/Pubmed, Cochrane Library, Scielo, e informações adicionais em sites institucionais de interesse cruzando os descritores: colite aguda grave, colite fulminante e tratamento. O tratamento da colite aguda grave tem evitado a colectomia em 60- 70% dos casos, desde que iniciado precocemente e com acompanhamento multidisciplinar. A ciclosporina intravenosa apesar de seus efeitos adversos, tem sido indicada naqueles casos mais graves com risco iminente de colectomia, pela sua rapidez de ação, meia-vida curta, e não aumentar os riscos de complicações cirúrgicas. A terapia com infliximabe tem sido reservada para os casos menos graves e naqueles em uso ou já expostos a imunossupressores (AZA/6-MP). A facilidade terapêutica, seus bons resultados a curto e médio prazo, a possibilidade de terapia de manutenção e também por agir como "ponte" para ação de imunossupressores (AZA/6-MP) tem recentemente favorecido a indicação de biológicos. A colectomia fica reservada para casos que não apresentaram resposta a terapia de resgate após cinco a sete dias de tratamento e nas complicações (megacólon tóxico, hemorragia profusa e perfuração). s: Os pacientes com boa resposta à terapia de resgate e não submetidos à operações de urgência, deverão ser considerados para terapia de manutenção com azatioprina, sendo procedimento cirúrgico indicado para casos selecionados.

Outcome of renal transplantation from a donor with polycystic kidney disease.

PubMed

Migone, Silvia Regina da Cruz; Bentes, Camila Guerreiro; Nunes, Débora Bacellar Cruz; Nunes, Juliana Bacellar Cruz; Pinon, Rodolfo Marcial da Silva; Silva, Thales Xavit Souza E

2016-01-01

Faced with the long waiting list for a kidney transplant, the use of donors with expanded criteria, like polycystic kidneys, is an option that aims to increase in a short time the supply of kidneys for transplant. This report of two cases of transplants performed from a donor with polycystic kidneys showed promising results, and the receptors evolved with good renal function, serum creatinine measurements within the normal range and with adequate glomerular filtration rate, evaluated over a period of four years post transplant. This fact confirms that the option of using donors with polycystic kidneys is safe and gives good results. Resumo Diante da longa fila de espera por um transplante renal, a utilização de doadores com critério expandido, a exemplo de rins policísticos, torna-se uma opção que visa aumentar a oferta de rins para transplante a curto prazo. O presente relato de dois casos de transplantes realizados a partir de um doador com rins policísticos apresentou resultado promissor, tendo os receptores evoluído com boa função renal, dosagens de creatinina sérica dentro da faixa de normalidade e com taxa de filtração glomerular adequada, avaliados num período de quatro anos pós-transplante. Isto confirma que a opção da utilização de doadores com rins policísticos é segura e apresenta bons resultados.

Surgical correction of ectopic penis and scrotum associated with bilateral orchidopexy.

PubMed

Sobral, Daniel Santos Rocha; Silva, Helder Damásio da; Damázio, Eulálio

2017-01-01

Ectopic penis is usually associated with penoscrotal transposition, and it is rarely observed in isolation. We report a surgical approach for an extremely rare case. A 10-year-old male patient with bilateral cryptorchidism and ectopic penis and scrotum in perineal area, with no penoscrotal transposition, representing an association not yet described in literature. A previous orchiopexy failed due to ectopic scrotum. By means of an inverted Y incision, the penis was mobilized and a perineal skin flap in form of a testicular sac was prepared. Finally orchiopexy was performed. The surgery was essential to treat cryptorchidism and to improve the self-image of the patient. RESUMO O pênis ectópico geralmente ocorre associado à transposição peno-escrotal, sendo raro isoladamente. Relatamos uma abordagem cirúrgica para um caso extremamente raro. Tratava-se de paciente do sexo masculino, 10 anos, com criptorquidia bilateral e pênis e escroto ectópicos, na região perineal, sem transposição peno-escrotal, representando uma associação ainda não descrita na literatura. Orquidopexia prévia sem sucesso, devido à ectopia do escroto. Por meio de uma incisão em Y invertido, mobilizou-se o pênis e preparou-se um retalho da pele perineal em forma de bolsa testicular. Por fim, realizou-se a orquidopexia. A cirurgia foi fundamental para tratar a criptorquidia e promover ganho na autoimagem do paciente.

Terapia fibrinolítica sistêmica no tromboembolismo pulmonar

PubMed Central

Ceresetto, José Manuel; Marques, Marcos Arêas

2017-01-01

Resumo O tromboembolismo pulmonar permanece como um grande desafio terapêutico para os médicos especialistas, pois, apesar de todo investimento e desenvolvimento em seu diagnóstico, profilaxia e tratamento, essa condição continua sendo a principal causa de morte evitável em ambiente hospitalar. Ainda restam muitas dúvidas em relação a qual perfil de paciente vai se beneficiar de fato da terapia fibrinolítica sistêmica, sem ficar exposto a um grande risco de sangramento. A estratificação de risco e a avaliação do prognóstico do evento, através de escores clínicos de insuficiência ventricular direita, marcadores de dilatação e disfunção do ventrículo direito e avaliação da massa trombótica, associados ou de forma isolada, são ferramentas que podem auxiliar na identificação do paciente que irá se beneficiar dessa terapia. Os únicos consensos em relação à terapia fibrinolítica no tratamento do tromboembolismo pulmonar são: não deve ser indicada de forma rotineira; nenhum dos escores ou marcadores, isoladamente, devem justificar seu uso; e os pacientes com instabilidade hemodinâmica são os mais beneficiados. Além disto, deve-se avaliar cada caso em relação ao risco de sangramento, especialmente no sistema nervoso central. PMID:29930636

Thermally stimulated luminescence studies of undoped, Cu- and Mn-doped CaSO4 compounds

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Manam, J.; Das, S.

Thermally stimulated luminescence (TSL) of undoped and doped CaSO4 with activators such as Cu and Mn has been investigated. The polycrystalline samples of undoped and doped CaSO4 are prepared by the melting method. The formation of CaSO4 compound is confirmed by X-ray diffraction and Fourier transform infrared studies. Scanning electron microscopic studies of CaSO4 are also carried out. The TSL glow curves of undoped CaSO4, Cu- and Mn-doped CaSO4 are studied. Comparison of the thermoluminescence (TL) intensity of the most intensive glow peak of Cu-doped CaSO4 compound with that of undoped CaSO4 shows that addition of Cu impurity in CaSO4 compound enhances the TL intensity by about four times. However, the addition of Mn impurity to undoped CaSO4 increases the TL intensity by about three times when compared with that of undoped CaSO4. The TL-dose dependence of all three samples was studied and was observed to be almost linear in the studied range of irradiation time. Among the samples studied, namely undoped CaSO4 and Cu- and Mn-doped CaSO4, Cu-doped CaSO4 is found to be the most sensitive. The trap parameters, namely order of kinetics (b), activation energy (E) and frequency factor (s) associated with the most intensive glow peaks of CaSO4:Mn, CaSO4:Cu and CaSO4 phosphors were determined using the glow curve shape (Chen's) method.

Genetic Robots: An Integrated Art and Biology Curriculum.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schramm, Susan L.

2000-01-01

Describes the design and implementation of an integrated art and science curriculum "Genetic Robotics: A Three-Dimensional Scientific Inquiry" for high school art and biology students at Madeira Junior/Senior High School in Cincinnati, Ohio. States that the project aimed at recognizing individual differences while enabling students to become…

Vaccinium Species of Section Hemimyrtillus: Their value to cultivated blueberry and approaches to utilization

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Section Hemimyrtillus represents species that are part of the tertiary gene pool of Vaccinium. Two species of Section Hemimyrtillus, native to the Portuguese islands of Madeira (V. padifolium Smith), and the Azores (V. cylindraceum Smith) have features of notable value to conventional blueberry deve...

Environmental Literacy in Madeira Island (Portugal): The Influence of Demographic Variables

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Spinola, Hélder

2016-01-01

Demographic factors are among those that influence environmental literacy and, particularly, environmentally responsible behaviours, either directly or due to an aggregation effect dependent on other types of variables. Present study evaluates a set of demographic variables as predictors for environmental literacy among 9th grade students from…

A resolution expressing support for the people affected by the natural disasters on Madeira Island.

THOMAS, 111th Congress

Sen. Whitehouse, Sheldon [D-RI

2010-03-04

Senate - 03/04/2010 Submitted in the Senate, considered, and agreed to without amendment and with a preamble by Unanimous Consent. (All Actions) Tracker: This bill has the status Agreed to in SenateHere are the steps for Status of Legislation:

Astronomia cultural e meio ambiente segundo uma abordagem holística

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jafelice, L. C.

2003-08-01

Neste trabalho ampliamos a discussão da abordagem holística para o ensino de astronomia que temos desenvolvido nos últimos anos, analisamos novos resultados e apresentamos exemplos práticos para interessados em experimentá-la. A constatação básica a orientar este enfoque é que cursos introdutórios em astronomia costumam ser excessiva e prematuramente técnicos, além de assumirem uma visão tradicional, muito estreita, do que seja educação científica, herdada da era cartesiana e positivista da ciência. Fundamentamos porque é importante que elementos de astronomia cultural ofereçam o mote e constituam o eixo norteador daqueles cursos e porque é urgente revermos a visão que temos da relação entre astronomia e meio ambiente. Um ponto central nesta abordagem é explorar formas de reativar e atualizar uma relação orgânica com o meio e excitar a consciência de nossa inevitável e profunda interdependência com ele em nível cósmico. Neste trabalho exemplificamos a possibilidade de concretização desta proposta em três diferentes situações: disciplinas de cursos de licenciatura em geografia e em física; escolas de nível fundamental; e, neste caso ainda a ser implementada, comunidades carentes. Estes casos envolvem públicos e espaços diferenciados para educação formal e não-formal. Dos casos já implementados, destacamos os resultados alcançados pelos alunos: enriquecimento cultural, aprendizagem significativa de conteúdos astronômicos tradicionais; mudanças de comportamento, incorporando contato diário com o céu; e freqüentes vivências de sentimentos empáticos que redirecionam a relação com a natureza e a consciência ecológica global. Além disto, para interessados em aplicar esta proposta, também socializamos procedimentos e cuidados para a implementação de ações alternativas consonantes com a mesma. (PPGECNM/UFRN; PRONEX/FINEP; NUPA/USP; Temáticos/FAPESP)

A distância e o conteúdo estelar da região HII gigante G333.1-0.4 - vínculos para a taxa de formação estelar da galáxia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Figuerêdo, E.; Damineli, A.; Blum, R.; Conti, P.

2003-08-01

Neste trabalho apresentamos imagens de alta resolução angular da região HII gigante G333.1-0.4 obtidas através dos filtros J, H e K no telescópio de 4-m do CTIO. Este trabalho faz parte de um estudo de regiões HII gigantes no infravermelho próximo que tem por objetivo estudar a natureza da formação de estrelas massivas e traçar a estrutura espiral de nossa galáxia. Nossa determinação da distância é baseada no método da paralaxe espectroscópica de estrelas OB localizadas na seqüência principal de idade zero (ZAMS) do Diagrama HR. No caso de G333.1-0.4, a magnitude aparente das estrelas localizadas na ZAMS indica que a distância não pode ser maior do que o limite inferior determinado por técnica rádio (2,8 kpc). Resultados semelhantes foram encontrados para regiões estudadas anteriormente, reforçando a idéia de que a taxa de formação estelar na Via Láctea é menor do que o determinado a partir de dados rádio. Nossos resultados mais recentes sobre o conteúdo estelar de G333.1-0.4 revelaram vários objetos que possuem cores bastante avermelhadas (H-K > 2,0). Nós identificamos estes objetos usando os diagramas cor-cor e cor-magnitude dos aglomerados. Estes objetos apresentam um forte excesso em emissão na banda K e possivelmente se tratam de estrelas do tipo OB envolvidas por um disco/envelope circumestelar espesso. O estudo da função de massa inical desta região, em conjunto com resultados de nossos trabalhos anteriores, aponta para uma IMF independente da posição galática. A contagem de estrelas nos fornece um valor para o número de fótons no contínuo de Lyman que corrobora com a afirmação de que G333.1-0.4 se encontra mais próxima da menor distância determinada por rádio.

Methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase gene, homocysteine and coronary artery disease: the A1298C polymorphism does matter. Inferences from a case study (Madeira, Portugal).

PubMed

Freitas, Ana I; Mendonça, Isabel; Guerra, Graça; Brión, Maria; Reis, Roberto P; Carracedo, Angel; Brehm, António

2008-01-01

Elevated levels of plasma homocysteine, an independent risk factor and a strong predictor of mortality in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD), can result from nutritional deficiencies or genetic errors, including methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) C677T and A1298C polymorphisms. The contribution of these polymorphisms in the development of CAD remains controversial. We analysed the impact of MTHFR C677T and A1298C on fasting homocysteine and CAD in 298 CAD patients proved by angiography and 510 control subjects from the Island of Madeira (Portugal). After adjustment for other risk factors, plasma homocysteine remained independently correlated with CAD. Serum homocysteine was significantly higher in individuals with 677TT and 1298AA genotypes. There was no difference in the distribution of MTHFR677 genotypes between cases and controls but a significant increase in 1298AA prevalence was found in CAD patients. In spite of the clear effect of C677T mutation on elevated homocysteine levels we only found an association between 1298AA genotype and CAD in this population. The simultaneous presence of 677CT and 1298AA genotypes provides a significant risk of developing the disease, while the 1298AC genotype, combined with 677CC, shows a significant trend towards a decrease in CAD occurrence. The data shows an independent association between elevated levels of homocysteine and CAD. Both MTHFR polymorphisms are associated with increased fasting homocysteine (677TT and 1298AA genotypes), but only the 1298AA variant shows an increased prevalence in CAD group. Odds ratio seem to indicate that individuals with the MTHFR 1298AA genotype and the 677CT/1298AA compound genotype had a 1.6-fold increased risk for developing CAD suggesting a possible association of MTHFR polymorphisms with the risk of CAD in Madeira population.

Impact of a dengue outbreak experience in the preventive perceptions of the community from a temperate region: Madeira Island, Portugal.

PubMed

Nazareth, Teresa; Sousa, Carla Alexandra; Porto, Graça; Gonçalves, Luzia; Seixas, Gonçalo; Antunes, Luís; Silva, Ana Clara; Teodósio, Rosa

2015-03-01

The ability to effectively modify behaviours is increasingly relevant to attain and maintain a good health status. Current behaviour-change models and theories present two main approaches for (healthier) decision-making: one analytical/logical, and one experiential/emotional/intuitive. Therefore, to achieve an integral and dynamic understanding of the public perceptions both approaches should be considered: community surveys should measure cognitive understanding of health-risk contexts, and also explore how past experiences affect this understanding. In 2011, community perceptions regarding domestic source reduction were assessed in Madeira Island͘. After Madeira's first dengue outbreak (2012) a unique opportunity to compare perceptions before and after the outbreak-experience occurred. This was the aim of this study, which constituted the first report on the effect of an outbreak experience on community perceptions regarding a specific vector-borne disease. A cross-sectional survey was performed within female residents at the most aegypti-infested areas. Perceptions regarding domestic source reduction were assessed according to the Essential Perception (EP)-analysis tool. A matching process paired individuals from studies performed before and after the outbreak, ensuring homogeneity in six determinant variables. After the outbreak, there were more female residents who assimilated the concepts considered to be essential to understand the proposed behaviour. Nevertheless, no significant difference was observed in the number of female residents who achieved the defined 'minimal understanding''. Moreover, most of the population (95.5%) still believed at least in one of the identified myths. After the outbreak some myths disappeared and others appeared. The present study quantified and explored how the experience of an outbreak influenced the perception regarding a dengue-preventive behaviour. The outbreak experience surprisingly led to the appearance of new myths within the population, apart from the expected increase of relevant concepts' assimilation. Monitoring public perceptions is therefore crucial to make preventing dengue campaigns updated and worthy.

Shifts in the Budyko curve over the past decade in the Amazon basin

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Maeda, E. E.; Ma, X.; Liu, Y.; Huete, A. R.

2017-12-01

The Amazon basin has experienced extensive forest loss during the past decades. These changes can exert significant impact on regional water and energy budget, as well as other environmental processes. Here we evaluated how forest loss in the Madeira and Tapajós River basins, between 2002 and 2015, affected the Budyko relationship. The Budyko framework describes the links between climate and hydrological components, where evapotranspiration (ET) is limited by the supply of either water or energy. The framework is composed by two components, the dryness index (DI) and the evaporative index (EI). The DI determines the type and degree of limitation, with values lower than 1 represent energy-limited condition and values higher than 1, water-limited. The EI describes the partitioning of rainfall (P) into ET and runoff (R), with higher values indicating a larger proportion of ET. In this study, we use a modified version of the Budyko framework, which accounts for intra-annual changes in water storage (dS). Hence, the effective rainfall is represented by P-dS, so that EI=ET/(P-dS) and the DI= PET/(P-dS). We show that the Madeira and Tapajós River basins have lost approximately 60000 km2 and 50000km2 of forested area by 2015, respectively. Our results indicate that these changes caused a subtle shift in the Budyko curve in both basins. At the Madeira basin, a reduction in the DI indicate a shift towards lower water limitation, while decreasing EI indicate that a higher proportion of P is being converted into runoff. At the Tapajós basin, we also observe an overall decrease in the DI, but no significant trends in the evaporative index was observed. We expect that the observed shifts provide a new insight on the Amazon forest responses to changes in climate and land use. Further studies will focus in identifying the biophysical mechanisms driving these shifts, as well as seasonal aspects of the changes.

Genetic polymorphisms and asthma: findings from a case-control study in the Madeira island population.

PubMed

Berenguer, Anabela Gonçalves; Fernandes, Ana Teresa; Oliveira, Susana; Rodrigues, Mariana; Ornelas, Pedro; Romeira, Diogo; Serrão, Tânia; Rosa, Alexandra; Câmara, Rita

2014-09-04

Asthma is a complex disease influenced by multiple genetic and environmental factors. While Madeira has the highest prevalence of asthma in Portugal (14.6%), the effect of both genetic and environmental factors in this population has never been assessed. We categorized 98 asthma patients according to the Global Initiative for Asthma (GINA) guidelines, established their sensitization profile, and measured their forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1) and forced vital capacity (FVC) indexes. Selected single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were analysed as potential markers for asthma susceptibility and severity in the interleukin 4 (IL4), interleukin 13 (IL13), beta-2-adrenergic receptor (ADRB2), a disintegrin and metalloprotease 33 (ADAM33), gasdermin-like (GSDML) and the signal transducer and activator of transcription 6 (STAT6) genes comparatively to a population reference set. Although mites are the major source of allergic sensitization, no significant difference was found amongst asthma severity categories. IL4-590*CT/TT and IL4-RP2*253183/183183 were found to predict the risk (2-fold) and severity (3 to 4-fold) of asthma and were associated with a lower FEV1 index. ADRB2-c.16*AG is a risk factor (3.5-fold), while genotype GSDML-236*TT was protective (4-fold) for moderate-severe asthma. ADAM33-V4*C was associated to asthma and mild asthma by the transmission disequilibrium test (TDT). Finally, ADAM33-V4*CC and STAT6-21*TT were associated with higher sensitization (mean wheal size ≥10 mm) to house dust (1.4-fold) and storage mite (7.8-fold). In Madeira, IL4-590C/T, IL4-RP2 253/183, GSDML-236C/T and ADAM33-V4C/G SNPs are important risk factors for asthma susceptibility and severity, with implications for asthma healthcare management.

Productivity of aboveground coarse wood biomass and stand age related to soil hydrology of Amazonian forests in the Purus-Madeira interfluvial area

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cintra, B. B. L.; Schietti, J.; Emillio, T.; Martins, D.; Moulatlet, G.; Souza, P.; Levis, C.; Quesada, C. A.; Schöngart, J.

2013-04-01

The ongoing demand for information on forest productivity has increased the number of permanent monitoring plots across the Amazon. Those plots, however, do not comprise the whole diversity of forest types in the Amazon. The complex effects of soil, climate and hydrology on the productivity of seasonally waterlogged interfluvial wetland forests are still poorly understood. The presented study is the first field-based estimate for tree ages and wood biomass productivity in the vast interfluvial region between the Purus and Madeira rivers. We estimate stand age and wood biomass productivity by a combination of tree-ring data and allometric equations for biomass stocks of eight plots distributed along 600 km in the Purus-Madeira interfluvial area that is crossed by the BR-319 highway. We relate stand age and wood biomass productivity to hydrological and edaphic conditions. Mean productivity and stand age were 5.6 ± 1.1 Mg ha-1 yr-1 and 102 ± 18 yr, respectively. There is a strong relationship between tree age and diameter, as well as between mean diameter increment and mean wood density within a plot. Regarding the soil hydromorphic properties we find a positive correlation with wood biomass productivity and a negative relationship with stand age. Productivity also shows a positive correlation with the superficial phosphorus concentration. In addition, superficial phosphorus concentration increases with enhanced soil hydromorphic condition. We raise three hypotheses to explain these results: (1) the reduction of iron molecules on the saturated soils with plinthite layers close to the surface releases available phosphorous for the plants; (2) the poor structure of the saturated soils creates an environmental filter selecting tree species of faster growth rates and shorter life spans and (3) plant growth on saturated soil is favored during the dry season, since there should be low restrictions for soil water availability.

Telescópio de pequeno porte como suporte ao ensino em cidades com intensa poluição luminosa II

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pereira, P. C. R.; Santos-Júnior, J. M.; Cruz, W. S.

2003-08-01

Para a maioria dos estudantes, sua passagem pelo ensino formal fundamental envolve a transmissão de fatos que devem ser guardados para um exame, a habilidade para lembrar fórmulas e, eventualmente, a repetição de experimentos que devem produzir resultados exigidos pelo professor. O resultado deste modelo de ensino, ao longo dos anos, é conhecido por todos: desconhecimento e descontentamento, por parte dos estudantes, de temas relativos ao papel e aos processos da ciência. Acreditamos que a Astronomia, pelo seu caráter observacional, é uma das áreas do conhecimento que pode contribuir neste cenário. A Fundação Planetário da Cidade do Rio de Janeiro possui um telescópio Meade LX-200 (25cm) que, juntamente com as câmeras CCD ST-7E e ST8E, tem sido utilizado em projetos voltados aos estudantes do ensino médio desde o ano 2000. Tais projetos envolvem a condução de um projeto de pesquisa observacional num nível apropriado, e possibilitam o contato com técnicas e novas tecnologias: computador, software para manipulação de dados e gráficos, programas de tratamento e redução de dados, uso de equipamentos óptico-eletrônicos (telescópio e CCD), bem como o processo de aquisição de conhecimento. Dentro da proposta dos anos anteriores, priorizamos projetos de uma noite, ou seja, procuramos trabalhar com fenômenos que apresentem variabilidade com intervalo de recorrência relativamente curto. Em todos os casos, optamos pela fotometria diferencial, que tem se mostrado bastante eficiente para o céu luminoso como o da cidade do Rio de Janeiro. Neste painel, apresentamos alguns dos projetos desenvolvidos no último ano, com 25 estudantes. Apresentamos os resultados da observação da variável pulsante AI Vel (V = 6,6) e da variável cataclísmica FO Aqr (V = 13,5), e do monitoramento do trânsito da lua de Júpiter, Europa, ocorrido em 30 de abril de 2003. As curvas de luz produzidas para as primeiras estão concordantes com as da literatura, assim como os respectivos períodos encontrados (1h20min e 4h48min). No caso do FO Aqr, ficou evidente, também, a modulação decorrente da rotação da anã branca receptora (21min). O erro estimado é de 0,01 magnitude. Propomos uma maior utilização de telescópios de pequeno porte, como suporte ao ensino (médio e superior) em cidades com poluição luminosa. Escolas e Planetários seriam ambientes propícios para a localização do telescópio. Os critérios adotados na escolha dos objetos e o método observacional empregado são também apresentados.

Brachial insertion of fully implantable venous catheters for chemotherapy: complications and quality of life assessment in 35 patients.

PubMed

Fonseca, Igor Yoshio Imagawa; Krutman, Mariana; Nishinari, Kenji; Yazbek, Guilherme; Teivelis, Marcelo Passos; Bomfim, Guilherme André Zottele; Cavalcante, Rafael Noronha; Wolosker, Nelson

2016-01-01

To prospectively evaluate the perioperative safety, early complications and satisfaction of patients who underwent the implantation of central catheters peripherally inserted via basilic vein. Thirty-five consecutive patients with active oncologic disease requiring chemotherapy were prospectively followed up after undergoing peripheral implantation of indwelling venous catheters, between November 2013 and June 2014. The procedures were performed in the operating room by the same team of three vascular surgeons. The primary endpoints assessed were early postoperative complications, occurring within 30 days after implantation. The evaluation of patient satisfaction was based on a specific questionnaire used in previous studies. In all cases, ultrasound-guided puncture of the basilic vein was feasible and the procedure successfully completed. Early complications included one case of basilic vein thrombophlebitis and one case of pocket infection that did not require device removal. Out of 35 patients interviewed, 33 (94.3%) would recommend the device to other patients. Implanting brachial ports is a feasible option, with low intraoperative risk and similar rates of early postoperative complications when compared to the existing data of the conventional technique. The patients studied were satisfied with the device and would recommend the procedure to others. Avaliar prospectivamente segurança perioperatória, complicações precoces e grau de satisfação de pacientes submetidos ao implante de cateteres centrais de inserção periférica pela veia basílica. Foram acompanhados prospectivamente e submetidos ao implante de cateteres de longa permanência de inserção periférica, entre novembro de 2013 e junho de 2014, 35 pacientes consecutivos com doença oncológica ativa necessitando de quimioterapia. Os procedimentos foram realizados em centro cirúrgico por uma mesma equipe composta por três cirurgiões vasculares. Os desfechos primários avaliados foram as complicações pós-operatórias precoces, ocorridas em até 30 dias após o implante. A avaliação do grau de satisfação foi realizada com base na aplicação de um questionário específico já utilizado em estudos prévios. Em todos os casos, a punção ecoguiada da veia basílica foi possível, e o procedimento foi concluído com sucesso. As complicações precoces observadas incluíram um caso de tromboflebite de basílica e um de infecção de bolsa, ambos tratados clinicamente sem necessidade de retirada do dispositivo. Dos 35 pacientes interrogados, 33 (94,3%) recomendariam o dispositivo para outras pessoas. A implantação do port braquial é uma opção factível, com baixo risco intraoperatório e taxas semelhantes de complicações pós-operatórias imediatas quando comparada a dados já existentes da técnica convencional. Os pacientes estudados apresentaram-se satisfeitos com o dispositivo e recomendariam o procedimento para outras pessoas.

The SWAT Team: Successfully Integrating Technology into the Curriculum.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cathey, Marcy E.

The Madeira School (McLean, Virginia) had been behind on advanced technology as compared to many of its competitor schools. In the fall of 1996, the cornerstone for the Savvy With All Technology (SWAT) team program was laid. The idea of SWAT was to infiltrate departments with technology specialists and users so that technology would be used across…

The ternary system K2SO4MgSO4CaSO4

USGS Publications Warehouse

Rowe, J.J.; Morey, G.W.; Silber, C.C.

1967-01-01

Melting and subsolidus relations in the system K2SO4MgSO4CaSO4 were studied using heating-cooling curves, differential thermal analysis, optics, X-ray diffraction at room and high temperatures and by quenching techniques. Previous investigators were unable to study the binary MgSO4CaSO4 system and the adjacent area in the ternary system because of the decomposition of MgSO4 and CaSO4 at high temperatures. This problem was partly overcome by a novel sealed-tube quenching method, by hydrothermal synthesis, and by long-time heating in the solidus. As a result of this study, we found: (1) a new compound, CaSO4??3MgSO4 (m.p. 1201??C) with a field extending into the ternary system; (2) a high temperature form of MgSO4 with a sluggishly reversible inversion. An X-ray diffraction pattern for this polymorphic form is given; (3) the inversion of ??-CaSO4 (anhydrite) to ??-CaSO4 at 1195??C, in agreement with grahmann; (1) (4) the melting point of MgSO4 is 1136??C and that of CaSO4 is 1462??C (using sealed tube methods to prevent decomposition of the sulphates); (5) calcium langbeinite (K2SO4??2CaSO4) is the only compound in the K2SO4CaSO4 binary system. This resolved discrepancies in the results of previous investigators; (6) a continuous solid solution series between congruently melting K2SOP4??2MgSO4 (langbeinite) and incongruently melting K2SO4??2CaSO4 (calcium langbeinite); (7) the liquidus in the ternary system consists of primary phase fields of K2SO4, MgSO4, CaSO4, langbeinite-calcium langbeinite solid solution, and CaSO4??3MgSO4. The CaSO4 field extends over a large portion of the system. Previously reported fields for the compounds (K2SO4??MgSO4??nCaSO4), K2SO4??3CaSO4 and K2SO4??CaSO4 were not found; (8) a minimum in the ternary system at: 740??C, 25% MgSO4, 6% CaSO4, 69% K2SO4; and ternary eutectics at 882??C, 49% MgSO4, 19% CaSO4, 32% K2SO4; and 880??, 67??5% MgSO4, 5% CaSO4, 27??5% K2SO4. ?? 1967.

Environmental Literacy Comparison between Students Taught in Eco-Schools and Ordinary Schools in the Madeira Island Region of Portugal

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Spinola, H.

2015-01-01

The main goal of environmental education is to improve environmental literacy, including not just more knowledge but also a better attitude toward the environment and a higher prevalence of pro-environmental behaviours. The Eco-School Program is considered the world largest environmental education program for schools, but it keeps growing without…

Comparative Phylogeography of Neotropical Birds

DTIC Science & Technology

2009-05-01

of lowland Neotropical rainforest birds that have populations isolated on either side of the Andes, Amazon River, and Madeira River. I found widely...Unlike canopy species, understory birds were structured at smaller spatial scales, particularly across riverine barriers of the Amazon basin...expansive complementary forest of the Amazon Basin. This divide is relatively young as the northern Andes were only half their present elevation

Sediment characteristics and microbiological contamination of beach sand - A case-study in the archipelago of Madeira.

PubMed

Abreu, Roberto; Figueira, Celso; Romão, Daniela; Brandão, João; Freitas, M Conceição; Andrade, César; Calado, Graça; Ferreira, Carmen; Campos, Ana; Prada, Susana

2016-12-15

Beach sand can harbour pathogenic and opportunistic microorganisms, as well as faecal indicator bacteria that influence directly the bathing water quality. Pathogenic and opportunistic microorganisms often raise concern of exposure during beach related recreational activities. In this work, three different types of sandy beaches (natural basaltic, natural calcareous and artificial calcareous) of the Archipelago of Madeira (Portugal) were sampled for bacterial and fungal contaminants and grain size distribution, during four years (2010-2013). Following an extreme weather event in 2010, the faecal indicator bacteria levels spiked, returning to base levels shortly thereafter. The same phenomenon occurred with fungi, where potentially pathogenic fungi were the dominant group. Yeast-like fungi and dermatophytes were, however, mainly associated to months of higher usage by recreational users. Statistical analysis showed higher contamination of sediment in artificial beaches compared to natural beaches and granulometry and chemical composition of sand did not influence in the microbial loads. Instead, bather density and the influence of coastal protection structures needed to maintain the volume of artificial beach sand regarding the removal potential of wave induced currents are obvious influencing factors. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Identification and quantification of phenolic compounds of selected fruits from Madeira Island by HPLC-DAD-ESI-MS(n) and screening for their antioxidant activity.

PubMed

Spínola, Vítor; Pinto, Joana; Castilho, Paula C

2015-04-15

Five fruits species commonly cultivated and consumed in Madeira Island (Portugal) were investigated for their phenolic profile by means of reversed phase high-performance liquid chromatography coupled to diode array detection and electrospray ionisation mass spectrometry (HPLC-DAD-ESI/MS(n)) and antioxidant potential. A large number of compounds were characterised, flavonoids and phenolic acids being the major components found in target samples, 39 compounds (flavonoids, phenolic acids, terpenoids, cyanogenic glycosides and organic acids) were identified in cherimoyas, lemons, papayas, passion-fruits and strawberries for the first time. Furthermore, all samples were systematically analysed for their total phenolic and flavonoid contents along with two radical scavenging methods (ABTS and ORAC) for antioxidant activity measurement. Target fruits presented high phenolic contents which is responsible for most of the antioxidant activity against radical reactive species (R(2)>0.80). Quantitative data showed that anthocyanins, in particular pelargonidin-3-O-hexoside (>300 mg/100 mL), present only in strawberries were the compounds in largest amounts but are the ones which contribute less to the antioxidant activity. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Sensitivity of the WRF model to the lower boundary in an extreme precipitation event - Madeira island case study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Teixeira, J. C.; Carvalho, A. C.; Carvalho, M. J.; Luna, T.; Rocha, A.

2014-08-01

The advances in satellite technology in recent years have made feasible the acquisition of high-resolution information on the Earth's surface. Examples of such information include elevation and land use, which have become more detailed. Including this information in numerical atmospheric models can improve their results in simulating lower boundary forced events, by providing detailed information on their characteristics. Consequently, this work aims to study the sensitivity of the weather research and forecast (WRF) model to different topography as well as land-use simulations in an extreme precipitation event. The test case focused on a topographically driven precipitation event over the island of Madeira, which triggered flash floods and mudslides in the southern parts of the island. Difference fields between simulations were computed, showing that the change in the data sets produced statistically significant changes to the flow, the planetary boundary layer structure and precipitation patterns. Moreover, model results show an improvement in model skill in the windward region for precipitation and in the leeward region for wind, in spite of the non-significant enhancement in the overall results with higher-resolution data sets of topography and land use.

The use of microsatellites for germplasm management in a Portuguese grapevine collection.

PubMed

Lopes, M S; Sefc, K M; Eiras Dias, E; Steinkellner, H; Laimer Câmara Machado, M; Câmara Machado, A

1999-08-01

To initiate the characterization of the Portuguese grapevine genepool, we have genotyped 49 Portuguese grapevine cultivars at 11 microsatellite loci. The markers proved to be informative in the Portuguese cultivars, with expected heterozygosity ranging from 0.67 to 0.84. At most loci, an excess of heterozygous individuals was observed, while the deficiency of heterozygotes at 1 locus (VVMD6) indicated the presence of null alleles. On the basis of the microsatellite allele data several previously assumed synonyms were verified: (1) 'Fernão Pires'='Maria Gomes', (2) 'Moscatel de Setúbal'='Muscat of Alexandria', (3) 'Boal Cachudo'='Boal da Madeira'='Malvasia Fina', (4) 'Síria'='Crato Branco'= 'Roupeiro' and (5) 'Periquita'='Castelão Francês'='João de Santarém'='Trincadeira'. Although the three varieties 'Verdelho da Madeira', 'Verdelho dos Açores', and 'Verdelho roxo' are regarded by the Lista Nacional de Sinónimos as distinct cultivars, they displayed identical SSR profiles at 17 loci and appear to represent types of 1 single cultivar. The genetic profiles of all 49 cultivars were searched for possible parent-offspring groups. The data obtained revealed the descendence of 'Boal Ratinho' from 'Malvasia Fina' and 'Síria'.

BIOMETORE Project - Studying the Biodiversity in the Northeastern Atlantic Seamounts

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dos Santos, A.; Biscoito, M.; Campos, A.; Tuaty Guerra, M.; Meneses, G.; Santos, A. M. P. A.

2016-02-01

Understanding the deep-sea ecosystem functioning is a key issue in the study of ocean sciences. Bringing together researchers from several scientific domains, the BIOMETORE project aims to the increase knowledge on deep-sea ecosystems and biodiversity at the Atlantic seamounts of the Madeira-Tore and Great Meteor geological complexes. The project outputs will provide important information for the understanding and sustainable management of the target seamount ecosystems, thus contributing to fulfill knowledge gaps on their biodiversity, from bacteria to mammals, and food webs, as well as to promote future sustainable fisheries and sea-floor integrity. The plan includes the realization of eight multidisciplinary surveys, four done during the summer of 2015 and another four planned for the same season of 2016, in target seamounts: the Gorringe bank, the Josephine, and others in the Madeira-Tore, and selected ones in the Greta Meteor (northeastern Atlantic Ocean). The surveys cover a number of scientific areas in the domains of oceanography, ecology, integrative taxonomy, geology, fisheries and spatial mapping. We present and discuss BIOMETORE developments, the preliminary results from the four 2015 summer surveys, and the planning of the next four surveys.

Evaluation of thermochemical biomass conversion in fluidized bed =

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Neves, Daniel dos Santos Felix das

Dado o aumento acelerado dos precos dos combustiveis fosseis e as incertezas quanto a sua disponibilidade futura, tem surgido um novo interesse nas tecnologias da biomassa aplicadas a producao de calor, eletricidade ou combustiveis sinteticos. Nao obstante, para a conversao termoquimica de uma particula de biomassa solida concorrem fenomenos bastante complexos que levam, em primeiro lugar, a secagem do combustivel, depois a pirolise e finalmente a combustao ou gasificacao propriamente ditas. Uma descricao relativamente incompleta de alguns desses estagios de conversao constitui ainda um obstaculo ao desenvolvimento das tecnologias que importa ultrapassar. Em particular, a presenca de elevados conteudos de materia volatil na biomassa poe em evidencia o interesse pratico do estudo da pirolise. A importância da pirolise durante a combustao de biomassa foi evidenciada neste trabalho atraves de ensaios realizados num reator piloto de leito fluidizado borbulhante. Verificou-se que o processo ocorre em grande parte a superficie do leito com chamas de difusao devido a libertacao de volateis, o que dificulta o controlo da temperatura do reator acima do leito. No caso da gasificacao de biomassa a pirolise pode inclusivamente determinar a eficiencia quimica do processo. Isso foi mostrado neste trabalho durante ensaios de gasificacao num reator de leito fluidizado de 2MWth, onde um novo metodo de medicao permitiu fechar o balanco de massa ao gasificador e monitorizar o grau de conversao da biomassa. A partir destes resultados tornou-se clara a necessidade de descrever adequadamente a pirolise de biomassa com vista ao projeto e controlo dos processos. Em aplicacoes de engenharia ha particular interesse na estequiometria e propriedades dos principais produtos piroliticos. Neste trabalho procurou-se responder a esta necessidade, inicialmente atraves da estruturacao de dados bibliograficos sobre rendimentos de carbonizado, liquidos piroliticos e gases, assim como composicoes elementares e poderes calorificos. O resultado traduziu-se num conjunto de parâmetros empiricos de interesse pratico que permitiram elucidar o comportamento geral da pirolise de biomassa numa gama ampla de condicoes operatorias. Para alem disso, propos-se um modelo empirico para a composicao dos volateis que pode ser integrado em modelos compreensivos de reatores desde que os parâmetros usados sejam adequados ao combustivel ensaiado. Esta abordagem despoletou um conjunto de ensaios de pirolise com varias biomassas, lenhina e celulose, e temperaturas entre os 600 e 975ºC. Elevadas taxas de aquecimento do combustivel foram alcancadas em reatores laboratoriais de leito fluidizado borbulhante e leito fixo, ao passo que um sistema termo-gravimetrico permitiu estudar o efeito de taxas de aquecimento mais baixas. Os resultados mostram que, em condicoes tipicas de processos de combustao e gasificacao, a quantidade de volateis libertada da biomassa e pouco influenciada pela temperatura do reator mas varia bastante entre combustiveis. Uma analise mais aprofundada deste assunto permitiu mostrar que o rendimento de carbonizado esta intimamente relacionado com o racio O/C do combustivel original, sendo proposto um modelo simples para descrever esta relacao. Embora a quantidade total de volateis libertada seja estabelecida pela composicao da biomassa, a respetiva composicao quimica depende bastante da temperatura do reator. Rendimentos de especies condensaveis (agua e especies orgânicas), CO2 e hidrocarbonetos leves descrevem um maximo relativamente a temperatura para dar lugar a CO e H2 as temperaturas mais altas. Nao obstante, em certas gamas de temperatura, os rendimentos de algumas das principais especies gasosas (e.g. CO, H2, CH4) estao bem correlacionados entre si, o que permitiu desenvolver modelos empiricos que minimizam o efeito das condicoes operatorias e, ao mesmo tempo, realcam o efeito do combustivel na composicao do gas. Em suma, os ensaios de pirolise realizados neste trabalho permitiram constatar que a estequiometria da pirolise de biomassa se relaciona de varias formas com a composicao elementar do combustivel original o que levanta varias possibilidades para a avaliacao e projeto de processos de combustao e gasificacao de biomassa.

West Europe Report

DTIC Science & Technology

1987-05-26

Assurance Displayed, by Antonio Pinto Leite 42 Victory Over PRD 43 Briefs Madeira-South Africa Cooperation in Health 45 TURKEY Prime Minister Ozal’s...Personalities, Activities, by Jean Qoaquen 82 Corbeville Central Laboratory 92 PORTUGAL Virgilio de Carvalho; DIARIO DE NOTICIAS, 14 Apr 87...Green Party), as well as a few notoriously critical party colleagues, among whom Wim Meijer, Jacques Wallage, Hedy d’Ancona and Hans Kombrink. It

Hydrogeological Report, Lajes Field, Azores, Portugal

DTIC Science & Technology

2005-02-01

fractured volcanic rocks and has groundwater levels near sea level. 2. Numerous discontinuous perched aquifers that occur in areas where precipitation...insular region that includes also the archipelagos of Madeira, Selvagens, Canary, and Cape Verde Islands. Terceira Island is built by tree volcanic ...area are predominantly typical Andosols. These volcanic soils are characterized by a high permeability up to 70 percent in some cases (Faria, 1974

Patterns of Diversity of the Rissoidae (Mollusca: Gastropoda) in the Atlantic and the Mediterranean Region

PubMed Central

Ávila, Sérgio P.; Goud, Jeroen; de Frias Martins, António M.

2012-01-01

The geographical distribution of the Rissoidae in the Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea was compiled and is up-to-date until July 2011. All species were classified according to their mode of larval development (planktotrophic and nonplanktotrophic), and bathymetrical zonation (shallow species—those living between the intertidal and 50 m depth, and deep species—those usually living below 50 m depth). 542 species of Rissoidae are presently reported to the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea, belonging to 33 genera. The Mediterranean Sea is the most diverse site, followed by Canary Islands, Caribbean, Portugal, and Cape Verde. The Mediterranean and Cape Verde Islands are the sites with higher numbers of endemic species, with predominance of Alvania spp. in the first site, and of Alvania and Schwartziella at Cape Verde. In spite of the large number of rissoids at Madeira archipelago, a large number of species are shared with Canaries, Selvagens, and the Azores, thus only about 8% are endemic to the Madeira archipelago. Most of the 542-rissoid species that live in the Atlantic and in the Mediterranean are shallow species (323), 110 are considered as deep species, and 23 species are reported in both shallow and deep waters. There is a predominance of nonplanktotrophs in islands, seamounts, and at high and medium latitudes. This pattern is particularly evident in the genera Crisilla, Manzonia, Onoba, Porosalvania, Schwartziella, and Setia. Planktotrophic species are more abundant in the eastern Atlantic and in the Mediterranean Sea. The results of the analysis of the probable directions of faunal flows support the patterns found by both the Parsimony Analysis of Endemicity and the geographical distribution. Four main source areas for rissoids emerge: Mediterranean, Caribbean, Canaries/Madeira archipelagos, and the Cape Verde archipelago. We must stress the high percentage of endemics that occurs in the isolated islands of Saint Helena, Tristan da Cunha, Cape Verde archipelago and also the Azores, thus reinforcing the legislative protective actions that the local governments have implemented in these islands during the recent years. PMID:22693430

Volcanic Aggregates from Azores and Madeira Archipelagos (Portugal): An Overview Regarding the Alkali Silica Reactions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Medeiros, Sara; Ramos, Violeta; Fernandes, Isabel; Nunes, João Carlos; Fournier, Benoit; Santos Silva, António; Soares, Dora

2017-12-01

Alkali-silica reaction (ASR) is a type of deterioration that has been causing serious expansion, cracking and durability/operational issues in concrete structures worldwide. The presence of sufficient moisture, high alkali content in the cement paste and reactive forms of silica in the aggregates are the required conditions for this reaction to occur. Reactive aggregates of volcanic nature have been reported in different countries such as Japan, Iceland and Turkey, among others. The presence of silica minerals and SiO2-rich volcanic glass is regarded as the main cause for the reactivity of volcanic rocks. In Portugal, volcanic aggregates are mainly present in Azores and Madeira Archipelagos and, for several years, there was no information regarding the potential alkali-reactivity of these rocks. Since the beginning of this decade some data was obtained by the work of Medeiros (2011) and Ramos (2013) and by the national research projects ReAVA, (Characterization of potential reactivity of the volcanic aggregates from the Azores Archipelago: implications on the durability of concrete structures) and IMPROVE (Improvement of performance of aggregates in the inhibition of alkali-aggregate reactions in concrete), respectively. In order to investigate the potential alkali-reactivity of aggregates from both archipelagos, a total of sixteen aggregates were examined under the optical microscope and, some of them, also under the Scanning Electron Microscope with Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy. A set of geochemical analyses and laboratory expansion tests were also performed on those volcanic aggregates. The main results showed that the presence of volcanic glass is rare in both archipelagos and that the samples of Madeira Archipelago contain clay minerals (mainly from scoria/tuff formations inter-layered with the lava flows), which can play a role in concrete expansion. The results of the laboratory tests showed that one of the samples performed as potentially reactive in the accelerated mortar-bar test (ASTM C 1260) and that the majority of the Azores samples started to show some expansion just after one year of testing in the concrete prism test (CPT) at 38°C.

Gradientes de abundâncias em galáxias espirais

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dors, O. L.., Jr.; Copetti, M. V. F.

2003-08-01

Gradientes de abundâncias obtidos através de observações de regiões H II têm um papel importante no estudo de formação e evolução de galáxias espirais. Determinações diretas de abundâncias somente são obtidas quando linhas de emissão sensíveis à temperatura eletrônica (e.g., [O III]l4363) são detectadas. Infelizmente estas linhas são fracas ou não observadas em regiões H II de baixa excitação. Nestes casos métodos empíricos são utilizados para estimar as abundâncias químicas. Entretanto, diferentes métodos têm produzido diferentes estimativas de gradientes de abundâncias. Neste trabalho, nós construímos modelos de fotoionização com o objetivo de descrever diagramas de diagnósticos construídos com dados publicados de algumas galáxias espirais normais e barradas. Comparações entre nossas estimativas de abundâncias e de outros métodos mostram que quando não há acordo entre eles, nossos modelos superestimam as abundâncias de O/H e N/H por um fator de 0.3 dex em relação a estimativas diretas de abundâncias, e por fator de 0.2 dex em relação a outros métodos empíricos. A origem da produção de nitrogênio nas galáxias estudadas é discutida.

Assessment on the ownership and use of mosquito nets in Mozambique.

PubMed

Arroz, Jorge Alexandre Harrison; Chirrute, Francisco; Mendis, Chandana; Chande, Marta Honesta; Kollhoff, Veronique

2016-12-22

To assess the ownership and use of mosquito nets in 2014, in Mozambique. This observational and cross-sectional study assessed, in February and March 2015, 69 districts (nine of 11 provinces of Mozambique) that have benefited from the mass distribution of mosquito nets. The Lot Quality Assurance Sampling methodology was used. Each locality was denominated supervision area. The Lot Quality Assurance Sampling opts for a minimum of 19 households (in this case, we decided for a minimum of 100 households per district) from each supervision area to assess an indicator (in this case, two indicators were assessed: ownership and use of mosquito nets). Two questions guided the research: a) received a mosquito net; b) used a mosquito net the night before. A total of 6,725 households were assessed. Eighty three percent of them had received mosquito nets in the campaign. Of the 6,232 respondents, 82.0% said they used mosquito nets the night before. The districts of the provinces with low coverage of ownership and use were Tete (69.5% and 60.0%, respectively), Zambezia (79.0% and 60.0%, respectively), and Gaza (81.6% and 70.7%, respectively). The largest coverage of ownership and use were observed in the districts of Nampula (96.7% and 93.8%, respectively) and Niassa (86.0% and 85.4% respectively). In the districts assessed, the progression of ownership and use of mosquito nets is satisfactory. Nampula and Niassa are the only provinces where ownership and use are at desired levels. Avaliar a posse e o uso das redes mosquiteiras no ano de 2014 em Moçambique. Este estudo observacional transversal avaliou, em fevereiro e março de 2015, 68 distritos (nove das 11 províncias de Moçambique) que se beneficiaram da distribuição de redes em massa. Usou-se a metodologia Lot Quality Assurance Sampling. Cada localidade foi designada de área de supervisão. O Lot Quality Assurance Sampling opta por um mínimo de 19 agregados familiares (neste caso decidiu-se um mínimo de 100 agregados familiares por distrito) de cada área de supervisão, a fim de avaliar um indicador (neste caso dois indicadores foram avaliados: posse e uso de redes mosquiteiras). Duas perguntas nortearam a pesquisa: a) recebeu rede; b) usou rede na noite anterior. Foram avaliados 6.725 agregados familiares . Desses, 83,0% tinham recebido redes na campanha. Dos 6.232 inqueridos, 82,0% disseram que usaram na noite anterior. As províncias com distritos com menores coberturas de posse e uso foram Tete (69,5% e 60,0%, respectivamente), Zambézia (79,0% e 60,0%, respectivamente) e Gaza (81,6% e 70,7%, respectivamente). As maiores coberturas de posse e uso foram observadas nos distritos de Nampula (96,7% e 93,8%, respectivamente) e Niassa (86,0% e 85,4%, respectivamente). Nos distritos avaliados, a progressão para a posse e uso de redes mosquiteiras é satisfatória. Nampula e Niassa são as únicas províncias onde a posse e o uso estão em níveis desejados.

Risk factors for mortality in ventilator-associated tracheobronchitis: a case-control study.

PubMed

Pontes, Leonilda Giani; Menezes, Fernando Gatti de; Gonçalves, Priscila; Toniolo, Alexandra do Rosário; Silva, Claudia Vallone; Kawagoe, Julia Yaeko; Santos, Camila Marques Dos; Castagna, Helena Maria Fernandes; Martino, Marinês Dalla Valle; Corrêa, Luci

2017-01-01

To describe the microbiological characteristics and to assess the risk factors for mortality of ventilator-associated tracheobronchitis in a case-control study of intensive care patients. This case-control study was conducted over a 6-year period in a 40-bed medical-surgical intensive care unit in a tertiary care, private hospital in São Paulo, Brazil. Case patients were identified using the Nosocomial Infection Control Committee database. For the analysis of risk factors, matched control subjects were selected from the same institution at a 1:8.8 ratio, between January 2006 and December 2011. A total of 40 episodes of ventilator-associated tracheobronchitis were evaluated in 40 patients in the intensive care unit, and 354 intensive care patients who did not experience tracheobronchitis were included as the Control Group. During the 6-year study period, a total of 42 organisms were identified (polymicrobial infections were 5%) and 88.2% of all the microorganisms identified were Gram-negative. Using a logistic regression model, we found the following independent risk factors for mortality in ventilator-associated tracheobronchitis patients: Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation I score (odds ratio 1.18 per unit of score; 95%CI: 1.05-1.38; p=0.01), and duration of mechanical ventilation (odds ratio 1.09 per day of mechanical ventilation; 95%CI: 1.03-1.17; p=0.004). Our study provided insight into the risk factors for mortality and microbiological characteristics of ventilator-associated tracheobronchitis. Descrever as características microbiológicas e avaliar os fatores de risco para mortalidade na traqueobronquite associada à ventilação mecânica em um estudo caso-controle de pacientes de terapia intensiva. Estudo realizado ao longo de 6 anos em uma unidade de terapia intensiva médico-cirúrgica de 40 leitos, em um hospital privado e de nível terciário em São Paulo, Brasil. O Grupo Caso foi identificado usando o banco de dados da Comissão de Controle de Infecção Hospitalar. O Grupo Controle foi pareado na proporção de 1:8,8 entre janeiro de 2006 e dezembro de 2011. Quarenta episódios de traqueobronquites associadas à ventilação foram avaliados em 40 pacientes na unidade de terapia intensiva, e 354 pacientes não apresentaram traqueobronquite Grupo Controle. Foram identificados 42 microrganismos (dos quais 5% foram infecções polimicrobianas), sendo que 88,2% de todos os microrganismos eram bactérias Gram-negativas. Usando um modelo de regressão logística, encontramos os seguintes fatores de risco independentes para mortalidade em pacientes com traqueobronquites associadas à ventilação: pontuação da Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation I (odds ratio 1,18 por uma unidade de pontuação; IC95%: 1,05-1,38; p=0,01) e duração da ventilação mecânica (odds ratio 1,09 por dia de ventilação mecânica; IC95%: 1,03-1,17; p=0,004). Nosso estudo forneceu informações sobre os fatores de risco para mortalidade e características microbiológicas da traqueobronquite associada à ventilação mecânica.

Trombocitopenia induzida por heparina em paciente com oclusão arterial aguda

PubMed Central

Pimenta, Rafael Elias Farres; Yoshida, Winston Bonetti; Rollo, Hamilton Almeida; Sobreira, Marcone Lima; Bertanha, Matheus; Mariúba, Jamil Victor de Oliveira; Jaldin, Rodrigo Gibin; de Camargo, Paula Angeleli Bueno

2016-01-01

Resumo A trombocitopenia induzida por heparina é uma complicação grave da terapêutica anticoagulante com heparina e está associada à formação de anticorpos antifator IV plaquetário. Costuma surgir a partir do quinto dia do tratamento, com queda de pelo menos 50% da contagem plaquetária. Em decorrência da ativação plaquetária concomitante, pode ocorrer quadro de trombose, venosa ou arterial, com repercussões clínicas graves. Apresentamos um caso de paciente portador de síndrome do anticorpo antifosfolípide, com quadro de oclusão arterial aguda, que foi tratado cirurgicamente e recebeu heparina não fracionada no intra e pós-operatório. No quinto dia de tratamento anticoagulante, apresentou queda maior de 50% da contagem de plaquetas em relação à contagem pré-heparina. A suspeita de trombocitopenia induzida por heparina e seus aspectos diagnósticos e terapêuticos serão abordados neste desafio terapêutico.

Calcium-containing scaffolds induce bone regeneration by regulating mesenchymal stem cell differentiation and migration.

PubMed

Aquino-Martínez, Rubén; Angelo, Alcira P; Pujol, Francesc Ventura

2017-11-16

Osteoinduction and subsequent bone formation rely on efficient mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) recruitment. It is also known that migration is induced by gradients of growth factors and cytokines. Degradation of Ca 2+ -containing biomaterials mimics the bone remodeling compartment producing a localized calcium-rich osteoinductive microenvironment. The aim of our study was to determine the effect of calcium sulfate (CaSO 4 ) on MSC migration. In addition, to evaluate the influence of CaSO 4 on MSC differentiation and the potential molecular mechanisms involved. A circular calvarial bone defect (5 mm diameter) was created in the parietal bone of 35 Balb-C mice. We prepared and implanted a cell-free agarose/gelatin scaffold alone or in combination with different CaSO 4 concentrations into the bone defects. After 7 weeks, we determined the new bone regenerated by micro-CT and histological analysis. In vitro, we evaluated the CaSO 4 effects on MSC migration by both wound healing and agarose spot assays. Osteoblastic gene expression after BMP-2 and CaSO 4 treatment was also evaluated by qPCR. CaSO 4 increased MSC migration and bone formation in a concentration-dependent manner. Micro-CT analysis showed that the addition of CaSO 4 significantly enhanced bone regeneration compared to the scaffold alone. The histological evaluation confirmed an increased number of endogenous cells recruited into the cell-free CaSO 4 -containing scaffolds. Furthermore, MSC migration in vitro and active AKT levels were attenuated when CaSO 4 and BMP-2 were in combination. Addition of LY294002 and Wortmannin abrogated the CaSO 4 effects on MSC migration. Specific CaSO 4 concentrations induce bone regeneration of calvarial defects in part by acting on the host's undifferentiated MSCs and promoting their migration. Progenitor cell recruitment is followed by a gradual increment in osteoblast gene expression. Moreover, CaSO 4 regulates BMP-2-induced MSC migration by differentially activating the PI3K/AKT pathway. Altogether, these results suggest that CaSO 4 scaffolds could have potential applications for bone regeneration.

The binary system K2SO4CaSO4

USGS Publications Warehouse

Rowe, J.J.; Morey, G.W.; Hansen, I.D.

1965-01-01

The binary system K2SO4CaSO4 was studied by means of heating-cooling curves, differential thermal analysis, high-temperature quenching technique and by means of a heating stage mounted on an X-ray diffractometer. Compositions and quench products were identified optically and by X-ray. Limited solid solution of CaSO4 in K2SO4 was found. There is a eutectic at 875??C and 34 wt. per cent CaSO4. Calcium langbeinite melts incongruently at 1011??C. The melting-point of CaSO4 (1462??C) was determined by the quenching technique using sealed platinum tubes. The only intermediate crystalline phase found in the system is K2SO4??2CaSO4 (calcium langbeinite). ?? 1965.

Maternal and neonatal factors related to prematurity.

PubMed

Oliveira, Laura Leismann de; Gonçalves, Annelise de Carvalho; Costa, Juvenal Soares Dias da; Bonilha, Ana Lucia de Lourenzi

2016-01-01

To identify maternal and neonatal factors associated with prematurity in the municipality of Porto Alegre. This was a population-based case-control study. The cases were newborns under 37 weeks of gestation and the controls were newborns over 37 weeks. The data came from the records of 19,457 births in the city of Porto Alegre in the year 2012 from the Information System on Live Births of the Municipal Health Department. The analysis was carried outand adjusted by a Logistic Regression according to a hierarchical model. The variables studied were allocated into three hierarchy levels: sociodemographic variables; reproductive history; and gestational and birth factors. There were 767 cases allocated and 1,534 controls in a design of a case for two controls (1:2) by simple randomization. In the final model, a statistically significant association was found for prematurity for the following variables: mother's age under 19 years old (OR=1.32; CI 95%: 1.02-1.71) or over 34 years old (OR=1.39; CI 95%: 1.12-1.72); inadequate maternal schooling for age (OR=2.11; CI 95%: 1.22-3.65); multiple pregnancies (OR=1.14; CI 95%: 1.01-1.29); C-section (OR=1.15; CI 95%: 1.03-1.29); birth weights under 2,500g (OR=4.04; CI 95%: 3.64-4.49); Apgar score at five minutes between zero and three (OR=1.47; CI 95%: 1.12-1.91); and inadequate prenatal care (OR=1.18; CI 95%: 1.02-1.36). The present study showed the most immediate consequence of prematurity for newborns by evidencing its association with worse Apgar scores and low birth weight. The following factors were also shown as possible more distal determinants of prematurity: mother's age; inadequate maternal education; multiple gestation; inadequate prenatal care; and C-section. Identificar fatores maternos e neonatais associados à prematuridade no município de Porto Alegre. Estudo do tipo caso-controle de base populacional. Os casos foram recém-nascidos com menos de 37 semanas de gestação, e os controles foram os recém-nascidos com 37 semanas ou mais. Os dados provieram dos registros de 19.457 nascimentos do município de Porto Alegre, no ano de 2012, no Sistema de Informações sobre Nascidos Vivos da Secretaria Municipal da Saúde. Foi realizada análise ajustada mediante Regressão Logística segundo modelo hierárquico. As variáveis estudadas foram alocadas em três níveis de hierarquia: variáveis sociodemográficas; história reprodutiva; fatores gestacionais e de nascimento. Foram alocados 767 casos e 1.534 controles, em um desenho de um caso para dois controles (1:2), mediante randomização simples. No modelo final, foi encontrada associação estatisticamente significante para prematuridade para as seguintes variáveis: idade materna menor que 19 anos (OR=1,32; IC 95%: 1,02 - 1,71) e maior que 34 anos (OR=1,39; IC 95%: 1,12 - 1,72); escolaridade materna inadequada para a idade (OR=2,11; IC 95%: 1,22 - 3,65); gravidez múltipla (OR=1,14; IC 95%: 1,01 - 1,29); cesariana (OR=1,15; IC 95%: 1,03 - 1,29); peso ao nascer menor a 2.500g (OR=4,04; IC 95%: 3,64 - 4,49); Índice de Apgar no 5° minuto de zero a três (OR=1,47; IC 95%: 1,12 - 1,91) e pré-natal inadequado (OR=1,18; IC 95%: 1,02 - 1,36). O presente estudo evidenciou as consequências mais imediatas da prematuridade para os recém-nascidos ao revelar sua associação com piores escores de Apgar e baixo peso ao nascimento. Mostrou como possíveis determinantes mais distais de prematuridade: idade materna, educação materna inadequada, gestação múltipla, pré-natal inadequado e realização de cesariana.

Proceedings of the International Association for Development of the Information Society (IADIS) International Conference on e-Learning (Madeira, Portugal, July 1-4, 2016)

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nunes, Miguel Baptista, Ed.; McPherson, Maggie, Ed.

2016-01-01

These proceedings contain the papers of the International Conference e-Learning 2016, which was organised by the International Association for Development of the Information Society, 1-3 July, 2016. This conference is part of the Multi Conference on Computer Science and Information Systems 2016, 1-4 July. The e-Learning (EL) 2016 conference aims…

Surveys for Pathogens of Monoecious Hydrilla 2014

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-06-01

lateritium are all soil borne pathogens. When a host is present, the spores germinate and the mycelium penetrates plant roots and then enters the...biotypes are very different. Compared to the monoecious biotype, dioecious plants tend to have growth that is more vigorous. Dioecious plants grow...containing numerous axillary propagules (i.e., turions) drift in the water currents dispersing the plant (Steward and Van 1987). Madeira et al. (1997

New Invertebrate Vectors of Okadaic Acid from the North Atlantic Waters--Portugal (Azores and Madeira) and Morocco.

PubMed

Silva, Marisa; Rodriguez, Inés; Barreiro, Aldo; Kaufmann, Manfred; Isabel Neto, Ana; Hassouani, Meryem; Sabour, Brahim; Alfonso, Amparo; Botana, Luis M; Vasconcelos, Vitor

2015-12-08

Okadaic acid and its analogues are potent phosphatase inhibitors that cause Diarrheic Shellfish Poisoning (DSP) through the ingestion of contaminated shellfish by humans. This group of toxins is transmitted worldwide but the number of poisoning incidents has declined over the last 20 years due to legislation and monitoring programs that were implemented for bivalves. In the summer of 2012 and 2013, we collected a total of 101 samples of 22 different species that were made up of benthic and subtidal organisms such echinoderms, crustaceans, bivalves and gastropods from Madeira, São Miguel Island (Azores archipelago) and the northwestern coast of Morocco. The samples were analyzed by UPLC-MS/MS. Our main objective was to detect new vectors for these biotoxins. We can report nine new vectors for these toxins in the North Atlantic: Astropecten aranciacus, Arbacia lixula, Echinaster sepositus, Holothuria sanctori, Ophidiaster ophidianus, Onchidella celtica, Aplysia depilans, Patella spp., and Stramonita haemostoma. Differences in toxin contents among the species were found. Even though low concentrations were detected, the levels of toxins that were present, especially in edible species, indicate the importance of these types of studies. Routine monitoring should be extended to comprise a wider number of vectors other than for bivalves of okadaic acid and its analogues.

Source, transport and fluxes of Amazon River particulate organic carbon: Insights from river sediment depth-profiles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bouchez, Julien; Galy, Valier; Hilton, Robert G.; Gaillardet, Jérôme; Moreira-Turcq, Patricia; Pérez, Marcela Andrea; France-Lanord, Christian; Maurice, Laurence

2014-05-01

In order to reveal particulate organic carbon (POC) source and mode of transport in the largest river basin on Earth, we sampled the main sediment-laden tributaries of the Amazon system (Solimões, Madeira and Amazon) during two sampling campaigns, following vertical depth-profiles. This sampling technique takes advantage of hydrodynamic sorting to access the full range of solid erosion products transported by the river. Using the Al/Si ratio of the river sediments as a proxy for grain size, we find a general increase in POC content with Al/Si, as sediments become finer. However, the sample set shows marked variability in the POC content for a given Al/Si ratio, with the Madeira River having lower POC content across the measured range in Al/Si. The POC content is not strongly related to the specific surface area (SSA) of the suspended load, and bed sediments have a much lower POC/SSA ratio. These data suggest that SSA exerts a significant, yet partial, control on POC transport in Amazon River suspended sediment. We suggest that the role of clay mineralogy, discrete POC particles and rock-derived POC warrant further attention in order to fully understand POC transport in large rivers.

Global spatial ecology of three closely-related gadfly petrels

PubMed Central

Ramos, Raül; Ramírez, Iván; Paiva, Vitor H.; Militão, Teresa; Biscoito, Manuel; Menezes, Dília; Phillips, Richard A.; Zino, Francis; González-Solís, Jacob

2016-01-01

The conservation status and taxonomy of the three gadfly petrels that breed in Macaronesia is still discussed partly due to the scarce information on their spatial ecology. Using geolocator and capture-mark-recapture data, we examined phenology, natal philopatry and breeding-site fidelity, year-round distribution, habitat usage and at-sea activity of the three closely-related gadfly petrels that breed in Macaronesia: Zino’s petrel Pterodroma madeira, Desertas petrel P. deserta and Cape Verde petrel P. feae. All P. feae remained around the breeding area during their non-breeding season, whereas P. madeira and P. deserta dispersed far from their colony, migrating either to the Cape Verde region, further south to equatorial waters in the central Atlantic, or to the Brazil Current. The three taxa displayed a clear allochrony in timing of breeding. Habitat modelling and at-sea activity patterns highlighted similar environmental preferences and foraging behaviours of the three taxa. Finally, no chick or adult was recaptured away from its natal site and survival estimates were relatively high at all study sites, indicating strong philopatry and breeding-site fidelity for the three taxa. The combination of high philopatry, marked breeding asynchrony and substantial spatio-temporal segregation of their year-round distribution suggest very limited gene flow among the three taxa. PMID:27001141

Global spatial ecology of three closely-related gadfly petrels

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ramos, Raül; Ramírez, Iván; Paiva, Vitor H.; Militão, Teresa; Biscoito, Manuel; Menezes, Dília; Phillips, Richard A.; Zino, Francis; González-Solís, Jacob

2016-03-01

The conservation status and taxonomy of the three gadfly petrels that breed in Macaronesia is still discussed partly due to the scarce information on their spatial ecology. Using geolocator and capture-mark-recapture data, we examined phenology, natal philopatry and breeding-site fidelity, year-round distribution, habitat usage and at-sea activity of the three closely-related gadfly petrels that breed in Macaronesia: Zino’s petrel Pterodroma madeira, Desertas petrel P. deserta and Cape Verde petrel P. feae. All P. feae remained around the breeding area during their non-breeding season, whereas P. madeira and P. deserta dispersed far from their colony, migrating either to the Cape Verde region, further south to equatorial waters in the central Atlantic, or to the Brazil Current. The three taxa displayed a clear allochrony in timing of breeding. Habitat modelling and at-sea activity patterns highlighted similar environmental preferences and foraging behaviours of the three taxa. Finally, no chick or adult was recaptured away from its natal site and survival estimates were relatively high at all study sites, indicating strong philopatry and breeding-site fidelity for the three taxa. The combination of high philopatry, marked breeding asynchrony and substantial spatio-temporal segregation of their year-round distribution suggest very limited gene flow among the three taxa.

Ultrastructural description of Ceratomyxa tenuispora (Myxozoa), a parasite of the marine fish Aphanopus carbo (Trichiuridae), from the Atlantic coast of Madeira Island (Portugal).

PubMed

Casal, Graça; Costa, Graça; Azevedo, Carlos

2007-09-01

The first ultrastructural description of Ceratomyxa tenuispora Kabata, 1960 (Myxozoa, Bivalvulida) from Madeira Island (Portugal), a parasite found in the gall bladder of the commercially important black-scabbard fish, Aphanopus carbo Lowe is presented. This parasite possesses spherical to ellipsoidal disporous trophozoites. Spores have a central crescent-shaped body averaging 11.0 microm in length, 28.5 microm in thickness and 12.1 microm in width. The valves have two long opposite lateral processes (ribbon-like structures or tails), each averaging 173 microm in length. The total thickness of the spore averages 375 microm. The spore has two sub-spherical polar capsules (approximately 5.2 x 4.1 microm), each with a polar filament with 7 to 8 coils. Some ultrastructural aspects of the sporogonic stages are described. The trophozoites develop without contact with epithelial cells. The cytoplasmic membrane has numerous evenly distributed external slender projections about 0.3 to 0.7 microm long. The sporogenesis produces two spores without pansporoblast formation. In the matrix of the capsular primordium, microtubules with an unusual organisation were observed. A binucleate sporoplasm that contains several sporoplasmosomes and dense bodies fills the spore cavity and extends to the tails without penetrating them.

Tracking of fatness during childhood, adolescence and young adulthood: a 7-year follow-up study in Madeira Island, Portugal.

PubMed

Freitas, Duarte; Beunen, Gaston; Maia, José; Claessens, Albrecht; Thomis, Martine; Marques, António; Gouveia, Elvio; Lefevre, Johan

2012-01-01

Investigating tracking of fatness from childhood to adolescence, early adolescence to young adulthood and late adolescence to young adulthood. Participants from the Madeira Growth Study were followed during an average period of 7.2 years. Height, body mass, skin-folds and circumferences were measured, nine health- and performance-related tests were administered and the Baecke questionnaire was used to assess physical activity. Skeletal maturity was estimated using the TW3 method. The prevalence of overweight plus obesity ranged from 8.2-20.0% at baseline and from 20.4-40.0% at follow-up, in boys. Corresponding percentages for girls were 10.6-12.0% and 13.2-18.0%. Inter-age correlations for fatness indicators ranged from 0.43-0.77. BMI, waist circumference and sum of skin-folds at 8, 12 and 16-years old were the main predictors of these variables at 15, 19 and 23-years old, respectively. Strength, muscular endurance and aerobic fitness were negatively related to body fatness. Physical activity and maturation were independently associated with adolescent (15 years) and young adult (19 years) fatness. Over 7.2 years, tracking was moderate-to-high for fatness. Variance was explained by fatness indicators and to a small extent by physical fitness, physical activity and maturation.

New Invertebrate Vectors of Okadaic Acid from the North Atlantic Waters—Portugal (Azores and Madeira) and Morocco

PubMed Central

Silva, Marisa; Rodriguez, Inés; Barreiro, Aldo; Kaufmann, Manfred; Neto, Ana Isabel; Hassouani, Meryem; Sabour, Brahim; Alfonso, Amparo; Botana, Luis M.; Vasconcelos, Vitor

2015-01-01

Okadaic acid and its analogues are potent phosphatase inhibitors that cause Diarrheic Shellfish Poisoning (DSP) through the ingestion of contaminated shellfish by humans. This group of toxins is transmitted worldwide but the number of poisoning incidents has declined over the last 20 years due to legislation and monitoring programs that were implemented for bivalves. In the summer of 2012 and 2013, we collected a total of 101 samples of 22 different species that were made up of benthic and subtidal organisms such echinoderms, crustaceans, bivalves and gastropods from Madeira, São Miguel Island (Azores archipelago) and the northwestern coast of Morocco. The samples were analyzed by UPLC-MS/MS. Our main objective was to detect new vectors for these biotoxins. We can report nine new vectors for these toxins in the North Atlantic: Astropecten aranciacus, Arbacia lixula, Echinaster sepositus, Holothuria sanctori, Ophidiaster ophidianus, Onchidella celtica, Aplysia depilans, Patella spp., and Stramonita haemostoma. Differences in toxin contents among the species were found. Even though low concentrations were detected, the levels of toxins that were present, especially in edible species, indicate the importance of these types of studies. Routine monitoring should be extended to comprise a wider number of vectors other than for bivalves of okadaic acid and its analogues. PMID:26670254

Chromosomal phylogeny of Robertsonian races of the house mouse on the island of Madeira: testing between alternative mutational processes.

PubMed

Britton-Davidian, Janice; Catalan, Josette; da Graça Ramalhinho, Maria; Auffray, Jean-Christophe; Claudia Nunes, Ana; Gazave, Elodie; Searle, Jeremy B; da Luz Mathias, Maria

2005-12-01

The ancestral karyotype of the house mouse (Mus musculus) consists of 40 acrocentric chromosomes, but numerous races exist within the domesticus subspecies characterized by different metacentric chromosomes formed by the joining at the centromere of two acrocentrics. An exemplary case is present on the island of Madeira where six highly divergent chromosomal races have accumulated different combinations of 20 metacentrics in 500-1000 years. Chromosomal cladistic phylogenies were performed to test the relative performance of Robertsonian (Rb) fusions, Rb fissions and whole-arm reciprocal translocations (WARTs) in resolving relationships between the chromosomal races. The different trees yielded roughly similar topologies, but varied in the number of steps and branch support. The analyses using Rb fusions/fissions as characters resulted in poorly supported trees requiring six to eight homoplasious events. Allowance for WARTs considerably increased nodal support and yielded the most parsimonious trees since homoplasy was reduced to a single event. The WART-based trees required five to nine WARTs and 12 to 16 Rb fusions. These analyses provide support for the role of WARTs in generating the extensive chromosomal diversification observed in house mice. The repeated occurrence of Rb fusions and WARTs highlights the contribution of centromere-related rearrangements to accelerated rates of chromosomal change in the house mouse.

Mathematical modelling of the transport of a poorly sorted granular mixture as a debris-flow. The case of Madeira Island torrential floods in 2010

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ferreira, Rui M. L.; Oliveira, Rodrigo P.; Conde, Daniel

2016-04-01

On the 20th February 2010, heavy rainfall was registered at Madeira Island, North Atlantic. Stony debris flows, mudflows and mudslides ensued causing severe property loss, 1.5 m thick sediment deposits at downtown Funchal including 16th century monuments, and a death toll of 47 lives. Debris-flow fronts propagated downstream while carrying very high concentrations of solid material. These two-phase solid-fluid flows were responsible for most of the infrastructural damage across the island, due to their significantly increased mass and momentum. The objective of the present modelling work is to validate a 2DH model for torrential flows featuring the transport and interaction of several size fractions of a poorly-sorted granular mixture typical of stony debris flow in Madeira. The module for the transport of poorly-sorted material was included in STAV-2D (CERIS-IST), a shallow-water and morphology solver based on a finite-volume method using a flux-splitting technique featuring a reviewed Roe-Riemann solver, with appropriate source-term formulations to ensure full conservativeness. STAV-2D also includes formulations of flow resistance and bedload transport adequate for debris-flows with natural mobile beds (Ferreira et al., 2009) and has been validated with both theoretical solutions and laboratory data (Soares-Frazão et al., 2012; Canelas et al., 2013). The modelling of the existing natural and built environment is fully explicit. All buildings, streets and channels are accurately represented within the mesh geometry. Such detail is relevant for the reliability of the validation using field data, since the major sedimentary deposits within the urban meshwork of Funchal were identified and characterized in terms of volume and grain size distribution during the aftermath of the 20th February of 2010 event. Indeed, the measure of the quality of the numerical results is the agreement between simulated and estimated volume of deposited sediment and between estimated and modelled grain-size distribution of the deposits. The formulations expressing closures for size fraction interaction and active layer dynamics are discussed. The simulation tool resulting from this modelling effort is expected to help the establishment of new methodologies and parameters for hydraulic design and hazard assessment in the Island of Madeira. Acknowledgements This work was partially funded by FEDER, program COMPETE, and by national funds through Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT) project RECI/ECM-HID/0371/2012. References Canelas, R.; Murillo, J. & Ferreira, R.M.L. (2013). Two-dimensional depth-averaged modelling of dambreak flows over mobile beds. Journal of Hydraulic Research, 51(4), 392-407. Ferreira, R. M. L., Franca, M. J., Leal, J. G., & Cardoso, A. H. (2009). Mathematical modelling of shallow flows: Closure models drawn from grain-scale mechanics of sediment transport and flow hydrodynamics. Canadian Journal of Civil Engineering, 36(10), 1605-1621. Soares-Frazão and IAHR Working group for Dam-break flows over mobile beds (2012) Dam-break flows over mobile beds: Experiments and benchmark tests for numerical models. Journal of Hydraulic Research, 50(4), 364-375. DOI: 10.1080/00221686.2012.689682

Solar Physics Topics in High School: Analysis of a Course with Practical Activities at Dietrich Schiel Observatory. (Spanish Title: Temas de Física Solar Para Estudiantes de Escuelas Secundarias: un Análisis de un Curso con Enfoque Práctico en el Observatorio Dietrich Schiel.) Tópicos de Física Solar no Ensino Médio: Análise de um Curso com Atividades Práticas no Observatório Dietrich Schiel

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Calbo Aroca, Silvia; Donizete Colombo, Pedro, Jr.; Celestino Silva, Cibelle

2012-12-01

This work analyses results obtained in a solar physics course for high school students promoted at the Dietrich Schiel Observatory of the University of São Paulo (USP). The course was elaborated by the authors with the intention of investigating student's concepts about the Sun, teaching topics of modern physics related to the Sun and providing students with knowledge about our star as well. The methodology of data gathering consisted of audio and video records of classes and of semi-structured interviews, and analysis of answers to written questionnaires. The results showed that most high school students conceived the Sun as made of fire, while sunspots were thought to be holes in the Sun. Even though some students did know that a spectrum is formed using a prism or diffraction grating, most of them ignored the nature of the observed spectral lines. Through the course, this topic was developed by means of a practical approach with solar and lamp spectra observations. The results obtained in the course point to the importance of science centers as partners in formal education. In this specific case, the Solar Room at the Dietrich Schiel Observatory is as a favorable environment for teaching modern physics in high school. Este artículo analiza los resultados obtenidos en un curso sobre la física solar, auspiciado por el Observatorio Dietrich Schiel de la USP para estudiantes de las escuelas secundarias. El curso fue diseñado por los autores con la intención de investigar las concepciones sobre el sol, enseñar temas relacionados con la física moderna del Sol y conocimientos generales sobre el astro rey. La metodología utilizada para la recolección de datos consistió en grabar, en audio y video, las clases, las entrevistas semi-estructuradas y las respuestas a los cuestionarios escritos. Los resultados mostraron que la mayoría de los participantes conciben el Sol como constituido por fuego y las manchas solares en la superficie solar como agujeros. Aunque algunos estudiantes sabían que un espectro puede estar formado por un prisma o red de difracción, la mayor parte de ellos desconocía la naturaleza de las líneas espectrales. A lo largo del curso, esta cuestión fue trabajada con un enfoque práctico mediante la observación del espectro solar y de las lámparas durante clases expositivas/dialogadas. Los resultados obtenidos en el curso mustran la importancia de los centros de ciencia como un apoyo en la educación formal. En este caso en particular, la Sala Solar del Observatorio Dietrich Schiel se destaca como un entorno favorable para la enseñanza de la física moderna en la escuela secundaria. Este trabalho analisa resultados obtidos em um curso sobre física solar para alunos do ensino médio promovido pelo Observatório Dietrich Schiel da USP. O curso foi elaborado pelos autores com a intenção de investigar concepções sobre o Sol, ensinar tópicos de física moderna relacionados ao Sol e conhecimentos gerais sobre o astro rei. A metodologia de coleta de dados consistiu em gravação em áudio e vídeo das aulas e das entrevistas semi-estruturadas, e respostas a questionários escritos. Os resultados mostraram que a maioria dos participantes concebeu o Sol como constituído por fogo e as manchas solares como buracos na superfície solar. Embora alguns alunos soubessem que um espectro pode ser formado por um prisma ou rede de difração, a maior parte deles desconhecia a natureza das linhas espectrais. Ao longo do curso, este tema foi trabalhado com uma abordagem prática com observação do espectro solar e de lâmpadas e em aulas expositivo-dialogadas. Os resultados obtidos no curso apontam para a importância dos centros de ciências como parceiros da educação formal. Neste caso específico, a Sala Solar do Observatório Dietrich Schiel é um ambiente propício para o ensino de física moderna no ensino médio.

Metabolic syndrome and quality of life: a systematic review.

PubMed

Saboya, Patrícia Pozas; Bodanese, Luiz Carlos; Zimmermann, Paulo Roberto; Gustavo, Andréia da Silva; Assumpção, Caroline Melo; Londero, Fernanda

2016-11-28

to present currently available evidence to verify the association between metabolic syndrome and quality of life. Cochrane Library, EMBASE, Medline and LILACS databases were studied for all studies investigating the association with metabolic syndrome and quality of life. Two blinded reviewers extracted data and one more was chosen in case of doubt. a total of 30 studies were included, considering inclusion and exclusion criteria, which involved 62.063 patients. Almost all studies suggested that metabolic syndrome is significantly associated with impaired quality of life. Some, however, found association only in women, or only if associated with depression or Body Mass Index. Merely one study did not find association after adjusted for confounding factors. although there are a few studies available about the relationship between metabolic syndrome and quality of life, a growing body of evidence has shown significant association between metabolic syndrome and the worsening of quality of life. However, it is necessary to carry out further longitudinal studies to confirm this association and verify whether this relationship is linear, or only an association factor. apresentar as evidências disponíveis atuais para verificar a associação entre síndrome metabólica e qualidade de vida. Cochrane Library, EMBASE, Medline e LILACS foram as bases de dados consultadas na identificação de todos os estudos que investigavam a associação entre síndrome metabólica e qualidade de vida. Dois revisores de forma independente e cegados extraíram os dados e, em caso de dúvidas, um outro revisor foi escolhido. um total de 30 estudos foram incluídos, considerando os critérios de inclusão e exclusão, os quais envolveram 62.063 pacientes. A maioria dos estudos sugerem que a síndrome metabólica é significativamente associada à piora da qualidade de vida. Alguns, no entanto, demonstram associação apenas em mulheres, ou somente se associadas à depressão ou índice de massa corporal. Entretanto, um estudo não demonstrou tal associação, após ajuste para os fatores confundidores. apesar de dispormos de poucos estudos a respeito da relação entre síndrome metabólica e qualidade de vida, um número crescente de evidências tem demonstrado uma significativa associação entre a síndrome metabólica e o prejuízo na qualidade de vida. Entretanto, é necessário que sejam conduzidos estudos longitudinais com objetivo de confirmar esta associação e, determinar se esta relação é linear ou somente um fator de associação. presentar las evidencias actualmente disponibles para verificar la asociación entre el síndrome metabólico y la calidad de vida. se consultaron las bases de datos Cochrane Library, EMBASE, Medline y LILACS para la identificación de todos los estudios que investigaban la asociación entre síndrome metabólico y calidad de vida. Dos revisores de tipo ciego extrajeron los datos y en caso de dudas se eligió un revisor adicional. un total de 30 estudios fueron incluidos, llevando en consideración los criterios de inclusión y exclusión, totalizando 62.063 pacientes. La mayoría de los estudios sugieren que el síndrome metabólico esta significativamente asociado al empeoramiento de la calidad de vida. Algunos, sin embargo muestran asociación solamente en mujeres, o sólo asociados a depresión o índice de masa corporal. También un estudio no mostró esta asociación después de ajustar por los factores confundentes. a pesar de tener a disposición pocos estudios en referencia a la relación entre síndrome metabólico y calidad de vida, un número creciente de evidencias ha demostrado una asociación significativa entre síndrome metabólico y perjuicio de la calidad de vida. Sin embargo es necesario que se realicen estudios longitudinales con el objetivo de confirmar esta asociación y determinar si esta relación es linear o solamente un factor de asociación.

A new Middle Miocene Niveria Jousseaume, 1884 (Mollusca: Gastropoda: Trivioidea) from Hungary

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fehse, Dirk

2011-02-01

A new species of Niveria from the Middle Miocene (Badenian) of the Paratethys of Borsodbóta, Hungary is described. This species is characterized by its callused dorsum and dorsal depression. Niveria jozefgregoi sp. nov. is discussed with comparative species from the Badenian of Hungary, the Pliocene of the Mediterranean region, Florida and Recent species from Madeira and the Islas Galápagos.

West Europe Report

DTIC Science & Technology

1986-06-24

distinction has to be made between Cavaco Silva and the other party leaders. After Alberto Joao Jardim condemned the PSD’s Rules Committee for the...After Porto (PSD) and Braga (PS), S. Joao da Madeira (CDS), a center of indus- trial development celebrating its new status as a city, will be next. On...Joaquim Aguiar and Joao Carlos Espada, ponder the options: all options. Teresa de Sousa, Sa Carneiro’s former secretary recently arrived from

Experimental Comparison of Calcium Sulfate (CaSO(4)) Scale Deposition on Coated Carbon Steel and Titanium Surfaces

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Al-Otaibi, Dhawi AbdulRahman

Calcium Sulfate (CaSO4) deposit reduces heat exchange in heat transfer equipment which adversely affects the equipment performance and plant production. This experimental study was conducted by using the Rotating Cylinder Electrode (RCE) equipment available in the university's Center for Engineering Research (CER/RI) to study and compare the effect of solution hydrodynamics on Calcium Sulfate (CaSO4) scale deposition on coated carbon steel and titanium surfaces. In addition, the Scanning Electron Microscopic was used to examine the morphology and distribution of Calcium Sulfate (CaSO 4) crystals deposited on titanium metal surfaces. In this study, the rotational speed was varied from 100 to 2000 RPM to study the behavior of Calcium Sulfate (CaSO4) accumulation on both materials. Based on the experimental results, Calcium Sulfate (CaSO4) scale obtained in the present study was almost constant on coated carbon steel in which the rate of scale deposition is equal to the rate of scale removal. However, the deposition of Calcium Sulfate (CaSO4) observed on titanium material was increased as the speed increased.

Transient hyperphosphatemia: a benign laboratory disorder in a boy with Gitelman syndrome.

PubMed

Skalova, Sylva; Kutilek, Stepan

2016-01-01

Transient hyperphosphatasemia of infancy and early childhood (THI) is characterized by transiently increased activity of serum alkaline phosphatase (S-ALP), predominantly its bone or liver isoform, in children under five years of age. There are no signs of metabolic bone disease or hepatopathy corresponding with the increased S-ALP. THI is benign disorder, rather laboratory than clinical disorder, which is usually accidentally detected in both healthy and sick children. When encountered in a child with either chronic bone, liver or kidney disease, it might concern the physician. We present a three year old boy with genetically confirmed Gitelman syndrome where THI was detected accidentally during periodic check-up. S-ALP peaked to 41.8 µkat/L, there were neither laboratory or clinical signs of liver or bone disease; the S-ALP dropped to normal value of 4 µkat/L 60 days later. Therefore, the patient fulfilled the criteria for THI. There were no further increases in S-ALP. Resumo A hiperfosfatasemia transitória benigna da infância (HTBI) é caracterizada por elevação transitória da atividade da fosfatase alcalina sérica (S-ALP), predominantemente em sua isoforma óssea ou hepática, em crianças com menos de cinco anos de idade. Não há sinais de patologia óssea metabólica ou hepatopatia correspondentes ao aumento da S-ALP. A HTBI é um distúrbio benigno, mais laboratorial que clínico, normalmente detectado acidentalmente em crianças saudáveis e acometidas por alguma patologia. Quando encontrada em crianças com doença crônica óssea, hepática ou renal, maiores preocupações são justificadas. O presente relato descreve o caso de um menino de três anos de idade com síndrome de Gitelman geneticamente confirmada, em que a HTBI foi detectada acidentalmente durante um exame periódico. A S-ALP atingiu o pico de 41,8 µkat/L, sem sinais laboratoriais ou clínicos de doença hepática ou óssea. O valor de S-ALP caiu para o nível normal de 4 µkat/L 60 dias mais tarde. Portanto, o paciente satisfazia os critérios para HTBI. Não houve outros aumentos na S-ALP.

Spin-Transfer-Torque Nano-Oscillators: Fabrication, Characterization and Dynamics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Costa, Jose Diogo Teixeira Barbosa

Este trabalho aborda algumas propriedades magneticas e estruturais de nanoparticulas de oxidos e oxidos-hidroxidos de ferro crescidos em matrizes hibridas orgânicas-inorgânicas. As matrizes hibridas, denominadas di-ureasils e obtidas pelo processo sol-gel, sao compostas por uma rede siliciosa ligada covalentemente por pontes ureia a cadeias orgânicas de diferente peso molecular. A estrutura local dos di-ureasils nao dopados esta modelada como grupos de dominios siliciosos com dimensoes nanometricas, estruturalmente correlacionados no seio de uma matriz rica em polimero. Neste trabalho mostra-se que os di-ureasils permitem o crescimento controlado de oxidos e oxidos-hidroxidos de ferro, incluindo a magnetite, maguemite, oxihidroxinitrato de ferro e ferrihidrite. O crescimento das nanoparticulas de ferrihidrite da-se em condicoes acidas a superficie dos dominios siliciosos, junto aos grupos carbonilo, que funcionam como pontos de nucleacao. Desse modo da-se uma nucleacao heterogenea, onde o tamanho das nanoparticulas depende da concentracao de ferro (entre 1 e 6% em massa), sendo a concentracao de particulas constante. As propriedades magneticas das nanoparticulas de ferrihidrite revelam a existencia de interaccoes antiferromagneticas e de momentos descompensados. A contribuicao destas duas componentes nas curvas de magnetizacao em funcao do campo magnetico pode ser separada usando um metodo aqui proposto, o que permite um adequado estudo da evolucao do momento magnetico com a temperatura. O estudo das propriedades magneticas dinâmicas das particulas de ferrihidrite, atraves de susceptibilidade ac, medidas de relaxacao e medidas de efeito Mossbauer, permitiu estudar a evolucao das interaccoes dipolares em funcao da concentracao de ferro, bem como determinar a distribuicao de barreiras de energia de anisotropia no caso em que essas interaccoes sao desprezaveis. E apresentado um novo metodo para comparacao desta distribuicao com a distribuicao de tamanhos, que permitiu concluir que os momentos magneticos descompensados estao aleatoriamente distribuidos em volume. Usando baixas concentracoes de agua, foi possivel crescer fases de oxihidroxinitrato de ferro com diferentes graus de cristalinidade, sendo algumas precursoras da ferrihidrite (como observado noutros trabalhos) e sendo outras novas fases. O crescimento de nanoparticulas de maguemite e magnetite acontece apos incorporacao de ioes de Fe2+ e Fe3+ seguidos de tratamento basico e termico. Estes sistemas apresentam propriedades magneticas tipicas de nanoparticulas superparamagneticas sem interaccoes dipolares. As propriedades magneticas dependem criticamente da existencia de grupos isocianato livres, que actuarao como pontos de nucleacao. None

Structural and Magnetic Studies on Iron Oxide Nanoparticles in Hybrid Matrices =

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Silva, Nuno Joao de Oliveira

Este trabalho aborda algumas propriedades magneticas e estruturais de nanoparticulas de oxidos e oxidos-hidroxidos de ferro crescidos em matrizes hibridas orgânicas-inorgânicas. As matrizes hibridas, denominadas di-ureasils e obtidas pelo processo sol-gel, sao compostas por uma rede siliciosa ligada covalentemente por pontes ureia a cadeias orgânicas de diferente peso molecular. A estrutura local dos di-ureasils nao dopados esta modelada como grupos de dominios siliciosos com dimensoes nanometricas, estruturalmente correlacionados no seio de uma matriz rica em polimero. Neste trabalho mostra-se que os di-ureasils permitem o crescimento controlado de oxidos e oxidos-hidroxidos de ferro, incluindo a magnetite, maguemite, oxihidroxinitrato de ferro e ferrihidrite. O crescimento das nanoparticulas de ferrihidrite da-se em condicoes acidas a superficie dos dominios siliciosos, junto aos grupos carbonilo, que funcionam como pontos de nucleacao. Desse modo da-se uma nucleacao heterogenea, onde o tamanho das nanoparticulas depende da concentracao de ferro (entre 1 e 6% em massa), sendo a concentracao de particulas constante. As propriedades magneticas das nanoparticulas de ferrihidrite revelam a existencia de interaccoes antiferromagneticas e de momentos descompensados. A contribuicao destas duas componentes nas curvas de magnetizacao em funcao do campo magnetico pode ser separada usando um metodo aqui proposto, o que permite um adequado estudo da evolucao do momento magnetico com a temperatura. O estudo das propriedades magneticas dinâmicas das particulas de ferrihidrite, atraves de susceptibilidade ac, medidas de relaxacao e medidas de efeito Mossbauer, permitiu estudar a evolucao das interaccoes dipolares em funcao da concentracao de ferro, bem como determinar a distribuicao de barreiras de energia de anisotropia no caso em que essas interaccoes sao desprezaveis. E apresentado um novo metodo para comparacao desta distribuicao com a distribuicao de tamanhos, que permitiu concluir que os momentos magneticos descompensados estao aleatoriamente distribuidos em volume. Usando baixas concentracoes de agua, foi possivel crescer fases de oxihidroxinitrato de ferro com diferentes graus de cristalinidade, sendo algumas precursoras da ferrihidrite (como observado noutros trabalhos) e sendo outras novas fases. O crescimento de nanoparticulas de maguemite e magnetite acontece apos incorporacao de ioes de Fe2+ e Fe3+ seguidos de tratamento basico e termico. Estes sistemas apresentam propriedades magneticas tipicas de nanoparticulas superparamagneticas sem interaccoes dipolares. As propriedades magneticas dependem criticamente da existencia de grupos isocianato livres, que actuarao como pontos de nucleacao. None

Effect of sulfation on the surface activity of CaO for N2O decomposition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wu, Lingnan; Hu, Xiaoying; Qin, Wu; Dong, Changqing; Yang, Yongping

2015-12-01

Limestone addition to circulating fluidized bed boilers for sulfur removal affects nitrous oxide (N2O) emission at the same time, but mechanism of how sulfation process influences the surface activity of CaO for N2O decomposition remains unclear. In this paper, we investigated the effect of sulfation on the surface properties and catalytic activity of CaO for N2O decomposition using density functional theory calculations. Sulfation of CaO (1 0 0) surface by the adsorption of a single gaseous SO2 or SO3 molecule forms stable local CaSO3 or CaSO4 on the CaO (1 0 0) surface with strong hybridization between the S atom of SOx and the surface O anion. The formed local CaSO3 increases the barrier energy of N2O decomposition from 0.989 eV (on the CaO (1 0 0) surface) to 1.340 eV, and further sulfation into local CaSO4 remarkably increases the barrier energy to 2.967 eV. Sulfation from CaSO3 into CaSO4 is therefore the crucial step for deactivating the surface activity for N2O decomposition. Completely sulfated CaSO4 (0 0 1) and (0 1 0) surfaces further validate the negligible catalytic ability of CaSO4 for N2O decomposition.

Giant landslides and turbidity currents in the Agadir Canyon Region, NW-Africa

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Krastel, Sebastian; Wynn, Russell B.; Stevenson, Christopher; Feldens, Peter; Mehringer, Lisa; Schürer, Anke

2017-04-01

Coring and drilling of the Moroccan Turbidite System off NW-Africa revealed a long sequence of turbidites, mostly sourced from the Moroccan continental margin and the volcanic Canary Islands. The largest individual flow deposits in the Moroccan Turbidite System contain sediment volumes >100 km3, although these large-scale events are relatively infrequent with a recurrence interval of 10,000 years (over the last 200,000 years). The largest siliciclastic flow in the last 200,000 years was the 'Bed 5 event', which transported 160 km3 of sediment up to 2000 km from the Agadir Canyon region to the southwest Madeira Abyssal Plain. While the Moroccan Turbidite System is extremely well investigated, almost no data from the source region, i.e. the Agadir Canyon, are available. Understanding why some submarine landslides remain as coherent blocks of sediment throughout their passage downslope, while others mix and disintegrate almost immediately after initial failure, is a major scientific challenge, which was addressed in the Agadir Canyon source region during RV Maria S. Merian Cruise MSM32 in late 2013. A major landslide area was identified 200 km south of the Agadir Canyon. A landslide was traced from this failure area to the Agadir Canyon. This landslide entered the canyon in about 2500 m water depth. Despite a significant increase in slope angle, the landslide did not disintegrate into a turbidity current when entering the canyon but moved on as landslide for at least another 200 km down the canyon. The age of the landslide ( 145 ka) does not correspond to any major turbidte deposit in the Moroccan Turbidite System, further supporting the fact that the landslide did not disintegrate into a major turbidity current. A core taken about 350 m above the thalweg in the head region of Agadir Canyon shows a single coarse-grained turbidite, which resembles the composition of the Bed 5 event in the Madeira Abyssal Plain. Hence, the Bed 5 turbidite originated as a failure in the head region of the Agadir Canyon. Interestingly, this failure did not leave a major landslide scarp behind suggesting a small initial failure despite the large-volume deposits in the Madeira Abyssal Plain. The turbidity current must have eroded and incorporated huge amounts of sediments while traveling through the canyon.

CaSO4:DY,Mn: A new and highly sensitive thermoluminescence phosphor for versatile dosimetry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bahl, Shaila; Lochab, S. P.; Kumar, Pratik

2016-02-01

With the advent of newer techniques for dose reduction coupled with the development of more sensitive detectors, the radiation doses in radiological medical investigation are decreasing. Nevertheless, keeping the tenet in mind that all radiation doses could entail risk, there is a need to develop more sensitive dosimeters capable of measuring low doses. This paper gives the account of the development of a new and sensitive phosphor CaSO4:Dy,Mn and its characterization. The standard production procedure based on the recrystallization method was used to prepare CaSO4:Dy,Mn. The Thermoluminescence (TL) studies were carried out by exposing it with gamma radiation (Cs-137) from 10 μGy to 100 Gy. The theoretical studies to determine the number of peaks and kinetic parameters related to the TL glow peaks in CaSO4:Dy,Mn was performed using the Computerized Glow Curve Deconvolution (CGCD) method. Experiments were performed to determine optimum concentration of the dopants Dysprosium (Dy) and Mangnese (Mn) in the host CaSO4 so that maximum sensitivity of the phosphor may be achieved. The optimum dopant concentration turned out to be 0.1 mol%. As there were two dopants Dy and Mn their relative ratio were varied in steps of 0.025 keeping the concentration of total dopant (Dy and Mn) 0.1 mol% always. The maximum TL intensity was seen in the CaSO4:Dy(0.025),Mn(0.075) combination. The TL sensitivity of this phosphor was found to be about 2 and 1.8 times higher than that of popular phosphor CaSO4:Dy and LiF:Mg,Cu,P (TLD-700H) respectively. This new phosphor CaSO4:Dy,Mn showed fading of 11% which is similar to that of the standard phosphor CaSO4:Dy. The paper concludes that the new, highly sensitive TL phosphor CaSO4:Dy,Mn has shown higher sensitivity and hence the potential to replace commonly used CaSO4:Dy.

Beaked Whale Necropsy Findings for Strandings in the Bahamas, Puerto Rico, and Madeira, 1999-2002

DTIC Science & Technology

2005-11-01

CITES export permit to Dr. Freitas . The right and left eyes both have periorbital staining and surrounding ring hemorrhages. The left eye has contusions...skull, all were normally configured with no remarkable pathology. The odd skull was that of a presumed adult male with an aberrant right jaw and ear...tentative ID of NEPST531, stranded on Vieques, January 1998. The right mandible had two significant healed fractures (evidenced by displaced segments

Beaked Whale Necropsy Findings for Strandings in the Bahamas, Puerto Rico, and Madeira, 1999-2002

DTIC Science & Technology

2005-11-01

export permit to Dr. Freitas . The right and left eyes both have periorbital staining and surrounding ring hemorrhages. The left eye has contusions...all were normally configured with no remarkable pathology. The odd skull was that of a presumed adult male with an aberrant right jaw and ear...tentative ID of NEPST531, stranded on Vieques, January 1998. The right mandible had two significant healed fractures (evidenced by displaced segments

Force Health Protection: The Strategic Challenges of Protecting the ’Total Force’ in U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM)

DTIC Science & Technology

2008-03-14

illness lasting 1-2 weeks to a severely disabling disease lasting several months. 46 Hepatitis A vaccine is available and required for all military...suffering under the world’s heaviest disease burden , has a very low ratio of healthcare providers to the population, in addition the healthcare...Chickyungunya Egypt Malaria Crimean-Congo Fever Libya Dengue Fever Japanese Encephalitis Madeira Islands Leishmaniasis Rickettsioses Morocco Rabies Sand

Relationship between ADD1 Gly460Trp gene polymorphism and essential hypertension in Madeira Island.

PubMed

Sousa, Ana Célia; Palma Dos Reis, Roberto; Pereira, Andreia; Borges, Sofia; Freitas, Ana Isabel; Guerra, Graça; Góis, Teresa; Rodrigues, Mariana; Henriques, Eva; Freitas, Sónia; Ornelas, Ilídio; Pereira, Décio; Brehm, António; Mendonça, Maria Isabel

2017-10-01

Essential hypertension (EH) is a complex disease in which physiological, environmental, and genetic factors are involved in its genesis. The genetic variant of the alpha-adducin gene (ADD1) has been described as a risk factor for EH, but with controversial results.The objective of this study was to evaluate the association of ADD1 (Gly460Trp) gene polymorphism with the EH risk in a population from Madeira Island.A case-control study with 1614 individuals of Caucasian origin was performed, including 817 individuals with EH and 797 controls. Cases and controls were matched for sex and age, by frequency-matching method. All participants collected blood for biochemical and genotypic analysis for the Gly460Trp polymorphism. We further investigated which variables were independently associated to EH, and, consequently, analyzed their interactions.In our study, we found a significant association between the ADD1 gene polymorphism and EH (odds ratio 2.484, P = .01). This association remained statistically significant after the multivariate analysis (odds ratio 2.548, P = .02).The ADD1 Gly460Trp gene polymorphism is significantly and independently associated with EH risk in our population. The knowledge of genetic polymorphisms associated with EH is of paramount importance because it leads to a better understanding of the etiology and pathophysiology of this pathology.

Y-chromosome lineages from Portugal, Madeira and Açores record elements of Sephardim and Berber ancestry.

PubMed

Gonçalves, Rita; Freitas, Ana; Branco, Marta; Rosa, Alexandra; Fernandes, Ana T; Zhivotovsky, Lev A; Underhill, Peter A; Kivisild, Toomas; Brehm, António

2005-07-01

A total of 553 Y-chromosomes were analyzed from mainland Portugal and the North Atlantic Archipelagos of Açores and Madeira, in order to characterize the genetic composition of their male gene pool. A large majority (78-83% of each population) of the male lineages could be classified as belonging to three basic Y chromosomal haplogroups, R1b, J, and E3b. While R1b, accounting for more than half of the lineages in any of the Portuguese sub-populations, is a characteristic marker of many different West European populations, haplogroups J and E3b consist of lineages that are typical of the circum-Mediterranean region or even East Africa. The highly diverse haplogroup E3b in Portuguese likely combines sub-clades of distinct origins. The present composition of the Y chromosomes in Portugal in this haplogroup likely reflects a pre-Arab component shared with North African populations or testifies, at least in part, to the influence of Sephardic Jews. In contrast to the marginally low sub-Saharan African Y chromosome component in Portuguese, such lineages have been detected at a moderately high frequency in our previous survey of mtDNA from the same samples, indicating the presence of sex-related gene flow, most likely mediated by the Atlantic slave trade.

Relationship between ADD1 Gly460Trp gene polymorphism and essential hypertension in Madeira Island

PubMed Central

Sousa, Ana Célia; Palma dos Reis, Roberto; Pereira, Andreia; Borges, Sofia; Freitas, Ana Isabel; Guerra, Graça; Góis, Teresa; Rodrigues, Mariana; Henriques, Eva; Freitas, Sónia; Ornelas, Ilídio; Pereira, Décio; Brehm, António; Mendonça, Maria Isabel

2017-01-01

Abstract Essential hypertension (EH) is a complex disease in which physiological, environmental, and genetic factors are involved in its genesis. The genetic variant of the alpha-adducin gene (ADD1) has been described as a risk factor for EH, but with controversial results. The objective of this study was to evaluate the association of ADD1 (Gly460Trp) gene polymorphism with the EH risk in a population from Madeira Island. A case-control study with 1614 individuals of Caucasian origin was performed, including 817 individuals with EH and 797 controls. Cases and controls were matched for sex and age, by frequency-matching method. All participants collected blood for biochemical and genotypic analysis for the Gly460Trp polymorphism. We further investigated which variables were independently associated to EH, and, consequently, analyzed their interactions. In our study, we found a significant association between the ADD1 gene polymorphism and EH (odds ratio 2.484, P = .01). This association remained statistically significant after the multivariate analysis (odds ratio 2.548, P = .02). The ADD1 Gly460Trp gene polymorphism is significantly and independently associated with EH risk in our population. The knowledge of genetic polymorphisms associated with EH is of paramount importance because it leads to a better understanding of the etiology and pathophysiology of this pathology. PMID:29049185

Evolution of the central Atlantic hot spots cluster in the last 100 Myr: interaction between plate tectonics, a lower mantle thermochemical instability and upper mantle secondary plumes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sibrant, A.; Davaille, A.; Marques, F. O.; Hildenbrand, A.

2014-12-01

Born 200 Ma ago, the central Atlantic presents nowadays a large low seismic velocity anomaly in the lower mantle, a cluster of "hot" spots (Azores, Cape Verde, Madeira, Canary, Great Meteor), a mid-ocean ridge, and a triple junction located in the Azores. We carried out laboratory experiments to examine the possible links between mantle instabilities, plate boundary migration, and the
development of the volcanism on various spatial and temporal scales. Coupled with the current knowledge of these volcanic areas (tomography, tectonics and K/Ar dating), our fluid mechanics
experiments suggest that: (1) The Azores, as Canary, Cape Verde, Madeira Islands and Great Meteor seamounts might be the surface expression of a cluster of mantle instabilities rising from the top of a large thermochemical dome located in the lower mantle. However, such secondary plumes present a strong
time-dependence 5-40 Myr time scale. (2) These secondary instabilities could be sufficiently weak to adapt their motions to the pre-existing force
balance, and morphology and mechanical properties of the lithosphere. Based on current knowledge and modelling, we present a scenario of the Central Atlantic area evolution in the last 100 Ma combining a triple junction and decompression melting-generated buoyant material (i.e. such in volatiles and/or
temperature) under a cooling and thickening lithosphere.

Population structure of the banana weevil, an introduced pest in the Canary Islands, studied by RAPD analysis.

PubMed

Magaña, C; Beroiz, B; Hernández-Crespo, P; Montes de Oca, M; Carnero, A; Ortego, F; Castañera, P

2007-12-01

The banana weevil (BW), Cosmopolites sordidus (Coleoptera: Curculionidae), is one of the most important insect pests of bananas and plantains. The mobility and the origin of BW infestations at the Canary Islands (Tenerife, La Gomera and La Palma) have been analysed using Random Amplified Polymorphic DNA (RAPD) as molecular markers. Populations from Costa Rica, Colombia, Uganda and Madeira were also included for comparison. One hundred and fifteen reproducible bands from eight primers were obtained. The level of polymorphism in the populations from the Canary Islands (40-62%) was in the range of those found in other populations. Nei's genetic distances, pair-wise fixation index (FST) values indicate that the closest populations are Tenerife populations among themselves (Nei's genetic distance=0.054-0.100; FST=0.091-0.157) and Costa Rica and Colombia populations (Nei's genetic distance=0.049; FST=0.113). Our results indicate the existence of BW local biotypes with limited gene flow and affected by genetic drift. These results are compatible with a unique event of colonization at Tenerife; whereas, the outbreaks in La Gomera and La Palma may come from independent introductions. The Madeira population is phylogenetically and geographically closer to the Canary Islands populations, suggesting that it is the most likely source of the insects introduced in the Canary Islands.

Geographical origin of Amazonian freshwater fishes fingerprinted by ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr ratios on fish otoliths and scales.

PubMed

Pouilly, Marc; Point, David; Sondag, Francis; Henry, Manuel; Santos, Roberto V

2014-08-19

Calcified structures such as otoliths and scales grow continuously throughout the lifetime of fishes. The geochemical variations present in these biogenic structures are particularly relevant for studying fish migration and origin. In order to investigate the potential of the (87)Sr/(86)Sr ratio as a precise biogeochemical tag in Amazonian fishes, we compared this ratio between the water and fish otoliths and scales of two commercial fish species, Hoplias malabaricus and Schizodon fasciatus, from three major drainage basins of the Amazon: the Madeira, Solimões, and Tapajós rivers, displaying contrasted (87)Sr/(86)Sr ratios. A comparison of the (87)Sr/(86)Sr ratios between the otoliths and scales of the same individuals revealed similar values and were very close to the Sr isotopic composition of the local river where they were captured. This indicates, first, the absence of Sr isotopic fractionation during biological uptake and incorporation into calcified structures and, second, that scales may represent an interesting nonlethal alternative for (87)Sr/(86)Sr ratio measurements in comparison to otoliths. Considering the wide range of (87)Sr/(86)Sr variations that exist across Amazonian rivers, we used variations of (87)Sr/(86)Sr to discriminate fish origin at the basin level, as well as at the sub-basin level between the river and savannah lakes of the Beni River (Madeira basin).

Metalloproteomics Approach to Analyze Mercury in Breast Milk and Hair Samples of Lactating Women in Communities of the Amazon Basin, Brazil.

PubMed

Cerbino, M R; Vieira, José Cavalcante Souza; Braga, C P; Oliveira, G; Padilha, I F; Silva, T M; Zara, L F; Silva, N J; Padilha, P M

2018-02-01

Mercury is a potentially toxic element that is present in the environment of the Brazilian Amazon and is responsible for adverse health effects in humans. This study sought to assess possible protein biomarkers of mercury exposure in breast milk samples from lactating women in the Madeira and Negro Rivers in the Brazilian Amazon. The mercury content of hair samples of lactating women was determined, and the proteome of breast milk samples was obtained using two-dimensional electrophoresis after protein precipitation with acetone. Mercury measurements of protein spots obtained via protein fractionation were performed by graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry (GFAAS), and it was observed that mercury is linked to proteins with molecular masses in the range of 14-26 kDa. The total mercury concentration was also determined by GFAAS in unprocessed milk, lyophilized milk, and protein pellets, with the purpose of determining the mercury mass balance in relation to the concentration of this element in milk and pellets. Approximately 85 to 97% of mercury present in the lyophilized milk from samples of lactating women of the Madeira River is bound in the protein fraction. From lactating women of the Negro River, approximately 49% of the total mercury is bound in the protein fraction, and a difference of 51% is bound in the lipid fraction.

Sources of water vapor to economically relevant regions in Amazonia and the effect of deforestation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pires, G. F.; Fontes, V. C.

2017-12-01

The Amazon rain forest helps regulate the regional humid climate. Understanding the effects of Amazon deforestation is important to preserve not only the climate, but also economic activities that depend on it, in particular, agricultural productivity and hydropower generation. This study calculates the source of water vapor contributing to the precipitation on economically relevant regions in Amazonia according to different scenarios of deforestation. These regions include the state of Mato Grosso, which produces about 9% of the global soybean production, and the basins of the Xingu and Madeira, with infrastructure under construction that will be capable to generate 20% of the electrical energy produced in Brazil. The results show that changes in rainfall after deforestation are stronger in regions nearest to the ocean and indicate the importance of the continental water vapor source to the precipitation over southern Amazonia. In the two more continental regions (Madeira and Mato Grosso), decreases in the source of water vapor in one region were offset by increases in contributions from other continental regions, whereas in the Xingu basin, which is closer to the ocean, this mechanism did not occur. As a conclusion, the geographic location of the region is an important determinant of the resiliency of the regional climate to deforestation-induced regional climate change. The more continental the geographic location, the less climate changes after deforestation.

Multifactorial genetic divergence processes drive the onset of speciation in an Amazonian fish

PubMed Central

Torrente-Vilara, Gislene; Quilodran, Claudio; Rodrigues da Costa Doria, Carolina; Montoya-Burgos, Juan I.

2017-01-01

Understanding the processes that drive population genetic divergence in the Amazon is challenging because of the vast scale, the environmental richness and the outstanding biodiversity of the region. We addressed this issue by determining the genetic structure of the widespread Amazonian common sardine fish Triportheus albus (Characidae). We then examined the influence, on this species, of all previously proposed population-structuring factors, including isolation-by-distance, isolation-by-barrier (the Teotônio Falls) and isolation-by-environment using variables that describe floodplain and water characteristics. The population genetics analyses revealed an unusually strong structure with three geographical groups: Negro/Tapajós rivers, Lower Madeira/Central Amazon, and Upper Madeira. Distance-based redundancy analyses showed that the optimal model for explaining the extreme genetic structure contains all proposed structuring factors and accounts for up to 70% of the genetic structure. We further quantified the contribution of each factor via a variance-partitioning analysis. Our results demonstrate that multiple factors, often proposed as individual drivers of population divergence, have acted in conjunction to divide T. albus into three genetic lineages. Because the conjunction of multiple long-standing population-structuring processes may lead to population reproductive isolation, that is, the onset of speciation, we suggest that the multifactorial population-structuring processes highlighted in this study could account for the high speciation rate characterising the Amazon Basin. PMID:29261722

Sensor de orvalho/chuva aplicado à operação de telescópios

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Raffaelli, J. C.; Neres, N. L.; Strauss, C.

2003-08-01

Foi desenvolvida uma estação meteorológica para o telescópio robótico Obelix do Observatório Abrahão de Moraes que inclui sensores de temperatura e umidade, além de um inédito sensor de orvalho e chuva que comanda o fechamento automático da cúpula caso haja perigo de condensação. Este sensor é composto de uma malha de segmentos metálicos próximos e detecta o aumento da condutividade do ar que precede a condensação. Esse método é mais confiável que o critério de 100% de umidade, que pode causar falsos alarmes devido a imprecisão dos sensores de umidade em geral e por não considerar a influência dos ventos que dificultam a condensação. O trabalho apresenta o método de construção desse sensor e os testes de avaliação. Sugere-se portanto a inclusão desse sensor nas estações meteorológicas dos telescópios do país.

Contagem de fontes de radio na direção de aglomerados ricos de galaxias

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Andreazza, C. M.; Andernach, H.

A contagem de fontes de rádio, na direção de aglomerados ricos de galáxias, deve fornecer uma distribuçãto acima da média do campo devido aos efeitos do meio. No entanto, a distribução de radiofontes de alguns aglomerados, investigada por vários autores no passado, mostrou, em alguns casos, uma deficência de fontes fracas. Neste trabalho, analisamos os levantamentos em 2.7 GHz (Reuter e Andernach 1990, 1990A&AS...82..279R; Loiseau et al. 1988, 1988A&AS...75...67L) e o catálogo 6CII em 151 MHz (Hales et al. 1988, 1988MNRAS.234..919H). Nosso estudio da distribução de radiofontes, na direção de aglomerados ricos de galáxias, nestas duas frequências, mostra um excesso de fontes fortes somente nas regiões centrais dos aglomerados. Este resultado pode ser explicado devido à evidência de confinamento das radiofontes pelo gás, do meio intra-aglomerado, e devido aos processos de colisão, coalescência e canibalismo de galáxias.

Novel materials based on chitosan, its derivatives and cellulose fibres

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fernandes, Susana Cristina de Matos

O presente trabalho tem como principal objectivo o desenvolvimento de novos materiais baseados em quitosano, seus derivados e celulose, na forma de nanofibras ou de papel. Em primeiro lugar procedeu-se a purificacao das amostras comerciais de quitosano e a sua caracterizacao exaustiva em termos morfologicos e fisicoquimicos. Devido a valores contraditorios encontrados na literatura relativamente a energia de superficie do quitosano, e tendo em conta a sua utilizacao como precursor de modificacoes quimicas e a sua aplicacao em misturas com outros materiais, realizou-se tambem um estudo sistematico da determinacao da energia de superficie do quitosano, da quitina e seus respectivos homologos monomericos, por medicao de ângulos de contacto Em todas as amostras comerciais destes polimeros identificaram-se impurezas nao polares que estao associadas a erros na determinacao da componente polar da energia de superficie. Apos a remocao destas impurezas, o valor da energia total de superficie (gs), e em particular da sua componente polar, aumentou consideravelmente. Depois de purificadas e caracterizadas, algumas das amostras de quitosano foram entao usadas na preparacao de filmes nanocompositos, nomeadamente dois quitosanos com diferentes graus de polimerizacao, correspondentes derivados soluveis em agua (cloreto de N-(3-(N,N,N-trimetilamonio)-2- hidroxipropilo) de quitosano) e nanofibras de celulose como reforco (celulose nanofibrilada (NFC) e celulose bacteriana (BC). Estes filmes transparentes foram preparados atraves de um processo simples e com conotacao 'verde' pela dispersao homogenea de diferentes teores de NFC (ate 60%) e BC (ate 40%) nas solucoes de quitosano (1.5% w/v) seguida da evaporacao do solvente. Os filmes obtidos foram depois caracterizados por diversas tecnicas, tais como SEM, AFM, difraccao de raio-X, TGA, DMA, ensaios de traccao e espectroscopia no visivel. Estes filmes sao altamente transparentes e apresentam melhores propriedades mecânicas e maior estabilidade termica do que os correspondentes filmes sem reforco. Outra abordagem deste trabalho envolveu o revestimento de folhas de papel de E. globulus com quitosano e dois derivados, um derivado fluorescente e um derivado soluvel em agua, numa maquina de revestimentos ('maquina de colagem') a escala piloto. Este estudo envolveu inicialmente a deposicao de 1 a 5 camadas do derivado de quitosano fluorescente sobre as folhas de papel de forma a estudar a sua distribuicao nas folhas em termos de espalhamento e penetracao, atraves de medicoes de reflectância e luminescencia. Os resultados mostraram que, por um lado, a distribuicao do quitosano na superficie era homogenea e que, por outro lado, a sua penetracao atraves dos poros do papel cessou apos tres deposicoes. Depois da terceira camada verificou-se a formacao de um filme continuo de quitosano sobre a superficie do papel. Estes resultados mostram que este derivado de quitosano fluorescente pode ser utilizado como marcador na optimizacao e compreensao de mecanismos de deposicao de quitosano em papel e outros substratos. Depois de conhecida a distribuicao do quitosano nas folhas de papel, estudou-se o efeito do revestimento de quitosano e do seu derivado soluvel em agua nas propriedades finais do papel. As propriedades morfologicas, mecânicas, superficiais, opticas, assim como a permeabilidade ao ar e ao vapor de agua, a aptidao a impressao e o envelhecimento do papel, foram exaustivamente avaliadas. De uma forma geral, os revestimentos com quitosano e com o seu derivado soluvel em agua tiveram um impacto positivo nas propriedades finais do papel, que se mostrou ser dependente do numero de camadas depositadas. Os resultados tambem mostraram que os papeis revestidos com o derivado soluvel em agua apresentaram melhores propriedades opticas, aptidao a impressao e melhores resultados em relacao ao envelhecimento do que os papeis revestidos com quitosano. Assim, o uso de derivados de quitosano soluveis em agua em processos de revestimento de papel representa uma estrategia bastante interessante e sustentavel para o desenvolvimento de novos materiais funcionais ou na melhoria das propriedades finais dos papeis. Por fim, tendo como objectivo valorizar os residuos e fraccoes menos nobres da quitina e do quitosano provenientes da industria transformadora, estes polimeros foram convertidos em poliois viscosos atraves de uma reaccao simples de oxipropilacao. Este processo tem tambem conotacao "verde" uma vez que nao requer solvente, nao origina subprodutos e nao exige nenhuma operacao especifica (separacao, purificacao, etc) para isolar o produto da reaccao. As amostras de quitina e quitosano foram pre-activadas com KOH e depois modificadas com um excesso de oxido de propileno (PO) num reactor apropriado. Em todos os casos, o produto da reaccao foi um liquido viscoso composto por quitina ou quitosano oxipropilados e homopolimero de PO. Estas duas fraccoes foram separadas e caracterizadas.

Integrality of care: challenges for the nurse practice.

PubMed

Sousa, Solange Meira de; Bernardino, Elizabeth; Crozeta, Karla; Peres, Aida Maris; Lacerda, Maria Ribeiro

2017-01-01

to understand the role of the nurse in the collegiate management model of a teaching hospital, in the integrality of care perspective. a single case study with multiple units of analysis, with the theoretical proposition "integrality of care is a result of the care offered to the user by multiple professionals, including the nurse". Data were obtained in a functional unit of a teaching hospital through interviews with 13 nurses in a non-participant observation and document analysis. from the analytical categories emerged subcategories that allowed understanding that the nurse promotes integrality of care through nursing management, team work and integration of services. the theoretical proposition was confirmed and it was verified that the nursing management focus on attending to health care needs and is a strategy to provide integrality of care. apreender a atuação do enfermeiro no modelo de gestão colegiada de um hospital de ensino na perspectiva do cuidado integral. estudo de caso único de múltiplas unidades de análise, com a proposição teórica "o cuidado integral resulta dos vários cuidados oferecidos ao usuário pelos vários profissionais, dentre esses o enfermeiro". Os dados foram obtidos em uma unidade funcional de um hospital de ensino por meio de entrevistas com 13 enfermeiros, observação não participante e análise de documentos. a partir das categorias analíticas, emergiram subcategorias que possibilitaram apreender que o enfermeiro promove o cuidado integral por meio do gerenciamento de enfermagem, do trabalho em equipe e da integração entre os serviços. ratificou-se a proposição teórica e constatou-se que o gerenciamento de enfermagem volta-se para o atendimento das necessidades de saúde e é uma estratégia para o cuidado integral.

Insights into water-mediated ion clustering in aqueous CaSO4 solutions: pre-nucleation cluster characteristics studied by ab initio calculations and molecular dynamics simulations.

PubMed

Li, Hui-Ji; Yan, Dan; Cai, Hou-Qin; Yi, Hai-Bo; Min, Xiao-Bo; Xia, Fei-Fei

2017-05-10

The molecular structure of growth units building crystals is a fundamental issue in the crystallization processes from aqueous solutions. In this work, a systematic investigation of pre-nucleation clusters and their hydration characteristics in aqueous CaSO 4 solutions was performed using ab initio calculations and molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. The results of ab initio calculations and MD simulations indicate that the dominant species in aqueous CaSO 4 solutions are monodentate ion-associated structures. Compared with charged ion clusters, neutral clusters are more likely to be present in an aqueous CaSO 4 solution. Neutral (CaSO 4 ) m clusters are probably the growth units involved in the pre-nucleation or crystallization processes. Meanwhile, hydration behavior around ion associated species in aqueous CaSO 4 solutions plays an important role in related phase/polymorphism selections. Upon ion clustering, the residence of some water molecules around Ca 2+ in ion-associated species is weakened while that of some bridging waters is enhanced due to dual interaction by Ca 2+ and SO 4 2- . Some phase/polymorphism selections can be achieved in aqueous CaSO 4 solutions by controlling the hydration around pre-nucleation clusters. Moreover, the association trend between calcium and sulfate is found to be relatively strong, which hints at the low solubility of calcium sulfate in water.

A Influência da Escola e da Mídia na Obtenção dos Conhecimentos Astronômicos

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

da Cunha, W. S.; Voelzke, M. R.; Amaral, L. H.

2006-08-01

O universo em que vivemos possui segredos jamais imaginados pelo homem, fruto da pequena proporção que ocupamos diante de um cosmos infinito. A astronomia funciona como um instrumento que sacia a sede humana em desvendar esses segredos, estudando as galáxias, quasares, pulsares além da existência de todos os elementos que preenchem o espaço cósmico, o vácuo, não mais vazio como se pensou em outros tempos. A mídia explora esse campo de forma mística e também científica. A difusão adequada e dentro dos padrões educacionais vigentes, de conceitos astronômicos, se faz necessária, devido sua presença nos conteúdos escolares, centros de ciência e na mídia, de modo geral. A reforma do Currículo Básico da Escola Pública da maioria dos Estados brasileiros introduziu conceitos astronômicos desde a pré-escola até o Ensino Médio. Num estudo realizado com 1.032 alunos do Ensino Médio de seis escolas estaduais, revelou-se através da aplicação de um questionário que abordava conheciment os básicos em astronomia, como estes foram adquiridos e qual era a infra-estrutura oferecida pela escola: para 66,2% dos entrevistados o professor já fez alguma apresentação a respeito de astronomia. O presente estudo revelou também que 44,5% dos alunos entrevistados adquiriram seus conhecimentos astronômicos na escola, 28,1% através da televisão e 27,4% afirmaram que seus conhecimentos foram obtidos através de outros tipos de mídia (internet, filmes e revistas). Embora o estudo revele claramente que há certo equilíbrio na forma em que os alunos obtiveram seus conhecimentos astronômicos, a mídia ainda explora e muitas vezes desperta o interesse pela astronomia com assuntos que não fazem parte de nosso cotidiano como, por exemplo, o homem na Lua, os projetos espaciais e a primeira viagem de um astronauta brasileiro no espaço. Porém, em certos casos, a mídia pode promover conhecimentos incompletos ou mesmo equivocados sobre os conceitos que envolvam a astronomia, como por exemplo a propagação do som no vácuo observado na maioria dos filmes de f icção científica ou da existência das estações do ano em função da distância da Terra ao Sol, em conformidade com o questionário aplicado.

Non-indigenous species in Portuguese coastal areas, coastal lagoons, estuaries and islands

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chainho, Paula; Fernandes, António; Amorim, Ana; Ávila, Sérgio P.; Canning-Clode, João; Castro, João J.; Costa, Ana C.; Costa, José L.; Cruz, Teresa; Gollasch, Stephan; Grazziotin-Soares, Clarissa; Melo, Ricardo; Micael, Joana; Parente, Manuela I.; Semedo, Jorge; Silva, Teresa; Sobral, Dinah; Sousa, Mónica; Torres, Paulo; Veloso, Vera; Costa, Maria J.

2015-12-01

Trends in abundance, temporal occurrence and spatial distribution of marine and brackish non-indigenous species (NIS) are part of the indicators to assess the compliance of Good Environmental Status in the European Marine Strategy Framework Directive (EU-MSFD). European-wide regional and national databases for NIS will be useful for the implementation of the EU-MSFD but there are still spatial gaps for some regions and taxonomic groups. In 2009, Portugal was among the countries with the lowest reported numbers of NIS in Europe and a national online database on NIS was not available. This study provides an updated list of NIS registered in Portuguese coastal and estuarine waters, including mainland Portugal and the Azores and Madeira archipelagos. A list of 133 NIS was cataloged, most of which recorded in the last three decades, showing that this area of the North Atlantic is no less prone to introductions than neighboring areas. Most NIS reported in the current inventory are native in the Indo-Pacific region. Fouling and ballast water are the most likely introduction vectors of NIS in the studied area but shipping routes connecting to the NIS native regions are rare, indicating that most species are secondary introductions. The high number of NIS in the Azores and Madeira islands indicates that this ecosystem type seems to be more susceptible to invasions but these preliminary results might be biased by a higher number of studies and knowledge on the NIS occurrence on the islands.

Celiac disease in children from Madeira island and its prevalence in first degree relatives.

PubMed

Oliveira, Joana Raquel Henriques; Cabral, António Jorge; Ferreira, Elena; Capelinha, Filipa; Spínola, Hélder; Gonçalves, Rute

2014-01-01

It is well recognized that celiac disease is an immune-mediated systemic disorder highly prevalent among relatives of celiac patients. The aim of this study is to determine the prevalence of celiac disease in a group of first degree relatives of celiac children, and to access the frequency of human leukocyte antigen HLA-DQ2 and DQ8 in celiac disease patients and their affected relatives. A survey was conducted of 39 children with celiac disease with follow-up in the Pediatric outpatient's clinic of Dr. Nélio Mendonça Hospital, in Madeira Island, Portugal. Were invited 110 first degree relatives to undergo serological screen for celiac disease with IgA antibody to human recombinant tissue transglutaminase (IgA-TGG) quantification. In all seropositive relatives, small intestinal biopsy and HLA typing was recommended. HLA- typing was performed in 38 celiac patients, 28/74% DQ2 positive, 1/2% DQ8 positive and 9/24% incomplete DQ2. Positive IgA-TGG was found in five out of the 95 relatives, and CD was diagnosed in three of them. Three relatives had the presence of HLA-DQ2, two were DQ2 incomplete (DQB1*02). The prevalence of celiac disease among first degree celiac patients´ relatives was 3.1%, 4.5 times higher than the general Portuguese population (0,7%) witch reinforces the need of extensive diagnostic screening in this specific group. HLA-DQ2 typing may be a tool in the diagnostic approach.

Modeling the air-sea feedback system of Madeira Island

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pullen, Julie; Caldeira, Rui; Doyle, James D.; May, Paul; Tomé, Ricardo

2017-07-01

A realistic nested data-assimilating two-way coupled ocean/atmosphere modeling study (highest resolution 2 km) of Madeira Island was conducted for June 2011, when conditions were favorable for atmospheric vortex shedding. The simulation's island lee region exhibited relatively cloud-free conditions, promoting warmer ocean temperatures (˜2°C higher than adjacent waters). The model reasonably reproduced measured fields at 14 meteorological stations, and matched the dimensions and magnitude of the warm sea surface temperature (SST) wake imaged by satellite. The warm SSTs in the wake are shown to imprint onto the atmospheric boundary layer (ABL) over several diurnal cycles by modulating the ABL depth up to ˜200-500 m. The erosion and dissipation of the warm ocean wake overnight was aided by atmospheric drainage flow and offshore advection of cold air (ΔT = 2°C) that produced strong upward heat fluxes (˜50 W/m2 sensible and ˜250 W/m2 latent) on an episodic basis. Nevertheless, the warm wake was never entirely eroded at night due to the cumulative effect of the diurnal cycle. The spatial pattern of the diurnal warming varied day-to-day in location and extent. Significant mutual interaction of the oceanic and atmospheric boundary layers was diagnosed via fluxes and temperature cross sections and reinforced by sensitivity runs. The simulation produces for the first time the interactive nature of the ocean and atmosphere boundary layers in the warm wake region of an island with complex terrain.

Signaling of Pigment-Dispersing Factor (PDF) in the Madeira Cockroach Rhyparobia maderae

PubMed Central

Funk, Nico W.; Giese, Maria; Baz, El-Sayed; Stengl, Monika

2014-01-01

The insect neuropeptide pigment-dispersing factor (PDF) is a functional ortholog of vasoactive intestinal polypeptide, the coupling factor of the mammalian circadian pacemaker. Despite of PDF's importance for synchronized circadian locomotor activity rhythms its signaling is not well understood. We studied PDF signaling in primary cell cultures of the accessory medulla, the circadian pacemaker of the Madeira cockroach. In Ca2+ imaging studies four types of PDF-responses were distinguished. In regularly bursting type 1 pacemakers PDF application resulted in dose-dependent long-lasting increases in Ca2+ baseline concentration and frequency of oscillating Ca2+ transients. Adenylyl cyclase antagonists prevented PDF-responses in type 1 cells, indicating that PDF signaled via elevation of intracellular cAMP levels. In contrast, in type 2 pacemakers PDF transiently raised intracellular Ca2+ levels even after blocking adenylyl cyclase activity. In patch clamp experiments the previously characterized types 1–4 could not be identified. Instead, PDF-responses were categorized according to ion channels affected. Application of PDF inhibited outward potassium or inward sodium currents, sometimes in the same neuron. In a comparison of Ca2+ imaging and patch clamp experiments we hypothesized that in type 1 cells PDF-dependent rises in cAMP concentrations block primarily outward K+ currents. Possibly, this PDF-dependent depolarization underlies PDF-dependent phase advances of pacemakers. Finally, we propose that PDF-dependent concomitant modulation of K+ and Na+ channels in coupled pacemakers causes ultradian membrane potential oscillations as prerequisite to efficient synchronization via resonance. PMID:25269074

[Relational and reproductive trajectories leading to adolescent pregnancy in Portugal: a national and regional characterization].

PubMed

Pires, Raquel; Pereira, Joana; Pedrosa, Anabela Araújo; Bombas, Teresa; Vilar, Duarte; Vicente, Lisa; Canavarro, Maria Cristina

2014-01-01

The current study aimed to describe the relational and reproductive trajectories leading to adolescent pregnancy in Portugal, and to explore whether there were differences in this process according to adolescents' place of residence. Data were collected between 2008 and 2013 in 42 public health services using a self-report questionnaire developed by the researchers. The sample consisted of a nationally representative group of pregnant adolescents (n = 459). Regardless of having had one (59.91%) or multiple sexual partners (40.09%), the majority of adolescents became pregnant in a romantic relationship, using contraception at the time of the conception and knowing the contraceptive failure which led to pregnancy (39.22%). In some regions other trajectories were highly prevalent, reflecting options such as planning the pregnancy (Alentejo Region/ Azores Islands), not using contraception (Centro Region/Madeira Islands) or using it incorrectly, without identifying the contraceptive failure (Madeira Islands). On average, romantic relationships were longer than 19 months and adolescents' partners were older than themselves (> 4 years) and no longer in school (75.16%); these results were particularly significant when the pregnancy was planned. The knowledge gained in this study shows that prevention efforts must be targeted according to the adolescents' needs in each region and should include high-risk male groups. Our results may enable more efficient health policies to prevent adolescent pregnancy in different country regions and support educators and health care providers on sexual education and family planning efforts.

Feasibility study of CaSO4:Tb,Yb as a thermoluminescent dosimeter

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Junot, Danilo O.; Santos, Max A.; Chagas, Marcos A. P.; Couto dos Santos, Marcos A.; Nunes, Luiz A. O.; Souza, Divanizia N.

2014-02-01

A new composite based on CaSO4, using terbium as dopant and ytterbium as co-dopant (CaSO4:Tb,Yb), was developed for employment as a thermoluminescent (TL) dosimeter. The crystals used in this work were grown using a production route based on the Yamashita method (Yamashita et al., 1968). Crystal powder was calcined at 600 °C for 1 h. Pellets were made by adding commercial and colorless glass to improve physical resistance and sintered at 700 °C for 6 h. All samples were irradiated by a beta source (90Sr/90Y) and received doses from 1 Gy to 5 Gy. TL analyses have been performed and characteristics such as sensitivity, reproducibility, linearity, and fading have been studied. The CaSO4:Tb,Yb pellets glow curves presented two peaks, the first at around 115 °C, and the second at around 200 °C. The highest intensity was shown for CaSO4:Tb,Yb with a concentration of 0.1 mol% of Tb and Yb together. In all the samples the TL response was proportional to the absorbed dose. Therefore, the CaSO4:Tb,Yb has potential to be used as a thermoluminescent dosimeter.

Reciprocal Education Experiences In Two GK-12 Programs: Teachers Learning And Students Teaching In Diverse Settings

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mayo, M.; Williams, C.; Rodriguez, T.; Greely, T.; Pyrtle, A. J.; Rivera-Rentas, A. L.; Vilches, M.

2004-12-01

The National Science Foundation's Graduate Teaching Fellows in K-12 Education (GK-12) Program has enabled science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) graduate schools across the country to become more active in local area K-12 schools. An overview of a graduate student's experiences, insights gained and lessons learned as a Fellow in the 2003-2004 Universidad Metropolitana's (UMET) environmental science and the 2004-2005 University of South Florida's (USF) ocean science GK-12 Programs is presented. The major goals of the 2003-2004 UMET GK-12 Program were 1) to enrich environmental science teaching and learning via a thematic approach in eight local public schools and 2) to provide UMET graduate students with exposure to teaching methodologies and practical teaching experience. Utilizing examples from local environments in and nearby Carolina, Puerto Rico to teach key science principles at Escuela de la Comunidad Juana Rodriguez Mundo provided numerous opportunities to relate science topics to students' daily life experiences. By 2004, the UMET GK-12 Program had successfully engaged the entire student body (primarily comprised of bilingual minority kindergarten to sixth graders), teachers and school administrators in environment-focused teaching and learning activities. Examples of such activities include tree planting projects to minimize local erosion, conducting a science fair for the first time in many years, and numerous opportunities to experience what "real scientists do" while conducting environmental science investigations. During the 2004-2005 academic year, skills, insights and lessons learned as a UMET GK-12 Fellow are being further enhanced through participation in the USF GK-12 OCEANS Program. The overall objectives of the 2004-2005 USF GK-12 OCEANS assignment at Madeira Beach Elementary School in Saint Petersburg, Florida are to 1) engage students from various ethnic backgrounds and cultures in hands-on science activities, 2) enhance the school's third grade ocean science education curriculum, and 3) foster dialog between students at Madeira Beach Elementary School and Escuela de la Comunidad Juana Rodriguez Mundo, via exchange of pictures, video recordings, letters and emails related to environment-focused learning activities being undertaken at the two schools. In addition to these objectives, during the 2004-2005 academic year several ocean science-focused activities, the majority of which were adapted and/or identified from either the UMET GK-12 or USF OCEAN GK-12 Programs, will be utilized to further stimulate Madeira Beach Elementary School third graders' critical thinking skills. Examples of such activities, including hands-on exercises, case studies, games and field trips are highlighted in this presentation.

Studying CaSO4:Eu as an OSL phosphor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Guckan, Veysi; Altunal, Volkan; Nur, Necmettin; Depci, Tolga; Ozdemir, Adnan; Kurt, Kasim; Yu, Yan; Yegingil, Ihami; Yegingil, Zehra

2017-09-01

This study was carried out to investigate the properties of the OSL signal from Eu-doped calcium sulfate (CaSO4:Eu) phosphor and study on its thermal behavior as a function of temperature under a series of luminescence experiments. The suitability of its usage as an optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) dosimeter was also checked. CaSO4:Eu was synthesized using the precipitation method and prepared in pellet form. The dopant concentration value was performed as 0.1 mol%. The synthesized CaSO4:Eu was analyzed by X-ray diffraction (XRD) method to confirm the product. To have an idea about the crystallography and microstructure morphology of the material, scanning electron microscope (SEM) analysis were carried out. It was found that the OSL signal is a resultant signal having three components and exhibits thermal quenching above 150 °C. The excitation spectrum of CaSO4:Eu showed different peaks in the region 220-360 nm with the highest one at 269 nm. Thermoluminescence (TL) signals of CaSO4:Eu pellets were obtained and compared with the TL signals obtained after OSL measurements of the same pellets by blue light stimulation. The low temperature peak near 180 °C did not show any significant change in TL after OSL measurement whereas the high temperature peak at 240 °C was bleached with the blue light illumination and might be responsible for the observed OSL signal. The dosimetric properties such as dose response, minimum detectable dose, energy response, reusability, fading properties, thermal stability and effect of reading temperatures on OSL signals were examined. OSL signals of CaSO4:Eu pellets were decreased by approximately 8% at the end of the 24 h and by about 7% at the end of 28 days when compared with the first readout. The thermal stability of the ∼240 °C TL peak and OSL signal using isothermal decay measurements were used to determine the trap parameters. The CaSO4:Eu OSL dosimeter in accordance with the presented study allows a high-sensitivity OSL phosphor whose host material was previously known as conventional synthetic CaSO4 TLD material.

A Novel Strategy to Inhibit Hedgehog Signaling and Control Growth of Androgen-Independent Prostate Cancer Cells

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-12-01

M TIME PPC1 Volume of Spheroid Ctrl (respective media) .2% DMSO 10 uM Free Curcumin 20 uM Free Curcumin 10 uM Tagged Curcumin 20 uM Tagged... Curcumin FIGURE 6 Ctrl media 10uM FC 20uM FC 20uM TC 10uM TC 2% DMSO PC3 t0 Div 8 FIGURE 7 Phospho-p65 NFκB subunit expression decreased In

Identification of Calcium Sulphoaluminate Formation between Alunite and Limestone

PubMed Central

Kim, Hyung-Seok; Han, Gi-Chun; Ahn, Ji-Whan; Cho, Kye-Hong; Cho, Hee-Chan

2009-01-01

This study was carried out to identify the conditions of formation of calcium sulphoaluminate (3CaO·3Al2O3·CaSO4) by the sintering of a limestone (CaCO3) and alunite [K2SO4·Al2(SO4)3·4Al(OH)3] mixture with the following reagents: K2SO4, CaCO3, Al(OH)3, CaSO4·2H2O, and SiO2. When K2SO4, CaCO3, Al(OH)3, CaSO4·2H2O were mixed in molar ratios of 1:3:6:3 and sintered at 1,200∼1,300 °C, only 3CaO·3Al2O3·CaSO4 and calcium langbeinite (2CaSO4·K2SO4) were generated. With an amount of CaO that is less than the stoichiometric molar ratio, 3CaO·3Al2O3·CaSO4 was formed and anhydrite (CaSO4) did not react and remained behind. With the amount of CaSO4 that is less than the stoichiometric molar ratio, the amounts of 3CaO·3Al2O3·CaSO4 and 2CaSO4·K2SO4 decreased, and that of CaO·Al2O3 increased. In the K2SO4-CaO-Al2O3-CaSO4-SiO2 system, to stabilize the formation of 3CaO·3Al2O3·CaSO4, 2CaSO4·K2SO4, and β-2CaO·SiO2, the molar ratios of CaO: Al2O3: CaSO4 must be kept at 3:3:1 and that of CaO/SiO2, over 2.0; otherwise, the generated amount of 3CaO·3Al2O3·CaSO4 decreased and that of gehlenite (2CaO·Al2O3·SiO2) with no hydration increased quantitatively. Therefore, if all SO3(g) generated by the thermal decomposition of alunite reacts with CaCO3 (or CaO, the thermal decomposition product of limestone) to form CaSO4 in an alunite- limestone system, 1 mol of pure alunite reacts with 6 mol of limestone to form 1 mol of 3CaO·3Al2O3·CaSO4 and 1 mol of 2CaSO4·K2SO4. PMID:22346687

Kinetics Study on the Effect of NaCl on the CaSO4 Dissolution Behavior

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Song, Jingyao; Shi, Peiyang; Wang, Yeguang; Jiang, Maofa

2018-01-01

The study of the dissolution kinetics of CaSO4 is essential for the control of the dissolution and recrystallization behavior of CaSO4. In this work, the kinetic behavior of CaSO4 dissolved in NaCl solution was investigated by means of conductivity meter. The results show that with the increase of concentration of NaCl, the temperature rise and the time prolonged, the dissolution rate of dihydrate CaSO4 gradually increases, and the dissolved apparent activation energy is gradually decreased. When the NaCl concentration is 1.8%, the dissolution kinetic equation is 1-(1-α) 1/3=5.46*10-4exp (-9147/RT) t; When the NaCl concentration is 3.0%, the dissolution kinetic equation is 1-(1-α) 1/3=2.81×10-4 exp (-6753/RT)t; When the NaCl concentration is 3.6%, the dissolution kinetic equation is 1-(1-α) 1/3=3.07×l0-4exp(-6103/RT)t.

Applications for a hybrid operating room in thoracic surgery: from multidisciplinary procedures to --image-guided video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery.

PubMed

Terra, Ricardo Mingarini; Andrade, Juliano Ribeiro; Mariani, Alessandro Wasum; Garcia, Rodrigo Gobbo; Succi, Jose Ernesto; Soares, Andrey; Zimmer, Paulo Marcelo

2016-01-01

The concept of a hybrid operating room represents the union of a high-complexity surgical apparatus with state-of-the-art radiological tools (ultrasound, CT, fluoroscopy, or magnetic resonance imaging), in order to perform highly effective, minimally invasive procedures. Although the use of a hybrid operating room is well established in specialties such as neurosurgery and cardiovascular surgery, it has rarely been explored in thoracic surgery. Our objective was to discuss the possible applications of this technology in thoracic surgery, through the reporting of three cases. RESUMO O conceito de sala híbrida traduz a união de um aparato cirúrgico de alta complexidade com recursos radiológicos de última geração (ultrassom, TC, radioscopia e/ou ressonância magnética), visando a realização de procedimentos minimamente invasivos e altamente eficazes. Apesar de bem estabelecido em outras especialidades, como neurocirurgia e cirurgia cardiovascular, o uso da sala hibrida ainda é pouco explorado na cirurgia torácica. Nosso objetivo foi discutir as aplicações e as possibilidades abertas por essa tecnologia na cirurgia torácica através do relato de três casos.

Attenuation of midinfrared free electron laser energy with eyewear

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Joos, Karen M.; Gabella, William

2005-04-01

Purpose: To determine the attenuation of free electron laser (FEL) energy at several wavelengths through microscope objective and eyeglass lenses. Materials and Methods: The FEL at wavelengths of 2.3 um, 2.5 um, 3.0 um, 3.5 um, 4.0 um, 4.5 um, 5.0 um, 6.45 um, 7.0 um, 7.5 um, and 8.0 um was telescoped using a 500 mm nominal focal length lens and a 200 mm focal length lens. The beam had a final spot of about 3 mm and was passed through a 3 mm aperture and onto the 8 mm active area of a J9LP Molectron detector. The eyeglass sample was placed 3 cm in front of the detector. Energy readings were averaged over multiple pulses. Results: Attenuation varied greatly with wavelength and sample from a low attenuation of 0.46 dB, 90% transmission, for short wavelengths through common glass to greater than 60 dB attenuation (transmission at the detector noise level) for IR safe glass by Aura, Inc. Conclusion: Only the designated laser safety goggles effectively attenuate free electron laser energy at 2.3 um and 2.5 um. A microscope objective lens, polycarbonate, and silica glass eyewear is capable of effectively attenuating FEL energy at wavelengths greater than 4.5 um, but the polycarbonate lenses demonstrated material damage.

Ultrastructural and molecular characterization of Glugea serranus n. sp., a microsporidian infecting the blacktail comber, Serranus atricauda (Teleostei: Serranidae), in the Madeira Archipelago (Portugal).

PubMed

Casal, Graça; Rocha, Sónia; Costa, Graça; Al-Quraishy, Saleh; Azevedo, Carlos

2016-10-01

A new microsporidian infecting the connective tissue of the coelomic cavity of the blacktail comber Serranus atricauda, in the Madeira Archipelago (Portugal), is described on the basis of morphological, ultrastructural, and molecular features. The microsporidian formed large whitish xenomas adhering to the peritoneal visceral organs of the host. Each xenoma consisted of a single hypertrophic cell, in the cytoplasm of which mature spores proliferated within parasitophorous vacuoles surrounded by numerous collagen fibers. Mature spores were ellipsoidal and uninucleated, measuring an average of 6.5 ± 0.5 μm in length and 3.4 ± 0.6 μm in width. The anchoring disk of the polar filament was subterminal, laterally shifted from the anterior pole of the spore. The isofilar polar filament coiled in 18-19 turns, forming two rows that surrounded the posterior vacuole. The latter occupied about one third of the spore length. The polaroplast surrounding the apical and uncoiled portion of the polar filament displayed two distinct regions: a lamellar region and an electron-dense globule. Molecular analysis of the rRNA genes, including the internal transcribed spacer region, and phylogenetic analysis using maximum likelihood and neighbor joining demonstrated that this microsporidian parasite clustered with some Glugea species. Based on the differences found both at the morphological and molecular levels, to other members of the genus Glugea, the microsporidian infecting the blacktail comber is considered a new species, thus named Glugea serranus n. sp.

Characterization of the Marine Boundary Layer and the Trade-Wind Inversion over the Sub-tropical North Atlantic

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Carrillo, J.; Guerra, J. C.; Cuevas, E.; Barrancos, J.

2016-02-01

The stability of the lower troposphere along the east side of the sub-tropical North Atlantic is analyzed and characterized using upper air meteorological long-term records at the Canary Islands (Tenerife), Madeira (Madeira) and Azores (Terceira) archipelagos. The most remarkable characteristic is the strong stratification observed in the lower troposphere, with a strengthening of stability centred at levels near 900 and 800 hPa in a significant percentage of soundings (ranging from 17 % in Azores to 33 % in Güimar, Canary Islands). We show that this double structure is associated with the top of the marine boundary layer (MBL) and the trade-wind inversion (TWI) respectively. The top of the MBL coincides with the base of the first temperature inversion (≈ 900 hPa) where a sharp change in water vapour mixing ratio is observed. A second temperature inversion is found near 800 hPa, which is characterized by a large directional wind shear just above the inversion layer, tied to the TWI. We find that seasonal and latitudinal variations of the height and strength of both temperature inversions are driven by large-scale subsiding air from the upper troposphere associated with the descent branch of the Hadley cell. Increased general subsidence in summertime enhances stability in the lower troposphere, more markedly in the southern stations, where the inversion-layer heights are found at lower levels enhancing the main features of these two temperature inversions. A simple conceptual model that explains the lower tropospheric inversion enhancement by subsidence is proposed.

A Comparison Between Three IMUs for Strapdown Airborne Gravimetry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ayres-Sampaio, Diogo; Deurloo, Richard; Bos, Machiel; Magalhães, Américo; Bastos, Luísa

2015-07-01

Strapdown airborne gravimetry relies on the combination of an inertial measuring unit (IMU) and a global navigation satellite system (GNSS) to measure the Earth's gravity field. Early results with navigation-grade IMUs showed similar accuracies to those obtained with scalar gravimetric systems in the down component. This paper investigates the accuracy of three IMUs used for strapdown airborne gravimetry under the same flight conditions. The three systems considered were navigation-grade IMUs, iXSea AIRINS and iMAR iNAV-FMS, and a tactical-grade Litton LN-200. The data were collected in 2010 over the Island of Madeira, Portugal, in the scope of GEOid over MADeira campaign. The coordinates and orientation of the aircraft were computed using an extended Kalman filter based on the inertial navigation approach. GNSS position and velocity observations were used to update the filter, and the gravity disturbance was considered to be a stochastic process and was part of the state vector. A new crossover point-based serial tuning was introduced to deal with the uncertainty of choosing the filter's a priori information. The results show that with the iXSea accuracies of 2.1 and 1.6 mGal can be obtained for 1.7 and 5.0 km of spatial resolution (half-wavelength), respectively. iMAR's results were significantly affected by a nonlinear drift, which led to lower accuracies of 4.1-5.5 mGal. Remarkably, Litton showed very consistent results and achieved an accuracy of about 4.5 mGal at 5 km of spatial resolution (half-wavelength).

Functions of corazonin and histamine in light entrainment of the circadian pacemaker in the Madeira cockroach, Rhyparobia maderae.

PubMed

Arendt, Andreas; Baz, El-Sayed; Stengl, Monika

2017-04-01

The circadian pacemaker of the Madeira cockroach, Rhyparobia (Leucophaea) maderae, is located in the accessory medulla (AME). Ipsi- and contralateral histaminergic compound eyes are required for photic entrainment. Light pulses delay locomotor activity rhythm during the early night and advance it during the late night. Thus, different neuronal pathways might relay either light-dependent delays or advances to the clock. Injections of neuroactive substances combined with running-wheel assays suggested that GABA, pigment-dispersing factor, myoinhibitory peptides (MIPs), and orcokinins (ORCs) were part of both entrainment pathways, whereas allatotropin (AT) only delayed locomotor rhythms at the early night. To characterize photic entrainment further, histamine and corazonin were injected. Histamine injections resulted in light-like phase delays and advances, indicating that the neurotransmitter of the compound eyes participates in both entrainment pathways. Because injections of corazonin only advanced during the late subjective night, it was hypothesized that corazonin is only part of the advance pathway. Multiple-label immunocytochemistry in combination with neurobiotin backfills demonstrated that a single cell expressed corazonin in the optic lobes that belonged to the group of medial AME interneurons. It colocalized GABA and MIP but not AT or ORC immunoreactivity. Corazonin-immunoreactive (-ir) terminals overlapped with projections of putatively light-sensitive interneurons from the ipsi- and contralateral compound eye. Thus, we hypothesize that the corazonin-ir medial neuron integrates ipsi- and contralateral light information as part of the phase-advancing light entrainment pathway to the circadian clock. J. Comp. Neurol. 525:1250-1272, 2017. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Signaling of pigment-dispersing factor (PDF) in the Madeira cockroach Rhyparobia maderae.

PubMed

Wei, Hongying; Yasar, Hanzey; Funk, Nico W; Giese, Maria; Baz, El-Sayed; Stengl, Monika

2014-01-01

The insect neuropeptide pigment-dispersing factor (PDF) is a functional ortholog of vasoactive intestinal polypeptide, the coupling factor of the mammalian circadian pacemaker. Despite of PDF's importance for synchronized circadian locomotor activity rhythms its signaling is not well understood. We studied PDF signaling in primary cell cultures of the accessory medulla, the circadian pacemaker of the Madeira cockroach. In Ca²⁺ imaging studies four types of PDF-responses were distinguished. In regularly bursting type 1 pacemakers PDF application resulted in dose-dependent long-lasting increases in Ca²⁺ baseline concentration and frequency of oscillating Ca²⁺ transients. Adenylyl cyclase antagonists prevented PDF-responses in type 1 cells, indicating that PDF signaled via elevation of intracellular cAMP levels. In contrast, in type 2 pacemakers PDF transiently raised intracellular Ca²⁺ levels even after blocking adenylyl cyclase activity. In patch clamp experiments the previously characterized types 1-4 could not be identified. Instead, PDF-responses were categorized according to ion channels affected. Application of PDF inhibited outward potassium or inward sodium currents, sometimes in the same neuron. In a comparison of Ca²⁺ imaging and patch clamp experiments we hypothesized that in type 1 cells PDF-dependent rises in cAMP concentrations block primarily outward K⁺ currents. Possibly, this PDF-dependent depolarization underlies PDF-dependent phase advances of pacemakers. Finally, we propose that PDF-dependent concomitant modulation of K⁺ and Na⁺ channels in coupled pacemakers causes ultradian membrane potential oscillations as prerequisite to efficient synchronization via resonance.

Sensitivity to Pigment-Dispersing Factor (PDF) Is Cell-Type Specific among PDF-Expressing Circadian Clock Neurons in the Madeira Cockroach.

PubMed

Gestrich, Julia; Giese, Maria; Shen, Wen; Zhang, Yi; Voss, Alexandra; Popov, Cyril; Stengl, Monika; Wei, HongYing

2018-02-01

Transplantation studies have pinpointed the circadian clock of the Madeira cockroach to the accessory medulla (AME) of the brain's optic lobes. The AME is innervated by approximately 240 adjacent neuropeptidergic neurons, including 12 pigment-dispersing factor (PDF)-expressing neurons anterior to the AME (aPDFMEs). Four of the aPDFMEs project contralaterally, controlling locomotor activity rhythms of the night-active cockroach. The present in vitro Ca 2+ imaging analysis focuses on contralaterally projecting AME neurons and their responses to PDF, GABA, and acetylcholine (ACh). First, rhodamine-dextran backfills from the contralateral optic stalk identified contralaterally projecting AME neurons, which were then dispersed in primary cell cultures. After characterization of PDF, GABA, and ACh responses, PDF immunocytochemistry identified ipsilaterally and contralaterally projecting PDFMEs. All PDF-sensitive clock neurons, PDF-immunoreactive clock neurons, and the majority of ipsilaterally and contralaterally projecting cells were excited by ACh. GABA inhibited all PDF-expressing clock neurons, and about half of other ipsilaterally projecting and most contralaterally projecting clock neurons. For the first time, we identified PDF autoreceptors in PDF-secreting cockroach circadian pacemakers. The medium-sized aPDFMEs and all other contralaterally projecting PDF-sensitive clock cells were inhibited by PDF. The ipsilaterally remaining small PDF-sensitive clock cells were activated by PDF. Only the largest aPDFME did not express PDF autoreceptors. We hypothesize that opposing PDF signaling generates 2 different ensembles of clock cells with antiphasic activity, regulating and maintaining a constant phase relationship between rest and activity cycles of the night-active cockroach.

Genetic structure and historical diversification of catfish Brachyplatystoma platynemum (Siluriformes: Pimelodidae) in the Amazon basin with implications for its conservation.

PubMed

Ochoa, Luz Eneida; Pereira, Luiz Henrique G; Costa-Silva, Guilherme Jose; Roxo, Fábio F; Batista, Jacqueline S; Formiga, Kyara; Foresti, Fausto; Oliveira, Claudio

2015-05-01

Brachyplatystoma platynemum is a catfish species widely distributed in the Amazon basin. Despite being considered of little commercial interest, the decline in other fish populations has contributed to the increase in the catches of this species. The structure, population genetic variability, and evolutionary process that have driven the diversification of this species are presently unknown. Considering that, in order to better understand the genetic structure of this species, we analyzed individuals from seven locations of the Amazon basin using eight molecular markers: control region and cytochrome b mtDNA sequences, and a set of six nuclear microsatellite loci. The results show high levels of haplotype diversity and point to the occurrence of two structured populations (Amazon River and the Madeira River) with high values for F ST. Divergence time estimates based on mtDNA indicated that these populations diverged about 1.0 Mya (0.2-2.5 Mya 95% HPD) using cytochrome b and 1.4 Mya (0.2-2.7 Mya 95% HPD) using control region. During that time, the influence of climate changes and hydrological events such as sea level oscillations and drainage isolation as a result of geological processes in the Pleistocene may have contributed to the current structure of B. platynemum populations, as well as of differences in water chemistry in Madeira River. The strong genetic structure and the time of genetic divergence estimated for the groups may indicate the existence of strong structure populations of B. platynemum in the Amazon basin.

Mercury in fish of the Madeira river (temporal and spatial assessment), Brazilian Amazon.

PubMed

Bastos, Wanderley R; Dórea, José G; Bernardi, José Vicente E; Lauthartte, Leidiane C; Mussy, Marilia H; Lacerda, Luiz D; Malm, Olaf

2015-07-01

The Madeira River is the largest tributary of the Amazon River Basin and one of the most impacted by artisanal gold-mining activities, deforestation for agricultural projects, and recent hydroelectric reservoirs. Total Hg (and methylmercury-MeHg) concentrations was determined in 3182 fish samples of 84 species from different trophic levels as a function of standard size. Species at the top of the trophic level (Piscivorous, Carnivorous) showed the highest mean total Hg concentrations (51-1242 µg/kg), Planctivorous and Omnivorous species showed intermediate total Hg concentrations (26-494 µg/kg), while Detritivorous and Herbivorous species showed the lowest range of mean total Hg concentrations (9-275 µg/kg). Significant correlations between fish size (standard length) and total Hg concentrations were seen for Planctivorous (r=0.474, p=0.0001), Piscivorous (r=0.459, p=0.0001), Detritivorous (r=0.227, p=0.0001), Carnivorous (r=0.212, p=0.0001), and Herbivorous (r=0.156, p=0.01), but not for the Omnivorous species (r=-0.064, p=0.0685). Moreover, fish trophic levels influenced the ratio of MeHg to total Hg (ranged from 70% to 92%). When adjusted for standard body length, significant increases in Hg concentrations in the last 10 years were species specific. Spatial differences, albeit significant for some species, were not consistent with time trends for environmental contamination from past alluvial gold mining activities. Fish-Hg bioaccumulation is species specific but fish feeding strategies are the predominant influence in the fish-Hg bioaccumulation pattern. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Genetic structure and historical diversification of catfish Brachyplatystoma platynemum (Siluriformes: Pimelodidae) in the Amazon basin with implications for its conservation

PubMed Central

Ochoa, Luz Eneida; Pereira, Luiz Henrique G; Costa-Silva, Guilherme Jose; Roxo, Fábio F; Batista, Jacqueline S; Formiga, Kyara; Foresti, Fausto; Oliveira, Claudio

2015-01-01

Brachyplatystoma platynemum is a catfish species widely distributed in the Amazon basin. Despite being considered of little commercial interest, the decline in other fish populations has contributed to the increase in the catches of this species. The structure, population genetic variability, and evolutionary process that have driven the diversification of this species are presently unknown. Considering that, in order to better understand the genetic structure of this species, we analyzed individuals from seven locations of the Amazon basin using eight molecular markers: control region and cytochrome b mtDNA sequences, and a set of six nuclear microsatellite loci. The results show high levels of haplotype diversity and point to the occurrence of two structured populations (Amazon River and the Madeira River) with high values for FST. Divergence time estimates based on mtDNA indicated that these populations diverged about 1.0 Mya (0.2–2.5 Mya 95% HPD) using cytochrome b and 1.4 Mya (0.2–2.7 Mya 95% HPD) using control region. During that time, the influence of climate changes and hydrological events such as sea level oscillations and drainage isolation as a result of geological processes in the Pleistocene may have contributed to the current structure of B. platynemum populations, as well as of differences in water chemistry in Madeira River. The strong genetic structure and the time of genetic divergence estimated for the groups may indicate the existence of strong structure populations of B. platynemum in the Amazon basin. PMID:26045952

Distribution and availability of mercury and methylmercury in different waters from the Rio Madeira Basin, Amazon.

PubMed

Vieira, Miguel; Bernardi, José V E; Dórea, José G; Rocha, Bruno C P; Ribeiro, Romulo; Zara, Luis F

2018-04-01

Waters from the Amazon Basin have distinct physicochemical characteristics that can be optically classified as "black", "clear" and "white". We studied the distribution of total-Hg (THg) and methyl-Hg (MeHg) in these waters and respective suspended solids, sediment, phytoplankton, zooplankton, and benthic macroinvertebrates (BM) in the Madeira River Basin. Compared with the other types of water, the more acidic "black" kind had the highest THg and MeHg concentrations. The trend (black > clear > white) occurred for the concentrations of THg and MeHg in sediments and in the biotic compartment (plankton, macroinvertebrates). Organic Hg accounted for a small percentage (0.6-0.4%) of the THg in sediments but was highest in water (17-15%). For plankton and BM, the biota sediment accumulation factor (BSAFs) of MeHg (53-125) were greater than those of THg (4.5-15); however, the BSAF trend according to water type (black > clear > white) was only significant for MeHg. Sediment THg is correlated with all forms of Hg in biotic and abiotic matrices. The results indicate that water acidity in the Amazon is an important chemical characteristic in assessing Hg contamination of sediments and bioaccumulation in the aquatic food web. The differences in the BSAFs between THg and MeHg support the use of this factor for evaluating the bioaccumulation potential of sediment-bound Hg. The results add information critical to assessing environmental and health risks related to Hg methylation and potential fish-MeHg contamination, especially in tropical aquatic environments. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Molecular evidence for adaptive radiation of Micromeria Benth. (Lamiaceae) on the Canary Islands as inferred from chloroplast and nuclear DNA sequences and ISSR fingerprint data.

PubMed

Meimberg, Harald; Abele, Tilmann; Bräuchler, Christian; McKay, John K; Pérez de Paz, Pedro L; Heubl, Günther

2006-12-01

The Canary Islands have been a focus for phylogeographic studies on the colonization and diversification of endemic angiosperm taxa. Based on phylogeographic patterns, both inter island colonization and adaptive radiation seem to be the driving forces for speciation in most taxa. Here, we investigated the diversification of Micromeria on the Canary Islands and Madeira at the inter- and infraspecific level using inter simple sequence repeat PCR (ISSR), the trnK-Intron and the trnT-trnL-spacer of the cpDNA and a low copy nuclear gene. The genus Micromeria (Lamiaceae, Mentheae) includes 16 species and 13 subspecies in Macaronesia. Most taxa are restricted endemics, or grow in similar ecological conditions on two islands. An exception is M. varia, a widespread species inhabits the lowland scrub on each island of the archipelago and could represent an ancestral taxon from which radiation started on the different islands. Our analyses support a split between the "eastern" islands Fuerteventura, Lanzarote and Gran Canaria and the "western" islands Tenerife, La Palma and El Hierro. The colonization of Madeira started from the western Islands, probably from Tenerife as indicated by the sequence data. We identified two lineages of Micromeria on Gomera but all other islands appear to be colonized by a single lineage, supporting adaptive radiation as the major evolutionary force for the diversification of Micromeria. We also discuss the possible role of gene flow between lineages of different Micromeria species on one island after multiple colonizations.

The molecular phylogeny of Matthiola R. Br. (Brassicaceae) inferred from ITS sequences, with special emphasis on the Macaronesian endemics.

PubMed

Jaén-Molina, Ruth; Caujapé-Castells, Juli; Reyes-Betancort, Jorge Alfredo; Akhani, Hossein; Fernández-Palacios, Olga; de Paz, Julia Pérez; Febles-Hernández, Rosa; Marrero-Rodríguez, Aguedo

2009-12-01

Matthiola (Brassicaceae) is a genus that is widespread in the Mediterranean and Irano-Turanian regions and includes two species that are endemic to the archipelagos of Madeira and the Canaries in Macaronesia, which is an insular oceanic hotspot of biodiversity harboring many radiating endemic plant lineages. Sequence analyses of the nuclear ITS-1 and ITS-2 regions in a comprehensive geographical sample of Matthiola, encompassing all the endemic Macaronesian populations known to date, suggest independent Mediterranean and NW African origins of the taxa in Madeira and the Canaries, respectively. These molecular data reveal a complex evolutionary landscape that converges with morphological analyses in the recognition of two new Madeiran species. The data also suggest that the Canarian infra-specific endemic taxa described thus far have high (but non-diagnostic) levels of morphological and genetic diversity, and should be included in the single endemic Matthiola bolleana. In agreement with earlier investigations that revealed a high genetic differentiation between the populations of Matthiola in Fuerteventura and Lanzarote, our phylogeny supports independent founder events from the same mainland congener to either island. The consistently derived position of the Moroccan populations within a mostly Canarian clade suggests a further back-colonization of the continent. Notably, the ITS sequence resolution offered by Matthiola is higher than that found in many of the radiating Canarian endemic lineages for which molecular phylogenetic studies abound. Hence, our research discovers largely unexplored pathways to understand plant diversification in this oceanic insular hotspot through the investigation of non-speciose endemics.

Madeiran Arabidopsis thaliana Reveals Ancient Long-Range Colonization and Clarifies Demography in Eurasia

PubMed Central

Fulgione, Andrea; Koornneef, Maarten; Roux, Fabrice; Hermisson, Joachim; Hancock, Angela M

2018-01-01

Abstract The study of model organisms on islands may shed light on rare long-range dispersal events, uncover signatures of local evolutionary processes, and inform demographic inference on the mainland. Here, we sequenced the genomes of Arabidopsis thaliana samples from the oceanic island of Madeira. These samples include the most diverged worldwide, likely a result of long isolation on the island. We infer that colonization of Madeira happened between 70 and 85 ka, consistent with a propagule dispersal model (of size ≥10), or with an ecological window of opportunity. This represents a clear example of a natural long-range dispersal event in A. thaliana. Long-term effective population size on the island, rather than the founder effect, had the greatest impact on levels of diversity, and rates of coalescence. Our results uncover a selective sweep signature on the ancestral haplotype of a known translocation in Eurasia, as well as the possible importance of the low phosphorous availability in volcanic soils, and altitude, in shaping early adaptations to the island conditions. Madeiran genomes, sheltered from the complexities of continental demography, help illuminate ancient demographic events in Eurasia. Our data support a model in which two separate lineages of A. thaliana, one originating in Africa and the other from the Caucasus expanded and met in Iberia, resulting in a secondary contact zone there. Although previous studies inferred that the westward expansion of A. thaliana coincided with the spread of human agriculture, our results suggest that it happened much earlier (20–40 ka). PMID:29216397

Northwest African Continental Margin: History of sediment accumulation, landslide deposits, and hiatuses as revealed by drilling the Madeira Abyssal Plain

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Weaver, P. P. E.

2003-03-01

ODP drill sites in the Madeira Abyssal Plain reveal sequences of organic-rich turbidites derived from the northwest African margin, in which each turbidite has a volume of tens to hundreds of cubic kilometers. The frequency of turbidite emplacement has been combined with core and seismic data to show the volume of redeposited sediment. The basin began to fill about 22 Ma with numerous small turbidites, up to 100 per million years, each with volumes of a few cubic kilometers. The total volume of turbidites deposited increased between 16 and 11 Ma, as did their individual volumes, and then declined to 7 Ma. At 7 Ma, there was a dramatic increase in the amount of turbidite input to 768 km3/Myr and a rise in the average volume of each unit to 59 km3. These high values have been maintained to the present day. The variations in the amount of redeposited sediment most likely reflect the rates of sedimentation on the northwest African margin since high sedimentation leads to oversteepening of the slopes and eventual mass wasting. The dramatic changes at about 7 Ma may be due to a large increase in upwelling off northwest Africa caused by circulation changes associated with increased glaciation of the poles. Up to 20% of sediment may be remobilized by landslides, with each event leaving a hiatus. Each of these hiatuses extends over an average area of ˜4800 km2 and represents removal of sediment layers several tens of meters thick and of several hundred thousand years duration.

Ecomorphology of the external flight apparatus of blackcaps (Sylvia atricapilla) with different migration behavior.

PubMed

Fiedler, Wolfgang

2005-06-01

An analysis of the external flight apparatus of 700 blackcaps from eight different populations (sedentary to long-distance migrators) is presented. With increasing migration distances of populations, (1) wing length, aspect ratio, and wing pointedness increase; (2) wing load decreases; (3) slots on the wing tips become relatively shorter; (4) the alula tends to be shorter in relation to wing length; and (5) the tail is shorter in relation to wing length. Although body mass increases from southern to northern populations, changes in wing length and wing area are two to three times larger than expected for simple isometric relationships. Regarding the aerodynamic background of these changes, it can be stated that traits for energy-effective flight are more strongly developed and traits for maneuverability are less developed in birds traveling longer distances, presumably as a consequence of trade-offs. Nonmigratory blackcaps from Madeira and the Cape Verde islands do not always show the traits we would expect in view of their sedentary behavior. This can be seen as a result of recent colonization of these islands by migrants or of selection by factors other than migration behavior. In migratory populations, changes between the first and the second set of primaries during first complete molt show almost the same pattern as the changes from nonmigratory to migratory populations. During molt of the primaries, blackcaps of nonmigratory populations do not show these changes. Hybrids between migrating and nonmigrating blackcap populations (Moscow and Madeira) showed intermediate values between parent populations in wing length, wing shape, and wing area; in the other variables they resembled either parent population.

Microbiological and mycological beach sand quality in a volcanic environment: Madeira archipelago, Portugal.

PubMed

Pereira, Elisabete; Figueira, Celso; Aguiar, Nuno; Vasconcelos, Rita; Vasconcelos, Sílvia; Calado, Graça; Brandão, João; Prada, Susana

2013-09-01

Madeira forms a mid-Atlantic volcanic archipelago, whose economy is largely dependent on tourism. There, one can encounter different types of sand beach: natural basaltic, natural calcareous and artificial calcareous. Microbiological and mycological quality of the sand was analyzed in two different years. Bacterial indicators were detected in higher number in 2010 (36.7% of the samples) than in 2011 (9.1%). Mycological indicators were detected in a similar percentage of samples in 2010 (68.3%) and 2011 (75%), even though the total number of colonies detected in 2010 was much higher (827 in 41 samples) than in 2011 (427 in 66 samples). Enterococci and potentially pathogenic and allergenic fungi (particularly Penicillium sp.) were the most common indicators detected in both years. Candida sp. yeast was also commonly detected in the samples. The analysis of the 3rd quartile and maximum numbers of all indicators in samples showed that artificial beaches tend to be more contaminated than the natural ones. However, a significant difference between the variables was lacking. More monitoring data (number of bathers, sea birds, radiation intensity variation, and a greater number of samples) should be collected in order to confirm if these differences are significant. In general, the sand quality in the archipelago's beaches was good. As the sand may be a vector of diseases, an international common set of indicators and values and a compatible methodologies for assessing sand contamination, should be defined, in order to provide the bather's with an indication of beach sand quality, rather than only the water. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Towards a C2 Poly-Visualization Tool: Leveraging the Power of Social-Network Analysis and GIS

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-06-01

from Magsino.14 AutoMap, a product of CASOS at Carnegie Mellon University, is a text-mining tool that enables the extraction of network data from...enables community leaders to prepare for biological attacks using computational models. BioWar is a CASOS package that combines many factors into a...models, demographically accurate agent modes, wind dispersion models, and an error-diagnostic model. Construct, also developed by CASOS , is a

Long-Term Follow-Up of Patients after Percutaneous Coronary Intervention with Everolimus-Eluting Bioresorbable Vascular Scaffold.

PubMed

Meneguz-Moreno, Rafael Alexandre; Costa, José de Ribamar; Moscoso, Freddy Antônio Britto; Staico, Rodolfo; Tanajura, Luiz Fernando Leite; Centemero, Marinella Patrizia; Chaves, Auréa Jacob; Abizaid, Andrea Claudia Leão de Sousa; Sousa, Amanda Guerra de Moraes Rego E; Abizaid, Alexandre Antonio Cunha

2017-02-01

Bioresorbable vascular scaffolds (BVS) were developed to improve the long-term results of percutaneous coronary intervention, restoring vasomotion. To report very late follow-up of everolimus-eluting Absorb BVS (Abbott Vascular, Santa Clara, USA) in our center. Observational retrospective study, in a single Brazilian center, from August 2011 to October 2013, including 49 patients submitted to Absorb BVS implantation. Safety and efficacy outcomes were analyzed in the in-hospital and very late follow-up phases (> 2 years). All 49 patients underwent a minimum follow-up of 2.5 years and a maximum of 4.6 years. Mean age was 56.8 ± 7.6 years, 71.4% of the patients were men, and 26.5% were diabetic. Regarding clinical presentation, the majority (94%) had stable angina or silent ischemia. Device success was achieved in 100% of cases with 96% overall procedure success rate. Major adverse cardiovascular events rate was 4% at 30 days, 8.2% at 1 year, and 12.2% at 2 years, and there were no more events until 4.6 years. There were 2 cases of thrombosis (1 subacute and 1 late). In this preliminary analysis, Absorb BVS showed to be a safe and effective device in the very late follow-up. Establishing the efficacy and safety profiles of these devices in more complex scenarios is necessary. Os suportes vasculares bioabsorvíveis (SVB) foram desenvolvidos com o intuito de melhorar os resultados da intervenção coronária percutânea a longo prazo, restabelecendo-se a vasomotricidade. Reportar o seguimento muito tardio do implante do SVB eluidor de everolimus Absorb® (Abbot Vascular, Santa Clara, EUA) em nosso centro. Estudo observacional, retrospectivo, em um único centro brasileiro, que incluiu 49 pacientes submetidos ao implante do SVB Absorb® entre agosto/2011 e outubro/2013. Foram analisados os desfechos de segurança e eficácia na fase hospitalar e bastante tardia (> 2 anos). Todos os 49 pacientes completaram um seguimento mínimo de 2,5 anos, sendo o máximo de 4,6 anos. A média de idade foi 56,8 ± 7,6 anos, sendo 71,4% da população estudada do sexo masculino e 26,5% composta por diabéticos. Considerando a apresentação clínica, a grande maioria (94%) tinha angina estável ou isquemia silenciosa. Obteve-se sucesso do dispositivo em 100% dos casos e do procedimento, em 96%. A taxa de eventos cardiovasculares maiores foi de 4% aos 30 dias, de 8,2% em 1 ano, e de 12,2% em 2 anos, sem mais eventos até 4,6 anos. Houve 2 casos de trombose (1 subaguda e 1 tardia) até o último seguimento. Nesta análise preliminar, o uso do SVB Absorb® mostrou-se seguro e eficaz no seguimento bastante tardio. Faz-se necessário estabelecer o perfil de eficácia e segurança destes dispositivos em cenários de maior complexidade.

Impulsive excitation of mechanoluminescence in gamma-irradiated CaSO4:Eu phosphors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kher, R. S.; Dhoble, S. J.; Pandey, R. K.; Upadhyay, A. K.; Khokhar, M. S. K.

2011-01-01

The mechanoluminescence (ML) and thermoluminescence (TL) of γ-irradiated CaSO4:Eu phosphor have been studied. CaSO4 samples having different concentrations of Eu were prepared by dissolving CaSO4.2H2O in sulphuric acid and evaporating the excess acid around 300 °C. ML was excited impulsively by dropping a load onto the sample. Three distinct peaks have been observed in the ML intensity versus time curve. The ML intensity increases with the increasing concentration of the dopant. The effect of temperature on the shape and peak of ML intensity was also recorded. Growth, saturation and broadening in an ML peak were observed. TL glow curves of CaSO4:Eu phosphors at different concentrations contain two TL peaks: the first peak was observed at around 110 °C and the other at 210 °C. Experimental results suggest that the ML excitation is related to the movement of dislocation with defect centres, the increase in ML with temperature is due to the enhancement in dislocation capture probability, and the reduction is due to the thermal bleaching of defect centres.

Planificación Neuroquirúrgica con Software Osirix

PubMed Central

Jaimovich, Sebastián Gastón; Guevara, Martin; Pampin, Sergio; Jaimovich, Roberto; Gardella, Javier Luis

2014-01-01

Introducción: La individualidad anatómica es clave para reducir el trauma quirúrgico y obtener un mejor resultado. Actualmente, el avance en las neuroimágenes ha permitido objetivar esa individualidad anatómica, permitiendo planificar la intervención quirúrgica. Con este objetivo, presentamos nuestra experiencia con el software Osirix. Descripción de la técnica: Se presentan 3 casos ejemplificadores de 40 realizados. Caso 1: Paciente con meningioma de la convexidad parasagital izquierda en área premotora; Caso 2: Paciente con macroadenoma hipofisario, operada previamente por vía transeptoesfenoidal en otra institución con una resección parcial; Caso 3: Paciente con lesiones en pedúnculo cerebeloso medio bilateral. Se realizó la planificación prequirúrgica con el software OsiriX, fusionando y reconstruyendo en 3D las imágenes de TC e IRM, para analizar relaciones anatómicas, medir distancias, coordenadas y trayectorias, entre otras funciones. Discusión: El software OsiriX de acceso libre y gratuito permite al cirujano, mediante la fusión y reconstrucción en 3D de imágenes, analizar la anatomía individual del paciente y planificar de forma rápida, simple, segura y económica cirugías de alta complejidad. En el Caso 1 se pudo analizar las relaciones del tumor con las estructuras adyacentes para minimizar el abordaje. En el Caso 2 permitió comprender la anatomía post-operatoria previa del paciente, para determinar la trayectoria del abordaje transnasal endoscópico y la necesidad de ampliar su exposición, logrando la resección tumoral completa. En el Caso 3 permitió obtener las coordenadas estereotáxicas y trayectoria de una lesión sin representación tomográfica. Conclusión: En casos de no contar con costosos sistemas de neuronavegación o estereotáxia el software OsiriX es una alternativa a la hora de planificar la cirugía, con el objetivo de disminuir el trauma y la morbilidad operatoria. PMID:25165617

Bees of the Azores: an annotated checklist (Apidae, Hymenoptera).

PubMed

Weissmann, Julie A; Picanço, Ana; Borges, Paulo A V; Schaefer, Hanno

2017-01-01

We report 18 species of wild bees plus the domesticated honeybee from the Azores, which adds nine species to earlier lists. One species, Hylaeus azorae , seems to be a single island endemic, and three species are possibly native ( Colletes eous , Halictus villosulus , and Hylaeus pictipes ). All the remaining bee species are most likely accidental introductions that arrived after human colonization of the archipelago in the 15 th century. Bee diversity in the Azores is similar to bee diversity of Madeira and Cape Verde but nearly ten times lower than it is in the Canary Islands.

X-ray absorption spectroscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy studies of CaSO 4:Dy thermoluminescent phosphors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bakshi, A. K.; Jha, S. N.; Olivi, L.; Phase, D. M.; Kher, R. K.; Bhattacharyya, D.

2007-11-01

Extended X-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) measurements have been carried out on CaSO4:Dy phosphor samples at the Dy L3 edge with synchrotron radiation. Measurements were carried out on a set of samples which were subjected to post-preparation annealing at different temperatures and for different cycles. The EXAFS data have been analysed to find the Dy-S and Dy-O bond lengths in the neighbourhood of the Dy atoms in a CaSO4 matrix. The observations from EXAFS measurements were verified with XANES and XPS techniques. On the basis of these measurements, efforts were made to explain the loss of thermoluminescence sensitivity of CaSO4:Dy phosphors after repeated cycles of annealing at 400 °C in air for 1 h.

Effects of Partial Substitutions of NaCl with KCl, CaSO4 and MgSO4 on the Quality and Sensorial Properties of Pork Patties.

PubMed

Davaatseren, Munkhtugs; Chun, Ji-Yeon; Cho, Hyung-Yong; Min, Sang-Gi; Choi, Mi-Jung

2014-01-01

This study investigated the effects of NaCl replacers (KCl, CaSO4, and MgSO4) on the quality and sensorial properties of pork patty. In the characteristics of spray-dried salt particles, KCl showed the largest particle size with low viscosity in solution. Meanwhile CaSO4 treatment resulted in the smallest particle size and the highest viscosity (p<0.05). In comparison of the qualities of pork patties manufactured by varying level of Na replacers, MgSO4 treatment exhibited low cooking loss comparing to control (p<0.05). Textural properties of KCl and MgSO4 treatments showed similar pattern, i.e., low level of the replacers caused harder and less adhesive texture than those of control (p<0.05), whereas the hardness of these products was not different with control when the replacers were added more than 1.0%. The addition of CaSO4 also manifested harder and less adhesive than control (p<0.05), but the textural properties of CaSO4 treatment was not affected by level of Ca-salt. Eventually, sensorial properties indicated that KCl and CaSO4 influenced negative effects on pork patties. In contrast, MgSO4 showed better sensorial properties in juiciness intensity, tenderness intensity as well as overall acceptability than control, reflecting that MgSO4 was an effective Na-replacer in meat product formulation.

Application of botulinum toxin to treat sialorrhea in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis patients: a literature review.

PubMed

Oliveira, Ademar Francisco de; Silva, Gêssyca Adryene de Menezes; Almeida, Débora Milenna Xavier

2016-01-01

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis is a progressive and fatal neurodegenerative disease characterized by the degeneration of motor neurons, which are the central nervous system cells that control voluntary muscle movements. The excessive salivation (sialorrhea) is present in approximately 50% of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis cases. Thus, some alternative therapeutic methods are sought, such as anticholinergic drugs and surgery. Recently the use of botulinum toxin applied at a midpoint of the salivary glands, often guided by ultrasound, have demonstrated positive results. The objective was to review the literature to demonstrate an alternative method to treatments of sialorrhea in patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. In recent studies, the efficacy of botulinum toxin is confirmed, although new applications are required. Since the side effects are negligible, this is an alternative to treat amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, and other patients with diseases that present sialorrhea. RESUMO Esclerose lateral amiotrófica é uma doença neurodegenerativa progressiva e fatal, caracterizada pela degeneração dos neurônios motores, as células do sistema nervoso central que controlam os movimentos voluntários dos músculos. A salivação excessiva (sialorreia) está presente em cerca de 50% dos casos de esclerose lateral amiotrófica. Dessa forma, surgem medidas terapêuticas alternativas como drogas anticolinérgicas e cirurgia, e recentemente, o uso da toxina botulínica, aplicada em um ponto central das glândulas salivares, muitas vezes guiado por ultrassonografia, demostrou resultados positivos. Objetivou-se revisar a literatura no intuito de demonstrar um método alternativo aos tratamentos de sialorreia em pacientes com esclerose lateral amiotrófica. Em estudos recentes, a eficácia do tratamento com toxina botulínica foi confirmada e, mesmo requerendo novas aplicações, os efeitos colaterais são ínfimos. Ela surge então como alternativa não só ao tratamento de esclerose lateral amiotrófica, mas também para outros pacientes com doenças que apresentem a sialorreia.

Investigação dos perfís temporais de alta resolução de explosões solares tipo-III decimétricas

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cecatto, J. R.; Fernandes, F. C. R.; Sawant, H. S.; Madsen, F. R. H.

2003-08-01

Explosões solares tipo-III indicam a presença de feixes de elétrons acelerados durante "flares" solares. Sua investigação fornece informações tanto sobre os processos de aceleração de partículas quanto das características do agente causador e do local de aceleração. Explosões tipo-III decimétricas são geradas por feixes de elétrons viajando através de arcos magnéticos densos da baixa coroa solar. Os perfís temporais destes fenômenos, quando tomados com alta resolução, informam sobre os mecanismos de aceleração de partículas do feixe e o meio de transporte da energia liberada a partir da região de aceleração. Usando o Brazilian Solar Spectroscope (BSS), em operação no INPE, foram registradas dezenas de explosões tipo-III decimétricas, dentro da faixa de 2050-2250 MHz com alta resolução temporal (20 ms), em 13 de setembro de 2001, entre 13:00 e 16:10 UT. Foram selecionadas 10 explosões isoladas para uma investigação estatística detalhada de seus perfís temporais, em todos os cerca de 50 canais de freqüência. Os resultados indicam que cerca de 70% dos perfís temporais são complexos tanto durante a subida quanto descida. Os 30% restantes indicam que os perfís da subida podem ser bem representados, na maioria dos casos, por um processo não-linear e uma parcela significativa por processos lineares. Os perfís temporais da descida são dominados por um decaimento não-linear. Neste trabalho, será efetuada uma análise dos perfís temporais, tanto durante a subida quanto descida do fluxo, para as explosões selecionadas, em termos dos prováveis mecanismos de aceleração e relaxamento. 2

The measurement of sulfate mineral solubilities in the Na-K-Ca-Cl-SO 4-H 2O system at temperatures of 100, 150 and 200°C

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Freyer, Daniela; Voigt, Wolfgang

2004-01-01

At T > 100°C development of thermodynamic models suffers from missing experimental data, particularly for solubilities of sulfate minerals in mixed solutions. Solubilities in Na +-K +-Ca 2+-Cl --SO 42-/H 2O subsystems were investigated at 150, 200°C and at selected compositions at 100°C. The apparatus used to examine solid-liquid phase equilibria under hydrothermal conditions has been described. In the system NaCl-CaSO 4-H 2O the missing anhydrite (CaSO 4) solubilities at high NaCl concentrations up to halite saturation have been determined. In the system Na 2SO 4-CaSO 4-H 2O the observed glauberite (Na 2SO 4 · CaSO 4) solubility is higher than that predicted by the high temperature model of Greenberg and Møller (1989), especially at 200°C. At high salt concentrations, solubilities of both anhydrite and glauberite increase with increasing temperature. Stability fields of the minerals syngenite (K 2SO 4 · CaSO 4 · H 2O) and goergeyite (K 2SO 4 · 5 CaSO 4 · H 2O) were determined, and a new phase was found at 200°C in the K 2SO 4-CaSO 4-H 2O system. Chemical and single crystal structure analysis give the formula K 2SO 4 · CaSO 4. The structure is isostructural with palmierite (K 2SO 4 · PbSO 4). The glaserite ("3 K 2SO 4 · Na 2SO 4") appears as solid solution in the system Na 2SO 4-K 2SO 4-H 2O. Its solubility and stoichiometry was determined as a function of solution composition.

Properties of self-assembled diluted magnetic semiconductor nanostructures =

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ankiewicz, Amelia Olga Goncalves

Este trabalho centra-se na investigacao da possibilidade de se conseguir um semicondutor magnetico diluido (SMD) baseado em ZnO. Foi levado a cabo um estudo detalhado das propriedades magneticas e estruturais de estruturas de ZnO, nomeadamente nanofios (NFs), nanocristais (NCs) e filmes finos, dopadas com metais de transicao (MTs). Foram usadas varias tecnicas experimentais para caracterizar estas estruturas, designadamente difraccao de raios-X, microscopia electronica de varrimento, ressonancia magnetica, SQUID, e medidas de transporte. Foram incorporados substitucionalmente nos sitios do Zn ioes de Mn2+ e Co2+ em ambos os NFs e NCs de ZnO. Revelou-se para ambos os ioes dopantes, que a incorporacao e heterogenea, uma vez que parte do sinal de ressonancia paramagnetica electronica (RPE) vem de ioes de MTs em ambientes distorcidos ou enriquecidos com MTs. A partir das intensidades relativas dos espectros de RPE e de modificacoes da superficie, demonstra-se ainda que os NCs exibem uma estrutura core-shell. Os resultados, evidenciam que, com o aumento da concentracao de MTs, a dimensao dos NCs diminui e aumentam as distorcoes da rede. Finalmente, no caso dos NCs dopados com Mn, obteve-se o resultado singular de que a espessura da shell e da ordem de 0.3 nm e de que existe uma acumulacao de Mn na mesma. Com o objectivo de esclarecer o papel dos portadores de carga na medicao das interaccoes ferromagneticas, foram co-dopados filmes de ZnO com Mn e Al ou com Co e Al. Os filmes dopados com Mn, revelaram-se simplesmente paramagneticos, com os ioes de Mn substitucionais nos sitios do Zn. Por outro lado, os filmes dopados com Co exibem ferromagnetismo fraco nao intrinseco, provavelmente devido a decomposicao spinodal. Foram ainda efectuados estudos comparativos com filmes de ligas de Zn1-xFexO. Como era de esperar, detectaram-se segundas fases de espinela e de oxido de ferro nestas ligas; todas as amostras exibiam curvas de histerese a 300 K. Estes resultados suportam a hipotese de que as segundas fases sao responsaveis pelo comportamento magnetico observado em muitos sistemas baseados em ZnO. Nao se observou nenhuma evidencia de ferromagnetismo mediado por portadores de carga. As experiencias mostram que a analise de RPE permite demonstrar directamente se e onde estao incorporados os ioes de MTs e evidenciam a importancia dos efeitos de superficie para dimensoes menores que 15 nm, para as quais se formam estruturas core-shell. As investigacoes realizadas no ambito desta tese demonstram que nenhuma das amostras de ZnO estudadas exibiram propriedades de um SMD intrinseco e que, no futuro, sao necessarios estudos teoricos e experimentais detalhados das interaccoes de troca entre os ioes de MTs e os atomos do ZnO para determinar a origem das propriedades magneticas observadas.

BREAST CANCER METASTASIS IN THE STOMACH: WHEN THE GASTRECTOMY IS INDICATED ?

PubMed

Rodrigues, Marcus Vinicius Rozo; Tercioti-Junior, Valdir; Lopes, Luiz Roberto; Coelho-Neto, João de Souza; Andreollo, Nelson Adami

2016-01-01

Breast cancer is the most common malignant neoplasm in the female population. However, stomach is a rare site for metastasis, and can show up many years after initial diagnosis and treatment of the primary tumor. Analyze a case series of this tumor and propose measures that can diagnose it with more precocity. Were analyzed 12 patients with secondary gastric tumors. Immunohistochemistry has demonstrated that primary tumor was breast cancer. We retrieved information of age, histological type, interval between diagnosis of the primary breast cancer and its metastases, immunohistochemistry results, treatment and survival. The mean age was 71.3 years (ranging 40-86). Ten cases had already been underwent mastectomy in the moment of the diagnosis of gastric metastasis. Two patients had diagnosis of both primary and secondary tumors concomitantly. At average, diagnosis of gastric metastasis was seven years after diagnosis of primary breast cancer (ranging 0-13). Besides, nine cases had also metastases in other organs, being bones the most affected ones. Immunohistochemistry of the metastases has shown positivity for CK7 antibody in 83.34%, estrogen receptor in 91.67%, progesterone receptor in 66.67% and AE1AE3 antibody in 75%, considering all 12 cases. Moreover, CK20 was absent significantly (66.67%). The positivity of BRST2 marker did not present statistical significance (41.67%). Eight cases were treated with chemotherapy associated or not with hormonal blockade. Surgical treatment of gastric metastasis was performed in four cases: three of them with total gastrectomy and one with distal gastrectomy. Follow-up has shown a mean survival of 14.58 months after diagnosis of metastasis, with only two patients still alive. Patients with a history of breast cancer presenting endoscopic diagnosis of gastric cancer it is necessary to consider the possibility of gastric metastasis of breast cancer. The confirmation is by immunohistochemistry and gastrectomy should be oriented in the absence of other secondary involvement and control of the primary lesion. A neoplasia de mama é o tumor maligno mais comum na população feminina tendo o trato gastrointestinal, e mais especificamente o estômago, como local incomum para metástases. Analisar uma série de casos com esse tumor e propor medidas que possam diagnosticá-lo com maior precocidade. Foram analisados retrospectivamente 12 pacientes com diagnóstico de neoplasia gástrica secundária a câncer de mama, confirmado por biópsia e imunoistoquímica. Foram analisados idade do diagnóstico, tipo histológico do tumor primário, intervalo de tempo entre o diagnóstico do tumor e a metástase, tratamento e sobrevida. A idade média foi de 71,3 anos (40-86 anos). Em média, o diagnóstico da metástase gástrica foi de sete anos após o diagnóstico da lesão primaria (0-13 anos). Nove casos tiveram metástases em outros órgãos, sendo os ossos os locais mais acometidos. Evidenciou-se positividade de anticorpo CK7 em 90,9% casos, receptor de estrógeno em 91,67%, receptor de progesterona em 66,67% e BRST2 em 41,67%. A ausência de CK20 foi de 88,89%. Oito casos foram tratados com quimioterapia associada ou não ao bloqueio hormonal e em quatro foi indicada ressecção cirúrgica sendo em três gastrectomia total e em um caso gastrectomia subtotal. A sobrevida média foi de 14,58 meses. Em doentes com história prévia de câncer de mama apresentando diagnóstico endoscópico de neoplasia gástrica, é necessário considerar a possibilidade de metástase. A confirmação é feita por estudo imunoistoquímico e a gastrectomia deve ser orientada diante da ausência de outros locais de acometimento secundário e controle da lesão primária.

Airborne pollen in Funchal city, (Madeira Island, Portugal) - First pollinic calendar and allergic risk assessment.

PubMed

Camacho, Irene Câmara

2015-01-01

Nowadays, pollen calendars are useful tools for clinical guidance intended for allergy sufferers, because they can be used to prevent and manage allergic respiratory diseases, thus improving the quality of life. An aeropalinological study was performed in the city of Funchal with the purpose of establishing a pollen calendar and determining allergic risk, based on a seven year study (2003-2009). The airborne pollen monitoring was carried out with a Hirst type volumetric spore trap, following well-established guidelines. The mean annual pollen index was 1,635.09 and comprised 42 different pollen types. Airborne pollen levels were higher between March - June, accounting for 57.9% of the annual counts. Arboreal pollen grains (52.72%) prevailed in the atmosphere together with herbs and grasses (44.64%), while fern spores (2.29%) and unidentified pollen (0.35%) were scarce. The main pollen types were Urticaceae (20.64%), Poaceae (16.02%), Cupressaceae (13.61%), Pinaceae (9.07%), Myrtaceae (5.93%) and Ericaceae (5.02%). The pollen calendar comprised a total of 14 taxa and is similar to Mediterranean regions, with the exception of Olea europaea, Quercus sp., Betula sp. and Alnus sp. pollen types which are rare or absent. The main pollen season of major pollen taxa is significantly longer in Funchal (on average 239 days) than other European sites, especially for Urticaceae and Poaceae, but the pollen peaks were substantially lower. The pollen calendar for Funchal is the first ever created for Madeira region. Taking into account the low pollen index and number of allergy-risk days recorded (39 days in 7 years), the air quality of Funchal can be considered good.

Multivariate analysis of lifestyle, constitutive and body composition factors influencing bone health in community-dwelling older adults from Madeira, Portugal.

PubMed

Gouveia, Élvio Rúbio; Blimkie, Cameron Joseph; Maia, José António; Lopes, Carla; Gouveia, Bruna Raquel; Freitas, Duarte Luís

2014-01-01

This study describes the association between habitual physical activity (PA), other lifestyle/constitutive factors, body composition, and bone health/strength in a large sample of older adults from Madeira, Portugal. This cross-sectional study included 401 males and 401 females aged 60-79 years old. Femoral strength index (FSI) and bone mineral density (BMD) of the whole body, lumbar spine (LS), femoral neck (FN), and total lean tissue mass (TLTM) and total fat mass (TFM) were determined by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry-DXA. PA was assessed during face-to-face interviews using the Baecke questionnaire and for a sub-sample by Tritrac accelerometer. Demographic and health history information were obtained by telephone interview through questionnaire. The relationship between habitual PA variables and bone health/strength indicators (whole body BMD, FNBMD, LSBMD, and FSI) investigated using Pearson product-moment correlation coefficient was similar for females (0.098≤r≤0.189) and males (0.104≤r≤0.105). Results from standard multiple regression analysis indicated that the primary and most significant predictors for FNBMD in both sexes were age, TLTM, and TFM. For LSBMD, the most significant predictor was TFM in men and TFM, age, and TLTM in females. Our regression model explained 8.3-14.2% and 14.8-29.6% of the total variance in LSBMD and FNBMD for males and females, respectively. This study suggests that habitual PA is minimally but positively associated with BMD and FSI among older adult males and females and that body composition factors like TLTM and TFM are the strongest determinants of BMD and FSI in this population. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Madeiran Arabidopsis thaliana reveals ancient long-range colonization and clarifies demography in Eurasia.

PubMed

Fulgione, Andrea; Koornneef, Maarten; Roux, Fabrice; Hermisson, Joachim; Hancock, Angela M

2017-12-05

The study of model organisms on islands may shed light on rare long-range dispersal events, uncover signatures of local evolutionary processes, and inform demographic inference on the mainland. Here, we sequenced the genomes of Arabidopsis thaliana samples from the oceanic island of Madeira. These samples include the most diverged worldwide, likely a result of long isolation on the island. We infer that colonisation of Madeira happened between 70 and 85 kya, consistent with a propagule dispersal model (of size > =10), or with an ecological window of opportunity. This represents a clear example of a natural long-range dispersal event in A. thaliana. Long-term effective population size on the island, rather than the founder effect, had the greatest impact on levels of diversity, and rates of coalescence. Our results uncover a selective sweep signature on the ancestral haplotype of a known translocation in Eurasia, as well as the possible importance of the low phosphorous availability in volcanic soils, and altitude, in shaping early adaptations to the island conditions. Madeiran genomes, sheltered from the complexities of continental demography, help illuminate ancient demographic events in Eurasia. Our data support a model in which two separate lineages of A. thaliana, one originating in Africa and the other from the Caucasus expanded and met in Iberia, resulting in a secondary contact zone there. While previous studies inferred that the westward expansion of A. thaliana coincided with the spread of human agriculture, our results suggest it happened much earlier (20-40 kya). © The Author(s) 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society for Molecular Biology and Evolution.

Selenium Levels in the Whole Blood of Children and Teenagers from Two Riparian Communities at the Madeira River Basin in the Western Brazilian Amazon.

PubMed

Vega, Claudia M; Godoy, José M; Barrocas, Paulo R G; Gonçalves, Rodrigo A; De Oliveira, Beatriz F A; Jacobson, Ludmilla V; Mourão, Dennys S; Hacon, Sandra S

2017-01-01

Selenium (Se) is an essential micronutrient that exerts multiple functions in the organism, and both its deficiency and excess can cause health impairments. Thus, it is important to monitor its levels in the population, especially in vulnerable groups, such as children from the Brazilian Amazon region, where there is a lack of information in this regard. The aim of this research was to study Se levels in the whole blood of children and teenagers (5-16 years old) from two riparian communities at the Madeira River (Cuniã RESEX and Belmont). Se level variations related to the communities' location, seasonality, diet, and body mass index (BMI) were assessed. Blood samples were collected in both communities for Se determinations, using ICP-MS and hemogram analyses, during May and September of 2011. Food frequency questionnaires were applied to assess consumption rates of specific food items. Non-parametric tests and linear multiple regressions were applied in the data analyses. Median Se levels were significantly higher during May (Cuniã RESEX 149 μg L -1 ; Belmont 85 μg L -1 ) compared to September (Cuniã RESEX 79 μg L -1 ; Belmont 53 μg L -1 ). No significant differences were found between the communities regarding BMI measurements and anemia prevalence. However, Se blood levels were significantly higher at the Cuniã RESEX compared to Belmont. In addition, the former showed higher fish and Brazil nut intakes, which may be the main Se sources for this community. These results contribute to a better understanding of Se reference levels for children and teenagers of Western Amazon riparian communities.

Identification of Biomarkers of Mercury Contamination in Brachyplatystoma filamentosum of the Madeira River, Brazil, Using Metalloproteomic Strategies.

PubMed

de Queiroz, João Vitor; Vieira, José Cavalcante Souza; de Oliveira, Grasieli; Braga, Camila Pereira; da Cunha Bataglioli, Izabela; da Silva, Janaína Macedo; de Paula Araújo, Wellington Luiz; de Magalhães Padilha, Pedro

2018-05-08

Predator fish can accumulate high levels of mercury, which qualifies them as potential indicators of this toxic metal. The predatory species Brachyplatystoma filamentosum, popularly known as filhote, is among the most consumed species in the Brazilian Amazon. Continuing the metalloproteomic studies of mercury in Amazonian fishes that have been developed in the last 5 years, the present paper provides the data of protein characterization associated with mercury in muscle and liver samples of filhote (Brachyplatystoma filamentosum) collected in the Madeira River, Brazilian Amazon. The mercury concentration in the muscle and liver samples was determined by graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry (GFAAS). The protein fraction was extracted in an aqueous medium, and later, a fractional precipitation procedure was performed to obtain the protein pellets. Then, the proteome of the tissue samples of this fish species was separated by two-dimensional polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (2D-PAGE), and a mercury mapping of the protein spots was carried out by GFAAS after acid digestion. Protein spots that had mercury were characterized by mass spectrometry with electrospray ionization in sequence (ESI-MS/MS) after tryptic digestion. It was possible to characterize 11 mercury-associated protein spots that presented biomarker characteristics and could be used to monitor mercury in fish species of the Amazon region. Thus, the metalloproteomic strategies used in the present study allowed us to characterize 11 mercury-associated protein spots. It should be noted that the protein spots identified as GFRP, TMEM186, TMEM57B, and BHMT, which have coordination sites for elements with characteristics of soft acids, such as mercury, can be used as biomarkers of mercury contamination in monitoring studies of this toxic metal in fish species from the Amazon region.

The Challenges from Extreme Climate Events for Sustainable Development in Amazonia: the Acre State Experience

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Araújo, M. D. N. M.

2015-12-01

In the past ten years Acre State, located in Brazil´s southwestern Amazonia, has confronted sequential and severe extreme events in the form of droughts and floods. In particular, the droughts and forest fires of 2005 and 2010, the 2012 flood within Acre, the 2014 flood of the Madeira River which isolated Acre for two months from southern Brazil, and the most severe flooding throughout the state in 2015 shook the resilience of Acrean society. The accumulated costs of these events since 2005 have exceeded 300 million dollars. For the last 17 years, successive state administrations have been implementing a socio-environmental model of development that strives to link sustainable economic production with environmental conservation, particularly for small communities. In this context, extreme climate events have interfered significantly with this model, increasing the risks of failure. The impacts caused by these events on development in the state have been exacerbated by: a) limitations in monitoring; b) extreme events outside of Acre territory (Madeira River Flood) affecting transportation systems; c) absence of reliable information for decision-making; and d) bureaucratic and judicial impediments. Our experience in these events have led to the following needs for scientific input to reduce the risk of disasters: 1) better monitoring and forecasting of deforestation, fires, and hydro-meteorological variables; 2) ways to increase risk perception in communities; 3) approaches to involve more effectively local and regional populations in the response to disasters; 4) more accurate measurements of the economic and social damages caused by these disasters. We must improve adaptation to and mitigation of current and future extreme climate events and implement a robust civil defense, adequate to these new challenges.

Earth Observations taken by the Expedition 17 Crew

NASA Image and Video Library

2008-08-19

ISS017-E-013856 (19 Aug. 2008) --- Amazon River, Brazil is featured in this image photographed by an Expedition 17 crewmember on the International Space Station. This image shows the huge sunglint zone, common to oblique views from space, of the setting sun shining off the Amazon River and numerous lakes on its floodplain. About 150 kilometers of the sinuous Amazon course is shown here, as it appears about 1,000 kilometers from the Atlantic Ocean. The Uatuma River enters on the north side of the Amazon (top). A small side channel of the very large Madeira River enters the view from the left. Tupinambarama Island occupies the swampy wetlands between the Amazon and Madeira rivers. Sunglint images reveal great detail in waterbodies -- in this case the marked difference between the smooth outline of the Amazon and the jagged shoreline of the Uatuma River. The jagged shoreline results from valley sides being eroded in relatively hard rocks. The Uatuma River has since been dammed up by the sediment mass of the Amazon floodplain. Because the Amazon flows in its own soft sediment, its huge water discharge smooths the banks. Another dammed valley (known as a ria) is visible beneath the cirrus cloud of a storm (bottom). Although no smoke plumes from forest fires are visible in the view, two kinds of evidence show that there is smoke in the atmosphere. The coppery color of the sunglint is typically produced by smoke particles and other aerosols scattering yellow and red light. Second, a small patch of cloud (top right) casts a distinct shadow. The shadow, say scientists, is visible because so many particles in the surrounding sunlit parts of the atmosphere reflect light to the camera.

An alternative method for immediate dose estimation using CaSO4:Dy based TLD badges

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Singh, A. K.; Menon, S. N.; Dhabekar, Bhushan; Kadam, Sonal; Chougaonkar, M. P.; Babu, D. A. R.

2014-11-01

CaSO4:Dy based Thermoluminescence dosimeters (TLDs) are being used in country wide personnel monitoring program in India. The TL glow curve of CaSO4:Dy consists of a dosimetric peak at 220 °C and a low temperature peak at 120 °C which is unstable at room temperature. The TL integral counts in CaSO4:Dy reduces by 15% in seven days after irradiation due to the thermal fading of 120 °C TL peak. As the dosimetric procedure involves total integrated counts for dose conversion, the dosimeters are typically read about a week after receiving. However in the event of a suspected over exposure, where urgent processing is expected, this poses limitation. Post irradiation annealing treatment is used in such cases of immediate readout of cards. In this paper we report a new and easier to use technique based on optical bleaching for the urgent processing of TLD cards. Optical bleaching with green LED (∼555 nm photons) of 25,000 lux for one and half hour removes the low temperature TL peak without affecting the dosimetric peak. This method can be used for immediate dose estimation using CaSO4:Dy based TLD badges.

TENDENCIA DE LA TUBERCULOSIS EN LA REGIÓN SANITARIA V DE LA PROVINCIA DE BUENOS AIRES, AÑOS 2000–2011

PubMed Central

CHIRICO, CRISTINA; SANJURJO, MYRIAM; IRIBARREN, SARAH; APPENDINO, ANDREA; ZERBINI, ELSA; ETCHEVARRIA, MIRTA

2016-01-01

El objetivo del presente trabajo fue analizar la situación epidemiológica de la tuberculosis (TB) en la Región Sanitaria V (RSV), provincia de Buenos Aires. El estudio de tendencia permitió conocer un valor promedio de las variaciones de la tasa de incidencia (TI), calculadas por regresión lineal simple y expresadas como variación anual promedio (VAP). Se analizaron el número de casos notificados y TI por 100 000 habitantes de todas las formas de TB, los casos de TB pulmonar (TBP) y TBP confirmados por bacteriología, total casos por grupos de edad: 0 – 14; 15 – 29 y mayores de 64 años, entre el 1° de enero de 2000 al 31 de diciembre de 2011. La declinación de la TI fue menor al 5% para todas las formas de TB e inferior en las TBP confirmadas bacteriológicamente. Los casos de TBP y TI más elevadas, se concentraron en el grupo de 15 a 29 años, con tendencia estable o ligeramente ascendente de la TI en la TBP bacilífera. El mismo comportamiento presentaron los casos de TBP infantil con confirmación bacteriológica. La mayor velocidad de descenso en la TI de la TBP se produjo en este grupo de edad, mientras que en mayores de 64 años, el descenso fue sostenido en el tiempo. La TB persiste como un riesgo de salud en la RSV, con casos en edades jóvenes, por lo que sigue siendo necesario fortalecer el control de la TB en esta región. PMID:26117604

Parasites of marine, freshwater and farmed fishes of Portugal: a review.

PubMed

Eiras, Jorge da Costa

2016-01-01

An extensive literature review is made of the parasites in marine and freshwater fish in mainland Portugal, the Portuguese archipelagos of the Azores and Madeira, as well as in farmed fish. The host(s) of each parasite species, its location in the host, site of capture of the host, whenever possible, and all the available bibliographic references are described. The economic importance of some parasites and the zoonotic relevance of some parasitic forms are discussed. A general overview of the data is provided, and some research lines are suggested in order to increase and complement the current body of knowledge about the parasites of fish from Portugal.

Isogermacrene A, a proposed intermediate in sesquiterpene biosynthesis.

PubMed

Hackl, Thomas; König, Wilfried A; Muhle, Hermann

2004-08-01

In the essential oil of the liverwort Saccogyna viticulosa, collected on the island of Madeira, the new sesquiterpene hydrocarbons isogermacrene A (5) and its Cope rearrangement product iso-beta-elemene (6) were identified. 5 is proposed to act as the biogenetic precursor of several new sesquiterpenes identified in the volatiles of S. viticulosa. These include iso-alpha-humulene, alpha-gorgonene, gorgona-1,4(15), 11-triene and gorgon- 11-en-4-ol. In addition, the Cope product of zierene, isozierene, allo-aromadendra-4(15),10(14)-diene, aromadendra-4(15),10(14)-dien-1-ol and a prenylguaiane diterpene alcohol, named viticulol, were identified as new natural products.

BME Estimation of Residential Exposure to Ambient PM10 and Ozone at Multiple Time Scales

PubMed Central

Yu, Hwa-Lung; Chen, Jiu-Chiuan; Christakos, George; Jerrett, Michael

2009-01-01

Background Long-term human exposure to ambient pollutants can be an important contributing or etiologic factor of many chronic diseases. Spatiotemporal estimation (mapping) of long-term exposure at residential areas based on field observations recorded in the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Air Quality System often suffer from missing data issues due to the scarce monitoring network across space and the inconsistent recording periods at different monitors. Objective We developed and compared two upscaling methods: UM1 (data aggregation followed by exposure estimation) and UM2 (exposure estimation followed by data aggregation) for the long-term PM10 (particulate matter with aerodynamic diameter ≤ 10 μm) and ozone exposure estimations and applied them in multiple time scales to estimate PM and ozone exposures for the residential areas of the Health Effects of Air Pollution on Lupus (HEAPL) study. Method We used Bayesian maximum entropy (BME) analysis for the two upscaling methods. We performed spatiotemporal cross-validations at multiple time scales by UM1 and UM2 to assess the estimation accuracy across space and time. Results Compared with the kriging method, the integration of soft information by the BME method can effectively increase the estimation accuracy for both pollutants. The spatiotemporal distributions of estimation errors from UM1 and UM2 were similar. The cross-validation results indicated that UM2 is generally better than UM1 in exposure estimations at multiple time scales in terms of predictive accuracy and lack of bias. For yearly PM10 estimations, both approaches have comparable performance, but the implementation of UM1 is associated with much lower computation burden. Conclusion BME-based upscaling methods UM1 and UM2 can assimilate core and site-specific knowledge bases of different formats for long-term exposure estimation. This study shows that UM1 can perform reasonably well when the aggregation process does not alter the spatiotemporal structure of the original data set; otherwise, UM2 is preferable. PMID:19440491

Recombination luminescence of CaSO4:Tb3+ and CaSO4:Gd3+phosphors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kudryavtseva, Irina; Lushchik, Aleksandr; Maaroos, Aarne; Azmaganbetova, Zhannur; Nurakhmetov, Turlybek; Salikhoja, Zhussupbek

2012-08-01

A comparative study of the excitation of luminescence by VUV radiation as well as of thermally and photostimulated luminescence has been carried out for CaSO4:Tb3+ and CaSO4:Gd3+ phosphors, where Na+ or F- ions are used for charge compensation. The distinction in hole processes for the phosphors with Na+ or F- compensators is determined by the differing thermal stability of the holes localized at/near Tb3+Na+ and Gd3+Na+ (up to 100-160 K) or at/near Tb3+F- V Ca and Gd3+F- V Ca centers involving also a cation vacancy (up to 400-550 K). Tunnel luminescence in the pairs of localized electrons and holes nearby Tb3+ or Gd3+ has been detected. The mechanisms of electron-hole, hole-electron and tunnel recombination luminescence as well as a subsequent released energy transfer to RE3+ ions are considered.

Thermoluminescence (TL) properties and x-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis of high purity CaSO4:Dy TL material

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kamarudin, Nadira; Abdullah, Wan Saffiey Wan; Hamid, Muhammad Azmi Abdul; Dollah, Mohd Taufik

2014-09-01

This paper presents the characterization and TL properties of dysprosium (Dy) doped calcium sulfate (CaSO4) TL material produced by co-precipitation technique with 0.5mol% concentration of dopant. The morphology of the produced TL material was studied using scanning electron microscope (SEM) and the micrograph shows that rectangular parallelepiped shaped crystal with the average of 150 μm in length were produced. The crystallinity of the produced powder was studied using x-ray powder diffraction (XRD). The XRD spectra show that the TL material produced is high purity anhydrite CaSO4 with average crystallite size of 74 nm with orthorhombic crystal system. The TL behavior of produced CaSO4:Dy was studied using a TLD reader after exposure to gamma ray by Co60 source with the doses of 1,5 and 10 Gy. The glow curve shows linear response with glow peak around 230°C which is desired development in the field of radiation dosimetry.

Differences in the clinical-epidemiological profile between new cases of tuberculosis and retreatment cases after default.

PubMed

Belchior, Aylana de Souza; Arcêncio, Ricardo Alexandre; Mainbourg, Evelyne Marie Therese

2016-01-01

To identify the socioeconomic and clinical-epidemiological factors related to tuberculosis in new cases and retreatment cases. Comparative study with 126 patients, of which 42 were retreatment cases after default attended in a reference center, and 84 were new cases completing the first treatment and treated in Basic Health Units. The collection of primary data was through interview, and of secondary data by records of the Notifiable Diseases Information System. Comparative analysis between the two groups. The new cases differ from retreatment cases regarding educational level. The clinical-epidemiological profile shows a significant difference in relation to performance of the tuberculin skin test, and the HIV test result (positive) in favor of new cases. In relation to performance of sputum culture and the result (positive) of the first sputum smear of the first and second samples, in favor of retreatment cases. The two groups are significantly different in clinical and epidemiological characteristics that show the access to exams. Identificar fatores socioeconômicos e clínico-epidemiológicos associados à tuberculose em casos novos e em casos em retratamento. Estudo comparativo de 126 pacientes, sendo 42 casos em retratamento por abandono atendidos num Centro de Referência e 84 casos novos concluindo o primeiro tratamento, atendidos em Unidades Básicas de Saúde. Levantamento de dados primários por entrevista e dados secundários pela Ficha de Informação de Agravos de Notificação. Análise comparativa entre os dois grupos. Os casos novos diferem dos em retratamento quanto à escolaridade. O perfil clínico-epidemiológico mostra que há diferença significativa quanto à realização do teste tuberculínico e o resultado do teste HIV (positivo) a favor dos casos novos. Quanto à realização da cultura de escarro e o resultado (positivo) da baciloscopia de escarro da primeira e da segunda amostras, a favor dos casos em retratamento. Os dois grupos diferem significativamente por características clínico-epidemiológicas que retratam o acesso a exames.

Healing bone lesion defects using injectable CaSO4 /CaPO4 -TCP bone graft substitute compared to cancellous allograft bone chips in a canine model.

PubMed

Hall, Deborah J; Turner, Thomas M; Urban, Robert M

2018-04-16

CaSO 4 /CaPO 4 -TCP bone graft substitute has been shown to be effective for treatment of bone lesion defects, but its mechanical, histological, and radiographic characteristics have not been studied in direct comparison with a conventional treatment such as cancellous allograft bone. Thirteen canines had a critical-size axial defect created bilaterally into the proximal humerus. CaSO 4 /CaPO 4 -TCP bone graft substitute (PRO-DENSE™, Wright Medical Technology) was injected into the defect in one humerus, and an equal volume of freeze-dried cancellous allograft bone chips was placed in the contralateral defect. The area fraction of new bone, residual graft, and fibrous tissue and the compressive strength and elastic modulus of bone within the defects were determined after 6, 13, or 26 weeks and correlated with radiographic changes. The data were analyzed using Friedman and Mann-Whitney tests. There was more bone in defects treated with the CaSO 4 /CaPO 4 -TCP bone graft substitute compared to defects treated with cancellous bone allograft at all three time points, and the difference at 13 weeks was significant (p = 0.025). The new bone was significantly stronger and stiffer in defects treated with the CaSO 4 /CaPO 4 -TCP bone graft substitute compared to defects treated with cancellous bone allograft at 13 (p = 0.046) and 26 weeks (p = 0.025). At 26 weeks, all defects treated with CaSO 4 /CaPO 4 -TCP bone graft substitute demonstrated complete healing with new bone, whereas healing was incomplete in all defects treated with cancellous allograft chips. The CaSO 4 /CaPO 4 -TCP bone graft substitute could provide faster and significantly stronger healing of bone lesions compared to the conventional treatment using freeze-dried cancellous allograft bone. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part B: Appl Biomater, 2018. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Resistance of uveal melanoma to the interstrand cross-linking agent mitomycin C is associated with reduced expression of CYP450R

PubMed Central

Gravells, P; Hoh, L; Canovas, D; Rennie, I G; Sisley, K; Bryant, H E

2011-01-01

Background: Uveal melanoma (UM) is the most common primary intraocular tumour of adults, frequently metastasising to the liver. Hepatic metastases are difficult to treat and are mainly unresponsive to chemotherapy. To investigate why UM are so chemo-resistant we explored the effect of interstrand cross-linking agents mitomycin C (MMC) and cisplatin in comparison with hydroxyurea (HU). Methods: Sensitivity to MMC, cisplatin and HU was tested in established UM cell lines using clonogenic assays. The response of UM to MMC was confirmed in MTT assays using short-term cultures of primary UM. The expression of cytochrome P450 reductase (CYP450R) was analysed by western blotting, and DNA cross-linking was assessed using COMET analysis supported by γ-H2AX foci formation. Results: Both established cell lines and primary cultures of UM were resistant to the cross-linking agent MMC (in each case P<0.001 in Student's t-test compared with controls). In two established UM cell lines, DNA cross-link damage was not induced by MMC (in both cases P<0.05 in Students's t-test compared with damage induced in controls). In all, 6 out of 6 UMs tested displayed reduced expression of the metabolising enzyme CYP450R and transient expression of CYP450R increased MMC sensitivity of UM. Conclusion: We suggest that reduced expression of CYP450R is responsible for MMC resistance of UM, through a lack of bioactivation, which can be reversed by complementing UM cell lines with CYP450R. PMID:21386838

Phase relation of CaSO4 at high pressure and temperature up to 90 GPa and 2300 K

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fujii, Taku; Ohfuji, Hiroaki; Inoue, Toru

2016-05-01

Calcium sulfate (CaSO4), one of the major sulfate minerals in the Earth's crust, is expected to play a major role in sulfur recycling into the deep mantle. Here, we investigated the crystal structure and phase relation of CaSO4 up to ~90 GPa and 2300 K through a series of high-pressure experiments combined with in situ X-ray diffraction. CaSO4 forms three thermodynamically stable polymorphs: anhydrite (stable below 3 GPa), monazite-type phase (stable between 3 and ~13 GPa) and barite-type phase (stable up to at least 93 GPa). Anhydrite to monazite-type phase transition is induced by pressure even at room temperature, while monazite- to barite-type transition requires heating at least to 1500 K at ~20 GPa. The barite-type phase cannot always be quenched from high temperature and is distorted to metastable AgMnO4-type structure or another modified barite structure depending on pressure. We obtained the pressure-volume data and density of anhydrite, monazite- and barite-type phases and found that their densities are lower than those calculated from the PREM model in the studied P-T conditions. This suggests that CaSO4 is gravitationally unstable in the mantle and fluid/melt phase into which sulfur dissolves and/or sulfate-sulfide speciation may play a major role in the sulfur recycling into the deep Earth.

Assessment of novel maleic anhydride copolymers prepared via nitroxide-mediated radical polymerization as CaSO4 crystal growth inhibitors.

PubMed

Al-Roomi, Yousef Mohammad; Hussain, Kaneez Fatema

2017-04-01

Calcium sulfate is one of the dominant scales which, unlike carbonate scale, are not easily removable by acid. To inhibit CaSO 4 scale formation in artificial cooling water systems, well-defined low molecular weight maleic anhydride and n-alkylacrylamide copolymers (YMR-S series) were synthesized via nitroxide-mediated radical polymerization initiated by benzoyl peroxide in the presence of 2,2,6,6-tetramethyl-1-piperidinyloxy at varying concentrations. These polymerizations exhibit living polymerization characteristics; that is, they show linear growth in chain length as a function of monomer conversion, and have narrow molecular weight distributions. Resultant polymers were characterized by means of 1 H-NMR and 13 C-NMR. The inhibition behavior of these YMR-S series polymers against CaSO 4 was evaluated using the static scale inhibition method and a dynamic tube block test. The inhibition ability on the CaSO 4 scale is 99.5% with 9 ppm dosage level at pH 10.45 and temperature 70°C. Scanning electronic microscope analysis proved the morphological changes of the CaSO 4 scales due to the strong inhibition action of YMR-S polymers. It is also observed that the antiscaling effect of the copolymers greatly depends on the molecular weight, and the optimum range is below 20,000 and approximately in the range 500-2000.

Madeira Extreme Floods: 2009/2010 Winter. Case study - 2nd and 20th of February

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pires, V.; Marques, J.; Silva, A.

2010-09-01

Floods are at world scale the natural disaster that affects a larger fraction of the population. It is a phenomenon that extends it's effects to the surrounding areas of the hydrographic network (basins, rivers, dams) and the coast line. Accordingly to USA FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency) flood can be defined as:"A general and temporary condition of partial or complete inundation of two or more acres of normally dry land area or of two or more properties from: Overflow of inland or tidal waters; Unusual and rapid accumulation or runoff of surface waters from any source; Mudflow; Collapse or subsidence of land along the shore of a lake or similar body of water as a result of erosion or undermining caused by waves or currents of water exceeding anticipated cyclical levels that result in a flood as defined above." A flash flood is the result of intense and long duration of continuous precipitation and can result in dead casualties (i.e. floods in mainland Portugal in 1967, 1983 and 1997). The speed and strength of the floods either localized or over large areas, results in enormous social impacts either by the loss of human lives and or the devastating damage to the landscape and human infrastructures. The winter of 2009/2010 in Madeira Island was characterized by several episodes of very intense precipitation (specially in December 2009 and February 2010) adding to a new record of accumulated precipitation since there are records in the island. In February two days are especially rainy with absolute records for the month of February (daily records since 1949): 111mm and 97mm on the 2nd and 20th respectively. The accumulated precipitation ended up with the terrible floods on the 20th of February causing the lost of dozens of human lives and hundreds of millions of Euros of losses The large precipitation occurrences either more intense precipitation in a short period or less intense precipitation during a larger period are sometimes the precursor of geological phenomena resulting in land movement, many times in the same or very near areas from previous episodes. Although flood episodes have a strong dependency in the topography and hydrological capacity of the terrains, the human intervention is also an enormously important factor, more specifically the anthropogenic factors such deforestation, dams, change of water fluxes, and impermeabilization of the terrain surface. The risk assessment of floods should be address based not only on the knowledge of the meteorological and hidrometeorological factors, such the accumulated precipitation and soil water balance but also in the river path and water amounts and well the surrounding geomorphology of the water basins. The current work is focused in the meteorological contribution for the floods occurrence episode of 2010 in the Madeira Island, specifically the climatic characterization of the 2009/2010 Winter with particular incidence on the days of the 2nd and 20th of February.

Uveal melanoma hepatic metastases mutation spectrum analysis using targeted next-generation sequencing of 400 cancer genes.

PubMed

Luscan, A; Just, P A; Briand, A; Burin des Roziers, C; Goussard, P; Nitschké, P; Vidaud, M; Avril, M F; Terris, B; Pasmant, E

2015-04-01

Uveal melanoma (UM) is the most common malignant tumour of the eye. Diagnosis often occurs late in the course of disease, and prognosis is generally poor. Recently, recurrent somatic mutations were described, unravelling additional specific altered pathways in UM. Targeted next-generation sequencing (NGS) can now be applied to an accurate and fast identification of somatic mutations in cancer. The aim of the present study was to characterise the mutation pattern of five UM hepatic metastases with well-defined clinical and pathological features. We analysed the UM mutation spectrum using targeted NGS on 409 cancer genes. Four previous reported genes were found to be recurrently mutated. All tumours presented mutually exclusive GNA11 or GNAQ missense mutations. BAP1 loss-of-function mutations were found in three UMs. SF3B1 missense mutations were found in the two UMs with no BAP1 mutations. We then searched for additional mutation targets. We identified the Arg505Cys mutation in the tumour suppressor FBXW7. The same mutation was previously described in different cancer types, and FBXW7 was recently reported to be mutated in UM exomes. Further studies are required to confirm FBXW7 implication in UM tumorigenesis. Elucidating the molecular mechanisms underlying UM tumorigenesis holds the promise for novel and effective targeted UM therapies. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://group.bmj.com/group/rights-licensing/permissions.

The value of antibody-coated bacteria in tracheal aspirates for the diagnosis of ventilator-associated pneumonia: a case-control study.

PubMed

Ranzani, Otavio Tavares; Forte, Daniel Neves; Forte, Antonio Carlos; Mimica, Igor; Forte, Wilma Carvalho Neves

2016-01-01

Ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) is the leading type of hospital-acquired infection in ICU patients. The diagnosis of VAP is challenging, mostly due to limitations of the diagnostic methods available. The aim of this study was to determine whether antibody-coated bacteria (ACB) evaluation can improve the specificity of endotracheal aspirate (EA) culture in VAP diagnosis. We conducted a diagnostic case-control study, enrolling 45 patients undergoing mechanical ventilation. Samples of EA were obtained from patients with and without VAP (cases and controls, respectively), and we assessed the number of bacteria coated with FITC-conjugated monoclonal antibodies (IgA, IgM, or IgG) or an FITC-conjugated polyvalent antibody. Using immunofluorescence microscopy, we determined the proportion of ACB among a fixed number of 80 bacteria. The median proportions of ACB were significantly higher among the cases (n = 22) than among the controls (n = 23)-IgA (60.6% vs. 22.5%), IgM (42.5% vs. 12.5%), IgG (50.6% vs. 17.5%), and polyvalent (75.6% vs. 33.8%)-p < 0.001 for all. The accuracy of the best cut-off points for VAP diagnosis regarding monoclonal and polyvalent ACBs was greater than 95.0% and 93.3%, respectively. The numbers of ACB in EA samples were higher among cases than among controls. Our findings indicate that evaluating ACB in EA is a promising tool to improve the specificity of VAP diagnosis. The technique could be cost-effective and therefore useful in low-resource settings, with the advantages of minimizing false-positive results and avoiding overtreatment. A pneumonia associada à ventilação mecânica (PAVM) é o principal tipo de infecção adquirida no ambiente hospitalar em pacientes em UTIs. O diagnóstico de PAVM é desafiador, principalmente devido a limitações dos métodos diagnósticos disponíveis. O objetivo deste estudo foi determinar se a avaliação de bactérias revestidas por anticorpos (BRA) pode melhorar a especificidade de culturas de aspirado traqueal (AT) no diagnóstico de PAVM. Estudo diagnóstico caso-controle envolvendo 45 pacientes sob ventilação mecânica. Amostras de AT foram obtidas de pacientes com e sem PAVM (casos e controles, respectivamente), e verificamos o número de bactérias revestidas com anticorpos monoclonais conjugados com FITC (IgA, IgM ou IgG) ou anticorpo polivalente conjugado com FITC. Utilizando microscopia de imunofluorescência, foi determinada a proporção de BRA em um número fixo de 80 bactérias. A mediana das proporções de BRA foi significativamente maior nos casos (n = 22) que nos controles (n = 23) - IgA (60,6% vs. 22,5%), IgM (42,5% vs. 12,5%), IgG (50,6% vs. 17,5%) e polivalente (75,6% vs. 33,8%) - p < 0,001 para todos. A acurácia dos melhores pontos de corte para o diagnostico de PAVM em relação aos BRA monoclonais e polivalentes foi > 95,0% e > 93,3%, respectivamente. O número de BRA em amostras de AT foi maior nos casos que nos controles. Nossos achados indicam que a avaliação de BRA no AT é uma ferramenta promissora para aumentar a especificidade do diagnóstico de PAVM. A técnica pode ser custo-efetiva e, portanto, útil em locais com poucos recursos, com as vantagens de minimizar resultados falso-positivos e evitar o tratamento excessivo.

Clinical and epidemiological aspects of cornea transplant patients of a reference hospital.

PubMed

Cruz, Giovanna Karinny Pereira; Azevedo, Isabelle Campos de; Carvalho, Diana Paula de Souza Rego Pinto; Vitor, Allyne Fortes; Santos, Viviane Euzébia Pereira; Ferreira, Marcos Antonio

2017-06-08

clinically characterizing cornea transplant patients and their distribution according to indicated and post-operative conditions of cornea transplantation, as well as estimating the average waiting time. a cross-sectional, descriptive and analytical study performed for all cornea transplants performed at a reference service (n=258). Data were analyzed using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences, version 20.0. the main indicator for cornea transplant was keratoconus. The mean waiting time for the transplant was approximately 5 months and 3 weeks for elective transplants and 9 days for urgent cases. An association between the type of corneal disorder with gender, age, previous surgery, eye classification, glaucoma and anterior graft failure were found. keratoconus was the main indicator for cornea transplant. Factors such as age, previous corneal graft failure (retransplantation), glaucoma, cases of surgeries prior to cornea transplant (especially cataract surgery) may be related to the onset corneal endothelium disorders. caracterizar clínicamente los pacientes trasplantados y su distribución, con descripción de las condiciones indicadoras y posoperatorias de los trasplantes de córneas, así como estimar el tiempo promedio en la fila de espera. estudio epidemiológico, transversal, descriptivo y analítico, realizado con todos los trasplantes de córnea realizados en un servicio de referencia (n=258). Los datos fueron analizados con el software Statistical Package for the Social Sciences, versión 20.0. la principal condición indicadora para el trasplante de córnea fue el queratocono. El tiempo promedio en fila de espera para realización del trasplante fue de aproximadamente 5 meses y tres semanas, para trasplantes electivos y de 9 días para los casos de urgencia. Existió asociación entre el tipo de disturbio de la córnea con: sexo, intervalo etario, cirugía previa, clasificación del ojo, glaucoma y rechazo del injerto anterior. el queratocono fue la principal condición indicadora para el trasplante de córnea. Factores como: edad; rechazo de injerto de córnea anterior (retrasplante); glaucoma; y casos de cirugías previas al trasplante de córnea, destacando la cirugía de catarata, pueden estar relacionados con el aparecimiento de disturbios de la córnea de tipo endotelial. caracterizar clinicamente os pacientes transplantados e sua distribuição com descrição das condições indicadoras e pós-operatórias dos transplantes de córneas, bem como estimar o tempo médio em fila de espera. estudo epidemiológico, transversal, descritivo e analítico, realizado com todos os transplantes de córnea realizados em um serviço de referência (n= 258). Os dados foram analisados com uso do software Statistical Package for the Social Sciences, versão 20.0. a principal condição indicadora para o transplante de córnea foi o ceratocone. O tempo médio em fila de espera para realização do transplante foi de aproximadamente 5 meses e três semanas para o transplantes eletivos e 9 dias para os casos de urgência. Existiu associação entre o tipo de distúrbio da córnea com sexo, faixa etária, cirurgia prévia, classificação do olho, glaucoma e falência do enxerto anterior. o ceratocone foi a principal condição indicadora para o transplante de córnea. Fatores como idade, falência de enxerto corneano anterior (retransplante), glaucoma, casos de cirurgias prévias ao transplante de córnea, com destaque para a cirurgia de catarata, podem estar relacionados com o aparecimento de distúrbios da córnea do tipo endotelial.

Complexities within distal sheet turbidite deposits: case study 160,000ka Icod Turbidite, Moroccan Turbidite System

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hunt, James; Wynn, Russell

2010-05-01

The Icod landslide from the northern flank of Tenerife not only generated a debris avalanche phase (Watts & Masson, 1995; Masson et al. 2002), but produced a volcaniclastic turbidite that spans three interconnected basins. The Icod turbidite (160,000ka) was reported and correlated during work in the Madeira Abyssal Plain (Pearce & Jarvis, 1992; Rothwell, Pearce & Weaver, 1992). Here it forms a series of vertically stacked sand bodies accumulating into a single event bed. However, the Madeira Abyssal Plain is fed from the Agadir Basin by a series of channels, thus invoking a level of complexity to the deposit with the flow exiting channels at different times. The Icod turbidite can be found deposited more proximally to source in the Agadir Basin as a 0.3-0.6m stacked sand with accompanying 0.2-1.5m mudcap. With this stacked sand facies present here a number of other mechanisms can still be viable: (1) multistage retrogressive landslide failure, (2) flow reflection and (3) internal waves. Geochemical methodologies including ICP-AES, ICP-MS, XRF, ITRAX micro-XRF, SEM EDS and laser-diffraction grain-size analysis have been employed here to investigate the potential of a retrogressive failure at source being the driver of this facies. Evidence suggests that this stacked sand facies in this case is derived from the failure mechanism at source. Five vertical sand packages have been identified and correlated through the Agadir Basin, with the initial basal package representing the thickest. However, this amalgamated sand displays degrees of complexity with correlated internal erosional surfaces marked by sand-sand grain-size breaks. There are also sand-sand grain-size breaks found at the transition between facies associated with flow properties i.e. Bouma Tb parallel laminations and Bouma Tc ripple laminations. Each of the stacked sand intervals also has a sand-mud grain-size break present at the top of the package. This sand-mud break could possibly indicate (1) bypass of coarse silt or (2) removal of previously deposited silt by erosion of a post-depositional mudflow associated with mudcap remobilisation. Further to the stacked subunit facies and grain-size breaks, there are additional complexities to the deposit. An omission of a typical Bouma Ta facies is observed, replaced with a thick well-developed banded Bouma Tb, representing density sorting and flow fractionation of dense basaltic clasts and >100μm foraminifera. Above developing ripple laminations associated with Bouma Tc development is a 0.2-0.5m thick convolute laminated sand. This convoluted sand represents increasing shear stress across developing ripples. Grain-size analysis and ITRAX x-radiographs highlighted an additional process within the mudcaps of the Icod turbidite within the Agadir Basin. The mudcap thickens towards the base of incline from the Agadir Basin to the Selvage Islands. Within the cores with an over-thickened mudcap, the mudcap contained silt contortions. X-radiographs using ITRAX further displayed these contorted silts in the mudcaps. Grain-size analysis was used to confirm the presence of silt and poor sorting through the regions of contortions. These contorted muds have a debritic fabric, and could represent post-depositional remobilisation of the accumulative suspended clay fraction as a mudflow, as it was settling on a gradient and destabilising. This presentation will show the complexities present in even distal sheet turbidites, and that detailed multidisciplinary studies are required to unravel the mechanisms at work during their deposition. Pearce, T.J., & Jarvis I. 1992. Composition and provenance of turbidite sands: Late Quaternary, Madeira Abyssal Plain. Rothwell, R.G., Pearce, I., & Weaver, P.P.E. 1992. Late Quaternary evolution of the Madeira Abyssal Plain, Canary Basin, NE Atlantic. Basin Research, vol.4, no.2, p.103-131. Watts, A.B., & Masson, D.G. 1995. A giant landslide on the north flank of Tenerife, Canary Islands. Journal of Geophysical Research, vol.100, no.B12, p.24,487-24,498. Masson, D.G., Watts, A.B., Gee, M.J.R., Urgeles, R., Mitchell, N.C., Le Bas, T.P., & Canals, M. 2002. Slope failures on the flanks of the western Canary Islands. Earth-Science Reviews, 57, p.1-35.

Reactive and dissolved meteoric 10Be/9Be ratios in the Amazon basin

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wittmann, Hella; Dannhaus, Nadine; von Blanckenburg, Friedhelm; Bouchez, Julien; Suessenberger, Annette; Guyot, Jean-Loup; Maurice, Laurence; Filizola, Naziano; Gaillardet, Jerome; Christl, Marcus

2014-05-01

Recently, the ratio of the meteoric cosmogenic nuclide 10Be to stable 9Be has been established as a weathering and erosion proxy where meteoric 10Be/9Be ratios in reactive phases of secondary weathering products leached from detrital Amazonian river sediment were measured[1]. For this dataset, we derived a new 10Be-based mass balance, which compares the fluxes exported during erosion and weathering, Fout, calculated by the sum of [10Be]reac multiplied by gauging-derived sediment discharge and [10Be]dissmultiplied by water discharge, to the meteoric depositional flux Fin. This assessment allows evaluating the weathering state of the Amazon basin. Further, in order to assess equilibration of reactive phases in the water column, we measured (10Be/9Be)reac ratios leached from suspended sediments for two depth profiles of the Amazon (55m depth) and Madeira (12m depth) Rivers, their corresponding surface dissolved 10Be/9Be ratios, as well as dissolved ratios of smaller Amazon tributaries (Beni, Madre de Dios) to compare with published reactive ratios[1]. In these rivers, modest pH and salinity fluctuations help to constrain a 'simple' system that might however still be affected by seasonally changing isotopic compositions between water and suspended sediment[2] and seasonal fluctuations of TSS and TDS[3]. The 10Be-based mass balance shows that in Andean source areas Fout/Fin ≡1, indicating a balance between ingoing and exported flux, whereas in the Shield headwaters, Fout/Fin=0.3, indicating a combination of decay of 10Be during storage and little export of 10Be associated with particulate and dissolved loads. In central Amazonia, the export of 10Be decreases slightly relative to its atmospheric flux as evidenced by Fout/Fin=0.8 for the Amazon and Madeira Rivers. This value is interpreted as being close to steady state, but its modification could be due to additions of Shield-derived sediment to sediment carried in the main river[4]. Regarding the depth profiles, our preliminary findings stress that the (10Be/9Be)reac for the Amazon River (n=3, Avg.= 5.4x10-10with SD=3.7x10-11) and the Madeira River (n=3, Avg.= 4x10-10with SD=2.1x10-11) do not change significantly within the water column. These depth-dependent reactive ratios compare well with 10Be/9Be ratios of surface waters and sediments and with published data available for the Negro and Orinoco[5]: For all these large rivers, surface (10Be/9Be)reac vs. (10Be/9Be)dissagree very well (R2 ≡1). For smaller tributaries like the Apure, La Tigra, Beni and Madre de Dios, (10Be/9Be)reacare 2-3 times lower than (10Be/9Be)diss. As pH values are similar for all these rivers, one possibility is that in smaller river systems mixing of sediment and water between the channel and the floodplain is less thorough, potentially resulting in reactive and dissolved phases that are not fully equilibrated. For large rivers, however, our depth-invariant (10Be/9Be)reac data indicate consistent and probably early equilibration of Be with depth. We also do not observe potentially divergent 10Be/9Be ratios due to e.g. floodplain remobilization or different erosion rates in the source area. From this, we infer a thorough mixing of the clay/silt fraction within large rivers, with the different 10Be/9Be ratios of Madeira and Amazon Rivers fingerprinting the different prevailing denudation rates of the source areas (Andes and Brazilian Shield). The here presented results suggest that one surface sample, either reactive or dissolved, would be sufficient to determine denudation rates of an entire catchment. [1] F. von Blanckenburg et al., EPSL, 351-352 (2012) 295-305. [2] J. Viers, et al., EPSL, 274 (2008) 511-523. [3] J. Bouchez, et al., Geochem. Geophys. Geosys. 12 (2011) Q03008. [4] H. Wittmann et al., Geology 39 (2011) 467-470. [5] E. T. Brown et al., GCA 56 (1992) 1607-1624.

Inhibition of selenocysteine tRNA[Ser]Sec aminoacylation provides evidence that aminoacylation is required for regulatory methylation of this tRNA

PubMed Central

Kim, Jin Young; Carlson, Bradley A.; Xu, Xue-Ming; Zeng, Yu; Chen, Shawn; Gladyshev, Vadim N.; Lee, Byeong Jae; Hatfield, Dolph L.

2011-01-01

There are two isoforms of selenocysteine (Sec) tRNA[Ser]Sec that differ by a single methyl group, Um34. The non-Um34 isoform supports the synthesis of a subclass of selenoproteins, designated housekeeping, while the Um34 isoform supports the expression of another subclass, designated stress-related selenoproteins. Herein, we investigated the relationship between tRNA[Ser]Sec aminoacylation and Um34 synthesis which is the last step in the maturation of this tRNA. Mutation of the discriminator base at position 73 in tRNA[Ser]Sec dramatically reduced aminoacylation with serine, as did an inhibitor of seryl-tRNA synthetase, SB-217452. Although both the mutation and the inhibitor prevented Um34 synthesis, neither precluded the synthesis of any other of the known base modifications on tRNA[Ser]Sec following microinjection and incubation of the mutant tRNA[Ser]Sec transcript, or the wild type transcript along with inhibitor, in Xenopus oocytes. The data demonstrate that Sec tRNA[Ser]Sec must be aminoacylated for Um34 addition. The fact that selenium is required for Um34 methylation suggests that Sec must be attached to its tRNA for Um34 methylation. This would explain why selenium is essential for the function of Um34 methylase and provides further insights into the hierarchy of selenoprotein expression. PMID:21624347

Determination of self attenuation coefficient and relative TL efficiency of CaSO 4 :Dy, LiF:Mg,Cu,P and LiF:Mg,Ti TLDs - An alternate approach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bakshi, A. K.; Chatterjee, S.; Palani Selvam, T.; Joshi, V. J.; Chougaonkar, M. P.

2011-10-01

Self attenuation of TL and relative TL efficiency of polytetra fluoro ethylene (PTFE) embedded CaSO 4:Dy disc, LiF:Mg,Ti (MTS) disc and LiF:Mg,Cu,P (MCP-N) chip were determined in the present study for photons of energy 10-34 keV. The relative TL efficiency was determined using an alternative approach in which ratio of experimental response and corrected theoretical response was used instead of measuring the absolute TL emission in photon counting mode. For CaSO 4:Dy disc, it was found that with increasing the proportion of CaSO 4:Dy phosphor in the disc, the light attenuation coefficient increases. The light attenuation coefficient of MTS disc and MCP-N chip was found to be 23.4 and 45.5 cm -1, respectively. The relative TL efficiency in the photon energy range of 10-34 keV for MTS discs and MCP-N chips, evaluated in the present study matches well with the reported values in the literature.

Linfoma Nasal de Células T/Natural Killer Extranodal Refractario Mal Diagnosticado, Tratado de Manera Exitosa: Informe de Caso.

PubMed

Saavedra Ramírez, José Domingo

2017-01-01

El linfoma de células T/natural killer extranodal ("extranodal natural killer/T-cell lymphoma", ENKL) nasal es un linfoma no Hodgkin (LNH) agresivo y poco común para el cual no se ha establecido un tratamiento de referencia claro, especialmente en el escenario de la enfermedad recidivante/refractaria. Debido a su rareza, no se han llevado a cabo ensayos aleatorizados específicamente en ENKL nasal; sin embargo, los informes de caso y las series de caso pequeñas ofrecen un conocimiento importante sobre nuevos tratamientos potenciales. Presentamos el informe de caso de un paciente con ENKL nasal (previamente mal diagnosticado como una sinusitis crónica recidivante) en quien la enfermedad progresó durante la quimioterapia con múltiples agentes pero respondió al tratamiento de segunda línea con pralatrexato como agente único. Analizamos opciones de tratamiento para el ENKL nasal recidivante/refractario y sugerimos que el pralatrexato se evalúe más a fondo en este escenario clínico.

Numerical simulation of calcium sulfate (CaSO4) fouling in the plate heat exchanger

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xu, Zhiming; Zhao, Yu; Han, Zhimin; Wang, Jingtao

2018-07-01

Plate heat exchanger is a widely used apparatus in the industrial production processes. Through a numerical simulation method, this paper calculates the deposition rate of CaSO4 fouling on heat transfer surfaces of the plate heat exchanger under saturation in the bulk. The effects of CaSO4 concentration in the range 0.7 kg/m3 to 1.5 kg/m3, inlet flow velocity under turbulent flow, and the fluid's inlet temperature from 288 K to 328 K on the deposition rate, removal mass rate and fouling resistance are investigated. The simulation results are compared with the experimental results showing similar trend. The simulation results show that the concentration and the flow velocity affect significantly the fouling characteristics in the plate heat exchanger. The deposition mass rate, removal mass rate, and asymptotic value of fouling resistance all increase with the increase in CaSO4 concentration and the inlet temperature of the hot fluid, while the asymptotic value of fouling resistance decreases with the increasing of inlet flow velocity. The influence of the inlet temperature of cold fluid may be negligible.

Linfoma Nasal de Células T/Natural Killer Extranodal Refractario Mal Diagnosticado, Tratado de Manera Exitosa: Informe de Caso

PubMed Central

Saavedra Ramírez, José Domingo

2017-01-01

El linfoma de células T/natural killer extranodal (“extranodal natural killer/T-cell lymphoma”, ENKL) nasal es un linfoma no Hodgkin (LNH) agresivo y poco común para el cual no se ha establecido un tratamiento de referencia claro, especialmente en el escenario de la enfermedad recidivante/refractaria. Debido a su rareza, no se han llevado a cabo ensayos aleatorizados específicamente en ENKL nasal; sin embargo, los informes de caso y las series de caso pequeñas ofrecen un conocimiento importante sobre nuevos tratamientos potenciales. Presentamos el informe de caso de un paciente con ENKL nasal (previamente mal diagnosticado como una sinusitis crónica recidivante) en quien la enfermedad progresó durante la quimioterapia con múltiples agentes pero respondió al tratamiento de segunda línea con pralatrexato como agente único. Analizamos opciones de tratamiento para el ENKL nasal recidivante/refractario y sugerimos que el pralatrexato se evalúe más a fondo en este escenario clínico. PMID:29430232

Nanophosphor CaSO4:Eu2+ for photoluminescence liquid crystal display (PLLCD)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Patle, Anita; Patil, R. R.; Moharil, S. V.

2018-05-01

In this work PL enhancement of CaSO4:Eu2+ nanophosphor which was synthesized with 0.01M molarity by co-precipitation method is presented. Synthesized phosphor was characterized by XRD, SEM, TEM and PL measurements. Average particle size is found to be in the range 80-100nm with Hexagonal morphology and PL studies showed emission peaks at 380nm, when samples were excited by 254nm. The observed PL emission is characteristic emission of Eu2+ similar to that observed in bulk CaSO4:Eu2. However under identical condition it is observed that intensity of emission get enhanced for 0.01M size which is doubled to that of 0.1M with similar emission at 380nm. A phosphor with narrow emission band around 390 nm is desirable, since at this wavelength the transmission of standard glass, polarizing plastic, other coating and LCD material is at acceptable level. Strong Eu2+ emission is observed in CaSO4:Eu nanophosphor which finds applications for PLLCD (photoluminescent liquid crystal display).

Meningiomas del foramen magno: Reporte de 12 casos y revisión de la literatura

PubMed Central

Campero, Álvaro; Ajler, Pablo; Roman, Guillermo; Rivadeneira, Conrado

2017-01-01

Resumen Objetivo: El propósito del presente trabajo es presentar los resultados de 12 pacientes con diagnóstico de meningiomas del foramen magno (MFM), de localización anterior o lateral, operados con técnicas microquirúrgicas. Método: Desde Junio de 2005 a Diciembre de 2016, 12 pacientes con diagnóstico de MFM fueron intervenidos quirúrgicamente. Se evaluó: edad, sexo, localización de la lesión (anterior o lateral), sintomatología, tipo de abordaje utilizado y resultados postoperatorios. Resultados: De los pacientes intervenidos, 8 fueron mujeres y 4 varones. La edad promedio fue de 47 años. La localización fue anterior en 8 casos y lateral en 4 casos. La sintomatología más frecuente fue dolor occipito-cervical (8 casos), seguido de tetraparesia (3 casos). En los pacientes con MFM de localización anterior se realizó un abordaje extremo-lateral transcondilar (ELTC), mientras que en los tumores laterales el abordaje fue extremo-lateral retrocondilar (ELRC). En 10 casos la resección fue completa. En dos pacientes fue necesario dejar una pequeña lámina de meningioma sobre la arteria vertebral y a nivel del foramen yugular. Como complicaciones postoperatorias, 3 pacientes presentaron una paresia del XII nervio craneano y 2 pacientes paresia del XI nervio craneano; además, 1 paciente presentó una fístula de LCR. Conclusión: La cirugía de los MFM de localización anterior y lateral puede ser realizada de forma segura y efectiva. Es necesario: a) buen conocimiento anatómico de la región; b) disecar los músculos de la nuca en 2 planos, exponiendo el triángulo suboccipital y la arteria vertebral (AV); 3) realizar un abordaje ELRC en los tumores laterales, y ELTC en los tumores anteriores; y 4) buena técnica microquirúrgica. PMID:29142778

Encefalitis por anticuerpos contra el receptor de NMDA: experiencia con seis pacientes pediátricos. Potencial eficacia del metotrexato

PubMed Central

Bravo-Oro, Antonio; Abud-Mendoza, Carlos; Quezada-Corona, Arturo; Dalmau, Josep; Campos-Guevara, Verónica

2016-01-01

Introducción La encefalitis por anticuerpos contra el receptor de N-metil-D-aspartato (NMDA) es una entidad cada vez más diagnosticada en edad pediátrica. A diferencia de los adultos, en muchos casos no se asocia a tumores y las manifestaciones iniciales en niños más frecuentes son crisis convulsivas y trastornos del movimiento, mientras que en los adultos predominan las alteraciones psiquiátricas. Casos clínicos Presentamos seis casos pediátricos confirmados con anticuerpos contra la subunidad NR1 del receptor de NMDA en suero y líquido cefalorraquídeo. Cinco de los casos comenzaron con crisis convulsivas como manifestación clínica inicial antes de desarrollar el cuadro clásico de esta entidad. En todos los casos se utilizaron esteroides como primera línea de tratamiento, con los que sólo se observó control de las manifestaciones en uno, por lo que el resto de los pacientes requirió inmunomoduladores de segunda línea. Todos los pacientes recibieron metotrexato como tratamiento inmunomodulador para evitar recaídas y la evolución fue a la mejoría en todos ellos. Conclusiones En nuestra serie de pacientes con encefalitis por anticuerpos contra el receptor de NMDA, ninguno se asoció a tumores. Todos los casos recibieron metotrexato por lo menos durante un año, no observamos eventos adversos clínicos ni por laboratorio, ni hubo secuelas neurológicas ni recaídas durante el tratamiento. Aunque es una serie pequeña y es deseable incrementar el número y tiempo de evolución, consideramos el metotrexato una excelente alternativa como tratamiento inmunomodulador para esta patología. PMID:24150952

Thermodynamics of Anharmonic Systems: Uncoupled Mode Approximations for Molecules

DOE PAGES

Li, Yi-Pei; Bell, Alexis T.; Head-Gordon, Martin

2016-05-26

The partition functions, heat capacities, entropies, and enthalpies of selected molecules were calculated using uncoupled mode (UM) approximations, where the full-dimensional potential energy surface for internal motions was modeled as a sum of independent one-dimensional potentials for each mode. The computational cost of such approaches scales the same with molecular size as standard harmonic oscillator vibrational analysis using harmonic frequencies (HO hf). To compute thermodynamic properties, a computational protocol for obtaining the energy levels of each mode was established. The accuracy of the UM approximation depends strongly on how the one-dimensional potentials of each modes are defined. If the potentialsmore » are determined by the energy as a function of displacement along each normal mode (UM-N), the accuracies of the calculated thermodynamic properties are not significantly improved versus the HO hf model. Significant improvements can be achieved by constructing potentials for internal rotations and vibrations using the energy surfaces along the torsional coordinates and the remaining vibrational normal modes, respectively (UM-VT). For hydrogen peroxide and its isotopologs at 300 K, UM-VT captures more than 70% of the partition functions on average. By con trast, the HO hf model and UM-N can capture no more than 50%. For a selected test set of C2 to C8 linear and branched alkanes and species with different moieties, the enthalpies calculated using the HO hf model, UM-N, and UM-VT are all quite accurate comparing with reference values though the RMS errors of the HO model and UM-N are slightly higher than UM-VT. However, the accuracies in entropy calculations differ significantly between these three models. For the same test set, the RMS error of the standard entropies calculated by UM-VT is 2.18 cal mol -1 K -1 at 1000 K. By contrast, the RMS error obtained using the HO model and UM-N are 6.42 and 5.73 cal mol -1 K -1, respectively. For a test set composed of nine alkanes ranging from C5 to C8, the heat capacities calculated with the UM-VT model agree with the experimental values to within a RMS error of 0.78 cal mol -1 K -1 , which is less than one-third of the RMS error of the HO hf (2.69 cal mol -1 K -1) and UM-N (2.41 cal mol -1 K -1) models.« less

STS-40 Exp. No. 192 urine monitoring system (UMS) on OV-102's middeck

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1991-01-01

STS-40 Experiment No. 192, Fluid-Electrolyte Regulation During Space Flight, urine monitoring system (UMS) is set up on the middeck of Columbia, Orbiter Vehicle (OV) 102, at the side hatch. The UMS is attached to OV-102's waste collection system (WCS). The urine specimen tray with sample tubes appears to the right of the UMS equipment.

In vitro investigation of head and neck cancer stem cell proportions and their changes following X-ray irradiation as a function of HPV status.

PubMed

Reid, Paul; Wilson, Puthenparampil; Li, Yanrui; Marcu, Loredana G; Staudacher, Alexander H; Brown, Michael P; Bezak, Eva

2017-01-01

Some head and neck squamous cell carcinomas (HNSCC) have a distinct aetiology, which depends on the presence of oncogenic human papilloma virus (HPV). Also, HNSCC contains cancer stem cells (CSCs) that have greater radioresistance and capacity to change replication dynamics in response to irradiation compared to non-clonogenic cells. Since there is limited data on CSCs in HNSCC as a function of HPV status, better understanding of their radiobiology may enable improved treatment outcome. Baseline and post-irradiation changes in CSC proportions were investigated by flow cytometry in a HPV-negative (UM-SCC-1) and a HPV-positive (UM-SCC-47) HNSCC cell line, using fluorescent staining with CD44/ALDH markers. CSC proportions in both irradiated and unirradiated cultures were compared for the two cell lines at various times post-irradiation. To assess repopulation of CSCs, untreated cultures were depleted of CD44+/ALDH+ cells and re-cultured for 3 weeks before flow cytometry analysis. CSC proportions in untreated cell lines were 0.57% (UM-SCC-1) and 2.87% (UM-SCC-47). Untreated cell lines depleted of CD44+/ALDH+ repopulated this phenotype to a mean of 0.15% (UM-SCC-1) and 6.76% (UM-SCC-47). All UM-SCC-47 generations showed elevated CSC proportions after irradiation, with the most significant increase at 2 days post-irradiation. The highest elevation in UM-SCC-1 CSCs was observed at 1 day post-irradiation in the 2nd generation and at 3 days after irradiation in the 3rd generation. When measured after 10 days, only the 3rd generation of UM-SCC-1 showed elevated CSCs. CSC proportions in both cell lines were elevated after exposure and varied with time post irradiation. UM-SCC-47 displayed significant plasticity in repopulating the CSC phenotype in depleted cultures, which was not seen in UM-SCC-1.

Observações das explosões cósmicas de raios gama GRB021004 e GRB021211 com o satélite HETE

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Braga, J.; Ricker, G.; Hurley, K.; Lamb, D.; Grew, G.; et al.

2003-08-01

O High Energy Transient Explorer (HETE) é o primeiro satélite inteiramente dedicado ao estudo das explosões cósmicas de raios gama (ECRGs). Lançado em 9 de outubro de 2000, o HETE possui instrumentação capaz de observar as ECRGs desde o UV até raios gama e localizá-las com precisão de ~ 1-10 minutos de arco. As localizações das ECRGs detectadas são disseminadas rapidamente (em alguns segundos) pela Internet através de uma rede de estações de recepção ao longo do equador. A participação brasileira nesse projeto se dá através da montagem e operação de uma estação de recepção em Natal, RN, e da participação na equipe científica da missão. Neste trabalho são apresentados resultados da observação pelo HETE de duas ECRGs: GRB 021004 e GRB 021211. A GRB021004 foi detectada em raios gama pelo HETE em 4 de outubro de 2002 e localizada em raios-X em apenas 48 s, quando a emissão de raios gama ainda estava se processando. A explosão, relativamente brilhante e longa, durou aproximadamente 100 s. Um transiente óptico de magnitude 15 foi detectado no local da explosão nove minutos após o evento, e observações realizadas após 7 horas determinaram um desvio para o vermelho de absorção de 1,6. O GRB021004 foi o burst mais bem observado até o momento e suas observações em vários comprimentos de onda têm sido fundamentais para o aprimoramento dos modelos de ECRGs. O GRB21211, um burst brilhante e rico em raios-X, foi detectado em 11 de dezembro de 2002 e localizado em raios-X em 22 s após o início do evento. A duração do burst foi de 2,3 s em altas energias (85 a 400 keV) e de 8,5 s em baixas energias (2 a 10 keV). Caso essa explosão não tivesse sido rapidamente localizada pelo HETE, ela teria sido classificada como "opticamente escura", já que o transiente óptico decaiu rapidamente de R < 14 a R»19 dentro dos primeiros 20 minutos e já estava mais fraco do que R»23 depois de 24 horas da ocorrência do burst. Serão discutidas as implicações desse resultado nos modelos de afterglows de ECRGs.

Study of factors affecting growth and cold acclimation of Vitis callus cultures

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Deng, L.

1987-01-01

In vitro grape tissue culture initiation, growth, and cold acclimation were studied. Factors involved were genotypes, media, plant growth regulators, age, light, temperature, antioxidant, clearing and adsorbing agents, sucrose level, osmotic potential, ABA, chilling and freezing treatments. Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium containing 1 ..mu..M 2,4-d + 0.1 uM Ba, MS containing 1 uM 2,4-D, and woody plant medium containing 1 uM 2,4-D + 0.1 uM BA produced abundant callus tissue for most grape genotypes; either WPM or MS containing 1 uM BA stimulated shoot growth in all the 12 genotypes tested. Adding 1 uM abscisic acid (ABA) to themore » B5 medium with 1 uM 2,4-D and 0.5 uM BA enhanced growth and quality of Chancellor callus. /sup 3/H-ABA was taken up actively by callus tissue at 12 days after subculture, but by 20 d this effect disappeared. When /sup 14/C-sucrose was added to the medium. /sup 14/C level of cells reached a plateau after 48 h; this plateau was higher if ABA was also present in the medium. Cells on media containing ABA were larger in size, lighter in color, and more loosely connected.« less

Older adults abuse in three Brazilian cities.

PubMed

Rodrigues, Rosalina Aparecida Partezani; Monteiro, Edilene Araújo; Santos, Ana Maria Ribeiro Dos; Pontes, Maria de Lourdes de Farias; Fhon, Jack Roberto Silva; Bolina, Alisson Fernandes; Seredynskyj, Fernanda Laporti; Almeida, Vanessa Costa; Giacomini, Suelen Borelli Lima; Defina, Giovanna Partezani Cardoso; Silva, Luipa Michele

2017-01-01

To analyze the police reports filed by older adults who suffered abuse in order to identify the socio-demographic characteristics of victims and aggressors, type of violence, location, as well as to compare rates in three Brazilian cities in the period from 2009 to 2013. Ecological study, in which 2,612 police reports registered in Police Stations were analyzed. An instrument was used to obtain data from the victim, the aggressor and the type of violence. Psychological abuse predominated and most cases occurred in the older adults own home. In the cities of Ribeirão Preto and João Pessoa, the older adults presented similar rates for both gender. Regarding the standardized rates, in João Pessoa, there was a rise of this type of abuse in the two first years, and later there was a certain stability. In the city of Teresina, there was an increase, also observed in the city of Ribeirão Preto in the three first years, followed by a decrease. Older adults abuse is a cultural phenomenon difficult to be reported by them, since it occurs in the family context. Analisar os boletins de ocorrência registrados por idosos que sofreram violência, a fim de identificar características sociodemográficas das vítimas e dos agressores, tipo de violência, local, bem como comparar as taxas em três municípios brasileiros no período de 2009 a 2013. Estudo ecológico, em que foram analisados 2.612 boletins de ocorrência registrados em Delegacias do Idoso. Utilizou-se um instrumento para obter dados da vítima, do agressor e tipo de violência. Predominou a violência psicológica, na maioria dos casos na própria residência do idoso. Em Ribeirão Preto e João Pessoa, os idosos mais jovens apresentaram taxas semelhantes entre ambos os sexos. Na comparação das taxas padronizadas, em João Pessoa, houve ascensão deste tipo de violência nos dois primeiros anos, e, posteriormente, certa estabilidade. Em Teresina, houve ascensão, também observada em Ribeirão Preto nos três primeiros anos, seguida de decréscimo. A violência é um fenômeno cultural de difícil notificação pelo idoso, por ocorrer no contexto familiar.

Melhoramentos no código Wilson-Devinney para binárias eclipsantes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vieira, L. A.; Vaz, L. P. R.

2003-08-01

A análise de curvas de luz e velocidades radiais de sistemas binários eclipsantes pode ser feita por meio de vários modelos. Um desses é o Modelo Wilson-Devinney (WD). Ao longo dos anos, esse modelo sofreu várias alterações em seus códigos principais, com a finalidade de torná-lo mais consistente tanto fíisica como numericamente. O Modelo WD tem sido melhorado de várias maneiras em seus dois códigos: um para a predição das curvas de luz teórica e de velocidade radiais e outra para as soluções destas curvas. Teoricamente, na física do modelo, nós introduzimos a possibilidade de levar em conta os efeitos do movimento apsidal. Numericamente, nós introduzimos a possibilidade de usar o Método SIMPLEX no procedimento da solução, como uma alternativa para o já implementado Método de Mínimos Quadrados (Least Squares Method). Estas modificações, juntamente com outras já introduzidas pelo nosso grupo anteriormente, tornam o código mais eficiente na solução das curvas de luz e de velocidade radiais de binárias eclipsantes. Como o modelo tem sido usado para analisar sistemas com componentes pré-sequência principal (TY CrA, Casey et al. 1998, Vaz et al. 1998), SM 790, Stassun et al. 2003), este melhoramento beneficiará estes casos também. Apresentamos os resultados obtidos com a modificação do código WD por meio do uso de dados da estrela GL Carinae, comprovando, (1) que os parâmetros orbitais calculados por nós são coerentes com os obtidos anteriormente na literatura (Giménez & Clausen, 1986) e com os obtidos por Faria (1987), e (2) que a implementação do Método SIMPLEX torna o código mais lento mas completamente consistente internamente e evita os problemas gerados pelo uso do Método de Mínimos Quadrados, tais como imprecisão no cálculo das derivadas parciais e convergência para mínimos locais.

Three-frequency Nd:YAG laser for dental treatment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kadlecová, Martina; Dostálová, Tat'jana; Jelínková, Helena; Němec, Michal; Å ulc, Jan; Fibrich, Martin; Bradna, Pavel; Nejezchleb, Karel; Kapitch, Nickalai; Å koda, Václav

2018-02-01

In the last decade, lasers found a number of indications in dentistry. However, there is still one problem: the narrow spectrum of usefulness for individual radiation wavelengths. The aim of our study is to demonstrate the use of a compact three-frequency pulsed Nd-YAG laser for more than one treatment, namely disinfection, coagulation, selective ablation, and soft tissue removal. The laser wavelengths and the maximal energies achieved were the following: 1.06 um, 1.32 um, 1.44 um and 830 mJ, 425 mJ, and 200 mJ, respectively. It has been found that all of the investigated wavelengths exhibit disinfection properties. Moreover, radiation of 1.06 um wavelength removes soft tissue and exhibits also coagulation properties. Radiation of 1.44 um is most useful for selective ablation of initial caries and disinfection, and 1.32 um radiation can be used for precise ablation when higher energy is applied.

Recovery Act: Novel Kerf-Free PV Wafering that provides a low-cost approach to generate wafers from 150um to 50um in thickness

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Fong, Theodore E.

2013-05-06

The technical paper summarizes the project work conducted in the development of Kerf-Free silicon wafering equipment for silicon solar wafering. This new PolyMax technology uses a two step process of implantation and cleaving to exfoliate 50um to 120um wafers with thicknesses ranging from 50um to 120um from a 125mm or 156mm pseudo-squared silicon ingot. No kerf is generated using this method of wafering. This method of wafering contrasts with the current method of making silicon solar wafers using the industry standard wire saw equipment. The report summarizes the activity conducted by Silicon Genesis Corporation in working to develop this technologymore » further and to define the roadmap specifications for the first commercial proto-type equipment for high volume solar wafer manufacturing using the PolyMax technology.« less

Spatial and temporal distribution of microplastics in water and sediments of a freshwater system (Antuã River, Portugal).

PubMed

Rodrigues, M O; Abrantes, N; Gonçalves, F J M; Nogueira, H; Marques, J C; Gonçalves, A M M

2018-08-15

Microplastics (particles with a size<5mm), one of the most emerging aquatic pollutants, are of particular concern since they can reach high densities and interact with biotic and abiotic environment. The occurrence of microplastics in freshwater systems is less understood than in marine environment. Hence, the present study aims to provide new insights into microplastics abundances and distribution in Antuã River (Portugal) by applying the isolation method of wet peroxide oxidation with addition of zinc chloride to water and sediment samples collected in March and October 2016, in three sampling sites. The abundance of microplastics in water ranged from 5 to 8.3mgm -3 or 58-193itemsm -3 in March and from 5.8-51.7mgm -3 or 71-1265itemsm -3 in October. In sediments, the abundance ranged from 13.5-52.7mgkg -1 or 100-629itemskg -1 in March and from 2.6-71.4mgkg -1 or 18-514itemskg -1 in October. The water and sediment samples with the greatest abundances were from São João da Madeira and Aguincheira, respectively. Spatio-temporal distribution showed different pattern according to methodological approaches, seasonal and hydrodynamic conditions and the proximity to urban/industry areas. Analysis of plastics by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy underline polyethylene and polypropylene as the most common polymer types identified in this work. The low medium high oxidation ratio was 56:22:22 (%) in March and 61:31:8 (%) in October. Foams and fibers were the most abundant type in São João da Madeira, while fibers and fragments were the most abundant in Aguincheira and Estarreja in water and sediment samples, respectively. This study emphasizes the importance of rivers as carriage systems of microplastics. Further studies should be performed to identify point sources in order to mitigate the microplastics contamination in aquatic systems. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Human leucocyte antigens class II allele and haplotype association with Type 1 Diabetes in Madeira Island (Portugal).

PubMed

Spínola, H; Lemos, A; Couto, A R; Parreira, B; Soares, M; Dutra, I; Bruges-Armas, J; Brehm, A; Abreu, S

2017-12-01

This study confirms for Madeira Island (Portugal) population the Type 1 Diabetes (T1D) susceptible and protective Human leucocyte antigens (HLA) markers previously reported in other populations and adds some local specificities. Among the strongest T1D HLA associations, stands out, as susceptible, the alleles DRB1*04:05 (OR = 7.3), DQB1*03:02 (OR = 6.1) and DQA1*03:03 (OR = 4.5), as well as the haplotypes DRB1*04:05-DQA1*03:03-DQB1*03:02 (OR = 100.9) and DRB1*04:04-DQA1*03:01-DQB1*03:02 (OR = 22.1), and DQB1*06:02 (OR = 0.07) and DRB1*15:01-DQA1*01:02-DQB1*06:02 (OR = 0.04) as protective. HLA-DQA1 positive for Arginine at position 52 (Arg52) (OR = 15.2) and HLA-DQB1 negative for Aspartic acid at the position 57 (Asp57) (OR = 9.0) alleles appear to be important genetic markers for T1D susceptibility, with higher odds ratio values than any single allele and than most of the haplotypes. Genotypes generated by the association of markers Arg52 DQA1 positive and Asp57 DQB1 negative increase T1D susceptibility much more than one would expected by a simple additive effect of those markers separately (OR = 26.9). This study also confirms an increased risk for DRB1*04/DRB1*03 heterozygote genotypes (OR = 16.8) and also a DRB1*04-DQA1*03:01-DQB1*03:02 haplotype susceptibility dependent on the DRB1*04 allele (DRB1*04:01, OR = 7.9; DRB1*04:02, OR = 3.2; DRB1*04:04, OR = 22.1). © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Impact of a Dengue Outbreak Experience in the Preventive Perceptions of the Community from a Temperate Region: Madeira Island, Portugal

PubMed Central

Nazareth, Teresa; Sousa, Carla Alexandra; Porto, Graça; Gonçalves, Luzia; Seixas, Gonçalo; Antunes, Luís; Silva, Ana Clara; Teodósio, Rosa

2015-01-01

The ability to effectively modify behaviours is increasingly relevant to attain and maintain a good health status. Current behaviour-change models and theories present two main approaches for (healthier) decision-making: one analytical/logical, and one experiential/emotional/intuitive. Therefore, to achieve an integral and dynamic understanding of the public perceptions both approaches should be considered: community surveys should measure cognitive understanding of health-risk contexts, and also explore how past experiences affect this understanding. In 2011, community perceptions regarding domestic source reduction were assessed in Madeira Island. After Madeira’s first dengue outbreak (2012) a unique opportunity to compare perceptions before and after the outbreak-experience occurred. This was the aim of this study, which constituted the first report on the effect of an outbreak experience on community perceptions regarding a specific vector-borne disease. A cross-sectional survey was performed within female residents at the most aegypti-infested areas. Perceptions regarding domestic source reduction were assessed according to the Essential Perception (EP)-analysis tool. A matching process paired individuals from studies performed before and after the outbreak, ensuring homogeneity in six determinant variables. After the outbreak, there were more female residents who assimilated the concepts considered to be essential to understand the proposed behaviour. Nevertheless, no significant difference was observed in the number of female residents who achieved the defined ‘minimal understanding’’. Moreover, most of the population (95.5%) still believed at least in one of the identified myths. After the outbreak some myths disappeared and others appeared. The present study quantified and explored how the experience of an outbreak influenced the perception regarding a dengue-preventive behaviour. The outbreak experience surprisingly led to the appearance of new myths within the population, apart from the expected increase of relevant concepts’ assimilation. Monitoring public perceptions is therefore crucial to make preventing dengue campaigns updated and worthy. PMID:25767886

Hydrology and climate in the southwestern Amazon basin (Bolivia)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ronchail, J.; Bourrel, L.; Maurice-Bourgoin, L.; Vauchel, P.; Cochonneau, G.; Guyot, J. L.; Phillips, L.; Castro, A.

2003-04-01

The variability of the runoff of the Bolivian tributaries of the Madeira River, the greatest southern affluent of the Amazon R., is of major importance for the riparian people safety and for the economic development of the region. We investigated whether the discharge of these rivers is predictable or not, using the Sea Surface Temperatures Anomalies (SSTAs) in the Equatorial Pacific and in the Tropical Atlantic oceans. The hydrological variability is studied using daily river discharge data of 3 tributaries: the Rio Beni in Rurrenabaque, the Rio Ichilo in Puerto Villaroel and the Mamoré River in Puerto Varador, respectively representative of the Andes, the Andean Piedmont and the lowlands. This information has been collected and criticized in the mark of successive Bolivian - French conventions. The hydrological response of the Andean river is out of phase with that of the piedmont and plain rivers. The Rio Beni in Rurrenabaque experiments high runoff during La Niña events and during cool (warm) events in the northern (southern) tropical Atlantic. On the contrary, the Ichilo and Mamoré Rivers and inundation data show that high runoff are more frequent during El Niño events and when the southern tropical Atlantic Ocean is cooler than normally. 30% of the Beni R. discharge variability is explained by the ENSO events and 25% by the SSTAs in the tropical Atlantic. In the Andean piedmont and in the lowlands, the ENSO explains 45% of the discharges, but differences in series lengths may also contribute to this better result. On the contrary, the relationship with the southern tropical Atlantic is only a tendency and is not statistically significant. To conclude, the SSTAs in the tropical oceans do not allow a prediction of the discharge variability of the Bolivian tributaries of the Madeira River but they contribute to their comprehension. The present results, different for Andean and Piedmont or lowlands tributaries, are consistent with those relative to the ENSO and tropical Atlantic related rainfall anomalies in both regions of Bolivia.

On The Source Of The 25 November 1941 - Atlantic Tsunami

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Baptista, M. A.; Lisboa, F. B.; Miranda, J. M. A.

2015-12-01

In this study we analyze the tsunami recorded in the North Atlantic following the 25 November 1941 earthquake. The earthquake with a magnitude of 8.3, located on the Gloria Fault, was one of the largest strike slip events recorded. The Gloria fault is a 500 km long scarp in the North Atlantic Ocean between 19W and 24W known to be a segment of the Eurasia-Nubia plate boundary between Iberia and the Azores. Ten tide stations recorded the tsunami. Six in Portugal (mainland, Azores and Madeira Islands), two in Morocco, one in the United Kingdom and one in Spain (Tenerife-Canary Islands). The tsunami waves reached Azores and Madeira Islands less than one hour after the main shock. The tide station of Casablanca (in Morocco) recorded the maximum amplitude of 0.54 m. All amplitudes recorded are lower than 0.5 m but the tsunami reached Portugal mainland in high tide conditions where the sea flooded some streets We analyze the 25 November 1941 tsunami data using the tide-records in the coasts of Portugal, Spain, Morocco and UK to infer its source. The use of wavelet analysis to characterize the frequency content of the tide-records shows predominant periods of 9-13min e 18-22min. A preliminary location of the tsunami source location was obtained Backward Ray Tracing (BRT). The results of the BRT technique are compatible with the epicenter location of the earthquake. We compute empirical Green functions for the earthquake generation area, and use a linear shallow water inversion technique to compute the initial water displacement. The comparison between forward modeling with observations shows a fair agreement with available data. This work received funding from the European Union's Seventh Framework Programme (FP7/2007-2013) under grant agreement n° 603839 (Project ASTARTE - Assessment, Strategy and Risk Reduction for Tsunamis in Europe)"

Mercury in fish from the Madeira River and health risk to Amazonian and riverine populations.

PubMed

Soares, José Maria; Gomes, José M; Anjos, Marcelo R; Silveira, Josianne N; Custódio, Flavia B; Gloria, M Beatriz A

2018-07-01

The objective of this study was to quantify total mercury in highly popular Amazonian fish pacu, curimatã, jaraqui, and sardinha from the Madeira River and to estimate the exposure to methylmercury from fish consumption. The samples were obtained from two locations - Puruzinho Igarapé and Santa Rosa - near Humaitá, Amazonia, Brazil in two seasons of 2015 (high and low waters). The fish were identified, weighed and measured, and lipids were quantified. Total mercury was determined by gold amalgamation-atomic absorption spectrometry. Mean levels were used to calculate exposure of Amazonian and riverine populations. There was significant correlation (p < 0.05) between length × weight for all fish; length × lipid and weight × lipid were significant only for pacu. Total mercury levels varied along muscle tissue for the fish, except for sardinha; therefore muscle from the dorsal area along the fish were sampled, homogenized and used for analysis. The levels of total mercury varied from 0.01 to 0.46 mg/kg, with higher median levels in sardinha (0.24 mg/kg), followed by curimatã (0.16 mg/kg), jaraqui (0.13 mg/kg) and pacu (0.04 mg/kg), corresponding with the respective feeding habits along the trophic chain. Total mercury levels were not affected by the location of fish capture and by high and low waters seasons. Total mercury correlated significantly with length and weight for jaraqui and with length for sardinha (negative correlation). Total mercury levels in fish complied with legislation; however, exposures to methylmercury from fish consumption overpassed the safe intake reference dose for sardinha for Amazonians; however, for the riverine communities, all of the fish would cause potential health risk, mainly for children and women of childbearing age. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Towards reducing the impacts of unwanted movements on identification of motion intentions.

PubMed

Li, Xiangxin; Chen, Shixiong; Zhang, Haoshi; Samuel, Oluwarotimi Williams; Wang, Hui; Fang, Peng; Zhang, Xiufeng; Li, Guanglin

2016-06-01

Surface electromyogram (sEMG) has been extensively used as a control signal in prosthesis devices. However, it is still a great challenge to make multifunctional myoelectric prostheses clinically available due to a number of critical issues associated with existing EMG based control strategy. One such issue would be the effect of unwanted movements (UMs) that are inadvertently done by users on the performance of movement classification in EMG pattern recognition based algorithms. Since UMs are not considered in training a classifier, they would decay the performance of a trained classifier in identifying the target movements (TMs), which would cause some undesired actions in control of multifunctional prostheses. In this study, the impact of UMs was systemically investigated in both able-bodied subjects and transradial amputees. Our results showed that the UMs would be unevenly classified into all classes of the TMs. To reduce the impact of the UMs on the performance of a classifier, a new training strategy that would categorize all possible UMs into a new movement class was proposed and a metric called Reject Ratio that is a measure of how many UMs is rejected by a trained classifier was adopted. The results showed that the average Reject Ratio across all the participants was greater than 91%, meanwhile the average classification accuracy of TMs was above 99% when UMs occurred. This suggests that the proposed training strategy could greatly reduce the impact of UMs on the performance of the trained classifier in identifying the TMs and may enhance the robustness of myoelectric control in clinical applications. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

21 CFR 184.1230 - Calcium sulfate.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... 21 Food and Drugs 3 2014-04-01 2014-04-01 false Calcium sulfate. 184.1230 Section 184.1230 Food and Drugs FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES (CONTINUED) DIRECT... GRAS § 184.1230 Calcium sulfate. (a) Calcium sulfate (CaSO4, CAS Reg. No. 7778-18-9 or CaSO4·2H2O, CAS...

Calcium Sulfate in Atacama Desert Basalt: A Possible Analog for Bright Material in Adirondack Basalt, Gusev Crater

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sutter, B.; Golden, D. C.; Amundson, R.; Chong-Diaz, G.; Ming, D. W.

2007-01-01

The Atacama Desert in northern Chile is one of the driest deserts on Earth (< 2mm/y). The hyper-arid conditions allow extraordinary accumulations of sulfates, chlorides, and nitrates in Atacama soils. Examining salt accumulations in the Atacama may assist understanding salt accumulations on Mars. Recent work examining sulfate soils on basalt parent material observed white material in the interior vesicles of surface basalt. This is strikingly similar to the bright-white material present in veins and vesicles of the Adirondack basalt rocks at Gusev Crater which are presumed to consist of S, Cl, and/or Br. The abundance of soil gypsum/anhydrite in the area of the Atacama basalt suggested that the white material consisted of calcium sulfate (Ca-SO4) which was later confirmed by SEM/EDS analysis. This work examines the Ca-SO4 of Atacama basalt in an effort to provide insight into the possible nature of the bright material in the Adirondack basalt of Gusev Crater. The objectives of this work are to (i) discuss variations in Ca-SO4 crystal morphology in the vesicles and (ii) examine the Ca-SO4 interaction(s) with the basalt interior.

Upgrading nickel content of limonite nickel ore through pelletization, selective reduction and magnetic separation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mayangsari, W.; Prasetyo, A. B.; Prasetiyo, Puguh

2018-04-01

Limonite nickel ore has potency to utilize as raw material for ferronickel or nickel matte, since it has low grade nickel content, thus process development is needed to find the acceptable process for upgrading nickel. The aim of this research is to determine upgrading of Ni content as result of selective reduction of limonite nickel pellet continued by magnetic separation as effect of temperature and time reduction as well as coal and CaSO4 addition. There are four steps to perform this research, such as preparation including characterization of raw ore and pelletization, selective reduction, magnetic separation and characterization of products by using AAS, XRD and SEM. Based on the result study, pellet form can upgrade 77.78% higher than powder form. Upgrading of Ni and Fe content was up to 3fold and 1.5fold respectively from raw ore used when reduced at 1100°C for 60 minutes with composition of coal and CaSO4, both 10%. The excess of CaSO4 addition caused fayalite formation. Moreover, S2 from CaSO4 also support to reach low melting point and enlardge particle size of metal formed.

Tratamento endovascular de aneurisma de aorta abdominal com erosão de vértebra lombar associada à doença de Behçet: relato de caso

PubMed Central

de Souza, Nathalia Leslie Albanez Rodrigues; Siqueira, Daniel Emílio Dalledone; Cantador, Alex Aparecido; Rossetti, Leandro Pablos; Molinari, Giovani José Dal Poggetto; Guillaumon, Ana Terezinha

2017-01-01

Resumo A doença de Behçet é uma doença sistêmica, multifatorial e autoimune com diversas manifestações clínicas, entre elas o acometimento vascular. Aneurisma de aorta associado a erosão de vértebra lombar é condição rara na literatura, existindo apenas quatro relatos de caso nas bases de dados da PubMed. O presente artigo relata o caso de paciente do sexo feminino com diagnóstico de Doença de Behçet de longa data e aneurisma sacular de aorta abdominal infrarrenal com erosão de vértebra lombar. O caso foi tratado por meio de técnica endovascular com colocação de endoprótese monoilíaca e enxerto fêmoro-femoral cruzado, devido a limitações anatômicas da bifurcação aórtica. O artigo aborda a raridade desse tipo de apresentação da doença e o desfecho do tratamento e apresenta revisão da literatura sobre esse tema. PMID:29930640

Nano-fibrin stabilized CaSO4 crystals incorporated injectable chitin composite hydrogel for enhanced angiogenesis & osteogenesis.

PubMed

Arun Kumar, R; Sivashanmugam, A; Deepthi, S; Bumgardner, Joel D; Nair, Shantikumar V; Jayakumar, R

2016-04-20

Calcium sulfate (CaSO4), an excellent biodegradable bone forming agent that is an ideal choice as additive in gels, however, its disadvantage being poor gel rheology and angiogenesis. Here, we have synthesized chitin-CaSO4-nano-fibrin based injectable gel system which shows improved rheology and angiogenic potential. Rheological studies showed that the composite gel was a shear thinning gel with elastic modulus of 15.4±0.275kPa; a 1.67 fold increase over chitin control. SEM and XRD analyses revealed the effect of nano-fibrin (nFibrin) in transforming CaSO4 crystal shape from needle to hexagonal. It also masked the retarding effect of CaSO4 towards in vitro early cell attachment and angiogenesis using rabbit adipose derived mesenchymal stem cells (rASCs) and HUVECs, respectively. rASCs osteogenesis was confirmed by spectrophotometric endpoint assay, which showed 6-fold early increase in alkaline phosphatase levels and immuno-cytochemistry analysis. These in vitro results highlight the potential of injectable chitin-CaSO4-nFibrin gel for osteo-regeneration via enhanced angiogenesis. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Histone deacetylase inhibitors induce growth arrest and differentiation in uveal melanoma

PubMed Central

Landreville, Solange; Agapova, Olga A.; Matatall, Katie A.; Kneass, Zachary T.; Onken, Michael D.; Lee, Ryan S.; Bowcock, Anne M.; Harbour, J. William

2011-01-01

Purpose Metastasis is responsible for the death of most cancer patients, yet few therapeutic agents are available which specifically target the molecular events that lead to metastasis. We recently showed that inactivating mutations in the tumor suppressor gene BAP1 are closely associated with loss of melanocytic differentiation in uveal melanoma and metastasis (UM). The purpose of this study was to identify therapeutic agents that reverse the phenotypic effects of BAP1 loss in UM. Experimental Design In silico screens were performed to identify therapeutic compounds predicted to differentiate UM cells using Gene Set Enrichment Analysis and Connectivity Map databases. Valproic acid, trichostatin A, LBH-589 and suberoylanilide hydroxamic acid were evaluated for their effects on UM cells using morphologic evaluation, MTS viability assays, BrdU incorporation, flow cytometry, clonogenic assays, gene expression profiling, histone acetylation and ubiquitination assays, and a murine xenograft tumorigenicity model. Results HDAC inhibitors induced morphologic differentiation, cell cycle exit, and a shift to a differentiated, melanocytic gene expression profile in cultured UM cells. Valproic acid inhibited the growth of UM tumors in vivo. Conclusions These findings suggest that HDAC inhibitors may have therapeutic potential for inducing differentiation and prolonged dormancy of micrometastatic disease in UM. PMID:22038994

Risk factors for syphilis in women: case-control study.

PubMed

Macêdo, Vilma Costa de; Lira, Pedro Israel Cabral de; Frias, Paulo Germano de; Romaguera, Luciana Maria Delgado; Caires, Silvana de Fátima Ferreira; Ximenes, Ricardo Arraes de Alencar

2017-08-17

To determine the sociodemographic, behavioral, and health care factors related to the occurrence of syphilis in women treated at public maternity hospitals. This is a case-control study (239 cases and 322 controls) with women admitted to seven maternity hospitals in the municipality of Recife, Brazil, from July 2013 to July 2014. Eligible women were recruited after the result of the VDRL (Venereal Disease Research Laboratory) under any titration. The selection of cases and controls was based on the result of the serology for syphilis using ELISA (enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay). The independent variables were grouped into: sociodemographic, behavioral, clinical and obstetric history, and health care in prenatal care and maternity hospital. Information was obtained by interview, during hospitalization, with the application of a questionnaire. Odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals were estimated using logistic regression to identify the predicting factors of the variable to be explained. The logistic regression analysis identified as determinant factors for gestational syphilis: education level of incomplete basic education or illiterate (OR = 2.02), lack of access to telephone (OR = 2.4), catholic religion (OR = 1.70 ), four or more pregnancies (OR = 2.2), three or more sexual partners in the last year (OR = 3.1), use of illicit drugs before the age of 18 (OR = 3.0), and use of illicit drugs by the current partner (OR = 1.7). Only one to three prenatal appointments (OR = 3.5) and a previous history of sexually transmitted infection (OR = 9.7) were also identified as determinant factors. Sociodemographic, behavioral, and health care factors are associated with the occurrence of syphilis in women and should be taken into account in the elaboration of universal strategies aimed at the prevention and control of syphilis, but with a focus on situations of greater vulnerability. Determinar os fatores sociodemográficos, comportamentais e de assistência à saúde relacionados à ocorrência de sífilis em mulheres atendidas em maternidades públicas. Trata-se de um estudo caso-controle (239 casos e 322 controles) com mulheres admitidas em sete maternidades do município do Recife, no período de julho de 2013 a julho de 2014. As mulheres elegíveis foram recrutadas após o resultado do VDRL (Venereal Disease Research Laboratory) sob qualquer titulação. A seleção dos casos e controles considerou o resultado da sorologia por ELISA (enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay), variável dependente utilizada como diagnóstico para sífilis neste estudo. As variáveis independentes foram agrupadas em: sociodemográficas; comportamentais; e antecedentes clínicos e obstétricos; e assistência à saúde no pré-natal e na maternidade. As informações foram obtidas por meio de entrevista, durante o internamento, por aplicação de um questionário. Foi calculado odds ratio (OR), intervalo de confiança de 95% e realizada análise de regressão logística para identificar os fatores preditores da variável a ser explicada. A análise de regressão logística identificou como fatores determinantes para a sífilis gestacional: nível de escolaridade fundamental incompleto ou analfabeta (OR = 2,02), ausência de acesso a telefone (OR = 2,4), religião católica (OR = 1,70), quatro ou mais gestações (OR = 2,2), três ou mais parceiros sexuais no último ano (OR = 3,1), uso de drogas ilícitas antes dos 18 anos (OR = 3,0) e uso de drogas ilícitas por parte do atual companheiro (OR = 1,7). Além desses, foram observadas a ocorrência de apenas uma a três consultas ao pré-natal (OR = 3,5) e história anterior de infecção sexualmente transmissível (OR = 9,7). Fatores sociodemográficos, comportamentais e de assistência à saúde estão associados à ocorrência de sífilis em mulheres e devem ser levados em consideração na elaboração de estratégias universais direcionadas à prevenção e controle da sífilis, porém com foco em situações de maior vulnerabilidade.

Mathematisches Bewusstsein

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kaenders, Rainer; Kvasz, Ladislav

Wenn jemand sagt, dass ein Bus um 9 Uhr abfährt - weiß man es dann? Angenommen, man ist darüber unterrichtet, dass die Busse unter der Woche immer zur vollen Stunde abfahren - von 7 Uhr morgens bis 7 Uhr abends, weiß man es dann mit dem Wissen um diese allgemeine Regel besser, dass der Bus um 9 Uhr abfährt? Macht es einen Unterschied, ob man den Fahrplan erstellt, den Bus lenkt oder nur mitfährt, um sich dieser Tatsache bewusst zu sein?

VizieR Online Data Catalog: YSOs in California Molecular Cloud (Lada+, 2017)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lada, C. J.; Lewis, J. A.; Lombardi, M.; Alves, J.

2018-01-01

The CMC was observed by the all-sky Planck observatory and by the Herschel Space Observatory as part of the "Auriga-California" program (Harvey et al. 2013, Cat J/ApJ/764/133). The Herschel data we used consisted of observations obtained in parallel mode simultaneously using the PACS and SPIRE instruments. For the purposes of this study we use Herschel observations made in the PACS 160um band, and the SPIRE 250um, 350um and 500um bands. (1 data file).

An ethical leadership program for nursing unit managers.

PubMed

Jeon, Sang Hee; Park, Mihyun; Choi, Kyungok; Kim, Mi Kyoung

2018-03-01

The aims of this study were to evaluate the effect of an ethical leadership program (ELP) on ethical leadership, organizational citizenship behavior (OCB), and job outcomes of nursing unit managers (UMs) and to examine changes in staff nurses' perception about UMs' EL, OCB, job outcomes, and ethical work environments (EWEs) post-ELP. A quasi-experimental (pre- and post-test design) study conducted six-month intervention (ELP) using self-reported UM survey (n=44), and staff nurses (n=158) were randomly extracted by two steps. The Korean version of Ethical Leadership at Work for UMs' self-ethical leadership, the Ethical Leadership Scale for staff nurses' perceived ethical leadership, a 19-item OCB scale, and six dimensions of the medium-sized Copenhagen Psychosocial Questionnaire II for job outcomes and EWEs were administered at baseline and post-intervention. UMs' ethical leadership scores differed significantly over time in people orientation (p=0.041) and concern for ethical leadership sustainability (p=0.002) adjusting for UM experience duration and nursing unit type. Total mean and level of power-sharing of ethical leadership among UMs with <5years of UM experience improved significantly over time. Of staff nurses' perception changes about UMs' ethical leadership, OCB, job outcomes, and EWEs, significant improvement over time appeared only in EWEs' work influence level (p=0.007). This study provides useful information for clinical ELP development and examining the program's effect on leadership skills and followers' outcomes. Program facilitation relies on practical training methods, participant motivation, and assessment outcome designs by controlling clinical confounding factors. Findings have implications as an attempt for intervention to promote competencies related to ethical leadership of nursing unit managers. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Clarifying Resilience in the Context of Homeland Security

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-03-01

Resilience Is a Complex Adaptive System of Systems ( CASoS ) ....60 4. Resilience Is Experienced and Demonstrated in Different Ways ..60 5. Resilience Is...The inclusion of a resilience module into existing homeland security training programs broadens the practitioner’s knowledge base from a basic level...psychology offer several considerations for the homeland security practitioner. The first consideration maintains that a de -emphasis on the

An Analytical Evaluation of Contingency Contracting Operations in Iraq and Afghanistan: Capturing Critical Corporate Knowledge for the Future

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-01-07

Contingency Operations Task Force, 2011, p. 4)...........................68  Figure 25.  Original Organizational Makeup for the CASO (After Deputy...Workforce CAP Civilian Augmentation Program CAP Crisis Action Planning CASO Contingency Acquisition Support Office CBP Capability-Based...its inclusion in joint exercises;  Identify and assign responsibilities to institutionalize OCS lesson development, analysis, documentation and use

Heat capacities and entropies from 8 to 1000 K of langbeinite (K2Mg2(SO4)3), anhydrite (CaSO4) and of gypsum (CaSO4·2H2O)

USGS Publications Warehouse

Robie, Richard A.; Russell-Robinson, Susan; Hemingway, Bruce S.

1989-01-01

Although Bond (Bell Sys. Tech. J., 22 (1943) 145) reported that langbeinite was piezoelectric at room temperature, we found no evidence in our Cpo measurements for a Curie temperature above which langbeinite would no longer be piezoelectric.

Laminar flow assisted anisotropic bacteria absorption for chemotaxis delivery of bacteria-attached microparticle

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huh, Keon; Oh, Darong; Son, Seok Young; Yoo, Hyung Jung; Song, Byeonghwa; Cho, Dong-il Dan; Seo, Jong-Mo; Kim, Sung Jae

2016-12-01

The concepts of microrobots has been drawn significant attentions recently since its unprecedented applicability in nanotechnology and biomedical field. Bacteria attached microparticles presented in this work are one of pioneering microrobot technology for self-propulsion or producing kinetic energy from ambient for their motions. Microfluidic device, especially utilizing laminar flow characteristics, were employed for anisotropic attachment of Salmonella typhimurium flagellated chemotactic bacteria to 30 um × 30 um and 50 um × 50 um microparticles that made of biodegradable polymer. Any toxic chemicals or harmful treatments were excluded during the attachment process and it finished within 100 s for the anisotropic attachment. The attachments were directly confirmed by fluorescent intensity changes and SEM visualization. Chemotaxis motions were tracked using aspartate and the maximum velocity of the bacteria-attached microrobot was measured to be 5 um/s which is comparable to prior state of art technologies. This reusable and scalable method could play a key role in chemotaxis delivery of functional microparticles such as drug delivery system.

Unique Spectroscopy and Imaging of Terrestrial Planets with JWST

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Villanueva, Geronimo Luis; JWST Mars Team

2017-06-01

In this talk, I will present the main capabilities of the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) for performing observations of terrestrial planets, using Mars as a test case. The distinctive vantage point of JWST at the Sun-Earth Lagrange point (L2) will allow sampling the full observable disk, permitting the study of short-term phenomena, diurnal processes (across the East-West axis) and latitudinal processes between the hemispheres (including seasonal effects) with excellent spatial resolutions (0.07 arcsec at 2 um). Spectroscopic observations will be achievable in the 0.7-5 um spectral region with NIRSpec at a maximum resolving power of 2700, and with 8000 in the 1-1.25 um range. Imaging will be attainable with NIRCam at 4.3 um and with two narrow filters near 2 um, while the nightside will be accessible with several filters in the 0.5 to 2 um. Such a powerful suite of instruments will be a major asset for the exploration and characterization of Mars, and terrestrial planets in general. Some science cases include the mapping of the water D/H ratio, investigations of the Martian mesosphere via the characterization of the non-LTE CO2 emission at 4.3 um, studies of chemical transport via observations of the O2 nightglow at 1.27 um, high cadence mapping of the variability dust and water ice clouds, and sensitive searches for trace species and hydrated features on the planetary surface.

Development and External Validation of a Prognostic Nomogram for Metastatic Uveal Melanoma

PubMed Central

Valpione, Sara; Moser, Justin C.; Parrozzani, Raffaele; Bazzi, Marco; Mansfield, Aaron S.; Mocellin, Simone; Pigozzo, Jacopo; Midena, Edoardo; Markovic, Svetomir N.; Aliberti, Camillo; Campana, Luca G.; Chiarion-Sileni, Vanna

2015-01-01

Background Approximately 50% of patients with uveal melanoma (UM) will develop metastatic disease, usually involving the liver. The outcome of metastatic UM (mUM) is generally poor and no standard therapy has been established. Additionally, clinicians lack a validated prognostic tool to evaluate these patients. The aim of this work was to develop a reliable prognostic nomogram for clinicians. Patients and Methods Two cohorts of mUM patients, from Veneto Oncology Institute (IOV) (N=152) and Mayo Clinic (MC) (N=102), were analyzed to develop and externally validate, a prognostic nomogram. Results The median survival of mUM was 17.2 months in the IOV cohort and 19.7 in the MC cohort. Percentage of liver involvement (HR 1.6), elevated levels of serum LDH (HR 1.6), and a WHO performance status=1 (HR 1.5) or 2–3 (HR 4.6) were associated with worse prognosis. Longer disease-free interval from diagnosis of UM to that of mUM conferred a survival advantage (HR 0.9). The nomogram had a concordance probability of 0.75 (SE .006) in the development dataset (IOV), and 0.80 (SE .009) in the external validation (MC). Nomogram predictions were well calibrated. Conclusions The nomogram, which includes percentage of liver involvement, LDH levels, WHO performance status and disease free-interval accurately predicts the prognosis of mUM and could be useful for decision-making and risk stratification for clinical trials. PMID:25780931

VizieR Online Data Catalog: A dust model for bet Pic from 0.58 to 870um (Ballering+, 2016)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ballering, N. P.; Su, K. Y. L.; Rieke, G. H.; Gaspar, A.

2016-08-01

β Pic was imaged with the HST/STIS CCD in coronagraphic (50CORON) mode under program GO-12551 (PI: Apai), and the results of these observations were published in Apai et al. (2015ApJ...800..136A). The instrument bandpass is set by the response of the CCD and centered at 0.58um. We searched the HST archive and found previously unpublished observations of β Pic with the WFC3 instrument in the IR channel (filter F110W at ~1.16um) from program GO-11150 (PI: Graham). The Spitzer/MIPS observations of β Pic were taken under the Spitzer Guaranteed Time Observing Program 90 (PI: M. Werner). The data at all three bands (24, 70, and 160um) are published here for the first time. Two sets of 24um observations were obtained. The first set was obtained on 2004 March 20, the second set of data was obtained on 2004 April 11. Two sets of 70um observations were obtained. The first set was obtained on 2004 April 12. The second set was obtained on 2005 April 4. Herschel/PACS 70um scan map observations of β Pic (PI G. Olofsson, observation IDs 1342186612 and 1342186613) were published by Vandenbussche et al. (2010A&A...518L.133V). We used the ALMA 870um continuum image previously published by Dent et al. (2014Sci...343.1490D). (1 data file).

The gut microbiota metabolism of pomegranate or walnut ellagitannins yields two urolithin-metabotypes that correlate with cardiometabolic risk biomarkers: Comparison between normoweight, overweight-obesity and metabolic syndrome.

PubMed

Selma, María V; González-Sarrías, Antonio; Salas-Salvadó, Jordi; Andrés-Lacueva, Cristina; Alasalvar, Cesarettin; Örem, Asım; Tomás-Barberán, Francisco A; Espín, Juan C

2018-06-01

Urolithins are microbial metabolites produced after consumption of ellagitannin-containing foods such as pomegranates and walnuts. Parallel to isoflavone-metabolizing phenotypes, ellagitannin-metabolizing phenotypes (urolithin metabotypes A, B and 0; UM-A, UM-B and UM-0, respectively) can vary among individuals depending on their body mass index (BMI), but correlations between urolithin metabotypes (UMs) and cardiometabolic risk (CMR) factors are unexplored. We investigated the association between UMs and CMR factors in individuals with different BMI and health status. UM was identified using UPLC-ESI-qToF-MS in individuals consuming pomegranate or nuts. The associations between basal CMR factors and the urine urolithin metabolomic signature were explored in 20 healthy normoweight individuals consuming walnuts (30 g/d), 49 healthy overweight-obese individuals ingesting pomegranate extract (450 mg/d) and 25 metabolic syndrome (MetS) patients consuming nuts (15 g-walnuts, 7.5 g-hazelnuts and 7.5 g-almonds/d). Correlations between CMR factors and urolithins were found in overweight-obese individuals. Urolithin-A (mostly present in UM-A) was positively correlated with apolipoprotein A-I (P ≤ 0.05) and intermediate-HDL-cholesterol (P ≤ 0.05) while urolithin-B and isourolithin-A (characteristic from UM-B) were positively correlated with total-cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol (P ≤ 0.001), apolipoprotein B (P ≤ 0.01), VLDL-cholesterol, IDL-cholesterol, oxidized-LDL and apolipoprotein B:apolipoprotein A-I ratio (P ≤ 0.05). In MetS patients, urolithin-A only correlated inversely with glucose (P ≤ 0.05). Statin-treated MetS patients with UM-A showed a lipid profile similar to that of healthy normoweight individuals while a poor response to lipid-lowering therapy was observed in MB patients. UMs are potential CMR biomarkers. Overweight-obese individuals with UM-B are at increased risk of cardiometabolic disease, whereas urolithin-A production could protect against CMR factors. Further research is warranted to explore these associations in larger cohorts and whether the effect of lipid-lowering drugs or ellagitannin-consumption on CMR biomarkers depends on individuals' UM. NCT01916239 (https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT01916239) and ISRCTN36468613 (http://www.isrctn.com/ISRCTN36468613). Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd and European Society for Clinical Nutrition and Metabolism. All rights reserved.

Unit 5, STA. 50+00+RB, Orner Building, First U.M. Church Rectory, ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

Unit 5, STA. 50+00+RB, Orner Building, First U.M. Church Rectory, & First U.M. Church-context - Johnstown Local Flood Protection Project, Beginning on Conemaugh River approx 3.8 miles downstream from confluence of Little Conemaugh & Stony Creek Rivers at Johnstown, Johnstown, Cambria County, PA

VizieR Online Data Catalog: 24um excesses in clusters & membership of NGC2244 (Meng+, 2017)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Meng, H. Y. A.; Rieke, G. H.; Su, K. Y. L.; Gaspar, A.

2017-09-01

We re-measured the Spitzer/MIPS 24um photometry for all the clusters except for a few noted in Appendix A. We obtained the 24um data from the Spitzer Heritage Archive between 2004 Jan 28 and 2008 Oct 23. (3 data files).

VizieR Online Data Catalog: X-ray AGNs with Subaru/FMOS NIR observations (Suh+, 2015)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Suh, H.; Hasinger, G.; Steinhardt, C.; Silverman, J. D.; Schramm, M.

2016-03-01

We performed NIR spectroscopic observations for the AGN sources with the FMOS high-resolution spectrographs on the Subaru telescope; in J-short (0.92-1.12um), J-long (1.11-1.35um), H-short (1.40-1.60um), and H-long (1.60-1.80um) coverage with a spectral resolution of R~2200. The data span the 2012 Mar 25-2013 Oct 24 period. In addition to NIR spectra, we use existing optical spectroscopy (see section 3.2). (2 data files).

VizieR Online Data Catalog: MILO. I. HD 7449 radial velocities (Rodigas+, 2016)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rodigas, T. J.; Arriagada, P.; Faherty, J.; Anglada-Escude, G.; Kaib, N.; Butler, R. P.; Shectman, S.; Weinberger, A.; Males, J. R.; Morzinski, K. M.; Close, L. M.; Hinz, P. M.; Crane, J. D.; Thompson, I.; Teske, J.; Diaz, M.; Minniti, D.; Lopez-Morales, M.; Adams, F. C.; Boss, A. P.

2016-04-01

We observed HD 7449 using the Magellan Clay Telescope at the Las Campanas Observatory in Chile on the nights of UT 2014 November 5 and 22. We observed the star with VisAO at Ys (0.99um) and with Clio-2 at H (1.65um) and Ks (2.15um) on the first night and with VisAO at r' (0.63um), i' (0.77um), z' (0.91um), and with Clio-2 at J (1.1um) on the second night. RV data on HD 7449 were first acquired as part of the Magellan Planet Search Program, which originally made use of the MIKE echelle spectrometer (R~70000 in the blue and ~50000 in the red; wavelength coverage ranges from 3900 to 6200Å) on the Magellan Clay telescope until 2009 September. HD 7449 was subsequently observed using the Carnegie Magellan/PFS (3880-6680Å with R~80000 in the iodine region). We also included in our analysis RVs measured with HARPS and CORALIE. These RVs were originally reported in Dumusque et al. (2011, J/A+A/535/A55). HARPS data on HD 7449 has been supplemented by the ESO archive. See section 2.2 for further explanations. (1 data file).

Incremental Centrality Algorithms for Dynamic Network Analysis

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-08-01

encouragement he gave me to complete my degree. Last but not least, I would like to thank CASOS members for insightful discussions and feedback they gave me at...Systems ( CASOS ) under the Institute for Software Research within the School of Computer Science (SCS) at Carnegie Mellon University (CMU). Financial...discusses several ways of generalizing betweenness 23 centrality including scaling of values with respect to length, inclusion of end-points in the

ORA User’s Guide 2013

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-06-03

and a C++ computational backend . The most current version of ORA (3.0.8.5) software is available on the casos website: http://casos.cs.cmu.edu...optimizing a network’s design structure. ORA uses a Java interface for ease of use, and a C++ computational backend . The most current version of ORA...Eigenvector Centrality : Node most connected to other highly connected nodes. Assists in identifying those who can mobilize others Entity Class

Utility of Serum Creatinine, Creatine Kinase and Urinary Myoglobin in Detecting Acute Renal Failure due to Rhabdomyolysis in Trauma and Electrical Burns Patients.

PubMed

Bhavsar, Preetish; Rathod, Kirtikumar Jagdish; Rathod, Darshana; Chamania, C S

2013-02-01

Rhabdomyolysis due to trauma and burns is an important cause of acute renal failure (ARF) secondary to myoglobinuria. To prevent morbidity and mortality from ARF due to rhabdomyolysis, early detection of ARF by monitoring the biochemical parameters such as serum creatinine, serum creatine kinase (CK), and urinary myoglobin (UM) can be helpful. The aims of the study were (1) to detect ARF due to rhabdomyolysis using serum creatinine, serum CK, and UM in trauma and electrical burn patients (2) to compare utility of these parameters in early prediction of ARF in patients of rhabdomyolysis. A total of 50 patients with trauma and electrical burns were included in the study. Serum creatinine, serum CK, and UM measurements were done at the time of admission and after 48 h. Diagnosis of ARF was made in the patients by Rifle's criteria. The presence of significant elevation of creatinine, serum CK, and UM at the time of admission and after 48 h was compared in patients developing ARF by Fisher's exact test. Fifteen of the 50 patients developed ARF as per the defined criteria. Of these, 9 patients (60 %) had raised level of serum creatinine above 1.4 mg% at admission and 14 patients (93.33 %) had CK level >1250 U/L at admission, whereas UM was positive in 6 (40 %) patients. Serum creatinine was significantly raised in all of the 15 ARF patients (100 %) after 48 h of admission and serum CK was raised in 14 of the 15 ARF patients (93.33 %). UM was negative in all the patients after 48 h of admission. Statistical analysis showed that rise in serum CK on admission was significantly increased in patients developing ARF as compared with serum creatinine and UM (P < 0.0001). On admission, CK is a better predictor of ARF due to rhabdomyolysis than creatinine and UM. Initial creatinine is a better predictor of ARF due to rhabdomyolysis than UM. UM assay is not a good investigation for early prediction of ARF in rhabdomyolysis.

Analysis of the spatial distribution of dengue cases in the city of Rio de Janeiro, 2011 and 2012.

PubMed

Carvalho, Silvia; Magalhães, Mônica de Avelar Figueiredo Mafra; Medronho, Roberto de Andrade

2017-08-17

Analyze the spatial distribution of classical dengue and severe dengue cases in the city of Rio de Janeiro. Exploratory study, considering cases of classical dengue and severe dengue with laboratory confirmation of the infection in the city of Rio de Janeiro during the years 2011/2012. The georeferencing technique was applied for the cases notified in the Notification Increase Information System in the period of 2011 and 2012. For this process, the fields "street" and "number" were used. The ArcGis10 program's Geocoding tool's automatic process was performed. The spatial analysis was done through the kernel density estimator. Kernel density pointed out hotspots for classic dengue that did not coincide geographically with severe dengue and were in or near favelas. The kernel ratio did not show a notable change in the spatial distribution pattern observed in the kernel density analysis. The georeferencing process showed a loss of 41% of classic dengue registries and 17% of severe dengue registries due to the address in the Notification Increase Information System form. The hotspots near the favelas suggest that the social vulnerability of these localities can be an influencing factor for the occurrence of this aggravation since there is a deficiency of the supply and access to essential goods and services for the population. To reduce this vulnerability, interventions must be related to macroeconomic policies. Analisar a distribuição espacial dos casos de dengue clássico e dengue grave no município do Rio de Janeiro. Estudo exploratório, considerando casos de dengue clássico e de dengue grave com comprovação laboratorial da infecção, ocorridos no município do Rio de Janeiro nos anos de 2011/2012. Foi aplicada a técnica de georreferenciamento dos casos notificados no Sistema de Informação de Agravos de Notificação, no período de 2011 e 2012. Para esse processo, utilizaram-se os campos "logradouro" e "número". Foi realizado o processo automático da ferramenta Geocoding do programa ArcGis10. A análise espacial foi feita a partir do estimador de densidade Kernel. A densidade de Kernel apontou áreas quentes para dengue clássico não coincidente geograficamente a dengue grave, estando localizadas dentro ou próximas de favelas. O cálculo da razão de Kernel não apresentou modificação significativa no padrão de distribuição espacial observados na análise da densidade de Kernel. O processo de georreferenciamento mostrou perda de 41% dos registros de dengue clássico e 17% de dengue grave devido ao endereçamento da ficha do Sistema de Informação de Agravos de Notificação. As áreas quentes próximas às favelas sugerem que a vulnerabilidade social existente nessas localidades pode ser um fator de influência para a ocorrência desse agravo, uma vez que há deficiência da oferta e acesso a bens e serviços essenciais para a população. Para diminuir essa vulnerabilidade, as intervenções devem estar relacionadas a políticas macroeconômicas.

Ga Lithography in Sputtered Niobium for Superconductive Micro and Nanowires.

DOE PAGES

Henry, Michael David; Lewis, Rupert M.; Wolfley, Steven L.; ...

2014-08-18

This work demonstrates the use of FIB implanted Ga as a lithographic mask for plasma etching of Nb films. Using a highly collimated Ga beam of a FIB, Nb is implanted 12 nm deep with a 14 nm thick Ga layer providing etch selectivity better than 15:1 with fluorine based etch chemistry. Implanted square test patterns, both 10 um by and 10 um and 100 um by 100 um, demonstrate that doses above than 7.5 x 1015 cm-2 at 30 kV provide adequate mask protection for a 205 nm thick, sputtered Nb film. The resolution of this dry lithographic techniquemore » is demonstrated by fabrication of nanowires 75 nm wide by 10 um long connected to 50 um wide contact pads. The residual resistance ratio of patterned Nb films was 3. The superconducting transition temperature, Tc =7.7 K, was measured using MPMS. This nanoscale, dry lithographic technique was extended to sputtered TiN and Ta here and could be used on other fluorine etched superconductors such as NbN, NbSi, and NbTi.« less

An Investigation of the Adsorption Characteristics of 5'ATP and 5'AMP onto the Surface of Caso4 x 2H2O

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Calderon, J.; Sweeney, M. A.

1984-01-01

A model has been proposed in which solid surfaces can act as a site for cataletic activity of condensation reactions for certain biomolecules. From this model, the adsorption characteristics of 5'ATP and 5'AMP onto the surface of CaSO4.2H2O was chosen for study. It has been proven that 5'ATP and 5'AMP do adsorb onto the surface of CaSO4. Studies were then made to determine the dependence of absorption versus time, concentration, ionic strength and pH. It was found that the adsorption of the nucleotides is highly pH dependent, primarily determined by the phosphate acid groups of the nucleic acid molecule. From this investigation, the data obtained is discussed in relation to the model for the prebiotic earth.

An investigation of the adsorption characteristics of 5 prime ATP and 5 prime AMP onto the surface of CaSO sub 4 x 2H sub 2 O

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Calderon, J.; Sweeney, M. A.

1986-01-01

A model has been proposed (Lahev and Chans, 1982) in which solid surfaces can act as a site for catalytic activity of condensation reactions for certain biomolecules. From this model, the adsorption characteristics of 5'ATP and 5'AMP onto the surface of CaSO4 2H2O was chosen for study. It has been proven that 5'ATP and 5'AMP do adsorb onto the surface of CaSO4. Studies were then made to determine the dependence of adsorption versus time, concentration, ionic strength and pH. It was found that the adsorption of the nucleotides is highly pH dependent, primarily determined by the phosphate acid groups of the nucleic acid molecule. From this investigation, the data obtained are discussed in relation to the model for the prebiotic earth.

Removal of Calcium from Scheelite Leaching Solution by Addition of CaSO4 Inoculating Crystals

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Wenting; Li, Yongli; Zeng, Dewen; Li, Jiangtao; Zhao, Zhongwei

2018-04-01

In this work, the solubility behaviors of gypsum and anhydrite in the H2SO4-H3PO4-H2O system were investigated over the temperature range T = 30-80°C, and the results showed that the solubility of anhydrite was considerably lower than that of gypsum. On the basis of the differential solubilities of gypsum and anhydrite, a method was developed to remove calcium from the scheelite leaching solution by adding anhydrite as an inoculating crystal. The effects of the reaction time, concentration of the CaSO4 inoculating crystals, and temperature were investigated. With an addition of CaSO4 inoculating crystals at a concentration of 60 g/L, the Ca2+ concentration of the scheelite leaching solution decreased to a low level of approximately 0.76 g/L after 10 h at 70°C.

VizieR Online Data Catalog: Reflectance spectra of 12 Trojans and Hildas (Marsset+, 2014)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Marsset, M.; Vernazza, P.; Gourgeot, F.; Dumas, C.; Birlan, M.; Lamy, P.; Binzel, R. P.

2014-07-01

We present 17 reflectance spectra of 12 high albedo (pv>0.14) Trojans (8 objects) and Hildas (4 objects) obtained with the ESO/VLT Echelle spectrograph X-SHOOTER in the 0.3-2.2um spectral range (14 spectra) and with the NASA/IRTF spectrograph SpeX in the 0.8-2.5um spectral range (3 spectra). X-SHOOTER spectra were normalized to unity at 0.55um and SpeX spectra were normalized to unity at 2.2um . The spectra presented in this work were collected between April and December 2013. (18 data files).

BCR ligation induced by IgM stimulation results in gene expression and functional changes only in IgV H unmutated chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) cells.

PubMed

Guarini, Anna; Chiaretti, Sabina; Tavolaro, Simona; Maggio, Roberta; Peragine, Nadia; Citarella, Franca; Ricciardi, Maria Rosaria; Santangelo, Simona; Marinelli, Marilisa; De Propris, Maria Stefania; Messina, Monica; Mauro, Francesca Romana; Del Giudice, Ilaria; Foà, Robert

2008-08-01

Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) patients exhibit a variable clinical course. To investigate the association between clinicobiologic features and responsiveness of CLL cells to anti-IgM stimulation, we evaluated gene expression changes and modifications in cell-cycle distribution, proliferation, and apoptosis of IgV(H) mutated (M) and unmutated (UM) samples upon BCR cross-linking. Unsupervised analysis highlighted a different response profile to BCR stimulation between UM and M samples. Supervised analysis identified several genes modulated exclusively in the UM cases upon BCR cross-linking. Functional gene groups, including signal transduction, transcription, cell-cycle regulation, and cytoskeleton organization, were up-regulated upon stimulation in UM cases. Cell-cycle and proliferation analyses confirmed that IgM cross-linking induced a significant progression into the G(1) phase and a moderate increase of proliferative activity exclusively in UM patients. Moreover, we observed only a small reduction in the percentage of subG(0/1) cells, without changes in apoptosis, in UM cases; contrariwise, a significant increase of apoptotic levels was observed in stimulated cells from M cases. These results document that a differential genotypic and functional response to BCR ligation between IgV(H) M and UM cases is operational in CLL, indicating that response to antigenic stimulation plays a pivotal role in disease progression.

Robotic pulmonary lobectomy for lung cancer treatment: program implementation and initial experience.

PubMed

Terra, Ricardo Mingarini; Araujo, Pedro Henrique Xavier Nabuco de; Lauricella, Leticia Leone; Campos, José Ribas Milanez de; Costa, Herbert Felix; Pego-Fernandes, Paulo Manuel

2016-01-01

To describe the implementation of a robotic thoracic surgery program at a public tertiary teaching hospital and to analyze its initial results. This was a planned interim analysis of a randomized clinical trial aimed at comparing video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery and robotic surgery in terms of the results obtained after pulmonary lobectomy. The robotic surgery program developed at the Instituto do Câncer do Estado de São Paulo, in the city of São Paulo, Brazil, is a multidisciplinary initiative involving various surgical specialties, as well as anesthesiology, nursing, and clinical engineering teams. In this analysis, we evaluated the patients included in the robotic lobectomy arm of the trial during its first three months (from April to June of 2015). Ten patients were included in this analysis. There were eight women and two men. The mean age was 65.1 years. All of the patients presented with peripheral tumors. We performed right upper lobectomy in four patients, right lower lobectomy in four, and left upper lobectomy in two. Surgical time varied considerably (range, 135-435 min). Conversion to open surgery or video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery was not necessary in any of the cases. Intraoperative complications were not found. Only the first patient required postoperative transfer to the ICU. There were no deaths or readmissions within the first 30 days after discharge. The only postoperative complication was chest pain (grade 3), in two patients. Pathological examination revealed complete tumor resection in all cases. When there is integration and proper training of all of the teams involved, the implementation of a robotic thoracic surgery program is feasible and can reduce morbidity and mortality. Descrever a implantação de um programa de cirurgia torácica robótica em um hospital terciário público universitário e analisar seus resultados iniciais. Este estudo é uma análise interina planejada de um ensaio clínico aleatorizado cujo objetivo é comparar resultados da lobectomia pulmonar por videotoracoscopia com a robótica. O programa de cirurgia robótica do Instituto do Câncer do Estado de São Paulo, localizado na cidade de São Paulo (SP), foi uma iniciativa multidisciplinar que envolveu diversas especialidades cirúrgicas e equipes de anestesia, enfermagem e engenharia clínica. Nesta análise, avaliamos os pacientes incluídos no braço lobectomia robótica durante os primeiros três meses do estudo (de abril a junho de 2015). Dez pacientes foram incluídos nesta análise. Eram oito mulheres e dois homens. A média de idade foi de 65,1 anos. Todos apresentavam tumores periféricos. Foram realizadas lobectomia superior direita, em quatro pacientes; lobectomia inferior direita, em quatro; e lobectomia superior esquerda, em dois. Os tempos cirúrgicos variaram bastante (variação, 135-435 min). Não foi necessária a conversão para técnica aberta ou videotoracoscópica em nenhum paciente. Não foram observadas complicações intraoperatórias. Apenas o primeiro paciente foi encaminhado à UTI no pós-operatório. Não houve mortalidade nem reinternações em 30 dias após a alta. A única complicação pós-operatória observada foi dor torácica (grau 3), em dois pacientes. O exame anatomopatológico revelou a ressecção completa do tumor em todos os casos. A implantação de um programa de cirurgia torácica robótica, quando há integração e treinamento adequado de todas as equipes envolvidas, é factível e pode reduzir a morbidade e a mortalidade.

"Uh" and "Um" Revisited: Are They Interjections for Signaling Delay?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

O'Connell, Daniel C.; Kowal, Sabine

2005-01-01

Clark and Fox Tree (2002) have presented empirical evidence, based primarily on the London-Lund corpus (LL; Svartvik & Quirk, 1980), that the fillers "uh" and "um" are conventional English words that signal a speaker's intention to initiate a minor and a major delay, respectively. We present here empirical analyses of "uh" and "um" and of silent…

The attitudes, role & knowledge of mental health nurses towards euthanasia because of unbearable mental suffering in Belgium: a pilot study.

PubMed

Demedts, Dennis; Roelands, Marc; Libbrecht, Julien; Bilsen, Johan

2018-05-26

Euthanasia because of unbearable mental suffering (UMS euthanasia) has been legal in Belgium since 2002, under certain circumstances that govern careful practice. Despite the legal framework, there are specific difficulties and concerns regarding UMS euthanasia. Mental health nurses are often involved in the process, but little is known about their attitudes towards UMS euthanasia, their role and their knowledge. To determine the attitudes, role and knowledge of mental health nurses regarding UMS euthanasia. A cross-sectional survey was performed at a convenience sample of four psychiatric hospitals in Belgium (n=133) as a pilot study. Self-administered questionnaires were provided to mental health nurses. Half the nurses in our sample had been involved at least once in the process of UMS euthanasia. A large majority of mental health nurses were supportive of UMS euthanasia. Nurses show differences in attitudes related to the different psychiatric pathologies of the patients, and in whether or not minors are involved. In some cases, they believed that the mental suffering of psychiatric patients can be unbearable and irreversible and that psychiatric patients can be competent to voluntarily request UMS euthanasia. Nurses stated that they have an important role in the UMS euthanasia process, but also demanded more knowledge and clear guidelines to implement the procedure. Nurses have a key role regarding UMS euthanasia but face several challenges: the recent process, resistance to a multidisciplinary approach by psychiatrists and an unclear role defined by the legal framework. Nurses do not appear to have a common voice on the topic and the development of clear guidelines appears to be essential. Social recovery can offer a way out of an UMS euthanasia request, but it will not always offer a solution. Sufficient attention must be paid to how mental health nurses can be involved in the process of UMS euthanasia at various levels: bedside practice, healthcare management, education and policy. A form of systematic cooperation between nurses, physicians and patients can contribute to the utmost careful decision-making process needed in these cases. There is a need for proper training in: knowledge of psychiatric pathologies and remaining treatment options; communication skills; the legal framework and all its difficulties; transdisciplinary and multicultural approaches; ethical reflection and how nurses handle their own emotions. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

The short form of the recombinant CAL-A-type lipase UM03410 from the smut fungus Ustilago maydis exhibits an inherent trans-fatty acid selectivity.

PubMed

Brundiek, Henrike; Saß, Stefan; Evitt, Andrew; Kourist, Robert; Bornscheuer, Uwe T

2012-04-01

The Ustilago maydis lipase UM03410 belongs to the mostly unexplored Candida antarctica lipase (CAL-A) subfamily. The two lipases with [corrected] the highest identity are a lipase from Sporisorium reilianum and the prototypic CAL-A. In contrast to the other CAL-A-type lipases, this hypothetical U. maydis lipase is annotated to possess a prolonged N-terminus of unknown function. Here, we show for the first time the recombinant expression of two versions of lipase UM03410: the full-length form (lipUMf) and an Nterminally truncated form (lipUMs). For comparison to the prototype, the expression of recombinant CAL-A in E. coli was investigated. Although both forms of lipase UM03410 could be expressed functionally in E. coli, the N-terminally truncated form (lipUMs) demonstrated significantly higher activities towards p-nitrophenyl esters. The functional expression of the N-terminally truncated lipase was further optimized by the appropriate choice of the E. coli strain, lowering the cultivation temperature to 20 °C and enrichment of the cultivation medium with glucose. Primary characteristics of the recombinant lipase are its pH optimum in the range of 6.5-7.0 and its temperature optimum at 55 °C. As is typical for lipases, lipUM03410 shows preference for long chain fatty acid esters with myristic acid ester (C14:0 ester) being the most preferred one.More importantly, lipUMs exhibits an inherent preference for C18:1Δ9 trans and C18:1Δ11 trans-fatty acid esters similar to CAL-A. Therefore, the short form of this U. maydis lipase is the only other currently known lipase with a distinct trans-fatty acid selectivity.

Uh and um revisited: are they interjections for signaling delay?

PubMed

O'Connell, Daniel C; Kowal, Sabine

2005-11-01

Clark and Fox Tree (2002) have presented empirical evidence, based primarily on the London-Lund corpus (LL; Svartvik & Quirk, 1980), that the fillers uh and um are conventional English words that signal a speaker's intention to initiate a minor and a major delay, respectively. We present here empirical analyses of uh and um and of silent pauses (delays) immediately following them in six media interviews of Hillary Clinton. Our evidence indicates that uh and um cannot serve as signals of upcoming delay, let alone signal it differentially: In most cases, both uh and um were not followed by a silent pause, that is, there was no delay at all; the silent pauses that did occur after um were too short to be counted as major delays; finally, the distributions of durations of silent pauses after uh and um were almost entirely overlapping and could therefore not have served as reliable predictors for a listener. The discrepancies between Clark and Fox Tree's findings and ours are largely a consequence of the fact that their LL analyses reflect the perceptions of professional coders, whereas our data were analyzed by means of acoustic measurements with the PRAAT software (www.praat.org). A comparison of our findings with those of O'Connell, Kowal, and Ageneau (2005) did not corroborate the hypothesis of Clark and Fox Tree that uh and um are interjections: Fillers occurred typically in initial, interjections in medial positions; fillers did not constitute an integral turn by themselves, whereas interjections did; fillers never initiated cited speech, whereas interjections did; and fillers did not signal emotion, whereas interjections did. Clark and Fox Tree's analyses were embedded within a theory of ideal delivery that we find inappropriate for the explication of these phenomena.

Clustering according to urolithin metabotype explains the interindividual variability in the improvement of cardiovascular risk biomarkers in overweight-obese individuals consuming pomegranate: A randomized clinical trial.

PubMed

González-Sarrías, Antonio; García-Villalba, Rocío; Romo-Vaquero, María; Alasalvar, Cesarettin; Örem, Asim; Zafrilla, Pilar; Tomás-Barberán, Francisco A; Selma, María V; Espín, Juan Carlos

2017-05-01

The pomegranate lipid-lowering properties remain controversial, probably due to the interindividual variability in polyphenol (ellagitannins) metabolism. We aimed at investigating whether the microbially derived ellagitannin-metabolizing phenotypes, i.e. urolithin metabotypes A, (UM-A), B (UM-B), and 0 (UM-0), influence the effects of pomegranate extract (PE) consumption on 18 cardiovascular risk biomarkers in healthy overweight-obese individuals. A double-blind, crossover, dose-response, randomized, placebo-controlled trial was conducted. The study (POMEcardio) consisted of two test phases (dose-1 and dose-2, lasting 3 weeks each) and a 3-week washout period between each phase. Forty-nine participants (BMI > 27 kg/m 2 ) daily consumed one (dose-1, 160 mg phenolics/day) or four (dose-2, 640 mg phenolics/day) PE or placebo capsules. Notably, UM-B individuals showed the highest baseline cardiovascular risk. After dose-2, total cholesterol (-15.5 ± 3.7%), LDL-cholesterol (-14.9 ± 2.1%), small LDL-cholesterol (-47 ± 7%), non-HDL-cholesterol (-11.3 ± 2.5%), apolipoprotein-B (-12 ± 2.2%), and oxidized LDL-cholesterol -24 ± 2.5%) dose dependently decreased (P < 0.05) but only in UM-B subjects. These effects were partially correlated with urolithin production and the increase in Gordonibacter levels. Three (50%) nonproducers (UM-0) became producers following PE consumption. UM clustering suggests a personalized effect of ellagitannin-containing foods and could explain the controversial pomegranate benefits. Research on the specific role of urolithins and the microbiota associated with each UM is warranted. © 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Medical condition and care of undocumented migrants in ambulatory clinics in Tel Aviv, Israel: assessing unmet needs.

PubMed

Mor, Zohar; Raveh, Yuval; Lurie, Ido; Leventhal, Alex; Gamzu, Roni; Davidovitch, Nadav; Benari, Orel; Grotto, Itamar

2017-07-14

Approximately 150,000 undocumented migrants (UM) who are medically uninsured reside in Israel, including ~50,000 originating from the horn of Africa (MHA). Free medical-care is provided by two walk-in clinics in Tel-Aviv. This study aims to compare the medical complaints of UM from different origins, define their community health needs and assess gaps between medical needs and available services. This cross-sectional study included a random sample of 610 UM aged 18-64 years, who were treated in these community clinics between 2008 and 2011. The study compared UM who had complex medical conditions which necessitated referral to more equipped medical settings with UM having mild/simple medical conditions, who were treated at the clinics. MHA were younger, unemployed and more commonly males compared with UM originating from other countries. MHA also had longer referral-delays and visited the clinics less frequently. UM with complex medical conditions were more commonly females, had chronic diseases and demonstrated longer referral-delays than those who had mild/simple medical conditions. The latter more commonly presented with complained of respiratory, muscular and skeletal discomfort. In multivariate analysis, the variables which predicted complex medical conditions included female gender, chronic illnes and self-referral to the clinics. The ambulatory clinics were capable of responding to mild/simple medical conditions. Yet, the health needs of women and migrants suffering from complex medical conditions and chronic diseases necessitated referrals to secondary/tertiary medical settings, while jeopardizing the continuity of care. The health gaps can be addressed by a more holistic social approach, which includes integration of UM in universal health insurance.

High-speed, large-area, p-i-n InGaAs photodiode linear array at 2-micron wavelength

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Joshi, Abhay; Datta, Shubhashish

2012-06-01

We present 16-element and 32-element lattice-mismatched InGaAs photodiode arrays having a cut-off wavelength of ~2.2 um. Each 100 um × 200 um large pixel of the 32-element array has a capacitance of 2.5 pF at 5 V reverse bias, thereby allowing a RC-limited bandwidth of ~1.3 GHz. At room temperature, each pixel demonstrates a dark current of 25 uA at 5 V reverse bias. Corresponding results for the 16-element array having 200 um × 200 um pixels are also reported. Cooling the photodiode array to 150K is expected to reduce its dark current to < 50 nA per pixel at 5 V reverse bias. Additionally, measurement results of 2-micron single photodiodes having 16 GHz bandwidth and corresponding PIN-TIA photoreceiver having 6 GHz bandwidth are also reported.

Development of a non-contextual model for determining the autonomy level of intelligent unmanned systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Durst, Phillip J.; Gray, Wendell; Trentini, Michael

2013-05-01

A simple, quantitative measure for encapsulating the autonomous capabilities of unmanned systems (UMS) has yet to be established. Current models for measuring a UMS's autonomy level require extensive, operational level testing, and provide a means for assessing the autonomy level for a specific mission/task and operational environment. A more elegant technique for quantifying autonomy using component level testing of the robot platform alone, outside of mission and environment contexts, is desirable. Using a high level framework for UMS architectures, such a model for determining a level of autonomy has been developed. The model uses a combination of developmental and component level testing for each aspect of the UMS architecture to define a non-contextual autonomous potential (NCAP). The NCAP provides an autonomy level, ranging from fully non- autonomous to fully autonomous, in the form of a single numeric parameter describing the UMS's performance capabilities when operating at that level of autonomy.

Vertical Interaction in Open Software Engineering Communities

DTIC Science & Technology

2009-03-01

Program in CASOS (NSF,DGE-9972762), the Office of Naval Research under Dynamic Network Analysis program (N00014-02-1-0973, the Air Force Office of...W91WAW07C0063) for research in the area of dynamic network analysis. Additional support was provided by CASOS - the center for Computational Analysis of Social...methods across the domain. For a given project, de - velopers can choose from dozens of models, tools, platforms, and languages for specification, design

An Analytical Evaluation of Contingency Contracting Operations in Iraq and Afghanistan: Capturing Critical Corporate Knowledge for the Future

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-12-01

Makeup for the CASO (After Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Manufacturing and Industrial Base, n.d., p. 7) .......73  xiv Figure 26.  JCASO...Augmentation Program CAP Crisis Action Planning CASO Contingency Acquisition Support Office CBP Capability-Based Planning CCAS Contingency...enhance joint doctrine; 69  Develop and refine joint non-acquisition OCS training and education and ensure its inclusion in joint exercises;  Identify

An In Vitro Comparison of PMMA and Calcium Sulfate as Carriers for the Local Delivery of Gallium(III) Nitrate to Staphylococcal Infected Surgical Sites

PubMed Central

Garcia, Rebecca A.; Tennent, David J.; Chang, David; Wenke, Joseph C.; Sanchez, Carlos J.

2016-01-01

Antibiotic-loaded bone cements, including poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) and calcium sulfate (CaSO4), are often used for treatment of orthopaedic infections involving Staphylococcus spp., although the effectiveness of this treatment modality may be limited due to the emergence of antimicrobial resistance and/or the development of biofilms within surgical sites. Gallium(III) is an iron analog capable of inhibiting essential iron-dependent pathways, exerting broad antimicrobial activity against multiple microorganisms, including Staphylococcus spp. Herein, we evaluated PMMA and CaSO4 as carriers for delivery of gallium(III) nitrate (Ga(NO3)3) to infected surgical sites by assessing the release kinetics subsequent to incorporation and antimicrobial activity against S. aureus and S. epidermidis. PMMA and to a lesser extent CaSO4 were observed to be compatible as carriers for Ga(NO3)3, eluting concentrations with antimicrobial activity against planktonic bacteria, inhibiting bacterial growth, and preventing bacterial colonization of beads, and effective against established bacterial biofilms of S. aureus and S. epidermidis. Collectively, our in vitro results indicate that PMMA is a more suitable carrier compared to CaSO4 for delivery of Ga(NO3)3; moreover they provide evidence for the potential use of Ga(NO3)3 with PMMA as a strategy for the prevention and/or treatment for orthopaedic infections. PMID:26885514

Trombose induzida pelo calor endovenoso: relato de dois casos tratados com rivaroxabana e revisão da literatura

PubMed Central

de Araujo, Walter Junior Boim; Timi, Jorge Rufino Ribas; Erzinger, Fabiano Luiz; Caron, Filipe Carlos

2016-01-01

Resumo Define-se trombose induzida pelo calor endovenoso como a propagação do trombo a partir de uma veia superficial em direção a uma veia mais profunda. Em geral, é considerada clinicamente insignificante quando não há propagação do trombo para o sistema venoso profundo. Essa condição pode ser tratada com terapia anticoagulante, embora a observação pareça ser suficiente, principalmente para graus menores. Neste estudo, relatamos dois casos de trombose induzida pelo calor endovenoso que teriam indicação de heparina de baixo peso molecular até a resolução do quadro. Porém, optou-se pelo uso da rivaroxabana (15 mg de 12 em 12h), com resolução completa do trombo em 4 semanas (caso 1) e em 7 dias (caso 2). A rivaroxabana pode ser uma alternativa promissora no tratamento da trombose induzida pelo calor endovenoso avançada, pela simplicidade da posologia, sem comprometimento da eficácia ou da segurança. São necessários estudos prospectivos, randomizados e controlados que possibilitem melhor entendimento da condição e o desenvolvimento de recomendações mais definitivas sobre opções de prevenção e tratamento.

Novel dry-desulfurization process using Ca(OH)2/fly ash sorbent in a circulating fluidized bed.

PubMed

Matsushima, Norihiko; Li, Yan; Nishioka, Masateru; Sadakata, Masayoshi; Qi, Haiying; Xu, Xuchang

2004-12-15

A dry-desulfurization process using Ca(OH)2/fly ash sorbent and a circulating fluidized bed (CFB) was developed. Its aim was to achieve high SO2 removal efficiency without humidification and production of CaSO4 as the main byproduct. The CaSO4 produced could be used to treat alkalized soil. An 83% SO2 removal rate was demonstrated, and a byproduct with a high CaSO4 content was produced through baghouse ash. These results indicated that this process could remove SO2 in flue gas with a high efficiency under dry conditions and simultaneously produce soil amendment. It was shown that NO and NO2 enhanced the SO2 removal rate markedly and that NO2 increased the amount of CaSO4 in the final product more than NO. These results confirmed that the significant effects of NO and NO2 on the SO2 removal rate were due to chain reactions that occurred under favorable conditions. The amount of baghouse ash produced increased as the reaction progressed, indicating that discharge of unreacted Ca(OH)2 from the reactor was suppressed. Hence, unreacted Ca(OH)2 had a long residence time in the CFB, resulting in a high SO2 removal rate. It was also found that 350 degrees C is the optimum reaction temperature for dry desulfurization in the range tested (320-380 degrees C).

What is “colonial” about medieval colonial medicine? Iberian health in global context

PubMed Central

McCleery, Iona

2015-01-01

Colonial medicine is a thriving field of study in the history of nineteenth- and twentieth-century medicine. Medicine can be used as a lens to view colonialism in action and as a way to critique colonialism. This article argues that key debates and ideas from that modern field can fruitfully be applied to the Middle Ages, especially for the early empires of Spain and Portugal (mid-fourteenth to mid-sixteenth centuries). The article identifies key modern debates, explores approaches to colonization and colonialism in the Middle Ages and discusses how medieval and modern medicine and healthcare could be compared using colonial and postcolonial discourses. The article ends with three case studies of healthcare encounters in Madeira, Granada and Hispaniola at the end of the fifteenth century. PMID:26550030

REDUCTIVE DEHALOGENATION OF HEXACHLOROETHANE, CARBON TETRACHLORIDE, AND BROMOFORM BY ANAHYDROQUINONE DISULFONATE AND HUMIC ACID

EPA Science Inventory

The reductive dehalogenation of hexachloroethane (C2CI6), carbon tetrachloride (CC14), and bromoform (CHBr3) was examined at 50 degrees C in aqueous solutions containing either (1) 500 uM of 2,6-anthrahydroquinone disulfonate (AHQDS), (2) 250 uM Fe2+, or (3) 250 uM HS. The pH ran...

Assessment of Teams and Teamwork in the University of Maryland Libraries

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Baughman, M. Sue

2008-01-01

Teams play an important role in the University of Maryland (UM) Libraries. Since 1998, teams and collaborative teamwork have become the way librarians address the myriad of issues affecting the needs of UM's faculty, students, and staff. There has been much change in the UM Libraries over the past nine years, and the development is ongoing.…

Somatic embryogenesis in immature cotyledons of Manchurian ash (Fraxinus mandshurica Rupr.)

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Somatic embryogenesis was obtained from immature cotyledon explants that were cultured on half-strength Murashige and Skoog (MS) salts and vitamins with 5.4 uM naphthaleneacetic acid (NAA) and 0.2 uM thidiazuron (TDZ) plus a 4x4 factorial combination of 0,9.8, 34.6, or 49.2 uM indole-3-butyric acid ...

VizieR Online Data Catalog: Young clumps embedded in IRDC (Traficante+, 2015)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Traficante, A.; Fuller, G. A.; Peretto, N.; Pineda, J. E.; Molinari, S.

2015-06-01

Photometric parameters for 667 starless clumps (sources identified at 160um with a counterpart at 250 and 350um) and 1056 protostellar clumps (sources identified at 160um with a counterpart at 70, 250 and 350um). Photometric parameters obtained with Hyper photometry code (2015A&A...574A.119T). The photometry is corrected for aperture and colour corrections. The parameter list is the standard Hyper output (see description below). SED fit parameters for 650 starless clumps and 1034 protostellar clumps (all clumps with good SED fitting: Chi2<10, Temperature<40K. See the paper for details) (4 data files).

VizieR Online Data Catalog: Draco nebula Herschel 250um map (Miville-Deschenes+, 2017)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Miville-Deschenes, M.-A.; Salome, Q.; Martin, P. G.; Joncas, G.; Blagrave, K.; Dassas, K.; Abergel, A.; Beelen, A.; Boulanger, F.; Lagache, G.; Lockman, F. J.; Marshall, D. J.

2017-03-01

Draco was observed with Herschel PACS (110 and 170um) and SPIRE (250, 350 and 500um) as part of the open-time program "First steps toward star formation: unveiling the atomic to molecular transition in the diffuse interstellar medium" (P.I. M-A Miville-Deschenes). A field of 3.85x3.85 was observed in parallel mode. Unfortunately, an error occurred during the acquisition of the PACS data making them unusable. Therefore, the results presented here are solely based on SPIRE data, especially the 250um map that has the highest angular resolution. (2 data files).

High Frequency GaAs Bulk Acousto-Optic Devices For Modulators And Frequency Shifters At 1.3um And 1.5um In Fiber-Optics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Soos, J. I.; Rosemeier, R. G.

1989-02-01

The edge of a transmission window for a GaAs Bragg cell starts about lum, which allows this material to be used for infrared fiber-optic applications, especially at 1.3um and 1.5um. The single crystal of GaAs is acoustically anisotropic and has the highest figure of merit, M2, along <111> direction for a longitudinal mode sound wave. Recently, Brimrose has designed and fabricated an acousto-optic modulator from GaAs operating at a carrier frequency of 2.3 GHz with a diffraction efficiency of 4%/RF watt.

VizieR Online Data Catalog: LRLL54361 protostar Herschel/PACS fluxes (Balog+, 2014)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Balog, Z.; Muzerolle, J.; Flaherty, K.; Detre, O. H.; Bouwmann, J.; Furlan, E.; Gutermuth, R.; Juhasz, A.; Bally, J.; Nielbock, M.; Klaas, U.; Krause, O.; Henning, T.; Marton, G.

2017-03-01

We observed a 14'x14' area in IC348 with the Photodetector Array Camera and Spectrometer (PACS; Poglitsch et al. 2010A&A...518L...2P) Herschel Space Observatory (Pilbratt et al. 2010A&A...518L...1P) simultaneously at 70 and 160um 24 times in scan map mode. An additional five epoch were observed during a later pulse phase of LRLL54361 in all three PACS photometer bands. The PACS spectrograph consists of a 5x5 array of 9.4" x 9.4" spatial pixels (hereafter referred to as spaxels) covering the spectral range from 52-210 um with λ/δλ ~1000-3000. Spectra were obtained in two spectral orders simultaneously, with the second order ranging from 51 to 105um and the first order from 102 to 210um. The spatial resolution of PACS-S ranges from ~9'' at 50um to ~18'' at 210um. Our target was observed in the standard range-scan spectroscopy mode with a grating step size corresponding to Nyquist sampling (see further Poglitsch et al. 2010A&A...518L...2P). (1 data file).

[Estimation of uncertainty of measurement in clinical biochemistry].

PubMed

Enea, Maria; Hristodorescu, Cristina; Schiriac, Corina; Morariu, Dana; Mutiu, Tr; Dumitriu, Irina; Gurzu, B

2009-01-01

The uncertainty of measurement (UM) or measurement uncertainty is known as the parameter associated with the result of a measurement. Repeated measurements usually reveal slightly different results for the same analyte, sometimes a little higher, sometimes a little lower, because the results of a measurement are depending not only by the analyte itself, but also, by a number of error factors that could give doubts about the estimate. The uncertainty of the measurement represent the quantitative, mathematically expression of this doubt. UM is a range of measured values which is probably to enclose the true value of the measured. Calculation of UM for all types of laboratories is regularized by the ISO Guide to the Expression of Uncertainty in Measurement (abbreviated GUM) and the SR ENV 13005 : 2003 (both recognized by European Accreditation). Even if the GUM rules about UM estimation are very strictly, the offering of the result together with UM will increase the confidence of customers (patients or physicians). In this study the authors are presenting the possibilities of UM assessing in labs from our country by using the data obtained in the procedures of methods validation, during the internal and external quality control.

VizieR Online Data Catalog: Spectrophotometric distances of HII regions (Moises+, 2011)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Moises, A. P.; Damineli, A.; Figueredo, E.; Blum, R. D.; Conti, P. S.; Barbosa, C. L.

2011-11-01

The J-band (λ1.28um, δλ=0.3um), H-band (λ1.63um, δλ=0.3um) and Ks-band (λ2.19um, δλ=0.4um) images were obtained on the nights of 1999 May 1, 4 and 20, 2000 May 19 and 21 and 2001 July 10 and 12, at the Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory (CTIO) 4-m Blanco telescope, using the facility's infrared imager OSIRIS, which has a field of view (FOV) of 93x93arcsec2 and a pixel scale of 0.161arcsec/pixel. On the nights of 2005 Jult 3-6 and 11 and 2006 June 3-7, we obtained images using the facility's infrared imager ISPI (with a FOV of 10.25x10.25arcmin2 and a pixel scale of 0.3arcsec/pix), also at the 4-m Blanco telescope. Also, on the nights of 1998 August 28 and 29, we obtained images on the CTIO 4-m telescope using the facility's infrared imager CIRIM (with a FOV of 102x102arcsec2 and a pixel scale of 0.40arcsec/pix). (3 data files).

Unconsummated marriage: can it still be considered a consequence of vaginismus?

PubMed

Michetti, P M; Silvaggi, M; Fabrizi, A; Tartaglia, N; Rossi, R; Simonelli, C

2014-01-01

Unconsummated marriage (UM) is the failure to perform successful sexual intercourse at the beginning of the marriage. Vaginismus has been traditionally reported as the leading cause. ED is also a leading cause for UM. This appears to be a significant problem in the conservative middle-Eastern societies and in the developing countries, where couples are strongly prevented by religious rules and cultural taboos from sexual experiences before wedding. One could think that according to major sexual freedom and information, in Western countries UM is now disappearing, but the number of observed cases by the authors in 2008-2012 was relevant. The aim of this study is to compare the literature data from non-Western countries with the features of UM in Western ones, focusing on cases observed by the authors, and to verify whether the etiology of UM proposed in the '70s is still relevant, outlining any changes that occur in current reality. In our series, traditional appearance of UM is no more effective, while the role of man is undervalued, because of his frailty, lack of self-confidence and ignorance, expressing a social and cultural change of man's role in the couple.

Elucidating the role of the FoxO3a transcription factor in the IGF-1-induced migration and invasion of uveal melanoma cancer cells.

PubMed

Yan, Fengxia; Liao, Rifang; Farhan, Mohd; Wang, Tinghuai; Chen, Jiashu; Wang, Zhong; Little, Peter J; Zheng, Wenhua

2016-12-01

Uveal melanoma (UM) is the most common primary intraocular malignant tumor of adults. It has high mortality rate due to liver metastasis. However, the epidemiology and pathogenesis of liver metastasis in UM are not elucidated and there is no effective therapy available for preventing the development of this disease. IGF-1 is a growth factor involved in cell proliferation, malignant transformation and inhibition of apoptosis. In previous report, IGF-1 receptor was found to be highly expressed in UM and this was related to tumor prognosis. FoxO3a is a Forkhead box O (FOXO) transcription factor and a downstream target of the IGF-1R/PI3K/Akt pathway involved in a number of physiological and pathological processes including cancer. However, the role of FoxO3a in UM is unknown. In the present study, we investigated fundamental mechanisms in the growth, migration and invasion of UM and the involvement of FoxO3a. IGF-1 increased the cell viability, invasion, migration and S-G2/M cell cycle phase accumulation of UM cells. Western blot analysis showed that IGF-1 led to activation of Akt and concomitant phosphorylation of FoxO3a. FoxO3a phosphorylation was associated with its translocation into the cytoplasm from the nucleus and its functional inhibition led to the inhibition of expression of Bim and p27, but an increase in the expression of Cyclin D1. The effects of IGF-1 on UM cells were reversed by LY294002 (a PI3K inhibitor) or Akt siRNA, and the overexpression of FoxO3a also attenuated basal invasion and migration of UM. Taken all together, these results suggest that inhibition of FoxO3a by IGF-1 via the PI3K/Akt pathway has an important role in IGF-1 induced proliferation and invasion of UM cells. These findings also support FoxO3a and IGF signaling may represent a valid target for investigating the development of new strategies for the treatment and prevention of the pathology of UM. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier Masson SAS.

Vulnerability to the transmission of human visceral leishmaniasis in a Brazilian urban area.

PubMed

Toledo, Celina Roma Sánchez de; Almeida, Andréa Sobral de; Chaves, Sergio Augusto de Miranda; Sabroza, Paulo Chagastelles; Toledo, Luciano Medeiros; Caldas, Jefferson Pereira

2017-05-15

To analyze the determinants for the occurrence of human visceral leishmaniasis linked to the conditions of vulnerability. This is an ecological study, whose spatial analysis unit was the Territorial Analysis Unit in Araguaína, State of Tocantins, Brazil, from 2007 to 2012. We have carried out an analysis of the sociodemographic and urban infrastructure situation of the municipality. Normalized primary indicators were calculated and used to construct the indicators of vulnerability of the social structure, household structure, and urban infrastructure. From them, we have composed a vulnerability index. Kernel density estimation was used to evaluate the density of cases of human visceral leishmaniasis, based on the coordinates of the cases. Bivariate global Moran's I was used to verify the existence of spatial autocorrelation between the incidence of human visceral leishmaniasis and the indicators and index of vulnerability. Bivariate local Moran's I was used to identify spatial clusters. We have observed a pattern of centrifugal spread of human visceral leishmaniasis in the municipality, where outbreaks of the disease have progressively reached central and peri-urban areas. There has been no correlation between higher incidences of human visceral leishmaniasis and worse living conditions. Statistically significant clusters have been observed between the incidences of human visceral leishmaniasis in both periods analyzed (2007 to 2009 and 2010 to 2012) and the indicators and index of vulnerability. The environment in circumscribed areas helps as protection factor or increases the local vulnerability to the occurrence of human visceral leishmaniasis. The use of methodology that analyzes the conditions of life of the population and the spatial distribution of human visceral leishmaniasis is essential to identify the most vulnerable areas to the spread/maintenance of the disease. Analisar determinantes para a ocorrência da leishmaniose visceral humana vinculados às condições de vulnerabilidade. Estudo ecológico, cuja unidade de análise espacial foi a Unidade de Análise Territorial em Araguaína, TO, de 2007 a 2012. Foi realizada análise da situação sociodemográfica e de infraestrutura urbana no município. Indicadores primários normalizados foram calculados e utilizados na construção de indicadores de vulnerabilidade de estrutura social, de estrutura domiciliar e de infraestrutura urbana. A partir deles, foi composto um índice de vulnerabilidade. A estimativa de Kernel foi utilizada para avaliar a densidade de casos de leishmaniose visceral humana, com base nas coordenadas dos casos. O I-Moran Global Bivariado foi empregado para verificar a existência de autocorrelação espacial entre a incidência de leishmaniose visceral humana e os indicadores e índice de vulnerabilidade. I-Moran Local Bivariado foi utilizado para identificar clusters espaciais. Foi observado um padrão de disseminação centrífuga da leishmaniose visceral humana no município, em que surtos da doença atingiram progressivamente áreas centrais e periurbanas. Houve correlação entre maiores incidências de leishmaniose visceral humana e piores condições de vida. Foram observados clusters estatisticamente significativos entre as incidências de leishmaniose visceral humana nos dois períodos analisados (2007 a 2009 e 2010 a 2012) e os indicadores e índice de vulnerabilidade. O ambiente em áreas circunscritas contribui como fator de proteção ou aumenta a vulnerabilidade local à ocorrência de leishmaniose visceral humana. O uso de metodologia que analisa as condições de vida da população e distribuição espacial da leishmaniose visceral humana é essencial na identificação de áreas mais vulneráveis à disseminação/manutenção da doença.

Newborns' temperature submitted to radiant heat and to the Top Maternal device at birth.

PubMed

Albuquerque, Rosemeire Sartori de; Mariani, Corintio; Bersusa, Ana Aparecida Sanches; Dias, Vanessa Macedo; Silva, Maria Izabel Mota da

2016-08-08

to compare the axillar temperatures of newborns that are put immediately after birth in skin-to-skin contact under the Top Maternal device, as compared to those in a radiant heat crib. comparatives observational study of the case-control type about temperature of 60 babies born at the Obstetric Center and Normal Delivery Center of a public hospital of the municipality of Sao Paulo, being them: 29 receiving assistance in heated crib and 31 in skin-to skin contact, shielded by a cotton tissue placed on mother's thorax, called Top Maternal. the temperature of the babies of the skin-to-skin contact group presented higher values in a larger share of the time measures verified, as compared to those that were placed in radiant heat crib, independently from the place of birth. Differences between the two groups were not statistically significant. the study contributes to generate new knowledge, supporting the idea of keeping babies with their mothers immediately after birth protected with the Maternal Top, without harming their wellbeing, as it keeps the axillar temperature in recommendable levels. comparar a temperatura axilar dos recém-nascidos acomodados - imediatamente após o nascimento - em contato pele a pele, sob o Top Maternal, em berço de calor radiante. estudo comparativo observacional do tipo Caso-Controle sobre a temperatura de 60 bebês nascidos no Centro Obstétrico e Centro de Parto Normal de um hospital público do município de São Paulo, sendo: 29 assistidos em berço aquecido e 31 em contato pele a pele, protegidos por uma malha de algodão colocada sobre o tórax da mãe, denominada Top Maternal. a temperatura dos bebês do grupo de contato pele a pele teve maior valor na maioria dos tempos verificados comparada à dos que foram colocados em berço de calor radiante, independentemente do local de nascimento. A diferença entre os grupos não foi estatisticamente significante. o estudo contribui com a geração de um novo conhecimento que sustenta a manutenção dos bebês com suas mães imediatamente após o nascimento por meio do contato pele a pele protegidos pelo Top Maternal, sem prejuízos ao seu bem-estar, uma vez que a temperatura axilar se manteve em níveis recomendáveis. comparar la temperatura axilar de los recién nacidos (Rn) acomodados, inmediatamente después del nacimiento, en contacto piel con piel, bajo el Top Maternal, en cuna de calor radiante. estudio comparativo observacional del tipo Caso Control sobre la temperatura de 60 bebés nacidos en el Centro Obstétrico y Centro de Parto Normal de un hospital público del municipio de Sao Paulo, siendo: 29 asistidos en cuna calentada y 31 en contacto piel con piel, protegidos por un tejido de algodón colocado sobre el tórax de la madre, denominado Top Maternal. la temperatura de los bebés del grupo de contacto piel con piel fue más alta en la mayoría de los tiempos verificados, ello comparado con los que fueron colocados en cuna de calor radiante, independientemente del local de nacimiento. La diferencia entre los grupos no fue estadísticamente significativa. el estudio contribuye con la generación de un nuevo conocimiento que sustenta que se debe mantener a los bebés con sus madres inmediatamente después del nacimiento por medio del contacto piel con piel protegidos por el Top Maternal, sin perjuicios a su bienestar, una vez que la temperatura axilar se mantuvo en niveles recomendables.

Undermethylated DNA as a source of microsatellites from a conifer genome.

PubMed

Zhou, Y; Bui, T; Auckland, L D; Williams, C G

2002-02-01

Developing microsatellites from the large, highly duplicated conifer genome requires special tools. To improve the efficiency of developing Pinus taeda L. microsatellites, undermethylated (UM) DNA fragments were used to construct a microsatellite-enriched copy library. A methylation-sensitive restriction enzyme, McrBC, was used to enrich for UM DNA before library construction. Digested DNA fragments larger than 9 kb were then excised and digested with RsaI and used to construct nine dinucleotide and trinucleotide libraries. A total of 1016 microsatellite-positive clones were detected among 11 904 clones and 620 of these were unique. Of 245 primer sets that produced a PCR product, 113 could be developed as UM microsatellite markers and 70 were polymorphic. Inheritance and marker informativeness were tested for a random sample of 36 polymorphic markers using a three-generation outbred pedigree. Thirty-one microsatellites (86%) had single-locus inheritance despite the highly duplicated nature of the P. taeda genome. Nineteen UM microsatellites had highly informative intercross mating type configurations. Allele number and frequency were estimated for eleven UM microsatellites using a population survey. Allele numbers for these UM microsatellites ranged from 3 to 12 with an average of 5.7 alleles/locus. Frequencies for the 63 alleles were mostly in the low-common range; only 14 of the 63 were in the rare allele (q < 0.05) class. Enriching for UM DNA was an efficient method for developing polymorphic microsatellites from a large plant genome.

Transmission scenarios of major vector-borne diseases in Colombia, 1990-2016.

PubMed

Padilla, Julio César; Lizarazo, Fredy Eberto; Murillo, Olga Lucía; Mendigaña, Fernando Antonio; Pachón, Edwin; Vera, Mauricio Javier

2017-03-29

Introducción. Las enfermedades transmitidas por vectores representan más de 17 % de todas las enfermedades infecciosas y causan anualmente un millón de defunciones a nivel mundial. En Colombia, la malaria, el dengue, la enfermedad de Chagas y las leishmaniasis son condiciones endemoepidémicas persistentes.Objetivo. Determinar el comportamiento epidemiológico de las enfermedades transmitidas por vectores en zonas urbanas y rurales de Colombia entre 1990 y 2016.Materiales y métodos. Se hizo un estudio descriptivo del comportamiento epidemiológico de las principales enfermedades transmitidas por vectores en zonas urbanas y rurales de Colombia entre 1990 y 2016, con la información proveniente de fuentes oficiales secundarias.Resultados. En el periodo estudiado se registraron 5'360.134 casos de enfermedades transmitidas por vectores, de los cuales 54,7 % fueron de malaria y 24,9 % de dengue. Estos casos concentraron el 80 % de la carga acumulada de casos de enfermedades transmitidas por vectores. Las medianas de las tasas de incidencia fueron 1.371 y 188 por 100.00 habitantes para malaria y dengue, respectivamente. Además, los casos de chikungunya fueron 774.831 desde su introducción en el 2014 y, los de Zika, 117.674 desde su aparición en 2015. En las zonas rurales predominaron las enfermedades parasitarias transmitidas por vectores como la malaria, las leishmaniasis y la enfermedad de Chagas. A nivel urbano, predominaron el dengue, el chikungunya y el Zika.Conclusiones. La transmisión en Colombia de estas enfermedades es persistente en las zonas urbanas y en las rurales, y de tipo endemoepidémico en los casos de malaria, dengue, leishmaniasis y enfermedad de Chagas. Dicha transmisión se ha dado de manera focalizada y con patrones variables de intensidad. Asimismo, se mantienen las condiciones que han favorecido la transmisión emergente de nuevas arbovirosis.

VizieR Online Data Catalog: UKIDSS-DR8 LAS, GCS and DXS Surveys (Lawrence+ 2012)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lawrence, A.; Warren, S. J.; Almaini, O.; Edge, A. C.; Hambly, N. C.; Jameson, R. F.; Lucas, P.; Casali, M.; Adamson, A.; Dye, S.; Emerson, J. P.; Foucaud, S.; Hewett, P.; Hirst, P.; Hodgkin, S. T.; Irwin, M. J.; Lodieu, N.; McMahon, R. G.; Simpson, C.; Smail, I.; Mortlock, D.; Folger, M.

2012-03-01

The UKIRT Infrared Deep Sky Survey (UKIDSS) is a large-scale near-IR survey which aim is to cover 7500 square degrees of the Northern sky. The survey is carried out using the Wide Field Camera (WFCAM), with a field of view of 0.21 square degrees, mounted on the 3.8m United Kingdom Infra-red Telescope (UKIRT) in Hawaii. The project comprises five surveys (LAS, GCS, DXS, GPS and UDS). The Large Area Survey (LAS) covers an area of 4000 square degrees in high Galactic latitudes (extragalactic) in the four bands Y(1.0um) J(1.2um) H(1.6um) and K(2.2um) to a depth of K=18.4. The Galactic Clusters Survey (GCS) aims to survey ten large open star clusters and star formation associations, covering a total of 1067 square degrees in the five bands Z (0.9um), Y(1.0um) J(1.2um) H(1.6um) and K(2.2um), plus a second pass in K for proper motions, to a depth of Z=20.4, Y=20.3, J=19.5, H=18.6, K=18.6. The Deep Extragalactic Survey (DXS) aims to map 35 square degrees of sky to a 5-σ point-source sensitivity of J=22.3 and K=20.8 in four carefully selected, multi-wavelength survey areas. The central regions of each field will also be mapped to H=21.8. The primary aim of the survey is to produce a photometric galaxy sample at a redshift of 1-2, within a volume comparable to that of the SDSS, selected in the same passband (rest frame optical). Details of the surveys can be found in the in the paper by Lawrence et al. (2007MNRAS.379.1599L), and at the UKIDSS Surveys site (http://www.ukidss.org/surveys/surveys.html). The data described here represent a subset of the UKIDSS data, limited to the public data and most representative columns. In the "Byte-by-byte Description" below the original names of the columns are given as bracketed names. (3 data files).

Determining the Fate and Ecological Effects of Copper and Zinc Loading in Estuarine Environments: A Multi-Disciplinary Program

DTIC Science & Technology

2005-12-01

from Centro de Investigación Científica y de Estudios Avanzados de Ensenada. vii viii 1 EXECUTIVE...Fouling, San Diego, California, 21-26 July 2002. Seligman, P.F., A.O. Valkirs, J.S. Caso , I. Rivera-Duarte, and E. Haslbeck, 2001. Copper release rates...EPA-822-R-02-047. Valkirs, A.O., Seligman, P.F., Haslbeck, E., and Caso , J.S., 2003. Measurement of copper release rates from antifouling paint

Study on extrusion process of SiC ceramic matrix

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dai, Xiao-Yuan; Shen, Fan; Ji, Jia-You; Wang, Shu-Ling; Xu, Man

2017-11-01

In this thesis, the extrusion process of SiC ceramic matrix has been systematically studied.The effect of different cellulose content on the flexural strength and pore size distribution of SiC matrix was discussed.Reselts show that with the increase of cellulose content, the flexural strength decreased.The pore size distribution in the sample was 1um-4um, and the 1um-2um concentration was more concentrated. It is found that the cellulose content has little effect on the pore size distribution.When the cellulose content is 7%, the flexural strength of the sample is 40.9Mpa. At this time, the mechanical properties of the sample are the strongest.

Moral Distress in Family Health Strategy: experiences expressed by daily life.

PubMed

Cardoso, Cecília Maria Lima; Pereira, Maria Odete; Moreira, Danielle de Araújo; Tibães, Hanna Beatriz Bacelar; Ramos, Flávia Regina Souza; Brito, Maria José Menezes

2016-06-01

Understanding the Moral Suffering experiences expressed in the daily life of the Family Health Strategy. This is a case study with a qualitative approach, conducted between August and October 2014 in a municipality of Minas Gerais. The sample was represented by 28 professionals of family health teams. Data were collected through interviews with semi-structured questionnaires, observation, projective technique and submitted to thematic content analysis. The results indicate that routine issues of the health care system lead professionals to experience a challenging practice in dealing with daily situations that contradict their ethical precepts and can compromise the quality of work, becoming triggers of Moral Distress. Social vulnerabilities such as domestic violence, poor socioeconomic conditions and organizational weaknesses of the health system were the main triggers of Moral Distress. Therefore, it is necessary to amplify this reflection by workers of the Family Health Strategy, aiming to encourage the minimization of suffering experiences, considering their ethical values. Compreender as vivências de Sofrimento Moral expressas no cotidiano da Estratégia de Saúde da Família. Trata-se de um estudo de caso com abordagem qualitativa, realizado entre os meses de agosto a outubro de 2014, cujo cenário foi um município de Minas Gerais. Participaram 28 profissionais das equipes de saúde da família. Os dados foram coletados por meio de entrevistas com roteiro semiestruturado, observação, técnica projetiva e, submetidos à análise de conteúdo temática. Os resultados apontaram que as questões rotineiras do serviço de saúde levam os profissionais a vivenciarem uma prática desafiadora ao lidarem diariamente com situações que contradizem seus preceitos éticos capazes de comprometer a qualidade do trabalho tornando-se disparadores de Sofrimento Moral. As vulnerabilidades sociais, como violência doméstica e condições socioeconômicas precárias, além das fragilidades organizacionais do Sistema de Saúde, foram os principais geradores de Sofrimento Moral. Assim, considera-se necessária a reflexão ampliada sobre a temática por parte dos trabalhadores da Estratégia de Saúde da Família, com intuito de propiciar a minimização de vivências de sofrimento e uma prática profissional em consonância com seus valores éticos.

Study and optimization of the macroscopic electrical response of carbon based nanocomposites for advanced applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Silva, Jaime Pedro Oliveira da

A presente tese centrou-se no estudo da resposta da constante dieletrica e condutividade eletrica em materiais compositos nos quais o reforco tinha uma elevada proporcao entre comprimento e diametro. O objeto de estudo foi o efeito de um reforco com uma elevada razao entre comprimento e diametro, concentracao e orientacao na resposta eletrica e dieletrica de um composito. Estes compositos tem uma grande importancia no desenvolvimento de materiais para sensores e atuadores. Num primeiro momento da dissertacao, explorou-se a resposta da constante dieletrica de um composito constituido por nanotubos de carbono como reforco e uma matriz polimerica. Verificou-se que um aumento da razao entre comprimento e diametro do reforco tem o efeito de aumentar a constante dieletrica do composito para uma igual fracao volumetrica de reforco. Constatou-se tambem que materiais na fase nematica demonstram uma constante dieletrica mais baixa quando comparados com materiais onde o reforco esta distribuido aleatoriamente. Ficou ainda demonstrado nesta dissertacao que materiais na fase nematica com razoes entre o comprimento e diametro diferentes a constante dieletrica segue uma lei de potencia. Numa segunda fase do trabalho, foi explorada a condutividade de nanocompositos polimericos reforcados com nanotubos de carbono, atraves de um modelo baseado em cilindros impenetraveis. Ficou demonstrado que o modelo e apropriado para descrever a condutividade eletrica de um nanocomposito polimerico reforcado com nanotubos. As simulacoes desenvolvidas demonstram que, aumentando a razao entre o comprimento e o diametro dos nanotubos de carbono, aumenta a condutividade eletrica do nanocomposito. No entanto, verifica-se que aumentando a anisotropia diminui a condutividade, sendo este efeito mais evidente para fracoes volumetricas maiores. Nesta dissertacao comprovou-se ainda que uma microestrutura gerada por um algoritmo de empacotamento sequencial pode ser descrita por um grafo aleatorio e que a condutividade num composito reforcado com nanofibras de carbono pode ser descrito por uma rede de Bethe. Atraves do uso da teoria das redes complexas, chegou-se a uma expressao para o limite de percolacao e, do mesmo modo, demonstrou-se que “hopping” entre fibras adjacentes resulta numa expressao que corresponde a um regime de desordem fraca. No trabalho desenvolvido tambem foi calculado os expoentes criticos, atraves da teoria das redes, para um sistema 3D composto por cilindros impenetraveis com uma interacao de curto alcance, demonstrando que os expoentes criticos estao relacionados por uma relacao de hiperescala comum para 3D e nao pertencem a mesma classe de universalidade como a percolacao numa rede. A aplicacao do modelo desenvolvido a compositos de epoxy reforcada, com diferentes metodos de dispersao de nanofibras de carbono, revelou que os metodos de dispersao usados para preparar os compositos tem uma forte influencia nas propriedades eletricas que podem ser capturadas pelo modelo. Neste contexto, ficou ainda demonstrado que a condutividade eletrica pode ser descrita por um regime de desordem fraca, isto ´e, um regime onde todas as conexoes fibra-fibra participam na condutividade do composito. O modelo desenvolvido foi aplicado igualmente a compositos de poly (vinylidene fluoride) reforcado com nanotubos de carbono com diferentes tratamentos de termicos de oxidacao. Verificou-se que os tratamentos de superficie aumentam o limite de percolacao e diminuem a condutividade. Nesta dissertacao provamos ainda que a condutividade do composito pode ser atribuida a um mecanismo de “hopping”, fortemente afetado pelos tratamentos de superficie dos reforcos.

Strengthening the perception-assessment tools for dengue prevention: a cross-sectional survey in a temperate region (Madeira, Portugal)

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background Community participation is mandatory in the prevention of Dengue outbreaks. Taking public views into account is crucial to guide more effective planning and quicker community participation in preventing campaigns. This study aims to assess community perceptions of Madeira population in order to explore their involvement in the A. aegypti’s control and reinforce health-educational planning. Due to the lack of accurate methodologies for measuring perception, a new tool to assess the community’s perceptions was built. Methods A cross-sectional survey was performed in the Island’s aegypti-infested area, exploring residents’ perceptions regarding most critical community behaviour: aegypti-source reduction and their domestic aegypti-breeding sites. A novel tool defining five essential topics which underlie the source reduction’s awareness and accession was built, herein called Essential-Perception (EP) analysis. Results Of 1276 individuals, 1182 completed the questionnaire (92 · 6%). EP-Score analysis revealed that community’s perceptions were scarce, inconsistent and possibly incorrect. Most of the population (99 · 6%) did not completely understood the five essential topics explored. An average of 54 · 2% of residents only partially understood each essential topic, revealing inconsistencies in their understanding. Each resident apparently believed in an average of four false assumptions/myths. Significant association (p<0.001) was found between both the EP-Score level and the domestic presence of breeding sites, supporting the validity of this EP-analysis. Aedes aegypti’s breeding sites, consisting of décor/leisure containers, presented an atypical pattern of infestation comparing with dengue prone regions. Conclusions The studied population was not prepared for being fully engaged in dengue prevention. Evidences suggest that EP-methodology was efficient and accurate in assessing the community perception and its compliance to practices. Moreover, it suggested a list of myths that could persist in the community. This is the first study reporting an aegypti-entomological pattern and community’s perception in a developed dengue-prone region. Tailored messages considering findings of this study are recommended to be used in future campaigns in order to more effectively impact the community perception and behaviour. PMID:24428823

Strengthening the perception-assessment tools for dengue prevention: a cross-sectional survey in a temperate region (Madeira, Portugal).

PubMed

Nazareth, Teresa; Teodósio, Rosa; Porto, Graça; Gonçalves, Luzia; Seixas, Gonçalo; Silva, Ana Clara; Sousa, Carla Alexandra

2014-01-15

Community participation is mandatory in the prevention of Dengue outbreaks. Taking public views into account is crucial to guide more effective planning and quicker community participation in preventing campaigns. This study aims to assess community perceptions of Madeira population in order to explore their involvement in the A. aegypti's control and reinforce health-educational planning. Due to the lack of accurate methodologies for measuring perception, a new tool to assess the community's perceptions was built. A cross-sectional survey was performed in the Island's aegypti-infested area, exploring residents' perceptions regarding most critical community behaviour: aegypti-source reduction and their domestic aegypti-breeding sites. A novel tool defining five essential topics which underlie the source reduction's awareness and accession was built, herein called Essential-Perception (EP) analysis. Of 1276 individuals, 1182 completed the questionnaire (92 · 6%). EP-Score analysis revealed that community's perceptions were scarce, inconsistent and possibly incorrect. Most of the population (99 · 6%) did not completely understood the five essential topics explored. An average of 54 · 2% of residents only partially understood each essential topic, revealing inconsistencies in their understanding. Each resident apparently believed in an average of four false assumptions/myths. Significant association (p<0.001) was found between both the EP-Score level and the domestic presence of breeding sites, supporting the validity of this EP-analysis. Aedes aegypti's breeding sites, consisting of décor/leisure containers, presented an atypical pattern of infestation comparing with dengue prone regions. The studied population was not prepared for being fully engaged in dengue prevention. Evidences suggest that EP-methodology was efficient and accurate in assessing the community perception and its compliance to practices. Moreover, it suggested a list of myths that could persist in the community. This is the first study reporting an aegypti-entomological pattern and community's perception in a developed dengue-prone region. Tailored messages considering findings of this study are recommended to be used in future campaigns in order to more effectively impact the community perception and behaviour.

Trying to Learn Lessons for Response to Extreme Events: Paradigm Shifts Affecting Civil Defense in the Trinational Region of Southwestern Amazonia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Santos, G. L. P.

2015-12-01

The last ten years have seen several extreme climate events in southwestern Amazonia with historic impacts. The City of Rio Branco, Capital of Acre, Brazil´s westernmost State, suffered its seventh consecutive annual flooding and its worst in March 2015. The city of Tarauacá, also in Acre, registered 12 flooding events between November 2014 and April 2015. The most recent flood of the trinational Acre River in 2015 set historic records for flood stage and number of displaced persons in Cobija, the Capital of Pando, Bolivia. From February to April 2014, floods of the Madeira River disrupted the one highway between Acre and southern Brazil. Puerto Maldonado, the capital in Madre de Dios Region of Peru had its worst flood in 50 years during 2014. In 2005 and 2010, prolonged droughts combined with ignition sources resulted in tens to hundreds of thousands of hectares of fire-damaged rainforests in the Madre de Dios, Acre and Pando (MAP) Region. The Civil Defenses in these three contiguous political units faced several abrupt paradigm shifts that affected their responses: 1) The drought of 2005 showed dramatically that regional rainforests do burn; 2) The recent flooding history, particularly in 2012 and 2015, demolished the cultural icon of a nine-year recurrence interval; 3) What happens outside your territory can be devastating. The Madeira River flood impeded an estimated 200 million dollars from circulating in Acre; 4) The past can be a terrible guide. For Cobija and Rio Branco, the 2015 flood was on the order of a meter higher than any other. Many home dwellers did not evacuate in time because they used past floods as a guide; 5) A collapse in communication - cell phones, land lines, and Internet - can get worse. In 2012, such a collapse occurred in two border towns for 5 days, yet in 2015 it lasted more than 11 days. Research is needed to address how institutions linked to Civil Defense can shift paradigms in time to be more effective.

Effect of acclimation to outdoor condition on the sexual performance of mass-produced Medflies (Diptera: Tephritidae)

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Pereira, R.; Silva, N.; Quintal, C.

Application of the sterile insect technique (SIT) as part of integrated area-wide programs to control the Mediterranean fruit fly (medfly) Ceratitis capitata (Wiedemann) require that the released males attract wild females and transfer sterile sperm. However, knowledge about male sexual performance after they are released is scarce. We conducted a study to evaluate male sexual performance in field cage tests, according to standard quality control procedures. Mass-reared 5-d-old sterile males from the genetic sexing strain VIENNA 7mix2000 were acclimated for 0, 1, and 3 d to outdoor conditions before competing with wild males for wild females. Although the proportion ofmore » mating (PM) in the test was satisfactory, the resulting relative sterility index (RSI) data showed no significant differences among the treatments. The data indicate that pre-conditioning males to outdoor conditions in Madeira did not confer an advantage in field cage sexual performance. (author) [Spanish] La aplicacion de la tecnica del insecto esteril (TIE) como parte de un programa integrado de amplio efecto para el control de la mosca mediterranea de la fruta Ceratitis capitata (Wiedemann) requiere que los machos liberados atraigan las hembras naturales y transfieran su esperma. Sin embargo, el conocimiento del desempeno sexual de los machos despues de ser liberados es muy escaso. Nosotros realizamos un estudio para evaluar el desempeno sexual de los machos en pruebas usando jaulas del campo, segun los procedimientos estandardizados de calidad. Machos esteriles de 5 dias de edad de la raza que separa los sexos geneticamente VIENNA 7mix2000 criados en masa fueron aclimatados por 0, 1 y 3 dias en condiciones de campo antes de competir con machos naturales para las hembras naturales. Aunque la proporcion del apareamiento en la prueba fue satisfactorio, el indice relativo de esterilidad (IRS) resultante no mostro ninguna diferencia significativa entre los tratamientos. Los datos indicaron que al condicionar los machos anteriormente a las condiciones de campo en Madeira no conferio ventaja alguna en el desempeno sexual en la jaula de campo. (author)« less

Modulation of GABA-stimulated chloride influx into membrane vesicles from rat cerebral cortex by triazolobenzodiazepines

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Obata, T.; Yamamura, H.I.

1988-01-01

The effects of triazolobenzodiazepines of GABA-stimulated /sup 36/Cl/sup -/ uptake by membrane vesicles from rat cerebral cortex were examined. Triazolam and alprazolam showed a significant enhancement of GABA-stimulated /sup 36/Cl/sup -/ uptake at 0.01-10 uM. On the other hand, adinazolam showed a small enhancement at 0.1-1 uM followed by a significant inhibition of GABA-stimulated /sup 36/Cl/sup -/ uptake at 100 uM. The enhancement of GABA-stimulated /sup 36/Cl/sup -/ uptake by 1 uM alprazolam was antagonized by Ro15-1788, a benzodiazepine antagonist, but the inhibition of this response by 30 uM adinazolam was not antagonized by Ro15-1788. These results indicate that triazolobenzodiazepinesmore » enhanced GABA-stimulated /sup 36/Cl/sup -/ uptake through benzodiazepine receptors. High concentrations of adinazolam inhibit GABA-stimulated /sup 36/Cl/sup -/ uptake which may be due to the direct blockade of GABA-gated chloride channel. 23 references, 4 figures.« less

Selumetinib-based therapy in uveal melanoma patient-derived xenografts

PubMed Central

Decaudin, Didier; El Botty, Rania; Diallo, Béré; Massonnet, Gerald; Fleury, Justine; Naguez, Adnan; Raymondie, Chloé; Davies, Emma; Smith, Aaron; Wilson, Joanne; Howes, Colin; Smith, Paul D.; Cassoux, Nathalie; Piperno-Neumann, Sophie; Roman-Roman, Sergio; Némati, Fariba

2018-01-01

The prognosis of metastatic uveal melanoma (UM) is among the worst of all human cancers. The identification of near-ubiquitous GNAQ/GNA11 mutations and the activation of MAPK signaling in UM have raised hopes of more effective, targeted therapies, based on MEK inhibition, for example. We evaluated the potential of drug combinations to increase the efficacy of the MEK inhibitor selumetinib (AZD6244, ARRY-142886), in UM cell lines and Patient-Derived Xenografts. We first evaluated the combination of selumetinib and DTIC. We found that DTIC did not improve the in vitro or in vivo antitumor efficacy of selumetinib, consistent with the outcome of the SUMIT clinical trial assessing the efficacy of this combination in UM. We then tested additional selumetinib combinations with the chemotherapy agent docetaxel, the ERK inhibitor AZ6197, and the mTORC1/2 inhibitor, vistusertib (AZD2014). Combinations of selumetinib with ERK and mTORC1/2 inhibitors appeared to be the most effective in UM PDX models. PMID:29774094

Immunostaining, dehydration, and clearing of mouse embryos for ultramicroscopy.

PubMed

Becker, Klaus; Jährling, Nina; Saghafi, Saiedeh; Dodt, Hans-Ulrich

2013-08-01

This protocol describes the preparation of mouse embryos for ultramicroscopy (UM), a powerful imaging technique that achieves precise and accurate three-dimensional (3D) reconstructions of intact macroscopic specimens with micrometer resolution. In UM, a specimen in the size range of ∼1-15 mm is illuminated perpendicular to the observation pathway by two thin counterpropagating sheets of laser light. In combination with fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC) immunostaining, UM allows visualization of somatic motor and sensorial nerve fibers in whole mouse embryos. Even the fine branches of the sensomotoric fibers can be visualized over a distance of up to several millimeters. In this protocol, mouse embryos are fixed and immunostained in preparation for UM. Because UM requires the excitation light sheet to travel throughout the entire horizontal width of the specimen, specimens usually have to be rendered transparent before microscope inspection. Here, the embryos are dehydrated in ethanol and then cleared in a solution of benzyl alcohol and benzyl benzoate.

The mental health of unaccompanied refugee minors on arrival in the host country.

PubMed

Vervliet, Marianne; Meyer Demott, Melinda A; Jakobsen, Marianne; Broekaert, Eric; Heir, Trond; Derluyn, Ilse

2014-02-01

Despite increasing numbers of unaccompanied refugee minors (UM) in Europe and heightened concerns for this group, research on their mental health has seldom included the factor "time since arrival." As a result, our knowledge of the mental health statuses of UM at specific points in time and over periods in their resettlement trajectories in European host countries is limited. This study therefore examined the mental health of UM shortly after their arrival in Norway (n = 204) and Belgium (n = 103) through the use of self-report questionnaires (HSCL-37A, SLE, RATS, HTQ). High prevalence scores of anxiety, depression and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms were found. In addition, particular associations were found with the number of traumatic events the UM reported. The results indicate that all UM have high support needs on arrival in the host country. Longitudinal studies following up patterns of continuity and change in their mental health during their trajectories in the host country are necessary. © 2014 Scandinavian Psychological Associations and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Driving bubbles out of glass

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mattox, D. M.

1981-01-01

Surface tension gradient in melt forces gas bubbles to surface, increasing glass strength and transparency. Conventional chemical and buoyant fining are extremely slow in viscous glasses, but tension gradient method moves 250 um bubbles as rapidly as 30 um/s. Heat required for high temperature part of melt is furnished by stationary electrical or natural-gas heater; induction and laser heating are also possible. Method has many applications in industry processes.

Impact-induced devolatilization of CaSO4 anhydrite and implications for K-T extinctions: Preliminary results

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Tyburczy, James A.; Ahrens, Thomas J.

1993-01-01

The recent suggestions that the target area for the K-T bolide may have been a sulfate-rich evaporite and that the resulting sulfuric acid-rich aerosol was responsible for the subsequent cooling of the Earth and the resulting biological extinctions has prompted us to experimentally examine the impact-induced devolatization of the sulfate minerals anhydrite (CaSO4) and gypsum (CaSO4(2H2O)). Preliminary results for anhydrite are reported. Up to 42 GPa peak shock pressure, little or no devolatilization occurs, consistent with chemical thermodynamic calculations. Calculation of the influence of the partial pressure of the gas species on impact-induced devolatilization suggests that an even greater amount of sulfur than that proposed by Brett could have been released to the atmosphere by an impact into a sulfate-rich layer. Solid recovery, impact-induced devolatilization experiments were performed on the Caltech 20mm gun using vented, stainless steel sample assemblies.

Controlling the selective formation of calcium sulfate polymorphs at room temperature.

PubMed

Tritschler, Ulrich; Van Driessche, Alexander E S; Kempter, Andreas; Kellermeier, Matthias; Cölfen, Helmut

2015-03-23

Calcium sulfate is a naturally abundant and technologically important mineral with a broad scope of applications. However, controlling CaSO4 polymorphism and, with it, its final material properties still represents a major challenge, and to date there is no universal method for the selective production of the different hydrated and anhydrous forms under mild conditions. Herein we report the first successful synthesis of pure anhydrite from solution at room temperature. We precipitated calcium sulfate in alcoholic media at low water contents. Moreover, by adjusting the amount of water in the syntheses, we can switch between the distinct polymorphs and fine-tune the outcome of the reaction, yielding either any desired CaSO4 phase in pure state or binary mixtures with predefined compositions. This concept provides full control over phase selection in CaSO4 mineralization and may allow for the targeted fabrication of corresponding materials for use in various areas. © 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Study of thermochemical sulfate reduction mechanism using compound specific sulfur isotope analysis

USGS Publications Warehouse

Meshoulam, Alexander; Ellis, Geoffrey S.; Ahmad, Ward Said; Deev, Andrei; Sessions, Alex L.; Tang, Yongchun; Adkins, Jess F.; Liu, Jinzhong; Gilhooly, William P.; Aizenshtat, Zeev; Amrani, Alon

2016-01-01

Experiments involving sparingly soluble CaSO4 show that during the second catalytic phase of TSR the rate of sulfate reduction exceeds that of sulfate dissolution. In this case, there is no apparent isotopic fractionation between source sulfate and generated H2S, as all of the available sulfate is effectively reduced at all reaction times. When CaSO4 is replaced with fully soluble Na2SO4, sulfate dissolution is no longer rate limiting and significant S-isotopic fractionation is observed. This supports the notion that CaSO4dissolution can lead to the apparent lack of fractionation between H2S and sulfate produced by TSR in nature. The S-isotopic composition of individual OSCs record information related to geochemical reactions that cannot be discerned from the δ34S values obtained from bulk phases such as H2S, oil, and sulfate minerals, and provide important mechanistic details about the overall TSR process.

Genetic heterogeneity in uveal melanoma assessed by multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification.

PubMed

Dopierala, Justyna; Damato, Bertil E; Lake, Sarah L; Taktak, Azzam F G; Coupland, Sarah E

2010-10-01

To determine intratumor genetic heterogeneity in uveal melanoma (UM) by multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification (MLPA) in formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tumor tissues. DNA was extracted from whole tumor sections and from two to nine different areas microdissected from 32 FFPE UMs. Thirty-one loci on chromosomes 1, 3, 6, and 8 were tested with MLPA for copy number changes. The tumor was considered heterogeneous at a locus if (1) the difference in dosage quotients (DQs) of any two areas was 0.2 or more, and (2) the DQs of the areas belonged to different ranges. Comparison of MLPA data obtained from microdissected areas of the UMs showed heterogeneity in 1 to 26 examined loci in 24 (75%) tumors, with only 25% of the tumors being homogeneous. Intratumor heterogeneity of 3p12.2, 6p21.2, and 8q11.23 was most common, occurring in >30% of the UMs. Gains of chromosome 3 were observed in four UMs, with three of these tumors showing the highest degree of heterogeneity. Copy number variation was associated with differences in tumor cell type, but not with differences in tumor pigmentation or reactive inflammation. UMs with genetic heterogeneity across multiple sample sites showed equivocal MLPA results when the whole tumor section was examined. These results suggest that different clones dilute MLPA results. Heterogeneity of chromosomal abnormalities of chromosomes 1, 3, 6, and 8 is present in most UMs. This heterogeneity causes equivocal MLPA results. One random tumor sample may not be representative of the whole tumor and, therefore, may be insufficient for prognostic testing.

Genomic insight into pathogenicity of dematiaceous fungus Corynespora cassiicola

PubMed Central

Looi, Hong Keat; Toh, Yue Fen; Yew, Su Mei; Na, Shiang Ling; Tan, Yung-Chie; Chong, Pei-Sin; Khoo, Jia-Shiun; Yee, Wai-Yan; Ng, Kee Peng

2017-01-01

Corynespora cassiicola is a common plant pathogen that causes leaf spot disease in a broad range of crop, and it heavily affect rubber trees in Malaysia (Hsueh, 2011; Nghia et al., 2008). The isolation of UM 591 from a patient’s contact lens indicates the pathogenic potential of this dematiaceous fungus in human. However, the underlying factors that contribute to the opportunistic cross-infection have not been fully studied. We employed genome sequencing and gene homology annotations in attempt to identify these factors in UM 591 using data obtained from publicly available bioinformatics databases. The assembly size of UM 591 genome is 41.8 Mbp, and a total of 13,531 (≥99 bp) genes have been predicted. UM 591 is enriched with genes that encode for glycoside hydrolases, carbohydrate esterases, auxiliary activity enzymes and cell wall degrading enzymes. Virulent genes comprising of CAZymes, peptidases, and hypervirulence-associated cutinases were found to be present in the fungal genome. Comparative analysis result shows that UM 591 possesses higher number of carbohydrate esterases family 10 (CE10) CAZymes compared to other species of fungi in this study, and these enzymes hydrolyses wide range of carbohydrate and non-carbohydrate substrates. Putative melanin, siderophore, ent-kaurene, and lycopene biosynthesis gene clusters are predicted, and these gene clusters denote that UM 591 are capable of protecting itself from the UV and chemical stresses, allowing it to adapt to different environment. Putative sterigmatocystin, HC-toxin, cercosporin, and gliotoxin biosynthesis gene cluster are predicted. This finding have highlighted the necrotrophic and invasive nature of UM 591. PMID:28149676

Origins Space Telescope: The Far Infrared Imager and Polarimeter FIP

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Staguhn, Johannes G.; Chuss, David; Howard, Joseph; Meixner, Margaret; Vieira, Joaquin; Amatucci, Edward; Bradley, Damon; Carter, Ruth; Cooray, Asantha; Flores, Anel; Leisawitz, David; Moseley, Samuel Harvey; Wollack, Edward; Origins Space Telescope Study Team

2018-01-01

The Origins Space Telescope (OST)* is the mission concept for the Far-Infrared Surveyor, one of the four science and technology definition studies of NASA Headquarters for the 2020 Astronomy and Astrophysics Decadal survey. The current "concept 1", which envisions a cold (4K) 9m space telescope, includes 5 instruments, providing a wavelength coverage ranging from 6um and 667um. The achievable sensitivity of the observatory will provide three to four orders of magnitude of improvement in sensitivity over current observational capabilities, allowing to address a wide range of new and so far inaccessible scientific questions, ranging from bio-signatures on exo-planets to mapping primordial H_2 from the "dark ages" before the universe went through the phase of re-ionization.Here we present the Far Infrared Imager and Polarimeter (FIP) for OST. The cameral will cover four bands, 40um, 80um, 120um, and 240um. It will allow for differential polarimetry in those bands with the ability to observe two colors in polarimtery mode simultaneously, while all four bands can be observed simultaneously in total power mode. While the confusion limit will be reached in only 32ms at 240um, at 40um the source density on the sky is so low, that at the angular resolution of 1" of OST at this wavelength there will be no source confusion, even for the longest integration times. Science topics that can be addressed by FIP include but are not limited to galactic and extragalactic magnetic field studies, Deep Galaxy Surveys, and Outer Solar System objects..*Origins will enable flagship-quality general observing programs led by the astronomical community in the 2030s. We welcome you to contact the Science and Technology Definition Team (STDT) with your science needs and ideas by emailing us at ost_info@lists.ipac.caltech.edu

Measuring Broadband IR Irradiance in the Direct Solar Beam and Recent Developments

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Reda, Ibrahim; Andreas, Afshin; Dooraghi, Mike

2016-12-14

Solar and atmospheric science radiometers such as pyranometers, pyrheliometers, and photovoltaic cells are calibrated with traceability to a consensus reference which is maintained by Absolute Cavity Radiometers (ACRs). An ACR is an open cavity with no window, developed to measure the extended broadband spectrum of the terrestrial direct solar beam irradiance that extends beyond the ultraviolet and infrared bands; i.e. below 0.2 um and above 50 um, respectively. On the other hand, the pyranometers and pyrheliometers were developed to measure broadband shortwave irradiance from approximately 0.3 um to 3 um, while the present photovoltaic cells are limited to the spectralmore » range of approximately 0.3 um to 1 um. The broadband mismatch of ACR versus such radiometers causes discrepancy in radiometers' calibration methods that has not been discussed or addressed in the solar and atmospheric science literature. Pyrgeometers, which measure the atmospheric longwave irradiance, are also used for solar and atmospheric science applications and calibrated with traceability to a consensus reference, yet they are calibrated during nighttime only, because no consensus reference has been established for the daytime longwave irradiance. This poster describes a method to measure the broadband longwave irradiance in the terrestrial direct solar beam from 3 um to 50 um, as a first step that might be used to help develop calibration methods to address the mismatch between broadband ACR and shortwave radiometers, and the lack of a daytime reference for pyrgeometers. The described method is used to measure the irradiance from sunrise to sunset; the irradiance varied from approximately 1 Wm-2 to 16 Wm-2 with an estimated uncertainty of 1.5 Wm-2, for a solar zenith angle range from 80 degrees to 16 degrees, respectively. Recent development shows that there is greater than 1.1 percent bias in measuring shortwave solar irradiance.« less

Luminescence properties of pure and doped CaSO4 nanorods irradiated by 15 MeV e-beam

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Salah, Numan; Alharbi, Najlaa D.; Enani, Mohammad A.

2014-01-01

Calcium sulfate (CaSO4) doped with proper activators is a highly sensitive phosphor used in different fields mainly for radiation dosimetry, lighting and display applications. In this work pure and doped nanorods of CaSO4 were produced by the co-precipitation technique. Samples from this material doped with Ag, Cu, Dy, Eu and Tb were exposed to different doses of 15 MeV e-beam and studied for their thermoluminesence (TL) and photoluminescence (PL) properties. Color center formation leading to PL emissions were investigated before and after e-beam irradiation. The samples doped with rare earths elements (i.e. Dy, Eu and Tb) were observed to have thinner nanorods than the other samples and have higher absorption in the UV region. The Ag and Tb doped samples have poor TL response to e-beam, while those activated by Cu, Dy and Eu have strong glow peaks at around 123 °C. Quite linear response curves in the whole studied exposures i.e. 0.1-100 Gy were also observed in Cu and Dy doped samples. The PL results show that pure CaSO4 nanorods have active color centers without irradiation, which could be enriched/modified by these impurities mainly rare earths and further enhanced by e-beam irradiation. Eu3+ → Eu2+ conversion is clearly observed in Eu doped sample after e-beam irradiation. These results show that these nanorods might be useful in lighting and display devices development.

UM-PRS: An implementation of the procedural reasoning system for multirobot applications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lee, Jaeho; Huber, Marcus J.; Durfee, Edmund H.; Kenny, Patrick G.

1994-01-01

The Procedural Reasoning System (PRS) is used in applications where predetermined situations might arise. The UM-PRS provides a reasoning system that represents robotic applications even in unpredictable domains, such as the robotic reconnaissance task domain outlined here. UM-PRS incorporates a changing context, rather than relying solely on a prearranged plan. The UM-PRS here provides representation important in the reasoning and interface between a mission plan and the executable map of an outdoor vehicle that changes its behavior based on what it comes in contact with in its environment. PRS is thus used in the dynamic control of such a vehicle, providing the basis for coordinating the joint task of multiple robotic vehicles by the their individual observations and representation.

VizieR Online Data Catalog: FIR spectra of AGNs from Herschel (Fernandez-Ontiveros+, 2016)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fernandez-Ontiveros, J. A.; Spinoglio, L.; Pereira-Santaella, M.; Malkan, M. A.; Andreani, P.; Dasyra, K. M.

2016-11-01

The combination of Herschel/PACS during its 3.5yr of operational life and Spitzer/IRS allows us to cover the fine-structure emission lines from the mid- to the far-IR (10-200um in the rest-frame) for all the galaxies in the sample. This database was completed with the Herschel/SPIRE published values of the [NII]205um, and [CI]371,609um line fluxes (mainly from Kamenetzky+ 2016ApJ...829...93K). Table 8 collects published mid-IR (10-35um) fine-structure line fluxes measured with Spitzer/IRS for our samples of AGN and starburst galaxies. These values were complemented with unpublished IRS observations from the Spitzer archive. (10 data files).

Herbarium of vascular plants collection of the university of extremadura (Spain).

PubMed

Espinosa, Marta; López, Josefa

2013-01-01

The herbarium of University of Extremadura (UNEX Herbarium) is formed by 36451 specimens of vascular plants whose main origin is the autonomous region of Extremadura (Spain) and Portugal, although it also contains a smaller number of specimens from different places, including the rest of peninsular Spain, the Baleares Islands, the Macaronesian region (Canary Islands, Madeira and Azores), northwest of Africa (Morocco) and Brazil. 98% of the total records are georeferenced. It is an active collection in continuous growth. Its data can be accessed through the GBIF data portal at http://data.gbif.org/datasets/resource/255 and http://www.eweb.unex.es/eweb/botanica/herbario/. This paper describes the specimen associated data set of the UNEX Herbarium, with an objective to disseminate the data contained in a data set with potential users, and promote the multiple uses of the data.

[Anorexia nervosa as a cause of acute liver failure. Report of a case].

PubMed

Voltas-Arribas, Beatriz; Artero-Fullana, Ana; Ferrer-García, Juan Carlos; Sánchez-Juan, Carlos; Marco-Alacid, Cristian; Sanz-Revert, Pablo; García-Blasco, Lourdes

2018-01-10

Caso clínico: presentamos una paciente de 33 años con anorexia nerviosa de 15 años de evolución con uno de los pocos casos reportados de fallo hepático agudo severo secundario a la desnutrición.Discusión: tras el soporte nutricional protocolizado para evitar el síndrome de realimentación y un adecuado manejo multidisciplinar, la paciente evoluciona favorablemente logrando normalizar los electrolitos, la función hepática y las alteraciones en la coagulación.

Thermoluminescence Response of CaF2:Mn, CaFz:Dy and CaSO4:Tm to Protons and Alpha-Particles,

DTIC Science & Technology

1987-06-01

TLD ) in diverse radiation fields, such as mixed neutron-gamma fields. TL responses of the detector may depend not only on the photon and neutron energy...response of three TLD materials: CaF 2 :Mn, CaF?:Dy and CaSO 4 :Tm. These three materials are commonly used in TLDs , because of their high sensitivities...and suitable readout temperatures. CaS04:Tm powder embedded in polyethylene was investiaged at DREO (Ref. (4)) as a combined neutron/gamma TLD , but

Properties of Semi-dry Flue Gas Desulfurization Ash and Used for Phosphorus Removal

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yu, Y. P.; Fang, Y.; Chai, S. Y.; Zhuang, Z. Z.

2018-05-01

The composition of Semi-dry Flue Gas Desulfurization ash was as follows: CaSO3 · 0.5H2O and Ca(OH)2. Most of the particle size was about 8 µm particles were irregular and small, while the other part was rough and globular. CaSO3 strongly oxidized at about 466°C and Ca(OH)2 decomposed at ∼ 662°C. The maximum amount of phosphorus removal in Semi-dry Flue Gas Desulfurization ash was 79.898 mg/g.

Monitoring the Near-infrared Volcanic Flux from Io's Jupiter-facing Hemisphere from Fan Mountain Observatory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Skrutskie, Michael F.; Nelson, Matthew J.; Schmidt, Carl

2016-10-01

Fan Mountain Observatory, near Charlottesville, Virginia, is a dark-sky site that supports a number of telescopes including a 31-inch reflecting telescope equipped with a 1024x1024 HgCdTe 1-2.5 um (YJHK) imager. Reflected sunlight ordinarily overwhelms Io's comparatively weak K-band (2.0-2.4 um) volcanic emission in unresolved observations, however when Io is eclipsed in Jupiter's shadow even a small infrared-equipped telescope can detect Io's volcanic emission. The Fan Mountain Infrared Camera observed Io in eclipse at regular intervals, typically weekly, during the few months before and after Jupiter's March 2016 opposition. When in eclipse Io's Jupiter-facing hemisphere is oriented toward Earth with sub-Earth longitudes at the time of observation ranging from 345 - 360 degrees (pre-opposition) to 0 - 15 degrees (post-opposition). A K-band filter (2.04-2.42 um) provided a bulk measurement of Io's volcanic flux weighted largely toward the 2.4 um end of this filter given the typical 500K color temperature of the volcanic emission. Most epochs also included observation in a narrowband filter centered at 2.12 um that, when combined with the broadband "long" wavelength measurement, provided a proxy for color temperature. The K-band flux of Io varied by more than 2 magnitudes during the 7 month observation interval. The [2.12 um - K-band] color of the emission strongly correlated with the K-band flux in the expected sense that the color temperature of the emission increased when Io's broadband volcanic flux was the greatest. One epoch of TripleSpec near-IR Io eclipse spectroscopy (0.90 - 2.45 um; R~3000) from the Apache Point Observatory 3.5-meter telescope provided ground truth for transforming the filter photometry into quantitative temperatures.

Genome analysis of Daldinia eschscholtzii strains UM 1400 and UM 1020, wood-decaying fungi isolated from human hosts

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Chan, Chai Ling; Yew, Su Mei; Ngeow, Yun Fong

Background: Daldinia eschscholtzii is a wood-inhabiting fungus that causes wood decay under certain conditions. It has a broad host range and produces a large repertoire of potentially bioactive compounds. However, there is no extensive genome analysis on this fungal species. Results: Two fungal isolates (UM 1400 and UM 1020) from human specimens were identified as Daldinia eschscholtzii by morphological features and ITS-based phylogenetic analysis. Both genomes were similar in size with 10,822 predicted genes in UM 1400 (35.8 Mb) and 11,120 predicted genes in UM 1020 (35.5 Mb). A total of 751 gene families were shared among both UM isolates,more » including gene families associated with fungus-host interactions. In the CAZyme comparative analysis, both genomes were found to contain arrays of CAZyme related to plant cell wall degradation. Genes encoding secreted peptidases were found in the genomes, which encode for the peptidases involved in the degradation of structural proteins in plant cell wall. In addition, arrays of secondary metabolite backbone genes were identified in both genomes, indicating of their potential to produce bioactive secondary metabolites. Both genomes also contained an abundance of gene encoding signaling components, with three proposed MAPK cascades involved in cell wall integrity, osmoregulation, and mating/filamentation. Besides genomic evidence for degrading capability, both isolates also harbored an array of genes encoding stress response proteins that are potentially significant for adaptation to living in the hostile environments. In conclusion: Our genomic studies provide further information for the biological understanding of the D. eschscholtzii and suggest that these wood-decaying fungi are also equipped for adaptation to adverse environments in the human host.« less

Activation pathways of synovial T lymphocytes. Expression and function of the UM4D4/CDw60 antigen.

PubMed Central

Fox, D A; Millard, J A; Kan, L; Zeldes, W S; Davis, W; Higgs, J; Emmrich, F; Kinne, R W

1990-01-01

Accumulating evidence implicates a central role for synovial T cells in the pathogenesis of rheumatoid arthritis, but the activation pathways that drive proliferation and effector function of these cells are not known. We have recently generated a novel monoclonal antibody against a rheumatoid synovial T cell line that recognizes an antigen termed UM4D4 (CDw60). This antigen is expressed on a minority of peripheral blood T cells, and represents the surface component of a distinct pathway of human T cell activation. The current studies were performed to examine the expression and function of UM4D4 on T cells obtained from synovial fluid and synovial membranes of patients with rheumatoid arthritis and other forms of inflammatory joint disease. The UM4D4 antigen is expressed at high surface density on about three-fourths of synovial fluid T cells and on a small subset of synovial fluid natural killer cells; in synovial tissue it is present on more than 90% of T cells in lymphoid aggregates, and on approximately 50% of T cells in stromal infiltrates In addition, UM4D4 is expressed in synovial tissue on a previously undescribed population of HLA-DR/DP-negative non-T cells with a dendritic morphology. Anti-UM4D4 was co-mitogenic for both RA and non-RA synovial fluid mononuclear cells, and induced IL-2 receptor expression. The UM4D4/CDw60 antigen may represent a functional activation pathway for synovial compartment T cells, which could play an important role in the pathogenesis of inflammatory arthritis. Images PMID:2212003

Mental health problems of undocumented migrants (UMs) in the Netherlands: a qualitative exploration of help-seeking behaviour and experiences with primary care

PubMed Central

Teunissen, Erik; Sherally, Jamilah; van den Muijsenbergh, Maria; Dowrick, Chris; van Weel-Baumgarten, Evelyn; van Weel, Chris

2014-01-01

Objective To explore health-seeking behaviour and experiences of undocumented migrants (UMs) in general practice in relation to mental health problems. Design Qualitative study using semistructured interviews and thematic analysis. Participants 15 UMs in the Netherlands, varying in age, gender, country of origin and education; inclusion until theoretical saturation was reached. Setting 4 cities in the Netherlands. Results UMs consider mental health problems to be directly related to their precarious living conditions. For support, they refer to friends and religion first, the general practitioner (GP) is their last resort. Barriers for seeking help include taboo on mental health problems, lack of knowledge of and trust in GPs competencies regarding mental health and general barriers in accessing healthcare as an UM (lack of knowledge of the right to access healthcare, fear of prosecution, financial constraints and practical difficulties). Once access has been gained, satisfaction with care is high. This is primarily due to the attitude of the GPs and the effectiveness of the treatment. Reasons for dissatisfaction with GP care are an experienced lack of time, lack of personal attention and absence of physical examination. Expectations of the GP vary, medication for mental health problems is not necessarily seen as a good practice. Conclusions UMs often see their precarious living conditions as an important determinant of their mental health; they do not easily seek help for mental health problems and various barriers hamper access to healthcare for them. Rather than for medication, UMs are looking for encouragement and support from their GP. We recommend that barriers experienced in seeking professional care are tackled at an institutional level as well as at the level of GP. PMID:25416057

Comparison of gene delivery techniques for therapeutic angiogenesis ultrasound-mediated destruction of carrier microbubbles versus direct intramuscular injection.

PubMed

Kobulnik, Jeremy; Kuliszewski, Michael A; Stewart, Duncan J; Lindner, Jonathan R; Leong-Poi, Howard

2009-10-27

This study was designed to compare the efficacy of angiogenic gene delivery by ultrasound-mediated (UM) destruction of intravenous carrier microbubbles to direct intramuscular (IM) injections. Current trials of gene therapy for angiogenesis remain limited by suboptimal, invasive delivery techniques. Hind-limb ischemia was produced by iliac artery ligation in 99 rats. In 32 rats, UM delivery of green fluorescent protein (GFP)/vascular endothelial growth factor-165 (VEGF(165)) plasmid deoxyribonucleic acid was performed. Thirty-five animals received IM injections of VEGF(165)/GFP plasmid. Remaining rats received no treatment. Before delivery (day 14 after ligation) and at days 17, 21, and 28 and week 8 after ligation, microvascular blood volume and microvascular blood flow to the proximal hind limbs were assessed by contrast-enhanced ultrasound (n = 8 per group). Total transfection was assessed by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction, and localization of transfection was determined by immunohistochemistry. By day 28, both IM and UM delivery of VEGF(165) produced significant increases in microvascular blood volume and microvascular blood flow. Whereas increases in microvascular blood volume were similar between treatment groups, microvascular blood flow was greater (p < 0.005) in UM-treated animals as compared with IM-treated animals, persisting to week 8. The VEGF(165)/GFP messenger ribonucleic acid expression was greater (p < 0.05) for IM-treated animals. A strong GFP signal was detected for both groups and was localized to focal perivascular regions and myocytes around injection sites for IM and to the vascular endothelium of arterioles/capillaries in a wider distribution for UM delivery. Despite lower transfection levels, UM delivery of VEGF(165) is as effective as IM injections. The UM delivery results in directed vascular transfection over a wider distribution, which may account for the more efficient angiogenesis.

Mental health problems of undocumented migrants in the Netherlands: A qualitative exploration of recognition, recording, and treatment by general practitioners.

PubMed

Teunissen, Erik; Van Bavel, Eric; Van Den Driessen Mareeuw, Francine; Macfarlane, Anne; Van Weel-Baumgarten, Evelyn; Van Den Muijsenbergh, Maria; Van Weel, Chris

2015-06-01

To explore the views and experiences of general practitioners (GPs) in relation to recognition, recording, and treatment of mental health problems of undocumented migrants (UMs), and to gain insight in the reasons for under-registration of mental health problems in the electronic medical records. Qualitative study design with semi-structured interviews using a topic guide. Sixteen GPs in the Netherlands with clinical expertise in the care of UMs. GPs recognized many mental health problems in UMs. Barriers that prevented them from recording these problems and from delivering appropriate care were their low consultation rates, physical presentation of mental health problems, high number of other problems, the UM's lack of trust towards health care professionals, and cultural differences in health beliefs and language barriers. Referrals to mental health care organizations were often seen as problematic by GPs. To overcome these barriers, GPs provided personalized care as far as possible, referred to other primary care professionals such as social workers or mental health care nurses in their practice, and were a little less restrictive in prescribing psychotropics than guidelines recommended. GPs experienced a variety of barriers in engaging with UMs when identifying or suspecting mental health problems. This explains why there is a gap between the high recognition of mental health problems and the low recording of these problems in general practice files. It is recommended that GPs address mental health problems more actively, strive for continuity of care in order to gain trust of the UMs, and look for opportunities to provide mental care that is accessible and acceptable for UMs.

Protective Effects of Ultramicronized Palmitoylethanolamide (PEA-um) in Myocardial Ischaemia and Reperfusion Injury in VIVO.

PubMed

Di Paola, Rosanna; Cordaro, Marika; Crupi, Rosalia; Siracusa, Rosalba; Campolo, Michela; Bruschetta, Giuseppe; Fusco, Roberta; Pugliatti, Pietro; Esposito, Emanuela; Cuzzocrea, Salvatore

2016-08-01

Myocardial infarction is the leading cause of death, occurs after prolonged ischemia of the coronary arteries. Restore blood flow is the first intervention help against heart attack. However, reperfusion of the arteries leads to ischemia/reperfusion injury (I/R). The fatty acid amide palmitoylethanolamide (PEA) is an endogenous compound widely present in living organisms, with analgesic and anti-inflammatory properties. The present study evaluated the effect of ultramicronized palmitoylethanolamide (PEA-um) treatment on the inflammatory process associated with myocardial I/R. Myocardial ischemia reperfusion injury was induced by occlusion of the left anterior descending coronary artery for 30 min followed by 2 h of reperfusion. PEA-um, was administered (10 mg/kg) 15 min after ischemia and 1 h after reperfusion. In this study, we demonstrated that PEA-um treatment reduces myocardial tissue injury, neutrophil infiltration, adhesion molecules (ICAM-1, P-selectin) expression, proinflammatory cytokines (TNF-α, IL-1β) production, nitrotyrosine and PAR formation, nuclear factor kB expression, and apoptosis (Fas-L, Bcl-2) activation. In addition to study whether the protective effect of PEA-um on myocardial ischemia reperfusion injury is also related to the activation of PPAR-α, in a separate set of experiments it has been performed myocardial I/R in PPARα mice. Genetic ablation of peroxisome proliferator activated receptor (PPAR)-α in PPAR-αKO mice exacerbated Myocardial ischemia reperfusion injury when compared with PPAR-αWT mice. PEA-um induced cardioprotection in PPAR-α wild-type mice, but the same effect cannot be observed in PPAR-αKO mice. Our results have clearly shown a modulation of the inflammatory process, associated with myocardial ischemia reperfusion injury, following administration of PEA-um.

Contralateral prophylactic mastectomy rate stable at major Canadian breast cancer center.

PubMed

Roberts, Amanda; Sandhu, Lakhbir; Cil, Tulin D; Hofer, Stefan O P; Zhong, Toni

2016-06-10

To examine trends of contralateral prophylactic mastectomy (CPM) rates at a Canadian academic breast cancer center. A single-institution retrospective cohort study was completed. Women of any age who underwent at least a unilateral mastectomy (UM) for primary unilateral breast carcinoma between January 1, 2004 and December 31, 2010 were included. Patients who underwent CPM on the same day as UM were isolated to create two distinct cohorts. Patient and procedure characteristics were compared across groups using R software (version 3.1.0). The percentage of CPMs per year was determined. The Cochrane-Armitage test was used to assess the trend of CPMs over time. A P value of < 0.05 was considered significant. A total of 811 women met the inclusions/exclusion criteria; 759 (93.6%) underwent UM alone and 52 (6.4%) underwent UM with immediate CPM. The absolute number of procedures (UM and UM + CPM) increased over time, from 83 in 2004 to 147 in 2010 reflecting an increase in mastectomy volume. Annual CPM rates did not increase over time (P = 0.7) and varied between 2.6% to 10.7%. Family history of breast cancer [OR 3.6 (1.8-7.3)] and immediate reconstruction [10.0 (5.2-19.3)] were both significantly associated with CPM. Women who underwent CPM were younger (median age CPM 49 years vs UM 52 years, P < 0.0001) but age less than 50 years was not statistically associated with increased rates of CPM. CPM rates from 2004 to 2010 at a high-volume Canadian breast cancer center did not increase over time, in contrast to trends observed in the United States.

First Asteroid Spectrometric Observations with BTA: 3045 Alois

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Busarev, V. V.; Burenkov, A. N.; Pramskij, A. G.

2001-11-01

BTA, Russian 6-m telescope, was mainly used for faint stars and extragalactic objects observations. We have firstly performed with the telescope spectrometric observations of a main belt asteroid, 3045 Alois, and are planning to use it for Centaurs and Kuiper Belt objects spectrometry. We have obtained some results of the observations. Spectra of Alois were recorded on two nights of March 2001 (29/30 and 30/31) with a long slit spectrograph (UAGS + CCD) in the .38-.80 um spectral range. HD105633 (G5) [1] considered as a solar analog was also observed, and the data were used for calculation the asteroid reflectance spectra. It was found that reflectance spectra of Alois obtained on different nights have various continuum slopes and absorption features. The reflectance spectrum on 29/30 March had a flat continuum in the range .44-.65 um and absorption bands at .5 um (ab. 7 % with respect to the continuum) similar to that found on the E-type asteroid 2035 Stearns [2], and at .80 um (ab. 25 %). Another one on 30/31 March had a red continuum in the range .40-.67 um and absorption bands at .43 um (ab. 6 %) resembling absorption features found on some C-, M- and S-type asteroids [3, 4], and at .80 um (ab. 17 %). From the data and taking into account the mean heliocentric distance of 3045 Alois (3.13 AU) we suppose that the asteroid having irregular spectral characteristics may be of M- or E-type and possibly hydrated. Unfortunately, its albedo and rotational period remain still unknown. [1] Mermilliod J.-C. (1994) Bull. Inf. CDS 45, 3. [2] Fornasier S. and Lazzarine M. (2001) Icarus 152, 127-133. [3] Vilas F. et al. (1993) Icarus 102, 225-231. [4] Busarev V. V. (2001) LPSC XXXII, abs. 1927.

Genome analysis of Daldinia eschscholtzii strains UM 1400 and UM 1020, wood-decaying fungi isolated from human hosts

DOE PAGES

Chan, Chai Ling; Yew, Su Mei; Ngeow, Yun Fong; ...

2015-11-18

Background: Daldinia eschscholtzii is a wood-inhabiting fungus that causes wood decay under certain conditions. It has a broad host range and produces a large repertoire of potentially bioactive compounds. However, there is no extensive genome analysis on this fungal species. Results: Two fungal isolates (UM 1400 and UM 1020) from human specimens were identified as Daldinia eschscholtzii by morphological features and ITS-based phylogenetic analysis. Both genomes were similar in size with 10,822 predicted genes in UM 1400 (35.8 Mb) and 11,120 predicted genes in UM 1020 (35.5 Mb). A total of 751 gene families were shared among both UM isolates,more » including gene families associated with fungus-host interactions. In the CAZyme comparative analysis, both genomes were found to contain arrays of CAZyme related to plant cell wall degradation. Genes encoding secreted peptidases were found in the genomes, which encode for the peptidases involved in the degradation of structural proteins in plant cell wall. In addition, arrays of secondary metabolite backbone genes were identified in both genomes, indicating of their potential to produce bioactive secondary metabolites. Both genomes also contained an abundance of gene encoding signaling components, with three proposed MAPK cascades involved in cell wall integrity, osmoregulation, and mating/filamentation. Besides genomic evidence for degrading capability, both isolates also harbored an array of genes encoding stress response proteins that are potentially significant for adaptation to living in the hostile environments. In conclusion: Our genomic studies provide further information for the biological understanding of the D. eschscholtzii and suggest that these wood-decaying fungi are also equipped for adaptation to adverse environments in the human host.« less

Aircraft Natural/Artificial Icing

DTIC Science & Technology

2009-02-12

LWC are 0.1 to 0.8 g/m3 for stratiform clouds and 0.2 to 2.5 g/m3 for cumuliform clouds. The drop size distribution in the cloud is usually...cloud hydrometeor size distributions from 0.5 to 50 um, particle shape (discrimination between water and ice), particle optical properties (refractive...index), precipitation size distributions from 25 um to 1550 um, liquid water content from 0.01 to 3 gm-3 and aircraft velocity and atmospheric

Novel Preclinical Testing Strategies for Treatment of Metastatic Pheochromocytoma

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-09-01

proliferation using this protocol as reported or with any modifications tested Medium Y27632 (uM) Hydrocortisone (ug/mL) Insulin (ug/mL) rhEGF...0 + + 0 + + 0 + 0 Medium Y27632 (uM) Hydrocortisone (ug/mL) Insulin (ug/mL) rhEGF (ng/mL) Adenine (ug/mL) Result...reported (1) except for cholera toxin, which was toxic to this tumor under these conditions 17 Medium Y27632 (uM) Hydrocortisone (ug/mL

BRD4-targeted therapy induces Myc-independent cytotoxicity in Gnaq/11-mutatant uveal melanoma cells.

PubMed

Ambrosini, Grazia; Sawle, Ashley D; Musi, Elgilda; Schwartz, Gary K

2015-10-20

Uveal melanoma (UM) is an aggressive intraocular malignancy with limited therapeutic options. Both primary and metastatic UM are characterized by oncogenic mutations in the G-protein alpha subunit q and 11. Furthermore, nearly 40% of UM has amplification of the chromosomal arm 8q and monosomy of chromosome 3, with consequent anomalies of MYC copy number. Chromatin regulators have become attractive targets for cancer therapy. In particular, the bromodomain and extra-terminal (BET) inhibitor JQ1 has shown selective inhibition of c-Myc expression with antiproliferative activity in hematopoietic and solid tumors. Here we provide evidence that JQ1 had cytotoxic activity in UM cell lines carrying Gnaq/11 mutations, while in cells without the mutations had little effects. Using microarray analysis, we identified a large subset of genes modulated by JQ1 involved in the regulation of cell cycle, apoptosis and DNA repair. Further analysis of selected genes determined that the concomitant silencing of Bcl-xL and Rad51 represented the minimal requirement to mimic the apoptotic effects of JQ1 in the mutant cells, independently of c-Myc. In addition, administration of JQ1 to mouse xenograft models of Gnaq-mutant UM resulted in significant inhibition of tumor growth.Collectively, our results define BRD4 targeting as a novel therapeutic intervention against UM with Gnaq/Gna11 mutations.

Unsaponifiable matter from oil of green coffee beans: cosmetic properties and safety evaluation.

PubMed

Wagemaker, Tais A L; Campos, Patrícia M B G Maia; Fernandes, Ana Sofia; Rijo, Patrícia; Nicolai, Marisa; Roberto, Amílcar; Rosado, Catarina; Reis, Catarina; Rodrigues, Luis M; Carvalho, Cássia Regina Limonta; Maia, Nilson Borlina; Guerreiro Filho, Oliveiro

2016-10-01

Unsaponifiable matter (UM), a fraction of green coffee oil (GCO) contains functional compounds responsible for desirable cosmetic properties such as UV-B absorption. To evaluate oil content and sun protection factor (SPF) variability of the two most important species of coffee and, the toxic and cytotoxic effects, as well as cosmetic properties, including antioxidant and antimicrobial activities of UM obtained from green Coffea arabica seed oil. The safety and potential cosmetic properties of UM extracted from green coffee oil (GCO) were evaluated by the brine shrimp viability and the MTT cytotoxicity assays. The SPF and antioxidant activity were evaluated using in vitro methods. Relevant cytotoxicity was found against keratinocytes for concentrations ≥25 µg/mL and in the brine shrimp assay (LC50 24 µg/mL). Antimicrobial and antioxidant activities (IC50 1448 µg/mL) were low in UM but SPF was 10 times higher than in GCO. UM is a novel potential UV-B absorbent but its use as a cosmetic ingredient should be better considered due to the considerable cytotoxicity shown in the experimental conditions described.

Medusa consumption and prey selection of silver pomfret Pampus argenteus juveniles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Chunsheng; Zhuang, Zhimeng; Chen, Siqing; Shi, Zhaohong; Yan, Jingping; Liu, Changlin

2014-01-01

The current study explored Aurelia aurita and Rhopilema esculent um consumption by silver pomfret juveniles, as well as their prey selection between the two jellyfish species. Silver pomfret juveniles weighing 1±0.1 g actively preyed on both the species. Their daily A. aurita consumption was 11.6 times their own body weights regardless of the size of A. aurita medusae. Their daily R. esculent um consumption was 13, 9.1, 5, and 4.1 times their own body weights when the R. esculentum medusae were 10, 20, 30, and 40 mm in bell diameter, respectively. The survival rates of the R. esculent um were higher than those of the A. aurita. When the R. esculent um medusae were more than 30 mm in bell diameter, their survival rate exceeded 92%. Silver pomfrets serve as a type of potential predators on A. aurita in coastal waters, and they have little influence on R. esculent um with a size exceeding 30 mm. Besides, A. aurita may be able to be used as fish prey in silver pomfret artificial breeding.

Simplificando a luneta com lente de óculos

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Canalle, J. B. G.; de Souza, A. C. F.

2003-08-01

A principal ferramenta de trabalho do astrônomo é o telescópio. O manuseio do mesmo é sempre motivo de enorme curiosidade por parte de alunos do ensino fundamental ou médio e até mesmo dos respectivos professores. Visando propiciar o acesso de alunos e professores ou interessados em geral a uma luneta de fácil construção, com materiais alternativos, de fácil localização no comércio, de baixo custo, resistente ao manuseio de alunos, simplificamos a montagem de uma luneta construída com lente de óculos, de 1 ou 2 graus positivos, e monóculo de fotografia, publicado por este autor no CCEF, vol.11(3), 212, 1994. Esta luneta, a qual permite ver as crateras lunares, apresentava como maior dificuldade de construção o tripé e o local de formação da imagem. Substituímos o tripé de madeira por uma simples garrafa PET de 2 litros cheia d'água. No lugar da ocular usamos a lente do monóculo de fotografia (ou visor de fotografia) encaixado dentro de uma bucha de redução curta, de 40 x 32 mm, e esta não mais dentro de uma luva (conexão hidráulica) de 40 mm de diâmetro, mas sim encostada no próprio tubo de PVC móvel (o qual permite o ajuste do foco) de 40 mm de diâmetro e presa a este por outro tubo de 40 mm de diâmetro e 10 cm de comprimento, serrado ao longo do seu comprimento. Com isto podemos ajustar a posição deste tubo de 10 cm também para que uma das suas extremidades coincida com o local de formação da imagem. Desta forma o observador saberá o local exato da formação da imagem, o que não era evidente na montagem anterior e causava uma dificuldade inicial até se descobrir a posição exata em que se deveria colocar o olho. Deste maneira, a montagem inicial que já era simples ficou ainda mais simples, mais barata e mais confortável para o uso. Um exemplar da mesma será exposto durante a XXIX Reunião Anual da Sociedade Astronômica Brasileira para inspeção e uso dos participantes.

Evaluation of the implementation of the directly observed treatment strategy for tuberculosis in a large city.

PubMed

Lavôr, Débora Cristina Brasil da Silva; Pinheiro, Jair Dos Santos; Gonçalves, Maria Jacirema Ferreira

2016-04-01

To assess the degree of implementation of the Directly Observed Treatment, Short-course - DOTS for tuberculosis (TB) in a large city. Assessment of the implementation of the logic model, whose new cases of infectious pulmonary TB were recruited from specialized clinics and followed-up in basic health units. The judgment matrix covering the five components of the DOTS strategy were used. The result of the logic model indicates DOTS was partially implemented. In external, organizational and implementation contexts, the DOTS strategy was partially implemented; and, the effectiveness was not implemented. The partial implementation of the DOTS strategy in the city of Manaus did not reflect in TB control compliance, leading to low effectiveness of the program. Avaliar o grau de implantação da estratégia de tratamento diretamente observado (Directly Observed Treatment, Short-course - DOTS) para tuberculose (TB) em um município de grande porte. Avaliação de implantação por meio de modelo lógico, cujos casos novos de TB pulmonar bacilífera foram recrutados em ambulatórios especializados e acompanhados nas unidades básicas de saúde. Utilizou-se matriz de julgamento que abrange os cinco componentes da estratégia DOTS. O resultado do modelo lógico indica DOTS implantada parcialmente. Nos contextos externo, organizacional e de implantação, a estratégia DOTS está implantada parcialmente; e, na efetividade não está implantada. A implantação parcial da estratégia DOTS, na cidade de Manaus, reflete na não conformidade do controle da TB, levando à baixa efetividade do programa.

Robotic-assisted modified retroauricular cervical approach: initial experience in Latin America.

PubMed

Chulam, Thiago Celestino; Lira, Renan Bezerra; Kowalski, Luiz Paulo

2016-01-01

to evaluate the thickness of the gastric wall at the time of intra gastric balloon (IGB) placement, at the time of its withdrawal and one month after withdrawal. fifteen morbidly obese patients underwent the introduction of IGB under general anesthesia. In all patients, there was infusion of 500ml of distilled water in the balloon for the test. Measurements of the thickness of the gastric wall were made in the antrum, body and proximal body, using a radial echoendoscope with a frequency of 12MHz and maximum zoom, and its own balloon inflated with 5ml of distilled water. the presence of IGB led to increased wall thickness of the gastric body by expanding the muscle layer. These changes were apparently transient, since 30 days after the balloon withdrawal there was a tendency to return of the wall thickness values ​​observed before the balloon insertion. the use of intragastric balloon for the treatment of obesity determines transient increase in the wall thickness of the gastric body caused by expanded muscle layer. A preocupação com a melhoria dos resultados estéticos e funcionais sem comprometimento dos resultados oncológicos na cirurgia de cabeça e pescoço tem aumentado significativamente. Os procedimentos minimamente invasivos e principalmente aqueles que utilizam a tecnologia robótica permitiram o desenvolvimento de novas abordagens, incluindo o acesso retroauricular, que agora é usado rotineiramente, especialmente na Coréia do Sul. A presente nota irá ilustrar a técnica e a experiência inicial na América Latina, demonstrando que esta abordagem é viável, segura e eficaz oncologicamente, podendo ser utilizada em casos selecionados com um benefício estético evidente.

VizieR Online Data Catalog: Multiwavelength study of HII region S311 (Yadav+, 2016)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yadav, R. K.; Pandey, A. K.; Sharma, S.; Ojha, D. K.; Samal, M. R.; Mallick, K. K.; Jose, J.; Ogura, K.; Richichi, A.; Irawati, P.; Kobayashi, N.; Eswaraiah, C.

2017-11-01

We observed the HII region S311 (centred on RA(2000)=07:52:24, DE(2000)=-26:24:58.40) in NIR broad-bands J (1.25um), H (1.63um) and Ks (2.14um) on 2010 March 3 using the Infrared Side Port Imager (ISPI) camera mounted on the CTIO Blanco 4-m telescope. We consider only those sources having error <0.1mag in all three bands, resulting in a final catalogue of 2671 point sources. The Spitzer-IRAC observations for the S311 region (PID 20726) were made on 2006 May 3 using the 3.6, 4.5, 5.8 and 8.0um bands and were downloaded from the Spitzer heritage archive (SHA). (4 data files).

Wideband response of a terahertz-millimeter imager based on a 384x288 pixel uncooled bolometric detector

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Terroux, Marc; Marchese, Linda; Bolduc, Martin; Mercier, Luc; Chevalier, Claude; Gagnon, Lucie; Tremblay, Bruno; Généreux, Francis; Paultre, Jacques-Edmond; Provençal, Francis; Beaupré, Patrick; Desroches, Yan; Châteauneuf, François; Bergeron, Alain

2017-11-01

In the past, bolometer-based imagers have been used for earth observation. Uncooled-bolometer based imagers are especially well suited for this due to their low power consumption. NIRST (New Infra-Red Sensor Technology), an example of an imager based on uncooled bolometers, monitors high temperature events on the ground related to fires and volcanic events, and will measure their physical parameters and takes measurements of sea surface temperatures mainly off the coast of South America as well as other targeted opportunities. NIRST has one band in the mid-wave infrared centered at 3.8 um with a bandwidth of 0.8 um, and two bands in the thermal infrared, centered respectively at 10.85 and 11.85 um with a bandwidth of 0.9 um.

Urine Monitoring System

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Feedback, Daniel L.; Cibuzar, Branelle R.

2009-01-01

The Urine Monitoring System (UMS) is a system designed to collect an individual crewmember's void, gently separate urine from air, accurately measure void volume, allow for void sample acquisition, and discharge remaining urine into the Waste Collector Subsystem (WCS) onboard the International Space Station. The Urine Monitoring System (UMS) is a successor design to the existing Space Shuttle system and will resolve anomalies such as: liquid carry-over, inaccurate void volume measurements, and cross contamination in void samples. The crew will perform an evaluation of airflow at the ISS UMS urinal hose interface, a calibration evaluation, and a full user interface evaluation. o The UMS can be used to facilitate non-invasive methods for monitoring crew health, evaluation of countermeasures, and implementation of a variety of biomedical research protocols on future exploration missions.

VizieR Online Data Catalog: UKIDSS-DR7 Large Area Survey (Lawrence+ 2011)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

UKIDSS Consortium

2012-03-01

The UKIRT Infrared Deep Sky Survey (UKIDSS) is a large-scale near-IR survey which aim is to cover 7500 square degrees of the Northern sky. The survey is carried out using the Wide Field Camera (WFCAM), with a field of view of 0.21 square degrees, mounted on the 3.8m United Kingdom Infra-red Telescope (UKIRT) in Hawaii. The Large Area Survey (LAS) covers an area of 4000 square degrees in high Galactic latitudes (extragalactic) in the four bands Y(1.0um) J(1.2um) H(1.6um) and K(2.2um) to a depth of K = 18.4. Details of the survey can be found in the in the paper by Lawrence et al. (2007MNRAS.379.1599L) (1 data file).

Use of the University of Minnesota Biocatalysis/Biodegradation Database for study of microbial degradation

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Microorganisms are ubiquitous on earth and have diverse metabolic transformative capabilities important for environmental biodegradation of chemicals that helps maintain ecosystem and human health. Microbial biodegradative metabolism is the main focus of the University of Minnesota Biocatalysis/Biodegradation Database (UM-BBD). UM-BBD data has also been used to develop a computational metabolic pathway prediction system that can be applied to chemicals for which biodegradation data is currently lacking. The UM-Pathway Prediction System (UM-PPS) relies on metabolic rules that are based on organic functional groups and predicts plausible biodegradative metabolism. The predictions are useful to environmental chemists that look for metabolic intermediates, for regulators looking for potential toxic products, for microbiologists seeking to understand microbial biodegradation, and others with a wide-range of interests. PMID:22587916

Misalignment tolerant efficient inverse taper coupler for silicon waveguide

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Peng; Michael, Aron; Kwok, Chee Yee; Chen, Ssu-Han

2015-12-01

This paper describes an efficient fiber to submicron silicon waveguide coupling based on an inversely tapered silicon waveguide embedded in a SiO2 waveguide that is suspended in air. The inverse taper waveguide consist of a 50um long and 240nm thick silicon that linearly taper in width from 500nm to 120nm, which is embedded in SiO2. The SiO2 waveguide is 6um wide and 10um long. The simulation results show that the coupling loss of this new approach is 2.7dB including the interface loss at the input and output. The tolerance to fiber misalignment at the input of the coupler is 2um in both horizontal and vertical directions for only 1.5dB additional loss.

A Group of 500 Women Whose Health May Depart Notably From the Norm: Protocol for a Cross-Sectional Survey.

PubMed

Schnelle, Christoph; Minford, Eunice J; McHardy, Vanessa; Keep, Jane

2017-11-23

Longitudinal studies of women's health often seek to identify predictors of good health. Research has shown that following simple guidelines can halve women's mortality. The ongoing Australian Longitudinal Study of Women's Health (ALSWH) shows that Australian women are getting better at reducing their smoking and alcohol use, and are generally diligent about attending recommended health screenings, but are becoming less successful at dealing with obesity. There are communities of women who live unusually healthy lives (Rosetans, Seventh-Day Adventists, traditional Japanese women), but their lifestyles are unlikely to be adopted widely. Universal Medicine (UM) is a complementary-to-medicine approach that emphasizes personal empowerment and the importance of menstrual health symptoms. This survey investigates whether the approximately 500 women associated with UM exhibit health status significantly above the norm. As part of this investigation, questions for a newly developed menstrual attitudes questionnaire will also be evaluated. A quantitative cross-sectional survey of women in a UM cohort was designed with the help of three focus groups of women at three life stages: in menses, peri-menopausal, and menopausal. The menstrual attitudes portion of the survey incorporates the insights of these women regarding female health issues. The survey also includes 41 questions taken from the ALSWH. Focus groups generated additional questions about symptoms experienced and attitudes toward female health issues. ALSWH questions, including a range of health scales like the Short Form 36 (SF-36), Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale, Perceived Control Scale, Kessler Psychological Distress Scale, and the Multi-Item Summed Score for Perceived Stress, along with questions about experienced major health events, were investigated and incorporated if considered suitable. The validity of the menstrual attitudes questionnaire will be evaluated with Cohen's kappa. ALSWH respondents and UM participants will be compared, using unweighted regression or regression weighted or normalized by age, education, and interest in alternative treatments (to increase comparability), as appropriate. Analyses will determine whether UM-related variables (being a UM participant, length of UM participation, number of UM events attended) are associated with: differences in the number of major health events and health symptoms experienced; SF-36 physical and mental health scores; body mass index; and consumption of alcohol, tobacco, sugar, salt, caffeine, and dairy. If women in the UM cohort are truly in substantially better health than the norm, further investigations may be worthwhile to see whether UM plays a causal role, and whether the women's practices are generalizable. ©Christoph Schnelle, Eunice J Minford, Vanessa McHardy, Jane Keep. Originally published in JMIR Research Protocols (http://www.researchprotocols.org), 23.11.2017.

The Douro estuarine plume: Detection, processes and dynamics =

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mendes, Renato Paulo dos Santos

O Douro e um dos maiores rios da Peninsula Iberica, constituindo a maior descarga de agua doce para o Oceano Atlântico na costa noroeste portuguesa. A sua pluma estuarina tem particular relevância na dinâmica costeira e na modulacao de fenomenos biogeoquimicos. Sao objetivos desta dissertacao contribuir para a compreensao dos processos fisicos associados a geracao e propagacao da pluma estuarina do Rio Douro no oceano, assim como para o conhecimento dos seus padroes de dispersao e da forma como estes alteram a hidrologia e a circulacao costeira, considerando os agentes forcadores tipicos deste fenomeno (caudal fluvial, vento e mare) e indices climaticos relevantes. Para concretizacao destes objetivos foram desenvolvidas e aplicadas metodologias inovadoras de processamento de dados de detecao remota, assim como novas implementacoes estuarinas e costeiras de modelos numericos. Atraves de imagens MODIS, otimizadas para o estudo de fenomenos costeiros, efetuou-se uma detecao rigorosa da pluma. Identificou-se uma relacao entre o sinal turbido nLw555 e o caudal, demonstrando-se este produto como um bom proxy para a observacao da pluma no oceano. As escalas temporais e espaciais da pluma foram caraterizadas atraves destas imagens, combinadas com dados de caudal fluvial, mare, vento e precipitacao, e tambem com indices climaticos relevantes. Para compreender a propagacao da pluma e caracterizar a sua dinâmica e impacto na circulacao costeira, foi desenvolvida uma aplicacao 3D de modelos estuarinos e costeiros com malhas aninhadas de resolucao variavel. Definiramse e analisaram-se diferentes cenarios de vento e descarga fluvial. A interacao da pluma do Rio Douro e do Minho foi ainda analisada atraves dos resultados de simulacoes baseadas num evento de inverno. Os compositos turbidos mostraram que a pluma e facilmente detetada quando o caudal e maior que 500 m3 s??1. A descarga fluvial e o vento sao os principais forcadores da sua propagacao, enquanto a mare e apenas importante na regiao proxima a embocadura do estuario. Observaram-se relacoes a uma escala interanual entre a turbidez da pluma e os indices climaticos East Atlantic e NAO, com uma correlacao maxima identificada com 1 e 3 meses de desfasamento, respetivamente. Com base nos resultados das simulacoes efetuadas, a pluma e classificada como de larga escala e de advecao superficial, apresentando caracteristicas de uma pluma prototipica. Em condicoes de caudal moderado a elevado, a descarga estuarina e suficiente para gerar uma corrente costeira para norte sem acao do vento. Em eventos de ventos leste, a propagacao da pluma e similar ao caso sem vento, com um aumento da velocidade da corrente. Uma corrente costeira para sul e unicamente identificada sob condicoes de forte vento de oeste. Ventos de norte tendem a estender a pluma para o largo, com uma inclinacao na direcao sudoeste, enquanto ventos de sul intensificam a corrente para norte, sendo a mistura das plumas do Douro e do Minho uma consequencia possivel. A analise desta interacao apontou a contribuicao do Douro como importante na estabilizacao da WIBP e nas trocas de agua entre o oceano e as Rias Baixas. A interacao da pluma do Douro com estuarios localizados a sul da sua foz e a confirmacao in situ da recirculacao observada nos resultados numericos afiguram-se como temas relevantes para investigacoes futuras. None

Hypermethylation of AP-2Alpha as a Prognostic Marker for DCIS

DTIC Science & Technology

2008-05-01

Unfortunately, among the methylation status of the AP2, CYCLIN D, ECAD , GSTP, and SSOCS genes, either as individual genes, or in combinations, no...0.61 to 4.10) 1.00 (referent) 0.35 ECAD M UM 0 100 3 97 GSTP M UM 40 60 24 76 2.02 (0.72 to 5.64) 1.00...Missing data: 1.4% for AP2, CYCLIN D, ECAD , GSTP; 4.2% for SSOCS; 2.8% for nuclear grade. §M=methylated; UM=unmethylated; +Two-sided

Attache Extraordinaire: Vernon A. Walters and Brazil

DTIC Science & Technology

2009-03-01

contudo, o primeiro encontro com um brasileiro. De acordo com uma entrevista que Walters concedeu, em 1966, ao Jornal O Globo, o primeiro brasileiro...21 de fevereiro de 1964, às 18 h, Lincoln Gordon enviou um telegrama ao Departamento de Estado. A mensagem dava conta de um encontro que o...disposição de Goulart em assumir riscos extremos, por meio do incentivo a violência esporádica no interior, encontros de grandes multidões e greves com o

Experimental study of the replacement of calcite by calcium sulphates

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ruiz-Agudo, E.; Putnis, C. V.; Hövelmann, J.; Álvarez-Lloret, P.; Ibáñez-Velasco, A.; Putnis, A.

2015-05-01

Among the most relevant mineral replacement reactions are those involving sulphates and carbonates, which have important geological and technological implications. Here it is shown experimentally that during the interaction of calcite (CaCO3) cleavage surfaces with sulphate-bearing acidic solutions, calcite is ultimately replaced by gypsum (CaSO4 2H2O) and anhydrite (CaSO4), depending on the reaction temperature. Observations suggest that this occurs most likely via an interface-coupled dissolution-precipitation reaction, in which the substrate is replaced pseudomorphically by the product. At 120 and 200 °C gypsum and/or bassanite (CaSO4·0.5H2O) form as precursor phases for the thermodynamically stable anhydrite. Salinity promotes the formation of less hydrated precursor phases during the replacement of calcite by anhydrite. The reaction stops before equilibrium with respect to calcite is reached and during the course of the reaction most of the bulk solutions are undersaturated with respect to the precipitating phase(s). A mechanism consisting of the dissolution of small amounts of solid in a thin layer of fluid at the mineral-fluid interface and the subsequent precipitation of the product phase from this layer is in agreement with these observations. PHREEQC simulations performed in the framework of this mechanism highlight the relevance of transport and surface reaction kinetics on the volume change associated with the CaCO3-CaSO4 replacement. Under our experimental conditions, this reaction occurs with a positive volume change, which ultimately results in passivation of the unreacted substrate before calcite attains equilibrium with respect to the bulk solution.

Development of a universal metabolome-standard method for long-term LC-MS metabolome profiling and its application for bladder cancer urine-metabolite-biomarker discovery.

PubMed

Peng, Jun; Chen, Yi-Ting; Chen, Chien-Lun; Li, Liang

2014-07-01

Large-scale metabolomics study requires a quantitative method to generate metabolome data over an extended period with high technical reproducibility. We report a universal metabolome-standard (UMS) method, in conjunction with chemical isotope labeling liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS), to provide long-term analytical reproducibility and facilitate metabolome comparison among different data sets. In this method, UMS of a specific type of sample labeled by an isotope reagent is prepared a priori. The UMS is spiked into any individual samples labeled by another form of the isotope reagent in a metabolomics study. The resultant mixture is analyzed by LC-MS to provide relative quantification of the individual sample metabolome to UMS. UMS is independent of a study undertaking as well as the time of analysis and useful for profiling the same type of samples in multiple studies. In this work, the UMS method was developed and applied for a urine metabolomics study of bladder cancer. UMS of human urine was prepared by (13)C2-dansyl labeling of a pooled sample from 20 healthy individuals. This method was first used to profile the discovery samples to generate a list of putative biomarkers potentially useful for bladder cancer detection and then used to analyze the verification samples about one year later. Within the discovery sample set, three-month technical reproducibility was examined using a quality control sample and found a mean CV of 13.9% and median CV of 9.4% for all the quantified metabolites. Statistical analysis of the urine metabolome data showed a clear separation between the bladder cancer group and the control group from the discovery samples, which was confirmed by the verification samples. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) test showed that the area under the curve (AUC) was 0.956 in the discovery data set and 0.935 in the verification data set. These results demonstrated the utility of the UMS method for long-term metabolomics and discovering potential metabolite biomarkers for diagnosis of bladder cancer.

Soluble minerals in chemical evolution. I - Adsorption of 5-prime-AMP on CaSO4 - A model system

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Orenberg, J. B.; Chan, S.; Calderon, J.; Lahav, N.

1985-01-01

The adsorption of 5-prime-AMP onto solid CaSO4-2H2O was studied in a saturated suspension as a function of pH and electrolyte concentration. The adsorption is pH-dependent and is directly correlated with the charge on the 5-prime-AMP molecule which is determined by the state of protonation of the N-1 nitrogen of the purine ring and the phosphate oxygens. It is proposed that the binding that occurs between the nucleotide and the salt is electrostatic in nature. The adsorption decreases with increasing ionic strength of the solution which means that in a fluctuating environment of wetting and drying cycles, a biomolecule similar to 5-prime-AMP could be expected to desorb during the drying phase. The results indicate that CaSO4-2H2O can serve as a concentrating surface for biomolecules. The significance of this is discussed with regard to the possible role of soluble minerals and their surfaces in a geochemical model consistent with the evolution of the earth and the origin of life.

Electronic excitations and self-trapping of electrons and holes in CaSO4

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kudryavtseva, I.; Klopov, M.; Lushchik, A.; Lushchik, Ch; Maaroos, A.; Pishtshev, A.

2014-04-01

A first-principles study of the electronic properties of a CaSO4 anhydrite structural phase has been performed. A theoretical estimation for the fundamental band gap (p → s transitions) is Eg = 9.6 eV and a proper threshold for p → d transitions is Epd = 10.8 eV. These values agree with the data obtained for a set of CaSO4 doped with Gd3+, Dy3+, Tm3+ and Tb3+ ions using the methods of low-temperature highly sensitive luminescence and thermoactivation spectroscopy. The results are consistent with theoretical predictions of a possible low-temperature self-trapping of oxygen p-holes. The hopping diffusion of hole polarons starts above ˜40 K and is accompanied by a ˜50-60 K peak of thermally stimulated luminescence of RE3+ ions caused due to the recombination of hole polarons with the electrons localized at RE3+. There is no direct evidence of the self-trapping of heavy d-electrons, however, one can argue that their motion rather differs from that of conduction s-electrons.

Magnetic removal of electron contamination for 60Co panoramic gamma ray exposure--Investigations with CaSO4:Dy and LiF based dosimeters.

PubMed

Kumar, Munish; Sahani, G; Chourasiya, G

2010-06-01

Electron contamination from a sealed (60)Co radiation source has been investigated comprehensively using a CaSO(4):Dy based TLD badge and LiF crystals. It has been found that due to electron contamination, the thermoluminescence (TL) detectors exhibit over response which can be corrected by applying a magnetic field. It has also been found that for a source-to-dosimeter distance of 50 cm, the ratio of the TL readouts of the third to first discs of the TLD badge reduces from approximately 1.5 to approximately 1.00 after applying a magnetic field. Hence detectors which are sensitive to electrons as well as photons, and are capable of distinguishing them, can lead to an erroneous measurement. This happens because the contribution due to electron contamination interferes with pure gamma calibration. The study is helpful in establishing accurate calibration and appropriate correction factors for personnel monitoring carried out using CaSO(4):Dy based TLD badge. Copyright 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Spatially resolved micro-Raman observation on the phase separation of effloresced sea salt droplets.

PubMed

Xiao, Han-Shuang; Dong, Jin-Ling; Wang, Liang-Yu; Zhao, Li-Jun; Wang, Feng; Zhang, Yun-Hong

2008-12-01

We report on the investigation of the phase separation of individual seawater droplets in the efflorescence processes with the spatially resolved Raman system. Upon decreasing the relative humidity (RH), CaSO4.0.5H2O separated out foremost fromthe droplet atan unexpectedly high RH of approcimately 90%. Occasionally, CaSO4.2H2O substituted for CaSO4.O.5H2O crystallizing first at approximately 78% RH. Relatively large NaCI solids followed to crystallize at approximately 55% RH and led to the great loss of the solution. Then, the KMgCl3.6H2O crystallites separated out from the residual solutions, adjacentto NaCl at approximately 44% RH. Moreover, a shell structure of dried sea salt particle was found to form at low RHs, with the NaCl crystals in the core and minor supersaturated solutions covered with MgSO4 gel coating on the surface. Ultimately, the shielded solution partly effloresced into MgSO4 hydrates at very dry state (<5% RH).

[Effects of desulfurization waste on calcium distribution, Ca(2+)-ATPase activity, and antioxidant characteristics of rice leaf under alkali stress].

PubMed

Mao, Gui-Lian; Xu, Xing; Zeng, Jin; Yue, Zi-Hui; Yang, Shu-Juan

2012-02-01

To approach the action mechanisms of desulfurization waste on alleviating alkali stress-induced injury of rice, a pot experiment was conducted to study the variations of leaf total calcium content, calcium distribution, plasma membrane Ca(2+)-ATPase activity, and reactive oxygen content of rice seedlings under alkali stress after the application of desulfurization waste. In the control, a few calcium particulates scattered in the cell wall and chloroplasts, while applying desulfurization waste or CaSO4 increased the calcium particulates in the plasma membrane, intercellular space, cell wall, and vacuole significantly. With the increasing application rate of desulfurization waste or CaSO4, the leaf total calcium content increased, Ca(2+)-ATPase activity in plasma membrane and tonoplast presented an increasing trend, plasma membrane relative permeability, MDA content, and O2 production rate decreased, and SOD and POD activities increased. The desulfurization waste could relieve the alkali stress to rice in some extent, and the main reactive compound in the waste could be CaSO4.

Evaporative crystallization of salts from Electrodialysis concentrated brine at atmospheric and subatmospheric pressures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Dong; Du, Wei; Cheng, Penggao; Tang, Na; Wang, Xuekui

2018-02-01

A large amount of concentrated brine was produced as by-product during the process of the electrodialysis seawater desalination. In this study, the crystallization sequences of different salts from the brine through evaporative crystallization at both atmospheric and subatmospheric pressures were investigated in detail. The profile of the boiling temperature with density and the relationship between the boiling temperature and the pressure were recorded. The combination of Powder X-Ray Diffraction and the polarizing microscope was employed to identify the salts in the solid form. It can be inferred that NaCl crystallized out firstly and then MgSO4·6H2O and CaSO4 precipitate in order at both atmospheric and subatmospheric pressures, and it should be noticed that CaSO4 crystallized as anhydrate at 70°C and 90°C while as dihydrate at 50°C. At the end of all the experiments the precipitation rates of CaSO4 and NaCl have reached to more than 95% while MgSO4 only reached to about 60%.

In vivo monitoring of nanosphere onsite delivery using fiber optic microprobe

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lo, Leu-Wei; Yang, Chung-Shi

2005-02-01

To recognize the information of ischemia-induced blood vessel permeability would be valuable to formulate the drugs for optimal local delivery, we constructed an implantable needle type fiber-optic microprobe for the monitoring of in vivo fluorescent substances in anesthetized rats. This fiber-optic microprobe was composed of coaxial optical fibers and catheterized using a thin wall tubing of stainless steel (~400 um O.D. and ~300 um I.D.). The central fiber, with 100 um core diameter and 20 um cladding, coated with a 30 um layer of gold, was surrounded by 10 fibers with 50 um cores. The central fiber carried the light from the 488 nm Argon laser to the tissue while the surrounding fibers collected the emitted fluorescence to the detector. When the fiber-optic microprobe was placed in the solutions containing various concentrations of fluorescent nanospheres (20 nm), either with or without 10% lipofundin as optical phantom, nanosphere concentration-dependent responses of the fluorescence intensity were observed. The microprobe was then implanted into the liver and the brain of anesthetized rats to monitor the in situ extravasation of pre-administered fluorescent nanospheres from vasculature following the ischemic insults. Both the hepatic and cerebral ischemic insults showed immediate increases of the extracellular 20 nm fluorescent nanospheres. The implantable fiber-optic microprobe constructed in present study provides itself as a minimally-invasive technique capable of investigating the vascular permeability for in vivo nanosphere delivery in both ischemic liver and brain.

Targeted sections in either XY or XZ plane with dual-axes confocal endomicroscope (Conference Presentation)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Gaoming; Li, Haijun; Duan, Xiyu; Zhou, Quan; Zhou, Juan; Oldham, Kenn R.; Wang, Thomas D.

2017-02-01

We demonstrate a dual axes confocal architecture, which can be used to collect horizontal(XY-plane) or vertical cross-sectional(XZ-plane) images for tissue. This scanner head is 5.5mm in outer diameter(OD), and integrates a 3D MEMS scanner with a compact chip size of 3.2×2.9mm2. To realize the miniaturization, there are some obstacles of the small size of 3D MEMS scanner, MEMS wire bundle, the air pressure effect for MEMS motion, the processing of parabolic mirror, and optical alignment to come over. In our probe, separation mechanical structure for optical alignment was adopted and a step shape MEMS holder was designed to deal with the difficult of MEMS wire bundle. Peptides have been demonstrated tremendous potential for in vivo use to detect colonic dysplasia. This class of in vivo molecular probe can be labeled with near-infrared (NIR) dyes for visualizing the full depth of the epithelium in small animals. To confirm our probe performance, we take use of USAF 1951 resolution target to test its lateral and axial resolution. It has lateral and axial resolution of 2.49um and 4.98um, respectively. When we collect the fluorescence imaging of colon, it shows that the field of view are 1000um×1000um (horizontal) and 1000um×430um (vertical). The horizontal and vertical cross-sectional images of fresh mouse colonic mucosa demonstrate imaging performance with this miniature instrument.

Waves of the Future (for Mars): In-Situ Mid-infrared, Near-infrared, and Visible Spectroscopic Analysis of Antarctic Cryptoendolithic Communities.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hand, K. P.; Calrson, R.; Sun, H.; Anderson, M.; Wynn, W.; Levy, R.

2005-12-01

We have analyzed both the surface expression and depth profile of cryptoendolithic microbial communities at Battleship Promontory, in the Dry Valleys of Antarctica. Data was collected on site with an active mid-infrared Fourier transform microspectrometer (2.6 - 15 um), a near-infrared spectrometer (0.9-1.8 um), and a visible spectrometer (0.4-1 um). The trio of instruments are connected to microscopes that yield ~1 mm2 spatial resolution on the sample and they are mounted on two perpendicular motorized stages that allow for spatial scanning over an area of ~2cm2. Here we present results on the surface expression of the subsurface microbes in these three spectral regions and we present results on the analysis of a colonized sample examined in cross section. The former case has direct application to the remote, robotic detection of life within the rocks of Mars and the later case provides fundamental insights into the geological and biological interactions that make the Antarctic cryptoendolithic ecosystems possible. Non-invasive surface detection of cyanobacterial dominated communities was possible through the observation of several distinct bands: the carbon-hydrogen stretching modes (symmetric and asymmetric) for CH, CH2, and CH3 in the regions of 3.3-3.6 um and 3.6-3.7 um; the NH2 scissoring and C=O stretch near 6.0 um; the amide I of beta-pleated structures at ~6.1 um; and the 6.4 um - 6.6 um bands of N-H in plane bend of the amide II functional group. In combination, these bands make a strong case for carbohydrates and proteins associated with life. Not surprisingly, as the integrity of the amorphous silica surface varnish improved, our ability to detected the subsurface biosignature decreased. We note, however, that by utilizing the JPL rock crusher in Antarctica, a device designed to fly on the Mars Science Laboratory mission, the mid-infrared biosignature was easily detected. In the cross-section analysis the mid-infrared data provide a depth profile tracking the presence of hydrocarbons, amide bonds, and the mineralogical transition from amorphous quartz to crystalline sandstone. Mapped onto this are the changes in the oxidation states of iron, as recorded by the visible and near-infrared spectrometers. Together, this data set allows us to track the role of biologically produced compounds, such as oxalic acid, in the chelation and leaching of iron compounds from the surface through the rock and into the deposition zone below the colonized subsurface region.

Room and low temperature luminescence properties of CaSO4: Dy , Tm codoped with Li

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Can, N.; Karalı, T.; Wang, Y.; Townsend, P. D.; Prokic, M.; Canimoglu, A.

2009-08-01

Rare earths, especially Dy or Tm doped CaSO4 phosphors are actively studied. They have high sensitivity, a large dynamic range, thermal stability and ease of preparation. Nevertheless, they can be enhanced by inclusion of lithium and this study reports some effects of lithium co-dopant on the TL and radioluminescence (RL) emissions of two TL phosphors. Addition of Li as a co-dopant ion was made either during chemical preparation of the phosphors, or as a binder component mixed with the basic phosphors matrix during the process of pressing and sintering the TLD pellets.

[Not Available].

PubMed

Vales Montero, Marta; Chavarría Cano, Beatriz; Martínez Ginés, María Luisa; Díaz Otero, Fernando; Velázquez Pérez, José Miguel; Cuerda Compes, María Cristina; Bretón Lesmes, Irene

2016-07-19

La deficiencia de vitamina A es infrecuente en los países desarrollados. La cirugía bariátrica constituye un factor de riesgo de deficiencia de esta vitamina. Se han descrito varios casos en pacientes sometidos a técnicas con un importante componente malabsortivo, como la derivación biliopancreática. En este artículo se describe un caso de deficiencia clínica de vitamina A con manifestaciones oculares y cutáneas tras bypass gástrico y se revisan las publicaciones sobre este tema y las recomendaciones para la prevención de esta importante complicación.

VizieR Online Data Catalog: 70um-1.2mm and N2H+ maps of IRDC18454 (W43) (Beuther+,

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Beuther, H.; Tackenberg, J.; Linz, H.; Henning, T.; Krause, O.; Ragan, S.; Nielbock, M.; Launhardt, R.; Schmiedeke, A.; Schuller, F.; Carlhoff, P.; Nguyen-Luong, Q.; Sakai, T.

2011-11-01

The cloud complex with a size of ~6'x6' was observed with PACS on Herschel on 2010 March 9. Maps at 250, 350, and 500um were obtained with SPIRE 2010) on 2010 March 11. We observed IRDC18454-1 with the Plateau de Bure Interferometer during five nights in October and November 2009 at 93GHz in the C and D configurations. The N2H+ data has been observed using the BEARS receiver at the NRO 45m telescope in Nobeyama, Japan. The different velocity components have been observed one in April 2010 with an average system temperature of Tsys=206K, the second in June, at slightly lower Tsys. The MIPS 24um data (from MIPSGAL) as well as the IRAC 8um observations (from GLIMPSE) are taken from the Spitzer archive. The 1.2mm continuum data were first presented in Beuther et al. (2002, Cat. J/ApJ/566/945) and the APEX 870um data are part of the ATLASGAL survey of the Galactic plane (Schuller et al., 2009A&A...504..415S). (2 data files).

Heterologous production and characterization of a chlorogenic acid esterase from Ustilago maydis with a potential use in baking.

PubMed

Nieter, Annabel; Kelle, Sebastian; Takenberg, Meike; Linke, Diana; Bunzel, Mirko; Popper, Lutz; Berger, Ralf G

2016-10-15

Ustilago maydis, an edible mushroom growing on maize (Zea mays), is consumed as the food delicacy huitlacoche in Mexico. A chlorogenic acid esterase from this basidiomycete was expressed in good yields cultivating the heterologous host Pichia pastoris on the 5L bioreactor scale (reUmChlE; 45.9UL(-1)). In contrast to previously described chlorogenic acid esterases, the reUmChlE was also active towards feruloylated saccharides. The enzyme preferred substrates with the ferulic acid esterified to the O-5 position of arabinose residues, typical of graminaceous monocots, over the O-2 position of arabinose or the O-6 position of galactose residues. Determination of kcat/Km showed that the reUmChlE hydrolyzed chlorogenic acid 18-fold more efficiently than methyl ferulate, p-coumarate or caffeate. Phenolic acids were released by reUmChlE from natural substrates, such as destarched wheat bran, sugar beet pectin and coffee pulp. Treatment of wheat dough using reUmChlE resulted in a noticeable softening indicating a potential application of the enzyme in bakery and confectionery. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

3D brain oxygenation measurements in awake hypertensive mice using two photon phosphorescence lifetime imaging

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lu, Xuecong; Moeini, Mohammad; Li, Baoqiang; Zhang, Cong; Sakadžić, Sava; Lesage, Frédéric

2018-02-01

Cardiovascular risk factors, such as hypertension, have been associated with cognitive decline, potentially due to their impact on brain tissue oxygenation. In this study, high spatial resolution imaging in three dimensions was used to understand changes in brain oxygenation with hypertension. Experiments were performed on Young (WT_Y, 3-4 months, n=8), Old (WT_O, 6-7 months, n=8), and Old with hypertension (HP_O, 6-7 months, n=8) C57bL/6 awake mice. Two photon phosphorescence lifetime microscopy using an O2-sensitive phosphorescent dye PtPC343 was employed to measure two dimensional grids of PO2 in capillary beds (400um*400um, 25*25 pixels, acquired in 4 mins) and decays from arterioles. Scans were obtained continuously at depths from 50 um to 300 um under the brain surface. Using 3D measurements and a 250 um depth stack, we removed the compounding effects on brain oxygenation diffusion from surrounding brain vessels. The entire measurement of each vasculature stack required less than 30 minutes. This study indicates that among vascular risk factors, hypertension can reduce oxygen delivery and could potentially contribute to cognition decline.

Spitzer/IRS spectroscopy of the 12um Seyferts

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wu, Yanling; Charmandaris, V.; Huang, J.; Houck, J.

2009-01-01

The extended 12um galaxy sample is a flux-limited sample of 893 galaxies selected from the IRAS Faint Source Catalog 2. A total of 118 objects from this sample have been classified optically as Seyfert galaxies, providing one of the largest infrared selected unbiased sample of active galactic nuclei (AGN). We present our prelimary results from our analysis of mid-infrared Spitzer/IRS spectra of 102 12um Seyferts (that is 86 % of the 12um Seyfert sample) which have been observed by various Spitzer programs and are available in the Spitzer archive. A number of mid-infared diagnostics have been developed to study the nature of nuclear dust enshrouded emission from AGNs, in order to disentangle the starburst-AGN connection. Since PAH emission is a tracer of star formation activity we have measured the 11.3um PAH feature for our Seyfert sample. We find that as the strength of the radiation field in AGNs increases the PAH molecules are destroyed, while the PAH EWs increase with the IRAS f60/f25 ratios of the host galaxies. We further probe this warm/cold color diagnostic, by contrasting our findings with those of we starbust galaxies, ULIRGs, as well as blue compact dwarf galaxies.

(QC Themes) Type-Two Quantum Computing in PBG-Based Cavities for Efficient Simulation of Lattice Gas Dynamics

DTIC Science & Technology

2008-04-26

substrate Si3N4 Diameter : 540 nm Pitch : 760 nm Diamond Holes in Diamond (HID) Pillars of Diamond (POD) POD with Electrooptic Polymer at Center 3D ...Diamond film : 2 um Si- substrate Al : 0.2 um PMMA : 0.5um 1. Deposit UNCD film 2. Deposit Al metal 3. Deposit PMMA on Al 4. E-beam Lithography 5...band-gap (PBG) based cavities. The cavities are etched directly on to the diamond substrate . The set of coupled qubits in each spot represents an

Direct hip joint distraction during acetabular fracture surgery using the AO universal manipulator.

PubMed

Calafi, L Afshin; Routt, M L Chip

2010-02-01

Certain acetabular fractures may necessitate distraction of the hip joint for removal of intra-articular debris and assessment of reduction. Distraction can be accomplished by manual traction, using a traction table or an AO universal manipulator (UM). The UM is a relatively simple and an inexpensive device that can provide focal distraction in a controlled manner without the risks associated with the use of a traction table. We describe a technique using the UM for hip joint distraction during acetabular fracture surgery through a Kocher-Langenbeck surgical exposure.

The fish fauna of Ampère Seamount (NE Atlantic) and the adjacent abyssal plain

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Christiansen, Bernd; Vieira, Rui P.; Christiansen, Sabine; Denda, Anneke; Oliveira, Frederico; Gonçalves, Jorge M. S.

2015-03-01

An inventory of benthic and benthopelagic fishes is presented as a result of two exploratory surveys around Ampère Seamount, between Madeira and the Portuguese mainland, covering water depths from 60 to 4,400 m. A total of 239 fishes were collected using different types of sampling gear. Three chondrichthyan species and 31 teleosts in 21 families were identified. The collections showed a vertical zonation with little overlap, but indications for an affinity of species to certain water masses were only vague. Although most of the species present new records for Ampère Seamount, all of them have been known for the NE Atlantic; endemic species were not found. The comparison with fish communities at other NE Atlantic seamounts indicates that despite a high ichthyofaunal similarity, which supports the "stepping stone" hypothesis of species dispersal, some differences can be attributed to the local features of the seamounts.

Chlorophyll a reconstruction from in situ measurements: 1. Method description

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fründt, B.; Dippner, J. W.; Waniek, J. J.

2015-02-01

Understanding the development of primary production is essential for projections of the global carbon cycle in the context of climate change. A chlorophyll a hindcast that serves as a primary production indicator was obtained by fitting in situ measurements of nitrate, chlorophyll a, and temperature. The resulting fitting functions were adapted to a modeled temperature field. The method was applied to observations from the Madeira Basin, in the northeastern part of the oligotrophic North Atlantic Subtropical Gyre and yielded a chlorophyll a field from 1989 to 2008 with a monthly resolution validated with remotely measured surface chlorophyll a data by SeaWiFS. The chlorophyll a hindcast determined with our method resolved the seasonal and interannual variability in the phytoplankton biomass of the euphotic zone as well as the deep chlorophyll maximum. Moreover, it will allow estimation of carbon uptake over long time scales.