Aging: nutrition

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The goal of dietary guidance for older adults is to maintain optimal health status and forestall the onset of chronic diseases. The current dietary recommendations for older adults, for the most part, are consistent with those associated with optimal health outcomes throughout adulthood. Due to decr...

Social Functions of Denial of Death.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Beilin, Robert

1981-01-01

Explores the social nature of denial and the functionality of denial in preserving relationships threatened by knowledge of terminal illness. Asserts that denial serves to forestall social withdrawal by the patient and his/her social circle, as well as promoting role enactments necessary to medical treatment. (Author)

How Will Astronauts Stay Fit during Long Spaceflights?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pine, Devera

1989-01-01

Astronauts on lengthy spaceflights must exercise regularly to forestall muscle atrophy and bone loss, but exercise presents unique problems in a weightless environment. All exercise equipment must have a harness or seat belt. Soviet and NASA space exercise plans and experimental ideas are discussed. (Author/SM)

49 CFR 236.739 - Device, acknowledging.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

..., MAINTENANCE, AND REPAIR OF SIGNAL AND TRAIN CONTROL SYSTEMS, DEVICES, AND APPLIANCES Definitions § 236.739... locomotive equipped with an automatic train stop or train control device, an automatic brake application can be forestalled, or by means of which, on a locomotive equipped with an automatic cab signal device...

Early Years Education: Are Young Students Intrinsically or Extrinsically Motivated Towards School Activities? A Discussion about the Effects of Rewards on Young Children's Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Theodotou, Evgenia

2014-01-01

Rewards can reinforce and at the same time forestall young children's willingness to learn. However, they are broadly used in the field of education, especially in early years settings, to stimulate children towards learning activities. This paper reviews the theoretical and research literature related to intrinsic and extrinsic motivational…

What Are the Attributes and Duties of the School Crisis Intervention Team?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gullatt, David E.; Long, Douglas

1996-01-01

Physical measures such as weapons checks and metal detectors are inadequate to forestall school violence. The key to managing crises is a trained, broad-based crisis-intervention team and a crisis-management plan. Team responsibilities include developing an intervention plan, coordinating with community services, educating and training staff, and…

Prevalence of Teachers' Professional Malpractices in Tanzanian Public Secondary Schools: What Ought to Be Done?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mfaume, Hamisi; Bilinga, Margareth

2017-01-01

This study explored stakeholders' views on preventive measures towards increasing teachers' malpractices in schools in Tanzania. Specifically, the study sought to identify prevalent forms of teachers' malpractices; explore factors for their occurrence; and explore views on how to forestall the problem. It draws on qualitative and quantitative data…

Environmental Education. Nevada Competency-Based Adult High School Diploma Project.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nevada Univ., Las Vegas. Coll. of Education.

This document is one of ten curriculum guides developed by the Nevada Competency-Based Adult High School Diploma (CBAHSD) Project. This curriculum guide on environmental education is divided into seven topics. The topics included are Human Carrying Capacity (The Ability to Foresee and Forestall), Human Population Growth, The Atmosphere, The…

Bursting at the Seams: Report of the Citizens' Commission on Planning for Enrollment Growth.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fernandez, Ricardo R.; Timpane, P. Michael

The independent Citizens' Commission on Planning for Enrollment Growth for New York City has concluded that the school system is experiencing explosive enrollment growth, and that current strategies are incapable of dealing with this growth. The only way to forestall a crisis is to increase classroom space significantly. Given current demographic…

Strength Training: A Natural Prescription for Staying Healthy and Fit.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Adams, Raymond, Ed.

2003-01-01

This newsletter highlights the importance of strength training in keeping older adults healthy and fit, explaining how it can forestall declines in strength and muscle mass, along with their attendant negative impact upon other metabolic functions and activities of daily living. Physical inactivity is common throughout the nation. Approximately 11…

Boy Trouble: Rhetorical Framing of Boys' Underachievement

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Titus, Jordan J.

2004-01-01

This article examines discourse in the United States used to socially construct an "underachieving boys" moral panic. Employing discourse analysis I examine the adversarial rhetoric of claims-makers and the frames they deploy to undermine alternative and conflicting accounts (of females as disadvantaged) and to forestall any challenges to the…

Individualizing Education: A Guide for Tutors.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Linder, Steven; Gordon, Rhonda Ellen

A background manual for tutors explains and defines their role in a system of individualized education in some detail. Differences between the role of teacher and the role of tutor are analyzed. Methods of forestalling cheating and other "black-market operations" are discussed. Tutoring procedures are outlined and individualized education manuals…

75 FR 8774 - Self-Regulatory Organizations; NYSE Amex LLC; Notice of Filing of Proposed Rule Change Amending...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-02-25

... limits were introduced as a means of forestalling the potential manipulation of an equity's price by... significantly reduced concerns of market manipulation or disruption in the underlying markets. Shares in these... values on a per-share basis, the option strike prices result in being equal to \\1/ 100\\th of the...

Population Mobility in the People's Republic of China. Papers of the East-West Population Institute, No. 95.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Goldstein, Sidney; Goldstein, Alice

In attempts to forestall problems inherent in too-rapid urbanization, China has instituted a migration policy designed to strictly control changes in permanent residence from rural areas or small urban places to larger cities and to encourage the development of small cities and towns. The policy is enforced through the household registration…

No safety in numbers

Treesearch

Steven R. Beissinger; Curtis H. Flather; Gregory D. Hayward; Philip A. Stephens

2011-01-01

Clements et al. (Front Ecol Environ 2011; 9[9]: 521-525) proposed a single metric that describes a "species' ability to forestall extinction" (referred to by the acronym "SAFE") as a "scientifically defendable rule of thumb for when complete demographic data are unavailable" to rank the relative threat status of a species. SAFE is...

Scheduling prescribed burns for hazard reduction in the southeast

Treesearch

Stephen S. Sackett

1975-01-01

Twelve-year studies in the southeastern Coastal Plain revealed that pine stands should be burned every three years to reduce natural fuels and thus forestall damage from possible wildfires. Rates of overstory growth were not significantly different in burned and unburned stands. Guidelines for prescribed burning of pine stands in this region are presented.

The Thrust and Parry of Assessment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hamilton, Sharon J.; Banta, Trudy W.

2008-01-01

Since the publication of "A Nation at Risk: The Imperative for Educational Reform" by the U.S. Department of Education in 1983, American higher education has faced the need to develop its own effective means of learning assessment to forestall the prospect of government-imposed standardized procedures. The latter potential may have moved closed…

Inequality Is the Problem: Prioritizing Research on Reducing Inequality. Annual Report

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gamoran, Adam

2013-01-01

Inequality in education and other domains of life stands in the way of economic and civic progress in the United States. It forestalls social mobility and economic productivity and impairs social cohesion. As a result, national and international leaders--from big-city mayors to Pope Francis--recognize that, as President Obama (2013) put it,…

Viviendo Con Incendios: Una guia para los duenos de casas en Nuevo Mexico [Living with Fire: A Guide for the Homeowner-New Mexico

Treesearch

U.S. Department of the Interior Bureau of Land Management

2008-01-01

La posibilidad de perdidas humanas y de propiedad en Nuevo Mexico debido a un incendio forestal ha ido incrementando. Para responder a este peligro, entidades locales, estatales, federales, particulares y sin fines de lucro se han unido para crear Como Reducir la Amenaza de Incendios Forestales, un programa dirigido a los propietarios de casas. Este no es un programa...

Forest Planting Sites in North Mississippi and West Tennessee

Treesearch

Walter M. Broadfoot

1951-01-01

Forest plantations in north central Mississippi and western Tennessee can produce merchantable timber on much land which erosion has made useless for other crops Forest plantings usually can decrease, stop, or forestall erosion economically. This paper describes the most important sites in the area, predicts what may be expected if they are planted to trees, and...

Improved trees: economic promises and pitfalls

Treesearch

George F. Dutrow

1977-01-01

Surging demands for wood fiber that must be produced on a decreasing acreage of forest land suggest soaring prices, a shrinking market for wood products, or both. Either of these consequences can be forestalled or prevented by implementing existing technologies, one of which is cultivation of genetically improved trees. Multiple and sizable gains from improved trees...

Can and Should the United States Preserve A Military Capability for Revolutionary Conflict

DTIC Science & Technology

1972-01-01

unexpected interventions (Korea, Cambodia) and the inherent uncertainties of international relations render dubious any firm prediction that no president in...superpowers or pose a direct military threat. The United States has a strong interest in forestalling any transformation of internal revolts into... internal security assistance (training and advice) draw the United States relentlessly into direct and costly military intervention (deployment of

Scare Tactics

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hua, Vanessa

2010-01-01

This article discusses how the H1N1 flu pandemic served notice to districts to get their disaster readiness strategies in order and how technology played an important part in schools effort. In late April 2010, as public fears about a mysterious new strain of flu grew, the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) moved to forestall a panic. On…

Modelo empirico integral de una plantacion de Eucalyptus grandis en Concordia, Entre Rios

Treesearch

Jorge Frangi; Carolina Perez; Juan Goya; Natalia Teson; Marcelo Barrera; Marcelo Arturi

2016-01-01

The Argentinian Mesopotamia is the core of fast-growing tree species plantations of the country. Eucalyptus grandis plantations constitute 90 % of the forested area with Eucalyptus spp. in NE Entre Rios. Based on previous studies on structural and functional features, a comprehensive model is here proposed on emergence of new properties linked to matter and ecosystem...

Properties of Seven Colombian Woods.

DTIC Science & Technology

1981-01-01

differences. 1971. AIgunas propiedades fisicas y mecanicas de tres Maderas Colom- Cuangare and sande had the lowest bianas. Universidad Distrital "Francisco...Jose De Caldas" Instituto de and highest figures, respectively, for Investigaciones y Proyectos Forestales y Madereros. Bogota, Colombia. bending...to 45 pounds per 1970. Estudio de preinversion para el desar- cubic foot. Basic specific gravity from this study rollo forestal de la Guyana

Use of IPA to demonstrate loss of forest interior birds from isolated woodlots

USGS Publications Warehouse

Robbins, C.S.; Boone, D.D.; Purroy, F.J.

1983-01-01

'Empleo de indices puntuales de abundancia (IPA) para demostrar la perdida de aves forestales en bosques aislados'. En Maryland, E.U., se seleccionaron bloques boscosos de diferente superficie, divididos en seis clase de tamano (2,8-6 ha, 7-14, 20-30, 34-80, 105-1300, mayores de 4000 ha). En estas ?islas' forestales fue programado un conjunto de muestreos puntuales con estas caracteristicas: 1) Cada punto se visito tres veces. 2) En cada visita se hicieron cuatro censos consecutivos de 5 minutos de duracion, empleando diferentes simbolos para machos cantores, adultos no cantores, aves en vuelo y aves inmaduras. 3) Los conteos se hicieron en tres epocas: final de Mayo, mitad de Junio y final de Junio. 4) Se dividio el tiempo de censo en tres priodos horarios: 5,15-6,30 ; 6,30-8; 8-9,30 hrs. 5) Los puntos se agruparon en co juntos de 4 a 9, considerando que un conjunto es el nlimero que un observador puede cubrir por manana. 6) La vegetacion fue descrita exhaustivamente en cuanto composicion y fisionomla. El principal objetivo que se busca consiste en conocer los requisitos areales de ciertas especies de bosque muy sensibles a la fragmentacion del habitat. Puede observarse (Figura 1) que una serie de migrantes de largo alcance se asientan en relacion con el aumento de la superficie del rodal arbo1ado, sabre todo en macizos de 4.000 o mas hectareas. Sin embargo, las especies sedentarias (Fig. 2) tienen pauta de presencia irregular en funcion del area, forestal, con tendencia a presentarse menos en los bosques mas extensos, Dryocopus pileatus, por excepcion, reacciona negativamente al pequeno tamano de la parcela arbolado, prefiriendo bosques grandes. Parecida respuesta da tambien Sitta carolinensis. Aunque se sabe poco de las exigencias areales de las aves forestales americanas, el metodo de los IPA resulta muy adecuado para esta clase de investigacion de tanto interes en gestion ambiental, posibilitando colectar gran cantidad de datos comparables en un periodo de

Colonic strictures: dilation and stents.

PubMed

Adler, Douglas G

2015-04-01

Colonic strictures, both benign and malignant, are commonly encountered in clinical practice. Benign strictures are most commonly treated by balloon dilation and less frequently with stents. Balloon dilation can help forestall or obviate surgery in some patients. Colonic strictures of malignant etiology generally need to be managed by stents and/or surgery. This article reviews endoscopic approaches to the management of colonic strictures. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Neo-Liberal Discourse in the Academy: The Forestalling of (Collective) Resistance

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Davies, Bronwyn; Petersen, Eva Bendix

2005-01-01

In this article we analyse the ways in which neo-liberalism is taken up in the discourses and practices of university life. In the "knowledge economy" it might be thought that intellectual work would flourish. Yet the neo-liberal technologies through which universities and individual academics are made into entrepreneurs and made "productive" are…

A Renovation Decision-Support Model for Evaluating the Functional Condition of Army Facilities

DTIC Science & Technology

1994-04-01

PAGES Buildings--Remodeling for others use cost effectiveness 90 Army facilities RENMOD 16 . PRICE CODE 17. SECURITY CLASSIFICATION 18. SECURITY...7540-01-280-5500 StndWd Form 296 (Rev. 2-80) Preaus by ANSI 80 23.- 16 2010 FOREWORD This research was conducted for the Assistant Chief of Staff for...it means any home improvement. To an economist, it is any investment designed to forestall the capital depreciation of a structure. To an architect

Conserva a Puerto Rico con bosques maderables

Treesearch

Frank H. Wadsworth

2009-01-01

[article in Spanish] Puerto Rico consume muchos productos forestales costosos de importar. También tiene bosques extensos con maderas explotables. Además, existen condiciones físicas favorables para la producción de madera útil. No obstante, hoy día no se utiliza la madera de los bosques actuales ocurre la deforestación para cualquier fin. Los Bosques productivos de...

Worldwide Report, Arms Control

DTIC Science & Technology

1985-12-09

Pershing-2 Siting 12 Attempt to Forestall Accord 13 U.S. Avoids Discussing Numbers 14 PRAVDA on Nuclear Missile Withdrawal From Greece (Moscow PRAVDA...European states. At the last (June) session of the NATO Council, -Denmark and Greece reserved their positions on the point in the final document...MISSILE WITHDRAWAL FROM GREECE PM151515 Moscow PRAVDA in Russian 10 Nov 85 First Edition p 5 [Nikolay Miroshnik "Commentator’s Column": "Start Made

The importance of public health agency independence: Marcellus shale gas drilling in Pennsylvania.

PubMed

Goldstein, Bernard D

2014-02-01

Public health often deals with inconvenient truths. These are best communicated and acted on when public health agencies are independent of the organizations or individuals for whom the truths are inconvenient. The importance of public health independence is exemplified by the lack of involvement of the Pennsylvania Department of Health in responding to health concerns about shale gas drilling. Pennsylvania Department of Health involvement has been forestalled by the state governor, who has intensely supported shale gas development.

Clinical progression in Parkinson disease and the neurobiology of axons.

PubMed

Cheng, Hsiao-Chun; Ulane, Christina M; Burke, Robert E

2010-06-01

Despite tremendous growth in recent years in our knowledge of the molecular basis of Parkinson disease (PD) and the molecular pathways of cell injury and death, we remain without therapies that forestall disease progression. Although there are many possible explanations for this lack of success, one is that experimental therapeutics to date have not adequately focused on an important component of the disease process, that of axon degeneration. It remains unknown what neuronal compartment, either the soma or the axon, is involved at disease onset, although some have proposed that it is the axons and their terminals that take the initial brunt of injury. Nevertheless, this concept has not been formally incorporated into many of the current theories of disease pathogenesis, and it has not achieved a wide consensus. More importantly, in view of growing evidence that the molecular mechanisms of axon degeneration are separate and distinct from the canonical pathways of programmed cell death that mediate soma destruction, the possibility of early involvement of axons in PD has not been adequately emphasized as a rationale to explore the neurobiology of axons for novel therapeutic targets. We propose that ongoing degeneration of axons, not cell bodies, is the primary determinant of clinically apparent progression of disease, and that future experimental therapeutics intended to forestall disease progression will benefit from a new focus on the distinct mechanisms of axon degeneration.

Technology, deskilling, and nurses: the impact of the technologically changing environment.

PubMed

Rinard, R G

1996-06-01

This study examines the impact of three waves of technological change that swept nursing from 1950 to 1990. It suggests that the response to these changes was rooted in a positivistic stance toward skills as knowledge and a reiteration of culturally held views of natural feminine skills. It further argues that such a stance was inadequate to forestall deskilling and that a sociohistorical understanding of the cultural construction of both skill and gender provides a broader understanding of the impact of technological change.

Dealing with Resistance to Reform

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Reif, Marc

2008-09-01

About the author: Any teacher, new or experienced, will at times face criticism, resistance, and even hostility from students, parents, and colleagues. An inexperienced teacher who runs a reformed classroom based on classroom discourse and "interactive engagement," both of which may run counter to school culture, risks resistance or even outright revolt. In this essay, which grew out of discussions on the Modeling Instruction Program Listserv, Marc Reif shares some strategies that can be used to forestall or deal with classroom opposition.

Aeroelastic instability stoppers for wind tunnel models

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Doggett, R. V., Jr.; Ricketts, R. H. (Inventor)

1981-01-01

A mechanism for constraining models or sections thereof, was wind tunnel tested, deployed at the onset of aeroelastic instability, to forestall destructive vibrations in the model is described. The mechanism includes a pair of arms pivoted to the tunnel wall and straddling the model. Rollers on the ends of the arms contact the model, and are pulled together against the model by a spring stretched between the arms. An actuator mechanism swings the arms into place and back as desired.

Cognitive Reserve as a Modifier of Clinical Expression in Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy: A Preliminary Examination.

PubMed

Alosco, Michael L; Mez, Jesse; Kowall, Neil W; Stein, Thor D; Goldstein, Lee E; Cantu, Robert C; Katz, Douglas I; Solomon, Todd M; Kiernan, Patrick T; Murphy, Lauren; Abdolmohammadi, Bobak; Daneshvar, Daniel; Montenigro, Philip H; Nowinski, Christopher J; Stern, Robert A; McKee, Ann C

2017-01-01

This study conducted a preliminary examination on cognitive reserve (CR) as a modifier of symptom expression in subjects with autopsy-confirmed chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE). The sample included 25 former professional football players neuropathologically diagnosed with CTE stage III or IV. Next of kin interviews ascertained age at cognitive and behavioral/mood symptom onset and demographic/athletic characteristics. Years of education and occupational attainment defined CR. High occupational achievement predicted later age at cognitive (p=0.02) and behavioral/mood (p=0.02) onset. Education was not an individual predictor. These preliminary findings suggest that CR may forestall the clinical manifestation of CTE.

Is there a role for nonsedating antihistamines in motion sickness? Fallout from space research may soon benefit your patients

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kohl, R. L.

1991-01-01

The rotating chair test, a novel research technique for simulating motion sickness, is used to study the effect of nonsedating oral antihistamines in preventing or forestalling motion sickness. After receiving terfenadine, astemizole, doxepin, or placebo, four groups of male volunteers were rotated at accelerating speed, and they made head movements out of the axis of rotation until they perceived that vomiting would occur if additional head movements were made. Those pretreated with doxepin or terfenadine experienced a statistically significant prophylactic effect, as measured by increased tolerance to Coriolis stimulation. This suggests that selective peripheral H1 antihistamine action may protect against motion sickness.

Bring about benefit, forestall harm: what communication studies say about spirituality and cancer care.

PubMed

Tullis, Jillian A

2010-01-01

Technological advances in medicine allow health care providers to diagnose diseases earlier, diminish suffering, and prolong life. These advances, although widely revered for changing the face of cancer care, come at a cost for patients, families, and even health care providers. One widely cited consequence of better diagnostics and improved treatment regiments is the sense that there is always one more test or therapy available to extend life. Such an approach to cancer care can prove detrimental to patients? healing. In addition, these new tests and treatments further focus attention on the body as the site of healing and cure while downplaying other aspects of health. The absence of psychological, social, and spiritual care from a patient's cancer care plan compromises healing and makes palliative and end of life care more complicated. In this essay, I discuss the tensions that exist between contemporary cancer care and spirituality and use Communication Studies scholarship to navigate the challenges of integrating a patient's religious or spiritual beliefs into their cancer treatment and care. In addition to discussing the challenges of communicating about sensitive topics such as illness, spirituality, and dying, this article uses narrative examples from a comprehensive cancer center and a hospice (both in the United States) to understand how people with cancer and other terminal illnesses communicate their spirituality and how these conversations influence health care choices and provide comfort. By understanding how patients communicate about topics such as the meaning of life, quality of life, dying and death, providers are better equipped to offer care that is consistent with a patient's beliefs and life goals. This approach maintains that communication is more than a means of transferring information, but is constitutive. By understanding that communication creates our lives and shapes our worlds, lay and professional caregivers can meet patients where they are spiritually, emotionally, and socially and offer effective care that is culturally situated. For many in Muslim societies, a cancer diagnosis is Divine fate. Understanding a cancer diagnosis as destiny offers comfort to some, yet cancer patients and their family members may experience isolation because of the stigmas associated with the disease. This double-bind can lead to spiritual or existential crises, which draws further attention to the need for effective spiritual care that ultimately fosters patient and family healing whether or not a cure is possible. Bringing together various approaches to communicating about diverse spiritual and religious ideas may allow for enhanced comprehensive cancer care.

Confronting Transnational Organized Crime: Getting It Right to Forestall a New National Security Threat

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-01-01

about them. These franchises operate in, and control, specific geographic territories that allow them to function in a relatively safe environment...businesses should be paired with aggressive non–law enforcement engagement and social services in a coor- dinated fashion . This type of coordination

Efficacy of rational emotive therapy (RET) with children: a critical re-appraisal.

PubMed

Gossette, R L; O'Brien, R M

1993-03-01

Proponents of rational-emotive therapy (RET) advocate its use within the school curriculum to forestall future maladjustment through the early detection and eradication of irrational beliefs. A review of 33 unpublished dissertations and four published reports found RET effective in about 25% of comparisons with wait-list, placebo, and other treatment conditions. The major effects of RET were changes in scores on self-report measures of irrational beliefs, less on emotional distress, and little or no change in behavior; essentially the same pattern of effects previously found in a similar analysis of RET in adult populations. Little justification was found for continued use of RET in schools.

Pollution of surface water in Europe

PubMed Central

Key, A.

1956-01-01

This paper discusses pollution of surface water in 18 European countries. For each an account is given of its physical character, population, industries, and present condition of water supplies; the legal, administrative, and technical means of controlling pollution are then described, and an outline is given of current research on the difficulties peculiar to each country. A general discussion of various aspects common to the European problem of water pollution follows; standards of quality are suggested; some difficulties likely to arise in the near future are indicated, and international collaboration, primarily by the exchange of information, is recommended to check or forestall these trends. PMID:13374532

Effects of Cerium Oxide Nanoparticles on the Growth of Keratinocytes, Fibroblasts and Vascular Endothelial Cells in Cutaneous Wound Healing

PubMed Central

Chigurupati, Srinivasulu; Mughal, Mohamed R.; Okun, Eitan; Das, Soumen; Kumar, Amit; McCaffery, Michael; Seal, Sudipta; Mattson, Mark P.

2012-01-01

Rapid and effective wound healing requires a coordinated cellular response involving fibroblasts, keratinocytes and vascular endothelial cells (VECs). Impaired wound healing can result in multiple adverse health outcomes and, although antibiotics can forestall infection, treatments that accelerate wound healing are lacking. We now report that topical application of water soluble cerium oxide nanoparticles (Nanoceria) accelerates the healing of full-thickness dermal wounds in mice by a mechanism that involves enhancement of the proliferation and migration of fibroblasts, keratinocytes and VECs. The Nanoceria penetrated into the wound tissue and reduced oxidative damage to cellular membranes and proteins, suggesting a therapeutic potential for topical treatment of wounds with antioxidant nanoparticles. PMID:23266256

Comportamiento dinámico de asteroides en la resonancia 2:1

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

López García, F.; Brunini, A.

El propósito de este trabajo es mostrar los resultados obtenidos del estudio del movimiento de asteroides cercanos a la conmensurabilidad 2:1 con el movimiento medio de Júpiter, analizando el comportamiento de órbitas de asteroides reales y ficticios. Se analizan los tiempos de Lyapunov obtenidos a partir de la integración de las ecuaciones del movimiento. Se han estudiado la órbitas utilizando el modelo de cinco cuerpos y se han considerado los casos planar y espacial. Las simulaciones numéricas se realizaron utilizando integradores simpléticos y el intervalo de tiempo de integración fue de T = 107 años.

Map showing potential sources of gravel and crushed-rock aggregate in the greater Denver area, Front Range urban corridor, Colorado

USGS Publications Warehouse

Trimble, D.E.; Fitch, H.R.

1974-01-01

Gravel and (or) crushed-rock aggregates are essential commodities for urban development, but supplies in many places are exhausted or otherwise eliminated by urban growth. Gravel resources may be exhausted by exploitation, covered by urban spread, or eliminated from production by zoning. this conflict between a growing need and a progressively reduced supply can be forestalled by informed land-use planning. Fundamental to intelligent decisions on land use is knowledge of the physical character, distribution, and quantity of the gravel resources of an area, and of the alternative resource of rock suitable for crushing. This map has been prepared to supply data basic to land-use planning in the Front Range Urban Corridor.

A global biogeocenotical biosphere simulation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Moiseyev, N. N.

1980-01-01

This model of the D. Forrester type, constructed in differential equations, predicts the food and mineral supply for the factors biosphere population, depending on two socio-economic factors, until about the year 2500. If contemporary rates of natural resources utilization are maintained and there is no management of the environment, food resources will begin to limit human population growth after 2200, and mineral resources will after 2300. A decrease in the biosphere pollution, increase in effective agricultural production, and discovery of new energy sources may forestall or completely avert the onset of a crisis situation. Conservation measures, according to the model, are to a considerable extent realizable only if carried out simultaneously in both areas.

Does family interaction prevent adolescent pregnancy?

PubMed

Casper, L M

1990-01-01

This study uses data from the 1982 National Survey of Family Growth to ascertain whether family interaction can avert adolescent sexual activity, pregnancy, childbearing and parenthood. The results obtained from using logistic regression procedures indicate that the family may be effective in increasing adolescents' use of contraceptives and selection of abortion or adoption as alternatives to parenthood. Family interaction, however, was not associated with forestalling adolescent sexual activity or with providing for the well-being of the adolescent and her child and it is unlikely that a policy based solely on family interaction will be effective. Characteristics associated with effectiveness in preventing adolescent pregnancy included race, religion, residence, mother's education, the adolescent's age and family income.

Propiedades del suelo y sus relaciones con el IS en plantaciones de Pinus taeda L. en la Mesopotamia Argentina

Treesearch

Rodolfo A. Martiarena; Jorge L. Frangi; Alejandra Von Wallis; Marcelo F. Arturi; Hugo E. Fassola; Roberto A. Fernandez

2014-01-01

This paper was aimed at establishing the relations between some soil properties and the growth of P. taeda on its main area of commercial plantation in Argentine Mesopotamia. It was hypothesized that main cause of productivity reduction is soil depth and effective plant- available soil volume rather than nutrient content. The study area was located in Corrientes and...

Personality traits and long-term health status. The influence of neuroticism and conscientiousness on renal deterioration in type-1 diabetes.

PubMed

Brickman, A L; Yount, S E; Blaney, N T; Rothberg, S T; De-Nour, A K

1996-01-01

Stringent long-term control of blood glucose concentration in patients with insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM) can decrease albuminuria, presumably forestalling development of renal insufficiency. Personality characteristics may influence a diabetic patient's ability and willingness to follow a prescribed regimen to achieve glycemic control. This study investigated the relationship of 2 personality factors to renal deterioration time (from initiation of insulin therapy to renal failure) in 85 patients with IDDM and end-stage renal disease. Persons moderate in the personality trait of neuroticism and high in conscientiousness had renal deterioration times that were 12 years longer than persons with either high or low neuroticism and low conscientiousness, presumably because of better self-care. The implications of this study's findings are discussed.

NAD+ in Aging: Molecular Mechanisms and Translational Implications.

PubMed

Fang, Evandro F; Lautrup, Sofie; Hou, Yujun; Demarest, Tyler G; Croteau, Deborah L; Mattson, Mark P; Bohr, Vilhelm A

2017-10-01

The coenzyme NAD + is critical in cellular bioenergetics and adaptive stress responses. Its depletion has emerged as a fundamental feature of aging that may predispose to a wide range of chronic diseases. Maintenance of NAD + levels is important for cells with high energy demands and for proficient neuronal function. NAD + depletion is detected in major neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases, cardiovascular disease and muscle atrophy. Emerging evidence suggests that NAD + decrements occur in various tissues during aging, and that physiological and pharmacological interventions bolstering cellular NAD + levels might retard aspects of aging and forestall some age-related diseases. Here, we discuss aspects of NAD + biosynthesis, together with putative mechanisms of NAD + action against aging, including recent preclinical and clinical trials. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Tobacco Industry Youth Smoking Prevention Programs: Protecting the Industry and Hurting Tobacco Control

PubMed Central

Landman, Anne; Ling, Pamela M.; Glantz, Stanton A.

2002-01-01

Objectives. This report describes the history, true goals, and effects of tobacco industry–sponsored youth smoking prevention programs. Methods. We analyzed previously-secret tobacco industry documents. Results. The industry started these programs in the 1980s to forestall legislation that would restrict industry activities. Industry programs portray smoking as an adult choice and fail to discuss how tobacco advertising promotes smoking or the health dangers of smoking. The industry has used these programs to fight taxes, clean-indoor-air laws, and marketing restrictions worldwide. There is no evidence that these programs decrease smoking among youths. Conclusions. Tobacco industry youth programs do more harm than good for tobacco control. The tobacco industry should not be allowed to run or directly fund youth smoking prevention programs. PMID:12036777

Gender Differences in Forestalling Anti-Social Behaviours among Student Fitness Aspirants and Recreationists in Nigerian Universities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Okunbor, A. O.; Agwubike, E. O.

2009-01-01

The purpose of the research was quadrupled. It investigated the prevalence of anti-social behaviours in campuses of Nigerian universities. Several student fitness aspirants and recreationists perceived examination malpractices (85%), stealing (83%), armed robbery (81%), prostitution (82%), drunkenness (80%), smoking (79%), hard drug consumption…

An extremely high dietary iodide supply forestalls severe hypothyroidism in Na+/I- symporter (NIS) knockout mice.

PubMed

Ferrandino, Giuseppe; Kaspari, Rachel R; Reyna-Neyra, Andrea; Boutagy, Nabil E; Sinusas, Albert J; Carrasco, Nancy

2017-07-13

The sodium/iodide symporter (NIS) mediates active iodide (I - ) accumulation in the thyroid, the first step in thyroid hormone (TH) biosynthesis. Mutations in the SLC5A5 gene encoding NIS that result in a non-functional protein lead to congenital hypothyroidism due to I - transport defect (ITD). ITD is a rare autosomal disorder that, if not treated promptly in infancy, can cause mental retardation, as the TH decrease results in improper development of the nervous system. However, in some patients, hypothyroidism has been ameliorated by unusually large amounts of dietary I - . Here we report the first NIS knockout (KO) mouse model, obtained by targeting exons 6 and 7 of the Slc5a5 gene. In NIS KO mice, in the thyroid, stomach, and salivary gland, NIS is absent, and hence there is no active accumulation of the NIS substrate pertechnetate ( 99m TcO 4 - ). NIS KO mice showed undetectable serum T 4 and very low serum T 3 levels when fed a diet supplying the minimum I - requirement for rodents. These hypothyroid mice displayed oxidative stress in the thyroid, but not in the brown adipose tissue or liver. Feeding the mice a high-I - diet partially rescued TH biosynthesis, demonstrating that, at high I - concentrations, I - enters the thyroid through routes other than NIS.

Phase Separation in Solutions of Monoclonal Antibodies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Benedek, George; Wang, Ying; Lomakin, Aleksey; Latypov, Ramil

2012-02-01

We report the observation of liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS) in a solution of humanized monoclonal antibodies, IgG2, and the effects of human serum albumin, a major blood protein, on this phase separation. We find a significant reduction of phase separation temperature in the presence of albumin, and a preferential partitioning of the albumin into the antibody-rich phase. We provide a general thermodynamic analysis of the antibody-albumin mixture phase diagram and relate its features to the magnitude of the effective inter-protein interactions. Our analysis suggests that additives (HSA in this report), which have moderate attraction with antibody molecules, may be used to forestall undesirable protein condensation in antibody solutions. Our findings are relevant to understanding the stability of pharmaceutical solutions of antibodies and the mechanisms of cryoglobulinemia.

Self-determination theory and the facilitation of intrinsic motivation, social development, and well-being.

PubMed

Ryan, R M; Deci, E L

2000-01-01

Human beings can be proactive and engaged or, alternatively, passive and alienated, largely as a function of the social conditions in which they develop and function. Accordingly, research guided by self-determination theory has focused on the social-contextual conditions that facilitate versus forestall the natural processes of self-motivation and healthy psychological development. Specifically, factors have been examined that enhance versus undermine intrinsic motivation, self-regulation, and well-being. The findings have led to the postulate of three innate psychological needs--competence, autonomy, and relatedness--which when satisfied yield enhanced self-motivation and mental health and when thwarted lead to diminished motivation and well-being. Also considered is the significance of these psychological needs and processes within domains such as health care, education, work, sport, religion, and psychotherapy.

Cell Phones ≠ Self and Other Problems with Big Data Detection and Containment during Epidemics.

PubMed

Erikson, Susan L

2018-03-08

Evidence from Sierra Leone reveals the significant limitations of big data in disease detection and containment efforts. Early in the 2014-2016 Ebola epidemic in West Africa, media heralded HealthMap's ability to detect the outbreak from newsfeeds. Later, big data-specifically, call detail record data collected from millions of cell phones-was hyped as useful for stopping the disease by tracking contagious people. It did not work. In this article, I trace the causes of big data's containment failures. During epidemics, big data experiments can have opportunity costs: namely, forestalling urgent response. Finally, what counts as data during epidemics must include that coming from anthropological technologies because they are so useful for detection and containment. © 2018 The Authors Medical Anthropology Quarterly published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of American Anthropological Association.

Phase separation in solutions of monoclonal antibodies and the effect of human serum albumin

PubMed Central

Wang, Ying; Lomakin, Aleksey; Latypov, Ramil F.; Benedek, George B.

2011-01-01

We report the observation of liquid-liquid phase separation in a solution of human monoclonal antibody, IgG2, and the effects of human serum albumin, a major blood protein, on this phase separation. We find a significant reduction of phase separation temperature in the presence of albumin, and a preferential partitioning of the albumin into the antibody-rich phase. We provide a general thermodynamic analysis of the antibody-albumin mixture phase diagram and relate its features to the magnitude of the effective interprotein interactions. Our analysis suggests that additives (HSA in this report), which have moderate attraction with antibody molecules, may be used to forestall undesirable proetin condensation in antibody solutions. Our findings are relevant to understanding the stability of pharmaceutical solutions of antibodies and the mechanisms of cryoglobulinemia. PMID:21921237

Are probiotics effective to prevent traveler’s diarrhea?

PubMed

Pinos, Yazmín; Castro-Gutiérrez, Victoria; Rada, Gabriel

2016-12-23

La diarrea aguda es la enfermedad más común que afecta a los viajeros, principalmente aquellos que se dirigen a regiones de alto riesgo. El uso de probióticos podría prevenir su aparición, sin embargo, los datos que apoyan su uso no son consistentes y no se recomiendan en las guías clínicas actuales. Utilizando la base de datos Epistemonikos, la cual es mantenida mediante búsquedas en múltiples bases de datos, identificamos cuatro revisiones sistemáticas que en conjunto incluyen siete estudios aleatorizados pertinentes a esta pregunta. Realizamos un metanálisis y tablas de resumen de los resultados utilizando el método GRADE. Concluimos que los probióticos podrían prevenir la diarrea del viajero, pero la certeza de la evidencia es baja.

Prophylactic treatment of flea-infested cats with an imidacloprid/flumethrin collar to forestall infection with Dipylidium caninum

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Background The objective of the study was to determine the sustained effectiveness of 10% imidacloprid (w/w) and 4.5% flumethrin (w/w) incorporated in a slow-release matrix collar in preventing Dipylidium caninum infection in cats following repeated laboratory-infestations with fleas infected with metacestodes. Methods Efficacy against infection with D. caninum was evaluated by infesting 16 cats with the flea Ctenocephalides felis felis infected with metacestodes of the tapeworm. Medicated collars were fitted to 8 of the cats and infestation of each cat with 200 fleas from a suitably infected batch commenced 7 days later and continued at weekly intervals until Day 28. Efficacy against fleas was evaluated 24 h after each infestation. Infection of the cats with D. caninum was verified by daily examination of the cats’ faeces and immediate surroundings for proglottids from Day 21 to Day 60. Calculation of the prophylactic effectiveness of the collars in preventing infection of the cats with D. caninum was based on the difference in the geometric mean number of scoleces recovered from the gastrointestinal tracts of collared compared to untreated cats at necropsy on Day 61. Results Efficacy of the collars against infestation of the cats with fleas was 99.9% on Day 7 and 100% at each subsequent weekly assessment. Infection of the fleas with metacestodes was ≥40% in 7 to 13 day old fleas, but progressively decreased thereafter. At necropsy all the control cats were infected with D. caninum and harboured between 19 and 346 scoleces with a geometric mean of 58.3. A single treated cat was infected and harboured 2 scoleces. Effective prevention of infection with D. caninum, based on a comparison of the geometric mean numbers of scoleces recovered from control and treated cats, was 99.7%. Conclusion The insecticidal components of the medicated collars are capable of rapidly eliminating newly-acquired infestations of fleas that are infected with the metacestodes of D. caninum, thus preventing infection with the cestode in collared cats. PMID:22839305

Prophylactic treatment of flea-infested cats with an imidacloprid/flumethrin collar to forestall infection with Dipylidium caninum.

PubMed

Fourie, Josephus J; Crafford, Dionne; Horak, Ivan G; Stanneck, Dorothee

2012-07-27

The objective of the study was to determine the sustained effectiveness of 10% imidacloprid (w/w) and 4.5% flumethrin (w/w) incorporated in a slow-release matrix collar in preventing Dipylidium caninum infection in cats following repeated laboratory-infestations with fleas infected with metacestodes. Efficacy against infection with D. caninum was evaluated by infesting 16 cats with the flea Ctenocephalides felis felis infected with metacestodes of the tapeworm. Medicated collars were fitted to 8 of the cats and infestation of each cat with 200 fleas from a suitably infected batch commenced 7 days later and continued at weekly intervals until Day 28. Efficacy against fleas was evaluated 24 h after each infestation. Infection of the cats with D. caninum was verified by daily examination of the cats' faeces and immediate surroundings for proglottids from Day 21 to Day 60. Calculation of the prophylactic effectiveness of the collars in preventing infection of the cats with D. caninum was based on the difference in the geometric mean number of scoleces recovered from the gastrointestinal tracts of collared compared to untreated cats at necropsy on Day 61. Efficacy of the collars against infestation of the cats with fleas was 99.9% on Day 7 and 100% at each subsequent weekly assessment. Infection of the fleas with metacestodes was ≥40% in 7 to 13 day old fleas, but progressively decreased thereafter. At necropsy all the control cats were infected with D. caninum and harboured between 19 and 346 scoleces with a geometric mean of 58.3. A single treated cat was infected and harboured 2 scoleces. Effective prevention of infection with D. caninum, based on a comparison of the geometric mean numbers of scoleces recovered from control and treated cats, was 99.7%. The insecticidal components of the medicated collars are capable of rapidly eliminating newly-acquired infestations of fleas that are infected with the metacestodes of D. caninum, thus preventing infection with the cestode in collared cats.

Clasificación de asterismos utilizando datos astrométricos

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

de Biasi, M. S.; Orellana, R. B.

Based on accurate positions and proper motion data up to faint magnitudes, we have studied the regions of twenty three objects known in the literature as asterisms. A parametric method was applied to confirm the nature of these objects. The following objects have been classified: Alessi 11, Alessi 17, Brosch 1, Collinder 21, Dol-Dzim 1, Dolidze 31, Dolidze 43, Dolidze 50, Dolidze 51, NGC 272, NGC2063, NGC 2413, NGC 2664, NGC 5155, NGC 5284, NGC 6222, NGC 6360, NGC 6447, NGC 6476, NGC 6480, NGC 6605, NGC 6659, NGC 6728. FULL TEXT IN SPANISH

MOOSE: Manned On-Orbit Servicing Equipment

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Budinoff, J. (Editor); Leontsinis, N. (Editor); Lane, J. (Editor); Singh, R. (Editor); Angelone, K.; Boswell, C.; Chamberlain, I.; Concha, M.; Corrodo, M.; Custodio, O.

1993-01-01

The ability to service satellites has thus far been limited to low earth orbit platforms within reach of the Space Shuttle. Other orbits, such as geosynchronous orbits containing high-value spacecraft have not been attainable by a servicing vehicle. The useful life of a satellite can be extended by replacing spent propellant and damaged orbital replacement units, forestalling the need for eventual replacement. This growing need for satellite on-orbits servicing can be met by the Manned On-Orbit Servicing Equipment (MOOSE). Missions requiring orbit transfer capability, precision manipulation and maneuvering, and man-in-the-loop control can be accomplished using MOOSE. MOOSE is a flexible, reusable, single operator, aerobraking spacecraft designed to refuel, repair, and service orbiting spacecraft. MOOSE will be deployed from Space Station Freedom, (SSF), where it will be stored, resupplied, and refurbished.

[A blind bicycle repair man at the Stedelijk Museum: the exhibition and congress 'labour for the disabled' of 1928].

PubMed

Hermans, H J E; Schmidt, S H

2002-01-01

In the 1920's concern about the rising number of disabled unemployed urban poor led to the founding of the AVO (Dutch organization for labour care for the disabled) in 1927. The AVO presented the problem of the vulnerability of the physically and mentally disabled in the labour market as a matter of collective responsibility. At the Amsterdam AVO congress of 1928 expert contributors discussed the economic, social and medical aspects of disability and work. Simultaneously, a museum exhibition aimed at arousing the interest of the general public and at promoting a more understanding attitude towards the disabled. Though the twofold AVO manifestation raised an immediate favourable general response and the subject was put on the political agenda, the subsequent economic recession and war forestalled concrete measures. Essentially it was the first public debate on disability in the Netherlands.

Mechanisms of Acupuncture-Electroacupuncture on Persistent Pain

PubMed Central

Zhang, Ruixin; Lao, Lixing; Ren, Ke; Berman, Brian M.

2014-01-01

In the last decade, preclinical investigations of electroacupuncture mechanisms on persistent tissue-injury (inflammatory), nerve-injury (neuropathic), cancer, and visceral pain have increased. These studies show that electroacupuncture activates the nervous system differently in health than in pain conditions, alleviates both sensory and affective inflammatory pain, and inhibits inflammatory and neuropathic pain more effectively at 2–10 Hz than at 100 Hz. Electroacupuncture blocks pain by activating a variety of bioactive chemicals through peripheral, spinal, and supraspinal mechanisms. These include opioids, which desensitize peripheral nociceptors and reduce pro-inflammatory cytokines peripherally and in the spinal cord, and serotonin and norepinephrine, which decrease spinal n-methyl-d-aspartate receptor subunit GluN1 phosphorylation. Additional studies suggest that electroacupuncture, when combined with low dosages of conventional analgesics, provides effective pain management that can forestall the side effects of often-debilitating pharmaceuticals. PMID:24322588

Object-Based Retro-Classification Of A Agricultural Land Use: A Case Study Of Irrigated Croplands

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dubovyk, Olena; Conrad, Christopher; Khamzina, Asia; Menz, Gunter

2013-12-01

Availability of the historical crop maps is necessary for the assessment of land management practices and their effectiveness, as well as monitoring of environmental impacts of land uses. Lack of accurate current and past land-use information forestalls assessment of the occurred changes and their consequences and, thus, complicates knowledge-driven agrarian policy development. At the same time, lack of the sampling dataset for the past years often restrict mapping of historical land use. We proposed a methodology for a retro-assessment of several crops, based on multitemporal Landsat 5 TM imagery and a limited sampling dataset. The overall accuracy of the retro-map was 81% while accuracies for specific crop classes varied from 60% to 93%. If further elaborated, the developed method could be a useful tool for the generation of historical data on agricultural land use.

Liquid fuel supplies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Perry, H.

1980-06-01

This paper presents an overview of United States and world petroleum, natural gas, and natural gas liquids presumed recoverable but as yet undiscovered resources and suggests that the depletion of these fuels may not occur as quickly as frequently predicted. The paper points out that the construction of a synthetic fuels industry will be very costly and will provide only a small amount of increased energy independence. The fear is expressed that haste in accepting a specific synfuels process on the basis of present technology may serve to forestall the development of a better technology. The paper suggests that we construct relatively few plants now each using a different technology in order to gain better understanding of the various technologies, more information on costs and the essential but as yet unknown information on environmental and socioeconomic effects of large scale plants.

Órbitas caóticas en satelites galácticos

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Carpintero, D. D.; Muzzio, J. C.; Vergne, M. M.; Wachlin, F. C.

En trabajos anteriores investigamos las órbitas de estrellas que forman los satelites galácticos utilizando análisis de frecuencias. Su uso estaba plenamente justificado por su velocidad y la gran información que brinda, amén de haber dado resultados muy concordantes con los exponentes de Liapunov. Sin embargo, más recientemente, encontramos algunos problemas en la utilización del análisis de frecuencias en sistemas de referencia rotantes (como se utilizan para los satélites), por lo que en este trabajo rehicimos nuestras investigaciones previas utilizando exclusivamente exponentes de Liapunov. Algunas conclusiones anteriores se han confirmado, en tanto que otras deben modificarse. Además, los nuevos resultados muestran que las escalas de tiempo de los procesos caóticos en los satélites galácticos son comparables a, o más cortas que, las escalas de tiempo de otros procesos dinámicos característicos de estos objetos.

The challenge of staying happier: testing the Hedonic Adaptation Prevention model.

PubMed

Sheldon, Kennon M; Lyubomirsky, Sonja

2012-05-01

The happiness that comes from a particular success or change in fortune abates with time. The Hedonic Adaptation Prevention (HAP) model specifies two routes by which the well-being gains derived from a positive life change are eroded--the first involving bottom-up processes (i.e., declining positive emotions generated by the positive change) and the second involving top-down processes (i.e., increased aspirations for even more positivity). The model also specifies two moderators that can forestall these processes--continued appreciation of the original life change and continued variety in change-related experiences. The authors formally tested the predictions of the HAP model in a 3-month three-wave longitudinal study of 481 students. Temporal path analyses and moderated regression analyses provided good support for the model. Implications for the stability of well-being, the feasibility of "the pursuit of happiness," and the appeal of overconsumption are discussed.

Evolution of responses to (un)fairness.

PubMed

Brosnan, Sarah F; de Waal, Frans B M

2014-10-17

The human sense of fairness is an evolutionary puzzle. To study this, we can look to other species, in which this can be translated empirically into responses to reward distribution. Passive and active protest against receiving less than a partner for the same task is widespread in species that cooperate outside kinship and mating bonds. There is less evidence that nonhuman species seek to equalize outcomes to their own detriment, yet the latter has been documented in our closest relatives, the apes. This reaction probably reflects an attempt to forestall partner dissatisfaction with obtained outcomes and its negative impact on future cooperation. We hypothesize that it is the evolution of this response that allowed the development of a complete sense of fairness in humans, which aims not at equality for its own sake but for the sake of continued cooperation. Copyright © 2014, American Association for the Advancement of Science.

Psychological needs and the facilitation of integrative processes.

PubMed

Ryan, R M

1995-09-01

The assumption that there are innate integrative or actualizing tendencies underlying personality and social development is reexamined. Rather than viewing such processes as either nonexistent or as automatic, I argue that they are dynamic and dependent upon social-contextual supports pertaining to basic human psychological needs. To develop this viewpoint, I conceptually link the notion of integrative tendencies to specific developmental processes, namely intrinsic motivation; internalization; and emotional integration. These processes are then shown to be facilitated by conditions that fulfill psychological needs for autonomy, competence, and relatedness, and forestalled within contexts that frustrate these needs. Interactions between psychological needs and contextual supports account, in part, for the domain and situational specificity of motivation, experience, and relative integration. The meaning of psychological needs (vs. wants) is directly considered, as are the relations between concepts of integration and autonomy and those of independence, individualism, efficacy, and cognitive models of "multiple selves."

Coral Reef Resilience, Tipping Points and the Strength of Herbivory

PubMed Central

Holbrook, Sally J.; Schmitt, Russell J.; Adam, Thomas C.; Brooks, Andrew J.

2016-01-01

Coral reefs increasingly are undergoing transitions from coral to macroalgal dominance. Although the functional roles of reef herbivores in controlling algae are becoming better understood, identifying possible tipping points in the herbivory-macroalgae relationships has remained a challenge. Assessment of where any coral reef ecosystem lies in relation to the coral-to-macroalgae tipping point is fundamental to understanding resilience properties, forecasting state shifts, and developing effective management practices. We conducted a multi-year field experiment in Moorea, French Polynesia to estimate these properties. While we found a sharp herbivory threshold where macroalgae escape control, ambient levels of herbivory by reef fishes were well above that needed to prevent proliferation of macroalgae. These findings are consistent with previously observed high resilience of the fore reef in Moorea. Our approach can identify vulnerable coral reef systems in urgent need of management action to both forestall shifts to macroalgae and preserve properties essential for resilience. PMID:27804977

Exercise, Energy Intake, Glucose Homeostasis, and the Brain

PubMed Central

van Praag, Henriette; Fleshner, Monika; Schwartz, Michael W.

2014-01-01

Here we summarize topics covered in an SFN symposium that considered how and why exercise and energy intake affect neuroplasticity and, conversely, how the brain regulates peripheral energy metabolism. This article is not a comprehensive review of the subject, but rather a view of how the authors' findings fit into a broader context. Emerging findings elucidate cellular and molecular mechanisms by which exercise and energy intake modify the plasticity of neural circuits in ways that affect brain health. By enhancing neurogenesis, synaptic plasticity and neuronal stress robustness, exercise and intermittent energy restriction/fasting may optimize brain function and forestall metabolic and neurodegenerative diseases. Moreover, brain-centered glucoregulatory and immunomodulating systems that mediate peripheral health benefits of intermittent energetic challenges have recently been described. A better understanding of adaptive neural response pathways activated by energetic challenges will enable the development and optimization of interventions to reduce the burden of disease in our communities. PMID:25392482

Terror Weapons: The British Experience of Gas and Its Treatment in the First World War

PubMed Central

Jones, Edgar

2016-01-01

Chemical weapons accounted for only 1 per cent of the 750,000 British troops killed in the First World War and yet caused disproportionate casualties (estimated at 180,100). The considerable investment in the development of new toxins and methods of delivery was designed to maintain the elements of surprise and uncertainty as these accentuated their psychological effect. Soldiers were continually challenged on the battlefield by combinations of different types of agent designed to undermine their confidence in respirators, disorientate them, and erode their morale. At first, army doctors practised defensive medicine, invaliding their patients for protracted periods to the UK or base hospitals. By 1917, progressive study of the physical and psychological effects of different types of toxin allowed physicians to design new management strategies. Borrowing ideas from shell shock, specialist units were set up closer to the front line and medical officers taught to identify crucial points in the course of illness to accelerate recovery times and forestall the accretion of psychosomatic symptoms. PMID:27917027

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

Tabatowski, K.; Roggli, V.L.; Fulkerson, W.J.

A case of biopsy-proven giant cell interstitial pneumonia in a patient with occupational exposure to hard-metal dust is reported. Bronchial washings performed several days prior to open-lung biopsy yielded an almost exclusive population of nonpigmented alveolar macrophages and pleomorphic, phagocytic multinucleated giant cells. Microorganisms, viral inclusions in the giant cells, epithelioid histiocytes and well-formed granulomas were not seen. This cytologic picture strongly suggests the presence of giant cell interstitial pneumonia in a patient with restrictive lung disease, particularly when exposure to hard-metal dust is known or suspected. A specific diagnosis early in the course of the disease may facilitate removalmore » of the individual from the workplace and forestall the development of end-stage interstitial fibrosis. Additionally, the working environment may be modified to minimize inhalational exposure. Recognition of this entity by the cytopathologist may direct diagnostic efforts toward accurate histologic evaluation and the identification of particulates by microprobe analysis of either cellular or biopsy material.« less

Nothing concentrates the mind: thoughts of death improve recall.

PubMed

Hart, Joshua; Burns, Daniel J

2012-04-01

It seems likely that awareness of one's mortality is in some respects advantageous (e.g., because it helps individuals forestall death), but little research has explored the psychological mechanisms that might confer such an advantage. Recent research has shown that processing stimuli in terms of survival relevance enhances memory relative to a host of deep-processing conditions, so it is plausible that human memory has been selected to operate more efficiently when death thoughts (e.g., survival concerns) are activated. If so, then the mortality salience as a general psychological state should be sufficient to increase recall; the present experiments show this to be the case. The enhancing effect of mortality salience on recall occurred for both incidental and intentional learning tasks, relative to a variety of comparison conditions, and did not appear to be mediated by affect or arousal. Follow-up analyses revealed the effect to be mediated by the complexity of participants' elaborations about mortality. Potential theoretical implications are discussed.

Terror Weapons: The British Experience of Gas and Its Treatment in the First World War.

PubMed

Jones, Edgar

2014-07-01

Chemical weapons accounted for only 1 per cent of the 750,000 British troops killed in the First World War and yet caused disproportionate casualties (estimated at 180,100). The considerable investment in the development of new toxins and methods of delivery was designed to maintain the elements of surprise and uncertainty as these accentuated their psychological effect. Soldiers were continually challenged on the battlefield by combinations of different types of agent designed to undermine their confidence in respirators, disorientate them, and erode their morale. At first, army doctors practised defensive medicine, invaliding their patients for protracted periods to the UK or base hospitals. By 1917, progressive study of the physical and psychological effects of different types of toxin allowed physicians to design new management strategies. Borrowing ideas from shell shock, specialist units were set up closer to the front line and medical officers taught to identify crucial points in the course of illness to accelerate recovery times and forestall the accretion of psychosomatic symptoms.

High-speed detection at two micrometres with monolithic silicon photodiodes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ackert, Jason J.; Thomson, David J.; Shen, Li; Peacock, Anna C.; Jessop, Paul E.; Reed, Graham T.; Mashanovich, Goran Z.; Knights, Andrew P.

2015-06-01

With continued steep growth in the volume of data transmitted over optical networks there is a widely recognized need for more sophisticated photonics technologies to forestall a ‘capacity crunch’. A promising solution is to open new spectral regions at wavelengths near 2 μm and to exploit the long-wavelength transmission and amplification capabilities of hollow-core photonic-bandgap fibres and the recently available thulium-doped fibre amplifiers. To date, photodetector devices for this window have largely relied on III-V materials or, where the benefits of integration with silicon photonics are sought, GeSn alloys, which have been demonstrated thus far with only limited utility. Here, we describe a silicon photodiode operating at 20 Gbit s-1 in this wavelength region. The detector is compatible with standard silicon processing and is integrated directly with silicon-on-insulator waveguides, which suggests future utility in silicon-based mid-infrared integrated optics for applications in communications.

Design and construction of a dual recharge system at Minot, North Dakota

USGS Publications Warehouse

Pettyjohn, Wayne A.

1968-01-01

In 1965, a ground-water recharge facility was constructed and placed in operation to forestall an impending water shortage at Minot, North Dakota. The facility is unique in that the rate of recharge to a buried sand and gravel aquifer is augmented by perforating an overlying bed of clay using hydraulic connectors (gravel-filled bored holes) in conjunction with an open-pit excavation. The connectors were drilled by typical well-boring techniques and the open pit was excavated by common construction methods. The recharge technique made it possible to add about million gallons per day of water to underground storage with a total capital investment of about $200,000. The alternative originally proposed was a 50-mile long pipeline to Garrison Reservoir, at a 1959 estimated cost of $12,000,000. The recharge technique employed at Minot should have wide application in the ground-water industry in areas where natural recharge to permeable deposits is impeded by overlying beds of low permeability.

Wnt and GSK3 Signaling Pathways in Bipolar Disorder: Clinical and Therapeutic Implications

PubMed Central

Muneer, Ather

2017-01-01

The neurobiology of bipolar disorder, a chronic and systemic ailment is not completely understood. The bipolar phenotype manifests in myriad ways, and psychopharmacological agents like lithium have long term beneficial effects. The enzyme glycogen synthase kinase 3 (GSK3) has come into focus, as lithium and several other mood stabilizing medications inhibit its activity. This kinase and its key upstream modulator, Wnt are dysregulated in mood disorders and there is a growing impetus to delineate the chief substrates involved in the development of these illnesses. In May 2016, a comprehensive literature search was undertaken which revealed that there is over activity of GSK3 in bipolar disorder with deleterious downstream effects like proinflammatory status, increased oxidative stress, and circadian dysregulation leading to declining neurotrophic support and enhanced apoptosis of neural elements. By developing specific GSK3 inhibitors the progressive worsening in bipolar disorder can be forestalled with improved prospects for the sufferers. PMID:28449557

Man-made space debris - Does it restrict free access to space

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wolfe, M.; Chobotov, V.; Kessler, D.; Reynolds, R.

1981-01-01

Consideration is given to the hazards posed by existing and future man-made space debris to spacecraft operations. The components of the hazard are identified as those fragments resulting from spacecraft explosions and spent stages which can be tracked, those fragments which are too small to be tracked at their present distances, and future debris, which, if present trends in spacecraft design and operation continue, may lead to an unacceptably high probability of collision with operational spacecraft within a decade. It is argued that a coordinated effort must be undertaken by all space users to evaluate means of space debris control in order to allow for the future unrestricted use of near-earth space. A plan for immediate action to forestall the space debris problem by activities in the areas of education, debris monitoring and collection technology, space vehicle design, space operational procedures and practices and space policies and treaties is proposed.

A qualitative study of the role of dental therapy in New Zealand.

PubMed

Tane, Helen R

2009-09-01

To investigate the role of the dental therapy profession in New Zealand, identifying the foundation of the profession, and the influences that have shaped its role. Qualitative study incorporating transcripts from oral archives, national questionnaires, and semi-structured interviews with key people of influence among the oral health professions. A selection of data was ordered into a written sequence and presented, to demonstrate key influencing factors in the introduction, training and work of New Zealand's dental nurses. Education for the dental therapy profession was preceded by the school dental nurse vocation and, despite the intention for the dental nurse's role to be one of 'forestalling disease' and 'prevention', the eventual role was very different. The study provides evidence of the valuable role of Dental Therapy in New Zealand's public health sector, but whether the role has been utilised most effectively is questionable, particularly when considering the original objectives that were given when the School Dental Nurse concept was first introduced.

Exercise, energy intake, glucose homeostasis, and the brain.

PubMed

van Praag, Henriette; Fleshner, Monika; Schwartz, Michael W; Mattson, Mark P

2014-11-12

Here we summarize topics covered in an SFN symposium that considered how and why exercise and energy intake affect neuroplasticity and, conversely, how the brain regulates peripheral energy metabolism. This article is not a comprehensive review of the subject, but rather a view of how the authors' findings fit into a broader context. Emerging findings elucidate cellular and molecular mechanisms by which exercise and energy intake modify the plasticity of neural circuits in ways that affect brain health. By enhancing neurogenesis, synaptic plasticity and neuronal stress robustness, exercise and intermittent energy restriction/fasting may optimize brain function and forestall metabolic and neurodegenerative diseases. Moreover, brain-centered glucoregulatory and immunomodulating systems that mediate peripheral health benefits of intermittent energetic challenges have recently been described. A better understanding of adaptive neural response pathways activated by energetic challenges will enable the development and optimization of interventions to reduce the burden of disease in our communities. Copyright © 2014 the authors 0270-6474/14/3415139-11$15.00/0.

Reservoir management strategy for East Randolph Field, Randolph Township, Portage County, Ohio

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

Safley, L.E.; Salamy, S.P.; Young, M.A.

1998-07-01

The primary objective of the Reservoir Management Field Demonstration Program is to demonstrate that multidisciplinary reservoir management teams using appropriate software and methodologies with efforts scaled to the size of the resource are a cost-effective method for: Increasing current profitability of field operations; Forestalling abandonment of the reservoir; and Improving long-term economic recovery for the company. The primary objective of the Reservoir Management Demonstration Project with Belden and Blake Corporation is to develop a comprehensive reservoir management strategy to improve the operational economics and optimize oil production from East Randolph field, Randolph Township, Portage County, Ohio. This strategy identifies themore » viable improved recovery process options and defines related operational and facility requirements. In addition, strategies are addressed for field operation problems, such as paraffin buildup, hydraulic fracture stimulation, pumping system optimization, and production treatment requirements, with the goal of reducing operating costs and improving oil recovery.« less

Both trust and self-control are necessary to prevent intrusive behaviors: evidence from a longitudinal study of married couples.

PubMed

Buyukcan-Tetik, Asuman; Finkenauer, Catrin; Kuppens, Sofie; Vohs, Kathleen D

2013-08-01

Many people engage in intrusive behaviors in close relationships. Existing research links intrusive behaviors to a lack of trust and an imbalance between self- and partner-interest. The authors tested the novel hypothesis that people need self-control to regulate intrusive behaviors. Self-control enables people to forgo their self-interests (reassurance or closeness) for the sake of their partner or the relationship. Specifically, we predicted that people need both trust and self-control to refrain from intrusive behavior. One-hundred-eighty-nine couples participated in a prospective longitudinal study with three waves. Consistent with predictions, multilevel analyses revealed an interaction between trust and self-control on intrusive behaviors cross-sectionally as well as longitudinally (albeit marginally). These results provide support for our hypothesis that neither trust in the partner nor self-control is sufficient to forestall intrusive behaviors, but rather both are necessary to refrain from intruding into one's partner's privacy. © 2013 American Psychological Association

Mixed motives, mixed outcomes when accused parents won't agree to withdraw care.

PubMed

Appel, J M

2009-10-01

One of the basic tenets of paediatric ethics is that competent parents may render healthcare decisions for children who are too young or too incapacitated to make meaningful medical choices for themselves. In the USA, many jurisdictions have expanded this principle to include the right to terminate a child's life support, including nutrition and hydration, when that child enters a persistent vegetative state. However, this approach to the withdrawal of care in the paediatric setting has been put to the test by an increasing number of cases in which one or both parents are themselves accused of causing the child's life-threatening injuries. In such "mixed-motive" situations, parents may express a desire to keep a child on life support for religious or moral reasons; at the same time, forestalling the child's death may also prevent a murder charge against the accused parent. Principles need to be established for handling such tragic cases.

Belongingness as a core personality trait: how social exclusion influences social functioning and personality expression.

PubMed

DeWall, C Nathan; Deckman, Timothy; Pond, Richard S; Bonser, Ian

2011-12-01

People have a fundamental need for positive and lasting relationships. This need to belong is rooted in evolutionary history and gave rise to the development of traits that enable individuals to gain acceptance and to avoid rejection. Because belongingness is a core component of human functioning, social exclusion should influence many cognitive, emotional, and behavioral outcomes and personality expression. This article summarizes recent evidence that social exclusion causes an assortment of outcomes, many of which depend on whether the excluded can gain acceptance or forestall possible distress. It highlights common overlap in physical and social pain systems and how a physical painkiller can reduce the pain of social exclusion. Finally, it shows how social exclusion moderates the effects of traits on cognition, emotion, and behavior. To appreciate personality processes in social contexts, scientists should consider how people respond to social exclusion and how the need to belong influences personality expression. © 2010 The Authors. Journal of Personality © 2011, Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Coral Reef Resilience, Tipping Points and the Strength of Herbivory.

PubMed

Holbrook, Sally J; Schmitt, Russell J; Adam, Thomas C; Brooks, Andrew J

2016-11-02

Coral reefs increasingly are undergoing transitions from coral to macroalgal dominance. Although the functional roles of reef herbivores in controlling algae are becoming better understood, identifying possible tipping points in the herbivory-macroalgae relationships has remained a challenge. Assessment of where any coral reef ecosystem lies in relation to the coral-to-macroalgae tipping point is fundamental to understanding resilience properties, forecasting state shifts, and developing effective management practices. We conducted a multi-year field experiment in Moorea, French Polynesia to estimate these properties. While we found a sharp herbivory threshold where macroalgae escape control, ambient levels of herbivory by reef fishes were well above that needed to prevent proliferation of macroalgae. These findings are consistent with previously observed high resilience of the fore reef in Moorea. Our approach can identify vulnerable coral reef systems in urgent need of management action to both forestall shifts to macroalgae and preserve properties essential for resilience.

Self-reported tactics of impulse control.

PubMed

Ainslie, G

1987-02-01

Recent behavioral research has suggested that delayed incentives are discounted in a highly concave curve, which should produce temporary preference for the poorer of two alternatives when that alternative is available earlier than the better one. Unlike the psychoanalytic model of impulsiveness, the temporary preference model implies a rational need for people to forestall impulses by committing their choices in advance. A questionnaire elicited college students' and prisoners' self-reports of approval of four basic kinds of precommitting tactics as applied to 14 commonplace temptations. Endorsement of private rules as a precommitting device was correlated with self-reported compulsive personality traits and negatively correlated with endorsement of extra-psychic (social or physical) devices; the latter endorsement was correlated with self-reported oral/paranoid traits. Female subjects endorsed attention control as a precommitting device more than males, and male subjects endorsed extrapsychic devices more than females. The ego psychology of conflict may be practical at the conscious level.

Estudio ab initio del mecanismo de la reacción HSO + O3

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nebot Gil, I.

La reacción entre el radical HSO y el ozono ha sido ampliamente estudiada desde el punto de vista experimental debido a la importancia que tiene el radical HSO en la oxidación de los compuestos de azufre reductores y a que puede contribuir a la producción de H2SO4 [1-4]. Se realizaron diversos estudios teóricos sobre la cinética de la reacción entre el radical HSO y el ozono. La reacción del HSO con el ozono presenta tres canales diferentes : HSO + O3 &rightarrow &HSO2 + O2 &rightarrow &HS + 2 O2 &rightarrow &SO + OH + O2 La controversia existente entre los grupos experimentales sobre cuál de las tres vías es la predominante, se ha resuelto mediante un estudio teórico de todas ellas utilizando métodos ab initio. La estructura de todos los reactivos, productos, intermedios y estados de transición ha sido optimizada a nivel ab initio utilizando los métodos UMP2 /6-31G** y QCISD/6-31G**.

Structural and Dynamical Aspects of Electrodeposition

DTIC Science & Technology

1993-05-01

Lfquido Utilizando Ondas Estacionarias de Rayos X " Investigaci6n y Ciencia (Scientific American in Spanish) (invited and submitted) 10. Bommarito, G. M...investigations researchers have emphasized the underpotential deposition of metal mono and multilayers employing electrochemical, x -ray based and ultra high...of adsorbate employed. 2. The underpotential deposition of copper on an iodine covered platinum surface by x -ray based techniques with emphasis on: a

Inspiring Climate Education Excellence(ICEE): Developing Elearning professional development modules - secondary science teachers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kellagher, E.; Buhr, S. M.; Lynds, S. E.; McCaffrey, M. S.; Cires Education Outreach

2011-12-01

Inspiring Climate Education Excellence (ICEE) is a NASA-funded project to develop content knowledge and knowledge of effective teaching strategies in climate education among secondary science teachers. ICEE resources are aligned with the Essential Principles of Climate Science. Building upon a needs assessment and face to face workshop, ICEE resources include iTunesU videos, an ICEE 101 resource site with videos and peer-reviewed learning activities, and a moderated online forum. Self-directed modules and an online course are being developed around concepts and topics in which teachers express the most interest and need for instruction. ICEE resources include attention to effective teaching strategies, such as awareness of student misconceptions, strategies for forestalling controversy and advice from master teachers on implementation and curriculum development. The resources are being developed in partnership with GLOBE, and the National Science Digital Library (NSDL) and are informed by the work of the Climate Literacy and Energy Awareness Network (CLEAN) project. ICEE will help to meet the professional development needs of teachers, including those participating in the GLOBE Student Climate Research Campaign.

Planning for compliance: OSHA's bloodborne pathogen rule.

PubMed

Bednar, B; Duke, M C

1990-11-01

Overall, the bloodborne pathogen rule constitutes a reasonable response to a significant threat to workplace safety. The risks to dialysis workers from HBV and HIV must be minimized or eliminated and the rule is generally consistent with the consensus approach. Unfortunately for dialysis providers, the rule is not exempt from the law of unintended consequences: government regulation will always have impact beyond its object. Promulgation of the final rule will immediately increase the expenses of dialysis providers. Additionally, the enormity of the HBV and HIV problem coupled with the open-ended nature of the rule's key provisions will almost certainly bring additional costs. So long as dialysis reimbursement remains flat, the unintended consequence of the bloodborne pathogen rule may be to quicken the pace of consolidation in the dialysis service market. The added burden of compliance may be too much for small independent facilities. Only large chains may have the resources to comply and survive. To forestall this effect and to provide employees with maximum protection, all dialysis providers should plan now for compliance.

Refining comparative proteomics by spectral counting to account for shared peptides and multiple search engines

PubMed Central

Chen, Yao-Yi; Dasari, Surendra; Ma, Ze-Qiang; Vega-Montoto, Lorenzo J.; Li, Ming

2013-01-01

Spectral counting has become a widely used approach for measuring and comparing protein abundance in label-free shotgun proteomics. However, when analyzing complex samples, the ambiguity of matching between peptides and proteins greatly affects the assessment of peptide and protein inventories, differentiation, and quantification. Meanwhile, the configuration of database searching algorithms that assign peptides to MS/MS spectra may produce different results in comparative proteomic analysis. Here, we present three strategies to improve comparative proteomics through spectral counting. We show that comparing spectral counts for peptide groups rather than for protein groups forestalls problems introduced by shared peptides. We demonstrate the advantage and flexibility of this new method in two datasets. We present four models to combine four popular search engines that lead to significant gains in spectral counting differentiation. Among these models, we demonstrate a powerful vote counting model that scales well for multiple search engines. We also show that semi-tryptic searching outperforms tryptic searching for comparative proteomics. Overall, these techniques considerably improve protein differentiation on the basis of spectral count tables. PMID:22552787

Refining comparative proteomics by spectral counting to account for shared peptides and multiple search engines.

PubMed

Chen, Yao-Yi; Dasari, Surendra; Ma, Ze-Qiang; Vega-Montoto, Lorenzo J; Li, Ming; Tabb, David L

2012-09-01

Spectral counting has become a widely used approach for measuring and comparing protein abundance in label-free shotgun proteomics. However, when analyzing complex samples, the ambiguity of matching between peptides and proteins greatly affects the assessment of peptide and protein inventories, differentiation, and quantification. Meanwhile, the configuration of database searching algorithms that assign peptides to MS/MS spectra may produce different results in comparative proteomic analysis. Here, we present three strategies to improve comparative proteomics through spectral counting. We show that comparing spectral counts for peptide groups rather than for protein groups forestalls problems introduced by shared peptides. We demonstrate the advantage and flexibility of this new method in two datasets. We present four models to combine four popular search engines that lead to significant gains in spectral counting differentiation. Among these models, we demonstrate a powerful vote counting model that scales well for multiple search engines. We also show that semi-tryptic searching outperforms tryptic searching for comparative proteomics. Overall, these techniques considerably improve protein differentiation on the basis of spectral count tables.

Identification of potential or preclinical cognitive impairment and the implications of sophisticated screening with biomarkers and cognitive testing: does it really matter?

PubMed

Gordon, Michael

2013-01-01

The last decade has seen an enormous growth in the interest in the recognition of and intervention in those diagnosed and living with the whole range of cognitive impairment and frank dementia. In the western world, the recognition of the impact on patients, families, health care systems, and societies that dementia poses has led to great efforts to help define the indicators for current and future dementia with the intention to treat those already afflicted even with the primarily symptomatic medications that exist and to recognize those at future risk with the hope of providing counselling to forestall its future development. The idea of "early diagnosis" appears at first glance to be attractive for the purposes of future planning and research studies, but it is not clear what the benefits and risks might be if screening processes define people at risk when beneficial interventions might not yet be determined. The ethical as well as financial implications must be explored and defined before implementation of such screening becomes a normal standard of practice.

HpARI Protein Secreted by a Helminth Parasite Suppresses Interleukin-33.

PubMed

Osbourn, Megan; Soares, Dinesh C; Vacca, Francesco; Cohen, E Suzanne; Scott, Ian C; Gregory, William F; Smyth, Danielle J; Toivakka, Matilda; Kemter, Andrea M; le Bihan, Thierry; Wear, Martin; Hoving, Dennis; Filbey, Kara J; Hewitson, James P; Henderson, Holly; Gonzàlez-Cìscar, Andrea; Errington, Claire; Vermeren, Sonja; Astier, Anne L; Wallace, William A; Schwarze, Jürgen; Ivens, Alasdair C; Maizels, Rick M; McSorley, Henry J

2017-10-17

Infection by helminth parasites is associated with amelioration of allergic reactivity, but mechanistic insights into this association are lacking. Products secreted by the mouse parasite Heligmosomoides polygyrus suppress type 2 (allergic) immune responses through interference in the interleukin-33 (IL-33) pathway. Here, we identified H. polygyrus Alarmin Release Inhibitor (HpARI), an IL-33-suppressive 26-kDa protein, containing three predicted complement control protein (CCP) modules. In vivo, recombinant HpARI abrogated IL-33, group 2 innate lymphoid cell (ILC2) and eosinophilic responses to Alternaria allergen administration, and diminished eosinophilic responses to Nippostrongylus brasiliensis, increasing parasite burden. HpARI bound directly to both mouse and human IL-33 (in the cytokine's activated state) and also to nuclear DNA via its N-terminal CCP module pair (CCP1/2), tethering active IL-33 within necrotic cells, preventing its release, and forestalling initiation of type 2 allergic responses. Thus, HpARI employs a novel molecular strategy to suppress type 2 immunity in both infection and allergy. Copyright © 2017 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

An Expanded Model of the Temporal Stability of Condom Use Intentions: Gender-Specific Predictors among High-Risk Adolescents

PubMed Central

Schmiege, Sarah J.; Bryan, Angela D.

2011-01-01

Background Adolescents involved with the criminal justice system are at particularly high-risk for the Human Immunodeficiency Virus and sexually transmitted infections. Purpose The purpose of this study was to longitudinally examine gender-specific models of condom use, incorporating temporal stability of intentions. Methods Adolescents on probation (N=728) were recruited to complete longitudinal surveys including measures of Theory of Planned Behavior and gender-specific constructs, relationship length, and condom use. Results Gender-specific models of condom use behavior suggested by previous research were mostly replicated. For young women, the effect of baseline intentions on subsequent condom use behavior was stronger when intentions were either stable or increasing. For young men, more stable, increasing intentions were directly associated with more condom use. There was preliminary evidence to suggest an association between temporal stability of intentions and decreasing condom use in stable relationships. Conclusions Intervention efforts should be tailored by gender and aim to forestall decreasing intentions and condom use over time by addressing difficulties in maintaining condom use. PMID:21347619

Core decompression of the femoral head for osteonecrosis using percutaneous multiple small-diameter drilling.

PubMed

Mont, Michael A; Ragland, Phillip S; Etienne, Gracia

2004-12-01

Osteonecrosis is a disease with a wide ranging etiology and poorly understood pathogenesis seen commonly in young patients. Core decompression has historically been used in patients with small-sized or medium-sized precollapse lesions in an attempt to forestall disease progression. Typically, an 8-10 mm wide cannula trephine is used to do this procedure. The authors report on a new technique using multiple small drillings with a 3-mm Steinman pin to effectuate the core decompression. In this report, there were 32 of 45 hips (71%; 35 patients) with a successful clinical result at a mean followup of 2 years (range, 20-39 months). Twenty four of 30 Stage I hips (80%; 23 patients) had successful outcomes compared with 8 of 15 Stage II hips (57%; 12 patients) with no surgical complications occurring with this technique. This procedure is technically straightforward and led to minimal morbidity with no surgical complications. It may be effective in delaying the need for total hip arthroplasty in young patients with early (precollapse) stages of femoral head osteonecrosis.

Swelling, Structure, and Phase Stability of Soft, Compressible Microgels

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Denton, Alan R.; Urich, Matthew

Microgels are soft colloidal particles that swell when dispersed in a solvent. The equilibrium particle size is governed by a delicate balance of osmotic pressures, which can be tuned by varying single-particle properties and externally controlled conditions, such as temperature, pH, ionic strength, and concentration. Because of their tunable size and ability to encapsulate dye or drug molecules, microgels have practical relevance for biosensing, drug delivery, carbon capture, and filtration. Using Monte Carlo simulation, we model suspensions of microgels that interact via Hertzian elastic interparticle forces and can expand or contract via trial size changes governed by the Flory-Rehner free energy of cross-linked polymer gels. We analyze the influence of particle compressibility and size fluctuations on bulk structural and thermal properties by computing swelling ratios, radial distribution functions, static structure factors, osmotic pressures, and freezing densities. With increasing density, microgels progressively deswell and their intrinsic polydispersity broadens, while compressibility acts to forestall crystallization. This work was supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant No. DMR- 1106331.

[What do psychiatrists know about the children of their patients?].

PubMed

Franz, Michael; Kettemann, Beate; Jäger, Karin; Hanewald, Bernd; Gallhofer, Bernd

2012-07-01

Psychiatry could be a good starting point for preventive work for children of mentally ill parents by detecting children who are potentially at risk and connecting affected families with preventive services. However, it is unclear how much attention clinical psychiatrists pay for children of their patients. Therefore, this study examines the knowledge of german psychiatrists about the children of their patients and their attitude towards the youth welfare and prevention system. Seven psychiatric hospitals of one federal state in Germany participated in a questionnaire survey. The majority of the psychiatrists know whether their patients have children or not, but they can not answer differentiate questions of the children's life circumstances or name preventive programs for children and their families. Furthermore, psychiatrists potentially could forestall preventive programs because of a lack of knowledge about the youth welfare. Psychiatrists need more information about the children of their patients and about the general possibilities of prevention as well as more knowledge of supportive offers of the youth welfare. © Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

Attitudes to and practices regarding sex selection in China.

PubMed

Lai-wan, Chan Cecilia; Blyth, Eric; Hoi-yan, Chan Celia

2006-07-01

This paper explores the problem of China's 'missing' girls--estimated to run into many millions. It considers the impact of the underpinning Confucian value system in China that has produced a culture of son preference and which, together with China's compulsory family planning program and 'one child policy', has effectively established a 'one son policy'. Discussion of the various means by which the birth or survival of daughters have traditionally been prevented provides the context for identifying the contribution of new sex selection procedures to the maintenance of son preference in contemporary Chinese society. The paper concludes that China's son preference is not simply a personal problem for the millions of 'missing girls' who were destined to live a shorter life and for the surviving girls who continue to face considerable discrimination simply because they are of the 'wrong' sex; it heralds a social and demographic disaster of major proportions for which neither the government nor the people of China appear to have the will or the means to forestall. Copyright 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Methamphetamine use and dental disease: results of a pilot study.

PubMed

Cretzmeyer, Margaret; Walker, Jerry; Hall, James A; Arndt, Stephan

2007-01-01

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the feasibility of using a standard dental examination to detect methamphetamine use. Data were collected from 31 patients in a hospital-based inpatient chemical dependency treatment unit using cross-sectional study design. Patients who reported current methamphetamine use were compared with patients who denied methamphetamine use on data from dental examinations and an in-depth substance use assessment. Evidence of a relationship between methamphetamine use and dental disease was not detected in this sample. Both groups had a high degree of behaviors and risk factors other than substance abuse that contributed to dental disease. Based on these data, clients who used methamphetamine could not be distinguished from those who used other substances. Both groups presented significant dental disease, however, and it may be that most, if not all, patients in this hospital-based unit had significant chronic health problems including dental disease. Although adolescent use of methamphetamine is primarily restricted to older adolescents, consequences of use are severe and early identification of drug use may forestall some of the more severe consequences.

Suicide intervention and non-ideal Kantian theory.

PubMed

Cholbi, Michael J

2002-01-01

Philosophical discussions of the morality of suicide have tended to focus on its justifiability from an agent's point of view rather than on the justifiability of attempts by others to intervene so as to preserve it. This paper addresses questions of suicide intervention within a broadly Kantian perspective. In such a perspective, a chief task is to determine the motives underlying most suicidal behaviour. Kant wrongly characterizes this motive as one of self-love or the pursuit of happiness. Psychiatric and scientifc evidence suggests that suicide is instead motivated by nihilistic disenchantment with the possibility of happiness which, at its apex, results in the loss of the individual's conception of her practical identity. Because of this, methods of intervention that appeal to agents' happiness, while morally benign, will prove ineffective in forestalling suicide. At the same time, more aggressive methods violate the Kantian concern for autonomy. This apparent dilemma can be resolved by seeing suicide intervention as an action undertaken in non-ideal circumstances, where otherwise unjustified manipulation, coercion, or paternalism are morally permitted.

Biological and societal dimensions of lead poisoning in birds in the USA

USGS Publications Warehouse

Friend, Milton; Franson, J. Christian; Anderson, William L.

2008-01-01

The ingestion of spent lead shot was known to cause mortality in wild waterfowl in the US a century before the implementation of nontoxic shot regulations began in 1972. The biological foundation for this transition was strongly supported by both field observations and structured scientific investigations. Despite the overwhelming evidence, various societal factors forestalled the full transition to nontoxic shot for waterfowl hunting until 1991. Now, nearly 20 years later, these same factors weigh heavily in current debates about nontoxic shot requirements for hunting other game birds, requiring nontoxic bullets for big game hunting in California Condor range and for restricting the use of small lead sinkers and jig heads for sport-fishing. As with waterfowl, a strong science-based foundation is requisite for further transitions to nontoxic ammunition and fishing weights. Our experiences have taught us that the societal aspects of this transition are as important as the biological components and must be adequately addressed before alternatives to toxic lead ammunition, fishing weights, and other materials will be accepted as an investment in wildlife conservation.

Role of multidecadal climate variability in a range extension of pinyon pine

USGS Publications Warehouse

Gray, Stephen T.; Betancourt, Julio L.; Jackson, Stephen T.; Eddy, Robert G.

2006-01-01

Evidence from woodrat middens and tree rings at Dutch John Mountain (DJM) in northeastern Utah reveal spatiotemporal patterns of pinyon pine (Pinus edulis Engelm.) colonization and expansion in the past millennium. The DJM population, a northern outpost of pinyon, was established by long-distance dispersal (~40 km). Growth of this isolate was markedly episodic and tracked multidecadal variability in precipitation. Initial colonization occurred by AD 1246, but expansion was forestalled by catastrophic drought (1250–1288), which we speculate produced extensive mortality of Utah Juniper (Juniperus osteosperma (Torr.) Little), the dominant tree at DJM for the previous ~8700 years. Pinyon then quickly replaced juniper across DJM during a few wet decades (1330–1339 and 1368–1377). Such alternating decadal-scale droughts and pluvial events play a key role in structuring plant communities at the landscape to regional level. These decadal-length precipitation anomalies tend to be regionally coherent and can synchronize physical and biological processes across large areas. Vegetation forecast models must incorporate these temporal and geographic aspects of climate variability to accurately predict the effects of future climate change.

Global Warming and Ice Ages: I. Prospects For Physics Based Modulation of Global Change

DOE R&D Accomplishments Database

Teller, E.; Wood, L.; Hyde, R.

1996-08-15

It has been suggested that large-scale climate changes, mostly due to atmospheric injection of greenhouse gases connected with fossil-fired energy production, should be forestalled by internationally-agreed reductions in, e.g., electricity generation. The potential economic impacts of such limitations are obviously large: greater than or equal to $10{sup 11}/year. We propose that for far smaller - less than 1% - the mean thermal effects of greenhouse gases may be obviated in any of several distinct ways, some of them novel. These suggestions are all based on scatterers that prevent a small fraction of solar radiation from reaching all or part of the Earth. We propose research directed to quite near-term realization of one or more of these inexpensive approaches to cancel the effects of the greenhouse gas injection. While the magnitude of the climatic impact of greenhouse gases is currently uncertain, the prospect of severe failure of the climate, for instance at the onset of the next Ice Age, is undeniable. The proposals in this paper may lead to quite practical methods to reduce or eliminate all climate failures.

Pharmacological strategies for kidney function preservation: are there differences by ethnicity?

PubMed

Lakkis, Jay; Weir, Matthew R

2004-01-01

The prevalence of chronic kidney disease (CKD) is on the rise in all ethnic groups. This is because of the increased prevalence of obesity, diabetes mellitus, the metabolic syndrome, and the inadequate control of elevated blood pressure and other cardiovascular-renal risk factors, especially in ethnic minority populations. The implications of the aforementioned trends in risk factor prevalence and control are profound. Moreover, these trends negatively impact patient quality of life and place an enormous financial burden on the health care system for the provision of care to patients with CKD, end-stage renal disease (ESRD), and/or cardiovascular disease (CVD). Thus, it is of utmost importance to devise strategies that prevent kidney disease and delay progressive loss of kidney function in persons with CKD. Proven strategies include pharmacological interventions that lower blood pressure to less than target levels (<130/80 mm Hg), attainment of optimal glycemic control (Hb A1c <7%), and reducing urinary protein excretion. It is also possible, although yet unproven, that correction of anemia and aggressive treatment of dyslipidemia may forestall the loss of kidney function. In general, ethnic minorities are underrepresented in most large trials. Recently, a few outcome clinical trials in blacks have reinforced the lessons of kidney function preservation already learned in nonblack populations. That is, the reversible risk factors for CKD appear to be virtually identical and, at least in nondiabetic CKD, pharmacological targeting of the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAAS) with angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors and angiotensin II receptor blockers preserves kidney function better than non-RAAS blood pressure-lowering regimens, especially when significant proteinuria exists. Although more CKD studies in ethnic minorities are needed, until they become available, the best available evidence from the existing clinical trial database should be applied to

Understanding the potential of state-based public health genomics programs to mitigate disparities in access to clinical genetic services.

PubMed

Senier, Laura; Tan, Catherine; Smollin, Leandra; Lee, Rachael

2018-06-12

State health agencies (SHAs) have developed public health genomics (PHG) programs that play an instrumental role in advancing precision public health, but there is limited research on their approaches. This study examines how PHG programs attempt to mitigate or forestall health disparities and inequities in the utilization of genomic medicine. We compared PHG programs in three states: Connecticut, Michigan, and Utah. We analyzed 85 in-depth interviews with SHA internal and external collaborators and program documents. We employed a qualitative coding process to capture themes relating to health disparities and inequities. Each SHA implemented population-level approaches to identify individuals who carry genetic variants that increase risk of hereditary cancers. However, each SHA developed a unique strategy-which we label public health action repertoires-to reach specific subgroups who faced barriers in accessing genetic services. These strategies varied across states given demographics of the state population, state-level partnerships, and availability of healthcare services. Our findings illustrate the imperative of tailoring PHG programs to local demographic characteristics and existing community resources. Furthermore, our study highlights how integrating genomics into precision public health will require multilevel, multisector collaboration to optimize efficacy and equity.

Strategies That Delay Market Entry of Generic Drugs.

PubMed

Vokinger, Kerstin Noëlle; Kesselheim, Aaron S; Avorn, Jerry; Sarpatwari, Ameet

2017-11-01

Increasing prescription drug expenditures in the United States are primarily driven by high brand-name drug prices. Although generic competition helps lower drug prices, manufacturers of brand-name drugs often work to delay the availability of generic versions of their products. Strategies to forestall generic competition include patenting peripheral aspects of a drug or modified formulations that do not add clinical value, paying generic manufacturers to settle lawsuits challenging the validity of patents on brand-name drugs ("reverse payment" settlements), denying generic manufacturers access to drug samples necessary for bioequivalence testing, misusing risk evaluation and mitigation strategies, and filing citizen petitions with the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). To address such tactics, the federal government can interpret existing patenting standards more strictly and promote certain types of patent challenges to ensure that patents are granted or upheld only for true innovations. Congress can enact pending legislation that would help discourage reverse payment settlements and compel brand-name manufacturers to share drug samples for bioequivalence testing. Finally, the FDA can provide earlier guidance on bioequivalence determinations for complex generic products and adopt the presumption that late-filed citizen petitions should be summarily rejected.

HIV-related Social Intolerance and Risky Sexual Behavior in a High HIV Prevalence Environment

PubMed Central

Delavande, Adeline; Sampaio, Mafalda

2014-01-01

Although most countries state that fighting social intolerance against persons with HIV is part of their national HIV strategy, the impact of reducing intolerance on risky sexual behavior is largely unknown. In this paper, we estimate the effect of social intolerance against HIV+ persons on risky sexual behavior in rural Malawi using data from roughly 2,000 respondents from the 2004 and 2006 waves of the Malawi Longitudional Study of Families and Health (MLSFH). The effect of social intolerance on risky behavior is a priori ambiguous. On the one hand, higher social intolerance or stigma can lead people to disassociate from the stigmatized group and hence promote risky behavior. On the other hand, intolerance can be viewed as a social tax on being HIV+ and thus higher intolerance may reduce risky behavior. We find that a decrease in social intolerance is associated with a decrease in risky behavior, including fewer partners and a lower likelihood of having extra-marital relations. This effect is mainly driven by the impact of social intolerance on men. Overall the results suggests that reducing social intolerance might not only benefit the HIV positive but might also forestall the spread of HIV. PMID:24768779

A concept for early cancer detection and therapy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Waynant, Ronald W.; Ilev, Ilko K.; Mitra, Kunal

2003-06-01

Early detection and treatment of breast cancer is least costly in terms of dollars, morbidity and mortality. With new early detection x-ray technology, tumors can be found, diagnosed and treated at a much smaller size than is currently possible. This paper proposes the development of a high resolution, high quality imaging system. It is a laser-driven x-ray system with time-gated detection that removes scattering noise in the image and produces resolution on the order of 10 μm. This higher resolution and higher image quality will enable the detection of one or two millimeter tumors hopefully detecting them before metastasis. We also propose that tumor detection should be followed by an immediate needle-directed, optical fiber biopsy to instantly determine if cancer is present and, if present, the tumor should immediately be given a lethal treatment of laser or x-radiation through the same needle using fiber optics or hollow waveguides. This technology will help prevent multiple interventions resulting in both the lowest overall cost and a more efficacious therapy. The approach can be stopped at the first negative (benign) indication and will help forestall repeated examination as well as reduce patient anxiety.

Cardiolipin Prevents Membrane Translocation and Permeabilization by Daptomycin*

PubMed Central

Zhang, TianHua; Muraih, Jawad K.; Tishbi, Nasim; Herskowitz, Jennifer; Victor, Rachel L.; Silverman, Jared; Uwumarenogie, Stephanie; Taylor, Scott D.; Palmer, Michael; Mintzer, Evan

2014-01-01

Daptomycin is an acidic lipopeptide antibiotic that, in the presence of calcium, forms oligomeric pores on membranes containing phosphatidylglycerol. It is clinically used against various Gram-positive bacteria such as Staphylococcus aureus and Enterococcus species. Genetic studies have indicated that an increased content of cardiolipin in the bacterial membrane may contribute to bacterial resistance against the drug. Here, we used a liposome model to demonstrate that cardiolipin directly inhibits membrane permeabilization by daptomycin. When cardiolipin is added at molar fractions of 10 or 20% to membranes containing phosphatidylglycerol, daptomycin no longer forms pores or translocates to the inner membrane leaflet. Under the same conditions, daptomycin continues to form oligomers; however, these oligomers contain only close to four subunits, which is approximately half as many as observed on membranes without cardiolipin. The collective findings lead us to propose that a daptomycin pore consists of two aligned tetramers in opposite leaflets and that cardiolipin prevents the translocation of tetramers to the inner leaflet, thereby forestalling the formation of complete, octameric pores. Our findings suggest a possible mechanism by which cardiolipin may mediate resistance to daptomycin, and they provide new insights into the action mode of this important antibiotic. PMID:24616102

Artemisinin-Resistant Malaria: Research Challenges, Opportunities, and Public Health Implications

PubMed Central

Fairhurst, Rick M.; Nayyar, Gaurvika M. L.; Breman, Joel G.; Hallett, Rachel; Vennerstrom, Jonathan L.; Duong, Socheat; Ringwald, Pascal; Wellems, Thomas E.; Plowe, Christopher V.; Dondorp, Arjen M.

2012-01-01

Artemisinin-based combination therapies are the most effective drugs to treat Plasmodium falciparum malaria. Reduced sensitivity to artemisinin monotherapy, coupled with the emergence of parasite resistance to all partner drugs, threaten to place millions of patients at risk of inadequate treatment of malaria. Recognizing the significance and immediacy of this possibility, the Fogarty International Center and the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases of the U.S. National Institutes of Health convened a conference in November 2010 to bring together the diverse array of stakeholders responding to the growing threat of artemisinin resistance, including scientists from malarious countries in peril. This conference encouraged and enabled experts to share their recent unpublished data from studies that may improve our understanding of artemisinin resistance. Conference sessions addressed research priorities to forestall artemisinin resistance and fostered collaborations between field- and laboratory-based researchers and international programs, with the aim of translating new scientific evidence into public health solutions. Inspired by this conference, this review summarizes novel findings and perspectives on artemisinin resistance, approaches for translating research data into relevant public health information, and opportunities for interdisciplinary collaboration to combat artemisinin resistance. PMID:22855752

Artemisinin-resistant malaria: research challenges, opportunities, and public health implications.

PubMed

Fairhurst, Rick M; Nayyar, Gaurvika M L; Breman, Joel G; Hallett, Rachel; Vennerstrom, Jonathan L; Duong, Socheat; Ringwald, Pascal; Wellems, Thomas E; Plowe, Christopher V; Dondorp, Arjen M

2012-08-01

Artemisinin-based combination therapies are the most effective drugs to treat Plasmodium falciparum malaria. Reduced sensitivity to artemisinin monotherapy, coupled with the emergence of parasite resistance to all partner drugs, threaten to place millions of patients at risk of inadequate treatment of malaria. Recognizing the significance and immediacy of this possibility, the Fogarty International Center and the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases of the U.S. National Institutes of Health convened a conference in November 2010 to bring together the diverse array of stakeholders responding to the growing threat of artemisinin resistance, including scientists from malarious countries in peril. This conference encouraged and enabled experts to share their recent unpublished data from studies that may improve our understanding of artemisinin resistance. Conference sessions addressed research priorities to forestall artemisinin resistance and fostered collaborations between field- and laboratory-based researchers and international programs, with the aim of translating new scientific evidence into public health solutions. Inspired by this conference, this review summarizes novel findings and perspectives on artemisinin resistance, approaches for translating research data into relevant public health information, and opportunities for interdisciplinary collaboration to combat artemisinin resistance.

Novel VCP modulators mitigate major pathologies of rd10, a mouse model of retinitis pigmentosa

PubMed Central

Ikeda, Hanako Ohashi; Sasaoka, Norio; Koike, Masaaki; Nakano, Noriko; Muraoka, Yuki; Toda, Yoshinobu; Fuchigami, Tomohiro; Shudo, Toshiyuki; Iwata, Ayana; Hori, Seiji; Yoshimura, Nagahisa; Kakizuka, Akira

2014-01-01

Neuroprotection may prevent or forestall the progression of incurable eye diseases, such as retinitis pigmentosa, one of the major causes of adult blindness. Decreased cellular ATP levels may contribute to the pathology of this eye disease and other neurodegenerative diseases. Here we describe small compounds (Kyoto University Substances, KUSs) that were developed to inhibit the ATPase activity of VCP (valosin-containing protein), the most abundant soluble ATPase in the cell. Surprisingly, KUSs did not significantly impair reported cellular functions of VCP but nonetheless suppressed the VCP-dependent decrease of cellular ATP levels. Moreover, KUSs, as well as exogenous ATP or ATP-producing compounds, e.g. methylpyruvate, suppressed endoplasmic reticulum stress, and demonstrably protected various types of cultured cells from death, including several types of retinal neuronal cells. We then examined their in vivo efficacies in rd10, a mouse model of retinitis pigmentosa. KUSs prevented photoreceptor cell death and preserved visual function. These results reveal an unexpected, crucial role of ATP consumption by VCP in determining cell fate in this pathological context, and point to a promising new neuroprotective strategy for currently incurable retinitis pigmentosa. PMID:25096051

FOXO1 opposition of CD8+ T cell effector programming confers early memory properties and phenotypic diversity.

PubMed

Delpoux, Arnaud; Lai, Chen-Yen; Hedrick, Stephen M; Doedens, Andrew L

2017-10-17

The factors and steps controlling postinfection CD8 + T cell terminal effector versus memory differentiation are incompletely understood. Whereas we found that naive TCF7 (alias "Tcf-1") expression is FOXO1 independent, early postinfection we report bimodal, FOXO1-dependent expression of the memory-essential transcription factor TCF7 in pathogen-specific CD8 + T cells. We determined the early postinfection TCF7 high population is marked by low TIM3 expression and bears memory signature hallmarks before the appearance of established memory precursor marker CD127 (IL-7R). These cells exhibit diminished TBET, GZMB, mTOR signaling, and cell cycle progression. Day 5 postinfection, TCF7 high cells express higher memory-associated BCL2 and EOMES, as well as increased accumulation potential and capacity to differentiate into memory phenotype cells. TCF7 retroviral transduction opposes GZMB expression and the formation of KLRG1 pos phenotype cells, demonstrating an active role for TCF7 in extinguishing the effector program and forestalling terminal differentiation. Past the peak of the cellular immune response, we report a gradient of FOXO1 and TCF7 expression, which functions to oppose TBET and orchestrate a continuum of effector-to-memory phenotypes.

Volumetric breast density evaluation by ultrasound tomography and magnetic resonance imaging: a preliminary comparative study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Myc, Lukasz; Duric, Neb; Littrup, Peter; Li, Cuiping; Ranger, Bryan; Lupinacci, Jessica; Schmidt, Steven; Rama, Olsi; Bey-Knight, Lisa

2010-03-01

Since a 1976 study by Wolfe, high breast density has gained recognition as a factor strongly correlating with an increased incidence of breast cancer. These observations have led to mammographic density being designated a "risk factor" for breast cancer. Clinically, the exclusive reliance on mammography for breast density measurement has forestalled the inclusion of breast density into statistical risk models. This exclusion has in large part been due to the ionizing radiation associated with the method. Additionally, the use of mammography as valid tool for measuring a three dimensional characteristic (breast density) has been criticized for its prima facie incongruity. These shortfalls have prompted MRI studies of breast density as an alternative three-dimensional method of assessing breast density. Although, MRI is safe and can be used to measure volumetric density, its cost has prohibited its use in screening. Here, we report that sound speed measurements using a prototype ultrasound tomography device have potential for use as surrogates for breast density measurement. Accordingly, we report a strong positive linear correlation between volume-averaged sound speed of the breast and percent glandular tissue volume as assessed by MR.

Metabolic reprogramming and dependencies associated with epithelial cancer stem cells independent of the epithelial-mesenchymal transition program

PubMed Central

Aguilar, Esther; de Mas, Igor Marin; Zodda, Erika; Marin, Silvia; Morrish, Fionnuala; Selivanov, Vitaly; Meca-Cortés, Óscar; Delowar, Hossain; Pons, Mònica; Izquierdo, Inés; Celià-Terrassa, Toni; de Atauri, Pedro; Centelles, Josep J; Hockenbery, David; Thomson, Timothy M; Cascante, Marta

2016-01-01

In solid tumors, cancer stem cells (CSCs) can arise independently of epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT). In spite of recent efforts, the metabolic reprogramming associated with CSC phenotypes uncoupled from EMT is poorly understood. Here, by using metabolomic and fluxomic approaches, we identify major metabolic profiles that differentiate metastatic prostate epithelial CSCs (e-CSCs) from non-CSCs expressing a stable EMT. We have found that the e-CSC program in our cellular model is characterized by a high plasticity in energy substrate metabolism, including an enhanced Warburg effect, a greater carbon and energy source flexibility driven by fatty acids and amino acid metabolism and an essential reliance on the proton buffering capacity conferred by glutamine metabolism. An analysis of transcriptomic data yielded a metabolic gene signature for our e-CSCs consistent with the metabolomics and fluxomics analysis that correlated with tumor progression and metastasis in prostate cancer and in 11 additional cancer types. Interestingly, an integrated metabolomics, fluxomics and transcriptomics analysis allowed us to identify key metabolic players regulated at the post-transcriptional level, suggesting potential biomarkers and therapeutic targets to effectively forestall metastasis. PMID:27146024

On a logical basis for division of responsibilities in statistical practice

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Deming, W. Edwards

1966-01-01

The purpose of this paper is to explain principles for division of responsibilities between the statistician and the people that he works with, and reasons why this division of responsibilities is important -- that is, how it improves the performance of both statistician and expert in subject-matter. The aim is to find and illustrate principles of practice by which statisticians may make effective use of their knowledge of theory. The specialist in statistical methods may find himself applying the same basic theory in a dozen different fields in a week, rotating through the same projects the next week. Or, he may work day after day primarily in a single substantive field. Either way, he requires rules of practice. A statement of statistical reliability should present any information that might help the reader to form his own opinion concerning the validity of conclusions likely to be drawn from the results. The aim of a statistical report is to protect the client from seeing merely what he would like to see; to protect him from losses that could come from misuse of results. A further aim is to forestall unwarranted claims of accuracy that the client's public might otherwise accept.

Folate Insufficiency Due to Celiac Disease in a 49-Year-Old Woman of Southeast Asian-Indian Ethnicity

PubMed Central

Datta Mitra, Ananya; Gupta, Asha; Jialal, Ishwarlal

2016-01-01

The clinical presentation of celiac disease has evolved from chronic diarrhea and malnutrition to mild nutrient insufficiencies. Recently diagnosed adults with celiac disease should be assessed for micronutrient deficiencies because early institution of a gluten-free diet (GFD) prevents morbidity and reduces the incidence of gastrointestinal malignant neoplasms and osteoporosis. In this report, we present the case of a 49-year-old woman of Southeast Asian–Indian descent living in the United States who had folate insufficiency, as manifested by low serum and red blood cell (RBC) folate levels. Further investigation, including serologic testing and intestinal biopsy, confirmed a diagnosis of celiac disease and other nutrient deficiencies. Managing the condition of this patient with folate supplements and implementation of a recommended GFD reversed the folate insufficiency. In conclusion, when serum and/or RBC levels are low in a person of Southeast Asian-Indian descent living in a country with folate fortification of the grain supply, such as the United States, the medical team needs to look for an organic cause, as in our patient, to diagnose and manage celiac disease early and, hopefully, forestall complications. PMID:27406144

Variaciones seculares de período en las RR Lyrae de ω~Centauri

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Marraco, H. G.; Milesi, G. E.

Utilizando 689 observaciones de 35 estrellas RR Lyrae del cúmulo globular ω Centauri hemos obtenido nuevas determinaciones de sus períodos y sus correspondientes variaciones seculares. Las observaciones fueron obtenidas de la literatura con la excepción de un grupo 66 determinaciones que se presentan por vez primera aquí. Utilizando el parámetro testigo σ descripto en Marraco & Muzzio (Publ. Astron. Soc. Pacific 92, 700, 1980), hemos realizado un ajuste bidimensional en P y β (donde β es la variación secular del período). Con este fin la totalidad de las 689 observaciones fueron llevadas a un sistema fotométrico común. Para esto se realizó un cuidadoso análisis de los numerosos errores en la identificación de las estrellas de las series de comparación. Los resultados de los ajustes bidimensionales fueron analizados utilizando técnicas de procesamiento de imágenes. Con este fin el parámetro de ajuste σ fue representado como función de P y β. En las imágenes resultantes se buscaron los mínimos y al menor de ellos se lo aceptó como período instantáneo verdadero y su variación secular β. La determinación precisa de cada parámetro se realizó mediante ajuste de gaussianas y se determinaron sus errores. A modo de ejemplo la variable #8 fue analizada en una matriz de 501 × 501 elementos representando el parámetro σ para valores comprendidos entre 0,521034 < P < 0,521534 dias y -150×10-10 < β < +150×10-10 dias/dia. El mejor período instantáneo (correspondiente a la época DJ=2.426.908) y su variación secular son P = 0,5212859±0,0000001 días y β 14,012±,010×10-10 días/día respectivamente. Con estos valores el parámetro testigo resulta σ= 0,127 . Si no se tiene en cuenta la variación secular del período y se busca aquél de mejor ajuste para β = 0, se obtiene P = 0,5212960 días, pero entonces el parámetro de ajuste resulta tan alto como σ = 0,23 .

Preparation and characterization of novel nanocomposites of inorganic/polysaccharide type =

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Oliveira, Fabiane Costa

O uso de polimeros naturais no ambito da preparacao de nanocompositos nao tem sido tao amplamente estudado quando comparado com os polimeros sinteticos. Assim, esta tese tem como objectivo estudar metodologias para a preparacao de novos materiais nanocompositos sob a forma de dispersoes e filmes utilizando polissacarideos como matriz. A tese esta dividida em cinco capitulos sendo o ultimo capitulo dedicado as conclusoes gerais e a sugestoes para trabalhos futuros. Inicialmente e apresentada uma breve revisao bibliografica sobre os principais temas colocando esta tese em contexto. Consideracoes sobre o uso de polimeros naturais e a sua combinacao com a utilizacao de nanoparticulas inorganicas para a fabricacao de novos bionanocomposites sao descritas e os objectivos e outline da tese sao tambem apresentados. No segundo capitulo, a preparacao de particulas de silica puras ou modificadas bem como a sua caracterizacao por FTIR, SEM, TEM, TGA, DLS (tamanho e potencial zeta) e medicoes de angulo de contacto sao discutidas. De modo a melhorar a compatibilidade da silica com os polissacarideos, as particulas SiO2 foram modificados com dois compostos do tipo organosilano: 3- metacril-oxipropil-trimetoxissilano (MPS) e 3-aminopropil-trimetoxissilano (APS). As particulas SiO2 MPS foram posteriormente encapsuladas com de poli(metacrilato de glicidilo) utilizando a tecnica de polimerizacao em emulsao. A utilizacao dos nanocompositos resultantes na preparacao de dispersoes de bionanocompositos nao foi bem sucedida e por esse motivo nao os estudos nao foram prosseguidos. O uso de SiO2 APS na preparacao de dispersoes bionanocomposite foi eficiente. No terceiro capitulo e apresentada uma revisao sobre dispersoes bionanocompositas e respectiva caracterizacao destacando aspectos fundamentais sobre reologia e microestrutura. Em seguida, e discutido o estudo sistematico realizado sobre o comportamento reologico de dispersoes de SiO2 utilizando tres polissacarideos distintos no que

Epigenetic Mechanisms Regulating Adaptive Responses to Targeted Kinase Inhibitors in Cancer.

PubMed

Angus, Steven P; Zawistowski, Jon S; Johnson, Gary L

2018-01-06

Although targeted inhibition of oncogenic kinase drivers has achieved remarkable patient responses in many cancers, the development of resistance has remained a significant challenge. Numerous mechanisms have been identified, including the acquisition of gatekeeper mutations, activating pathway mutations, and copy number loss or gain of the driver or alternate nodes. These changes have prompted the development of kinase inhibitors with increased selectivity, use of second-line therapeutics to overcome primary resistance, and combination treatment to forestall resistance. In addition to genomic resistance mechanisms, adaptive transcriptional and signaling responses seen in tumors are gaining appreciation as alterations that lead to a phenotypic state change-often observed as an epithelial-to-mesenchymal shift or reversion to a cancer stem cell-like phenotype underpinned by remodeling of the epigenetic landscape. This epigenomic modulation driving cell state change is multifaceted and includes modulation of repressive and activating histone modifications, DNA methylation, enhancer remodeling, and noncoding RNA species. Consequently, the combination of kinase inhibitors with drugs targeting components of the transcriptional machinery and histone-modifying enzymes has shown promise in preclinical and clinical studies. Here, we review mechanisms of resistance to kinase inhibition in cancer, with special emphasis on the rewired kinome and transcriptional signaling networks and the potential vulnerabilities that may be exploited to overcome these adaptive signaling changes.

Diabetic Macular Edema: From Old Concepts to New Therapeutic Avenues

PubMed Central

Mansour, Ahmad M; Pulido, Jose S; Arevalo, J Fernando

2015-01-01

Diabetic macular edema (DME) is a significant cause of blindness in the working population and is currently challenging to treat. Current interventions include focal laser or intravitreal injections. This article outlines a new treatment protocol based on the theory that peripheral ischemia is the precursor to angiogenesis, which will ultimately gather its momentum at the fovea. Extreme peripheral light laser panretinal photocoagulation (PRP) back to the equator reduces excessive production of the vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in the eye. This decreases VEGF-induced DME and provides long-term protection against the development of neovascularization. Initial exacerbation of DME often accompanies PRP. Therefore, injections of anti-VEGF agents (with or without dexamethasone implants) initially can forestall worsening of DME and prevent loss of vision. However, on the other hand, applying peripheral PRP and intraocular injections can induce posterior vitreous detachment (PVD). This could help release vitreomacular adhesions (VMA) and vitreomacular traction (VMT), thereby decreasing DME severity and improving the response to intravitreal injections. In the current approach, peripheral retinal photocoagulation should stop the drive for VEGF release; moreover, laser ablation should produce secondary, accidental, and beneficial PVD. This approach precludes focal laser therapy and paves the path for prolonged intervals between anti-VEGF therapy. PMID:27800500

Cognition: the new frontier for nuts and berries.

PubMed

Pribis, Peter; Shukitt-Hale, Barbara

2014-07-01

The inclusion of nuts in the diet is associated with a decreased risk of coronary artery disease, hypertension, gallstones, diabetes, cancer, metabolic syndrome, and visceral obesity. Frequent consumption of berries seems to be associated with improved cardiovascular and cancer outcomes, improved immune function, and decreased recurrence of urinary tract infections; the consumption of nuts and berries is associated with reduction in oxidative damage, inflammation, vascular reactivity, and platelet aggregation, and improvement in immune functions. However, only recently have the effects of nut and berry consumption on the brain, different neural systems, and cognition been studied. There is growing evidence that the synergy and interaction of all of the nutrients and other bioactive components in nuts and berries can have a beneficial effect on the brain and cognition. Regular nut consumption, berry consumption, or both could possibly be used as an adjunctive therapeutic strategy in the treatment and prevention of several neurodegenerative diseases and age-related brain dysfunction. A number of animal and a growing number of human studies show that moderate-duration dietary supplementation with nuts, berry fruit, or both is capable of altering cognitive performance in humans, perhaps forestalling or reversing the effects of neurodegeneration in aging. © 2014 American Society for Nutrition.

Contextualizing symbol, symbolizing context

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Maudy, Septiani Yugni; Suryadi, Didi; Mulyana, Endang

2017-08-01

When students learn algebra for the first time, inevitably they are experiencing transition from arithmetic to algebraic thinking. Once students could apprehend this essential mathematical knowledge, they are cultivating their ability in solving daily life problems by applying algebra. However, as we dig into this transitional stage, we identified possible students' learning obstacles to be dealt with seriously in order to forestall subsequent hindrance in studying more advance algebra. We come to realize this recurring problem as we undertook the processes of re-personalization and re-contextualization in which we scrutinize the very basic questions: 1) what is variable, linear equation with one variable and their relationship with the arithmetic-algebraic thinking? 2) Why student should learn such concepts? 3) How to teach those concepts to students? By positioning ourselves as a seventh grade student, we address the possibility of children to think arithmetically when confronted with the problems of linear equation with one variable. To help them thinking algebraically, Bruner's modes of representation developed contextually from concrete to abstract were delivered to enhance their interpretation toward the idea of variables. Hence, from the outset we designed the context for student to think symbolically initiated by exploring various symbols that could be contextualized in order to bridge student traversing the arithmetic-algebraic fruitfully.

Perceptions of Ebola virus disease in Nigeria: Understanding the influence of imagination on health orientation.

PubMed

Oduyemi, Rachael O; Ayegboyin, Matthew; Salami, Kabiru K

2016-06-01

The 2014 Ebola virus disease (EVD) outbreak was officially declared in the West Africa region by the World Health Organization (WHO) on 23 March 2014. This first episode of EVD in Nigeria on 20 July 2014 raised more intense panic globally than the seven occurrences of the disease in Zaire. Although Nigeria was declared Ebola free by the WHO within 3 months, it is imperative to understand people's perceptions of the disease in the country. A discussion of peoples' perception of EVD in Nigeria is the aim of this article. This discussion paper complements secondary data with grey literature to explore how peoples' imagination and personification of thoughts influence their health orientation. Data are sourced from secondary information compiled from 'The Nation Newspaper, 2014'; 'Nairaland online forum, 2014' and 'Giftedgreen online magazine, 2014'. Ebola virus disease was perceived as a spiritual manipulation of witchcraft activities and described as biological terrorism and a means of creating a drug market, among other issues, in the country. Public health professionals should consider the sociocultural milieu to understand and offer health-care services in epidemics. Public health orientation work is urgently required in Nigeria to forestall future occurrence of EVD and other highly infectious diseases. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd.

“Shift-and-Persist” Strategies: Why Being Low in Socioeconomic Status isn’t Always Bad for Health

PubMed Central

Chen, Edith; Miller, Gregory E.

2012-01-01

Some individuals, despite facing recurrent, severe adversities in life such as low socioeconomic status (SES), are nonetheless able to maintain good physical health. This article explores why these individuals deviate from the expected association of low SES with poor health, and outlines a “shift-and-persist” model to explain the psychobiological mechanisms involved. This model proposes that in the midst of adversity, some children find role models who teach them to trust others, better regulate their emotions, and focus on their futures. Over a lifetime, these low SES children develop an approach to life that prioritizes shifting oneself (accepting stress for what it is and adapting the self to it) in combination with persisting (enduring life with strength by holding on to meaning and optimism). This combination of shift-and-persist strategies mitigates sympathetic-nervous-system and hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenocortical responses to the barrage of stressors that low SES individuals confront. This tendency vectors individuals off the trajectory to chronic disease by forestalling pathogenic sequelae of stress reactivity, like insulin resistance, high blood pressure, and systemic inflammation. We outline evidence for the model, and argue that efforts to identify resilience-promoting processes are important in this economic climate, given limited resources for improving the financial circumstances of disadvantaged individuals. PMID:23144651

The instinctual nation-state: non-Darwinian theories, state science and ultra-nationalism in Oka Asajirō's Evolution and Human Life.

PubMed

Sullivan, Gregory

2011-01-01

In his anthology of socio-political essays, Evolution and Human Life, Oka Asajirō (1868-1944), early twentieth century Japan's foremost advocate of evolutionism, developed a biological vision of the nation-state as super-organism that reflected the concerns and aims of German-inspired Meiji statism and anticipated aspects of radical ultra-nationalism. Drawing on non-Darwinian doctrines, Oka attempted to realize such a fused or organic state by enhancing social instincts that would bind the minzoku (ethnic nation) and state into a single living entity. Though mobilization during the Russo-Japanese War seemed to evince this super-organism, the increasingly contentious and complex society that emerged in the war's aftermath caused Oka to turn first to Lamarckism and eventually to orthogenesis in the hopes of preserving the instincts needed for a viable nation-state. It is especially in the state interventionist measures that Oka finally came to endorse in order to forestall orthogenetically-driven degeneration that the technocratic proclivities of his statist orientation become most apparent. The article concludes by suggesting that Oka's emphasis on degeneration, autarkic expansion, and, most especially, totalitarian submersion of individuals into the statist collectivity indicates a complex relationship between his evolutionism and fascist ideology, what recent scholarship has dubbed radical Shinto ultra-nationalism.

Inspiring Climate Education Excellence (ICEE): Developing self-directed professional development modules for secondary science teachers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Buhr, S. M.; Lynds, S. E.; McCaffrey, M. S.; Morton, E.

2010-12-01

Inspiring Climate Education Excellence (ICEE) is a NASA-funded project to develop online course modules and self-directed learning resources aligned with the Essential Principles of Climate Science. Following a national needs assessment survey and a face to face workshop to pilot test topics, a suite of online modules is being developed suitable for self-directed learning by secondary science teachers. Modules are designed around concepts and topics in which teachers express the most interest and need for instruction. Module design also includes attention to effective teaching strategies, such as awareness of student misconceptions, strategies for forestalling controversy and advice from master teachers on implementation and curriculum development. The resources are being developed in partnership with GLOBE, and the National Science Digital Library (NSDL) and is informed by the work of the Climate Literacy and Energy Awareness Network (CLEAN) project. ICEE will help to meet the professional development needs of teachers, including those participating in the GLOBE Student Climate Research Campaign. Modules and self-directed learning resources will be developed and disseminated in partnership with the National Science Digital Library (NSDL). This presentation introduces the needs assessment and pilot workshop data upon which the modules are based, and describes the modules that are available and in development.

Role of the Yersinia pestis Ail Protein in Preventing a Protective Polymorphonuclear Leukocyte Response during Bubonic Plague▿

PubMed Central

Hinnebusch, B. Joseph; Jarrett, Clayton O.; Callison, Julie A.; Gardner, Donald; Buchanan, Susan K.; Plano, Gregory V.

2011-01-01

The ability of Yersinia pestis to forestall the mammalian innate immune response is a fundamental aspect of plague pathogenesis. In this study, we examined the effect of Ail, a 17-kDa outer membrane protein that protects Y. pestis against complement-mediated lysis, on bubonic plague pathogenesis in mice and rats. The Y. pestis ail mutant was attenuated for virulence in both rodent models. The attenuation was greater in rats than in mice, which correlates with the ability of normal rat serum, but not mouse serum, to kill ail-negative Y. pestis in vitro. Intradermal infection with the ail mutant resulted in an atypical, subacute form of bubonic plague associated with extensive recruitment of polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMN or neutrophils) to the site of infection in the draining lymph node and the formation of large purulent abscesses that contained the bacteria. Systemic spread and mortality were greatly attenuated, however, and a productive adaptive immune response was generated after high-dose challenge, as evidenced by high serum antibody levels against Y. pestis F1 antigen. The Y. pestis Ail protein is an important bubonic plague virulence factor that inhibits the innate immune response, in particular the recruitment of a protective PMN response to the infected lymph node. PMID:21969002

Role of the Yersinia pestis Ail protein in preventing a protective polymorphonuclear leukocyte response during bubonic plague.

PubMed

Hinnebusch, B Joseph; Jarrett, Clayton O; Callison, Julie A; Gardner, Donald; Buchanan, Susan K; Plano, Gregory V

2011-12-01

The ability of Yersinia pestis to forestall the mammalian innate immune response is a fundamental aspect of plague pathogenesis. In this study, we examined the effect of Ail, a 17-kDa outer membrane protein that protects Y. pestis against complement-mediated lysis, on bubonic plague pathogenesis in mice and rats. The Y. pestis ail mutant was attenuated for virulence in both rodent models. The attenuation was greater in rats than in mice, which correlates with the ability of normal rat serum, but not mouse serum, to kill ail-negative Y. pestis in vitro. Intradermal infection with the ail mutant resulted in an atypical, subacute form of bubonic plague associated with extensive recruitment of polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMN or neutrophils) to the site of infection in the draining lymph node and the formation of large purulent abscesses that contained the bacteria. Systemic spread and mortality were greatly attenuated, however, and a productive adaptive immune response was generated after high-dose challenge, as evidenced by high serum antibody levels against Y. pestis F1 antigen. The Y. pestis Ail protein is an important bubonic plague virulence factor that inhibits the innate immune response, in particular the recruitment of a protective PMN response to the infected lymph node.

RAS-MAPK dependence underlies a rational polytherapy strategy in EML4-ALK–positive lung cancer

PubMed Central

Hrustanovic, Gorjan; Olivas, Victor; Pazarentzos, Evangelos; Tulpule, Asmin; Asthana, Saurabh; Blakely, Collin M; Okimoto, Ross A; Lin, Luping; Neel, Dana S; Sabnis, Amit; Flanagan, Jennifer; Chan, Elton; Varella-Garcia, Marileila; Aisner, Dara L; Vaishnavi, Aria; Ou, Sai-Hong I; Collisson, Eric A; Ichihara, Eiki; Mack, Philip C; Lovly, Christine M; Karachaliou, Niki; Rosell, Rafael; Riess, Jonathan W; Doebele, Robert C; Bivona, Trever G

2016-01-01

One strategy for combating cancer-drug resistance is to deploy rational polytherapy up front that suppresses the survival and emergence of resistant tumor cells. Here we demonstrate in models of lung adenocarcinoma harboring the oncogenic fusion of ALK and EML4 that the GTPase RAS–mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway, but not other known ALK effectors, is required for tumor-cell survival. EML4-ALK activated RAS-MAPK signaling by engaging all three major RAS isoforms through the HELP domain of EML4. Reactivation of the MAPK pathway via either a gain in the number of copies of the gene encoding wild-type K-RAS (KRASWT) or decreased expression of the MAPK phosphatase DUSP6 promoted resistance to ALK inhibitors in vitro, and each was associated with resistance to ALK inhibitors in individuals with EML4-ALK–positive lung adenocarcinoma. Upfront inhibition of both ALK and the kinase MEK enhanced both the magnitude and duration of the initial response in preclinical models of EML4-ALK lung adenocarcinoma. Our findings identify RAS-MAPK dependence as a hallmark of EML4-ALK lung adenocarcinoma and provide a rationale for the upfront inhibition of both ALK and MEK to forestall resistance and improve patient outcomes. PMID:26301689

RAS-MAPK dependence underlies a rational polytherapy strategy in EML4-ALK-positive lung cancer.

PubMed

Hrustanovic, Gorjan; Olivas, Victor; Pazarentzos, Evangelos; Tulpule, Asmin; Asthana, Saurabh; Blakely, Collin M; Okimoto, Ross A; Lin, Luping; Neel, Dana S; Sabnis, Amit; Flanagan, Jennifer; Chan, Elton; Varella-Garcia, Marileila; Aisner, Dara L; Vaishnavi, Aria; Ou, Sai-Hong I; Collisson, Eric A; Ichihara, Eiki; Mack, Philip C; Lovly, Christine M; Karachaliou, Niki; Rosell, Rafael; Riess, Jonathan W; Doebele, Robert C; Bivona, Trever G

2015-09-01

One strategy for combating cancer-drug resistance is to deploy rational polytherapy up front that suppresses the survival and emergence of resistant tumor cells. Here we demonstrate in models of lung adenocarcinoma harboring the oncogenic fusion of ALK and EML4 that the GTPase RAS-mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway, but not other known ALK effectors, is required for tumor-cell survival. EML4-ALK activated RAS-MAPK signaling by engaging all three major RAS isoforms through the HELP domain of EML4. Reactivation of the MAPK pathway via either a gain in the number of copies of the gene encoding wild-type K-RAS (KRAS(WT)) or decreased expression of the MAPK phosphatase DUSP6 promoted resistance to ALK inhibitors in vitro, and each was associated with resistance to ALK inhibitors in individuals with EML4-ALK-positive lung adenocarcinoma. Upfront inhibition of both ALK and the kinase MEK enhanced both the magnitude and duration of the initial response in preclinical models of EML4-ALK lung adenocarcinoma. Our findings identify RAS-MAPK dependence as a hallmark of EML4-ALK lung adenocarcinoma and provide a rationale for the upfront inhibition of both ALK and MEK to forestall resistance and improve patient outcomes.

Can reflecting on personal values online increase positive beliefs about counseling?

PubMed

Lannin, Daniel G; Vogel, David L; Heath, Patrick J

2017-04-01

This research developed and tested an online values-affirmation exercise to attenuate threat and enhance positive beliefs about counseling among individuals struggling with mental health concerns. There is evidence that reflecting on personal values (values-affirmation) is an effective approach to eliciting self-affirmation-a psychological process that temporarily bolsters self-worth in order to forestall maladaptive, self-protective responses to counseling information. The present study utilized a randomized 2-group between-subjects design to test the effectiveness of a values-affirmation exercise with an online sample (N = 186) of adults who reported struggling with a mental health concern. It was predicted that values-affirmation would reduce threat related to reading mental health information and increase positive beliefs about counseling. Results indicated that those in the values-affirmation condition reported fewer negative emotions such as feeling upset, irritable, hostile, and scared after reading mental health information, indicating that the information was perceived as less threatening. There was also evidence that engaging in values-affirmation was associated with greater anticipated growth in counseling and greater intent to seek counseling, reflecting greater positive beliefs about counseling. Overall, the results suggest that reflecting on personal values may have the potential to enhance the positive effects of online psychoeducation. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2017 APA, all rights reserved).

Climate change and forests of the future: Managing in the face of uncertainty

USGS Publications Warehouse

Millar, C.I.; Stephenson, N.L.; Stephens, S.L.

2007-01-01

We offer a conceptual framework for managing forested ecosystems under an assumption that future environments will be different from present but that we cannot be certain about the specifics of change. We encourage flexible approaches that promote reversible and incremental steps, and that favor ongoing learning and capacity to modify direction as situations change. We suggest that no single solution fits all future challenges, especially in the context of changing climates, and that the best strategy is to mix different approaches for different situations. Resources managers will be challenged to integrate adaptation strategies (actions that help ecosystems accommodate changes adaptively) and mitigation strategies (actions that enable ecosystems to reduce anthropogenic influences on global climate) into overall plans. Adaptive strategies include resistance options (forestall impacts and protect highly valued resources), resilience options (improve the capacity of ecosystems to return to desired conditions after disturbance), and response options (facilitate transition of ecosystems from current to new conditions). Mitigation strategies include options to sequester carbon and reduce overall greenhouse gas emissions. Priority-setting approaches (e.g., triage), appropriate for rapidly changing conditions and for situations where needs are greater than available capacity to respond, will become increasingly important in the future. ?? 2007 by the Ecological Society of America.

APOε2 and education in cognitively normal older subjects with high levels of AD pathology at autopsy: findings from the Nun Study.

PubMed

Iacono, Diego; Zandi, Peter; Gross, Myron; Markesbery, William R; Pletnikova, Olga; Rudow, Gay; Troncoso, Juan C

2015-06-10

Asymptomatic Alzheimer's disease (ASYMAD) subjects are individuals characterized by preserved cognition before death despite substantial AD pathology at autopsy. ASYMAD subjects show comparable levels of AD pathology, i.e. β-amyloid neuritic plaques (Aβ-NP) and tau-neurofibrillary tangles (NFT), to those observed in mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and some definite AD cases. Previous clinicopathologic studies on ASYMAD subjects have shown specific phenomena of hypertrophy in the cell bodies, nuclei, and nucleoli of hippocampal pyramidal neurons and other cerebral areas. Since it is well established that the allele APOε4 is a major genetic risk factor for AD, we examined whether specific alleles of APOE could be associated with the different clinical outcomes between ASYMAD and MCI subjects despite equivalent AD pathology. A total of 523 brains from the Nun Study were screened for this investigation. The results showed higher APOε2 frequency (p < 0.001) in ASYMAD (19.2%) vs. MCI (0%) and vs. AD (4.7%). Furthermore, higher education in ASYMAD vs. MCI and AD (p < 0.05) was found. These novel autopsy-verified findings support the hypothesis of the beneficial effect of APOε2 and education, both which seem to act as contributing factors in delaying or forestalling the clinical manifestations of AD despite consistent levels of AD pathology.

APOε2 and education in cognitively normal older subjects with high levels of AD pathology at autopsy: findings from the Nun Study

PubMed Central

Iacono, Diego; Zandi, Peter; Gross, Myron; Markesbery, William R.; Pletnikova, Olga; Rudow, Gay; Troncoso, Juan C.

2015-01-01

Asymptomatic Alzheimer's disease (ASYMAD) subjects are individuals characterized by preserved cognition before death despite substantial AD pathology at autopsy. ASYMAD subjects show comparable levels of AD pathology, i.e. β-amyloid neuritic plaques (Aβ-NP) and tau-neurofibrillary tangles (NFT), to those observed in mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and some definite AD cases. Previous clinicopathologic studies on ASYMAD subjects have shown specific phenomena of hypertrophy in the cell bodies, nuclei, and nucleoli of hippocampal pyramidal neurons and other cerebral areas. Since it is well established that the allele APOε4 is a major genetic risk factor for AD, we examined whether specific alleles of APOE could be associated with the different clinical outcomes between ASYMAD and MCI subjects despite equivalent AD pathology. A total of 523 brains from the Nun Study were screened for this investigation. The results showed higher APOε2 frequency (p < 0.001) in ASYMAD (19.2%) vs. MCI (0%) and vs. AD (4.7%). Furthermore, higher education in ASYMAD vs. MCI and AD (p < 0.05) was found. These novel autopsy-verified findings support the hypothesis of the beneficial effect of APOε2 and education, both which seem to act as contributing factors in delaying or forestalling the clinical manifestations of AD despite consistent levels of AD pathology. PMID:26101858

Stonewalling Emotion.

PubMed

Liao, Lih-Mei

2015-01-01

This commentary is an exploration of emotion by a therapist. It focuses on how emotion is managed in the stories of growing up and living with atypical sex anatomies--how (much) is emotion (not) discussed, and what are the effects of forestalling emotive dialogue. Emotion care in the narratives is often sidelined in favor of medical doings. Rather than creating a haven to keep normative pressures at bay, so as to enable the affected parents, adolecents and adults to process their situations, some of the storytellers reveal how medicine has concentrated its efforts on the erasure and silencing of their bodily differences. The most frequently mentioned emotion management strategy is 'stonewalling', as some of the affected children and adults were silently left to take in what was reflected in the eyes of the large number of people inspecting their naked bodies. Emotional suffering continued for many years for some individuals. An apology might ease suffering but is rarely bestowed. Learning to become more comfortable with emotion may open up more possibilities for helpful conversations between care users and providers and within families. Feelings of joy became more available to the storytellers who as adults learned to embrace their differences and connected with like-minded people.

Post-oil-spill fires at Ugbomro (Niger Delta): a new vista in soil-pollution studies.

PubMed

Osuji, Leo C; Ukale, Eseoghene E

2005-10-01

Reconnaissance of the post-oil-spill, fire-scourged site at Ugbomro, in the Niger Delta, was contingent upon the loud public outcry and galvanizing hue that ensued the widespread conflagration. Sampling was carried out by the grid technique, and fire-scourged soils and their unaffected controls were analyzed. Contrary to the 'celebrated' opinion of some that the fires improvised bush fallowing for cropping, the site had witnessed severe impoverishment as evidenced by the hitherto neglected insidious impact of such infernos on soil macronutrients. Alterations in physico-chemical properties (pH, conductivity, etc.) provided adequate bases for this conclusion, and offered broad explanations for the paucity of macronutrients in affected soils. For instance, a pH range of 3.1-3.8 hindered N2 fixation and other metabolic activities that enhance mineralization. Elaeis guineensis in a density of 3 stands/m2 at the control site was the only tree-form not charred beyond recognition.Against future fires, it is important to strengthen contingencies for more-expedient clean-up responses to oil spills to severe possibilities of in situ conflagrations. Nutrient supplementations, revegetation, and site surveillance should disengage the 'unsighted fingers' of sabotage. A careful husbandry of these measures might re-establish nutrient stability, and forestall future re-occurrence of such effacing incidents.

Assessment of interns and postgraduate dental student's knowledge regarding equipment ergonomics.

PubMed

Rajeswari, S Raja; Gowda, Triveni M; Kumar, Tarun Ab; Arya, Kanchan; Mehta, Dhoom Singh

2016-01-01

The substantial knowledge concerning ergonomics and its practical application is vital for forestalling musculoskeletal disorders. The role of equipment ergonomics (EE) in preventing these work-related ailments is significantly noteworthy. The aim of the study was to assess the prevailing perception of postgraduates (PGs) and interns regarding EE and preparing the Indian dental workforce for the challenges of India's growing economy and population. Authors conducted a cross-sectional survey between December 2013 and February 2014 amidst the interns and PG dental students of Davangere city, Karnataka, India. The data were collected using 21-item custom designed proforma, comprising of questions evaluating student's basic knowledge about EE. Statistical analysis was done using Chi-square test in each group (PGs and interns) and Mann-Whitney test was implemented for comparison between both groups. Of 358 subjects surveyed, 48% PGs and 52% interns affirmed that they came across EE only through this survey. In addition, 91.18% of PGs and 90.59% interns believed that the accentuation on EE is less in the current dental curriculum. Comprehensive understanding and practical application of EE among the participants was found to be lacking. The importance of microbreaks and chair side exercises should be emphasized and training should be initiated at an early stage before improper postural habits develop.

Reparo de aneurisma de artéria ilíaca roto em criança

PubMed Central

Hoshiko, Fernando Massaru; Zampieri, Elisa Helena Subtil; Dalio, Marcelo Bellini; Dezotti, Nei Rodrigues Alves; Joviliano, Edwaldo Edner

2017-01-01

Resumo Relatamos o caso de uma menina de 12 anos que deu entrada na unidade de emergência com quadro de abdome agudo hemorrágico, massa abdominal pulsátil e instabilidade hemodinâmica. Confirmado o diagnóstico de aneurisma roto de artéria ilíaca direita, foi realizada correção cirúrgica de emergência por reparo aberto com reconstrução extra-anatômica, utilizando enxerto sintético de fino calibre, compatível com a anatomia. O tratamento foi bem-sucedido e a criança apresentou evolução favorável em curto prazo.

Dinámica de pulsares jóvenes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Allen, M. P.; Horvath, J. E.

La observación detallada de los pulsos en varios pulsares jóvenes (τ < 105 yr) permitió detectar varios aumentos en la frecuencia de emisión gliches con cambios permanentes en Δ {˙ Ω} / {˙ Ω}. A través de las ecuaciones de movimiento se investiga, utilizando parametrizaciones simples, la hipótesis de que el ángulo entre Ω y el dipolo magnético M sea responsable de ese comportamiento. Se derivan curvas analíticas para la evolución de Ω (t) y se estudia la posibilidad de describir un conjunto de observables (incluyendo el braking index n) con estos modelos.

Regulated compensated donation in Pakistan and Iran.

PubMed

Rizvi, Adibul Hasan S; Naqvi, Anwar S A; Zafar, Naqi M; Ahmed, Ejaz

2009-04-01

Paid living unrelated kidney donor transplantation has flourished in Pakistan and Iran. This review discusses the dynamics and consequences of organ trade in Pakistan and of a regulated paid donor model in Iran on transplant activities in these countries. In 2007, over 2500 renal transplants were performed in Pakistan, where more than 70% were from socioeconomic disadvantaged kidney vendors. More than half of recipients were foreigners who paid US$20,000-30,000. Recipients of vendor kidneys had poor outcome and high infectious complications. Regulated paid donor kidney transplant in Iran number around 1500 per year and constitute 70% of the total transplants. Graft survival rates are similar to those for living related donors. The donors are paid US$1200 and additional monies are negotiated between the recipient-donor pair. This model claims to have abolished waiting lists, although many poor patients wait for deceased donors. In both countries, recipients are relatively rich and vendors are the poor of the society who sell kidneys for quick money or to repay debts. Paid donation, regulated or commercial, leads to coercion and exploitation of the poor and benefits the rich. This situation has forestalled deceased donor program and hence other solid-organ transplants. The way forward is to promote deceased donors by making transplant available to all who need it.

HER-2/neu Overexpression as a Predictor for the Transition from In situ to Invasive Breast Cancer

PubMed Central

Roses, Robert E.; Paulson, E. Carter; Sharma, Anupama; Schueller, Jeanne E.; Nisenbaum, Harvey; Weinstein, Susan; Fox, Kevin R.; Zhang, Paul J.; Czerniecki, Brian J.

2009-01-01

The clinical implications of HER-2/neu (HER2) expression in ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) lesions have yet to be clearly elucidated; this despite the more frequent expression of HER2 in high-grade DCIS lesions compared with invasive cancers. We hypothesized that HER2 overexpression in DCIS is associated with more rapid progression to invasive disease. Immunohistochemical staining for estrogen receptor, progesterone receptor, and HER2 was done on DCIS specimens. Univariate analysis and a multivariate logistic regression were done to determine whether estrogen receptor, progesterone receptor, or HER2 status, comedo necrosis, nuclear grade, lesion size, or patient age predicted the presence of associated invasive disease in patients with DCIS. Invasive foci were found in association with HER2 overexpressing DCIS at a higher frequency than with DCIS that did not overexpress HER2. Although high nuclear grade, large lesion size, and HER2 overexpression were all associated with the presence of invasive disease on univariate analysis, HER2 was the only significant predictor for the presence of invasive disease after multivariate adjustment (odds ratio, 6.4; P = 0.01). These data indicate that HER2 overexpression in DCIS lesions predicts the presence of invasive foci in patients with DCIS and suggest that targeting of HER2 in an early disease setting may forestall or prevent disease progression. PMID:19383888

The Tobacco Industry and Pesticide Regulations: Case Studies from Tobacco Industry Archives

PubMed Central

McDaniel, Patricia A.; Solomon, Gina; Malone, Ruth E.

2005-01-01

Tobacco is a heavily pesticide-dependent crop. Because pesticides involve human safety and health issues, they are regulated nationally and internationally; however, little is known about how tobacco companies respond to regulatory pressures regarding pesticides. In this study we analyzed internal tobacco industry documents to describe industry activities aimed at influencing pesticide regulations. We used a case study approach based on examination of approximately 2,000 internal company documents and 3,885 pages of U.S. Environmental Protection Agency documents obtained through Freedom of Information Act requests. The cases involved methoprene, the ethylene bisdithiocarbamates, and phosphine. We show how the tobacco industry successfully altered the outcome in two cases by hiring ex-agency scientists to write reports favorable to industry positions regarding pesticide regulations for national (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency) and international (World Health Organization) regulatory bodies. We also show how the industry worked to forestall tobacco pesticide regulation by attempting to self-regulate in Europe, and how Philip Morris encouraged a pesticide manufacturer to apply for higher tolerance levels in Malaysia and Europe while keeping tobacco industry interest a secret from government regulators. This study suggests that the tobacco industry is able to exert considerable influence over the pesticide regulatory process and that increased scrutiny of this process and protection of the public interest in pesticide regulation may be warranted. PMID:16330343

Quality of Care: A Review of Maternal Deaths in a Regional Hospital in Ghana.

PubMed

Adusi-Poku, Yaw; Antwil, Edward; Osei-Kwakye, Kingsley; Tetteh, Chris; Detoh, Eric Kwame; Antwi, Phyllis

2015-09-01

The government of Ghana and key stakeholders have put into place several interventions aimed at reducing maternal deaths. At the institutional level, the conduct of maternal deaths audit has been instituted. This also contributes to reducing maternal deaths as shortcomings that may have contributed to such deaths could be identified to inform best practice and forestall such occurrences in the future. The objective of this study was to review the quality of maternal care in a regional hospital. A review of maternal deaths using Quality of Care Evaluation Form adapted from the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH) Maternal Death Audit Evaluation Committee was used. About fifty-five percent, 18 (55%) of cases were deemed to have received adequate documentation, senior clinicians were involved in 26(85%) of cases. Poor documentation, non-involvement of senior clinicians in the management of cases, laboratory related issues particularly in relation to blood and blood products as well as promptness of care and adequacy of intensive care facilities and specialists in the hospital were contributory factors to maternal deaths . These are common themes contributing to maternal deaths in developing countries which need to be urgently tackled. Maternal death review with emphasis on quality of care, coupled with facility gap assessment, is a useful tool to address the adequacy of emergency obstetric care services to prevent further maternal deaths.

'Responsible drinking' programs and the alcohol industry in Brazil: killing two birds with one stone?

PubMed

Pantani, Daniela; Sparks, Robert; Sanchez, Zila M; Pinsky, Ilana

2012-10-01

Over the last decade, the Brazilian alcohol industry - which for years has ignored alcohol problems - inaugurated responsible drinking programs (RDPs). This paper reports findings from an exploratory study that investigated the RDP-related activities of six leading alcohol companies in Brazil (three national, three transnational) focusing on program goals and components, target populations and evaluation methods. Interviews were conducted from October 2007 to February 2008 with nine key-informants, and 71 corporate documents were collected along with additional web information about the programs. Content analysis of interviews and institutional documents was used to identify the companies' RDP activities. Three types of RDPs were found that focused respectively on institutional action, drinking and driving, and underage drinking. All three transnational firms were involved in RDPs, whereas national firms demonstrated limited involvement. The majority of RDPs were implemented using television. No targeted research appears to have been undertaken by the companies to assess the efficacy of the strategies in terms of changes in drinking behavior. The evidence for both national and transnational firms means that is difficult to confirm that the responsible drinking programs produced so far in Brazil have been undertaken to systematically reduce alcohol problems, or mainly as part of a public relations strategy to reduce criticism and potentially forestall government regulations (Babor, 2006, 2009; Jernigan, 2009). Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Budding trends in integrated pest management using advanced micro- and nano-materials: Challenges and perspectives.

PubMed

Khandelwal, Neha; Barbole, Ranjit S; Banerjee, Shashwat S; Chate, Govind P; Biradar, Ankush V; Khandare, Jayant J; Giri, Ashok P

2016-12-15

One of the most vital supports to sustain human life on the planet earth is the agriculture system that has been constantly challenged in terms of yield. Crop losses due to insect pest attack even after excessive use of chemical pesticides, are major concerns for humanity and environment protection. By the virtue of unique properties possessed by micro and nano-structures, their implementation in Agri-biotechnology is largely anticipated. Hence, traditional pest management strategies are now forestalling the potential of micro and nanotechnology as an effective and viable approach to alleviate problems pertaining to pest control. These technological innovations hold promise to contribute enhanced productivity by providing novel agrochemical agents and delivery systems. Application of these systems engages to achieve: i) control release of agrochemicals, ii) site-targeted delivery of active ingredients to manage specific pests, iii) reduced pesticide use, iv) detection of chemical residues, v) pesticide degradation, vi) nucleic acid delivery and vii) to mitigate post-harvest damage. Applications of micro and nano-technology are still marginal owing to the perception of low economic returns, stringent regulatory issues involving safety assessment and public awareness over their uses. In this review, we highlight the potential application of micro and nano-materials with a major focus on effective pest management strategies including safe handling of pesticides. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

ARAC--The Montreal Jewish General Hospital Alzheimer Risk Assessment Clinic.

PubMed

Schipper, Hyman M; Liberman, Adrienne; Kelner, Nora; Babins, Lennie; Fried, Lynda; Bilbul, Melanie; Goodman, Rachel

2011-07-01

In parallel with robust efforts world-wide to develop effective neuroprotection for established disease, resources are being mobilized to delineate risk factors and implement preventive measures in a concerted effort to forestall the anticipated Alzheimer disease (AD) epidemic. A review of heritable and 'acquired' dementia risk factors, many operating at midlife, is presented in a companion paper. In 2009, an Alzheimer Risk Assessment Clinic (ARAC) was established at the Jewish General Hospital (Montreal) to address the concerns increasingly being voiced by active middle-aged individuals at risk for AD. A positive family history of AD and/or perceived changes in personal cognitive function (predominantly short-term memory) are main reasons for referral. The primary objectives of ARAC are to (i) ascertain, inform and mitigate the risks of developing AD in cognitively-healthy persons aged 40-65 based on best available medical and epidemiological evidence, (ii) conduct scientific research on midlife dementia risk and prevention in this population and (iii) provide instruction in dementia risk assessment and management to health professionals, clinical/research fellows, medical residents and students. ARAC infrastructure, evaluation protocol, risk profile classification scheme, interventions, knowledge dissemination program, case vignettes, and seminal research projects are described. It is hoped that ARAC and similar initiatives will help prevent or delay dementia by innovating effective interventions based on increasingly nuanced estimation of modifiable AD risk in presymptomatic persons.

Effects of cigarette smoking on diagnostic tests for work-related hypersensitivity pneumonitis: data from an outbreak of lung disease in metalworkers.

PubMed

Dangman, Kenneth H; Storey, Eileen; Schenck, Paula; Hodgson, Michael J

2004-05-01

It is widely believed that development of hypersensitivity pneumonitis (HP) is forestalled in cigarette smokers. We encountered the largest outbreak of HP in metalworkers yet reported [Hodgson et al. (2001): Am J Ind Med 39:616-628] and subsequently did a chart review of the 61 patients seen in connection with the outbreak [Dangman et al. (2002a): Am J Resp Crit Care Med 165(8):A528; Dangman et al. (2002b): Am J Ind Med 42:150-162], developing a diagnostic index for this disease. A re-examination of data from the chart review was carried out to explore possible effects of cigarette smoking on the clinical tests used to diagnose HP [Hodgson et al. (2001): Am J Ind Med 39:616-628]. Cigarette smokers with HP were less likely than non-smokers with HP to develop crackles in the lungs, elevated erythrocyte sedimentation rates (ESRs), and restrictive spirometry. Smoking habits had little effect on diffusion capacity and alveolar-arterial oxygen gradients in the patients with HP. Smokers were more likely to have abnormal gallium scans than non-smokers. It appears that cigarette smoking can affect the physical examination findings, spirometry, and ESR changes associated with HP, making these tests less sensitive and specific, and potentially obscuring the diagnosis. Such changes may contribute to the apparent "protective" effect of smoking on the development of HP.

Vulnerability and Mimicry as Predictive Axes in Cyberbullying.

PubMed

Cuadrado-Gordillo, Isabel; Fernández-Antelo, Inmaculada

2016-01-01

The co-occurrence of bullying and cyberbullying in a dual society like the present calls for specific measures of intervention to be able to forestall the emergence of new problems and slow the increase and diversification of violent behavior. This study's objective was to determine whether the gender of those involved as well as the forms of aggression experienced both in presential and virtual scenarios are predictive indicators of the violent behavior of aggressive-victims. The participant sample was 1,648 adolescents aged 12 to 16 years (48.9% girls). The instrument used was a questionnaire. The results show the existence of four categories of aggressive-victims resulting from the co-occurrence of presential and cyber contexts: aggressive-victims of bullying, cyberaggressive-victims, aggressive-cybervictims, and cyberaggressive-cybervictims. Furthermore, three predictive indicators of the abusive behavior of the aggressive-victims in their different categories were identified: continuity between contexts, type of abuse suffered, and the gender of those involved. These indicators allow one to extract individual profiles of the different types of aggressive-victims, which facilitate, on one hand, the understanding of the processes of victimization and aggression that adolescents experience in both presential and cyber contexts, and, on the other, the design of programs and specific actions based on the characteristics of the adolescents and their previous experiences of victimization or cybervictimization. © The Author(s) 2014.

Social psychogenic stress promotes the development of endometriosis in mouse.

PubMed

Guo, Sun-Wei; Zhang, Qi; Liu, Xishi

2017-03-01

Exposure to chronic stress before and well after the induction of endometriosis is reported to increase lesion sizes in rats, but it is unclear whether stress, exposed shortly after the induction of endometriosis, would also promote the development of endometriosis, nor is it clear what the underlying possible molecular mechanism is. This study was undertaken to test the hypothesis that chronic stress can promote the development of endometriosis. A prospective randomized mouse experiment was conducted that subjected mice with induced endometriosis to predator stress. In addition, a cross-sectional immunohistochemistry study was performed in ectopic and eutopic endometrial tissue samples from age- and roughly menstrual phase-matched women with ovarian endometriomas. It was found that the chronic psychogenic stress induced epigenetic changes in the hippocampus in mouse independent of endometriosis. It was also found that chronic psychogenic stress induced epigenetic changes in the hippocampus of mice with endometriosis, and seemingly activated the adrenergic signalling in ectopic endometrium, resulting in increased angiogenesis and accelerated growth of endometriotic lesions. Thus, chronic psychogenic stress promotes endometriosis development, raising the possibility that the use of anti-depressants in cases of prolonged and intense stress might forestall the negative impact of stress on the development of endometriosis. Copyright © 2016 Reproductive Healthcare Ltd. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The tobacco industry and pesticide regulations: case studies from tobacco industry archives.

PubMed

McDaniel, Patricia A; Solomon, Gina; Malone, Ruth E

2005-12-01

Tobacco is a heavily pesticide-dependent crop. Because pesticides involve human safety and health issues, they are regulated nationally and internationally; however, little is known about how tobacco companies respond to regulatory pressures regarding pesticides. In this study we analyzed internal tobacco industry documents to describe industry activities aimed at influencing pesticide regulations. We used a case study approach based on examination of approximately 2,000 internal company documents and 3,885 pages of U.S. Environmental Protection Agency documents obtained through Freedom of Information Act requests. The cases involved methoprene, the ethylene bisdithiocarbamates, and phosphine. We show how the tobacco industry successfully altered the outcome in two cases by hiring ex-agency scientists to write reports favorable to industry positions regarding pesticide regulations for national (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency) and international (World Health Organization) regulatory bodies. We also show how the industry worked to forestall tobacco pesticide regulation by attempting to self-regulate in Europe, and how Philip Morris encouraged a pesticide manufacturer to apply for higher tolerance levels in Malaysia and Europe while keeping tobacco industry interest a secret from government regulators. This study suggests that the tobacco industry is able to exert considerable influence over the pesticide regulatory process and that increased scrutiny of this process and protection of the public interest in pesticide regulation may be warranted.

Exploring the concept of climate surprises. A review of the literature on the concept of surprise and how it is related to climate change

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

Glantz, M.H.; Moore, C.M.; Streets, D.G.

This report examines the concept of climate surprise and its implications for environmental policymaking. Although most integrated assessment models of climate change deal with average values of change, it is usually the extreme events or surprises that cause the most damage to human health and property. Current models do not help the policymaker decide how to deal with climate surprises. This report examines the literature of surprise in many aspects of human society: psychology, military, health care, humor, agriculture, etc. It draws together various ways to consider the concept of surprise and examines different taxonomies of surprise that have beenmore » proposed. In many ways, surprise is revealed to be a subjective concept, triggered by such factors as prior experience, belief system, and level of education. How policymakers have reacted to specific instances of climate change or climate surprise in the past is considered, particularly with regard to the choices they made between proactive and reactive measures. Finally, the report discusses techniques used in the current generation of assessment models and makes suggestions as to how climate surprises might be included in future models. The report concludes that some kinds of surprises are simply unpredictable, but there are several types that could in some way be anticipated and assessed, and their negative effects forestalled.« less

Estructura espacial de las órbitas caóticas en un modelo autoconsistente de galaxia elíptica

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Muzzio, J. C.

Hemos logrado construir modelos autoconsistentes de sistemas estelares utilizando una aproximación cuadrupolar para el potencial. Esto nos permite determinar órbitas y exponentes de Lyapunov de objetos que tienen posiciones y velocidades equivalentes a las que se obtienen de la funcón de distribución del sistema. La distribución espacial de las órbitas caóticas exhibe considerable estructura y, lo que es más importante aún, los valores de los exponentes de Lyapunov calculados sobre intervalos finitos de tiempo, muestran una fuerte correlación con el comportamiento de la órbita en esos mismos intervalos, por lo que permiten reconocer distintos subsistemas con diferentes distribuciones espaciales.

Compliance hotlines: practical advice for implementing a reporting mechanism.

PubMed

Pastin, M J

1999-01-01

No element of a corporate compliance program in healthcare facilities generates more controversy than the hotline established for employees who wish to raise a concern. Healthcare organizations are adopting hotlines but with reluctance, mainly because of limited staff available to answer calls and because of limited support from upper management. Those that have committed to the hotline will tell you they can't imagine not having it. Running a good hotline means first answering such questions as whether it will be answered in-house, outsourced or handled through a combination of both means. The best organizations treat the hotline as a resource for employees, managers and physicians. If employees receive advice about policies over the hotline, however, it must be answered in-house. If multiple call answers are used, a secure file-sharing system, either paper or online, must be in use to track caller concerns. Most calls are routine, but one where the caller is reporting a serious infraction can save an organization millions of dollars by forestalling a false claim or allowing for voluntary resolution of a problem. If your company has run a hotline unsuccessfully and earned a poor reputation with employees, outsourcing may be the best option. A hotline that is not supported by management may prove to be an insurmountable problem for anyone who attempts to operate it. Your approach to hotline call intake will set the tone for your compliance program.

Instability of the Antarctic Ross Sea Embayment as climate warms

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hughes, Terence; Zhao, Zihong; Hintz, Raymond; Fastook, James

2017-06-01

Collapse of the Antarctic Ice Sheet since the Last Glacial Maximum 18,000 years ago is most pronounced in the Ross Sea Embayment, which is partly ice-free during Antarctic summers, thereby breaching the O-ring of ice shelves and sea ice surrounding Antarctica that stabilizes the ice sheet. The O-ring may have vanished during Early Holocene (5000 to 3000 B.C.), Roman (1 to 400 A.D.), and Medieval (900 to 1300 A.D.) warm periods and reappeared during the Little Ice Age (1300 to 1900 A.D.). We postulate further collapse in the embayment during the post-1900 warming may be forestalled because East Antarctic outlet glaciers "nail" the Ross Ice Shelf to the Transantarctic Mountains so it can resist the push from West Antarctic ice streams. Our hypothesis is examined for Byrd Glacier and a static ice shelf using three modeling experiments having plastic, viscous, and viscoplastic solutions as more data and improved modeling became available. Observed crevasse patterns were not reproduced. A new research study is needed to model a dynamic Ross Ice Shelf with all its feeder ice streams, outlet glaciers, and ice calving dynamics in three dimensions over time to fully test our hypothesis. The required model must allow accelerated calving if further warming melts sea ice and discerps the ice shelf. Calving must then successively pull the outlet glacier "nails" so collapse of the marine West Antarctic Ice Sheet proceeds to completion.

Genetic rescue, the greater prairie chicken and the problem of conservation reliance in the Anthropocene

PubMed Central

Mussmann, S. M.; Douglas, M. R.; Anthonysamy, W. J. B.; Davis, M. A.; Simpson, S. A.; Louis, W.

2017-01-01

A central question in conservation is how best to manage biodiversity, despite human domination of global processes (= Anthropocene). Common responses (i.e. translocations, genetic rescue) forestall potential extirpations, yet have an uncertain duration. A textbook example is the greater prairie chicken (GRPC: Tympanuchus cupido pinnatus), where translocations (1992–1998) seemingly rescued genetically depauperate Illinois populations. We re-evaluated this situation after two decades by genotyping 21 microsatellite loci from 1831 shed feathers across six leks in two counties over 4 years (2010–2013). Low migration rates (less than 1%) established each county as demographically independent, but with declining-population estimates (4 year average N = 79). Leks were genetically similar and significantly bottlenecked, with low effective population sizes (average Ne = 13.1; 4 year Ne/N = 0.166). Genetic structure was defined by 12 significantly different family groups, with relatedness r = 0.31 > half-sib r = 0.25. Average heterozygosity, indicating short-term survival, did not differ among contemporary, pre- and post-translocated populations, whereas allelic diversity did. Our results, the natural history of GRPC (i.e. few leks, male dominance hierarchies) and its controlled immigration suggest demographic expansion rather than genetic rescue. Legal protection under the endangered species act (ESA) may enhance recovery, but could exacerbate political–economic concerns on how best to manage ‘conservation-reliant’ species, for which GRPC is now an exemplar. PMID:28386428

Translating airway biomarker information into practice: from theoretical science to applied medicine.

PubMed

Ameredes, Bill T

2011-04-01

Biomarkers ranging from simple to sophisticated have been used by man for many years of his existence. The main use for biomarkers over that time has been to assess relative states health and well-being, including the presence of functional limitations that presage debilitation and even death. In recent years, there has been intense interest in the development of non-invasive biomarkers to accurately predict disease state and progression, as well as potential drug therapy to assist in early mitigation of morbidity and possibly, forestall premature mortality. The development of biomarkers of airway status has followed a similar pattern, and in recent years, several biomarkers have followed the progression from basic and pre-clinical development, to clinical/translational application, and finally to potential clinical therapeutic application. Inherent in this progression is the refinement of technology that has allowed measurement of these biomarkers in a fast, convenient, and reliable fashion, such that they can be obtainable within a clinical practice setting, to allow the physician to make treatment decisions for diseases such as asthma and COPD. While the clinical therapeutic application of airway biomarkers such as exhaled nitric oxide and β(2)-adrenoreceptor Arg-16 polymorphism are still in their infancy, they have followed this common pathway of development, and now will require some years of application to demonstrate their true utility as predictive biomarkers of airway status and treatment response. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Balancing forest-regeneration probabilities and maintenance costs in dry grasslands of high conservation priority

USGS Publications Warehouse

Bolliger, Janine; Edwards, Thomas C.; Eggenberg, Stefan; Ismail, Sascha; Seidl, Irmi; Kienast, Felix

2011-01-01

Abandonment of agricultural land has resulted in forest regeneration in species-rich dry grasslands across European mountain regions and threatens conservation efforts in this vegetation type. To support national conservation strategies, we used a site-selection algorithm (MARXAN) to find optimum sets of floristic regions (reporting units) that contain grasslands of high conservation priority. We sought optimum sets that would accommodate 136 important dry-grassland species and that would minimize forest regeneration and costs of management needed to forestall predicted forest regeneration. We did not consider other conservation elements of dry grasslands, such as animal species richness, cultural heritage, and changes due to climate change. Optimal sets that included 95–100% of the dry grassland species encompassed an average of 56–59 floristic regions (standard deviation, SD 5). This is about 15% of approximately 400 floristic regions that contain dry-grassland sites and translates to 4800–5300 ha of dry grassland out of a total of approximately 23,000 ha for the entire study area. Projected costs to manage the grasslands in these optimum sets ranged from CHF (Swiss francs) 5.2 to 6.0 million/year. This is only 15–20% of the current total estimated cost of approximately CHF30–45 million/year required if all dry grasslands were to be protected. The grasslands of the optimal sets may be viewed as core sites in a national conservation strategy.

Cooperative Drought Adaptation: Integrating Infrastructure Development, Conservation, and Water Transfers into Adaptive Policy Pathways

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zeff, H. B.; Characklis, G. W.; Reed, P. M.; Herman, J. D.

2015-12-01

Water supply policies that integrate portfolios of short-term management decisions with long-term infrastructure development enable utilities to adapt to a range of future scenarios. An effective mix of short-term management actions can augment existing infrastructure, potentially forestalling new development. Likewise, coordinated expansion of infrastructure such as regional interconnections and shared treatment capacity can increase the effectiveness of some management actions like water transfers. Highly adaptable decision pathways that mix long-term infrastructure options and short-term management actions require decision triggers capable of incorporating the impact of these time-evolving decisions on growing water supply needs. Here, we adapt risk-based triggers to sequence a set of potential infrastructure options in combination with utility-specific conservation actions and inter-utility water transfers. Individual infrastructure pathways can be augmented with conservation or water transfers to reduce the cost of meeting utility objectives, but they can also include cooperatively developed, shared infrastructure that expands regional capacity to transfer water. This analysis explores the role of cooperation among four water utilities in the 'Research Triangle' region of North Carolina by formulating three distinct categories of adaptive policy pathways: independent action (utility-specific conservation and supply infrastructure only), weak cooperation (utility-specific conservation and infrastructure development with regional transfers), and strong cooperation (utility specific conservation and jointly developed of regional infrastructure that supports transfers). Results suggest that strong cooperation aids the utilities in meeting their individual objections at substantially lower costs and with fewer irreversible infrastructure options.

Engaging parents in the family check-up in middle school: longitudinal effects on family conflict and problem behavior through the high school transition.

PubMed

Van Ryzin, Mark J; Stormshak, Elizabeth A; Dishion, Thomas J

2012-06-01

Adolescence is a time of significant developmental change. During this period, levels of problem behavior that had been relatively innocuous may escalate in the company of peers, with simultaneous reductions in parental monitoring and involvement. In this article, we report the results of a randomized controlled trial of the Family Check-Up (FCU), a family-centered, school-based intervention designed to forestall the escalation of adolescent problem behavior by promoting and motivating skillful parenting through the transition to high school. In this study, 593 ethnically diverse families were randomized to be offered the FCU when their youth were in seventh and eighth grades of middle school. We used complier average causal effect analysis to examine change in family conflict, antisocial behavior, involvement with deviant peers, and alcohol use from sixth through ninth grades. Analyses revealed that when compared with a matched control group, youths whose parents had engaged in the FCU demonstrated significantly lower rates of growth in family conflict (p = .052), antisocial behavior, involvement with deviant peers, and alcohol use. Our results extend current research on the FCU and provide support for theory that links family conflict with a variety of youth problem behavior. These results and the extant research on the FCU suggest that traditional school-based service delivery models that focus on the individual child may benefit from a shift in perspective to engage parents and families. Copyright © 2012 Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Rates and predictors of relapse after natural and treated remission from alcohol use disorders

PubMed Central

Moos, Rudolf H.; Moos, Bernice S.

2007-01-01

Aims This study examined the rates and predictors of 3-year remission, and subsequent 16-year relapse, among initially untreated individuals with alcohol use disorders who did not obtain help or who participated in treatment and/or Alcoholics Anonymous in the first year after recognizing their need for help. Design and measures A sample of individuals (n = 461) who initiated help-seeking was surveyed at baseline and 1 year, 3 years, 8 years and 16 years later. Participants provided information on their life history of drinking, alcohol-related functioning and life context and coping. Findings Compared to individuals who obtained help, those who did not were less likely to achieve 3-year remission and subsequently were more likely to relapse. Less alcohol consumption and fewer drinking problems, more self-efficacy and less reliance on avoidance coping at baseline predicted 3-year remission; this was especially true of individuals who remitted without help. Among individuals who were remitted at 3 years, those who consumed more alcohol but were less likely to see their drinking as a significant problem, had less self-efficacy, and relied more on avoidance coping, were more likely to relapse by 16 years. These findings held for individuals who initially obtained help and for those who did not. Conclusions Natural remission may be followed by a high likelihood of relapse; thus, preventive interventions may be indicated to forestall future alcohol problems among individuals who cut down temporarily on drinking on their own. PMID:16445550

Is tenure justified? An experimental study of faculty beliefs about tenure, promotion, and academic freedom.

PubMed

Ceci, Stephen J; Williams, Wendy M; Mueller-Johnson, Katrin

2006-12-01

The behavioral sciences have come under attack for writings and speech that affront sensitivities. At such times, academic freedom and tenure are invoked to forestall efforts to censure and terminate jobs. We review the history and controversy surrounding academic freedom and tenure, and explore their meaning across different fields, at different institutions, and at different ranks. In a multifactoral experimental survey, 1,004 randomly selected faculty members from top-ranked institutions were asked how colleagues would typically respond when confronted with dilemmas concerning teaching, research, and wrong-doing. Full professors were perceived as being more likely to insist on having the academic freedom to teach unpopular courses, research controversial topics, and whistle-blow wrong-doing than were lower-ranked professors (even associate professors with tenure). Everyone thought that others were more likely to exercise academic freedom than they themselves were, and that promotion to full professor was a better predictor of who would exercise academic freedom than was the awarding of tenure. Few differences emerged related either to gender or type of institution, and behavioral scientists' beliefs were similar to scholars from other fields. In addition, no support was found for glib celebrations of tenure's sanctification of broadly defined academic freedoms. These findings challenge the assumption that tenure can be justified on the basis of fostering academic freedom, suggesting the need for a re-examination of the philosophical foundation and practical implications of tenure in today's academy.

COMBAT: Initial experience with a randomized clinical trial of plasma-based resuscitation in the field for traumatic hemorrhagic shock

PubMed Central

Chapman, Michael P.; Moore, Ernest E.; Chin, Theresa L; Ghasabyan, Arsen; Chandler, James; Stringham, John; Gonzalez, Eduardo; Moore, Hunter B.; Banerjee, Anirban; Silliman, Christopher C; Sauaia, Angela

2015-01-01

The existing evidence shows great promise for plasma as the first resuscitation fluid in both civilian and military trauma. We embarked on the Control of Major Bleeding After Trauma (COMBAT) trial with the support of the Department of Defense, in order to determine if plasma-first resuscitation yields hemostatic and survival benefits. The methodology of the COMBAT study represents not only three years of development work, but the integration of nearly two-decades of technical experience with the design and implementation of other clinical trials and studies. Herein, we describe the key features of the study design, critical personnel and infrastructural elements, and key innovations. We will also briefly outline the systems engineering challenges entailed by this study. COMBAT is a randomized, placebo controlled, semi-blinded prospective Phase IIB clinical trial, conducted in a ground ambulance fleet based at a Level I trauma center, and part of a multicenter collaboration. The primary objective of COMBAT is to determine the efficacy of field resuscitation with plasma first, compared to standard of care (normal saline). To date we have enrolled 30 subjects in the COMBAT study. The ability to achieve intervention with a hemostatic resuscitation agent in the closest possible temporal proximity to injury is critical and represents an opportunity to forestall the evolution of the “bloody vicious cycle”. Thus, the COMBAT model for deploying plasma in first response units should serve as a model for RCTs of other hemostatic resuscitative agents. PMID:25784527

THE PATHOMECHANICAL ETIOLOGY OF POST-TRAUMATIC OSTEOARTHRITIS FOLLOWING INTRAARTICULAR FRACTURES

PubMed Central

Anderson, Donald D; Marsh, J Lawrence; Brown, Thomas D

2011-01-01

Many intra-articular fracture patients eventually experience significant functional deficits, pain, and stiffness from post-traumatic osteoarthritis (PTOA). Over the last several decades, continued refinement of surgical reconstruction techniques has failed to markedly improve patient outcomes. New treatment paradigms are needed - ideally, bio/pharmaceutical. Progress in that direction has been impeded because the pathomechanical etiol-ogy of PTOA development is poorly understood. In particular, the relative roles and pathomechanisms of acute joint injury (from the initial trauma) versus chronic contact stress elevation (from residual incongruity) are unknown, primarily because there have been no objective methods for reliably quantifying either of these insult entities. Over the past decade, novel enabling technologies have been developed that provide objective biomechanical indices of injury severity and of chronic contact stress challenge to fractured joint surfaces. The severity of the initial joint injury is indexed primarily on the basis of the energy released in fracture, obtained from validated digital image analysis of CT scans. Chronic contact stress elevations are indexed by patient-specific finite element stress analysis, using models derived from post-reduction CT scans. These new measures, conceived in the laboratory, have been taken through the stage of validation, and then have been applied in studies of intra-articular fracture patients, to relate these biomechanical indices of cartilage insult to the incidence and severity of PTOA This body of work has provided a novel framework for developing and testing new approaches to forestall PTOA following intra-articular fractures. PMID:22096414

Testing road surface treatments to reduce erosion in forest roads in Honduras [Tratamientos de la superficie de rodadura para reducir la erosion en caminos forestales en Honduras

USGS Publications Warehouse

Rivera, Samuel; Kershner, Jeffrey L.; Keller, Gordon R.

2009-01-01

Testing road surface treatments to reduce erosion in forest roads in Honduras. Cien. Inv. Agr. 36(3):425-432. Using forest roads produces more erosion and sedimentation than any other forest or agricultural activity. This study evaluated soil losses from a forest road in central Honduras over two consecutive years. We divided a 400-m segment of road into 8 experimental units, each 50 m in length. Four units were treated with Best Management Practices (BMPs) and four were left untreated. The BMP treatments included reshaping the road prism, installing culverts and reshaping of road ditches, compacting 20-cm layers of the road tread, crowning the road surface (3% slope, double drainage), longitudinal sloping (less than 12%), and adding a 10-cm layer of gravel (crush size = 0.63 cm). Soil movement was measured daily during the rainy seasons. The highest soil loss occurred in the control road, around 500 m3 km-1 per year, while the road treated with BMP lost approximately 225 m3km-1 per year. These results show that road surface erosion can be reduced up to 50% with the implementation of surface treatments.

Detección automática de NEOs en imágenes CCD utilizando la transformada de Hough

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ruétalo, M.; Tancredi, G.

El interés y la dedicación por los objetos que se acercan a la órbita de la Tierra (NEOs) ha aumentado considerablemente en los últimos años, tanto que se han iniciado varias campañas de búsqueda sistemática para aumentar la población identificada de éstos. El uso de placas fotográficas e identificación visual está siendo sustituído, progresivamente, por el uso de cámaras CCD y paquetes de detección automática de los objetos en las imágenes digitales. Una parte muy importante para la implementación exitosa de un programa automatizado de detección de este tipo es el desarrollo de algoritmos capaces de identificar objetos de baja relación señal-ruido y con requerimientos computacionales no elevados. En el presente trabajo proponemos la utilización de la transformada de Hough (utilizada en algunas áreas de visión artificial) para detectar automáticamente trazas, aproximadamente rectilíneas y de baja relación señal-ruido, en imágenes CCD. Desarrollamos una primera implementación de un algoritmo basado en ésta y lo probamos con una serie de imágenes reales conteniendo trazas con picos de señales de entre ~1 σ y ~3 σ por encima del nivel del ruido de fondo. El algoritmo detecta, sin inconvenientes, la mayoría de los casos y en tiempos razonablemente adecuados.

Actividad solar del ciclo 23. Predicción del máximo y fase decreciente utilizando redes neuronales

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Parodi, M. A.; Ceccatto, H. A.; Piacentini, R. D.; García, P. J.

Different methods have been proposed in order to predict the maximum amplitude of solar cycles, either as a consequence of the intrinsic importance of this event and because of its relation with solar storms and possible effects upon satellites, communication systems, etc. In this work, a neural network solar activity prediction is presented, measured through the sunspot number (SSN). The 16-units neural network, with a 12:3:1 architecture, was trained in a ``feed-forward" propagation way and learning by the so called ``back propagation rule". The annual mean SSN data in the 1700-1975 and 1987-1998 periods were used as the training set. The solar cycle 21 (1976-1986) was taken as the cross-validation data set. After performing the network training we obtained a prediction of the maximum annual mean for the current solar cycle 23, SSNmax= 135 ±17 at the year 2000, which is 13% smaller than the International Consensus Commitee's mean maximum prediction obtained through ``precursor techniques". On the other hand, our prediction is only about 4% smaller than the Consensus's neural network mean prediction. A ``multiple step" prediction technique was also performed and SSN annual mean predicted values for the near-maximum (from the present year 1999 to beyond the maximum) and the declining activity of solar cycle 23 are presented in this work. The sensibility of predictions is also tested. To do so, we changed the interval width and comparated our results with those of a previous neural network prediction and those of others authors using differents methods.

Establishing the Empirical Relationship Between Non-Science Majoring Undergraduate Learners' Spatial Thinking Skills and Their Conceptual Astronomy Knowledge. (Spanish Title: Estableciendo Una Relación Empírica Entre el Razonamiento Espacial de los Estudiantes de Graduación de Carreras no Científicas y su Conocimento Conceptual de la Astronomía.) Estabelecendo Uma Relação Empírica Entre o RacioCínio Espacial dos Estudantes de Graduação EM Carreiras Não Científicas e Seu Conhecimento Conceitual da Astronomia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Heyer, Inge; Slater, Stephanie J.; Slater, Timothy F.

2013-12-01

The astronomy education community has tacitly assumed that learning astronomy is a conceptual domain resting upon spatial thinking skills. As a first step to formally identify an empirical relationship, undergraduate students in a non-major introductory astronomy survey class at a mediumsized, Ph.D. granting, mid-western US university were given pre- and post-astronomy conceptual diagnostics and spatial reasoning diagnostics, Instruments used were the "Test Of Astronomy Standards" and "What Do You Know?" Using only fully matched data for analysis, our sample consisted of 86 undergraduate non-science majors. Students' normalized gains for astronomy surveys were low at .26 and .13 respectively. Students' spatial thinking was measured using an instrument designed specifically for this study. Correlations between the astronomy instruments' pre- to post-course gain scores and the spatial assessment instrument show moderate to strong relationships suggesting the relationship between spatial reasoning and astronomy ability can explain about 25% of the variation in student achievement. La comunidad de educación en astronomía ha supuesto de forma tácita que el aprendizaje de la astronomía consiste en un dominio conceptual fundamentado en el razonamiento espacial. Como un primer paso para identificar formalmente una relación empírica entre estas dos cosas, utilizamos como muestra los estudantes de graduación de carreras no científicas de un curso experimental en una universidad norteamericana del medioeste de porte mediano con programa de Doctorado em curso, en el cual estos estudiantes se sometieron a un diagnóstico de razonamiento espacial y conceptos astronómicos antes e después del mismo. Las herramientas utilizadas fueron el Test Of Astronomy Standards (TOAST) y el cuestionario What do you know? Utilizando solo los datos completamente consistentes para este análisis, nuestra muestra consistió en 86 estudantes de graduación. Las mejoras, depués de

A Grounded theory study of the intention of nurses to leave the profession.

PubMed

Alilu, Leyla; Zamanzadeh, Vahid; Valizadeh, Leila; Habibzadeh, Hosein; Gillespie, Mark

2017-06-05

this study explores the process of the development of an intention to leave bedside nursing. the process was studied from the perspective of 21 nurses using the grounded theory method. Data were collected using semi-structured interviews and the constant comparative method of Corbin and Strauss was used for data analysis. according to the participants, the two main categories, "social image of nursing", and "culture and structure of the bedside", were the contextual factors that influence why nurses are leaving bedside care provision. Disappointment with a perceived lack of progress or improvement in the clinical experience formed primary psychosocial concerns for the participants. Competence and a process of self-control were steps taken by the participants. These, associated with interventional conditions produced the outcomes of the loss of professional commitment and desire to leave bedside nursing. "Failure to integrate personal expectations with organizational expectations: in search of escape" was the central category of the study that linked the categories together. the findings of this study provide useful information about the needs of nurses for overcoming the intention to leave bedside care. The identification of this process can help in recognizing emerging problems and providing solutions for them. este estudo explora o processo de desenvolvimento da intenção de deixar a enfermagem de cabeceira. o processo foi estudado desde a perspectiva de 21 enfermeiras utilizando o método da Grounded Theory (Teoria Fundamentada). Os dados foram coletados utilizando entrevistas semi-estruturadas e o método comparativo constante de Corbin e Strauss se utilizou para analisar os dados. segundo os participantes, duas categorias principais, "imagem social da enfermagem" e "cultura e estrutura de cabeceira", foram os fatores contextuais que influenciam as razões para que as enfermeiras estejam deixando o cuidado de cabeceira. A decepção com a percepção de falta

Nursing diagnosis in older adults with chronic kidney disease on hemodialysis.

PubMed

Debone, Mayara Cristina; Pedruncci, Elisângela da Silva Nunes; Candido, Maristela do Carmo Peterossi; Marques, Sueli; Kusumota, Luciana

2017-01-01

To identify the main nursing diagnoses (NSs) in older adult patients under hemodialysis treatment. Exploratory research using case studies in data collection performed by interview and physical examination of older adults, in the first semester of 2016. Were included twenty-eight older adults undergoing chronic hemodialysis treatment who met the selection criteria. The analysis followed two steps (RISNER, 1990): Phase I - Data analysis and synthesis; and Phase II - Establishment of nursing diagnoses using the taxonomy of NANDA-I (2015). The total of NSs was 110, averaging 3.9 per patient. It was listed seven different NSs, and both the Risk of infection and the Volume of excessive liquids appeared on all patients (28; 100%), and risk of electrolyte imbalance, in 26 (96.8%) older adults, being considered as main NSs. Such results can help systematize the care of older people who are undergoing hemodialysis treatment. Identificar os principais diagnósticos de enfermagem (DEs) em pacientes idosos em tratamento hemodialítico. Pesquisa exploratória utilizando estudos de casos na coleta de dados realizada por entrevista e exame físico dos idosos, no primeiro semestre de 2016. Foram incluídos 28 idosos em tratamento crônico por hemodiálise que atenderam aos critérios de seleção. A análise seguiu duas etapas (RISNER, 1990): Fase I - Análise e síntese dos dados; e Fase II - Estabelecimento dos diagnósticos de enfermagem utilizando a taxonomia da NANDA-I (2015). O total de DEs foi de 110, com média de 3,9 por paciente. Foram elencados sete DEs diferentes, sendo que tanto o Risco de infecção quanto o Volume de líquidos excessivo apareceram em todos os pacientes (28; 100%), e Risco de desequilíbrio eletrolítico, em 26 (96,8%) idosos, sendo considerados como principais DEs. Tais resultados podem colaborar na sistematização da assistência do idoso em tratamento hemodialítico.

Construction and validation of a tool to Assess the Use of Light Technologies at Intensive Care Units.

PubMed

Marinho, Pabliane Matias Lordelo; Campos, Maria Pontes de Aguiar; Rodrigues, Eliana Ofélia Llapa; Gois, Cristiane Franca Lisboa; Barreto, Ikaro Daniel de Carvalho

2016-12-19

to construct and validate a tool to assess the use of light technologies by the nursing team at Intensive Care Units. methodological study in which the tool was elaborated by means of the psychometric method for construction based on the categorization of health technologies by Merhy and Franco, from the National Humanization Policy, using the Nursing Intervention Classification taxonomy to categorize the domains of the tool. Agreement Percentages and Content Validity Indices were used for the purpose of validation. The result of the application of the Interrater Agreement Percentage exceeded the recommended level of 80%, highlighting the relevance for the proposed theme in the assessment, with an agreement rate of 99%. the tool was validated with four domains (Bond, Autonomy, Welcoming and Management) and nineteen items that assess the use of light technologies at Intensive Care Units. construir e validar um instrumento para avaliação do uso de tecnologias leves, pela equipe de enfermagem, em Unidades de Terapia Intensiva. estudo metodológico no qual o instrumento foi elaborado utilizando o método psicométrico para construção com base na categorização das tecnologias em saúde de Merhy e Franco, da Política Nacional de Humanização, utilizando-se a taxonomia Nursing Intervention Classification para categorizar os domínios do instrumento. Utilizou-se o Percentual de Concordância e o Índice de Validade de Conteúdo (IVC) para validação. o resultado da aplicação do Percentual de Concordância entre os juízes foi superior ao recomendado de 80%, havendo destaque na avaliação da pertinência ao tema proposto, apresentando um percentual de concordância de 99%. o instrumento foi validado com quatro domínios (Vínculo, Autonomia, Acolhimento e Gestão) e dezenove itens que avaliam o uso das tecnologias leves em Unidade de Terapia Intensiva. construir y validar un instrumento para evaluación del uso de tecnologías leves, por el equipo de enfermer

Organic-matter loading determines regime shifts and alternative states in an aquatic ecosystem

PubMed Central

Sirota, Jennie; Baiser, Benjamin; Gotelli, Nicholas J.; Ellison, Aaron M.

2013-01-01

Slow changes in underlying state variables can lead to “tipping points,” rapid transitions between alternative states (“regime shifts”) in a wide range of complex systems. Tipping points and regime shifts routinely are documented retrospectively in long time series of observational data. Experimental induction of tipping points and regime shifts is rare, but could lead to new methods for detecting impending tipping points and forestalling regime shifts. By using controlled additions of detrital organic matter (dried, ground arthropod prey), we experimentally induced a shift from aerobic to anaerobic states in a miniature aquatic ecosystem: the self-contained pools that form in leaves of the carnivorous northern pitcher plant, Sarracenia purpurea. In unfed controls, the concentration of dissolved oxygen ([O2]) in all replicates exhibited regular diurnal cycles associated with daytime photosynthesis and nocturnal plant respiration. In low prey-addition treatments, the regular diurnal cycles of [O2] were disrupted, but a regime shift was not detected. In high prey-addition treatments, the variance of the [O2] time series increased until the system tipped from an aerobic to an anaerobic state. In these treatments, replicate [O2] time series predictably crossed a tipping point at ∼45 h as [O2] was decoupled from diurnal cycles of photosynthesis and respiration. Increasing organic-matter loading led to predictable changes in [O2] dynamics, with high loading consistently driving the system past a well-defined tipping point. The Sarracenia microecosystem functions as a tractable experimental system in which to explore the forecasting and management of tipping points and alternative regimes. PMID:23613583

Organic-matter loading determines regime shifts and alternative states in an aquatic ecosystem.

PubMed

Sirota, Jennie; Baiser, Benjamin; Gotelli, Nicholas J; Ellison, Aaron M

2013-05-07

Slow changes in underlying state variables can lead to "tipping points," rapid transitions between alternative states ("regime shifts") in a wide range of complex systems. Tipping points and regime shifts routinely are documented retrospectively in long time series of observational data. Experimental induction of tipping points and regime shifts is rare, but could lead to new methods for detecting impending tipping points and forestalling regime shifts. By using controlled additions of detrital organic matter (dried, ground arthropod prey), we experimentally induced a shift from aerobic to anaerobic states in a miniature aquatic ecosystem: the self-contained pools that form in leaves of the carnivorous northern pitcher plant, Sarracenia purpurea. In unfed controls, the concentration of dissolved oxygen ([O2]) in all replicates exhibited regular diurnal cycles associated with daytime photosynthesis and nocturnal plant respiration. In low prey-addition treatments, the regular diurnal cycles of [O2] were disrupted, but a regime shift was not detected. In high prey-addition treatments, the variance of the [O2] time series increased until the system tipped from an aerobic to an anaerobic state. In these treatments, replicate [O2] time series predictably crossed a tipping point at ~45 h as [O2] was decoupled from diurnal cycles of photosynthesis and respiration. Increasing organic-matter loading led to predictable changes in [O2] dynamics, with high loading consistently driving the system past a well-defined tipping point. The Sarracenia microecosystem functions as a tractable experimental system in which to explore the forecasting and management of tipping points and alternative regimes.

Drug Product Life-Cycle Management as Anticompetitive Behavior: The Case of Memantine.

PubMed

Capati, Vincent C; Kesselheim, Aaron S

2016-04-01

A "product hop" involves the substitution of a new formulation of a prescription drug by a pharmaceutical manufacturer for an old version to forestall generic competition. In 2015, for example, Forest Laboratories, the brand-name drug manufacturer of memantine, an Alzheimer's disease treatment, introduced an extended-release version and tried to restrict patient access to the previous version. Product hops can lead to useful incremental innovation but can also have major public health implications by disrupting patients on stable treatment regimens and increasing costs for patients and payers. This commentary reviews alleged anticompetitive product hopping in the case of memantine, which involved proposed conduct that would have left Alzheimer's disease patients with no effective choice but to transition to memantine XR. Policy solutions that can limit anticompetitive product hops include raising the bar for obtaining patents on new drug product formulations and changing automatic generic substitution laws. No outside funding supported this research. To support his work at PORTAL in the summer of 2015, Capati was the recipient of the University of New Hampshire School of Law Rudman Center Public Service Fellowship. Kesselheim's research was supported by Greenwall Faculty Scholars program, the Laura and John Arnold Foundation, and the Harvard Program in Therapeutic Science. In 2013, Kesselheim served as an expert on behalf of a class of individual plaintiffs against Warner Chilcott regarding potential antitrust violations Kesselheim was responsible for concept and design of this commentary. Capati took the lead in data collection and analysis, along with Kesselheim. Capati wrote the manuscript, which was revised by primarily by Kesselheim, along with Capati.

Interdisciplinary approach towards a systems medicine toolbox using the example of inflammatory diseases.

PubMed

Bauer, Christian R; Knecht, Carolin; Fretter, Christoph; Baum, Benjamin; Jendrossek, Sandra; Rühlemann, Malte; Heinsen, Femke-Anouska; Umbach, Nadine; Grimbacher, Bodo; Franke, Andre; Lieb, Wolfgang; Krawczak, Michael; Hütt, Marc-Thorsten; Sax, Ulrich

2017-05-01

Electronic access to multiple data types, from generic information on biological systems at different functional and cellular levels to high-throughput molecular data from human patients, is a prerequisite of successful systems medicine research. However, scientists often encounter technical and conceptual difficulties that forestall the efficient and effective use of these resources. We summarize and discuss some of these obstacles, and suggest ways to avoid or evade them.The methodological gap between data capturing and data analysis is huge in human medical research. Primary data producers often do not fully apprehend the scientific value of their data, whereas data analysts maybe ignorant of the circumstances under which the data were collected. Therefore, the provision of easy-to-use data access tools not only helps to improve data quality on the part of the data producers but also is likely to foster an informed dialogue with the data analysts.We propose a means to integrate phenotypic data, questionnaire data and microbiome data with a user-friendly Systems Medicine toolbox embedded into i2b2/tranSMART. Our approach is exemplified by the integration of a basic outlier detection tool and a more advanced microbiome analysis (alpha diversity) script. Continuous discussion with clinicians, data managers, biostatisticians and systems medicine experts should serve to enrich even further the functionality of toolboxes like ours, being geared to be used by 'informed non-experts' but at the same time attuned to existing, more sophisticated analysis tools. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press.

Wood anatomy of tribe Detarieae and comparison with tribe Caesalpinieae (Leguminosae, Caesalpinioideae) in Venezuela.

PubMed

Melandri, José Luis; de Pernía, Narcisana Espinoza

2009-01-01

We studied the wood anatomy of 29 species belonging to 10 genera of the tribe Detarieae, subfamily Caesalpinioideae and compare them with tribe Caesalpinieae. Detarieae is the largest of four tribes of Caesalpinioideae, with 84 genera, only eleven occur in Venezuela with species of timber importance. The specimens were collected in Venezuela and include wood samples from the collection of the Laboratorio de Anatomía de Maderas de la Facultad de Ciencias Forestales y Ambientales de la Universidad de Los Andes, Venezuela, and of the Forest Products Laboratory of the USDA Forest Service in Madison, Wisconsin, USA. The terminology and methodology used followed the IAWA List of Microscopic Features for Hardwood Identification of the IAWA Committee, 1989. Measurements from each specimen were averaged (vessel diameters, vessel element lengths, intervessels pit size, fibre lengths and ray height). The species of Detarieae can be separated using a combination of diagnostic features. Wood characters that provide the most important diagnosis and may be used in systematics of Detarieae include: intercellular axial canals, rays heterocellular, rays exclusively or predominantly uniseriate, prismatic crystals common in ray cells, irregular storied structure and fibre wall thickness. For comparative anatomy between Detarieae and Caesalpinieae: intercellular axial canals, heterocellular rays, rays exclusively or predominantly uniseriate, prismatic crystals common in ray cells (in Detarieae) and regular storied structure, fibres septate, fibre wall thick or very thick, rays homocellular, multiseriate rays and silica bodies (in Caesalpinieae). Axial parenchyma is typically a good diagnostic feature for Leguminosae, but not for Detarieae and Caesalpinieae comparisons.

[Anti-counterfeit activities of pharmaceutical companies in Japan: for patient safety].

PubMed

Shofuda, Ken-ichi; Aragane, Katsumi; Igari, Yasutaka; Matsumoto, Kinya; Ito, Kazuya

2014-01-01

Global spread of counterfeit medicines is an imminent threat for the patients' safety. Although major targets of counterfeits are still erectile dysfunction (ED) drugs in the industrialized countries, including Japan, anti-cancer agents and some medicines for metabolic syndromes are also being counterfeited and circulated to the market mainly through the Internet. Due to the global expansion of the business, pharmaceutical companies based in Japan are suffering from the damage of counterfeits, illegal sales including diversion, and thefts, which have never been experienced in the conventional domestic market. We, pharmaceutical companies, must be responsible for the prevention of the prevalence because our mission is to deliver effective and safe medicine to patients. For this end, we are taking necessary actions including, 1. Forestalling counterfeit, falsification and illicit trade: Measures to prevent counterfeiting are taken by introducing anti-counterfeit technologies to the packaging and tablets on a risk basis. It is also important to establish supply chain security on a global scale. 2. Finding out counterfeits and cooperating crackdown: We are conducting market and internet surveillances when high risk products are sold in high risk markets. The outcome of the criminal investigation is reported to authorities and police if necessary. 3. Conducting educational campaign to medical staff or patients: For example, four companies which manufacture and sell ED drug in Japan are collaboratively continuing activities to raise the awareness of the danger of Internet purchase. To deliver effective and safe medicines stably and globally, pharmaceutical companies extend comprehensive measures against counterfeit and illicit trading.

Mitochondrial DNA Damage Initiates Acute Lung Injury and Multi-Organ System Failure Evoked in Rats by Intra-Tracheal Pseudomonas Aeruginosa.

PubMed

Lee, Yann-Leei; Obiako, Boniface; Gorodnya, Olena M; Ruchko, Mykhaylo V; Kuck, Jamie L; Pastukh, Viktor M; Wilson, Glenn L; Simmons, Jon D; Gillespie, Mark N

2017-07-01

Although studies in rat cultured pulmonary artery endothelial cells, perfused lungs, and intact mice support the concept that oxidative mitochondrial (mt) DNA damage triggers acute lung injury (ALI), it has not yet been determined whether enhanced mtDNA repair forestalls development of ALI and its progression to multiple organ system failure (MOSF). Accordingly, here we examined the effect of a fusion protein construct targeting the DNA glycosylase, Ogg1, to mitochondria in a rat model intra-tracheal Pseudomonas aeruginosa (strain 103; PA103)-induced ALI and MOSF. Relative to controls, animals given PA103 displayed increases in lung vascular filtration coefficient accompanied by transient lung tissue oxidative mtDNA damage and variable changes in mtDNA copy number without evidence of nuclear DNA damage. The approximate 40% of animals surviving 24 h after bacterial administration exhibited multiple organ dysfunction, manifest as increased serum and tissue-specific indices of kidney and liver failure, along with depressed heart rate and blood pressure. While administration of mt-targeted Ogg1 to control animals was innocuous, the active fusion protein, but not a DNA repair-deficient mutant, prevented bacteria-induced increases in lung tissue oxidative mtDNA damage, failed to alter mtDNA copy number, and attenuated lung endothelial barrier degradation. These changes were associated with suppression of liver, kidney, and cardiovascular dysfunction and with decreased 24 h mortality. Collectively, the present findings indicate that oxidative mtDNA damage to lung tissue initiates PA103-induced ALI and MOSF in rats.

A case of insulinoma with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease: Roles of hyperphagia and hyperinsulinemia in pathogenesis of the disease.

PubMed

Rokutan, Mariyo; Yabe, Daisuke; Komoto, Izumi; Kurose, Takeshi; Kawai, Jun; Nakamura, Takefumi; Imamura, Masayuki; Seino, Yutaka

2015-01-01

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a serious health-related condition all over the world; the number of patients is increasing in Asian countries including Japan. Better understanding of its pathophysiology is required to develop effective therapeutics, as patients may go on to develop non-alcoholic steatohepatitis and hepatocellular carcinomas. While NAFLD is believed to be associated with metabolic risk factors such as obesity, diabetes, and dyslipidemia, its etiology remains largely unknown and the development or co-existence of NAFLD in patients with insulinoma has not been investigated. A 33-year-old male with an insulinoma, who had been hypoglycemic during the previous four years, developed abnormally elevated levels of liver enzymes and histological fatty liver characteristic of NAFLD by the time of admission to our hospital for resection of an insulinoma. His medical records for the previous eight years revealed that his bodyweight had increased gradually from 60 kg to 71 kg for seven years and then acutely increased to 79 kg in the latest one-year period. This sudden increase was thought to be due to the patient's self-described overeating of fruits to forestall hypoglycemia. Fresh fruits are rich in fructose, and the patient's triglycerides, alanine and aspartate transaminases showed an acute increase in the previous one-year period. After resection of the insulinoma, the levels of these parameters all were mostly restored, which suggests that hyperinsulinemia and subsequent hyperphagia played a role in the development of NAFLD in this case. This is the first report of patient with NAFLD and an insulinoma.

Metabolomic Profiling of the Malaria Box Reveals Antimalarial Target Pathways

PubMed Central

Allman, Erik L.; Painter, Heather J.; Samra, Jasmeet; Carrasquilla, Manuela

2016-01-01

The threat of widespread drug resistance to frontline antimalarials has renewed the urgency for identifying inexpensive chemotherapeutic compounds that are effective against Plasmodium falciparum, the parasite species responsible for the greatest number of malaria-related deaths worldwide. To aid in the fight against malaria, a recent extensive screening campaign has generated thousands of lead compounds with low micromolar activity against blood stage parasites. A subset of these leads has been compiled by the Medicines for Malaria Venture (MMV) into a collection of structurally diverse compounds known as the MMV Malaria Box. Currently, little is known regarding the activity of these Malaria Box compounds on parasite metabolism during intraerythrocytic development, and a majority of the targets for these drugs have yet to be defined. Here we interrogated the in vitro metabolic effects of 189 drugs (including 169 of the drug-like compounds from the Malaria Box) using ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry (UHPLC-MS). The resulting metabolic fingerprints provide information on the parasite biochemical pathways affected by pharmacologic intervention and offer a critical blueprint for selecting and advancing lead compounds as next-generation antimalarial drugs. Our results reveal several major classes of metabolic disruption, which allow us to predict the mode of action (MoA) for many of the Malaria Box compounds. We anticipate that future combination therapies will be greatly informed by these results, allowing for the selection of appropriate drug combinations that simultaneously target multiple metabolic pathways, with the aim of eliminating malaria and forestalling the expansion of drug-resistant parasites in the field. PMID:27572391

Genetic diversity analysis of common beans based on molecular markers

PubMed Central

Gill-Langarica, Homar R.; Muruaga-Martínez, José S.; Vargas-Vázquez, M.L. Patricia; Rosales-Serna, Rigoberto; Mayek-Pérez, Netzahualcoyotl

2011-01-01

A core collection of the common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.), representing genetic diversity in the entire Mexican holding, is kept at the INIFAP (Instituto Nacional de Investigaciones Forestales, Agricolas y Pecuarias, Mexico) Germplasm Bank. After evaluation, the genetic structure of this collection (200 accessions) was compared with that of landraces from the states of Oaxaca, Chiapas and Veracruz (10 genotypes from each), as well as a further 10 cultivars, by means of four amplified fragment length polymorphisms (AFLP) +3/+3 primer combinations and seven simple sequence repeats (SSR) loci, in order to define genetic diversity, variability and mutual relationships. Data underwent cluster (UPGMA) and molecular variance (AMOVA) analyses. AFLP analysis produced 530 bands (88.5% polymorphic) while SSR primers amplified 174 alleles, all polymorphic (8.2 alleles per locus). AFLP indicated that the highest genetic diversity was to be found in ten commercial-seed classes from two major groups of accessions from Central Mexico and Chiapas, which seems to be an important center of diversity in the south. A third group included genotypes from Nueva Granada, Mesoamerica, Jalisco and Durango races. Here, SSR analysis indicated a reduced number of shared haplotypes among accessions, whereas the highest genetic components of AMOVA variation were found within accessions. Genetic diversity observed in the common-bean core collection represents an important sample of the total Phaseolus genetic variability at the main Germplasm Bank of INIFAP. Molecular marker strategies could contribute to a better understanding of the genetic structure of the core collection as well as to its improvement and validation. PMID:22215964

Developmental changes in anger expression and attention focus: Learning to wait

PubMed Central

Cole, Pamela M.; Tan, Patricia Z.; Hall, Sarah E.; Zhang, Yiyun; Crnic, Keith A.; Blair, Clancy B.; Li, Runze

2011-01-01

Being able to wait is an essential part of self-regulation. The present study examined the developmental course of changes in the latency to and duration of target waiting behaviors by following 65 boys and 55 girls from rural and semi-rural economically strained homes from ages 18 to 48 months. Age-related changes in latency to and duration of children’s anger expressions and attention focus (e.g., self-initiated distraction) during an eight minute wait for a gift were found. On average, at 18 and 24 months of age, children were quick to react angrily and slower to shift attention away from the desired object than they were at later ages. Over time, children were quicker to distract themselves. By 36 months, distractions occurred before children expressed anger, and anger expressions were briefer. At 48 months, children typically made a quick bid to mother about demands of waiting before distracting themselves; on average, they did not appear angry until the latter half of the wait. Unexpectedly, children bid to their mothers as much at age 48 months as they had at 18 months; however bids became less angry as children got older. Developmental changes in distraction and bidding predicted age-related changes in the latency to anger. Findings are discussed in terms of the neurocognitive control of attention around age 30 months, the limitations of children’s self-regulatory efforts at age 48 months, and the importance of fostering children’s ability to forestall, as well as modulate, anger. PMID:21639619

Tobacco interests or the public interest: 20 years of industry strategies to undermine airline smoking restrictions

PubMed Central

Lopipero, Peggy Ann; Bero, Lisa A

2006-01-01

Objectives To understand the evolution of 20 years of tobacco industry strategies to undermine federal restrictions of smoking on aircraft in the United States. Design We searched and analysed internal tobacco industry records, public documents, and other related research. Results The industry viewed these restrictions as a serious threat to the social acceptability of smoking. Its initial efforts included covert letter‐writing campaigns and lobbying of the airline industry, but with the emergence of proposals to ban smoking, the tobacco companies engaged in ever increasing efforts to forestall further restrictions. Tactics to dominate the public record became especially rigorous. The industry launched an aggressive public relations campaign that began with the promotion of industry sponsored petition drives and public opinion surveys. Results from polling research that produced findings contrary to the industry's position were suppressed. In order to demonstrate smoker outrage against a ban, later efforts included the sponsorship of smokers' rights and other front groups. Congressional allies and industry consultants sought to discredit the science underlying proposals to ban smoking and individual tobacco companies conducted their own cabin air quality research. Faced with the potential of a ban on all domestic flights, the industry sought to intimidate an air carrier and a prominent policymaker. Despite the intensification of tactics over time, including mobilisation of an army of lobbyists and Congressional allies, the tobacco industry was ultimately defeated. Conclusions Our longitudinal analysis provides insights into how and when the industry changed its plans and provides public health advocates with potential counterstrategies. PMID:16885582

Chronic non-communicable disease as a new epidemic in Africa: focus on The Gambia

PubMed Central

Omoleke, Semeeh A

2013-01-01

Introduction Recent epidemiological data suggest increasing burden of NCDs in many African countries but these diseases have not been given adequate attention due to the overwhelming burden of infectious diseases. There are no recent reports or studies on NCDs or related issues in The Gambia, consequently, this report intends to stimulate further epidemiological studies and also policy initiatives to forestall an epidemic. Methods Routine data on morbidity (in and out-patients), hospitalisation and mortality due to NCDs from health facilities in The Gambia between 2008 and 2011 were used. Other relevant data from multiple sources were also used. Results There is an increasing trend in the morbidity, hospitalisation and mortality due to NCDs in the Gambia between 2008 and 2011; 19.8%, 9.9% and 23.4% increments respectively. There is evidence of gender differences in these variables; more males suffer higher mortality from NCDs than females (p < 0.001). Furthermore, there is dearth of highly skilled health workforce as well as poor health infrastructures in The Gambia. Conclusion NCDs are becoming a public health challenge and the capacity to respond to NCDs in most African countries, particularly, The Gambia is very weak. There is need for a population-based study to accurately quantify the burden and their risk factors as a first step towards policy formulation and effective implementation. Furthermore, there is dire need for increased investments on health workforce as well as medical products and technologies towards addressing the consequences of this emerging epidemic. PMID:23646223

On important precursor of singular optics (tutorial)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Polyanskii, Peter V.; Felde, Christina V.; Bogatyryova, Halina V.; Konovchuk, Alexey V.

2018-01-01

The rise of singular optics is usually associated with the seminal paper by J. F. Nye and M. V. Berry [Proc. R. Soc. Lond. A, 336, 165-189 (1974)]. Intense development of this area of modern photonics has started since the early eighties of the XX century due to invention of the interfrence technique for detection and diagnostics of phase singularities, such as optical vortices in complex speckle-structured light fields. The next powerful incentive for formation of singular optics into separate area of the science on light was connectected with discovering of very practical technique for creation of singular optical beams of various kinds on the base of computer-generated holograms. In the eghties and ninetieth of the XX century, singular optics evolved, almost entirely, under the approximation of complete coherency of light field. Only at the threshold of the XXI century, it has been comprehended that the singular-optics approaches can be fruitfully expanded onto partially spatially coherent, partially polarized and polychromatic light fields supporting singularities of new kinds, that has been resulted in establishing of correlation singular optics. Here we show that correlation singular optics has much deeper roots, ascending to "pre-singular" and even pre-laser epoch and associated with the concept of partial coherence and polarization. It is remarcable that correlation singular optics in its present interpretation has forestalled the standard coherent singular optics. This paper is timed to the sixtieth anniversary of the most profound precursor of modern correlation singular optics [J. Opt. Soc. Am., 47, 895-902 (1957)].

Genetic diversity analysis of common beans based on molecular markers.

PubMed

Gill-Langarica, Homar R; Muruaga-Martínez, José S; Vargas-Vázquez, M L Patricia; Rosales-Serna, Rigoberto; Mayek-Pérez, Netzahualcoyotl

2011-10-01

A core collection of the common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.), representing genetic diversity in the entire Mexican holding, is kept at the INIFAP (Instituto Nacional de Investigaciones Forestales, Agricolas y Pecuarias, Mexico) Germplasm Bank. After evaluation, the genetic structure of this collection (200 accessions) was compared with that of landraces from the states of Oaxaca, Chiapas and Veracruz (10 genotypes from each), as well as a further 10 cultivars, by means of four amplified fragment length polymorphisms (AFLP) +3/+3 primer combinations and seven simple sequence repeats (SSR) loci, in order to define genetic diversity, variability and mutual relationships. Data underwent cluster (UPGMA) and molecular variance (AMOVA) analyses. AFLP analysis produced 530 bands (88.5% polymorphic) while SSR primers amplified 174 alleles, all polymorphic (8.2 alleles per locus). AFLP indicated that the highest genetic diversity was to be found in ten commercial-seed classes from two major groups of accessions from Central Mexico and Chiapas, which seems to be an important center of diversity in the south. A third group included genotypes from Nueva Granada, Mesoamerica, Jalisco and Durango races. Here, SSR analysis indicated a reduced number of shared haplotypes among accessions, whereas the highest genetic components of AMOVA variation were found within accessions. Genetic diversity observed in the common-bean core collection represents an important sample of the total Phaseolus genetic variability at the main Germplasm Bank of INIFAP. Molecular marker strategies could contribute to a better understanding of the genetic structure of the core collection as well as to its improvement and validation.

Diversity of phlebotomine sand flies (Diptera: Psychodidae) in Ibitipoca State Park, Minas Gerais, Brazil.

PubMed

Carvalho, Gustavo Mayr de Lima; De Vasconcelos, Fernanda Bernardes; Da Silva, Daniela Gonçalves; Botelho, Helbert Antônio; Filho, José Dilermando Andrade

2011-07-01

Leishmaniasis is a complex of zoonotic diseases that are endemic to many Brazilian states. They are transmitted to the vertebrates by the bite of the hematophagous female sand fly (Diptera: Psychodidae) vectors. Despite the increasing occurrence of visceral and cutaneous leishmaniasis cases in large urban centers, their transmission continues to occur primarily in a wild environment and may be associated with professional activities, ecotourism activities, or both. This study investigates the ecological parameters of the sand flies present in Ibitipoca State Park, Minas Gerais, Brazil. During 2009, systematic collections of sand flies were made monthly using HP light traps installed at five sites, including three natural settings (a cave, riparian vegetation, and a rain forest), the tourist and researchers' accommodations, and a surrounding domestic livestock area. In total, 161 sand flies (seven species) were collected, the most abundant, particularly in the surrounding domestic livestock area, being Lutzomyia (Psychodopygus) lloydi (Antunes, 1937). Furthermore, a previously unidentified Lutzomyia (Sciopemyia) sp. was prevalent in the cave environment. There are no existing records of the occurrence of leishmaniasis in Ibitipoca State Park; however, the some species of the subgenus Psychodopygus are known vectors of Leishmania spp in Brazil. Hence, the presence of a species of this genus in areas surrounding the park may represent a risk to ecotourism and the local inhabitants. Our study shows the importance of regular monitoring of the various areas used by humans to determine the distribution and spread of sand fly vectors for preventive management to forestall potential risk to health and consequent effect on ecotourists.

Aldehyde dehydrogenase 2 activation in aged heart improves the autophagy by reducing the carbonyl modification on SIRT1.

PubMed

Wu, Bing; Yu, Lu; Wang, Yishi; Wang, Hongtao; Li, Chen; Yin, Yue; Yang, Jingrun; Wang, Zhifa; Zheng, Qiangsun; Ma, Heng

2016-01-19

Cardiac aging is characterized by accumulation of damaged proteins and decline of autophagic efficiency. Here, by forestalling SIRT1 carbonylated inactivation in aged heart, we determined the benefits of activation of aldehyde dehydrogenase 2 (ALDH2) on the autophagy. In this study, the ALDH2 KO mice progressively developed age-related heart dysfunction and showed reduction in the life span, which strongly suggests that ALDH2 ablation leads to cardiac aging. What's more, aged hearts displayed a significant decrease ALDH2 activity, resulting in accumulation of 4-HNE-protein adducts and protein carbonyls, impairment in the autophagy flux, and, consequently, deteriorated cardiac function after starvation. Sustained Alda-1 (selective ALDH2 activator) treatment increased cardiac ALDH2 activity and abrogated these effects. Using SIRT1 deficient heterozygous (Sirt1+/-) mice, we found that SIRT1 was necessary for ALDH2 activation-induced autophagy. We further demonstrated that ALDH2 activation attenuated SIRT1 carbonylation and improved SIRT1 activity, thereby increasing the deacetylation of nuclear LC3 and FoxO1. Sequentially, ALDH2 enhanced SIRT1 regulates LC3-Atg7 interaction and FoxO1 increased Rab7 expression, which were both necessary and sufficient for restoring autophagy flux. These results highlight that both accumulation of proteotoxic carbonyl stress linkage with autophagy decline contribute to heart senescence. ALDH2 activation is adequate to improve the autophagy flux by reducing the carbonyl modification on SIRT1, which in turn plays an important role in maintaining cardiac health during aging.

Pathogenic Roles for Fungal Melanins

PubMed Central

Jacobson, Eric S.

2000-01-01

Melanins represent virulence factors for several pathogenic fungi; the number of examples is growing. Thus, albino mutants of several genera (in one case, mutated precisely in the melanizing enzyme) exhibit decreased virulence in mice. We consider the phenomenon in relation to known chemical properties of melanin, beginning with biosynthesis from ortho-hydroquinone precursors which, when oxidized enzymatically to quinones, polymerize spontaneously to melanin. It follows that melanizing intermediates are cross-linking reagents; melanization stabilizes the external cell wall against hydrolysis and is thought to determine semipermeability in the osmotic ram (the appressorium) of certain plant pathogens. Polymeric melanins undergo reversible oxidation-reduction reactions between cell wall-penetrating quinone and hydroquinone oxidation states and thus represent polymeric redox buffers; using strong oxidants, it is possible to titrate the melanin on living cells and thereby demonstrate protection conferred by melanin in several species. The amount of buffering per cell approximately neutralizes the amount of oxidant generated by a single macrophage. Moreover, the intermediate oxidation state, the semiquinone, is a very stable free radical and is thought to trap unpaired electrons. We have suggested that the oxidation state of external melanin may be regulated by external Fe(II). An independent hypothesis holds that in Cryptococcus neoformans, an important function of the melanizing enzyme (apart from melanization) is the oxidation of Fe(II) to Fe(III), thereby forestalling generation of the harmful hydroxyl radical from H2O2. Thus, problems in fungal pathogenesis have led to evolving hypotheses regarding melanin functioning. PMID:11023965

Changing Amazon biomass and the role of atmospheric CO2 concentration, climate, and land use

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Almeida Castanho, Andrea D.; Galbraith, David; Zhang, Ke; Coe, Michael T.; Costa, Marcos H.; Moorcroft, Paul

2016-01-01

The Amazon tropical evergreen forest is an important component of the global carbon budget. Its forest floristic composition, structure, and function are sensitive to changes in climate, atmospheric composition, and land use. In this study biomass and productivity simulated by three dynamic global vegetation models (Integrated Biosphere Simulator, Ecosystem Demography Biosphere Model, and Joint UK Land Environment Simulator) for the period 1970-2008 are compared with observations from forest plots (Rede Amazónica de Inventarios Forestales). The spatial variability in biomass and productivity simulated by the DGVMs is low in comparison to the field observations in part because of poor representation of the heterogeneity of vegetation traits within the models. We find that over the last four decades the CO2 fertilization effect dominates a long-term increase in simulated biomass in undisturbed Amazonian forests, while land use change in the south and southeastern Amazonia dominates a reduction in Amazon aboveground biomass, of similar magnitude to the CO2 biomass gain. Climate extremes exert a strong effect on the observed biomass on short time scales, but the models are incapable of reproducing the observed impacts of extreme drought on forest biomass. We find that future improvements in the accuracy of DGVM predictions will require improved representation of four key elements: (1) spatially variable plant traits, (2) soil and nutrients mediated processes, (3) extreme event mortality, and (4) sensitivity to climatic variability. Finally, continued long-term observations and ecosystem-scale experiments (e.g. Free-Air CO2 Enrichment experiments) are essential for a better understanding of the changing dynamics of tropical forests.

Augmenting brain metabolism to increase macro- and chaperone-mediated autophagy for decreasing neuronal proteotoxicity and aging.

PubMed

Loos, Ben; Klionsky, Daniel J; Wong, Esther

2017-09-01

Accumulation of toxic protein aggregates in the nerve cells is a hallmark of neuronal diseases and brain aging. Mechanisms to enhance neuronal surveillance to improve neuronal proteostasis have a direct impact on promoting neuronal health and forestalling age-related decline in brain function. Autophagy is a lysosomal degradative pathway pivotal for neuronal protein quality control. Different types of autophagic mechanisms participate in protein handling in neurons. Macroautophagy targets misfolded and aggregated proteins in autophagic vesicles to the lysosomes for destruction, while chaperone-mediated autophagy (CMA) degrades specific soluble cytosolic proteins delivered to the lysosomes by chaperones. Dysfunctions in macroautophagy and CMA contribute to proteo- and neuro-toxicity associated with neurodegeneration and aging. Thus, augmenting or preserving both autophagic mechanisms pose significant benefits in delaying physiological and pathological neuronal demises. Recently, life-style interventions that modulate metabolite ketone bodies, energy intake by caloric restriction and energy expenditure by exercise have shown to enhance both autophagy and brain health. However, to what extent these interventions affect neuronal autophagy to promote brain fitness remains largely unclear. Here, we review the functional connections of how macroautophagy and CMA are affected by ketone bodies, caloric restriction and exercise in the context of neurodegeneration. A concomitant assessment of yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae is performed to reveal the conserved nature of such autophagic responses to substrate perturbations. In doing so, we provide novel insights and integrated evidence for a potential adjuvant therapeutic strategy to intervene in the neuronal decline in neurodegenerative diseases by controlling both macroautophagy and CMA fluxes favorably. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Hacia la predicción del Número R de Wolf de manchas solares utilizando Redes Neuronales con retardos temporales

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Francile, C.; Luoni, M. L.

We present a prediction of the time series of the Wolf number R of sunspots using "time lagged feed forward neural networks". We use two types of networks: the focused and distributed ones which were trained with the back propagation of errors algorithm and the temporal back propagation algorithm respectively. As inputs to neural networks we use the time series of the number R averaged annually and monthly with the method IR5. As data sets for training and test we choose certain intervals of the time series similar to other works, in order to compare the results. Finally we discuss the topology of the networks used, the number of delays used, the number of neurons per layer, the number of hidden layers and the results in the prediction of the series between one and six steps ahead. FULL TEXT IN SPANISH

Confidence Intervals for Omega Coefficient: Proposal for Calculus.

PubMed

Ventura-León, José Luis

2018-01-01

La confiabilidad es entendida como una propiedad métrica de las puntuaciones de un instrumento de medida. Recientemente se viene utilizando el coeficiente omega (ω) para la estimación de la confiabilidad. No obstante, la medición nunca es exacta por la influencia del error aleatorio, por esa razón es necesario calcular y reportar el intervalo de confianza (IC) que permite encontrar en valor verdadero en un rango de medida. En ese contexto, el artículo plantea una forma de estimar el IC mediante el método de bootstrap para facilitar este procedimiento se brindan códigos de R (un software de acceso libre) para que puedan realizarse los cálculos de una forma amigable. Se espera que el artículo sirva de ayuda a los investigadores de ámbito de salud.

Astronomy in High School: Using a Mini-Planetarium to Understand Details of the Apparent Movement of Stars. (Spanish Title: Astronomía en la Escuela Secundaria: Comprendiendo los Detalles del Movimiento Aparente de Las Estrellas con un Miniplanetario.) Astronomia no Ensino Médio: Compreendendo Detalhes do Movimento Aparente das Estrelas com um Miniplanetário

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

dos Santos Leão, Demetrius

2013-07-01

The aim of this article is to present part of the results obtained by the intervention made from the author's Master degree project, which consisted in the development of a set of Astronomy classes for first year of High School students from a private school in the "Distrito Federal", Brasilia, Brazil, making use of a didactical material called mini-planetarium (MP) as the main resource. Using Paulo Freire's contextualization and dialogicity ideas as a theoretical framework guided by these lessons, it was proposed to the students the assembly and application of that resource in a planetarium session. During the project, some subjects such as the apparent trajectory of stars through Brasilia's sky, the location of the cardinal points beginning from the Southern Cross constellation, the color of stars and the stars being seen from a particular place were emphasized. It was found that the students showed an improvement of their understanding about these subjects, as well as a significant excitement with the developed methodology. El objetivo de este trabajo es presentar algunos de los resultados obtenidos en el proyecto de la tesis de maestría del autor, que incluyó el desarrollo de algunas clases de Astronomía, con estudiantes del primer año del bachillerato de una escuela privada del Distrito Federal (Brasilia, Brasil), utilizando como materia prima didáctica el recurso llamado miniplanetario (MP). Utilizando como base teórica orientadora de esas clases las ideas de contextualización y dialógica de Paulo Freire, fue propuesto a los estudiantes el montaje y la utilización de este recurso en una función de planetario. Durante el proyecto, se enfatizaron asuntos tales como la trayectoria aparente de las estrellas del cielo de Brasilia, la ubicación de los puntos cardinales a partir de la constelación de la Cruz del Sur, los colores de las estrellas y las estrellas vistas desde una localidad determinada. Se constató que los estudiantes mostraron una mejora

Foot length measurements of newborns of high and low risk pregnancies.

PubMed

Salge, Ana Karina Marques; Rocha, Érika Lopes; Gaíva, Maria Aparecida Munhoz; Castral, Thaíla Correa; Guimarães, Janaína Valadares; Xavier, Raphaela Maioni

2017-03-09

Comparing foot length measurements of newborns in high and low risk pregnancies at a public hospital in Goiânia, GO, Brazil. A cross-sectional study carried out between April, 2013 and May, 2015, with a sample consisting of 180 newborns; 106 infants of women from high-risk pregnancies and 74 of women from low-risk pregnancies. Data were descriptively analyzed. Foot length measurement was performed using a stiff transparent plastic ruler, graduated in millimeters. The length of both feet was measured from the tip of the hallux (big toe) to the end of the heel. A statistically significant relationship was found between the foot length and newborn's weight, between the cephalic and thoracic perimeters in the high-risk group and between the cephalic perimeter in the control group. There is a need for creating cut-off points to identify newborns with intrauterine growth disorders using foot length. Comparar as medidas do comprimento hálux-calcâneo de recém-nascidos em gestações de alto e baixo risco em um hospital público de Goiânia, GO. Estudo transversal, realizado no período de abril de 2013 a maio de 2015, cuja amostra constituiu-se de 180 recém-nascidos, 106 filhos de mulheres com gestação de alto risco e 74 de mulheres com gestação de baixo risco. Os dados foram analisados descritivamente. A medida do comprimento hálux-calcâneo foi realizada utilizando-se de régua plástica transparente rígida, graduada em milímetros. Foram medidos ambos os pés, aferindo-se o comprimento da ponta do hálux até a extremidade do calcâneo. Foi encontrada relação estatisticamente significante entre o comprimento hálux-calcâneo e o peso do recém-nascido, entre os perímetros cefálico e torácico no grupo de alto risco e entre o perímetro cefálico no grupo controle. Existe necessidade da criação de pontos de corte para identificar recém-nascidos com desvios de crescimento intrauterino utilizando-se do comprimento hálux-calcâneo. Comparar las mediciones

Estudio numerico y experimental del proceso de soldeo MIG sobre la aleacion 6063--T5 utilizando el metodo de Taguchi

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Meseguer Valdenebro, Jose Luis

Electric arc welding processes represent one of the most used techniques on manufacturing processes of mechanical components in modern industry. The electric arc welding processes have been adapted to current needs, becoming a flexible and versatile way to manufacture. Numerical results in the welding process are validated experimentally. The main numerical methods most commonly used today are three: finite difference method, finite element method and finite volume method. The most widely used numerical method for the modeling of welded joints is the finite element method because it is well adapted to the geometric and boundary conditions in addition to the fact that there is a variety of commercial programs which use the finite element method as a calculation basis. The content of this thesis shows an experimental study of a welded joint conducted by means of the MIG welding process of aluminum alloy 6063-T5. The numerical process is validated experimentally by applying the method of finite element through the calculation program ANSYS. The experimental results in this paper are the cooling curves, the critical cooling time t4/3, the weld bead geometry, the microhardness obtained in the welded joint, and the metal heat affected zone base, process dilution, critical areas intersected between the cooling curves and the curve TTP. The numerical results obtained in this thesis are: the thermal cycle curves, which represent both the heating to maximum temperature and subsequent cooling. The critical cooling time t4/3 and thermal efficiency of the process are calculated and the bead geometry obtained experimentally is represented. The heat affected zone is obtained by differentiating the zones that are found at different temperatures, the critical areas intersected between the cooling curves and the TTP curve. In order to conclude this doctoral thesis, an optimization has been conducted by means of the Taguchi method for welding parameters in order to obtain an improvement on mechanical properties in aluminum metal joint. Los procesos de soldadura por arco electrico representan unas de las tecnicas mas utilizadas en los procesos de fabricacion de componentes mecanicos en la industria moderna. Los procesos de soldeo por arco se han adaptado a las necesidades actuales, haciendose un modo de fabricacion flexible y versatil. Los resultados obtenidos numericamente en el proceso de soldadura son validados experimentalmente. Los principales metodos numericos mas empleados en la actualidad son tres, metodo por diferencias finitas, metodos por elementos finitos y metodo por volumenes finitos. El metodo numerico mas empleado para el modelado de uniones soldadas, es el metodo por elementos finitos, debido a que presenta una buena adaptacion a las condiciones geometricas y de contorno ademas de que existe una diversidad de programas comerciales que utilizan el metodo por elementos finitos como base de calculo. Este trabajo de investigacion presenta un estudio experimental de una union soldada mediante el proceso MIG de la aleacion de aluminio 6063-T5. El metodo numerico se valida experimentalmente aplicando el metodo de los elementos finitos con el programa de calculo ANSYS. Los resultados experimentales obtenidos son: las curvas de enfriamiento, el tiempo critico de enfriamiento t4/3, geometria del cordon, microdurezas obtenidas en la union soldada, zona afectada termicamente y metal base, dilucion del proceso, areas criticas intersecadas entre las curvas de enfriamiento y la curva TTP. Los resultados numericos son: las curvas del ciclo termico, que representan tanto el calentamiento hasta alcanzar la temperatura maxima y un posterior enfriamiento. Se calculan el tiempo critico de enfriamiento t4/3, el rendimiento termico y se representa la geometria del cordon obtenida experimentalmente. La zona afectada termicamente se obtiene diferenciando las zonas que se encuentran a diferentes temperaturas, las areas criticas intersecadas entre las curvas de enfriamiento y la curva TTP. Para finalizar el trabajo de investigacion se ha realizado una optimizacion, con la aplicacion del metodo de Taguchi, de los parametros de soldeo con el objetivo de obtener una mejora sustancial en las propiedades mecanicas de las uniones metalicas de aluminio.

A gene-brain-cognition pathway for the effect of an Alzheimer׳s risk gene on working memory in young adults.

PubMed

Stevens, Benson W; DiBattista, Amanda M; William Rebeck, G; Green, Adam E

2014-08-01

Identifying pathways by which genetic Alzheimer׳s disease (AD) risk factors exert neurocognitive effects in young adults are essential for the effort to develop early interventions to forestall or prevent AD onset. Here, in a brain-imaging cohort of 59 young adults, we investigated effects of a variant within the clusterin (CLU) gene on working memory function and gray matter volume in cortical areas that support working memory. In addition, we investigated the extent to which effects of CLU genotype on working memory were independent of variation in the strongest AD risk factor gene apolipoprotein E (APOE). CLU is among the strongest genetic AD risk factors and, though it appears to share AD pathogenesis-related features with, APOE, it has been far less well studied. CLU genotype was associated with working memory performance in our study cohort. Notably, we found that variation in gray matter volume in a parietal region, previously implicated in maintenance of information for working memory, mediated the effect of CLU on working memory performance. APOE genotype did not affect working memory within our sample, and did not interact with CLU genotype. To our knowledge, this work represents the first evidence of a behavioral effect of CLU genotype in young people. In addition, this work identifies the first gene-brain-cognition mediation effect pathway for the transmission of the effect of an AD risk factor. Relative to conventional pairwise associations in cognitive neurogenetic research, gene-brain-cognition mediation modeling provides a more integrated understanding of how genetic effects transmit from gene to brain to cognitive function. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Changes in tar yields and cigarette design in samples of Chinese cigarettes, 2009 and 2012

PubMed Central

Schneller, Liane M.; Zwierzchowski, Benjamin A.; Caruso, Rosalie V.; Li, Qiang; Yuan, Jiang; Fong, Geoffrey T.; O'Connor, Richard J.

2015-01-01

BACKGROUND China is home to both the greatest number of smokers and the greatest number of smoking-related deaths. An active and growing market of cigarettes marketed as “light” or “low tar” may keep health-concerned smokers from quitting, wrongly believing that such brands are less harmful. OBJECTIVE This study sought to observe changes in cigarette design characteristics and reported tar, nicotine and carbon monoxide (TNCO) levels in a sample of cigarette brands obtained in seven Chinese cities from 2009 and 2012. METHODS Cigarettes were purchased and shipped to Roswell Park Cancer Institute, where 91 pairs of packs were selected for physical cigarette design characteristic testing and recording of TNCO values. Data analysis was conducted using SPSS, and was initially characterized using descriptive statistics, correlations and generalized estimating equations to observe changes in brand varieties over time. FINDINGS Reported TNCO values on packs saw mean tar, nicotine and CO levels decrease from 2009 to 2012 by 7.9%, 4.5% and 6.0%, respectively. Ventilation was the only cigarette design feature that significantly changed over time (p < 0.001), with an increase of 31.7%. Significant predictors of tar and CO yields overall were ventilation and per-cigarette tobacco weight, while for nicotine tobacco moisture was also an independent predictor of yield. CONCLUSION The use of ventilation to decrease TNCO emissions is misleading smokers to believe that they are smoking a “light/low” tar cigarette that is healthier, and is potentially forestalling the quitting behaviors that would begin to reduce the health burden of tobacco in China, and so should be prohibited. PMID:25352560

Artemisinin-resistant Plasmodium falciparum malaria

PubMed Central

Fairhurst, Rick M.; Dondorp, Arjen M.

2016-01-01

For more than five decades, Southeast Asia (SEA) has been fertile ground for the emergence of drug-resistant Plasmodium falciparum malaria. After generating parasites resistant to chloroquine, sulfadoxine, pyrimethamine, quinine, and mefloquine, this region has now spawned parasites resistant to artemisinins – the world's most potent antimalarial drugs. In areas where artemisinin resistance is prevalent, artemisinin combination therapies (ACTs) – the first-line treatments for malaria – are failing fast. This worrisome development threatens to make malaria practically untreatable in SEA, and threatens to compromise global endeavors to eliminate this disease. A recent series of clinical, in-vitro, genomics, and transcriptomics studies in SEA have defined in-vivo and in-vitro phenotypes of artemisinin resistance; identified its causal genetic determinant; explored its molecular mechanism; and assessed its clinical impact. Specifically, these studies have established that artemisinin resistance manifests as slow parasite clearance in patients and increased survival of early ring-stage parasites in vitro; is caused by single nucleotide polymorphisms in the parasite's ‘K13’ gene; is associated with an upregulated “unfolded protein response” pathway that may antagonize the pro-oxidant activity of artemisinins; and selects for partner drug resistance that rapidly leads to ACT failures. In SEA, clinical studies are urgently needed to monitor ACT efficacy where K13 mutations are prevalent; test whether new combinations of currently-available drugs cure ACT failures; and advance new antimalarial compounds through preclinical pipelines and into clinical trials. Intensifying these efforts should help to forestall the spread of artemisinin and partner drug resistance from SEA to Sub-Saharan Africa, where the world's malaria transmission, morbidity, and mortality rates are highest. PMID:27337450

Artemisinin-Resistant Plasmodium falciparum Malaria.

PubMed

Fairhurst, Rick M; Dondorp, Arjen M

2016-06-01

For more than five decades, Southeast Asia (SEA) has been fertile ground for the emergence of drug-resistant Plasmodium falciparum malaria. After generating parasites resistant to chloroquine, sulfadoxine, pyrimethamine, quinine, and mefloquine, this region has now spawned parasites resistant to artemisinins, the world's most potent antimalarial drugs. In areas where artemisinin resistance is prevalent, artemisinin combination therapies (ACTs)-the first-line treatments for malaria-are failing fast. This worrisome development threatens to make malaria practically untreatable in SEA, and threatens to compromise global endeavors to eliminate this disease. A recent series of clinical, in vitro, genomics, and transcriptomics studies in SEA have defined in vivo and in vitro phenotypes of artemisinin resistance, identified its causal genetic determinant, explored its molecular mechanism, and assessed its clinical impact. Specifically, these studies have established that artemisinin resistance manifests as slow parasite clearance in patients and increased survival of early-ring-stage parasites in vitro; is caused by single nucleotide polymorphisms in the parasite's K13 gene, is associated with an upregulated "unfolded protein response" pathway that may antagonize the pro-oxidant activity of artemisinins, and selects for partner drug resistance that rapidly leads to ACT failures. In SEA, clinical studies are urgently needed to monitor ACT efficacy where K13 mutations are prevalent, test whether new combinations of currently available drugs cure ACT failures, and advance new antimalarial compounds through preclinical pipelines and into clinical trials. Intensifying these efforts should help to forestall the spread of artemisinin and partner drug resistance from SEA to sub-Saharan Africa, where the world's malaria transmission, morbidity, and mortality rates are highest.

The formation of inflammatory demyelinated lesions in cerebral white matter

PubMed Central

Maggi, Pietro; Cummings Macri, Sheila M.; Gaitán, María I.; Leibovitch, Emily; Wholer, Jillian E; Knight, Heather L.; Ellis, Mary; Wu, Tianxia; Silva, Afonso C.; Massacesi, Luca; Jacobson, Steven; Westmoreland, Susan; Reich, Daniel S.

2016-01-01

Objective Vascular permeability and inflammatory demyelination are intimately linked in the brain, but what is their temporal relationship? We aimed to determine the radiological correlates of the earliest tissue changes accompanying demyelination in a primate model of multiple sclerosis (MS), experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) in the common marmoset. Methods At 7 tesla MRI, T1 maps, proton density and T2-weighted images were acquired before and after EAE induction in 5 marmosets (every other week before lesions appeared, weekly thereafter). From scans before and after intravenous injection of contrast material, we measured the evolution of lesional blood-brain-barrier (BBB) permeability, comparing in vivo MRI to postmortem tissue examination. Results On average, BBB permeability increased 3.5 fold (p<0.0001) over the 4 weeks prior to lesion appearance. Permeability gradually decreased after lesion appearance, with attendant changes in the distribution of inflammatory cells (predominantly macrophages and microglia) and demyelination. On tissue analysis, we also identified small perivascular foci of microglia and T cells without blood-derived macrophages or demyelination. These foci had no visible MRI correlates, though permeability within the foci, but not outside, increased in the weeks before the animals died (p<0.0001). Interpretation This study provides compelling evidence that in marmoset EAE, which forms lesions strongly resembling those of MS, early changes in vascular permeability are associated with perivascular inflammatory cuffing and parenchymal microglial activation but precede the arrival of blood-derived monocytes that accompany demyelination. Prospective detection of transient permeability changes could afford an opportunity for early intervention to forestall tissue damage in newly forming lesions. PMID:25088017

Modification of pharmacokinetic and abuse-related effects of cocaine by human-derived cocaine hydrolase in monkeys

PubMed Central

Schindler, Charles W.; Justinova, Zuzana; Lafleur, David; Woods, Doug; Roschke, Viktor; Hallak, Hussein; Sklair-Tavron, Liora; Redhi, Godfrey H.; Yasar, Sevil; Bergman, Jack; Goldberg, Steven R.

2011-01-01

Although substantial research effort has focused on developing pharmacological treatments for cocaine abuse, no effective medications have been developed. Recent studies show that enzymes that metabolize cocaine in the periphery, forestalling its entry into the brain, can prevent cocaine toxicity and its behavioral effects in rodents. Here we report on effects of one such enzyme (Albu-CocH) on the pharmacokinetic and behavioral effects of cocaine in squirrel monkeys. Albu-CocH was developed from successive mutations of human butyrylcholinesterase (BChE) and has 1000-fold greater catalytic activity against cocaine than naturally occurring BChE. Pharmacokinetic studies showed that Albu-CocH (5 mg/kg) had a half-life of 56.6 hours in squirrel monkeys. In these studies, plasma levels of cocaine following i.v. 1 mg/kg cocaine were reduced two hours after administration of Albu-CocH, whereas plasma levels of the cocaine metabolite ecgonine methyl ester were increased. These effects were still evident 72 hrs following Albu-CocH administration. In behavioral experiments in monkeys, pretreatment with 5 mg/kg Albu-CocH dramatically decreased self-administration of a reinforcing dose of i.v. cocaine (30 μg/kg/injection) for over 24 hours. Pretreatment with 5 mg/kg Albu-CocH also attenuated the reinstatement of extinguished cocaine self-administration by an i.v. priming injection of cocaine (0.1 or 0.3 mg/kg) and, in separate studies, attenuated the discriminative stimulus effects of cocaine. The ability of Albu-CocH to attenuate the abuse-related effects of cocaine in squirrel monkeys indicates that further investigation of BChE mutants as potential treatment for cocaine abuse and toxicity is warranted. PMID:22264200

Mapping of the dilemma of mining against forest and conservation in the Lom and Djérem Division, Cameroon

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tchindjang, Mesmin; Voundi, Eric; Mbevo Fendoung, Philippes; Haman, Unusa; Saha, Frédéric; Casimir Njombissie Petcheu, Igor

2018-05-01

Mining practices in Cameroon began since the colonial period. The artisanal mining sector before independence contributed to 11-20 % of GDP. From 2000, the rich potential of the Cameroonian subsoil attract many foreign investors with over 600 research and mining permits already granted during the last decade. But, Cameroonian forests also have a long history from the colonial period to the pre-sent. However, mining activities in forest environments are governed by two different legal frameworks, including mining code i.e. Law No. 001 of 16 April 2001 organizing the mining industry and Law No. 94-01 of 20 January 1994 governing forests, wildlife and fisheries. Therefore, in the absence of detailed studies of these laws, there are conflicts of interests, rights and obligations that overlap, requiring research needs and taking appropriate decisions. The objective of this research in the Lom and Djérem division is to study, apart from the proliferation of mining li-censes and actors, the dilemma as well as the impact of the extension of mining activities on the degradation of forest cover. Using geospatial tools through multi-temporal and multisensor satellite images (Landsat from 1976 to 2015, IKONOS, GEOEYE, Google Earth) coupled with field investigations; we mapped the dynamic of different forms of land use (mining permits, FMU and protected areas of permanent forest estate) and highlighted paradoxically the conflict of land use. We came to the conclusion that the rhythm of issuing mining permits and authorizations in this forestall zone is so fast that one can wonder whether we still find a patch of forest within 50 years.

Health reform for the 21st century? It may have to wait until the 21st century.

PubMed

Budetti, P P

1997-01-15

To assess the likelihood of health care legislation in the forthcoming 105th Congress in 5 areas: health care coverage, tax and Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) policy, Medicaid, Medicare, and managed care. Informal, semistructured conversations that took place in the months prior to the 1996 elections. Congressional health staff and administration officials. Unofficial, off-the-record personal opinions. Health care coverage initiatives to benefit children and unemployed persons are likely to be proposed, but have little chance of enactment; children are seen as well provided for under current Medicaid law, the strong economy and high employment levels lower concern for unemployed issues, and the effort required to pass the Kassebaum-Kennedy legislation needs time to settle. Tax proposals, such as medical savings accounts (MSAs), and ERISA amendments have no constituency; also, the MSA demonstration in Kassebaum-Kennedy will forestall further action. Medicaid is far less an issue than in the previous Congress, because spending has fallen unexpectedly, the bitter fight over block grants makes them unlikely to be revisited, and the administration is likely to enhance state flexibility through waivers. Medicare will be the subject of substantial action to defer impending insolvency temporarily, but there is virtually no chance that definitive long-term solutions will be enacted even though the underlying fiscal problems are thoroughly understood and recognized. Managed care will be the venue for numerous proposals designed to address specific consumer and quality issues. Four bitter years of fighting over health care issues has raised awareness of the problems, but has produced a political chemistry that is too rancorous to permit passage of significant legislation in the near future.

Thiazolidinedione treatment and constitutive-PPARγ activation induces ectopic adipogenesis and promotes age-related thymic involution

PubMed Central

Youm, Yun-Hee; Yang, Hyunwon; Amin, Raj; Smith, Steven R.; Leff, Todd; Dixit, Vishwa Deep

2010-01-01

Age-related thymic involution is characterized by reduction in T cell production together with ectopic adipocyte development within the hematopoietic and thymic niches. PPARγ is required for adipocyte development, glucose homeostasis and is a target for several insulin-sensitizing drugs. Our prior studies showed that age-related elevation of PPARγ expression in thymic stromal cells is associated with thymic involution. Here, using clinically relevant pharmacological and genetic manipulations in mouse models, we provide evidence that activation of PPARγ leads to reduction in thymopoiesis. Treatment of aged mice with anti-hyperglycemic PPARγ-ligand class of Thiazolidinedione drug, Rosiglitazone caused robust thymic expression of classical pro-adipogenic transcripts. Rosiglitazone reduced thymic cellularity, lowered the naïve T cell number and T cell receptor excision circles (TRECs) indicative of compromised thymopoiesis. To directly investigate whether PPARγ activation induces thymic involution, we created transgenic mice with constitutive-active PPARγ (CA-PPARg) fusion protein in cells of adipogenic lineage. Importantly, CA-PPARγ transgene was expressed in thymus and in Fibroblast Specific Protein-1/S100A4 (FSP1+) cells, a marker of secondary mesenchymal cells. The CAPPARγ fusion protein mimicked the liganded PPARγ receptor and the transgenic mice displayed increased ectopic thymic adipogenesis and reduced thymopoiesis. Furthermore, the reduction in thymopoiesis in CA-PPARγ mice was associated with higher bone marrow adiposity and lower hematopoietic stem cell progenitor pool. Consistent with lower thymic output, CAPPARγ transgenic mice had restricted T cell receptor (TCR) repertoire diversity. Collectively, our data suggest that activation of PPARγ accelerates thymic aging and thymus-specific PPARγ antagonist may forestall age-related decline in T cell diversity. PMID:20374200

The formation of inflammatory demyelinated lesions in cerebral white matter.

PubMed

Maggi, Pietro; Macri, Sheila M Cummings; Gaitán, María I; Leibovitch, Emily; Wholer, Jillian E; Knight, Heather L; Ellis, Mary; Wu, Tianxia; Silva, Afonso C; Massacesi, Luca; Jacobson, Steven; Westmoreland, Susan; Reich, Daniel S

2014-10-01

Vascular permeability and inflammatory demyelination are intimately linked in the brain, but what is their temporal relationship? We aimed to determine the radiological correlates of the earliest tissue changes accompanying demyelination in a primate model of multiple sclerosis (MS), experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) in the common marmoset. By 7T magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), T1 maps, proton density, and T2-weighted images were acquired before and after EAE induction in 5 marmosets (every other week before lesions appeared, weekly thereafter). From scans before and after intravenous injection of contrast material, we measured the evolution of lesional blood-brain barrier (BBB) permeability, comparing in vivo MRI to postmortem tissue examination. On average, BBB permeability increased 3.5-fold (p < 0.0001) over the 4 weeks prior to lesion appearance. Permeability gradually decreased after lesion appearance, with attendant changes in the distribution of inflammatory cells (predominantly macrophages and microglia) and demyelination. On tissue analysis, we also identified small perivascular foci of microglia and T cells without blood-derived macrophages or demyelination. These foci had no visible MRI correlates, although permeability within the foci, but not outside, increased in the weeks before the animals died (p < 0.0001). This study provides compelling evidence that in marmoset EAE, which forms lesions strongly resembling those of MS, early changes in vascular permeability are associated with perivascular inflammatory cuffing and parenchymal microglial activation but precede the arrival of blood-derived monocytes that accompany demyelination. Prospective detection of transient permeability changes could afford an opportunity for early intervention to forestall tissue damage in newly forming lesions. © 2014 American Neurological Association.

Interaction of Particles and Turbulence in the Solar Nebula

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dacles-Mariani, Jennifer S.; Dobrovolskis, A. R.; Cuzzi, J. N.; DeVincenzi, Donald L. (Technical Monitor)

1996-01-01

The most widely accepted theories for the formation of the Solar system claim that small solid particles continue to settle into a thin layer at the midplane of the Solar nebula until it becomes gravitationally unstable and collapses directly into km-sized planetesimals. This scenario has been challenged on at least two grounds: (1) due to turbulence, the particles may not settle into a thin layer, and (2) a thin layer may not be unstable. The Solar nebula contains at least three sources of turbulence: radial shear, vertical shear, and thermal convection. The first of these is small and probably negligible, while the last is poorly understood. However, the second contribution is likely to be substantial. The particle-rich layer rotates at nearly the Keplerian speed, but the surrounding gaseous nebula rotates slower because it is partly supported by pressure. The resulting shear generates a turbulent boundary layer which stirs the particles away from the midplane, and forestalls gravitational instability. Our previous work used a 'zero-equation' (Prandtl) model to predict the intensity of shear-generated turbulence, and enabled us to demonstrate numerically that settling of particles to the midplane is self-limiting. However, we neglected the possibility that mass loading by particles might damp the turbulence. To explore this, we have developed a more sophisticated 'one-equation' model which incorporates local generation, transport, and dissipation of turbulence, as well as explicit damping of turbulence by particles. We also include a background level of global turbulence to represent other sources. Our results indicate that damping flattens the distribution of particles somewhat, but that background turbulence thickens the particle layer.

Emerging application of genomics-guided therapeutics in personalized lung cancer treatment.

PubMed

Zaman, Aubhishek; Bivona, Trever G

2018-05-01

In lung cancer, genomics-driven comprehensive molecular profiling has identified novel chemically and immunologically addressable vulnerabilities, resulting in an increasing application of precision medicine by targeted inactivation of tumor oncogenes and immunogenic activation of host anti-tumor surveillance as modes of treatment. However, initially profound response of these targeted therapies is followed by relapse due to therapy-resistant residual disease states. Although distinct mechanisms and frameworks for therapy resistance have been proposed, accounting for and upfront prediction of resistance trajectories has been challenging. In this review, we discuss in both non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and small cell lung cancer (SCLC), the current standing, and challenges associated with genomics-guided strategies for personalized therapy against both oncogenic alterations as well as post-therapy resistance mechanisms. In NSCLC, we catalog the targeted therapy approaches against most notable oncogenic alterations such as epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), serine/threonine-protein kinase b-raf (BRAF), Kirsten rat sarcoma viral proto-oncogene (KRAS), anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK), ROS1 proto-oncogene receptor tyrosine kinase (ROS1). For SCLC, currently highly recalcitrant to targeted therapy, we enumerate a range of exciting and maturing precision medicine approaches. Furthermore, we discuss a number of immunotherapy approaches, in combination or alone, that are being actively pursued clinically in lung cancer. This review not only highlights common mechanistic themes underpinning different classes of resistance and discusses tumor heterogeneity as a source of residual disease, but also discusses potential ways to overcome these barriers. We emphasize how an extensive understanding of these themes can predict and improve therapeutic strategies, such as through poly-therapy approaches, to forestall tumor evolution upfront.

Cooperative drought adaptation: Integrating infrastructure development, conservation, and water transfers into adaptive policy pathways

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zeff, Harrison B.; Herman, Jonathan D.; Reed, Patrick M.; Characklis, Gregory W.

2016-09-01

A considerable fraction of urban water supply capacity serves primarily as a hedge against drought. Water utilities can reduce their dependence on firm capacity and forestall the development of new supplies using short-term drought management actions, such as conservation and transfers. Nevertheless, new supplies will often be needed, especially as demands rise due to population growth and economic development. Planning decisions regarding when and how to integrate new supply projects are fundamentally shaped by the way in which short-term adaptive drought management strategies are employed. To date, the challenges posed by long-term infrastructure sequencing and adaptive short-term drought management are treated independently, neglecting important feedbacks between planning and management actions. This work contributes a risk-based framework that uses continuously updating risk-of-failure (ROF) triggers to capture the feedbacks between short-term drought management actions (e.g., conservation and water transfers) and the selection and sequencing of a set of regional supply infrastructure options over the long term. Probabilistic regional water supply pathways are discovered for four water utilities in the "Research Triangle" region of North Carolina. Furthermore, this study distinguishes the status-quo planning path of independent action (encompassing utility-specific conservation and new supply infrastructure only) from two cooperative formulations: "weak" cooperation, which combines utility-specific conservation and infrastructure development with regional transfers, and "strong" cooperation, which also includes jointly developed regional infrastructure to support transfers. Results suggest that strong cooperation aids utilities in meeting their individual objectives at substantially lower costs and with less overall development. These benefits demonstrate how an adaptive, rule-based decision framework can coordinate integrated solutions that would not be

Gender comparisons of adolescents' anthropometry and blood pressure in Osun State, South-Western Nigeria.

PubMed

Omisore, Bridget; Omisore, Akinlolu G; Abioye-Kuteyi, Emmanuel Akintunde

2015-08-01

Adolescents are in their formative years, and they experience several changes including anthropometric changes. Significant weight gain occurs in adolescence, and increasingly, obesity and consequent increase in blood pressure (BP) are found in adolescents. This study compared anthropometric and BP measurements in male and female adolescents. A cross-sectional study of 1000 adolescents (510 males and 490 females) were selected by multi-stage sampling from eight secondary schools. Pertinent information was collected with the aid of a structured questionnaire, anthropometric and blood pressure measurements. Data were analyzed using SPSS 16.0 version, and the means of anthropometric indices and blood pressures in males and females were compared using independent t-test. The mean age for male respondents was 13.83 years (SD 2.12) and for females 13.62 (SD 1.96). Generally, anthropometric indices gradually increased from the lower ages to the higher ages in both males and females. The mean height was the same for both males and females (1.54 m), while the mean weight, body mass index (BMI), and waist circumference were significantly higher in females than in males (p<0.05). A significantly higher proportion of females compared with males were overweight (10.2%, 5.3%) and obese (3.9%, 2.0%), respectively. The overall prevalence of "hypertension," was 4.1% and more females (70.7%) had "hypertension" than males (29.3%). Females were heavier and constituted the greater proportion of those who had elevated BP. Adequate attention needs to be given to the challenging problems of overweight and obesity to forestall development of hypertension in adolescents, especially female adolescents.

A study on a robot chasing a human using Kinect while identifying walking parameters using the back view

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Konno, S.; Mita, A.

2014-03-01

Recently, the demand of the building spaces to respond to increase of single aged households and the diversification of life style is increasing. Smart house is one of them, but it is difficult for them to be changed and renovated. Therefore, we suggest Biofied builing. In biofied building, we use a mobile robot to get concious and unconcious information about residents and try to make it more secure and comfort builing spaces by realizing the intraction between residents and builing spaces. Walking parameters are one of the most important unconscious information about residents. They are an indicator of autonomy of elderly, and changes of stride length and walking speed may be pridictive of a future fall and a cognitive impairment. By observing their walking and informing residents their walking state, they can forestall such dangers and it helps them to live more securely and autonomously. Many methods to estimate walking parameters have been studied. The famous ones are to use accelerometers and a motion capture camera. Walking parameters estimated by them are high precise but the sensors are attached to a human body in these method and it can make human's walk different from the original walk. Furthermore, some elderly feel it to invade them. In this work, Kinect which can get information about human untouchably was used on the mobile robot. A stride time, stride length, and walking speed were estimated from the back view of human by following him or her. Evaluation was done for 10m, 5m, 4m, and 3m in whole walking. As a result, the proposal system can estimate walking parameters of the walk more than 3m.

From the desert: transcultural aspects of cancer nursing care in Israel.

PubMed

Delbar, V

1999-02-01

Quality of life perceptions, the meaning of cancer perception, and the meaning of illness are culture bound. Culture includes learned and shared ways of interpreting the world and interacting in society, and thereby provides all individuals with ideas about what is good or bad, desirable or undesirable, valued or devalued in life. Israel is an immigration country, and its citizens came from all over the world. It is also a meeting zone between Middle Eastern traditional culture and Western modern medicine. Cancer patients and a substantial proportion of doctors, nurses, and other health care professionals are from different ethnic backgrounds. In hospitals, clinics, and other places where health professionals live, work, or relax, there is a network of cultural factors that plays an important role in the well-being of patients. Cultural effects can considerably complicate the assessment of how an individual is likely to react to various aspects of the hospital environment, medical condition, treatment, staff, fellow patients, and so on. Ideal management includes the foresight to forestall problems that may arise and to create favorable psychosomatic effects that help patients to respond positively to treatment. To illustrate the cultural component in nursing care, four cancer patients from totally different cultural backgrounds are described: a bedouin, an Israeli-born Jew whose parents immigrated from Tunisia, and two immigrant patients, one from the United States and the other from Ethiopia. All four patients were treated by chemotherapy, radiation, or both in an oncology day-care unit at the Soroka Medical Center in Beer-Sheva. Also, a special education program for immigrant nurses is presented, as well as a new immigrant nurse from the former Soviet Union.

Astronomy Teaching and Teachers Continuing Education: the Interdisciplinarity during a Total Lunar Eclipse. (Spanish Title: Enseñanza de la Astronomía y la Formación Continua de Profesores: la Interdisciplinariedad Durante un Eclipse Total de Luna.) Educação EM Astronomia E Formação Continuada de Professores: a Interdisciplinaridade Durante um Eclipse Lunar TOTAL

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Langhi, Rodolfo

2009-07-01

This paper describes how 67 teachers from 23 cities, could awaken, in students, the scientific interest, using a natural astronomical phenomenon: a total lunar eclipse. Before and after of eclipse, meetings for continuing education were characterized by interdisciplinarity of astronomy and the importance of these observations. Working groups were formed by teachers and students, who organized the survey data, mobilizing the people in their cities. The results point ways about how to provide the scientific culture and the motivation to learn science in students, using approaches between the following communities: scientific, amateur and school. En este artículo se describe cómo 67 profesores de 23 ciudades, despertó el interés científico en los estudiantes mediante un fenómeno astronómico: un eclipse total de Luna. Antes y después del eclipse, reuniones para la formación continua se centraron en la interdisciplinariedad de la astronomía, y la importancia de las observaciones de este tipo de fenómeno. Profesores y estudiantes formaron grupos de trabajo para investigar datos durante el eclipse, con el participación de la comunidad en sus ciudades. Los resultados apuntan a las opciones que conducen a la cultura científica y la motivación para aprender la ciencia, utilizando las relaciones de los siguientes grupos: científicos, aficionados y la escuela. Este texto relata como 67 professores, provenientes de 23 cidades, puderam despertar, nos alunos, o interesse científico utilizando um fenômeno natural astronômico: um eclipse lunar total. O evento foi precedido e procedido por encontros de formação continuada, onde se caracterizou a interdisciplinaridade da astronomia e a importância das observações de fenômenos como estes. Grupos de trabalho foram formados por professores e alunos, que se organizaram para o levantamento conjunto de dados durante o fenômeno, além do envolvimento da comunidade em suas respectivas cidades. Os resultados apontam

Survey infravermelho do braço espiral de scuttum e da barra no centro galáctico

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Amôres, E. B.; Lépine, J. R. D.

2003-08-01

O survey infravermelho consiste de observações utilizando a CAMIV no telescópio de 60 cm do LNA. Nosso principal objetivo é melhor caracterizar a população estelar dos braços espirais e de uma estrutura existente no centro galáctico que acreditamos ser devido à existência de uma barra, cujas extremidades estariam localizadas em longitudes galácticas l~23° e l~14°. As observações realizadas em vários filtros (imagens J, H e K) são particularmente importantes nas direções que tangenciam os braços espirais, desta forma, comparamos uma direção que atravessa um braço a uma direção próxima que não passa pelo braço, sendo que ambas possuem a mesma contribuição de contagens foreground. Nas missões realizadas até o presente, observamos a região na direção tangencial ao braço de Scuttum, com observações de l = 30.04° até l = 31.04°, a cada intervalo de longitude de 0.1°, para latitude galáctica de 0.0°, 0.25°, 0.50°. Para as regiões que acreditamos serem as extremidades da barra, observamos as faixas de longitude compreendidas entre -15° £ l £ -13° e 24° £ l £ 22° a cada intervalo de 0.25°, para latitude galáctica de 0.0° e 0.25°. As observações nos filtros J e H foram feitas com tempo de integração de 60s, na banda K, as observações foram feitas utilizando o filtro C1 com tempo de integração de aproximadamente 210 s (12x15s). Elaboramos diagramas cor-cor e cor-magnitude onde podemos verificar a existência de regiões com diferentes contagens e população estelar à medida que um braço espiral é atravessado.

Adapting a Common Photographic Camera to Take Pictures of the Sky. (Spanish Title: Adaptando Una Camara Fotografica Comun Para Obtener Fotografias del Cielo.) Adaptando Uma Câmera Fotográfica Manual Simples Para Fotografar o Céu

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Danhoni Neves, Marcos Cesar; Pereira, Ricardo Francisco

2007-12-01

In this paper will be introduced a method of astrophotography using a non-reflex photographic camera (a low-cost method). It will be revised some photographic processes commonly used nowadays for comparison with the aims of this paper. En este trabajo será introducido un método de astrofotografia que utiliza una cámara fotográfica non-reflex (un método de bajo costo). Serán revisados algunos procesos fotográficos comúnmente utilizados actualmente para comparación con los objetivos de este trabajo. O presente artigo procura introduzir um método de astrofotografia utilizando uma câmera fotográfica não reflex, de baixo custo. É feita uma revisão do processo fotográfico comumente empregado para fins de comparação com os objetivos pretendidos no presente trabalho.

Relación masa-radio para estrellas enanas blancas y la interpretación de recientes mediciones hechas por Hipparcos

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Panei, J. A.; Althaus, L. G.; Benvenuto, O. G.

Recientes mediciones de la masa y el radio hechas por Hipparcos de las estrellas enanas blancas 40 Eri B y Procyon B (Shipman, H. & Provencal, J. - ApJ. 1998, 494, 759), sugieren un núcleo compuesto de hierro para dichas estrellas, en lugar de carbono y oxígeno como predice la teoría standard de evolución estelar. Para interpretar estas observaciones, presentamos aquí, relaciones masa-radio para configuraciones degeneradas a temperatura finita para distintas composiciones químicas centrales. Para tal fin hemos calculado secuencias evolutivas de enanas blancas utilizando el código de evolución estelar, desarrollado en el Observatorio de La Plata. Dicho código resuelve las ecuaciones de estructura y evolución estelar mediante la técnica de relajación de Henyey, y esta basado en una descripción física muy detallada y actualizada.

Soil wetting patterns of vegetation and inter-patches following single and repeated wildfires

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

González, Óscar; Malvar, Maruxa; van den Elsen, Erik; Hosseini, mohammadreza; Coelho, Celeste; Ritsema, Coen; Bautista, Susana; Keizer, Jan Jacob; Cerdà, Artemi

2015-04-01

cycles. Soil moisture content and antecedent rainfall were both correlated with SWR, although insufficient to predict the temporal variations. Antecedent and maximum soil moisture were close related with the SWR status and data analyses showed a top-down breaking mechanism on the SWR Acknowledgements. The research projects CASCADE FP7 (ENV.2011.2.1.4, www.cascade-project.eu) AND RECARE FP7 (n° 603498, http://recare-project.eu/) supported this research. References. Cerdá, A., Mataix-Solera, J., 2009. Incendios forestales en España. Ecosistemas terrestres y suelos. En: Efectos de los incendios forestales sobre los suelos en España. Cerda and Mataix-Solera (eds). Universidad de Valencia, Valencia (España). 529 pp. Keizer, J.J., Doerr, S.H., Malvar, M.C., Prats, S.A., Ferreira, R.S.V., Oñate, M.G., Coelho, C.O.A., Ferreira, A.J.D., 2008. Temporal variation in topsoil water repellency in two recently burnt eucalypt stands in north-central Portugal. Catena 74 (3), 192-204. Pausas, J., 2004. Changes in fire and climate in the eastern Iberian Peninsula (Mediterranean basin). Climatic Change, 63: 330-340. Prats, S.A., Malvar, M., Vieira, D.C.S., McDonald, L., Keizer, J.J. 2013. Effectiveness of hydromulching to reduce runoff and erosion in a recently burnt pine plantation in central Portugal. Land Degradation and Development. DOI: 10.1002/ldr.2236. Santos J.M., Verheijen F.G.A., Wahren F.T., Wahren A., Feger K.H., Bernard-Jannin L., Rial Rivas M.E., Keizer J.J., Nunes J.P. 2014. Soil Water Repellency dynamics in Pine and Eucalypt plantations in Portugal - A high resolution time series. Land Degradation & Development. DOI: 10.1002/ldr.2251.

El diseño final del espectrógrafo de banco (EBASIM) para CASLEO

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Simmons, J.; Levato, H.

Utilizando el código de óptica ACCOS V se ha finalizado el diseño del espectrógrafo de banco para CASLEO. En una comunicación anterior habíamos indicado que utilizaríamos un colimador de 150 mm de diámetro con un radio de curvatura de 1540 mm. Para el espejo cámara, que tiene un diámetro de 200 mm, el radio de curvatura es de 1200 mm, ambos radios con una tolerancia no mayor a los 3 mm. En la presente, se informa sobre los detalles finales del cálculo del espectrógrafo que incluye el cómputo para 5 longitudes de onda diferentes y alrededor de 100 rayos. En todos los casos el 75 % de energía está dentro de un diámetro de 13 micrones. El diseño ha sido probado entre 3500 Å hasta 9000 Å con resultados satisfactorios.

DEZ ANOS DE EXPERIÊNCIA DO COMITÊ DE ÉTICA EM PESQUISA DA SECRETARIA DE SAÚDE DO DISTRITO FEDERAL, BRASIL

PubMed Central

Novaes, Maria Rita C. G.; Guilhem, Dirce; Lolas, Fernando

2009-01-01

O objetivo deste artigo é relatar a experiência do Comitê de Ética em Pesquisa da Secretaria de Estado de Saúde do Distrito Federal (CEP/SES/DF) Brasil, durante o período de 10 anos a partir de sua fundação. Trata-se de uma avaliação descritiva e documental, na modalidade estudo de caso, utilizando-se a totalidade de projetos protocolados no CEP/SES/DF (N° 052/08) nesse período. As pendências mais freqüentes dos projetos foram: termo de consentimento livre e esclarecido (30%), folha de rosto (25%), metodologia (20%), curriculum vitae (12%), planilha de orçamento (9%), outros (4%). O relato das atividades do CEP/SES/DF no período de 10 anos revelou, através de sua produtividade, a legitimidade do processo de análise ética dos protocolos visando à proteção dos participantes da pesquisa. PMID:19888441

Abundancias químicas de las estrellas CP del grupo HgMn μ Leporis y 53 Tauri. II. Boro, Berilio, Carbono, Magnesio, Aluminio y Silicio

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

López García, Z.; Malaroda, S. M.; Faraggiana, R.

Se determinan las abundancias químicas de los elementos más livianos presentes en dos estrellas CP del grupo HgMn, μ Lep y 53 Tau, utilizando espectros IUE de alta resolución y técnicas de cálculo de espectros sintéticos. Para el cálculo de las líneas se utiliza la lista mas completa de datos atómicos disponible y el programa SYNTHE. Para el cálculo de la abundancia de un elemento se comparan, para cada imagen, los perfiles observados del mayor número de líneas presentes con los perfiles calculados obtenidos por variación de las abundancias iniciales, reteniendo la abundancia para la cual el acuerdo entre las líneas observadas y calculadas es considerado visualmente el mejor. Los resultados obtenidos son comparados con los estimados por la teoría de la difusión.

An English-Spanish Glossary of Terminology Used in Forestry, Range, Wildlife, Fishery, Soils, and Botany = Glosario en Ingles-Espanol de Terminologia Usada en Forestales, Pastizales, Fauna, Silvestre, Pesqueria, Suelos, y Botanica.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Medina, Alvin Leroy

This document presents English-Spanish/Spanish-English equivalent translations of scientific and management terms commonly used in the field of natural resource management. The glossary is composed of two sections. Section 1 contains the English to Spanish translations, while Section 2 provides the Spanish to English translations. Each section is…

An English-Spanish glossary of terminology used in forestry, range, wildlife, fishery, soils, and botany (Glosario en Ingles-Espanol de terminologia usada en forestales, pastizales, fauna, silvestre, pesqueria, suelos, y botanica)

Treesearch

Alvin Leroy Medina

1988-01-01

The English-Spanish/Spanish-English equivalent translations of scientific and management terms (jargon) commonly used in the field of natural resource management are presented. The glossary is useful in improving communications and fostering understanding between Spanish- and English-speaking persons.

Hippocratic ideal, Faustian bargain and Damocles' sword: erosion of patient autonomy in obstetrics.

PubMed

Rybak, E A

2009-11-01

Respect for patient autonomy remains a foundational principle guiding the ethical practice of medicine-a mission first articulated by Hippocrates. Damocles, another figure from ancient Greece, provides a useful parable for describing performance under distress: Damocles loses his desire for opulence and power when he notices a sword dangling precariously above his head. Contemporary obstetricians deciding whether to forestall or impose major abdominal surgery on parturients entrusted to their care struggle valiantly in the chasm dividing Hippocratic idealism from the economic realism driven by the medicolegal sword of Damocles. Given the inherent risk of unforeseeable and unsalvageable fetal catastrophe during labor and vaginal delivery, and the often unsubstantiated, yet automatic, allegation of negligence that follows a labor-associated adversity, obstetricians-and their liability insurance carriers-have recalibrated obstetric practice in alignment with the increasingly risk-averse preferences of most patients. Indeed, less intrapartum risk for patients and less corresponding medicolegal exposure for obstetricians help explain the rising cesarean delivery rate and, more importantly, the steady disappearance of higher-risk interventions such as vaginal birth after cesarean (VBAC). Is this increasing reluctance to offer VBAC supervision ethically defensible? This paper argues that it is. Fiduciary professionalism mandates physician self-sacrifice, not self-destruction; a VBAC gone awry without negligence or substandard care may, nevertheless, render future affordable liability coverage unattainable. Yet, the unavailability of VBAC infringes on the autonomy of women who want to assume the intrapartum risks of a VBAC in lieu of a repeat cesarean delivery. The proposed solution is the regionalization of VBAC care provision in designated medical centers and/or the implementation of binding arbitration in an ethical trade-off to enhance patient autonomy regarding the

The Immediacy of Arctic Change

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Overland, J. E.; Wang, M.; Soreide, N. N.

2015-12-01

Ongoing temperature changes in the Arctic are large relative to lower latitudes; a process known as Arctic Amplification. Arctic temperatures have increased at least 3 times the rate of mid-latitude temperatures relative to the late 20th century, due to multiple interacting feedbacks driven by modest global change. Even if global temperature increases are contained to +2° C by 2040, Arctic (North of 60° N) monthly mean temperatures in fall will increase by +5° C. The Arctic is very likely to be sea ice free during summer before 2040, with the sea ice free duration limited to <5 months. Snow cover will be absent in May and June on most land masses. Whether these changes impact mid-latitude weather events is complex and controversial, as the time period for observing such linkages is short [<10 years] and involves understanding direct forcing by Arctic changes on a chaotic climatic system. Although chaotic internal variability dominates the dynamics of atmospheric circulation, Arctic thermodynamic influences can reinforce regional weather patterns. Extreme Arctic temperature events, as a combination of mean temperature increases combined with natural variability, will become common, nearing and exceeding previous thresholds. Such an event as an analog for the future was the +4° C anomalies for Alaska in November-December 2014 related to recent warm Pacific sea surface temperatures. Thus for the next few decades out to 2040, continuing rapid environmental changes in the Arctic are very likely, despite any mitigation activities, and the appropriate response is to plan for adaptation to meet these mean and extreme event changes. Mitigation is essential to forestall further disasters in the second half of the century. It is important to note such future rapid Arctic amplification, and the potential for environmental surprises, to support those making planning decisions and encourage action.

Downregulation of GLUT4 contributes to effective intervention of estrogen receptor-negative/HER2-overexpressing early stage breast disease progression by lapatinib

PubMed Central

Acharya, Sunil; Xu, Jia; Wang, Xiao; Jain, Shalini; Wang, Hai; Zhang, Qingling; Chang, Chia-Chi; Bower, Joseph; Arun, Banu; Seewaldt, Victoria; Yu, Dihua

2016-01-01

Tamoxifen and aromatase inhibitors (AIs) have shown efficacy in prevention of estrogen receptor-positive (ER+) breast cancer; however, there exists no proven prevention strategy for estrogen receptor-negative (ER-) breast cancer. Up to 40% of ER- breast cancers have human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 overexpression (HER2+), suggesting HER2 signaling might be a good target for chemoprevention for certain ER- breast cancers. Here, we tested the feasibility of the HER2-targeting agent lapatinib in prevention and/or early intervention of an ER-/HER2+ early-stage breast disease model. We found that lapatinib treatment forestalled the progression of atypical ductal hyperplasia (ADH)-like acini to ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS)-like acini in ER-/HER2+ human mammary epithelial cells (HMECs) in 3D culture. Mechanistically, we found that inhibition of HER2/Akt signaling by lapatinib led to downregulation of GLUT4 and a reduced glucose uptake in HER2-overexpressing cells, resulting in decreased proliferation and increased apoptosis of these cells in 3D culture. Additionally, our data suggest that HER2-driven glycolytic metabolic dysregulation in ER-/HER2+ HMECs might promote early-stage breast disease progression, which can be reversed by lapatinib treatment. Furthermore, low-dose lapatinib treatment, starting at the early stages of mammary grand transformation in the MMTV-neu* mouse model, significantly delayed mammary tumor initiation and progression, extended tumor-free survival, which corresponded to effective inhibition of HER2/Akt signaling and downregulation of GLUT4 in vivo. Taken together, our results indicate that lapatinib, through its inhibition of key signaling pathways and tumor-promoting metabolic events, is a promising agent for the prevention/early intervention of ER-/HER2+ breast cancer progression. PMID:27293993

Conjunctival Primary Acquired Melanosis: Is It Time for a New Terminology?

PubMed

Jakobiec, Frederick A

2016-02-01

analysis of the participating cell types and their architectural patterns. This approach is conducive to a better appreciation of features indicating when to intervene therapeutically. An accurate early diagnosis should forestall unnecessary later surgery. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Activated human neutrophil response to perfluorocarbon nanobubbles: oxygen-dependent and -independent cytotoxic responses.

PubMed

Hwang, Tsong-Long; Fang, Chia-Lang; Al-Suwayeh, Saleh A; Yang, Li-Jia; Fang, Jia-You

2011-06-10

Nanobubbles, a type of nanoparticles with acoustically active properties, are being utilized as diagnostic and therapeutic nanoparticles to better understand, detect, and treat human diseases. The objective of this work was to prepare different nanobubble formulations and investigate their physicochemical characteristics and toxic responses to N-formyl-methionyl-leucyl-phenylalanine (fMLP)-activated human neutrophils. The nanobubbles were prepared using perfluoropentane and coconut oil as the respective core and shell, with soybean phosphatidylcholine (SPC) and/or cationic surfactants as the interfacial layers. The cytotoxic effect of the nanobubbles on neutrophils was determined by extracellular O₂(.)⁻ release, intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), and elastase release. Particle sizes of the nanobubbles with different percentages of perfluorocarbon, oil, and surfactants in ranged 186-432 nm. The nanobubbles were demonstrated to inhibit the generation of superoxide and intracellular ROS. The cytotoxicity of nanobubbles may be mainly associated with membrane damage, as indicated by the high LDH leakage. Systems with Forestall (FE), a cationic surfactant, or higher SPC contents exhibited the greatest LDH release by 3-fold compared to the control. The further addition of an oil component reduced the cytotoxicity induced by the nanobubbles. Exposure to most of the nanobubble formulations upregulated elastase release by activated neutrophils. Contrary to this result, stearylamine (SA)-containing systems slightly but significantly suppressed elastase release. FE and SA in a free form caused stronger responses by neutrophils than when they were incorporated into nanobubbles. In summary, exposure to nanobubbles resulted in a formulation-dependent toxicity toward human neutrophils that was associated with both oxygen-dependent and -independent pathways. Clinicians should therefore exercise caution when using nanobubbles in patients

Prevalence and clinical characteristics of headaches among undergraduate students in three tertiary institutions in Ilorin, Nigeria.

PubMed

Sanya, E O; Desalu, O O; Aderibigbe, S A; Kolo, P M; Mustapha, A F; Adeyanju, O A

2017-11-01

Headache is a common chronic neurologic disorder with huge economic and psychosocial impact. In comparison with other neurological disorders, there is limited data on primary headache, especially from sub-Saharan Africa. This study was done to fill in the gap and provide recent information on headache among Nigerian undergraduate students. Quota sampling was used to select students from three tertiary educational institutions within Ilorin, the capital of Kwara state. Two-stage self-administered questionnaires developed from the guideline of the International Society of Headache were used to harvest information. A total of 1500 students participated in the study. The mean age of the students was 20.9 ± 3.1 years, with male:female ratio of 1.6:1. A total of 356 students have frequent headache within previous 1 year, given the headache frequency of 23.7%. Fifty-three students (3.5%) had headaches on almost daily basis, 84 (5.6%) had ≥4 attacks/week, 145 (9.7%) had ≤2-3 attacks/month, and 123 (8.2%) had 1-3 attacks every 3 months. Close to 75% indicated that it limits their daily activity frequently. One hundred and eighty-seven (12.5%) students fulfilled the criteria for tension-type headache, 36 (2.4%) for migraine headache, and 133 (8.9%) had nonclassified headaches. The most frequent headache-associated symptoms are photophia - 100 students (6.7%), phonophobia - 159 students (10.6%), while 62 students (4.1%) had nausea and vomiting. None of the students had seen a physician for proper headache diagnosis. Majority (90.2%) used none prescription over-the-counter analgesia (acetaminophen) for symptomatic treatment of their aches. Headache is a common complaint among Nigerian undergraduate students and it limits the daily activity of majority of the sufferers. Students need proper education regarding treatment to alleviate their suffering and forestall complication, especially those associated with analgesic overuse.

The Influence of Exercise on Cognitive Function in Older Hispanic/Latino Adults: Results From the "¡Caminemos!" Study.

PubMed

Piedra, Lissette M; Andrade, Flavia C D; Hernandez, Rosalba; Boughton, Seth William; Trejo, Laura; Sarkisian, Catherine A

2017-11-10

We examined the prospective effect of an evidence-based exercise intervention (¡Caminemos!) on cognitive function among older Hispanic/Latino adults and the potential synergistic effects (if any) of an attribution-retraining intervention given to a random sample to counter negative ascriptions of the aging process. We analyzed baseline and follow-up (1- and 2-year) data collected from Hispanics/Latinos ≥60 years (N = 571) who participated in ¡Caminemos! across 27 senior centers. All participants were randomly assigned to either (a) the treatment group-a 1-hr attribution-retraining session plus a 1-hr exercise class or (b) the control group-health education plus a 1-hr exercise class. Mixed-effects linear regression was used to determine the effects of the exercise class and the attribution-retraining component on longitudinal changes in cognitive functioning, as measured by the Modified Mini-Mental State (3MS) examination. In analyses adjusted for age, sex, education, income, and medical comorbidities, participants in both trial arms displayed higher cognitive functioning scores at the 1-year (β = 1.76, p = .001) and 2-year (β = 1.37, p = .013) follow-ups when compared with original baseline scores. However, we found no significant difference in cognitive function between the treatment versus control conditions (β = 0.41, p = .582), nor were any differences found across groups over time. The exercise intervention improved cognitive function in older Hispanics/Latinos, regardless of whether it was supplemented with the age-related attribution retraining. These findings suggest that limited access to exercise programs may be a greater obstacle in forestalling cognitive decline in older Hispanics/Latinos than the negative beliefs they might hold of the aging process. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of The Gerontological Society of America. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Loss of social resources predicts incident posttraumatic stress disorder during ongoing political violence within the Palestinian Authority.

PubMed

Hall, Brian J; Murray, Sarah M; Galea, Sandro; Canetti, Daphna; Hobfoll, Stevan E

2015-04-01

Exposure to ongoing political violence and stressful conditions increases the risk of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in low-resource contexts. However, much of our understanding of the determinants of PTSD in these contexts comes from cross-sectional data. Longitudinal studies that examine factors associated with incident PTSD may be useful to the development of effective prevention interventions and the identification of those who may be most at-risk for the disorder. A 3-stage cluster random stratified sampling methodology was used to obtain a representative sample of 1,196 Palestinian adults living in Gaza, the West Bank and East Jerusalem. Face-to-face interviews were conducted at two time points 6-months apart. Logistic regression analyses were conducted on a restricted sample of 643 people who did not have PTSD at baseline and who completed both interviews. The incidence of PTSD was 15.0 % over a 6-month period. Results of adjusted logistic regression models demonstrated that talking to friends and family about political circumstances (aOR = 0.78, p = 0.01) was protective, and female sex (aOR = 1.76, p = 0.025), threat perception of future violence (aOR = 1.50, p = 0.002), poor general health (aOR = 1.39, p = 0.005), exposure to media (aOR = 1.37, p = 0.002), and loss of social resources (aOR = 1.71, p = 0.006) were predictive of incident cases of PTSD. A high incidence of PTSD was documented during a 6-month follow-up period among Palestinian residents of Gaza, the West Bank, and East Jerusalem. Interventions that promote health and increase and forestall loss to social resources could potentially reduce the onset of PTSD in communities affected by violence.

Identification and quantification of astaxanthin esters in shrimp (Pandalus borealis) and in a microalga (Haematococcus pluvialis) by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry using negative ion atmospheric pressure chemical ionization.

PubMed

Breithaupt, Dietmar E

2004-06-16

Negative ion liquid chromatography-atmospheric pressure chemical ionization mass spectrometry [negative ion LC-(APCI)MS] was used for the identification of astaxanthin esters in extracts of commercial shrimp (Pandalus borealis) and dried microalga (Haematococcus pluvialis) samples. A cleanup step using a normal phase solid phase extraction (SPE) cartridge was applied prior to analysis. Recovery experiments with astaxanthin oleate as model compound proved the applicability of this step (98.5 +/- 7.6%; n = 4). The assignment of astaxanthin esters in negative ion LC-(APCI)MS was based on the detection of the molecular ion (M*-) and the formation of characteristic fragment ions, resulting from the loss of one or two fatty acids. Quantification of individual astaxanthin esters was performed using an astaxanthin calibration curve, which was found to be linear over the required range (1-51 micromol/L; r2 = 0.9996). Detection limits, based on the intensity of M*-, a signal-to-noise ratio of 3:1, and an injection volume of 20 microL, were estimated to be 0.05 microg/mL (free astaxanthin), 0.28 microg/mL (astaxanthin-C16:0), and 0.78 microg/mL (astaxanthin-C16:0/C16:0), respectively. This LC-(APCI)MS method allows for the first time the characterization of native astaxanthin esters in P. borealis and H. pluvialis without using time-consuming isolation steps with subsequent gas chromatographic analyses of fatty acid methyl esters. The results suggest that the pattern of astaxanthin-bound polyunsaturated fatty acids of P. borealis does not reflect the respective fatty acid pattern found in triacylglycerides. Application of the presented LC-(APCI)MS technique in common astaxanthin ester analysis will forestall erroneous xanthophyll ester assignment in natural sources.

Saving the internet.

PubMed

Zittrain, Jonathan

2007-06-01

The Internet goose has laid countless golden eggs, along with a growing number of rotten ones. But it's the rotten ones that now tempt commercial, governmental, and consumer interests to threaten the Internet's uniquely creative power. The expediently selected, almost accidentally generative properties of the Internet - its technical openness, ease of access and mastery, and adaptability - have combined, especially when coupled with those of the PC, to produce an unsurpassed environment for innovative experiment. Those same properties, however, also make the Internet hospitable to various forms of wickedness: hacking, porn, spam, fraud, theft, predation, and attacks on the network itself. As these undesirable phenomena proliferate, business, government, and many users find common cause for locking down Internet and PC architecture in the interests of security and order. PC and Internet security vulnerabilities are a legitimate menace. However, the most likely reactions - if they are not forestalled - will be at least as unfortunate as the security problems themselves. Consider the growing profusion of "tethered appliances" - devices whose functions cannot readily be altered by their owners (think TiVo). Such appliances take Internet innovations and wrap them up in a neat, easy-to-use package, which is good - but only if the Internet and PC can remain sufficiently in the center of the digital ecosystem to produce the next round of innovations and to generate competition. People buy these devices for their convenience or functionality and may appreciate the fact that they are safer to use (they limit the damage users can do through ignorance or carelessness). But the risk is that users, by migrating to such appliances, will unwittingly trade away the future benefits of generativity - a loss that will go unappreciated even as innovation tapers off.

Millennial-Scale Temperature Change Velocity in the Continental Northern Neotropics

PubMed Central

Correa-Metrio, Alexander; Bush, Mark; Lozano-García, Socorro; Sosa-Nájera, Susana

2013-01-01

Climate has been inherently linked to global diversity patterns, and yet no empirical data are available to put modern climate change into a millennial-scale context. High tropical species diversity has been linked to slow rates of climate change during the Quaternary, an assumption that lacks an empirical foundation. Thus, there is the need for quantifying the velocity at which the bioclimatic space changed during the Quaternary in the tropics. Here we present rates of climate change for the late Pleistocene and Holocene from Mexico and Guatemala. An extensive modern pollen survey and fossil pollen data from two long sedimentary records (30,000 and 86,000 years for highlands and lowlands, respectively) were used to estimate past temperatures. Derived temperature profiles show a parallel long-term trend and a similar cooling during the Last Glacial Maximum in the Guatemalan lowlands and the Mexican highlands. Temperature estimates and digital elevation models were used to calculate the velocity of isotherm displacement (temperature change velocity) for the time period contained in each record. Our analyses showed that temperature change velocities in Mesoamerica during the late Quaternary were at least four times slower than values reported for the last 50 years, but also at least twice as fast as those obtained from recent models. Our data demonstrate that, given extremely high temperature change velocities, species survival must have relied on either microrefugial populations or persistence of suppressed individuals. Contrary to the usual expectation of stable climates being associated with high diversity, our results suggest that Quaternary tropical diversity was probably maintained by centennial-scale oscillatory climatic variability that forestalled competitive exclusion. As humans have simplified modern landscapes, thereby removing potential microrefugia, and climate change is occurring monotonically at a very high velocity, extinction risk for tropical

Millennial-scale temperature change velocity in the continental northern Neotropics.

PubMed

Correa-Metrio, Alexander; Bush, Mark; Lozano-García, Socorro; Sosa-Nájera, Susana

2013-01-01

Climate has been inherently linked to global diversity patterns, and yet no empirical data are available to put modern climate change into a millennial-scale context. High tropical species diversity has been linked to slow rates of climate change during the Quaternary, an assumption that lacks an empirical foundation. Thus, there is the need for quantifying the velocity at which the bioclimatic space changed during the Quaternary in the tropics. Here we present rates of climate change for the late Pleistocene and Holocene from Mexico and Guatemala. An extensive modern pollen survey and fossil pollen data from two long sedimentary records (30,000 and 86,000 years for highlands and lowlands, respectively) were used to estimate past temperatures. Derived temperature profiles show a parallel long-term trend and a similar cooling during the Last Glacial Maximum in the Guatemalan lowlands and the Mexican highlands. Temperature estimates and digital elevation models were used to calculate the velocity of isotherm displacement (temperature change velocity) for the time period contained in each record. Our analyses showed that temperature change velocities in Mesoamerica during the late Quaternary were at least four times slower than values reported for the last 50 years, but also at least twice as fast as those obtained from recent models. Our data demonstrate that, given extremely high temperature change velocities, species survival must have relied on either microrefugial populations or persistence of suppressed individuals. Contrary to the usual expectation of stable climates being associated with high diversity, our results suggest that Quaternary tropical diversity was probably maintained by centennial-scale oscillatory climatic variability that forestalled competitive exclusion. As humans have simplified modern landscapes, thereby removing potential microrefugia, and climate change is occurring monotonically at a very high velocity, extinction risk for tropical

Factors determining dengue outbreak in Malaysia.

PubMed

Ahmad, Rohani; Suzilah, Ismail; Wan Najdah, Wan Mohamad Ali; Topek, Omar; Mustafakamal, Ibrahim; Lee, Han Lim

2018-01-01

A large scale study was conducted to elucidate the true relationship among entomological, epidemiological and environmental factors that contributed to dengue outbreak in Malaysia. Two large areas (Selayang and Bandar Baru Bangi) were selected in this study based on five consecutive years of high dengue cases. Entomological data were collected using ovitraps where the number of larvae was used to reflect Aedes mosquito population size; followed by RT-PCR screening to detect and serotype dengue virus in mosquitoes. Notified cases, date of disease onset, and number and type of the interventions were used as epidemiological endpoint, while rainfall, temperature, relative humidity and air pollution index (API) were indicators for environmental data. The field study was conducted during 81 weeks of data collection. Correlation and Autoregressive Distributed Lag Model were used to determine the relationship. The study showed that, notified cases were indirectly related with the environmental data, but shifted one week, i.e. last 3 weeks positive PCR; last 4 weeks rainfall; last 3 weeks maximum relative humidity; last 3 weeks minimum and maximum temperature; and last 4 weeks air pollution index (API), respectively. Notified cases were also related with next week intervention, while conventional intervention only happened 4 weeks after larvae were found, indicating ample time for dengue transmission. Based on a significant relationship among the three factors (epidemiological, entomological and environmental), estimated Autoregressive Distributed Lag (ADL) model for both locations produced high accuracy 84.9% for Selayang and 84.1% for Bandar Baru Bangi in predicting the actual notified cases. Hence, such model can be used in forestalling dengue outbreak and acts as an early warning system. The existence of relationships among the entomological, epidemiological and environmental factors can be used to build an early warning system for the prediction of dengue outbreak so

Modification of pharmacokinetic and abuse-related effects of cocaine by human-derived cocaine hydrolase in monkeys.

PubMed

Schindler, Charles W; Justinova, Zuzana; Lafleur, David; Woods, Doug; Roschke, Viktor; Hallak, Hussein; Sklair-Tavron, Liora; Redhi, Godfrey H; Yasar, Sevil; Bergman, Jack; Goldberg, Steven R

2013-01-01

Although substantial research effort has focused on developing pharmacological treatments for cocaine abuse, no effective medications have been developed. Recent studies show that enzymes that metabolize cocaine in the periphery, forestalling its entry into the brain, can prevent cocaine toxicity and its behavioral effects in rodents. Here we report on effects of one such enzyme (Albu-CocH) on the pharmacokinetic and behavioral effects of cocaine in squirrel monkeys. Albu-CocH was developed from successive mutations of human butyrylcholinesterase (BChE) and has 1000-fold greater catalytic activity against cocaine than naturally occurring BChE. Pharmacokinetic studies showed that Albu-CocH (5 mg/kg) had a half-life of 56.6 hours in squirrel monkeys. In these studies, plasma levels of cocaine following i.v. 1 mg/kg cocaine were reduced 2 hours after administration of Albu-CocH, whereas plasma levels of the cocaine metabolite ecgonine methyl ester were increased. These effects were still evident 72 hours following Albu-CocH administration. In behavioral experiments in monkeys, pre-treatment with 5 mg/kg Albu-CocH dramatically decreased self-administration of a reinforcing dose of i.v. cocaine (30 µg/kg/injection) for over 24 hours. Pre-treatment with 5 mg/kg Albu-CocH also attenuated the reinstatement of extinguished cocaine self-administration by an i.v. priming injection of cocaine (0.1 or 0.3 mg/kg) and, in separate studies, attenuated the discriminative-stimulus effects of cocaine. The ability of Albu-CocH to attenuate the abuse-related effects of cocaine in squirrel monkeys indicates that further investigation of BChE mutants as potential treatment for cocaine abuse and toxicity is warranted. Published 2012. This article is a U.S. Government work and is in the public domain in the USA.

Public avenues to private spaces: Democratic politics and the control of automobile pollution

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

Rajan, S.C.

1994-01-01

Automobile pollution policy is an institutional concern because it represents the political problem of addressing one of the ill-effects of mass driving within urban regions. In the United States, where automobility is most pervasive, the social and cultural institutions that make driving an ineluctable feature of everyday life tend to be taken for granted. On the one hand, an idealogy of individualism appears to forestall critical discussion on these aspects within civil society; on the other, reliance on technological solutions and a prevailing culture of interest-group politics help contract the space for normative reasoning within policy discourse. Ironically, though, themore » more people drive, the more [open quotes]auto[close quotes]-inflicted the problems of air pollution, and the more likely it is that the contradictions of these non-participatory and technocratic forms could generate crises of policy. The predicament of automobile pollution policy then comprises a paralysis in the state's continued capacity to response to what it perceives to be a double-gesture made by its citizens; they demand clean air but are unwilling to take responsibility for achieving it, especially if it involves setting limits on automobile usage. Using both theoretical arguments and empirical and historical evidence from California, this dissertation argues that official readings of automobile pollution control are constricted because they rely on an individualist metaphor which only generates elaborate techniques of risk management in response, thus moving away from a shared public effort towards normative discourse. Yet, it its also critical of approaches that would shift the blame to individual motorists and their vehicles by implying that the problem arises from the employment of a few [open quotes]gross emitters[close quotes] that need to be selectively targeted.« less

The impact of DRGs on the cost and quality of health care in the United States.

PubMed

Davis, C; Rhodes, D J

1988-01-01

The prospective Payment System (PPS) represents a fundamental change in the way the United States government reimburses hospitals for medical services covered under Medicare, a federal health care insurance program for the elderly and disabled. PPS replaced the retrospective cost-based system of payment for Medicare services with a prospective payment system. Under PPS, a predetermined specific rate for each discharge dictates payment according to the diagnosis related group (DRG) in which the discharge is classified. The PPS was intended to create financial incentives that encourage hospitals to restrain the use of resources while providing high-quality inpatient care. Both objectives appear to have been met under PPS. Hospital utilization has declined, average length of stay has fallen, and the locus of care has shifted from the inpatient setting to less costly outpatient settings. The growth in inpatient hospital benefits has slowed and the impending insolvency of the Medicare trust fund has been forestalled. Studies have found no deterioration in the quality of care rendered to Medicare beneficiaries. Neither the mortality rate nor the rate of re-admission (presumably related to premature discharge) increased under PPS. Indeed, PPS appears to have enhanced the quality of inpatient care by discouraging unnecessary and potentially harmful procedures, and by encouraging the concentration of complex procedures in facilities in which the high frequency of these procedures promotes efficiency. Incentive-based reimbursement also appears to have contributed to the growth in alternative delivery systems, such as HMOs and PPOs, which contain costs by maintaining a high volume of a limited range of services. The success of the PPS/DRG system in controlling costs and promoting quality in this country suggests its application in other countries, either as a method of reimbursement or as a product line management tool.

Are Surface Waters Around Greenland Getting Saltier in a Warming Climate?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vinogradova, N. T.; Ponte, R. M.; Piecuch, C. G.; Little, C. M.

2016-02-01

During the past two decades, most surface waters around Greenland ice sheet and in the Nordic Seas became significantly saltier. Given the fact that these waters feed the North Atlantic thermohaline circulation, an increase in surface salinity, which can exceed 0.2 psu in places, might have an important impact on the global ocean circulation and on future projections of the climate state. Surface salinification may seem counter-intuitive to the reported long-term increase in freshwater supply to the region from river discharge and ice melting, sparking debates about whether the freshening of the subpolar gyre has ceased, and whether the recent salinification, if continued, will be able to forestall the projected slowdown of the overturning circulation. Here we assess what controls contemporary salinity changes by examining various terms of the salinity budget, including the dilution effect due to air-sea fluxes of freshwater, fluxes of salt due to sea ice formation/melting, and ocean fluxes of salinity associated with advective and diffusive processes. We use an ocean state estimate produced by the ECCO consortium to consider the budgets over the period 1992-2011. ECCO estimates produce salinity fields close to the observations and, crucial for our purposes, permit closed budget diagnostics of salinity and respective fluxes. The budgets are formulated within the entire water column in order to examine three-dimensional structure of freshwater storage and establish a link between the surface and upper-ocean change in near-Greenland waters. Over the past two decades, patterns of change are evident in all budget terms, with ocean fluxes either offsetting or enhancing surface forcing, including the effects of sea ice dynamics. Interpretation is provided within the context of a changing climate, including intensification of the hydrological cycle and weakening of ocean transports and overturning, as well as natural decadal-to-interdacadal variability present in the

Recommendations from NASA's Operational and Research Musculoskeletal Summit

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jones, J. A.; Johnson-Throop, K. A.; Scheuring, R. A.; Walton, M. E.; Davis-Street, J. E.; Smaka, T.; McCulley, P. A.; Jones, J. A.; Stokes, C. R.; Parker, K. K.;

Fragmentation and thermal risks from climate change interact to affect persistence of native trout in the Colorado River basin.

PubMed

Roberts, James J; Fausch, Kurt D; Peterson, Douglas P; Hooten, Mevin B

2013-05-01

Impending changes in climate will interact with other stressors to threaten aquatic ecosystems and their biota. Native Colorado River cutthroat trout (CRCT; Oncorhynchus clarkii pleuriticus) are now relegated to 309 isolated high-elevation (>1700 m) headwater stream fragments in the Upper Colorado River Basin, owing to past nonnative trout invasions and habitat loss. Predicted changes in climate (i.e., temperature and precipitation) and resulting changes in stochastic physical disturbances (i.e., wildfire, debris flow, and channel drying and freezing) could further threaten the remaining CRCT populations. We developed an empirical model to predict stream temperatures at the fragment scale from downscaled climate projections along with geomorphic and landscape variables. We coupled these spatially explicit predictions of stream temperature with a Bayesian Network (BN) model that integrates stochastic risks from fragmentation to project persistence of CRCT populations across the upper Colorado River basin to 2040 and 2080. Overall, none of the populations are at risk from acute mortality resulting from high temperatures during the warmest summer period. In contrast, only 37% of populations have a ≥90% chance of persistence for 70 years (similar to the typical benchmark for conservation), primarily owing to fragmentation. Populations in short stream fragments <7 km long, and those at the lowest elevations, are at the highest risk of extirpation. Therefore, interactions of stochastic disturbances with fragmentation are projected to be greater threats than warming for CRCT populations. The reason for this paradox is that past nonnative trout invasions and habitat loss have restricted most CRCT populations to high-elevation stream fragments that are buffered from the potential consequences of warming, but at risk of extirpation from stochastic events. The greatest conservation need is for management to increase fragment lengths to forestall these risks. © 2013

Clinico-pathologic study of odontogenic cysts in a Mexican sample population.

PubMed

Ledesma-Montes, C; Hernández-Guerrero, J C; Garcés-Ortíz, M

2000-01-01

Odontogenic cysts are uncommon lesions that frequently behave agressively and attain a large size. Unfortunately, information on the relative incidence of these cysts from different populations is not abundant. In Mexico, for example, only a few examples have been reported. The aim of this study was to ascertain the frequency of odontogenic cysts in a Mexican sample and to compare these data with previously reported studies from other countries. The files of the Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology Diagnosis Service at the School of Dentistry at the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM) were reviewed and all accessions of odontogenic cysts were listed. Clinical and radiographic data were recorded and microscopic slides evaluated according to the most recent World Health Organization (WHO) classification (1992). Three hundred and four cases of odontogenic cysts (55.9% male predominance) were found. The most frequent odontogenic cysts were the following: periapical cyst (38. 8%); dentigerous cyst (35.5%), and odontogenic keratocyst (18.8%). Periapical cyst was more frequent in females, and maxillary anterior teeth were most commonly involved. Dentigerous cysts appeared in males at a rate of 64.8%, this cyst found more frequently between the 1st and 2nd decades of life and in the molar zone. Odontogenic keratocyst was more frequent in males (59.6%), between the 2nd and 4th decades of life and more common in the molar zone. More than 50% of the sample were aggressive cysts (dentigerous and keratocyst). Our results suggest that Mexican patients develop aggressive odontogenic cysts more commonly than other populations. Our figures point to the need for a precise diagnosis in order to institute the correct surgical procedure, prevent recurrence, and forestall more extensive tissue destruction.

Fragmentation and thermal risks from climate change interact to affect persistence of native trout in the Colorado River basin

USGS Publications Warehouse

Roberts, James J.; Fausch, Kurt D.; Peterson, Douglas P.; Hooten, Mevin B.

2013-01-01

Impending changes in climate will interact with other stressors to threaten aquatic ecosystems and their biota. Native Colorado River cutthroat trout (CRCT; Oncorhynchus clarkii pleuriticus) are now relegated to 309 isolated high-elevation (>1700 m) headwater stream fragments in the Upper Colorado River Basin, owing to past nonnative trout invasions and habitat loss. Predicted changes in climate (i.e., temperature and precipitation) and resulting changes in stochastic physical disturbances (i.e., wildfire, debris flow, and channel drying and freezing) could further threaten the remaining CRCT populations. We developed an empirical model to predict stream temperatures at the fragment scale from downscaled climate projections along with geomorphic and landscape variables. We coupled these spatially explicit predictions of stream temperature with a Bayesian Network (BN) model that integrates stochastic risks from fragmentation to project persistence of CRCT populations across the upper Colorado River basin to 2040 and 2080. Overall, none of the populations are at risk from acute mortality resulting from high temperatures during the warmest summer period. In contrast, only 37% of populations have a greater than or equal to 90% chance of persistence for 70 years (similar to the typical benchmark for conservation), primarily owing to fragmentation. Populations in short stream fragments <7 km long, and those at the lowest elevations, are at the highest risk of extirpation. Therefore, interactions of stochastic disturbances with fragmentation are projected to be greater threats than warming for CRCT populations. The reason for this paradox is that past nonnative trout invasions and habitat loss have restricted most CRCT populations to high-elevation stream fragments that are buffered from the potential consequences of warming, but at risk of extirpation from stochastic events. The greatest conservation need is for management to increase fragment lengths to forestall these

Long-range Weather Prediction and Prevention of Climate Catastrophes: A Status Report

DOE R&D Accomplishments Database

Caldeira, K.; Caravan, G.; Govindasamy, B.; Grossman, A.; Hyde, R.; Ishikawa, M.; Ledebuhr, A.; Leith, C.; Molenkamp, C.; Teller, E.; Wood, L.

1999-08-18

As the human population of Earth continues to expand and to demand an ever-higher quality-of-life, requirements for ever-greater knowledge--and then control--of the future of the state of the terrestrial biosphere grow apace. Convenience of living--and, indeed, reliability of life itself--become ever more highly ''tuned'' to the future physical condition of the biosphere being knowable and not markedly different than the present one. Two years ago, we reported at a quantitative albeit conceptual level on technical ways-and-means of forestalling large-scale changes in the present climate, employing practical means of modulating insolation and/or the Earth's mean albedo. Last year, we reported on early work aimed at developing means for creating detailed, high-fidelity, all-Earth weather forecasts of two weeks duration, exploiting recent and anticipated advances in extremely high-performance digital computing and in atmosphere-observing Earth satellites bearing high-technology instrumentation. This year, we report on recent progress in both of these areas of endeavor. Preventing the commencement of large-scale changes in the current climate presently appears to be a considerably more interesting prospect than initially realized, as modest insolation reductions are model-predicted to offset the anticipated impacts of ''global warming'' surprisingly precisely, in both space and time. Also, continued study has not revealed any fundamental difficulties in any of the means proposed for insolation modulation and, indeed, applicability of some of these techniques to other planets in the inner Solar system seems promising. Implementation of the high-fidelity, long-range weather-forecasting capability presently appears substantially easier with respect to required populations of Earth satellites and atmospheric transponders and data-processing systems, and more complicated with respect to transponder lifetimes in the actual atmosphere; overall, the enterprise seems more

Physical activity attenuates age-related biomarker alterations in preclinical AD

PubMed Central

Schultz, Stephanie A.; Oh, Jennifer M.; Larson, Jordan; Edwards, Dorothy; Cook, Dane; Koscik, Rebecca; Gallagher, Catherine L.; Dowling, N.M.; Carlsson, Cynthia M.; Bendlin, Barbara B.; LaRue, Asenath; Rowley, Howard A.; Christian, Brad T.; Asthana, Sanjay; Hermann, Bruce P.; Johnson, Sterling C.; Sager, Mark A.

2014-01-01

Objective: To examine whether engagement in physical activity might favorably alter the age-dependent evolution of Alzheimer disease (AD)-related brain and cognitive changes in a cohort of at-risk, late-middle-aged adults. Methods: Three hundred seventeen enrollees in the Wisconsin Registry for Alzheimer's Prevention underwent T1 MRI; a subset also underwent 11C-Pittsburgh compound B–PET (n = 186) and 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose–PET (n = 152) imaging. Participants' responses on a self-report measure of current physical activity were used to classify them as either physically active or physically inactive based on American Heart Association guidelines. They also completed a comprehensive neuropsychological battery. Covariate-adjusted regression analyses were used to test whether the adverse effect of age on imaging and cognitive biomarkers was modified by physical activity. Results: There were significant age × physical activity interactions for β-amyloid burden (p = 0.014), glucose metabolism (p = 0.015), and hippocampal volume (p = 0.025) such that, with advancing age, physically active individuals exhibited a lesser degree of biomarker alterations compared with the physically inactive. Similar age × physical activity interactions were also observed on cognitive domains of Immediate Memory (p = 0.042) and Visuospatial Ability (p = 0.016). In addition, the physically active group had higher scores on Speed and Flexibility (p = 0.002) compared with the inactive group. Conclusions: In a middle-aged, at-risk cohort, a physically active lifestyle is associated with an attenuation of the deleterious influence of age on key biomarkers of AD pathophysiology. However, because our observational, cross-sectional design cannot establish causality, randomized controlled trials/longitudinal studies will be necessary for determining whether midlife participation in structured physical exercise forestalls the development of AD and related disorders in later life. PMID:25298312

Physical activity attenuates age-related biomarker alterations in preclinical AD.

PubMed

Okonkwo, Ozioma C; Schultz, Stephanie A; Oh, Jennifer M; Larson, Jordan; Edwards, Dorothy; Cook, Dane; Koscik, Rebecca; Gallagher, Catherine L; Dowling, N M; Carlsson, Cynthia M; Bendlin, Barbara B; LaRue, Asenath; Rowley, Howard A; Christian, Brad T; Asthana, Sanjay; Hermann, Bruce P; Johnson, Sterling C; Sager, Mark A

2014-11-04

To examine whether engagement in physical activity might favorably alter the age-dependent evolution of Alzheimer disease (AD)-related brain and cognitive changes in a cohort of at-risk, late-middle-aged adults. Three hundred seventeen enrollees in the Wisconsin Registry for Alzheimer's Prevention underwent T1 MRI; a subset also underwent (11)C-Pittsburgh compound B-PET (n = 186) and (18)F-fluorodeoxyglucose-PET (n = 152) imaging. Participants' responses on a self-report measure of current physical activity were used to classify them as either physically active or physically inactive based on American Heart Association guidelines. They also completed a comprehensive neuropsychological battery. Covariate-adjusted regression analyses were used to test whether the adverse effect of age on imaging and cognitive biomarkers was modified by physical activity. There were significant age × physical activity interactions for β-amyloid burden (p = 0.014), glucose metabolism (p = 0.015), and hippocampal volume (p = 0.025) such that, with advancing age, physically active individuals exhibited a lesser degree of biomarker alterations compared with the physically inactive. Similar age × physical activity interactions were also observed on cognitive domains of Immediate Memory (p = 0.042) and Visuospatial Ability (p = 0.016). In addition, the physically active group had higher scores on Speed and Flexibility (p = 0.002) compared with the inactive group. In a middle-aged, at-risk cohort, a physically active lifestyle is associated with an attenuation of the deleterious influence of age on key biomarkers of AD pathophysiology. However, because our observational, cross-sectional design cannot establish causality, randomized controlled trials/longitudinal studies will be necessary for determining whether midlife participation in structured physical exercise forestalls the development of AD and related disorders in later life. © 2014 American Academy of Neurology.

Western Australia facing critical losses in its midwifery workforce: a survey of midwives' intentions.

PubMed

Pugh, Judith D; Twigg, Diane E; Martin, Tracy L; Rai, Tapan

2013-05-01

the ongoing attrition of the midwifery workforce frustrates future workforce planning and the provision of maternity services in Western Australia. This project determined factors contributing to the intention of the midwives to move jobs and/or leave the profession. a cross-sectional survey approach was taken for this descriptive research utilising a self-administered questionnaire developed by the Nursing and Midwifery Office, Department of Health, Western Australia. public and private health sectors in Western Australia, April-May 2010. 1,600 midwives employed in the public and private health sectors throughout Western Australia were invited to participate: 712 responded (44.5%), one-fifth of the state's registered midwives. most midwives worked part-time in a clinical role in public hospitals. Almost half intended moving jobs within 5 years and/or leaving midwifery. Excluding midwives of retirement age, the most common reasons for intending to move jobs were family commitments, working conditions and role dissatisfaction. Those intending to leave midwifery cited work-life balance, career change and family commitments. Midwives thought addressing the following issues would improve midwifery retention: flexible work arrangements, remuneration, staffing and caseload, workplace culture, professional development and models of care. retaining the midwifery workforce requires attention to workforce practices particularly flexible work arrangements and workloads; models of care to strengthen midwives' relationships with clients and colleagues; and accessible professional development. a review of workplace practices at unit and institution levels is urgently required in Western Australia so that midwives can achieve work-life balance and practice to the full extent of their professional role. These changes are necessary to forestall premature retirement of skilled and experienced midwives from the profession and workforce churn. Crown Copyright © 2012. Published by

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.

NEW TECHNIQUE FOR OBESITY SURGERY: INTERNAL GASTRIC PLICATION TECHNIQUE USING INTRAGASTRIC SINGLE-PORT (IGS-IGP) IN EXPERIMENTAL MODEL.

PubMed

Müller, Verena; Fikatas, Panagiotis; Gül, Safak; Noesser, Maximilian; Fuehrer, Kirs Ten; Sauer, Igor; Pratschke, Johann; Zorron, Ricardo

2017-01-01

utilizando um dispositivo intragástrico de portal único em modelo experimental de suínos. Foram realizados 20 experimentos utilizando estômagos de cadáver de porco fresco em um instrutor laparoscópico. O procedimento foi realizado da seguinte forma em dez porcos: 1) medida de volume; 2) insuflação do estômago com CO2; 3) extroversão do estômago através do simulador e instalação do dispositivo de uma única via (Gelpoint Applied Mini) através de uma gastrotomia próxima ao piloro; 4) realização de quatro suturas de quatro pontos intra-gástricas com Prolene 2-0, desde o fundo gástrico até o antro; 5) medição do volume residual. A gastrectomia vertical foi também realizada em mais dez suínos e o volume gástrico pré e pós-procedimento foi medido. A técnica de plicatura gástrica interna foi realizada com sucesso nos dez experimentos com suínos. O tempo médio do procedimento foi de 27±4 min. Produziu redução do volume gástrico em média de 51%, e a gastrectomia vertical em média de 90% neste modelo suíno. A técnica de plicatura gástrica interna, utilizando um dispositivo intragástrico de uma única via, exigiu poucas habilidades para ser realizada, teve baixo tempo operatório e obteve boa redução (51%) do volume gástrico em um modelo experimental in vitro.

Medición de placas astrométricas obtenidas con el telescopio Astrográfico de La Plata

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

di Sisto, R. P.; Orellana, R.

El Observatorio de La Plata cuenta con un gran número de placas de asteroides y cometas obtenidas con el telescopio astrográfico, que cubren gran parte del cielo del hemisferio sur. En 1996 se recopilaron y clasificaron 2187 placas (Beca para estudiantes de la AAA 1996) de las cuales 2031 corresponden a asteroides. Los datos de cada placa se volcaron en una base de datos creada para facilitar su manejo y preservar la información. A partir de este trabajo se revisaron los MPC electrónicos y se identificaron aquellas placas de asteroides pertenecientes a nuestra base de datos cuyos resultados no fueron publicados en los mismos. De un total de 400 placas que no aparecían publicadas sobresalía un paquete constituído por 40 placas obtenidas en 1977. Estas últimas fueron reducidas utilizando las posiciones y movimientos propios de las estrellas de referencia obtenidas del catálogo SAO 2000 dadas para el sistema FK5. Las posiciones calculadas fueron enviadas y publicadas en los Minor Planet Circulars (MPC).

Populações estelares em galáxias HII

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Westera, P.; Cuisinier, F.; Telles, E.; Kehrig, C.

2003-08-01

Analisamos o conteúdo estelar de 74 galáxias HII a partir do contínuo observado nos espectros ópticos dessas galáxias, utilizando métodos de síntese de população estelar. Descobrimos que todas as galáxias para as quais encontramos soluções contêm uma população estelar velha que domina a massa estelar, e numa maioria dessas também encontramos evidência de uma população de idade intermediaria além da geração jovem que está se formando agora. Concluímos que a formação estelar dessas galáxias se realiza em surtos individuais, Esses surtos são interrompidos por longos períodos de inatividade, com os primeiros consumindo a maior parte do gás. Sugerimos, portanto, que as galáxias HII sejam galáxias anãs normais flagradas em um período de surto.

Molecular identification of Nocardia species using the sodA gene: Identificación molecular de especies de Nocardia utilizando el gen sodA.

PubMed

Sánchez-Herrera, K; Sandoval, H; Mouniee, D; Ramírez-Durán, N; Bergeron, E; Boiron, P; Sánchez-Saucedo, N; Rodríguez-Nava, V

2017-09-01

Currently for bacterial identification and classification the rrs gene encoding 16S rRNA is used as a reference method for the analysis of strains of the genus Nocardia. However, it does not have enough polymorphism to differentiate them at the species level. This fact makes it necessary to search for molecular targets that can provide better identification. The sod A gene (encoding the enzyme superoxide dismutase) has had good results in identifying species of other Actinomycetes. In this study the sod A gene is proposed for the identification and differentiation at the species level of the genus Nocardia. We used 41 type species of various collections; a 386 bp fragment of the sod A gene was amplified and sequenced, and a phylogenetic analysis was performed comparing the genes rrs (1171 bp), hsp 65 (401 bp), sec A1 (494 bp), gyr B (1195 bp) and rpo B (401 bp). The sequences were aligned using the Clustal X program. Evolutionary trees according to the neighbour-joining method were created with the programs Phylo_win and MEGA 6. The specific variability of the sod A genus of the genus Nocardia was analysed. A high phylogenetic resolution, significant genetic variability, and specificity and reliability were observed for the differentiation of the isolates at the species level. The polymorphism observed in the sod A gene sequence contains variable regions that allow the discrimination of closely related Nocardia species. The clear specificity, despite its small size, proves to be of great advantage for use in taxonomic studies and clinical diagnosis of the genus Nocardia.

Alfabetización en Astronomía de docentes de Educación Primaria y de Educación Secundaria en La Plata

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

De Biasi, M. S.; Orellana, R. B.

2014-10-01

La educación de este siglo tiene como uno de sus retos alcanzar la alfabetización cientfica de todos los ciudadanos para que comprendan y tomen decisiones sobre el mundo natural y sus cambios originados por la actividad humana utilizando el conocimiento científico. En esta misión los docentes de los niveles obligatorios de enseñanza juegan un papel clave por su rol de agentes multiplicadores del conocimiento. Se requiere, entonces de una adecuada alfabetización en ciencias de los docentes o, como mínimo, que dominen los temas científicos a enseñar. En el campo de la Astronomía, numerosas investigaciones han señalado que maestros de primaria y estudiantes de profesorados poseen una escasa formación en estos temas (Camino 1995 y 1999, Gangui 2010), que frecuentemente presentan a los alumnos concepciones alternativas o no científicas de los fenómenos astronómicos cotidianos (Kriner 2004, Vega Navarro 2007, Gangui et al 2010); a lo que se suma la presentación confusa o errónea de algunos temas astronómicos en los textos escolares (Kriner 2004). Desde 2011, la Facultad de Ciencias Astronómicas y Geofísicas, UNLP, ofrece un curso de capacitación destinado a fortalecer y actualizar los contenidos académicos y didácticos de los docentes del distrito La Plata utilizando diversas estrategias didácticas. Los contenidos comprenden los temas astronómicos de los diseños curriculares vigentes. La evaluación diagnóstica de los conocimientos previos de los docentes cursantes sobre los contenidos de mayor presencia en los diseños curriculares mostró resultados similares a las investigaciones arriba mencionadas. Referente a los movimientos de la Tierra, en promedio, el 54% poseía conceptos erróneos y el 16% no los sabía; con referencia a la Luna el 56% poseía conceptos erróneos y un 4% no los sabía. Los resultados del curso mostraron que el 95% de los docentes revirtió sus conceptos previos erróneos, que adquirió criterios para la búsqueda de

Social support of adults and elderly with chronic kidney disease on dialysis.

PubMed

Silva, Simone Márcia da; Braido, Natalia Fernanda; Ottaviani, Ana Carolina; Gesualdo, Gabriela Dutra; Zazzetta, Marisa Silvana; Orlandi, Fabiana de Souza

2016-08-08

to evaluate the instrumental and emotional social support of patients with chronic kidney disease on hemodialysis. descriptive cross-sectional study. The sample was sized for convenience and included 103 participants under treatment in a Renal Replacement Therapy Unit. Data were collected through individual interviews, using the Social Support Scale. the mean scores of the emotional and instrumental social support were 3.92 (± 0.78) and 3.81 (± 0.69) respectively, an indication of good support received. The most frequent sources of instrumental and emotional social support mentioned by participants were partners, spouse, companion or boyfriend and friends. patients with chronic kidney disease have high social support, both instrumental and emotional, and the main support comes from the family. avaliar o suporte social instrumental e emocional de pacientes renais crônicos em tratamento hemodialítico. estudo descritivo, de corte transversal. A amostra dimensionada por conveniência foi composta por 103 participantes em tratamento em uma Unidade de Terapia Renal Substitutiva. Os dados foram coletados por meio de entrevista individual, utilizando-se a Escala de Suporte Social. o escore médio do suporte social emocional e instrumental foi de 3,92 (±0,78) e foi 3,81 (± 0,69) respectivamente, sendo um indicativo de bom suporte recebido. Entre as fontes mais frequentes de suporte social instrumental e emocional mencionadas pelos participantes encontram-se os parceiros, cônjuge, companheiro ou namorado e amigos. os pacientes com doença renal crônica apresentam elevado apoio social, tanto instrumental quanto emocional, sendo a principal forma de apoio proveniente da família. evaluar el apoyo social instrumental y emocional de los enfermos renales crónicos en hemodiálisis. estudio descriptivo, de cohorte transversal. La muestra ha sido dimensionada por conveniencia y compuesta de 103 participantes en tratamiento en una Unidad de Terapia de Reemplazo Renal. Los

Mineral supply constraints necessitate a global policy response

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nickless, Edmund

2016-04-01

Adoption on 12 December 2015 of The Paris Agreement, the first universal climate agreement, suggests that nations will invest in infrastructures for renewable energy sources paving the way to a global low-carbon society. These large-scale changes will require vast amounts of metals and minerals. Regardless of whether known supplies are enough to meet demand in the near future, efforts must be made now to forestall unpredictable yet inevitable supply shortages in the decades to come, shortages that would dramatically impact the building of additional generation and distribution capacity, and deployment of low-carbon technology. But in response to the current downturn in commodity prices, the global mining industry is downsizing and reducing investment in the new exploration, putting at risk future security of supply. Mining and climate change are inextricably linked; the new adaptive technologies needed to tackle climate change depend on extraction of minerals and metals. An interdisciplinary group supported by the International Union of Geological Sciences, the International Council for Science Unions and UNESCO proposes measures to avert the looming minerals crisis that is developing in the context of current recycling capacity and exploration trends. Our immediate goal is to stimulate discussion of supply constraints using available data on mineral reserves. We build on recent discussions of supply risk and criticality with a focus on the source of primary resources over the next two to three decades when the availability of metals for recycling will remain low. Current massive production of iron ore and other such commodities despite record low prices indicates a failure of the traditional supply and demand constraints. Broader discussions of metal and mineral supply beyond current criticality are needed given the pace of technological and demographic change as well as rapid development spurts. Furthermore, accessible mineral deposits are irregularly distributed

[Moral and religious issues in health care].

PubMed

Necek, Robert

2012-01-01

The paper summarises the moral and spiritual factors important in care for sick people. Medical care is one of the ancient forms of our activity as humans, expounding care for other people's well-being. The moral aspect of medical care is deeply rooted in constant daily interaction between the patient and the doctor aiming at easing symptoms, support, help, prevention and defense. Such teleological orientation of medicine is, according to John Paul II, made possible not so much by technology but by physician's conscience, wisdom and unlimited honesty. This is where ethics is needed to regulate that particular relation. This ethics stems from Christian morality, which raises our role as humans to that of guardians of dignity of another human being. Man is indeed the measure of all things, and this becomes the context for all relations including man's relation to God, but also relation of God to man. Thus, human dignity assumes the status of unconditional natural rule, inherently forestalling all legal arrangements. The morality of health care requires holistic approach, including care for body, mind, social interaction and spiritual needs. Only then, as explained by dr Ewa Kucharska, is it possible to answer patient's all needs. The moral side of the therapeutic contract bounds the doctor and the patient, alike. From this point of view, it is immoral not to cooperate with physicians in their strife for the preservation of health and life itself. Self negligence or active self harm (drugs, alcohol abuse, HIV/AIDS) are the utmost examples of such dishonesty. Finally, the imperative to bring hope and faith to the suffering, vests special importance in hospital chaplains, who bring good word, but most importantly the sacrament to those in need. The prayer in turn may evoke strong hope for cure, capable of supporting both soul and body. The suffering of man cannot be understood on rational grounds. It requires acceptance, and, above all, it requires faith. And this

In vivo real-time fluorescence visualization and brain-targeting mechanisms of lipid nanocarriers with different fatty ester:oil ratios.

PubMed

Wen, Chih-Jen; Yen, Tzu-Chen; Al-Suwayeh, Saleh A; Chang, Hui-Wen; Fang, Jia-You

2011-11-01

The objective of the present work was to investigate the influence of the inner cores of lipid nanocarriers on the efficiency of brain targeting. Cetyl palmitate and squalene were respectively chosen as the solid lipid and liquid oil in the inner phase of the nanocarriers. Nanoparticulate systems with different cetyl palmitate/squalene ratios were compared by evaluating the size, zeta potential, molecular environment, and mobility of lipids in the systems. The particulate diameter ranged from 190 to 210 nm, with systems containing 100% cetyl palmitate in the matrix (solid lipid nanoparticles [SLN]) showing the smallest size, followed by systems with both cetyl palmitate and squalene (nanostructured lipid carriers [NLC]) and with 100% squalene (lipid emulsions [LE]). A cationic surfactant, Forestall, was used to produce a positive surface charge of 40-55 mW. The in vitro release was evaluated using various dyes located in different phases of the nanocarriers. The release of sulforhodamine B occurred in a sustained manner from the shell of the nanocarriers. The in vivo brain distribution of lipid nanosystems after an intravenous injection into rats was monitored by a real-time fluorescence imaging system. LE showed higher brain accumulation than SLN and NLC. NLC only exhibited a slightly higher brain accumulation compared with the aqueous control. Incorporation of sulforhodamine B into LE could prolong its retention in the brain from 20 to 50 min. The results were further confirmed by imaging the entire brain and brain slices. The specific association of lipid nanocarriers with rat brain endothelial cells (bEnd3) was demonstrated using fluorescence microscopy. The cellular uptake of LE and SLN was higher compared with NLC and the aqueous control. LE were observed to be internalized by cells through caveola-mediated and macropinocytotic energy-dependent endocytosis. The experimental profiles indicated that LE with moderate additives are a promising brain

Human exposure to lead and other potentially harmful elements associated with galena mining at New Zurak, central Nigeria

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lar, U. A.; Ngozi-Chika, C. S.; Ashano, E. C.

2013-08-01

Galena mining in New Zurak, central Nigeria is currently increasing in intensity, with widespread artisanal mining taking place alongside mechanised mining. These activities are causing immeasurable damage to the environment. The prolonged human exposure and ingestion of Pb and other potentially harmful elements (PHEs) such as U, Cd, Se, Zn and As that are released from ores during these (mining) activities is a cause of great concern to populations that live in the vicinity of these mine fields. Many of the communities make their living from subsistence farming, growing food from the surroundings, and obtaining drinking water from nearby surface and sub-surface water resources. An overall assessment of the degree of contamination or toxicity of Pb and other PHEs was carried out using the indices of geoaccumulation (Igeo) and contamination factors (CFs), in the different media sampled - farmland soils, uncultivated lands, mine tailings/dumps, natural waters and vegetables. Results reveal that the mine tailings and dumps are highly contaminated with Pb and other PHEs followed in decreasing degree of contamination by the uncultivated lands, farmlands and natural waters. These findings suggest that release of Pb and other PHEs from the galena mining activity has contributed significantly to the enrichment of these elements in the surrounding environment, including the natural water bodies, and are disposed to subsequent entry into the human body through the food chain. As such these PHE accumulations pose significant risks to the environment and human health, especially of children and pregnant women who are the most vulnerable groups in the area. In order to forestall a reoccurrence of the Zamfara Pb poisoning episode in northwestern Nigeria in 2010, where more than 400 children died, the authorities concerned should ensure that mining in New Zurak is done in a more environmentally friendly manner, ensuring the maintenance of an environmental quality adequate for

Forms of benefit sharing in global health research undertaken in resource poor settings: a qualitative study of stakeholders' views in Kenya.

PubMed

Lairumbi, Geoffrey M; Parker, Michael; Fitzpatrick, Raymond; English, Michael C

2012-01-17

forestall exploitation. Embracing the two is however challenging in terms of how the various competing interests/needs should be balanced ethically, especially in the absence of structures to guide the process. This challenge should point to the need for greater dialogue to facilitate value clarification among stakeholders.

Host Plants of Xylosandrus mutilatus in Mississippi

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

Stone, W.D.; Nebeker, T.E.; Gerard, P.D.

. tulipifera. Esta informacion es pertinente en determinar el impacto que pueda tener este escarabajo exotico en invernaderos, areas urbanas y otros sistemas forestales donde el escarabajo se establece. (author)« less

Strategies to Prevent Cholera Introduction during International Personnel Deployments: A Computational Modeling Analysis Based on the 2010 Haiti Outbreak

PubMed Central

Lewnard, Joseph A.; Antillón, Marina; Gonsalves, Gregg; Miller, Alice M.; Ko, Albert I.; Pitzer, Virginia E.

2016-01-01

Background Introduction of Vibrio cholerae to Haiti during the deployment of United Nations (UN) peacekeepers in 2010 resulted in one of the largest cholera epidemics of the modern era. Following the outbreak, a UN-commissioned independent panel recommended three pre-deployment intervention strategies to minimize the risk of cholera introduction in future peacekeeping operations: screening for V. cholerae carriage, administering prophylactic antimicrobial chemotherapies, or immunizing with oral cholera vaccines. However, uncertainty regarding the effectiveness of these approaches has forestalled their implementation by the UN. We assessed how the interventions would have impacted the likelihood of the Haiti cholera epidemic. Methods and Findings We developed a stochastic model for cholera importation and transmission, fitted to reported cases during the first weeks of the 2010 outbreak in Haiti. Using this model, we estimated that diagnostic screening reduces the probability of cases occurring by 82% (95% credible interval: 75%, 85%); however, false-positive test outcomes may hamper this approach. Antimicrobial chemoprophylaxis at time of departure and oral cholera vaccination reduce the probability of cases by 50% (41%, 57%) and by up to 61% (58%, 63%), respectively. Chemoprophylaxis beginning 1 wk before departure confers a 91% (78%, 96%) reduction independently, and up to a 98% reduction (94%, 99%) if coupled with vaccination. These results are not sensitive to assumptions about the background cholera incidence rate in the endemic troop-sending country. Further research is needed to (1) validate the sensitivity and specificity of rapid test approaches for detecting asymptomatic carriage, (2) compare prophylactic efficacy across antimicrobial regimens, and (3) quantify the impact of oral cholera vaccine on transmission from asymptomatic carriers. Conclusions Screening, chemoprophylaxis, and vaccination are all effective strategies to prevent cholera introduction

A primer of drug safety surveillance: an industry perspective. Part II: Product labeling and product knowledge.

PubMed

Allan, M C

1992-01-01

To place the fundamentals of clinical drug safety surveillance in a conceptual framework that will facilitate understanding and application of adverse drug event data to protect the health of the public and support a market for pharmaceutical manufacturers' products. Part II of this series discusses specific issues regarding product labeling, such as developing the labeling, changing the labeling, and the legal as well as commercial ramifications of the contents of the labeling. An adverse event report scenario is further analyzed and suggestions are offered for maintaining the product labeling as an accurate reflection of the drug safety surveillance data. This article also emphasizes the necessity of product knowledge in adverse event database management. Both scientific and proprietary knowledge are required. Acquiring product knowledge is a part of the day-to-day activities of drug safety surveillance. A knowledge of the history of the product may forestall adverse publicity, as shown in the illustration. This review uses primary sources from the federal laws (regulations), commentaries, and summaries. Very complex topics are briefly summarized in the text. Secondary sources, ranging from newspaper articles to judicial summaries, illustrate the interpretation of adverse drug events and opportunities for drug safety surveillance intervention. The reference materials used were articles theoretically or practically applicable in the day-to-day practice of drug safety surveillance. The role of clinical drug safety surveillance in product monitoring and drug development is described. The process of drug safety surveillance is defined by the Food and Drug Administration regulations, product labeling, product knowledge, and database management. Database management is subdivided into the functions of receipt, retention, retrieval, and review of adverse event reports. Emphasis is placed on the dynamic interaction of the components of the process. Suggestions are offered

An account of the Ebola virus disease outbreak in Nigeria: implications and lessons learnt.

PubMed

Otu, Akaninyene; Ameh, Soter; Osifo-Dawodu, Egbe; Alade, Enoma; Ekuri, Susan; Idris, Jide

2017-07-10

The 2014 Ebola virus disease (EVD) outbreak remains unprecedented both in the number of cases, deaths and geographic scope. The first case of EVD was confirmed in Lagos Nigeria on 23 July 2014 and spread to involve 19 laboratory-confirmed EVD cases. The EVD cases were not limited to Lagos State as Rivers State recorded 2 confirmed cases of EVD with 1 out of the 2 dying. Swift implementation of public health measures were sufficient to forestall a country -wide spread of this dreaded disease. This exploratory formative research describes the events of the Nigeria Ebola crisis in 2014. This research was implemented through key informant in-depth interviews involving 15 stakeholders in the EVD outbreak in Nigeria by a team of two or three interviewers. Most of the interviews were conducted face-to-face at the various offices of the respondents and others were via the telephone. The interviews which lasted an hour on average were conducted in English, digitally recorded and notes were also taken. This study elucidated the public health response to the Ebola outbreak led by Lagos State Government in conjunction with the Federal Ministry of Health. The principal strategy was an incident management approach which saw them identify and successfully follow up 894 contacts. The infected EVD cases were quarantined and treated. The Nigerian private sector and international organizations made significant contributions to the control efforts. Public health enlightenment programmes using multimodal communication strategies were rapidly deployed. Water and sanitary facilities were provided in many public schools in Lagos. The 2014 Ebola outbreak in Nigeria was effectively controlled using the incident management approach with massive support provided by the private sector and international community. Eight of the confirmed cases of EVD in Nigeria eventually died (case fatality rate of 42.1%) and twelve were nursed back to good health. On October 20 2014 Nigeria was declared fee of

Ploidy race distributions since the Last Glacial Maximum in the North American desert shrub, Larrea tridentata

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hunter, K.L.; Betancourt, J.L.; Riddle, B.R.; Van Devender, T. R.; Cole, K.L.; Geoffrey, Spaulding W.

2000-01-01

1 A classic biogeographic pattern is the alignment of diploid, tetraploid and hexaploid races of creosote bush (Larrea tridentata) across the Chihuahuan, Sonoran and Mohave Deserts of western North America. We used statistically robust differences in guard cell size of modern plants and fossil leaves from packrat middens to map current and past distributions of these ploidy races since the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM). 2 Glacial/early Holocene (26-10 14C kyr BP or thousands of radiocarbon years before present) populations included diploids along the lower Rio Grande of west Texas, 650 km removed from sympatric diploids and tetraploids in the lower Colorado River Basin of south-eastern California/south-western Arizona. Diploids migrated slowly from lower Rio Grande refugia with expansion into the northern Chihuahuan Desert sites forestalled until after ???4.0 14C kyr BP. Tetraploids expanded from the lower Colorado River Basin into the northern limits of the Sonoran Desert in central Arizona by 6.4 14C kyr BP. Hexaploids appeared by 8.5 14C kyr BP in the lower Colorado River Basin, reaching their northernmost limits (???37??N) in the Mohave Desert between 5.6 and 3.9 14C kyr BP. 3 Modern diploid isolates may have resulted from both vicariant and dispersal events. In central Baja California and the lower Colorado River Basin, modern diploids probably originated from relict populations near glacial refugia. Founder events in the middle and late Holocene established diploid outposts on isolated limestone outcrops in areas of central and southern Arizona dominated by tetraploid populations. 4 Geographic alignment of the three ploidy races along the modern gradient of increasingly drier and hotter summers is clearly a postglacial phenomenon, but evolution of both higher ploidy races must have happened before the Holocene. The exact timing and mechanism of polyploidy evolution in creosote bush remains a matter of conjecture. ?? 2001 Blackwell Science Ltd.

Ploidy race distributions since the Last Glacial Maximum in the North American desert shrub, Larea tridentata

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hunter, Kimberly L.; Betancourt, Julio L.; Riddle, Brett R.; Van Devender, Thomas R.; Cole, K.L.; Spaulding, W.G.

2001-01-01

1. A classic biogeographic pattern is the alignment of diploid, tetraploid and hexaploid races of creosote bush (Larrea tridentata) across the Chihuahuan, Sonoran and Mohave Deserts of western North America. We used statistically robust differences in guard cell size of modern plants and fossil leaves from packrat middens to map current and past distributions of these ploidy races since the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM). 2 Glacial/early Holocene (26a??10 14C kyr bp or thousands of radiocarbon years before present) populations included diploids along the lower Rio Grande of west Texas, 650 km removed from sympatric diploids and tetraploids in the lower Colorado River Basin of south-eastern California/south-western Arizona. Diploids migrated slowly from lower Rio Grande refugia with expansion into the northern Chihuahuan Desert sites forestalled until after ~4.0 14C kyr bp. Tetraploids expanded from the lower Colorado River Basin into the northern limits of the Sonoran Desert in central Arizona by 6.4 14C kyr bp. Hexaploids appeared by 8.5 14C kyr bp in the lower Colorado River Basin, reaching their northernmost limits (~37A?N) in the Mohave Desert between 5.6 and 3.9 14C kyr bp. 3 Modern diploid isolates may have resulted from both vicariant and dispersal events. In central Baja California and the lower Colorado River Basin, modern diploids probably originated from relict populations near glacial refugia. Founder events in the middle and late Holocene established diploid outposts on isolated limestone outcrops in areas of central and southern Arizona dominated by tetraploid populations. 4 Geographic alignment of the three ploidy races along the modern gradient of increasingly drier and hotter summers is clearly a postglacial phenomenon, but evolution of both higher ploidy races must have happened before the Holocene. The exact timing and mechanism of polyploidy evolution in creosote bush remains a matter of conjecture.

Desarrollo de un receptor polarimétrico en banda S para aplicación en estudios radioastronómicos

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Barberis, C. M.; Bava, J. A.; Sanz, A. J.

Desde el punto de vista tecnológico, el objetivo principal de este proyecto es desarrollar un cabezal de receptor en la frecuencia de 3.3 GHz, con una temperatura del sistema de 60 K y un ancho de banda de 140 MHz. El mismo será instalado en el foco primario de un reflector parabólico de 30 metros de diámetro que funcionará como radiómetro en el IAR. El receptor es del tipo polarimétrico, con lo cual permite la posibilidad de obtener las componentes de polarización lineal y circular. Para tal fin el cabezal constará de dos ramas receptoras que amplificarán la señal y la trasladarán a una frecuencia menor, (frecuencia intermedia), permitiendo de esa forma un mejor transporte de la señal a la sala de control para su posterior procesamiento. El receptor, además de tener características polarimétricas, podrá ser usado en el contínuo y en la línea, utilizando las ventajas observacionales y de procesamiento de señal que actualmente posee el IAR.

A correlação índice espectral vs. luminosidade em QSOs e suas implicações

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Garcia-Rissmann, A.

2003-08-01

Estudos de variabilidade de núcleos ativos já demonstraram ser comum o fato de seu contínuo óptico/UV tornar-se mais "duro" à medida que a luminosidade aumenta. Essa tendência ocorre tanto de forma individual quanto global, e pode ter implicações importantes (1) para estudos fotométricos de variabilidade conduzidos numa banda fixa no referencial do observador, comparando objetos a diferentes redshifts, e (2) no cálculo da correção K, com consequente impacto na determinação de massas de buracos negros e bojos de galáxias hospedeiras (através da relação de Magorrian). Confirmo aqui as correlações positivas entre o índice espectral e a luminosidade óptica, utilizando dados espectroscópicos de 11 QSOs monitorados no Brasil e no Chile, durante ~2 anos. O estudo é complementado com parâmetros extraídos de espectros e de dados fotométricos públicos de quasares. Destaco ainda as diferenças observadas em tais correlações para objetos do tipo radio-loud e radio-quiet. Este projeto é financiado pelo I. Milênio/CNPq.

Health monitoring of an ancient tree using ground penetrating radar - investigation of the tree root system and soil interaction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Alani, Amir M.; Bianchini Ciampoli, Luca; Tosti, Fabio; Giulia Brancadoro, Maria; Pirrone, Daniele; Benedetto, Andrea

2017-04-01

The sensibility towards environmental issues along with the attention on preserving natural heritage, especially ancient trees and rare plants, has greatly increased, and the management and the control of the forestall heritage and the floral system has become accordingly a high-priority objective to achieve. One of the main factors of tree decay which originally gained public attention is the presence of unknown pathogens carried along by the wind, which can lead to epidemic phenomena and often to a quick death of entire forests. In such an emergency situation, two main approaches can be followed, namely, i) active measures (i.e., the avoidance of any contact between the pathogenic spores and the trees by using bio-security measures) and ii) passive measures (i.e., the application of policies for the control and the management of the forestall heritage aimed at identifying the early-stage symptoms of the disease). Since the latest approach is based on the monitoring of living trees, invasive methods of health assessment like cutting off branches or incremental coring are increasingly discouraged, and non-destructive evaluation proves to be the only option to undertake. The applications of non-destructive testing (NDT) techniques in forestry sciences are often self-standing and not integrated with one another. This is often due to a lack of knowledge from the NDT users towards the physics and the bio-chemical processes which mainly govern the life cycle of trees and plants. Such an issue is emphasized by the evident complexity of the plant and trunk systems themselves. Notwithstanding this, the ground-penetrating radar (GPR) technique has proved to be one of the most effective, due to its high versatility, rapidity in collecting data and the provision of reliable results at relatively limited costs. The use of GPR can provide invaluable information about the effective tree trunk assessment and appraisals, tree roots mapping, soil interaction with tree and plants

Diseno de una Actividad de Aprendizaje Basada en la Argumentacion Dialogica en un curso Virtual de Biotecnologia y su Incidencia en el Desarrollo de Competencias Cientificas

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ortiz Benavides, Fedra Lorena

El proposito de la investigacion fue evaluar la efectividad de una actividad de aprendizaje basado en la argumentacion dialogica en linea y su incidencia en el desarrollo de competencias cientificas. Se fundamenta en la teoria del aprendizaje socio cultural de Vigotsky (1984), los principios del diseno instruccional de la cognicion situada por Hung y Der-Thang (2001) y como estrategia se aplico la argumentacion dialogica utilizando el Modelo Argumentativo de Toulmin MAT (1984). El diseno experimental comparo dos grupos de estudiantes A y B en el curso virtual de Biotecnologia. El grupo A (experimental) desarrollo la discusion a partir de la estrategia disenada para este estudio y el grupo B (control) realizo la discusion desde las actividades tradicionales. El desarrollo de la competencia argumentativa se valoro con el instrumento de evaluacion para argumentacion dialogica en linea propuesta por Clark y Sampson (2008). La evaluacion de las competencias cientificas se realizo a partir de una postprueba. Los datos fueron analizados con pruebas estadisticas no parametricas. Los resultados de la investigacion, indicaron diferencias significativas en el nivel de la competencia argumental en el grupo experimental en comparacion al grupo control. Igualmente se demostro que existe una relacion positiva entre el nivel de desarrollo de la competencia argumentativa y el nivel de desarrollo de las competencias cientificas.

Comparação entre cirurgia aberta e endovascular no tratamento do aneurisma da artéria poplítea: uma revisão

PubMed Central

Gonçalves, Ana Fernanda Fagundes; Pelek, Carlos Augusto; Nogueira, Lorena Slusarz; de Carvalho, Renan Francisco; Stumpf, Matheo Augusto Morandi; Gomes, Ricardo Zanetti; Kluthcovsky, Ana Claudia Garabeli Cavalli

2018-01-01

Resumo Os aneurismas de artéria poplítea correspondem a 70% dos aneurismas periféricos e o tratamento é cirúrgico, com controvérsias sobre os resultados da via endovascular. Este estudo objetivou realizar uma revisão da literatura sobre a comparação entre cirurgia aberta e endovascular no tratamento dos aneurismas da artéria poplítea. A pesquisa foi realizada utilizando os termos apropriados nos portais de periódicos LILACS e MEDLINE, com a seleção de 15 artigos. Um total de 5.166 procedimentos cirúrgicos foram comparados, sendo 3.930 cirurgias abertas e 1.236 cirurgias endovasculares. A cirurgia aberta com bypass venoso continua sendo o padrão-ouro. A cirurgia endovascular apresenta menor tempo de internação e é uma opção viável em pacientes eletivos, com baixa expectativa de vida, alto risco cirúrgico, comorbidades e mais idosos, desde que tenham anatomia favorável para o procedimento. Contudo, são necessários estudos de longo prazo para estabelecer os reais benefícios e indicações das duas técnicas, como o ensaio clínico randomizado controlado.

Evolución de estrellas enanas blancas en el contexto de una constante de gravitación G variable en el tiempo

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Benvenuto, O. G.; Althaus, L. G.; Torres, D. F.

En este trabajo se estudia por primera vez de manera autoconsistente la evolución de las estrellas enanas blancas en el caso de una constante de gravitación G variable en el tiempo. Teniendo en cuenta que: 1) las enanas blancas son en general estrellas muy viejas y 2) su fuente de energía es básicamente de origen térmico y gravitacional, estos objetos son en principio muy adecuados para analizar distintas teorías de gravitación. Los cálculos que aquí presentamos fueron realizados utilizando nuestro código de evolución estelar, el cual calcula la evolución de estrellas enanas blancas por medio del esquema iterativo de Henyey. Dicho código, basado en una descripción física muy detallada, ha sido modificado para tener en cuenta la variación del valor de G. Encontramos que un G variable (decreciente en el tiempo) modifica fuertemente la evolución de las enanas blancas, conduciendo a un rápido enfriamiento de la estrella. Nuestros resultados son comparados con recientes datos observacionales sobre la función de luminosidad de las enanas blancas.

Fontes binárias supermoles de raios X

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pires, A. M.; Janot Pacheco, E.

2003-08-01

Estuda-se as características físicas das fontes supermoles (de raios X (SSS), utilizando dados ópticos e em altas energias, no âmbito de um trabalho de IC. Trata-se de binárias que apresentam espectro X muito mole, baixas temperaturas e altas luminosidades bolométricas. Esse sistemas são compostos por uma anã branca realizando fusão em sua superfície, a partir de matéria perdida pela estrela companheira. Os resíduos de fusão se acumulam na superfície da anã branca, e essa pode ultrapassar o limite de Chadrasekhar, produzir um colapso gravitacional, sendo esse um dos cenários propostos para as explosões de SN Ia. Apresentamos nesta comunicação o estado da arte das características físicas das fontes SSS, situando-as no âmbito das VCs. Procuramos também situar esses objetos em relação às variáveis galácticas V Sge, na medida em que os dois grupos apresentam certas caracerísticas bastante semelhantes.A metodologia adotada é aquela pedagógico-cognitiva clássica de um trabalho de IC na área de ciências exatas.

Influência da termoablação com baixa e alta densidade de energia na junção safeno-femoral, utilizando laser endovenoso 1470 nm

PubMed Central

de Araujo, Walter Junior Boim; Erzinger, Fabiano Luiz; Caron, Filipe Carlos; Nejm, Carlos Seme; Timi, Jorge Rufino Ribas

2017-01-01

Resumo Contexto Faz-se importante o conhecimento técnico dos ajustes de potência e de densidade de energia linear endovenosa (linear endovenous energy density, LEED) adequados para atingir o objetivo final da termoablação endovenosa (endovenous laser ablation, EVLA). Objetivos Avaliar a influência de diferentes LEEDs em termos de patência e presença de refluxo, bem como determinar a evolução clínica. Métodos Foram incluídas 60 veias safenas magnas (VSM). Os pacientes foram randomizados em dois grupos: EVLA com baixa potência (7 W e LEED de 20-40 J/cm) e com alta potência (15 W e LEED de 80-100 J/cm). O acompanhamento com eco-Doppler e escore de severidade clínica venoso (VCSS) foi realizado nos intervalos de 3-5 dias, 30 dias, 180 dias e 1 ano após o procedimento. Resultados Dezoito pacientes (29 membros) tratados com 7W de potência e 13 pacientes (23 membros) com 15 W completaram o estudo. Não houve diferença significativa considerando idade, tempo de cirurgia e o uso de analgésicos, lateralidade, gênero e presença de comorbidades. O LEED médio foi de 33,54 J/cm no grupo de 7 W e de 88,66 J/cm no de 15 W. Ambos apresentaram melhora no VCSS, redução significativa dos diâmetros da JSF e ausência de diferença significativa quanto ao aumento do comprimento do coto da VSM e de refluxo após o tratamento. Conclusões A utilização de maior densidade de energia mostrou-se mais efetiva em relação à estabilização do comprimento do coto da VSM e do refluxo em 6 meses. Fazem-se necessários estudos com um período de acompanhamento maior para fundamentar essa hipótese. PMID:29930650

Rainfall mediations in the spreading of epidemic cholera

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Righetto, L.; Bertuzzo, E.; Mari, L.; Schild, E.; Casagrandi, R.; Gatto, M.; Rodriguez-Iturbe, I.; Rinaldo, A.

2013-10-01

the eradication of the disease in Haiti. The projections, although strongly depending on still uncertain epidemiological processes, show an endemic, seasonal pattern establishing in the region, which can be better forestalled by an improvement of the sanitation system only, rather than by vaccination alone. We thus conclude that hydrologic drivers and water resources management prove central to prediction, emergency management and long-term control of epidemic cholera.

Geology and ground-water hydrology of the Angostura irrigation project, South Dakota, with a section on the mineral quality of the waters

USGS Publications Warehouse

Littleton, Robert T.; Swenson, Herbert A.

1949-01-01

The lands to be irrigated from water stored in the Angostura Reservoir are situated on the lover of two terraces along the southeast side of the Cheyenne River in northeastern Fall River County and on the terrace known as Harrison Plat in southeastern Custer County, S. Dak. The terrace deposits are composed of relatively permeable sands and gravels that rest on a shale bedrock platform. The terrace surfaces are mantled in part by slope wash derived from higher shale slopes and by wind-blown sand. Ground water occurs under water-table conditions in the river alluvium and in terraces above the river. Although the zone of saturation in the terrace deposits is 6enerally thin, it is essentially continuous in the area southeast of the river, and the water issues as springs in the terrace faces along the inner valley of the river and along the valleys of tributary streams cuttin6 back into the terraces. A zone of saturation is present only in part of the Harrison Plat area, and it extends to the terrace face only along Cottonwood Creek. Wells in the unconsolidated mantle rock supply water for domestic and stock purposes, but yields are small. Abundant supplies of artesian water are available at depths ranging up to 3,000 feet but are not now utilized except at the extreme western end of the area where the bedrock aquifer is close below the surface. The effect of applying irrigation water on the terrace lands will depend on the character of the underlying material and on the measures taken to forestall waterlogging and other undesirable effects. Terrace areas that are mantled by slope wash will be especially susceptible to waterlogging, as will valley-bottom areas mantled by colluvium that are adjacent to irrigated terracea. Periodic measurements of water levels in observation wells will give warning of potential waterlogging in time to permit taking preventive measures. Analyses of samples of both ground water and surface water indicate a high mineral content. In general

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

Capece, John

The survival of Florida’s biodiversity and economy is dependent on finding ways to balance farm economics with proper management of water and other natural resources. Taking on this challenge of maximizing the delivery of ecosystems services from agricultural production systems is the mandate of the Hendry County Sustainable Biofuels Center. Given that sea level rise is the overarching, long-term threat to the south Florida and its ecosystems, the most valuable ecosystems services for the state of Florida are those that mitigate climate change. Biofuels are put forward as one approach to forestalling climate change, but its value as an industrymore » in providing this and other ecosystem services is unproven. The Sustainable Biofuels Center has developed a set of programs to both document and enhance the ecosystems services values of the evolving Florida biofuels industry. The Center engages in agricultural systems evaluation, sustainability indexing and sustainability research. Methods employed for documenting ecosystems services and costs include Life Cycle Assessment, Emergy Analysis, and optimization of cost-benefit functions. Radically new farming and economic compensation systems must be created and implemented if we are to achieve a successful agricultural business model built upon balanced revenue streams from these varied services. Accordingly, the Center also supports field research and demonstration projects to document the capacity for innovative farming systems to deliver ecosystems services such as water storage. To help promote the inclusion of ecosystems services considerations in farm operations, the program includes curriculum development at both the K-12 and college level, as well as programs to bring diverse stakeholders in to collaborative visioning process. Lastly, since county governments are often the level where new industry seek entry to the landscape, the Center is also developing metrics and tools through which economic development

A Stabilizing Feedback Between Cloud Radiative Effects and Greenland Surface Melt: Verification From Multi-year Automatic Weather Station Measurements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zender, C. S.; Wang, W.; van As, D.

2017-12-01

state. Clouds warm the brighter and colder surfaces of Greenland, enhance snow melt, and tend to lower the albedo. Clouds cool the darker and warmer surfaces, inhibiting snow melt, which increases albedo, and thus stabilizes surface melt. This stabilizing mechanism may also occur over sea ice, helping to forestall surface melt as the Arctic becomes dimmer.

Teaching heroics: Identity and ethical imagery in science education

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Robeck, Edward C.

themes of separation and boundary imagery, perpetuates relations of divisive bias. To forestall this, I suggest that science education can be approached in ways that incorporate what is referred to as an ethic of plenishment, which strives to promote expansive identities through a proliferation of interpersonal associations.

Evaluations of groundwater contamination by leachates around Olusosun open dumpsite in Lagos metropolis, southwest Nigeria.

PubMed

Aboyeji, Olatunji Sunday; Eigbokhan, Stephen Femi

2016-12-01

strategies are adopted to forestall further contamination of the groundwater by leachates in the area. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Cognitive Planetary Transitions: An Astrobiological Perspective on the "Sapiezoic Eon".

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Grinspoon, D. H.

2016-12-01

A powerful new dynamic is remaking Earth. Never before has a geological force become aware of its influence. A taxonomy of planetary catastrophes illuminates the unusual nature of the Anthropocene and reframes our current environmental predicaments as part of the narrative of planetary evolution. From a deep time perspective will the Anthropocene be an event, an interval, or something more significant? I propose that it is not simply an Epoch boundary, but the advent of Earth's 5th Eon, the "Sapiezoic". The advent of self-aware cognitive/geological processes as a component of planetary systems is potentially as significant as the other three Eon boundaries, each of which represented a shift in relationship between life and the planet. Yet, an Eon implies a permanently changed planet. This puts our immediate challenges over the next century: (stabilizing population & devising an energy system that can provide for the needs of this population without wrecking the natural systems upon which we depend) against the backdrop of a larger challenge: Becoming a long-term stabilizing factor on the planet. This will include: Over the next several hundred years, asteroid defense; Over tens of thousands of years, preventing ice ages and natural episodes of dangerous warming; Over billions of years, preventing runaway warming from solar evolution. Global influence precedes global control, so the earliest stages of this transition are characterized by unstable positive feedbacks threatening catastrophe. However, conscious awareness and control can also provide negative feedback. Becoming a stable part of the Earth system will require deep understanding of nature and an ability to forestall natural disasters, as well as the self-understanding needed to avoid self-imposed disasters. It will require both technical and spiritual progress. How we conduct ourselves on a global scale may affect the security and well-being of all future life. In the past when humans faced existential

Black gold and blackmail: The politics of international oil coercion

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kelanic, Rosemary Ann

Does oil hold potential as an instrument of international political coercion? Could a country use the threat of oil cutoff to blackmail other nations? If so, why, and under what circumstances is this likely to occur? I argue that oil coercion, under a narrow range of circumstances, offers great promise for a country to get its way in the international system. My argument consists of two main steps. First, I argue that oil is unique. No other strategic resource compares to petroleum when it comes to determining success on the battlefield. An adversary that can forcibly interdict the flow of oil to a belligerent in wartime could immobilize the target's military, essentially threatening the target with military defeat. The oil weapon is most potent when employed in this manner as a denial strategy of coercion. For a state to be at risk of oil coercion, it must have some degree of baseline vulnerability. I hypothesize that three variables determine a state's vulnerability to oil coercion. The first is its degree of dependence on foreign sources of oil. For oil coercion to be effective, the target must depend heavily on foreign sources of petroleum. Second, the target's geography matters greatly, because it affects a coercer's ability to block the flow of oil. Island states are particularly susceptible to military blockade. The third variable is the country's relative power, which determines whether or not the state can protect its supply lines. The second step of the argument explains why successful oil coercion is rare. I argue that states, as strategic actors, recognize the danger oil coercion poses to them. Consequently, they try to forestall coercion by taking anticipatory measures to safeguard their petroleum access before coercion can happen. States pursue four types of anticipatory strategies: internal measures, such as stockpiling; alliances with petroleum-producing countries; deterrence; and conquest of oil-producing regions. More often than not, these

A phase II randomized trial of Observation versus stereotactic ablative RadiatIon for OLigometastatic prostate CancEr (ORIOLE).

PubMed

Radwan, Noura; Phillips, Ryan; Ross, Ashley; Rowe, Steven P; Gorin, Michael A; Antonarakis, Emmanuel S; Deville, Curtiland; Greco, Stephen; Denmeade, Samuel; Paller, Channing; Song, Daniel Y; Diehn, Maximilian; Wang, Hao; Carducci, Michael; Pienta, Kenneth J; Pomper, Martin G; DeWeese, Theodore L; Dicker, Adam; Eisenberger, Mario; Tran, Phuoc T

2017-06-29

We describe a randomized, non-blinded Phase II interventional study to assess the safety and efficacy of stereotactic ablative radiotherapy (SABR) for hormone-sensitive oligometastatic prostate adenocarcinoma, and to describe the biology of the oligometastatic state using immunologic, cellular, molecular, and functional imaging correlates. 54 men with oligometastatic prostate adenocarcinoma will be accrued. The primary clinical endpoint will be progression at 6 months from randomization with the hypothesis that SABR to all metastases will forestall progression by disrupting the metastatic process. Secondary clinical endpoints will include local control at 6 months post-SABR, toxicity and quality of life, and androgen deprivation therapy (ADT)-free survival (ADT-FS). Further fundamental analysis of the oligometastatic state with be achieved through correlation with investigational 18 F-DCFPyL PET/CT imaging and measurement of circulating tumor cells, circulating tumor DNA, and circulating T-cell receptor repertoires, facilitating an unprecedented opportunity to characterize, in isolation, the effects of SABR on the dynamics of and immunologic response to oligometastatic disease. Patients will be randomized 2:1 to SABR or observation with minimization to balance assignment by primary intervention, prior hormonal therapy, and PSA doubling time. Progression after 6 months will be compared using Fisher's exact test. Hazard ratios and Kaplan-Meier estimates of progression free survival (PFS), ADT free survival (ADT-FS), time to locoregional progression (TTLP) and time to distant progression (TTDP) will be calculated based on an intention-to-treat. Local control will be assessed using Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors (RECIST) 1.1 criteria. Withdrawal from the study prior to 6 months will be counted as progression. Adverse events will be summarized by type and grade. Quality of life pre- and post- SABR will be measured by Brief Pain Inventory. The ORIOLE

Soil erosion after forest fires in the Valencia region

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

González-Pelayo, Óscar; Keizer, Jan Jacob; Cerdà, Artemi

2014-05-01

31, 219-236. Boix-Fayos, C., Martínez-Mena, M., Calvo-Cases, A., Castillo, V.M., Albadalejo, J. 2005. Concise review of interrill erosion studies in SE Spain (Alicante and Murcia): erosion rates and progress of knowledge from the 1980s. Land Degradation and Developement 16, 517-528. Calvo-Cases, A., Boix-Fayós, C., Imeson, A.C. 2003. Runoff generation, sediment movement and soil water behaviour on calcareous (limestone) slopes of some Mediterranean environments in southeast Spain. Geomorphology 50, 269-291. Campo, J., Andreu, V., Gimeno-García, E., González-Pelayo, O., Rubio, J.L. 2008. Aggregation of under canopy and bare soils in a Mediterranean environment affected by different fire intensities. Catena 74 (3), 212-218. Campo, J., Andreu, V., Gimeno-García, E., González, O., Rubio, J.L. 2006. Occurrence of soil erosion after repeated experimental fires in a Mediterranean environment. Geomorphology 82, 376-387. Cerdà A. 2001. Erosión hídrica del suelo en el territorio Valenciano. El estado de la cuestión a través de la revisión bibliográfica. Geoforma Ediciones: Logronho. A. 2001. Cerdá, A, Mataix-Solera, J. 2009. Incendios forestales en España. Ecosistemas terrestres y suelos. En: Cerdá y Mataix-Solera (Eds.), Efectos de los incendios forestales sobre los suelos en España. Universidad de Valencia, 2009. Cerdà, A. 1998a. Postfire dynamics of erosional processes under mediterranean climatic conditions. Zeitschrift für Geomorphologie, 42 (3) 373-398. Cerdà, A. 1998b. Changes in overland flow and infiltration after a rangeland fire in a Mediterranean scrubland. Hydrological Processes, 12, 1031-1042. Cerdà, A., Doerr, S.H. 2008. The effect of ash and needle cover on surface runoff and erosion in the immediate post-fire period. Catena, 74 , 256- 263. doi:10.1016/S0341-8162(02)00027-9 Cerdà, A., Imeson, A.C., Calvo, A. 1995. Fire and aspect induced differences on the erodibility and hydrology of soils at La Costera, Valencia, Southeast Spain. Catena

Observação do abrilhantamento de limbo solar e de estruturas filamentares em 48 ghz utilizando a técnica de regularização adaptativa

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Machado, W. R. S.; Mascarenhas, N.; Costa, J. E. R.; Silva, A. V. R.

2003-08-01

O radiotelescópio do Itapetinga tem sido utilizado em campanhas de observações de explosões solares gerando um grande número de mapas diários em 48 GHz como sub-produto destas observações. A resolução espacial do telescópio de 14m do Itapetinga nesta freqüência é de aproximadamente dois minutos de arco. Estruturas de interesse para análise da atmosfera solar quiescente tais como os filamentos e o anel de abrilhantamento do limbo são de dimensão angular moderada da ordem ou ligeiramente menores que a resolução do telescópio. É conhecido que a convolução da função de espalhamento do telescópio, PSF (padrão de ganho do feixe) borra as estruturas de dimensão angular abaixo do HPBW (largura a meia potência do feixe) e portanto é comum a busca por técnicas de restauração que eliminem pelo menos em parte este borramento. Estudamos a restauração destas radioimagens usando a técnica de regularização adaptativa e os resultados ressaltam estas estruturas espaciais de pequeno contraste. O algoritmo da regularização adaptativa faz uso de k imagens, chamadas protótipos, obtidas através da variação de parâmetros de um filtro de regularização. Para controle da qualidade da restauração utilizamos uma imagem de alta resolução espacial obtida na linha H-a e a PSF do Itapetinga para borrá-la. Pequenos desvios, entre a PSF utilizada para o borramento e a PSF utilizada na restauração, produziram alguns desvios notáveis na imagem restaurada porém a adição de ruído nas simulações de restauração foram mais influentes no cálculo da rugosidade da imagem e portanto mais limitante para a restauração. Apresentamos como nosso primeiro resultado uma imagem em 48 GHz com a presença clara do abrilhantamento de limbo que não estava evidente na imagem original e traços de estruturas filamentares, porém ainda sem grande evidência.

Aceptabilidad del diagnóstico rápido casero para HIV entre hombres gay y otros hombres que tienen sexo con hombres (G&HSH) de la Ciudad de Buenos Aires

PubMed Central

Balán, Iván C.; Carballo-Diéguez, Alex; Marone, Rubén O.; Pando, María A.; Barreda, Victoria; Ávila, María M.

2011-01-01

Resumen El uso del diagnóstico rápido para HIV en Argentina, así como otros países de Latinoamérica, ha sido limitado hasta el momento. Este trabajo reporta los resultados provenientes de un estudio cualitativo realizado entre hombres gays y otros hombres que tienen sexo con hombres (G&HSH) de la Ciudad de Buenos Aires, Argentina. El objetivo principal del mismo fue conocer las ventajas y desventajas que los hombres G&HSH perciben en relación al diagnóstico rápido casero para HIV. Se realizaron ocho grupos focales con 73 participantes en los cuales se discutió acerca de las ventajas y desventajas del uso de los diagnósticos rápidos. Las respuestas fueron codificadas utilizando un programa para análisis de datos cualitativos (NVivo) y analizadas temáticamente. Los participantes describieron numerosas ventajas sobre el uso del diagnóstico rápido casero, aunque algunos reportaron importantes preocupaciones dentro de las cuales se destaca la posibilidad de impulsos suicidas si alguien recibe un resultado positivo estando solo. En términos generales se observó una gran aceptabilidad para el uso del diagnóstico rápido si el mismo es realizado por personal de salud en lugares acondicionados para este fin. PMID:25284951

Work-family conflict and time use: psychometric assessment of an instrument in ELSA-Brazil.

PubMed

Pinto, Karina Araujo; Menezes, Greice Maria de Souza; Griep, Rosane Härter; Lima, Keury Thaisana Rodrigues Dos Santos; Almeida, Maria da Conceição; Aquino, Estela M L

2016-07-04

In this study, we evaluated the psychometric properties of the items to measure the work-family conflict and the time use for personal care and leisure, included in the baseline questionnaire of the Longitudinal Study of Adult Health (ELSA-Brazil). We evaluated temporal stability (7-14 days) using kappa statistic and the validity of the construct by the correlation of Kendall's tau with other variables. Test-retest stability was discreet to moderate and the correlations were compatible with the underlying theory. Future studies in the context of ELSA-Brazil and in other populations will complement the assessment of its relevance. RESUMO Neste estudo, avaliamos as propriedades psicométricas dos itens para mensurar o conflito trabalho-família e o uso do tempo para cuidado pessoal e lazer, incluídos no questionário da linha de base do Estudo Longitudinal de Saúde do Adulto (ELSA-Brasil). Foram avaliadas a estabilidade temporal (7-14 dias) utilizando estatística kappa e a validade do construto pela correlação tau de Kendall com outras variáveis. A estabilidade teste-reteste foi discreta a moderada e as correlações, compatíveis com a teoria subjacente. Estudos futuros no contexto do ELSA-Brasil e em outras populações complementarão a avaliação da sua pertinência.

Resultados a longo prazo da angioplastia de artérias renais com stent na doença aterosclerótica: revisão sistemática

PubMed Central

Siqueira, Daniel Emilio Dalledone; Guillaumon, Ana Terezinha

2017-01-01

Resumo A doença renovascular aterosclerótica é a principal causa de hipertensão secundária. A história natural da doença demonstra taxas de progressão de 4 a 12% ao ano. Entre os métodos de tratamento existe a angioplastia com stent de artérias renais; porém, poucos estudos clínicos demonstraram seus resultados a longo prazo. Esta revisão sistemática da literatura se propõe a apresentar os resultados a longo prazo (acima de 24 meses) da angioplastia com stent de artérias renais na doença aterosclerótica em relação à função renal e aos níveis pressóricos no controle da hipertensão. Foi realizada uma ampla pesquisa, utilizando os termos apropriados, nas bases de dados LILACS, EMBASE, SCIELO, Cochrane Library e MEDLINE. De um total de 2.170 referências, apenas sete artigos contemplavam todos os critérios de inclusão. Conclui-se que, a longo prazo, há uma estabilização da função renal, redução dos níveis pressóricos e diminuição do número de classes de medicamentos anti-hipertensivos. PMID:29930639

Aceptabilidad del diagnóstico rápido casero para HIV entre hombres gay y otros hombres que tienen sexo con hombres (G&HSH) de la Ciudad de Buenos Aires.

PubMed

Balán, Iván C; Carballo-Diéguez, Alex; Marone, Rubén O; Pando, María A; Barreda, Victoria; Avila, María M

2011-03-01

El uso del diagnóstico rápido para HIV en Argentina, así como otros países de Latinoamérica, ha sido limitado hasta el momento. Este trabajo reporta los resultados provenientes de un estudio cualitativo realizado entre hombres gays y otros hombres que tienen sexo con hombres (G&HSH) de la Ciudad de Buenos Aires, Argentina. El objetivo principal del mismo fue conocer las ventajas y desventajas que los hombres G&HSH perciben en relación al diagnóstico rápido casero para HIV. Se realizaron ocho grupos focales con 73 participantes en los cuales se discutió acerca de las ventajas y desventajas del uso de los diagnósticos rápidos. Las respuestas fueron codificadas utilizando un programa para análisis de datos cualitativos (NVivo) y analizadas temáticamente. Los participantes describieron numerosas ventajas sobre el uso del diagnóstico rápido casero, aunque algunos reportaron importantes preocupaciones dentro de las cuales se destaca la posibilidad de impulsos suicidas si alguien recibe un resultado positivo estando solo. En términos generales se observó una gran aceptabilidad para el uso del diagnóstico rápido si el mismo es realizado por personal de salud en lugares acondicionados para este fin.

Celulas solares e sensores de filme fino de silicio depositados sobre substratos flexiveis =

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pinto, Emilio Sergio Marins Vieira

Celulas solares flexiveis de filmes finos de silicio sao geralmente fabricadas a baixa temperatura sobre substratos de plastico ou a mais elevadas temperaturas sobre folhas de aco. Esta tese reporta o estudo da deposicao de filmes finos sobre diferentes substratos de plastico, transparentes e coloridos, para celulas solares do tipo sobrestrato e substrato, respectivamente. Como objetivo co-lateral, os filmes dopados depositados sobre plastico foram usados como sensores de deformacao, utilizando as suas propriedades piezo-resistivas. Elevadas taxas de deposicao dos filmes de silicio depositados sobre plastico foram obtidas a baixa temperatura do substrato (150ºC) por rf-PECVD. A influencia de diferentes parametros de deposicao sobre as propriedades e taxa de deposicao dos filmes resultantes foram estudados e correlacionados. Celulas solares de filmes finos de silicio amorfo e microcristalino foram desenvolvidas a baixas temperaturas sobre plasticos. Eficiencias de 5 - 6.5% foram alcancadas para as celulas amorfas e 7.5% para as celulas microcristalinas. Efeitos de aprisionamento da luz foram estudados atraves da texturizacao por ablacao laser de substratos de plastico e corrosao umida de TCO sobre plastico. Filmes finos de silicio microcristalino, depositados por HW-CVD, com fator piezoresistivo de -32.2, foram usados para fabricar sensores de deformacao em uma membrana plastica muito fina (15 μm). Estruturas de teste em textil e a miniaturizacao dos sensores piezoresistivos depositados sobre substratos flexiveis de poliimida foram abordados.

The hegemony of empiricism: the opportunity for theoretical science in medicine.

PubMed

Yun, Anthony J

2008-01-01

Partly spurred by the rapid emergence of discovery tools, empirical science founded on experimental validation now dominates academic funding, publishing, and recognition while forums for theoretical science have been marginalized. Although this hegemony of empiricism instills useful discipline to the scientific process, it also limits the pace of science to sensor innovation and renders the ontogeny of scientific knowledge path-dependent, concealing potential discontinuities in intellectual trajectories. Theoretical science, founded on intuition, inspiration, and abstraction, can complement empirical science by creating disruptive paradigms that facilitate detection of spurious results and frame new hypotheses. For example, framing the compendium of human diseases as varying manifestations of buffer dysfunctions - insufficient or maladaptive responses to stress - portends new insights into disease mechanisms and treatments. As a specific incarnation of this theory, the "trauma hypothesis" suggests that the coordinated regulation of inflammation, coagulation, vasoconstriction, and fluid retention that evolved as a prehistoric adaptation to predatory stress and environmental injury conspires in modern times to produce acute coronary syndromes, heart failure, renal dysfunction, stroke, and pulmonary embolism. The theory also exposes the paradigmatic flaw behind the half-century detour perfecting balloon-deployed endovascular interventions. As the basis of buffer acquisition shifts from genetic to cognitive, phenoptosis - the theory that adaptive programmed death of organisms yields opportunity to successors - is rendered maladaptive, as an extended lifespan permits more efficient trait acquisition compared with life-death recycling. While forestalling death is a largely unfruitful medical game of "whack-a-mole" today, the recognition that aging and death may be programmed adaptations suggests they may also be amenable to systemic reprogramming. Epitomizing this

Characterization of fire regime in Sardinia (Italy)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bacciu, V. M.; Salis, M.; Mastinu, S.; Masala, F.; Sirca, C.; Spano, D.

2012-12-01

In the last decades, a number of Authors highlighted the crucial role of forest fires within Mediterranean ecosystems, with impacts both negative and positive on all biosphere components and with reverberations on different scales. Fire determines the landscape structure and plant composition, but it is also the cause of enormous economic and ecological damages, beside the loss of human life. In Sardinia (Italy), the second largest island of the Mediterranean Basin, forest fires are perceived as one of the main environmental and social problems, and data are showing that the situation is worsening especially within the rural-urban peripheries and the increasing number of very large forest fires. The need for information concerning forest fire regime has been pointed out by several Authors (e.g. Rollins et al., 2002), who also emphasized the importance of understanding the factors (such as weather/climate, socio-economic, and land use) that determine spatial and temporal fire patterns. These would be used not only as a baseline to predict the climate change effect on forest fires, but also as a fire management and mitigation strategy. The main aim of this paper is, thus, to analyze the temporal and spatial patterns of fire occurrence in Sardinia (Italy) during the last three decades (1980-2010). For the analyzed period, fire statistics were provided by the Sardinian Forest Service (CFVA - Corpo Forestale e di Vigilanza Ambientale), while weather data for eight weather stations were obtained from the web site www.tutiempo.it. For each station, daily series of precipitation, mean, maximum and minimum temperature, relative humidity and wind speed were available. The present study firstly analyzed fire statistics (burned area and number of fires) according to the main fire regime characteristics (seasonality, fire return interval, fire incidence, fire size distribution). Then, fire and weather daily values were averaged to obtain monthly, seasonal and annual values, and

Dark chocolate or tomato extract for prehypertension: a randomised controlled trial.

PubMed

Ried, Karin; Frank, Oliver R; Stocks, Nigel P

2009-07-08

Flavanol-rich chocolate and lycopene-rich tomato extract have attracted interest as potential alternative treatment options for hypertension, a known risk factor for cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Treatment of prehypertension (SBP 120-139/DBP 80-89 mmHg) may forestall progression to hypertension. However, there has been only limited research into non-pharmacological treatment options for prehypertension. We investigated the effect of dark chocolate or tomato extract on blood pressure, and their acceptability as an ongoing treatment option in a prehypertensive population. Our trial consisted of two phases: a randomised controlled three-group-parallel trial over 12 weeks (phase 1) followed by a crossover of the two active treatment arms over an additional 12-week period (phase 2). Group 1 received a 50 g daily dose of dark chocolate with 70% cocoa containing 750 mg polyphenols, group 2 were allocated one tomato extract capsule containing 15 mg lycopene per day, and group 3 received one placebo capsule daily over 8 weeks followed by a 4-week washout period. In phase 2 the active treatment groups were crossed over to receive the alternative treatment. Median blood pressure, weight, and abdominal circumference were measured 4-weekly, and other characteristics including physical activity, general health, energy, mood, and acceptability of treatment were assessed by questionnaire at 0, 8 and 20 weeks. We analysed changes over time using a linear mixed model, and one time point differences using Kruskal-Wallis, Fisher's-Exact, or t-tests. Thirty-six prehypertensive healthy adult volunteers completed the 6-month trial. Blood pressure changes over time within groups and between groups were not significant and independent of treatment. Weight and other characteristics did not change significantly during the trial. However, a marked difference in acceptability between the two treatment forms (chocolate or capsule) was revealed (p < 0.0001). Half of the participants

Dark chocolate or tomato extract for prehypertension: a randomised controlled trial

PubMed Central

Ried, Karin; Frank, Oliver R; Stocks, Nigel P

2009-01-01

Background Flavanol-rich chocolate and lycopene-rich tomato extract have attracted interest as potential alternative treatment options for hypertension, a known risk factor for cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Treatment of prehypertension (SBP 120–139/DBP 80–89 mmHg) may forestall progression to hypertension. However, there has been only limited research into non-pharmacological treatment options for prehypertension. We investigated the effect of dark chocolate or tomato extract on blood pressure, and their acceptability as an ongoing treatment option in a prehypertensive population. Methods Our trial consisted of two phases: a randomised controlled three-group-parallel trial over 12 weeks (phase 1) followed by a crossover of the two active treatment arms over an additional 12-week period (phase 2). Group 1 received a 50 g daily dose of dark chocolate with 70% cocoa containing 750 mg polyphenols, group 2 were allocated one tomato extract capsule containing 15 mg lycopene per day, and group 3 received one placebo capsule daily over 8 weeks followed by a 4-week washout period. In phase 2 the active treatment groups were crossed over to receive the alternative treatment. Median blood pressure, weight, and abdominal circumference were measured 4-weekly, and other characteristics including physical activity, general health, energy, mood, and acceptability of treatment were assessed by questionnaire at 0, 8 and 20 weeks. We analysed changes over time using a linear mixed model, and one time point differences using Kruskal-Wallis, Fisher's-Exact, or t-tests. Results Thirty-six prehypertensive healthy adult volunteers completed the 6-month trial. Blood pressure changes over time within groups and between groups were not significant and independent of treatment. Weight and other characteristics did not change significantly during the trial. However, a marked difference in acceptability between the two treatment forms (chocolate or capsule) was revealed (p < 0

A randomized, double-blind trial comparing combinations of nevirapine, didanosine, and zidovudine for HIV-infected patients: the INCAS Trial. Italy, The Netherlands, Canada and Australia Study.

PubMed

Montaner, J S; Reiss, P; Cooper, D; Vella, S; Harris, M; Conway, B; Wainberg, M A; Smith, D; Robinson, P; Hall, D; Myers, M; Lange, J M

1998-03-25

were 23% (11/47), 25% (13/53), and 12% (6/51) for the zidovudine plus nevirapine, zidovudine plus didanosine, and triple drug therapy groups, respectively (P=.08). Triple drug therapy with zidovudine, didanosine, and nevirapine led to a substantially greater and sustained decrease in plasma viral load than the 2-drug regimens studied. Our results also suggest that suppression of viral replication, as demonstrated by a decrease in the plasma HIV-1 RNA load below the level of quantitation of the most sensitive test available, may at least forestall the development of resistance.

Klebsiella pneumoniae Carbapenemase-2 (KPC-2), Substitutions at Ambler Position Asp179, and Resistance to Ceftazidime-Avibactam: Unique Antibiotic-Resistant Phenotypes Emerge from β-Lactamase Protein Engineering.

PubMed

Barnes, Melissa D; Winkler, Marisa L; Taracila, Magdalena A; Page, Malcolm G; Desarbre, Eric; Kreiswirth, Barry N; Shields, Ryan K; Nguyen, Minh-Hong; Clancy, Cornelius; Spellberg, Brad; Papp-Wallace, Krisztina M; Bonomo, Robert A

2017-10-31

mechanism of resistance is the breakdown of β-lactam antibiotics by β-lactamase enzymes. KPC-2 is a β-lactamase that inactivates carbapenems and β-lactamase inhibitors (e.g., clavulanate) and is prevalent around the world, including in the United States. Resistance to the new antibiotic ceftazidime-avibactam, which was designed to overcome KPC resistance, had already emerged within a year. Using protein engineering, we uncovered a mechanism by which resistance to this new drug emerges, which could arm scientists with the ability to forestall such resistance to future drugs. Copyright © 2017 Barnes et al.

Timing of Initiation of Maintenance Dialysis

PubMed Central

Wong, Susan P. Y.; Vig, Elizabeth K.; Taylor, Janelle S.; Burrows, Nilka R.; Liu, Chuan-Fen; Williams, Desmond E.; Hebert, Paul L.; O’Hare, Ann M.

2016-01-01

IMPORTANCE There is often considerable uncertainty about the optimal time to initiate maintenance dialysis in individual patients and little medical evidence to guide this decision. OBJECTIVE To gain a better understanding of the factors influencing the timing of initiation of dialysis in clinical practice. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS A qualitative analysis was conducted using the electronic medical records from the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) of a national random sample of 1691 patients for whom the decision to initiate maintenance dialysis occurred in the VA between January 1, 2000, and December 31, 2009. Data analysis took place from June 1 to November 30, 2014. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES Central themes related to the timing of initiation of dialysis as documented in patients’ electronic medical records. RESULTS Of the 1691 patients, 1264 (74.7%) initiated dialysis as inpatients and 1228 (72.6%) initiated dialysis with a hemodialysis catheter. Cohort members met with a nephrologist during an outpatient clinic visit a median of 3 times (interquartile range, 0–6) in the year prior to initiation of dialysis. The mean (SD) estimated glomerular filtration rate at the time of initiation for cohort members was 10.4 (5.7) mL/min/1.73m2. The timing of initiation of dialysis reflected the complex interplay of at least 3 interrelated and dynamic processes. The first was physician practices, which ranged from practices intended to prepare patients for dialysis to those intended to forestall the need for dialysis by managing the signs and symptoms of uremia with medical interventions. The second process was sources of momentum. Initiation of dialysis was often precipitated by clinical events involving acute illness or medical procedures. In these settings, the imperative to treat often seemed to override patient choice. The third process was patient-physician dynamics. Interactions between patients and physicians were sometimes adversarial, and physician

Surgery accelerates the development of endometriosis in mice.

PubMed

Long, Qiqi; Liu, Xishi; Guo, Sun-Wei

2016-09-01

Surgery is currently the mainstay treatment for solid tumors and many benign diseases, including endometriosis, and women tend to receive substantially more surgeries than men mainly because of gynecological and cosmetic surgeries. Despite its cosmetic, therapeutic, or even life-saving benefits, surgery is reported to increase the cancer risk and promotes cancer metastasis. Surgery activates adrenergic signaling, which in turn suppresses cell-mediated immunity and promotes angiogenesis and metastasis. Because immunity, angiogenesis, and invasiveness are all involved in the pathophysiology of endometriosis, it is unclear whether surgery may accelerate the development of endometriosis. The objective of the study was to test the hypothesis that surgery activates adrenergic signaling, increases angiogenesis, and accelerates the growth of endometriotic lesions. This was a prospective, randomized experimentation. The first experiment used 42 female adult Balb/C mice, and the second used 90 female adult Balb/C mice. In experiment 1, 3 days after the induction of endometriosis, mice were randomly divided into 3 groups of approximately equal sizes, control, laparotomy, and mastectomy. In experiment 2, propranolol infusion via Alzet pumps was used to forestall the effect of sympathetic nervous system activation by surgery. In both experiments, mice were evaluated 2 weeks after surgery. Lesion size, hotplate latency, and immunohistochemistry analysis of vascular endothelial growth factor, CD31-positive microvessels, proliferating cell nuclear antigen, phosphorylated cyclic adenosine monophosphate-responsive element-binding protein, β2-adrenergic receptor (ADRB)-2, ADRB1, ADRB3, ADRA1, and ADRA2 in ectopic implants. Both mastectomy and laparotomy increased lesion weight and exacerbated hyperalgesia, increased microvessel density and elevated the immunoreactivity against ADRB2, phosphorylated cyclic adenosine monophosphate-responsive element-binding protein, vascular

Adverse effects of obesity on cognitive functions in individuals at ultra high risk for bipolar disorder: Results from the global mood and brain science initiative.

PubMed

McIntyre, Roger S; Mansur, Rodrigo B; Lee, Yena; Japiassú, Letícia; Chen, Kun; Lu, Rui; Lu, Weicong; Chen, Xiaodong; Li, Ting; Xu, Guiyun; Lin, Kangguang

2017-03-01

including information related to overweight/obesity and, perhaps, other general medical conditions that share pathology with BD. Our findings herein, as well as the salutary effects of bariatric surgery on measures of cognitive function in obese populations, provide the rationale for hypothesizing that mitigating excess weight in individuals at elevated risk for BD may forestall or prevent declaration of illness. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Etnografía acelerada para transformar normas sociales sobre género y sexualidad en hombres puertorriqueños heterosexuales1,2

PubMed Central

Ortiz-Torres, Blanca; Rivera-Ortiz, Rafael J.; Mendoza, Sigrid

2014-01-01

Resumen La construcción de roles de género dominantes contribuyen al riesgo de contraer VIH, y por tal razón se ha urgido a que se integren las normas sociales relativas al género en las intervenciones preventivas del VIH. Este estudio pretende adaptar y desarrollar una intervención que facilite la transformación de normas sociales del género y de prácticas sexuales en hombres puertorriqueños. La intervención propone transformar normas sociales relacionadas al género y sexualidad en barras comunitarias utilizando el modelo de líderes de opinión. Luego de ser elegidos/as, los/as líderes de opinión diseminan mensajes integrando la importancia de relaciones equitativas entre parejas para la prevención del VIH. La primera fase de esta intervención es discutida en este artículo, la cual incluye un proceso de etnografía acelerada para identificar los escenarios comunitarios en los que podemos desarrollar esta intervención y permitirnos entender la cultura de las barras comunitarias. A partir de las observaciones etnográficas, pudimos: desarrollar un protocolo de seguridad para realizar las observaciones, desarrollar un perfil de la cultura de las barras, elegir las barras a participar en las dos condiciones del estudio y adaptar los instrumentos de la intervención para que respondieran a la particularidad de los/as participantes. PMID:25530828

Evolución de planetas gigantes y posibilidades de su detección directa

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brunini, A.; Benvenuto, O. G.

Desde la reciente detección de planetas gigantes orbitando estrellas cercanas de tipo solar por medio de efecto Doppler, uno de los principales problemas, en cuanto al estudio de los sistemas planetarios extrasolares, se refiere a la posibilidad de obtener evidencia directa de su existencia. Esto parece ser factible gracias a que en un futuro cercano entrarán en operación algunos telescopios especialmente adecuados a estos propósitos. Por tal motivo, hemos comenzado desde hace un tiempo un esfuerzo en cuanto al estudio de la evolución planetaria. A tales efectos hemos adaptado el código de evolución estelar de nuestro Observatorio al caso planetario. Las principales diferencias entre el caso estelar y el planetario se encuentran en la ecuación de estado. A tales fines hemos incluído la reciente ecuación de estado de Saumon, Chabrier y Van Horn, las opacidades radiativas de Guillot et al., procesos de quema de Deuterio, etc. También se ha considerado la posible existencia de fases de hielo y roca en el interior planetario. Por el momento hemos despreciado los efectos de la rotación planetaria. Con este código hemos computado la evolución de planetas con masas desde 10 hasta 0.3 masas de Júpiter. Utilizando nuestros resultados numéricos discutimos la detectabilidad de estos objetos en condiciones realistas.

Segundo Catálogo Estelar del Hemisferio Sur con Astrolabio Fotoeléctrico PAII

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Manrique, W. T.; Podestá, R. C.; Alonso, E.; Actis, E. V.; Pacheco, A. M.; Bustos, G.; Lizhi, L.; Zezhi, W.; Fanmiao, Z.; Hongqi, W.; Perdomo, R.

Recordamos que entre el Observatorio Astronómico ``Félix Aguilar'', el Observatorio Astronómico de Beijing y el Observatorio Astronómico de La Plata, se ha convenido en desarrollar un Proyecto de Investigación conjunto, para la observación sistemática de estrellas en el Hemisferio Sur, con el objeto de la elaboración de un Catálogo Estelar Global utilizando un Astrolabio Fotoeléctrico PAII del Observatorio de Beijing, que ha sido usado con éxito en la República de China. En este trabajo se presenta el Segundo Catálogo Estelar del Hemisferio Sur, derivado de las observaciones realizadas con el PAII instalado en el OAFA, durante el períiodo Febrero de 1992 a Marzo de 1997. En este lapso se han observado mas de 400000 pasajes estelares, obteniéndose las correcciones Δ α y Δ δ de 5241 estrellas del FK4, FK5, FK5 Ext., SRS, CAMC y GC. Las precisiones medias son del orden de ± 3,2 ms en ascensión recta y ±0."057 en declinación. Rango de magnitudes : 2,0 a 11,5 Rango de declinaciones : -3o a -60o Epoca Media : 1994.9 Se analizan los residuos en función de la magnitud y tipo espectral, correcciones de grupo y frecuencia de distribución Δ α y Δ δ.

Profile of the newly graduated physicians in southern Brazil and their professional insertion.

PubMed

Purim, Kátia Sheylla Malta; Borges, Luiza DE Martino Cruvinel; Possebom, Ana Carolina

2016-01-01

Knowledge of the profile and professional integration of new graduates enables adjustments in medical education. This study evaluated 107 graduates from a private institution in the Brazilian South region, using a self-administered electronic questionnaire. There were similar participation of young physicians of both genders and higher male concentration in general surgery. Graduates are inserted in the public and private labor market. Most do extra shifts in emergency services and trauma surgery, where there is greater need for clinical and surgical skills. These findings suggest that adequate surgical training during graduation is critical to employability. RESUMO O conhecimento do perfil e inserção profissional dos recém-formados possibilita ajustes na educação médica. Este estudo avaliou 107 egressos de instituição privada no sul do país, utilizando questionário eletrônico autoaplicável. Houve participação similar de jovens de ambos os sexos e maior concentração masculina na área de cirurgia geral. Os egressos estão inseridos no mercado de trabalho público e privado. A maioria faz plantões extras em serviços de emergência e cirurgia do trauma, onde há maior necessidade de habilidades clinicas e cirúrgica. Esses achados apontam que a formação cirúrgica adequada durante a graduação é fundamental para a empregabilidade.

Propriedades físicas de condensações densas no Escorpião

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vilas-Boas, J. W. S.; Barbosa, P. R., Jr.; Hickel, G. R.

2003-08-01

O conhecimento das propriedade físicas das condensações das nuvens escuras e sua relação com a dinâmica das núvens é um dos caminhos para o entendimento dos mecanismos de formação de estrelas de massas pequenas. Nesse trabalho, 8 condensações da nuvem escura do Escorpião foram observadas através de transições das moléculas de 13CO, C18O e NH3, utilizando-se os radiotelescopios de 15 m do SEST e 64 m de PARKES. Embora localizadas na superfície de uma bolha com velocidade de expansão entre 12 km/s e 15 km/s (Vilas-Boas et al), as linhas de monóxido de carbono apresentaram características típicas daquelas observadas em nuvens escuras. Em apenas uma condensação, contendo um objeto Pre-Sequência Principal (PMS), foi detectada emissão da molécula de amônia. A comparação direta entre as propriedades dessas condensações densas (núcleos) e aquelas identificadas na Musca, que se caracteriza por ser uma núvem de baixa atividade de formação estelar, mostra que elas têm propriedades idênticas e que as eficiências de formação estelar nos núcleos de ambas as nuvens são similares.

Translation and cross-cultural adaptation of the Clinical Competence Questionnaire for use in Brazil.

PubMed

Kwiatkoski, Danielle Ritter; Mantovani, Maria de Fátima; Pereira, Evani Marques; Bortolato-Major, Carina; Mattei, Ângela Taís; Peres, Aida Maris

2017-06-05

translating and transculturally adapting the Clinical Competence Questionnaire to Brazilian senior undergraduate Nursing students, as well as measuring psychometric properties of the questionnaire. a methodological study carried out in six steps: translation of the Clinical Competence Questionnaire instrument, consensus of the translations, back-translation, analysis by an expert committee, pre-testing and then presentation of the cross-cultural adaptation process to the developers. Psychometric properties were measured using Cronbach's alpha, intraclass correlation coefficient and content validity index. the instrument was translated, transculturally adapted and its final version consisted of 48 items. Cronbach's alpha coefficient was 0.90, and the agreement index of the items was 99% for students and 98% for evaluators. the Clinical Competence Questionnaire was translated and adapted to Brazilian students, and the psychometric properties of the Portuguese version of the questionnaire presented satisfactory internal consistency regarding the studied sample. traduzir e adaptar transculturalmente o Clinical Competence Questionnaire aos estudantes brasileiros concluintes da graduação em enfermagem, bem como mensurar as propriedades psicométricas do questionário. estudo metodológico realizado em seis etapas: tradução do instrumento Clinical Competence Questionnaire, consenso das traduções, retrotradução, análise pelo comitê de especialistas, pré-teste e apresentação do processo de adaptação transcultural para os desenvolvedores. As propriedades psicométricas foram mensuradas utilizando-se o alfa de Cronbach, coeficiente de correlação intraclasse e índice de validade de conteúdo. o instrumento foi traduzido, adaptado transculturalmente e sua versão final foi constituída de 48 itens. O coeficiente alfa de Cronbach foi de 0,90, e o índice de concordância dos itens foi de 99% para os estudantes e de 98% para os avaliadores. o Clinical Competence

The Diterpene Sclareol Vascular Effect in Normotensive and Hypertensive Rats.

PubMed

Campos, Debora Ribeiro; Celotto, Andrea Carla; Albuquerque, Agnes Afrodite S; Ferreira, Luciana Garros; Monteiro, Ariadne Santana E Neves; Coelho, Eduardo Barbosa; Evora, Paulo Roberto Barbosa

2017-06-29

The diterpene Sclareol has antimicrobial action, cytotoxic and cytostatic effects and anti-tumor activities. However, researches on the cardiovascular system are scarce. This study was designed to investigate the mechanisms involved in the Sclareol cardiovascular effect in normotensive and hypertensive rats. The arterial hypertension was promoted using 2-kidneys 1-clip model in rats. The effect of sclareol on blood pressure was performed by using three dose (10, 20 and 40 mg/kg). Cumulative dose-response curves for Sclareol were determined for endothelium-intact and endothelium-denuded aortic rings in presence or absence of L-NAME and ODQ. The NOx levels were measure in the plasma sample. The Sclareol administration in vivo caused a significant reduction in blood pressure in both groups. In vitro the sclareol promoted relaxation in aorta, with endothelium, pre-contracted to Phe. The inhibitors of the nitric oxide synthase and soluble guanylate cyclase were as efficient as the removal of endothelium, in inhibiting the Sclareol-induced relaxation. Otherwise, it was no change of NOx. Also, for unknown reasons, the Sclareol is not selective for hypertensive animals. The diterpene Sclareol showed in vivo hypotensive and in-vitro vasodilator effects; The chemiluminescence plasmatic NO analysis showed no significant difference between groups and The Sclareol exhibit better effect on normotensive than hypertensive animals to reduce blood pressure. It is concluded that the diterpenes metabolites would be a promising source prototype for the development of new agents in the cardiovascular therapy. O diterpeno Esclareol tem ação antimicrobiana, efeitos citotóxicos e citostáticos e atividades antitumorais. No entanto, pesquisas sobre o sistema cardiovascular são escassas. Este estudo foi desenvolvido para investigar os mecanismos envolvidos no efeito cardiovascular de Esclareol em ratos normotensos e hipertensos. A hipertensão arterial foi promovida utilizando modelo de

Association between poor clinical prognosis and sleep duration among breast cancer patients.

PubMed

Mansano-Schlosser, Thalyta Cristina; Ceolim, Maria Filomena

2017-06-05

to investigate the association between clinical progression and the quality and duration of sleep in women with breast cancer. longitudinal study, with 114 participants, conducted in a hospital in Brazil. The instruments used were: questionnaire for sociodemographic and clinical characterization, Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index; Beck Depression Inventory and Herth Hope Scale. Data were analyzed through descriptive statistics and survival analyses (outcome: poor clinical progression), using the Kaplan-Meier curve, Log-rank test and Cox proportional model. a higher probability of poor clinical progression was verified in women with sleep durations of less than six hours or nine hours and over (p=.0173). the results suggest the importance of further studies that seek to verify whether the quantitative management of sleep disorders would have an impact on the progression of breast cancer. Women should be encouraged to report sleep problems to nurses. mensurar a associação entre evolução clínica e qualidade e duração do sono em mulheres com câncer de mama. estudo longitudinal, com 114 participantes, realizado em um hospital do Brasil. Os instrumentos utilizados foram: questionário para caracterização sociodemográfica e clínica, Índice de Qualidade do Sono de Pittsburgh; Inventário de Depressão de Beck e Escala de Esperança de Herth. Os dados foram analisados via análises descritivas e de sobrevivência (resultado: evolução clínica desfavorável), utilizando-se a curva de Kaplan-Meier, o teste log-rank e o modelo proporcional de Cox. verificou-se maior probabilidade de evolução clínica desfavorável em mulheres com duração de sono inferior a seis ou mais de nove horas (p = 0,0173). os resultados sugerem a importância de mais estudos que buscam verificar se a gestão quantitativa dos distúrbios do sono teria um impacto sobre a evolução do câncer de mama. As mulheres devem ser encorajadas a relatar isso espontaneamente aos enfermeiros. medir

Spanish Network on Effects of Wildfires on Soils. The view after 5 years of networking

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jordán, Antonio; Mataix-Solera, Jorge; Cerdà, Artemi

2013-04-01

, 2010 and Tenerife, 2012 (the next meeting will be held in Barcelona in 2014). In addition, several contributions, courses and workshops have been celebrated in Spanish or international forums as the EGU General Assembly, the International Meeting of Fire Effects on Soil Properties (FESP2011 and forthcoming FESP2013) and the International Conference on Geomorphology have been also sponsored. Other activities include the publication of book series (two volumes have been published: Cerdá and Jordán, 2010; Cerdà and Mataix-Solera, 2009. The third one is currently in preparation), books of abstracts (Díaz-Raviña et al., 2010; Jordán et al., 2009), a series of technical reports (in preparation) and special issues in international journals (in, for example, Catena, Geoderma, Environmental Research or the International Journal of Wildland Fire). A four-monthly journal (FLAMMA; http://grupo.us.es/fuegored/flamma) is published regularly since 2010 with an increasing audience and issues scheduled until 2014. Also, the network has promoted voluntary environmental actions and educational activities. 4. MAIN CHALLENGES The next challenges are to continue promoting the interaction between scientists, decision makers, forest management staff and end-users and to establish new connections with European institutions and research groups. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The Spanish Thematic Network "Effects of Wildfires on Soils" was supported between 2007 and 2009 by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation (projects CGL2007-28764-E 2007-2008 and CGL2008-01632-E 2009). REFERENCES Cerdà, A. Jordán, A. (Eds.). 2010. Actualización de Métodos y Técnicas para el Estudio de los Suelos Afectados por Incendios Forestales [Updated methods and techniques for the study of soils affected by wildfires; in Spanish]. Cátedra de Divulgació de la Ciència, Universitat de València, FUEGORED 2010. Valencia. 521 pp. ISBN: 978-84-370-7887-8. Cerdà, A., Mataix-Solera, J. (Eds). 2009. Efectos de los

Determinacion de periodos fundamentales del suelo mediante vibraciones ambientales en el municipio de Humacao, Puerto Rico

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cintron Aponte, Rommel

La tecnica de Nakamura ha sido utilizada a nivel mundial para determinar periodos fundamentales del suelo. La tecnica consiste en calcular y graficar cocientes espectrales H/V de vibraciones ambientales registradas sobre el suelo. Mediciones de vibraciones ambientales fueron tomadas en 151 lugares dentro del municipio de Humacao, localizado al este de Puerto Rico. Los datos se procesaron utilizando espectros de Fourier y espectros de potencia. La tecnica fue validada al compararla con los resultados de cocientes espectrales H/V de registros de sismos debiles y tambien con una modelacion numerica realizada con datos de un ensayo "downhole". Las graficas de los cocientes espectrales H/V fueron divididas en casos y grupos, los cuales dependen de la facilidad para identificar el periodo fundamental pico y amplitudes en frecuencias menores de 1 Hz, respectivamente. Los resultados obtenidos con ambos espectros fueron comparados y se concluye que los mismos se complementan para proveer resultados mas confiables. Se crearon mapas de periodos fundamentales, factores de amplitud, isoperiodos y clasificacion sismica de sitio. Los mapas de isoperiodos fueron realizados en las zonas mas pobladas sobre depositos de suelo. El mapa de periodos fundamentales del suelo mostro buena correlacion con la geologia local. El mapa de clasificacion sismica derivado de periodos de sitio fue comparado con el mapa de clasificacion sismica derivado de barrenos geotecnicos. El mapa de clasificacion obtenido de periodos puede sobreestimar un poco algunas clasificaciones del suelo. Sin embargo, este mapa puede proveer un estimado aproximado de la velocidad de onda de corte promedio del suelo hasta una profundidad de 100 pies (30 metros).

ROBOTIC ASSISTED SINGLE SITE FOR BILATERAL INGUINAL HERNIA REPAIR.

PubMed

Bosi, Henrique Rasia; Guimarães, José Ricardo; Cavazzola, Leandro Totti

2016-01-01

The inguinal hernia is one of the most frequent surgical diseases, being frequent procedure and surgeon´s everyday practice. To present technical details in making hernioplasty using robotic equipment on bilateral inguinal hernia repair with single port and preliminary results with the method. The bilateral inguinal hernia repair was performed by using the Single-Site(c) Da Vinci Surgical Access Platform to the abdominal cavity and the placement of clamps. This technique proved to be effective for inguinal hernia and have more aesthetic result when compared to other techniques. Inguinal hernia repair robot-assisted with single-trocar is feasible and effective. However, still has higher costs needing surgical team special training. A hérnia inguinal é uma das doenças cirúrgicas mais frequentes, tornando-a procedimento frequente e do cotidiano do cirurgião. Apresentar detalhes da técnica da hernioplastia inguinal bilateral robótica por single-site e resultados preliminares com o método. Foi realizada hernioplastia inguinal bilateral assistida por robô, utilizando-se da Vinci Single-Site(c) Surgical Platform para acesso a cavidade abdominal e colocação das pinças. Esta técnica demonstrou-se efetiva para correção da hérnia inguinal, além de apresentar melhor resultado estético quando comparado às outras técnicas. A hernioplastia inguinal assistida por robô com trocarte único é viável e eficaz. Contudo, ainda apresenta custos mais elevados e necessidade de treinamento especial por parte da equipe cirúrgica.

PubMed

Abrutzky, Rosana; Torres, Fernando Adrián; Ossorio, María Fabiana; Ferrero, Fernando

2018-04-11

Objetivo: evaluar el impacto de los contaminantes atmosféricos y el clima en el número de consultas al departamento de emergencias de un hospital pediátrico en Buenos Aires, Argentina. Material y métodos: estudio ecológico utilizando análisis de series temporales con modelos aditivos generalizados (GAM) para el período 2012-2014, analizando cantidad diaria de consultas en función de tres contaminantes del aire: monóxido de carbono (CO), dióxido de nitrógeno (NO2) y material particulado de diámetro menor a 10 micrones (PM10), temperatura diaria, humedad relativa, dirección y velocidad del viento y lluvia, controlando por día de la semana y tendencia de largo plazo. Resultados: las consultas en invierno (286 diarias) fueron significativamente mayores que en las demás estaciones (p<0.0001). La variación en el nivel de contaminación del aire no mostró correlación significativa y consistente con las consultas. La temperatura, humedad relativa, lluvia y viento no resultaron significativas en ninguno de los rezagos analizados. Conclusiones: en esta población y considerando las consultas de emergencia, la contaminación del aire no afecta significativamente el resultado en salud, pero sí lo hacen las epidemias estacionales. Estudios sobre otras variables de salud son necesarios para establecer el impacto de la contaminación del aire sobre la salud infantil en Buenos Aires.

INTERVENCIÓN EDUCATIVA EFECTIVA EN VIH PARA MUJERES

PubMed Central

Miner, Sarah; Poupin, Lauren; Bernales, Margarita; Ferrer, Lilian; Cianelli, Rosina

2016-01-01

RESUMEN En Chile se estima que aproximadamente 38 mil personas viven con el Virus de Inmunodeficiencia Humana [VIH]. En el año 2001, 1.092 mujeres chilenas vivían con VIH, actualmente se cree que hay más de 7.600 mujeres con el virus. Frente a estas cifras surge la necesidad de crear estrategias de prevención dirigidas a mujeres chilenas. Objetivo analizar los estudios ya realizados en la prevención de VIH para determinar qué aspectos se deben incluir en programas exitosos de prevención de VIH en mujeres. Diseño y Método se realizó una revisión de la literatura utilizando la base de datos Proquest, CINAHL, Pubmed y Scielo. Los límites comprendieron: textos completos, de los últimos 10 años, de acceso gratuito y escrito en español o inglés. Se seleccionaron 15 artículos para la revisión. Resultados todos los artículos comprenden la evaluación del efecto de una intervención sobre conocimiento y conductas relacionadas con VIH/SIDA. Catorce muestran resultados significativos en cambios positivos de conducta o conocimientos relacionados con la prevención de VIH. Conclusiones los programas de prevención de VIH en mujeres pueden ser efectivos para lograr cambios de conducta y de conocimiento. Las intervenciones exitosas son aquellas basadas en teorías o modelos de prevención y en cambios de conductas, todas adaptadas a la cultura de la población estudiada. PMID:27667897

Race and diversity in U.S. Biological Anthropology: A decade of AAPA initiatives.

PubMed

Antón, Susan C; Malhi, Ripan S; Fuentes, Agustín

2018-01-01

Biological Anthropology studies the variation and evolution of living humans, non-human primates, and extinct ancestors and for this reason the field should be in an ideal position to attract scientists from a variety of backgrounds who have different views and experiences. However, the origin and history of the discipline, anecdotal observations, self-reports, and recent surveys suggest the field has significant barriers to attracting scholars of color. For a variety of reasons, including quantitative research that demonstrates that diverse groups do better science, the discipline should strive to achieve a more diverse composition. Here we discuss the background and underpinnings of the current and historical dearth of diversity in Biological Anthropology in the U.S. specifically as it relates to representation of minority and underrepresented minority (URM) (or racialized minority) scholars. We trace this lack of diversity to underlying issues of recruitment and retention in the STEM sciences generally, to the history of Anthropology particularly around questions of race-science, and to the absence of Anthropology at many minority-serving institutions, especially HBCUs, a situation that forestalls pathways to the discipline for many minority students. The AAPA Committee on Diversity (COD) was conceived as a means of assessing and improving diversity within the discipline, and we detail the history of the COD since its inception in 2006. Prior to the COD there were no systematic AAPA efforts to consider ethnoracial diversity in our ranks and no programming around questions of diversity and inclusion. Departmental survey data collected by the COD indicate that undergraduate majors in Biological Anthropology are remarkably diverse, but that the discipline loses these scholars between undergraduate and graduate school and systematically up rank. Our analysis of recent membership demographic survey data (2014 and 2017) shows Biological Anthropology to have less

Exploring Undergraduate Engagement With The Consequences of Climate Change

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Young, N.; Danielson, R.; Lombardi, D.

2013-12-01

terms were related. This is problematic if educators assume that people are using the terms synonymously. Finally, we asked participants about whether humanity would be able to solve climate change before catastrophic consequences occurred. To our surprise, only one out of five participants believed we would do so. Some participants were unsure whether we would solve it or believed that we would only address it after some catastrophic consequences had already occurred, but the majority of participants believed that we would fail to solve it. Climate science educators have often tried to avoid portraying climate change as unavoidable and hopeless, yet many people have nonetheless come to this conclusion. Relying on positive messages about solving climate change in the hope of forestalling hopelessness may be insufficient and we may need to help people deal with feelings of hopelessness directly.

Future Supply and Demand for Oncologists : Challenges to Assuring Access to Oncology Services

PubMed Central

Erikson, Clese; Salsberg, Edward; Forte, Gaetano; Bruinooge, Suanna; Goldstein, Michael

2007-01-01

include any alterations based on changes in practice patterns, service use, or cancer treatments. Various alternate scenarios were also developed to show how supply and demand might change under different assumptions. Conclusions ASCO, policy makers, and the public have major challenges ahead of them to forestall likely shortages in the capacity to meet future demand for oncology services. A multifaceted strategy will be needed to ensure that Americans have access to oncology services in 2020, as no single action will fill the likely gap between supply and demand. Among the options to consider are increasing the number of oncology fellowship positions, increasing use of nonphysician clinicians, increasing the role of primary care physicians in the care of patients in remission, and redesigning service delivery. PMID:20859376

Initial treatment of Parkinson's disease.

PubMed

Tarsy, Daniel

2006-05-01

Initial treatment of early idiopathic Parkinson's disease (PD) begins with diagnosis based on clinical evaluation supplemented by laboratory studies and brain imaging to exclude causes of secondary parkinsonism. In most cases, testing is normal and the diagnosis of PD rests on clinical criteria. In patients with mild symptoms and signs, the diagnosis of PD may not initially be apparent, and follow-up evaluation is needed to arrive at a diagnosis. Once the diagnosis is made, pharmacologic treatment may not be the first step. First, patient education is essential, especially because PD is a high-profile disease for which information and misinformation are readily available to patients and families. Counseling concerning prognosis, future symptoms, future disability, and treatment must be provided. Questions from patients concerning diet, lifestyle, and exercise are especially common at this point. The decision of when to initiate treatment is the next major consideration. Much controversy but relatively little light has been brought to bear on this issue. L-dopa was the first major antiparkinson medication to be introduced and remains the "gold standard" of treatment. Next in efficacy are the dopamine agonists (DAs). A debate has raged concerning whether initial dopaminergic treatment should be with L-dopa or DAs. Physicians have been concerned about forestalling the appearance of dyskinesias and motor fluctuations, whereas patients have incorrectly understood that L-dopa and possibly other antiparkinson drugs have a finite duration of usefulness, making it important to defer treatment for as long as possible. This has created "L-dopa phobia," which may stand in the way of useful treatment. In spite of this controversy, there is uniform agreement that the appropriate time to treat is when the patient is beginning to be disabled. This varies from patient to patient and depends on age, employment status, nature of job, level of physical activity, concern about

Optimal Performance Monitoring of Hybrid Mid-Infrared Wavelength MIMO Free Space Optical and RF Wireless Networks in Fading Channels

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schmidt, Barnet Michael

An optimal performance monitoring metric for a hybrid free space optical and radio-frequency (RF) wireless network, the Outage Capacity Objective Function, is analytically developed and studied. Current and traditional methods of performance monitoring of both optical and RF wireless networks are centered on measurement of physical layer parameters, the most common being signal-to-noise ratio, error rate, Q factor, and eye diagrams, occasionally combined with link-layer measurements such as data throughput, retransmission rate, and/or lost packet rate. Network management systems frequently attempt to predict or forestall network failures by observing degradations of these parameters and to attempt mitigation (such as offloading traffic, increasing transmitter power, reducing the data rate, or combinations thereof) prior to the failure. These methods are limited by the frequent low sensitivity of the physical layer parameters to the atmospheric optical conditions (measured by optical signal-to-noise ratio) and the radio frequency fading channel conditions (measured by signal-to-interference ratio). As a result of low sensitivity, measurements of this type frequently are unable to predict impending failures sufficiently in advance for the network management system to take corrective action prior to the failure. We derive and apply an optimal measure of hybrid network performance based on the outage capacity of the hybrid optical and RF channel, the outage capacity objective function. The objective function provides high sensitivity and reliable failure prediction, and considers both the effects of atmospheric optical impairments on the performance of the free space optical segment as well as the effect of RF channel impairments on the radio frequency segment. The radio frequency segment analysis considers the three most common RF channel fading statistics: Rayleigh, Ricean, and Nakagami-m. The novel application of information theory to the underlying physics of the

A comparison of health access between permanent residents, undocumented immigrants and refugee claimants in Toronto, Canada.

PubMed

Campbell, Ruth M; Klei, A G; Hodges, Brian D; Fisman, David; Kitto, Simon

2014-02-01

forestalls undocumented immigrants from seeking out healthcare through standard means. The findings bring to light issues not discussed in great depth in the current literature on immigrant health access, the foremost being the immigration status of an individual is a major factor affecting that person's ability to seek, and experience of, healthcare services. Further, that undocumented immigrants have difficulty gaining access to pharmaceuticals and so may employ unregulated means to obtain medication, often with the assistance of a doctor. Also, there exists two streams of healthcare access for undocumented immigrants--from conventional healthcare facilities but also from informal systems delivered mainly through community-based organizations. Finally, within the umbrella term 'immigrant' there appears to be drastically different healthcare utilization patterns and attitudes toward seeking out healthcare between the three subgroups of immigrants addressed by this study.

Estudio del CH interestelar

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Olano, C.; Lemarchand, G.; Sanz, A. J.; Bava, J. A.

El objetivo principal de este proyecto consiste en el estudio de la distribución y abundancia del CH en nubes interestelares a través de la observación de las líneas hiperfinas del CH en 3,3 GHz. El CH es una molécula de amplia distribución en el espacio interestelar y una de las pocas especies que han sido observadas tanto con técnicas de radio como ópticas. Desde el punto de vista tecnológico se ha desarrollado un cabezal de receptor que permitirá la realización de observaciones polarimétricas en la frecuencia de 3,3 GHz, con una temperatura del sistema de 60 K y un ancho de banda de 140 MHz, y que será instalado en el foco primario de la antena parabólica del IAR. El cabezal del receptor es capaz de detectar señales polarizadas, separando las componentes de polarización circular derecha e izquierda. Para tal fin el cabezal consta de dos ramas receptoras que amplificarán la señal y la trasladarán a una frecuencia más baja (frecuencia intermedia), permitiendo de esa forma un mejor transporte de la señal a la sala de control para su posterior procesamiento. El receptor además de tener características polarimétricas, podrá ser usado en el continuo y en la línea, utilizando las ventajas observacionales y de procesamiento de señal que actualmente posee el IAR.

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.

Estudio de mutaciones en los genes IDH1 e IDH2 en una muestra de gliomas de población colombiana.

PubMed

Ricaurte, Orlando; Neita, Karina; Valero, Danyela; Ortega-Rojas, Jenny; Arboleda-Bustos, Carlos E; Zubieta, Camilo; Penagos, José; Arboleda, Gonzalo

2018-05-01

Introducción. Los gliomas son los tumores primarios más comunes del sistema nervioso central y se clasifican de I a IV según su grado de malignidad. En recientes investigaciones se ha encontrado que su aparición está relacionada con mutaciones en el exón 4 de los genes que codifican las deshidrogenasas de isocitrato 1 y 2 (IDH1: codón 132; IDH2: codón 172).Objetivo. Determinar la frecuencia de mutaciones en los genes IDH1 e IDH2 en una muestra de gliomas de pacientes colombianos.Materiales y métodos. La extracción de ADN se hizo a partir de tejido tumoral. El exón 4 de los genes IDH1 e IDH2 se amplificó mediante PCR utilizando iniciadores específicos y, posteriormente, se secuenciaron. Para la determinación de las mutaciones, se emplearon los programas 4Peaks y MAFFT.Resultados. Se determinó la presencia de mutaciones en el gen IDH1 en el 34 % de las muestras, con predominio de la mutación no sinónima R132H. En el 7,5 % de los casos se detectaron mutaciones en el gen IDH2, principalmente las mutaciones no sinónimas R172K y R172W.Conclusiones. La frecuencia de mutaciones en los genes IDH1 e IDH2 en la muestra fue similar a la reportada en otros estudios. El análisis de estas mutaciones puede ser importante como factor pronóstico y para su uso como potenciales blancos terapéuticos en gliomas.

ALTERNATIVE TECHNIQUE FOR CHOLECYSTECTOMY COMPARABLE TO SINGLE PORT.

PubMed

Sabbag, Carlos; Blitzckow, Ana

2017-01-01

With the advancement of laparoscopic surgery, new techniques have been proposed and disseminated in order to reduce the surgical aggression and get better cosmetic results. To present alternative technique for videocholecystectomy comparable to single port technique using conventional material for laparoscopic surgery. Introduction of laparoscopic devices using two incisions; gallbladder traction with thread, exposition of Calot triangle, and ligature of cystic pedicle with polymer clips. Nine operations were carried out with this method, without complications and no increase in operative time, being compared to conventional videocholecistectomy, however vastly superior in aesthetic results. The technique is feasible, reproducible, showing benefits to patient´s safety. Com o avanço da cirurgia laparoscópica, novas técnicas têm sido propostas e difundidas com o objetivo de diminuir a agressão cirúrgica e obter melhores resultados estéticos. Apresentar técnica alternativa para videocolecistectomia similar à técnica de single port, contudo utilizando material convencional para cirurgia laparoscópica. Procedimento de videocolecistectomia com uso de duas incisões, exposição do trígono de Calot por tração da vesícula biliar com fio e ligadura dos elementos do hilo cístico com clipes de polímero. Foram realizadas nove operações com esse método, não se observando complicações e nem aumento do tempo operatório em relação à videocolecistectomia convencional, contudo com resultado estético grandemente superior. A técnica é factível, reprodutível e mostra benefícios e segurança ao paciente.

Teaching astronomy mediated by information and communication technologies: a preliminary approach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rosa, R. H. L.; Voelzke, M. R.

2014-08-01

O presente trabalho é parte preliminar de um estudo mais amplo em nível de doutorado sobre o ensino de astronomia mediado pelas tecnologias da informação e comunicação, utilizando dispositivos compactos, móveis e pessoais. Este estudo também faz parte do projeto institucional do CEFETMG sobre ambientes diversificados de aprendizagem sob fomento da agência estadual FAPEMIG (Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de Minas Gerais). Esta apresentação aborda o resultado das concepções prévias de estudantes em relação a conhecimentos básicos de astronomia, ligados à percepção e observação direta do céu. Três turmas de estudantes de 1ª série e uma turma de 3ª série do ensino integrado médio técnico da Educação Básica, Técnica e Tecnológica (EBTT) do CEFETMG Campus II - Belo Horizonte/MG foram submetidas a uma avaliação prévia através de questionário estruturado. Este questionário foi elaborado de forma a abordar a percepção dos estudantes em relação aos recursos gráficos (figuras e desenhos) representativos de conhecimentos básicos de astronomia, comuns em livros didáticos. Após a análise dos resultados desta avaliação, organizou-se uma estratégia de intervenção didática em sala de aula sobre o conteúdo de astronomia, utilizando-se de recursos de mediação baseados nas tecnologias da informação e comunicação. Os temas selecionados para esta estratégia didática foram relacionados aos assuntos básicos de astronomia em que ocorreu maior nível de desconhecimento dos estudantes. Os estudantes foram submetidos a avaliação posterior elaborada com os mesmos pressupostos da avaliação prévia. A análise dos resultados foi realizada a partir dos pressupostos da aprendizagem significativa (Ausubel; Novak e Hanesian, 1983). O ensino de astronomia por mediação das tecnologias da informação e comunicação indica uma alternativa preliminar aos trabalhos de campo usuais orientados na prática escolar, tais

Preclinical molecular imaging: development of instrumentation for translational research with small laboratory animals.

PubMed

Mejia, Jorge; Miranda, Ana Claudia Camargo; Durante, Ana Claudia Ranucci; Oliveira, Larissa Rolim de; Barboza, Marycel Rosa Felisa Figols de; Rosell, Katerin Taboada; Jardim, Daniele Pereira; Campos, Alexandre Holthausen; Reis, Marilia Alves Dos; Catanoso, Marcela Forli; Galvis-Alonso, Orfa Yineth; Cabral, Francisco Romero

2016-01-01

ção miniSPECT, composto por três subsistemas: mecânico, eletrônico e de software. O dispositivo foi montado em uma câmara Discovery VH da General Electric Healthcare, retirada do serviço clínico e instalada no Centro de Imagem Pré-Clínica do Hospital Israelita Albert Einstein. O sistema combinado foi caracterizado, determinando parâmetros de funcionamento como resolução espacial, magnificação, limites de tamanho dos alvos de estudo, número de projeções, tempo de registro e tempo de reconstrução das imagens tomográficas. Foram obtidas imagens com resolução espacial de até 0,5mm, com tempos de registro e reconstrução de 30 a 45 minutos, utilizando reconstrução iterativa com 10 a 20 iterações e 4 subconjuntos de projeções. O sistema foi validado obtendo imagens tomográficas in vivo do coração, dos rins e do cérebro de animais normais (camundongos e ratos adultos), utilizando os radiofármacos hexaquis-2-metoxi-isobutil-isonitrila marcado com 99mTc (Sestamibi-99mTc), ácido dimercaptosuccínico marcado com 99mTc (DMSA-99mTc) e hexametil-propileno-amina-oxima marcada com 99mTc (HMPAO-99mTc). Este tipo de aplicação, que consiste na adaptação para um objetivo alternativo de instrumentação já existente, constituiu-se em uma opção de infraestrutura de baixo custo, que permite realizar estudos in vivo em larga escala, com qualidade aprimorada, em áreas diversas, como neurologia, nefrologia, cardiologia, entre outras.

Factors associated with young adults' knowledge regarding family history of Stroke.

PubMed

Lima, Maria Jose Melo Ramos; Moreira, Thereza Maria Magalhães; Florêncio, Raquel Sampaio; Braga, Predro

2016-11-21

to analyze the factors associated with young adults' knowledge regarding family history of stroke. an analytical transversal study, with 579 young adults from state schools, with collection of sociodemographic, clinical and risk factor-related variables, analyzed using logistic regression (backward elimination). a statistical association was detected between age, civil status, and classification of arterial blood pressure and abdominal circumference with knowledge of family history of stroke. In the final logistic regression model, a statistical association was observed between knowledge regarding family history of stroke and the civil status of having a partner (ORa=1.61[1.07-2.42]; p=0.023), abdominal circumference (ORa=0.98[0.96-0.99]; p=0.012) and normal arterial blood pressure (ORa=2.56[1.19-5.52]; p=0.016). an association was observed between socioeconomic factors and risk factors for stroke and knowledge of family history of stroke, suggesting the need for health education or even educational programs on this topic for the clientele in question. analisar os fatores associados ao conhecimento dos adultos jovens sobre histórico familiar de Acidente Vascular Cerebral (AVC). estudo transversal analítico, com 579 adultos jovens de escolas públicas, com coleta de variáveis sociodemográficas, clínicas e de fatores de risco em formulário, analisados utilizando-se regressão logística (backward elimination). detectou-se associação estatística de idade, situação conjugal, classificação da pressão arterial e circunferência abdominal com conhecimento do histórico familiar de AVC. No modelo final de regressão logística, observou-se associação estatística do conhecimento sobre histórico familiar de AVC com situação conjugal com companheiro (ORa=1,61[1,07-2,42]; p=0,023), circunferência abdominal (ORa=0,98[0,96-0,99]; p=0,012) e pressão arterial normal (ORa=2,56[1,19-5,52]; p=0,016). foi constatada associação de fatores socioeconômicos e de

Analysis of weather condition influencing fire regime in Italy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bacciu, Valentina; Masala, Francesco; Salis, Michele; Sirca, Costantino; Spano, Donatella

2014-05-01

Fires have a crucial role within Mediterranean ecosystems, with both negative and positive impacts on all biosphere components and with reverberations on different scales. Fire determines the landscape structure and plant composition, but it is also the cause of enormous economic and ecological damages, beside the loss of human life. In addition, several authors are in agreement suggesting that, during the past decades, changes on fire patterns have occurred, especially in terms of fire-prone areas expansion and fire season lengthening. Climate and weather are two of the main controlling agents, directly and indirectly, of fire regime influencing vegetation productivity, causing water stress, igniting fires through lightning, or modulating fire behavior through wind. On the other hand, these relationships could be not warranted in areas where most ignitions are caused by people (Moreno et al. 2009). Specific analyses of the driving forces of fire regime across countries and scales are thus still required in order to better anticipate fire seasons and also to advance our knowledge of future fire regimes. The objective of this work was to improve our knowledge of the relative effects of several weather variables on forest fires in Italy for the period 1985-2008. Meteorological data were obtained through the MARS (Monitoring Agricultural Resources) database, interpolated at 25x25 km scale. Fire data were provided by the JRC (Join Research Center) and the CFVA (Corpo Forestale e di Vigilanza Ambientale, Sardinia). A hierarchical cluster analysis, based on fire and weather data, allowed the identification of six homogeneous areas in terms of fire occurrence and climate (pyro-climatic areas). Two statistical techniques (linear and non-parametric models) were applied in order to assess if inter-annual variability in weather pattern and fire events had a significant trend. Then, through correlation analysis and multi-linear regression modeling, we investigated the

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

Begoli, Edmon; Boehmann, Brant; DeNap, Frank A

In 2003 a joint effort between the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the U.S. Department of Justice created state and metropolitan intelligence fusion centers. These fusion centers were an effort to share law enforcement, disaster, and terrorism related information and intelligence between state and local jurisdictions and to share terrorism related intelligence between state and local law enforcement agencies and various federal entities. In 2006, DHS commissioned the Oak Ridge National Laboratory to establish and manage a groundbreaking program to assist local, state, and tribal leaders in developing the tools and methods required to anticipate and forestall terroristmore » events and to enhance disaster response. This program, called the Southeast Region Research Initiative (SERRI), combines science and technology with validated operational approaches to address regionally unique requirements and suggest regional solutions with the potential for national application. In 2009, SERRI sponsored the Multistate Sharing Initiative (MSSI) to assist state and metropolitan intelligence fusion centers with sharing information related to a wider variety of state interests than just terrorism. While these fusion centers have been effective at sharing data across organizations within their respective jurisdictions, their organizational structure makes bilateral communication with federal entities convenient and also allows information to be further disbursed to other local entities when appropriate. The MSSI-developed Suspicious Activity Report (SAR) sharing system allows state-to-state sharing of non-terrorism-related law enforcement and disaster information. Currently, the MSSI SAR system is deployed in Alabama, Kentucky, Tennessee, and South Carolina. About 1 year after implementation, cognizant fusion center personnel from each state were contacted to ascertain the status of their MSSI SAR systems. The overwhelming response from these individuals was that

Four essays on offshore wind power potential, development, regulatory framework, and integration

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dhanju, Amardeep

Offshore wind power is an energy resource whose potential in the US has been recognized only recently. There is now growing interest among the coastal states to harness the resource, particularly in states adjacent to the Mid-Atlantic Bight where the shallow continental shelf allows installation of wind turbines using the existing foundation technology. But the promise of bountiful clean energy from offshore wind could be delayed or forestalled due to policy and regulatory challenges. This dissertation is an effort to identify and address some of the important challenges. Focusing on Delaware as a case study it calculates the extent of the wind resource; considers one means to facilitate resource development---the establishment of statewide and regional public power authorities; analyzes possible regulatory frameworks to manage the resource in state-controlled waters; and assesses the use of distributed storage to manage intermittent output from wind turbines. In order to cover a diversity of topics, this research uses a multi-paper format with four essays forming the body of work. The first essay lays out an accessible methodology to calculate offshore wind resource potential using publicly available data, and uses this methodology to access wind resources off Delaware. The assessment suggests a wind resource approximately four times the average electrical load in Delaware. The second essay examines the potential role of a power authority, a quasi-public institution, in lowering the cost of capital, reducing financial risk of developing and operating a wind farm, and enhancing regional collaboration on resource development and management issues. The analysis suggests that a power authority can lower the cost of offshore wind power by as much as 1/3, thereby preserving the ability to pursue cost-competitive development even if the current federal incentives are removed. The third essay addresses the existing regulatory void in state-controlled waters of Delaware

[In Process Citation].

PubMed

Álvarez, Cristian; Ramírez-Campillo, Rodrigo; Vallejos-Rojas, Andrea; Jaramillo-Gallardo, Javiera; Salas Bravo, Carlos; Cano-Montoya, Johnattan; Celis-Morales, Carlos

2016-03-25

 Introducción: obesidad e inactividad física son importantes factores de riesgo para el desarrollo de hipertensión en adultos. No obstante, hay poca evidencia sobre el efecto de estos factores de riesgo en el desarrollo de hipertensión en población infantil. Objetivo: investigar la asociación del estado nutricional, niveles de actividad física y etnicidad con niveles de hipertensión en escolares entre 6 y 13 años de edad. Métodos: un total de 418 escolares de ascendencia étnica europea (n = 311) y mapuche (n = 107) fueron participantes de este estudio transversal. Se midió el peso, talla, índice de masa corporal (IMC) y presión arterial, utilizando protocolos estandarizados. Resultados: no se encontraron diferencias significativas en IMC, estado nutricional y presión arterial entre niños con ascendencia europea y mapuche. No obstante, la prevalencia de prehipertensión (21,3% vs. 11,1%) e hipertensión (28,9% vs. 18,6%) fue significativamente mayor en escolares mapuches en comparación con europeos, respectivamente. Escolares con ascendencia mapuche tienen un mayor riesgo de desarrollar prehipertensión o hipertensión que escolares con ascendencia europea (OR: 1,92 [1,19 a 3,06], p < 0,01). La prevalencia de hipertensión aumenta significativamente en ambos grupos étnicos con el incremento de IMC y bajos niveles de actividad física. Conclusiones: el riesgo de desarrollar prehipertensión o hipertensión es mayor en población infantil ascendiente de mapuches que ascendiente de europeos y este riesgo se ve acentuado con el incremento de obesidad y bajos niveles de actividad física.

[Not Available].

PubMed

Villa-González, Emilio; Rodríguez-López, Carlos; Barranco-Ruiz, Yaira; Cabezas-Arévalo, Luis Fabián; Chillón, Palma

2016-06-30

Objetivo: analizar la concordancia de dos métodos de medición (Google MapsTM vs. Sistema de Información Geográfica) para la determinación de la distancia desde el domicilio familiar hasta el colegio.Métodos: un total de 542 escolares de entre 8-11 años de edad (media = 9,36 ± 0,6) del sur de España participaron en el estudio, facilitando la dirección de su domicilio familiar. La distancia desde el domicilio familiar al colegio se calculó mediante la utilización de dos programas diferentes:Google MapsTM y Sistema de Información Geográfica (GIS) en ruta y en línea recta. La asociación entre ambos métodos fue analizada utilizando la correlación de Spearman y el grado de acuerdo a través del coeficiente de correlación intraclase (ICC), así como el método Bland Altman.Resultados: la correlación entre ambos métodos de medición propuestos fue muy significativa (r = 0,966, p < 0,001; r = 0,984, p < 0,001; y r = 0,954, p < 0,001, respectivamente), y la concordancia fue excelente (ICC = 0,96, p < 0,001; ICC = 0,92, p < 0,001; ICC = 0,97, p < 0,001).Conclusiones: los métodos de medición estudiados podrían ser utilizados en función de las necesidades de la investigación, al presentar ambos una alta concordancia. Sin embargo, se recomienda la utilización del Sistema de Información Geográfica en ruta si se cuenta con medios yfinanciación, por tratarse de un método constatado en fiabilidad y validez.

Experiências internacionais da aplicação de sistemas de apoio à decisão clínica em gastroenterologia

PubMed Central

Tenório, Josceli Maria; Hummel, Anderson Diniz; Sdepanian, Vera Lucia; Pisa, Ivan Torres; de Fátima Marin, Heimar

2015-01-01

Objetivo Descrever as experiências recentes com a aplicação de sistemas de apoio à decisão clínica em gastroenterologia, de forma a estabelecer o nível de desenvolvimento, testes e vantagens conferidas à prática médica com a introdução desses softwares. Métodos Foi realizada busca nas bases de dados PubMed, LILACS e ISI Web of Knowledge, utilizando termos relacionados à sistemas de apoio à decisão e à gastroenterogia, incluindo artigos originais publicados no período entre 2005 e 2010. Foram recuperadas 104 publicações, na busca inicial e, após a aplicação dos critérios de inclusão e exclusão, foram eleitos nove estudos para leitura do texto completo. Resultados Os sistemas de apoio à decisão clínica apresentam grande multiplicidade de problemas clínicos e investigação de doenças. Em 89% dos casos, são descritos modelos experimentais para o desenvolvimento de sistemas de apoio à decisão clínica. A descrição dos resultados obtidos por técnicas de inteligência artificial em 78% das publicações. Em dois dos estudos foram realizadas comparações com o médico e em apenas uma publicação um estudo controlado foi descrito, mostrando evidências de melhorias na prática médica. Conclusão Os estudos mostram potenciais benefícios dos sistemas de apoio à decisão clínica à prática médica, porém, estudos controlados em ambiente real devem ser realizados para comprovar esta perspectiva. PMID:26491625

Ambiente e formação estelar em galáxias

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mateus, A., Jr.; Sodré, L., Jr.

2003-08-01

Estudamos o ambiente de galáxias com formação estelar inicialmente a partir de uma amostra limitada em volume proveniente do 2dF Galaxy Redshift Survey. Discriminamos as galáxias com formação estelar com base em distintas classes espectrais, utilizando para esta classificação as larguras equivalentes das linhas [OII]l3727 e Hd. O ambiente é caracterizado pela densidade espacial local de galáxias. Mostramos que a fração de galáxias com formação estelar é bastante reduzida em ambientes densos, enquanto a de galáxias passivas aumenta nestas regiões. Por outro lado, quando analisamos a fração de galáxias que apresentam um surto recente de formação estelar, notamos que ela independe do ambiente, sendo que em regiões mais densas alguns destes objetos apresentam distorções em sua morfologia. Estes resultados são confrontados com a análise da dependência ambiental da taxa de formação estelar, estimada pela emissão em Ha, de uma amostra extraída do Sloan Digital Sky Survey. Um declínio gradual da formação estelar também é observado nesta análise, sugerindo que as interações por efeitos de maré sejam responsáveis pela redução da formação estelar em ambientes densos através da remoção do reservatório de gás das galáxias. No entanto, estas interações também podem induzir surtos de formação estelar nas galáxias, além de peculiaridades morfológicas observadas nos objetos que habitam regiões mais densas.

Obstáculos a la adherencia y retención en los sistemas de salud público y privado según pacientes y personal de salud

PubMed Central

Arístegui, Inés; Dorigo, Analía; Bofill, Lina; Bordatto, Alejandra; Lucas, Mar; Cabanillas, Graciela Fernández; Sued, Omar; Cahn, Pedro; Cassetti, Isabel; Weiss, Stephen; Jones., Deborah

2016-01-01

Resumen Introducción el Programa Nacional de Sida garantiza el acceso universal a los antirretrovirales, aun así las personas que reciben medicamentos a través del sistema público no logran obtener una carga viral indetectable en la misma proporción que los pacientes del sistema privado. Este estudio cualitativo tiene como objeto identificar los factores asociados a la adherencia y retención en la cascada de atención de VIH de los sistemas de salud público y privado de Buenos Aires, según las percepciones de pacientes y del personal de salud. Métodos se registraron datos cualitativos de 12 entrevistas semi-estructuradas a informantes clave y 4 grupos focales de pacientes y personal de salud tanto del sistema público como privado. Se codificaron y analizaron temas predeterminados sobre adherencia, utilizando el software QRS Nvivo9® de análisis de datos cualitativos. Resultados pacientes y personal de salud de ambos sistemas coinciden en la importancia del estigma asociado al VIH, la relación médicopaciente, la comunicación entre ambos y la división de responsabilidades en relación al tratamiento como aspectos fundamentales para la adherencia y retención en la cascada de atención. Se observan diferencias entre los sistemas en la forma en que algunos de estos aspectos actúan. Las barreras estructurales se presentan como principales obstáculos del sistema público. Discusión se resalta la necesidad de intervenciones focalizadas en la díada médico-paciente que considere las particularidades de cada sistema de atención para facilitar el compromiso del paciente en la adherencia. PMID:26878024

Pulsation, Mass Loss and the Upper Mass Limit

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Klapp, J.; Corona-Galindo, M. G.

1990-11-01

RESUMEN. La existencia de estrellas con masas en exceso de 100 M0 ha sido cuestionada por mucho tiempo. Lfmites superiores para la masa de 100 M0 han sido obtenidos de teorfas de pulsaci6n y formaci6n estelar. En este trabajo nosotros primero investigamos la estabilidad radial de estrellas masivas utilizando la aproximaci6n clasica cuasiadiabatica de Ledoux, la aproximaci6n cuasiadiabatica de Castor y un calculo completamente no-adiabatico. Hemos encontrado que los tres metodos de calculo dan resultados similares siempre y cuando una pequefia regi6n de las capas externas de la estrella sea despreciada para la aproximaci6n clasica. La masa crftica para estabilidad de estrellas masivas ha sido encontrada en acuerdo a trabajos anteriores. Explicamos Ia discrepancia entre este y trabajos anteriores por uno de los autores. Discunmos calculos no-lineales y perdida de masa con respecto a) lfmite superior de masa. The existence of stars with masses in excess of 100 M0 has been questioned for a very long time. Upper mass limits of 100 Me have been obtained from pulsation and star formation theories. In this work we first investigate the radial stability of massive stars using the classical Ledoux's quasiadiabatic approximation. the Castor quasiadiabatic approximation and a fully nonadiabatic calculation. We have found that the three methods of calculation give similar results provided that a small region in outer layers of the star be neglected for the classical approximation. The critical mass for stability of massive stars is found to be in agreement with previous work. We explain the reason for the discrepancy between this and previous work by one of the authors. We discuss non-linear calculations and mass loss with regard to the upper mass limit. Key words: STARS-MASS FUNCTION - STARS-MASS LOSS - STARS-PULSATION

Observações espectroscópicas da candidata a pós-AGB IRAS 19386+0155

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lorenz-Martins, S.; Pereira, C. B.

2003-08-01

Nesse trabalho apresentamos a análise fotosférica da estrela candidata a pós-AGB IRAS 19386+0155. Com os dados obtidos no espectrógrafo FEROS foram determinados os parâmetros atmosféricos e abundâncias fotosféricas utilizando o código MOOG. A análise do espectro mostrou que IRAS 19386+0155 possui os seguintes parâmetros atmosféricos : Teff = 6800K, log g = 1.4, [M/H] = -1.5 e Vt = 8.4 km/s. O padrão de abundância obtido para os elementos mais leves (Carbono, Nitrogênio e Oxigênio) e elementos a (Magnésio, Silício e Cálcio) foi inferior ao solar (log C = 7.74, log N = 7.28, Log O = 8.43, log Mg = 7.14, log Si = 7.54 e log Ca = 5.91). Uma inspeção visual do espectro ISO deste objeto revela a presença de poeira fria na forma de silicatos cristalinos. Embora as bandas mais marcantes de silicatos amorfos (em 10 mm e 18mm) não sejam observadas, a emissão em 21 mm, presente em algumas pós-AGBs também não está presente. O espectro ISO parece revelar um meio rico em oxigênio, mas a forma da distribuição de energia no infravermelho não obedece ao padrão apresentado por outras pós-AGBs. Nossos resultados nos levam a sugerir que IRAS 19386+0155 talvez faça parte de um sistema binário, uma vez que outras pós-AGBs que são membros de sistemas binários apresentam padrão de abundância semelhante.

Nursing knowledge and practices regarding subcutaneous fluid administration.

PubMed

Gomes, Nathália Silva; Silva, Andrea Mara Bernardes da; Zago, Luana Barbosa; Silva, Érica Carneiro de Lima E; Barichello, Elizabeth

2017-01-01

To describe the evidence in the literature regarding the knowledge and practices of the nursing team about subcutaneous administration of drugs and fluids in adults. Integrative review of the literature using the descriptors "nursing", "hypodermoclysis", "drug administration routes", "adult health," and "knowledge," in English, Spanish, and Portuguese, with no publication deadline. Of the 569 articles found, eight made up the sample. A predominance of international journals (75%) with more than five years of publication (62.5%). The analysis of the methodological characteristics showed a predominance of literature reviews (25%), quantitative studies (62.5%), cross-sectional studies (50%), and non-experimental studies (50%). Although it is an old technique with proven efficacy, hypodermoclysis is still little used, a puzzling fact due to its advantages and indications for any age. descrever as evidências, na literatura, sobre os conhecimentos e as práticas da equipe de enfermagem na administração de medicamentos e de fluidos por via subcutânea no adulto. revisão integrativa da literatura utilizando os descritores enfermagem, hipodermóclise, vias de administração de medicamentos, saúde do adulto e conhecimento; nos idiomas inglês, espanhol e português, sem data limite de publicação. Dos 569 artigos encontrados, oito compuseram a amostra. predomínio de revistas internacionais (75%) e com mais de cinco anos de publicação (62,5%). Ao analisarem-se as características metodológicas, predominaram: revisões de literatura (25%), estudos quantitativos (62,5%), estudos transversais (50%) e não-experimentais (50%). apesar de se tratar de uma técnica antiga com eficácia comprovada, a hipodermóclise ainda é pouco utilizada, fato incoerente pelas suas vantagens e suas indicações para qualquer idade.

Factors associated with the incidence of pressure ulcer during hospital stay.

PubMed

Matozinhos, Fernanda Penido; Velasquez-Melendez, Gustavo; Tiensoli, Sabrina Daros; Moreira, Alexandra Dias; Gomes, Flávia Sampaio Latini

2017-05-25

Estimating the incidence rate of pressure ulcers and verifying factors associated with this occurrence in a cohort of hospitalized patients. This is a cohort study in which the considered outcome was the time until pressure ulcer occurrence. Estimated effect of the variables on the cumulative incidence ratio of the outcome was performed using the Cox proportional hazards model. Variable selection occurred via the Logrank hypothesis test. The sample consisted of 442 adults, with 25 incidents of pressure ulcers. Patients with high scores on the Braden scale presented a higher risk of pressure ulcer incidence when compared to those classified into the low score category. These results reinforce the importance of using the Braden Scale to assist in identifying patients more likely to develop pressure ulcers. Estimar a taxa de incidência de úlcera por pressão e verificar fatores associados a essa ocorrência em uma coorte de pacientes hospitalizados. Trata-se de estudo de coorte no qual o desfecho foi a ocorrência da úlcera por pressão. A estimativa do efeito das variáveis para a proporção de incidência acumulada do desfecho foi realizada utilizando o modelo de riscos proporcionais de Cox. A seleção das variáveis ocorreu por meio do teste de hipóteses Logrank. A amostra foi composta de 442 adultos, com 25 casos incidentes de úlcera por pressão. Pacientes com altos escores na escala de Braden apresentaram maior risco de incidência de úlcera por pressão quando comparados com aqueles classificados na categoria de baixo escore. Os resultados reforçam a importância do uso da Escala de Braden para auxiliar na identificação dos pacientes com maior probabilidade de desenvolver úlcera por pressão.

HOW TO EVALUATE SCIENTIFIC PRODUCTION.

PubMed

Antunes, Alberto Azoubel

2015-01-01

To conduct a critical analysis of the two main bibliometric indexes used by science: the impact factor and the H index. Research was conducted on PubMed using the keywords: impact factor, Bibliometrics and H index. The citations of articles tend to follow a curve in which the articles published in a given year increase sharply to a peak occurring between two and six years after its publication. From this peak citations decline over time. The analysis of the scientific merit should not be based on only in bibliometric measure, but in the association of various parameters. The impact factor and the H index is mainly based on the number of citations of scientific papers, and this parameter, although important, should not be used alone, nor overvalued in the evaluation of teaching merit. Realizar análise crítica dos dois principais índices bibliométricos utilizados pela ciência: o fator de impacto e o índice H. Foi realizada pesquisa no Pubmed utilizando as palavras-chave: impact factor, bibliometrics, H index. As citações dos artigos tendem a seguir uma curva em que os artigos publicados em determinado ano aumentam agudamente para um pico que ocorre entre dois e seis anos após sua publicação. A partir deste pico, as citações declinam ao longo do tempo. A análise do mérito científico não deve ser baseada em apenas uma medida bibliométrica, mas em associação de medidas. O FI e o índice H se baseiam fundamentalmente no número de citações dos artigos científicos, e este parâmetro, apesar de importante, não deve ser utilizado sozinho e tampouco supervalorizado na avaliação do mérito docente.

Determinação da massa de júpiter a partir das órbitas de seus satélites: um experimento didático

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schlickmann, M. S.; Saito, R. K.; Becker, D. A.; Rezende, M. F., Jr.; Cid Fernandes, R.

2003-08-01

Este trabalho apresenta o roteiro piloto de uma prática observacional em astronomia, junto com os primeiros resultados obtidos nesta fase de implementacão. O projeto, que será executado em duas etapas, visa introduzir noções de Astronomia a alunos do Ensino Médio e iniciantes nos cursos de Física. O experimento consiste em medir as órbitas dos satélites Galileanos e, a partir da análise dos dados coletados, verificar a validade da Lei das órbitas de Kepler, determinando a massa do planeta Júpiter. Em uma primeira etapa, as observações serão feitas utilizando um telescópio Meade LX200 10" e câmera CCD para obter uma seqüência de imagens do planeta, que possibilitará medir o movimento de seus satélites. A segunda etapa terá início a partir do funcionamento do telescópio em modo robótico, com a possibilidade de observações via internet por instituições de ensino. Para o desenvolvimento deste experimento foram inicialmente coletadas várias imagens de Júpiter obtidas com os instrumentos citados acima. Estas imagens serviram como base para confecção dos roteiros para a experiência no nível médio e superior. Os roteiros serão inicialmente apresentados em uma home-page. Nela também se buscará uma contextualização histórica da experiência bem como o estabelecimento de relações com professores e alunos, propostas metodológicas e a disponibilização dos programas computacionais necessários para a utilização "on-line" pelos usuários. O projeto conta com apoio da Fundação VITAE.

Duodenal ulcer and gastroesophageal reflux disease today: long-term therapy--a sideways glance.

PubMed Central

Bardhan, K. D.

1996-01-01

Acid-peptic disease is widely considered conquered or controlled, future advances being refinements of existing treatments rather than radical new developments. Yet controversies remain and developments have yet to be made. DUODENAL ULCER: Daily maintenance treatment with the anti-secretory drugs, histamine H2 receptor antagonists and proton pump blockers, controls duodenal ulcer effectively, markedly reducing relapse rate at one year after treatment from about 75 percent to 15 to 20 percent (and to about 10 percent on proton pump blockers). In contrast, Helicobacter pylori eradication with a one to two week course of treatment yields prolonged remission or cure. The consequent reduction in drug costs in individual patients, however, has been exceeded by increasing community use on the more expensive proton pump blockers for the treatment of gastroesophageal reflux disease. The marked decline in elective surgery since the introduction of histamine H2 receptor antagonists is commonly attributed to the power of these drugs. The fall, however, had started much earlier, indicating that the decline is due to changing natural history. In contrast, complication rates remain unaltered. An increasing proportion of newly diagnosed duodenal ulcer patients are elderly, and more of them now present for the first time with complications (in this center, about 40 percent), which consequently cannot be forestalled. Thus, duodenal ulcer disease is likely to remain a problem and in many will be a serious illness. GASTROESOPHAGEAL REFLUX DISEASE: The proton pump blockers have revolutionized the treatment of gastroesophageal reflux disease. In clinical trials they have proven markedly superior to the histamine H2 receptor antagonists in healing (at eight weeks, 80 to 90 percent vs. 50 to 60 percent), symptom relief, prevention of relapse on maintenance therapy and cost-effectiveness. However, several issues remain. The prevalence of gastroesophageal reflux disease seems to be rising

Evaluation of the CCA Immuno-Chromatographic Test to Diagnose Schistosoma mansoni in Minas Gerais State, Brazil

PubMed Central

Silveira, Alda Maria Soares; Costa, Emanuele Gama Dutra; Ray, Debalina; Suzuki, Brian M.; Hsieh, Michael H.; Fraga, Lucia Alves de Oliveira; Caffrey, Conor R.

2016-01-01

Background The Kato-Katz (KK) stool smear is the standard test for the diagnosis of Schistosoma mansoni infection, but suffers from low sensitivity when infections intensities are moderate to low. Thus, misdiagnosed individuals remain untreated and contribute to the disease transmission, thereby forestalling public health efforts to move from a modality of disease control to one of elimination. As an alternative, the urine-based diagnosis of schistosomiasis mansoni via the circulating cathodic antigen immuno-chromatographic test (CCA-ICT) has been extensively evaluated in Africa with the conclusion that it may replace the KK test in areas where prevalences are moderate or high. Methods and Findings The objective was to measure the performance of the CCA-ICT in a sample study population composed of residents from non-endemic and endemic areas for schistosomiasis mansoni in two municipalities of Minas Gerais state, Brazil. Volunteers (130) were classified into three infection status groups based on duplicate Kato-Katz thick smears from one stool sample (2KK test): 41 negative individuals from non-endemic areas, 41 negative individuals from endemic areas and 48 infected individuals from endemic areas. Infection status was also determined by the CCA-ICT and infection exposure by antibody ELISA (enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay) to S. mansoni soluble egg antigen (SEA) and soluble (adult) worm antigen preparation (SWAP). Sensitivity and specificity were influenced by whether the trace score visually adjudicated in the CCA-ICT was characterized as positive or negative for S. mansoni infection. An analysis of a two-graph receiver operating characteristic was performed to change the cutoff point. When the trace score was interpreted as a positive rather than as a negative result, the specificity decreased from 97.6% to 78.0% whereas sensitivity increased from 68.7% to 85.4%. A significantly positive correlation between the CCA-ICT scores and egg counts was identified (r

Clinical outcomes and cost-effectiveness of strategies for managing people at high risk for diabetes.

PubMed

Eddy, David M; Schlessinger, Leonard; Kahn, Richard

2005-08-16

Lifestyle modification can forestall diabetes in high-risk people, but the long-term cost-effectiveness is uncertain. To estimate the effects of the lifestyle modification program used in the Diabetes Prevention Program (DPP) on health and economic outcomes. Cost-effectiveness analysis using the Archimedes model. Published basic and epidemiologic studies, clinical trials, and Kaiser Permanente administrative data. Adults at high risk for diabetes (body mass index >24 kg/m2, fasting plasma glucose level of 5.2725 to 6.9375 mmol/L [95 to 125 mg/dL], 2-hour glucose tolerance test result of 7.77 to 11.0445 mmol/L [140 to 199 mg/dL]). 5 to 30 years. Patient, health plan, and societal. No prevention, DPP's lifestyle modification program, lifestyle modification begun after a person develops diabetes, and metformin. Diagnosis and complications of diabetes. Compared with no prevention program, the DPP lifestyle program would reduce a high-risk person's 30-year chances of getting diabetes from about 72% to 61%, the chances of a serious complication from about 38% to 30%, and the chances of dying of a complication of diabetes from about 13.5% to 11.2%. Metformin would deliver about one third the long-term health benefits achievable by immediate lifestyle modification. Compared with not implementing any prevention program, the expected 30-year cost/quality-adjusted life-year (QALY) of the DPP lifestyle intervention from the health plan's perspective would be about 143,000 dollars. From a societal perspective, the cost/QALY of the lifestyle intervention compared with doing nothing would be about 62,600 dollars. Either using metformin or delaying the lifestyle intervention until after a person develops diabetes would be more cost-effective, costing about 35,400 dollars or 24,500 dollars per QALY gained, respectively, compared with no program. Compared with delaying the lifestyle program until after diabetes is diagnosed, the marginal cost-effectiveness of beginning the DPP

Spatial and temporal changes in land cover and its relation to the wildfire risk in Montes de Zuera (NE-Spain)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Iñiguez-Remón, E.; Badía-Villas, D.; Ibarra-Benlloch, P.

2012-04-01

the surface percentage (55 % in region 1; 58 % in region 2), have being stable for the past fifty years about 1/3 of these surfaces (38 % in region 1, and 32 % in region 2). Different wildfire preventive measures are proposed at spatial scale. Chuvieco, E., Salas J., de la Riva, J., Pérez, F. y Lana-Renault, N. (2004). Métodos para la integración de variables de riesgo: el papel de los sistemas de Información Geográfica, pp.144-158. In: Chuvieco, E., Martín, M.P. (Ed.): Nuevas tecnologías para la estimación del riesgo de incendios forestales. CSIC, Instituto de Economía y Geografía. Madrid. FAO (1986). Wildfire management terminology. Eds. FAO, Forest Resources Development Branch. Rome. OSE, Observatorio para la Sostenibilidad en España (2006). Cambios de ocupación del suelo en España. Implicaciones para la sostenibilidad. Madrid.

ESTIMATING BASAL ENERGY EXPENDITURE IN LIVER TRANSPLANT RECIPIENTS: THE VALUE OF THE HARRIS-BENEDICT EQUATION.

PubMed

Pinto, Andressa S; Chedid, Marcio F; Guerra, Léa T; Álvares-DA-Silva, Mario R; Araújo, Alexandre de; Guimarães, Luciano S; Leipnitz, Ian; Chedid, Aljamir D; Kruel, Cleber R P; Grezzana-Filho, Tomaz J M; Kruel, Cleber D P

2016-01-01

Reliable measurement of basal energy expenditure (BEE) in liver transplant (LT) recipients is necessary for adapting energy requirements, improving nutritional status and preventing weight gain. Indirect calorimetry (IC) is the gold standard for measuring BEE. However, BEE may be estimated through alternative methods, including electrical bioimpedance (BI), Harris-Benedict Equation (HBE), and Mifflin-St. Jeor Equation (MSJ) that carry easier applicability and lower cost. To determine which of the three alternative methods for BEE estimation (HBE, BI and MSJ) would provide most reliable BEE estimation in LT recipients. Prospective cross-sectional study including dyslipidemic LT recipients in follow-up at a 735-bed tertiary referral university hospital. Comparisons of BEE measured through IC to BEE estimated through each of the three alternative methods (HBE, BI and MSJ) were performed using Bland-Altman method and Wilcoxon Rank Sum test. Forty-five patients were included, aged 58±10 years. BEE measured using IC was 1664±319 kcal for males, and 1409±221 kcal for females. Average difference between BEE measured by IC (1534±300 kcal) and BI (1584±377 kcal) was +50 kcal (p=0.0384). Average difference between the BEE measured using IC (1534±300 kcal) and MSJ (1479.6±375 kcal) was -55 kcal (p=0.16). Average difference between BEE values measured by IC (1534±300 kcal) and HBE (1521±283 kcal) was -13 kcal (p=0.326). Difference between BEE estimated through IC and HBE was less than 100 kcal for 39 of all 43patients. Among the three alternative methods, HBE was the most reliable for estimating BEE in LT recipients. Estimativa confiável do metabolismo basal em pacientes transplantados de fígado é necessária para adaptar os requerimentos energéticos, melhorar o estado nutricional e prevenir ganho de peso. Calorimetria indireta (CI) é o padrão-ouro para a medição do metabolismo basal. No entanto, ele pode ser estimado utilizando-se métodos alternativos

Prevalence of hypoalbuminemia and nutritional issues in hospitalized elders.

PubMed

Brock, Felipe; Bettinelli, Luiz Antonio; Dobner, Taise; Stobbe, Júlio César; Pomatti, Gabriela; Telles, Cristina Trevizan

2016-08-08

to estimate the prevalence of hypoalbuminemia in hospitalized elders, related to socio-demographic variables, nutritional status and length of stay. crosscutting study with 200 patients hospitalized in a large hospital in the South of Brazil during three months. Evaluations, lab tests and interviews through questionnaires were performed. the average albuminemia was 2,9 ± 0,5g/dL. Hypoalbuminemia was diagnosed in 173 subjects (87%) and was absent in 27 (13%) that have normal albuminemia (p=0,000). After six days of hospitalization, the prevalence of low levels grew significantly to 90% (p=0,002), average 2,7 ± 0,5g/dL. Using the Mini Nutritional Assessment, it was observed that 41 patients were malnourished and from those, 40 had hypoalbuminemia. the prevalence of hypoalbuminemia proved to be high, in approx. nine in ten elders, and the nutritional status and the length of stay proved to be related to the decrease of serum albumin levels. Thus, it is suggested that monitoring albumin levels should be done to evaluate the risk that the patient has to develop malnutrition and other complications during hospital stays. estimar a prevalência de hipoalbuminemia em idosos hospitalizados, em relação às variáveis sociodemográficas, estado nutricional e tempo de internação. estudo transversal, com 200 pacientes internados em hospital de grande porte do sul do Brasil, durante o período de três meses. Foram realizadas avaliações, análise de exames laboratoriais e entrevista através de questionário. a média de albuminemia foi 2,9 ± 0,5g/dL. O diagnóstico de hipoalbuminemia, foi encontrado em 173 sujeitos (87%), e não revelado em 27 (13%), que apresentaram albuminemia normal (p=0,000). Constatou-se que após seis dias de internação a prevalência de níveis baixos aumentou significativamente para 90% (p=0,002), com média de 2,7 ± 0,5g/dL. Utilizando-se a Mini Avaliação Nutricional, observou-se que 41 pacientes estavam desnutridos, e que destes, 40

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 cl

Phytoreovirus-like sequences isolated from salivary glands of the glassy-winged sharpshooter Homolodisca vitripennis (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae)

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

Katsar, C.S.; Hunter, W.B.; Sinisterra, X.H.

, where GWSS occurs, such as in southern California, will provide a better understanding of the potential role of the GWSS as a disease vector in the spread of phytoreoviruses and other plant pathogens. The sequences have been deposited in NCBI database under the accession numbers (EF058280) for GWSS-V1, WHSg013C11 and (EF058281) for GWSS-V2, WHSg024H02. (author) [Spanish] Dos fragmentos de 610 y 839 pares de bases fueron aislados apartir de una genoteca de expresion derivada de las glandulas salivales del cucarron de las alas cristalinas (GWSS), Homalodisca vitripennis, Germar 1821 (syn. H. coagulata) el cual es vector de la enfermedad de Pierce de las uvas. Los resultados de alineamiento utilizando BLASTX, BLASTP y el analisis filogenetico utilizando PAUP indicaron que los fragmentos de DNA estaban relacionado de manera mas cercana a viruses en la familia Reoviridae, genero Phytoreovirus, y especificamente a los virus del enanismo del arroz (RDV) y al virus del tumor de las grietas (WTV). El cucarron de las alas cristalinas es un saltahoja que se alimenta no solo del xilema sino tambien del floema y del mesofilo. Saltahojas del genero Agallian, son los principales vectores de WTV, el cual infecta el floema de plantas dicotiledoneas tumoraciones en las hojas y en las raices. WTV es transmitido por saltahojas y es el unico reovirus que es capaz de infectar tanto tejidos del xilema como del floema. El comportamiento alimentario del GWSS y su amplio rango de hospederos que incluye pastos y plantas herbaceas y lenosas podria proveer la interaccion entre estos dos organismos facilitando la adquisicion y tranmision de fitoreovirus por el GWSS. Un adecuado monitoreo de el incremento en la expansion de reoviruses en cultivos de gramineas asociados al los vinedos en donde GWSS ocurre en regiones tales como el sur de California, y en general el sur de los Estados Unidos, podria proveer un mejor entendimiento del papel del GWSS como vector de fitoreovirus y otros patogenos de

Critical thinking: concept analysis from the perspective of Rodger's evolutionary method of concept analysis.

PubMed

Carbogim, Fábio da Costa; Oliveira, Larissa Bertacchini de; Püschel, Vilanice Alves de Araújo

2016-09-01

to analyze the concept of critical thinking (CT) in Rodger's evolutionary perspective. documentary research undertaken in the Cinahl, Lilacs, Bdenf and Dedalus databases, using the keywords of 'critical thinking' and 'Nursing', without limitation based on year of publication. The data were analyzed in accordance with the stages of Rodger's conceptual model. The following were included: books and articles in full, published in Portuguese, English or Spanish, which addressed CT in the teaching and practice of Nursing; articles which did not address aspects related to the concept of CT were excluded. the sample was made up of 42 works. As a substitute term, emphasis is placed on 'analytical thinking', and, as a related factor, decision-making. In order, the most frequent preceding and consequent attributes were: ability to analyze, training of the student nurse, and clinical decision-making. As the implications of CT, emphasis is placed on achieving effective results in care for the patient, family and community. CT is a cognitive skill which involves analysis, logical reasoning and clinical judgment, geared towards the resolution of problems, and standing out in the training and practice of the nurse with a view to accurate clinical decision-making and the achieving of effective results. analisar o conceito de pensamento crítico (PC), na perspectiva evolucionista de Rodgers. pesquisa documental realizada nas bases de dados Cinahl, Lilacs, Bdenf e Dedalus, utilizando-se as palavras-chave pensamento crítico e Enfermagem, sem delimitação de ano de publicação. Os dados foram analisados conforme etapas do modelo conceitual de Rodgers. Incluíram-se livros e artigos na íntegra, publicados em português, inglês ou espanhol que abordavam o PC no ensino e prática de Enfermagem, excluindo-se estudos que não abordassem aspectos relacionados ao conceito do PC. a amostra foi constituída por 42 trabalhos. Como termo substituto, destacou-se pensamento analítico e, como

Patient Safety Incidents and Nursing Workload.

PubMed

Carlesi, Katya Cuadros; Padilha, Kátia Grillo; Toffoletto, Maria Cecília; Henriquez-Roldán, Carlos; Juan, Monica Andrea Canales

2017-04-06

to identify the relationship between the workload of the nursing team and the occurrence of patient safety incidents linked to nursing care in a public hospital in Chile. quantitative, analytical, cross-sectional research through review of medical records. The estimation of workload in Intensive Care Units (ICUs) was performed using the Therapeutic Interventions Scoring System (TISS-28) and for the other services, we used the nurse/patient and nursing assistant/patient ratios. Descriptive univariate and multivariate analysis were performed. For the multivariate analysis we used principal component analysis and Pearson correlation. 879 post-discharge clinical records and the workload of 85 nurses and 157 nursing assistants were analyzed. The overall incident rate was 71.1%. It was found a high positive correlation between variables workload (r = 0.9611 to r = 0.9919) and rate of falls (r = 0.8770). The medication error rates, mechanical containment incidents and self-removal of invasive devices were not correlated with the workload. the workload was high in all units except the intermediate care unit. Only the rate of falls was associated with the workload. identificar a relação entre a carga de trabalho da equipe de enfermagem e a ocorrência de incidentes de segurança dos pacientes ligados aos cuidados de enfermagem de um hospital público no Chile. pesquisa transversal analítica quantitativa através de revisão de prontuários médicos. A estimativa da carga de trabalho em Unidade de Terapia Intensiva (UTI) foi realizada utilizando o Índice de Intervenções Terapêuticas-TISS-28 e para os outros serviços, foram utilizados os cocientes enfermeira/paciente e auxiliar de enfermagem/ paciente. Foram feitas análises univariada descritiva e multivariada. Para a análise multivariada utilizou-se análise de componentes principais e correlação de Pearson. foram analisados 879 prontuáriosclínicos de pós-alta e a carga de trabalho de 85 enfermeiros e 157

Good practices in collecting umbilical cord and placental blood.

PubMed

Lopes, Lauren Auer; Bernardino, Elizabeth; Crozeta, Karla; Guimarães, Paulo Ricardo Bittencourt

2016-08-18

to identify the factors related to the quality of umbilical cord and placental blood specimens, and define best practices for their collection in a government bank of umbilical cord and placental blood. this was a descriptive study, quantitative approach, performed at a government umbilical cord and placental blood bank, in two steps: 1) verification of the obstetric, neonatal and operational factors, using a specific tool for gathering data as non-participant observers; 2) definition of best practices by grouping non-conformities observed before, during and after blood collection. The data was analyzed using descriptive statistics and the following statistical software: Statistica(r) and R(r). while there was a correlation with obstetrical and neonatal factors, there was a larger correlation with operational factors, resulting in the need to adjust the professional practices of the nursing staff and obstetrical team involved in collecting this type of blood. Based on these non-conformities we defined best practices for nurses before, during and after blood collection. the best practices defined in this study are an important management tool for the work of nurses in obtaining blood specimens of high cell quality. identificar fatores relacionados à qualidade das amostras do sangue de cordão umbilical e placentário e definir boas práticas para sua coleta em um banco público de sangue de cordão umbilical e placentário. pesquisa descritiva, abordagem quantitativa, realizada em um banco público de sangue de cordão umbilical e placentário, desenvolvida em duas etapas: 1) verificação dos fatores obstétricos, neonatais e operacionais, obtidos por coleta em instrumento próprio e observação não participante; 2) definição das boas práticas, por meio do agrupamento de não-conformidades observadas antes, durante e após a coleta do sangue. Os dados foram analisados por meio da estatística descritiva, utilizando-se dos softwares Statistica(r) e R(r). houve

Effective Universal Coverage of Diabetes Mellitus Type 2 in Chile.

PubMed

Guerrero-Núñez, Sara; Valenzuela-Suazo, Sandra; Cid-Henríquez, Patricia

2017-04-06

determine the prevalence of Effective Universal Coverage of Diabetes Mellitus Type 2 in Chile and its relation with the variables: Health Care Coverage of Diabetes Mellitus Type 2; Average of diabetics with metabolic control in 2011-2013; Mortality Rate for Diabetes Mellitus; and Percentage of nurses participating in the Cardiovascular Health Program. cross-sectional descriptive study with ecological components that uses documentary sources of the Ministry of Health. It was established that there is correlation between the Universal Effective Coverage of Diabetes Mellitus Type 2 and the independent variables; it was applied the Pearson Coefficient, being significant at the 0.05 level. in Chile Universal Health Care Coverage of Diabetes Mellitus Type 2 (HbA1c<7% estimated population) is less than 20%; this is related with Mortality Rate for Diabetes Mellitus and Percentage of nurses participating in the Cardiovascular Health Program, being significant at the 0.01 level. effective prevalence of Universal Health Coverage of Diabetes Mellitus Type 2 is low, even though some regions stand out in this research and in the metabolic control of patients who participate in health control program; its relation with percentage of nurses participating in the Cardiovascular Health Program represents a challenge and an opportunity for the health system. determinar a prevalência de Cobertura Universal Efetiva da Diabetes Mellitus tipo 2 em Chile e sua relação com as variáveis; Cobertura da Diabetes Mellitus tipo 2, Média de diabéticos com controle metabólico em 2011-2013, Taxa de Mortalidade por Diabetes Mellitus e Percentagem de participação de enfermeiras no Programa de Saúde Cardiovascular. estudo descritivo transversal com componentes ecológicos, utilizando fontes documentais do Ministério da Saúde. Foi estabelecida correlação entre Cobertura Universal Efetiva da Diabetes Mellitus tipo 2 e as variáveis independentes, aplicando o Coeficiente de Pearson, sendo

Mental health in the Family Health Strategy as perceived by health professionals.

PubMed

Souza, Jacqueline de; Almeida, Letícia Yamawaka de; Luis, Margarita Antonia Villar; Nievas, Andreia Fernanda; Veloso, Tatiana Maria Coelho; Barbosa, Sara Pinto; Giacon, Bianca Cristina Ciccone; Assad, Francine Baltazar

2017-01-01

to analyze the management of mental health needs in primary care as perceived by Family Health Strategy professionals. this was a qualitative descriptive exploratory study developed within the coverage area of five family health teams. The data were collected using observation, group interviews, individual semi-structured interviews, and focus groups. Content analysis was conducted using text analysis software and interpretation was based on the corresponding analytical structures. numerous and challenging mental health demands occur in this setting, for which the teams identified care resources; however, they also indicated difficulties, especially related to the operationalization and integration of such resources. there is a need for a care network sensitive to mental health demands that are better coordinated and more effectively managed. analisar o manejo das necessidades de saúde mental na atenção primária à saúde de acordo com a percepção dos profissionais da Estratégia Saúde da Família. estudo qualitativo, descritivo exploratório, desenvolvido no território de abrangência de cinco equipes de saúde da família. Os participantes foram cinco enfermeiras, cinco coordenadores e 17 agentes comunitários de saúde. Os dados foram coletados utilizando observação, entrevistas grupais, entrevistas individuais semiestruturadas e grupos focais. Fez-se a análise de conteúdo com o auxílio de um Software de análise textual, e a interpretação baseou-se nas estruturas analíticas correspondentes. inúmeras e desafiadoras demandas de saúde mental têm sido acolhidas nesse setting, para as quais as equipes identificaram recursos de atendimento; no entanto, apontaram dificuldades, sobretudo relacionadas à operacionalização e integração destes recursos. destaca-se a necessidade de uma rede de cuidados sensível a tais demandas, mais articulada e gerida de modo eficaz.

Significado de psicólogas/os de atención primaria de salud sobre la intervención psicosocial de grupo en el tratamiento de la depresión en Chile.

PubMed

Andrade, Gonzalo; Espinoza, Adriana

2017-11-01

En Chile, el tratamiento de la depresión en salud pública promueve la realización de Intervenciones Psicosociales en Grupo (IPG) para todos los casos diagnosticados, no obstante, se observa una baja implementación de estas prestaciones. El presente artículo describe y caracteriza, desde el punto de vista de la disciplina psicológica, el significado de psicólogas/os que trabajan en consultorios de atención primaria de salud (APS) sobre las IPG en el tratamiento de la depresión. Se entrevistaron a ocho psicólogas/os de los distintos Servicios de Salud de la Región Metropolitana de Santiago. Este estudio se basó en las premisas de la Teoría Fundamentada, utilizando sus estrategias de análisis. La categoría "los grupos no nos resultan" expone las principales barreras que impiden la realización de estas intervenciones. La carga laboral centrada en atenciones individuales, el escaso presupuesto destinado a su implementación, y la falta de instalaciones adecuadas para realizar las IPG emergen como barreras institucionales. Asi mismo, la "poca fe" en la efectividad del trabajo en grupo, la figura de las/os psicólogas/os como únicas/os profesionales capacitadas/os para trabajar con las emociones, la idea de que la baja adherencia al tratamiento no depende de su ejercicio laboral, y el hecho de que la implementación de las IPG dependa del interés individual de algunas/os profesionales, emergen como las principales resistencias profesionales a su realización. Se discuten los alcances de estas barreras, y se proponen soluciones que favorezcan el cambio cultural necesario para que las/los profesionales e instituciones de salud puedan alinearse en plenitud con el modelo comunitario de salud propuesto por el Plan Nacional de Salud Mental y Psiquiatría (PNSMP).

Genes del receptor variable beta de células T en células circulantes de pacientes con lupus eritematoso generalizado y sus familiares sanos.

PubMed

Jakez-Ocampo, Juan; Paulín-Vera, Carmen María; Rivadeneyra-Espinoza, Liliana; Gómez-Martín, Diana; Carrillo-Maravilla, Eduardo; Lima, Guadalupe; Vargas-Rojas, María Inés; Pérez-Romano, Beatriz; Calva-Cevenini, Gabriella; García-Carrasco, Mario; Ruiz-Argüelles, Alejandro; Llorente, Luis

Se investigó la proporción de la expresión génica del receptor variable beta de células T (Vβ TCR) en linfocitos periféricos CD3+ en pacientes con lupus eritematoso generalizado (LEG) familiar y no familiar. El repertorio de Vβ TCR se estudió en 14 familias que presentaban más de un miembro con LEG. El uso de Vβ TCR en pacientes con LEG (n = 27) se comparó con el de los miembros sanos de estas familias (n = 47), con 37 pacientes con LEG esporádico y con 15 controles sanos. La expresión del repertorio de Vβ TCR se estudió por citometría de flujo multiparamétrica utilizando un arreglo de 24 diferentes anticuerpos monoclonales específicos de genes familiares para Vβ TCR. Se encontró el mismo perfil de expresión en las comparaciones entre los casos de LEG esporádico y familiar, así como en los consanguíneos sanos de las familias multicasos, que incluía una expresión incrementada de Vβ 5.2, Vβ 11 y Vβ 16, y una menor expresión de Vβ 3, Vβ4, Vβ 7.1 y Vβ 7. De manera interesante, solo Vβ 17 se expresó de modo diferente entre casos familiares y esporádicos de LEG. Igualmente, la expresión incrementada de Vβ 9 fue el distintivo entre los casos de LEG familiar (casos y consanguíneos sanos) y los controles sanos. Estos resultados refuerzan la noción de que el perfil final del repertorio Vβ TCR observado en LEG familiar y no familiar parece surgir de la interacción de factores genéticos, ambientales e inmunorreguladores, además de que pueden explicar las alteraciones inmunitarias que se observan en los consanguíneos sanos de pacientes con LEG. Copyright: © 2018 SecretarÍa de Salud

Estudio comparativo de las moléculas isovalentes de interés atmosférico CF3Cl y CF3Br y sus correspondientes halógenos aislados Cl y Br.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mayor, E.; Velasco, A. M.; Martín, I.; Lavín, C.

Los estados Rydberg moleculares han suscitado en los últimos años un creciente interés entre los espectroscopistas experimentales, motivado en parte por el desarrollo de nuevas técnicas espectroscópicas capaces de investigar estos estados altamente excitados electrónicamente. Los procesos de fotoabsorción que implican estados Rydberg en los derivados halogenados del metano son de gran importancia, debido a su abundancia en la atmósfera y a sus implicaciones medioambientales. Por ello, la obtención de datos relativos a sus fuerzas de oscilador es de gran interés. En este trabajo se aborda el estudio de dichas propiedades para las moléculas isovalentes CF3Cl y CF3Br. Ambas moléculas presentan idéntica estructura electrónica para el estado fundamental por lo que se espera que sus espectros Rydberg presenten grandes similitudes, en ausencia de perturbaciones. Por ello y dada la escasez de datos relativos a fuerzas de oscilador, hemos establecido la corrección de nuestros resultados en base a las analogías esperadas en las intensidades espectrales correspondientes a transiciones análogas. Por otro lado, Novak y col. [1] han encontrado experimentalmente un marcado carácter atómico en el espectro correspondiente a estas moléculas, siendo muy similar a los de los átomos de Cl y Br. Por ello en el presente trabajo, además de establecer la comparación entre ambas moléculas hemos buscado las similitudes con sus respectivos halógenos. Los cálculos relativos a las especies moleculares se han realizado utilizando la Metodología Molécular de Orbítales de Defecto Cuántico (MQDO) [2], mientras que para el estudio de los átomos de Cl y Br se empleó la versión relativista del método (RQDO) [3].

Elderly who take care of elderly: a study on the Frailty Syndrome.

PubMed

Santos-Orlandi, Ariene Angelini Dos; Brito, Tábatta Renata Pereira de; Ottaviani, Ana Carolina; Rossetti, Estefani Serafim; Zazzetta, Marisa Silvana; Pavarini, Sofia Cristina Iost

2017-01-01

Identifying prevalence of frailty in elderly caregivers inserted in a high social vulnerability context and its correlation with sociodemographic and health aspects. Descriptive, correlational and cross-sectional study. Forty elderly caregivers were evaluated with: questionnaire for caregiver characterization, Mini Mental State Examination, Katz Index, Lawton instrumental activities of daily living scale, Geriatric Depression Scale and the frailty phenotype proposed by Fried. Interviews were conducted at their residences and scheduled in advance. All ethical precautions were observed. Data were analyzed with the Stata statistical program version 11.0. 10% of elderly caregivers were frail. There was a significant correlation between frailty and sex, instrumental activities of daily living and cognition. Female caregivers, partially dependent individuals regarding instrumental activities of daily living and with worse cognitive state deserve a special attention from health services. Identificar a prevalência de fragilidade em cuidadores idosos inseridos em contexto de alta vulnerabilidade social e sua correlação com aspectos sociodemográficos e de saúde. Estudo descritivo, correlacional, transversal. Foram avaliados 40 cuidadores idosos utilizando-se: questionário para caracterização do cuidador, Mini Exame do Estado Mental, Índice de Katz, Escala de atividades instrumentais de vida diária de Lawton, Escala de Depressão Geriátrica e o fenótipo de fragilidade proposto por Fried. As entrevistas foram realizadas no domicílio, sendo previamente agendadas. Todos os cuidados éticos foram observados. Os dados foram analisados com apoio do pacote estatístico Stata versão 11.0. 10,0% dos cuidadores idosos eram frágeis. Houve correlação significativa entre fragilidade e: sexo, atividades instrumentais de vida diária e cognição. Conclusão: Cuidadoras do sexo feminino, indivíduos parcialmente dependentes em relação às atividades instrumentais de vida

Desarrollo de un instrumento para medir percepciones sobre el contexto de construccion del conocimiento cientifico de estudiantes universitarios de nuevo ingreso

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Garcia-Ramirez, Jaime Antonio

En esta investigacion, se desarrollo un instrumento que permite medir percepciones relacionadas al contexto de constriccion del conocimiento cientifico. Se examinaron instrumentos existentes y se encontro que el VOSTS (Views on science, technology, and society), instrumento desarrollado empiricamente en Canada por Aikenhead, Ryan y Fleming, podia traducirse y validarse en el contexto cultural puertorriqueno. El instrumento es extenso, consta de 113 reactivos, cada uno con una premisa basica relacionada a la tematica ciencia, tecnologia y sociedad y un numero de alternativas relacionadas a la premisa que oscila entre siete y trece. Se delimito su utilizacion a los quince reactivos identificados por los autores como relacionados a la construccion social del conocimiento cientifico. Metodologicamente, se procedio a utilizar el modelo de adaptacion intercultural, que permite que el instrumento desarrollado satisfaga las dimensiones de equivalencia semantica, de contenido, tecnica, de criterio y conceptual, atemperado asi al instrumento original. Se cumplio con este proposito mediante la traduccion de la version original en ingles al espanol y viceversa. Se utilizaron comites para examinar la traduccion y la retro-traduccion del instrumento. Se realizo una prueba piloto con estudiantes universitarios de nuevo ingreso, utilizando el instrumento traducido para asegurar su intelegibilidad. La confiabilidad del instrumento se determino mediante la intervencion de un panel de expertos quienes clasificaron las distintas posiciones dentro de cada reactivo en: realista, con merito e ingenua; se transformaron estas opciones en valores numericos lo que permitio establecer una escala Likert para cada una. Se suministro el instrumento a una muestra de estudiantes universitarios de nuevo ingreso con caracteristicas similares a las de la poblacion puertorriquena en cuanto a ejecucion en las pruebas de aptitud verbal y matematica del College Board. Los resultados de sus contestaciones

Acceptability of an Embodied Conversational Agent-based Computer Application for Hispanic Women

PubMed Central

Wells, Kristen J.; Vázquez-Otero, Coralia; Bredice, Marissa; Meade, Cathy D.; Chaet, Alexis; Rivera, Maria I.; Arroyo, Gloria; Proctor, Sara K.; Barnes, Laura E.

2015-01-01

There are few Spanish language interactive, technology-driven health education programs. Objectives of this feasibility study were to: 1) learn more about computer and technology usage among Hispanic women living in a rural community; and 2) evaluate acceptability of the concept of using an embodied conversational agent (ECA) computer application among this population. A survey about computer usage history and interest in computers was administered to a convenience sample of 26 women. A sample video prototype of a hospital discharge ECA was administered followed by questions to gauge opinion about the ECA. Data indicate women exhibited both a high level of computer experience and enthusiasm for the ECA. Feedback from community is essential to ensure equity in state of the art dissemination of health information. Hay algunos programas interactivos en español que usan la tecnología para educar sobre la salud. Los objetivos de este estudio fueron: 1) aprender más sobre el uso de computadoras y tecnología entre mujeres Hispanas que viven en comunidades rurales y 2) evaluar la aceptabilidad del concepto de usar un programa de computadora utilizando un agente de conversación encarnado (ECA) en esta población. Se administro una encuesta sobre el historial de uso y del interés de aprender sobre computadoras fue a 26 mujeres por muestreo de conveniencia. Un ejemplo del prototipo ECA en forma de video de un alta hospitalaria fue administrado y fue seguido por preguntas sobre la opinión que tenían del ECA. Los datos indican que las mujeres mostraron un alto nivel de experiencia con las computadoras y un alto nivel de entusiasmo sobre el ECA. La retroalimentación de la comunidad es esencial para asegurar equidad en la diseminación de información sobre la salud con tecnología de punta. PMID:26671558

Observación espectroscópica de NGC 2442

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Agüero, E.; Bajaja, E.; Paolantonio, S.

La galaxia NGC 2442 (SAB(s)bc pec) fue observada con el telescopio de 2,15 m y el espectrógrafo REOSC del CASLEO utilizando el detector CCD Tektronix de 1024 × 1024 pixels de 24 μ m (0,26"). Las exposiciones fueron realizadas con la ranura de 3,3'' × 348'', en el plano focal, ubicadas en seis posiciones, cinco a 40o de áng. de pos. y una a 79o. La mayor parte de las exposiciones se efectuó con la red de 1200 líneas mm-1, a un ángulo de 25,53o cubriendo el rango de λλ 6200 a 6900 con dispersión de 32Å mm-1 y resolución de 2,5 Å. Las relaciones entre las intensidades de las líneas de emisión en el núcleo de NGC 2442 indican que es un LINER lo cual es compatible con la sugerencia de Shobrook de que se trataría de una galaxia Seyfert u otro tipo de galaxia activa. La temperatura y densidad electrónicas nucleares son Te ~14.000 K y Ne ~ 530 cm-3, respectivamente. Una región a 87'' al NE en cambio, donde las intensidades son también altas, presenta características espectrales típicas de una Región HII con Te ~6500 K y Ne ~10 cm-3. La correlación de las intensidades con el CO en 115 GHz y con el continuo en 843 MHz y de las velocidades ópticas con las del CO, a lo largo del eje mayor, son muy buenas. La mayor resolución angular de las observaciones, sin embargo, permite apreciar la existencia de dos componentes de velocidad en el núcleo que pueden corresponder a un anillo en rotación o a un fenómeno de expansión.

Investigaccion-accion en la sala de clases sobre las creencias de la cultura de la ciencia de un grupo de estudiantes universitarios y su relacion reciproca con el aprendizaje de las ciencias biologicas

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cordova-Santiago, Lizzette Astrid

La investigacion---accion que se llevo a cabo en la sala de clases tenia como punto de partida las creencias de la cultura de la ciencia de un grupo de estudiantes universitarios para luego examinar sus implicaciones en el proceso de aprendizaje de las Ciencias Biologicas. ¿Que se supone que hagan las creencias en relacion con el aprendizaje? ¿En que consiste incorporar este aspecto a la practica educativa universitaria? Utilizando el modelo de Kemmis y McTaggart (1987) la investigacion-accion se planteo como un proceso dinamico en cuatro momentos en espiral constituidos por la planificacion, la accion, la observacion y la reflexion. Cada una de las fases tuvo una intencion retrospectiva y prospectiva formando una espiral de autorreflexion del conocimiento y la accion. Se llevaron a cabo audio grabaciones en clases y analisis de documentos. Ademas, la profesora-investigadora hizo un portafolio para reflexionar sobre las creencias de la cultura de la ciencia que tienen los estudiantes y las creencias del aprendizaje que tiene la profesora y sobre como la comprension de estos elementos ayudo a mejorar su practica educativa a traves del tiempo. Los resultados obtenidos apuntan a que las creencias de la cultura de la ciencia que tiene el grupo de estudiantes son diversas. Ellos si creen que la ciencia tiene una cultura la cual describieron como: complicada y desconocida que evoluciona constantemente, que es un conjunto de metodos, que es altamente tecnologica, que resuelve problemas de salud, ayuda a interpretar la realidad del mundo que los rodea y su origen y que existen unas intersecciones entre la ciencia y el poder. Sobre las creencias del proceso de aprendizaje de la profesora-investigadora, estas senalan que el modelaje de actores, la vision de la academia que tiene ella asi como la participacion y negociacion entre todos los involucrados en el proceso educativo, son factores que inciden en el proceso de aprendizaje.

Comunicación de pareja y VIH en mujeres en desventaja social

PubMed Central

Rosina Cianelli, A.; Lilian Ferrer, L.; Margarita Bernales, S.; Natalia Villegas, R.

2009-01-01

Introducción La epidemia de VIH y SIDA se ha diseminado rápidamente a nivel mundial tendiendo a la feminización, pauperización y heterosexualización. La comunicación de pareja en torno el VIH es descrita como uno de los factores protectores en la adquisición de esta enfermedad, favoreciendo la adopción de conductas sexuales seguras tales como la negociación de pareja y la utilización de preservativo, consideróndose como un pilar fundamental en la incorporación de medidas de autocuidado en la sexualidad femenina. Objetivo Determinar el nivel de comunicación de pareja en torno al VIH en mujeres chilenas en desventaja social. Metodología Cuatrocientas noventa y seis mujeres contestaron la entrevista inicial de la investigación “Testing an HIV/AIDS Prevention Intervention for Chilean Women” (RO1 TW 006977 PI Cianelli). Se utilizó la escala “Health protective sexual communication scale (HPC)” (0–10 puntos). Se realizó un análisis descriptivo utilizando el programa SPSS 16.0. Resultados El promedio del nivel de comunicación de pareja fue de 3,26 ± 2,7 puntos con la pareja principal, de 2,52 ± 2,48 puntos con una segunda pareja y de 0 puntos con una tercera pareja. Los temas de menor comunicación entre las parejas fueron el uso de preservativo y la realización del test para VIH antes de tener relaciones sexuales. Conclusión Las mujeres de la muestra presentan bajos niveles de comunicación de pareja en relación a VIH con todas sus parejas sexuales. Son necesarias estrategias que potencien este tópico dentro de las intervenciones de prevención de VIH y SIDA de manera de fortalecer la adopción de conductas de autocuidado en torno al tema. PMID:19936328

Falls in long-term care institutions for elderly people: protocol validation.

PubMed

Baixinho, Cristina Rosa Soares Lavareda; Dixe, Maria Dos Anjos Coelho Rodrigues; Henriques, Maria Adriana Pereira

2017-01-01

To validate the content of a fall management risk protocol in long-term institutions for elderly people. Methodological, quanti-qualitative study using the Delphi technique. The tool, based on the literature, was sent electronically to obtain consensus among the 14 experts that meet the defined inclusion criteria. The 27 indicators of the protocol are organized in three dimensions: prepare for the institutionalization (IRA=.88); manage the risk of falls throughout the institutionalization (IRA=.9); and lead the communication and formation (IRA=1), with a CVI=.91. Two rounds were performed to get a consensus superior to 80% in every item. The values obtained in the reliability test (>0.8) show that the protocol can be used to meet the intended goal. The next step is the clinic validation of the protocol with residents of long-term care institutions for elderly people. Validar o conteúdo de um protocolo para a gestão do risco de queda em Instituições de Longa Permanência para Idosos. Estudo metodológico, de abordagem quantiqualitativa, utilizando a técnica de Delphi. O instrumento, construído com base na literatura, foi enviado por via electrónica, para obter consenso entre os 14 peritos que respeitam os critérios de inclusão definidos. Os 27 indicadores do protocolo estão organizados em três dimensões: Preparar a Institucionalização (IRA=,88); Gerir o Risco de Queda ao longo da Institucionalização (IRA=,9) e Liderar a comunicação e formação (IRA=1), com um CVI=,91. Foram efetuadas duas rodadas para se obter consenso superior a 80% em todos os itens. Os valores obtidos no teste de fidedignidade (>0,8) atestam que o protocolo pode ser utilizado para atingir o fim que se pretende. A próxima etapa é a validação clínica do protocolo com idosos residentes em Instituições de Longa Permanência para Idosos.

Presentación del estudio “Links” de hombres que tienes sexo con hombres en Buenos Aires, Argentina

PubMed Central

Carballo-Diéguez, Alex; Ávila, María M; Balán, Iván C.; Marone, Rubén; Pando, María A.; Barreda, Victoria

2011-01-01

Resumen Estudios previos en Buenos Aires reportaron altas prevalencias de HIV entre HSH, con valores que oscilan entre 9 y 14% durante casi 10 años de continuo testeo. El objetivo principal de este estudio fue la evaluación de factores relacionados al comportamiento de alto riesgo para transmisión del HIV entre HSH entre los que se incluyen el conocimiento y factores emocionales, socioculturales y ambientales. Por otro lado se realizó la estimación de prevalencia e incidencia de HIV utilizando RDS (Respondent Driven Sampling), así como la presencia de otras infecciones de transmisión sexual. Por último se evaluaron los hábitos de testeo para HIV indagando que factores facilitan o impiden su realización. El estudio constó de dos fases, en primer lugar una fase cualitativa y posteriormente una fase cuantitativa con una duración total de 4 años y medio. Durante la fase cualitativa se realizaron 44 entrevistas individuales en profundidad, 8 grupos focales y 10 observaciones etnográficas (hoteles, baños públicos (“teteras”), cines pornográficos, fiestas privadas, dark rooms y discotecas). Durante la fase cuantitativa del estudio se realizó el reclutamiento de 500 participantes que provinieron de la Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, así como del Gran Buenos Aires. El reclutamiento se comenzó con 16 participantes llamados semillas. Se realizó el diagnóstico de infección por HIV, hepatitis B y C (HBV y HCV), Treponema pallidum, Virus Papiloma Humano (HPV) y Chlamidias. La colaboración establecida entre los grupos de trabajo enfocados en áreas diversas posibilitó el abordaje conjunto de nuevas estrategias de investigación antes no exploradas en nuestro país. Los resultados más relevantes de esta investigación serán progresivamente publicados en sucesivos números de Actualizaciones en SIDA. PMID:25264397

Presentación del estudio "Links" de hombres que tienes sexo con hombres en Buenos Aires, Argentina.

PubMed

Carballo-Diéguez, Alex; Avila, María M; Balán, Iván C; Marone, Rubén; Pando, María A; Barreda, Victoria

2011-03-01

Estudios previos en Buenos Aires reportaron altas prevalencias de HIV entre HSH, con valores que oscilan entre 9 y 14% durante casi 10 años de continuo testeo. El objetivo principal de este estudio fue la evaluación de factores relacionados al comportamiento de alto riesgo para transmisión del HIV entre HSH entre los que se incluyen el conocimiento y factores emocionales, socioculturales y ambientales. Por otro lado se realizó la estimación de prevalencia e incidencia de HIV utilizando RDS (Respondent Driven Sampling), así como la presencia de otras infecciones de transmisión sexual. Por último se evaluaron los hábitos de testeo para HIV indagando que factores facilitan o impiden su realización. El estudio constó de dos fases, en primer lugar una fase cualitativa y posteriormente una fase cuantitativa con una duración total de 4 años y medio. Durante la fase cualitativa se realizaron 44 entrevistas individuales en profundidad, 8 grupos focales y 10 observaciones etnográficas (hoteles, baños públicos ("teteras"), cines pornográficos, fiestas privadas, dark rooms y discotecas). Durante la fase cuantitativa del estudio se realizó el reclutamiento de 500 participantes que provinieron de la Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, así como del Gran Buenos Aires. El reclutamiento se comenzó con 16 participantes llamados semillas. Se realizó el diagnóstico de infección por HIV, hepatitis B y C (HBV y HCV), Treponema pallidum, Virus Papiloma Humano (HPV) y Chlamidias. La colaboración establecida entre los grupos de trabajo enfocados en áreas diversas posibilitó el abordaje conjunto de nuevas estrategias de investigación antes no exploradas en nuestro país. Los resultados más relevantes de esta investigación serán progresivamente publicados en sucesivos números de Actualizaciones en SIDA.

Projeto educação em ciências com observatórios virtuais: a participação da Escola Moppe no período 2000-2003

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wuensche, C. A.; Gavioli, E.; Oliveira, A. L. P. R. S.; da Silva, C.; Cardoso, H. P.; Estácio, S.

2003-08-01

O projeto Educação em Ciências com Observatórios Virtuais foi concebido pelo Instituto Astronômico e Geofísico da USP, agregando diversas instituições de ensino e pesquisa no país para desenvolver competências diversas na educação fundamental, média e superior utilizando a astronomia como ferramenta multidisciplinar. Este trabalho descreve a participação da MOPPE, escola-piloto do INPE no projeto, no período de 2000-2003. Serão apresentadas 1) a criação de um clube de ciências (1999 a 2001) cujo tema foi a colonização de Marte e 2) a ementa de astronomia trabalhada com as 7a. e 8a. séries do ensino fundamental. A proposta do projeto Colonizando Marte foi estudar diversos aspectos de uma missão interplanetária e construir experiementos que permitissem quantificar esses aspectos. Os resultados obtidos incluiram apresentações nas SBPC Jovem em 2000 e 2001. Discutiremos também as ementas de astronomia trabalhadas desde 2001 e o envolvimento dos alunos com atividades ligadas a astronomia, fora da aula de ciências. A inclusão de astronomia no currículo das últimas séries motivou a participação de mais alunos culminando com a conquista de duas medalhas para alunos da 7a. série na Olimpiada Brasileira de Astronomia em 2002. Houve também um aumento no número de participantes na OBA 2003 e nos projetos de astronomia mais elaborados nas Feira de Ciências de 2001 e 2002. Destacamos em 2003 a inclusão da MOPPE no projeto TIE - Telescopes in Education - da NASA, que utiliza o telescópio do Observatório de Mount Wilson (EUA) para observações remotas em projetos pedagógicos para o ensino de astronomia.

Prevalence of Escherichia coli O157:H7 From House Flies (Diptera: Muscidae) and Dairy Samples in North Central Florida1.

PubMed

Burrus, Roxanne G; Hogsette, Jerome A; Kaufman, Phillip E; Maruniak, James E; Simonne, Amy H; Mai, Volker

2017-05-01

La detección de Escherichia coli O157:H7 en las lecherías es importante para mejorar la seguridad de los productos lácteos, y se ha llevado a cabo principalmente mediante el aislamiento de las bacterias a partir de las muestras de estiércol. Sin embargo, los componentes biliares presentes en el estiércol complica la identificación genética utilizando la técnica del PCR, y el aislamiento microbiológico se dificulta por la presencia de bacterias competidoras que comparten características microbiológicas similares. El aislamiento de E. coli O157:H7 a partir de la mosca doméstica evita las dificultades asociadas con el estiércol del ganado. El aislamiento de patógenos a partir de las moscas domésticas proporciona información adicional sobre el potencial impacto epidemiológico de la dispersión de la mosca doméstica en la distribución de patógenos, ya que las moscas domésticas se dispersan desde las lecherías donde la E. coli O157:H7 existe en forma endémica en el ganado. En este estudio, se encontró que las moscas domésticas son 2,6 veces más sensibles para la detección de E. coli O157:H7 en las lecherías. Las moscas son más fáciles de capturar y manejar que el estiércol, y deberían ser utilizadas en cualquier ensayo para detectar E. coli O157:H7 en las lecherías y otros establecimientos. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Entomological Society of America 2016. This work is written by US Government employees and is in the public domain in the US.

Atomic layer deposition of metal oxide by non-aqueous sol-gel chemistry =

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Marichy, Catherine

O trabalho apresentado neste manuscrito foi desenvolvido no ambito do programa doutoral intitulado “Deposicao de Camadas Atomicas (ALD) de oxido de metais por sol-gel nao-aquoso”. O objectivo deste trabalho foi a preparacao de hetero-estruturas funcionais por ALD e a sua caracterizacao. Foi desenvolvido um novo processo de deposicao de oxido de estanho a temperatura baixa-moderada, utilizando um metodo ALD nao-aquoso, o qual foi aplicado com sucesso ao revestimento controlado das paredes internas e externas de nanotubos de carbono. Uma vez que a preparacao de nanomateriais funcionais requer uma elevada exatidao do processo de deposicao, foi demonstrada a deposicao precisa de filmes que se adaptem a forma do substrato ou de filmes nano-estruturados constituidos por particulas em varios substratos. Alem disso, foram depositados com grande exatidao varios oxidos de metal em nanotubos de carbono e demonstrou-se a possibilidade de ajustar o revestimento feito por ALD atraves do controlo da funcionalizacao da superficie do substrato nano-estruturado de carbono. As hetero-estruturas obtidas foram posteriormente aplicadas como sensores de gases. O melhoramento verificado na sensibilidade foi atribuido a formacao de heterojuncoes p-n entre o filme de oxido de metais e o suporte. O trabalho desenvolvido tendo como objetivo o controlo do revestimento por ALD atraves da funcionalizacao da superficie do suporte e certamente de interesse para o design de hetero-estruturas funcionais baseadas em substratos de carbono. De facto, durante o ultimo periodo do programa de doutoramento, este conceito foi alargado a funcionalizacao e revestimento com oxidos de metal de fibras de carbono preparadas por “electrospinning”, de forma a melhorar a estabilidade e a atividade eletrocatalitica de catalisadores a base de Pt. Este trabalho foi realizado maioritariamente na Universidade de Aveiro mas tambem na Universidade Nacional de Seul e beneficiou de varias colaboracoes internacionais

Influence of hormonal contraceptives and the occurrence of stroke: integrative review.

PubMed

Lima, Adman Câmara Soares; Martins, Larissa Castelo Guedes; Lopes, Marcos Venícios de Oliveira; Araújo, Thelma Leite de; Lima, Francisca Elisângela Teixeira; Aquino, Priscila de Souza; Moura, Escolástica Rejane Ferreira

2017-01-01

To identify scientific evidence regarding the influence of hormonal contraceptive use and the occurrence of stroke. Integrative review of the literature, through database search using the descriptors "contraceptive agents", "contraceptive devices", "contraceptives, Oral" and "Stroke". Original studies in Portuguese, Spanish and English, published in full and available online were included. Studies that did not answer our guiding questions and duplicated studies were excluded. Women using combined oral contraceptives have higher risk of stroke, even with a lower hormonal dosage and different types of progestogen, regardless of the duration of use. The use of contraceptives associated with smoking, hypertension, migraine, hypercholesterolemia, obesity and sedentary lifestyle increases the chance of stroke. Contraceptive patch and vaginal ring are associated to increased risk. Use of combined hormonal contraceptives, except for the injectable and the transdermal ones, increases the chance of occurrence of the event. Progestogen-only contraceptives were considered safe. Identificar evidências científicas acerca da influência do uso de anticoncepcionais hormonais na ocorrência do acidente vascular cerebral (AVC). Revisão integrativa da literatura, com pesquisa em bases de dados, utilizando os descritores "contraceptive agents", "contraceptive devices", "contraceptives, Oral" e "stroke". Foram incluídos artigos originais nos idiomas português, espanhol e inglês, publicados na íntegra e disponíveis eletronicamente. Foram excluídos artigos que não respondiam às questões norteadoras e repetidos. Usuárias de anticoncepcional oral combinado apresentam risco maior de AVC, mesmo com dosagem hormonal menor e diferentes tipos de progestágeno, independente do tempo de uso. A presença associada de tabagismo, hipertensão arterial, enxaqueca, hipercolesterolemia, obesidade e sedentarismo aumenta a chance desse desfecho. Adesivo anticoncepcional e anel vaginal s

Abundâncias químicas de estrelas T Tauri fracas

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rojas, G. A.; Gregorio-Hetem, J.

2003-08-01

Apresentamos resultados do estudo de 44 estrelas pré-seqüência principal, para as quais buscamos realizar uma classificação espectroscópica e determinar parâmetros estelares e abundâncias químicas. A amostra foi escolhida da seguinte maneira : 21 objetos selecionados a partir de catálogos de objetos jovens, como o Pico dos Dias Survey e o Herbig Bell Catalogue, e 23 objetos selecionados a partir de contrapartidas ópticas de fontes de raios X detectadas pelo satélite ROSAT. Dentre 24 objetos previamente classificados como estrelas T Tauri Fracas, apenas 7 revelaram ser realmente pertencentes à essa classe, sendo os demais objetos T Tauri Clássicas ou estrelas evoluídas da pré-seqüência principal. Esse resultado demonstra que o critério mais utilizado para distinguir as T Tauri Clássicas das T Tauri Fracas, baseado na largura equivelente da emissão Ha, não é suficiente para determinar o estágio evolutivo desses objetos. Para o cálculo de parâmetros estelares e abundâncias, foram escolhidas as estrelas que apresentam características ideais para esse tipo de estudo, como ausência de velamento, baixa velocidade de rotação e espectros com razão sinal-ruído adequada. Os parâmetros estelares como temperatura efetiva e gravidade foram determinados através do equilíbrio de excitação e ionização das linhas de Ferro, e as abundâncias químicas foram calculadas utilizando o método de síntese espectral. Serão apresentados os parâmetros estelares e as abundâncias de Lítio para toda a amostra, e abundâncias de vários elementos quimicos para 7 estrelas estudadas em maior detalhe

Astronomía Gamma desde El Leoncito

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rovero, A. C.; Colombo, E.; Sahade, J.; Weekes, T. C.

La astronomía gamma, en el extremo de energías detectadas hasta el presente, se encuentra en desarrollo en muchas partes del mundo y proporciona resultados sorprendentes a medida que la tecnología avanza en el desarrollo de nuevos detectores. La técnica Cherenkov Atmosférica es la utilizada para la detección, mediante telescopios en tierra, del efecto secundario causado por la radiación gamma de muy altas energías (E ≈ TeV). Por medio de telescopios o arreglos de detectores y utilizando la técnica mencionada, se han podido detectar algunas fuentes puntuales de mucha importancia astrofísica como la Nebulosa del Cangrejo y la galaxia de núcleo activo Markarian 421. El sistema instalado en San Juan, en cooperación con el grupo de Radiación Gamma del Observatorio Whipple, está constituído por tres colectores de 1.5m que registran pulsos de luz generados por las cascadas de partículas producidas por rayos cósmicos de todo tipo al entrar en la atmósfera terrestre. El sistema opera por barrido en ascención recta de la fuente observada que, para esta etapa del experimento, es el Centro Galáctico. Esta fuente extensa es conocida como emisor gamma de energías inferiores al TeV y ha sido observada anteriormente en este rango de energía desde el hemisferio norte pero con elevaciones bajas, situación no óptima para este tipo de técnica. Se presentan los primeros resultados del análisis de los datos obtenidos observando la región del Centro Galáctico, luego de dos años de observaciones, así como una descripción de la técnica Cherenkov Atmosférica y del equipo utilizado en la experiencia.

Ensino de Astronomia no Ensino Médio

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Albrecht, E.; Voelzke, M. R.

2008-09-01

O presente trabalho de intervenção foi realizado junto a Escola Estadual Colônia dos Pescadores na cidade de Caraguatatuba, com três turmas do terceiro ano do Ensino Médio, envolvendo 119 alunos, 40 na turma A, 40 na turma B e 39 na turma C. A fase inicial foi composta de um questionário de vinte questões dissertativas e objetivas para diagnosticar nos educandos os conceitos prévios sobre Astronomia e, partindo destes realizar uma interferência nas classes envolvidas utilizando metodologias diferentes sendo elas: a tradicional, onde o professor é um repassador de informações, fazendo uso exclusivo de lousa e giz; a segunda também de forma tradicional, porém com auxílio de multimídia para desenvolvimento das aulas e a terceira sob forma de seminários, elaborados e apresentados pelos educandos, no qual o educador faz apenas as intervenções necessárias. Ao final do trabalho as mesmas turmas da fase inicial orientadas pelo mesmo professor responderam novamente ao questionário proposto para diagnosticar dentre as três metodologias utilizadas qual apresentou melhores resultados, sendo os iniciais comparados com os finais. Quando questionados a respeito do significado de Astronomia observou-se inicialmente que os acertos na turma A foram de 100%,turma B: 64%, turma C: 84%, após a intervenção os acertos foram: 100%, 97% e 85% respectivamente, demonstrando claramente uma absorção de conhecimentos. Quando interrogados sobre quantos planetas você acha que existem em nosso Sistema Solar? os acertos foram: turma A: 39%, turma B: 48% e turma C: 46%, após o desenvolvimento do trabalho os acertos foram 94%, 97% e 90% respectivamente.Dentro das respostas obtidas observa-se que a metodologia tradicional com o auxílio de multimeios, aplicada na turma B, demonstrou melhores resultados, foi a mais significativa.

Nursing team's conceptions about the families of hospitalized children.

PubMed

Macedo, Isabela Fornerolli de; Souza, Tania Vignuda de; Oliveira, Isabel Cristina Dos Santos; Cibreiros, Sylvia Alves; Morais, Rita de Cássia Melão de; Vieira, Rosana Fidelis Coelho

2017-01-01

to describe nursing team care and discuss the nursing team's conception of companion families of hospitalized children. The study was based on the theoretical framework of Collière's theory of nursing care identity. this was a qualitative study with 14 members of a nursing team, conducted through an unstructured group interview. Thematic data analysis was employed. habitual and repair care was delegated to families, regardless of the child's clinical condition. the team's official discourse about the families of hospitalized children, as recommended by the literature, refers to the family's alterity and participation in care provision, with sights on discharge and defending family participation as beneficial to children. In practice, however, the nursing staff makes concessions about the presence of chaperoning families and delegates care. descrever os cuidados da equipe de enfermagem e discutir as concepções da equipe de enfermagem frente à família acompanhante da criança hospitalizada. O referencial teórico está vinculado à identidade do cuidado de enfermagem de Collière. Estudo qualitativo com quatorze membros da equipe de enfermagem, utilizando a técnica de entrevista não diretiva em grupo. Foi realizada análise temática dos dados. os cuidados habituais e de reparação prestados à criança estão sendo delegados à família, independentemente da situação clínica da criança. o discurso oficial da equipe de enfermagem frente à família acompanhante da criança hospitalizada, preconizado pela literatura, refere-se à alteridade e à participação da família nos cuidados à criança, prevendo sua alta e justificando a participação como benéfica para a criança. Em contrapartida, na prática, a enfermagem faz concessões sobre a permanência da família e delega os cuidados.

Quality of life and religious-spiritual coping in palliative cancer care patients.

PubMed

Matos, Ticiane Dionizio de Sousa; Meneguin, Silmara; Ferreira, Maria de Lourdes da Silva; Miot, Helio Amante

2017-07-10

voluntários saudáveis, por meio de questionário utilizando dados sociodemográficos, o McGill Quality of Life Questionnaire e o Coping Religioso-Espiritual-Breve. foram entrevistados 192 participantes que apresentaram boa qualidade de vida e alta utilização do Coping Religioso-Espiritual. Houve maior uso de Coping Religioso-Espiritual negativo no Grupo A, assim como menor bem-estar físico, psicológico e de qualidade de vida. Observou-se associação entre escores de qualidade de vida e Coping Religioso-Espiritual (p<0,01) em ambos os grupos. Sexo masculino, religião católica e escore de Coping Regioso-Espiritual-Breve influenciaram, de forma independente, os escores de qualidade de vida (p<0,01). ambos os grupos apresentaram escores altos de qualidade de vida e de Coping Espiritual-Religioso. Participantes do sexo masculino, praticantes de religião católica e com maiores escores de Coping Espiritual-Religioso apresentaram melhor percepção de qualidade de vida, sugerindo que essa estratégia de enfrentamento possa ser estimulada em pacientes sob cuidados paliativos. comparar la calidad de vida y el coping religioso-espiritual de pacientes en cuidados paliativos oncológicos con un grupo de participantes sanos; evaluar si la calidad de vida percibida está asociada a las estrategias de coping religioso-espiritual; identificar las variables clínicas y sociodemográficas relacionadas a la calidad de vida y al coping religioso-espiritual. estudio transversal, desarrollado con 96 pacientes de ambulatorio de cuidados paliativos en un hospital público en el interior del Estado de São Paulo, Brasil, y 96 voluntarios sanos, mediante cuestionario utilizando datos sociodemográficos, el McGill Quality of Life Questionnaire y el Coping Religioso-Espiritual-Breve. fueron entrevistados 192 participantes que presentaron buena calidad de vida y alta utilización del Coping Religioso-Espiritual. Fue encontrado mayor uso de Coping Religioso-Espiritual negativo en el Grupo A

Building sustainability indicators in the health dimension for solid waste management.

PubMed

Veiga, Tatiane Bonametti; Coutinho, Silvano da Silva; Andre, Silvia Carla Silva; Mendes, Adriana Aparecida; Takayanagui, Angela Maria Magosso

2016-08-08

to prepare a list of sustainability indicators in the health dimension, for urban solid waste management. a descriptive and exploratory study performed jointly with 52 solid waste specialists, using a three-steps Delphi technique, and a scale measuring the degree of importance for agreement among the researchers in this area. the subjects under study were 92,3% PhD's concentrated in the age group from 30 to 40 years old (32,7%) and 51% were men. At the end of the 3rd step of the Delphi process, the average and standard deviation of all the proposed indicators varied from 4,22 (±0,79) to 4,72 (±0,64), in a scale of scores for each indicator from 1 to 5 (from "dispensable" to "very important"). Results showed the level of correspondence among the participants ranging from 82% to 94% related to those indicators. the proposed indicators may be helpful not only for the identification of data that is updated in this area, but also to enlarge the field of debates of the environmental health policies, directed not only for urban solid waste but for the achievement of better health conditions for the Brazilian context. elaborar uma lista de indicadores de sustentabilidade na dimensão da saúde para gestão de resíduos sólidos urbanos. estudo descritivo e exploratório, realizado com 52 especialistas na área de resíduos sólidos, utilizando a técnica Delphi em três etapas, com o uso da escala de mensuração do grau de importância para obtenção de consenso entre pesquisadores da área da investigação. dos sujeitos estudados , 92,3% eram doutores, com maior concentração na faixa etária entre 30 e 40 anos (32,7%) e 51,0% do sexo masculino. Ao final da 3ª etapa de aplicação da técnica Delphi, a média e o desvio-padrão de todos os indicadores propostos variaram de 4,22 (±0,79) a 4,72 (±0,64), em uma escala de pontuação atribuída para cada indicador de 1 a 5 (Respectivamente, de "dispensável" a "muito importante"). Os resultados demonstraram nível de

Epinephrine in cardiac arrest: systematic review and meta-analysis.

PubMed

Morales-Cané, Ignacio; Valverde-León, María Del Rocío; Rodríguez-Borrego, María Aurora

2016-12-08

evaluate the effectiveness of epinephrine used during cardiac arrest and its effect on the survival rates and neurological condition. systematic review of scientific literature with meta-analysis, using a random effects model. The following databases were used to research clinical trials and observational studies: Medline, Embase and Cochrane, from 2005 to 2015. when the Return of Spontaneous Circulation (ROSC) with administration of epinephrine was compared with ROSC without administration, increased rates were found with administration (OR 2.02. 95% CI 1.49 to 2.75; I2 = 95%). Meta-analysis showed an increase in survival to discharge or 30 days after administration of epinephrine (OR 1.23; 95% IC 1.05-1.44; I2=83%). Stratification by shockable and non-shockable rhythms showed an increase in survival for non-shockable rhythm (OR 1.52; 95% IC 1.29-1.78; I2=42%). When compared with delayed administration, the administration of epinephrine within 10 minutes showed an increased survival rate (OR 2.03; 95% IC 1.77-2.32; I2=0%). administration of epinephrine appears to increase the rate of ROSC, but when compared with other therapies, no positive effect was found on survival rates of patients with favorable neurological status. avaliar a efetividade da adrenalina na parada cardíaca e seu efeito na sobrevivência e no estado neurológico. revisão sistemática da literatura científica com meta-análise utilizando um modelo de efeitos aleatórios. Revisão em Medline, Embase e Cochrane, desde 2005 até 2015 de ensaios clínicos e estudos observacionais. observou-se aumento nas taxas de retorno de circulação espontânea com a administração de adrenalina (OR 2,02; 95% IC 1,49-2,75; I2=95%) comparadas com a não administração de adrenalina. A meta-análise mostrou um aumento da sobrevivência na alta ou depois de 30 dias da administração de adrenalina (OR 1,23; 95% IC 1,05-1,44; I2=83%). Quando estratificados por ritmos desfibrilháveis e não desfibrilh

Assessment of risk of falls in elderly living at home.

PubMed

Smith, Adriana de Azevedo; Silva, Antonia Oliveira; Rodrigues, Rosalina Aparecida Partezani; Moreira, Maria Adelaide Silva Paredes; Nogueira, Jordana de Almeida; Tura, Luiz Fernando Rangel

2017-04-06

to assess the risk of falls in elderly, by comparing the sociodemographic and cognitive factors, history of falls and self-reported comorbidities. cross-sectional and quantitative study with 240 elderly. Data were collected based on the social profile, through the instrument of risk of falls and assessment of falls, by univariate analysis, bivariate and multiple logistic regression. The Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 19 was used for statistical analysis. there was a significant association of the risk of falls, as measured by the Fall Risk Score, with sex (<0.001), age (0.054), cognitive status (<0.001) and history of falls (<0.001). All variables were statistically significant and contributed to the occurrence of falls. In logistic regression, the variables that showed association with risk of falls were: fall, with whom they live, hypertension and visual impairment. female gender, older elderly (over 80 years old), with low cognitive status and occurrence of previous falls in the last six months are factors that increase the prevalence of falls. In logistic regression, the variables that were associated with risk of falls were: fall, with whom they live, visual impairment and rheumatologic diseases. avaliar o risco de quedas em idosos, comparando com os fatores sóciodemográficos, cognitivos, presença de quedas e co-morbidades autorreferidas. Estudo transversal e quantitativo com 240 idosos. Os dados foram coletados a partir do perfil social, instrumento do risco de quedas e avaliação de quedas, utilizando análise univariada, bivariada e regressão logística múltipla. Para a análise estatística, utilizou-se o Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) versão 19. há associação entre o risco de quedas, mensurado pelo Fall Risk Score, com o sexo (<0,001), a faixa etária (0,054), o desempenho cognitivo (<0,001) e a presença de quedas (<0,001). Todas as variáveis apresentaram significância estatística e contribu

Factors associated with problematic drug use among psychiatric outpatients.

PubMed

Corradi-Webster, Clarissa Mendonça; Gherardi-Donato, Edilaine Cristina da Silva

2016-11-28

ística foi realizada utilizando-se estatísticas paramétricas considerando um nível de significância de p ≤ 0,05. Participaram do estudo 243 pacientes, com 53,9% destes apresentando consumo problemático de drogas. os preditores independentes mais importantes do consumo problemático de drogas foram o estado civil (OR = 0,491), a prática religiosa (OR = 0,449), a satisfação com a situação financeira (OR = 0,469), ter sofrido discriminação (OR = 3,821) e a prática de atividades esportivas nos últimos 12 meses (OR = 2,25). as variáveis consideradas preditoras foram aquelas relacionadas ao contexto social do paciente, e por isso, recomenda-se que os serviços de saúde mental valorize ações psicossociais, buscando conhecer a rede de suporte social dos pacientes, seus modos de socialização, suas necessidades financeiras e suas experiências de vida e sofrimento. analizar los factores asociados al consumo problemático de droga entre pacientes siquiátricos en ambulatorios. estudio transversal en dos servicios de salud mental. Fueron considerados individuos elegibles los usuarios de esos servicios de salud mental, que utilizaron drogas dentro del período de recolección de datos. Instrumentos: cuestionario estandarizado sobre datos sociodemográficos, redes sociales, perjuicios sociales e informaciones clínicas; Test de Detección del Involucramiento con Alcohol, Cigarro y otras Sustancias (ASSIST); Escala de Impulsividad de Barratt; y Escala de Evaluación de Readecuación Social de Holmes y Rahe. El análisis estadístico fue realizada utilizando estadísticas paramétricas considerando un nivel de significación de p ≤ 0,05. Participaron del estudio 243 pacientes, con 53,9% de estos presentando consumo problemático de drogas. los predictores independientes más importantes del consumo problemático de drogas fueron: el estado civil (OR = 0,491), la práctica religiosa (OR = 0,449), la satisfacción con la situación financiera (OR = 0,469), el haber

Teaching and Popularization of Astronomy in Latin America by the Liada Perspective. (Spanish Title: Enseñanza y Divulgación de la Astronomía en la América Latina en la Perspectiva de la Liada.) Ensino e Divulgação da Astronomia na América Latina na Perspectiva da Liada

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bretones, Paulo Sergio

2008-12-01

The goal of this work is to present an analysis of the developed activities of the Teaching and Popularization Section (SEDA) of the Liga Ibero-Americana de Astronomía (LIADA). After a history of the LIADA, are presented the projects of the section that have the support of 16 coordinators from most Latin-American countries. The projects that aim to attract the attention of the general public, teachers and students to encourage the observation and send reports to be posted at the Internet page are presented. More specifically, the projects and reports related with eclipses ocurriesd since the year 2000. Using the available files on the page of the section, an analysis and discussion about their importance for scientific education is done. It is presented a data form as a suggestion for reports buy individuais or institutions and the importance of the systematization of experiences to give more visibility and changes of informations in the area. It is concluded with an assessment of the projects, their potential and limitations, as well as suggestions of future projects looking for more interaction between the Latin American countries and making the Section available to this goal.

Esto trabajo visa divulgar y analizar las actividades de La Sección de Enseñanza y Divulgación de la Astronomía (SEDA) de la Liga Iberoamericana de Astronomía (LIADA). Después de un histórico da la LIADA, son presentados los diversos proyectos de la Sección que cuenta con la colaboración de los coordinadores locales en la mayoría de los países de la América Latina. Son presentados los proyectos que visan chamar la atención de público en general, estudiantes y profesores para la observación del cielo e posterior envío de los relatos para colocación en la página de La Sección en la Internet. Más específicamente son analizados los proyectos y relatos relacionados con los eclipses ocurridos desde el año 2000. Utilizando-se los ficheros

Infusion pumps and red blood cell damage in transfusion therapy: an integrative revision of the academic literature.

PubMed

Wilson, Ana Maria Miranda Martins; Peterlini, Maria Angélica Sorgini; Pedreira, Mavilde da Luz Gonçalves

2016-08-15

to obtain information from scientific literature concerning infusion pumps used in administering erythrocyte (red blood cells) and to evaluate the implications in the practical use of this equipment by nurses when conducting transfusions. an integrative revision of the following scientific databases: Pubmed/Medline, Scopus, the Virtual Library for Health, SciELO, Web of Science and Cochrane. The following descriptors were used: "infusion pumps", "blood transfusion", "transfused erythrocyte" and "hemolyis". There were no restrictions on the scope of the initial data and it was finalized in December 2014. 17 articles were identified in accordance with the inclusion and exclusion criteria. all of the publications included in the studies were experimental in vitro and covered the use of infusion pumps in transfusion therapy. A summary of the data was presented in a synoptic chart and an analysis of it generated the following categories: cellular damage and the infusion mechanism. infusion pumps can be harmful to erythrocytes based on the infusion mechanism that is used, as the linear peristaltic pump is more likely to cause hemolysis. Cellular damage is related to the plasmatic liberation of markers that largely dominate free hemoglobin and potassium. We reiterate the need for further research and technological investments to guide the development of protocols that promote safe practices and that can contribute to future clinical studies. identificar na literatura a produção científica acerca dos efeitos de bomba de infusão na administração de hemácias e avaliar as implicações do uso desses equipamentos na prática transfusional de enfermagem. revisão integrativa de literatura nas bases de dados Pubmed/Medline, Scopus, Biblioteca Virtual em Saúde, SciELO, Web of Science e Cochrane, utilizando os descritores "bombas de infusão", "transfusão de sangue", "transfusão de eritrócitos" e "hemólise". A data inicial não foi delimitada e a final foi dezembro de

Men's health: non-communicable chronic diseases and social vulnerability.

PubMed

Bidinotto, Daniele Natália Pacharone Bertolini; Simonetti, Janete Pessuto; Bocchi, Silvia Cristina Mangini

2016-08-15

to evaluate the relationship between absences in scheduled appointments and the number of non-communicable chronic diseases and to investigate the relationship between spatial distribution of these diseases and social vulnerability, using geoprocessing. a quantitative study of sequential mixed approach by analyzing 158 medical records of male users to relate the absences and 1250 medical records for geoprocessing. the higher the number of absences in the scheduled medical appointments, the less were the number of non-communicable chronic diseases and the ones listed in the International Classification of Diseases in single men. There were 21 significant geostatistically cases of glucose intolerance in the urban area. Of these, 62% lived in a region with a social vulnerability rating of Very Low, Medium 19%, 14% Low and 5% High. it was observed that the older the men, the greater is the number of chronic diseases and the less they miss scheduled appointments. Regarding the use of geoprocessing, we obtained a significant number of cases of glucose intolerance in urban areas, the majority classified as Very Low social vulnerability. It was possible to relate the spatial distribution of these diseases with the social vulnerability classification; however, it was not possible to perceive a relationship of them with the higher rates of social vulnerability. avaliar a relação entre as faltas em consultas agendadas e o número de doenças crônicas não transmissíveis e averiguar a relação entre distribuição espacial dessas doenças e vulnerabilidade social, utilizando-se o geoprocessamento. estudo quantitativo, de abordagem mista sequencial, sendo analisados 158 prontuários de usuários do sexo masculino para se relacionar as faltas e 1250 prontuários para o geoprocessamento. quanto maior o número de faltas nas consultas médicas agendadas, menores foram a quantidade de doenças crônicas não transmissíveis e as listadas na Classificação Internacional de

Un Marco Abierto: Un Manual de Matematicas y Ciencas Utilizando Inteligencias Multiples Disenado para Estudiantes Bilingues de Educacion General y Especial (An Open Framework: A Math and Science Manual Utilizing Multiple Intelligences Designed for Bilingual Students in General and Special Education).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

New York City Board of Education, Brooklyn, NY. Office of Bilingual Education.

This manual incorporates a Multiple Intelligences perspective into its presentation of themes and lesson ideas for Spanish-English bilingual elementary school students in grades 4-8 and is designed for both gifted and special education uses. Each unit includes practice activities, semantic maps to illustrate and help organize ideas as well as…

Developing skills learning in obstetric nursing: approaches between theory and practice.

PubMed

Lima, Maria de Fátima Gomes; Pequeno, Alice Maria Correia; Rodrigues, Dafne Paiva; Carneiro, Cleide; Morais, Ana Patrícia Pereira; Negreiros, Francisca Diana da Silva

2017-01-01

To analyze the development of professional skills in an obstetric nursing graduate course. Qualitative research, applying semi-structured interviews with 11 students in the obstetric nursing specialization at the State University of Ceará. Data was submitted to thematic review. According to the subjects, the course offers the development of skills to strengthen and expand the range of activities in obstetric nursing. Despite relying on previous knowledge and experience acquired by the students, there is a gap between the content taught and internship practice, presented as challenges and difficulties faced by the students. The findings suggest a need for curricular revision, incorporating active teaching-learning methodologies, to overcome the disjunction between theory and practice. Students are part of a corpus that is potentially implicated in the construction and transformation of thoughts and values set forth by educational and health institutions, and it is necessary to make changes in political and social organizations, with a focus on providing comprehensive and egalitarian care to the population. Analisar o desenvolvimento de competências profissionais em curso de pós-graduação em Enfermagem Obstétrica. Pesquisa qualitativa, utilizando entrevista semiestruturada com 11 egressos da especialização em Enfermagem Obstétrica da Universidade Estadual do Ceará. Dados submetidos à análise temática. Na ótica dos sujeitos, o curso confere o desenvolvimento de competências que fortalecem e ampliam o campo de atuação da enfermagem obstétrica. Embora resgate o conhecimento prévio dos discentes e as experiências vivenciadas, há distanciamento entre conteúdos ministrados e a prática de estágios, apresentados como desafios e dificuldades enfrentadas pelos egressos. Os achados sugerem revisão curricular, incorporando as metodologias ativas de ensino-aprendizagem, superando a fragmentação entre teoria e prática. Os egressos se constituem em um

Modified technique for preparation of venous circulation resin casts in the cirrhotic liver.

PubMed

Vasconcelos, José Olímpio Maia DE; Batista, Laécio Leitão; Pitta, Guilherme Benjamin Brandão; Lacerda, Cláudio Moura

2016-01-01

This study describes two major adaptations for the preparation of resin casts in human cirrhotic liver, harvested at the time of transplantation. The first is the way of fixing the catheter in the ostia of the hepatic and portal veins through a cerclage, so as to prevent displacement of the catheter and / or leakage of the resin during its injection. The second is the extension of corrosion time in the NaOH solution, averaging 6.8 days, with daily replacement the solution until complete removal of parenchymal tissue. We applied the method in 14 cirrhotic livers, with good filling and coloring of the portal and hepatic vein territories, using different colors. This allows an anatomical study of these vessels, able to complement the knowledge of the histopathology in research work, and the planning of therapeutic procedures, such as the Trans-Jugular Intrahepatic Port-Systemic Shunt (TIPS). RESUMO Este estudo descreve duas importantes adaptações para o preparo de moldes de resina em fígado humano cirrótico, captado no momento do transplante: a primeira, é a maneira de fixação dos cateteres nos "óstios" das veias hepáticas e porta, através de uma "cerclagem" dos mesmos, de modo a evitar o deslocamento do cateter e/ou extravasamento da resina durante sua injeção, e a segunda, é o prolongamento do tempo de corrosão na solução de NaOH, atingindo a média de 6,8 dias, com a substituição diária da solução, até a remoção completa do tecido parenquimatoso. O método foi empregado em 14 fígados cirróticos com bom preenchimento e coloração dos territórios das veias porta e hepáticas, utilizando cores distintas. Isto permite um estudo anatômico desses vasos, capaz de complementar os conhecimentos da histopatologia em trabalhos de pesquisa, e planejar procedimentos terapêuticos como a derivação porto-sistêmica intra-hepática transjugular (TIPS - Transjugular Intrahepatic Postosystemic Shunt).

IMPROVEMENT IN OXIDATIVE STRESS AFTER DUODENOJEJUNOSTOMY IN AN EXPERIMENTAL MODEL OF TYPE 2 DIABETES MELLITUS.

PubMed

Wietzycoski, Cacio Ricardo; Marchesini, João Caetano Dallegrave; Al-Themyat, Sultan; Meyer, Fabiola Shons; Trindade, Manoel Roberto Maciel

Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus is a multifactorial syndrome with severe complications. Oxidative stress is accepted as a causal factor of chronic complications. To demonstrate alterations in oxidative stress after metabolic surgery. Twenty-four 2-day-old Wistar rats were used. In 16, Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus was induced by 100 mg/kg streptozotocin injection. The development of diabetes was confirmed after 10 weeks using an oral glucose tolerance test. Eight diabetic rats composed the diabetic surgical group; the remaining eight composed the diabetic group. Eight animals in which diabetes was not induced formed the clinical control group. The Marchesini technique was used in the diabetic surgical group. After 90 days, the rats were sacrificed, and the oxidative stress markers were measured. Thiobarbituric acid reactive substances, superoxide dismutase and catalase were significantly reduced in the diabetic surgical group compared to the diabetic group. The duodenojejunostomy was effective in controlling the exacerbated oxidative stress present in diabetic rats. Diabete melito tipo 2 é síndrome multifatorial com complicações graves. O estresse oxidativo é aceito como um fator causal de complicações crônicas. Demonstrar alterações no estresse oxidativo após a cirurgia metabólica. Foram utilizados 24 ratos Wistar de dois dias de idade. Em 16, diabete melito tipo 2 foi induzida por 100 mg/kg de injeção de estreptozotocina. O desenvolvimento do diabete foi confirmado após 10 semanas, utilizando teste oral de tolerância à glucose. Oito ratos diabéticos compuseram o grupo cirúrgico diabético; os oito restantes constituíram o grupo diabético. Oito animais em que não foi induzido o diabete formaram o grupo controle clínico. A técnica de Marchesini foi utilizada no grupo cirúrgico diabético. Após 90 dias, os ratos foram sacrificados, e os marcadores de estresse oxidativo foram medidos. Ácido tiobarbitúrico, superóxido dismutase e catalase foram

AIDS and jail: social representations of women in freedom deprivation situations.

PubMed

Trigueiro, Débora Raquel Soares Guedes; Almeida, Sandra Aparecida de; Monroe, Aline Aparecida; Costa, Gilka Paiva Oliveira; Bezerra, Valéria Peixoto; Nogueira, Jordana de Almeida

2016-01-01

To graspthe AIDS social representations built by freedom-deprived women. Descriptive study with a quali-quantitative approach that involved 174 convicted women in a women's prison in a capital city of the Brazilian northeastern region. Aword-association test was applied in October and November 2014, using AIDS as a stimulus. The corpuswas processed usingIramuteq software. Descending Hierarchical Classification and Correspondence Factor Analysis were applied. The content that comprises the social representation of AIDS was influenced by the prison context, which was pervaded by a lack of assistance, lack of knowledge, discrimination, and suffering that disclosed vulnerability to HIV/AIDS factors such as unprotected sex and object sharing. This underlines the stigma and fear of the illness, in addition to favoring and supporting negative feelings and a sense of rejection. To consider the use of this representational amalgam to ensure a comprehensive, contextualized care can help redirect practices, motivate self-care practices, and reduce prejudiced attitudes. Apreenderas representações sociais sobre a aids construídas por mulheres privadas de liberdade. Estudo descritivo, com abordagem quali-quantitativa que envolveu 174 apenadas de Presídio Feminino situado em capital do nordeste brasileiro. Aplicou-se o Teste de Associação Livre de Palavras, em outubro e novembro de 2014, utilizando-se do estímulo aids. O corpus foi processado pelo software Iramuteq, sendo efetuadas a Classificação Hierárquica Descendente e Análise Fatorial de Correspondência. Os conteúdos que compõem a representação social sobre aids são influenciados pelo contexto prisional, permeado dedesassistência, desconhecimento, discriminação e condições de sofrimento, revelando fatores de vulnerabilidade ao HIV/Aids como atividade sexual desprotegida e compartilhamento de objetos; reiterando o estigma e o temor à doença; e favorecendo e sustentando sentimentos negativos e de rejei

Detecção da fase impulsiva de uma explosão solar gigante até 405 GHz

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Raulin, J.-P.; Makhmutov, V.; Kaufmann, P.; Pacini, A. A.; Luethi, T.; Hudson, H. S.; Gary, D. E.; Yoshimori, M.

2003-08-01

A explosão ocorrida no dia 25/08/2001 foi uma das mais intensas do presente ciclo solar em ondas de rádio de altas frequências. Foram medidas em ondas milimétricas e submilimétricas, aproximadamente, 105 e vários milhares de unidades de fluxo solar, respectivamente. Apresentamos um estudo deste evento em múltiplas frequências, desde microondas (1GHz), até ondas submilimétricas (405 GHz) detectadas pelo Telescópio Solar para ondas Submilimétricas (SST). Esta base de dados foi complementada utilizando-se o experimento Yohkoh, incluindo a emissão em raios-X duros e raios-g (até 100 MeV), e imagens em raios-X moles da região ativa envolvida. Enfocamos e discutimos principalmente os seguintes aspectos da fase impulsiva do evento: (i) as implicações deduzidas do espectro eletromagnético, obtido pela primeira vez até 405 GHz; (ii) a dinâmica da região ativa. Os resultados mostram que para explicar o espectro rádio observado, são necessários entre 3.5×1037 e 1.5×1039 elétrons acelerados acima de 20 keV em uma região de campo magnético entre 300 e 800 Gauss. A estimativa do fluxo de fótons que seria produzido por estes elétrons, mostra que grande parte deles não precipitou na baixa atmosfera. A evolução temporal da emissão em raios-X moles revela que a configuração magnética da região ativa foi muito dinâmica durante a fase impulsiva da explosão. Em particular, mostramos que a produção dos elétrons altamente energéticos foi iniciada junto com a aparição, na baixa coroa solar, de um novo sistema compacto de estruturas magnéticas. Este fato sugere que os locais de aceleração estão localizados na baixa atmosfera do Sol, como resultado da interação entre o novo sistema compacto e o campo magnético ambiente da região ativa.

The applicability of the concept of treatment adherence in the context of the Brazilian mental health system.

PubMed

Alvarez, Patricia Elizabeth Sanz de; Rosendo, Ernestina; Alchieri, João Carlos

2016-06-01

To present reflections on the type of research conducted on a treatment adherence among users of Public Mental Health System in Brazil and discuss the applicability of the concept of adherence to treatment in this context. Literature review in SciELO, LILACS, Cochrane Library and PubMed / MEDLINE using the Health Sciences Descriptors (DeCS) treatment, adhesion and "mental health" and the specific vocabulary of the Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) "patient compliance/psychologist" y "mental health". They were included for review the complete texts and theses published between 2007-2012 in Portuguese, English and Spanish. 127 articles were recovered, 32 specifically related to mental health. Eight were excluded for duplicates and after reading the remaining 24 articles were selected for this study 10 conducted in the field of Mental Health in Brazil. No investigations have been identified with focus on adherence to psychosocial treatment offered in public mental health. disregard of the mental health legislation and reinforce the asylum model of assistance. Presentar reflexiones sobre el tipo de investigaciones realizadas en Brasil sobre la adhesión al tratamiento de los usuarios del Sistema Público de Salud Mental y discutir la aplicabilidad del concepto de adhesión al tratamiento en dicho contexto. Revisión bibliográfica en las bases SciELO, LILACS, Biblioteca Cochrane y PubMed/MEDLINE utilizando los descriptores de Ciencias de la Salud (DeCS) adhesión, tratamiento y "salud mental" y el vocabulario específico de Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) "patient compliance/psychologist" y "mental health". Se incluyeron los textos completos y las tesis publicadas entre 2007-2012, en portugués, inglés y español. F1eron recuperados 127 artículos, 32 específicamente de la salud mental. Se excluyeron los 8 duplicados y de los 24 restantes fueron seleccionados para el presente trabajo los 10 realizados en Brasil. No se identificaron enfoques sobre la adhesión al

Revista de Saúde Pública: 50 years disseminating the knowledge in nutrition.

PubMed

Sichieri, Rosely; Pereira, Rosangela A

2016-12-22

This work describes and comments on articles in the area of Public Health Nutrition published in Revista de Saúde Pública (RSP - Public Health Journal) from 1967 to 2016. We searched in the PubMed database restricted to the periodical "Revista de Saúde Pública" and using terms related to key topics in the area of Public Health Nutrition. We retrieved 742 articles and, after exclusion of duplicates and articles unrelated to the subject, we analyzed 441 articles, grouped according to subject: dental caries, anemia, hypovitaminosis A, macro/micronutrients, malnutrition, nutritional assessment, overweight/obesity, food consumption, low birthweight, and breastfeeding. We observed significant increase in the number of articles published and diversification of subjects addressed over the 50 years, representing the consistent development of the scientific field of Nutrition in Brazil. Since its inception, RSP has played an important role in the dissemination of knowledge about the main nutritional issues in Brazil. RESUMO Este trabalho descreve e comenta os artigos na área de Nutrição em Saúde Pública, publicados na Revista de Saúde Pública (RSP) de 1967 a 2016. Foi realizada busca na base de dados PubMed restrita ao periódico "Revista de Saúde Pública" e utilizando termos relacionados com temáticas chaves da área de Nutrição em Saúde Pública. Foram recuperados 742 artigos e, após as exclusões dos artigos repetidos e daqueles não relacionados com a temática, foram analisados 441 artigos, agrupados segundo o tema: cárie dental, anemia, hipovitaminose A, macro/micronutrientes, desnutrição, avaliação do estado nutricional, sobrepeso/obesidade, consumo de alimentos, baixo peso ao nascer, e aleitamento materno. Observou-se incremento significativo no número de artigos publicados e a diversificação dos temas tratados ao longo destes 50 anos, retratando o consistente desenvolvimento do campo científico da Nutrição no Brasil. Desde seu início, a

Prevendo a atividade solar através de redes neurais nebulosas

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Martin, V. A. F.; Poppe, P. C. R.

2003-08-01

Atualmente, a integração de redes neurais com técnicas da Matemática Nebulosa (Fuzzy Sets), tem sido usada robustamente para fazer previsões em vários sistemas físicos. Este trabalho representa uma continuidade da contribuição apresentada anteriormente durante a XXVIIa Reunião Anual da SAB, onde exploramos a aplicação de redes neurais para previsões futuras de séries temporais. Para este, enfatizamos o uso da técnica ANFIS (Adaptative Neuro-Fuzzy Inference System), que consiste em uma rede do tipo back-propagation, onde os dados são processados em uma camada intermediária, tendo numa camada de saída, os dados numéricos. Para que a previsão seja feita com sucesso utilizando-se técnicas matemáticas adequadas, é fundamental a existência de uma série razoavelmente longa de modo que a dinâmica contida nesta possa ser melhor extraída pela rede neural. Nesse sentido, foram utilizados novamente os dados históricos das manchas do Sol (1818-2002) afim de verificar o comportamento futuro da atividade solar (Ciclos de Schawbe) a partir da técnica descrita acima. Previsões realizadas para o ciclo anterior (n.22, máximo de 158,5 em julho de 1989), bem como para o atual (n.23, máximo de 153 em setembro de 2000), apontam valores bastante coerentes com os publicados na literatura, levando em consideração, respectivamente, as barras de erros associadas: 166+/-18 e 160+/-14. Para o próximo ciclo de Schawbe (2006-2017), nossa previsão aponta o valor de 172+/-23 como máximo para o primeiro semestre de 2011 (Abril +/- 3 meses). A ANFIS acompanha de maneira satisfatória o movimento das séries estudadas durante o treinamento e durante a verificação (menor dispersão das funções de pertinência), com erro absoluto inferior a 20 por cento.

Evolução química de galáxias HII anãs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ferraresi, M., Jr.; Cuisinier, F.; Telles, E.

2003-08-01

Galáxias HII anãs são galáxias de baixa massa, com alto conteúdo de gás, e se encontram em uma fase intensa de formação estelar. A taxa de formação estelar está tão alta nestas galáxias que não pode ter se mantido durante sua vida inteira. O tempo máximo de duração do episódio atual de formação estelar deve ser no máximo de algumas dezenas de milhões de anos, bem inferior à idade destas galáxias. Isto leva naturalmente a idéia de que já aconteceram surtos anteriores. Abundâncias químicas oferecem uma ferramenta poderosa para investigar a história evolutiva destas galáxias, porque aumentam de geração em geração estelar. O hidrogênio, o oxigênio, o nitrogênio produzem algumas das linhas mais importantes em um gás foto-ionizado, permitindo a determinação das abundâncias destes elementos facilmente. A dispersão das abundâncias em oxigênio e nitrogênio é significativa, sendo maior que os erros observacionais. O oxigênio é produzido em estrelas massivas, que explodem quase instâneamente, enquanto o nitrogênio é produzido em estrelas de massa intermediária, que só o liberam depois de um atraso de @ 500 mihões de anos. Construímos um modelo de evolução química semi-analítico, utilizando rendimentos empíricos baseados nas abundâncias observadas destes dois elementos. Conseguimos através deste modelo rudimentar explicar nas galáxias de mais baixas metalicidades as abundâncias de oxigênio e de nitrogênio, assim como a dispersão dos dados observacionais devida a formação estelar descontínua, e isto com um número baixo de surtos (1 ou 2, no máximo 3).

Massa do gás e das estrelas em aglomerados: eficiência da formação estelar

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Laganá, T. F.; Lima Neto, G. B.

2003-08-01

Os aglomerados de galáxias apresentam um interesse especial para a cosmologia observacional. Eles são as maiores estruturas ligadas pela gravitação no Universo e relaxadas na região central. A comparação entre a massa do gás intra-aglomerado (responsável por ~25% da massa total, inferida a partir de observações em raios-X), a massa contida nas estrelas (i.e., nas galáxias) e a massa total (incluindo a matéria escura não bariônica), nos dá informações importantes sobre os processos de formação e evolução de aglomerados. Por exemplo, a razão entre a massa do gás e a massa total é uma medida da fração de bárions no Universo (razão entre a matéria bariônica e matéria escura) e, utilizando a densidade de bárions predita pela nucleosíntese primordial, podemos deduzir a densidade de matéria escura no Universo (cf. White et al. 1993). O objetivo deste trabalho é obter as razões entre as massas do gás, estelar (contida nas galáxias), e a total (massa dinâmica). As massas do gás e total são obtidas a partir das análises fotométrica e espectroscópica em raios-X enquanto que a massa estelar é obtida pela análise fotométrica das galáxias. Esta análise foi aplicada ao aglomerado Abell 496 observado pelo satélite XMM-Newton. A massa contida nas galáxias foi estimada a partir da função de luminosidade obtida por Durret et al. (2002). Para determinar as massas dinâmica e do gás nos precisamos determinar os perfis radiais de densidade e temperatura. Nós apresentaremos aqui estes resultados e suas implicações na eficiência da formação estelar em Abell 496.

Angiolymphatic invasion as a prognostic fator in resected N0 pancreatic adenocarcinoma.

PubMed

Almeida, Ricardo Vitor Silva de; Pacheco, Adhemar Monteiro; Silva, Rodrigo Altenfelder; Moricz, André de; Campos, Tércio de

2017-01-01

duodenopancreatectomia N0 pode ser demonstrada utilizando apenas a hematoxilina-eosina e pode predizer prognóstico ruim para estes pacientes.

Direct Carbon Conversion: Review of Production and Electrochemical Conversion of Reactive Carbons, Economics and Potential Impact on the Carbon Cycle

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

Cooper, J F; Cherepy, N; Upadhye, R

Concerns over global warning have motivated the search for more efficient technologies for electric power generation from fossil fuels. Today, 90% of electric power is produced from coal, petroleum or natural gas. Higher efficiency reduces the carbon dioxide emissions per unit of electric energy. Exercising an option of deep geologic or ocean sequestration for the CO{sub 2} byproduct would reduce emissions further and partially forestall global warming. We introduce an innovative concept for conversion of fossil fuels to electricity at efficiencies in the range of 70-85% (based on standard enthalpy of the combustion reaction). These levels exceed the performance ofmore » common utility plants by up to a factor of two. These levels are also in excess of the efficiencies of combined cycle plants and of advanced fuel cells now operated on the pilot scale. The core of the concept is direct carbon conversion a process that is similar to that a fuel cell but differs in that synthesized forms of carbon, not hydrogen, are used as fuel. The cell sustains the reaction, C + O{sub 2} = CO{sub 2} (E {approx} 1.0 V, T = 800 C). The fuel is in the form of fine particulates ({approx}100 nm) distributed by entrainment in a flow of CO{sub 2} to the cells to form a slurry of carbon in the melt. The byproduct stream of CO{sub 2} is pure. It affords the option of sequestration without additional separation costs, or can be reused in secondary oil or gas recovery. Our experimental program has discovered carbon materials with orders of magnitude spreads in anode reactivity reflected in cell power density. One class of materials yields energy at about 1 kW/m{sup 2} sufficiently high to make practical the use of the cell in electric utility applications. The carbons used in such cells are highly disordered on the nanometer scale (2-30 nm), relative to graphite. Such disordered or turbostratic carbons can be produced by controlled pyrolysis (thermal decomposition) of hydrocarbons

Diabetes accelerates retinal ganglion cell dysfunction in mice lacking sigma receptor 1

PubMed Central

Ha, Yonju; Saul, Alan; Tawfik, Amany; Zorrilla, Eric P.; Ganapathy, Vadivel

2012-01-01

Purpose Sigma receptor 1 (σR1) is a non-opioid transmembrane protein that may act as a molecular chaperone at the endoplasmic reticulum–mitochondrial membrane. Ligands for σR1, such as (+)-pentazocine [(+)-PTZ], confer marked retinal neuroprotection in vivo and in vitro. Recently we analyzed the retinal phenotype of mice lacking σR1 (σR1 KO) and observed normal retinal morphology and function in young mice (5–30 weeks) but diminished negative scotopic threshold responses (nSTRs), retinal ganglion cell (RGC) loss, and disruption of optic nerve axons consistent with inner retinal dysfunction by 1 year. These data led us to test the hypothesis that σR1 may be critical in forestalling chronic retinal stress; diabetes was used as the model of chronic stress. Methods To determine whether σR1 is required for (+)-PTZ neuroprotective effects, primary RGCs isolated from wild-type (WT) and σR1 KO mice were exposed to xanthine–xanthine oxidase (10 µM:2 mU/ml) to induce oxidative stress in the presence or absence of (+)-PTZ. Cell death was evaluated by terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) analysis. To assess effects of chronic stress on RGC function, diabetes was induced in 3-week C57BL/6 (WT) and σR1 KO mice, using streptozotocin to yield four groups: WT nondiabetic (WT non-DB), WT diabetic (WT-DB), σR1 KO non-DB, and σR1 KO-DB. After 12 weeks of diabetes, when mice were 15-weeks old, intraocular pressure (IOP) was recorded, electrophysiologic testing was performed (including detection of nSTRs), and the number of RGCs was counted in retinal histological sections. Results In vitro studies showed that (+)-PTZ could not prevent oxidative stress-induced death of RGCs harvested from σR1 KO mice but afforded robust protection against death of RGCs harvested from WT mice. In the studies of chronic stress induced by diabetes, the IOP measured in the four mouse groups was within the normal range; however, there was a significant

Diabetes accelerates retinal ganglion cell dysfunction in mice lacking sigma receptor 1.

PubMed

Ha, Yonju; Saul, Alan; Tawfik, Amany; Zorrilla, Eric P; Ganapathy, Vadivel; Smith, Sylvia B

2012-01-01

Sigma receptor 1 (σR1) is a non-opioid transmembrane protein that may act as a molecular chaperone at the endoplasmic reticulum-mitochondrial membrane. Ligands for σR1, such as (+)-pentazocine [(+)-PTZ], confer marked retinal neuroprotection in vivo and in vitro. Recently we analyzed the retinal phenotype of mice lacking σR1 (σR1 KO) and observed normal retinal morphology and function in young mice (5-30 weeks) but diminished negative scotopic threshold responses (nSTRs), retinal ganglion cell (RGC) loss, and disruption of optic nerve axons consistent with inner retinal dysfunction by 1 year. These data led us to test the hypothesis that σR1 may be critical in forestalling chronic retinal stress; diabetes was used as the model of chronic stress. To determine whether σR1 is required for (+)-PTZ neuroprotective effects, primary RGCs isolated from wild-type (WT) and σR1 KO mice were exposed to xanthine-xanthine oxidase (10 µM:2 mU/ml) to induce oxidative stress in the presence or absence of (+)-PTZ. Cell death was evaluated by terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) analysis. To assess effects of chronic stress on RGC function, diabetes was induced in 3-week C57BL/6 (WT) and σR1 KO mice, using streptozotocin to yield four groups: WT nondiabetic (WT non-DB), WT diabetic (WT-DB), σR1 KO non-DB, and σR1 KO-DB. After 12 weeks of diabetes, when mice were 15-weeks old, intraocular pressure (IOP) was recorded, electrophysiologic testing was performed (including detection of nSTRs), and the number of RGCs was counted in retinal histological sections. In vitro studies showed that (+)-PTZ could not prevent oxidative stress-induced death of RGCs harvested from σR1 KO mice but afforded robust protection against death of RGCs harvested from WT mice. In the studies of chronic stress induced by diabetes, the IOP measured in the four mouse groups was within the normal range; however, there was a significant increase in the IOP of σR1 KO

Who Should be Empowered to Know about Earth's Changing Climate? The Case of Earth's Changing Cryosphere

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kargel, J. S.

2006-12-01

Global climate change in the past century has nearly pushed the envelope of all prior natural changes experienced since the dawn of civilization, and all plausible projections have climate shooting completely out of this envelope this century. Some plausible projections for the cumulative magnitude of climatic change this and next century are, at the upper range of these projections, comparable to the shift that ended the Ice Age and would place Earth in a "hot house" unlike anything going back 55 million years. Much life will survive and thrive through these changes, but if it is civilization we are concerned with, then we should understand and reduce the rate and long-term cumulative impact of predictable climate change and to reduce the chances of accidental tripping of a hair-trigger mechanism of rapid climate change. Coping with (even deriving some benefit from) inevitable climate changes, and forestalling even more disruptive changes, can only be accomplished through informed planning. A critical society-shaping issue is who will have and utilize the knowledge of climatic impacts. Since climate change affects all of us, the observational tools and research pertaining the Earth's changing condition should be in the hands of the masses of people: publicly financed and unclassified. A trickier issue is how to deal with information that particular cities or countries are at special risk, especially when the risk might be imminent and catastrophic. How do we maximize the efficiency of socioeconomic changes that will be needed to adapt? How do we overcome inertia and business as usual without inducing unintended consequences, such as panic? How should governments deal with this type of information? How should individual scientists deal with discoveries about the changing world that seem to pose special risks for certain people on the century timescale, the decadal scale, or this year? Natural hazards, such as volcanism, earthquakes, and hurricanes are hard enough

PubMed Central

Delpeuch, F.; Martin-Prével, Y.; Fouéré, T.; Traissac, P.; Mbemba, F.; Ly, C.; Sy, A.; Trèche, S.; Maire, B.

1996-01-01

low nutritional value of such preparations is in part compensated by the addition of sugar, though less milk is added (28% in 1994 as opposed to 43% in 1993). In Senegal, mothers do not seem to have changed their breast-feeding practices either, the age at which baby foods are introduced, or the number of times they are provided daily. The most important change is the drop in quality of food given to children, and the poorer family food for the older children. The partial switch from imported products to local produce was an expected consequence of devaluation; it is clearly confirmed here for nutrition of young children, with the consequent loss of nutritional quality (a reduction in energy density and in nutrients). The first thing needed is, therefore, an improvement in local manufacture of food supplements of good nutritional quality, for young children. Mothers also complain of the increased difficulty in managing a family diet so as to take account of economic needs, cultural values and nutrition. They therefore criticize a number of nutritional education messages that are clearly no longer appropriate to the new economic context. Finally the fact that young children are getting poorer quality nutrition is worrying for the future: if it lasts, the nutritional status of children will deteriorate; whenever possible, monitoring must be established so that measures can be taken when necessary to forestall any dramatic deterioration that would endanger the health of the children. PMID:8653818

Ash wettability conditions splash erosion in the postfire

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gordillo-Rivero, Ángel J.; de Celis, Reyes; García-Moreno, Jorge; Jiménez-Compán, Elizabeth; Alanís, Nancy; Cerdà, Artemi; Pereira, Paulo; Zavala, Lorena M.; Jordán, Antonio

2015-04-01

; Neuenschwander LF.(Eds.), Management and productivity of western-montane forest soils. General Technical Report INT-280. Intermountain Forest and Range Experimental Station, United States Department of Agriculture, Forest Service. Ogden, UT. DeBano LF. 2000. Water repellency in soils: a historical overview. Journal of Hydrology 231-232, 4-32. Doerr SH, Shakesby RA, Walsh RPD. 2000. Soil water repellency: its causes, characteristics and hydro-geomorphological significance. Earth-Science Reviews 51, 33-65. Larsen I, MacDonald LH, Brown E, Rough D, Welsh MJ, Pietraszek JH, Libohava Z, Benavides-Solorio JD, Schaffrath K. 2009. Causes of post-fire runoff and erosion: water repellency, cover or soil heating?. Soil Science Society of America Journal 73, 1393-1407. Mataix-Solera J, Guerrero C. 2007. Efecto de los incendios forestales sobre las propiedades edáficas. In: J. Mataix-Solera (Ed.) Incendios Forestales, Suelos y Erosión Hídrica. Caja Mediterráneo CENACAM Font Roja-Alcoi. Alicante. Pp.: 5-40. Mataix-Solera J, Guerrero C, Arcenegui V, Bárcenas G, Zornoza R, Pérez-Bejarano A, Bodí MB, Mataix-Beneyto J, Gómez I, García-Orenes F, Navarro-Pedreño J, Jordán MM, Cerdà A, Doerr SH, Úbeda X, Outeiro L, Jordán A, Zavala LM. 2009. Los incendios forestales y el suelo: un resumen de la investigación realizada por el Grupo de Edafología Ambiental de la UMH en colaboración con otros grupos. In: Cerdà A, Mataix-Solera J. (Eds.). El efecto de los incendios forestales sobre los suelos en España. El estado de la cuestión visto por los científicos españoles. Universitat de Valencia. Valencia. Pp.: 185-218. Mataix-Solera J, Cerdà A, Arcenegui V, Jordán A, Zavala LM. 2011. Fire efects on soil aggregation: a review. Earth-Science Reviews 109, 44-60 Neary DG, Klopatek CC, DeBano LF, Ffolliott PF. 1999. Fire effects on belowground sustainability: a review and synthesis. Forest Ecology and Management 122, 51-71. Pausas JG, Verdú M. 2005. Plant persistence traits in fire

Primary care for diabetes mellitus patients from the perspective of the care model for chronic conditions.

PubMed

Salci, Maria Aparecida; Meirelles, Betina Hörner Schlindwein; Silva, Denise Maria Guerreiro Vieira da

2017-03-09

ATLAS.ti, utilizando la técnica de análisis de contenido dirigida. en el ámbito micro, la atención estaba distante de la integralidad de las acciones necesarias para asistir a las personas con enfermedad crónica y estaba centrada en el modelo biomédico. En el ámbito meso, existía desarticulación entre los profesionales de la Estrategia Salud de la Familia, entre estos y los usuarios, familia y comunidad. En el ámbito macro, se identificó ausencia de estrategias directivas para la implementación de las políticas públicas para la diabetes en la práctica asistencial. la implementación del Modelo de Atención a las Condiciones Crónicas representa un gran reto, necesitando principalmente de profesionales y gestores preparados para trabajar con enfermedades crónicas y abiertos a romper con el modelo tradicional. avaliar a atenção à saúde desenvolvida pelos integrantes da Atenção Primária à Saúde às pessoas com diabetes mellitus na perspectiva do Modelo de Atenção às Condições Crônicas. estudo qualitativo, com referencial teórico do Pensamento Complexo e do Modelo de Atenção às Condições Crônicas e metodológico da pesquisa avaliativa. Para a coleta de dados foram realizadas 38 entrevistas com profissionais de saúde e gestores; observação das atividades realizadas pelas equipes de saúde; e análise de 25 prontuários de pessoas que recebiam esse atendimento. A análise de dados teve auxílio do software ATLAS.ti, utilizando a técnica de análise de conteúdo dirigida. no âmbito micro, a assistência estava distante da integralidade das ações necessárias para assistir às pessoas com doença crônica e estava centrada no modelo biomédico. No âmbito meso, existia desarticulação entre os profissionais da Estratégia Saúde da Família, destes com os usuários, família e comunidade. No âmbito macro, identificou-se ausência de estratégias diretivas para a implementação das políticas públicas para o diabetes na pr

Exploration of priority actions for strengthening the role of nurses in achieving universal health coverage.

PubMed

Maaitah, Rowaida Al; AbuAlRub, Raeda Fawzi

2017-01-30

to explore priority actions for strengthening the role of Advanced Practice Nurses (APNs) towards the achievement of Universal Health Converge (UHC) as perceived by health key informants in Jordan. an exploratory qualitative design, using a semi-structured survey, was utilized. A purposive sample of seventeen key informants from various nursing and health care sectors was recruited for the purpose of the study. Content analysis utilizing the five-stage framework approach was used for data analysis. the findings revealed that policy and regulation, nursing education, research, and workforce were identified as the main elements that influence the role of APNs in contributing to the achievement of UHC. Priority actions were identified by the participants for the main four elements. study findings confirm the need to strengthen the role of APNs to achieve UHC through a major transformation in nursing education, practice, research, leadership, and regulatory system. Nurses should unite to come up with solid nursing competencies related to APNs, PHC, UHC, leadership and policy making to strengthen their position as main actors in influencing the health care system and evidence creation. analisar as ações prioritárias para o fortalecimento do papel da enfermeira em prática avançada na Cobertura Universal de Saúde , segundo a percepção dos informantes-chave na Jordânia. foi utilizado desenho qualitativo exploratório, com um questionário semiestruturado. A amostra intencional de dezessete informantes-chave de vários setores de enfermagem e de saúde foi recrutado para o propósito do estudo. A análise de conteúdo utilizando a abordagem do quadro de cinco estágios foi utilizada para a análise de dados. os resultados revelaram que as políticas e regulações, educação em enfermagem, pesquisa e força de trabalho foram identificados como os principais elementos que influenciam o papel da enfermeira em prática avançada em contribuir para a realização da

Procedures for measuring and verifying gastric tube placement in newborns: an integrative review.

PubMed

Dias, Flávia de Souza Barbosa; Emidio, Suellen Cristina Dias; Lopes, Maria Helena Baena de Moraes; Shimo, Antonieta Keiko Kakuda; Beck, Ana Raquel Medeiros; Carmona, Elenice Valentim

2017-07-10

to investigate evidence in the literature on procedures for measuring gastric tube insertion in newborns and verifying its placement, using alternative procedures to radiological examination. an integrative review of the literature carried out in the Cochrane, LILACS, CINAHL, EMBASE, MEDLINE and Scopus databases using the descriptors "Intubation, gastrointestinal" and "newborns" in original articles. seventeen publications were included and categorized as "measuring method" or "technique for verifying placement". Regarding measuring methods, the measurements of two morphological distances and the application of two formulas, one based on weight and another based on height, were found. Regarding the techniques for assessing placement, the following were found: electromagnetic tracing, diaphragm electrical activity, CO2 detection, indigo carmine solution, epigastrium auscultation, gastric secretion aspiration, color inspection, and evaluation of pH, enzymes and bilirubin. the measuring method using nose to earlobe to a point midway between the xiphoid process and the umbilicus measurement presents the best evidence. Equations based on weight and height need to be experimentally tested. The return of secretion into the tube aspiration, color assessment and secretion pH are reliable indicators to identify gastric tube placement, and are the currently indicated techniques. investigar, na literatura, evidências sobre procedimentos de mensuração da sonda gástrica em recém-nascidos e de verificação do seu posicionamento, procedimentos alternativos ao exame radiológico. revisão integrativa da literatura nas bases Biblioteca Cochrane, LILACS, CINAHL, EMBASE, MEDLINE e Scopus, utilizando os descritores "intubação gastrointestinal" e "recém-nascido" em artigos originais. dezessete publicações foram incluídas e categorizadas em "método de mensuração" ou "técnica de verificação do posicionamento". Como métodos de mensuração, foram encontrados os de tomada

Applicability and methodology of determining sustainable yield in groundwater systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kalf, Frans R. P.; Woolley, Donald R.

2005-03-01

una política de producción sostenible particularmente donde se aplican restricciones ecológicas. La derivación de producción sostenible utilizando principios de conservación de masa conduce a expresiones para producciones sostenibles en cuenca, minado parcial (no sostenible) y total (no sostenible) que pueden determinarse fácilmente utilizando métodos de modelos numéricos y seleccionados en base a restricciones aplicadas. En algunos casos tiene que reconocerse que el recurso de agua subterránea no es renovable y que por lo tanto su uso no puede ser sostenible. En estos casos su destino debe de ser el uso más equitativo.

Reconstrução tridimensional de arcos magnéticos por tomografia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Simões, P. J. A.; Costa, J. E. R.

2003-08-01

Uma explosão solar é uma variação súbita do brilho que ocorre nas regiões ativas da atmosfera solar. Estas regiões são constituídas por um plasma magnetizado com intensa indução magnética e em cenários bem complexos como visto recentemente através de experimentos embarcados em satélites operando instrumentos em raios X moles e ultra-violeta distante. A energia magnética, que pode ser armazenada por um período de horas até dias em configurações magnéticas estressadas, é subitamente lançada na atmosfera solar e transferida para partículas como elétrons, prótons e núcleos pesados, que são acelerados e/ou aquecidos, produzindo radiação eletromagnética. A proposta final deste projeto é determinar as características espaciais de alta resolução da emissão e polarização girossincrotrônica de explosões solares em ambientes complexos de campos magnéticos. Os recentes resultados da emissão difusa em EUV apresentado pelos satélites TRACE e SOHO dos arcos magnéticos conectando as diferentes polaridades magnéticas sobre as regiões ativas possibilitam novas abordagens sobre o papel do campo magnético na emissão em rádio. Nesta etapa apresentamos os resultados da reconstrução da geometria tridimensional das linhas de força destes arcos utilizando técnicas tomográficas, a partir de imagens de alta resolução espacial obtidas pelo instrumento EIT (Extreme ultraviolet Imaging Telescope), além da modelagem das induções magnéticas por um campo dipolar e as densidades de partículas aceleradas. Utilizamos para a reconstrução geométrica, imagens tomadas em vários ângulos dos arcos devido à rotacão solar. Com estes resultados, daremos continuidade ao projeto, com os cálculos da transferência radiativa nos modos ordinário e extraordinário de propagação da radiação girossincrotrônica de explosões solares.

Cross-cultural adaptation of the EMIC Stigma Scale for people with leprosy in Brazil.

PubMed

Morgado, Fabiane Frota da Rocha; Silveira, Erika Maria Kopp Xavier da; Sales, Anna Maria; Nascimento, Lilian Pinheiro Rodrigues do; Sarno, Euzenir Nunes; Nery, José Augusto da Costa; Oliveira, Aldair J; Illarramendi, Ximena

2017-09-04

Describe the process of cross-cultural adaptation of the "Explanatory Model Interview Catalog - Stigma Scale" for people affected by leprosy in Brazil. After being authorized by the author of the scale to use it in the national context, we initiated the five steps process of cross-cultural adaptation: (1) translation, (2) synthesis meeting, (3) back-translation, (4) committee of experts and (5) pre-test. The internal consistency of the scale was evaluated using Cronbach's alpha coefficient. The 15 items of the scale's original version were translated into Brazilian Portuguese. The adapted scale showed evidence of a good understanding of its content, attested both by experts and members of the target population. Its internal consistency was 0.64. The adapted instrument shows satisfactory internal consistency. It may be useful in future studies that intend to provide broad situational analysis that supports solid public health programs with a focus on effective stigma reduction. In a later study, the construct's validity, criterion, and reproducibility will be evaluated. Descrever o processo de adaptação transcultural da "Explanatory Model Interview Catalogue - Stigma Scale" para pessoas afetadas por hanseníase no Brasil. Após a autorização do autor da escala para seu uso no contexto nacional, deu-se início aos cinco passos do processo de adaptação transcultural: (1) tradução, (2) reunião de síntese, (3) retrotradução, (4) comitê de peritos e (5) pré-teste. A consistência interna da escala foi avaliada utilizando o coeficiente alfa de Cronbach. Os 15 itens da versão original da escala foram traduzidos para a língua portuguesa do Brasil. A escala adaptada apresentou evidência de boa compreensão de seu conteúdo, atestada tanto por peritos como por membros da população alvo. Sua consistência interna foi de 0,64. O instrumento adaptado apresenta consistência interna satisfatória. Pode ser útil em estudos futuros que intencionem viabilizar

Professionals and interfamily violence against children and adolescents: in between legal and conceptual precepts.

PubMed

Schek, Gabriele; Silva, Mara Regina Santos da; Lacharité, Carl; Bueno, Maria Emilia Nunes

2016-01-01

To identify the conceptions of professionals regarding interfamily violence against children and adolescents. A qualitative study conducted with 15 professionals who had taken children and adolescents under their care as a result of interfamily violence. Data were collected between November, 2013, and March, 2015, through semi-structured interviews. Data were organized and analyzed using the Textual Discourse Analysis technique. The professional discourse highlighted that some legal aspects regarding the handling of interfamily violence against children and adolescents are neglected; an omission supported by the justification of professionals to preserve the family. We highlight the confrontation between the concept of family as a caregiver and the family that commits violence against children, in addition to the positioning of professionals, which does not include the family or the aggressor in the intervention process in facing situations of interfamily violence attended to by the services. Acting against interfamily violence requires professionals to do away with some pre-established concepts in ordee to put the actual needs of victims and families into evidence. Identificar, com base no discurso dos profissionais, suas concepções a respeito da violência intrafamiliar contra crianças e adolescentes. Estudo qualitativo, realizado com 15 profissionais, que tiveram sob seus cuidados crianças e adolescentes atendidas em decorrência da violência intrafamiliar. Os dados foram coletados entre novembro de 2013 e março de 2015, por meio de entrevistas semiestruturadas. Os dados foram organizados e analisados utilizando a técnica de Análise Textual Discursiva. O discurso dos profissionais colocou em evidência que alguns aspectos legais em relação ao manejo da violência intrafamiliar contra crianças e adolescentes são negligenciados, omissão respaldada pela justificativa dos profissionais de preservar a família. Destaca-se o confronto entre a concep

Gastric wall changes after intragastric balloon placement: a preliminary experience.

PubMed

Périssé, Luís Gustavo Santos; Ecbc-Rj, Paulo Cézar Marques Périssé; Ribeiro, Kelson Ferreira

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. avaliar a espessura da parede gástrica no momento do posicionamento do balão intragástrico (BIG), no momento de sua retirada e um mês após a retirada. quinze pacientes obesos mórbidos foram submetidos à introdução de BIG sob anestesia geral. Em todos os pacientes foi feita infusão de 500 ml de água destilada e o balão foi insuflado com 5ml de água destilada. As medidas da espessura da parede gástrica foram feitas no antro, corpo e corpo alto utilizando-se um ecoendoscópio radial com frequência de 12MHz e zoom máximo. a presença do BIG levou ao aumento da espessura da parede do corpo gástrico pelo aumento de espessura da sua camada muscular. Estas alterações são aparentemente transitórias já que após 30 dias da retirada do balão existiu uma tendência de retorno da espessura da parede aos valores observados antes do seu posicionamento. a utilização do balão intragástrico para tratamento da obesidade determina

Sentido de coherencia y mapa de activos para la salud en jóvenes presos de la Comunidad Valenciana en España.

PubMed

Vera-Remartínez, Enrique J; Paredes-Carbonell, Joan J; Aviñó Juan-Ulpiano, Dory; Jiménez-Pérez, Mercedes; Araujo Pérez, Rosa; Agulló-Cantos, José M; Mora Notario, Almudena

2017-09-01

Estudio realizado desde el enfoque de la salutogénesis que pretende determinar el sentido de coherencia (SOC) en jóvenes presos de la Comunidad Valenciana en España y elaborar un mapa de activos para la salud dirigido a promover la salud en esta población. Se utilizó el test "SOC-13" y un cuestionario de preguntas abiertas elaborado ad hoc, el cual autocompletaron los internos de 18 a 22 años de edad, de los tres centros penitenciarios de la región. Participaron 124 jóvenes varones (ya que no había ninguna mujer) y se recogieron variables sociodemográficas y penitenciarias. En el análisis cuantitativo, las variables categóricas se expresaron como frecuencias absolutas y relativas; y las cuantitativas, mediante medias con intervalos de confianza (IC) al 95%. Se realizó un estudio comparativo bivariante, utilizando las siguientes pruebas: Student t-test, análisis de variación (ANOVA), Wilcoxon y Ji-cuadrado. Del cuestionario de preguntas abiertas, se realizó un análisis cualitativo descriptivo temático de los activos identificados, clasificándolos en: internos (recursos personales, en relación con los demás y capacidad para realizar comportamientos saludables) y externos (personas, grupos, instituciones y espacios físicos, situados tanto dentro como fuera de prisión). La edad media fue de 21,1 años (IC 95%: 20,8-21,3); y el SOC de 52,4 (IC 95%: 50,5-54,3), de entre un valor mínimo de 13 y máximo de 91 para la prueba. Los internos del centro penitenciario que ofrecía más actividades escolares y deportivas obtuvieron una puntuación mayor en la dimensión de significatividad del SOC ( p = 0,024), y los internos inmigrantes presentaron un SOC superior ( p = 0,037) a los españoles, en los tres centros. Los jóvenes identificaron los activos internos que cualitativamente se vinculan con las dimensiones de comprensibilidad, manejabilidad y significatividad del SOC; y los activos externos, sobre todo los amigos, familiares y espacios

Diferentes metodologias aplicadas ao ensino de astronomia no Ensino Médio

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Albrecht, E.; Voelzke, M. R.

2009-03-01

O presente trabalho de intervenção foi realizado junto à Escola Estadual Colònia dos Pescadores na cidade de Caraguatatuba, com très turmas do terceiro ano do Ensino Médio, envolvendo 119 alunos com idades entre 16 e 19 anos. A fase inicial foi composta de um questionário de vinte questíes dissertativas e objetivas, aplicado pelo professor titular da sala, que era o mesmo nas très turmas, para diagnosticar nos educandos os conceitos prévios sobre Astronomia e, partindo destes realizar um trabalho de intervenção nas classes envolvidas utilizando, em cada uma, metodologias diferentes: (A) sob forma de seminários, elaborados e apresentados pelos educandos, no qual o educador faz apenas as intervençíes necessárias; (B) de forma tradicional, com auxílio de multimídias para desenvolvimento das aulas e a terceira (C) tradicional, fazendo uso exclusivo de lousa e giz. Ao final do trabalho os alunos responderam novamente o questionário inicial para diagnosticar dentre as très metodologias utilizadas qual apresentou melhores aplicaçíes, os resultados iniciais foram comparados com os finais. Quando questionados a respeito do significado de Astronomia observou-se inicialmente que os acertos na turma A foram de 100%, turma B: 64%, turma C: 84%, após a intervenção os acertos foram: 100%, 97% e 85% respectivamente, demonstrando que houve um avanço significativo na turma B, a turma A manteve seu índice e a turma C evoluiu, porém não tanto quanto a B. Quando interrogados sobre quantos planetas vocè acha que existem em nosso Sistema Solar? os acertos foram: turma A: 39%, turma B: 48% e turma C: 46%, após o desenvolvimento do trabalho os acertos foram 94%, 97% e 90% respectivamente. Dentro das respostas obtidas observa-se que a metodologia tradicional com o auxílio de multimeios, aplicada na turma B, demonstrou melhores resultados, sendo a mais significativa. Outra conclusão muito importante é que apesar de o tema Astronomia ser amplamente

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

, utilizando condições iniciais corrigidas para a presença do achatamento.

Sociodemographic and health factors associated with mortality in community-dwelling elderly.

PubMed

Borim, Flávia Silva Arbex; Francisco, Priscila Maria Stolses Bergamo; Neri, Anita Liberalesso

2017-05-04

The objective of this study is to identify factors associated with mortality, with emphasis on gender and age differences. This is a cross-sectional study, which uses data from the FIBRA-2008-2009 network in Campinas, State of São Paulo, Brazil, with information on non-institutionalized residents of the urban area and the Mortality Information System. The dependent variable has been death, in 2013. The associations have been tested by odds ratio (OR) and their 95% confidence intervals, and the analyses have been conducted using the program Stata 12.0. Average age has been 72.3 years, 69.3% have been women, and 8.9% have died. We have found greater OR for mortality in individuals aged ≥ 75 years, classified as pre-frail or frail, and in those who have reported heart disease. In this study, the analysis of specific subgroups has allowed us to better understand the relationship between the factors associated with death in the elderly. With the exception of age, strategies based on primary and secondary care, focused on priority groups, can have a positive impact on the reduction of mortality among the elderly. Identificar fatores associados à mortalidade, com ênfase nas diferenças de gênero e idade. Trata-se de estudo transversal, utilizando dados provenientes da rede FIBRA-2008-2009 em Campinas, SP, com informações de pessoas não institucionalizadas residentes na área urbana e pelo Sistema de Informações de Mortalidade. A variável dependente foi a ocorrência de óbito, verificada em 2013. As associações foram testadas pelas razões de chances (OR) e respectivos intervalos de confiança de 95%, e as análises conduzidas no programa Stata 12.0. A média de idade foi 72,3 anos, 69,3% eram mulheres e 8,9% foram a óbito. Encontrou-se maior OR para mortalidade nos indivíduos com idade ≥ 75 anos, nos classificados como pré-frágil ou frágil e naqueles que referiram doença do coração. Neste estudo, a análise para os subgrupos específicos permitiu

Coerência espectroscópica de famílias de asteróides

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mothé Diniz, T.; Roig, F. V.

2003-08-01

As Famílias de asteróides são caracterizadas como agrupamentos de objetos provenientes da quebra por colisão de corpos precursores. Desta forma, seus membros devem preservar relações genéticas que podem ser traduzidas sob a análise de suas características espectrais. Neste trabalho é apresentado o primeiro estudo espectroscópico de todas as famílias de asteróides do cinturão principal. Para tal, a divisão em famílias foi refeita utilizando-se o método HCM com uma base de elementos próprios analíticos (Knezevic e Milani, Jun 2001) e para o estudo espectroscópico foram utilizadas diversas campanhas de observação espectroscópica, tais o S3OS2 e o SMASSII, bem como outros dados disponíveis na literatura. A homogeneidade espectroscópica de cada família foi avaliada através da verificação das classes espectroscópicas presentes, bem como da comparação destes espectros com os de objetos de fundo, localizados na vizinhança da família. Vinte e duas famílias foram analisadas (as que possuíam mais do que 3 membros com espectro) e, dentre as principais conclusões pode-se citar a homogeneidade espectroscópica e, provavelmente mineralógica das famílias de Vesta, Eunomia, Hoffmeister, Dora, Merxia, Agnia, Koronis e Veritas. Esta última em particular, foi tida como uma família não homogênea espectroscopicamente em trabalho anterior (Di Martino et al. 1997). Outro resultado interessante é, por um lado, a aparente falta de homogeneidade dos membros da família de Eos, e por outro sua forte distinção dos objetos de fundo. O oposto ocorre na família de Themis, esta apresentando-se espectroscopicamente compatível com os objetos de fundo, mas com grande homogeneidade taxonômica entre seus membros. Algumas das famílias apresentam asteróides "intrusos" (objetos cujas características físicas não são compatíveis com aquelas dos membros da família) que, de modo geral desaparecem ao se considerarem níveis mais baixos de corte para a

PubMed

Defagó, Victor

2017-10-10

Introducción: La incorporación de la Clínica y la Imagenología permiten una mejor comprensión de la Anatomía. El objetivo de este trabajo es desarrollar un prototipo rápido en material sintético que replique detalles anatómicos para ser utilizado en la docencia y el entrenamiento quirúrgico en Pediatría.Material y Método: Presentación de caso: Paciente de un año de edad con síndrome de dificultad respiratoria. En el examen endoscópico se halló una compresión traqueal distal. La angiotomografía confirmó la presencia de una malformación vascular. Con la finalidad de analizar una conducta adecuada, se solicitó la confección de un prototipo rápido a escala 1:1 que simulara una condición idéntica a la topografía torácica del paciente, utilizando imágenes virtuales 3D almacenadas en formato DICOM.Técnica de generación de prototipo rápido: Se obtuvo una malla digital tridimensional y se generó el código "g" que se utilizó para controlar el hardware de producción. Se efectuó simulación digital y producción en material plástico (ABS) con técnica de deposición y fusión (MDF). Se validó el prototipo comparándolo con las mediciones testigos del modelo virtual en 3 D.Resultados y Discusión: El modelo replicó exactamente los defectos hallados en la tomografía y endoscopía, confirmando la presencia de la malformación vascular y su repercusión sobre el aparato respiratorio. El prototipo rápido muestra las estructuras internas y externas del cuerpo humano con máxima precisión permitiendo una visión topográfica de situaciones "normales o patológicas" que facilitaría la docencia y el entrenamiento del equipo quirúrgico para proponer un plan de tratamiento adecuado. Hay numerosas áreas de la medicina que se beneficiarían con este modelo que podría ser construído con diversos tipos de materiales de diferente flexibilidad y consistencia. Conclusiones: El prototipo rápido le da estado físico a las imágenes virtuales 3D

Risk management in providing specialized care for people living with AIDS.

PubMed

Leadebal, Oriana Deyze Correia Paiva; Medeiros, Leidyanny Barbosa de; Morais, Kalline Silva de; Nascimento, João Agnaldo do; Monroe, Aline Aparecida; Nogueira, Jordana de Almeida

2016-01-01

Analyzing the provision of actions related to managing clinical risk in managing specialized care for people living with AIDS. A cross-sectional study carried out in a reference outpatient clinic in Paraíba, with a sample of 150 adults with AIDS. Data were collected through primary and secondary sources using a structured questionnaire, analyzed using descriptive statistics, multiple correspondence analysis and logistic regression model to determine the association between "providing care" and "clinical risk." Actions with satisfactory provision express a biological care focus; the dimensions that most contributed to a satisfactory assessment of care provision were "clinical and laboratory evaluations" and "prevention and self-care incentivization"; 45.3% of participants were categorized into high clinical risk, 34% into average clinical risk, and 20.7% into low clinical risk; a positive association between providing care and clinical risk was found. The need to use risk classification technologies to direct the planning of local care provision became evident considering its requirements, and thus qualifying the care provided in these areas. Analisar a oferta de ações relacionadas ao manejo de risco clínico na gestão do cuidado especializado a pessoas vivendo com aids. Estudo transversal realizado em ambulatório de referência na Paraíba, com amostra de 150 adultos com aids. Os dados foram coletados por meio de fontes primárias e secundárias utilizando-se de formulário estruturado, e analisados através de estatística descritiva, análise de correspondência múltipla e modelo de regressão logística para averiguar a associação entre "oferta" e "risco clínico". As ações de oferta satisfatória expressam foco biologicista do cuidado; as dimensões que mais contribuíram para o julgamento satisfatório da oferta foram "avaliação clínica e laboratorial" e "prevenção e estímulo ao autocuidado"; 45,3% dos participantes foram categorizados em risco

Revista de Saúde Pública in scientific publications on Violence and Health (1967-2015).

PubMed

Schraiber, Lilia Blima; Barros, Claudia; d'Oliveira, Ana Flávia Pires Lucas; Peres, Maria Fernanda Tourinho

2016-11-10

This article retrieved the publications from the Revista de Saúde Pública journal (from 1967 to 2015) on violence and health, on the SciELO and PubMed bases, by searching for the terms "violence", "suicide", "aggression", "bullying", and "external causes", registered in any part of the text. We found 130 articles (the first one published in 1974). We observed: increase of publications over time, with decrease in the last five years; similar production volume in lethal and non-lethal violence; later publication of the latter; few studies in qualitative research; mostly descriptive production; and visualization of the problem more by the acts than by contexts or motivations and aggressors. Social markers were little approached, appearing, from largest to smallest frequency, social class, gender, race/ethnicity, and generation. Human rights were little used and only recently used as analytical framework, connected more to gender than to social class. Although Revista de Saúde Pública has registered the theme in its publications, consolidating it as scientific production line, there is still great explanatory theoretical rarefaction and little intersectionality between violence, social inequalities, and human rights. RESUMO A produção da Revista de Saúde Pública (de 1967 até 2015) sobre violência e saúde foi recuperada nas bases SciELO e PubMed utilizando-se os termos "violência", "suicídio", "agressões", "bullying" e "causas externas", registrados em qualquer parte do texto. Foram encontrados 130 artigos (o primeiro deles publicado em 1974). Constatou-se: aumento das publicações no tempo, com decréscimo nos últimos cinco anos; volume similar de produção em violência letal e não letal; publicação mais tardia desta última; poucos estudos em pesquisa qualitativa; produção majoritariamente descritiva; e visibilização do problema, mais pelos atos que pelos contextos ou motivações e agressores. Os marcadores sociais foram pouco tematizados

Ondas de choque em jatos de quasares e objetos BL Lacertae

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Melo, F. E.; Botti, L. C. L.

2003-08-01

Este trabalho é parte de um projeto que vem sendo realizado há dois anos no CRAAM, cujos objetivos principais são analisar e aplicar um modelo generalizado de ondas de choque em jatos relativísticos de plasma, presentes em quasares e objetos BL Lacertae, para explicar a variabilidade observada nestes objetos. O método consiste em uma decomposição de curvas de luz em séries de explosões similares, em várias freqüências, baseando-se em uma evolução espectro-temporal média das explosões. A partir da evolução média, um ajuste de cada explosão é feito com base em equações empíricas, modificando-se apenas parâmetros específicos de cada explosão. Inicialmente o modelo foi aplicado ajustando-se as curvas de luz a explosões delineadas por uma evolução do choque em três estágios, segundo a predominância do processo de emissão: síncrotron, Compton e adiabático. Entretanto, nesta nova fase de projeto, visando uma parametrização mais concisa, uma otimização do algoritmo de ajuste e uma convergência mais rápida, a formulação para cada evento foi assumida com uma evolução em apenas dois estágios: subida e descida. Isto possibilitou uma ótima delineação das curvas de luz das fontes OV236, OJ287, 3C273 e BL Lac, entre 1980 e 2000, nas freqüências 4.8, 8.0, 14.5 e 22 GHz, utilizando-se dados do Observatório da Universidade de Michigan, do Observatório do Itapetinga (Atibaia SP) e do Observatório Metsähovi. Como conclusões importantes, verificou-se que: os parâmetros ajustados descrevem o comportamento do jato; os valores do índice que descreve a expansão do jato sugerem que o mesmo se expande de uma forma não-cônica; o campo magnético é turbulento atrás da frente de choque; e as peculiaridades das explosões são devidas à influência de grandezas tais como o coeficiente da distribuição espectral de energia dos elétrons, a intensidade de campo magnético e o fator de feixe Doppler, no início do choque.

PATHOPHYSIOLOGY, DIAGNOSIS AND TREATMENTOF DUMPING SYNDROME AND ITS RELATION TO BARIATRIC SURGERY.

PubMed

Chaves, Yasmin da Silva; Destefani, Afrânio Côgo

The dumping syndrome is frequent in bariatric surgery. It is probably the most common syndrome following partial or complete gastrectomy. Its prevalence in partial gastrectomy can reach up to 50%, thus it can be a significant complication arising from some types of bariatric surgeries. Critical analysis on dumping syndrome, its pathophysiology, diagnosis and treatment. A literature review was performed using the key words: 'dumping syndrome', 'bariatric surgery' and 'rapid dumping syndrome'. Inclusion criteria were: books, original works, case reports and meta-analyzes, and the exclusion criterion was literature review. Concerning the publication time, articles were screened between 1960 and May 2015. The dumping syndrome is complication arising from obesity surgeries, but also can be a result of vagus nerve damage. Diagnosis is done primarily through the use of questionnaires based on scores. The Sigstad score and Arts survey are valid means for assessing the dumping syndrome. Initial therapy consists in the adoption of dietary measures, short acting drugs administration. A síndrome de dumping é frequente após operações bariátricas. É, provavelmente, a mais comum das síndromes que sucedem gastrectomias parciais ou completas. Sua prevalência, em gastrectomias parciais pode chegar a até 50%, tornando-se assim complicação significante em alguns tipos de operações bariátricas. Realizar análise crítica sobre a síndrome de dumping em sua fisiopatologia, diagnóstico e tratamento. Foi realizada revisão bibliográfica utilizando os descritores: 'síndrome de dumping', 'cirurgia bariátrica' e 'síndrome do esvaziamento rápido'. Os critérios de inclusão foram: livros, trabalhos originais, relatos de caso e metanálises; excluíram-se as revisões bibliográficas. Quanto ao tempo de publicação, foram selecionados artigos entre 1960 e maio de 2015. A síndrome de dumping é complicação gastrointestinal oriunda de operações para obesidade, mas tamb

Analysis of Service-learning activities adopted in health courses of Federal University of Bahia.

PubMed

Baldoino, Aline Silva; Veras, Renata Meira

2016-06-01

is study aimed to raise and discuss the data about the integration of health courses teaching and service activities o ered at the Federal University of Bahia (UFBA), pre- senting scenarios practices and major di culties existing in the relationship between the university and the services of health. is was a qualitative study of descriptive explo- ratory character, using a questionnaire as a research tool applied to the coordinators of selected health courses. e selection was by reading the political pedagogical project, the following courses were selected: nursing, physical therapy, speech therapy, medicine, nu- trition, dentistry and public health. e results indicated eight types of teaching-service integration activities, 57 scenarios of practice and the main di culties. It was concluded that these courses are sticking to changes in academic training in health, in view of the large number of basic health units in the teaching service process. us, it emphasizes that the UFBA includes activities in health care that enable the integration-education in the higher education process, although there are some di culties in this relationship indicated by the coordinators. Esse estudo teve como objetivo levantar e discutir os dados acerca das atividades de integração ensino-serviço de cursos de saúde oferecidos na Universidade Federal da Bahia (UFBA), apresentando os cenários de práticas e as principais di culdades existentes na relação entre a uni- versidadeeosserviçosdesaúde.Tratou-sedeumapesquisaqualitativa,decaráterdescritivoexploratório,utilizando-seumquestionáriocomo instrumento de investigação aplicado aos coordenadores dos cursos de saúde selecionados. A seleção foi mediante a leitura do projeto político pedagógico, sendo selecionados os seguintes cursos: enfermagem, sioterapia, fonoaudiologia, medicina, nutrição, odontologia e saúde coletiva. Os resultados indicaram 8 tipos de atividades de integração ensino-serviço, 57 cenários de pr

Trastornos mentales y consumo de drogas en la población víctima del conflicto armado en tres ciudades de Colombia.

PubMed

Castaño, Guillermo; Sierra, Gloria; Sánchez, Daniela; Torres, Yolanda; Salas, Carolina; Buitrago, Carolina

2018-05-01

Introducción. La violencia en sus diferentes modalidades incrementa el riesgo de trastornos mentales y de consumo de drogas.Objetivos. Estimar la prevalencia de los trastornos mentales, del uso y abuso de drogas, así como los factores asociados en víctimas de desplazamiento forzado en tres ciudades colombianas.Materiales y métodos. Se hizo un estudio de prevalencia en una muestra de 1.026 personas entre los 13 y los 65 años de edad, a quienes se entrevistó utilizando el instrumento Composite International Diagnostic Interview y el Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test de la Organización Mundial de la Salud, así como un cuestionario sobre el consumo de drogas modificado a partir de la encuesta del Sistema Interamericano de Datos Uniformes sobre Drogas de la Comisión Interamericana para el Control del Abuso de Drogas de la Organización de Estados Americanos, y otro sobre aspectos relacionados con el desplazamiento forzado. El análisis se hizo mediante el programa estadístico SPSS™, versión 21.Resultados. La prevalencia de vida de los trastornos mentales fue la siguiente: fobia específica, 17,7 %; depresión mayor, 16,4 %; estrés postraumático, 9,9 %; trastorno oposicionista desafiante, 8,9 %; ansiedad por separación, 7,2 %; trastornos de conducta, 5,8 %, y déficit de atención, 5,6 %. La prevalencia de vida del consumo de alcohol fue de 68,7 %; de tabaco, 31,3 %, de marihuana, 11,2 %, de cocaína, 3,5 %, de basuco, 2,0 %, de inhalables, 2,3 %, y de medicamentos ansiolíticos sin receta, 2,5 %, en tanto que 0,7 % de los entrevistados se había inyectado drogas. El presentar cualquiera de los trastornos mentales se asoció con el sexo femenino (odds ratio, OR=1,61; IC95% 1,21-2,14), así como el haber sido sometido a más de un desplazamiento forzado (OR=1,47; IC95 1,05-2,05). El consumo de cualquiera de las drogas se asoció con ser hombre (OR=5,38; IC95% 2,35-12,34).Conclusiones. La alta prevalencia de trastornos mentales y de consumo de

Desenvolvimento de modelo clínico para predição da possibilidade de identificação da artéria de Adamkiewicz por angiotomografia

PubMed Central

Amato, Alexandre Campos Moraes; Parga, José Rodrigues; Stolf, Noedir Antônio Groppo

2018-01-01

Resumo Contexto Diferenças morfológicas da artéria de Adamkiewicz (AKA) entre a população portadora e não portadora de doença aórtica têm importância clínica, influenciando as complicações neuroisquêmicas da medula espinhal em procedimentos operatórios. Ainda não é conhecida a correlação entre parâmetros clínicos e a previsibilidade da identificação dessa artéria pela angiotomografia. Objetivo Desenvolver um modelo matemático que, através de parâmetros clínicos correlacionados com aterosclerose, possa prever a probabilidade de identificação da AKA em pacientes submetidos a angiotomografias. Método Estudo observacional transversal utilizando banco de imagens e dados de pacientes. Foi feita análise estatística multivariada e criado modelo matemático logit de predição para identificação da AKA. Variáveis significativas foram utilizadas na montagem da fórmula para cálculo da probabilidade de identificação. O modelo foi calibrado, e a discriminação foi avaliada pela curva receiver operating characteristic (ROC). A seleção das variáveis explanatórias foi guiada pela maior área na curva ROC (p = 0,041) e pela significância combinada das variáveis. Resultados Foram avaliados 110 casos (54,5% do sexo masculino, com idade média de 60,97 anos e etnia com coeficiente B -2,471, M -1,297, N -0,971), com AKA identificada em 60,9%. Índice de massa corporal: 27,06 ± 0,98 (coef. -0,101); fumantes: 55,5% (coef. -1,614/-1,439); diabéticos: 13,6%; hipertensos: 65,5% (coef. -1,469); dislipidêmicos: 58,2%; aneurisma aórtico: 38,2%; dissecção aórtica: 12,7%; e trombo mural: 24,5%. Constante de 6,262. Fórmula para cálculo da probabilidade de detecção: (e−(Coef. Etnia+(Coef. IMC×IMC)+Coef.fumante+Coef.HAS+Coef.dislip+Constante)+1)−1 . O modelo de predição foi criado e disponibilizado no link https://vascular.pro/aka-model . Conclusão Com as covariáveis etnia, índice de massa corporal, tabagismo, hipertens

Development, health, and international policy: the research and innovation dimension.

PubMed

Buss, Paulo Marchiori; Chamas, Claudia; Faid, Miriam; Morel, Carlos

2016-11-03

This text main objective is to discuss development and health from the perspective of the influence of global health governance, using as the tracer the dimension of research, development, and innovation policies in health, which relate to both important inputs for the health system, like drugs and medicines, vaccines, diagnostic reagents, and equipment, and innovative concepts and practices for the improvement of health systems and public health. The authors examine the two main macro-processes that influence development and health: the post-2015 Development Agenda and the process under way in the World Health Organization concerning research and development, intellectual property, and access to health inputs. The article concludes, first, that much remains to be done for the Agenda to truly represent a coherent and viable international political pact, and that the two macro-processes related to innovation in health need to be streamlined. But this requires democratization of participation by the main stakeholders - patients and the general population of the poorest countries - since this is the only way to overcome a "zero sum" result in the clash in the current debates among member State representatives. Resumo: O objetivo central deste texto é discutir desenvolvimento e saúde sob a ótica da influência da governança da saúde global, utilizando como traçador a dimensão das políticas de pesquisa, desenvolvimento e inovação em saúde, que se referem, de um lado, a insumos importantes para o sistema de saúde - como fármacos e medicamentos, vacinas, reativos para diagnóstico e equipamentos e, de outro, a conceitos e práticas inovadoras para o aperfeiçoamento dos sistemas de saúde e da saúde pública. Examina os dois principais macroprocessos que influenciam o desenvolvimento e a saúde: a Agenda do Desenvolvimento para o pós-2015 e o processo sobre pesquisa e desenvolvimento, propriedade intelectual e acesso a insumos em saúde em curso na Organiza

Variabilidad de la Estación de Crecimiento en la Región Sur de Tamaulipas en condiciones climaticas actuales y futuras.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Medina-Barrios, M.; Conde-Alvarez, C.; Gay-Garcia, C.

2007-05-01

El impacto de la variabilidad y cambio climáticos, afectan el potencial agrícola de la Región Sur de Tamaulipas. Además de los cambios estacionales, bajos rendimientos agrícolas, el manejo de los cultivos y las políticas locales de producción, existe la incertidumbre del mercado regional para los pequeños y grandes productores. La diversificación agrícola ha sido una alternativa para enfrentar las condiciones imperantes en esta región. Pero ésta ha provocado la fragmentación territorial, por lo que sólo algunos productores logran competir en un mercado nacional. Existe una preocupación generalizada por buscar soluciones que permitan que la población que es afectada por la inseguridad de la producción agrícola y económica, pueda adaptarse a las variaciones climáticas que afectan el proceso productivo. La seguridad alimentaría queda sujeta a la fluctuación de las importaciones para los sectores básicos y a las estrategias mercantiles de empresas trasnacionales. La percepción local sugiere un número creciente de eventos climatológicos extremos, constantes y severos en los últimos 20 años, con el aumento creciente de pérdidas económicas. El análisis se centra en la disponibilidad de agua, agregándose un aspecto de capital importancia como es la variabilidad interanual de la lluvia, que condiciona muy fuertemente el riesgo agrícola en el trópico seco, siendo ésta la que determina el momento de inicio de la estación favorable para el crecimiento y su duración. En este trabajo se han obtenido modelos de la distribución espacial de la precipitación y temperaturas, para el escenario base 1961-1990, el escenario actual 1971-2000, para algunos años El Niño y La Niña, así como para los escenarios de Cambio Climático HADLEY, ECHAM y GFDL, con escenarios A2 y B2, para las décadas de los 20s y 50s, para establecer el inicio y duración de la Estación de Crecimiento, utilizando Sistemas de Información Geográfica (ArcView). Estos

A causa das estações do ano: modelos mentais

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

de Campos, J. A. S.; de Araujo, J. F. S.

2003-08-01

A década de 70 do século passado foi marcada pelo estudo das concepções alternativas que os alunos trazem para a sala de aula. A identificação destas concepções foi o ponto de partida para promover a mudança conceitual, onde as pré-concepções seriam trocadas pelas concepções científicas. Na década seguinte, surgiram muitas propostas de estratégias educacionais para facilitar esta troca, na sua maioria baseadas na idéia do conflito cognitivo, proposta por Piaget. Entretanto, os resultados pouco animadores conduziram à percepção de que a mudança conceitual é um processo mais complexo. Pelas idéias da Ciência Cognitiva, a mudança conceitual é uma mudança progressiva dos modelos mentais que o aluno tem sobre o mundo físico, através de enriquecimento e revisão. A causa das Estações do Ano é um tópico sobre o qual a maioria dos estudantes apresenta concepções alternativas. Os autores fizeram um levantamento sobre as pré-concepções encontradas em trabalhos sobre o tema (16 referências), procurando encontrar elementos comuns que indicassem a presença de modelos mentais específicos. As pré-concepções encontradas na literatura foram obtidas usando-se diversas metodologias (desde entrevistas clínicas até questionários de múltipla escolha) e envolvendo alunos e professores de diferentes regiões geográficas. A partir de uma análise aprofundada de cada trabalho, e utilizando-se a técnica das Redes Sistêmicas, chegou-se a conclusão que as diversas pré-concepções identificadas (em torno de 50), poderiam ser representadas por 6 modelos mentais, onde a explicação da causa das estações do ano tem um mecanismo causal responsável. Os mecanismos causais identificados foram: a dependência da distância, a dependência da orientação, a dependência conjunta da distância e orientação, a dependência da obstrução, a dependência da velocidade e a dependência da inclinação dos raios solares. Foram ainda identificadas

SLEEVE GASTRECTOMY IN PATIENTS WITH MORBID OBESITY AND HIV.

PubMed

Pinto, José Máximo Costa; Lima, Marianna Gomes Cavalcanti Leite de; Almeida, Ana Luiza Melo Cavalcanti de; Sousa, Marcelo Gonçalves

, Scielo, Cochrane e Lilacs, no período de 1998 a 2015. Os descritores do MeSH utilizados na coleta dos dados foram "Gastrectomia" e "Obesidade mórbida", sendo combinados com o descritor "HIV". Foram encontrados 2.148 artigos na Scopus, 1.234 no Pubmed e 784 na Cinahl. Os artigos foram analisados pela Escala de Qualidade de Jadad, reduzindo para um total de 40 artigos, os quais foram posteriormente reavaliados, utilizando um formulário elaborado pelo Critical Appraisal Skills Programme (CASP), chegando ao montante de 12 artigos ao final. Verificou-se que a gastrectomia vertical constitui método seguro e eficaz, apresentando baixa morbimortalidade e baixo índice de complicações pós-operatórias, sendo técnica cirúrgica segura para uso em pacientes com obesidade, HIV e comorbidades.

Quality of life and treatment adherence in hypertensive patients: systematic review with meta-analysis.

PubMed

Souza, Ana Célia Caetano de; Borges, José Wicto Pereira; Moreira, Thereza Maria Magalhães

2016-12-22

To verify the effects of antihypertensive treatment (pharmacological and non-pharmacological) on the health-related quality of life of individuals with hypertension. We conducted a systematic review with meta-analysis using the following databases: IBECS, LILACS, SciELO, Medline, Cochrane, Science Direct, Scopus and the Brazilian Capes Theses and Dissertations Database. The statistical analysis was performed using Review Manager, version 5.2. The average difference was used for the summarization of meta-analytic effect by the fixed-effect model. Twenty studies were included. The summarization of the effect showed an average increase of 2.45 points (95%CI 1.02-3.87; p < 0.0008) in the quality of life of individuals adhering to non-pharmacological treatment for arterial hypertension. Adherence to pharmacological treatment indicated an average increase of 9.24 points (95%CI 8.16-10.33; p < 0.00001) in the quality of life of individuals with arterial hypertension. Non-pharmacological treatment improves the overall quality of life and physical domain of people with arterial hypertension. Adherence to pharmacological treatment has a positive impact on the mental and physical domains of patients, as it did on the overall quality of life score. Verificar os efeitos do tratamento anti-hipertensivo (farmacológico e não-farmacológico) na qualidade de vida relacionada à saúde de pessoas com hipertensão arterial. Foi conduzida revisão sistemática com metanálise utilizando as bases de dados IBECS, Lilacs, SciELO, Medline, Cochrane, Science Direct, Scopus e o banco de teses da Capes. A análise estatística foi realizada pelo Review Manager versão 5.2. Foi utilizada a diferença da média na sumarização do efeito metanalítico pelo modelo de efeito fixo. Vinte estudos foram incluídos. A sumarização do efeito mostrou incremento de 2,45 pontos na média (IC95% 1,02-3,87; p < 0,0008) da qualidade de vida em pessoas com adesão ao tratamento não farmacológico para

What has happened in about the last 20 years in the Canyoles watershed?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ángel González Peñaloza, Félix; Cerdà, Artemi; Díaz del Olmo, Fernando

2013-04-01

Union FP7. ENV.2009 243857. Keywords: GIS, land use, degradation, Cànyoles valley, agricultural practices. References Bodí, M.B., Cerdà, A., Mataix-Solera, J., Doerr, S.H. 2012. Efectos de los incendios forestales en la vegetación y el suelo en la cuenca mediterránea: revisión bibliográfica. Boletín de la Asociación de Geógrafos Españoles 58, 33-35 Cerdà, A, Giménez - Morera, A. Terol, E., Domínguez, A. Jurgensen, M.F., Doerr, S.H. 1999. Cultivos de cítricos y erosión de suelos en el este de la Península Ibérica. En Control de la Degradación de los suelos y cambio global (Eds: Sánchez Díaz, J., Asins Velis, S.). IV Simposio sobre control de la degradación de los suelos y cambio global. Universitat de València. Valencia. 71 - 72. Cerdà, A. 1994. Arroyada superficial en terrazas de cultivo abandonadas. El caso del País Valenciano. Cuadernos de Geografía 56, 135-154 Cerdá, A. 2007. Soil water erosion on road embankments in Eastern Spain. Science of the Total Environments 378, 151-155. González-Peñaloza, F.A., Cerdà, Zavala, L.M., Jordán, A. 2012. Do conservative agriculture practices increase soil water repellency? A case study in citrus-cropped soils. Soil & Tillage Research 124, 233 - 239. Keenleyside, C., Tucker, G.M. 2010. Farmland Abandonment in the EU: An assessment of Trend and Prospects. Report Prepared for WWF. Institute for European Environmental Policy, London. 93 pp. MacDonald, D., Crabtree, J.R., Wiesinger, G., Dax, T., Stamou, N., Fleury, P., Gutiérrez-Lazpita, J., Gibon, A. 2000. Agricultural abandonment in mountain areas of Europe: Environmental consequenses and policy reponse. Journal of Environmental Management 59, 47-69. Piqueras, J. 2012. Geografía del Territorio Valenciano. Departament de Geografia, Universitat de València (Valencia, España). 256 pp. Renwick, A., Jansson, T., Verburg, P.H., Revoredo-Giha, C., Britz, W., Gocht, A., McCracken, D. 2013. Policy reforms and agricultural land abandonment in the EU. Land Use

Psychoanalysis and the early beginnings of residential treatment for troubled youth.

PubMed

Cohler, Bertram J; Friedman, Daniel H

2004-04-01

One of the intentions of Aichhom, Redl, Wineman, Bettelheim, and Anna Freud in their writings about group care was to advocate for the need to simplify the lives of youths who had known only chaos, to create an atmosphere in which everything has a purpose and predictable positive responses were given unconditionally. Recent efforts, such as those by Greenberg et at, have focused on building community-wide early interventions to forestall later emergence of emotional or behavioral disorders. The efforts also mark a shift away from punishment and exclusion for troubled children at school to more inclusive systems of positive behavioral interventions and support by providing a place to achieve academic and social behavioral success. Contemporary social policy regarding residential care for troubled children reflects the belief that a child's development is inevitably enhanced by residence ina family environment. This belief in the value of home and family, so central to contemporary child welfare policy, has been challenged by the recognition that some family situations are not conducive for growth. Redl and Wineman observed that the children who ended up in residential treatment had used up all community treatment resources and soon became the children that nobody wants. Eventually, the homes that produced them, the communities in which they lived, the schools they attended, and the neighborhoods in which they played were unwilling to tolerate their disruptive and disturbing behavior. The chaotic lives of the parents of these children hindered effective monitoring and management,which limited the family's ability to spend time with children, teach conflict-resolution skills, or communicate consistent behavioral expectations. Walker suggested that divorce, abuse, poverty, drugs, and other forces that interfere with normal parenting increasingly disrupt advantaged and disadvantaged families. Vogel and Bell and Spiegel observed that some troubled young people become the

Modality effect in false recognition: evidence from Chinese characters.

PubMed

Mao, Wei Bin; Yang, Zhi Liang; Wang, Lin Song

2010-02-01

�tudes sur le mécanisme de l'effet de modalité sur la fausse mémoire, lesquelles ont fourni plusieurs explications concurrentes. Dans la présente expérience, les auteurs ont testé l'effet de modalité dans la fausse reconnaissance en utilisant une condition de présentation fixe et une condition de présentation aléatoire. Cette expérience a révélé un effet de modalité différent des résultats obtenus dans les recherches antérieures. En effet, la fausse reconnaissance était plus élevée suivant une étude visuelle plutôt qu'une étude auditive, spécialement dans la condition de présentation fixe. Les auteurs suggèrent que cet effet de modalité inverse peut être dû à des caractéristiques d'encodage et de processus différentes entre les caractères chinois et les mots anglais. Comparativement aux mots anglais, les graphèmes visuels des leurres critiques dans les listes chinoises sont susceptibles d'être activés et encodés dans l'esprit des participants, rendant plus difficile de discriminer les graphèmes intériorisés plus tard de ces items présentés dans la modalité visuelle. Ainsi, la présentation visuelle pourrait mener à davantage de fausse reconnaissance que la présentation auditive dans les listes chinoises. Les résultats de la présente expérience ont démontré que l'activation sémantique se produisait durant l'encodage et que la phase de retrait jouait un rôle important dans l'effet de modalité dans la fausse reconnaissance. Nos résultats peuvent être expliqués par la théorie activation-contrôle. Utilizando el método de Deese/Roediger-McDermott (DRM) de falsa mamoria, Smith y Hunt ( 1998 ) fueron los primeros en encontrar el efecto de modalidad en la falsa memoria y demostraron que los falsos recuerdos del listado DRM fueron más bajos después de un estudio visual que después de un estudio auditivo lo cual llevó a varios estudios sobre el mecanismo del efecto de la modalidad sobre falsos recuerdos y proporcion

When Did the Swahili Become Maritime?

PubMed Central

Fleisher, Jeffrey; Lane, Paul; LaViolette, Adria; Horton, Mark; Pollard, Edward; Quintana Morales, Eréndira; Vernet, Thomas; Christie, Annalisa; Wynne-Jones, Stephanie

2015-01-01

In this article, we examine an assumption about the historic Swahili of the eastern African coast: that they were a maritime society from their beginnings in the first millennium C.E. Based on historical and archaeological data, we suggest that, despite their proximity to and use of the sea, the level of maritimity of Swahili society increased greatly over time and was only fully realized in the early second millennium C.E. Drawing on recent theorizing from other areas of the world about maritimity as well as research on the Swahili, we discuss three arenas that distinguish first- and second-millennium coastal society in terms of their maritime orientation. These are variability and discontinuity in settlement location and permanence; evidence of increased engagement with the sea through fishing and sailing technology; and specialized architectural developments involving port facilities, mosques, and houses. The implications of this study are that we must move beyond coastal location in determining maritimity; consider how the sea and its products were part of social life; and assess whether the marine environment actively influences and is influenced by broader patterns of sociocultural organization, practice, and belief within Swahili and other societies. [maritime, fishing and sailing, long-distance trade, Swahili, eastern Africa] RESUMEN En este artículo, evaluamos la hipótesis de que los pueblos Swahili de la costa oriental africana fueron una sociedad marítima a partir del primer milenio E.C. Basados en información histórica y arqueológica, proponemos que la asociación de la sociedad Swahili con el mar incrementó considerablemente con el tiempo y se manifestó de una forma significativa particularmente desde principios del segundo milenio E.C. Utilizando teorías recientes sobre maritimidad en otras áreas del mundo, así como investigaciones sobre los Swahili, discutimos tres temas que marcan las diferencias del nivel de orientación marítima de

When Did the Swahili Become Maritime?

PubMed

Fleisher, Jeffrey; Lane, Paul; LaViolette, Adria; Horton, Mark; Pollard, Edward; Quintana Morales, Eréndira; Vernet, Thomas; Christie, Annalisa; Wynne-Jones, Stephanie

2015-03-01

In this article, we examine an assumption about the historic Swahili of the eastern African coast: that they were a maritime society from their beginnings in the first millennium C.E. Based on historical and archaeological data, we suggest that, despite their proximity to and use of the sea, the level of maritimity of Swahili society increased greatly over time and was only fully realized in the early second millennium C.E. Drawing on recent theorizing from other areas of the world about maritimity as well as research on the Swahili, we discuss three arenas that distinguish first- and second-millennium coastal society in terms of their maritime orientation. These are variability and discontinuity in settlement location and permanence; evidence of increased engagement with the sea through fishing and sailing technology; and specialized architectural developments involving port facilities, mosques, and houses. The implications of this study are that we must move beyond coastal location in determining maritimity; consider how the sea and its products were part of social life; and assess whether the marine environment actively influences and is influenced by broader patterns of sociocultural organization, practice, and belief within Swahili and other societies. [ maritime, fishing and sailing, long-distance trade, Swahili, eastern Africa ]. En este artículo, evaluamos la hipótesis de que los pueblos Swahili de la costa oriental africana fueron una sociedad marítima a partir del primer milenio E.C. Basados en información histórica y arqueológica, proponemos que la asociación de la sociedad Swahili con el mar incrementó considerablemente con el tiempo y se manifestó de una forma significativa particularmente desde principios del segundo milenio E.C. Utilizando teorías recientes sobre maritimidad en otras áreas del mundo, así como investigaciones sobre los Swahili, discutimos tres temas que marcan las diferencias del nivel de orientación marítima de esta

Socioeconomic and regional differences in active transportation in Brazil.

PubMed

Sá, Thiago Hérick de; Pereira, Rafael Henrique Moraes; Duran, Ana Clara; Monteiro, Carlos Augusto

2016-06-27

To present national estimates regarding walking or cycling for commuting in Brazil and in 10 metropolitan regions. By using data from the Health section of 2008's Pesquisa Nacional por Amostra de Domicílio (Brazil's National Household Sample Survey), we estimated how often employed people walk or cycle to work, disaggregating our results by sex, age range, education level, household monthly income per capita, urban or rural address, metropolitan regions, and macro-regions in Brazil. Furthermore, we estimated the distribution of this same frequency according to quintiles of household monthly income per capita in each metropolitan region of the country. A third of the employed men and women walk or cycle from home to work in Brazil. For both sexes, this share decreases as income and education levels rise, and it is higher among younger individuals, especially among those living in rural areas and in the Northeast region of the country. Depending on the metropolitan region, the practice of active transportation is two to five times more frequent among low-income individuals than among high-income individuals. Walking or cycling to work in Brazil is most frequent among low-income individuals and the ones living in less economically developed areas. Active transportation evaluation in Brazil provides important information for public health and urban mobility policy-making. Apresentar estimativas nacionais sobre o deslocamento a pé ou de bicicleta no trajeto casa-trabalho no Brasil e em 10 de suas regiões metropolitanas. Utilizando dados do Suplemento sobre Saúde da Pesquisa Nacional por Amostra de Domicílios de 2008, estimamos a frequência de pessoas empregadas que se deslocam a pé ou de bicicleta no trajeto casa-trabalho estratificada por sexo, e segundo faixa etária, escolaridade, renda domiciliar per capita, residência em área urbana ou rural, regiões metropolitanas e macrorregiões do país. Adicionalmente, estimamos a distribuição da mesma frequ

Background noise analysis in urban airport surroundings of Brazilian cities, Congonhas Airport, São Paulo.

PubMed

Scatolini, Fabio; Alves, Cláudio Jorge Pinto

2016-12-22

To perform a quantitative analysis of the background noise at Congonhas Airport surroundings based on large sampling and measurements with no interruption. Measuring sites were chosen from 62 and 72 DNL (day-night-level) noise contours, in urban sites compatible with residential use. Fifteen sites were monitored for at least 168 hours without interruption or seven consecutive days. Data compilation was based on cross-reference between noise measurements and air traffic control records, and results were validated by airport meteorological reports. Preliminary diagnoses were established using the standard NBR-13368. Background noise values were calculated based on the Sound Exposure Level (SEL). Statistic parameters were calculated in one-hour intervals. Only four of the fifteen sites assessed presented aircraft operations as a clear cause for the noise annoyance. Even so, it is possible to detect background noise levels above regulation limits during periods of low airport activity or when it closes at night. All the sites monitored showed background noise levels above regulation limits between 7:00 and 21:00. In the intervals between 6:00-6:59 and 21:00-22:59 the noise data, when analyzed with the current airport operational characteristics, still allow the development of additional mitigating measures. Avaliar quantitativamente o ruído de fundo no entorno do aeroporto de Congonhas, com base em ampla amostragem e medições sem interrupção. Locais de medição escolhidos a partir de curvas de ruído de 62 e 72 LDN (day-night level), em equipamentos urbanos de uso compatível com o residencial. Quinze locais foram avaliados por mais de 168 horas consecutivas cada um (sete dias). A compilação baseou-se em cruzamentos de dados do controle de tráfego aéreo e os resultados foram validados por meio de relatórios meteorológicos do aeroporto. Diagnósticos preliminares foram estabelecidos utilizando a NBR-13368. O ruído de fundo foi calculado com base no Sound

PSYCHOLOGICAL PROFILE OF PATIENTS ELIGIBLE FOR BARIATRIC SURGERY.

PubMed

Ribeiro, Graziela Aparecida Nogueira de Almeida; Giampietro, Helenice Brizolla; Belarmino, Lídia Barbieri; Salgado-Júnior, Wilson

The psychologist who works in bariatric surgery has a role to receive, evaluate, prepare and educate the patient who will undergo the surgical procedure. Psychological evaluation becomes important in so far as allows us to obtain data on personal and familiar history and allow tracing of possible psychopathology. To collect data on psychological evaluations of patients in a bariatric surgery service of a public hospital in order to describe the psychological profile of patients in this service. Data were collected from 827 patients between 2001 and 2015, using data from an interview, Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI) and Binge Eating Scale (BES). The mean age of patients before surgery was 39 years+/- 10, the mean BMI was 51 kg/m²+7, and most patients (81%) were female. The average score on the BDI was 14.8+8 and women had significantly higher scores than men. On the BAI the average score was 11+8 and on the ECAP was 14+8, both with no difference between groups. Psychosocial characteristics of the patients points to the significant presence of indicators of depression, with low levels of anxiety and binge eating. O psicólogo que atua na área da cirurgia bariátrica tem papel de acolher, avaliar, preparar e conscientizar o paciente que vai ser submetido ao procedimento cirúrgico. A avaliação psicológica reveste-se de importância na medida em que obtém dados sobre história pessoal e familiar, além do rastreio de possíveis alterações psicopatológicas. Analisar as avaliações psicológicas dos pacientes de um serviço de cirurgia bariátrica de um hospital público, buscando traçar o perfil psicológico dos pacientes deste serviço. Foram coletados dados de 827 pacientes entre 2001 e 2015, utilizando-se dados de uma entrevista, Inventário Beck de Depressão (BDI), Inventário Beck de Ansiedade (BAI) e Escala de Compulsão Alimentar Periódica (ECAP). A idade média dos pacientes antes da operação foi 39 anos+10 e o IMC m

TENDINOPATHY AND OBESITY.

PubMed

Castro, Adham do Amaral E; Skare, Thelma Larocca; Nassif, Paulo Afonso Nunes; Sakuma, Alexandre Kaue; Barros, Wagner Haese

Tendinopathies and tendon tears account for over 30% of all musculoskeletal consultations. Obesity, which is becoming one of the world´s most prevalent public health issues, may be associated with this condition. To review the literature about tendinopathies and obesity association. This is a descriptive exploratory study using the portal Medline. Literature in English language from 2006 to 2014 were reviewed. The pathogenesis of tendinopathies includes inflammatory, regenerative and degenerative processes that happen simultaneously from early to late phases of the disease. Mechanical stress upon tendons seems to be one of the most important factors to initiate the inflammatory response, but it´s not the only one that can deflagrate it: there are other extrinsic, genetic and metabolic factors that may be involved. Therefore, tendinopathies in obese patients can be due to tendon overload because of the excess of weight, but also because of increased production of pro-inflammatory mediators related to fat tissue such as adipokines. This pro-inflammatory state that obese people can suffer is known as adiposopathy, or sick fat syndrome. Weight loss is associated with decrease in adipokines and improvement of musculoskeletal symptoms. The relation of obesity and tendinopathies is supported by evidences of recent studies, exemplified in this review of literature. As tendinopatias e as fissuras em tendões respondem por 30% de todas as consultas médicas. A obesidade, que está se tornando um dos problemas de saúde pública mais prevalentes no mundo, pode estar associada com esta condição. Revisar a literatura acerca da associação entre obesidade e tendinopatias. Este é um estudo exploratório e descritivo utilizando artigos em língua inglesa do portal médico Medline, do período de 2006 a 2014. Na patogênese das tendinopatias incluem-se elementos inflamatórios, regenerativos e degenerativos que aparecem de maneira simultânea em todos os estágios da doen

Biochemical polymorphisms in Spanish Avileña-Negra Iberica cattle.

PubMed

Arranz, J J; Bayón, Y; Medjugorac, I; Primitivo, F

1994-01-12

. Fueron monomórficos los sistemas siguientes: CAT, DIA1, MDH1 y ME1. Utilizando eletroforesis en gel de poliacrilamida se encontró un par de bandas de migración lenta en el sistema de la proteína GC. Este patrón probablemente está controlado por el infrecuente alelo GC(C) , descrito en unos pocos casos en el ganado vacuno. Además, la electroforesis en gel de almidón permitió detectar en el locus de la albúmina una banda con movilidad intermedia entre los alelos ALB(A) y ALB(B) . Una variante con un patrón electroforético similar ha sido descrita en muy pocas ocasiones en el ganado vacuno. Sin embargo, la utilización de IEF en condiciones desnaturalizantes no permitió diferenciar esta variante del alelo ALB(A) y, por lo tanto, el significado de la misma no está claro. 1994 Blackwell Verlag GmbH.

Legal and Political Implications of Offensive Actions from and Against the Space Segment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

de Angelis, Iole M.

2002-01-01

a common responsibility among the non state-actor Al-Quaida and the State of Afghanistan - that supported and hosted such organisation - is an exemple that deserves special consideration. ANTISATELLITE WEAPONS In a world in which Russia and the United States are no longer enemies, no individual nation has a strong motivation to develop and deploy space weapons for solely military purposes. Such weapons could be seen as inextricably tied to the purpose of achieving space dominance not only for military reasons - achieving full spectrum dominance thanks to a superior information management - but also for economical and political reasons. It is important to remind that the military use of outer space has both stabilizing and destabilizing potential. Military and civilian satellites perform functions that contribute to treaties verification, transparency, confidence building and nuclear deterrence. Putting weapons in space - that is a military use of outer-space - would threaten the instruments and sensors deployed into orbit to monitor potential enemies, control the compliance to disarmament treaties, detect ballistic missile launches, and maintain reliable communications. A sudden attack against such systems would lead to a main international crisis. In this context, in February 2000 the Chinese delegation to the United Nations Conference on Disarmament circulated a paper identifying a present and pressing necessity to prevent an arms race in outer space. A treaty forestalling the use of any kind of weapons in space, argued the delegation, would greatly support global peace and security." Moscow agreed with Beijing on this subject. CONCLUSIONS The deployment of space weapons will bring negative consequences to the international image of the country that does so, but is it an inevitable process? What tools can the international community do to prevent the escalation of conflicts into the outer space? From an international legal perspective, the development and the

A bone tissue engineering strategy based on starch scaffolds and bone marrow cells cultured in a flow perfusion bioreactor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gomes, Maria Manuela Estima

tecido osseo, uma vez que estas celulas podem ser facilmente recolhidas do proprio paciente a tratar por metodos nao-invasivos (bioppsia) e em quantidades suficientes. Alem disso, tratando-se de uma fonte de celulas autologas (obtidas do proprio paciente) permitem evitar os riscos de transmissao de doencas contagiosas e/ou de rejeicao pelo sistema imunologico. • Estudo da influencia das condicoes de cultura in vitro geradas por um bioreactor de perfusao (em comparacao com os metodos tradicionais de cultura em condicoes estaticas) no desenvolvimento dos materiais hibridos, compostos pelas celulas e scaffolds, assim como as interaccoes do ambiente proporcionado por este sistema de cultura com as diferentes estruturas/arquitecturas e porosidades dos scaffolds utilizados. Estes objectivos convergem para o objectivo geral desta tese que consistiu no desenvolvimento de uma terapia de engenharia do tecido osseo alternativa as existentes e com potencial para vir a ser posteriormente utilizada na pratica clinica. Este objectivo foi avaliado atraves do estudo da funcionalidade dos materiais hibridos obtidos em diferentes condicoes de cultura in vitro (e utilizando diferentes scaffolds), partindo do principio que o sistema de perfusao poderia eventualmente superar as limitacoes de difusao tipicas dos sistema de cultura estatica e simultaneamente proporcionar estimulos mecânicos as celulas, semelhantes aos encontrados em condicoes fisiologicas. (Abstract shortened by ProQuest.).

Clinical simulation with dramatization: gains perceived by students and health professionals.

PubMed

Negri, Elaine Cristina; Mazzo, Alessandra; Martins, José Carlos Amado; Pereira, Gerson Alves; Almeida, Rodrigo Guimarães Dos Santos; Pedersoli, César Eduardo

2017-08-03

to identify in the literature the gains health students and professionals perceive when using clinical simulation with dramatization resources. integrative literature review, using the method proposed by the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI). A search was undertaken in the following databases: Latin American and Caribbean Health Sciences Literature, Web of Science, National Library of Medicine, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, The Cochrane Library, Scopus, Scientific Electronic Library Online. 53 studies were analyzed, which complied with the established inclusion criteria. Among the different gains obtained, satisfaction, self-confidence, knowledge, empathy, realism, reduced level of anxiety, comfort, communication, motivation, capacity for reflection and critical thinking and teamwork stand out. the evidence demonstrates the great possibilities to use dramatization in the context of clinical simulation, with gains in the different health areas, as well as interprofessional gains. identificar na literatura quais os ganhos percebidos pelos estudantes e profissionais da área de saúde, utilizando-se da simulação clínica realizada com recursos da dramatização. revisão integrativa da literatura, com a metodologia proposta pelo Instituto Joanna Briggs (JBI), com busca nas bases de dados: Literatura Latino-Americana e do Caribe em Ciências da Saúde, Web of Science, National Library of Medicine, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, The Cochrane Library, Scopus, Scientific Electronic Library Online. foram analisados 53 estudos, que atenderam os critérios de inclusão estabelecidos. Entre os diversos ganhos obtidos, destaca-se a satisfação, autoconfiança, conhecimento, empatia, realismo, diminuição do nível de ansiedade, conforto, comunicação, motivação, capacidade de reflexão e de pensamento crítico e trabalho em equipe. as evidências demonstram a ampla possibilidade de uso da dramatização no contexto de

População nuclear e extranuclear em rádio-galáxias

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Raimann, D. I.; Storchi-Bergmann, T.; Quintana, H.; Alloin, D.; Hunstead, R.; Wisotzki, L.

2003-08-01

A natureza do contínuo UV/ótico em rádio-galáxias é muito importante para o seu entendimento. Em baixos redshifts existem evidências de que muitas delas são dominadas no ótico por luz de estrelas velhas, características de galáxias early-type e em altos redshifts a característica dominante é um excesso de luz no UV, freqüentemente associado com estruturas que estão alinhadas aos eixos das estruturas rádio em grande escala. Inicialmente esse excesso foi interpretado como devido a episódios intensos de formação estelar nas galáxias hospedeiras. Entretanto, as descobertas dos alinhamentos entre as estruturas UV e rádio modificaram essa idéia. Foi proposto que a formação estelar é iniciada pela passagem do jato rádio através do meio interestelar das galáxias hospedeiras. A natureza do excesso UV começou a ser compreendida em um estudo detalhado do continuo ótico da 3C321, onde se concluiu que o contínuo desta galáxia tem origem multicomponente, com contribuições de populações velhas e intermediárias, de luz espalhada oriunda de um quasar obscurecido e do contínuo nebular. No presente trabalho estudamos a população nuclear e extranuclear de uma amostra de 24 rádio-galáxias, utilizando espectros óticos de fenda longa, com alta razão sinal/ruído. Através do método de síntese espectral de populações estelares, foram estimadas as contribuições de populações estelares de diferentes idades (e de um contínuo tipo lei de potência devido a um AGN, FC) para a luz integrada das galáxias, em 4020Å. As principais conclusões deste trabalho são: apenas quatro dos objetos estudados têm contribuições significativas (maiores do que 10%) das populações de 100 milhões de anos ou mais jovens (ou de FC) ao longo da região espacial estudada (6 kpc centrais); nenhuma das rádio-galáxias de tipo FRI estudadas tem contribuição significativa destas populações ao longo desta região; duas (de oito) de tipo FRII tem contribui

Synthesis of Pure Ca(OH)2 Nanoparticles and Superhydrophobic Suspensions: Consolidation and Waterproofing of Architectural Heritage Materials

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Madrid Mendoza, Juan Antonio

El objetivo de esta tesis es investigar sobre la sintesis, propiedades y aplicaciones de las nanoparticulas de Ca(OH)2 para consolidar materiales patrimoniales arquitectonicos. Las nanoparticulas de Ca(OH)2 se han utilizado recientemente en la conservacion del patrimonio, aunque algunos aspectos de la sintesis no son completamente comprendidos. En el presente estudio, hemos desarrollado metodos optimizados para obtener nanoparticulas de alta pureza mediante sintesis de fase homogenea y heterogenea utilizando diferentes materiales de partida. Se han realizado del orden de cien sintesis en diferentes condiciones para comprobar la validez y fiabilidad del metodo sintetico. Los resultados confirman que la temperatura de reaccion tiene una gran influencia en el tamano y la morfologia de las nanoparticulas de Ca(OH)2. Ademas, se ha investigado la estabilidad de las nanoparticulas a lo largo del tiempo en mezclas de 2-propanol / agua, en las que se encontro que la ausencia de agua era critica para evitar la aglomeracion de Ca(OH)2. Una vez dispersas en 2-propanol, las nanoparticulas se han utilizado para consolidar sustratos reales (piedra, adobe y estuco) confirmando su alto rendimiento en terminos de consolidacion superficial y - cuando se mezcla con ciertos surfactantes - en reduccion de la absorcion de agua. Asimismo, se ha investigado el uso de nanoparticulas modificadas basadas en M(OH)2, donde M=Ca2+, Mg2+, con el objetivo de mejorar tanto la cohesion superficial como la durabilidad de los materiales patrimoniales (p. ej. piedra Tabaire). Finalmente, el tratamiento de consolidacion basado en nanoparticulas puras de Ca(OH)2 se utilizo en emplazamientos con valor patrimonial, como edificios historicos y yacimientos arqueologicos (Teatro Romano de Cartagena) obteniendo resultados satisfactorios. The aim of this thesis is to investigate on the synthesis, properties and applications of Ca(OH)2 nanoparticles to consolidate architectural heritage materials. Ca(OH)2

Estudo em microondas do aprisionamento e precipitação de elétrons em explosões solares

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rosal, A. C.; Costa, J. E. R.

2003-08-01

Uma explosão solar é uma variação rápida e intensa do brilho que ocorre nas chamadas regiões ativas da atmosfera, constituídas por um plasma magnetizado com intensa indução magnética. Os modelos de explosões solares atuais, discutidos na literatura, apresentam características de aprisionamento e precipitação de elétrons em ambientes magnéticos simplificados. Neste trabalho, nos propusemos a separar a emissão dos elétrons aprisionados da emissão dos elétrons em precipitação apenas a partir da emissão em microondas, melhorando portanto o controle sobre o conjunto de parâmetros inferidos. A emissão em microondas da população em precipitação é bastante fraca e portanto da nossa base de dados de 130 explosões observadas pelo Rádio Polarímetro de Nobeyama, em sete freqüências, apenas para 32 foi possível separar as duas componentes de emissão com uma boa razão sinal/ruído. A partir de estudos das escalas de tempo das emissões devidas à variação gradual da emissão no aprisionamento e da variação rápida da emissão dos elétrons em precipitação foi possível obter a separação utilizando um filtro temporal nas emissões resultantes. Em nossa análise destas explosões estudamos os espectros girossincrotrônicos da emissão gradual, a qual associamos provir do topo dos arcos magnéticos e da emissão de variação rápida associada aos elétrons em precipitação. Estes espectros foram calculados e dos quais inferimos que a indução magnética efetiva do topo e dos pés foi em média, Btopo = 236 G e Bpés = 577 G, inferidas das freqüências de pico dos espectros em ntopo = 11,8 GHz e npés = 14,6 GHz com leve anisotropia (pequeno alargamento espectral). O índice espectral da distribuição não-térmica de elétrons d, inferido do índice espectral de fótons da emissão em regime opticamente fino, foi de dtopo = 3,3 e dpés = 3,9. Estes parâmetros são típicos da maioria das análises realizadas em ambiente único de

MINIMALLY INVASIVE SURGERY FOR GASTRIC CANCER: TIME TO CHANGE THE PARADIGM.

PubMed

Barchi, Leandro Cardoso; Jacob, Carlos Eduardos; Bresciani, Cláudio José Caldas; Yagi, Osmar Kenji; Mucerino, Donato Roberto; Lopasso, Fábio Pinatel; Mester, Marcelo; Ribeiro-Júnior, Ulysses; Dias, André Roncon; Ramos, Marcus Fernando Kodama Pertille; Cecconello, Ivan; Zilberstein, Bruno

2016-01-01

ressecção e linfadenectomia realizada. A gastrectomia convencional continua a ser a principal modalidade realizada em todo o mundo. Não obstante, o papel do acesso minimamente invasivo tem ainda de ser esclarecido. Avaliar e resumir o estado atual da ressecção minimamente invasiva do câncer gástrico. Foi realizada revisão da literatura utilizando as bases Medline/PubMed, Cochrane Library e SciELO com os seguintes descritores: câncer gástrico, cirurgia minimamente invasiva, gastrectomia robótica, gastrectomia laparoscópica, neoplasia de estômago. A língua usada para a pesquisa foi o inglês. Foram considerados para elaboração desta revisão 28 artigos, entre eles ensaios clínicos randomizados, metanálises, estudos coorte prospectivos e retrospectivos. A gastrectomia minimamente invasiva é opção técnica no tratamento do câncer gástrico precoce. Quanto ao câncer avançado, estudos recentes têm demonstrado a segurança e a viabilidade do acesso videolaparoscópico. A gastrectomia robótica provavelmente melhorará os resultados obtidos com a laparoscopia. Porém, o alto custo ainda é impedimento para sua utilização em larga escala.

Influence of duodenogastric reflux in the gastric mucosa histological changes of rats infected with Helicobacter pylori.

PubMed

Araujo, José Carlos Ribeiro DE; Carvalho, Jorge José DE; Serra, Humberto Oliveira

2016-01-01

eutanásia. Os fragmentos gástricos foram estudados por microscopia óptica, para a contagem da quantidade de H. pylori, e para a observação das alterações histológicas (gastrite, metaplasia, displasia e neoplasia). A confirmação dessas alterações foi feita por imuno-histoquímica, utilizando os marcadores moleculares PCNA e TGFbeta. os animais submetidos à piloroplastia tiveram maior percentual de colonização por H. pylori (mediana=58,5; gastrectomia=16,5; controle=14,5). Houve correlação positiva entre quantidade de H. pylori e ocorrência de gastrite crônica presente nos fragmentos do antro. Ocorreu 40% de neoplasia no grupo submetido à piloroplastia. A marcação de PCNA e TGF-beta confirmou as alterações histopatológicas visibilizadas à microscopia óptica. a região do antro foi a que apresentou a maior concentração de H. pylori, independente do grupo. Houve correlação positiva entre e o aparecimento de alterações benignas (gastrite crônica, metaplasia, displasia), e de neoplasia nos ratos infectados com H. pylori submetidos à piloroplastia.

Gas-exchange patterns of Mediterranean fruit fly Pupae (Diptera: Tephritidae): A tool to forecast developmental stage

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

Nestel, D.; Nemny-Lavy, E.; Alchanatis, V.

} fue medido en un sistema cerrado de 'flujo a traves del sistema' conectado a un detector infrarrojo de gases. La actividad metabolica de la pupa (emision de CO{sub 2}) fue contrastado al color del ojo de la pupa en desarrollo, que constituye la actual tecnica de determinacion de la edad fisiologica. El color de ojos en pupa fue determinado digitalmente, usando tres variables (Tendencia, Saturacion e Intensidad). Los colores fueron separados utilizando el analisis discriminatorio. Los patrones de emision de CO{sub 2} durante el desarrollo de la pupa sugieren una tendencia de U: una alta actividad metabolica durante la fase inicial de pupacion y transformacion y durante la fase final del adulto. La temperatura de incubacion afecto el tiempo de desarrollo pero no el patron basico de actividad metabolica. La proporcion de emision de CO{sub 2} uno y dos dias antes de la emergencia del adulto fue muy similar para pupas mantenidas en las diversas temperaturas. El color digital del ojo de la pupa se correlaciono significativamente con los patrones de emision de CO{sub 2} detectados a partir de la fase media de la transformacion de larva a adulto. Los resultados soportan la utilizacion de sistemas de intercambio gaseoso como un sistema auxiliar para la determinacion de la edad fisiologica en cria masiva de moscas de la fruta. (author)« less

Dispersal and longevity of wild and mass-reared Anastrepha Ludens and Anastrepha Obliqua (Diptera: Tephritidae)

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

Hernandez, E.; Orozco, D.; Flores Breceda, S.

The rates of dispersal and survival of sterile mass-reared laboratory flies and sterile wild flies of Anastrepha ludens (Loew) and Anastrepha obliqua (Macquart) were estimated and compared with a regular rectangular array of 64 food-baited traps spaced 60 m between traps around the release point in Tapachula Chiapas, Mexico. The traps were scored every day during the first week, and then every 3 d over a 30-d period. For A. obliqua, the number of males recaptured was higher than that of females, while for A. ludens, females were recaptured more frequently than males. The recapture rate for the wild strainsmore » ranged from 0.6-24.8% for A. ludens and 1.3-16.2% for A. obliqua and the corresponding ranges for the mass-reared strains were 0.5-7.1% and 0.5-3.0% respectively. The life expectancy was 4.7 d for wild and 4.3 d for mass-reared A. obliqua males but 3 and 2 d, respectively, for wild and mass-reared A. ludens males. The net displacement of A. ludens and A. obliqua ranged approximately from 100-250 m and took place mostly on the first day. Wild A. ludens moved to the northwest from the release point while the mass-reared strain moved to the west. The A. obliqua wild flies moved to the west, while the mass-reared strain shifted to the southwest. We discuss the implications of our findings as to the spacing and frequency of sterile fly releases for the suppression of wild populations. (author) [Spanish] La dispersion y longevidad de las moscas esteriles silvestres y de cria masiva de Anastrepha ludens (Loew) y A. obliqua (Macquart) fueron determinadas y comparadas utilizando un arreglo rectangular de 64 trampas espaciadas a 60 metros entre trampas alrededor del punto de liberacion en Tapachula Chiapas, Mexico. Las trampas fueron revisadas y evaluadas diariamente durante la primera semana y despues cada tres dias hasta completar 30 dias. Para A. obliqua la cantidad de machos capturados fue mayor que la cantidad de hembras; mientras que para A. ludens las

Model to Design Drip Hose Lateral Line

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ludwig, Rafael; Cury Saad, João Carlos

2014-05-01

with the dripper; and roughness coefficient for the Hazen-Williams equation. The program allows calculate the lateral line length with three possibilities: selecting two spacing between emitters and defining the exchange point; using two pre-established spacing between emitters and calculating the length of each section with different spacing; using one emitter spacing. Results Results showed that the use of two sections with different spacing between drippers in the lateral line didn't allow longer length but got better uniformity when compared with lateral line with one spacing between emitters. The adoption of two spacing increased the flow rate per meter in the final section which represented approximately 80% of the lateral line total length and this justifies their use. The software allowed DU above 90% with pressure head variation of 40% and the use of two spacing between emitters. Conclusions The developed model/software showed to be accurate, easy to handle and useful for lateral line design using non-pressure compensating drip hose. References [1] ANDRADE, L. A. D. Estudo de uniformidade de emissão de água utilizando diferentes espaçamentos entre gotejadores na linha lateral. 2009. 87 f. Tese (Doutorado em Agronomia/Irigação e Drenagem) - Faculdade de Ciências Agronômicas, Universidade Estadual Paulista 'Julio de Mesquita Filho', Botucatu, (2009). [2] KELLER, J.; BLIESNER, R. D. Sprinkle and trickle irrigation. Caldwell: Blackburn Press, (1990). 652 p. [3] TALENS, J. A. M. Riego localizado y fertirrigacion. Madrid: Mundi-Prensa, (2002). 533 p. [4] WU, I. P. An assessment of hydraulic design of micro-irrigation systems. Agricultural Water Management, Amsterdan, v. 32, n. 3

The Role of Sex and Mating Status in the Expansion Process of Arhopalus rusticus (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae)-an Exotic Cerambycid in Argentina.

PubMed

Grilli, Mariano Pablo; Fachinetti, Romina

2017-06-01

ón potencial de esta especie. Utilizamos individuos recolectados de los bosques de pino implantados en la región centro oeste de la provincia de Córdoba (Argentina). La capacidad de dispersión de Arhopalus rusticus se determinó haciendo volar individuos recién emergidos en un molino de vuelo. Se registró el peso previo y posterior al vuelo, el largo del cuerpo y el tamaño del élitro. Las hembras fueron mejores voladoras, más largas, más pesadas, con élitros más largos que los machos. Observamos diferencias entre el potencial de dispersión dependiendo del estado de apareamiento de los individuos. Los individuos apareados volaron más rápido y mayores distancias que los individuos no apareados y consumieron una menor fracción de su peso corporal. Se observó una relación positiva entre el tamaño del élitro y la velocidad de vuelo. Se generó un mapa de las distancias de dispersión potencial de los machos y de las hembras para la región de estudio utilizando las distribuciones de las distancias obtenidas del molino de vuelo. La dispersión post copulación incrementa las chances de que la especie se establezca en zonas no ocupadas. © The Authors 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Entomological Society of America. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Association between diabetes and tuberculosis: case-control study.

PubMed

Pereira, Susan Martins; Araújo, Gleide Santos de; Santos, Carlos Antônio de Souza Teles; Oliveira, Maeli Gomes de; Barreto, Maurício Lima

2016-12-22

tuberculose em Salvador, Bahia. A coleta de dados ocorreu entre 2008 e 2010. Os instrumentos utilizados foram entrevista estruturada, incluindo dados clínicos, glicemia capilar (em jejum ou pós-prandial) e o questionário CAGE para triagem de consumo abusivo de álcool. Foi realizada análise descritiva, exploratória e multivariada utilizando-se de regressão logística condicional. A média de idade dos casos foi 38,5 (DP = 14,2) anos e dos controles, 38,5 (DP = 14,3) anos. Tanto entre os casos quanto entre os controles, a maioria (61%) dos indivíduos era do sexo masculino. Na análise univariada, houve associação entre ocorrência de diabetes e de tuberculose (OR = 2,37; IC95% 1,04-5,42), que permaneceu estatisticamente significante após ajuste pelos potenciais confundidores (OR = 3,12; IC95% 1,12-7,94). A associação entre diabetes e tuberculose pode dificultar o controle da tuberculose, contribuindo para manutenção da elevada carga da doença. A situação demanda intensificação da detecção precoce de diabetes entre pessoas com tuberculose, na tentativa de maior efetividade das estratégias de controle da doença.

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

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.

Nosema ceranae Winter Control: Study of the Effectiveness of Different Fumagillin Treatments and Consequences on the Strength of Honey Bee (Hymenoptera: Apidae) Colonies.

PubMed

Mendoza, Y; Diaz-Cetti, S; Ramallo, G; Santos, E; Porrini, M; Invernizzi, C

2017-02-01

ón y muchos emplean el antibiótico fumagilina para reducir el nivel de infección. El objetivo de este estudio fue comparar la eficacia de cuatro tratamientos diferentes con fumagilina y determinar cómo incide en la fortaleza de las colonias durante la invernada. Las colonias tratadas con fumagilina en julio presentaron una menor carga de esporas al terminar las aplicaciones, siendo los tratamientos más eficaces el de 4 aplicaciones mediante asperjado sobre las abejas de 30 mg de fumagilina en 100 ml de jarabe de azúcar 1:1, y el de 4 aplicaciones de 90 mg de fumagilina en 250 ml de jarabe de azúcar 1:1 utilizando un alimentador. Sin embargo, durante el período de experimentación, las colonias tratadas con antibiótico presentaron igual tamaño que las colonias no tratadas. En setiembre, las colonias tratadas y no tratadas con fumagilina no se diferenciaron en la intensidad de infección ni en su tamaño. En las condiciones en que se realizó el estudio, la aplicación de fumagilina disminuyó temporalmente la carga de esporas de N. ceranae pero esto no se reflejó en el tamaño de las colonias ni en la probabilidad de sobrevivir el invierno. © The Authors 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Entomological Society of America. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com

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 biodegrad

Systemic Arterial Hypertension in Patients Exposed to Cesium-137 in Goiânia-GO: Prevalence Study.

PubMed

Rodrigues, José Victor Rabelo; Pinto, Murillo Macêdo; Figueredo, Roberto Miller Pires; Lima, Helen de; Souto, Rafael; Sacchetim, Sylvana de Castro

2017-01-01

Sistema de Monitoramento dos Radioacidentados (SISRAD) do Centro de Assistência aos Radioacidentados (C.A.R.A). Estudo epidemiológico do tipo descritivo, observacional de caráter transversal realizado em Goiânia-Goiás, no período de agosto de 2013 a outubro de 2014, com grupo de pacientes cadastrados no Sistema de Monitoramento dos Radioacidentados (SISRAD) do Centro de Assistência aos Radioacidentados (C.A.R.A). Participaram da pesquisa 48 radioacidentados de um total de 102 que foram subdivididos em dois grupos: grupo 1 com 40 e o grupo 2 com 62 participantes. Realizou-se uma pesquisa de campo com questionário fechado e semi-estruturado em que foram abordados os seguintes contextos: perfil sociodemográfico, hábitos de vida e antecedentes pessoais. Criou-se um banco de dados utilizando-se o aplicativo Google Forms, da empresa de tecnologias na Web Google. Os dados devidamente coletados e armazenados foram importados e analisados no software estatístico SPSS, versão 21. Dos 48 entrevistados a prevalência de HAS atingiu um total 25% deles (12 indivíduos), sendo 50% de mulheres (24) e 50% de homens (24), dentre estes, 22,9% (11) dos radioacidentados revelaram ser tabagistas. A prevalência de HAS na população de radioacidentados se manifesta de forma semelhante ao da população em geral.

Effect of the inclusion of mobile phone interviews to Vigitel.

PubMed

Bernal, Regina Tomie Ivata; Malta, Deborah Carvalho; Claro, Rafael Moreira; Monteiro, Carlos Augusto

2017-06-01

ílios com somente celular, extraída da PNS, à base de dados do Vigitel 2013, com aproximadamente 1.900 domicílios, denominado Vigitel cadastro duplo. Os resultados do Vigitel mostraram vícios relativos absolutos entre 0,18% e 14,85%. O sistema subestimou a frequência de adultos fumantes (10,77%), o consumo de leite com teor integral de gordura (52,82%) e o consumo de refrigerante (22,22%). Adicionalmente, superestimou a prevalência de hipertensão (25,46%). Nas simulações utilizando o Vigitel cadastro duplo, com inclusão da amostra de adultos residentes em domicílios com somente celular, o vício das estimativas foi reduzido em cinco de oito indicadores analisados, com maiores efeitos nas regiões com menores taxas de cobertura de telefonia fixa. Na comparação entre as regiões, observa-se correlação negativa (ρ = -0,91) entre o percentual de indicadores com presença de vício e o percentual de cobertura de domicílios com somente celular. Os resultados do presente estudo indicam os benefícios da inclusão de uma subamostra de 200 adultos com somente celular na amostra do Vigitel, especialmente nas capitais das regiões Norte e Nordeste.

Non-Invasive Ventilation in Patients with Heart Failure: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

PubMed

Bittencourt, Hugo Souza; Reis, Helena França Correia Dos; Lima, Melissa Santos; Gomes, Mansueto

2017-02-01

Non-invasive ventilation (NIV) may perfect respiratory and cardiac performance in patients with heart failure (HF). The objective of the study to establish, through systematic review and meta-analysis, NIV influence on functional capacity of HF patients. A systematic review with meta-analysis of randomized studies was carried out through research of databases of Cochrane Library, SciELO, Pubmed and PEDro, using the key-words: heart failure, non-invasive ventilation, exercise tolerance; and the free terms: bi-level positive airway pressure (BIPAP), continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP), and functional capacity (terms were searched for in English and Portuguese) using the Boolean operators AND and OR. Methodological quality was ensured through PEDro scale. Weighted averages and a 95% confidence interval (CI) were calculated. The meta-analysis was done thorugh the software Review Manager, version 5.3 (Cochrane Collaboration). Four randomized clinical trials were included. Individual studies suggest NIV improved functional capacity. NIV resulted in improvement in the distance of the six-minute walk test (6MWT) (68.7m 95%CI: 52.6 to 84.9) in comparison to the control group. We conclude that the NIV is an intervention that promotes important effects in the improvement of functional capacity of HF patients. However, there is a gap in literature on which are the most adequate parameters for the application of this technique. Resumo A ventilação não invasiva (VNI) pode aperfeiçoar o desempenho cardíaco e respiratório dos pacientes com insuficiência cardíaca (IC). O objetivo do estudo é estabelecer, por meio de revisão sistemática e meta-análise, a influência da VNI na capacidade funcional (CF) de indivíduos com IC. Foi realizada uma revisão sistemática com meta-análise de estudos randomizados através da pesquisa nas bases de dados Biblioteca Cochrane, SciELO, Pubmed e PEDro, utilizando-se as palavras-chave: insuficiência cardíaca, ventilação n

Sweat test and cystic fibrosis: overview of test performance at public and private centers in the state of São Paulo, Brazil.

PubMed

Servidoni, Maria Fátima; Gomez, Carla Cristina Souza; Marson, Fernando Augusto Lima; Toro, Adyléia Aparecida Dalbo Contrera; Ribeiro, Maria Ângela Gonçalves de Oliveira; Ribeiro, José Dirceu; Ribeiro, Antônio Fernando

2017-01-01

ão realizadas a estimulação e coleta do suor e a dosagem de cloro em 14 centros (9 públicos e 5 privados) que realizam TS rotineiramente no estado de São Paulo, que possui a maior frequência de FC do Brasil. Estudo de coorte transversal utilizando um questionário padronizado aplicado in loco ao pessoal responsável pela realização dos TS. Não houve uniformidade entre os centros quanto aos procedimentos. A maioria dos centros não era aderente às diretrizes internacionais, especialmente quanto à coleta do suor (amostras insuficientes em 10-50% dos indivíduos testados), disponibilidade de equipamentos de estimulação (limitada em 2 centros), modernidade e certificação dos mesmos (a maioria utilizada há 3-23 anos) e protocolos escritos (ausentes em 12 centros). Avaliou-se o conhecimento sobre diretrizes para TS em apenas 1 centro. Nossos resultados mostram que, nos centros participantes, os TS estão muito distantes das diretrizes internacionalmente aceitas. Portanto, há necessidade urgente de padronização dos TS, de treinamento de pessoal qualificado e de aquisição/certificação de equipamentos adequados. Essas são condições essenciais para um diagnóstico confiável de FC, especialmente com a crescente demanda resultante da triagem neonatal em todo o país, e para a avaliação do possível benefício clínico do uso de moduladores.

Factors associated with self-reported diabetes according to the 2013 National Health Survey.

PubMed

Malta, Deborah Carvalho; Bernal, Regina Tomie Ivata; Iser, Betine Pinto Moehlecke; Szwarcwald, Célia Landmann; Duncan, Bruce Bartholow; Schmidt, Maria Inês

2017-06-01

To analyze the factors associated with self-reported diabetes among adult participants of the National Health Survey (PNS). Cross-sectional study using data of the PNS carried out in 2013, from interviews with adults (≥ 18 years) of 64,348 Brazilian households. The prevalence of self-reported diabetes, assessed by the question "Has a doctor ever told you that you have diabetes?," was related to sociodemographic characteristics, lifestyle, self-reported chronic disease, and self-evaluation of the health condition. Prevalence ratios were adjusted according to age, sex, and schooling by Poisson regression with robust variance. The diagnosis of diabetes was reported by 6.2% of respondents. Its crude prevalence was higher in women (7.0% vs. 5.4%), and among older adults, reaching 19.8% in the elderly. Black adults who received less schooling showed higher prevalence. Among those classified as obese, 11.8% reported having diabetes. Ex-smokers, those insufficiently active and those who consume alcohol abusively reported diabetes more often. Differences were not verified in eating habits among adults who reported, or did not, diabetes. A relation between diabetes and hypertension was found. After adjustment according to age, schooling and sex, diabetes was shown to be associated with higher age, lower schooling, past smoking, overweight and obesity, and hypertension, as well as with a self-declared poor state of health, indicating a pattern of risk factors common to many chronic non-communicable diseases and the association of the disease with morbidity. Analisar os fatores associados ao diabetes autorreferido entre adultos entrevistados na Pesquisa Nacional de Saúde (PNS). Estudo transversal utilizando dados da PNS realizada em 2013, a partir de entrevistas com adultos (≥ 18 anos) de 64.348 domicílios brasileiros. A prevalência de diabetes autorreferido, avaliada pela pergunta "Algum médico já lhe disse que o sr(a) tem diabetes?", foi relacionada a caracter

Evaluating bronchodilator response in pediatric patients with post-infectious bronchiolitis obliterans: use of different criteria for identifying airway reversibility.

PubMed

Mattiello, Rita; Vidal, Paula Cristina; Sarria, Edgar Enrique; Pitrez, Paulo Márcio; Stein, Renato Tetelbom; Mocelin, Helena Teresinha; Fischer, Gilberto Bueno; Jones, Marcus Herbert; Pinto, Leonardo Araújo

2016-01-01

Post-infectious bronchiolitis obliterans (PIBO) is a clinical entity that has been classified as constrictive, fixed obstruction of the lumen by fibrotic tissue. However, recent studies using impulse oscillometry have reported bronchodilator responses in PIBO patients. The objective of this study was to evaluate bronchodilator responses in pediatric PIBO patients, comparing different criteria to define the response. We evaluated pediatric patients diagnosed with PIBO and treated at one of two pediatric pulmonology outpatient clinics in the city of Porto Alegre, Brazil. Spirometric parameters were measured in accordance with international recommendations. We included a total of 72 pediatric PIBO patients. The mean pre- and post-bronchodilator values were clearly lower than the reference values for all parameters, especially FEF25-75%. There were post-bronchodilator improvements. When measured as mean percent increases, FEV1 and FEF25-75%, improved by 11% and 20%, respectively. However, when the absolute values were calculated, the mean FEV1 and FEF25-75% both increased by only 0.1 L. We found that age at viral aggression, a family history of asthma, and allergy had no significant effects on bronchodilator responses. Pediatric patients with PIBO have peripheral airway obstruction that is responsive to treatment but is not completely reversible with a bronchodilator. The concept of PIBO as fixed, irreversible obstruction does not seem to apply to this population. Our data suggest that airway obstruction is variable in PIBO patients, a finding that could have major clinical implications. A bronquiolite obliterante pós-infecciosa (BOPI) é uma entidade clínica que tem sido classificada como obstrução fixa e constritiva do lúmen por tecido fibrótico. Entretanto, estudos recentes utilizando oscilometria de impulso relataram resposta ao broncodilatador em pacientes com BOPI. O objetivo deste estudo foi avaliar a resposta broncodilatadora em pacientes pediátricos com

Development and validation of the Hospitality Axiological Scale for Humanization of Nursing Care.

PubMed

Galán González-Serna, José María; Ferreras-Mencia, Soledad; Arribas-Marín, Juan Manuel

2017-08-03

to develop and validate a scale to evaluate nursing attitudes in relation to hospitality for the humanization of nursing care. Participants: the sample consisted of 499 nursing professionals and undergraduate students of the final two years of the Bachelor of Science in Nursing program. the instrument has been developed and validated to evaluate the ethical values related to hospitality using a methodological approach. Subsequently, a model was developed to measure the dimensions forming the construct hospitality. the Axiological Hospitality Scale showed a high internal consistency, with Cronbach's Alpha=0.901. The validation of the measuring instrument was performed using factorial, exploratory and confirmatory analysis techniques with high goodness of fit measures. the developed instrument showed an adequate validity and a high internal consistency. Based on the consistency of its psychometric properties, it is possible to affirm that the scale provides a reliable measurement of the hospitality. It was also possible to determine the dimensions or sources that embrace it: respect, responsibility, quality and transpersonal care. desenvolver e validar uma escala que permita avaliar a atitude dos enfermeiros em termos de hospitalidade, visando a humanização da enfermagem.Participantes: a amostra foi constituída por 499 profissionais e estudantes de enfermagem dos dois últimos anos do curso de graduação em Enfermagem. utilizando-seuma abordagem metodológica, foi desenvolvido e validado um instrumento para avaliar os valores éticos relacionados com a hospitalidade. Subsequentemente, foi formulado um modelo para mediras dimensões que constituem o construto hospitalidade. a Escala Axiológica de Hospitalidade mostrou uma consistência interna elevada, com Alfa de Cronbach=0,901. A validação do instrumento de medição foi realizada usando-se métodos de análise fatorial, exploratória e confirmatória, que apresentaram bons índices de qualidade de ajuste. o

Fotometria diferencial de estrelas T Tauri

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

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

2003-08-01

Neste trabalho apresentamos os resultados preliminares de um monitoramento de estrelas jovens, que pretende ser de longa duração. As estrelas estão em sua maioria localizadas no complexo Lupus-Scorpius. Nosso objetivo principal é o estudo da variabilidade em escalas de tempo de minutos até vários dias para estrelas cujos períodos não estão determinados ou apresentam discrepâncias entre diferentes publicações. A técnica utilizada foi a fotometria diferencial, com exposições de 60s e 90s, com as câmaras CCD SBIG ST7E e ST8E acopladas aos telescópios Schmidt-Cassegrain LX200 (10 e 12 polegadas), instalados na Fundação Planetário da Cidade do Rio de Janeiro. Os primeiros resultados indicam que a técnica é bastante sólida com relação à instabilidade na transparência do céu, mesmo com o uso de telescópios de pequeno porte. Objetos de magnitude 14, no telescópio de 10 polegadas, apresentam dispersões na diferença de magnitudes das comparações, em torno de 0,008mag nas exposições de 60s. Note-se, ainda, que a dispersão pode ser melhorada utilizando-se a técnica de soma de imagens. Destacamos AK Sco, GW Lup, GQ Lup e TW Hya. AK Sco é uma binária que, apesar de ter a sua órbita e período cobertos espectroscopicamente (13,6dias), nunca teve seus eclipses estudados por meio de fotometria. GW Lup não tem período determinado na literatura. Temos acompanhado este objeto há alguns anos, e sugestões de períodos entre 5 e 6 dias têm sido encontradas. O objeto que mereceu maior atenção foi TW Hya por apresentar vários trabalhos fotométricos e espectroscópicos com resultados discrepantes quanto ao período rotacional, que varia de 1,8 a 4,4 dias (Rucinsky & Krautter 1983, A&A 121, 217; Herbst & Koret 1988, AJ 96, 1949; Mekkaden 1988, A&A 340, 135; Batalha et al. 2002, ApJ 580, 343). Dedicamos 13 noites para essa estrela, totalizando cerca de 2.000 pontos na curva de luz. Nossos dados indicam a presença de uma modulação com dois

Espectroscopía de Microondas en Jets Supersónicos

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Alonso, J. L.; López, J. C.; Lesarri, A.; Blanco, S.; Sanz, M. E.; Mata, S.; Cocinero, J. E.; Sánchez, R.

han sido caracterizados hasta el presente. Con este mismo dispositivo experimental de ablación láser ha sido igualmente posible generar clusters metálicos como los de Si3, Se-Te, ldots. entre otros. Moléculas generadas por descargas eléctricas. Utilizando diferentes precursores (1,1-difluoroetileno, trifluoroacetileno, acetileno, ldots) diversos fluoropoliinos [12] y fluorometilpoliinos [13] han sido por primera vez generados y caracterizados por sus espectros de rotación en la expansión adiabática de un instrumento de MBFTMW dotado de un dispositivo de descargas. Solvatación en fase gas. La formación de complejos de biomoléculas con agua en fase gas es de gran importancia para entender la naturaleza de la solvatación a escala microscópica. Los complejos indol\\cdotsH2O [14], glicina\\cdotsH2O (mediante ablación láser) azetidinona\\cdotsH2O, azetidinona\\cdots2H2O, ldots entre otros, han sido analizados en fase gas.

Multiprofissional electronic protocol in ophtalmology with enfasis in strabismus.

PubMed

Ribeiro, Christie Graf; Moreira, Ana Tereza Ramos; Pinto, José Simão DE Paula; Malafaia, Osvaldo

2016-01-01

"Protocolo Eletrônico" da Oftalmologia ao Sistema Integrado de Protocolos Eletrônicos (SINPE(c)). este é um estudo descritivo e a metodologia aplicada em seu desenvolvimento está didaticamente dividida em três fases: 1) criação da base teórica de dados clínicos de oftalmologia com ênfase em estrabismo; 2) informatização da base teórica dos dados utilizando o SINPE(c); e 3) interpretação das informações com demonstração dos resultados. A informatização da base de dados foi realizada pela utilização da concessão de uso do SINPE(c). Foram incluídos neste protocolo 50 pacientes com estrabismo para validação do protocolo. o protocolo eletrônico desenvolvido permitiu armazenar informações relacionadas à anamnese, exame físico, exames complementares, diagnóstico e tratamento de pacientes com doenças oftalmológicas, com ênfase em estrabismo. Foram incluídos neste trabalho 2141 itens no protocolo mestre e foram criados 20 protocolos específicos de estrabismo, cada um com suas particularidades. Os 50 pacientes que foram incluídos nos protocolos específicos demonstraram a eficácia do método empregado. foi criada uma base eletrônica de dados em oftalmologia com ênfase em estrabismo através da coleta padronizada de informações. Esta base de dados foi informatizada sob a forma de software onde os futuros usuários poderão utilizar o protocolo eletrônico multiprofissional de doenças oftalmológicas com ênfase em estrabismo para a coleta de seus dados.

Hospitalization costs of severe bacterial pneumonia in children: comparative analysis considering different costing methods.

PubMed

Nunes, Sheila Elke Araujo; Minamisava, Ruth; Vieira, Maria Aparecida da Silva; Itria, Alexander; Pessoa, Vicente Porfirio; Andrade, Ana Lúcia Sampaio Sgambatti de; Toscano, Cristiana Maria

2017-01-01

hospitalizadas por pneumonia bacteriana. Foram considerados custos diretos médicos e não médicos. Três metodologias de custeio foram utilizadas: microcusteio por revisão de prontuários, microcusteio considerando diretriz terapêutica e macrocusteio por ressarcimento do Sistema Único de Saúde. Os custos estimados pelas diferentes metodologias foram comparados utilizando o teste de Friedman. Os custos hospitalares de crianças com pneumonia grave foram R$ 780,70 ($Int. 858.7) por revisão de prontuários, R$ 641,90 ($Int. 706.90) por diretriz terapêutica e R$ 594,80 ($Int. 654.28) por ressarcimento do Sistema Único de Saúde, respectivamente. A utilização de metodologias de microcusteio (revisão de prontuários e diretriz) resultou em estimativas de custos equivalentes (p=0,405), enquanto o custo estimado por ressarcimento foi significativamente menor do que aqueles estimados por diretriz (p<0,001) e por revisão de prontuário (p=0,006), sendo, assim, significativamente diferentes. Na perspectiva do Sistema Único de Saúde, existe diferença significativa nos custos estimados quando se utilizam diferentes metodologias, sendo a estimativa por ressarcimento a que resulta em valores menores. Considerando que não há diferença nos valores de custos estimados por diferentes metodologias de microcusteio, a metodologia de custeio por diretriz, de mais fácil e rápida execução, é uma alternativa válida para estimativa de custos de hospitalização por pneumonias bacterianas em crianças.

Impacts of afforestation on groundwater resources and quality

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Allen, Alistair; Chapman, Deborah

2001-07-01

que des pratiques forestières non coordonnées sont susceptibles d'exacerber les crues. La recharge des nappes est affectée par la foresterie, surtout à cause de prélèvements plus importants de l'eau du sol par les arbres et à cause de la capacité accrue des sols forestiers à retenir de l'eau, conduisant à de plus fortes teneurs en matières organiques. Les taux de recharge sous les forêts peuvent être réduits d'un dixième par rapport à la prairie ou à la lande. La qualité de l'eau souterraine peut être affectée par une acidification accrue et par une nitrification sous les forêts, provoquées pour une part par une fixation des polluants atmosphériques par le couvert forestier et pour une autre part par un dépôt plus important d'une litière plus fortement acide. Les taux de recharge plus lente des nappes sous les forêts conduisent à des retards importants dans la manifestation de la détérioration de la qualité de l'eau souterraine. Resumen. Se han iniciado los planes para duplicar la proporción de terrenos reforestados en Irlanda hacia el año 2035. El plan, impulsado por fines económicos, ignora los impactos potenciales medioambientales de la silvicultura, y, en particular, los impactos a los recursos de aguas subterráneas y a su calidad. Puesto que el 25 % del agua potable en Irlanda es suministrada por medio de aguas subterráneas, dichos impactos son importantes. Las investigaciones de campo indican que la reforestación lleva a una reducción de la escorrentía de hasta un 20 %, fundamentalmente por la interceptación de la lluvia en las copas de los árboles, mientras que la deforestación tiene el impacto opuesto. Las implicaciones son tales que las prácticas forestales descoordinadas pueden aumentar enormemente el riesgo de inundaciones. También la recarga a los acuíferos se ve afectada por la reforestación, debido, sobre todo, al uso del agua del suelo por los árboles y a la mayor capacidad de retención de los suelos en

Fire vegetative ash and erosion in the Mediterranean areas. State of the art and future perspectives

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pereira, Paulo; Cerdà, Artemi

2013-04-01

erosion. At this point we are dealing with a complex interaction since interactions, since low severity fires due ash, and high severity fires, due temperature induce soil hydrophobicity. After the fire, other ash properties may interact with soil erosion, as particulate size, and chemical composition, that can induce soil particulates flocculation or dispersion. Ash chemistry is strongly related with fire severity (Pereira et al., 2012). Further studies may be directed in the complex interaction between ash physico-chemical properties interaction with the degree of fire impacts on soil. These and other ideas will be discussed during the session. Acknowledgements, The authors appreciated the support of the project "Litfire", Fire effects in Lithuanian soils and ecosystems (MIP-048/2011) funded by the Lithuanian Research Council and FUEGORED (Spanish Network of Forest Fire Effects on Soils http://grupo.us.es/fuegored/). References Bodi, M., Doerr, S., Cerdà, A., Mataix-Solera, J. (2012) Hydrological effects of a layer of vegetation ash on underlying wettable and water repellent soil. Geoderma 191: 14-13. Bodi, M., Mataix-Solera, J., Doerr, S., Cerdà, A. (2011) The wettability of ash from burned vegetation and its relationship to Mediterranean plant species type, burn severity and total organic matter content. Geoderma, 160, 599-607. Cerdà, A., Doerr, S.H. (2008). The effect of ash and needle cover on surface runoff and erosion in the immediate post-fire period. Catena, 74, 256-263. Onda Y, Dietrich WE, Booker F. 2008. Evolution of overland flow after a severe forest fire, Point Reyes, California. Catena. 72, 13-20. Pereira, P., Bodi. M., Úbeda, X., Cerdà, A., Mataix-Solera, J., Balfour, V, Woods, S. (2010) Las cenizas y el ecosistema suelo, In: Cerdà, A. Jordan, A. (eds) Actualización en métodos y técnicas para el estudio de los suelos afectados por incendios forestales, 345-398. Càtedra de Divulgació de la Ciència. Universitat de Valencia. ISBN: 978

Prevalence and correlates of treatment failure among Kenyan children hospitalised with severe community-acquired pneumonia: a prospective study of the clinical effectiveness of WHO pneumonia case management guidelines

PubMed Central

Agweyu, Ambrose; Kibore, Minnie; Digolo, Lina; Kosgei, Caroline; Maina, Virginia; Mugane, Samson; Muma, Sarah; Wachira, John; Waiyego, Mary; Maleche-Obimbo, Elizabeth

2014-01-01

traitements alternatifs sont nécessaires. Objetivo Determinar la extensión y el patrón del fallo en el tratamiento (FT) en niños hospitalizados con una neumonía adquirida en la comunidad, ingresados en un gran hospital terciario de Kenia. Métodos Hemos seguido a niños con edades entre los 2-59 meses con una neumonía severa (NS) y neumonía muy severa (NMS) según definición de la OMS de hasta cinco días para FT utilizando dos definiciones: (a) documentación de signos clínicos pre-definidos que resultaron en un cambio de tratamiento (b) decisión del clínico principal de cambiar el tratamiento con o sin documentación de los mismos signos clínicos pre-definidos. Resultados Incluimos a 385 niños. El riesgo de FT varió entre un 1.8% (IC 95% 0.4 a 5.1) y 12.4% (IC 95% 7.9 a 18.4) para NS y 21.4% (IC 95% 15.9 a 27) y 39.3% (IC 95% 32.5 a 46.4) para NMS dependiendo de la definición que se aplicase. Unas mayores tasas estaban asociadas con cambios tempranos en la terapia por el clínico y en ausencia de un razonamiento clínico obvio. Se observaba una no adherencia a las guías de tratamiento en 70/169 (41.4%) y 67/201 (33.3%) de los niños con NS y NMS respectivamente. Entre los niños con SP, la adherencia a las guías de tratamiento estaba asociada con la presencia de sibilancias en la evaluación inicial (P=0.02) mientras que la no adherencia del clínico a los tratamientos recomendados por las guías para NMS tendían a ocurrir en niños con un estado alterado de consciencia (P<0.001). Utilizando el pareamiento por puntaje de propensión para equilibrar los grupos en la distribución de las características clínicas de base de los niños con NMS, se observó que no existían diferencias en FT entre aquellos tratados con el régimen recomendado por las guías versus alternativas más costosas de amplio espectro (diferencias de riesgo 0.37 (IC 95% -0.84 a 0.51). Conclusión Antes de revisar las actuales guías de manejo de casos de neumonía, se requieren

The ash in forest fire affected soils control the soil losses. Part 2. Current and future research challenges

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pereira, Paulo; Cerdà, Artemi

2013-04-01

cenizas y el ecosistema suelo, In: Cerdà, A. Jordan, A. (eds) Actualización en métodos y técnicas para el estudio de los suelos afectados por incendios forestales, 345-398. Càtedra de Divulgació de la Ciència. Universitat de Valencia. ISBN: 978-84-370-7887-8. Deposito Legal: V-3541-2010. Pereira, P., Úbeda, X. 2010. Spatial variation of heavy metals released from ashes after a wildfire, Journal of Environmental Engineering and Landscape Management, 18(1), 13-22. Pereira, P., Ubeda, X., Martin, D. 2012. Fire severity effects on ash chemical composition and water-extractable elements, Geoderma, 191, 105-114. Pereira, P., Úbeda, X., Martin, D., Mataix-Solera, J., Guerrero, C. 2011. Effects of a low prescribed fire in ash water soluble elements in a Cork Oak (Quercus suber) forest located in Northeast of Iberian Peninsula, Environmental Research, 111(2), 237-247. Stoff, C.R., Wesseling, J.G., Ritsema, C.J. 2011. Effects of ash on soil water retention, Geoderma, 159(3-4), 276-285. Woods, S.W., Balfour, V.N. 2010. The effects of soil texture and ash thickness on the post-fire hydrological response from ash-covered soils, Journal of Hydrology, 393, 274-286.

Intimate partner violence and maternal educational practice.

PubMed

Silva, Josianne Maria Mattos da; Lima, Marília de Carvalho; Ludermir, Ana Bernarda

2017-04-10

631 pares mãe/criança, cadastradas na Estratégia de Saúde da Família do Distrito Sanitário II da cidade do Recife, Pernambuco. Integra o estudo de coorte prospectivo delineado para investigar as consequências da exposição à violência pelo parceiro íntimo para a criança que nasceu da gestação que ocorreu entre 2005 e 2006. A prática educativa materna foi avaliada pela escala de conflitos Parent-Child Conflict Tactics Scale e a violência pelo parceiro íntimo por um questionário adaptado do Estudo Multipaíses sobre a Saúde da Mulher e Violência Doméstica da Organização Mundial da Saúde. A violência pelo parceiro íntimo referiu-se aos últimos 12 meses e foi definida por atos concretos de violência psicológica, física e sexual infligidos à mulher pelo parceiro. Foram estimadas as razões de prevalência brutas e ajustadas para a associação estudada, utilizando-se a regressão log-binominal. A prevalência da violência pelo parceiro íntimo foi de 24,4%, e da prática educativa materna violenta de 93,8%. O uso de disciplina não violenta foi referido por 97,6% das mulheres, coexistindo com estratégias violentas de disciplinamento. As crianças cujas mães relataram violência pelo parceiro íntimo apresentaram maior chance de sofrer agressão psicológica (RP = 2,2; IC95% 1,0-4,7). A violência sofrida pela mãe interfere na educação parental. Os achados demonstram alta prevalência de prática educativa materna que perpassa pela violência, o que aponta para a necessidade de intervenções que minimizem os prejuízos da violência na mulher e na criança.

Hospitalization in older adults: association with multimorbidity, primary health care and private health plan.

PubMed

Nunes, Bruno Pereira; Soares, Mariangela Uhlmann; Wachs, Louriele Soares; Volz, Pâmela Moraes; Saes, Mirelle de Oliveira; Duro, Suele Manjourany Silva; Thumé, Elaine; Facchini, Luiz Augusto

2017-05-04

multimorbidade foi avaliada por meio de dois pontos de corte (≥ 2 e ≥ 3). O modelo de atenção básica foi definido pela residência em áreas cobertas pela atenção tradicional ou da Estratégia Saúde da Família. A posse de plano de saúde foi referida pelos idosos. Realizou-se análise bruta e ajustada por regressão de Poisson utilizando modelo hierarquizado. O ajuste incluiu variáveis demográficas, socioeconômicas, capacidades funcionais e de serviços de saúde. A ocorrência de hospitalização geral e não cirúrgica foi de 17,7% (IC95% 15,8-19,6) e 10,6% (IC95% 9,1-12,1), respectivamente. Idosos com multimorbidade hospitalizaram mais em comparação com os idosos sem multimorbidade, independentemente da forma de operacionalização da exposição. O plano de saúde aumentou em 1,71 (IC95% 1,09-2,69) vezes a internação hospitalar entre residentes nas áreas da Estratégia Saúde da Família em comparação aos idosos residentes nas áreas tradicionais sem plano de saúde. A multimorbidade aumentou a ocorrência de hospitalizações, principalmente aquelas não cirúrgicas. Idosos com plano de saúde e residentes em áreas de Estratégia Saúde da Família internaram mais, independentemente da presença de múltiplas doenças.

Safe surgery: validation of pre and postoperative checklists.

PubMed

Alpendre, Francine Taporosky; Cruz, Elaine Drehmer de Almeida; Dyniewicz, Ana Maria; Mantovani, Maria de Fátima; Silva, Ana Elisa Bauer de Camargo E; Santos, Gabriela de Souza Dos

2017-07-10

�s-Operatório é mais uma estratégia na promoção da segurança do paciente, pois possibilita monitorar sinais e sintomas preditivos de complicações cirúrgicas e detecção precoce de eventos adversos. desarrollar, evaluar y validar un checklist de seguridad quirúrgica para los períodos pre y postoperatorio de unidades de hospitalización quirúrgica.. investigación metodológica llevada a cabo en un amplio hospital público de enseñanza del Sur de Brasil, con aplicación de los principios del Programa de Cirugía Segura Salva Vidas de la Organización Mundial de la Salud. El checklist se aplicó a 16 enfermeros de 8 unidades quirúrgicas y fue sometida a validación por ocho expertos utilizando el método Delphi en línea. el instrumento fue validado y se logró una puntuación media ≥1, grado de acuerdo ≥75% y alfa de Cronbach >0.90. La versión final incluyó 97 indicadores de seguridad organizados en seis categorías: identificación, preoperatorio, postoperatorio inmediato, postoperatorio inmediato, otras complicaciones quirúrgicas y alta hospitalaria. el Checklist de Seguridad Quirúrgica en el Período Pre y Postoperatorio es otra estrategia más para promover la seguridad del paciente, ya que permite monitorear los signos y síntomas predictivos de las complicaciones quirúrgicas y la detección temprana de eventos adversos.

Self-Reported High-Cholesterol Prevalence in the Brazilian Population: Analysis of the 2013 National Health Survey.

PubMed

Lotufo, Paulo A; Santos, Raul D; Sposito, Andrei C; Bertolami, Marcelo; Rocha-Faria, Jose; Izar, M Cristina; Szwarcwald, Celia; Prado, Rogério R; Stoppa, Sheila R; Malta, Deborah C; Bensenor, Isabela M

2017-05-01

Data on the prevalence of dyslipidemia in Brazil are scarce, with surveys available only for some towns. To evaluate the prevalence of the self-reported medical diagnosis of high cholesterol in the Brazilian adult population by use of the 2013 National Health Survey data. Descriptive study assessing the 2013 National Health Survey data, a household-based epidemiological survey with a nationally representative sample and self-reported information. The sample consisted of 60,202 individuals who reported a medical diagnosis of dyslipidemia. The point prevalence and 95% confidence interval (95%CI) for the medical diagnosis of high cholesterol/triglyceride by gender, age, race/ethnicity, geographic region and educational level were calculated. Adjusted odds ratio was calculated. Of the 60,202 participants, 14.3% (95%CI=13.7-14.8) never had their cholesterol or triglyceride levels tested, but a higher frequency of women, white individuals, elderly and those with higher educational level had their cholesterol levels tested within the last year. The prevalence of the medical diagnosis of high cholesterol was 12.5% (9.7% in men and 15.1% in women), and women had 60% higher probability of a diagnosis of high cholesterol than men. The frequency of the medical diagnosis of high cholesterol increased up to the age of 59 years, being higher in white individuals or those of Asian heritage, in those with higher educational level and in residents of the Southern and Southeastern regions. The importance of dyslipidemia awareness in the present Brazilian epidemiological context must be emphasized to guide actions to control and prevent coronary heart disease, the leading cause of death in Brazil and worldwide. A prevalência de hipercolesterolemia no Brasil não é conhecida para todo o país, havendo somente inquéritos em algumas cidades. Avaliar a prevalência de diagnóstico médico de colesterol alto autorreferido na população adulta brasileira, utilizando-se dos dados da

The Astronomy Club of Araranguá: Educating Science Teachers as Science Communicators. (Breton Title: Clube de Astronomia de AraranguÁ: a Formação de Professores de Ciências Como Divulgadores Científicos. ) Club de Astronomía de Araranguá: la Formación del Profesorado Como Comunicadores de la Ciencia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Damasio, Felipe; Allain, Olivier; Antunes Rodrigues, Adriano

2013-07-01

The study reported in this work takes place since 2009 at the Federal Institute of Education, Science and Technology of Santa Catarina, Campus Araranguá. Our main goal is to help form teachers, training undergraduate students in Natural Sciences with specialization in Physics as science communicators, as well as to promote actions of broader scientific popularization in the region of the town of Araranguá through an Astronomy Club called CA2. Among the actions of scientific popularization that the students promote are: video production, radio broadcasts, lectures, nightly observations, preparation and exhibition of posters, physics teaching for children, continuing education activities for teachers and regular physics teaching using Astronomy as a theme. The Club's teacher education and scientific dissemination work is based on the Theory of Meaningful Learning, always trying to reach the student's predisposition to learn and produce potentially meaningful material, the two essential conditions for meaningful learning to occur. O estudo que este trabalho relata ocorre desde 2009 no Instituto Federal de Educação, Ciência e Tecnologia de Santa Catarina, campus Araranguá. Nele procura-se formar divulgadores científicos durante a formação inicial de docentes do curso de Licenciatura em Ciências da Natureza com habilitação em Física, além de promover ações de divulgação científica para o público geral da região da cidade de Araranguá por meio de um Clube de Astronomia chamado CA² (Clube de Astronomia de Araranguá). Entre as ações de divulgação científica que os licenciandos promovem estão: produção de vídeos, programas de rádio, palestras, observações noturnas, confecção e exposição de pôsteres, ensino de física para crianças, formação continuada de professores em atividades e ensino de Física regular utilizando a Astronomia como tema gerador. O trabalho de formação docente e divulgação científica do Clube fundamenta

Phenotypes of asthma in low-income children and adolescents: cluster analysis.

PubMed

Cabral, Anna Lucia Barros; Sousa, Andrey Wirgues; Mendes, Felipe Augusto Rodrigues; Carvalho, Celso Ricardo Fernandes de

2017-01-01

objetivo foi determinar como crianças e adolescentes asmáticas de baixa renda no Brasil são distribuídos através de uma análise de clusters. Foram incluídos 306 crianças e adolescentes (6-18 anos de idade) com diagnóstico clínico de asma e sob tratamento médico por pelo menos um ano de acompanhamento. No momento da inclusão, todos os pacientes estavam clinicamente estáveis. Vinte variáveis comumente determinadas na prática clínica e consideradas importantes na definição dos fenótipos de asma foram selecionadas para a análise de clusters. As variáveis com alta multicolinearidade foram excluídas. Uma análise de clusters foi realizada utilizando-se um teste aglomerativo em duas etapas e log-likelihood distance measure. Três clusters foram definidos para nossa população. O cluster 1 (n = 94) incluiu indivíduos com função pulmonar normal, inflamação eosinofílica leve, poucas exacerbações, início mais tardio da asma e atopia leve. O cluster 2 (n = 87) incluiu pacientes com função pulmonar normal, número moderado de exacerbações, início precoce da asma, inflamação eosinofílica mais grave e atopia moderada. O cluster 3 (n = 108) incluiu pacientes com função pulmonar ruim, exacerbações frequentes, inflamação eosinofílica e atopia graves. A asma foi caracterizada por presença de atopia, número de exacerbações e função pulmonar em crianças e adolescentes de baixa renda no Brasil. As muitas semelhanças entre esta e outras análises de clusters de fenótipos indicam que essa abordagem apresenta boa generalização.

Labeling and defining severe and enduring anorexia nervosa: A systematic review and critical analysis.

PubMed

Broomfield, Catherine; Stedal, Kristin; Touyz, Stephen; Rhodes, Paul

2017-06-01

reclutamiento de participantes cuando se investiga esta muestra, y segundo, el diagnóstico equivocado de pacientes que pueden o no tener un curso duradero de la enfermedad. La presente investigación tiene el propósito de proporcionar una visión general de las etiquetas actuales y los criterios utilizados para definir los casos de AN severa y duradera, y analizar críticamente las implicaciones de estos hallazgos. Método: De acuerdo con las guías PRISMA, se realizó una búsqueda en la literatura utilizando cuatro bases de datos electrónicas (PsycINFO, MEDLINE, Web of Science y Scopus) para identificar 32 artículos que cumplían con los estándares estipulados por los criterios. La extracción de datos incluyó el etiquetado explícito, la definición o criterio utilizado para describir este subgrupo, junto con la edad del participante y el diseño del estudio. Resultados: Se encontró que los términos crónico, severo y duradero eran los adjetivos más comúnmente utilizados cuando se referían a este subgrupo. En términos de criterios, la duración de la enfermedad y el número de intentos de tratamiento previamente fallidos fueron las características definitorias más comunes dentro de la literatura. Discusión: Uno de los objetivos de los autores es inspirar a que se realice más investigación en torno a cuál sería el etiquetado y la definición más apropiados para este subgrupo y así facilitar un mejor abordaje y resultados para los individuos afectados. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Prevalence and factors associated with human brucellosis in livestock professionals.

PubMed

Mufinda, Franco Cazembe; Boinas, Fernando; Nunes, Carla

2017-06-22

áveis sociodemográficas, de conhecimento e práticas relativas às características das actividades desenvolvidas na pecuária. Estudo transversal seroepidemiológico em população de 131 trabalhadores de talhos, salas de abate e matadouro e 192 criadores amostrados aleatoriamente na província do Namibe, Angola. Os dados foram obtidos por meio de colheita de sangue e aplicação de questionário. Os testes laboratoriais utilizados foram o Rosa de Bengala e a aglutinação lenta em tubos. O questionário permitiu recolher informação sociodemográfica e, especificamente sobre a brucelose, incorporou questões sobre conhecimento, atitudes e comportamentos dos profissionais da pecuária. Além da abordagem estatística descritiva, foram utilizados os testes de Independência do Qui-quadrado, Fisher e modelos de regressão logística, utilizando um nível de significância de 10%. A prevalência geral ponderada da brucelose foi de 15.6% (IC95% 13.61-17.50), sendo 5.3% em trabalhadores e 16.7% (IC95% 11.39-21.93) em criadores. A significância estatística foi observada entre a seroprevalência humana e a categoria (trabalhador e criador) (p < 0.001) e o nível de instrução (p = 0.032), início de actividade (p = 0.079) e local de serviço (p = 0.055). Em um contexto multivariado, o factor positivamente associado à brucelose em profissionais foi a categoria profissional (OR = 3.54; IC95% 1.57-8.30, relativo aos criadores em relação a trabalhadores). A brucelose humana em profissionais da pecuária é prevalente na província do Namibe (15.6%), onde a categoria profissional foi o factor mais relevante. Os níveis de seroprevalência detectados são elevados se comparados com outros encontrados em estudos semelhantes.

Phylogeographic and population genetic structure of bighorn sheep ( Ovis canadensis ) in North American deserts.

PubMed

Buchalski, Michael R; Sacks, Benjamin N; Gille, Daphne A; Penedo, Maria Cecilia T; Ernest, Holly B; Morrison, Scott A; Boyce, Walter M

2016-06-09

de las ovejas del desierto ( Ovis canadensis subespecies) contemporáneas son ambiguos. Para dilucidar esta incertidumbre, llevamos a cabo análisis filogeográficos y de genética de poblaciones entre cinco subespecies de ovejas del suroccidente de Norteamérica. Analizamos 515 pb de secuencia de la región control del ADN mitocondrial y 39 microsatélites en 804 ovejas de 58 localidades. Los análisis filogenéticos revelaron 2 clados altamente divergentes concordantes con ovejas de la Sierra Nevada ( O. c. sierrae ) y de las Montañas Rocosas ( O. c. canadensis ), y demostraron que estas dos subespecies divergieron antes o durante la glaciación de Illinois (315,000-94,000 años). Las ovejas del desierto formaron varios haplogrupos recientemente derivados concordantes con las subespecies de Nelson ( O. c. nelsoni ), México ( O. c. mexicana ) y peninsular ( O. c. cremnobates ). Las estimaciones correspondientes al tiempo de separación efectiva (17,000-3,000 años) y edades de haplogrupos (85,000-72,000 años) son los plazos más probables para las divergencias entre subespecies de ovejas del desierto dentro de la última glaciación máxima. Análisis de redes de haplotipos de unión de medias y análisis bayesianos de líneas de horizonte indicaron que las ovejas del desierto formaron una población históricamente grande y diversa en términos de haplotipos, que luego perdieron gran parte de su diversidad a través de un descenso demográfico. Utilizando datos de microsatélites los análisis DAPC y TESS indicaron agrupamiento genético concordante con la distribución geográfica actual de las tres subespecies. Asimismo, comparaciones de F ST con datos de microsatélites y mitocondriales revelaron índices de fijación significativos entre los grupos genéticos de ovejas del desierto. Concluimos que estas subespecies de ovejas del desierto representan linajes antiguos que probablemente descienden de poblaciones de distintos refugios del Pleistoceno, y que por

Patient survival and risk of death after prostate cancer treatment in the Brazilian Unified Health System.

PubMed

Braga, Sonia Faria Mendes; Souza, Mirian Carvalho de; Oliveira, Raphael Romie de; Andrade, Eli Iola Gurgel; Acurcio, Francisco de Assis; Cherchiglia, Mariangela Leal

2017-05-15

Analyze the probability of specific survival and factors associated with the risk of death of patients with prostate cancer who received outpatient cancer treatment in the Brazilian Unified Health System, Brazil. Retrospective cohort study using the National Database of Oncology, developed through the deterministic-probabilistic pairing of health information systems: outpatient (SIA), hospital (SIH) and mortality (SIM). The probability of overall and specific survival was estimated by the time elapsed between the date of the first ambulatory treatment, from 2002 to 2003, until the patient's death or the end of the study. Fine and Gray's model of competing-risks regression was adjusted according to the variables: age of diagnostic, region of residence, tumor clinical staging, type of outpatient cancer treatment and hospitalization in the assessment of factors associated with risk of patient death. Of 16,280 patients studied, the average age was 70 years, approximately 25% died due to prostate cancer and 20% for other causes. The probability of overall survival was 0.50 (95%CI 0.49-0.52) and the specific was 0.70 (95%CI 0.69-0.71). The factors associated with the risk of patient death were: stage III (HR = 1.66; 95%CI 1.39-1.99) and stage IV (HR = 3.49; 95%CI 2.91-4.18), chemotherapy (HR = 2.34; 95%CI 1.76-3.11) and hospitalization (HR = 1.6; 95%CI 1.55-1.79). The late diagnosis of the tumor, palliative treatments, and worse medical condition were factors related to the worst survival and increased risk of death from prostate cancer patients in Brazil. Analisar a probabilidade de sobrevida específica e os fatores associados ao risco de óbito dos pacientes com câncer de próstata, que receberam tratamento oncológico ambulatorial no SUS, Brasil. Estudo de coorte retrospectivo utilizando a Base Nacional em Oncologia, desenvolvida por meio de pareamento determinístico-probabilístico dos sistemas de informação de saúde: ambulatorial (SIA), hospitalar (SIH) e de

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

LAPAROSCOPICALLY ASSISTED ANORECTOPLASTY AND THE USE OF THE BIPOLAR DEVICE TO SEAL THE RECTAL URINARY FISTULA.

PubMed

Dutra, Robson Azevedo; Boscollo, Adriana Cartafina Perez

2016-01-01

dentro do complexo muscular do elevador do ânus com mínima dissecção. Não há consenso na literatura sobre o melhor tratamento dessa fístula. Avaliar a anorretoplastia laparoscópica e o selamento bipolar da fístula retourinária. Ela foi realizada de acordo com a descrição original de Georgeson1. Utilizou-se o acesso infraumbilical com portal de 10 mm para a ótica de 30º. O pneumoperitônio foi estabelecido com pressão de 8-10 cm de H2O. Dois trocárteres adicionais de 5 mm foram colocados à direita e à esquerda da cicatriz umbilical. A dissecção foi iniciada na reflexão peritoneal usando Ligasure(r). Com a redução do calibre do reto distalmente, foi identificada a fístula para a o trato urinário. O local do novo ânus foi definido por meio da localização do complexo muscular do esfíncter anal externo, utilizando-se estimulador eletro muscular externamente. Por fim, foi confeccionada uma anastomose entre o reto e o novo local do ânus. Uma sonda uretral de Foley foi deixada durante sete dias. Sete meninos foram operados, seis com fístula retoprostática e um retovesical. O período de seguimento variou de um a quatro anos. Os dois últimos pacientes operados foram submetidos ao selamento bipolar da fístula entre o reto e a uretra, sem suturas ou ligadura cirúrgica com pontos. No seguimento em longo prazo não houve evidências de fístulas urinárias. Há benefícios da anorretoplastia laparoscópica para o tratamento de anomalia anorretal. O uso de uma fonte de energia bipolar que promova o selamento da fístula retourinária propiciou redução significativa do tempo cirúrgico e tornou o procedimento mais elegante.

Estudio de la influencia de la refrigeracion con aire de forma natural e inducida en el comportamiento de instalaciones fotovoltaicas

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mazon Hernandez, Rocio

influencia de las altas temperaturas en el interior del invernadero sobre la produccion electrica de los paneles, decido a la transferencia de calor del interior del invernadero. Ademas, se han ensayado dos separaciones diferentes y para cada una se ha comparado con la misma, utilizando un aislante sobre la cubierta. El estudio realizado sobre ambas instalaciones ha proporcionado un conocimiento profundo del funcionamiento de cada una de ellas, asi como informacion valida para una mejora de futuros disenos de instalaciones fotovoltaicas sobre cubiertas.