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Spatial relationships are core components in the design and definition of spatial queries. A spatial relationship determines how two or more spatial objects are related or connected in space. Hence, given a spatial dataset, users can retrieve spatial objects in a given relationship with a search object. Different interpretations of spatial relationships are conceivable, leading to different types of relationships. The main types are (i) topological relationships (e.g. overlap, meet, inside), (ii) metric relationships (e.g. nearest neighbors), and (iii) direction relationships (e.g. cardinal directions). Although spatial information retrieval has been extensively studied in the literature, it is unclear which types of spatial queries can be defined using spatial relationships. In this article, we introduce a taxonomy for naming, describing, and classifying types of spatial queries frequently found in the literature. This taxonomy is based on the types of spatial relationships that are employed by spatial queries. By using this taxonomy, we discuss the intuitive descriptions, formal definitions, and possible implementation techniques of several types of spatial queries. The discussions lead to the identification of correspondences between types of spatial queries. Further, we identify challenges and open research topics in the spatial information retrieval area.

Abstract Background Carefully planned research is critical to developing policies and interventions that counter physical, psychological and social challenges faced by young people living with HIV/AIDS, without increasing burdens. Such studies, however, must navigate a ‘vulnerability paradox’, since including potentially vulnerable groups also risks unintentionally worsening their situation. Through embedded social science research, linked to a cohort study involving Adolescents Living with HIV/AIDS (ALH) in Kenya, we develop an account of researchers’ responsibilities towards young people, incorporating concepts of vulnerability, resilience, and agency as ‘interacting layers’. Methods Using a qualitative, iterative approach across three linked data collection phases including interviews, group discussions, observations and a participatory workshop, we explored stakeholders’ perspectives on vulnerability and resilience of young people living with HIV/AIDS, in relation to home and community, school, health care and health research participation. A total of 62 policy, provider, research, and community-based stakeholders were involved, including 27 ALH participating in a longitudinal cohort study. Data analysis drew on a Framework Analysis approach; ethical analysis adapts Luna’s layered account of vulnerability. Results ALH experienced forms of vulnerability and resilience in their daily lives in which socioeconomic context, institutional policies, organisational systems and interpersonal relations were key, interrelated influences. Anticipated and experienced forms of stigma and discrimination in schools, health clinics and communities were linked to actions undermining ART adherence, worsening physical and mental health, and poor educational outcomes, indicating cascading forms of vulnerability, resulting in worsened vulnerabilities. Positive inputs within and across sectors could build resilience, improve outcomes, and support positive research experiences. Conclusions The most serious forms of vulnerability faced by ALH in the cohort study were related to structural, inter-sectoral influences, unrelated to study participation and underscored by constraints to their agency. Vulnerabilities, including cascading forms, were potentially responsive to policy-based and interpersonal actions. Stakeholder engagement supported cohort design and implementation, building privacy, stakeholder understanding, interpersonal relations and ancillary care policies. Structural forms of vulnerability underscore researchers’ responsibilities to work within multi-sectoral partnerships to plan and implement studies involving ALH, share findings in a timely way and contribute to policies addressing known causes of vulnerabilities.

A produção de hortaliças no estado do Paraná advém predominantemente do sistema de plantio convencional. Uma das estratégias tecnológicas para auxiliar o produtor rural no processo de conversão para uma produção sustentável é a implementação do sistema de plantio direto de hortaliças (SPDH). A produção de hortaliças apresenta custos de investimentos elevados principalmente para insumos. O objetivo dessa pesquisa foi determinar os principais custos e coeficientes técnicos na implantação e condução de um hectare de alface produzida em SPDH em área de transição agroecológica no município de Laranjeiras do Sul/PR. O estudo foi realizado na safra agrícola 2021. A implantação e condução de um ciclo da produção de 1 ha de alface em SPDH em transição agroecológica em Laranjeiras do Sul, indicou custo total de R$38.265,00. Os elementos mais relevantes dentro do custo total foram os insumos e as operações manuais.

Abstract Organic electrochemical transistors (OECTs) have gained considerable attention due to their ability to simultaneously transduce and amplify ion‐based biological signals into electronic signals in bioelectronics. In this study, functionalized OECTs capable of detecting specific ion concentrations in aqueous solution and blood serum are investigated and described. Sodium, the most concentrated cation in the human body, is chosen as the target analyte due to its critical role in maintaining normal bodily functions such as blood pressure, nerve and muscle function, and fluid balance. These sodium ion sensors work at low source‐drain voltage, Vds = 0.4 V and gate voltage, Vg = 0 V, and demonstrate a high sensitivity of 126 μA dec−1 and a high selectivity over different cations. Furthermore, the OECT biosensors are employed to determine sodium concentration in more complex environments and demonstrated a log‐linear response within the physiological range of sodium in blood serum, ranging from 100 to 160 mm. In the final part of the study, the transistor‐based sensor is fabricated in a small‐footprint neural probe configuration and its sensing capability is investigated. These characteristics open up new opportunities for applications in wearable and implantable electronics.

Rots and mycotoxin contamination of agro-produce are prevalent in tropical world. Aspergillus flavus is a major mycotoxigenic rot contaminant of tubers in Abia state, Nigeria. Consumption of mycotoxin contaminated foodstuffs accounts for 25% of medically important human diseases in Nigeria. The objective of this study was to assess antifungal activity of Alchornea cordifolia against A. flavus a mycotoxigenic rot pathogen of stored tuber produce both in vitro and in vivo. Isolates were made from rotted yam tubers and pathogenicity test carried out to confirm A. flavus as pathogen. Five concentrations (100-500 mg mL-1) of methanol leaf extracts of the plant and thiophanate-methyl–a standard fungicide–were evaluated against the growth of the fungus in culture and pathogen-induced rot development and spread in vivo. The experiment was made up of 7 treatments and 3 replicates laid out in CRD. The plant leaf extract demonstrated varying levels of inhibition of A. flavus in vitro and rot development and spread in living tissues of yam. About 56.38%–68.22% and 67.245–80.01% inhibition was recorded by 100 mg mL-1 and 500 mg mL-1 of A. cordifolia extract for spore germination respectively whereas the same concentrations reduced rot development from 60% in the control experiment to 21.80% and 12.10% respectively which compared favorably (P

We studied social-psychological effects over time of a faculty-mentor workshop intervention that addressed attitudes associated with language variety and their impact on scientific communication (SC) skill development of PhD and postdoctoral STEM research trainees (N = 274). Six months after their mentors attended the workshop, all mentees had significant gains in productivity in speaking tasks. In particular, mentees with high language discomfort rated their quality of communication with their mentor and their enthusiasm about communicating more highly (p < .05 for both measures), compared to mentees with low language discomfort. In addition, mentees raised speaking nonstandardized varieties of English reported significant reductions in discomfort related to language use (p = .003), compared to mentees raised speaking standardized English. We conclude that training mentors to understand and respond to language diversity and development results in multiple beneficial outcomes for mentees, including the amelioration of language-variety related discomfort in the research environment.

Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) and Fluid-Structure Interaction (FSI) are increasingly used to predict the hemodynamic and structural behaviors of cerebral aneurysms (CAs) whilst a less-pursued method is the static structural analysis (SSA) using the finite element method. In this paper, hemodynamic parameters including the flow velocity and wall shear stress predicted by CFD and FSI are compared whilst structural parameters including the wall displacement and wall stress predicted by SSA and FSI are compared for four patient-specific CA models under different systolic/diastolic pressures. The predicted distribution patterns of the same parameters for the same CA model under different pressures are similar. However, the percentage differences of the maximum hemodynamic parameters increase with increasing pressure. Conversely, the percentage differences of the maximum structural parameters decrease from a few to less than 1.5% when the systolic/diastolic pressure changes from 120/80 to 180/110 mmHg. The ratio of the computation times for CFD, SSA and FSI is typically 75:1:165. If the maximum wall stress under either ongoing or temporary hypertension is the most critical factor for immediate rupture and, thus, clinical treatment of CAs, SSA can provide a low cost and efficient predictions close to those of FSI for assessing the rupture risk.

Objectives This study was conducted to explore the epidemiology and microbiological pattern of the cholera outbreaks that occurred in Zimbabwe from 2018 to 2019.Study setting and design This descriptive study used secondary data of 9971 out of 10 730 suspected cases from the Zimbabwean National Diseases Surveillance system and microbiology data of 241 out of 371 patients from the National Microbiology Reference Laboratory in Harare, for the period 5 September 2018 and 3 January 2019. Descriptive analysis was performed to describe the characteristics of the outbreak in terms of person, place and time.Results A cumulative total of 10 730 suspected, 371 laboratory-confirmed cholera cases and 68 deaths were reported in Zimbabwe through the situation analysis report (sitrep). The attack rate during the outbreak was 174.6 per 100 000 with a case fatality rate of 0.63%. Most cases seen were among adults from Harare province. Antimicrobial sensitivity testing results showed that a multidrug resistant strain of Vibrio cholerae O1, Ogawa serotype was responsible for the outbreak. The treatment of cases was changed from the standard recommended medicine ciprofloxacin to azithromycin as confirmed by the antimicrobial sensitivity test results. Strategies employed to contain the outbreak included mass oral cholera vaccination in the hotspot areas of Harare, provision of improved and appropriate sanitation measures, provision of safe and adequate water, chlorination of water and improved waste management practice.Conclusions The recurrence of a cholera outbreak is a global concern, especially with the emergence of multi-drug resistant strains of the causal organism. Improving water, sanitation, hygiene infrastructure, health system strengthening measures and inter-sectoral collaboration in responding to the cholera outbreak was key to controlling the outbreak.

A low cost MRI scanner may have the potential to meet clinical needs at point of care or in low and middle income countries. Here the authors describe a low cost 0.055 Tesla MRI scanner that operates using a standard AC power outlet, and demonstrate its preliminary feasibility in diagnosing brain tumor and stroke.

Abstract Background Undernourished children in low- and middle-income countries remain at elevated risk of death following hospital discharge, even when treated during hospitalisation using World Health Organisation recommended guidelines. The role of community health workers (CHWs) in supporting post-discharge recovery to improve outcomes has not been adequately explored. Methods This paper draws on qualitative research conducted as part of the Childhood Acute Illnesses and Nutrition (CHAIN) Network in Bangladesh and Kenya. We interviewed family members of 64 acutely ill children admitted across four hospitals (a rural and urban hospital in each country). 27 children had severe wasting or kwashiorkor on admission. Family members were interviewed in their homes soon after discharge, and up to three further times over the following six to fourteen months. These data were supplemented by observations in facilities and homes, key informant interviews with CHWs and policy makers, and a review of relevant guidelines. Results Guidelines suggest that CHWs could play a role in supporting recovery of undernourished children post-discharge, but the mechanisms to link CHWs into post-discharge support processes are not specified. Few families we interviewed reported any interactions with CHWs post-discharge, especially in Kenya, despite our data suggesting that opportunities for CHWs to assist families post-discharge include providing context sensitive information and education, identification of danger signs, and supporting linkages with community-based services and interventions. Although CHWs are generally present in communities, challenges they face in conducting their roles include unmanageable workloads, few incentives, lack of equipment and supplies and inadequate support from supervisors and some community members. Conclusion A multi-pronged approach before or on discharge is needed to strengthen linkages between CHWs and children vulnerable to poor outcomes, supported by clear guidance. To encourage scale-ability and cost-effectiveness of interventions, the most vulnerable, high-risk children, should be targeted, including undernourished children. Intervention designs must also take into account existing health worker shortages and training levels, including for CHWs, and how any new tasks or personnel are incorporated into hospital and broader health system hierarchies and systems. Any such interventions will need to be evaluated in carefully designed studies, including tracking for unintended consequences.

Abstract With fast recovery time and effective in situ tumor tissue killing ability, thermal ablation has become a popular treatment for tumors compared with chemotherapy and radiation. The thermal dose measurement of current technology is usually accompanied by monitoring a large area impedance across two ablation catheters and the localized impedance measurement is difficult to achieve. In this work, thermal‐resistive sensor and impedance sensor are fabricated on the curved surface of a capillary tube with 1 mm outer diameter. The device is applied for real‐time in situ tissue impedance monitoring during thermal ablation. The calibrated thermal‐resistive sensors have an average temperature coefficient of resistance (TCR) of 0.00161 ± 5.9% °C‐1 with an accuracy of ±0.7 °C. By adding electro‐polymerized PEDOT:PSS (poly(3,4‐ethylenedioxythiophene)‐poly(styrenesulfonate)) on the 300 µm diameter gold electrodes, the interface impedance reduces two orders from 408 to 3.7 kΩ at 100 Hz. The Randles equivalent circuit model fittings show a two‐order improvement in the electrode capacitance from 7.29 to 753 nF. In the ex vivo porcine liver laser ablation test, the temperature of the porcine liver tissue can reach 70°C and the impedance would drop by 50% in less than 5 minutes. The integration of laser ablation fiber with the impedance and temperature sensors can further expand the laser ablation technique to smaller scale and for precise therapeutics.

Abstract The objective of this work was to define the optimal plot size and number of replicates for the evaluation of the fresh weight of sorghum (Sorghum bicolor) hybrids. Thirty-two uniformity trials were carried out with two hybrids, in two sowing dates and four evaluation periods. Each trial was divided into 48 basic experimental units (BEUs) of 0.5 m2, and fresh weight was determined for each BEU. The mean, variance, coefficient of variation, first-order spatial autocorrelation coefficient, optimal plot size, and coefficient of variation of the optimal plot size were calculated. The number of replicates was determined on the basis of the largest calculated plot size, through an iterative process, for the combinations of number of treatments and differences among means to be detected as significant by Tukey’s test, at 5% probability. The optimal plot size ranged from 1.79 to 2.58 m2, and the number of replicates from 2.6 (~3) to 49.2 (~50). The optimal plot size is 2.58 m2, and five replicates are sufficient to identify as significant the differences between treatment means of 35%.

Abstract Background A malaria slide bank (MSB) is a useful asset for any malaria microscopy testing laboratory to have access to. However, it is not feasible for every country to have its own MSB. If countries are able to pool their resources, a regional MSB is a viable solution. This paper describes the methodology, costing and lessons learnt of establishing and maintaining an MSB over a 3-year period, for a Southern Africa Development Community region. Methods A national reference laboratory in South Africa was granted funding for setting up the MSB; it possessed experienced staff and suitable resources. Two additional full-time personnel were employed to carry out the activities of this project. Strict protocols for donor/patient blood sample screening, smear preparation, mass staining, quality control and slide validation were followed. Slides from the MSB were used for training and proficiency testing purposes. The initial and recurrent yearly costs to set up and maintain the MSB were calculated. Results Over 35 months, 154 batches (26,623 slides) were prepared; the majority were Plasmodium falciparum. Ninety-two percent (141/154) of batches passed internal quality control, and 89% (93/104) passed external validation. From these slides, two training slide sets and six proficiency testing slide sets were sent out. The initial year’s cost to establish an MSB was calculated at approximately $165,000, and the recurrent year-on-year cost was $130,000. Conclusions The key components for maintaining a high-quality MSB are consistent funding, competent staff and adherence to standardized protocols. Travel to malaria-endemic areas for access to non-falciparum malaria species, and dilution of P. falciparum blood to desired parasite densities, are extremely useful to ensure variety. The MSB created here supported multiple laboratories in eight countries, and has the potential to expand.

ABSTRACT: This study analyzed the response of the Bartlett test as a function of sample size and to define the optimal sample size for the test with soybean grain yield data. Six experiments were conducted in a randomized block design with 20 or 30 cultivars and three repetitions. Grain yield was determined per plant, totaling 9,000 sampled plants. Next, sample scenarios of 1, 2, ..., 100 plants were simulated and the optimal sample size was defined via maximum curvature points. The increase in sampled plants per experimental unit favors Bartlett test’s precision. Also, the sampling of 17 to 20 plants per experimental unit is enough to maintain the accuracy of the test.

The Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) spreads rapidly, causing outbreaks that grow exponentially within a short period before interventions are sought and effectively implemented. Testing is part of the first line of defense against Corona Virus Disease of 2019 (COVID-19), playing a critical role in the early identification and isolation of cases to slow transmission, provision of targeted care to those affected, and protection of health system operations. Laboratory tests for COVID-19 based on nucleic acid amplification techniques were rapidly developed in the early days of the pandemic, but such tests typically require sophisticated laboratory infrastructure and skilled staff. In March 2020, Zimbabwe confirmed its first case of COVID-19; this was followed by an increase in infection rates as the pandemic spread across the country, thus increasing the demand for testing. One national laboratory was set to test all the country's COVID-19 suspect cases, building pressure on human and financial resources. Staff burnout and longer turnaround times of more than 48 h were experienced, and results were released late for clinical relevance. Leveraging on existing PCR testing platforms, including GeneXpert machines, eased the pressure for a short period before facing the stockout of SARs-CoV-2 cartridges for a long time, leading to work overload at a few testing sites contributing to long turnaround times. On September 11, WHO released the interim guidance to use antigen rapid diagnostic test as a diagnostic tool. The Zimbabwe laboratory pillar quickly adopted it and made plans for its implementation. The National Microbiology Reference Laboratory verified the two emergency-listed kits, the Panbio Abbott and the Standard Q, Biosensor, and they met the WHO minimum performance of ≥97% specificity and ≥80% sensitivity. Decentralizing diagnostic testing leveraging existing human resources became a game-changer in improving COVID-19 containment measures. Task shifting through training on Antigen rapid diagnostic tests (Ag-RDT) commenced, and testing was decentralized to all the ten provinces, from 1 central testing laboratory to more than 1,000 testing centers. WhatsApp platforms made it easier for data to be reported from remote areas. Result turnaround times were improved to the same day, and accessibility to testing was enhanced.

Objetivou-se avaliar a produção de mudas de Petunia x hybrida e Gomphrena globosa cultivadas em diferentes épocas e substratos a base de resíduos agropecuários. O delineamento experimental utilizado foi o inteiramente casualizado, em esquema fatorial, sendo os tratamentos compostos por quatro repetições e a unidade experimental formada por dez plantas. Foram cultivadas as espécies de flores Petunia x hybrida e Gomphrena globosa em cinco composições de substratos e em duas épocas, sendo as semeaduras realizadas em abril e junho para a Petunia x hybrida e abril e outubro para a Gomphrena globosa. Os substratos foram compostos utilizando-se substrato comercial (SC), esterco bovino curtido (EB), húmus de minhoca (HM) e cinza de casca de arroz (CC), nas proporções volumétricas: (S1) 100% SC; (S2) 40% SC + 20% EB + 20% HM + 20% CC; (S3) 60% SC + 20% HM + 20% CC; (S4) 60% SC + 20% EB + 20% CC; e (S5) 80% SC + 20% EB. Avaliou-se a emergência, índice de velocidade de emergência, altura, número de folhas, comprimento da maior folha, comprimento da maior raiz, massa seca da parte aérea, massa seca do sistema radicular e massa seca total. O crescimento das mudas de Petunia x hybrida e Gomphrena globosa modificaram-se conforme as características dos substratos e as épocas de cultivo. O substrato composto com 80% de substrato comercial e 20% de esterco bovino apresentou resultados semelhantes ou superiores ao substrato comercial, podendo ser utilizado a fim de reduzir os custos de produção sem prejuízos ao crescimento das mudas. O cultivo de Petunia x hybrida em abril resultou em mudas com maior altura, comprimento das folhas e maior acúmulo de fitomassa. As mudas de Gomphrena globosa apresentaram maior desenvolvimento da parte aérea e do sistema radicular, além de maior acúmulo de fitomassa quando cultivadas em outubro.

This paper aims to investigate the short and long term association between Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) and overall consumer affordability in Malaysia Real Estate Sector using Vector Autoregressive model. Sample period used is 2009:Q1 to 2017:Q4. FDI is scapegoated as the leading cause of decreasing affordability in real estate. In most cases, FDI on real estate contributes to the rising income of the country. Increasing income promotes demand to a higher threshold level. Thus, theoretically will cause housing price to increase. Through this study, evidence of no cointegration and absence of Granger causality converge towards deficiency of relationship among FDI and Housing Affordability Index (HAI). Findings pointed out FDI is not the cause of decreasing HAI.

Abstract Background Child mortality rates during hospitalisation for acute illness and after discharge are unacceptably high in many under-resourced settings. Childhood vulnerability to recurrent illness, and death, is linked to their families’ situations and ability to make choices and act (their agency). We examined vulnerability and agency across treatment-seeking journeys for acutely ill children and considered the implications for policy and practice. Method A qualitative sub-study was embedded within the prospective CHAIN Network cohort study, which is investigating mechanisms of inpatient and post-hospital discharge mortality among acutely ill young children across a spectrum of nutritional status. Primary data were collected from household members of 20 purposively selected cohort children over 18 months through formal interviews (total n = 74), complemented by informal discussions and observations. Data were analysed using narrative and thematic approaches. Results Treatment-seeking pathways were often long and complex, particularly for children diagnosed as severely malnourished. Family members’ stories reveal that children’s carers, usually mothers, navigate diverse challenges related to intersecting vulnerabilities at individual, household and facility levels. Specific challenges include the costs of treatment-seeking, confusing and conflicting messaging on appropriate care and nutrition, and poor continuity of care. Strong power inequities were observed between family members and health staff, with many mothers feeling blamed for their child’s condition. Caregivers’ agency, as demonstrated in decision-making and actions, often drew on the social support of others but was significantly constrained by their situation and broader structural drivers. Conclusion To support children’s care and recovery, health systems must be more responsive to the needs of families facing multiple and interacting vulnerabilities. Reducing incurred treatment costs, improving interpersonal quality of care, and strengthening continuity of care across facilities is essential. Promising interventions need to be co-designed with community representatives and health providers and carefully tested for unintended negative consequences and potential for sustainable scale-up.

O presente trabalho teve como objetivo avaliar a influência de diferentes substratos orgânicos no crescimento, produtividade e classificação de frutos de tomateiro cereja das cultivares Cascade e Samambaia em ambiente protegido. O delineamento experimental adotado foi o inteiramente casualizado, com seis tratamentos e quatro repetições. Os tratamentos consistiram em seis substratos, resultantes da combinação de solo (SC), esterco bovino (EB), casca de arroz (CA) e cinza de casca de arroz (CC), nas proporções: 70% SC + 10% EB + 10% CA + 10% CC (S1); 60% SC + 20% EB + 10% CA + 10% CC (S2); 50% SC + 30% EB + 10% CA + 10% CC (S3); 60% SC + 30% EB + 10% CA (S4); 70% SC + 20% EB + 10% CA (S5); e 100% SC (S6). As avaliações consistiram em analisar o comprimento da parte aérea, número de folhas, número e massa fresca de frutos, diâmetro vertical e horizontal do fruto, estimação da produtividade e classificação. O substrato composto por solo não se mostrou eficiente, apresentando os menores valores para todas as variáveis. Para a cultivar Cascade, os substratos S1, S2 e S5 demonstram ser favoráveis aos parâmetros agronômicos do tomateiro cereja, possibilitando um maior número de frutos comercializáveis. Para a cultivar Samambaia novos estudos precisam ser realizados com diferentes fontes e proporções a fim de obter o substrato mais adequado para o cultivo. Portanto, para a produção de tomate cereja da cultivar Cascade os substratos compostos de resíduos obtidos do beneficiamento do arroz e dejetos de bovinos, apresentaram-se como fontes alternativas no cultivo do tomateiro.

ABSTRACT: Sunflower produces achenes and oil of good quality, besides serving for production of silage, forage and biodiesel. Growth modeling allows knowing the growth pattern of the crop and optimizing the management. The research characterized the growth of the Rhino sunflower cultivar using the Logistic and Gompertz models and to make considerations regarding management based on critical points. The data used come from three uniformity trials with the Rhino confectionery sunflower cultivar carried out in the experimental area of the Federal University of Santa Maria - Campus Frederico Westphalen in the 2019/2020 agricultural harvest. In the first, second and third trials 14, 12 and 10 weekly height evaluations were performed on 10 plants, respectively. The data were adjusted for the thermal time accumulated. The parameters were estimated by ordinary least square’s method using the Gauss-Newton algorithm. The fitting quality of the models to the data was measured by the adjusted coefficient of determination, Akaike information criterion, Bayesian information criterion, and through intrinsic and parametric nonlinearity. The inflection points (IP), maximum acceleration (MAP), maximum deceleration (MDP) and asymptotic deceleration (ADP) were determined. Statistical analyses were performed with Microsoft Office Excel® and R software. The models satisfactorily described the height growth curve of sunflower, providing parameters with practical interpretations. The Logistics model has the best fitting quality, being the most suitable for characterizing the growth curve. The estimated critical points provide important information for crop management. Weeds must be controlled until the MAP. Covered fertilizer applications must be carried out between the MAP and IP range. ADP is an indicator of maturity, after reaching this point, the plants can be harvested for the production of silage without loss of volume and quality.

Background Recent trials have shown that low‐density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL‐C)

Distal intracranial occlusions can sometimes cause significant neurological deficits. Endovascular thrombectomy in these vessels may improve outcome but carry a higher risk of haemorrhagic complications due to the small calibre and tortuosity of the target vessel. We report two cases of isolated M2/3 artery occlusion causing dense hemiplegia that was successfully treated with stent retrieval thrombectomy. A “semi-deployment technique” of a 3 mm stentriever was employed at the M2/3 bifurcation of the middle cerebral artery. Partial stent unsheathing allowed adequate clot engagement while avoiding excessive tension by the stent metal struts along the tortuous course of a distal vessel. Complete revascularization was achieved after first-pass of the stent retriever without complication, resulting in good clinical outcome in both cases. The described semi-deployment technique reduces the radial and tractional force exerted by the stentreiver on small branches, and may reduce the risk of vessel laceration or dissection in distal vessel thrombectomy.

Abstract Background Zimbabwe conducts Malaria Indicator Surveys after 3 years and Demographic and Health Surveys to track the impact of malaria interventions. The last one to be conducted was in 2016 and had set an aim aimed to collect data to track malaria indicators as well as to save as the baseline source for the Malaria Strategic Plan (2016–2020). Methods Malaria Indicator Survey-2016 utilized the frame of enumeration areas (EAs) from the Zimbabwe Master Sample (ZMS12) created after the 2012 population census for each of the survey districts. The design for the survey was a representative probability sample to produce estimates at national level for the respective domains, which are the forty-four malaria-endemic districts. Survey teams comprised of Ministry of Health personnel who administered the standard questionnaire (adapted to country setting) to respondents within sampled EAs, performed RDT, anaemia test, prepared microscopic slide and collected DBS and data analysis of collected information was analysed. Microscopic slides examined centrally at the National Institute of Health Research. Results The overall protection coverage by at least one major vector control measure, IRS and/or Nets, was 82.5%. Use of nets among high-risk groups 32.5% For children under five and 24.5% for pregnant women. LLIN utilization quite low taking into consideration the net ownership per household, which was 58% for the general population. Moreover, IPTp coverage has remained almost unchanged since the 2012 MIS, with only a third of pregnant women receiving at least two doses of IPTp. Malaria prevalence appears to be on the decline with 2016 MIS recording 0.2% compared to 0.4% as of 2012 MIS. Plasmodium falciparum remains the predominant parasite species in the country at 98%. Conclusion The results indicated that some progress has been made in malaria control although there is still subsequent low malaria risk perception that comes with the reduced prevalence. It has been shown that there is low use of interventions shown by the low use of LLINs by vulnerable groups like pregnant women and children under five.

Intracranial aneurysm is a pathological dilatation of the cerebral artery which can lead to high mortality rate upon rupture. The aspect ratio (AR) of an aneurysm, being the ratio of the height to neck width, is an important factor in estimating the likelihood of aneurysm rupture in clinical practice. AR will generally increase while the aneurysm grows. Clinical observations over the years show that aneurysms with larger AR usually exhibit higher rupture risk. The goal of the current study is to conduct Fluid-Structure Interaction (FSI) analyses to provide quantitative estimates on the importance of AR, wall thickness (tw) and hypertension. The effects of varying AR and tw on the hemodynamics, wall stress and displacement will be studied based on patient-specific models. Both sidewall and bifurcation aneurysms are investigated. There is a significant increase in the wall stress at the aneurysmal dome (the location in an aneurysm where rupture is commonly observed clinically) when the AR increases and tw decreases due to the aneurysm growth process. Furthermore, these investigations are repeated for patients with hypertension (high blood pressure) conditions. The increase in the wall stress due to hypertension for models with higher ARs is more dramatic. The clinically observed feature of higher rupture risk of aneurysms with larger AR is thus supported quantitatively.

ABSTRACT: The objective of this research was to determine the optimal plot size and the number of replications to evaluate the fresh matter of ryegrass sown to haul. Twenty uniformity trials were conducted, each trial with 16 basic experimental units (BEU) of 0.5 m2. At 117, 118 and 119 days after sowing, the fresh matter of ryegrass in the BEUs of 5, 10 and 5 uniformity trials, respectively, were determined. The optimal plot size was determined by the maximum curvature method of the variation coefficient model. Next, the replications number was determined in scenarios formed by combinations of i treatments (i = 3, 4, ... 50) and d minimum differences between means of treatments to be detected as significant at 5% of probability by the Tukey test, expressed in experimental mean percentage (d = 10, 11, ... 20%). The optimal plot size to determine the fresh matter of ryegrass seeded at the haul is 2.19 m2, with a variation coefficient of 9.79%. To identify as significant at 5% probability, by the Tukey test, differences between treatment means of 20%, are required five, six, seven and eight replications, respectively, in ryegrass experiments with up to 5, 10, 20 and 50 treatments.

False-negative results for Plasmodium falciparum histidine-rich protein (HRP) 2–based rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs) are increasing in Eritrea. We investigated HRP gene 2/3 (pfhrp2/pfhrp3) status in 50 infected patients at 2 hospitals. We showed that 80.8% (21/26) of patients at Ghindae Hospital and 41.7% (10/24) at Massawa Hospital were infected with pfhrp2-negative parasites and 92.3% (24/26) of patients at Ghindae Hospital and 70.8% (17/24) at Massawa Hospital were infected with pfhrp3-negative parasites. Parasite densities between pfhrp2-positive and pfhrp2-negative patients were comparable. All pfhrp2-negative samples had no detectable HRP2/3 antigen and showed negative results for HRP2-based RDTs. pfhrp2-negative parasites were genetically less diverse and formed 2 clusters with no close relationships to parasites from Peru. These parasites probably emerged independently by selection in Eritrea. High prevalence of pfhrp2-negative parasites caused a high rate of false-negative results for RDTs. Determining prevalence of pfhrp2-negative parasites is urgently needed in neighboring countries to assist case management policies.

Abstract Background An intensive effort to control malaria in Zimbabwe has produced dramatic reductions in the burden of the disease over the past 13 years. The successes have prompted the Zimbabwe’s National Malaria Control Programme to commit to elimination of malaria. It is critical to analyse the changes in the morbidity trends based on surveillance data, and scrutinize reorientation to strategies for elimination. Methods This is a retrospective study of available Ministry of Health surveillance data and programme reports, mostly from 2003 to 2015. Malaria epidemiological data were drawn from the National Health Information System database. Data on available resources, malaria control strategies, morbidity and mortality trends were analysed, and opportunities for Zimbabwe malaria elimination agenda was perused. Results With strong government commitment and partner support, the financial gap for malaria programming shrank by 91.4% from about US$13 million in 2012 to US$1 million in 2015. Vector control comprises indoor residual house spraying (IRS) and long-lasting insecticidal nets, and spray coverage increased from 28% in 2003 to 95% in 2015. Population protected by IRS increased also from 20 to 96% for the same period. In 2009, diagnostics improved from clinical to parasitological confirmation either by rapid diagnostic tests or microscopy. Artemisinin-based combination therapy was used to treat malaria following chloroquine resistance in 2000, and sulfadoxine–pyrimethamine in 2004. In 2003, there were 155 malaria cases per 1000 populations reported from all health facilities throughout the country. The following decade witnessed a substantial decline in cases to only 22 per 1000 populations in 2012. A resurgence was reported in 2013 (29/1000) and 2014 (39/1000), thereafter morbidity declined to 29 cases per 1000 populations, only to the same level as in 2013. Overall, morbidity declined by 81% from 2003 to 2015. Inpatient malaria deaths per 100,000 populations doubled in 4 years, from 2/100,000 to 4/100,000 populations in 2012–2015 respectively. Twenty of the 47 moderate to high burdened districts were upgraded from control to malaria pre-elimination between 2012 and 2015. Conclusions A significant progress to reduce malaria transmission in Zimbabwe has been made. While a great potential and opportunities to eliminate malaria in the country exist, elimination is not a business as usual approach. Instead, it needs an improved, systematic and new programmatic strategy supported strongly by political will, sustained funding, good leadership, community engagement, and a strong monitoring and evaluation system all year round until the cessation of local transmission.

ABSTRACT: The objectives of this work were estimate the leaf area of squash ‘Brasileirinha’ by linear dimensions of the leaves and check models available in the literature. An experiment was conducted in the 2015/16 sowing season. Were collected 500 leaves and in each one, were measured the length (L), width (W) and length×width product (LW) and determined the real leaf area (LA). Then, 400 leaves were separated to generate models of the leaf area (LA) as a function of linear dimension (L, W or LW) of squash. The remaining 100 leaves were used for the validation of models. A second experiment was conducted in the 2016/17 sowing season. Were collected 250 leaves, used only for the validation of the models of the first experiment. There is collinearity between L and W and, therefore, models using the LW product are not recommended. The model LA=0.5482W2 + 0.0680W (R²=0.9867) is adequate for leaf area estimation of squash ‘Brasileirinha’.

Summary: Background: Child stunting reduces survival and impairs neurodevelopment. We tested the independent and combined effects of improved water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH), and improved infant and young child feeding (IYCF) on stunting and anaemia in in Zimbabwe. Methods: We did a cluster-randomised, community-based, 2 × 2 factorial trial in two rural districts in Zimbabwe. Clusters were defined as the catchment area of between one and four village health workers employed by the Zimbabwe Ministry of Health and Child Care. Women were eligible for inclusion if they permanently lived in clusters and were confirmed pregnant. Clusters were randomly assigned (1:1:1:1) to standard of care (52 clusters), IYCF (20 g of a small-quantity lipid-based nutrient supplement per day from age 6 to 18 months plus complementary feeding counselling; 53 clusters), WASH (construction of a ventilated improved pit latrine, provision of two handwashing stations, liquid soap, chlorine, and play space plus hygiene counselling; 53 clusters), or IYCF plus WASH (53 clusters). A constrained randomisation technique was used to achieve balance across the groups for 14 variables related to geography, demography, water access, and community-level sanitation coverage. Masking of participants and fieldworkers was not possible. The primary outcomes were infant length-for-age Z score and haemoglobin concentrations at 18 months of age among children born to mothers who were HIV negative during pregnancy. These outcomes were analysed in the intention-to-treat population. We estimated the effects of the interventions by comparing the two IYCF groups with the two non-IYCF groups and the two WASH groups with the two non-WASH groups, except for outcomes that had an important statistical interaction between the interventions. This trial is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT01824940. Findings: Between Nov 22, 2012, and March 27, 2015, 5280 pregnant women were enrolled from 211 clusters. 3686 children born to HIV-negative mothers were assessed at age 18 months (884 in the standard of care group from 52 clusters, 893 in the IYCF group from 53 clusters, 918 in the WASH group from 53 clusters, and 991 in the IYCF plus WASH group from 51 clusters). In the IYCF intervention groups, the mean length-for-age Z score was 0·16 (95% CI 0·08–0·23) higher and the mean haemoglobin concentration was 2·03 g/L (1·28–2·79) higher than those in the non-IYCF intervention groups. The IYCF intervention reduced the number of stunted children from 620 (35%) of 1792 to 514 (27%) of 1879, and the number of children with anaemia from 245 (13·9%) of 1759 to 193 (10·5%) of 1845. The WASH intervention had no effect on either primary outcome. Neither intervention reduced the prevalence of diarrhoea at 12 or 18 months. No trial-related serious adverse events, and only three trial-related adverse events, were reported. Interpretation: Household-level elementary WASH interventions implemented in rural areas in low-income countries are unlikely to reduce stunting or anaemia and might not reduce diarrhoea. Implementation of these WASH interventions in combination with IYCF interventions is unlikely to reduce stunting or anaemia more than implementation of IYCF alone. Funding: Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, UK Department for International Development, Wellcome Trust, Swiss Development Cooperation, UNICEF, and US National Institutes of Health.

Em face dos avanços tecnológicos que propiciaram o surgimento de um consumidor mais crítico e menos passivo na relação de consumo, esta pesquisa tem como objetivo analisar reclamações de consumidores virtuais, que têm como base o Código de Defesa do Consumidor (CDC), publicadas por meio do website Reclame Aqui. Para tanto, realizou-se uma pesquisa de natureza qualitativa, por meio da técnica de análise de conteúdo com o auxílio do software Atlas Ti versão 7.2. Após analisadas 233 reclamações, os resultados indicaram que a maior parte das ocorrências de reclames diz respeito ao Direito de Arrependimento. Entretanto, constatou-se que os consumidores que mais dão continuidade ao processo de reações à insatisfação são os que enfrentam predominantemente problemas de entrega ou de defeito do produto, bem como de qualidade do serviço prestado.

Pellets refer to solid biofuels for heating and power. The pellet’s integrity is of great relevant to ensure safe and effective transportation and storage, and comfort to stakeholders. Several materials that are supportive, whether organic and inorganic, to pellets exist. However, no work in the literature is linking making hybrid non-wood pellets with addition of residual biomass from distillation of cellulosic bioethanol, and this requires further investigations. Figuring out how effective this challenging agro-industrial residue could be for reinforcing non-wood pellets is accordingly the scientific point of this study focusing on management of waste and valorization of biomass. The pilot-scale manufacturing of hybrid pellets consisted of systematically pressing sugarcane bagasse with the lignocellulosic reinforcement at the mass ratios of 3:1, 1:1, and 1:3 on an automatic pelletizer machine at 200 MPa and 125 °C. Elemental contents of C and H, durability, and energy density all increased significantly from 50.05 to 53.50%, 5.95 to 7.80%, 95.90 to 99.55%, and 28.20 to 31.20 MJ kg−1, respectively, with blending the starting material with the reinforcement at 1:3. Preliminary evidence of residual biomass from distillation of second-generation bioethanol capable of highly improving molecular flammable/combustible properties, mechanical stability, and fuel power of composite non-wood pellets exist.

Development of strategies to ensure grazing systems are sustainably produced in harsh environments, while not fertilizing them conventionally, is challenging. Figuring out the extent to which dose of inoculation and period of watering can positively influence the establishment of an effective symbiosis between U. brizantha cv. Marandu and Azospirillum brasilense is the point of this research. The treatment consisted of mixing 1 kg seeds with the inoculant of the strains Ab-V5 and Ab-V6 at 5, 10, 20, and 40 mL kg−1, 2 × 108 CFU mL−1. The plants grew in pots watered 2, 4, 8, and 16 days after sowing over thirty-days, twice. The bioagent at 5–10 mL kg−1 enabled the plants watered up to 4 days after sowing to peak the production of dry mass of shoots (28.50 g) and roots (12.55 g). The efficiency of the symbiosis goes down quickly with increasing dose and delay of watering. Hence, if the dose of inoculant is higher than 10 mL kg−1, it cannot successfully act in plants watered at least 8 days after sowing anymore. In conclusion, A. brasilense can assist in U. brizantha cv. Marandu growth and healthy development unless a lack of water in the substrate and an overdose collectively deter its potential.

The development and implementation of strategies to assist safe and effective transport and storage of pellets in containers and indoor facilities without heating systems are challenging. This study primarily aimed to reshape the organic fraction of municipal solid waste into a liquid-state binder in order to develop freezing–defrosting-proof non-wood pellets. The introduction of the standard solution of food waste into the process of pelleting consisted of stirring it together with the residual biomass from distillation of cellulosic bioethanol or alternatively spraying very fine droplets on the layer of the starting material before it entered the pilot-scale automatic machine at 200 MPa and 125 °C. The addition by spraying of carbohydrate-rich supplement boiled for five minutes caused the pellets to show increases in apparent density (1250.8500 kg·m−3), durability (99.7665%), and hydrophobicity (93.9785%), and consistently prevented them from suffering severe mechanical fracture by thermal shock. The fractal dimension of breakpoints, cracks, and delamination on the finished surface for these products was the smallest at 1.7500–1.7505. Sprayed pellets would fall into the strictest grid of products for residential heat-and-power units, even after freezing and defrosting. The conclusion is therefore that spraying can spectacularly ensure the reliability of liquid-state food waste as an anti-thermal shock binder for non-wood pellets.

Drought, heat, and salinity, as well as pests, are stressing agents, which have impressively declined the productivity and quality of sugarcane crop in harsh environments. Our study aimed to examine the effect of various chemical ripeners as alternatives to enhancing the reactiveness of the enzymatic antioxidant system of sugarcane crop. The field experiment consisted of spraying the ingredients, ethephon, ethyl-trinexapac, glyphosate, carboxylic compounds (MTD) and methyl-sulfumeturon on the Brazilian commercial varieties, SP80-1842 and SP80-3280, before flowering stage. The enzymatic assay comprised the monitoring of the rate of degradation of free radical by ascorbate peroxidase (APX), catalase (CAT), peroxidase (POD) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) in the extract from leaves of 11-month-old plants. Spraying glyphosate at 0.15 L ha−1 with MTD at 1.00 L ha−1 provided the highest activity of CAT, 0.65 µmol H2O2 min−1 mg−1 protein, in variety SP80-1842 Spraying glyphosate at 0.15 L ha−1 with ethephon at 0.33 L ha−1 caused the highest activity of APX, 1.70 nmol ascorbate min−1 mg−1 protein, in variety SP80-3280. The conclusion is, therefore, that mixtures of glyphosate with the insecticide/acaricide, MTD, and with the synthetic ethylene-releasing product, ethephon could help sugarcane crop grow adequately under uncontrollable or unpredictable agroecosystems like marginal lands.

The constitutive relationships for an anisotropic material are established for shock wave propagation and nonlinear, large deformation computer programs, commonly referred to as hydrocodes. Stresses are formulated in terms of strains; the procedure for separating material compressibility effects (equation of state) from strength effects is formulated which permits the consistent calculation of stresses in the elastic regime, and allows the mean pressure to be defined in accordance with their scalar interpretations. Futher, this procedure permits the computation of inelastic response by scaling of deviatoric stresses, so the equivalent stress resides on a yield or failure surface, without changing the pressure. The procedure for computing the equivalent plastic strain and non-radial return to the yield surface, which results from a calculated overstress, is developed. Also, the transformation matrices for large deformation (rotation), necessary for transformation between material and geometric coordinates, are presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

PurposeThe pipeline embolization device (PED) is a flow diverter that has shown promise in the treatment of intracranial aneurysms. Close to one-fifth of aneurysms, however, fail to occlude after PED placement. This study aims to identify anatomical features and clinicopathologic factors that may predispose failed aneurysm occlusion with the PED.Materials and MethodsWe retrospectively reviewed all anterior circulation unruptured saccular aneurysms treated with the PED in a single-center. The primary outcome measure was angiographic occlusion. Anatomical features and potential predictors, including gender, aneurysm location, size, height, aspect ratio, neck width, prior treatment and the number of PED, were studied using binary logistic regression.Results29 anterior circulation unruptured saccular aneurysms with a mean size of 6.99 mm treated with the PED in a single center were retrospectively studied. The overall occlusion rate was 79.3% after a mean follow-up of 9.2 months. Four aneurysms were related to the fetal-type posterior communicating artery (PComA), and all were refractory to flow diverter treatment. Female gender was significantly associated with a higher occlusion rate. We present the anatomical features and propose possible pathophysiological mechanisms of these PComA aneurysms that failed flow diverter treatment.ConclusionA PComA aneurysm with persistent fetal-type circulation appears to be particularly refractory to flow diverter treatment, especially when the aneurysm incorporates a significant portion of the PComA. Our experience suggested that flow diverting stents alone may not be the ideal treatment for this subgroup of aneurysms, and alternative modalities should be considered. Female patients were found to have a significantly higher rate of treatment success.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to validate a computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulation of flow-diverter treatment through Doppler ultrasonography measurements in patient-specific models of intracranial bifurcation and side-wall aneurysms. Methods: Computational and physical models of patient-specific bifurcation and sidewall aneurysms were constructed from computed tomography angiography with use of stereolithography, a three-dimensional printing technology. Flow dynamics parameters before and after flow-diverter treatment were measured with pulse-wave and color Doppler ultrasonography, and then compared with CFD simulations. Results: CFD simulations showed drastic flow reduction after flow-diverter treatment in both aneurysms. The mean volume flow rate decreased by 90% and 85% for the bifurcation aneurysm and the side-wall aneurysm, respectively. Velocity contour plots from computer simulations before and after flow diversion closely resembled the patterns obtained by color Doppler ultrasonography. Conclusion: The CFD estimation of flow reduction in aneurysms treated with a flow-diverting stent was verified by Doppler ultrasonography in patient-specific phantom models of bifurcation and side-wall aneurysms. The combination of CFD and ultrasonography may constitute a feasible and reliable technique in studying the treatment of intracranial aneurysms with flow-diverting stents.

Background. Few charitable overseas surgical missions produce cost-effectiveness analyses of their work. Methods. We compared the pre- and postoperative health status for 157 total hip arthroplasty (THA) patients operated on from 2007 to 2011 attended by an annual Canadian orthopedic mission to Ecuador to determine the quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) gained. The costs of each mission are known. The cost per surgery was divided by the average lifetime QALYs gained to estimate an incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) in Canadian dollars per QALY. Results. The average lifetime QALYs (95% CI) gained were 1.46 (1.4–1.5), 2.5 (2.4–2.6), and 2.9 (2.7–3.1) for unilateral, bilateral, and staged (two THAs in different years) operations, respectively. The ICERs were $4,442 for unilateral, $2,939 for bilateral, and $4392 for staged procedures. Seventy percent of the mission budget was spent on the transport and accommodation of volunteers. Conclusion. THA by a Canadian short-stay surgical team was highly cost-effective, according to criteria from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence and the World Health Organization. We encourage other international missions to provide similar cost-effectiveness data to enable better comparison between mission types and between mission and nonmission care.

The unique chemical and physical properties of metals mean that they are extensively utilized by industry in a huge variety of applications, including electronics, materials, industrial catalysts and chemicals. The increased consumer demand from a growing population worldwide with rising aspirations for a better life has resulted in concerns over the security of supply and accessibility of these valuable elements. As such, there is a growing need to develop alternative methods to recover them from waste repositories, current or historic, both for hazard avoidance and potentially, as a new source of metals for industry. Phytoextraction (the use of plants for the recovery of metals from waste repositories) is a green and novel technique for metal recovery, which, if done with the goal of resource supply rather than hazard mitigation, is termed “phytomining”. The ability for plants to form metallic nanoparticles as a consequence of phytoextraction could make the recovered metal ideally suited for utilization in green chemical technologies, such as catalysis. This review focuses on a multidisciplinary approach to elemental sustainability and highlights important aspects of metal lifecycle analysis, metal waste sources (including mine tailings), phytoextraction and potential green chemical applications that may result from the integration of these approaches.

Following publication of the original article [1], the authors of the article flagged that their article had gone to publishing with an error in the title.

As questões que envolvem o ensino e a aprendizagem encontram-se inseridas em variadas situações. No Brasil, encontramos processos ensino-aprendizagem nas escolas, universidades, cursos técnicos, na área da saúde, dentre muitas outras áreas. Quando pensamos a questão da educação em saúde, principalmente nas unidades básicas de saúde, devemos questionar como ocorre essa relação entre a comunidade e os profissionais. O método Paulo Freire é mais do que um instrumento pedagógico, caracterizando-se também como uma ferramenta de emancipação cultural e social. Dessa maneira, esta pesquisa objetivou compreender como acontece o processo de ensino e aprendizagem em Educação em Saúde em uma Unidade Básica de Saúde do município brasileiro de Lages, a partir do método de Paulo Freire. Duas profissionais da saúde responderam a um questionário semiestruturado e a partir de suas respostas, concluímos que existem variados impedimentos para que ocorra um efetivo processo de ensino e aprendizagem nas unidades básicas de saúde.

Co-management with indigenous people seems to be a paradigm in nature conservation but the Kalahari case in Bostwana is on the opposite side from this trend. Most of these indigenous people are displaced from the CKGR to resettlement camps nearby. New Xade is one of them. Focusing on this case, we explain how the Government denies hunter-gather lifestyle and settle San as wage laborers and farmers. Most of the San live in poverty and are facing a rapid and violent settling process with difficulties. In this context, neither their local knowledge nor their nature relationship offer commercial interest. An aboriginal territorial appropriation is replaced by based upon tradability opportunities like nature conservation tourism and diamonds reserves. This policy is deeply rooted in local cultural difference between Bantu and San and political choices.

Glioma is the commonest form of primary brain tumor in adults with varying malignancy grades and histological subtypes. Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are a novel class of non-protein-coding transcripts that have been shown to play important roles in cancer development. To discover novel tumor-related lncRNAs and determine their associations with glioma subtypes, we first applied a lncRNA classification pipeline to identify 1970 lncRNAs that were represented on Affymetrix HG-U133 Plus 2.0 array. We then analyzed the lncRNA expression patterns in a set of previously published glioma gene expression profiles of 268 clinical specimens, and identified sets of lncRNAs that were unique to different histological subtypes (astrocytic versus oligodendroglial tumors) and malignancy grades. These lncRNAs signatures were then subject to validation in another non-overlapping, independent data set that contained 157 glioma samples. This is the first reported study that correlates lncRNA expression profiles with malignancy grade and histological differentiation in human gliomas. Our findings indicate the potential roles of lncRNAs in the biogenesis, development and differentiation of gliomas, and provide an important platform for future studies.

O objetivo deste estudo é analisar o emprego da metodologia estatística nos trabalhos científicos. Após pes­quisa bibliográ.ca, os dados foram tabulados para permitir uma análise quantitativa, visando descrever as características da amostra. Foram analisados artigos apresentados no Congresso ANPCONT, no Congresso USP de Controladoria e Contabilidade e no EnANPAD. A amostra é composta por 299 artigos, de 2007 a 2009, da área temática “Contabilidade para usuários externos”. Observou-se que: mais de 50% dos artigos utilizaram abordagem estatística; a incidência desta abordagem tem aumentado no decorrer dos anos; 11 tipos diferentes de métodos estatísticos foram empregados, destacando-se a inferência estatística, a análise de regressão e a estatística descritiva; e as universidades do sudeste do país foram as que mais contribuíram com artigos contendo esta abordagem, destacando-se a USP e a FUCAPE. Pretende-se, assim, contribuir para a disseminação dos modelos estatísticos e incentivar pesquisadores a trabalharem com técnicas ainda pouco exploradas.

O objetivo deste estudo é analisar o emprego da metodologia estatística nos trabalhos científi cos. Após pesquisa bibliográfi ca, os dados foram tabulados para permitir uma análise quantitativa, visando descrever as características da amostra. Foram analisados artigos apresentados no Congresso ANPCONT, no Congresso USP de Controladoria e Contabilidade e no EnANPAD. A amostra é composta por 299 artigos, de 2007 a 2009, da área temática "Contabilidade para usuários externos". Observou-se que: mais de 50% dos artigos utilizaram abordagem estatística; a incidência desta abordagem tem aumentado no decorrer dos anos; 11 tipos diferentes de métodos estatísticos foram empregados, destacando-se a inferência estatística, a análise de regressão e a estatística descritiva; e as universidades do sudeste do país foram as que mais contribuíram com artigos contendo esta abordagem, destacando-se a USP e a FUCAPE. Pretende-se, assim, contribuir para a disseminação dos modelos estatísticos e incentivar pesquisadores a trabalharem com técnicas ainda pouco exploradas.

BACKGROUND: There is evidence that combination therapy (CT) in the form of long-acting beta2-agonists (LABAs) and inhaled corticosteroids can improve lung function for patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

BACKGROUND: Determining how migraineurs manage their condition from the viewpoint of health resource utilization (including both medical and personal resources) may provide insights that could lead to more effective care strategies.

Co-management with indigenous people in nature conservation seems to be a paradigm in heritage processes but the Kalahari case in Botswana is on the opposite side from this trend. Most of these indigenous people are displaced from the CKGR to resettlement camp nearby. New Xade is one of them. Focusing on this case, we explain how the government deny hunter-gather lifestyle and settle San as wage laborers and farmers. Most of the San suffer from a rapid and violent settling process and ethnocide. An aboriginal territorial appropriation and a system of heritage values is replaced by heritage processes based upon new “tradeability” opportunities, like nature conservation tourism and diamonds reserves but local cultural differences between Bantu and San and political choices are also quite important.

INTRODUCTION: Injury rate among mining workers in Zimbabwe was 789/1000 workers in 2008. The proportion of severe occupational injuries increased from 18% in 2008 to 37% in 2009. We investigated factors associated with severe injuries at the mine. METHODS: An unmatched 1:1 case-control study was carried out at the mine, a case was any worker who suffered severe occupational injury at the mine and was treated at the mine or district hospital from January 2008 to April 2010, a control was any worker who did not suffer occupational injury during same period. We randomly selected 156 cases and 156 controls and used interviewer administered questionnaires to collect data from participants. RESULTS: Majority of cases, 155(99.4%) and of controls 142(91%) were male, 127(81.4%) of cases and 48(30.8%) of controls worked underground. Majority (73.1%) of severe occupational injuries occurred during night shift. Underground temperatures reached 500C. Factors independently associated with getting severe occupational injuries included working underground (AOR=10.55; CI 5.97-18.65), having targets per shift (AOR=12.60; CI 3.46-45.84), inadequate PPE (AOR= 3.65 CI 1.34-9.89) and working more than 8 hours per shift (AOR=8.65 CI 2.99-25.02). CONCLUSION: Having targets exerts pressure to perform on workers. Prolonged working periods decrease workers attention and concentration resulting in increased risk to severe injuries as workers become exhausted, lose focus and alertness. Underground work environment had environmental hazards so managers to install adequate ventilation and provide adequate PPE. Management agreed to standardize shifts to eight hours and workers in some departments have been supplied with adequate PPE.

Data warehouse and OLAP are core aspects of business intelligence environments, since the former store integrated and time-variant data, while the latter enables multidimensional queries, visualization and analysis. The bitmap join index has been recognized as an efficient mechanism to speed up queries over data warehouses. However, existing OLAP tools does not use strictly this index to improve the performance of query processing. In this paper, we introduce the BJIn OLAP Tool to efficiently perform OLAP queries over data warehouses, such as roll-up, drill-down, slice-and-dice and pivoting, by employing the bitmap join index. The BJIn OLAP Tool was implemented and tested through a performance evaluation to assess its efficiency and to corroborate the feasibility of adopting the bitmap join index to execute OLAP queries. The performance results reported that our BJIn OLAP Tool provided a performance gain that ranged from 31% up to 97% if compared to existing solutions regarding the query processing. Our tool has proven not only to efficiently process queries, but also to process OLAP operations on the server and client sides, for different volumes of data and taking into account different operating systems. Besides, it provides a reasonable use of the main memory and enables new rows to be appended to bitmap join indices.