Search

Anthony Giuffrida,1 Christy Saia-Owenby,2 Chris Andriano,3,* Douglas Beall,4,* Ashley Bailey-Classen,5,* Patrick Buchanan,6,* Ryan Budwany,7,* Mehul J Desai,8,* Ashley Comer,9,* Andrew Dudas,10,* Vinicius Tieppo Francio,11,* Warren Grace,12,* Benjamin Gill,13,* Betsy Grunch,14,* Andrew Goldblum,13,* Rosa A Garcia,15,* David W Lee,16,* Chad Lavender,17,* Marco Lawandy,18,* Lyric Mandell,2,* Robin Mata,19,* Morteza Rabii,20,* Kiran Patel,21,* Raj G Patel,22,* Ankur A Patel,23,* Dawood Sayed,24,* Gurtej Singh,25,* Natalie Strand,26,* Jordan Tate,27,* Michael E Schatman,28 Timothy Deer29 1Cantor Spine Center, Paley Orthopedic and Spine Institute, Fort Lauderdale, FL, USA; 2MOXY Company, Covington, LA, USA; 3Georgia Pain Care, Stockbridge, GA, USA; 4Oklahoma Spine Hospital, Oklahoma City, OK, USA; 5Trinity Pain Medicine Associates, Fort Worth, TX, USA; 6Spanish Hills Interventional Pain Specialists, Camarillo, CA, USA; 7Center for Pain Relief, Charleston Area Medical Center, Charleston, WV, USA; 8International Spine, Pain, and Performance Center, Washington, DC, USA; 9The Spine and Nerve Centers of the Virginias, Charleston, WV, USA; 10Maya & Schnapp, Neurospine and Pain, Memphis, TN, USA; 11Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, University of Kansas, Kansas City, KS, USA; 12Redefine Healthcare, Orthopedic Pain and Spine Center, Edison, NJ, USA; 13Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, USA; 14Longstreet Clinic, Gainesville, GA, USA; 15Larkin Hospital Health Systems, Miami, FL, USA; 16Interventional Pain and Spine, Fullerton Orthopedics, Yorba Linda, CA, USA; 17Department of Orthopaedics, Marshall University, Huntington, WV, USA; 18Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Montefiore Medical Center, New York, NY, USA; 19Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, University of Miami, Miami, FL, USA; 20Crimson Pain Management, Overland Park, KS, USA; 21Pain Medicine and Anesthesiology, Northwell Health, New York, NY, USA; 22Central Texas Interventional Pain Doctor, Capitol Pain Institute, Austin, TX, USA; 23Department of Neurological Surgery, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA; 24Department of Pain Medicine and Neurology, University of Kansas Health System, Kansas City, KS, USA; 25Department of Pain Medicine, Rehabilitation, and Pain Medicine, the Center for Advance Orthopaedics, Cantonsville, MD, USA; 26Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Phoenix, AZ, USA; 27Department of Pain Medicine and Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Southern Pain and Spine, Jasper, GA, USA; 28Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative Care, and Pain Medicine at NYU Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA; 29Department of Pain Management, Spine and Nerve Centers of the Virginias, Charleston, WV, USA*These authors contributed equally to this workCorrespondence: Lyric Mandell, MOXY Company, Covington, LA, USA, Email lyric@moxycompany.comPurpose: The American Society of Pain and Neuroscience (ASPN) identified a significant gap in resources and guidelines that aim to educate healthcare providers for best practices when engaging on social media. As part of the broader initiatives on Spine and Nerve practice, the executive board of ASPN has decided it would be beneficial to include comprehensive guidance for healthcare providers when engaging on social media.Methods: A panel of experts was chosen based on expertise, publications, diversity, and their social media presence. Along with expert guidance, the committee conducted an extensive analysis of peer-reviewed literature in communication and medical journals to determine best practices for healthcare practitioners on social media.Results: Social media messages significantly impact patients’ and colleagues’ perceptions and actions regarding medical issues. As such, providers and their teams must be aware of legal and ethical considerations in healthcare while maintaining a consistent, educational, and digestible persona online.Conclusion: The advancement of communication and medical technologies and systems necessitates continued education and resources to adapt to our rapidly changing media and medical landscape.Keywords: digital communication, social networking sites, healthcare providers, best practices, physician communication, social media, medical marketing, spine

Copyright of Canadian Journal of Psychiatry is the property of Sage Publications Inc. and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

We consider vector valued mappings defined on metric measure spaces with a measurable differentiable structure and study both approximations by nicer mappings and regular extensions of the given mappings when defined on closed subsets. Therefore, we propose a first approach to these problems, largely studied on Euclidean and Banach spaces during the last century, for first order differentiable functions de-fined on these metric measure spaces.

The protein infusion of basic fibroblast growth factor-2 (FGF-2) and platelet derived growth factor-BB (PDGF-BB) have been shown to promote the formation of a stable and functional vascular network in small and large animal models of ischemia. Here, we sought to determine whether a similar effect could be obtained using a gene-therapy-based strategy with nonviral vectors. Rats underwent a surgical procedure to create hindlimb ischemia and were injected with a combination of plasmids that expressed FGF-2 and PDGF-BB. Anatomical and functional parameters of the angiogenesis and arteriogenesis response were evaluated after 4 weeks. The results were compared with rats injected with plasmids that expressed a reporter gene or the extensively studied vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF165) alone. Treatment with the FGF-2/PDGF-BB combination increased the angiogenesis and arteriogenesis response compared with the empty plasmid, and it was as effective as VEGF165. In terms of safety, the combination allowed the use of a 50% lower individual dose of each plasmid and in addition promoted the formation of more stable vessels than VEGF165. In conclusion, the dual gene transfer of FGF-2 and PDGF-BB using nonviral vectors is safe and effective in promoting the formation of a functional vascular network in a rodent model of hindlimb ischemia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: In our area, inhaling heroin mixed with cocaine vaporized on aluminum foil, known as rebujo, is becoming more and more common.Aim: To define the prevalence and the characteristics of bronchial disease (wheezing, bronchial hyperreactivity [BHR], and asthma) present in subjects inhaling heroin mixed with cocaine vaporized on aluminum foil.Materials and Methods: Ninety-one subjects who inhaled the drug mixture were included in the study: 62 subjects were from a drug rehabilitation center (INH-I group), and 29 subjects were among patients admitted to our hospital for a variety of reasons (INH-II group). A questionnaire was completed in both groups, as well as IgE determination and lung function tests (spirometry and methacholine challenge). The control group consisted of 122 individuals who did not inhale the drug mixture, and were chosen randomly from the general population (NO-INH group). All subjects were tobacco smokers.Results: In the INH-I group, there was a 41.9% prevalence of wheezing over the past 12 months, a 44.4% prevalence of BHR, and a 22.02% prevalence of asthma, defined as wheezing plus BHR. In the NO-INH group, these values were 32.78% (p = 0.22), 15.57% (p < 0.0001), and 8.19% (p < 0.01), respectively. Of the subjects who inhaled the drug mixture and denied having symptoms prior to the use of the drug mixture, 31.4% had wheezing develop after commencing use of the drug, following a mean latency of 4.09 months. Wheezing remitted in only 7.6% after discontinuation of the drug.Conclusions: (1) There is a real increase in BHR in subjects who inhale heroin mixed with cocaine vaporized on aluminum foil; and (2) this BHR is associated with wheezing that develops after a variable period of latency, once drug inhalation begins, and persists despite discontinuation of the drug. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Laguna de Bay, the largest freshwater lake in the Philippines, provides livelihood to the fishermen and serves as a source of potable water to the locals. However, freshwater quality has degraded, whereas one of the main contributors are Cyanobacteria that produce cyanotoxins. Existing studies that uses a similar device are either too expensive or too bulky. The purpose of this study is to estimate the cyanobacteria concentration by using a low-cost 16-channel spectrophotometric device to determine the level of severity efficiently. Using Linear Regression, the dataset is modelled by the algorithm to estimate the number of cyanobacteria present on the water sample, while Support Vector Machine (SVM) algorithm for severity level classifier. This study achieved high accuracy in estimating the cyanobacteria using linear regression and classifying the level of severity by support vector machine.

Se analizaron diferencias fenotípicas en el desarrollo y distribución de raíces en condiciones de sequía de 16 genotipos de fríjol común. Se desarrolló un método utilizando tubos plásticos transparentes insertados en otros de PVC, llenos de mezcla de suelo con arena (2:1, peso:peso), en condiciones de invernadero. 10 días después de emergencia se impusieron dos tratamientos de suministro hídrico: 80% de capacidad de campo (sin estrés) y sin aplicación de agua (para inducir estrés). Durante el ensayo se determinó contenido total de clorofila en hoja y tasa de transpiración. A la cosecha (32 días después de siembra) se determinó: área foliar, biomasas aéreas, contenido de carbohidratos totales no estructurales (CTN) en hojas y tallos. El suelo de los tubos fue dividido en cinco estratos de profundidad. Raíces en cada profundidad se lavaron determinándose su longitud, diámetro promedio y biomasa seca. Se utilizó un diseño experimental de bloques completos al azar con tres repeticiones. El método resultó apropiado para determinar diferencias fenotípicas en longitud total y longitud específica de raíces y distribución de raíces a diferentes profundidades. Las líneas BAT 477, SEA 5 y SER 16 destacaron por su desempeño general en la producción de raíces bajo estrés por sequía.

AbstractWe present a study by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) of the strain state of individual InN quantum dots (QDs) grown on GaN substrates. Moiré fringe and high resolution TEM analyses showed that the QDs are almost fully relaxed due to the generation of a 60° misfit dislocation network at the InN/GaN interface. By applying the Geometric Phase Algorithm to plan-view high-resolution micrographs, we show that this network consists of three essentially non-interacting sets of misfit dislocations lying along the directions. Close to the edge of the QD, the dislocations curve to meet the surface and form a network of threading dislocations surrounding the system.

Vinte e quatro bovinos machos, castrados, Holandês x Zebu (peso vivo inicial de 435 kg e 36 meses de idade) foram distribuídos em um delineamento em blocos casualizados, com seis repetições para se avaliarem o consumo e a digestibilidade aparente total dos nutrientes, o ganho de peso, a conversão alimentar e o rendimento de carcaça em bovinos de corte recebendo dietas contendo silagem de sorgo e concentrado nas proporções 80:20, 65:35, 50:50 e 35:65, com base na matéria seca. Os consumos de MS, MO, PB e NDT, em kg/dia, não foram influenciados pelos níveis de concentrado nas dietas, enquanto os consumos de EE e MS (% PV e g/kgPV0,75) e os CNF, em kg/dia, aumentaram linearmente com o nível de concentrado. O consumo de fibra em detergente neutro (FDN), no entanto, independentemente da forma de expressão, decresceu linearmente com o aumento dos níveis de concentrado. As digestibilidades aparentes totais de MS, MO e CNF não foram influenciadas pelas dietas, registrando-se valores médios de 63,8, 65,1 e 82,2%, respectivamente. Entretanto, as digestibilidades aparentes de PB, EE e FDN reduziram linearmente com o incremento de concentrado às dietas. O ganho médio diário e a conversão alimentar não foram influenciados pelas dietas, com valores médios de 1,40 kg/dia e 8,08 kg MS/kg de ganho de peso vivo (GPV), respectivamente. O peso final médio dos animais foi de 523 kg. O rendimento de carcaça dos animais aumentou linearmente com o incremento dos níveis de concentrado nas dietas. A dieta com silagem de sorgo de boa qualidade, associada a 20% de concentrado, proporcionou produção de carne com menor custo que as demais dietas.

Utilizaram-se 10 vacas lactantes HPC e mestiças H*Z, com 55 dias de parição, peso médio de 540 kg, distribuídas em um delineamento em switch-back com o objetivo de avaliar a produção e a composição do leite, o consumo e a digestibilidade aparente de matéria seca (MS), matéria orgânica (MO), fibra em detergente neutro (FDN), proteína bruta (PB), carboidratos totais (CT) e extrato etéreo (EE), e o pH e a concentração de amônia ruminal. Os animais foram alimentados ad libitum com cinco dietas contendo silagem de milho (SM), feno de alfafa (FA), feno de capim-coastcross (FCC), ½ FA+½ SM, ½ FCC+1/2 SM, na proporção de 60%, da ração total (base de matéria seca). Os consumos dos nutrientes não foram influenciados pelas dietas. As digestibilidades aparentes de MS, PB e FDN foram maiores para as dietas contendo silagem de milho. O pH e a concentração de amônia do líquido ruminal não foram influenciados pelas dietas, porém observou-se resposta quadrática para o tempo de coletas. Registrou-se maior produção de leite para os animais que receberam silagem de milho. Os teores de proteína bruta e gordura do leite não foram influenciados pelas dietas.

A urease é a enzima responsável pela hidrólise da uréia em amônia. A utilização de fonte de urease no tratamento de bagaço de cana-de-açúcar com uréia pode melhorar o processo da decomposição da uréia em amônia, beneficiando o tratamento de amonização e, conseqüentemente, o valor nutritivo do material. O objetivo do trabalho foi avaliar o efeito de níveis de soja crua, como fonte de urease, na amonização do bagaço de cana através da uréia. Utilizaram-se quatro níveis de soja crua (0; 2,5; 3,75; e 7,5% da matéria seca) em bagaço de cana-de-açúcar tratado com 7,5% de uréia (da matéria seca), armazenados por um período de 96 dias, em sacos de polietileno com capacidade de 50 litros. Foi utilizado o delineamento inteiramente casualizado com quatro níveis de soja crua e três repetições. Os teores de matéria seca, proteína bruta e hemicelulose não foram afetados pelos níveis de urease; entretanto, verificou-se efeito quadrático positivo para digestibilidade in vitro da matéria seca e linear negativo para o teor de fibra detergente neutro. A utilização de até 3,75% de soja crua na amonização com uréia propiciou melhoria na digestibilidade da matéria seca do bagaço de cana.

Avaliaram-se o consumo, a digestibilidade aparente total e as digestibilidades aparentes ruminal e intestinal de rações contendo feno de capim-tifton 85 (Cynodon spp.) de diferentes idades de rebrota, em bovinos. Utilizaram-se quatro animais, fistulados no rúmen e abomaso, distribuídos em quadrado latino 4 x 4. Todas as rações continham 60% de volumoso e 40% de concentrado. O volumoso era constituído de feno de capim-tifton 85 de 28, 35, 42 e 56 dias de rebrota, e o concentrado continha somente fubá de milho e mistura mineral. Os consumos de matéria seca (MS), matéria orgânica (MO), proteína bruta (PB), fibra em detergente neutro (FDN), carboidratos totais (CHOS), nutrientes digestíveis totais (NDT), matéria orgânica digestível (MOD) e carboidratos digestíveis totais (CHOSD) foram influenciados pela idade do feno na ração, com valores máximos estimados em 5,81; 5,51; 0,71; 3,4; 4,69; 4,17; 4,04; e 3,5 kg/dia, respectivamente, às idades de 40,6; 40,6; 32,6; 41,5; 42,2; 37,6; 37,7; e 39 dias. As digestibilidades aparentes totais da FDN e dos CHOS totais reduziram-se 0,33 e 0,21 unidades percentuais, para cada dia de avanço na idade do feno na ração, variando de 68,5 a 59,1% e de 76,9 a 71,1%, respectivamente. As digestibilidades aparentes totais da MS, MO, PB e EE não foram influenciadas pela idade do feno na ração, apresentando valores médios de 70,9; 72,6; 60,0; e 74,4%, respectivamente. As digestibilidades aparentes ruminal e intestinal dos nutrientes também não foram influenciadas pela idade do feno na ração.

The Kepler mission has been providing high-quality photometric data leading to many breakthroughs in the exoplanet search and in stellar physics. Stellar magnetic activity results from the interaction between rotation, convection, and magnetic field. Constraining these processes is important if we want to better understand stellar magnetic activity. Using the Sun, we want to test a magnetic activity index based on the analysis of the photometric response and then apply it to a sample of M dwarfs observed by Kepler. We estimate a global stellar magnetic activity index by measuring the standard deviation of the whole time series, Sph. Because stellar variability can be related to convection, pulsations or magnetism, we need to ensure that this index mostly takes into account magnetic effects. We define another stellar magnetic activity index as the average of the standard deviation of shorter subseries which lengths are determined by the rotation period of the star. This way we can ensure that the measured photometric variability is related to starspots crossing the visible stellar disc. This new index combined with a time-frequency analysis based on the Morlet wavelets allows us to determine the existence of magnetic activity cycles. We measure magnetic indexes for the Sun and for 34 M dwarfs observed by Kepler. As expected, we obtain that the sample of M dwarfs studied in this work is much more active than the Sun. Moreover, we find a small correlation between the rotation period and the magnetic index. Finally, by combining a time-frequency analysis with phase diagrams, we discover the presence of long-lived features suggesting the existence of active longitudes on the surface of these stars.

Se realiza un estudio abierto no controlado con paroxetina en 31 pacientes ambulatorios que cumplían los criterios diagnósticos de investigación de la CIE-10 para trastorno de pánico sin agorafobia. El estudio duró 3 meses. La paroxetina se mostró eficaz en la reducción del número de crisis de pánico, que resultó estadísticamente significativa (p menor de 0.001) a los 30, 60 y 90 días de tratamiento.

Sun-as-a star observations put our star as a reference for stellar observations. Here, I review the activities in which the SPACEINN global seismology team (Working Package WP4.1) has worked during the past 3 years. In particular, we will explain the new deliverables available on the SPACEINN seismic+ portal. Moreover, special attention will be given to surface dynamics (rotation and magnetic fields). After characterizing the rotation and the magnetic properties of around 300 solar-like stars and defining proper metrics for that, we use their seismic properties to characterize 18 solar analogues for which we study their surface magnetic and seismic properties. This allows us to put the Sun into context compared to its siblings.

This paper explores the quality of available activation cross section (XS) data for accurate Shutdown Dose Rate (SDDR) prediction in the ITER Port Cell and Port Interspace areas, where different maintenance activities are foreseen. For this purpose the EAF library (2007 and 2010 versions) has been investigated, as it is typically used by the ITER community. Based on both reports/papers on SDDR in ITER and own calculations, major nuclides contributing to the SDDR coming from the activation of i) relevant materials placed in ITER and ii) candidate materials for the bioshield plug as L2N and barite concretes, are identified. Then, relevant production pathways are obtained. EAF XS quality for all pathways is checked following the procedure used for validating and testing the successive EAF versions. Also, possible improvements from using the TENDL-2015 library are assessed by comparing EAF and TENDL XS with available differential experimental data from EXFOR. Results point out that most of the activation XS related to materials currently placed in ITER are reliable, and only a few need improvement. Also, many of the XS related to both L2N and barite concretes need further work for validation.

For the last few decades the investigation of stellar magnetic activity has been conducted through spectroscopic and spectropolarimetric surveys. This led not only to the detection of magnetic cycles in other stars but also to variable and magnetic activity. For the Sun, the magnetic activity is described as the interaction between convection, rotation, and magnetic field. To study magnetic activity of solar-like stars we need to have the knowledge of the surface rotation period, the properties of magnetic activity, and the structure of the stars. We present the results obtained from the studies of Kepler solarlike targets in terms of rotation periods, magnetic activity proxies and magnetic activity cycles detected. We can then combine this information with asteroseismic studies to have a broader picture of stellar magnetic activity.

The Kepler mission has been a success in both exoplanet search and stellar physics studies. Red giants have actually been quite a highlight in the Kepler scene. The Kepler long and almost continuous four-year observations allowed us to detect oscillations in more than 15,000 red giants targeted by the mission. However by looking at the power spectra of 45,000 stars classified as dwarfs according to the Q1–16 Kepler star properties catalog, we detected red-giant like oscillations in 850 stars. Even though this is a small addition to the known red–giant sample, these misclassified stars represent a goldmine for galactic archeology studies. Indeed they happen to be fainter (down to Kp~16) and more distant (d>10kPc) than the known red giants, opening the possibility to probe unknown regions of our Galaxy. The faintness of these red giants with detected oscillations is very promising for detecting acoustic modes in red giants observed with K2 and TESS. In this talk, I will present this new sample of red giants with their revised stellar parameters derived from asteroseismology. Then I will discuss about the distribution of their masses, distances, and evolutionary states compared to the previously known sample of red giants.

Starspots are cooler and darker than the stellar surface. Therefore, the emitted flux of a star changes when spots are visible on its surface. The presence of spots together with the stellar rotation leads to a periodic modulation on the light curve. By studying that modulation one can then learn about the stellar rotation and also magnetic activity. Recently, Reinhold & Arlt [1] proposed a method based on the analysis of the Lomb Scargle periodogram of the light curve to identify the sign of the differential rotation, i.e. whether the equator rotates faster than the poles or the opposite. We have been studying in detail the spots' impact on the light curve and on the resulting periodogram. We find that, under some conditions, the periodogram can actually provide an estimate of the true spot latitudes and/or the stellar inclination angle. Moreover, we find that the impact of the spot on the ratio between the heights of the second and first harmonics of the main peaks in the periodogram can be described by a single parameter, the visibility time of the spot. Finally, we also identify possible sources of false positives/negatives for the sign of the differential rotation.

Calibration issues associated to scrambled collateral smear affecting the Kepler short-cadence data were discovered in the Data Release 24 and were found to be present in all the previous data releases since launch. In consequence, a new Data Release 25 was reprocessed to correct for these problems. We perform here a preliminary study to evaluate the impact on the extracted global seismic and background parameters between data releases. We analyze the sample of seismic solar analogs observed by Kepler in short cadence between Q5 and Q17. We start with this set of stars as it constitutes the best sample to put the Sun into context along its evolution, and any significant differences on the seismic and background parameters need to be investigated before any further studies of this sample can take place. We use the A2Z pipeline to derive both global seismic parameters and background parameters from the Data Release 25 and previous data releases and report on the measured differences.

The aim of this paper is to check the performance of last versions of EAF and TENDL libraries (EAF2007, EAF2010, and TENDL2014) in the prediction of concrete activation under the neutron irradiation environment expected in IFMIF, an accelerator-based neutron source conceived for fusion materials testing. For this purpose Activity and dose rate responses of three types of concrete (ITER-Bioshield kind, barite and magnetite concretes) have been studied. For these quantities, dominant nuclides and production pathways have been determined and, then, a qualitative analysis of the relevant activation cross-sections involved has been performed by comparing data from mentioned libraries with experimental data from EXFOR database. Concrete activation studies have been carried out with IFMIF-like neutron irradiation conditions using the ACAB code and EAF and TENDL libraries. The cooling times assessed are related to safety and maintenance operations, specifically 1 hour, 1 day and 12 days. Final conclusions are focused on the recommendations for the activation library to be used among those analyzed and cross-section data to be improved.

We present stellar properties of 57 stars from a seismic inference using full-length data sets from Kepler (mass, age, radius, distances). These stars comprise active stars, planet-hosts, solar-analogs, and binary systems. We validate the distances derived from the astrometric Gaia-Tycho solution. Ensemble analysis of the stellar properties reveals a trend of mixing-length parameter with the surface gravity and effective temperature. We derive a linear relationship with the seismic quantity ‹r02› to estimate the stellar age. Finally, we define the stellar regimes where the Kjeldsen et al (2008) empirical surface correction for 1D model frequencies is valid.

Stars originate by the gravitational collapse of a turbulent molecular cloud of a diffuse medium, and are often observed to form clusters. Stellar clusters therefore play an important role in our understanding of star formation and of the dynamical processes at play. However, investigating the cluster formation is diffcult because the density of the molecular cloud undergoes a change of many orders of magnitude. Hierarchical-step approaches to decompose the problem into different stages are therefore required, as well as reliable assumptions on the initial conditions in the clouds. We report for the first time the use of the full potential of NASA Kepler asteroseismic observations coupled with 3D numerical simulations, to put strong constraints on the early formation stages of open clusters. Thanks to a Bayesian peak bagging analysis of about 50 red giant members of NGC 6791 and NGC 6819, the two most populated open clusters observed in the nominal Kepler mission, we derive a complete set of detailed oscillation mode properties for each star, with thousands of oscillation modes characterized. We therefore show how these asteroseismic properties lead us to a discovery about the rotation history of stellar clusters. Finally, our observational findings will be compared with hydrodynamical simulations for stellar cluster formation to constrain the physical processes of turbulence, rotation, and magnetic fields that are in action during the collapse of the progenitor cloud into a proto-cluster.

INTRODUCCIÓN. En sanidad, la aparición de úlceras por presión (upp), es considerado un fracaso asistencial y un gran reto al que se enfrenta el profesional de Enfermería. En cuidados intensivos, objetivamos una serie de factores que aumentan el riesgo de aparición y desarrollo de upp. Como enfermeros, tomamos conciencia de nuestro papel en la prevención y tratamiento de las upp en nuestra unidad de cuidados intensivos (UCI-1, Hospital Universitario Central de Asturias) y emprendimos medidas para disminuirlas y mejorar la calidad asistencial proporcionada. OBJETIVOS. Aumentar la calidad asistencial Disminuir las tasas de úlceras por presión MATERIAL Y MÉTODO. Estudio descriptivo, prospectivo. Muestra, N: 1265 enfermos. Realizándose seguimiento diario de enfermos a través de hoja de valoración específica. Los enfermos valorados presentaban riesgo medio- alto de padecer upp por escala Braden y riesgo bajo por dicha escala pero con condiciones particulares de riesgo objetivables. Se introducen medidas preventivas consensuadas por el equipo investigador (descritas en el trabajo de investigación). RESULTADOS. Bajada significativa de las tasas de incidencia a los cuatro meses de introducir medidas estandarizadas de prevención y mejora asistencial. CONCLUSIONES. La concienciación y unificación de criterios preventivos y de tratamiento resultó ser decisiva en la bajada significativa de la incidencia de upp y en el logro de aumento de la calidad asistencial real percibida por todo el equipo interdisciplinar.

The University of Wisconsin LIDAR Group’s High Spectral Resolution LIDAR on-demand data website and processing codebase uses Python to explore coding techniques which facilitate a flexible codebase that is reusable for various outputs, cooperative multi-instrument products, and retains stability and maintainability without hindering dynamic experimentation.

The helium ionization zone in a star leaves a characteristic signature on its oscillation frequencies, which can be used to estimate the helium content in the envelope of the star. We use the oscillation frequencies of 16 Cyg A and B, obtained using 2.5 years of Kepler data, to estimate the envelope helium abundance of these stars. We find the envelope helium abundance to lie in the range 0.231–0.251 for 16 Cyg A and 0.218–0.266 for 16 Cyg B.

CoRoT and Kepler have brought a new and deep experience in long-term photometric surveys and how to use them. This is true for exoplanets characterizing, stellar seismology and beyond for studying several other phenomena, like granulation or activity. Based on this experience, it has been possible to propose new generation projects, like TESS and PLATO, with more specific scientific objectives and more ambitious observational programs in terms of sky coverage and/or duration of the observations. In this context and as a prospective exercise, we explore here the possibility to set up an all-sky survey optimized for seismic indices measurement, providing masses, radii and evolution stages for half a million solar-type pulsators (subgiants and red giants), in our galactic neighborhood and allowing unprecedented stellar population studies.

The Kepler mission has made it possible to detect the signatures of surface rotation in tens of thousands of stars across many different spectral types, ages, and evolutionary states. While it is tempting to use these rotation rates as a means to determine the ages of field stars in Kepler via the gyrochronology relationships, we show that 1) only a fraction of these stars should be viable targets for the existing period-age relationships due to “contamination” from hot stars and subgiants, and 2) that apparent age trends in the rotation distributions can be explained with an activity-based detection bias. We have performed a forward modeling exercise in an effort to reproduce the observed distribution of rotation periods.

Abstract Background The yeast cell wall integrity mitogen-activated protein kinase (CWI-MAPK) pathway is the main regulator of adaptation responses to cell wall stress in yeast. Here, we adopt a genomic approach to shed light on two aspects that are only partially understood, namely, the characterization of the gene functional catalog associated with CWI pathway activation and the extent to which MAPK activation correlates with transcriptional outcomes. Results A systematic yeast mutant deletion library was screened for constitutive transcriptional activation of the CWI-related reporter gene MLP1. Monitoring phospho-Slt2/Mpk1 levels in the identified mutants revealed sixty-four deletants with high levels of phosphorylation of this MAPK, including mainly genes related to cell wall construction and morphogenesis, signaling, and those with unknown function. Phenotypic analysis of the last group of mutants suggests their involvement in cell wall homeostasis. A good correlation between levels of Slt2 phosphorylation and the magnitude of the transcriptional response was found in most cases. However, the expression of CWI pathway-related genes was enhanced in some mutants in the absence of significant Slt2 phosphorylation, despite the fact that functional MAPK signaling through the pathway was required. CWI pathway activation was associated to increased deposition of chitin in the cell wall - a known survival compensatory mechanism - in about 30% of the mutants identified. Conclusion We provide new insights into yeast genes related to the CWI pathway and into how the state of activation of the Slt2 MAPK leads to different outcomes, discovering the versatility of this kind of signaling pathways. These findings potentially have broad implications for understanding the functioning of other eukaryotic MAPKs.

Abstract Background Radiation therapy plays a central role in the management of many childhood malignancies and Helical Tomotherapy (HT) provides potential to decrease toxicity by limiting the radiation dose to normal structures. The aim of this article was to report preliminary results of our clinical experience with HT in pediatric malignancies. Methods In this study 66 consecutive patients younger than 14 years old, treated with HT at our center between January 2006 and April 2010, have been included. We performed statistical analyses to assess the relationship between acute toxicity, graded according to the RTOG criteria, and several clinical and treatment characteristics such as a dose and irradiation volume. Results The median age of patients was 5 years. The most common tumor sites were: central nervous system (57%), abdomen (17%) and thorax (6%). The most prevalent histological types were: medulloblastoma (16 patients), neuroblastoma (9 patients) and rhabdomyosarcoma (7 patients). A total of 52 patients were treated for primary disease and 14 patients were treated for recurrent tumors. The majority of the patients (72%) were previously treated with chemotherapy. The median prescribed dose was 51 Gy (range 10-70 Gy). In 81% of cases grade 1 or 2 acute toxicity was observed. There were 11 cases (16,6%) of grade 3 hematological toxicity, two cases of grade 3 skin toxicity and one case of grade 3 emesis. Nine patients (13,6%) had grade 4 hematological toxicity. There were no cases of grade 4 non-hematological toxicities. On the univariate analysis, total dose and craniospinal irradiation (24 cases) were significantly associated with severe toxicity (grade 3 or more), whereas age and chemotherapy were not. On the multivariate analysis, craniospinal irradiation was the only significant independent risk factor for grade 3-4 toxicity. Conclusion HT in pediatric population is feasible and safe treatment modality. It is characterized by an acceptable level of acute toxicity that we have seen in this highly selected pediatric patient cohort with clinical features of poor prognosis and/or aggressive therapy needed. Despite of a dosimetrical advantage of HT technique, an exhaustive analysis of long-term follow-up data is needed to assess late toxicity, especially in this potentially sensitive to radiation population.

Abstract Background Only a limited number of studies have performed comprehensive investigations of coding variation in relation to breast cancer risk. Given the established role of estrogens in breast cancer, we hypothesized that coding variation in steroid receptor coactivator and corepressor genes may alter inter-individual response to estrogen and serve as markers of breast cancer risk. Methods We sequenced the coding exons of 17 genes (EP300, CCND1, NME1, NCOA1, NCOA2, NCOA3, SMARCA4, SMARCA2, CARM1, FOXA1, MPG, NCOR1, NCOR2, CALCOCO1, PRMT1, PPARBP and CREBBP) suggested to influence transcriptional activation by steroid hormone receptors in a multiethnic panel of women with advanced breast cancer (n = 95): African Americans, Latinos, Japanese, Native Hawaiians and European Americans. Association testing of validated coding variants was conducted in a breast cancer case-control study (1,612 invasive cases and 1,961 controls) nested in the Multiethnic Cohort. We used logistic regression to estimate odds ratios for allelic effects in ethnic-pooled analyses as well as in subgroups defined by disease stage and steroid hormone receptor status. We also investigated effect modification by established breast cancer risk factors that are associated with steroid hormone exposure. Results We identified 45 coding variants with frequencies ≥ 1% in any one ethnic group (43 non-synonymous variants). We observed nominally significant positive associations with two coding variants in ethnic-pooled analyses (NCOR2: His52Arg, OR = 1.79; 95% CI, 1.05–3.05; CALCOCO1: Arg12His, OR = 2.29; 95% CI, 1.00–5.26). A small number of variants were associated with risk in disease subgroup analyses and we observed no strong evidence of effect modification by breast cancer risk factors. Based on the large number of statistical tests conducted in this study, the nominally significant associations that we observed may be due to chance, and will need to be confirmed in other studies. Conclusion Our findings suggest that common coding variation in these candidate genes do not make a substantial contribution to breast cancer risk in the general population. Cataloging and testing of coding variants in coactivator and corepressor genes should continue and may serve as a valuable resource for investigations of other hormone-related phenotypes, such as inter-individual response to hormonal therapies used for cancer treatment and prevention.

A fundamental aspect of Achebe’s work is shown in the narrations for children this writer developed during the sixties and seventies. These writings were Achebe’s response to the disastrous consequences of the Biafran War for his ethnic group which provoked a long silence on the part of the writer, unable to develop his commitment with his community through longer texts. During these years most of the production of Achebe was circumscribed to literary essays and stories for children, as an attempt to build a valuable literature for children throughout autochthonous reconstructions. With the exception of Chike and the River (published in 1966), the other tales are characterized by its moral fable-like tone and by being situated in a remote past, before the known time, in which the relationships between the physical and the spiritual worlds were very intense. Taking into account all these elements, I would like to pinpoint the aetiological value of Achebe’s tales, that is, the attempt to show the rural traditions that were used by the Ibo community to explain the cause and the origin of some natural phenomena, or even, of some features of human behaviour. I dare say that these tales constitute a clear example of a specifically African literature for children that, using autochthonous elements, does not deny the contact and influence of Western literature.

Fundamento: Realizamos un análisis descriptivo de la mortalidad en una población rural catalana (Canet d'Adri, a 12 km de Girona) de 1872 a 1900. El conocimiento de las principales causas de muerte hace un siglo, principalmente la atribuida a enfermedades no trasmisibles, puede resultar bastante ilustrativo. El objetivo del trabajo fue mostrar el patrón de distribución de la mortalidad por edad y por causa de muerte, así como el de comparar la mortalidad por enfermedades infecciosas con la mortalidad por enfermedades no infecciosas en dicho ámbito geográfico y para el período analizado. Método: Se analizan tres aspectos: la distribución de las defunciones por edad y sexo; la evolución temporal y estacional; y la distribución por causas específicas. Resultados: El 49,3% de las defunciones correspondieron a mujeres y el 50,7% a hombres. La mortalidad más elevada correspondió a 'menores de un año', 35,6% del total, seguido de 'mayores de 65 años', 23,7%. El 33,4% de las defunciones se debió a enfermedades respiratorias, 31,1% enfermedades infecciosas, 13,4% enfermedades circulatorias y 2,6% enfermedades digestivas. En menores de 45 años la principal causa de muerte son las enfermedades infecciosas, sobre todo entre las mujeres. Las enfermedades respiratorias constituyeron la principal causa de mortalidad entre las mujeres mayores de 45 años y entre los hombres mayores de 65 años. Son muy importantes las defunciones por causas circulatorias, sobre todo entre los hombres mayores de 65. Conclusiones: Además de la conocida preponderancia de las enfermedades infecciosas como principal causa de mortalidad, es sorprendente la importancia de las enfermedades circulatorias (la tercera causa de muerte).

El inicio de la experiencia colonial española en África del Norte supuso para la geografía la ocasión de hacerse oír por medio de la creación de instituciones y de la realización de trabajos científicos encaminados a dar a conocer la importancia de la presencia en Marruecos a una población traumatizada por la pérdida reciente de lo que quedaba de un imperio colonial antaño extenso. Los avatares de la implantación del Protectorado español retrasaron la implantación de una verdadera política colonizadora, que no fue posible hasta después de la Guerra Civil. El africanismo de los militares, entre ellos el General Franco, explica que durante la década de los 40 surgieran proyectos de ordenación del territorio que tuvieron un carácter pionero en la España de la posguerra, pero que fueron, ante todo, una vitrina de propaganda del nuevo régimen. Pero en aquella época la geografía española se mostró incapaz de participar en esta experiencia a causa de su retraso institucional y académico, y el dominio de la ordenación del territorio quedó en manos de otros profesionales que poseían los conocimientos que les faltaban a los geógrafos.

This paper introduces Jean Rhys's fiction and surveys the circumstances of the edition and reception given to her work. Later, it concentrates on point of view in her novels as the most important technical device Rhys uses in order to achieve the atmosphere of «humiliation and victimization» that pervades her fiction. It goes on reviewing some aspects concerning point of view in her novels of the thirties and finally it focuses on Wide Sargasso Sea. Wide Sargasso Sea, the last of Rhys's novel, shows a more extended treatment of male/female relationships achieved through a better-controlled and much more distanced point of view.

Daniela Meneses-Santos,1 Daniella do Carmo Buonfiglio,2 Rodrigo Antonio Peliciari-Garcia,3 Angela Maria Ramos-Lobo,2 Divanízia do Nascimento Souza,1 Angelo Rafael Carpinelli,2 Carla Roberta de Oliveira Carvalho,2 Rogério Antônio Laurato Sertie,2 Sandra Andreotti,2 Fabio Bessa Lima,2 Solange Castro Afeche,4 Emerson Ticona Fioretto,1 José Cipolla-Neto,2 Anderson Carlos Marçal1 1Department of Morphology, Center of Biological Sciences and Health, Federal University of Sergipe, São Cristóvão, Brazil; 2Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil; 3Morphophysiology & Pathology Sector, Department of Biological Sciences, Federal University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil; 4Laboratory of Pharmacology, Butanta Institute, São Paulo, Brazil Background: Melatonin is a neuroendocrine hormone that regulates many functions involving energy metabolism and behavior in mammals throughout the light/dark cycle. It is considered an output signal of the central circadian clock, located in the suprachiasmatic nucleus of the hypothalamus. Melatonin synthesis can be influenced by other hormones, such as insulin and glucocorticoids in pathological conditions or during stress. Furthermore, glucocorticoids appear to modulate circadian clock genes in peripheral tissues and are associated with the onset of metabolic diseases. In the pineal gland, the modulation of melatonin synthesis by clock genes has already been demonstrated. However, few studies have shown the effects of glucocorticoids on clock genes expression in the pineal gland. Results: We verified that rats treated with dexamethasone (2 mg/kg body weight, intraperitoneal) for 10 consecutive days, showed hyperglycemia and pronounced hyperinsulinemia during the dark phase. Insulin sensitivity, glucose tolerance, melatonin synthesis, and enzymatic activity of arylalkylamine N-acetyltransferase, the key enzyme of melatonin synthesis, were reduced. Furthermore, we observed an increase in the expression of Bmal1, Per1, Per2, Cry1, and Cry2 in pineal glands of rats treated with dexamethasone. Conclusion: These results show that chronic treatment with dexamethasone can modulate both melatonin synthesis and circadian clock expression during the dark phase. Keywords: clock genes, glucocorticoids, pineal gland, nocturnal insulinemia, glycemia profile, AANAT activity