Search

Abstract Background Aedes albopictus, commonly known as the Asian tiger mosquito, has become one of the most invasive mosquito species. Over the last 5 decades, it has been introduced and established in various tropical and temperate regions worldwide. First reported in Europe in 1979 in Albania and later in Italy in 1990, the species is now established in 13 European Union (EU)/European Economic Area (EEA) countries and 337 regions (2023). In Portugal, Ae. albopictus was first detected in the Algarve and Penafiel regions in 2017, followed by Alentejo in 2022 and Lisbon in 2023. This mosquito species poses a significant public health risk as a vector for numerous pathogenic viruses, including dengue, Zika, and chikungunya. Methods Aedes albopictus collected in Lisbon in 2023 were analyzed using cytochrome c oxidase I (COX) gene sequencing to understand their genetic relationships. Results Our data indicate that the Ae. albopictus mosquito populations detected in three locations in Lisbon in 2023 correspond to recent but distinct introduction events. Conclusions Although there has been no local transmission of Aedes-transmitted viruses in mainland Portugal to date, the spread of the mosquito and increased international travel increase the risk of Aedes-borne disease outbreaks. The ongoing spread of Ae. albopictus in the country and the confirmed multiple introductions in new locations raise awareness of the need to monitor mosquito vectors to control and prevent autochthonous Aedes-borne disease outbreaks. Graphical Abstract

Common variable immunodeficiency (CVID) can be complicated by granulomatous disease, often granulomatous lymphocytic interstitial lung disease (GLILD). Granulomatous interstitial nephritis represents an atypical presentation in pediatrics. Our patient is a previously healthy 13-year-old white male with a recent diagnosis of CVID. He presented with a rash and laboratory findings included pancytopenia (white blood cells 2.6 cells × 103/μl, hemoglobin 11.8 g/dl, platelets 60 × 103/μl), hypercalcemia (14.9 mg/dl), elevated Vit D 1,25 OH level (>200 pg/ml), hyperuricemia (8.8 mg/dl), and acute kidney injury (AKI) (serum creatinine 1.1 mg/dl; baseline 0.64 mg/dl). A broad infectious workup was unremarkable. The rash improved with empiric doxycycline. Hypercalcemia and hyperuricemia were managed with fluid resuscitation, calcitonin, and zoledronic acid. Evaluation for malignancy including a positron emission tomography scan, revealed multiple mediastinal hypermetabolic lymph nodes and pulmonary ground glass opacities, later reported as small pulmonary nodules by computed tomography (CT). Splenomegaly was confirmed by ultrasound and CT. Peripheral smear, bone marrow biopsy, and genetic testing were non-revealing. His angiotensin-converting enzyme level was elevated (359 U/L), raising concerns for sarcoidosis. Given Stage 1 AKI, a renal biopsy was pursued and identified non-caseating granulomatous interstitial nephritis. Treatment with 60 mg of prednisone began for presumed sarcoidosis for 4 months, causing steroid-induced hypertension and mood changes. Zoledronic acid minimally reduced serum creatinine. Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia prophylaxis was initiated due to T-cell cytopenia. Chest CT findings showed a suboptimal response to steroids. A bronchoalveolar lavage demonstrated >50% lymphocytes (normal

Abstract Background Mosquito-borne diseases are a major concern for public and veterinary health authorities, highlighting the importance of effective vector surveillance and control programs. Traditional surveillance methods are labor-intensive and do not provide high temporal resolution, which may hinder a full assessment of the risk of mosquito-borne pathogen transmission. Emerging technologies for automated remote mosquito monitoring have the potential to address these limitations; however, few studies have tested the performance of such systems in the field. Methods In the present work, an optical sensor coupled to the entrance of a standard mosquito suction trap was used to record 14,067 mosquito flights of Aedes and Culex genera at four temperature regimes in the laboratory, and the resulting dataset was used to train a machine learning (ML) model. The trap, sensor, and ML model, which form the core of an automated mosquito surveillance system, were tested in the field for two classification purposes: to discriminate Aedes and Culex mosquitoes from other insects that enter the trap and to classify the target mosquitoes by genus and sex. The field performance of the system was assessed using balanced accuracy and regression metrics by comparing the classifications made by the system with those made by the manual inspection of the trap. Results The field system discriminated the target mosquitoes (Aedes and Culex genera) with a balanced accuracy of 95.5% and classified the genus and sex of those mosquitoes with a balanced accuracy of 88.8%. An analysis of the daily and seasonal temporal dynamics of Aedes and Culex mosquito populations was also performed using the time-stamped classifications from the system. Conclusions This study reports results for automated mosquito genus and sex classification using an optical sensor coupled to a mosquito trap in the field with highly balanced accuracy. The compatibility of the sensor with commercial mosquito traps enables the sensor to be integrated into conventional mosquito surveillance methods to provide accurate automatic monitoring with high temporal resolution of Aedes and Culex mosquitoes, two of the most concerning genera in terms of arbovirus transmission. Graphical Abstract

Phlebotomine sand flies play a crucial role in both human and veterinary medicine, acting as vectors for Leishmania parasites and most known phleboviruses. In Portugal, the REVIVE program, a comprehensive national surveillance network under the Ministry of Health, has included sand fly surveys since 2016. REVIVE aims to identify existing sand fly species in the country, determine which pathogens are circulating among them, and provide actionable insights for prevention and control measures when necessary. In this way, annually, from May to October, health technicians collect sand flies across mainland Portugal with CDC light traps. The collected sand flies are sent to the Centre for Vectors and Infectious Diseases Research for species identification and molecular screening of pathogens. On 21 September 2023, Toscana virus (TOSV), a well-known phlebovirus in the Mediterranean region due to its capacity to cause neurological disease, was detected in a pool of 30 sand flies collected in Algarve, the southernmost region of Portugal. A 668 bp partial sequence of the nucleoprotein gene shows similarity with TOSV strains from Spain. To our knowledge, this is the first detection of TOSV in its vector in this country, having previously only been reported in vertebrate hosts. These findings highlight the important role of ongoing surveillance efforts in monitoring and understanding the dynamics of sand fly-borne diseases in Portugal.

INTRODUCTION: Partial nephrectomy is considered the gold standard treatment for many renal tumors when technically feasible. Renal artery pseudoaneurysm and arteriovenous fistulas are rare life-threatening complications that occur more frequently after laparoscopic rather than open partial nephrectomy. CASE REPORT: The authors present a case of a 67-year-old female patient with persistent hematuria due to a renal pseudoaneurysm after partial laparoscopic nephrectomy is presented. The patient underwent selective embolization of the pseudoaneurysm using CONCLUSION: Arterial lesions after partial nephrectomy may be amenable to embolization with the advantage of renal parenchyma and function preservation, by comparison with more invasive interventions such as total nephrectomy. Active surveillance of patients after laparoscopic partial nephrectomy should be performed.

BACKGROUND: Calciphylaxis is a rare disease with a poor prognosis predominantly found in end-stage renal disease patients treated with dialysis. This pathology most commonly presents with painful non-healing ulcers, predisposing to high risk of sepsis and death. The authors present a case of bilateral leg ulcers due to calciphylaxis. CASE REPORT: A 40-year-old female patient presented with painful ulcers in both lower limbs, for two months. She had a history of end-stage renal disease, morbid obesity, severe hypertension, arterial fibrillation and secondary hyperparathyroidism. Duplex examination releveled biphasic curves in the foot arteries. The ankle-brachial index was carried out with a result of 1.1, obtaining a WIFi stage of 3 (2/0/2). Venous disease was excluded. A biopsy was obtained, revealing small thick-walled vessels with dystrophic calcification of the intima and media. After surgical debridement, antibiotics directed at the superimposed infection were administered and local wound care with chemical debridement was performed. The ulcers healed completely after 8 weeks and there was no recurrence after 6 months. CONCLUSION: The diagnosis is made by clinical and histological findings. Treatment involves a multidisciplinary approach with medical treatment and wound care. Drugs such as sodium thiosulphate and cinacalcet have shown good results in the healing of ulcers. Vascular surgeons, as they often deal with patients with leg ulcers, should be aware of calciphylaxis as a differential diagnosis when vascular disease is excluded.

Multiple models (or instruments) for measuring Teamwork Quality (TWQ) for Agile Software Development can be found in the literature. Regardless, such models have different constructs and measures, with no empirical evidence for comparing them. This study analyzed two agile TWQ models, resulting in equivalent results. We mapped the models' variables given their definitions.We then collected data using both a Bayesian Network model, namely the TWQ-BN model, and Structural Equation Modeling, namely the TWQ-SEM model. We interviewed 162 team members from two software development companies. We analyzed the data using the Bland-Altman method. We obtained enough evidence to conclude that the results for Communication, Coordination, Cohesion and Mutual Support variables are not equivalent. On the other hand, we did not have enough evidence to claim that the models do not agree for measuring Effort and Balance of member contribution variables. The results of this study detail how two state-of-the-art agile TWQs compare in terms of their measures as well as potential research areas for further investigation.

In this paper, we introduce a cutting-edge system that leverages state-of-the-art deep learning methodologies to generate high-quality synthetic thermal face images. Our unique approach integrates a thermally fine-tuned Stable Diffusion Model with a Vision Transformer (ViT) classifier, augmented by a Prompt Designer and Prompt Database for precise image generation control. Through rigorous testing across various scenarios, the system demonstrates its capability in producing accurate and superior-quality thermal images. A key contribution of our work is the development of a synthetic thermal face image database, offering practical utility for training thermal detection models. The efficacy of our synthetic images was validated using a facial detection model, achieving results comparable to real thermal face images. Specifically, a detector fine-tuned with real thermal images achieved a 97% accuracy rate when tested with our synthetic images, while a detector trained exclusively on our synthetic data achieved an accuracy of 98%. This research marks a significant advancement in thermal image synthesis, paving the way for its broader application in diverse real-world scenarios.

This article presents a method to detect and segment mine waste deposits, specifically waste rock dumps and leaching wasted dumps, in Sentinel-2 satellite imagery using artificial intelligence. This challenging task has important implications for mining companies and regulators like the National Geology and Mining Service in Chile. Challenges include limited knowledge of mine waste deposit numbers, as well as logistical and technical difficulties in conducting inspections and surveying physical stability parameters. The proposed method combines YOLOv7 object detection with a vision transformer classifier to locate mine waste deposits, as well as a deep generative model for data augmentation to enhance detection and segmentation accuracy. The ViT classifier achieved 98% accuracy in differentiating five satellite imagery scene types, while the YOLOv7 model achieved an average precision of 81% for detection and 79% for segmentation of mine waste deposits. Finally, the model was used to calculate mine waste deposit areas, with an absolute error of 6.6% compared to Google Earth API results.

Thermodynamics is an engineering subject that is particularly difficult to teach and learn because it requires strong abstract theoretical concepts and extensive multidisciplinary knowledge. This manuscript introduces mind map learning as an alternative methodology for structuring both the learning and teaching processes in a transparent way for students in the context of thermodynamics. Mind maps help students to learn in a non-linear way promoting out-of-the-box thinking. In a quantitative pre–post study, the student knowledge outcomes were investigated through surveys and compared with the results of a control group. Factor analysis was carried out grouping four principal categories (66% of the total variance): visual insight to create links between pre-existing and new knowledge; motivation, related to curiosity to learn new concepts; applicability and critical thinking. Cronbach’s alpha was 0.84, which revealed good internal consistency. The results obtained are explained through constructivist and neuroeducation theories pointing out the relevance of the following concepts: alignment between pre-existing and new knowledge, learning improvement when multisensorial resources are used (like visual forms, font size, colors, hearing, speaking, etc.), and the impact of visual information on brain executive functions. The key to genuine education is curiosity and experience, as well as diving into hands-on learning, asking questions, and experimenting to truly grow.

Human and animal vector-borne diseases, particularly mosquito-borne diseases, are emerging or re-emerging worldwide. Six Aedes invasive mosquito (AIM) species were introduced to Europe since the 1970s: Aedes aegypti, Ae. albopictus, Ae. japonicus, Ae. koreicus, Ae. atropalpus and Ae. triseriatus. Here, we report the results of AIMSurv2020, the first pan-European surveillance effort for AIMs. Implemented by 42 volunteer teams from 24 countries. And presented in the form of a dataset named “AIMSurv Aedes Invasive Mosquito species harmonized surveillance in Europe. AIM-COST Action. Project ID: CA17108”. AIMSurv2020 harmonizes field surveillance methodologies for sampling different AIMs life stages, frequency and minimum length of sampling period, and data reporting. Data include minimum requirements for sample types and recommended requirements for those teams with more resources. Data are published as a Darwin Core archive in the Global Biodiversity Information Facility- Spain, comprising a core file with 19,130 records (EventID) and an occurrences file with 19,743 records (OccurrenceID). AIM species recorded in AIMSurv2020 were Ae. albopictus, Ae. japonicus and Ae. koreicus, as well as native mosquito species.

Introduction: Due to the advances in anesthetics and surgery, ambulatory surgery plays an increasingly important role. This regimen, despite showing several advantages, still instills fear in patients. The aim of this was to evaluate the level of knowledge and the perspective of patients regarding ambulatory surgery. Material and Methods: A prospective study was carried out for two months in patients with pre-anesthetic consultation at a University Hospital Center. Demographic information, educational level, and previous ambulatory surgery were surveyed. Patients’ level of knowledge about surgery, satisfaction, and the perceived advantages and fears regarding this regimen were evaluated. The analysis was performed with SPSS, and p < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: Two hundred and fifty-one patients were included. One hundred and twenty-eight (51%) patients disclosed having knowledge about ambulatory surgery. The main advantages perceived by patients were more peaceful recovery (44.7%), avoiding being surrounded by other patients (43.1%), and avoiding infection (37.2%). The main fears shown by patients were poor pain control (20.7%), having other health problems (13.1%), and poor control of nausea or vomiting (10%). Conclusion: Patients may benefit from being more informed about the ambulatory surgical regimen in order to decrease their fears and increase their acceptance of the regimen. Providing more information to patients may result in increased satisfaction with this regimen.

Abstract Background Mosquito-borne diseases involving arboviruses represent expanding threats to sub-Saharan Africa imposing as considerable burden to human and veterinary public health. In Mozambique over one hundred species of potential arbovirus mosquito vectors have been identified, although their precise role in maintaining such viruses in circulation in the country remains to be elucidated. The aim of this study was to screen for the presence of flaviviruses, alphaviruses and bunyaviruses in mosquitoes from different regions of Mozambique. Results Our survey analyzed 14,519 mosquitoes, and the results obtained revealed genetically distinct insect-specific flaviviruses, detected in multiple species of mosquitoes from different genera. In addition, smaller flavivirus-like NS5 sequences, frequently detected in Mansonia seemed to correspond to defective viral sequences, present as viral DNA forms. Furthermore, three lineages of putative members of the Phenuiviridae family were also detected, two of which apparently corresponding to novel viral genetic lineages. Conclusion This study reports for the first-time novel insect-specific flaviviruses and novel phenuiviruses, as well as frequent flavivirus-like viral DNA forms in several widely known vector species. This unique work represents recent investigation of virus screening conducted in mosquitoes from Mozambique and an important contribution to inform the establishment of a vector control program for arbovirus in the country and in the region.

El objetivo de este estudio fue evaluar la composición química de seis gramíneas forrajeras para el trópico húmedo y seco mexicano: Andropogon gayanus, Andropogon gerardii, Cenchrus ciliaris, Chloris gayana, Megathyrsus maximus y Urochloa brizantha. Las muestras se colectaron en noviembre de 2019, en Tonaya, Jalisco, México. Se determinaron: materia seca, cenizas, proteína cruda (total e insoluble), extracto etéreo, fibra detergente neutro, fibra detergente ácido, hemicelulosa, lignina y celulosa. La evaluación se realizó en el Laboratorio de Nutrición Animal del Departamento de Zootecnia, Universidad Autónoma Chapingo, Texcoco, Estado de México. Cada gramínea se evaluó por triplicado y cada repetición se consideró como unidad experimental. Las medias de composición química fueron separadas mediante la prueba de Tukey (p < 0.05). La correlación entre cada par de variables (p < 0.05) se estimó mediante el coeficiente de Pearson (p < 0.05). A mayor porcentaje de proteína total (p < 0.05) menor porcentaje de extracto etéreo y mayores porcentajes de cenizas y de proteína insoluble. Además, a mayor porcentaje de proteína insoluble, menor porcentaje de lignina (p < 0.05). Probablemente, la proteína se concentra en su fracción insoluble a expensas del extracto etéreo y la lignina. Consecuentemente, gran-tallo-azul (Andropogon gerardii) mostró porcentajes altos de proteína total (10.27%) y cenizas (7.88%), y bajos de lignina (5.23%) y extracto etéreo (1.37%); pero su proteína insoluble no fue tan elevada (2.06%) como la de guinea (Megathyrsus maximus) (6.08%). Por tanto, A. gerardii tuvo el mejor contenido nutricional a los 35 días de rebrote.

Chili pepper is a vegetable of worldwide economic and gastronomic importance. The psyllid, Bactericera cockerelli, is an economically important pest in this crop, causing considerable losses in its production. Currently, the application of insecticides is the main way to control B. cockerelli. However, the use of varieties resistant to this insect is a viable alternative for its control and management. In this work, the oviposition rate, development, and survival of B. cockerelli in two native varieties of chili were evaluated. Choice and non-choice trials showed that the B. cockerelli oviposition was reduced on CJ-2018 by 92.17 and 80.18%, respectively, compared to the control. In CM-334, the insect showed a behavior similar to the control in the non-choice test, while in the choice test it laid more eggs on CM-334 compared to the control. The development and survival assay showed that only 1.33% of the eggs managed to reach the adult stage on CJ-2018. In contrast, on CM-334 the survival of B. cockerelli was similar to the control. These results suggest that CJ-2018 presented a resistance based on antixenosis and antibiosis against B. cockerelli.

Increasing the production in manufacturing systems is one of the main demands in modern systems. The naive approach that this goal can be achieved when more or faster resources are used is not always valid. In fact, the complex interactions among system’s elements may lead to paradoxical behaviors; for example, using faster machines could reduce the equilibrium throughput (number of part fabricated per unit time in steady state) of the system, or even worse, block all system activities, reducing it to zero. This work leverages the concepts about fluidization and analysis techniques used in Timed Continuous Petri nets (TCPN) presented in earlier works to study the behavior of the equilibrium throughput when more/faster machines are used. Herein, we illustrate how discontinuities induced bifurcations of the equilibrium throughput are due to the existence of paths that can increase/decrease the marking of certain subnets. In particular, if paths gaining/losing tokens are fired without a particular balance, then the equilibrium throughput exhibits discontinuities since the equilibrium marking loses hyperbolicity. Moreover, these discontinuities imply other undesired throughput behaviors; for example, the existence of non-monotonicities of the equilibrium throughput (when more/faster resources are used in the system, its equilibrium throughput is reduced). The discontinuities together with a homothecy property are used to explain non-monotonicities in the equilibrium throughput. A relevant aspect is that these undesired system behaviors appear when the net has structural objects named problematic configurations that are associated with certain subnets in which there are no P-semiflows. Although the number of these configurations increase exponentially in the size of the net, some reduction rules are introduced to remove configurations, while the problematic ones are kept (or can be recovered) in the reduced net. This saves computation time in the analysis and, more importantly, provides useful insights about the root of undesired behaviors. This work focus on systems that can be modeled with fluid (or continuous) mono T-semiflow Timed Continuous Petri nets. Even if under certain constraints, they are capable of capturing many characteristics of modern systems, such as interleaving of cooperation and competition.

The article analyzes the complex relationship between cultural selection of curriculum and the diverse nature of the societies in which it is inserted. From a qualitative approach, we analyze the teachers’ discourses of the Metropolitan Region about their representations on the political issues and the Politics and on the importance of curriculum and its possibilities for the attention to the diversity from the formation in citizenship. Results show the lack of problematization of diversity in this area. New contemporary phenomena such as valuing diversity require greater attention in the current processes of curriculum design for democratic coexistence.

Integrals that are of interest in the analysis, design, and optimization of concentrating solar thermal systems (CST), such as the annual optical efficiency of the light collection and concentration (LCC) subsystem, can be accurately computed or estimated in two distinct ways: on the time domain and on the spatial domain. This article explores these two ways, using a case study that is highly representative of the commercial CST systems being deployed worldwide. In the time domain, the computation of these integrals are explored using 1-min, 10-min, and 1-h solar DNI input data and using The Cyprus Institute (CyI)’s High-Performance Computing (HPC) system and an open-source ray tracer, Tonatiuh++, being actively developed at CyI. In the spatial domain, the computation of these integrals is explored using SunPATH, another open-source software tool being actively developed at CyI, in tandem with Tonatiuh++. The comparison between the time and spatial domain approach clearly indicate that the spatial domain approach using SunPATH is dramatically more computationally efficient than the time domain approach. According to the results obtained, at least for the case study analyzed in this article, to compute the annual energy delivered by the LCC subsystem with a relative error less than 0.1%, it is enough to provide SunPATH with 1-h DNI data as input, request from SunPATH the sun position and weights of just 30 points in the celestial sphere, and run Tonatiuh++ to simulate these 30 points using 15 million rays per run. As the test case is highly representative, it is expected that this approach will yield similar results for most CST systems of interest.

Granulomatous-Lymphocytic Interstitial Lung disease (GLILD) is a granulomatous and lymphoproliferative condition occurring in ~25% of Common Variable Immunodeficiency (CVID) patients with the highest prevalence in the late teen to young adult years. GLILD was first described in adults and carries a poor prognosis with survival estimated to be reduced by half. Here we report a pediatric case of CVID-associated GLILD that presented with rapid deterioration over 3 months and responded to adult-based treatment with dual chemotherapeutic agents (rituximab and azathioprine), resulting in complete resolution of clinical findings and near complete resolution of radiologic findings. This case highlights the opportunity to achieve a favorable outcome in GLILD following appropriate diagnosis and therapy.

The operation room (OR) is one of the most expensive material resources in hospitals. Additionally, the demand for surgical service is increasing due to the aging population, while the number of surgical interventions performed is stagnated because of budget reasons. In this context, the importance of improving the efficiency of the surgical service is accentuated. The main objective of this work is to propose and to evaluate a Decision Support System (DSS) for helping medical staff in the automatic scheduling of elective patients, improving the efficiency of medical teams’ work. First, the scheduling criteria are fixed and then the scheduling problem of elective patients is approached by a mathematical programming model. A heuristic algorithm is proposed and included in the DSS. Moreover, other different features are implemented in a software tool with a friendly user interface, called CIPLAN. Considering realistic data, a simulation comparison of the scheduling obtained using the approach presented in this paper and other similar approaches in the bibliography is shown and analyzed. On the other hand, a case study considering real data provided by the Orthopedic Surgical Department (OSD) of the “Lozano Blesa” hospital in Zaragoza (HCU) is proposed. The simulation results show that the approach presented here obtains similar occupation rates and similar confidence levels of not exceeding the available time than approaches in the bibliography. However, from the point of view of respecting the order of the patients in the waiting list, the approach in this paper obtains scheduling much more ordered. In the case of the Orthopedic Surgical Department of the “Lozano Blesa” hospital in Zaragoza, the occupation rate may be increased by 2.83%, which represents a saving of 110,000 euros per year. Moreover, medical doctors (who use this tool) consider CIPLAN as an intuitive, rapid and efficient software solution that can make easier the corresponding task.

Este artículo propone una lectura de la presencia del espíritu y la religiosidad de origen afrodescendiente en la Cartagena colonial de la novela Los cortejos del diablo, de Germán Espinosa. El texto intenta mostrar que en esta novela histórica el ancestro cultural africano representa el factor desequilibrante del orden colonial y la promesa utópica de una libertad perdida y por recuperar.

Outdoor camera networks are becoming ubiquitous in critical urban areas of the largest cities around the world. Although current applications of camera networks are mostly tailored to video surveillance, recent research projects are exploiting their use to aid robotic systems in people-assisting tasks. Such systems require precise calibration of the internal and external parameters of the distributed camera network. Despite the fact that camera calibration has been an extensively studied topic, the development of practical methods for user-assisted calibration that minimize user intervention time and maximize precision still pose significant challenges. These camera systems have non-overlapping fields of view, are subject to environmental stress, and are likely to suffer frequent recalibration. In this paper, we propose the use of a 3D map covering the area to support the calibration process and develop an automated method that allows quick and precise calibration of a large camera network. We present two cases of study of the proposed calibration method: one is the calibration of the Barcelona Robot Lab camera network, which also includes direct mappings (homographies) between image coordinates and world points in the ground plane (walking areas) to support person and robot detection and localization algorithms. The second case consist of improving the GPS positioning of geo-tagged images taken with a mobile device in the Facultat de Matemàtiques i Estadística (FME) patio at the Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (UPC).

Desde diversas perspectivas se ha puesto de relieve esta necesidad del proyecto bolivariano de construir una narración épica revolucionaria que no posee, de construir con palabras una revolución que no existe, o cuya materialización encuentra importantes dificultades de concreción, que intentan ser subsanadas por medio de una profusa representación mediática. Se trataría así de la puesta en práctica de una fórmula de emergencia para tratar de llenar el vacío generado por la fractura del orden hegemónico que dominó la política nacional durante la segunda mitad del siglo XX, y la inexistencia de un nuevo orden capaz de sustituirlo.

Este artículo identifica cómo desde sus propiedades textuales y desde la dimensión pragmática del lenguaje lo histórico y lo ficcional se han distanciado y vuelto a encontrar en la producción cultural. El texto sintetiza y relaciona elementos conceptuales que han sido expuestos como constitutivos de dos modalidades de producción discursiva: la escritura histórica y la escritura de ficciones. Aborda aspectos como la pretendida diferenciación entre historia y ficción, la coincidencia en la utilización de recursos textuales y retóricos y el deslinde de los dos dominios de acuerdo con los pactos de lectura que se han construido históricamente. El texto pretende destacar que conceptos como los de verosimilitud, veracidad, narración, subjetividad y relación signo-orden histórico han sido tomados como criterios de acercamiento y diferenciación entre ambas modalidades.

El propósito del estudio fue determinar el nivel de conocimiento sobre prevención en salud bucal en gestantes que acuden al servicio de Gineco-Obstetricia del Hospital Nacional Hipólito Unanue y San José – 2011. Se realizó un estudio descriptivo, transversal, en 249 gestantes que acudieron al servicio de Gineco-Obstetricia del Hospital Nacional Hipólito Unanue y 158 pacientes que acudieron al Hospital San José (2011). Se aplicó un cuestionario para medir el nivel de conocimiento sobre medidas preventivas de salud bucal, enfermedades bucales y relación entre atención odontológica y gestación. El 84 % no reporta atención odontológica. Solo el 14 % tiene conocimientos sobre los elementos de higiene bucal, y menos del 50 % tiene conocimiento sobre alimentación durante el embarazo y su efecto en los dientes del niño. El 64 % posee un nivel de conocimiento bueno sobre medidas preventivas; sin embargo acerca de enfermedades bucales y gestación en relación a la atención odontológica, el nivel de conocimientos es malo; por lo que el nivel de conocimiento general en las gestantes sobre medidas de prevención de salud bucal es malo.

El Fibroma Odontógenico Periférico es la forma más frecuente del Fibroma Odontógeno y parece proceder del epitelio gingival superficial o de residuos de la lámina dental que permanecen en una localización extraósea. El componente epitelial se asemeja a la lámina dental formada durante las etapas tempranas de la odontogénesis. Se presenta a cualquier edad, aunque tiene predilección por niños y adultos jóvenes; se observa más en mujeres que en hombres.

El propósito de la presente investigación fue emplear el cemento MTA (agregado de trioxido mineral) en forma clínica para resolver complicaciones en el tratamiento de endodoncia como son las perforaciones radiculares a nivel de cámara pulpar, así como en la obturación retrograda de tratamientos de apicectomia. Se empleó el cemento MTA - Blanco, Angelus, (Industria de productos odontologicos Ltda. Londrina - PR – Brazil) que se caracterizó por tener un tiempo de endurecimiento inicial de 10 minutos y el tiempo de endurecimiento final de 15 minutos. La radiopacidad que mostró el material fue algo superior a la de la dentina y el tejido óseo, facilitando su visualización en las radiografías de control. Se hicieron controles clínicos y radiográficos a los casos tratados tanto en el postoperatorio inmediato como a los sesenta días. Los resultados muestran que hubo adaptación del cemento a las paredes de la cavidad retroapical y de los trayectos de perforación, produciéndose un sellado apical y marginal. Los elementos constituyentes del cemento: silicato tricálcico, aluminato tricálcico, silicato dicálcico, aluminato ferrico tetracálcico; permitieron una estimulación del proceso de cicatrización y reparación de los tejidos circundantes, que evolucionaron en forma favorable hasta el momento del último control realizado en esta investigación.

Este artículo describe y analiza las representaciones de mujeres colombianas en los largometrajes de ficción El arriero (2009) y Rabia (2009), ambos realizados en la modalidad de coproducción. El texto propone entender la coproducción como parte del espacio transnacional y en su metodología sigue presupuestos de la imagología y de los estudios feministas. Con tales herramientas, el artículo busca establecer con cuáles rasgos se construyen imágenes de mujeres asociadas a la nacionalidad colombiana. Finalmente, el texto concluye que la mirada pornográfica y la economía son determinantes en la construcción de las imágenes.

This paper evaluates the potential of solar concentration technologies—compound parabolic collector (CPC), linear Fresnel collector (LFC) and parabolic trough collector (PTC)—as an alternative to conventional sources of energy for industrial processes in Latin America, where high levels of solar radiation and isolated areas without energy supply exist. The analysis is addressed from energy, economic and environmental perspective. A specific application for Argentina in which fourteen locations are analyzed is considered. Results show that solar concentration technologies can be an economically and environmentally viable alternative. Levelized cost of energy (LCOE) ranges between 2.5 and 16.9 c€/kWh/m2 and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions avoided range between 33 and 348 kgCO2/(m2·year). CPC technology stands out as the most recommendable technology when the working fluid temperature ranges from 373 K to 423 K. As the working fluid temperature increases the differences between the LCOE values of the CPC and LFC technologies decrease. When 523 K is reached LFC technology is the one which presents the lowest LCOE values for all analyzed sites, while the LCOE values of PTC technology are close to CPC technology values. Results show that solar concentration technologies have reached economic and environmental competitiveness levels under certain scenarios, mainly linked to solar resource available, thermal level requirements and solar technology cost.

El presente trabajo intenta explorar los múltiples ámbitos que condicionan la marcha de los procesos de innovación curricular. Estas decisiones, que se originan en los niveles macro del sistema escolar, experimentan diversas erosiones en sus significados originales, particularmente en el nivel de la unidad educativa, producto del diálogo que se establece entre sus prescripciones y los heterogéneos sistemas decodificadores presentes en la organización escolar y en la cultura profesional de los docentes en servicio. Por tanto, el camino que siguen tales decisiones desde su intención primaria hasta su aplicación efectiva en el aula requiere una observación acuciosa que busque develar la naturaleza y composición de las fases que sigue el proceso de transmisión cultural intencionada, mediado a través de la escolaridad.

Introducción: el abuso del alcohol y su dependencia son problemas de salud pública, con morbilidad y mortalidad que requieren atención costosa en los servicios de urgencias. La prevalencia en Colombia es similar a la mundial con un consumo a más temprana edad. Objetivo: describir la respuesta clínica y el tiempo de mejoría de la embriaguez alcohólica en pacientes tratados con metadoxilo vs. terapia convencional. Métodos: estudio de serie de casos con diagnóstico clínico de embriaguez alcohólica etílica grados 2 y 3, mayores de 18 años, en el servicio de urgencias, que recibieron tratamiento estándar y este mismo más metadoxilo. Resultados: se incluyeron 39 pacientes, 79.4% hombres, distribución equivalente en ambos grupos de tratamiento con promedio de edad de 35 ± 13.3 años. Hubo mejoría a los 30 minutos en siete pacientes con metadoxilo y tres con manejo convencional, a los 60 minutos ocho mejoraron con metadoxilo y cinco con convencional. Conclusiones: el metadoxilo puede ser fundamental en el manejo de la intoxicación alcohólica disminuyendo el tiempo de observación médica en urgencias.

El objetivo del estudio fue comparar dos esquemas de profilaxis antibiótica con clindamicina en pacientes sometidos a cirugía de tercera molar retenida o semirretenida. Se realizaron exodoncias de terceras molares, en sujetos sanos que cumplieron los criterios de inclusión, en la clínica de cirugía bucal y máxilofacial de la Facultad de Odontología de la UNMSM. El procedimiento quirúrgico se realizó empleando la técnica quirúrgica estándar, luego de realizada la exodoncia se programó citas de control durante los 5 días post extracción en donde se evaluó la aparición de signos de infección mediante la presencia de exudado o sangrado a nivel del lecho quirúrgico. Este registro se llevó a cabo para ambos grupos. Los datos obtenidos fueron analizados utilizando la prueba U de Mann-Whitney (p

This article identifies how from their textual properties and from the pragmatic dimension of language the historical and the fictional have distanced and again found in cultural production. The text synthesizes and relates conceptual elements that have been exposed as constituting two modes of discursive production: the fictional writing and the historical writing. The text addresses issues such as the alleged distinction between history and fiction, the overlap in the use of textual and rhetorical resources and the boundary of the two domains in accordance with the covenants of reading that they have developed historically. The text aims to highlight that concepts like verisimilitude, veracity, narrative, subjectivity and relationship sign-historical order have been taken as criteria approach and differentiation between the two.

Objectivo: Quantificar e identificar as causas de microcitose de uma população jovem adulta assintomática. População e Métodos: Foram estudados 2558 jovens candidatos a ingressar no Exército Português e previamente apurados nas provas físicas exigidas para o efeito. No grupo que apresentou volume globular médio inferior a 80fL (microcitose) foi efectuado doseamento de ferro, de ferritina e electroforese capilar de hemoglobina. Os casos foram agrupados de acordo com as possíveis causas de microcitose. Fez-se o levantamento do local de nascimento e residência. Foi aplicada estatística descritiva com o software SPSS. Resultados: A prevalência de microcitose foi de 3,2% (N=81). Foram identificados quatro grupos. Grupo I (N=12, 15%), dez portadores de hemoglobina S (70% de Lisboa e Setúbal), um portador de hemoglobina C (de Lisboa) e um portador de hemoglobina Lepore (de Santarém). Grupo II (N=16, 20%), portadores heterozigóticos de ß-talassémia, a maior parte proveniente de Faro. Grupo III (N=21, 26%), maioritariamente de Lisboa, com valores de ferritina inferiores a 15ng/mL e caracterizados por anemia ferropénica. Grupo IV (N=32, 40%), com valores normais de ferro, ferritina e electroforese de hemoglobina, suspeitos de serem portadores de a-talassémia, maioritariamente de Lisboa. Conclusão: A avaliação da microcitose nesta população jovem adulta assintomática, feita a partir de uma metodologia simples e pouco dispendiosa, foi suficientemente robusta e capaz de identificar anomalias genéticas e carenciais. Contribuiu-se para um melhor conhecimento epidemiológico e atuação no sentido de se instituírem medidas preventivas e promotoras de saúde como sejam o aconselhamento e a orientação genética.

Laboratório Nacional de Engenharia Civil (LNEC) dispõe desde 1995 de uma centrifugadora geotécnica. A centrifugadora, uma Acutronic modelo 661, tem uma capacidade de 40g­ ton e um raio de 1,80 m à plataforma giratória. O artigo descreve o desenvolvimento da instalação, incluindo as características gerais do equipamento e sistemas eléctricos, ópticos e mecânicos associados.