Search

The topic of vascular anomalies is uncommon in the hand surgery literature, but hand surgeons do diagnose and treat patients with hemangiomas and vascular malformations. These are separate entities and require different treatment strategies. Proper diagnosis will lead to timely and appropriate treatment.

Solanum betaceum is a crop of great economic importance in Ecuador. Unfortunately, it is susceptible to diverse pathologies caused by bacteria, fungi, insects and nematodes. Several pesticides are currently used to prevent the plagues but their intensive and/or incorrect use can affect the development of the plants as well as the local environment. The aim of this paper is to investigate the morphological changes on both the internal and external structure of the of Solanum betaceum pollen grains caused by three types of pesticides: chemical, biological and ecological. By using Transmission and Scanning Electron Microscopy, we have studied over 140 pollen grains exposed to these different pesticides. The results demonstrate that the pesticides influence the morphology and structure of the pollen grains, thus probably affecting the plant reproductive process.

Made available in DSpace on 2022-06-22T23:35:24Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2014-12-19 Family Reintegration (FR) of adolescents with a history of street living constitutes a complex area with regard to public policy of protecting the well-being of this population, since their understanding involves different role-players and contexts-the welcomed ones, their families/guardians and the institution itself. The present study aimed to understand the process of FR of five street children, a representative from their families and a representative of the institution where it was upheld. Semi-structured interviews with each of the participants were conducted over three times of data collection (in the month preceding the departure of the institution, one month later and six months after the departure of the institution) and submitted to content Analysis. It was found that the expectations and feelings of the adolescents in the moment before the output of the institution tends to be more positive than that of their families; and that between the time of data collection, the teenagers showed great movement between different spaces (home of relatives and host institutions). The factors related to ecological transitions during the FR were: adolescents' vulnerabilities (drugs and behaviors), the relatives vulnerabilities (drugs, street housing, family conflicts and financial difficulties), as well as the supporting role provided by the host institutions and by family members, such as grandparents and siblings. It is concluded and highlighted: (1) the need for interventions that are oriented to the family and community context, aiming at FR s true success; and (2) the relevance of a contextual and systemic vision, expressed in the bio ecologic model of human development about FR, which must consider the legal frameworks governing institutional hosting, operation rules of the institutions, the characteristics of adolescents and family conditions. Keywords: family, institutionalization, shelter rehabilitation, street living, teenagers, family A reinserção familiar (RF) de adolescentes com histórico de situação de rua constitui uma área complexa no que diz respeito às políticas públicas de proteção ao bem estar desta população, uma vez que sua compreensão envolve diferentes atores e contextos - os acolhidos, os familiares/responsáveis e a própria instituição. O presente estudo teve como objetivo compreender o processo de RF de cinco adolescentes em situação de rua, um representante de suas famílias e um representante da instituição onde foi acolhido. Entrevistas semi-estruturadas com cada um dos participantes foram realizadas ao longo de três momentos de coleta de dados (no mês que antecedeu a saída da instituição, um mês e seis meses após a saída da instituição) e submetidas à Análise de Conteúdo. Verificou-se que as expectativas e os sentimentos dos adolescentes no momento que antecede a saída da instituição tende a ser mais positiva que a dos seus familiares; e que entre os momentos de coleta de dados, os adolescentes circularam entre diferentes espaços (casa de familiares e instituições de acolhimento). Os fatores relacionados às transições ecológicas durante a RF foram: as vulnerabilidades dos adolescentes (drogas e comportamentos), as vulnerabilidades dos familiares (drogas, moradias nas ruas, conflitos intrafamiliares e dificuldades financeiras), assim como o papel de suporte oferecido pelas instituições de acolhimento e por pessoas da família, como as avós e irmãos. Conclui-se ressaltando: (1) a necessidade de intervenções que estejam direcionadas ao contexto familiar e comunitário, visando o verdadeiro sucesso da RF; e (2) a relevância de uma visão sistêmica e contextual, explanada no modelo bioecológico do desenvolvimento humano acerca da RF, a qual deve considerar os marcos legais que regulam o acolhimento institucional, as normas de funcionamento das instituições, as características dos adolescentes e as condições familiares. Palavras-chave: reinserção familiar, institucionalização, abrigo, situação de rua, adolescentes, família.

The fullerene molecule belongs to the so-called super materials. The compound is interesting due to its spherical configuration where atoms occupy positions forming a mechanically stable structure. We first demonstrate that pollen of Hibiscus rosa-sinensis has a strong symmetry regarding the distribution of its spines over the spherical grain. These spines form spherical hexagons and pentagons. The distance between atoms in fullerene is explained applying principles of flat, spherical, and spatial geometry, based on Euclid’s “Elements” book, as well as logic algorithms. Measurements of the pollen grain take into account that the true spine lengths, and consequently the real distances between them, are measured to the periphery of each grain. Algorithms are developed to recover the spatial effects lost in 2D photos. There is a clear correspondence between the position of atoms in the fullerene molecule and the position of spines in the pollen grain. In the fullerene the separation gives the idea of equal length bonds which implies perfectly distributed electron clouds while in the pollen grain we suggest that the spines being equally spaced carry an electrical charge originating in forces involved in the pollination process.

To determine the level of implementation of an inpatient personalized nursing care model in four hospitals of the Andalusian Health Service, and to determine if there is an association between this model and the perception of trust in the nurse by the patient.An observational cross-sectional study included the patients discharged during a period of 12 months from hospital wards that used the Inpatient Personalized Nursing Care Model of the Andalusian Health Service (based on Primary Nursing Model). The level of implemention was evaluated using the Nursing Care Personalized Index (IPC), made by «patient report» methodology, and the nurse-patient trust relationship was evaluated at the same time as the IPC. Statistical analysis included descriptive data analysis, Chi-squared test, and bivariate and multivariate logistic regression, with and without stratifying by hospitals wards.A total of 817 patient were included. The implementation of the inpatient personalized nursing care model varied between 61 and 79%. The IPC values showed a strong association with the nurse-patient trust relationship, and that for each point increase in the IPC score, the probability of a nurse-patient trust relationship increased between 50 and 130% (0.12r20.58).The implementation of a personalized nursing care model in the wards studied was higher in the surgicals wards and at regular level in medical wards. Furthermore, the influence of the inpatient personalized nursing care model on the nurse-patient trust relationship has been demonstrated using the IPC model. This trust is the main component for the establishment of a therapeutic relationship.

In the present work we demonstrate the ultrasound assisted synthesis of gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) in an ecofriendly manner using Calothrix algae. The production of the AuNPs in the reaction mixture is significantly accelerated by inducing ultrasound irradiation. The optical property, size distribution, morphology and crystalline phase of the AuNPs were determined by visual, UV–vis spectroscopy, dynamic light scattering, transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and x-ray diffraction (XRD) technique. The appearance of a light pink color at λ max = 550 nm indicated the synthesis of AuNPs. TEM images showed the formation of anisotropic AuNPs with predominant truncated shape and particles are in the range of 30–120 nm. The XRD spectrum of the AuNPs exhibited a Bragg reflections peak at 38.23°, corresponding to elemental gold. Further, AuNPs showed significant catalytic efficiency (rate constant, k = 0.072 4752 min−1) in reducing 4-nitrophenol (2 mM) to 4-aminophenol. The advantage of using ultrasound relates to the ecofriendly and rapid synthesis of AuNPs and various biotechnological applications were suggested.

This paper presents the initial implementation of an automated image analysis technique based on the two dimensional Hurst operator to detect edges and characterizing texture and distribution information from nanoparticle images. Initial results using this technique are shown for both nearly spherical and more irregularly shaped particles. Although limited experimentation, this technique proves to be very promising and with further refinements may provide a useful tool for nanoparticle research.

The prevalence of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is now 25% in the general population but increases to more than 55% in subjects with obesity and/or type 2 diabetes. Simple steatosis (NAFL) can develop into more severe forms, that is non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma leading to death.In this narrative review, we have discussed the current knowledge in the pathophysiology of fatty liver disease, including both metabolic and non-metabolic factors, insulin resistance, mitochondrial function, as well as the markers of liver damage, giving attention to the alterations in lipid metabolism and production of lipotoxic lipids.Insulin resistance, particularly in the adipose tissue, is the main driver of NAFLD due to the excess release of fatty acids. Lipidome analyses have shown that several lipids, including DAGs and ceramides, and especially if they contain saturated lipids, act as bioactive compounds, toxic to the cells. Lipids can also affect mitochondrial function. Not only lipids, but also amino acid metabolism is impaired in NAFL/NASH, and some amino acids, as branched-chain and aromatic amino acids, glutamate, serine and glycine, have been linked to impaired metabolism, insulin resistance and severity of NAFLD and serine is a precursor of ceramides.The measurement of lipotoxic species and adipose tissue dysfunction can help to identify individuals at risk of progression to NASH.