Search

Eight different coordination polymers (CPs) of Co2+ and Zn2+ ions with rigid polycarboxylate ligands (fumaric acid (fum) and 2,5-dihydroxyterephalic acid (dhbdc)) have been synthesized using the same solvents, stoichiometry, and counterion but two different synthetic methods: liquid–liquid diffusion method–method A and pH control method–method B. The synthesis using method A resulted in four novel CPs: trans-Co(dmso)2(H2O)2(fum)]n (1), [trans-Zn(dmso)2(H2O)2(fum)]n (2), trans-Co(dmso)2(H2O)2(dhbdc)]n (3), and [trans-Zn(dmso)2(H2O)2(dhbdc)]n (4). Synthesis using method B resulted in one new ([Zn(fum)(OH)2] (6)) and three previously described CPs ([Co3(H2O)4(OH)2(fum)2]·2H2O (5), [Co2(dobdc)] (7), and [Zn2(dobdc)] (8), where dobdc = 2,5-dioxyterephtalic acid). The new CPs (1–4) were also structurally investigated by single-crystal X-ray diffraction techniques, which showed that all of them form one-dimensional (1D) CPs with linear chain structure: it was evidenced that (1) and (3) are isomorphus crystals of...

Chlortalidone (CTD) is a diuretic drug largely used as part of antihypertensive therapies. It is marketed as an equimolar mixture of its enantiomers in the racemic crystal phase named Form I, despite of the higher aqueous solubility of another crystal form. The latter, named Form II, was thought to contain both enantiomers as a racemic conglomerate, i.e., in the form of a mixture of crystals, half of which consists solely of the (R)-enantiomer, the other half the (S)-enantiomer. The occurrence of both enantiomers in individual crystals of CTD Form II was demonstrated in this study. Spontaneous resolution does really occur upon crystallization, as presumed previously even without physical evidence of the (S)-enantiomer. Both (R) and (S)-enantiomers were successfully identified as two domains of a twinned by inversion single crystal of CTD Form II. A reliable Flack parameter of 0.14(4) allowed to determine the proportion of the enantiomers in the crystal, which is formed with 86% of the (R)-enantiomer and 14% of the (S)-enantiomer.

Ethnopharmacological relevance Species Cissus gongylodes has been used in the traditional medicine in South America and India for the treatment of urolithiasis, biliary and inflammatory problems without any scientific evidence. Aim of the study: This work was developed to investigate for the first time the anti-inflammatory and anti-urolithiatic activities of leaf decoction of C. gongylodes. Materials and methods Decoction was subjected to anti-inflammatory evaluation by the in vivo assay of ear oedema and quantification of the main mediators of inflammation PGE2 and LTB4, and the cytokine TNF-α. The decoction's anti-urolithiatic activity was determined by different in vitro assays to evaluate the inhibition and dissolution of the most prevalent types of kidney stones: calcium oxalate (CaOx) and struvite. Diffusion in gel technique and fresh urine of a patient with renal stone were used to investigate the inhibition and dissolution of CaOx, respectively, and the single diffusion gel growth technique was used to evaluate the inhibition and dissolution of struvite crystals. The decoction was chemically characterized by UHPLC-ESI-HRMS analysis. Results Decoction showed in vivo anti-inflammatory activity by potent decreasing the level of both the main mediators of inflammation and dose-dependent in vitro anti-urolithiatic action by inhibition and dissolution of both type of crystals, CaOx and struvite. Conclusions Results obtained corroborate the reports of the traditional use of the decoction of Cissus gongylodes. Besides, it showed multi-target mechanisms actions, inhibition of the main inflammatory pathways, and inhibition/dissolution of the most prevalent types of crystals on urolithiasis. These actions make the decoction a promissory source to the development of new and more efficient drugs.

This paper presents a driver using switched capacitor to feed an LED tubular lamp. Generally, the switched capacitor gain is given by the topology, not by the duty cycle. The proposed converter regulates the output voltage by adjusting the duty cycle, what simplifies the system. This paper presents the operation stages, the design procedure, simulation and experimental results. The load is an LED tube lamp of 120 cm long, feed with 450 mA (23 W), and the input voltage is 220 VRMS, 60 Hz. Simulation and experimental results of the proposed topology are presented.

Background Over the last few decades, patients have increasingly been searching for health information on the Internet. This aspect of information seeking is important, especially for people affected by chronic pathologies and require lifelong treatment and management. These people are usually very well informed about the disease but are nonetheless vulnerable to hopes of being cured or saved, often amplified by misinformation, myths, legends, and therapies that are not always scientifically proven. Many studies suggest that some individuals prefer to rely on the Internet as their main source of information, often hindering the patient-doctor relationship. A professional approach is imperative to maintain confidentiality, honesty, and trust in the medical profession. Objective we aimed to examine, in a medically supervised Italian web community (SMsocialnetwotk.com) dedicated to people with Multiple Sclerosis (pwMS), the posts shared by users and to verify the reliability of contents of posts shared by users pinpointed as Influencers through an online questionnaire. Methods we grouped the posts published on SMsocialnetwork from April to June 2015 into those with medical content (scientifically correct or fake news), and those related to social interactions. Later, we gave a questionnaire to the community asking to identify the three users/Influencers providing the most reliable advice for everyday life with MS and the three users/Influencers providing the most useful information about MS treatments. Results 308 posts reported scientific and relevant medical information, whereas 72 posts included pieces of fake news. 1420 posts were of general interest. Four out of the 6 Influencers had written only posts with correct medical information (3 were pwMS, 1 was a Neurologist) and never any fake news. The remaining 2 appointed Influencers (2 pwMS) had written only posts about general interests. Conclusion the identification of fake news and their authors has shown that the latter are never appointed as Influencers. SMsocialnetwork.com acted as a “web safe environment” where the Influencers contributed by sharing only correct medical information and never fake news. We speculate that the presence of neurologists and psychologists supervising the information flow might have contributed to reduce the risk of fake news spreading and to avoid their acquisition of authoritative meaning.

The Brief Repeatable Battery of Neuropsychological Tests (BRB) is frequently used to estimate cognitive function in adults with multiple sclerosis (MS), while it has been included in few studies on young MS, also because of the absence of normative values. We aim to evaluate the impact of age, gender, and education on BRB scores in a young adolescent population. We administered the BRB to 76, 14-to-17-year-old, healthy subjects. Linear regression models were used to assess the impact of age, gender, and education on sub-test scores. When statistically significant (p

AIMS To perform a comparative evaluation of Valsalva maneuver techniques, in an attempt to identify the most suitable one for achieving leak point pressure (LPP) during the cystometric phase of the urodynamic study (UDS), in order to propose a method for technical standardization. METHODS Urodynamic data from women with stress urinary incontinence at three urogynecological medical centers were randomly selected and prospectively analyzed. Valsalva maneuver was executed through forceful attempted exhalation against the dorsal surface of the hand (Group 1), through abdominal strain (Group 2), or through low-elasticity latex balloon-blowing (Group 3). Patients were classified based on age and higher vesical pressure value, as well as time to perform Valsalva maneuver. RESULTS Initially, 1358 urodynamic studies were identified as eligible for analysis. Among these, 340 belonged to Group 1, 318 to Group 2, and 700 to Group 3. Valsalva maneuver accomplished through abdominal straining was more effective, inducing increased vesical pressure, across age groups. The same maneuver may be sustained for longer than the other two techniques. CONCLUSION When performed through abdominal strain, the Valsalva maneuver was more effective for stress urinary incontinence urodynamic's investigation.

The quick determination of natural radionuclides is very important in emergency situations, supporting decisions of environmental contamination prevention. A quick methodology for determination of the 226Ra was applied in water samples and the results were compared to those obtained by the conventional method. The technique is based on the microprecipitation of radio barium sulfate and subsequent quantification of 226Ra by alpha spectrometry. The procedure used presented high chemical recoveries and good sensitivity. The main advantage is to obtain the results in 3 days.

When dealing with species where local information on distribution and habitat preferences is insufficient or lacking (data poor), it is challenging for managers to determine effective measures for conservation. The purpose of this paper was to identify trends in habitat preference for a data-deficient seahorse species, Hippocampus reidi in northeastern Brazil. This is also the first study to use mixed-effect models to compare multiple datasets at a regional level for any seahorse species. Generalized linear mixed-effects models determined that shallow depths, warm temperatures and the number of holdfasts were the most important habitat variables in predicting seahorse presence in tropical estuaries. A log-likelihood ratio *G test found no difference between the proportion of adults and juveniles using various holdfasts, although adults used a greater diversity of holdfasts. The lack of difference in adult and juvenile habitat suggests either that H. reidi may not experience ontogenetic shifts in habitat or that habitat is not determining the distribution patterns of adults and juveniles within estuaries. Alternatively, habitat preference may be coupled with other factors to drive seahorse distribution within estuaries. Due to estuary importance in providing holdfast diversity and other conditions to seahorse use, conservation and management for H. reidi should also consider appropriate protection of estuarine areas, thus safeguarding habitat for both juveniles and adults.

The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of pepsin hydrolysates of whey protein isolate (WPI) on vascular relaxation and emulsifying capacity. WPI was subjected to pepsin hydrolysis for 5 h. The chromatographic profiles of the samples showed the formation of a wide variety of peptides. Addition of WPI hydrolysates in phenylephrine-contracted rat aortic rings induced a similar concentration-dependent relaxation in both endothelium-intact and endothelium-denuded preparations. In endothelium-denuded vessels the maximum relaxation induced by WPI fractions increased along the time, reaching over 70% after 3 h-hydrolysis on. In addition, the vascular relaxation was not associated with an inhibition of the angiotensin-converting enzyme or activation of K + channels. Hydrolysed fractions were further evaluated for the emulsifying capacity (EC) and all tested fractions were able to keep an EC over 60%. These results reinforce the potential of WPI pepsin-hydrolysates as an option in the search for dual function peptides from whey proteins.

This study determined the concentrations of 234U, 235U, 238U, 228Th, 230Th, 232Th, 226Ra, 228Ra, and 210Pb in 82 types of food, grouped into 19 groups according to the Brazilian Total Diet, which reflects the dietary habits of the Sao Paulo State population. Radionuclides were quantified using Ultra low level alpha and beta total counting, and alpha spectrometry, after radiochemical separations. The results of this preliminary work showed that the food groups analyzed gave a consumption of effective dose lower than the dose limit for the public, of 1 mSv year−1.

This paper presents a driver to feed an LED tubular lamp using a switched capacitor converter. Usually the gain of switched capacitor converters is given by the topology, not by the duty cycle, but the presented converter can regulate the output voltage by adjusting the duty cycle, what simplifies the system. This paper presents the operation steps, the project, simulation and experimental results. The load is an LED tube lamp of 120 cm long, feed with 450 mA (23 W), and the input voltage is 220 Vrms, 60 Hz. The converter was simulated and experimental results are presented.

Latin America (LA) has a population of ∼645 million people distributed over 33 countries with marked political, cultural and economic differences. In LA, patients with inherited neuromuscular diseases (NMDs) often do not have access to specialized medical centers and many of them go undiagnosed. General management and care of spinal muscular dystrophy (SMA) patients in the region varies due to heterogeneous health care. An active generation of young clinical neurologists is being trained for the specialized care of SMA and other neuromuscular (NM) patients, both in the private and public sectors. The Euro-Latin-American Summer School of Myology (EVELAM) as well as efforts of professionals at large public centers in the major cities of LA have a leading role in this development. Different regional academic-scientific organizations as well as the expanding number of telethon centers and the creation of parent organizations, mostly concerning SMA, all together are contributing to the increased quality of the management of NMD patients. Over the past years, academic and clinical research, as well as the establishment of qualified centers for the molecular testing of NMD are pushing forward the creation of patient registries and the development of specific clinical trials, with Argentina and Brazil having a major role in this field. Nevertheless, increased awareness and further training of specialized health professionals are necessary to reach patients that are currently lacking care throughout the region. Fil: Monges, Maria Rita. Gobierno de la Ciudad de Buenos Aires. Hospital de Pediatría "Juan P. Garrahan"; Argentina Fil: Rosa, Alberto Luis. Universidad Católica de Córdoba. Instituto de Investigaciones en Recursos Naturales y Sustentabilidad José Sanchez Labrador S. J. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Córdoba. Instituto de Investigaciones en Recursos Naturales y Sustentabilidad José Sanchez Labrador S. J.; Argentina

The objective of this study was to explore how low-income parents recall and describe childhood experiences with food insecurity. Little is known about how adults remember food insecurity experienced in childhood, yet there are potential implications for subsequent behavior including parents' willingness and ability to adopt recommended child feeding practices. To guide development of a measure of previous childhood food insecurity for research and screening purposes, we conducted interviews exploring parents' emic perspectives on these early life course experiences and reactions to potential survey items. A diverse group of 27 low-income mothers in New York State was interviewed in depth; data were coded and analyzed qualitatively for emergent themes. In recounting childhood memories, participants expressed strong emotions and strove to portray their parents positively, emphasizing that parents did their best to ensure that children "always had something to eat." Rather than dwell on food insecurity, participants preferred to share memories of family strategies to mitigate food shortages (e.g., asking relatives for money, "stretching" meals). Participants' memories of these strategies to increase food access and acceptability and adequacy of meals were summarized in a framework integrating key themes. The emotional salience of childhood food insecurity memories suggests that these experiences could have significant implications for parental adoption of child feeding recommendations and should be considered when designing nutrition interventions. Measurement challenges identified included adults' limited recall and awareness of food insecurity during childhood, stigma, and desire to portray parents positively. Qualitative analysis of rich, emic data on food insecurity experiences offered insights on the most relevant constructs to address in survey measures of this potential antecedent of current practices.

In traditional design of engineering systems, it is normally assumed the mean values of the physical and mechanical properties. However, in real-world applications it may not characterize with reasonable accuracy the modifications on the dynamic behavior of the resulting systems induced by small changes on their design variables. Thus, it is interesting to perform a stochastic modeling strategy in order to take into account the presence of uncertainties. However, the stochastic finite element modeling of a more complex engineering structure composed by a large number of degrees of freedom, or its use in dynamic analyses requiring several evaluations such as in optimization and model updating, the computational cost can be prohibited or sometimes unfeasible. In these situations, the proposition of condensation strategy especially adapted for the resulting stochastic systems is interesting. This paper is devoted to the investigation of a robust model condensation strategy to reduce the random matrices of the stochastic system. The basis to be used is formed by a nominal basis evaluated by performing firstly an eigenvalue problem of the mean model enriched by static residues due to the small modifications introduced. To illustrate the main features and capabilities of the proposed strategy, numerical simulations were performed for a plate model in which the stochastic mass and stiffness matrices were generated by applying the so-called Karhunen-Loève expansion. The stochastic results are presented in terms frequency response function envelopes for the full and reduced stochastic dynamic systems subjected to a deterministic excitation. Keywords: Parametric uncertainties, robust condensation, stochastic finite elements method, dynamics.

Chemotherapy is indicated for patients with metastatic malignancy in order to improve quality of life and in some cases to increase survival. However, the greatest difficulty regarding the choice of treatment is to evaluate the clinical benefit and intrinsic toxicity of each procedure. The best strategy is the integration between oncology and palliative care, which is still mostly insufficient. The main objective of this study was to assess time to palliative care referral for cancer patients with advanced local or metastatic disease and to investigate the impact of covariates on this relationship. A retrospective, cross-sectional, observational pilot study was conducted on 286 patients divided into two groups, one consisting of metastatic patients and the other of non-metastatic patients at diagnosis. Karnofsky Performance Scale (KPS), setting, and survival time were evaluated. One hundred eighteen patients (41.25%) were metastatic and 168 (58.74%) had locally advanced malignant disease. The median time of metastatic patient referral to the group of palliative care (GPC) was 5.3 months, with 39.8% referred earlier and 60.2% referred late (≥3 months). 60.2% of metastatic patients were referred to the GPC with a KPS

Poor medication adherence among patients with chronic diseases can result in complications and increased health care expenditures. An outpatient pharmacy clinical service (OPCS) program targeted nonadherent diabetes mellitus (DM) and/or coronary artery disease (CAD) patients with hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) and/or low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) outside clinical goals. Pharmacists engaged identified patients with a face-to-face B-SMART consult, a consultation methodology to identify Barriers to medication adherence, work on Solutions to identified barriers, Motivate patients, recommend Adherence tools, reinforce the pharmacist-patient Relationship, and Triage if needed, to other services such as health education to improve outcomes. To (a) assess rates of medication adherence and clinical outcomes in the OPCS program compared with usual care in an integrated health care system and (b) estimate return-on-investment (ROI) from this intervention. This retrospective cohort study used data from the Kaiser Permanente Southern California region to identify patients who received OPCS consultations and usual care patients from March 2009 through December 2010, with 1 year of follow-up from the initial consult (index date). Four patients from usual care were matched to each patient in the OPCS program and were assigned the same index date as the matching OPCS patient. Additional selection criteria were applied after matching. All patients were required to have a medication possession ratio (MPR) of less than 0.80 for their diabetes or dyslipidemia oral medications 1 year prior to the index date, indicating lower adherence to the prescribed therapy. Diabetic patients or dyslipidemic patients had to have a HbA1c or LDL-C lab result outside of clinical goals prior to the index date to be included in the study, respectively. Adherence outcomes as well as clinical outcomes were measured 12 months after the index date using chi-square tests for differences in percentages and t-tests for differences in means. The ROI was based on a cost-avoidance model that compared the cost of the OPCS program with the cost savings gained through reduced hospitalizations and emergency department (ED) visits. The diabetes and dyslipidemia cohorts were combined for the ROI analysis.Demographic and clinical characteristics at baseline were similar between the OPCS group (n = 1,480) and usual care group (n = 1,477). Among patients with diabetes, a higher percentage in the OPCS group than in the usual care group were adherent with their diabetes medications (53.5% vs. 37.4%, P = 0.001). There was no significant difference in average MPR between groups. However, patients in the OPCS group had a greater increase in mean MPR (0.19 vs. 0.15, P = 0.024); were less likely to discontinue taking their diabetes medications (11.7% vs. 35.5%, P = 0.001); and were more likely to have a timely first fill after the index date (34.8% vs. 12.9%, P = 0.001). The average number of days to the first fill after the index date was significantly shorter for the OPCS group (79.3 vs. 156.3, P = 0.001). Regarding clinical outcomes, patients with diabetes in the OPCS group had a lower mean HbA1c (8.48 vs. 8.80, P = 0.024) and a greater reduction in HbA1c (-1.25 vs. -0.75, P = 0.001) than in the usual care group. They were also less likely to have an ED visit (1.67% vs. 4.21%, P = 0.040), but there was no significant difference in the percentage of patients with a hospital admission. Among patients with dyslipidemia, the mean MPR was significantly lower for the OPCS group than the usual care group (0.70 vs. 0.74, P = 0.003). There were no significant differences in the percentage of adherent patients or the change in mean MPR from baseline. However, the OPCS group was significantly less likely to discontinue dyslipidemia medications (21.1% vs. 35.4%, P less than 0.001) and more likely to have a timely fill (28.3% vs. 15.1%, P less than 0.001). The average days to first fill after the index date was 106.9 for the OPCS group, compared with 162.6 for the usual care group (P less than 0.001). The OPCS group had a lower mean LDL-C (105.1 vs. 110.4, P = 0.001) and a greater reduction in LDL-C (-30.5 vs. -22.4, P = 0.001) than the usual care group. There were no significant differences in the percentage of patients with an ED visit or a hospital admission. In terms of ROI, assuming that 58% of hospitalizations and 8.5% of ED visits incurred in the usual care group were avoidable, approximately $5.79 could be saved for every dollar spent on the OPCS program. By engaging nonadherent patients to restart their DM or lipid medications during a face-to-face consult, the OPCS pharmacist was able to influence and improve medication adherence and clinical outcomes, particularly among patients with diabetes. A positive ROI was demonstrated.

Doxycycline (DOX) is a tetracycline class drug that is used worldwide as a broad-spectrum antibiotic. Although its clinical importance and use have been known since the 1960s, only four crystal forms have been reported until now. These are doxycycline hyclate (DOX.HYC), which is a hydrochloride salt hemiethanolate-hemihydrate; its isomorphous hydrobromide, hydrochloride salt dihydrate (DOX·HCl·2H2O); and doxycycline monohydrate (DOX·H2O). Here we report the preparation of two new multicomponent molecular crystal forms of doxycycline and their crystal structure determination along with their melting temperature, aqueous solubility, and time-dependent dissolution profile. These crystal forms are a hydronitrate salt hemihydrate (DOX·HNO3·0.5H2O) and an acetic acid solvate dihydrate (DOX·HAc·2H2O). The two new doxycycline crystal forms were compared with known forms, including DOX·HCl·2H2O, the structure of which was redetermined in this work. The structural variability of the protonation patterns, tautomeris...

Seahorses are known to produce sounds in different behavioural contexts, but information on the sound production in this fish group is scarce. Here we examined the acoustic behaviour of the longsnout seahorse Hippocampus reidi by analysing sound production when fish were introduced to a new environment and during feeding, handling and courtship. We show that males and females produce two distinct sound types: ‘clicks’ (main energy between 50 and 800 Hz) during feeding and courtship, and previously undescribed ‘growls’ (main energy concentrated below 200 Hz). The latter consists of series of sound pulses uttered in stress situations when the animals were handheld. Growls were accompanied by body vibrations, and may constitute an additional escape mechanism in seahorses, which might startle predators. During reproductive behaviour, clicks were most abundant on the third (last) day of courtship; they were particularly associated with the males’ pouch-pumping behaviour, suggesting synchronization between sound production and courtship behaviour. This is consistent with the biology of Hippocampus species, which are mostly monogamous and form pair bonds. Thus, a courtship call may be used to signal readiness to mate.

The construct of familismo has been identified as a potential protective cultural value in Hispanic cultures. This paper considers familismo and alcohol use among young people in Mexico. We conducted a qualitative study using ethnographic open ended interviews with 117 first year students at a large free public university in Mexico City between April-May 2011. The findings indicate that dimensions of familismo can act as protective factors against misuse of alcohol among Mexican youths and may be protective for moderate drinking. Future research should explore the relationship of familismo to gender roles and other cultural values during adolescence. Given the enduring influence of Mexican cultural values among Mexican Americans the research has implications for prevention programs for both Mexican and Mexican American youths.

Parental monitoring has been described as a protective factor and useful strategy to prevent substance misuse among youths. The aims of this study were to examine whether perceived parental monitoring influences frequency of alcohol use, age of drinking onset and risky drinking among entering public high school and university students in Mexico City. The study is a cross-sectional survey of entering first year students in the high school and university school system of a large public university in Mexico City conducted during registration at the beginning of the school year. In 2008, of 34,840 students accepted to the affiliated high schools, 28,996 students (51.8% female) completed the alcohol survey and of 37,683 students accepted into university 30,084 students (51.5% female) completed the alcohol survey. The findings suggest that compared to students with higher perceived parental monitoring those reporting lower perceived parental monitoring were more likely to report risky behavior. They were more likely to be ever drinkers, frequent drinkers, have earlier age of onset and high AUDIT scores. Overall, higher parental monitoring was strongly associated with being female and lower parental monitoring with being male. Our findings suggest that more research on parental monitoring as a protective strategy against alcohol misuse is needed. Research focusing on cultural factors including gender and age-related norms and familismo would increase knowledge of the association of parental monitoring and alcohol use among Mexican youths, Mexican American youths and potentially youths from other Hispanic backgrounds.

Power utilities currently face challenges to provide energy considering minimum requirements for power quality and reliability. Control and monitoring of aging assets to meet a growing demand are reasons for such difficulties. Voltage control and reactive power management (Volt/VAr) are automation techniques that can be effectively used in distribution systems. These practices lead to benefits such as improvement in reliability and efficiency, minimization of operation and maintenance costs, among others. In the present study a methodology of decentralized Volt/VAr control (VVC) was developed through an optimization problem in which Genetic Algorithms (GA) are used to find an optimum solution, through the coordination and control of on load tap changers (OLTCs) in power transformers, capacitors banks and voltage regulators placed along the feeders. The proposed algorithms are implemented on a 22 bus power distribution test system.

Aims This study aimed to examine alcohol, tobacco or marijuana use onset and associations between age of onset and current use, and between age of onset and current polysubstance use among a sample of Mexican young people aged 17-20 years. Methods Alcohol, tobacco, marijuana and other substance use were identified in a 2012 cross-sectional survey of male and female students entering first year university in Mexico City. Chi-square tests and logistic regression models examined associations between gender, age of onset, order of onset, family substance use and current polysubstance use among 22,224 students. Results The largest proportions of males and females initiated alcohol at age 15, tobacco at ages 15-16 and marijuana at ages 16-17. Earlier alcohol and tobacco initiation was associated with past 30-day use of the same substance. Gender differences in alcohol and tobacco use were small but males were significantly more likely than females to use marijuana and be polysubstance users. Family substance use was associated with earlier onset. There was a significant association between the earliest age of any of the three substances and current polysubstance use. Conclusions A number of contextual and cultural factors in Mexico may be contributing to early onset, continued use and polysubstance use and deserve attention in research and by prevention programs.

The ability of Biosilicate® with two crystalline phases (BioS-2P) to drive osteoblast differentiation encourages the investigation of the cellular mechanisms involved in this process. Then, the aim of our study was to analyze the large-scale gene expression of osteoblasts grown on BioS-2P compared with Bioglass

Patients with psoriasis show a greater prevalence of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and metabolic syndrome than the general population. Moreover, patients with NAFLD and psoriasis are at higher risk of severe liver fibrosis than their counterparts with NAFLD and without psoriasis. The link between these three pathological conditions is a chronic low-grade inflammatory status. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the effect of etanercept versus psoralen and UVA (PUVA) therapy on the hepatic fibrosis risk in patients with psoriasis, metabolic syndrome, and NAFLD (with NAFLD diagnosed by ultrasonography). Eighty-nine patients with chronic moderate-to-severe plaque-type psoriasis, metabolic syndrome, and NAFLD received etanercept or PUVA treatment. The two groups of patients were compared for anthropometric variables (body mass index and waist/hip ratio), lipid profile, glucose homeostasis, inflammatory status, risk of hepatic fibrosis, and ultrasonographic aspect of the liver, both at baseline (time [T] 0) and after 24 weeks of treatment (T24). After 24 weeks of treatment, only in the group receiving etanercept, we detected significant reductions (p

Religious beliefs and practices have long influenced human perceptions and uses of nature. Animals in particular play a prominent role in magico-religious practices and given the historical and cultural depth of these relationships, understanding human-faunal relations is often fundamental to the cause of meaningful wildlife conservation. This study investigates the domestic and wild harvested species used for spiritual and religious purposes by adherents of the Afro-Brazilian religion Candomble. Introduced by enslaved Africans, this belief system combines animal and plant traditions derived from Africa with many others assimilated from Amerindians. We identified a total of 129 species of animals (or animal derived products) used and/or sold for magico-religious purposes; of these, 34. 8 % (n = 45) are included in some list of threatened species. Most animals reported were mammals (n = 29), followed by mollusks (20), fishes (19), birds (18) and reptiles (16); the majority (78 %) of reported species were wild-caught from terrestrial habitats (62 %), followed by marine and estuarine (24 %), and freshwater (14 %). We identified an extensive commercial network of collectors, middlemen/distributors, shop owners, and consumers. Rarity of a given species was often positively associated with economic value. Considering the ubiquity and underground nature of these practices, future conservation strategists are encouraged to work with Candomble practitioners.

The active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) doxycycline (DOX) is a broad-spectrum antibiotic mainly used in the treatment of respiratory and urinary tract infections and, like many drugs, its efficacy may be affected by the crystal form. Up to now, only the crystal structure of doxycycline hyclate (DOX·HYC) (generic name of brand names such as DORYX®, PERIOSTAT®, ATRIDOX®, and VIBRAMYCIN®) has been reported. This study presents the single-crystal X-ray diffractometry structural characterisation of another crystal form, doxycycline monohydrate (DOX·H2O) (generic name of brand names such as MONODOX® and ORACEA®). The DOX·H2O structure was compared with the known DOX·HYC one in terms of intra- and intermolecular geometries, and their melting temperature, water solubility and dissolution rate were measured. These data allowed us to establish relationships between solid state properties related to the pharmaceutical performance of the two DOX crystal variants and their supramolecular structures for the first time. Both hyclate and monohydrate forms crystallise the DOX molecules as zwitterions in which their dimethylamine groups are protonated and one of their hydroxyl groups is deprotonated. Whereas two conformers were observed in the DOX·HYC (i.e., the amine group is next to the enolate in one of them (T1) and beside the carbonyl in the other one (T2)), only one (T2) was found in DOX·H2O. Additionally, in the hyclate form, the presence of ethanol in the crystal lattice could be related to a rotation around the C–C bond of the amide group, directing the oxygen toward the amine group in one (T1) of the two conformers present in this solid state phase. Meanwhile, in the other crystallographically independent molecule (T2), the amide nitrogen is on the same side as the amine. However, only the conformer similar to T1 in DOX·HYC was observed in DOX·H2O. The crystal packing of DOX·H2O was stabilised by several intermolecular hydrogen bonds, with each drug entity interacting with another two DOX and three water molecules in such a way that a compact supramolecular network was formed. This structure was saturated in terms of hydrogen bonding, which could be related to its lower solubility and dissolution rate relative to DOX·HYC.

The hot carrier and ionizing radiation responses of 45-nm SOI RF nMOSFETs are investigated. Devices with “tight” source/drain (S/D) contact spacing have improved RF performance but degraded hot carrier reliability and radiation tolerance. Devices with “loose” gate finger-to-gate finger spacing have improved RF performance and also improved hot carrier and radiation tolerance. The effects of finger width on the hot carrier stress and ionizing radiation degradation of strained silicon-on-insulator RF MOSFETs are also investigated. Enhanced degradation is observed for devices with wide finger widths and is attributed to the greater channel-region mechanical stress induced impact ionization. This result is contrary to the previous studies which showed that narrow channel width devices should exhibit greater damage. Taken together, these results have serious consequences for RF circuits that require large widths for sufficient RF gain. Finally, devices with symmetric halo doping are observed to exhibit greater total-dose degradation than devices with asymmetric halo doping.

Seahorses (Hippocampus spp.) are globally threatened by overexploitation and habitat destruction; they are also regarded as susceptible to heavy exploitation due to some of their life-history traits. From an economic perspective, they are fishes with high monetary value and marketability. Seahorses are now listed in Appendix II of CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora), to ensure that the international trade is not detrimental to the survival of wild populations; the effectiveness evaluation of these international controls needs comparable monitoring data, including evaluation of spatial and temporal trends. This study assesses the seahorse trade in Brazil, aiming to detect trends in catch levels, volumes and prices. Our main findings were: the dried trade was unregulated, without formal records, and primarily domestic, although records of unreported exports existed; it was primarily sustained by incidental captures in trawl nets. The live seahorse trade was mainly destined for exports, and regulated through national quotas. Between 2002 and 2009, mean prices for dried seahorses ranged from US$1.06 ± 0.46 (level 1 traders) to US$2.78 ± 0.68 (end-sellers) each, while mean prices for each live seahorse traded on the domestic market (1997–2009) ranged from US$1.13 ± 0.02 (level 1 traders) to US$10.08 ± 1.71 (retailers). Mean declared export price (2006–2008) was 15.57 ± 10.87. Enhanced implementation of the CITES listing in Brazil will require further research, and additional measures to address both direct and indirect fishing pressure on seahorse populations.

This paper presents a hybrid technique based on software signatures and a hardware module with watchdog and decoder characteristics to detect SEU and SET faults in microprocessors. These types of faults have a major influence in the microprocessor's control-flow, affecting the basic blocks and the transitions between them. In order to protect the transitions between basic blocks a light hardware module is implemented in order to spoof the data exchanged between the microprocessor and its memory. Since the hardware alone is not capable of detecting errors inside the basic blocks, it is enhanced to support the new technique and then provide full control-flow protection. A fault injection campaign is performed using a MIPS microprocessor. Simulation results show high detection rates with a small amount of performance degradation and area overhead.

Summary In view of the limited protection against tuberculosis, especially the infectious forms of pulmonary tuberculosis, afforded by Bacille Calmette-Guerin (BCG) vaccination, attempts are being made to develop more effective alternatives. Many of these attempts are based on the classical strategy of selecting ‘protective' epitopes of Mycobacterium tuberculosis to induce immune responses in the vaccinated host. Such strategies, which in the past have been applied very effectively for the prevention of many acute infectious diseases, may not be relevant for a chronic disease in which both pathogen and host have co-evolved so that the majority of infected individuals remain asymptomatic, albeit latently infected, and in which inappropriate, dysregulated, patterns of immune reactivity predispose to, and maintain, the long-term pathological processes in a minority of symptomatic diseased individuals. While immune responses against the causative pathogen are of doubtless importance in the mediation of protection in the asymptomatic majority, we postulate that it is equally, or more, significant for public health to induce the required protective pattern of immune reactivity by immunotherapy in the diseased minority.

This paper presents the results of the first field study of the Brazilian endemic damselfish Stegastes rocasensis. Underwater data were collected at the Fernando de Noronha Archipelago (NE Brazil), where four sites were visually assayed for local territorial and feeding behaviors, as well as habitat use. S. rocasensis preferentially fed on turf and macroalgae, and during the afternoon period. Its territory size ranged from 0.26 to 13.86 m2 (1.61 ± 0.23 m2). Our findings suggest that adults preferably inhabit shallow, turf-rich areas, while sub-adults and juveniles occupy deeper areas with higher percent cover of invertebrates and hard corals, respectively. With regards to agonistic behaviors, pursuit of intruders was the most frequent reaction recorded (p < 0.001); the highest level of aggression was elicited by territorial herbivores (p < 0.001). Nevertheless, analysis of attacks elicited by different fish species within S. rocasensis’ territory showed that more attacks were launched on conspecifics than on other fish species.

Brazil's high biological and sociocultural diversity (Elisabetsky and Wannmacher 1993; MM A 2003; Alves and Rosa 2007a) translates into a wealth of traditional knowledge and practices, including the use of animals for medicinal purposes. The extensive medicinal use of animal parts and products has been documented both in rural and urban areas (Alves and Dias 2010; Alves et al. 2007a, b, 2008a, b, 2009a, b, c, d, 2010a, b, c; Alves and Santana 2008; Alves and Rosa 2006, 2007a, b, 2008a, b; Ferreira et ai 2009a, b; Confessor et ai. 2009; Almeida and Albuquerque 2002; Silva et ai 2004; Figueiredo 1994), and is sustained by a thriving trade in medicinal animals conducted by herbalists in markets throughout Brazil (Freire 1996; Costa-Neto 1999; Almeida and Albuquerque 2002; Silva et al. 2004; Alves 2008, 2009; Alves et ai. 2008a; Ferreira et ai. 2009a; Oliveira et ai. 2010). An examination of this trade is important in order to increase our understanding of how it impacts wild populations, and to explore ways through which conservation and management initiatives can work with resource users. Nonetheless, information on the commercialization of animals used for medicinal purposes is scarce worldwide, and data on the animal species traded are limited.

Cerâmicas arqueológicas possuem uma infinidade de dados sobre a dinâmica social e cultural dos indígenas do sítio Caninhas, SP. A superfície de fratura apresenta gradiente de cor, do ocre ao cinza escuro, quando da superfície para o centro da peça. Este aspecto é decorrente dos gradientes de temperatura gerados durante a queima da peça cerâmica, de forma que na superfície a combustão dos compostos orgânicos é completa (coloração mais clara) e na parte interna é incompleta (coloração mais escura). Foram realizadas análises composicionais por difração de raios X e mapeamento por EDS, sendo identificadas as fases ilita, quartzo e lutecita (região ocre) e ilita, quartzo, alumina-hidratada e lutecita (região cinza escura). Os resultados de EDS confirmaram a presença dos elementos químicos das fases identificadas por difração de raios X. As análises microestruturais por microscopia óptica e eletrônica por varredura sugerem a presença de raízes e restos de cerâmicas sinterizadas nas peças indígenas. Os resultados de dureza Vickers mostraram o quanto frágeis e heterogêneas são as cerâmicas arqueológicas, alcançando aproximadamente 203 HV (grãos de sílica) e 16 HV (matriz cerâmica).Archaeological ceramics contain many data about social and cultural indigenous site Caninhas, SP, Brazil. The ceramics present a gradient of color (ochre to dark gray), when from the surface to the center of the piece. This behavior is associated with thermal gradients in ceramic pieces during the sintering process, resulting in a complete combustion of organic compounds at the piece surface (clear color) and incomplete burning inside the piece (dark color). Phase composition was analyzed by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and mapping by EDS, identifing the illite, quartz and lutecite phases (ochre region) and illite, quartz, hydrated alumina and lutecite phases (dark gray region). The results of EDS confirmed the chemical elements identified by X-ray diffraction. Optical microscopy and scanning electron microscopy analyses suggested the presence of roots and scrap of sintered pieces in indigenous ceramics. The Vickers hardness values showed the fragility and heterogeneity of archaeological ceramics, reaching approximately 203 HV in the grains of silica and 16 HV in the ceramic matrix.

Em 2005, um conjunto de entidades iniciou formalmente um processo através do Instituto Brasileiro do Meio Ambiente e dos Recursos Renováveis (IBAMA) para a criação de uma unidade de conservação de proteção integral englobando os estuários Camurupim/Cardoso e Timonha/Ubatuba, no Estado do Piauí. Entre as espécies-bandeira capazes de angariar apoio para a proteção dos referidos estuários, encontra-se o cavalo-marinho Hippocampus reidi, foco do presente trabalho. Os resultados do nosso estudo de um ano, na área em questão, mostraram a existência de uma população residente de H. reidi, encontrada em 19 habitats e com uma das mais altas densidades já reportadas para a espécie (0,04 ind/m²). Esta informação reforça a importância crucial de apoio adicional à proteção daqueles ambientes, que além de abrigar H. reidi, uma espécie listada como Deficiente de Dados pela União Internacional para a Conservação da Natureza (IUCN), é local de ocorrência da tataruga-de-couro (Dermochelys coriacea), espécie considerada Criticamente Ameaçada e o peixe-boi-marinho (Trichechus manatus manatus) uma espécie Vulnerável, de acordo com a Lista Vermelha das espécies ameaçadas da IUCN - 2008.

Sotalia fluviatilis (Gervais 1853) commonly known as the tucuxi is one of the least known cetacean species. The main threats that affect the species are directly related to habitat degradation and loss. The rivers and lakes in which freshwater cetaceans are found are subject to many, often intensive, human activities that have caused extensive habitat degradation and loss (WWF 2006). In Brazil, S. fluviatilis is associated with highly productive and eco nomically important ecosystems, such as mangroves, bays, and estuaries. This creates a number of situations for interactions between the species and activities related to artisanal fisheries, including incidental captures and com petition for common resources (Borobia 1989). The use of S. fluviatilis obtained from bycatch as food or bait has been amply recorded in Brazil (Siciliano 1994). Dolphins are the subject of numerous myths and legends in South America, and are an integral form of Amazonian folklore. People believe that a person who kills a pink river dolphin (Inia geofreensis) will not succeed in killing anything else afterwards, and will always be punished. There are also stories of dolphins taking paddles away from lone canoeists, and also of dolphins helping people whose boats have capsized by pushing them ashore. There are