VARICELLA-RELATED HOSPITALIZATIONS IN CHILDREN – CASE SERIES IN A SECONDARY HOSPITAL

Introdução: A varicela é uma doença infeciosa frequente na infância. Embora considerada geralmente uma doença benigna e autolimitada, pode cursar com complicações graves. O objetivo deste trabalho foi caracterizar os internamentos por varicela e suas complicações. Métodos: Análise retrospetiva dos processos clínicos das crianças com internamento no Serviço de Pediatria por varicela entre 01.01.2000 e 31.12.2012. Resultados: Foram internadas 105 crianças por varicela, nos 13 anos avaliados, com idades entre um dia e os dez anos (mediana: 22 meses), sendo 51,4% do género feminino. A maior incidência sazonal foi de Abril a Junho. Nenhuma criança tinha a vacina antivírus varicela-zoster. Complicações associadas à varicela foram o motivo de internamento mais frequente (76%), incluindo infeções cutâneas (56,8%), complicações respiratórias (14,8%) e neurológicas (14,8%). As restantes crianças foram internadas, pela presença de fatores de risco (idade, varicela congénita, imunossupressão) ou pela gravidade da sintomatologia. Efetuaram aciclovir 68 crianças (65%), das quais, 20 tinham iniciado terapêutica antes da hospitalização. A duração média do internamento foi de 4,5 dias. Foram transferidas três crianças para hospital terciário, uma por síndrome de pele escaldada, uma por otomastoidite com indicação cirúrgica e outra por pneumonia com derrame pleural. Uma criança com encefalite desenvolveu sequelas. Discussão: A varicela pode originar complicações graves sobretudo em crianças com fatores de risco. No período referido foi responsável por 0,7% dos internamentos. As complicações mais frequentes foram as cutâneas, o que está de acordo com outros estudos. Este trabalho permitiu rever as práticas do serviço, nomeadamente questionar critérios de internamento no grupo com fatores de risco, mas sem complicações da doença

The number sense of preservice elementary school teachers, two case studies

Esta comunicación pretende presentar algunas evidencias del trabajo de investigación que se lleva a cabo en el proyecto SNUMERO, del Núcleo de investigación y Desarrollo en Educación (NIDE) del Instituto Politécnico de Leiria. Se pretende caracterizar el sentido del número en los futuros profesores de 1.er ciclo de enseñanza básica, y percibir la forma en que planifican y llevan a cabo tareas en ese ámbito, en el contexto de la práctica pedagógica. En la construcción de casos se ha empleado una metodología cualitativa de naturaleza interpretativa. Se presentan los casos de dos futuras profesoras pertenecientes al mismo núcleo de práctica. Los resultados permiten apreciar que las futuras profesoras tienen diferentes niveles de desarrollo del sentido del número, aunque ambas planifican tareas muy pertinentes en ese ámbito. La exploración de esas tareas con los alumnos presenta, en los dos casos, características propias

Regulation of mRNA Export by the PI3 kinase / AKT Signal Transduction Pathway

UAP56, ALY/REF, and NXF1 are mRNA export factors that sequentially bind at the 5\u27 end of a nuclear mRNA, but are also reported to associate with the Exon Junction Complex (EJC). To screen for signal transduction pathways regulating mRNA export complex assembly we used Fluorescence Recovery after Photobleaching (FRAP) to measure the binding of mRNA export and EJC core proteins in nuclear complexes. The fraction of UAP56, ALY/REF, and NXF1 tightly bound in complexes was reduced by drug inhibition of the PI3 kinase / AKT pathway, as was the tightly bound fraction of the core EJC proteins eIF4A3, MAGOH, and Y14. Inhibition of the mTOR mTORC1 pathway decreased the tight binding of MAGOH. Inhibition of the PI3 Kinase/AKT pathway increased the export of poly(A) RNA and of a subset of candidate mRNAs. A similar effect of PI3 kinase/AKT inhibition was observed for mRNAs from both intron-containing and intron-less Histone genes. However, the nuclear export of mRNAs coding for proteins targeted to the Endoplasmic Reticulum or to Mitochondria was not affected by the PI3 kinase/AKT pathway. These results show that the active PI3 kinase/AKT pathway can regulate mRNA export and can promote the nuclear retention of some mRNAs

Development of Non-Linear Equations for Predicting Electrical Conductivity in Silicates

Electrical conductivity is of fundamental importance in electric arc furnaces (EAF) and the interaction of this phenomenon with the process slag results in energy losses and low optimization. As mathematical modeling helps in understanding the behavior of phenomena and it was used to predict the electrical conductivity of EAF slags through artificial neural networks. The best artificial neural network had 100 neurons in the hidden layer, with 6 predictor variables and the predicted variable, electrical conductivity. Mean absolute error and standard deviation of absolute error were calculated, and sensitivity analysis was performed to correlate the effect of each predictor variable with the predicted variable.Comment: 8 pages, 6 figures, 1 table (AISTech 2023 - Presented and Accepted

Diversification and species limits in scale-backed antbirds (Willisornis: Thamnophilidae), an Amazonian endemic lineage

The genus Willisornis is endemic to the Amazon Basin, inhabiting upland terra firme forest, with two species and seven subspecies currently recognized. Despite numerous systematic studies, a taxonomically-dense sampled phylogeny for Willisornis is still lacking, which, combined with evidence of paraphyly and gene flow between its recognized species, underscores the uncertainty concerning species limits and evolutionary history of the genus. Here we present phylogenies and population genetic analyses, including all currently recognized Willisornis taxa, relating them to patterns of plumage variation, and reconstructing the spatiotemporal context of diversification in the genus. Our analyses have uncovered 13 independent genetic lineages in the genus, and the monophyly of all currently named taxa, which also showed robust plumage diagnoses. However, deeply coalesced genetic lineages were also found within most Willisornis taxa, for which no consistent variation in plumage was found. The diversification of the genus Willisornis is related to hydrographic and climate change cycles across Amazonia since the Plio-Pleistocene, with most genetic lineages originating in the past one million years. Based on our findings, we recommend the recognition of a total of six species in Willisornis (one of which polytypic) based on the congruency between deeply coalesced lineages and consistent plumage diagnoses.Peer reviewe

Linear Modeling of the Glass Transition Temperature of the system SiO2-Na2O-CaO

This work aimed to mathematically model the glass transition temperature (Tg), one of the most important parameters regarding the behavior of slag, responsible for the sudden change in thermomechanical properties of non-crystalline materials, by the chemical composition of the SiO2-Na2O-CaO system, widely applicable in the production of glasses and constituent of iron, magnesium and aluminum metallurgy slags. The SciGlass database was used to provide data for mathematical modeling through the Python programming language, using the method of least squares. A new equation was established, called P Model, and it presented a lower mean absolute error and lower standard deviation of absolute errors in relation to 3 equations in the literature. The raised equation provides significant results in the mathematical modeling of Tg by the chemical system SiO2-Na2O-CaO, valid for the limits of the data used in the mathematical modeling.Comment: 5 pages, 3 figures, 2 table

Liquidus temperature nonlinear modeling of silicates SiO2−R2O−ROSiO_2-R_2O-RO

The liquidus temperature is an important parameter in understanding the crystalline behavior of materials and in the operation of blast furnaces. Its modeling can be carried out by linear and nonlinear methods through data, considering the artificial neural network a modeling method with high efficiency because it presents the theorem of universal approximation and with that better performances and possibility of greater oscillations. The best linear model and the best nonlinear model were modeled by structural parameters and presented a good numerical approximation, thus demonstrating that mathematical modeling can be performed using structural arguments and also showing a dimensionality reduction method for modeling a thermophysical property of the materials.Comment: 11 pages, 8 figures, 3 table

The technical challenge of Functional 18F-FDG-PET Brain imaging in paediatric epilepsy

Epilepsy is a chronic brain disease, characterized by the appearance of crisis (whit or without convulsions), caused by abnormal electric activity on brain cells. Neuroimaging might be necessary in the work-up of epilepsy for localisation of the seizure focus for possible surgical cure. In our department, we started performing inter-ictal 18F-2-deoxyglucose (FDG)-PET/TC Brain imaging in 2009, in paediatric patients, following EANM procedure guidelines. Aim: the aim of the study was to retrospectively review all the performed inter-ictal 18F-FDG-PET/TC brain imaging, to assess the difficulties found during these procedures and the deviation according to guideline recommendations. We also intend to focus on the major importance of an optimal cooperation with other departments, such as anaesthesiology and neurophysiology. Material and Methods: between 2009 and 2012, eleven patients (pt) were referred for an 18F-FDG-PET-TC brain study, with ages between 10 months - 18 years old all with medically intractable epilepsy. The exams were performed with different conditions according to the needs of each patient, because we know that exceptional procedures call for special conditions. Results: All files were review for pt information pertinent to performance of the procedure, pt pre-arrival preparation, pt pre-injection preparation, pt monitoring for ictal crises before injection (EEG), pt sedation, variability of radiopharmaceutical administration and data acquisition parameters. 8 of the pt were performed with anaesthesia while 3 without since the pediatric patient were cooperative. All of the pt were monitored under parental surveillance, one with additional movie recording and other with EEG. Conclusion: We found that this process of retrospective review of this pool of paediatric patients with epilepsy enhanced the learning curve in this very specific procedure. We also found it critical to request the collaboration of the departments of anaesthesiology and neurophysiology

Electrophysiological answer to a checkerboard stimulus: A pilot study

Electroencephalography is a clinical signal that reveals the brain's electrical activity. In this category, the Visual Evoked Potentials (VEP) is one of the most frequent measures, especially when it is necessary to assess the maturity and function of the central visual system. The Electrodermal Activity (EDA) data gives information about skin conductance, and it is used to evaluate autonomic sympathetic reactions, often related to neuropsychological states. It could be used with all ages and in young subjects with healthy development or clinical practice with children with atypical development. In this paper, we propose an experimental setup based on checkerboard stimuli to assess the evolution of visual system development of preterm infants. This experimental protocol was applied to two female preterm born infants of 4 and 6 months of corrected age. The preliminary findings show that, as expected, the P100 latencies and amplitude are still different from those expected for adults and older children. However, the older infant presents results more similar to adults, corresponding to having a more mature visual system. Concerning EDA, it was observed that the older infant presents more responses to the stimulus, a higher level of skin conductance, and a shorter latency time than the younger infant, which is congruent with what is expected, given the maturation of the nervous system. The methodology used in this pilot application and the algorithm defined seem adequate to use in a longitudinal study to follow the evolution of preterm and term infants

Acceptance of dishes based on mechanically separated meat of tambaqui (Colossoma macropomum) in a public school, Brazil.

In Brazil, due to economic and social factors, public policies are needed to grant access to quality nutrition in school. This provision should respect the local food culture; however, in the North, the region with the highest production of inland fisheries, fish consumption among students is still very low. The aim of the present study is to characterize Tambaqui (Colossoma macropomum) MSM, suggest planned school dishes based on this MSM and assesses their acceptability among students at the elementary and high school levels in northern Brazil. The study was carried out over one month and was a quantitative (hedonic scale and leftover/intake index) and qualitative research about preference. The participants were 120 elementary- and high-school students chosen randomly after they were authorized by their parents or legal guardians. Fish-based dishes were inserted in the diet of schoolchildren and their acceptability was evaluated. The children were also inquired about their fish consumption routines. The statistical analyses used were frequency tables and chi-squared independence test associated with Fisher?s exact test. Two dishes were well accepted by the students; however, the results showed that fish acceptance among younger students are higher than among adolescents. So, policies that promote fish intake and a healthy lifestyle must be stimulated since the early grades